{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_15475/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_15475","id":"gutenberg_15475","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15475","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Epic literature, Sanskrit"],"text":"Produced by John B. Hare. Please notify any corrections\nto John B. Hare at www.sacred-texts.com\n\n\n\n\n\nTHE MAHABHARATA\n\nof\n\nKrishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa\n\nBOOK 4\n\nVIRATA PARVA\n\nTranslated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text\n\nby\n\nKisari Mohan Ganguli\n\n[1883-1896]\n\nScanned at sacred-texts.com, 2003. Proofed at Distributed Proofing,\nJuliet Sutherland, Project Manager. Additional proofing and formatting at\nsacred-texts.com, by J. B. Hare.\n\n\n\nSECTION I\n\n(Pandava-Pravesa Parva)\n\nOM! Having bowed down to Narayana, and Nara, the most exalted of male\nbeings, and also to the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered.\n\nJanamejaya said, \"How did my great-grandfathers, afflicted with the fear\nof Duryodhana, pass their days undiscovered in the city of Virata? And, O\nBrahman, how did the highly blessed Draupadi, stricken with woe, devoted\nto her lords, and ever adoring the Deity[1], spend her days unrecognised?\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Listen, O lord of men, how thy great grandfathers\npassed the period of unrecognition in the city of Virata. Having in this\nway obtained boons from the god of Justice, that best of virtuous men,\nYudhishthira, returned to the asylum and related unto the Brahmanas all\nthat had happened. And having related everything unto them, Yudhishthira\nrestored to that regenerate Brahmana, who had followed him the churning\nstaff and the fire-sticks he had lost. And, O Bharata, the son of the god\nof Justice, the royal Yudhishthira of high soul then called together all\nhis younger brothers and addressed them, saying, 'Exiled from our\nkingdom, we have passed twelve years. The thirteenth year, hard to spend,\nhath now come. Do thou therefore, O Arjuna, the son of Kunti, select some\nspot where we may pass our days undiscovered by our enemies.'\n\n\"Arjuna replied, 'Even by virtue of Dharma's boon, we shall, O lord of\nmen, range about undiscovered by men. Still, for purposes of residence, I\nshall mention some spots that are both delightful and secluded. Do thou\nselect some one of them. Surrounding the kingdom of the Kurus, are many\ncountries beautiful and abounding in corn, such as Panchala, Chedi,\nMatsya, Surasena, Pattachchara, Dasarna, Navarashtra, Malla, Salva,\nYugandhara, Saurashtra, Avanti, and the spacious Kuntirashtra. Which of\nthese, O king, wouldst thou choose, and where, O foremost of monarchs,\nshall we spend this year?'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O thou of mighty arms, it is even so. What that\nadorable Lord of all creatures hath said must become true. Surely, after\nconsulting together, we must select some delightful, auspicious, and\nagreeable region for our abode, where we may live free from fear. The\naged Virata, king of the Matsyas, is virtuous and powerful and\ncharitable, and is liked by all. And he is also attached to the Pandavas.\nEven in the city of Virata, O child, we shall, O Bharata, spend this\nyear, entering his service. Tell me, ye sons of the Kuru race, in what\ncapacities ye will severally present yourselves before the king of the\nMatsyas!'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'O god among men, what service wilt thou take in Virata's\nkingdom? O righteous one, in what capacity wilt thou reside in the city\nof Virata? Thou art mild, and charitable, and modest, and virtuous, and\nfirm in promise. What wilt thou, O king, afflicted as thou art with\ncalamity, do? A king is qualified to bear trouble like an ordinary\nperson. How wilt thou overcome this great calamity that has overtaken\nthee?'\n\n\"Yudhishthira replied, 'Ye sons of the Kuru race, ye bulls among men, hear\nwhat I shall do on appearing before king Virata. Presenting myself as a\nBrahmana, Kanka by name, skilled in dice and fond of play, I shall become\na courtier of that high-souled king. And moving upon chess-boards\nbeautiful pawns made of ivory, of blue and yellow and red and white hue,\nby throws of black and red dice, I shall entertain the king with his\ncourtiers and friends. And while I shall continue to thus delight the\nking, nobody will succeed in discovering me. And should the monarch ask\nme, I shall say, \"Formerly I was the bosom friend of Yudhishthira.\" I\ntell you that it is thus that I shall pass my days (in the city of\nVirata). What office wilt thou, O Vrikodara, fill in the city of Virata?'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION II\n\n\"Bhima said, 'I intend to present myself before the lord of Virata as a\ncook bearing the name of Vallabha. I am skilled in culinary art, and I\nshall prepare curries for the king, and excelling all those skilful cooks\nthat had hitherto dressed his food I shall gratify the monarch. And I\nshall carry mighty loads of wood. And witnessing that mighty feat, the\nmonarch will be pleased. And, O Bharata, beholding such superhuman feats\nof mine, the servants of the royal household will honour me as a king.\nAnd I shall have entire control over all kinds of viands and drinks. And\ncommanded to subdue powerful elephants and mighty bulls, I will do as\nbidden. And if any combatants will fight with me in the lists, then will\nI vanquish them, and thereby entertain the monarch. But I shall not take\nthe life of any of them. I shall only bring them down in such way that\nthey may not be killed. And on being asked as regards my antecedent I\nshall say that--\"Formerly I was the wrestler and cook of Yudhishthira.\"\nThus shall I, O king, maintain myself.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'And what office will be performed by that mighty\ndescendant of the Kurus, Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, that foremost of\nmen possessed of long arms, invincible in fight, and before whom, while\nhe was staying with Krishna, the divine Agni himself desirous of\nconsuming the forest of Khandava had formerly appeared in the guise of a\nBrahmana? What office will be performed by that best of warriors, Arjuna,\nwho proceeded to that forest and gratified Agni, vanquishing on a single\ncar and slaying huge Nagas and Rakshasas, and who married the sister of\nVasuki himself, the king of the Nagas? Even as the sun is the foremost of\nall heat-giving bodies, as the Brahmana is the best of all bipeds, as the\ncobra is the foremost of all serpents, as Fire is the first of all things\npossessed of energy, as the thunderbolt is the foremost of all weapons,\nas the humped bull is the foremost of all animals of the bovine breed, as\nthe ocean is the foremost of all watery expanses, as clouds charged with\nrain are the foremost of all clouds, as Ananta is the first of all Nagas,\nas Airavata is the foremost of all elephants, as the son is the foremost\nof all beloved objects, and lastly, as the wife is the best of all\nfriends, so, O Vrikodara, is the youthful Gudakesa, the foremost of all\nbowmen. And O Bharata, what office will be performed by Vibhatsu, the\nwielder of Gandiva, whose car is drawn by white horses, and who is not\ninferior to Indra or Vasudeva Himself? What office will be performed by\nArjuna who, dwelling for five years in the abode of the thousand-eyed\nDeity (Indra) shining in celestial lustre, acquired by his own energy the\nscience of superhuman arms with all celestial weapons, and whom I regard\nas the tenth Rudra, the thirteenth Aditya, the ninth Vasu, and the tenth\nGraha, whose arms, symmetrical and long, have the skin hardened by\nconstant strokes of the bowstring and cicatrices which resemble those on\nthe humps of bulls,--that foremost of warriors who is as Himavat among\nmountains, the ocean among expanses of water, Sakra among the celestial,\nHavya-vaha (fire) among the Vasus, the tiger among beasts, and Garuda\namong feathery tribes!'\n\n\"Arjuna replied, 'O lord of the Earth, I will declare myself as one of the\nneuter sex. O monarch, it is, indeed difficult to hide the marks of the\nbowstring on my arms. I will, however, cover both my cicatrized arms with\nbangles. Wearing brilliant rings on my ears and conch-bangles on my\nwrists and causing a braid to hang down from my head, I shall, O king,\nappear as one of the third sex, Vrihannala by name. And living as a\nfemale I shall (always) entertain the king and the inmates of the inner\napartments by reciting stories. And, O king, I shall also instruct the\nwomen of Virata's palace in singing and delightful modes of dancing and\nin musical instruments of diverse kinds. And I shall also recite the\nvarious excellent acts of men and thus conceal myself, O son of Kunti, by\nfeigning disguise. And, O Bharata should the king enquire, I will say\nthat, I lived as a waiting maid of Draupadi in Yudhishthira's palace.\nAnd, O foremost of kings, concealing myself by this means, as fire is\nconcealed by ashes, I shall pass my days agreeably in the palace of\nVirata.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having said this, Arjuna, that best of men and\nforemost of virtuous persons, became silent. Then the king addressed\nanother brother of his.\"[2]\n\n\n\nSECTION III\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Tender, possessed of a graceful presence, and\ndeserving of every luxury as thou art, what office wilt thou, O heroic\nNakula, discharge while living in the dominions of that king? Tell me all\nabout it!'\n\n\"Nakula said, 'Under the name of Granthika, I shall become the keeper of\nthe horses of king Virata. I have a thorough knowledge (of this work) and\nam skilful in tending horses. Besides, the task is agreeable to me, and I\npossess great skill in training and treating horses; and horses are ever\ndear to me as they are to thee, O king of the Kurus. At my hands even\ncolts and mares become docile; these never become vicious in bearing a\nrider or drawing a car.[3] And those persons in the city of Virata that\nmay enquire of me, I shall, O bull of the Bharata race, say,--\"Formerly I\nwas employed by Yudhishthira in the charge of his horses.\" Thus disguised,\nO king, I shall spend my days delightfully in the city of Virata. No one\nwill be able to discover me as I will gratify the monarch thus!'[4]\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'How wilt thou, O Sahadeva, bear thyself before that\nking? And what, O child, is that which thou wilt do in order to live in\ndisguise.'\n\n\"Sahadeva replied, 'I will become a keeper of the kine of Virata's king. I\nam skilled in milking kine and taking their history as well as in taming\ntheir fierceness. Passing under the name of Tantripal, I shall perform my\nduties deftly. Let thy heart's fever be dispelled. Formerly I was\nfrequently employed to look after thy kine, and, O Lord of earth, I have\na particular knowledge of that work. And, O monarch, I am well-acquainted\nwith the nature of kine, as also with their auspicious marks and other\nmatters relating to them. I can also discriminate bulls with auspicious\nmarks, the scent of whose urine may make even the barren being forth\nchild. Even thus will I live, and I always take delight in work of this\nkind. Indeed, no one will then be able to recognise me, and I will\nmoreover gratify the monarch.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'This is our beloved wife dearer to us than our lives.\nVerily, she deserveth to be cherished by us like a mother, and regarded\nlike an elder sister. Unacquainted as she is with any kind of womanly\nwork, what office will Krishna, the daughter of Drupada, perform?\nDelicate and young, she is a princess of great repute. Devoted to her\nlords, and eminently virtuous, also, how will she live? Since her birth,\nshe hath enjoyed only garlands and perfumes and ornaments and costly\nrobes.'\n\n\"Draupadi replied, 'There is a class of persons called Sairindhris,[5] who\nenter the services of other. Other females, however (that are\nrespectable) do not do so. Of this class there are some. I shall give\nmyself out as a Sairindhri, skilled in dressing hair. And, O Bharata, on\nbeing questioned by the king, I shall say that I served as a waiting\nwoman of Draupadi in Yudhishthira's household. I shall thus pass my days\nin disguise. And I shall serve the famous Sudeshna, the wife of the king.\nSurely, obtaining me she will cherish me (duly). Do not grieve so, O\nking.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O Krishna, thou speakest well. But O fair girl, thou\nwert born in a respectable family. Chaste as thou art, and always engaged\nin observing virtuous vows, thou knowest not what is sin. Do thou,\ntherefore, conduct thyself in such a way that sinful men of evil hearts\nmay not be gladdened by gazing at thee.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION IV\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Ye have already said what offices ye will\nrespectively perform. I also, according to the measure of my sense, have\nsaid what office I will perform. Let our priest, accompanied by\ncharioteers and cooks, repair to the abode of Drupada, and there maintain\nour Agnihotra fires. And let Indrasena and the others, taking with them\nthe empty cars, speedily proceeded to Dwaravati. Even this is my wish.\nAnd let all these maid-servants of Draupadi go to the Panchalas, with our\ncharioteers and cooks. And let all of them say,--\"We do not know where the\nPandavas have gone leaving us at the lake of Dwaitavana.\"'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having thus taken counsel of one another and told one\nanother the offices they would discharge, the Pandavas sought Dhaumya's\nadvice. And Dhaumya also gave them advice in the following words, saying,\n'Ye sons of Pandu, the arrangements ye have made regarding the Brahmanas,\nyour friends, cars, weapons, and the (sacred) fires, are excellent. But\nit behoveth thee, O Yudhishthira, and Arjuna specially, to make provision\nfor the protection of Draupadi. Ye king, ye are well-acquainted with the\ncharacters of men. Yet whatever may be your knowledge, friends may from\naffection be permitted to repeat what is already known. Even this is\nsubservient to the eternal interests of virtue, pleasure, and profit. I\nshall, therefore speak to you something. Mark ye. To dwell with a king\nis, alas, difficult. I shall tell you, ye princes, how ye may reside in\nthe royal household, avoiding every fault. Ye Kauravas, honourably or\notherwise, ye will have to pass this year in the king's palace,\nundiscovered by those that know you. Then in the fourteenth year, ye will\nlive happy. O son of Pandu, in this world, that cherisher and protector\nof all beings, the king, who is a deity in an embodied form, is as a\ngreat fire sanctified with all the mantras. [6] One should present\nhimself before the king, after having obtained his permission at the\ngate. No one should keep contact with royal secrets. Nor should one\ndesire a seat which another may covet. He who doth not, regarding himself\nto be a favourite, occupy (the king's) car, or coach, or seat, or\nvehicle, or elephant, is alone worthy of dwelling in a royal household.\nHe that sits not upon a seat the occupation of which is calculated to raise\nalarm in the minds of malicious people, is alone worthy of dwelling in a\nroyal household. No one should unasked offer counsel (to a king). Paying\nhomage in season unto the king, one should silently and respectfully sit\nbeside the king, for kings take umbrage at babblers, and disgrace-laying\ncounsellors. A wise person should not contact friendship with the king's\nwife, nor with the inmates of the inner apartments, nor with those that\nare objects of royal displeasure. One about the king should do even the\nmost unimportant acts and with the king's knowledge. Behaving thus with a\nsovereign, one doth not come by harm. Even if an individual attain the\nhighest office, he should, as long as he is not asked or commanded,\nconsider himself as born-blind, having regard to the king's dignity, for\nO repressers of foes, the rulers of men do not forgive even their sons\nand grandsons and brothers when they happen to tamper with their dignity.\nKings should be served with regardful care, even as Agni and other gods;\nand he that is disloyal to his sovereign, is certainly destroyed by him.\nRenouncing anger, and pride, and negligence, it behoveth a man to follow\nthe course directed by the monarch. After carefully deliberating on all\nthings, a person should set forth before the king those topics that are\nboth profitable and pleasant; but should a subject be profitable without\nbeing pleasant, he should still communicate it, despite its\ndisagreeableness. It behoveth a man to be well-disposed towards the king\nin all his interests, and not to indulge in speech that is alike\nunpleasant and profitless. Always thinking--\"I am not liked by the\nking\"--one should banish negligence, and be intent on bringing about what\nis agreeable and advantageous to him. He that swerveth not from his\nplace, he that is not friendly to those that are hostile to the king, he\nthat striveth not to do wrong to the king, is alone worthy to dwell in a\nroyal household. A learned man should sit either on the king's right or\nthe left; he should not sit behind him for that is the place appointed\nfor armed guards, and to sit before him is always interdicted. Let none,\nwhen the king is engaged in doing anything (in respect of his servants)\ncome forward pressing himself zealously before others, for even if the\naggrieved be very poor, such conduct would still be inexcusable.[7] It\nbehoveth no man to reveal to others any lie the king may have told\ninasmuch as the king bears ill will to those that report his falsehoods.\nKings also always disregard persons that regard themselves as learned. No\nman should be proud thinking--\"I am brave, or, I am intelligent,\" but a\nperson obtains the good graces of a king and enjoys the good things of\nlife, by behaving agreeably to the wishes of the king. And, O Bharata,\nobtaining things agreeable, and wealth also which is so hard to acquire,\na person should always do what is profitable as well as pleasant to the\nking. What man that is respected by the wise can even think of doing\nmischief to one whose ire is a great impediment and whose favour is\nproductive of mighty fruits? No one should move his lips, arms and\nthighs, before the king. A person should speak and spit before the king\nonly mildly. In the presence of even laughable objects, a man should not\nbreak out into loud laughter, like a maniac; nor should one show\n(unreasonable) gravity by containing himself, to the utmost. One should\nsmile modestly, to show his interest (in what is before him). He that is\never mindful of the king's welfare, and is neither exhilarated by reward\nnor depressed by disgrace, is alone worthy of dwelling in a royal\nhousehold. That learned courtier who always pleaseth the king and his son\nwith agreeable speeches, succeedeth in dwelling in a royal household as a\nfavourite. The favourite courtier who, having lost the royal favour for\njust reason, does not speak evil of the king, regains prosperity. The man\nwho serveth the king or liveth in his domains, if sagacious, should speak\nin praise of the king, both in his presence and absence. The courtier who\nattempts to obtain his end by employing force on the king, cannot keep\nhis place long and incurs also the risk of death. None should, for the\npurpose of self-interest, open communications with the king's enemies.[8]\nNor should one distinguish himself above the king in matters requiring\nability and talents. He that is always cheerful and strong, brave and\ntruthful, and mild, and of subdued senses, and who followeth his master\nlike his shadow, is alone worthy to dwell in a royal household. He that\non being entrusted with a work, cometh forward, saying,--\"I will do\nthis\"--is alone worthy of living in a royal household. He that on being\nentrusted with a task, either within the king's dominion or out of it,\nnever feareth to undertake it, is alone fit to reside in a royal\nhousehold. He that living away from his home, doth not remember his dear\nones, and who undergoeth (present) misery in expectation of (future)\nhappiness, is alone worthy of dwelling in a royal household. One should\nnot dress like the king, nor should one indulge in laughter in the\nking's presence nor should one disclose royal secrets. By acting thus one\nmay win royal favour. Commissioned to a task, one should not touch bribes\nfor by such appropriation one becometh liable to fetters or death. The\nrobes, ornaments, cars, and other things which the king may be pleased to\nbestow should always be used, for by this, one winneth the royal favour.\nYe children, controlling your minds, do ye spend this year, ye sons of\nPandu, behaving in this way. Regaining your own kingdom, ye may live as\nye please.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'We have been well taught by thee. Blessed be thou.\nThere is none that could say so to us, save our mother Kunti and Vidura\nof great wisdom. It behoveth thee to do all that is necessary now for our\ndeparture, and for enabling us to come safely through this woe, as well\nas for our victory over the foe.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed by Yudhishthira, Dhaumya, that\nbest of Brahmanas, performed according to the ordinance the rites\nordained in respect of departure. And lighting up their fires, he\noffered, with mantras, oblations on them for the prosperity and success\nof the Pandavas, as for their reconquest of the whole world. And walking\nround those fires and round the Brahmanas of ascetic wealth, the six set\nout, placing Yajnaseni in their front. And when those heroes had\ndeparted, Dhaumya, that best of ascetics, taking their sacred fires, set\nout for the Panchalas. And Indrasena, and others already mentioned, went\nto the Yadavas, and looking after the horses and the cars of the Pandavas\npassed their time happily and in privacy.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION V\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Girding their waists with swords, and equipped with\nfinger-protectors made of iguana skins and with various weapons, those\nheroes proceeded in the direction of the river Yamuna. And those bowmen\ndesirous of (speedily) recovering their kingdom, hitherto living in\ninaccessible hills and forest fastnesses, now terminated their\nforest-life and proceeded to the southern bank of that river. And those\nmighty warriors endued with great strength and hitherto leading the lives\nof hunters by killing the deer of the forest, passed through Yakrilloma\nand Surasena, leaving behind, on their right, the country of the\nPanchalas, and on their left, that of the Dasarnas. And those bowmen,\nlooking wan and wearing beards and equipped with swords, entered Matsya's\ndominions leaving the forest, giving themselves out as hunters. And on\narriving at that country, Krishna addressed Yudhishthira, saying, 'We see\nfootpaths here, and various fields. From this it appears that Virata's\nmetropolis is still at a distance. Pass we here what part of the night is\nstill left, for great is my fatigue.'\"\n\n\"Yudhishthira answered, 'O Dhananjaya of Bharata's race, do thou take up\nPanchali and carry her. Just on emerging from this forest, we arrive at\nthe city.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thereupon like the leader of a herd of\nelephants, Arjuna speedily took up Draupadi, and on coming to the\nvicinity of the city, let her down. And on reaching the city, Ruru's son\n(Yudhishthira), addressed Arjuna, saying, 'Where shall we deposit our\nweapons, before entering the city? If, O child, we enter it with our\nweapons about us, we shall thereby surely excite the alarm of the\ncitizens. Further, the tremendous bow, the Gandiva, is known to all men,\nso that people will, without doubt, recognise us soon. And if even one of\nus is discovered, we shall, according to promise, have to pass another\ntwelve years in the forest.'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'Hard by yon cemetery and near that inaccessible peak is a\nmighty Sami tree, throwing-about its gigantic branches and difficult to\nascend. Nor is there any human being, who, I think, O Pandu's son, will\nespy us depositing our arms at that place. That tree is in the midst of\nan out-of-the way forest abounding in beasts and snakes, and is in the\nvicinity of a dreary cemetery. Stowing away our weapons on the Sami tree,\nlet us, O Bharata, go to the city, and live there, free from anxiety!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having O bull of the Bharata race spoken thus to\nking Yudhishthira the just, Arjuna prepared to deposit the weapons (on\nthe tree). And that bull among the Kurus, then loosened the string of the\nlarge and dreadful Gandiva, ever producing thundering twang and always\ndestructive of hostile hosts, and with which he had conquered, on a\nsingle car, gods and men and Nagas and swelling provinces. And the\nwarlike Yudhishthira, that represser of foes, unfastened the undecaying\nstring of that bow with which he had defended the field of Kurukshetra.\nAnd the illustrious Bhimasena unstrung that bow by means of which that\nsinless one had vanquished in fight the Panchalas and the lord of Sindhu,\nand with which, during his career of conquest, he had, single-handed,\nopposed innumerable foes, and hearing whose twang which was like unto the\nroar of the thunder or the splitting of a mountain, enemies always fly\n(in panic) from the field of battle. And that son of Pandu of coppery\ncomplexion and mild speech who is endued with great prowess in the field,\nand is called Nakula in consequence of his unexampled beauty in the\nfamily, then unfastened the string of that bow with which he had\nconquered all the regions of the west. And the heroic Sahadeva also,\npossessed of a mild disposition, then untied the string of that bow with\nwhich he had subjugated the countries of the south. And with their bows,\nthey put together their long and flashing swords, their precious quivers,\nand their arrows sharp as razors. And Nakula ascended the tree, and\ndeposited on it the bows and the other weapons. And he tied them fast on\nthose parts of the tree which he thought would not break, and where the\nrain would not penetrate. And the Pandavas hung up a corpse (on the\ntree), knowing that people smelling the stench of the corpse would\nsay--'here sure, is a dead body,' and avoid the tree from a distance. And\non being asked by the shepherds and cowherds regarding the corpse, those\nrepressers of foes said unto them, 'This is our mother, aged one hundred\nand eighty years. We have hung up her dead body, in accordance with the\ncustom observed by our forefathers.' And then those resisters of foes\napproached the city. And for purposes of non-discovery Yudhishthira kept\nthese (five) names for himself and his brothers respectively, viz., Jaya,\nJayanta, Vijaya, Jayatsena, and Jayatvala. Then they entered the great\ncity, with the view to passing the thirteenth year undiscovered in that\nkingdom, agreeably to the promise (to Duryodhana).\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"And while Yudhishthira was on his way to the\ndelightful city of Virata, he began to praise mentally the Divine Durga,\nthe Supreme Goddess of the Universe, born on the womb of Yasoda, and fond\nof the boons bestowed on her by Narayana, sprung from the race of cowherd\nNanda, and the giver of prosperity, the enhancer (of the glory) of (the\nworshipper's) family, the terrifier of Kansa, and the destroyer of\nAsuras,--and saluted the Goddess--her who ascended the skies when dashed\n(by Kansa) on a stony platform, who is the sister of Vasudeva, one who is\nalways decked in celestial garlands and attired in celestial robes,--who\nis armed with scimitar and shield, and always rescues the worshipper sunk\nin sin, like a cow in the mire, who in the hours of distress calls upon\nthat eternal giver of blessings for relieving him of their burdens. And\nthe king, desirous with his brothers of obtaining a sight of the Goddess,\ninvoked her and began to praise her by reciting various names derived\nfrom (approved) hymns. And Yudhishthira said, 'Salutations to thee, O\ngiver of boons. O thou that art identical with Krishna, O maiden, O thou\nthat hast observed the vow of Brahmacharya, O thou of body bright as the\nnewly-risen Sun, O thou of face beautiful as the full moon. Salutations to\nthee, O thou of four hands and four faces, O thou of fair round hips and\ndeep bosom, O thou that wearest bangles made of emeralds and sapphires, O\nthou that bearest excellent bracelets on thy upper arm. Thou shinest, O\nGoddess, as Padma, the consort of Narayana. O thou that rangest the\netherial regions, thy true form and thy Brahmacharya are both of the\npurest kind. Sable as the black clouds, thy face is beautiful as that of\nSankarshana. Thou bearest two large arms long as a couple of poles raised\nin honour of Indra. In thy (six) other arms thou bearest a vessel, a\nlotus, a bell, a noose, a bow, a large discus, and various other weapons.\nThou art the only female in the universe that possessest the attribute of\npurity. Thou art decked with a pair of well-made ears graced with\nexcellent rings. O Goddess, thou shinest with a face that challengeth the\nmoon in beauty. With an excellent diadem and beautiful braid with robes\nmade of the bodies of snakes, and with also the brilliant girdle round\nthy hips, thou shinest like the Mandara mountain encircled with snakes.\nThou shinest also with peacock-plumes standing erect on thy head, and\nthou hast sanctified the celestial regions by adopting the vow of\nperpetual maiden-hood. It is for this, O thou that hast slain the\nMahishasura, [9] that thou art praised and worshipped by the gods for the\nprotection of the three worlds. O thou foremost of all deities, extend to\nme thy grace, show me thy mercy, and be thou the source of blessings to\nme. Thou art Jaya and Vijaya, and it is thou that givest victory in\nbattle. Grant me victory, O Goddess, and give me boons also at this hour\nof distress. Thy eternal abode is on Vindhya--that foremost of mountains.\nO Kali, O Kali, thou art the great Kali, ever fond of wine and meat and\nanimal sacrifice. Capable of going everywhere at will, and bestowing\nboons on thy devotees, thou art ever followed in thy journeys by Brahma\nand the other gods. By them that call upon thee for the relief of their\nburdens, and by them also that bow to thee at daybreak on Earth, there is\nnothing that cannot be attained in respect either of offspring or wealth.\nAnd because thou rescuest people from difficulties whether when they are\nafflicted in the wilderness or sinking in the great ocean, it is for this\nthat thou art called Durga[10] by all. Thou art the sole refuge of men\nwhen attacked by robbers or while afflicted in crossing streams and seas\nor in wilderness and forests. Those men that remember thee are never\nprostrated, O great Goddess. Thou art Fame, thou art Prosperity, thou art\nSteadiness, thou art Success; thou art the Wife, thou art men's\nOffspring, thou art Knowledge, and thou art the Intellect. Thou art the\ntwo Twilights, the Night Sleep, Light--both solar and lunar, Beauty,\nForgiveness, Mercy, and every other thing. Thou dispellest, worshipped by\nthe devotees their fetters, ignorance, loss of children and loss of\nwealth, disease, death, and fear. I, who have been deprived of my\nkingdom, seek thy protection. And as I bow to thee with bended head, O\nSupreme Goddess, grant me protection, O thou of eyes like lotus leaves.\nAnd be thou as boon-giving Truth unto us that are acting according to\nTruth. And, O Durga, kind as thou art unto all that seek thy protection,\nand affectionate unto all thy devotees, grant me protection!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus praised by the son of Pandu, the Goddess\nshowed herself unto him. And approaching the king, she addressed him in\nthese words, 'O mighty armed king, listen, O Lord, to these words of\nmine. Having vanquished and slain the ranks of the Kauravas through my\ngrace, victory in battle will soon be thine. Thou shalt again lord it\nover the entire Earth, having made thy dominions destitute of thorns.\nAnd, O king, thou shalt also, with thy brothers, obtain great happiness.\nAnd through my grace, joy and health will be thine. And they also in the\nworld who will recite my attributes and achievements will be freed from\ntheir sins, and gratified. I will bestow upon them kingdom, long life,\nbeauty of person, and offspring. And they, O king, who will invoke me,\nafter thy manner, in exile or in the city, in the midst of battle or of\ndangers from foes, in forests or in inaccessible deserts, in seas or\nmountain fastnesses, there is nothing that they will not obtain in this\nworld. And ye sons of Pandu, he will achieve success in every business of\nhis that will listen to, or himself recite with devotion, this excellent\nhymn. And through my grace neither the Kuru's spies, nor those that dwell\nin the country of the Matsyas, will succeed in recognising you all as\nlong as ye reside in Virata's city!' And having said these words unto\nYudhishthira, that chastiser of foes, and having arranged for the\nprotection of the sons of Pandu, the Goddess disappeared there and then.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then tying up in his cloth dice made of gold and set\nwith lapis lazuli, and holding them below his arm-pit, king\nYudhishthira,--that illustrious lord of men--that high-souled perpetuator\nof the Kuru race, regarded by kings, irrepressible in might, and like\nunto a snake of virulent poison,--that bull among men, endued with\nstrength and beauty and prowess, and possessed of greatness, and\nresembling in form a celestial though now like unto the sun enveloped in\ndense clouds, or fire covered with ashes, first made his appearance when\nthe famous king Virata was seated in his court. And beholding with his\nfollowers that son of Pandu in his court, looking like the moon hid in\nclouds and possessed of a face beautiful as the full moon, king Virata\naddressed his counsellors and the twice-born ones and the charioteers and\nthe Vaisyas and others, saying, 'Enquire ye who it is, so like a king\nthat looketh on my court for the first time. He cannot be a Brahmana.\nMethinks he is a man of men, and a lord of earth. He hath neither slaves,\nnor cars, nor elephants with him, yet he shineth like the very Indra. The\nmarks on his person indicate him to be one whose coronal locks have\nundergone the sacred investiture. Even this is my belief. He approacheth\nme without any hesitation, even as an elephant in rut approacheth an\nassemblage of lotuses!'\n\n\"And as the king was indulging in these thoughts, that bull among men,\nYudhishthira, came before Virata and addressed him, saying, 'O great\nking, know me for a Brahmana who, having lost his all hath come to thee\nfor the means of subsistence. I desire, O sinless one, to live here\nbeside thee acting under thy commands,[11] O lord.' The king then,\nwell-pleased, replied unto him saying, 'Thou art welcome. Do thou then\naccept the appointment thou seekest!' And having appointed the lion among\nkings in the post he had prayed for, king Virata addressed him with a\nglad heart, saying, 'O child, I ask thee from affection, from the\ndominions of what king dost thou come hither? Tell me also truly what is\nthy name and family, and what thou hast a knowledge of.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'My name is Kanka, and I am a Brahmana belonging to\nthe family known by the name of Vaiyaghra. I am skilled in casting dice,\nand formerly I was a friend of Yudhishthira.'\n\n\"Virata replied, 'I will grant thee whatever boon thou mayst desire. Do\nthou rule the Matsyas.--I shall remain in submission to thee. Even\ncunning gamblers are liked by me. Thou, on the other hand, art like a\ngod, and deservest a kingdom.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'My first prayer, O lord of earth, is that I may not\nbe involved in any dispute (on account of dice) with low people. Further,\na person defeated by me (at dice) shall not be permitted to retain the\nwealth (won by me). Let this boon be granted to me through thy grace.'\n\n\"Virata replied, 'I shall certainly slay him who may happen to displease\nthee, and should he be one of the twice-born ones, I shall banish him from\nmy dominions. Let the assembled subjects listen! Kanka is as much lord of\nthis realm as I myself. Thou (Kanka) shalt be my friend and shalt ride\nthe same vehicles as I. And there shall also be at thy disposal apparel\nin plenty, and various kinds of viands and drinks. And thou shalt look\ninto my affairs, both internal and external. And for thee all my doors\nshall be open. When men out of employ or of strained circumstances will\napply to thee, do thou at all hours bring their words unto me, and I will\nsurely give them whatever they desire. No fear shall be thine as long as\nthou residest with me.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having thus obtained an interview with Virata's king,\nand received from him boons, that heroic bull among men, began to live\nhappily, highly regarded by all. Nor could any one discover him as he\nlived there.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then another endued with the dreadful strength and\nblazing in beauty, approached king Virata, with the playful gait of the\nlion. And holding in hand a cooking ladle and a spoon, as also an\nunsheathed sword of sable hue and without a spot on the blade, he came in\nthe guise of a cook illumining all around him by his splendour like the\nsun discovering the whole world. And attired in black and possessed of\nthe strength of the king of mountains, he approached the king of the\nMatsyas and stood before him. And beholding that king-like person before\nhim, Virata addressed his assembled subjects saying, 'Who is that youth,\nthat bull among men, with shoulders broad like those of a lion, and so\nexceedingly beautiful? That person, never seen before, is like the sun.\nRevolving the matter in my mind, I cannot ascertain who he is, nor can I\nwith even serious thoughts guess the intention of that bull among men (in\ncoming here). Beholding him, it seems to me that he is either the king of\nthe Gandharvas, or Purandara himself. Do ye ascertain who it is that\nstandeth before my eyes. Let him have quickly what he seeks.' Thus\ncommanded by king Virata, his swift-footed messengers went up to the son\nof Kunti and informed that younger brother of Yudhishthira of everything\nthe king had said. Then the high-souled son of Pandu, approaching Virata,\naddressed him in words that were not unsuited to his object, saying, 'O\nforemost of kings, I am a cook, Vallava by name. I am skilled in dressing\ndishes. Do thou employ me in the kitchen!'\n\n\"Virata said, 'I do not believe, O Vallava, that cooking is thy office.\nThou resemblest the deity of a thousand eyes; and in grace and beauty and\nprowess, thou shinest among these all as a king!'\n\n\"Bhima replied, 'O king of kings, I am thy cook and servant in the first\nplace. It is not curries only of which I have knowledge, O monarch,\nalthough king Yudhishthira always used in days gone by to taste my\ndishes. O lord of earth, I am also a wrestler. Nor is there one that is\nequal to me in strength. And engaging in fight with lions and elephants,\nI shall, O sinless one, always contribute to thy entertainment.'\n\n\"Virata said, 'I will even grant thee boons. Thou wilt do what thou\nwishest, as thou describest thyself skilled in it. I do not, however,\nthink, that this office is worthy of thee, for thou deservest this\n(entire) earth girt round by the sea. But do as thou likest. Be thou the\nsuperintendent of my kitchen, and thou art placed at the head of those\nwho have been appointed there before by me.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus appointed in the kitchen, Bhima soon became\nthe favourite of king Virata. And, O king, he continued to live there\nunrecognised by the other servants of Virata as also by other people!\"\n\n\n\nSECTION IX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Binding her black, soft, fine, long and faultless\ntresses with crisped ends into a knotted braid, Draupadi of black eyes\nand sweet smiles, throwing it upon her right shoulders, concealed it by\nher cloth. And she wore a single piece of a black and dirty though costly\ncloth. And dressing herself as a Sairindhri, she began to wander hither\nand thither in seeming affliction. And beholding her wandering, men and\nwomen came to her hastily and addressed her, saying, 'Who are you? And\nwhat do you seek?' And she replied, 'I am a king's Sairindhri. I desire\nto serve any one that will maintain me.' But beholding her beauty and\ndress, and hearing also her speech that was so sweet, the people could\nnot take her for a maid-servant in search of subsistence. And it came to\npass that while looking this way and that from the terrace, Virata's\nbeloved queen, daughter of the king of Kekaya, saw Draupadi. And\nbeholding her forlorn and clad in a single piece of cloth, the queen\naddressed her saying, 'O beautiful one, who are you, and what do you\nseek?' Thereupon, Draupadi answered her, saying, 'O foremost of queens, I\nam Sairindhri. I will serve anybody that will maintain me.' Then Sudeshna\nsaid, 'What you say (regarding your profession) can never be compatible\nwith so much beauty. (On the contrary) you might well be the mistress of\nservants both male and female. Your heels are not prominent, and your\nthighs touch each other. And your intelligence is great, and your navel\ndeep, and your words solemn. And your great toes, and bust and hips, and\nback and sides, and toe-nails, and palms are all well-developed. And your\npalms, soles, and face are ruddy. And your speech is sweet even as the\nvoice of the swan. And your hair is beautiful, and your bust shapely, and\nyou are possessed of the highest grace. And your hips and bust are plump.\nAnd like a Kashmerean mare you are furnished with every auspicious mark.\nAnd your eye-lashes are (beautiful) bent, and your nether-lip is like the\nruddy ground. And your waist is slender, and your neck bears lines that\nresemble those of the conch. And your veins are scarcely visible. Indeed,\nyour countenance is like the full moon, and your eyes resemble the leaves\nof the autumnal lotus, and your body is fragrant as the lotus itself.\nVerily, in beauty you resemble Sri herself, whose seat is the autumnal\nlotus. Tell me, O beautiful damsel, who thou art. Thou canst never be a\nmaidservant. Art thou a Yakshi, a Goddess, a Gandharvi, or an Apsara? Art\nthou the daughter of a celestial, or art thou a female Naga? Art thou the\nguardian goddess of some city, a Vidyadhari, or a Kinnari,--or art thou\nRohini herself? Or art thou Alamvusha, or Misrakesi, Pundarika, or\nMalini, or the queen of Indra, or of Varuna? Or, art thou the spouse of\nViswakarma, or of the creative Lord himself? Of these goddesses who art\nrenowned in the celestial regions, who art thou, O graceful one?'\n\n\"Draupadi replied, 'O auspicious lady, I am neither a goddess nor a\nGandharvi, nor a Yakshi, nor a Rakshasi. I am a maid-servant of the\nSairindhri class. I tell thee this truly. I know to dress the hair, to\npound (fragrant substances) for preparing unguents, and also to make\nbeautiful and variegated garlands, O beauteous lady, of jasmines and\nlotuses and blue lilies and Champakas. Formerly I served Krishna's\nfavourite queen Satyabhama, and also Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas\nand the foremost beauty of the Kuru race. I wander about alone, earning\ngood food and dress; and as long as I get these, I continue to live in\nthe place where they are obtainable. Draupadi herself called me Malini\n(maker of garlands).'\n\n\"Hearing this, Sudeshna said, 'I would keep thee upon my head itself, if\nthe doubt did not cross my mind that the king himself would be attracted\ntowards thee with his whole heart. Attracted by thy beauty, the females\nof the royal household and my maids are looking at thee. What male person\nthen is there that can resist thy attraction? Surely, O thou of\nwell-rounded hips, O damsel of exquisite charms, beholding thy form of\nsuperhuman beauty, king Virata is sure to forsake me, and will turn to\nthee with his whole heart. O thou of faultless limbs, O thou that art\nendued with large eyes casting quick glances, he upon whom thou wilt look\nwith desire is sure to be stricken. O thou of sweet smiles, O thou that\npossessest a faultless form, he that will behold thee constantly, will\nsurely catch the flame. Even as a person that climbs up a tree for\ncompassing his own destruction, even as the crab conceives for her own\nruin, I may, O thou of sweet smiles, bring destruction upon myself by\nharbouring thee.'\n\n\"Draupadi replied, 'O fair lady, neither Virata nor any other person will\nbe able to have me, for my five youthful husbands, who are Gandharvas and\nsons of a Gandharva king of exceeding power, always protect me. None can\ndo me a wrong. It is the wish of my Gandharva husbands that I should\nserve only such persons as will not give me to touch food already\npartaken of by another, or tell me to wash their feet. Any man that\nattempts to have me like any common woman, meeteth with death that very\nnight. No one can succeed in having me, for, O beautiful lady, O thou of\nsweet smiles, those beloved Gandharvas, possessed of great energy and\nmighty strength always protect me secretly.'\n\n\"Sudeshna said, 'O thou that bringest delight to the heart, if it is as\nthou sayest, I will take thee into my household. Thou shalt not have to\ntouch food that hath been partaken of by another, or to wash another's\nfeet.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed by Virata's wife, O Janamejaya,\nKrishna (Draupadi) ever devoted to her lords, began to live in that city.\nNor could anyone ascertain who in reality she was!\"\n\n\n\nSECTION X\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then clad in a cowherd's dress, and speaking the\ndialect of cowherds, Sahadeva came to the cowpen of Virata's city. And\nbeholding that bull among men, who was shining in splendour, the king was\nstruck with amazement. And he directed his men to summon Sahadeva. And\nwhen the latter came, the king addressed him, saying, 'To whom dost thou\nbelong? And whence dost thou come? And what work dost thou seek? I have\nnever seen thee before. O bull among men, tell me truly about thee.'\n\n\"Having come before the king that afflicter of foes, Sahadeva answered in\naccents deep as the roar of the cloud, 'I am a Vaisya, Arishtanemi by\nname. I was employed as a cowherd in the service of those bulls of the\nKuru race, the sons of Pandu. O foremost of men, I intend now to live\nbeside thee, for I do not know where those lions among kings, the sons of\nPritha, are. I cannot live without service, and, O king, I do not like to\nenter into the service of anyone else save thee.'\n\n\"Hearing these words, Virata said, 'Thou must either be a Brahmana or a\nKshatriya. Thou lookest as if thou wert the lord of the entire earth\nsurrounded by the sea. Tell me truly, O thou that mowest down thy foes.\nThe office of a Vaisya is not fit for thee. Tell me from the dominions of\nwhat king thou comest, and what thou knowest, and in what capacity thou\nwouldst remain with us, and also what pay thou wouldst accept.'\n\n\"Sahadeva answered, 'Yudhishthira, the eldest of the five sons of Pandu,\nhad one division of kine numbering eight hundred and ten thousand, and\nanother, ten thousand, and another, again, twenty thousand, and so on. I\nwas employed in keeping those cattle. People used to call me Tantripala.\nI know the present, the past, and the future of all kine living within\nten Yojanas, and whose tale has been taken. My merits were known to that\nillustrious one, and the Kuru king Yudhishthira was well-pleased with me.\nI am also acquainted with the means which aid kine in multiplying within\na short time, and by which they may enjoy immunity from disease. Also\nthese arts are known to me. I can also single out bulls having auspicious\nmarks for which they are worshipped by men, and by smelling whose urine,\nthe barren may conceive.'\n\n\"Virata said, 'I have a hundred thousand kine divided into distinct\nherds. All those together with their keepers, I place in thy charge.\nHenceforth my beasts will be in thy keep.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then, O king, undiscovered by that monarch,\nthat lord of men, Sahadeva, maintained by Virata, began to live happily.\nNor did anyone else (besides his brothers) recognise him.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Next appeared at the gate of the ramparts another\nperson of enormous size and exquisite beauty decked in the ornaments of\nwomen, and wearing large ear-rings and beautiful conch-bracelets overlaid\nwith gold. And that mighty-armed individual with long and abundant hair\nfloating about his neck, resembled an elephant in gait. And shaking the\nvery earth with his tread, he approached Virata and stood in his court.\nAnd beholding the son of the great Indra, shining with exquisite lustre\nand having the gait of a mighty elephant,--that grinder of foes having\nhis true form concealed in disguise, entering the council-hall and\nadvancing towards the monarch, the king addressed all his courtiers,\nsaying, 'Whence doth this person come? I have never heard of him before.'\nAnd when the men present spoke of the newcomer as one unknown to them,\nthe king wonderingly said, 'Possessed of great strength, thou art like\nunto a celestial, and young and of darkish hue, thou resemblest the\nleader of a herd of elephants. Wearing conch-bracelets overlaid with\ngold, a braid, and ear-rings, thou shinest yet like one amongst those\nthat riding on chariots wander about equipped with mail and bow and\narrows and decked with garlands and fine hair. I am old and desirous of\nrelinquishing my burden. Be thou like my son, or rule thou like myself\nall the Matsyas. It seemeth to me that such a person as thou can never be\nof the neuter sex.'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'I sing, dance, and play on instruments. I am proficient in\ndance and skilled in song. O lord of men, assign me unto (the princess)\nUttara. I shall be dancing-master to the royal maiden. As to how I have\ncome by this form, what will it avail thee to hear the account which will\nonly augment my pain? Know me, O king of men, to be Vrihannala, a son or\ndaughter without father or mother.'\n\n\"Virata said, 'O Vrihannala, I give thee what thou desirest. Instruct my\ndaughter, and those like her, in dancing. To me, however, this office\nseemeth unworthy of thee. Thou deservest (the dominion of) the entire\nearth girt round by the ocean.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"The king of the Matsyas then tested Vrihannala\nin dancing, music, and other fine arts, and consulting with his various\nministers forthwith caused him to be examined by women. And learning that\nthis impotency was of a permanent nature, he sent him to the maiden's\napartments. And there the mighty Arjuna began giving lessons in singing\nand instrumental music to the daughter of Virata, her friends, and her\nwaiting-maids, and soon won their good graces. And in this manner the\nself-possessed Arjuna lived there in disguise, partaking of pleasures in\ntheir company, and unknown to the people within or without the palace.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After a while, another powerful son of Pandu was\nseen making towards king Virata in haste. And as he advanced, he seemed\nto everyone like solar orb emerged from the clouds. And he began to\nobserve the horses around. And seeing this, the king of the Matsyas said\nto his followers, 'I wonder whence this man, possessed of the effulgence\nof a celestial, cometh. He looks intently at my steeds. Verily, he must\nbe proficient in horse-lore. Let him be ushered into my presence quickly.\nHe is a warrior and looks like a god!' And that destroyer of foes then\nwent up to the king and accosted him, saying, 'Victory to thee, O king,\nand blest be ye. As a trainer of horses, I have always been highly\nesteemed by kings. I will be a clever keeper of thy horses.'\n\n\"Virata said, 'I will give thee vehicles, wealth, and spacious quarters.\nThou shalt be the manager of my horses. But first tell me whence thou\ncomest, who thou art, and how also thou happenest to come here. Tell us\nalso all the arts thou art master of.' Nakula replied, 'O mower of\nenemies, know that Yudhishthira is the eldest brother of the five sons of\nPandu. I was formerly employed by him to keep his horses. I am acquainted\nwith the temper of steeds, and know perfectly the art of breaking them. I\nknow also how to correct vicious horses, and all the methods of treating\ntheir diseases. No animal in my hands becometh weak or ill. Not to speak\nof horses, even mares in my hands will never be found to be vicious.\nPeople called me Granthika by name and so did Yudhishthira, the son of\nPandu.'\n\n\"Virata said, 'Whatever horses I have, I consign to thy care even from\ntoday. And all the keepers of my horses and all my charioteers will from\ntoday be subordinate to thee. If this suits thee, say what remuneration\nis desired by thee. But, O thou that resemblest a celestial, the office\nof equerry is not worthy of thee. For thou lookest like a king and I\nesteem thee much. Thy appearance here hath pleased me as much as if\nYudhishthira himself were here. Oh, how does that blameless son of Pandu\ndwell and divert himself in the forest, now destitute of servants as he\nis.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"That youth, like unto a chief of the\nGandharvas, was treated thus respectfully by the delighted king Virata.\nAnd he conducted himself there in such a manner as to make himself dear\nand agreeable to all in the palace. And no one recognised him while\nliving under Virata's protection. And it was in this manner then the sons\nof Pandu, the very sight of whom had never been fruitless, continued to\nlive in the country of the Matsyas. And true to their pledge those lords\nof the earth bounded by her belt of seas passed their days of incognito\nwith great composure notwithstanding their poignant sufferings.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIII\n\n(Samayapalana Parva)\n\nJanamejaya said, \"While living thus disguised in the city of the\nMatsyas, what did those descendants of the Kuru race endued with great\nprowess, do, O regenerate one!\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hear, O king, what those descendants of Kuru did\nwhile they dwelt thus in disguise in the city of the Matsyas, worshipping\nthe king thereof. By the grace of the sage Trinavindu and of the\nhigh-souled lord of justice, the Pandavas continued to live unrecognised\nby others in the city of Virata. O lord of men, Yudhishthira, as courtier\nmade himself agreeable to Virata and his sons as also to all the Matsyas.\nAn adept in the mysteries of dice, the son of Pandu caused them to play\nat dice according to his pleasure and made them sit together in the\ndice-hall like a row of birds bound in a string. And that tiger among\nmen, king Yudhishthira the Just, unknown to the monarch, distributed\namong his brothers, in due proportion, the wealth he won from Virata. And\nBhimasena on his part, sold to Yudhishthira for price, meat and viands of\nvarious kinds which he obtained from the king. And Arjuna distributed\namong all his brothers the proceeds of worn-out cloths which he earned in\nthe inner apartments of the palace. And Sahadeva, too, who was disguised\nas a cowherd gave milk, curds and clarified butter to his brothers. And\nNakula also shared with his brothers the wealth the king gave him,\nsatisfied with his management of the horses. And Draupadi, herself in a\npitiable condition, looked after all those brothers and behaved in such a\nway as to remain unrecognized. And thus ministering unto one another's\nwants, those mighty warriors lived in the capital of Virata as hidden\nfrom view, as if they were once more in their mother's womb. And those\nlords of men, the sons of Pandu, apprehensive of danger from the son of\nDhritarashtra, continued to dwell there in concealment, watching over\ntheir wife Draupadi. And after three months had passed away, in the\nfourth, the grand festival in honour of the divine Brahma which was\ncelebrated with pomp in the country of the Matsyas, came off. And there\ncame athletes from all quarters by thousands, like hosts of celestials to\nthe abode of Brahma or of Siva to witness that festival. And they were\nendued with huge bodies and great prowess, like the demons called\nKalakhanjas. And elated with their prowess and proud of their strength,\nthey were highly honoured by the king. And their shoulders and waists and\nnecks were like those of lions, and their bodies were very clean, and\ntheir hearts were quite at ease. And they had many a time won success in\nthe lists in the presence of kings. And amongst them there was one who\ntowered above the rest and challenged them all to a combat. And there was\nnone that dared to approach him as he proudly stalked in the arena. And\nwhen all the athletes stood sad and dispirited, the king of the Matsyas\nmade him fight with his cook. And urged by the king, Bhima made up his\nmind reluctantly, for he could not openly disobey the royal behest. And\nthat tiger among men then having worshipped the king, entered the\nspacious arena, pacing with the careless steps of a tiger. And the son of\nKunti then girded up his loins to the great delight of the spectators.\nAnd Bhima then summoned to the combat that athlete known by the name of\nJimuta who was like unto the Asura Vritra whose prowess was widely known.\nAnd both of them were possessed of great courage, and both were endued\nwith terrible prowess. And they were like a couple of infuriate and\nhuge-bodied elephants, each sixty years old. And those brave tigers among\nmen then cheerfully engaged in a wrestling combat, desirous of\nvanquishing each other. And terrible was the encounter that took place\nbetween them, like the clash of the thunderbolt against the stony\nmountain-breast. And both of them were exceedingly powerful and extremely\ndelighted at each other's strength. And desirous of vanquishing each\nother, each stood eager to take advantage of his adversary's lapse. And\nboth were greatly delighted and both looked like infuriate elephants of\nprodigious size. And various were the modes of attack and defence that\nthey exhibited with their clenched fists.[12] And each dashed against the\nother and flung his adversary to a distance. And each cast the other down\nand pressed him close to the ground. And each got up again and squeezed\nthe other in his arms. And each threw the other violently off his place\nby boxing him on the breast. And each caught the other by the legs and\nwhirling him round threw him down on the ground. And they slapped each\nother with their palms that struck as hard as the thunderbolt. And they\nalso struck each other with their outstretched fingers, and stretching\nthem out like spears thrust the nails into each other's body. And they\ngave each other violent kicks. And they struck knee and head against\nhead, producing the crash of one stone against another. And in this\nmanner that furious combat between those warriors raged on without\nweapons, sustained mainly by the power of their arms and their physical\nand mental energy, to the infinite delight of the concourse of\nspectators. And all people, O king, took deep interest in that encounter\nof those powerful wrestlers who fought like Indra and the Asura Vritra.\nAnd they cheered both of them with loud acclamations of applause. And the\nbroad-chested and long-armed experts in wrestling then pulled and pressed\nand whirled and hurled down each other and struck each other with their\nknees, expressing all the while their scorn for each other in loud\nvoices. And they began to fight with their bare arms in this way, which\nwere like spiked maces of iron. And at last the powerful and mighty-armed\nBhima, the slayer of his foes, shouting aloud seized the vociferous\nathlete by the arms even as the lion seizes the elephant, and taking him\nup from the ground and holding him aloft, began to whirl him round, to\nthe great astonishment of the assembled athletes and the people of\nMatsya. And having whirled him round and round a hundred times till he\nwas insensible, the strong-armed Vrikodara dashed him to death on the\nground. And when the brave and renowned Jimuta was thus killed, Virata\nand his friends were filled with great delight. And in the exuberance of\nhis joy, the noble-minded king rewarded Vallava then and there with the\nliberality of Kuvera. And killing numerous athletes and many other men\npossessed of great bodily strength, he pleased the king very much. And\nwhen no one could be found there to encounter him in the lists, the king\nmade him fight with tigers and lions and elephants. And the king also\nmade him battle with furious and powerful lions in the harem for the\npleasure of the ladies. And Arjuna, too, pleased the king and all the\nladies of the inner apartments by singing and dancing. And Nakula pleased\nVirata, that best of kings, by showing him fleet and well-trained steeds\nthat followed him wherever he went. And the king, gratified with him,\nrewarded him with ample presents. And beholding around Sahadeva a herd of\nwell-trained bullocks, Virata that bull among men, bestowed upon him also\nwealth of diverse kinds. And, O king, Draupadi distressed to see all\nthose warriors suffer pain, sighed incessantly. And it was in this way\nthat those eminent persons lived there in disguise, rendering services\nunto king Virata.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIV\n\n(Kichaka-badha Parva)\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Living in such disguise, those mighty warriors, the\nsons of Pritha, passed ten months in Matsya's city. And, O monarch,\nalthough herself deserving to be waited upon by others, the daughter of\nYajnasena, O Janamejaya, passed her days in extreme misery, waiting upon\nSudeshna. And residing thus in Sudeshna's apartments, the princess of\nPanchala pleased that lady as also the other females of the inner\napartments. And it came to pass that as the year was about to expire, the\nredoubtable Kichaka, the Commander of Virata's forces, chanced to behold\nthe daughter of Drupada. And beholding that lady endued with the\nsplendour of a daughter of the celestials, treading the earth like a\ngoddess, Kichaka, afflicted with the shafts of Kama, desired to possess\nher. And burning with desire's flame, Virata's general came to Sudeshna\n(his sister) and smilingly addressed her in these words, 'This beauteous\nlady had never before been seen by me in king Virata's abode. This damsel\nmaddens me with her beauty, even as a new wine maddens one with its\nfragrance. Tell me, who is this graceful and captivating lady possessed\nof the beauty of a goddess, and whose she is, and whence she hath come.\nSurely, grinding my heart she hath reduced me to subjection. It seems to\nme that (save her) there is no other medicine for my illness. O, this\nfair hand-maid of thine seemeth to me to be possessed of the beauty of a\ngoddess. Surely, one like her is ill suited to serve thee. Let her rule\nover me and whatever is mine. O, let her grace my spacious and beautiful\npalace, decked with various ornaments of gold, full of viands and drinks\nin profusion, with excellent plates, and containing every kind of plenty,\nbesides elephants and horses and cars in myriads.' And having consulted\nwith Sudeshna thus, Kichaka went to princess Draupadi, and like a jackal\nin the forest accosting a lioness, spoke unto Krishna these words in a\nwinning voice, 'Who and whose art thou, O beautiful one? And O thou of\nbeautiful face, whence hast thou come to the city of Virata? Tell me all\nthis, O fair lady. Thy beauty and gracefulness are of the very first\norder and the comeliness of thy features is unparalleled. With its\nloveliness thy face shineth ever like the resplendent moon. O thou of\nfair eye-brows, thy eyes are beautiful and large like lotus-petals. Thy\nspeech also, O thou of beautiful limbs, resembles the notes of the\ncuckoo. O thou of fair hips, never before in this world have I beheld a\nwoman possessed of beauty like thine, O thou of faultless features. Art\nthou Lakshmi herself having her abode in the midst of lotuses or, art\nthou, O slender-waisted one, she who is called Bhuti[13]. Or, which\namongst these--Hri, Sri, Kirti and Kanti,--art thou, O thou of beautiful\nface? Or possessed of beauty like Rati's, art thou, she who sporteth in\nthe embraces of the God of love? O thou that possessest the fairest of\neye-brows, thou shinest beautifully even like the lovely light of the\nmoon. Who is there in the whole world that will not succumb to the\ninfluence of desire beholding thy face? Endued with unrivalled beauty and\ncelestial grace of the most attractive kind, that face of thine is even\nlike the full moon, its celestial effulgence resembling his radiant face,\nits smile resembling his soft-light, and its eye-lashes looking like the\nspokes on his disc? Both thy bosoms, so beautiful and well-developed and\nendued with unrivalled gracefulness and deep and well-rounded and without\nany space between them, are certainly worthy of being decked with\ngarlands of gold. Resembling in shape the beautiful buds of the lotus,\nthese thy breast, O thou of fair eye-brows, are even as the whips of Kama\nthat are urging me forward, O thou of sweet smiles. O damsel of slender\nwaist, beholding that waist of thine marked with four wrinkles and\nmeasuring but a span, and slightly stooping forward because of the weight\nof thy breasts, and also looking on those graceful hips of thine broad as\nthe banks of a river, the incurable fever of desire, O beauteous lady,\nafflicteth me sore. The flaming fire of desire, fierce as a forest\nconflagration, and fanned by the hope my heart cherisheth of a union with\nthee is consuming me intensely. O thou of exceeding beauty quench thou\nthat flaming fire kindled by Manmatha. Union with thee is a rain-charged\ncloud, and the surrender of thy person is the shower that the cloud may\ndrop. O thou of face resembling the moon, the fierce and maddening shafts\nof Manmatha whetted and sharpened by the desire of a union with thee,\npiercing this heart of mine in their impetuous course, have penetrated\ninto its core. O black-eyed lady, those impetuous and cruel shafts are\nmaddening me beyond endurance. It behoveth thee to relieve me from this\nplight by surrendering thyself to me and favouring me with thy embraces.\nDecked in beautiful garlands and robes and adorned with every ornament,\nsport thou, O sweet damsel, with me to thy fill. O thou of the gait of an\nelephant in rut, deserving as thou art of happiness though deprived of it\nnow, it behoveth thee not to dwell here in misery. Let unrivalled weal be\nthine. Drinking various kinds of charming and delicious and ambrosial\nwines, and sporting at thy pleasure in the enjoyment of diverse objects\nof delight, do thou, O blessed lady, attain auspicious prosperity. This\nbeauty of thine and this prime of thy youth, O sweet lady, are now\nwithout their use. For, O beauteous and chaste damsel, endued with such\nloveliness, thou dost not shine, like a graceful garland lying unused and\nunworn. I will forsake all my old wives. Let them, O thou of sweet\nsmiles, become thy slaves. And I also, O fair damsel, will stay by thee\nas thy slave, ever obedient to thee, O thou of the most handsome face.'\nHearing these words of his, Draupadi replied, 'In desiring me, a female\nservant of low extraction, employed in the despicable office of dressing\nhair, O Suta's son, thou desirest one that deserves not that honour.\nThen, again, I am the wife of others. Therefore, good betide thee, this\nconduct of thine is not proper. Do thou remember the precept of morality,\nviz., that persons should take delight only in their wedded wives. Thou\nshouldst not, therefore, by any means bend thy heart to adultery. Surely\nabstaining from improper acts is ever the study of those that are good.\nOvercome by ignorance sinful men under the influence of desire come by\neither extreme infamy or dreadful calamity.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed by the Sairindhri, the wicked\nKichaka losing control over his senses and overcome by lust, although\naware of the numerous evils of fornication, evils condemned by everybody\nand sometimes leading to the destruction of life itself,--then spoke unto\nDraupadi, 'It behoveth thee not, O beauteous lady, O thou of graceful\nfeatures, thus to disregard me who am, O thou of sweet smiles, under the\npower of Manmatha on thy account. If now, O timid one, thou disregardest\nme who am under thy influence and who speak to thee so fair, thou wilt, O\nblack-eyed damsel, have to repent for it afterwards. O thou of graceful\neye-brows, the real lord of this entire kingdom, O slender-waisted lady,\nis myself. It is me depending upon whom the people of this realm live. In\nenergy and prowess I am unrivalled on earth. There is no other man on\nearth who rivals me in beauty of person, in youth, in prosperity, and in\nthe possession of excellent objects of enjoyment. Why it is, O auspicious\nlady, that having it in thy power to enjoy here every object of desire\nand every luxury and comfort without its equal, thou preferest servitude.\nBecoming the mistress of this kingdom which I shall confer on thee, O\nthou of fair face, accept me, and enjoy, O beauteous one, all excellent\nobjects of desire.' Addressed in these accursed words by Kichaka, that\nchaste daughter of Drupada answered him thus reprovingly, 'Do not, O son\nof a Suta, act so foolishly and do not throw away thy life. Know that I\nam protected by my five husbands. Thou canst not have me. I have\nGandharvas for my husbands. Enraged they will slay thee. Therefore, do\nthou not bring destruction on thyself. Thou intendest to tread along a\npath that is incapable of being trod by men. Thou, O wicked one, art even\nlike a foolish child that standing on one shore of the ocean intends to\ncross over to the other. Even if thou enterest into the interior of the\nearth, or soarest into the sky, or rushest to the other shore of the\nocean, still thou wilt have no escape from the hands of those sky-ranging\noffspring of gods, capable of grinding all foes. Why dost thou today, O\nKichaka, solicit me so persistently even as a sick person wisheth for the\nnight that will put a stop to his existence? Why dost thou desire me,\neven like an infant lying on its mother's lap wishing to catch the moon?\nFor thee that thus solicitest their beloved wife, there is no refuge\neither on earth or in sky. O Kichaka, hast thou no sense which leads thee\nto seek thy good and by which thy life may be saved?'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Rejected thus by the princess, Kichaka, afflicted\nwith maddening lust and forgetting all sense of propriety, addressed\nSudeshna saying, 'Do thou, Kekaya's daughter, so act that thy Sairindhri\nmay come into my arms. Do thou, O Sudeshna, adopt the means by which the\ndamsel of the gait of an elephant may accept me; I am dying of absorbing\ndesire.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing his profuse lamentations, that gentle\nlady, the intelligent queen of Virata, was touched with pity. And having\ntaken counsel with her own self and reflected on Kichaka's purpose and on\nthe anxiety of Krishna, Sudeshna addressed the Suta's son in these words,\n'Do thou, on the occasion of some festival, procure viands and wines for\nme. I shall then send my Sairindhri to thee on the pretence of bringing\nwine. And when she will repair thither do thou in solitude, free from\ninterruption, humour her as thou likest. Thus soothed, she may incline\nher mind to thee.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed, he went out of his sister's\napartments. And he soon procured wines well-filtered and worthy of a\nking. And employing skilled cooks, he prepared many and various kinds of\nchoice viands and delicious drinks and many and various kinds of meat of\ndifferent degrees of excellence. And when all this had been done, that\ngentle lady Sudeshna, as previously counselled by Kichaka, desired her\nSairindhri to repair to Kichaka's abode, saying, 'Get up, O Sairindhri\nand repair to Kichaka's abode to bring wine, for, O beauteous lady, I am\nafflicted with thirst.' Thereupon the Sairindhri replied, 'O princess, I\nshall not be able to repair to Kichaka's apartments. Thou thyself\nknowest, O queen, how shameless he is. O thou of faultless limbs, O\nbeauteous lady, in thy palace I shall not be able to lead a lustful life,\nbecoming faithless to my husbands. Thou rememberest, O gentle lady, O\nbeautiful one, the conditions I had set down before entering thy house. O\nthou of tresses ending in graceful curls, the foolish Kichaka afflicted\nby the god of desire, will, on seeing me, offer me insult. Therefore, I\nwill not go to his quarters. Thou hast, O princess, many maids under\nthee. Do thou, good betide thee, send one of them. For, surely, Kichaka\nwill insult me.' Sudeshna said, 'Sent by me, from my abode, surely he\nwill not harm thee.' And having said this, she handed over a golden\nvessel furnished with a cover. And filled with apprehension, and weeping,\nDraupadi mentally prayed for the protection of the gods, and set out for\nKichaka's abode for fetching wine. And she said, 'As I do not know\nanother person save my husbands, by virtue of that Truth let Kichaka not\nbe able to overpower me although I may approach his presence.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"And that helpless damsel then adored Surya for\na moment. And Surya, having considered all that she urged, commanded a\nRakshasa to protect her invisibly. And from that time the Rakshasa began\nto attend upon that blameless lady under any circumstances. And beholding\nKrishna in his presence like a frightened doe, the Suta rose up from his\nseat, and felt the joy that is felt by a person wishing to cross to the\nother shore, when he obtains a boat.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVI\n\n\"Kichaka said, 'O thou of tresses ending in beautiful curls, thou art\nwelcome. Surely, the night that is gone hath brought me an auspicious\nday, for I have got thee today as the mistress of my house. Do what is\nagreeable to me. Let golden chains, and conchs and bright ear-rings made\nof gold, manufactured in various countries, and beautiful rubies and\ngems, and silken robes and deer-skins, be brought for thee. I have also\nan excellent bed prepared for thee. Come, sitting upon it do thou drink\nwith me the wine prepared from the honey flower.' Hearing these words,\nDraupadi said, 'I have been sent to thee by the princess for taking away\nwine. Do thou speedily bring me wine, for she told me that she is\nexceedingly thirsty.' And this, Kichaka said, 'O gentle lady, others will\ncarry what the princess wants.' And saying this, the Suta's son caught\nhold of Draupadi's right arm. And at this, Draupadi exclaimed, 'As I have\nnever, from intoxication of the senses, been unfaithful to my husbands\neven at heart, by that Truth, O wretch, I shall behold thee dragged and\nlying powerless on the ground.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Seeing that large-eyed lady reproving him in\nthat strain, Kichaka suddenly seized her by the end of her upper garment\nas she attempted to run away. And seized with violence by Kichaka, the\nbeautiful princess, unable to tolerate it, and with frame trembling with\nwrath, and breathing quickly, dashed him to the ground. And dashed to the\nground thus, the sinful wretch tumbled down like a tree whose roots had\nbeen cut. And having thrown Kichaka down on the ground when the latter\nhad seized her, she, trembling all over rushed to the court, where king\nYudhishthira was, for protection. And while she was running with all her\nspeed, Kichaka (who followed her), seizing her by the hair, and bringing\nher down on the ground, kicked her in the very presence of the king.\nThereupon, O Bharata, the Rakshasa that had been appointed by Surya to\nprotect Draupadi, gave Kichaka a shove with a force mighty as that of the\nwind. And overpowered by the force of Rakshasa, Kichaka reeled and fell\ndown senseless on the ground, even like an uprooted tree. And both\nYudhishthira and Bhimasena who were seated there, beheld with wrathful\neyes that outrage on Krishna by Kichaka. And desirous of compassing the\ndestruction of the wicked Kichaka, the illustrious Bhima gnashed his\nteeth in rage. And his forehead was covered with sweat, and terrible\nwrinkles appeared thereon. And a smoky exhalation shot forth from his\neyes, and his eye-lashes stood on end. And that slayer of hostile heroes\npressed his forehead with his hands. And impelled by rage, he was on the\npoint of starting up with speed. Thereat king Yudhishthira, apprehensive\nof discovery, squeezed his thumbs and commanded Bhima to forbear. And\nBhima who then looked like an infuriate elephant eyeing a large tree, was\nthus forbidden by his elder brother. And the latter said, 'Lookest thou,\nO cook, for trees for fuel. If thou art in need of faggots, then go out\nand fell trees.' And the weeping Draupadi of fair hips, approaching the\nentrance of the court, and seeing her melancholy lords, desirous yet of\nkeeping up the disguise duty-bound by their pledge, with eyes burning in\nfire, spoke these words unto the king of the Matsyas, 'Alas, the son of a\nSuta hath kicked today the proud and beloved wife of those whose foe can\nnever sleep in peace even if four kingdoms intervene between him and\nthem. Alas, the son of a Suta hath kicked today the proud and beloved\nwife of those truthful personages, who are devoted to Brahmanas and who\nalways give away without asking any thing in gift. Alas! the son of a\nSuta hath kicked today the proud and beloved wife of those, the sounds of\nwhose kettle-drums and the twangs of whose bow-strings are ceaselessly\nheard. Alas, the son of a Suta hath kicked today the proud and beloved\nwife of those who are possessed of abundant energy and might, and who are\nliberal in gifts and proud of their dignity. Alas, the son of a Suta hath\nkicked today the proud and beloved wife of those who, if they had not\nbeen fettered by the ties of duty, could destroy this entire world.\nWhere, alas, are those mighty warriors today who, though living in\ndisguise, have always granted protection unto those that solicit it? Oh,\nwhy do those heroes today, endued as they are with strength and possessed\nof immeasurable energy, quietly suffer, like eunuchs, their dear and\nchaste wife to be thus insulted by a Suta's son? Oh, where is that wrath\nof theirs, that prowess, and that energy, when they quietly bear their\nwife to be thus insulted by a wicked wretch? What can I (a weak woman) do\nwhen Virata, deficient in virtue, coolly suffereth my innocent self to be\nthus wronged by a wretch? Thou dost not, O king, act like a king towards\nthis Kichaka. Thy behaviour is like that of a robber, and doth not shine\nin a court. That I should thus be insulted in thy very presence, O\nMatsya, is highly improper. Oh, let all the courtiers here look at this\nviolence of Kichaka. Kichaka is ignorant of duty and morality, and Matsya\nalso is equally so. These courtiers also that wait upon such a king are\ndestitute of virtue.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"With these and other words of the same kind the\nbeautiful Krishna with tearful eyes rebuked the king of the Matsyas. And\nhearing her, Virata said, 'I do not know what your dispute has been out\nof our sight. Not knowing the true cause how can I show my\ndiscrimination?' Then the courtiers, having learnt every thing, applauded\nKrishna, and they all exclaimed, 'Well done!' 'Well done!' and censured\nKichaka. And the courtiers said, 'That person who owneth this large-eyed\nlady having every limb of hers endued with beauty for his wife,\npossesseth what is of exceeding value and hath no occasion to indulge in\nany grief. Surely, such a damsel of transcendent beauty and limbs\nperfectly faultless is rare among men. Indeed, it seems to us that she is\na goddess.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"And while the courtiers, having beheld Krishna\n(under such circumstances), were applauding her thus, Yudhishthira's\nforehead, from ire, became covered with sweat. And that bull of the Kuru\nrace then addressed that princess, his beloved spouse, saying, 'Stay not\nhere, O Sairindhri; but retire to the apartments of Sudeshna. The wives\nof heroes bear affliction for the sake of their husbands, and undergoing\ntoil in ministering unto their lords, they at last attain to region where\ntheir husbands may go. Thy Gandharva husbands, effulgent as the sun, do\nnot, I imagine, consider this as an occasion for manifesting their wrath,\ninasmuch as they do not rush to thy aid. O Sairindhri, thou art ignorant\nof the timeliness of things, and it is for this that thou weepest as an\nactress, besides interrupting the play of dice in Matsya's court. Retire,\nO Sairindhri; the Gandharvas will do what is agreeable to thee. And they\nwill surely display thy woe and take the life of him that hath wronged\nthee.' Hearing these words the Sairindhri replied, 'They of whom I am the\nwedded wife are, I ween, extremely kind. And as the eldest of them all is\naddicted to dice, they are liable to be oppressed by all.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"And having said this, the fair-hipped Krishna\nwith dishevelled hair and eyes red in anger, ran towards the apartments\nof Sudeshna. And in consequence of having wept long her face looked\nbeautiful like the lunar disc in the firmament, emerged from the clouds.\nAnd beholding her in that condition, Sudeshna asked, 'Who, O beauteous\nlady, hath insulted thee? Why, O amiable damsel, dost thou weep? Who,\ngentle one, hath done thee wrong? Whence is this thy grief?' Thus\naddressed, Draupadi said, 'As I went to bring wine for thee, Kichaka\nstruck me in the court in the very presence of the king, as if in the\nmidst of a solitary wood.' Hearing this, Sudeshna said, 'O thou of\ntresses ending in beautiful curls, as Kichaka, maddened by lust hath\ninsulted thee that art incapable of being possessed by him, I shall cause\nhim to be slain if thou wishest it.' Thereupon Draupadi answered, 'Even\nothers will slay him,--even they whom he hath wronged, I think it is\nclear that he will have to go to the abode of Yama this very day!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Thus insulted by the Suta's son, that illustrious\nprincess, the beautiful Krishna, eagerly wishing for the destruction of\nVirata's general, went to her quarters. And Drupada's daughter of dark\nhue and slender waist then performed her ablutions. And washing her body\nand cloths with water Krishna began to ponder weepingly on the means of\ndispelling her grief. And she reflected, saying, 'What am I to do?\nWhither shall I go? How can my purpose be effected?' And while she was\nthinking thus, she remembered Bhima and said to herself, 'There is none\nelse, save Bhima, that can today accomplish the purpose on which my heart\nis set!' And afflicted with great grief, the large-eyed and intelligent\nKrishna possessed of powerful protectors then rose up at night, and\nleaving her bed speedily proceeded towards the quarters of Bhimasena,\ndesirous of beholding her lord. And possessed of great intelligence, the\ndaughter of Drupada entered her husband's quarters, saying, 'How canst\nthou sleep while that wretched commander of Virata's forces, who is my\nfoe, yet liveth, having perpetrated today that (foul act)?'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then the chamber where Bhima slept, breathing\nhard like a lion, being filled with the beauty of Drupada's daughter and\nof the high-souled Bhima, blazed forth in splendour. And Krishna of sweet\nsmiles, finding Bhimasena in the cooking apartments, approached him with\nthe eagerness of a three-year old cow brought up in the woods,\napproaching a powerful bull, in her first season, or of a she-crane\nliving by the water-side approaching her mate in the pairing season. And\nthe Princess of Panchala then embraced the second son of Pandu, even as a\ncreeper embraces a huge and mighty Sala on the banks of the Gomati. And\nembracing him with her arms, Krishna of faultless features awaked him as\na lioness awaketh a sleeping lion in a trackless forest. And embracing\nBhimasena even as a she-elephant embraceth her mighty mate, the faultless\nPanchali addressed him in voice sweet as the sound of a stringed\ninstrument emitting Gandhara note. And she said, 'Arise, arise! Why dost\nthou, O Bhimasena, lie down as one dead? Surely, he that is not dead,\nnever suffereth a wicked wretch that hath disgraced his wife, to live.'\nAnd awakened by the princess, Bhima of mighty arms, then rose up, and sat\nupon his couch overlaid with a rich bed. And he of the Kuru race then\naddressed the princess--his beloved wife, saying, 'For what purpose hast\nthou come hither in such a hurry? Thy colour is gone and thou lookest\nlean and pale. Tell me everything in detail. I must know the truth.\nWhether it be pleasurable or painful, agreeable, or disagreeable, tell me\nall. Having heard everything, I shall apply the remedy. I alone, O\nKrishna, am entitled to thy confidence in all things, for it is I who\ndeliver thee from perils again and again! Tell me quickly what is thy\nwish, and what is the purpose that is in thy view, and return thou to thy\nbed before others awake.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVIII\n\n\"Draupadi said, 'What grief hath she not who hath Yudhishthira for her\nhusband? Knowing all my griefs, why dost thou ask me? The Pratikamin\ndragged me to the court in the midst of an assembly of courtiers, calling\nme a slave. That grief, O Bharata, consumeth me. What other princess,\nsave Draupadi, would live having suffered such intense misery? Who else,\nsave myself, could bear such second insult as the wicked Saindhava\noffered me while residing in the forest? Who else of my position, save\nmyself, could live, having been kicked by Kichaka in the very sight of\nthe wicked king of the Matsyas? Of what value is life, O Bharata, when\nthou, O son of Kunti, dost not think me miserable, although I am\nafflicted with such woes? That vile and wicked wretch, O Bharata, known\nby the name of Kichaka, who is the brother-in-law of king Virata and the\ncommander of his forces, every day, O tiger among men, addresses me who\nam residing in the palace as a Sairindhri, saying, \"Do thou become my\nwife.\"--Thus solicited, O slayer of foes, by that wretch deserving to be\nslain, my heart is bursting like a fruit ripened in season. Censure thou\nthat elder brother of thine addicted to execrable dice, through whose act\nalone I have been afflicted with such woe. Who else, save him that is a\ndesperate gambler, would play, giving up kingdom and everything including\neven myself, in order to lead a life in the woods? If he had gambled\nmorning and evening for many years together, staking nishkas by thousand\nand other kinds of substantial wealth, still his silver, and gold, and\nrobes, and vehicles, and teams, and goats, and sheep, and multitudes of\nsteeds and mares and mules would not have sustained any diminution. But\nnow deprived of prosperity by the rivalry of dice, he sits dumb like a\nfool, reflecting on his own misdeeds. Alas, he who, while sojourning, was\nfollowed by ten thousand elephants adorned with golden garlands now\nsupports himself by casting dice. That Yudhishthira who at Indraprastha\nwas adored by kings of incomparable prowess by hundreds of thousands,\nthat mighty monarch in whose kitchen a hundred thousand maid-servants,\nplate in hand, used every day to feed numerous guests day and night, that\nbest of liberal men, who gave (every day) a thousand nishkas, alas, even\nhe overwhelmed with woe in consequence of gambling which is the root of\nall evil, now supporteth himself by casting dice. Bards and encomiasts by\nthousands decked with ear-rings set with brilliant gems, and gifted with\nmelodious voice, used to pay him homage morning and evening. Alas, that\nYudhishthira, who was daily waited upon by a thousand sages of ascetic\nmerit, versed in the Vedas and having every desire gratified, as his\ncourtiers,--that Yudhishthira who maintained eighty-eight thousands of\ndomestic Snatakas with thirty maid-servants assigned unto each, as also\nten thousand yatis not accepting anything in gift and with vital seed\ndrawn up,--alas, even that mighty king now liveth in such guise. That\nYudhishthira who is without malice, who is full of kindness, and who\ngiveth every creature his due, who hath all these excellent attributes,\nalas--even he now liveth in such guise. Possessed of firmness and\nunbaffled prowess, with heart disposed to give every creature his due,\nking Yudhishthira, moved by compassion, constantly maintained in his\nkingdom the blind, the old, the helpless, the parentless and all others\nin his dominions in such distress. Alas, that Yudhishthira becoming a\ndependant and a servant of Matsya, a caster of dice in his court, now\ncalls himself Kanka. He unto whom while residing at Indraprastha, all the\nrulers of earth used to pay timely tribute,--alas, even he now begs for\nsubsistence at another's hands. He to whom the kings of the earth were in\nsubjection,--alas, even that king having lost his liberty, liveth in\nsubjection to others. Having dazzled the entire earth like the sun by his\nenergy, that Yudhishthira, alas, is now a courtier of king Virata. O\nPandu's son, that Pandava who was respectfully waited upon in court by\nkings and sages, behold him now waiting upon another. Alas, beholding\nYudhishthira a courtier sitting beside another and breathing adulatory\nspeeches to the other, who can help being afflicted with grief? And\nbeholding the highly wise and virtuous Yudhishthira, undeserving as he is\nof serving others, actually serving another for sustenance, who can help\nbeing afflicted with grief? And, O hero, that Bharata who was worshipped\nin court by the entire earth, do thou now behold him worshipping another.\nWhy then, O Bharata, dost thou not regard me as one afflicted with\ndiverse miseries, like one forlorn and immersed in a sea of sorrow?'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIX\n\n\"Draupadi said, 'This O Bharata, that I am going to tell thee is another\ngreat grief of mine. Thou shouldst not blame me, for I tell thee this\nfrom sadness of heart. Who is there whose grief is not enhanced at sight\nof thee, O bull of the Bharata race, engaged in the ignoble office of a\ncook, so entirely beneath thee and calling thyself as one of Vallava\ncaste? What can be sadder than this, that people should know thee as\nVirata's cook, Vallava by name, and therefore one that is sunk in\nservitude? Alas, when thy work of the kitchen is over, thou humbly\nsittest beside Virata, calling thyself as Vallava the cook, then\ndespondency seizeth my heart. When the king of kings in joy maketh thee\nfight with elephants, and the women of the inner apartments (of the\npalace) laugh all the while, then I am sorely distressed. When thou\nfightest in the inner apartments with lions, tigers, and buffaloes, the\nprincess Kaikeyi looking on, then I almost swoon away. And when Kaikeyi\nand those maidservants, leaving their seats, come to assist me and find\nthat instead of suffering any injury in limbs mine is only a swoon, the\nprincess speaks unto her women, saying, \"Surely, it is from affection and\nthe duty begot of intercourse that this lady of sweet smiles grieveth for\nthe exceedingly powerful cook when he fights with the beasts. Sairindhri\nis possessed of great beauty and Vallava also is eminently handsome. The\nheart of woman is hard to know, and they, I fancy, are deserving of each\nother. It is, therefore, likely that the Sairindhri invariably weepeth\n(at such times) on account of her connection with her lover. And then,\nthey both have entered this royal family at the same time. And speaking\nsuch words she always upbraideth me. And beholding me wroth at this, she\nsuspects me to be attached to thee.\" When she speaketh thus, great is the\ngrief that I feel. Indeed, on beholding thee, O Bhima of terrible\nprowess, afflicted with such calamity, sunk as I already am in grief on\naccount of Yudhishthira. I do not desire to live. That youth who on a\nsingle car had vanquished all celestials and men, is now, alas, the\ndancing master of king Virata's daughter. That Pritha's son of\nimmeasurable soul, who had gratified Agni in the forest of Khandava, is\nnow living in the inner apartments (of a palace) like fire hid in a well.\nAlas, the bull among men, Dhananjaya, who was ever the terror of foes, is\nnow living in a guise that is despaired by all. Alas, he whose mace-like\narms have been cicatrized in consequence of the strokes of his\nbow-string, alas that Dhananjaya is passing the days in grief covering\nhis wrists with bracelets of conchs. Alas, that Dhananjaya the twang of\nwhose bow-string and the sound of whose leathern fences made every foe\ntremble, now entertains only gladdened women with his songs. Oh, that\nDhananjaya whose head was formerly decked with a diadem of solar\nsplendour, is now wearing braids ending in unsightly curls. O Bhima,\nbeholding that terrible bowman, Arjuna, now wearing braids and in the\nmidst of women, my heart is stricken with woe. That high-souled hero who\nis master of all the celestial weapons, and who is the repository of all\nthe sciences, now weareth ear-rings (like one of the fair sex). That\nyouth whom kings of incomparable prowess could not overpower in fight,\neven as the waters of the mighty ocean cannot overleap the continents, is\nnow the dancing-master of king Virata's daughters and waits upon them in\ndisguise. O Bhima, that Arjuna the clatter of whose car-wheels caused the\nentire earth with her mountains and forests, her mobile and immobile\nthings to tremble, and whose birth dispelled all the sorrows of Kunti,\nthat exalted hero, that younger brother of thine, O Bhimasena, now maketh\nme weep for him. Beholding him coming towards me, decked in golden\near-rings and other ornaments, and wearing on the wrists bracelets of\nconchs, my heart is afflicted with despondency. And Dhananjaya who hath\nnot a bowman equal unto him on earth in prowess, now passeth his days in\nsinging, surrounded by women. Beholding that son of Pritha who in virtue,\nheroism and truth, was the most admired in the world, now living in the\nguise of a woman, my heart is afflicted with sorrow. When I behold, the\ngodlike Partha in the music-hall like an elephant with rent temples\nsurrounded by she-elephants in the midst of females, waiting before\nVirata the king of the Matsyas, then I lose all sense of directions.\nSurely, my mother-in-law doth not know Dhananjaya to be afflicted with\nsuch extreme distress. Nor doth she know that descendant of the Kuru\nrace, Ajatasatru, addicted to disastrous dice, to be sunk in misery. O\nBharata, beholding the youngest of you all, Sahadeva, superintending the\nkine, in the guise of a cowherd, I grow pale. Always thinking of\nSahadeva's plight, I cannot, O Bhimasena, obtain sleep,--what to speak\nyou of the rest? I do not know, O mighty-armed one, what sin Sahadeva may\nhave committed for which that hero of unbaffled prowess suffereth such\nmisery. O foremost of the Bharatas, beholding that beloved brother of\nthine, that bull among men, employed by Matsya in looking after his kine,\nI am filled with woe. Seeing that hero of proud disposition gratifying\nVirata, by living at the head of his cowherds, attired in robes dyed in\nred, I am attacked with fever. My mother-in-law always applauds the\nheroic Sahadeva as one possessed of nobility, excellent behaviour, and\nrectitude of conduct. Ardently attached to her sons, the weeping Kunti\nstood, embracing Sahadeva while he was about to set out (with us) for the\ngreat forest. And she addressed me saying, \"Sahadeva is bashful and\nsweet-speeched, and virtuous. He is also my favourite child. Therefore, O\nYajnaseni, tend him in the forest day and night. Delicate and brave,\ndevoted to the king, and always worshipping his elder brother, do thou, O\nPanchali, feed him thyself.\" O Pandava, beholding that foremost of\nwarriors, Sahadeva, engaged in tending kine, and sleeping at night on\ncalf-skins, how can I bear to live? He again who is crowned with the\nthree attributes of beauty, arms, and intelligence, is now the\nsuperintendent of Virata's steeds. Behold the change brought on by time.\nGranthika (Nakula), at sight of whom hostile hosts fled from the field of\nbattle, now traineth horses in the presence of the king, driving them\nwith speed. Alas, I now see that handsome youth wait upon the\ngorgeously decked and excellent Virata, the king of the Matsyas, and\ndisplay horses before him. O son of Pritha, afflicted as I am with all\nthese hundred kinds of misery on account of Yudhishthira, why dost thou,\nO chastiser of foes, yet deem me happy? Listen now to me, O son of Kunti,\nas I tell thee of other woes far surpassing these. What can be sadder to\nme than miseries so various as these should emaciate me while ye are\nalive.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XX\n\n\"Draupadi said, 'Alas, on account of that desperate gambler, I am now\nunder Sudeshna's command, living in the palace in the guise of a\nSairindhri. And, O chastiser of foes, behold the plight of poignant woe\nwhich I, a princess, am now in. I am living in expectation of the close\nof this stated period.[14] The extreme of misery, therefore, is mine.\nSuccess of purpose, victory, and defeat, as regards mortals, are\ntransitory. It is in this belief that I am living in expectation of the\nreturn of prosperity to my husbands. Prosperity and adversity revolve\nlike a wheel. It is in this belief that I am living in expectation of the\nreturn of prosperity to my husbands. That cause which bringeth on\nvictory, may bring defeat as well. I live in this hope. Why dost thou\nnot, O Bhimasena, regard me as one dead? I have heard that persons that\ngive may beg: that they who slay may be slain; and that they who\nover-throw others may themselves be overthrown by foes. Nothing is\ndifficult for Destiny and none can over-ride Destiny. It is for this that\nI am awaiting the return of favourable fortune. As a tank once dried, is\nfilled up once again, so hoping for a change for the better, I await the\nreturn of prosperity. When one's business that hath been well-provided\nfor is seen to be frustrated, a truly wise person should never strive for\nbringing back good fortune. Plunged as I am in sorrow, asked or unasked\nby thee to explain the purpose of these words spoken by me, I shall tell\nthee everything. Queen of the sons of Pandu and daughter of Drupada, who\nelse, save myself, would wish to live, having fallen into such a plight?\nO represser of foes, the misery, therefore, that hath overtaken me, hath\nreally humiliated the entire Kuru race, the Panchalas, and the sons of\nPandu. Surrounded by numerous brothers and father-in-law and sons, what\nother woman having such cause for joy, save myself, would be afflicted\nwith such woe? Surely, I must, in my childhood, have committed act highly\noffensive to Dhatri through whose displeasure, O bull of the Bharata\nrace, I have been visited with such consequences. Mark, O son of Pandu,\nthe pallour that hath come over my complexion which not even a life in\nthe woods fraught as it was with extreme misery, could bring about. Thou,\nO Pritha's son, knowest what happiness, O Bhima, was formerly mine. Even,\nI, who was such have now sunk into servitude. Sorely distressed, I can\nfind no rest. That the mighty-armed and terrible bowman, Dhananjaya the\nson of Pritha, should now live like a fire that hath been put out, maketh\nme think of all this as attributable to Destiny. Surely, O son of Pritha,\nit is impossible for men to understand the destinies of creatures (in\nthis world). I, therefore, think this downfall of yours as something that\ncould not be averted by forethought. Alas, she who hath you all, that\nresemble Indra himself to attend to her comforts--even she, so chaste and\nexalted, hath now to attend to the comforts of others, that are to her\nfar inferior in rank. Behold, O Pandava, my plight. It is what I do not\ndeserve. You are alive, yet behold this inversion of order that time hath\nbrought. She who had the whole Earth to the verge of the sea under her\ncontrol, is now under the control of Sudeshna and living in fear of her.\nShe who had dependants to walk both before and behind her, alas, now\nherself walketh before and behind Sudeshna. This, O Kaunteya, is another\ngrief of mine that is intolerable. O, listen to it. She who had never,\nsave for Kunti, pounded unguents even for her own use, now, good betide\nthee, poundeth sandal (for others). O Kaunteya, behold these hands of\nmine which were not so before.' Saying this she showed him her hands\nmarked with corns. And she continued, 'she who had never feared Kunti\nherself nor thee and thy brothers, now standeth in fear before Virata as\na slave, anxious of what that king of kings may say unto her regarding\nthe proper preparation of the unguents, for Matsya liketh not sandal\npounded by others.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Relating her woes thus, O Bharata, unto\nBhimasena, Krishna began to weep silently, casting her eyes on Bhima. And\nthen, with words choked in tears, and sighing repeatedly, she addressed\nBhima in these words, powerfully stirring his heart, 'Signal, O Bhima,\nmust have been my offence of old unto the gods, for, unfortunate as I am.\nI am yet alive, when, O Pandava, I should die.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then that slayer of hostile heroes, Vrikodara,\ncovering his face with those delicate hands of his wife marked with\ncorns, began to weep. And that mighty son of Kunti, holding the hands of\nDraupadi in his, shed copious tears. And afflicted with great woe, he\nspoke these words.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXI\n\n\"Bhima said, 'Fie on the might of my arms and fie on the Gandiva of\nFalguni, inasmuch as thy hands, red before, now become covered with\ncorns. I would have caused a carnage in Virata's court but for the fact\nthat Kunti's son eyed me (by way of forbidding it), or like a mighty\nelephant. I would, without ado, have crushed the head of Kichaka\nintoxicated with the pride of sovereignty. When, O Krishna, I beheld thee\nkicked by Kichaka, I conceived at that instant a wholesale slaughter of\nthe Matsyas. Yudhishthira, however, forbade me by a glance, and, O\nbeauteous lady, understanding his intention I have kept quiet. That we\nhave been deprived of our kingdom, that I have not yet slain the Kurus,\nthat I have not yet taken the heads of Suyodhana and Karna, and Suvala's\nson Sakuni, and the wicked Duhsasana, these acts and omissions, O lady,\nare consuming every limb of mine. The thought of those abides in my heart\nlike a javelin implanted in it. O thou of graceful hips, do not sacrifice\nvirtue, and, O noble-hearted lady, subdue thy wrath. If king Yudhishthira\nhear from thee such rebukes, he will surely put an end to his life. If\nalso Dhananjaya and the twins hear thee speak thus, even they will\nrenounce life. And if these, O slender-waisted maiden, give up life, I\nalso shall not be able to bear my own. In olden days Sarjati's daughter,\nthe beautiful Sukanya, followed into the forest Chyavana of Bhrigu's\nrace, whose mind was under complete control, and over whom, while engaged\nin ascetic meditation, the ants had built a hill. Thou mayst have heard\nthat Indrasena also who in beauty was like unto Narayani herself,\nfollowed her husband aged a thousand years. Thou mayst have heard that\nJanaka's daughter Sita, the princess of Videha, followed her lord while\nliving in dense woods. And that lady of graceful hips, Rama's beloved\nwife, afflicted with calamities and persecuted by the Rakshasas, at\nlength regained the company of Rama. Lopamudra also, O timid one, endued\nwith youth and beauty, followed Agastya, renouncing all the objects of\nenjoyment unattainable by men. And the intelligent and faultless Savitri\nalso followed the heroic Satyavan, the son of Dyumatsena, alone into the\nworld of Yama. Even like these chaste and beautiful ladies that I have\nnamed, thou, O blessed girl, bloomest with every virtue. Do thou spend a\nshort while more that is measured by even a half month. And when the\nthirteenth year is complete, thou wilt (again) become the Queen regnant\nof a king.' Hearing these words, Draupadi said, 'Unable, O Bhima, to bear\nmy griefs, it is from grief alone that I have shed these tears. I do not\ncensure Yudhishthira. Nor is there any use in dwelling on the past. O\nBhima of mighty strength, come quickly forward to the work of the hour. O\nBhima, Kaikeyi, jealous of my beauty, always pains me by her endeavours\nto prevent the king from taking a fancy to me. And understanding this\ndisposition of hers, the wicked-souled Kichaka of immoral ways constantly\nsolicits me himself. Angry with him for this, but then suppressing my\nwrath I answer that wretch deprived of sense by lust, saying, \"O Kichaka,\nprotect thyself. I am the beloved queen and wife of five Gandharvas.\nThose heroes in wrath will slay thee that art so rash.\" Thus addressed,\nKichaka of wicked soul replied unto me, saying, \"I have not the least\nfear of the Gandharvas, O Sairindhri of sweet smiles. I will slay hundred\nthousand Gandharvas, encountering them in battle. Therefore, O timid one,\ndo thou consent.\" Hearing all this, I again addressed the lust-afflicted\nSuta, saying, \"Thou art no match for those illustrious Gandharvas. Of\nrespectable percentage and good disposition, I ever adhere to virtue and\nnever wish for the death of any one. It is for this that thou I vest, O\nKichaka!\" At this, that wight of wicked soul burst out into a loud\nlaughter. And it came to pass that Kaikeyi previously urged by Kichaka,\nand moved by affection for her brother, and desirous of doing him a good\nturn, despatched me to him, saying \"Do thou, O Sairindhri, fetch wine\nfrom Kichaka's quarters!\" On beholding me the Suta's son at first\naddressed me in sweet words, and when that failed, he became exceedingly\nenraged, and intended to use violence. Understanding the purpose of the\nwicked Kichaka, I speedily rushed towards the place where the king was.\nFelling me on the ground the wretch then kicked me in the very presence\nof the king himself and before the eyes of Kanka and many others,\nincluding charioteers, and royal favourites, and elephant-riders, and\ncitizens. I rebuked the king and Kanka again and again. The king,\nhowever, neither prevented Kichaka, nor inflicted any chastisement on\nhim. The principal ally of king Virata in war, the cruel Kichaka reft of\nvirtue is loved by both the king and the queen. O exalted one, brave,\nproud, sinful, adulterous, and engrossed in all objects of enjoyment, he\nearneth immense wealth (from the king), and robs the possessions of\nothers even if they cry in distress. And he never walketh in the path of\nvirtue, nor doth he any virtuous act. Of wicked soul, and vicious\ndisposition, haughty and villainous, and always afflicted by the shafts\nof Kama, though repulsed repeatedly, if he sees me again, he will outrage\nme. I shall then surely renounce my life. Although striving to acquire\nvirtue (on my death) your highly meritorious acts will come to naught. Ye\nthat are now obeying your pledge, ye will lose your wife. By protecting\none's wife one's offspring are protected, and by protecting one's\noffspring, one's own self is protected. And it is because one begets\none's own self in one's wife that the wife is called Jaya[15] by the\nwise. The husband also should be protected by the wife, thinking,--\"How\nelse will he take his birth in my womb?\"--I have heard it from Brahmanas\nexpounding the duties of the several orders that a Kshatriya hath no\nother duty than subduing enemies. Alas, Kichaka kicked me in the very\npresence of Yudhishthira the Just, and also of thyself, O Bhimasena of\nmighty strength. It was thou, O Bhima, that didst deliver me from the\nterrible Jatasura. It was thou also that with thy brothers didst vanquish\nJayadratha. Do thou now slay this wretch also who hath insulted me.\nPresuming upon his being a favourite of the king, Kichaka, O Bharata,\nhath enhanced my woe. Do thou, therefore, smash this lustful wight even\nlike an earthen pot dashed upon a stone. If, O Bharata, tomorrow's sun\nsheds his rays upon him who is the source of many griefs of mine, I\nshall, surely, mixing poison (with some drink), drink it up,--for I never\nshall yield to Kichaka. Far better it were, O Bhima, that I should die\nbefore thee.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having said this, Krishna, hiding her face in\nBhima's breast began to weep. And Bhima, embracing her, consoled her to\nthe best of his power. And having abundantly consoled that\nslender-waisted daughter of Drupada by means of words fraught with grave\nreason and sense, he wiped with his hands her face flooded with tears.\nAnd thinking of Kichaka and licking with his tongue the corners of his\nmouth, Bhima, filled with wrath thus spake to that distressed lady.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXII\n\n\"Bhima said, 'I will, O timid one, do even as thou sayest. I will\npresently slay Kichaka with all his friends. O Yajnaseni of sweet smiles,\ntomorrow evening, renouncing sorrow and grief, manage to have a meeting\nwith Kichaka. The dancing-hall that the king of the Matsya hath caused to\nbe erected is used by the girls for dancing during the day. They repair,\nhowever, to their homes at night. There in that hall, is an excellent and\nwell-placed wooden bed-stead. Even there I will make him see the spirits\nof his deceased grandsires. But, O beautiful one, when thou holdest\nconverse with him, thou must manage it so that others may not espy thee.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having thus conversed with others, and shed\ntears in grief, they waited for the dawn of that night with painful\nimpatience. And when the night had passed away, Kichaka, rising in the\nmorning, went to the palace, and accosted Draupadi saying, 'Throwing thee\ndown in the court I kicked thee in the presence of the king. Attacked by\nhis mighty self, thou couldst not obtain protection. This Virata is in name\nonly the king of the Matsyas. Commanding the forces of this realm it is\nI who am the real lord of the Matsyas. Do thou, O timid one, accept me\ncheerfully. I shall become thy slave. And, O thou of graceful hips, I\nwill immediately give thee a hundred nishkas, and engage a hundred male\nand a hundred female servants (to tend thee), and will also bestow on\nthee cars yoked with she-mules. O timid lady, let our union take place.'\nDraupadi replied, 'O Kichaka, know even this is my condition. Neither thy\nfriends nor thy brothers should know thy union with me. I am in terror of\ndetection by those illustrious Gandharvas. Promise me this, and I yield\nto thee.' Hearing this Kichaka said, 'I will, O thou of graceful hips, do\neven as thou sayest. Afflicted by the god of love, I will, O beauteous\ndamsel, alone repair to thy abode for union with thee, O thou of thighs\nround and tapering like the trunks of the plantain,--so that those\nGandharvas, effulgent as the sun, may not come to know of this act of\nthine.' Draupadi said, 'Do thou, when it is dark, go to the dancing-hall\nerected by the king of the Matsyas where the girls dance during the day,\nrepairing to their respective homes at night. The Gandharvas do not know\nthat place. We shall then without doubt, escape all censure.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Reflecting on the subject of her conversation\nwith Kichaka, that half a day seemed to Krishna as long as a whole month.\nAnd the stupid Kichaka also, not knowing that it was Death that had\nassumed the form of a Sairindhri, returning home experienced the greatest\ndelight. And deprived of sense by lust, Kichaka became speedily engaged\nin embellishing his person with unguents and garlands and ornaments. And\nwhile he was doing all this, thinking of that damsel of large eyes, the\nday seemed to him to be without an end. And the beauty of Kichaka, who\nwas about to forsake his beauty for ever, seemed to heighten, like the\nwick of a burning lamp about to expire. And reposing the fullest\nconfidence in Draupadi, Kichaka, deprived of his senses by lust and\nabsorbed in the contemplation of expected meeting, did not even perceive\nthat the day had departed. Meanwhile, the beautiful Draupadi approaching\nher husband Bhima of the Kuru race, stood before him in the kitchen. And\nthat lady with tresses ending in beautiful curls then spake unto him,\nsaying, 'O chastiser of foes, even as thou hadst directed, I have given\nKichaka to understand that our meeting will take place in the\ndancing-hall. Alone will he come at night to the empty hall. Slay him\nthere, O thou of mighty arms. Do thou, O son of Kunti, repair to that\ndancing-hall, and take the life, O Pandava, of Kichaka, that son of a\nSuta intoxicated with vanity. From vanity alone, that son of a Suta\nslights the Gandharvas. O best of smiters, lift him up from the earth\neven as Krishna had lifted up the Naga (Kaliya) from the Yamuna. O\nPandava, afflicted as I am with grief, wipe thou my tears, and blessed be\nthou, protect thy own honour and that of thy race.'\n\n\"Bhima said, 'Welcome, O beauteous lady. Except the glad tidings thou\nbringest me, I need, O thou of exceeding beauty, no other aid whatever.\nThe delight that I feel, O thou of great beauty, on hearing from thee\nabout my coming encounter with Kichaka, is equal to what I felt in\nslaying Hidimva. I swear unto thee by Truth, by my brothers, and by\nmorality, that I will slay Kichaka even as the lord of the celestials\nslew Vritra. Whether secretly or openly, I will crush Kichaka, and if the\nMatsyas fight for him, then I will slay them too. And slaying Duryodhana\nafterwards, I shall win back the earth. Let Yudhishthira, the son of\nKunti, continue to pay homage unto the king of Matsya.' Hearing these\nwords of Bhima, Draupadi said, 'In order that, O lord, thou mayst not\nhave to renounce the truth already pledged to me, do thou, O hero, slay\nKichaka in secret.' Bhima assuring her said, 'Even today I shall slay\nKichaka together with his friends unknown to others during the darkness\nof the night. I shall, O faultless lady, crush, even as an elephant\ncrusheth a vela fruit, [16] the head of the wicked Kichaka who wisheth\nfor what is unattainable by him!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Repairing first to the place of assignation at\nnight, Bhima sat down, disguising himself. And he waited there in\nexpectation of Kichaka, like a lion lying in wait for a deer. And\nKichaka, having embellished his person as he chose, came to the\ndancing-hall at the appointed time in the hope of meeting Panchali. And\nthinking of the assignation, he entered the chamber. And having entered\nthat hall enveloped in deep gloom, that wretch of wicked soul came upon\nBhima of incomparable prowess, who had come a little before and who was\nwaiting in a corner. And as an insect approacheth towards a flaming fire,\nor a puny animal towards a lion, Kichaka approached Bhima, lying down in\na bed and burning in anger at the thought of the insult offered to\nKrishna, as if he were the Suta's Death. And having approached Bhima,\nKichaka possessed by lust, and his heart and soul filled with ecstacy\nsmilingly said, 'O thou of pencilled eye-brows, to thee I have already\ngiven many and various kinds of wealth from the stores earned by me, as\nwell as hundred maids and many fine robes, and also a mansion with an\ninner apartment adorned with beauteous and lovely and youthful maid\nservants and embellished by every kind of sports and amusements. And\nhaving set all those apart for thee, I have speedily come hither. And all\non a sudden, women have begun to praise me, saying, 'There is not in this\nworld any other person like unto thee in beauty and dress!' Hearing this,\nBhima said, 'It is well that thou art handsome, and it is well thou\npraisest thyself. I think, however, that thou hadst never before this\nsuch pleasurable touch! Thou hast an acute touch, and knowest the ways of\ngallantry. Skilled in the art of love-making, thou art a favourite with\nwomen. There is none like thee in this world!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Saying this, that son of Kunti, the\nmighty-armed Bhima of terrible prowess, suddenly rose up, and laughingly\nsaid, 'Thy sister, O wretch, shall today behold thee dragged by me to the\nground, like a mighty elephant, huge as a mountain, dragged to the ground\nby a lion. Thyself slain Sairindhri will live in peace, and we, her\nhusbands, will also live in peace.' Saying this, the mighty Bhima seized\nKichaka by the hairs of his head, which were adorned with garlands. And\nthus seized with force by the hair, that foremost of mighty persons,\nKichaka, quickly freed his hair and grasped the arms of Bhima. And then\nbetween those lions among men, fired with wrath, between that chief of\nthe Kichaka clan, and that best of men, there ensued a hand-to-hand\nencounter, like that between two powerful elephants for a female elephant\nin the season of spring, or like that which happened in days of yore\nbetween those lions among monkeys, the brothers Vali and Sugriva. And\nboth equally infuriate and both eager for victory, both those combatants\nraised their arms resembling snakes furnished with five hoods, and\nattacked each other with their nails and teeth, wrought up to frenzy of\nwrath. Impetuously assailed by the powerful Kichaka in that encounter,\nthe resolute Bhima did not waver a single step. And locked in each\nother's embraces and dragging each other, they fought on like two mighty\nbulls. And having nails and teeth for their weapons, the encounter\nbetween them was fierce and terrible like that of two furious tigers. And\nfelling each other in fury, they encountered each other like a couple of\nelephants with rent temples. And the mighty Bhima then seized Kichaka,\nand Kichaka, that foremost of strong persons threw Bhima down with\nviolence. And as those mighty combatants fought on, the crash of their\narms produced a loud noise that resembled the clatter of splitting\nbamboos. Then Vrikodara throwing Kichaka down by main force within the\nroom, began to toss him about furiously even as a hurricane tosseth a\ntree. And attacked thus in battle by the powerful Bhima, Kichaka grew\nweak and began to tremble. For all that, however, he tugged at the\nPandava to the best of his power. And attacking Bhima, and making him\nwave a little, the mighty Kichaka struck him with his knees and brought\nhim down to the ground. And overthrown by the powerful Kichaka, Bhima\nquickly rose up like Yama himself with mace in hand. And thus that\npowerful Suta and the Pandava, intoxicated with strength and challenging\neach other, grappled with each other at midnight in that solitary place.\nAnd as they roared at each other in wrath, that excellent and strong\nedifice began to shake every moment. And slapped on the chest by the\nmighty Bhima, Kichaka fired with wrath moved not a single pace. And\nbearing for a moment only that onslaught incapable of being born on\nearth, the Suta, overpowered by Bhima's might, became enfeebled. And\nseeing him waning weak, Bhima endued with great strength forcibly drew\nKichaka towards his breast, and began to press hard. And breathing hard\nagain and again in wrath, that best of victors, Vrikodara, forcibly\nseized Kichaka by the hair. And having seized Kichaka, the mighty Bhima\nbegan to roar like a hungry tiger that hath killed a large animal. And\nfinding him exceedingly exhausted, Vrikodara bound him fast with his\narms, as one binds a beast with a cord. And then Bhima began for a long\nwhile, to whirl the senseless Kichaka, who began to roar frightfully like\na broken trumpet.[17] And in order to pacify Krishna's wrath Vrikodara\ngrasped Kichaka's throat with his arms and began to squeeze it. And\nassailing with his knees the waist of that worst of the Kichakas, all the\nlimbs of whose body had been broken into fragments and whose eye-lids\nwere closed, Vrikodara slew him, as one would slay a beast. And beholding\nKichaka entirely motionless, the son of Pandu began to roll him about on\nthe ground. And Bhima then said, 'Slaying this wretch who intended to\nviolate our wife,--this thorn in the side of Sairindhri, I am freed from\nthe debt I owed to my brothers, and have attained perfect peace.' And\nhaving said this, that foremost of men, with eyes red in wrath,\nrelinquished his hold of Kichaka, whose dress and ornaments had been\nthrown off his person, whose eyes were rolling, and whose body was yet\ntrembling. And that foremost of mighty persons, squeezing his own hands,\nand biting his lips in rage, again attacked his adversary and thrust his\narms and legs and neck and head into his body like the wielder of the\nPinaka reducing into shapeless mass the deer, which form sacrifice had\nassumed in order to escape his ire. And having crushed all his limbs,\nand reduced him into a ball of flesh, the mighty Bhimasena showed him\nunto Krishna. And endued with mighty energy that hero then addressed\nDraupadi, that foremost of all women, saying, 'Come princess of Panchala,\nand see what hath become of that lustful wretch!' And saying this, Bhima\nof terrible prowess began to press with his feet the body of that wicked\nwight. And lighting a torch then and showing Draupadi the body of\nKichaka, that hero addressed her, saying, 'O thou of tresses ending in\nbeautiful curls, those that solicit thee, endued as thou art with an\nexcellent disposition and every virtue, will be slain by me even as this\nKichaka hath been, O timid one.' And having accomplished that difficult\ntask so highly agreeable to Krishna--having indeed slain Kichaka and\nthereby pacified his wrath, Bhima bade farewell to Krishna, the daughter\nof Drupada, and quickly went back to the kitchen. And Draupadi also, that\nbest of women, having caused Kichaka to be slain had her grief removed\nand experienced the greatest delight. And addressing the keepers of the\ndancing-hall, she said, 'Come ye and behold Kichaka who had violated\nafter other people's wives lieth down here, slain by my Gandharva\nhusbands.' And hearing these words the guards of the dancing hall soon\ncame by thousands to that spot, torches in hand. And repairing to that\nroom, they beheld the lifeless Kichaka thrown on the ground, drenched\nwith blood. And beholding him without arms and legs, they were filled\nwith grief. And as they gazed at Kichaka, they were struck with\namazement. And seeing that superhuman act, viz., the overthrow of\nKichaka, they said, 'Where is his neck, and where are his legs?' And\nbeholding him in this plight they all concluded that he had been killed\nby a Gandharva.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then all the relatives of Kichaka, arriving at that\nplace, beheld him there and began to wail aloud, surrounding him on all\nsides. And beholding Kichaka with every limb mangled, and lying like a\ntortoise dragged to dry ground from the water, all of them were overcome\nwith exceeding fright, and the bristles of their bodies stood on end. And\nseeing him crushed all over by Bhima, like a Danava by Indra, they\nproceeded to take him outside, for performing his funeral obsequies. And\nthen those persons of the Suta clan thus assembled together espied\nKrishna of faultless limbs hard by, who stood reclining on a pillar. And\nall the Kichakas assembled there, exclaimed, 'Let this unchaste woman be\nslain for whom Kichaka hath himself lost his life. Or, without slaying\nher here, let us cremate her with him that had lusted after her,--for it\nbehoveth us to accomplish in every way what is agreeable to that deceased\nson of Suta.' And then they addressed Virata, saying, 'It is for her sake\nthat Kichaka hath lost his life. Let him, therefore, be cremated along\nwith her. It behoveth thee to grant this permission.' Thus addressed by\nthem, king Virata, O monarch, knowing fully well the prowess of the Suta\ngave his assent to Sairindhri being burnt along with the Suta's son. And\nat this, the Kichakas approaching the frightened and stupefied Krishna of\nlotus-like eyes, seized her with violence. And binding that damsel of\nslender waist and placing her upon the bier, they set out with great\nenergy towards the cemetery. And, O king, while thus forcibly carried\ntowards the cemetery by those sons of the Suta tribe, the blameless and\nchaste Krishna living under the protections of her lords, then wailed\naloud for the help of her husbands, saying, 'Oh, let Jaya, and Jayanta,\nand Vijaya and Jayatsena, and Jayatvala listen to my words. The Sutas are\ntaking me away. Let those illustrious Gandharvas endued with speed of\nhand, the clatter of whose cars is loud and the twang of whose bowstrings\nin the midst of the mighty conflict are heard like the roar of thunder,\nlisten to my words,--the Sutas are taking me away!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing those sorrowful words and lamentations\nof Krishna, Bhima, without a moment's reflection started up from his bed\nand said, 'I have heard, O Sairindhri the words thou hast spoken. Thou\nhast, therefore, O timid lady, no more fear at the hands of the Sutas.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having said this, the mighty-armed Bhima\ndesirous of slaying the Kichakas, began to swell his body. And carefully\nchanging his attire, he went out of the palace by a wrong egress. And\nclimbing over a wall by the aid of a tree, he proceeded towards the\ncemetery whither the Kichakas had gone. And having leapt over the wall,\nand gone out of the excellent city, Bhima impetuously rushed to where the\nSutas were. And, O monarch, proceeding towards the funeral pyre he beheld\na large tree, tall as palmyra-palm, with gigantic shoulders and withered\ntop. And that slayer of foes grasping with his arms that tree measuring\nten Vyamas, uprooted it, even like an elephant, and placed it upon his\nshoulders. And taking up that tree with trunk and branches and measuring\nten Vyamas, that mighty hero rushed towards the Sutas, like Yama himself,\nmace in hand. And by the impetus of his rush[18] banians and peepals and\nKinsukas falling down on the earth lay in clusters. And beholding that\nGandharva approach them like a lion in fury, all the Sutas trembling with\nfear and greatly distressed, became panic-struck. And they addressed each\nother, saying, 'Lo, the powerful Gandharva cometh hither, filled with\nrage, and with an upraised tree in hand. Let Sairindhri, therefore, from\nwhom this danger of ours hath arisen, be set free.' And beholding the\ntree that had been uprooted by Bhimasena, they set Draupadi free and ran\nbreathlessly towards the city. And seeing them run away, Bhima, that\nmighty son of the Wind-god, despatched, O foremost of kings, by means of\nthat tree, a hundred and five of them unto the abode of Yama, like the\nwielder of the thunderbolt slaying the Danavas. And setting Draupadi free\nfrom her bonds, he then, O king, comforted her. And that mighty-armed and\nirrepressible Vrikodara, the son of Pandu, then addressed the distressed\nprincess of Panchala with face bathed in tears, saying, 'Thus, O timid\none, are they slain that wrong thee without cause. Return, O Krishna, to\nthe city. Thou hast no longer any fear; I myself will go to the Virata's\nkitchen by another route.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"It was thus, O Bharata, that a hundred and five\nof those Kichakas were slain. And their corpses lay on the ground, making\nthe place look like a great forest overspread with uprooted trees after a\nhurricane. Thus fell those hundred and five Kichakas. And including\nVirata's general slain before, the slaughtered Sutas numbered one hundred\nand six. And beholding that exceedingly wonderful feat, men and women\nthat assembled together, were filled with astonishment. And the power of\nspeech, O Bharata, was suspended in every one.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"And beholding the Sutas slain, the citizens went to\nthe king, and represented unto him what had happened, saying, 'O king,\nthose mighty sons of the Sutas have all been slain by the Gandharvas.\nIndeed, they lie scattered on the earth like huge peaks of mountains\nriven by thunder. Sairindhri also, having been set free, returneth to thy\npalace in the city. Alas, O king, if Sairindhri cometh, thy entire\nkingdom will be endangered. Sairindhri is endued with great beauty; the\nGandharvas also here exceedingly powerful. Men again, without doubt, are\nnaturally sexual. Devise, therefore, O king, without delay, such means\nthat in consequence of wrongs done to Sairindhri, thy kingdom may not\nmeet with destruction.' Hearing those words of theirs, Virata, that lord\nof hosts, said unto them, 'Do ye perform the last rites of the Sutas. Let\nall the Kichakas be burnt, in one blazing pyre with gems and fragrant\nunguents in profusion.' And filled with fear, the king then addressed his\nqueen Sudeshna, saying, 'When Sairindhri comes back, do thou tell her\nthese words from me, 'Blessed be thou, O fair-faced Sairindhri. Go thou\nwhithersoever thou likest. The king hath been alarmed, O thou of graceful\nhips, at the defeat already experienced at the hands of the Gandharvas.\nProtected as thou art by the Gandharvas, I dare not personally say all\nthis to thee. A woman, however, cannot offend, and it is for this that I\ntell thee all this through a woman.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus delivered by Bhimasena after the slaughter\nof the Sutas, the intelligent and youthful Krishna relieved from all her\nfears, washed her limbs and clothes in water, and proceeded towards the\ncity, like a doe frightened by a tiger. And beholding her, the citizens,\nO king, afflicted with the fear of the Gandharvas fled in all directions.\nAnd some of them went so far as to shut their eyes. And then, O king at\nthe gate of the kitchen, the princess of Panchala saw Bhimasena staying,\nlike an infuriate elephant of gigantic proportions. And looking upon him\nwith wonder-expanded eyes, Draupadi, by means of words intelligible to\nthem alone, said, 'I bow unto that prince of the Gandharvas, who hath\nrescued me.' At these words of her, Bhima said, 'Hearing these words of\nhers in obedience to whom those persons were hitherto living in the city,\nthey will henceforth range here, regarding themselves as freed from the\ndebt.'\"[19]\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then she beheld the mighty-armed Dhananjaya, in\nthe dancing-hall instructing king Virata's daughters in dancing. And\nissuing with Arjuna from the dancing-hall, all those damsels came to\nKrishna who had arrived there, and who had been persecuted so sorely, all\ninnocent though she was. And they said, 'By good luck also it is, O\nSairindhri, that thou hast been delivered from thy dangers. By good luck\nit is that thou hast returned safe. And by good luck also it is that\nthose Sutas have been slain that had wronged thee, innocent though thou\nart.' Hearing this, Vrihannala said, 'How hast thou, O Sairindhri, been\ndelivered? And how have those sinful wretches been slain? I wish to learn\nall this from thee exactly as it occurred.' Sairindhri replied, 'O\nblessed Vrihannala, always passing thy days happily in the apartments of\nthe girls, what concern hast thou with Sairindhri's fate to say? Thou\nhast no grief to bear that Sairindhri hath to bear! It is for this, that\nthou askest me thus, distressed as I am in ridicule.' Thereat Vrihannala\nsaid, 'O blessed one, Vrihannala also hath unparalleled sorrows of her\nown. She hath become as low as a brute. Thou dost not, O girl, understand\nthis. I have lived with thee, and thou, too hast lived with us. When,\ntherefore, thou art afflicted with misery, who is it that will not, O\nthou of beautiful hips, feel it? But no one can completely read another's\nheart. Therefore it is, O amiable one, that thou knowest not my heart!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then Draupadi, accompanied by those girls\nentered the royal abode, desirous of appearing before Sudeshna. And when\nshe came before the queen, Virata's wife addressed her at the command of\nthe king, saying, 'Do thou, O Sairindhri, speedily go whithersoever thou\nlikest. The king, good betide thee, hath been filled with fear at this\ndiscomfiture at the hands of the Gandharvas. Thou art, O thou of graceful\neye-brows, young and unparalleled on earth in beauty. Thou art, besides,\nan object of desire with men. The Gandharvas again, are exceedingly\nwrathful.' Thereat Sairindhri said, 'O beauteous lady, let the king\nsuffer me to live here for only thirteen days more. Without doubt, the\nGandharvas also will be highly obliged at this. They will then convey me\nhence and do what would be agreeable to Virata. Without doubt, the king,\nby doing this, with his friends, will reap great benefit.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"At the slaughter of Kichaka and brothers, people, O\nking, thinking of this terrible feat, were filled with surprise. And in\nthe city and the provinces it was generally bruited about that for\nbravery the king's Vallava and Kichaka were both mighty warriors. The\nwicked Kichaka, however, had been an oppressor of men and a dishonourer\nof other people's wives. And it was for this that wicked of sinful soul\nhad been slain by the Gandharvas. And it was thus, O king, that people\nbegan to speak, from province to province of the invincible Kichaka, that\nslayer of hostile ranks.\n\n\"Meanwhile, the spies employed by Dhritarashtra's son, having searched\nvarious villages and towns and kingdoms and done all that they had been\ncommanded to do and completed their examination, in the manner directed,\nof the countries indicated in their orders, returned to Nagarupa,\ngratified with at least one thing that they had learnt.[20] And seeing\nDhritarashtra's son king Duryodhana of the Kuru race seated in his court\nwith Drona and Karna and Kripa, with the high-souled Bhishma, his own\nbrothers, and those great warriors--the Trigartas, they addressed him,\nsaying, 'O lord of men, great hath been the care always bestowed by us in\nthe search after the sons of Pandu in that mighty forest. Searched have\nwe through the solitary wilderness abounding with deer and other animals\nand overgrown with trees and creepers of diverse kind. Searched have we\nalso in arbours of matted woods and plants and creepers of every species,\nbut we have failed in discovering that track by which Pritha's son of\nirrepressible energy may have gone. Searched have we in these and other\nplaces for their foot-prints. Searched have we closely, O king, on\nmountain tops and in inaccessible fastnesses, in various kingdoms and\nprovinces teeming with people, in encampments and cities. No trace have\nyet been found of the sons of Pandu. Good betide thee, O bull among men,\nit seems that they have perished without leaving a mark behind. O\nforemost of warriors, although we followed in the track of those\nwarriors, yet, O best of men, we soon lost their footprints and do not\nknow their present residence. O lord of men, for some time we followed in\nthe wake of their charioteers. And making our inquiries duly, we truly\nascertained what we desired to know. O slayer of foes, the charioteers\nreached Dwaravati without the sons of Pritha among them. O king, neither\nthe sons of Pandu, nor the chaste Krishna, are in that city of Yadavas. O\nbull of the Bharata race, we have not been able to discover either their\ntrack or their present abode. Salutations to thee, they are gone for\ngood. We are acquainted with the disposition of the sons of Pandu and\nknow something of the feats achieved by them. It behoveth thee,\ntherefore, O lord of men, to give us instructions, O monarch, as to what\nwe should next do in the search after the sons of Pandu. O hero, listen\nalso to these agreeable words of ours, promising great good to thee. King\nMatsya's commander, Kichaka of wicked soul, by whom the Trigartas, O\nmonarch, were repeatedly vanquished and slain with mighty force, now\nlieth low on the ground with all his brothers, slain, O monarch, by\ninvisible Gandharvas during the hours of darkness, O thou of unfading\nglory. Having heard this delightful news about the discomfiture of our\nenemies, we have been exceedingly gratified, O Kauravya. Do thou now\nordain what should next be done.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVI\n\n(Go-harana Parva)\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having listened to these words of his spies, king\nDuryodhana reflected inwardly for some time and then addressed his\ncourtiers, saying, 'It is difficult to ascertain the course of events\ndefinitely. Discern ye all, therefore, whither the sons of Pandu have\ngone, of this thirteenth year which they are to pass undiscovered by us\nall, the greater part hath already expired. What remains is by much the\nsmaller. If, indeed, the sons of Pandu can pass undiscovered what remains\nof this year, devoted to the vow of truth as they are, they will then\nhave fulfilled their pledge. They will then return like mighty elephants\nwith temporal juice trickling down, or like snakes of virulent poison.\nFilled with wrath, they will, without doubt, be inflicters of terrible\nchastisement on the Kurus. It behoveth ye, therefore, to make such\nefforts without loss of time as may induce the sons of Pandu, acquainted\nas they are with the proprieties of time, and staying as they now are in\npainful disguise, to re-enter the woods suppressing their rage. Indeed,\nadopt ye such means as may remove all causes of quarrel and anxiety from\nthe kingdom, making it tranquil and foeless and incapable of sustaining a\ndiminution of territory.' Hearing these words of Duryodhana, Karna said,\n'Let other spies, abler and more cunning, and capable of accomplishing\ntheir object, quickly go hence, O Bharata. Let them, well-disguised,\nwander through swelling kingdoms and populous provinces, prying into\nassemblies of the learned and delightful retreats of provinces. In the\ninner apartments of palaces, in shrines and holy spots, in mines and\ndiverse other regions, the sons of Pandu should be searched after with\nwell-directed eagerness. Let the sons of Pandu who are living in disguise\nbe searched after by well-skilled spies in large numbers, devoted to\ntheir work, themselves well-disguised, and all well-acquainted with the\nobjects of their search. Let the search be made on the banks of rivers,\nin holy regions, in villages and towns, in retreats of ascetics, in\ndelightful mountains and mountain-caves.' When Karna ceased, Duryodhana's\nsecond brother Dussasana, wedded to a sinful disposition, then addressed\nhis eldest brother and said, 'O monarch, O lord of men, let those spies\nonly in whom we have confidence, receiving their rewards in advance, once\nmore go after the search. This and what else hath been said by Karna have\nour fullest approval. Let all the spies engage themselves in the search\naccording to the directions already given. Let these and others engage in\nthe search from province to province according to approved rules. It is\nmy belief, however, that the track the Pandavas have followed or their\npresent abode or occupation will not be discovered. Perhaps, they are\nclosely concealed; perhaps, they have gone to the other side of the\nocean. Or, perhaps, proud as they are of their strength and Courage, they\nhave been devoured by wild beasts; or perhaps, having been overtaken by\nsome unusual danger, they have perished for eternity. Therefore, O prince\nof the Kuru race, dispelling all anxieties from thy heart, achieve what\nthou wilt, always acting according to thy energy.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Endued with mighty energy and possessed of great\ndiscernment, Drona then said, 'Persons like the sons of Pandu never\nperish nor undergo discomfiture. Brave and skilled in every science,\nintelligent and with senses under control, virtuous and grateful and\nobedient to the virtuous Yudhishthira, ever following in the wake of\ntheir eldest brother who is conversant with the conclusions of policy and\nvirtue and profit, who is attached to them as a father, and who strictly\nadhereth to virtue and is firm in truth,--persons like them that are thus\ndevoted to their illustrious and royal brother, who gifted with great\nintelligence, never injureth any body and who in his turn himself obeyeth\nhis younger brothers, never perish in this way. Why, then, should not\n(Yudhishthira) the son of Pritha possessing a knowledge of policy, be\nable to restore the prosperity of his brothers who are so obedient and\ndevoted and high-souled? It is for this that they are carefully waiting\nfor the arrival of their opportunity. Men such as these never perish.\nThis is what I see by my intellect. Do, therefore, quickly and without\nloss of time, what should now be done, after proper reflection. And let\nalso the abode which the sons of Pandu with souls under control as\nregards every purpose of life, are to occupy, be now settled. Heroic and\nsinless and possessed of ascetic merit, the Pandavas are difficult to be\ndiscovered (within the period of non-discovery). Intelligent and\npossessed of every virtue, devoted to truth and versed in the principles\nof policy, endued with purity and holiness, and the embodiment of\nimmeasurable energy, the son of Pritha is capable of consuming (his foes)\nby a glance alone of his eyes. Knowing all this, do what is proper. Let\nus, therefore, once more search after them, sending Brahmanas and\nCharanas, ascetics crowned with success, and others of this kind who may\nhave a knowledge of those heroes!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then that grandsire of the Bharatas, Bhishma the son\nof Santanu, conversant with the Vedas, acquainted with the proprieties of\ntime and place, and possessing a knowledge of every duty of morality,\nafter the conclusion of Drona's speech, applauded the words of the\npreceptor and spake unto the Bharatas for their benefit these words\nconsistent with virtue, expressive of his attachment to the virtuous\nYudhishthira, rarely spoken by men that are dishonest, and always meeting\nwith the approbation of the honest. And the words that Bhishma spake were\nthoroughly impartial and worshipped by the wise. And the grandsire of the\nKurus said, 'The words that the regenerate Drona acquainted with the\ntruth of every affair hath uttered, are approved by me. I have no\nhesitation in saying so. Endued with every auspicious mark, observant of\nvirtuous vows, possessed of Vedic lore, devoted to religious observances,\nconversant with various sciences, obedient to the counsels of the aged,\nadhering to the vow of truth, acquainted with the proprieties of time,\nobservant of the pledge they have given (in respect of their exile), pure\nin their behaviour, ever adhering to the duties of the Kshatriya order,\nalways obedient to Kesava, high-souled, possessed of great strength, and\never bearing the burthens of the wise, those heroic ones can never wither\nunder misfortune. Aided by their own energy, sons of Pandu who are now\nleading a life of concealment in obedience to virtue, will surely never\nperish. It is even this that my mind surmiseth. Therefore, O Bharata, I\nam for employing the aid of honest counsel in our behaviour towards the\nsons of Pandu. It would not be the policy of any wise man to cause them\nto be discovered now by means of spies,[21] what we should do unto the\nsons of Pandu, I shall say, reflecting with the aid of the intellect.\nKnow that I shall say nothing from ill will to thee. People like me\nshould never give such counsels to him that is dishonest, for only\ncounsels (like those I would give) should be offered unto them that are\nhonest. Counsels, however, that are evil, should under no circumstances\nbe offered. He, O child, that is devoted to truth and obedient to the\naged, he, indeed, that is wise, while speaking in the midst of an\nassembly, should under all circumstances speak the truth, if the\nacquisition of virtue be an object with him. I should, therefore, say\nthat I think differently from all those people here, in respect of the\nabode of Yudhishthira the just in this the thirteenth year of his exile.\nThe ruler, O child, of the city or the province where king Yudhishthira\nresides cannot have any misfortune. Charitable and liberal and humble and\nmodest must the people be of the country where king Yudhishthira resides.\nAgreeable in speech, with passions under control, observant of truth,\ncheerful, healthy, pure in conduct, and skilful in work must the people\nbe of the country where king Yudhishthira resides. The people of the\nplace, where Yudhishthira is, cannot be envious or malicious, or vain, or\nproud, but must all adhere to their respective duties. Indeed, in the\nplace where Yudhishthira resides, Vedic hymns will be chanted all around,\nsacrifices will be performed, the last full libations will always be\npoured, [22] and gifts to Brahmanas will always be in profusion. There\nthe clouds, without doubt, pour abundant rain, and furnished with good\nharvest the country will ever be without fear. There the paddy will not\nbe without grain, fruits will not be bereft of juice, floral garlands\nwill not be without fragrance, and the conversation of men will always be\nfull of agreeable words. There where king Yudhishthira resides, the\nbreezes will be delicious, the meetings of men will always be friendly,\nand cause of fear there will be none. There kine will be plentiful,\nwithout any of them being lean-fleshed or weak, and milk and curds and\nbutter will all be savoury and nutritious. There where king Yudhishthira\nresides, every kind of corn will be full of nutrition and every edible\nfull of flavour. There where king Yudhishthira resides, the objects of\nall the senses, viz.,--taste, touch, smell, and hearing, will be endued\nwith excellent attributes. There where king Yudhishthira resides, the\nsights and scenes will be gladdening. And the regenerate ones of that\nplace will be virtuous and steady in observing their respective duties.\nIndeed, in the country where the sons of Pandu may have taken up their\nabode during this thirteenth year of their exile, the people will be\ncontented and cheerful, pure in conduct and without misery of any kind.\nDevoted to gods and guests and the worship of these with their whole\nsoul, they will be fond of giving away, and filled with great energy,\nthey will all be observant of eternal virtue. There where king\nYudhishthira resides, the people, eschewing all that is evil, will be\ndesirous of achieving only what is good. Always observant of sacrifices\nand pure vows, and hating untruth in speech, the people of the place\nwhere king Yudhishthira may reside will always be desirous of obtaining\nwhat is good, auspicious and beneficial. There where Yudhishthira\nresides, the people will certainly be desirous of achieving what is good,\nand their hearts will always incline towards virtue, and their vows being\nagreeable they themselves are ever-engaged in the acquisition of\nreligious merit. O child, that son of Pritha in whom are intelligence and\ncharity, the highest tranquillity and undoubted forgiveness, modesty and\nprosperity, and fame and great energy and a love for all creatures, is\nincapable of being found out (now that he hath concealed himself) even by\nBrahmanas, let alone ordinary persons. The wise Yudhishthira is living in\nclose disguise in regions whose characteristics I have described.\nRegarding his excellent mode of life, I dare not say anything more.\nReflecting well upon all this, do without loss of time what thou mayst\nthink to be beneficial, O prince of the Kuru race, if indeed, thou hast\nany faith in me.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then Saradwata's son, Kripa said, 'What the aged\nBhishma hath said concerning the Pandavas is reasonable, suited to the\noccasion, consistent with virtue and profit, agreeable to the ear,\nfraught with sound reason, and worthy of him. Listen also to what I would\nsay on this subject. It behoveth thee to ascertain the track they have\nfollowed and their abode also by means of spies,[23] and to adopt that\npolicy which may bring about thy welfare. O child, he that is solicitous\nof his welfare should not disregard even an ordinary foe. What shall I\nsay, then, O child, of the Pandavas who are thorough masters of all\nweapons in battle. When, therefore, the time cometh for the reappearance\nof the high-souled Pandavas, who, having entered the forest,[24] are now\npassing their days in close disguise, thou shouldst ascertain thy\nstrength both in thy own kingdom and in those of other kings. Without\ndoubt, the return of the Pandavas is at hand. When their promised term of\nexile is over, the illustrious and mighty sons of Pritha, endued with\nimmeasurable prowess, will come hither bursting with energy. Do thou,\ntherefore, in order to conclude an advantageous treaty with them, have\nrecourse to sound policy and address thyself to increase thy forces and\nimprove the treasury. O child, ascertaining all these, reckon thou thy\nown strength in respect of all thy allies weak and strong.[25]\nAscertaining the efficiency, and weakness, and indifference of thy\nforces, as also who amongst them are well-affected and who are\ndisaffected, we should either fight the foe or make treaty with him.\nHaving recourse to the arts of conciliation, disunion, chastisement,\nbribery, presents and fair behaviour, attack thy foes and subdue the weak\nby might, and win over thy allies and troops and by soft speeches. When\nthou hast (by these means) strengthened thy army and filled thy treasury,\nentire success will be thine. When thou hast done all this, thou wilt be\nable to fight with powerful enemies that may present themselves, let\nalone the sons of Pandu deficient in troops and animals of their own. By\nadopting all these expedients according to the customs of thy order, thou\nwilt, O foremost of men, attain enduring happiness in due time!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Discomfited before, O monarch, many a time and oft\nby Matsya's Suta Kichaka aided by the Matsyas and the Salyas, the mighty\nking of the Trigartas, Susarman, who owned innumerable cars, regarding\nthe opportunity to be a favourable one, then spoke the following words\nwithout losing a moment. And, O monarch, forcibly vanquished along with\nhis relatives by the mighty Kichaka, king Susarman, eyeing Karna in\naskance, spoke these words unto Duryodhana, 'My kingdom hath many a time\nbeen forcibly invaded by the king of the Matsyas. The mighty Kichaka was\nthat king's generalissimo. Crooked and wrathful and of wicked soul, of\nprowess famed over all the world, sinful in deeds and highly cruel, that\nwretch, however, hath been slain by the Gandharvas. Kichaka being dead,\nking Virata, shorn of pride and his refuge gone, will, I imagine, lose\nall courage I think, we ought now to invade that kingdom, if it pleases\nthee, O sinless one, as also the illustrious Karna and all the Kauravas.\nThe accident that hath happened is, I imagine, a favourable one for us.\nLet us, therefore, repair to Virata's kingdom abounding in corn. We will\nappropriate his gems and other wealth of diverse kinds, and let us go to\nshare with each other as regards his villages and kingdom. Or, invading\nhis city by force, let us carry off by thousands his excellent kine of\nvarious species. Uniting, O king, the forces of the Kauravas and the\nTrigartas, let us lift his cattle in droves. Or, uniting our forces well,\nwe will check his power by forcing him to sue for peace. Or, destroying\nhis entire host, we will bring Matsya under subjection. Having brought\nhim under subjection by just means, we will live in our kingdom happily,\nwhile thy power also will, without doubt, be enhanced.' Hearing these\nwords of Susarman, Karna addressed the king, saying, 'Susarman hath\nspoken well; the opportunity is favourable and promises to be profitable\nto us. Therefore, if it pleases thee, O sinless one, let us, drawing up\nour forces in battle array and marshalling them in divisions, speedily\nset out. Or, let the expedition be managed as Saradwata's son Kripa, the\npreceptor Drona, and the wise and aged grandsire of the Kurus may think.\nConsulting with each other, let us, O lord of earth, speedily set out to\nattain our end. What business have we with the sons of Pandu, destitute\nas they are of wealth, might, and prowess? They have either disappeared\nfor good or have gone to the abode of Yama. We will, O king, repair\nwithout anxiety to Virata's city, and plunder his cattle and other wealth\nof diverse kinds.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Accepting these words of Karna, the son of\nSurya, king Duryodhana speedily commanded his brother Dussasana, born\nimmediately after him and always obedient to his wishes, saying,\n'Consulting with the elders, array without delay, our forces. We will,\nwith all the Kauravas go to the appointed place. Let also the mighty\nwarrior, king Susarman, accompanied by a sufficient force with vehicles\nand animals, set out with the Trigartas for the dominions of Matsyas. And\nlet Susarman proceed first, carefully concealing his intention. Following\nin their wake, we will set out the day after in close array, for the\nprosperous dominions of king Matsya. Let the Trigartas, however, suddenly\nrepair to the city of Virata, and coming upon the cowherds, seize that\nimmense wealth (of kine). We also marching in two divisions, will seize\nthousands of excellent kine furnished with auspicious marks.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then, O Lord of earth, those warriors, the\nTrigartas, accompanied by their infantry of terrible prowess, marched\ntowards the south-eastern direction, intending to wage hostilities with\nVirata from the desire of seizing his kine. And Susarman set out on the\nseventh day of the dark fortnight for seizing the kine. And then, O king,\non the eighth day following of the dark fortnight, the Kauravas also\naccompanied by all their troops, began to seize the kine by thousands.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"O mighty king, entering into king Virata's service,\nand dwelling in disguise in his excellent city, the high-souled Pandavas\nof immeasurable prowess, completed the promised period of non-discovery.\nAnd after Kichaka had been slain, that slayer of hostile heroes, the\nmighty king Virata began to rest his hopes on the sons of Kunti. And it\nwas on the expiry of the thirteenth year of their exile, O Bharata, that\nSusarman seized Virata's cattle by thousands. And when the cattle had\nbeen seized, the herdsman of Virata came with great speed to the city,\nand saw his sovereign, the king of Matsyas, seated on the throne in the\nmidst of wise councillors, and those bulls among men, the sons of Pandu,\nand surrounded by brave warriors decked with ear-rings and bracelets. And\nappearing before that enhancer of his dominion--King Virata seated in\ncourt--the herdsman bowed down unto him, and addressed him, saying, 'O\nforemost of kings, defeating and humiliating us in battle along with our\nfriends the Trigartas are seizing thy cattle by hundreds and by\nthousands. Do thou, therefore, speedily rescue them. Oh, see that they\nare not lost to thee.' Hearing these words, the king arrayed for battle\nthe Matsya force abounding in cars and elephants and horses and infantry\nand standards. And kings and princes speedily put on, each in its proper\nplace,[26] their shining and beautiful armour worthy of being worn by\nheroes. And Virata's beloved brother, Satanika, put on a coat of mail\nmade of adamantine steel, adorned with burnished gold. And Madiraksha,\nnext in birth to Satanika, put on a strong coat of mail plated with\ngold[27] and capable of resisting every weapon. And the coat of mail that\nthe king himself of the Matsyas put on was invulnerable and decked with a\nhundred suns, a hundred circles, a hundred spots, and a hundred eyes. And\nthe coat of mail that Suryadatta[28] put on was bright as the sun, plated\nwith gold, and broad as a hundred lotuses of the fragrant (Kahlara)\nspecies. And the coat of mail that Virata's eldest son, the heroic\nSanksha, put on was impenetrable and made of burnished steel, and decked\nwith a hundred eyes of gold. And it was thus that those god-like and\nmighty warriors by hundreds, furnished with weapons, and eager for\nbattle, each donned his corselet. And then they yoked unto their\nexcellent cars of white-hue steeds equipped in mail. And then was\nhoisted Matsya's glorious standard on his excellent car decked with gold\nand resembling the sun or the moon in its effulgence. And other Kshatriya\nwarriors also raised on their respective cars gold-decked standards of\nvarious shapes and devices. And king Matsya then addressed his brother\nSatanika born immediately after him, saying, 'Kanka and Vallava and\nTantripala and Damagranthi of great energy will, as it appears to me\nfight, without doubt. Give thou unto them cars furnished with banners and\nlet them case their persons in beautiful coats of mail that should be\nboth invulnerable and easy to wear. And let them also have weapons.\nBearing such martial forms and possessed of arms resembling the trunk of\nmighty elephants, I can never persuade myself that they cannot fight.'\nHearing these words of the king, Satanika, O monarch, immediately ordered\ncars for those sons of Pritha, viz., the royal Yudhishthira, and Bhima,\nand Nakula, and Sahadeva, and commanded by the king, the charioteers,\nwith cheerful hearts and keeping loyalty in view, very soon got cars\nready (for the Pandavas). And those repressers of foes then donned those\nbeautiful coats of mail, invulnerable and easy to wear, that Virata had\nordered for those heroes of spotless fame. And mounted on cars yoked with\ngood steeds, those smiters of hostile ranks, those foremost of men, the\nsons of Pritha, set out with cheerful hearts. Indeed, those mighty\nwarriors skilled in fight, those bulls of the Kuru race and sons of\nPandu, those four heroic brothers possessed of prowess incapable of being\nbaffled, mounting on cars decked with gold, together set out, following\nVirata's wake. And infuriate elephants of terrible mien, full sixty years\nof age, with shapely tusks and rent temples and juice trickling down and\nlooking (on that account) like cloud pouring rain and mounted by trained\nwarriors skilled in fight, followed the king like unto moving hills. And\nthe principal warriors of Matsya who cheerfully followed the king had\neight thousand cars, a thousand elephants and sixty thousand horses. And,\nO bull among the Bharatas, that force of Virata, O king, as it marched\nforth marking the footprints of the cattle looked exceedingly beautiful.\nAnd on its march that foremost of armies owned by Virata, crowded with\nsoldiers armed with strong weapons, and abounding in elephants, horses\nand cars, looked really splendid.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Marching out of the city, those heroic smiters the\nMatsyas, arrayed in order of battle, overtook the Trigartas when the sun\nhad passed the meridian. And both excited to fury and both desirous of\nhaving the king, the mighty Trigartas and the Matsyas, irrepressible in\nbattle, sent up loud roars. And then the terrible and infuriate elephants\nridden over by the skilful combatants of both sides were urged on with\nspiked clubs and hooks. And the encounter, O king, that took place when\nthe sun was low in the horizon, between the infantry and cavalry and\nchariots and elephants of both parties, was like unto that of old between\nthe gods and the Asuras, terrible and fierce and sufficient for making\none's hair stand on end and calculated to increase the population of\nYama's kingdom. And as the combatants rushed against one another, smiting\nand slashing, thick clouds of dust began to rise, so that nothing could\nbe discovered. And covered with the dust raised by the contending armies,\nbirds began to drop down on the earth. And the sun himself disappeared\nbehind the thick cloud of arrows shot, and the firmament looked bright as\nif with myriads of the fireflies. And shifting their bows, the staves of\nwhich were decked with gold, from one hand to another, those heroes began\nto strike each other down, discharging their arrows right and left. And\ncars encountered cars, and foot-soldiers fought with foot-soldiers, and\nhorse-men with horsemen, and elephants with mighty elephants. And they\nfuriously encountered one another with swords and axes, bearded darts and\njavelins, and iron clubs. And although, O king, those mighty-armed\nwarriors furiously assailed one another in that conflict, yet neither\nparty succeeded in prevailing over the other. And severed heads, some\nwith beautiful noses, some with upper lips deeply gashed, some decked\nwith ear-rings, and some divided with wounds about the well-trimmed hair\nwere seen rolling on the ground covered with dust. And soon the field of\nbattle was overspread with the limbs of Kshatriya warriors, cut off by\nmeans of arrows and lying like trunks of Sala trees. And scattered over\nwith heads decked in ear-rings, and sandal-besmeared arms looking like\nthe bodies of snakes, the field of battle became exceedingly beautiful.\nAnd as cars encountered cars, and horsemen encountered horsemen, and\nfoot-soldiers fought with foot-soldiers, and elephants met with\nelephants, the frightful dust soon became drenched with torrents of\nblood. And some amongst the combatants began to swoon away, and the\nwarriors began to fight reckless of consideration of humanity, friendship\nand relationship. And both their course and sight obstructed by the\narrowy shower, vultures began to alight on the ground. But although those\nstrong-armed combatants furiously fought with one another, yet the heroes\nof neither party succeeded in routing their antagonists. And Satanika\nhaving slain a full hundred of the enemy and Visalaksha full four\nhundred, both those mighty warriors penetrated into the heart of the\ngreat Trigarta host. And having entered into the thick of the Trigarta\nhost, those famous and mighty heroes began to deprive their antagonists\nof their senses by causing a closer conflict to set in--a conflict, in\nwhich the combatants seized one another by the hair and tore one another\nwith their nails.[29] And eyeing the point where the cars of the\nTrigartas had been mustered in strong numbers, those heroes at last\ndirected their attack towards it. And that foremost of car-warriors, king\nVirata also, with Suryadatta in his van and Madiraksha in his rear,\nhaving destroyed in that conflict five hundred cars, eight hundred\nhorses, and five warriors on great cars, displayed various skilful\nmanoeuvres on his car on that field of battle. And at last the king came\nupon the ruler of the Trigartas mounted on a golden chariot. And those\nhigh-souled and powerful warriors, desirous of fighting, rushed roaring\nagainst each like two bulls in a cow-pen. Then that bull among men,\nirrepressible in battle, Susarman, the king of the Trigartas, challenged\nMatsya to a single combat on car. Then those warriors excited to fury\nrushed against each other on their cars and began to shower their arrows\nupon each other like clouds pouring torrents of rain.[30] And enraged\nwith each other, those fierce warriors, both skilled in weapons, both\nwielding swords and darts and maces, then moved about (on the field of\nbattle) assailing each other with whetted arrows. Then king Virata\npierced Susarman with ten shafts and each of his four horses also with\nfive shafts. And Susarman also, irresistible in battle and conversant\nwith fatal weapons, pierced king of Matsya with fifty whetted shafts. And\nthen, O mighty monarch, in consequence of the dust on the field of\nbattle, the soldiers of both Susarman and Matsya's king could not\ndistinguish one another.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then, O Bharata, when the world was enveloped in\ndust and the gloom of night, the warriors of both sides, without breaking\nthe order of battle, desisted for a while.[31] And then, dispelling the\ndarkness the moon arose illumining the night and gladdening the hearts of\nthe Kshatriya warriors. And when everything became visible, the battle\nonce more began. And it raged on so furiously that the combatants could\nnot distinguish one another. And then Trigarta's lord, Susarman with his\nyounger brother, and accompanied by all his cars, rushed towards the king\nof Matsya. And descending from their cars, those bulls among Kshatriyas,\nthe (royal) brothers, mace in hand, rushed furiously towards the cars of\nthe foe. And the hostile hosts fiercely assailed each other with maces\nand swords and scimitars, battle-axes and bearded darts with keen edges\nand points of excellent temper. And king Susarman, the lord of the\nTrigartas having by his energy oppressed and defeated the whole army of\nthe Matsyas, impetuously rushed towards Virata himself endued with great\nenergy. And the two brothers having severally slain Virata's two steeds\nand his charioteer, as also those soldiers that protected his rear, took\nhim captive alive, when deprived of his car. Then afflicting him sorely,\nlike a lustful man afflicting a defenceless damsel, Susarman placed\nVirata on his own car, and speedily rushed out of the field. And when the\npowerful Virata, deprived of his car, was taken captive, the Matsyas,\nharrassed solely by the Trigartas, began to flee in fear in all\ndirections. And beholding them panic-stricken, Kunti's son, Yudhishthira,\naddressed that subduer of foes, the mighty-armed Bhima, saying, 'The king\nof the Matsyas hath been taken by the Trigartas. Do thou, O mighty-armed\none, rescue him, so that he may not fall under the power of the enemy. As\nwe have lived happily in Virata's city, having every desire of ours\ngratified, it behoveth thee, O Bhimasena, to discharge that debt (by\nliberating the king).' Thereat Bhimasena replied, 'I will liberate him, O\nking, at thy command. Mark the feat I achieve (today) in battling with\nthe foe, relying solely on the might of my arms. Do thou, O king, stay\naside, along with our brothers and witness my prowess today. Uprooting\nthis mighty tree of huge trunk looking like a mace, I will rout the\nenemy.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Beholding Bhima casting his eyes on that tree\nlike a mad elephant, the heroic king Yudhishthira the just spake unto his\nbrother, saying, 'Do not, O Bhima, commit such a rash act. Let the tree\nstand there. Thou must not achieve such feats in a super-human manner by\nmeans of that tree, for if thou dost, the people, O Bharata, will\nrecognise thee and say, This is Bhima. Take thou, therefore, some human\nweapon such as a bow (and arrows), or a dart, or a sword, or a\nbattle-axe. And taking therefore, O Bhima, some weapon that is human,\nliberate thou the king without giving anybody the means of knowing thee\ntruly. The twins endued with great strength will defend thy wheels.\nFighting together, O child, liberate the king of the Matsyas!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed, the mighty Bhimasena endued\nwith great speed, quickly took up an excellent bow and impetuously shot\nfrom it a shower of arrows, thick as the downpour of a rain-charged\ncloud. And Bhima then rushed furiously towards Susarman of terrible\ndeeds, and assuring Virata with the words--'O good king!'[32] said unto the\nlord of the Trigartas,--'Stay! Stay!' Seeing Bhima like unto Yama himself\nin his rear, saying, 'Stay! Stay! Do thou witness this mighty feat,'--this\ncombat that is at hand!--the bull among warriors, Susarman, seriously\nconsidered (the situation), and taking up his bow turned back, along with\nhis brothers. Within the twinkling of an eye, Bhima destroyed those cars\nthat sought to oppose him. And soon again hundreds of thousands of cars\nand elephants and horses and horsemen and brave and fierce bowmen were\noverthrown by Bhima in the very sight of Virata. And the hostile infantry\nalso began to be slaughtered by the illustrious Bhima, mace in hand. And\nbeholding that terrible onslaught, Susarman, irrepressible in fight,\nthought within himself, 'My brother seems to have already succumbed in\nthe midst of his mighty host. Is my army going to be annihilated?' And\ndrawing his bow-string to his ear Susarman then turned back and began to\nshoot keen-edged shafts incessantly. And seeing the Pandavas return to\nthe charge on their car, the Matsya warriors of mighty host, urging on\ntheir steeds, shot excellent weapons for grinding the Trigarta soldiers.\nAnd Virata's son also, exceedingly exasperated began to perform\nprodigious fears of valour. And Kunti's son Yudhishthira slew a thousand\n(of the foe), and Bhima showed the abode of Yama unto seven thousand. And\nNakula sent seven hundred (to their last account) by means of his shafts.\nAnd powerful Sahadeva also, commanded by Yudhishthira, slew three hundred\nbrave warriors. And having slain such numbers, that fierce and mighty\nwarrior, Yudhishthira, with weapons upraised, rushed against Susarman.\nAnd rushing impetuously at Susarman, that foremost of car-warriors, king\nYudhishthira, assailed him with vollies of shafts. And Susarman also, in\ngreat rage, quickly pierced Yudhishthira with nine arrows, and each of\nhis four steeds with four arrows. Then, O king, Kunti's son Bhima of\nquick movements, approaching Susarman crushed his steeds. And having\nslain also those soldiers that protected his rear, he dragged from the\ncar his antagonist's charioteer to the ground. And seeing the king of\nTrigarta's car without a driver, the defender of his car-wheels, the\nfamous and brave Madiraksha speedily came to his aid. And thereat,\nleaping down from Susarman's car, and securing the latter's mace the\npowerful Virata ran in pursuit of him. And though old, he moved on the\nfield, mace in hand, even like a lusty youth. And beholding Susarman flee\nBhima addressed him, saying, 'Desist, O Prince! This flight of thine is\nnot proper! With this prowess of thine, how couldst thou wish to carry\noff the cattle by force? How also, forsaking thy follower, dost thou\ndroop so amidst foes?' Thus addressed by Pritha's son, the mighty\nSusarman, that lord of countless cars saying unto Bhima, 'Stay!\nStay!'--suddenly turned round and rushed at him. Then Bhima, the son of\nPandu, leaping down from his car, as he alone could do,[33] rushed\nforward with great coolness, desirous of taking Susarman's life. And\ndesirous of seizing Trigarta's king advancing towards him, the mighty\nBhimasena rushed impetuously towards him, even like a lion rushing at a\nsmall deer. And advancing impetuously, the mighty-armed Bhima seized\nSusarman by the hair, and lifting him up in wrath, dashed him down on the\nground. And as he lay crying in agony, the mighty-armed Bhima kicked him\nat the head, and placing his knee on his breast dealt him severe blows.\nAnd sorely afflicted with that kicking, the king of Trigartas became\nsenseless. And when the king of the Trigartas deprived of his car, had\nbeen seized thus, the whole Trigarta army stricken with panic, broke and\nfled in all directions, and the mighty sons of Pandu, endued with modesty\nand observant of vows and relying on the might of their own arms, after\nhaving vanquished Susarman, and rescued the kine as well as other kinds\nof wealth and having thus dispelled Virata's anxiety, stood together\nbefore that monarch. And Bhimasena then said, 'This wretch given to\nwicked deeds doth not deserve to escape me with life. But what can I do?\nThe king is so lenient!' And then taking Susarman by the neck as he was\nlying on the ground insensible and covered with dust, and binding him\nfast, Pritha's son Vrikodara placed him on his car, and went to where\nYudhishthira was staying in the midst of the field. And Bhima then showed\nSusarman unto the monarch. And beholding Susarman in that plight, that\ntiger among men king Yudhishthira smilingly addressed Bhima--that\nornament of battle,--saying, 'Let this worst of men be set free.' Thus\naddressed, Bhima spoke unto the mighty Susarman, saying, 'If, O wretch,\nthou wishest to live, listen to those words of mine. Thou must say in\nevery court and assembly of men,--\"I am a slave.\" On this condition only I\nwill grant thee thy life. Verily, this is the law about the vanquished.'\nThereupon his elder brother affectionately addressed Bhima, saying, 'If\nthou regardest us as an authority, liberate this wicked wight. He hath\nalready become king Virata's slave.' And turning then to Susarman, he\nsaid, 'Thou art freed. Go thou a free man, and never act again in this\nway.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Thus addressed by Yudhishthira Susarman was\noverwhelmed with shame and hung down his head. And liberated (from\nslavery), he went to king Virata, and having saluted the monarch, took\nhis departure. And the Pandavas also replying on the might of their own\narms, and endued with modesty and observant of vows, having slain their\nenemies and liberated Susarman, passed that night happily on the field of\nbattle. And Virata gratified those mighty warriors, the sons of Kunti,\npossessed of super-human prowess with wealth and honour. And Virata said,\n'All these gems of mine are now as much mine as yours. Do ye according to\nyour pleasure live here happily. And ye smiter of foes in battle, I will\nbestow on you damsels decked with ornaments, wealth in plenty, and other\nthings that ye may like. Delivered from perils today by your prowess, I\nam now crowned with victory. Do ye all become the lords of the Matsyas.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"And when the king of the Matsyas had addressed\nthem thus, those descendants of the Kurus with Yudhishthira at their\nhead, joining their hands, severally replied unto him saying, 'We are\nwell-pleased with all that thou sayest, O monarch. We, however, have been\nmuch gratified that thou hast today been freed from thy foes.' Thus\nanswered, that foremost of kings, Virata the lord of the Matsyas, again\naddressed Yudhishthira, saying, 'Come, we will install thee in\nsovereignty of the Matsyas. And we will also bestow on thee things that\nare rare on earth and are objects of desire, for thou deservest\neverything at our hands. O foremost of Brahmanas of the Vaiyaghra order I\nwill bestow on thee gems and kine and gold and rubies and pearls. I bow\nunto thee. It is owing to thee that I once more behold today my sons and\nkingdom. Afflicted and threatened as I had been with disaster and danger,\nit is through thy prowess that I have not succumbed to the foe.' Then\nYudhishthira again addressed the Matsyas, saying, 'Well-pleased are we\nwith the delightful words that thou hast spoken. Mayst thou be ever\nhappy, always practising humanity towards all creatures. Let messengers\nnow, at thy command, speedily repair into the city, in order to\ncommunicate the glad tidings to our friends, and proclaim thy victory.'\nHearing these words of him, king Matsya ordered the messengers, saying,\n'Do ye repair to the city and proclaim my victory in battle. And let\ndamsels and courtesans, decked in ornaments, come out of the city with\nevery kind of musical instruments.' Hearing this command uttered by the\nking of the Matsyas, the men, laying the mandate on their head, all\ndeparted with cheerful hearts. And having repaired to the city that very\nnight, they proclaimed at the hour of sunrise the victory of the king\nabout the city-gates.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"When the king of the Matsyas, anxious of recovering\nthe kine, had set out in pursuit of the Trigartas, Duryodhana with his\ncounsellors invaded the dominions of Virata. And Bhishma and Drona, and\nKarna, and Kripa acquainted with the best of weapons, Aswatthaman, and\nSuvala's son, and Dussasana, O lord of men, and Vivinsati and Vikarna\nand Chitrasena endued with great energy, and Durmukha and Dussaha,--these\nand many other great warriors, coming upon the Matsya dominion speedily\ndrove off the cowherds of king Virata and forcibly took away the kine.\nAnd the Kauravas, surrounding all sides with a multitude of cars, seized\nsixty thousands of kine. And loud was the yell of woe set up by the\ncowherds smitten by those warriors in that terrible conflict. And the\nchief of the cowherds, greatly affrighted speedily mounted on a chariot\nand set out for the city, bewailing in affliction. And entering the city\nof the king, he proceeded to the palace, and speedily alighting from the\nchariot, got in for relating (what had happened). And beholding the proud\nson of Matsya, named Bhuminjaya, he told him everything about the seizure\nof the royal kine. And he said, 'the Kauravas are taking away sixty\nthousand kine. Rise, therefore, O enhancer of the kingdom's glory, for\nbringing back thy cattle. O prince, if thou art desirous of achieving (the\nkingdom's) good set out thyself without loss of time. Indeed, the king of\nthe Matsyas left thee in the empty city. The king (thy father) boasteth\nof thee in court, saying, \"My son, equal unto me, is a hero and is the\nsupporter of (the glory of) my race. My son is a warrior skilled in\narrows and weapons and is always possessed of great courage.\"--Oh, let\nthe words of that lord of men be true! O chief of herd-owners, bring thou\nback the kine after vanquishing the Kurus, and consume thou their troops\nwith the terrific energy of thy arrows. Do thou like a leader of\nelephants rushing at a herd, pierce the ranks of the foe with straight\narrows of golden wings, discharged from thy bow. Thy bow is even like a\nVina. Its two ends represent the ivory pillows; its string, the main\nchord; its staff, the finger-board; and the arrows shot from it musical\nnotes. Do thou strike in the midst of the foe that Vina of musical\nsound.[34] Let thy steeds, O lord, of silvery hue, be yoked unto thy car,\nand let thy standard be hoisted, bearing the emblem of the golden lion.\nLet thy keen-edged arrows endued with wings of gold, shot by thy strong\narms, obstruct the path of those kings and eclipse the very sun.\nVanquishing all the Kurus in battle like unto the wielder of the\nthunderbolt defeating the Asuras, return thou again to the city having\nachieved great renown. Son of Matsya's king, thou art the sole refuge of\nthis kingdom, as that foremost of virtuous warriors, Arjuna is of the\nsons of Pandu. Even like Arjuna of his brothers, thou art, without doubt,\nthe refuge of those dwelling within these dominions. Indeed, we, the\nsubject of this realm, have our protector in thee.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed by the cowherd in the presence\nof the females, in words breathing courage, the prince indulging in\nself-commendation within the female apartments, spoke these words.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVI\n\n\"Uttara said, 'Firm as I am in the use of the bow, I would set out this\nvery day in the track of the kine if only some one skilled in the\nmanagement of horses becomes my charioteer. I do not, however, know the\nman who may be my charioteer. Look ye, therefore, without delay, for a\ncharioteer for me that am prepared for starting. My own charioteer was\nslain in the great battle that was fought from day to day for a whole\nmonth or at least for eight and twenty nights. As soon as I get another\nperson conversant with the management of the steeds, I will immediately\nset out, hoisting high my own standard. Penetrating into the midst of the\nhostile army abounding with elephants and horses and chariots, I will\nbring back the kine, having vanquished the Kurus who are feeble in\nstrength and weak in weapons. Like a second wielder of the thunderbolt\nterrifying the Danavas, I will bring back the kine this very moment,\naffrighting in battle Duryodhana and Bhishma and Karna and Kripa and\nDrona with his son, and other mighty bowmen assembled for fight. Finding\nnone (to oppose), the Kurus are taking away the kine. What can I do when\nI am not there? The assembled Kurus shall witness my prowess today. And\nthey shall say unto one another, \"Is it Arjuna himself who is opposing\nus?\"'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having heard these words spoken by the\nprince, Arjuna fully acquainted with the import of everything, after a\nlittle while cheerfully spake in private unto his dear wife of faultless\nbeauty, Krishna, the princess of Panchala, Drupada's daughter of slender\nmake, sprung from the (sacrificial) fire and endued with the virtues of\ntruthfulness and honesty and ever attentive to the good of her husbands.\nAnd the hero said, 'Do thou, O beauteous one, at my request say unto\nUttara without delay, \"This Vrihannala was formerly the accomplished\nresolute charioteer of Pandu's son (Arjuna). Tried in many a great\nbattle, even he will be thy charioteer.\"'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these words uttered by the prince over\nand over again in the midst of the women, Panchali could not quietly bear\nthose allusions to Vibhatsu. And bashfully stepping out from among the\nwomen, the poor princess of Panchala gently spake unto him these words,\n'The handsome youth, looking like a mighty elephant and known by the name\nof Vrihannala, was formerly the charioteer of Arjuna. A disciple of that\nillustrious warrior, and inferior to none in use of the bow, he was known\nto me while I was living with the Pandavas. It was by him that the reins\nwere held of Arjuna's excellent steeds when Agni consumed the forest of\nKhandava. It was with him as charioteer that Partha conquered all\ncreatures at Khandava-prastha. In fact, there is no charioteer equal unto\nhim.'\n\n\"Uttara said, 'Thou knowest, O Sairindhri, this youth. Thou knowest, what\nthis one of the neuter sex may or may not be, I cannot, however, O\nblessed one, myself request Vrihannala to hold the reins of my horses.'\n\n\"Draupadi said, 'Vrihannala, O hero, will without doubt, obey the words\nof thy younger sister[35]--that damsel of graceful hips. If he consents\nto be thy charioteer, thou wilt, without doubt, return, having vanquished\nthe Kurus and rescued thy kine.'\n\n\"Thus addressed by the Sairindhri, Uttara spake unto his sister, 'Go\nthyself, O thou of faultless beauty, and bring Vrihannala hither.' And\ndespatched by her brother, she hastily repaired to the dancing-hall where\nthat strong-armed son of Pandu was staying in disguise.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Thus despatched by her elder brother, the far-famed\ndaughter of king Matsya, adorned with a golden necklace, ever obedient to\nher brother and possessed of a waist slender as that of the wasp,[36]\nendued with the splendour of Lakshmi herself,[37] decked with the plumes\nof the peacock of slender make and graceful limbs, her hips encircled by\na zone of pearls, her eye-lashes slightly curved, and her form endued\nwith every grace, hastily repaired to the dancing-hall like a flash of\nlightning rushing towards a mass of dark clouds.[38] And the faultless\nand auspicious daughter of Virata, of fine teeth and slender waist, of\nthighs close unto each other and each like the trunk of an elephant, her\nperson embellished with an excellent garland, sought the son of Pritha\nlike a she-elephant seeking her mate. And like unto a precious gem or the\nvery embodiment of prosperity of Indra, of exceeding beauty and large\neyes, that charming and adored and celebrated damsel saluted Arjuna. And\nsaluted by her, Partha asked that maiden of close thighs and golden\ncomplexion, saying 'What brings thee hither, a damsel decked in a\nnecklace of gold? Why art thou in such a hurry, O gazelle-eyed maiden?\nWhy is thy face, O beauteous lady, so cheerless? Tell me all this without\ndelay!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Beholding, O king, his friend, the princess of\nlarge eyes (in that plight), her friend (Arjuna) cheerfully enquired of\nher (in these words) the cause of her arrival there and then. And having\napproached that bull among men, the princess, standing in the midst of\nher female attendants, the displaying proper modesty[39], addressed him,\nsaying, 'The kine of this realm, O Vrihannala, are being driven away by\nthe Kurus, and it is to conquer them that my brother will set out bow in\nhand. Not long ago his own charioteer was slain in battle, and there is\nnone equal unto the one slain that can act as my brother's charioteer.\nAnd unto him striving to obtain a charioteer, Sairindhri,\nO Vrihannala, hath spoken about thy skill in the management of steeds.\nThou wert formerly the favourite charioteer of Arjuna, and it was with\nthee that that bull among the sons of Pandu had alone subjugated the\nwhole earth. Do thou, therefore, O Vrihannala, act as the charioteer of\nmy brother. (By this time) our kine have surely been driven away by the\nKurus to a great distance. Requested by me if thou dost not act up to my\nwords, I who am asking this service of thee out of affection, will give\nup my life!' Thus addressed by this friend of graceful hips, that\noppressor of foes, endued with immeasurable prowess, went into the\nprince's presence. And like unto a she-elephant running after her young\none, the princess possessed of large eyes followed that hero advancing\nwith hasty steps like unto an elephant with rent temples. And beholding\nhim from a distance, the prince himself said, 'With thee as his\ncharioteer, Dhananjaya the son of Kunti had gratified Agni at the\nKhandava forest and subjugated the whole world! The Sairindhri hath\nspoken of thee to me. She knoweth the Pandavas. Do thou, therefore, O\nVrihannala, hold, as thou didst, the reins of my steeds, desirous as I am\nof fighting with the Kurus and rescuing my bovine wealth. Thou wert\nformerly the beloved charioteer of Arjuna and it was with thee that that\nbull among the sons of Pandu had alone subjugated the whole earth!' Thus\naddressed, Vrihannala replied unto the prince, saying, 'What ability have\nI to act as a charioteer in the field of battle? If it is song or dance\nof musical instruments or such other things, I can entertain thee\ntherewith, but where is my skill for becoming a charioteer?'\n\n\"Uttara said, 'O Vrihannala, be thou a singer or a dancer, hold thou (for\nthe present), without loss of time, the reins of my excellent steeds,\nmounting upon my car!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Although that oppressor of foes, the son of\nPandu, was acquainted with everything, yet in the presence of Uttara, he\nbegan to make many mistakes for the sake of fun. And when he sought to\nput the coat of mail on his body by raising it upwards, the large-eyed\nmaidens, beholding it, burst out into a loud laughter. And seeing him\nquite ignorant of putting on armour, Uttara himself equipped Vrihannala\nwith a costly coat of mail. And casing his own person in an excellent\narmour of solar effulgence, and hoisting his standard bearing the figure\nof a lion, the prince caused Vrihannala to become his charioteer. And\nwith Vrihannala to hold his reins, the hero set out, taking with him many\ncostly bows and a large number of beautiful arrows. And his friend,\nUttara and her maidens then said unto Vrihannala, 'Do thou, O Vrihannala,\nbring for our dolls (when thou comest back) various kinds of good and\nfine cloths after vanquishing the Kurus assembled for battle of whom\nBhishma and Drona are foremost!' Thus addressed, Partha the son of Pandu,\nin a voice deep as the roar of the clouds, smilingly said unto that bevy\nof fair maidens, 'If, thus Uttara can vanquish those mighty warriors in\nbattle, I will certainly bring excellent and beautiful cloths.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having said these words, the heroic Arjuna\nurged the steeds towards the Kuru army over which floated innumerable\nflags. Just, however, as they were starting elderly dames and maidens,\nand Brahmanas of rigid vows, beholding Uttara seated on his excellent car\nwith Vrihannala as charioteer and under that great banner hoisted on\nhigh, walked round the car to bless the hero. And the women said, 'Let\nthe victory that Arjuna treading like a bull had achieved of old on the\noccasion of burning the forest of Khandava, be thine, O Vrihannala, when\nthou encounterest the Kurus today with prince Uttara.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having issued forth from the city, the dauntless son\nof Virata addressed his charioteer, saying, 'Proceed whither the Kurus\nare. Defeating the assembled Kurus who have come hither from desire of\nvictory, and quickly rescuing my kine from them, I will return to the\ncapital.' At these words of the prince, the son of Pandu urged those\nexcellent steeds. And endued with the speed of the wind and decked with\nnecklaces of gold, those steeds, urged by that lion among men, seemed to\nfly through the air. And they had not proceeded far when those smiters of\nfoes, Dhananjaya and the son of Matsya, sighted the army of the powerful\nKurus. And proceeding towards the cemetery, they came upon the Kurus and\nbeheld their army arrayed in order of battle.[40] And that large army of\ntheirs looked like the vast sea or a forest of innumerable trees moving\nthrough the sky. And then was seen, O best among the Kurus, the dust\nraised by that moving army which reached the sky and obstructed the sight\nof all creatures. And beholding that mighty host abounding in elephants,\nhorses and chariots, and protected by Karna and Duryodhana and Kripa and\nSantanu's son, and that intelligent and great bowman Drona, with his son\n(Aswatthaman), the son of Virata, agitated with fear and the bristles on\nhis body standing on their ends, thus spake unto Partha, 'I dare not\nfight with the Kurus. See, the bristles on my body have stood on their\nends. I am incapable of battling with this countless host of the Kurus,\nabounding in the heroic warriors, that are extremely fierce and difficult\nof being vanquished even by the celestials. I do not venture to penetrate\ninto the army of the Bharatas consisting of terrible bowmen and abounding\nin horses and elephants and cars and footsoldiers and banners. My mind is\ntoo much perturbed by the very sight of the foe on the field of battle on\nwhich stand Drona and Bhishma, and Kripa, and Karna, and Vivinsati, and\nAswatthaman and Vikarna, and Saumadatti, and Vahlika, and the heroic king\nDuryodhana also--that foremost of car-warriors, and many other splendid\nbowmen, all skilled in battle. My hairs have stood on their ends, and I\nam fainting with fear at the very sight of these smiters, the Kurus\narrayed in order of battle.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"And the low-minded and foolish Uttara out of\nfolly alone, began to bewail (his fate) in the presence of the\nhigh-spirited (Arjuna) disguised (as his charioteer) in these words, 'My\nfather hath gone out to meet the Trigartas taking with him his whole\narmy, leaving me in the empty city. There are no troops to assist me.\nAlone and a mere boy who has not undergone much exercise in arms, I am\nunable to encounter these innumerable warriors and all skilled in\nweapons. Do thou, therefore, O Vrihannala, cease to advance!'\n\n\"Vrihannala said, 'Why dost thou look so pale through fear and enhance\nthe joy of thy foes? As yet thou hast done nothing on the field of battle\nwith the enemy. It was thou that hadst ordered me, saying, Take me\ntowards the Kauravas. I will, therefore, take thee, thither where those\ninnumerable flags are. I will certainly take thee, O mighty-armed one,\ninto the midst of the hostile Kurus, prepared to fight as they are for\nthe kine like hawks for meat. I would do this, even if I regarded them to\nhave come hither for battling for a much higher stake such as the\nsovereignty of the earth. Having, at the time of setting out, talked\nbefore both men and women so highly of thy manliness, why wouldst thou\ndesist from the fight? If thou shouldst return home without recapturing\nthe kine, brave men and even women, when they meet together, will laugh\nat thee (in derision). As regards myself, I cannot return to the city\nwithout having rescued the kine, applauded as I have been so highly by\nthe Sairindhri in respect of my skill in driving cars. It is for those\npraises by the Sairindhri and for those words of thine also (that I have\ncome). Why should I not, therefore, give battle to the Kurus? (As regards\nthyself), be thou still.'\n\n\"Uttara said, 'Let the Kurus rob the Matsyas of all their wealth. Let\nmen and women, O Vrihannala, laugh at me. Let my kine perish, let the\ncity be a desert. Let me stand exposed before my father. Still there is\nno need of battle.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Saying this, that much affrighted prince decked\nin ear-ring jumped down from his car, and throwing down his bow and\narrows began to flee, sacrificing honour and pride. Vrihannala, however,\nexclaimed, 'This is not the practice of the brave, this flight of a\nKshatriya from the field of battle. Even death in battle is better than\nflight from fear.' Having said this, Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, coming\ndown from that excellent car ran after that prince thus running away, his\nown long braid and pure red garments fluttering in the air. And some\nsoldiers, not knowing that it was Arjuna who was thus running with his\nbraid fluttering in the air, burst out into laughter at the sight. And\nbeholding him thus running, the Kurus began to argue, 'Who is this\nperson, thus disguised like fire concealed in ashes? He is partly a man\nand partly a woman. Although bearing a neuter form, he yet resembleth\nArjuna. His are the same head and neck, and his the same arms like unto a\ncouple of maces. And this one's gait also is like unto his. He can be\nnone else than Dhananjaya. As Indra is among the celestials, so\nDhananjaya is among men. Who else in this world than Dhananjaya, would\nalone come against us? Virata left a single son of his in the empty city.\nHe hath come out from childishness and not from true heroism. It is\nUttara who must have come out of the city, having, without doubt, made as\na charioteer Arjuna, the son of Pritha, now living in disguise. It seems\nthat he is now flying away in panic at sight of our army. And without\ndoubt Dhananjaya runneth after him to bring him back.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Beholding the disguised son of Pandu, the\nKauravas, O Bharata, began to indulge in these surmises, but they could\nnot come to any definite conclusion. Meanwhile, Dhananjaya, hastily\npursuing the retreating Uttara, seized him by the hair within a hundred\nsteps. And seized by Arjuna, the son of Virata began to lament most\nwoefully like one in great affliction, and said, 'Listen, O good\nVrihannala, O thou of handsome waist. Turn thou quickly the course of the\ncar. He that liveth meeteth with prosperity. I will give thee a hundred\ncoins of pure gold and eight lapis lazuli of great brightness set with\ngold, and one chariot furnished with a golden flag-staff and drawn by\nexcellent steeds, and also ten elephants of infuriate prowess. Do thou, O\nVrihannala, set me free.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed, that tiger among men laughingly\ndragged Uttara who was almost deprived of his senses and who was uttering\nthese words of lamentation towards the car. And the son of Pritha then\naddressed the affrighted prince who had nearly lost his senses, saying,\n'If, O chastiser of foes, thou dost not venture to fight with enemy, come\nthou and hold the reins of the steeds as I fight with the foe. Protected\nby the might of my arms, penetrate thou yon formidable and invincible\narray of cars guarded by heroic and mighty warriors. Fear not, O\nchastiser of foes, thou art a Kshatriya and the foremost of royal\nprinces. Why dost thou, O tiger among men, succumb in the midst of the\nfoe? I shall surely fight with the Kurus and recover the kine,\npenetrating into this formidable and inaccessible array of cars. Be thou\nmy charioteer, O best of men, I will fight with the Kurus.' Thus speaking\nunto Uttara, the son of Virata, Vibhatsu, heretofore unconquered in\nbattle, for a while comforted him. And then the son of Pritha, that\nforemost of smiters, raised on the car that fainting and reluctant prince\nstricken with fear!\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Beholding that bull among men seated on the car in\nthe habit of a person of the third sex, driving toward the Sami tree,\nhaving taken (the flying) Uttara up, all the great car-warriors of the\nKurus with Bhishma and Drona at their head, became affrighted at heart,\nsuspecting the comer to be Dhananjaya. And seeing them so dispirited and\nmarking also the many wonderful portents, that foremost of all wielders\nof arms, the preceptor Drona, son of Bharadwaja, said, 'Violent and hot\nare the winds that below, showering gravels in profusion. The sky also is\novercast with a gloom of ashy hue. The clouds present the strange sight\nof being dry and waterless. Our weapons also of various kinds are coming\nout of their cases. The jackals are yelling hideously affrighted at the\nconflagrations on all sides.[41] The horses too are shedding tears, and\nour banners are trembling though moved by none. Such being the\ninauspicious indications seen, a great danger is at hand. Stay ye with\nvigilance. Protect ye your own selves and array the troops in order of\nbattle. Stand ye, expecting a terrible slaughter, and guard ye well the\nkine. This mighty bowman, this foremost of all wielders of weapons, this\nhero that hath come in the habit of a person of the third sex, is the son\nof Pritha. There is no doubt of this.' Then addressing Bhishma, the\npreceptor continued, 'O offspring of the Ganges, apparelled as a woman,\nthis is Kiriti called after a tree, the son of the enemy of the\nmountains, and having on his banner the sign of devastator of the gardens\nof Lanka's lord. Vanquishing us he will surely take away the kine today!\n[42] This chastiser of foes is the valiant son of Pritha surnamed\nSavyasachin. He doth not desist from conflict even with the gods and\ndemons combined. Put to great hardship in the forest he cometh in wrath.\nTaught by even Indra himself, he is like unto Indra in battle. Therefore,\nye Kauravas, I do not see any hero who can withstand him. It is said that\nthe lord Mahadeva himself, disguised in the attire of a hunter, was\ngratified by this son of Pritha in battle on the mountains of Himavat.'\nHearing these words, Karna said, 'You always censure us by speaking on\nthe virtues of Falguna. Arjuna, however, is not equal to even a full\nsixteenth part of myself or Duryodhana!' And Duryodhana said, 'If this be\nPartha, O Radheya, then my purpose hath already been fulfilled, for then,\nO king, if traced out, the Pandavas shall have to wander for twelve years\nagain. Or, if this one be any other person in a eunuch's garb, I will\nsoon prostrate him on the earth with keen-edged arrows.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"The son of Dhritarashtra, O chastiser of foes,\nhaving said this, Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Drona's son all\napplauded his manliness!\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XL\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having reached that Sami tree, and having\nascertained Virata's son to be exceedingly delicate and inexperienced in\nbattle, Partha addressed him, saying, 'Enjoined by me, O Uttara, quickly\ntake down (from this tree) some bows that are there. For these bows of\nthine are unable to bear my strength, my heavy weight when I shall grind\ndown horses and elephants, and the stretch of my arms when I seek to\nvanquish the foe. Therefore, O Bhuminjaya, climb thou up this tree of\nthick foliage, for in this tree are tied the bows and arrows and banners\nand excellent coats of mail of the heroic sons of Pandu, viz.,\nYudhishthira and Bhima and Vibhatsu and the twins. There also is that bow\nof great energy, the Gandiva of Arjuna, which singly is equal to many\nthousands of other bows and which is capable of extending the limits of a\nkingdom. Large like a palmyra tree, able to bear the greatest stress, the\nlargest of all weapons, capable of obstructing the foe, handsome, and\nsmooth, and broad, without a knot, and adorned with gold, it is stiff and\nbeautiful in make and beareth the heaviest weight. And the other bows\nalso that are there, of Yudhishthira and Bhima and Vibhatsu and the\ntwins, are equally mighty and tough.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLI\n\n\"Uttara said, 'It hath been heard by us that a corpse is tied in this\ntree. How can I, therefore, being a prince by birth, touch it with my\nhands? Born in the Kshatriya order, and the son of a great king, and\nalways observant of mantras and vows, it is not becoming of me to touch\nit. Why shouldst thou, O Vrihannala, make me a polluted and unclean\nbearer of corpses, by compelling me to come in contact with a corpse?'\n\n\"Vrihannala said, 'Thou shalt, O king of kings, remain clean and\nunpolluted. Do not fear, there are only bows in this tree and not\ncorpses. Heir to the king of the Matsyas, and born in a noble family, why\nshould I, O prince, make thee do such a reproachable deed?'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Thus addressed by Partha, Virata's son, decked in\near-rings, alighted from the car, and climbed up that Sami tree\nreluctantly. And staying on the car, Dhananjaya, that slayer of enemies,\nsaid, unto him, 'Speedily bring thou down those bows from the top of the\ntree.' And cutting off their wrappings first and then the ropes with which\nthey were tied, the prince beheld the Gandiva there along with four other\nbows. And as they were untied, the splendour of those bows radiant as the\nsun, began to shine with great effulgence like unto that of the planets\nabout the time of their rising. And beholding the forms of those bows, so\nlike unto sighing snakes, he become afflicted with fear and in a moment\nthe bristles of his body stood on their ends. And touching those large\nbows of great splendour, Virata's son, O king, thus spake unto Arjuna!\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLII\n\n\"Uttara said, 'To what warrior of fame doth this excellent bow belong, on\nwhich are a hundred golden bosses and which hath such radiant ends? Whose\nis this excellent bow of good sides and easy hold, on the staff of which\nshine golden elephants of such brightness? Whose is this excellent bow,\nadorned with three scores of Indragopakas [43] of pure gold, placed on\nthe back of the staff at proper intervals? Whose is this excellent bow,\nfurnished with three golden suns of great effulgence, blazing forth with\nsuch brilliancy? Whose is this beautiful bow which is variegated with\ngold and gems, and on which are golden insects set with beautiful stones?\nWhose are these arrows furnished with wing around, numbering a thousand,\nhaving golden heads, and cased in golden quivers? Who owneth these large\nshafts, so thick, furnished with vulturine wings whetted on stone,\nyellowish in hue, sharp-pointed, well-tempered, and entirely made of\niron? Whose is this sable quiver, [44] bearing five images of tigers,\nwhich holdeth shafts intermixed with boar-eared arrows altogether\nnumbering ten? Whose are these seven hundred arrows, long and thick,\ncapable of drinking (the enemy's) blood, and looking like the\ncrescent-shaped moon? [45] Whose are these gold-crested arrows whetted on\nstones, the lower halves of which are well-furnished with wings of the\nhue of parrots' feather and the upper halves, of well-tempered steels?\n[46] Whose is this excellent sword irresistible, and terrible to\nadversaries, with the mark of a toad on it, and pointed like a toad's\nhead? [47] Cased in variegated sheath of tiger-skin, whose is this large\nsword of excellent blade and variegated with gold and furnished with\ntinkling bells? Whose is this handsome scimitar of polished blade and\ngolden hilt? Manufactured in the country of the Nishadas, irresistible,\nincapable of being broken, whose is this sword of polished blade in a\nscabbard of cow-skin? Whose is this beautiful and long sword, sable in\nhue as the sky, mounted with gold, well-tempered, and cased in a sheath\nof goat-skin? Who owneth this heavy, well-tempered, and broad sword, just\nlonger than the breadth of thirty fingers, polished by constant clash\nwith other's weapons and kept in a case of gold, bright as fire? Whose is\nthis beautiful scimitar of sable blade covered with golden bosses,\ncapable of cutting through the bodies of adversaries, whose touch is as\nfatal as that of a venomous snake which is irresistible and exciteth the\nterror of foes? Asked by me, O Vrihannala, do thou answer me truly. Great\nis my wonder at the sight of all these excellent objects.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIII\n\n\"Vrihannala said, 'That about which thou hath first enquired is Arjuna's\nbow, of world-wide fame, called Gandiva, capable of devastating hostile\nhosts. Embellished with gold, this Gandiva, the highest and largest of\nall weapons belonged to Arjuna. Alone equal unto a hundred thousand\nweapons, and always capable of extending the confines of kingdoms, it is\nwith this that Partha vanquisheth in battle both men and celestials.\nWorshipped ever by the gods, the Danavas and the Gandharvas and\nvariegated with excellent colours, this large and smooth bow is without a\nknot or stain anywhere. Shiva held it first for a thousand years.\nAfterwards Prajapati held it for five hundred and three years. After that\nSakra, for five and eighty years. And then Soma held it for five hundred\nyears. And after that Varuna held it for a hundred years. And finally\nPartha, surnamed Swetavahana,[48] hath held it for five and sixty\nyears.[49] Endued with great energy and of high celestial origin, this is\nthe best of all bows. Adored among gods and men, it hath a handsome form.\nPartha obtained this beautiful bow from Varuna. This other bow of\nhandsome sides and golden handle is Bhima's with which that son of\nPritha, that chastiser of foes, had conquered the whole of the eastern\nregions. This other excellent bow of beautiful shape, adorned with images\nof Indragopakas, belongeth, O Virata's son, to king Yudhishthira. This\nother weapon with golden suns of blazing splendour shedding a dazzling\neffulgence around, belongeth to Nakula. And this bow adorned with golden\nimages of insects and set also with gems and stones, belongeth to that\nson of Madri who is called Sahadeva. These winged arrows, thousand in\nnumber, sharp as razors and destructive as the poison of snakes, belong,\nO Virata's son, to Arjuna. When shooting them in battle against foes,\nthese swift arrows blaze forth more brilliantly and become inexhaustible.\nAnd these long and thick shafts resembling the lunar crescent in shape,\nkeen-edged and capable of thinning the enemy's ranks, belong to Bhima.\nAnd this quiver bearing five images of tigers, full of yellowish shafts\nwhetted on stone and furnished with golden wings belong to Nakula. This\nis the quiver of the intelligent son of Madri, with which he had\nconquered in battle the whole of the western regions. And these arrows,\nall effulgent as the sun, painted all over with various colours, and\ncapable of destroying enemies by thousands are those of Sahadeva. And\nthese short and well-tempered and thick shafts, furnished with long\nfeathers and golden heads, and consisting of three knots, belong to king\nYudhishthira. And this sword with blade long and carved with the image of\na toad and head shaped as a toad's mouth, strong and irresistible\nbelongeth to Arjuna. Cased in a sheath of tiger-skin, of long blade,\nhandsome and irresistible, and terrible to adversaries, this sword\nbelongeth to Bhimasena. Of excellent blade and cased in a well-painted\nsheath, and furnished with a golden hilt, this handsome sword belongeth\nto the wise Kaurava--Yudhishthira the just. And this sword of strong\nblade, irresistible and intended for various excellent modes of fight and\ncased in a sheath of goat-skin, belongeth to Nakula. And this huge\nscimitar, cased in a sheath of cow-skin, strong and irresistible\nbelongeth to Sahadeva.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIV\n\n\"Uttara said, 'Indeed, these weapons adorned with gold, belonging to the\nlight-handed and high-souled Partha, look exceedingly beautiful. But\nwhere are that Arjuna, the son of Pritha, and Yudhishthira of the Kuru\nrace, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Bhimasena, the sons of Pandu? Having\nlost their kingdom at dice, the high-souled Pandavas, capable of\ndestroying all foes, are no longer heard of. Where also is Draupadi, the\nprincess of Panchala, famed as the gem among women, who followed the sons\nof Pandu after their defeat at dice to the forest?'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'I am Arjuna, called also Partha. Thy father's courtier is\nYudhishthira and thy father's cook Vallava is Bhimasena, the groom of\nhorses is Nakula, and Sahadeva is in the cow-pen. And know thou that the\nSairindhri is Draupadi, for whose sake the Kichakas have been slain.'\n\n\"Uttara said, 'I would believe all this if thou canst enumerate the ten\nnames of Partha, previously heard by me!'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'I will, O son of Virata, tell thee my ten names. Listen\nthou and compare them with what thou hadst heard before. Listen to them\nwith close attention and concentrated mind. They are Arjuna, Falguna,\nJishnu, Kiritin, Swetavahana, Vibhatsu, Vijaya, Krishna, Savyasachin and\nDhananjaya.'\n\n\"Uttara said, 'Tell me truly why art thou called Vijaya, and why\nSwetavahana. Why art thou named Krishna and why Arjuna and Falguna and\nJishnu and Kiritin and Vibhatsu, and for what art thou Dhananjaya and\nSavyasachin? I have heard before about the origin of the several names of\nthat hero, and can put faith in thy words if thou canst tell me all about\nthem.'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'They called me Dhananjaya because I lived in the midst of\nwealth, having subjugated all the countries and taking away their\ntreasures. They called me Vijaya because when I go out to battle with\ninvincible kings, I never return (from the field) without vanquishing\nthem. I am called Swetavahana because when battling with the foe, white\nhorses decked in golden armour are always yoked unto my car. They call me\nFalguna because I was born on the breast of the Himavat on a day when the\nconstellation Uttara Falguna was on the ascendent. I am named Kiritin\nfrom a diadem, resplendent like the sun, having been placed of old on my\nhead by Indra during my encounter with the powerful Danavas. I am known\nas Vibhatsu among gods and men, for my never having committed a\ndetestable deed on the battle-field. And since both of my hands are\ncapable of drawing the Gandiva, I am known as Savyasachin among gods and\nmen. They call me Arjuna because my complexion is very rare within the\nfour boundaries of the earth and because also my acts are always\nstainless. I am known among human beings and celestials by the name of\nJishnu, because I am unapproachable and incapable of being kept down, and\na tamer of adversaries and son of the slayer of Paka. And Krishna, my\ntenth appellation, was given to me by my father out of affection towards\nhis black-skinned boy of great purity.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"The son of Virata then, approaching nearer\nsaluted Partha and said, 'My name is Bhuminjaya, and I am also called\nUttara. It is by good luck, O Partha, that I behold thee. Thou art\nwelcome, O Dhananjaya. O thou with red eyes, and arms that are mighty and\neach like unto the trunk of an elephant, it behoveth thee to pardon what\nI said unto thee from ignorance. And as wonderful and difficult have been\nthe feats achieved by thee before, my fears have been dispelled, and\nindeed the love I bear to thee is great.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLV\n\n\"Uttara said, 'O hero, mounting on this large car with myself as driver,\nwhich division of the (hostile) army wouldst thou penetrate? Commanded by\nthee, I would drive thee thither.'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'I am pleased with thee, O tiger among men. Thou hast no\ncause of fear. I will rout all thy foes in battle, O great warrior. And,\nO thou of mighty arms, be at thy ease. Accomplishing great and terrible\nfeats in the melee, I will fight with thy foes. Tie quickly all those\nquivers to my car, and take (from among those) a sword of polished blade\nand adorned with gold.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these words of Arjuna, Uttara cast off\nall inactivity. And he speedily alighted from the tree, bringing with him\nArjuna's weapons. Then Arjuna addressed him, saying, 'Yes, I will fight\nwith the Kurus and recover thy kine. Protected by me, the top of this car\nwill be to thee as a citadel. The passages and alleys and other divisions\nof this car will be the streets and edifices of that fortified city.\nThese my arms will be its ramparts and gateways. This treble pole and my\nquiver will constitute defensive works inaccessible to the foe. This my\nbanner--single and grand--will it not alone be equal unto those of thy\ncity? This my bow-string will constitute the catapults and cannons for\nvomiting forth missiles on the besieging host. My excited wrath will\nmake that fortress formidable, and the clatter of my car-wheels--will it\nnot resemble the kettle-drums of thy capital? Ridden by myself wielding\nthe Gandiva, this car will be incapable of being vanquished by the\nhostile host, O son of Virata, let thy fear be dispelled.'\n\n\"Uttara said, 'I am no longer afraid of these. I know thy steadiness in\nbattle, which is even like unto that of Kesava or Indra himself. But\nreflecting on this, I am continually bewildered. Foolish as I am, I am\nincapable of arriving at certain conclusion. By what distressful\ncircumstances could a person of such handsome limbs and auspicious signs\nbecome deprived of manhood! Indeed, thou seemest to me to be Mahadeva, or\nIndra, or the chief of the Gandharvas, dwelling in the guise only of one\nof the third sex.'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'I tell thee truly that I am only observing this vow for a\nwhole year agreeable to the behest of my elder brother. O thou of mighty\narms, I am not truly one of the neuter sex, but I have adopted this vow\nof eunuchism from subservience to another's will and from desire of\nreligious merit. O prince, know me now to have completed my vow.'\n\n\"Uttara said, 'Thou hast conferred a great favour on me today, for I now\nfind that my suspicion was not altogether unfounded. Indeed, such a\nperson as thou, O best of men, cannot be of the neuter sex. I have now an\nally in battle. I can now fight with the celestials themselves. My fears\nhave been dispelled. What shall I do? Command me now. Trained in driving\ncars by a learned preceptor I will, O bull among men, hold the reins of\nthy horses that are capable of breaking the ranks of hostile cars. Know\nme, O bull among men, to be as competent a charioteer as Daruka of\nVasudeva, or Matali of Sakra. The horse that is yoked unto the right-hand\npole (of thy car) and whose hoofs as they light on the ground are\nscarcely visible when running, is like unto Sugriva of Krishna. This\nother handsome horse, the foremost of his race, that is yoked unto the\nleft pole, is, I regard, equal in speed to Meghapushpa. This (third)\nbeautiful horse, clad in golden mail, yoked unto the rear-pole on the\nleft, is, I regard, Sivya equal in speed to but superior in strength. And\nthis (fourth) horse, yoked to the rear-pole on the right, is regarded as\nsuperior to Valahaka in speed and strength. This car is worthy of bearing\non the field of battle a bowman like thee, and thou also art worthy of\nfighting on this car. This is what I think!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then Arjuna, endued with great energy, took off\nthe bracelets from his arms and wore on his hands a pair of beautiful\ngloves embroidered with gold. And he then tied his black and curling\nlocks with a piece of white cloth. And seated on that excellent car with\nface turned to the east, the mighty-armed hero, purifying his body and\nconcentrating his soul, recalled to his mind all his weapons. And all the\nweapons came, and addressing the royal son of Partha, said, 'We are here,\nO illustrious one. We are thy servants, O son of Indra.' And bowing unto\nthem, Partha received them unto his hands and replied unto them, saying,\n'Dwell ye all in my memory.' And obtaining all his weapons, the hero\nlooked cheerful. And quickly stringing his bow, the Gandiva, he twanged\nit. And the twang of that bow was as loud as the collision of two mighty\nbulls. And dreadful was the sound that filled the earth, and violent was\nthe wind that blew on all sides. And thick was the shower of fallen\nmeteors [50] and all sides were enveloped in gloom. And the birds began\nto totter in the skies and large trees began to shake. [51] And loud as\nthe burst of the thunder, the Kurus knew from that sound that it was\nArjuna that drew with his hands the string of his best of bows from his\ncar. And Uttara said, 'Thou, O best of Pandavas, art alone. These mighty\ncar-warriors are many. How wilt thou vanquish in battle all these that\nare skilled in every kind of weapon? Thou, O son of Kunti, art without a\nfollower, while the Kauravas have many. It is for this, O thou of mighty\narms, that I stay beside thee, stricken with fear.' Bursting out into\nloud laughter, Partha said unto him, 'Be not afraid, O hero, what\nfriendly follower had I while fighting with the mighty Gandharvas on the\noccasion of the Ghoshayatra? Who was my ally while engaged in the\nterrific conflict at Khandava against so many celestials and Danavas? Who\nwas my ally when I fought, on behalf of the lord of the celestials\nagainst the mighty Nivatakavachas and the Paulomas! And who was my ally,\nO child, while I encountered in battle innumerable kings at the\nSwayamvara to the princess of Panchala? Trained in arms by the preceptor\nDrona, by Sakra, and Vaisravana, and Yama, and Varuna, and Agni, and\nKripa, and Krishna of Madhu's race, and by the wielder of the Pinaka\n(Siva), why shall I not fight with these? Drive thou my car speedily, and\nlet thy heart's fever be dispelled.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Making Uttara his charioteer, and circumambulating\nthe Sami tree, the son of Pandu set out taking all his weapons with him.\nAnd that mighty car-warrior set out with Uttara as the driver of his car,\nhaving taken down that banner with the lion's figure and deposited it at\nthe foot of the Sami tree. And he hoisted on that car his own golden\nbanner bearing the figure of an ape with a lion's tail, which was a\ncelestial illusion contrived by Viswakarman himself. For, as soon,\nindeed, as he had thought of that gift of Agni, than the latter, knowing\nhis wish, ordered those superhuman creatures (that usually sat there) to\ntake their place in that banner. And furnished with a beautiful flag of\nhandsome make, with quivers attached to it, and adored with gold, that\nexcellent flag-staff of celestial beauty than quickly fell from the\nfirmament on his car. [52] And beholding that banner arrived on his car,\nthe hero circumambulated it (respectively). And then the ape-bannered\nVibhatsu, the son of Kunti, called also Swetavahana, with fingers cased\nin leathern fences of the Iguana skin, and taking up his bow and arrows\nset out in a northernly direction. And that grinder of foes, possessed of\ngreat strength, then forcibly blew his large conch-shell, of thundering\nsound, capable of making the bristles of foes to stand on their ends. And\nat the sound of that conch, those steeds endued with swiftness dropped\ndown on the ground on their knees. And Uttara also, greatly affrighted,\nsat down on the car. And thereupon the son of Kunti took the reins\nhimself and raising the steeds, placed them in their proper positions.\nAnd embracing Uttara, he encouraged him also, saying, 'Fear not, O\nforemost of princes, thou art, O chastiser of foes, a Kshatriya by birth.\nWhy, O tiger among men, dost thou become so dispirited in the midst of\nfoes? Thou must have heard before the blare of many conchs and the note\nof many trumpets, and the roar also of many elephants in the midst of\nranks arrayed for battle. Why art thou, therefore, so dispirited and\nagitated and terrified by the blare of this conch, as if thou wert an\nordinary person?'\n\n\"Uttara said, 'Heard have I the blare of many a conch and many a trumpet\nand the roar of many an elephant stationed in the battle-array, but never\nhave I heard before the blare of such conch. Nor have I ever seen a\nbanner like this. Never before have I heard also the twang of a bow such\nas this. Truly, sir, with the blare of this conch, the twang of this bow,\nthe superhuman cries of the creatures stationed on this banner, and the\nbattle of this car, my mind is greatly bewildered. My perception of the\ndirections also is confused, and my heart is painfully afflicted. The\nwhole firmament seemeth to me to have been covered by this banner, and\neverything seemeth to be hidden from my view! My ears also have been\ndeafened by the twang of the Gandiva!'[53]\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'Firmly stand thou on the car, pressing thy feet on it, and\ntightly catch hold of the bridles, for I will blow the conch again.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Arjuna then blew his conch again, that conch which\nfilled foes with grief and enhanced the joy of friends. And the sound was\nso loud that it seemed to split hills and mountains, and pierce\nmountain-caves and the cardinal points. And Uttara once again sat down on\nthe car, clinging to it in fear. And with the blare of the conch and the\nrattle of the car-wheels, and the twang of the Gandiva, the earth itself\nseemed to tremble. And beholding Uttara's fight, Dhananjaya began to\ncomfort him again.\n\n\"Meanwhile, Drona said, 'From the rattle of the car, and from the manner\nin which the clouds have enveloped the sky and the earth itself trembles,\nthis warrior can be none else than Savyasachin. Our weapons do not shine,\nour steeds are dispirited, and our fires, though fed with fuel, do not\nblare up. All this is ominous. All our animals are setting up a frightful\nhowl, gazing towards the sun. The crows are perching on our banners. All\nthis is ominous. Yon vultures and kites on our right portend a great\ndanger. That jackal also, running through our ranks, waileth dismally.\nLo, it hath escaped unstruck. All this portends a heavy calamity. The\nbristles also of ye all are on their ends. Surely, this forebodes a great\ndestruction of Kshatriyas in battle. Things endued with light are all\npale; beasts and birds look fierce; and there are to be witnessed many\nterrific portents indicative of the destruction of Kshatriyas. And these\nomens forebode great havoc among ourselves. O king, thy ranks seem to be\nconfounded by these blazing meteors, and thy animals look dispirited and\nseem to be weeping. Vultures and kites are wheeling all around thy\ntroops. Thou shalt have to repent upon beholding thy army afflicted by\nPartha's arrows. Indeed, our ranks seem to have been already vanquished,\nfor none is eager to go to fight. All our warriors are of pale face, and\nalmost deprived of their senses. Sending the kine ahead we should stand\nhere, ready to strike, with all our warriors arrayed in order of battle.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"King Duryodhana then, on the field of battle said\nunto Bhishma, and unto Drona--that tiger among warriors, and unto\nKripa--that mighty car-warrior, these words, 'Both myself and Karna had\nsaid this unto the preceptors.[54] I refer to the subject again, for I am\nnot satisfied with having said it once. Even this was the pledge of the\nsons of Pandu that if defeated (at dice) they would reside to our\nknowledge in countries and woods for twelve years, and one more year\nunknown to us. That thirteenth year, instead of being over, is yet\nrunning. Vibhatsu, therefore, who is still to live undiscovered hath\nappeared before us. And if Vibhatsu hath come before the term of exile is\nat end, the Pandavas shall have to pass another twelve years in the\nwoods. Whether it is due to forgetfulness (on their part) induced by\ndesire of dominion, or whether it is a mistake of ours, it behoveth\nBhishma to calculate the shortness or excess (of the promised period).\nWhen an object of desire may or may not be attained, a doubt necessarily\nattaches to one of the alternatives, and what is decided in one way often\nends differently. [55] Even moralists are puzzled in judging of their own\nacts. [56] As regards ourselves, we have come hither to fight with the\nMatsyas and to seize their kine stationed towards the north. If,\nmeanwhile, it is Arjuna that hath come, what fault can attach to us? We\nhave come hither to fight against the Matsyas on behalf of the Trigartas;\nand as numerous were the acts represented unto us of the oppressions\ncommitted by the Matsyas, it was for this that we promised aid to the\nTrigartas who were overcome with fear. And it was agreed between us that\nthey should first seize, on the afternoon of the seventh lunar day, the\nenormous wealth of kine that the Matsyas have, and that we should, at\nsunrise of the eighteen day of the moon, seize these kine when the king\nof the Matsyas would be pursuing those first seized. It may be that the\nTrigartas are now bringing away the kine, or being defeated, are coming\ntowards us for negotiating with the king of the Matsyas. Or, it may be,\nthat having driven the Trigartas off, the king of the Matsyas, at the\nhead of this people and his whole army of fierce warriors, appeareth on\nthe scene and advanceth to make night-attacks upon us. It may be that\nsome one leader among them, endued with mighty energy, is advancing for\nvanquishing us, or, it may be that the king himself of the Matsyas is\ncome. But be it the king of the Matsyas or Vibhatsu, we must all fight\nhim. Even this hath been our pledge. Why are all these of foremost\ncar-warriors,--Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Vikarna and Drona's\nson,--now sitting on their cars, panic-stricken? At present there is\nnothing better than fighting. Therefore, make up your minds. If, for the\ncattle we have seized, an encounter takes place with the divine wielder\nhimself of the thunderbolt or even with Yama, who is there that will be\nliable to reach Hastinapura? Pierced by the shafts (of the foe), how will\nthe foot-soldiers, in flying through the deep forest with their backs on\nthe field, escape with life, when escape for the cavalry is doubtful?'\nHearing these words of Duryodhana, Karna said, 'Disregarding the\npreceptor, make all arrangements. He knoweth well the intentions of the\nPandavas and striketh terror in our hearts. I see that his affection for\nArjuna is very great. Seeing him only coming, he chanteth his praises.\nMake ye such arrangements that our troops may not break. Everything is in\nconfusion for Drona's having only heard the neigh of (Arjuna's) steeds.\nMake ye such arrangements that these troops, come to a distant land in\nthis hot season and in the midst of this mighty forest, may not fall into\nconfusion and be subjugated by the foe. The Pandavas are always the\nspecial favourites of the preceptor. The selfish Pandavas have stationed\nDrona amongst us. Indeed, he betrayeth himself by his speech. Who would\never extol a person upon hearing the neigh only of his steeds? Horses\nalways neigh, whether walking or standing, the winds blow at all times;\nand Indra also always showereth rain. The roar of the clouds may\nfrequently be heard. What hath Partha to do with these, and why is he to\nbe praised for these? All this (on Drona's part), therefore, is due only\nto either the desire of doing good to Arjuna or to his wrath and hatred\ntowards us. Preceptors are wise, and sinless, and very kind to all\ncreatures. They, however, should never be consulted at times of peril. It\nis in luxurious palaces, and assemblies and pleasure-gardens, that\nlearned men, capable of making speeches, seem to be in their place.\nPerforming many wonderful things, in the assembly, it is there that\nlearned men find their place, or even there where sacrificial utensils\nand their proper placing and washing are needed. In a knowledge of the\nlapses of others, in studying the characters of men, in the science of\nhorses and elephants and cars, in treating the diseases of asses and\ncamels and goats and sheeps and kine, in planning buildings and gateways,\nand in pointing out the defects of food and drink, the learned are truly\nin their own sphere. Disregarding learned men that extol the heroism of\nthe foe, make ye such arrangements that the foe may be destroyed. Placing\nthe kine securely, array the troops in order of battle. Place guards in\nproper places so that we may fight the foe.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVIII\n\n\"Karna said, 'I behold all these blessed ones, looking as if alarmed and\npanic-struck and unresolved and unwilling to fight. If he that is come is\nthe king of the Matsyas or Vibhatsu, even I will resist him as the banks\nresist the swelling sea. Shot from my bow these straight and flying\narrows, like gliding snakes, are all sure of aim. Discharged by my light\nhands, these keen-edged arrows furnished with golden wings shall cover\nPartha all over, like locusts shrouding a tree. Strongly pressed by these\nwinged arrows, the bow-string will cause these my leathern fences to\nproduce sounds that will be heard to resemble those of a couple of\nkettle-drums. Having been engaged in ascetic austerities for the (last)\neight and five years, Vibhatsu will strike me but mildly in this\nconflict, and the son of Kunti having become a Brahmana endued with good\nqualities, hath thus become a fit person to quietly receive shafts by\nthousands shot by me. This mighty bowman is indeed, celebrated over the\nthree worlds. I, too, am, by no means, inferior to Arjuna, that foremost\nof human beings. With golden arrows furnished with vulturine wings shot\non all sides, let the firmament seem today to swarm with fire-flies.\nSlaying Arjuna in battle, I will discharge today that debt, difficult of\nrepayments, but promised of old by me unto Dhritarashtra's son. When man\nis there, even amongst all the gods and the Asuras, that will endure to\nstand in the teeth of the straight arrows shot from my bow? Let my flying\narrows, winged and depressed at the middle, present the spectacle of the\ncoursing of the fire-flies through the welkin. Hard though he be as\nIndra's thunderbolt and possessed of the energy of the chief of the\ncelestials, I will surely grind Partha, even as one afflicts an elephant\nby means of burning brands. A heroic and mighty car-warrior as he is, and\nthe foremost of all wielders of weapons I shall seize the unresisting\nPartha, even like Garuda seizing a snake. Irresistible like fire, and fed\nby the fuel of swords, darts, and arrows, the blazing Pandava-fire that\nconsumeth foes, will be extinguished even by myself who am like unto a\nmighty cloud incessantly dropping an arrowy shower,--the multitude of\ncars (I will lead) constituting its thunder, and the speed of my horses,\nthe wind in advance. Discharged from my bow, my arrows like venomous\nsnakes will pierce Partha's body, like serpent penetrating through an\nant-hill. Pierced with well-tempered and straight shafts endued with\ngolden wings and great energy, behold ye today the son of Kunti decked\nlike a hill covered with Karnikara flowers. Having obtained weapons from\nthat best of ascetics--the son of Jamadagni, I would, relying on their\nenergy, fight with even the celestials. Struck with my javelin, the ape\nstationed on his banner-top shall fall down today on the ground, uttering\nterrible cries. The firmament will today be filled with the cries of the\n(super-human) creatures stationed in the flagstaff of the foe, and\nafflicted by me, they will fly away in all directions. I shall today\npluck up by the roots the long-existing dart in Duryodhana's heart by\nthrowing Arjuna down from his car. The Kauravas will today behold Partha\nwith his car broken, his horses killed, his valour gone, and himself\nsighing like a snake. Let the Kauravas, following their own will go away\ntaking this wealth of kine, or, if they wish, let them stay on their cars\nand witness my combat.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIX\n\n\"Kripa said, 'O Radheya, thy crooked heart always inclineth to war. Thou\nknowest not the true nature of things; nor dost thou take into account\ntheir after-consequences. There are various kinds of expedients\ninferrable from the scriptures. Of these, a battle hath been regarded by\nthose acquainted with the past, as the most sinful. It is only when time\nand place are favourable that military operations can lead to success. In\nthe present instance, however, the time being unfavourable, no good\nresults will be derived. A display of prowess in proper time and place\nbecometh beneficial. It is by the favourableness or otherwise (of time\nand place) that the opportuneness of an act is determined. Learned men\ncan never act according to the ideas of a car-maker. Considering all\nthis, an encounter with Partha is not advisible for us. Alone he saved\nthe Kurus (from the Gandharvas), and alone he satiated Agni. Alone he led\nthe life of a Brahmacharin for five years (on the breast of Himavat).\nTaking up Subhadra on his car, alone he challenged Krishna to single\ncombat. Alone he fought with Rudra who stood before him as a forester. It\nwas in this very forest that Partha rescued Krishna while she was being\ntaken away (by Jayadratha). It is he alone that hath, for five years,\nstudied the science of weapons under Indra. Alone vanquishing all foes he\nhath spread the fame of the Kurus. Alone that chastiser of foes\nvanquished in battle Chitrasena, the king of the Gandharvas and in a\nmoment his invincible troops also. Alone he overthrew in battle the\nfierce Nivatakavachas and the Kalakhanchas, that were both incapable of\nbeing slain by the gods themselves. What, however, O Karna, hath been\nachieved by thee single-handed like any of the sons of Pandu, each of\nwhom had alone subjugated many lords of earth? Even Indra himself is\nunfit to encounter Partha in battle. He, therefore, that desireth to\nfight with Arjuna should take a sedative. As to thyself, thou desirest to\ntake out the fangs of an angry snake of virulent poison by stretching\nforth thy right hand and extending thy forefinger. Or, wandering alone in\nthe forest thou desirest to ride an infuriate elephant and go to a boar\nwithout a hook in hand. Or, rubbed over with clarified butter and dressed\nin silken robes, thou desirest to pass through the midst of a blazing\nfire fed with fat and tallow and clarified butter. Who is there that\nwould, binding his own hands and feet and tying a huge stone unto his\nneck, cross the ocean swimming with his bare arms? What manliness is\nthere in such an act? O Karna, he is a fool that would, without skill in\nweapons and without strength, desire to fight with Partha who is so\nmighty and skilled in weapons? Dishonestly deceived by us and liberated\nfrom thirteen years' exile, will not the illustrious hero annihilate us?\nHaving ignorantly come to a place where Partha lay concealed like fire\nhidden in a well, we have, indeed, exposed to a great danger. But\nirresistible though he be in battle, we should fight against him. Let,\ntherefore, our troops, clad in mail, stand here arrayed in ranks and\nready to strike. Let Drona and Duryodhana and Bhishma and thyself and\nDrona's son and ourselves, all fight with the son of Pritha. Do not O\nKarna, act so rashly as to fight alone. If we six car-warriors be united,\nwe can then be a match for and fight with that son of Pritha who is\nresolved to fight and who is as fierce as the wielder of the thunderbolt.\nAided by our troops arrayed in ranks, ourselves--great bowmen--standing\ncarefully will fight with Arjuna even as the Danavas encounter Vasava in\nbattle.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION L\n\n\"Aswatthaman said, 'The kine, O Karna, have not yet been won, nor have\nthey yet crossed the boundary (of their owner's dominions), nor have they\nyet reached Hastinapura. Why dost thou, therefore, boast of thyself?\nHaving won numerous battles, and acquired enormous wealth, and vanquished\nhostile hosts, men of true heroism speak not a word of their prowess.\nFire burneth mutely and mutely doth the sun shine. Mutely also doth the\nEarth bear creatures, both mobile and immobile. The Self-existent hath\nsanctioned such offices for the four orders that having recourse to them\neach may acquire wealth without being censurable. A Brahmana, having\nstudied the Vedas, should perform sacrifices himself, and officiate at\nthe sacrifices of others. And a Kshatriya, depending upon the bow, should\nperform sacrifices himself but should never officiate at the sacrifices\nof others. And of Vaisya, having earned wealth, should cause the rites\nenjoined in the Vedas to be performed for himself. A Sudra should always\nwait upon and serve the other three orders. As regards those that live by\npractising the profession of flowers and vendors of meat, they may earn\nwealth by expedients fraught with deceit and fraud. Always acting\naccording to the dictates of the scriptures, the exalted sons of Pandu\nacquired the sovereignty of the whole earth, and they always act\nrespectfully towards their superiors, even if the latter prove hostile to\nthem. What Kshatriya is there that expressed delight at having obtained a\nkingdom by means of dice, like this wicked and shameless son of\nDhritarashtra? Having acquired wealth in this way by deceit and fraud\nlike a vendor of meat, who that is wise boast of it? In what single\ncombat didst thou vanquish Dhananjaya, or Nakula, or Sahadeva, although\nthou hast robbed them of their wealth? In what battle didst thou defeat\nYudhishthira, or Bhima that foremost of strong men? In what battle was\nIndraprastha conquered by thee? What thou hast done, however, O thou of\nwicked deeds, is to drag that princess to court while she was ill and had\nbut one raiment on? Thou hast cut the mighty root, delicate as the\nsandal, of the Pandava tree. Actuated by desire of wealth, when thou\nmadest the Pandavas act as slaves, rememberest thou what Vidura said! We\nsee that men and others, even insects and ants, show forgiveness\naccording to their power of endurance. The son of Pandu, however, is\nincapable of forgiving the sufferings of Draupadi. Surely, Dhananjaya\ncometh here for the destruction of the sons of Dhritarashtra. It is true,\naffecting great wisdom, thou art for making speeches but will not\nVibhatsu, that slayer of foes, exterminate us all! If it be gods, or\nGandharvas or Asuras, or Rakshasas, will Dhananjaya the son of Kunti,\ndesist to fight from panic? Inflamed with wrath upon whomsoever he will\nfall, even him he will overthrow like a tree under the weight of Garuda!\nSuperior to thee in prowess, in bowmanship equal unto the lord himself of\nthe celestials, and in battle equal unto Vasudeva himself, who is there\nthat would not praise Partha? Counteracting celestial weapons with\ncelestial, and human weapons with human, what man is a match for Arjuna?\nThose acquainted with the scriptures declare that a disciple is no way\ninferior to a son, and it is for this that the son of Pandu is a\nfavourite of Drona. Employ thou the means now which thou hadst adopted in\nthe match at dice,--the same means, viz., by which thou hadst subjugated\nIndraprastha, and the same means by which thou hadst dragged Krishna to\nthe assembly! This thy wise uncle, fully conversant with the duties of\nthe Kshatriya order--this deceitful gambler Sakuni, the prince of\nGandhara, let him fight now! The Gandiva, however, doth not cast dice\nsuch as the Krita or the Dwapara, but it shooteth upon foes blazing and\nkeen-edged shafts by myriads. The fierce arrows shot from the Gandiva,\nendued with great energy and furnished with vulturine wings, can pierce\neven mountains. The destroyer of all, named Yama, and Vayu, and the\nhorse-faced Agni, leave some remnant behind, but Dhananjaya inflamed with\nwrath never doth so. As thou hadst, aided by thy uncle, played at dice in\nthe assembly so do fight in this battle protected by Suvala's son. Let\nthe preceptor, if he chooses fight; I shall not, however, fight with\nDhananjaya. We are to fight with the king of the Matsyas, if indeed, he\ncometh in the track of the kine.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LI\n\n\"Bhishma said, 'Drona's son observeth well, and Kripa, too observeth\nrightly. As for Karna, it is only out of regard for the duties of the\nKshatriya order that he desireth to fight. No man of wisdom can blame the\npreceptor. I, however, am of opinion that fight we must, considering both\nthe time and the place. Why should not that man be bewildered who hath\nfive adversaries effulgent as five suns, who are heroic combatants and\nwho have just emerged from adversity? Even those conversant with morality\nare bewildered in respect of their own interests. It is for this, O king,\nthat I tell thee this, whether my words be acceptable to you or not. What\nKarna said unto thee was only for raising our (drooping) courage. As\nregards thyself, O preceptor's son, forgive everything. The business at\nhand is very grave. When the son of Kunti hath come, this is not the time\nfor quarrel. Everything should now be forgiven by thyself and the\npreceptor Kripa. Like light in the sun, the mastery of all weapons doth\nreside in you. As beauty is never separated from Chandramas, so are the\nVedas and the Brahma weapon both established in you. It is often seen\nthat the four Vedas dwell in one object and Kshatriya attributes in\nanother. We have never heard of these two dwelling together in any other\nperson than the preceptor of the Bharata race and his son. Even this is\nwhat I think. In the Vedantas, in the Puranas, and in old histories, who\nsave Jamadagni, O king, would be Drona's superior? A combination of the\nBrahma weapon with the Vedas,--this is never to be seen anywhere else. O\npreceptor's son, do thou forgive. This is not the time for disunion. Let\nall of us, uniting, fight with Indra's son who hath come. Of all the\ncalamities that may befall an army that have been enumerated by men of\nwisdom, the worst is disunion among the leaders.' Aswatthaman said, 'O\nbull among men, these thy just observations, need not be uttered in our\npresence; the preceptor, however, filled with wrath, had spoken of\nArjuna's virtues. The virtues of even an enemy should be admitted, while\nthe faults of even one's preceptor may be pointed out; therefore one\nshould, to the best of his power, declare the merits of a son or a\ndisciple.'\n\n\"Duryodhana said, 'Let the preceptor grant his forgiveness and let peace\nbe restored. If the preceptor be at one with us, whatever should be done\n(in view of the present emergency) would seem to have been already done.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then, O Bharata, Duryodhana assisted by Karna\nand Kripa, and the high-souled Bhishma pacified Drona.\n\n\"Drona said, 'Appeased I have already been at the words first spoken by\nBhishma, the son of Santanu. Let such arrangements be made that Partha\nmay not be able to approach Duryodhana in battle. And let such\narrangements be made that king Duryodhana may not be captured by the foe,\nin consequence either of his rashness or want of judgment. Arjuna hath\nnot, to be sure, revealed himself before the expiry of the term of exile.\nNor will he pardon this act (of ours) today, having only recovered the\nkine. Let such arrangements, therefore, be made that he may not succeed\nin attacking Dhritarashtra's son and defeating our troops. Like myself\n(who am doubtful of the completion of period of exile) Duryodhana also\nhad said so before. Bearing it in mind, it behoveth the son of Ganga to\nsay what is true.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LII\n\n\"Bhishma said, 'The wheel of time revolves with its divisions, viz., with\nKalas and Kasthas and Muhurtas and days and fortnights and months and\nconstellations and planets and seasons and years. In consequence of their\nfractional excesses and the deviations also of the heavenly bodies,\nthere is an increase of two months in every five years. It seems to me\nthat calculating this wise, there would be an excess of five months and\ntwelve nights in thirteen years. Everything, therefore, that the sons of\nPandu had promised, hath been exactly fulfilled by them. Knowing this to\nbe certain, Vibhatsu hath made his appearance. All of them are\nhigh-souled and fully conversant with the meanings of the scriptures. How\nwould they deviate from virtue that have Yudhishthira for their guide?\nThe sons of Kunti do not yield to temptation. They have achieved a\ndifficult feat. If they had coveted the possession of their kingdom by\nunfair means, then those descendants of the Kuru race would have sought\nto display their prowess at the time of the match at dice. Bound in bonds\nof virtue, they did not deviate from the duties of the Kshatriya order.\nHe that will regard them to have behaved falsely will surely meet with\ndefeat. The sons of Pritha would prefer death to falsehood. When the\ntime, however, comes, those bulls among men--the Pandavas--endued with\nenergy like that of Sikra, would not give up what is theirs even if it is\ndefended by the wielder himself of the thunderbolt. We shall have to\noppose in battle the foremost of all wielders of weapons. Therefore, let\nsuch advantageous arrangements as have the sanction of the good and the\nhonest be now made without loss of time so that our possessions may not\nbe appropriated by the foe. O king of kings, O Kaurava, I have never seen\na battle in which one of the parties could say,--\"we are sure to win.\" When\na battle occurs, there must be victory or defeat, prosperity or\nadversity. Without doubt, a party to a battle must have either of the\ntwo. Therefore, O king of kings, whether a battle be now proper or not\nconsistent with virtue or not, make thy arrangements soon, for Dhananjaya\nis at hand.'\n\n\"Duryodhana said, 'I will not, O grandsire, give back the Pandavas their\nkingdom. Let every preparation, therefore, for battle be made without\ndelay.'\n\n\"Bhishma said, 'Listen to what I regard as proper, if it pleases thee. I\nshould always say what is for thy good, O Kaurava. Proceed thou towards\nthe capital, without loss of time, taking with thee a fourth part of the\narmy. And let another fourth march, escorting the kine. With half the\ntroops we will fight the Pandava. Myself and Drona, and Karna and\nAswatthaman and Kripa will resolutely withstand Vibhatsu, or the king of\nthe Matsyas, or Indra himself, if he approaches. Indeed, we will\nwithstand any of these like the bank withstanding the surging sea.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"These words spoken by the high-souled Bhishma\nwere acceptable to them, and the king of the Kauravas acted accordingly\nwithout delay. And having sent away the king and then the kine, Bhishma\nbegan to array the soldiers in order of battle. And addressing the\npreceptor, he said, 'O preceptor, stand thou in the centre, and let\nAswatthaman stand on the left, and let the wise Kripa, son of Saradwata,\ndefend the right wing, and let Karna of the Suta caste, clad in mail,\nstand in the van. I will stand in the rear of the whole army, protecting\nit from that point.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After the Kauravas, O Bharata, had taken their stand\nin this order, Arjuna, filling the air with the rattle and din of his\ncar, advanced quickly towards them. And the Kurus beheld his banner-top\nand heard the rattle and din of his car as also the twang of the Gandiva\nstretched repeatedly by him. And noting all this, and seeing that great\ncar-warrior--the wielder of the Gandiva--come, Drona spoke thus, 'That is\nthe banner-top of Partha which shineth at a distance, and this is the\nnoise of his car, and that is the ape that roareth frightfully. Indeed,\nthe ape striketh terror in the troops. And there stationed on that\nexcellent car, the foremost of car-warriors draweth that best of bows,\nthe Gandiva, whose twang is as loud as the thunder. Behold, these two\nshafts coming together fall at my feet, and two others pass off barely\ntouching my ears. Completing the period of exile and having achieved many\nwonderful feats, Partha saluteth me and whispereth in my ears. Endued\nwith wisdom and beloved of his relatives, this Dhananjaya, the son of\nPandu, is, indeed, beheld by us after a long time, blazing with beauty\nand grace. Possessed of car and arrows, furnished with handsome fences\nand quiver and conch and banner and coat of mail, decked with diadem and\nscimitar and bow, the son of Pritha shineth like the blazing (Homa) fire\nsurrounded with sacrificial ladles and fed with sacrificial butter.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Beholding the Kurus ready for battle, Arjuna\naddressing Matsya's son in words suitable to the occasion, said, 'O\ncharioteer, restrain thou the steeds at such a point whence my arrows may\nreach the enemy. Meanwhile, let me see, where, in the midst of this army,\nis that vile wretch of the Kuru race. Disregarding all these, and\nsingling out that vainest of princes I will fall upon his head, for upon\nthe defeat of that wretch the others will regard themselves as defeated.\nThere standeth Drona, and thereafter him his son. And there are those\ngreat bowmen--Bhishma and Kripa and Karna. I do not see, however, the king\nthere. I suspect that anxious to save his life, he retreateth by the\nsouthern road, taking away with him the kine. Leaving this array of\ncar-warriors, proceed to the spot where Suyodhana is. There will I fight,\nO son of Virata, for there the battle will not be fruitless. Defeating\nhim I will come back, taking away the kine.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed, the son of Virata restrained\nthe steeds with an effort and turned them by a pull at the bridle from\nthe spot where those bulls of the Kuru race were, and urged them on\ntowards the place where Duryodhana was. And as Arjuna went away leaving\nthat thick array of cars, Kripa, guessing his intention, addressed his\nown comrades, saying, 'This Vibhatsu desireth not to take up his stand at\na spot remote from the king. Let us quickly fall upon the flanks of the\nadvancing hero. When inflamed with wrath, none else, unassisted, can\nencounter him in battle save the deity of a thousand eyes, or Krishna the\nson of Devaki. Of what use to us would the kine be or this vast wealth\nalso, if Duryodhana were to sink, like a boat, in the ocean of Partha?'\nMeanwhile, Vibhatsu, having proceeded towards that division of the army,\nannounced himself speedily by name, and covered the troops with his\narrows thick as locusts. And covered with those countless shafts shot by\nPartha, the hostile warriors could not see anything, the earth itself and\nthe sky becoming overwhelmed therewith. And the soldiers who had been\nready for the fight were so confounded that none could even the flee from\nthe field. And beholding the light-handedness of Partha they all\napplauded it mentally. And Arjuna then blew his conch which always made\nthe bristles of the foe stand erect. And twanging his best of bows, he\nurged the creatures on his flagstaff to roar more frightfully. And at the\nblare of his conch and the rattle of his car-wheels, and the twang of the\nGandiva, and the roar of the superhuman creatures stationed on his\nflagstaff, the earth itself began to tremble. And shaking their upraised\ntails and lowing together, the kine turned back, proceeding along the\nsouthern road.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having disorganised the hostile host by force and\nhaving recovered the kine, that foremost of bowmen, desirous of fighting\nagain, proceeded towards Duryodhana. And beholding the kine running wild\ntowards the city of the Matsyas, the foremost warriors of the Kurus\nregarded Kiritin to have already achieved success. And all of a sudden\nthey fell upon Arjuna who was advancing towards Duryodhana. And beholding\ntheir countless divisions firmly arrayed in order of battle with\ncountless banners waving over them, that slayer of foes, addressing the\nson of the king of the Matsyas, said, 'Urge on, to the best of their\nspeed by this road, these white steeds decked with golden bridles. Strive\nthou well, for I would approach this crowd of Kuru lions. Like an\nelephant desiring an encounter with another, the Suta's son of wicked\nsoul eagerly desireth a battle with me. Take me, O prince, to him who\nhath grown so proud under the patronage of Duryodhana.' Thus addressed,\nthe son of Virata by means of those large steeds endued with the speed of\nthe wind and furnished with golden armour, broke that array of cars and\ntook the Pandava into the midst of the battle-field. And seeing this\nthose mighty car-warriors, Chitrasena and Sangramajit and Satrusaha and\nJaya, desirous of aiding Karna, rushed with arrows and long shafts,\ntowards the advancing hero of Bharata's race. Then that foremost of men,\ninflamed with wrath, began to consume by means of fiery arrows shot from\nhis bow, that array of cars belonging to those bulls among the Kurus,\nlike a tremendous conflagration consuming a forest. Then, when the battle\nbegan to rage furiously, the Kuru hero, Vikarna, mounted on his car,\napproached that foremost of car-warriors, Partha, the younger brother of\nBhima,--showering upon him terrible shafts thick and long. Then cutting\nVikarna's bow furnished with a tough string and horns overlaid with gold,\nArjuna cut off his flagstaff. And Vikarna, beholding his flagstaff cut\noff, speedily took to flight. And after Vikarna's flight, Satruntapa,\nunable to repress his ire, began to afflict Partha, that obstructer of\nfoes and achiever of super-human feats, by means of a perfect shower of\narrows. And drowned, as it were, in the midst of the Kuru-array, Arjuna,\npierced by that mighty car-warrior,--king Satruntapa--pierced the latter\nin return with five and then slew his car-driver with ten shafts, and\npierced by that bull of the Bharata race with an arrow capable of\ncleaving the thickest coat of mail, Satruntapa fell dead on the field of\nbattle, like a tree from a mountain-top torn up by the wind. And those\nbrave bulls among men, mangled in battle by that braver bull among men,\nbegan to waver and tremble like mighty forests shaken by the violence of\nthe wind that blows at the time of the universal dissolution. And struck\nin battle by Partha, the son of Vasava, those well-dressed heroes among\nmen--those givers of wealth endued with the energy of Vasava--defeated\nand deprived of life, began to measure their lengths on the ground, like\nfull-grown Himalayan elephants clad in mails of black steel decked with\ngold. And like unto a raging fire consuming a forest at the close of\nsummer, that foremost of men, wielding the Gandiva, ranged the field in\nall directions, slaying his foes in battle thus. And as the wind rangeth\nat will, scattering masses of clouds and fallen leaves in the season of\nspring, so did that foremost of car-warriors--Kiritin--ranged in that\nbattle, scattering all his foes before him. And soon slaying the red\nsteeds yoked unto the car of Sangramajit, the brother of Vikartana's son,\nthat hero decked in diadem and endued with great vigour then cut off his\nantagonist's head by a crescent-shaped arrow. And when his brother was\nslain, Vikartana's son of the Suta caste, mustering all his prowess,\nrushed at Arjuna, like a huge elephant with out-stretched tusks, or like\na tiger at a mighty bull. And the son of Vikarna quickly pierced the son\nof Pandu with twelve shafts and all his steeds also in every part of\ntheir bodies and Virata's son too in his hand. And rushing impetuously\nagainst Vikarna's son who was suddenly advancing against him, Kiritin\nattacked him fiercely like Garuda of variegated plumage swooping down\nupon a snake. And both of them were foremost of bowmen, and both were\nendued with great strength, and both were capable of slaying foes. And\nseeing that an encounter was imminent between them, the Kauravas, anxious\nto witness it, stood aloof as lookers on. And beholding the offender\nKarna, the son of Pandu, excited to fury, and glad also at having him,\nsoon made him, his horses, his car, and car-driver invisible by means of\na frightful shower of countless arrows. And the warriors of the Bharatas\nheaded by Bhishma, with their horses, elephants, and cars, pierced by\nKiritin and rendered invisible by means of his shafts, their ranks also\nscattered and broken, began to wail aloud in grief. The illustrious and\nheroic Karna, however counteracting with numberless arrows of his own\nthose shafts by Arjuna's hand, soon burst forth in view with bow and\narrows like a blazing fire. And then there arose the sound of loud\nclapping of hands, with the blare of conchs and trumpets and kettle-drums\nmade by the Kurus while they applauded Vikartana's son who filled the\natmosphere with the sound of his bow-string flapping against his fence.\nAnd beholding Kiritin filling the air with the twang of Gandiva, and the\nupraised tail of the monkey that constituted his flag and that terrible\ncreature yelling furiously from the top of his flagstaff, Karna sent\nforth a loud roar. And afflicting by means of his shafts, Vikartana's son\nalong with his steeds, car and car-driver, Kiritin impetuously poured an\narrowy shower on him, casting his eyes on the grandsire and Drona and\nKripa. And Vikartana's son also poured upon Partha a heavy shower of\narrows like a rain-charged cloud. And the diadem-decked Arjuna also\ncovered Karna with a thick down-pour of keen-edged shafts. And the two\nheroes stationed on their cars, creating clouds of keen-edged arrows in a\ncombat carried on by means of countless shafts and weapons, appeared to\nthe spectators like the sun and the moon covered by clouds, and the\nlight-handed Karna, unable to bear the sight of the foe, pierced the four\nhorses of the diadem-decked hero with whetted arrows, and then struck his\ncar-driver with three shafts, and his flagstaff also with three. Thus\nstruck, that grinder of all adversaries in battle, that bull of the Kuru\nrace, Jishnu wielding the Gandiva, like a lion awaked from slumber,\nfuriously attacked Karna by means of straight-going arrows. And afflicted\nby the arrowy shower (of Karna), that illustrious achiever of super-human\ndeeds soon displayed a thick shower of arrows in return. And he covered\nKarna's car with countless shafts like the sun covering the different\nworlds with rays. And like a lion attacked by an elephant, Arjuna, taking\nsome keen crescent-shaped arrows from out of his quiver and drawing his\nbow to his ear, pierced the Suta's son on every part of his body. And\nthat grinder of foes pierced Karna's arms and thighs and head and\nforehead and neck and other principal parts of his body with whetted\nshafts endued with the impetuosity of the thunderbolt and shot from the\nGandiva in battle. And mangled and afflicted by the arrows shot by Partha\nthe son of Pandu, Vikartana's son, quitted the van of battle, and quickly\ntook to flight, like one elephant vanquished by another.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After the son of Radha had fled from the field,\nother warriors headed by Duryodhana, one after another, fell upon the son\nof Pandu with their respective divisions. And like the shore withstanding\nthe fury of the surging sea, that warrior withstood the rage of that\ncountless host rushing towards him, arrayed in order of battle and\nshowering clouds of arrows. And that foremost of car-warriors, Kunti's\nson Vibhatsu of white steeds, rushed towards the foe, discharging\ncelestial weapons all the while. Partha soon covered all the points of\nthe horizon with countless arrows shot from the Gandiva, like the sun\ncovering the whole earth with his rays. And amongst those that fought on\ncars and horses and elephants, and amongst the mail-clad foot-soldiers,\nthere was none that had on his body a space of even two finger's breadth\nunwounded with sharp arrows. And for his dexterity in applying celestial\nweapons, and for the training of the steeds and the skill of Uttara, and\nfor the coursing of his weapons, and his prowess and light-handedness,\npeople began to regard Arjuna as the fire that blazeth forth during the\ntime of the universal dissolution for consuming all created things. And\nnone amongst the foe could cast his eyes on Arjuna who shone like a\nblazing fire of great effulgence. And mangled by the arrows of Arjuna,\nthe hostile ranks looked like newly-risen clouds on the breast of a hill\nreflecting the solar rays, or like groves of Asoka trees resplendent with\nclusters of flowers. Indeed, afflicted by the arrows of Partha, the\nsoldiers looked like these, or like a beautiful garland whose flowers\ngradually wither and drop away: And the all-pervading wind bore on its\nwings in the sky the torn flags and umbrellas of the hostile host. And\naffrighted at the havoc amongst their own ranks, the steeds fled in all\ndirections, freed from their yokes by means of Partha's arrows and\ndragging after them broken portions of cars and elephants, struck on\ntheir ears and ribs and tusks and nether lips and other delicate parts of\nthe body, began to drop down on the battle-field. And the earth, bestrewn\nin a short time with the corpses of elephants belonging to the Kauravas,\nlooked like the sky overcast with masses of black clouds. And as that\nfire of blazing flames at the end of the yuga consumeth all perishable\nthings of the world, both mobile and immobile, so did Partha, O king,\nconsumeth all foes in battle. And by the energy of his weapons and the\ntwang of his bow, and the preter-natural yells of the creatures stationed\non his flagstaff, and the terrible roar of the monkey, and by the blast\nof his conch, that mighty grinder of foes, Vibhatsu, struck terror into\nthe hearts of all the troops of Duryodhana. And the strength of every\nhostile warrior seemed, as it were, to be levelled to the dust at the\nvery sight of Arjuna. And unwilling to commit the daring act of sin of\nslaying them that were defenceless, Arjuna suddenly fell back and\nattacked the army from behind by means of clouds of keen-edged arrows\nproceeding towards their aims like hawks let off by fowlers. And he soon\ncovered the entire welkin with clusters of blood-drinking arrows. And as\nthe (infinite) rays of the powerful sun, entering a small vessel, are\ncontracted within it for want of space, so the countless shafts of Arjuna\ncould not find space for their expansion even within the vast welkin.\nFoes were able to behold Arjuna's car, when near, only once, for\nimmediately after, they were with their horses, sent to the other world.\nAnd as his arrows unobstructed by the bodies of foes always passed\nthrough them, so his car, unimpeded by hostile ranks, always passed\nthrough the latter. And, indeed, he began to toss about and agitate the\nhostile troops with great violence like the thousand-headed Vasuki\nsporting in the great ocean. And as Kiritin incessantly shot his shafts,\nthe noise of the bow-string, transcending every sound, was so loud that\nthe like of it had never been heard before by created beings. And the\nelephants crowding the field, their bodies pierced with (blazing) arrows\nwith small intervals between looked like black clouds coruscated with\nsolar rays. And ranging in all directions and shooting (arrows) right and\nleft, Arjuna's bow was always to be seen drawn to a perfect circle. And\nthe arrows of the wielder of the Gandiva never fell upon anything except\nthe aim, even as the eye never dwelleth on anything that is not\nbeautiful. And as the track of a herd of elephants marching through the\nforest is made of itself, so was the track was made of itself for the car\nof Kiritin. And struck and mangled by Partha, the hostile warriors\nthought that,--Verily, Indra himself, desirous of Partha's victory,\naccompanied by all the immortals is slaying us! And they also regarded\nVijaya, who was making a terrible slaughter around, to be none else than\nDeath himself who having assumed the form of Arjuna, was slaying all\ncreatures. And the troops of the Kurus, struck by Partha, were so mangled\nand shattered that the scene looked like the achievement of Partha\nhimself and could be compared with nothing else save what was observable\nin Partha's combats. And he severed the heads of foes, even as reapers\ncut off the tops of deciduous herbs. And the Kurus all lost their energy\nowing to the terror begot of Arjuna. And tossed and mangled by the\nArjuna-gale, the forest of Arjuna's foes reddened the earth with purple\nsecretions. And the dust mixed with blood, uplifted by the wind, made the\nvery rays of the sun redder still. And soon the sun-decked sky became so\nred that it looked very much like the evening. Indeed, the sun ceaseth to\nshed his rays as soon as he sets, but the son of Pandu ceased not to\nshoot his shafts. And that hero of inconceivable energy overwhelmed, by\nmeans of all celestial weapons, all the great bowmen of the enemy,\nalthough they were possessed of great prowess. And Arjuna then shot three\nand seventy arrows of sharp points at Drona, and ten at Dussaha and eight\nat Drona's son, and twelve at Dussasana, and three at Kripa, the son of\nSaradwat. And that slayer of foes pierced Bhishma, the son of Santanu,\nwith arrows, and king Duryodhana with a hundred. And, lastly, he pierced\nKarna in the ear with a bearded shaft. And when that great bowmen Karna,\nskilled in all weapons, was thus pierced, and his horses and car and\ncar-driver were all destroyed, the troops that supported him began to\nbreak. And beholding those soldiers break and give way the son of Virata\ndesirous of knowing Partha's purpose, addressed him on the field of\nbattle, and said, 'O Partha, standing on this beautiful car, with myself\nas charioteer, towards which division shall I go? For, commanded by thee,\nI would soon take thee thither.'\n\n\"Arjuna replied, 'O Uttara, yonder auspicious warrior whom thou seest\ncased in coat of tiger-skin and stationed on his car furnished with a\nblue-flag and drawn by red steeds, is Kripa. There is to be seen the van\nof Kripa's division. Take me thither. I shall show that great bowman my\nswift-handedness in archery. And that warrior whose flag beareth the\ndevice of an elegant water-pot worked in gold, is the preceptor\nDrona--that foremost of all wielders of weapons. He is always an object\nof regard with me, as also with all bearers of arms. Do thou, therefore,\ncircumambulate that great hero cheerfully. Let us bend our heads there,\nfor that is the eternal virtue. If Drona strikes my body first, then I\nshall strike him, for then he will not be able to resent it. There, close\nto Drona, that warrior whose flag beareth the device of a bow, is the\npreceptor's son, the great car-warrior Aswatthaman, who is always an\nobject of regard with me as also with every bearer of arms. Do thou,\ntherefore, stop again and again, while thou comest by his car. There,\nthat warrior who stayeth on his car, cased in golden mail and surrounded\nby a third part of the army consisting of the most efficient troops, and\nwhose flag beareth the device of an elephant in a ground of gold, is the\nillustrious king Duryodhana, the son of Dhritarashtra. O hero, take\nbefore him this thy car that is capable of grinding hostile cars. This\nking is difficult of being vanquished in battle and is capable of\ngrinding all foes. He is regarded as the first of all Drona's disciples\nin lightness of hand. I shall, in battle, show him my superior swiftness\nin archery. There, that warrior whose flag beareth the device of a stout\nchord for binding elephants, is Karna, the son of Vikartana, already\nknown to thee. When thou comest before that wicked son of Radha, be thou\nvery careful, for he always challengeth me to an encounter. And that\nwarrior whose flag is blue and beareth the device of five stars with a\nsun (in the centre), and who endued with great energy stayeth on his car\nholding a huge bow in hand and wearing excellent fences, and over whose\nhead is an umbrella of pure white, who standeth at the head of a\nmultitudinous array of cars with various flags and banners like the sun\nin advance of masses of black clouds, and whose mail of gold looks bright\nas the sun or the moon, and who with his helmet of gold striketh terror\ninto my heart, is Bhishma, the son of Santanu and the grandsire of us\nall. Entertained with regal splendour by Duryodhana, he is very partial\nand well-affected towards that prince. Let him be approached last of all,\nfor he may, even now, be an obstacle to me. While fighting with me, do\nthou carefully guide the steeds.' Thus addressed by him, Virata's son, O\nking, guided Savyasachin's car with great alacrity towards the spot where\nKripa stood anxious to fight.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"And the ranks of those fierce bowmen, the Kurus,\nlooked like masses of clouds in the rainy season drifting before a gentle\nwind. And close (to those ranks of foot-soldiers) stood the enemy's\nhorses ridden by terrible warriors. And there were also elephants of\nterrible mien, looking resplendent in beautiful armour, ridden by skilled\ncombatants and urged on with iron crows and hooks. And, O king, mounted\non a beautiful car, Sakra came there accompanied by the celestials,--the\nViswas and Maruts. And crowded with gods, Yakshas, Gandharvas and Nagas,\nthe firmament looked as resplendent as it does when bespangled with the\nplanetary constellation in a cloudless night. And the celestials came\nthere, each on his own car, desirous of beholding the efficacy of their\nweapons in human warfare, and for witnessing also the fierce and mighty\ncombat that would take place when Bhishma and Arjuna would meet. And\nembellished with gems of every kind and capable of going everywhere at\nthe will of the rider, the heavenly car of the lord of the celestials,\nwhose roof was upheld by a hundred thousand pillars of gold with (a\ncentral) one made entirely of jewels and gems, was conspicuous in the\nclear sky. And there appeared on the scene three and thirty gods with\nVasava (at their head), and (many) Gandharvas and Rakshasas and Nagas and\nPitris, together with the great Rishis. And seated on the car of the lord\nof the celestials, appeared the effulgent persons of kings Vasumanas and\nValakshas and Supratarddana, and Ashtaka and Sivi and Yayati and Nahusha\nand Gaya and Manu and Puru and Raghu and Bhanu and Krisaswa and Sagara\nand Nala. And there shone in a splendid array, each in its proper place\nthe cars of Agni and Isa and Soma and Varuna and Prajapati and Dhatri and\nVidhatri and Kuvera and Yama, and Alamvusha and Ugrasena and others, and\nof the Gandharva Tumburu. And all the celestials and the Siddhas, and all\nthe foremost of sages came there to behold that encounter between Arjuna\nand the Kurus. And the sacred fragrance of celestial garlands filled the\nair like that of blossoming woods at the advent of spring. And the red\nand reddish umbrellas and robes and garlands and chamaras of the gods, as\nthey were stationed there, looked exceedingly beautiful. And the dust of\nthe earth soon disappeared and (celestial) effulgence lit up everything.\nAnd redolent of divine perfumes, the breeze began to soothe the\ncombatants. And the firmament seemed ablaze and exceedingly beautiful,\ndecked with already arrived and arriving cars of handsome and various\nmake, all illumined with diverse sorts of jewels, and brought thither by\nthe foremost of the celestials. And surrounded by the celestials, and\nwearing a garland of lotuses and lilies the powerful wielder of the\nthunderbolt looked exceedingly beautiful on his car. And the slayer of\nVala, although he steadfastly gazed at his son on the field of battle,\nwas not satiated with such gazing.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Beholding the army of the Kurus arrayed in order of\nbattle, that descendant of the Kuru race, Partha, addressing Virata's\nson, said, 'Do thou proceed to the spot where Kripa, the son of Saradwat,\nis going by the southern side of that car whose flag is seen to bear the\ndevice of a golden altar.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these words of Dhananjaya, the son of\nVirata urged, without a moment's delay, those steeds of silvery hue\ndecked in golden armour. And making them adopt, one after another, every\nkind of the swifter paces, he urged those fiery steeds resembling the\nmoon in colour. And versed in horse-lore, Uttara, having approached the\nKuru host, turned back those steeds endued with the speed of the wind.\nAnd skilled in guiding vehicles, the prince of Matsya, sometimes wheeling\nabout, and sometimes proceeding in circular mazes, and sometimes turning\nto the left, began to bewilder the Kurus. And wheeling round, the\nintrepid and mighty son of Virata at last approached the car of Kripa,\nand stood confronting him. Then announcing his own name, Arjuna\npowerfully blew that best of conchs called Devadatta, of loud blare. And\nblown on the field of battle by the mighty Jishnu, the blare of that\nconch was heard like the splitting of a mountain. And seeing that the\nconch did not break into a hundred fragments when blown by Arjuna, the\nKurus with all their warriors began to applaud it highly. And having\nreached the very heavens, that sound coming back was heard even like the\ncrash of the thunderbolt hurled by Maghavat on the mountain breast.\nThereupon that heroic and intrepid and mighty car-warrior, Saradwat's son\nKripa, endued with strength and prowess, waxing wroth at Arjuna, and\nunable to bear that sound and eager for fight, took up his own\nsea-begotten conch and blew it vehemently. And filling the three worlds\nwith that sound, that foremost of car-warriors took up a large bow and\ntwanged the bow-string powerfully. And those mighty car-warriors, equal\nunto two suns, standing opposed to each other, shone like two masses of\nautumnal clouds. Then Saradwat's son quickly pierced Partha, that slayer\nof hostile heroes, with ten swift and whetted arrows capable of entering\ninto the very vitals. And Pritha's son also, on his part, drawing that\nforemost of weapons, the Gandiva, celebrated over the world, shot\ninnumerable iron-arrows, all capable of penetrating into the very core of\nthe body. Thereupon Kripa, by means of whetted shafts, cut into hundreds\nand thousands of fragments, those blood-drinking arrows of Partha before\nthey could come up. Then that mighty car-warrior, Partha also, in wrath\ndisplaying various manoeuvres, covered all sides with a shower of arrows.\nAnd covering the entire welkin with his shafts, that mighty warrior of\nimmeasurable soul, the son of Pritha, enveloped Kripa with hundred of\nshafts. And sorely afflicted by those whetted arrows resembling flames of\nfire, Kripa waxed wroth and quickly afflicting the high-souled Partha of\nimmeasurable prowess with ten thousand shafts, set up on the field of\nbattle a loud roar. Then the heroic Arjuna quickly pierced the four\nsteeds of his adversary with four fatal arrows shot from the Gandiva,\nsharp and straight, and furnished with golden wings. And pierced by means\nof those whetted arrows resembling flames of fire those steeds suddenly\nreared themselves, and in consequence Kripa reeled off his place. And\nseeing Gautama thrown off his place, the slayer of hostile heroes, the\ndescendant of the Kuru race, out of regard for his opponent's dignity,\nceased to discharge his shafts at him. Then regaining his proper place,\nGautama quickly pierced Savyasachin with ten arrows furnished with\nfeathers of the Kanka bird. Then with a crescent-shaped arrow of keen\nedge, Partha cut off Kripa's bow and leathern fences. And soon Partha cut\noff Kripa's coat of mail also by means of arrows capable of penetrating\nthe very vitals, but he did not wound his person. And divested of his\ncoat of mail, his body resembled that of a serpent which hath in season\ncast off its slough. And as soon as his bow had been cut off by Partha,\nGautama took up another and stringed it in a trice. And strange to say,\nthat bow of him was also cut off by Kunti's son, by means of straight\nshafts. And in this way that slayer of hostile heroes, the son of Pandu,\ncut off other bows as soon as they were taken up, one after another, by\nSaradwat's son. And when all his bows were thus cut off, that mighty hero\nhurled, from his car, at Pandu's son, a javelin like unto the blazing\nthunderbolt. Thereupon, as the gold-decked javelin came whizzing through\nthe air with the flash of a meteor, Arjuna cut it off by means of ten\narrows. And beholding his dart thus cut off by the intelligent Arjuna,\nKripa quickly took up another bow and almost simultaneously shot a number\nof crescent-shaped arrows. Partha, however, quickly cut them into\nfragments by means of ten keen-edged shafts, and endued with great\nenergy, the son of Pritha then, inflamed with wrath on the field of\nbattle, discharged three and ten arrows whetted on stone and resembling\nflames of fire. And with one of these he cut off the yoke of his\nadversary's car, and with four pierced his four steeds, and with the\nsixth he severed the head of his antagonist's car-driver from off his\nbody. And with three that mighty car-warrior pierced, in that encounter,\nthe triple bamboo-pole of Kripa's car and with two, its wheels. And with\nthe twelfth arrow he cut off Kripa's flagstaff. And with the thirteenth\nFalguni, who was like Indra himself as if smiling in derision, pierced\nKripa in the breast. Then with his bow cut off, his car broken, his\nsteeds slain, his car-driver killed, Kripa leapt down and taking up a\nmace quickly hurled it at Arjuna. But that heavy and polished mace hurled\nby Kripa was sent back along its course, struck by means of Arjuna's\narrows. And then the warriors (of Kripa's division), desirous of rescuing\nthe wrathful son of Saradwat encountered Partha from all sides and covered\nhim with their arrows. Then the son of Virata, turning the steed to the\nleft began to perform circuitous evolution called Yamaka and thus\nwithstood all those warriors. And those illustrious bulls among men,\ntaking Kripa with them who had been deprived of his car, led him away\nfrom the vicinity of Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After Kripa had thus been taken away, the invincible\nDrona of red steeds, taking up his bow to which he had already stringed\nan arrow, rushed towards Arjuna of white steeds. And beholding at no\ngreat distance from him the preceptor advancing on his golden car, Arjuna\nthat foremost of victorious warriors, addressing Uttara, said, 'Blessed\nbe thou, O friend, carry me before that warrior on whose high banner-top\nis seen a golden altar resembling a long flame of fire and decked with\nnumerous flags placed around, and whose car is drawn by steeds that are\nred and large, exceedingly handsome and highly-trained, of face pleasant\nand of quiet mien, and like unto corals in colour and with faces of\ncoppery hue, for that warrior is Drona with whom I desire to fight. Of\nlong arms and endued with mighty energy possessed of strength and beauty\nof person, celebrated over all the worlds for his prowess, resembling\nUsanas himself in intelligence and Vrihaspati in knowledge of morality,\nhe is conversant with the four Vedas and devoted to the practice of\nBrahmacharya virtues. O friend, the use of the celestial weapons together\nwith the mysteries of their withdrawal and the entire science of weapons,\nalways reside in him. Forgiveness, self-control, truth, abstention from\ninjury, rectitude of conduct,--these and countless other virtues always\ndwell in that regenerate one. I desire to fight with that highly-blessed\none on the field. Therefore, take me before the preceptor and carry me\nthither, O Uttara.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed by Arjuna, Virata's son urged\nhis steeds decked with gold towards the car of Bharadwaja's son. And\nDrona also rushed towards the impetuously advancing Partha, the son of\nPandu,--that foremost of car-warriors,--like an infuriate elephant\nrushing towards an infuriate compeer. And the son of Bharadwaja then blew\nhis conch whose blare resembled that of a hundred trumpets. And at that\nsound the whole army become agitated like the sea in a tempest. And\nbeholding those excellent steeds red in hue mingling in battle with\nArjuna's steeds of swan-like whiteness endued with the speed of the mind,\nall the spectators were filled with wonder. And seeing on the field of\nbattle those car-warriors--the preceptor Drona and his disciple\nPartha--both endued with prowess, both invincible, both well-trained,\nboth possessed of great energy and great strength, engaged with each\nother, that mighty host of the Bharatas began to tremble frequently. And\nthat mighty car-warrior Partha, possessed of great prowess and filled\nwith joy upon reaching Drona's car on his own, saluted the preceptor. And\nthat slayer of hostile heroes, the mighty armed son of Kunti, then\naddressed Drona in an humble and sweet tone, saying, 'Having completed\nour exile in the woods, we are now desirous of avenging our wrongs. Even\ninvincible in battle, it doth not behove thee to be angry with us. O\nsinless one, I will not strike thee unless thou strikest me first. Even\nthis is my intention. It behoveth thee to act as thou choosest.' Thus\naddressed Drona discharged at him more than twenty arrows. But the\nlight-handed Partha cut them off before they could reach him. And at\nthis, the mighty Drona, displaying his lightness of hand in the use of\nweapons, covered Partha's car with a thousand arrows. And desirous of\nangering Partha, that hero of immeasurable soul, then covered his steeds\nof silvery whiteness with arrows whetted on stone and winged with the\nfeathers of the Kanka bird. And when the battle between Drona and Kiritin\nthus commenced, both of them discharging in the encounter arrows of\nblazing splendour, both well-known for their achievements, both equal to\nthe wind itself in speed, both conversant with celestial weapons, and\nboth endued with mighty energy, began shooting clouds of arrows to\nbewilder the royal Kshatriyas. And all the warriors that were assembled\nthere were filled with wonder at sight of all this. And they all admired\nDrona who quickly shot clouds of arrows exclaiming,--'Well done! Well\ndone! Indeed, who else save Falguna, is worthy of fighting with Drona in\nbattle? Surely the duties of a Kshatriya are stern, for Arjuna fighteth\nwith even his own preceptor!'--And it was thus that they who stood on the\nfield of battle said unto one another. And inflamed with fire, those\nmighty-armed heroes standing before other, and each incapable of\novercoming the other, covered each other with arrowy showers. And\nBharadwaja's son, waxing worth, drew his large and unconquerable bow\nplated on the back with gold, and pierced Falguna with his arrows. And\ndischarging at Arjuna's car innumerable whetted arrows possessed of solar\neffulgence, he entirely shrouded the light of the sun. And that great\ncar-warrior of mighty arms, violently pierced Pritha's son with\nkeen-edged shafts even as the clouds shower upon a mountain. Then taking\nup that foremost of bows, the Gandiva, destructive of foes and capable of\nwithstanding the greatest strain, the impetuous son of Pandu cheerfully\ndischarged countless shafts of various kinds adorned with gold, and that\npowerful warrior also baffled in a moment Drona's arrowy shower by means\nof those shafts shot from his own bow. And at this the spectators\nwondered greatly. And the handsome Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, ranging\non his car, displayed his weapons on all sides at the same time. And the\nentire welkin covered with his arrows, became one wide expanse of shade.\nAnd at this Drona become invisible like the sun enveloped in mist. And\nshrouded by those excellent arrows on all sides, Drona looked like a\nmountain on fire. And beholding his own car completely enveloped by the\narrows of Pritha's son, Drona that ornament of battle, bent his terrible\nand foremost of bows whose noise was as loud as that of the clouds. And\ndrawing that first of weapons, which was like unto a circle of fire, he\ndischarged a cloud of keen-edged shafts. And then there were heard on the\nfield loud sounds like the splitting of bamboos set on fire. And that\nwarrior of immeasurable soul, shooting from his bow arrows furnished with\ngolden wings, covered all sides, shrouding the very light of the sun. And\nthose arrows with knots well-peeled off, and furnished with golden wings,\nlooked like flocks of birds in the sky. And the arrows discharged by\nDrona from his bow, touching one another at the wings, appeared like one\nendless line in the sky. And those heroes, thus discharging their arrows\ndecked with gold, seemed to cover the sky with showers of meteors. And\nfurnished with feathers of the Kanka bird, those arrows looked like rows\nof cranes ranging in the autumnal sky. And the fierce and terrible\nencounter that took place between the illustrious Drona and Arjuna\nresembled that between Virata and Vasava of old. And discharging arrows\nat each other from bows drawn at their fullest stretch, they resembled\ntwo elephants assailing each other with their tusks. And those wrathful\nwarriors--those ornaments of battle--fighting strictly according to\nestablished usage, displayed in that conflict various celestial weapons\nin due order. Then that foremost of victorious men, Arjuna, by means of\nhis keen shafts resisted the whetted arrows shot by that best of\npreceptors. And displaying before the spectators various weapons, that\nhero of terrible prowess covered the sky with various kinds of arrows.\nAnd beholding that tiger among men, Arjuna, endued with fierce energy and\nintent upon striking him, that foremost of warriors and best of\npreceptors (from affection) began to fight with him playfully by means of\nsmooth and straight arrows. And Bharadwaja's son fought on with Falguna,\nresisting with his own the celestial weapons shot by the former. And the\nfight that took place between those enraged lions among men, incapable of\nbearing each other, was like unto encounter between the gods and the\nDanavas. And the son of Pandu repeatedly baffled with his own, the\nAindra, the Vayavya, and the Agneya weapons that were shot by Drona. And\ndischarging keen shafts, those mighty bowmen, by their arrowy showers\ncompletely covered the sky and made a wide expanse of shade. And then the\narrows shot by Arjuna, falling on the bodies of hostile warriors,\nproduced the crash of thunderbolt. O king, elephants, cars, and horses,\nbathed in blood, looked like Kinsuka trees crowned with flowers. And in\nthat encounter between Drona and Arjuna, beholding the field covered with\narms decked with bangles, and gorgeously-attired car-warriors, and coats\nof mail variegated with gold, and with banners lying scattered all about,\nand with warriors slain by means of Partha's arrows, the Kuru host became\npanic-stricken. And shaking their bows capable of bearing much strain,\nthose combatants began to shroud and weaken each other with their shafts.\nAnd, O bull of the Bharata race, the encounter that took place between\nDrona and Kunti's son was dreadful in the extreme and resembled that\nbetween Vali and Vasava. And staking their very lives, they began to\npierce each other with straight arrows shot from their fully-stretched\nbow-strings. And a voice was heard in the sky applauding Drona, and\nsaying, 'Difficult is the feat performed by Drona, inasmuch as he\nfighteth with Arjuna,--that grinder of foes, that warrior endued with\nmighty energy, of firm grasp, and invincible in battle,--that conqueror\nof both celestials and Daityas, that foremost of all car-warriors.' And\nbeholding Partha's infallibility, training, fleetness of hand, and the\nrange also of Arjuna's arrows, Drona became amazed. And, O bull of the\nBharata race, lifting up his excellent bow, the Gandiva the unforbearing\nPartha drew it now with one hand and now with another shot an arrowy\nshower. And beholding that shower resembling a flight of locusts, the\nspectators wondering applauded him exclaiming, 'Excellent'! 'Excellent'!\nAnd so ceaselessly did he shoot his arrows that the very air was unable\nto penetrate the thick array. And the spectators could not perceive any\ninterval between the taking up of the arrows and letting them off. And in\nthat fierce encounter characterised by lightness of hand in the discharge\nof weapons, Partha began to shoot his arrows more quickly than before.\nAnd then all at once hundreds and thousands of straight arrows fell upon\nDrona's car. And, O bull of the Bharata race, beholding Drona completely\ncovered by the wielder of the Gandiva with his arrows, the Kuru army set\nup exclamation of 'Oh'! and 'Alas'! And Maghavat, together with those\nGandharvas and Apsaras that have come there, applauded the fleetness of\nPartha's hand. And that mighty car-warrior, the preceptor's son, then\nresisted the Pandava with a mighty array of cars. And although enraged\nwith Arjuna, yet Aswatthaman mentally admired that feat of the\nhigh-souled son of Pritha. And waxing wroth, he rushed towards Partha,\nand discharged at him an arrowy shower like a heavy down-pour by the\ncloud. And turning his steeds towards Drona's son, Partha gave Drona an\nopportunity to leave the field. And thereupon the latter, wounded in that\nterrible encounter, and his mail and banner gone sped away by the aid of\nswift horses.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then, O mighty king, Drona's son rushed to an\nencounter with Arjuna in battle. And beholding his rush to the conflict\nlike a hurricane, showering shafts like a rain charged cloud Pritha's son\nreceived him with a cloud of arrows. And terrible was the encounter\nbetween them, like that between the gods and the Danavas. And they shot\narrows at each other like Virata and Vasava. And the welkin being\nenveloped on all sides with arrows, the sun was completely hidden, and\nthe air itself was hushed. And, O conqueror of hostile cities, as they\nassailed and struck each other, loud sounds arose as of bamboos on fire.\nAnd, O king, Aswatthaman's horses being sorely afflicted by Arjuna, they\nbecame bewildered and could not ascertain which way to go. And as\nPritha's son ranged on the field, the powerful son of Drona finding an\nopportunity, cut off the string of the Gandiva with an arrow furnished\nwith a horse-shoe head. And beholding that extraordinary feat of his, the\ncelestials applauded him highly. And exclaiming--'Well done'!--'Well\ndone'! Drona and Bhishma, and Karna, and the mighty warrior Kripa, all\napplauded that feat of his greatly. And the son of Drona, drawing his\nexcellent bow, pierced with his shafts, furnished with the feathers of\nthe Kanka bird, the breast of Partha, that bull among warriors.\nThereupon, with a loud laughter, the mighty-armed son of Pritha attached\na strong and fresh string to Gandiva. And moistening his bow-string with\nthe sweat that stood on his forehead resembling the crescent moon,\nPritha's son advanced towards his adversary, even as an infuriated leader\nof a herd of elephants rusheth at another elephant. And the encounter\nthat took place between those two matchless heroes on the field of battle\nwas exceedingly fierce and made the bristles of the spectators stand on\ntheir ends. And as those heroes endued with mighty energy fought on, the\ntwo mighty elephants, the Kurus beheld them with wonder. And those brave\nbulls among men assailed each other with arrows of snaky forms and\nresembling blazing fires. And as the couple of quivers belonging to the\nPandava was inexhaustible, that hero was able to remain on the field\nimmovable as a mountain. And as Aswatthaman's arrows, in consequence of\nhis ceaseless discharge in that conflict, were quickly exhausted, it was\nfor this that Arjuna prevailed over his adversary. Then Karna, drawing\nhis large bow with great force twanged the bow-string. And thereupon\narose loud exclamation of 'Oh'! and 'Alas'! And Pritha's son, casting his\neyes towards the spot where that bow was twanged, beheld before him the\nson of Radha. And at that sight his wrath was greatly excited. And\ninflamed with ire and desirous of slaying Karna, that bull of the Kuru\nrace stared at him with rolling eyes. And, O king, beholding Partha turn\naway from Aswatthaman's side, the Kuru warriors discharged thousands of\narrows on Arjuna. And the mighty-armed Dhananjaya, that conqueror of\nfoes, leaving Drona's son, all on a sudden rushed towards Karna. And\nrushing towards Karna, with eyes reddened in anger the son of Kunti,\ndesirous of a single combat with him, said these words.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LX\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'The time, O Karna, hath now come for making good thy\nloquacious boast in the midst of the assembly, viz., that there is none\nequal to thee in fight. Today, O Karna, contending with me in terrible\nconflict, thou shalt know thy own strength, and shalt no longer disregard\nothers. Abandoning good breeding, thou hadst uttered many harsh words,\nbut this that thou endeavourest to do, is, I think, exceedingly\ndifficult. Do thou now, O Radha's son, contending with me in the sight of\nthe Kurus, make good what thou hadst said before in disregard of myself.\nThou who hadst witnessed Panchala's princess outraged by villains in the\nmidst of the court, do thou now reap the fruit of that act of thine.\nFettered by the bonds of morality before, I desisted from vengeance then.\nBehold now, O son of Radha, the fruit of that wrath in conflict at hand.\nO wicked wight, we have suffered much misery in that forest for full\ntwelve years. Reap thou today the fruits of our concentrated vengeance.\nCome, O Karna, cope with me in battle. Let these thy Kaurava warriors\nwitness the conflict.' Hearing these words, Karna replied, 'Do thou, O\nPartha, accomplish in deed what thou sayst in words. The world knows that\nthy words verily exceed thy deed. That thou hadst foreborne formerly was\nowing to thy inability to do anything. If we witness thy prowess even\nnow, we may acknowledge its truth. If thy past forbearance was due to thy\nhaving been bound by the bonds of morality, truly thou art equally bound\nnow although thou regardest thyself free. Having as thou sayst, passed\nthy exile in the woods in strict accordance with thy pledge and being\ntherefore weakened by practising an ascetic course of life, how canst\nthou desire a combat with me now? O Pritha's son, if Sakra himself fight\non thy side, still I would feel no anxiety in putting forth my prowess.\nThy wish, O son of Kunti, is about to be gratified. Do thou fight with me\nnow, and behold my strength.' Hearing this, Arjuna said, 'Even now, O\nRadha's son, thou hadst fled from battle with me, and it is for this that\nthou livest although thy younger brother hath been slain. What other\nperson, save thee, having beheld his younger brother slain in battle\nwould himself fly from the field, and boast as thou dost, amid good and\ntrue men?'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having said these words unto Karna, the\ninvincible Vibhatsu rushed at him and charged a volley, of shafts capable\nof penetrating through a coat of mail. But that mighty car-warrior,\nKarna, received with great alacrity that discharge with an arrowy shower\nof his own, heavy as the downpour of the clouds. And that fierce volley\nof arrows covered all sides and severally pierced the steeds and arms and\nleathern fences of the combatants. And incapable of putting up with that\nassault, Arjuna cut off the strings of Karna's quiver by means of a\nstraight and sharp arrow. Thereupon, taking out from his quiver another\narrow, Karna pierced the Pandava in the hand at which the latter's hold\nof the bow was loosened. And then the mighty-armed Partha cut off Karna's\nbow into fragments. And Karna replied by hurling a dart at his adversary,\nbut Arjuna cut it off by means of his arrows. And then the warriors that\nfollowed the son of Radha rushed in crowds at Arjuna, but Partha sent\nthem all to the abode of Yama by means of arrows shot from the Gandiva.\nAnd Vibhatsu slew the steeds of Karna by means of sharp and tough arrows\nshot from the bow-string drawn to the ear, and deprived of life they\ndropped down on the ground. And taking another sharp and blazing arrow\nendued with great energy, the mighty son of Kunti pierced the breast of\nKarna. And that arrow, cleaving through his mail, penetrated into his\nbody. And at this, Karna's vision was obscured and his senses left him.\nAnd regaining consciousness, he felt a great pain, and leaving the combat\nfled in a northernly direction. And at this, the mighty car-warrior\nArjuna and Uttara, both began to address him contumely.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having defeated Vikartana's son, Arjuna said unto\nthe son of Virata, 'Take me towards that division where yonder device of\na golden palmyra is seen. There our grandfather, Santanu's son, like unto\na celestial, waiteth, desirous of an encounter with me.' Thereupon,\nbeholding that mighty host thronged with cars and horses and elephants,\nUttara, sorely pierced with arrows, said, 'O hero, I am no longer able to\nguide thy excellent steeds. My spirits droop and my mind is exceedingly\nbewildered. All the directions seem to be whirling before my eyes in\nconsequence of the energy of the celestial weapons used by thee and the\nKurus. I have been deprived of my senses by the stench of fat and blood\nand flesh. Beholding all this, from terror my mind is, as it were, cleft\nin twain. Never before had I beheld such a muster of horses in battle.\nAnd at the flapping of fences, and the blare of conchs, the leonine roars\nmade by the warriors and the shrieks of elephants, and the twang of the\nGandiva resembling the thunder, I have, O hero, been so stupefied that I\nhave been deprived of both hearing and memory. And, O hero, beholding\nthee incessantly drawing to a circle, in course of the conflict, the\nGandiva which resembleth a circle of fire, my sight faileth me and my\nheart is rent asunder. And seeing thy fierce form in battle, like that of\nthe wielder of the Pinaka while inflamed with wrath, and looking also at\nthe terrible arrows shot by thee, I am filled with fear. I fail to see\nwhen thou takest up thy excellent arrows, when thou fixest them on the\nbow-string, and when thou lettest them off. And though all this is done\nbefore my eyes, yet, deprived of my senses, I do not see it. My spirits\nare drooping and earth itself seems to be swimming before me. I have no\nstrength to hold the whip and the reins.' Hearing these words, Arjuna\nsaid, 'Do thou not fear. Assure thyself. Thou also hast, on the field of\nbattle performed, O bull among men, wonderful feats. Blessed be thou,\nthou art a prince and born in the illustrious line of Matsyas. It\nbehoveth thee not to feel dispirited in chastising thy foes. Therefore, O\nprince, stationed on my car, muster all thy fortitude and hold the reins\nof my steeds, O slayer of foes, when I once more become engaged in\nbattle.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having said this unto Virata's son, that best\nof men and foremost of car-warriors, the mighty-armed Arjuna, again\naddressed the son of Virata, saying. 'Take me without delay to the van of\nBhishma's division. I will cut off his very bow-string in the battle.\nThou shalt behold today the celestial weapons of blazing beauty, shot by\nme, look like flashes of lightning disporting amid the clouds in the sky.\nThe Kauravas shall behold the gold-decked back of my Gandiva today, and\nassembled together the foe shall dispute, saying,--\"By which hand of his,\nthe right or the left, doth he shoot?\" And I shall cause a dreadful river\n(of death) to flow today towards the other world with blood for its\nwaters and cars for its eddies, and elephants for its crocodiles. I shall\ntoday, with my straight arrows, extirpate the Kuru forest having hands\nand feet and heads and backs and arms for the branches of its trees.\nAlone, bow in hand, vanquishing the Kuru host, a hundred paths shall open\nbefore me like those of a forest in conflagration. Struck by me thou\nshalt today behold the Kuru army moving round and round like a wheel\n(unable to fly off the field). I shall show thee today my excellent\ntraining in arrows and weapons. Stay thou on my car firmly, whether the\nground be smooth or uneven. I can pierce with my winged arrows even the\nmountain of Sumeru that stands touching the very heavens. I slew of old,\nat Indra's command, hundreds and thousands of Paulomas and Kalakhanjas in\nbattle. I have obtained my firmness of grasp from Indra, and my lightness\nof hand from Brahman, and I have learnt various modes of fierce attack\nand defence amid crowds of foes from Prajapati. I vanquished, on the\nother side of the great ocean, sixty thousands of car-warriors--all\nfierce archers--residing in Hiranyapura. Behold, now I defeat the\nmultitudinous host of the Kurus like a tempest scattering a heap of\ncotton. With my fiery arrows I shall today set the Kuru-forest to fire,\nhaving banners for its trees, the foot-soldiers for its shrubs, and the\ncar-warriors for its beasts of prey. Like unto the wielder of the\nthunderbolt overthrowing the Danavas, alone I shall, with my straight\narrows, bring down from the chambers of their cars the mighty warrior of\nthe Kuru army stationed therein and struggling in the conflict to the\nbest of their power. I have obtained from Rudra the Raudra, from Varuna\nthe Varuna, from Agni the Agneya, from the god of Wind the Vayava, and\nfrom Sakra the thunderbolt and other weapons. I shall certainly\nexterminate the fierce Dhartarashtra-forest though protected by many\nleonine warriors. Therefore, O Virata's son, let thy fears be dispelled.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus assured by Savyasachin, the son of Virata\npenetrated into that fierce array of cars protected by Bhishma. The son\nof Ganga, however, of fierce deeds, cheerfully withstood the mighty-armed\nhero advancing from desire of vanquishing the heroes in battle. Jishnu,\nthen, confronting Bhishma, cut off his standard clean off at the roots by\nshooting a gold-decked arrow pierced by which it fell to the ground. And\nat this, four mighty warriors, Dussasana and Vikarna and Dussaha and\nVivinsati, skilled in weapons and endued with great energy, and all\ndecked with handsome garlands and ornaments, rushed towards that terrible\nbowman. And advancing towards Vibhatsu--that fierce archer, these all\nencompassed him around. Then the heroic Dussasana pierced the son of\nVirata with a crescent-shaped arrow and he pierced Arjuna with another\narrow in the breast. And Jishnu, confronting Dussasana, cut off by means\nof a sharp-edged arrow furnished with vulturine wings his adversary's bow\nplaited with gold, and then pierced his person in the breast by means of\nfive arrows. And afflicted by the arrows of Partha, Dussasana fled,\nleaving the combat. Then Vikarna, the son of Dhritarashtra, pierced\nArjuna--that slayer of hostile heroes, by means of sharp and straight\narrows furnished with vulturine wings. But the son of Kunti within a\nmoment hit him also in the forehead with straight shafts. And pierced by\nArjuna, he fell down from his car. And at this, Dussaha, supported by\nVivinsati, covered Arjuna with a cloud of sharp arrows, impelled by the\ndesire of rescuing his brother. Dhananjaya, however, without the least\nanxiety, pierced both of them almost at the same instant by means of a\ncouple of keen-edged arrows and then slew the steeds of both. And there\nupon, both those sons of Dhritarashtra, deprived of their steeds and\ntheir bodies mangled were taken away by the warrior behind them who had\nrushed forward with other cars. Then the unvanquished Vibhatsu, the\nmighty son of Kunti, decked with diadem and sure of aim, simultaneously\nattacked all sides with his arrows.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then, O thou of the Bharata race, all the great\ncar-warriors of the Kurus, united together, began to assail Arjuna to the\nbest of their might from all sides. But that hero of immeasurable soul\ncompletely covered all those mighty car-warriors with clouds of arrows,\neven as the mist covereth the mountains. And the roars of huge elephants\nand conchs, mingling together, produced a loud uproar. And penetrating\nthrough the bodies of elephants and horses as also through steel coats of\nmail, the arrows shot by Partha fell by thousands. And shooting shafts\nwith the utmost celerity, the son of Pandu seemed in that contest to\nresemble the blazing sun of an autumnal midday. And afflicted with fear,\nthe car-warriors began to leap down from their cars and the\nhorse-soldiers from horse-back, while the foot-soldiers began to fly in\nall directions. And loud was the clatter made by Arjuna's shafts as they\ncleft the coats of mail belonging to mighty warriors, made of steel,\nsilver, and copper. And the field was soon covered with the corpses of\nwarriors mounted on elephants and horses, all mangled by the shafts of\nPartha of great impetuosity like unto sighing snakes. And then it seemed\nas if Dhananjaya, bow in hand, was dancing on the field of battle. And\nsorely affrighted at the twang of the Gandiva resembling the noise of the\nthunder, many were the combatants that fled from that terrible conflict.\nAnd the field of battle was bestrewn with severed heads decked with\nturbans, ear-rings and necklaces of gold, and the earth looked beautiful\nby being scattered all over with human trunks mangled by shafts, and arms\nhaving bows in their grasp and hands decked with ornaments. And, O bull\nof the Bharata race, in consequence of heads cut off by whetted shafts\nceaselessly falling on the ground, it seemed as if a shower of stones\nfell from the sky. And that Partha of formidable prowess, displaying his\nfierceness, now ranged the field of battle, pouring the terrible fire of\nhis wrath upon the sons of Dhritarashtra. And beholding the fierce\nprowess of Arjuna who thus scorched the hostile host, the Kuru warriors,\nin the very presence of Duryodhana, became dispirited and ceased to\nfight. And, O Bharata, having struck terror into that host and routed\nthose mighty car-warriors, that fore-most of victors, ranged on the\nfield. And the son of Pandu then created on the field of battle a\ndreadful river of blood, with waving billows, like unto the river of\ndeath that is created by Time at the end of the Yuga, having the\ndishevelled hair of the dead and the dying for its floating moss and\nstraw, with bows and arrows for its boats, fierce in the extreme and\nhaving flesh and animal juices for its mire. And coats of mail and\nturbans floated thick on its surface. And elephants constituted its\nalligators and the cars its rafts. And marrow and fat and blood\nconstituted its currents. And it was calculated to strike terror into the\nhearts of the spectators. And dreadful to behold, and fearful in the\nextreme, and resounding with the yells of ferocious beasts, keen edged\nweapons constituted its crocodiles. And Rakshasas and other cannibals\nhaunted it from one end to the other. And strings of pearls constituted\nits ripples, and various excellent ornaments, its bubbles. And having\nswarms of arrows for its fierce eddies and steeds for its tortoises, it\nwas incapable of being crossed. And the mighty car warrior constituted\nits large island, and it resounded with the bleat of conchs and the sound\nof drums. And the river of blood that Partha created was incapable of\nbeing crossed. Indeed, so swift-handed was Arjuna that the spectators\ncould not perceive any interval between his taking up an arrow, and\nfixing it on the bow-string, and letting it off by a stretch of the\nGandiva.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then while a great havoc was being made among the\nKurus, Santanu's son, Bhishma, and grandsire of the Bharatas rushed at\nArjuna, taking up an excellent bow adorned with gold, and many arrows\nalso of keen points and capable of piercing into the very vitals of the\nfoe and afflicting him sorely. And in consequence of a white umbrella\nbeing held over his head, that tiger among men looked beautiful like unto\na hill at sunrise. And the son of Ganga, blowing his conch cheered the\nsons of Dhritarashtra, and wheeling along his right came upon Vibhatsu\nand impeded his course. And that slayer of hostile heroes, the son of\nKunti, beholding him approach, received him with a glad heart, like a\nhill receiving a rain-charged cloud. And Bhishma, endued with great\nenergy, pierced Partha's flag-staff with eight arrows. The arrows\nreaching the flag-staff of Pandu's son, struck the blazing ape and those\ncreatures also stationed in the banner-top. And then the son of Pandu,\nwith a mighty javelin of sharp edge cut off Bhishma's umbrella which\ninstantly fell on the ground. And then the light-handed son of Kunti\nstruck his adversary's flag-staff also with many shafts, and then his\nsteeds and then the couple of drivers that protected Bhishma's flanks.\nAnd unable to bear this, Bhishma though cognisant of the Pandava's might,\ncovered Dhananjaya with a powerful celestial weapon. And the son of\nPandu, of immeasurable soul, hurling in return a celestial weapon at\nBhishma, received that from Bhishma like a hill receiving a deep mass of\nclouds. And the encounter that took place between Partha and Bhishma, was\nfierce and the Kaurava warriors with their troops stood as lookers on.\nAnd in the conflict between Bhishma and the son of Pandu, shafts striking\nagainst shafts shone in the air like fireflies in the season of rains.\nAnd, O king, in consequence of Partha's shooting arrows with both his\nright and left hands, the bent Gandiva seemed like a continuous circle of\nfire. And the son of Kunti then covered Bhishma with hundreds of sharp\nand keen-edged arrows, like a cloud covering the mountain-breast with its\nheavy downpour. And Bhishma baffled with his own arrows that arrowy\nshower, like the bank resisting the swelling sea, and covered the son of\nPandu in return. And those warriors, cut into a thousand pieces in\nbattle, fell fast in the vicinity of Falguna's car. And then there was a\ndownpour, from the car of Pandu's son, of arrows furnished with golden\nwing, and raining through the sky like a flight of locusts. And Bhishma\nagain repelled that arrowy shower with hundreds of whetted shafts shot by\nhim. And then the Kauravas exclaimed.--'Excellent! Excellent!'--Indeed,\nBhishma hath performed an exceedingly difficult feat inasmuch as he hath\nfought with Arjuna. Dhananjaya is mighty and youthful, and dexterous and\nswift of hand. Who else, save Bhishma, the son of Santanu, or Krishna,\nthe son of Devaki, or the mighty son of Bharadwaja, the foremost of\npreceptors, is able to bear the impetus of Partha in battle? And\nrepelling weapons with weapons, those two bulls of the Bharata race, both\nendued with great might, fought on playfully and infatuated the eyes of\nall created beings. And those illustrious warriors ranged on the field of\nbattle, using the celestials weapons obtained from Prajapati and Indra,\nand Agni and the fierce Rudra, and Kuvera, and Varuna, and Yama, and\nVayu. And all beings were greatly surprised, upon beholding those\nwarriors engaged in combat. And they all exclaimed,--'Bravo Partha of long\narms! Bravo Bhishma!' Indeed, this application of celestial weapons that\nis being witnessed in the combat between Bhishma and Partha is rare among\nhuman beings.\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus raged that conflict with weapons between\nthose warriors conversant with all weapons. And when that conflict of\ncelestial weapons ceased, then commenced a conflict with arrows. And\nJishnu approaching his opponent, cut off with an arrow sharp like a razor\nthe gold-decked bow of Bhishma. Within the twinkling of the eye, however,\nBhishma, that mighty-armed and great car-warrior, took up another bow and\nstringed it. And inflamed with wrath, he showered upon Dhananjaya a cloud\nof arrows. And Arjuna, too, endued with great energy, rained upon Bhishma\ninnumerable sharp-pointed and keen-edged arrows. And Bhishma also shot\nclouds of arrows upon Pandu's son. And conversant with celestial weapons\nand engaged in shooting at each other, arrows of keen points, no\ndistinction, O king, could then be perceived between those illustrious\nwarriors. And that mighty car-warrior, Kunti's son, covered with a\ndiadem, and the heroic son of Santanu, obscured the ten directions with\ntheir arrows. And the Pandava covered Bhishma, and Bhishma also covered\nthe Pandava, with clouds of shafts. And, O king, wonderful was this\ncombat that took place in this world of men. And the heroic warriors that\nprotected Bhishma's car, slain by the son of Pandu, fell prostrate, O\nmonarch, beside the car of Kunti's son. And the feathery arrows of\nSwetavahana, shot from the Gandiva, fell in all directions as if with the\nobject of making a wholesale slaughter of the foe. And issuing forth from\nhis car those blazing arrows furnished with golden wings looked like rows\nof swans in the sky. And all the celestials with Indra, stationed in the\nfirmament, gazed with wonder upon another celestial weapon hurled with\ngreat force by that wonderful archer Arjuna. And beholding that wonderful\nweapon of great beauty, the mighty Gandiva, Chitrasena, highly pleased,\naddressed the lord of celestials, saying, 'Behold these arrows shot by\nPartha coursing through the sky in one continuous line. Wonderful is the\ndexterity of Jishnu in evolving this celestial weapon! Human beings are\nincapable of shooting such a weapon, for it does not exist among men. How\nwonderful again is this concourse of mighty weapons existing from days of\nold! No interval can be perceived between his taking up the arrows,\nfixing them on the bow-string, and letting them off by stretching the\nGandiva. The soldiers are incapable of even looking at the son of Pandu,\nwho is like unto the midday sun blazing in the sky. So also none ventures\nto look at Bhishma, the son of Ganga. Both are famous for their\nachievements, and both are of fierce prowess. Both are equal in feats of\nheroism, and both are difficult of being vanquished in battle.'\n\n\"Thus addressed by the Gandharva about that combat between Partha and\nBhishma, the lord of the celestials, O Bharata, paid proper respect unto\nboth by a shower of celestial flowers. Meanwhile, Bhishma, the son of\nSantanu, assailed Arjuna on the left side, while that drawer of the bow\nwith either hands was on the point of piercing him. And at this,\nVibhatsu, laughing aloud, cut off with an arrow of keen edge and\nfurnished with vulturine wings, the bow of Bhishma, that hero of solar\neffulgence. And then Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, pierced Bhishma in the\nbreast with ten shafts although the latter was contending with all his\nprowess. And sorely afflicted with pain Ganga's son of mighty arms and\nirresistible in battle, stood for a long time leaning on the pole of his\ncar. And beholding him deprived of consciousness the driver of his\ncar-steeds, calling to mind the instructions about protecting the\nwarriors when in a swoon, led him away for safety.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After Bhishma had fled, leaving the van of battle,\nthe illustrious son of Dhritarashtra hoisting high his flag approached\nArjuna, bow in hand and setting up a loud roar. And with a spear-headed\nshaft shot from his bow stretched to the ear, he pierced on the forehead\nof that terrible bowman of fierce prowess, Dhananjaya, ranging amidst the\nfoes. And pierced with that keen shaft of golden point on the forehead,\nthat hero of famous deeds looked resplendent, O king, like unto a\nbeautiful hill with a single peak. And cut by that arrow, the warm\nlife-blood gushed out profusely from the wound. And the blood trickling\ndown his body shone beautifully like a wreath of golden flowers. And\nstruck by Duryodhana with the shaft, the swift-handed Arjuna of unfailing\nstrength, swelling with rage, pierced the king in return, taking up\narrows that were endued with the energy of snakes of virulent poison. And\nDuryodhana of formidable energy attacked Partha, and Partha also, that\nforemost of heroes, attacked Duryodhana. And it was that those foremost\nof men, both born in the race of Ajamida, struck each other alike in the\ncombat. And then (seated) on an infuriate elephant huge as a mountain and\nsupported by four cars, Vikarna rushed against Jishnu, the son of Kunti.\nAnd beholding that huge elephant, advancing with speed, Dhananjaya struck\nhim on the head between the temples with an iron arrow of great impetus\nshot from the bow-string stretched to the ear. And like the thunderbolt\nhurled by Indra splitting a mountain, that arrow furnished with vulturine\nwings, shot by Partha, penetrated, up to the very feathers, into the body\nof that elephant huge as hill. And sorely afflicted by the shaft, that\nlord of the elephant species began to tremble, and deprived of strength\nfell down on the ground in intense anguish, like the peak of mountain\nriven by thunder. And that best of elephants falling down on the earth,\nVikarna suddenly alighting in great terror, ran back full eight hundred\npaces and ascended on the car of Vivinsati. And having slain with that\nthunder-like arrow that elephant huge as a mighty hill and looking like a\nmass of clouds, the son of Pritha smote Duryodhana in the breast with\nanother arrow of the same kind. And both the elephant and the king having\nthus been wounded, and Vikarna having broken and fled along with the\nsupporters of the king's car, the other warriors, smitten with the arrows\nshot from the Gandiva, fled from the field in panic. And beholding the\nelephant slain by Partha, and all the other warriors running away,\nDuryodhana, the foremost of the Kurus, turning away his car precipitately\nfled in that direction where Partha was not. And when Duryodhana was fast\nrunning away in alarm, pierced by that arrow and vomitting forth blood,\nKiritin, still eager for battle and capable of enduring every enemy, thus\ncensured him from wrath, 'Sacrificing thy great fame and glory, why dost\nthou fly away, turning thy back? Why are not those trumpets sounded now,\nas they were when thou hadst set out from thy kingdom? Lo, I am an\nobedient servant of Yudhishthira, myself being the third son of Pritha,\nstanding here for battle. Turn back, show me thy face, O son of\nDhritarashtra, and bear in thy mind the behaviour of kings. The name\nDuryodhana bestowed on thee before is hereby rendered meaningless. When\nthou runnest away, leaving the battle, where is thy persistence in\nbattle? Neither do I behold thy body-guards, O Duryodhana, before nor\nbehind. O foremost of men, fly thou away and save thy life which is dear\nfrom the hands of Pandu's son.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Thus summoned to battle by the illustrious hero,\nDhritarashtra's son turned back stung by those censures, like an\ninfuriate and mighty elephant pricked by a hook. And stung by those\nreproaches and unable to bear them, that mighty and brave car-warrior\nendued with great swiftness, turned back on his car, like a snake that is\ntrampled under foot. And beholding Duryodhana turn back with his wounds,\nKarna, that hero among men, decked with a golden necklace, stopped the\nking on the way and soothing him, himself proceeded along the north of\nDuryodhana's car to meet Partha in battle. And the mighty-armed Bhishma\nalso, the son of Santanu, turning back his steeds decked with gold,\nenormous in size, and of tawny hue, rushed bow in hand, for protecting\nDuryodhana from Partha's hand. And Drona and Kripa and Vivinsati and\nDussasana and others also, quickly turning back, rushed forward with\nspeed with drawn bows and arrows fixed on the bow-strings, for protecting\nDuryodhana. And beholding those divisions advance towards him like the\nswelling surges of the ocean, Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, quickly\nrushed at them like a crane rushing at a descending cloud. And with\ncelestial weapons in their hands, they completely surrounded the son of\nPritha and rained on him from all sides a perfect shower of shafts, like\nclouds showering on the mountain breast a heavy downpour of rain. And\nwarding off with weapons, all the weapons of those bulls among the Kurus,\nthe wielder of the Gandiva who was capable of enduring all foes, evolved\nanother irresistible weapon obtained from Indra, called Sanmohana. And\nentirely covering the cardinal and other directions with sharp and\nkeen-edged arrows furnished with beautiful feathers, that mighty hero\nstupefied their senses with the twang of the Gandiva. And once more,\ntaking up with both his hands that large conch of loud blare, Partha,\nthat slayer of foes, blew it with force and filled the cardinal and other\npoints, the whole earth, and sky, with that noise. And those foremost of\nthe Kuru heroes were all deprived of their senses by the sound of that\nconch blown by Partha. And all of them stood still, their bows, from\nwhich they were never separated, dropping down from their hands. And when\nthe Kuru army became insensible, Partha calling to mind the words of\nUttara, addressed the son of the Matsya king, saying, 'O best of men, go\nthou among the Kurus, so long as they remain insensible, and bring away\nthe white garments of Drona and Kripa, and the yellow and handsome ones\nof Karna, as also the blue ones of the king and Drona's son. Methinks,\nBhishma is not stupefied, for he knoweth how to counteract this weapon of\nmine. So, pass thou on, keeping his steeds to thy left; for those that\nare sensible should thus be avoided.' Hearing these words, the\nillustrious son of Matsya, giving up the reins of the steeds, jumped down\nfrom the car and taking off the garments of the warriors, came back to\nhis place. And the son of Virata then urged the four handsome steeds with\nflanks adorned with golden armours. And those white steeds, urged on,\ntook Arjuna away from the midst of battle-field and beyond the array of\nthe infantry bearing standards in their hands. And, Bhishma, beholding\nthat best of men thus going away, struck him with arrows. And Partha,\ntoo, having slain Bhishma's steeds, pierced him with ten shafts. And\nabandoning Bhishma on the field of battle, having first slain his\ncar-driver, Arjuna with a good-looking bow in hand came out of that\nmultitude of cars, like the sun emerging from the clouds. And\nDhritarashtra's son, that foremost of heroes among the Kurus, recovering\nhis senses, saw the son of Pritha standing like the lord of the\ncelestials, alone on the battle-field. And he said in hurry (unto\nBhishma), 'How hath this one escaped from thee? Do thou afflict him in\nsuch a way that he may not escape.' And at this, Santanu's son, smiling,\nsaid unto him, 'Where had been this sense of thine, and where had been\nthy prowess too, when thou hadst been in a state of unconsciousness\nrenouncing thy arrows and handsome bow? Vibhatsu is not addicted to the\ncommission of atrocious deeds; nor is his soul inclined to sin. He\nrenounceth not his principles even for the sake of the three worlds. It\nis for this only that all of us have not been slain in this battle. O\nthou foremost of Kuru heroes, go back to the city of the Kurus, and let\nPartha also go away, having conquered the kine. Do thou never foolishly\nthrow away thy own good. Indeed, that which leadeth to one's welfare\nought to be accomplished.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having listened to the words of the grandsire\nthat tended to his own welfare, the wrathful king Duryodhana no longer\neager for battle, drew a deep sigh and became silent. And reflecting that\nthe advice of Bhishma was beneficial and seeing that the Pandavas gaining\nin strength, the other warriors also, desirous of protecting Duryodhana,\nresolved to return. And beholding those foremost of Kuru heroes departing\nfor their city, Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, with a cheerful heart\nfollowed them for a while, desirous of addressing and worshipping them.\nAnd having worshipped the aged grandsire--the son of Santanu, as also the\npreceptor Drona, and having saluted with beautiful arrows Drona's son and\nKripa and other venerable ones among the Kurus, the son of Pritha broke\ninto fragments Duryodhana's crown decked with precious gems, with another\narrow. And having saluted all the venerable and brave warriors thus, he\nfilled the three worlds with the twang of the Gandiva. And suddenly\nblowing his conch called Devadatta, the hero pierced the hearts of all\nhis foes. And having humbled the hostile, he looked resplendent on his\ncar decked with a handsome flag. And beholding the Kurus depart, Kiritin\ncheerfully said unto Matsya's son, 'Turn back thy steeds; thy kine have\nbeen recovered; the foe is going away and do thou also return to thy city\nwith a cheerful heart.' And the celestials also, having witnessed that\nmost wonderful encounter between Falguna and the Kurus, were highly\ndelighted, and went to their respective abodes, reflecting upon Partha's\nfeats.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having vanquished the Kurus in battle, that one with\neyes like those of a bull brought back that profuse cattle wealth of\nVirata. And while the Dhritarashtra, after their rout, were going away, a\nlarge number of Kuru-soldiers issuing out of the deep forest appeared\nwith slow steps before Partha, their hearts afflicted with fear. And they\nstood before him with joined palms and with hair dishevelled. And\nfatigued with hunger and thirst, arrived in a foreign land, insensible\nwith terror, and confused in mind, they all bowed down unto the son of\nPritha and said,--'We are thy slaves.'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'Welcome, blessed be ye. Go ye away. Ye have no cause of\nfear. I will not take the lives of them that are afflicted. Ye have my\nassurance of protection.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these words of assurance, the assembled\nwarriors greeted him with benedictions in praise of his achievements and\nfame and wishing him long life. And the Kauravas were unable to confront\nArjuna while after routing the foe he proceeded towards the city of\nVirata, like an elephant with rent temples. And having routed the whole\narmy of the Kuru like a violent wind scattering the clouds, that slayer\nof foes, Partha, regardfully addressing the prince of Matsya, said, 'It\nis known to thee alone, O child, that the sons of Pritha are all living\nwith thy father. Do not eulogise them upon entering the city, for then\nthe king of the Matsyas may hide himself in fear. On the other hand,\nentering the city, do thou proclaim in the presence of thy father that\nthe deed is thy own, saying,--\"By me hath the army of the Kurus been\nvanquished and by me have the kine been recovered from the foe!\"'\n\n\"Uttara said, 'The feat thou hast achieved is beyond my power. I do not\npossess the ability to achieve it. I shall not, however, O Savyasachin,\ndiscover thee to my father, as long as thou wilt not tell me to do it.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having vanquished the hostile army and wrested\nthe whole of the cattle wealth from the Kurus, Jishnu returned again to\nthe cemetery and having approached the same Sami tree stood there with\nbody mangled by the arrows of the enemy. Then that terrible monkey\nblazing like fire ascended into the sky with those other creatures in the\nflag-staff. And the illusion created (by Viswakarma) melted away and\nUttara's own banner bearing the device of a lion was set up on the car\nagain. And having replaced the arrows and quivers of those foremost of\nthe Kuru princes, and also that other weapon the (Gandiva) which enhances\nthe fierceness of a battle, the illustrious prince of Matsya set out for\nthe city with a glad heart, having Kiritin as his charioteer. And having\nachieved an exceedingly mighty feat and slain the foe, Partha also, that\nslayer of foes, binding his hair into a braid as before, took the reins\nfrom Uttara's hands. And that illustrious hero entered the city of\nVirata, with a cheerful heart rehabilitating himself as Vrihannala, the\ncar-driver of Uttara.\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"When all the Kauravas utterly routed and\nvanquished, set out in a dejected mood for Hastinapura, Falguna, on his\nway back, addressed Uttara, saying, 'O prince, O hero of mighty arms,\nseeing the kine escorted in advance of us by the cowherds, we shall enter\nVirata's metropolis in the afternoon, having tended the steeds with drink\nand a bath. Let the cowherds, despatched by thee, speedily repair to the\ncity with the good news and proclaim thy victory.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Agreeable to Arjuna's words, Uttara speedily\nordered the messengers, saying, 'Go ye and proclaim the king's victory.\nThe foe hath been routed, and the kine have been recovered.' And the\nMatsya and the Bharata princes having thus consulted together\nre-approached the same Sami tree. And gratified with the victory they had\nwon, and arrived at the foot of the Sami tree, they wore on their persons\nand took up on their car the ornaments and robes they had left there. And\nhaving vanquished the whole hostile army and recovered the whole of the\nwealth from the Kurus, the heroic son of Virata returned to the city with\nVrihannala as his car-driver.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having speedily recovered his wealth Virata owning a\nlarge army entered his city with a cheerful heart, accompanied by the\nfour Pandavas. And having vanquished the Trigartas in battle and\nrecovered all the kine, that mighty monarch, along with the sons of\nPritha, looked resplendent and blazed forth in beauty. And as the brave\nking, that enhancer of the joys of friends, was seated on his throne, all\nhis subjects headed by the Brahmanas stood before him. And worshipped by\nthem, the king of the Matsyas, at the head of his army, saluted the\nBrahmanas and his subjects in return and dismissed them cheerfully. And\nVirata, the king of the Matsyas owning a large army, enquired after\nUttara, saying, 'Where hath Uttara gone?' And the women and the maidens\nof the palace and the other females living in the inner apartments\njoyfully said unto him, 'Our kine having been seized by the Kurus,\nBhuminjaya incensed at this and from excess of bravery hath issued forth\nalone with only Vrihannala as his second, for vanquishing the six mighty\ncar-warriors, Bhishma the son of Santanu, and Kripa, and Karna, and\nDuryodhana, and Drona, and Drona's son who have all come with the Kuru\narmy.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then king Virata, hearing that his brave son\nhad gone forth with only one car and with Vrihannala as his car-driver,\nbecame filled with grief, and addressing his chief counsellors, said,\n'Without doubt, the Kauravas and other lords of earth, learning the\ndefeat of the Trigartas, will never keep their ground. Therefore, let\nthose of my warriors that have not been wounded by the Trigartas go out,\naccompanied by a mighty force, for the protection of Uttara.' And saying\nthis, the king speedily despatched, for the sake of his son, horses and\nelephants and cars and a large number of foot-soldiers, equipped and\ndecked with various kinds of weapons and ornaments. And it was thus that\nVirata, the king of the Matsyas, owning a large army, quickly ordered out\na large division consisting of four kinds of troops. And having done\nthis, he said, 'Learn ye, without loss of time whether the prince liveth\nstill or not! I myself think that he who hath got a person of the neuter\nsex for his car-driver is not alive.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then king Yudhishthira the just, smilingly said\nunto the afflicted king Virata, 'If, O monarch, Vrihannala hath been his\ncharioteer, the foe will never be able to take away thy kine today.\nProtected by that charioteer, thy son will be able to vanquish in battle\nall the lords of earth allied with the Kurus, indeed, even the gods and\nthe Asuras and the Siddhas and the Yakshas together.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Meanwhile, the swift-footed messengers\ndespatched by Uttara, having reached Virata's city, gave tidings of the\nvictory. And the minister-in-chief then informed the king of everything,\nviz., the great victory that had been won, the defeat of the Kurus, and\nthe expected arrival of Uttara. And he said, 'All the kine have been\nbrought back, the Kurus have been defeated, and Uttara, that slayer of\nfoes, is well with his car-driver.' Then Yudhishthira said, 'By good luck\nit is that the kine have been recovered and the Kurus routed. I do not,\nhowever, regard it strange that thy son should have vanquished the Kurus,\nfor his victory is assured that hath Vrihannala for his charioteer.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing of the victory of his son possessed of\nimmeasurable might, king Virata became so glad that the bristles of his\nbody stood erect. And having made presents of raiments unto the\nmessengers, he ordered his ministers, saying, 'Let the highways be\ndecorated with flags, and let all the gods and goddesses be worshipped\nwith flowery offerings. And let princes and brave warriors, and musicians\nand harlots decked in ornaments, march out to receive my son. And let the\nbellman, speedily riding an intoxicated elephant, proclaim my victory at\nplaces where four roads meet. And let Uttara, too, in gorgeous attire and\nsurrounded by virgins and chanters of eulogies, go forth to receive my\nson.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having listened to these words of the king, all\nthe citizens with auspicious things in hand, and many amongst them with\ncymbals and trumpets and conchs, and beautiful women attired in gorgeous\nrobes, and reciters of auspicious and sacred hymns, accompanied by\nencomiasts and minstrels, and drummers and other kinds of musicians\nissued forth from the city of the mighty Virata to welcome Uttara of\nimmeasurable prowess. And having despatched troops and maidens and\ncourtesans decked in ornaments, the wise king of the Matsyas cheerfully\nsaid these words, 'O Sairindhri, fetch the dice. And, O Kanka, let the\nplay commence.' The son of Pandu replied, saying, 'We have heard it said\nthat one whose heart is filled with joy should not play with a cunning\ngambler. I do not therefore, dare gamble with thee that are so\ntransported with joy. I am ever desirous of doing what is for thy good.\nLet the play, however, commence if it pleases thee.'\n\n\"Virata said, 'My female slaves and kine, my gold and whatsoever other\nwealth I have, nothing of all this shall thou be able to protect today\neven if I do not gamble.' Kanka said in reply, 'O monarch, O bestower of\nhonours, what business hast thou with gamble which is attended with\nnumerous evils? Gambling is fraught with many evils; it should,\ntherefore, be shunned. Thou mayst have seen or at least heard of\nYudhishthira, the son of Pandu. He lost his extensive and prosperous\nkingdom and his god-like brothers at dice. For this, I am averse to\ngambling. But if thou likest, O king, I will play.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"While the play was going on, Matsya said unto\nthe son of Pandu, 'Lo, the Kauravas that are so formidable have been\nvanquished in battle by my son.' Upon this, the illustrious king\nYudhishthira said, 'Why should not he conquer that hath Vrihannala for\nhis charioteer?'\n\n\"Thus addressed, King Matsya became angry and said unto Pandu's son,\n'Thou wretch of a Brahmana, dost thou compare one of the neuter sex with\nmy son! Hast thou no knowledge of what is proper and what improper for\none to say? Without doubt, thou disregardest me. Why should not my son\nvanquish all those with Bhishma and Drona as their leaders? O Brahmana,\nfor friendship only I pardon thee this thy offence. Thou must not,\nhowever, say so again if thou wishest to live.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'There where Bhishma and Drona and Drona's son and\nthe son of Vikartana and Kripa and king Duryodhana and other royal and\nmighty car-warriors are assembled or there where Indra himself is\nsurrounded by the Maruts, what other person than Vrihannala can fight,\nencountering them all! None hath been, none will be, his equal in\nstrength of arms! Indeed, it is Vrihannala only whose heart is filled\nwith joy at sight of a terrible conflict. It is he who had vanquished the\ncelestials and the Asuras and human beings fighting together. With such a\none for his ally, why should not thy son conquer the foe?' Virata said,\n'Repeatedly forbidden by me, thou dost not yet restrain thy tongue. If\nthere is none to punish, no one would practise virtue.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Saying this, the king inflamed with anger\nforcibly struck Yudhishthira in the face with a dice, and reproached him\nangrily, saying, 'Let it not occur again!' And having been violently\nstruck, blood began to flow from his nose. But the son of Pritha held it\nin his hands before it fell on the ground. And the virtuous Yudhishthira\nthen glanced at Draupadi who was standing by his side. Ever obedient to\nthe wishes of her lord, the faultless Draupadi, understanding his\nmeaning, and bringing a golden vessel filled with water, received the\nblood that flowed from his nose. Meanwhile, Uttara, entertained with\nsweet perfumes of diverse kinds and decked with floral chaplets, slowly\nentered the city, received with respect by the citizens, the women, and\nthe people of the provinces. And approaching the gate of the palace he\nsent the news of his arrival to his father. And the porter then,\napproaching the king, said, 'Thy son Uttara, waiteth at the gate with\nVrihannala as his companion.' And the Matsya king, with a cheerful heart,\nsaid unto him, 'Do thou usher both, as I am very anxious to see them.'\nThen Yudhishthira, the king of the Kurus, gently whispered unto the ears\nof the warder, 'Let Uttara enter alone; Vrihannala must not come in. Such\nis the vow of that hero of mighty arms that whoever causeth a wound on my\nperson or sheddeth my blood except in battle, shall not live. Inflamed\nwith rage he will never bear patiently to see me bleeding, but will slay\nVirata even now with his counsellors and troops and steeds.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then Bhuminjaya, the eldest son of the king,\nentered, and having worshipped the feet of his father approached Kanka.\nAnd he beheld Kanka covered with blood, and seated on the ground at one\nend of the court, and waited upon by the Sairindhri. And seeing this,\nUttara asked his father in a hurry, saying, 'By whom, O king, hath this\none been struck? By whom hath this sinful act been perpetrated?'\n\n\"Virata said, 'This crooked Brahmana hath been struck by me. He deserveth\neven more than this. When I was praising thee, he praised that person of\nthe third sex.'\n\n\"Uttara said, 'Thou hast, O king, committed an improper act. Do thou\nspeedily propitiate him so that the virulent poison of a Brahmana's curse\nmay not consume thee to thy roots!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having heard the words of his son, Virata, that\nenhancer of the limits of his kingdom, began to soothe Kunti's son, who\nwas like unto a fire hid in ashes, for obtaining his forgiveness. And\nunto the king desirous of obtaining his pardon the Pandava replied, 'O\nking, I have long ago forgiven it. Anger I have none. Had this blood from\nmy nostrils fallen on the ground, then, without doubt, thou, O monarch,\nwouldst have been destroyed with thy kingdom. I do not, however, blame\nthee, O king, for having struck an innocent person. For, O king, they\nthat are powerful generally act with unreasoning severity.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"When the bleeding had stopped, Vrihannala\nentered (the council-room) and having saluted both Virata and Kanka,\nstood silent. And the king, having appeased the chief of the Kurus, began\nto praise, in Savyasachin's hearing, Uttara who had returned from the\nbattle. And the king said, 'O enhancer of the joys of Kekaya's princess,\nin thee have I truly a son! I never had nor shall have, a son that is\nequal to thee! How, indeed, couldst thou, O child, encounter that Karna\nwho leaveth not a single mark unhit amongst even a thousand that he may\naim at all at once? How couldst thou, O child, encounter that Bhishma who\nhath no equal in the whole world of men? How also couldst thou, O child,\nencounter Drona, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, that preceptor\nof the Vrishnis and Kauravas, twice-born one who may be regarded as the\npreceptor of all the Kshatriyas? How couldst thou meet in battle the\ncelebrated Aswatthaman? How couldst thou, O child, encounter that\nDuryodhana, the prince who is capable of piercing even a mountain with\nhis mighty arrows? My foes have all been thrashed. A delicious breeze\nseems to blow around me. And since thou hast recovered in battle the\nwhole of my wealth that had been seized by the Kurus, it seems that all\nthose mighty warriors were struck with panic. Without doubt, thou, O bull\namongst men, has routed the foe and snatched away from them my wealth of\nkine, like his prey from a tiger.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIX\n\n\"Uttara said, 'The kine have not been recovered by me, nor have the foe\nbeen vanquished by me. All that hath been accomplished by the son of a\ndeity. Capable of striking like a thunderbolt, that youth of celestial\norigin, beholding me running away in fear, stopped me and himself mounted\non my car. It was by him that the kine have been recovered and the\nKauravas vanquished. The deed, O father, is that hero's and not mine. It\nwas he that repulsed with arrows Kripa and Drona and Drona's son of\npowerful energy, and the Suta's son and Bhishma. That mighty hero then\nspoke unto the affrighted prince Duryodhana who was running away like the\nleader of a head of elephants, these words, \"O prince of the Kuru race, I\ndo not see that thou art safe by any means even at Hastinapura. Protect\nthy life by putting forth thy might. Thou shalt not escape me by flight.\nTherefore, make up thy mind for fight. If victorious, the sovereignty of\nthe earth will be thine, or if slain, heaven itself will be thine.\"\n\n\"'Thus addressed, king Duryodhana--that tiger among men surrounded by his\ncounsellors,--sighing on his car like a snake turned back, showered\narrows endued with the speed and force of thunderbolts. Beholding all\nthis, venerable sire, my thighs began to quake. Then that celestial youth\npierced with arrows the Kuru army consisting of leonine warriors. And\nhaving pierced and afflicted that crowd of cars, that youth, stout as the\nlion, laughed at them and robbed them of their clothes and attires.\nIndeed, the six great car-warriors of the Kurus were vanquished by that\nhero alone, even like herds of animals ranging in the forest by a single\ntiger in rage.'\n\n\"Virata said, 'Where is that mighty-armed and famous youth of celestial\norigin, that hero who recovered in battle my wealth that had been seized\nby the Kurus? I am anxious to behold and worship that mighty warrior of\ncelestial origin who hath saved thee and my kine also.'\n\n\"Uttara replied, 'The mighty son of a deity disappeared there and then. I\nthink, however, that he will show himself either tomorrow or the day\nafter.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Virata, that owner of a large army, remained\nignorant of the son of Pandu who was thus described unto him by Uttara,\nand who was living in the palace in disguise. And permitted by the\nhigh-souled Virata, Partha presented with his own hands the garments he\nhad brought, unto Virata's daughter. And the beautiful Uttara, obtaining\nthose new and costly clothes of diverse kinds, became highly glad, along\nwith the son of the Matsya king.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then, on the third day, attired in white robes after\na bath, and decked in ornaments of all kinds, those great car-warriors,\nthe five Pandava brothers, having accomplished their vow, and with\nYudhishthira at their head, looked resplendent as they entered the\npalace-gate like five intoxicated elephants. And having entered the\ncouncil-hall of Virata, they took their seats on the thrones reserved for\nkings, and shone brilliantly like fires on the sacrificial altar. And\nafter the Pandavas had taken their seats, Virata, that lord of earth, came\nthere for holding his council and discharging other royal offices. And\nbeholding the illustrious Pandavas blazing like fires, the king reflected\nfor a moment. And then, filled with wrath, the Matsya king spoke unto\nKanka seated there like a celestial and looking like the lord of\ncelestials surrounded by the Maruts. And he said, 'A player at dice thou\nwert employed by me as a courtier! How couldst thou occupy the royal seat\nthus attired in handsome robes and ornaments?'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these words of Virata, O king, and\ndesirous of jesting with him, Arjuna smilingly said in reply, 'This\nperson, O king, deserveth to occupy the same seat with Indra himself.\nDevoted to the Brahmanas, acquainted with the Vedas, indifferent to\nluxury and carnal enjoyments, habitually performing sacrifices, steady in\nvows, this one, indeed, is the very embodiment of virtue. The foremost of\nall persons endued with energy and superior to every body on earth in\nintelligence, devoted to asceticism, he is conversant with various\nweapons. No other person among the mobile and immobile creatures of the\nthree worlds possesseth or will ever possess such knowledge of weapons.\nAnd there is none even amongst the gods, or Asuras, or men, or Rakshasas,\nor Gandharvas, or Yaksha chiefs, or Kinnaras, or mighty Uragas, who is\nlike him. Endued with great foresight and energy, beloved by the citizens\nand inhabitants of the provinces, he is the mightiest of car-warriors\namongst the sons of Pandu. A performer of sacrifices, devoted to\nmorality, and of subdued passions, like unto a great Rishi, this royal\nsage is celebrated over all the worlds. Possessed of great strength and\ngreat intelligence, able and truthful, he hath all his senses under\ncomplete control. Equal unto Indra in wealth and Kuvera in hoarding, he\nis the protector of the worlds like unto Manu himself of mighty prowess.\nEndued with great might, he is even such. Kind unto all creatures he is\nno other than the bull of the Kuru race, king Yudhishthira the just. The\nachievements of this king resemble the sun himself of blazing effulgence.\nAnd his fame hath travelled in all directions like the rays of that\nluminary. And like the rays following the risen sun of blazing\neffulgence, ten thousand swift elephants followed him, O king, when he\ndwelt among the Kurus. And, O king, thirty thousand cars decked in gold\nand drawn by the best steeds, also used to follow him then. And full\neight hundred bards adorned with ear-rings set with shining gems, and\naccompanied by minstrels, recited his praises in those days, like the\nRishis adorning Indra. And, O king, the Kauravas and other lords of earth\nalways waited upon him like slaves, as the celestials upon Kuvera. This\neminent king, resembling the bright-rayed sun, made all lords of earth\npay tribute unto him like persons of the agricultural class. And\neighty-eight thousands of high-souled Snatakas depended for their\nsubsistence upon this king practising excellent vows. This illustrious\nlord protected the aged and the helpless, the maimed and the blind, as\nhis sons, and he ruled over his subjects virtuously. Steady in morality\nand self-control, capable of restraining his anger, bountiful, devoted to\nthe Brahmanas, and truthful, this one is the son of Pandu. The prosperity\nand prowess of this one afflict king Suyodhana with his followers\nincluding Karna and Suvala's son. And, O lord of men, the virtues of this\none are incapable of being enumerated. This son of Pandu is devoted to\nmorality and always abstains from injury. Possessed of such attributes,\ndoth not this bull among kings, this son of Pandu, deserve, O monarch, to\noccupy a royal seat?'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXI\n\n\"Virata said, 'If this one, indeed, be the Kuru king Yudhishthira the son\nof Kunti, which amongst these is his brother Arjuna, and which, the\nmighty Bhima. Which of these is Nakula, and which Sahadeva and where is\nthe celebrated Draupadi? After their defeat at dice, the sons of Pritha\nhave not been heard of by any one.'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'Even this one, O king, who is called Vallava and is thy\ncook, is that Bhima of mighty arms and terrible prowess and furious\nimpetus. It was he who slew the furious Rakshasas on the mountains of\nGandhamadana, and procured for Krishna celestial flowers of great\nfragrance. Even he is that Gandharva, who slew the Kichaka of wicked soul\nand it was he who killed tigers and bears and boars in the inner\napartment of thy palace. He who had been the keeper of thy horse is that\nslayer of foes called Nakula, and this one is Sahadeva, the keeper of thy\nkine. Both these sons of Madri are great car-warriors, possessed of great\nfame and beauty of person. These two bulls of the Bharata race, attired\nin handsome robes and decked in excellent ornaments, are a match for a\nthousand great car-warriors. And even this lady of eyes like lotus-petals\nand slender-waist and sweet smiles is Drupada's daughter, thy wife's\nSairindhri, for whose sake, O king, the Kichakas were slain. I am, O\nking, Arjuna who, it is evident, thou hast heard, is that son of Pritha,\nwho is Bhima's junior and the senior of the twins! We have, O king,\nhappily passed in thy abode the period of non-discovery, like infants in\nthe womb!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"After Arjuna had pointed out those heroes--the\nfive Pandavas, the son of Virata then spoke of Arjuna's prowess. And\nUttara once again identified the sons of Pritha. And the prince said,\n'That one whose complexion is bright like that of pure gold, who is stout\nlike a full-grown lion, whose nose is so prominent, whose eyes are large\nand expansive, and whose face is broad and of coppery hue, is the king of\nthe Kurus. And behold, that one whose tread is like that of an infuriate\nelephant, whose complexion is like that of heated gold, whose shoulders\nare broad and expanded, and whose arms are long and thick, is Vrikodara.\nAnd he who stands by his side, that youth of darkish hue, who is like\nunto a leader of a herd of elephants, whose shoulders are broad like\nthose of a lion, whose tread is like that of a mighty elephant, and whose\neyes are large and expansive like lotus-leaves, is Arjuna that foremost\nof bowmen. And lo, close to the king, are those foremost of men, the\ntwins, like unto Vishnu and Indra, and who have no equals, in the world\nof men, in beauty, might, and behaviour. And close by them, behold,\nstandeth Krishna, beautiful as gold, like unto the very embodiment of\nlight, possessing the complexion of the blue lotus, like unto a celestial\ndamsel, and resembling the living embodiment of Lakshmi herself.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then Virata's son began to describe the prowess\nof Arjuna, saying, 'Even this one is he that slew the foe, like unto a\nlion devastating a flock of deer. Even he ranged through crowds of\nhostile cars, slaying their best of car-warriors. By him was slain a\nhuge, infuriate elephant by means of a single arrow. Pierced by him, that\nhuge beast having its flanks adorned with an armour of gold, fell down\npiercing the earth with his tusks. By him have the kine been recovered\nand the Kauravas vanquished in battle. My ears have been deafened by the\nblare of his conch. It was by this hero of fierce deeds that Bhishma and\nDrona, along with Duryodhana, were vanquished. That achievement is his\nand not mine.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these words of his, the mighty king of\nthe Matsyas, considering himself guilty of having offended Yudhishthira,\nsaid unto Uttara in reply, 'I think the time hath come for me to\npropitiate the sons of Pandu. And, if thou likest, I shall bestow my\ndaughter Uttara upon Arjuna.'\n\n\"Uttara said, 'Worthy of our adorations and worship and respect, the time\nhath come for worshipping the illustrious sons of Pandu who deserve to be\nworshipped by us.'\n\n\"Virata said, 'When brought under the foe's subjection in battle, it was\nBhimasena that rescued me. My kine also have been recovered by Arjuna. It\nis through the might of their arms that we have obtained victory in\nbattle. Such being the case, all of us, with our counsellors, shall\npropitiate Yudhishthira the son of Kunti. Blessed be thou, with all thy\nbrothers, O bull among the sons of Pandu. If, O king, we have ever said\nor done anything in ignorance to offend thee, it behoveth thee to forgive\nus. The son of Pandu is virtuous.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then the high-souled Virata, delighted greatly,\napproached king Yudhishthira and made an alliance with him, and offered\nhim his whole kingdom together with the sceptre and treasury and\nmetropolis. And addressing all the Pandavas, and especially Dhananjaya,\nthe mighty king of the Matsyas repeatedly said, 'By good luck it is that\nI see you.' And having again and again embraced Yudhishthira and Bhima\nand the sons of Madri, and smelt their heads, Virata, that owner of a\nlarge army, was not satiated with gazing at them. And being highly\npleased, he said unto king Yudhishthira, 'By good luck it is that I see\nyou safe from woods. By good luck it is that ye have accomplished with\ndifficulty the period of exile, undiscovered by those wicked wights. I\nmake over my entire kingdom to the sons of Pritha, and what else I have.\nLet the sons of Pandu accept these without the slightest hesitation. And\nlet Dhananjaya, called also Savyasachin, accept the hand of Uttara: for\nthat best of men is fit to be her lord.' Thus addressed, king\nYudhishthira the just cast a look upon Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha. And\nlooked at by his brother, Arjuna said unto the Matsya king, 'O monarch, I\naccept thy daughter as my daughter-in-law. An alliance of this kind\nbetween the Matsya and the Bharatas is, indeed, desirable.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXII\n\n\"Virata said, 'Why, O best among the Pandavas, dost thou not wish to\naccept as wife this my daughter that I bestow upon thee?'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'Residing in thy inner apartments, I had occasion always to\nbehold thy daughter, and she too, alone or in company trusted me as her\nfather. Well-versed in singing and dancing, I was liked and regarded by\nher, and, indeed, thy daughter always regardeth me as her protector. O\nking, I lived for one whole year with her though she had attained the age\nof puberty. Under these circumstances, thyself or other men may not\nwithout reason, entertain suspicions against her or me. Therefore, O\nking, myself who am pure, and have my senses under control, beg to thee,\nO monarch, thy daughter as my daughter-in-law. Thus do I attest her\npurity. There is no difference between a daughter-in-law and a daughter,\nas also between a son and son's own-self. By adopting this course,\ntherefore, her purity will be proved. I am afraid of slanderous and false\naccusations. I accept, therefore, O king, thy daughter Uttara as my\ndaughter-in-law. Surpassing all in knowledge of weapons, resembling a\ncelestial youth in beauty, my son, the mighty-armed Abhimanyu is the\nfavourite nephew of Vasudeva, the wielder of the discus. He, O king, is\nfit to be thy son-in-law and the husband of thy daughter.'\n\n\"Virata said, 'It behoveth the best of the Kurus, Dhananjaya, the son of\nKunti, who is so virtuous and wise, to say this. O son of Pritha, do thou\ncarry out what thou thinkest should be done after this. He that hath\nArjuna for the father of his son-in-law, hath all his desires gratified.'\"\n\n\"Vaisampayana continued, 'The monarch having said this, Yudhishthira, the\nson of Kunti, gave his assent to what was thus agreed upon between the\nMatsya king and Arjuna. And, O Bharata, the son of Kunti sent invitations\nto Vasudeva and to all his friends and relatives, and Virata also did the\nsame. And then, after the expiry of the thirteenth year, the five\nPandavas took up their abode in one of Virata's towns called Upaplavya,\nand Vibhatsu, the son of Pandu, brought over Abhimanyu and Janardana, and\nalso many people of the Dasarha race from the Anarta country. And the\nking of Kasi, and also Saivya, being very friendly to Yudhishthira,\narrived there, each accompanied by an Akshauhini of troops. And the\nmighty Drupada, also with the heroic sons of Draupadi and the\nunvanquished Sikhandin, and that foremost of wielder of weapons, the\ninvincible Dhrishtadyumna came there with another Akshauhini of troops.\nAnd all the kings that came were not only lords of Akshauhini, but\nperformers of sacrifices with gifts in profusion to Brahmanas, conversant\nwith the Vedas endued with heroism, and ready to die in battle. And\nbeholding them arrived, that foremost of virtuous men, the king of the\nMatsyas, adored them duly, and entertained their troops and servants and\ncarriers of burdens. And he was highly pleased to bestow his daughter\nupon Abhimanyu. And after the kings had come there from different parts\nof the country, there came Vasudeva decked in floral garlands, and\nHalayudha, and Kritavarman, the son of Hridika, and Yuyudhana, the son of\nSatyaki, and Anadhristi and Akrura, and Samva and Nisatha. And these\nrepressers of foes came there bringing with them Abhimanyu and his\nmother. And Indrasena and others, having lived at Dwaraka for one whole\nyear, came there, bringing with them the well adorned cars of the\nPandavas. And there came also ten thousand elephants and ten thousand\ncars, and hundred millions of horses and hundred billions of\nfoot-soldiers, and innumerable Vrishni and Andhaka and Bhoja warriors of\ngreat energy, in the train of that tiger among the Vrishnis, Vasudeva of\ngreat effulgence. And Krishna gave unto each of the illustrious sons of\nPandu numerous female slaves, and gems and robes. And then the nuptial\nfestival set in between the families of the Matsya king and the Pandavas.\nAnd then conchs and cymbals and horns and drums and other musical\ninstruments appointed by the Pandavas, began to play in the palace of\nVirata. And deer of various kinds and clean animals by hundreds were\nslain. And wines of various kinds and intoxicating juices of trees were\nprofusely collected. And mimes and bards and encomiasts, versed in\nsinging and legendary lore, waited upon the kings, and chanted their\npraises and genealogies. And the matrons of the Matsyas of symmetrical\nbodies and limbs, and wearing ear-rings of pearls and gems, headed by\nSudeshna, came to the place where the marriage knot was to be tied. And\namongst those beautiful females of fair complexion and excellent\nornaments, Krishna was the foremost in beauty and fame and splendour. And\nthey all came there, leading forth the princess Uttara decked in every\nornament and resembling the daughter of the great Indra himself. And then\nDhananjaya, the son of Kunti, accepted Virata's daughter of faultless\nlimbs on behalf of his son by Subhadra. And that great king,\nYudhishthira, the son of Kunti, who stood there like Indra, also accepted\nher as his daughter-in-law. And having accepted her, the son of Pritha,\nwith Janardana before him, caused the nuptial ceremonies to be performed\nof the illustrious son of Subhadra. And Virata then gave him (as dowry)\nseven thousand steeds endued with the speed of the wind and two hundred\nelephants of the best kind and much wealth also. And having duly poured\nlibations of clarified butter on the blazing fire, and paid homage unto\nthe twice-born ones, Virata offered to the Pandavas his kingdom, army,\ntreasury, and his own self. And after the marriage had taken place,\nYudhishthira, the son of Dharma, gave away unto the Brahmanas all the\nwealth that had been brought by Krishna of unfading glory. And he also\ngave away thousands of kine, and diverse kinds of robes, and various\nexcellent ornaments, and vehicles, and beds, delicious viands of various\nkinds, and cardinal drinks of diverse species. And the king also made\ngifts of land unto the Brahmanas with due rites, and also cattle by\nthousands. And he also gave away thousands of steeds and much gold and\nmuch wealth of other kinds, unto persons of all ages. And, O bull of the\nBharata race, the city of the Matsya king, thronged with men cheerful and\nwell-fed, shone brightly like a great festival.'\"\n\nThe end of Virata Parva\n\nFOOTNOTES\n\n1. Brahma Vadini--Nilakantha explains this as Krishna-kirtanasila.\n\n2. This speech of Vaisampayana is not included in some texts within the\nsecond section. To include it, however, in the third, is evidently a\nmistake.\n\n3. The sloka commencing with Adushta and ending ratheshu cha does not\noccur in texts except those in Bengal.\n\n4. A difference of reading is observable here. The sense, however, is the\nsame.\n\n5. An independent female artisan working in another person's\nhouse.--Wilson.\n\n6. Some of the Bengal text read Sarvastramaya for Sarvamantramaya. The\nformer is evidently incorrect.\n\n7. This is a very difficult sloka. Nilakantha adopts the reading\nSanjayet. The Bengal editions read Sanjapet. If the latter be the correct\nreading, the meaning then would be,--'Let none talk about what transpires\nin the presence of the king. For those even that are poor, regard it as a\ngrave fault.' The sense evidently is that the occurrences in respect of a\nking which one witnesses should not be divulged. Even they that are\npowerless regard such divulgence of what occurs in respect of them as an\ninsult to them, and, therefore, inexcusable.\n\n8. The Bengal editions, read Rajna in the instrumental case. Following a\nmanuscript text of a Pandit of my acquaintance I read Rajnas in the\ngenitive.\n\n9. Mahishasura, the son of Rambhasura. Durga had to fight for many many\nyears before she could slay this formidable Asura. The story occurs in\nthe Markandeya Purana. To this day, Bengal during the great Durga Puja\nfestival in autumn, worships the goddess with great veneration.\n\n10. Literally, one that rescues from difficulty.\n\n11. Kamachara is explained by Nilakantha thus, although in other places\nit bears a quite different meaning.\n\n12. Krita--attack; Pratikrita--warding it off; Sankata--clenched. Some\ntexts read Sankatakais. The meaning then would be 'cased in gauntlets.'\n\n13. Bhuti, Hri, Sri, Kirti and Kanti are respectively the feminine\nembodiments of Prosperity, Modesty, Beauty, Fame and Loveliness.\n\n14. What Draupadi means is that instead of passing her days in joy and\nhappiness, instead of being able to wish time to be stationary with her,\nshe is obliged in consequence of her misery, to wish time to pass off\nquickly.\n\n15. Jayate asyas--i.e., she from whom one is born.\n\n16. Some texts read, Vilwam nagaviodhara--i.e., 'As an elephant lifts up\na vela fruit.'\n\n17. Veri means both a kettle-drum and a trumpet. The latter however\nconveys a better meaning here.\n\n18. Literally, force of his thighs.\n\n19. What Bhima says is this.--The Gandharvas, your husbands, are always\nobedient to thee! If they have been able to do thee a service, they have\nonly repaid a debt.\n\n20. Krita-krita--Nilakantha explains this to mean 'imagining themselves\nto have achieved success in their mission' for having learnt of Kichaka's\ndeath, they could readily guess the presence of the Pandavas there. This\nis too far-fetched and does not at all agree with the spirit of their\nreport to Duryodhana below. And then the same word occurs in the very\nlast line of the Section. I take it that in both places the word has been\nused in the same sense.\n\n21. This is a very difficult sloka. I am not sure that I have understood\nit alright. Both Nilakantha and Arjuna Misra are silent. Instead of\ndepending, however, on my own intelligence, I have consulted several\nfriends who have read the Mahabharata thoroughly. The grammatical\nstructure is easy. The only difficulty consists in the second half of the\nsloka. The meaning, however, I have given is consistent with the tenor of\nBhishma's advice.\n\n22. Indicating the unobstructed completion of the sacrifice.\n\n23. The word tirtha here means, as Nilakantha rightly explains spies and\nnot holy spots.\n\n24. Satram is explained by Nilakantha to mean here 'false disguise.' I\nthink, however, such an interpretation to be far-fetched. It evidently\nmeans 'forest',--the use of 'pravisteshu' in connection with it almost\nsettles the point.\n\n25. This sloka is not correctly printed in any of the texts that I have\nseen. The reading that I adopt is that the second word is the participle\nof the root budh and not the instrumental of budhi; the last word again\nof the second line is a compound of valavatsu and avaleshu instead of (as\nprinted in many books) valavatswavaleshu. Any other reading would\ncertainly be incorrect. I have not consulted the Bombay text.\n\n26. Bhagasas lit., each in its proper place. It may also mean, 'according\nto their respective division.'\n\n27. Kalyana-patalam is explained by Nilakantha to mean suvarna\npattachchaditam.\n\n28. One of the generals of Virata.\n\n29. Some differences of reading are noticeable here, for Yasaswinau some\ntexts read Manaswinau, and for Vahusamravdhau--Vahusanrambhat; and for\nNakha-naki--Ratha-rathi.\n\n30. Some texts read Ghanabiva for Ghanarva. The latter is unquestionably\nbetter in form.\n\n31. The word in the original is Muhurta equal to 48 minutes. Nilakantha\npoints out very ingeniously that the night being the seventh of the dark\nfortnight, the moon would not rise till after 14 Dandas from the hour of\nsunset, a Danda being equal to 24 minutes. A Muhurta, therefore implies\nnot 48 minutes exactly, but some time.\n\n32. Some Vikshyainam, Nilakantha explains Sama as a word spoken by Bhima\nfor assuring the captive Virata, and Vikshya as 'assuring' or 'consoling\nby a glance.' Perhaps this is right.\n\n33. The adjective Bhima-sankasas as explained by Nilakantha is in this\nsense, quoting the celebrated simile of Valmiki.\n\n34. To understand the comparison would require in the reader a knowledge\nof the mechanism of the Indian Vina. Briefly, the Vina consists of a\nbamboo of about 3 cubits attached to two gourds towards its ends. Along the\nbamboo which serves the purpose of a finger-board, is the main chord and\nseveral thinner wires. All these pass over a number of frets, two and a\nhalf heptachords, representing the total compass of the instrument. The\nwires rest towards their ends on two pieces of ivory called Upadhanas in\nSanskrit or Swaris in Urdu.\n\n35. Some read kaniasi for vaviasi. Both words are the same, and mean the\nsame thing.\n\n36. Vedi-Vilagna madhya--Vedi in this connection means a wasp and not, as\nexplained by Mallinatha in his commentary of the Kumarasambhava, a\nsacrificial platform. I would remark in passing that many of the most\npoetic and striking adjectives in both the Raghu and the Kumarasambhava\nof Kalidasa are borrowed unblushingly from the Ramayana and the\nMahabharata.\n\n37. Padma patrabha-nibha may also mean 'of the splendour of the gem\ncalled Marakata.' Nilakantha, however, shows that this would militate\nagainst the adjective Kankojwalatwacham below.\n\n38. The princess being of the complexion of burnished gold and Arjuna\ndark as a mass of clouds, the comparison is exceedingly appropriate. The\nVaishnava poets of Bengal never tire of this simile in speaking of Radha\nand Krishna in the groves of Vrindavana.\n\n39. The words in the original is pranayam, lit., love. Nilakantha,\nhowever, explains it as meaning modesty, humility. I think, Nilakantha is\nright. The relations between Arjuna and the princess were like those\nbetween father and daughter.\n\n40. This sloka is not correctly printed in any of the texts that I have\nseen. The Burdwan Pandits read tat-samim. This I think, is correct, but\nthen asasada in the singular when the other verbs are all dual seems to\nbe correct. The poet must have used some other verb in the dual for\nasasada.\n\n41. Some texts read Diptasya for Diptayam.\n\n42. This sloka does not occur in every text. This is a typical\nillustration of the round about way, frequently adopted by Sanskrit\nwriters, of expressing a simple truth. The excuse in the present instance\nconsists in Drona's unwillingness to identify the solitary hero with\nArjuna, in the midst of all his hearers. Nadiji is an exclamation\nreferring to Bhishma, the son of the river Ganga. Lankesa-vanari-ketu is\nsimply 'ape-bannered,' or as rendered in the text, having the devastator\nof the gardens of Lanka's lord for the sign of his banner. Nagahvaya is\n'named after tree' for Arjuna is the name of an Indian tree. Nagri-sunu\nis 'Indra's son',--Indra being the foe of mountains, for formerly it was\nhe who cut off the wings of all mountains and compelled them to be\nstationary. He failed only in the case of Mainaka, the son of Himavat.\n\n43. Indian insects of a particular kind.\n\n44. Most editions read chapas which is evidently wrong. The correct\nreading is avapas, meaning quiver. The Burdwan Pandits give this latter\nreading.\n\n45. Some read chandrargha-darsanas. The correct reading is\nchandrardha-darsanas.\n\n46. Most editions read hema-punkha and silasita in the instrumental\nplural; the correct reading is their nominative plural forms.\n\n47. Sayaka means here, as explained by Nilakantha, a sword, and not a\nshaft.\n\n48. From the colour of his steeds.\n\n49. Nilakantha spends much learning and ingenuity in making out that\nsixty-five years in this connection means thirty-two years of ordinary\nhuman computation.\n\n50. Some texts read,--'One large meteor fell.'\n\n51. In some editions read,--Bharata dwijam, and Maha-hardam for\nmaha-drumam. The meaning would then be,--'The banners (of the hostile\narmy) began to tremble in the sky, and large lakes were agitated.'\n\n52. Some texts read Maharatham (incorrectly) for hiranmayan. Indeed,\nMaharatham would give no meaning in this connection. The incomplete\nedition of the Roy Press under the auspices of the Principal of the\nCalcutta Sanskrit College abounds with such incorrect readings and\nmisprints.\n\n53. The Roy Press edition adds here a line which looks very much like an\ninterpolation.\n\n54. The true reading is Acharya in the dual number, meaning Drona and\nKripa. Some texts read the word in the singular form. Nilakantha notices\nboth these reading, but prefers the dual to the singular.\n\n55. The meaning is rather doubtful. Duryodhana seems to say that 'the\nhostile appearance of Arjuna has been an act of imprudence on his part.\nThe Pandavas, after the expiry of the thirteenth year, would claim their\nkingdom. I, Duryodhana, may or may not accede to their demand. When,\ntherefore, it was not certain that Arjuna would be refused by me, his\nhostile appearance is unwise. He has come sure of victory, but he may yet\nbe defeated.'\n\n56. The sense seems to be that when moralists even are puzzled in judging\nof the propriety or otherwise of their acts, it can easily be imagined\nthat the Pandavas, however virtuous, have, in the matter of this their\nappearance, acted wrongly, for, after all, the thirteenth year may not\nhave really been over as believed by them. Or, it may mean, that as\nregards our presence here, we have not acted imprudently when even\nmoralists cannot always arrive at right conclusion. It seems that for\nthis Duryodhana proceeds to justify that presence in the following\nsentences.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Mahabharata\n\nof\n\nKrishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa\n\nBOOK 5\n\nUDYOGA PARVA\n\nTranslated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text\n\nby\n\nKisari Mohan Ganguli\n\n[1883-1896]\n\nScanned at sacred-texts.com, 2004. Proofed by John Bruno Hare, October\n2004.\n\n\n\nTHE MAHABHARATA\n\nUDYOGA PARVA\n\nSECTION I\n\nOM! HAVING BOWED down to Narayana, and Nara the most exalted of male\nbeings, and also to the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered.\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then those valiant descendants of Kuru, who belonged\nto the same party (with Virata), having joyfully celebrated the nuptials\nof Abhimanyu and rested themselves that night, presented themselves at\ndawn, well pleased, in the court of Virata, And the chamber of the king\nof the Matsya was full of riches, and variegated with choice gems and\nprecious stones, with seats methodically arranged, adorned with garlands,\nand filled with fragrance. And those mighty monarchs of men all came to\nthat place. And on the seats in front sat the two kings Virata and\nDrupada. And the revered and aged rulers of the earth, and Valarama and\nKrishna along with their father, all sat there. And close to the king of\nPanchala was seated the great hero of the race of Sini, together with the\nson of Rohini. And side by side with the king of the Matsya sat Krishna\nand Yudhishthira, and all the sons of king Drupada, and Bhima and Arjuna,\nand the two sons of Madri, and Pradyumna and Samva, both valiant in\nbattle, and Abhimanyu with Virata's sons. And those princes, the sons of\nDraupadi, rivalling their fathers in valour, strength, grace, and\nprowess, sat upon excellent seats inlaid with gold. And when those mighty\nheroes wearing shining ornaments and robes had set themselves down, that\ngorgeous assembly of kings looked beautiful like the firmament spangled\nwith resplendent stars. And those valiant men, assembled together, having\nconversed with one another upon various topics, remained for some time in\na pensive mood, with their eyes fixed upon Krishna. And at the end of\ntheir talk, Krishna drew their attention to the affairs of the Pandavas.\nAnd those powerful kings together listened to Krishna's speech, pregnant\nand lofty. And Krishna said, 'It is known to you all, how this\nYudhishthira was deceitfully defeated at dice by the son of Suvala, and\nhow he was robbed of his kingdom and how a stipulation was made by him\nconcerning his exile in the forest. And capable as they were of\nconquering the earth by force, the sons of Pandu remained firm in their\nplighted faith. And accordingly for six and seven years these\nincomparable men accomplished the cruel task imposed upon them. And this\nlast, the thirteenth year, was exceedingly hard for them to pass. Yet\nunrecognised by any one they have passed it, as known to you, suffering\nunendurable hardships of various kinds. This is known to you all. These\nillustrious men have spent the thirteenth year, employed in menial\nservice of others. This being so, it is for you to consider what will be\nfor the good of both Yudhishthira and Duryodhana, and what, as regards\nthe Kurus and the Pandavas, will be consistent with the rules of\nrighteousness and propriety and what will meet with the approbation of\nall. The virtuous king Yudhishthira would not unrighteously covet even\nthe celestial kingdom. But righteously he would accept the rule even of a\nsingle village. How the sons of Dhritarashtra fraudulently robbed him of\nhis paternal kingdom, and how he hath passed a life of unendurable\nhardships, are known to all the kings assembled here. The sons of\nDhritarashtra are incapable of overcoming by strength Arjuna, the son of\nPritha. Nevertheless, king Yudhishthira and his friends have no other\ndesire than the good of Dhritarashtra's son. These brave sons of Kunti,\nand the two sons of Madri, ask for only what they themselves, achieving\nvictory in battle, had won from the defeated kings. You, no doubt, know\nfull well how those enemies of the Pandavas--with the object of\npossessing themselves of the kingdom, endeavoured by various means to\ndestroy them, when they were yet mere boys, so wicked and rancorous they\nwere. Consider, how grasping they are and how virtuous Yudhishthira is.\nConsider also the relationship that exists between them. I beseech you\nall to consult together and also think separately. The Pandavas have\nalways had a regard for truth. They have fulfilled their promise to the\nvery letter. If now treated wrongfully by the sons of Dhritarashtra, they\nwould slay them all though banded together. They have friends, who, on\nbeing informed of their unworthy treatment at the hands of others, would\nstand by them, engaged in fight with their persecutors, and willingly\nslay them even if they should lose their own lives for it. If you suppose\nthem to be too few to be capable of winning a victory over their enemies,\nyou must know that united together and followed by their friends, they\nwould, no doubt, try their utmost to destroy those enemies. What\nDuryodhana thinks is not exactly known, nor what he may do. When the mind\nof the other side is not known, what opinion can be formed by you as to\nwhat is best to be done? Therefore, let a person, virtuous and honest and\nof respectable birth, and wary,--an able ambassador, set out to beseech\nthem mildly for inducing them to give half the kingdom to Yudhishthira.\nHaving listened to the speech of Krishna, marked by prudence and a regard\nfor virtue and showing a pacific and impartial spirit, his elder brother\nthen addressed the assembly bestowing high encomiums on the words of the\nyounger brother.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION II\n\n\"Baladeva said, 'You have all listened to the speech of him who is the\nelder brother of Gada, characterised as it is by a sense of virtue and\nprudence, and salutary alike to Yudhishthira and king Duryodhana. These\nvaliant sons of Kunti are ready to give up half their kingdom, and they\nmake this sacrifice for the sake of Duryodhana. The sons of\nDhritarashtra, therefore, should give up half of the kingdom, and should\nrejoice and be exceedingly happy with us that the quarrel can be so\nsatisfactorily settled. These mighty persons having obtained the kingdom\nwould, no doubt, be pacified and happy, provided the opposite party\nbehave well. For them to be pacified will redound to the welfare of men.\nAnd I should be well-pleased if somebody from here, with the view of\npacifying both the Kurus and the Pandavas, should undertake a journey and\nascertain what is the mind of Duryodhana and explain the views of\nYudhishthira. Let him respectfully salute Bhishma the heroic scion of\nKuru's race, and the magnanimous son of Vichitravirya, and Drona along\nwith his son, and Vidura and Kripa, and the king of Gandhara, along with\nthe Suta's son. Let him also pay his respects to all the other sons of\nDhritarashtra, to all who are renowned for strength and learning, devoted\nto their proper duties, heroic, and conversant with signs of the times.\nWhen all these persons are gathered together and when also the elderly\ncitizens are assembled, let him speak words full of humility and likely\nto serve the interests of Yudhishthira. At all events, let them not be\nprovoked, for they have taken possession of the kingdom with a strong\nhand. When Yudhishthira had his throne, he forgot himself by being\nengaged in gambling and was dispossessed by them of his kingdom. This\nvaliant Kuru, this descendant of Ajamida, Yudhishthira, though not\nskilled in dice and though dissuaded by all his friends, challenged the\nson of the king of Gandhara, an adept at dice, to the match. There were\nthen at that place thousands of dice-players whom Yudhishthira could\ndefeat in a match. Taking however, no notice of any of them, he\nchallenged Suvala's son of all men to the game, and so he lost. And\nalthough the dice constantly went against him, he would still have Sakuni\nalone for his opponent. Competing with Sakuni in the play, he sustained a\ncrushing defeat. For this, no blame can attach to Sakuni. Let the\nmessenger make use of words characterised by humility, words intended to\nconciliate Vichitravirya's son. The messenger may thus bring round\nDhritarashtra's son to his own views. Do not seek war with the Kurus;\naddress Duryodhana in only a conciliatory tone. The object may possibly\nfail to be gained by war, but it may be gained by conciliation, and by\nthis means also it may be gained enduringly.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"While that valiant scion of Madhu's race was\neven continuing his speech, the gallant son of the race of Sini suddenly\nrose up and indignantly condemned the words of the former by these words\nof his.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION III\n\n\"Satyaki said, 'Even as a man's heart is, so doth he speak! Thou art\nspeaking in strict conformity with the nature of thy heart. There are\nbrave men, and likewise those that are cowards. Men may be divided into\nthese two well defined classes. As upon a single large tree there may be\ntwo boughs one of which beareth fruits while the other doth not, so from\nthe self-same line of progenitors may spring persons that are imbecile as\nwell as those that are endowed with great strength. O thou bearing the\nsign of a plough on thy banner, I do not, in sooth, condemn the words\nthou hast spoken, but I simply condemn those, O son of Madhu, who are\nlistening to thy words! How, indeed, can he, who unblushingly dares\nattach even the slightest blame in the virtuous king Yudhishthira be\npermitted to speak at all in the midst of the assembly? Persons clever in\nthe game of dice challenged the magnanimous Yudhishthira unskilled as he\nis in play, and confiding in them he was defeated! Can such persons be\nsaid to have virtuously won the game? If they had come to Yudhishthira\nwhile playing in this house with his brothers and defeated him there,\nthen what they would have won would have been righteously won. But they\nchallenged Yudhishthira who was bound in conscience to follow the rules\nobserved by the military caste, and they won by a trick. What is there in\nthis conduct of theirs that is righteous? And how can this Yudhishthira\nhere, having performed to the utmost the stipulations entered into by way\nof stakes in the play, freed from the promise of a sojourn in the forest,\nand therefore entitled to his ancestral throne, humble himself? Even if\nYudhishthira coveted other people's possessions, still it would not\nbehove him to beg! How can they be said to be righteous and not intent on\nusurping the throne when, although the Pandavas have lived out their\nsojourn of concealment unrecognised, they still say that the latter had\nbeen recognised? They were besought by Bhishma and the magnanimous Drona,\nbut they would not yet consent to give back to the Pandavas the throne\nthat belongeth to them by right of birth. The means with which I would\nbeseech them would be sharp arrows. I shall fight and with a strong hand\nforce them to prostrate themselves at the feet of the illustrious son of\nKunti. If, however, they do not bow at the feet of the wise Yudhishthira,\nthen they and their partisans must go to the regions of Yama. When\nYuyudhana (myself) is enraged and resolved to fight, they, to be sure,\nare unequal to withstand his impetus, as mountains are unable to resist\nthat of the thunderbolt. Who can withstand Arjuna in fight, or him who\nhath the discus for his weapon in battle, or myself as well? Who can\nwithstand the unapproachable Bhima? And who, having regard for his life,\nwould come near the twin brothers who firmly grasp their bows and\nresemble the death-dealing Yama in intelligence? Who would approach\nDhrishtadyumna, the son of Drupada, or these five sons of the Pandavas\nwho have added lustre to Draupadi's name, rivalling their fathers in\nvalour, equal to them in every respect and full of martial pride, or him\nof the powerful bow, Subhadra's son, irresistible by even the gods\nthemselves; or Gada, or Pradyumna, or Samva, resembling Yama or the\nthunderbolt or fire? We shall slay Dhritarashtra's son and Sakuni and\nKarna in battle, and place the Pandava on the throne. There is no sin in\nslaying them that are bent on slaying us: but to be a beggar before foes\nis both impious and infamous. I ask you to be diligent in doing that\nwhich is heartily desired by Yudhishthira. Let Pandu's son get back the\nkingdom resigned by Dhritarashtra! Either Yudhishthira should get back\nhis kingdom this very day or all our enemies shall lie down on the earth\nslain by me!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION IV\n\n\"Drupada said, 'O mighty-armed one, it will, without doubt, be even as\nthou hast said! Never will Duryodhana give up the kingdom by peaceful\nmeans, and Dhritarashtra, who dotes on his son, will follow him in his\nwish. And so will Bhishma and Drona from imbecility, and Karna and Sakuni\nfrom folly. The words of Valadeva command themselves to my judgment; the\ncourse pointed out by him should, indeed, be followed by a man who\ndesires peaceful settlement. But Duryodhana should never be addressed in\nmild words. Vicious by nature, he, I believe cannot be brought to reason\nby mildness. In respect of an ass, mildness is in place; but in respect\nof animals of the bovine species, severity should be resorted to. If any\none were to speak mild words to Duryodhana, vicious by nature that wicked\nwight would consider the speaker to be an imbecile person. If a mild\ncourse is adopted towards him, the fool will think that he has won. Let\nus do even this, let us make preparations; let us send word to our\nfriends that they may collect an army for us. Let speedy messengers go to\nSalya, and Dhrishtaketu, and Jayatsena, and the prince of the Kekayas.\nDuryodhana also, on his part, will send word to all the kings,\nRightminded persons, however, respond to the request of those that first\nbeseech them. Therefore, I ask you to make haste in first preferring your\nsuit to these rulers of men. Meseems that a great undertaking is awaiting\nus. Quickly send word to Salya, and to the kings under him, and to king\nBhagadatta of immeasurable valour residing on the eastern sea-coast, and\nto fierce Hardikya, and Ahuka, and the king of the Mallas of powerful\nunderstanding, and Rochamana. Let Vrihanta be summoned and king\nSenavindu, and Vahlika and Mudjakesa and the ruler of the Chedis, and\nSuparsva, Suvahu; and that great hero, Paurava; and also the kings of the\nSakas, the Pahlavas, and the Daradas, and Surari, and Nadija, and king\nKarnavest, and Nila, and the valiant king Viradharman; and Durjaya, and\nDantavakra, and Rukmi, and Janamejaya; and Ashada and Vayuvega, and king\nPurvapali; and Bhuritejas, and Devaka, and Ekalaya with his sons; and\nalso the kings of the Krausha race, and the valiant Kshemamurti, and the\nkings of the Kamboja and the Richika tribes, and of the western\nsea-coast; and Jayatsena and the king of Kashi, and the rulers of the\nland of the five rivers, and the proud son of Kratha, and the rulers of\nthe mountain regions, and Janaki, and Susarman and Maniman, and\nPotimatsyaka, and the valiant Dhrishtaketu, and the ruler of the kingdom\nof Pansu; and Paundra, and Dandadhara, and the brave Vrihatsena; and\nAparajita, and Nishada and Srenimat and Vasumat; and Vrihadvala of great\nstrength, and Vahu the conqueror of hostile cities; and the warlike king\nSamudrasena with his son; and Uddhava, and Kshemaka and king Vatadhana;\nand Srutayus, and Dridhayus, and the gallant son of Salwa; and the king\nof the Kalingas, and Kumara, unconquerable in battle. Speedily send word\nto these. This is what recommends itself to me. And let this my priest,\nlearned Brahmana, be sent, O king, to Dhritarashtra. Tell him the words\nhe is to say and what Duryodhana should be told; and how Bhishma is to be\naddressed, and how Drona, that best of car-warriors!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION V\n\n\"Krishna said, 'These worlds are worthy of the chief of the Somaka tribe,\nand are calculated to promote the interests of Pandu's son of\nimmeasurable strength. As we are desirous of adopting a politic course,\nthis is, no doubt, our first duty; a man acting otherwise would be a\ngreat fool. But our relationship to both the Kurus and the Pandus is\nequal, howsoever these two parties may behave with each other. Both you\nand we have been invited here on the occasion of a marriage. The marriage\nhaving now been celebrated, let us go home well-pleased. You are the\nforemost of kings, both in years and learning; and here we all, no doubt\nare as if your pupils. Dhritarashtra has always entertained a great\nrespect for you; and you are also a friend of the preceptors Drona and\nKripa. I, therefore, ask you to send a message (to the Kurus) in the\ninterests of the Pandavas. We all resolve even upon this that you should\nsend a message unto them. If that chief of the Kuru race should make\npeace on equitable terms, then the brotherly feelings between the Kuras\nand the Pandus will sustain no injury. If on the other hand, the son of\nDhritarashtra should wax haughty and from folly refuse to make peace,\nthen, having summoned others, summon us too. The holder of Gandiva then\nwill be fired with wrath and the dull-headed and wicked Duryodhana, with\nhis partisans and friends, will meet his fate.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"King Virata, then having honoured Krishna, sent him\nhome with his followers and relatives. And after Krishna had set out for\nDwaraka, Yudhishthira and his followers, with king Virata, began to make\npreparations for war. And Virata and his relatives sent word to all the\nmonarchs, and king Drupada also did the same. And at the request of those\nlions of the Kuru race, as also of the two kings of the Matsyas and the\nPanchalas, many lords of the earth possessed of great strength, came to\nthe place with cheerful hearts. And when the sons of Dhritarashtra heard\nthat the Pandavas had collected a large army, they also assembled many\nrulers of the earth. And, O king, at that time the whole land became\nthronged with the rulers of the earth who were marching to espouse the\ncause of either the Kurus or the Pandavas. And the land was full of\nmilitary bands composed of four kinds of forces. And from all sides the\nforces began to pour in. And the goddess Earth with her mountains and\nforests seemed to tremble beneath their tread. And the king of the\nPanchalas, having consulted the wishes of Yudhishthira, despatched to the\nKurus his own priest, who was old both in years and understanding.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VI\n\n\"Drupada said, 'Of beings those that are endowed with life are superior.\nOf living beings those that are endowed with intelligence are superior.\nOf intelligent creatures men are superior. Of men the twice-born are\nsuperior. Of the twice-born, students of the Veda are superior. Of\nstudents of the Veda those of cultured understanding are superior. Of\ncultured men practical persons are superior. And finally, of practical\nmen those knowing the Supreme Being are superior. You, it seems to me,\nare at the very top of those that are of cultured understanding. You are\ndistinguished both for age and learning. You are equal in intellect to\neither Sukra or Vrihaspati, the son of Angiras. You know what kind of man\nthe chief of the Kuru race is, and what kind of man also is Yudhishthira,\nthe son of Kunti. It was with Dhritarashtra's knowledge that the Pandavas\nwere deceived by their opponents. Though instructed by Vidura he yet\nfollows his son. Sakuni advisedly challenged Yudhishthira to a gambling\nmatch although the latter was unskilled in gambling while the former was\nan adept in it. Unskilled in play, Yudhishthira was guileless and firm in\nfollowing the rules of the military order. Having thus cheated the\nvirtuous king Yudhishthira, they will, by no means, voluntarily yield up\nthe kingdom. If you speak words of righteousness unto Dhritarashtra, you\nwill certainly gain the hearts of his fighting men. Vidura also will make\nuse of those words of yours and will thus alienate the hearts of Bhishma,\nand Drona, and Kripa, and others. When the officers of state are\nalienated and fighting men are backward, the task of the enemy will be to\ngain back their hearts. In the meantime, the Pandavas will, with ease and\nwith their whole hearts, address themselves in preparing the army and in\ncollecting stores. And when the enemy's adherents are estranged, and\nwhile you are hanging about them, they will surely not be able to make\nadequate preparations for war. This course seems expedient in this wise.\nOn your meeting with Dhritarashtra it is possible that Dhritarashtra may\ndo what you say. And as you are virtuous, you must therefore act\nvirtuously towards them. And to the compassionate, you must descant upon\nthe various hardships that the Pandavas have endured. And you must\nestrange the hearts of the aged persons by discoursing upon the family\nusages which were followed by their forefathers. I do not entertain the\nslightest doubt in this matter. Nor need you be apprehensive of any\ndanger from them, for you are a Brahmana, versed in the Vedas; and you\nare going thither as an ambassador, and more specially, you are an aged\nman. Therefore, I ask you to set out without delay towards the Kauravas\nwith the object of promoting the interests of the Pandavas, timing your\ndeparture under the (astrological) combination called Pushya and at that\npart of the day called Jaya.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus instructed by the magnanimous Drupada, the\nvirtuous priest set out for Hastinapura (the city called after the\nelephant). And that learned man, well-versed in the principles of the\nscience of politics, started with a following of disciples towards the\nKurus for the sake of promoting the welfare of Pandu's sons.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having despatched the priest to the city called\nafter the elephant they sent messengers to the kings of various\ncountries. And having sent messengers to other places, the Kuru hero\nDhananjaya, that bull among men and son of Kunti, himself set out for\nDwaraka. And after Krishna and Valadeva, the descendants of Madhu, had\nboth departed for Dwaraka with all the Vrishnis, the Andhakas and the\nBhojas, by hundreds, the royal son of Dhritarashtra had, by sending\nsecret emissaries, furnished himself with information of all the doings\nof the Pandavas. And learning that Krishna was on his way, the prince\nwent to the city of Dwaraka by means of fine horses possessing the speed\nof the wind, and taking with him a small number of troops. And on that\nvery day the son of Kunti and Pandu, Dhananjaya, also speedily arrived at\nthe beautiful city of the Anarta land. And the two scions of the Kuru\nrace, those tigers among men, on arriving there saw that Krishna was\nasleep, and drew near him as he lay down. And as Krishna was sleeping,\nDuryodhana entered the room, and sat down on a fine seat at the head of\nthe bed. And after him entered that wearer of the diadem the magnanimous\nArjuna, and stood at the back of the bed, bowing and joining his hands.\nAnd when the descendant of Vrishni, Krishna awoke, he first cast his eyes\non Arjuna. And having asked them as to the safety of their journey, and\nhaving fitly bestowed his greetings upon them, the slayer of Madhu\nquestioned them as to the occasion of their visit. Then Duryodhana\naddressed Krishna, with a cheerful countenance, saying, 'It behoveth you\nto lend me your help in the impending war. Arjuna and myself are both\nequally your friends. And, O descendant of Madhu, you also bear the same\nrelationship to both of us. And today, O slayer of Madhu, I have been the\nfirst to come to you. Right-minded persons take up the cause of him who\ncomes first to them. This is how the ancients acted. And, O Krishna, you\nstand at the very top of all right-minded persons in the world, and are\nalways respected. I ask you to follow the rule of conduct observed by\nrightminded men.' Thereat Krishna replied, 'That you have come first, O\nking, I do not in the least doubt. But, O king, the son of Kunti,\nDhananjaya, has been first beheld by me. On account of your first\narrival, and on account of my having beheld Arjuna first, I shall, no\ndoubt, lend my assistance, O Suyodhana, to both. But it is said that\nthose who are junior in years should have the first choice. Therefore,\nDhananjaya, the son of Kunti, is entitled to first choice. There is a\nlarge body of cowherds numbering ten crores, rivalling me in strength and\nknown as the Narayanas, all of whom are able to fight in the thick of\nbattle. These soldiers, irresistible in battle, shall be sent to one of\nyou and I alone, resolved not to fight on the field, and laying down my\narms, will go to the other. You may, O son of Kunti, first select\nwhichever of these two commends itself to you. For, according to law, you\nhave the right to the first choice.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed by Krishna, Dhananjaya the son\nof Kunti selected Kesava who was not to fight on the battle-field, even\nNarayana himself, the slayer of foes, increate, born among men at his own\nwill,--the foremost of all Kshatriyas and above all the gods and the\nDanavas. And Duryodhana selected for himself that entire army (composed\nof the Narayanas). And, O descendant of Bharata, having obtained those\ntroops numbering thousands upon thousands, he was exceedingly delighted,\nalthough he knew that Krishna was not on his side. And having secured\nthat army possessed of terrible prowess, Duryodhana went to the son of\nRohini of great strength, and explained to him, the object of his visit.\nThe descendant of Sura in reply addressed the following words to\nDhritarashtra's son, 'Thou shouldst remember, O tiger among men, all that\nI said at the marriage ceremony celebrated by Virata. O thou delighter\nof the race of Kuru, for thy sake I then contradicted Krishna and spoke\nagainst his opinions. And again and again I alluded to the equality of\nour relationship to both the parties. But Krishna did not adopt the views\nI then expressed; nor can I separate myself from Krishna for even a\nsingle moment. And seeing that I cannot act against Krishna even this is\nresolution formed by me, viz., that I will fight neither for Kunti's sons\nnor for you. And, O bull of the Bharatas, born as thou art in Bharata's\nrace that is honoured by all the kings, go and fight in accordance with\nthe rules of propriety.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed, Duryodhana embraced that hero\nwielding a plough for his weapon of battle, and although knowing that\nKrishna had been taken away from his side, he yet regarded Arjuna as\nalready vanquished. And the royal son of Dhritarashtra then went to\nKritavarman. And Kritavarman gave him a body of troops numbering an\nAkshauhini. And surrounded by that military host, terrible to behold, the\nKaurava marched forth delighting his friends. And after Duryodhana had\ndeparted, Krishna, the Creator of the world, clad in yellow attire,\naddressed Kiritin, saying, 'For what reason is it that you have selected\nme who will not fight at all?'\n\n\"Thereupon Arjuna answered, 'I question not that you are able to slay\nthem all. I also am alone capable of slaying them, O best of men. But you\nare an illustrious person in the world; and this renown will accompany\nyou. I also am a suitor for fame; therefore, you have been selected by\nme. It hath been always my desire to have you for driving my car. I,\ntherefore, ask you to fulfil my desire cherished for a long time.'\n\n\"Vasudeva's son thereupon said, 'It beseems thee well, O Kunti's son, that\nthou measurest thyself with me. I will act as thy charioteer; let thy\nwish be fulfilled.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then with a glad heart, Kunti's son,\naccompanied by Krishna as well as by the flower of the Dasarha race, came\nback to Yudhishthira.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"O king, having learnt the news from the messengers,\nSalya, accompanied by a large body of troops and by his sons, all of whom\nwere mighty in battle, was coming to the Pandavas. His encampment covered\nan area of one and a half yojana, so large was the force owned by that\nbest of men. He was the master, O king, of an Akshauhini and had great\nprowess and valour. And there were in his army heroes bearing armour of\nvarious colours, with diverse kinds of banners and bows and ornaments and\ncars and animals, all wearing excellent garlands, and various robes and\nornaments. And hundreds and thousands of foremost of Kshatriyas were the\nleaders of his troops, dressed and decorated in the manner of their\nnative land. And he proceeded by slow marches, giving rest to his troops,\ntowards the place where the Pandava was. And the creatures of the earth\nfelt oppressed and the earth trembled under the tread of his troops. And\nking Duryodhana, hearing that magnanimous and mighty hero was on his way,\nhastened towards him and paid him honours, O best of the Bharata race and\ncaused finely decorated places of entertainment to be constructed at\ndifferent spots for his reception, on beautiful sites, and whither many\nartists were directed to entertain the guests. And those pavilions\ncontained garlands and meat and the choicest viands and drinks, and wells\nof various forms, capable of refreshing the heart, and tanks of various\nforms, and edibles, and roomy apartments. And arriving at those\npavilions, and waited upon like a very god by the servants of Duryodhana\nlocated at different spots, Salya reached another house of entertainment\nresplendent as a retreat of the celestials. And there, greeted with\nchoice creature-comforts fit for beings superior to man, he deemed\nhimself superior even to the lord himself of the gods and thought meanly\nof Indra as compared with himself. And that foremost of Kshatriyas,\nwell-pleased, asked the servants, saying, 'Where are those men of\nYudhishthira, who have prepared these places of refreshment? Let those\nmen who made these be brought to me. I deem them worthy of being rewarded\nby me. I must reward them, let it so please the son of Kunti!' The\nservants, surprised, submitted the whole matter to Duryodhana. And when\nSalya was exceedingly pleased and ready to grant even his life,\nDuryodhana, who had remained concealed, came forward and showed himself\nto his maternal uncle. And the king of the Madras saw him and understood\nthat it was Duryodhana who had taken all the trouble to receive him. And\nSalya embraced Duryodhana and said, 'Accept something that you may\ndesire.'\n\n\"Duryodhana thereupon said, 'O thou auspicious one, let thy word be true,\ngrant me a boon. I ask thee to be the leader of all my army.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"And hearing this, Salya said, 'Be it so! What\nelse is to be done?' And the son of Gandhari repeated again and again,\n'It is done.' And Salya said, 'O Duryodhana, O best of men, go to thy own\ncity. I shall proceed to pay a visit to Yudhishthira, the subduer of\nfoes. O king, I shall speedily come back, O ruler of men. That best of\nmen, Pandu's son Yudhishthira, must, by all means, be visited by me.' And\nhearing this Duryodhana said, 'O king, O ruler of the earth, having seen\nthe Pandava, come speedily back. I depend entirely upon thee, O king of\nkings. Remember the boon that thou hast granted me.' And Salya answered,\n'Good betide thee! I shall come speedily back. Repair to thy own city, O\nprotector of men.' And then those two kings Salya and Duryodhana embraced\neach other. And having thus greeted Salya, Duryodhana came back to his\nown city. And Salya went to inform the sons of Kunti of that proceeding\nof his. And having reached Upaplavya, and entered the encampment, Salya\nsaw there all the sons of Panda. And the mighty-armed Salya having met\nthe sons of Panda, accepted as usual water for washing his feet, and the\ncustomary gifts of honour including a cow. And the king of the Madras,\nthat slayer of foes, first asked them how they were, and then with great\ndelight embraced Yudhishthira, and Bhima, and Arjuna, and the sons of his\nsister the two twin-brothers. And when all had sat down, Salya spoke to\nYudhishthira, the son of Kunti, saying, 'O tiger among kings, O thou\ndelighter of the race of Kuru, is it all well with thee? O best of\nvictors, how fortunately hast thou spent the term of thy residence in the\nwilderness, O king. O lord of monarchs, it was an exceedingly hard task\nthat thou hast performed by dwelling in the wilderness together with thy\nbrothers and this noble lady here. An awfully difficult task again was\nthat sojourn of thine,--the period of concealment,--which task also thou\nhast performed, O descendant of Bharata; for one pulled down from a\nthrone it is nothing but hardship that awaits him. O king, where is there\nany happiness for him! O afflicter of thy foes, in compensation for all\nthis vast misery wrought by Dhritarashtra's son, thou wilt attain to\nproportional happiness after having killed thy foes, O great king. O lord\nof men, the ways of the world are known to thee. Therefore, O my son,\nthou art never guided by avarice in any of thy dealings. O descendant of\nBharata, do thou tread on the foot-prints of ancient saintly kings. My\nson, Yudhishthira, be steady in the path of liberality, and\nself-abnegation, and truth. And, O royal Yudhishthira, mercy and self\ncontrol, and truth and universal sympathy, and everything wonderful in\nthis world, are to be found in thee. Thou art mild, munificent,\nreligious, and liberal, and thou regardest virtue as the highest good. O\nking, many are the rules of virtue that prevail amongst men, and all\nthose are known to thee. O my son, O afflicter of foes, thou knowest in\nfact everything relating to this world. O king, O best of Bharata's race,\nhow lucky it is that thou hast come out of this difficulty of thine. How\nlucky, O king, O foremost of monarchs, O lord, it is that I see thee, so\nvirtuous a soul, a treasure-house of righteousness, freed with thy\nfollowers from this.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then, O descendant of Bharata, the king spoke\nof his meeting with Duryodhana and gave a detailed account regarding that\npromise of his and that boon granted by himself. And Yudhishthira said, 'O\nvaliant king, it has been well-done by thee that being pleased at heart\nthou hast plighted thy truth to Duryodhana. But good betide thee, O ruler\nof the earth, I ask thee to do one thing only. O king, O best of men,\nthou wilt have to do it solely for my sake, though it may not be proper\nto be done. O valiant one, hear what I submit to thee. O great king, thou\nart equal to Krishna on the field of battle. When, O best of kings, the\nsingle combat between Karna and Arjuna will take place, I have no doubt\nthou wilt have to drive Karna's car. On that occasion, if thou art\ninclined to do good to me, thou must protect Arjuna. O king, thou must\nlikewise so act that the Suta's son Karna may be dispirited and the\nvictory may be ours. Improper it no doubt is; but, O my uncle, for all\nthat thou must do it.' Salya said, 'Good betide thee. Listen, O son of\nPandu. Thou tellest me to so act that the vile son of the Suta may be\ndispirited in fight. To be sure, I shall be his charioteer on the field,\nfor he always considers me equal to Krishna. O tiger like descendant of\nKuru, I shall certainly speak to him, when desirous of fighting on the\nfield of battle, words contradictory and fraught with harm to him, so\nthat bereft of pride and valour, he may be easily slain by his\nantagonist. This I tell thee truly. Asked by thee to do it, this I am\ndetermined to do, O my son. Whatever else I may be able to bring about, I\nshall do for thy good. Whatever troubles were suffered by thee together\nwith Draupadi on the occasion of the game at dice, the rude inhuman words\nuttered by the Suta's son, the misery inflicted by the Asura Jata and by\nKichaka, O illustrious one, all the miseries experienced by Draupadi,\nlike those formerly experienced by Damayanti,--will all, O hero, end in\njoy. Thou shouldst not be aggrieved at this; for Destiny is all powerful\nin this world; and, O Yudhishthira, high-minded persons have to endure\nmiseries of various kinds, nay, even the gods themselves, O king, have\nsuffered misfortunes. O king, O descendant of Bharata, it is narrated\nthat the high-minded Indra, the chief of the celestials, had to endure\ntogether with his wife very great misery, indeed.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION IX\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O foremost of monarchs, I wish to know how it was\nthat great and unparalleled misery had to be endured by the illustrious\nIndra together with his queen.'\n\n\"Salya said, 'Listen, O king, to me as I relate this ancient story of the\nevents of former days,--how, O descendant of Bharata, misery befell Indra\nand his wife. Once Twashtri, the lord of creatures and the foremost of\ncelestials, was engaged in practising rigid austerities. And it is said\nthat from antipathy to Indra he created a son having three heads. And\nthat being of universal form possessed of great lustre hankered after\nIndra's seat. And possessed of those three awful faces resembling the\nsun, the moon, and the fire, he read the Vedas with one mouth, drank wine\nwith another, and looked with the third as if he would absorb all the\ncardinal points. And given to the practice of austerities, and mild being\nand self-controlled, he was intent upon a life of religious practices and\nausterities. And his practice of austerities, O subduer of foes, was\nrigid and terrible and of an exceedingly severe character. And beholding\nthe austerities, courage, and truthfulness of this one possessed of\nimmeasurable energy, Indra became anxious, fearing lest that being should\ntake his place. And Indra reflected, \"How may he be made to addict\nhimself to sensual enjoyments; how may he be made to cease his practice\nof such rigid austerities? For were the three-headed being to wax strong,\nhe would absorb the whole universe.\" And it was thus that Indra pondered\nin his mind; and, O best of Bharata's race, endued with intelligence, he\nordered the celestial nymphs to tempt the son of Twashtri. And he\ncommanded them, saying, \"Be quick, and go without delay, and so tempt him\nthat the three-headed being may plunge himself into sensual enjoyment to\nthe utmost extent. Furnished with captivating hips, array yourselves in\nvoluptuous attires, and decking yourselves in charming necklaces, do ye\ndisplay gestures and blandishments of love. Endued with loveliness, do ye\ntempt him and alleviate my dread. I feel restless in my heart, O lovely\ndamsels. Avert ye, ladies, this awful peril that hangs over me. Good\nbetide you.\"'\n\n\"'Then the nymphs said, \"O Indra, O slayer of Vala, we shall so endeavour\nto allure him that thou wilt have nothing to fear at his hands. That very\nreceptacle of austerities, sitting now as if scorching everything with\nhis eyes, O god, we are going together to tempt. We shall try to bring\nhim under our control, and to put an end to your fears.\"'\n\n\"Salya continued, 'Commanded by Indra, they then went to the three-headed\nbeing. And arriving there, those lovely damsels tempted him with various\ngestures of love, displaying their fine figures. But engaged in the\npractice of exceedingly severe austerities, although he looked at them,\nyet he was not influenced by desire. Of subdued senses he was like the\nocean, full to the brim, in gravity. And the nymphs after having tried\ntheir best, came back to Indra. And they all with joined hands spoke to\nthe lord of the celestials, saying, \"O, that unapproachable being is\nincapable of being disturbed by us. O highly gifted being, thou mayst do\nwhat now may seem proper to thee.\" The high-minded Indra honoured the\nnymphs and then dismissed them reflecting, O Yudhishthira, solely upon\nother means of destroying his foe. And endued with intelligence, he fixed\nupon a contrivance for destroying the three-headed being. And he said,\n\"Let me today hurt my thunderbolt at him. By this means he will speedily\nbe killed. Even a strong person should not overlook a rising foe,\ncontemptible though he may be.\" And thus reflecting upon the lessons\ninculcated in treatises of learning, he was firmly resolved upon slaying\nthat being. Then Indra, enraged, hurled at the three-headed being his\nthunderbolt which looked like fire and was terrible to behold, and which\ninspired dread. And forcibly struck by that thunderbolt, he was slain and\nfell down, as falls on the earth the loosened summit of a hill. And\nbeholding him slain by the thunderbolt, and lying down huge as a hill,\nthe chief of the celestials found no peace, and felt as if scorched by\nthe effulgent appearance of the dead; for though slain, he had a blazing\nand effulgent appearance and looked like one alive. And, strange to say,\nthough lifeless, his heads seemed to be alive as they were beheld lying\nlow on the field. And exceedingly afraid of that lustre, Indra remained\nplunged in thought. And at that time, O great king, bearing an axe on his\nshoulder, a carpenter came to the forest and approached the spot where\nlay that being. And Indra, the lord of Sachi, who was afraid, saw the\ncarpenter come there by chance. And the chastiser of Paka said unto him\nimmediately, \"Do this my behest. Quickly cut off this one's heads.\" The\ncarpenter thereupon said, \"His shoulders are broad: this axe will not be\nable to cut them off. Nor shall I be able to do what is condemned by\nrighteous persons.\" And Indra said, \"Do not fear, quickly do what I say.\nAt my command thy axe shall equal the thunderbolt.\" The carpenter said,\n\"Whom am I to take thee to be who hast done this frightful deed today?\nThis I wish to learn, tell me the exact truth.\" And Indra said, \"O\ncarpenter, I am Indra, the chief of the gods. Let this be known to thee.\nDo thou act just as I have told thee. Do not hesitate, O carpenter!\" The\ncarpenter said, \"O Indra, how is it that thou art not ashamed of this thy\ninhuman act? How it is that thou hast no dread of the sin of slaying a\nBrahmana, after having slain this son of a saint?\" Indra said, \"I shall\nafterwards perform some religious ceremony of a rigorous kind to purify\nmyself from this taint. This was a powerful enemy of mine whom I have\nkilled with my thunderbolt. Even now I am uneasy, O carpenter; I, indeed,\ndread him even now. Do thou quickly cut off his heads, I shall bestow my\nfavour upon thee. In sacrifices, men will give thee the head of the\nsacrificial beast as thy share. This is the favour I confer on thee. Do\nthou quickly perform what I desire.\"'\n\n\"Salya said, 'Hearing this, the carpenter, at the request of the great\nIndra, immediately severed the heads of the three-headed one with his\naxe. And when the heads were cut off, out flew therefrom a number of\nbirds, viz., partridges, quails and sparrows. And from the mouth\nwherewith he used to recite the Vedas and to drink the Soma-juice, came\nout partridges in quick succession. And, O king, O son of Pandu, from the\nmouth with which he used to look at the cardinal points as if absorbing\nthem all, a number of quails came forth. And from that mouth of the\nthree-headed being which used to drink wine, out flew a number of\nsparrows and hawks. And the heads having been cut off Indra was freed\nfrom his trepidation, and went to heaven, glad at heart. And the\ncarpenter also went back to his house. And the slayer of Asuras, having\nkilled his foe, considered his object gained. Now when the lord of\ncreatures, Twashtri, heard that his son had been slain by Indra, his eyes\nbecame red with ire, and he spoke the following words, \"Since Indra hath\nkilled my son who had committed no offence at all, who was constantly\nengaged in the practice of austerities, who was merciful, possessed of\nself-control, and of subdued passions, therefore, for the destruction of\nIndra, I will create Vritra. Let the worlds behold what power I possess,\nand how mighty is the practice of austerities! Let that inhuman,\nwicked-minded lord of the gods also witness the same!\" And saying this,\nthat enraged one, famous for his austerities, washed his mouth with\nwater, made offerings on the fire, created the terrible Vritra, and spoke\nto him, saying, \"O destined slayer of Indra, grow in might even from the\nstrength of my austere rites.\" And that Asura grew in might, towering\ntowards the firmament, and resembling the son of fire. And he asked,\n\"Risen like the doomsday sun, what am I to do?\" \"Kill Indra,\" was the\nreply. And then he departed towards the celestial regions. And next\nensued a great fight between Vritra and Indra, both fired with wrath. And\nthere took place a terrible combat, O best of Kuru's race. And the heroic\nVritra seized the celestial lord who had performed a hundred sacrifices.\nAnd filled with wrath, he whirled Indra and threw him into his mouth. And\nwhen Indra was swallowed up by Vritra, the terrified senior gods,\npossessed of great might, created Jrimbhika to kill Vritra. And as Vritra\nyawned and his mouth opened the slayer of the Asura, Vala contracted the\ndifferent parts of his body, and came out from within Vritra's mouth. And\nthenceforth the yawn attaches itself to the living breath of animated\nbeings in three worlds. And the gods rejoiced at the egress of Indra. And\nonce again commenced the terrible fight between Vritra and Indra, both\nfull of ire. And it was waged for a long while, O best of Bharata's race.\nAnd when Vritra, inspired with the mighty spirit of Twashtri and himself\nendowed with strength, got the upper hand in fight, Indra turned back. And\non his retreat, the gods became exceedingly distressed. And all of them\ntogether with Indra were overpowered by the might of Twashtri. And they\nall consulted with the saints, O descendant of Bharata. And they\ndeliberated as to what was proper to be done, and were overwhelmed with\ndread. And seated on the top of the Mandara mountain, and bent on killing\nVritra, they only bethought themselves of Vishnu, the indestructible one.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION X\n\n\"'Indra said, \"This whole indestructible universe, O gods, hath been\npervaded by Vritra. There is nothing that can be equal to the task of\nopposing him. I was capable of yore, but now I am incapable. What good\nbetide you, can I do? I believe him to be unapproachable. Powerful and\nmagnanimous, possessing immeasurable strength in fight, he would be able\nto swallow up all the three worlds with the gods, the Asuras, and the\nmen. Therefore, hear ye dwellers of heaven, this is my resolution.\nProceeding to the abode of Vishnu, in company with that high-souled Being\nmust we consult, and ascertain the means of slaying this ruthless wretch.\"'\n\n\"Salya continued, 'Indra having thus spoken, the gods with that host of\nRishis repaired to the mighty god Vishnu to place themselves under\nthe protection of that protector of all. And afflicted with the dread of\nVritra, they said unto the Supreme Lord of the deities, \"Thou hadst in\nformer times covered the three worlds with three steps. Thou hadst\nprocured the ambrosial food, O Vishnu, and destroyed the Asuras in\nbattle. Thou didst bind the great Asura Vali and hadst raised Indra to\nthe throne of heaven. Thou art the lord of the gods, and this entire\nuniverse is pervaded by thee. Thou art the God, the mighty Deity, saluted\nby all persons. Be thou the refuge of all the celestials together with\nIndra, O best of gods. The whole universe, O slayer of Asuras, hath been\npervaded by Vritra.\" And Vishnu said, \"I am no doubt bound to do what is\nfor your good. I shall, therefore, tell you of a contrivance whereby he\nmay be annihilated. Do ye with the Rishis and the Gandharvas repair to\nthe place where Vritra that bearer of a universal form is and adopt\ntowards him a conciliatory policy. You will thus succeed in overthrowing\nhim. By virtue of my power, victory, ye gods, will be won by Indra, for,\nremaining invisible, I shall enter into his thunderbolt, that best of\nweapons. O foremost of gods, depart ye with the Rishis and the\nGandharvas. Let there be no delay in effecting a peace between Indra and\nVritra.\"'\n\n\"Salya continued, 'When he had thus spoken, the Rishis and the celestials\nplaced Indra at their head, and uniting together, went away. Approaching\nIndra they beheld Vritra glowing and resplendent as if scorching the ten\npoints, and swallowing all the three worlds, and resembling the sun or\nthe moon. And then the Rishis, came up to Vritra and spoke to him in\nconciliatory terms, saying, \"O thou unconquerable being, the whole of\nthis universe hath been pervaded by thy energy. Thou art not able however\nto overpower Indra, O best of mighty beings. A long period hath now\nelapsed since you began to fight. All beings, with the gods and the\nAsuras and men, are suffering from the effects of the fight. Let there be\neternal friendship between thee and Indra. Thou shalt be happy and shall\ndwell eternally in Indra's regions.\" And the mighty Vritra having heard\nthe words of the saints, bowed his head unto them. And the Asura (thus)\nspoke, \"What you, O highly-gifted beings, and also all these Gandharvas\nare saying, I have heard. Ye stainless beings, hear also what I have got\nto say. How can there be peace between us two, Indra and myself? How can\nthere be friendship, ye gods, between two hostile powers?\" The Rishis\nsaid, \"Friendship among righteous persons happens at a single meeting. It\nis a desirable object. Thereafter will happen what is fated to be. The\nopportunity of forming friendship with a righteous person should not be\nsacrificed. Therefore, the friendship of the righteous should be sought.\nThe friendship of the righteous is (like) excellent wealth, for he that\nis wise would give advice when it is needed. The friendship of a good\nperson is of great use; therefore, a wise person should not desire to\nkill a righteous one. Indra is honoured by the righteous, and is the\nrefuge of magnanimous persons, being veracious and unblamable, and knows\nwhat virtue is, and is possessed of a refined judgment. Let there be\neternal friendship between thee and Indra, as described above. In this\nway, have faith (in him); let not thy heart be differently inclined.\"'\n\n\"Salya said, 'Hearing these words of the great Rishis, the illustrious\nAsura spoke to them, \"No doubt, the Rishis, endued with supernatural\npowers, are to be respected by me. Let what I am going to say, ye gods,\nbe performed in its entirety; then I shall do everything that (these)\nbest of Brahmanas have said to me. Ye lords of the Brahmana race, ordain\nso that Indra himself or the gods do not kill me by what is dry, or wet;\nby stone, or by wood; by a weapon fit for close fight, or by a missile;\nin the day time, or at night. On those terms eternal peace with Indra\nwould be acceptable to me,\"--Very good! was what the Rishis told him, O\nbest of Bharata race. Thus peace having been concluded, Vritra was very\nmuch pleased. And Indra also became pleased though constantly occupied\nwith the thought of killing Vritra. And the chief of the deities passed\nhis time in search of a loophole, uneasy (in mind). And on a certain day\nwhen it was evening and the hour awful, Indra caught sight of the mighty\nAsura on the coast of the sea. And he bethought himself of the boon that\nwas granted to the illustrious Asura, saying, \"This is the awful evening\ntime; it is neither day, nor night; and this Vritra, my enemy, who hath\nstripped me of my all, must undoubtedly be killed by me. If I do not kill\nVritra, this great and mighty Asura of gigantic frame, even by deceit, it\nwill not go well with me.\" And as Indra thought of all this, bearing\nVishnu in mind he beheld at that instant in the sea a mass of froth as\nlarge as a hill. And he said, \"This is neither dry, nor wet, nor is it a\nweapon; let me hurl it at Vritra. Without doubt, he will die\nimmediately.\" And he threw at Vritra that mass of froth blended with the\nthunderbolt. And Vishnu, having entered within that froth, put an end to\nthe life of Vritra. And when Vritra was killed, the cardinal points were\nfree from gloom; and there also blew a pleasant breeze; and all beings\nwere much pleased. And the deities with the Gandharvas and Yakshas and\nRakshasas, with the great snakes and saints, glorified the mighty Indra\nwith various laudatory hymns. And saluted by all beings, Indra spoke\nwords of encouragement to all. And his heart was glad as also that of\neveryone of the gods for having killed the foe. And knowing the nature of\nvirtue, he worshipped Vishnu, the most praiseworthy of all objects in the\nworld. Now when the mighty Vritra, terrible to the gods, was killed,\nIndra became overpowered by falsehood, and he became exceedingly sad; and\nhe was also overpowered by the sin of Brahmanicide on account of having\nkilled the three-headed son of Twashtri. And he betook himself to the\nconfines of the worlds, and became bereft of his senses and\nconsciousness. And overpowered by his own sins, he could not be\nrecognised. And he lay concealed in water, just like a writhing snake.\nAnd when the lord of celestials, oppressed with the dread of\nBrahmanicide, had vanished from sight, the earth looked as if a havoc had\npassed over it. And it became treeless, and its woods withered; and the\ncourse of rivers was interrupted; and the reservoirs lost all their\nwater; and there was distress among animals on account of cessation of\nrains. And the deities and all the great Rishis were in exceeding fear;\nand the world had no king, and was overtaken by disasters. Then the\ndeities and the divine saints in heaven, separated from the chief of the\ngods, became terrified, and wondered who was to be their king. And nobody\nhad any inclination to act as the king of the gods.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XI\n\n\"Salya said, 'Then all the Rishis and the superior gods said, \"Let the\nhandsome Nahusha be crowned as king of the gods. He is powerful and\nrenowned, and devoted to virtue ever more.\" And they all went and said to\nhim, \"O lord of the earth, be thou our king.\" And Nahusha intent on his\nwelfare, spoke to those gods and saints accompanied by the progenitors\n(of mankind), \"I am feeble; I am not capable of protecting you; it is a\npowerful person who should be your king; it is Indra who hath always been\npossessed of strength.\" And all the gods, led by the saints, spoke again\nto him, \"Aided by the virtue of our austerities, rule thou the kingdom of\nheaven. There is no doubt that we have all our respective fears. Be\ncrowned, O lord of monarchs, as the king of heaven. Whatever being may\nstand within thy sight, whether he be a god, an Asura, a Yaksha, a saint,\na Pitri, or a Gandharva, thou shalt absorb his power and (thereby) wax\nstrong. Always placing virtue before (all other things), be thou the\nruler of the worlds. Protect also the Brahmarsis (Brahmana saints) and\nthe gods in heaven.\" Then, O lord of monarchs, Nahusha was crowned king\nin heaven. And placing virtue before (everything else), he became the\nruler of all the worlds. And though always of a virtuous disposition, yet\nwhen he obtained that precious boon and the kingdom of heaven, Nahusha\nassumed a sensual turn of mind. And when Nahusha became the king of the\ngods, he surrounded himself with celestial nymphs, and with damsels of\ncelestial birth, and took to enjoyments of various kinds, in the Nandana\ngroves, on mount Kailasa, on the crest of Himavat, on Mandara, the White\nhill Sahya, Mahendra and Malaya, as, also upon seas and rivers. And he\nlistened to various divine narratives that captivated both the ear and\nthe heart, and to the play of musical instruments of different sorts, and\nto sweet vocal strains. And Viswavasu and Narada and bevies of celestial\nnymphs and bands of Gandharvas and the six seasons in living shapes,\nattended upon the king of the gods. And fragrant breezes, refreshingly\ncool, blew round him. And while that wretch was thus enjoying himself, on\none occasion the goddess who was the favourite queen of Indra came in his\nsight. And that vicious soul, having looked at her, said to the\ncourtiers, \"Why doth not this goddess, the queen of Indra, attend upon\nme? I am the monarch of the gods, and also the ruler of the worlds. Let\nSachi make haste and visit me at my house.\" Saddened at hearing this, the\ngoddess said to Vrihaspati, \"Protect me, O Brahmana, from this Nahusha. I\ncome to you as my refuge. You always say, O Brahmana, that I have got on\nmy person all the auspicious marks, being the favourite of the divine\nking; that I am chaste, devoted to my lord, and destined never to become\na widow. All this about me you have said before. Let your words be made\ntrue. O possessor of great powers, O lord, you never spoke words that\nwere vain. Therefore, O best of Brahmanas, this that you have said ought\nto be true.\" Then Vrihaspati said to the queen of Indra who was beside\nherself through fear, \"What thou hast been told by me will come to be\ntrue, be sure, O goddess. Thou shalt see Indra, the lord of the gods, who\nwill soon come back here. I tell thee truly, thou hast no fear from\nNahusha; I shall soon unite thee with Indra.\" Now Nahusha came to hear\nthat Indra's queen had taken refuge with Vrihaspati, the son of Angiras.\nAnd at this, the king became highly enraged.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XII\n\n\"Salya said, 'Seeing Nahusha enraged, the gods led by the saints spoke\nunto him, \"Who was now their king of awful mien? O king of gods, quit thy\nwrath. When thou art in wrath, O lord, the Universe, with its Asuras and\nGandharvas, its Kinnaras, and great snakes, quaketh. Quit this wrath,\nthou righteous being. Persons like thee do not put themselves out. That\ngoddess is another person's wife. Be pacified, O lord of gods! Turn back\nthy inclination from the sin of outraging another's wife. Thou art the\nking of gods, prosperity to thee! Protect thy subjects in all\nrighteousness.\" So addressed, he heeded not the saying rendered senseless\nby lust. And the king spoke to the gods, in allusion to Indra, \"Ahalya of\nspotless fame, the wife of a saint, was outraged by Indra while her\nhusband was alive. Why did ye not prevent him? Many were the deeds of\ninhumanity, of unrighteousness, of deceit, committed by Indra in former\ntimes. Why did ye not prevent him? Let the goddess do my pleasure; that\nwould be her permanent good. And so the same will ever more rebound to\nyour safety, ye gods!\"\n\n\"'The gods said, \"We shall bring to thee the queen of Indra even as thou\nhast laid the command, O lord of heaven! Quit this wrath, thou valiant\nsoul! Be pacified, O lord of gods!\"'\n\n\"Salya continued, 'Thus having spoken to him, the gods with the saint\nwent to inform Vrihaspati and the queen of Indra of the sad news. And\nthey said, \"We know, O foremost of Brahmanas, that the queen of Indra\nhath betaken herself to thy house, for protection, and that thou hast\npromised her protection, O best of divine saints! But we, the gods and\nGandharvas and saints, beseech thee, O thou of great lustre, to give up\nthe queen of Indra to Nahusha. Nahusha, the king of gods, of great\neffulgence, is superior to Indra. Let her, that lady of choice figure and\ncomplexion, choose him as her lord!\" Thus addressed, the goddess gave\nvent to tears; and sobbing audibly, she mourned in piteous accents. And\nshe spoke to Vrihaspati, \"O best of divine saints, I do not desire\nNahusha to be my lord. I have betaken myself to thy protection, O\nBrahmana! Deliver me from this great peril!\"\n\n\"'Vrihaspati said, \"My resolution is this, I shall not abandon one that\nhath sought my protection. O thou of unblamable life, I shall not abandon\nthee, virtuous as thou art and of a truthful disposition! I do not desire\nto do an improper act, specially as I am a Brahmana knowing what\nrighteousness is, having a regard for truth, and aware also of the\nprecepts of virtue. I shall never do it. Go your ways, ye best of gods.\nHear what hath formerly been sung by Brahma with regard to the matter at\nhand. He that delivereth up to a foe of a person terrified and asking for\nprotection obtaineth no protection when he himself is in need of it. His\nseed doth not grow at seed-time and rain doth not come to him in the\nseason of rains. He that delivereth up to a foe a person terrified and\nasking for protection never succeedeth in anything that he undertaketh;\nsenseless as he is, he droppeth paralysed from heaven; the gods refuse\nofferings made by him. His progeny die an untimely death and his\nforefathers always quarrel (among themselves). The gods with Indra and\ntheir head dart the thunderbolt at him. Know it to be so, I shall not\ndeliver up this Sachi here, the queen of Indra, famous in the world as\nhis favourite consort. O ye best of gods, what may be for both her good\nand mine I ask you to do. Sachi I shall never deliver up!\"'\n\n\"Salya continued, 'Then the gods and the Gandharvas said these words to\nthe preceptor of the gods, \"O Vrihaspati, deliberate upon something that\nmay be conformable to sound policy!\" Vrihaspati said, \"Let this goddess\nof auspicious looks ask for time from Nahusha in order to make up her\nmind to his proposal. This will be for the good of Indra's queen, and of\nus as well. Time, ye gods, may give rise to many impediments. Time will\nsend time onward. Nahusha is proud and powerful by virtue of the boon\ngranted to him!\"'\n\n\"Salya continued, 'Vrihaspati having spoken so, the gods, delighted then\nsaid, \"Well hast thou said, O Brahmana. This is for the good of all the\ngods. It is no doubt so. Only, let this goddess be propitiated.\" Then the\nassembled gods led by Agni, with a view to the welfare of all the worlds,\nspoke to Indra's queen in a quiet way. And the gods said, \"Thou art\nsupporting the whole universe of things mobile and immobile. Thou art\nchaste and true: go thou to Nahusha. That vicious being, lustful after\nthee, will shortly fall: and Indra, O goddess, will get the sovereignty\nof the gods!\" Ascertaining this to be the result of that deliberation,\nIndra's queen, for attaining her end, went bashfully to Nahusha of awful\nmien. The vicious Nahusha also, rendered senseless by lust, saw how\nyouthful and lovely she was, and became highly pleased.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIII\n\n\"Salya said, 'Now then Nahusha, the king of the gods, looked at her and\nsaid, \"O thou of sweet smiles, I am the Indra of all the three worlds. O\nthou of beautiful thighs and fair complexion, accept me as thy lord!\"\nThat chaste goddess, thus addressed by Nahusha, was terrified and quaked\nlike a plantain-stalk at a breezy spot. She bowed her head to Brahma, and\njoining her hands spoke to Nahusha, the king of the gods, of awful mien,\nsaid, \"O lord of the deities, I desire to obtain time. It is not known\nwhat hath become of Indra, or where he is. Having enquired into the truth\nregarding him, if, O lord, I obtain no news of him, then I shall visit\nthee; this tell I thee for truth.\" Thus addressed by Indra's queen,\nNahusha was pleased. And Nahusha said, \"Let it be so, O lady of lovely\nhips, even as thou art telling me. Thou wilt come, after having\nascertained the news. I hope thou wilt remember thy plighted truth.\"\nDismissed by Nahusha, she of auspicious looks stepped out; and that\nfamous lady went to the abode of Vrihaspati. And, O best of kings, the\ngods with Agni at their head, when they heard her words, deliberated,\nintent upon what would promote the interests of Indra. And they then\njoined the powerful Vishnu, the God of gods. And skilled in making\nspeeches, the uneasy gods spoke the following words to him, \"Indra, the\nlord of all the gods, hath been overpowered by the sin of Brahmanicide.\nThou, O lord of the gods, art the first-born, the ruler of the universe,\nand our refuge. Thou hadst assumed the form of Vishnu for the protection\nof all beings. When Vritra was killed through thy energy, Indra was\noverwhelmed by the sin of Brahmanicide. O best of all the gods, prescribe\nthe means of setting him free.\" Having heard these words of the gods,\nVishnu said, \"Let Indra offer sacrifice to me. Even I shall purify the\nholder of the thunderbolt. The chastiser of Paka, having performed the\nholy horse-sacrifice, will fearlessly regain his dignity as lord of the\ngods. And the wicked-minded Nahusha will be led to destruction by his\nevil deeds. For a certain period, ye gods, ye must be patient, being\nvigilant at the same time.\" Having heard these words of Vishnu, words\nthat were true, and pleasant like ambrosia to their ears, the gods, with\ntheir preceptor, and with the Rishis proceeded to that spot where Indra\nwas uneasy with fear. And there, O king, was performed a great\nhorse-sacrifice, capable of removing the sin of Brahmanicide, for the\npurification of the high-minded and great Indra. And the lord of the\ngods, O Yudhishthira, divided the sin of Brahmanicide among trees and\nrivers and mountains and the earth and women. And having distributed it\nthus among those beings and parted with it, Indra was free from fever.\nAnd rid of his sin, he came to himself. And at that place, the slayer of\nthe Asura Vala, quaked when he looked at Nahusha, before whom all\nanimated beings felt cowed, and who was unapproachable by virtue of the\nboon the Rishis had granted to him. And the divine husband of Sachi\nvanished from sight once again. And invisible to all beings, he wandered\nbiding his time. And Indra having disappeared, Sachi fell into grief. And\nexceedingly miserable, she bewailed, \"Alas! O Indra, if ever I have made\na gift, or made offering to the gods, or have propitiated my spiritual\nguides, if there is any truth in me, then I pray that my chastity may\nremain inviolate. I bow myself to this goddess Night,--holy, pure,\nrunning her course during this the northern journey of the sun,[1] let my\ndesire be fulfilled.\" Saying this, she, in a purified condition of body\nand soul, worshipped the goddess Night. And in the name of her chastity\nand truth she had recourse to divination.[2] And she asked, \"Show me the\nplace where the king of the gods is. Let truth be verified by truth.\" And\nit was thus that she addressed the goddess of Divination.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIV\n\n\"Salya said, 'Then the goddess of Divination stood near that chaste and\nbeautiful lady. And having beheld that goddess, youthful and lovely,\nstanding before her, Indra's queen, glad at heart, paid respects to them\nand said, \"I desire to know who thou art, O thou of lovely face.\" And\nDivination said, \"I am Divination, O goddess, come near thee. Since thou\nart truthful, therefore, O high-minded lady, do I appear in thy sight.\nSince thou art devoted to thy lord, employed in controlling thyself, and\nengaged in the practice of religious rites, I shall show thee the god\nIndra, the slayer of Vritra. Quickly come after me, so may good betide\nthee! Thou shalt see that best of gods.\" Then Divination proceeded and\nthe divine queen of Indra went after her. And she crossed the heavenly\ngroves, and many mountains; and then having crossed the Himavat\nmountains, she came to its northern side. And having reached the sea,\nextending over many yojanas, she came upon a large island covered with\nvarious trees and plants. And there she saw a beautiful lake, of heavenly\nappearance, covered with birds, eight hundred miles in length, and as\nmany in breadth. And upon it, O descendant of Bharata, were full-blown\nlotuses of heavenly appearance, of five colours, hummed round by bees,\nand counting by thousands. And in the middle of that lake, there was a\nlarge and beautiful assemblage of lotuses having in its midst a large\nwhite lotus standing on a lofty stalk. And penetrating into the\nlotus-stalk, along with Sachi, she saw Indra there who had entered into\nits fibres. And seeing her lord lying there in a minute form, Sachi also\nassumed a minute form, so did the goddess of divination too. And Indra's\nqueen began to glorify him by reciting his celebrated deeds of yore. And\nthus glorified, the divine Purandara spoke to Sachi, \"For what purpose\nhast thou come? How also have I been found out?\" Then the goddess spoke\nof the acts of Nahusha. And she said, \"O performer of a hundred\nsacrifices, having obtained the sovereignty of the three worlds, powerful\nand haughty and of a vicious soul, he hath commanded me to visit him, and\nthe cruel wretch hath even assigned me a definite time. If thou wilt not\nprotect me, O lord, he will bring me under his power. For this reason, O\nIndra, have I come to thee in alarm. O thou of powerful arms, slay the\nterrible Nahusha of vicious soul. Discover thyself, O slayer of Daityas\nand Danavas. O lord, assume thy own strength and rule the celestial\nkingdom.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XV\n\n\"Salya said, 'Thus addressed by Sachi, the illustrious god said to her\nagain, \"This is not the time for putting forth valour. Nahusha is\nstronger than I am. O beautiful lady, he hath been strengthened by the\nRishis with the merits of offerings to the gods and the Pitris. I shall\nhave recourse to policy now. Thou wilt have to carry it out, O goddess. O\nlady, thou must do it secretly and must not disclose it to any person. O\nlady of a beautiful waist, going to Nahusha in private, tell him, O lord\nof the Universe, thou must visit me mounted on a nice vehicle borne by\nRishis. In that case I shall be pleased and shall place myself at thy\ndisposal. This shouldst thou tell him.\" And thus addressed by the king of\nthe gods, his lotus-eyed consort expressed her consent and went to\nNahusha. And Nahusha, having seen her, smilingly addressed her, saying,\n\"I welcome thee, O lady of lovely thighs. What is thy pleasure, O thou of\nsweet smiles. Accept me, O lady of propitious looks, who am devoted to\nthee. What is thy will, O spirited dame. I shall do thy wish, O lady of\npropitious looks and slender waist. Nor needst thou be bashful, O thou of\nlovely hips. Have trust in me. In the name of truth I swear, O goddess,\nthat I shall do thy bidding.\"\n\n\"'Sachi said, \"O lord of the Universe, I wanted the time that thou hast\nassigned to me. Thereafter, O lord of the gods, thou shalt be my husband.\nI have a wish. Attend and hear, O king of the gods, what it is I shall\nsay, O king, so that thou mayst do what I like. This is an indulgence\nthat I ask from thy love for me. If thou grantest it, I shall be at thy\ndisposal. Indra had horses for carrying him, and elephants, and cars. I\nwant thee to have, O king of the gods, a novel vehicle, such as never\nbelonged to Vishnu, or Rudra, or the Asuras, or the Rakshasas, O lord.\nLet a number of highly dignified Rishis, united together, bear thee in a\npalanquin. This is what commends itself to me. Thou shouldst not liken\nthyself to the Asuras or the gods. Thou absorbest the strength of all by\nthy own strength as soon as they look at thee. There is none so strong as\nto be able to stand before thee.\"'\n\n\"Salya continued, 'Thus addressed, Nahusha was very much pleased. And the\nlord of the deities said to that lady of faultless features, \"O lady of\nthe fairest complexion, thou hast spoken of a vehicle never heard of\nbefore. I like it exceedingly, O goddess. I am in thy power, O thou of\nlovely face. He cannot be a feeble person who employeth Rishis for\nbearing him. I have practised austerities, and am mighty. I am the lord\nof the past, the present, and the future. The Universe would be no more\nif I were in rage. The whole Universe is established in me. O thou of\nsweet smiles, the gods, the Asuras and Gandharvas, and snakes, and\nRakshasas are together unable to cope with me when I am in rage.\nWhomsoever I gaze upon I divest him of his energy. Therefore, thy request\nI shall no doubt fulfil, O goddess. The seven Rishis, and also the\nregenerate Rishis, shall carry me. See our greatness and splendour, O\nlady of lovely complexion.\"'\n\n\"Salya continued, 'Having thus addressed that goddess of lovely face, and\nhaving dismissed her thus, he harnessed to his heavenly car a number of\nsaints devoted to the practice of austerities. A disregarder of\nBrahmanas, endued with power and intoxicated with pride, capricious, and\nof vicious soul, he employed those saints to carry him. Meanwhile,\ndismissed by Nahusha, Sachi went to Vrihaspati and said, \"But little\nremaineth of the term assigned by Nahusha to me. Be compassionate unto\nme who respect thee so, and quickly find out Indra.\"\n\n\"'The illustrious Vrihaspati then said to her, \"Very good, thou needst\nnot, O goddess, fear, Nahusha of vicious soul. Surely, he shall not long\nretain his power. The wretch, in fact, is already gone, being regardless\nof virtue and because, O lovely dame, of his employing the great saints\nto carry him. And I shall perform a sacrifice for the destruction of this\nvicious wretch, and I shall find out Indra. Thou needst not fear. Fare\nthee well.\" And Vrihaspati of great power then kindled a fire in the\nprescribed form, and put the very best offerings upon it in order to\nascertain where the king of the gods was. And having put his offerings, O\nking, he said to the Fire, \"Search out Indra.\" And thereupon that\nrevered god, the eater of burnt offerings, assumed of his own accord a\nwonderful feminine form and vanished from sight at that very spot. And\nendued with speed of the mind, he searched everywhere, mountains and\nforests, earth and sky, and came back to Vrihaspati within the twinkling\nof the eye. And Agni said, \"Vrihaspati, nowhere in these places do I find\nthe king of the gods. The waters alone remain to be searched. I am always\nbackward in entering the waters. I have no ingress therein. O Brahmana,\nwhat I am to do for thee.\" The preceptor of the gods then said to him, \"O\nillustrious god, do thou enter the water.\"\n\n\"'Agni said, \"I cannot enter the water. Therein it is extinction that\nawaits me. I place myself in thy hand, O thou of great effulgence. Mayst\nthou fare well! Fire rose from water, the military caste rose from the\npriestly caste; and iron had its origin in stone. The power of these\nwhich can penetrate all other things, hath no operation upon the sources\nfrom which they spring.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVI\n\n\"'Vrihaspati said, \"Thou art the mouth, O Agni, of all the gods. Thou art\nthe carrier of sacred offerings. Thou, like a witness, hast access to the\ninner souls of all creatures. The poets call thee single, and again\nthree-fold. O eater of burnt offerings, abandoned by thee the Universe\nwould forthwith cease to be. The Brahmanas by bowing to thee, win with\ntheir wives and sons an eternal region, the reward of their own\nmeritorious deeds. O Agni, it is thou who art the bearer of sacred\nofferings. Thou, O Agni, art thyself the best offering. In a sacrificial\nceremony of the supreme order, it is thee that they worship with\nincessant gifts and offerings. O bearer of offerings, having created the\nthree worlds, thou when the hour cometh, consumeth them in thy unkindled\nform. Thou art the mother of the whole Universe; and thou again, O Agni,\nart its termination. The wise call thee identical with the clouds and\nwith the lightning; flames issuing from thee, support all creatures. All\nthe waters are deposited in thee; so is this entire world. To thee, O\npurifier, nothing is unknown in the three worlds. Every body taketh\nkindly to his progenitor; do thou enter the waters without fear. I shall\nrender thee strong with the eternal hymns of the Veda.\" Thus glorified,\nthe bearer of burnt offerings, that best of poets, well-pleased, spoke\nlaudable words to Vrihaspati. And he said, \"I shall show Indra to thee.\nThis I tell thee for truth.\"'\n\n\"Salya continued, 'Then Agni entered the waters including seas and tiny\nponds, and came to that reservoir, where, O best of Bharata's race, while\nsearching the lotus flowers, he saw the king of the gods lying within the\nfibres of a lotus-stalk. And soon coming back, he informed Vrihaspati how\nIndra had taken refuge in the fibres of a lotus-stalk, assuming a minute\nform. Then Vrihaspati, accompanied by the gods, the saints and the\nGandharvas, went and glorified the slayer of Vala by referring to his\nformer deeds. And he said, \"O Indra, the great Asura Namuchi was killed\nby thee; and those two Asuras also of terrible strength, viz., Samvara\nand Vala. Wax strong, O performer of a hundred sacrifices, and slay all\nthy foes. Rise, O Indra! Behold, here are assembled the gods and the\nsaints. O Indra, O great lord, by slaying Asuras, thou hast delivered the\nworlds. Having got the froth of waters, strengthened with Vishnu's\nenergy, thou formerly slew Vritra. Thou art the refuge of all creatures\nand art adorable. There is no being equal to thee. All the creatures, O\nIndra, are supported by thee. Thou didst build the greatness of the gods.\nDeliver all, together with the worlds by assuming thy strength, O great\nIndra.\" And thus glorified, Indra increased little by little; and having\nassumed his own form, he waxed strong and spoke to the preceptor\nVrihaspati standing before. And he said, \"What business of yours yet\nremaineth; the great Asuras, son of Twashtri, hath been killed; and\nVritra also, whose form was exceedingly big and who destroyed the worlds.\"\n\n\"'Vrihaspati said, \"The human Nahusha, a king, having, obtained the throne\nof heaven by virtue of the power of the divine saints, is giving us\nexceeding trouble.\"\n\n\"'Indra said, \"How hath Nahusha obtained the throne of heaven, difficult\nto get? What austerities did he practise? How great is his power, O\nVrihaspati!\"\n\n\"'Vrihaspati said, \"The gods having been frightened, wished for a king of\nheaven, for thou hadst given up the high dignity of heaven's ruler. Then\nthe gods, the Pitris of the universe, the saints, and the principal\nGandharvas, all met together, O Indra, and went to Nahusha and said, 'Be\nthou our king, and the defender of the Universe!' To them said Nahusha,\n'I am not able; fill me with your power and with the virtue of your\nausterities!' So told, the deities strengthened him, O king of the gods!\nAnd thereupon Nahusha became a person of terrible strength, and becoming\nthus the ruler of the three worlds, he hath put the great saints in\nharness, and the wretch is thus journeying from world to world. Mayst\nthou never see Nahusha who is terrible. He emitteth poison from his eyes,\nand absorbeth the energy of all. All the gods are exceedingly frightened;\nthey go about concealed and do not cast a glance at him!\"'\n\n\"Salya continued, 'While that best of Angira's race was thus speaking,\nthere came that guardian of the world, Kuvera, and also Yama the son of\nSurya, and the old god Soma, and Varuna. And arrived there they said to\nthe great Indra, \"How lucky that the son of Twashtri hath been killed,\nand Vritra also! How lucky, O Indra, that we are beholding thee safe and\nsound, while all thy enemies have been killed!\" Indra received all those\nguardians of the worlds, and with a glad heart greeted them in proper\nform with a view to requesting them in connection with Nahusha. And he\nsaid, \"Nahusha of terrible mien is the king of the gods; therein lend me\nyour assistance.\" They replied, \"Nahusha is of awful mien; his sight is\npoison; we are afraid of him, O God. If thou overthrowest Nahusha, then\nwe shall be entitled to our shares of sacrificial offerings, O Indra.\"\nIndra said, \"Let it be so. You and the ruler of the waters, and Yama, and\nKuvera shall this day be crowned along with me. Aided by all the gods,\nlet us overthrow the foe Nahusha of terrible gaze.\" Then Agni also said\nto Indra, \"Give me a share in sacrificial offerings. I also shall lend\nyou my assistance.\" Indra said to him, \"O Agni, thou also shalt get a\nshare in great sacrifices,--there will be a single share (in such) for\nboth Indra and Agni.\"'\n\n\"Salya continued, 'Thus did the illustrious lord Indra, the chastiser of\nPaka, the giver of boons, bestow, after deliberation upon Kuvera the\nsovereignty over the Yakshas, and all the wealth of the world; upon Yama,\nthe sovereignty over the Pitris; and upon Varuna, that over the waters.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVII\n\n\"Salya said, 'Now when the great Indra, the intelligent chief of the\ngods, was deliberating with the guardians of the world and other deities\nupon the means of slaying Nahusha, there appeared at that spot the\nvenerable ascetic Agastya. And Agastya honoured the lord of the gods and\nsaid, \"How fortunate that thou art flourishing after the destruction of\nthat being of universal form, as also that of Vritra. And how fortunate,\nO Purandara, Nahusha hath been hurled from the throne of heaven. How\nfortunate, O slayer of Vala, that I behold thee with all thy enemies\nkilled.\"\n\n\"'Indra said, \"Hath thy journey hither been pleasant, O great saint, I am\ndelighted to see thee. Accept from me water for washing thy feet and\nface, as also the Arghya and the cow.\"'\n\n\"Salya continued, 'Indra, well-pleased, began to question that best of\nsaints and greatest of Brahmanas when he was seated on a seat after\nreceiving due honours, thus, O revered saint, O best of Brahmanas, I wish\nto have it recited by thee how Nahusha of vicious soul was hurled from\nheaven.\n\n\"'Agastya said, \"Listen, O Indra, to the pleasant narrative how the wicked\nand vicious Nahusha, intoxicated with pride of strength, had been hurled\nfrom heaven. The pure-spirited Brahmanas and celestial saints, while\ncarrying him, weary with toil, questioned that vicious one, O best of\nvictors, saying, 'O Indra, there are certain hymns in the Vedas, directed\nto be recited while sprinkling the cows. Are they authentic or not?'\nNahusha, who had lost his senses by the operation of the Tamas, told them\nthat they were not authentic. The saints then said, 'Thou art tending\ntowards unrighteousness; thou takest not to the righteous path. The\ngreatest saints have formerly said they are authentic, O Indra.' And\nincited by Untruth, he touched me on my head with his foot. At this, O\nlord of Sachi, he became divested of power and of good looks. Then, as he\nwas agitated and overpowered with fear, I spoke to him, 'Since thou hast\npronounced as spurious the unexceptionable hymns of the Veda which have\nbeen recited by Brahmarsis (Brahmana saints), and since thou hast touched\nmy head with thy foot, and since thou, O ignorant wretch, hast turned\nthese unapproachable saints, equal to Brahma, into animals for carrying\nthee, therefore, O wretch, be divested of thy lustre, and being hurled\nheadlong, fall thou from heaven, the effect of all thy good deeds being\nexhausted. For ten thousand years, thou shalt, in the form of an enormous\nsnake, roam over the earth. When that period is full, thou mayst come\nback to heaven. Thus hath that wretch been hurled from the throne of\nheaven, O repressor of foes.' How fortunate, O Indra, that we are\nflourishing now. That thorn of the Brahmanas hath been killed. O lord of\nSachi, repair thou to heaven, protect the worlds, subdue thy senses,\nsubdue thy foes, and be glorified by the great saints.\"'\n\n\"Salya continued, 'Then, O ruler of men, the gods, and the bands of great\nsaints were exceedingly pleased. And so also were the Pitris, the\nYakshas, the Snakes, the Rakshasas, the Gandharvas, and all the bands of\ncelestial nymphs. And the tanks, the rivers, the mountains, and the seas\nalso were highly pleased. And all came up and said, \"How fortunate, O\nslayer of foes, that thou art flourishing! How fortunate, that the\nintelligent Agastya hath killed the vicious Nahusha! How fortunate that\nthe vile individual hath been turned into a snake to roam over the\nearth!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVIII\n\n\"Salya said, 'Then Indra, glorified by the bands of Gandharvas and\ncelestial nymphs, mounted on Airavata, the king of elephants,\ncharacterised by auspicious marks. And the illustrious Agni, and the\ngreat saint Vrihaspati, and Yama, and Varuna, and Kuvera, the lord of\nriches, accompanied him. And the lord Sakra, the slayer of Vritra, then\nwent to the three worlds surrounded by the gods together with the\nGandharvas and the celestial nymphs. And the performer of a hundred\nsacrifices, the king of the deities, was thus united with his queen. And\nhe began to protect the worlds with exceeding gladness. Then the\nillustrious divine saint Angiras arrived in the assembly of Indra and\nworshipped him duly by reciting the hymns of the Atharva. And the great\nlord Indra became satisfied and granted a boon to the Atharvangiras. And\nIndra said, \"Thou wilt be known as a Rishi of the name Atharvangiras in\nthe Atharva Veda, and thou wilt also get a share in sacrifices.\" And\nhaving honoured Atharvangiras thus, the great lord Indra, the performer\nof a hundred sacrifices, parted with him, O great king. And he honoured\nall the deities and all the saints endued with wealth of asceticism. And,\nO king, Indra, well-pleased, governed the people virtuously. Thus was\nmisery endured by Indra with his wife. And with the view of slaying his\nfoes, even he had to pass a period in concealment. Thou shouldst not take\nit to heart that thou, O king of kings, hast suffered with Draupadi as\nalso with thy high-minded brothers in the great forest. O king of kings,\nO descendant of Bharata, O delighter of Kuru's race, thou wilt get back\nthy kingdom in the same way as Indra got his, after having killed Vritra.\nThe vicious Nahusha, that enemy of Brahmanas, of evil mind, was\noverthrown by the curse of Agastya, and reduced to nothing for endless\nyears. Similarly, O slayer of foes, thy enemies, Karna and Duryodhana and\nothers of vicious souls will quickly be destroyed. Then, O hero, thou\nwilt enjoy the whole of this earth, as far as the sea, with thy brothers\nand this Draupadi. This story of the victory of Indra, equal to the Veda\nin its sacred character, should be listened to by a king desirous of\nvictory and when his forces have been arrayed in order of battle.\nTherefore, O best of victors, I am reciting it to thee for thy victory, O\nYudhishthira. High-souled persons attain prosperity when they are\nglorified. O Yudhishthira, the destruction of high-souled Kshatriyas is\nat hand by reason of the crimes of Duryodhana, and through the might also\nof Bhima and Arjuna. He who readeth this story of Indra's victory with a\nheart full of religious faith, is cleansed of his sins, attaineth a\nregion of bliss, and obtaineth joy both in this world and in the next. He\nhath no fear of his foes; he never becometh a sonless man, never\nencountereth any peril whatever, and enjoyeth long life. Everywhere\nvictory declareth for him, and he knoweth not what defeat is.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"O best of Bharata's race, the king, that best\nof righteous men, thus encouraged by Salya, honoured him in proper form.\nAnd Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, of powerful arms, having heard the\nwords of Salya, spoke to the king of the Madras the following words,\n'There is no doubt that thou wilt act as the charioteer of Karna. Thou\nmust damp the spirits of Karna then by recounting the praises of Arjuna.'\n\n\"Salya said, 'Let it be so. I shall do just as thou tellest me. And I\nshall do for thee anything else that I may be able to do.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then Salya, the king of the Madras, bade\nfarewell to the sons of Kunti. And that handsome man then went with his\narmy to Duryodhana, O repressor of foes.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then Yuyudhana, the great hero of the Satwata race,\ncame to Yudhishthira with a large army of foot, and horses and cars and\nelephants. And his soldiers of great valour come from various lands, bore\nvarious weapons of war, and heroic in look they beautified the Pandava\narmy. And that army looked splendid by reason of battleaxes, and missiles\nand spears, and lances, and mallets, and clubs, and staves, and cords,\nand stainless swords, and daggers, and arrows of various kinds, all of\nthe best temper. And the army, beautified by those weapons, and\nresembling in colour the cloudy sky, assumed an appearance like to amass\nof clouds with lightning-flashes in its midst. And the army counted an\nAkshauhini of troops. And when absorbed in the troops of Yudhishthira it\nentirely disappeared, as doth a small river when it enters the sea. And\nsimilarly, the powerful chief of the Chedis, Dhrishtaketu, accompanied by\nan Akshauhini, came to the sons of Pandu of immeasurable strength. And\nthe king of Magadha, Jayatsena of great strength, brought with him for\nYudhishthira an Akshauhini of troops. And similarly, Pandya, who dwelt on\nthe coast-land near the sea, came accompanied by troops of various kinds\nto Yudhishthira, the king of kings. And, O king, when all these troops\nhad assembled, his army, finely dressed and exceedingly strong, assumed\nan appearance pleasant to the eye. And the army of Drupada, also was\nbeautified by valiant soldiers who had come from various lands, and also\nby his mighty sons. And similarly, Virata, the king of the Matsyas, a\nleader of troops, accompanied by the king of the hilly regions, came to\nPandu's sons. And for the high-souled sons of Pandu there were thus\nassembled from various directions, seven Akshauhini of troops, bristling\nwith banners of various forms. And eager to fight with the Kurus, they\ngladdened the hearts of the Pandavas. And in the same way king\nBhagadatta, gladdening the heart of Dhritarashtra's son, gave an\nAkshauhini of troops to him. And the unassailable mass of his troops,\ncrowded with Chins and Kiratas, all looking like figures of gold, assumed\na beauty like to that of a forest of Karnikara trees. And so the valiant\nBhurisravas, and Salya, O son of Kuru, came to Duryodhana, with an\nAkshauhini of troops each. And Kritavarman, the son of Hridika,\naccompanied by the Bhojas, the Andhas, and the Kukuras, came to\nDuryodhana with an Akshauhini of troops. And the body of his troops\ncomposed of those mighty soldiers, who wore on their persons garlands of\nmany-coloured flowers, looked as graceful as a number of sportive\nelephants that have passed through a wood. And others led by Jayadratha,\nthe dwellers of the land of Sindhusauvira, came in such force that the\nhills seemed to tremble under their tread. And their force, counting an\nAkshauhini, looked like a mass of clouds moved by the wind. And\nSudakshina, the king of the Kamvojas, O ruler of men, accompanied by the\nYavanas and Sakas, came to the Kuru chief with an Akshauhini of troops.\nAnd the body of his troops that looked like a flight of locusts, meeting\nwith the Kuru force, was absorbed and disappeared in it. And similarly\ncame king Nila, the resident of the city of the Mahishmati, with mighty\nsoldiers from the southern country who carried weapons of pretty make.\nAnd the two kings of Avanti, accompanied by a mighty force, brought to\nDuryodhana, each a separate Akshauhini of troops. And those tigers among\nmen, the five royal brothers, the princes of Kekaya, hastened to\nDuryodhana with an Akshauhini of troops, and gladdened his heart. And\nfrom the illustrious king of other quarters there came, O best of\nBharata's race, three large divisions of troops. And thus Duryodhana had\na force which numbered eleven Akshauhinis all eager to fight with the\nsons of Kunti, and bristling with banners of various forms. And, O\ndescendant of Bharata, there was no space in the city of Hastinapura even\nfor the principal leaders of Duryodhana's army. And for this reason the\nland of the five rivers, and the whole of the region called Kurujangala,\nand the forest of Rohitaka which was uniformly wild, and Ahichatra and\nKalakuta, and the banks of the Ganga, and Varana, and Vatadhana, and the\nhill tracts on the border of the Yamuna--the whole of this extensive\ntract--full of abundant corn and wealth, was entirely overspread with the\narmy of the Kauravas. And that army, so arranged, was beheld by the\npriest who had been sent by the king of the Panchalas to the Kurus.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then Drupada's priest, having approached the Kaurava\nchief, was honoured by Dhritarashtra as also by Bhishma and Vidura. And\nhaving first told the news of the welfare of the Pandavas, he enquired\nabout the welfare of the Kauravas. And he spoke the following words in\nthe midst of all the leaders of Duryodhana's army, 'The eternal duties of\nkings are known to you all. But though known, I shall yet recite them as\nan introduction to what I am going to say. Both Dhritarashtra and Pandu\nare known to be sons of the same father. There is no doubt that the share\nof each to the paternal wealth should be equal. The sons of Dhritarashtra\nobtained the paternal wealth. Why did not the sons of Pandu at all\nreceive their paternal portion? Ye are aware how formerly the sons of\nPandu did not receive their paternal property which was all usurped by\nDhritarashtra's sons. The latter endeavoured in various ways to remove\nthe sons of Pandu from their path by employment even of murderous\ncontrivances; but as their destined terms of life had not wholly run out,\nthe sons of Pandu could not be sent to the abode of Yama. Then again,\nwhen those high-souled princes had carved out a kingdom by their own\nstrength, the mean-minded sons of Dhritarashtra, aided by Suvala's son,\nrobbed them of it by deceit. This Dhritarashtra gave his sanction even to\nthat act as hath been usual with him. And for thirteen years they were\nthen sent to sojourn in the great wilderness. In the council-hall, they\nhad also been subjected to indignities of various kinds, along with their\nwife, valiant though they were. And great also were the sufferings that\nthey had to endure in the woods. Those virtuous princes had also to\nendure unspeakable woes in the city of Virata,--such as are endured only\nby vicious men when their souls transmigrate into the forms of inferior\nbeings. Ye best of Kuru's race, overlooking all these injuries of yore\nthey desire nothing but a peaceful settlement with the Kurus! Remembering\ntheir behaviour, and that of Duryodhana also, the latter's friends should\nentreat him to consent to peace! The heroic sons of Pandu are not eager\nfor war with the Kurus. They desire to get back their own share without\ninvolving the world in ruin. If Dhritarashtra's son assigns a reason in\nfavour of war, that can never be a proper reason. The sons of Pandu are\nmore powerful. Seven Akshauhinis of troops have been collected on behalf\nof Yudhishthira, all eager to fight with the Kurus, and they are now\nawaiting his word of command. Others there are tigers among men, equal in\nmight to a thousand Akshauhinis, such as Satyaki and Bhimasena, and the\ntwin brothers of mighty strength. It is true that these eleven divisions\nof troops are arrayed on one side, but these are balanced on the other by\nthe mighty-armed Dhananjaya of manifold form. And as Kiritin exceeds in\nstrength even all these troops together, so also doth Vasudeva's son of\ngreat effulgence and powerful intellect. Who is there that would fight,\nin view of the magnitude of the opposing force, the valour of Arjuna, and\nthe wisdom of Krishna? Therefore, I ask you to give back what should be\ngiven, as dictated by morality and compact. Do not let the opportunity\npass!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having heard his words, Bhishma, senior in wisdom,\nand endued with great effulgence, paid honours to him, and then spoke\nwords suitable to the occasion. And he said, 'How fortunate that they are\nall well, with Krishna! How fortunate that they have procured aid, and\nthat they are inclined to a virtuous course! How fortunate that those\nscions of Kuru's race desire peace with their cousins! There is no doubt\nthat what thou hast said is true. Thy words, however, are exceedingly\nsharp,--the reason, I suppose, being that thou art a Brahmana. No doubt,\nthe sons of Pandu were much harassed both here and in the woods. No doubt,\nby law they are entitled to get all the property of their father. Arjuna,\nthe son of Pritha, is strong trained in weapons, and is a great\ncar-warrior. Who, in sooth, can withstand in battle Dhananjaya the son of\nPandu. Even the wielder himself of the thunderbolt cannot,--other bowmen\nare hardly worth mention. My belief is that he is a match for all the\nthree worlds!' And while Bhishma was thus speaking, Karna wrathfully and\ninsolently interrupted his words, and looking at Duryodhana said, 'There\nis no creature in the world, O Brahmana, who is not informed of all these\nfacts. What is the good of repeating them again and again? On behalf of\nDuryodhana, Sakuni formerly won in game of dice. Yudhishthira, the son of\nPandu went to the woods according to a stipulation. He is now paying no\nregard to that stipulation, but confident of aid from the Matsyas and\nPanchalas, he wisheth to get back his ancestral throne. O learned man,\nDuryodhana would not yield even a single foot of land if thou appealest\nto his fears, but if justice requires, he would give up the whole earth\neven to a foe. If they wish to get back their ancestral throne, they\nshould pass the specified period of time in the forest as had been\nstipulated. Afterwards let them live as the dependants of Duryodhana,\nsafe and sound. From dull-headedness, however, let them not turn their\nmind towards an absolutely unrighteous course. If, nevertheless,\nabandoning the path of virtue, they desire war, then when they encounter\nin battle these praise-worthy Kurus, they will remember these my words.'\n\n\"Bhishma said, 'What is the use of thy talking, O Radha's son? Thou\nshouldst remember that occasion when Pritha's son, single-handed,\nover-powered in battle six car-warriors. If we do not act as this\nBrahmana hath said, to be sure, we shall be all slain by him in battle!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then Dhritarashtra pacified Bhishma with words\nof entreaty, rebuked the son of Radha, and spoke the following words,\n'What Bhishma, Santanu's son, hath said is salutary for us, as also for\nthe Pandavas, and likewise for the whole universe. I shall, however,\nafter deliberation, send Sanjaya to the sons of Pandu. So thou needst not\nwait. Go thou to the son of Pandu this very day.' The Kaurava chief then\nhonoured Drupada's priest and sent him back to the Pandavas. And\nsummoning Sanjaya to the council-hall, he addressed him in the following\nwords.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'They say, O Sanjaya, that the Pandavas have arrived\nat Upaplavya. Go thou and enquire after them. Thou must greet Ajatasatru\nin the following words, \"By good luck it is that (emerged from the woods)\nthou hast reached such a city.\" And to all of them thou must say, O\nSanjaya, these words. \"Are ye well, having spent that harassing period of\nsojourn, ye who were unworthy of such harassment?\" In no time will they\nbe appeased towards us, for though treated treacherously (by foes), yet\nthey are righteous and good. In no case, O Sanjaya, have I ever met with\nany untruthfulness on the part of the Pandavas. It was by their own\nvalour that they had won all their prosperity, and (yet) they were ever\ndutiful to me. Though I scrutinized their conduct, I could never find\nfault with them,--no, not even a single fault for which we might blame\nthem. They always act mindful of virtue and wealth; they never give way\nto love of sensual enjoyments, or cold, or hunger, or thirst; they subdue\nsleep and laziness and wrath and joy and heedlessness. The sons of\nPritha, mindful of both virtue and wealth, are ever pleasant to all. On\nproper occasions they part with their wealth to friends. Friendship with\nthem never loses its ardour on account of length of time; for they bestow\nhonours and wealth on every one according to his deserts. Not a soul in\nthe race of Ajamida ever entertains hatred for them excepting this vile,\ncapricious, dull-headed Duryodhana, and excepting also the still more\nmean-minded Karna. These two always enhance the energy of those\nhigh-souled ones who have been divested of both friends and happiness.\nEnterprising and brought up in every indulgence, Duryodhana reckons all\nthat to be well-done. It is childish on Duryodhana's part to think that\nit is possible to rob the Pandavas of their just share so long as they\nare alive. It is wise to yield to Yudhishthira his due share before the\nwar,--to him whose steps are followed by Arjuna and Krishna and Bhima and\nSatyaki and the two sons of Madri and the warriors of the Srinjaya race.\nThat wielder of the Gandiva, Savyasachin, seated on his car, would alone\nbe able to devastate the whole world. And likewise the victorious and\nhigh-souled Krishna, the lord of the three worlds, incapable of defeat is\nable to do the same. What mortal would stand before him who is the one\nworthiest person in all the worlds and who discharges his multitude of\narrows that roar like the clouds, covering all sides, like flights of\nswiftly-coursing locusts? Alone on his car, holding the Gandiva, he had\nconquered the northern regions as also the Kurus of the north and brought\naway with him all their wealth. He converted the people of the Dravida\nland to be a portion of his own army. It was Falguna, the wielder of the\nGandiva, who defeating in the Khandava woods all the gods together with\nIndra, made offerings to Agni, enhancing the honour and fame of the\nPandavas. Of all wielders again of the mace, there is none equal to\nBhima; and there is none also who is so skilful a rider of elephants. On\ncar, they say, he yields not to even Arjuna; and as to might of arms, he\nis equal to ten thousand elephants. Well-trained and active, he who hath\nagain been rendered bitterly hostile, would in anger consume the\nDhartarashtras in no time. Always wrathful, and strong of arms, he is not\ncapable of being subdued in battle by even Indra himself. Of great heart,\nand strong, and endued with great lightness of hand, the two (twin)\nbrothers, sons of Madri, carefully trained by Arjuna, would leave not a\nfoe alive, like to a pair of hawks preying upon large flocks of birds.\nThis our army, so full, to tell thee the truth, will be nowhere when it\nwill encounter them. In their side will be Dhrishtadyumna, endued with\ngreat activity,--one who is regarded as one of the Pandavas themselves.\nThe chief of the Somaka tribe, with his followers, is, I have heard, so\ndevoted to the cause of the Pandavas that he is ready to lay down his\nvery life for them. Who would be able to withstand Yudhishthira who hath\nthe best of the Vrishni tribe (Krishna) for his leader? I have heard that\nVirata, the chief of the Matsyas, with whom the Pandavas had lived for\nsome time and whose wishes were fulfilled by them, old in years, is\ndevoted, along with his sons to the Pandava cause, and hath become an\nadherent of Yudhishthira. Deposed from the throne of the Kekaya land, and\ndesirous of being reinstated thereon, the five mighty brothers from that\nland, wielding mighty bows, are now following the sons of Pritha ready to\nfight. All who are valiant among the lords of the earth have been brought\ntogether and are devoted to the Pandava cause. I hear that they are bold,\nworthy, and respectful,--they who have allied themselves to the virtuous\nking Yudhishthira from feelings of attachment to him. And many warriors\ndwelling on the hills and inaccessible fastnesses, and many that are high\nin lineage and old in years, and many Mleccha tribes also wielding\nweapons of various kinds, have been assembled together and are devoted to\nthe cause of the Pandavas. And there hath come Pandya also, who, hardly\ninferior to Indra on the field of battle, is followed when he fights by\nnumberless warriors of great courage. Remarkably heroic and endued with\nprowess and energy that have no parallel, he is devoted to the Pandava\ncause. That same Satyaki who, I have heard, obtained weapons from Drona\nand Arjuna and Krishna and Kripa and Bhishma, and who is said to be equal\nto the son of Krishna, is devotedly attached to the Pandava cause. And\nthe assembled kings of the Chedi and the Karusha tribes have all taken\nthe part of the Pandavas with all their resources. That one in their\nmidst, who, having been endued with blazing beauty, shone like the sun,\nwhom all persons deemed unassailable in battle and the very best of all\ndrawers of the bow on earth, was slain by Krishna in a trice, by help of\nhis own great might, and counting for naught the bold spirit of all the\nKshatriya kings. Kesava cast his eyes on that Sishupala and smote him,\nenhancing the fame and honour of the sons of Pandu. It was the same\nSishupala who was highly honoured by those kings at whose head stood the\nking of the Karusha tribe. Then the other kings, deeming Krishna\nunassailable when seated on his car drawn by Sugriva and other steeds,\nleft the chief of the Chedis and ran away like small animals at the sight\nof a lion. And it was thus that he, who, from audacity had sought to\noppose and encounter Krishna in a combat hand to hand, was slain by\nKrishna and lay down lifeless, resembling a Karnikara tree uprooted by a\ngale. O Sanjaya, O son of Gavalgana, what they have told me of the\nactivity of Krishna in cause of Pandu's sons, and what I remember of his\npast achievements, leave me no peace of mind. No foe whatsoever is\ncapable of withstanding them, who are under the lead of that lion of the\nVrishni tribe. My heart is trembling with fear upon learning that the two\nKrishnas are seated on the selfsame car. If my dull-headed son forbear\nto fight with those two, then may he fare well,--else those two will\nconsume the race of Kuru as Indra and Upendra consume the Daitya hosts.\nDhananjaya is, I conceive, equal to Indra, and the greatest of the\nVrishni race, Krishna, is the Eternal Vishnu himself. The son of Kunti\nand Pandu, Yudhishthira, is virtuous and brave and eschews deeds that\nbring on shame. Endued with great energy, he hath been wronged by\nDuryodhana. If he were not high-minded, he would in wrath burn the\nDhritarashtras. I do not so much dread Arjuna or Bhima or Krishna or the\ntwin brothers as I dread the wrath of the king, O Suta, when his wrath is\nexcited. His austerities are great; he is devoted to Brahmacharya\npractices. His heart's wishes will certainly be fulfilled. When I think\nof his wrath, O Sanjaya, and consider how just it is, I am filled with\nalarm. Go thou speedily on a car, despatched by me, where the troops of\nthe king of the Panchalas are encamped. Thou wilt ask Yudhishthira about\nhis welfare. Thou wilt repeatedly address him in affectionate terms. Thou\nwilt also meet Krishna, O child, who is the chief of all brave men and\nwho is endued with a magnanimous soul. Him also thou wilt ask on my part\nas to his welfare, and tell him that Dhritarashtra is desirous of peace\nwith Pandu's sons. O Suta, there is nothing that Yudhishthira, the son of\nKunti, would not do at the bidding of Krishna. Kesava is as dear to them\nas their own selves. Possessed of great learning, he is ever devoted to\ntheir cause. Thou wilt also enquire about the welfare of all the\nassembled sons of Pandu and the Srinjayas and Satyaki and Virata and all\nthe five sons of Draupadi, professing to be a messenger from me. And\nwhatsoever also thou mayst deem to be opportune, and beneficial for the\nBharata race, all that, O Sanjaya, thou must say in the midst of those\nkings,--everything, in sooth, that may not be unpalatable or provocative\nof war.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having heard these words of king Dhritarashtra\nSanjaya went to Upaplavya to see the Pandavas of immeasurable strength.\nAnd having approached king Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, he made\nobeisance to him first and then spoke. And the son of Gavalgana, by name\nSanjaya and by caste a Suta, cheerfully spoke unto Ajatasatru, 'How\nlucky, O king, that I see you hale, attended by friends and little\ninferior to the great Indra. The aged and wise king Dhritarashtra, the\nson of Ambika, hath enquired about your welfare. I hope Bhimasena is\nwell, and that Dhananjaya, that foremost of the Pandavas, and these two\nsons of Madri, are well. I hope princess Krishna also, the daughter of\nDrupada, is well,--she who never swerves from the path of truth, that\nlady of great energy, that wife of heroes. I hope she is well with her\nsons,--she in whom are centred all your dearest joys and whose welfare\nyou constantly pray for.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O Sanjaya, the son of Gavalgana, hath thy journey\nhere been safe? We are pleased with thy sight. I ask thee in return how\nthou art. I am, O learned man, in excellent health with my younger\nbrothers. O Suta, after a long while do I now receive news of the aged\nking of the Kurus, that descendant of Bharata. Having seen thee, O\nSanjaya, I feel as if I have seen the king himself, so pleased I am! Is\nour aged grandsire Bhishma, the descendant of Kuru, endued with great\nenergy and the highest wisdom and always devoted to the practices of his\nown order, O sire, in health? I hope he still retains all his former\nhabits. I hope the high-souled king Dhritarashtra, the son of\nVichitravirya, is in health with his sons. I hope the great king Vahlika,\nthe son of Pratipa, endued with great learning, is also in health. I\nhope, O sire, that Somadatta is in health, and Bhurisravas, and\nSatyasandha, and Sala, and Drona with his son, and the Brahmana Kripa are\nalso well. I hope all those mighty bowmen are free from disease. O\nSanjaya, all those greatest and best of bowmen, endued with the highest\nintelligence and versed in letters, and occupying the very top of those\nwho wield weapons, have attached themselves to the Kurus. I hope those\nbowmen receive their honours due. I hope they are free from disease. How\nhappy are they in whose kingdom dwells the mighty and handsome bowman,\nthe well-behaved son of Drona! I hope Yuyutsu, the highly intelligent son\nof Dhritarashtra by his Vaisya wife is in health. I hope, O sire, the\nadviser Karna, whose counsels are followed by the dull-headed Suyodhana,\nis in health. I hope, the aged ladies, the mothers of the Bharata race,\nand the kitchen-maidens, the bond-maids, the daughters-in-law, the boys,\nthe sister's sons, and the sisters, and the daughters' sons of\nDhritarashtra's house are all free from trouble. O sire, I hope the king\nstill allows their former subsistence to the Brahmanas. I hope, O\nSanjaya, Dhritarashtra's son hath not seized those gifts to the Brahmanas\nthat I made. I hope Dhritarashtra with his sons meets in a spirit of\nforbearance any over-bearing conduct on the part of the Brahmanas. I hope\nhe never neglects to make provision for them, that being the sole highway\nto heaven. For this is the excellent and clear light that hath been\nprovided by the Creator in this world of living beings. If like\ndull-headed persons, the sons of Kuru do not treat the Brahmanas in a\nforbearing spirit, wholesale destruction will overtake them. I hope king\nDhritarashtra and his son try to provide for the functionaries of state.\nI hope there are no enemies for theirs, who, disguised as friends, are\nconspiring for their ruin. O sire, I hope none of these Kurus talk of our\nhaving committed any crimes. I hope Drona and his son and the heroic\nKripa do not talk of our having been guilty in any way. I hope all the\nKurus look up to king Dhritarashtra and his sons as the protectors of\ntheir tribe. I hope when they see a horde of robbers, they remember the\ndeeds of Arjuna, the leader in all fields of battle. I hope they remember\nthe arrows shot from the Gandiva, which course through the air in a\nstraight path, impelled onwards by the stretched bow-string in contact\nwith the fingers of his hand, and making a noise loud as that of the\nthunder. I have not seen the warrior that excels or even rivals Arjuna\nwho can shoot by a single effort of his hand sixty-one whetted and\nkeen-edged shafts furnished with excellent feathers. Do they remember\nBhima also, who, endued with great activity causeth hostile hosts arrayed\nin battle to tremble in dread, like an elephant with rent temples\nagitating a forest of reeds? Do they remember the mighty Sahadeva, the\nson of Madri, who in Dantakura conquered the Kalingas, shooting arrows by\nboth the left and right hand? Do they remember Nakula, who, O Sanjaya,\nwas sent, under your eye, to conquer the Sivis and the Trigartas, and who\nbrought the western region under my power? Do they remember the disgrace\nthat was theirs when under evil counsels they came to the woods of\nDwaitavana on pretence of taking away their cattle? Those wicked ones\nhaving been over-powered by their enemies were afterwards liberated by\nBhimasena and Arjuna, myself protecting the rear of Arjuna (in the fight\nthat ensued) and Bhima protecting the rear of the sons of Madri, and the\nwielder of the Gandiva coming out unharmed from the press of battle\nhaving made a great slaughter of the hostile host,--do they remember\nthat? It is not by a single good deed, O Sanjaya, that happiness can here\nbe attained, when by all our endeavours we are unable to win over the son\nof Dhritarashtra!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'It is even so as thou hast said, O son of Pandu! Dost\nthou enquire about the welfare of the Kurus and of the foremost ones\namong them? Free from illness of every kind and in the possession of\nexcellent spirit are those foremost ones among the Kurus about whom, O\nson of Pritha, thou enquirest. Know, O son of Pandu, that there are\ncertainly righteous and aged men, as also men that are sinful and wicked\nabout Dhritarashtra's son. Dhritarashtra's son would make gifts even to\nhis enemies; it is not likely, therefore, that he should withdraw the\ndonations made to the Brahmanas. It is customary with you, Kshatriyas, to\nfollow a rule fit for butchers, that leads you to do harm to those that\nbear no ill-will to you; but the practice is not good. Dhritarashtra with\nhis sons would be guilty of the sin of intestine dissension, were he,\nlike a bad man, to bear ill-will towards you who are righteous. He does\nnot approve of this injury (done to you); he is exceedingly sorry for it;\nhe grieves at his heart--the old man--O Yudhishthira,--for, having\ncommunicated with the Brahmanas, he hath learnt that provoking intestine\ndissensions is the greatest of all sins. O king of men, they remember thy\nprowess on the field, and that of Arjuna, who taketh the lead in the\nfield of battle. They remember Bhima wielding his mace when the sound of\nthe conch-shell and the drum rises to the highest pitch. They remember\nthose mighty car-warriors, the two sons of Madri, who on the field of\nbattle career in all directions, shooting incessant showers of shafts on\nhostile hosts, and who know not what it is to tremble in fight. I\nbelieve, O king, that which Futurity hath in store for a particular\nperson cannot be known, since thou, O son of Pandu, who art endowed with\nall the virtues, hast had to suffer trouble of such unendurable kind. All\nthis, no doubt, O Yudhishthira, thou wilt again make up by help of your\nintelligence. The sons of Pandu, all equal to Indra would never abandon\nvirtue for the sake of pleasure. Thou, O Yudhishthira, wilt so make up\nthy intelligence that they all, viz., the sons of Dhritarashtra and Pandu\nand the Srinjayas, and all the kings who have been assembled here, will\nattain peace. O Yudhishthira, hear what thy sire Dhritarashtra having\nconsulted with his ministers and sons, hath spoken to me. Be attentive to\nthe same.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXV\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Here are met the Pandavas and the Srinjayas, and\nKrishna, and Yuyudhana and Virata, O son of the Suta Gavalgana, tell us\nall that Dhritarashtra hath directed thee to say.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'I greet Yudhishthira, and Vrikodara and Dhananjaya, and\nthe two sons of Madri, and Vasudeva the descendant of Sura, and Satyaki,\nand the aged ruler of the Panchalas, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of\nPrishata. Let all listen to the words I say from a desire for the welfare\nof the Kurus. King Dhritarashtra, eagerly welcoming the chance of peace,\nhastened the preparation of my car for this journey here. Let it be\nacceptable to king Yudhishthira with his brothers and sons and relations.\nLet the son of Pandu prefer peace. The sons of Pritha are endowed with\nevery virtue with steadiness and mildness and candour. Born in a high\nfamily, they are humane, liberal, and loath to do any act which would\nbring on shame. They know what is proper to be done. A base deed is not\nbefitting you, for you are so high-minded, and have such a terrible\nfollowing of troops. If you committed a sinful act, it would be a blot on\nyour fair name, as a drop of collyrium on a white cloth. Who could\nknowingly be ever guilty of an act, which would result in universal\nslaughter, which would be sinful and lead to hell,--an act consisting in\nthe destruction (of men), an act the result of which, whether it be\nvictory or defeat, is of the self-same value? Blessed are they that have\nserved their relative's cause. They are the true sons and friends and\nrelatives (of Kuru's race) who would lay down life, life which is liable\nto be abused by misdeeds, in order to ensure the welfare of the Kurus. If\nyou, ye sons of Pritha, chastise the Kurus, by defeating and slaying all\nyour foes,--that subsequent life of yours would be equivalent to death,\nfor what, in sooth, is life after having killed all your kinsfolk? Who,\neven if he were Indra himself with all the gods on his side, would be\nable to defeat you who are aided by Kesava and Chekitanas, and Satyaki,\nand are protected by Dhrishtadyumna's arms? Who again, O king, can defeat\nin battle the Kurus who are protected by Drona and Bhishma, and\nAswatthaman, and Salya, and Kripa and Karna with a host of Kshatriya\nkings? Who, without loss to himself, is able to slay the vast force\nassembled by Dhritarashtra's son? Therefore it is, that I do not see any\ngood either in victory or in defeat. How can the sons of Pritha, like\nbase persons of low lineage, commit an act of unrighteousness? Therefore,\nI appease, I prostrate myself before Krishna and the aged king of the\nPanchalas. I betake myself to you as my refuge, with joined hands, so\nthat both the Kurus and the Srinjayas may be benefited. It is not likely\nthat either Krishna or Dhananjaya will not act up to these my words.\nEither of them would lay down his life, if besought (to do so).\nTherefore, I say this for the success of my mission. This is the desire\nof the king and his counsellor Bhishma, that there may be confirmed peace\nbetween you (and the Kurus).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVI\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'What words from me, O Sanjaya, hast thou heard,\nindicative of war, that thou apprehendest war? O sire, peace is\npreferable to war. Who, O charioteer, having got the other alternative\nwould wish to fight? It is known to me, O Sanjaya, that if a man can have\nevery wish of his heart without having to do anything, he would hardly\nlike to do anything even though it might be of the least troublesome\nkind, far less would he engage in war. Why should a man ever go to war?\nWho is so cursed by the gods that he would select war? The sons of\nPritha, no doubt, desire their own happiness but their conduct is ever\nmarked by righteousness and conducive to the good of the world. They\ndesire only that happiness which results from righteousness. He that\nfondly followeth the lead of his senses, and is desirous of obtaining\nhappiness and avoiding misery, betaketh himself to action which in its\nessence is nothing but misery. He that hankers after pleasure causeth his\nbody to suffer; one free from such hankering knoweth not what misery is.\nAs an enkindled fire, if more fuel be put upon it, blazeth forth again\nwith augmented force, so desire is never satiated with the acquisition of\nits object but gaineth force like unkindled fire when clarified butter is\npoured upon it. Compare all this abundant fund of enjoyment which king\nDhritarashtra hath with what we possess. He that is unfortunate never\nwinneth victories. He that is unfortunate enjoyeth not the voice of\nmusic. He that is unfortunate doth not enjoy garlands and scents, nor can\none that is unfortunate enjoy cool and fragrant unguents, and finally he\nthat is unfortunate weareth not fine clothes. If this were not so, we\nwould never have been driven from the Kurus. Although, however, all this\nis true, yet none cherished torments of the heart. The king being himself\nin trouble seeketh protection in the might of others. This is not wise.\nLet him, however, receive from others the same behaviour that he displays\ntowards them. The man who casteth a burning fire at midday in the season\nof spring in a forest of dense underwood, hath certainly, when that fire\nblazeth forth by aid of the wind, to grieve for his lot if he wisheth to\nescape. O Sanjaya, why doth king Dhritarashtra now bewail, although he\nhath all this prosperity? It is because he had followed at first the\ncounsels of his wicked son of vicious soul, addicted to crooked ways and\nconfirmed in folly. Duryodhana disregarded the words of Vidura, the best\nof his well-wishers, as if the latter were hostile to him. King\nDhritarashtra, desirous solely of satisfying his sons, would knowingly\nenter upon an unrighteous course. Indeed, on account of his fondness for\nhis son, he would not pay heed to Vidura, who, out of all the Kurus, is\nthe wisest and best of all his well-wishers, possessing vast learning,\nclever in speech, and righteous in act. King Dhritarashtra is desirous of\nsatisfying his son, who, while himself seeking honours from others, is\nenvious and wrathful, who transgresses the rules for the acquisition of\nvirtue and wealth, whose tongue is foul, who always follows the dictates\nof his wrath, whose soul is absorbed in sensual pleasures, and who, full\nof unfriendly feelings to many, obeys no law, and whose life is evil,\nheart implacable, and understanding vicious. For such a son as this, king\nDhritarashtra knowingly abandoned virtue and pleasure. Even then, O\nSanjaya, when I was engaged in that game of dice I thought that the\ndestruction of the Kurus was at hand, for when speaking those wise and\nexcellent words Vidura obtained no praise from Dhritarashtra. Then, O\ncharioteer, did trouble overtake the Kurus when they disregarded the\nwords of Vidura. So long as they had placed themselves under the lead of\nhis wisdom, their kingdom was in a flourishing state. Hear from me, O\ncharioteer, who are the counsellors now of the covetous Duryodhana. They\nare Dussasana, and Sakuni the son of Suvala, and Karna the Suta's son! O\nson of Gavalgana, look at this folly of his! So I do not see, though I\nthink about it, how there can be prosperity for the Kurus and the\nSrinjayas when Dhritarashtra hath taken the throne from others, and the\nfar seeing Vidura hath been banished elsewhere. Dhritarashtra with his\nsons is now looking for an extensive and undisputed sovereignty over the\nwhole world. Absolute peace is, therefore, unattainable. He regardeth\nwhat he hath already got to be his own. When Arjuna taketh up his weapon\nin fight, Karna believeth him capable of being withstood. Formerly there\ntook place many great battles. Why could not Karna then be of any avail\nto them. It is known to Karna and Drona and the grandsire Bhishma, as\nalso to many other Kurus, that there is no wielder of the bow, comparable\nto Arjuna. It is known to all the assembled rulers of the earth, how the\nsovereignty was obtained by Duryodhana although that repressor of foes,\nArjuna, was alive. Pertinaciously doth Dhritarashtra's son believe that\nit is possible to rob the sons of Pandu of what is their own, although he\nknoweth having himself gone to the place of fight, how Arjuna comforted\nhimself when he had nothing but a bow four cubits long for his weapon of\nbattle. Dhritarashtra's sons are alive simply because they have not as\nyet heard that twang of the stretched Gandiva. Duryodhana believeth his\nobject already gained, as long as he beholdeth not the wrathful Bhima. O\nsire, even Indra would forbear to rob us of our sovereignty as long as\nBhima and Arjuna and the heroic Nakula and the patient Sahadeva are\nalive! O charioteer, the old king with his son still entertains the\nnotion that his sons will not be perished, O Sanjaya, on the field of\nbattle, consumed by the fiery wrath of Pandu's sons. Thou knowest, O\nSanjaya, what misery we have suffered! For my respect to thee, I would\nforgive them all. Thou knowest what transpired between ourselves and\nthose sons of Kuru. Thou knowest how we comforted ourselves towards\nDhritarashtra's son. Let the same state of things still continue. I shall\nseek peace, as thou counsellest me to do. Let me have Indraprastha for my\nkingdom, Let this be given to me by Duryodhana, the chief of Bharata's\nrace.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'O Pandava, the world hath heard thy conduct being\nrighteous. I see it also to be so, O son of Pritha. Life is transient,\nthat may end in great infamy; considering this, thou shouldst not perish.\nO Ajatasatru, if without war, the Kurus will not yield thy share, I\nthink, it is far better for thee to live upon alms in the kingdom of the\nAndhakas and the Vrishnis than obtain sovereignty by war. Since this\nmortal existence is for only a short period, and greatly liable to blame,\nsubject to constant suffering, and unstable, and since it is never\ncomparable to a good name, therefore, O Pandava, never perpetrate a sin.\nIt is the desires, O ruler of men, which adhere to mortal men and are an\nobstruction to a virtuous life. Therefore, a wise man should beforehand\nkill them all and thereby gain a stainless fame in the world, O son of\nPritha. The thirst after wealth is but like fetter in this world; the\nvirtue of those that seek it is sure to suffer. He is wise who seeketh\nvirtue alone; desires being increased, a man must suffer in his temporal\nconcerns, O sire. Placing virtue before all other concerns of life, a man\nshineth like the sun when its splendour is great. A man devoid of virtue,\nand of vicious soul, is overtaken by ruin, although he may obtain the\nwhole of this earth. Thou hast studied the Vedas, lived the life of a\nsaintly Brahman, hast performed sacrificial rites, made charities to\nBrahmanas. Even remembering the highest position (attainable by beings),\nthou hast also devoted thy soul for years and years to the pursuit of\npleasure. He who, devoting himself excessively to the pleasures and joys\nof life, never employeth himself in the practice of religious meditation,\nmust be exceedingly miserable. His joys forsake him after his wealth is\ngone and his strong instincts goad him on towards his wonted pursuit of\npleasure. Similarly, he who, never having lived a continent life,\nforsaketh the path of virtue and commiteth sin, hath no faith in\nexistence of a world to come. Dull as he is after death he hath torment\n(for his lot). In the world to come, whether one's deeds be good or evil\nthese deeds are in no case, annihilated. Deeds, good and evil, precede\nthe agent (in his journey to the world to come); the agent is sure to\nfollow in their path. Your work (in this life) is celebrated by all as\ncomparable to that food, savoury and dainty, which is proper to be\noffered with reverence to the Brahmanas--the food which is offered in\nreligious ceremonies with large donations (to the officiating priests).\nAll acts are done, so long as this body lasts, O son of Pritha. After\ndeath there is nothing to be done. And thou hast done mighty deeds that\nwill do good to thee in the world to come, and they are admired by\nrighteous men. There (in the next world) one is free from death and\ndecrepitude and fear, and from hunger and thirst, and from all that is\ndisagreeable to the mind; there is nothing to be done in that place,\nunless it be to delight one's senses. Of this kind, O ruler of men, is\nthe result of our deeds. Therefore, do not from desire act any longer in\nthis world. Do not, O Pandu's son, betake to action in this world and\nthereby thus take leave of truth and sobriety and candour and humanity.\nThou mayst perform the Rajasuya and the Aswamedha sacrifices, but do not\neven come near an action which in itself is sin! If after such a length\nof time, ye sons of Pritha, you now give way to hate, and commit the\nsinful deed, in vain, for virtue's sake, did ye dwell for years and years\nin the woods in such misery! It was in vain that you went to exile, after\nparting with all your army; for this army was entirely in your control\nthen. And these persons who are now assisting you, have been always\nobedient to you,--this Krishna, and Satyaki, and Virata of the golden\ncar, of Matsya land, with his son at the head of martial warriors. All\nthe kings, formerly vanquished by you would have espoused your cause at\nfirst. Possessed of mighty resources, dreaded by all, having an army, and\nfollowed behind by Krishna and Arjuna, you might have slain your foremost\nof foes on the field of battle. You might have (then) brought low\nDuryodhana's pride. O Pandava, why have you allowed your foes to grow so\npowerful? Why have you weakened your friends? Why have you sojourned in\nthe woods for years and years? Why are you now desirous of fighting,\nhaving let the proper opportunity slip? An unwise or an unrighteous man\nmay win prosperity by means of fighting; but a wise and a righteous man,\nwere he free from pride to betake to fight (against better instinct),\ndoth only fall away from a prosperous path. O Pritha's son, your\nunderstanding inclines not to an unrighteous course. From wrath you ever\ncommitted a sinful act. Then what is the cause, and what is the reason,\nfor which you are now intent to do this deed, against the dictates of\nwisdom? Wrath, O mighty king, is a bitter drug, though it has nothing to\ndo with disease; it brings on a disease of the head, robs one of his fair\nfame, and leads to sinful acts. It is drunk up (controlled) by those that\nare righteous and not by those that are unrighteous. I ask you to swallow\nit and to desist from war. Who would incline himself to wrath which leads\nto sin? Forbearance would be more beneficial to you than love of\nenjoyments where Bhishma would be slain, and Drona with his son, and\nKripa, and Somadatta's son, and Vikarna and Vivinsati, and Karna and\nDuryodhana. Having slain all these, what bliss may that be, O Pritha's\nson, which you will get? Tell me that! Even having won the entire\nsea-girt earth, you will never be free from decrepitude and death,\npleasure and pain, bliss and misery. Knowing all this, do not be engaged\nin war. If you are desirous of taking this course, because your\ncounsellors desire the same, then give up (everything) to them, and run\naway. You should not fall away from this path which leads to the region\nof the gods!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVIII\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Without doubt, O Sanjaya, it is true that righteous\ndeeds are the foremost of all our acts, as thou sayest. Thou shouldst,\nhowever, ensure me having first ascertained whether it is virtue or vice\nthat I practise. When vice assumes the aspects of virtue and virtue\nitself wholly seems as vice, and virtue, again, appears in its native\nform, they that are learned should discriminate it by means of their\nreason. So, again, virtue and vice, which are both eternal and absolute,\nexchange their aspects during seasons of distress. One should follow\nwithout deviation the duties prescribed for the order to which he belongs\nby birth. Know, O Sanjaya, that duties in seasons of distress are\notherwise. When his means of living are totally gone, the man, that is\ndestitute should certainly desire those other means by which he may be\nable to discharge the sanctioned duties of his order. One that is not\ndestitute of his means of living, as also one that is in distress, are, O\nSanjaya, both to be blamed, if they act as if the state of each were\notherwise. When the Creator hath ordained expiation for those Brahmanas,\nwho, without wishing for self-destruction, betake themselves to acts not\nsanctioned for them, this proves that people may, in season of distress,\nbetake to acts not ordained for the orders to which they belong. And, O\nSanjaya, thou shouldst regard them as worthy that adhere to the practices\nof their own order in usual times as also those that do not adhere to\nthem in season of distress; thou shouldst censure them that act otherwise\nin usual times while adhering to their ordained practices during times of\ndistress. As regards men desiring to bring their minds under control,\nwhen they endeavour to acquire a knowledge of self, the practices that\nare ordained for the best, viz., the Brahmanas, are equally ordained for\nthem. As regards those, however, that are not Brahmanas and that do not\nendeavour to acquire knowledge of self, those practices should be\nfollowed by them that are ordained for their respective orders in seasons\nof distress or otherwise. Even that is the path followed by our fathers\nand grandfathers before us and those also that had lived before them. As\nregards those that are desirous of knowledge and avoiding to act, even\nthese also hold the same view and regard themselves as orthodox. I do\nnot, therefore, think that there is any other path. Whatsoever wealth\nthere may be in this earth, whatsoever there may be among the gods, or\nwhatsoever there may be unattainable by them,--the region of the\nPrajapati, or heaven or the region of Brahma himself, I would not, O\nSanjaya, seek it by unrighteous means. Here is Krishna, the giver of\nvirtue's fruits, who is clever, politic, intelligent, who has waited upon\nthe Brahmanas, who knows everything and counsels various mighty kings.\nLet the celebrated Krishna say whether I would be censurable if I dismiss\nall idea of peace, of whether if I fight, I should be abandoning the\nduties of my caste, for Krishna seeketh the welfare of both sides. This\nSatyaki, these Chedis, the Andhakas, the Vrishnis, the Bhojas, the\nKukuras, the Srinjayas, adopting the counsels of Krishna, slay their foes\nand delight their friends. The Vrishnis and the Andhakas, at whose head\nstands Ugrasena, led by Krishna, have become like Indra, high-spirited,\ndevoted to truth, mighty, and happy. Vabhru, the king of Kasi, having\nobtained Krishna, that fructifier of wishes, as his brother, and upon\nwhom Krishna showers all the blessings of life, as the clouds upon all\nearthly creatures, when the hot season is over, hath attained the highest\nprosperity, O sire, so great is this Krishna! Him you must know as the\ngreat judge of the propriety or otherwise of all acts. Krishna is dear to\nus, and is the most illustrious of men. I never disregard what Krishna\nsayeth.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIX\n\n\"Krishna said, 'I desire, O Sanjaya, that the sons of Pandu may not be\nruined; that they may prosper, and attain their wishes. Similarly, I pray\nfor the prosperity of king Dhritarashtra whose sons are many. For\nevermore, O Sanjaya, my desire hath been that I should tell them nothing\nelse than that peace would be acceptable to king Dhritarashtra. I also\ndeem it proper for the sons of Pandu. A peaceful disposition of an\nexceedingly rare character hath been displayed by Pandu's son in this\nmatter. When Dhritarashtra and his sons, however, are so covetous, I do\nnot see why hostility should not run high. Thou canst not pretend, O\nSanjaya, to be more versed than I am or Yudhishthira is, in the niceties\nof right and wrong. Then why dost thou speak words of reproach with\nreference to the conduct of Yudhishthira who is enterprising, mindful of\nhis own duty, and thoughtful, from the very beginning, of the welfare of\nhis family, agreeably to the injunctions (of treatises of morality)? With\nregard to the topic at hand, the Brahmanas have held opinions of various\nkinds. Some say that success in the world to come depends upon work. Some\ndeclare that action should be shunned and that salvation is attainable by\nknowledge. The Brahmanas say that though one may have a knowledge of\neatable things, yet his hunger will not be appeased unless he actually\neats. Those branches of knowledge that help the doing of work, bear\nfruit, but not other kinds, for the fruit of work is of ocular\ndemonstration. A thirsty person drinks water, and by that act his thirst\nis allayed. This result proceeds, no doubt, from work. Therein lies the\nefficacy of work. If anyone thinks that something else is better than\nwork, I deem, his work and his words are meaningless. In the other world,\nit is by virtue of work that the gods flourish. It is by work that the\nwind blows. It is by virtue of work that the sleepless Surya rises every\nday and becomes the cause of day and night, and Soma passes through the\nmonths and the fortnights and the combinations of constellations. Fire is\nkindled of itself and burns by virtue of work, doing good to mankind. The\nsleepless goddess Earth, sustains by force this very great burden. The\nsleepless rivers, giving satisfaction to all (organised) beings, carry\ntheir waters with speed. The sleepless Indra, possessed of a mighty\nforce, pours down rain, resounding the heaven and the cardinal points.\nDesirous of being the greatest of the gods, he led a life of austerities\nsuch as a holy Brahmana leads. Indra gave up pleasure, and all things\nagreeable to the heart. He sedulously cherished virtue and truth and\nself-control, and forbearance, and impartiality, and humanity. It was by\nwork that he attained a position the highest (of all). Following the\nabove course of life, Indra attained the high sovereignty over the gods.\nVrihaspati, intently and with self-control, led in a proper manner that\nlife of austerities which a Brahmana leads. He gave up pleasure and\ncontrolled his senses and thereby attained the position of the preceptor\nof the celestials. Similarly, the constellations in the other world, by\nvirtue of work, and the Rudras, the Adityas, the Vasus, king Yama, and\nKuvera, and the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, and the celestial nymphs, all\nattained their present position by work. In the other world, the saints\nshine, following a life of study, austerity and work (combined). Knowing,\nO Sanjaya, that this is the rule followed by the best of Brahmanas, and\nKshatriyas, and Vaisyas, and thou being one of the wisest men,--why art\nthou making this endeavour on behalf of those sons of Kurus? Thou must\nknow that Yudhishthira is constantly engaged in the study of the Vedas.\nHe is inclined to the horse-sacrifice and the Rajasuya. Again, he rides\nhorses and elephants, is arrayed in armour, mounts a car, and takes up\nthe bow and all kinds of weapons. Now, if the sons of Pritha can see a\ncourse of action not involving the slaughter of the sons of Kuru, they\nwould adopt it. Their virtue would then be saved, and an act of religious\nmerit also would be achieved by them, even if they would have then to\nforce Bhima to follow a conduct marked by humanity. On the other hand, if\nin doing what their forefathers did, they should meet with death under\ninevitable destiny, then in trying their utmost to discharge their duty,\nsuch death would even be worthy of praise. Supposing thou approvest of\npeace alone I should like to hear what thou mayst have to say to this\nquestion,--which way doth the injunction of religious law lie, viz.,\nwhether it is proper for the king to fight or not?--Thou must, O Sanjaya,\ntake into thy consideration the division of the four castes, and the\nscheme of respective duties allotted to each. Thou must hear that course\nof action the Pandavas are going to adopt. Then mayst thou praise or\ncensure, just as it may please thee. A Brahmana should study, offer\nsacrifices, make charities, and sojourn to the best of all holy places on\nthe earth; he should teach, minister as a priest in sacrifices offered by\nothers worthy of such help, and accept gifts from persons who are known.\nSimilarly, a Kshatriya should protect the people in accordance with the\ninjunctions of the law, diligently practise the virtue of charity, offer\nsacrifices, study the whole Veda, take a wife, and lead a virtuous\nhouseholder's life. If he be possessed of a virtuous soul, and if he\npractise the holy virtues, he may easily attain the region of the\nSupreme Being. A Vaisya should study and diligently earn and accumulate\nwealth by means of commerce, agriculture, and the tending of cattle. He\nshould so act as to please the Brahmanas and the Kshatriyas, be virtuous,\ndo good works, and be a householder. The following are the duties\ndeclared for a Sudra from the olden times. He should serve the Brahmanas\nand submit to them; should not study; sacrifices are forbidden to him; he\nshould be diligent and be constantly enterprising in doing all that is\nfor his good. The king protects all these with (proper) care, and sets\nall the castes to perform their respective duties. He should not be given\nto sensual enjoyments. He should be impartial, and treat all his subjects\non an equal footing. The King should never obey the dictates of such\ndesires as are opposed to righteousness. If there be any body who is more\npraise-worthy than he, who is well-known and gifted with all the virtues,\nthe king should instruct his subjects to see him. A bad (king), however,\nwould not understand this. Growing strong, and inhuman and becoming a\nmark for destiny's wrath, he would cast covetous eye on the riches of\nothers. Then comes war, for which purpose came into being weapons, and\narmour, and bows. Indra invented these contrivances, for putting the\nplunderers to death. He also contrived armours, and weapons, and bows.\nReligious merit is acquired by putting the robbers to death. Many awful\nevils have manifested themselves on account of the Kurus having been\nunrighteous, and unmindful of law and religion. This is not right, O\nSanjaya. Now, king Dhritarashtra with his sons, hath unreasonably seized\nwhat lawfully belonged to Pandu's son. He minds not the immemorial law\nobservable by kings. All the Kurus are following in the wake. A thief who\nsteals wealth unseen and one who forcibly seizes the same, in open\nday-light, are both to be condemned, O Sanjaya. What is the difference\nbetween them and Dhritarashtra's sons? From avarice he regards that to be\nrighteous which he intends to do, following the dictates of his wrath.\nThe shares of the Pandavas is, no doubt, fixed. Why should that share of\ntheirs be seized by that fool? This being the state of things, it would\nbe praiseworthy for us to be even killed in fight. A paternal kingdom is\npreferable to sovereignty received from a stranger. These time-honoured\nrules of law, O Sanjaya, thou must propound to the Kurus, in the midst of\nthe assembled kings,--I mean those dull-headed fools who have been\nassembled together by Dhritarashtra's son, and who are already under the\nclutches of death. Look once more at that vilest of all their acts,--the\nconduct of the Kurus in the council-hall. That those Kurus, at whose head\nstood Bhishma, did not interfere when the beloved wife of the sons of\nPandu, daughter of Drupada, of fare fame, pure life, and conduct worthy\nof praise, was seized, while weeping, by that slave of lust. The Kurus\nall, including young and old, were present there. If they had then\nprevented that indignity offered to her, then I should have been pleased\nwith Dhritarashtra's behaviour. It would have been for the final good of\nhis sons also. Dussasana forcibly took Krishna into the midst of the\npublic hall wherein were seated her fathers-in-law. Carried there,\nexpecting sympathy, she found none to take her part, except Vidura. The\nkings uttered not a word of protest, solely because they were a set of\nimbeciles. Vidura alone spoke words of opposition, from a sense of\nduty,--words conceived in righteousness addressed to that man\n(Duryodhana) of little sense. Thou didst not, O Sanjaya, then say what\nlaw and morality were, but now thou comest to instruct the son of Pandu!\nKrishna, however, having repaired to the hall at that time made\neverything right, for like a vessel in the sea, she rescued the Pandavas\nas also herself, from that gathering ocean (of misfortunes)! Then in that\nhall, while Krishna stood, the charioteer's son addressed her in the\npresence of her fathers-in-law saying, \"O Daughter of Drupada thou hast\nno refuge. Better betake thyself as a bond-woman to the house of\nDhritarashtra's son. Thy husbands, being defeated, no longer exist. Thou\nhast a loving soul, choose some one else for thy lord.\" This speech,\nproceeding from Karna, was a wordy arrow, sharp, cutting all hopes,\nhitting the tenderest parts of the organisation, and frightful. It buried\nitself deep in Arjuna's heart. When the sons of Pandu were about to adopt\nthe garments made of the skins of black deer, Dussasana spoke the\nfollowing pungent words, \"These all are mean eunuchs, ruined, and damned\nfor a lengthened time.\" And Sakuni, the king of the Gandhara land, spoke\nto Yudhishthira at the time of the game of dice the following words by\nway of a wily trick, \"Nakula hath been won by me from you, what else have\nyou got? Now you should better stake your wife Draupadi.\" You know, O\nSanjaya, all these words of an approbrious kind which were spoken at the\ntime of the game of dice. I desire to go personally to the Kurus, in\norder to settle this difficult matter. If without injury to the Pandava\ncause I succeed in bringing about this peace with the Kurus, an act of\nreligious merit, resulting in very great blessings, will then have been\ndone by me; and the Kurus also will have been extricated from the meshes\nof death. I hope that when I shall speak to the Kurus words of wisdom,\nresting on rules of righteousness, words fraught with sense and free from\nall tendency to inhumanity, Dhritarashtra's son will, in my presence, pay\nheed to them. I hope that when I arrive, the Kurus will pay me due\nrespect. Else thou mayst rest assured that those vicious sons of\nDhritarashtra, already scorched by their own vicious acts, will be burnt\nup by Arjuna and Bhima ready for battle. When Pandu's sons were defeated\n(at the play), Dhritarashtra's sons spoke to them words that were harsh\nand rude. But when the time will come, Bhima will, no doubt, take care to\nremind Duryodhana of those words. Duryodhana is a big tree of evil\npassions; Karna is its trunk; Sakuni is its branches; Dussasana forms its\nabundant blossoms and fruits; (while) the wise king Dhritarashtra is its\nroots. Yudhishthira is a big tree of righteousness; Arjuna is its trunk;\nand Bhima is its branches; the sons of Madri are its abundant flowers and\nfruits; and its roots are myself and religion and religious men. King\nDhritarashtra with his sons constitutes a forest, while, O Sanjaya, the\nsons of Pandu are its tigers. Do not, oh, cut down the forest with its\ntigers, and let not the tigers be driven away from the forest. The tiger,\nout of the woods, is easily slain; the wood also, that is without a\ntiger, is easily cut down. Therefore, it is the tiger that protects the\nforest and the forest that shelters the tiger. The Dhritarashtras are as\ncreepers, while, O Sanjaya, the Pandavas are Sala trees. A creeper can\nnever flourish unless it hath a large tree to twine round. The sons of\nPritha are ready to wait upon Dhritarashtra as, indeed, those repressors\nof foes are ready for war. Let king Dhritarashtra now do what may be\nproper for him to do. The virtuous and the high-souled sons of Pandu,\nthough competent to be engaged in fight, are yet now in place (with their\ncousins). O learned man, represent all this truly (to Dhritarashtra).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'I did thee farewell, O divine ruler of men. I will now\ndepart, O son of Pandu. Let prosperity be thine. I hope, I have not\ncarried away by the feelings of my heart, given utterance to anything\noffensive. I would also bid farewell to Janardana, to Bhima and Arjuna,\nto the son of Madri, to Satyaki, and to Chekitana, and take my departure.\nLet peace and happiness be yours. Let all the kings look at me with eyes\nof affection.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Permitted by us, O Sanjaya, take your leave. Peace\nto thee! O learned man, thou never thinkest ill of us. Both they and we\nknow thee to be a person of pure heart in the midst of all in the court\n(of the Kurus). Besides, being an ambassador now, O Sanjaya, thou art\nfaithful, beloved by us, of agreeable speech and excellent conduct, and\nwell-affected towards us. Thy mind is never clouded, and even if\naddressed harshly thou art never moved to wrath. O Suta, thou never\nutterest harsh and cutting words, or those that are false or bitter. We\nknow that thy words, free from malice, are always fraught with morality\nand grave import. Amongst envoys thou art the most dear to us. Beside\nthee, there is another, who may come here, and that is Vidura. Formerly,\nwe always used to see thee. Thou art, indeed, a friend to us as dear as\nDhananjaya. Proceeding hence, O Sanjaya, with all speed, thou shouldst\nwait upon those Brahmanas of pure energy and devoted to study according\nto the Brahmacharya mode,--those, namely, that are devoted to the study\nof the Vedas while leading lives of mendicancy, those ascetics that\nhabitually dwell in the woods, as also the aged ones of other classes,\nshould all be addressed by thee in my name, O Sanjaya, and then their\nwelfare should be enquired into by thee. O Suta, repairing unto the\npriest of king Dhritarashtra as also unto his preceptors and Ritwijas,\nthou shouldst address them and enquire after their welfare. Even amongst\nthem that are, though not well-born at least aged, endued with energy,\nand possessed of good behaviour and strength, who remembering speak of us\nand practise according to their might even the least virtue, should first\nbe informed of my peace, O Sanjaya, and then shouldst thou enquire after\ntheir welfare. Thou shouldst also enquire after the welfare of those that\nlive in the kingdom carrying on trade, and those that live there filling\nimportant offices of state. Our beloved preceptor Drona, who is fully\nversed in morality, who is our counsellor, who had practised the\nBrahmacharya vow for mastering the Vedas, who once again hath made the\nscience of weapons full and complete, and who is always graciously\ninclined towards us, should be greeted by thee in our name. Thou shouldst\nalso enquire into the welfare of Aswatthaman, endued with great learning,\ndevoted to the study of the Vedas, leading the Brahmacharya mode of life,\npossessed of great activity, and like unto a youth of the Gandharva race,\nand who, besides, hath once again made the science of weapons full and\ncomplete. Thou must also, O Sanjaya, repair to the abode of Kripa, the\nson of Saradwat, that mighty car-warrior and foremost of all persons\nhaving a knowledge of self, and repeatedly saluting him in my name touch\nhis feet with thy hand. Thou shouldst also, touching his feet, represent\nme as hale unto that foremost of the Kurus, Bhishma, in whom are combined\nbravery, and abstention from injury, and asceticism, and wisdom and good\nbehaviour, and Vedic learning, and great excellence, and firmness.\nSaluting unto also the wise, venerable, and blind king (Dhritarashtra),\nwho possessed of great learning and reverential to the old, is the leader\nof the Kurus. Thou shouldst also, O Sanjaya, enquire, O sire, about the\nwelfare of the eldest of Dhritarashtra's sons, Suyodhana, who is wicked\nand ignorant and deceitful and vicious, and who now governs the entire\nworld. Thou shouldst also enquire about the welfare of even the wicked\nDussasana, that mighty bowman and hero among the Kurus, who is the\nyounger of Duryodhana and who possesses a character like that of his\nelder brother. Thou shouldst, O Sanjaya, also salute the wise chief of\nthe Vahlikas, who always cherishes no other wish save that there should\nbe peace among the Bharatas. I think, thou shouldst also worship that\nSomadatta who is endued with numerous excellent qualities, who is wise\nand possesses a merciful heart, and who from his affection for the Kurus\nalways controls his anger towards them. The son of Somadatta is worthy of\nthe greatest reverence among the Kurus. He is my friend and is a brother\nto us. A mighty bowman and the foremost of car-warriors, he is worthy in\nall respects. Thou shouldst, O Sanjaya, enquire after his welfare along\nwith that of his friends and counsellors. Others there are of youthful\nage and of consideration amongst the Kurus, who bear a relationship to us\nlike that of sons, grandsons, and brothers. Unto each of these thou must\nspeak words which thou mayst consider suitable, enquiring, O Suta, after\nhis welfare. Thou must also enquire about the welfare of those kings that\nhave been assembled by Dhritarashtra's son for fighting with the\nPandavas, viz., the Kekayas, the Vasatis, the Salwakas, the Amvashthas,\nand the leading Trigartas, and of those endued with great bravery that\nhave come from the east, the north, the south, and the west, and of those\nthat have come from hilly countries, in fact, of all amongst them that\nare not cruel and that lead good lives. Thou shouldst also represent unto\nall those persons who ride on elephants, and horses and cars, and who\nfight on foot,--that mighty host composed of honourable men,--that I am\nwell, and then thou must enquire about their own welfare. Thou must also\nenquire about the welfare of those that serve the king in the matter of\nhis revenue or as his door-keepers, or as the leaders of his troops, or\nas the accountants of his income and outlay, or as officers constantly\noccupied in looking after other important concerns. Thou must, O sire,\nalso enquire about the welfare of Dhritarashtra's son by his Vaisya\nwife,--that youth who is one of the best of the Kuru race,--who never\nfalls into error, who possesseth vast wisdom, who is endued with every\nvirtue, and who never cherishes a liking for this war! Thou shouldst also\nask about the welfare of Chitrasena who is unrivalled in the tricks of\ndice, whose tricks are never detected by others, who plays well, who is\nwell-versed in the art of handling the dice, and who is unconquerable in\nplay but not in fight. Thou must also, O sire, enquire about the welfare\nof Sakuni, the king of the Gandharas, that native of the hilly country,\nwho is unrivalled in deceitful games at dice, who enhances the pride of\nDhritarashtra's son, and whose understanding naturally leads to\nfalsehood. Thou must also enquire about the welfare of Karna, the son of\nVikartana, that hero who is ready to vanquish, alone and unassisted,\nmounted on his car, the Pandavas whom no one dares assail in battle, that\nKarna who is unparalleled in deluding those that are already deluded.\nThou must also enquire about the welfare of Vidura, O sire, who alone is\ndevoted to us, who is our instructor, who reared us, who is our father\nand mother and friend, whose understanding finds obstruction in nought,\nwhose ken reaches far, and who is our counsellor. Thou must also salute\nall the aged dames and those who are known to be possessed of merit, and\nthose who are like mothers to us, meeting them gathered together in one\nplace. Thou must tell them, O Sanjaya, these words at first,--Ye mothers\nof living sons, I hope, your sons comfort themselves towards you in a\nkindly, considerate, and worthy way.--Thou must then tell them that\nYudhishthira is doing well with his sons. Those ladies, O Sanjaya, who\nare in the rank of our wives, thou must ask as to their welfare also\naddressing them in these words,--I hope, you are well-protected. I hope,\nyour fair fame hath suffered no injury. I hope, you are dwelling within\nyour abodes blamelessly and carefully. I hope, you are comforting\nyourselves towards your fathers-in-law in a kindly, praise-worthy and\nconsiderate way. You must steadily adopt such a conduct for yourselves as\nwill help you to win your husband's favour! Those young ladies, O\nSanjaya, who bear a relationship to us like that of your\ndaughters-in-law, who have been brought from high families, who are\npossessed of merit and who are mothers of children,--thou must meet them\nall and tell them that Yudhishthira send his kindly greetings to them.\nThou must, O Sanjaya, embrace the daughters of your house, and must ask\nthem about their welfare on my behalf. Thou must tell them,--May your\nhusbands be kindly and agreeable; may you be agreeable to your husbands;\nmay you have ornaments and clothes and perfumery and cleanliness; may you\nbe happy and have at your command the joys of life; may your looks be\npretty and words pleasant. Thou must ask, O sire, the women of the house\nas to their welfare. Thou must also represent unto the maid-servants and\nman-servants there, may be of the Kurus, and also the many humpbacked and\nlame ones among them, that I am doing well, and thou must then ask them\nabout their welfare. Thou must tell them,--I hope, Dhritarashtra's son\nstill vouchsafes the same kindly treatment to you. I hope, he gives you\nthe comforts of life.--Thou must also represent unto those that are\ndefective in limb, those that are imbecile, the dwarfs to whom\nDhritarashtra gives food and raiment from motives of humanity, those that\nare blind, and all those that are aged, as also to the many that have the\nuse only of their hands being destitute of legs, that I am doing well,\nand that I ask them regarding their welfare, addressing them in the\nfollowing words,--Fear not, nor be dispirited on account of your unhappy\nlives so full of sufferings; no doubt, sins must have been committed by\nyou in your former lives. When I shall check my foes, and delight my\nfriends, I shall satisfy you by gifts of food and clothes.--Thou shouldst\nalso, O sire, at our request, enquire after the welfare of those that are\nmasterless and weak, and of those that vainly strive to earn a living,\nand of those that are ignorant, in fact, of all those persons that are in\npitiable circumstances. O charioteer, meeting those others, that coming\nfrom different quarters, have sought the protection of the\nDhritarashtras, and in fact, all who deserve our greetings, thou shouldst\nalso enquire about their welfare and peace. Thou shouldst also enquire\nabout the welfare of those who have come to the Kurus of their own accord\nor who have been invited, as also of all the ambassadors arrived from all\nsides and then represent unto them that I am well. As regards the\nwarriors that have been obtained by Dhritarashtra's son, there are none\nequal to them on earth. Virtue, however, is eternal, and virtue is my\npower for the destruction of my enemies. Thou shouldst, O Sanjaya, also\nrepresent unto Suyodhana, the son of Dhritarashtra, the following,--That\ndesire of thine which torments thy heart, viz., the desire of ruling the\nKurus without a rival, is very unreasonable. It had no justification. As\nfor ourselves, we will never act in such a way as to do anything that may\nbe disagreeable to thee! O foremost of heroes among the Bharatas, either\ngive me back my own Indraprastha or fight with me!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXI\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O Sanjaya, the righteous and the unrighteous, the\nyoung and the old, the weak and the strong, are all under the control of\nthe Creator. It is that Supreme Lord who imparteth knowledge to the child\nand childishness to the learned, according to his own will. If\nDhritarashtra ask thee about our strength, tell him everything truly,\nhaving cheerfully consulted with everyone here and ascertained the truth.\nO son of Gavalgana, repairing unto the Kurus, thou wilt salute the mighty\nDhritarashtra, and touching his feet enquire after his welfare speaking\nin our name. And when seated in the midst of the Kurus, tell him from\nus.--\"The sons of Pandu, O king, are living happily in consequence of thy\nprowess. It was through thy grace, O repressor of foes, that those\nchildren of tender years had obtained a kingdom. Having first bestowed a\nkingdom on them, thou shouldst not now be indifferent to them, for\ndestruction then would overtake them!\" The whole of this kingdom, O\nSanjaya, is not fit to be owned by one person. Tell him again, from\nus.--\"O sire, we wish to live united. Do not suffer thyself to be\nvanquished by foes.\"--Thou shouldst again, O Sanjaya, bending thy head, in\nmy name salute the grandsire of the Bharatas, Bhishma, the son of\nSantanu. Having saluted our grandsire, he should then be told.--\"By thee,\nwhen Santanu's race was about to be extinct, it was revived. Therefore, O\nsire, do that according to thy own judgment by which thy grandsons may\nall live in amity with one another.\" Thou shouldst then address Vidura\nalso, that adviser of the Kurus, saying.--\"Counseleth peace, O amiable\none, from desire of doing good unto Yudhishthira.\"--Thou shouldst address\nthe unforbearing prince Duryodhana also, when seated in the midst of the\nKurus, beseeching him again and again, saying,--\"The insults thou hadst\noffered to innocent and helpless Draupadi in the midst of the assembly,\nwe will quietly bear, simply because we have no mind to see the Kurus\nslain. The other injuries also, both before and after that, the sons of\nPandu are quietly bearing, although they are possessed of might to avenge\nthem. All this, indeed, the Kauravas know. O amiable one, thou hadst even\nexiled us dressed in deer-skins. We are bearing that also because we do\nnot want to see the Kurus slain. Dussasana, in obedience to thee, had\ndragged Krishna, disregarding Kunti. That act also will be forgiven by\nus. But, O chastiser of foes, we must have our proper share of the\nkingdom. O bull among men, turn thy coveting heart from what belongeth to\nothers. Peace then, O king, will be amongst our gladdened selves. We are\ndesirous of peace; give us even a single province of the empire. Give us\neven Kusasthala, Vrikasthala, Makandi, Varanavata, and for the fifth any\nother that thou likest. Even this will end the quarrel. O Suyodhana, give\nunto thy five brothers at least five villages,\"--O Sanjaya, O thou of\ngreat wisdom, let there be peace between us and our cousins. Tell him\nalso,--\"Let brothers follow brothers, let sires unite with sons. Let the\nPanchalas mingle with the Kurus in merry laughter. That I may see the\nKurus and the Panchalas whole and sound, is what I desire. O bull of the\nBharata race, with cheerful hearts let us make peace.\" O Sanjaya, I am\nequally capable of war and peace. I am prepared to acquire wealth as well\nas to earn virtue. I am fit enough for severity as for softness.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Dismissed with salutation by the Pandavas, Sanjaya\nset out for (Hastinapura) having executed all the commands of the\nillustrious Dhritarashtra. Reaching Hastinapura he quickly entered it,\nand presented himself at the gate of the inner apartments of the palace.\nAddressing the porter, he said, 'O gate-keeper, say unto Dhritarashtra\nthat I, Sanjaya, have just arrived, coming from the sons of Pandu. Do not\ndelay. If the king be awake, then only shouldst thou say so, O keeper,\nfor I like to enter having first apprised him of my arrival. In the\npresent instance I have something of very great importance to\ncommunicate.' Hearing this, the gate-keeper went to the king and\naddressed him, saying, 'O lord of earth, I bow to thee. Sanjaya is at thy\ngates, desirous of seeing thee. He cometh, bearing a message from the\nPandavas. Issue your commands, O king, as to what he should do.'\n\n\"The king said, 'Tell Sanjaya that I am happy and hale. Let him enter.\nWelcome to Sanjaya. I am always ready to receive him. Why should he stay\noutside whose admission is never forbidden?'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Then, with the king's permission, having\nentered that spacious apartment, the Suta's son, with joined hands,\napproached the royal son of Vichitravirya who was protected by many wise,\nvaliant, and righteous persons, and who was then seated on his throne.\nAnd Sanjaya addressed him, saying, 'I am Sanjaya, O king. I bow unto\nthee. O chief of men, proceeding hence I found the sons of Pandu. After\nhaving paid his salutations to thee, Pandu's son, the intelligent\nYudhishthira, enquired of thy welfare. And well-pleased, he also\nenquireth after thy sons, and asketh thee whether thou art happy with thy\nsons and grandsons and friends and counsellors, and, O king, all those\nthat depend upon thee.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O child, giving my blessings to Ajatasatru, I ask\nthee, O Sanjaya, whether that king of the Kauravas, Pritha's son, is well\nwith his sons and brothers and counsellors.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Pandu's son is well with his counsellors. He desires\npossessions of that which he formerly had as his own. He seeketh virtue\nand wealth without doing anything that is censurable, possesseth\nintelligence and vast learning, and is, besides, far-sighted and of\nexcellent disposition. With that son of Pandu, abstention from injury is\neven superior to virtue, and virtue superior to the accumulation of\nwealth. His mind, O Bharata, is always inclined to happiness and joy, and\nto such courses of action as are virtuous and conducive to the higher ends\nof life. Even like a doll pulled this way and that by threads, man (in this\nworld) moveth, swayed by a force not his own. Beholding the sufferings of\nYudhishthira, I regard the force of destiny to be superior to the effect\nof human exertion. Beholding again thy unworthy deeds, which, besides,\nbeing highly sinful and unspeakable, are sure to terminate in misery, it\nseemeth to me that one of thy nature winneth praise only so long as his\nable foe bideth his time. Renouncing all sin, even as a serpent casteth\noff its worn out slough which it cannot any longer retain, the heroic\nAjatasatru shineth in his natural perfection, leaving his load of sins to\nbe borne by thee. Consider, O king, thy own acts which are contrary to\nboth religion and profit, and to the behaviour of those that are\nrighteous. Thou hast, O king, earned a bad repute in this world, and wilt\nreap misery in the next. Obeying the counsels of thy son thou hopest to\nenjoy this doubtful property, keeping them aloof. This unrighteous deed\nis loudly bruited about in the world. Therefore, O foremost of the\nBharatas, this deed is unworthy of thee. Calamity overtaketh him who is\ndeficient in wisdom, or who is of low birth, or who is cruel, or who\ncherisheth hostility for a long time, or who is not steady in Kshatriya\nvirtues, or is devoid of energy, or is of a bad disposition, in fact, him\nwho hath such marks. It is by virtue of luck that a person taketh his\nbirth in good race, or becometh strong, or famous, or versed in various\nlore, or possesseth the comforts of life, or becometh capable of subduing\nhis senses, or discriminating virtue and vice that are always linked\ntogether. What person is there, who, attended upon by foremost of\ncounsellors, possessed of intelligence, capable of discriminating between\nvirtue and vice in times of distress, not destitute of the rituals of\nreligion, and retaining the use of all his faculties, would commit cruel\ndeeds. These counsellors, ever devoted to thy work, wait here united\ntogether. Even this is their firm determination (viz., that the Pandavas\nare not to get back their share). The destruction of the Kurus,\ntherefore, is certain to be brought about by the force of circumstances.\nIf, provoked by the offences, Yudhishthira wisheth for misery to thee,\nthe Kurus will be destroyed prematurely, while, imparting all his sins\nto thee, the blame of that deed will be thine in this world. Indeed, what\nelse is there save the will of the Gods, for Arjuna, the son of Pritha,\nleaving this world ascended to the very heavens and was honoured there\nvery greatly. This proves that individual exertion is nothing. There is\nno doubt as to this. Seeing that the attributes of high birth, bravery,\netc., depended for their development or otherwise on acts, and beholding\nalso prosperity and adversity and stability and instability (in persons\nand their possessions), king Vali, in his search after causes, having\nfailed to discover a beginning (in the chain of acts of former lives one\nbefore another), regarded the eternal Essence to be the cause of\neverything. The eye, the ear, the nose, the touch, and the tongue, these\nare the doors of a person's knowledge. If desire be curbed, these would\nbe gratified by themselves. Therefore, cheerfully and without repining\none should control the senses. Others there are that think differently.\nThey hold that if a person's acts are well-applied, these must produce\nthe desired result. Thus the child begot by the act of the mother and the\nfather grows when duly tended with food and drink. Men in this world\nbecome subject to love and hate, pleasure and pain, praise and blame. A\nman is praised when he behaves honestly. Thee I blame, since these\ndissensions of the Bharatas (whose root thou art) will surely bring about\nthe destruction of innumerable lives. If peace be not concluded, then\nthrough thy fault Arjuna will consume the Kurus like a blazing fire\nconsuming a heap of dried grass. O ruler of men, thou alone of all the\nworld, yielding to thy son whom no restraints can blind, hadst regarded\nthyself as crowned with success and abstained from avoiding dispute at\nthe time of the match at dice. Behold now the fruit of that (weakness of\nthine)! O monarch, by rejecting advisers that are faithful and accepting\nthose that deserve no confidence, this extensive and prosperous empire, O\nson of Kuru, thou art unable to retain owing to thy weakness. Wearied by\nmy fast journey and very much fatigued, I solicit thy permission to go to\nbed now, O lion of men, for tomorrow morning will the Kurus, assembled\ntogether in the council-hall, hear the words of Ajatasatru.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"King Dhritarashtra endued with great wisdom (then)\nsaid to the orderly-in-waiting, 'I desire to see Vidura. Bring him here\nwithout delay.' Despatched by Dhritarashtra, the messenger went to\nKshattri and said, 'O thou of great wisdom, our lord the mighty king\ndesireth to see thee.' Thus addressed, Vidura (set out and) coming to the\npalace, spoke unto the orderly, 'Apprise Dhritarashtra of my arrival.'\nThereupon the orderly went to Dhritarashtra, and said, 'O foremost of\nkings, Vidura is here at thy command. He wisheth to behold thy feet.\nCommand me as to what he is to do.' Thereupon Dhritarashtra said, 'Let\nVidura of great wisdom and foresight enter. I am never unwilling or\nunprepared to see Vidura.' The orderly then went out and spoke unto\nVidura, 'O Kshattri, enter the inner apartments of the wise king. The king\nsays that he is never unwilling to see thee.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having entered Dhritarashtra's chamber, Vidura\nsaid with joined hands unto that ruler of men who was then plunged in\nthought, 'O thou of great wisdom, I am Vidura, arrived here at thy\ncommand. If there is anything to be done, here I am, command me!'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O Vidura, Sanjaya hath come back. He hath gone away\nafter rebuking me. Tomorrow he will deliver, in the midst of the court,\nAjatasatru's message. I have not been able today to ascertain what the\nmessage is of the Kuru hero. Therefore, my body is burning, and that hath\nproduced sleeplessness. Tell us what may be good for a person that is\nsleepless and burning. Thou art, O child, versed in both religion and\nprofit. Ever since, Sanjaya hath returned from the Pandavas, my heart\nknoweth no peace. Filled with anxiety about what he may deliver, all my\nsenses have been disordered'.\n\n\"Vidura said, 'Sleeplessness overtaketh a thief, a lustful person, him that\nhath lost all his wealth, him that hath failed to achieve success, and\nhim also that is weak and hath been attacked by a strong person. I hope,\nO king, that none of these grave calamities have overtaken thee. I hope,\nthou dost not grieve, coveting the wealth of others.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'I desire to hear from thee words that are\nbeneficial and fraught with high morality. In this race of royal Rishis\nthou alone art reverenced by the wise.' Vidura replied, 'King\n(Yudhishthira), graced with every virtue, is worthy of being the\nsovereign of the three worlds; yet, O Dhritarashtra, however worthy of\nbeing kept by thy side, he was exiled by thee. Thou art, however,\npossessed of qualities which are the very reverse of those possessed by\nhim. Although virtuous and versed in morality, thou hast yet no right to\na share in the kingdom owing to thy loss of sight. In consequence of his\ninoffensiveness and kindness, his righteousness, love of truth and\nenergy, and his remembering the reverence that is due to thee,\nYudhishthira patiently bears innumerable wrongs. Having bestowed on\nDuryodhana and Suvala's son and Karna, and Dussasana the management of\nthe empire, how canst thou hope for prosperity? He that is not served\nfrom the high ends of life by the aid of self-knowledge, exertion,\nforbearance and steadiness in virtue, is called wise. These again are the\nmarks of a wise man, viz., adherence to acts, worthy of praise and\nrejection of what is blamable, faith, and reverence. He whom neither\nanger nor joy, nor pride, nor false modesty, nor stupefaction, nor\nvanity, can draw away from the high ends of life, is considered as wise.\nHe whose intended acts, and proposed counsels remain concealed from foes,\nand whose acts become known only after they have been done, is considered\nwise. He whose proposed actions are never obstructed by heat or cold,\nfear of attachment, prosperity or adversity, is considered wise. He whose\njudgment dissociated from desire, followeth both virtue and profit, and\nwho disregarding pleasure chooseth such ends as are serviceable in both\nworlds, is considered wise. They that exert to the best of their might,\nand act also to the best of their might, and disregard nothing as\ninsignificant, are called wise. He that understandeth quickly, listeneth\npatiently, pursueth his objects with judgment and not from desire and\nspendeth not his breath on the affairs of others without being asked, is\nsaid to possess the foremost mark of wisdom. They that do not strive for\nobjects that are unattainable, that do not grieve for what is lost and\ngone, that do not suffer their minds to be clouded amid calamities, are\nregarded to possess intellects endued with wisdom. He who striveth,\nhaving commenced anything, till it is completed, who never wasteth his\ntime, and who hath his soul under control, is regarded wise. They that\nare wise, O bull of the Bharata race, always delight in honest deeds, do\nwhat tendeth to their happiness and prosperity, and never sneer at what\nis good. He who exulteth not at honours, and grieveth not at slights, and\nremaineth cool and unagitated like a lake in the course of Ganga, is\nreckoned as wise. That man who knoweth the nature of all creatures (viz.,\nthat everything is subject to destruction), who is cognisant also of the\nconnections of all acts, and who is proficient in the knowledge of the\nmeans that men may resort to (for attaining their objects), is reckoned\nas wise. He who speaketh boldly, can converse on various subjects,\nknoweth the science of argumentation, possesseth genius, and can\ninterpret the meaning of what is writ in books, is reckoned as wise. He\nwhose studies are regulated by reason, and whose reason followeth the\nscriptures, and who never abstaineth from paying respect to those that\nare good, is called a wise man. He, on the other hand, who is ignorant of\nscripture yet vain, poor yet proud, and who resorteth to unfair means for\nthe acquisition of his objects, is a fool. He who, forsaking his own,\nconcerneth himself with the objects of others, and who practiseth\ndeceitful means for serving his friends, is called a fool. He who wisheth\nfor those things that should not be desired, and forsaketh those that may\nlegitimately be desired, and who beareth malice to those that are\npowerful, is regarded to be a foolish soul. He who regardeth his foe as\nhis friend, who hateth and beareth malice to his friend, and who\ncommitteth wicked deeds, is said to be a person of foolish soul. O bull\nof the Bharata race, he who divulgeth his projects, doubteth in all\nthings, and spendeth a long time in doing what requireth a short time, is\na fool. He who doth not perform the Sraddha for the Pitris, nor\nworshippeth the deities, nor acquireth noble-minded friends, is said to\nbe a person of foolish soul. That worst of men who entereth a place\nuninvited, and talketh much without being asked, and reposeth trust on\nuntrustworthy wights, is a fool. That man who being himself guilty\ncasteth the blame on others, and who though impotent giveth vent to\nanger, is the most foolish of men. That man, who, without knowing his own\nstrength and dissociated from both virtue and profit, desireth an object\ndifficult of acquisition, without again adopting adequate means, is said\nto be destitute of intelligence. O king, he who punisheth one that is\nundeserving of punishment, payeth homage to persons without their\nknowledge, and waiteth upon misers, is said to be of little sense. But he\nthat, having attained immense wealth and prosperity or acquired (vast)\nlearning, doth not bear himself haughtily, is reckoned as wise. Who,\nagain, is more heartless than he, who, though possessed of affluence,\neateth himself and weareth excellent robes himself without distributing\nhis wealth among his dependents? While one person committeth sins, many\nreap the advantage resulting therefrom; (yet in the end) it is the doer\nalone to whom the sin attacheth while those that enjoy the fruit escape\nunhurt. When a bowman shooteth an arrow, he may or may not succeed in\nslaying even a single person, but when an intelligent individual applieth\nhis intelligence (viciously), it may destroy an entire kingdom with the\nking. Discriminating the two by means of the one, bring under thy\nsubjection the three by means of four, and also conquering the five and\nknowing the six, and abstaining from the seven, be happy. Poison slayeth\nbut one person, and a weapon also but one; wicked counsels, however,\ndestroy an entire kingdom with king and subject. Alone one should not\npartake of any savoury viand, nor alone reflect on concerns of profit,\nnor alone go upon a journey, nor alone remain awake among sleeping\ncompanions. That Being who is One without a second, and whom, O king,\nthou hast not been able to comprehend, is Truth's self, and the Way to\nheaven, even like a boat in the ocean. There is one only defect in\nforgiving persons, and not another; that defect is that people take a\nforgiving person to be weak. That defect, however, should not be taken\ninto consideration, for forgiveness is a great power. Forgiveness is a\nvirtue of the weak, and an ornament of the strong. Forgiveness subdueth\n(all) in this world; what is there that forgiveness cannot achieve? What\ncan a wicked person do unto him who carrieth the sabre of forgiveness in\nhis hand? Fire falling on a grassless ground is extinguished of itself.\nAn unforgiving individual defileth himself with many enormities.\nRighteousness is the one highest good; and forgiveness is the one supreme\npeace; knowledge is one supreme contentment; and benevolence, one sole\nhappiness. Even as a serpent devoureth animals living in holes, the earth\ndevoureth these two, viz., a king who is incompetent to fight, and a\nBrahmana who doth not sojourn to holy places. A man may attain renown in\nthis world by doing two things, viz., by refraining from harsh speech,\nand by disregarding those that are wicked. O tiger among men, these two\nhave not a will of their own, viz., those women who covet men simply\nbecause the latter are coveted by others of their sex, and that person\nwho worships another simply because the latter is worshipped by others.\nThese two are like sharp thorns afflicting the body, viz., the desires of\na poor man, and the anger of the impotent. These two persons never shine\nbecause of their incompatible acts, viz., a householder without exertion,\nand a beggar busied in schemes. These two, O king, live (as it were) in a\nregion higher than heaven itself, viz., a man of power endued with\nforgiveness, and poor man that is charitable. Of things honestly got,\nthese two must be looked upon as misuse, viz., making gifts to the\nunworthy and refusing the worthy. These two should be thrown into the\nwater, tightly binding weights to their necks, viz., a wealthy man that\ndoth not give away, and a poor man that is proud. These two, O tiger\namong men, can pierce the orb itself of the sun, viz., a mendicant\naccomplished in yoga, and a warrior that hath fallen in open fight. O\nbull of the Bharata race, persons versed in the Vedas have said that\nmen's means are good, middling, and bad. Men also, O king, are good,\nindifferent, and bad. They should, therefore, be respectively employed in\nthat kind of work for which they may be fit. These three, O king, cannot\nhave wealth of their own, viz., the wife, the slave, and the son, and\nwhatever may be earned by them would be his to whom they belong. Great\nfear springeth from these three crimes, viz., theft of other's property,\noutrage on other's wives, and breach with friend. These three, besides\nbeing destructive to one's own self, are the gates of hell, viz., lust,\nanger, and covetousness. Therefore, every one should renounce them. These\nthree should never be forsaken even in imminent danger, viz., a follower,\none who seeks protection, saying,--I am thine,--and lastly one who hath\ncome to your abode. Verily, O Bharata, liberating a foe from distress,\nalone amounteth in point of merit, to these three taken together, viz.,\nconferring a boon, acquiring a kingdom, and obtaining a son. Learned men\nhave declared that a king, although powerful, should never consult with\nthese four, viz., men of small sense, men that are procrastinating, men\nthat are indolent, and men that are flatterers. O sire, crowned with\nprosperity and leading the life of a householder, let these four dwell\nwith thee, viz., old consanguineous relatives, high-born persons fallen\ninto adversity, poor friends, and issueless sisters. On being asked by\nthe chief of the celestials, Vrihaspati, O mighty king declared four\nthings capable of fructifying or occurring within a single day, viz., the\nresolve of the gods, the comprehensions of intelligent persons, the\nhumility of learned men, and the destruction of the sinful. These four\nthat are calculated to remove fear, bring on fear when they are\nimproperly performed, viz., the Agni-hotra, the vow of silence, study,\nand sacrifice (in general). O bull of the Bharata race, these five fires,\nshould be worshipped with regard by a person, viz., father, mother, fire\n(proper), soul and preceptor. By serving these five, men attain great\nfame in this world, viz., the gods, the Pitris, men, beggars, and guests.\nThese five follow thee wherever thou goest, viz., friends, foes, those\nthat are indifferent, dependants, and those that are entitled to\nmaintenance. Of the five senses beholding to man, if one springeth a\nleak, then from that single hole runneth out all his intelligence, even\nlike water running out from a perforated leathern vessel. The six faults\nshould be avoided by a person who wisheth to attain prosperity, viz.,\nsleep, drowsiness, fear, anger, indolence and procrastination. These six\nshould be renounced like a splitting vessel in the sea, viz., a preceptor\nthat cannot expound the scriptures, a priest that is illiterate, a king\nthat is unable to protect, a wife that speaketh disagreeable words, a\ncow-herd that doth not wish to go to the fields, and a barber that\nwisheth to renounce a village for the woods. Verily, those six qualities\nshould never be forsaken by men, viz., truth, charity, diligence,\nbenevolence, forgiveness and patience. These six are instantly destroyed,\nif neglected, viz., kine, service, agriculture, a wife, learning, and the\nwealth of a Sudra. These six forget those who have bestowed obligations\non them, viz., educated disciples, their preceptors; married persons,\ntheir mothers; persons whose desires have been gratified, women; they who\nhave achieved success, they who had rendered aid; they who have crossed a\nriver, the boat (that carried them over); and patients that have been\ncured, their physicians. Health, unindebtedness, living at home,\ncompanionship with good men, certainty as regards the means of\nlivelihood, and living without fear, these six, O king, conduce to the\nhappiness of men. These six are always miserable, viz., the envious, the\nmalicious, the discontented, the irascible, the ever-suspicious, and\nthose depending upon the fortunes of others. These six, O king, comprise\nthe happiness of men, viz., acquirement of wealth, uninterrupted health,\na beloved and a sweet-speeched wife, an obedient son, and knowledge that\nis lucrative. He that succeedeth in gaining the mastery over the six that\nare always present in the human heart, being thus the master of his\nsenses, never committeth sin, and therefore suffereth calamity. These six\nmay be seen to subsist upon other six, viz., thieves, upon persons that\nare careless; physicians, on persons that are ailing; women, upon persons\nsuffering from lust; priests, upon them that sacrifice; a king, upon\npersons that quarrel; and lastly men of learning, upon them that are\nwithout it. A king should renounce these seven faults that are productive\nof calamity, inasmuch as they are able to effect the ruin of even\nmonarchs firmly established; these are women, dice, hunting, drinking,\nharshness of speech, severity of punishment, and misuse of wealth. These\neight are the immediate indications of a man destined to destruction,\nviz., hating the Brahmanas, disputes with Brahmanas, appropriation of a\nBrahmana's possessions, taking the life of Brahmana, taking a pleasure in\nreviling Brahmanas, grieving to hear the praises of Brahmanas, forgetting\nthem on ceremonious occasions, and giving vent to spite when they ask for\nanything. These transgressions a wise man should understand, and\nunderstanding, eschew. These eight, O Bharata, are the very cream of\nhappiness, and these only are attainable here, viz., meeting with\nfriends, accession of immense wealth, embracing a son, union for\nintercourse, conversation with friends in proper times, the advancement\nof persons belonging to one's own party, the acquisition of what had been\nanticipated, and respect in society. These eight qualities glorify a man,\nviz., wisdom, high birth, self-restraint, learning, prowess, moderation\nin speech, gift according to one's power, and gratitude. This house hath\nnine doors, three pillars, and five witnesses. It is presided over by the\nsoul. That learned man who knoweth all this is truly wise. O\nDhritarashtra, these ten do not know what virtue is viz., the\nintoxicated, inattentive, the raving, the fatigued, the angry, the\nstarving, the hasty, the covetous, the frightened, and the lustful.\nTherefore, he that is wise must eschew the company of these. In this\nconnection is cited the old story about what transpired between Suyodhana\nand (Prahlada), the chief of the Asuras in relation to the latter's son.\nThat king who renounceth lust and anger, who bestoweth wealth upon proper\nrecipients, and is discriminating, learned, and active, is regarded as an\nauthority of all men. Great prosperity attends upon that king who knoweth\nhow to inspire confidence in others, who inflicteth punishment on those\nwhose guilt hath been proved, who is acquainted with the proper measure\nof punishment, and who knoweth when mercy is to be shown. He is a wise\nperson who doth not disregard even a weak foe; who proceeds with\nintelligence in respect of a foe, anxiously watching for an opportunity;\nwho doth not desire hostilities with persons stronger than himself; and\nwho displayeth his prowess in season. That illustrious person who doth\nnot grieve when a calamity hath already come upon him, who exerteth with\nall his senses collected, and who patiently beareth misery in season, is\ncertainly the foremost of persons, and all his foes are vanquished. He\nwho doth not live away from hope uselessly, who doth not make friends\nwith sinful persons, who never outrageth another's wife, who never\nbetrayeth arrogance, and who never committeth a theft or showeth\ningratitude or indulgeth in drinking is always happy. He who never\nboastfully striveth to attain the three objects of human pursuit, who\nwhen asked, telleth the truth, who quarreleth not even for the sake of\nfriends, and who never becometh angry though slighted, is reckoned as\nwise. He who beareth not malice towards others but is kind to all, who\nbeing weak disputeth not with others, who speaketh not arrogantly, and\nforgeteth a quarrel, is praised everywhere. That man who never assumeth a\nhaughty mien, who never censureth others praising himself the while, and\nnever addresseth harsh words to others for getting himself, is ever loved\nby all. He who raketh not up old hostilities, who behaveth neither\narrogantly nor with too much humility, and who even when distressed never\ncommitteth an improper act, is considered by respectable men a person of\ngood conduct. He who exulteth not at his own happiness, nor delighteth in\nanother's misery, and who repenteth not after having made a gift, is said\nto be a man of good nature and conduct. He who desireth to obtain a\nknowledge of the customs of different countries, and also the languages\nof different nations, and of the usages of different orders of men,\nknoweth at once all that is high and low; and wherever he may go, he is\nsure to gain an ascendancy over even those that are glad. The intelligent\nman who relinquisheth pride, folly, insolence, sinful acts, disloyalty\ntowards the king, crookedness of behaviour, enmity with many, and also\nquarrels with men that are drunk, mad and wicked, is the foremost of his\nspecies. The very gods bestow prosperity upon him who daily practiseth\nself-restraint, purification, auspicious rites, worship of the gods,\nexpiatory ceremonies, and other rites of universal observance. The acts\nof that learned man are well-conceived, and well-applied who formeth\nmatrimonial alliances with persons of equal positions and not with those\nthat are inferior, who placeth those before him that are more qualified,\nand who talketh, behaveth and maketh friendships with persons of equal\nposition. He who eateth frugally after dividing the food amongst his\ndependants, who sleepeth little after working much, and who, when\nsolicited giveth away even unto his foes, hath his soul under control,\nand calamities always keep themselves aloof from him. He whose counsels\nare well-kept and well-carried out into practice, and whose acts in\nconsequence thereof are never known by others to injure men, succeedeth\nin securing even his most trifling objects. He who is intent upon\nabstaining from injury to all creatures, who is truthful, gentle,\ncharitable, and pure in mind, shineth greatly among his kinsmen like a\nprecious gem of the purest ray having its origin in an excellent mine.\nThat man who feeleth shame even though his faults be not known to any\nsave himself, is highly honoured among all men. Possessed of a pure heart\nand boundless energy and abstracted within himself, he shineth in\nconsequence of his energy like the very sun. King Pandu consumed by a\n(Brahmana's) curse, had five sons born unto him in the woods that are\nlike five Indras. O son of Ambika, thou hast brought up those children\nand taught them everything. They are obedient to thy commands. Giving\nthem back their just share of the kingdom, O sire, filled with joy, be\nthou happy with thy sons. Then, O monarch, thou shalt inspire confidence\nin both the gods and men.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me what may be done by a person that is\nsleepless and burning with anxieties, for thou alone amongst us, O child,\nart versed in both religion and profit. Advise me wisely, O Vidura. O\nthou of magnanimous heart, tell me what thou deemest to be beneficial\nfor Ajatasatru and what is productive of good to the Kurus. Apprehending\nfuture evils. I look back only on my previous guilt: I ask thee with\nanxious heart, O learned one, tell me what is exactly in Ajatasatru's\nmind.'\n\n\"Vidura said, 'Even if unasked, one should speak truly, whether his words\nbe good or bad, hateful or pleasing, unto him whose defeat one doth not\nwish. I shall, therefore, say, O king, what is for the good of the Kurus.\nI shall say what is both beneficial and consistent with morality. Listen\nto me. Do not, O Bharata, set the heart upon means of success that are\nunjust and improper. A man of intelligence must not grieve if any purpose\nof his doth not succeed, notwithstanding the application of fair and\nproper means. Before one engageth in an act, one should consider the\ncompetence of the agent, the nature of the act itself, and its purpose,\nfor all acts are dependent on these. Considering these one should begin\nan act, and not take it up on a sudden impulse. He that is wise should\neither do an act or desist from it fully considering his own ability, the\nnature of the act, and the consequence also of success. The king who\nknoweth not proportion or measure as regards territory, gain, loss,\ntreasury, population, and punishment, cannot retain his kingdom long. He,\non the other hand, who is acquainted with the measures of these as\nprescribed in treatises, being necessarily possessed of the knowledge of\nreligion and profit, can retain his kingdom. As the stars are affected by\nthe planets, so is this world affected by the senses, when they are\ndirected, uncontrolled, to their respective objects. Like the moon during\nthe lighted fortnight, calamities increase in respect of him who is\nvanquished by the five senses in their natural state, which ever lead him\ntowards various acts. He who wisheth to control his counsellors before\ncontrolling his own self, or to subdue his adversaries before controlling\nhis counsellors, at last succumbs deprived of strength. He, therefore,\nwho first subdueth his own self regarding it as a foe, never faileth to\nsubdue his counsellors and adversaries at last. Great prosperity waiteth\nupon him who hath subdued his senses, or controlled his soul, or who is\ncapable of punishing all offenders, or who acteth with judgment or who is\nblessed with patience. One's body, O king, is one's car; the soul within\nis the driver; and the senses are its steeds. Drawn by those excellent\nsteeds, when well-trained, he that is wise, pleasantly performeth the\njourney of life, and awake in peace. The horses that are unbroken and\nincapable of being controlled, always lead an unskilful driver to\ndestruction in the course of the journey; so one's senses, unsubdued,\nlead only to destruction. The inexperienced wight, who, led by this\nunsubdued senses, hopeth to extract evil from good and good from evil,\nnecessarily confoundeth misery with happiness. He, who, forsaking\nreligion and profit, followeth the lead of his senses, loseth without\ndelay prosperity, life, wealth and wife. He, who is the master of riches\nbut not of his senses, certainly loseth his riches in consequence of his\nwant of mastery over his senses. One should seek to know one's self by\nmeans of one's own self, controlling one's mind, intellect, and senses,\nfor one's self is one's friend as, indeed, it is one's own foe. That man,\nwho hath conquered self by means of self, hath his self for a friend, for\none's self is ever one's friend or foe. Desire and anger, O king, break\nthrough wisdom, just as a large fish breaks through a net of thin cords.\nHe, who in this world regarding both religion and profit, seeketh to\nacquire the means of success, winneth happiness, possessing all he had\nsought. He, who, without subduing his five inner foes of mental origin,\nwisheth to vanquish other adversaries, is, in fact, overpowered by the\nlatter. It is seen that many evil-minded kings, owing to want of mastery\nover their senses, are ruined by acts of their own, occasioned by the\nlust of territory. As fuel that is wet burneth with that which is dry, so\na sinless man is punished equally with the sinful in consequence of\nconstant association with the latter. Therefore, friendship with the\nsinful should be avoided. He that, from ignorance, faileth to control his\nfive greedy foes, having five distinct objects, is overwhelmed by\ncalamities. Guilelessness and simplicity, purity and contentment,\nsweetness of speech and self-restraint, truth and steadiness,--these are\nnever the attributes of the wicked. Self-knowledge and steadiness,\npatience and devotion to virtue, competence to keep counsels and\ncharity,--these, O Bharata, never exist in inferior men. Fools seek to\ninjure the wise by false reproaches and evil speeches. The consequence\nis, that by this they take upon themselves the sins of the wise, while\nthe latter, freed from their sins, are forgiven. In malice lieth the\nstrength of the wicked; in criminal code, the strength of kings, in\nattentions of the weak and of women; and in forgiveness that of the\nvirtuous. To control speech, O king, is said to be most difficult. It is\nnot easy to hold a long conversation uttering words full of meaning and\ndelightful to the hearers. Well-spoken speech is productive of many\nbeneficial results; and ill-spoken speech, O king, is the cause of evils.\nA forest pierced by arrows, or cut down by hatchets may again grow, but\none's heart wounded and censured by ill-spoken words never recovereth.\nWeapons, such as arrows, bullets, and bearded darts, can be easily\nextracted from the body, but a wordy dagger plunged deep into the heart\nis incapable of being taken out. Wordy arrows are shot from the mouth;\nsmitten by them one grieveth day and night. A learned man should not\ndischarge such arrows, for do they not touch the very vitals of others.\nHe, to whom the gods ordain defeat, hath his senses taken away, and it is\nfor this that he stoopeth to ignoble deeds. When the intellect becometh\ndim and destruction is nigh, wrong, looking like right, firmly sticketh\nto the heart. Thou dost not clearly see it, O bull of the Bharata race,\nthat clouded intellect hath now possessed thy sons in consequence of\ntheir hostility to the Pandavas. Endued with every auspicious mark and\ndeserving to rule the three worlds, Yudhishthira is obedient to thy\ncommands. Let him, O Dhritarashtra, rule the earth, to the exclusion of\nall thy sons. Yudhishthira is the foremost of all thy heirs. Endued with\nenergy and wisdom, and acquainted with the truths of religion and profit,\nYudhishthira, that foremost of righteous men, hath, O king of kings,\nsuffered much misery out of kindness and sympathy, in order to preserve\nthy reputation.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O thou of great intelligence, tell me again words\nsuch as these, consistent with religion and profit. My thirst for hearing\nthem is not quenched. What thou sayst is charming!'\n\n\"Vidura said, 'Ablution in all the holy places and kindness to all\ncreatures,--these two are equal. Perhaps, kindness to all creatures\nsurpasseth the former. O master, show kindness unto all thy sons, for by\nthat winning great fame in this world, thou wilt have heaven hereafter.\nAs long as a man's good deeds are spoken of in this world, so long, O\ntiger among men, is he glorified in heaven. In this connection is cited\nan old story about the conversation between Virochana and Sudhanwan, both\nsuitors for Kesini's hand. Once on a time, O king, there was a maiden of\nthe name of Kesini, unrivalled for beauty; moved by the desire of\nobtaining a good husband, she resolved to choose her lord in Swayamvara.\nThen one of the sons of Diti, Virochana by name, went to that spot,\ndesirous of obtaining the maiden. Beholding that chief of the Daityas,\nKesini addressed him, saying, \"Are Brahmanas superior, O Virochana, or\nare the sons of Diti superior? And why also should not Sudhanwan sit on\nthe sofa?\" Virochana said, \"Sprung from Prajapati himself, we, O Kesini,\nare the best and at the top of all creatures, and this world is ours\nwithout doubt. Who are the gods, and who are the Brahmanas?\" Kesini said,\n\"We will, O Virochana, stay here in this very pavilion. Sudhanwan will\ncome here on the morrow, and let me see both of you sitting together.\"\nVirochana said, 'O amiable and timid girl, I will do what thou sayst.\nThou wilt behold Sudhanwan and myself met together in the morning.'\n\n\"Vidura continued, 'When the night had passed away and the solar disc had\nrisen, Sudhanwan, O best of kings, came to that place where, O master,\nVirochana was waiting with Kesini. And Sudhanwan saw there both\nPrahlada's son and Kesini. And beholding the Brahmana arrived, Kesini, O\nbull of the Bharata race, rising up from hers, offered him a seat, water\nto wash his feet, and Arghya. And asked by Virochana (to share his seat)\nSudhanwan said, \"O son of Prahlada, I touch thy excellent golden seat. I\ncannot, however, suffer myself to be regarded as thy equal, and sit on it\nwith thee.\" Virochana said, \"A piece of wooden plank, an animal skin, or\na mat of grass or straw,--these only, O Sudhanwan, are fit for thee. Thou\ndeservest not, however, the same seat with me.\" Sudhanwan said, \"Father\nand son, Brahmanas of the same age and equal learning, two Kshatriyas,\ntwo Vaisyas and two Sudras, can sit together on the same seat, Except\nthese, no other can sit together. Your father used to pay his regards to\nme, taking a seat lower than that occupied by me. Thou art a child,\nbrought up in every luxury at home and thou understandest nothing.\"\nVirochana said, \"Staking all the gold, kine, horses, and every other kind\nof wealth that we have among the Asuras, let us, O Sudhanwan, ask them\nthis question that are able to answer.\" Sudhanwan said,\"'Let alone your\ngold, kine, and heroes, O Virochana. Making our lives forfeited, we will\nask them this question that are competent.\" Virochana said, \"Wagering our\nlives where shall we go? I will not appear before any of the gods and\nnever before any among men.\" Sudhanwan said, \"Having wagered our lives,\nwe will approach thy father, for he, Prahlada, will never say an untruth\neven for the sake of his son.\"\n\n\"Vidura continued, 'Having thus laid a wager, Virochana and Sudhanwan,\nboth moved by rage, proceeded to that place where Prahlada was. And\nbeholding them together, Prahlada said, \"These two who had never before\nbeen companions, are now seen together coming hither by the same road,\nlike two angry snakes. Have ye now become companions,--ye who were never\ncompanions before? I ask thee, O Virochana, has there been friendship\nbetween thee and Sudhanwan?\" Virochana said, \"There is no friendship\nbetween me and Sudhanwan. On the other hand, we have both wagered our\nlives. O chief of the Asuras, I shall ask thee a question, do not answer\nit untruly!\" Prahlada said, \"Let water, and honey and curds, be brought\nfor Sudhanwan. Thou deservest our worship, O Brahmana. A white and fat\ncow is ready for thee.\" Sudhanwan said, \"Water and honey and curds, have\nbeen presented to me on my way hither. I shall ask thee a question,\nPrahlada, answer it truly! are Brahmanas superior, or is Virochana\nsuperior?\" Prahlada said, \"O Brahmana, this one is my only son. Thou also\nart present here in person. How can one like us answer a question about\nwhich ye two have quarrelled?\" Sudhanwan said, \"Give unto thy son thy kine\nand other precious wealth that thou mayst have, but, O wise one, thou\nshouldst declare the truth when we two are disputing about it.\" Prahlada\nsaid, \"How doth that misuser of his tongue suffer, O Sudhanwan, who\nanswereth not truly but falsely, a question that is put to him? I ask\nthee this.\" Sudhanwan said, \"The person that misuseth his tongue suffers\nlike the deserted wife, who pineth, at night, beholding her husband\nsleeping in the arms of a co-wife; like a person who hath lost at dice,\nor who is weighed down with an unbearable load of anxieties. Such a man\nhath also to stay, starving outside the city gates, into which his\nadmission is barred. Indeed, he that giveth false evidence is destined to\nalways find his foes. He that speaketh a lie on account of an animal,\ncasteth down from heaven five of his sires of the ascending order. He\nthat speaketh a lie on account of a cow casteth down from heaven ten of\nhis ancestors. A lie on account of a horse causeth the downfall of a\nhundred; and a lie on account of a human being, the downfall of a\nthousand of one's sires of the ascending order. An untruth on account of\ngold ruineth the members of one's race both born and unborn, while an\nuntruth for the sake of land ruineth everything. Therefore, never speak\nan untruth for the sake of land.\" Prahlada said, \"Angiras is superior to\nmyself, and Sudhanwan is superior to thee, O Virochana. The mother also of\nSudhanwan is superior to thy mother; therefore, thou, O Virochana, hath\nbeen defeated by Sudhanwan. This Sudhanwan is now the master of thy life.\nBut, O Sudhanwan, I wish that thou shouldst grant Virochana his life.\"\nSudhanwan said, \"Since, O Prahlada, thou hast preferred virtue and hast\nnot, from temptation, said an untruth, I grant thy son his life that is\ndear to thee. So here is thy son Virochana, O Prahlada, restored by me to\nthee. He shall, however, have to wash my feet in the presence of the\nmaiden Kesini.\"'\n\n\"Vidura continued, 'For these reasons, O king of kings, it behoveth thee\nnot to say an untruth for the sake of land. Saying an untruth from\naffection for thy son, O king, hasten not to destruction, with all thy\nchildren and counsellors. The gods do not protect men, taking up clubs in\ntheir hands after the manner of herdsmen; unto those, however, they wish\nto protect, they grant intelligence. There is no doubt that one's objects\nmeet with success in proportion to the attention he directs to\nrighteousness and morality. The Vedas never rescue from sin a deceitful\nperson living by falsehood. On the other hand, they forsake him while he\nis on his death-bed, like newly fledged birds forsaking their nests.\nDrinking, quarrels, enmity with large numbers of men, all connections\nwith connubial disputes, and severance of relationship between husband\nand wife, internal dissensions, disloyalty to the king,--these and all\npaths that are sinful, should, it is said, be avoided. A palmist, a thief\nturned into a merchant, a fowler, a physician, an enemy, a friend, and a\nminstrel, these seven are incompetent as witness. An Agnihotra performed\nfrom motives of pride, abstention from speech, practised from similar\nmotives, study and sacrifice from the same motives,--these four, of\nthemselves innocent, become harmful when practised unduly. One that\nsetteth fire to a dwelling house, an administerer of poison, a pander, a\nvendor of the Soma-juice, a maker of arrows, an astrologer, one that\ninjureth friends, an adulterer, one that causeth abortion, a violator of\nhis preceptor's bed, a Brahmana addicted to drink, one that is\nsharp-speeched, a raker of old sores, an atheist, a reviler of the Vedas,\nand taker of bribes, one whose investiture with the sacred thread has\nbeen delayed beyond the prescribed age, one that secretly slayeth cattle,\nand one that slayeth him who prayeth for protection,--these all are\nreckoned as equal in moral turpitude as the slayers of Brahmanas. Gold is\ntested by fire; a well-born person, by his deportment; an honest man, by\nhis conduct. A brave man is tested during a season of panic; he that is\nself-controlled, in times of poverty; and friends and foes, in times of\ncalamity and danger. Decrepitude destroyeth beauty; ambitious hopes,\npatience; death, life; envy, righteousness; anger, prosperity;\ncompanionship with the low, good behaviour; lust, modesty, and pride,\neverything. Prosperity taketh its birth in good deeds, groweth in\nconsequence of activity, driveth its roots deep in consequence of skill,\nand acquireth stability owing to self-control. Wisdom, good lineage,\nself-control, acquaintance with the scriptures, prowess, absence of\ngarrulity, gift to the extent of one's power, and gratefulness,--these\neight qualities shed a lustre upon their possessor. But, O sire, there is\none endowment which alone can cause all these attributes to come\ntogether; the fact is, when the king honoureth a particular person, the\nroyal favour can cause all these attributes to shed their lustre (on the\nfavourite). Those eight, O king, in the world of men, are indications of\nheaven. Of the eight (mentioned below) four are inseparably connected,\nwith the good, and four others are always followed by the good. The first\nfour which are inseparably connected with the good, are sacrifice, gift,\nstudy and asceticism, while the other four that are always followed by\nthe good, are self-restraint, truth, simplicity, and abstention from\ninjury to all.\n\n\"'Sacrifice, study, charity, asceticism, truth, forgiveness, mercy, and\ncontentment constitute the eight different paths of righteousness. The\nfirst four of these may be practised from motives of pride, but the last\nfour can exist only in those that are truly noble. That is no assembly\nwhere there are no old men, and they are not old who do not declare what\nmorality is. That is not morality which is separated from truth, and that\nis not truth which is fraught with deceit. Truth, beauty, acquaintance\nwith the scriptures, knowledge, high birth, good behaviour, strength,\nwealth, bravery, and capacity for varied talk,--these ten are of heavenly\norigin. A sinful person, by committing sin, is overtaken by evil\nconsequences. A virtuous man, by practising virtue, reapeth great\nhappiness. Therefore, a man, rigidly resolved, should abstain from sin.\nSin, repeatedly perpetrated, destroyeth intelligence; and the man who\nhath lost intelligence, repeatedly committeth sin. Virtue, repeatedly\npractised, enhanceth intelligence; and the man whose intelligence hath\nincreased, repeatedly practiseth virtue. The virtuous man, by practising\nvirtue, goeth to regions of blessedness. Therefore, a man should, firmly\nresolved, practise virtue. He that is envious, he that injureth others\ndeeply, he that is cruel, he that constantly quarreleth, he that is\ndeceitful, soon meeteth with great misery for practising these sins. He\nthat is not envious and is possessed of wisdom, by always doing what is\ngood, never meeteth with great misery; on the other hand, he shineth\neverywhere. He that draweth wisdom from them that are wise is really\nlearned and wise. And he that is wise, by attending to both virtue and\nprofit, succeedeth in attaining to happiness. Do that during the day\nwhich may enable thee to pass the night in happiness; and do that during\neight months of the year which may enable thee to pass the season of\nrains happily. Do that during youth which may ensure a happy old age; and\ndo that during thy whole life here which may enable thee to live happily\nhereafter. The wise prize that food which is easily digested, that wife\nwhose youth hath passed away, that hero who is victorious and that\nascetic whose efforts have been crowned with success. The gap that is\nsought to be filled by wealth acquired wrongfully, remaineth uncovered,\nwhile new ones appear in other places. The preceptor controlleth them\nwhose souls are under their own control; the king controlleth persons\nthat are wicked; while they that sin secretly have their controller in\nYama, the son of Vivaswat. The greatness of Rishis, of rivers, of\nriver-banks, of high-souled men, and the cause of woman's wickedness,\ncannot be ascertained. O king, he that is devoted to the worship of the\nBrahmanas, he that giveth away, he that behaveth righteously towards his\nrelatives, and the Kshatriya that behaveth nobly, rule the earth for\never. He that is possessed of bravery, he that is possessed of learning,\nand he that knows how to protect others,--these three are always able to\ngather flowers of gold from the earth. Of acts, those accomplished by\nintelligence are first; those accomplished by the arms, second; those by\nthe thighs, and those by bearing weights upon the head, are the very\nworst. Reposing the care of thy kingdom on Duryodhana, on Sakuni, on\nfoolish Dussasana, and on Karna, how canst thou hope for prosperity?\nPossessed of every virtue, the Pandavas, O bull of the Bharata race,\ndepend on thee as their father. O, repose thou on them as on thy sons!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVI\n\n\"Vidura said, 'In this connection is cited the old story of the discourse\nbetween the son of Atri and the deities called Sadhyas is as heard by us.\nIn days of old, the deities known by the name of Sadhyas questioned the\nhighly wise and great Rishi of rigid vows (the son of Atri), while the\nlatter was wandering in the guise of one depending on eleemosynary\ncharity for livelihood. The Sadhyas said, \"We are, O great Rishi, deities\nknown as Sadhyas. Beholding thee, we are unable to guess who thou art. It\nseemeth to us, however, that thou art possessed of intelligence and\nself-control in consequence of acquaintance with the scriptures. It,\ntherefore, behoveth thee to discourse to us in magnanimous words fraught\nwith learning.\" The mendicant Rishi answered, \"Ye immortals, it hath been\nheard by me that by untying all the knots in the heart by the aid of\ntranquillity, and by mastery over all the passions, and observance of\ntrue religion, one should regard both the agreeable and the disagreeable\nlike his own self. One should not return the slanders or reproaches of\nothers for the pain that is felt by him who beareth silently, consumeth\nthe slanderer; and he that beareth, succeedeth also in appropriating the\nvirtues of the slanderer. Indulge not in slanders and reproaches. Do not\nhumiliate and insult others. Quarrel not with friends. Abstain from\ncompanionship with those that are vile and low. Be not arrogant and\nignoble in conduct. Avoid words that are harsh and fraught with anger.\nHarsh words burn and scorch the very vitals, bones, heart, and the very\nsources of the life of men. Therefore, he that is virtuous, should\nalways abstain from harsh and angry words. That worst of men is of harsh\nand wrathful speech, who pierceth the vitals of others with wordy thorns,\nbeareth hell in his tongue, and should ever be regarded as a dispenser of\nmisery to men. The man that is wise, pierced by another's wordy arrows,\nsharp-pointed and smarting like fire or the sun, should, even if deeply\nwounded and burning with pain, bear them patiently remembering that the\nslanderer's merits become his. He that waiteth upon one that is good or\nupon one that is wicked, upon one that is possessed of ascetic merit or\nupon one that is a thief, soon taketh the colour from that companion of\nhis, like a cloth from the dye in which it is soaked. The very gods\ndesire his company, who, stung with reproach, returneth it not himself\nnor causeth others to return it, or who being struck doth not himself\nreturn the blow nor causeth other to do it, and who wisheth not the\nslightest injury to him that injureth him. Silence, it is said, is better\nthan speech; if speak you must, then it is better to say the truth; if\ntruth is to be said, it is better to say what is agreeable; and if what\nis agreeable is to be said, then it is better to say what is consistent\nwith morality. A man becometh exactly like him with whom he liveth, or\nlike him whom he regardeth, or like that which he wisheth to be. One is\nfreed from those things from which one abstaineth, and if one abstaineth\nfrom everything he hath not to suffer even the least misery. Such a man\nneither vanquisheth others, nor is vanquished by others. He never\ninjureth nor opposeth others. He is unmoved by praise or blame. He\nneither grieveth nor exalteth in joy. That man is regarded as the first\nof his species who wisheth for the prosperity of all and never setteth\nhis heart on the misery of others, who is truthful in speech, humble in\nbehaviour, and hath all his passions under control. That man is regarded\nas a mediocre in goodness who never consoleth others by saying what is\nnot true; who giveth having promised; and who keepeth an eye over the\nweakness of others. These, however, are the indications of a bad man,\nviz., incapacity to be controlled; liability to be afflicted by dangers;\nproneness to give way to wrath, ungratefulness; inability to become\nanother's friend, and wickedness of heart. He too is the worst of men,\nwho is dissatisfied with any good that may come to him from others who is\nsuspicious of his own self, and who driveth away from himself all his\ntrue friends. He that desireth prosperity to himself, should wait upon\nthem that are good, and at times upon them that are indifferent, but\nnever upon them that are bad. He that is wicked, earneth wealth, it is\ntrue, by putting forth his strength, by constant effort, by intelligence,\nand by prowess, but he can never win honest fame, nor can he acquire the\nvirtues and manners of high families (in any of which he may be born).\"'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'The gods, they that regard both virtue and profit\nwithout swerving from either, and they that are possessed of great\nlearning, express a liking for high families. I ask thee, O Vidura, this\nquestion,--what are those families that are called high?'\n\n\"Vidura said, 'Asceticism, self-restraint, knowledge of the Vedas,\nsacrifices, pure marriages, and gifts of food,--those families in which\nthese seven exist or are practised duly, are regarded as high. There are\nhigh families who deviate not from the right course whose deceased\nancestors are never pained (by witnessing the wrong-doings of their\ndescendants), who cheerfully practise all the virtues, who desire to\nenhance the pure fame of the line in which they are born, and who avoid\nevery kind of falsehood. Families that are high, fall down and become low\nowing to the absence of sacrifices, impure marriages, abandonment of the\nVedas, and insults offered to Brahmanas. High families fall off and\nbecome low owing to their members disregarding or speaking ill of\nBrahmanas, or to the misappropriation, O Bharata, of what had been\ndeposited with them by others. Those families that are possessed of\nmembers, wealth and kine, are not regarded as families if they be wanting\nin good manners and conduct, while families wanting in wealth but\ndistinguished by manners and good conduct are regarded as such and win\ngreat reputation. Therefore, should good manners and good conduct be\nmaintained with care, for, as regards wealth, it cometh or goeth. He that\nis wanting in wealth is not really wanting, but he that is wanting in\nmanners and conduct is really in want. Those families that abound in kine\nand other cattle and in the produce of the field are not really worthy of\nregard and fame if they be wanting in manners and conduct. Let none in\nour race be a fomenter of quarrels, none serve a king as minister, none\nsteal the wealth of others, none provoke intestine dissensions, none be\ndeceitful or false in behaviour, and none eat before serving the Rishis,\nthe gods, and guests. He, in our race, who slayeth Brahmanas, or\nentertaineth feelings of aversion towards them, or impedeth or otherwise\ninjureth agriculture, doth not deserve to mix with us. Straw (for a\nseat), ground (for sitting upon), water (to wash the feet and face), and,\nfourthly sweet words,--these are never wanting in the houses of the good.\nVirtuous men devoted to the practice of righteous acts, when desirous of\nentertaining (guests), have these things ready for being offered with\nreverence. As the Sandal tree, O king, though thin, is competent to bear\nweights which timbers of other trees (much thicker) cannot; so they that\nbelong to high families are always able to bear the weight of great cares\nwhich ordinary men cannot. He is no friend whose anger inspireth fear, or\nwho is to be waited upon with fear. He, however, on whom one can repose\nconfidence as on a father, is a true friend. Other friendships are\nnominal connection. He that beareth himself as a friend, even though\nunconnected by birth of blood, is a true friend, a real refuge, and a\nprotector. He, whose heart is unsteady, or who doth not wait upon the\naged, or who is of a restless disposition cannot make friends. Success\n(in the attainment of objects) forsaketh the person whose heart is\nunsteady, or who hath no control over his mind, or who is a slave of his\nsenses, like swans forsaking a tank whose waters have dried up. They that\nare of weak minds suddenly give way to anger and are gratified without\nsufficient cause; they are like clouds that are so inconstant. The very\nbirds of prey abstain from touching the dead bodies of those who having\nbeen served and benefited by friends, show ingratitude to the latter.\nBeest thou poor or beest thou rich, thou shouldst honour thy friends.\nUntil some service is asked, the sincerity or otherwise of friends cannot\nbe known. Sorrow killeth beauty; sorrow killeth strength; sorrow killeth\nthe understanding; and sorrow bringeth on disease. Grief, instead of\nhelping the acquisition of his object, drieth up the body, and maketh\none's foes glad. Therefore, do not yield to grief. Men repeatedly die and\nare reborn; repeatedly they wither away and grow; repeatedly they ask\nothers for help, and they themselves are asked for help; repeatedly they\nlament and are lamented. Happiness and misery, plenty and want, gain and\nloss, life and death, are shared by all in due order. Therefore, he that\nis self-controlled should neither exult in joy nor repine in sorrow. The\nsix senses are always restless. Through the most predominant one amongst\nthem one's understanding escapeth in proportion to the strength it\nassumes, like water from a pot through its holes.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'King Yudhishthira who is like a flame of fire, has\nbeen deceived by me. He will surely exterminate in battle all my wicked\nsons. Everything, therefore, seems to me to be fraught with danger, and\nmy mind is full of anxiety. O thou of great intelligence, tell me such\nwords as may dispel my anxiety.'\n\n\"Vidura said, 'O sinless one, in nothing else than knowledge and\nasceticism, in nothing else than restraining the senses, in nothing else\nthan complete abandonment of avarice, do I see thy good. Fear is\ndispelled by self-knowledge; by asceticism one winneth what is great and\nvaluable; by waiting upon superiors learning is acquired; and peace is\ngained by self-restraint. They that desire salvation without having\nacquired the merit attainable by gifts, or that which is attainable by\npractising the ritual of the Vedas, do not sojourn through life, freed\nfrom anger and aversion. The happiness that may be derived from a\njudicious course of study, from a battle fought virtuously, from ascetic\nausterities performed rigidly, always increaseth at the end. They that\nare no longer in peace with their relatives, obtain no sleep even if they\nhave recourse to well-made beds; nor do they, O king, derive any pleasure\nfrom women, or the laudatory hymns of bards and eulogists. Such\npersons can never practise virtue. Happiness can never be theirs, in this\nworld. Honours can never be theirs, and peace hath no charm for them.\nCounsels that are for their benefit please them not. They never acquire\nwhat they have not, nor succeed in retaining what they have. O king,\nthere is no other end for such men save destruction. As milk is possible\nin kine, asceticism in Brahmanas, and inconstancy in women, so fear is\npossible from relatives. Numerous thin threads of equal length, collected\ntogether, are competent to bear, from the strength of numbers, the\nconstant rolling of the shuttle-cock over them. The case is even so with\nrelatives that are good. O bull of the Bharata race, separated from one\nanother, burning brands produce only smoke; but brought together they\nblaze forth into a powerful flame. The case is even so, O Dhritarashtra,\nwith relatives. They, O Dhritarashtra, who tyrannise over Brahmanas,\nwomen, relatives, and kine, soon fall off their stalks, like fruits that\nare ripe. And the tree that stands singly, though gigantic and strong and\ndeep-rooted, hath its trunk soon smashed and twisted by a mighty wind.\nThose trees, however, that grow in close compact are competent owing to\nmutual dependence to resist winds more violent still. Thus he that is\nsingle, however, endowed with all the virtues, is regarded by foes as\ncapable of being vanquished like an isolated tree by the wind. Relatives,\nagain, in consequence of mutual dependence and mutual aid, grow together,\nlike lotus-stalks in a lake. These must never be slain, viz., Brahmanas,\nkine, relatives, children, women, those whose food is eaten, and those\nalso that yield by asking for protection. O king, without wealth no good\nquality can show itself in a person. If, however, thou art in health,\nthou canst achieve thy good, for he is dead who is unhealthy and ill. O\nking, anger is a kind of bitter, pungent, acrid, and hot drink, painful\nin its consequences: it is a kind of headache not born of any physical\nillness, and they that are unwise can never digest it. Do thou, O king,\nswallow it up and obtain peace. They that are tortured by disease have no\nliking for enjoyments, nor do they desire any happiness from wealth. The\nsick, however, filled with sorrow, know not what happiness is or what the\nenjoyments of wealth are. Beholding Draupadi won at dice, I told thee\nbefore, O king, these words,--They that are honest avoid deceit in play.\nTherefore, stop Duryodhana! Thou didst not, however, act according to my\nwords. That is not strength which is opposed to softness. On the other\nhand, strength mixed with softness constitutes true policy which should\never be pursued. That prosperity which is dependent on crookedness alone\nis destined to be destroyed. That prosperity, however, which depends on\nboth strength and softness, descends to sons and grandsons intact. Let,\ntherefore, thy sons cherish the Pandavas, and the Pandavas also cherish\nthy sons. O king, let the Kurus and the Pandavas, both having the same\nfriends and the same foes, live together in happiness and prosperity. Thou\nart, today, O king, the refuge of the sons of Kuru. Indeed, the race of\nKuru, O Ajamida, is dependent on thee. O sire, preserving thy fame\nunsullied, cherish thou the children of Pandu, afflicted as they are with\nthe sufferings of exile. O descendant of Kuru, make peace with the sons\nof Pandu. Let not thy foes discover thy holes. They all, O god among men,\nare devoted to truth. O king of men, withdraw Duryodhana from his evil\nways.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVII\n\n\"Vidura said, 'O son of Vichitravirya, Manu, the son of the Self-created,\nhath, O king, spoken of the following seven and ten kinds of men, as\nthose that strike empty space with their fists, or seek to bend the\nvapoury bow of Indra in the sky, or desire to catch the intangible rays\nof the sun. These seven and ten kinds of foolish men are as follow: he\nwho seeketh to control a person that is incapable of being controlled; he\nwho is content with small gains; he who humbly pays court to enemies; he\nwho seeks to restrain women's frailty; he who asketh him for gifts who\nshould never be asked; he who boasteth, having done anything; he who,\nborn in a high family, perpetrateth an improper deed; he who being weak\nalways wageth hostilities with one that is powerful; he who talketh to a\nperson listening scoffingly; he who desireth to have that which is\nunattainable; he who being a father-in-law, jesteth with his\ndaughter-in-law; he who boasteth at having his alarms dispelled by his\ndaughter-in-law; he who scattereth his own seeds in another's field; he\nwho speaketh ill of his own wife; he who having received anything from\nanother sayeth that he doth not remember it, he who, having given away\nanything in words in holy places, boasteth at home when asked to make\ngood his words, and he who striveth to prove the truth of what is false.\nThe envoys of Yama, with nooses in hand, drag those persons to hell. One\nshould behave towards another just as that other behaveth towards him.\nEven this is consistent with social polity. One may behave deceitfully\ntowards him that behaveth deceitfully, but honestly towards him that is\nhonest in his behaviour. Old age killeth beauty; patience, hope; death,\nlife; the practice of virtue, worldly enjoyments; lust, modesty;\ncompanionship with the wicked, good behaviour; anger, prosperity; and\npride, everything.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Man hath been spoken of in all the Vedas as having\nhundred years for the period of his life. For what reason then, do not\nall men attain the allotted period?'\n\n\"Vidura said, 'Excess of pride, excess in speech, excess in eating,\nanger, the desire of enjoyment, and intestine dissensions,--these, O\nking, are six sharp swords that cut off the period of life allotted to\ncreatures. It is these which kill men, and not death. Knowing this,\nblessed be thou!'\n\n\"'He who appropriates to himself the wife of one who hath confided in him;\nhe who violates the bed of his preceptor; that Brahmana, O Bharata, who\nbecomes the husband of a Sudra woman, or drinks wines; he who commendeth\nBrahmanas or becometh their master, or taketh away the lands that support\nthem; and he who taketh the lives of those who yield asking for\nprotection, are all guilty of the sin of slaying Brahmanas. The Vedas\ndeclare that contact with these requires expiation. He that accepts the\nteaching of the wise; he that is acquainted with the rules of morality;\nhe that is liberal; he that eateth having first dedicated the food to the\ngods and Pitris; he that envieth none; he that is incapable of doing\nanything that injureth others; he that is grateful, truthful, humble and\nlearned, succeedeth in attaining to heaven.\n\n\"'They are abundant, O king, that can always speak agreeable words. The\nspeaker, however, is rare, as also the hearer, of words that are\ndisagreeable but medicinal. That man who, without regarding what is\nagreeable or disagreeable to his master but keeping virtue alone in view,\nsayeth what is unpalatable, but medicinal, truly addeth to the strength\nof the king. For the sake of the family a member may be sacrificed; for\nthe sake of the village, a family may be sacrificed; for the sake of a\nkingdom a village may be sacrificed; and for the sake of one's soul, the\nwhole earth may be sacrificed. One should protect his wealth in view of\nthe calamities that may overtake him; by his wealth one should protect\nhis wives, and by both his wealth and wives one should protect his own\nself. From very olden times it hath been seen that gambling provoketh\nquarrels. Therefore, he that is wise, should not resort to it even in\njest. O son of Pratipa, at the time of that gambling match I told thee, O\nking--this is not proper. But, O son of Vichitravirya, like medicine to a\nsick man, those words of mine were not agreeable to thee. O king, thou\ndesirest to vanquish the sons of Pandu, who are just as peacocks of\nvariegated plumage, whereas thy sons are all as crows. Forsaking lions\nthou art protecting jackals! O king, when the time cometh, thou wilt have\nto grieve for all this. That master, O sire, who doth not give vent to\nhis displeasure with devoted servants zealously pursuing his good,\nenlisteth the confidence of his servants. In fact, the latter adhere to\nhim even in distress. By confiscating the grants to one's servants or\nstopping their pay, one should not seek to amass wealth, for even\naffectionate counsellors deprived of their means of life and enjoyment,\nturn against him and leave him (in distress). Reflecting first on all\nintended acts and adjusting the wages and allowances of servants with his\nincome and expenditure, a king should make proper alliances, for there is\nnothing that cannot be accomplished by alliances. That officer who fully\nunderstanding the intentions of his royal master dischargeth all duties\nwith alacrity, and who is respectable himself and devoted to his master,\nalways telleth what is for his master's good, and who is fully acquainted\nwith the extent of his own might and with that also of those against\nwhom he may be engaged, should be regarded by the king as his second\nself. That servant, however, who commanded (by his master) disregardeth\nthe latter's injunctions and who enjoined to do anything refuseth to\nsubmit, proud as he is of his own intelligence and given to arguing\nagainst his master, should be got rid of without the least delay. Men of\nlearning say that a servant should be endued with these eight qualities,\nviz., absence of pride, ability, absence of procrastination, kindness,\ncleanliness, incorruptibility, birth in a family free from the taint of\ndisease, and weightiness of speech. No man should confidently enter an\nenemy's house after dusk even with notice. One should not at night lurk\nin the yard of another's premises, nor should one seek to enjoy a woman\nto whom the king himself might make love. Never set thyself against the\ndecision to which a person hath arrived who keepeth low company and who\nis in the habit of consulting all he meeteth. Never tell him,--\"I do not\nbelieve thee,\"--but assigning some reason send him away on a pretext. A\nking who is exceedingly merciful, a woman of lewd character, the servant\nof a king, a son, a brother, a widow having an infant son, one serving in\nthe army, and one that hath suffered great losses, should never be\nengaged in pecuniary transactions of lending or borrowing. These eight\nqualities shed a lustre on men, viz., wisdom, high lineage, acquaintance\nwith scriptures, self-restraint, prowess, moderation in speech, gift to\nthe extent of one's power, and gratefulness. These high qualities, O\nsire, are necessarily brought together by one only by gifts. When the\nking favours a person, that incident (of royal favour) bringeth in all\nothers and holdeth them together. He that performeth ablutions winneth\nthese ten, viz., strength, beauty, a clear voice, capacity to utter all\nthe alphabetical sounds, delicacy of touch, fineness of scent,\ncleanliness, gracefulness, delicacy of limbs, and beautiful women. He\nthat eateth sparingly winneth these six, viz., health, long life, and\nease; his progeny also becometh healthy, and nobody reproacheth him for\ngluttony. One should not give shelter to these in his house, viz., one\nthat always acteth improperly, one that eateth too much, one that is\nhated by all, one that is exceedingly deceitful, one that is cruel, one\nthat is ignorant of the proprieties of time and place, and one that\ndresseth indecently. A person, however distressed, should never solicit a\nmiser for alms, or one that speaketh ill of others, or one that is\nunacquainted with the shastras, or a dweller in the woods, or one that is\ncunning, or one that doth not regard persons worthy of regard, or one\nthat is cruel, or one that habitually quarrels with others, or one that\nis ungrateful. A person should never wait upon these six worst of men,\nviz., one that is a foe, one that always errs, one that is wedded to\nfalsehood, one that is wanting in devotion to the gods, one that is\nwithout affection, and one that always regards himself competent to do\neverything. One's purposes depend (for their success) on means; and means\nare dependent, again, on the nature of the purposes (sought to be\naccomplished by them). They are intimately connected with each other, so\nthat success depends on both. Begetting sons and rendering them\nindependent by making some provision for them, and bestowing maiden\ndaughters on eligible persons, one should retire to the woods, and desire\nto live as a Muni. One should, for obtaining the favours of the Supreme\nBeing, do that which is for the good of all creatures as also for his own\nhappiness, for it is this which is the root of the successful of all\none's objects. What anxiety hath he for a livelihood that hath\nintelligence, energy, prowess, strength, alacrity and perseverance?\n\n\"'Behold the evils of a rupture with the Pandavas which would sadden the\nvery gods with Sakra. These are, first, enmity between them that are all\nthy sons; secondly, a life of continued anxiety; thirdly, the loss of the\nfair fame of the Kurus; and lastly, the joy of those that are thy\nenemies. The wrath of Bhishma, O thou of the splendour of Indra, of\nDrona, and the king Yudhishthira, will consume the whole world, like a\ncomet of large proportions falling transversely on the earth. Thy hundred\nsons and Karna and the sons of Pandu can together rule the vast earth\nwith the belt of the seas. O king, the Dhartarashtras constitute a forest\nof which the Pandavas are, I think, tigers. O, do not cut down that\nforest with its tigers! O, let not the tigers be driven from that forest!\nThere can be no forest without tigers, and no tigers without a forest.\nThe forest shelters the tigers and tigers guard the forest!'\n\n\"'They that are sinful never seek so much to ascertain the good qualities\nof others as to ascertain their faults. He that desires the highest\nsuccess in all matters connected with worldly profit, should from the\nvery beginning practise virtue, for true profit is never separated from\nheaven. He whose soul hath been dissociated from sin and firmly fixed on\nvirtue, hath understood all things in their natural and adventitious\nstates; he that followeth virtue, profit, and desire, in proper seasons,\nobtaineth, both here and hereafter, a combination of all three. He that\nrestraineth the force of both anger and joy, and never, O king, loseth\nhis senses under calamities, winneth prosperity. Listen to me, O king.\nMen are said to have five different kinds of strength. Of these, the\nstrength of arms is regarded to be of the most inferior kind. Blessed be\nthou, the acquisition of good counsellors is regarded as the second kind\nof strength. The wise have said that the acquisition of wealth is the\nthird kind of strength. The strength of birth, O king, which one\nnaturally acquireth from one's sires and grandsires, is regarded as the\nfourth kind of strength. That, however, O Bharata, by which all these are\nwon, and which is the foremost of all kinds of strength, is called the\nstrength of the intellect. Having provoked the hostility of a person who\nis capable of inflicting great injury on a fellow creature, one should\nnot gather assurance from the thought that one liveth at a distance from\nthe other. Who that is wise that can place his trust on women, kings,\nserpents, his own master, enemies, enjoyments, and period of life? There\nare no physicians nor medicines for one that hath been struck by the\narrow of wisdom. In the case of such a person neither the mantras of\nhoma, nor auspicious ceremonies, nor the mantras of the Atharva Veda, nor\nany of the antidotes of poison, are of any efficacy. Serpents, fire,\nlions, and consanguineous relatives,--none of these, O Bharata, should be\ndisregarded by a man; all of these are possessed of great power. Fire is\na thing of great energy in this world. It lurketh in wood and never\nconsumeth it till it is ignited by others. That very fire, when brought\nout by friction, consumeth by its energy not only the wood in which it\nlurketh, but also an entire forest and many other things. Men of high\nlineage are just like fire in energy. Endued with forgiveness, they\nbetray no outward symptoms of wrath and are quiet like fire in wood.\nThou, O king, with thy sons art possessed of the virtue of creepers, and\nthe sons of Pandu are regarded as Sala trees. A creeper never groweth\nunless there is a large tree to twine round. O king, O son of Ambika, thy\nson is as a forest. O sire, know that the Pandavas are the lions of that\nforest. Without its lions the forest is doomed to destruction, and lions\nalso are doomed to destruction without the forest (to shelter them).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVIII\n\n\"Vidura said, 'The heart of a young man, when an aged and venerable\nperson cometh to his house (as a guest), soareth aloft. By advancing\nforward and saluting him, he getteth it back. He that is self-controlled,\nfirst offering a seat, and bringing water and causing his guest's feet to\nbe washed and making the usual enquiries of welcome, should then speak of\nhis own affairs, and taking everything into consideration, offer him\nfood. The wise have said that man liveth in vain in whose dwelling a\nBrahmana conversant with mantras doth not accept water, honey and curds,\nand kine from fear of being unable to appropriate them, or from\nmiserliness and unwillingness with which the gifts are made. A physician,\na maker of arrows, even one that hath given up the vow of Brahmacharya\nbefore it is complete, a thief, a crooked-minded man, a Brahmana that\ndrinks, one that causeth miscarriage, one that liveth by serving in the\narmy, and one that selleth the Vedas, when arrived as a guest, however\nundeserving he may be the offer of water should be regarded (by a\nhouseholder) as exceedingly dear. A Brahmana should never be a seller of\nsalt, of cooked food, curds, milk, honey, oil, clarified butter, sesame,\nmeat, fruits, roots, potherbs, dyed clothes, all kinds of perfumery, and\ntreacle. He that never giveth way to anger, he that is above grief, he\nthat is no longer in need of friendship and quarrels, he that\ndisregardeth both praise and blame, and he that standeth aloof from both\nwhat is agreeable and disagreeable, like one perfectly withdrawn from the\nworld, is a real Yogin of the Bhikshu order. That virtuous ascetic who\nliveth on rice growing wild, or roots, or potherbs, who hath his soul\nunder control, who carefully keepeth his fire for worship, and dwelling\nin the woods is always regardful of guests, is indeed, the foremost of\nhis brotherhood. Having wronged an intelligent person, one should never\ngather assurance from the fact that one liveth at a distance from the\nperson wronged. Long are the arms which intelligent persons have, by\nwhich they can return wrongs for wrongs done to them. One should never\nput trust on him who should not be trusted, nor put too much trust on him\nwho should be trusted, for the danger that ariseth from one's having\nreposed trust on another cutteth off one's very roots. One should\nrenounce envy, protect one's wives, give to others what is their due, and\nbe agreeable in speech. One should be sweet-tongued and pleasant in his\naddress as regards one's wives, but should never be their slave. It hath\nbeen said that wives that are highly blessed and virtuous, worthy of\nworship and the ornaments of their homes, are really embodiments of\ndomestic prosperity. They should, therefore, be protected particularly.\nOne should devolve the looking over of his inner apartments on his\nfather; of the kitchen, on his mother; of the kine, on somebody he looks\nupon as his own self; but as regards agriculture, one should look over it\nhimself. One should look after guests of the trader-caste through his\nservants, and those of the Brahmana caste through his sons. Fire hath its\norigin in water; Kshatriyas in Brahmanas; and iron in stone. The energy\nof those (i.e., fire, Kshatriyas, and iron) can affect all things but is\nneutralised as soon as the things come in contact with their progenitors.\nFire lieth concealed in wood without showing itself externally. Good and\nforgiving men born of high families and endued with fiery energy, do not\nbetray any outward symptoms of what is within them. That king whose\ncounsels cannot be known by either outsiders or those about him, but who\nknoweth the counsels of others through his spies, enjoyeth his prosperity\nlong. One should never speak of what one intends to do. Let anything thou\ndoest in respect of virtue, profit, and desire, be not known till it is\ndone. Let counsels be not divulged. Ascending on the mountain-top or on\nthe terrace of a palace, or proceeding to a wilderness devoid of trees\nand plants, one should, in secrecy, mature his counsels. O Bharata,\nneither a friend who is without learning, nor a learned friend who hath\nno control over his senses, deserveth to be a repository of state\nsecrets. O king, never make one thy minister without examining him well,\nfor a king's finances and the keeping of his counsels both depend on his\nminister. That king is the foremost of rulers, whose ministers know his\nacts in respect of virtue, profit and desire, only after they are done.\nThe king whose counsels are kept close, without doubt, commandeth\nsuccess. He that from ignorance committeth acts that are censurable,\nloseth his very life in consequence of the untoward results of those\nacts. The doing of acts that are praise-worthy is always attended with\nease. Omission to do such acts leadeth to repentance. As a Brahmana\nwithout having studied the Vedas is not fit to officiate at a Sraddha (in\nhonour of the Pitris), so he that hath not heard of the six (means for\nprotecting a kingdom) deserveth not to take part in political\ndeliberations. O king, he that hath an eye upon increase, decrease, and\nsurplus, he that is conversant with the six means and knoweth also his\nown self, he whose conduct is always applauded, bringeth the whole earth\nunder subjection to himself. He whose anger and joy are productive of\nconsequences, he who looketh over personally what should be done, he who\nhath his treasury under his own control, bringeth the whole earth under\nsubjection to himself. The king should be content with the name he wins\nand the umbrella that is held over his head. He should divide the wealth\nof the kingdom among these that serve him. Alone he should not\nappropriate everything. A Brahmana knoweth a Brahmana, the husband\nunderstandeth the wife, the king knoweth the minister, and monarchs know\nmonarchs. A foe that deserveth death, when brought under subjection\nshould never be set free. If one be weak one should pay court to one's\nfoe that is stronger, even if the latter deserves death; but one should\nkill that foe as soon as one commandeth sufficient strength, for, if not\nkilled, dangers soon arise from him. One should, with an effort, control\nhis wrath against the gods, kings, Brahmanas, old men, children, and\nthose that are helpless. He that is wise should avoid unprofitable\nquarrels such as fools only engage in. By this one winneth great fame in\nthis world and avoideth misery and unhappiness. People never desire him\nfor a master whose grace is fruitless and whose wrath goest for nothing,\nlike women never desiring him for a husband who is a eunuch. Intelligence\ndoth not exist for the acquisition of wealth, nor is idleness the cause\nof adversity; the man of wisdom only knoweth, and not others, the cause\nof the diversities of condition in this world. The fool, O Bharata,\nalways disregardeth those that are elderly in years, and eminent in\nconduct and knowledge, in intelligence, wealth, and lineage. Calamities\nsoon come upon them that are of wicked disposition, devoid of wisdom,\nenvious, or sinful, foul-tongued, and wrathful. Absence of deceitfulness,\ngifts, observance of the established rules of intercourse, and speech\nwell-controlled, bring all creatures under subjection. He that is without\ndeceitfulness, he that is active, grateful, intelligent, and guileless,\neven if his treasury be empty, obtaineth friends, counsellors, and\nservants. Intelligence, tranquillity of mind, self-control, purity,\nabsence of harsh speech and unwillingness to do anything disagreeable to\nfriends,--these seven are regarded as the fuel of prosperity's flame. The\nwretch who doth not give to others their due, who is of wicked soul, who\nis ungrateful, and shameless, should, O king, be avoided. The guilty\nperson who provoketh another about him that is innocent, cannot sleep\npeacefully at night, like a person passing the night with a snake in the\nsame room. They, O Bharata, who upon being angry endanger one's\npossessions and means of acquisition, should always be propitiated like\nthe very gods. Those objects that depend upon women, careless persons,\nmen that have fallen away from the duties of their caste, and those that\nare wicked in disposition, are doubtful of success. They sink helplessly,\nO king, like a raft made of stone, who have a woman, a deceitful person,\nor a child, for their guide. They that are competent in the general\nprinciples of work, though not in particular kinds of work are regarded\nby men as learned and wise for particular kinds of work, are subsidiary.\nThat man who is highly spoken of by swindlers, mimes and women of ill\nfame, is more dead than alive. Forsaking these mighty bowmen of\nimmeasurable energy, viz., the sons of Pandu, thou hast, O Bharata,\ndevolved on Duryodhana, the cares of a mighty empire. Thou shalt,\ntherefore, soon see that swelling affluence fall off, like Vali fallen\noff from the three worlds.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIX\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Man is not the disposer of either his prosperity or\nadversity. He is like a wooden doll moved by strings. Indeed, the Creator\nhath made man subject to Destiny. Go on telling me, I am attentive to\nwhat thou sayest.'\n\n\"Vidura said, 'O Bharata, by speaking words out of season even Vrihaspati\nhimself incurreth reproach and the charge of ignorance, one becometh\nagreeable by gift, another by sweet words, a third by the force of\nincantation and drugs. He, however, that is naturally agreeable, always\nremaineth so. He that is hated by another is never regarded by that other\nas honest or intelligent or wise. One attributeth everything good to him\none loveth; and everything evil to him one hateth. O king, as soon as\nDuryodhana was born I told thee,--thou shouldst abandon this one son, for\nby abandoning him thou wouldst secure the prosperity of thy hundred\nsons,--and by keeping him, destruction would overtake thy hundred sons,\nthat gain should never be regarded highly which leadeth to loss. On the\nother hand, that loss even should be regarded highly which would bring on\ngain. That is no loss, O king, which bringeth on gain. That, however,\nshould be reckoned as loss which is certain to bring about greater losses\nstill. Some become eminent in consequence of good qualities; others\nbecome so in consequence of wealth. Avoid them, O Dhritarashtra, that are\neminent in wealth but destitute of good qualities!'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'All that you sayest is approved by the wise and is\nfor my future good. I dare not, however, abandon my son. It is well-known\nthat where there is righteousness there is victory.'\n\n\"Vidura said, 'He that is graced with every virtue and is endued with\nhumility, is never indifferent to even the minutest sufferings of living\ncreatures. They, however, that are ever employed in speaking ill of\nothers, always strive with activity quarrelling with one another and in\nall matters, calculated to give pain to others. There is sin in accepting\ngifts from, and danger in making gifts to them, whose very sight is\ninauspicious and whose companionship is fraught with danger. They that\nare quarrelsome, covetous, shameless, deceitful, are known to be\nunrighteous, and their companionship should always be avoided. One should\nalso avoid those men that are endued with similar faults of a grave nature.\nWhen the occasion that caused the friendship is over the friendship of\nthose that are low, the beneficial result of that connection, and the\nhappiness also derivable from it, all come to an end. They then strive to\nspeak ill of their (late) friend and endeavour to inflict loss on him, and\nif the loss they sustain be even very small, for all that they, from want\nof self-control, fail to enjoy peace. He that is learned, examining\neverything carefully and reflecting well, should, from a distance, avoid\nthe friendship of vile and wicked-minded persons such as these. He that\nhelpeth his poor and wretched and helpless relatives, obtain children and\nanimals and enjoyeth prosperity that knoweth no end. They that desire\ntheir own benefit should always succour their relatives. By every means,\ntherefore, O king, do thou seek the growth of thy race. Prosperity will\nbe thine, O Monarch, if thou behavest well towards all thy relatives.\nEven relatives that are destitute of good qualities should be protected.\nO bull of the Bharata race, how much more, therefore, should they be\nprotected that are endued with every virtue and are humbly expectant of\nthy favours? Favour thou the heroic sons of Pandu, O monarch, and let a\nfew villages be assigned to them for their maintenance. By acting thus, O\nking, fame will be thine in this world. Thou art old; thou shouldst,\ntherefore, control thy sons. I should say what is for thy good. Know me\nas one that wishes well to thee. He that desireth his own good should\nnever quarrel, O sire, with his relatives. O bull of the Bharata race,\nhappiness should ever be enjoyed with one's relatives, and not without\nthem, to eat with one another, to talk with one another, and to love one\nanother, are what relatives should always do. They should never quarrel.\nIn this world it is the relatives that rescue, and the relatives that\nruin (relatives). Those amongst them that are righteous rescue; while\nthose that are unrighteous sink (their brethren). O king, be thou, O\ngiver of honours, righteous in thy conduct towards the sons of Pandu.\nSurrounded by them, thou wouldst be unconquerable by thy foes. If a\nrelative shrinks in the presence of a prosperous relative, like a deer at\nsight of a hunter armed with arrows, then the prosperous relative hath to\ntake upon himself all the sins of the other. O best of men, repentance\nwill be thine (for this thy inaction at present) when in future thou wilt\nhear of the death of either the Pandavas or thy sons. O, think of all\nthis. When life itself is unstable, one should in the very beginning\navoid that act in consequence of which one would have to indulge in\nregrets having entered the chamber of woe. True it is that a person other\nthan Bhargava, the author of the science of morality is liable to commit\nactions that go against morality. It is seen, however, that a just notion\nof consequence is present in all persons of intelligence. Thou art an\naged scion of Kuru's race. If Duryodhana inflicted these wrongs on the\nsons of Pandu, it is thy duty, O king of men, to undo them all.\nRe-instating them in their position, thou wilt, in this world, be\ncleansed of all thy sins and be, O king of men, an object of worship with\neven those that have their souls under control. Reflecting on the\nwell-spoken words of the wise according to their consequences, he that\nengageth in acts never loseth fame. The knowledge imparted by even men of\nlearning and skill is imperfect, for that which is sought to be\ninculcated is ill-understood, or, if understood, is not accomplished in\npractice. That learned person who never doth an act, the consequences of\nwhich are sin and misery, always groweth (in prosperity). The person,\nhowever, of wicked soul, who from folly pursueth his sinful course\ncommenced before falleth into a slough of deep mire. He that is wise\nshould ever keep in view the (following) six conduits by which counsels\nbecome divulged, and he that desireth success and a long dynasty should\never guard himself from those six. They are, intoxication, sleep,\ninattention to spies, set over one by another, one's own demeanour as\ndependent on the working of one's own heart, confidence reposed on a\nwicked counsellor, and unskilful envoys. Knowing these six doors (through\nwhich counsels are divulged), he that keepeth them shut while pursuing\nthe attainment of virtue, profit, and desire, succeedeth in standing over\nthe heads of his foes. Without an acquaintance with the scriptures and\nwithout waiting upon the old, neither virtue nor profit can be known (or\nwon) by persons blessed even with the intelligence of Vrihaspati. A thing\nis lost if cast into the sea; words are lost if addressed to one that\nlistens not; the scriptures are lost on one that hath not his soul under\ncontrol; and a libation of clarified butter is lost if poured over the\nashes left by a fire that is extinguished. He that is endued with the\nintelligence maketh friendships with those that are wise, having first\nexamined by the aid of his intelligence, repeatedly searching by his\nunderstanding, and using his ears, eyes, and judgment. Humility removeth\nobloquy, ears, failure, prowess; forgiveness always conquereth anger; and\nauspicious rites destroy all indications of evil. One's lineage, O king,\nis tested by his objects of enjoyment, place of birth, house, behaviour,\nfood, and dress. When an object of enjoyment is available, even that one\nwho hath attained emancipation is not unwilling to enjoy; what, again,\nneed be said of him that is yet wedded to desire? A king should cherish a\ncounsellor that worshippeth persons of wisdom, is endued with learning,\nvirtue, agreeable appearance, friends, sweet speech, and a good heart.\nWhether of low or high birth, he who doth not transgress the rules of\npolite intercourse, who hath an eye on virtue, who is endued with\nhumility and modesty, is superior to a hundred persons of high birth. The\nfriendship of those persons never cooleth, whose hearts, secret pursuits,\nand pleasures, and acquirements, accord in every respect. He that is\nintelligent should avoid an ignorant person of wicked soul, like a pit\nwhose mouth is covered with grass, for friendship with such a person can\nnever last. The man of wisdom should never contract friendship with those\nthat are proud, ignorant, fierce, rash and fallen off from righteousness.\nHe that is grateful, virtuous, truthful, large-hearted, and devoted, and\nhe that hath his senses under control, preserveth his dignity, and never\nforsaketh a friend, should be desired for a friend. The withdrawal of the\nsenses from their respective objects is equivalent to death itself. Their\nexcessive indulgence again would ruin the very gods. Humility, love of\nall creatures, forgiveness, and respect for friends,--these, the learned\nhave said, lengthen life. He who with a firm resolution striveth to\naccomplish by a virtuous policy purposes that have once been frustrated,\nis said to possess real manhood. That man attaineth all his objects, who\nis conversant with remedies to be applied in the future, who is firmly\nresolved in the present, and who could anticipate in the past how an act\nbegun would end. That which a man pursueth in word, deed, and thought,\nwinneth him for its own; therefore, one should always seek that which is\nfor his good. Effort after securing what is good, the properties of time,\nplace, and means, acquaintance with the scriptures, activity,\nstraightforwardness, and frequent meetings with those that are\ngood,--these bring about prosperity. Perseverance is the root of\nprosperity, of gain, and of what is beneficial. The man that pursueth an\nobject with perseverance and without giving it up in vexation, is really\ngreat, and enjoyeth happiness that is unending. O sire, there is nothing\nmore conducive of happiness and nothing more proper for a man of power\nand energy as forgiveness in every place and at all times. He that is\nweak should forgive under all circumstances. He that is possessed of\npower should show forgiveness from motives of virtue; and he, to whom the\nsuccess or failure of his objects is the same, is naturally forgiving.\nThat pleasure the pursuit of which doth not injure one's virtue and\nprofit, should certainly be pursued to one's fill. One should not,\nhowever, act like a fool by giving free indulgence to his senses.\nProsperity never resides in one who suffers himself to be tortured by a\ngrief, who is addicted to evil ways, who denies Godhead, who is idle, who\nhath not his senses under control, and who is divested of exertion. The\nman that is humble, and who from humility is modest is regarded as weak\nand persecuted by persons of misdirected intelligence. Prosperity never\napproacheth from fear the person that is excessively liberal, that giveth\naway without measure, that is possessed of extraordinary bravery, that\npractiseth the most rigid vows, and that is very proud of his wisdom.\nProsperity doth not reside in one that is highly accomplished, nor in one\nthat is without any accomplishment. She doth not desire a combination of\nall the virtues, nor is she pleased with the total absence of all\nvirtues. Blind, like a mad cow, prosperity resides with some one who is\nnot remarkable. The fruits of the Vedas are ceremonies performed before\nthe (homa) fire; the fruits of an acquaintance with the scriptures are\ngoodness of disposition and conduct. The fruits of women are the\npleasures of intercourse and offspring; and the fruits of wealth are\nenjoyment and charity. He that performeth acts tending to secure his\nprosperity in the other world with wealth acquired sinfully, never\nreapeth the fruits of these acts in the other world, in consequence of\nthe sinfulness of the acquisitions (spent for the purpose). In the midst\nof deserts, or deep woods, or inaccessible fastnesses, amid all kinds of\ndangers and alarms or in view of deadly weapons upraised for striking\nhim, he that hath strength of mind entertaineth no fear. Exertion,\nself-control, skill, carefulness, steadiness, memory, and commencement of\nacts after mature deliberation,--know that these are the roots of\nprosperity. Austerities constitute the strength of ascetics; the Vedas\nare the strength of those conversant with them; in envy lieth the\nstrength of the wicked; and in forgiveness, the strength of the virtuous.\nThese eight, viz., water, roots, fruits, milk, clarified butter (what is\ndone at) the desire of a Brahmana, (or at) the command of a preceptor,\nand medicine, are not destructive of a vow. That which is antagonistic to\none's own self, should never be applied in respect of another. Briefly\neven this is virtue. Other kinds of virtue there are, but these proceed\nfrom caprice. Anger must be conquered by forgiveness; and the wicked must\nbe conquered by honesty; the miser must be conquered by liberality, and\nfalsehood must be conquered by truth. One should not place trust on a\nwoman, a swindler, an idle person, a coward, one that is fierce, one that\nboasts of his own power, a thief, an ungrateful person, and an atheist.\nAchievements, period of life, fame, and power--these four always expand\nin the case of him that respectfully saluteth his superiors and waiteth\nupon the old. Do not set thy heart after these objects which cannot be\nacquired except by very painful exertion, or by sacrificing\nrighteousness, or by bowing down to an enemy. A man without knowledge is\nto be pitied; an act of intercourse that is not fruitful is to be pitied;\nthe people of a kingdom that are without food are to be pitied; and a\nkingdom without a king is to be pitied. These constitute the source of\npain and weakness to embodied creatures: the rains, decay of hills and\nmountains; absence of enjoyment; anguish of women; and wordy arrows of\nthe heart. The scum of the Vedas is want of study; of Brahmanas, absence\nof vows; of the Earth, the Vahlikas; of man, untruth; of the chaste\nwoman, curiosity; of women, exile from home. The scum of gold is silver;\nof silver, tin; of tin, lead; and of lead, useless dross. One cannot\nconquer sleep by lying down; women by desire; fire by fuel; and wine by\ndrinking. His life is, indeed, crowned with success who hath won his\nfriends by gifts, his foes in battle, and wife by food and drink; they\nwho have thousands live; they, who have hundreds, also live. O\nDhritarashtra, forsake desire. There is none who cannot manage to live by\nsome means or other. Thy paddy, wheat, gold, animals, and women that are\non earth all cannot satiate even one person. Reflecting on this, they\nthat are wise never grieve for want of universal dominion. O king, I\nagain tell thee, adopt an equal conduct towards thy children, i.e.,\ntowards the sons of Pandu and thy own sons.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XL\n\n\"Vidura said, 'Worshipped by the good and abandoning pride, that good man\nwho pursueth his objects without outstepping the limits of his power,\nsoon succeedeth in winning fame, for they that are good, when gratified\nwith a person, are certainly competent to bestow happiness on him. He\nthat forsaketh, of his own accord, even a great object owing to its being\nfraught with unrighteousness, liveth happily, casting off all foes, like\na snake that hath cast off its slough. A victory gained by an untruth,\ndeceitful conduct towards the king, and insincerity of intentions\nexpressed before the preceptor,--these three are each equal to the sin of\nslaying a Brahmana. Excessive envy, death, and boastfulness, are the\ncauses of the destruction of prosperity. Carelessness in waiting upon a\npreceptor, haste, and boastlessness, are the three enemies of knowledge.\nIdleness, inattention, confusion of the intellect, restlessness,\ngathering for killing time, haughtiness, pride, and covetousness,--these\nseven constitute, it is said, the faults of students in the pursuit of\nlearning. How can they that desire pleasure have knowledge? Students,\nagain, engaged in the pursuit of learning, cannot have pleasure. Votaries\nof pleasure must give up knowledge, and votaries of knowledge must give\nup pleasure. Fire is never gratified with fuel (but can consume any\nmeasure thereof). The great ocean is never gratified with the rivers it\nreceives (but can receive any number of them). Death is never gratified\neven with entire living creatures. A beautiful woman is never gratified\nwith any number of men (she may have). O king, hope killeth patience;\nYama killeth growth; anger killeth prosperity; miserliness killeth fame;\nabsence of tending killeth cattle; one angry Brahmana destroyeth a whole\nkingdom. Let goats, brass, silver, honey, antidotes of poison, birds,\nBrahmanas versed in the Vedas, old relatives, and men of high birth sunk\nin poverty, be always present in thy house. O Bharata, Manu hath said\nthat goats, bulls, sandal, lyres, mirrors, honey, clarified butter, iron,\ncopper, conch-shells, salagram (the stony-image of Vishnu with gold\nwithin) and gorochana should always be kept in one's house for the\nworship of the gods. Brahmanas, and guests, for all those objects are\nauspicious. O sire, I would impart to thee another sacred lesson\nproductive of great fruits, and which is the highest of all teachings,\nviz., virtue should never be forsaken from desire, fear, or temptation,\nnay, nor for the sake of life itself. Virtue is everlasting; pleasure and\npain are transitory; life is, indeed, everlasting but its particular\nphases are transitory. Forsaking those which are transitory, betake\nthyself to that which is everlasting, and let contentment be thine, for\ncontentment is the highest of all acquisitions. Behold, illustrious and\nmighty kings, having ruled lands abounding with wealth and corn, have\nbecome the victims of the Universal Destroyer, leaving behind their\nkingdoms and vast sources of enjoyment. The son brought up with anxious\ncare, when dead, is taken up and carried away by men (to the burning\nground). With the dishevelled hair and crying piteously, they then cast\nthe body into the funeral pyre, as if it were a piece of wood. Others\nenjoy the deceased's wealth, while birds and fire feast on the elements\nof his body. With two only he goeth to the other world, viz., his merits\nand his sins which keep him company. Throwing away the body, O sire,\nrelatives, friends, and sons retrace their steps, like birds abandoning\ntrees without blossoms and fruits. The person cast into the funeral pyre\nis followed only by his own acts. Therefore, should men carefully and\ngradually earn the merit of righteousness. In the world above this, and\nalso in that below this, there are regions of great gloom and darkness.\nKnow, O king, that those are regions where the senses of men are\nexceedingly afflicted. Oh, let not any of those places be thine.\nCarefully listening to these words, if thou canst act according to them,\nthou wilt obtain great fame in this world of men, and fear will not be\nthine here or hereafter. O Bharata, the soul is spoken of as a river;\nreligious merit constitutes its sacred baths; truth, its water;\nself-control, its banks; kindness, its waves. He that is righteous\npurifieth himself by a bath therein, for the soul is sacred, and the\nabsence of desire is the highest merit. O king, life is a river whose\nwaters are the five senses, and whose crocodiles and sharks are desire\nand anger. Making self-control thy raft, cross thou its eddies which are\nrepresented by repeated births! Worshipping and gratifying friends that\nare eminent in wisdom, virtue, learning, and years, he that asketh their\nadvice about what he should do and should not do, is never misled. One\nshould restrain one's lust and stomach by patience; one's hands and feet\nby one's eyes; one's eyes and ears by one's mind; and one's mind and\nwords by one's acts. That Brahmana who never omitteth to perform his\nablutions, who always weareth his sacred thread, who always attendeth to\nthe study of the Vedas, who always avoideth food that is unclean, who\ntelleth the truth and performeth acts in honour of his preceptor, never\nfalleth off from the region of Brahma. Having studied the Vedas, poured\nlibations into fire, performed sacrifices, protected subjects, sanctified\nhis soul by drawing weapons for protecting kine and Brahmanas, and died\non the field of battle, the Kshatriya attaineth to heaven. Having studied\nthe Vedas, and distributed in proper time, his wealth among Brahmanas,\nKshatriyas, and his own dependents, and inhaled the sanctified smoke of\nthe three kinds of fires, the Vaisya enjoyeth heavenly bliss in the other\nworld. Having properly worshipped Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas in\ndue order, and having burnt his sins, by gratifying them, and then\npeacefully casting off his body, the Sudra enjoyeth the bliss of heaven.\nThe duties of the four orders are thus set forth before thee. Listen now\nto the reason of my speech as I discourse it. Yudhishthira, the son of\nPandu, is falling off from the duties of the Kshatriya order. Place him,\ntherefore, O king, in a position to discharge the duties of kings.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'It is even so as thou always teachest me. O amiable\none, my heart also inclineth that very way of which thou tellest me.\nAlthough, however, I incline in my mind towards the Pandavas even as thou\nteachest me to do, yet as soon as I come in contact with Duryodhana it\nturneth off in a different way. No creature is able to avert fate.\nIndeed, Destiny, I think, is certain to take its course; individual\nexertion is futile.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLI\n\n(Sanat-sujata Parva)\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'If there is anything still left unsaid by thee, O\nVidura, say it then, as I am ready to listen to thee. The discourse is,\nindeed, charming.'\n\n\"Vidura said, 'O Dhritarashtra, O thou of the Bharata race, that ancient\nand immortal Rishi Sanat-sujata who, leading a life of perpetual celibacy,\nhath said that there is no Death,--that foremost of all intelligent\npersons,--will expound to thee all the doubts, in thy mind, both\nexpressed and unexpressed.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Dost thou not know what that immortal Rishi will\nsay unto me? O Vidura, do thou say it, if indeed, thou hast that degree\nof wisdom.'\n\n\"Vidura said, 'I am born in the Sudra order and, therefore, do not\nventure to say more than what I have already said. The understanding,\nhowever, of that Rishi leading a life of celibacy, is regarded by me to\nbe infinite. He that is a Brahmana by birth, by discoursing on even the\nprofoundest mysteries, never incurreth the censure of the gods. It is for\nthis alone that I do not discourse to thee, upon the subject.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me, O Vidura, how with this body of mine I can\nmeet with that ancient and immortal one?'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then Vidura began to think of that Rishi of rigid\nvows. And knowing that he was thought of, the Rishi, O Bharata, showed\nhimself there. Vidura then received him with the rites prescribed by\nordinance. And when, having rested a while, the Rishi was seated at his\nease, Vidura addressed him, saying, 'O illustrious one, there is a doubt\nin Dhritarashtra's mind which is incapable of being explained away by me.\nIt behooveth thee, therefore, to expound it, so that listening to thy\ndiscourse, this chief of men may tide over all this sorrows, and to that\ngain and loss, what is agreeable and what disagreeable, decrepitude and\ndeath, fright and jealously, hunger and thirst, pride and prosperity,\ndislike, sleep, lust and wrath, and decrease and increase may all be\nborne by him!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Then the illustrious and wise king Dhritarashtra,\nhaving applauded the words spoken by Vidura, questioned Sanat-sujata in\nsecret, desirous of obtaining the highest of all knowledge. And the king\nquestioned the Rishi saying, 'O Sanat-sujata, I hear that thou art of the\nopinion that there is no Death. Again it is said that the gods and the\nAsuras, practise ascetic austerities in order to avoid death. Of these\ntwo opinions, then, which is true?'\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'Some say, death is avertable by particular acts; in\nothers' opinion there is no death; thou hast asked me which of these is\ntrue. Listen to me, O king, as I discourse to thee on this, so that thy\ndoubts may be removed. Know, O Kshatriya, that both of these are true.\nThe learned are of opinion that death results from ignorance. I say that\nignorance is Death, and so the absence of ignorance (Knowledge) is\nimmortality. It is from ignorance that the Asuras became subject to\ndefeat and death, and it is from the absence of ignorance that the gods\nhave attained the nature of Brahman. Death doth not devour creatures like\na tiger; its form itself is unascertainable. Besides this, some imagine\nYama to be Death. This, however, is due to the weakness of the mind. The\npursuit of Brahman or self-knowledge is immortality. That (imaginary) god\n(Yama) holdeth his sway in the region of the Pitris, being the source of\nbliss to the virtuous and of woe to the sinful. It is at his command that\ndeath in the form of wrath, ignorance, and covetousness, occurreth among\nmen. Swayed by pride, men always walk in unrighteous path. None amongst\nthem succeeds in attaining to his real nature. With their understanding\nclouded, and themselves swayed by their passions, they cast off their\nbodies and repeatedly fall into hell. They are always followed by their\nsenses. It is for this that ignorance receives the name of death. Those\nmen that desire the fruits of action when the time cometh for enjoying\nthose fruits, proceed to heaven, casting off their bodies. Hence they\ncannot avoid death. Embodied creatures, from inability to attain the\nknowledge of Brahman and from their connection with earthly enjoyments,\nare obliged to sojourn in a cycle of re-births, up and down and around.\nThe natural inclination of man towards pursuits that are unreal is alone\nthe cause of the senses being led to error. The soul that is constantly\naffected by the pursuit of objects that are unreal, remembering only that\nwith which it is always engaged, adoreth only earthly enjoyments that\nsurround it. The desire of enjoyments first killeth men. Lust and wrath\nsoon follow behind it. These three, viz., the desire of enjoyments, lust,\nand wrath, lead foolish men to death. They, however, that have conquered\ntheir souls, succeed by self-restraint, to escape death. He that hath\nconquered his soul without suffering himself to be excited by his\nambitious desire, conquereth these, regarding them as of no value, by the\naid of self-knowledge. Ignorance, assuming the form of Yama, cannot\ndevour that learned man who controlled his desires in this manner. That\nman who followeth his desires is destroyed along with his desires. He,\nhowever, that can renounce desire, can certainly drive away all kinds of\nwoe. Desire is, indeed, ignorance and darkness and hell in respect of all\ncreatures, for swayed by it they lose their senses. As intoxicated\npersons in walking along a street reel towards ruts and holes, so men\nunder the influence of desire, misled by deluding joys, run towards\ndestruction. What can death do to a person whose soul hath not been\nconfounded or misled by desire? To him, death hath no terrors, like a\ntiger made of straw. Therefore, O Kshatriya, if the existence of desire,\nwhich is ignorance, is to be destroyed, no wish, not even the slightest\none, is either to be thought of or pursued. That soul, which is in thy\nbody, associated as it is with wrath and covetousness and filled with\nignorance, that is death. Knowing that death arises in this way, he that\nrelies on knowledge, entertaineth no fear of death. Indeed, as the body\nis destroyed when brought under the influence of death, so death itself\nis destroyed when it comes under the influence of knowledge.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'The Vedas declare the emancipating capacity of\nthose highly sacred and eternal regions, that are said to be obtainable\nby the regenerate classes by prayers and sacrifices. Knowing this, why\nshould not a learned person have recourse to (religious) acts?'[3]\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'Indeed, he that is without knowledge proceedeth\nthither by the path indicated by thee, and the Vedas also declare that\nthither are both bliss and emancipation. But he that regardeth the\nmaterial body to be self, if he succeeds in renouncing desire, at once\nattaineth emancipation (or Brahman). If, however, one seeketh\nemancipation without renouncing desire, one must have to proceed along\nthe (prescribed) route of action, taking care to destroy the chances of\nhis retracing the routes that he hath once passed over.'[4]\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Who is it that urgeth that Unborn and Ancient One?\nIf, again, it is He that is all this Universe in consequence of His\nhaving entered everything (without desire as He is) what can be His\naction, or his happiness? O learned sage, tell me all this truly.'[5]\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'There is great objection in completely identifying\n(as here) the two that are different creatures always spring from the\nunion of Conditions (with what in its essence is without Conditions).\nThis view doth not detract from the supremacy of the Unborn and the\nAncient One. As for men, they also originate in the union of Conditions.\nAll this that appears is nothing but that everlasting Supreme Soul.\nIndeed, the universe is created by the Supreme Soul itself undergoing\ntransformations. The Vedas do attribute this power (of\nself-transformation) to the Supreme Soul. For the identity, again, of the\npower and its possessor, both the Vedas and others are the authority.'[6]\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'In this world, some practise virtue, and some\nrenounce action or Karma (adopting what is called Sannyasa Yoga).\n(Respecting those that practise virtue) I ask, is virtue competent to\ndestroy vice, or is it itself destroyed by vice?'\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'The fruits of virtue and of (perfect) inaction are\nboth serviceable in that respect (i.e., for procuring emancipation).\nIndeed, both are sure means for the attainment of emancipation. The man,\nhowever, that is wise, achieveth success by knowledge (inaction). On the\nother hand, the materialist acquireth merit (by action) and (as the\nconsequence thereof) emancipation. He hath also (in course of his\npursuit) to incur sin. Having obtained again fruits of both virtue and\nvice which are transitory, (heaven having its end as also hell in respect\nof the virtuous and the sinful), the man of action becometh once more\naddicted to action as the consequence of his own previous virtues and\nvices. The man of action, however, who possesseth intelligence,\ndestroyeth his sins by his virtuous acts. Virtue, therefore, is strong,\nand hence the success of the man of action.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me, according to their gradation, of those\neternal regions that are said to be attainable, as the fruits of their\nown virtuous acts, by regenerate persons, engaged in the practice of\nvirtue. Speak unto me of others' regions also of a similar kind. O\nlearned sire, I do not wish to hear of actions (towards which man's heart\nnaturally inclineth, however interdicted or sinful they may be).'\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'Those regenerate persons that take pride in their\nYoga practices, like strong men in their own strength, departing hence,\nshine in the region of Brahman. Those regenerate persons that proudly\nexert in performing sacrifices and other Vedic rites, as the fruit of\nthat knowledge which is theirs, in consequence of those acts, freed from\nthis world, proceed to that region which is the abode of the deities.\nThere are others, again, conversant with the Vedas, who are of opinion\nthat the performance of the sacrifices and rites (ordained by the Vedas)\nis obligatory (their non-performance being sinful). Wedded to external\nforms, though seeking the development of the inner self (for they\npractise these rites for only virtue's sake and not for the\naccomplishment of particular aims), these persons should not be regarded\nvery highly (although some respect should be theirs). Wherever, again,\nfood and drink worthy of a Brahmana are abundant, like grass and reeds in\na spot during the rainy season, there should the Yogin seek for his\nlivelihood (without afflicting the householder of scanty means); by no\nmeans should he afflict his own self by hunger and thirst. In a place,\nwhere there may be both inconvenience and danger to one, for one's\naversion, to disclose one's superiority, he that doth not proclaim his\nsuperiority is better than he that doth. The food offered by that person\nwho is not pained at the sight of another disclosing his superiority, and\nwho never eateth without offering the prescribed share to Brahmanas and\nguests, is approved by the righteous. As a dog oftentimes devoureth its\nown evacuations to its injury, so those Yogins devour their own vomit who\nprocure their livelihood by disclosing their pre-eminence. The wise know\nhim for a Brahmana, who, living in the midst of kindred, wishes his\nreligious practices to remain always unknown to them. What other Brahmana\ndeserveth to know the Supreme Soul, that is unconditioned, without\nattributes, unchangeable, one and alone, and without duality of any kind?\nIn consequence of such practices, a Kshatriya can know the Supreme Soul\nand behold it in his own soul. He that regardeth the Soul to be the\nacting and feeling Self,--what sins are not committed by that thief who\nrobbeth the soul of its attributes? A Brahmana should be without\nexertion, should never accept gifts, should win the respect of the\nrighteous, should be quiet, and though conversant with the Vedas should\nseem to be otherwise, for then only may he attain to knowledge and know\nBrahman. They that are poor in earthly but rich in heavenly wealth and\nsacrifices, become unconquerable and fearless, and they should be\nregarded as embodiments of Brahman. That person even, in this world, who\n(by performing sacrifices) succeedeth in meeting with the gods that\nbestow all kinds of desirable objects (on performers of sacrifices), is\nnot equal to him that knoweth Brahman for the performer of sacrifices\nhath to undergo exertions (while he that knoweth Brahman attaineth to Him\nwithout such exertions). He was said to be really honoured, who,\ndestitute of actions, is honoured by the deities. He should never regard\nhimself as honoured who is honoured by others. One should not, therefore,\ngrieveth when one is not honoured by others. People act according to\ntheir nature just as they open and shut their eyelids; and it is only the\nlearned that pay respect to others. The man that is respected should\nthink so. They again, in this world, that are foolish, apt to sin, and\nadepts in deceit, never pay respect to those that are worthy of respect;\non the other hand, they always show disrespect to such persons. The\nworld's esteem and asceticism (practices of Mauna), can never exist\ntogether. Know that this world is for those that are candidates for\nesteem, while the other world is for those that are devoted to\nasceticism. Here, in this world, O Kshatriya, happiness (the world's\nesteem) resides in worldly prosperity. The latter, however, is an\nimpediment (to heavenly bliss). Heavenly prosperity, on the other hand,\nis unattainable by one that is without true wisdom. The righteous say\nthat there are various kinds of gates, all difficult of being guarded,\nfor giving access to the last kind of prosperity. These are truth,\nuprightness, modesty, self-control, purity of mind and conduct and\nknowledge (of the Vedas). These six are destructive of vanity and\nignorance.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'What is the object of asceticism (mauna)? Of the\ntwo kinds of mauna (viz., the restraining of speech and meditation),\nwhich is approved by thee? O learned one, tell me the true aspect of\nmauna. Can a person of learning attain to a state of quietude and\nemancipation (moksha) by that mauna? O Muni, how also is asceticism\n(mauna) to be practised here?'\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'Since the Supreme Soul cannot be penetrated by both\nthe Vedas and the mind, it is for this that Soul itself is called mauna.\nThat from which both the Vedic syllable Om and this one (ordinary sounds)\nhave arisen, that One, O king, is displayed as the Word.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Is he that knoweth both the Rig and the Yajus\nVedas, is he that knoweth the Sama Veda, sullied by sins or not when he\ncommiteth sins?'\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'I tell thee truly that the man that hath not\nrestrained his senses is not rescued from his sinful acts by either the\nSama or the Rig, or the Yajus Veda. The Vedas never rescue from sin the\ndeceitful person living by deceit. On the other hand, like newfledged\nbirds forsaking their nest, the Vedas forsake such a person at the end.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O thou that hast restrained thy senses, if, indeed,\nthe Vedas are not competent to rescue a person without the aid of virtue,\nwhence then is this delusion of the Brahmanas that the Vedas are always\ndestructive of sins?'\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'O magnanimous one, this universe hath sprung from\nthat Supreme Soul by the union of Conditions respecting name, form, and\nother attributes. The Vedas also, pointing it out duly, declare the same,\nand inculcate that the Supreme Soul and the universe are different and\nnot identical. It is for attaining to that Supreme Soul that asceticism\nand sacrifices are ordained, and it is by these two that the man of\nlearning earneth virtue. Destroying sin by virtue, his soul is\nenlightened by knowledge. The man of knowledge, by the aid of knowledge,\nattaineth to the Supreme Soul. Otherwise, he that coveteth the four\nobjects of human pursuit, taking with him all that he doth here, enjoyeth\ntheir fruits hereafter, and (as those fruits) are not everlasting cometh\nback to the region of action (when the enjoyment is over). Indeed, the\nfruits of ascetic austerities performed in this world have to be enjoyed\nin the other world (as regards those persons who have not obtained the\nmastery of their souls). As regards those Brahmanas employed in ascetic\npractices (who have the mastery of their souls), even these regions are\ncapable of yielding fruits.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O Sanat-sujata, how can ascetic austerities which\nare all of the same kind, be sometimes successful and sometimes\nunsuccessful? Tell us this in order that we may know it!'\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'That asceticism which is not stained by (desire and\nother) faults is said to be capable of procuring emancipation, and is,\ntherefore, successful, while the asceticism that is stained by vanity and\nwant of true devotion is regarded as unsuccessful. All thy enquiries, O\nKshatriya, touch the very root of asceticism. It is by asceticism that\nthey that are learned, know Brahman and win immortality!'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'I have listened to what thou hast said about\nasceticism unstained by faults, and by which I have succeeded in knowing\nan eternal mystery. Tell me now, O Sanat-sujata, about asceticism that is\nstained by faults!'\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'O king, the twelve, including anger, as also the\nthirteen kinds of wickedness, are the faults of asceticism that is\nstained. Anger, lust, avarice, ignorance of right and wrong, discontent,\ncruelty, malice, vanity, grief, love of pleasure, envy, and speaking ill\nof others, are generally the faults of human beings. These twelve should\nalways be avoided by men. Any one amongst these can singly effect the\ndestruction of men, O bull among men. Indeed, every one of these wait for\nopportunity in respect of men, like a hunter expectant of opportunities\nin respect of deer. Assertion of one's own superiority, desire of\nenjoying others' wives, humiliating others from excess of pride,\nwrathfulness, fickleness, and refusing to maintain those worthy of being\nmaintained, these six acts of wickedness are always practised by sinful\nmen defying all dangers here and hereafter. He that regards the\ngratification of lust to be one of life's aims, he that is exceedingly\nproud, he that grieves having given away, he that never spends money, he\nthat persecutes his subjects by exacting hateful taxes, he that delights\nin the humiliation of others, and he that hates his own wives,--these\nseven are others that are also called wicked. Righteousness, truth\n(abstention from injury and truthfulness of speech), self-restraint,\nasceticism, delight in the happiness of others, modesty, forbearance,\nlove of others, sacrifices, gifts, perseverance, knowledge of the\nscriptures,--these twelve constitute the practices of Brahmanas. He that\nsucceeds in acquiring these twelve, becomes competent to sway the entire\nearth. He that is endued with three, two, or even one, of these, should\nbe regarded of heavenly prosperity. Self-restraint, renunciation, and\nknowledge of Self,--in these are emancipation. Those Brahmanas that are\nendued with wisdom, say that these are attributes in which truth\npredominates. Self-restraint is constituted by eighteen virtues. Breaches\nand non-observance of ordained acts and omissions, falsehood, malice,\nlust, wealth, love of (sensual) pleasure, anger, grief, thirst, avarice,\ndeceit, joy in the misery of others, envy, injuring others, regret,\naversion from pious acts, forgetfulness of duty, calumniating others, and\nvanity--he that is freed from these (eighteen) vices is said by the\nrighteous to be self-restrained. The eighteen faults (that have been\nenumerated) constitute what is called mada or pride. Renunciation is of\nsix kinds. The reverse of those six again are faults called mada. (The\nfaults, therefore, that go by the name of mada are eighteen and six). The\nsix kinds of renunciation are all commendable. The third only is\ndifficult of practice, but by that all sorrow is overcome. Indeed, if\nthat kind of renunciation be accomplished in practice, he that\naccomplishes it overcomes all the pairs of contraries in the world.\n\n\"'The six kinds of renunciation are all commendable. They are these: The\nfirst is never experiencing joy on occasions of prosperity. The second is\nthe abandonment of sacrifices, prayers, and pious acts. That which is\ncalled the third, O king, is the abandonment of desire or withdrawing\nfrom the world. Indeed, it is in consequence of this third kind of\nrenunciation of desire, which is evidenced by the abandonment of all\nobjects of enjoyment (without enjoying them) and not their abandonment\nafter having enjoyed them to the fill, nor by abandonment after\nacquisition, nor by abandonment only after one has become incompetent to\nenjoy from loss of appetite. The fourth kind of renunciation consists in\nthis: One should not grieve nor suffer his self to be afflicted by grief\nwhen one's actions fail, notwithstanding one's possession of all the\nvirtues and all kinds of wealth. Or, when anything disagreeable happens,\none feeleth no pain. The fifth kind of renunciation consists in not\nsoliciting even one's sons, wives, and others that may all be very dear.\nThe sixth kind consists in giving away to a deserving person who\nsolicits, which act of gifts is always productive of merit. By these\nagain, one acquires the knowledge of Self. As regards this last\nattribute, it involves eight qualities. These are truth, meditation,\ndistinction of subject and object, capacity for drawing inferences,\nwithdrawal from the world, never taking what belongeth to others, the\npractices of Brahmacharya vows (abstinence), and non-acceptance (of\ngifts).\n\n\"'So also the attribute of mada (the opposite of dama or self-restraint)\nhath faults which have all been indicated (in the scriptures). These\nfaults should be avoided. I have spoken (to thee) of renunciation and\nself-knowledge. And as self-Knowledge hath eight virtues, so the want of\nit hath eight faults. Those faults should be avoided. O Bharata, he that\nis liberated from this five senses, mind, the past and the future,\nbecomes happy. O king, let thy soul be devoted to truth; all the worlds\nare established on truth; indeed, self-control, renunciation, and\nself-knowledge are said to have truth for their foremost attribute.\nAvoiding (these) faults, one should practise asceticism here. The\nOrdainer hath ordained that truth alone should be the vow of the\nrighteous. Asceticism, that is dissociated from these faults and endued\nwith these virtues, becomes the source of great prosperity. I have now\nbriefly told this about that sin-destroying and sacred subject which\nthou hadst asked me and which is capable of liberating a person from\nbirth, death, and decrepitude.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'With Akhyana (Puranas) as their fifth, the Vedas\ndeclare the Supreme Soul to be this universe consisting of mobile and\nimmobile things. Others regard four God-heads; and others three; others\nagain regard two; and others only one; and others regard Brahman alone as\nthe sole existent object (there being nothing else possessing a separate\nexistence). Amongst these, which should I know to be really possessed of\nthe knowledge of Brahman.'\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'There is but one Brahman which is Truth's self. It is\nfrom ignorance of that One, that god-heads have been conceived to be\ndiverse. But who is there, O king, that hath attained to Truth's self or\nBrahman? Man regardeth himself wise without knowing that One Object of\nknowledge, and from desire of happiness is engaged in study and the\npractices of charity and sacrifices. They have deviated from Truth\n(Brahman) and entertain purposes corresponding (with their state) and\nhence relying on the truth of Vedic texts thereof perform sacrifices.\nSome perform (or attain the object of) sacrifices by the mind\n(meditation), some by words (recitation of particular prayers, or Yapa);\nand some by acts (actual consummation of the Yatishtoma and other costly\nrites). The person, however, who seeketh Brahman through Truth, obtaineth\nhis desired objects at home. When however, one's purposes become abortive\n(through absence of knowledge of Self), one should adopt vows of silence\nand such like, called Dikshavrata. Indeed, Diksha cometh from the root\nDiksha, meaning the observance of vows. As regards those that have\nknowledge of Self, with them Truth is the highest object of pursuit.'\n\n\"'The fruits of knowledge are visible; asceticism yieldeth fruits\nhereafter. A Brahmana who (without knowledge and asceticism) hath only\nread much should only be known as a great reader. Therefore, O Kshatriya,\nnever think that one can be a Brahman (Brahman-knowing) by only reading\nthe scriptures. He, on the other hand, should be known by thee to be\npossessed of the knowledge of the Brahman who doth not deviate from\nTruth. O Kshatriya, the verses that were recited by Atharvan to a\nconclave of great sages, in days of old, are known by the name of\nChhandas. They are not be regarded as acquainted with the Chhandas who\nhave only read through the Vedas, without having attained to the\nknowledge of Him who is known through the Vedas. The Chhandas, O best of\nmen, become the means of obtaining Brahman independently and without the\nnecessity of anything foreign. They cannot be regarded as acquainted with\nthe Chhandas who are acquainted only with the modes of sacrifice enjoined\nin the Vedas. On the other hand, having waited upon those that are\nacquainted with the Vedas, have not the righteous attained to the Object\nthat is knowable by the Vedas? There is none who hath truly caught the\nsense of the Vedas or there may be some who have, O king, caught the\nsense. He that hath only read the Vedas, doth not know the Object\nknowable by them. He, however, that is established in Truth, knows the\nObject knowable by the Vedas. Amongst those faculties which lead to\nperception of the body as the acting agent, there is none by which true\nknowledge may be acquired. By the mind alone one cannot acquire the\nknowledge of Self and Not-Self. Indeed, he that knoweth Self also knoweth\nwhat is Not-self. He, on the other hand, that knoweth only what is\nNot-self, doth not know Truth. He, again, that knoweth the proofs,\nknoweth also that which is sought to be proved. But what that Object in\nits nature is (which is sought to be proved) is not known to either the\nVedas or those that are acquainted with the Vedas. For all that, however,\nthose Brahmanas that are (truly) acquainted with the Vedas succeed in\nobtaining a knowledge of the Object knowable (by the Vedas) through the\nVedas. As the branch of a particular tree is sometimes resorted to for\npointing out the lunar digit of the first day of the lighted fortnight so\nthe Vedas are used for indicating the highest attributes of the Supreme\nSoul. I know him to be a Brahmana (possessing a knowledge of Brahman) who\nexpoundeth the doubts of others, having himself mastered all his own\ndoubts, and who is possessed of the knowledge of Self. One cannot find\nwhat the Soul is by seeking in the East, the South, the West, the North,\nor in the subsidiary directions or horizontally. Very rarely can it be\nfound in him who regardeth this body to be the Self. Beyond the conception\nof even the Vedas, the man of Yoga-meditation only can behold the Supreme.\nCompletely restraining all thy senses and thy mind also seek thou that\nBrahman which is known to reside in thy own Soul. He is not a Muni who\npractiseth only Yoga-meditation; nor he who liveth only in the woods\n(having retired from the world). He, however, is a Muni and is superior\nto all who knoweth his own nature. In consequence of one's being able to\nexpound every object (Vyakarana), one is said to be endued with universal\nknowledge (Vaiyakarana); and, indeed, the science itself is called\nVyakarana owing to its being able to expound every object to its very\nroot (which is Brahman). The man who beholdeth all the regions as present\nbefore his eyes, is said to be possessed of universal knowledge. He that\nstayeth in Truth and knoweth Brahman is said to be a Brahmana, and a\nBrahmana possesseth universal knowledge. A Kshatriya also, that\npractises such virtues, may behold Brahman. He may also attain to that\nhigh state by ascending step by step, according to what is indicated in\nthe Vedas. Knowing it for certain, I tell thee this.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Excellent, O Sanat-sujata, as this thy discourse\nis, treating of the attainment of Brahman and the origin of the universe.\nI pray thee, O celebrated Rishi, to go on telling me words such as these,\nthat are unconnected with objects of worldly desire and are, therefore,\nrare among men.'\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'That Brahman about which thou askest me with such\njoy is not to be attained soon. After (the senses have been restrained\nand) the will hath been merged in the pure intellect, the state that\nsucceeds in is one of utter absence of worldly thought. Even that is\nknowledge (leading to the attainment of Brahman). It is attainable only\nby practising Brahmacharya.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Thou sayest that the knowledge of Brahman dwelleth\nof itself in the mind, being only discovered by Brahmacharya; that is\ndwelling in the mind, it requires for its manifestation no efforts (such\nas are necessary for work) being manifested (of itself) during the\nseeking (by means of Brahmacharya). How then is the immortality\nassociated with the attainment of Brahman?'\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'Though residing in and inherent to the mind, the\nknowledge of Brahman is still unmanifest. It is by the aid of the pure\nintellect and Brahmacharya that that knowledge is made manifest. Indeed,\nhaving attained to that knowledge, Yogins forsake this world. It is\nalways to be found among eminent preceptors. I shall now discourse to\nthee on that knowledge.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'What should be the nature of that Brahmacharya by\nwhich the knowledge of Brahman might be attained without much difficulty?\nO regenerate one, tell me this.'\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'They, who, residing in the abodes of their\npreceptors and winning their good will and friendship, practise\nBrahmacharya austerities, become even in this world the embodiments of\nBrahman and casting off their bodies are united with the Supreme Soul.\nThey that in this world desirous of obtaining the state of Brahman,\nsubdue all desires, and endued as they are with righteousness, they\nsucceed in dissociating the Soul from the body like a blade projected\nfrom a clump of heath. The body, O Bharata, is created by these, viz.,\nthe father and the mother; the (new) birth, however, that is due to the\npreceptor's instructions is sacred, free from decrepitude, and immortal.\nDiscoursing upon Brahman and granting immortality, he who wraps all\npersons with (the mantle of) truth, should be regarded as father and\nmother; and bearing in mind the good he does, one should never do him any\ninjury. A disciple must habitually salute his preceptor with respect, and\nwith purity (of body and mind) and well-directed attention, he must\nbetake to study. He must not consider any service as mean, and must not\nharbour anger. Even this is the first step of Brahmacharya. The practices\nof that disciple who acquires knowledge by observing the duties ordained\nfor one of his class are regarded also as the first step of Brahmacharya.\nA disciple should, with his very life and all his possessions, in\nthought, word and deed, do all that is agreeable to the preceptor. This\nis regarded as the second step of Brahmacharya. He should behave towards\nhis preceptor's wife and son also in the same way as towards his\npreceptor himself. This also is regarded as the second step of\nBrahmacharya. Bearing well in mind what has been done to him by the\npreceptor, and understanding also its object, the disciple should, with a\ndelighted heart think,--I have been taught and made great by him. This is\nthe third step of Brahmacharya. Without requiring the preceptor by\npayment of the final gift, a wise disciple must not betake to another\nmode of life; nor should he say or even think of in his mind,--I make\nthis gift. This is the fourth step of Brahmacharya. He attaineth the\nfirst step of (knowledge of Brahman which is) the object of Brahmacharya\nby aid of time; the second step, through the preceptor's prelections; the\nthird, by the power of his own understanding; and finally, the fourth, by\ndiscussion. The learned have said that Brahmacharya is constituted by the\ntwelve virtues, the Yoga-practices are called its Angas, and perseverance\nin Yoga-meditation is called its Valam and one is crowned with success in\nthis in consequence of the preceptor's aid and the understanding of the\nsense of the Vedas. Whatever wealth a disciple, thus engaged, may earn,\nshould all be given to the preceptor. It is thus that the preceptor\nobtaineth his highly praise-worthy livelihood. And thus also should the\ndisciple behave towards the preceptor's son. Thus stationed (in\nBrahmacharya), the disciple thriveth by all means in this world and\nobtaineth numerous progeny and fame. Men also from all directions shower\nwealth upon him; and many people come to his abode for practising\nBrahmacharya. It is through Brahmacharya of this kind that the celestials\nattained to their divinity, and sages, highly blessed and of great\nwisdom, have obtained the region of Brahman. It is by this that the\nGandharvas and the Apsaras acquired such personal beauty, and it is\nthrough Brahmacharya that Surya riseth to make the day. As the seekers of\nthe philosopher's stone derive great happiness when they obtain the\nobject of their search those mentioned above (the celestials and others),\non completing their Brahmacharya, derive great happiness in consequence\nof being able to have whatever they desire. He, O king, who devoted to\nthe practice of ascetic austerities, betaketh himself to Brahmacharya in\nits entirety and thereby purifieth his body, is truly wise, for by this\nhe becometh like a child (free from all evil passions) and triumpheth\nover death at last. Men, O Kshatriya, by work, however pure, obtain only\nworlds that are perishable; he, however, that is blessed with Knowledge,\nattaineth, by the aid of that Knowledge, to Brahman which is everlasting.\nThere is no other path (than Knowledge or the attainment of Brahman)\nleading to emancipation.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'The existence of Brahman, thou sayest, a wise man\nperceiveth in his own soul. Now, is Brahman white, or red, or black or\nblue, or purple? Tell me what is the true form and colour of the\nOmnipresent and Eternal Brahman?'\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'Indeed, Brahman as (perceived) may appear as white,\nred, black, brown, or bright. But neither on the earth, nor in the sky,\nnor in the water of the ocean, is there anything like it, Neither in the\nstars, nor in lightning, nor in the clouds, is its form to be seen, nor\nis it visible in the atmosphere, nor in the deities, nor in the moon, nor\nin the sun. Neither in the Riks, nor among the Yajus, nor among the\nAtharvans, nor in the pure Samans, it is to be found. Verily, O king, it\nis not to be found in Rathantara or Varhadratha, nor in great sacrifices.\nIncapable of being compassed and lying beyond the reach of the limited\nintellect, even the universal Destroyer, after the Dissolution, is\nhimself lost in it. Incapable of being gazed at, it is subtle as the edge\nof the razor, and grosser than mountains. It is the basis upon which\neverything is founded; it is unchangeable; it is this visible universe\n(omnipresent); it is vast; it is delightful; creatures have all sprung\nfrom it and are to return to it. Free from all kinds of duality, it is\nmanifest as the universe and all-pervading. Men of learning say that it\nis without any change, except in the language used to describe it. They\nare emancipated that are acquainted with That in which this universe is\nestablished.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLV\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'Sorrow, anger, covetousness, lust, ignorance,\nlaziness, malice, self-importance, continuous desire of gain, affection,\njealousy and evil speech,--these twelve, O monarch, are grave faults that\nare destructive of men's lives. Each of these, O monarch, wait for\nopportunities to seize mankind. Afflicted by them, men lose their senses\nand commit sinful acts. He that is covetous, he that is fierce, he that\nis harsh of speech, he that is garrulous, he that is given to nursing\nanger, he that is boastful,--these six of wicked disposition, on\nobtaining wealth, cannot treat others with courtesy. He that regardeth\nsensual gratification as the end of life, he that is self-conceited, he\nthat boasteth having made a gift, he that never spendeth, he that is weak\nin mind, he that is given to self-admiration, and he that hateth his own\nwife,--these seven are counted as wicked men of sinful habits.\nRighteousness, truth, asceticism, self-restraint, contentment, modesty,\nrenunciation, love of others, gift, acquaintance with the scriptures,\npatience, and forgiveness,--these twelve are the practices of a Brahmana.\nHe that doth not fall off from these twelve, may sway the entire earth.\nHe that is endued with three, or two, or even one, of these, doth never\nregard anything as his own to the exclusion of others. Self-restraint,\nrenunciation, and knowledge,--in these reside emancipation. These are the\nattributes of Brahmanas endued with wisdom and regarding Brahman as the\nhighest of all objects of attainment. True or false, it is not laudable\nfor a Brahmana to speak ill of others; they that do this have hell for\ntheir abode. Mada hath eighteen faults which have not yet been enumerated\nby me. They are ill-will towards others, throwing obstacles in the way of\nvirtuous acts, detraction, falsehood in speech, lust, anger, dependence,\nspeaking ill of others, finding out the faults of others for report,\nwaste of wealth, quarrel, insolence, cruelty to living creatures, malice,\nignorance, disregard of those that are worthy of regard, loss of the\nsenses of right and wrong, and always seeking to injure others. A wise\nman, therefore, should not give way to mada, for the accompaniments of\nmada are censurable. Friendship is said to possess six indications:\nfirstly, friends delight in the prosperity of friends, and secondly, are\ndistressed at their adversity. If any one asketh for anything which is\ndear to his heart, but which should not be asked for, a true friend\nsurely giveth away even that. Fourthly, a true friend who is of a\nrighteous disposition, when asked, can give away his very prosperity, his\nbeloved sons, and even his own wife. Fifthly, a friend should not dwell\nin the house of a friend, on whom he may have bestowed everything, but\nshould enjoy what he earneth himself. Sixthly, a friend stoppeth not to\nsacrifice his own good (for his friend). The man of wealth who seeketh to\nacquire those good qualities, and who becometh charitable and righteous\nrestraineth his five senses from their respective objects. Such restraint\nof the senses is asceticism. When it groweth in degree, it is capable of\nwinning regions of bliss hereafter (unlike knowledge which leadeth to\nsuccess even here). They that have fallen off from patience (and are\nincapable, therefore, of attaining to Knowledge) acquire such asceticism\nin consequence of the purpose they entertain, viz., the attainment of\nbliss in the high regions hereafter. In consequence of his ability to\ngrasp that Truth (Brahman) from which sacrifices flow, the Yogin is\ncapable of performing sacrifices by the mind. Another performeth\nsacrifices by Words (Yapa) and another by Work. Truth (Brahman) resides\nin him who knoweth Brahman as vested with attributes. It dwelleth more\ncompletely in him who knoweth Brahman as divested of attributes. Listen\nnow to something else from me. This high and celebrated philosophy should\nbe taught (to disciples). All other systems are only a farrago of words.\nThe whole of this (universe) is established in this Yoga-philosophy. They\nthat are acquainted with it are not subjected to death. O king, one\ncannot, by Work, however well-accomplished, attain to Truth (Brahman).\nThe man that is destitute of knowledge even if he poureth homa libations\nor performeth sacrifices, can never, by Work, O king, attain to\nimmortality (emancipation). Nor doth he enjoy great happiness at the end.\nRestraining all the external senses and alone, one should seek Brahman.\nGiving up Work, one should not exert mentally. One should also (while\nthus engaged) avoid experiencing joy at praise or anger at blame. O\nKshatriya, by conducting himself in this way according to the successive\nsteps indicated in the Vedas, one may, even here, attain to Brahman.\nThis, O learned one, is all that I tell thee.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVI\n\n\"Sanat-sujata said, 'The primary Seed (of the universe), called\nMahayasas, is destitute of accidents, is pure Knowledge, and blazeth with\neffulgence. It leadeth the senses, and it is in consequence of that Seed\nthat Surya shineth. That Eternal One endued with Divinity is beheld by\nYogins (by their mental eye). It is in consequence of that Seed (which is\nJoy's self) that Brahman becomes capable of Creation and it is through it\nthat Brahman increaseth in expansion. It is that Seed which entering into\nluminous bodies giveth light and heat. Without deriving its light and\nheat from any other thing it is self-luminous, and is an object of terror\nto all luminous bodies. The Eternal One endued with Divinity is beheld by\nYogins (by their mental eye). The body composed of the five grosser\nelements, that are themselves sprung from the five subtler ones,--the\nlatter, in their turn, originating in one homogeneous substance called\nBrahman--is upheld (realised) in consciousness by both the creature-Soul\nendued with life and Iswara. (These two, during sleep and the universal\ndissolution, are deprived of consciousness). Brahman on the other hand,\nwhich is never bereft of consciousness, and which is the Sun's Sun,\nupholdeth both these two and also the Earth and the Heaven. The Eternal\nOne endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their mental eye). The\nSeed upholdeth the two gods, the Earth and the Heaven, the Directions,\nand the whole Universe. It is from that Seed that directions (points of\nthe compass) and rivers spring, and the vast seas also have derived their\norigin. The Eternal One endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by\ntheir mental eye). The body is like a car destined to destruction. Its\nacts, however, are undying. Tied to the wheels of that car (which are\nrepresented by the acts of past lives), the senses, that are as steeds,\nlead, through the region of consciousness, the man of wisdom towards that\nIncreate and Unchangeable One, that One endued with Divinity is beheld by\nYogins (by their mental eye). The form of that One cannot be displayed by\nany comparison. None ever beholdeth Him by the eye. They that know him by\nthe rapt faculties, the mind, and the heart, become freed from death. The\nEternal One endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their mental\neye). The stream of illusion is terrible; guarded by the gods, it hath\ntwelve fruits. Drinking of its waters and beholding many sweet things in\nits midst, men swim along it to and fro. This stream flows from that\nSeed. That Eternal One endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their\nmental eye). Destined to sojourn to and fro, the creature-Soul, having\nreflected enjoyeth (in the other world) only half of the fruits of his\nacts. It is that creature-Soul which is Iswara, pervading everything in\nthe universe. It is Iswara that hath ordained sacrifices. That Eternal\nOne endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their mental eye). Souls\ndivested of accidents, resorting to Avidya, which is like unto a tree of\ngolden foliage, assume accidents, and take births in different orders\naccording to their propensities. That Eternal One endued with Divinity\n(in Whom all those Souls are united) is beheld by Yogins (by their mental\neye). Accidents (which coming in contact with Brahman make the latter\nassume many forms) raise the universe in its Fulness from that Brahman\nwhich is full. Those accidents also, in their Fulness, arise from Brahman\nin its Fulness. When one succeeds in dispelling all accidents from\nBrahman which is ever Full, that which remains is Brahman in its Fulness.\nThat Eternal One endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their\nmental eye). It is from that Seed that the five elements have arisen, and\nit is in it that the power resideth for controlling them. It is from that\nSeed that both the consumer and the consumed (called Agni and Soma) have\nsprung, and it is in it that the living organisms with the senses rest.\nEverything should be regarded to have sprung from it. That Seed called in\nthe Vedas TATH (Tad), we are unable to describe. That Eternal One endued\nwith Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their mental eye). The vital air\ncalled Apana is swallowed up by the Air called Prana; Prana is swallowed\nup by the Will, and the Will by the Intellect, and the Intellect by the\nSupreme Soul. That Eternal One endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins\n(by their mental eye). The Supreme Soul endued with four legs, called\nrespectively Waking, Dream, profound Sleep, and Turiya, like unto a swan,\ntreading above the unfathomable ocean of worldly affairs doth not put\nforth one leg that is hid deep. Unto him that beholdeth that leg (viz.,\nTuriya) as put forth for the purpose of guiding the other three, both\ndeath and emancipation are the same. That Eternal One endued with\nDivinity is beheld by Yogins (by their mental eye). Of the measure of the\nthumb, ever Full, and different from this eternal organism, coming in\ncontact with the Vital airs, the Will, the Intellect, and the ten Senses,\nit moveth to and fro. That Supreme Controller, worthy of reverential\nhymns, capable of everything when vested with accidents and the prime\ncause of everything, is manifest as Knowledge in creature-Souls. Fools\nalone do not behold him; that Eternal One endued with Divinity is beheld\nby Yogins (by their mental eye). Among individuals there are those that\nhave obtained the mastery of their minds, and those that have not. Yet in\nall men the Supreme Soul may be seen equally. Indeed, it resideth equally\nin him that is emancipate and in him that is not, with only this\ndifference that they that are emancipate obtain honey flowing in a thick\njet. That Eternal One endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their\nmental eye). When one maketh life's Sojourn, having attained to the\nknowledge of Self and Not-Self, then it matters little whether his\nAgni-hotra is performed or not. O monarch, let not such words as \"I am\nthy servant\" fall from their lips. The Supreme Soul hath another name,\nviz., Pure Knowledge. They only that have restrained their minds obtain\nHim. That Eternal One endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their\nmental eye). Even such is He. Illustrious and Full, all living creatures\nare merged into Him. He that knoweth that embodiment of Fullness\nattaineth to his object (emancipation) even here. That Eternal One endued\nwith Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by their mental eye). That which\nflieth away stretching forth thousands of wings, yea, if endued with the\nspeed of the mind, must yet come back to the Central Spirit within the\nliving organism (in which the most distant things reside). (That Eternal\nOne endued with Divinity) is beheld by Yogins (by their mental eye). His\nform cannot be an object of sight. They only, that are of pure hearts,\ncan behold him. When one seeketh the good of all, succeedeth in\ncontrolling his mind, and never suffereth his heart to be affected by\ngrief, then he is said to have purified his heart. Those again that can\nabandon the world and all its cares, become immortal. (That Supreme Soul\nwhich is undying),--that Eternal One endued with Divinity--is beheld by\nYogins (by their mental eye). Like serpents concealing themselves in\nholes, there are persons who following the dictates of their preceptors,\nor by their own conduct conceal their vices from scrutiny's gaze. They\nthat are of little sense are deceived by these. In fact, bearing\nthemselves outwardly without any impropriety, these deceive their victims\nfor leading them to hell. (Him, therefore, who may be attained by\ncompanionship with persons of the very opposite class), that Eternal One\nendued with Divinity--is beheld by Yogins (by their mental eye). He that\nis emancipate thinks,--this transitory organism can never make me liable\nto joy and grief and the other attributes inhering to it: nor can there\nbe, in my case, anything like death and birth: and, further, when\nBrahman, which hath no opposing force to contend against and which is\nalike in all times and all places, constitutes the resting-place of both\nrealities and unrealities, how can emancipation be mine? It is I alone\nthat am the origin and the end of all causes and effects.--(Existing in\nthe form of I or Self) that Eternal One endued with Divinity is beheld by\nYogins (by their mental eye). The Brahman-knowing person, who is equal\nunto Brahman itself, is neither glorified by good acts nor defiled by bad\nones. It is only in ordinary men that acts, good or bad, produce\ndifferent results. The person that knoweth Brahman should be regarded as\nidentical with Amrita or the state called Kaivalya which is incapable of\nbeing affected by either virtue or vice. One should, therefore, disposing\nhis mind in the way indicated, attain to that essence of sweetness\n(Brahman). That Eternal One endued with Divinity is beheld by Yogins (by\ntheir mental eye). Slander grieveth not the heart of the person that\nknoweth Brahman not the thought--I have not studied (the Veda), or, I\nhave not performed my Agni-hotra. The knowledge of Brahman soon imparteth\nto him that wisdom which they only obtain who have restrained their mind.\n(That Brahman which freeth the Soul from grief and ignorance)--that\nEternal One endued with Divinity--is beheld by Yogins (by their mental\neye). He, therefore, that beholdeth his own Self in everything, hath no\nlonger to grieve, for they only have to grieve who are employed in\ndiverse other occupations of the world. As one's purposes (appeasing\nthirst, etc.) may be served in a well as in a large reservoir or vast\nexpanse, so the various purposes of the Vedas may all be derivable by him\nthat knoweth the Soul. Dwelling in the heart, and of the measure of the\nthumb, that illustrious One--the embodiment of Fullness--is not an object\nof sight. Unborn he moveth, awake day and night. He that knoweth him,\nbecometh both learned and full of joy. I am called the mother and father.\nI am again the son. Of all that was, and of all that we will be, I am the\nSoul. O Bharata, I am the old grandsire, I am the father, I am the son.\nYe are staying in my soul, yet ye are not mine, nor am I yours! The Soul\nis the cause of my birth and procreation. I am the warp and woof of the\nuniverse. That upon which I rest is indestructible. Unborn I move, awake\nday and night. It is I knowing whom one becometh both learned and full of\njoy. Subtler than the subtle, of excellent eyes capable of looking into\nboth the past and the future, Brahman is awake in every creature. They\nthat knows Him know that Universal Father dwelleth in the heart of every\ncreated thing!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVII\n\n\"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus conversing with Sanat-sujata and the learned\nVidura, the king passed that night. And after the night had passed away,\nall the princes and chiefs, entered the court-hall with joyous hearts and\ndesirous of seeing that Suta (who had returned). And anxious to hear the\nmessage of Partha's, fraught with virtue and profit, all the kings with\nDhritarashtra at their head, went to that beautiful hall. Spotlessly\nwhite and spacious, it was adorned with a golden floor. And effulgent as\nthe moon and exceedingly beautiful, it was sprinkled over with\nsandal-water. And it was spread over with excellent seats made of gold\nand wood, and marble and ivory. And all the seats were wrapped with\nexcellent covers. And Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Salya, and\nKritavarman and Jayadratha, and Aswatthaman and Vikarna, and Somadatta\nand Vahlika and Vidura of great wisdom and Yuyutsu, the great\ncar-warrior,--all these heroic kings in a body, O bull among the\nBharatas, having Dhritarashtra at their head, entered that hall of great\nbeauty. And Dussasana and Chitrasena, and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, and\nDurmukha and Dussaha, Karna and Uluka and Vivinsati,--these also, with\nDuryodhana, the wrathful king of the Kurus, at their head, entered that\nhall, O monarch, like the celestials forming the train of Sakra himself.\nAnd filled with these heroes possessed of arms like maces of iron, that\nhall looked, O king, like a mountain-cave filled with lions. And all\nthese mighty bowmen, endued with great energy and blazing, with solar\neffulgence, entering the hall, seated themselves on those beautiful\nseats. And after all those kings, O Bharata, had taken their seats, the\norderly-in-waiting announced the arrival of the Suta's son, saying,\n\"Yonder cometh the car that was despatched to the Pandavas. Our envoy\nhath returned quickly, by the aid of well-trained steeds of the Sindhu\nbreed.\" And having approached the place with speed and alighted from the\ncar, Sanjaya adorned with ear-rings entered that hall full of high-souled\nkings. And the Suta said, \"Ye Kauravas, know that having gone to the\nPandavas I am just returning from them. The sons of Pandu offer their\ncongratulations to all the Kurus according to the age of each. Having\noffered their respects in return, the sons of Pritha have saluted the\naged ones, and those that are equal to them in years, and those also that\nare younger, just as each should, according to his years, be saluted.\nListen, ye kings, to what I, instructed before by Dhritarashtra, said to\nthe Pandavas, having gone to them from this place.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVIII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'I ask thee, O Sanjaya, in the presence of my boy\nand of these kings, what words were said by the illustrious Dhananjaya of\nmight that knoweth no diminution,--that leader of warriors,--that\ndestroyer of the lives of the wicked?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Let Duryodhana listen to the words which the high-souled\nArjuna, eager for fight, uttered, with Yudhishthira's sanction and in the\nhearing of Kesava. Fearless (in battle) and conscious of the might of his\narms, the heroic Kiritin, eager for fight, spoke thus unto me in the\npresence of Vasudeva, \"Do thou, O suta, say unto Dhritarashtra's son, in\nthe presence of all the Kurus, and also in the hearing of that Suta's\nson, of foul tongue and wicked soul, of little sense, stupid reason, and\nof numbered days, who always desires to fight against me, and also in the\nhearing of those kings assembled for fighting against the Pandavas, and\ndo thou see that all the words now uttered by me are heard well by that\nking with his counsellors.\" O monarch, even as the celestials eagerly\nlisten to the words of their chief armed with the thunderbolt, so did the\nPandavas and the Srinjayas listen to those words of grave import\nuttered by Kiritin. Just these are the words spoken by Arjuna, the\nwielder of Gandiva, eager for the fight and with eyes red as the lotus,\n\"If Dhritarashtra's son doth not surrender to king Yudhishthira of the\nAjamida race, his kingdom, then (it is evident) there must be some sinful\nact committed by the sons of Dhritarashtra, whose consequences are yet\nunreaped by them, for it can be nothing else when they desire battle with\nBhimasena and Arjuna, and the Aswins and Vasudeva and Sini's son, and\nDhrishtadyumna infallible in arms, and Sikhandin, and Yudhishthira, who\nis like Indra himself and who can consume heaven and earth by merely\nwishing them ill. If Dhritarashtra's son desireth war with these, then\nwill all objects of the Pandavas be accomplished. Do not, therefore,\npropose peace for the sons of Pandu, but have war if thou likest. That\nbed of woe in the woods which was Yudhishthira's when that virtuous son\nof Pandu lived in exile. Oh, let a more painful bed than that, on the\nbare earth, be now Duryodhana's and let him lie down on it, as his last,\ndeprived of life. Win thou over those men that were ruled by the wicked\nDuryodhana of unjust conduct to the side of Pandu's son endued with\nmodesty and wisdom and asceticism and self-restraint and valour and might\nregulated by virtue. Endued with humility and righteousness, with\nasceticism and self-restraint and with valour regulated by virtue, and\nalways speaking the truth, our king, though afflicted by numerous\ndeceptions, hath forgiven all and hath patiently borne great wrongs. When\nthe eldest son of Pandu, of soul under proper control, will indignantly\ndart at the Kurus his terrible wrath accumulated for years, then will the\nson of Dhritarashtra repent for this war. As a blazing fire burning all\naround consumeth dry grass in the hot season, so will Yudhishthira,\ninflamed with wrath, consume the Dhritarashtra host by glance alone of\nhis eye. When Dhritarashtra's son will behold Bhimasena, that wrathful\nPandava of terrific impetus, stationed on his car, mace in hand, vomiting\nthe venom of his wrath, then will Duryodhana repent for this war. Indeed,\nwhen he will behold Bhimasena, who always fighteth in the van, accoutred\nin mail, scarcely capable of being looked at even by his own followers\nfelling hostile heroes and devastating the enemy's ranks like Yama\nhimself, then will the exceedingly vain Duryodhana recollect these words.\nWhen he will behold elephants, looking like mountain-peaks, felled by\nBhimasena, blood flowing their broken heads like water from broken casks,\nthen will Dhritarashtra's son repent for this war. When falling upon the\nsons of Dhritarashtra the fierce Bhima of terrible mien, mace in hand,\nwill slaughter them, like a huge lion falling upon a herd of kine, then\nwill Duryodhana repent for this war. When the heroic Bhima undaunted even\nin situations of great danger and skilled in weapons--when that grinder of\nhostile hosts in battle,--mounted on his car, and alone will crush by his\nmace crowds of superior cars and entire ranks of infantry, seize by his\nnooses strong as iron, the elephants of the hostile army, and mow down\nthe Dhritarashtra's host, like a sturdy woodsman cutting a forest down\nwith an axe, then will Dhritarashtra's son repent for this war. When he\nwill behold the Dhartarashtra's host consumed like a hamlet full of\nstraw-built huts by fire, or a field of ripe corn by lightning,--indeed\nwhen he will behold his vast army scattered, its leaders slain, and men\nrunning away with their back towards the field afflicted with fear, and\nall the warriors, humbled to the dust, being scorched by Bhimasena with\nthe fire of his weapons,--then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for\nthis war. When Nakula, that warrior of wonderful feats, that foremost of\nall car-warriors, dexterously shooting arrows by hundreds, will mangle\nthe car-warriors of Duryodhana, then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent\nfor this war. Accustomed to enjoy all the comforts and luxuries of life,\nwhen Nakula, recollecting that bed of woe on which he had slept for a\nlong time in the woods, will vomit the poison of his wrath like an angry\nsnake, then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for this war. Ready to\nlay down their very lives, the (allied) monarchs, O Suta, urged to battle\nby king Yudhishthira the just, will furiously advance on their\nresplendent cars against the (hostile) army. Beholding this, the son of\nDhritarashtra will certainly have to repent. When the Kuru prince will\nbehold the five heroic sons of (Draupadi), tender in years but not in\nacts, and all well-versed in arms, rush, reckless of their lives, against\nthe Kauravas, then will that son of Dhritarashtra repent for this war.\nWhen bent upon carnage Sahadeva, mounted on his car of noiseless wheels,\nand motion incapable of being obstructed, and set with golden stars, and\ndrawn by well-trained steeds, will make the heads of monarchs roll on the\nfield of battle with volleys of arrows,--indeed, beholding that warrior\nskilled in weapons, seated on his car in the midst of that frightful\nhavoc, turning now to the left and now to the right and falling upon the\nfoe in all directions, then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for this\nwar. Indeed, when the modest but mighty Sahadeva, skilled in battle,\ntruthful, conversant with all the ways of morality, and endued with great\nactivity and impetuousness, will fall upon the son of Gandhari in fierce\nencounter and rout all his followers, then will the son of Dhritarashtra\nrepent for this war. When he will behold the sons of Draupadi, those\ngreat bowmen, those heroes skilled in weapons and well-versed in all the\nways of chariot-fighting, dart at the foe like snakes of virulent poison,\nthen will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for this war. When that slayer\nof hostile heroes, Abhimanyu, skilled in arms like Krishna himself, will\noverpower the foe showering upon them, like the very clouds, a thick\ndownpour of arrows, then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for this\nwar. Indeed, when he will behold that son of Subhadra, a child in years\nbut not in energy, skilled in weapons and like unto Indra himself,\nfalling like Death's self upon the ranks of the foe, then will the son of\nDhritarashtra repent for this war. When the youthful Prabhadrakas, endued\nwith great activity, well-versed in battle, and possessed of the energy\nof lions will overthrow the sons of Dhritarashtra with all their troops,\nthen will Duryodhana repent for this war. When those veteran car-warriors\nVirata and Drupada will assail, at the head of their respective\ndivisions, the sons of Dhritarashtra and their ranks, then will\nDuryodhana repent for this war. When Drupada, skilled in weapons, and\nseated on his car, desirous of plucking the heads of youthful warriors,\nwill wrathfully strike them off with arrows shot from his bow, then will\nthe son of Dhritarashtra repent for this war. When that slayer of hostile\nheroes, Virata will penetrate into the ranks of the foe, grinding all\nbefore him with the aid of his Matsya warriors of cool courage, then will\nthe son of Dhritarashtra repent for this war. When he will behold in the\nvery van the eldest son of the Matsya king, of cool courage and collected\nmien, seated on his car and accoutred in mail on behalf of the Pandavas,\nthen will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for this war. I tell thee\ntruly that when that foremost of Kaurava heroes, the virtuous son of\nSantanu, will be slain in battle by Sikhandin, then all our foes, without\ndoubt, will perish. Indeed, when, overthrowing numerous car-warriors,\nSikhandin, seated on his own well-protected car, will proceed towards\nBhishma, crushing multitudes of (hostile) cars by means of his own\npowerful steeds, then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for this war.\nWhen he will behold Dhrishtadyumna unto whom Drona hath imparted all the\nmysteries of the science of weapons, stationed in splendour in the very\nvan of the Srinjaya ranks, then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent.\nIndeed, when the leader of the Pandava host, of immeasurable prowess and\ncapable of withstanding the rush of any force, will proceed to attack\nDrona in battle, crushing with his arrows the Dhritarashtra ranks, then\nwill Duryodhana repent for this war. What enemy can withstand him who\nhath, for fighting in his van, that lion of the Vrishni race, that chief\nof the Somakas, who is modest and intelligent, mighty and endued with\ngreat energy, and blessed with every kind of prosperity? Say also this\n(unto Duryodhana),--Do not covet (the kingdom). We have chosen, for our\nleader, the dauntless and mighty car-warrior Satyaki, the grandson of\nSini, skilled in weapons and having none on earth as his equal. Of broad\nchest and long arms, that grinder of foes, unrivalled in battle, and\nacquainted with the best of weapons, the grandson of Sini, skilled in\narms and perfectly dauntless, is a mighty car-warrior wielding a bow of\nfull four cubits' length. When that slayer of foes, that chief of the\nSinis, urged by me, will shower, like the very clouds, his arrows on the\nfoe, completely overwhelming their leaders with that downpour, then will\nthe son of Dhritarashtra repent for this war. When that illustrious\nwarrior of long arms and firm grasp of the bow, musters his resolution\nfor fight, the foe then, like kine getting the scent of the lion, fly\naway from him before even commencing the encounter. That illustrious\nwarrior of long arms and firm grasp of the bow is capable of splitting\nthe very hills and destroying the entire universe. Practised in weapons,\nskilled (in battle), and endued with exceeding lightness of hand, he\nshineth on the field of battle like the sun himself in the sky. That lion\nof the Vrishni race, that scion of Yadu's line, of superior training,\nhath diverse wonderful and excellent weapons. Indeed, Satyaki is\npossessed of a knowledge of all those uses of weapons that are said to be\nof the highest excellence. When he will behold in battle the golden car\nof Satyaki of Madhu's race, drawn by four white steeds, then will that\nwretch of uncontrolled passions, the son of Dhritarashtra, repent. When\nhe will also behold my terrible car, endued with the effulgence of gold\nand bright gems, drawn by white steeds and furnished with the banner\nbearing the device of the Ape and guided by Kesava himself, then will\nthat wretch of uncontrolled passions repent. When he will hear the fierce\ntwang produced by the constant stretch of the bow-string with fingers\ncased in leather gloves,--that terrible twang, loud as the rolling of the\nthunder, of my bow Gandiva wielded by me in the midst of the great\nbattle,--then will that wicked wretch, the son of Dhritarashtra repent,\nbeholding himself abandoned by his troops, flying away like kine from the\nfield of battle in all directions, overwhelmed with the darkness created\nby my arrowy downpour. When he will behold innumerable keen-edged arrows,\nfurnished with beautiful wings, and capable of penetrating into the very\nvitals, shot from the string of Gandiva, like fierce and terrible flashes\nof lightning emitted by the clouds, destroying enemies by thousands, and\ndevouring numberless steeds and elephants clad in mail, then will the son\nof Dhritarashtra repent for this war. When he will behold the arrows shot\nby the enemy turned off, or turned back struck by my shafts, or cut to\npieces pierced transversely by my arrows, then will the foolish son of\nDhritarashtra repent for this war. When broad-headed arrows shot by my\nhands will strike off the heads of youthful warriors, like birds picking\noff fruits from the tree-tops, then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent\nfor this war. When he will behold excellent warriors of his falling down\nfrom their cars, and elephants and steeds rolling on the field, deprived\nof life by my arrows, then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for this\nwar. When he will behold his brothers, even before fairly coming within\nthe range of the enemy's weapons, die all around, without having achieved\nanything in battle, then will the son of Dhritarashtra repent for this\nwar. When pouring my blazing shafts incessantly, I will, like Death\nhimself with mouth wide-open, destroy on all sides multitudes of cars and\nfoot-soldiers, then will that wretch repent. When he will behold his own\ntroops, covered with the dust raised by my car, wander in all directions,\ntorn to pieces by Gandiva and reft of senses, then will that wretch\nrepent. When he will behold his whole army running away in fear in all\ndirections, mangled in limbs, and bereft of senses; when he will behold\nhis steeds, elephants, and foremost of heroes slain; when he will see his\ntroops thirsty, struck with panic, wailing aloud, dead and dying, with\ntheir animals exhausted; and hair, bones and skulls lying in heaps around\nlike half-wrought works of the Creator, then will that wretch repent.\nWhen he will behold on my car, Gandiva, Vasudeva, and the celestial conch\nPanchajanya, myself, my couple of inexhaustible quivers, and my conch\ncalled Devadatta as also my white steeds, then will the son of\nDhritarashtra repent for this war. When I consume the Kauravas, like Agni\nconsuming innumerable wicked souls assembled together at the time of\nushering in another Yuga at the end of the last one, then Dhritarashtra\nwith all his sons repent. When the wicked-hearted and the wrathful son\nof Dhritarashtra will be deprived of prosperity with brothers and army\nand followers, then, reft of pride and losing heart and trembling all\nover, will that fool repent. One morning when I had finished my\nwater-rites and prayers, a Brahmana spoke unto me these pleasant words,\n'O Partha, thou shalt have to execute a very difficult task. O\nSavyasachin, thou shalt have to fight with thy foes. Either Indra riding\non his excellent steed and thunderbolt in hand will walk before thee\nslaying thy foes in battle, or Krishna, the son of Vasudeva will protect\nthee from behind riding on his car drawn by the steeds headed by Sugriva.'\nRelying on those words, I have, in this battle passing over Indra, the\nwielder of the thunderbolt, preferred Vasudeva as my ally. That Krishna\nhath been obtained by me for the destruction of those wicked ones. I see\nthe hand of the gods in all this. The person whose success is only wished\nfor by Krishna, without the latter's actually taking up arms in his\nbehalf, is certain to prevail over all enemies, even if those be the\ncelestials with Indra at their head, while anxiety there is none if they\nbe human. He that wisheth to conquer in battle that foremost of heroes,\nVasudeva's son Krishna endued with great energy, wisheth to cross by his\ntwo arms alone the great ocean of wide expanse and immeasurable water.\nHe that wisheth to split by a slap of his palm the high Kailasa\nmountain, is not able to do the slightest damage to the mountain although\nhis hand only with its nails is sure to wear away. He that would conquer\nVasudeva in battle, would, with his two arms, extinguish a blazing fire,\nstop the Sun and the Moon, and plunder by force the Amrita of the\ngods,--that Vasudeva, viz., who having mowed down in battle by main force\nall the royal warriors of the Bhoja race, had carried off on a single car\nRukmini of great fame for making her his wife; and by her was afterwards\nborn Pradyumna of high soul. It was this favourite of the gods, who,\nhaving speedily smashed the Gandharas and conquered all the sons of\nNagnajit, forcibly liberated from confinement king Sudarsana of great\nenergy. It was he that slew king Pandya by striking his breast against\nhis, and moved down the Kalingas in battle. Burnt by him, the city of\nVaranasi remained for many years without a king, incapable of being\ndefeated by others. Ekalavya, the king of the Nishadas, always used to\nchallenge this one to battle; but slain by Krishna he lay dead like the\nAsura Jambha violently thrashed on a hillock. It was Krishna, who, having\nBaladeva for his second, slew Ugrasena's wicked son (Kansa), seated in\ncourt in the midst of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas, and then gave unto\nUgrasena the kingdom. It was Krishna who fought with king Salya, the lord\nof Saubha, stationed in the skies, fearless in consequence of his powers\nof illusion; and it was he, who, at the gate of Subha caught with his\nhands the fierce Sataghni (hurled by Saubha's lord). What mortal is able\nto bear his might? The Asuras had a city named Pragjyotisha, which was\nformidable, inaccessible and unbearable. It was there that the mighty\nNaraka, the son of the Earth, kept the jewelled ear-rings of Aditi,\nhaving brought them by force. The very gods, who, fearless of death,\nassembled together with Sakra at their head were incapable of conquering\nhim. Beholding Kesava's prowess and might, and weapon that is\nirresistible, and knowing also the object of his birth, the gods employed\nhim for the destruction of those Asuras. Vasudeva, too, endued with all\nthe divine attributes that ensure success, agreed to undertake that\nexceedingly difficult task. In the city of Nirmochana that hero slew six\nthousand Asuras, and cutting into pieces innumerable keen-edged shafts,\nhe slew Mura and hosts of Rakshasas, and then entered that city. It was\nthere, that an encounter took place between the mighty Naraka and Vishnu\nof immeasurable strength. Slain by Krishna, Naraka lay lifeless there,\nlike a Karnikara tree uprooted by the wind. Having slain the Earth's son,\nNaraka, and also Mura, and having recovered those jewelled ear-rings, the\nlearned Krishna of unparalleled prowess came back, adorned with beauty\nand undying fame. Having witnessed his terrible feats in that battle, the\ngods then and there blessed him saying, 'Fatigue will never be thine in\nfights, neither the firmament nor the waters shall stop thy course, nor\nshall weapons penetrate thy body.' And Krishna, by all this, regarded\nhimself amply rewarded. Immeasurable, and possessed of great might, in\nVasudeva ever exist all the virtues. And yet the son of Dhritarashtra\nseeketh to vanquish that unbearable Vishnu of infinite energy, for that\nwretch often thinks of imprisoning him. Krishna, however, beareth all\nthis for our sake only. That wretch seeketh to create a sudden disunion\nbetween Krishna and myself. How far, however, he is capable of taking\naway the affection of Krishna from the Pandavas, he will see on the field\nof battle. Having bowed down unto Santanu's son, and also Drona with his\nson, and the unrivalled son of Saradwat, I shall fight for regaining our\nkingdom. The God of justice himself, I am sure, will bring destruction on\nthat sinful man who will fight with the Pandavas. Deceitfully defeated at\ndice by those wretches, ourselves, of royal birth, had to pass twelve\nyears in great distress in the forest and one long year in a state of\nconcealment. When those Pandavas are still alive, how shall the sons of\nDhritarashtra rejoice, possessing rank and affluence? If they vanquish us\nin fight, aided by the very gods headed by Indra, then the practice of\nvice would be better than virtue, and surely there would be nothing like\nrighteousness on earth. If man is affected by his acts, if we be superior\nto Duryodhana, then, I hope that, with Vasudeva as my second, I shall\nslay Duryodhana, with all his kinsmen. O lord of men, if the act of\nrobbing us of our kingdom be wicked, if these our own good deeds be not\nfruitless, than beholding both this and that, it seems to me, the\noverthrow of Duryodhana is certain. Ye Kauravas, ye will see it with your\neyes that, if they fight, the sons of Dhritarashtra shall certainly\nperish. If they act otherwise instead of fighting, then they may live;\nbut in the event of a battle ensuing, none of them will be left alive.\nSlaying all the sons of Dhritarashtra along with Karna, I shall surely\nwrest the hole of their kingdom. Do ye, meanwhile, whatever ye think\nbest, and enjoy also your wives and other sweet things of life. There\nare, with us, many aged Brahmanas, versed in various sciences, of amiable\nbehaviour, well-born, acquainted with the cycle of the years, engaged in\nthe study of astrology, capable of understanding with certainty the\nmotions of planets and the conjunctions of stars as also of explaining\nthe mysteries of fate, and answering questions relating to the future,\nacquainted with the signs of the Zodiac, and versed with the occurrences\nof every hour, who are prophesying the great destruction of the Kurus and\nthe Srinjayas, and the ultimate victory of the Pandavas, so that\nYudhishthira, who never made an enemy, already regardeth his objects\nfulfilled in consequence of the slaughter of his foes. And Janardana\nalso, that lion among the Vrishnis, endued with the knowledge of the\ninvisible future, without doubt, beholdeth all this. And I also, with\nunerring foresight, myself behold that future, for that foresight of\nmine, acquired of old, is not obstructed. The sons of Dhritarashtra, if\nthey fight, will not live. My bow, Gandiva, yawneth without being\nhandled; my bow-string trembleth without being stretched; and arrows\nalso, issuing from my quiver's mouth, are again and again seeking to fly.\nMy bright scimitar issueth of itself from its sheath, like a snake\nquitting its own worn off slough; and on the top of my flag-staff are\nheard terrific voices,--When shall thy car be yoked, O Kiritin?\nInnumerable jackals set up hideous howls at night, and Rakshasas\nfrequently alight from the sky; deer and jackals and peacocks, crows and\nvultures and cranes, and wolves and birds of golden plumage, follow in\nthe rear of my car when my white steeds are yoked unto it. Single-handed\nI can despatch, with arrowy showers, all warlike kings, to the regions of\ndeath. As a blazing fire consumeth a forest in the hot season, so,\nexhibiting diverse courses, I will hurl those great weapons called\nSthur-karna, Pasupata, and Brahma, and all those that Sakra gave me, all\nof which are endued with fierce impetuosity. And with their aid, setting\nmy heart on the destruction of those monarchs, I will leave no remnant of\nthose that come to the field of battle. I will rest, having done all\nthis. Even this is my chief and decided resolve. Tell them this, O son of\nGavalgana. Look at the folly of Duryodhana! O Suta, they that are\ninvincible in battle even if encountered with the aid of the very gods\nheaded by Indra,--even against them that son of Dhritarashtra thinketh of\nwarring! But so let it be even as the aged Bhishma, the son of Santanu,\nand Kripa, and Drona with his son, and Vidura endued with great wisdom,\nare saying, 'May the Kauravas all live long!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"In the midst, O Bharata, of all those assembled\nkings, Bhishma, the son of Santanu, then said these words unto\nDuryodhana, 'Once on a time, Vrihaspati and Sakra went to Brahma. The\nMaruts also with Indra, the Vasus with Agni, the Adityas, the Sadhyas,\nthe seven celestial Rishis, the Gandharvas, Viswavasu, and the beautiful\ntribes of the Apsaras, all approached the ancient Grandsire. And having\nbowed down unto the Lord of the universe, all those dwellers of heaven\nsat around him. Just then, the two ancient deities, the Rishis Nara and\nNarayana, as if drawing unto themselves by their own energy the minds and\nenergies of all who were present there, left the place. Thereupon,\nVrihaspati asked Brahma, saying,--\"Who are these two that leave the place\nwithout worshipping thee? Tell us, O Grandsire, who are they?\" Thus asked,\nBrahma said, \"These two, endued with ascetic merit, blazing with\neffulgence and beauty, illuminating both the earth and the heaven,\npossessed of great might, and pervading and surpassing all, are Nara and\nNarayana, dwelling now in the region of Brahman having arrived from the\nother world. Endued with great might and prowess, they shine in\nconsequence of their own asceticism. By their acts they always contribute\nto the joy of the world. Worshipped by the gods and the Gandharvas, they\nexist only for the destruction of Asuras.\"'\n\n\"Bhishma continued, 'Having heard these words, Sakra went to the spot\nwhere those two were practising ascetic austerities, accompanied by all\nthe celestials and having Vrihaspati at their head. At that time, the\ndwellers of heaven had been very much alarmed in consequence of a war\nraging between themselves and the Asuras. And Indra asked that\nillustrious couple to grant him a boon. Thus solicited, O best of the\nBharata race, those two said,--\"Name thou the boon.\"--Upon this Sakra said\nunto them,--\"Give us your aid.\"--They then said unto Sakra,--\"We will do\nwhat thou wishest.\" And then it was with their aid that Sakra subsequently\nvanquished the Daityas and the Danavas. The chastiser of foes, Nara, slew\nin battle hundreds and thousands of Indra's foes among the Paulomas and\nthe Kalakhanjas. It was this Arjuna, who, riding on a whirling car,\nsevered in battle, with a broad-headed arrow, the head of the Asura\nJambha while the latter was about to swallow him. It was he who afflicted\n(the Daitya city of Hiranyapura) on the other side of the ocean, having\nvanquished in battle sixty thousands of Nivatakavachas. It was this\nconqueror of hostile towns, this Arjuna of mighty arms, that gratified\nAgni, having vanquished the very gods with Indra at their head. And\nNarayana also hath, in this world, destroyed in the same way numberless\nother Daityas and Danavas. Even such are those two of mighty energy that\nare now seen united with each other. It hath been heard by us that the\ntwo heroic and mighty car-warriors, Vasudeva and Arjuna, that are now\nunited with each other, are those same ancient gods, the divine Nara and\nNarayana. Amongst all on earth they are incapable of being vanquished by\nthe Asuras and the gods headed by Indra himself. That Narayana is\nKrishna, and that Nara is Falguna. Indeed, they are one Soul born in\ntwain. These two, by their acts, enjoy numerous eternal and inexhaustible\nregions, and are repeatedly born in those worlds when destructive wars\nare necessary. For this reason their mission is to fight. Just this is\nwhat Narada, conversant with the Vedas, had said unto the Vrishnis. When\nthou, O Duryodhana, wilt see Kesava with conch-shell and discus, and mace\nin hand, and that terrible wielder of the bow, Arjuna, armed with\nweapons, when thou wilt behold those eternal and illustrious ones, the\ntwo Krishnas seated on the same car, then wilt thou, O child, remember\nthese my words. Why should not such danger threaten the Kurus when thy\nintellect, O child, hath fallen off from both profit and virtue? If thou\nheedest not my words, thou shalt then have to hear of the slaughter of\nmany, for all the Kauravas accept thy opinion. Thou art alone in holding\nas true the opinion, O bull of the Bharata race, only three persons,\nviz., Karna, a low-born Suta's son cursed by Rama, Sakuni, the son of\nSuvala, and thy mean and sinful brother Dussasana.'\n\n\"Karna said, 'It behoveth thee not, O blessed grandsire, to use such\nwords towards me, for I have adopted the duties of the Kshatriya order\nwithout falling off from those of my own. Besides, what wickedness is\nthere in me? I have no sin known to any one of Dhritarashtra's people. I\nhave never done any injury to Dhritarashtra's son; on the other hand, I\nwill slay all the Pandavas in battle. How can they that are wise make\npeace again with those that have before been injured? It is always my\nduty to do all that is agreeable to king Dhritarashtra, and especially to\nDuryodhana, for he is in possession of the kingdom.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having listened to these words of Karna,\nBhishma the son of Santanu, addressing king Dhritarashtra, again said,\n'Although this one often boasteth saying,--\"I shall slay the\nPandavas,\"--yet he is not equal to even a sixteenth part of the high-souled\nPandavas. Know that the great calamity that is about to overtake thy sons\nof wicked souls, is the act of this wretched son of a Suta! Relying upon\nhim, thy foolish son Suyodhana hath insulted those heroes of celestial\ndescent, those chastisers of all foes. What, however, is that difficult\nfeat achieved by this wretch before that is equal to any of those\nachieved of old by every one of the Pandavas? Beholding in the city of\nVirata his beloved brother slain by Dhananjaya who displayed such\nprowess, what did this one then do? When Dhananjaya, rushing against all\nthe assembled Kurus, crushed them and took away their robes, was this one\nnot there then? When thy son was being led away as a captive by the\nGandharvas on the occasion of the tale of the cattle, where was this son\nof a Suta then who now belloweth like a bull? Even there, it was Bhima,\nand the illustrious Partha, and the twins, that encountered the\nGandharvas and vanquished them. Ever beautiful, and always unmindful of\nboth virtue and profit, these, O bull of the Bharata race, are the many\nfalse things, blessed be thou, that this one uttereth.'\n\n\"Having heard these words of Bhishma, the high-souled son of Bharadwaja,\nhaving paid due homage unto Dhritarashtra and the assembled kings, spoke\nunto him these words, 'Do that, O king, which the best of the Bharatas,\nBhishma, hath said. It behoveth thee not to act according to the words of\nthose that are covetous of wealth. Peace with the Pandavas, before the\nwar breaks out, seems to be the best. Everything said by Arjuna and\nrepeated here by Sanjaya, will, I know, be accomplished by that son of\nPandu, for there is no bowman equal unto him in the three worlds!' Without\nregarding, however, these words spoken by both Drona and Bhishma, the\nking again asked Sanjaya about the Pandavas. From that moment, when the\nking returned not a proper answer to Bhishma and Drona, the Kauravas gave\nup all hopes of life.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION L\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'What did that Pandava king, the son of Dharma, say,\nO Sanjaya, after hearing that a large force hath been assembled here for\ngladdening us? How also is Yudhishthira acting, in view of the coming\nstrife, O Suta, who amongst his brothers and sons are looking up to his\nface, desirous of receiving his orders? Provoked as he is by the\ndeceptions of my wicked sons, who, again, are dissuading that king of\nvirtuous behaviour and conversant with virtue, saying,--\"Have peace\"?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'All the Panchalas, along with the other sons of Pandu,\nare looking up to Yudhishthira's face, blessed be thou, and he too is\nrestraining them all. Multitudes of cars belonging to the Pandavas and\nthe Panchalas are coming in separate bodies for gladdening Yudhishthira,\nthe son of Kunti, ready to march to the field of battle. As the sky\nbrightens up at the advent of the rising sun, so the Panchalas are\nrejoicing at their union with Kunti's son of blazing splendour, risen\nlike a flood of light. The Panchalas, the Kekayas, and the Matsyas, along\nwith the very herdsmen that attend on their kine and sheep, are rejoicing\nand gladdening Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu. Brahmana and Kshatriya\ngirls and the very daughters of the Vaisyas, in large number, are coming\nin playful mood for beholding Partha accounted in coat of mail.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell us, O Sanjaya, of the forces of\nDhrishtadyumna, as also of the Somakas, and of all others, with which the\nPandavas intend to fight with us.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus interrogated, in the midst of the Kurus\nand in their very hall, the son of Gavalgana became thoughtful for a\nmoment and seemed to draw repeatedly deep and long sights; and suddenly\nhe fell down in a swoon without any apparent reason. Then in that\nassembly of kings, Vidura said loudly, 'Sanjaya, O great king, hath\nfallen down on the ground senseless, and cannot utter a word, bereft of\nsense and his intellect clouded.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Without doubt, Sanjaya, having seen those mighty\ncar-warriors, the sons of Kunti, hath his mind filled with great anxiety\nin consequence of those tigers among men.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having recovered consciousness, and being\ncomforted, Sanjaya addressed king Dhritarashtra in the midst of that\nconcourse of Kurus in that hall, saying, 'Indeed, O king of kings, I saw\nthose great warriors, the sons of Kunti, thinned in body, in consequence\nof the restraint in which they had lived in the place of the king of the\nMatsyas. Hear, O King, with whom the Pandavas will contend against you.\nWith that hero Dhrishtadyumna as their ally, they will fight against you.\nWith that personage of virtuous soul, who never forsaketh truth through\nanger or fear, temptation, or for the sake of wealth, of disputation; and\nwho is, O King, a very authority in matters of religion, himself being\nthe best of those that practise virtue;--with him, who hath never made an\nenemy, the sons of Pandu will fight against you. He unto whom no one on\nearth is equal in might of arms, and who, wielding his bow had brought\nall kings under subjection, and who, vanquishing of old all the people of\nKasi and Anga and Magadha, as also the Kalingas;--with that Bhimasena\nwill the sons of Pandu fight against you. Indeed, he through whose might\nthe four sons of Pandu quickly could alight on the earth, having issued\nforth from the (burning) house of lac that son of Kunti, Vrikodara, who\nbecame the means of their rescue from the cannibal Hidimva; that son of\nKunti, Vrikodara, who became their refuge when the daughter of Yajnasena\nwas being carried away by Jayadratha; indeed, with that Bhima who\nrescued the assembled Pandavas from the conflagration at Varanavata; even\nwith him (as their ally) will they fight against you. He, who for the\ngratification of Krishna slew the Krodhavasas, having penetrated the\nrugged and terrible mountains of Gandhamadana, he to whose arms hath been\nimparted the might of ten thousand elephants; with that Bhimasena (as\ntheir ally) the Pandavas will fight against you. That hero, who, for the\ngratification of Agni, with Krishna only for his second, bravely\nvanquished of yore Purandara in fight; he who gratified by combat that\nGod of gods, the trident-bearing lord of Uma--Mahadeva himself having the\nmountains for his abode; that foremost of warriors who subjugated all the\nkings of the earth--with that Vijaya (as their ally) the Pandavas will\nencounter you in battle. That wonderful warrior Nakula, who vanquished\nthe whole of the western world teeming with Mlecchas, is present in the\nPandava camp. With that handsome hero, that unrivalled bowman, that son\nof Madri, O Kauravya, the Pandavas will fight against you. He who\nvanquished in battle the warriors of Kasi, Anga, and Kalinga,--with that\nSahadeva will the Pandavas encounter you in battle. He, who in energy\nhath for his equals only four men on earth, viz., Aswatthaman and\nDhrishtaketu and Rukmi and Pradyumna,--with that Sahadeva, youngest in\nyears, that hero among men, that gladdener of Madri's heart, with him, O\nKing, will you have a destructive battle. She, who, while living of yore\nas the daughter of the king of Kasi, had practised the austerest\npenances; she, who, O bull of the Bharata race, desiring even in a\nsubsequent life to compass the destruction of Bhishma, took her birth as\nthe daughter of Panchala, and accidentally became afterwards a male; who,\nO tiger among men, is conversant with the merits and demerits of both\nsexes; that invincible prince of the Panchala who encountered the\nKalingas in battle, with that Sikhandin skilled in every weapon, will the\nPandavas fight against you. She whom a Yaksha for Bhishma's destruction\nmetamorphosed into a male, with that formidable bowman will the Pandavas\nfight against you. With those mighty bowmen, brothers all, those five\nKekaya princes, with those heroes clad in mail will the Pandavas fight\nagainst you. With that warrior of long arms, endued with great activity\nin the use of weapons, possessed of intelligence and prowess incapable of\nbeing baffled, with that Yuyudhana, the lion of the Vrishni race, will\nyou have to fight. He, who had been the refuge of the high-souled\nPandavas for a time, with that Virata, will ye have an encounter in\nbattle. The lord of Kasi, that mighty car-warrior who ruleth in Varanasi\nhath become an ally of theirs; with him the Pandavas will fight against\nyou. The high-souled sons of Draupadi, tender in years but invincible in\nbattle, and unapproachable like snakes of virulent poison, with them,\nwill the Pandavas fight against you. He, that in energy is like unto\nKrishna and in self-restraint unto Yudhishthira, with that Abhimanyu,\nwill the Pandavas fight against you. That war-like son of Sisupala,\nDhrishtaketu of great fame, who in energy is beyond comparison and who\nwhen angry is incapable of being withstood in battle, with that king of\nthe Chedis who has joined the Pandavas at the head of an Akshauhini of\nhis own, will the sons of Pandu fight against you. He that is the refuge\nof the Pandavas, even as Vasava is of the celestials, with that Vasudeva,\nthe Pandavas will fight against you. He also, O bull of Bharata race,\nSarabha the brother of the king of the Chedis, who again is united with\nKarakarsa, with both these, the Pandavas will fight against you.\nSahadeva, the son of Jarasandha, and Jayatsena, both unrivalled heroes in\nbattle, are resolved upon fighting for the Pandavas. And Drupada too,\npossessed of great might, and followed by a large force, and reckless of\nhis life, is resolved to fight for the Pandavas. Relying upon these and\nother kings by hundreds, of both the eastern and northern countries, king\nYudhishthira the just, is prepared for battle.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LI\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'All these named by thee are, indeed, endued with\ngreat courage, but all of them together are equal to Bhima singly. My\nfear, O child, from the wrathful Bhima is, indeed, very great, like that\nof fat deer from an enraged tiger. I pass all my nights in sleeplessness,\nbreathing deep and hot sighs afraid of Vrikodara, O child, like an animal\nof any other species afraid of the lion. Of mighty arms, and in energy\nequal unto Sakra himself, I see not in this whole army even one that can\nwithstand him in battle. Exceedingly wrathful and determined in\nanimosity, that son of Kunti and Pandu smileth not even in jest, is mad\nwith rage, casteth his glances obliquely, and speaketh in a voice of\nthunder. Of great impetuosity and great courage, of long arms and great\nmight, he will not, in battle, leave even one of my foolish sons alive.\nIndeed, Vrikodara, that bull among the Kurus, whirling his mace in\nbattle, will, like a second Yama mace in hand slay all my sons who are\nafflicted by a heavy calamity. Even now I see that terrible mace of his,\nwith eight sides made of steel, and adorned with gold, uplifted like a\nBrahmana's curse. As a lion of mighty strength among a flock of deer,\nBhima will range among my troops. He only (amongst his brothers) always\ndisplayed his strength cruelly towards my sons. Eating voraciously, and\nendued with great impetuosity, from his very childhood he hath been\nbehaving inimically towards my children. My heart trembleth (to remember)\nthat even in their childhood, Duryodhana and other sons of mine, while\nfighting with him (sportively) were always ground down by the\nelephant-like Bhima. Alas, my sons have always been oppressed by his\nmight, and it is that Bhima of terrible prowess that hath been the cause\nof this rupture. Even now I behold Bhima, mad with rage, fighting in the\nvery van, and devouring the whole of my host consisting of men,\nelephants, and steeds. Equal unto Drona and Arjuna in weapons, his speed\nequal unto the velocity of the wind, and in wrath like unto Maheswara\nhimself, who is there, O Sanjaya, that would slay that wrathful and\nterrible hero in battle? I think it to be a great gain that my sons were\nnot even then slain by that slayer of enemies who is endued with such\nenergy. How can a human being withstand the impetuosity of that warrior\nin battle who slew Yakshas and Rakshasas of terrible might before? O\nSanjaya, even in his childhood he was never completely under my control.\nInjured by my wicked sons, how can that son of Pandu come under my\ncontrol now? Cruel and extremely wrathful, he would break but not bend.\nOf oblique glances and contracted eye-brows, how can he be induced to\nremain quiet? Endued with heroism, of incomparable might and fair\ncomplexion, tall like a palmyra tree, and in height taller than Arjuna by\nthe span of the thumb, the second son of Pandu surpasseth the very steeds\nin swiftness, and elephants in strength, speaketh in indistinct accents,\nand possesseth eyes having the hue of honey. As regards form and might,\neven such was he in his very boyhood, as I truly heard long before from\nthe lips of Vyasa! Terrible and possessed of cruel might, when angry he\nwill destroy in battle with his iron mace cars and elephants and men and\nhorses. By acting against his wishes, that foremost of smiters who is\never wrathful and furious, hath before been, O child, insulted by me.\nAlas, how will my sons bear that mace of his which is straight, made of\nsteel, thick, of beautiful sides, adorned with gold, capable of slaying a\nhundred, and producing a terrible sound when hurled at the foe? Alas, O\nchild, my foolish sons are desirous of crossing that inaccessible ocean\nconstituted by Bhima, which is really shoreless, without a raft on it,\nimmeasurable in depth, and full of currents impetuous as the course of\narrows. Fools in reality though boasting of their wisdom, alas, my\nchildren do not listen to me even though I cry out. Beholding only the\nhoney they do not see the terrible fall that is before them. They that\nwill rush to battle with Death himself in that human shape, are certainly\ndoomed to destruction by the Supreme Ordainer, like animals within the\nlion's view. Full four cubits in length, endued with six sides and great\nmight, and having also a deadly touch, when he will hurl his mace from\nthe sling, how shall my sons, O child, bear its impetus? Whirling his\nmace and breaking therewith the heads of (hostile) elephants, licking\nwith his tongue the corners of his mouth and drawing long breaths, when\nhe will rush with loud roars against mighty elephants, returning the\nyells of those infuriated beasts that might rush against him, and when\nentering the close array of cars he will slay, after taking proper aim,\nthe chief warriors before him, what mortal of my party will escape from\nhim looking like a blazing flame? Crushing my forces and cutting a\npassage through them, that mighty armed hero, dancing with mace in hand,\nwill exhibit the scene, witnessed during the universal Dissolution at the\nend of a Yuga. Like an infuriated elephant crushing trees adorned with\nflowers, Vrikodara, in battle will furiously penetrate the ranks of my\nsons. Depriving my warriors of their cars, drivers, steeds, and\nflag-staff, and afflicting all warriors fighting from cars and the backs\nof elephants, that tiger among men will, O Sanjaya, like the impetuous\ncurrent of Ganga throwing down diverse trees standing on its banks, crush\nin battle the troops of my sons. Without doubt, O Sanjaya, afflicted by\nthe fear of Bhimasena, my sons and their dependents and all the allied\nkings will fly in different directions. It was this Bhima who, having\nentered of old, with Vasudeva's aid, the innermost apartments of\nJarasandha, overthrew that king endued with great energy; that lord of\nMagadha, the mighty Jarasandha, having fully brought under his subjection\nthe goddess Earth, oppressed her by his energy. That the Kauravas in\nconsequence of Bhishma's prowess, and the Andhakas and the Vrishnis in\nconsequence of their policy, could not be subjugated by him was due only\nto their good fortune. What could be more wonderful than that the heroic\nson of Pandu, of mighty arms and without any weapons, having approached\nthat king, slew him in a trice? Like a venomous snake, whose poison hath\naccumulated for years, Bhima will, O Sanjaya, vomit in battle the poison\nof his wrath upon my sons! Like the foremost of the celestials, the great\nIndra, smiting the Danavas with his thunderbolt, Bhimasena will, mace in\nhand, slay all my sons! Incapable of being withstood or resisted, of\nfierce impetus and powers, and with eyes of a coppery hue, I behold even\nnow that Vrikodara falling upon my sons. Without mace or bow, without car\nor coat of mail, fighting with his bare arms only, what man is there that\ncan stand before him? Bhishma, that regenerate Drona, and Kripa the son\nof Saradwat,--these are as much acquainted as I myself with the energy of\nthe intelligent Bhima. Acquainted with the practice of those that are\nnoble, and desirous of death in battle, these bulls among men will take\ntheir stand in the van of our army. Destiny is everywhere powerful,\nespecially in the case of a male person, for beholding the victory of the\nPandavas in battle, I do not yet restrain my sons. These mighty bowmen of\nmine, desirous of treading in that ancient track leading up to heaven,\nwill lay down their lives in battle, taking care, however, of earthly\nfame. O child, my sons are the same to these mighty bowmen as the\nPandavas are to them, for all of them are grandsons of Bhishma and\ndisciples of Drona and Kripa. O Sanjaya, the little acceptable services\nthat we have been able to do unto these three venerable ones, will\ncertainly be repaid by them owing to their own noble dispositions. It is\nsaid that death in battle of a Kshatriya, who hath taken up arms and\ndesireth to observe Kshatriya practices is, indeed, both good and\nmeritorious. I weep, however, for all those that will fight against the\nPandavas. That very danger hath now come which was foreseen by Vidura at\nthe outset. It seems, O Sanjaya, that wisdom is incapable of dispelling\nwoe; on the other hand, it is overwhelming woe that dispelleth wisdom.\nWhen the very sages, that are emancipated from all worldly concerns and\nthat behold, standing aloof, all the affairs of the universe, are\naffected by prosperity and adversity, what wonder is there that I should\ngrieve, I who have my affections fixed on a thousand things such as sons,\nkingdom, wives, grandsons, and relatives? What good can possibly be in\nstore for me on the accession of such a frightful danger? Reflecting on\nevery circumstance, I see the certain destruction of the Kurus. That\nmatch at dice seems to be the cause of this great danger of the Kurus.\nAlas, this sin was committed from temptation by foolish Duryodhana,\ndesirous of wealth; I believe all this to be the untoward effect of\never-fleeting Time that bringeth on everything. Tied to the wheel of\nTime, like its periphery, I am not capable of flying away from it. Tell\nme, O Sanjaya, where shall I go? What shall I do, and, how shall I do it?\nThese foolish Kauravas will all be destroyed, their Time having come.\nHelplessly I shall have to hear the wailing of women when my hundred sons\nwill all be slain. Oh, how may death come upon me? As a blazing fire in\nthe summer season, when urged by the wind, consumeth dry grass, so will\nBhima, mace in hand, and united with Arjuna, slay all on my side!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'He whom we have never heard to speak a falsehood,\nhe who hath Dhananjaya to fight for him, may have the sovereignty of even\nthe three worlds. Reflecting from day to day I do not find the warrior\nwho may, on his car, advance in battle against the wielder of Gandiva.\nWhen that wielder of Gandiva will shoot winged arrows and Nalikas and\nshafts capable of piercing the breast of warriors, there is no rival of\nhis in battle. If those bulls among men, those heroes,--Drona and\nKarna,--those foremost of mighty men, versed in weapons and invincible in\nbattle, withstand him, the result may be very doubtful, but I am sure\nthat the victory will not be mine. Karna is both compassionate and\nheedless, and the preceptor is aged and hath affection for his pupil.\nPartha, however, is able and mighty, of firm grasp (of the bow). Terrible\nwill be the encounter between them, without resulting in any one's\ndefeat. Conversant with weapons and endued with heroism, all of them have\nearned great fame. They may relinquish the very sovereignty of the gods,\nbut not the chance of winning victory. There would be peace, without\ndoubt, upon the fall of either of these two (Drona and Karna) or of\nFalguna. There is none, however, who can either slay or vanquish Arjuna.\nAlas, how may his wrath that hath been excited against my foolish sons be\npacified. Others there are acquainted with the use of weapons, that\nconquer or are conquered; but it is heard that Falguna always conquereth.\nThree and thirty years have passed away since the time, when Arjuna,\nhaving invited Agni, gratified him at Khandava, vanquishing all the\ncelestials. We have never heard of his defeat anywhere, O child. Like the\ncase of Indra, victory is always Arjuna's, who hath for his charioteer in\nbattle Hrishikesa, endued with the same character and position. We hear\nthat the two Krishnas on the same car and the stringed Gandiva,--these\nthree forces,--have been united together. As regards ourselves, we have\nnot a bow of that kind, or a warrior like Arjuna, or a charioteer like\nKrishna. The foolish followers of Duryodhana are not aware of this. O\nSanjaya, the blazing thunderbolt falling on the head leaveth something\nundestroyed, but the arrows, O child, shot by Kiritin leave nothing\nundestroyed. Even now I behold Dhananjaya shooting his arrows and\ncommitting havoc around, picking off heads from bodies with his arrowy\nshowers! Even now I behold the arrowy conflagration, blazing all around,\nissuing from the Gandiva, consuming in battle the ranks of my sons. Even\nnow it seemeth to me that, struck with panic at the rattle of\nSavyasachin's car, my vast army consisting of diverse forces is running\naway in all directions. As a tremendous conflagration, wandering in all\ndirections, of swelling flames and urged by the wind, consumeth dry\nleaves and grass, so will the great fame of Arjuna's weapons consume all\nmy troops. Kiritin, appearing as a foe in battle, will vomit innumerable\narrows and become irresistible like all destroying Death urged forward by\nthe Supreme Ordainer. When I shall constantly hear of evil omens of\ndiverse kinds happening in the homes of the Kurus, and around them and on\nthe field of battle, then will destruction, without doubt, overtake the\nBharats.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Endued with great prowess and eager for victory,\neven as the sons themselves of Pandu are, so are their followers, who are\nall resolved to sacrifice their lives and determined to win victory. Even\nthou, O son, hast told me of my mighty enemies, viz., the kings of the\nPanchalas, the Kekayas, the Matsyas, and the Magadhas. He, again, who at\nhis will can bring under his subjection all the three worlds with Indra\nat their head, even that Creator of the universe, the mighty Krishna is\nbent on giving victory upon the Pandavas. As regards Satyaki, he acquired\nin no time the whole science of arms from Arjuna. That scion of Sini's\nrace will stand on the battle-field, shooting his shafts like husbandmen\nsowing seeds. The prince of Panchala, Dhrishtadyumna, that mighty\ncar-warrior of merciless deeds, acquainted with all superior weapons,\nwill fight with my host. Great is my fear, O child from the wrath of\nYudhishthira, from the prowess of Arjuna, and from the Twins and\nBhimasena. When those lords of men will, in the midst of my army, spread\ntheir superhuman net of arrows, I fear my troops will not come out of it.\nIt is for this, O Sanjaya, that I weep. That son of Pandu, Yudhishthira,\nis handsome, endued with great energy, highly blessed, possessed of\nBrahma force, intelligent, of great wisdom, and virtuous soul. Having\nallies and counsellors, united with persons ready for battle, and\npossessing brothers and father-in-law who are all heroes and mighty\ncar-warriors, that tiger among men, the son of Pandu, is also endued with\npatience, capable of keeping his counsels, compassionate, modest, of\npowers incapable of being baffled, possessed of great learning, with soul\nunder proper control, ever waiting upon the aged, and subdued senses;\npossessed thus of every accomplishment, he is like unto a blazing fire.\nWhat fool, doomed to destruction and deprived of sense, will jump,\nmoth-like, into that blazing and irresistible Pandava fire! Alas, I have\nbehaved deceitfully towards him. The king, like unto a fire of long\nflames, will destroy all my foolish sons in battle without leaving any\nalive. I, therefore, think that it is not proper to fight with them. Ye\nKauravas, be ye of the same mind. Without doubt, the whole race of Kuru\nwill be destroyed, in case of hostilities being waged. This appears to me\nvery clearly, and if we act accordingly, my mind may have peace. If war\nwith them doth not seem beneficial to you, then we will strive to bring\nabout peace. Yudhishthira will never be indifferent when he sees us\ndistressed, for he censures me only as the cause of this unjust war.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'It is even so, O great king, as thou, O Bharata, sayest.\nOn the event of battle, the destruction of the Kshatriyas by means of\nGandiva is certain. This, however, I do not understand, how when thou art\nalways wise and especially acquainted with the prowess of Savyasachin,\nthou followest yet the counsels of thy sons. Having O bull of the Bharata\nrace, injured the sons of Pritha from the very beginning, having in fact,\ncommitted sins repeatedly, this is not, O great king, the time (to\ngrieve). He that occupies the position of a father and a friend, if he is\nalways watchful and of good heart, should seek the welfare (of his\nchildren); but he that injures, cannot be called a father. Hearing of the\ndefeat of the Pandavas at dice, thou hadst, O king, laughed like a child,\nsaying, \"This is won, this is acquired!\" When the harshest speeches were\naddressed to the sons of Pritha, thou didst not then interfere, pleased\nat the prospect of thy sons winning the whole kingdom. Thou couldst not\nhowever, then see before the inevitable fall. The country of the Kurus,\nincluding the region called Jangala is, O king, thy paternal kingdom.\nThou hast, however, obtained the whole earth by those heroes. Won by the\nstrength of their arms, the sons of Pritha made over to thee this extensive\nempire. Thou thinkest, however, O best of kings, that all this was\nacquired by thee. When thy sons, seized by the king of the Gandharvas,\nwere about to sink in a shoreless sea without a raft to save them, it was\nPartha, O king, that brought them back. Thou hadst, like a child,\nrepeatedly laughed, O monarch, at the Pandavas when they were defeated at\ndice and were going into exile. When Arjuna poureth a shower of keen\narrows, the very oceans dry up, let alone beings of flesh and blood.\nFalguna is the foremost of all shooters; Gandiva is the foremost of all\nbows; Kesava is the foremost of all beings; the Sudarsana is the foremost\nof all weapons; and of cars, that furnished with the banner bearing the\nblazing Ape on it is the foremost. That car of his, bearing all these and\ndrawn by white steeds, will, O king, consume us all in battle like the\nupraised wheel of Time. O bull of the Bharata race, his is even now the\nwhole earth and he is the foremost of all kings, who hath Bhima and\nArjuna to fight for him. Beholding the host sinking in despair when\nsmitten by Bhima, the Kauravas headed by Duryodhana will all meet\ndestruction. Struck with the fear of Bhima and Arjuna, the sons, O king,\nand the kings following them, will not, O lord, be able to win victory.\nThe Matsyas, the Panchalas, the Salwas and the Surasenas, all decline to\npay thee homage now and all disregard thee. Acquainted with the energy of\nthat wise king, all of them, however, have joined that son of Pritha, and\nfor their devotion to him they are always opposed to thy sons. He that,\nby his evil deeds, afflicted the sons of Pandu, who are all wedded to\nvirtue and undeserving of destruction, he that hateth them even\nnow,--that sinful man, O monarch, who is none else than thy son,--should,\nwith all his adherents, be checked by all means. It behoveth thee not to\nbewail in this strain. Even this was said by myself as well as by the\nwise Vidura at the time of the gambling match at dice. These thy\nlamentations in connection with the Pandavas, as if thou wert a helpless\nperson, are, O king, all useless.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LV\n\n\"Duryodhana said, 'Fear not, O king. Nor shouldest thou grieve for us. O\nmonarch, O lord, we are quite able to vanquish the foe in battle. When\nthe Parthas had been exiled to the woods, there came unto them the slayer\nof Madhu with a vast army in battle array and capable of crushing hostile\nkingdoms; and there also came unto them the Kekayas, and Dhrishtaketu,\nand Dhrishtadyumna of Pritha's race and numerous other kings in their\ntrain; and all those great car-warriors were assembled in a place not far\nfrom Indraprastha; and having assembled together they censured thee and\nall the Kurus. And O Bharata, all those warriors with Krishna at their\nhead paid their homage unto Yudhishthira clad in deerskin and seated in\ntheir midst. And all those kings then suggested to Yudhishthira that he\nshould take back the kingdom. And all of them desired to slay thee with\nall thy followers. And hearing of all this, O bull of the Bharata race, I\naddressed Bhishma and Drona and Kripa, struck with fear, O king, at the\nprospect of the ruin that threatened our kindred. And I said unto them,\n\"I think the Pandavas will not abide by the agreement made by them;\nVasudeva desireth our utter extinction. I think also that with the\nexception of Vidura all of you will be slain, although the chief of the\nKurus, Dhritarashtra, conversant with morality, will not be included in\nthe slaughter. O sire, effecting our complete destruction, Janardana\nwisheth to bestow upon Yudhishthira the entire kingdom of the Kurus. What\nshould be done? Shall we surrender, or fly, or shall we fight the foe\ngiving up every hope of life? If, indeed, we stand up against them, our\ndefeat is certain, for all the kings of the earth are under\nYudhishthira's command. The people of the realm are all annoyed with us,\nand all our friends also are angry with us. All the kings of the earth\nare speaking ill of us, and especially all our friends and relatives.\nThere can be no fault in our surrender, for from time immemorial, the\nweaker party is known to conclude peace. I grieve, however, for that lord\nof men, my blind father, who may, on my account, be overtaken by woe and\nmisery that is endless. [It is known to thee, O king, even before this,\nthat thy other sons were all opposed to the foe for pleasing me only].\nThose mighty car-warriors, the sons of Pandu, will, indeed, avenge their\nwrongs by destroying the whole race of king Dhritarashtra with all his\ncounsellors.\"--(It was thus that I addressed them, and) seeing me\nafflicted by great anxiety and my senses tortured, Drona and Bhishma and\nKripa and Drona's son then addressed me, saying, \"Fear not, O represser\nof foes, for if the foe wage hostilities with us, they will not be able\nto vanquish us when we take the field. Every one of us is singly capable\nof vanquishing all the kings of the earth. Let them come. With keen-edged\narrows we will curb their pride. Inflamed with anger upon the death of\nhis father, this Bhishma (amongst us) in days of old had conquered all\nthe kings of the earth, on a single car. O Bharata, his wrath excited,\nthat best of the Kurus smote numberless ones amongst them, whereupon from\nfear, they are surrendered to this Devavrata seeking his protection. That\nBhishma, united with us, is still capable of vanquishing the foe in\nbattle. Let thy fears, therefore, O bull of the Bharata race, be all\ndispelled.\"'\n\n\"Duryodhana continued, 'Even this was the resolve then formed by these\nheroes of immeasurable energy. The whole earth was formerly under the\nfoe's command. Now, however, they are incapable of vanquishing us in\nbattle, for our enemies, the sons of Pandu, are now without allies and\ndestitute of energy. O bull of the Bharata race, the sovereignty of the\nearth now resteth in me, and the kings also, assembled by me, are of the\nsame mind with me in weal or woe. Know thou, O best of the Kuru race,\nthat all these kings, O slayer of foes, can, for my sake, enter into the\nfire or the sea. They are all laughing at thee, beholding thee filled\nwith grief and including in these lamentations like one out of his wits,\nand affrighted at the praises of the foe. Every one amongst these kings\nis able to withstand the Pandavas. Indeed, sire, every one regardeth\nhimself; let thy fears, therefore, be dispelled. Even Vasava himself is\nnot capable of vanquishing my vast host. The Self-create Brahma himself,\nif desirous of slaying it, cannot annihilate it. Having given up all\nhopes of a city, Yudhishthira craveth only five villages, affrighted, O\nlord, at the army I have assembled and at my power. The belief thou\nentertainest in the prowess of Vrikodara, the son of Kunti, is unfounded.\nO Bharata, thou knowest not the extent of my prowess. There is none on\nearth equal to me in an encounter with the mace. None have ever surpassed\nme in such an encounter, nor will any surpass me. With devoted\napplication and undergoing many privations, I have lived in my\npreceptor's abode. I have completed my knowledge and exercises there. It\nis for this that I have no fear either of Bhima or of others. When I\nhumbly waited upon Sankarshana (my preceptor), blessed be thou, it was\nhis firm conviction that Duryodhana hath no equal in the mace. In battle\nI am Sankarshana's equal, and in might there is none superior to me on\nearth. Bhima will never be able to bear the blow of my mace in battle. A\nsingle blow, O king, that I may wrathfully deal unto Bhima will\ncertainly, O hero, carry him without delay to the abode of Yama. O king,\nI wish to see Vrikodara mace in hand. This hath been my long-cherished\ndesire. Struck in battle with my mace, Vrikodara, the son of Pritha, will\nfall dead on the ground, his limbs shattered. Smitten with a blow of my\nmace, the mountains of Himavat may split into a hundred thousands\nfragments. Vrikodara himself knoweth this truth, as also Vasudeva and\nArjuna, that there is no one equal to Duryodhana in the use of mace. Let\nthy fears, therefore, caused by Vrikodara be dispelled, for I will\ncertainly slay him in fierce conflict. Do not, O king, give way to\nmelancholy. And after I have slain him, numerous car-warriors of equal or\nsuperior energy, will, O bull among the Bharatas, speedily throw Arjuna\ndown. Bhishma, Drona, Kripa and Drona's son, Karna and Bhurisravas,\nSalya, the king of Pragjyotish, and Jayadratha, the king of the\nSindhus,--every one of these, O Bharata, is singly capable of slaying the\nPandavas. When united together, they will, within a moment, send Arjuna\nto the abode of Yama. There, indeed, is no reason why the united army of\nall the kings will be incapable of vanquishing Dhananjaya singly. A\nhundred times shrouded by immeasurable arrows shot by Bhishma and Drona\nand Drona's son and Kripa, and deprived of strength, Partha will have to\ngo unto Yama's abode. Our grandsire born of Ganga is, O Bharata, superior\nto Santanu himself. Like unto a regenerate saint, and incapable of being\nwithstood by the very celestials, he took his birth amongst men. There is\nno slayer of Bhishma, O king, on earth, for his father, being gratified,\ngave him the boon,--\"Thou shalt not die except when it is thy own wish.\"\nAnd Drona took his birth in a water-pot from the regenerate saint\nBharadwaja. And from Drona hath taken birth his son, having a knowledge\nof the highest weapons. And this the foremost of preceptors, Kripa also,\nhath taken his birth from the great Rishi Gautama. Born in a clump of\nheath this illustrious one, I think, is incapable of being slain. Then\nagain, O king, the father, mother and maternal uncle of\nAswatthaman,--these three,--are not born of woman's womb. I have that\nhero also on my side. All these mighty car-warriors, O king, are like\nunto celestials, and can, O bull of the Bharata race, inflict pain on\nSakra himself in battle. Arjuna is incapable of even looking at any one\nof these singly. When united together, these tigers among men will\ncertainly slay Dhananjaya. Karna also, I suppose, is equal unto Bhishma\nand Drona and Kripa. O Bharata, Rama himself had told him,--\"Thou art\nequal unto me.\" Karna had two ear-rings born with him, of great brilliance\nand beauty; for Sachi's gratification Indra begged them of that repressor\nof foes, in exchange, O king, of an infallible and terrible shaft. How\nwould Dhananjaya, therefore, escape with life from Karna who is protected\nby that arrow? My success, therefore, O king, is as certain as a fruit\nheld fast in my own grasp. The utter defeat also of my foes is already\nbruited about on earth. This Bhishma, O Bharata, killeth every day ten\nthousand soldiers. Equal unto him are these bowmen, Drona, Drona's son\nand Kripa. Then, O repressor of foes, the ranks of the Samsaptaka\nwarriors have made this resolution,--\"Either we will slay Arjuna or that\nApe-bannered warrior will slay us.\" There are other kings also, who firm\nin their resolve of slaying Savyasachin, regard him as unequal to\nthemselves. Why dost thou then apprehend danger from the Pandavas? When\nBhimasena will be slain, O Bharata, who else (amongst them) will fight?\nTell me this, O repressor of foes, if thou knowest any amongst the foes.\nThe five brothers, with Dhrishtadyumna and Satyaki,--these seven warriors\nof the enemy, O king, are regarded as their chief strength. Those,\nhowever, amongst us, that are our chief warriors, are Bhishma, Drona,\nKripa, Drona's son, Karna, Somadatta, Vahlika, and Salya, the king of\nPragjyotisha, the two kings (Vindha and Anuvinda) of Avanti, and\nJayadratha; and then, O king, thy sons Dussasana, Durmukha, Dussaha,\nSrutayu; Chitrasena, Purumitra, Vivinsati, Sala, Bhurisravas, and\nVikarna. O king, I have assembled one and ten Akshauhinis. The army of\nthe enemy is less than mine, amounting only to seven Akshauhinis. How\nthen can I be defeated? Vrihaspati hath said that an army which is less\nby a third ought to be encountered. My army, O king, exceedeth that of\nthe foe by a third. Besides, O Bharata, I know that the enemy hath many\ndefects, while mine, O lord, are endued with many good virtues. Knowing\nall this, O Bharata, as also the superiority of my force and the\ninferiority of the Pandavas, it behoveth thee not to lose thy senses.'\n\n\"Having said this, O Bharata, that conqueror of hostile chiefs,\nDuryodhana, asked Sanjaya again, anxious to known more about the doings\nof the Pandavas.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVI\n\n\"Duryodhana said, 'Having obtained, O Sanjaya, an army numbering seven\nAkshauhinis, what is Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, with the other kings\nin his company, doing in view of the war?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Yudhishthira, O king, is very cheerful in view of the\nbattle. And so also are Bhimasena and Arjuna. The twins also are\nperfectly fearless. Desirous of making an experiment of the mantras\n(obtained by him), Vibhatsu, the son of Kunti, yoked his celestial car\nilluminating all the directions. Accoutred in mail, he looked like a mass\nof clouds charged with lightning. After reflecting for a while, he\ncheerfully addressed me, saying,--\"Behold, O Sanjaya, these preliminary\nsigns. We will certainly conquer.\" Indeed, what Vibhatsu said unto me\nappeared to me to be true.'\n\n\"Duryodhana said, 'Thou rejoicest to applaud those sons of Pritha\ndefeated at dice. Tell us now what sort of steeds are yoked unto Arjuna's\ncar and what sort of banners are set up on it?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'O great king, the celestial artificer called Tashtri or\nBhaumana, aided by Sakra and Dhatri, created forms of diverse kinds and\ngreat beauty for Arjuna's car. And displaying divine illusion they placed\non his flagstaff those celestial forms, large and small, of great value.\nAnd at Bhimasena's request, Hanumat, the son of the Wind-god, will also\nplace his own image on it. And Bhaumana has, in its creation, had\nrecourse to such illusion that that banner covers, both perpendicularly\nand laterally, an area of one yojana, and even if trees stand in its way,\nits course cannot be impeded. Indeed, even as Sakra's bow of diverse\ncolours is exhibited in the firmament, and nobody knows of what it is\nmade, so hath that banner been contrived by Bhaumana, for its form is\nvaried and ever varying. And as a column of smoke mixed with fire riseth\nup, covering the sky and displaying many bright hues and elegant shapes,\nso doth that banner contrived by Bhaumana rear its head. Indeed, it hath\nno weight, nor is it capable of being obstructed. And unto that car are a\ncentury of excellent celestial steeds of white hue and endued with the\nspeed of the mind, all presented by Chitrasena (the king of the\nGandharvas). And neither on earth, O king, nor in the sky, nor in heaven,\ntheir course can be impeded. And formerly a boon hath been granted to the\neffect that their number would always remain full how often so ever they\nmight be slain. And unto Yudhishthira's car are yoked large steeds of\nequal energy and white in colour like ivory. And unto Bhimasena's car are\nyoked coursers endued with the speed of the wind and the splendour of the\nseven Rishis. And steeds of sable bodies and backs variegated like the\nwings of the Tittri bird, all presented by his gratified brother Falguna,\nand superior to those of the heroic Falguna himself, cheerfully carry\nSahadeva. And Nakula of Ajamida's race, the son of Madri, is borne, like\nIndra the slayer of Vritra, by excellent steeds, presented by the great\nIndra himself, all mighty as the wind and endued with great speed. And\nexcellent steeds of large size, equal unto those of the Pandavas\nthemselves in years and strength, endued with great swiftness and of\nhandsome make, and all presented by the celestials, carry those youthful\nprinces, the sons of Subhadra and Draupadi.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Whom hast thou, O Sanjaya, seen to have, from\naffection, arrived there, and who will, on behalf of the Pandavas, fight\nmy son's forces?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'I have seen Krishna, the foremost of the Andhakas and the\nVrishnis, arrived there, and Chekitana, as also Satyaki, otherwise called\nYuyudhana. And those two mighty car-warriors, proud of their strength and\nfamed over all the world, have joined the Pandavas, each with a separate\nAkshauhini of troops. And Drupada, the king of the Panchalas, surrounded\nby his ten heroic sons--Satyajit and others--headed by Dhrishtadyumna,\nand well-protected by Sikhandin, and having furnished his soldiers with\nevery necessary thing, hath come there with a full Akshauhini, desirous\nof honouring Yudhishthira. And that lord of earth, Virata, with his two\nsons Sankha and Uttara, as also with those heroes Suryadatta and\nothers--headed by Madiraksha and surrounded by one Akshauhini of troops,\nhath thus accompanied by brothers and sons, joined the son of Pritha. And\nthe son of Jarasandha, the king of Magadha, and Dhrishtaketu, the king of\nthe Chedis, have separately come there, each accompanied by an Akshauhini\nof troops. And the five brothers of Kekaya, all having purple flags, have\njoined the Pandavas, surrounded by an Akshauhini of troops. Then\nnumbering to this extent, have I seen assembled there, and these, on\nbehalf of the Pandavas, will encounter the Dhartarashtra host. That great\ncar-warrior, Dhrishtadyumna, who is acquainted with human, celestial,\nGandharva and Asura arrays of battle, leadeth that host. O king, Bhishma,\nthe son of Santanu, has been assigned to Sikhandin as his share; and\nVirata with all his Matsya warriors will support Sikhandin. The mighty\nking of the Madras hath been assigned to the eldest son of Pandu as his\nshare, though some are of opinion that those two are not well-matched.\nDuryodhana with his sons and his ninety-nine brothers, as also the rulers\nof the east and the south, have been assigned to Bhimasena as his share.\nKarna, the son of Vikartana, and Jayadratha the king of the Sindhus, have\nbeen assigned to Arjuna as his share. And those heroes also on the earth\nwho are incapable of being withstood and who are proud of their might,\nhave been accepted by Arjuna as his share. And those mighty bowmen, the\nfive royal brothers of Kekaya, will put forth their strength in battle,\naccepting the Kekaya warriors (on Dhritarashtra's side) as antagonists.\nAnd in their share are included the Malavas also, and the Salwakas, as\nalso, the two famous warriors of the Trigarta host who have sworn to\nconquer or die. And all the sons of Duryodhana and Dussasana, as also\nking Vrihadvala, have been assigned to Subhadra's son as his share. And\nthose great bowmen, the sons of Draupadi, having cars furnished with\ngold-embroidered banners, all headed by Dhrishtadyumna, will, O Bharata,\nadvance against Drona. And Chekitana on his car desireth to encounter\nSomadatta in single combat with him, while Satyaki is anxious to battle\nagainst the Bhoja chief, Kritavarman. And the heroic son of Madri,\nSahadeva, who setteth up terrible roars in battle, hath intended to take\nas his share thy brother-in-law, the son of Suvala. And Nakula also, the\nson of Madravati, hath intended to take as his share the deceitful Uluka\nand the tribes of the Saraswatas. As for all the other kings of the\nearth, O Monarch, who will go to battle, the sons of Pandu have, by\nnaming them, distributed them in their own respective shares. Thus hath\nthe Pandava host been distributed into divisions. Do thou now, without\ndelay, with thy sons, act as thou thinkest best.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Alas, all my foolish sons, addicted to deceitful\ndice, are already dead when it is the mighty Bhima with whom they desire\nto encounter in the field of battle. All the kings of the earth too,\nconsecrated by Death himself for sacrifice, will rush to the Gandiva,\nlike so many moths into fire. Methinks my host is already put to flight\nby those illustrious warriors formerly injured by me. Who, indeed, shall\nfollow to battle my warriors, whose ranks will be broken by the sons of\nPandu in the encounter? All of them are mighty car-warriors, possessed of\ngreat bravery, of famous achievements, endued with great prowess, equal\nunto the fiery sun in energy, and all victorious in battle. Those that\nhave Yudhishthira for their leader, the slayer of Madhu for their\nprotector, the heroic Savyasachin and Vrikodara for their warriors, and\nNakula, and Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, and\nSatyaki, and Drupada, and Dhrishtaketu with his son, and Uttamaujas, and\nthe unconquerable Yudhamanyu of the Panchalas, and Sikhandin, and\nKshatradeva, and Uttara, the son of Virata, and Kasayas, the Chedis, the\nMatsyas, the Srinjayas, Vabhru the son of Virata, the Panchalas, and the\nPrabhadrakas, for fighting for them, those, indeed, from whom Indra\nhimself cannot, if they are unwilling, snatch this earth,--those heroes,\ncool and steady, in fight, who can split the very mountains--alas, it is\nwith them that are endued with every virtue and possessed of superhuman\nprowess that this wicked son of mine, O Sanjaya, desireth to fight,\ndisregarding me even though I am crying myself hoarse!'\n\n\"Duryodhana said, 'Both the Pandavas and ourselves are of the same race;\nboth they and we tread upon the same earth, why dost thou think that\nvictory will declare itself for only the Pandavas? Bhishma, Drona, Kripa,\nthe unconquerable Karna, Jayadratha, Somadatta, and Aswatthaman--all\nmighty bowmen and endued with great energy,--are incapable of being\nvanquished by Indra himself united with the celestials. What sayst thou\nthen, O father of the Pandavas? All these noble and heroic kings of the\nearth, bearing weapons, O father, are quite capable, for my sake, of\nwithstanding the Pandavas, while the latter are not capable of even\ngazing at my troops. I am powerful enough to encounter in battle the\nPandavas with their sons. O Bharata, all those rulers of the earth, who\nare anxious for my welfare, will certainly seize all the Pandavas like a\nherd of young deer by means of net. I tell thee, in consequence of our\ncrowds of cars and snares of arrows, the Panchalas and the Pandavas will\nall be routed.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O Sanjaya, this my son speaketh like a mad man, for\nhe is incapable of vanquishing in battle Yudhishthira the just. This\nBhishma truly knoweth the might of the famous, powerful, virtuous, and\nhigh-souled Pandavas and their sons, for he doth not wish a battle with\nthose illustrious ones. But tell me again O Sanjaya, of their movements.\nTell me, who are inciting those illustrious and mighty bowmen endued with\ngreat activity, like priests enkindling (Homa) fires with libations of\nclarified butter?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'O Bharata, Dhrishtadyumna is always urging the Pandavas\nto war, saying, \"Fight ye, best among the Bharatas. Do not entertain the\nleast fear. All those rulers of the earth, who, courted by\nDhritarashtra's son, will become in that fierce encounter targets of\nshowers of weapons,--indeed, I alone will encounter all those angry kings\nassembled together with their relatives, like a whale seizing little\nfishes from the water. Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Karna and Drona's\nson and Salya and Suyodhana,--them all I withstand, like the bank\nresisting the swelling sea.\" Unto him saying thus, the virtuous king\nYudhishthira said, \"The Panchalas and the Pandavas wholly depend upon thy\nprowess and steadiness. Rescue us safely from the war. I know, O\nmighty-armed one, that thou art firm in the duties of the Kshatriya\norder. Thou art, indeed, quite competent to smite alone the Kauravas.\nWhen the latter, eager for fight, will stand before us, what thou, O\nrepressor of foes, wilt arrange, will certainly be for our good. Even\nthis is the opinion of those acquainted with the scriptures, that the\nhero, who, displaying his prowess, relieth on those that after the rout run\naway from the battle-field, seeking for protection, is to be bought with\na thousand. Thou, O bull among men, art brave, mighty, and powerful.\nWithout doubt, thou art that deliverer of those that are over-powered\nwith fear on the field of battle.\" And when the righteous Yudhishthira\nthe son of Kunti said this, Dhrishtadyumna fearlessly addressed me in\nthese words, \"Go thou, O Suta, without delay, and say unto all those that\nhave come to fight for Duryodhana, say unto the Kurus of the Pratipa\ndynasty with the Vahlikas, the son of Saradwata and Karna and Drona, and\nDrona's son, and Jayadratha, and Dussasana, and Vikarna and king\nDuryodhana, and Bhishma,--Do not suffer yourselves to be slain by Arjuna,\nwho is protected by the celestials. Before that happens, let some good\nman approach Yudhishthira and entreat that son of Pandu, that best of\nmen, to accept the kingdom (surrendered by them) without delay. There is\nno warrior on the earth like unto Savyasachin, son of Pandu, of prowess\nincapable of being baffled. The celestial car of the holder of Gandiva is\nprotected by the very gods. He is incapable of being vanquished by human\nbeings. Do not, therefore, bend your mind to war!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVIII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Yudhishthira the son of Pandu is endued with\nKshatriya energy and leadeth the Brahmacharya mode of life from his very\nyouth. Alas, with him these foolish sons of mine desire to fight,\ndisregarding me that am thus bewailing. I ask thee, O Duryodhana, O\nforemost of the Bharata race, desist from hostility. O chastiser of foes,\nunder any circumstances, war is never applauded. Half the earth is quite\nenough for the maintenance of thyself and all thy followers. Give back\nunto the sons of Pandu, O chastiser of foes, their proper share. All the\nKauravas deem just this to be consistent with justice, that thou shouldst\nmake peace with the high-souled sons of Pandu. Reflect thus, O son, and\nthou wilt find that this thy army is for thy own death. Thou\nunderstandest not this from thy own folly. I myself do not desire war,\nnor Vahlika, nor Bhishma, nor Drona, nor Aswatthaman, nor Sanjaya, nor\nSomadatta, nor Salya, nor Kripa, nor Satyavrata, nor Purumitra, nor\nBhurisravas,--in fact, none of these desireth war. Indeed, those warriors\nupon whom the Kauravas, when afflicted by the foe, will have to rely, do\nnot approve of the war. O child, let that be acceptable to thee. Alas,\nthou dost not seek it of thy own will, but it is Karna and the\nevil-minded Dussasana and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, that are leading\nthee to it.'\n\n\"Duryodhana said, 'I challenge the Pandavas to battle, without depending\nupon thyself, Drona, or Aswatthaman, or Sanjaya, or Vikarna, or Kamvoja,\nor Kripa, or Vahlika, or Satyavrata, or Purumitra, or Bhurisravas, or\nothers of thy party. But, O bull among men, only myself and Karna, O\nsire, are prepared to celebrate the sacrifice of battle with all the\nnecessary rites, making Yudhishthira the victim. In that sacrifice, my\ncar will be the altar; my sword will be the smaller ladle, my mace, the\nlarge one, for pouring libations; my coat of mail will be the assembly of\nspectators; my four steeds will be the officiating priests; my arrows\nwill be the blades of Kusa grass; and fame will be the clarified butter.\nO king, performing, in honour of Yama, such a sacrifice in battle, the\ningredients of which will all be furnished by ourselves, we will return\nvictoriously covered with glory, after having slain our foes. Three of\nus, O sire, viz., myself and Karna and my brother Dussasana,--will slay\nthe Pandavas in battle. Either I, slaying the Pandavas, will sway this\nEarth, or the sons of Pandu, having slain me, will enjoy this Earth. O\nking, O thou of unfading glory, I would sacrifice my life, kingdom,\nwealth, everything, but would not be able to live side by side with the\nPandavas. O venerable one, I will not surrender to the Pandavas even that\nmuch of land which may be covered by the sharp point of a needle.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'I now abandon Duryodhana for ever. I nevertheless\ngrieve for you all, ye kings, that will follow this fool who is about to\nproceed to Yama's abode. Like tigers among a herd of deer, those foremost\nof smiters--the sons of Pandu,--will smite down your principal leaders\nassembled for battle. Methinks, the Bharata host, like a helpless woman,\nwill be afflicted and crushed and hurled to a distance by Yuyudhana of\nlong arms. Adding to the strength of Yudhishthira's army, which without\nhim was already sufficient, Sini's son will take up his stand on the\nfield of battle and scatter his arrows like seeds on a cultivated field.\nAnd Bhimasena will take up his position in the very van of the\ncombatants, and all his soldiers will fearlessly stand in his rear, as\nbehind a rampart. Indeed, when thou, O Duryodhana, wilt behold elephants,\nhuge as hills, prostrated on the ground with their tusks disabled, their\ntemples crushed and bodies dyed with gore,--in fact, when thou wilt see\nthem lying on the field of battle like riven hills, then, afraid of a\nclash with him, thou wilt remember these my words. Beholding thy host\nconsisting of cars, steeds, and elephants, consumed by Bhimasena, and\npresenting the spectacle of a wide-spread conflagration's track, thou\nwilt remember these my words. If ye do not make peace with the Pandavas,\noverwhelming calamity will be yours. Slain by Bhimasena with his mace, ye\nwill rest in peace. Indeed, when thou wilt see the Kuru host levelled to\nthe ground by Bhima, like a large forest torn up by the roots, then wilt\nthou remember these my words.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having said this unto all those rulers of the\nearth, the king addressing Sanjaya again, asked him as follows.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIX\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me, O thou of great wisdom, what high-souled\nVasudeva and Dhananjaya said. I am anxious to hear from thee all about\nthis.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Listen, O king, as I tell thee the state in which I found\nKrishna and Dhananjaya. I will also, O Bharata, tell thee what those\nheroes said, O king, with looks bent down and hands joined together, and\nwith senses well restrained, I entered the inner apartments for\nconferring with those gods among men. Neither Abhimanyu nor the Twins can\nrepair to that place where are the two Krishnas and Draupadi and lady\nSatyabhama. There I beheld those chastisers of foes, exhilarated with\nBassia wine, their bodies adorned with garlands of flowers. Attired in\nexcellent robes and adorned with celestial ornaments, they sat on a\ngolden dais, decked with numerous gems, and covered over with carpets of\ndiverse texture and hue. And I beheld Kesava's feet resting upon Arjuna's\nlap while those of the high-souled Arjuna rested upon the laps of Krishna\nand Satyabhama. Partha then pointed out to me (for a seat) a foot-stool\nmade of gold. Touching it with my hand, I seated myself down on the\nground. And when he withdraw his feet from the foot-stool, I beheld\nauspicious marks on both his soles. Those consisted of two longitudinal\nlines running from heels to fore-toe. O sire, endued with black\ncomplexions, of high statures, and erect like Sala trunks, beholding\nthose youthful heroes, both seated on the same seat, a great fear seized\nme. They seemed to me to be Indra and Vishnu seated together, though\nDuryodhana of dull sense knoweth it not, in consequence of his reliance on\nDrona and Bhishma and on the loud vaunts of Karna. That very moment, I\nwas convinced that the wishes of Yudhishthira the just, who had those two\nfor obeying his orders, were certain to succeed. Being hospitably\nentertained with food and drink, and honoured with other courtesies, I\nconveyed to them thy message, placing my joined hands on my head. Then\nPartha, removing Kesava's auspicious foot from his lap, with his hand\nscarred by the flappings of the bow-string, urged him to speak. Sitting\nup erect like Indra's banner, adorned with every ornament, and resembling\nIndra himself in energy, Krishna then addressed me. And the words which\nthat best of speakers said were sweet, charming and mild, though awful\nand alarming to the son of Dhritarashtra. Indeed, the words uttered by\nKrishna, who alone is fit to speak, were of correct emphasis and accent,\nand pregnant with meaning, though heart-rending in the end. And Vasudeva\nsaid, \"O Sanjaya, say thou these words unto the wise Dhritarashtra and in\nthe hearing of that foremost of the Kurus, Bhishma, and also of Drona,\nhaving first saluted at our request, O Suta, all the aged ones and having\nenquired after the welfare of the younger ones, 'Do ye celebrate diverse\nsacrifices, making presents unto the Brahmanas, and rejoice with your\nsons and wives, for a great danger threatens ye? Do ye give away wealth\nunto deserving persons, beget desirable sons, and do agreeable offices to\nthose that are dear to thee, for king Yudhishthira is eager for victory?'\"\nWhile I was at a distance, Krishna with tears addressing me said, \"That\ndebt, accumulating with time, hath not yet been paid off by me. Ye have\nprovoked hostilities with that Savyasachin, who hath for his bow the\ninvincible Gandiva, of fiery energy, and who hath me for his helpmate.\nWho, even if he were Purandara himself, would challenge Partha having me\nfor his help-mate, unless, of course, his span of life were full? He that\nis capable of vanquishing Arjuna in battle is, indeed, able to uphold the\nEarth with his two arms, to consume all created things in anger and hurl\nthe celestials from Heaven. Among the celestials, Asuras, and men, among\nYakshas, Gandharvas, and Nagas, I do not find the person that can\nencounter Arjuna in battle. That wonderful story which is heard of an\nencounter in the city of Virata between a single person on one side and\ninnumerable warriors on the other, is sufficient proof of this. That ye\nall fled in all directions being routed in the city of Virata by that son\nof Pandu singly, is sufficient proof of this. Might, prowess, energy,\nspeed, lightness of hand, indefatiguableness, and patience are not to be\nfound in any one else save Partha.\" Thus spoke Hrishikesa cheering up\nPartha by his words and roaring like rain-charged clouds in the\nfirmament. Having heard these words of Kesava, the diadem-decked Arjuna,\nof white steeds, also spoke to the same effect.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having heard these words of Sanjaya, the monarch\nendued with the eye of wisdom, took that speech into his consideration as\nregards its merits and demerits. And having counted in detail the merits\nand demerits as far as he could, and having exactly ascertained the\nstrength and weakness of both parties, the learned and intelligent king,\never desirous of victory to his sons, then began to compare the powers of\nboth sides. And having at last ascertained that the Pandavas were endued\nwith strength and energy both human and divine, and that the Kurus were\nmuch weaker Dhritarashtra said unto Duryodhana, \"This anxiety, O\nDuryodhana, always filleth me. Indeed, it doth not leave me. Truly, it\nseemeth that I behold it with my eye. This conviction is not a matter of\ninference. All created beings show great affection for their offsprings,\nand do, to the best of their power, what is agreeable and beneficial to\nthem. This is generally to be seen also in the case of benefactors. They\nthat are good always desire to return the good done to them and to do\nwhat is highly agreeable to their benefactors. Remembering what was done\nto him to Khandava, Agni will, no doubt, render aid to Arjuna in this\nterrible encounter between the Kurus and the Pandavas. And from parental\naffection, Dharma, and other celestials duly invoked, will come together\nto the aid of the Pandavas. I think that to save them from Bhishma and\nDrona and Kripa, the celestials will be filled with wrath, resembling the\nthunderbolt in its effects. Endued with energy and well-versed in the use\nof weapons, those tigers among men, the sons of Pritha, when united with\nthe celestials, will be incapable of being even gazed upon by human\nwarriors. He who hath the irresistible, excellent and celestial Gandiva\nfor his bow, he who hath a couple of celestial quivers obtained from\nVaruna,--large, full of shafts, and inexhaustible, he on whose banner,\nthat is unobstructed like smoke in its action, is stationed the\nmonkey-image of celestial origin, whose car is unequalled on the earth\ngirt by the four seas, and the rattle of which as heard by men is like\nthe roar of the clouds, and which like the rolling of the thunder\nfrightens the foe; he whom the whole world regards as superhuman in\nenergy; he whom all the kings of the earth know to be the vanquisher of\nthe very gods in battle; he that taketh up five hundred arrows at a time\nand in the twinkling of the eye, shooteth them, unseen by other, to a\ngreat distance; that son of Pritha and tiger among car-warriors and\nchastiser of foes, whom Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Drona's son and\nSalya, the king of the Madras, and in fact, all impartial persons, regard\nas incapable of being vanquished by even earthly kings of superhuman\nprowess, when ready for fight who shooteth at one stretch full five\nhundred arrows, and who is equal unto Kartavirya in strength of arms;\nthat great bowman, Arjuna, equal unto Indra or Upendra in prowess,--I\nbehold that great warrior committing a great havoc in this terrible\nbattle. O Bharata, reflecting day and night on this, I am unhappy and\nsleepless, through anxiety for the welfare of the Kurus. A terrible\ndestruction is about to overtake the Kurus, if there is nothing but peace\nfor ending this quarrel. I am for peace with the Parthas and not for war.\nO child, I always deem the Pandavas mightier than the Kurus.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing these words of his father, the passionate\nson of Dhritarashtra inflamed with great wrath, again said these words,\nof envy, of \"Thou thinkest the Parthas having the celestials for their\nallies, are incapable of being vanquished. Let this thy fear, O best of\nkings, be dispelled. The gods attained to their divinity for absence of\ndesire, covetousness, and of enmity, as also for their indifference to\nall worldly affairs. Formerly, Dwaipayana-Vyasa and Narada of great\nascetic austerities, and Rama, the son of Jamadagni, told us this. The\ngods never like human beings to engage in work, O bull of the Bharata race,\nfrom desire, or wrath, or covetousness, or envy. Indeed, if Agni, or\nVayu, or Dharma, or Indra, or the Aswins had ever engaged themselves in\nworks from worldly desire, then the sons of Pritha could never have\nfallen into distress. Do not, therefore, by any means, indulge in such\nanxiety, because the gods, O Bharata, always set their eyes on affairs\nworthy of themselves. If, however, envy or lust become noticeable in the\ngods in consequence of their yielding to desire, then, according to what\nhas been ordained by the gods themselves, such envy or lust can never\nprevail. Charmed by me, Agni will be instantly extinguished, even if he\nblazes up all around for consuming all creatures. The energy with which\nthe gods are endued is, indeed, great, but know, O Bharata, that mine is\ngreater than that of the gods. If the Earth herself cleaves in twain, or\nmountain crests split, I can re-unite them, O king, by my incantations\nbefore the eyes of all. If for the destruction of this universe of\nanimate and inanimate, mobile and immobile creatures, there happeneth a\nterrific tempest or stony shower of loud roar, I can always, from\ncompassion for created beings, stop it before the eyes of all. When the\nwaters are solidified by me, even cars and infantry can move over them.\nIt is I who set agoing all the affairs of both gods and Asuras. Unto\nwhatever countries I go with my Akshauhinis on any mission, my steeds\nmove whithersoever I desire. Within my dominions there are no fearful\nsnakes, and protected by my incantations, creatures within my territories\nare never injured by others that are frightful. The very clouds, O king,\npour, as regards those dwelling in my dominions, showers as much as they\ndesire and when they desire. All my subjects, again, are devoted to\nreligion and are never subject to calamities of season. The Aswins, Vayu,\nAgni, Indra with the Maruts, and Dharma will not venture to protect my\nfoes. If these had been able to protect by their might my adversaries,\nnever would the sons of Pritha have fallen into such distress for three\nand ten years. I tell thee truly that neither gods, nor Gandharvas nor\nAsuras nor Rakshasas are capable of saving him who hath incurred my\ndispleasure; I have never before been baffled as regards the reward to\npunishment that I intended to bestow or inflict on friend or foe. If\never, O repressor of foes, I said this is to be,--that hath always been.\nPeople, therefore, have always known me as a speaker of truth. All\npersons can bear witness to my greatness, the fame of which hath spread\nall around. I mention this, O king, for thy information and not from\npride. Never had I, O king, praised myself before, for to praise one's\nown self is mean. Thou wilt hear of defeat of the Pandavas and the\nMatsyas, the Panchalas and the Kekayas, of Satyaki and Vasudeva, at my\nhands. Indeed, as rivers, on entering the ocean, are entirely lost in it,\nso the Pandavas with all their followers, on approaching me, will all be\nannihilated. My intelligence is superior, my energy is superior, my\nprowess is superior, my knowledge is superior, my resources are superior\nby far to those of the Pandavas. Whatever knowledge of weapons is in the\nGrandsire, in Drona, and Kripa, and Salya, and Shalya, exist in me as\nwell.\"\n\n\"'Having said these words, O Bharata, Duryodhana, that repressor of foes,\nagain asked Sanjaya, in order to ascertain the proceedings of\nYudhishthira bent upon war.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Without much minding Dhritarashtra, the son of\nVichitravirya who was about to ask of Partha, Karna said unto\nDhritarashtra's son these words, cheering up the spirit of the assembled\nKurus, 'Coming to know of the false pretence under which I obtained the\nBrahma weapon of old from Rama, the latter told me,--\"When thy hour will\ncome thy memory will fail thee in respect of this weapon.\" Even for so\ngreat an offence I was cursed so lightly by that great Rishi, my\npreceptor. That great Rishi of fierce energy is capable of consuming even\nthe entire Earth with her seas. By attention and personal bravery, I\nappeased his heart. I have that weapon with me still, and my period is\nnot yet run. I am, therefore, fully competent (to win victory). Let the\nresponsibility be mine. Having obtained the favour of that Rishi, I will\nslay within the twinkling of an eye the Panchalas, the Karushas, the\nMatsyas, and the sons of Pritha with their sons and grandsons, and bestow\non thee numerous regions won by my weapons. Let the Grandsire and Drona\nand all the kings stay with thee. I will slay the sons of Pritha,\nmarching forth with the chief warriors of my army. Let that task be\nmine.' Unto him speaking thus, Bhishma said, 'What sayest thou, O Karna?\nThy intellect is clouded at the approach of thy hour. Knowest thou not, O\nKarna, that when the chief is slain, the sons of Dhritarashtra will all\nbe slain? Having heard of the feat achieved by Dhananjaya, with Krishna\nonly as his ally, at the burning of the Khandava forest, it behoveth thee\nwith thy friends and relatives to restrain thy mind. The shaft that the\nillustrious and adorable chief of the celestials, the great Indra, gave\nthee, thou wilt see, will be broken and reduced to ashes when struck by\nKesava with his discus. That other shaft of serpentine mouth that shineth\n(in thy quiver) and is respectfully worshipped by thee with flowery\ngarlands, will, O Karna, when struck by the son of Pandu with his shafts,\nperish with thee. O Karna, the slayer of Vana and Bhumi's son (Naraka),\nVasudeva himself, who hath, in the thickest of battle, slain foes equal\nand even superior to thee, protecteth the diadem-decked Arjuna.'\n\n\"Karna said, 'Without doubt, the chief of the Vrishnis is even so.\nFurther, I admit, that that high-souled one is even more than that. Let,\nhowever, the Grandsire listen to the effect of the bit of harsh speech\nthat he hath uttered. I lay down my weapons. The Grandsire will\nhenceforth behold me in court only and not in battle. After thou hast\nbecome quiet, the rulers of the earth will behold my prowess in this\nworld.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having said this, that great bowman (Karna),\nleaving the court went to his own abode. Bhishma, however, O king,\naddressing Duryodhana in the midst of the Kurus, and laughing aloud,\nsaid, 'How truly doth the Suta's son keep his promise. Why having\nrepeatedly given his pledge, saying,--The kings of Avanti and Kalinga,\nJayadratha, and Chediddhaja and Valhika standing as spectators, I will\nslay hostile warriors by thousands and tens of thousands,--how will he\ndischarge that obligation? Having distributed his divisions in\ncounter-array and scattering heads by thousands, behold the havoc\ncommitted by Bhimasena. Indeed, that moment, when, representing himself\nas a Brahmana unto the holy and blameless Rama, Vikartana's son obtained\nthat weapon, that vile wretch lost both his virtue and asceticism.' O\nking of kings, when Bhishma said this after Karna had gone away giving up\nhis weapons, Duryodhana, that foolish son of Vichitravirya's son,\naddressed Santanu's son in these words.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIII\n\n\"Duryodhana said, 'The sons of Pritha are all as other men, and are, in\nfact, of earthly birth as other men. Why then dost thou think that they\nare sure to win victory? Both ourselves and they are equal in energy, in\nprowess, in age, in intelligence, in knowledge of the scriptures, in\nweapons, in the art of war, in lightness of hand, and in skill. All of us\nare of the of same species, all being men by birth. How then, O\ngrandsire, dost thou know that victory will be theirs? I do not seek the\naccomplishment of my aims by relying upon thee, or Drona, or Kripa or\nValhika, or upon the other kings. Myself, and Karna, the son of\nVikartana, and my brother Dussasana, will slay in battle the five sons of\nPandu by sharpened arrows. Then shall we, O king, gratify Brahmanas by\nperforming great sacrifices of diverse kinds, with abundant Dakshinas,\nand by gifts of kine and horses and wealth. When my troops will drag by\nthe aid of their mighty arms the Pandavas in battle, like hunters\ndragging a herd of deer by a net, or whirlpools drawing a crewless boat,\nthen the sons of Pandu, beholding us their foe, supported by crowds and\ncars and elephants, will give up their pride, and not they alone but\nKesava also.' Hearing this, Vidura said, 'Venerable persons of infallible\nknowledge say that in this world self-restraint is highly beneficial. In\nthe case of Brahmana especially, it is his duty. He whose self-restraint\nfolloweth charity, asceticism, knowledge, and study of the Vedas, always\nwinneth success, forgiveness, and the fruit of his gifts. Self-restraint\nenhanceth energy, and is an excellent and holy attribute. Freed from sin\nand his energy increased by Self-restraint, one acquireth even Brahma\nthrough it. People are always afraid of those that are without\nself-restraint, as if the latter were very Rakshasas. And it is for\nkeeping these under check that the self-Existent created the Kshatriyas.\nIt hath been said that Self-restraint is an excellent vow for all the\nfour modes of life. I regard those attributes as its indications which\nowe their origin to self-restraint. Those indications are forgiveness,\nfirmness of mind, abstention from injury, an equal regard for all things,\ntruthfulness of speech, simplicity, control over the senses, patience,\ngentleness of speech, modesty, steadiness, liberality, mildness,\ncontentment, and faith, he that hath self-restraint casteth off lust,\navarice, pride, wrath, sleep, boastfulness, self-esteem, malice, and\nsorrow. Purity and absence of crookedness and fraud, are the distinctive\nmarks of a man of self-restraint. He that is not covetous, that is\nsatisfied with a little, that regardeth not objects provoking lust, and\nthat is as grave as the ocean, is known as a man of self-restraint. He\nthat is well-behaved, of good disposition and contented soul, that\nknoweth his own self is possessed of wisdom, winneth great regard here\nand attaineth to a blissful state hereafter. Possessed of mature wisdom,\nhe that hath no fear of other creatures and whom other creatures fear\nnot, is said to be the foremost of men. Seeking the good of all, he is a\nuniversal friend, and no one is made unhappy by him. Endued with gravity,\nlike that of the ocean and enjoying contentment in consequence of his\nwisdom, such a man is always calm and cheerful. Regulating their conduct\naccording to the acts practised by the righteous olden times and before\ntheir eyes, they that are self-restrained, being devoted to peace,\nrejoice in this world. Or, abandoning Action, because contented in\nconsequence of Knowledge, such a person, with his senses under control\nmoveth quickly in this world, waiting for the inevitable hour and\nabsorption into Brahma. And as the track of feathery creatures in the sky\nis incapable of being perceived, so the path of the sage enjoying\ncontentment in consequence of Knowledge is not visible. Abandoning the\nworld he that betaketh himself, in pursuit of emancipation, to the\nSannyasa mode of life, hath bright and eternal regions assigned to him in\nheaven.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIV\n\n\"Vidura said, 'We have heard, O sire, from old men, that once on a time a\nfowler spread his net on the ground for catching feathery denizens of the\nair. And in that net were ensnared at the same time two birds that lived\ntogether. And taking the net up, the two winged creatures soared together\ninto the air. And seeing them soar into the sky, the fowler, without\ngiving way to despair, began to follow them in the direction they flew,\nJust then, an ascetic living in a hermitage (close by), who had finished\nhis morning prayers, saw the fowler running in that manner hoping still\nto secure the feathery creatures. And seeing that tenant of the earth\nquickly pursuing those tenants of the air, the ascetic, O Kaurava,\naddressed him in this Sloka,--O fowler, it appears very strange and\nwonderful to me that thou, that art a treader of the earth, pursuest yet\na couple of creatures that are tenants of the air. The fowler said,\n\"These two, united together, are taking away my snare. There, however,\nwhere they will quarrel they will come under my control.\"'\n\n\"Vidura continued, 'The two birds, doomed to death, soon after\nquarrelled. And when the foolish pair quarrelled, they both fell on the\nearth. And when, ensnared in the meshes of death, they began to contend\nangrily against each other, the fowler approached unperceived and sized\nthem both. Even thus those kinsmen who fall out with one another for the\nsake of wealth fall into the hands of the enemy like the birds I have\ncited, in consequence of their quarrel. Eating together, talking\ntogether,--these are the duties of kinsmen, and not contention under any\ncircumstances. Those kinsmen, that with loving hearts wait on the old,\nbecome unconquerable like a forest guarded by lions. While those, O bull\nof the Bharata race, that having won enormous riches nevertheless, behave\nlike mean-minded men, always contribute to the prosperity of their foes.\nKinsmen, O Dhritarashtra, O bull of the Bharata race, are like charred\nbrands, which blaze up when united but only smoke when disunited. I will\nnow tell thee something else that I saw on a mountain-breast. Having\nlistened to that also, do, O Kaurava, what is for thy best. Once on a\ntime we repaired to the northern mountain, accompanied by some hunters\nand a number of Brahmanas, fond of discoursing on charms and medicinal\nplants. That northern mountain, Gandhamadana, looked like a grove. As its\nbreast was overgrown on all sides with trees and diverse kinds of\nluminous medicinal herbs, it was inhabited by Siddhas and Gandharvas. And\nthere we all saw a quantity of honey, of a bright yellow colour and of\nthe measure of a jar, placed on an inaccessible precipice of the\nmountain. That honey, which was Kuvera's favourite drink, was guarded by\nsnakes of virulent poison. And it was such that a mortal, drinking of it\nwould win immortality, a sightless man obtain sight, and an old man would\nbecome a youth. It was that those Brahmanas conversant with sorcery spoke\nabout that honey. And the hunters, seeing that honey, desired, O king, to\nobtain it. And they all perished in that inaccessible mountain-cave\nabounding with snakes. In the same way, this thy son desireth to enjoy\nthe whole earth without a rival. He beholdeth the honey, but seeth not,\nfrom folly, the terrible fall. It is true, Duryodhana desireth an\nencounter in battle with Savyasachin, but I do not see that energy or\nprowess in him which may carry him safe through it. On a single car\nArjuna conquered the whole earth. At the head of their hosts Bhishma and\nDrona and others were frightened by Arjuna and utterly routed at the city\nof Virata. Remember what took place on that occasion. He forgiveth still,\nlooking up to thy face and waiting to know what thou wouldst do. Drupada,\nand the king of Matsyas, and Dhananjaya, when angry, will, like flames of\nfire urged by the wind, leave no remnant (of thy army). O Dhritarashtra,\ntake king Yudhishthira on thy lap since both parties can, under no\ncircumstances, have victory when thy will be engaged in battle.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Consider, O Duryodhana, O dear son, what I tell\nthee. Like an ignorant traveller thou thinkest, the wrong path to be the\nright one, since thou art desirous of robbing the energy of the five sons\nof Pandu, who are even as the five elements of the universe in their\nsubtle form upholding all mobile and immobile things. Without the certain\nsacrifice of thy life thou art unable to vanquish Yudhishthira, the son\nof Kunti, who is the foremost of all virtuous persons in this world.\nAlas, like a tree defying the mighty tempest, thou chafest at Bhimasena\nwho hath not his peer (among men) in might and who is equal unto Yama\nhimself in battle. What man of sense would encounter in battle the\nwielder of Gandiva, who is the foremost of all wielders of weapons, as\nthe Meru among mountains? What man is there whom Dhrishtadyumna, the\nprince of Panchala, cannot overthrow, shooting his arrows among the foes,\nlike the chief of the celestials hurling his thunderbolt? That honoured\nwarrior among the Andhakas and the Vrishnis, the irresistible Satyaki,\never engaged in the good of the Pandavas, will also slaughter thy host.\nWhat man of sense, again, would encounter the lotus-eyed Krishna, who, as\nregards the measure of his energy and power, surpasseth the three worlds?\nAs regards Krishna, his wives, kinsmen, relatives, his own soul and the\nwhole earth, put on one scale, weigheth with Dhananjaya on the other.\nThat Vasudeva, upon whom Arjuna relieth, is irresistible, and that host\nwhere Kesava is, becometh irresistible everywhere. Listen, therefore, O\nchild, to the counsels of those well-wishers of thine whose words are\nalways for thy good. Accept thou thy aged grandsire, Bhishma, the son of\nSantanu, as thy guide. Listen thou to what I say, and what these\nwell-wishers of the Kurus, Drona, and Kripa, and Vikarna, and king\nVahlika say. These all are as I myself. It behoveth thee to regard them\nas much as thou regardest me, since, O Bharata, all these are conversant\nwith morality and bear affection to thee as much as I myself do. The\npanic and rout, before thy eyes, at the city of Virata, of all thy troops\nwith thy brothers, after surrender of the king,--indeed, that wonderful\nstory that is heard of an encounter at that city between one and many,\nare sufficient proof (of the wisdom of what I say). When Arjuna singly\nachieves all that, what will not the Pandavas achieve when united\ntogether? Take them by the hands as thy brothers, and cherish them with a\nshare of the kingdom.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having addressed Suyodhana thus, the highly blessed\nand wise Dhritarashtra again asked Sanjaya, saying, 'Tell me, O Sanjaya,\nwhat thou hast not yet said, viz., what Arjuna told thee after the\nconclusion of Vasudeva's speech, for great is my curiosity to hear it.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having heard the words spoken by Vasudeva, the\nirresistible Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, when the opportunity came,\nsaid these words in the hearing of Vasudeva. \"O Sanjaya, our grandsire,\nthe son of Santanu, and Dhritarashtra, and Drona, and Kripa, and Karna,\nand king Vahlika, and Drona's son, and Somadatta, and Sakuni the son of\nSuvala; and Dussasana, and Sala, and Purumitra, and Vivinsati; Vikarna,\nand Chitrasena, and king Jayatsena, and Vinda and Anuvinda, the two\nchiefs of Avanti, and Bhurisravas, and king Bhagadatta, and king\nJarasandha and other rulers of the earth, assembled there to fight for\nthe good of the Kauravas, are all on the eve of death. They have been\nassembled by Dhritarashtra's son for being offered up as libations on the\nblazing Pandava-fire. In my name, Sanjaya, enquire after the welfare of\nthose assembled kings according to their respective ranks, paying them\nproper regard at the same time. Thou shouldest also, O Sanjaya, say this,\nin the presence of all kings, unto Suyodhana--that foremost of all sinful\nmen. Wrathful and wicked, of sinful soul and exceedingly covetous, do\nthou, O Sanjaya, see that that fool with his counsellors hears all that I\nsay.\" And with this preface, Pritha's son Dhananjaya, endued with great\nwisdom, and possessed of large eyes with red corners, glancing at\nVasudeva, then spoke unto me these words pregnant with both virtue and\nprofit, \"Thou hast already heard the measured words spoken by the\nhigh-souled chief of the Madhu's race. Say unto the assembled kings that\nthose are also my words. And say this also for me, unto those kings,--'Do\nye together try to act in such a way that libations may not have to be\npoured into the arrowy fire of the great sacrifice of battle, in which\nthe rattle of car-wheels will sound as mantras, and the rank-routing bow\nwill act as the ladle. If, indeed, ye do not give up unto Yudhishthira,\nthat slayer of foes, his own share in the kingdom asked back by him, I\nshall then, by means of my arrows, send all of you, with cavalry,\ninfantry, and elephants, into the inauspicious regions of departed\nspirits.'\" Then bidding adieu unto Dhananjaya and Hari of four arms and\nbowing unto them both, I have with great speed come hither to convey\nthose words of grave import to thee, O thou that art endued with\neffulgence equal that of the very gods.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"When Duryodhana, the son of Dhritarashtra, showed\nlittle regard for the words spoken by Sanjaya, and when the rest remained\nsilent, the assembled kings rose up and retired. And after all the kings\nof the earth had retired, king Dhritarashtra, who always followed the\ncounsels of his son from affection, wishing success to the assembled\nkings, began to enquire in secret of Sanjaya about the resolve of his own\nparty, and of the Pandavas who were hostile to him. And Dhritarashtra\nsaid, \"Tell me truly, O son of Gavalgana, in what consists the strength\nand weakness of our own host. Minutely acquainted as thou art with the\naffairs of the Pandavas, tell me in what lies their superiority and in\nwhat, their inferiority. Thou are fully conversant with the strength of\nboth parties. Thou knowest all things, and art well-versed in all matters\nof virtue and profit. Asked by me, O Sanjaya, say which of the parties,\nwhen engaged in battle, will perish?\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'I will not say anything to thee in secret, O king, for\nthen thou mayst entertain ill-feelings towards me. Bring thou hither, O\nAjamida, thy father Vyasa of high vows and thy queen Gandhari. Conversant\nwith morality, of keen perception, and capable of arriving at the truth,\nthey will remove any ill-feelings thou mayst cherish against me. In their\npresence, O king, I will tell thee everything about the intensions of\nKesava and Partha.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed, Dhritarashtra caused both\nGandhari and Vyasa to be brought there. And introduced by Vidura they\nentered the court without delay. And understanding the intentions of both\nSanjaya and his son, Krishna-Dwaipayana endued with great wisdom said,\nSay, O Sanjaya, unto the enquiring Dhritarashtra everything that he\ndesireth to know. Tell him truly all that thou knowest about Vasudeva and\nArjuna.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Those adorable bowmen, Arjuna and Vasudeva, who are\nperfectly equal unto each other in respect of their godlike nature, have\ntaken their births of their own will. O lord, the discus owned by\nVasudeva, of abundant energy, occupieth a space full five cubits in\ndiameter, is capable also of being hurled at the foe (in forms large or\nsmall) according to the will of the wielder himself, and it dependeth on\nillusion. Always conspicuous by its effulgence, it is invisible to the\nKurus; and in ascertaining the strength or weakness of the Pandavas, that\ndiscus offers the best ground. Indeed, that scion of Madhu's race, endued\nwith great might, vanquished with an effort and in seeming playfulness\nthe formidable Naraka and Samvara and Kansa and (Sisupala) the chief of\nChedis. Possessed of divinity and of soul superior to everything, that\nmost exalted of male beings can, by his will alone, bring the earth,\nfirmament, and heaven under his control. Thou askest me repeatedly, O\nking, about the Pandavas for knowing their strength and weakness. Listen\nnow to all that in brief. If the whole universe be placed on one scale\nand Janardana on the other, even then Janardana will outweigh the entire\nuniverse. Janardana, at his pleasure, can reduce the universe to ashes,\nbut the entire universe is incapable of reducing Janardana to ashes.\nWherever there is truthfulness, wherever virtue, wherever modesty,\nwherever simplicity, even there is Govinda. And thither where Krishna is,\nsuccess must be. That soul of all creatures, most exalted of male beings,\nJanardana, guideth, as if in sport, the entire earth, the firmament, and\nthe heaven. Making the Pandavas the indirect means, and beguiling the\nwhole world, Janardana wisheth to blast thy wicked sons that are all\naddicted to sin. Endued with divine attributes, Kesava, by the power of\nhis soul causeth the wheel of Time, the wheel of the Universe, and the\nwheel of the Yuga, to revolve incessantly. And I tell thee truly that\nglorious Being is alone the Lord of Time, of Death, and of this Universe\nof mobile and immobile objects. That great ascetic Hari, though the Lord\nof the whole Universe, still betaketh himself to work, like a humble\nlabourer that tilleth the fields. Indeed, Kesava beguileth all by the aid\nof His illusion. Those men, however, that have attained to Him are not\ndeceived.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIX\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'How hast thou, O Sanjaya, been able to know Madhava\nas the Supreme Lord of the universe? And how is it that I am unable to\nknow Him as such? Tell me this, O Sanjaya.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Listen, O king! Thou hast no Knowledge, whereas my\nKnowledge hath suffered no diminution. He that is without Knowledge and\nis shrouded with the darkness of ignorance, knoweth not Kesava. Aided by\nmy knowledge, O sire, I know the slayer of Madhu to be the union of the\nGross, the Subtle and the Cause; and that He is the Creator of all, but\nis Himself increate; and also that, endued with Divinity, it is He from\nwhom everything springs and it is He unto whom all things return.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O son of Gavalgana, what is the nature of that\nFaith which thou hast in Janardana and in consequence of which thou\nknowest the slayer of Madhu to be the union of the Gross, the Subtle, and\nthe Cause?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Blessed be thou, O king, I have no regard for the\nillusion (that is identified with worldly pleasures) and I never practise\nthe useless virtues (of vows and work without reliance on Him and purity\nof Soul). Having obtained purity of Soul through Faith, I have known\nJanardana from the scriptures.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O Duryodhana, seek thou the protection of\nJanardana, otherwise called Hrishikesa. O child, Sanjaya is one of our\ntrustiest friends. Seek refuge with Kesava.'\n\n\"Duryodhana said, 'If the divine son of Devaki united in friendship with\nArjuna, were to slay all mankind, I cannot, even then, resign myself to\nKesava.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'This evil-minded son of thine, O Gandhari, is\nresolved to sink in misery. Envious, wicked-souled, and vain, he setteth\naside the words of all his superiors.'\n\n\"Gandhari said, 'Thou covetous wretch that disregardest the commands of\nthe aged, abandoning thy father and myself and giving up prosperity and\nlife, enhancing the joy of thy foes, and afflicting me with deep\ndistress, thou wilt, O fool, remember thy father's words, when struck by\nBhimasena, thou wilt bite the dust.'\n\n\"Vyasa said, 'Listen to me, O king! Thou, O Dhritarashtra, art the\nbeloved of Krishna. When Sanjaya hath been thy envoy, he will verily lead\nthee to thy good. He knoweth Hrishikesa,--that ancient and exalted One.\nIf thou listenest to him with attention, he will certainly save thee from\nthe great danger that hangs upon thee. O son of Vichitravirya, subject to\nwrath and joy, men are entangled in various snares. They that are not\ncontented with their own possessions, deprived of sense as they are by\navarice and desire, they repeatedly become subject to Death in\nconsequence of their own acts, like blind men (falling into pits) when\nled by the blind. The path that is trod by the wise is the only one (that\nleadeth to Brahma). They that are superior, keeping that path of view,\novercome death and reach the goal by it.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me, O Sanjaya, of that path without terrors by\nwhich, obtaining Hrishikesa, salvation may be mine.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'A man of uncontrolled mind can by no means know Janardana\nwhose soul is under perfect command. The performance of sacrifices\nwithout controlling one's senses is even no means to that end.\nRenunciation of the objects of our excited senses is due to spiritual\nlight; both spiritual light and abstention from injury arise doubtless\nfrom true wisdom. Therefore, O king, resolve to subdue thy senses with\nall possible vigour; let not thy intellect deviate from true knowledge;\nand restrain thy heart from worldly temptations that surround it. Learned\nBrahmanas describe this subjugation of the senses to be true wisdom; and\nthis wisdom is the path by which learned men proceed to their goal. O\nking, Kesava is not obtainable by men who have not subdued their senses.\nHe that hath subdued his senses, desireth spiritual knowledge, awakened\nby the knowledge of scriptures and the pleasure of Yaga-absorption.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXX\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'I request thee, O Sanjaya, to tell me again of the\nlotus-eyed Krishna; for, by being acquainted with the import of his\nnames, I may, O son, obtain that most exalted of male beings.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'The auspicious names (of Kesava) have been previously\nheard by me. Of those I will tell thee as many as I know. Kesava,\nhowever, is immeasurable, being above the power of speech to describe. He\nis called Vasudeva in consequence of his enveloping all creatures with\nthe screen of illusion, or of his glorious splendour, or of his being the\nsupport and resting-place of the gods. He is called Vishnu because of his\nall-pervading nature. He is called Madava, O Bharata, because of his\npractising as a Muni, concentration of mind on truth and Yoga-absorption.\nHe is called Madhusudana because of his having slain the Asura Madhu, and\nalso because of his being the substance of the twenty-four objects of\nknowledge. Born of the Sattwata race, he is called Krishna because he\nuniteth in himself what are implied by the two words Krishi which\nsignifieth \"what existeth\" and na which signifieth \"eternal peace.\" He is\ncalled Pundarikaksha from Pundarika implying his high and eternal abode,\nand Aksha implying \"indestructible;\" and he is called Janardana because\nhe striketh fear into the hearts of all wicked beings. He is called\nSattwata, because the attribute of Sattwa is never dissociated from him\nand also because he is never dissociated from it; and he is called\nVrishabhakshana from Vrishabha implying the \"Vedas\" and ikshana implying\n\"eye,\" the union of the two signifying that the Vedas are his eyes, or\nthe Vedas are the eyes through which he may be seen. That conqueror of\nhosts is called Aja, or \"unborn,\" because he hath not taken his birth from\nany being in the ordinary way. That Supreme Soul is called Damodara\nbecause unlike the gods his effulgence is increate and his own, and also\nbecause he hath self-control and great splendour. He is called\nHrishikesa, from Hrishika meaning \"eternal happiness\" and Isa meaning\n\"the six divine attributes,\" the union signifying one having joy,\nhappiness, and divinity. He is called Mahavahu, because he upholdeth the\nearth and the sky with his two arms. He is called Adhakshaja, because he\nnever falleth down or suffereth any deterioration, and is called Narayana\nfrom his being the refuge of all human beings. He is called Purusottama\nfrom Puru implying \"he that createth and preserveth\" and so meaning \"he\nthat destroyeth, the union signifying one that createth, preserveth, and\ndestroyeth the universe\". He possesseth a knowledge of all things, and,\ntherefore, is called Sarva. Krishna is always in Truth and Truth is\nalways in him, and Govinda is Truth's Truth. Therefore, he is called\nSatya. He is called Vishnu because of his prowess, and Jishnu because of\nhis success. He is called Ananta from his eternity, and Govinda from his\nknowledge of speech of every kind. He maketh the unreal appear as real\nand thereby beguileth all creatures. Possessed of such attributes, ever\ndevoted to righteousness, and endued with divinity, the slayer of Madhu,\nthat mighty-armed one incapable of decay, will come hither for preventing\nthe slaughter of the Kurus.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXI\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O Sanjaya, I envy those gifted with sight, who will\nbehold before them that Vasudeva whose body endued with great beauty\nshineth with effulgence, illuminating the cardinal and subsidiary points\nof the compass; who will give utterance to words that will be listened to\nwith respect by the Bharatas,--words that are auspicious to the\nSrinjayas, acceptable, by those desirous of prosperity, faultless in\nevery respect, and unacceptable by those that are doomed to death; who is\nfull of high resolves, eternal, possessed of unrivalled heroism, who is\nthe bull of the Yadavas and their leader, and who is the slayer and\nawe-inspirer of all foes, and who is the destroyer of the fame of every\nenemy. The assembled Kauravas will behold that high-souled and adorable\nOne, that slayer of foes, that chief of the Vrishnis, uttering words full\nof kindness, and fascinating all of my party. I put myself in the hand of\nthat Eternal one, that Rishi endued with knowledge of Self, that ocean of\neloquence, that Being who is easily attainable by ascetics, that bird\ncalled Arishta furnished with beautiful wings, that destroyer of\ncreatures, that refuge of the universe; that one of a thousand heads,\nthat Creator and Destroyer of all things, that Ancient one, that one\nwithout beginning, middle, or end, that one of infinite achievements,\nthat cause of the Prime seed, that unborn one, that Eternity's self, that\nhighest of the high, that Creator of the three worlds, that Author of\ngods, Asuras, Nagas, and Rakshasas, that foremost of all learned persons\nand rulers of men, that younger brother of Indra.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXII\n\n(Bhagwat Yana Parva)\n\nJanamejaya said, \"When good Sanjaya (leaving the Pandava camp) went back\nto the Kurus, what did my grandsires, the sons of Pandu, then do? O\nforemost of Brahmanas, I desire to hear all this. Tell me this,\ntherefore.\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After Sanjaya had gone, Yudhishthira the just,\naddressed Krishna of the Dasarha race--that chief of all the Sattwatas,\nsaying, 'O thou that art devoted to friends, the time hath come for\nfriends to show their friendship. I do not see any other persons besides\nthee that can save us in this season of distress. Relying on thee, O\nMadhava, we have fearlessly asked back our share from Duryodhana who is\nfilled with immeasurable pride and from his counsellors. O chastiser of\nfoes, thou protectest the Vrishnis in all their calamities, do thou now\nprotect the Pandavas also from a great danger, for they deserve thy\nprotection.'\n\n\"Divine Krishna said, 'Here am I, O mighty-armed one. Tell me what thou\ndesirest to say, for I will, O Bharata, accomplish whatever thou wilt\ntell me.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Thou hast heard what the intention is of\nDhritarashtra and his son. All that Sanjaya, O Krishna, said unto me hath\ncertainly the assent of Dhritarashtra. Sanjaya is Dhritarashtra's soul,\nand spoke out his mind. An envoy speaketh according to his instructions,\nfor if he speaketh otherwise he deserveth to be slain. Without looking\nequally on all that are his, moved by avarice and a sinful heart,\nDhritarashtra seeketh to make peace with us without giving us back our\nkingdom. Indeed, at Dhritarashtra's command we spent twelve years in the\nwoods and one additional year in concealment, well-believing, O lord,\nthat Dhritarashtra would abide firmly by that pledge of ours. That we did\nnot deviate from our promise is well-known to the Brahmanas who were with\nus. The covetous king Dhritarashtra, is now unwilling to observe\nKshatriya virtues. Owing to affection for his son, he is listening to the\ncounsels of wicked men. Abiding by counsels of Suyodhana, the king, O\nJanardana, actuated by avarice and seeking his own good, behaveth\nuntruthfully towards us. What can be more sorrowful, O Janardana, than\nthis, that I am unable to maintain my mother and my friends? Having the\nKasis, the Panchalas, the Chedis, and the Matsyas, for my allies and with\nthee, O slayer of Madhu, for my protector, I prayed for only five\nvillages, etc., Avishthala, Vrikasthala, Makandi, Varanavata, with any\nother, O Govinda, as the fifth;--\"Grant us,\" we said, \"five villages or\ntowns, O sire, where we five may dwell in union, for we do not desire the\ndestruction of the Bharatas.\"--The wicked-minded son of Dhritarashtra,\nhowever, regarding the lordship of the world to be in him, doth not\nagree to even that. What can be more sorrowful than this? When a man born\nand brought up in a respectable family, coveteth the possessions of\nothers, that avarice of his destroyeth his intelligence; and intelligence\nbeing destroyed, shame is lost; and loss of shame leadeth to diminution\nof virtue; and loss of virtue bringeth on loss of prosperity. Destruction\nof prosperity, in its turn, ruineth a person, for poverty is a person's\ndeath. Kinsmen and friends and Brahmanas shun a poor man as birds avoid,\nO Krishna, a tree that beareth neither flower nor fruits. Even this, O\nsire, is death to me that kinsmen shun me, as if I were a fallen one like\nthe breath of life quitting a dead body. Samvara said that no condition\nof life could be more distressful than that in which one is always racked\nby the anxiety caused by the thought--\"I have no meat for today, what will\nbecome of me tomorrow?\"--It is said that wealth is the highest virtue, and\neverything depends on wealth. They that have wealth are said to live,\nwhereas those that are without wealth are more dead than alive. They that\nby violence rob a man of his wealth not only kill the robbed but destroy\nalso his virtue, profit and pleasure. Some men when overtaken by poverty\nchoose death; others remove from cities to hamlets; others retire into the\nwood; while others, again, become religious mendicants to destroy their\nlives. Some for the sake of wealth are driven to madness; others for\nwealth, live under subjection to their foes; while many others, again,\nfor the sake of wealth, betake themselves to the servitude of others. A\nman's poverty is even more distressful to him than death, for wealth is\nthe sole cause of virtue and pleasure. The natural death of a person is\nnot much regarded, for that is the eternal path of all creatures. Indeed,\nnone among created beings can transgress it. O Krishna, a man who is poor\nfrom birth is not so much distressed as one, who, having once possessed\ngreat prosperity and having been brought up in luxury, is deprived of\nthat prosperity. Having through his own fault fallen into distress, such\na person blameth the very gods with Indra and his own self. Indeed,\nknowledge of even the entire scriptures faileth to mitigate his pains.\nSometimes he getteth angry with his servants, and sometimes he cherisheth\nmalice towards even his well-wishers. Subject to constant anger, he\nloseth his very senses, and his senses being clouded, he practiseth evil\ndeeds. Through sinfulness such a person contributeth to a fusion of\ncastes. A fusion of castes leadeth to hell and is the foremost of all\nsinful acts. If he is not awakened in time, he goeth, certainly, O\nKrishna, to hell, and, indeed, wisdom is the only thing that can awaken\nhim, for if he obtaineth back the eye of wisdom, he is saved. When wisdom\nis regained, such a man turneth his attention to scriptures; and\nattention to scriptures aideth his virtue. Then shame becometh his best\nornament. He that hath shame hath an aversion against sin, and his\nprosperity also increaseth; and he that hath prosperity truly becometh a\nman. He that is ever devoted to virtue, and hath his mind under control,\nand always acteth after deliberation, never inclineth towards\nunrighteousness and never engageth in any act that is sinful. He that is\nwithout shame and sense is neither man nor woman. He is incapable of\nearning religious merit, and is like a Sudra. He that hath shame\ngratifieth the gods, the Pitris, and even his own self, and by this he\nobtaineth emancipation, which indeed, is the highest aim of all righteous\npersons.'\n\n\"'Thou hast, O slayer of Madhu, seen all this in me with thy own eyes. It\nis not unknown to thee, how, deprived of kingdom, we have lived these\nyears. We cannot lawfully abandon that prosperity (which had been ours).\nOur first efforts will be such that, O Madhava, both ourselves and the\nKauravas, united in peace, will quietly enjoy our prosperity. Otherwise,\nwe shall, after slaying the worst of the Kauravas, regain those\nprovinces, although success through bloodshed by destruction of even\ndespicable foes that are related to us so dearly is the worst of all\nfierce deeds, O Krishna. We have numerous kinsmen, and numerous also are\nthe revered seniors that have taken this or that other side. The\nslaughter of these would be highly sinful. What good, therefore, can\nthere be in battle? Alas, such sinful practices are the duties of the\nKshatriya order! Ourselves have taken our births in that wretched order!\nWhether those practices be sinful or virtuous, any other than the\nprofession of arms would be censurable for us. A Sudra serveth; a Vaisya\nliveth by trade; the Brahmana have chosen the wooden bowl (for begging),\nwhile we are to live by slaughter! A Kshatriya slayeth a Kshatriya;\nfishes live on fish; a dog preyeth upon a dog! Behold, O thou of the\nDasarha race, how each of these followeth his peculiar virtue. O Krishna,\nKali is ever present in battle-fields; lives are lost all around. It is\ntrue, force regulated by policy is invoked; yet success and defeat are\nindependent of the will of the combatants. The lives also of creatures\nare independent of their own wishes, and neither weal nor woe can be\none's when the time is not come for it, O best of the Yadu's race.\nSometimes one man killeth many, sometimes many united together kill\none. A coward may slay a hero, and one unknown to fame may slay a hero of\ncelebrity. Both parties cannot win success, nor both be defeated. The\nloss, however, on both sides may be equal. If one flieth away, loss of\nboth life and fame is his. Under all circumstances, however, war is a\nsin. Who in striking another is not himself struck? As regard the person,\nhowever, who is struck, victory and defeat, O Hrishikesa, are the same.\nIt is true that defeat is not much removed from death, but his loss also,\nO Krishna, is not less who winneth victory. He himself may not be killed,\nbut his adversaries will kill at least some one that is dear to him, or\nsome others and thus the man, O sire, deprived of strength and not seeing\nbefore him his sons and brothers, becometh indifferent, O Krishna, to\nlife itself. Those that are quiet, modest, virtuous, and compassionate,\nare generally slain in battle, while they that are wicked escape. Even\nafter slaying one's foes, repentance, O Janardana, possesseth the heart.\nHe that surviveth among the foes giveth trouble, for the survivor,\ncollecting a force, seeketh to destroy the surviving victor. In hopes of\nterminating the dispute, one often seeketh to exterminate the foe. Thus\nvictory createth animosity, and he that is defeated liveth in sorrow. He\nthat is peaceful, sleepeth in happiness, giving up all thoughts of\nvictory and defeat, whereas he that hath provoked hostility always\nsleepeth in misery, with, indeed, an anxious heart, as if sleeping with a\nsnake in the same room. He that exterminates seldom winneth fame. On the\nother hand, such a person reapeth eternal infamy in the estimation of\nall. Hostilities, waged over so long, cease not; for if there is even one\nalive in the enemy's family, narrators are never wanted to remind him of\nthe past. Enmity, O Kesava, is never neutralised by enmity; on the other\nhand, it is fomented by enmity, like fire fed by clarified butter.\nTherefore, there can be no peace without the annihilation of one party,\nfor flaws may always be detected of which advantage may be taken by one\nside or other. They that are engaged in watching for flaws have this\nvice. Confidence in one's own prowess troubleth the core of one's heart\nlike an incurable disease. Without either renouncing that at once, or\ndeath, there can be no peace. It is true, O slayer of Madhu, that\nexterminating the foe by the very roots, may lead to good result in the\nshape of great prosperity, yet such an act is most cruel. The peace that\nmay be brought about by our renouncing the kingdom is hardly different\nfrom death, which is implied by the loss of kingdom, in consequence of\nthe design of the enemy and the utter ruin of ourselves. We do not wish\nto give up the kingdom, nor do we wish to see the extinction of our race.\nUnder these circumstances, therefore, the peace that is obtained through\neven humiliation is the best. When these that strive for peace by all\nmeans without of course wishing for war, find conciliation fail, war\nbecomes inevitable, and then is the time for the display of prowess.\nIndeed, when conciliation fails, frightful results follow. The learned\nhave noticed all this in a canine contest. First, there comes the wagging\nof tails, then the bark, then the bark in reply, then the\ncircumambulation, then the showing of teeth, then repeated roars, and\nthen at last the fight. In such a contest, O Krishna, the dog that is\nstronger, vanquishing his antagonist, taketh the latter's meat. The same\nis exactly the case with men. There is no difference whatever. They that\nare powerful should be indifferent to avoid disputes with the weak who\nalways bow down. The father, the king, and he that is venerable in years,\nalways deserve regard. Dhritarashtra, therefore, O Janardana, is worthy\nof our respect and worship. But, O Madhava, Dhritarashtra's affection for\nhis son is great. Obedient to his son, he will reject our submission.\nWhat dost thou, O Krishna, think best at this juncture? How may we, O\nMadhava, preserve both our interest and virtue? Whom also, besides thee,\nO slayer of Madhu, and foremost of men, shall we consult in this\ndifficult affair? What other friend have we, O Krishna, who like thee is\nso dear to us, who seeketh our welfare so, who is so conversant with the\ncourse of all actions, and who is so well-acquainted with truth?'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed, Janardana replied unto\nYudhishthira the just, saying, 'I will go to the court of the Kurus for\nthe sake of both of you. If without sacrificing your interests I can\nobtain peace, O king, an act of great religious merit will be mine,\nproductive of great fruits. I shall then also save from the meshes of\ndeath the Kurus and the Srinjayas inflamed with wrath, the Pandavas and\nthe Dhritarashtras, and, in fact, this entire earth.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'It is not my wish, O Krishna, that thou wilt go to\nthe Kurus, for Suyodhana will never act according to thy words, even if\nthou advisest him well. All the Kshatriyas of the world, obedient to\nDuryodhana's command, are assembled there. I do not like that thou, O\nKrishna, shouldst proceed into their midst. If any mischief be done to\nthee, O Madhava, let alone happiness; nothing, not even divinity, nor\neven the sovereignty over all the gods will delight us.'\n\n\"The holy one said, 'I know, O monarch, the sinfulness of Dhritarashtra's\nson, but by going there we will escape the blame of all the kings of the\nearth. Like other animals before the lion, all the kings of the earth\nunited together are not competent to stand still before me in battle when\nI am enraged. If, after all, they do me any injury, then I will consume\nall the Kurus. Even this is my intention. My going thither, O Partha,\nwill not be fruitless, for if our object be not fulfilled, we shall at\nleast escape all blame.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Do, O Krishna, as it pleaseth thee. Blessed be thou,\ngo then to the Kurus. I hope to behold thee return successful and\nprosperous. Going unto the Kurus, make thou, O Lord, such a peace that\nall the sons of Bharata may live together with cheerful hearts and\ncontentedly. Thou art our brother and friend, dear to me as much as to\nVibhatsu. Such hath been our intimacy with thee that we apprehend no\nneglect of our interest from thee. Go thou there for our good. Thou\nknowest us, thou knowest our antagonists, thou knowest what our purposes\nare, and thou knowest also what to say. Thou wilt, O Krishna, say unto\nSuyodhana such words as are for our benefit. Whether peace is to be\nestablished by (apparent) sin or by any other means, O Kesava, speak such\nwords as may prove beneficial to us.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIII\n\n\"The holy one said, 'I have heard Sanjaya's words and now I have heard\nthine. I know all about his purposes as also of thyself. Thy heart\ninclineth to righteousness, whereas their inclination is towards enmity.\nThat which is obtained without war is of great value to thee. A long-life\nBrahmacharya is not, O lord of earth, the duty of a Kshatriya. Indeed,\nmen of all the four orders have said that a Kshatriya should never\nsubsist on alms; victory or death in battle, hath been eternally ordained\nby the Creator; even that is the duty of a Kshatriya. Cowardice is not\napplauded (in a Kshatriya). Subsistence, O Yudhishthira, is not possible\nby Cowardice, O thou of mighty arms. Display thy prowess, and vanquish, O\nchastiser of foes, thy enemies. The covetous son of Dhritarashtra, O\nchastiser of foes, living for a long time (with many kings) has by\naffection and friendship become very powerful. Therefore, O king, there\nis no hope of making his peace with thee. They regard themselves strong,\nhaving Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and others with them. As long, O king,\nas thou, O grinder of foes, wilt behave with them mildly, they will\nwithhold thy kingdom. Neither from compassion, nor from mildness, nor\nfrom a sense of righteousness, will the sons of Dhritarashtra, O\nchastiser of foes, fulfil thy wishes. This, O son of Pandu, is another\nproof that they will not make peace with thee. Having pained thee so\ndeeply by making thee put on a Kaupina, they were not stung with remorse.\nIn the very sight of the Grandsire (Bhishma) and Drona and the wise\nVidura, of many holy Brahmanas, the king, the citizens, and all the chief\nKauravas, the cruel Duryodhana, deceitfully defeating thee at dice,--thee\nthat are charitable, gentle, self-restrained, virtuous, and of rigid vows\nwas not, O king, ashamed of his vile act. Do not, O monarch, show any\ncompassion for that wretch of such disposition. They deserve death at the\nhands of all, how much more then of thee, O Bharata? O Bharata, with what\nimproper speeches did Duryodhana with his brothers, filled with gladness\nand indulging in many a boast, afflict thee with thy brothers! He said,\nThe Pandavas now have nothing of their own in this wide earth. Their\nvery names and lineage are extinct. In time, which is never-ending,\ndefeat will be theirs. All their virtues having merged in me, they will\nnow be reduced to the five elements. While the match at dice was in\nprogress, the wretched Dussasana of most wicked soul, seizing that\nweeping lady by the hair dragged princess Draupadi, as if she had no\nprotectors, to the assembly of kings, and in the presence of Bhishma and\nDrona and others, repeatedly called her--\"cow, cow!\" Restrained by thee,\nthy brothers of terrible prowess, bound also by the bonds of virtue, did\nnothing to avenge it; and after thou hadst been exiled to the woods,\nDuryodhana having uttered such and other cruel words, boasted amid his\nkinsmen. Knowing thee innocent, they that were assembled sat silent in\nthe assembly-house, weeping with choked voice. The assembled kings with\nthe Brahmanas did not applaud him for this. Indeed, all the courtiers\npresent there censured him. To a man of noble descent, O grinder of foes,\neven censure is death. Death is even many times better than a life of\nblame. Even then, O king, he died when, upon being censured by all the\nkings of the earth, he felt no shame! He whose character is so abominable\nmay easily be destroyed even like a rootless tree standing erect on a\nsingle weak root. The sinful and evil-minded Duryodhana deserveth death\nat the hands of every one, even like a serpent. Slay him, therefore, O\nkiller of foes, and hesitate not in the least. It behoveth thee, O\nsinless one, and I like it too, that thou shouldst pay homage unto thy\nfather Dhritarashtra and also unto Bhishma. Going thither I will remove\nthe doubts of all men who are still undecided as to the wickedness of\nDuryodhana. Thither in the presence of all kings I will enumerate all\nthose virtues of thine that are not to be met in all men, as also all the\nvices of Duryodhana. And hearing me speak beneficial words, pregnant with\nvirtue and profit, the rulers of various realms will regard thee as\npossessed of a virtuous soul, and as a speaker of truth, while at the\nsame time, they will understand how Duryodhana is actuated by avarice. I\nwill also tell the vice of Duryodhana, before both the citizens and the\ninhabitants of the country, before both the young and the old, of all the\nfour orders that will be collected there. And as thou askest for peace no\none will charge thee sinful, while all the chiefs of the earth will\ncensure the Kurus and Dhritarashtra; and when Duryodhana will be dead in\nconsequence of his being forsaken by all men, there will be nothing left\nto do. Do then what should now be done. Going unto the Kurus, I shall\nstrive to make peace without sacrificing thy interests, and marking their\ninclination for war and all their proceedings, I will soon come back, O\nBharata, for thy victory. I think war with the enemy to be certain. All\nthe omens that are noticeable by me point to that. Birds and animals set\nup frightful screeches and howls at the approach of dusk. The foremost of\nelephants and steeds assume horrible shapes; the very fire exhibiteth\ndiverse kinds of terrible hues! This would never have been the case but\nfor the fact of the world-destroying Havoc's self coming into our midst!\nMaking ready their weapons, machines, coats of mail, and cars, elephants,\nand steeds, let all thy warriors be prepared for battle, and let them\ntake care of their elephants and horses and cars. And, O king, collect\neverything that thou needest for the impending war. As long as he liveth,\nDuryodhana will, by no means, be able to give back unto thee, O king,\nthat kingdom of thine which, abounding in prosperity, have before been\ntaken by him at dice!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIV\n\n\"Bhima said, 'Speak thou, O slayer of Madhu, in such a strain that there\nmay be peace with the Kurus. Do not threaten them with war. Resenting\neverything, his wrath always excited, hostile to his own good and\narrogant, Duryodhana should not be roughly addressed. Do thou behave\ntowards him with mildness. Duryodhana is by nature sinful of heart like\nthat of a robber, intoxicated with the pride of prosperity, hostile to\nthe Pandavas, without foresight, cruel in speech, always disposed to\ncensure others, of wicked prowess, of wrath not easily to be appeased,\nnot susceptible of being taught, of wicked soul, deceitful in behaviour,\ncapable of giving up his very life rather than break or give up his own\nopinion. Peace with such a one, O Krishna, is, I suppose, most difficult.\nRegardless of the words of even his well-wishers, destitute of virtue,\nloving falsehood, he always acts against the words of his counsellors and\nwounds their hearts. Like a serpent hid within reeds, he naturally\ncommits sinful acts, depending on his own wicked disposition, and\nobedient to the impulse of wrath. What army Duryodhana hath, what his\nconduct is, what his nature, what his might, and what his prowess, are\nall well-known to thee. Before this, the Kauravas with their son passed\ntheir days in cheerfulness, and we also with our friends rejoiced like\nthe younger brother of Indra, with Indra himself. Alas, by Duryodhana's\nwrath, O slayer of Madhu, the Bharatas will all be consumed, even like\nforests by fire at the end of the dewy seasons, and, O slayer of Madhu,\nwell-known are those eighteen kings that annihilated their kinsmen,\nfriends, and relatives. Even as, when Dharma became extinct, Kali was\nborn in the race of Asuras flourishing with prosperity and blazing with\nenergy, so was born Udavarta among the Haihayas, Janamejaya among the\nNepas, Vahula among the Talajanghas, proud Vasu among the Krimis,\nAjavindu among the Suviras, Rushardhik among the Surashtras, Arkaja among\nthe Valihas, Dhautamulaka among the Chinas, Hayagriva among the Videhas,\nVarayu among the Mahaujasas, Vahu among the Sundaras, Pururavas among the\nDiptakshas, Sahaja among the Chedis and Matsyas, Vrishaddhaja among the\nPraviras, Dharana among the Chandra-batsyas, Bigahana among the Mukutas\nand Sama among the Nandivegas. These vile individuals, O Krishna, spring\nup, at the end of each Yuga, in their respective races, for the\ndestruction of their kinsmen. So hath Duryodhana, the very embodiment of\nsin and the disgrace of his race, been born, at the end of the Yuga,\namongst us the Kurus. Therefore, O thou of fierce prowess, thou shouldst\naddress him slowly and mildly, not in bitter but sweet words fraught with\nvirtue and profit, and discourse fully on the subject so as to attract\nhis heart. All of us, O Krishna, would rather in humiliation follow\nDuryodhana submissively, but, oh, let not the Bharatas be annihilated. O\nVasudeva, act in such a way that we may rather live as strangers to the\nKurus than incurring the sin of bringing about the destruction of the\nwhole race should touch them, O Krishna, let the aged Grandsire and the\nother counsellors of the Kurus be asked to bring about brotherly feelings\nbetween brothers and to pacify the son of Dhritarashtra. Even this is\nwhat I say. King Yudhishthira also approveth of this, and Arjuna too is\naverse to war, for there is great compassion in him.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing these words from Bhima, that were fraught\nwith such mildness and that were, as unexpected as if the hills had lost\ntheir weight and fire had become cold, Rama's younger brother Kesava of\nSura's race and mighty arms, wielding the bow called Saranga, laughed\naloud, and as if to stimulate Bhima by his words, like the breeze fanning\na fire, addressed him who was then so overwhelmed by the impulse of\nkindness, saying, 'At other times, O Bhimasena, thou applaudest war only,\ndesirous of crushing the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra that take delight\nin the destruction of others. O chastiser of foes, thou dost not sleep\nbut wakest the whole night, sitting up face downwards. Thou often\nutterest frightful exclamation of wrath, indicative of the storm within\nthy heart. Inflamed with the fire of thy own fury, thou sighest, O Bhima\nwith an unquiet heart, like a flame of fire mixed with smoke. Withdrawing\nfrom company thou liest down breathing hot sighs, like a weak man pressed\ndown by a heavy load. They, who do not know the cause regard thee as\ninsane. As an elephant breaking into fragments uprooted trees lying on\nthe ground grunteth in rage while trampling them under his feet, so thou\nalso, O Bhima, runnest on, breathing deep sighs and shaking the earth\nunder thy tread. Here in the region thou takest no delight in company but\npassest thy time in privacy. Night or day, nothing pleases thee so much\nas seclusion. Sitting apart thou sometimes laughest aloud all on a\nsudden, and sometimes placing thy head between thy two knees, thou\ncontinuest in that posture for a long time with closed eyes. At the other\ntimes, O Bhima, contracting thy brows frequently and biting thy lips,\nthou starest fiercely before thee. All this is indicative of wrath. At\none time, thou hadst, in the midst of thy brothers, grasped the mace,\nuttering this oath, \"As the sun is seen rising in the east displaying his\nradiance, and as he truly setteth in the west journeying around the Meru,\nso do I swear that I will certainly slay insolent Duryodhana with this\nmace of mine, and this oath of mine will never be untrue.\" How then doth\nthat same heart of thine, O chastiser of foes, now follow the counsels of\npeace? Alas, when fear entereth thy heart, O Bhima, it is certain that\nthe hearts of all who desire war are upset when war becometh actually\nimminent. Asleep or awake, thou beholdest, O son of Pritha, inauspicious\nomens. Perhaps, it is this for which thou desirest peace. Alas, like a\neunuch, thou dost not display any sign indicative of manliness in thee.\nThou art overwhelmed by panic, and it is for this that thy heart is\nupset. Thy heart trembleth, thy mind is overwhelmed by despair, thy\nthighs tremble, and it is for this that thou desirest peace. The hearts\nof mortals, O Partha, are surely as inconstant as the pods of the Salmali\nseed exposed to the force of the wind. This frame of thy mind is as\nstrange as articulate speech in kine. Indeed, the hearts of thy brothers\nare about to sink in an ocean of despair,--like swimmers in the sea\nwithout a raft to rescue them. That thou, O Bhimasena, shouldst utter\nwords so unexpected of thee is as strange as the shifting of a hill.\nRecollecting thy own deeds and the race also in which thou art born,\narise, O Bharata, yield not, to grief, O hero, and be firm. Such langour,\nO repressor of foes, is not worthy of thee, for a Kshatriya never\nenjoyeth that which he doth not acquire through prowess.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Thus addressed by Vasudeva, the ever-wrathful Bhima,\nincapable of bearing insults, was immediately awakened like a steed of\nhigh metal, and replied, without losing a moment, saying, 'O Achyuta, I\nwish to act in a particular way; thou, however, takest me in quite a\ndifferent light. That I take great delight in war and that my prowess is\nincapable of being baffled, must, O Krishna, be well-known to thee in\nconsequence of our having lived together for a long time. Or it may be,\nthou knowest me not, like one swimming in a lake ignorant of its depth.\nIt is for this that thou chidest me in such unbecoming words. Who else, O\nMadhava, knowing me to be Bhimasena, could address me with such\nunbecoming words as thou dost? Therefore, I shall tell thee, O delighter\nof the Vrishnis, about my own prowess and unrivalled might. Although to\nspeak of one's own prowess is always an ignoble act, yet, pierced as I am\nby thy unfriendly strictures, I will speak of my own might. Behold, O\nKrishna, these--the firmament and the earth--which are immovable,\nimmense, and infinite, and which are the refuge of, and in which are born\nthese countless creatures. If through anger these suddenly collide like\ntwo hills, just I, with my arms, can keep them asunder with all their\nmobile and immobile objects. Behold the joints of these my mace-like\narms. I find not the person who can extricate himself having once come\nwithin their grasp. The Himavat, the ocean, the mighty wielder of the\nthunderbolt himself, viz., the slayer of Vala,--even these three cannot,\nwith all their power extricate the person attacked by me. I will easily\ntrample on the ground under my feet all the Kshatriyas, who will come to\nbattle against the Pandavas. It is not known to thee, O Achyuta, with\nwhat prowess I vanquished the kings of the earth and brought them under\nsubjection. If, indeed, thou really knowest not my prowess which is like\nthe fierce energy of the midday sun thou wilt then know it, O Janardana,\nin the fierce melee of battle. Thou woundest me with thy cruel words,\npaining me with the pain of opening a foetid tumour. But know me to be\nmightier than what I have said of myself of my own accord. On that day,\nwhen the fierce and destructive havoc of battle will begin, thou will\nthen see me felling elephants and car-warriors combatants on steeds and\nthose on elephants, and slaying in rage the foremost of Kshatriya\nwarriors. Thou, as well as others, wilt see me doing all this and\ngrinding down the foremost of combatants. The marrow of my bones hath not\nyet decayed, nor doth my heart tremble. If the whole world rusheth\nagainst me in wrath, I do not yet feel the influence of fear. It is only\nfor the sake of compassion, O slayer of Madhu, that I am for displaying\ngoodwill to the foe. I am far quietly bearing all our injuries, lest the\nBharata race be extirpated.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVII\n\n\"The holy one said, 'It was only through affection that I said all this,\ndesiring to know thy mind, and not from the desire of reproaching thee,\nnor from pride of learning, nor from wrath, nor from desire of making a\nspeech. I know thy magnanimity of soul, and also thy strength, and thy\ndeeds. It is not for that reason that I reproached thee. O son of Pandu,\na thousand times greater will be the benefit conferred by thee on the\nPandava's cause than that which thou thinkest thyself to be capable of\nconferring on it. Thou, O Bhima, with thy kinsmen and friends, art\nexactly that which one should be that has taken his birth in a family\nlike thine, that is regarded by all the kings of the earth. The fact,\nhowever, is that they can never arrive at the truth, who under the\ninfluence of doubt proceed to enquire about the consequences hereafter of\nvirtue and vice, or about the strength and weakness of men. For it is\nseen that what is the cause of the success of a person's object becometh\nalso the cause of his ruin. Human acts, therefore, are doubtful in their\nconsequences. Learned men, capable of judging of the evils of actions\npronounce a particular course of action as worthy of being followed. It\nproduces, however, consequences, the very opposite of what were foreseen,\nvery much like the course of the wind. Indeed, even those acts of men\nthat are the results of deliberation and well-directed policy, and that\nare consistent with considerations of propriety, are baffled by the\ndispensations of Providence. Then, again, Providential dispensations,\nsuch as heat and cold and rain and hunger and thirst, that are not the\nconsequences of human acts, may be baffled by human exertion. Then again,\nbesides those acts which a person is pre-ordained (as the result of the\nact of past lives) to go through, one can always get rid of all other\nacts begun at his pleasure, as is testified by both the Smritis and the\nSrutis. Therefore, O son of Pandu, one cannot go on the world without\nacting. One should, hence, engage in work knowing that one's purpose\nwould be achieved by a combination of both Destiny and Exertion. He that\nengageth in acts under this belief is never pained by failure, nor\ndelighted by success. This, O Bhimasena, was the intended import of my\nspeech. It was not intended by me that victory would be certain in an\nencounter with the foe. A person, when his mind is upset should not lose\nhis cheerfulness and must yield neither to langour nor depression. It is\nfor this that I spoke to thee in the way I did. When the morrow comes, I\nwill go, O Pandava, to Dhritarashtra's presence. I will strive to make\npeace without sacrificing your interests. If the Kauravas make peace,\nthen boundless fame will be mine. Your purposes will be achieved, and\nthey also will reap great benefit. If, however, the Kauravas, without\nlistening to my words, resolve to maintain their opinion, then there will\nundoubtedly be a formidable war. In this war burthen resteth on thee, O\nBhimasena. That burthen should also be borne by Arjuna, while other\nwarriors should all be led by both of you. In case of war happening, I\nwill certainly be the driver of Vibhatsu's car, for that, indeed, is\nDhananjaya's wish and not that I myself am not desirous of fighting. It\nis for this that, hearing thee utter thy intention, I rekindled that thy\nenergy, O Vrikodara.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVIII\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'O Janardana, Yudhishthira hath already said what should be\nsaid. But, O chastiser of foes, hearing what thou hast said, it seemeth\nto me that thou, O lord, does not think peace to be easily obtainable\neither in consequence of Dhritarashtra's covetousness or from our present\nweakness. Thou thinkest also that human prowess alone is fruitless, and\nalso that without putting forth one's prowess one's purposes cannot be\nachieved. What thou hast said may be true, but at the same time it may\nnot always be true. Nothing, however, should be regarded as\nimpracticable. It is true, peace seemeth to thee to be impossible in\nconsequence of our distressful condition, yet they are still acting\nagainst us without reaping the fruits of their acts. Peace, therefore, if\nproperly proposed, O lord, may be concluded. O Krishna, strive thou,\ntherefore, to bring about peace with the foe. Thou, O hero, art the\nforemost of all friends of both the Pandavas and the Kurus, even as\nPrajapati is of both the gods and the Asuras. Accomplish thou, therefore,\nthat which is for the good of both the Kurus and the Pandavas. The\naccomplishment of our good is not, I believe, difficult for thee. If thou\nstrivest, O Janardana, such is this act that it will be soon effected. As\nsoon as thou goest thither, it will be accomplished. If, O hero, thou\npurposest to treat the evil-minded Duryodhana in any other way, that\npurpose of thine will be carried out exactly as thou wishest. Whether it\nbe peace or war with the foe that thou wishest, any wish, O Krishna, that\nthou mayest entertain, will certainly be honoured by us. Doth not the\nevil-minded Duryodhana with his sons and kinsmen deserve destruction\nwhen, unable to bear the sight of Yudhishthira's prosperity and finding\nno other faultless expedient, that wretch, O slayer of Madhu, deprived us\nof our kingdom by the sinful expedient of deceitful dice? What bowman is\nthere, who, born in the Kshatriya order, and invited to combat, turneth\naway from the fight even if he is sure to die? Beholding ourselves\nvanquished by sinful means and banished to the woods, even then, thou of\nthe Vrishni race, I thought that Suyodhana deserved death at my hands.\nWhat thou, however, O Krishna, wishest to do for thy friends is scarcely\nstrange, although it seems inexplicable how the object in view is capable\nof being effected by either mildness or its reverse. Or, if thou deemest\ntheir immediate destruction to be preferable, let it be effected soon\nwithout further deliberation. Surely, thou knowest how Draupadi was\ninsulted in the midst of the assembly by Duryodhana of sinful soul and\nhow also we bore it with patience. That Duryodhana, O Madhava, will\nbehave with justice towards the Pandavas is what I cannot believe. Wise\ncounsels will be lost on him like seed sown in a barren soil. Therefore,\ndo without delay what thou, O thou of Vrishni race, thinkest to be proper\nand beneficial for the Pandavas, or what, indeed, should next be done.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIX\n\n\"The holy one said, 'It shall be, O thou of mighty arms, what thou, O\nPandavas, sayest, I will strive to bring about that which would be\nbeneficial to both the Pandavas and the Kurus. Between the two kinds of\nacts, war and peace, the latter, O Vibhatsu, is perhaps within my power.\nBehold, the soil is moistened and divested of weeds by human exertion.\nWithout rain, however, O son of Kunti, it never yieldeth crops. Indeed,\nin the absence of rain some speak of artificial irrigation, as a means of\nsuccess due to human exertion, but even then it may be seen that the\nwater artificially let in is dried up in consequence of providential\ndrought. Beholding all this, the wise men of old have said that human\naffairs are set agoing in consequence of the cooperation of both\nprovidential and human expedients. I will do all that can be done by\nhuman exertion at its best. But I shall, by no means, be able to control\nwhat is providential. The wicked-souled Duryodhana acteth, defying both\nvirtue and the world. Nor doth he feel any regret in consequence of his\nacting in that way. Moreover, his sinful inclinations are fed by his\ncounsellors Sakuni and Karna and his brother Dussasana. Suyodhana will\nnever make peace by giving up the kingdom, without, O Partha, undergoing\nat our hands a wholesale destruction with his kinsmen. King Yudhishthira\nthe just doth not wish to give up the kingdom submissively. The\nwicked-minded Duryodhana also will not at our solicitation surrender the\nkingdom. I, therefore, think that it is scarcely proper to deliver\nYudhishthira's message to him. The sinful Duryodhana of Kuru's race will\nnot, O Bharata, accomplish the objects spoken of by Yudhishthira. If he\nrefuses compliance, he will deserve death at the hands of all. Indeed, he\ndeserves death at my hands, as also, O Bharata, of every one since in\nyour childhood he always persecuted you all, and since that wicked and\nsinful wretch robbed you of your kingdom and could not bear the sight of\nYudhishthira's prosperity. Many a time, O Partha, he strove to withdraw\nme from thee, but I never reckoned those wicked attempts of his. Thou\nknowest, O thou of mighty arms, what the cherished intentions of\nDuryodhana are, and thou knowest also that I seek the welfare of king\nYudhishthira the just. Knowing, therefore, Duryodhana's heart and what my\nmost cherished wishes are, why then dost thou, O Arjuna, entertain such\napprehensions in respect of myself like one unacquainted with everything?\nThat grave act also which was ordained in heaven is known to thee. How\nthen, O Partha, can peace be concluded with the foe? What, however, O\nPandavas, is capable of being done by either speech or act, will all be\ndone by me. Do not, however, O Partha, expect peace to be possible with\nthe foe. About a year ago, on the occasion of attacking Virata's kine,\ndid not Bhishma, on their way back, solicit Duryodhana about this very\npeace so beneficial to all? Believe me, they have been defeated even then\nwhen their defeat was resolved by thee. Indeed, Suyodhana doth not\nconsent to part with the smallest portion of the kingdom for even the\nshortest period of time. As regards myself, I am ever obedient to the\ncommands of Yudhishthira, and, therefore, the sinful acts of that wicked\nwretch must have again to be revolved in my mind!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXX\n\n\"Nakula said, 'Much hath been said, O Madhava, by king Yudhishthira the\njust who is conversant with morality and endued with liberality, and thou\nhast heard what hath been said by Falguni also. As regards my own\nopinion, O hero, thou hast repeatedly expressed it. Hearing first what\nthe wishes of the enemy are and disregarding all, do what thou regardest\nto be proper for the occasion. O Kesava, diverse are the conclusions\narrived at as regards diverse matters. Success, however, O chastiser of\nfoes, is won when a man doth that which ought to be done in view of the\noccasion. When a thing is settled in one way on one occasion, it becometh\nunsuitable when the occasion becometh different. Persons, therefore, in\nthis world, O foremost of men, cannot stick to the same opinion\nthroughout. While we were living in the woods, our hearts were inclined\ntowards a particular course of action. While we were passing the period\nof concealment, our wishes were of one kind, and now, at the present\ntime, O Krishna, when concealment is no longer necessary, our wishes have\nbecome different. O thou of the Vrishni race, while we wandered in the\nwoods, attachment for the kingdom was not so great as now. The period of\nour exile having ceased, hearing, O hero, that we have returned, an army\nnumbering full seven Akshauhinis hath, through thy grace, O Janardana,\nbeen assembled. Beholding these tigers among men, of inconceivable might\nand prowess, standing equipped for battle armed with weapons, what man is\nthere that will not be struck with fear? Therefore going into the midst\nof the Kurus, speak thou first words fraught with mildness and then those\nfraught with threats, so that the wicked Suyodhana may be agitated with\nfear. What mortal man is there, of flesh and blood, who would encounter\nin battle Yudhishthira and Bhimasena, the invincible Vibhatsu and\nSahadeva, myself, thyself and Rama, O Kesava, and Satyaki of mighty\nenergy, Virata with his sons, Drupada with his allies, and\nDhrishtadyumna, O Madhava, and the ruler of Kasi of great prowess and\nDhrishtaketu the lord of the Chedis? No sooner wilt thou go there than\nthou wilt, without doubt, accomplish, O thou of mighty arms, the desired\nobject of king Yudhishthira the just. Vidura, and Bhishma and Drona and\nVahlika, these talents, O sinless one, will understand thee when thou\nwouldst utter words of wisdom. They will solicit that ruler of men,\nDhritarashtra and Suyodhana of sinful disposition, with his counsellors,\nto act according to the advice. When thou, O Janardana, art the speaker\nand Vidura the listener, what subject is there that cannot be rendered\nsmooth and plain?'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXI\n\n\"Sahadeva said, 'What hath been said by the king is, indeed, eternal\nvirtue, but thou, O chastiser of foes, shouldst act, in such a way that\nwar may certainly happen. Even if the Kauravas express their desire for\npeace with the Pandavas, still, O thou of Dasarha's race, provoke thou a\nwar with them. Having seen, O Krishna, the princess of Panchala brought\nin that plight into the midst of the assembly, how can my wrath be\nappeased without the slaughter of Suyodhana. If, O Krishna, Bhima and\nArjuna and king Yudhishthira the just are disposed to be virtuous,\nabandoning virtue I desire an encounter with Duryodhana in battle.'\n\n\"Satyaki said, 'The high-souled Sahadeva, O thou of mighty arms, hath\nspoken the truth. The rage I feel towards Duryodhana can be appeased only\nby his death. Dost thou not remember the rage thou too hadst felt upon\nbeholding in the woods the distressed Pandavas clad in rags and\ndeer-skins? Therefore, O foremost of men, all the warriors assembled here\nunanimously subscribe to what the heroic son of Madri, fierce in battle,\nhath said!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"At these words of the high-souled Yuyudhana, a\nleonine roar was set up by all the warriors assembled there. And all the\nheroes, highly applauding those words of Satyaki, praised him, saying,\n'Excellent! Excellent!' And anxious to fight, they all began to express\ntheir joy.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing the peaceful words of the king that were\nfraught with both virtue and profit, king Drupada's daughter Krishna, of\nlong black tresses, afflicted with great grief, applauding Sahadeva and\nthat mighty car-warrior Satyaki, addressed Madhava seated by his side.\nAnd beholding Bhimasena declare for peace, that intelligent lady,\noverwhelmed with woe and with eyes bathed in tears, said, 'O slayer of\nMadhu, it is known to thee, O thou of mighty arms, by what deceitful\nmeans, O righteous one, the son of Dhritarashtra with his counsellors\nrobbed the Pandavas, O Janardana, of their happiness. Thou knowest also,\nO thou of Dasarha's race, what message was privately delivered to Sanjaya\nby the king. Thou hast also heard all that was said unto Sanjaya. O thou\nof great effulgence, these words were even these, \"Let only five villages\nbe granted to us, viz., Avishthala, and Vrikasthala, and Makandi, and\nVaranavata, and for the fifth, any other,\"--O thou of mighty arms, O\nKesava, even this was the message that was to have been delivered to\nDuryodhana and his counsellors. But, O Krishna, O thou of Dasarha's race,\nhearing those words of Yudhishthira, endued with modesty and anxious for\npeace, Suyodhana hath not acted according to them. If, O Krishna,\nSuyodhana desireth to make peace without surrendering the kingdom, there\nis no necessity of going thither for making such a peace. The Pandavas\nwith the Srinjayas, O thou of mighty arms, are quite able to withstand\nthe fierce Dhritarashtra host inflamed with rage. When they are no longer\namenable to the arts of conciliation, it is not proper, O slayer of\nMadhu, that thou shouldst show them mercy. Those enemies, O Krishna, with\nwhom peace cannot be established by either conciliation or presents,\nshould be treated with severity by one desirous of saving his life.\nTherefore, O mighty-armed Achyuta, heavy should be the punishment that\ndeserves to be speedily inflicted upon them by thyself aided by the\nPandavas and the Srinjayas. Indeed, even this would become the son of\nPritha, and add to thy glory, and if accomplished, will, O Krishna, be a\nsource of great happiness to the whole Kshatriya race. He that is\ncovetous, whether belonging to the Kshatriya or any other order, save of\ncourse a Brahmana, even if most sinful, ought surely to be slain by a\nKshatriya, who is true to the duties of his own order. The exception in\nthe case of a Brahmana, O sire, is due to a Brahmana's being the\npreceptor of all the other orders, as also the first sharer of\neverything. Persons conversant with the scriptures declare, O Janardana,\nthat sin is incurred in slaying one that deserveth not to be slain. So\nthere is equal sin in not slaying one that deserveth to be slain. Act\nthou, therefore, O Krishna, in such a way with the forces of the Pandavas\nand the Srinjayas, that sin may not touch thee. From excess of confidence\nin thee, O Janardana, I will repeat what hath been said again and again.\nWhatever woman, O Kesava, is there on earth like me? I am the daughter of\nking Drupada, risen from the sacrificial altar. I am the sister of\nDhrishtadyumna, thy dear friend, O Krishna. I have by marriage become a\nlady of Ajamida's race,--the daughter-in-law of the illustrious Pandu. I\nam the queen of Pandu's sons, who resemble five Indras in splendour. I\nhave, by these five heroes, five sons that are all mighty car-warriors,\nand that are morally bound to thee, O Krishna, as Abhimanyu himself.\nBeing such, O Krishna, I was seized by the hair, dragged into the\nassembly and insulted in the very sight of the sons of Pandu and in thy\nlife-time. O Kesava, the sons of Pandu, the Panchalas, and the Vrishnis\nbeing all alive, exposed to the gaze of the assembly I was treated as a\nslave by those sinful wretches. And when the Pandavas beholding it all\nsat silent without giving way to wrath, in my heart I called upon thee, O\nGovinda, saying,--\"Save me, O save me!\"--Then the illustrious king\nDhritarashtra, my father-in-law, said unto me, \"Ask thou any boon, O\nprincess of Panchala. Thou deservest boons and even honour at my hands.\"\nThus addressed I said, \"Let the Pandavas be free men with their cars and\nweapons.\" Upon this the Pandavas, O Kesava, were freed but only to be\nexiled into the woods. O Janardana, thou knowest all these sorrows of\nmine. Rescue me, O lotus-eyed one, with my husbands, kinsmen, and\nrelatives, from that grief. Morally, O Krishna, I am the daughter-in-law\nof both Bhishma and Dhritarashtra. Though such, I was yet forcibly made a\nslave. Fie to Partha's bowmanship, oh, fie to Bhimasena's might since\nDuryodhana, O Krishna, liveth for even a moment. If I deserve any favour\nat thy hands, if thou hast any compassion for me, let thy wrath, O\nKrishna, be directed towards the sons of Dhritarashtra.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having said this, the beautiful Krishna of eyes\nthat were black in hue and large like lotus leaves, bathed in tears, and\nwalking like a cow-elephant, approached the lotus-eyed Krishna, and\ntaking with her left hand her own beautiful tresses of curly ends,\ndeep-blue in hue and scented with every perfume, endued with every\nauspicious mark, and though gathered into a braid, yet soft and glossy\nlike a mighty snake, spake these words, 'Lotus-eyed one that art anxious\nfor peace with the enemy, thou shouldst, in all thy acts, call to thy\nmind these tresses of mine seized by Dussasana's rude hands! If Bhima and\nArjuna, O Krishna, have become so low as to long for peace, my aged\nfather then with his war-like sons will avenge for me in battle. My five\nsons also that are endued with great energy, with Abhimanyu, O slayer of\nMadhu, at their head, will fight with the Kauravas. What peace can this\nheart of mine know unless I behold Dussasana's dark arm severed from his\ntrunk and pulverised to atoms? Thirteen long years have I passed in\nexpectation of better times, hiding in my heart my wrath like a\nsmouldering fire. And now pierced by Bhima's wordy darts that heart cf\nmine is about to break, for the mighty-armed Bhima now casteth his eye on\nmorality.' Uttering these words with voice choked in tears, the large-eyed\nKrishna began to weep aloud, with convulsive sobs, and tears gushed down\nher cheeks. And that lady, with hips full and round, began to drench her\nclose and deep bosom by the tears she shed which were hot as liquid fire.\nThe mighty-armed Kesava then spoke, comforting her in these words, 'Soon\nwilt thou, O Krishna, behold the ladies of Bharata's race weep as thou\ndost. Even they, O timid one, will weep like thee, their kinsmen and\nfriends being slain. They with whom, O lady, thou art angry, have their\nkinsmen and warriors already slain. With Bhima and Arjuna and the twins,\nat Yudhishthira's command, and agreeably to fate, and what hath been\nordained by the Ordainer, I will accomplish all this. Their hour having\narrived, the sons of Dhritarashtra, if they do not listen to my words,\nwill surely lie down on the earth turned as morsels of dogs and jackals.\nThe mountains of Himavat might shift their site, the Earth herself might\nsplit into a hundred fragments, the firmament itself with its myriads of\nstars might fall down, still my words can never be futile. Stop thy\ntears, I swear to thee, O Krishna, soon wilt thou see thy husbands, with\ntheir enemies slain, and with prosperity crowning them.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIII\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'Thou art now, O Kesava, the best friend of all the Kurus.\nRelated with both the parties, thou art the dear friend of both. It\nbehoveth thee to bring about peace between the Pandavas and the sons of\nDhritarashtra. Thou, O Kesava, art competent and, therefore, it behoveth\nthee to bring about a reconciliation. O lotus-eyed one, proceeding hence\nfor peace, O slayer of foes, say unto our ever-wrathful brother\nSuyodhana, what, indeed, should be said, \"If the foolish Duryodhana doth\nnot accept thy auspicious and beneficial counsels fraught with virtue and\nprofit, he will surely then be the victim of his fate.\"'\n\n\"The holy one said, 'Yes, I will go to king Dhritarashtra, desirous of\naccomplishing what is consistent with righteousness, what may be\nbeneficial to us, and what also is for the good of the Kurus.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"The night having passed away, a bright sun\narose in the east. The hour called Maitra set in, and the rays of the sun\nwere still mild. The month was (Kaumuda Kartika) under the constellation\nRevati. It was the season of dew, Autumn having departed. The earth was\ncovered with abundant crops all around. It was at such a time that\nJanardana, the foremost of mighty persons, in enjoyment of excellent\nhealth, having heard the auspicious, sacred-sounding and sweet words of\ngratified Brahmanas, like Vasava himself hearing the adorations of the\n(celestial) Rishis,--and having also gone through the customary acts and\nrites of the morning, purified himself by a bath, and decked his person\nwith unguents and ornaments, worshipped both the Sun and Fire. And having\ntouched the tail of a bull and reverently bowed to the Brahmanas, walked\nround the sacred fire, and cast his eyes on the (usual) auspicious\narticles placed in view, Janardana recollected Yudhishthira's word and\naddressed Sini's grandson Satyaki, seated near, saying, \"Let my car be\nmade ready and let my conch and discus along with my mace, and quivers\nand darts and all kinds of weapons, offensive and defensive, be placed on\nit, for Duryodhana and Karna and Suvala's son are all of wicked souls,\nand foes, however contemptible, should never be disregarded by even a\npowerful person.\" Understanding the wishes of Kesava, the wielder of the\ndiscus and the mace, his attendants immediately addressed themselves to\nyoke his car. And that car resembled in effulgence the fire that shows\nitself at the time of the universal dissolution, and itself in speed. And\nit was provided with two wheels that resembled the sun and the moon in\nlustre. And it bore emblazonments of moons, both crescent and full, and\nof fishes, animals, and birds and it was adorned with garlands of diverse\nflowers and with pearls and gems of various kinds all around. And endued\nwith the splendour of the rising sun, it was large and handsome. And\nvariegated with gems and gold, it was furnished with an excellent\nflag-staff bearing beautiful pennons. And well-supplied with every\nnecessary article, and incapable of being resisted by the foe, it was\ncovered with tiger-skins, and capable of robbing the fame of every foe,\nit enhanced the joy of the Yadavas. And they yoked unto it those\nexcellent steeds named Saivya and Sugriva and Meghapushpa and Valahaka,\nafter these had been bathed and attired in beautiful harness. And\nenhancing the dignity of Krishna still further, Garuda, the lord of the\nfeathery creation, came and perched on the flag-staff of that car\nproducing a terrible rattle. And Saurin then mounted on that car, high as\nthe summit of the Meru, and producing a rattle, deep and loud as the\nsound of the kettle-drum or the clouds and which resembled the celestial\ncar coursing at the will of the rider. And taking Satyaki also upon it,\nthat best of male beings set out, filling the earth and the welkin with\nthe rattle of his chariot-wheels. And the sky became cloudless, and\nauspicious winds began to blow around, and the atmosphere freed from the\ndust became pure. Indeed, as Vasudeva set out, auspicious animals and\nbirds, whirling by the right side, began to follow him, and cranes and\npeacocks and swans all followed the slayer of Madhu, uttering cries of\ngood omens. The very fire, fed with Homa libations in accompaniment with\nMantras, freed from smoke blazed up cheerfully, sending forth its flames\ntowards the right. And Vasishtha and Vamadeva, and Bhuridyumna and Gaya,\nand Kratha and Sukra and Kusika and Bhrigu, and other Brahmarshis and\ncelestial Rishis united together, all stood on the right side of Krishna,\nthat delighter of the Yadavas, that younger brother of Vasava. And thus\nworshipped by those and other illustrious Rishis and holy men, Krishna\nset out for the residence of the Kurus. And while Krishna was proceeding,\nYudhishthira, the son of Kunti, followed him, as also Bhima and Arjuna\nand those other Pandavas, viz., the twin sons of Madri. And the valiant\nChekitana and Dhrishtaketu, the ruler of the Chedis, and Drupada and the\nking of Kasi and that mighty car-warrior Sikhandin, and Dhrishtadyumna,\nand Virata with his sons, and the princes of Kekaya also,--all these\nKshatriyas followed that bull of the Kshatriya race to honour him. And\nthe illustrious king Yudhishthira the just, having followed Govinda to\nsome distance, addressed him in these words in the presence of all those\nkings. And the son of Kunti embraced that foremost of all persons, who\nnever, from desire, or anger, or fear, or purpose of gain committed the\nleast wrong, whose mind was ever steady, who was a stranger to\ncovetousness, who was conversant with morality and endued with great\nintelligence and wisdom, who knew the hearts of all creatures and was the\nlord of all, who was the God of gods, who was eternal, who was possessed\nof every virtue, and who bore the auspicious mark on his breast. And\nembracing him the king began to indicate what he was to do.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'That lady who hath brought us from our infancy; who\nis ever engaged in fasts and ascetic penances and propitiatory rites and\nceremonies; who is devoted to the worship of the gods and guests; who is\nalways engaged in waiting upon her superiors; who is fond of her sons,\nbearing for them an affection that knows no bounds; who, O Janardana, is\ndearly loved by us; who, O grinder of foes, repeatedly saved us from the\nsnares of Suyodhana, like a boat saving a ship-wrecked crew from the\nfrightful terrors of the sea; and who, O Madhava, however undeserving of\nwoe herself, hath on our account endured countless sufferings,--should be\nasked about her welfare--Salute and embrace, and, oh, comfort her over and\nover, overwhelmed with grief as she is on account of her sons by talking\nof the Pandavas. Ever since her marriage she hath been the victim,\nhowever undeserving, of sorrow and griefs due to the conduct of her\nfather-in-law, and suffering hath been her position. Shall I, O Krishna,\never see the time when, O chastiser of foes, my afflictions being over, I\nshall be able to make my sorrowing mother happy? On the eve of our exile,\nfrom affection for her children, she ran after us in anguish, crying\nbitterly. But leaving her behind, we went into the woods. Sorrow doth not\nnecessarily kill. It is possible, therefore, that she is alive, being\nhospitably entertained by the Anartas, though afflicted with sorrow on\naccount of her sons. O glorious Krishna, salute her for me, the Kuru king\nDhritarashtra also, and all those monarchs who are senior to us in age,\nand Bhishma, and Drona, and Kripa, and king Vahlika, and Drona's son and\nSomadatta, and in fact, every one of the Bharata race, and also Vidura\nendued with great wisdom, that counsellor of the Kurus, of profound\nintellect and intimate acquaintance with morality,--should all, O slayer\nof Madhu, be embraced by thee!' Having in the presence of the kings, said\nthese words unto Kesava, Yudhishthira, with Krishna's permission, came\nback having at first walked round him. Then Arjuna, proceeding a few\nsteps, further said unto his friend, that bull among men, that slayer of\nhostile heroes, that invincible warrior of Dasarha's race, 'It is known\nto all the kings, O illustrious Govinda, that at our consultation it was\nsettled that we should ask back the kingdom. If without insulting us, if\nhonouring thee, they honestly give us what we demand, then, O mighty\narmed one, they would please me greatly and would themselves escape a\nterrible danger. If, however, Dhritarashtra's son, who always adopts\nimproper means, acts otherwise, then I shall surely, O Janardana,\nannihilate the Kshatriya race.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"When Arjuna said these words, Vrikodara was\nfilled with delight. And that son of Pandu continually quivered with\nrage; and while still quivering with rage and the delight that filled his\nheart upon hearing Dhananjaya's words, he set forth a terrible shout. And\nhearing that shout of his, all the bowmen trembled in fear and steeds and\nelephants were seen to pass urine and excreta. And having addressed\nKesava then and informed him of his resolution, Arjuna with Janardana's\npermission, came back, having first embraced him. And after all the kings\nhad desisted following him, Janardana set out with a cheerful heart on\nhis car drawn by Saivya, Sugriva, and others. And those steeds of\nVasudeva, urged by Daruka, coursed onwards, devouring the sky and\ndrinking the road. And on his way Kesava of mighty arms met with some\nRishis blazing with Brahmic lustre, standing on both sides of the road,\nAnd soon alighting from his car, Janardana saluted them reverently. And\nworshipping them duly, he enquired of them, saying, 'Is there peace in\nall the world? Is virtue being duly practised? And the other three orders\nobedient to the Brahmanas?' And having duly worshipped them, the slayer of\nMadhu again said, 'Where have ye been crowned with success? Whither would\nye go, and for what object? What also shall I do for yourselves? What has\nbrought your illustrious selves down on the earth?' Thus addressed,\nJamadagni's son, the friend of Brahma--that lord of both gods and\nAsuras,--approached Govinda the slayer of Madhu, embraced him, and said,\n'The celestial Rishis of pious deeds, and Brahmanas of extensive\nacquaintance with the scriptures, and royal sages, O Dasarha, and\nvenerable ascetic,--these witnesses, O illustrious one, of the former\nfeats of gods and Asuras,--are desirous of beholding all the Kshatriyas\nof the earth assembled from every side as also the counsellors sitting in\nthe assembly, the kings, and thyself the embodiment of truth, O\nJanardana. O Kesava, we will go thither for beholding that grand sight.\nWe are also anxious, O Madhava, to listen to those words fraught with\nvirtue and profit, which will be spoken by thee, O chastiser of foes,\nunto the Kurus in the presence of all the kings. Indeed, Bhishma, and\nDrona, and others, as also the illustrious Vidura and thyself, O tiger\namong the Yadavas,--Ye all will be assembled together in conclave! We\ndesire, O Madhava, to hear the excellent, truthful, and beneficial words\nthat thou wilt utter and they also, O Govinda. Thou art now informed of\nour purpose, O thou of mighty arms. We will meet thee again. Go thither\nsafely, O hero. We hope to see thee in the midst of the conclave, seated\non an excellent seat mustering all thy energy and might.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"O smiter of foes, when Devaki's son of mighty arms\nset out (for Hastinapura), ten mighty car-warriors, capable of slaying\nhostile heroes, fully armed, followed in his train. And a thousand\nfoot-soldiers, and a thousand horsemen, and attendants by hundreds, also\nformed his train, carrying, O king, provisions in abundance.\"\n\nJanamejaya said, \"How did the illustrious slayer of Madhu, of Dasarha's\nrace, proceed on his journey? And what omens were seen when that hero set\nout?\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Listen to me as I narrate all those natural and\nunnatural omens that were noticed at the time when the illustrious\nKrishna departed (for Hastinapura). Though there were no clouds in the\nsky, yet the roll of thunder accompanied by flashes of lightning was\nheard. And fleecy clouds in a clear sky rained incessantly in the rear!\nThe seven large rivers including the Sindhu (Indus) though flowing\neastwards then flowed in opposite directions. The very directions seemed\nto be reversed and nothing could be distinguished. Fires blazed up\neverywhere, O monarch, and the earth trembled repeatedly. The contents of\nwells and water-vessels by hundreds swelled up and ran out. The whole\nuniverse was enveloped in darkness. The atmosphere being filled with\ndust, neither the cardinal nor the subsidiary points of the horizon\ncould, O king, be distinguished. Loud roars were heard in the sky without\nany being being visible from whom these could emanate. This wonderful\nphenomenon, O king, was noticed all over the country. A south-westerly\nwind, with the harsh rattle of the thunder, uprooting trees by the\nthousands, crushed the city of Hastinapura. In those places, however, O\nBharata, through which he of Vrishni's race passed, delicious breezes\nblew and everything became auspicious. Showers of lotuses and fragrant\nflowers fell there. The very road became delightful, being free from\nprickly grass and thorns. At those places where he stayed, Brahmanas by\nthousands glorified that giver of wealth with (laudation) and worshipped\nhim with dishes of curds, ghee, honey, and presents of wealth. The very\nwomen, coming out on the road, strewed wild flowers of great fragrance on\nthe person of that illustrious hero, devoted to the welfare of all\ncreatures. He then came upon a delightful spot called Salibhavana which\nwas filled with every kind of crops, a spot that was delicious and\nsacred, after having, O bull of the Bharata race, seen various villages\nabounding in bees, and picturesque to the eye, and delightful to the\nheart, and after having passed through diverse cities and kingdoms.\nAlways cheerful and of good hearts, well-protected by the Bharatas and\ntherefore free from all anxieties on account of the designs of invaders,\nand unacquainted with calamities of any kind, many of the citizens of\nUpaplavya, coming out of their town, stood together on the way, desirous\nof beholding Krishna. And beholding that illustrious one resembling a\nblazing fire arrived at the spot, they worshipped him who deserved their\nworship with all the honours of a guest arrived in their abode. When at\nlast that slayer of hostile heroes, Kesava, came to Vrikasthala, the sun\nseemed to redden the sky by his straggling rays of light. Alighting from\nhis car, he duly went through the usual purificatory rites, and ordering\nthe steeds to be unharnessed, he set himself to say his evening prayers.\nAnd Daruka also, setting the steeds free, tended them according to the\nrules of equine science, and taking off the yokes and traces, let them\nloose. After this was done, the slayer of Madhu said, 'Here must we pass\nthe night for the sake of Yudhishthira's mission.' Ascertaining that to be\nhis intention, the attendants soon set a temporary abode and prepared in\na trice excellent food and drink. Amongst the Brahmanas, O king, that\nresided in the village, they that were of noble and high descent, modest,\nand obedient to the injunctions of the Vedas in their conduct, approached\nthat illustrious chastiser of foes, Hrishikesa, and honoured him with\ntheir benedictions and auspicious speeches. And having honoured him of\nDasarha's race that deserveth honour from every one, they placed at the\ndisposal of that illustrious person their houses, abounding in wealth.\nSaying unto them--'Enough'--the illustrious Krishna paid them proper\nhomage, each according to his rank, and wending with them to their house,\nhe returned in their company to his own (tent). And feeding all the\nBrahmanas with sweet-meats and himself taking his meals with them, Kesava\npassed the night happily there.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Meanwhile, understanding from his spies that the\nslayer of Madhu had set out, Dhritarashtra, with his hair standing erect,\nrespectfully addressing the mighty-armed Bhishma and Drona and Sanjaya\nand the illustrious Vidura, said these words unto Duryodhana and his\ncounsellors, 'O scion of Kuru's race, strange and wonderful is the news\nthat we hear. Men, women and children, are talking of it. Others are\nspeaking of it respectfully, and others again assembled together. Within\nhouses where men congregate and in open spots, people are discussing it.\nAll say that Dasarha of great prowess will come hither for the sake of\nPandavas. The slayer of Madhu is, by all means, deserving of honour and\nworship at our hands. He is the Lord of all creatures, and on him resteth\nthe course of every thing in the universe. Indeed, intelligence and\nprowess and wisdom and energy, all reside in Madhava. Worthy of honour at\nthe hands of all righteous persons he is the foremost of all men, and is,\nindeed, eternal Virtue. If worshipped he is sure to bestow happiness; and\nif not worshipped he is sure to inflict misery. If that smiter of foes,\nDasarha be gratified with our offerings, all our wishes may be obtained\nby us, through his grace, in the midst of the kings. O chastiser of foes,\nmake without loss of time every arrangement for his reception. Let\npavilions be set up on the road, furnished with every object of\nenjoyment. O mighty-armed son of Gandhari, make such arrangements that he\nmay be gratified with thee. What doth Bhishma think in this matter?' At\nthis, Bhishma and others, all applauding those words of king\nDhritarashtra, said,--'Excellent.' King Duryodhana then, understanding\ntheir wishes, ordered delightful sites to be chosen for the erection of\npavilions. Many pavilions were thereupon constructed abounding with gems\nof every kind, at proper intervals and at delightful spots. And the king\nsent thither handsome seats endued with excellent qualities, beautiful\ngirls, and scents and ornaments, and fine robes, and excellent viands,\nand drink of diverse qualities, and fragrant garlands of many kinds. And\nthe king of the Kurus took especial care to erect, for the reception of\nKrishna, a highly beautiful pavilion at Vrikasthala, full of precious\ngems. And having made all these arrangements that were god-like and much\nabove the capacity of human beings, king Duryodhana informed\nDhritarashtra of the same. Kesava, however, of Dasarha's race, arrived at\nthe capital of the Kurus, without casting a single glance at all those\npavilions and all those gems of diverse kinds.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVI\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O Vidura, Janardana hath set out from Upaplavya. He\nis now staying at Vrikasthala and will come here tomorrow. Janardana is\nthe leader of the Ahukas, the foremost person amongst all the members of\nthe Sattwata race, is high-souled, and endued with great energy and great\nmight. Indeed, Madhava is the guardian and protector of the prosperous\nkingdom of Vrishnis and is the illustrious Great-Grandsire of even the\nthree worlds. The Vrishnis adore the wisdom of the intelligent Krishna,\neven as the Adityas, the Vasus, and the Rudras adore the wisdom of\nVrihaspati. O virtuous one, I will in thy presence, offer worship unto\nthat illustrious scion of Dasarha's race. Listen to me about that\nworship. I will give him sixteen cars made of gold, each drawn by four\nexcellent and well-adorned steeds of uniform colour and of the Vahlika\nbreed. O Kaurava, I will give him eight elephants with temporal juice\nalways trickling down and tusks as large as poles of ploughs, capable of\nsmiting hostile ranks, and each having eight human attendants. I will\ngive him a century of handsome maid-servants of the complexion of gold,\nall virgins, and man-servants I will give him as many. I will give him\neighteen thousand woolen blankets soft to the touch, all presented to us\nby the hill-men. I will also give him a thousand deer-skins brought from\nChina and other things of the kind that may be worthy of Kesava. I will\nalso give him this serene gem of the purest rays that shines day and\nnight, for Kesava alone deserves it. This car of mine drawn by mules that\nmakes a round of full fourteen Yojanas a day, I will also give him. I\nwill place before him every-day provisions eight times greater than what\nis necessary for the animals and attendants that form his train. Mounted\non their cars, having their person well-adorned, all my sons and\ngrandsons, save Duryodhana, will go out to receive him. And thousands of\ngraceful and well-decked dancing girls will go out on foot to receive the\nillustrious Kesava. And the beautiful girls that will go out of the town\nfor receiving Janardana will go out unveiled. Let all the citizens with\ntheir wives and children behold the illustrious slayer of Madhu with as\nmuch respect and devotion as they show when casting their eyes on the\nmorning sun. Let the canopy all round, at my command, be crowded with\npendants and banners, and let the road, by which Kesava will come, be\nwell-watered and its dusts removed. Let Dussasana's abode, which is\nbetter than Duryodhana's, be cleansed and well-adorned without delay.\nThat mansion consisting of many beautiful buildings, is pleasant and\ndelightful, and abounds with the wealth of all seasons. It is in that\nabode that all my wealth, as also Duryodhana's, are deposited. Let all\nthat scion of the Vrishni race deserves be given unto him.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVII\n\n\"Vidura said, 'O monarch, O best of men, thou art respected by three\nworlds. Thou, O Bharata, art loved and regarded by every body. Venerable\nin year as thou art, what thou wilt say at this age can never be against\nthe dictates of the scriptures or the conclusions of well-directed\nreason, for thy mind is ever calm. Thy subjects, O king, are well-assured\nthat, like characters on stone, light in the sun, and billows in the\nocean, virtue resideth in thee permanently. O monarch, every one is\nhonoured and made happy in consequence of thy numerous virtues. Strive,\ntherefore, with thy friends and kinsmen to retain those virtues of thine.\nOh, adopt sincerity of behaviour. Do not from folly, cause a wholesale\ndestruction of thy sons, grandsons, friends, kinsmen, and all that are\ndear to thee. It is much, O king, that thou wishes to give unto Kesava as\nthy guest. Know, however, that Kesava deserves all this and much more,\naye, the whole earth itself. I truly swear by my own soul that thou dost\nnot wish to give all this unto Krishna either from motives of virtue or\nfor the object of doing what is agreeable to him. O giver of great\nwealth, all this betrays only deception, falsehood, and insincerity. By\nthe external acts, O king, I know thy secret purpose. The five Pandavas,\nO king, desire only five villages. Thou, however, dost not wish to give\nthem even that. Thou art, therefore, unwilling to make peace. Thou\nseekest to make the mighty-armed hero of Vrishni's race thy own by means\nof thy wealth; in foot, by this means, thou seekest to separate Kesava\nfrom the Pandavas. I tell thee, however, that thou art unable, by wealth,\nor attention, or worship, to separate Krishna from Dhananjaya. I know the\nmagnanimity of Krishna; I know the firm devotion of Arjuna towards him, I\nknow that Dhananjaya, who is Kesava's life, is incapable of being given\nup by the latter. Save only a vessel of water, save only the washing of\nhis feet, save only the (usual) enquiries after the welfare (of those he\nwill see), Janardana will not accept any other hospitality or set his\neyes on any other thing. Offer him, however, O king, that hospitality\nwhich is the most agreeable to that illustrious one deserving of every\nrespect, for there is no respect that may not be offered to Janardana.\nGive unto Kesava, O king, that object in expectation of which, from\ndesire of benefiting both parties, he cometh to the Kurus. Kesava desires\npeace to be established between thee and Duryodhana on one side and the\nPandavas on the other. Follow his counsels, O, monarch. Thou art their\nfather, O king, and the Pandavas are thy sons. Thou art old, and they are\nchildren to thee in years, behave as father towards them, that are\ndisposed to pay thee filial regard.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVIII\n\n\"Duryodhana said, 'All that Vidura hath said about Krishna, hath indeed,\nbeen truly said; for Janardana is greatly devoted to the Pandavas and can\nnever be separated from them. All the diverse kinds of wealth, O foremost\nof kings, that are proposed to be bestowed upon Janardana ought never to\nbe bestowed upon him. Kesava is, of course, not unworthy of our worship,\nbut both time and place are against it, for he (Krishna), O king, on\nreceiving our worship, will very likely think that we are worshipping him\nout of fear. This is my certain conviction, O king, that an intelligent\nKshatriya must not do that which may bring disgrace upon him. It is\nwell-known to me that the large-eyed Krishna deserveth the most\nreverential worship of the three worlds. It is quite out of place,\ntherefore, O illustrious king, to give him anything now, for war having\nbeen decided upon, it should never be put off by hospitality.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these words of his, the Grandsire of\nthe Kurus spoke these words unto the royal son of Vichitravirya,\n'Worshipped or not worshipped, Janardana never becometh angry. None,\nhowever, can treat him with disrespect, for Kesava is not contemptible.\nWhatever, O mighty one, he purposeth to do is incapable of being\nfrustrated by anybody by every means in his power. Do without hesitation\nwhat Krishna of mighty arms sayeth and bring about peace with the\nPandavas through Vasudeva as the means. Truly Janardana, possessed of\nvirtuous soul, will say what is consistent with religion and profit. It\nbehoveth thee, therefore, with all thy friends, to tell him what only is\nagreeable to him.'\n\n\"Duryodhana said, 'O Grandsire, I can, by no means, live by sharing this\nswelling prosperity of mine with the Pandavas. Listen, this, indeed, is a\ngreat resolution which I have formed. I will imprison Janardana who is\nthe refuge of the Pandavas. He will come here tomorrow morning; and when\nhe is confined, the Vrishnis and the Pandavas, aye, the whole earth, will\nsubmit to me. What may be the means for accomplishing it, so that\nJanardana may not guess our purpose, and so that no danger also may\novertake us, it behoveth thee to say.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these fearful words of his son about\nimprisoning Krishna, Dhritarashtra, with all his counsellors, was very\nmuch pained and became deeply afflicted. King Dhritarashtra then spoke\nthose words unto Duryodhana, 'O ruler of men, never say this again, this\nis not immemorial custom. Hrishikesa cometh here as an ambassador. He is,\nbesides, related to and is dear to us. He hath done us no wrong; how then\ndoth he deserves imprisonment?'\n\n\"Bhishma said, 'This wicked son of thine, O Dhritarashtra, hath his hour\ncome. He chooseth evil, not good, though entreated by his well-wishers.\nThou also followest in the wake of this wicked wretch of sinful\nsurroundings, who treadeth a thorny path setting at naught the words of\nhis well-wisher. This exceedingly wicked son of thine with all his\ncounsellors coming in contact with Krishna of unstained acts, will be\ndestroyed in a moment. I dare not listen to the words of this sinful and\nwicked wretch that hath abandoned all virtue.'\n\n\"Having said this, that aged chief of the Bharata race, Bhishma of\nunbaffled prowess, inflamed with rage rose and left that place.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Rising up (from his bed) at day-dawn, Krishna went\nthrough his morning rites, and taking leave of the Bharatas, set out for\nthe city (of the Kurus). And all the inhabitants of Vrikasthala, bidding\nfarewell unto that mighty one of long arms while he was about to depart,\nall returned to their homes. And all the Dhartarashtras except\nDuryodhana, attired in excellent robes, and with Bhishma, Drona, Kripa,\nand others, went out to meet him. And the citizens by thousands, O king,\non cars of diverse kinds, and many on foot, also came out, desirous of\nbeholding Hrishikesa. And meeting on the way Bhishma of spotless deed,\nand Drona, and Dhritarashtra's sons, he entered the city, surrounded by\nthem all. And in honour of Krishna, the city was beautifully adorned, and\nthe principal streets were decorated with diverse jewels and gems. And, O\nking, O bull of the Bharata race, on that occasion no one,--man, woman,\nor child,--remained in doors, so eager were the citizens for beholding\nVasudeva. And all the citizens came out and lined the streets and bent\ntheir heads down to the ground singing eulogies in his honour, O king,\nwhen Hrishikesa entered the city and passed through it. And substantial\nmansions, filled with high-born ladies, seemed to be on the point of\nfalling down on the ground in consequence of their living weight. And\nalthough Vasudeva's steeds were endued with great speed, yet they moved\nvery slowly through that dense mass of human beings. And that lotus-eyed\ngrinder of foes then entered Dhritarashtra's ash-coloured palace which\nwas enriched with numerous buildings. And having passed through the first\nthree chambers of the palace, that chastiser of foes, Kesava, came upon\nthe royal son of Vichitravirya. And upon that son of Dasarha's race\napproaching his presence, the blind monarch of great fame stood up along\nwith Drona and Bhishma, Kripa and Somadatta, and king Vahlika also,--all\nstood up for honouring Janardana. And the Vrishni hero, having approached\nking Dhritarashtra of great fame, worshipped him and Bhishma with proper\nwords and without losing any time. And having offered that worship unto\nthem according to established usage, Madhava the slayer of Madhu, greeted\nthe other kings according to their seniority in years. And Janardana then\naccosted the illustrious Drona and his son, and Vahlika, and Kripa, and\nSomadatta. And there in that chamber lay a spacious seat of beautiful\nworkmanship, made of gold and set with jewels. And at Dhritarashtra's\nrequest, Achyuta took that seat; and the priests of Dhritarashtra duly\noffered Janardana a cow, honey and curds and water. And after the rites\nof hospitality were over, Govinda remained there for a while, surrounded\nby the Kurus, laughing and jesting with them according to their\nrelationship with him. And that illustrious grinder of foes, honoured and\nworshipped by Dhritarashtra, came out with the king's permission. And\nMadhava having duly greeted all the Kurus in their assembly, then went to\nthe delightful abode of Vidura; and Vidura, having approached Janardana\nof Dasarha's race thus arrived at his abode, worshipped him with every\nauspicious and desirable offering. And he said, 'What use, O lotus-eyed\none, in telling thee of the joy I feel at this advent of thine, for thou\nart the inner Soul of all embodied creatures.' And after the hospitable\nreception was over, Vidura, conversant with all the principles of\nmorality, enquired of Govinda, the slayer of Madhu, about the welfare of\nPandavas. And that scion of Dasarha's race, that chief of the Vrishnis,\nunto whom the past and the future were as the present, knowing that\nVidura was loved by the Pandavas and friendly towards them, and learned,\nand firm in morality, and honest, and harbouring no wrath (against the\nPandavas), and wise, began to tell him everything in detail about the\ndoings of the sons of Pandu.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XC\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Janardana, the chastiser of foes, after his meeting\nwith Vidura, went then in the afternoon to his paternal aunt, Pritha. And\nbeholding Krishna whose countenance beamed with the effulgence of the\nradiant sun arrived at her abode, she encircled his neck with her arms\nand began to pour forth her lamentations remembering her sons. And at the\nsight, after a long time, of Govinda of Vrishni's race, the companion of\nthose mighty children of hers, the tears of Pritha flowed fast. And after\nKrishna, that foremost of warriors, had taken his seat having first\nreceived the rites of hospitality, Pritha, with a woe-begone face and\nvoice choked with tears addressed him, saying, 'They, who, from their\nearliest years have always waited with reverence on their superiors;\nthey, who, in friendship are attached to one another; they, who, deprived\ndeceitfully of their kingdom had gone to seclusion, however worthy of\nliving in the midst of friends and attendants,--they, who have subjugated\nboth wrath and joy, are devoted to Brahmans, and truthful in\nspeech,--those children of mine, who, abandoning kingdom and enjoyments\nand leaving my miserable self behind, had gone to the woods, plucking the\nvery roots of my heart,--those illustrious sons of Pandu, O Kesava, who\nhave suffered woe however undeserving of it,--how, alas, did they live in\nthe deep forest abounding with lions and tigers and elephants? Deprived\nin their infancy of their father, they were all tenderly brought up by\nme. How, also, did they live in the mighty forest, without seeing both\ntheir parents? From their infancy, O Kesava, the Pandavas were aroused\nfrom their beds by the music of conchs and drums and flutes. That they\nwho while at home, used to sleep in high palatial chambers on soft\nblankets and skins of the Runku deer and were waked up in the morning by\nthe grunt of elephants, the neighing of steeds, the clatter of car-wheels\nand the music of conchs and cymbals in accompaniment with the notes of\nflutes and lyres,--who, adored at early dawn with sacred sounding hymns\nuttered by Brahmanas, worshipped those amongst them that deserved such\nworship with robes and jewels and ornaments, and who were blessed with\nthe auspicious benedictions of those illustrious members of the\nregenerate order, as a return for the homage the latter received,--that\nthey, O Janardana, could sleep in the deep woods resounding with the\nshrill and dissonant cries of beasts of prey can hardly be believed,\nundeserving as they were of so much woe. How could they, O slayer of\nMadhu, who were roused from their beds by music of cymbals and drums and\nconchs and flutes, with the honeyed strains of songstresses and the\neulogies chanted by bards and professional reciters,--alas, how could\nthey be waked in the deep woods by the yells of wild beasts? He that is\nendued with modesty, is firm in truth, with senses under control and\ncompassions for all creatures,--he that hath vanquished both lust and\nmalice and always treadeth the path of the righteous, he that ably bore\nthe heavy burthen borne by Amvarisha and Mandhatri, Yayati and Nahusha and\nBharata and Dilip and Sivi the son of Usinara and other royal sages of\nold, he that is endued with an excellent character and disposition, he\nthat is conversant with virtue, and whose prowess is incapable of being\nbaffled, he that is fit to become the monarch of the three worlds in\nconsequence of his possession of every accomplishment, he that is the\nforemost of all the Kurus lawfully and in respect of learning and\ndisposition, who is handsome and mighty-armed and hath no enemy,--Oh, how\nis that Yudhishthira of virtuous soul, and of complexion like that of\npure gold? He that hath the strength of ten thousand elephants and the\nspeed of the wind, he that is mighty and ever wrathful amongst the sons\nof Pandu, he that always doth good to his brothers and is, therefore,\ndear to them all, he, O slayer of Madhu, that slew Kichaka with all his\nrelatives, he that is the slayer of the Krodhavasas, of Hidimva, and of\nVaka, he that in prowess is equal unto Sakra, and in might unto the\nWind-god, he that is terrible, and in wrath is equal unto Madhava\nhimself, he that is the foremost of all smiters,--that wrathful son of\nPandu and chastiser of foes, who, restraining his rage, might,\nimpatience, and controlling his soul, is obedient to the commands of his\nelder brother,--speak to me, O Janardana, tell me how is that smiter of\nimmeasurable valour, that Bhimasena, who in aspect also justifies his\nname--that Vrikodara possessing arms like maces, that mighty second son\nof Pandu? O Krishna, that Arjuna of two arms who always regardeth himself\nas superior to his namesake of old with thousand arms, and who at one\nstretch shooteth five hundred arrows, that son of Pandu who in the use of\nweapons is equal unto king Kartavirya, in energy unto Aditya, in\nrestraint of senses unto a great sage, in forgiveness unto the Earth, and\nin prowess unto Indra himself,--he, by whose prowess, O slayer of Madhu,\nthe Kurus amongst all the kings of the earth have obtained this extensive\nempire, blazing with effulgence,--he, whose strength of arms is always\nadored by the Pandavas,--that son of Pandu, who is the foremost of all\ncar-warriors and whose prowess is incapable of being frustrated,--he,\nfrom an encounter with whom in battle no foe ever escapeth with\nlife,--he, O Achyuta, who is the conqueror of all, but who is incapable\nof being conquered by any,--he, who is the refuge of the Pandavas like\nVasava of the celestials,--how, O Kesava, is that Dhananjaya now, that\nbrother and friend of thine? He that is compassionate to all creatures,\nis endued with modesty and acquainted with mighty weapons, is soft and\ndelicate and virtuous,--he that is dear to me,--that mighty bowman\nSahadeva, that hero and ornament of assemblies,--he, O Krishna, who is\nyouthful in years, is devoted to the service of his brothers, and is\nconversant with both virtue and profit, whose brothers, O slayer of\nMadhu, always applaud the disposition of that high-souled and\nwell-behaved son of mine,--tell me, O thou of the Vrishni race, of that\nheroic Sahadeva, that foremost of warriors, that son of Madri, who always\nwaiteth submissively on his elder brothers and so reverentially on me. He\nthat is delicate and youthful in years, he that is brave and handsome in\nperson,--that son of Pandu who is dear unto his brothers as also unto\nall, and who, indeed, is their very life though walking with a separate\nbody,--he that is conversant with various modes of warfare,--he that is\nendued with great strength and is a mighty bowman,--tell me, O Krishna,\nwhether that dear child of mine, Nakula, who was brought up in luxury, is\nnow well in body and mind? O thou of mighty arms, shall I ever behold\nagain Nakula of mine, that mighty car-warrior, that delicate youth\nbrought up in every luxury and undeserving of woe? Behold, O hero, I am\nalive today, even I, who could know peace by losing sight of Nakula for\nthe short space of time taken up by a wink of the eye. More than all my\nsons, O Janardana, is the daughter of Drupada dear to me. High-born and\npossessed of great beauty, she is endued with every accomplishment.\nTruthful in speech, she chose the company of her lords, giving up that of\nher sons, Indeed, leaving her dear children behind, she followeth the\nsons of Pandu. Waited upon at one time by a large train of servants, and\nadored by her husbands with every object of enjoyment, the possessor of\nevery auspicious mark and accomplishment, how, O Achyuta, is that\nDraupadi now? Having five heroic husbands who are all smiters of foes and\nall mighty bowmen, each equal unto Agni in energy, alas, woe hath yet\nbeen the lot of Drupada's daughter. I have not for fourteen long years, O\nchastiser of foes, beheld the princess of Panchala, that daughter-in-law\nof mine who herself hath been a prey to constant anxiety on account of\nher children, whom she hath not seen for that period. When Drupada's\ndaughter endued with such a disposition, doth not enjoy uninterrupted\nhappiness, it seemeth, O Govinda, that the happiness one enjoyeth is\nnever the fruit of one's acts. When I remember the forcible dragging of\nDraupadi to the assembly, then neither Vibhatsu nor Yudhishthira, nor\nBhima, nor Nakula, nor Sahadeva, becometh an object of affection to me.\nNever before had a heavier grief been mine than what pierced my heart\nwhen that wretch Dussasana, moved by wrath and covetousness, dragged\nDraupadi, then in her flow, and therefore clad in a single raiment, into\nthe presence of her father-in-law in the assembly and exposed her to the\ngaze of all the Kurus. It is known that amongst those that were present,\nking Vahlika, Kripa, Somadatta, were pierced with grief at this sight,\nbut of all present in that assembly, it was Vidura whom I worship.\nNeither by learning, nor by wealth doth one become worthy of homage. It\nis by disposition alone that one becomes respectable, O Krishna, endued\nwith great intelligence and profound wisdom, the character of the\nillustrious Vidura, like unto an ornament (that he wears) adorns the\nwhole world.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Filled with delight at the advent of Govinda,\nand afflicted with sorrow (on account of her sons) Pritha gave expression\nto all her diverse griefs. And she said, 'Can gambling and the slaughter\nof deer, which, O chastiser of foes, occupied all wicked kings of old, be\na pleasant occupation for the Pandavas? The thought consumeth, O Kesava,\nthat being dragged into the presence of all the Kurus in their assembly\nby Dhritarashtra's sons, insults worse than death were heaped on Krishna,\nO chastiser of foes, the banishment of my sons from their capital and\ntheir wanderings in the wilderness,--these and various other griefs, O\nJanardana, have been mine. Nothing could be more painful to me or to my\nsons themselves, O Madhava, than that they should have had to pass a\nperiod of concealment, shut up in a stranger's house. Full fourteen years\nhave passed since the day when Duryodhana first exiled my sons. If misery\nis destructive of fruits of sins, and happiness is dependent on the\nfruits of religious merit, then it seems that happiness may still be ours\nafter so much misery. I never made any distinction between\nDhritarashtra's sons and mine (so far as maternal affection is\nconcerned). By that truth, O Krishna, I shall surely behold thee along\nwith the Pandavas safely come out of the present strife with their foes\nslain, and the kingdom recovered by them. The Pandavas themselves have\nobserved their vow with such truthfulness sticking to Dharma that they\nare incapable of being defeated by their enemies. In the matter of my\npresent sorrows, however, I blame neither myself nor Suyodhana, but my\nfather alone. Like a wealthy man giving away a sum of money in gift, my\nfather gave me away to Kuntibhoja. While a child playing with a ball in\nmy hands, thy grandfather, O Kesava, gave me away to his friend, the\nillustrious Kuntibhoja. Abandoned, O chastiser of foes, by my own father,\nand my father-in law, and afflicted with insufferable woes, what use, O\nMadhava, is there in my being alive? On the night of Savyasachin's birth,\nin the lying-in-room, an invisible voice told me, \"This son of thine will\nconquer the whole world, and his fame will reach the very heavens.\nSlaying the Kurus in a great battle and recovering the kingdom, thy son\nDhananjaya will, with his brothers, perform three grand sacrifices.\" I do\nnot doubt the truth of that announcement. I bow unto Dharma that upholds\nthe creation. If Dharma be not a myth, then, O Krishna, thou wilt surely\nachieve all that the invisible voice said. Neither the loss of my\nhusband, O Madhava, nor loss of wealth, nor our hostility with the Kurus\never inflicted such rending pains on me as that separation from my\nchildren. What peace can my heart know when I do not see before me that\nwielder of Gandiva, viz., Dhananjaya, that foremost of all bearers of\narms? I have not, for fourteen years, O Govinda, seen Yudhishthira, and\nDhananjaya, and Vrikodara. Men perform the obsequies of those that are\nmissed for a long time, taking them for dead. Practically, O Janardana,\nmy children are all dead to me and I am dead to them.'\n\n\"'Say unto the virtuous king Yudhishthira, O Madhava, that \"Thy virtue, O\nson, is daily decreasing. Act thou, therefore, in such a way that thy\nreligious merit may not diminish.\" Fie to them that live, O Janardana, by\ndependence on others. Even death is better than a livelihood gained by\nmeanness. Thou must also say unto Dhananjaya and the ever-ready Vrikodara\nthat--\"The time for that event is come in view of which a Kshatriya woman\nbringeth forth a son. If you allow the time to slip without your achieving\nanything, then, though at present ye are respected by all the world, ye\nwill be only doing that which would be regarded as contemptible. And if\ncontempt touches you, I will abandon you for ever. When the time cometh,\neven life, which is so dear, should be laid down.\" O foremost of men, thou\nmust also say unto Madri's sons that are always devoted to Kshatriya\ncustoms.--\"More than life itself, strive ye to win objects of enjoyment,\nprocurable by prowess, since objects won by prowess alone can please the\nheart of a person desirous of living according to Kshatriya customs.\"\nRepairing thither, O mighty-armed one, say unto that foremost of all\nbearers of arms, Arjuna the heroic son of Pandu,--\"Tread thou the path\nthat may be pointed out to thee by Draupadi.\" It is known to thee, O\nKesava, that when inflamed with rage, Bhima and Arjuna, each like unto\nthe universal Destroyer himself, can slay the very gods. That was a great\ninsult offered unto them, viz., that their wife Krishna, having been\ndragged into the assembly was addressed in such humiliating terms by\nDussasana and Karna. Duryodhana himself hath insulted Bhima of mighty\nenergy in the very presence of the Kuru chiefs. I am sure he will reap\nthe fruit of that behaviour, for Vrikodara, provoked by a foe, knoweth no\npeace. Indeed, once provoked, Bhima forgets it not for a long while, even\nuntil that grinder of foes exterminates the enemy and his allies. The\nloss of kingdom did not grieve me; the defeat at dice did not grieve me.\nThat the illustrious and beautiful princess of Panchala was dragged into\nthe assembly while clad in a single raiment and made to hear bitter words\ngrieved me most. What, O Krishna, could be a greater grief to me? Alas,\never devoted to Kshatriya customs and endued with great beauty, the\nprincess, while ill, underwent that cruel treatment, and though\npossessing powerful protectors was then as helpless as if she had none. O\nslayer of Madhu, having thee and that foremost of all mighty persons,\nRama, and that mighty car-warrior Pradyumna for me and my children's\nprotectors and having, O foremost of men, my sons the invincible Bhima\nand the unretreating Vijaya both alive, that I had still such grief to\nbear is certainly strange!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed by her, Sauri the friend of\nPartha, then comforted his paternal aunt, Pritha, afflicted with grief on\naccount of her sons. And Vasudeva said, 'What woman is there, O aunt, in\nthe world who is like thee? The daughter of king Surasena, thou art, by\nmarriage, admitted into Ajamida's race. High-born and highly married,\nthou art like a lotus transplanted from one mighty lake into another.\nEndued with every prosperity and great good fortune, thou wert adored by\nthy husband. The wife of a hero, thou hast again given birth to heroic\nsons. Possessed of every virtue, and endued with great wisdom, it\nbehoveth thee to bear with patience, both happiness and misery.\nOvercoming sleep and langour, and wrath and joy, and hunger and thirst,\nand cold and heat, thy children are always in the enjoyment of that\nhappiness, which, as heroes, should by theirs. Endued with great exertion\nand great might, thy sons, without affecting the comforts derivable from\nthe senses such as satisfy only the low and the mean, always pursue that\nhappiness which as heroes they should. Nor are they satisfied like little\nmen having mean desires. They that are wise enjoy or suffer the same of\nwhatever enjoyable or sufferable. Indeed, ordinary persons, affecting\ncomforts that satisfy the low and the mean, desire an equable state of\ndullness, without excitement of any kind. They, however, that are\nsuperior, desire either the acutest of human suffering or the highest of\nall enjoyments that is given to man. The wise always delight in extremes.\nThey find no pleasure betwixt; they regard the extreme to be happiness,\nwhile that which lies between is regarded by them as misery. The Pandavas\nwith Krishna saluteth thee through me. Representing themselves to be\nwell, they have enquired after thy welfare. Thou wilt soon behold them\nbecome the lords of the whole world, with their foe slain, and themselves\ninvested with prosperity.'\n\n\"Thus consoled by Krishna, Kunti, afflicted with grief on account of her\nsons, but soon dispelling the darkness caused by her temporary loss of\nunderstanding, replied unto Janardana, saying, 'Whatever, O mighty-armed\none, thou, O slayer of Madhu, regardest as proper to be done, let that be\ndone without sacrificing righteousness, O chastiser of foes, and without\nthe least guile. I know, O Krishna, what the power of thy truth and of\nthy lineage is. I know also what judgment and what prowess thou bringest\nto bear upon the accomplishment of whatever concerns thy friends. In our\nrace, thou art Virtue's self, thou art Truth, and thou art the embodiment\nof ascetic austerities. Thou art the great Brahma, and everything rests\non thee. What, therefore, thou hast said must be true.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Bidding her farewell and respectfully walking\nround her, the mighty-armed Govinda then departed for Duryodhana's\nmansion.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"With Pritha's leave and having walked round her, the\nchastiser of foes, Govinda, also called Sauri, went to Duryodhana's\npalace that was furnished with great wealth, adorned with beautiful\nseats, and was like unto the abode of Purandara himself. Unobstructed by\nthe orderlies-in-waiting, that hero of great fame crossed three spacious\nyards in succession and then entered that mansion looking like a mass of\nclouds, high as the summit of a hill, and blazing forth in splendour. And\nhe there beheld Dhritarashtra's son of mighty arms seated on his throne\nin the midst of a thousand kings and surrounded by all the Kurus. And he\nalso beheld there Dussasana and Karna and Sakuni, the son of Suvala,\nseated on their respective seats by the side of Duryodhana. And on that\nscion of Dasarha's race entering the court, Dhritarashtra's son of great\nfame rose up from his seat with his counsellors for honouring the slayer\nof Madhu. And Kesava then greeted Dhritarashtra's sons and all his\ncounsellors as also all the kings that were present there, according to\ntheir respective ages. And Achyuta of Vrishni's race then took his seat\non a beautiful seat made of gold and overlaid with carpet embroidered\nwith gold. And the Kuru king then offered unto Janardana a cow, and honey\nand curds and water, and placed at his service palaces and mansions and\nthe whole kingdom. And then the Kauravas, with all the kings there\npresent, worshipped Govinda on his seat and resembling the sun himself in\nsplendour. The worship being over, king Duryodhana invited him of\nVrishni's race--that foremost of victors--to eat at his house. Kesava,\nhowever did not accept the invitation. The Kuru king Duryodhana seated in\nthe midst of the Kurus, in a gentle voice but with deception lurking\nbehind his words, eyeing Karna, and addressing Kesava, then said, 'Why, O\nJanardana, dost thou not accept the diverse kinds of viands and drinks,\nrobes and beds that have all been prepared and kept ready for thee? Thou\nhast granted aid to both sides; thou art engaged in the good of both\nparties. Thou art again the foremost of Dhritarashtra's relations and\nmuch loved by him. Thou, O Govinda, also knowest fully, and all things in\ndetails, both religion and profit. I, therefore, desire to hear, O bearer\nof the discus and the mace, what the true reason is of this thy refusal.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"The high-souled Govinda, of eyes like lotus\nleaves, then raising his mighty (right) arm, and in a voice deep as that\nof the clouds, replied unto the king in excellent words fraught with\nreasons,--words that were clear, distinct, correctly pronounced, and\nwithout a single letter dropped, saying, 'Envoys, O king, eat and accept\nworship only after the success of their missions. Therefore, O Bharata,\nafter my mission becomes successful, thou mayest entertain me and my\nattendants.' Thus answered, Dhritarashtra's son again said unto\nJanardana, 'It behoveth thee not, O Kesava, to behave towards us in this\nway. Whether thou becomest successful, or unsuccessful, we are\nendeavouring to please thee, O slayer of Madhu, because of thy\nrelationship with us. It seems, however, that all our efforts, O thou of\nDasarha's race, are fruitless. Nor do we see the reason, O slayer of\nMadhu, in consequence of which, O foremost of men, thou acceptest not the\nworship offered by us from love and friendship. With thee, O Govinda, we\nhave no hostility, no war. Therefore, on reflection, it will seem to thee\nthat words such as these scarcely become thee.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed by the king, Janardana of\nDasarha's race, casting his eyes on Dhritarashtra's son and all his\ncounsellors, replied, saying, 'Not from desire, nor from wrath, nor from\nmalice, nor for gain, nor for the sake of argument, nor from temptation,\nwould I abandon virtue. One taketh another's food when one is in\ndistress. At present, however, O king, thou hast not inspired love in me\nby any act of thine, nor have I myself been plunged into distress.\nWithout any reason, O king, thou hatest, from the moment of their birth,\nthy dear and gentle brothers,--the Pandavas--endued with every virtue.\nThis unreasonable hatred of thine for the sons of Pritha ill becometh\nthee. The sons of Pandu are all devoted to virtue. Who, indeed, can do\nthem the least injury? He that hateth them, hateth me; he that loveth\nthem, loveth me. Know that the virtuous Pandavas and my own self have but\na common soul. He, who, following the impulses of lust and wrath, and\nfrom darkness of soul, hateth and seeketh to injure one that is possessed\nof every good quality, is regarded as the vilest of men. That wrathful\nwretch of every good quality, is regarded as the vilest of men. That\nwrathful wretch of uncontrolled soul, who, from ignorance and avarice\nhateth his kinsmen endued with every auspicious quality, can never enjoy\nhis prosperity long. He, on the other hand, who, by good offices, winneth\nover persons endued with good qualities, even if he beareth aversion of\nthem within his heart, enjoyeth prosperity and fame for ever and ever.\nDefiled by wickedness, all this food, therefore, deserveth not to be\neaten by me. The food supplied by Vidura alone, should, I think, be eaten\nby me.'\n\n\"Having said this unto Duryodhana who was ever incapable of bearing\nanything against his own wishes, Kesava of mighty arms then came out of\nthat blazing palace of Dhritarashtra's son. And the high-souled Vasudeva\nof mighty arms, coming out of that mansion, directed his steps towards\nthe abode of the illustrious Vidura. And while that mighty-armed one\nstaying within Vidura's abode, thither came unto him Drona, and Kripa,\nand Bhishma, and Vahlika, and many of the Kauravas. And the Kauravas that\ncame there addressed Madhava, the heroic slayer of Madhu, saying, 'O thou\nof Vrishni's race, we place at thy disposal our houses with all the\nwealth within them.'\n\n\"The slayer of Madhu, of mighty energy, answered them saying, 'Ye may go\naway. I am much honoured by these your offers.' And after all the Kurus\nhad gone away, Vidura, with great care entertained that unvanquished hero\nof Dasarha's race with every object of desire. And Kunti then placed\nbefore the illustrious Kesava clean and savoury food in abundance.\nTherewith the slayer of Madhu first gratified the Brahmanas. Indeed, from\nthat food he first gave a portion, along with much wealth, unto a number\nof Brahmanas conversant with the Vedas, and then with his attendants,\nlike Vasava in the midst of the Marutas, he dined on what remained of the\nclean and savoury food supplied by Vidura.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After Kesava had dined and been refreshed, Vidura\nsaid unto him during the night, 'O Kesava, this advent of thine hath not\nbeen a well judged one, for, O Janardana, Dhritarashtra's son\ntransgresseth the rules of both profit and religion, is wicked and\nwrathful, insulteth others, though himself desirous of honours, and\ndisobeyeth the commands of the aged. He is, O Madhava, a transgressor of\nthe scriptures, ignorant, and of wicked soul, already overtaken by fate,\nuntractable, and disposed to do evil to those that seek his good. His\nsoul is possessed by desire and lust. He foolishly regardeth himself as\nvery wise. He is the enemy of all his true friends. Ever-suspicious,\nwithout any control over his soul, and ungrateful, he hath abandoned all\nvirtue and is in love with sin. He is foolish, with understanding\nuncultivated, a slave of his senses, ever obedient to the impulses of\nlust and avarice, and irresolute in every act that should be done. He is\nendued with these and many other vices. Although thou wilt point out to\nhim what is for his good, he will yet disregard it all, moved by pride\nand anger. He hath great faith in Bhishma, and Drona, and Kripa, and\nKarna, and Drona's son, and Jayadratha, and, therefore, he never setteth\nhis heart on peace, O Janardana. Dhritarashtra's sons, with Karna, firmly\nbelieve that the Pandavas are incapable of even looking at Bhishma,\nDrona, and other heroes, not to speak of fighting against them. The\nfoolish Duryodhana of limited sight, having assembled a huge army\nregardeth, O slayer of Madhu, that his purposes are already achieved. The\nfoolish son of Dhritarashtra hath arrived at the conclusion that Karna,\nsingle-handed, is competent to vanquish his foes. He will, therefore,\nnever make peace. Thou, O Kesava, desirest to establish peace and\nbrotherly feelings between the two parties. But know that all the sons of\nDhritarashtra have come to the conclusion that they would not give unto\nthe Pandavas what, indeed, the latter have a right to. With those that\nare so resolved thy words will certainly prove vain. Where, O slayer of\nMadhu, words, good or bad, are of the same effect, no wise man would\nspend his breath for nothing, like a singer before the deaf. As a\nBrahmana before a conclave of Chandalas, thy words, O Madhava, would\ncommand no respect among those ignorant and wicked wretches that have no\nreverence for all that deserveth reverence. Foolish, as long as he hath\nstrength, he will never obey thy counsels. Whatever words thou mayest\nspeak to him will be perfectly futile. It doth not seem proper to me, O\nKrishna, that thou shouldst go into the midst of these wicked-minded\nwretches seated together. It doth not seem proper to me, O Krishna, that\ngoing thither thou shouldst utter words against those wicked-souled,\nfoolish, unrighteous wights, strong in number. In consequence of their\nhaving never worshipped the aged, in consequence of their having been\nblinded by prosperity and pride, and owing to the pride of youth and\nwrath, they will never accept the good advice thou mayest place before\nthem. He hath mustered a strong force, O Madhava, and he hath his\nsuspicions of thyself. He will, therefore, never obey any counsel that\nthou mayest offer. The sons of Dhritarashtra, O Janardana, are inspired\nwith the firm belief that at present Indra himself, at the head of all\nthe celestials, is incapable of defeating them in battle. Efficacious as\nthy words always are, they will prove to be of no efficacy with persons\nimpressed with such a conviction and who always follow the impulses of\nlust and wrath. Staying in the midst of his ranks of elephants and his\narmy consisting of cars and heroic infantry, the foolish and wicked\nDuryodhana, with all fears dispelled, regardeth the whole earth to have\nalready been subjugated by him. Indeed, Dhritarashtra's son coveteth\nextensive empire on the earth without any rivals. Peace, therefore, with\nhim is unattainable. That which he hath in his possession he regardeth as\nunalterably his. Alas, the destruction on the earth seems to be at hand\nfor the sake of Duryodhana, for, impelled by fate, the kings of the\nearth, with all the Kshatriya warriors, have assembled together, desirous\nof battling with the Pandavas. All those kings, O Krishna, are in enmity\nwith thee and have all been deprived of their possessions before this by\nthee. Through fear of thee those heroic monarchs have joined together\nwith Karna and made an alliance with Dhritarashtra's sons. Reckless of\ntheir very lives, all those warriors have united with Duryodhana and are\nfilled with delight at the prospect of fighting the Pandavas. O hero of\nDasarha's race, it doth not commend itself to me that thou shouldst enter\ninto their midst. How, O grinder of foes, wilt thou repair into the midst\nof those numerous enemies of thine, of wicked souls, and seated together?\nO thou of mighty arms, thou art, indeed, incapable of being vanquished by\nthe very gods, and I know, O slayer of foes, thy manliness and\nintelligence. O Madhava, the love I bear to thee is equal to that I bear\nto the sons of Pandu. I say, therefore, these words to thee from my\naffection, regard, and friendship for thee. What need is there in\nexpressing to thee the delight that has been mine at sight of thy\npersons, for, thou, O thou of eyes like lotus, art the inner Soul of all\nembodied creatures.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCIII\n\n\"The holy one said, 'That, indeed, which should be said by a person of\ngreat wisdom: that, indeed, which should be said by one possessed of\ngreat foresight; that indeed, which should be said by one like thee to a\nfriend like me; that indeed, which is deserving of thee, being consistent\nwith virtue and profit, and truth; that, O Vidura, hath been said by\nthee, father and mother-like, unto me. That which thou hast told me is\ncertainly true, worthy of approbation and consistent with reason. Listen,\nhowever, with attention, O Vidura, to the reason of my coming. Well\nknowing the wickedness of Dhritarashtra's son and the hostility of the\nKshatriyas that have sided with him, I have still, O Vidura, come to the\nKurus. Great will be the merit earned by him who will liberate from the\nmeshes of death the whole earth, with her elephants, cars and steeds,\noverwhelmed with a dreadful calamity. If a man striving to the best of\nhis abilities to perform a virtuous act meets with failure, I have not\nthe least doubt that the merit of that act becomes his, notwithstanding\nsuch failure. This also is known to those that are conversant with\nreligion and scripture, that if a person having intended mentally to\ncommit a sinful act does not actually commit it, the demerit of that act\ncan never be his. I will sincerely endeavour, O Vidura, to bring about\npeace between the Kurus and the Srinjayas who are about to be slaughtered\nin battle. That terrible calamity (which hangs over them all) hath its\norigin in the conduct of the Kurus, for it is directly due to the action\nof Duryodhana and Karna, the other Kshatriyas only following the lead of\nthese two. The learned regard him to be a wretch who doth not by his\nsolicitation seek to save a friend who is about to sink in calamity.\nStriving to the best of his might, even to the extent of seizing him by\nthe hair, one should seek to dissuade a friend from an improper act. In\nthat case, he that acteth so, instead of incurring blame, reapeth praise.\nIt behoveth Dhritarashtra's son, therefore, O Vidura, with his\ncounsellors, to accept my good and beneficial counsels that are\nconsistent with virtue and profit and competent to dispel the present\ncalamity. I will, therefore, sincerely endeavour to bring about the good\nof Dhritarashtra's sons and of the Pandavas, as also of all the\nKshatriyas on the face of the earth. If while endeavouring to bring about\nthe good (of my friends), Duryodhana judgeth me wrongly, I shall have the\nsatisfaction of my own conscience, and a true friend is one who assumeth\nthe functions of an intercessor when dissensions break out between\nkinsmen. In order, again, that unrighteous, foolish, and inimical persons\nmay not afterwards say that though competent, still Krishna did not make\nany attempt to restrain the angry Kurus and the Pandavas from\nslaughtering one another I have come here. Indeed, it is to serve both\nparties that I have come hither. Having striven to bring about peace, I\nwill escape the censure of all the kings. If after listening to my\nauspicious words, fraught with virtue and profit, the foolish Duryodhana\naccept them not, he will only invite his fate. If without sacrificing the\ninterests of the Pandavas I can bring about peace among the Kurus, my\nconduct will be regarded as highly meritorious, O high-souled one, and\nthe Kauravas themselves will be liberated from the meshes of death. If\nthe sons of Dhritarashtra reflect coolly on the words I shall\nutter--words fraught with wisdom, consistent with righteousness, and\npossessed of grave import,--then that peace which is my object will be\nbrought about and the Kauravas will also worship me (as the agent\nthereof). If, on the other hand, they seek to injure me, I tell thee that\nall the kings of the earth united together, are no match for me, like a\nherd of deer incapable of standing before an enraged lion.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having said these words, that bull of the\nVrishni race and delighter of Yadavas, then laid himself down on his soft\nbed for sleep.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCIV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"In such conversation between those two distinguished\npersons, both of whom were endued with great intelligence, that night,\nlit with bright stars, passed away. Indeed, the night passed away against\nthe wishes of the illustrious Vidura, who had been listening to the\nvaried conversation of Krishna fraught with virtue, profit, and desire,\nand made up of delightful words and syllables of agreeable import; and\nalso those of Krishna himself, of immeasurable prowess, listening to\ndiscourses equal in style and character. Then, at early dawn a band of\nchoristers and bards gifted with melodious voices, awoke Kesava with\nsweet sounds of conchs and cymbals. And rising from bed, Janardana of\nDasarha's race, that bull amongst all the Sattwatas, went through all the\ncustomary acts of the morning. And having cleansed himself by a bath,\nrecited the sacred Mantras and poured libations of clarified butter on\nthe sacrificial fire, Madhava decked his person and began to worship the\nrising sun. And while the unvanquished Krishna of Dasarha's race was\nstill engaged in his morning devotions, Duryodhana and Suvala's son\nSakuni came to him and said, 'Dhritarashtra is seated in his court, with\nall the Kurus headed by Bhishma and with all the kings of the earth. They\nare all soliciting thy presence, O Govinda, like the celestials in heaven\ndesiring the presence of Sakra himself,'--thus addressed, Govinda greeted\nthem both with sweet and courteous enquiries. And when the sun had risen\na little higher, Janardana, that chastiser of foes, summoning a number of\nBrahmanas, made them presents of gold and robes and kine and steeds.\n\n\"And after he had thus given away much wealth and taken his seat, his\ndriver (Daruka) came and saluted that unvanquished hero of Dasarha's\nrace. And Daruka soon returned with his master's large and blazing car\nfurnished with rows of tinkling bells and harnessed with excellent\nsteeds. And understanding that his handsome car adorned with every\nornament and producing a rattle, deep as the rumbling of the mighty\nmasses of clouds, was ready, the high-souled Janardana, that delighter of\nall the Yadavas, walking round the sacred fire and a band of Brahmanas,\nand putting on the gem known by the name of Kaustubha, and blazing with\nbeauty, surrounded by the Kurus, and well-protected by the Vrishnis,\nmounted on it. And Vidura, conversant with all the precepts of religion,\nfollowed on his own car that scion of Dasarha's race, that foremost of\nall living creatures, that first of all persons gifted with intelligence.\nAnd Duryodhana and Suvala's son Sakuni also on one car followed Krishna,\nthat chastiser of foes. And Satyaki and Kritavarman and the other mighty\ncar-warriors of the Vrishni race, all rode behind Krishna on cars and\nsteeds and elephants. And, O king, the handsome cars of those heroes,\nadorned with gold and drawn by excellent steeds and each producing a loud\nrattle, as they moved forward, shone brilliantly. And Kesava, endued with\ngreat intelligence, and beaming with beauty, soon came upon a broad\nstreet that had previously been swept and watered, and that was fit to be\nused by the highest of kings. And when that scion of Dasarha's race set\nout, cymbals began to play, and conchs began to be blown, and other\ninstruments also to pour forth their music. And great number of youthful\nheroes, foremost in the world for heroism, and possessed of lion-like\nprowess, proceeded, surrounding Sauri's car. And many thousands of\nsoldiers, attired in a variegated dresses, bearing swords and lances and\naxes, marched in advance of Kesava. And there were full five hundred\nelephants, and cars by thousands, that followed that unvanquished hero of\nDasarha's race while he proceeded. And, O chastiser of foes, all the\ncitizens of the capital, of all ages and both sexes, desirous of\nbeholding Janardana came out into the streets. And the terraces and\nbalconies of the houses were so thronged by ladies that the houses were\non the point of falling down with the weight. And worshipped by the\nKurus, and listening to various sweet speeches, and returning the\ngreetings of all as each deserved, Kesava went along the street, casting\nhis eyes on all. And at last, when Kesava reached the Kuru court, his\nattendants loudly blew their conchs and trumpets and filled the welkin\nwith that blare. And, thereupon, that whole assembly of kings, of\nimmeasurable prowess, trembled with delight at the expectation of soon\nsetting their eyes on Krishna. And hearing the rattle of his car, that\nrumbled like the deep roll of rain-charged clouds, the monarchs\nunderstood Krishna to be near, and the hair of their bodies stood erect\nwith delight. And having reached the gate of the court, Sauri, that bull\namong the Satwatas, alighting from his car, that resembled the summit of\nKailasa, entered the court which looked like a mass of newly-risen\nclouds, and blazed forth with beauty, and resembled the very abode of the\ngreat Indra. And that illustrious hero entered the court, arm-in-arm with\nVidura and Satyaki on either side, and overshadowing with his own the\nsplendour of all the Kurus, like the sun overshadowing the radiance of\nlesser lights in the firmament. And before Vasudeva sat Karna and\nDuryodhana, while behind him were seated the Vrishnis with Kritavarman.\nAnd Bhishma and Drona, and others with Dhritarashtra were on the point of\nrising up from their seats for honouring Janardana. Indeed, as soon as\nhe, of Dasarha's race, came, the illustrious blind monarch, Drona and\nBhishma, all rose up from their seats. And when that mighty ruler of men,\nking Dhritarashtra, rose up from his seat, those kings by thousands\naround him all rose up also. And at Dhritarashtra's command, a seat\nbeautiful all over, and adorned with gold, had been kept there for\nKrishna. And after taking his seat, Madhava smilingly greeted the king,\nand Bhishma, and Drona, and all other rulers, each according to his age.\nAnd all the kings of the earth, and all the Kurus also, beholding Kesava\narrived in that assembly, worshipped him duly. And as that chastiser of\nfoes, that vanquisher of hostile cities, that hero of Dasarha's race, was\nseated there, he beheld the Rishis whom he had seen while proceeding to\nHastinapura, staying in the firmament. And beholding those Rishis with\nNarada at their head, he of Dasarha's race, slowly addressed Bhishma the\nson of Santanu, saying, 'O king, the Rishis have come to see this earthly\nconclave of ours. Invite them with offer of seats and abundant courtesy,\nfor if they are not seated, no one here is capable of taking his seat.\nLet proper worship, therefore, be speedily offered unto these Rishis with\nsouls under proper control.' And beholding the Rishis then at the gate of\nthe palace, Santanu's son quickly ordered the servants to bring seats for\nthem. And soon enough they brought large and beautiful seats embroidered\nwith gold and set with gems. And after the Rishis, O Bharata, had taken\ntheir seats and accepted the Arghyas offered to them, Krishna took his\nseat, so also all the kings. And Dussasana gave an excellent seat to\nSatyaki, while Vivinsati gave another golden one to Kritavarman. And not\nfar from where Krishna sat, that illustrious and wrathful pair, Karna and\nDuryodhana, sat together on the same seat. And Sakuni, the king of\nGandhara, surrounded by the chiefs of his country, sat there, O king,\nwith his son beside him. And the high-souled Vidura sat on a begemmed\nseat covered with a white deer-skin that almost touched Krishna's seat.\nAnd all the kings in the assembly, although they gazed at Janardana of\nDasarha's race for a long while, were not, however, gratified with their\ngaze, like drinkers of the Amrita, that are never satiated with quaffing\nmeasure after measure. And Janardana attired in yellow robes having the\ncomplexion of the Atasi flower, sat in the midst of that assembly like a\nsapphire mounted on gold. And after Govinda had taken his seat, a perfect\nsilence ensued, for none present there spoke a single word.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"And after all the kings had been seated and perfect\nsilence had ensued, Krishna possessing fine teeth and having a voice deep\nas that of the drum, began to speak. And Madhava although he addressed\nDhritarashtra, spoke in a voice deep as the roll of clouds in the rainy\nseason, making the whole assembly hear. And he said, 'In order that, O\nBharata, peace may be established between the Kurus and the Pandavas\nwithout a slaughter of the heroes, I have come hither. Besides this, O\nking, I have no other beneficial words to utter. O chastiser of foes,\neverything that should be learnt in this world is already known to thee.\nThis thy race, O king, owing to its learning and behaviour, and owing\nalso to its being adorned with every accomplishment, is most\ndistinguished among all royal dynasties. Joy in the happiness of others,\ngrief at sight of other people's misery, desire to alleviate distress,\nabstention from injury, sincerity, forgiveness, and truth,--these, O\nBharata, prevail amongst the Kurus. Then thy race, therefore, O king, is\nso noble, it would be a pity if anything improper were done by any one\nbelonging to it, and greater pity still if it were done by thee. O chief\nof the Kurus, thou art the first of those that should restrain the Kurus\nif they behave deceitfully towards strangers or those numbering with\nthemselves. Know, O thou of Kuru's race, that those wicked sons of thine,\nheaded by Duryodhana, abandoning both virtue and profit, disregarding\nmorality, and deprived of their senses by avarice, are now acting most\nunrighteously towards, O bull of men, their foremost of kinsmen. That\nterrible danger (which threatens all) hath its origin in the conduct of\nthe Kurus. If thou becomest indifferent to it, it will then produce a\nuniversal slaughter. If, O Bharata, thou art willing, thou mayest be able\nto allay that danger even yet, for, O bull of Bharata's race, peace, I\nthink, is not difficult of acquisition. The establishment of peace, O\nking, depends on thee and myself, O monarch. Set right thy sons, O thou\nof Kuru's race, and I will set the Pandavas right. Whatever be thy\ncommand, O king, it behoveth thy sons with their followers to obey it. If\nagain they live in obedience to thee, that would be the very best they\ncould do. If thou strivest for peace by restraining thy sons, it will be\nto thy profit, O king, as also to the benefit of the Pandavas. Having\nreflected carefully, act thou thyself, O king. Let those sons of Bharata\n(the Pandavas), be, O ruler of men, thy allies. Supported by the\nPandavas, O king, seek thou both religion and profit. By every exertion\nin thy power, thou canst not have, O king, such allies as they who are\nsuch. Protected by the illustrious sons of Pandu, Indra himself at the\nhead of the celestials will not be able to vanquish thee. How would it be\npossible then for mere earthly kings to withstand thy prowess? If with\nBhishma, and Drona, and Kripa, and Karna, and Vivinsati, and\nAswatthaman, Vikarna, and Somadatta, and Vahlika and the chief of the\nSindhus, and the ruler of the Kalingas, and Sudakshina, the king of the\nKamvojas, there were Yudhishthira, and Bhimasena and Savyasachin, and the\ntwins, and if Satyaki of mighty energy, and Yuyutsu, that mighty car\nwarrior, are stationed, who is there, O bull of Bharata's race, of such\nmisdirected intelligence that would fight these? If, O slayer of foes,\nthou hast both the Kurus and the Pandavas at thy back, the sovereignty of\nthe whole world and invincibility before all foes will be thine. All the\nrulers of the earth, O monarch, that are either equal to thee or\nsuperior, will then seek alliance with thee. Protected on all sides by\nsons, grandsons, fathers, brothers, and friends, thou wilt then be able\nto live in exceeding happiness. Keeping these before thee and treating\nthem with kindness as in days of yore, thou, O monarch, wilt enjoy the\nsovereignty of the whole earth. With these as thy supporters and with the\nsons of Pandu also, thou wilt, O Bharata, be able to conquer all thy\nfoes. Even this is thy best advantage. If, O chastiser of foes, thou art\nunited with thy sons and kinsmen and counsellors, thou wilt enjoy\nsovereignty of the whole earth won for thee by them. In battle, O great\nking, nothing but wholesale destruction is visible. Indeed, in the\ndestruction of both the parties, what merit dost thou see? If the\nPandavas are slaughtered in battle, or if thy own mighty sons fall, tell\nme, O bull of Bharata's race, what happiness wilt thou enjoy? All of them\nare brave and skilled in weapons. All of them are desirous of battle, the\nPandavas as also thy sons. Oh, save them from the terrible danger that\nthreatens them. After the battle thou wilt not behold all the Kurus or\nall the Pandavas. Car-warriors slain by car-warriors, thou wilt behold\nthe heroes of both parties reduced in numbers and strength. All the\nrulers of the earth, O best of kings, have been assembled together.\nInflamed with wrath, they will certainly exterminate the population of\nthe earth. Save, O king, the world. Let not the population of the earth\nbe exterminated. O son of Kuru's race, if thou regainest thy natural\ndisposition, the earth may continue to be peopled as now. Save, O king,\nthese monarchs, who are all of pure descent, endued with modesty and\nliberality and piety, and connected with one another in bonds of\nrelationship or alliance, from the terrible danger that threatens them.\nAbandoning wrath and enmity, O chastiser of foes, let these kings,\nembracing one another in peace, eating and drinking with one another,\ndressed in excellent robes and decked with garlands, and doing courtesies\nto one another, return to their respective homes. Let the affection thou\nhadst for the Pandavas be revived in thy bosom, and let it, O bull of\nBharata's race, lead to the establishment of peace. Deprived of their\nfather while they were infants, they were brought up by thee. Cherish\nthem now as becomes thee, O bull of Bharata's race, as if they were thy\nown sons. It is thy duty to protect them. And especially it is so when\nthey are distressed. O bull of Bharata's race, let not thy virtue and\nprofit be both lost. Saluting and propitiating thee, the Pandavas have\nsaid unto thee, \"At thy command we have, with our followers, suffered\ngreat misery. For these twelve years have we lived in the woods, and for\nthe thirteenth year have we lived incognito in an uninhabited part of the\nworld. We broke not our pledge, firmly believing that our father also\nwould abide by his. That we violated not our word is well-known to the\nBrahman as who were with us. And as we, O bull of the Bharata race, have\nabided by our promise, also do thou abide by thine. Long have we suffered\nthe greatest misery, but let us now have our share of the kingdom. Fully\nconversant as thou art with virtue and profit, it behoveth thee to rescue\nus. Knowing that our obedience is due to thee, we have quietly undergone\nmuch misery. Behave thou then unto us like a father or brother. A\npreceptor should behave as a preceptor towards his disciples, and as\ndisciples we are willing to behave as such towards thee, our preceptor.\nAct thou, therefore, towards us as a preceptor should. If we go wrong, it\nis the duty of our father to set us right. Therefore, set us on the way\nand tread thou also the excellent path of righteousness.\" Those sons of\nthine, O bull of the Bharata race, have also said unto these kings\nassembled in the court these words, \"If the members of an assembly are\nconversant with morality, nothing improper should be permitted by them to\nhappen. Where, in the presence of the virtuous members of an assembly,\nrighteousness is sought to be overpowered by unrighteousness, and truth\nby the untruth, it is those members themselves that are vanquished and\nslain. When righteousness, pierced by unrighteousness, seeketh the\nprotection of an assembly, if the arrow is not extracted, it is the\nmembers themselves that are pierced by that arrow. Indeed, in that case,\nrighteousness slayeth the members of that assembly, like a river eating\naway the roots of the trees on its bank.\" Judge now, O bull of the\nBharata race. The Pandavas, with their eyes turned towards righteousness\nand reflecting on everything, are maintaining a calm attitude, and what\nthey have said is consistent with truth and virtue and justice. O ruler\nof men, what canst thou say unto them, but that thou art willing to give\nthem back their kingdom? Let these rulers of earth that are sitting here\nsay (what the answer should be)! If it appears to thee that what I have\nsaid after reflecting well on virtue to be true, save all these\nKshatriyas, O bull of the Bharata race, from the meshes of death. Effect\npeace, O chief of Bharata's race, and yield not to anger. Giving unto the\nPandavas their just share of the paternal kingdom, enjoy thou then, with\nthy sons, O chastiser of foes, happiness and luxury, thy wishes being all\ncrowned with success. Know that Yudhishthira always treadeth the path\nthat is trod by the righteous. Thou knowest also, O king, what the\nbehaviour of Yudhishthira is towards thee and thy sons. Although thou\nhadst sought to burn him to death and hadst exiled him from human\nhabitation, yet he came back and once more repose confidence in thee.\nAgain, didst thou with thy sons, banish him to Indraprastha? While there,\nhe brought all the kings of the earth to subjection and yet looked up to\nthy face, O king, without seeking to disregard thee. Although he behaved\nin this way, yet Suvala's son, desirous of robbing him of his dominions\nand wealth and possessions, applied the very efficacious means of dice.\nReduced to that condition and even beholding Krishna dragged into the\nassembly, Yudhishthira of immeasurable soul, did not yet swerve from the\nduties of a Kshatriya. As regards myself, I desire, O Bharata, thy good\nas also theirs. For the sake of virtue, of profit, of happiness, make\npeace, O king, and do not allow the Earth's population to be slaughtered,\nregarding evil as good and good as evil. Restrain thy sons, O monarch,\nwho have from covetousness proceeded too far. As regards the sons of\nPritha, they are equally ready to wait upon thee in dutiful service or to\nfight. That which, O chastiser of foes, seems to thee to be for thy good,\ndo thou adopt!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"All the rulers of earth there present highly\napplauded these words of Kesava within their hearts, but none of them\nventured to say anything in the presence of Duryodhana.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCVI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing these words uttered by the high-souled\nKesava, all the persons who sat in that assembly remained silent, their\nhair standing on their ends. And all the kings thought within themselves\nthat there was no man who could dare reply to that speech. And seeing\nthat all the kings sat silent, Jamadagni's son (addressing Duryodhana)\nthen said these words in that assembly of Kurus, 'Listen confidingly to\nmy words illustrated by an example, and seek thy own good if my speech\nrecommends itself to thee. There was a king of yore named Dambhodbhava,\nwho was the Head of the earth. It hath been heard by us that his\nsovereignty extended over the whole world. And that mighty car-warrior,\nrising every morning after the night had passed away, called the\nBrahmanas and the Kshatriyas unto himself and asked them, saying, \"Be he\na Sudra, a Vaisya, a Kshatriya, or a Brahmana, is there any one who is\nsuperior or even equal to me in battle?\" And uttering these words that\nking wandered over the earth, intoxicated with pride and thinking of\nnothing else. And it so happened that certain Brahmanas endued with high\nsouls, conversant with the Vedas, and fearing nothing on earth,\ncounselled the monarch, repeatedly boasting of his prowess, to curb his\npride. But though forbidden by those Brahmanas to boast in that way, the\nking continued to ask the Brahmanas as before the same question day after\nday. And some high-souled Brahmanas then, endued with ascetic merit and\nacquainted with the proofs furnished by the Vedas, were inflamed with\nanger, and addressing that proud and boastful king intoxicated with\nprosperity, told him, \"There are two persons who are foremost of all men\nand who are always victorious in battle. Thou, O king, wilt by no means\nbe equal to them if thou seekest an encounter with any one of them.\" And\nthus addressed by them, the king asked those Brahmanas, saying, \"Where\nmay those two heroes be found? In what race are they born? What feats\nhave they achieved? And who are they?\" And the Brahmanas answered him,\nsaying, \"It had been heard by us that those two persons are ascetics\ncalled Nara and Narayana. They have both taken their births in the race\nof man. Go and fight with them, O king. It is that illustrious pair, Nara\nand Narayana, who are now practising the severest of penances in some\nhidden region of the mountains of Gandhamadana.\" Hearing those words of\nthe Brahmanas, that king speedily mustered his large army consisting of\nsix kinds of forces,[7] and unable to bear their reputation, marched to\nthe spot where those unvanquished ascetics were, and arrived at the\nrugged and frightful mountains of Gandhamadana. He began to search after\nthose Rishis, and at last, came upon them concealed within the woods. And\nbeholding those two best of persons emaciated with hunger and thirst,\ntheir veins swollen and visible, and themselves much afflicted with cold\nwinds, and the hot rays of the sun, he approached them, and touching\ntheir feet, enquired after their welfare. And the two Rishis received the\nking hospitably, with fruits and roots, and a seat and water. And they\nthen enquired after the king's business, saying, \"Let it be done.\" And\nthus addressed by them, the king said unto them the same words that he\nwas in the habit of saying unto all. And he said, \"The whole earth has\nbeen conquered by the might of my arms. All my foes have been slain.\nDesiring a battle with you both I have come to this mountain. Offer me\nthis hospitality. I have been cherishing this wish from a long time.\"\nThus addressed, Nara and Narayana said, \"O best of kings, wrath and\ncovetousness have no place in this retreat. How can a battle, therefore,\nbe possible here? There are no weapons here, and nothing of\nunrighteousness and malice. Seek battle elsewhere. There are many\nKshatriyas on earth.\"'\n\n\"Rama continued, 'Although thus addressed, the king still pressed them\nfor giving him battle. The Rishis, however, continually soothed him and\noverlooked his importunity. King Dambhodbhava, still desirous of battle,\nrepeatedly summoned those Rishis to fight. Nara, then, O Bharata, taking\nup a handful of grass-blades, said, \"Desirous of battle as thou art,\ncome, O Kshatriya, and fight! Take up all thy arms, and array thy troops.\nI will curb thy eagerness for battle hereafter!\" Dambhodbhava then said,\n\"If, O ascetic, thou thinkest this weapon of thine fit to be used against\nus, I shall fight with thee though thou mayest use that weapon, for I\nhave come hither desirous of fighting.\" Saying this, Dambhodbhava with\nall his troops, desirous of slaying that ascetic, covered all sides with\na shower of arrows. That ascetic, however, by means of those blades of\ngrass, baffled all those terrible shafts of the king that were capable of\nmangling the bodies of hostile warriors. The invincible Rishi then let\noff towards the king his own terrible weapon made of grass-blades and\nwhich was incapable of being counteracted. And highly wonderful was that\nwhich happened, for that ascetic, incapable of missing his aim, pierced\nand cut off, by those grass-blades alone, the eyes and ears and noses of\nthe hostile warriors, aided also by his power of illusion. And beholding\nthe entire welkin whitened by those grass-blades, the king fell at the\nfeet of the Rishi and said, \"Let me be blessed!\" Ever inclined to grant\nprotection unto those that sought it, Nara then, O king, said unto that\nmonarch, \"Be obedient to the Brahmanas and be virtuous. Never do so\nagain. O king, O tiger among monarchs, a conqueror of hostile towns, a\nKshatriya mindful of the duties of his own order, should never, within even\nhis heart, be as thou art. Filled with pride, never insult anybody on any\noccasion, be he inferior or superior to thee. Even such conduct would befit\nthee. Acquiring wisdom, abandoning covetousness and pride, controlling\nthy soul, restraining thy passions, practising forgiveness and humility,\nand becoming amiable, O king, go, and cherish thy subjects. Without\nascertaining the strength and weakness of men, never insult any one under\nany circumstances. Blessed be thou, and with our leave, go hence, and\nnever again behave in this way. At our command, enquire thou always of\nthe Brahmanas as to what is for thy good.\" The king then, worshipping the\nfeet of those two illustrious Rishis, returned to his city, and from that\ntime began to practise righteousness. Great indeed, was that feat\nachieved of old by Nara. Narayana, again, became superior to Nara in\nconsequence of many more qualities. Therefore, O king, besides such\nweapons as Kakudika, Suka, Naka, Akshisantarjana, Santana, Nartana,\nGhora, and Asyamodaka, are placed on the string of that best of bows\ncalled Gandiva, go thou unto Dhananjaya, laying aside thy pride. Struck\nwith these weapons, men always yield up their lives. Indeed, these\nweapons have other means corresponding with the eight passions, such as\nlust, wrath, covetousness, vanity, insolence, pride, malice, and\nselfishness. Struck with them, men are confounded, and move about\nfrantically deprived of their senses. Under their influence, persons\nalways sleep heavily, cut capers, vomit, pass urine and excreta, weep,\nand laugh incessantly. Indeed, that Arjuna is irresistible in fight, who\nhath for his friend Narayana--the Creator and Lord of all the\nworlds--fully acquainted with the course of everything. Who is there in\nthe three worlds, O Bharata, who would venture to vanquish that hero--the\nApe-bannered Jishnu--who hath no equal in battle? Countless are the\nvirtues that reside in Partha. Janardana again, is superior to him. Thou\nart thyself well-acquainted with Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti. They that\nwere Nara and Narayana in days of yore are now Arjuna and Kesava. Know\nthen, O great king, who those brave and foremost of persons are. If thou\nbelievest in this and dost not mistrust me adopt thou a virtuous\nresolution and make peace with the sons of Pandu. If thou regardest this\nas thy good, viz., that there should be no disunion in thy family, then\nmake peace, O foremost of Bharata's race, and do not set thy heart upon\nbattle. O thou, that are foremost of Kuru's line, the race to which thou\nbelongest is highly regarded on earth. Let that regard continue to be\npaid to it. Blessed be thou, think of what conduces to thy own welfare.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCVII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having listened to the words of Jamadagnya, the\nillustrious Rishi Kanwa also said these words unto Duryodhana in that\nassembly of the Kurus.\"\n\n\"Kanwa said, 'Brahman, the Grandsire of the universe, is indestructible\nand eternal. Those illustrious Rishis, Nara and Narayana, are of the same\ncharacter. Of all the sons of Aditi, Vishnu alone is eternal. He alone is\nunconquerable and indestructible, existing for ever, the Lord of all, and\nthe possessor of divine attributes. All others, such as the sun and the\nmoon, earth and water, wind, fire and firmament, planets, and stars, are\nliable to destruction. All these, when the end of the universe cometh,\ntake leave of the three worlds. They are destroyed and created again and\nagain. Others also, such as men and animals and birds, and creatures\nbelonging to other orders of living existence,--indeed, all that move on\nthis world of men,--are endued with short lives. And as regards kings,\nall of them, having enjoyed great prosperity, reach, at last, the hour of\ndestruction and are reborn in order to enjoy the fruits of good and evil\ndeeds. It behoveth thee then to make peace with Yudhishthira. Let the\nPandavas and the Kauravas both rule this earth. O Suyodhana, one should\nnot think in this way, viz., I am strong!--for O bull among men, it is\nseen that there are persons stronger than those generally regarded\nstrong. O son of Kuru's race, physical strength is scarcely regarded as\nstrength by those that are really strong. As regards the Pandavas, endued\nas they all are with prowess equal to that of the celestials, they are\nalso regarded as strong. In this connection is cited an old story, as an\nexample, the story, viz., of Matali searching for a bridegroom upon whom\nto bestow his daughter. The king of the three worlds (Indra) had a\ncharioteer, named Matali, whom he dearly loved. Unto him was born a\ndaughter celebrated over the world for beauty. Endued with the celestial\nbeauty, that daughter of Matali was known by the name of Gunakesi. And,\nindeed, in both loveliness and symmetry of bodily figure, she far\nexcelled other members of her sex. Knowing that the time for giving her\naway had come, Matali with his wife became very anxious, thinking, O\nmonarch, of what he was to do next. And he thought within himself, \"Alas,\nthe birth of a daughter in the families of those that are well-behaved\nand high-born and possess reputation and humility of character, is always\nattended with evil results. Daughters, when born in respectable families,\nalways endanger the honour of three families, viz., their maternal and\npaternal families and the family into which they are adopted by marriage.\nGlancing in my mind's eye the worlds of gods and men, I have searched\nboth, but no eligible bridegroom have I found.\"'\n\n\"Kanwa continued, 'And it so happened that amongst the gods, the Daityas\nand Gandharvas, men and numerous Rishis, none was regarded by Matali as\nan eligible husband for his daughter. And having held a consultation then\nin the night with his wife Sudharma, Matali set his heart upon making a\njourney to the world of the Nagas. And he thought within himself,\n\"Amongst both gods and men I have not found a husband fit, in respect of\nbeauty, for my Gunakesi. Surely, one may be found amongst the Nagas.\" And\nsaying this, he took his wife's leave and sniffing the head of his\ndaughter, Matali entered the nether regions.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCVIII\n\n\"Kanwa said, 'When Matali was wending his way, he saw the great Rishi\nNarada proceeding at his pleasure to pay a visit to Varuna (the god of\nthe waters). And beholding Matali, Narada asked him, saying, \"Whither\ndost thou go? Is it, O charioteer, on any mission of thy own, or is it at\nSatakratu's command, that this journey of thine is undertaken?\" Thus\naddressed on the way by Narada who was proceeding towards his\ndestination, Matali duly informed Narada, of his mission. And the Rishi,\ninformed of everything, then said unto Matali, \"We shall go together. As\nregards myself, it is to see the Lord of the waters that I am proceeding,\nhaving left the heavens, searching the nether regions, I shall tell you\neverything. After a good search there, we shall select a bridegroom, O\nMatali.\" And penetrating then into nether regions, that illustrious\ncouple, Matali and Narada, beheld that Regent of the world--the Lord of\nthe waters. And there Narada received worship due to a celestial Rishi,\nand Matali received that equal to what is offered to the great Indra. And\nboth of them skilful in business, informed Varuna of their purpose, and\nobtaining his leave they began to wander in that region of the Nagas. And\nNarada who knew all the residents of the nether regions then began to\ndescribe in detail unto his companion all about the dwellers of the Naga\nworld.'\n\n\"'And Narada said, \"Thou hast, O charioteer, seen Varuna surrounded by his\nsons and grandsons. Behold the dominions of the Lord of the waters. It is\ndelightful all round, and full of riches. The son, endued with great\nwisdom, of Varuna, the Lord of the Ocean, is even much distinguished for\nhis conduct and disposition and for his holiness. Possessed of eyes like\nlotus leaves, this Pushkara is, indeed, Varuna's much-loved son, endued\nwith great beauty and delightful to behold. He has been chosen by Soma's\ndaughter as her husband. That daughter of Soma, equal in beauty unto a\nsecond Sree, is known by the name of Jyotsnakali. Indeed, it is said,\nthat she had once before chosen the eldest and foremost of Aditi's son as\nher lord. Behold now, O companion of the Lord of the celestials, that\nabode, made entirely of gold, and full of the wine called Varuni. Indeed,\nhaving obtained that wine, the gods acquired their god-heads. These\nblazing weapons also of every kind that thou seest, belonged, O Matali,\nto the Daityas who have been deprived of their sovereignty. These weapons\nare incapable of deterioration, and when hurled at the foe always return\ninto the hand that hurleth them. Obtained by the gods as the booty of\nwar, they require considerable mental energy to be used against foes.\nHere dwelt in days of yore many tribes of Rakshasas and Daityas,\npossessed of many kinds of celestial weapons, but they were all\nvanquished by the gods. Behold, there, in Varuna's lake is that fire of\nblazing flames, and that discus of Vishnu surrounded by the lustrous\nsplendour of mighty caloric. Behold, there lieth that knotty bow that was\ncreated for the destruction of the world. It is always protected with\ngreat vigilance by the gods, and it is from this bow that the one wielded\nby Arjuna hath taken its name. Endued with the strength of a hundred\nthousand bows, the power it assumes at the hour of battle is\nindescribably great. It punishes all punishable wicked kings endued with\nthe nature of Rakshasas. This fierce weapon was first created by Brahman,\nthe utterer of the Vedas. The great preceptor Sukra hath said that this\nweapon is a terrible one in respect of all kings. Endued with great\nenergy, it is held by the sons of the Lord of waters. Behold, there in\nthe umbrella-room is the umbrella of the Lord of the waters. It droppeth\nrefreshing showers like the clouds. The water dropped from this umbrella,\nthough pure as the moon, is yet enveloped by such darkness that it cannot\nbe seen by anybody. There, in these regions, O Matali, innumerable are\nthe wonders to be seen. Your business, however, will suffer if we spend\nmore time here. We will, therefore, leave this region soon.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCIX\n\n\"'Narada continued, \"Here in the very centre of the world of the Nagas is\nsituated the city known by the name of Patalam. Celebrated over all the\nuniverse, it is worshipped by the Daityas and the Danavas. Creatures\ninhabiting the earth, if brought hither by force of the water's current,\nshriek loudly, afflicted with fear. Here the fire known by the name of\nthe Asura-fire[8] and which is fed by water, continually blazeth forth.\nHeld fast by the fiat of the celestials, it moveth not, regarding itself\nas bound and confined. It was here that the gods, having first\nvanquished and slain their foes, quaffed the Amrita and deposited the\nresidue. It is from this place that the waning and waxing of the moon are\nseen. It is here that son of Aditi, the Horse-headed (Vishnu), on the\nrecurrence of every auspicious occasion, riseth, filling at such times\nthe universe, otherwise called Suvarna,[9] with the sound of Vedic hymns\nand Mantras. And because all watery forms such as the Moon and others\nshower their water on the region, therefore hath this excellent region\nbeen called Patala.[10] It is from here that the celestial elephant\nAiravata, for the benefit of the universe, taketh up cool water in order\nto impart it to the clouds, and it is that water which Indra poureth down\nas rain. Here dwell diverse kinds of aquatic animals, of various shapes\nsuch as the Timi and others, which subsist on the rays of the moon. O\ncharioteer, here are many kinds of creatures that die during the day,\nbeing pierced by the rays of the sun, but all of whom revive in the\nnight, the reason being that the moon, rising here every day, laying\nthose deceased creatures with Amrita by means of rays, that constitute\nhis arms, resuscitate them by that touch. Deprived of their prosperity by\nVasava, it is here that many sinful Danavas live confined, defeated by\nhim and afflicted by Time. It was here that the Lord of creatures--that\ngreat Master of all created things--Mahadeva--had practised the severest\nof ascetic austerities for the benefit of all creatures. Here dwell many\nregenerate and great Rishis observant of vows called 'Go' and emaciated\nwith the recitation and study of the Vedas, and who, having suspended the\nvital air called Prana, have attained to heaven by force of their\nausterities. A man is said to adopt the vow called Go, when he sleepeth\nwherever he listeth, and when he subsisteth on anything that others place\nbefore him, and is clad with robes that others may supply. Here in the\nrace of the celebrated elephant Supratika were born those best of\nelephants known by the names of Airavata, Vamana, Kumuda and Anjana, the\nfirst being the king of his tribe. Look, O Matali, if there be any\nbridegroom here, that is distinguished by the possession of superior\nmerits, for then I will go to him for respectfully soliciting him to\naccept thy daughter. Behold, here lieth an egg in these waters, blazing\nwith beauty. From the commencement of the creation it is here. It moveth\nnot, nor doth it burst. I have never heard any body speaking of its birth\nor nature. Nobody knoweth who its father or mother is. It is said, O\nMatali, that when the end of the world cometh, mighty fire burst forth\nfrom within it, and spreading consumeth the three worlds with all their\nmobile and immobile objects.' Hearing those words of Narada, Matali\nanswered him, saying, 'No one here seems to me to be eligible. Let us go\nhence, therefore, without delay!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION C\n\n\"'Narada continued, \"Here is that spacious and celebrated city of cities,\ncalled Hiranyapura, belonging to the Daityas and Danavas, possessing a\nhundred diverse kinds of illusion. Here in these regions called Patala,\nit hath been built with great care by the divine artificer, and planned\nby the Danava Maya. Endued with great energy and heroism, many Danavas,\nhaving obtained boons (from Brahman) in days of old, lived here,\nexhibiting a thousand different kinds of illusion. They were incapable of\nbeing vanquished by Sakra or any other celestial, that is, by either\nYama, or Varuna, or the Lord of treasures (Kuvera). Here dwell, O Matali,\nthose Asuras called Kalakhanjas who sprang from Vishnu, and those\nRakshasas also called Yatudhanas who sprang from the feet of Brahman. All\nof them are endued with frightful teeth, terrible impetus, the speed and\nprowess of the wind, and great energy depending on powers of illusion.\nBesides these, another class of Danavas called Nivatakavachas, who are\ninvincible in battle, have their abode here. Thou knowest how Sakra is\nunable to vanquish them. Many times, O Matali, thou, with thy son\nGomukha, and the chief of the celestials and lord of Sachi, along with\nhis son, had to retreat before them. Behold their homes, O Matali, that\nare all made of silver and gold, and well-adorned with decorations done\naccording to the rules of art. All those mansions are decked with lapis\nlazuli and corals, and made effulgent with the lustre of the\nArkasphatika, and the radiance of gem called Vajrasara. And many of those\npalatial residences seem as if they have been made of the shine of\nthese gems called Padmaragas, or of bright marble, or of excellent wood.\nAnd they are also possessed of the radiance of the sun, or blazing fire.\nAnd all the edifices, adorned with gems and jewels, are very high and\nstand close to another. Of spacious proportions and great architectural\nbeauty, it is impossible to say of what material these mansions are built\nor to describe their style of beauty. Indeed, they are exceedingly\nbeautiful in consequence of their decorations. Behold these retreats of\nthe Daityas for recreation and sport, these beds of theirs for sleep,\nthese costly utensils of theirs set with precious stones, and these seats\nalso for their use. Behold these hills of theirs, looking like clouds,\nthose fountains of water, these trees also that move of their own will\nand that yield all fruits and flowers that one may ask. See, O Matali, if\nany bridegroom may be had here, acceptable to thee. If no one can be\nfound, we shalt, if thou likest, go hence to some other part of the\nworld.\" Thus addressed, Matali answered Narada, saying, \"O celestial\nRishi, it behoveth me not to do anything that may be disagreeable to\ndwellers of heaven. The gods and the Danavas, though brothers, are ever\nat hostility with each other. How can I, therefore, make an alliance with\nthose that are our enemies? Let us repair, therefore, to some other\nplace. It behoveth me not to search among the Danavas. As regards\nthyself, I know thy heart is ever set on fomenting quarrels.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CI\n\n\"'Narada said, \"This region belongeth to the birds, all of whom possess\nexcellent feathers. They all subsist on snakes. They never feel any\nfatigue in putting forth their prowess, or in making journeys, or in\nbearing burthens. This race, O charioteer, hath multiplied from the six\nsons of Garuda. They are Sumukha, Sunaman, Sunetra, Suvarchas, Suanch and\nthat prince of birds called Suvala. Born of Kasyapa's line and enhancing\nthe glory of Vinata's race, many winged creatures, the foremost of their\nspecies, have by begetting children founded and increased a thousand\ndynasties of birds, all endued with nobility of blood. All these\ncreatures are endued with great prosperity, have the auspicious whirl\ncalled Sreevatsa, possess great wealth, and are inspired with great\nmight. By their acts they may be said to belong to the Kshatriya order,\nbut they are all without any compassion, subsisting as they do on snakes.\nThey never attain to spiritual enlightenment in consequence of their\npreying on their kinsmen. I will now enumerate the chiefs by their names,\nlisten to me, O Matali. This race is much regarded in consequence of the\nfavour that is shown to it by Vishnu. They all worship Vishnu, and\nVishnu is their protector. Vishnu always dwelleth in their hearts, and\nVishnu is their great refuge. These then are their names--Suvarnachuda,\nNagasin Daruna, Chandatundaka, Anala, Vaisalaksha, Kundalin, Pankajit,\nVajraviskambha, Vainateya, Vamana, Vatavega, Disachakshu, Nimisha,\nAnimisha, Trirava, Saptarava, Valmiki, Dipaka, Daityadwipa, Saridwipa,\nSarasa, Padmaketana, Sumukha, Chitraketu, Chitravara, Anagha, Meshahrit,\nKumuda, Daksha, Sarpanta, Somabhojana, Gurubhara, Kapota, Suryanetra,\nChirantaka, Vishnudharman, Kumara, Parivarha, Hari, Suswara, Madhuparka,\nHemavarna, Malaya, Matariswan, Nisakara and Divakara. These sons of\nGaruda that I name dwell in only a single province of this region. I have\nmentioned those only that have won distinction by might, fame and\nachievements. If thou likest none here, come, we will go hence. O Matali.\nI will take thee to another region where thou mayest find an eligible\nhusband for thy daughter.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CII\n\n\"'Narada said, \"The region where we now are is called Rasatala and is the\nseventh stratum below the Earth. Here dwelleth Surabhi, the mother of all\nkine, she, who was born of the Amrita. She always yieldeth milk which is\nthe essence of all the best things of the earth, and which, excellent as\nit is, and of one taste, springeth from the essence of the six different\nkinds of tastes (that are talked of). The faultless Surabhi herself\nsprang in days of old from the mouth of the Grandsire, gratified with\ndrinking the Amrita and vomiting the best things. A single jet only of\nher milk, falling on the earth, created what is known as the sacred and\nthe excellent 'Milky Ocean.' The verge of that ocean all round is always\ncovered with white foam resembling a belt of flowers. Those best of\nascetics that are known by the name of the Foam-drinkers dwell around\nthis ocean, subsisting on that foam only. They are called Foam-drinkers\nbecause they live, O Matali, on nothing else save that foam. Engaged in\nthe practice of the severest of austerities, the very gods are known to\nfear them. From her are born four other kine, O Matali, supporting the\nfour quarters and therefore are they called the supporters of the\nquarters (Dikpali). Born of Surabhi herself, she who supporteth the\neastern quarter is called Surupa. She, who supporteth the southern\nquarter is called Hansika. That illustrious cow, O Matali, of universal\nform, who supporteth the western quarter ruled by Varuna is known by the\nname of Subhadra. The northern quarter comprising the region of virtue,\nand called after Kuvera the Lord of treasures, is supported by the cow\nnamed Sarva-kamadugha. The gods, uniting with the Asuras, and making the\nMandara mountain their pole, churned the waters of the ocean and obtained\nthe wine called Varuni, and (the Goddess of Prosperity and Grace called)\nLakshmi, and Amrita, and that prince of steeds called Uchchhaisrava, and\nthat best of gems called Kaustubha. Those waters, O Matali, that yielded\nthese precious things had all been mixed with the milk of these four\ncows. As regards Surabhi, the milk she yielded becometh Swaha unto those\nthat live on Swaha, Swadha unto those that live on Swadha, and Amrita\nunto those that live on Amrita. The couplet that was sung by the dwellers\nof Rasatala in days of old, is still heard to be recited in the world by\nthe persons of learning. That couplet is this,--Neither in the region of\nthe Nagas, nor in Swarga, nor in Vimana, nor in Tripishtapa is residence\nso happy as in Rasatala!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CIII\n\n\"'Narada said, \"This foremost of cities that thou beholdest and which\nresembles the Amaravati of the chief of the celestials himself, is known\nby the name of Bhogavati. It is ruled over by Vasuki, the king of the\nNagas. That Shesha dwelleth here, who, in consequence of his ascetic\nausterities of the foremost order, is able to support this earth with all\nher vastness. His body is like that of a white mountain. He is decked in\ncelestial ornaments. He hath a thousand heads. His tongues are blazing\nlike flames of fire, and he is endued with great strength. There dwell in\nhappiness innumerable Nagas--sons of Surasa--possessed of diverse forms,\nand decked in ornaments of diverse kinds, bearing the signs of gems,\nSwastika, circles and drinking vessels. All of them endued with great\nstrength are by nature fierce. Some have a thousand heads, some five\nhundred, and some three. And some have two heads, and some five, and some\nhave seven faces. And all of them are possessed of huge bodies that\nresemble the mountains stretching over the earth. Millions and tens of\nmillions are they, in fact, uncountable, even as regards those of them\nthat belong to a single race. Listen, however, to me as I name a few of\nthe more famous ones amongst them. They are Vasuki, Takshaka, Karkotaka,\nDhanjaya, Kaliya, Nahusha, Aswatara, Vakyakunda, Mani, Apurana, Khaga,\nVamana, Elapatra, Kukura, Kukuna, Aryaka, Nandaka, Kalasa, Potaka,\nKalilasaka, Pinjaraka, Airavata, Sumanmukha, Dadhimukha, Sankha, Nanda,\nUpanandaka, Apta, Kotaraka, Sikhi, Nishthuraka, Tittiri, Hastibhadra,\nKumuda, Maylapindaka, the two Padmas, Pundarika, Pushpa, Mudgaraparnaka,\nKaravira, Pitharaka, Samvritta, Vritta, Pindara, Vilwapatra, Mushikada,\nSirishaka, Dilipa, Sankha-sirsha, Jyotishka, Aparajita, Kauravya,\nDhritarashtra, Kuhara, Krisaka, Virajas, Dharana, Savahu, Mukhara, Jaya,\nVidhira, Andha, Visundi, Virasa, and Sarasa. These and many others there\nare amongst the sons of Kasyapa. See O Matali, if there is anybody here\nwhom thou canst elect.\"'\n\n\"Kanwa continued, 'Matali, meanwhile, had been looking attentively at a\nperson that stood by. And after Narada had ceased speaking, the celestial\ncharioteer with gratified mind asked the Rishi, saying, \"Of what race is\nhe the delighter--that comely youth of great radiance--who standeth\nbefore Aryaka of Kauravya's line? Who is his father, and who is his\nmother? Of what Naga's race is he? Indeed, of what line doth he stand as\na high flag-staff? In consequence of his intelligence, his patience, his\nbeauty, and his youth, my heart, O celestial Rishi, hath been attracted\ntowards him. That youth will make the best of husbands for my Gunakesi.\"'\n\n\"Kanwa continued, 'Beholding Matali's gratification at seeing the Naga\ncalled Sumukha, Narada informed him of the nobility of his parentage and\nof his feats. And he said, \"Born in the race of Airavata this prince of\nNagas is named Sumukha. He is the favourite grandson of Aryaka, and the\ndaughter's son of Vamana. The father of this youth was, O Matali, the\nNaga called Chikura. Not long before was he slain by Vinata's Son.\"\nHearing this Matali became highly pleased, and addressing Narada, the\ncharioteer said, \"This best of Nagas is, O sire, very acceptable to me\nfor a son-in-law. Make an endeavour to secure him, for I am highly\npleased at the thought of bestowing on this Naga, O Muni, my dear\ndaughter.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CIV\n\n\"'Narada then said, \"This one is the charioteer of the name of Matali. He\nis besides a dear friend of Sakra. Pure in conduct, he hath an excellent\ndisposition and possesses numerous virtues. Endued with strength of mind,\nhe hath great energy and great might. He is the friend, counsellor, and\ncharioteer of Sakra. It has been seen in every battle that small is the\ndifference that exists between him and Vasava as regards prowess and\nstrength. In all the battles between the gods and Asuras, it is this\nMatali that driveth, by his mind alone, that ever-victorious and best of\ncars belonging to Indra, which is drawn by thousand steeds. Vanquished by\nhis management of the steeds, the enemies of the gods are subjugated by\nVasava by the use of his hands. Defeated before-hand by Matali, the\nAsuras are subsequently slain by Indra. Matali hath an excellent\ndaughter, who in beauty is unrivalled in the world. Truthful and\npossessed of every accomplishment, she is known by the name of Gunakesi.\nHe was searching the three worlds for an eligible bridegroom. O thou that\nart possessed of the splendour of a celestial, thy grandson, Sumukha,\nhath become acceptable to him as a husband for his daughter. If O best of\nserpents, his proposal be acceptable to thee, quickly make up thy mind, O\nAryaka, to take his daughter in gift for thy grandson. As Lakshmi in\nVishnu's house, or Swaha in that of Agni so let the slender-waisted\nGunakesi be a wife in thy race. Let Gunakesi, therefore be accepted by\nthee for thy grandson, like Sachi for Vasava who deserveth her. Although\nthis youth hath lost his father, yet we choose him for his virtues, and\nfor the respectability of Airavata and thy own. Indeed, it is in\nconsequence of Sumukha's merits, his disposition, purity, self-restraint\nand other qualifications that Matali hath become himself desirous of\ngiving away his daughter unto him. It behoveth thee, therefore, to honour\nMatali.\"'\n\n\"Kanwa continued, 'Thus addressed by Narada, Aryaka beholding his\ngrandson elected as a bridegroom and remembering the death of his son was\nfilled with delight and sorrow at the same time. And he then addressed\nNarada and said, \"How, O celestial Rishi, can I desire Gunakesi for a\ndaughter-in-law! It cannot be, O great Rishi, that thy words are not\nhighly honoured by me, for who is there that would not desire an alliance\nwith the friend of Indra? I hesitate, however, O great Muni, in\nconsequence of the instability of the very cause that would not make that\nalliance lasting. O thou of great effulgence, the author of this youth,\nviz., my son, hath been devoured by Garuda. We are afflicted with sorrow\non that account. But worse still, O lord, Vinata's son, at the time of\nleaving these regions, said, 'After a month I will devour this Sumukha\nalso.' Surely, it will happen as he hath said, for we know with whom we\nhave to deal. At these words, therefore, of Suparna we have become\ncheerless!\"'\n\n\"Kanwa continued, 'Matali then said unto Aryaka, \"I have formed a plan.\nThis thy grandson is elected by me as my son-in-law. Let this Naga then,\nproceeding with me and Narada, come to the Lord of heaven the chief of\nthe celestials, O best of Nagas. I shall then endeavour to place\nobstacles in the way of Suparna, and as a last resource, we will\nascertain the period of life that hath been vouchsafed to Sumukha.\nBlessed be thou, O Naga, let Sumukha, therefore, come with me to the\npresence of the Lord of the celestials.\" Saying this, they took Sumukha\nwith them, and all the four, endued with great splendour, coming to\nheaven beheld Sakra the chief of the gods seated in all his glory. And it\nso happened that the illustrious Vishnu of four arms was also present\nthere. Narada then represented the whole story about Matali and his\nchoice.'\n\n\"Kanwa continued, 'Hearing all that Narada said, Vishnu directed\nPurandara, the Lord of the universe, saying, \"Let Amrita be given to this\nyouth, and let him be made immortal like gods themselves. Let Matali, and\nNarada, and Sumukha, O Vasava, all attain their cherished wish through\nthy grace.\" Purandara, however, reflecting on the prowess of Vinata's\nson, said unto Vishnu, \"Let Amrita be given unto him by thee.\" Thus\naddressed, Vishnu said, \"Thou art the Lord of all mobile and immobile\ncreatures. Who is there, O lord, that would refuse a gift that may be\nmade by thee?\" At these words Sakra gave unto that Naga length of days.\nThe slayer of Vala and Vritra did not make him a drinker of Amrita.\nSumukha, having obtained that boon, became Sumukha[11] (in reality) for\nhis face was suffused with marks of joy. And having married Matali's\ndaughter, he cheerfully returned home. And Narada and Aryaka also filled\nwith delight at the success of their object, went away, after having\nworshipped the glorious chief of the celestials.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CV\n\n\"Kanwa said, 'Meanwhile, O Bharata, the mighty Garuda heard what had\nhappened, viz., the bestowal by Sakra of length of days on the Naga\nSumukha. And inflamed with great anger, that ranger of the firmament,\nSuparna, smiting the three worlds by the hurricane caused by the\nflappings of his wings, quickly came to Vasava. And Garuda said, \"O\nillustrious one, disregarding me why hast thou interfered with my\nsustenance. Having granted me a boon of thy own will, why dost thou now\nwithdraw it? The Supreme Lord of all creatures hath, from the beginning,\nordained what my food is to be. Why dost thou then stand in the way of\nthat divine decree? I had selected this great Naga and had fixed time,\nfor O god, I had intended to offer the meat of his body, as sustenance to\nmy numerous progeny. When he, therefore, hath obtained a boon from thee\nand hath become indestructible by me, how can I henceforth dare kill\nanother of his species? Dost thou sport thus, O Vasava, as thou listest?\nI, however, shall have to die, as also the members of my family and the\nservants whom I have engaged in my house. That will, I think, gratify\nthee, O Vasava! Indeed, O slayer of Vala and Vritra, I deserve all this,\nnay more, since being the lord of the three worlds in might, I yet\nconsented to become the servant of another. O monarch of the three\nworlds, Vishnu, however, is not the only cause of my inferiority, for\nthough, O Vasava, I am quite thy equal, yet the sovereignty of the three\nworlds resteth on thee, O chief of the celestials. Like thee, I also have\na daughter of Daksha for my mother and Kasyapa for my father. Like thee,\nI also can, without any fatigue, bear the weight of the three worlds. I\nhave strength that is immeasurable and incapable of being resisted by any\ncreature. In the war with the Daityas I also achieved grand feats.\nSrutasri and Srutasena and Vivaswat, and Rochanamukha, and Prasrura, and\nKalakaksha amongst the sons of Diti were slain by me. Perching yet on the\nflag-staff of thy younger brother's car I carefully protect it in battle,\nand sometimes also I bear that brother of thine on my back. It is,\nperhaps, for this that thou disregardest me. Who else in the universe is\nthere that is capable of bearing such heavy burthens? Who is there that\nis stronger than myself? Superior though I am, I yet bear on my back this\nyounger brother of thine with all his friends. When, however,\ndisregarding me thou hast interfered with my foods, thou hast, O Vasava,\ninflicted disgrace on me, like this younger brother of thine that had\nhitherto been disgracing me by making me bear him on my back. As regards\nthyself, O Vishnu, amongst all those endued with prowess and strength\nthat have been born of Aditi's womb, thou art superior in strength. Yet\nthee I bear without any fatigue, with only one of my feathers. Think\ncoolly then, O brother, who amongst us is stronger?\"'\n\n\"Kanwa continued, 'Hearing the proud words of that bird foreshadowing\ndanger the bearer of the discus, provoking Tarkshya still more, said unto\nhim, \"Though so very weak, why dost thou, O Garuda, yet regard thyself\nstrong, O oviparous creature, it ill behoveth thee to vaunt thus in our\npresence. The three worlds united together cannot bear the weight of my\nbody. I myself bear my own weight and thine also. Come now, bear thou the\nweight of this one right arm of mine. If thou canst bear even this, thy\nboast would be regarded as reasonable.\" Saying this, the holy one placed\nhis arms on Garuda's shoulders. Thereupon the latter fell down, afflicted\nwith its weight, confounded, and deprived of his senses. And Garuda felt\nthat the weight of that one arm of Vishnu was as great as that of the\nentire Earth with her mountains. Endued with might infinitely greater,\nVishnu, however, did not afflict him much. Indeed, Achyuta did not take\nhis life. That ranger of the sky, afflicted then by that immense weight,\ngasped for breath, and began to cast off his feathers. With every limb\nweakened, and utterly confounded, Garuda was almost deprived of his\nsenses. The winged offspring of Vinata then, thus confounded and almost\ndeprived of his senses, and rendered utterly helpless, bowing unto Vishnu\nwith bent bead, feebly addressed him, saying, \"O illustrious Lord, the\nessence of that strength which sustains the universe dwelleth in this\nbody of thine. What wonder, therefore, that I should be crushed down to\nthe earth by a single arm of thine, stretched out at thy pleasure. It\nbehoveth thee, O divine Lord, to forgive this winged creature that\nperches on thy flag-staff--this fool intoxicated with pride of strength,\nbut now rendered utterly helpless. Thy great strength, O divine Lord, was\nnever known to me before. It was for this that I regarded my own might to\nbe unequalled.\" Thus addressed, the illustrious Vishnu became gratified,\nand addressing Garuda with affection, said, \"Let not thy behaviour be\nsuch again.\" And saying this, Upendra threw Sumukha with the toe of his\nfoot upon Garuda's breast. And from that time, O king, Garuda hath ever\nlived in friendship with that snake. It was thus, O king, that mighty and\nillustrious Garuda, the son of Vinata, afflicted by the might of Vishnu,\nwas cured of his pride.'\n\n\"Kanwa continued, 'In the same way, O son of Gandhari, thou livest, O\nson, as long as thou approachest not the heroic sons of Pandu in battle.\nWho is there whom Bhima, that foremost of smiters, that mighty son of\nVayu and Dhananjaya, the son of Indra, cannot slay in battle? Vishnu\nhimself, and Vayu and Dharma, and the Aswins,--these gods are thy\nenemies. Let alone an encounter with them, thou art not competent even to\nlook at them on the field. Therefore, O prince, do not set thy heart upon\nwar; let peace be made through the agency of Vasudeva. It behoveth thee\nto save thy race thus. This great ascetic Narada witnessed with his own\neyes the incident (I have related to thee) which shows the greatness of\nVishnu, and know that this Krishna is that bearer of the discus and the\nmace!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these words of the Rishi, Duryodhana\ncontracted his eye-brows and began to breathe heavily. And casting his\neyes then on Radha's son, he burst out into a loud laughter. And setting\nat naught those words of the Rishi, that wicked wretch began to slap his\nthigh that resembled the trunk of an elephant. And addressing the Rishi,\nhe said, 'I am, O great Rishi, precisely what the Creator hath made me.\nWhat is to be, must be. What also hath been ordained in my case must\nhappen, I cannot act otherwise. What can these senseless declamations,\ntherefore, avail?'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CVI\n\nJanamejaya said, \"Interminably wedded to evil, blinded by avarice,\naddicted to wicked courses, resolved upon bringing destruction on his\nhead, inspiring grief in the hearts of kinsmen, enhancing the woes of\nfriends, afflicting all his well-wishers, augmenting the joys of foes,\nand treading the wrong path, why did not his friends seek to restrain\nhim, and why also did not that great friend (of Kuru's race), the holy\nOne with tranquil soul, or the Grandsire tell him anything from\naffection?\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Yes, the holy one did speak. Bhishma also spoke what\nwas beneficial. And Narada too said much. Listen to all that these said.\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Narada said, 'Persons that listen to the\ncounsels of friends are rare. Friends again are rare that offer\nbeneficial counsels, for a friend (in need of counsel) is never there\nwhere a friend (offering counsel) is. O son of Kuru's race, I think, the\nword of friends ought to be listened to. Obstinacy ought to be avoided;\nfor it is fraught with great evil. In this connection is cited an old\nstory regarding Galava's having met with disgrace through obstinacy. In\nancient times, in order to test Viswamitra, who was then engaged in\nascetic austerities. Dharma personally came to him, having assumed the\nform of the Rishi, Vasishtha. Thus assuming, O Bharata, the form of the\none of the seven Rishis, and feigning himself hungry and desirous of\neating, he came, O king, to the hermitage of Kausika. Thereupon,\nViswamitra struck with awe, began to cook Charu (which was a preparation\nof rice and milk). And in consequence of the care he took in preparing\nthat excellent food, he could not properly wait upon his guest. And it\nwas not till after the guest had dined on the food offered by the other\nhermits that Viswamitra succeeded in approaching him with the Charu he\nhad cooked and which was still steaming. \"I have already dined; wait\nhere,\"--were the words that the holy one said. And having said that the\nholy one went away. And thereupon, the illustrious Viswamitra, O king,\nwaited there. And bearing that food on his head and holding it with his\narms, that ascetic of rigid vow stood in his hermitage, still as a post,\nsubsisting on air. And as he stood there, an ascetic of the name of\nGalava, from motives of respect and reverence and from affection and\ndesire of doing what was agreeable, began to wait upon him. And after a\nhundred years had passed away, Dharma, again assuming the form of\nVasishtha, came to Kausika from desire of eating. And beholding the great\nRishi Viswamitra, who was endued with high wisdom, standing there with\nthat food on his head, himself subsisting all the while on air, Dharma\naccepted that food which was still warm and fresh. And having eaten that\nfood, the god said,--\"Gratified am I, O regenerate Rishi.\" And saying this,\nhe went away. And at those words of Dharma, Viswamitra divested of\nKshatriyahood because endued with the status of a Brahmana and was filled\nwith delight[12]. And pleased as he was with the services and devotion of\nhis discipline, the ascetic Galava, Viswamitra, addressed him and said,\n\"With my leave, O Galava, go whithersoever thou mayest wish.\" Thus\ncommanded by his preceptor, Galava, highly pleased, said in a sweet voice\nunto Viswamitra of great effulgence, \"What final gift shall I make thee in\nconsequence of thy services as preceptor? O giver of honours, it is in\nconsequence of the (final) present that a sacrifice becometh successful.\nThe giver of such gifts obtains emancipation. Indeed, these gifts\nconstitute the fruit (that one enjoys in heaven). They are regarded as\npeace and tranquillity personified. What, therefore, shall I procure for\nmy preceptor? Oh, let that be said.\" The illustrious Viswamitra knew that\nhe had really been conquered by Galava by means of the latter's services,\nand the Rishi, therefore, sought to dismiss him by repeatedly saying,\n\"Go, Go.\" But though repeatedly commanded by Viswamitra to go away, Galava\nstill addressed him saying, \"What shall I give?\" And seeing this\nobstinacy on the part of ascetic Galava, Viswamitra felt a slight rise of\nanger and at last said, \"Give me eight hundred steeds, every one of which\nshould be as white as the rays of the moon, and every one of which should\nhave one ear black. Go now, O Galava, and tarry not.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CVII\n\n\"Narada said, 'Thus addressed by Viswamitra of great intelligence Galava\nwas filled with such anxiety that he could not sit or lie down, or take\nhis food. A prey to anxiety and regret, lamenting bitterly, and burning\nwith remorse, Galava grew pale, and was reduced to a skeleton. And\nsmitten with sorrow, O Suyodhana, he indulged in these lamentations,\n\"Where shall I find affluent friends? Where shall I find money? Have I\nany savings? Where shall I find eight hundred steeds of lunar whiteness?\nWhat pleasure can I have in eating? What happiness can be mine in objects\nof enjoyment? The very love of life is extinct in me. What need have I of\nlife? Repairing to the other shore of the great ocean, or to the furthest\nverge of the earth, I will relinquish my life. Of what use can life be to\nme? What happiness, without severe exertion, can be his who is poor,\nunsuccessful, deprived of all the good things of life, and burthened with\ndebt? Death is preferable to life as regards him who having enjoyed the\nwealth of friends through their friendship for himself, is unable to\nreturn their favour. The religious acts of that man lose their efficacy\nwho having promised to do an act fails to perform it and is thus stained\nwith falsehood. One that is stained by falsehood cannot have beauty, or\nchildren, or power, or influence. How, therefore, can such a one attain\nto a blissful state? What ungrateful man hath ever earned fame? Where,\nindeed, is his place, and where his happiness? An ungrateful person can\nnever win esteem and affection. Salvation also can never be his. He that\nis destitute of wealth is a wretch that can scarcely be said to live.\nSuch a wretch cannot support his kinsmen and friends. Unable to make any\nreturn for the benefits he receiveth, he certainly meeteth with\ndestruction. Even I am that wretch, ungrateful, destitute of resources,\nand stained with falsehood, for having obtained my objects from my\npreceptor, I am unable to do his bidding. Having first endeavoured to the\nutmost, I will lay down my life. Before this, I never craved for any\nthing from the very gods. The deities regard me for this in sacrificial\nplace. I will go and seek the protection of Vishnu, the divine Lord of\nthe three worlds, of Krishna the great refuge of all who are blessed with\nprotection. Bowing down unto him, I desire to see that highest of all\nascetics, the Eternal Krishna from whom flow all those possessions and\nenjoyments that are owned by both gods and Asuras.\" And while Galava was\nthus lamenting, his friend Garuda, the son of Vinata, appeared in his\nsight. And Garuda, from desire of doing him good, cheerfully addressed\nhim, saying, \"Thou art a dear friend of mine. It is the duty of a friend,\nwhen himself in prosperity, to look to the accomplishment of the wishes\nof his friends. The prosperity that I have, O Brahmana, is constituted by\nVasava's younger brother Vishnu. Before this, I spoke to him on thy\nbehalf and he hath been pleased to grant my wishes. Come now, we will go\ntogether. I will bear thee comfortably to the other shore of the ocean,\nor to the furthest extremity of the earth. Come, O Galava, do not tarry.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CVIII\n\n\"'Garuda said, \"O Galava, commanded I have been by God, who is the cause\nof all knowledge. I ask thee, towards which quarter shall I first take\nthee to see what lie there? The eastern, the southern, the western, or\nthe northern, towards which, O best of regenerate persons, shall I go, O\nGalava? That quarter towards which Surya the illuminator of the universe\nfirst riseth; where, at eve, the Sadhyas engage in their ascetic\nausterities; where that Intelligence, which pervades the whole universe\nfirst springeth; where the two eyes of Dharma, as well as he himself, are\nstationed; where the clarified butter first poured in sacrifice\nsubsequently flowed all around; that quarter, O best of all regenerate\npersons, is the gate of Day and Time. There the daughters of Daksha, in\nprimeval times, gave birth to their children. There the sons of Kasyapa\nfirst multiplied. That quarter is the source of all the prosperity of the\ngods, for it was there that Sakra was first anointed as the king of the\ncelestials. It was there, O regenerate Rishi, that both Indra and the\ngods underwent their ascetic penances. It is for this, O Brahmana, that\nthis quarter is called Purva (the first). And because in the earliest of\ntimes this quarter was overspread by the Suras, it is for this that it is\ncalled Purva. The gods, desirous of prosperity, performed all their\nreligious ceremonies here. It was here that the divine Creator of the\nuniverse first sang the Vedas. It was here that the Gayatri was first\npreached by Surya unto the reciters of that sacred hymn. It was here, O\nbest of Brahmanas, that the Yajurvedas  were delivered by Surya (unto\nYajnavalkya). It was here that the Soma juice, sanctified by boons, was\nfirst drunk in sacrifices by Suras. It was here that the Homa-fires,\n(gratified by mantras), first drank articles of cognate origin.[13] It\nwas here that Varuna first repaired to the nether regions, and attained\nto all his prosperity. It was here, O bull among the twice-born, that the\nbirth, growth, and death of the ancient Vasishtha took place. Here first\ngrew the hundred different branches of Om![14] It was here that the\nsmoke-eating Munis are the smoke of sacrificial fires. It was in that\nregion that myriads of boars and other animals were killed by Sakra and\noffered as sacrificial portions unto the gods. It is here that the\nthousand-rayed sun, arising, consumeth, out of ire, all those that are\nwicked and ungrateful among men and the Asuras. This is the gate of the\nthree worlds. This is the path of heaven and felicity. This quarter is\ncalled Purva (east). We will go hither, if it pleaseth thee. I shall\nalways do what is agreeable to him who is my friend. Tell me, O Galava,\nif any other quarter pleaseth thee, for we will then go there. Listen now\nto what I say of another quarter.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CIX\n\n\"'Garuda continued, \"In days of yore, Vivaswat, having performed a\nsacrifice, gave this quarter away as a present (Dakshina) unto his\npreceptor. And it is for this that this region is known by the name of\nDakshina (south). It is here that the Pitris of the three worlds have\ntheir habitation. And, O Brahmana, it is said that a class of celestials\nsubsisting upon smoke alone also live there. Those celestials also that\ngo by the name of Viswedevas always dwell in this region along with the\nPitris. Worshipped in sacrifices in all the worlds, they are equal\nsharers with the Pitris. This quarter is called the second door of Yama.\nIt is here that the periods allotted to men are calculated in Trutis and\nLavas.[15] In this region always dwell the celestial Rishis, the\nPitriloka Rishis, and the royal Rishis, in great happiness. Here are\nreligion and truth. It is here that the acts (of persons) exhibit their\nfruits. This region, O best of the twice-born, is the goal of the acts of\nthe dead. It is this region, O best of regenerate persons, whither all\nmust repair. And as creatures are all overwhelmed by darkness, they\ncannot, therefore, come hither in bliss. Here, O bull among regenerate\npersons, are many thousands of Malevolent Rakshasas in order to be seen\nby the sinful. Here, O Brahmana, in the bowers on the breast of Mandara\nand in the abodes of regenerate Rishis, the Gandharvas chant psalms,\nstealing away both the heart and the intellect. It was here that Raivata\n(a Daitya), hearing the Sama hymns sung in a sweet voice, retired to the\nwoods, leaving his wife and friends and kingdom. In this region, O\nBrahmana, Manu and Yavakrita's son together set a limit which Surya can\nnever overstep. It was here that the illustrious descendant of Pulastya,\nRavana, the king of the Rakshasas, undergoing ascetic austerities,\nsolicited (the boon of) immortality from the gods. It was here that (the\nAsura) Vritra, in consequence of his wicked conduct, incurred the enmity\nof Sakra. It is in this region that lives of diverse forms all come and\nare then dissociated into their five (constituent) elements. It is in\nthis region, O Galava, that men of wicked deeds rot (in tortures). It is\nhere that the river Vaitarani flows, filled with the bodies of persons\ncondemned to hell. Arrived here, persons attain to the extremes of\nhappiness and misery. Reaching this region, the sun droppeth sweet waters\nand thence proceeding again to the direction named after (Vasishtha),\nonce more droppeth dew. It was here that I once obtained (for food), a\nprodigious elephant battling with an enormous tortoise. It was here that\nthe great sage Chakradhanu took his birth from Surya. That divine sage\nafterwards came to be known by the name of Kapila, and it was by him that\nthe (sixty thousand) sons of Sagara were afflicted. It was here that a\nclass of Brahmanas named Sivas, fully mastering the Vedas, became crowned\nwith (ascetic) success. Having studied all the Vedas they at last\nattained eternal salvation. In this region is the city called Bhogavati\nthat is ruled by Vasuki, by the Naga Takshaka and also by Airavata. They\nthat have to journey hither (after death) encounter here a thick gloom.\nAnd so thick is that gloom that it cannot be penetrated by either the Sun\nhimself or by Agni. Worthy of worship as thou art, even thou shalt have\nto pass this road. Tell me now if thou wishest to sojourn towards this\ndirection. Else, listen to an account of the western direction.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CX\n\n\"'Garuda said, \"This quarter is the favourite one of king Varuna, the\nruler of the ocean. Indeed, the lord of the waters had his origin here,\nand it is hither that sovereignty lieth. And since it is here that\ntowards the day's end (paschat) the sun dismisseth his rays that this\nquarter, O best of the twice-born ones, is called the west (paschima).\nFor ruling over all aquatic creatures and for the protection of the water\nthemselves, illustrious and divine Kasyapa installed Varuna here (as the\nking of this region). Quaffing all the six juices of Varuna, the moon,\nthe dispeller of darkness, becometh young again in the beginning of the\nfortnight. It was in the quarter, O Brahmana, that the Daityas were\nrouted and bound fast by the wind-god. And afflicted by a mighty tempest,\nand breathing hard (as they fled), they at last laid themselves down in\nthis region to sleep (the sleep that knows no waking). Hither is that\nmountain called Asta which is the cause of the evening twilight, and\nwhich (daily) receiveth the sun lovingly turning towards it. It is from\nthis quarter that both Night and Sleep, issuing out at the close of day,\nspread themselves, as if, for robbing all living creatures of half their\nallotted periods of life. It was here that Sakra, beholding (his\nstepmother) the goddess Diti lying asleep in a state of pregnancy, cut\noff the foetus (into forty-nine parts), whence sprang the (forty-nine)\nMaruts. It is towards this direction that the roots of Himavat stretch\ntowards the eternal Mandara (sunk in the ocean). By journeying for even a\nthousand years one cannot attain to the end of those roots. It is in this\nregion that Surabhi (the mother of cows), repairing to the shores of the\nextensive lake, adorned with golden lotuses, poureth forth her milk. Here\nin the midst of the ocean is seen the headless trunk of the illustrious\nSwarbhanu (Rahu) who is always bent upon devouring both sun and the moon.\nHere is heard the loud chanting of the Vedas by Suvarnasiras, who is\ninvincible and of immeasurable energy, and whose hair is eternally green.\nIt is in this region that the daughter of Muni Harimedhas remained\ntransfixed in the welkin in consequence of Surya's injunction couched in\nthe words--Stop, Stop. Here, O Galava, wind, and fire, and earth, and\nwater, are all free, both day and night, from their painful sensations.\nIt is from this region that the sun's course begins to deviate from the\nstraight path, and it is in this direction that all the luminous bodies\n(the constellations) enter the solar sphere. And having moved for\ntwenty-eight nights with the sun, they come out of the sun's course to\nmove in accompaniment with the moon. It is in this region that the rivers\nwhich always feed the ocean have their sources. Here, in the abode of\nVaruna, are the waters of the three worlds. In this region is situate the\nabode of Anarta, the prince of snakes. And here is the unrivalled abode\nalso of Vishnu, who is without beginning and without end. In this region\nis also situate the abode of the great Rishi Kasyapa, the son of Maricha.\nThe western quarter is thus narrated to thee in course of telling thee of\nthe different points. Tell me now, O Galava, towards which side, O best\nof regenerate persons, shall we go?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXI\n\n\"'Garuda said, \"O Brahmanas, since this quarter saveth from sin, and since\none attaineth to salvation here, it is for this saying (Uttarana) power\nthat it is called the north (uttara). And, O Galava, because the abode of\nall the treasures of the north stretches in a line towards the east and\nthe west, therefore is the north sometimes called the central region\n(madhyama). And, O bull among the twice-born, in this region that is\nsuperior to all, none can live that is unamiable, or of unbridled\npassions, or unrighteous. Hither, in the asylum, known by the name of\nVadari, eternally dwell Krishna who is Narayana's self, and Jishnu that\nmost exalted of all male beings, and Brahman (the Creator). Hither, on\nthe breast of Himavat always dwelleth Maheswara endued with the\neffulgence of the fire that blazeth up at the end of the Yuga. As\nPurusha, he sporteth here with Prakriti (the universal mother). Except by\nNara and Narayana, he is incapable of being seen by the diverse classes\nof Munis, the gods with Vasava at their head, the Gandharvas, the\nYakshas, and the Siddhas. Though invested with Maya, him the eternal\nVishnu alone, of a thousand heads and thousand legs, can behold. It was\nin this region that Chandramas (the moon) was installed into the\nsovereignty of the entire regenerate order. It was in this region, O thou\nforemost of all acquainted with Brahma, that Mahadeva first receiving her\non his head, afterwards let (the sacred stream) Ganga fall from the\nheavens to the world of men. It was here that the Goddess (Uma) underwent\nher ascetic austerities from her desire of obtaining Maheswara (as her\nLord). It was in this region that Kama, the wrath (of Siva), Himavat, and\nUma, all together shone brilliantly. It was here, on the breast of\nKailasa, O Galava, that Kuvera was installed on the sovereignty of the\nRakshasas, the Yakshas, and the Gandharvas. It is in this region that\n(Kuvera's gardens called) Chitraratha lie, and it is here that the asylum\nof (the Munis called the) Vaikhanasas is situate. It is here, O bull\namong the twice-born, that the celestial stream called Mandakini, and the\nmountain Mandara are to be seen. It is here that the gardens called\nSaugandhi-kanaka are always guarded by the Rakshasas. Here are many\nplains covered with grassy verdure, as also the plantain forest, and\nthose celestial trees called the Sautanakas. It is in this region, O\nGalava, that the Siddhas, with souls ever under control and always\nsporting at will, have their fit abodes, abounding with every object of\nenjoyment. It is here that the seven Rishis with Arundhati may be seen.\nIt is here that the constellation Swati is to be seen, and it is here\nthat it first rises to the view. It is in this region that the Grandsire\nBrahman dwelleth in the vicinity of Yajna (sacrifice embodied). It is in\nthis quarter that the sun, the moon, and the other luminaries are seen to\nrevolve regularly.\"\n\n\"'\"It is in this region, O foremost of Brahmanas, that those illustrious\nand truth-speaking Munis called by the name of Dharma, guard the source of\nthe Ganges. The origin and physical features and ascetic penances of\nthese Munis are not known to all. The thousand dishes they use for\nserving the food offered in hospitality and the edibles also they create\nat will, are all a mystery. The man, O Galava, that passeth beyond the\npoint guarded by these Munis, is certain, O foremost of Brahmanas, to\nmeet with destruction. None else, O bull among Brahmanas, save the divine\nNarayana, and the eternal Nara called also Jishnu, succeeded in passing\nbeyond the point so guarded. It is in this region that the mountains of\nKailasa lie, the abode of Ailavila (Kuvera). It is here that the ten\nApsaras known by the name of Vidyutprabha had their origin. In covering,\nO Brahmana, the three worlds with three steps in the sacrifice of Vali\n(the Asura king), Vishnu had covered this whole northern region; and,\naccordingly, there is a spot here called Vishnupada. And it is so called\nafter the footprint of Vishnu caused on that occasion. Here, in this\nquarter, at a place called Usiravija, by the side of the golden lake,\nking Marutta performed, O foremost of Brahmanas, a sacrifice. It is here\nthat the brilliant and shining gold mines of Himavat exhibit themselves\nto the illustrious and regenerate Rishi Jimuta. And Jimuta gave away the\nwhole of that wealth to the Brahmanas. And having given it away, that\ngreat Rishi solicited them to call it after his own name. And hence that\nwealth is known by the name of the Jaimuta gold. Here, in this region, O\nbull among Bharatas, the regents of the worlds, O Galava, every morning\nand evening, proclaim, 'What business of what person shall we do?' It is\nfor these, O foremost of Brahmanas, and other incidents, that the\nnorthern region is superior to all quarters. And because this region is\nsuperior (uttara) to all, therefore, it is called the north (uttara). The\nfour regions have thus, O sire, been, one after another described to thee\nin details. Towards which quarter then dost thou desire to go? I am\nready, O foremost of Brahmanas, to show thee all the quarters of the\nearth!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXII\n\n\"'Galava said, \"O Garuda, O slayer of foremost snakes, O thou of beautiful\nfeathers, O son of Vinata, carry me, O Tarkhya, to the east where the two\neyes of Dharma are first opened. O, take me to the east which thou hast\nfirst described, and whither, thou hast said, the gods are always\npresent. Thou hast said that thither both truth and virtue reside. I\ndesire to meet all the gods. Therefore, O younger brother of Aruna, take\nme thither, so that I may behold the gods.\"'\n\n\"Narada continued, 'Thus addressed, the son of Vinata replied unto that\nBrahmana saying, \"Mount thou on my back.\" And thereupon, the Muni Galava\nrode on the back of Garuda. And Galava said, \"Thy beauty, O devourer of\nsnakes, as thou proceedest, seemeth to be like that of the sun himself in\nthe morning, that maker of the day endued with a thousand rays. And, O\nranger of the skies, thy speed is so great that the very trees, broken by\nthe storm caused by the flapping of thy wings, seem to pursue thee in the\ncourse. Thou seemest, O tenant of the welkin, to drag by the storm caused\nby the wings, the very Earth with all the waters of her oceans, and with\nall her mountains, woods and forests. Indeed, the tempest caused by the\nmotion of thy wings seems to continually raise into mid air the waters of\nthe sea, with all their fishes and snakes and crocodiles. I see fishes\npossessed of similar faces, and Timis and Timingilas and snakes endued\nwith human faces, all crushed by the tempest raised by thy wings. My ears\nare deafened by the roar of the deep. So stunned am I that I can neither\nhear nor see anything. Indeed, I have forgotten my own purpose. Slacken\nthy speed, O ranger of the sky, remembering the risk to a Brahmana's\nlife. O sire, neither the sun, nor the cardinal points, nor the welkin\nitself, is any longer perceptible to me. I see only a thick gloom around\nme. The body is no longer visible to me. I see only thy two eyes, O\noviparous being, resembling two radiant gems. I cannot see either thy\nbody or my own. At every step, I behold sparks of fire emitted from thy\nframe. Stop without delay these sparks of fire and extinguish the\ndazzling radiance of thy eyes. O son of Vinata, slacken this exceeding\nspeed of thy course. O devourer of snakes, I have no business to go with\nthee. Desist, O blessed one, I am unable to bear this speed of thine. I\nhave promised to give my preceptor eight hundred white steeds of lunar\neffulgence, each having one ear black in hue. I see no way, O oviparous\nbeing, of fulfilling my pledge. There is but one way that I can see, and\nthat is to lay down my own life. I have no wealth of my own, nor any\nwealthy friend, nor can wealth, however immense, procure the\naccomplishment of my object.\"'\n\n\"Narada continued, 'Unto Galava uttering these and many other words of\nentreaty and sorrow, the son of Vinata, without slackening his speed,\nlaughingly replied, saying, \"Thou hast little wisdom, O regenerate Rishi,\nsince thou wishest to put an end to thy own life. Death can never be\nbrought about by one's effort. Indeed, Death is God himself. Why didst\nthou not, before this, inform me of thy purpose? There are excellent\nmeans by which all this may be accomplished. Here is this mountain called\nRishabha on the seaside. Resting here for some time and refreshing\nourselves with food, I will, O Galava, return.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXIII\n\n\"Narada said, 'Alighting then on the peak of the Rishabha, the Brahmana\nand the Bird beheld a Brahmana lady of the name of Sandili, engaged there\non ascetic penances. And Galava and Garuda both saluted her by bending\ntheir heads, and worshipped her. And thereupon, the lady enquired after\ntheir welfare and gave them seats. And having taken their seats, both of\nthem took the cooked food the lady offered them, after having first\ndedicated it to the gods with Mantras. And having taken that food, they\nlaid themselves down on the ground and fell into a profound sleep. And\nGaruda, from desire of leaving that place, upon awakening, found that his\nwings had fallen off. Indeed, he had become like a ball of flesh, with\nonly his head and legs. And beholding him come to that plight, Galava\nsorrowfully enquired, saying, \"What is this condition that has overtaken\nthee as the consequence of thy sojourn here? Alas, how long shall we have\nto reside here? Hadst thou harboured any evil and sinful thought in thy\nmind? It cannot, I am sure, be any trivial sin of which thou hast been\nguilty.\" Thus addressed, Garuda replied unto the Brahmana, saying,\n\"Indeed, O regenerate one, I entertained the thought of carrying away\nthis lady crowned with ascetic success from this spot to where the\nCreator himself, the divine Mahadeva, the eternal Vishnu, and both Virtue\nand Sacrifice personified, live together, for as I thought this lady\nshould live there. I shall now, from desire of doing myself good,\nprostrate myself before this holy lady, and pray unto her, saying,--'with\na heart full of pity, I had, indeed, entertained such a thought. Whether\nI acted rightly or wrongly, even this was the wish, evidently against thy\nown, that was cherished by me from my respect for thee. It behoveth thee,\ntherefore, to grant me forgiveness, from the nobility of thy heart.'\" That\nlady became gratified with that prince of birds and that bull of\nBrahmanas. And addressing Garuda, she said, \"Fear not, O thou of\nbeautiful feathers. Resume thy wings, and cast off thy fears. I was\ncontempted by thee, but know that I do not pardon contempt. That sinful\nbeing who entertains contempt for me, would speedily fall away from all\nblissful regions. Without a single inauspicious indication about me, and\nperfectly blameless as I am, I have, in consequence of the purity of my\nconduct, attained to high ascetic success. Purity of conduct beareth\nvirtue as its fruit. Purity of conduct beareth wealth as its fruit. It is\npurity of conduct that bringeth on prosperity. And it is purity of\nconduct that driveth away all inauspicious indications. Go thou, O\nblessed prince of birds, whithersoever thou wishest, from this place.\nNever entertain contempt for me, and take care that thou dost not\ncontempt women that may even be truly blamable. Thou shalt again be, as\nbefore, invested with both strength and energy.\" At these words of that\nlady Garuda had his wings again, and they became even stronger than\nbefore. And then with Sandili's leave, Garuda with Galava on his back\ntook his departure. But they failed to find the kind of steeds they were\nin search of. And it so happened that Viswamitra met Galava on the way.\nAnd thereupon, that foremost of speakers addressed Galava in the presence\nof Vinata's son and said, \"O regenerate one, the time is already come\nwhen thou shouldst give me the wealth thou hadst promised me of thy own\naccord. I do not know what thou mayst. I have waited so long. I will wait\nfor some time more. Seek thou the way by which thou mayst succeed (in the\nmatter of thy promise).\" Hearing these words, Garuda addressed cheerless\nGalava who was overwhelmed with sorrow, saying, \"What Viswamitra said\nunto thee before hath now been repeated in my presence. Come, therefore,\nO Galava, best of Brahmanas, we will deliberate on the matter. Without\ngiving thy preceptor the whole of the wealth (promised by thee), thou\ncanst not even sit down.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXIV\n\n\"Narada said, 'Garuda then, that foremost of winged beings, addressed the\ncheerless Galava and said, \"Because it is created by Agni, in the bowels\nof the earth and augmented by Vayu, and because also the earth itself is\nsaid to be Hiranmaya, therefore, is wealth called Hiranya. And because\nwealth supports the world and sustains life, therefore, is it called\nDhana. It is for serving these ends that Dhana (wealth) exists from the\nbeginning in the three worlds. On that Friday, when either of the two\nconstellations--the Purvabhadra or the Uttarabhadra--is ascendant, Agni,\ncreating wealth by a fiat of his will, bestoweth it on mankind for the\nincrease of Kuvera's stock. The wealth that is embowelled in the Earth is\nguarded by the deities called the Ajaikapats and the Ahivradnas, and also\nby Kuvera. Exceedingly difficult of attainment, that wealth, therefore, O\nbull among Brahmanas, is rarely attained. Without wealth there is no\nchance of thy acquisition of the promised steeds. Beg thou, therefore, of\nsome king born in the race of some royal sage, who may, without\noppressing his subjects, crown our suit with success. There is a king\nborn in the lunar race, that is my friend. We shall go to him, for he,\namongst all on Earth, hath great wealth. That royal sage is known by the\nname of Yayati, and he is the son of Nahusha. His prowess is incapable of\nbeing baffled. Solicited by thee in person, and urged by me, he will give\nwhat we seek, for he hath immense wealth, equal unto what belongeth to\nKuvera, the lord of treasures. Even thus, by accepting a gift, O learned\none, pay off thy debt to thy preceptor.\" Talking thus, and thinking upon\nwhat was best to be done, Garuda and Galava together went to king Yayati,\nwho was then in his capital called Pratisthana. The king received them\nhospitably and gave them excellent Arghya and water to wash their feet.\nAnd the king then asked them the cause of their advent. And thereupon\nGaruda answered, saying, \"O son of Nahusha, this ocean of asceticism,\ncalled Galava, is my friend. He had been, O monarch, a disciple of\nViswamitra for many thousand years. This holy Brahmana, when commanded by\nViswamitra to go away whithersoever he chose, addressed his preceptor at\nthat time, saying,--'I desire to give something as preceptor's fee.'\nKnowing this one's resources to be poor, Viswamitra did not ask for\nanything. But when he was repeatedly addressed by this Brahmana on the\nsubject of the tutorial fee, the preceptor, under a slight accession of\nwrath, said, 'Give me eight hundred white steeds of good pedigree and of\nlunar radiance, and each having one ear black in hue. If, O Galava, thou\ndesirest to give anything to thy preceptor, let this then be given!' It\nwas thus that Viswamitra endued with wealth of asceticism said unto him\nin anger. And this bull among Brahmanas is on that account smarting with\ngreat grief. Unable to fulfil that command (of his preceptor), he hath\nnow come to take thy shelter. O tiger among men, accepting this as alms\nfrom thee, and filled once more with cheerfulness, he will, after paying\nhis preceptor's debt, devote himself again to serve ascetic penances. A\nroyal Rishi as thou art, and, therefore, endued with wealth of asceticism\nof thy own, this Brahmana, by giving thee a portion of his wealth of\nasceticism, will make thee richer in wealth of that kind. As many hairs,\nO lord of men, as there are on a horse's body, so many regions of bliss,\nO ruler of Earth, are attained by him that giveth away a horse in gift.\nThis one is as fit to accept a gift as thou art to make a gift. Let\ntherefore, thy gift in this instance be like milk deposited in a\nconch-shell.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXV\n\n\"Narada said, 'Thus addressed by Suparna in excellent words fraught with\ntruth, that performer of thousand sacrifices, that foremost of givers,\nthat liberal ruler of all the Kasis, the lord Yayati, revolving those\nwords in his mind and reflecting on them coolly, and seeing before him\nhis dear friend, Tarkshya, and that bull among Brahmanas, Galava, and\nregarding the alms sought as an indication, highly praiseworthy, of\n(Galava's) ascetic merit, and in view particularly of the fact that those\ntwo came to him having passed over all the kings of the Solar race, said,\n\"Blessed is my life today, and the race also in which I am born, hath,\nindeed, been blessed today. This very province also of mine hath equally\nbeen blessed by thee, O sinless Tarkshya. There is one thing, however, O\nfriend, that I desire to say unto thee, and that is, I am not so rich now\nas thou thinkest, for my wealth hath suffered a great diminution. I\ncannot, however, O ranger of the skies, make thy advent here a fruitless\none. Nor can I venture to frustrate the hopes entertained by this\nregenerate Rishi. I shall, therefore, give him that which will accomplish\nhis purpose. If one having come for alms, returneth disappointed, he may\nconsume the (host's) race. O son of Vinata, it is said that there is no\nact more sinful than that of saying, 'I have nothing'--and thus\ndestroying the hope of one that cometh, saying, 'Give.' The disappointed\nman whose hopes have been killed and his object not accomplished, can\ndestroy the sons and grandsons of the person that faileth to do him good.\nTherefore, O Galava, take thou this daughter of mine, this perpetrator of\nfour families. In beauty, she resembleth a daughter of the celestials.\nShe is capable of prompting every virtue. Indeed, owing to her beauty,\nshe is always solicited (at my hands) by gods and men, and Asuras. Let\nalone twice four hundred steeds each with a black ear, the kings of the\nearth will give away their whole kingdoms as her dower. Take thou,\ntherefore, this daughter of mine, named Madhavi. My sole desire is that I\nmay have a daughter's son by her.\" Accepting that daughter in gift, Galava\nthen, with Garuda, went away, saying, \"We will again see thee\". And they\ntook that maiden with them. And Galava's oviparous friend addressed him,\nsaying, \"The means have at last been obtained whereby the steeds may be\nobtained.\" And saying this, Garuda went away to his own abode, having\nobtained Galava's permission. And after the prince of birds had gone,\nGalava, with that maiden in his company, began to think of going to some\none among the kings who would be able to give (fit) dower for the maiden.\nAnd he first thought of that best of kings, Haryyaswa of Ikshaku's race,\nwho ruled at Ayodhya, was endued with great energy, possessed of a large\narmy consisting of four kinds of forces, had a well-filled treasury and\nabundance of corn, and who was dearly loved by his subjects, and who\nloved the Brahmanas well. Desirous of offspring, he was living in quiet\nand peace, and engaged in excellent austerities. And the Brahmana Galava,\nrepairing unto Haryyaswa, said, \"This maiden, O king of kings, will\nincrease the family of her husband by bringing forth offspring. Accept\nher from me, O Haryyaswa, as thy wife, by giving me a dower. I will tell\nthee what dower thou shalt have to give. Hearing it, settle what thou\nshalt do.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXVI\n\n\"Narada said, 'That best of monarchs, king Haryyaswa, after reflecting\nfor a long while and breathing a long and hot sigh about the birth of a\nson, at last said, \"Those six limbs[16] that ought to be high are high in\nthis maiden. Those seven, again, that ought to be slender are slender in\nher. Those three, again, which ought to be deep are deep in her. And\nlastly, those five that ought to be red are red in her. It seems that she\nis worth being looked at by even the gods and the Asuras, and is\naccomplished in all the arts and sciences. Possessed of all auspicious\nsigns, she will certainly bring forth many children. She is even capable\nof bringing forth a son who may become an emperor. Having regard to my\nwealth, tell me, O foremost of Brahmanas, what should be her dower.\"\nGalava said, \"Give me eight hundred steeds, born in a good country, of\nlunar whiteness, and each with one ear black in hue. This auspicious and\nlarge-eyed maiden will then become the mother of thy sons, like the\nfire-stick becoming the genetrix of fire.\"'\n\n\"Narada continued, 'Hearing these words, that royal sage, king Haryyaswa,\nfilled with sorrow, but blinded by lust, addressed Galava, that foremost\nof Rishis, saying, \"I have only two hundred steeds about me of the kind\nwanted by thee, although of other kinds all worthy of sacrifice, I have\nmany thousand moving about (in my dominions). O Galava, I desire to beget\nonly one son upon this damsel. Kindly grant this request of mine.\"\nHearing these words of the king, that damsel said unto Galava, \"A reciter\nof Brahma granted me a boon that I would after each delivery, be a maiden\nagain. Give me away, therefore, to this king, accepting his excellent\nsteeds. In this way, full eight hundred steeds may be obtained by thee\nfrom four kings in succession, and I also may have four sons. Collect\nthou the wealth intended for thy preceptor, in this way. Even this is\nwhat I think. It depends, however, on thee, O Brahmana, as to how thou\nshouldst act.\" Thus addressed by that maiden, the Muni Galava said these\nwords unto king Haryyaswa, \"O Haryyaswa, O best of men, accept this\ndamsel for a fourth part of the dower that I have settled, and beget only\none son upon her.\" Taking then that maiden and worshipping Galava, the\nking in due time and place had by her a son of the kind wished for. And\nthe son so born came to be called by the name of Vasumanas. Richer than\nall the wealthy kings of the earth, and resembling one of the Vasus\nthemselves he became a king and giver of great wealth.\n\n\"'After some time, intelligent Galava came back and approaching the\ndelighted Haryyaswa, said unto him, \"Thou hast, O king obtained a son.\nIndeed, this child is like the sun himself in splendour. The time hath\ncome, O foremost of men, for me to go to some other king for alms.\"\nHearing these words, Haryyaswa who was even truthful in speech and steady\nin acts of manliness, and remembering that the balance of six hundred\nsteeds could not be made up by him, gave Madhavi back to Galava. And\nMadhavi also, abandoning that blazing, kingly prosperity, and once more\nbecoming a maiden, followed the footsteps of Galava. And Galava too,\nsaying, \"Let the steeds remain with thee,\" then went, accompanied by the\nmaiden, to king Divodasa.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXVII\n\n\"Narada said, 'Galava then, addressing Madhavi, said, \"The ruler of the\nKasis is an illustrious king known by the name of Divodasa. He is the son\nof Bhimasena, is endued with great prowess, and is a mighty sovereign. O\nblessed maiden, we are now going to him. Follow me slowly and grieve not.\nThat ruler of men is virtuous and devoted to truth and hath his passions\nunder control.\"'\n\n\"Narada continued, 'When the muni came before that king he was received\nwith due hospitality by the latter. Galava, then, began to urge the\nmonarch for begetting a child. Thus addressed, Divodasa said, \"I heard of\nall this before. Thou needest not speak much, O Brahmana. I may tell\nthee, O best of Brahmanas, that as soon as I heard of this matter, my\nheart was set upon it. This also is a mark of great honour to me that\npassing over all other kings thou hast come to me. Without doubt, thy\nobject will be gained. In the matter of the steeds, O Galava, my wealth\nis like that of king Haryyaswa. I shall, therefore, beget only one royal\nson upon this maiden.\" Hearing these words, that best of Brahmanas gave\nthat damsel unto the king, and the king, thereupon, duly wedded her. And\nthe royal sage then sported with her, as Surya with Prabhavati, Agni with\nSwaha, Vasava with Sachi, Chandra with Rohini, Yama with Urmila, Varuna\nwith Gauri, Kuvera with Riddhi, Narayana with Lakshmi, Sagara with\nJahnavi, Rudra with Rudrani, the Grandsire with Saraswati, Vasishtha's\nson Saktri with Adrisyanti, Vasishtha with Arundhati (called also\nAkshamala), Chyavana with Sukanya, Pulastya with Sandhya, Agastya with\nthe princess of Vidarbha Lopamudra, Satyavan with Savitri, Bhrigu with\nPuloma, Kasyapa with Aditi, Richika's son Jamadagni with Renuka, Kusika's\nson Viswamitra with Himavati, Vrihaspati with Tara, Sukra with Sataprava,\nBhumipati with Bhumi, Pururavas with Urvasi, Richika with Satyavati, Manu\nwith Saraswati, Dushyanta with Sakuntala, the eternal Dharma with Dhriti,\nNala with Damayanti, Narada, with Satyavati, Jaratkaru with Jaratkaru,\nPulastya with Pratichya, Urnayus with Menaka, Tumvuru with Rambha, Vasuki\nwith Satasirsha, Dhananjaya with Kamari, Rama with the princess of Videha\nSita, or Janardana with Rukmini. And unto king Divodasa, that sporting\nwith and taking delight in her, Madhavi bore a son named Pratardana. And\nafter she had borne him a son, the holy Galava came to Divodasa at the\nappointed time, and said unto him, \"Let the maiden come with me, and let\nthe steeds also thou art to give me remain with thee, for I desire to go\nelsewhere, O ruler of Earth, for dower.\" Thus addressed, the virtuous\nking Divodasa, who was devoted to truth, thereupon, gave back the maiden\nto Galava at the appointed time.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXVIII\n\n\"Narada said, 'The illustrious Madhavi, faithful to her promise,\nabandoning that prosperity and once more becoming a maiden, followed the\nfootsteps of the Brahmana Galava. And Galava, whose heart was set upon\nthe accomplishment of his own business, reflecting upon what he should do\nnext then went to the city of the Bhojas for waiting upon king Usinara.\nAnd arrived before that king of unbaffled prowess, Galava addressed him,\nsaying, \"This maiden will bear thee two royal sons. And, O king,\nbegetting upon her two sons equal unto the Sun and the Moon, thou mayst\nattain all thy objects both here and hereafter. As her dower, however, O\nthou that art conversant with every duty, thou shalt have to give me four\nhundred steeds of lunar splendour, each having ear black of hue. This\neffort of mine for obtaining the steeds is only on account of my\npreceptor, otherwise I myself have nothing to do with them. If thou art\nable to accept (my terms), do as I bid thee without any hesitation. O\nroyal sage, thou art now childless. Beget, O king, a couple of children.\nWith offspring so begot as a raft, save they Pitris and thyself also. O\nroyal sage, he that hath fruit in the shape of offspring to enjoy, never\nfalleth from heaven. Nor hath such a person to go to that frightful hell\nwhither the childless are doomed to go.\" Hearing these and other words of\nGalava, king Usinara, replied unto him, saying, \"I have heard what thou,\nO Galava, hast said. My heart also is inclined to do thy bidding. The\nSupreme Ordainer, however, is all-powerful. I have only two hundred\nsteeds of the kind indicated by thee, O best of Brahmanas. Of other\nkinds, I have many thousands moving about in my dominions. I will, O\nGalava, beget only one son upon her, by treading the path that hath been\ntold by others such as Haryyaswa and Divodasa. I will act after their\nmanner in the matter of the dower. O best of Brahmanas, my wealth exists\nfor only my subjects residing in the city and the country, and not for my\nown comforts and enjoyment. That king, O virtuous one, who giveth away\nfor his own pleasure the wealth that belongeth to others, can never earn\nvirtue or fame. Let this maiden, endued with the radiance of a celestial\ngirl, be presented to me. I will accept her for begetting only one\nchild.\" Hearing these and many other words that Usinara spoke, that best\nof Brahmanas, Galava, then applauded the monarch and gave him the maiden.\nAnd making Usinara accept that damsel, Galava went into the woods. And\nlike a righteous man enjoying the prosperity (won by his deeds), Usinara\nbegan to sport with and enjoy that damsel in valleys and dales of\nmountains by fountains and falls of rivers, in mansions, delightful\nchambers, variegated gardens, forests and woods, agreeable places, and\nterraces of houses. And, in due time, was born unto him a son of the\nsplendour of the morning sun, who afterwards became an excellent king,\ncelebrated by the name Sivi. And after the birth of that son, the\nBrahmana Galava came to Usinara, and taking back from him the maiden\nwent, O king, to see the son of Vinata.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXIX\n\n\"Narada said, 'Seeing Galava, Vinata's son smilingly addressed him,\nsaying, \"By good luck it is, O Brahmana, that I behold thee successful.\"\nGalava, however, hearing the words spoken by Garuda informed him that a\nfourth part of the task was still unfinished. Garuda then, that\nforemost of all speakers, said unto Galava, \"Do not make any endeavour\n(to obtain the remaining two hundred), for it will not succeed. In days\nof yore, Richika sought at Kanyakuyja Gadhi's daughter, Satyavati, for\nmaking her his wife. Thereupon Gadhi, O Galava, addressing the Rishi,\nsaid, 'O holy one, let a thousand steeds of lunar brightness, each with\none ear black of hue, be presented to me.' Thus requested, Richika said,\n'So be it'. And then wending his way to the great mart of steeds\n(Aswatirtha) in Varuna's abode, the Rishi obtained what he sought and\ngave them unto the king. Performing a sacrifice then of the name of\nPundarika, that monarch gave away those steeds (as Dakshina) unto the\nBrahmanas. The three kings to whom thou hadst applied had purchased those\nhorses from the Brahmanas, each to the number of two hundred. The\nremaining four hundred, O best of Brahmanas, while being transported over\nthe river, were taken by the Vitasta.[17] Therefore, O Galava, thou canst\nnever have that which is not to be had. Do thou then, O virtuous one,\npresent unto Viswamitra this maiden as an equivalent for two hundred\nsteeds, along with the six hundred thou hast already obtained. Thou wilt\nthen, O best of Brahmanas, be freed from thy grief and crowned with\nsuccess.\" Galava then, saying, \"So be it,\" and taking with him both the\nmaiden and the steeds, went with Garuda in his company unto Viswamitra.\nAnd arrived in his presence, Galava said, \"Here are six hundred steeds of\nthe kind demanded by thee. And this maiden is offered as an equivalent\nfor the remaining two hundred. Let all these be accepted by thee. Upon\nthis maiden have been begotten three virtuous sons by three royal sages.\nLet a fourth, foremost of all, be begotten upon her by thee. And thus let\nthe number of steeds, eight hundred, be regarded by thee as full, and let\nme also, being freed from thy debt, go and practise ascetic penances as I\nlist.\" Viswamitra then, beholding Galava in the company of the bird, and\nthat highly beautiful maiden, said, \"Why, O Galava, didst thou not give\nme this maiden before? Four sons then, sanctifiers of my race, would all\nhave been mine alone. I accept this maiden of thine for begetting upon\nher one son. As regards the steeds, let them graze in my asylum.\" Saying\nthis, Viswamitra of great effulgence began to pass his time happily with\nher. And Madhavi bore him a son of the name of Ashtaka. And as soon as\nthat son was born, the great Muni Viswamitra addressed him to both virtue\nand profit, and gave him those six hundred steeds. Ashtaka then went to a\ncity, bright as the city of Soma. And Kusika's son Viswamitra also having\nmade over the damsel to his disciple, himself went into the woods. And\nGalava also, with his friend Suparna, having in this way succeeded in\ngiving his preceptor the fee he had demanded, with a cheerful heart\naddressed that maiden and said, \"Thou hast borne a son who is exceedingly\ncharitable, and another who is exceedingly brave, and a third who is\ndevoted to truth and righteousness, and yet another who is a performer of\ngreat sacrifices. O beautiful maiden, thou hast, by these sons, saved not\nonly thy father, but four kings and myself, also. Go now, O thou of\nslender waist.\" Saying this, Galava dismissed Garuda that devourer of\nsnakes, and returning the maiden unto her father himself went into the\nwoods.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXX\n\n\"Narada said, 'King Yayati then, desirous again of disposing of his\ndaughter in Swayamvara, went to a hermitage on the confluence of the\nGanga and the Yamuna, taking Madhavi with him on a chariot, her person\ndecked with garlands of flowers. And both Puru and Yadu followed their\nsister to that sacred asylum. And in that spot was assembled a vast\nconcourse of Nagas and Yakshas and human beings, of Gandharvas and\nanimals and birds, and of dwellers of mountains and trees and forests,\nand of many inhabitants of that particular province. And the woods all\naround that asylum were filled with numerous Rishis resembling Brahman\nhimself. And while the selection had commenced of husband, that maiden of\nthe fairest complexion, passing over all the bridegrooms there assembled,\nselected the forest as her lord. Descending from her chariot and saluting\nall her friends, the daughter of Yayati went into the forest which is\nalways sacred, and devoted herself to ascetic austerities. Reducing her\nbody by means of fasts of various kinds and religious rites and rigid\nvows, she adopted the deer's mode of life. And subsisting upon soft and\ngreen grass-blades, resembling the sprouts of lapis lazuli and which were\nboth bitter and sweet to the taste, and drinking the sweet, pure, cool,\ncrystal, and very superior water of sacred mountain-streams, and\nwandering with the deer in forests destitute of lions and tigers, in\ndeserts free from forest-conflagration, and in thick woods, that maiden,\nleading the life of a wild doe, earned great religious merit by the\npractice of Brahmacharya austerities.\n\n\"'(Meanwhile) king Yayati, following the practice of kings before him,\nsubmitted to the influence of Time, after having lived for many thousands\nof years. The progeny of two of his sons--those foremost of men--Puru and\nYadu, multiplied greatly, and in consequence thereof, Nahusha's son won\ngreat respect both in this and the other world. O monarch, dwelling in\nheaven, king Yayati, resembling a great Rishi, became an object of much\nregard, and enjoyed the highest fruits of those regions. And after many\nthousands of years had passed away in great happiness, on one occasion\nwhile seated among the illustrious royal sages and great Rishis, king\nYayati, from folly, ignorance, and pride, mentally disregarded all the\ngods and Rishis, and all human beings. Thereat the divine Sakra--the\nslayer of Vala--at once read his heart. And those royal sages also\naddressed him saying, \"Fie, fie.\" And beholding the son of Nahusha, the\nquestions were asked, \"Who is this person? What king's son is he? Why is\nhe in heaven? By what acts hath he won success? Where did he earn ascetic\nmerit? For what hath he been known here? Who knoweth him?\" The dwellers of\nheaven, thus speaking of that monarch, asked one another these questions\nabout Yayati, that ruler of men. And hundreds of heaven's charioteers,\nand hundreds of those that kept heaven's gates, and of those what were in\ncharge of heaven's seats, thus questioned, all answered, \"We do not know\nhim.\" And the minds of all were temporarily clouded, so that none\nrecognised the king and thereupon the monarch was soon divested of his\nsplendour.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXI\n\n\"Narada said, 'Removed from his place and pushed away from his seat with\nheart trembling in fear, and consumed by burning remorse, with his\ngarlands dimmed in lustre and his knowledge clouded, shorn of his crown\nand bracelets, with head swimming and every limb relaxed divested of\nornaments and robes, incapable of being recognised, sometimes not seeing\nthe other residents of heaven, filled with despair, and his understanding\na perfect blank, king Yayati fell headlong towards the earth. And before\nthe king fell down, he thought within himself, \"What inauspicious and\nsinful thought was entertained by me in consequence of which I am hurled\nfrom my place?\" And all the kings there, as also the Siddhas and the\nApsaras, laughed at seeing Yayati losing his hold, and on the point of\nfalling down. And soon, O king, at the command of the king of the gods,\nthere came a person whose business it was to hurl down those whose merits\nwere exhausted. And coming there, he said unto Yayati, \"Extremely\nintoxicated with pride, there is none whom thou hast not disregarded. In\nconsequence of this thy pride, heaven is no longer for thee. Thou\ndeservest not a residence here, O son of a king. Thou art not recognised\nhere, go and fall down.\" Even thus the celestial messenger spoke unto\nhim. Nahusha's son then said, repeating the words three times, \"If fall I\nmust, let me fall amongst the righteous.\" And saying this, that foremost\nof persons that had won high regions by their acts, began to think of the\nparticular region whereon he should fall. Beholding meanwhile four mighty\nkings, viz., Pratardana, Vasumanas, Sivi, the son of Usinara, and\nAshtaka, assembled together in the woods of Naimisha, the king fell\namongst them. And those monarchs were then engaged in gratifying the lord\nof the celestials by performance of the sacrifice known by the name of\nVajapeya. And the smoke arising from their sacrificial altar reached the\nvery gates of heaven. And the smoke that rose thus, looked like a river\nconnecting both the earth and the heaven. And it resembled the sacred\nstream Ganga while descending from heaven to earth. And smelling that\nsmoke and guiding his course by it, Yayati, the lord of the universe,\ndescended on the earth. And the king thus fell amongst those four lions\namong rulers, who were all endued with great beauty, who were foremost of\nall the performers of sacrifices, who were, indeed, his own relatives,\nand who resembled the four regents of the four quarters, and looked like\nfour mighty sacrificial fires. And thus, in consequence of the exhaustion\nof his merits, the royal sage Yayati fell amongst them. And beholding him\nblazing with beauty, those kings asked him, saying, \"Who art thou? Of\nwhat race, country, or city art thou? Art thou a Yaksha, or a god, a\nGandharva, or a Rakshasa? Thou does not seem to be a human being. What\nobject hast thou in view?\" Thus questioned, Yayati answered, \"I am the\nroyal sage Yayati. Fallen am I from heaven in consequence of the\nexpiration of my virtue. Having desired to fall amongst the righteous, I\nhave fallen amongst you.\" The kings then said, \"O foremost of persons,\nmay that wish of thine, be realized. Accept thou our virtues and the\nfruits of all our sacrifices.\" Yayati replied saying, \"I am not a\nBrahmana competent to accept a gift. On the other hand, I am a Kshatriya.\nNor is my heart inclined towards lessening the virtues of others.\"'\n\n\"Narada continued, 'About this time, Madhavi, in course of her\npurposeless wanderings, came there. Beholding her, those monarchs saluted\nher and said, \"What object hast thou in coming here? What command of\nthine shall we obey? Thou deservest to command us, for all of us are thy\nsons, O thou that art endued with wealth of asceticism!\" Hearing these\nwords of theirs, Madhavi was filled with delight and approaching then her\nfather, she reverentially saluted Yayati. And touching the heads of all\nher sons, that lady engaged in ascetic austerities said to her father,\n\"Being my sons these all are thy daughter's sons, O king of kings. They\nare not strangers to thee. These will save thee. The practice is not new,\nits origin extends to antiquity. I am thy daughter Madhavi, O king,\nliving in the woods after the manner of the deer. I also have earned\nvirtue. Take thou a moiety. And because, O king, all men have a right to\nenjoy a portion of the merits earned by their offspring, it is for this\nthat they desire to have daughter's sons. Even this was the case with\nthyself, O king (when thou madest me over to Galava).\" At these words of\ntheir mother, those monarchs saluted her, and bowing down unto also their\nmaternal grandsire, repeated those very words in a loud, incomparable,\nand sweet voice, and making, as it were, the whole earth resounded\ntherewith, in order to rescue that maternal grandsire of theirs who had\nfallen down from heaven. And at that time Galava also came there, and\naddressing Yayati, said, \"Accepting an eighth part of my ascetic\nausterities, ascend thou to heaven again.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXII\n\n\"Narada said, 'As soon as that bull among men, king Yayati was recognised\nby those virtuous persons, he rose again to heaven, without having had to\ntouch the surface of the earth. And he regained his celestial form and\nhad all his anxieties entirely dispelled. And he rose again, decked with\ncelestial garlands and robes, adorned with celestial ornaments, sprinkled\nwith celestial scents, and furnished with heavenly attributes, and\nwithout having been compelled to touch the earth with his feet.\nMeanwhile, Vasumanas who was celebrated in the world for his liberality,\nfirst addressing the king, uttered these words in a loud voice, \"The\nmerit that I have won on earth by my unblamable conduct towards men of\nall orders, I give unto thee. Be it all thine, O king. The merit that one\nwinneth by liberality and forgiveness, the merit that is mine in\nconsequence of the sacrifices I have performed, let all that also be\nthine.\" After this, Pratardana, that bull among Kshatriyas, said, \"Ever\ndevoted to virtue as also to war, the fame that hath here been mine as a\nKshatriya, in consequence of the appellation of hero (by which I am\nknown),--be that merit thine.\" After this, Sivi, the intelligent son of\nUsinara, said these sweet words, \"Unto children and women in jest,\ndanger, or calamity, in distress, or at dice, I have never spoken a\nfalsehood. By that truth which I never sacrificed ascend thou to heaven.\nI can, O king, give up all objects of desire and enjoyment, my kingdom,\nyea, life itself, but truth I cannot give up. By that truth, ascend thou\nto heaven; that truth for which Dharma, that truth for which Agni, that\ntruth for which he of a hundred sacrifices, have each been gratified with\nme, by that truth ascend thou to heaven.\" And lastly, the royal sage\nAshtaka, the offspring of Kusika's son and Madhavi, addressing Nahusha's\nson Yayati who had performed many hundreds of sacrifices, said, \"I have,\nO lord, performed hundreds of Pundarika, Gosava and Vajapeya sacrifices.\nTake thou the merit of these. Wealth, gems, robes, I have spared nothing\nfor the performance of sacrifices. By that truth ascend thou to heaven.\"\nAnd that king thereupon leaving the earth, began to ascend towards\nheaven, higher and higher, as those daughter's sons of his, one after\nanother, said those words unto him. And it was thus that those kings by\ntheir good acts, speedily saved Yayati, who had been hurled from heaven.\nIt was thus that those daughter's sons born in four royal lines, those\nmultipliers of their races, by means of their virtues, sacrifices, and\ngifts, caused their wise maternal grandfather to ascend again to heaven.\nAnd those monarchs jointly said, \"Endued with the attributes of royalty\nand possessed of every virtue, we are, O king, thy daughter's sons! (By\nvirtue of our good deeds) ascend thou to heaven.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXIII\n\n\"Narada said, 'Sent back to heaven by those righteous kings,\ndistinguished by the liberality of their sacrificial presents, Yayati\npossessed of daughter's sons, dismissed them and reached the celestial\nregions. Attaining to the eternal region obtained through the merit of\nhis daughter's sons, and adorned by his own deeds, Yayati, bathed in a\nshower of fragrant flowers and hugged by perfumed and delicious breezes,\nblazed forth with great beauty. And cheerfully, received back into heaven\nwith sounds of cymbals, he was entertained with songs and dances by\nvarious tribes of Gandharvas and Asuras. And diverse celestial and royal\nRishis and Charanas began to pay their adorations to him. And deities\nworshipped him with an excellent Arghya and delighted him with other\nhonours. And after he had thus regained heaven and tranquillity of heart,\nand had once more become freed from anxiety, the Grandsire, gratifying\nhim by his words said, \"Thou hadst earned the full measure of virtue by\nthy earthly deeds, and this region (that thou hadst won) is eternal, as\nthy deeds are in heaven. Thou hadst, however, O royal sage, destroyed thy\nacquisition by thy vanity alone, and thereby covered the hearts of all\nthe denizens of heaven with darkness in consequence of which none of them\ncould recognise thee. And since thou couldst not be recognised, thou wert\nhurled hence! Saved once more by the love and affection of thy daughter's\nsons, thou hast once more arrived here, and regained this unchangeable,\neternal, sacred, excellent, stable, and indestructible region won before\nby thy own deeds.\" Thus addressed, Yayati said, \"O holy one, I have a\ndoubt, which, it behoveth thee, to dispel. O Grandsire of all the worlds,\nit behoveth me not to ask any one else. Great was my merit, augmented by\na (virtuous) rule over my subjects for many thousands of years and won by\ninnumerable sacrifices and gifts. How could merit (so great) be exhausted\nso soon in consequence of which I was hurled hence? Thou knowest, O holy\none, that the regions created for me were all eternal. Why were all those\nregions of mine destroyed, O thou of great effulgence?\" The Grandsire\nanswered, saying, \"Thy merit, augmented by a (virtuous) rule over thy\nsubjects for many thousands of years and won by innumerable sacrifices\nand gifts, was exhausted by only one fault, in consequence of which thou\nwert hurled (from this region). That fault, O king of kings, was thy\nvanity for which thou hadst become an object of contempt with all the\nresidents of heaven. O royal sage, this region can never be rendered\neternal by vanity, or pride of strength, or malice, or deceitfulness, or\ndeception. Never disregard those that are inferior, or superior, or in\nthe middle station. There is not a greater sinner than he who is consumed\nby the fire of vanity. Those men that will converse upon this fall and\nre-ascension of thine, will, without doubt, be protected even if\novertaken by calamity.\"'\n\n\"Narada continued, 'O monarch, even such was the distress into which\nYayati fell in consequence of vanity, and such was the distress into\nwhich Galava fell owing to his obstinacy. They that desire their own good\nshould listen to friends that wish them well. Obstinacy should never be\nentertained, for obstinacy is always the root of ruin. For this reason, O\nson of Gandhari, forsake vanity and wrath. O hero, make peace with the\nsons of Pandu. Avoid anger, O king, that which is given away, that which\nis done, the austerities that are practised, the libations that are\npoured on fire, not one of these is ever destroyed or suffereth any\ndiminution. None else, again, enjoyeth the fruits of these save he that\nis their agent. He that succeedeth in understanding this truly superior\nand excellent history, that is approved by persons of great learning as\nwell as by those that are freed from anger and lust, and that is enforced\nby various references to scriptures and reason, obtaineth a knowledge of\nvirtue and profit and desire, and enjoyeth the sovereignty of the whole\nworld!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXIV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O holy one, it is even so as thou, O Narada,\nsayest. My wish also is precisely such, but, O holy one, I have no power\n(to carry them out)!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"The Kuru king, having said these words unto\nNarada, then addressed Krishna and said, 'Thou hast, O Kesava, told me\nthat which leadeth to heaven, what is beneficial to the world, consistent\nwith virtue, and fraught with reason. I am not, however, O sire,\nindependent. Duryodhana never doth what is agreeable to me. Do thou,\ntherefore, O mighty-armed Krishna, O best of persons, strive to persuade\nthat foolish and wicked son of mine, who disobeyeth my commands. O\nmighty-armed one, he never listeneth to the beneficial words, O\nHrishikesa, of Gandhari, or of wise Vidura, or of other friends headed by\nBhishma, all of whom seek his good. Do thou, therefore, thyself counsel\nthat crooked, senseless, and wicked-souled prince, of evil disposition\nand sinful heart. By doing this, O Janardana, thou shalt have done that\nnoble act which a friend should ever do.' Thus addressed, he of Vrishni's\nrace, conversant with the truths of virtue and profit, approached nearer\nto the ever-wrathful Duryodhana and said unto him these sweet words, 'O\nDuryodhana, O best of the Kurus, listen to these words of mine, uttered\nespecially for thy good, as also, O Bharata, for that of thy followers.\nThou art born in a race that is distinguished for its great wisdom. It\nbehoveth thee to act righteously as I indicate. Possessed of learning and\nendued with excellent behaviour, thou art adorned with every excellent\nquality. They that are born in ignoble families, or are wicked-souled,\ncruel, and shameless, they only, O sire, act in the way that seemeth\nacceptable to thee. In this world, the inclinations of those only that\nare righteous seem to be consistent with the dictates of virtue and\nprofit. The inclinations, however, of those that are unrighteous seem to\nbe perverse. O bull of Bharata's race, the disposition that thou art\nrepeatedly manifesting is of that perverse kind. Persistence in such\nbehaviour is sinful, frightful, highly wicked, and capable of leading to\ndeath itself. It is besides, causeless, while, again, thou canst not, O\nBharata, adhere to it long. If by avoiding this which is productive only\nof woe, thou wilt achieve thy own good, if, O chastiser of foes, thou\nwilt escape from the sinful and disreputable deeds of thy brothers,\nfollowers, and counsellors. Then, O tiger among men, make peace, O bull\namong the Bharatas, with the sons of Pandu who are all endued with great\nwisdom and great bravery with great exertion and great learning an all of\nwhom have their souls under complete control. Such conduct will be\nagreeable to and conducive to the happiness of Dhritarashtra who is\nendued with great wisdom, of grandsire (Bhishma), Drona, the high-souled\nKripa, Somadatta, wise Vahlika, Aswatthaman, Vikarna, Sanjaya,\nVivinsati, and of many of thy kinsmen, O chastiser of foes, and many of\nthy friends also. The whole world, O sire, will derive benefit from that\npeace. Thou art endued with modesty, born in a noble race, hast learning\nand kindness of heart. Be obedient, O sire, to the commands of thy\nfather, and also of thy mother, O bull of Bharata's race. They that are\ngood sons always regard that to be beneficial which their fathers\ncommand. Indeed, when overtaken by calamity, every one recollects the\ninjunctions of his father. Peace with the Pandavas, O sire, recommends\nitself to thy father. Let it, therefore, O chief of the Kurus, recommend\nitself to thee also with thy counsellors. That mortal who having listened\nto the counsels of friends and doth not act according to them, is consumed\nat the end by the consequences of his disregard, like him who swalloweth\nthe fruit called Kimpaka. He that from folly doth not accept beneficial\ncounsels, unnerved by procrastination and unable to attain his object, is\nobliged to repent at last. He, on the other hand, who having listened to\nbeneficial counsels accepteth them at once, abandoning his opinion,\nalways winneth happiness in the world. He that rejects the words of\nwell-meaning friends, regarding those words as opposed to his interest,\nbut accepts words that are really so opposed, is soon subjugated by his\nfoes. Disregarding the opinions of the righteous he that abideth by the\nopinions of the wicked, soon maketh his friends weep for him in\nconsequence of his being plunged into distress. Forsaking superior\ncounsellors he that seeketh the advice of inferior ones, soon falleth\ninto great distress and succeedeth not in saving himself. That companion\nof the sinful, who behaveth falsely and never listeneth to good friends,\nwho honoureth strangers but hateth those that are his own, is soon, O\nBharata, cast off by the Earth. O bull of Bharata's race, having\nquarrelled with those (the sons of Pandu), thou seekest protection from\nothers viz., those that are sinful, incapable, and foolish. What other\nman is there on earth besides thee, who, disregarding kinsmen, that are\nall mighty charioteers, and each of whom resembleth Sakra himself, would\nseek protection and aid from strangers? Thou hast persecuted the sons of\nKunti, from their very birth. They have not been angry with thee, for the\nsons of Pandu are indeed virtuous. Although thou hast behaved deceitfully\ntowards the Pandavas from their very birth, yet, O mighty-armed one,\nthose distinguished persons have acted generously towards thee. It\nbehoveth thee, therefore, O bull of Bharata's race, to act towards those\nprincipal kinsmen of thine with equal generosity. Do not yield thyself to\nthe influence of wrath. O bull of Bharata's race, the exertions of the\nwise are always associated with virtue, profit, and desire. If, indeed,\nall these three cannot be attained, men follow at least virtue and\nprofit. If, again, these three are pursued separately, it is seen that\nthey that have their hearts under control, choose virtue; they that are\nneither good nor bad but occupy a middle station, choose profit, which is\nalways the subject of dispute; while they that are fools choose the\ngratification of desire. The fool that from temptation giveth up virtue\nand pursueth profit and desire by unrighteous means, is soon destroyed by\nhis senses. He that speaketh profit and desire, should yet practise\nvirtue at the outset, for neither profit nor desire is (really)\ndissociated from virtue. O king, it hath been said that virtue alone is\nthe cause of the three, for he that seeketh the three, may, by the aid of\nvirtue alone, grow like fire when brought into contact with a heap of dry\ngrass. O bull of Bharata's race, thou seeketh, O sire, by unrighteous\nmeans this extensive empire, flourishing with prosperity and well-known\nto all the monarchs of the earth. O king, he that behaveth falsely\ntowards those that live and conduct themselves righteously, certainly\ncutteth down his own self, like a forest with an axe. One must not seek\nto confound his understanding whose overthrow one doth not like, for, if\none's understanding is confounded, one can never devote his attention to\nwhat is beneficial. One that hath his soul under control never, O\nBharata, disregardeth anybody in the three worlds,--no, not even the\ncommonest creature, far less those bulls among men, the sons of Pandu. He\nthat surrendereth himself to the influence of anger loseth his sense of\nright and wrong. Rank growth must always be cut off. Behold, O Bharata,\nthis is the proof. At present, O sire, union with the sons of Pandu is\nbetter for thee than thy union with the wicked. If thou makest peace with\nthem, thou mayst obtain the fruition of all thy wishes. O best of kings,\nwhile enjoying the kingdom that has been founded by the Pandavas, thou\nseekest protection from others, disregarding the Pandavas themselves.\nReposing the cares of thy state on Dussasana, Durvisaha, Karna, and\nSuvala's son, thou desirest the continuance of thy prosperity, O Bharata.\nThese, however, are far inferior to the Pandavas in knowledge, in virtue,\nin capacity for acquiring wealth, and in prowess. Indeed, O Bharata, (let\nalone the four I have mentioned) all these kings together, with thee at\ntheir head, are incapable of even looking at the face of Bhima, when\nangry, on the field of battle. O sire, this force consisting of all the\nkings of the earth is, indeed, at thy elbow. There are also Bhishma, and\nDrona, and this Karna, and Kripa, and Bhurisrava, and Somadatta, and\nAswatthaman, and Jayadratha. All these together are incapable of fighting\nagainst Dhananjaya. Indeed, Arjuna is incapable of being vanquished in\nbattle even by all the gods, Asuras, men, and Gandharvas. Do not set thy\nheart for battle. Seest thou the man in any of the royal races of the\nearth, who having encountered Arjuna in battle can return home safe and\nsound? O bull of Bharata's race, what advantage is there in a universal\nslaughter? Show me a single man who will defeat that Arjuna, by defeating\nwhom alone victory may be thine? Who will encounter that son of Pandu in\nbattle, who had vanquished all the celestials with the Gandharvas,\nYakshas and Pannagas at Khandavaprastha? Then also the marvellous account\nthat is heard of what happened at Virata's city, touching that encounter\nbetween one and many, is sufficient proof of this. Hopest thou to\nvanquish in battle Arjuna who when excited with rage is invincible,\nirresistible, ever-victorious, and undeteriorating. Arjuna, that hero, who\ngratified the God of gods, Siva himself in fight? With myself again as\nhis second when that son of Pritha will rush to the field of battle\nagainst an enemy, who is there that is competent to challenge him then?\nCan Purandara himself do so? He that would vanquish Arjuna in battle\nwould support the Earth on his arms, consume in rage the whole population\nof the Earth, and hurl the very gods from heaven. Look at thy sons, thy\nbrothers, kinsmen, and other relatives. Let not these chiefs of Bharata's\nrace all perish on thy account. Let not the race of Kauravas be\nexterminated or reduced. O king, let not people say that thou art the\nexterminator of thy race and the destroyer of its achievements. Those\nmighty car-warriors, the Pandavas (if peace be made) will install thee as\nthe Yuvaraja, and thy father Dhritarashtra, that lord of men, as the\nsovereign of this extensive empire. Do not, O sire, disregard the\nprosperity that is awaiting thee and is sure to come. Giving to the sons\nof Pritha half the kingdom, win thou great prosperity. Making peace with\nthe Pandavas and acting according to the counsels of thy friends, and\nrejoicing with them, thou art sure to obtain what is for thy good for\never and ever.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing, O bull of Bharata's race, these words of\nKesava, Bhishma, the son of Santanu, then said unto vindictive\nDuryodhana, 'Krishna hath spoken to thee, desirous of bringing about peace\nbetween kinsmen. O sire, follow those counsels, and do not yield to the\ninfluence of wrath. If thou dost not act, O sire, according to the words\nof the high-souled Kesava, neither prosperity, nor happiness nor what is\nfor thy good, wilt thou ever have. The mighty-armed Kesava, O sire, hath\nsaid unto thee what is consistent with virtue and profit. Accept thou\nthat object, and do not, O king, exterminate the population of the earth.\nThis resplendent prosperity of the Bharatas amongst all the kings of the\nearth, thou wilt, during the very life of Dhritarashtra, destroy through\nthy wickedness, and thou wilt also, through this arrogant disposition of\nthine, deprive thyself with all thy counsellors, sons, brothers, and\nkinsmen, of life, if, O thou foremost of Bharata's race, thou\ntransgressest the words of Kesava, thy father, and of wise Vidura,--words\nthat are consistent with truth and fraught with benefit to thyself. Be\nnot the exterminator of thy race, be not a wicked man, let not thy heart\nbe sinful, do not tread the path of unrighteousness. Do not sink thy\nfather and mother into an ocean of grief.' After Bhishma had concluded,\nDrona also said these words unto Duryodhana, who, filled with wrath, was\nthen breathing heavily, 'O sire, the words that Kesava hath spoken unto\nthee are fraught with virtue and profit. Santanu's son Bhishma also hath\nsaid the same. Accept those words, O monarch. Both of them are wise,\nendued with great intelligence, with souls under control, desirous of\ndoing what is for thy good, and possessed of great learning. They have\nsaid what is beneficial. Accept their words, O king, O thou possessed of\ngreat wisdom, act according to what both Krishna and Bhishma have said. O\nchastiser of foes, do not, from delusion of understanding, disregard\nMadhava. They that are always encouraging thee, are unable to give thee\nvictory. During the time of battle they will throw the burthen of\nhostility on other's necks. Do not slaughter the Earth's population. Do\nnot slay thy sons and brothers. Know that host is invincible in the midst\nof which are Vasudeva and Arjuna. If, O Bharata, thou dost not accept the\ntruthful words of thy friends, Krishna and Bhishma, then, O sire, thou\nwilt surely have to repent. Arjuna is even greater than what Jamadagni's\nson hath described him to be. As regards Krishna, the son of Devaki, he\nis incapable of being resisted by even the gods. O bull of Bharata's\nrace, what use is there in telling thee what is really conducive to thy\nhappiness and good? Everything hath now been said unto thee. Do what thou\nwishest. I do not wish to say anything more unto thee, O foremost of\nBharata's race.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"After Drona had ceased, Vidura also, otherwise\ncalled Kshattri, casting his eyes on Duryodhana, said unto that\nvindictive son of Dhritarashtra, 'O Duryodhana, O bull of Bharata's race,\nI do not grieve for thee. I grieve, however, for this old couple, viz.,\nGandhari and thy father. Having thee, of wicked soul for their protector\n(of whom they will shortly be deprived), they will have to wander without\nanybody to look after them, and deprived also of friends and counsellors,\nlike a pair of birds shorn of their wings. Having begotten such a wicked\nson who is the exterminator of his race, alas, these two will have to\nwander over the earth in sorrow, subsisting on alms.' After this, king\nDhritarashtra, addressing Duryodhana, seated in the midst of his brothers\nand surrounded by all the kings, said, 'Listen, O Duryodhana, to what the\nhigh-souled Sauri hath said. Accept those words which are eternal, highly\nbeneficial and conducive to what is for thy highest good. With the aid of\nthis Krishna of faultless deeds, we amongst all the kings, are sure to\nhave all our cherished objects. Firmly united by Kesava, be reconciled, O\nsire, with Yudhishthira. Seek thou this great good of the Bharatas like\nunto an august ceremony of propitiation. Through Vasudeva's agency, bind\nthyself closely with the Pandavas. I think, the time for that is come. Do\nnot let the opportunity pass away. If, however, thou disregardest Kesava,\nwho from a desire of achieving what is for good, is soliciting thee to\nmake peace, then victory will never be thine.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXVI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing these words of Dhritarashtra, both Bhishma\nand Drona who sympathised with the old king, again addressed disobedient\nDuryodhana and said, 'As yet the two Krishnas are not accoutred in mail,\nas yet Gandiva resteth inactive, as yet Dhaumya doth not consume the\nenemy's strength by pouring libations on the war-fire, as yet that mighty\nbowman Yudhishthira, having modesty for his ornament, doth not cast angry\nglances on thy troops, so let hostility cease. As yet that mighty bowman,\nBhimasena, the son of Pritha, is not seen stationed in the midst of his\ndivision, so let hostility cease. As yet Bhimasena, doth not, mace in\nhand, stalk on the field of battle, grinding (hostile) divisions, so let\npeace be made with the Pandavas. As yet Bhima doth not, with his\nhero-slaying mace, make the heads of warriors fighting from the backs of\nelephants roll on the field of battle, like the palmyra-fruits in the\nseason of their ripening, so let hostility cease. As yet Nakula, and\nSahadeva, Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race, and Virata, and Sikhandin,\nand Sisupal's son, accoutred in mail and all well-versed in arms, do not\npenetrate thy ranks, like huge crocodiles penetrating the deep, and pour\ntheir arrowy showers, so let hostility cease. As yet fierce-winged shafts\ndo not fall upon the delicate bodies of the assembled kings, so let\nhostility cease. As yet fierce weapons made of iron and steel, shot\nunerringly by mighty bowmen well-skilled in arms, endued with lightness\nof hand and capable of hitting howsoever long distance, do not penetrate\nthe breasts of warriors, smeared with sandal and other fragrant unguents,\nand adorned with golden garlands and gems, so let hostility cease. Let\nthat elephant among kings, Yudhishthira the Just, receive thee with an\nembrace while thou salutest him bending thy head. O bull of Bharata's\nrace, let that king, distinguished for the liberality of his sacrificial\npresents, place on thy shoulder that right arm of his, the palm of which\nbeareth the marks of the banner and the hook. Let him, with hands\nbegemmed and red, adorned with fingers, pat thy back while thou art\nseated. Let the mighty-armed Vrikodara, with shoulder broad as those of\nthe sala tree, embrace thee, O bull of Bharata's race, and gently\nconverse with thee for peace. And, O king, saluted with reverence by\nthose three, viz., Arjuna and the Twins, smell thou their heads and\nconverse with them affectionately. And beholding thee united with thy\nheroic brothers--the sons of Pandu--let all these monarchs shed tears of\njoy. Let the tidings of this cordial union be proclaimed in the cities of\nall the kings. Let the Earth be ruled by thee with feelings of brotherly\naffection (in thy bosom), and let thy heart be freed from the fever (of\njealousy and wrath).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXVII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing in that assembly of the Kurus these words\nthat were disagreeable to him, Duryodhana replied unto the mighty-armed\nKesava of great fame, saying. 'It behoveth thee, O Kesava, to speak after\nreflecting on all circumstances. Indeed, uttering such harsh words, thou,\nwithout any reason, findest fault with me alone, addressed regardfully as\nthou always art by the sons of Pritha, O slayer of Madhu. But dost thou\ncensure me, having surveyed the strength and weakness (of both sides)?\nIndeed, thyself and Kshattri, the King, the Preceptor, and the Grandsire,\nall reproach me alone and not any other monarch. I, however, do not find\nthe least fault in myself. Yet all of you, including the (old) king\nhimself, hate me. O repressor of foes, I do not, even after reflection,\nbehold any grave fault in me, or even, O Kesava, any fault however minute.\nIn the game at dice, O slayer of Madhu, that was joyfully accepted by\nthem, the Pandavas were vanquished and their kingdom was won by Sakuni.\nWhat blame can be mine as regards that? On the other hand, O slayer of\nMadhu, the wealth that was won from the Pandavas then, was ordered by me,\nto be returned unto them. It cannot, again, O foremost of victors, be any\nfault of ours that the invincible Pandavas, were defeated once again at\ndice and had to go to the woods. Imputing what fault to us, do they\nregard us as their enemies? And, O Krishna, though (really) weak, why do\nthe Pandavas yet so cheerfully seek a quarrel with us, as if they were\nstrong? What have we done to them? For what injury (done to them) do the\nsons of Pandu, along with the Srinjayas, seek to slaughter the sons of\nDhritarashtra? We shall not in consequence of any fierce deed, or\n(alarming) word (of theirs), bow down to them in fear, deprived of our\nsenses. We cannot bow down to Indra himself, let alone the sons of Pandu.\nI do not, O Krishna, see the man, observant of Kshatriya virtues, who\ncan, O slayer of foes, venture to conquer us in battle. Let alone the\nPandavas, O slayer of Madhu, the very gods are not competent to vanquish\nBhishma, Kripa, Drona and Karna, in battle. If, O Madhava, we are, in the\nobservance of the practices of our order, cut off with weapons in battle,\nwhen our end comes, even that will lead us to heaven. Even this, O\nJanardana, is our highest duty as Kshatriyas, viz., that we should lay\nourselves down on the field of battle on a bed of arrows. If, without\nbowing to our enemies, ours be the bed of arrows in battle, that, O\nMadhava, will never grieve us. Who is there, born in a noble race and\nconforming to Kshatriya practices, that would from fear bow to an enemy,\ndesirous only of saving his life? Those Kshatriyas that desire their own\ngood, accept regardfully this saying of Matanga, viz., that (as regards a\nKshatriya), one should always keep himself erect, and never bow down, for\nexertion alone is manliness; one should rather break at the knots than\nbend. A person like me should only bow down to the Brahmanas for the sake\nof piety, without regarding anybody else. (As regards persons other than\nBrahmanas), one should, as long as one lives, act according to Matanga's\nsaying. Even this is the duty of Kshatriyas; even this is ever my\nopinion. That share in the kingdom which was formerly given them by my\nfather shall never again, O Kesava, be obtainable by them as long as I\nlive. As long, O Janardana, as king Dhritarashtra liveth, both ourselves\nand they, sheathing our weapons, O Madhava, should live in dependence on\nhim. Given away formerly from ignorance or fear, when I was a child and\ndependent on others, the kingdom, O Janardana, incapable of being given\naway again, shall not, O delighter of Vrishni's race, be obtainable by\nthe Pandavas. At present, O Kesava of mighty arms, as long as I live,\neven that much of our land which may be covered by the point of a sharp\nneedle shall not, O Madhava, be given by us unto the Pandavas.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXVIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Reflecting (for a moment), with eyes red in anger,\nhe, of Dasarha's race, addressing Duryodhana in that assembly of the\nKurus, then said these words, 'Wishest thou for a bed of heroes? Verily,\nthou shalt have it, with thy counsellors. Wait (for a short while), a\ngreat slaughter will ensue. Thou thinkest, O thou of little\nunderstanding, that thou hast committed no offence against the Pandavas?\nLet the (assembled) monarchs judge. Grieved at the prosperity of the\nhigh-souled Pandavas, thou conspirest, O Bharata, with Suvala's son about\nthe gambling match. O sire, how could those virtuous, honest, and\nsuperior kinsmen of thine (otherwise) engage in such a wicked act with\nthe deceitful Sakuni? O thou that art endued with great wisdom, gambling\nrobs even the good of their understanding, and as regards the wicked,\ndisunion and dire consequence spring from it. It was thou who hadst\ndevised with thy wicked counsellors, that terrible source of calamity in\nthe form of the gambling match, without consulting with persons of\nrighteous behaviour. Who else is there, capable of insulting a brother's\nwife in the way thou didst or of dragging her into the assembly and\naddressing her in language thou hadst used towards Draupadi? Of noble\nparentage, and endued with excellent behaviour, and dearer to them than\ntheir very lives, the queen-consort of Pandu's sons was treated even thus\nby thee. All the Kauravas know what words were addressed in their\nassembly by Dussasana unto those chastisers of foes,--the sons of\nKunti,--when they were about to set out for the woods. Who is there\ncapable of behaving so wretchedly towards his own honest kinsmen, that\nare ever engaged in the practice of virtue, that are untainted by\navarice, and that are always correct in their behaviour? Language such as\nbecomes only those that are heartless and despicable, was frequently\nrepeated by Karna and Dussasana and also by thee. Thou hadst taken great\npains to burn to death, at Varanavata, the sons of Pandu with their\nmother, while they were children, although that effort of thine was not\ncrowned with success. After this, the Pandavas with their mother were\nobliged to live for a long while, concealed in the town of Ekachakra in\nthe abode of a Brahmana. With poison, with snakes and cords, thou hadst,\nby every means, sought the destruction of the Pandavas, although none of\nthy designs was successful. With such feelings when thou hadst always\nacted towards them so deceitfully, how canst thou say that thou hast not\noffended against the high-souled Pandavas? Thou art not, O sinful man,\nwilling to give them their paternal share in the kingdom, although they\nare begging it of thee. Thou shalt have to give it them, this, when\ndivested of prosperity, thou shalt be laid low. Having, like a heartless\nfellow, done innumerable wrongs to the Pandavas and behaved so\ndeceitfully towards them, thou seekest now to appear in a different garb.\nThough repeatedly solicited by thy parents, by Bhishma, Drona, and\nVidura, to make peace, thou dost not yet, O king, make peace. Great is\nthe advantage in peace, O king, both to thyself and Yudhishthira. Peace,\nhowever, does not recommend itself to thee. To what else can it be due,\nbut to thy loss of understanding? Transgressing the words of thy friends,\nthou canst never attain to what is for thy benefit. Sinful and\ndisreputable is that act, which thou, O king, art about to do.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"While he, of Dasarha's race, was saying this,\nDussasana addressed vindictive Duryodhana and said unto him these words\nin the midst of the Kurus, 'If, O king, thou dost not willingly make peace\nwith the Pandavas, verily the Kauravas will bind thee (hand and foot) and\nmake over thee to the son of Kunti. Bhishma, and Drona, and thy (own)\nfather, O bull amongst men, will make over us three, viz., Vikartana's\nson, thyself, and myself, to the Pandavas!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these words of his brother,\nDhritarashtra's son, wicked, shameless, disobedient, disrespectful, and\nvain Suyodhana, breathing heavily like a great snake rose up from his\nseat in anger, and disregarding Vidura, and Dhritarashtra and the great\nking Vahlika, and Kripa, and Somadatta, and Bhishma, and Drona, and\nJanardana, in fact, all of them, went out of the court. And beholding\nthat bull among men leave the court, his brother and all his counsellors,\nand all the kings, followed him. And seeing Duryodhana rise and leave the\ncourt in anger with his brothers, Santanu's son, Bhishma said, 'The\nenemies of that person, who, abandoning both virtue and profit, followeth\nthe impulses of wrath, rejoice on beholding him plunged into distress at\nno distant date. This wicked son of Dhritarashtra, this one unacquainted\nwith the true means (of accomplishing his objects), this fool that is\nwrongly vain of his sovereignty, obeyeth only the dictates of wrath and\navarice. I see also, O Janardana, that the hour of all those Kshatriyas\nis arrived, for all those kings, from delusion, have with their\ncounsellors followed Duryodhana.' Hearing these words of Bhishma, the\nlotus-eyed hero of Dasarha's race, possessed of great powers, addressing\nall those (that were still there) headed by Bhishma and Drona, said,\n'Even this is great transgression, of which all the elders of the Kuru\nrace are becoming guilty, for they do not forcibly seize and bind this\nwicked king in the enjoyment of sovereignty. Ye chastiser of foes, I\nthink the time hath come for doing this. If this is done, it may still be\nproductive of good. Listen to me, ye sinless ones. The words I will speak\nwill soon lead to beneficial results, if, indeed, ye Bharatas, ye accept\nwhat I say in consequence of its recommending itself to you. The wicked\nson, of ill-regulated soul, of the old Bhoja king, having usurped his\nfather's sovereignty during the latter's life-time, subjected himself to\ndeath. Indeed, Kansa, the son of Ugrasena, abandoned by his relatives,\nwas slain by me in a great encounter, from desire of benefiting my\nkinsmen. Ourselves with our kinsmen then, having paid due honours to\nUgrasena, the son of Ahuka, installed that extender of Bhoja's kingdom on\nthe throne. And all the Yadavas and Andhakas and the Vrishnis, abandoning\na single person, viz., Kansa for the sake of their whole race, have\nprospered and obtained happiness. O king, when the gods and Asuras were\narrayed for battle and weapons were upraised for striking, the lord of\nall creatures, Parameshthin said thus (something which applies to the\ncase at hand). Indeed, O Bharata, when the population of the worlds was\ndivided into two parties and was about to be slaughtered, the divine and\nholy Cause of the universe, viz., the Creator, said, \"The Asuras and the\nDaityas with the Danavas will be vanquished, and the Adityas, the Vasus,\nthe Rudras and other dwellers of heaven will be victorious. Indeed, the\ngods, and Asuras, and human beings, and Gandharvas, and Snakes, and\nRakshasas, will in rage slaughter one another in this battle.\" Thinking\nso, the Lord of all creatures, Parameshthin, commanded Dharma, saying,\n\"Binding fast, the Daityas and the Danavas, make them over to Varuna.\"\nThus addressed, Dharma, at the command of Parameshthin, binding the\nDaityas and the Danavas, made them over to Varuna. And Varuna, the Lord\nof the waters, having bound those Danavas, with Dharma's noose, as also\nwith his own, keepeth them within the depths of the ocean, always\nguarding them carefully. Binding in the same way Duryodhana and Karna and\nSakuni, the son of Suvala, and Dussasana, make them over to the Pandavas.\nFor the sake of a family, an individual may be sacrificed. For a village,\na family may be sacrificed. For the sake of a province, a village may be\nsacrificed. And lastly, for the sake of one's self, the whole earth may\nbe sacrificed. O monarch, binding Duryodhana fast, make peace with the\nPandavas. O bull among Kshatriyas, let not the whole Kshatriya race be\nslaughtered on thy account.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXIX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing these words of Krishna, king Dhritarashtra\nlost no time in addressing Vidura, who was conversant with all dictates\nof virtue. And the king said, 'Go, O child, unto Gandhari, possessed of\ngreat wisdom and foresight and bring her hither. With her I will solicit\nthis wicked-hearted (son of mine). If she can pacify this wicked wretch,\nof evil heart, we may yet be able to act according to the words of our\nfriend Krishna. It may be that speaking words in recommendation of peace,\nshe may yet succeed in pointing out the right path to this fool,\nafflicted by avarice and having wicked allies. If she can dispel this\ngreat and dreadful calamity (about to be) occasioned by Duryodhana, it\nwill then conduce to the attainment and preservation of happiness and\npeace for ever and ever.' Hearing these words of the king, Vidura, at\nDhritarashtra's command, brought (thither) Gandhari, possessed of great\nforesight. And Dhritarashtra then addressed Gandhari and said, 'Behold, O\nGandhari, this thy son of wicked soul, transgressing all my commands, is\nabout to sacrifice both sovereignty and life in consequence of his lust\nfor sovereignty. Of wicked soul and little understanding, he hath, like\none of uncultivated mind, left the court, with his sinful counsellors,\ndisregarding his superiors and setting at naught the words of his\nwell-wishers.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing these words of her husband, that princess of\ngreat fame, Gandhari, desirous of what was highly beneficial, said these\nwords, 'Bring hither, without loss of time, that kingdom-coveting, sick\nson of mine. He that is of uncultivated heart and sacrificeth both virtue\nand profit, doth not deserve to govern a kingdom. For all that, however,\nDuryodhana, who is destitute of humility hath, by every means, obtained a\nkingdom. Indeed, O Dhritarashtra, thou so fond of thy son, art very much\nto be blamed for this, for knowing well his sinfulness, thou followest\nyet his counsel. That son of thine, completely possessed by lust and\nwrath is now the slave of delusion, and is, therefore, incapable, O king,\nof being now forcibly turned back by thee. Thou art now reaping the\nfruit, O Dhritarashtra, of having made over the kingdom to an ignorant\nfool of wicked soul, possessed by avarice and having wicked counsellors.\nWhy is the king indifferent (today) to that disunion, which is about to\ntake place between persons related so closely? Indeed, beholding thee\ndisunited with those that are thy own, thy enemies will laugh at thee.\nWho is there that would use force for getting over that calamity, O king,\nwhich can be overcome by conciliation and gift?'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Kshattri then, and at Dhritarashtra's command,\nand of his mother's also, once more caused vindictive Duryodhana to enter\nthe court. Expectant of his mother's words, the prince re-entered the\ncourt, with eyes red as copper from wrath, and breathing heavily as a\nsnake. And beholding her son, who was treading in a wrong path, enter the\ncourt, Gandhari rebuked him severely and said these words for bringing\nabout peace.\"\n\n\"Gandhari said, 'O Duryodhana, attend, O dear son, to these words of mine\nthat are beneficial to thee as also to all thy followers,--words that\nthou art competent to obey and that will conduce to thy happiness. O\nDuryodhana, obey thou the words of thy well-wishers, those words, viz.,\nwhich that best of the Bharatas--thy father--and Bhishma, and Drona, and\nKripa, and Kshattri, have spoken. If thou makest peace, thou wouldst by\nthat render homage to Bhishma, to thy father, to me, and to all thy\nwell-wishers with Drona at their head. O thou of great wisdom, nobody, O\nbest of the Bharatas, succeedeth by his own desire alone in acquiring and\nkeeping or enjoying a kingdom. One that hath not his senses under\ncontrol, cannot enjoy sovereignty for any length of time. He that hath\nhis soul under control and is endued with great intelligence, can rule a\nkingdom. Lust and wrath wean away a man from his possessions and\nenjoyments. Conquering these foes first, a king bringeth the earth under\nhis subjection. Sovereignty over men is a great thing. Those that are of\nwicked souls may easily desire to win a kingdom, but they are not\ncompetent to retain a kingdom (when won). He that desireth to obtain\nextensive empire must bind his senses to both profit and virtue, for if\nthe senses are restrained, intelligence increaseth, like fire that\nincreaseth when fed with fuel. If not controlled, these can even slay\ntheir possessor, like unbroken and furious horses, capable of killing an\nunskilful driver. One that seeketh to conquer his counsellors without\nconquering his own self, and to conquer foes without conquering his\ncounsellors, is soon vanquished himself and is ruined. He who conquereth\nhis own self first, taking it for a foe, will not seek in vain to conquer\nhis counsellors and enemies afterwards. Prosperity worshippeth greatly\nthat person who hath conquered his senses and his counsellors, who\ninflicteth punishments on transgressors, who acteth after deliberation,\nand who is possessed of wisdom. Lust and wrath that dwell in the body are\ndeprived of their strength by wisdom, like a couple of fishes ensnared in\na net with close holes. Those two in consequence of which the gods shut\nthe gates of heaven against one, who freed from worldly propensities is\ndesirous of going thither, are excited by lust and wrath. That king who\nknoweth well how to conquer lust and wrath and avarice and boastfulness\nand pride, can own the sovereignty of the whole earth. That king who is\ndesirous of gaining wealth and virtue and vanquishing his enemies, should\nalways be engaged in controlling his passions. Influenced by lust, or\nfrom wrath, he that behaveth deceitfully towards his own kinsmen or\nothers, can never win many allies. Uniting thyself with those chastisers\nof foes--the heroic sons of Pandu--who are all endued with great wisdom,\nthou canst, O son, enjoy the earth in happiness. What Bhishma, the son of\nSantanu, and that mighty car-warrior, Drona, have told thee is, O son,\nquite true,--Krishna and Dhananjaya are invincible. Seek thou, therefore,\nthe protection of this mighty-armed one, this one that is not worried by\nexertion, for if Kesava becometh gracious, both sides will be happy. That\nman, who is not obedient to the wishes of wise and learned friends,\nalways seeking his prosperity, only gladdeneth his enemies. O son, there\nis no good in battle, no virtue, no profit. How can it bring happiness\nthen? Even victory is not always certain. Do not set thy heart,\ntherefore, on battle. O thou of great wisdom, Bhishma and thy father and\nVahlika (formerly) gave unto the Pandavas their share (of the kingdom)\nfrom fear. O chastiser of foes, never think of disunion with them. Thou\nbeholdest today the fruit of that (peaceful) cession in the fact of thy\nsovereignty over the whole earth, with all its thorns removed by those\nheroes. Give, O chastiser of foes, unto the son of Pandu what is their\ndue. If thou wishest to enjoy, with the counsellors even half (the\nempire), let their share then be given unto them. Half the earth is\nsufficient to yield the means of support unto thee and thy counsellors.\nBy acting according to the words of thy well-wishers, thou wilt, O\nBharata, win great fame. A quarrel with the sons of Pandu who are all\nendued with prosperity, who have their souls under complete control, who\nare possessed of great intelligence and have conquered their passions,\nwill only divest thee of thy great prosperity. Dispelling the wrath of\nall thy well-wishers, rule thou thy kingdom as becometh thee, giving, O\nbull of Bharata's race, unto the sons of Pandu the share that belongeth\nto them. O son, persecution of the sons of Pandu for full thirteen years\nhath been enough. Augmented by lust and wrath, quench (that fire) now, O\nthou of great wisdom. Thou that covetest the wealth of the Pandavas are\nnot a match for them, nor this Suta's son, who is exceedingly wrathful,\nnor this thy brother Dussasana. Indeed, when Bhishma and Drona and Kripa\nand Karna and Bhimasena and Dhananjaya and Dhrishtadyumna will be\nenraged, the population of the earth will be exterminated. Under the\ninfluence of wrath, do not, O son, exterminate the Kurus. Let not the\nwide earth be destroyed for thy sake. Of little understanding as thou\nart, thou thinkest that Bhishma, and Drona, and Kripa, all others will\nfight (for thee) with all their might. That will never happen, for as\nregards these, that are endued with self-knowledge, their affection\ntowards the Pandavas and yourselves is equal. If for the sake of the\nsustenance they have obtained from the king (Dhritarashtra), they consent\nto yield up their very lives, they will not yet be able to cast angry\nglances upon king Yudhishthira. It is never seen in this world that men\nacquire wealth by avarice. Give up thy avarice then, O son, and desist, O\nbull of Bharat's race.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Disregarding these words of grave import, spoken by\nhis mother, Duryodhana went away, in anger, from that place to the\npresence of wicked persons. And wending away from the court, the Kuru\nprince began to consult with Suvala's royal son, Sakuni, most clever in\ndice. And this was the resolution which Duryodhana and Karna and Suvala's\nson Sakuni, with Dussasana as their fourth, arrived at, 'This Janardana,\nquick in action, seeketh, with the king Dhritarashtra and Santanu's son,\nto seize us first. We, however, shall forcibly seize this tiger among\nmen, Hrishikesa, first, like Indra forcibly seizing Virochana's son\n(Vali). Hearing that this one of Vrishni's race hath been seized, the\nPandavas will lose their heart and become incapable of exertion, like\nsnakes whose fangs have been broken. This mighty-armed one is, indeed,\nthe refuge and protection of them all. If this grantor of wishes, this\nbull of all the Satwatas, be confined, the Pandavas with the Somakas will\nbecome depressed and incapable of any exertion. Therefore, disregarding\nDhritarashtra's cries, we will seize even here this Kesava, who is quick\nin action, and then fight with the foe.' After those sinful men of wicked\nsouls had come to this sinful resolution, highly intelligent Satyaki,\ncapable of reading the heart by signs, soon came to know of it. And\nbecause of that knowledge, he soon issued out of the court, accompanied\nby Hridika's son (Kritavarman). And Satyaki addressed Kritavarman,\nsaying, 'Array the troops soon. And accoutred in mail and with thy troops\narrayed for battle, wait thou at the entrance of the court, till I\nrepresent this matter unto Krishna, unwearied by exertion.' Saying this,\nthat hero re-entered the court, like a lion entering a mountain-cave. And\nhe (first) informed the high-souled Kesava and then Dhritarashtra, and\nthen Vidura of that conspiracy. And having informed them of that\nresolution, he laughingly said, 'These wicked men intended to commit an\nact here, that is disapproved by the good from consideration of virtue,\nprofit, and desire. They will, however, never be able to actually achieve\nit. These fools of sinful souls assembled together, these wretches\noverwhelmed by lust, anger and yielding themselves up to wrath and\ncovetousness, are about to perpetrate a highly unbecoming deed. Those\nwretches of little understanding and desirous of seizing the lotus-eyed,\nare like idiots and children desiring to seize a blazing fire by means of\ntheir garments.' Hearing these words of Satyaki, Vidura, endued with\ngreat foresight, said these words unto the mighty-armed Dhritarashtra in\nthe midst of the Kurus, 'O king, O chastiser of foes, the hour of all thy\nsons is come, for they are endeavouring to perpetrate a highly infamous\nact, however incapable they may be of actually accomplishing it. Alas,\nunited together they desire to vanquish this younger brother of Vasava,\nand seize this lotus-eyed one. Indeed, encountering this tiger among men,\nthis invincible and irresistible one, they will all perish like insects\nin a blazing fire. If Janardana wisheth, he can send all of them, even if\nthey fight in a body, unto the abode of Yama, like an enraged lion\ndispatching a herd of elephants. He will, however, never do any such\nsinful and censurable act. This best of persons, of unfading glory, will\nnever deviate from virtue.' After Vidura had said these words, Kesava,\ncasting his eyes on Dhritarashtra, said in the midst of those\nwell-meaning persons, who listen to others' words, 'O king, if these\n(men) desire to chastise me by using violence, permit them to chastise\nme. O monarch, as regards my chastising them, for I dare chastise all of\nthem together that are so excited with rage, I will not, however,\nperpetrate any sinful and censurable act. Coveting the possessions of the\nPandavas, thy sons will lose their own. If they desire to perpetrate such\na deed, Yudhishthira's object will then be (easily) accomplished, for,\nthis very day, O Bharata, seizing these with all that follow them, I can\nmake them over to the sons of Pritha. What is there that is difficult of\nattainment by me? I will not, however, O Bharata, commit in thy presence,\nO great monarch, any such censurable deed, that can proceed only from\nwrath and a sinful understanding. Let it be, O king, as this Duryodhana\ndesireth. I give permission, O monarch, to all thy sons to do it.'\n\n\"Hearing these words (of Kesava), Dhritarashtra addressed Vidura saying,\n'Quickly bring hither sinful Duryodhana, who is so covetous of\nsovereignty, with his friends, counsellors, brothers, and followers. I\nshall see if indeed, making one more effort I can bring him to the right\npath.'\n\n\"Thus addressed by Dhritarashtra, Kshattri once more caused unwilling\nDuryodhana to enter the court with his brothers, and surrounded by the\nkings (that followed him). King Dhritarashtra then addressed Duryodhana,\nsurrounded by Karna and Dussasana and all those kings, saying, 'O wretch\nof accumulated sins, having for thy allies men of despicable acts,\ninfamous is the deed that thou, uniting with sinful friends, seekest to\ndo. Of little understanding, thou infamy of thy race, one like thee\nalone can seek to do an act so infamous and disapproved by the good,\nhowever impossible it may be of being actually achieved. Uniting with\nsinful allies, wishest thou to chastise this invincible and irresistible\none of eyes like lotus-leaves? Like a child wishing to have the moon,\nseekest thou, O fool, to do what cannot be done by the very gods, headed\nby Vasava with all their strength? Knowest thou not, that Kesava is\nincapable of being withstood in battle by gods and men and Gandharvas and\nAsuras and Uragas? Like the wind which none can seize of being seized\nwith his hands, like the moon which no hand can reach, like the Earth\nwhich none can support on his head, Kesava is incapable by force.'\n\n\"After Dhritarashtra had said these words, Vidura (casting) his eyes on\nDuryodhana, addressed that vindictive son of Dhritarashtra, saying, 'O\nDuryodhana, listen now to these words of mine. At the gates of Saubha,\nthat foremost of monkeys, known by the name of Dwivida, covered Kesava\nwith a mighty shower of stones. Desirous of seizing Madhava by putting\nforth all his prowess and exertion, he did not yet succeed in seizing\nhim. Seekest thou to apprehend that Kesava by force? When Sauri went to\nPragjyotisha, Naraka with all the Danavas succeeded not in seizing him\nthere. Seekest thou to seize him by force? Slaying that Naraka in battle,\nhe brought away (from his city) a thousand damsels and married them all,\naccording to the ordinance. In the city of Nirmochana, six thousand\nmighty Asuras failed to seize him with their nooses. Seekest thou to\nseize that Kesava by force? While only a child, he slew Putana and two\nAsuras assuming the shape of birds, and O bull of Bharata's race, he held\nup the mountains of Govardhana (on his little finger) for protecting the\nkine (from a continuous rain). He hath also slain Aristha, and Dhenuka\nand Chanura of great strength, and Aswaraja, and Kansa, the doer of evil.\nHe hath slain Jarasandha, and Vakra, and Sisupala of mighty energy, and\nVana in battle, and numerous other kings also have been slain by him. Of\nimmeasurable might, he vanquished king Varuna and also Pavaka (Agni), and\non the occasion of bringing (down from the celestial regions) the\n(heavenly flower called) Parijata, he defeated the lord of Sachi himself.\nWhile floating on the vast deep, he slew Madhu and Kaitabha, and in\nanother birth he slew Hayagriva (Horse-necked). He is the maker of\neverything but is himself made by none. He is the Cause of all power.\nWhatever Sauri wisheth, he accomplisheth without any effort. Knowest thou\nnot sinless Govinda, of terrible prowess and incapable of deterioration?\nThis one, resembling an angry snake of virulent poison, is the\nnever-ending source of energy. In seeking to use violence towards\nKrishna, endued with mighty arms and unwearied by exertion, thou wilt,\nwith all thy followers, perish like an insect falling into fire.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After Vidura had said this, Kesava, that slayer of\nhostile divisions, endued with great energy, addressed Dhritarashtra's\nson, Duryodhana, and said, 'From delusion, O Suyodhana, thou regardest me\nto be alone, and it is for this, O thou of little understanding, that\nthou seekest to make me a captive after vanquishing me by violence. Here,\nhowever, are all the Pandavas and all the Vrishnis and Andhakas. Here are\nall the Adityas, the Rudras, and the Vasus, with all the great Rishis.'\nSaying this Kesava, that slayer of hostile heroes burst out into a loud\nlaughter. And as the high-souled Sauri laughed, from his body, that\nresembled a blazing fire, issued myriads of gods, each of lightning\neffulgence, and not bigger than the thumb. And on his forehead appeared\nBrahman, and on his breast Rudra. And on his arms appeared the regents of\nthe world, and from his mouth issued Agni, the Adityas, the Sadhyas, the\nVasus, the Aswins, the Marutas, with Indra, and the Viswedevas. And\nmyriads of Yakshas, and the Gandharvas, and Rakshasas also, of the same\nmeasure and form, issued thence. And from his two arms issued Sankarshana\nand Dhananjaya. And Arjuna stood on his right, bow in hand, and Rama\nstood on his left, armed with the plough. And behind him stood Bhima, and\nYudhishthira, and the two sons of Madri, and before him were all the\nAndhakas and the Vrishnis with Pradyumna and other chiefs bearing mighty\nweapons upraised. And on his diverse arms were seen the conch, the\ndiscus, the mace, the bow called Saranga, the plough, the javelin, the\nNandaka, and every other weapon, all shining with effulgence, and\nupraised for striking. And from his eyes and nose and ears and every part\nof his body, issued fierce sparks of fire mixed with smoke. And from the\npores of his body issued sparks of fire like unto the rays of the sun.\nAnd beholding that awful form of the high-souled Kesava, all the kings\nclosed their eyes with affrighted hearts, except Drona, and Bhishma, and\nVidura, endued with great intelligence, greatly blessed Sanjaya, and the\nRishis, possessed of wealth of asceticism, for the divine Janardana gave\nunto them this divine sight on the occasion. And beholding in the (Kuru)\ncourt that highly wonderful sight, celestial drums beat (in the sky) and\na floral shower fell (upon him). And the whole Earth trembled (at the\ntime) and the oceans were agitated. And, O bull of the Bharata's race,\nall the denizens of the earth were filled with great wonder. Then that\ntiger among men, that chastiser of foes, withdrew that divine and highly\nwonderful, and extremely varied and auspicious form. And arm-in-arm with\nSatyaki on one side and Hridika's son (Kritavarman) on the other, and\nobtaining permission of the Rishis, the slayer of Madhu went out. And\nduring the uproar that then took place, the Rishis, Narada and others\nvanished, for repairing to their respective places. And this also was\nanother wonderful incident that happened. And seeing that tiger among men\nleave the court, the Kauravas with all the kings followed him, like the\ngods following Indra. Sauri, however, of immeasurable soul, without\nbestowing a single thought on those that followed him, issued from the\ncourt, like a blazing fire mixed with smoke. And he beheld (at the gate\nhis charioteer) Daruka waiting with his large white car, furnished with\nrows of tinkling bells, decked with golden ornaments, and endued with\ngreat speed, the clatter of whose wheels resounded like the rumbling of\nthe clouds, and which was covered all over with white tiger-skins, and\nunto which were harnessed his steeds Saivya (and others). And there also\nappeared, mounted on his car, that favourite hero of Vrishnis, the mighty\ncar-warrior Kritavarman, the son of Hridika. And that chastiser of foes,\nSauri, who had his car ready, was about to depart, king Dhritarashtra\naddressed him once more and said, 'O grinder of foes, thou hast seen, O\nJanardana, the power I wield over my sons! Thou hast, indeed, witnessed\nall with thy own eyes. Nothing now is unknown to thee. Seeing me\nendeavour to bring about peace between the Kurus, and the Pandavas, in\nfact, knowing the state (in which I am), it behoveth thee not to\nentertain any suspicion regarding me. O Kesava, I have no sinful feelings\ntowards the Pandavas. Thou knowest what words have been spoken by me to\nSuyodhana. The Kauravas and all the kings of the Earth, also know, O\nMadhava, that I have made every endeavour to bring about peace.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"The mighty-armed Janardana then addressed\nDhritarashtra, Drona, grandsire Bhishma, Kshattri, Vahlika, and Kripa and\nsaid, 'Ye have yourselves witnessed all that hath happened in the\nassembly of the Kurus, viz., how wicked Duryodhana, like an uneducated\nwretch, left the court from anger, and how king Dhritarashtra also\ndescribeth himself to be powerless. With the permission of you all, I\nshall now go back to Yudhishthira.' Saluting them, that bull amongst men,\nSauri then mounted his car and set out. And those heroic bulls amongst\nthe Bharatas, those mighty bowmen, viz., Bhishma, Drona, and Kripa, and\nKshattri, and Aswatthaman and Vikarna, and that mighty car-warrior\nYuyutsu, all began to follow him. And Kesava, on his large white car,\nfurnished with rows of tinkling bells, proceeded then, in the very sight\nof the Kurus, to the abode of his paternal aunt (Kunti).\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Entering her abode and worshipping her feet, Kesava\nrepresented to her briefly all that had transpired in the assembly of the\nKurus. And Vasudeva said, 'Diverse words, worthy of being accepted and\nfraught with reasons, were said both by myself and the Rishis, but\nDuryodhana accepted them not. As regards Suyodhana and his followers,\ntheir hour is come. With thy leave now, I shall speedily repair unto the\nPandavas. What should I say unto the Pandavas as thy instructions to\nthem? Tell me that, O thou endued with great wisdom. I desire to hear thy\nwords.'\n\n\"Kunti said, 'O Kesava, say unto king Yudhishthira of virtuous soul these\nwords, \"Thy virtue, O son, is decreasing greatly. Do not act vainly. O\nking, like a reader of the Vedas incapable of catching their real\nmeaning, and, therefore, truly unlearned. Thy understanding, affected by\nonly the words of the Vedas, vieweth virtue alone. Cast thy eyes on the\nduties of thy own order, as ordained by the Self-create. For all ruthless\ndeeds and for the protection of the people, from his (Brahmana's) arms\nwas created the Kshatriya, who is to depend upon the prowess of his own\narms. Listen, an instance is cited in this connection, that hath been\nheard by me from the aged. In days of yore, Vaisravana, having been\ngratified, made a gift of this Earth to the royal sage Muchukunda. The\nlatter without accepting the gift, said, 'I desire to enjoy that\nsovereignty which is won by prowess of arms.' At this, Vaisravana was\nhighly delighted and filled with wonder. King Muchukunda then, fully\nobserving the duties of the Kshatriya order ruled this earth, having\nconquered it by the prowess of his arms. Then again, a sixth part of the\nvirtue, practised by subjects well-protected by the king, is obtained, O\nBharata, by the king. The virtue again that the king himself practiseth\nconferreth godhead on him, while if he perpetrateth sin, he goeth to\nhell. The penal code properly applied by the ruler, maketh the four\norders adhere to their respective duties, and leadeth to an acquisition\n(by the ruler himself) of virtue (profit, and salvation). When the king\nproperly abideth by the penal code, without making any portion of it a\ndead letter, then that best of periods called the Krita Yuga setteth in.\nLet not this doubt be thine, viz., whether the era is the cause of the\nking, or the king the cause of the era, for (know this to be certain\nthat) the king is the cause of the era. It is the king that createth the\nKrita, the Treta, or the Dwapara age. Indeed, it is the king that is the\ncause of also the fourth Yuga (viz., the Kali). That king who causeth the\nKrita age to set in, enjoyeth heaven exceedingly. That king who causeth\nthe Treta age to set in, doth enjoy heaven but not exceedingly. For thus\ncausing the Dwapara age to set in, a king enjoyeth heaven according to\nhis due. The king, however, who causeth the Kali age to set in, earneth\nsin exceedingly. Thereupon, that king of wicked deeds resideth in hell\nfor countless years. Indeed, the king's sins affect the world, and the\nworld's sins affect him. Observe thou those kingly duties of thine that\nbefit thy ancestry. That is not the conduct of a royal sage in which thou\nwishest to abide. Indeed, he that is stained by weakness of heart and\nadhereth to compassion, and is unsteady, never obtaineth the merit born\nof cherishing his subjects with love. That understanding according to\nwhich thou art now acting was never wished (to thee) by Pandu, or myself,\nor thy grandsire, while we uttered blessings on thee before; sacrifice,\ngift, merit, and bravery, subjects and children, greatness of soul, and\nmight, and energy, these were always prayed by me for thee. Well-wishing\nBrahmanas duly worshipped and gratified the gods and the Pitris for your\nlong life, wealth, and children, by adding Swaha and Swadha. The mother\nand the father, as also the gods always desire for their children\nliberality and gift and study and sacrifice and sway over subjects.\nWhether all this be righteous or unrighteous, you are to practise it, in\nconsequence of your very birth. (Behold, O Krishna, so far from doing all\nthis), though born in a high race, they are yet destitute of the very\nmeans of support, and are afflicted with misery. Hungry men, approaching\na brave and bountiful monarch, are gratified, and live by his side. What\nvirtue can be superior to this? A virtuous person, upon acquiring a\nkingdom, should in this world make all persons his own, attaching some by\ngift, some by force, and some by sweet words. A Brahmana should adopt\nmendicancy; a Kshatriya should protect (subjects); a Vaisya should earn\nwealth; and a Sudra should serve the other three. Mendicancy, therefore,\nis forbidden to thee. Nor is agriculture suited to thee. Thou art a\nKshatriya and therefore, the protector of all in distress. Thou art to\nlive by the prowess of thy arms. O thou of mighty arms, recover thy\npaternal share of the kingdom which thou hast lost, by conciliation, or\nby working disunion among thy foes, or by gift of money or violence, or\nwell-directed policy. What can be a matter of greater grief than that I,\ndeprived of friends, should live upon food supplied by others, after\nhaving brought thee forth, thou enhancer of the joys of friends? Fight,\naccording to the practices of kings. Do not sink thy ancestors (in\ninfamy). With thy merit worn out, do not, with thy younger brothers,\nobtain a sinful end.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXIII\n\n\"Kunti said, 'In this connection, O chastiser of foes, is cited an old\nstory of the conversation between Vidula and her son. It behoveth thee to\nsay unto Yudhishthira anything that can be gathered from this or anything\nmore beneficial than that.\n\n\"'There was a high-born dame of great foresight, named Vidula. She was\nfamous, slightly wrathful, of crooked disposition, and devoted to\nKshatriya virtues. Well-educated, she was known to all the kings of the\nearth. Of great learning, she had listened to the speeches and\ninstructions of diverse mien. And the princess Vidula, one day, rebuked\nher own son, who, after his defeat by the king of the Sindhus, lay\nprostrate with heart depressed by despair. And she said, \"Thou art not my\nson, O enhancer of the joys of foes. Begotten thou hast not been by\nmyself and thy father! Whence hast thou come? Without wrath as thou art,\nthou canst not be counted as a man. Thy features betray thee to be a\neunuch. Sinkest thou in despair as long as thou livest? If thou art\ndesirous of thy own welfare, bear thou the burthen (of thy affairs on thy\nshoulders). Do not disgrace thy soul. Do not suffer it to be gratified\nwith a little. Set thy heart on thy welfare, and be not afraid. Abandon\nthy fears. Rise, O coward. Do not lie down thus, after thy defeat,\ndelighting all thy foes and grieving thy friends, and reft of all sense\nof honour. Little streams are filled up with only a quantity of water.\nThe palms of a mouse are filled with only a small quantity. A coward is\nsoon gratified, with acquisitions that are small. Rather perish in\nplucking the fangs of a snake than die miserable like a dog. Put forth\nthy prowess even at the risk of thy life. Like a hawk that fearlessly\nrangeth the sky, do thou also wander fearlessly or put forth thy prowess,\nor silently watch thy foes for an opportunity. Why dost thou lie down\nlike a carcass or like one smitten by thunder? Rise, O coward, do not\nslumber after having been vanquished by the foe. Do not disappear from\nthe sight of all so miserably. Make thyself known by thy deeds. Never\noccupy the intermediate, the low, or the lowest station. Blaze up (like a\nwell-fed fire). Like a brand of Tinduka wood, blaze up even for a moment,\nbut never smoulder from desire, like a flameless fire of paddy chaff. It\nis better to blaze up for a moment than smoke for ever and ever. Let no\nson be born in a royal race, who is either exceedingly fierce or\nexceedingly mild. Repairing to the field of battle and achieving every\ngreat feat that is possible for man to achieve, a brave man is freed from\nthe debt he oweth to the duties of the Kshatriya order. Such a person\nnever disgraceth his own self. Whether he gaineth his object or not, he\nthat is possessed of sense never indulgeth in grief. On the other hand,\nsuch a person accomplisheth what should be next done, without caring for\neven his life. Therefore, O son, display thy prowess, or obtain that end\nwhich is inevitable. Why, indeed, dost thou live, disregarding the duties\nof thy order? All thy religious rites, O eunuch, and all thy achievements\nare gone. The every root of all thy enjoyments is cut off. What for then\ndost thou live? If fall and sink one must, he should seize the foe by the\nhips (and thus fall with the foe). Even if one's roots are cut off, he\nshould not yet give way to despair. Horses of high mettle put forth all\ntheir prowess for dragging or bearing heavy weights. Remembering their\nbehaviour, muster all thy strength and sense of honour. Know also in\nwhat thy manliness consists. Exert thyself in raising that race which\nhath sunk, in consequence of thee. He that hath not achieved a great feat\nforming the subject of men's conversation, only increaseth the number of\npopulation. He is neither man nor woman. He whose fame is not founded in\nrespect of charity, asceticism, truth, learning and acquisition of\nwealth, is only his mother's excreta. On the other hand, he that\nsurpasseth others in learning, asceticism, wealth, prowess, and deeds, is\n(truly) a man. It behoveth thee not to adopt the idle, wretched,\ninfamous, and miserable profession of mendicancy that is worthy only of a\ncoward. Friends never derive any happiness on obtaining that weak person\nfor a friend, at whose sight foes are delighted, who is despised by men,\nwho is without seats and robes, who is gratified with small acquisitions,\nwho is destitute, and who hath no courage, and is low. Alas, exiled from\nour kingdom, driven from home, deprived of all means of enjoyment and\npleasure, and destitute of resources, we shall have to perish from want\nof the very means of life! Misbehaving in the midst of those that are\ngood, and the destroyer of thy race and family, by bringing thee forth, O\nSanjaya, I have brought forth Kali himself in the shape of a son. Oh, let\nno woman bring forth such a son (as thou) that art without wrath, without\nexertion, without energy, and that art the joy of foes. Do not smoulder.\nBlaze thou up, effectively displaying thy prowess. Slay thy foes. For but\na moment, for ever so small a space of time, blaze thou up on the heads\nof thy enemies. He is a man who cherisheth wrath and forgiveth not. He,\non the other hand, who is forgiving and without wrath, is neither a man\nnor woman. Contentment and softness of heart and these two, viz., want of\nexertion and fear, are destructive of prosperity. He that is without\nexertion never winneth what is great. Therefore, O son, free thyself, by\nthy own exertions, from these faults that lead to defeat and downfall.\nSteel thy heart and seek to recover thy own. A man is called Purusha\nbecause he is competent to trouble his foe (param). He, therefore, who\nliveth like a woman is misnamed Purusha (man). A brave king of mighty\nstrength, and who moveth like a lion, may go the way of all creatures.\nThe subjects, however, that reside in his dominions do not yet become\nunhappy. That king, who, disregarding his own happiness and pleasures,\nseeketh the prosperity of his kingdom, succeedeth soon in gladdening his\ncounsellors and friends.\"'\n\n\"'Hearing these words, the son said, \"If thou dost not behold me, of what\nuse would the whole earth be to thee, of what use thy ornaments, of what\nuse all the means of pleasure and even life itself?\" The mother said,\n\"Let those regions be obtained by our foes which belong to those that are\nlow. Let those again that are friends go to those regions which are\nobtainable by persons whose souls are held in respect. Do not adopt the\ncourse of life that is followed by those wretched persons, who, destitute\nof strength, and without servants and attendants (to do their bidding)\nlive upon the food supplied by others. Like the creatures of the earth\nthat depend on the clouds, or the gods depending on Indra, let the\nBrahmanas and thy friends all depend on thee for their sustenance. His\nlife, O Sanjaya, is not vain on whom all creatures depend for their\nsustenance, like birds repairing to a tree abounding with ripe fruits.\nThe life of that brave man is, indeed, praiseworthy, through whose\nprowess friends derive happiness, like the gods deriving happiness\nthrough the prowess of Sakra. That man who liveth in greatness depending\non the prowess of his own arms, succeedeth in winning fame in this world\nand blessed state in the next!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXIV\n\n\"'Vidula said, \"If, having fallen into such a plight, thou wishest to give\nup manliness, thou shalt then have, in no time, to tread the path that is\ntrod by those that are low and wretched. That Kshatriya, who, from desire\nof life, displayeth not his energy according to the best of his might and\nprowess, is regarded as a thief. Alas, like medicine to a dying man,\nthese words that are fraught with grave import, and are proper and\nreasonable, do not make any impression on thee! It is true, the king of\nthe Sindhus hath many followers. They are, however, all discounted. From\nweakness, and ignorance of proper means, they are waiting for the\ndistress of their master (without being able to effect a deliverance for\nthemselves by their own exertions). As regards others (his open enemies),\nthey will come to thee with their auxiliaries if they behold thee put\nforth thy prowess. Uniting with them, seek refuge now in mountain\nfastness, waiting for that season when calamity will overtake the foe, as\nit must, for he is not free from disease and death. By name thou art\nSanjaya (the victorious). I do not, however, behold any such indication\nin thee. Be true to thy name. Be my son. Oh, do not make thy name untrue.\nBeholding thee while a child, a Brahmana of great foresight and wisdom,\nsaid, 'This one falling into great distress will again win greatness.'\nRemembering his words, I hope for thy victory. It is for that, O son, I\ntell thee so, and shall tell thee again and again. That man who pursueth\nthe fruition of his objects according to the ways of policy and for the\nsuccess of whose objects other people strive cordially, is always sure to\nwin success. Whether what I have is gained or lost, I will not desist,\nwith such a resolve, O Sanjaya. O learned one, engage in war, without\nwithdrawing thyself from it. Samvara hath said, 'There is no more\nmiserable state than that in which one is anxious for his food from day\nto day.' A state such as his hath been said to be more unhappy than the\ndeath of one's husband and sons. That which hath been called poverty is\nonly a form of death. As regards myself, born in a high race, I have been\ntransplanted from one lake into another. Possessed of every auspicious\nthing, and worshipped by my husband, my power extended over all. Staying\nin the midst of friends, our friends formerly beheld me decked in costly\ngarlands and ornaments, with body well-washed, attired in excellent\nrobes, and myself always cheerful. When thou wilt behold both me and thy\nwife weakened (from want of food), thou wilt then, O Sanjaya, scarcely\ndesire to live. Of what use will life be to thee when thou wilt behold\nall our servants engaged in attending on us, our preceptors and our\nordinary and extraordinary priests, leaving us from want of sustenance?\nIf, again, I do not now see in thee those laudable and famous\nachievements in which thou wert formerly engaged, what peace can my heart\nknow? If I have to say--Nay--to a Brahmana, my heart will burst, for\nneither I nor my husband ever said--Nay--to a Brahmana before. We were\nthe refuge of others, without ourselves having ever taken refuge with\nothers. Having been such, if I have to support life by depending on\nanother, I will surely cast off my life. Be thou our means of crossing\nthe ocean that is difficult to cross. In the absence of boats, be thou\nour boat. Make for us a place where place there is none. Revive us that\nare dead. Thou art competent to encounter all foes if thou dost not\ncherish the desire of life. If, however, thou art for adopting this mode\nof life that is fit only for a eunuch, then with troubled soul and\ndepressed heart it would be better for thee to sacrifice thy life. A\nbrave man winneth fame by slaying even a single foe. By slaying Vritra,\nIndra became the great Indra and acquired the sovereignty of all the gods\nand the cup for drinking Soma, and the lordship of all the worlds.\nProclaiming his name in battle, challenging his foes accoutred in steel,\nand grinding or slaying the foremost warriors of hostile ranks, when a\nhero winneth far-extending fame in fair fight, his enemies then are\npained and bow down unto him. They that are cowards become helpless and\ncontribute by their own conduct to bestow every object of desire on those\nthat are skilled and brave and that fight reckless of their lives.\nWhether kingdoms be overtaken by mighty ruin, or whether life itself be\nendangered, they that are noble never desist till they exterminate the\nfoes within their reach. Sovereignty is either the door of heaven or\nAmrita. Regarding it as one of these, and bearing it in mind that is now\nshut against thee, fall thou like a burning brand in the midst of thy\nfoes. O king, slay thy foes in battle. Observe the duties of thy order.\nLet me not behold thee cheerless, O enhancer of the fears of thy foes.\nLet me not in dejection behold thee standing in misery, surrounded by our\nsorrowing selves and rejoicing foes. Rejoice, O son, and make thyself\nhappy in the possession of wealth in the company of the daughters of the\nSauviras and do not, in weakness of heart, be ruled over by the daughters\nof the Saindhavas. If a young man like thee, who is possessed of beauty\nof person, learning and high birth, and world-wide fame, acteth in such\nunbecoming a way, like a vicious bull in the matter of bearing its\nburthen, then that, I think, would be equal to death itself. What peace\ncan my heart know if I behold thee uttering laudatory speeches in honour\nof others or walking (submissively) behind them? Oh, never was one born\nin this race that walked behind another. O son, it behoveth thee not to\nlive as a dependant on another. I know what the eternal essence of\nKshatriya virtues is as spoken of by the old and the older ones and by\nthose coming late and later still. Eternal and unswerving, it hath been\nordained by the Creator himself. He that hath, in this world, been born\nas a Kshatriya in any high race and hath acquired a knowledge of the\nduties of that order, will never from fear or the sake of sustenance, bow\ndown to any body on earth. One should stand erect with courage and not\nbow down, for exertion is manliness. One should rather break in the\njoints than yield in this world here to any body. A high-souled Kshatriya\nshould always roam like an infuriated elephant. He should, O Sanjaya, bow\ndown unto Brahmanas only, for the sake of virtue. He should rule over all\nother orders, destroying all evil-doers. Possessed of allies, or\ndestitute of them, he should be so as long as he liveth.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXV\n\n\"Kunti said, 'Hearing these words of his mother, the son said, \"O ruthless\nand wrathful mother, O thou that thinkest highly of martial heroism, thy\nheart is surely made of steel beat into that shape. Fie on Kshatriya\npractices, in accordance with which thou urgest me to battle, as if I\nwere a stranger to thee, and for the sake of which thou speakest to\nme--thy only son--such words as if thou wert not my mother. If thou\nbeholdest me not, if thou art dissociated with me--thy son, of what use\nthen would the whole earth be to thee, of what use all thy ornaments and\nall the means of enjoyment, indeed, of what use would life itself be to\nthee?\"'\n\n\"'The mother said, \"All the acts of those that are wise, are (undertaken),\nO son, for the sake of virtue and profit. Eyeing these (virtue and\nprofit) only, I urge thee, O Sanjaya, to battle. The fit hour hath come\nfor exhibiting thy prowess. If at such a time thou dost not resort to\naction, then disrespected by the people thou wouldst do that which would\nbe most disagreeable to me. If, O Sanjaya, thou art about to be stained\nwith infamy and I do not (from affection) tell thee anything, then that\naffection, worthless and unreasonable, would be like that of the\nshe-ass's for her young. Do not tread the path that is disapproved by the\nwise and adopted by the fool. Great is the ignorance here. Innumerable\ncreatures of the world have taken refuge in it. If thou, however,\nadoptest the behaviour of the wise, thou wilt then be dear to me. Indeed,\nif thou hast recourse to virtue and profit, if with God above thou\nreliest upon human exertion, if thy conduct becometh like that of the\ngood, then it is by this and not by any other means that thou wilt become\ndear to me. He that taketh delight in sons and grandsons that are\nwell-instructed (enjoyeth a delight that is real). He, on the other hand,\nthat taketh delight in a son who is destitute of exertion, refractory,\nand wicked minded, hath not the very object accomplished for which a son\nis desired. Those worst of men that never do what is proper and always do\nwhat is censurable, do not obtain happiness here or hereafter. A\nKshatriya, O Sanjaya, hath been created for battle and victory. Whether\nhe winneth or perisheth, he obtaineth the region of Indra. The happiness\nthat a Kshatriya obtaineth by reducing his foes to subjection is such\nthat the like of it doth not exist in heaven in the sacred region of\nIndra. Burning with wrath, a Kshatriya of great energy, if vanquished\nmany times, should wait desiring to vanquish his foes. Without either\ncasting away his own life or slaying his foes, how can he obtain peace of\nmind by any other course? He that is possessed of wisdom regardeth\nanything little as disagreeable. Unto that person to whom anything little\nbecomes agreeable, that little (ultimately) becometh a source of pain.\nThe man that hath not what is desirable soon becometh wretched. Indeed,\nhe soon feeleth every want and is lost like the Ganga on entering the\nocean.\"'\n\n\"'The son said, \"Thou shouldst not, O mother, give expression to such\nviews before thy son. Show him kindness now, staying by his side, like a\nsilent and dumb being.\"\n\n\"'The mother said, \"Great is my gratification since thou sayest so. I who\nmay be urged (by thee to what is my duty) am thus urged by thee. I shall,\ntherefore, urge thee more (for doing what thou shouldst do). I will,\nindeed, honour thee then when I will behold thee, crowned with complete\nsuccess after the slaughter of all the Saindhavas.\"\n\n\"'The son said, \"Without wealth, without allies, how can success and\nvictory be mine? Conscious of this exceedingly miserable state of mine, I\nhave myself abstained from desire of kingdom, like an evil-doer\nabstaining from desire of heaven. If, therefore, O thou of mature wisdom,\nthou seest any means (by which all this can be effected), speak fully of\nit to me as I ask thee, for I shall do all that thou mayst command me to\ndo.\"\n\n\"'The mother said, \"Do not disgrace thy soul, O son, by anticipations of\nfailure. Objects unattained have been attained; while those attained have\nbeen lost. The accomplishment of objects should never be sought with\nwrath and folly. In all acts, O son, the attainment of success is always\nuncertain. Knowing that success is uncertain, people still act, so that\nthey sometimes succeed, and sometimes do not. They, however, who abstain\nfrom action, never obtain success. In the absence of exertion, there is\nbut one result, viz., the absence of success. There are, however, two\nresults in the case of exertion, viz., the acquisition of success or its\nnon-acquisition. He, O prince, who hath settled beforehand that all acts\nare uncertain in respect of their results, maketh both success and\nprosperity unattainable by himself. 'This will be,'--with such a belief\nshould one, casting off all sloth, exert and wake up and address himself\nto every act. That wise king, who, O son, engageth in acts, having\nperformed all auspicious rites and with the gods and the Brahmanas on his\nside, soon winneth success. Like the sun embracing the east, the goddess\nof prosperity embraceth him. I see thou hast shown thyself fit for the\nvarious suggestions and means and encouraging speeches thou hast had from\nme. Display (now) thy prowess. It behoveth thee to win, by every\nexertion, the object thou hast in view. Bring together to thy own side\nthose that are angry (with thy foes), those that are covetous, those that\nhave been weakened (by thy foes), those that are jealous (of thy foes),\nthose that have been humiliated (by them), those that always challenge\n(them) from excess of pride, and all others of this class. By this means\nthou wilt be able to break the mighty host (of thy enemy) like an\nimpetuous and fierce-rising tempest scattering the clouds. Give them (thy\nwould be allies) wealth before it is due, seek their food, be up and\ndoing, and speak sweetly unto them all. They will then do thee good, and\nplace thee at their head. When the enemy cometh to know that his foe hath\nbecome reckless of his life, then is he troubled on the latter's account,\nfrom a snake living in his chamber? If, knowing one to be powerful, one's\nenemy doth not strive to subjugate him, he should at least make one\nfriendly by the application of the arts of conciliation, gift, and the\nlike. Even that would be tantamount to subjugation. Obtaining a respite\nby means of the art of conciliation, one's wealth may increase. And if\none's wealth increaseth, one is worshipped and sought as a refuge by\none's friends. If, again, one is deprived of wealth, one is abandoned by\nfriends and relatives, and more than that mistrusted and even despised by\nthem. It is perfectly impossible for him to ever regain his kingdom, who,\nhaving united himself with his foe, liveth confidently.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXVI\n\n\"'The mother said, \"Into whatever calamity a king may fail, he should not\nstill betray it. Beholding the king afflicted with fright, the whole\nkingdom, the army, the counsellors, all yield to fear, and all the\nsubjects become disunited. Some go and embrace the side of the enemy;\nothers simply abandon the king; and others again, that had before been\nhumiliated, strive to strike. They, however, that are intimate friends\nwait by his side, and though desiring his welfare yet from inability to\ndo anything wait helplessly, like a cow whose calf hath been tethered. As\nfriends grieve for friends that are plunged into distress, so those\nwell-wishers also grieve upon beholding their lord plunged into grief.\nEven thou hast many friends whom thou hadst worshipped before. Even thou\nhast many friends after thy heart, who feel for thy kingdom and who\ndesire to take a state of thy calamities on themselves. Do not frighten\nthose friends, and do not suffer them to abandon thee on beholding thee\nafflicted with fear. Desiring to test thy might, manliness, and\nunderstanding, and wishing also to encourage thee, I have said all this\nfor enhancing thy energy. If thou understandest what I have said, and if\nall I have said appears proper and sufficient, then, O Sanjaya, muster\nthy patience and gird up thy loins for victory. We have a large number of\ntreasure-houses unknown to thee. I alone know of their existence, and no\nother person. I will place all these at thy disposal. Thou hast also, O\nSanjaya, more than one friend who sympathise with thee in thy joys and\nwoes, and who, O hero, never retreat from the field of battle. O grinder\nof foes, allies such as these, always play the part of faithful\ncounsellors to a person who seeketh his own welfare and desireth to\nacquire what is agreeable to himself.\"'\n\n\"Kunti continued, 'Hearing this speech of his mother fraught with\nexcellent words and sense, the despair that had overtaken Sanjaya's\nheart left instantly, although that prince was not gifted with great\nintelligence. And the son said, \"When I have thee that are so observant\nof my future welfare for my guide, I shall certainly either rescue my\npaternal kingdom that is sunk in water or perish in the attempt. During\nthy discourse I was almost a silent listener. Now and then only I\ninterposed a word. It was, however, only with the view of drawing thee\nout, so that I might hear more on the subject. I have not been satiated\nwith thy words, like a person not satiated with drinking amrita. Deriving\nsupport from any allies, behold, I gird up my loins for repressing my\nfoes and obtaining victory.\"'\n\n\"Kunti continued, 'Pierced by the wordy arrows of his mother, the son\nroused himself like a steed of proud mettle and achieved all that his\nmother had pointed out. When a king is afflicted by foes and overcome\nwith despair, his minister should make him hear this excellent history\nthat enhanceth energy and inspireth might. Indeed, this history is called\nJaya and should be listened to by every one desirous of victory. Indeed,\nhaving listened to it, one may soon subjugate the whole earth and grind\nhis foes. This history causeth a woman to bring forth a heroic son, the\nwoman quick with child that listeneth to it repeatedly, certainly giveth\nbirth to a hero. The Kshatriya woman that listeneth to it bringeth forth\na brave son of irresistible prowess, one that is foremost in learning,\nforemost in ascetic austerities, foremost in liberality, devoted to\nasceticism, blazing forth with Brahmic beauty, enumerable with the good,\nradiant with effulgence, endued with great might, blessed, a mighty\ncar-warrior, possessed of great intelligence, irresistible (in battle),\never victorious, invincible, a chastiser of the wicked and a protector of\nall practisers of virtue.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXVII\n\n\"Kunti said, 'Say unto Arjuna, these words, \"when thou wert brought forth\nin the lying-in room and when I was sitting in the hermitage surrounded\nby ladies, a celestial and delightful voice was heard in the sky, saying,\n'O Kunti, this thy son will rival the deity of a thousand eyes. This one\nwill vanquish in battle all the assembled Kurus. Aided by Bhima, he will\nconquer the whole Earth and his fame will touch the very heavens. With\nVasudeva as his ally, he will slay the Kurus in battle and recover his\nlost paternal share in the kingdom. Endued with great prosperity, he\nwill, with his brothers, perform three great sacrifices.'\" O thou of\nunfading glory, thou knowest how steady, in truth, is Vibhatsu, otherwise\ncalled Savyasachin, how irresistible he is. O thou of Dasarha's race, let\nit be as that (celestial) voice said. If, O thou of Vrishni's race, there\nis anything like righteousness, those words will be true, for then,\nKrishna, thou wilt thyself accomplish it all. I do not doubt what that\nvoice said. I bow to righteousness which is superior to all. It is\nrighteousness that supports all creatures. Thou shalt say these words\nunto Dhananjaya. Unto Vrikodara again, who is always ready for exertion,\nthou shalt say these words, \"The time hath come for that in view of which\nKshatriya lady bringeth forth a son! They that are foremost among men\nnever become cheerless when they have hostilities to wage\"--Thou knowest\nwhat the state of Bhima's mind is. That grinder of foes is never pacified\nuntil he exterminates his foes. Thou shalt, O Madhava, next say unto the\nauspicious Krishna of great fame, that daughter-in-law of the high-souled\nPandu, who is conversant with the details of every virtue, these words,\n\"O thou that art highly blessed, O thou of noble parentage, O thou that\nart endued with great fame, that becoming behaviour which thou always\nshowest towards my sons is, indeed, worthy of thee.\" Thou must also say\nunto the sons of Madri who are always devoted to Kshatriya virtues, these\nwords, \"Covet ye more than life itself, those enjoyments that are\nacquired by prowess. Objects won by prowess always please the heart of a\nperson that liveth according to Kshatriya practices. Engaged as ye are in\nacquiring every kind of virtue, before your eyes the princess of Panchala\nwas addressed in cruel and abusive epithets. Who is there that can\nforgive that insult? The deprivation of their kingdom grieved me not.\nTheir defeat at dice grieved me not. But that noble and fair Draupadi,\nhowever, while weeping in the midst of the assembly, had to hear those\ncruel and insulting words is what grieveth me most. Alas, exceedingly\nbeautiful Krishna, ever devoted to Kshatriya virtues, found no protector\non that occasion, though she was wedded to such powerful protectors.\" O\nthou of mighty arms, say unto that tiger among men, Arjuna, that foremost\nof all wielders of weapons, that he should always tread in the path that\nmay be pointed out by Draupadi. Thou knowest it very well, Kesava, that\nBhima and Arjuna,--that pair of fierce and all-destroying Yamas, are\ncapable of making the very gods go the way of all creatures. Is not this\nan insult to them that (their wife) Krishna was dragged into the\nassembly? O Kesava, recall to their remembrance all those cruel and harsh\nwords that Dussasana said unto Bhima in the very presence of all the\nwarriors of Kuru's race. Enquire (in my name) after the welfare of the\nPandavas with their children and Krishna. Say unto them, O Janardana,\nthat I am well. Go thou on thy auspicious way, and protect my sons!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Saluting and walking round her, the\nmighty-armed Krishna whose gait resembled the majestic gait of the lion,\nthen issued out of Pritha's abode. And he then dismissed those chiefs\namong the Kurus with Bhishma at their head (who had followed him), and\ntaking Karna upon his chariot, left (the Kuru city), accompanied by\nSatyaki. And after he of Dasarha's race had departed, the Kurus assembled\ntogether and began to talk of that highly wonderful and marvellous\nincident connected with him. And they said, 'Overcome with ignorance, the\nwhole earth hath been entangled in the meshes of death!' And they also\nsaid, 'Through Duryodhana's folly, all this is doomed to destruction.'\n\n\"Having issued out of the (Kuru) city, that foremost of persons\nproceeded, deliberating with Karna for a long time. And that delighter of\nall the Yadavas then dismissed Karna and urged his steeds to greater\nspeed. And driven by Daruka, those swift coursers endued with the speed\nof the tempest of the mind, went on as if drinking the skies. And quickly\ntraversing a long way like fleet hawks, they reached Upaplavya very soon,\nbearing the wielder of Saranga.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXVIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing the words of Kunti, the mighty car-warriors,\nBhishma and Drona, then spoke these words unto the disobedient\nDuryodhana, 'Hast thou, O tiger among men, heard the fierce words of\ngrave import, excellent and consistent with virtue, that Kunti had spoken\nin the presence of Krishna? Her sons will act according to them,\nespecially as they are approved by Vasudeva. O Kaurava, they will not\nassuredly desist, without their share of the kingdom (being given to\nthem). Thou hast inflicted much pain on the sons of Pritha. And Draupadi\nalso was afflicted by thee in the assembly. They were, however, bound\nthen by the bounds of truth and it was for this that they tolerated that\ntreatment. Obtaining Arjuna now, who is skilled in every weapon, and\nBhima of firm resolution, and Gandiva and the couple of (inexhaustible)\nquivers, and that car (of Arjuna) and that banner (bearing the device of\nthe ape), and Nakula and Sahadeva, both endued with great might and\nenergy, and Vasudeva also, as his allies, Yudhishthira will not forgive\n(thee). O mighty-armed one, thou hast witnessed with thy own eyes how\nintelligent Arjuna vanquished us all in battle before, in the city of\nVirata. Indeed, after this, that Ape-bannered (warrior) consumed in\nbattle, taking up his fierce weapons, those Danavas of terrible deeds\ncalled the Nivatakavachas. On the occasion also of the tale of cattle,\nwhen captured by the Gandharvas, this Karna and all these thy counsellors\nand thyself accoutred in mail and on thy car, were all liberated from the\ngrasp of the Gandharvas by that Arjuna. That is a sufficient proof.\nTherefore, O foremost of the Bharatas, with all thy brothers make peace\nwith the sons of Pandu. Save this whole earth from the Destruction's\njaws. Yudhishthira is thy elder brother, virtuous in behaviour,\naffectionate towards thee, sweet-speeched and learned. Abandoning thy\nsinful intentions, unite thyself with that tiger among men. If Pandu's\nson beholdeth thee divested of thy bow, and without the wrinkles of rage\non thy brow, and cheerful, even that would be for the good of our race.\nApproaching with all thy counsellors embrace him fraternally. O repressor\nof foes, salute the king respectfully as before. And let Yudhishthira,\nthe son of Kunti, the elder brother of Bhima, hold from affection, thy\nsaluting self with his arms. And let that foremost of smiters, Bhima,\npossessed of leonine shoulders and thighs round, and long and mighty\narms, embrace thee. And then let that son of Kunti, Dhananjaya, called\nalso Partha, of eyes like lotus-petals, and curly hair and conch-like\nneck salute thee respectfully. Then let those tigers among men, the twin\nAswins, unrivalled on earth for beauty, wait on thee with affection and\nreverence as on their preceptor. And let all the kings with him of\nDasarha's race at their head, shed tears of joy. Abandoning thy pride,\nunite thyself with thy brothers. Rule thou the whole earth, with thy\nbrothers. Let all the kings joyfully return to their respective homes,\nhaving embraced one another. There is no need of battle, O king of kings.\nListen to the dissuasions of thy friends. In the battle that will ensue a\ngreat destruction of the Kshatriyas is certainly indicated. The stars are\nall hostile. The animals and birds have all assumed fearful aspects.\nDiverse portents, O hero, are visible, all indicating the slaughters of\nthe Kshatriyas. All these portents, again, are particularly visible in\nour abodes. Blazing meteors are afflicting thy host. Our animals are all\ncheerless and seem, O king, to be crying. Vultures are wheeling around\nthy troops. Neither the city nor the palace looks as before. Jackals,\nsetting forth ominous yells, are running about the four quarters which\nare ablaze with conflagrations. Obey thou the counsels of thy father and\nmother as also of ourselves who are thy well-wishers. War and peace, O\nthou of mighty arms, are within thy control. If, O grinder of foes, thou\ndost not act according to the words of thy friends, thou shalt have to\nrepent upon beholding thy army afflicted with the arrows of Partha.\nHearing in battle the terrible yells uttered by the mighty Bhima and the\ntwang of Gandiva, thou wilt remember our these words. Indeed, if what we\nsay appears unacceptable to thee, then it will be as we say.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXIX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Thus addressed by them, Duryodhana, contracting the\nspace between his eye-brows, became cheerless, and with face bent down\nbegan to cast oblique glances. And he said not a word in reply. Beholding\nhim cheerless, those bulls among men, Bhishma and Drona, looking at each\nother, once more addressed him, and said (these words).'\n\n\"Bhishma said, 'What can be a matter of greater grief to us than that we\nshall have to fight against that Yudhishthira who is devoted to the\nservice of his superiors, destitute of envy, conversant with Brahma, and\ntruthful in speech.'\n\n\"Drona said, 'My affection for Dhananjaya is greater than that which I\nbear for my son Aswatthaman. There is greater reverence also and humility\n(towards me) in that Ape-bannered hero (than in Aswatthaman). Alas, in\nobservance of the Kshatriya duties, I shall have to fight even against\nthat Dhananjaya who is dearer to me than my son. Fie on the Kshatriya\nprofession. That Vibhatsu who hath no other bowman in the world as his\nequal, hath, through my grace, acquired this superiority over all bowmen.\nHe that hateth his friends, he that is of wicked disposition, he that\ndenieth Godhead, he that is crooked and deceitful, never obtaineth the\nworship of the righteous, like an ignorant person present at a sacrifice.\nThough dissuaded from sin, a sinful man would still wish to commit sinful\nacts; while he that is righteous, though tempted by sin, would not yet\nabandon righteousness. Though thou hast conducted thyself with falsehood\nand deceit towards them, the Pandavas are still desirous of doing what is\nagreeable to thee. As regards thyself, O thou best of the Bharatas, all\nthy faults are calculated to bring about disasters on thee. Thou hast\nbeen addressed by the eldest of the Kurus, by me, by Vidura, and by\nVasudeva. Thou dost not yet understand what is beneficial for thyself. I\nhave a large force,--with this conviction thou desirest to pierce the\nPandava host, abounding with heroes, like the current of the Ganga\npiercing the ocean abounding with sharks and alligators and makaras.\nHaving obtained Yudhishthira's prosperity like the cast off robes or\ngarlands of another, thou regardest it as thy own. If the son of Pritha\nand Pandu stayeth even in the woods with Draupadi, and surrounded by his\narmed brothers, who is there, even in the possession of a kingdom, that\nis competent to vanquish him? In the presence of even that Ailavila\n(Kuvera) under whose command all the Yakshas live as servants,\nYudhishthira the Just, shone with splendour. Having proceeded to Kuvera's\nabode and having procured wealth therefrom, the Pandavas are now desirous\nof attacking thy swelling kingdom and winning sovereignty for themselves.\n(As regards us two), we have made gifts, poured libations on fire,\nstudied (the scriptures), and gratified the Brahmanas by presents of\nwealth. The (allotted) periods of our life have also run out. Know that\nour work has been done. (As regards thyself however), giving up\nhappiness, kingdom, friends, and wealth, great will be thy calamity if\nthou seekest war with the Pandavas. How canst thou vanquish the son of\nPandu, when Draupadi who is truthful in speech and devoted to rigid vows\nand austerities, prayeth for his success? How wilt thou vanquish that son\nof Pandu who hath Janardana for his counsellor, and who hath for a\nbrother that Dhananjaya who is the foremost of wielders of weapons? How\nwilt thou vanquish that son of Pandu, of severe austerities, who hath for\nhis allies so many Brahmanas, endued with intelligence and mastery over\ntheir senses? In accordance with what a prosperity-wishing friend should\ndo when he sees his friends sinking in an ocean of distress, I again tell\nthee, there is no necessity for war. Make peace with those heroes for the\nsake of prosperity to the Kurus. Do not court defeat, with thy sons,\ncounsellors, and the army!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXL\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O Sanjaya, in the midst of all the princes and the\nservants, the slayer of Madhu took Karna upon his car and went out (of\nour city). What did that slayer of hostile heroes, that one of\nimmeasurable soul, say unto Radha's son? What conciliatory words did\nGovinda speak unto the Suta's son? Tell me, O Sanjaya, what those words\nwere, mild or fierce, that Krishna, possessed of a voice deep as that of\nnewly-risen clouds during the rainy season said unto Karna?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Listen to me, O Bharata, as I repeat in due order those\nwords, both intimidating and mild, agreeable and consistent with virtue,\ntrue and beneficial, and pleasing to the heart, which the slayer of\nMadhu, of immeasurable soul, said unto Radha's son.'\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"O son of Radha, thou hast worshipped many Brahmanas\nfully conversant with the Vedas. With concentrated attention and mind\nfree from envy thou hast also (on many an occasion) enquired of them\nafter truth. Thou knowest, therefore, O Karna, what the eternal saying of\nthe Vedas are. Thou art also well-versed in all the subtle conclusions of\nthe scriptures. It is said by those conversant with the scriptures that\nthe two kinds of sons called Kanina and Sahoda that are born of a maiden,\nhave him for their father who weddeth the maid. Thou, O Karna, hast been\nborn in this way. Thou art, therefore, morally the son of Pandu. Come, be\na king, according to the injunction of the scriptures. On the side of thy\nfather, thou hast the sons of Pritha, on the side of thy mother, thou\nhast the Vrishnis, (for thy kinsmen). O bull among men, know that thou\nhast these two for thy own. Proceeding this very day with me hence, O\nsire, let the Pandavas know thee as a son of Kunti born before\nYudhishthira. The brothers, the five Pandavas, the son of Draupadi, and\nthe invincible son of Subhadra, will all embrace thy feet. All the kings\nand princes, again, that have been assembled for the Pandava cause, and\nall the Andhakas and Vrishnis, will also embrace thy feet. Let queens and\nprincesses bring golden and silver and earthen jars (full of water) and\ndelicious herbs and all kinds of seeds and gems, and creepers, for thy\ninstallation. During the sixth period, Draupadi also will come to thee\n(as a wife). Let that best of Brahmanas, Dhaumya, of restrained soul,\npour libations of clarified butter on the (sacred) fire, and let those\nBrahmanas regarding all the four Vedas as authoritative (and who are\nacting as priests unto the Pandavas), perform the ceremony of thy\ninstallation. Let the family priest of the Pandavas who is devoted to\nVedic rites, and those bulls among men--those brothers, the five sons of\nPandu,--and the five sons of Draupadi, and the Panchalas, and the Chedis,\nand myself also, install thee as the lord of the whole earth. Let\nDharma's son Yudhishthira, of righteous soul and rigid vows, be thy heir\npresumptive, ruling the kingdom under thee. Holding the white chamara in\nhis hand (for fanning thee), let Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, ride on\nthe same car behind thee. After thy installation is over, let that other\nson of Kunti, the mighty Bhimasena, hold the white umbrella over thy\nhead. Indeed, Arjuna then will drive thy car furnished with a hundred\ntinkling bells, its sides covered with tiger-skins, and with white steeds\nharnessed to it. Then Nakula and Sahadeva, and the five sons of Draupadi,\nand the Panchalas with that mighty car-warrior Sikhandin, will all\nproceed behind thee. I myself, with all the Andhakas and the Vrishnis,\nwill walk behind thee. Indeed, all the Dasarhas and the Dasarnas, will, O\nking, be numbered with thy relatives. Enjoy the sovereignty of the earth,\nO thou of mighty arms, with thy brothers the Pandavas, with yapas and\nhomas and auspicious rites of diverse kinds performed in thy honour. Let\nthe Dravidas, with the Kuntalas, the Andhras, and the Talacharas, and the\nShuchupas, and the Venupas, all walk before thee. Let chanters and\npanegyrists praise thee with innumerable laudatory hymns. Let the\nPandavas proclaim,--Victory to Vasushena. Surrounded by the Pandavas, like\nthe moon by the stars, rule thou the kingdom, O son of Kunti, and gladden\nKunti herself. Let thy friends rejoice, and thy enemies grieve. Let there\nbe, this day, a brotherly union between thee and thy brothers, the sons\nof Pandu.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLI\n\n\"'Karna said, \"Without doubt, O Kesava, thou hast said these words from\nthy love, affection, and friendship for me, as also in consequence of thy\ndesire of doing me good, O thou of Vrishni's race. I know all that thou\nhast said unto me. Morally, I am the son of Pandu, as also in consequence\nof the injunctions of the scriptures, as thou, O Krishna, thinkest. My\nmother, while a maiden, bore me in her womb, O Janardana, through her\nconnection with Surya. And at the command of Surya himself, she abandoned\nme as soon as I was born. Even thus, O Krishna, I came into the world.\nMorally, therefore, I am the son of Pandu. Kunti, however, abandoned me\nwithout thinking of my welfare. The Suta, Adhiratha, as soon as he beheld\nme, took me to his home, and from her affection for me, Radha's breasts\nwere filled with milk that very day, and she, O Madhava, cleansed my\nurine and evacuations. How can one like us, conversant with duties and\never engaged in listening to scriptures deprive her of her Pinda? So also\nAdhiratha of the Suta class regardeth me as a son, and I too, from\naffection, always regard him as (my) father. O Madhava, that Adhiratha, O\nJanardana, from paternal affection caused all the rites of infancy to be\nperformed on my person, according to the rules prescribed in the\nscriptures. It is that Adhiratha, again, who caused the name Vasushena to\nbe bestowed upon me by the Brahmanas. When also I attained to youth, I\nmarried wives according to his selections. Through them have been born my\nsons and grandsons, O Janardana. My heart also, O Krishna, and all the\nbonds of affection and love, are fixed on them. From joy or fear, O\nGovinda, I cannot venture to destroy those bonds even for the sake of the\nwhole earth or heaps of gold. In consequence also of my connection with\nDuryodhana of Dhritarashtra's race, I have, O Krishna, enjoyed\nsovereignty for thirteen years, without a thorn on my side. I have\nperformed many sacrifices, always however in connection with persons of\nthe Suta tribe. All my family rites and marriage rites have been\nperformed with the Sutas. Obtaining me, O Krishna, Duryodhana hath, O\nthou of Vrishni's race, made this preparations for an armed encounter and\nprovoked hostilities with the sons of Pandu. And it is for this, O\nAchyuta, that in the battle (that will ensue), I, O Krishna, have been\nchosen as the great antagonist of Arjuna to advance against him in a\nsingle combat. For the sake of death, or the ties of blood, or fear, or\ntemptation, I cannot venture, O Janardana, to behave falsely towards the\nintelligent son of Dhritarashtra. If I do not now engage in a single\ncombat with Arjuna, this will, O Hrishikesa, be inglorious for both\nmyself and Partha. Without doubt, O slayer of Madhu, thou hast told me\nall this for doing me good. The Pandavas also, obedient as they are to\nthee, will, without doubt, do all that thou hast said. Thou must,\nhowever, conceal this our discourse for the present, O slayer of Madhu.\nTherein lies our benefit, I think, O delighter of all the Yadavas. If\nking Yudhishthira, of virtuous soul and well-controlled senses, cometh to\nknow me as the firstborn son of Kunti, he will never accept the kingdom.\nIf, again, O slayer of Madhu, this mighty and swelling empire becometh\nmine, I shall, O repressor of foes, certainly make it over to Duryodhana\nonly. Let Yudhishthira of virtuous soul become king for ever. He that\nhath Hrishikesa for his guide, and Dhananjaya and that mighty car-warrior\nBhima for his combatants, as also Nakula and Sahadeva, and the sons of\nDraupadi, is fit, O Madhava, to rule over the whole earth.\nDhrishtadyumna, the prince of the Panchalas, that mighty car-warrior\nSatyaki, Uttamaujas, Yudhamanyu, the prince of Somakas who is devoted to\ntruth, the ruler of the Chedis, Chekitana, the invincible Sikhandin, the\nKekaya brothers, all of the hue of Indragopaka insects, Bhimasena's uncle\nKuntibhoja of high soul and possessed of steeds endued with the colours\nof the rainbow, the mighty car-warrior Syenajit, Sanka the son of Virata,\nand thyself, O Janardana, like an ocean,--great is this assemblage, O\nKrishna, of Kshatriyas (that hath been made by Yudhishthira). This\nblazing kingdom, celebrated among all the kings of the earth, is already\nwon (by Yudhishthira). O thou of Vrishni's race, a great sacrifice of\narms is about to be celebrated by Dhritarashtra's son. Thou, O Janardana,\nwilt be the Upadrashtri of that sacrifice. The office of Adhyaryu also, O\nKrishna, in that sacrifice, will be thine. The ape-bannered Vibhatsu\naccoutred in mail will be the Hotri (his bow), Gandiva will be the\nsacrificial ladle, and the prowess of the warriors will be the clarified\nbutter (that is to be consumed). The weapons called Aindra, Pasupata,\nBrahma, and Sthunakarna, applied by Arjuna, will, O Madhava, be the\nmantras (of that sacrifice). Resembling his father, or perhaps, excelling\nhim in prowess, Subhadra's son (Abhimanyu) will be the chief Vedic hymn\nto be chanted. That destroyer of elephant ranks, that utterer of fierce\nroars in battle, that tiger among men, the exceedingly mighty Bhima, will\nbe Udgatri and Prastotri in this sacrifice. King Yudhishthira of virtuous\nSoul, ever engaged in Yapa and Homa, will himself be the Brahma of that\nsacrifice. The sounds of conchs, tabors, and drums, and the leonine\nroaring rising high in the welkin, will be the calls upon the invited to\neat. The two sons of Madri, Nakula and Sahadeva, of great fame and\nprowess, will be the slayers of the sacrificial animals; rows of bright\ncars furnished with standards of variegated hue, will, O Govinda, be\nstakes (for tying the animals), O Janardana, in this sacrifice. Barbed\narrows and Nalikas, and long shafts, and arrows with heads like calf's\ntooth, will play the part of spoons (wherewith to distribute the Soma\njuice) while Tomaras will be the vessels of Soma, and bows will be\npavitras. The swords will be Kapalas, the heads (of slain warriors) the\nPurodasas and the blood of warriors the clarified butter. O Krishna, in\nthis sacrifice, the lances and bright maces (of the warriors) will be\npokers (for stirring the sacrificial fire) and the corner stakes (for\nkeeping the fire-wood from falling down). The disciples of Drona and\nKripa, the son of Saradwat, will be the Sadasyas (assisting priests). The\narrows shot by the wielder of Gandiva and by (other) mighty car-warriors,\nand by Drona and Drona's son, will play the part of ladles for\ndistributing the Soma. Satyaki will discharge the duties of the chief\nassistant of the Adhyaryu. Of this sacrifice, Dhritarashtra's son will be\ninstalled as the performer, while this vast army will be his wife. O thou\nof mighty arms, when the nocturnal rites of sacrifice will begin, the\nmighty Ghatotkacha will play the part of the slayer of (devoted) victims.\nThe mighty Dhrishtadyumna, who sprang into life from the sacrificial\nfire, having for its mouth the rites celebrated with mantras, will, O\nKrishna, be the Dakshina of that sacrifice. For those harsh words, O\nKrishna, that I said before unto the sons of Pandu for the gratification\nof Dhritarashtra's son,--for that wicked conduct of mine,--I am consumed\nwith repentance. When O Krishna, thou wilt behold me slain by Arjuna,\nthen will the Punachiti of this sacrifice commence. When the (second) son\nof Pandu will drink the blood of the loudly roaring Dussasana, then will\nthe Soma-drinking of this sacrifice have taken place! When the two\nprinces of Panchala (Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin) will overthrow Drona\nand Bhishma, then, O Janardana, will this sacrifice be suspended for an\ninterval. When mighty Bhimasena will slay Duryodhana, then, O Madhava,\nwill this sacrifice of Dhritarashtra's son be concluded. When the wives\nof Dhritarashtra's sons and grandsons assembled together, deprived, O\nKesava, of their husbands and sons and without protectors, will indulge\nin lamentations with Gandhari in their midst, on the field of battle\nhaunted by dogs and vultures and other carnivorous birds, then, O\nJanardana, will the final bath of this sacrifice take place.\n\n\"'\"I pray to thee, O bull of the Kshatriya race, let not the Kshatriyas,\nold in learning and old in years, perish miserably, O Janardana, for thy\nsake. Oh, let this swelling host of Kshatriyas perish by means of weapons\non that most sacred of all spots in the three worlds, viz. Kurukshetra, O\nKesava. O thou of eyes like lotus-leaves, accomplish on this spot what\nthou hast in thy mind, so that, O thou of Vrishni's race, the whole\nKshatriya order may attain to heaven. As long, O Janardana, as the hills\nand the rivers will last, so long will the fame of these achievements\nlast. The Brahmanas will recite this great war of the Bharatas. The fame,\nO thou of Vrishni's race, that they achieve in battles is the wealth that\nKshatriyas own. O Kesava, bring Kunti's son (Arjuna) before me for\nbattle, keeping for ever this our discourse a secret, O chastiser of\nfoes.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of Karna, Kesava, that slayer of\nhostile heroes, spoke unto him these words smilingly, \"Do not the means\nof winning an empire recommend themselves to thee, O Karna? Wishest thou\nnot to rule over the whole earth given by me to thee? The victory of the\nPandavas, therefore, is very certain. There seems to be no doubt in this.\nThe triumphal banner of Pandu's son, with the fierce ape on it, seems to\nbe already set up. The divine artificer, Bhaumana, hath applied such\ncelestial illusion (in its construction) that it standeth high, displayed\nlike Indra's banner. Various celestial creatures of terrific shape,\nindicating victory, are seen on that standard. Extending for a yojana\nupwards and all around, that beautiful standard of Arjuna, resembling\nfire in radiance, is never, O Karna, when set up, obstructed by hills or\ntrees. When thou wilt behold in battle Arjuna, on his car drawn by white\nsteeds and driven by Krishna, applying Aindra, Agneya and Maruta weapons,\nand when thou wilt hear the twang of Gandiva piercing the welkin like the\nvery thunder, then all signs of the Krita, the Treta, and the Dwapara\nages will disappear (but, instead, Kali embodied will be present). When\nthou wilt behold in battle Kunti's son, invincible Yudhishthira, devoted\nto Yapa and Homa and resembling the very sun in brilliance, protecting\nhis own mighty army and burning the army of his foes, then all signs of\nthe Krita, the Treta, and the Dwapara ages will disappear. When thou wilt\nbehold in battle the mighty Bhimasena dancing, after having quaffed the\nblood of Dussasana, like a fierce elephant with rent temples after having\nkilled a mighty antagonist, then all signs of the Krita, the Treta, and\nthe Dwapara ages will disappear. When thou wilt behold in battle Arjuna\nchecking Drona and Santanu's son and Kripa and king Suyodhana, and\nJayadratha of Sindhu's race, all rushing fiercely to the encounter, then\nall signs of the Krita, the Treta and the Dwapara ages will disappear.\nWhen thou wilt behold in battle the two mighty sons of Madri,--those\nheroic car-warriors, capable of breaking into pieces all hostile\ncars,--agitating, from the very moment when weapons will begin to clash,\nthe army of Dhritarashtra's sons like a couple of infuriated elephants,\nthen all signs of the Krita, the Treta and the Dwapara ages will\ndisappear. Returning hence, O Karna, say unto Drona and Santanu's son and\nKripa that the present month is a delightful one, and that food, drink,\nand fuel are abundant now. All plants and herbs are vigorous now, all\ntrees full of fruits, and flies there are none. The roads are free from\nmire, and the waters are of agreeable taste. The weather is neither very\nhot nor very cold and is, therefore, highly pleasant. Seven days after,\nwill be the day of the new moon. Let the battle commence then, for that\nday, it hath been said, is presided over by Indra. Say also unto all the\nkings that have come for battling that I will fully accomplish the desire\ncherished by them. Indeed, all the kings and princes that are obedient to\nthe orders of Duryodhana, obtaining death by weapons, will attain to an\nexcellent state.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these beneficial and auspicious words of Kesava,\nKarna worshipped Krishna, the slayer of Madhu, and said these words,\n\"Knowing (everything), why dost thou yet, O thou of mighty arms, seek to\nbeguile me? The destruction of the whole earth that is at hand for its\ncause, Sakuni, and myself, and Dussasana, and king Duryodhana, the son of\nDhritarashtra. Without doubt, O Krishna, a great and fierce battle is at\nhand between the Pandavas and the Kurus which will cover the earth with\nbloody mire. All the kings and princes following the lead of Duryodhana,\nconsumed by the fire of weapons will proceed to the abode of Yama.\nDiverse frightful visions are seen, O slayer of Madhu, and many terrible\nportents, and fierce disturbances also. All these omens, making the hairs\n(of the spectators) stand on their ends, indicate, O thou of Vrishni's\nrace, the defeat of Dhritarashtra's son and the victory of Yudhishthira.\nThat fierce planet of great effulgence, Sanaischara (Saturn), is\nafflicting the constellation called Rohini, in order to afflict greatly\nthe creatures of the earth. The planet Angaraka (Mars), wheeling, O\nslayer of Madhu, towards the constellation Jeshthya, approacheth towards\nAnuradhas, indicating a great slaughter of friends. Without doubt, O\nKrishna, a terrible calamity approacheth the Kurus when specially, O thou\nof Vrishni's race, the planet Mahapat afflicteth the constellation\nChitra. The spot on the lunar disc hath changed its position; and Rahu\nalso approacheth towards the sun. Meteors are falling from the sky with\nloud noise and trembling motion. The elephants are sending forth\nfrightful cries, while the steeds, O Madhava, are shedding tears, without\ntaking any delight in food and drink. They say, O thou of mighty arms,\nthat on the appearance of these portents, a terrible calamity\napproacheth, productive of a great slaughter. O Kesava, amongst the\nsteeds, elephants and soldiers, in all the divisions of Duryodhana's\narmy, it is seen, O slayer of Madhu, that while small is the food these\ntake, ample is the excreta they evacuate. The wise have said that this is\nan indication of defect. The elephants and steeds of the Pandavas, O\nKrishna, all seem to be cheerful, while all the animals wheel along their\nright. This also is an indication of their success. The same animal, O\nKesava, pass by the left side of Duryodhana's army, while incorporeal\nvoices are constantly heard (over their heads). All this is an indication\nof defeat. All auspicious birds, such as peacocks, swans, cranes,\nChatakas, Jivajivas, and large flights of Vakas, follow the Pandavas,\nwhile vultures, Kankas, hawks, Rakshasas, wolves and bees, in flights and\nherds, follow the Kauravas. The drums in the army of Dhritarashtra's son\nyield no sounds, while those of the Pandavas yield sounds without being\nstruck. The wells in the midst of Duryodhana's encampment send forth loud\nroars like those of huge bulls. All this is an indication of defeat. The\ngods are showering flesh and blood, O Madhava, on Duryodhana's soldiers.\nVapoury edifices of great effulgence with high walls, deep trenches, and\nhandsome porches, are suddenly appearing in the skies (over the Kuru\nencampment). A black circle surrounding the solar disc appears to the\nview. Both twilights at sunrise and sunset indicate great terrors. The\njackals yell hideously. All this is an indication of defeat. Diverse\nbirds, each having but one wing, one eye, and one leg, utter terrible\ncries. All this, O slayer of Madhu, indicates defeat. Fierce birds with\nblack wings and red legs hover over the Kuru encampment at nightfall. All\nthis is an indication of defeat. The soldiers of Duryodhana betray hatred\nfor Brahmanas first, and then for their preceptors, and then for all\ntheir affectionate servants. The eastern horizon of (Duryodhana's\nencampment) appeareth red; the southern of the hue of weapons; and\nwestern, O slayer of Madhu, of an earthy hue. All the quarters around\nDuryodhana's encampment seem, O Madhava, to be ablaze. In the appearance\nof all these portents, great is the danger that is indicated.\n\n\"'\"I have in a vision, O Achyuta, beheld Yudhishthira ascending with his\nbrothers a palace supported by a thousand columns. All of them appeared\nwith white head-gears and in white robes. And all of them appeared to me\nto be seated on white seats. In the midst of the same vision, thou, O\nJanardana, wast beheld by me to be employed in enveloping the blood-dyed\nearth with weapons. Yudhishthira at the same time, of immeasurable\nenergy, ascending upon a heap of bones, was gladly eating buttered payasa\nof a golden cup. I further beheld Yudhishthira to be employed in\nswallowing the earth handed over to him by thee. This indicates that he\nwill verily rule the earth. I beheld that tiger among men, Vrikodara, of\nfierce deeds, standing on the summit, mace in hand, and as if devouring\nthis earth. This plainly indicates that he will slay all of us in fierce\nbattle. It is known to me, O lord of the senses, that victory is there\nwhere righteousness is. I saw also Dhananjaya, the wielder of Gandiva,\nseated on the back of a white elephant, with thee, O lord of the senses,\nand blazing forth with great beauty. I have no doubt, O Krishna, that ye\nwill slay in battle all the kings headed by Duryodhana. I saw Nakula and\nSahadeva and that mighty car-warrior Satyaki, adorned with white\nbracelets, white cuirasses, white garlands, and white robes. This tiger\namong men were seated upon excellent vehicles borne on the shoulders of\nmen. And I saw that umbrellas were held over the heads of all the three.\nAmongst the soldiers of Dhritarashtra's son, these three, O Janardana,\nwere beheld by me decked with white head-gears. Know, O Kesava, that\nthose three were Aswatthaman, Kripa, and Kritavarman of Satwata's race.\nAll other kings, O Madhava, were seen by me to have blood-red head-gears.\nI saw also, O thou of mighty arms, that those mighty car-warriors Bhishma\nand Drona, ascending on a vehicle drawn by camels, and by myself, and\nDhritarashtra's son, proceeded, O lord, to the quarter, O Janardana,\nruled by Agastya. This indicates that we shall soon have to proceed to\nYama's abode. I have no doubt that myself and the other kings, indeed,\nthe entire assemblage of Kshatriyas shall have to enter into the Gandiva\nfire.\"\n\n\"'Krishna said, \"Indeed, the destruction of the earth is at hand when my\nwords, O Karna, do not become acceptable to thy heart. O sire, when the\ndestruction of all creatures approacheth, wrong assuming the semblance of\nright leaveth not the heart.\"\n\n\"'Karna said, \"If, O Krishna, we come out of this great battle that will\nbe so destructive of heroic Kshatriyas, with life, then, O thou of mighty\narms may we meet here again. Otherwise, O Krishna, we shall certainly\nmeet in heaven. O sinless one, it seemeth to me now that there only it is\npossible for us to meet.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having spoken these words, Karna closely pressed Madhava\nto his bosom. Dismissed by Kesava, he then descended from the car. And\nriding on his own car decked with gold, Radha's son greatly dejected,\ncame back with us!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLIV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Upon the failure of Krishna's solicitations (for\npeace), and after he had started for the Pandavas from the Kurus, Kshatri\napproached Pritha and said these words slowly in grief, 'O mother of\nliving children, thou knowest that my inclination is always for peace,\nand although I cry myself hoarse, yet Suyodhana doth not accept my words.\nKing Yudhishthira, having the Chedis, the Panchalas, and the Kekayas,\nBhima and Arjuna, Krishna, Yuyudhana, and the twins for his allies,\nstayeth yet at Upaplavya, and from affection for kinsmen, looketh up to\nrighteousness only, like a weak man, though he is possessed of great\nstrength. King Dhritarashtra here, though old in years, doth not effect\npeace, and intoxicated with pride of children, treadeth a sinful path. In\nconsequence of the wickedness of Jayadratha and Karna and Dussasana and\nSuvala's son, intestine dissensions will break out. They that behave\nunrighteously towards him that is righteous, verily that sin of theirs\nsoon produceth its consequences. Who is there that will not be filled\nwith sorrow at the sight of the Kurus persecuting righteousness in this\nway? When Kesava returneth without being able to bring about peace, the\nPandavas will certainly address themselves for battle. Thereupon, the sin\nof the Kurus will lead to a destruction of heroes. Reflecting on all\nthis, I do not get sleep by day or by night.'\n\n\"Hearing these words uttered by Vidura, who always wished her sons the\naccomplishment of their objects, Kunti began to sigh heavily, afflicted\nwith grief, and began to think within herself, 'Fie to wealth, for the\nsake of which this great slaughter of kinsmen is about to take place.\nIndeed, in this war, they that are friends will sustain defeat. What can\nbe a greater grief than this that the Pandavas, the Chedis, the\nPanchalas, and the Yadavas, assembled together, will fight with the\nBharatas? Verily, I behold demerit in war. (On the other hand) if we do\nnot fight, poverty and humiliation would be ours. As regards the person\nthat is poor, even death is beneficial (to him). (On the other hand) the\nextermination of one's kinsmen is not victory. As I reflect on this, my\nheart swelleth with sorrow. The grandsire (Bhishma), the son of Santanu,\nthe preceptor (Drona), who is the foremost of warriors, and Karna, having\nembraced Duryodhana's side, enhance my fears. The preceptor Drona, it\nseemeth to me, will never fight willingly against his pupils. As regards\nthe Grandsire, why will he not show some affection for the Pandavas?\nThere is only this sinful Karna then, of deluded understanding and ever\nfollowing the deluded lead of the wicked Duryodhana, that hateth the\nPandavas. Obstinately pursuing that which injureth the Pandavas, this\nKarna is, again, very powerful. It is this which burneth me at present.\nProceeding to gratify him, I will today disclose the truth and seek to\ndraw his heart towards the Pandavas. Pleased with me, while I was living\nin the inner apartments of the palace of my father, Kuntibhoja, the holy\nDurvasa gave me a boon in the form of an invocation consisting of\nmantras. Long reflecting with a trembling heart on the strength or\nweakness of those mantras and the power also of the Brahmana's words, and\nin consequence also of my disposition as a woman, and my nature as a girl\nof unripe years, deliberating repeatedly and while guarded by a\nconfidential nurse and surrounded by my waiting-maids, and thinking also\nof how not to incur any reproach, how to maintain the honour of my\nfather, and how I myself might have an accession of good fortune without\nbeing guilty of any transgression, I, at last, remembered that Brahmana\nand bowed to him, and having obtained that mantras from excess of\ncuriosity and from folly, I summoned, during my maidenhood, the god\nSurya. He, therefore, who was held in my womb during my maidenhood,--why\nshould he not obey my words that are certainly acceptable and beneficial\nto his brothers?' And reflecting in this strain, Kunti formed an excellent\nresolution. And having formed that resolution, she went to the sacred\nstream called after Bhagiratha. And having reached the banks of Ganga,\nPritha heard the chanting of the Vedic hymns by her son, endued with\ngreat kindness and firmly devoted to truth. And as Karna stood with face\ndirected to the east and arms upraised, then helpless Kunti, for the sake\nof her interest stayed behind him, waiting the completion of prayers. And\nthe lady of Vrishni's race, that wife of Kuru's house, afflicted by the\nheat of the sun began to look like a faded garland of lotuses. And, at\nlast, she stood in the shade afforded by the upper garments of Karna. And\nKarna, of regulated vows, said his prayers until his back became heated\nby the rays of the sun. Then turning behind, he behold Kunti and was\nfilled with surprise. And saluting him in proper form and with joined\npalms that foremost of virtuous persons, endued with great energy and\npride, viz., Vrisha, the son of Vikartana, bowed to her and said (the\nfollowing words).\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLV\n\n\"Karna said, 'I am Karna, son of Radha and Adhiratha. For what, O lady,\nhast thou come here? Tell me what I am to do for thee?'\n\n\"Kunti said, 'Thou art Kunti's son, and not Radha's. Nor is Adhiratha thy\nfather. Thou, O Karna, art not born in the Suta order. Believe what I\nsay. Thou wert brought forth by me while a maiden. I held thee first in\nmy womb. O son, thou wert born in the palace of Kuntiraja. O Karna, that\ndivine Surya who blazeth forth in light and maketh everything visible, O\nforemost of all wielders of weapons, begat thee upon me. O irresistible\none, thou, O son, wert brought forth by me in my father's abode, decked\nwith (natural) ear-rings and accoutred in a (natural) coat of mail, and\nblazing forth in beauty. That thou, without knowing thy brothers,\nshouldst, therefore, from ignorance, wait upon Dhritarashtra's son, is\nnot proper. It is improper in thee especially, O son. The gratification\nof one's father and one's mother, who is the sole displayer of affection\n(for her child), hath, O son, in the matter of ascertaining the duties of\nmen, been declared to be the highest of all duties. Acquired formerly by\nArjuna, the prosperity of Yudhishthira hath, from avarice, been wrested\nby wicked persons. Snatching it back from Dhritarashtra's sons, do thou\nenjoy that prosperity. Let the Kurus behold today the union of Karna and\nArjuna. Beholding thee and thy brother united together in bonds of\nbrotherly love, let those wicked persons bow down unto ye. Let Karna and\nArjuna be named in the same breath as Rama and Janardana. If you two are\nunited together, what cannot be accomplished in the world? O Karna,\nsurrounded by thy brothers, thou wilt, without doubt, blaze forth like\nBrahma Himself, surrounded by the gods on the platform of a great\nsacrifice. Endued with every virtue, thou art the first of all my\nrelations. Let not the epithet Suta's son attach to thee. Thou art a\nPartha, endued with great energy.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLVI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"(After Kunti had said this), Karna heard an\naffectionate voice issued out of the solar circle. Coming from a great\ndistance, that voice was uttered by Surya himself with paternal\naffection. (And it said)--'The words said by Pritha are true. O Karna, act\naccording to the words of thy mother. O tiger among men, great good will\nresult to thee if thou fully followest those words.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Though, thus addressed by his mother, and by\nalso his father Surya himself, Karna's heart did not yet waver, for he\nwas firmly devoted to truth. And he said, 'O Kshatriya lady, I cannot\nadmit what thou hast said, viz., that obedience to thy commands\nconstituteth (in my case) the highest of my duties. O mother, I was\nabandoned by thee as soon as I was born. This great injury, involving\nrisk to life itself, that thou didst me, hath been destructive of my\nachievements and fame. If, indeed, I am a Kshatriya, I have, for thee,\nbeen deprived of all the rites of a Kshatriya. What enemy would have done\nme a greater injury? Without showing me mercy, when thou shouldst have\nshown it, and having kept me divested of all the rites (that are\nobligatory in consequence of the order of my birth), thou wouldst\nhowever, lay thy command on me today! Thou hadst never before sought my\ngood as a mother should. Thou addressest me today, however, desiring to\ndo good to thyself. Who is there that would not be afraid of Dhananjaya\nhaving Krishna with him (for the driver of his car)? If, therefore, I go\ntoday unto the Parthas, who is there that would not regard me as doing so\nfrom fright? Hitherto, nobody knew me to be their brother. If, giving out\non the eve of battle that I am their brother, I go to the Pandavas, what\nwould all the Kshatriyas say? Furnished with every object of desire, and\nworshipped by them with a view to make me happy, how can I render that\nfriendship of Dhritarashtra's sons utterly futile? Having provoked\nhostilities with others, they always wait on me respectfully, and always\nbow down to me, as the Vasus bow down to Vasava. They think that aided by\nmy might, they are capable of encountering the foe. How can I then\nfrustrate that cherished hope of theirs? With me as their boat, they\ndesire to cross the impassable ocean of battle. How can I then abandon\nthem that are desirous of crossing that ocean which hath no other ferry?\nThis is the time when all those have been supported by Dhritarashtra's\nsons should exert themselves for their masters. I shall certainly act for\nthem, reckless of even my life. Those sinful men of unsteady heart, who,\nwell-fed and well-furnished (with every necessary) by their masters, undo\nthe benefit received by them when the time cometh for paying back, are\nthieves of their master's cakes, have neither this nor the other world\nfor them. I will not speak deceitfully unto thee. For the sake of\nDhritarashtra's son, I shall fight against thy sons to the best of my\nstrength and might. I must not, however, abandon kindness and the conduct\nthat becometh the good. Thy words, therefore, however beneficial cannot\nbe obeyed by me now. This thy solicitation to me will not yet be\nfruitless. Except Arjuna, thy other sons, Yudhishthira, Bhima, and the\ntwins, though capable of being withstood by me in tight and capable also\nof being slain, shall not yet be slain by me. It is with Arjuna alone,\namong all the combatants of Yudhishthira, that I will fight. Slaying\nArjuna in battle, I shall achieve great merit, or slain by Savyasachin, I\nshall be covered with glory. O famous lady, the number of thy sons will\nnever be less than five. Five it will always be,--either with me, or with\nArjuna, and myself slain.'\n\n\"Hearing these words of Karna, Kunti who was trembling with grief,\nembraced her son who was unmoved in consequence of his fortitude, and\nsaid, 'Indeed, O Karna, even if what thou sayest seemeth to be possible,\nthe Kauravas will certainly be exterminated. Destiny is all. Thou hast,\nhowever, O grinder of foes, granted to four of thy brothers the pledge of\nsafety. Let that pledge be borne in thy remembrance at the time of\nshooting of weapons in battle.' And having told all this, Pritha also\naddressed Karna, saying, 'Blessed be thou, and let health be thine.' And\nKarna replied unto her, saying, 'Be it so!' And they then left the spot,\nwending in different directions.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLVII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Coming back to Upaplavya from Hastinapura, that\nchastiser of foes, Kesava, represented unto the Pandavas all that had\nhappened, and conferring with them for a long space of time, and holding\nrepeated consultations, Sauri went to his own quarters for rest. And\ndismissing all the kings, with Virata and others at their heads, the five\nbrothers--the Pandavas--when the sun had set, said their evening prayers.\nAnd with hearts ever fixed on Krishna they began to think of him. And, at\nlast, bringing Krishna of Dasarha's race into their midst, they began to\ndeliberate again about what they should do. And Yudhishthira said, 'O\nthou of eyes like lotus-petals, it behoveth thee to tell us all that thou\nsaidst unto Dhritarashtra's son in the assembly (of the Kurus), having\ngone to Nagapura.' Vasudeva said, 'Having gone to Nagapura, I addressed\nDhritarashtra's son in the assembly such words as were true, reasonable,\nand beneficial. That wicked minded fellow did not, however, accept them.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'When Duryodhana desired to tread along the wrong\npath, what did the aged Kuru grandsire say, O Hrishikesa, unto that\nvindictive prince? What also did the highly-blessed preceptor--the son of\nBharadwaja, say? And what did his parents Dhritarashtra and Gandhari say?\nWhat did our junior father Kshattri, who is the foremost of all persons\nconversant with virtue, and who is always afflicted with sorrow on\naccount of ourselves whom he regards as his sons, say unto\nDhritarashtra's son? What also did all the kings who sat in that assembly\nsay? O Janardana, say it all unto us, exactly as it happened. Thou hast\nalready told us all the disagreeable words that the Kuru chiefs (Bhishma\nand Dhritarashtra) and others in that assembly of the Kurus said unto the\nwicked Duryodhana who is overwhelmed with lust and covetousness, and who\nregardeth himself wise. Those words, however, O Kesava, have flitted away\nfrom my memory. O Govinda, I desire to hear, O lord, all those words\nagain. Act thou in such a way that the opportunity may not pass away.\nThou, O Krishna, art our refuge, thou art our lord, thou art our guide!'\n\n\"Vasudeva said, 'Hear, O king, the words that were addressed to king\nSuyodhana in the midst of the assembly of the Kurus, and, O king of\nkings, bear them in thy mind. After my words were ended, Dhritarashtra's\nson laughed aloud. Highly incensed at this, Bhishma then said, \"Hear, O\nDuryodhana, what I say for (the preservation of) our race, and having\nheard it, O tiger among kings, do what is beneficial to thy own house. O\nsire, O king, my father Santanu, was widely known in the world. I was, at\nfirst, his only son. A desire sprung up in his heart as to how he might\nobtain a second son, for the wise say that an only son is no son,--Let\nnot my race be extinct, may my fame be spread. Even this was his desire.\nKnowing this to have been his desire, I procured Kali to become my\nmother, having myself made a promise highly difficult to observe, for the\nsake of my father as also for the sake of our race. How, in consequence\nof that promise I could not be king and have drawn up my vital seed, are,\nof course, well-known to thee. (I do not grieve for that). Observing that\nvow of mine, behold, I am living in happiness and joy. In her, O king,\nwas born my younger brother, that mighty-armed and handsome supporter of\nKuru's race, viz., Vichitravirya of virtuous soul. After my father's\nascension to heaven, I installed Vichitravirya as a ruler of the kingdom,\nthat was mine, while I placed myself under him as a servant of his. O\nking of kings, I then brought him suitable wives, having vanquished many\nassembled monarchs. Thou hast heard of it often. Sometime after, I was\nengaged in a single combat with the (great) Rama. From fear of Rama, my\nbrother fled, the more so as his subject deserted him. During this\nperiod, he became very much attached to his wives and accordingly had an\nattack of phthisis. Upon his death, there was anarchy in the kingdom and\nthe chief of the gods poured not a drop of rain (on the realm). The\nsubjects then, afflicted by fear of hunger, hastened to me and said, 'Thy\nsubjects are on the point of being exterminated. Be thou our king for the\nsake of our good. Dispel this drought. Blessed be thou, O perpetuator of\nSantanu's race. Thy subjects are being greatly afflicted by severe and\nfrightful maladies. Very few of them are still alive. It behoveth thee, O\nson of Ganga, to save them. Dispel these tortures. O hero, cherish thy\nsubjects righteously. When thou art alive, let not the kingdom go to\ndestruction.' Hearing these words of theirs uttered in a weeping voice,\nmy heart was undisturbed. Remembering the behaviour of good, I desired to\nmaintain my vow. Then, O king, the citizens, my auspicious mother Kali\nherself, our servants, the priests and the preceptors (of our house), and\nmany Brahmanas of great learning, all afflicted with great woe, solicited\nme to occupy the throne. And they said, 'When thou art alive, shall the\nkingdom, ruled by Pratipa (of old), go to ruin? O thou of magnanimous\nheart, be thou the king for our good.' Thus addressed by them, I joined\nmy hands together and, myself filled with grief and greatly afflicted, I\nrepresented to them the vow I had made from filial respect. I repeatedly\ninformed them that for the sake of our race, I had vowed to live with\nvital seed drawn up and foreswearing the throne. It was especially for my\nmother, again, that I did so. I, therefore, begged them not to put me to\nthe yoke. I again joined my hands and conciliated my mother, saying, 'O\nmother, begot by Santanu and being a member of Kuru's race, I cannot\nfalsify my promise.' I repeatedly told her this. And, O king, I said\nfurther, 'It is for thee especially, O mother, that I took this vow; I am\nverily thy servant and slave, O mother, thou that art distinguished for\nparental affection.' Having begged my mother and the people thus, I then\nsolicited the great sage Vyasa for begetting children upon the wives of\nmy brother. Indeed, O king, both myself and my mother gratified that\nRishi. At last, O king, the Rishi granted our prayers in the matter of\nthe children. And he begot three sons in all, O best of Bharata's race.\nThy father was born blind, and in consequence of this congenital defect\nof a sense, he could not become king. The high-souled and celebrated\nPandu became king. And when Pandu became king, his sons must obtain their\npaternal inheritance. O sire, do not quarrel, give them half the kingdom.\nWhen I am alive, what other man is competent to reign? Do not disregard\nmy words. I only wish that there should be peace amongst you. O sire, O\nking, I make no distinction between thee and then (but love all of you\nequally). What I have said unto thee represents also the opinion of thy\nfather, of Gandhari, and also of Vidura. The words of those that are old\nshould always be listened to. Do not disregard these words of mine. Do\nnot destroy all thou hast and the earth also.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLVIII\n\n\"Vasudeva said, 'After Bhishma had said these words, Drona, always\ncompetent to speak, then addressed Duryodhana in the midst of the\n(assembled) monarchs and said these words that are beneficial to thee.\nAnd he said, \"O sire, as Pratipa's son, Santanu, was devoted to the\nwelfare of his race, and as Devavrata, otherwise called Bhishma was\ndevoted to the welfare of his race, so was the royal Pandu, that king of\nthe Kurus, who was firmly devoted to truth, who had his passions under\ncontrol, who was virtuous, of excellent vows, and attentive to all\nduties. (Though king by right) that perpetuator of Kuru's race yet made\nover the sovereignty to his elder brother, Dhritarashtra, endued with\ngreat wisdom, and to his younger brother Kshattri (Vidura). And placing\nthis Dhritarashtra of unfading glory on the throne, that royal son of\nKuru's race went to the woods with his two wives. And that tiger among\nmen, Vidura, with great humility, placing himself in subjection to\nDhritarashtra, began to wait on him like a slave, fanning him with the\nbranch of a tender palm. And all the subjects then, O sire, duly tendered\ntheir submission to king Dhritarashtra just as they had done to king\nPandu himself. And having made over the kingdom to Dhritarashtra and\nVidura, that conqueror of hostile cities, Pandu, wandered over the whole\nearth. Always devoted to truth, Vidura then took charge of the finances,\ngifts, superintendence of the servants (of the state), and the feeding of\nall, while that conqueror of hostile cities, Bhishma, of mighty energy,\nsupervised the making of war and peace and the necessity of making or\nwithholding gifts to kings. When king Dhritarashtra of great strength was\non the throne, the high-souled Vidura was near him. Born in\nDhritarashtra's race how dost thou venture to bring about a disunion in\nthe family? Uniting with thy brothers (the Pandavas) enjoy all objects of\nenjoyment. O king, I do not say this to you from cowardice, nor for the\nsake of wealth. I am enjoying the wealth that Bhishma gave me, and not\nthou, O best of kings. I do not desire, O king, to have from thee my\nmeans of sustenance. Where Bhishma is, there Drona must be. Do what\nBhishma hath told thee. O grinder of foes, give unto the sons of Pandu\nhalf the kingdom. O sire, I acted as their preceptor as much as thine.\nIndeed, even as Aswatthaman is to me, so is Arjuna of white steeds. What\nuse is there of much declamation? Victory is there where righteousness\nis.\"'\n\n\"Vasudeva continued, 'After Drona, of immeasurable energy, had said this,\nthe virtuous Vidura then, O king, who is devoted to truth, said these\nwords, turning towards his uncle (Bhishma) and looking at his face. And\nVidura said, \"O Devavrata, attend to the words I speak. This race of\nKuru, when it became extinct, was revived by thee. It is for this that\nthou art indifferent to my lamentations now. In this our race, its stain\nis this Duryodhana, whose inclinations are followed by thee, although he\nis enslaved by avarice, and is wicked and ungrateful and deprived of his\nsenses by lust. The Kurus will certainly bear consequence of the acts of\nthat Duryodhana who transgresseth the command of his father, observant of\nvirtue and profit. O great king, act thou so that the Kurus may not\nperish. Like a painter producing a picture, it was thou, O king, who\nhadst caused me and Dhritarashtra to spring into life. The Creator,\nhaving created creatures, destroys them again. Do not act like him.\nSeeing before thy very eyes this extinction of thy race, be not\nindifferent to it. If, however, thy understanding is gone in consequence\nof the universal slaughter that is at hand, go then to the woods, taking\nme and Dhritarashtra with thee. Otherwise, binding this very day wicked\nDuryodhana that hath deceit for his wisdom, rule this kingdom with the\nsons of Pandu guarding it around. Relent, O tiger among kings. A great\nslaughter of the Pandavas, the Kurus, and of other kings of immeasurable\nenergy is before us.\"\n\n\"'Having said this, Vidura ceased, his heart overflowing with sorrow. And\nreflecting on the matter, he began to draw repeated sighs. Then the\ndaughter of king Suvala, alarmed at the prospect of the destruction of a\nwhole race, said, from wrath, these words fraught with virtue and profit,\nto cruel Duryodhana of wicked heart, in the presence of the assembled\nmonarchs, \"Let all the kings present in this royal assembly and let the\nregenerate Rishis that form the other members of this conclave, listen\n(to me) as I proclaim the guilt of thy sinful self backed by all thy\ncounsellors. The kingdom of the Kurus is enjoyable in due order of\nsuccession. Even this hath always been the custom of our race. Of sinful\nsoul and exceedingly wicked in acts, thou seekest the destruction of the\nKuru kingdom by thy unrighteousness. Wise Dhritarashtra is in possession\nof the kingdom, having Vidura of great foresight under him (as his\nadviser). Passing over these two, why, O Duryodhana, dost thou, from\ndelusion, covet the sovereignty now? Even the high-souled king and\nKshattri, when Bhishma is alive, should both be subordinate to him.\nIndeed, this foremost of men, this offspring of Ganga, the high-souled\nBhishma, in consequence of his righteousness, doth not desire the\nsovereignty. It is for this reason that this invincible kingdom became\nPandu's. His sons, therefore, are masters today and no other. The\nextensive kingdom, then by paternal right, belongeth to the Pandavas, and\ntheir sons and grandsons in due order. Observing the customs of our race\nand the rule with respect to our kingdom, we all fully accomplish that\nwhich this high-souled and wise chief of the Kurus, Devavrata, firmly\nadhering to truth, sayeth, 'Let this king (Dhritarashtra) and Vidura\nalso, at the command of Bhishma of great vows, proclaim the same thing.\nEven that is an act that should be done by those that are well-wishers\n(of this race). Keeping virtue in front, let Yudhishthira, the son of\nDharma, guided by king Dhritarashtra and urged by Santanu's son, rule for\nmany long years this kingdom of the Kurus lawfully obtainable by him.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLIX\n\n\"Vasudeva said, 'After Gandhari had said this, that ruler of men,\nDhritarashtra, then said these words to Duryodhana in the midst of the\n(assembled) monarchs, \"O Duryodhana, listen, O son, to what I say, and\nblessed be thou; do that if thou hast any respect for thy father. The\nlord of creatures, Soma, was the original progenitor of the Kuru race.\nSixth in descent from Soma, was Yayati, the son of Nahusha. Yayati had\nfive best of royal sages as his sons. Amongst them, lord Yadu of mighty\nenergy was the eldest-born. Younger to Yadu was Puru, who, as our\nprogenitor, brought forth by Sarmistha the daughter of Vrishaparvan.\nYadu, O best of the Bharatas, was born of Devayani and, therefore, O\nsire, was the daughter's son of Sukra, otherwise called Kavya, of\nimmeasurable energy. Endued with great strength and prowess, that\nprogenitor of the Yadavas, filled with pride and possessed of wicked\nunderstanding, humiliated all the Kshatriyas. Intoxicated with pride of\nstrength, he obeyed not the injunctions of his father. Invincible in\nbattle, he insulted his father and brother. On this earth girt on four\nsides by the sea, Yadu became all-powerful, and reducing all to\nsubjection, he established himself in this city called after the\nelephant. His father Yayati, the son of Nahusha, enraged with him, cursed\nthat son of his, and, O son of Gandhari, even expelled him from the\nkingdom. Angry Yayati also cursed those brothers of Yadu who were\nobedient to that eldest brother of theirs, who was so proud of his\nstrength. And having cursed these his sons, that best of kings placed on\nhis throne his youngest son Puru who was docile and obedient to him. Thus\neven the eldest son may be passed over and deprived of the kingdom, and\nyounger sons may, in consequence of their respectful behaviour to the\naged, obtain the kingdom. So also, conversant with every virtue there was\nmy father's grandfather, king Pratipa, who was celebrated over the three\nworlds. Unto that lion among kings, who ruled his kingdom virtuously were\nborn three sons of great fame and resembling three gods. Of them, Devapi\nwas the eldest, Vahlika the next and Santanu of great intelligence, who,\nO sire, was my grandfather, was the youngest. Devapi, endued with great\nenergy, was virtuous, truthful in speech, and ever engaged in waiting\nupon his father. But that best of kings had a skin-disease. Popular with\nboth the citizens and the subjects of the provinces, respected by the\ngood, and dearly loved by the young and the old, Devapi was liberal\nfirmly adhering to truth, engaged in the good of all creatures, and\nobedient to the instructions of his father as also of the Brahmanas. He\nwas dearly loved by his brother Vahlika as also the high-souled Santanu.\nGreat, indeed, was the brotherly love that prevailed between him and his\nhigh-souled brothers. In course of time, the old and best of kings,\nPratipa, caused all preparations to be made according to the scriptures\nfor the installation of Devapi (on the throne). Indeed, the lord Pratipa\ncaused every auspicious preparation. The installation of Devapi, however,\nwas forbidden by the Brahmanas and all aged persons amongst the citizens\nand the inhabitants of the provinces. Hearing that the installation of\nhis son was forbidden, the voice of the old king became choked with tears\nand he began to grieve for his son. Thus, though Devapi was liberal,\nvirtuous, devoted to truth, and loved by the subjects, yet in consequence\nof his skin-disease, he was excluded from his inheritance. The gods do\nnot approve of a king that is defective of a limb. Thinking of this,\nthose bulls among Brahmanas forbade king Pratipa to install his eldest\nson. Devapi then, who was defective of one limb, beholding the king (his\nfather) prevented (from installing him on the throne) and filled with\nsorrow on his account, retired into the woods. As regards Vahlika,\nabandoning his (paternal) kingdom he dwelt with his maternal uncle.\nAbandoning his father and brother, he obtained the highly wealthy kingdom\nof his maternal grandfather. With Vahlika's permission, O prince, Santanu\nof world-wide fame, on the death of his father (Pratipa), became king and\nruled the kingdom. In this way also, O Bharata, though I am the eldest,\nyet being defective of a limb, I was excluded from the kingdom by\nintelligent Pandu, no doubt, after much reflection. And Pandu himself,\nthough younger to me in age, obtained the kingdom and became king. At his\ndeath, O chastiser of foes, that kingdom must pass to his sons. When I\ncould not obtain the kingdom, how canst thou covet it? Thou art not the\nson of a king, and, therefore, hast no right to this kingdom. Thou,\nhowever, desirest to appropriate the property of others. High-souled\nYudhishthira is the son of a king. This kingdom is lawfully his. Of\nmagnanimous soul, even he is the ruler and lord of this race of Kuru. He\nis devoted to truth, of clear perception, obedient to the counsels of\nfriends, honest, loved by the subjects, kind to all well-wishers, master\nof his passions, and the chastiser of all that are not good. Forgiveness,\nrenunciation, self-control, knowledge of the scriptures, mercy to all\ncreatures, competence to rule according to the dictates of virtue, of all\nthese attributes of royalty exist in Yudhishthira. Thou art not the son\nof a king, and art always sinfully inclined towards thy relatives. O\nwretch, how canst thou succeed in appropriating this kingdom that\nlawfully belongeth to others? Dispelling this delusion, give half the\nkingdom with (a share of the) animals and other possessions. Then, O\nking, mayest thou hope to live for some time with thy younger brothers.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CL\n\n\"Vasudeva said, 'Though thus addressed by Bhishma, and Drona, and Vidura,\nand Gandhari, and Dhritarashtra, that wicked wight could not yet be\nbrought to his senses. On the other hand, the wicked Duryodhana,\ndisregarding them all, rose (and left the assembly) with eyes red in\nanger. And all the kings (invited by him), prepared to lay down their\nlives, followed him behind. King Duryodhana then repeatedly ordered those\nwicked-hearted rulers, saying, \"Today constellation Pushya is\nascendant--march ye (this very day) to Kurukshetra.\" Impelled by Fate,\nthose monarchs then, with their soldiers, gladly set out, making Bhishma\ntheir generalissimo. Eleven Akshauhinis of troops have been, O King,\nassembled for the Kauravas. At the head of that host, shineth Bhishma,\nwith the device of the palmyra on the banner of his car. In view,\ntherefore, of what hath happened, do now, O monarch, that which seemeth\nto be proper. I have told thee, O king, everything that, O Bharata,\nwas said by Bhishma, Drona, Vidura, Gandhari and Dhritarashtra, in my\npresence. The arts beginning with conciliation were all, O king, employed\nby me from desire of establishing brotherly feelings (between yourselves\nand your cousins), for the preservation of this race, and for the growth\nand prosperity of the (earth's) population. When conciliation failed, I\nemployed the art of (producing) dissensions and mentioned, ye Pandavas,\nall your ordinary and extraordinary feats. Indeed, when Suyodhana showed\nno respect for the conciliatory words (I spoke), I caused all the kings\nto be assembled together and endeavoured to produce dissension (amongst\nthem). Extraordinary and awful and terrible and superhuman indications,\nO Bharata, were then manifested by me. O lord, rebuking all the kings,\nmaking a straw of Suyodhana, terrifying Radha's son and repeatedly\ncensuring Suvala's son for the gambling match of Dhritarashtra's sons,\nand once again endeavouring to disunite all the kings by means of both\nwords and intrigues, I again had recourse to conciliation. For the unity\nof Kuru's race and in view of the special requirements of the business\n(at hand), I spoke also of gift. Indeed, I said, \"Those heroes, the sons\nof Pandu, sacrificing their pride, will live in dependence on\nDhritarashtra, Bhishma and Vidura. Let the kingdom be given to thee. Let\nthem have no power. Let it all be as the king (Dhritarashtra), as\nGanga's son (Bhishma) and as Vidura say for thy good. Let the kingdom be\nthine. Relinquish but five villages (to the Pandavas). O best of kings,\nwithout doubt they deserve to be supported by thy father. Though\naddressed thus, that wicked soul does not still give you your share. I,\ntherefore, see that chastisement, and nothing else, is now the means that\nshould be employed against those sinful persons. Indeed, all those kings\nhave already marched to Kurukshetra. I have now told thee everything\nthat had happened in the assembly of the Kurus. They will not, O son of\nPandu, give thee thy kingdom without battle. With death waiting before\nthem, they have all become the cause of a universal destruction.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing these words of Janardana, king Yudhishthira\nthe Just, of virtuous soul, addressed his brothers in the presence of\nKesava and said, 'Ye have heard all that had happened in the court of the\nassembled Kurus. Ye have also understood the words uttered by Kesava. Ye,\nbest of men, draw up, therefore, my troops now in battle-array in which\nthey are to fight. Here are seven Akshauhinis of troops assembled for our\nvictory. Hear the names of those seven celebrated warriors that would\nlead those seven Akshauhinis. They are Drupada, and Virata, and\nDhristadyumna, and Sikhandin, and Satyaki, Chekitana, and Bhimasena of\ngreat energy. Those heroes will be the leaders of my troops. All of them\nare conversant with the Vedas. Endued with great bravery, all of them\nhave practised excellent vows. Possessed of modesty, all of them are\nconversant with policy, and accomplished in war. Well-skilled in arrows\nand weapons, all of them are competent in the use of every kind of\nweapon. Tell us now, O Sahadeva, O son of Kuru's race, who that warrior\nis conversant with all kinds of battle-array, that may become the leader\nof these seven and may also withstand in battle Bhishma who is like unto\na fire having arrows for its flames. Give us thy own opinion, O tiger\namong men, as who is fit to be our generalissimo.'\n\n\"Sahadeva said, 'Closely related to us, sympathising with us in our\ndistress, endued with great might, conversant with every virtue, skilled\nin weapons, and irresistible in battle, the mighty king of the Matsyas,\nVirata, relying upon whom we hope to recover our share of the kingdom,\nwill be able to bear in battle both Bhishma and all those mighty\ncar-warriors.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"After Sahadeva had said this, eloquent Nakula\nthen said these words, 'He that in years, in knowledge of scriptures, in\nperseverance, in family and birth, is respectable; he that is endued with\nmodesty, strength, and prosperity; he that is well-versed in all branches\nof learning; he that studied the science of weapons (with the sage\nBharadwaja); he who is irresistible and firmly devoted to truth; he that\nalways challenges Drona and mighty Bhishma; he that belongs to one of the\nforemost of royal houses; he that is a famous leader of hosts; he that\nresembles a tree of hundred branches in consequence of sons and grandsons\nthat surround him; that king, who, with his wife, performed, moved by\nwrath, the austerest of penances for the destruction of Drona; that hero,\nwho is an ornament of assemblies; that bull among monarchs who always\ncherishes us like a father; that father-in-law of ours, Drupada, should\nbe our generalissimo. It is my opinion that he will be able to withstand\nboth Drona and Bhishma rushing to battle, for that king is the friend of\nAngira's descendant Drona and is conversant with celestial weapons.'\n\n\"After the two sons of Madri had thus expressed their individual\nopinions, Vasava's son, Savyasachin, who was equal to Vasava himself,\nsaid these words, 'This celestial person of the hue of fire and endued\nwith mighty arms, who sprang into life through the power of ascetic\npenances and the gratification of sages; who issued from the sacrificial\nfire-hole armed with bow and sword, accoutred in armour of steel, mounted\non a car unto which were yoked excellent steeds of the best breed, and\nthe clatter of whose car-wheels was as deep as the roar of mighty masses\nof clouds; this hero endued with that energy and strength and resembling\nthe very lion in his frame of body and prowess, and possessed of leonine\nshoulders, arms, chest, and voice like the lion's roar; this hero of\ngreat effulgence; this warrior of handsome brows, fine teeth, round\ncheeks, long arms, of stout make, excellent thighs, large expansive eyes,\nexcellent legs, and strong frame; this prince who is incapable of being\npenetrated by weapons of any kind, and who looks like an elephant with\nrent temples; this Dhrishtadyumna, truthful in speech, and with passions\nunder control, was born for the destruction of Drona. It is this\nDhrishtadyumna, I think, that will be able to bear Bhishma's arrows which\nstrike with the vehemence of the thunderbolt and look like snakes with\nblazing mouths, which resemble the messengers of Yama in speed, and fall\nlike flames of fire (consuming everything they touch), and which were\nborne before by Rama alone in battle. I do not, O king, see the man\nexcept Dhrishtadyumna, who is able to withstand Bhishma of great vows.\nThis is just what I think. Endued with great lightness of hand and\nconversant with all the modes of warfare, accoutred in coat of mail that\nis incapable of being penetrated by weapons, this handsome hero,\nresembling the leader of a herd of elephants, is according to my opinion,\nfit to be our generalissimo.'\n\n\"Bhima then said, 'That son of Drupada, Sikhandin, who is born for the\ndestruction of Bhishma, as is said, O king, by the sages and Siddhas\nassembled together, whose form on the field of battle, while displaying\ncelestial weapons, will be seen by men to resemble that of the\nillustrious Rama himself. I see not, O king, the person who is able to\npierce with weapons that Sikhandin, when he is stationed for battle on\nhis car, accoutred in mail. Except the heroic Sikhandin, there is no\nother warrior who is able to slay Bhishma in single combat. It is for\nthis, O king, that I think Sikhandin is fit to be our generalissimo.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O sire, the strength and weakness, might and\nfeebleness, of everything in the universe, and the intentions of every\nperson here, are well-known to virtuous Kesava. Skilled or unskilled in\nweapons, old or young, let him be the leader of my forces, who may be\nindicated by Krishna of Dasarha's race. Even he is the root of our\nsuccess or defeat. In him are our lives, our kingdom, our prosperity and\nadversity, our happiness and misery. Even he is the Ordainer and Creator.\nIn him is established the fruition of our desires. Let him, therefore, be\nthe leader of our host, who may be named by Krishna. Let that foremost of\nspeakers say, for the night approacheth. Having selected our leader,\nworshipped our weapons with offerings of flowers and perfumes, we will,\nat day-break, under Krishna's orders march to the field of battle!'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these words of the intelligent king,\nYudhishthira the Just, the lotus-eyed Krishna said, eyeing Dhananjaya,\nthe while, 'O king, I fully approve of all those powerful warriors whom ye\nhave named for becoming the leaders of thy troops. All of them are\ncompetent to withstand thy foes. Indeed, they can frighten Indra himself\nin great battle, let alone the covetous and wicked-minded sons of\nDhritarashtra. O thou of mighty arms, for thy good I made great efforts\nto prevent the battle by bringing about peace. By that we have been freed\nfrom the debt we owed to virtue. Fault-finding persons will not be able\nto reproach us for anything. Foolish Duryodhana, destitute of\nunderstanding, regardeth himself as skilled in weapons, and though really\nweak thinketh himself to be possessed of strength. Array thy troops soon,\nfor slaughter is the only means by which they can be made to yield to our\ndemands. Indeed, the sons of Dhritarashtra will never be able to keep\ntheir ground when they will behold Dhananjaya with Yuyudhana as his\nsecond, and Abhimanyu, and the five sons of Draupadi, and Virata, and\nDrupada, and the other kings of fierce prowess,--all lords of\nAkshauhinis. Our army is possessed of great strength, and is invincible\nand incapable of being withstood. Without doubt, it will slay the\nDhartarashtra host. As regards our leader, I would name that chastiser of\nfoes, Dhrishtadyumna.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"When Krishna had said this, all the monarchs there\nwere filled with joy. And the shout sent forth by those delighted kings\nwas tremendous. And the troops began to move about with great speed,\nsaying, 'Draw up, Draw up.' And the neighing of steeds and roars of\nelephants and the clatter of car-wheels and the blare of conchs and the\nsound of drums, heard everywhere, produced a tremendous din. And teeming\nwith cars and foot-soldiers and steeds and elephants, that invincible\nhost of the marching Pandavas moving hither and thither, donning their\ncoats of mail, and uttering their war-cries, looked like the impetuous\ncurrent of the Ganga when at its full, agitated with fierce eddies and\nwaves. And in the van of that host marched Bhimasena, and the two sons of\nMadri encased in their coats of mail, and Subhadra's son and the five\nsons of Draupadi and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race. And the\nPrabhadrakas and the Panchalas marched behind Bhimasena. And the din made\nby the marching hosts, filled with joy, was like unto the roars of the\ndeep when the tide is highest on the day of the new moon. Indeed, the\ntumult was such that it seemed to reach the very heavens. And capable of\nbreaking hostile ranks, those warriors cased in armour marched thus,\nfilled with joy. And Kunti's son, king Yudhishthira, amongst them\nmarched, taking with him the cars and other vehicles for transport, the\nfood-stores and fodder, the tents, carriages, and draught-cattle, the\ncash-chests, the machines and weapons, the surgeons and physicians, the\ninvalids, and all the emaciated and weak soldiers, and all the attendants\nand camp-followers. And truthful Draupadi, the princess of Panchala,\naccompanied by the ladies of the household, and surrounded by servants\nand maids, remained at Upaplavya. And causing their treasure and ladies\nto be guarded by bodies of soldiers, some of whom were placed as\npermanent lines of circumvallation and some ordered to move about at a\ndistance from this line, the Pandavas set out with their mighty host. And\nhaving made presents of kine and gold to the Brahmanas, who walked around\nthem and uttered blessings, the sons of Pandu commenced the march on\ntheir cars decked with jewels. And the princes of Kekaya, and\nDhrishtaketu, and the son of the king of the Kasis, and Srenimat, and\nVasudana, and the invincible Sikhandin, all hale and hearty, cased in\narmour and armed with weapons and decked with ornaments, marched behind\nYudhishthira, keeping him in their centre. And in the rear, were Virata,\nYajnasena's son of the Somaka race (Dhrishtadyumna), Susarman,\nKuntibhoja, Dhrishtadyumna's sons, forty thousand cars, five times as\nmuch cavalry, infantry ten times more numerous (than the last), and sixty\nthousand elephants. And Anadhrishti, and Chekitana and Dhrishtaketu and\nSatyaki all marched, surrounding Vasudeva and Dhananjaya. And reaching\nthe field of Kurukshetra with their forces in battle-array, those\nsmiters, the sons of Pandu, looked like roaring bulls. And entering the\nfield, those chastisers of foes blew their conchs. And Vasudeva and\nDhananjaya also blew their conchs. And hearing the blare of the conch\ncalled Panchajanya, which resembled the roll of the thunder, all the\nwarriors (of the Pandava army) were filled with joy. And the leonine\nroars of those warriors, endued with lightness of hand and speed of\nmotion, mingling with the blare of conchs and beat of drums, made the\nwhole earth, the welkin, and the oceans resound therewith.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"King Yudhishthira then caused his troops to encamp\non a part of the field that was level, cool, and abounding with grass and\nfuel. Avoiding cemeteries, temples and compounds consecrated to the\ndeities, asylums of sages, shrines, and other sacred plots. Kunti's\nhigh-souled son, Yudhishthira, pitched his camp on a delightful, fertile,\nopen and sacred part of the plain. And rising up, again, after his\nanimals had been given sufficient rest, the king set out joyously\nsurrounded by hundreds and thousands of monarchs. And Kesava accompanied\nby Partha began to move about, scattering numerous soldiers of\nDhritarashtra (kept as outposts). And Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race\nand that mighty car-warrior of great energy, viz., Yuyudhana, otherwise\ncalled Satyaki, measured the ground for the encampment. And arrived, O\nBharata, at the holy Hiranwati which flows through Kurukshetra, which was\nfilled with sacred water, and whose bed was divested of pointed pebbles\nand mire, and which was regarded as an excellent tirtha, Kesava caused a\nmoat to be excavated there, and for its protection stationed a sufficient\nnumber of troops with proper instructions. And the rules that were\nobserved in respect of the tents of the high-souled Pandavas, were\nfollowed by Kesava in the matter of the tents he caused to be set up for\nthe kings (that came as their allies). And, O monarch, costly tents,\nincapable of being attacked, apart from one another, were, by hundreds\nand thousands, set up for those kings on the surface of the earth, that\nlooked like palatial residences and abounded with fuels and edibles and\ndrinks. And there were assembled hundreds upon hundreds of skilled\nmechanics, in receipt of regular wages and surgeons and physicians,\nwell-versed in their own science, and furnished with every ingredient\nthey might need. And king Yudhishthira caused to be placed in every\npavilion large quantities, high as hills, of bow-strings and bows and\ncoats of mail and weapons, honey and clarified butter, pounded lac,\nwater, fodder of cattle, chaff and coals, heavy machines, long shafts,\nlances, battleaxes, bow-staffs, breast-plates, scimitars and quivers. And\ninnumerable elephants cased in plates of steel with prickles thereon,\nhuge as hills, and capable of fighting with hundreds and thousands, were\nseen there. And learning that the Pandavas had encamped on that field,\ntheir allies, O Bharata, with their forces and animals, began to march\nthither. And many kings who had practised Brahmacharya vows, drunk\n(consecrated) Soma and had made large presents to Brahmanas at\nsacrifices, came there for the success of the sons of Pandu.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLIV\n\nJanamejaya said, \"Hearing that Yudhishthira had, with his troops marched\nfrom the desire of battle and encamped on Kurukshetra, protected by\nVasudeva, and aided by Virata and Drupada with their sons, and surrounded\nby the Kekayas, the Vrishnis, and other kings by hundreds, and watched\nover by numerous mighty car-warriors, like the great Indra himself by the\nAdityas, what measures were concerted by king Duryodhana? O high-souled\none, I desire to hear in detail all that happened in Kurujangala on that\nfrightful occasion. The son of Pandu, with Vasudeva and Virata and\nDrupada and Dhrishtadyumna, the Panchala prince and that mighty\ncar-warrior Sikhandin and powerful Yudhamanyu, incapable of being\nresisted by the very gods, might trouble the deities themselves in battle\nwith Indra at their head. I, therefore, desire to hear in detail, O thou\nthat art possessed of wealth of asceticism, all the acts of the Kurus and\nthe Pandavas as they had happened.\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"When he of Dasarha's race had departed (from the\nKuru court), king Duryodhana, addressing Karna and Dussasana and Sakuni,\nsaid these words, 'Kesava hath gone to the sons of Pritha, without having\nbeen able to achieve his object. Filled with wrath as he is, he will\nsurely stimulate the Pandavas. A battle between myself and Pandavas is\nmuch desired by Vasudeva. Bhimasena and Arjuna are ever of the same mind\nwith him. Yudhishthira, again, is very much under the influence of\nBhimasena. Before this, Yudhishthira with all his brothers was persecuted\nby me. Virata and Drupada whom I had waged hostilities with, obedient to\nVasudeva, both of them have become the leaders of Yudhishthira's host.\nThe battle, therefore, that will take place, will be a fierce and\nterrific one. Casting off all sloth, cause every preparation to be made\nfor the encounter. Let the kings (my allies) pitch their tents by\nhundreds and thousands on Kurukshetra, all of which must be spacious,\nincapable of being approached by enemies, near enough to places abounding\nwith water and fuel, in such positions that the communications thereto\nfor sending supplies may not be stopped at any time by the foe,--full of\nweapons of diverse kinds, and decked with streamers and flags. Let the\nroad from our city to the camp be made level for their march. Let it be\nproclaimed this very day, without loss of time, that our march will\ncommence tomorrow.' (Hearing these words of the king), they said, 'So be\nit,'--and when the morrow came, those high-souled persons did everything\nthey had been commanded to do for the accommodation of the monarchs. And\nall those monarchs (meanwhile), hearing the king's command, rose up from\ntheir costly seats, with wrath having the foe for its objects. And they\nbegan to slowly rub their mace-like arms, blazing with bracelets of gold,\nand decked with the paste of sandal and other fragrant substances. And\nthey also commenced, with those lotus-like hands of theirs, to wear their\nhead-gears and lower and upper garments and diverse kinds of ornaments.\nAnd many foremost of car-warriors began to superintend the furnishing of\ntheir cars, and persons conversant with horse-lore began to harness their\nsteeds, while those versed in matters relating to elephants began to\nequip those huge animals. And all those warriors began to wear diverse\nkinds of beautiful armour made of gold, and arm themselves with diverse\nweapons. And the foot-soldiers began to take up various kinds of arms and\ncase their bodies in various kinds of armour decorated with gold. And, O\nBharata, the city of Duryodhana then, filled as it was with rejoicing\nmillions, wore the bright aspect of a festive occasion. And, O king, the\nKuru capital at the prospect of battle looked like the ocean on the\nappearance of the moon, with the vast crowds of humanity representing its\nwaters with their eddies; the cars, elephants, and horses representing\nits fishes; the tumult of conchs and drums, its roar; the\ntreasure-chests, its jewels and gems; the diverse kinds of ornaments and\narmour its waves; the bright weapons its white foam; the rows of houses\nthe mountains on its beach; and the roads and shops, like lakes!\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLV\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Recollecting the words spoken by Vasudeva,\nYudhishthira once more addressed that scion of Vrishni's race, saying,\n'How, O Kesava, could wicked Duryodhana say it? O thou of unfading glory,\nwhat should we do in view of the occasion that hath come? By acting in\nwhat way may we keep on the track of our duty? Thou, O Vasudeva, art\nacquainted with the views of Duryodhana, Karna, and Sakuni, the son of\nSuvala. Thou knowest also what views are entertained by myself and my\nbrothers. Thou hast heard the words uttered by both Vidura and Bhishma. O\nthou of great wisdom, thou hast also heard in their entirety the words of\nwisdom spoken by Kunti. Overlooking all these, tell us, O thou of mighty\narms, after reflection, and without hesitation, what is for our good.'\n\n\"Hearing these words of king Yudhishthira the Just, that were fraught\nwith virtue and profit, Krishna replied, in a voice deep as that of the\nclouds or cymbals, saying, 'Responding to his advantage and consistent\nwith both virtue and profit, those words that were uttered by me in the\nKuru court found no response in the Kuru prince Duryodhana with whom\ndeceit supplieth the place of wisdom. That wretch of wicked understanding\nlisteneth not in the least to the counsels of Bhishma or Vidura or mine.\nHe transgresseth everybody. He wisheth not to earn virtue, nor doth he\nwish for fame. That wicked-souled wight, relying upon Karna, regardeth\neverything as already won. Indeed, Suyodhana of wicked heart and sinful\nin his resolves, even ordered my incarceration but he did not, however,\nobtain the fruition of that wish. Neither Bhishma nor Drona said anything\non that subject. Indeed, all of them follow Duryodhana, except Vidura, O\nthou of unfading glory. Sakuni, the son of Suvala, and Karna, and\nDussasana, all equally foolish, gave foolish and vindictive Duryodhana\nmuch improper advice regarding thee. Indeed, what use is there in my\nrepeating to thee all that the Kuru prince hath said? In brief, that\nwicked-souled wight beareth no good will towards thee. Not even in all\nthese kings together, that form thy army, is that measure of sinfulness\nand wickedness which resideth in Duryodhana alone. As regards ourselves,\nwe do not desire to make peace with the Kauravas by abandoning our\nproperty. War, therefore, is that which should now take place.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these words uttered by Vasudeva, all\nthe kings (there present), O Bharata, without saying anything, looked at\nYudhishthira's face. And Yudhishthira, understanding the intention of\nthose monarchs, said, with Bhima and Arjuna and the twins, 'Draw up the\ntroops in battle array.' And the word of command having been passed, a\ngreat uproar rose amongst the Pandava army and all the soldiers were\nfilled with joy. King Yudhishthira the Just, however, beholding the\n(impending) slaughter of those that deserved not to be slain, began to\nsigh deeply, and addressing Bhimasena and Vijaya, said, 'That for the\nsake of which I accepted an exile into the woods and for which I suffered\nso much misery, that great calamity overtaketh us of a set purpose. That\nfor which we strove so much leaveth us as if on account of our very\nstriving. On the other hand, a great distress overtaketh us, although we\ndid nothing to invite it. How shall we fight with those reverend\nsuperiors (of ours) whom we on no account can slay? What kind of victory\nshall we achieve by slaying our preceptors of venerable age?'\n\n\"Hearing these words of king Yudhishthira the Just, Savyasachin repeated\nto his elder brother all those words that Vasudeva had said. And\naddressing Yudhishthira, Arjuna continued, 'Thou hast, O king, certainly\nunderstood all the words spoken by Kunti and Vidura, that were repeated\nto thee by Devaki's son. I know it for certain that neither Vidura nor\nKunti would say anything that is sinful. Besides this, O son of Kunti, we\ncannot withdraw without engaging in battle.'\n\n\"Hearing this speech of Savyasachin, Vasudeva also said unto Partha, 'It\nis even so (as thou hast said).' The sons of Pandu then, O great king,\nmade up their minds for war, and passed that night with their soldiers in\ngreat happiness.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLVI\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After that night had passed away, king Duryodhana, O\nBharata, distributed (in proper order) his eleven Akshauhinis of troops.\nAnd arranging his men, elephants, cars, and steeds, into three classes,\nviz., superior, middling, and inferior, the king distributed them amongst\nhis divisions (by placing them in the van, centre, and rear of the\nranks). And furnished with timber and planks for repairing the damages\ntheir cars might sustain in the press of battle, with large quivers borne\non cars, with tiger-skins and other stiff leather for enveloping the\nsides of cars, with barbed javelins to be hurled by the hand, with\nquivers borne on the backs of steeds and elephants, with long-handled\nspears of iron and missiles, with quivers borne on the backs of\nfoot-soldiers with heavy clubs of woods, with flagstaffs and banners,\nwith long heavy shafts shot from bows, with diverse kinds of nooses and\nlassoes, with armour of various kinds, with short-pointed clubs of wood,\nwith oil, treacle, and sand, with earthen pots filled with poisonous\nsnakes, with pulverised lac and other inflammable matter, with short\nspears furnished with tinkling bells, with diverse weapons of iron, and\nmachines for hurling hot treacle, water, and stones, with whistling\nclubs of hard wood, with wax and heavy mallets, with clubs of wood having\niron spikes, with plough-poles and poisoned darts, with long syringes for\npouring warm treacle and planks of cane, with battle-axes and forked\nlances with spiked gauntlets, with axes and pointed iron-spikes, with\ncars having their sides covered with skins of tigers and leopards, with\nsharp-edged circular planks of wood, with horns, with javelins and\nvarious other weapons of attack, with axes of the kuthara species, and\nspades, with cloths steeped in oil, and with clarified butter, the\ndivisions of Duryodhana, glittering with robes embroidered with gold and\ndecked with various kinds of jewels and gems and consisting of warriors\nendued with handsome persons, blazed forth like fire. And cased in coats\nof mail and well-skilled in weapons, accomplished in horse-lore, brave\npersons of good birth were employed as car-drivers. And all the cars were\nfurnished with various drugs, and with horses having rows of bells and\npearls on their heads, and with banners and flagstaffs, and with\nornaments gracing their steeples and turrets and with shields, swords,\nand lances, and javelins and spiked maces. And unto each of those cars\nwere yoked four steeds of the best breed. And upon each of them were kept\na hundred bows. And each car had one driver in charge of the couple of\nsteeds in front, and two drivers in charge of the couple of steeds\nattached to the wheels on the two sides. And both of the last-mentioned\ndrivers were skilled car-warriors, while the car-warrior himself was also\nskilled in driving steeds. And thousands of cars thus furnished and\ndecked with gold, and protected like a fortified town and incapable of\nbeing conquered by foes, were stationed on all sides. And the elephants\nalso were furnished with rows of bells and pearls and decked with diverse\nornaments. And on the back of each of those animals, mounted seven\nwarriors. And in consequence of such accoutrements those animals looked\nlike hills graced with jewels. And amongst the seven, two were armed with\nhooks, two were excellent bowmen, two were first-rate swords-men, and\none, O king, was armed with a lance and trident. And, O king, the army of\nthe illustrious Kuru king, teemed with innumerable infuriate elephants,\nbearing on their backs loads of weapons and quivers filled with arrows.\nAnd there were also thousands of steeds ridden by brave soldiers\naccoutred in mail, decked in ornaments, and furnished with flags. And\nnumbering in hundreds and thousands, all those steeds were free from the\nhabit of scratching the ground with their forehoofs. And they were all\nwell-trained, and decked with ornaments of gold, and exceedingly obedient\nto their riders. And of foot-soldiers, there were hundreds of thousands\nof diverse mien, accoutred in armours of diverse kinds and armed also\nwith weapons of diverse species, and decked with golden ornaments. And\nunto each car, were assigned ten elephants, and unto each elephant ten\nhorses, and unto each horse ten foot-soldiers, as protectors. Again, a\nlarge body of troops was kept as a reserve for rallying the ranks that\nwould be broken. And this reserve consisted of cars, unto each of which\nwere attached fifty elephants; and unto each elephant were attached a\nhundred horses; and unto each horse were attached seven foot-soldiers.\nFive hundred cars, as many elephants (fifteen hundred horses, and two\nthousand five hundred foot-soldiers) constitute a Sena. Ten Senas\nconstitute a Pritana; and ten Pritanas, a Vahini. In common parlance,\nhowever, the words Sena, Vahini, Pritana, Dhwajini, Chamu, Akshauhini,\nand Varuthini are used in the same sense.\n\n\"It was thus that the intelligent Kaurava arrayed his force. Between the\ntwo sides, the total number was eighteen Akshauhinis. Of this, the\nPandava force consisted of seven Akshauhinis, while the Kaurava force\nconsisted of ten Akshauhinis and one more. Five times fifty men\nconstitute a Patti. Three Pattis make a Senamukha or Gulma. Three Gulmas\nmake a Gana. In Duryodhana's army, there were thousands and hundred of\nsuch Ganas consisting of warriors capable of smiting (the foe) and\nlonging for battle. And the mighty-armed king Duryodhana, selecting from\namong them brave and intelligent warriors, made them the leaders of his\ntroops. And placing an Akshauhini of troops under each of those best of\nmen, viz., Kripa, Drona, Salya, Jayadratha, the king of the Sindhus,\nSudakshina the ruler of the Kamvojas, Kritavarman, Drona's son\n(Aswatthaman), Karna, Bhurisravas, Sakuni, the son of Suvala, and the\nmighty Vahlika, the king used to bring them daily before him and at all\nhours, and speak to them. And he repeatedly offered them worship before\nhis very eyes. And thus appointed, all warriors, with all their\nfollowers, became desirous of doing what was most agreeable to the king.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLVII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Dhritarashtra's son, accompanied by all the kings,\nthen addressed Bhishma, son of Santanu, and with joined hands said these\nwords, 'Without a commander, even a mighty army is routed in battle like\na swarm of ants. The intelligence of two persons can never agree.\nDifferent commanders, again, are jealous of one another as regards their\nprowess. O thou of great wisdom, it is heard (by us) that (once on a\ntime) the Brahmanas, raising a standard of Kusa grass, encountered in\nbattle the Kshatriyas of the Haihaya clan endued with immeasurable\nenergy. O grandsire, the Vaisyas and the Sudras followed the Brahmanas,\nso that all the three orders were on one side, while those bulls among\nthe Kshatriyas were alone on the other. In the battles, however, that\nensued, the three orders repeatedly broke, while the Kshatriyas, though\nalone, vanquished a large army that was opposed to them. Then those best of\nBrahmanas enquired of the Kshatriyas themselves (as to the cause of\nthis). O grandsire, those that were virtuous among the Kshatriyas\nreturned the true answer to the enquirers, saying, \"In battle we obey the\norders of one person endued with great intelligence, while ye are\ndisunited from one another and act according to your individual\nunderstanding.\" The Brahmanas then appointed one amongst themselves as\ntheir commander, who was brave and conversant with the ways of policy.\nAnd they then succeeded in vanquishing the Kshatriyas. Thus people always\nconquer their foes in battle who appoint a skilled, brave, and sinless\ncommander, observing the good of the forces under him. As regards thee,\nthou art equal to Usanas himself, and always seekest my good. Incapable\nof being slain, thou art, again devoted to virtue. Be thou, therefore,\nour commander. Like the sun among all luminaries, like the moon unto all\ndelicious herbs, like Kuvera among the Yakshas, like Vasava among the\ngods, like Meru among mountains, Suparna among the birds, Kumara among\nthe gods, Havyavaha among Vasus, thou art amongst ourselves. Like the\ngods protected by Sakra, ourselves, protected by thee, will assuredly\nbecome invincible by the very gods. Like Agni's son (Kumara) at the head\nof the gods, march thou at our head, and let us follow thee like calves\nfollowing the lead of a mighty bull.'\n\n\"Bhishma said, 'O mighty-armed one, it is even so, O Bharata, as thou\nsayest. But the Pandavas are as dear to me as ye yourselves. Therefore, O\nking, I should certainly seek their good as well, although I shall\ncertainly fight for thee, having given thee a pledge (before) to that\neffect. I do not see the warrior on earth that is equal to me, except\nthat tiger among men, Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti. Endued with great\nintelligence, he is conversant with innumerable celestial weapons. That\nson of Pandu, however, will never fight with me openly. With the power of\nmy weapons, I can, in a trice, destroy this universe consisting of gods,\nAsuras, Rakshasas, and human beings. The sons of Pandu, however, O king,\nare incapable of being exterminated by me. I shall, therefore, slay every\nday ten thousand warriors. If, indeed, they do not slay me in battle\nfirst, I will continue to slaughter their forces thus. There is another\nunderstanding on which I may willingly become the commander of thy\nforces. It behoveth thee to listen to that. O lord of earth, either Karna\nshould fight first, or I will fight first. The Suta's son always boasts\nof his prowess in battle, comparing it with mine.'\n\n\"Karna said, 'As long as Ganga's son liveth, O king, I shall never fight.\nAfter Bhishma is slain, I shall fight with the wielder of Gandiva.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"After this, Dhritarashtra's son duly made\nBhishma the commander of his force, distributing large presents. And\nafter his installation in the command, he blazed forth with beauty. And\nat the king's behest, musicians cheerfully played upon drums and blew\nconchs by hundreds and thousands. And numerous leonine roars were sent\nforth and all the animals in the camp uttered their cries together. And\nalthough the sky was cloudless, a bloody shower fell and made the ground\nmiry. And fierce whirl-winds, and earthquakes, and roars of elephants,\noccurring, depressed the hearts of all the warriors. Incorporeal voices\nand flashes of meteoric falls were heard and seen in the welkin. And\njackals, howling fiercely, foreboded great calamity. And, O monarch,\nthese and a hundred other kinds of fierce portents made their appearance\nwhen the king installed Ganga's son in the command of his troops. And\nafter making Bhishma--that grinder of hostile hosts--his general, and\nhaving also caused by abundant gifts of kine and gold to the Brahmanas to\npronounce benedictions on him, and glorified by those benedictions, and\nsurrounded by his troops, and with Ganga's son in the van, and\naccompanied by his brothers, Duryodhana marched to Kurukshetra with his\nlarge host. And the Kuru king, going over the plain with Karna in his\ncompany, caused his camp to be measured out on a level part, O monarch,\nof that plain. And the camp, pitched on a delightful and fertile spot\nabounding with grass and fuel, shone like Hastinapura itself.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLVIII\n\nJanamejaya said, \"When Yudhishthira heard that Bhishma, the high-souled\nson of Ganga, the foremost of all wielders of weapons, the grandsire of\nthe Bharatas, the head of all the kings, the rival of Vrihaspati in\nintellect, resembling the ocean in gravity, the mountains of Himavat in\ncalmness, the Creator himself in nobleness, and the sun in energy, and\ncapable of slaying hostile hosts like great Indra himself by showering\nhis arrows, was installed, till his removal by death, in the command of\nthe Kuru army on the eve of the great sacrifice of battle, terrific in\nits mien and capable of making one's hairs stand on their ends, what did\nthat mighty-armed son of Pandu, that foremost of wielders of weapons,\nsay? What also did Bhima and Arjuna say? And what too did Krishna say?\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"When news was received of this, Yudhishthira endued\nwith great intelligence and well-acquainted with what should be done in\nview of dangers and calamities summoned all his brothers and also the\neternal Vasudeva (to his presence). And that foremost of speakers then\nsaid in a mild voice, 'Make your rounds among the soldiers, and remain\ncarefully, casing yourselves in mail. Our first encounter will be with\nour grandsire. Look ye for (seven) leaders for the seven Akshauhinis of\nmy troops.'\n\n\"Krishna said, 'Those words of grave import, which, O bull of the Bharata\nrace, it behoveth thee to utter on an occasion like this, have, indeed,\nbeen uttered by thee. Even this, O mighty armed one, is what I also like.\nLet therefore, that be done which should be done next. Let, indeed, seven\nleaders be selected for thy army.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Summoning then those warriors eager for battle,\nviz., Drupada and Virata, and that bull of Sini's race, and\nDhrishtadyumna the prince of Panchala, and king Dhrishtaketu, and prince\nShikhandi of Panchala, and Sahadeva, the ruler of the Magadhas,\nYudhishthira duly appointed them in the command of his seven divisions.\nAnd above them all was placed in command of all the troops that\nDhrishtadyumna who had sprung from the blazing (sacrificial) fire for the\ndestruction of Drona. And Dhananjaya, of curly hair, was made the leader\nof all those high-souled leaders. And handsome Janardana endued with\ngreat intelligence, he who was the younger brother of Sankarshana, was\nchosen as the guide of Arjuna and the driver of his steeds.\n\n\"And beholding that a very destructive battle was about to take place,\nthere came, O king, into the Pandava encampment, Halayudha, accompanied\nby Akrura, and Gada and Samva, and Uddhava, and Rukmini's son\n(Pradyumna), and Ahuka's sons, and Charudeshna, and others. And\nsurrounded and guarded by those foremost warriors of the Vrishni race,\nresembling a herd of mighty tigers, like Vasava in the midst of the\nMaruts, the mighty-armed and handsome Rama, attired in garments of blue\nsilk and resembling the peak of the Kailasa mountain, and endued with the\nsportive gait of the lion and possessed of eyes having their ends\nreddened with drink, came there (at such a time). And beholding him, king\nYudhishthira the Just, and Kesava of great effulgence, and Pritha's son\nVrikodara of terrible deeds, and (Arjuna) the wielder of Gandiva, and all\nthe other kings that were, rose from their seats. And they all offered\nworship unto Halayudha as he came to that place. And the Pandava king\ntouched Rama's hands with his own. And that chastiser of foes, Halayudha,\nin return, accosting them all with Vasudeva at their head, and saluting\n(respectfully) both Virata and Drupada who were senior in years, sat down\non the same seat with Yudhishthira. And after all the kings had taken\ntheir seats, Rohini's son, casting his eyes on Vasudeva, began to speak.\nAnd he said, 'This fierce and terrible slaughter is inevitable. It is,\nwithout doubt, a decree of fate, and I think that it cannot be averted.\nLet me hope, however, to behold all of you, with your friends, come\nsafely out of this strife, with sound bodies and perfectly hale. Without\ndoubt, all the Kshatriyas of the world that are assembled together have\ntheir hour come. A fierce melee covering with a mire of flesh and blood\nis sure to take place. I said unto Vasudeva repeatedly in private, \"O\nslayer of Madhu, unto those that bear equal relationship to us, observe\nthou an equal behaviour. As are the Pandavas to us, even so is king\nDuryodhana. Therefore, give him also the same aid.\" Indeed, he repeatedly\nsoliciteth it. For thy sake, however, the slayer of Madhu regarded not my\nwords. Looking at Dhananjaya, he hath with his whole heart, been devoted\nto your cause. Even this is what I certainly think, viz., that the\nvictory of the Pandavas is sure, for Vasudeva's wish, O Bharata, is even\nso. As regards myself, I dare not cast my eyes on the world without\nKrishna (on my side). It is for this that I follow whatever Krishna\nseeketh to achieve. Both of these heroes, well-skilled in encounter with\nthe mace, are my disciples. My affection, therefore, for Bhima is equal\nto that for king Duryodhana. For these reasons, I shall now repair to the\ntirtha of the Saraswati for ablutions, for I shall not be able to behold\nwith indifference the destruction of the Kauravas.'\n\n\"Having said this, the mighty-armed Rama, obtaining the leave of the\nPandavas, and making the slayer of Madhu desist (from following him\nfarther), set out on his journey for the sacred waters.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLIX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"About this time, there came into the Pandava camp\nBhishmaka's son, foremost among all persons of truthful resolution, and\nknown widely by the name of Rukmi. The high-souled Bhishmaka, who was\notherwise called king Hiranyaroman, was the friend of Indra. And he was\nmost illustrious among the descendants of Bhoja and was the ruler of the\nwhole southern country. And Rukmi was a disciple of that lion among the\nKimpurushas who was known by the name of Drona, having his abode on the\nmountains of Gandhamadana. And he had learnt from his preceptor the whole\nscience of weapons with its four divisions. And that mighty-armed warrior\nhad obtained also the bow named Vijaya of celestial workmanship,\nbelonging to the great Indra, and which was equal to Gandiva in energy\nand to also Sarnga (held by Krishna). There were three celestial bows\nowned by the denizens of heaven, viz., Gandiva owned by Varuna, the bow\ncalled Vijaya owned by Indra, and that other celestial bow of great\nenergy said to have been owned by Vishnu. This last (Sarnga), capable of\nstriking fear into the hearts of hostile warriors, was held by Krishna.\nThe bow called Gandiva was obtained by Indra's son (Arjuna) from Agni on\nthe occasion of the burning of Khandava, while the bow called Vijaya was\nobtained from Drona by Rukmi of great energy. Baffling the nooses of Mura\nand slaying by his might that Asura, and vanquishing Naraka, the son of\nthe Earth, Hrishikesa, while recovering the begemmed ear-rings (of\nAditi), with sixteen thousand girls and various kinds of jewels and gems,\nobtained that excellent bow called Sarnga. And Rukmi having obtained the\nbow called Vijaya whose twang resembled the roar of the clouds came to\nthe Pandavas, as if inspiring the whole universe with dread. Formerly,\nproud of the might of his own arms, the heroic Rukmi could not tolerate\nthe ravishment of his sister Rukmini by wise Vasudeva. He had set out in\npursuit, having sworn that he would not return without having slain\nJanardana. And accompanied by a large army consisting of four kinds of\nforces that occupied (as it marched) a very large portion of the earth,\naccoutred in handsome coats of mail and armed with diverse weapons and\nresembling the swollen current of the Ganga, that foremost of all\nwielders of weapons set out in pursuit of Vasudeva of Vrishni's race. And\nhaving come up to him of Vrishni's race who was lord and master of\neverything obtainable by ascetic austerities, Rukmi, O king, was\nvanquished and covered with shame. And for this he returned not to (his\ncity) Kundina. And on the spot where that slayer of hostile heroes was\nvanquished by Krishna, he built an excellent city named Bhojakata. And, O\nking, that city filled with large forces and teeming with elephants\nand steeds, is widely known on the earth by that name. Endued with great\nenergy, that hero, cased in mail and armed with bows, fences, swords and\nquivers, quickly entered the Pandava camp, surrounded by an Akshauhini of\ntroops. And Rukmi entered that vast army, under a standard effulgent as\nthe sun, and made himself known to the Pandavas, from desire of doing\nwhat was agreeable to Vasudeva. King Yudhishthira, advancing a few steps,\noffered him worship. And duly worshipped and eulogised by the Pandavas,\nRukmi saluted them in return and rested for a while with his troops. And\naddressing Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti in the midst of the heroes there\nassembled, he said, 'If, O son of Pandu, thou art afraid, I am here to\nrender thee assistance in the battle. The assistance I will give thee\nwill be unbearable by thy foes. There is no man in this world who is\nequal to me in prowess. I will slay those foes of thine whom thou, O son\nof Pandu, wilt assign to me. I will slay one of those heroes, viz., Drona\nand Kripa, and Bhishma, and Karna. Or, let all these kings of the earth\nstand aside. Slaying in battle thy foes myself, I will give thee Earth.'\nAnd he said this in the presence of king Yudhishthira the Just and of\nKesava and in the hearing of the (assembled) monarchs and all others (in\nthe camp). Then casting his eyes on Vasudeva and Pandu's son king\nYudhishthira the Just, Dhananjaya the intelligent son of Kunti smilingly\nbut in a friendly voice said these words, 'Born in the race of Kuru,\nbeing especially the son of Pandu, naming Drona as my preceptor, having\nVasudeva for my ally, and bearing, besides the bow called Gandiva, how\ncan I say that I am afraid? O hero, when on the occasion of the tale of\ncattle, I fought with the mighty Gandharvas, who was there to assist me?\nIn that terrific encounter also with the Gods and Danavas banded together\nin great numbers at Khandava, who was my ally when I fought? When, again,\nI fought with the Nivatakavachas and with those other Danavas called\nKalakeyas, who was my ally? When, again, at Virata's city I fought with\nthe numberless Kurus, who was my ally in that battle? Having paid my\nrespects, for battle's sake, to Rudra, Sakra, Vaisravana, Yama, Varuna,\nPavaka, Kripa, Drona, and Madhava, and wielding that tough celestial bow\nof great energy called Gandiva, and accoutred with inexhaustible arrows\nand armed with celestial weapons, how can a person like me, O tiger among\nmen, say, even unto Indra armed with the thunderbolt, such words as I am\nafraid!--words that rob one of all his fame? O thou of mighty arms, I am\nnot afraid, nor have I any need of thy assistance. Go therefore, or stay,\nas it pleaseth or suiteth thee.' Hearing these words of Arjuna, Rukmi\ntaking away with him his army vast as the sea, repaired then, O bull of\nBharata's race, to Duryodhana. And king Rukmi, repairing thither, said\nthe same words unto Duryodhana. But that king proud of his bravery,\nrejected him in the same way.\n\n\"Thus, O king, two persons withdrew from the battle, viz., Rohini's son\n(Rama) of Vrishni's race and king Rukmi. And after Rama had set out on\nhis pilgrimage to the tirthas, and Bhishmaka's son Rukmi had departed\nthus, the sons of Pandu once more sat down for consulting with one\nanother. And that conclave presided over by king Yudhishthira the Just,\nabounding with numerous monarchs, blazed forth like the firmament\nbespangled with lesser luminaries with the moon in their midst.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLX\n\nJanamejaya said, \"After the soldiers had been arrayed thus in order of\nbattle (on the field of Kurukshetra), what, O bull among Brahmanas, did\nthe Kauravas then do, urged as they were by destiny itself?\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"After the soldiers, O bull of the Bharata race, had\nbeen arrayed thus in order of battle, Dhritarashtra, O, king, said these\nwords to Sanjaya.\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Come, O Sanjaya, tell me with the fullest details\nall that hath happened in the encampment of the Kuru and the Pandava\ntroops. I regard destiny to be superior, and exertion useless, for\nalthough I understand the evil consequences of war that will lead only to\nruin, still I am unable to restrain my son who rejoices in gambling and\nconsiders deceit to be wisdom. Understanding everything, I am not yet\nable to secure my own welfare. O Suta, my understanding is capable of\nseeing the defects (of measures), but when I approach Duryodhana, that\nunderstanding of mine turneth away (from that right path). When such is\nthe case, O Sanjaya, that will be which must be. Indeed, the sacrifice of\none's corporeal body in battle is the laudable duty of every Kshatriya.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'This question, O great king, that thou hast put, is\nindeed worthy of thee. It behoveth thee not, however, to impute entire\nfault to Duryodhana only. Listen to me, O king, as I speak of this\nexhaustively. That man who cometh by evil in consequence of his own\nmisconduct, should never impute the fault to either time or the gods. O\ngreat king, he amongst men who perpetrateth every wicked act, deserveth\nto be slain in consequence of his perpetrating those acts. Afflicted with\ninjuries in consequence of the match at dice, the sons of Pandu, however,\nwith all their counsellors quietly bore all those injuries, looking up, O\nbest of men, to thy face alone. Hear from me fully, O king, of the\nslaughter that is about to take place in battle, of steeds and elephants\nand kings endued with immeasurable energy. Hearing patiently, O thou that\nart endued with great wisdom, of the destruction of the world in the\nfierce battle that has been brought about, come to this conclusion and no\nother, viz., that man is never the agent of his acts right or wrong.\nIndeed, like a wooden machine, man is not an agent (in all he does). In\nthis respect, three opinions are entertained; some say that everything is\nordained by God; some say that our acts are the result of free-will; and\nothers say that our acts are the result of those of our past lives.\nListen then, therefore, with patience, to the evil that hath come upon\nus.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXI\n\n(Uluka Dutagamana Parva)\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After the high-souled Pandavas, O king, had encamped by\nthe side of the Hiranwati, the Kauravas also fixed their camps. And king\nDuryodhana having strongly posted his troops and paid homage to all the\nkings (on his side) and planted outposts and bodies of soldiers for the\nprotection of warriors, summoned those rulers of men, viz., Karna and\nDussasana and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, and began, O Bharata, to consult\nwith them. And king Duryodhana, O Bharata, having (first) consulted with\nKarna, and (next), O monarch, with Karna and his (own) brother Dussasana,\nand Suvala's son all together, then summoned, O bull among men, Uluka and\nbringing him into his presence in private, told him, O king, these words,\n\"O Uluka, O son of an adept at dice, repair thou unto the Pandavas and\nthe Somakas. And repairing thither, repeat these my words (unto\nYudhishthira) in the hearing of Vasudeva. That terrible battle between\nthe Kurus and the Pandavas which had been expected from a long time back\nhas at last come. Those boastful words which Sanjaya brought to me, in\nthe midst of the Kurus and which thou hadst, with Vasudeva and thy\nyounger brothers, uttered in deep roar,--the time, O son of Kunti, hath\nat last come for making them good. Do ye achieve, therefore, all which ye\nhave pledged yourselves to achieve. Unto the eldest son of Kunti thou\nmust say, as my words, the following, 'Virtuous as thou art, how canst\nthen, with all thy brothers, with the Somakas, and the Kekayas, set thy\nheart upon unrighteousness? How canst thou wish the destruction of the\nuniverse, when, as I think thou shouldst be the dispeller of the fears of\nall creatures. O bull of Bharata's race, this sloka sung of old by\nPrahlada when his kingdom had been wrested from him by the gods, hath\nbeen heard by us,--Ye gods, that person whose standard of righteousness\nis always up, but whose sins are always concealed is said to adopt the\nbehaviour of the cat (in the story).' I will here repeat to thee, O king,\nthis excellent story recited by Narada to my father. A wicked cat, O\nking, once on a time took up his abode on the banks of the Ganges,\nabandoning all work and with his hands upraised (after the manner of a\ndevotee). Pretending to have purified his heart, he said unto all\ncreatures these words, for inspiring confidence in them, viz.,--I am now\npractising virtue. After a long time, all oviparous creatures reposed\ntrust in him, and coming unto him all together, O monarch, they all\napplauded that cat. And worshipped by all feathery creatures, that\ndevourer of feathery creatures, regarded his purpose already\naccomplished, as also the purpose of his austerities. And after some more\ntime, the mice went to that place. And these also all beheld him to be a\nvirtuous person engaged in the observance of vows, and proudly exerting\nhimself in a grand act. And having arrived at that settled conviction,\nthey entertained the following wish, O king,--'Many foes we have. Let\nthis one, therefore, become our maternal uncle, and let him always\nprotect all the old and young ones of our race.' And going at last to the\ncat, all of them said, 'Through thy grace we desire to roam in happiness.\nThou art our gracious shelter, thou art our great friend. For this, all\nof us place ourselves under thy protection. Thou art always devoted to\nvirtue, thou art always engaged in the acquisition of virtue. O thou of\ngreat wisdom, protect us, therefore, like the wielder of the thunderbolt\nprotecting the celestials.' Thus addressed, O king, by all the mice, the\ncat answered them, saying, 'I do not see the consistency of these two,\nviz., my ascetic pursuits and this protection (that I am called upon to\ngrant). I cannot avoid, however, doing good to you agreeably to your\nrequest. You all, at the same time, should always obey my words. Staying\nas I am in the observance of a severe vow, I am weakened by my ascetic\npractices. I do not, therefore, see the means of my moving from place to\nplace. Ye all should, therefore, bear me hence every day to the\nriver-side.' Saying, 'So be it,' the mice then, O bull of Bharata's race,\nmade over all their old and young ones to that cat. Then that sinful\ncreature of wicked soul, feeding on mice, gradually became fat and of\ngood complexion and strong in his limbs. And thus while the mice began to\nbe reduced in number, the cat began to grow in vigour and strength. Then\nall the mice, coming together, said unto one another, 'Our uncle is daily\ngrowing stout, while we are being daily reduced (in number)!' Then a\ncertain mouse endued with wisdom, named Dindika, said, O king these words\nunto the large swarm of mice gathered there, 'Go all of ye to the\nriver-side together. I will follow ye, accompanying our uncle.'\n'Excellent, Excellent,' they said, and applauded that one of their\nnumber. And they all did just as those words of grave import spoken by\nDindika seemed to indicate. The cat, however, not knowing all this, ate\nup Dindika that day. All the mice then, without losing much time, began\nto take counsel of one another. Then a very old mouse, named Kilika, said\nthese just words, O king, in the presence of all his kinsfolk, 'Our uncle\nis not really desirous of earning virtue. He hath, like a hypocrite,\nbecome our friend when in reality he is our enemy. Indeed, the excreta of\na creature that liveth only upon fruits and roots never containeth hair\nof fur. Then again, while his limbs are growing, our number is decaying.\nBesides, Dindika cannot be seen for these eight days.' Hearing these\nwords, the mice ran away in all directions. And that cat also of wicked\nsoul returned to whence he came. O thou of wicked soul, thou too art a\npractiser of such feline behaviour. Thou behavest towards thy kinsmen\nafter the manner of the cat (in the story) towards the mice. Thy speech\nis of one kind, and thy conduct is of another. Thy (devotion to)\nscripture and thy peacefulness of behaviour are only for display before\nmen. Giving up this hypocrisy, O king, adopt the practices of a Kshatriya\nand do all that one should do as such. Art thou not virtuous, O bull\namong men? Acquiring the earth by means of the prowess of thy arms, make\ngifts, O best of the Bharatas, unto the Brahmanas and to the means of thy\ndeceased ancestors as one should. Seeking the good of that mother of\nthine who hath been afflicted with distress for a series of years, dry up\nher tears, and confer honours on her by vanquishing (thy foes) in battle.\nThou hadst with great abjectness, solicited only five villages. Even that\nwas rejected by us, for how could we bring about a battle, how could we\nsucceed in angering the Pandavas, was all that we sought. Remembering\nthat it was for thee that the wicked Vidura was driven (by us) and that\nwe had tried to burn you all in the house of lac, be a man now; at the\ntime of Krishna's setting out (from Upaplavya) for the Kuru court, thou\nhadst through him communicated this message (to us), viz.,--Hear, O king,\nI am prepared for either war or peace! Know, O monarch, that the hour\nhath come for battle. O Yudhishthira, I have made all these preparations\nin view of that. What doth a Kshatriya regard as a more estimable\naccession (of good fortune) than battle? Born thou hast been in the\nKshatriya order. Known also thou art in the world. Having obtained\nweapons again from Drona and Kripa, why, O bull of the Bharata race, dost\nthou rely on Vasudeva who belongeth to the same order of life as thyself\nand who is, not superior to thee in might.'\n\n\"'\"Thou must also say unto Vasudeva in the presence of the Pandavas these\nwords,--For thy own sake, as also for the sake of the Pandavas, withstand\nme in battle to the best of thy power! Assuming once more that form which\nthou hadst assumed before in the Kuru court, rush thou with Arjuna\nagainst me (on the field)! A conjuror's tricks or illusions may\n(sometimes) inspire fright. But as regards the person that stands armed\nfor fight, such deceptions (instead of inspiring fight) only provoke\nanger! We also are competent, by our powers of illusion, to ascend to\nheaven or the firmament, or penetrate into the nether region, or the city\nof Indra! We also can display various forms in our own body! The great\nOrdainer bringeth all creatures to subjection by a fiat of His will (and\nnever by such conjuror's tricks)! Thou always sayest, O thou of Vrishni's\nrace, these words, viz.,--Causing the sons of Dhritarashtra to be slain\nin battle, I will confer undisputed sovereignty on the sons of\nPritha!--These words of thine were brought to me by Sanjaya. Thou hadst\nalso said, 'Know, ye Kauravas that it is with Arjuna, having me for his\nsecond, ye have provoked hostilities!' Truthfully adhering to that\npledge, put forth thy energy for the Pandavas and fight now in battle to\nthe best of thy power! Show us that thou canst be a man! He is said to be\ntruly alive, who, having ascertained (the might of his) foes inspireth\ngrief in them by resorting to true manliness! Without any reason, O\nKrishna, great hath been thy fame spread in the world! It will, however,\npresently be known that there are many persons in the world that are\nreally eunuchs though possessed of the signs of manhood. A slave of\nKansa, especially as thou art, a monarch like me should not cover himself\nin mail against thee!\n\n\"'\"Say (next) repeatedly, from me, O Uluka, unto that stupid, ignorant,\ngluttonous Bhimasena, who is even like a bull though divested of horns,\nthese words, viz.,--O son of Pritha, a cook thou hadst become, known by\nthe name of Vallabha, in the city of Virata! All this is evidence of thy\nmanliness! Let not the vow thou hadst made before in the midst of the\nKuru court be falsified! Let Dussasana's blood be drunk if thou art able!\nO son of Kunti, thou often sayest,--Speedily shall I slay Dhritarashtra's\nsons in battle!--The time for accomplishing it hath now come! O Bharata,\nthou deservest to be rewarded in cookery! The difference, however, is\nvery great between dressing food and fighting! Fight now, be a man!\nIndeed, thou shalt have to lie down, deprived of life, on the earth,\nembracing thy mace, O Bharata! The boast in which thou hadst indulged in\nthe midst of thy assembly is all vain, O Vrikodara!\n\n\"'\"Say, O Uluka, unto Nakula, from me, these words, viz.,--Fight now, O\nBharata, patiently! We desire, O Bharata, to behold thy manliness, thy\nreverence for Yudhishthira, and thy hatred of myself! Recall to mind the\nsufferings in their entirety that Krishna had suffered!\n\n\"'\"Next, thou must say these words of mine unto Sahadeva in the presence of\nthe (assembled) monarchs,--Fight in battle now, to the best of thy power!\nRemember all your woes!\n\n\"'\"Say next, from me, unto both Virata and Drupada, these words,\nviz.,--Since the beginning of the creation, slaves, endued even with\ngreat accomplishments, have never been able to fully understand their\nmasters. Nor have affluent kings been always able to understand their\nslaves! This king deserveth no praise,--possibly, under such a belief, ye\nhave come against me! United together, fight ye, therefore, against me\nfor achieving my death, and accomplish the objects ye have in view, as\nalso those that the Pandavas have!\n\n\"'\"Say also, from me, unto Dhrishtadyumna, the prince of Panchalas, these\nwords, viz.,--The hour hath now come for thee, and thou also hast come\nfor thy hour! Approaching Drona in battle thou wilt know what is best for\nthee! Achieve thou the business of thy friend! Accomplish that feat which\nis difficult of accomplishment!\n\n\"'\"Tell, next, repeatedly from me, O Uluka, unto Sikhandin, these words,\nviz.,--The mighty-armed Kaurava, foremost of all bowmen, Ganga's son\n(Bhishma), will not slay thee, knowing thee to be only a female! Fight\nnow without any fear! Achieve in battle what canst to the best of thy\npower! We desire to behold thy prowess!\"'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Having said this, king Duryodhana laughed\naloud. And addressing Uluka again, he said, 'Say once more unto\nDhananjaya in the bearing of Vasudeva these words, viz.,--O hero, either\nvanquishing us rule thou this world, or vanquished by us lie thou down on\nthe field (deprived of life)! Recalling to thy mind the sufferings\noccasioned by your banishment from the kingdom, the woes of your sojourn\nin the woods, and the affliction of Krishna, be a man, O son of Pandu!\nThat for which a Kshatriya lady bringeth forth a son is now arrived!\nDisplaying, therefore, in battle, thy might, energy, courage, manliness,\nand great dexterity and speed in the use of weapons, appease thy wrath!\nAfflicted with woe, and dispirited and exiled (from home) for a long\ntime, and driven from his kingdom, who is there whose heart would not\nbreak? Who is there, well-born, and brave, and uncovetous of other's\nwealth, that would not have his wrath excited when his kingdom descending\nfrom generation to generation is attacked? Realise in deeds those high\nwords that thou hadst said! One that only boasts without being able to do\nanything is regarded as a worthless man by those that are good. Recover\nthy kingdom and those possessions that are now owned by thy foes! Even\nthese two are the purposes which a person desirous of war hath in view.\nExert, therefore, thy manliness! Thou wert won (as a slave) at dice!\nKrishna was caused by us to be brought into the assembly! One that\nregardeth himself a man should certainly display his wrath at this! For\ntwelve long years hadst thou been exiled from home into the woods, and\none whole year hadst thou passed in Virata's service! Remembering the\npangs of banishment from the kingdom and of thy sojourn in the woods, as\nalso those which Krishna had suffered, be thou a man! Display thy wrath\ntowards those that repeatedly utter harsh words at thee and thy brothers!\nIndeed, wrath (such as that) would consist in manliness! Let thy anger,\nthy might and prowess, and knowledge, and thy lightness of hand in the\nuse of weapons, be exhibited! Fight, O son of Pritha, and prove to be a\nman! The incantations in respect of all thy weapons have been performed.\nThe field of Kurukshetra is free from mire. Thy steeds are hale and\nstrong. Thy soldiers have received their pay. With Kesava, therefore, as\n(thy) second, fight (with us)! Without encountering Bhishma as yet, why\ndost thou indulge in such boasts? Like a fool, who, without having\nascended the Gandhamadana mountains, boasts (of his would-be feat), thou,\nO son of Kunti, art indulging in a similar bragging, be a man! Without\nhaving vanquished in battle the invincible Karna of the Suta race, or\nSalya, that foremost of persons, or Drona, the first of all mighty\nwarriors and equal unto the lord of Sachi in battle, how canst thou, O\nPartha, covet for thy kingdom? He that is a preceptor of both Vedic lore\nand bowmanship, he that hath crossed both those branches of learning, he\nthat is foremost in battle and imperturbable (as a tower), he whose might\nknoweth no diminution, that commander of armies, Drona of great\neffulgence,--him, O Partha, thou wishest in vain to conquer! It is never\nheard that the Sumeru peak hath been crushed by the wind. Yet even the\nwind will bear away Sumeru, heaven itself will fall down on the earth,\nthe very Yugas will be altered in respect of their course, if what thou\nhast said unto me becometh true! What man is there, desirous of life, be\nit Partha or any body else, who having approached that grinder of foes,\nwould be able to return home with sound body? What person is there,\ntreading upon the earth with his feet, who, encountered by Drona and\nBhishma and struck with their arrows, would escape from the battle with\nlife? Like a frog having its abode in a well, why art thou not able to\nrealise the might of this vast army of the assembled monarchs,\ninvincible, looking like the very celestial host, and protected by these\nlords of men, as the heavenly host by the gods themselves,--protected\nthat is, by the kings of the East, the West, the South and the North, by\nthe Kamvojas, the Sakas, the Khasas, the Salwas, the Matsyas, the Kurus\nof the middle country, the Mlecchas, the Pulindas, the Dravidas, the\nAndhras, and the Kanchis,--this host of many nations, ready for battle,\nand resembling the uncrossable current of the Ganga. O thou of little\nunderstanding, how canst thou, O fool, venture to fight with me when\nstationed in the midst of my elephant-host? Thy inexhaustible quivers,\nthy car given thee by Agni, and thy celestial banner, O Partha, will all,\nO Bharata, be tested by us in battle! Fight, O Arjuna, without bragging!\nWhy dost thou indulge in too much boast! Success in battle resulteth from\nthe method in which it is fought. A battle is never gained by bragging.\nIf, O Dhananjaya, acts in this world succeeded in consequence of\nvauntings, all persons would then have succeeded in their objects, for\nwho is there that is not competent to brag? I know that thou hast\nVasudeva for thy ally. I know that thy Gandiva is full six cubits long. I\nknow that there is no warrior equal to thee. Knowing all this, I retain\nthy kingdom yet! A man never winneth success in consequence of the\nattributes of lineage. It is the Supreme Ordainer alone who by his fiat\nof will maketh things (hostile) friendly subservient. For these thirteen\nyears, I have enjoyed sovereignty while ye were weeping. I shall continue\nto rule in the same way, slaying thee with thy kinsmen. Where was thy\nGandiva then, when thou wert made slave won at stake? Where, O Falguni,\nwas Bhima's might then? Your deliverance then came neither from\nBhimasena, armed with mace, nor from you armed with Gandiva, but from the\nfaultless Krishna. It was she, the daughter to Prishata's house, that\ndelivered you all, sunk in slavery, engaged in occupations worthy only of\nthe low, and working as servitors. I characterised you all as sesame\nseeds without kernel. That is true. For, did not Partha (some time after)\nbear a braid when living in Virata's city? In the cooking apartments of\nVirata, Bhimasena was fatigued with doing the work of a cook. Even this,\nO son of Pritha, is (evidence of) my manliness! Flying from an encounter\nwith hips and braids and waist-bands, thyself binding thy hair, wert\nengaged in teaching the girls to dance? It is thus that Kshatriyas always\ninflict punishment on Kshatriyas! From fear of Vasudeva, or from fear of\nthyself, O Falguni, I will not give up the kingdom! Fight with Kesava as\nthy ally! Neither deception, nor conjuror's tricks, nor jugglery, can\nterrify the armed man addressed for fight. On the other hand, these\nprovoke only his wrath. A thousand Vasudevas, a hundred Falgunis,\napproaching me whose arms and weapons never go for nothing, will surely\nfly away in all directions. Encounter Bhishma in combat, or strike the\nhill with thy head, or cross with the aid of thy two arms alone the vast\nand deep main! As regards my army, it is a veritable main with Saradwat's\nson as its large fish, Vivinsati as its huge snake, Bhishma as its\ncurrent of immeasurable might, Drona as its unconquerable alligator,\nKarna and Salwa and Salya its fishes and whirlpools, the ruler of the\nKamvojas its equine head emitting fire, Vrihadvala its fierce waves,\nSomadatta's son its whale, Yuyutsu and Durmarshana its waters, Bhagadatta\nits gale, Srutayus and Hridika's son its gulfs and bays, Dussasana its\ncurrent, Sushena and Chitrayuda its water-elephants (hippopotamus) and\ncrocodile, Jayadratha its (submarine) rock, Purumitra its depth, and\nSakuni its shores! When having plunged into this surging ocean with its\ninexhaustible waves of weapons, thou wilt, from fatigue, be deprived of\nsenses and have all thy relatives and friends slain, then will repentance\npossess thy heart! Then also will thy heart turn away from the thought of\nruling the earth, like the heart of a person of impure deeds turning away\nfrom (hope of) heaven. Indeed, for thee to win a kingdom to rule is as\nimpossible as for one not possessed of ascetic merit to obtain heaven!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having reached the Pandava camp, the gambler's son\n(Uluka) presented himself before the Pandavas, and addressing\nYudhishthira said, \"Thou art fully conversant with what envoys say! It\nbehoveth thee not, therefore, to be angry with me if I repeat those words\nonly which Duryodhana hath instructed me to tell!\"'\n\n\"'Hearing this, Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast no fear, O Uluka! Tell us,\nwithout any anxiety what are the views of the covetous Duryodhana of\nlimited sight!\" Then in the midst and presence of the illustrious and\nhigh-souled Pandavas, of the Srinjayas, and Krishna possessed of great\nfame, of Drupada with his sons, of Virata, and of all monarchs, Uluka\nsaid these words.\n\n\"'Uluka said, \"Even this is what the high-souled king Duryodhana hath in\nthe presence of all the Kuru heroes, said unto thee! Listen to those\nwords, O Yudhishthira! Thou wert defeated at dice, and Krishna was\nbrought into the assembly! At this, a person who regardeth himself a man\nwould be justified in giving way to wrath! For twelve years wert thou\nbanished from home into the woods! For one whole year didst thou live in\nVirata's service. Remembering the reason there is for wrath, thy exile,\nand the persecution of Krishna, be a man, O son of Pandu! Though weak,\nBhima yet, O Pandava, made a vow! Let him, if able, drink the blood of\nDussasana! Thy weapons have been properly worshipped and their presiding\ndeities have been invoked! The field of Kurukshetra also is without mire.\nThe roads are even. Thy steeds are well-fed. Engage in battle, therefore,\non the morrow, with Kesava as thy ally! Without having yet approached\nBhishma in battle, why dost thou indulge in boasts? Like a fool that\nboasteth of his intention to ascend the mountains of Gandhamadana, thou,\nO son of Kunti, art indulging in a vain boast. Without having vanquished\nin battle the Suta's son (Karna) who is invincible, and Salya, that\nforemost of mighty persons, and that first of all warriors and equal unto\nSachi's lord himself in combat, why, O son of Pritha, dost thou wish for\nsovereignty? A preceptor in both the Vedas and the bow, he hath reached\nthe end of both these branches of learning. Thou desirest in vain, O son\nof Pritha, to vanquish that leader of troops, the illustrious Drona, who\nfightest in the van, is incapable of being agitated, and whose strength\nknows no diminution. Never have we heard that the mountains of Sumeru\nhave been crushed by the wind! But the wind will bear away Sumeru, heaven\nitself will fall down on the earth, the very Yugas will be reversed if\nwhat thou hast said unto me really taketh place! Who is there fond of\nlife, fighting from the back of an elephant or of a horse or from a car,\nthat would return home (safe and sound), after having encountered that\ngrinder of foes? What creature treading the earth with his feet, would\nescape with life from battle, having been attacked by Drona and Bhishma,\nor pierced with their terrible shafts? Like a frog within a well, why\ndost thou not realise the strength of this assembled host of monarchs,\nwhich resembleth the very celestial host, and which is protected by these\nkings like the gods protecting theirs in heaven, and which, swarming with\nthe kings of the East, West, South, and North, with Kamvojas, Sakas,\nKhasas, Salwas, Matsyas, Kurus of the middle country, Mlecchas,\nPulindas, Dravidas, Andhras, and Kanchis, indeed, with many nations, all\naddressed for battle, is uncrossable like the swollen tide of Ganga? O\nfool of little understanding, how wilt thou fight with me while I am\nstationed in the midst of my elephant force?\"\n\n\"'Having said these words unto king Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma,\nUluka, turning his face then towards Jishnu, said unto him these words,\n\"Fight without bragging, O Arjuna! Why dost thou brag so much? Success\nresulteth from the application of method. A battle is never won by\nbragging. If acts in this world, O Dhananjaya, succeeded in consequence\nonly of boasts, then all men would have succeeded in their objects, for\nwho is there that is not competent to brag? I know that thou hast\nVasudeva for thy ally. I know that thy Gandiva is full six cubits long. I\nknow that there is no warrior equal to thee. Knowing all this, I retain\nthy kingdom yet! A man never winneth success in consequence of the\nattribute of lineage. It is the Supreme Ordainer alone who by his fiat\nmaketh (things hostile) friendly and subservient. For these thirteen\nyears have I enjoyed sovereignty, while ye were weeping! I shall continue\nto rule in the same way, slaying thee with thy kinsmen! Where was thy\nGandiva then when thou wert made a slave won at dice? Where, O Falguni,\nwas Bhimasena's might then? Your deliverance then came neither from\nBhimasena armed with mace, nor from you armed with Gandiva, but from\nfaultless Krishna. It was she, the daughter of Prishata's house, that\ndelivered you all, sunk in slavery, engaged in occupations worthy only of\nthe low, and working as servitors! I characterised ye as sesame seeds\nwithout kernel. That is very true, for, did not Partha wear a braid while\nliving in Virata's city? In the cooking apartments of Virata, Bhimasena\nwas fatigued with doing the work of a cook. Even this, O son of Kunti, is\n(evidence of) thy manliness! Flying from an encounter with braids and\nwaist-bands thyself binding thy hair into a braid, thou wert employed in\nteaching the girls to dance! It is thus that Kshatriyas always inflict\npunishment on a Kshatriya! From fear of Vasudeva, or from fear of\nthyself, O Falguni, I will not give up the kingdom. Fight, with Kesava as\nthy ally! Neither deception, nor conjuror's tricks, nor jugglery can\nterrify an armed man ready for fight. On the other hand, all this\nprovokes only his wrath! A thousand Vasudevas, a hundred Falgunis,\napproaching me whose aim and weapons never go for nothing, will fly away\nin all directions. Encounter Bhishma in combat, or pierce the hills with\nthy head, or cross with the aid of thy two arms the vast and deep main!\nAs regards my army, it is a veritable ocean with Saradwat's son as its\nlarge fish; Vivinsati, its smaller fish; Vrihadvala its waves;\nSomadatta's son its whale; Bhishma its mighty force; Drona its\nunconquerable alligator; Karna and Salya, its fishes and whirlpools;\nKamvoja its equine head vomiting fire, Jayadratha its (submarine) rock,\nPurumitra its depth, Durmarshana its waters, and Sakuni its shores! When\nhaving plunged into this swelling ocean with its inexhaustible waves of\nweapons thou wilt from fatigue be deprived of thy senses, and have all\nthy relatives and friends slain, then will repentance possess thy heart!\nThen will thy heart turn away, O Partha, from the thought of ruling the\nearth like the heart of a person of impure deeds turning away from (hope\nof) heaven. Indeed, for thee to win a kingdom to rule is as impossible as\nfor one not possessed of ascetic merit to obtain heaven!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'O monarch, provoking Arjuna still further who was like a\nsnake of virulent poison, by means of those wordy strokes of his, Uluka\nonce more repeated the words he had once spoken. The Pandavas had before\nsuch repetition, been sufficiently provoked, but hearing these words (a\nsecond time) and receiving those censures through the gambler's son, they\nwere provoked beyond endurance. They all stood up, and began to stretch\ntheir arms. And looking like enraged snakes of virulent poison, they\nbegan to cast their eyes on one another. And Bhimasena, with face\ndownwards, and breathing heavily like a snake, began to glance obliquely\nat Kesava, directing the blood-red corners of his eyes towards him. And\nbeholding the Wind-god's son to be greatly afflicted and extremely\nprovoked with rage, he of Dasarha's race smilingly addressed the\ngambler's son and said, \"Depart hence without a moment's delay, O\ngambler's son, and say unto Suyodhana these words, viz.,--'Thy words have\nbeen heard and sense understood. Let that take place which thou\ndesirest.'\" Having said this, O best of monarchs, the mighty-armed Kesava\nlooked once more at Yudhishthira endued with great wisdom. Then in the\nmidst and presence of all the Srinjayas, of Krishna possessed of great\nfame, of Drupada with his sons, of Virata, and all the kings (there\nassembled), Uluka once more repeated unto Arjuna the words he had said,\nprovoking him still further thereby, like one annoying wrathful snake of\nvirulent poison by means of a stake. And he also said unto all of them,\nviz.,--Krishna and others, those words that Duryodhana had instructed him\nto say. And hearing those harsh and highly disagreeable words uttered by\nUluka, Partha was greatly excited and wiped the sweat off his forehead.\nAnd beholding Partha, O king, in that condition, that assembly of\nmonarchs could not bear it at all. And at that insult to Krishna and the\nhigh-souled Partha, the car-warriors of the Pandavas were greatly\nagitated. Though endued with great steadiness of mind, those tigers among\nmen began to burn with anger. And Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin and that\nmighty car-warrior, Satyaki, and the five Kekaya brothers, and the\nRakshasa Ghatotkacha, the sons of Draupadi, and Abhimanyu, and king\nDhrishtaketu, and Bhimasena, endued with great prowess, and those mighty\ncar-warriors--the twins,--jumped up from their seats, their eyes red with\nanger, tossing their handsome arms decked with red sandal-paste and\nornaments of gold. Then Vrikodara, the son of Kunti, understanding their\ngestures and hearts, sprang up from his seat. And gnashing his teeth, and\nlicking with his tongue the corners of his mouth, and burning with rage,\nand squeezing his hands and turning his eyes fiercely, said these words\nunto Uluka, \"Ignorant fool, thy words have now been heard which Duryodhana\nsaid unto thee for the object of provoking us as if we were a set of\nimbeciles! Hear now the words which I say and which thou art to repeat\nunto the inaccessible Suyodhana in the midst of all the Kshatriyas and in\nthe hearing of the Suta's son and the wicked-hearted Sakuni. 'We always\nseek to gratify our elder brother! It was for this, O thou of wicked\nbehaviour, that we tolerated thy acts. Dost thou not regard this as\nhighly fortunate for thee? It was for only the good of our race that king\nYudhishthira the Just, endued with great intelligence, sent Hrishikesa to\nthe Kurus for bringing about a peace! Impelled by Fate, without doubt,\nthou art desirous of repairing unto Yama's abode! Come, fight with us.\nThat, however, is certainly to take place tomorrow! I have, indeed, vowed\nto slay thee with thy brothers! O sinful fool, do not entertain the\nslightest doubt, for it will be as I have vowed! The very ocean, the\nabode of Varuna--may all on a sudden transgress its continents. The very\nmountains may split, yet my words can never be false! If Yama himself, or\nKuvera, or Rudra, assisteth thee, the Pandavas will still accomplish what\nthey have vowed! I shall certainly drink Dussasana's blood according to\nmy pleasure! And I also vow that Kshatriya whatsoever may then angrily\napproach me, even if he cometh with Bhishma himself at the van, I will\nsend him to Yama's abode! That which I have said in the midst of a\nKshatriya assembly will certainly be true. I swear this by my soul!'\"\n\n\"'Hearing these words of Bhimasena, the wrathful Sahadeva also, with eyes\nred in anger, said these words in the presence of the (assembled)\ntroops,--words that become that proud hero. And he said, \"Listen, O\nsinful one, to the words I utter and which must be repeated to thy\nfather! A difference would never have arisen between us and the Kurus, if\nDhritarashtra had no relationship with thee! Of sinful acts and the\nexterminator of thy own race, thou hast been born as an embodiment of\nquarrel for the destruction of the whole world as also for the\ndestruction of Dhritarashtra's race! From our very birth, O Uluka, that\nsinful father of thine hath always sought to do us injury and evil. I\ndesire to attain the opposite shore of that hostile relation. Slaying\nthee first before the very eyes of Sakuni, I shall then slay Sakuni\nhimself in the sight of all bowmen!\"\n\n\"'Hearing these words of both Bhima and Sahadeva, Falguni smilingly\naddressed Bhima, saying, \"O Bhimasena, they that have provoked\nhostilities with thee, cannot live! Though they may dwell happily in\ntheir homes, those fools become yet entangled in the meshes of death! O\nbest of men, Uluka doth not deserve to be addressed harshly by thee! What\nfault do envoys commit, repeating as they only do what they are\ninstructed (to say)?\" And having thus addressed Bhima of terrible prowess\nthat mighty-armed hero then addressed his heroic allies and well-wishers\nheaded by Dhrishtadyumna, saying, \"Ye have heard the words of the sinful\nson of Dhritarashtra in dispraise of Vasudeva and especially of myself!\nAnd hearing them ye have been filled with anger because ye wish us well!\nBut through Vasudeva's might and your endeavours, I do not reckon even\nall the Kshatriyas of the earth assembled together! With your permission\nI will now communicate to Uluka what the reply to those words is, what,\nindeed, he should say unto Duryodhana!--'When the morrow cometh, stationed\nat the head of my division, the answer to these words shall I give\nthrough Gandiva! For they that are eunuchs, answer in words!'\"\n\n\"'Hearing this, all those best of kings applauded Dhananjaya, wondering at\nthe ingenuity of that reply. King Yudhishthira the Just, then, having\nspoken mildly unto all the kings each according to his age and as each\ndeserved said, at last, unto Uluka these words so that he might carry\nthem to Duryodhana. And Yudhishthira said, \"No good king should patiently\nbear an insult. Having so long heard what thou hadst to say, I shall now\ntell thee what my reply is!\"\n\n\"'Having heard then, O best of Bharata's race, those words of Duryodhana,\nYudhishthira, that bull of the Bharata race, with eyes exceedingly red in\nanger and himself sighing like a snake of virulent poison, licking the\ncorners of his mouth with his tongue, as if swelling with wrath, and\ncasting his eyes on Janardana and his own brothers, said unto Uluka these\nwords that were fraught with both mildness and vigour. And tossing his\nmassive arms he said unto the gambler's son, \"Go, O Uluka, and say unto\nDuryodhana, that ungrateful, wicked-minded embodiment of hostilities,\nthat infamous wretch of his race, these words, viz.,--'O sinful wretch,\nthou always behavest with crookedness towards the Pandavas! O sinful\nfool, he that displayeth his prowess relying on his own might and\nsummoneth his foes (to battle) and fulfilleth his own words, even he is a\nman of the Kshatriya order! Be thou a Kshatriya, O sinful wretch, and\nsummon us to battle! O infamous one of thy race, do not come to battle,\nplacing at thy head others for whom we profess respect! O Kaurava,\nrelying on thy own might and on that of thy servants, summon the sons of\nPritha to battle! Be Kshatriya in every way! He, who summoneth his foes,\nrelying on the might of others, and incapable of receiving them himself\nis, indeed, a eunuch! Thou, however, thinkest highly of thyself, relying\non the might of others! Being weak and unable thyself, why then dost thou\nroar so (in words) at us?'\"\n\n\"'Krishna said, \"My words also, O gambler's son, should be communicated\nunto Suyodhana. Let that morrow come to thee on which the battle is to\ntake place. O thou of wicked soul, be a man! O fool, thou thinkest\nJanardana will not fight, since he hath been chosen by the Pandavas to\nact only as a charioteer, so thou art not alarmed. That, however, will\nnot be, even for a moment. If my wrath is excited, I may then consume all\nthe kings (assembled by thee) like a fire consuming a heap of straw. At\nYudhishthira's command, however, I shall only discharge the functions of\ncharioteer to the high-souled Falguni, of senses under complete control\nand who alone, (amongst us two) will fight! If thou fliest beyond the\nlimits of the three worlds, if thou sinkest into the depths of the earth,\nthou shalt, even at these places, behold Arjuna's car tomorrow morning.\nThou thinkest that Bhima's words have been spoken in vain! But know that\nDussasana's blood hath already been quaffed. Know this also that although\nthou hast uttered such cross and perverse words, yet neither Partha, nor\nking Yudhishthira, nor Bhimasena, nor any of the twins, regardeth thee as\nstraw!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXIV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having heard those words of Duryodhana, Gudakesha of\ngreat fame looked at the gambler's son with eyes exceedingly red. And\neyeing Kesava also and tossing his massive arms, he addressed the\ngambler's son, saying, \"He, who, relying on his own strength, summoneth\nhis foes and fighteth with them fearlessly, is spoken of as a man. He,\nhowever, who, relying on the strength of others, summoneth his foes, is\nan infamous Kshatriya. In consequence of his incapacity, such a one is\nregarded as the lowest of men. Relying on the strength of others, thou (O\nDuryodhana), being a coward thyself, desirest yet, O fool, to rebuke thy\nfoes. Having installed (Bhishma) the oldest of all the Kshatriyas, whose\nheart is ever bent in doing what is good, who hath all his passions under\ncontrol, and who is endued with great wisdom, in the command of thy\ntroops and made him liable to certain death, thou indulgest in brag! O\nthou of wicked understanding, thy object (in doing this) is fully known\nto us, O wretch of thy race! Thou hast done it, believing that sons of\nPandu will not, from kindness, slay the son of Ganga. Know, however, O\nDhritarashtra's son, that I will slay that Bhishma first in the sight of\nall the bowmen, relying upon whose strength thou indulgest in such\nboasts! O gambler's son, repairing (hence) unto the Bharatas and\napproaching Duryodhana the son of Dhritarashtra, say unto him that Arjuna\nhath said,--'So be it!' After this night will have passed away, the fierce\nencounter of arms will take place. Indeed, Bhishma of unfailing might and\nfirmly adhering to truth, hath told thee in the midst of the Kurus these\nwords, viz.,--'I will slay the army of the Srinjayas and the Salweyas. Let\nthat be my task. Excepting Drona I can slay the whole world.' Thou needest\nnot, therefore, entertain any fear of the Pandavas! At this, thou, O\nDuryodhana, regardest the kingdom as thy own and thinkest that the\nPandavas have sunk into distress. Thou hast been filled with pride at\nthis. Thou seest not, however, danger that is in thy own self. I shall,\ntherefore, in battle, first slay before thy very eyes, Bhishma the eldest\nof the Kurus! At sunrise (tomorrow) at the head of the troops, with\nstandards and cars protect ye that leader of thy forces firm in his\npromises. I shall, with my arrows, throw him down who is your refuge from\nhis car before the eyes of you all! When the morrow cometh, Suyodhana\nwill know what it is to indulge in brag, beholding the grandsire covered\nwith my arrows! Thou shalt, O Suyodhana, very soon see the fulfilment of\nthat which Bhimasena in anger had said, in the midst of the assembly,\nunto thy brother, that man of limited sight, viz., Dussasana, wedded to\nunrighteousness, always quarrelsome, of wicked understanding, and cruel\nin behaviour. Thou shalt soon see the terrible effects of vanity and\npride, of wrath and arrogance, of bragging and heartlessness, cutting\nwords and acts, of aversion from righteousness, and sinfulness and\nspeaking ill of others, of transgressing the counsels of the aged, of\noblique sight, and of all kinds of vices! O scum of humanity, how canst\nthou, O fool, hope for either life or kingdom, if I, having Vasudeva for\nmy second, give way to anger? After Bhishma and Drona will have been\nquieted and after the Suta's son will have been overthrown, thou shalt be\nhopeless of life, kingdom and sons! Hearing of the slaughter of thy\nbrothers and sons, and struck mortally by Bhimasena, thou wilt, O\nSuyodhana, recollect all thy misdeeds!--Tell him, O gambler's son, that I\ndo not vow a second time. I tell thee truly that all this will be\ntrue!--Departing hence, O Uluka, say, O sire, these words of mine, unto\nSuyodhana! It behoveth thee not to apprehend my behaviour by the light of\nthy own! Know the difference there is between thy conduct and mine, which\nis even the difference between truth and falsehood! I do not wish harm to\neven insects and ants. What shall I say, therefore, of my ever wishing\nharm to my kinsmen? O sire, it was for this that five villages only were\nsolicited by me! Why, O thou of wicked understanding, dost thou not see\nthe dire calamity that threatens thee? Thy soul overwhelmed with lust,\nthou indulgest in vauntings from defectiveness of understanding. It is\nfor this also thou acceptest not the beneficial words of Vasudeva. What\nneed now of much talk? Fight (against us) with all thy friends! Say, O\ngambler's son, unto the Kuru prince who always doth what is injurious to\nme (these words also, viz.,)--Thy words have been heard; their sense also\nhath been understood. Let it be as thou wishest!\"\n\n\"'O son of kings, Bhimasena then once more said these words, \"O Uluka, say\nthose words of mine unto the wicked-minded, deceitful, and unrighteous\nSuyodhana, who is an embodiment of sin, who is wedded to guile, and whose\nbehaviour is exceedingly wicked. Thou shalt have to dwell in the stomach\nof a vulture or in Hastinapura. O scum of human kind, I shall assuredly\nfulfil the vow I have made in the midst of the assembly. I swear in the\nname of Truth, slaying Dussasana in battle, I shall quaff his life-blood!\nSlaying also thy (other) brothers, I shall smash thy own thighs. Without\ndoubt, O Suyodhana, I am the destroyer of all the sons of Dhritarashtra,\nas Abhimanyu is of all the (younger) princes! I shall by my deeds,\ngratify you all! Hearken once more to me. O Suyodhana, slaying thee, with\nall thy uterine brothers, I shall strike the crown of thy head with my\nfoot in the sight of the king Yudhishthira the Just!\"\n\n\"'Nakula, then, O king, said these words, \"O Uluka, say unto\nDhritarashtra's son, Suyodhana, of Kuru's race that all the words uttered\nby him have now been heard and their sense understood. I shall, O\nKauravya, do all that thou hast commended me to do.\"\n\n\"'And Sahadeva also, O monarch, said these words of grave import, \"O\nSuyodhana, it will all be as thou wishest! Thou shalt have to repent, O\ngreat king, along with thy children, kinsmen, and counsellors, even as\nthou art now bragging joyously in view of our sufferings.\"\n\n\"'Then Virata and Drupada, both venerable in years, said these words unto\nUluka, \"It is even our wish that we become slaves of a virtuous person!\nWhether, however, we are slaves or masters, will be known tomorrow, as\nalso who owns what manliness!\"\n\n\"'After them, Sikhandin said these words unto Uluka, \"Thou must say unto\nking Duryodhana who is always addicted to sinfulness, these words,\nviz.,--'See, O king, what fierce deed is perpetrated by me in battle! I\nshall slay grandsire of thine from his car, relying upon whose prowess\nthou art certain of success in battle! Without doubt, I have been created\nby the high-souled Creator for the destruction of Bhishma. I shall\nassuredly slay Bhishma in the sight of all bowmen.'\"\n\n\"'After this, Dhrishtadyumna also said unto Uluka, the gambler's son,\nthese words, \"Say unto prince Suyodhana these my words, viz., I shall\nslay Drona with all his followers and friends. And I shall do a deed\nwhich none else will ever do.\"\n\n\"'King Yudhishthira once more said these high words fraught with clemency,\nviz.,--\"O monarch, I never desire the slaughter of my kinsmen. O thou of\nwicked understanding, it is from thy fault that all this will assuredly\ntake place. I shall, of course, have to sanction the fulfilment of their\ngreat feats by all these (around me). Go hence, O Uluka, without delay or\nstay here, O sire, for, blessed be thou, we too are thy kinsmen.\"\n\n\"'Uluka, then, O king, thinking permission of Yudhishthira, the son of\nDharma, went thither where king Suyodhana was. Thus addressed, the\ngambler's son carefully bearing in mind all he had heard, returned to the\nplace from which he had come. And arriving there, he fully represented\nunto the vindictive Duryodhana all that Arjuna had charged him with. And\nhe also faithfully communicated unto Dhritarashtra's son the words of\nVasudeva, of Bhima, of king Yudhishthira the Just, of Nakula and Virata\nand Drupada, O Bharata, and the words of Sahadeva and Dhrishtadyumna and\nSikhandin, and the words also that were spoken (subsequently) by Kesava\nand Arjuna. And having listened to the words of the gambler's son,\nDuryodhana, that bull of Bharata's race, ordered Dussasana and Karna and\nSakuni, O Bharata, and their own troops and the troops of the allies, and\nall the (assembled) kings, to be arrayed in divisions and be ready for\nbattle before sunrise (next morrow). Messengers then, instructed by Karna\nand hastily mounting on cars and camels and mares and good steeds endued\nwith great fleetness, quickly rode through the encampment. And at Karna's\ncommand they promulgated the order--Array (yourselves) before sunrise\ntomorrow!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having listened to Uluka's words, Yudhishthira, the son\nof Kunti, moved his army headed by Dhrishtadyumna and others. And that\nvast army commanded by Dhrishtadyumna, consisting of four kinds of\nforces, viz., foot-soldiers and elephants and cars and cavalry, terrible,\nand immovable like the earth herself, and guarded by mighty car-warriors\nled by Bhimasena and Arjuna, could be compared to the vast ocean lying in\nstillness. And at the head of that vast force was that mighty bowman, the\nprince of Panchalas, invincible in battle, viz., Dhrishtadyumna, desirous\nof obtaining Drona for his antagonist. And Dhrishtadyumna began to select\ncombatants (from his own army) for pitting them against particular\nwarriors of the hostile force. And he gave orders unto his car-warriors,\nsuited to their strength and courage. And he pitted Arjuna against the\nSuta's son (Karna), Bhima against Duryodhana, Dhrishtaketu against Salya,\nUttamaujas against Gautama's son (Kripa), Nakula against Kritavarman,\nYuyudhana against the ruler of the Sindhus (Jayadratha). And he placed\nSikhandin in the van, pitting him against Bhishma. And he urged Sahadeva\nagainst Sakuni, and Chekitana against Sala, and the five sons of Draupadi\nagainst the Trigartas. And he urged Subhadra's son (Abhimanyu) against\nVrishasena (the son of Karna), and also against all the rest of the\nkings, for he regarded Abhimanyu as superior to Arjuna himself in battle.\nAnd distributing his warriors thus, individually and collectively, that\nmighty bowman, of the hue of blazing fire, kept Drona for his own share.\nAnd that leader of leaders of troops, the mighty and intelligent bowman\nDhrishtadyumna, having arrayed his troops duly, waited for battle with a\nfirm heart. And having arrayed the combatants, as indicated above, of the\nPandavas, he waited, with collected mind, on the field for securing\nvictory to the sons of Pandu.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXVI\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'After Falguni had vowed the slaughter of Bhishma in\nbattle, what did my wicked sons headed by Duryodhana do? Alas, I already\nbehold my father, Ganga's son, slain in battle, by that bowman of firm\ngrasp, viz., Partha, having Vasudeva for his ally! And what also did that\nmighty bowman, that foremost of smiters, Bhishma, endued with\nimmeasurable wisdom, say on hearing the words of Partha. Having accepted\nalso the command of the Kauravas, what did that foremost of warriors,\nGanga's son, of exceeding intelligence and prowess, do?'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus questioned, Sanjaya told him everything\nabout what that eldest one of the Kurus, Bhishma of immeasurable energy,\nhad said.\"\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'O monarch, obtaining the command, Bhishma, the son of\nSantanu said these words unto Duryodhana, gladdening him greatly,\n\"Worshipping the leader of celestial forces, viz., Kumara, armed with the\nlance, I shall, without doubt, be the commander of thy army today! I am\nwell-versed in all mighty affairs, as also in various kinds of array. I\nknow also how to make regular soldiers and volunteers act their parts. In\nthe matter of marching the troops and arraying them, in encounters and\nwithdrawing, I am as well-versed, O great king, as Vrihaspati (the\npreceptor of the celestials), is! I am acquainted with all the methods of\nmilitary array prevalent amongst the celestials, Gandharvas, and human\nbeings. With these I will confound the Pandavas. Let thy (heart's) fever\nbe dispelled. I will fight (the foe), duly protecting thy army and\naccording to the rules of (military) science! O king, let thy heart's\nfever be dispelled!\"'\n\n\"'Hearing these words, Duryodhana said, \"O Ganga's son of mighty arms, I\ntell thee truly, I have no fear from even all the gods and Asuras united\ntogether! How much less, therefore, is my fear when thy invincible self\nhath become the leader of my forces and when that tiger among men, Drona,\nalso waiteth willingly for battle! When you two foremost of men, are\naddressed for battle on my side, victory, nay, the sovereignty of even\nthe celestial cannot assuredly be unattainable by me! I desire, however,\nO Kaurava, to know who amongst all the warriors of the foe and my own are\nto be counted as Rathas and who Atirathas. Thou, O grandsire, art\nwell-acquainted with the (prowess of the) combatants of the foe, also of\nourselves! I desire to hear this, with all these lords of earth!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O son of Gandhari, O king of kings, to the tale\nof Rathas in thy own army! Hear, O king, as to who are Rathas and who\nAtirathas! They are in thy army, many thousands, many millions, and many\nhundreds of millions of Rathas. Listen, however, to me as I name only the\nprincipal ones. Firstly, with thy country of brothers including Dussasana\nand others, thou art of the foremost of Rathas! All of you are skilled in\nstriking, and proficient in cutting chariots and piercing. All of you are\naccomplished drivers of chariots while seated in the driver's box, and\naccomplished managers of elephants while seated on the necks of those\nanimals. All of you are clever smiters with maces and bearded darts and\nswords and bucklers. You are accomplished in weapons and competent in\nbearing burthens of responsibility. Ye all are disciples of Drona and of\nKripa, the son of Saradwat, in arrows and other arms. Wronged by the sons\nof Pandu, these Dhartarashtras, endued with energy, will assuredly slay\nin the encounter the Panchalas irresistible in combat. Then, O foremost\nof the Bharatas, come I, the leader of all thy troops, who will\nexterminate thy foes, vanquishing the Pandavas! It behoveth me not to\nspeak of my own merits. I am known to thee. The foremost of all wielders\nof weapons, Bhoja (chief) Kritavarman is Atiratha. Without doubt, he will\naccomplish thy purpose in battle. Incapable of being humiliated by\npersons accomplished in arms, shooting or hurling his weapons to a great\ndistance, and a severe smiter, he will destroy the ranks of the foe, as\nthe great Indra destroying the Danavas. The ruler of the Madras, the\nmighty bowman Salya, is, as I think, an Atiratha. That warrior boasteth\nhimself as Vasudeva's equal, in every battle (that he fighteth). Having\nabandoned his own sister's sons, that best of kings, Salya, hath become\nthine. He will encounter in battle the Maharathas of the Pandava party,\nflooding the enemy with his arrows resembling the very surges of the sea.\nThe mighty bowman Bhurisravas, the son of Somadatta, who is accomplished\nin arms and is one of thy well-meaning friends, is a leader of leaders of\ncar-divisions. He will, certainly, make a great havoc among the\ncombatants of thy enemies. The king of the Sindhus, O monarch, is in my\njudgment, equal to two Rathas. That best of car-warriors will fight in\nbattle, displaying great prowess. Humiliated, O king, by the Pandavas on\nthe occasion of his abducting Draupadi, and bearing that humiliation in\nmind, that slayer of hostile heroes will fight (for thee). Having\npractised after that, O king, the severest austerities, he obtained a\nboon, highly difficult of acquisition, for encountering the Pandavas in\nbattle. That tiger among car-warriors, therefore, remembering his old\nhostility, will, O sire, fight with the Pandavas in battle, reckless of\nhis very life which is so difficult to lay down.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXVII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Sudakshina, the ruler of the Kamvojas, is in my\njudgment, equal to a single Ratha. Desiring the success of thy object, he\nwill certainly fight with the enemy in battle. O best of kings, the\nKauravas will behold the prowess of this lion among car-warriors exerted\nfor thee, to be equal to that of Indra himself in battle. As regards the\ncar-army of this king, O monarch, those smiters of fierce impetus, the\nKamvojas, will cover a large area like a flight of locusts! Coming from\n(the province of) Mahishmati, Nila, accoutred in blue mail, is one of thy\nRathas. With his car-army he will cause a great havoc among thy foes, O\nchild, he had hostilities with Sahadeva. O king, he will continually\nfight for thee, O thou of Kuru's race. Accomplished in battle, and of\nfierce energy and prowess, (the princes) Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti are\nboth regarded as excellent Rathas. These two heroes among men will\nconsume the troops of thy foes, with maces and bearded darts, and swords\nand long shafts, and javelins hurled from their hands. Like a couple of\n(elephant) leaders sporting in the midst of their herds, these two\nprinces, O monarch, longing for battle, will range the field, each like\nYama himself. The five (royal) brothers of Trigarta are, in my judgment,\nall foremost of Rathas. The sons of Pritha provoked hostilities with them\nat Virata's city on that (well-known) occasion. Like huge Makaras, O\nking, agitating the stream of the Ganges crested with high waves, they\nwill agitate the ranks of the Parthas in battle. All the five, O king,\nare Rathas, having Satyaratha (amongst them) as their first. Remembering\nthe wrongs inflicted on them of old by that son of Pandu who is Bhima's\nyounger brother, when the latter, O Bharata, on his car drawn by white\nsteeds, was engaged, O monarch, in subjugating all the kings of the\nearth, they will certainly exert themselves bravely in battle.\nEncountering many Maharathas--chief of bowmen--leaders of Kshatriyas--on\nthe side of the Parthas, they will certainly slay them. Thy son Lakshmana\nand the son also of Dussasana--those tigers among men are both\nunretreating in battle. In prime of youth, of delicate limbs, endued with\ngreat activity, those two princes, well-versed with battles and capable\nof leading all, those tigers among Kurus, those car-warriors, are, I\nthink, two of our best Rathas. Devoted to the duties of the Kshatriya\norder, those two heroes will achieve great feats. Dandadhara, O monarch,\nis, O bull among men, equal to a single Ratha. Guarded by his own\nsoldiers, he will fight in battle for thee. Endued with great impetus and\nprowess, king Vrihadvala, the ruler of the Kosalas, is, in my judgment, O\nsire, equal to one Ratha. Fierce in arms, this mighty bowman, devoted to\nthe good of the Dhartarashtras, will exert himself powerfully in battle,\ngladdening his own friends. Kripa, the son of Saradwat is, O king, a\nleader of leaders of car-ranks. Reckless even of life which is so dear,\nhe will consume thy foes. Born among a clump of heath as the son of that\ngreat sage, viz., the preceptor Gautama, otherwise called Saradwat, he is\ninvincible like Kartikeya himself. Consuming untold warriors armed with\nvarious weapons and bows, he will, O sire, roam forth on the field of\nbattle like a blazing fire.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXVIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"This thy maternal uncle Sakuni is, O king, equal to a\nsingle Ratha. Having caused the (present) hostilities (to break out) with\nthe sons of Pandu, he will fight. There is no doubt in this. His troops\nare irresistible when rushing to battle. Armed with various kinds of\nweapons in abundance, in speed, they are equal to the very wind. The\nmighty bowman (Aswatthaman) who is Drona's son surpasseth all bowmen.\nAcquainted with all modes of warfare, and of unbaffled weapons, he is a\nMaharatha. Like the wielder of Gandiva, the shafts of this warrior, shot\nfrom his bow, proceed in a continuous line, touching one another. If he\nwishes it, this Maharatha is capable of consuming the three worlds.\nEngaged in austerities in his hermitage, he hath, by these, increased\nboth his fury and energy. Possessed of great intelligence, he hath been\nfavoured by Drona with (the gift of all) celestial weapons. There is,\nhowever, O bull of Bharata's race, one great defect in him, in\nconsequence of which, O best of kings, I do not regard him either as a\nRatha or a Maharatha. This regenerate man is exceedingly fond of living,\nlife being very dear to him. Amongst the warriors of both armies there is\nno one who can be regarded as his peer. On even a single car he can\nannihilate the very army of the celestials. Possessed of a strong frame,\nhe can split the very mountains by the flaps of his bow-string, striking\nagainst the leathern fence on his left arm. Endued with innumerable\nqualities, this smiter of fierce effulgence will wander (over the field\nof battle), incapable of being withstood like Yama himself, mace in hand.\nResembling the fire at the end of the Yuga as regards his fury, possessed\nof leonine neck, and endued with great lustre, Aswatthaman will\nextinguish the embers of this battle between the Bharatas. His father\n(Drona) is endued with great energy, and though aged, is still superior\nto many young men. He will achieve great feats in battle. I have no doubt\nof this. Staying immovably (on the field), he will consume Yudhishthira's\ntroops. The Pandava army will play the part of the dry grass and fuel in\nwhich that fire will originate, while the impetus of his own weapons will\nbe the wind for fanning it into a (mighty) flame. This bull among men, is\na leader of bands of car-warriors. The son of Bharadwaja will achieve\nfierce feats for thy good! The preceptor of all Kshatriyas of royal\nlineage, the venerable preceptor, will exterminate the Srinjayas.\nDhananjaya, however, is dear to him. This mighty bowman, therefore,\nremembering his own celebrated and highly meritorious services as\npreceptor, will never be able to slay Partha who is capable of achieving\ngreat feats without any trouble. O hero, Drona always boasteth of the\nnumerous accomplishments of Partha. Indeed, Bharadwaja looketh on him\nwith greater affection than on his own son. Endued with great prowess, he\ncan, on a single car, beat in battle, by means of his celestial weapons,\nall the gods, Gandharvas, and human beings united together. That tiger\namong kings, is, O monarch, one of thy Maharathas. Capable of breaking\nthe car-ranks of hostile heroes, he, in my judgment, is one of thy\nforemost of car-warriors. Afflicting the ranks of the enemy at the head\nof his own large force, he will consume the Panchalas like fire consuming\na heap of dry grass. Possessed of true fame, prince Vrihadvala is equal\nto single Ratha. He, O monarch, will roam amid thy enemy's troops like\nDeath himself. His troops, O king of kings, accoutred in various kinds of\nmail and armed with diverse kinds of weapons, will wander on the field,\nslaying all the warriors opposed to them. Vrishasena, the son of Karna,\nis one of thy foremost of car-warriors and is a Maharatha. That foremost\nof mighty men will consume the troops of thy enemy. Endued with great\nenergy, Jalasandha, O king, is one of thy foremost of Rathas. Born in\nMadhu's race, that slayer of hostile heroes, is prepared to cast away his\nvery life in battle. Skilled in battle, that mighty-armed warrior,\nscattering the enemy's ranks before him, will fight in battle mounted on\ncar or from the elephant's back. That best of kings, O monarch, is in my\njudgment, a Ratha. He will, in fierce battle, cast away for thy sake his\nvery life with all his troops, possessed of great prowess and acquainted\nwith all the modes of warfare, he will, O king, fight fearlessly with thy\nfoes in battle. Never retreating from battle, brave, and resembling Yama\nhimself, Vahlika, O king, is in my judgment, an Atiratha. Rushing to the\nencounter he never cometh back. Indeed, he will slay hostile warriors in\nbattle like the Wind-god himself. That router of hostile car-ranks, that\ncar-warrior of wonderful feats in battle, commander of thy forces,\nSatyavan is, O king, a Maharatha. He never cherisheth grief at the\nprospect of battle. Confounding those warriors that stand in the way of\nhis car, he falleth upon them. Always displaying his prowess against the\nenemy, that best of men will, for thy sake, in fierce press of battle,\nachieve all that a good Kshatriya should. That chief of Rakshasas,\nAlambhusha, of cruel deeds, is a Maharatha. Remembering his old\nhostilities (with the Pandavas), he will commit great execution among the\nfoe. He is the best of Rathas amongst all the Rakshasa-warriors.\nPossessing powers of illusion, and firm in enmity, he will wander\nfiercely on the field. The ruler of Pragjyotisha, the brave Bhagadatta of\nexceeding prowess, is the foremost of those holding the elephant hook,\nand is skilled also in fighting from a car. An encounter took place\nbetween him and the wielder of Gandiva for days together, O king, each\ndesirous of victory over the other. Then Bhagadatta, O son of Gandhari,\nwho regarded Indra as his friend, made friendship with (Indra's son) the\nhigh-souled Pandava. Skilled in fight from the elephant's neck, this king\nwill fight in battle, like Vasava among the celestials, fighting from his\nAiravata.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXIX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Both the brothers Achala and Vrisha are Rathas.\nInvincible (in battle) they will slay thy foes. Endued with great\nstrength, those tigers among men, those foremost of Gandharvas, are firm\nin wrath. Young and handsome, they are possessed of great strength. As\nregards this thy ever dear friend, this one who is always boastful of his\nskill in battle, this one who always urgeth thee, O king, to fight with\nthe Pandavas, this vile braggart, Karna, the son of Surya, this one who\nis thy counsellor, guide, and friend, this vain wight who is destitute of\nsense, this Karna, is neither a Ratha nor an Atiratha. Without sense,\nthis one hath been deprived of his natural coat of mail. Always kind, he\nhath also been deprived of his celestial ear-rings. In consequence of the\ncurse of Rama (his preceptor in arms) as also of the words of a Brahmana\n(who cursed him on another occasion), owing also to his deprivation of\nthe accoutrements of battle, he, in my judgment, is only half a Ratha.\nHaving approached Falguni (in battle), he will not certainly escape with\nlife!\" Hearing this, Drona, that foremost of all wielders of weapons,\nsaid, \"It is even so as thou hast said. That is not untrue! He boasteth\non the eve of every battle, but yet he is seen to retreat from every\nengagement. Kind (out of season) and blundering, it is for this that\nKarna, in my judgment, is only half a Ratha!\"\n\n\"'Hearing these words, Radha's son, expanding his eyes in rage, and\nafflicting Bhishma with words like sharp hooks, said unto Ganga's son\nthese words, \"O grandsire, though I am innocent yet from thy aversion to\nme, thou manglest me thus, according to thy pleasure, with thy wordy\narrows at every step. I tolerate, however, all this for the sake of\nDuryodhana. Indicating me as only half a Ratha, thou regardest me\nworthless, as if, indeed, I were a coward! What doubt is there in this? I\ndo not speak an untruth when I say that thou, O Ganga's son, art an enemy\nof the whole universe, and especially of all the Kurus! The king,\nhowever, doth not know this! Who else is there that would thus seek to\ndisunite and abate the energy of these kings that are all equal and that\nare all equally brave, as thou, from thy hatred of merit, seekest to do?\nO Kaurava, neither years, nor wrinkles, nor wealth, nor possession of\nfriends, would entitle a Kshatriya to be regarded as a Maharatha! It hath\nbeen said that a Kshatriya acquireth eminence only through might, as\nBrahmanas acquire eminence through superiority in mantras, as Vaisyas\nthrough wealth, and Sudras through age. Influenced, however, by lust and\nenvy, and acting from ignorance, thou hast indicated Rathas and Atirathas\naccording only to thy own caprice! Blessed be thou, O mighty-armed\nDuryodhana, judge properly! Let this wicked Bhishma, who only wrongeth\nthee, be abandoned by thee! Thy warriors, once disunited, can with\ndifficulty be united again. O tiger among men, thy main army, under such\ncircumstances, can with difficulty be united; far greater will the\ndifficulty be in uniting an army gathered from various provinces! Behold,\nO Bharata, doubt (of success) hath already arisen in the hearts of thy\nwarriors! This Bhishma weakeneth our energy in our very presence! Where\nis the task of ascertaining the merits of Rathas, and where is Bhishma of\nlittle understanding? I alone will withstand the army of Pandavas. Coming\nin contact with me, whose arrows never go for nothing, the Pandavas and\nthe Panchalas will fly away in all directions like oxen when they come in\ncontact with a tiger! Where are battle, the press of armed\nencounter, good counsels and well-expressed words, and where is Bhishma,\nwho is superannuated and of wicked soul, and who is impelled by the very\nfates to become their victim? Alone he challengeth the whole universe! Of\nfalse vision he regardeth none else as a man. It is true the scriptures\nteach that the words of the old should be listened to. That, however,\ndoth not refer to those that are very old, for these, in my judgment,\nbecome children again. Alone I will exterminate the army of the Pandavas!\nThe fame, however, of such a feat will attach to Bhishma, O tiger among\nkings, for this Bhishma, O monarch, hath been made by thee the commander\nof thy forces, and the renown always attacheth to the leader and not to\nthose that fight under him. I will not, therefore, O king, fight as long\nas Ganga's son liveth! After Bhishma, however, hath been laid low, I will\nfight with all the Maharathas of the enemy united together!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"This burden, vast as the ocean, in the matter of\nDuryodhana's battle (with the Pandavas), is about to be taken up by me. I\nhave thought of it for many years. Now that the hour is come for that\nterrible encounter, dissensions amongst ourselves should not be created\nby me. It is for this, Suta's son, that thou livest! Else, superannuated\nthough I am and young in years thou art, I would quell thy desire for\nbattle and crush thy hope of life! (Thy preceptor) Rama, the son of\nJamadagni, shooting his great weapons, could not cause me the slightest\npain. What canst thou, therefore, do to me? They that are good, do not\napprove self-praise. Infamous wretch of thy race, know that I indulge in\nlittle boast because I am enraged. Vanquishing on a single car all the\nassembled Kshatriyas of the world at the Swayamvara of the daughters of\nthe ruler of Kasi, I abducted those maidens. Alone, I stopped on the\nfield of battle the rush of countless kings with their soldiers!\nObtaining thee as embodiment of strife, a great calamity is ready to\novertake the Kurus! Strive then for slaying our antagonists. Be a man,\nfight with that Partha, whom thou so often challengest. O thou of wicked\nunderstanding, I desire to see thee come out of that encounter with thy\nlife!\"'\n\n\"'King Duryodhana then said unto Bhishma, of great prowess, \"Cast thy eyes\non me, O Ganga's son! Great is the business that is at hand! Think\nearnestly as how I may be most benefited! Both of you will render me\ngreat services! I desire now to hear of the best car-warriors among the\nenemy, that is, of those that are Atirathas among them and of those that\nare leaders of car-division. O Kaurava, I desire to hear of the strength\nand weakness of my foes, since when this night will dawn, our great\nbattle will take place.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I have now, O king, indicated who thy Rathas are and who\nthy Atirathas and half Rathas. Listen now to the tale of Rathas and\nAtirathas among the Pandavas. If thou feelest any curiosity, listen then,\nO king, with these monarchs, to the tale of Rathas in the army of the\nPandavas. The king himself, son of Pandu and Kunti, is a mighty Ratha.\nWithout doubt, O sire, he will glide along the field of battle like a\nblazing fire; Bhimasena, O king, is regarded equal to eight Rathas. In an\nencounter with the mace or even with arrows, there is none equal to him.\nEndued with the strength of ten thousand elephants, and filled with\npride, in energy he is superhuman. Those two bulls among men, the sons of\nMadri, are both Rathas. In beauty, they are equal to the twin Aswinis,\nand they are endued with great energy. Stationed at the head of their\ndivisions, all of them, remembering their great sufferings, without\ndoubt, wander along the field like so many Indras! All of them are endued\nwith high souls, and are tall in stature like the trunks of Sala trees.\nTaller than other men by half-a-cubit in stature, all the sons of Pandu\nare brave as lions and endued with great strength. All of them, O sire,\nhave practised Brahmacharya vows and other ascetic austerities. Endued\nwith modesty, those tigers among men are possessed of fierce strength\nlike the veritable tigers. In speed, in smiting, and in crushing (foes),\nall of them are more than human. All of them, on the occasion of the\ncampaign of universal conquest, vanquished great kings, O bull of\nBharata's race! No other men can wield their weapons, maces, and shafts.\nIndeed, O Kaurava, there are no men that can even string their bows, or\nuplift their maces, or shoot their arrows in battle. In speed, in hitting\nthe aim, in eating, and in sports on the dust, they used to beat all of\nyou even when they were children. Possessed of fierce might they will,\nwhen they encounter this force, exterminate it in battle. A collision,\ntherefore, with them is not desirable. Each of them can alone slay all\nthe kings of the earth! That which happened, O great king, on the\noccasion of the Rajasuya sacrifice, had occurred before thy very eyes!\nRemembering the sufferings of Draupadi and the harsh speeches uttered\nafter their defeat at dice, they will wander in battle like so many\nRudras. As regards Gudakesha, of reddish eyes, having Narayana for his\nally, there is not among both the armies any brave car-warrior that can\nbe regarded as his equal. Let men alone, it hath not been heard by us\nthat even among gods, Asuras, Uragas, Rakshasas and Yakshas, there ever\nwas born before, or there ever will be born hereafter, any car-warrior\nlike unto him! O great king, intelligent Partha owneth that car which is\nfurnished with the banner bearing the device of the ape; the driver of\nthat car is Vasudeva! Dhananjaya himself is the warrior who fighteth from\nit; his, again, is that celestial bow called Gandiva; he owneth again\nthose steeds fleet as the wind; his coat of mail is impenetrable and of\ncelestial make; his two large quivers are inexhaustible; his arms have\nbeen obtained from the great Indra, Rudra, Kuvera, Yama and Varuna; and\nupon his car, again, are those maces of frightful mien, and diverse other\ngreat weapons having the thunderbolt amongst them! What car-warrior can\nbe regarded as his equal, who, stationed on a single car, slew in battle\na thousand Danavas, having their abode in Hiranyapura? Inflamed with\nwrath, possessed of great might and prowess, incapable of being baffled,\nthat mighty-armed warrior, while protecting his own army, will certainly\nexterminate thy troops! Myself and preceptor (Drona) among the two\narmies, and no third car-warrior, O great king, can advance against\nDhananjaya, that scatterer of arrowy showers! Pouring his shafts, like\nthe very clouds during the rainy season when propelled by mighty winds,\nthat son of Kunti when Vasudeva as his second, steppeth for battle! He is\nskilful and young, while both of us are old and worn out!\"'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Hearing these words of Bhishma, and\nrecollecting with trembling heart, the well-known valour of the sons of\nPandu and thinking of it, as if it were present before their eyes, the\nmassive arms of kings, decked with bracelets and smeared with\nsandal-paste, seemed to hang down divested of might.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"All the five sons of Draupadi, O monarch, are Maharathas.\nVirata's son Uttara is, in my judgment, one of the foremost of Rathas.\nThe mighty-armed Abhimanyu is a leader of leaders of car-divisions.\nIndeed, that slayer of foes is equal in battle to Partha himself or\nVasudeva. Endued with great lightness of hand in shooting weapons, and\nacquainted with all the modes of warfare, he is possessed of great energy\nand is steady in the observance of vows. Remembering the sufferings of\nhis own father, he will put forth his prowess. The brave Satyaki of\nMadhu's race is a leader of leaders of car-divisions. Foremost among the\nheroes of the Vrishni race, he is endued with great wrath, and is\nperfectly dauntless. Uttamaujas also, O king, is an excellent car-warrior\nin my judgment. And Yudhamanyu, too, of great prowess, is, in my\njudgment, an excellent car-warrior. All those chiefs own many thousands\nof cars and elephants and horses, and they will fight, reckless of their\nvery lives, from desire of doing what is agreeable to Kunti's sons.\nUniting with the Pandavas, they will, O great king, sweep through thy\nranks like fire or the wind, challenging thy warriors. Invincible in\nbattle, those bulls among men, old Virata and old Drupada, both endued\nwith great prowess, are, in my judgment, both Maharathas. Though old in\nyears yet both of them are devoted to the observance of Kshatriya\nvirtues. Treading along the path that is trod by heroes, both of them\nwill exert to the best of their might. In consequence of their\nrelationship (to the Pandavas) and owing also, O king, to their being\nendued with strength and prowess, those great bowmen devoted to pure\nvows, have both derived additional strength from the strength of their\naffection. According as the cause is, all strong-armed men become, O bull\nof Kuru's race, heroes or cowards. Actuated by a singleness of purpose,\nboth these kings, who are powerful bowmen, will lay down their very lives\nin causing a great massacre of thy troops to the best of their might, O\nslayer of foes! Fierce in battle, these distinguished heroes, these\nmighty bowmen, regardless, O Bharata, of their lives, will, at the head\nof their respective Akshauhinis, achieve great feats, justifying their\nrelationship and the confidence that is reposed on them (by the\nPandavas).\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"That subjugator of hostile cities, Sikhandin, the son of\nthe king of the Panchalas, is, O king, in my judgment, one of the\nforemost of Yudhishthira's Rathas. Having divested himself on his former\nsex, he will fight in battle and earn great fame, O Bharata, among thy\ntroops! He hath a large number of troops,--Panchalas and\nPrabhadrakas,--to support him. With those hosts of cars he will achieve\ngreat feats. Dhrishtadyumna also, O Bharata, the leader of all\nYudhishthira's army, that mighty car-warrior who is also a disciple of\nDrona, is, O king, in my judgment, an Atiratha. Afflicting all foes in\nbattle, he will singly sweep the field, like Pinaka,--bearing God himself\nin rage on the occasion of the universal dissolution. Even great warriors\nwill speak of his car-divisions, so multitudinous are they, as resembling\nthe very ocean or that of the gods, in battle! Kshattradharman, the son\nof Dhrishtadyumna, owing to his immature years, as also in consequence of\nhis want of exercise in arms, is, in my judgment, O king, only half a\nRatha. That relative of the Pandavas, the mighty bowman Dhrishtaketu, the\nheroic son of Sisupala, the king of the Chedis, is a Maharatha. That\nbrave ruler of the Chedis will, O king, with his son, achieve feats such\nas are difficult for even a Maharatha. Kshattradeva, that subjugator of\nhostile cities, who is devoted to Kshatriya virtues, is, O great king, in\nmy judgment, one of the best Rathas among the Pandavas. Those brave\nwarriors among the Panchalas, viz., Jayanta and Amitaujas and the great\ncar-warrior Satyajit are all, O king, high-souled Maharathas. They will\nall, O sire, fight in battle like furious elephants. Aja and Bhoja, both\nendued with great prowess, are both Maharathas. Possessed of great might,\nthose two heroes will fight for the Pandavas. Both of them are endued\nwith great lightness of hand in the use of weapons. Both of them are\nconversant with all the modes of warfare, both are well-skilled and\npossessed of firm prowess. The five Kshatriya brothers, O king, who are\ndifficult of being vanquished, and all of whom have blood red banners,\nare foremost of the Rathas. Kasika, and Sukumara, and Nila, and that\nother one, viz., Suryadatta, and Sankha, otherwise called Madiraswa, are\nall in my judgment, the foremost of Rathas. Possessed of every\nqualification that renders them fit for battle, they are acquainted with\nall weapons, and all of them are endued with high souls. Vardhakshemi, O\nking, is in my judgment, a Maharatha. King Chitrayudha is, in my\njudgment, one of the best of Rathas. He is, besides, an asset in battle\nand devotedly attached to the diadem-decked (Arjuna). Those mighty\ncar-warriors, those tigers among men, Chekitana, and Satyadhriti, are two\nof the best Rathas of the Pandavas in my judgment. Vyaghradatta, O\nmonarch, and Chandrasena also, O Bharata, are without doubt two of the\nbest Rathas, as I think, of the Pandavas. Senavindu, O king, otherwise\ncalled Krodhahantri by name, who, O lord, is regarded as equal of\nVasudeva and of Bhimasena, will contend with great prowess in battle\nagainst your warriors. Indeed, that best of kings, ever boasting of his\nfeats in battle, should be regarded by thee, precisely as myself, Drona\nand Kripa are regarded by thee! That best of men, worthy of praise, viz.,\nKasya, is endued with great lightness of hand in the use of weapons.\nIndeed, that subjugator of hostile cities is known to me as equal to one\nRatha. Drupada's son, Satyajit, young in years and displaying great\nprowess in battle, should be regarded as equal to eight Rathas. Indeed\nbeing Dhrishtadyumna's equal, he is an Atiratha. Desirous of spreading\nthe fame of the Pandavas, he will achieve great feats. Devoted to the\nPandavas and endued with great bravery, there is another great Ratha of\nthe Pandavas, viz., king Pandya, that bowman of mighty energy. The mighty\nbowman Dhridadhanwan is another Maharatha of the Pandavas. O subjugator\nof hostile cities, that foremost of Kurus, viz., Srenimat and king\nVasudeva are both, in my judgment, Atirathas.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O great king, Rochamana is another Maharatha of the\nPandavas. He will, O Bharata, contend in battle against hostile warriors,\nlike a second god. That subjugator of foes, the mighty bowman Kuntibhoja\nof great strength, the maternal uncle of Bhimasena, is, in my judgment,\nan Atiratha. This mighty and heroic bowman is well-versed and highly\nskilled in fight. Acquainted with all modes of warfare, this bull among\ncar-warriors is regarded by me as exceedingly competent. Displaying his\nprowess he will fight, like a second Indra against the Danavas. Those\ncelebrated soldiers that he owns are all accomplished in fight. Stationed\non the side of the Pandavas and devoted to what is agreeable and\nbeneficial to them, that hero will, for the sake of his sister's sons\nachieve extra-ordinary feats. That prince of Rakshasas (Ghatotkacha), O\nking, born of Bhima and Hidimva, and endued with ample powers of\nillusion, is, in my judgment, a leader of the leaders of car-divisions.\nFond of battle, and endued with powers of illusion, he will, O sire,\nfight earnestly in battle. Those heroic Rakshasas who are his counsellors\nor dependents will also fight under him.\n\n\"'\"These and many other rulers of provinces, headed by Vasudeva, have\nassembled for the sake of Pandu's son. These, O king, are principally the\nRathas, Atirathas, and half Rathas of the high-souled Pandava, and these,\nO king, will lead in battle the terrible army of Yudhishthira which is\nprotected, again, by that hero, the diadem-decked (Arjuna), who is even\nlike the great Indra himself. It is with them (thus) endued with powers\nof illusion and fired by the desire of success that I shall contend in\nbattle, expectant of victory or death. I shall advance against these two\nforemost of car-warriors, Vasudeva and Arjuna, bearing (respectively)\nGandiva and the discus, and resembling the sun and the moon as seen\ntogether in the evening. I shall, on the field of battle, encounter also\nthose other car-warriors of Yudhishthira (whom I have, mentioned) at the\nhead of their respective troops.\n\n\"'\"The Rathas and Atirathas, according to their precedence, have now been\ndeclared by me to thee, and they also that are half Rathas, belonging to\nthee or them, O chief of the Kauravas! Arjuna and Vasudeva and other\nlords of earth that may be there, all of them, upon whom my eyes may\nfall, I will withstand, O Bharata! But, thou of mighty arms, I will not\nstrike or slay Sikhandin the prince of Panchalas, even if I behold him\nrushing against me in battle with weapons upraised. The world knows how\nfrom a desire of doing what was agreeable to my father, that I gave up\nthe kingdom that had become mine and lived in the observance of the\nBrahmacharya vow. I then installed Chitrangada in the sovereignty of the\nKauravas, making at the same time the child Vichitravirya the Yuvaraja.\nHaving notified my god-like vow among all the kings of the earth, I shall\nnever slay a woman or one that was formerly a woman. It may be known to\nyou, O king, that Sikhandin was formerly a woman. Having been born as a\ndaughter, she afterwards became metamorphosed into the male sex. I shall\nnot, O Bharata, fight against him. I shall certainly smite all other\nkings, O bull of Bharata's race, whom I may encounter in battle. I will\nnot, however, O king, be able to slay the sons of Kunti!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXIV\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"For what reason, O chief of the Bharatas, wilt thou\nnot slay Sikhandin even if thou beholdest him approach thee as a foe with\narms upraised? Thou hadst, O mighty-armed one, formerly told me,--'I will\nslay the Panchalas with the Somakas'--O son of Ganga, tell me, O\ngrandsire (the reason of the present reservation).\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Listen, O Duryodhana, to this history, with all these\nlords of earth, as to why I will not slay Sikhandin even if I behold him\nin battle! My father, Santanu, O king, was celebrated over all the world.\nO bull of the Bharata race, that king of virtuous soul paid his debt to\nnature in time. Observing my pledge, O chief of the Bharatas, I then\ninstalled my brother, Chitrangada, on the throne of the extensive kingdom\nof the Kurus. After Chitrangada's demise, obedient to the counsels of\nSatyavati, I installed, according to the ordinance, Vichitravirya as\nking. Although young in age, yet being installed duly by me, O monarch,\nthe virtuous Vichitravirya looked up to me in everything. Desirous of\nmarrying him, I set my heart upon procuring daughters from a suitable\nfamily. (At that time) I heard, O thou of mighty arms, that three\nmaidens, all unrivalled for beauty, daughters of the ruler of Kasi, by\nname Amva, Amvika, and Amvalika would select husbands for themselves, and\nthat all the kings of the earth, O bull of the Bharata's race, had been\ninvited. Amongst those maidens Amva was the eldest, Amvika the second,\nwhile the princess Amvalika, O monarch, was the youngest. Myself\nrepairing on a single car to the city of the ruler of Kasi, I beheld, O\nthou of mighty arms, the three maidens adorned with ornaments and also\nall the kings of the earth invited thither on the occasion. Then, O bull\nof Bharata's race, challenging to battle all those kings who were ready\nfor the encounter, I took up those maidens on my car and repeatedly said\nunto all the kings assembled there these words--'Bhishma, the son of\nSantanu, is carrying away by force these maidens. Ye kings, strive ye all\nto the best of your power for rescuing them! By force do I take them\naway, ye bulls among men, making you spectators of my act!'--At these\nwords of mine those rulers of the earth sprang up with weapons\nunsheathed. And they angrily urged the drivers of their cars, saying,\n'Make ready the cars,--Make ready the cars.' And those monarchs sprang up\nto the rescue, with weapons unsheathed; car-warriors on their cars\nresembling masses of clouds, those fighting from elephants, on their\nelephants, and others on their stout and plump steeds. Then all those\nkings, O monarch, surrounded me on all sides with a multitudinous number\nof cars. With a shower of arrows, I stopped their onrush on all sides and\nvanquished them like the chief of celestials vanquishing hordes of\nDanavas. Laughingly, with easiness I cut down the variegated standards,\ndecked with gold, of the advancing kings, with blazing shafts, O bull of\nBharata's race! In that combat I overthrew their steeds and elephants and\ncar-drivers, each with a single arrow. Beholding that lightness (of hand)\nof mine, they desisted (from the fight) and broke. And having vanquished\nall those rulers of the earth, I came back to Hastinapura. I then, O thou\nof mighty arms, made over those maidens, intending them for my brothers\nto Satyavati and represented unto her everything I had done.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Then, O chief of the Bharatas, approaching my mother,\nthat daughter of the Dasa clan, and saluting that parent of heroes, I\nsaid these words,--Having vanquished all the kings, these daughters of\nthe ruler of Kasi, having beauty alone for their dowry, have been\nabducted by me for the sake of Vichitravirya!--Then, O king, Satyavati\nwith eyes bathed in tears, smelt my head, and joyously said, 'By good\nluck it is, O child, that thou hast triumphed!' When next, with\nSatyavati's acquiescence, the nuptials approached, the eldest daughter of\nthe ruler of Kasi said these words in great bashfulness,--'O Bhishma, thou\nart conversant with morality, and art well-versed in all our scriptures!\nHearing my words, it behoveth thee to do towards me that which is\nconsistent with morality. The ruler of the Salwas was before this\nmentally chosen by me as my lord. By him also, without my father's\nknowledge, I was privately solicited. How wouldst thou, O Bhishma, born\nespecially as thou art in Kuru's race, transgress the laws of morality\nand cause one that longeth for another to live in thy abode? Knowing\nthis, O bull of Bharata's race, and deliberating in thy mind, it behoveth\nthee, O mighty-armed one, to accomplish what is proper. O monarch, it is\nclear that the ruler of the Salwas waiteth (for me). It behoveth thee,\ntherefore, O best of the Kurus, to permit me to depart. O mighty-armed\none, be merciful to me, O foremost of righteous persons! Thou, O hero,\nart devoted to truth, it is well-known all over the earth!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXVI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I then placed the matter before (my mother) Kali,\notherwise called Gandhavati, as also all our counsellors, and also before\nour special and ordinary priests and then permitted, O king, the eldest\nof those maidens, Amva, to depart. Permitted by me, that maiden then went\nto the city of the ruler of the Salwas. And she had for her escort a\nnumber of old Brahmanas and was also accompanied by her own nurse. And\nhaving travelled the whole distance (between Hastinapura and Salwa's\ncity), she approached king Salwa and said these words, 'I come, O thou of\nmighty arms, expectant of thee, O high-souled one!' Unto her, however, O\nking, the lord of the Salwas said with a laughter, 'O thou of the fairest\ncomplexion, I no longer desire to make a wife of thee who wast to be\nwedded to another. Therefore, O blessed one, go back thither unto\nBhishma's presence. I no longer desire thee that was forcibly ravished by\nBhishma. Indeed, when Bhishma, having vanquished the kings, took thee\naway, thou didst go with him cheerfully. When having humiliated and\nvanquished all the kings of the earth, Bhishma took thee away, I no\nlonger desire thee, O thou of the fairest complexion, for a wife,--thee\nthat was to have been wedded to another! How can a king like myself, who\nis acquainted with all branches of knowledge and who lays down laws for\nthe guidance of others, admit (into his abode) a woman who was to have\nbeen wedded to another? O blessed lady, go whithersoever thou wishest,\nwithout spending thy time in vain!' Hearing these words of his, Amva\nthen, O king, afflicted with the arrows of the god of love, addressed\nSalwa, saying, 'Say not so, O lord of the earth, for it is not so! O\ngrinder of foes, cheerful I was not when taken away by Bhishma! He took\nme away by force, having routed all the kings, and I was weeping all the\nwhile. An innocent girl that I am and attached to thee, accept me, O lord\nof the Salwas! The abandonment (by one) of those that are attached (to\nhim) is never applauded in the scriptures. Having solicited Ganga's son\nwho never retreats from battle, and having at last obtained his\npermission, I come to thee! Indeed, the mighty-armed Bhishma, O king,\ndesireth me not! It hath been heard by me that his action (in this\nmatter) hath been for the sake of his brother. My two sisters Amvika and\nAmvalika, who were abducted with me at the same time, have, O king, been\nbestowed by Ganga's son on his younger brother Vichitravirya! O lord of\nthe Salwas, I swear, O tiger among men, by touching my own head that I\nhave never thought of any other husband than thee! I do not, O great\nking, come to thee as one who was to have been wedded to another! I tell\nthee the truth, O Salwa, truly swearing by my soul! Take me, O thou of\nlarge eyes, me--a maiden come to thee of her own accord--one unbetrothed\nto another, one desirous of thy grace!' Although she spoke in this\nstrain, Salwa, however, O chief of the Bharatas, rejected that daughter\nof the ruler of Kasi, like a snake casting off his slough. Indeed,\nalthough that king was earnestly solicited with diverse expressions such\nas these, the lord of the Salwas still did not, O bull of the Bharata\nrace, manifest any inclination for accepting the girl. Then the eldest\ndaughter of the ruler of Kasi, filled with anger, and her eyes bathed in\ntears, said these words with a voice choked with tears and grief, 'Cast\noff, O king, by thee, whithersoever I may go, the righteous will be my\nprotectors, for truth is indestructible!'\n\n\"'\"It is thus, O thou of Kuru's race, that the lord of the Salwas rejected\nthat maiden who addressed him in language such as this and who was\nsobbing in grief so tenderly. 'Go, go,'--were the words that Salwa said\nunto her repeatedly. I am in terror of Bhishma, O thou of fair hips, thou\nart Bhishma's capture! Thus addressed by Salwa destitute of foresight,\nthat maiden issued out of his city sorrowfully and wailing like a\nshe-osprey.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXVII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Issuing out of the city, Amva reflected sorrowfully in\nthis strain. 'There is not in the whole world a young woman in such a\nmiserable plight as I! Alas, destitute of friends, I am rejected by Salwa\nalso! I cannot go back to the city named after an elephant, for I was\npermitted by Bhishma to leave that city, expectant of Salwa! Whom then\nshall I blame? Myself? Or, the invincible Bhishma? Or, that foolish\nfather of mine who made arrangements for my self-choice? Perhaps, it is\nmy own fault! Why did I not leap down before from Bhishma's car, when\nthat fierce battle took place, for coming to Salwa? That I am so\nafflicted now, as if deprived of my senses, is the fruit of that omission\nof mine! Cursed be Bhishma! Cursed be my own wretched father of foolish\nunderstanding, who had arranged prowess to be my dower, sending me out as\nif I were a woman (disposed) for a consideration! Cursed be myself!\nCursed be king Salwa himself and cursed be my creator too! Cursed be they\nthrough whose fault such great misery hath been mine! Human beings always\nsuffer what is destined for them. The cause, however, of my present\naffliction is Bhishma, the son of Santanu; I, therefore, see that at\npresent my vengeance should fall upon him, either through ascetic\nausterities or by battle, for he is the cause of my woe! But what king is\nthere that would venture to vanquish Bhishma in battle?' Having settled\nthis, she issued out of the city for repairing to an asylum of the\nhigh-souled ascetics of virtuous deeds. The night she stayed there,\nsurrounded by those ascetics. And that lady of sweet smiles told those\nascetics, O Bharata, all that had happened to herself with the minutest\ndetails, O mighty-armed one, about her abduction, and her rejection by\nSalwa.\n\n\"'\"There lived in that asylum an eminent Brahmana of rigid vows, and his\nname was Saikhavatya. Endued with ascetic merit of a high order, he was a\npreceptor of the scriptures and the Aranyakas. And the sage Saikhavatya,\nof great ascetic merit, addressed that afflicted maiden, that chaste girl\nsighing heavily in grief, and said, 'If it hath been so, O blessed lady,\nwhat can high-souled ascetics residing in their (woody) retreats and\nengaged in penances do?' That maiden, however, O king, answered him,\nsaying, 'Let mercy be shown to me; I desire a life in the woods, having\nrenounced the world. I will practise the severest of ascetic austerities.\nAll that I now suffer is certainly the fruit of those sins that I had\ncommitted from ignorance in my former life. I do not venture to go back\nto my relatives, ye ascetics, rejected and cheerless that I am knowing\nthat I have been humiliated by Salwa! Ye that have washed away your sins,\ngodlike as ye are, I desire that ye should instruct me in ascetic\npenance! Oh, let mercy be shown to me!' Thus addressed, that sage then\ncomforted the maiden by examples and reasons borrowed from the\nscriptures. And having consoled her thus, he promised, with the other\nBrahmanas, to do what she desired.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXVIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Those virtuous ascetics then set themselves about their\nusual avocations, thinking all the while as to what they should do for\nthat maiden. And some amongst them said, 'Let her be taken to her\nfather's abode.' And some amongst them set their hearts upon reproaching\nourselves. And some thought that repairing to the ruler of the Salwas, he\nshould be solicited to accept the maiden. And some said, 'No, that should\nnot be done, for she hath been rejected by him.' And after some time had\npassed thus, those ascetics of rigid vows once more said unto her, 'What,\nO blessed lady, can ascetics with senses under control do? Do not devote\nthyself to a life in the woods, renouncing the world! O blessed lady,\nlisten to these words that are beneficial to thee! Depart hence, blessed\nbe thou, to thy father's mansion! The king, thy father, will do what\nshould next be done. O auspicious one, surrounded by every comfort, thou\nmayest live there in happiness. Thou art a woman! At present, therefore,\nO blessed one, thou hast no other protector save thy father. O thou of\nthe fairest complexion, as regards a woman, she hath her father for her\nprotector or her husband. Her husband is her protector when she is in\ncomfortable circumstances, but when plunged in misery, she hath her\nfather for her protector. A life in the woods is exceedingly painful,\nespecially to one that is delicate. Thou art a princess by birth; over\nthis, thou art, again, very delicate, O beautiful dame! O blessed lady,\nthere are numerous discomforts and difficulties attaching to a life in a\n(woody) retreat, none of which, O thou of the fairest complexion, shalt\nthou have to bear in thy father's abode!' Other ascetics, beholding that\nhelpless girl said to her, 'Seeing thee alone in deep and solitary woods,\nkings may court thee! Therefore, set not thy heart upon such a course!'\n\n\"'\"Hearing these words, Amva said, 'I am incapable of going back to my\nfather's abode in the city of Kasi, for without doubt I shalt then be\ndisregarded by all my relatives. Ye ascetics, I lived there, in my\nfather's abode, during my childhood. I cannot, however, now go to thither\nwhere my father is. Protected by the ascetics, I desire to practise\nascetic austerities, so that in even future life of mine such sore\nafflictions may not be mine! Ye best of ascetics, I desire, therefore, to\npractise ascetic austerities!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"When those Brahmanas were thinking thus about her,\nthere came into that forest that best of ascetics, the royal sage\nHotravahana. Then those ascetics reverenced the king with worship,\nenquiries of welcome and courtesy, a seat, and water. And after he was\nseated and had rested for a while, those denizens of the forest once more\nbegan to address that maiden in the hearing of that royal sage. Hearing\nthe story of Amva and the king of Kasi, that royal sage of great energy\nbecame very anxious at heart. Hearing her speak in that strain, and\nbeholding her (distressed), that royal sage of rigid austerities, viz.,\nthe high-souled Hotravahana, was filled with pity. Then, O lord, that\nmaternal grandsire of her rose up with trembling frame and causing that\nmaiden to sit on his lap, began to comfort her. He then acquired of her\nin details about that distress of hers from its beginning. And she,\nthereupon, represented to him minutely all that had happened. Hearing all\nshe said, the royal sage was filled with pity and grief. And that great\nsage settled in mind what she would do. Trembling from agitation he\naddressed the afflicted maiden sunk in woe, saying, 'Do not go back to\nthy father's abode, O blessed lady! I am the father of thy mother. I will\ndispel thy grief. Rely on me, O daughter! Great, indeed, must thy\naffliction he when thou art so emaciated! At my advice, go unto the\nascetic Rama, the son of Jamadagni. Rama will dispel this great\naffliction and grief of thine. He will slay Bhishma in battle if the\nlatter obeyeth not his behest. Go, therefore, unto that foremost one of\nBhrigu's race who resembleth the Yuga-fire itself in energy! That great\nascetic will place thee once more on the right track!' Hearing this, that\nmaiden, shedding tears all the while, saluted her maternal grandsire,\nHotravahana, with a bend of her head and addressed him, saying, 'Go I\nwill at thy command! But shall I succeed in obtaining a sight of that\nreverend sire celebrated over the world? How will he dispel this poignant\ngrief of mine? And how shall I go to that descendant of Bhrigu? I desire\nto know all this.'\n\n\"'\"Hotravahana said, 'O blessed maiden, thou wilt behold Jamadagni's son,\nRama, who is devoted to truth and endued with great might and engaged in\naustere penances in the great forest. Rama always dwelleth in that\nforemost of the mountains called Mahendra. Many Rishis, learned in the\nVedas, and many Gandharvas and Apsaras also dwell there. Go, blessed be\nthou, and tell him these words of mine, having saluted with thy bent head\nthat sage of rigid vows and great ascetic merit. Tell him also, O blessed\ngirl, all that thou seekest. If thou namest me, Rama will do everything\nfor thee, for Rama, the heroic son of Jamadagni, that foremost of all\nbearers of arms, is a friend of mine highly pleased with me, and always\nwisheth me well!' And while king Hotravahana, was saying all this unto\nthat maiden, thither appeared Akritavrana, a dear companion of Rama. And\non his advent those Munis by hundreds, and the Srinjaya king Hotravahana,\nold in years, all stood up. And those denizens of the forest, uniting\nwith one another, did him all the rites of hospitality. And they all took\ntheir seats surrounding him. And filled, O monarch, with gratification\nand joy, they then started various delightful, laudable, and charming\nsubjects of discourse. And after their discourse was over, that royal\nsage, the high-souled Hotravahana enquired of Akritavrana about Rama that\nforemost of great sages, saying, 'O thou of mighty arms, where, O\nAkritavrana, may that foremost of persons acquainted with the Vedas,\nviz., Jamadagni's son of great prowess be seen?' Akritavrana answered him\nsaying, 'O lord, Rama always speaketh of thee, O king, saying,--\"That\nroyal sage of the Srinjayas is my dear friend,\"--I believe, Rama will be\nhere tomorrow morning. Thou wilt see him even here when he cometh to\nbehold thee. As regards this maiden, for what, O royal sage, hath she\ncome to the wood? Whose is she, and what is she to thee? I desire to know\nall this.' Hotravahana said, 'The favourite daughter of the ruler of\nKasi, she is, O lord, my daughter's child! The eldest daughter of the\nking of Kasi, she is known by the name of Amva. Along with her two\nyounger sisters, O sinless one, she was in the midst of her Swayamvara\nceremonies. The names of her two younger sisters are Amvika and Amvalika,\nO thou endued with wealth of asceticism! All the Kshatriya kings of the\nearth were assembled together at the city of Kasi. And, O regenerate\nRishi, great festivities were going on there on account of (the\nself-choice of) these maidens. In the midst of these, Santanu's son,\nBhishma, of mighty valour, disregarding all the kings, abducted the\ngirls. Vanquishing all the monarchs, the pure-souled prince Bhishma of\nBharata's race then reached Hastinapura, and representing everything unto\nSatyavati, ordered his brother Vichitravirya's marriage to take place\nwith the girls he had brought. Beholding the arrangements for those\nnuptials complete, this maiden, O bull among Brahmanas, then addressed\nGanga's son in the presence of his ministers and said,--I have, O hero,\nwithin my heart chosen the lord of the Salwas to be my husband.\nConversant as thou art with morality, it behoveth thee not to bestow me\non thy brother, whose heart is given away to another!--Hearing these\nwords of hers, Bhishma took counsel with his ministers. Deliberating on\nthe matter, he, at last, with Satyavati's consent, dismissed this maiden.\nPermitted thus by Bhishma, this girl gladly repaired to Salwa, the lord\nof Saubha, and approaching him said,--Dismissed I have been by Bhishma.\nSee that I do not fall off from righteousness! In my heart, I have chosen\nthee for my lord, O bull among kings. Salwa, however, rejected her,\nsuspecting the purity of her conduct. Even she hath come to these woods,\nsacred for asceticism, being ardently inclined to devote herself to\nascetic penances! She was recognised by me from the account that she gave\nof her parentage. As regards her sorrow, Bhishma is considered by her to\nbe its root!' After Hotravahana had ceased, Amva herself said, 'O holy\none, it is even so as this lord of earth, this author of my mother's\nbody, Hotravahana of the Srinjaya race hath said. I cannot venture to go\nback to my own city, O thou that art endued with wealth of asceticism,\nfor shame and fear of disgrace, O great Muni! At present, O holy one,\neven this is what hath been my determination, viz., that that would be my\nhighest duty which the holy Rama, O best of Brahmanas, might point out to\nme!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXIX\n\n\"'\"Akritavrana said, 'Of these two afflictions of thine, for which, O\nblessed lady, dost thou seek a remedy? Tell me this. Is it thy wish that\nthe lord of Saubha should be urged to wed thee, the high-souled Rama will\ncertainly urge him from desire of doing thee good? Or, if thou wishest to\nbehold Ganga's son, Bhishma, defeated in battle by intelligent Rama\nBhargava will gratify even that wish of thine. Hearing what Srinjaya has\nto say, and what thou also, O thou of sweet smiles, may have to say, let\nthat be settled this very day what should be done for thee.' Hearing\nthese words, Amva said, 'O holy one, abducted I was by Bhishma acting\nfrom ignorance, for, O regenerate one, Bhishma knew not that my heart had\nbeen given away to Salwa. Thinking of this in thy mind, let that be\nresolved upon by thee which is consistent with justice, and let steps be\ntaken for accomplishing that resolution. Do that, O Brahmana, which is\nproper to be done towards either that tiger among the Kurus, viz.,\nBhishma, singly, or towards the ruler of the Salwas, or towards both of\nthem! I have told thee truly about the root of my grief. It behoveth\nthee, O holy one, to do that which is consistent with reason.'\n\n\"'\"Akritavrana said, 'This, O blessed lady, O thou of the fairest\ncomplexion, that thou sayest with eyes fixed upon virtue, is, indeed,\nworthy of thee. Listen, however, to what I say! If Ganga's son had never\ntaken thee to the city called after the elephant, then, O timid girl,\nSalwa would have, at Rama's behest, taken thee on his head! It is because\nBhishma bore thee away by force that king Salwa's suspicions have been\nawakened in respect of thee, O thou of slender-waist! Bhishma is proud of\nhis manliness and is crowned with success. Therefore, thou shouldst cause\nthy vengeance to fall upon Bhishma (and no other)!' Hearing these words\nof the sage, Amva said, 'O regenerate one, this desire hath been\ncherished by me also in my heart, viz., that, if possible. Bhishma should\nbe caused by me to be slain in battle! O thou of mighty arms, be it\nBhishma or be it king Salwa, punish that man whom thou thinkest to be\nguilty and through whose act I have been so miserable!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"In conversation such as this, that day passed and\nthe night also, O best of Bharata's race, with its delicious breeze which\nwas neither cold nor hot. Then Rama appeared there, beaming with energy.\nAnd that sage wearing matted-locks on his bead and attired in deer-skins\nwas surrounded by his disciples. And endued with magnanimous soul, he had\nhis bow in hand. And bearing also a sword and a battle-axe, that sinless\none, O tiger among kings, approached the Srinjaya king (Hotravahana) in\nthat forest. And the ascetics dwelling there and that king also who was\nendued with great ascetic merit, beholding him, all stood up and waited,\nO king, with joined hands. And that helpless maiden too did the same. And\nthey all cheerfully worshipped Bhargava with the offer of honey and\ncurds. Being worshipped duly by them, Rama sat with them seated round\nhim. Then, O Bharata, Jamadagni's son and Hotravahana, seated thus\ntogether, began to discourse. And after their discourse was over, the\nsage Hotravahana opportunately said in a sweet voice these words of grave\nimport unto that foremost one of Bhrigu's race, viz., Rama of mighty\nstrength, 'O Rama, this is my daughter's daughter, O lord, being the\ndaughter of the king of Kasi.'\n\n\"'\"'She hath something to be done for her! Oh, listen to it duly, O thou\nthat art skilled in all tasks!' Hearing these words of his friend, Rama\naddressed that maiden saying. 'Tell me what thou hast to say.' At these\nwords, Amva approached Rama who resembled a blazing fire, and worshipping\nboth his feet with her bent head, touched them with her two hands that\nresembled, in radiance, a couple of lotuses and stood silently before\nhim. And filled with grief, she wept aloud, her eyes bathed in tears. And\nshe then sought the protection of that descendant of Bhrigu, who was the\nrefuge of all distressed persons. And Rama said, 'Tell me what grief is\nin thy heart. I will act according to thy words!' Thus encouraged, Amva\nsaid, 'O thou of great vows, O holy one, today I seek thy protection! O\nlord, raise me from this unfathomable ocean of sorrow.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Beholding her beauty and her youthful body and its\ngreat delicacy, Rama began to think,--'What will she say?' And that\nperpetuator of Bhrigu's line, thinking inwardly of this, sat long in\nsilence, filled with pity. He then addressed that maiden of sweet smiles\nagain, saying, 'Tell us what thou hast to say!' Thus encouraged, she\nrepresented everything truly unto Bhargava. And Jamadagni's son, hearing\nthese words of the princess, and having first settled what he should do,\naddressed that damsel of the fairest complexion, saying, 'O beautiful\nlady, I will send word unto Bhishma, that foremost one of Kuru's race.\nHaving heard what my behest is, that king will certainly obey it. If,\nhowever, the son of Jahnavi do not act according to my words, I will then\nconsume him in battle, O blessed girl, with all his counsellors! Or, O\nprincess, if thou desirest it, I may even address the heroic ruler of the\nSalwas to the matter in hand.' Hearing these words of Rama, Amva said,\n'Dismissed I was by Bhishma, O son of Bhrigu's race, as soon as he heard\nthat my heart had previously been freely given away to the ruler of the\nSalwas. Approaching then the lord of Saubha, I addressed him in language\nthat was unbecoming. Doubtful of the purity of my conduct, he refused to\naccept me. Reflecting on all this, with the aid of thy own understanding,\nit behoveth thee, O son of Bhrigu's race, to do that which should be done\nin view of these circumstances. Bhishma, however, of great vows is the\nroot of my calamity, for he brought me under his power taking me up (on\nhis car) by violence! Slay that Bhishma, O thou of mighty arms, for whose\nsake, O tiger of Bhrigu's race, overwhelmed with such distress, I suffer\nsuch poignant misery! Bhishma, O thou of Bhrigu's race, is covetous, and\nmean, and proud of his victory. Therefore, O sinless one, thou shouldst\ngive him his deserts. While, O lord, I was being abducted by him, even\nthis was the desire that I cherished in my heart, viz., that I should\ncause that hero of great vows to be slain. Therefore, O sinless Rama,\ngratify this desire of mine! O thou of mighty arms, slay Bhishma, even as\nPurandara slew Vritra.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXX\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O lord, repeatedly urged by that maiden to slay Bhishma,\nRama replied unto that weeping girl, saying, 'O daughter of Kasi, O thou\nof the fairest complexion, I do not, on any account, take up arms now\nexcept for the sake of those that are conversant with the Vedas. Tell me,\ntherefore, what else I can do for thee? Both Bhishma and Salwa are, O\nprincess, exceedingly obedient to me. Do not grieve, I will accomplish\nthy object. I will not, however, O beautiful lady, take up arms, except\nat the command of Brahmanas. This hath been my rule of conduct.'\n\n\"'\"Amva said, 'My misery, O holy one, should by any means be dispelled by\nthee. That misery of mine hath been caused by Bhishma. Slay him,\ntherefore, O lord, without much delay.'\n\n\"'\"Rama said, 'O daughter of Kasi, say but the word and Bhishma, however,\ndeserving of reverence from thee, will, at my word, take up thy feet on\nhis head!'\n\n\"'\"Amva said, 'O Rama, slay in battle that Bhishma who roareth like an\nAsura. Indeed, summoned to the encounter (by him), slay him, O Rama, if\nthou wishest (to do) what is agreeable to me. It behoveth thee, besides,\nto make thy promise true.'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"While, O king, Rama and Amva were talking thus with\neach other, the Rishi (Akritavrana) of highly virtuous soul said these\nwords, 'It behoveth thee not, O mighty-armed one, to desert this girl\nthat seeketh thy protection! If summoned to battle, Bhishma cometh to the\nencounter and sayeth--\"I am vanquished,\" or, if he obeyeth thy words, then\nthat which this maiden seeketh will be accomplished, O son of Bhrigu's\nrace, and the words spoken by thee, O hero, will also, O lord, be true!\nThis also was, O great Muni, the vow then made by thee, O Rama,--the vow\nmade by thee before Brahmanas after thou hadst conquered all the\nKshatriyas, viz., that thou wouldst slay in battle the person, be he a\nBrahmana, a Kshatriya, a Vaisya, or a Sudra, who would be a foe to the\nBrahmanas. Thou hadst further promised that as long as thou wouldst live\nthou wouldst not abandon those that would come to thee in fright and seek\nthy protection, and that thou wouldst, O Bhargava, slay that proud\nwarrior who would vanquish in battle all the assembled Kshatriyas of the\nearth! O Rama, even Bhishma, that perpetuator of Kuru's race, hath\nachieved such success (over all the Kshatriyas)! Approaching him, O son\nof Bhrigu's race, encounter him now in battle!'\n\n\"'\"Rama said, 'O best of Rishis, I recollect that vow of mine made before.\nI will, however (in the present instance) do that which conciliation may\npoint out. That task which the daughter of Kasi hath in her mind is a\ngrave one, O Brahmana! Taking this maiden with me, I will repair myself\nto the place where Bhishma is. If Bhishma, proud of his achievements in\nbattle, do not obey my behest, I will then slay that arrogant wight. Even\nthis is my fixed resolve. The arrows shot by me do not stick to the\nbodies of embodied creatures (but pass them through). This is known to\nyou from what you saw in my encounters with the Kshatriyas!' Having said\nthis, Rama then, along with all those seekers of Brahma, resolved to\ndepart from that asylum, and the great ascetic then rose from his seat.\nThen all those ascetics passing that night there, performed (on the next\nmorning) their homa-rites and recited their prayers. And then they all\nset out, desirous of taking my life. And Rama, accompanied by all those\ndevotees of Brahma, then came to Kurukshetra, O monarch, with that\nmaiden, O Bharata, in their company. And those high-souled ascetics, with\nthat foremost one of Bhrigu's race at head, having arrived on the banks\nof the stream of Saraswati, quartered themselves there.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"After he had quartered there, on the third day, O king,\nJamadagni's son of high vows, sent a message to me, saying, 'I have come\nhere, do what is agreeable to me.' Hearing that Rama, of great might, had\ncome to the confines of our kingdom, I speedily went with a joyous heart\nto that master who was an ocean of energy. And I went to him, O king,\nwith a cow placed in the van of my train, and accompanied by many\nBrahmanas, and (ordinary) priests (of our family), and by others,\nresembling the very gods in splendour, employed by us on special\noccasions. And beholding me arrived at his presence, Jamadagni's son, of\ngreat prowess, accepted the worship I offered unto him and said these\nwords unto me.\"\n\n\"'\"Rama said, 'Thyself, divested of desire, with what mood of mind, O\nBhishma, didst thou abduct, on the occasion of her self-choice, this\ndaughter of the king of Kasi and again dismiss her subsequently? By thee\nhath this famous lady been dissociated from virtue! Contaminated by the\ntouch of thy hands before, who can marry her now? Rejected she hath been\nby Salwa, because thou, O Bharata, hadst abducted her. Take her\ntherefore, to thyself, O Bharata, at my command. Let this daughter of a\nking, O tiger among men, be charged with the duties of her sex! O king, O\nsinless one, it is not proper that this humiliation should be hers!'\n\n\"'\"Seeing him plunged into sorrow (on account of the maiden) I said unto\nhim,--'O Brahmana, I cannot, by any means, bestow this girl on my brother.\nO thou of Bhrigu's race, it was to myself that she said, I am Salwa's!\nAnd it was by me that she was permitted to go to Salwa's city. As regards\nmyself, even this is my firm vow that I cannot abandon Kshatriya\npractices from fear or pity, or avarice of wealth, or lust!'--Hearing\nthese words of mine, Rama addressed me, with eyes rolling in anger,\nsaying, 'If, O bull among men, thou dost not act according to my words,\nI will slay thee this very day along with all thy counsellors!' Indeed,\nwith eyes rolling in anger, Rama in great wrath told me these words\nrepeatedly. I, however, O chastiser of foes, then beseeched him in sweet\nwords. But though beseeched by me, he did not cool down. Bowing down with\nmy head unto that best of Brahmanas I then enquired of him the reason for\nwhich he sought battle with me. I also said,--O thou of mighty arms,\nwhile I was a child it was thou who instructed me in the four kinds of\narms.[18] I am, therefore, O thou of Bhrigu's race, thy disciple! Then\nRama answered me with eyes red in anger, 'Thou knowest me, O Bhishma, to\nbe thy preceptor, and yet, O Kauravya, thou acceptest not, for pleasing\nme, this daughter of the ruler of Kasi! O delighter of the Kurus, I\ncannot be gratified unless thou actest in this way! O mighty-armed one,\ntake this maiden and preserve thy race! Having been abducted by thee, she\nobtaineth not a husband.' Unto Rama that subjugator of hostile cities, I\nreplied, saying.--This cannot be, O regenerate Rishi! All thy labour is\nvain, O son of Jamadagni, remembering thy old preceptorship, I am\nstriving, O holy one, to gratify thee! As regards this maiden, she hath\nbeen refused by me before knowing what the faults, productive of great\nevils, of the female sex are, who is there that would admit into his\nabode a woman whose heart is another's and who (on that account) is even\nlike a snake of virulent poison? O thou of high vows, I would not, even\nfrom fear of Vasava, forsake duty! Be gracious unto me, or do me without\ndelay that which thou hast thought proper. This sloka also, O thou of\npure soul, is heard in the Puranas, O lord, sung by the high-souled\nMarutta, O thou of great intelligence! The renunciation is sanctioned by\nthe ordinance of a preceptor who is filled with vanity, who is destitute\nof the knowledge of right and wrong, and who is treading in a devious\npath.--Thou art my preceptor and it is for this that I have from love\nreverenced thee greatly. Thou, however, knowest not the duty of a\npreceptor, and it is for this that I will fight with thee. I would not\nslay any preceptor in battle, especially again a Brahmana, and more\nspecially one endued with ascetic merit. It was for this that I forgive\nthee. It is well-known truth, gatherable from the scriptures, that he is\nnot guilty of slaying a Brahmana who killeth in battle a person of that\norder that taketh up weapons like Kshatriya and fighteth wrathfully\nwithout seeking to fly. I am a Kshatriya stationed in the practice of\nKshatriya duties. One doth not incur sin, nor doth one incur any harm by\nbehaving towards a person exactly as that person deserveth. When a person\nacquainted with the proprieties of time and place and well-versed in\nmatters affecting both profit and virtue, feels doubtful, as regards\nanything, he should without scruples of any kind, devote himself to the\nacquisition of virtue which would confer the highest benefit on him. And\nsince thou, O Rama, in a matter connected with profit of doubtful\npropriety, actest unrighteously, I would certainly fight with thee in a\ngreat battle. Behold the strength of my arms and my prowess that is\nsuperhuman! In view of such circumstances, I shall certainly do, O son of\nBhrigu, what I can. I shall fight with thee, O regenerate one, on the\nfield of Kurukshetra! O Rama of great effulgence, equip thyself as thou\nlistest for single combat! Come and station thyself on the field of\nKurukshetra where, afflicted with my shafts in great battle, and\nsanctified by my weapons, thou mayest obtain those regions that have been\nwon by thee (thought for thy austerities). O thou of mighty arms and\nwealth of asceticism, there I will approach thee for battle,--thee that\nart so fond of battle! There, O Rama, where in days of yore thou hadst\npropitiated thy (deceased) fathers (with oblations of Kshatriya blood),\nslaying thee there, O son of Bhrigu, I will propitiate the Kshatriya\nslain by thee! Come there, O Rama, without delay! There, O thou that art\ndifficult of being vanquished, I will curb thy old pride about which the\nBrahmanas speak! For many long years, O Rama, thou hast boasted,\nsaying,--I have, single-handed, vanquished all the Kshatriyas of the\nEarth!--Listen now to what enabled thee to indulge in that boast! In\nthose days no Bhishma was born, or no Kshatriyas like unto Bhishma!\nKshatriyas really endued with valour have taken their births later on! As\nregards thyself, thou hast consumed only heaps of straw! The person that\nwould easily quell thy pride of battle hath since been born! He, O\nmighty-armed one, is no other than myself, even Bhishma, that subjugator\nof hostile cities! Without doubt, O Rama, I shall just quell thy pride of\nbattle!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Hearing these words of mine. Rama addressed me,\nlaughingly saying, 'By good luck it is, O Bhishma, that thou desirest to\nfight with me in battle! O thou of Kuru's race, even now I go with thee\nto Kurukshetra! I will do what thou hast said! Come thither, O chastiser\nof foes! Let thy mother, Jahnavi, O Bhishma, behold thee dead on that\nplain, pierced with my shafts, and become the food of vultures, crows,\nand other carnivorous birds! Let that goddess worshipped by Siddhas and\nCharanas, that blessed daughter of Bhagiratha, in the form of a river,\nwho begat thy wicked self, weep today, O king, beholding thee slain by me\nand lying miserable on that plain, however undeserving she may be of\nseeing such a sight! Come, O Bhishma, and follow me, O proud wight,\nalways longing for battle! O thou of Kuru's race, take with thee, O bull\nof Bharata's line, thy cars and all other equipments of battle!' Hearing\nthese words of Rama that subjugator of hostile towns, I worshipped him\nwith a bend of my head and answered him, saying,--'So be it!' Having said\nall this, Rama then went to Kurukshetra from desire of combat, and I\nalso, entering our city, represented everything unto Satyavati. Then\ncausing propitiatory ceremonies to be performed (for my victory), and\nbeing blessed also by my mother, and making the Brahmanas utter\nbenedictions on me, I mounted on a handsome car made of silver and unto\nwhich, O thou of great glory, were yoked steeds white in hue. And every\npart of that car was well-built, and it was exceedingly commodious and\ncovered on all sides with tiger-skin. And it was equipped with many great\nweapons and furnished with all necessaries. And it was ridden by a\ncharioteer who was well-born and brave, who was versed in horse-lore,\ncareful in battle, and well-trained in his art, and who had seen many\nencounters. And I was accoutred in a coat of mail, white in hue, and had\nmy bow in hand. And the bow I took was also white in hue. And thus\nequipped, I set out, O best of Bharata's race! And an umbrella, white in\nhue, was held over my head. And, O king, I was fanned with fans that also\nwere white in colour. And clad in white, with also a white head-gear, all\nmy adornments were white. And eulogised (with laudatory hymns) by\nBrahmanas wishing me victory, I issued out of the city named after the\nelephant, and proceeded to Kurukshetra, which, O bull of Bharata's race,\nwas to be the field of battle! And those steeds, fleet as the mind or the\nwind, urged by my charioteer, soon bore me, O king, to that great\nencounter. And arrived in the field of Kurukshetra, both myself and Rama,\neager for battle, became desirous of showing each other our prowess. And\narrived within view of the great ascetic Rama, I took up my excellent\nconch and blew a loud blast. And many Brahmanas, O king, and many\nascetics having their abodes in the forest, as also the gods with Indra\nat their head, were stationed there for beholding the great encounter.\nAnd many celestial garlands and diverse kinds of celestial music and many\ncloudy canopies could be noticed there. And all those ascetics who had\ncome with Rama, desiring to become spectators of the fight, stood all\naround the field. Just at this juncture, O king, my divine mother devoted\nto the good of all creatures, appeared before me in her own form and\nsaid, 'What is this that thou seekest to do? Repairing to Jamadagni's\nson, O son of Kuru's race, I will repeatedly solicit him saying,--\"Do not\nfight Bhishma who is thy disciple!\"--O son, being a Kshatriya do not\nobstinately set thy heart on an encounter in battle with Jamadagni's son\nwho is a Brahmana!' Indeed, it was thus that she reproved me. And she\nalso said, 'O son, Rama, equal in prowess unto Mahadeva himself, is the\nexterminator of the Kshatriya order! It is not known to thee, that thou\ndesirest an encounter with him.' Thus addressed by her, I saluted the\ngoddess reverentially and replied unto her with joined hands, giving her,\nO chief of the Bharatas, an account of all that had transpired in that\nself-choice (of the daughter of Kasi). I also told her every thing, O\nking of kings, about how I had urged Rama (to desist from the combat). I\nalso gave her a history of all the past acts of the (eldest) daughter of\nKasi. My mother then, the great River, wending to Rama, began, for my\nsake, to beseech the Rishi of Bhrigu's race. And she said unto him these\nwords, viz.,--'Do not fight Bhishma who is thy disciple!'--Rama, however,\nsaid unto her while she was beseeching him thus, 'Go and make Bhishma\ndesist! He doth not execute out my wish! It is for this that I have\nchallenged him!'\"'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Thus addressed by Rama, Ganga, from affection\nfor her son, came back to Bhishma. But Bhishma, with eyes rolling in\nanger, refused to do her bidding. Just at this time, the mighty ascetic\nRama, that foremost one of Bhrigu's race, appeared in Bhishma's sight. And\nthen that best of the twice-born ones challenged him to the encounter.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"I then smilingly addressed Rama stationed for battle,\nsaying,--'Myself on my car, I do not wish to fight with thee that art on\nthe earth! Mount on a car, O hero, and case thy body in mail, O\nmighty-armed one, if indeed, O Rama, thou wishest to fight me in\nbattle!'--Then Rama smilingly replied unto me on that field of battle,\nsaying, 'The Earth, O Bhishma, is my car, and the Vedas, like good steeds,\nare the animals that carry me! The wind is my car-driver, and my coat of\nmail is constituted by those mothers in the Vedas (viz., Gayatri, Savitri\nand Saraswati). Well-covered by these in battle, O son of Kuru's race, I\nwill fight!' Having said this, O Gandhari's son, Rama of prowess\nincapable of being baffled, covered me on all sides with a thick shower\nof arrows. I then beheld Jamadagni's son stationed on a car equipped with\nevery kind of excellent weapons! And the car he rode was exceedingly\nhandsome and was of wonderful appearance. And it had been created by a\nfiat of his will, and it was beautiful like a town. And celestial steeds\nwere yoked unto it, and it was well-protected by the necessary defences.\nAnd it was decked all over with ornaments of gold. And it was\nwell-covered with tough skins all around, and bore the device of the sun\nand the moon. Rama was armed with bow and equipped with a quiver, and\nwith fingers cased in leathern fences! Akritavrana, the dear friend of\nBhargava, well-versed in the Vedas, did the duties of a car-driver for\nthat warrior. And he, of Bhrigu's race, repeatedly summoning me to\nbattle, saying,--Come, come,--gladden my heart. And I then, myself,\nsingly obtained for my adversary that invincible and mighty exterminator\nof the Kshatriya race, viz., Rama risen like the sun himself in\nsplendour, desirous (on his part) of fighting singly! And after he had\npoured three showers of arrows on me curbing my steeds, I came down from\nmy car and placing my bow aside I proceeded on foot to that best of\nRishis. And arriving before him, I worshipped the best of Brahmanas with\nreverence. And having saluted him duly, I told him these excellent\nwords,--O Rama, whether thou art equal or superior to me, I will fight\nwith thee, my virtuous preceptor, in battle! O lord, bless me, wishing me\nvictory!\n\n\"'\"Rama, thus addressed, said, 'O foremost one of Kuru's race, he that\ndesires prosperity should act even thus! O thou of mighty arms, they that\nfight with warriors more eminent than themselves, have this duty to\nperform. O king, I would have cursed thee if thou hadst not approached me\nthus! Go, fight carefully and summoning all thy patience, O thou of\nKuru's race! I cannot, however, wish thee victory, for I myself stand\nhere to vanquish thee! Go, fight fairly! I am pleased with thy\nbehaviour!'--Bowing unto him, I then speedily came back, and mounting on\nmy car, I once more blew my conch decked with gold. And then, O Bharata,\nthe combat commenced between him and me. And it lasted for many days,\neach of us, O king, having been desirous of vanquishing the other. And in\nthat battle, it was Rama who struck me first with nine hundred and sixty\nstraight arrows furnished with vulturine wings. And with that arrowy\nshower, O king, my four steeds and charioteer were completely covered!\nNotwithstanding all this, however, I remained quiet in that encounter,\naccoutred in my coat of mail! Bowing unto the gods, and especially unto\nthe Brahmanas, I then smilingly addressed Rama stationed for battle,\nsaying,--'Although thou hast shown little regard for me, yet I have fully\nhonoured thy preceptorship! Listen again, O Brahmana, to some other\nauspicious duty that should be discharged if virtue is to be earned! The\nVedas that are in thy body, and the high status of Brahmana that is also\nin thee, and the ascetic merit thou hast earned by the severest of\nausterities, I do not strike at these! I strike, however, at that\nKshatriyahood which thou, O Rama, hast adopted! When a Brahmana taketh up\nweapons, he becometh a Kshatriya. Behold now the power of my bow and the\nenergy of my arms! Speedily shall I cut off that bow of thine with a\nsharp shaft!'--Saying this I shot at him, O bull of Bharata's race, a\nsharp broad-headed arrow. And cutting off one of the horns of his bow\nwith it, I caused it to drop on the ground. I then shot at Jamadagni's\ncar a hundred straight arrows winged with vulturine feathers. Piercing\nthrough Rama's body and borne along by the wind, those arrows coursing\nthrough space seemed to vomit blood (from their mouths) and resembled\nveritable snakes. Covered all over with blood and with blood issuing out\nof his body. Rama, O king, shone in battle, like the Sumeru mountain with\nstreams of liquid metal rolling down its breast, or like the Asoka tree\nat the advent of spring, when covered with red bunches of flowers, or, O\nking, like the Kinsuka tree when clad in its flowery attire! Taking up\nthen another bow, Rama, filled with wrath, showered upon me numerous\narrows of excessive sharpness, furnished with golden wings. And those\nfierce arrows of tremendous impetus, resembling snakes, or fire, or\npoison, coming at me from all sides, pierced my very vitals and caused me\nto tremble. Summoning all my coolness I then addressed myself for the\nencounter, and filled with rage I pierced Rama with a hundred arrows. And\nafflicted with those hundred blazing shafts resembling either fire, or\nthe sun or looking like snakes of virulent poison, Rama seemed to lose\nhis senses! Filled, O Bharata, with pity (at the sight), I stopped of my\nown accord and said,--'Oh, fie on battle! Fie on Kshatriya practices!' And\noverwhelmed, O king, with grief, I repeatedly said,--'Alas, great is the\nsin committed by me through observance of Kshatriya practices, since I\nhave afflicted with arrows my preceptor who is a Brahmana endued with a\nvirtuous soul!'--After that, O Bharata, I ceased striking Jamadagni's son\nany more. At this time, the thousand-rayed luminary, having heated the\nearth with his rays, proceeded at the close of day to his chambers in the\nwest and the battle also between us ceased.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"After the battle had ceased, my charioteer, well-skilled\nin such operations, drew out from his own body, from the bodies of my\nsteeds, and from my body as well, the arrows that struck there. Next\nmorning, when the sun rose, the battle commenced again, my horses having\n(a little while before) been bathed and allowed to roll on the ground and\nhaving had their thirst slaked and thereby re-invigorated. And beholding\nme coming quickly to the encounter attired in a coat of mail and\nstationed on my car, the mighty Rama equipped his car with great care.\nAnd I myself also, beholding Rama coming towards me from desire of\nbattle, placed aside my bow and quickly descended from my car. Saluting\nRama I re-ascended it, O Bharata, and desirous of giving battle, stood\nfearlessly before that son of Jamadagni. I then overwhelmed him with a\nthick shower of arrows, and he too covered me with an arrowy shower in\nreturn. And filled with wrath, Jamadagni's son once more shot at me a\nnumber of fierce shafts of great force and blazing mouths looking like\nveritable snakes! And I too, O king, shooting sharp shafts by hundreds\nand thousands, repeatedly cut off Rama's arrows in mid-air before they\ncould come at me. Then the mighty son of Jamadagni began to hurl\ncelestial weapons at me, all of which I repelled, desirous of achieving\nmightier feats, O thou of strong arms, with my weapons. And loud was the\ndin that then arose in the welkin all around. At that time, I hurled at\nRama the weapon named Vayavya which Rama neutralised, O Bharata, by the\nweapon called Guhyaka. Then I applied, with proper mantras, the weapon\ncalled Agneya but the lord Rama neutralised that weapon of mine by one\n(of his) called Varuna. And it was in this way that I neutralised the\ncelestial weapons of Rama, and that chastiser of foes, Rama also, endued\nwith great energy and acquainted with celestial weapons, neutralised the\nweapons shot by me. Then, O monarch, that best of Brahmanas, the mighty\nson of Jamadagni, filled with wrath, suddenly wheeling to my right,\npierced me in the breast. At this, O best of the Bharatas, I swooned on\nmy best of cars. And beholding me, reft of consciousness, my charioteer\nquickly bore me away from the field. And seeing me afflicted and pierced\nwith Rama's weapons and borne away drooping and in a swoon, all the\nfollowers of Rama, including Akritavrana and others and the princess of\nKasi, filled with joy, O Bharata, began to shout aloud! Regaining\nconsciousness then, I addressed my charioteer, saying,--'Go where Rama\nstayeth! My pains have left me, and I am ready for battle!'--Thus\ninstructed, my charioteer soon took me where Rama was, with the aid of\nthose exceedingly handsome steeds of mine that seemed to dance as they\ncoursed (through the plain) and that were endued with the speed of the\nwind. And approaching Rama then, O thou of Kuru's race, and filled with\nwrath, from desire of vanquishing his angry self, I overwhelmed him with\nan arrowy shower! But Rama, shooting three for every single of mine, cut\ninto fragments every one of my straight-going arrows in mid air before\nany of them could reach him! And beholding those well-furnished arrows of\nmine by hundreds and thousands, each cut off in twain by Rama's arrows,\nall the followers of Rama were filled with joy. Impelled then by the\ndesire of slaying him, I shot at Rama, the son of Jamadagni, a\ngood-looking arrow of blazing effulgence with Death's self sitting at its\nhead. Struck very forcibly therewith and succumbing to its impetus, Rama\nfell into a swoon and dropped down on the ground. And when Rama thus\ndropped on the ground, exclamations of Oh and Alas arose on all sides,\nand the whole universe, O Bharata, was filled with confusion and alarm,\nsuch as may be witnessed if the sun himself were ever to fall down from\nthe firmament! Then all those ascetics together with the princess of\nKasi, quietly proceeded, O son of Kuru's race, with great anxiety towards\nRama. And embracing him, O Kaurava, they began to comfort him softly with\nthe touch of their hands, rendered cold by contact with water, and with\nassurances of victory. Thus comforted, Rama rose up and fixing an arrow\nto his bow he addressed me in an agitated voice, saying, 'Stay, O\nBhishma! Thou art already slain!' And let off by him, that arrow quickly\npierced my left side in that fierce encounter. And struck therewith, I\nbegan to tremble like a tree shaken by the tempest. Slaying my horses\nthen in terrific combat, Rama, fighting with great coolness, covered me\nwith swarms of winged arrows, shot with remarkable lightness of hand. At\nthis, O mighty-armed one, I also began to shoot arrows with great\nlightness of hand for obstructing Rama's arrowy shower. Then those arrows\nshot by myself and Rama covering the welkin all around, stayed even there\n(without falling down). And, thereupon, enveloped by clouds of arrows the\nvery sun could not shed its rays through them. And the very wind,\nobstructed by those clouds, seemed to be unable to pass through them.\nThen, in consequence of the obstructed motion of the wind, the rays of\nthe sun, and the clash of the arrows against one another, a conflagration\nwas caused in the welkin. And then those arrows blazed forth in\nconsequence of the fire generated by themselves, and fell on the earth,\nconsumed into ashes! Then Rama, O Kaurava, filled with rage, covered me\nwith hundreds and thousands and hundreds of thousands and hundreds of\nmillions arrows! And I also, O king, with my arrows resembling snakes of\nvirulent poison, cut into fragments all those arrows of Rama and caused\nthem to fall down on the earth like snakes cut into pieces. And it was\nthus, O best of the Bharatas, that combat took place. When, however, the\nshades of evening approached, my preceptor withdrew from the fight.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXIV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"The next day, O bull of Bharata's race, frightful again\nwas the combat that took place between me and Rama when I encountered him\nonce more. That hero of virtuous soul, conversant with celestial\nweapons,--the lord Rama, from day to day, began to use diverse kinds of\ncelestial weapons. Regardless of life itself, which is so difficult of\nbeing sacrificed, in that fierce combat, O Bharata, I baffled all those\nweapons with such of mine as are capable of baffling them. And, O\nBharata, when diverse weapons were in this way neutralised and baffled by\nmeans of counter-weapons, Rama, of mighty energy began to contend against\nme in that battle, reckless of his own life. Seeing all his weapons\nbaffled, the high-souled son of Jamadagni then hurled at me a fierce\nlance, blazing like a meteor, with flaming mouth, filling the whole\nworld, as it were, with its effulgence, and resembling the dart hurled by\nDeath himself! I, however, with my arrows cut into three fragments that\nblazing dart rushing against me, and resembling in effulgence the sun\nthat rises at end of the Yuga! At this, breezes charged with fragrant\nodours began to blow (around me). Beholding that dart of his cut off,\nRama, burning with anger, hurled a dozen other fierce darts. Their forms,\nO Bharata, I am incapable of describing in consequence of their great\neffulgence and speed. How, indeed, shall I describe their forms?\nBeholding those diverse-looking darts approach me from all sides, like\nlong tongues of fire and blazing forth with fierce energy like the dozen\nsuns that arise at the time of the destruction of the universe, I was\nfilled with fear. Seeing an arrowy net advancing against me, I baffled it\nwith an arrowy downpour of mine, and then sent a dozen shafts by which I\nconsumed those fierce-looking dozen darts of Rama. Then, O king, the\nhigh-souled son of Jamadagni showered on me numerous fierce-looking\ndarts, furnished with variegated handles decked with gold, possessed of\ngolden wings, and resembling flaming meteors! Baffling those fierce darts\nby means of my shield and sword, and causing them in that combat to fall\ndown on the ground, I then, with clouds of excellent arrows, covered\nRama's excellent steeds and his charioteer. Then that high-souled smiter\nof the lord of the Haihayas,[19] beholding those darts of mine equipped\nwith gold-decked handles and resembling snakes emerged out of their\nholes, and filled with wrath at the sight, had recourse once more to\ncelestial weapons! Then swarms of fierce arrows, looking like flights of\nlocusts fell upon me and overwhelmed me, my steeds, my charioteer, and my\ncar! Indeed, O king, my car, horses, and charioteer, were covered all\nover with those arrows! And the yoke, shaft, wheels, and the wheel-spokes\nof my car, overwhelmed with that arrowy shower, at once broke. After that\narrowy shower, however, was over, I also covered my preceptor with a\nthick shower of arrows. Thereupon, that mass of Brahmic merit, mangled\nwith that arrowy downpour, began to bleed copiously, and continuously.\nIndeed, like Rama afflicted with my clouds of arrows, I too was densely\npierced with his arrows. When at last in the evening, the sun set behind\nthe western hills, our combat came to an end.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Next morning, O king, when the sun rose brightly, the\ncombat between myself and him of Bhrigu's race, again commenced. Then\nRama, that foremost of smiters, stationed on his quickly-moving car,\nrained on me a thick downpour of arrows like the clouds on the\nmountain-breast. My beloved charioteer then, afflicted by that arrowy\nshower, swerved from his place in the car, filling me with grief on his\naccount. A total unconsciousness then came over him. And thus wounded by\nthat arrowy downpour he fell down upon the earth in a swoon. And\nafflicted as he had been by Rama's shafts, he soon gave up his life.\nThen, O great king, fear entered my heart. And when, on the death of my\ncharioteer, I was still lamenting for him with heart unhinged by sorrow,\nRama began to shoot at me many death-dealing shafts. Indeed, even when\nendangered at the death of my charioteer I was lamenting for him, he of\nBhrigu's race, drawing the bow with strength, pierced me deep with an\narrow! O king, that blood-drinking shaft, falling upon my breast, pierced\nme through and fell simultaneously with my person upon the earth! Then, O\nbull of Bharata's race, thinking I was dead, Rama repeatedly roared aloud\nlike the clouds and rejoiced exceedingly! indeed, O king, when thus I\nfell down on the earth, Rama, filled with joy, sent forth loud shouts\nalong with his followers, while all the Kauravas who stood beside me and\nall those who came there to witness the combat were afflicted with great\nwoe on seeing me fall. While lying prostrate, O lion among kings, I\nbeheld eight Brahmanas endued with the effulgence of the sun or the fire.\nThey stood surrounding me on that field of battle and supporting me on\ntheir arms. Indeed, borne up by those Brahmanas I had not to touch the\nground. Like friends they supported me in mid-air while I was breathing\nheavily. And they were sprinkling me with drops of water. And bearing me\nup as they stood, they then, O king, repeatedly said unto me, 'Do not\nfear! Let prosperity be thine!' Comforted then by those words of theirs,\nI quickly rose up. I then beheld my mother Ganga--that foremost of the\nrivers, stationed on my car. Indeed, O king of the Kurus, it was that\ngreat river-goddess who had controlled my steeds in the combat (after my\ncharioteer's fall)! Worshipping then the feet of my mother and of the\nspirits of my ancestors, I ascended my car. My mother then protected my\ncar, steeds, and all the implements of battle. With joined hands I\nentreated her to go away. Having dismissed her, I myself restrained those\nsteeds endued with the speed of the wind, and fought with Jamadagni's\nson, O Bharata, till the close of the day! Then, O chief of the Bharatas,\nin course of that combat, I shot at Rama a powerful and heart-piercing\narrow endued with great speed. Afflicted with that shaft, Rama then, his\nbow loosened from his grasp, fell down upon the earth on his knees, reft\nof consciousness! And when Rama, that giver of many thousands (of golden\ncoins) fell, masses of clouds covered the firmament, pouring a copious\nshower of blood! And meteors by hundreds fell, and thunder-rolls were\nheard, causing everything to tremble! And suddenly Rahu enveloped the\nblazing sun, and rough winds began to blow! And the earth itself began to\ntremble. And vultures and crows and cranes began to alight in joy! And\nthe points of the horizon seemed to be ablaze and jackals began\nrepeatedly to yell fiercely! And drums, unstruck (by human hands), began\nto produce harsh sound! Indeed, when the high-souled Rama embraced the\nearth, reft of consciousness, all these frightful and alarming omens of\nevil were seen! Then all on a sudden rising up, Rama approached me once\nmore, O Kaurava, for battle, forgetting everything and deprived of his\nsenses by anger. And that mighty-armed one took up his bow endued with\ngreat strength and also a deadly arrow. I, however, resisted him\nsuccessfully. The great Rishis then (that stood there) were filled with\npity at the sight, while he, however, of Bhrigu's race, was filled with\ngreat wrath. I then took up a shaft, resembling the blazing fire that\nappears at the end of the Yuga, but Rama of immeasurable soul baffled\nthat weapon of mine. Then covered by clouds of dust, the splendour of the\nsolar disc was dimmed, and the sun went to the western mount. And night\ncame with its delicious and cool breezes, and then both of us desisted\nfrom the fight. In this way, O king, when evening came the fierce battle\nceased, and (next day) with the re-appearance of the sun it commenced\nagain. And it lasted for three and twenty days together.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXVI\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Then, O great king, during the night, having bowed unto\nthe Brahmanas, the Rishis, the gods, and all those creatures that wander\nduring the dark, and also all the kings of the earth, I laid myself down\non my bed, and in the solitude of my room, I began to reflect in the\nfollowing way.--For many days hath this fierce combat of terrible\nconsequence lasted between myself and Jamadagni. I am unable, however, to\nvanquish on the field of battle that Rama of mighty energy. If indeed, I\nam competent to vanquish in battle that Brahmana of mighty strength,\nviz., Jamadagni's son of great prowess, then let the gods kindly show\nthemselves to me this night!--Mangled with arrows as I lay asleep, O\ngreat king, that night on my right side, towards the morning, those\nforemost of Brahmanas who had raised me when I had fallen down from my\ncar and held me up and said unto me--Do not fear--and who had comforted\nme, showed themselves to me, O king, in a dream! And they stood\nsurrounding me and said these words. Listen to them as I repeat them to\nthee, O perpetuator of Kuru's race! 'Rise, O Ganga's son, thou needst have\nno fear! We will protect thee, for thou art our own body! Rama, the son\nof Jamadagni, will never be able to vanquish thee in battle! Thou, O bull\nof Bharata's race, wilt be the conqueror of Rama in combat! This beloved\nweapon, O Bharata, called Praswapa, appertaining to the lord of all\ncreatures, and forged by the divine artificer, will come to thy\nknowledge, for it was known to thee in thy former life! Neither Rama, nor\nany person on earth is acquainted with it. Recollect it, therefore, O\nthou of mighty arms, and apply it with strength! O king of kings, O\nsinless one, it will come to thee of itself! With it, O Kaurava, thou\nwilt be able to check all persons endued with mighty energy! O king, Rama\nwill not be slain outright by it, thou shalt not, therefore, O giver of\nhonours, incur any sin by using it! Afflicted by the force of this thy\nweapon, the son of Jamadagni, will fall asleep! Vanquishing him thus,\nthou wilt again awaken him in battle, O Bhishma, with that dear weapon\ncalled Samvodhana! Do what we have told thee, O Kauravya, in the morning,\nstationed on thy car. Asleep or dead we reckon it as the same, O king,\nRama will not surely die! Apply, therefore, this Praswapa weapon so\nhappily thought of!'--Having said this, O king, those foremost of\nBrahmanas, eight in number and resembling one another in form, and\npossessed of effulgent bodies, all vanished from my sight!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXVII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"After the night had passed away, I awoke, O Bharata, and\nthinking of my dream I was filled with great joy. Then, O Bharata, the\ncombat began between him and me--a combat that was fierce and unrivalled\nand that made the hairs of all creatures stand on their ends. And\nBhargava poured on me an arrowy shower which I baffled with an arrowy\nshower of mine. Then filled with wrath at what he had seen the day before\nand what he saw that day, Rama hurled at me a dart, hard as Indra's\nthunderbolt and possessed of effulgence, resembling the Yama's mace! It\ncame towards me like a blazing flame of fire and drinking up, as it were,\nall the quarters of that field of battle! Then, O tiger among the Kurus,\nit fell, O perpetuator of Kuru's line, upon my shoulder, like the\nlightning's flame that ranges the sky. Wounded thus by Rama, O thou of\nred eyes, my blood, O mighty-armed one, began to flow copiously like\nstreams of red earth from a mountain (after a shower)! Filled with great\nwrath, I then shot at Jamadagni's son a deadly shaft, fatal as the poison\nof a snake. That heroic and best of Brahmanas, struck therewith at the\nforehead, O monarch, then appeared as beautiful as a crested hill!\nExtremely angry, that hero then, changing his position and drawing the\nbow-string with great strength, aimed at me a terrible shaft resembling\nall-destructive Death himself, and capable of grinding all foes! That\nfierce arrow fell upon my breast, hissing (through the air) like a snake.\nCovered with blood, I fell down on the earth, O king, thus struck.\nRegaining consciousness, I hurled at Jamadagni's son a frightful dart,\neffulgent as the thunderbolt. That dart fell upon the bosom of that\nforemost of Brahmanas. Deprived of his senses at this, Rama began to\ntremble all over. That great ascetic then, viz., his friend, the\nregenerate Akritavrana, embraced him and with diverse words of comfort\nsoothed him. Reassured thus, Rama of high vows was then filled with wrath\nand vindictiveness. He invoked the great Brahma weapon. For baffling it I\nalso used the same excellent weapon. Clashing against each other, the two\nweapons began to blaze forth brightly, showing what happens at the end of\nthe Yuga! Without being able to reach either myself or Rama, those two\nweapons, O best of the Bharatas, met each other in the mid-air. Then the\nwhole welkin seemed to be ablaze, and all creatures, O monarch, became\nhighly distressed. Afflicted by the energy of those weapons, the Rishis,\nthe Gandharvas, and the gods were all greatly pained. Then earth, with\nher mountains and seas and trees began to tremble, and all creatures,\nheated with the energy of the weapons, were greatly afflicted. The\nfirmament, O king, became ablaze and the ten points of the horizon became\nfilled with smoke. Creatures, therefore, that range the welkin were\nunable to stay in their element. When, at all this, the whole world with\nthe gods, the Asuras and the Rakshasas began to utter exclamations of\nwoe.--This is the time--thought I and became desirous, O Bharata, of\nspeedily shooting the Praswapa weapon at the command of those utterers of\nBrahma (that had appeared to me in my dream)! The Mantras also for\ninvoking excellent weapon suddenly came to my mind!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXVIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"When I had formed this resolution, O king, a din of\ntumultuous voices arose in the sky. And it said,--O son of Kuru's race,\ndo not let off the Praswapa weapon!--Notwithstanding this, I still aimed\nthat weapon at Bhrigu's descendant. When I had aimed it, Narada addressed\nme, saying, 'Yonder, O Kauravya, stay the gods in the sky! Even they are\nforbidding thee today! Do not aim the Praswapa weapon! Rama is an ascetic\npossessed of Brahma merit, and he is, again, thy preceptor! Never,\nKauravya, humiliate him.' While Narada was telling me this, I beheld\nthose eight utterers of Brahma stationed in the sky. Smilingly, O king,\nthey said unto me slowly,--'O chief of the Bharatas, do even what Narada\nsayeth. Even that, O best of Bharata's race, is highly beneficial to the\nworld!' I then withdrew that great weapon called Praswapa and invoked\naccording to the ordinance the weapon called Brahma in the combat.\nBeholding the Praswapa weapon withdrawn, O lion among kings, Rama was in\ngreat huff, and suddenly exclaimed, 'Wretch that I am, I am vanquished, O\nBhishma!' Then Jamadagni's son beheld before him his venerable father and\nhis father's fathers. They stood surrounding him there, and addressed him\nin these words of consolation, 'O sire, never display such rashness\nagain, the rashness, viz., of engaging in battle with Bhishma, or\nespecially with any Kshatriya. O descendant of Bhrigu's race, to fight is\nthe duty of a Kshatriya! Study (of the Vedas) and practice of vows are\nthe highest wealth of Brahmanas! For some reason, before this, thou\nhadst been ordered by us to take up weapons. Thou hadst then perpetrated\nthat terrible and unbecoming feat. Let this battle with Bhishma be thy\nvery last, for enough of it thou hadst already. O thou of mighty arms,\nleave the combat. Blessed be thou, let this be the very last instance of\nthy taking up the bow! O invincible one, throw thy bow aside, and\npractice ascetic austerities, O thou of Bhrigu's race! Behold, Bhishma,\nthe son of Santanu, is forbidden by all the gods! They are endeavouring\nto pacify him, repeatedly saying,--Desist from this battle! Do not fight\nwith Rama who is thy preceptor. It is not proper for thee, O perpetuator\nof Kuru's race, to vanquish Rama in battle! O son of Ganga, show this\nBrahmana every honour on the field of battle! As regards thee, we are thy\nsuperiors and therefore forbid thee! Bhishma is one of the foremost of\nVasus! O son, it is fortunate, that thou art still alive! Santanu's son\nby Ganga--a celebrated Vasu as he is,--how can he be defeated by thee?\nDesist, therefore, O Bhargava! That foremost of the Pandavas, Arjuna, the\nmighty son of Indra, hath been ordained by the Self-create to be the\nslayer of Bhishma!'\"\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by his own ancestors, Rama answered\nthem, saying, 'I cannot give up the combat. Even this is the solemn vow I\nhave made. Before this, I never left the field, giving up battle! Ye\ngrandsires, if you please, cause Ganga's son to desist from the fight! As\nregards myself, I can, by no means, desist from the combat!' Hearing\nthese words of his, O king, those ascetics with Richika at their head,\ncoming to me with Narada in their company, told me, 'O sire, desist from\nbattle! Honour that foremost of Brahmanas!' For the sake of Kshatriya\nmorality, I replied unto them, saying, 'Even this is the vow I have taken\nin this world, viz., that I would never desist from battle turning my\nback, or suffer my back to be wounded with arrows! I cannot, from\ntemptation or distress, or fear, or for the sake of wealth, abandon my\neternal duty! Even this is my fixed resolution!' Then all those ascetics\nwith Narada at their head, O king, and my mother Bhagirathi, occupied the\nfield of battle (before me). I, however, stayed quietly with arrows and\nbow as before, resolved to fight. They then once more turned towards Rama\nand addressed him, saying, 'The hearts of Brahmanas are made of butter.\nBe pacified, therefore, O son of Bhrigu's race! O Rama, O Rama, desist\nfrom this battle, O best of Brahmanas! Bhishma is incapable of being\nslain by thee, as indeed, thou, O Bhargava, art incapable of being slain\nby him!' Saying these words while they stood obstructing the field, the\nPitris caused that descendant of Bhrigu's race to place aside his\nweapons. Just at this time I once more beheld those eight utterers of\nBrahma, blazing with effulgence and resembling bright stars risen on the\nfirmament. Stationed for battle as I was, they said these words unto me\nwith great affection, 'O thou of mighty arms, go unto Rama who is thy\npreceptor! Do what is beneficial to all the worlds.' Beholding then that\nRama had desisted owing to the words of his well-wishers, I also, for the\ngood of the worlds, accepted the words of my well-wishers. Though mangled\nexceedingly, I still approached Rama and worshipped him. The great\nascetic Rama then, smilingly, and with great affection, said unto me,\n'There is no Kshatriya equal to thee on the earth! Go now, O Bhishma, for\nin this combat thou hast pleased me highly'! Summoning then in my\npresence that maiden (the daughter of Kasi), Bhargava sorrowfully said\nunto her these words in the midst of all those high-souled persons.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXIX\n\n\"'\"Rama said, 'O damsel, in the very sight of all these persons, I have\nfought according to the best of my power and displayed my prowess! By\nusing even the very best of weapons I have not been able to obtain any\nadvantage over Bhishma, that foremost of all wielders of weapons! I have\nexerted now to the best of my power and might. O beautiful lady, go\nwithersoever thou wishest! What other business of thine can I accomplish?\nSeek the protection of Bhishma himself! Thou hast no other refuge now!\nShooting mighty weapons Bhishma hath vanquished me!' Having said this,\nthe high-souled Rama sighed and remained silent. That maiden then\naddressed him, saying, 'O holy one, it is even so as thy holy self hath\nsaid! This Bhishma of great intelligence is incapable of being vanquished\nin battle by even the gods! Thou hast done my business to the best of thy\nexertion and power. Thou hast displayed in this battle energy incapable\nof being baffled and weapons also of diverse kinds. Thou hast yet been\nunable to obtain any advantage over Bhishma in combat. As regards myself,\nI will not go a second time to Bhishma. I will, however, O perpetuator of\nBhrigu's race, go thither, O thou endued with wealth of asceticism, where\nI may (obtain the means to) myself slay Bhishma in battle!' Having said\nthe words, that maiden went away, with eyes agitated with wrath, and\nthinking to compass my death, she firmly resolved to devote herself to\nasceticism. Then that foremost one of Bhrigu's race, accompanied by those\nascetics, bidding me farewell, departed, O Bharata, for the mountains\nwhence he had come. I also, ascending my car, and praised by the\nBrahmanas, entered our city and represented everything unto my mother\nSatyavati, everything that had transpired, and she, O great king, uttered\nbenedictions on me. I then appointed persons endued with intelligence to\nascertain the doings of that maiden. Devoted to the good of myself--their\nwell-wisher, those spies of mine, with great application brought to me\naccounts of her course of action, her words and actions, from day to day.\nWhen that maiden went to the woods, resolved on ascetic austerities, even\nthen I became melancholy, and afflicted with pain, I lost my heart's\ntenor. Except one acquainted with Brahma and observant of vows, that are\npraiseworthy owing to the austerities they involve, no Kshatriya hath\never by his prowess, vanquished me in battle! I then, O king, humbly\nrepresented to Narada as also to Vyasa all that the maiden did. They both\ntold me, 'O Bhishma, do not give way to sorrow on account of the daughter\nof Kasi. Who is there that would venture to baffle destiny by individual\nexertion?' Meanwhile, O great king, that maiden, entering a cluster of\nretreats practised austerities, that were beyond human powers (of\nendurance). Without food, emaciated, dry, with matted-locks and begrimed\nwith filth, for six months she lived on air only, and stood unmoved like\na street-post. And that lady, possessed of wealth of asceticism,\nforegoing all food in consequence of the fast she kept, passed a whole\nyear after this, standing in the waters of the Yamuna. Endued with great\nwrath, she passed the next whole year standing on her front toes and\nhaving eaten only one fallen leaf (of a tree). And thus for twelve years,\nshe made the heavens hot by her austerities. And though dissuaded by her\nrelatives, she could not by any means be weaned off (from that course of\naction). She then went unto Vatsabhumi resorted to by the Siddhas and\nCharanas, and which was the retreat of high-souled ascetics of pious\ndeeds. Bathing frequently in the sacred waters of that retreat, the\nprincess of Kasi roamed about according to her will. Proceeding next (one\nafter another) to the asylum, O king, of Narada, and to the auspicious\nasylum of Uluka and to that of Chyavana, and to the spot sacred to\nBrahmana, and to Prayaga the sacrificial platform of the gods, and to\nthat forest sacred to the gods, and to Bhogawati, and, O monarch, to the\nasylum of Kusika's son (Viswamitra), and to the asylum of Mandavya, and\nalso to the asylum of Dwilipa, and to Ramhrada, and, O Kaurava, to the\nasylum of Garga, the princess of Kasi, O king, performed ablutions in the\nsacred waters of all these, observing all the while the most difficult of\nvows. One day, my mother from the waters asked her, O Kauravya, saying,\n'O blessed lady, for what dost thou afflict thyself so? Tell me the\ntruth!' Thus asked, O monarch, that faultless damsel answered her with\njoined hands, saying, 'O thou of handsome eyes, Rama hath been vanquished\nin battle by Bhishma. What other (Kshatriya) king then would venture to\ndefeat the latter when ready with his weapons? As regards myself, I am\npractising the severest penances for the destruction of Bhishma. I wander\nover the earth, O goddess, so that I may slay that king! In every thing I\ndo, O goddess, even this is the great end of my vows!' Hearing these\nwords of hers, the Ocean-going (river Ganga) replied unto her, saying, 'O\nlady, thou art acting crookedly! O weak girl, this wish of thine thou\nshalt not be able to achieve, O faultless one. If, O princess of Kasi,\nthou observest these vows for destruction of Bhishma, and if thou takest\nleave of thy body while observing them, thou shalt (in thy next birth)\nbecome a river, crooked in her course and of water only during the rains!\nAll the bathing places along thy course will be difficult of approach,\nand filled only during the rains, thou shalt be dry for eight months\n(during the year)! Full of terrible alligators, and creatures of\nfrightful mien thou shalt inspire fear in all creatures!' Addressing her\nthus, O king, my mother, that highly-blessed lady, in seeming smiles,\ndismissed the princess of Kasi. That highly fair damsel then once more\nbegan to practise vows, foregoing all food, aye, even water, sometimes\nfor eight months and sometimes for ten months! And the daughter of the\nking of Kasi, wandering hither and thither for her passionate desire of\ntirthas, once more came back, O Kauravya, to Vatsabhumi. And it is there,\nO Bharata, that she is known to have become a river, filled only during\nthe rainy seasons, abounding with crocodiles, crooked in her course, and\ndestitute of easy access to her water. And, O king, in consequence of her\nascetic merit only half her body became such a river in Vatsabhumi, while\nwith the other half, she remained a maiden as before!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXC\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Then all those ascetics (that dwell in Vatsabhumi),\nbeholding the princess of Kasi firmly resolved on ascetic austerities,\ndissuaded her and enquired of her, saying, 'What is thy business?' Thus\naddressed, the maiden answered those ascetics, old in ascetic penances,\nsaying, 'Expelled I have been by Bhishma, prevented by him from the\nvirtue that would have been mine by living with a husband! My observance\nof this vow is for his destruction and not for the sake of regions of\nbliss, ye that are endued with wealth of asceticism! Having compassed the\ndeath of Bhishma, peace will be mine. Even this is my resolve. He for\nwhom mine hath been this state of continuous grief, he for whom I have\nbeen deprived of the region that would have been mine if I could obtain a\nhusband, he for whom I have become neither woman nor man, without slaying\nin battle that son of Ganga I will not desist, ye that are endued with\nwealth of asceticism. Even this that I have said is the purpose that is\nin my heart. As a woman, I have no longer any desire. I am, however,\nresolved to obtain manhood, for I will be revenged upon Bhishma. I should\nnot, therefore, be dissuaded by you.' Unto them she said these words\nrepeatedly. Soon, the divine lord of Uma, bearing the trident, showed\nhimself in his own form unto that female ascetic in the midst of those\ngreat Rishis. Being asked to solicit the boon she wished, she begged of\nthe deity my defeat. 'Thou shalt slay him,'--were the words the god said\nunto that lady of great force of mind. Thus assured, the maiden, however,\nonce more said unto Rudra, 'How can it happen, O god, that being a woman\nI shall yet be able to achieve victory in battle. O lord of Uma, as a\nwoman, my heart is quite stilled. Thou hast, however, promised me, O lord\nof creatures, the defeat of Bhishma. O lord, having the bull for thy\nmount, act in such a way that promise of thine may become true, that\nencountering Bhishma, the son of Santanu, in battle I may be able to slay\nhim.' The god of gods, having the bull for his symbol, then said unto\nthat maiden, 'The words I have uttered cannot be false. O blessed lady,\ntrue they will be. Thou shalt slay Bhishma, and even obtain manhood. Thou\nshalt also remember all the incidents (of this life) even when thou shalt\nobtain a new body. Born in the race of Drupada, thou shalt become a\nMaharatha. Quick in the use of weapons and a fierce warrior, thou shalt\nbe well-skilled in battle. O blessed lady, all that I have said will be\ntrue. Thou shalt become a man at the expiration of sometime (from thy\nbirth)!' Having said so, the god of gods, called also Kapardin, having\nthe bull for his symbol, disappeared then and there, in the very sight of\nthose Brahmanas. Upon this, that faultless maiden of the fairest\ncomplexion, the eldest daughter of the king of Kasi, procuring wood from\nthat forest in the very sight of those great Rishis, made a large funeral\npyre on the banks of the Yamuna, and having set fire to it herself,\nentered that blazing fire, O great king, with a heart burning with wrath,\nand uttering, O king, the words,--'(I do so) for Bhishma's destruction!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCI\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"Tell me, O grandsire, how Sikhandin, O Ganga's son,\nhaving before been born a daughter, afterwards became a man, O foremost\nof warriors.\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O great king, the eldest and beloved queen of king\nDrupada was, O monarch, childless (at first). During those years, king\nDrupada, O monarch, paid his adoration to the god Sankara for the sake of\noffspring, resolving in his mind to compass my destruction and practising\nthe austerest of penances. And he begged Mahadeva, saying, 'Let a son,\nand not a daughter, be born unto me. I desire, O god, a son for revenging\nmyself upon Bhishma.' Thereupon, that god of gods said unto him, 'Thou\nshalt have a child who will be a female and male. Desist, O king, it will\nnot be otherwise.' Returning then to his capital, he addressed his wife,\nsaying, 'O great goddess, great hath been the exertion made by me.\nUndergoing ascetic austerities, I paid my adorations to Siva, and I was\ntold by Sambhu that my child becoming a daughter (first) would\nsubsequently become a male person. And though I solicited him repeatedly,\nyet Siva said,--\"This is Destiny's decree. It will not be otherwise. That\nwhich is destined must take place!\"' Then that lady of great energy, the\nqueen of king Drupada, when her season came, observing all the\nregulations (about purity), approached Drupada. And in due time the wife\nof Prishata conceived, agreeably to Destiny's decree, as I was informed,\nO king, by Narada. And that lady, of eyes like lotus-petals, continued to\nhold the embryo in her womb. And, O son of Kuru's race, the mighty-armed\nking Drupada, from paternal affection, attended to every comfort of that\ndear wife of his. And, O Kaurava, the wife of that lord of earth, the\nroyal Drupada, who was childless, had all her wishes gratified. And in\ndue time, O monarch, that goddess, the queen of Drupada, gave birth to a\ndaughter of great beauty. Thereupon, the strong-minded wife of that king,\nthe childless Drupada, gave out, O monarch, that the child she had\nbrought forth was a son. And then king Drupada, O ruler of men, caused\nall the rites prescribed for a male child to be performed in respect of\nthat misrepresented daughter, as if she were really a son. And saying\nthat the child was a son, Drupada's queen kept her counsels very\ncarefully. And no other man in the city, save Prishata, knew the sex of\nthat child. Believing these words of that deity of unfading energy, he\ntoo concealed the real sex of his child, saying,--She is a son. And, O\nking, Drupada caused all the rites of infancy, prescribed for a son, to\nbe performed in respect of that child, and he bestowed the name of\nSikhandin on her. I alone, through my spies and from Narada's words, knew\nthe truth, informed as I previously was of the words of the god and of\nthe ascetic austerities of Amva!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Drupada, O chastiser of foes, bestowed great attention on\neverything in connection with that daughter of his, teaching her writing\nand painting and all the arts. And in arrows and weapons that child\nbecame a disciple of Drona. And the child's mother, of superior\ncomplexion, then urged the king (her husband) to find, O monarch, a wife\nfor her, as if she were a son. Then Prishata, beholding that daughter of\nhis to have attained the full development of youth and assured of her sex\nbegan to consult with his queen. And Drupada said, 'This daughter of mine\nthat so enhanceth my woe, hath attained her youth. Concealed, however,\nshe hath hitherto been by me at the words of the trident-bearing deity!'\nThe queen replied, 'That, O great king, can never be untrue! Why, indeed,\nwould the Lord of the three worlds say that would not occur? If it\npleases thee, O king, I will speak, and listen to my words, and, O son of\nPrishata's race, having listened to me, follow thy own inclination! Let\nthe wedding of this child with a wife be caused to be performed\ncarefully. The words of that god will be true. This is my certain\nbelief!' Then that royal couple, having settled their resolution of that\naffair, chose the daughter of the king of the Dasarnakas as their son's\nwife. After this, the royal Drupada, that lion among kings, having\nenquired about the purity of descent, of all the rulers of the earth,\nselected the daughter of the king of Dasarnakas for wife to Sikhandin.\nHe, who was called the king of the Dasarnakas was named Hiranyavarman;\nand he gave away his daughter to Sikhandin. And Hiranyavarman, the king\nof the Dasarnakas, was a powerful monarch, incapable of being easily\nvanquished. Incapable of being resisted, that high-souled monarch\npossessed a large army. And sometimes after the wedding, the daughter of\nHiranyavarman, O best of monarchs, attained her youth while the daughter\nof Drupada also had attained hers. And Sikhandin, after marriage, came\nback to Kampilya. And the former soon came to know that the latter was a\nwoman like herself. And the daughter of Hiranyavarman, having ascertained\nthat Sikhandin was really a woman, bashfully represented unto her nurses\nand companions everything about the so-called son of the king of the\nPanchalas. Then, O tiger among kings, those nurses of the Dasarnakas\ncountry were filled with great grief and sent emissaries unto their king.\nAnd those emissaries represented unto the king of the Dasarnakas\neverything about the imposture that had taken place. And, thereupon, the\nking of the Dasarnakas was filled with wrath. Indeed, O bull of the\nBharata race, Hiranyavarman, hearing the news after the expiry of a few\ndays was much afflicted with wrath. The ruler of the Dasarnakas then,\nfilled with fierce wrath, sent a messenger to Drupada's abode. And the\nmessenger of king Hiranyavarman, having alone approached Drupada, took\nhim aside and said unto him in private, 'The king of the Dasarnakas, O\nmonarch, deceived by thee and enraged, O sinless one, at the insult thou\nhast offered him, hath said these words unto thee,--Thou hast humiliated\nme! Without doubt it was not wisely done by thee! Thou hadst, from folly,\nsolicited my daughter for thy daughter! O wicked one, reap now the\nconsequence of that act of deception. I will now slay thee with all thy\nrelatives and advisers! Wait a little!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCIII\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Thus addressed, O king, by that messenger, king Drupada,\nlike a thief caught (in the act), could not speak. He exerted himself\ngreatly, by sending sweet-speeched emissaries with his own instruction to\nthem, saying,--This is not so,--in order to pacify his brother. King\nHiranyavarman, however, ascertaining once again, that the child of the\nking of the Panchalas was really a daughter, issued out of his city\nwithout losing any time. He then sent messages unto all his powerful\nfriends about that deception practised on his daughter, of which he had\nheard from her nurses. Then, that best of kings, having mustered a large\narmy, resolved, O Bharata, to march against Drupada. Then, O monarch,\nking Hiranyavarman held a consultation with his ministers about the ruler\nof the Panchalas. And it was settled among those high-souled kings that\nif, O monarch, Sikhandin was really a daughter, they should bind the\nruler of the Panchalas and drag him from his city, and installing another\nking over the Panchalas they should slay Drupada with Sikhandin. Taking\nthat to be the fixed resolution (of all whom he had summoned) king\nHiranyavarman once more sent an envoy to the descendant of Prishata,\nsaying 'I will slay thee, be calm.\"'\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"King Drupada was not naturally courageous. In\nconsequence, again, of that offence of his, he became filled with fear.\nSending his envoys again to the ruler of the Dasarnakas, king Drupada,\nafflicted with grief, approached his wife and took counsel with her. And\npossessed with great fright and with heart afflicted with grief, the king\nof the Panchalas said unto his favourite wife, the mother of Sikhandin,\nthese words, 'My powerful brother, king Hiranyavarman, having mustered a\nlarge force, is coming towards me in anger. Fools that we both are, what\nare we now to do in respect of this our daughter? Thy son, Sikhandin,\nhath been suspected to be a daughter. Under this suspicion, Hiranyavarman\nwith his allies and followed by his army wisheth to slay me thinking that\nhe hath been deceived by me! O thou of beautiful hips, tell us now what\nis true or false in this, O beautiful lady! O blessed lady, hearing from\nthee first, I will settle how to act. I am very much endangered and this\nchild, Sikhandin, also is equally so. Indeed, O queen, O lady of the\nfairest complexion, thou too art threatened with danger! For the relief\nof all, tell me who asketh thee what the truth is! O thou of beautiful\nhips and sweet smiles, hearing what thou hast to say I shall act\nsuitably. Although I have been deceived by thee as to the duties I owe\ntowards a son, yet, O beautiful lady, from kindness I will act towards\nyou both in a suitable manner. Therefore, do not fear, nor let this\ndaughter of thine fear anything. Indeed, I have deceived the king of the\nDasarnakas. Tell me, O highly blessed lady, how may I act towards him so\nthat all may yet turn up well!' Indeed, although the king knew\neverything, yet he addressed his wife in the presence of others in this\nway, to proclaim his own innocence before others. His queen then answered\nhim in the following words.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCIV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Then, O mighty-armed king, Sikhandin's mother represented\nunto her lord the truth about her daughter, Sikhandin. And she said,\n'Childless, O great king, as I was, from fear of my co-wives, when\nSikhandini, my daughter, was born, I represented unto you that it was a\nson! For thy love of me, thou also hadst corroborated it, and, O bull\namong kings, thou hadst performed all the rites prescribed for a son in\nrespect of this daughter of mine! Thou then didst marry her, O king, to\nthe daughter of the king of the Dasarnakas. I also approved of this act,\nremembering the words of the (great) god! Indeed, I did not prevent it,\nremembering the words of Siva,--\"Born a daughter, she will become a son!\"'\nHearing all this, Drupada, otherwise called Yajnasena, informed all his\ncounsellors of these facts. And, O monarch, the king then took counsel\nwith ministers for the proper protection of his subjects (from the\nwould-be invader). Although he had himself deceived the king of the\nDasarnakas, yet giving it out that the alliance he had made was proper,\nhe began to settle his plans with undivided attention. King Drupada's\ncity was, O Bharata, naturally well-protected. Yet at the advent of\ndanger, O monarch, they began to protect it all the more carefully and\nfortify it (with defensive works). The king, however, with his queen, was\ngreatly afflicted, thinking of how a war might not take place with his\nbrother. Reflecting on this, he began to pay his adorations to the gods.\nHis respected wife, beholding him relying on the god and paying his\nadorations to them, than addressed him, O king, and said, 'Homage to the\ngods is productive of benefits! It is, therefore, approved by the\nrighteous. What shall I say, again, of those that are sunk in an ocean of\ndistress? Therefore, pay homage to those that are thy superiors and let\nall the gods also be worshipped, making large presents the while (unto\nthe Brahmanas)! Let oblations be poured on the fire for pacifying the\nruler of the Dasarnakas. O lord, think of the means by which, without a\nwar, thou mayst be able to pacify thy brother! Through the grace of the\ngods all this will happen. For the preservation of this city, O thou of\nlarge eyes, thou hast taken counsel with thy ministers. Do all, O king,\nthat those counsels seem to indicate, for reliance on the gods, when\nsupported by human exertion, always, O king, leadeth to success. If these\ntwo do not go hand-in-hand, success becometh unattainable. Therefore,\nwith all thy advisers, make such arrangements in thy city as are proper,\nand pay homage, O monarch, as thou pleasest, to the gods.' While husband\nand wife were conversing with each other thus, both filled with grief,\ntheir helpless daughter, Sikhandini, was filled with shame. She then\nreflected, saying, 'It is for me that these two are plunged into grief!'\nThinking so, she resolved upon putting an end to her own life. Having\nformed this determination, she left home, filled with heavy sorrow, and\nwent into a dense and solitary forest that was the haunt, O king, of a\nvery formidable Yaksha called Sthunakarna. From fear of that Yaksha men\nnever went into that forest. And within it stood a mansion with high\nwalls and a gateway, plastered over with powdered earth, and rich with\nsmoke bearing the fragrance of fried paddy. Entering that mansion,\nSikhandini, the daughter of Drupada, O king, began to reduce herself by\nforegoing all food for many days. Thereupon, the Yaksha named Sthuna, who\nwas endued with kindness, showed himself unto her. And he enquired of\nher, saying, 'For what object is this endeavour of thine? I will\naccomplish it, tell me without delay!' Thus asked, the maiden answered\nhim, repeatedly saying, 'Thou art unable to accomplish it!' The Guhyaka,\nhowever, rejoined, without a moment's delay, saying, 'Accomplish it I\nwill! I am a follower of the Lord of treasures, I can, O princess, grant\nboons! I will grant thee even that which cannot be given! Tell me what\nthou hast to say!' Thus assured, Sikhandini represented in detail\neverything that had happened, unto that chief of Yakshas called\nSthunakarna. And she said, 'My father, O Yaksha, will soon meet with\ndestruction. The ruler of the Dasarnakas marcheth against him in rage.\nThat king eased in golden mail is endued with great might and great\ncourage. Therefore, O Yaksha, save me, my mother, and my father! Indeed,\nthou hast already pledged thyself to relieve my distress! Through thy\ngrace, O Yaksha, I would become a perfect man! As long as that king may\nnot depart from my city, so long, O great Yaksha, show me grace, O\nGuhyaka!'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCV\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"Hearing, O bull of Bharata's race, those words of\nSikhandini, afflicted by destiny, that Yaksha said after reflecting in\nhis mind, these words, 'Indeed, it was ordained to be so, and, O Kaurava,\nit was ordained for my grief!' The Yaksha said, 'O Blessed lady, I will\ncertainly do what thou wishest! Listen, however, to the condition I make.\nFor a certain period I will give thee my manhood. Thou must, however,\ncome back to me in due time. Pledge thyself to do so! Possessed of\nimmense power, I am a ranger of the skies, wandering at my pleasure, and\ncapable of accomplishing whatever I intend. Through my grace, save the\ncity and thy kinsmen wholly! I will bear thy womanhood, O princess!\nPledge thy truth to me, I will do what is agreeable to thee!' Thus\naddressed, Sikhandini said unto him, 'O holy one of excellent vows, I\nwill give thee back thy manhood! O wanderer of the night, bear thou my\nwomanhood for a short time! After the ruler of the Dasarnakas who is\ncased in a golden mail will have departed (from my city) I will once more\nbecome a maiden and thou wilt become a man!'\"'\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Having said this (unto each other), they both, O\nking, made a covenant, and imparted unto each other's body their sexes.\nAnd the Yaksha Sthuna, O Bharata, became a female, while Sikhandini\nobtained the blazing form of the Yaksha. Then, O king, Sikhandini of\nPanchala's race, having obtained manhood, entered his city in great joy\nand approached his father. And he represented unto Drupada everything\nthat had happened. And Drupada, hearing it all became highly glad. And\nalong with his wife the king recollected the words of Maheswara. And he\nforthwith sent, O king, messenger unto the ruler of the Dasarnakas,\nsaying, 'This my child is a male. Let it be believed by thee!' The king\nof the Dasarnakas meanwhile, filled with sorrow and grief, suddenly\napproached Drupada, the ruler of the Panchalas. And arrived at Kampilya,\nthe Dasarnaka king despatched, after paying him proper honours, an envoy\nwho was one of the foremost of those conversant with the Vedas. And he\naddressed the envoy, saying, 'Instructed by me, O messenger, say unto\nthat worst of kings the ruler of the Panchalas, these words,--viz., \"O\nthou of wicked understanding, having selected my daughter as a wife for\none who is thy daughter, thou shalt today, without doubt, behold the\nfruit of that act of deception.\"' Thus addressed and despatched by him, O\nbest of kings, the Brahmana set out for Drupada's city as Dasarnaka's\nenvoy. And having arrived at the city, the priest went unto Drupada's\npresence. The king of the Panchalas then, with Sikhandin, offered the\nenvoy, O king, a cow and honey. The Brahmana, however, without accepting\nthat worship, said unto him these words that had been communicated\nthrough him by the brave ruler of the Dasarnakas who was cased in a\ngolden mail. And he said, 'O thou of vile behaviours, I have been\ndeceived by thee through thy daughter (as the means)! I will exterminate\nthee with thy counsellors and sons and kinsmen!' Having, in the midst of\nhis counsellors, been made by that priest to hear those words fraught\nwith censure and uttered by the ruler of the Dasarnakas, king Drupada\nthen, O chief of Bharata's race, assuming a mild behaviour from motives\nof friendship, said, 'The reply to these words of my brother that thou\nhast said unto me, O Brahmana, will be carried to that monarch by my\nenvoy!' And king Drupada then, sent unto the high-souled Hiranyavarman a\nBrahmana learned in the Vedas as his envoy. And that envoy, going unto\nking Hiranyavarman, the ruler of the Dasarnakas, said unto him, O\nmonarch, the word that Drupada had entrusted him with. And he said,\n'This my child is really a male. Let it be made clear by means of\nwitness! Somebody has spoken falsely to thee. That should not be\nbelieved!' Then the king of the Dasarnakas, having heard the words of\nDrupada, was filled with sorrow and despatched a number of young ladies\nof great beauty for ascertaining whether Sikhandin was a male or female.\nDespatched by him, those ladies, having ascertained (the truth) joyfully\ntold the king of the Dasarnakas everything, viz., that Sikhandin, O chief\nof the Kurus, was a powerful person of the masculine sex. Hearing that\ntestimony, the ruler of the Dasarnakas was filled with great joy, and\nwending then unto his brother Drupada, passed a few days with him in joy.\nAnd the king, rejoiced as he was, gave unto Sikhandin much wealth, many\nelephants and steeds and kine. And worshipped by Drupada (as long as he\nstayed), the Dasarnaka king then departed, having rebuked his daughter.\nAnd after king Hiranyavarman, the ruler of the Dasarnakas had departed in\njoy and with his anger quelled, Sikhandin began to rejoice exceedingly.\nMeanwhile, sometime after (the exchange of sexes had taken place) Kuvera,\nwho was always borne on the shoulders of human beings, in course of a\njourney (through the earth), came to the abode of Sthuna. Staying (in the\nwelkin) above that mansion, the protector of all the treasures saw that\nthe excellent abode of the Yaksha Sthuna was well-adorned with beautiful\ngarland of flowers, and perfumed with fragrant roots of grass and many\nsweet scents. And it was decked with canopies, and scented incense. And\nit was also beautiful with standards and banners. And it was filled with\nedibles and drink of every kind. And beholding that beautiful abode of\nthe Yaksha decked all over, and filled also with garlands of jewels and\ngems and perfumed with the fragrance of diverse kinds of flowers, and\nwell-watered, and well-swept, the lord of the Yakshas addressed the\nYakshas that followed him, saying, 'Ye that are endued with immeasurable\nprowess, this mansion of Sthuna is well-adorned! Why, however, doth not\nthat wight of wicked understanding come to me? And since that\nwicked-souled one, knowing I am here, approacheth me not, therefore, some\nsevere punishment should be inflicted on him! Even this is my intention!'\nHearing these words of his, the Yakshas said, 'O king, the royal Drupada\nhad a daughter born unto him, of the name of Sikhandini! Unto her, for\nsome reason, Sthuna had given his own manhood, and having taken her\nwomanhood upon him, he stayeth within his abode having become a woman!\nBearing as he doth a feminine form, he doth not, therefore, approach thee\nin shame! It is for this reason, O king, that Sthuna cometh not to thee!\nHearing all this, do what may be proper! Let the car be stopped here!\nLet Sthuna be brought to me,'--were the words that the lord of the Yakshas\nuttered, and repeatedly said,--I will punish him!--Summoned then by the\nLord of Yakshas, Sthuna bearing a feminine form came thither, O king, and\nstood before him in shame. Then, O thou of Kuru's race, the giver of\nwealth cursed him in anger, saying, 'Ye Guhyakas, let the femininity of\nthe wretch remain as it is!' And the high-souled lord of the Yakshas also\nsaid, 'Since humiliating all the Yakshas, thou hast, O thou of sinful\ndeeds, given away thy own sex to Sikhandini and taken from her, O thou of\nwicked understanding, her femininity,--since, O wicked wretch, thou hast\ndone what hath never been done by anybody,--therefore from this day, thou\nshalt remain a woman and she shall remain a man!' At these words of his,\nall the Yakshas began to soften Vaisravana for the sake of Sthunakarna\nrepeatedly saying, 'Set a limit to thy curse!' The high-souled lord of\nthe Yakshas then said unto all these Yakshas that followed him, from\ndesire of setting a limit to his curse, these words, viz.,--After\nSikhandin's death, ye Yakshas, this one will regain his own form!\nTherefore, let this high-souled Yaksha Sthuna be freed from his anxiety!\nHaving said this, the illustrious and divine king of the Yakshas,\nreceiving due worship, departed with all his followers who were capable\nof traversing a great distance within the shortest space of time. And\nSthuna, with that curse pronounced on him, continued to live there. And\nwhen the time came, Sikhandin without losing a moment came unto that\nwanderer of the night. And approaching his presence he said, 'I have come\nto thee, O holy one!' Sthuna then repeatedly said unto him, 'I am pleased\nwith thee!' Indeed, beholding that prince return to him without guile,\nSthuna told Sikhandin everything that had happened. Indeed, the Yaksha\nsaid, 'O son of a king, for thee I have been cursed by Vaisravana. Go\nnow, and live happily amongst men as thou choosest. Thy coming here and\nthe arrival of Pulastya's son were, I think, both ordained from\nbeforehand. All this was incapable of being prevented!'\"'\n\n\"'Bhishma continued, \"Thus addressed by the Yaksha Sthuna, Sikhandin, O\nBharata, came to his city, filled with great joy. And he worshipped with\ndiverse scents and garlands of flower and costly presents persons of the\nregenerate class, deities, big trees and crossways. And Drupada, the\nruler of the Panchalas, along with his son Sikhandin whose wishes had\nbeen crowned with success, and with also his kinsmen, became exceedingly\nglad. And the king then, O bull of Kuru's race, gave his son, Sikhandin,\nwho had been a woman, as a pupil, O monarch, to Drona. And prince\nSikhandin obtained, along with yourselves, the whole science of arms with\nits four divisions. And (his brother) Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race\nalso obtained the same. Indeed, all this way represented unto me, O sire,\nby the spies, disguised as idiots and as persons without the senses of\nvision, and hearing whom I had set upon Drupada. It is thus, O king, that\nthat best of Rathas, Sikhandin, the son of Drupada, having first been\nborn a female, subsequently became a person of the other sex. And it was\nthe eldest daughter of the ruler of Kasi, celebrated by the name of Amva,\nwho was, O bull of Bharata's race, born in Drupada's line as Sikhandin.\nIf he approacheth me bow in hand and desirous of fight, I will not look\nat him even for a moment nor smite him, O thou of unfading glory!\nEven this is my vow, known over all the world, viz., that I will not, O\nson of Kuru's race, shoot weapons upon a woman, or one that was a woman\nbefore or one bearing a feminine name, or one whose form resembleth a\nwoman's. I will not, for this reason, slay Sikhandin. Even this, O sire,\nis the story that I have ascertained of Sikhandin's birth. I will not,\ntherefore, slay him in battle even if he approacheth me weapon in hand.\nIf Bhishma slayeth a woman the righteous will all speak ill of him. I\nwill not, therefore, slay him even if I behold him waiting for battle!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing these words of Bhishma, king Duryodhana of\nKuru's race, reflecting for a moment, thought even that behaviour was\nproper for Bhishma.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCVI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When the night passed away and morning came, thy sons\nonce more, in the midst of all the troops, asked their grandsire, saying,\n\"O son of Ganga, this army that is ready for fight, of Pandu's son, that\nabounds with men, elephants, and steeds, that is crowded with Maharathas,\nthat is protected by these mighty bowmen endued with great strength,\nviz., Bhima and Arjuna and others headed by Dhrishtadyumna and all\nresembling the very regents of the world, that is invincible and\nincapable of being withstood, that resembles the unbounded sea,--this sea\nof warriors incapable of being agitated by the very gods in battle, in\nhow many days, O son of Ganga, O thou of great effulgence, canst thou\nannihilate it, and in what time can that mighty bowman, our preceptor\n(Drona), in what time also the mighty Kripa, in what time Karna who\ntaketh a pleasure in battle, and in what time that best of Brahmanas,\nviz., the son of Drona, can each annihilate it? Ye that are in my army\nare all acquainted with celestial weapons! I desire to know this, for the\ncuriosity I feel in my heart is great! O thou of mighty arms, it behoveth\nthee to say this to me!\"\n\n\"'Bhishma said, \"O foremost one of the Kurus, O lord of the earth, thou\nenquirest about the strength and weakness of the foe. This, indeed, is\nworthy of thee. Listen, O king, as I tell thee the utmost limit of my\npower in battle, or of the energy of my weapons, or of the might of my\narms, O thou of mighty arms! As regards ordinary combatants, one should\nfight with them artlessly. As regards those that are possessed of powers\nof deception, one should fight with them aided by the ways of deception.\nEven this is what hath been laid down in respect of the duties of\nwarriors. I can annihilate the Pandava army, O blessed monarch, taking\nevery morning ten thousand (ordinary) warriors and one thousand\ncar-warriors as my share from day to day. Cased in mail and always\nexerting myself actively, I can, O Bharata, annihilate this large force,\naccording to this arrangement as regards both number and time. If,\nhowever, stationed in battle, I shoot my great weapons that slay hundreds\nand thousands at a time, then I can, O Bharata, finish the slaughter in a\nmonth.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing these words of Bhishma, king Duryodhana then\nasked Drona, O monarch, that foremost one of Angira's race, saying, \"O\npreceptor, in what time canst thou annihilate the troops of Pandu's son?\"\nThus addressed by him, Drona said smilingly, \"I am old, O mighty-armed\none! My energy and activity have both become weak. With the fire of my\nweapons I can consume the army of the Pandavas, like Santanu's son\nBhishma, I think, in a month's time. Even this is the limit of my power,\neven this is the limit of my strength.\" Then Saradwat's son Kripa said\nthat he could annihilate the foe in two month's time. Drona's son\n(Aswatthaman) pledged himself to annihilate the Pandava army in ten\nnights. Karna, however, acquainted as he was with weapons of high\nefficacy, pledged himself to achieve that feat in five days. Hearing the\nwords of the Suta's son the son of the ocean-going (Ganga) laughed aloud\nand said, \"As long, O son of Radha, as thou encounterest not in battle\nPartha with his arrows, conch, and bows and rushing to the combat on his\ncar with Vasudeva in his company, so long mayest thou think so! Why, thou\nart capable of saying anything, even what thou pleasest!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCVII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing these words (of the leaders of the Kuru\narmy), Kunti's son Yudhishthira, summoning all his brothers, said unto\nthem these words in private.\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'The spies I had placed in the army of\nDhritarashtra's son, brought me this news in the morning. Duryodhana\nasked Ganga's son of great vows, saying, \"O lord, in what time canst thou\nannihilate the troops of Pandu's sons?\" Indeed, the wicked Duryodhana was\nanswered by him in these words, viz.,--In a month! Drona also declared\nthat he could do the same feat in about the same time. Gautama (Kripa)\nindicated twice that period, as hath been heard by us. Drona's son\nacquainted with weapons of high efficacy declared the period (in his\ncase) to be ten nights. Karna also, acquainted with weapons of high\nefficacy, asked in the midst of the Kurus, declared that thy could\ncomplete the slaughter in five days. Therefore, I also, O Arjuna, am\ndesirous of hearing thy words. In what time canst thou, O Falguni,\nexterminate the foe?' Thus addressed by the king, Dhananjaya of curly\nhair, casting a look upon Vasudeva, said these words, 'All these (Bhishma\nand others) are high-souled (warriors), accomplished in arms and\nacquainted with all modes of warfare. Without doubt, O king, they can\nexterminate (our forces) even thus! Let thy heart's anguish, however, be\ndispelled. I tell thee truly that with Vasudeva as my ally, I can, on a\nsingle car, exterminate the three worlds with even the immortals, indeed,\nall mobile creatures that were, are, will be, in the twinkling of the\neye. This is what I think. That terrible and mighty weapon which the Lord\nof all creatures (Mahadeva) gave me on the occasion of my hand-to-hand\nencounter with him (in the guise of) a hunter, still existeth with me.\nIndeed, O tiger among men, that weapon which the Lord of all creatures\nuseth at the end of Yuga for destroying created things, existeth with me.\nGanga's son knoweth not that weapon; nor Drona nor Gautama (Kripa); nor\nDrona's son, O king! How, therefore, can the Suta's son know it? It is\nnot, however, proper to slay ordinary men in battle by means of celestial\nweapons. We shall (on the other band) vanquish our foes in a fair fight.\nThen, these tigers among men, O king, are thy allies! All of them are\nwell-versed in celestial weapons, and all of them are eager for battle.\nAll of them after their initiation in the Vedas, have undergone the final\nbath in sacrifices. All of them are unvanquished. They are competent, O\nson of Pandu, to slay in battle the army of even the celestials. Thou\nhast for thy allies Sikhandin, and Yuyudhana and Dhristadyumna of\nPrishata's race; and Bhimasena, and these twins, and Yudhamanyu, and\nUttamaujas, and Virata and Drupada who are equal in battle unto Bhishma\nand Drona; and the mighty-armed Sankha, and Hidimva's son of great might;\nand this latter's son Anjanparvan endued with great strength and prowess;\nand Sini's descendant of mighty arms and well-versed in battle, and the\nmighty Abhimanyu and the five sons of Draupadi! Thou art thyself, again,\ncompetent to exterminate the three worlds! O thou that art endued with\neffulgence equal unto that of Sakra himself, I know it, O Kaurava, for it\nis manifest, that that man upon whom thou mayest cast thy eyes in anger\nis sure to be annihilated!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCVIII\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Next morning, under a cloudless sky, all the kings,\nurged by Dhritarashtra's son, Duryodhana, set out against the Pandavas.\nAnd all of them had purified themselves by baths, were decked in\ngarlands, and attired in white robes. And having poured libations on\nfire, caused Brahmanas to utter benedictions on them, they took up their\nweapons and raised their (respective) standards. And all of them were\nconversant with the Vedas, and endued with great bravery, and had\npractised excellent vows. And all of them were grantors of (other\npeople's) wishes, and all were skilled in battle. Endued with great\nstrength, they set out, reposing confidence on one another, and with\nsingleness of purpose desiring to win in battle the highest regions. And\nfirst Vinda and Anuvinda, both of Avanti, and Kekayas, and the Vahlikas,\nall set out with Bharadwaja's son at their head. Then came Aswatthaman,\nand Santanu's son (Bhishma), and Jayadratha of the country of the Sindhu,\nand the kings of the southern and the western countries and of the hilly\nregions, and Sakuni, the ruler of the Gandharas, and all the chiefs of\nthe eastern and the northern regions, and the Sakas, the Kiratas, and\nYavanas, the Sivis and the Vasatis with their Maharathas at the heads of\ntheir respective divisions. All these great car-warriors marched in the\nsecond division. Then came Kritavarman at the head of his troops, and\nthat mighty car-warrior, viz., the ruler of the Trigartas, and the king\nDuryodhana surrounded by his brothers, and Sala, and Bhurisravas, and\nSalya, and Vrihadratha, the ruler of the Kosalas. These all marched in\nthe rear, with Dhritarashtra's sons at their head. And all these\nDhartarashtras endued with great might, uniting together in proper order,\nand all clad in mail, took up their position at the other end of\nKurukshetra, and, O Bharata, Duryodhana caused his encampment to be so\nadorned as to make it look like a second Hastinapura. Indeed, O king,\neven those that were clever among the citizens of Hastinapura could not\ndistinguish their city from the encampment. And the Kuru king caused\ninaccessible pavilions, similar to his own, to be erected by hundreds and\nthousands for the (other) kings (in his army). And those tents, O king,\nfor the accommodation of the troops were well-planted on an area\nmeasuring full five yojanas of that field of battle. And into those tents\nby thousands that were full of provisions, the rulers of the earth\nentered, each according to his courage according to the strength he\npossessed. And king Duryodhana ordered excellent provisions to be\nsupplied for all those high-souled kings with their troops consisting of\ninfantry, elephants, and horses, and with all their followers. And as\nregards all those that subsisted upon mechanical arts and all the bards,\nsingers, and panegyrists devoted to his cause, and vendors and traders,\nand prostitutes, and spies, and persons who had come to witness the\nbattle, the Kuru king made due provision for all of them.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCIX\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Like Duryodhana, king Yudhishthira also, the son of\nKunti and Dharma, ordered out, O Bharata, his heroic warriors headed by\nDhrishtadyumna. Indeed, he ordered that slayer of foes and commander of\nforce, that leader, steady in prowess, of the Chedis, the Kasis, and the\nKarushas, viz., Dhrishtaketu, as also Virata, and Drupada, and Yuyudhana,\nand Sikhandin, and those two mighty bowmen, those two princes of\nPanchala, viz., Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, to set out. Those brave\nwarriors, cased in handsome coats of mail and decked with golden\near-rings, blazed forth like fires on the sacrificial altar when fed with\nclarified butter. Indeed, those mighty bowmen looked resplendent like the\nplanets in the firmament. Then that bull among men king Yudhishthira,\nhaving duly honoured all his combatants, ordered them to march. And king\nYudhishthira ordered excellent provisions of food for those high-souled\nkings with their troops consisting of infantry, and elephants and horses,\nand with all their followers, as also for all those that subsisted on\nmechanical arts. And the son of Pandu first ordered Abhimanyu, and\nVrihanta, and the five sons of Draupadi, to march with Dhrishtadyumna at\ntheir head. And he then despatched Bhima, and Dhananjaya the son of\nPandu, in the second division of his forces. And the din made by the men\nmoving and running about for harnessing their steeds and elephants and\nloading the cars with implements of battle, and the shouts of the\ncheerful combatants, seemed to touch the very heavens. And last of all,\nthe king marched himself, accompanied by Virata and Drupada and the other\nmonarchs (on his side). And that army of fierce bowmen commanded by\nDhrishtadyumna, hitherto stationed in one place, but now extended into\ncolumns for marching, looked like the (impetuous) current of Ganga. Then\nthe intelligent Yudhishthira depending on his wisdom, disposed his\ndivisions in a different order, confounding the sons of Dhritarashtra.\nAnd the son of Pandu ordered that those mighty bowmen, the (five) sons of\nDraupadi and Abhimanyu, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and all the\nPrabhadrakas, and ten thousand horses, and two thousand elephants, and\nten thousand foot-soldiers, and five hundred cars, constituting the first\nirresistible division of his army, should be placed under the command of\nBhimasena. And he placed in the middle division of his army Virata and\nJayatsena, and those two mighty car-warriors, viz., Yudhamanyu and\nUttamauja, the two high-souled princes of Panchala, both endued with\ngreat prowess and both armed with mace and bow. And in this middle\ndivision marched Vasudeva and Dhananjaya. There were (placed) combatants\nhighly accomplished in arms and burning with anger. Amongst them were\nsteeds ridden by brave warriors, and five thousand elephants, and crowds\nof cars all around. And foot-soldiers in thousands, that were all brave\nand armed with bows, swords, and maces, marched behind them, as thousands\nmarched before them. And in that part of that sea of troops, where\nYudhishthira himself was, there were stationed numerous lords of earth.\nAnd there also were thousands of elephants, and steeds by ten thousands,\nand cars and foot-soldiers also by thousands. And there also marched, O\nbull among kings, Chekitana with his own large force, and king\nDhrishtaketu, the leader of the Chedis. And there also was that mighty\nbowman, Satyaki, the foremost car-warrior of the Vrishnis, that mighty\ncombatant, surrounded by hundreds and thousands of cars and leading (them\nto battle)! And those bulls among men, Kshatrahan and Kshatradeva,\nmounted on their cars, marched behind, protecting the rear. And there (in\nthe rear) were the waggons, stalls, uniforms, vehicles and draft animals.\nThere also were thousands of elephants and horses by tens of thousands.\nAnd taking all the invalids and women, and all that were emaciated and\nweak, and all the animals carrying his treasures, and all his granaries,\nwith the aid of his elephant-divisions, Yudhishthira marched slowly. And\nhe was followed by Sauchitti, who steadily adhered to truth and was\ninvincible in battle, and Srenimat, and Vasudeva and Vibhu, the son of\nthe ruler of Kasi, with twenty thousand cars, and hundred million steeds\nof high mettle, each bearing scores of bells on its limbs, and twenty\nthousand smiting elephants with tusks as long as plough-shares, all of\ngood breed and divided temples and all resembling moving masses of\nclouds. Indeed, these usually walked behind those monarchs. Besides\nthese, O Bharata, the elephants that Yudhishthira had in his seven\nAkshauhinis, numbering seventy thousand with humour trickling down their\ntrunks and from their mouths, and resembling (on that account) showering\nclouds, also followed the king, like moving hills.\n\n\"Thus was arrayed that terrible force of the intelligent son of Kunti.\nAnd relying upon that force he battled with Suyodhana, the son of\nDhritarashtra. Besides those already named, other men by hundreds and\nthousands and tens of thousands, in divisions numbering by thousands,\nfollowed (the Pandava army), roaring loudly. And the warriors by\nthousands and ten thousands, filled with joy, beat their drums by\nthousands and blew conchs by tens of thousands!\"\n\nThe End of Udyoga Parva\n\n\n\nFOOTNOTES\n\n1. i.e., passage of the sun from the winter to the summer solstice.\n\n2. Divination was practised by reference to the stars in the night.\n\n3. The question that Dhritarashtra asks is easy enough. The Rishi having\napplauded knowledge and its efficacy in procuring emancipation, the king\nasks, if knowledge is of such efficacy, what then is the value of Karma\nor acts, i.e. prayers and sacrifices as ordained in the Vedas? Ijyaya is\nthe instrumental form of Ijya, meaning sacrifices, religious rites, and\nceremonies. Parartham is explained by Nilakantha to mean\nMokshaprapakatwam, i.e., capacity to lead to emancipation. It should be\nnoted here that the Hindu idea of emancipation is not bliss enjoyed by a\nconscious Self, but freedom from the obligation of re-birth and Karma.\nMere Karma, as such, implies pain and misery and the Supreme Soul\n(Para-Brahman) is without action and attributes. Although other kinds of\nsalvation are spoken of in other systems of philosophy, the emancipation\nthat forms the subject of these queries and answers, is freedom from this\nKarma.\n\n4. The Rishi answers,--Yes, Karma or action does, indeed, lead to the\nemancipate state. In the regions, of which thou speakest, there are both\nbliss and emancipation (Arthajata) is explained by Nilakantha to mean\nBhoja-mokshakhya-prayojana samanyam. The second line is elliptical, the\nconstruction being Paratma aniha (san) param ayati; (anyatha-tu) margena\nmargan nihatya param (prayati). Paratma is explained by Nilakantha, to\nmean one who regards the material body to be Self. In the succeeding\nSlokas the Rishi uses the word dehin which, in this connection, is the\nsame as dehabhimanin. The Rishi's answer is,--The materialist, by\nrenouncing desire, attaineth to the state of the Supreme Soul, i.e.,\nemancipation. The sense seems to be that by renouncing desire, both\nactions and attributes are lost. The state, therefore, of such a soul is\none of inaction, or perfect quietude and the absence of attributes, which\nis exactly the nature of the Supreme Soul. If, again, emancipation be\nsought without extinguishing desire, i.e., by the aid of work (prayers\nand sacrifices), it is to be attained \"by extinguishing path by a path,\"\ni.e., the seeker is to proceed along a definite or prescribed or ordained\nroute, taking care that the portions of the route he once passes over may\nnot have to be re-trodden by him. Action, as explained in a subsequent\nSloka, leadeth, it is true to regions of bliss and emancipation, but that\nstate is transitory, for when the merit is extinguished, the state that\nwas attained in consequence of it, is extinguished, and the person\nfalling off, has to recommence action. If, therefore, permanent\nemancipation is to be attained, the obligation of re-commencing action\nmust be got rid of, i.e., care must be taken that the portions of the\nroute once passed over may not have to be re-trodden.\n\n5. Apparently this question of Dhritarashtra is not connected with what\nprecedes. The connection however, is intimate, and the question follows\nas a corollary from the Rishi's last answer. The Rishi having said that\nthe ordinary soul, by a certain process (i.e., renunciation of desire)\nattains to the state of the Supreme Soul, Dhritarashtra infers that vice\nversa, it is the Supreme Soul that becomes the ordinary soul, for (as\nNilakantha puts it in the phraseology of the Nyaya school) things\ndifferent cannot become what they are not and unless things are similar,\nthey cannot become of the same nature. Applying this maxim of the Nyaya\nit is seen that when the ordinary soul becomes the Supreme Soul, these\nare not different, and, therefore, it is the Supreme Soul that becomes\nthe ordinary soul. Under this impression Dhritarashtra asks,--Well, if it\nis the Supreme Soul that becomes the ordinary soul, who is it that urgeth\nthe Supreme Soul to become so? And if all this (universe) be indeed, that\nSoul, in consequence of the latter pervading and entering into\neverything, then divested of desire as the Supreme Soul is, where is the\npossibility of its action (action or work being the direct consequence of\ndesire)? If it is answered that the universe is the Deity's lila (mere\nsport, as some schools of philosophy assert), then, as every sport is\nascribable to some motive of happiness, what can be the happiness of the\nDeity, who, as presupposed, is without desire?\n\n6. The Rishi answers--There is a great objection in admitting the\ncomplete or essential identity of things different, i.e., the ordinary\nsoul and Supreme Soul being different, their identity cannot be admitted.\nAs regards creatures, they flow continually from Anadi-yoga, i.e., the\nunion of the Supreme Soul (which in itself is Unconditioned) with the\nconditions of space, time etc.; i.e., there is this much of identity,\ntherefore between the ordinary and the Supreme Soul, but not a complete\nor essential identity. It is also in consequence of this that the\nsuperiority of the Supreme Soul is not lost (the opposite theory would be\ndestructive of that superiority). The favourite analogy of the thinkers\nof this school for explaining the connection of the Supreme Soul with the\nuniverse is derived from the connection of Akasa with Ghatakasa, i.e.,\nspace absolute and unconditioned and space as confined by the limits of a\nvessel. The latter has a name, is moved when the vessel is moved, and is\nlimited in space; while space itself, of which the vessel's space forms a\npart, is absolute and unconditioned, immovable, and unlimited.\n\n7. Cars, elephants, horses, infantry, vehicles other than cars, and\nwarriors fighting from the backs of camels.\n\n8. Called also the Badava fire.\n\n9. The allusion is to the incarnation of Vishnu as the Horse-necked.\nNilakantha explains suvarnakhyam Jagat to be Veda prancha, i.e., the whole\nVedas with all their contents. According to him, the sense of the passage\nis that Vishnu in that form swells with his own voice the Vedic notes\nchanted by the Brahmanas.\n\n10. Patauti Jalam sravantiti patalam. Thus Nilakantha.\n\n11. Literally, one that hath a beautiful or excellent face.\n\n12. The story of Viswamitra's promotion to the status of a Brahmana is\nhighly characteristic. Engaged in a dispute with the Brahmana Rishi\nVasishtha, Viswamitra who was a Kshatriya king (the son of Kusika) found,\nby bitter experience, that Kshatriya energy and might backed by the whole\nscience of arms, availed nothing against a Brahmana's might, for\nVasishtha by his ascetic powers created myriads and myriads of fierce\ntroops who inflicted a signal defeat on the great Kshatriya king. Baffled\nthus, Viswamitra retired to the breast of Himavat and paid court to Siva.\nThe great God appeared and Viswamitra begged him for the mastery of the\nwhole science of weapons. The god granted his prayer. Viswamitra then\ncame back and sought an encounter with Vasishtha, but the latter by the\naid only of his Brahmanical (bamboo) stick baffled the fiercest weapons\nof Viswamitra, of even celestial efficacy. Humiliated and disgraced,\nViswamitra set his heart on becoming a Brahmana. He gave up his kingdom\nand retiring into the woods with his queen began to practise to severest\nausterities. After the expiration of ten thousand years, the Creator\nBrahma appeared before him and addressed him as a royal Rishi. Dispirited\nat this, he devoted himself to still severer austerities. At last, at\nDharma's command (as here referred to) the great Kshatriya king became a\nBrahmana. This, in the Hindu scriptures, is the sole instance of a person\nbelonging to a lower order becoming a Brahmana by ascetic austerities.\n\n13. These articles of cognate origin are clarified butter, milk, and\nother things used as libations in sacrifices.\n\n14. i.e., the subdivisions of the Pranava, the mysterious Mantra, which\nis the beginning of everything, were first promulgated here. Nilakantha\nsupposes this to refer to the origin of the Vedas, the Upanishads, and\nthe various branches of the Srutis and the Smritis.\n\n15. Small divisions of time.\n\n16. The limbs that should be 'prominent' or 'elevated' in order to\nconstitute an indication of beauty or auspiciousness are variously\nmentioned. The general opinion seems to be that these six only, viz., the\nback of each palm, the two dorsa, and the two bosoms should be elevated.\nAnother opinion would seem to indicate that the two bosoms, the two hips,\nand the two eyes should be so. The seven that should be delicate or\nslender are unanimously mentioned as the skin, the hair, the teeth, the\nfingers of the hands, the fingers of the feet, the waist, and the neck.\nThe three that should be deep are the navel, the voice, and the\nunderstanding. The five that should be red are the two palms, the two\nouter corners of the eyes, the tongue, the nether and the upper-lips, and\nthe palate. These five also, are variously given.\n\n17. The latter half of this Sloka is variously read. The correct reading,\nI apprehend, is Niyamanani Santare Hritanyasan Vitastaya, i.e., 'while\ntransported across, were taken (down) by the (river) Vitasta'--the latter\nbeing one of the five rivers of the Punjab.\n\n18. The science of arms (Dhanurved) classes arms under four heads, viz.,\nMukta, Amukta, Muktamukta, and Yantramukta. A Mukta weapon is one that is\nhurled from the hand, as a discus. An Amukta is not hurled from the hand,\nas a sword. A Muktamukta is one that is sometimes hurled and sometimes\nnot, as a mace. A Yantramukta is one shot from a machine, as an arrow or\na ball. All Mukta weapons are Astras, while all Amukta ones are called\nsastras.\n\n19. The thousand-handed Arjuna, called also Kartaviryarjuna, the\nvanquisher of Ravana, the chief of Haihaya clan of Kshatriyas having his\ncapital at Mahishmati on the banks of the Narmada (Nerbuda), was slain by\nRama.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Mahabharata\n\nof\n\nKrishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa\n\nBOOK 6\n\nBHISHMA PARVA\n\nTranslated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text\n\nby\n\nKisari Mohan Ganguli\n\n[1883-1896]\n\nScanned at sacred-texts.com, January, 2004. Proofed by John Bruno Hare.\n\n\n\nTHE MAHABHARATA\n\nBHISHMA PARVA\n\nSECTION I\n\n(Jamvu-khanda Nirmana Parva)\n\nOM! HAVING BOWED down to Narayana, and Nara, the most exalted of male\nbeings, and also to the goddess Saraswati, must the word 'Jaya' be\nuttered.\n\nJanamejaya said,--\"How did those heroes, the Kurus, the Pandavas, and the\nSomakas, and the high-souled kings assembled together from various\ncountries, fight?\"\n\nVaisampayana said,--\"Listen thou, O lord of the earth, how those\nheroes,--the Kurus, the Pandavas, and the Somakas,--fought on the sacred\nplain of the Kurukshetra.[1] Entering Kurukshetra, the Pandavas endued\nwith great might, along with the Somakas, advanced, desirous of victory,\nagainst the Kauravas. Accomplished in the study of the Vedas, all (of\nthem) took great delight in battle. Expectant of success in battle, with\ntheir troops (they) faced the fight. Approaching the army of\nDhritarashtra's son, those (warriors) invincible in battle[2] stationed\nthemselves with their troops on the western part (of the plain), their\nfaces turned towards the east. Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, caused\ntents by thousands to be set up according to rule, beyond the region\ncalled Samantapanchaka. The whole earth seemed then to be empty, divested\nof horses and men, destitute of cars and elephants, and with only the\nchildren and the old left (at home). From the whole area of Jamvudwipa\nover which the sun sheds his rays,[3] was collected that force, O best of\nkings. Men of all races,[4] assembled together, occupied an area\nextending for many Yojanas over districts, rivers, hills, and woods. That\nbull among men, king Yudhishthira, ordered excellent food and other\narticles of enjoyment for all of them along with their animals. And\nYudhishthira fixed diverse watch-words for them; so that one saying this\nshould be known as belonging to the Pandavas. And that descendant of\nKuru's race also settled names and badges for all of them for recognition\nduring time of battle.\n\n\"Beholding the standard-top of Pritha's son, the high-souled son of\nDhritarashtra, with a white umbrella held over his head, in the midst of\na thousand elephants, and surrounded by his century of brothers, began\nwith all the kings (on his side) to array his troops against the son of\nPandu. Seeing Duryodhana, the Panchalas who took delight in battle, were\nfilled with joy and blew their loud-sounding conches and cymbals of sweet\nsounds. Beholding those troops so delighted, Pandu's son and Vasudeva of\ngreat energy had their hearts filled with joy. And those tigers among\nmen, Vasudeva and Dhananjaya, seated on one car, having felt great joy,\nboth blew their celestial conches. And hearing the blare of Gigantea and\nthe loud blast of Theodotes belonging unto the two, the combatants\nejected urine and excreta. As other animals are filled with fear on\nhearing the voice of the roaring lion, even so became that force upon\nhearing those blasts. A frightful dust arose and nothing could be seen,\nfor the sun himself, suddenly enveloped by it, seemed to have set.[5] A\nblack cloud poured a shower of flesh and blood over the troops all\naround. All this seemed extraordinary. A wind rose there, bearing along\nthe earth myriads of stony nodules, and afflicting therewith the\ncombatants by hundreds and thousands. (For all that), O monarch, both\narmies, filled with joy, stood addrest for battle, on Kurukshetra like\ntwo agitated oceans. Indeed, that encounter of the two armies was highly\nwonderful, like that of two oceans when the end of the Yuga is arrived.\nThe whole earth was empty, having only the children and the old left (at\nhome), in consequence of that large army mustered by the Kauravas.[6]\nThen the Kurus, the Pandavas, and the Somakas made certain covenants, and\nsettled the rules, O bull of Bharata's race, regarding the different\nkinds of combat. Persons equally circumstanced must encounter each other,\nfighting fairly. And if having fought fairly the combatants withdraw\n(without fear of molestation), even that would be gratifying to us. Those\nwho engaged in contests of words should be fought against with words.\nThose that left the ranks should never be slain.[7] A car-warrior should\nhave a car-warrior for his antagonist; he on the neck of an elephant\nshould have a similar combatant for his foe; a horse should be met by a\nhorse, and a foot-soldier, O Bharata, should be met by a foot-soldier.\nGuided by considerations of fitness, willingness, daring and might, one\nshould strike another, giving notice. No one should strike another that\nis unprepared[8] or panic-struck. One engaged with another, one seeking\nquarter, one retreating, one whose weapon is rendered unfit, uncased in\nmail, should never be struck. Car-drivers, animals (yoked to cars or\ncarrying weapons), men engaged in the transport of weapons,[9] players on\ndrums and blowers of conches should never be struck. Having made these\ncovenants, the Kurus, and the Pandavas, and the Somakas wondered much,\ngazing at each other. And having stationed (their forces thus), those\nbulls among men, those high-souled ones, with their troops, became glad\nat heart, their joy being reflected on their countenances.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION II\n\nVaisampayana said,--\"Seeing then the two armies (standing) on the east\nand the west for the fierce battle that was impending, the holy Rishi\nVyasa, the son of Satyavati, that foremost of all persons acquainted with\nthe Vedas, that grandsire of the Bharatas, conversant with the past, the\npresent, and the future, and beholding everything as if it were present\nbefore his eyes, said these words in private unto the royal son of\nVichitravirya who was then distressed and giving way to sorrow,\nreflecting on the evil policy of his sons.\n\n\"Vyasa said,--'O king, thy sons and the other monarchs have their hour\narrived.[10] Mustered in battle they will kill one another. O Bharata,\ntheir hour having come, they will all perish. Bearing in mind the changes\nbrought on by time, do not yield thy heart to grief. O king, if thou wish\nto see them (fighting) in battle, I will, O son, grant thee vision.\nBehold the battle.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said,--'O best of regenerate Rishi, I like not to behold\nthe slaughter of kinsmen. I shall, however, through thy potency hear of\nthis battle minutely.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued.--\"Upon his not wishing to see the battle but\nwishing to hear of it, Vyasa, that lord of boons, gave a boon to Sanjaya.\n(And addressing Dhritarashtra he said),--'This Sanjaya, O king, will\ndescribe the battle to thee. Nothing in the whole battle will be beyond\nthis one's eyes. Endued, O king with celestial vision, Sanjaya will\nnarrate the battle to thee. He will have knowledge of everything.\nManifest or concealed, (happening) by day or by night, even that which is\nthought of in the mind, Sanjaya shall know everything. Weapons will not\ncut him and exertion will not fatigue him. This son of Gavalgani will\ncome out of the battle with life. As regards myself, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, the fame of these Kurus, as also of all the Pandavas, I will\nspread. Do not grieve. This is destiny, O tiger among men. It behoveth\nthee not to give way to grief. It is not capable of being prevented. As\nregards victory, it is there where righteousness is.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued,--\"That highly-blessed and holy grandsire of the\nKurus, having said so, once more addressed Dhritarashtra and\nsaid,--'Great will the slaughter be, O monarch, in this battle. I see\nhere also (numerous) omens indicative of terror. Hawks and vultures, and\ncrows and herons, together with cranes, are alighting on the tops of\ntrees and gathering in flocks. These birds, delighted at the prospect of\nbattle, are looking down (on the field) before them. Carnivorous beasts\nwill feed on the flesh of elephants and steeds. Fierce herons, foreboding\nterror, and uttering merciless cries, are wheeling across the centre\ntowards the southern region. In both the twilights, prior and posterior,\nI daily behold, O Bharata, the sun during his rising and setting to be\ncovered by headless trunks. Tri-coloured clouds with their extremities\nwhite and red and necks black, charged with lightning, and resembling\nmaces (in figure) envelope the sun in both twilights. I have seen the\nsun, the moon, and the stars to be all blazing. No difference in their\naspect is to be noted in the evening. I have seen this all day and all\nnight. All this forbodes fear. On even the fifteenth night of the\nlighted-fortnight in (the month of) Kartika, the moon, divested of\nsplendour, became invisible, or of the hue of fire, the firmament being\nof the hue of the lotus. Many heroic lords of earth, kings and princes,\nendued with great bravery and possessed of arms resembling maces, will be\nslain and sleep lying down on the earth. Daily I notice in the sky during\nnight time the fierce cries of battling boars and cats.[11] The images of\ngods and goddesses sometimes laugh, sometimes tremble, and sometimes\nagain these vomit blood through their mouths and sometimes they sweat and\nsometimes fall down. O monarch! drums, without being beaten, give sounds,\nand the great cars of Kshatriyas move without (being drawn by) animals\nyoked to them. Kokilas, wood-peckers, jaws, water-cocks, parrots, crows,\nand peacocks, utter terrible cries. Here and there, cavalry soldiers,\ncased in mail, armed with weapons, send forth fierce shouts. At sun-rise\nflights of insects by hundreds are seen. In both twilights, the cardinal\nquarters seem to be ablaze, and the clouds, O Bharata, shower dust and\nflesh. She, O king, who is celebrated over the three worlds and is\napplauded by the righteous, even that (constellation) Arundhati keepeth\n(her lord) Vasistha on her back. The planet Sani also, O king, appeareth\nafflicting (the constellation) Rohini. The sign of the deer in the Moon\nhath deviated from its usual position. A great terror is indicated. Even\nthough the sky is cloudless, a terrible roar is heard there. The animals\nare all weeping and their tears are falling fast.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION III\n\n\"Vyasa said,--'Asses are taking births in kine. Some are having sexual\npleasure with mothers. The trees in the forests are exhibiting\nunseasonable flowers and fruits. Women quick with child, and even those\nthat are not so, are giving birth to monsters. Carnivorous beasts,\nmingling with (carnivorous) birds, are feeding together. Ill-omened\nbeasts, some having three horns, some with four eyes, some with five\nlegs, some with two sexual organs, some with two heads, some with two\ntails, some having fierce teeth, are being born, and with mouths wide\nopen are uttering unholy cries. Horses with three legs, furnished with\ncrests, having four teeth, and endued with horns, are also being born. O\nking! in thy city is also seen that the wives of many utterers of Brahma\nare bringing forth Garudas and peacocks. The mare is bringing forth the\ncow-calf and the bitch is bringing forth, O king, jackals and cocks, and\nantelopes and parrots are all uttering inauspicious cries.[12] Certain\nwomen are bringing forth four or five daughters (at a time), and these as\nsoon as they are born, dance and sing and laugh. The members of the\nlowest orders are laughing and dancing and singing, and thus indicating\ndireful consequences. Infants, as if urged by death, are drawing armed\nimages, and are running against one another, armed with clubs, and\ndesirous of battle are also breaking down the towns (they erect in\nsport). Lotuses of different kinds and lilies are growing on trees.\nStrong winds are blowing fiercely and the dust ceaseth not. The earth is\nfrequently trembling, and Rahu approacheth towards the sun. The white\nplanet (Ketu) stayeth, having passed beyond the constellation Chitra. All\nthis particularly bodeth the destruction of the Kurus. A fierce comet\nriseth, afflicting the constellation Pusya. This great planet will cause\nfrightful mischief to both the armies. Mars wheeleth towards Magha and\nVrihaspati (Jupiter) towards Sravana. The Sun's offspring (Sani)\napproaching towards the constellation Bhaga, afflicteth it. The planet\nSukra, ascending towards Purva Bhadra, shineth brilliantly, and wheeling\ntowards the Uttara Bhadra, looketh towards it, having effected a junction\n(with a smaller planet). The white planet (Ketu), blazing up like fire\nmixed with smoke, stayeth, having attacked the bright constellation\nJeshtha that is sacred to Indra. The constellation Dhruva, blazing\nfiercely, wheeleth towards the right. Both the Moon and the Sun are\nafflicting Rohini. The fierce planet (Rahu) hath taken up its position\nbetween the constellations Chitra and Swati.[13] The red-bodied (Mars)\npossessed of the effulgence of fire, wheeling circuitously, stayeth in a\nline with the constellation Sravana over-ridden by Vrihaspati. The earth\nthat produceth particular crops at particular seasons is now covered with\nthe crops of every season.[14] Every barley-stalk is graced with five\nears, and every paddy-stalk with a hundred. They that are the best of\ncreatures in the worlds and upon whom depends the universe, viz., kine,\nwhen milked after the calves have their suck, yield only blood. Radiant\nrays of light emanate from bows, and swords blaze forth brilliantly. It\nis evident that the weapons behold (before them) the battle, as if it\nwere already arrived. The hue of weapons and the water, as also of coats\nof mail and standards, is like that of fire. A great slaughter will take\nplace. In this battle,[15] O Bharata, of the Kurus with the Pandavas, the\nearth, O monarch, will be a river of blood with the standards (of\nwarriors) as its rafts. Animals and birds on all sides, with mouths\nblazing like fire, uttering fierce cries, and displaying these evil\nomens, are foreboding terrible consequences. A (fierce) bird with but one\nwing, one eye, and one leg, hovering over the sky in the night, screameth\nfrightfully in wrath, as if for making the hearers vomit blood. It\nseemeth, O great king, that all weapons are now blazing with radiance.\nThe effulgence of the constellation known by the name of the seven\nhigh-souled Rishis, hath been dimmed. Those two blazing planets, viz.,\nVrihaspati and Sani, having approached the constellation called Visakha,\nhave become stationary there for a whole year. Three lunations twice\nmeeting together in course of the same lunar fortnight, the duration of\nthe latter is shortened by two days.[16] On the thirteenth day therefore,\nfrom the first lunation, according as it is the day of the full moon or\nthe new moon, the moon and the sun are afflicted by Rahu. Such strange\neclipses, both lunar and solar, forebode a great slaughter.[17] All the\nquarters of the earth, being overwhelmed by showers of dust, look\ninauspicious. Fierce clouds, portentous of danger, drop bloody showers\nduring the night. Rahu of fierce deeds is also, O monarch, afflicting the\nconstellation Kirtika. Rough winds, portending fierce danger, are\nconstantly blowing. All these beget a war characterised by many sad\nincidents.[18] The constellations are divided into three classes. Upon\none or another of each class, a planet of evil omen has shed its\ninfluence, foreboding terrible dangers.[19] A lunar fortnight had\nhitherto consisted of fourteen days, or fifteen days (as usual), or\nsixteen days. This, however, I never knew that the day of new-moon would\nbe on the thirteenth day from the first lunation, or the day of full-moon\non the thirteenth day from the same. And yet in course of the same month\nboth the Moon and the Sun have undergone eclipses on the thirteenth days\nfrom the day of the first lunation.[20] The Sun and the Moon therefore,\nby undergoing eclipses on unusual days,[21] will cause a great slaughter\nof the creatures of the earth. Indeed, Rakshasas, though drinking blood\nby mouthful, will yet not be satiated. The great rivers are flowing in\nopposite directions. The waters of rivers have become bloody. The wells,\nfoaming up, are bellowing like bulls.[22] Meteors, effulgent like Indra's\nthunder-bolt, fall with loud hisses.[23] When this night passeth away,\nevil consequences will overtake you. People, for meeting together, coming\nout of their houses with lighted brands, have still to encounter a thick\ngloom all round.[24] Great Rishis have said that in view of such\ncircumstances the earth drinks the blood of thousands of kings. From the\nmountains of Kailasa and Mandara and Himavat thousands of explosions are\nheard and thousands of summits are tumbling down. In consequence of the\nEarth's trembling, each of the four oceans having swelled greatly, seems\nready to transgress its continents for afflicting the Earth.[25] Fierce\nwinds charged with pointed pebbles are blowing, crushing mighty trees. In\nvillages and towns trees, ordinary and sacred, are falling down, crushed\nby mighty winds and struck by lightning. The (sacrificial) fire, when\nBrahmanas pour libations on it, becomes blue, or red, or yellow. Its\nflames bend towards the left, yielding a bad scent, accompanied by loud\nreports. Touch, smell, and taste have, O monarch, become what they were\nnot. The standards (of warriors), repeatedly trembling are emitting\nsmoke. Drums and cymbals are throwing off showers of coal-dust. And from\nthe tops of tall trees all around, crows, wheeling in circles from the\nleft, are uttering fierce cries. All of them again are uttering frightful\ncries of pakka, pakka and are perching upon the tops of standards for the\ndestruction of the kings. Vicious elephants, trembling all over, are\nrunning hither and thither, urinating and ejecting excreta. The horses\nare all melancholy, while the elephants are resorting to the water.\nHearing all this, let that be done which is suitable, so that, O Bharata,\nthe world may not be depopulated.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued,--\"Hearing these words of his father,\nDhritarashtra said,--'I think all this hath been ordained of old. A great\nslaughter of human beings will take place. If the kings die in battle\nobserving the duties of the Kshatriya order, they will then, attaining to\nthe regions reserved for heroes, obtain only happiness. These tigers\namong men, casting away their lives in great battle, will win fame in\nthis and great bliss for ever in the next world.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued,--\"O best of kings, thus addressed by his son\nDhritarashtra, that prince of poets, the Muni (Vyasa) concentrated his\nmind in supreme Yoga. Having contemplated for only a short space of time,\nVyasa once more said,--'Without doubt, O king of kings, it is Time that\ndestroyeth the universe. It is Time also that createth the worlds. There\nis nothing here that is eternal. Show the path of righteousness to the\nKurus, to thy kinsmen, relatives, and friends. Thou art competent to\nrestrain them. The slaughter of kinsmen hath been said to be sinful. Do\nnot do that which is disagreeable to me. O king, Death himself hath been\nborn in the shape of thy son. Slaughter is never applauded in the Vedas.\nIt can never be beneficial. The usages of one's race are as one's own\nbody. Those usages slay him that destroyeth them. For the destruction of\nthis race and of those kings of the earth it is Time that maketh thee\ndeviate into the wrong path like one in distress, although thou art\ncompetent (to walk along the path of righteousness). O king, in the shape\nof thy kingdom hath calamity come to thee. Thy virtue is sustaining a\nvery great diminution.[26] Show what righteousness is unto thy sons. O\nthou that art invincible, of what value is that kingdom to thee which\nbringeth sin to thee? Take care of thy good name, thy virtue, and thy\nfame. Thou wilt then win heaven. Let the Pandavas have their kingdom, and\nlet the Kauravas have peace.'\"\n\n\"While that best of Brahmanas was saying these words in a sorrowful tone,\nDhritarashtra, the son of Ambika, accomplished in speech, once more\naddressed him, saying.--'My knowledge of life and death is similar to\nthine. The truth is known to me as regards these. Man, however, in what\nconcerns his own interests, is deprived of judgment. O sire, know me to\nbe one who is an ordinary person. Of immeasurable power thou art. I pray\nthee to extend thine towards us. Of soul under complete control, thou art\nour refuge and instructor. My sons are not obedient to me, O great Rishi.\nMy understanding too is not inclined to commit sin.[27] Thou art the\ncause of the fame, the achievements, and the inclination for virtue, of\nthe Bharatas. Thou art the reverend grandsire of both the Kurus and the\nPandavas.'\n\n\"Vyasa said,--'O royal son of Vichitravirya, tell me freely what is in\nthy mind. I will remove thy doubts.'\"\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said,--'O holy one, I desire to hear from thee of all\nthose indications that happen unto those that become victorious in\nbattle.'\"\n\n\"Vyasa said,--'The (sacred) fire assumes a cheerful radiance. Its light\nascends upwards. Its flame bends towards the right. It blazes up without\nbeing smoky. The libations poured on it yield a fragrant scent. It is\nsaid that these are the indications of future success. The conches and\ncymbals yield sounds that are deep and loud. The Sun as well as the Moon\ngives pure rays. It is said that these are the indications of future\nsuccess. Crows, whether stationary or on their wings, utter cries that\nare agreeable. They again that are behind, urge the warriors to advance;\nwhile they that are ahead, forbid all advance.[28] Where vultures, swans,\nparrots, cranes, and wood-peckers utter delightful cries, and wheel\ntowards the right, the Brahmanas say that their victory in battle is\ncertain. They whose divisions, in consequence of ornaments, coats of\nmail, and standards, or the melodious neigh of their steeds, become\nresplendent and incapable of being gazed at, always conquer their foes.\nThey who utter cheerful shouts, those warriors, O Bharata, whose energies\nare not damped and whose garlands do not fade, always cross the ocean of\nbattle. They who utter cheerful shouts having penetrated into the\ndivisions of the foe, who utter even kind words,[29] to the enemy, and\nwho, before striking, forewarn the foe, win victory. The objects of\nhearing, vision, taste, touch, and smell, without undergoing any change\nfor the worse, become auspicious. This also is another indication of a\nvictorious army, viz., there is joy among the combatants at all time.\nThis also is another indication of success, viz. the winds that blow, the\nclouds, and the birds, all become favourable; while the clouds (so\nfavourable) and the rain-bows drop beneficial showers. These, O king, are\nthe indications of armies to be crowned with victory, while O monarch,\nall these become otherwise in the case of those that are about to be\ndestroyed. Whether the army be small or large, cheerfulness, as an\nattribute of the combatants, is said to be a certain indication of\nvictory. One soldier, struck with panic, can cause even a large army to\ntake fright and fly. And when an army, struck with panic, takes to\nflight, it causes even heroic warriors to take fright. If a large army is\nonce broken and put to rout, it cannot like a herd of deer disordered in\nfright or a mighty current of water be easily checked. If a large army is\nonce routed, it is incapable of being rallied; on the other hand,\nbeholding it broken, even those well-skilled in battle, O Bharata, become\nheartless. Beholding soldiers struck with fear and flying, the panic\nspreads in other directions, and soon, O king, the whole army is broken\nand flies in all directions. And when an army is routed, even brave\nleaders, O king, at the head of large divisions consisting of the four\nkinds of forces, are incapable of rallying them. An intelligent man,\nalways exerting himself with activity, should strive (to win success) by\nthe aid of means. It is said that that success which is won by\nnegotiation and other means is the very best. That which is achieved by\nproducing disunion (among the foe) is indifferent. While that success, O\nking, which is won by battle, is the worst. In battle are many evils, the\ninitial one, as it is said, being slaughter. Even fifty brave men who\nknow one another, who are underpressed, who are free from family ties,\nand who are firmly resolved, can crush a large army. Even five, six,\nseven men, who are unretreating, win victory. Vinata's son Garuda, O\nBharata, beholding even a large concourse of birds, asketh not the aid of\nmany followers (to vanquish them). The strength in number, therefore of\nan army is not always the cause of victory. Victory is uncertain. It\ndepends on chance. Even they that become victorious have to sustain\nloss.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION IV\n\nVaisampayana said,--\"Having said these words unto Dhritarashtra, Vyasa\ntook his departure. And Dhritarashtra also, having heard those words,\nbegan to reflect in silence. And having reflected for only a short space\nof time, he began to sigh repeatedly. And, soon, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, the king asked Sanjaya of soul worthy of praise,--saying,--'O\nSanjaya, these kings, these lords of earth, so brave and taking delight\nin battle, are for smiting one another with weapons of diverse kinds,\nbeing prepared to lay down their very lives for the sake of earth.\nIncapable of being restrained, they are, indeed, smiting one another for\nincreasing the population of Yama's domain. Desirous of prosperity\nconnected with the possession of earth they are incapable of bearing one\nanother. I, therefore, think that earth must be possessed of many\nattributes. Tell me all these, O Sanjaya, Many thousands, many millions,\nmany tens of millions, many hundreds of millions, heroic men have come\ntogether at Kurujangala. I desire to hear, O Sanjaya, with accurate\ndetails, about the situation and dimensions of those countries and cities\nfrom which they have come. Through the potency of that regenerate Rishi\nVyasa of immeasurable energy, thou art endued with the lamp of celestial\nperception and the eye of knowledge.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said,--'O thou of great wisdom, I will recount to thee the\nmerits of earth according to my knowledge. Behold them with thy eye of\nwisdom. I bow to thee, O bull of Bharata's race. Creatures in this world\nare of two kinds, mobile and immobile. Mobile creatures are of three\nkinds according to their birth, viz., oviparous, viviparous, and those\nengendered by heat and damp. Of mobile creatures, O king, the foremost\nare certainly those called viviparous. Of viviparous creatures the\nforemost are men and animals. Animals, O king, of diverse forms, are of\nfourteen species. Seven have their abodes in the woods, and seven of\nthese are domestic. Lions, tigers, boars, buffaloes, and elephants as\nalso bears and apes, are, O king, regarded as wild. Kine, goats, sheep,\nmen, horses, mules, and asses,--these seven amongst animals are reckoned\nas domestic by the learned. These fourteen, O king, complete the tale of\ndomestic and wild animals, mentioned, O lord of earth, in the Vedas, and\non which the sacrifices rest. Of creatures that are domestic, men are\nforemost, while lions are the foremost of those that have their abode in\nthe woods. All creatures support their life by living upon one another.\nVegetables are said to be immobile, and they are of four species viz.,\ntrees, shrubs, creepers, creeping plants existing for only a year, and\nall stemless plants of the grass species.[30] Of mobile and immobile\ncreatures, there are thus one less twenty; and as regards their universal\nconstituents, there are five. Twenty-four in all, these are described as\nGayatri (Brahma) as is well-known to all.[31] He who knows these truly to\nbe the sacred Gayatri possessed of every virtue, is not liable, O best of\nthe Bharatas, to destruction in this world. Everything springeth from the\nearth and everything, when destroyed, mergeth into the Earth. The Earth\nis the stay and refuge of all creatures, and the Earth is eternal. He\nthat hath the Earth, hath the entire universe with its mobile and\nimmobile population. It is for this that longing for (the possession of\nthe) Earth, kings slay one another.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION V\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said,--'The names of rivers and mountains, O Sanjaya, as\nalso of provinces, and all other things resting on the earth, and their\ndimensions, O thou that are acquainted with the measures of things of the\nearth in its entirety and the forests, O Sanjaya, recount to me in\ndetail.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said,--'O great king, all things in the universe, in consequence\nof the presence (in them) of the five elements, have been said to be\nequal by the wise. These elements, are space, air, fire, water, and\nearth. Their (respective) attributes are sound, touch, vision, taste, and\nscent. Every one of these elements possesses (in addition to what is\nespecially its own) the attribute or attributes of that or of those coming\nbefore it. The earth, therefore, is the foremost of them all, possessing\nas it does the attributes of all the other four, besides what is\nspecially its own, as said by Rishis acquainted with truth.[32] There are\nfour attributes, O king, in water. Scent does not exist in it. Fire has\nthree attributes viz., sound, touch, and vision. Sound and touch belong\nto air, while space has sound alone. These five attributes, O king, exist\n(in this way) in the five principal elements depending on which all\ncreatures in the universe exist. They exist separately and independently\nwhen there is homogeneity in the universe.[33] When, however, these do\nnot exist in their natural state but with one another, then creatures\nspring into life, furnished with bodies. This is never otherwise. The\nelements are destroyed, in the order of the one succeeding, merging into\nthe one that proceeds; and they spring also into existence, one arising\nfrom the one before it.[34] All of these are immeasurable, their forms\nbeing Brahma itself. In the universe are seen creatures consisting of the\nfive elements. Men endeavour to ascertain their proportions by exercising\ntheir reason. Those matters, however, that are inconceivable, should\nnever be sought to be solved by reason. That which is above (human)\nnature is an indication of the inconceivable.\n\n\"'O son of Kuru's race, I will, however, describe to thee the island\ncalled Sudarsana. This island, O king, is circular and of the form of a\nwheel. It is covered with rivers and other pieces of water and with\nmountains looking like masses of clouds, and with cities and many\ndelightful provinces. It is also full of trees furnished with flowers and\nfruits, and with crops of diverse kinds and other wealth. And it is\nsurrounded on all sides with the salt ocean. As a person can see his own\nface in a mirror, even so is the island called Sudarsana seen in the\nlunar disc. Two of its parts seem to be a peepul tree, while two others\nlook like a large hare. It is surrounded on all sides with an assemblage\nof every kind of deciduous plants. Besides these portions, the rest is\nall water. What remains I will describe to thee shortly. The rest I will\nspeak of afterwards. Listen now to this that I describe in brief.[35]'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VI\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said.--'Thou art intelligent, O Sanjaya, and acquainted\nwith the truth (about everything). Thou hast duly given a description of\nthe island in brief. Tell us now of the island in detail. Tell us now of\nthe dimension of the expanse of land that lies in the portion looking\nlike a hare. Thou mayst then speak of the portion resembling peepul tree.'\"\n\nVaisampayana said,--\"Thus addressed by the king, Sanjaya began to say.\n\n\"Sanjaya said,--'Stretching from east to west, are these six mountains\nthat are equal[36] and that extend from the eastern to the western ocean.\nThey are Himavat, Hemakuta, that best of mountains called Nishadha, Nila\nabounding with stones of lapis lazuli, Sweta white as the moon, and the\nmountains called Sringavat composed of all kinds of metals.[37] These are\nthe six mountains, O king, which are always the resorts of Siddhas and\nCharanas. The space lying between each of these measures a thousand\nYojanas, and thereon are many delightful kingdoms. And these divisions\nare called Varshas, O Bharata. In all those kingdoms reside creatures of\ndiverse species. This (the land where we are) is in the Varsha that is\ncalled after Bharata. Next to it (northwards) is the Varsha called after\nHimavat. The land that is beyond Hemakuta is called Harivarsha. South of\nthe Nila range and on the north of the Nishadha is a mountain, O king,\ncalled Malyavat that stretches from east to west. Beyond Malyavat\nnorthwards is the mountain called Gandhamadana.[38] Between these two\n(viz., Malyavat and Gandhamadana) is a globular mountain called Meru made\nof gold. Effulgent as the morning sun, it is like fire without smoke.[39]\nIt is eighty-four thousand Yojanas high, and, O king, its depth also is\neighty-four Yojanas. It standeth bearing the worlds above, below and\ntransversely. Besides Meru are situated, O lord, these four islands,\nviz., Bhadraswa, and Ketumala, and Jamvudwipa otherwise called Bharata,\nand Uttar-Kuru which is the abode of persons who have achieved the merit\nof righteousness. The bird Sumukha, the son of Suparna, beholding that\nall the birds on Meru were of golden plumage, reflected that he should\nleave that mountain inasmuch as there was no difference between the good,\nmiddling, and bad birds. The foremost of luminaries, the sun, always\ncircumambulates Meru, as also the moon with (his) attendant\nconstellation, and the Wind-god too. The mountain, O king, is endued with\ncelestial fruits and flowers, and it is covered all over with mansions\nmade of furnished gold. There, on that mountain, O king, the celestials,\nthe Gandharvas, the Asuras, and the Rakshasas, accompanied by the tribes\nof Apsaras, always sport. There Brahman, and Rudra, and also Sakra the\nchief of the celestials, assembled together, performed diverse kinds of\nsacrifices with plentiful gifts. Tumvuru, and Narada and Viswavasu, and\nthe Hahas and the Huhus, repairing thither, adored the foremost of the\ncelestials with diverse hymns. The high-souled seven Rishis, and Kasyapa\nthe lord of creatures, repair thither, blessed be thou, on every parva\nday.[40] Upon the summit of that mountain, Usanas, otherwise called the\nPoet, sporteth with the Daityas (his disciples).[41] The jewels and gems\n(that we see) and all the mountains abounding in precious stones are of\nMeru. Therefrom a fourth part is enjoyed by the holy Kuvera. Only a\nsixteenth part of that wealth he giveth unto men. On the northern side of\nMeru is a delightful and excellent forest of Karnikaras, covered with the\nflowers of every season,[42] and occupying a range of hills. There the\nillustrious Pasupati himself, the creator of all things, surrounded by\nhis celestial attendants and accompanied by Uma, sporteth bearing a chain\nof Karnikara flowers (on his neck) reaching down to his feet, and blazing\nwith radiance with his three eyes resembling three risen suns. Him\nSiddhas truthful in speech, of excellent vows and austere ascetic\npenances, can behold. Indeed, Maheswara is incapable of being seen by\npersons of wicked conduct. From the summit of that mountain, like a\nstream of milk, O ruler of men, the sacred and auspicious Ganga,\notherwise called Bhagirathi, adored by the most righteous, of universal\nform and immeasurable and issuing out with terrific noise, falleth with\nimpetuous force on the delightful lake of Chandramas.[43] Indeed that\nsacred lake, like an ocean, hath been formed by Ganga herself. (While\nleaping from the mountains), Ganga, incapable of being supported by even\nthe mountains, was held for a hundred thousand years by the bearer of\nPinaka  on his head.[44] On the western side of Meru, O king, is\nKetumala.[45] And there also is Jamvukhanda. Both are great seats of\nhumanity, O king.[46] There, O Bharata, the measure of human life is ten\nthousand years. The men are all of a golden complexion, and the women are\nlike Apsaras. And all the residents are without sickness, without sorrow,\nand always cheerful. The men born there are of the effulgence of melted\ngold. On the summits of Gandhamadana, Kuvera the lord of the Guhyakas,\nwith many Rakshasas and accompanied by tribes of Apsaras, passeth his\ntime in joy. Besides Gandhamadana there are many smaller mountains and\nhills. The measure of human life there is eleven thousand years. There, O\nking, the men are cheerful, and endued with great energy and great\nstrength and the women are all of the complexion of the lotus and highly\nbeautiful. Beyond Nila is (the Varsha called) Sweta, beyond Sweta is (the\nVarsha called) Hiranyaka. Beyond Hiranyaka is (the Varsha called)\nAiravata covered with provinces. The last Varsha in the (extreme) north\nand Bharata's Varsha in the (extreme) south are both, O king, of the form\nof a bow. These five Varshas (viz., Sweta, Hiranyaka, Elavrita,\nHarivarsha, and Haimavat-varsha) are in the middle, of which Elavrita\nexists in the very middle of all. Amongst these seven Varshas (the five\nalready mentioned and Airavata and Bharata) that which is further north\nexcels the one to its immediate south in respect of these attributes,\nviz., the period of life, stature, health, righteousness, pleasure, and\nprofit. In these Varshas, O Bharata, creatures (though of diverse\nspecies) yet live together. Thus, O king, is Earth covered with\nmountains. The huge mountains of Hemakuta are otherwise called Kailasa.\nThere, O king, Vaisravana passeth his time in joy with his Guhyakas.\nImmediately to the north of Kailasa and near the mountains of Mainaka\nthere is a huge and beautiful mountain called Manimaya endued with golden\nsummits. Beside this mountain is a large, beautiful, crystal and\ndelightful lake called Vindusaras with golden sands (on its beach). There\nking Bhagiratha, beholding Ganga (since) called after his own name,\nresided for many years. There may be seen innumerable sacrificial stakes\nmade of gems, and Chaitya tree made of gold. It was there that he of a\nthousand eyes and great fame won (ascetic) success by performing\nsacrifices. There the Lord of all creatures, the eternal Creator of all\nthe worlds, endued with supreme energy surrounded by his ghostly\nattendants, is adored. There Nara and Narayana, Brahman, and Manu, and\nSthanu as the fifth, are (ever present). And there the celestial stream\nGanga having three currents,[47] issuing out of the region of Brahman,\nfirst showed herself, and then dividing herself into seven streams,\nbecame Vaswokasara, Nalini, the sin-cleansing Saraswati, Jamvunadi, Sita,\nGanga and Sindhu as the seventh. The Supreme Lord hath (himself) made the\narrangement with reference to that inconceivable and celestial stream. It\nis there that[48] sacrifices have been performed (by gods and Rishis) on\na thousand occasions after the end of the Yuga (when creation begins). As\nregards the Saraswati, in some parts (of her course) she becometh visible\nand in some parts not so. This celestial sevenfold Ganga is widely known\nover the three worlds. Rakshasas reside on Himavat, Guhyakas on Hemakuta,\nand serpents and Nagas on Nishadha, and ascetics on Gokarna. The Sweta\nmountains are said to be the abode of the celestial and the Asuras. The\nGandharvas always reside on Nishadhas, and the regenerate Rishis on Nila.\nThe mountains of Sringavat also are regarded as the resort of the\ncelestials.\n\n\"'These then, O great king, are the seven Varshas of the world as they\nare divided. Diverse creatures, mobile[49] and immobile, are placed in\nthem all. Diverse kinds of prosperity, both providential and human, are\nnoticeable in them. They are incapable of being counted. Those desirous,\nhowever, of their own good believe (all this). I have now told thee of\nthat delightful region (of land) of the form of a hare about which thou\nhadst asked me. At the extremities of that region are the two Varshas,\nviz., one on the north and the other on the south. Those two also have\nnow been told to thee. Then again the two islands Naga-dwipa and\nKasyapa-dwipa are the two ears of this region of the form of a hare. The\nbeautiful mountains of Maleya, O king, having rocks like plates of\ncopper, form another (prominent) part of Jamvudwipa that having its shape\nresembling a hare.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said,--'Tell me, O Sanjaya, thou of great intelligence, of\nthe regions to the north and the east side of Meru, as also of the\nmountains of Malyavat, in detail.'[50]\n\n\"Sanjaya said,--'On the south of the Nila mountain and the northern side\nof Meru are the sacred Northern Kurus, O king, which are the residence of\nthe Siddhas. The trees there bear sweet fruits, and are always covered\nwith fruits and flowers. All the flowers (there) are fragrant, and the\nfruits of excellent taste. Some of the trees, again, O king, yield fruits\naccording to (the) will (of the plucker). There are again some other\ntrees, O king, that are called milk-yielding. These always yield milk and\nthe six different kinds of food of the taste of Amrita itself. Those\ntrees also yield cloths and in their fruits are ornaments (for the use of\nman). The entire land abounds with fine golden sands. A portion of the\nregion there, extremely delightful, is seen to be possessed of the\nradiance of the ruby or diamond, or of the lapis lazuli or other jewels\nand gems.[51] All the seasons there are agreeable and nowhere does the\nland become miry, O king. The tanks are charming, delicious, and full of\ncrystal water. The men born there have dropped from the world of the\ncelestials.[52] All are of pure birth and all are extremely handsome in\nappearance. There twins (of opposite sexes) are born and the women\nresemble Apsaras in beauty. They drink the milk, sweet as Amrita, of\nthose milk-yielding trees (already mentioned). And the twins born there\n(of opposite sexes) grow up equally. Both possessed of equal beauty, both\nendued with similar virtues, and both equally dressed, both grow up in\nlove, O monarch, like a couple of chakrabakas. The people of that country\nare free from illness and are always cheerful. Ten thousand and ten\nhundred years they live, O king, and never abandon one another. A class\nof birds called Bharunda, furnished with sharp beaks and possessed of\ngreat strength, take them up when dead and throw them into mountain\ncaves. I have now described to thee, O king, the Northern Kurus briefly.\n\n\"'I will now describe to thee the eastern side of Meru duly. Of all the\nregions there, the foremost, O king, is called Bhadraswa, where there is\na large forest of Bhadra-salas, as also a huge tree called Kalamra. This\nKalamra, O king, is always graced with fruits and flowers. That tree\nagain is a Yojana in height and is adored by Siddhas[53] and the\nCharanas. The men there are all of a white complexion, endued with great\nenergy, and possessed of great strength. The women are of the complexion\nof lilies, very beautiful, and agreeable to sight. Possessed of radiance\nof the moon,[54] and white as the moon, their faces are as the full-moon.\nTheir bodies again are as cool as the rays of the moon and they are all\naccomplished in singing and dancing. The period of human life there, O\nbull of the Bharata's race, is ten thousand years. Drinking the juice of\nthe Kalamra they continue youthful for ever. On the south of Nila and the\nnorth of Nishadha, there is a huge Jamvu tree that is eternal. Adored by\nthe Siddhas and Charanas, that sacred tree granteth every wish. After the\nname of that tree this division hath ever been called Jamvudwipa. O bull\nof Bharata race, a thousand and a hundred Yojanas is the height of that\nprince of trees, which touches the very heavens, O king of men. Two\nthousand and five hundred cubits measure the circumference of a fruit of\nthat tree which bursts when ripe. In falling upon the earth these fruits\nmake a loud noise, and then pour out, O king, a silvery juice on the\nground. That juice of the Jamvu, becoming, O king, a river, and passing\ncircuitously round Meru, cometh to the (region of the) Northern Kurus. If\nthe juice of that fruit is quaffed, it conduces to peace of mind. No\nthirst is felt ever after, O king. Decrepitude never weakens them. And\nthere a species of gold called Jamvunada and used for celestial\nornaments, very brilliant and like the complexion of Indragopoka insects,\nis produced. The men born there are of the complexion of the morning sun.\n\n\"'On the summit of Malyavat is always seen, O bull of Bharata's race, the\nfire called Samvataka which blazeth forth at the end of the Yuga for the\ndestruction of the universe. On Malyavat's summit towards the east are\nmany small mountains and Malyavat, O king, measures eleven thousand[55]\nYojanas. The men born there are of the complexion of gold. And they are\nall fallen from the region of Brahman and are utterers of Brahma. They\nundergo the severest of ascetic austerities, and their vital seed is\ndrawn up. For the protection of creatures they all enter the sun.\nNumbering sixty-six thousand, they proceed in advance of Aruna,\nsurrounding the sun. Heated with the sun's rays for sixty-six thousand\nyears, they then enter the lunar disc.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VIII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said,--'Tell me truly, O Sanjaya, the names of all the\nVarshas, and of all the mountains, and also of all those that dwell on\nthose mountains.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said,--'On the south of Sweta and the north of Nishadha, is the\nVarsha, called Romanaka. The men that are born there are all of white\ncomplexion, of good parentage, and handsome features. And the men born\nthere are also all without enemies. And they live, O king, for eleven\nthousand and five hundred years, being ever of cheerful hearts. On the\nsouth of Nishadha is the Varsha called Hiranmaya where is the river\ncalled Hiranwati. There, O king, liveth that foremost of birds named\nGaruda. And the people there, O monarch, are all followers of the\nYakshas, wealthy, and of handsome features. And, O king, the men there\nare endued with great strength and have cheerful hearts. And they live\nfor twelve thousand and five hundred years, O king, which is the measure\nof their lives. The mountains of Sringavat,[56] O ruler of men, have\nthree beautiful summits. One of these is made of jewels and gems, another\nis very wonderful, being made of all kinds of gems and adorned with\npalatial mansions. There the self-luminous lady named Sandili always\nliveth. On the north of Sringavat and up to the margin of the sea, O\nking, the Varsha called Airavat. And because this jewelled mountain is\nthere, therefore is this Varsha superior to all. The sun giveth no heat\nthere and men are not subject to decay. And the moon there, with the\nstars, becoming the only source of light, covereth (the firmament).\nPossessing the radiance and complexion of the lotus, and endued with eyes\nthat resemble lotus-petals, the men born there have the fragrance of the\nlotus. With winkless eyes, and agreeable scent (emanating from their\nbodies), they go without food and have their senses under control. They\nare all fallen from the region of the celestials, and are all, O king,\nwithout sin of any kind. And they live, O monarch, for thirteen thousand\nyears, that being, O best of the Bharatas, the measure of their lives.\nAnd so on the north of the milky ocean, the Lord Hari of unlimited\npuissance dwelleth on his car made of gold. That vehicle is endued with\neight wheels, with numerous supernatural creatures stationed on it, and\nhaving the speed of the mind. And its complexion is that of fire, and it\nis endued with mighty energy and adorned with Jamvunada gold. He is the\nLord of all creatures, and is possessed, O bull of Bharata's race, of\nevery kind of prosperity. In him the universe merges (when dissolution\ncomes), and from him it again emanates (when the creative desire seizes\nhim). He is the actor, and it is He that makes all others act. He, O\nmonarch, is earth, water, space, air, and fire. He is Sacrifice's self\nunto all creatures, and fire is His mouth.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued,--\"The high-souled king Dhritarashtra, thus\naddressed by Sanjaya, became, O monarch, absorbed in meditation about his\nsons. Endued with great energy, he then, having reflected, said these\nwords: 'Without doubt, O Suta's son, it is Time that destroyeth the\nuniverse. And it is Time that again createth everything. Nothing here is\neternal. It is Nara and Narayana, endued with omniscience, that\ndestroyeth all creatures.[57] The gods speak of him as Vaikuntha (of\nimmeasurable puissance), while men call him Vishnu (one that pervadeth\nthe Universe)!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION IX\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said,--'Tell me truly (O Sanjaya) of this Varsha that is\ncalled after Bharata, where this senseless force hath been collected, in\nrespect of which this my son Duryodhana hath been so very covetous, which\nthe sons of Pandu also are desirous of obtaining, and in which my mind\ntoo sinketh. O, tell me this, for thou art, in my judgment endued with\nintelligence.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said,--'Listen to me, O king. The sons of Pandu are not covetous\nabout this country. On the other hand, it is Duryodhana that is covetous,\nand Sakuni the son of Suvala, as also many other Kshatriyas who are\nrulers of the provinces, who being covetous of this country are not able\nto bear one another. I will now tell thee, O thou of Bharata's race, of\nthe tract of land known by Bharata's name. This land is the beloved one\nof Indra, and, O thou of Bharata's race, this land, O monarch, that is\ncalled after Bharata, is also the beloved land of Manu, the son of\nVivaswat, of Prithu, of Vainya, of the high-souled Ikshwaku, of Yayati,\nof Amvarisha, of Mandhatri, of Nahusha, of Muchukunda, of Sivi the son of\nUsinara, of Rishava, of Ila, of king Nriga, of Kusika, O invincible one,\nof the high-souled Gadhi, of Somaka, O irrepressible one, and of Dilipa,\nand also, O monarch, of many other mighty Kshatriyas. I will now, O\nchastiser of foes, describe to thee that country as I have heard of it.\nListen to me, O king, as I speak of what thou hast asked me. Mahendra,\nMalaya, Sahya, Suktimat, Rakshavat, Vindhya, and Paripatra,--these seven\nare the Kala-mountains[58] (of Bharatvarsha). Besides these, O king,\nthere are thousands of mountains that are unknown, of hard make, huge,\nand having excellent valleys. Besides these there are many other smaller\nmountains inhabited by barbarous tribes. Aryans and Mlecchas, O Kauravya,\nand many races, O lord, mixed of the two elements, drink the waters of\nthe following rivers, viz., magnificent Ganga, Sindhu, and Saraswati; of\nGodavari, and Narmada, and the large river called Yamuna; of\nDhrishadwati, and Vipapa, and Vipasa and Sthulavaluka; of the river\nVetravati, and that other one called Krishna-vena; of Iravati, and\nVitasta, and Payosyini, and Devika; of Vedasmrita and Vedavati, and\nTridiva, and Ikshumalavi;[59] of Karishini, and Chitravaha, and the river\ncalled Chitrasena; of Gomati, and Dhutapada and the large river called\nGandaki[60], of Kausiki, and Nischitra, and Kirtya, and Nichita, and\nLohatarini;[61] of Rashasi and Satakumbha, and also Sarayu; of\nCharmanwati, and Vetravati,[62] and Hastisoma, and Disa; of the river\ncalled Saravati, and Venna, and Bhimarathi; of Kaveri, and Chuluka, and\nVina, and Satavala; of Nivara, and Mahila, and Suprayoga, O king; of\nPavitra, and Kundala, and Rajani, and Puramalini; of Purvabhirama, and\nVira, and Bhima, and Oghavati; of Palasini, and Papahara, and Mahendra,\nand Patalavati, of Karishini, and Asikni, and the large river Kusachira:\nof Makari, and Pravara, and Mena, and Hema, and Dhritavati; of Puravati,\nand Anushna, and Saivya, and Kapi, O Bharata; of Sadanira, and Adhrishya,\nand the mighty stream Kusadhara; of Sadakanta, and Siva, and Viravati; of\nVatsu, and Suvastu, and Kampana with Hiranwati; of Vara, and the mighty\nriver Panchami, of Rathachitra, and Jyotiratha, and Viswamitra, and\nKapinjala; of Upendra, and Vahula, and Kuchira, and Madhuvahini: of\nVinadi, and Pinjala, and Vena, and the great river Pungavena; of Vidisa\nand Krishna-vena, and Tamra, and Kapila, of Salu, and Suvama, the\nVedaswa, and the mighty river Harisrava; of Sighra, and Pischala, and the\nriver Bharadwaji, of the river Kausiki, and Sona, and Chandrama; of\nDurgamantrasila, and Brahma-vodhya, and Vrihadvati; of Yaksha, and Rohi,\nand Yamvunadi; of Sunasa and Tamasa, and Dasi, and Vasa, and Varuna, and\nAsi; of Nila, and Dhrimati, and the mighty river Parnasa; of Pomasi, and\nVrishabha, and Brahma-meddhya, and Vrihaddhani. These and many other\nlarge rivers, O king, such as Sadonirmaya and Krishna, and Mandaga, and\nMandavahini; and Mahagouri, and Durga, O Bharata; and Chitropala.\nChitraratha, and Manjula, and Vahini; and Mandakini, and Vaitarani, and\nKosa, and Mahanadi; and Suktimati, and Ananga, and Pushpaveni, and\nUtpalavati; and Lohitya, Karatoya, and Vrishasabhya; and Kumari, and\nRishikullya and Marisha, and Saraswati; and Mandakini, and Supunya,\nSarvasanga, O Bharata, are all mothers of the universe and productive of\ngreat merit. Besides these, there are rivers, by hundreds and thousands,\nthat are not known (by names), I have now recounted to thee, O king, all\nthe rivers as far as I remember.\n\n\"'After this, listen to the names of the provinces as I mention them. They\nare the Kuru-Panchalas, the Salwas, the Madreyas, the Jangalas, the\nSurasena, the Kalingas, the Vodhas, the Malas, the Matsyas, the\nSauvalyas, the Kuntalas, the Kasi-kosalas, the Chedis, the Karushas, the\nBhojas, the Sindhus, the Pulindakas, the Uttamas, the Dasarnas, the\nMekalas, the Utkalas; the Panchalas, the Kausijas, the Nikarprishthas,\nDhurandharas; the Sodhas, the Madrabhujingas, the Kasis, and the\nfurther-Kasis; the Jatharas, the Kukuras, O Bharata; the Kuntis, the\nAvantis, and the further-Kuntis; the Gomantas, the Mandakas, the Shandas,\nthe Vidarbhas, the Rupavahikas; the Aswakas, the Pansurashtras, the\nGoparashtras, and the Karityas; the Adhirjayas, the Kuladyas, the\nMallarashtras, the Keralas, the Varatrasyas, the Apavahas, the Chakras,\nthe Vakratapas, the Sakas; the Videhas, the Magadhas, the Swakshas, the\nMalayas, the Vijayas, the Angas, the Vangas, the Kalingas, the\nYakrillomans; the Mallas, the Suddellas, the Pranradas, the Mahikas, the\nSasikas; the Valhikas, the Vatadhanas, the Abhiras, the Kalajoshakas; the\nAparantas, the Parantas, the Pahnabhas, the Charmamandalas; the\nAtavisikharas, the Mahabhutas, O sire; the Upavrittas, the Anupavrittas,\nthe Surashatras, Kekayas; the Kutas, the Maheyas, the Kakshas, the\nSamudranishkutas; the Andhras, and, O king, many hilly tribes, and many\ntribes residing on lands laying at the foot of the hills, and the\nAngamalajas, and the Manavanjakas; the Pravisheyas, and the Bhargavas, O\nking; the Pundras, the Bhargas, the Kiratas, the Sudeshnas, and the\nYamunas, the Sakas, the Nishadhas, the Anartas, the Nairitas, the\nDurgalas, the Pratimasyas, the Kuntalas, and the Kusalas; the Tiragrahas,\nthe Ijakas, the Kanyakagunas, the Tilabharas, the Samiras, the\nMadhumattas, the Sukandakas; the Kasmiras, the Sindhusauviras, the\nGandharvas, and the Darsakas; the Abhisaras, the Utulas, the Saivalas,\nand the Valhikas; the Darvis, the Vanavadarvas, the Vatagas, the\nAmarathas, and the Uragas; the Vahuvadhas, the Kauravyas, the Sudamanas,\nthe Sumalikas; the Vadhras, the Karishakas, the Kalindas, and the\nUpatyakas; the Vatayanas, the Romanas, and the Kusavindas; the Kacchas,\nthe Gopalkacchas, the Kuruvarnakas; the Kiratas, the Varvasas, the\nSiddhas, the Vaidehas, and the Tamraliptas; the Aundras, the Paundras,\nthe Saisikatas, and the Parvatiyas, O sire.\n\n\"'There are other kingdoms, O bull of Bharata's race, in the south. They\nare the Dravidas, the Keralas, the Prachyas, the Mushikas, and the\nVanavashikas; the Karanatakas, the Mahishakas, the Vikalpas, and also the\nMushakas; the Jhillikas, the Kuntalas, the Saunridas, and the\nNalakananas; the Kankutakas, the Cholas, and the Malavayakas; the\nSamangas, the Kanakas, the Kukkuras, and the Angara-marishas; the\nSamangas, the Karakas, the Kukuras, the Angaras, the Marishas; the\nDhwajinis, the Utsavas, the Sanketas, the Trigartas, and the Salwasena;\nthe Vakas, the Kokarakas, the Pashtris, and the Lamavegavasas; the\nVindhyachulakas, the Pulindas, and the Valkalas; the Malavas, the\nVallavas, the further-Vallavas, the Kulindas, the Kalavas, the Kuntaukas,\nand the Karatas; the Mrishakas, the Tanavalas, the Saniyas; the Alidas,\nthe Pasivatas, the Tanayas, and the Sulanyas; the Rishikas, the\nVidarbhas, the Kakas, the Tanganas, and the further-Tanganas. Among the\ntribes of the north are the Mlecchas, and the Kruras, O best of the\nBharatas; the Yavanas, the Chinas, the Kamvojas, the Darunas, and many\nMleccha tribes; the Sukritvahas, the Kulatthas, the Hunas, and the\nParasikas; the Ramanas, and the Dasamalikas. These countries are,\nbesides, the abodes of many Kshatriya, Vaisya, and Sudra tribes. Then\nagain there are the Sudra-abhiras, the Dardas, the Kasmiras, and the\nPattis; the Khasiras; the Atreyas, the Bharadwajas, the Stanaposhikas,\nthe Poshakas, the Kalingas, and diverse tribes of Kiratas; the Tomaras,\nthe Hansamargas, and the Karamanjakas. These and other kingdoms are on\nthe east and on the north. O lord, alluding to them briefly I have told\nthee all. Earth, if its resources are properly developed according to its\nqualities and prowess, is like an ever-yielding[63] cow, from which the\nthree-fold fruits of virtue, profit and pleasure, may be milked. Brave\nkings conversant with virtue and profit have become covetous of Earth.\nEndued with activity, they would even cast away their lives in battle,\nfrom hunger of wealth. Earth is certainly the refuge of creatures endued\nwith celestial bodies as also of creatures endued with human bodies.[64]\nDesirous of enjoying Earth, the kings, O chief of the Bharatas, have\nbecome like dogs that snatch meat from one another. Their ambition is\nunbounded, knowing no gratification.[65] It is for this that the Kurus\nand the Pandavas are striving for possession of Earth, by negotiation,\ndisunion, gift, and battle, O Bharata. If Earth be well looked after, it\nbecometh the father, mother, children, firmament and heaven, of all\ncreatures, O bull among men.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION X\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said,--'Tell me, O Sanjaya, of the period of life, the\nstrength, the good and bad things, the future, past and present, of the\nresidents, O Suta, of this Varsha of Bharata, and of the Himavat-varsha,\nas also of Hari-varsha, in detail.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said,--'O bull of Bharata's race, four Yugas set in Bharata's\nVarsha, viz., Krita, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali. The Yuga that sets in\nfirst is Krita, O Lord; after the expiry of Krita comes Treta; after\nexpiry of Treta comes Dwapara; and after that last of all, sets in Kali.\nFour thousand years, O best of the Kurus, are reckoned as the measure of\nlife, O best of kings, in the Krita epoch. Three thousand years is the\nperiod in Treta, O ruler of men. At present in Dwapara, persons live on\nEarth for two thousand years. In Kali, however, O bull of Bharata's race,\nthere is no fixed limit of life's measure, in so much that men die while\nin the womb, as also soon after birth. In the Krita age, O king, men are\nborn and beget children, by hundreds and thousands, that are of great\nstrength and great power, endued with the attribute of great wisdom, and\npossessed of wealth and handsome features. In that age are born and\nbegotten Munis endued with wealth of asceticism, capable of great\nexertion, possessed of high souls, and virtuous, and truthful in speech.\nThe Kshatriyas also, born in that age are of agreeable features,\nable-bodied, possessed of great energy, accomplished in the use of the\nbow, highly skilled in battle and exceedingly brave. In the Treta age, O\nking, all the Kshatriya kings were emperors ruling from sea to sea. In\nTreta are begotten brave Kshatriyas not subject to any one, endued with\nlong lives, possessed of heroism, and wielding the bow in battle with\ngreat skill. When Dwapara sets in, O king, all the (four) orders born\nbecome capable of great exertion, endued with great energy, and desirous\nof conquering one another. The men born in Kali, O king, are endued with\nlittle energy, highly wrathful, covetous, and untruthful. Jealousy,\npride, anger, deception, malice and covetousness, O Bharata, are the\nattributes of creatures in the Kali age. The portion that remains, O\nking, of this the Dwapara age, is small, O ruler of men. The Varsha known\nas Haimavat is superior to Bharatavarsha, while Harivarsha is superior to\nHainavatvarsha, in respect of all qualities.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XI\n\n(Bhumi Parva)\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said,--'Thou hast, O Sanjaya, duly described Jamvukhanda\nto me. Tell me now its dimensions and extent truly. Tell me also, O\nSanjaya, of the extent of the ocean of Sakadwipa, and Kusadwipa, of\nSalmalidwipa and Kraunchadwipa, truly and without leaving anything and\ntell me also, O son of Gavalgani, of Rahu and Soma and Surya.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said,--'There are, O king, many islands, over which the Earth\nextended. I will describe to thee, however, only seven islands, and the\nmoon, and the sun, and the planet (Rahu), also. The Jamvu mountain, O\nking, extends over full eighteen thousand and six hundred Yojanas. The\nextent of the salt ocean is said to be twice this. That ocean is covered\nwith many kingdoms, and is adorned with gems and corals. It is, besides,\ndecked with many mountains that are variegated with metals of diverse\nkinds. Thickly peopled by Siddhas and Charanas, the ocean is circular in\nform.\n\n\"'I will now tell thee truly of Sakadwipa, O Bharata. Listen to me, O son\nof Kuru's race, as I describe it to thee duly. That island, O ruler of\nmen, is of twice the extent of Jamvudwipa. And the ocean also, O great\nking, is of twice the extent of that island. Indeed, O best of the\nBharatas, Sakadwipa is surrounded on all sides by the ocean. The kingdoms\nthere are full of righteousness, and the men there never die. How can\nfamine take place there? The people are all endued with forgiveness and\ngreat energy. I have now, O bull of Bharata's race, given thee duly a\nbrief description of Sakadwipa. What else, O king, dost thou wish to\nhear?'\"[66]\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said,--'Thou hast given me, O Sanjaya, a description of\nSakadwipa in brief. O thou that art possessed of great wisdom, tell me\nnow everything in detail truly.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said,--'In that island, O king, there are seven mountains that\nare decked with jewels and that are mines of gems, precious stones. There\nare many rivers also in that island. Listen to me as I recount their\nnames. Everything there, O king, is excellent and delightful. The first\nof these mountains is called Meru. It is the abode of the gods, Rishis,\nand Gandharvas. The next mountain, O king, is called Malaya stretching\ntowards the east. It is there that the clouds are generated and it is\nthence that they disperse on all sides. The next, O thou of Kuru's race,\nis the large mountain called Jaladhara.[67] Thence Indra daily taketh\nwater of the best quality. It is from that water that we get showers in\nthe season of rains, O ruler of men. Next cometh the high mountain called\nRaivataka, over which, in the firmament, hath been permanently placed the\nconstellation called Revati. This arrangement hath been made by the\nGrandsire himself. On the north of this, O great king, is the large\nmountain called Syama. It hath the splendour of newly-risen clouds, is\nvery high, beautiful and of bright body. And since the hue of those\nmountains is dark, the people residing there are all dark in complexion,\nO king.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said,--'A great doubt ariseth in my mind, O Sanjaya, from\nwhat thou hast said. Why, O Suta's son, would the people there be of dark\ncomplexion?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said,--'O great king, in all islands, O son of Kuru's race, men\nmay be found that are fair, and those that are dark, and those also that\nare produced by a union of the fair and the dark races. But because the\npeople there are all dark, therefore is that mountain called the Dark\nMountain. After this, O chief of the Kurus, is the large mountain called\nDurgasaila. And then cometh the mountain called Kesari. The breezes that\nblow from that mountain are all charged with (odoriferous) effluvia. The\nmeasure of each of these mountains is double that of the one mentioned\nimmediately before. O thou of Kuru's race, it hath been said by the wise\nthat there are seven Varshas in that island. The Varsha of Meru is called\nMahakasa; that of the water-giving (Malaya) is called Kumudottara. The\nVarsha of Jaladhara is called Sukumara, while that of Raivatak is called\nKaumara; and of Syama, Manikanchana. The Varsha of Kesara is called\nMandaki, and that called after the next mountain is called Mahapuman. In\nthe midst of that island is a large tree called Saka. In height and\nbreadth the measure of that tree is equal to that of the Jamvu tree in\nJamvudwipa. And the people there always adore that tree. There in that\nisland are, many delightful provinces where Siva is worshipped, and\nthither repair the Siddhas, the Charanas, and the celestials. The people\nthere, O king, are virtuous, and all the four orders, O Bharata, are\ndevoted to their respective occupation. No instance of theft can be seen\nthere. Freed from decrepitude and death and gifted with long life, the\npeople there, O king, grow like rivers during the season of rains. The\nrivers there are full of sacred water, and Ganga herself, distributed as\nshe hath been into various currents, is there. Sukumari, and Kumari, and\nSeta, and Keveraka, and Mahanadi, O Kauravya, and the river Manijala, and\nChakshus, and the river Vardhanika, O thou best of the Bharatas,--these\nand many other rivers by thousands and hundreds, all full of sacred\nwater, are there, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, from which Vasava draweth\nwater for showering it as rain. It is impossible to recount the names and\nlengths of rivers. All of them are foremost of rivers and sin-cleansing.\nAs heard by all men there, in that island of Saka, are four sacred\nprovinces. They are the Mrigas, the Masakas, the Manasas, and the\nMandagas. The Mrigas for the most part are Brahmanas devoted to the\noccupations of their order. Amongst the Masakas are virtuous Kshatriyas\ngranting (unto Brahmanas) every wish (entertained by them). The Manasas,\nO king, live by following the duties of the Vaisya order. Having every\nwish of theirs gratified, they are also brave and firmly devoted to\nvirtue and profit. The Mandagas are all brave Sudras of virtuous\nbehaviour. In these provinces, O monarch, there is no king, no\npunishment, no person that deserves to be punished. Conversant with the\ndictates of duty they are all engaged in the practice of their respective\nduties and protect one another. This much is capable of being said of the\nisland called Saka. This much also should be listened to about that\nisland endued with great energy.'\"[68]\n\n\n\nSECTION XII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'O Kauravya, that which is heard about the islands in the\nnorth, I will recount to thee, O Great king. Listen to me now. (Thither\nin the north) is the ocean whose waters are clarified butter. Then is the\nocean whose waters are curds. Next cometh the ocean whose waters are\nwine, and then is another ocean of water. The islands, O king, are double\nin area of one another as they proceed further and further towards the\nnorth. And they are surrounded, O king, by these oceans.[69] In the\nisland that is in the middle, there is a large mountain called Goura made\nof red arsenic; on the western island, O king, is the mountain Krishna\nthat is the favourite (abode) of Narayana. There Kesava guardeth\ncelestial gems (in profusion), and thence, inclined to grace, he\nbestoweth happiness on creatures. Along with the kingdoms there, O king,\nthe (celestial) clump of Kusa grass in Kusadwipa, and the Salmali tree in\nthe island of Salmalika, are adored. In the Krauncha island also, the\nmountain called Maha-krauncha that is a mine of all kinds of gems is, O\nking, always adored by all the four orders of men. (There), O monarch, is\nthe mountain called Gomanta that is huge and consists of all kinds of\nmetals, and whereon always resideth, mingling with those that have been\nemancipated, the puissant Narayana, otherwise called Hari, graced with\nprosperity and possessed of eyes like lotus leaves. In Kusadwipa, O king\nof kings, there is another mountain variegated with corals and called\nafter the name of that island itself. This mountain is inaccessible and\nmade of gold. Possessed of great splendour, O Kauravya, there is a third\nmountain there that is called Sumida. The sixth is called Harigiri. These\nare the six principal mountains. The intervening spaces between one\nanother of these six mountains increaseth in the ratio of one to two as\nthey proceed further and further towards the north. The first Varsha is\ncalled Audhido; the second is Venumandala; the third is called Suratha;\nthe fourth is known by the name of Kamvala; the fifth Varsha is called\nDhritimat; and the sixth is named Prabhakara; the seventh Varsha is\ncalled Kapila. These are the seven successive Varshas. In these, gods and\nGandharvas, and other creatures of the universe, sport and take delight.\nIn these Varshas the inhabitants never die. There, O king, are no\nrobbers, nor any tribes of Mlecchas. All the residents are almost white\nin complexion, and very delicate, O king.\n\n\"'As regards the rest of the islands, O ruler of men, I will recount all\nthat hath been heard by me. Listen, O monarch, with an attentive mind. In\nthe Krauncha island, O great king, there is a large mountain called\nKrauncha. Next to Krauncha is Vamanaka; and next to Vamanaka is\nAndhakara. And next to Andhakara,[70] O king, is that excellent of\nmountains called Mainaka. After Mainaka, O monarch, is that best of\nmountains called Govinda; and after Govinda, O king, is the mountain\ncalled Nivida. O multiplier of thy race, the intervening spaces between\none another of these mountains increaseth in the ratio of one to two. I\nwill now tell thee the countries that lie there. Listen to me as I speak\nof them. The region near Krauncha is called Kusala; that near Vamanaka is\nManonuga. The region next to Manonuga, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, is\ncalled Ushna. After Ushna is Pravaraka; and after Pravaraka is\nAndhakaraka. The country after Andhakaraka is named Munidesa. After\nMunidesa the region is called Dundubhiswana teeming with Siddhas and\nCharanas. The people are almost white in complexion, O king. All these\ncountries, O monarch, are the habitations of gods and Gandharvas. In (the\nisland of) Pushkara is a mountain called Pushkara that abounds with\njewels and gems. There always dwelleth the divine Prajapati himself. Him\nall the gods and great Rishis always adore with gratifying words and\nworship reverently, O king. Diverse gems from Jamvudwipa are used there.\nIn all these islands, O king, Brahmacharya, truth, and self-control of\nthe dwellers, as also their health and periods of life, are in the ratio\nof one to two as the islands are more and more remote (northwards). O\nking, the land in those islands, O Bharata, comprises but one country,\nfor that is said to be one country in which one religion is met with. The\nSupreme Prajapati himself, upraising the rod of chastisement, always\ndwelleth there, protecting those islands. He, O monarch, is the king. He\nis their source of bliss. He is the father, and he is the grand-father.\nHe it is, O best of men, that protecteth all creatures there, mobile or\nimmobile. Cooked food, O Kauravya, cometh there of itself and the\ncreatures eat it daily, O mighty-armed one. After these regions is seen a\nhabitation of the name of Sama. It is of a starry-shape having four\ncorners, and it hath, O king, thirty-three mandalas. There dwell, O\nKauravya, four princely elephants adored by all.[71] They are, O best of\nthe Bharatas, Vamana, and Airavata, and another, and also Supratika.[72]\nO king, with rent cheeks and mouth, I do not venture to calculate the\nproportions of these four elephants.[73] Their length, breadth and\nthickness have for ever remained unascertained. There in those regions, O\nking, winds blow irregularly from all directions.[74] These are seized by\nthose elephants with the tips of their trunks which are of the complexion\nof the lotus and endued with great splendour and capable of drawing up\neverything in their way. And soon enough after seizing them they then\nalways let them out. The winds, O king, thus let out by those respiring\nelephants, come over the Earth and in consequence thereof creatures draw\nbreath and live.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said,--'Thou hast, O Sanjaya, told me everything about the\nfirst subject very elaborately. Thou hast also indicated the positions of\nthe islands. Tell now, O Sanjaya, about what remains.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said,--'Indeed, O great king, the islands have all been\ndescribed to thee. Listen now to what I truly say about the heavenly\nbodies and about Swarbhanu, O chief of the Kauravas, as regards its\ndimensions. It is heard, O king, that the planet Swarbhanu is globular.\nIts diameter is twelve thousand Yojanas, and its circumference, because\nit is very large, is forty-two thousand Yojanas, O sinless one,[75] as\nsaid by the learned of olden times. The diameter of the moon, O king, is\nstated to be eleven thousand Yojanas. Its circumference, O chief of the\nKurus, is stated to be thirty-eight thousand nine hundred Yojanas of the\nillustrious planet of cool rays. It hath been heard that the diameter of\nthe beneficent, fast going and light-giving Sun, O thou of Kuru's race,\nis ten thousand Yojanas, and his circumference, O king, is thirty-five\nthousand eight hundred miles, in consequence of his largeness, O sinless\none. These are the dimensions reckoned here, O Bharata, of Arka. The\nplanet Rahu, in consequence of his greater bulk, envelops both the Sun\nand the Moon in due times. I tell thee this in brief. With the eye of\nscience, O great king, I have now told thee all that thou hadst asked.\nLet peace be thine. I have now told thee about the construction of the\nuniverse as indicated in the Shastras. Therefore, O Kauravya, pacify thy\nson Duryodhana.[76]'\n\n\"Having listened to this charming Bhumi Parva, O chief of the Bharatas, a\nKshatriya becometh endued with prosperity, obtaineth fruition of all his\ndesires, and winneth the approbation of the righteous.[77] The king who\nlisteneth to this on days of the full-moon or the new-moon, carefully\nobserving vows all the while, hath the period of his life, his fame and\nenergy, all enhanced. His (deceased) sires and grandsires become\ngratified. Thou hast now heard of all the merits that flow from this\nVarsha of Bharata where we now are!\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIII\n\n(Bhagavat-Gita Parva)\n\nVaisampayana said,--\"Possessing a knowledge of the past, the present and\nthe future, and seeing all things as if present before his eyes, the\nlearned son of Gavalgana, O Bharata, coming quickly from the field of\nbattle, and rushing with grief (into the court) represented unto\nDhritarashtra who was plunged in thought that Bhishma the grandsire of\nthe Bharatas had been slain.\"\n\n\"Sanjaya said,--'I am Sanjaya, O great king. I bow to thee, O bull of\nBharata's race. Bhishma, the son of Santanu and the grandsire of the\nBharatas, hath been slain. That foremost of all warriors, that grandsire\nof the Bharatas, hath been slain. That foremost of all warriors, that\nembodied energy of all bowmen, that grandsire of the Kurus lieth to-day\non a bed of arrows. That Bhishma, O king, relying on whose energy thy son\nhad been engaged in that match at dice, now lieth on the field of battle\nslain by Sikhandin. That mighty car-warrior who on a single car had\nvanquished in terrific combat at the city of Kasi all the kings of the\nEarth mustered together, he who had fearlessly fought in battle with\nRama, the son of Jamadagni, he whom Jamadagni's son could not slay, oh,\neven hath he been to-day slain by Sikhandin. Resembling the great Indra\nhimself in bravery, and Himavat in firmness, like unto the ocean itself\nin gravity, and the Earth herself in patience, that invincible warrior\nhaving arrows for his teeth, that bow for his mouth, and the sword for\nhis tongue, that lion among men, hath to-day been slain by the prince of\nPanchala. That slayer of heroes, beholding whom when addrest for battle\nthe mighty army of the Pandavas, unmanned by fear, used to tremble like a\nherd of kine when beholding a lion, alas, having protected that army (of\nthine) for ten nights and having achieved feats exceedingly difficult of\naccomplishment, hath set like the Sun.[78] He who like Sakra himself,\nscattering arrows in thousands with the utmost composure, daily slew ten\nthousand warriors for ten days, even he slain (by the enemy), lieth,\nthough he deserveth it not, on the bare ground like a (mighty) tree\nbroken by the wind, in consequence, O king, of thy evil counsels, O\nBharata.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said,--'How hath Bhishma, that bull among the Kurus, been\nslain by Sikhandin? How did my father, who resembled Vasava himself, fall\ndown from his car? What became of my sons, O Sanjaya, when they were\ndeprived of the mighty Bhishma who was like unto a celestial, and who led\nlife of Brahmacharya for the sake of his father?[79] Upon the fall of\nthat tiger among men who was endued with great wisdom, great capacity for\nexertion, great might and great energy, how did our warriors feel?\nHearing that bull amongst the Kurus, that foremost of men, that\nunwavering hero is slain, great is the grief that pierceth my heart.\nWhile advancing (against the foe), who followed him and who proceeded\nahead? Who stayed by his side? Who proceeded with him? What brave\ncombatants followed behind (protecting his rear) that tiger among\ncar-warriors, that wonderful archer, that bull among Kshatriyas, while he\npenetrated into the divisions of the foe?[80] While seizing the hostile\nranks, what warriors opposed that slayer of foes resembling the luminary\nof thousand rays, who spreading terror among the foe destroyed their\nranks like the Sun destroying darkness, and who achieved in battle\namongst the ranks of Pandu's sons feats exceedingly difficult of\naccomplishment? How, indeed, O Sanjaya, did the Pandavas oppose in battle\nthe son of Santanu, that accomplished and invincible warrior when he\napproached them smiting? Slaughtering the (hostile) ranks, having arrows\nfor his teeth, and full of energy, with the bow for his wide-open mouth,\nand with the terrible sword for his tongue, and invincible, a very tiger\namong men, endued with modesty, and never before vanquished, alas, how\ndid Kunti's son overthrow in battle that unconquered one, undeserving as\nhe was of such a fate,[81]--that fierce bowman shooting fierce shafts,\nstationed on his excellent car, and plucking off the heads of foes (from\ntheir bodies)--that warrior, irresistible as the Yuga-fire, beholding\nwhom addrest for battle the great army of the Pandavas always used to\nwaver? Mangling the hostile troops for ten nights, alas, that slayer of\nranks hath set like the Sun, having achieved feats difficult of\nachievement. He who, scattering like Sakra himself and inexhaustible\nshower of arrows, slew in battle a hundred millions of warriors in ten\ndays, that scion of Bharata's race, now lieth, although he deserveth it\nnot, on the bare ground, in the field of battle, deprived of life, a\nmighty tree uprooted by the winds, as a result of my evil counsels!\nBeholding Santanu's son Bhishma of terrible prowess, how indeed, could\nthe army of the Pandavas[82] succeed in smiting him there? How did the\nsons of Pandu battle with Bhishma? How is it, O Sanjaya, that Bhishma\ncould not conquer when Drona liveth? When Kripa, again, was near him, and\nDrona's son (Aswatthaman) also, how could Bhishma, that foremost of\nsmiters be slain? How could Bhishma who was reckoned as an Atiratha and\nwho could not be resisted by the very gods, be slain in battle by\nSikhandin, the prince of Panchala? He, who always regarded himself as the\nequal of the mighty son of Jamadagni in battle, he whom Jamadagni's son\nhimself could not vanquish, he who resembled Indra himself in\nprowess,--alas, O Sanjaya, tell me how that hero, Bhishma, born in the\nrace of Maharathas, was slain in battle, for without knowing all the\nparticulars I cannot regain my equanimity. What great bowmen of my army,\nO Sanjaya, did not desert that hero of unfading glory? What heroic\nwarriors, again, at Duryodhana's command, stood around that hero (for\nprotecting him)? When all the Pandavas placing Sikhandin in their van\nadvanced against Bhishma, did not all the Kurus,[83] O Sanjaya, stay by\nthe side of that hero of unfading prowess? Hard as my heart is, surely it\nmust be made of adamant, for it breaketh not on hearing the death of that\ntiger among men, viz., Bhishma! In that irresistible bull of Bharata's\nrace, were truth, and intelligence, and policy, to an immeasurable\nextent. Alas, how was he slain in battle? Like unto a mighty cloud of\nhigh altitude, having the twang of his bowstring for its roar, his arrows\nfor its rain-drops, and the sound of his bow for its thunder, that hero\nshowering his shafts on Kunti's sons with the Panchalas and the Srinjayas\non their side, smote hostile car-warriors like the slayer of Vala smiting\nthe Danavas. Who were the heroes that resisted, like the bank resisting\nthe surging sea, that chastiser of foes, who was a terrible ocean of\narrows and weapons, an ocean in which shafts were the irresistible\ncrocodiles and bows were the waves, an ocean that was inexhaustible,\nwithout an island, agitated and without a raft to cross it, in which\nmaces and swords were like sharks and steeds and elephants like eddies,\nand foot-soldiers like fishes in abundance, and the sound of conches and\ndrums like its roar, and ocean that swallowed horses and elephants and\nfoot-soldiers quickly, an ocean that devoured hostile heroes and that\nseethed with wrath and energy which constituted its Yadava-fire?[84] When\nfor Duryodhana's good, that slayer of foes, Bhishma, achieved (terrible)\nfeats in battle, who were then in his van? Who were they that protected\nthe right wheel of that warrior of immeasurable energy? Who were they\nthat, mustering patience and energy, resisted hostile heroes from his\nrear? Who stationed themselves in his near front for protecting him? Who\nwere those heroes that protected the fore-wheel of that brave warrior\nwhile he battled (with the foe)? Who were they that stationing themselves\nby his left wheel smote the Srinjayas? Who were they that protected the\nirresistible advance ranks of his van? Who protected the wings of that\nwarrior who hath made the last painful journey? And who, O Sanjaya,\nfought with hostile heroes in the general engagement? If he was protected\nby (our) heroes, and if they were protected by him, why could he not\nthen speedily vanquish in battle the army of the Pandavas, invincible\nthough it be? Indeed, O Sanjaya, how could the Pandavas succeed even in\nstriking Bhishma who was like Parameshti himself, that Lord and creator\nof all creatures?[85] Thou tellest me, O Sanjaya, if the disappearance of\nthat Bhishma, that tiger among men, who was our refuge and relying upon\nwhom the Kurus were fighting with their foes, that warrior of mighty\nstrength relying on whose energy my son had never reckoned the Pandavas,\nalas, how hath he been slain by the enemy?[86] In days of yore, all the\ngods while engaged in slaying the Danavas, sought the aid of that\ninvincible warrior, viz., my father of high vows. That foremost of sons\nendued with great energy, on whose birth the world-renowned Santanu\nabandoned all grief, melancholy, and sorrows, how canst thou tell me, O\nSanjaya, that that celebrated hero, that great refuge of all, that wise\nand holy personage who was devoted to the duties of his order and\nconversant with the truths of the Vedas and their branches, hath been\nslain? Accomplished in every weapon and endued with humility, gentle and\nwith passions under full control, and possessed of great energy as he\nwas, alas, hearing that son of Santanu slain I regard the rest of my army\nas already slain. In my judgment, unrighteousness hath now become\nstronger than righteousness, for the sons of Pandu desire sovereignty\neven by killing their venerable superior! In days of yore, Jamadagni's\nson Rama, who was acquainted with every weapon and whom none excelled,\nwhen addrest for battle on behalf of Amva, was vanquished by Bhishma in\ncombat. Thou tellest me that that Bhishma, who was the foremost of all\nwarriors and who resembled Indra himself in the feats he achieved, hath\nbeen slain. What can be a greater grief to me than this? Endued with\ngreat intelligence, he that was not slain even by that slayer of hostile\nheroes, that Rama, the son of Jamadagni, who defeated in battle crowds of\nKshatriyas repeatedly, he hath now been slain by Sikhandin. Without\ndoubt, Drupada's son Sikhandin, therefore who hath slain in battle that\nbull of Bharata's race, that hero acquainted with the highest weapons,\nthat brave and accomplished warrior conversant with every weapon, is\nsuperior in energy, prowess, and might to the invincible Vargava endued\nwith the highest energy. In that encounter of arms who were the heroes\nthat followed that slayer of foes? Tell me how the battle was fought\nbetween Bhishma and the Pandavas. The army of my son, O Sanjaya, reft of\nits hero, is like an unprotected woman. Indeed, that army of mine is like\na panic-struck herd of kine reft of its herdsman. He in whom resided\nprowess superior to that of every one, when he was laid low on the field\nof battle, what was the state of mind of my army? What power is there, O\nSanjaya, in our life, when we have caused our father of mighty energy,\nthat foremost of righteous men in the world, to be slain? Like a person\ndesirous of crossing the sea when he beholds the boat sunk in fathomless\nwaters, alas, my sons, I ween, are bitterly weeping from grief on\nBhishma's death. My heart, O Sanjaya, is surely made of adamant, for it\nrendeth not even after hearing the death of Bhishma, that tiger among\nmen. That bull among men in whom were weapons, intelligence, and policy,\nto an immeasurable extent, how, alas, hath that invincible warrior been\nslain in battle? Neither in consequence of weapons nor of courage, nor of\nascetic merit, nor of intelligence, nor of firmness, nor of gift, can a\nman free himself from death. Indeed, time, endued with great energy, is\nincapable of being transgressed by anything in the world, when thou\ntellest me, O Sanjaya, that Santanu's son Bhishma is dead. Burning with\ngrief on account of my sons, in fact, overwhelmed with great sorrow, I\nhad hoped for relief from Bhishma, the son of Santanu. When he beheld\nSantanu's son, O Sanjaya, lying on earth like the Sun (dropped from the\nfirmament), what else was made by Duryodhana as his refuge? O Sanjaya,\nreflecting with the aid of my understanding, I do not see what the end\nwill be of the kings belonging to my side and that of the enemy and now\nmustered in the opposing ranks of battle. Alas, cruel are the duties of\nthe Kshatriya order as laid down by the Rishis, since the Pandavas are\ndesirous of sovereignty by even compassing the death of Santanu's son,\nand we also are desirous of sovereignty by offering up that hero of high\nvows as a sacrifice.[87] The sons of Pritha, as also my sons, are all in\nthe observance of Kshatriya duties. They, therefore, incur no sin (by\ndoing) this. Even a righteous person should do this, O Sanjaya, when\ndireful calamities come. The display of prowess and the exhibition of the\nutmost might have been laid down among the duties of the Kshatriyas.\n\n\"'How, indeed, did the sons of Pandu oppose my father Bhishma, the son of\nSantanu, that unvanquished hero endued with modesty, while he was engaged\nin destroying the hostile ranks? How were the troops arrayed, and how did\nhe battle with high-souled foes? How, O Sanjaya, was my father Bhishma\nslain by the enemy? Duryodhana and Karna and the deceitful Sakuni, the\nson of Suvala, and Dussasana also,--what did they say when Bhishma was\nslain? Thither where the dice-board is constituted by the bodies of men,\nelephants, and steeds, and where arrows and javelins and large swords\nand bearded darts from the dice, entering that frightful mansion of\ndestructive battle's play, who were those wretched gamblers,--those bulls\namong men,--that gambled, making their very lives the frightful stakes?\nWho won, who were vanquished, who cast the dice successfully, and who\nhave been slain, besides Bhishma, the son of Santanu? Tell me all, O\nSanjaya, for peace cannot be mine, hearing that Devavrata hath been\nslain,--that father of mine, of terrible deeds, that ornament of battle,\nviz., Bhishma! Keen anguish has penetrated my heart, born of the thought\nthat all my children would die. Thou makest that grief of mine blaze\nforth, O Sanjaya, like fire by pouring clarified butter on it. My sons,\nI ween, are even now grieving, beholding Bhishma slain,--Bhishma\ncelebrated in all worlds and who had taken upon himself a heavy burden. I\nwill listen to all those sorrows arising from Duryodhana's act.\nTherefore, tell me, O Sanjaya, everything that happened\nthere,--everything that happened in the battle, born of the folly of my\nwicked son. Ill-ordered or well-ordered, tell me everything, O Sanjaya.\nWhatever was achieved with the aid of energy in the battle by Bhishma\ndesirous of victory,--by that warrior accomplished in arms,--tell me all\nfully and in detail. How, in fact, the battle took place between the\narmies of the Kurus and the manner in which each happened.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XV\n\nSanjaya said,--\"Deserving as thou art, this question is, indeed, worthy\nof thee, O great king. It behoveth thee not, however, to impute this\nfault to Duryodhana. The man who incurreth evil as the consequence of his\nown misconduct, should not attribute that misconduct to others. O great\nking, the man that doth every kind of injury to other men, deserveth to\nbe slain by all men in consequence of those censurable deeds of his. The\nPandavas unacquainted with the ways of wickedness had, for a long time,\nwith their friends and counsellors, looking up to thy face, borne the\ninjuries (done to them) and forgiven them, dwelling in the woods.\n\n\"Of steeds and elephants and kings of immeasurable energy that which hath\nbeen seen by the aid of Yoga-power, hear, O lord of earth, and do not set\nthy heart on sorrow. All this was pre-destined, O king. Having bowed down\nto thy father, that (wise and high-souled[88]) son of Parasara, through\nwhose grace, (through whose boon bestowed on me,) I have obtained\nexcellent and celestial apprehension, sight beyond the range of the\nvisual sense, and hearing, O king, from great distance, knowledge of\nother people's hearts and also of the past and the future, a knowledge\nalso of the origin of all persons transgressing the ordinances,[89] the\ndelightful power of coursing through the skies, and untouchableness by\nweapons in battles, listen to me in detail as I recite the romantic and\nhighly wonderful battle that happened between the Bharatas, a battle that\nmakes one's hair stand on end.\n\n\"When the combatants were arrayed according to rule and when they were\naddrest for battle, Duryodhana, O king, said these words to Dussasana,--'O\nDussasana, let cars be speedily directed for the protection of Bhishma,\nand do thou speedily urge all our divisions (to advance). That hath now\ncome to me of which I had been thinking for a series of years, viz., the\nmeeting of the Pandavas and the Kurus at the head of their respective\ntroops. I do not think that there is any act more important (for us) in\nthis battle than the protecting of Bhishma. If protected he will slay the\nPandavas, the Somakas, and the Srinjayas. That warrior of pure soul\nsaid,--\"I will not slay Sikhandin. It is heard that he was a female\nbefore. For this reason he should be renounced by me in battle.\" For this,\nBhishma should be particularly protected. Let all my warriors take up\ntheir positions, resolved to slay Sikhandin. Let also all the troops from\nthe east, the west, the south, and the north, accomplished in every kind\nof weapon, protect the grandsire. Even the lion of mighty strength, if\nleft unprotected may be slain by the wolf. Let us not, therefore, cause\nBhishma to be slain by Sikhandin like the lion slain by the jackal.\nYudhamanyu protects the left wheel, and Uttamauja protects the right\nwheel of Phalguni. Protected by those two, Phalguni himself protects\nSikhandin. O Dussasana, act in such a way that Sikhandin who is protected\nby Phalguni and whom Bhishma will renounce, may not slay Ganga's son.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVI\n\nSanjaya said,--\"When the night had passed away, loud became the noise\nmade by the kings, all exclaiming, 'Array! Array!' With the blare of\nconches and the sound of drums that resembled leonine roars, O Bharata,\nwith the neigh of steeds, and the clatter of car-wheels, with the noise\nof obstreperous elephants and the shouts, clapping of arm-pits, and cries\nof roaring combatants, the din caused everywhere was very great. The\nlarge armies of the Kurus and the Pandavas, O king, rising at sunrise,\ncompleted all their arrangements. Then when the Sun rose, the fierce\nweapons of attack and defence and the coats of mail of both thy sons and\nthe Pandavas, and the large and splendid armies of both sides, became\nfully visible. There elephants and cars, adorned with gold, looked\nresplendent like clouds mingled with lightning. The ranks of cars,\nstanding in profusion, looked like cities. And thy father, stationed\nthere, shone brilliantly, like the full moon. And the warriors armed with\nbows and swords and scimitars and maces, javelins and lances and bright\nweapons of diverse kinds, took up their positions in their (respective)\nranks. And resplendent standards were seen, set up by thousands, of\ndiverse forms, belonging to both ourselves and the foe. And made of gold\nand decked with gems and blazing like fire, those banners in thousands\nendued with great effulgence, looked beautiful like heroic combatants\ncased in mail gazed at those standards, longing for battle.[90] And many\nforemost of men, with eyes large as those of bulls endued with quivers,\nand with hands cased in leathern fences, stood at the heads of their\ndivisions, with their bright weapons upraised. And Suvala's son Sakuni,\nand Salya, Jayadratha and the two princes of Avanti named Vinda and\nAnuvinda, and the Kekaya brothers, and Sudakshina the ruler of the\nKamvojas and Srutayudha the ruler of the Kalingas, and king Jayatsena,\nand Vrihadvala the ruler of the Kosalas, and Kritavarman of Satwata's\nrace,--these ten tigers among men, endued with great bravery and\npossessing arms that looked like maces,--these performers of sacrifices\nwith plentiful gifts (to Brahmanas), stood each at the head of an\nAkshauhini of troops. These and many other kings and princes, mighty\ncar-warriors conversant with policy, obedient to the commands of\nDuryodhana, all cased in mail, were seen stationed in their respective\ndivisions. All of them, cased in black deer-skins, endued with great\nstrength, accomplished in battle, and cheerfully prepared, for\nDuryodhana's sake, to ascend to the region of Brahma,[91] stood there\ncommanding ten efficient Akshauhinis. The eleventh great division of the\nKauravas, consisting of the Dhartarashtra troops, stood in advance of the\nwhole army. There in the van of that division was Santanu's son. With his\nwhite head-gear, white umbrella, and white mail, O monarch, we beheld\nBhishma of unfailing prowess look like the risen moon. His standard\nbearing the device of a palmyra of gold himself stationed on a car made\nof silver, both the Kurus and the Pandavas beheld that hero looking like\nthe moon encircled by white clouds. The great bowmen amongst the\nSrinjayas headed by Dhrishtadyumna, (beholding Bhishma) looked like\nlittle animals when they would behold a mighty yawning lion. Indeed, all\nthe combatants headed by Dhrishtadyumna repeatedly trembled in fear.\nThese, O king, were the eleven splendid divisions of thy army. So also\nthe seven divisions belonging to the Pandavas were protected by foremost\nof men. Indeed, the two armies facing each other looked like two oceans\nat the end of the Yuga agitated by fierce Makaras, and abounding with\nhuge crocodiles. Never before, O king, did we see or hear of two such\narmies encountering each other like these of the Kauravas.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVII\n\nSanjaya said,--\"Just as the holy Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa had said, in\nthat very manner the kings of the Earth, mustered together, came to the\nencounter. On that day on which the battle commenced Soma approached the\nregion of Pitris.[92] The seven large planets, as they appeared in the\nfirmament, all looked blazing like fire.[93] The Sun, when he rose,\nseemed to be divided in twain. Besides, that luminary, as it appeared in\nthe firmament, seemed to blaze forth in flames.[94] Carnivorous jackals\nand crows, expecting dead bodies to feast upon, began to utter fierce\ncries from all directions that seemed to be ablaze. Every day the old\ngrandsire of the Kurus, and the son of Bharadwaja, rising from bed in the\nmorning, with concentrated mind, said,--'Victory to the sons of\nPandu'--while those chastisers of foes used (at the same time) yet to\nfight for thy sake according to the pledge they had given. Thy father\nDevavrata, fully conversant with every duty, summoning all the kings,\nsaid these words (unto them). 'Ye Kshatriyas, this broad door is open to\nyou for entering heaven. Go ye through it to the region of Sakra and\nBrahman. The Rishis of olden times have showed you this eternal path.[95]\nHonour ye yourselves by engaging in battle with attentive minds. Nabhaga,\nand Yayati, and Mandhatri, and Nahusa, and Nriga, were crowned with\nsuccess and obtained the highest region of bliss by feats like these. To\ndie of disease at home is sin for a Kshatriya. The death he meets with in\nbattle is his eternal duty.'--Thus addressed, O bull of Bharata's race,\nby Bhishma, the kings, looking beautiful in their excellent cars,\nproceeded to the heads of their respective divisions. Only Vikartana's\nson Karna, with his friends and relatives, O bull of Bharata's race, laid\naside his weapons in battle for the sake of Bhishma. Without Karna then,\nthy sons and all the kings on thy side proceeded, making the ten points\nof the horizon resound with their leonine roars. And their divisions\nshone brightly, O king, with white umbrellas, banners, standards,\nelephants, steeds, cars, and foot-soldiers. And the Earth was agitated\nwith the sounds of drums and tabors and cymbals, and the clatter of\ncar-wheels. And the mighty car-warriors, decked with their bracelets and\narmlets of gold and with their bows (variegated with gold), looked\nresplendent like hills of fire. And with his large palmyra-standard\ndecked with five stars, Bhishma, the generalissimo of the Kuru army,[96]\nlooked like the resplendent Sun himself. Those mighty bowmen of royal\nbirth, O bull of Bharata's race, that were on thy side, all took up their\npositions, O king, as Santanu's son ordered. (King) Saivya of the country\nof the Govasanas, accompanied by all the monarchs, went out on a princely\nelephant worthy of royal use and graced with a banner on its back. And\nAswatthaman, of the complexion of the lotus, went out ready for every\nemergency, stationing himself at the very head of all the divisions, with\nhis standard bearing the device of the lion's tail. And Srutayudha and\nChitrasena and Purumitra and Vivinsati, and Salya and Bhurisravas, and\nthat mighty car-warrior Vikarna,--these seven mighty bowmen on their\ncarts and cased in excellent mail, followed Drona's son behind but in\nadvance of Bhishma. The tall standards of these warriors, made of gold,\nbeautifully set up for adorning their excellent cars, looked highly\nresplendent. The standard of Drona, the foremost of preceptors, bore the\ndevice of a golden altar decked with a water-pot and the figure of a bow.\nThe standard of Duryodhana guiding many hundreds and thousands of\ndivisions bore the device of an elephant worked in gems. Paurava and the\nruler of the Kalingas, and Salya, these Rathas took up their position in\nDuryodhana's van. On a costly car with his standard bearing the device of\na bull, and guiding the very van (of his division), the ruler of the\nMagadhas marched against the foe.[97] That large force of the Easterners\nlooking like the fleecy clouds of autumn[98] was (besides) protected by\nthe chief of the Angas (Karna's son Vrishaketu) and Kripa endued with\ngreat energy. Stationing himself in the van of his division with his\nbeautiful standard of silver bearing the device of the boar, the famous\nJayadratha looked highly resplendent. A hundred thousand cars, eight\nthousand elephants, and sixty thousand cavalry were under his\ncommand.[99] Commanded by the royal chief of the Sindhus, that large\ndivision occupying the very van (of the army) and abounding with untold\ncars, elephants, and steeds, looked magnificent. With sixty thousand cars\nand ten thousand elephants, the ruler of the Kalingas, accompanied by\nKetumat, went out. His huge elephants, looking like hills, and adorned\nwith Yantras,[100] lances, quivers and standards, looked exceedingly\nbeautiful. And the ruler of the Kalingas, with his tall standard\neffulgent as fire, with his white umbrella, and golden cuirass, and\nChamaras (wherewith he was fanned), shone brilliantly. And Ketumat also,\nriding on an elephant with a highly excellent and beautiful hook, was\nstationed in battle, O King, like the Sun in the midst of (black) clouds.\nAnd king Bhagadatta, blazing with energy and riding on that elephant of\nhis, went out like the wielder of the thunder. And the two princes of\nAvanti named Vinda and Anuvinda, who were regarded as equal to\nBhagadatta, followed Ketumat, riding on the necks of their elephants.\nAnd, O king, arrayed by Drona and the royal son of Santanu, and Drona's\nson, and Valhika, and Kripa, the (Kaurava) Vyuha[101] consisting of many\ndivisions of cars was such that the elephants formed its body; the kings,\nits head; and the steeds, its wings. With face towards all sides, that\nfierce Vyuha seemed to smile and ready to spring (upon the foe).\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVIII\n\nSanjaya said,--\"Soon after, O king, a loud uproar, causing the heart to\ntremble was heard, made by the combatants ready for the fight. Indeed,\nwith the sounds of conches and drums, the grunts of elephants, and the\nclatter of car-wheels, the Earth seemed to rend in twain. And soon the\nwelkin and the whole Earth was filled with the neigh of chargers and the\nshouts of combatants. O irresistible one, the troops of thy sons and of\nthe Pandavas both trembled when they encountered each other. There (on\nthe field of battle) elephants and cars, decked in gold, looked beautiful\nlike clouds decked with lightning. And standards of diverse forms, O\nking, belonging to the combatants on thy side, and adorned with golden\nrings, looked resplendent like fire. And those standards of thy side and\ntheirs, resembled, O Bharata, the banners of Indra in his celestial\nmansions. And the heroic warriors all accoutred and cased in golden coats\nof mail endued with the effulgence of the blazing Sun, themselves looked\nlike blazing fire or the Sun. All the foremost warriors amongst the\nKurus, O king, with excellent bows, and weapons upraised (for striking),\nwith leathern fences on their hands, and with standards,--those mighty\nbowmen, of eyes large as those of bulls, all placed themselves at the\nheads of their (respective) divisions. And these amongst thy sons, O\nking, protected Bhishma from behind, viz.. Dussasana, and Durvishaha, and\nDurmukha, and Dussaha and Vivinsati, and Chitrasena, and that mighty\ncar-warrior Vikarna. And amongst them were Satyavrata, and Purumitra, and\nJaya, and Bhurisravas, and Sala. And twenty thousand car-warriors\nfollowed them. The Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Sivis, and the Vasatis,\nthe Salyas, the Matsyas, the Amvashtas, the Trigartas, and the Kekayas,\nthe Sauviras, the Kitavas, and the dwellers of the Eastern, Western, and\nthe Northern countries,--these twelve brave races were resolved to fight\nreckless of their lives. And these protected the grandsire with a\nmultitudinous array of cars. And with a division that consisted of ten\nthousand active elephants, the king of Magadha followed that large car\ndivision. They that protected the wheels of the cars and they that\nprotected the elephants, numbered full six millions. And the\nfoot-soldiers that marched in advance (of the army), armed with bows,\nswords, and shields, numbered many hundreds of thousands. And they fought\nalso using their nails and bearded darts. And the ten and one Akshauhinis\nof thy son, O Bharata, looked, O mighty king, like Ganga separated from\nYamuna.[102]\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIX\n\nDhritarashtra said,--\"Beholding our ten and one Akshauhinis arrayed in\norder of battle, how did Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu, make his\ncounter-array with his forces smaller in number? How did Kunti's son, O\nSanjaya, form his counter-array against that Bhishma who was acquainted\nwith all kinds of arrays, viz., human, celestial, Gandharva, and Asura?\"\n\nSanjaya said,--\"Seeing the Dhritarashtra divisions arrayed in order of\nbattle, Pandu's son of virtuous soul, king Yudhishthira the just,\naddressed Dhananjaya, saying,--'Men are informed from the words of that\ngreat Rishi Vrihaspati that the few must be made to fight by condensing\nthem, while the many may be extended according to pleasure. In encounters\nof the few with the many, the array to be formed should be the\nneedle-mouthed one. Our troops compared with the enemy's are few. Keeping\nin view this precept of the great Rishi, array our troops, O son of\nPandu.' Hearing this, that son of Pandu answered king Yudhishthira the\njust, saying,--'That immovable array known by the name of Vajra, which was\ndesigned by the wielder of the thunder-bolt,--that invincible array is\nthe one that I will make for thee, O best of kings. He who is like the\nbursting tempest, he who is incapable of being borne in battle by the\nfoe, that Bhima the foremost of smiters, will fight at our head. That\nforemost of men, conversant with all the appliances of battle, becoming\nour leader, will fight in the van, crushing the energy of the foe. That\nforemost of smiters, viz., Bhima, beholding whom all the hostile warriors\nheaded by Duryodhana will retreat in panic like smaller animals beholding\nthe lion, all of us, our fears dispelled, will seek his shelter as if he\nwere a wall, like the celestial seeking the shelter of Indra. The man\nbreathes not in the world who would bear to cast his eyes upon that bull\namong men, Vrikodara of fierce deeds, when he is angry.'--Having said\nthis, Dhananjaya of mighty arms did as he said. And Phalguni, quickly\ndisposing his troops in battle-array, proceeded (against the foe). And\nthe mighty army of the Pandavas beholding the Kuru army move, looked like\nthe full, immovable, and quickly rolling[103] current of Ganga. And\nBhimasena, and Dhrishtadyumna endued with great energy, and Nakula, and\nSahadeva, and king Dhrishtaketu, became the leaders of that force. And\nking Virata, surrounded by an Akshauhini of troops and accompanied by his\nbrothers and sons, marched in their rear, protecting them from behind.\nThe two sons of Madri, both endued with great effulgence, became the\nprotectors of Bhima's wheels; while the (five) sons of Draupadi and the\nson of Subhadra all endued with great activity, protected (Bhima) from\nbehind. And that mighty car-warrior, Dhrishtadyumna, the prince of\nPanchala, with those bravest of combatants and the foremost of\ncar-warriors, viz., the Prabhadrakas, protected those princes from\nbehind. And behind him was Sikhandin who (in his turn) was protected by\nArjuna, and who, O bull of Bharata's race, advanced with concentrated\nattention for the destruction of Bhishma. Behind Arjuna was Yuyudhana of\nmighty strength; and the two princes of Panchala, viz., Yudhamanyu and\nUttamaujas, became protectors of Arjuna's wheels, along with the Kekaya\nbrothers, and Dhrishtaketu, and Chekitana of great valour--This\nBhimasena, wielding his mace made of the hardest metal, and moving (on\nthe field of battle) with fierce speed, can dry up the very ocean. And\nthere also stay, with their counsellors looking on him, O king, the\nchildren[104] of Dhritarashtra.--Even this, O monarch, was what Vibhatsu\nsaid, pointing out the mighty Bhimasena (to Yudhishthira).[105] And while\nPartha was saying so, all the troops, O Bharata, worshipped him on the\nfield of battle with gratulatory words. King Yudhishthira, the son of\nKunti, took up his position in the centre of his army, surrounded by huge\nand furious elephants resembling moving hills. The high-souled Yajnasena,\nthe king of the Panchalas, endued with great prowess, stationed himself\nbehind Virata with an Akshauhini of troops for the sake of the Pandavas.\nAnd on the cars of those kings, O monarch, were tall standards bearing\ndiverse devices, decked with excellent ornaments of gold, and endued with\nthe effulgence of the Sun and the Moon. Causing those kings to move and\nmake space for him, that mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna, accompanied\nby his brothers and sons protected Yudhishthira from behind. Transcending\nthe huge standards on all the cars on thy side and that of the enemy, was\nthe one gigantic ape on Arjuna's car. Foot-soldiers, by many hundreds of\nthousands, and armed with swords, spears, and scimitars, proceeded ahead\nfor protecting Bhimasena. And ten thousand elephants with (temporal)\njuice trickling down their cheek and mouth, and resembling (on that\naccount) showering clouds,[106] endued with great courage, blazing with\ngolden armour, huge hills, costly, and emitting the fragrance of lotuses,\nfollowed the king behind like moving mountains.[107] And the high-souled\nand invincible Bhimasena, whirling his fierce mace that resembled a\nparigha[108] seemed to crush the large army (of thy son). Incapable of\nbeing looked at like the Sun himself, and scorching as it were, the\nhostile army (like fire), none of the combatants could bear to even look\nat him from any near point. And this array, fearless and having its face\nturned towards all sides called Vajra, having bows for its lightning\nsign,[109] and extremely fierce, was protected by the wielder of Gandiva.\nDisposing their troops in this counter-array against thy army, the\nPandavas waited for battle. And protected by the Pandavas, that array\nbecame invincible in the world of men.\n\n\"And as (both) the armies stood at dawn of day waiting for sunrise, a\nwind began to blow with drops of water (falling), and although there were\nno clouds, the roll of thunder was heard. And dry winds began to blow all\naround, bearing a shower of pointed pebbles along the ground. And\nthick dust arose, covering the world with darkness. And large meteors\nbegan to fall east-wards, O bull of Bharata's race, and striking against\nthe rising Sun, broke in fragments with loud noise. When the troops stood\narrayed, O bull of Bharata's race, the Sun rose divested of splendour,\nand the Earth trembled with a loud sound, and cracked in many places, O\nchief of the Bharatas, with loud noise. And the roll of thunder, O king,\nwas heard frequently on all sides. So thick was the dust that arose that\nnothing could be seen. And the tall standards (of the combatants),\nfurnished with strings of bells, decked with golden ornaments, garlands\nof flowers, and rich drapery, graced with banners and resembling the Sun\nin splendour, being suddenly shaken by the wind, gave a loud jingling\nnoise like that of a forest of palmyra trees (when moved by the wind). It\nwas thus that those tigers among men, the sons of Pandu, ever taking\ndelight in battle, stood having disposed their troops in counter-array\nagainst the army of thy son, and sucking as it were, the marrow, O bull\nof Bharata's race, of our warriors, and casting their eyes on Bhimasena\nstationed at their head, mace in hand.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XX\n\nDhritarashtra said,--\"When the Sun rose, O Sanjaya, of my army led by\nBhishma and the Pandava army led by Bhima, which first cheerfully\napproached the other, desirous of fight? To which side were the Sun, the\nMoon and the wind hostile, and against whom did the beasts of prey utter\ninauspicious sounds? Who were those young men, the complexions of whose\nfaces were cheerful? Tell me all these truly and duly.\"\n\nSanjaya said,--\"Both armies, when arrayed, were equally joyful, O king.\nBoth armies looked equally beautiful, assuming the aspect of blossoming\nwoods, and both armies were full of elephants, cars and horses. Both\narmies were vast and terrible in aspect; and so also, O Bharata, none of\nthem could bear the other. Both of them were arrayed for conquering the\nvery heavens, and both of them consisted of excellent persons. The\nKauravas belonging to the Dhritarashtra party stood facing the west,\nwhile the Parthas stood facing the east, addrest for fight. The troops of\nthe Kauravas looked like the army of the chief of the Danavas, while that\nof the Pandavas looked like the army of the celestials. The wind began to\nblow from behind the Pandavas (against the face of the Dhartarashtras),\nand the beasts of prey began to yell against the Dhartarashtras. The\nelephants belonging to thy sons could not bear the strong odour of the\ntemporal juice emitted by the huge elephants (of the Pandavas). And\nDuryodhana rode on an elephant of the complexion of the lotus, with rent\ntemples, graced with a golden Kaksha (on its back), and cased in an\narmour of steel net-work. And he was in the very centre of the Kurus and\nwas adored by eulogists and bards. And a white umbrella of lunar\neffulgence was held over his head graced with a golden chain. Him Sakuni,\nthe ruler of the Gandharas, followed with mountaineers of Gandhara placed\nall around. And the venerable Bhishma was at the head of all the troops,\nwith a white umbrella held over his head, armed with bow and sword, with\na white headgear, with a white banner (on his car), and with white steeds\n(yoked thereto), and altogether looking like a white mountain. In\nBhishma's division were all the sons of Dhritarashtra, and also Sala who\nwas a countryman of the Valhikas, and also all those Kshatriyas called\nAmvastas, and those called Sindhus, and those also that are called\nSauviras, and the heroic dwellers of the country of the five rivers. And\non a golden car unto which were yoked red steeds, the high-souled Drona,\nbow in hand and with never-failing heart, the preceptor of almost all the\nkings, remained behind all the troops, protecting them like Indra. And\nSaradwat's son, that fighter in the van,[110] that high-souled and mighty\nbowman, called also Gautama, conversant with all modes of warfare,\naccompanied by the Sakas, the Kiratas, the Yavanas, and the Pahlavas,\ntook up his position at the northern point of the army. That large force\nwhich was well protected by mighty car-warriors of the Vrishni and the\nBhoja races, as also by the warriors of Surashtra well-armed and\nwell-acquainted with the uses of weapons, and which was led by\nKritavarman, proceeded towards the south of the army. Ten thousand cars\nof the Samsaptakas who were created for either the death or the fame of\nArjuna, and who, accomplished in arms, intended to follow Arjuna at his\nheels[111] all went out as also the brave Trigartas. In thy army, O\nBharata, were a thousand elephants of the foremost fighting powers. Unto\neach elephant was assigned a century of cars; unto each car, a hundred\nhorsemen; unto each horseman, ten bowmen; and unto each bowman ten\ncombatants armed with sword and shield. Thus, O Bharata, were thy\ndivisions arrayed by Bhishma. Thy generalissimo Bhishma, the son of\nSantanu, as each day dawned, sometimes disposed thy troops in the human\narmy, sometimes in the celestial, sometimes in the Gandharva, and\nsometimes in the Asura. Thronged with a large number of Maharathas, and\nroaring like the very ocean, the Dhartarashtra army, arrayed by Bhishma,\nstood facing the west for battle. Illimitable as thy army was, O ruler of\nmen, it looked terrible; but the army of the Pandavas, although it was\nnot such (in number), yet seemed to me to be very large and invincible\nsince Kesava and Arjuna were its leader.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXI\n\nSanjaya said,--\"Beholding the vast Dhartarashtra army ready for battle,\nking Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, gave way to grief. Seeing that\nimpenetrable array formed by Bhishma and regarding it as really\nimpenetrable, the king became pale and addressed Arjuna, saying,--'O,\nmighty-armed Dhananjaya, how shall we be able to fight in battle with the\nDhartarashtras who have the Grandsire for their (chief) combatant?\nImmovable and impenetrable is this array that hath been designed,\naccording to the rules laid down in the scriptures, by that grinder of\nfoes, Bhishma, of transcendent glory. With our troops we have become\ndoubtful (of success), O grinder of foes. How, indeed, will victory be\nours in the face of this mighty array?'--Thus addressed, that slayer of\nfoes Arjuna answered Yudhishthira, the son of Pritha, who had been plunged\ninto grief at sight, O king, of thy army, in these words,--'Hear, O king,\nhow soldiers that are few in number may vanquish the many that are\npossessed of every quality. Thou art without malice; I shall, therefore,\ntell thee the means, O king. The Rishi Narada knows it, as also both\nBhishma and Drona. Referring to this means, the Grandsire himself in days\nof old on the occasion of the battle between the Gods and the Asuras said\nunto Indra and the other celestials.--They that are desirous of victory\ndo not conquer by might and energy so much as by truth, compassion,\nrighteousness and energy.[112] Discriminating then between righteousness,\nand unrighteousness, and understanding what is meant by covetousness and\nhaving recourse to exertion fight without arrogance, for victory is there\nwhere righteousness is.--For this know, O king, that to us victory is\ncertain in (this) battle. Indeed, as Narada said,--\"There is victory where\nKrishna is.\"--Victory is inherent to Krishna. Indeed, it followeth\nMadhava. And as victory is one of its attributes, so humility is his\nanother attribute. Govinda is possessed of energy that is infinite. Even\nin the midst of immeasurable foes he is without pain. He is the most\neternal of male beings. And there victory is where Krishna is. Even he,\nindestructible and of weapons incapable of being baffled, appearing as\nHari in olden days, said in a loud voice unto the Gods and the\nAsuras,--\"Who amongst you would be victorious?\"--Even the conquered who\nsaid.--\"With Krishna in the front we will conquer.\"[113]--And it was\nthrough Hari's grace that the three worlds were obtained by the gods\nheaded by Sakra. I do not, therefore, behold the slightest cause of\nsorrow in thee, thee that hast the Sovereign of the Universe and the Lord\nhimself of the celestials for wishing victory to thyself.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXII\n\nSanjaya said,--\"Then, O bull of Bharata's race, king Yudhishthira,\ndisposing his own troops in counter array against the divisions of\nBhishma, urged them on, saying,--'The Pandavas have now disposed their\nforces in counter array agreeably to what is laid down (in the\nscriptures). Ye sinless ones, fight fairly, desirous of (entering) the\nhighest heaven'.--In the centre (of the Pandava army) was Sikhandin and\nhis troops, protected by Arjuna. And Dhristadyumna moved in the van,\nprotected by Bhima. The southern division (of the Pandava army) was\nprotected. O king, by that mighty bowman, the handsome Yuyudhana, that\nforemost combatant of the Satwata race, resembling Indra himself.\nYudhishthira was stationed on a car that was worthy of bearing Mahendra\nhimself, adorned with an excellent standard, variegated with gold and\ngems, and furnished with golden traces (for the steeds), in the midst of\nhis elephant divisions.[114] His pure white umbrella with ivory handle,\nraised over his head, looked exceedingly beautiful; and many great Rishis\nwalked around the king[115] uttering words in his praise. And many\npriests, and regenerate Rishis and Siddhas, uttering hymns in his\npraise[116] wished him, as they walked around, the destructions of his\nenemies, by the aid of Japas, and Mantras, efficacious drugs, and diverse\npropitiatory ceremonies. That high-souled chief of the Kurus, then giving\naway unto the Brahmanas kine and fruits and flowers and golden coins\nalong with cloths[117] proceeded like Sakra, the chief of the celestials.\nThe car of Arjuna, furnished with a hundred bells, decked with Jamvunada\ngold of the best kind, endued with excellent wheels, possessed of the\neffulgence of fire, and unto which were yoked white steeds, looked\nexceedingly brilliant like a thousand suns.[118] And on that ape-bannered\ncar the reins of which were held by Kesava, stood Arjuna with Gandiva and\narrows in hand--a bowman whose peer exists not on earth, nor ever\nwill.[119] For crushing thy sons' troops he who assumeth the most awful\nform,--who, divested of weapons, with only his bare hands, poundeth to\ndust men, horses, and elephants,--that strong-armed Bhimasena, otherwise\ncalled Vrikodara, accompanied by the twins, became the protector of the\nheroic car-warriors (of the Pandava) army. Like unto a furious prince of\nlions of sportive gait, or like the great Indra himself with (earthly)\nbody on the Earth, beholding that invincible Vrikodara, like unto a proud\nleader of an elephantine herd, stationed in the van (of the army), the\nwarriors on thy side, their strength weakened by fear, began to tremble\nlike elephants sunk in mire.\n\n\"Unto that invincible prince Gudakesa staying in the midst of his troops,\nJanardana, O chief of Bharata's race, said--'He, who scorching us with his\nwrath, stayeth in the midst of his forces, he, who will attack our troops\nlike a lion, he, who performed three hundred horse-sacrifices,--that\nbanner of Kuru's race, that Bhishma,--stayeth yonder! Yon ranks around\nhim on all sides great warriors like the clouds shrouding the bright\nluminary. O foremost of men, slaying yon troops, seek battle with yonder\nbull of Bharata's race.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIII\n\nSanjaya said,--\"Beholding the Dhartarashtra army approach for fight,\nKrishna said these words for Arjuna's benefit.\"\n\n\"The holy one said,--'Cleansing thyself, O mighty-armed one, utter on the\neve of the battle thy hymn to Durga for (compassing) the defeat of the\nfoe.'\"\n\nSanjaya continued.--\"Thus addressed on the eve of battle by Vasudeva\nendued with great intelligence, Pritha's son Arjuna, alighting from his\ncar, said the following hymn with joined hands.\n\n\"Arjuna said,--'I bow to thee, O leader of Yogins, O thou that art\nidentical with Brahman, O thou that dwellest in the forest of Mandara, O\nthou that art freed from decrepitude and decay, O Kali, O wife of Kapala,\nO thou that art of a black and tawny hue, I bow to thee. O bringer of\nbenefits to thy devotees, I bow to thee, O Mahakali, O wife of the\nuniversal destroyer, I bow to thee. O proud one, O thou that rescuest\nfrom dangers, O thou that art endued with every auspicious attribute. O\nthou that art sprung from the Kata race, O thou that deservest the most\nregardful worship, O fierce one, O giver of victory, O victory's self, O\nthou that bearest a banner of peacock plumes, O thou that art decked with\nevery ornament, O thou that bearest an awful spear, O thou that holdest a\nsword and shield, O thou that art the younger sister of the chief of\ncow-herds, O eldest one, O thou that wert born in the race of the cowherd\nNanda! O thou that art always fond of buffalo's blood, O thou that wert\nborn in the race of Kusika, O thou that art dressed in yellow robes, O\nthou that hadst devoured Asuras assuming the face of a wolf[120], I bow\nto thee that art fond of battle! O Uma,[121] Sakambhari, O thou that art\nwhite in hue, O thou that art black in hue, O thou that hast slain the\nAsura Kaitabha, O thou that art yellow-eyed, O thou that art\ndiverse-eyed, O thou of eyes that have the colour of smoke, I bow to\nthee. O thou that art the Vedas, the Srutis, and the highest virtue, O\nthou that art propitious to Brahmanas engaged in sacrifice, O thou that\nhast a knowledge of the past, thou that art ever present in the sacred\nabodes erected to thee in cities of Jamvudwipa, I bow to thee. Thou art\nthe science of Brahma among sciences, and thou that art that sleep of\ncreatures from which there is no waking. O mother of Skanda, O thou that\npossessest the six (highest) attributes, O Durga, O thou that dwellest in\naccessible regions, thou art described as Swaha, and Swadha,[122] as\nKala, as Kashta, and as Saraswati, as Savitra the mother of the Vedas,\nand as the science of Vedanta. With inner soul cleansed, I praise thee. O\ngreat goddess, let victory always attend me through thy grace on the\nfield of battle. In inaccessible regions, where there is fear, in places\nof difficulty, in the abodes of thy worshippers and in the nether regions\n(Patala), thou always dwellest. Thou always defeatest the Danavas. Thou\nart the unconsciousness, the sleep, the illusion, the modesty, the beauty\nof (all creatures). Thou art the twilight, thou art the day, thou art\nSavitri, and thou art the mother. Thou art contentment, thou art growth,\nthou art light. It is thou that supportest the Sun and the Moon and that\nmakes them shine. Thou art the prosperity of those that are prosperous.\nThe Siddhas and the Charanas behold thee in contemplation.[123]'\"\n\nSanjaya continued,--\"Understanding (the measure of) Partha's devotion,\nDurga who is always graciously inclined towards mankind, appeared in the\nfirmament and in the presence of Govinda, said these words.\n\n\"The goddess said,--'Within a short time thou shalt conquer thy foes, O\nPandava. O invincible one, thou hast Narayana (again) for aiding thee.\nThou art incapable of being defeated by foes, even by the wielder of the\nthunderbolt himself.'\n\n\"Having said this, the boon-giving goddess disappeared soon. The son of\nKunti, however, obtaining that boon, regarded himself as successful, and\nthe son of Pritha then mounted his own excellent car. And then Krishna\nand Arjuna, seated on the same car, blew their celestial conches. The man\nthat recites this hymn rising at dawn, hath no fear any time from\nYakshas, Rakshasas, and Pisachas. He can have no enemies; he hath no\nfear, from snakes and all animals that have fangs and teeth, as also from\nkings. He is sure to be victorious in all disputes, and if bound, he is\nfreed from his bonds. He is sure to get over all difficulties, is freed\nfrom thieves, is ever victorious in battle and winneth the goddess of\nprosperity for ever. With health and strength, he liveth for a hundred\nyears.\n\n\"I have known all this through the grace of Vyasa endued with great\nwisdom. Thy wicked sons, however, all entangled in the meshes of death,\ndo not, from ignorance, know them to be Nara and Narayana. Nor do they,\nentangled in the meshes of death, know that the hour of this kingdom hath\narrived. Dwaipayana and Narada, and Kanwa, and the sinless Rama, had all\nprevented thy son. But he did not accept their words. There where\nrighteousness is, there are glory and beauty. There where modesty is,\nthere are prosperity and intelligence. There where righteousness is,\nthere is Krishna; and there where Krishna is, there is victory.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIV\n\nDhritarashtra said,--\"There (on the field of battle) O Sanjaya, the\nwarriors of which side first advanced to battle cheerfully. Whose hearts\nwere filled with confidence, and who were spiritless from melancholy? In\nthat battle which maketh the hearts of men tremble with fear, who were\nthey that struck the first blow, mine or they belonging to the Pandavas?\nTell me all this, O Sanjaya. Among whose troops did the flowery garlands\nand unguents emit fragrant odours? And whose troops, roaring fiercely,\nuttered merciful words?\"\n\nSanjaya said,--\"The combatants of both armies were cheerful then and the\nflowery garlands and perfumes of both troops emitted equal fragrance.\nAnd, O bull of Bharata's race, fierce was the collision that took place\nwhen the serried ranks arrayed for battle encountered each other. And the\nsound of musical instruments, mingled with the blare of conches and the\nnoise of drums, and the shouts of brave warriors roaring fiercely at one\nanother, became very loud. O bull of Bharata's race, dreadful was the\ncollision caused by the encounter of the combatants of both armies,\nfilled with joy and staring at one another, and the elephants uttering\nobstreperous grunts.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXV\n [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter I)]\n\n([This where is the Bhagavad Gita proper starts. I have added the chapter\nheadings to aid in comparison with other translations, they are not part\nof the original Ganguli text.--John Bruno Hare])\n\nDhritarashtra said,--\"Assembled together on the sacred plain of\nKurukshetra from desire of fighting what did my sons and the Pandavas do,\nO Sanjaya.\"\n\nSanjaya said,--\"Beholding the army of the Pandavas arrayed, king\nDuryodhana, approaching the preceptor (Drona) said these words: 'Behold, O\npreceptor, this vast army of the son of Pandu, arrayed by Drupada's son\n(Dhrishtadyumna), thy intelligent disciple. There (in that army) are many\nbrave and mighty bowmen, who in battle are equal to Bhima and Arjuna.\n(They are) Yuyudhana, and Virata, and that mighty car-warrior Drupada,\nand Dhrishtaketu, and Chekitana, and the ruler of Kasi endued with great\nenergy; and Purujit, and Kuntibhoja, and Saivya that bull among men; and\nYudhamanyu of great prowess, and Uttamaujas of great energy; and\nSubhadra's son, and the sons of Draupadi, all of whom are mighty\ncar-warriors. Hear, however, O best of regenerate ones, who are the\ndistinguished ones among us, the leaders of the army. I will name them to\nthee for (thy) information. (They are) thyself, and Bhishma, and Karna, and\nKripa who is ever victorious; and Aswatthaman and Vikarna, and\nSaumadatta, and Jayadratha.[124] Besides these, are many heroic warriors,\nprepared to lay down their lives for my sake, armed with diverse kinds of\nweapons, and all accomplished in battle. Our army, therefore, protected\nby Bhishma, is insufficient. This force, however, of these (the\nPandavas), protected by Bhima, is sufficient.[125] Stationing yourselves\nthen in the entrances of the divisions that have been assigned to you,\nall of you protect Bhishma alone.'--(Just at this time) the valiant and\nvenerable grandsire of the Kurus, affording great joy to him (Duryodhana)\nby loudly uttering a leonine roar, blew (his) conch. Then conches and\ndrums and cymbals and horns were sounded at once and the noise (made)\nbecame a loud uproar. Then Madhava and Pandu's son (Arjuna), both\nstationed on a great car unto which were yoked white steeds, blew their\ncelestial conches. And Hrishikesa blew (the conch called) Panchajanya\nand Dhananjaya (that called) Devadatta; and Vrikodara of terrible deeds\nblew the huge conch (called) Paundra. And Kunti's son king Yudhishthira\nblew (the conch called) Anantavijaya; while Nakula and Sahadeva, (those\nconches called respectively) Sughosa and Manipushpaka.[126] And that\nsplendid bowman, the ruler of Kasi and that mighty car-warrior,\nSikhandin, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata, and that unvanquished Satyaki, and\nDrupada, and the sons of Draupadi, and the mighty-armed son of\nSubhadra--all these, O lord of earth, severally blew their conches. And\nthat blare, loudly reverberating through the welkin, and the earth, rent\nthe hearts of the Dhartarashtras. Then beholding the Dhartarashtra troops\ndrawn up, the ape-bannered son of Pandu, rising his bow, when, the\nthrowing of missiles had just commenced, said these words, O lord of\nearth, to Hrishikesa.[127]\n\n\"Arjuna said,--'O thou that knoweth no deterioration, place my car (once)\nbetween the two armies, so that I may observe these that stand here\ndesirous of battle, and with whom I shall have to contend in the labours\nof this struggle.[128] I will observe those who are assembled here and\nwho are prepared to fight for doing what is agreeable in battle to the\nevil-minded son of Dhritarashtra.'\"\n\nSanjaya continued,--\"Thus addressed by Gudakesa, O Bharata, Hrishikesa,\nplacing that excellent car between the two armies, in view of Bhishma and\nDrona and all the kings of the earth, said,--'Behold, O Partha these\nassembled Kurus,'--And there the son of Pritha beheld, standing (his)\nsires and grandsons, and friends, and father-in-law and well-wishers, in\nboth the armies. Beholding all those kinsmen standing (there), the son of\nKunti, possessed by excessive pity, despondingly said (these words).\"\n\n\"Arjuna said,--'Beholding these kinsmen, O Krishna, assembled together\nand eager for the fight, my limbs become languid, and my mouth becomes\ndry. My body trembles, and my hair stands on end. Gandiva slips from my\nhand, and my skin burns. I am unable to stand (any longer); my mind seems\nto wander. I behold adverse omens, too, O Kesava. I do not desire\nvictory, O Krishna, not sovereignty, nor pleasures. Of what use would\nsovereignty be to us, O Govinda, or enjoyments, or even life, since they,\nfor whose sake sovereignty, enjoyments, and pleasures are desired by us,\nare here arrayed for battle ready to give up life and wealth, viz.,\npreceptors, sires, sons and grandsires, maternal uncles, father-in-laws,\ngrandsons, brother-in-laws, and kinsmen. I wish not to slay these though\nthey slay me, O slayer of Madhu, even for the sake of the sovereignty of\nthe three worlds, what then for the sake of (this) earth?[129] What\ngratification can be ours, O Janardana, by slaying the Dhartarashtras?\nEven if they be regarded as foes,[130] sin will overtake us if we slay\nthem. Therefore, it behoveth us not to slay the sons of Dhritarashtra who\nare our own kinsmen.[131] How, O Madhava can we be happy by killing our\nown kinsmen? Even if these, with judgments perverted by avarice, do not\nsee the evil that ariseth from the extermination of a race, and the sin\nof internecine quarrels, why should not we, O Janardana, who see the\nevils of the extermination of a race, learn to abstain from that sin? A\nrace being destroyed, the eternal customs of that race are lost; and upon\nthose customs being lost, sin overpowers the whole race. From the\npredominance of sin, O Krishna, the women of that race become corrupt.\nAnd the women becoming corrupt, an intermingling of castes happeneth, O\ndescendant of Vrishni. This intermingling of castes leadeth to hell both\nthe destroyer of the race and the race itself. The ancestors of those\nfall (from heaven), their rites of pinda and water ceasing. By these sins\nof destroyers of races, causing intermixture of castes, the rules of\ncaste and the eternal rites of families become extinct. We have heard, O\nJanardana, that men whose family rites become extinct, ever dwell in\nhell. Alas, we have resolved to perpetrate a great sin, for we are ready\nto slay our own kinsmen from lust of the sweets of sovereignty. Better\nwould it be for me if the sons of Dhritarashtra, weapon in hand, should\nin battle slay me (myself) unavenging unarmed.--'\"\n\nSanjaya continued,--\"Having spoken thus on the field of battle, Arjuna,\nhis mind troubled with grief, casting aside his bow and arrows, sat down\non his car.\"\n\n[Here ends the first lesson entitled \"Survey of Forces\"[132] in the\ndialogue between Krishna and Arjuna of the Bhagavadgita, the essence of\nreligion, the knowledge of Brahma, and the system of Yoga, comprised\nwithin the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata of Vyasa containing one\nhundred thousand verses.]\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVI\n [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter II)]\n\nSanjaya said,--\"Unto him thus possessed with pity, his eyes filled and\noppressed with tears, and desponding, the slayer of Madhu said these\nwords.\"\n\n\"The Holy One said,--'Whence, O Arjuna, hath come upon thee, at such a\ncrisis, this despondency that is unbecoming a person of noble birth, that\nshuts one out from heaven, and that is productive of infamy? Let no\neffeminacy be thine, O son of Kunti. This suits thee not. Shaking off\nthis vile weakness of hearts, arise, O chastiser of foes.--'\n\n\"Arjuna said,--'How, O slayer of Madhu, can I with arrows contend in\nbattle against Bhishma and Drona, deserving as they are, O slayer of\nfoes, of worship?[133] Without slaying (one's) preceptors of great glory,\nit is well (for one), to live on even alms in this world. By slaying\npreceptors, even if they are avaricious of wealth, I should only enjoy\npleasures that are bloodstained![134] We know not which of the two is of\ngreater moment to us, viz., whether we should conquer them or they should\nconquer us. By slaying whom we would not like to live,--even they, the\nsons of Dhritarashtra, stand before (us). My nature affected by the taint\nof compassion, my mind unsettled about (my) duty, I ask thee. Tell me\nwhat is assuredly good (for me). I am thy disciple. O, instruct me, I\nseek thy aid.[135] I do not see (that) which would dispel that grief of\nmine blasting my very senses, even if I obtain a prosperous kingdom on\nearth without a foe or the very sovereignty of the gods.'\"[136]\n\nSanjaya said,--\"Having said this unto Hrishikesa, that chastiser of\nfoes--Gudakesa--(once more) addressed Govinda, saying,--'I will not\nfight,'--and then remained silent.[137] Unto him overcome by despondency,\nHrishikesa, in the midst of the two armies, said:\"\n\n\"The Holy One said,--'Thou mournest those that deserve not to be mourned.\nThou speakest also the words of the (so-called) wise. Those, however,\nthat are (really) wise, grieve neither for the dead nor for the living.\nIt is not that. I or you or those rulers of men never were, or that all\nof us shall not hereafter be. Of an Embodied being, as childhood, youth,\nand decrepitude are in this body, so (also) is the acquisition of\nanother body. The man, who is wise, is never deluded in this.[138] The\ncontacts of the senses with their (respective) objects producing\n(sensations of) heat and cold, pleasure and pain, are not permanent,\nhaving (as they do) a beginning and an end. Do thou, O Bharata, endure\nthem. For the man whom these afflict not, O bull among men, who is the\nsame in pain and pleasure and who is firm in mind, is fit for\nemancipation.[139] There is no (objective) existence of anything that is\ndistinct from the soul; nor non-existence of anything possessing the\nvirtues of the soul. This conclusion in respect of both these hath been\narrived at by those that know the truths (of things).[140] Know that [the\nsoul] to be immortal by which all this [universe] is pervaded. No one can\ncompass the destruction of that which is imperishable. It hath been said\nthat those bodies of the Embodied (soul) which is eternal, indestructible\nand infinite, have an end. Do thou, therefore, fight, O Bharata. He who\nthinks it (the soul) to be the slayer and he who thinks it to be the\nslain, both of them know nothing; for it neither slays nor is slain. It\nis never born, nor doth it ever die; nor, having existed, will it exist\nno more. Unborn, unchangeable, eternal, and ancient, it is not slain upon\nthe body being perished. That man who knoweth it to be indestructible,\nunchangeable, without decay, how and whom can he slay or cause to be\nslain? As a man, casting off robes that are worn out, putteth on others\nthat are new, so the Embodied (soul), casting off bodies that are worn\nout, entereth other bodies that are new. Weapons cleave it not, fire\nconsumeth it not; the waters do not drench it, nor doth the wind waste\nit. It is incapable of being cut, burnt, drenched, or dried up. It is\nunchangeable, all-pervading, stable, firm, and eternal. It is said to be\nimperceivable, inconceivable and unchangeable. Therefore, knowing it to\nbe such, it behoveth thee not to mourn (for it). Then again even if thou\nregardest it as constantly born and constantly dead, it behoveth thee not\nyet, O mighty-armed one, to mourn (for it) thus. For, of one that is\nborn, death is certain; and of one that is dead, birth is certain.\nTherefore it behoveth thee not to mourn in a matter that is unavoidable.\nAll beings (before birth) were unmanifest. Only during an interval\n(between birth and death), O Bharata, are they manifest; and then again,\nwhen death comes, they become (once more) unmanifest. What grief then is\nthere in this? One looks upon it as a marvel; another speaks of it as a\nmarvel. Yet even after having heard of it, no one apprehends it truly.\nThe Embodied (soul), O Bharata, is ever indestructible in everyone's\nbody. Therefore, it behoveth thee not to grieve for all (those)\ncreatures. Casting thy eyes on the (prescribed) duties of thy order, it\nbehoveth thee not to waver, for there is nothing else that is better for\na Kshatriya than a battle fought fairly. Arrived of itself and (like\nunto) an open gate of heaven, happy are those Kshatriyas, O Partha, that\nobtain such a fight. But if thou dost not fight such a just battle, thou\nshalt then incur sin by abandoning the duties of thy order and thy fame.\nPeople will then proclaim thy eternal infamy, and to one that is held in\nrespect, infamy is greater (as an evil) than death itself. All great\ncar-warriors will regard thee as abstaining from battle from fear, and\nthou wilt be thought lightly by those that had (hitherto) esteemed thee\nhighly. Thy enemies, decrying thy prowess, will say many words which\nshould not be said. What can be more painful than that? Slain, thou wilt\nattain to heaven; or victorious, thou wilt enjoy the Earth. Therefore,\narise, O son of Kunti, resolved for battle. Regarding pleasure and pain,\ngain and loss, victory and defeat, as equal, do battle for battle's sake\nand sin will not be thine.[141] This knowledge, that hath been\ncommunicated to thee is (taught) in the Sankhya (system). Listen now to\nthat (inculcated) in Yoga (system). Possessed of that knowledge, thou, O\nPartha, wilt cast off the bonds of action. In this (the Yoga system)\nthere is no waste of even the first attempt. There are no impediments.\nEven a little of this (form of) piety delivers from great fear.[142] Here\nin this path, O son of Kuru, there is only one state of mind, consisting\nin firm devotion (to one object, viz., securing emancipation). The minds\nof those, however, that are not firmly devoted (to this), are\nmany-branched (un-settled) and attached to endless pursuits. That flowery\ntalk which, they that are ignorant, they that delight in the words of the\nVedas, they, O Partha, that say that there is nothing else, they whose\nminds are attached to worldly pleasures, they that regard (a) heaven (of\npleasures and enjoyments) as the highest object of acquisition,--utter\nand promises birth as the fruit of action and concerns itself with\nmultifarious rites of specific characters for the attainment of pleasures\nand power,--delude their hearts and the minds of these men who are\nattached to pleasures and power cannot be directed to contemplation (of\nthe divine being) regarding it as the sole means of emancipation.[143]\nThe Vedas are concerned with three qualities, (viz., religion, profit,\nand pleasure). Be thou, O Arjuna, free from them, unaffected by pairs of\ncontraries (such as pleasure and pain, heat and cold, etc.), ever\nadhering to patience without anxiety for new acquisitions or protection\nof those already acquired, and self-possessed, whatever objects are\nserved by a tank or well, may all be served by a vast sheet of water\nextending all around; so whatever objects may be served by all the Vedas,\nmay all be had by a Brahmana having knowledge (of self or Brahma).[144]\nThy concern is with work only, but not with the fruit (of work). Let not\nthe fruit be thy motive for work; nor let thy inclination be for\ninaction. Staying in devotion, apply thyself to work, casting off\nattachment (to it), O Dhananjaya, and being the same in success or\nunsuccess. This equanimity is called Yoga (devotion). Work (with desire\nof fruit) is far inferior to devotion, O Dhananjaya. Seek thou the\nprotection of devotion. They that work for the sake of fruit are\nmiserable. He also that hath devotion throws off, even in this world,\nboth good actions and bad actions. Therefore, apply thyself to devotion.\nDevotion is only cleverness in action. The wise, possessed of devotion,\ncast off the fruit born of action, and freed from the obligation of\n(repeated) birth, attain to that region where there is no unhappiness.\nWhen thy mind shall have crossed the maze of delusion, then shalt thou\nattain to an indifference as regards the hearable and the heard.[145]\nWhen thy mind, distracted (now) by what thou hast heard (about the means\nof acquiring the diverse objects of life), will be firmly and immovably\nfixed on contemplation, then wilt thou attain to devotion.'\n\n\"Arjuna said,--'What, O Kesava, are the indications of one whose mind is\nfixed on contemplation? How should one of steady mind speak, how sit, how\nmove?'\"\n\n\"The Holy One said,--'When one casts off all the desires of his heart and\nis pleased within (his) self with self, then is one said to be of steady\nmind. He whose mind is not agitated amid calamities, whose craving for\npleasure is gone, who is freed from attachment (to worldly objects), fear\nand wrath, is said to be a Muni of steady mind. His is steadiness of mind\nwho is without affection everywhere, and who feeleth no exultation and no\naversion on obtaining diverse objects that are agreeable and\ndisagreeable. When one withdraws his senses from the objects of (those)\nsenses as the tortoise its limbs from all sides, even his is steadiness\nof mind. Objects of senses fall back from an abstinent person, but not so\nthe passion (for those objects). Even the passion recedes from one who\nhas beheld the Supreme (being).[146] The agitating senses, O son of\nKunti, forcibly draw away the mind of even a wise man striving hard to\nkeep himself aloof from them. Restraining them all, one should stay in\ncontemplation, making me his sole refuge. For his is steadiness of mind\nwhose senses are under control. Thinking of the objects of sense, a\nperson's attachment is begotten towards them. From attachment springeth\nwrath; from wrath ariseth want of discrimination; from want of\ndiscrimination, loss of memory; from loss of memory, loss of\nunderstanding; and from loss of understanding (he) is utterly ruined. But\nthe self-restrained man, enjoying objects (of sense) with senses freed\nfrom attachment and aversion under his own control, attaineth to peace\n(of mind). On peace (of mind) being attained, the annihilation of all his\nmiseries taketh place, since the mind of him whose heart is peaceful soon\nbecometh steady.[147] He who is not self-restrained hath no contemplation\n(of self). He who hath no contemplation hath no peace (of mind).[148]\nWhence can there be happiness for him who hath no peace (of mind)? For\nthe heart that follows in the wake of the sense moving (among their\nobjects) destroys his understanding like the wind destroying a boat in\nthe waters.[149] Therefore, O thou of mighty arms, his is steadiness of\nmind whose senses are restrained on all sides from the objects of sense.\nThe restrained man is awake when it is night for all creatures; and when\nother creatures are awake that is night to a discerning Muni.[150] He\ninto whom all objects of desire enter, even as the waters enter the ocean\nwhich (though) constantly replenished still maintains its water-mark\nunchanged--(he) obtains peace (of mind) and not one that longeth for\nobjects of desire. That man who moveth about, giving up all objects of\ndesire, who is free from craving (for enjoyments) and who hath no\naffection and no pride, attaineth to peace (of mind). This, O Partha, is\nthe divine state. Attaining to it, one is never deluded. Abiding in it\none obtains, on death, absorption into the Supreme Self.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVII\n [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter III)]\n\n\"Arjuna said,--'If devotion, O Janardana, is regarded by thee as superior\nto work, why then, O Kesava, dost thou engage me in such dreadful work?\nBy equivocal words thou seemest to confound my understanding. Therefore,\ntell (me) one thing definitely by which I may attain to what is good.'\n\n\"The Holy One said,--'It hath already been said by me, O sinless one,\nthat here are, in this world, two kinds of devotion; that of the Sankhyas\nthrough knowledge and that of the yogins through work. A man doth not\nacquire freedom from work from (only) the non-performance of work. Nor\ndoth he acquire final emancipation from only renunciation (of work). No\none can abide even for a moment without doing work.[151] That man of\ndeluded soul who, curbing the organs of sense, liveth mentally cherishing\nthe objects of sense, is said to be a dissembler. He however, O Arjuna,\nwho restraining (his) senses by his mind, engageth in devotion (in the\nform) of work with the organs of work, and is free from attachment, is\ndistinguished (above all). (Therefore), do thou always apply yourself to\nwork, for action is better than inaction. Even the support of thy body\ncannot be accomplished without work.[152] This world is fettered by all\nwork other than that which is (performed) for Sacrifice. (Therefore), O\nson of Kunti, perform work for the sake of that, freed from\nattachment.[153] In olden times, the Lord of Creation, creating men and\nsacrifice together, said,--flourish by means of this (Sacrifice). Let\nthis (Sacrifice) be to you (all) the dispenser of all objects cherished\nby you. Rear the gods with this, and let the gods (in return) rear you.\nThus fulfilling the mutual interest you will obtain that which is\nbeneficial (to you).[154] Propitiated with sacrifices the gods will\nbestow on you the pleasures you desire. He who enjoyeth (himself) without\ngiving them what they have given, is assuredly a thief. The good who eat\nthe remnant of sacrifices are freed from all sins. Those unrighteous ones\nincur sin who dress food for their own sake.--From food are all\ncreatures; and sacrifice is the outcome of work.[155] Know that work\nproceeds from the Vedas; Vedas have proceeded from Him who hath no decay.\nTherefore, the all-pervading Supreme Being is installed in\nsacrifice.[156] He who conformeth not to this wheel that is thus\nrevolving, that man of sinful life delighting (the indulgence of) his\nsenses, liveth in vain, O Partha.[157] The man, however, that is attached\nto self only, that is contented with self, and that is pleased in his\nself,--hath no work (to do). He hath no concern whatever with action nor\nwith any omission here. Nor, amongst all creatures, is there any upon\nwhom his interest dependeth.[158] Therefore, always do work that should\nbe done, without attachment. The man who performeth work without\nattachment, attaineth to the Supreme. By work alone, Janaka and others,\nattained the accomplishment of their objects. Having regard also to the\nobservance by men of their duties, it behoveth thee to work. Whatever a\ngreat man doth, is also done by vulgar people. Ordinary men follow the\nideal set by them (the great).[159] There is nothing whatever for me, O\nPartha, to do in the three worlds, (since I have) nothing for me which\nhath not been acquired; still I engage in action.[160] Because if at any\ntime I do not, without sloth, engage in action, men would follow my path,\nO Partha, on all sides. The worlds would perish if I did not perform\nwork, and I should cause intermixture of castes and ruin these people. As\nthe ignorant work, O Bharata, having attachment to the performer, so\nshould a wise man work without being attached, desiring to make men\nobservant of their duties. A wise man should not cause confusion of\nunderstanding amongst ignorant persons, who have attachment to work\nitself; (on the other hand) he should (himself) acting with devotion\nengage them to all (kinds of) work. All works are, in every way, done by\nthe qualities of nature. He, whose mind is deluded by egoism, however,\nregards himself as the actor.[161] But he, O mighty-armed one, who\nknoweth the distinction (of self) from qualities and work, is not\nattached to work, considering that it is his senses alone (and not his\nself) that engage in their objects.[162] Those who are deluded by the\nqualities of nature, become attached to the works done by the qualities.\nA person of perfect knowledge should not bewilder those men of imperfect\nknowledge.[163] Devoting all work to me, with (thy) mind directed to\nself, engage in battle, without desire, without affection and with thy\n(heart's) weakness dispelled.[164] Those men who always follow this\nopinion of mine with faith and without cavil attain to final emancipation\neven by work. But they who cavil at and do not follow this opinion of\nmine, know, that, bereft of all knowledge and without discrimination,\nthey are ruined. Even a wise man acts according to his own nature. All\nliving beings follow (their own) nature. What then would restraint avail?\nThe senses have, as regards the objects of the senses, either affection\nor aversion fixed. One should not submit to these, for they are obstacles\nin one's way.[165] One's own duty, even if imperfectly performed, is\nbetter than being done by other even if well performed. Death in\n(performance of) one's own duty is preferable. (The adoption of) the duty\nof another carries fear (with it).'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'Impelled by whom, O son of the Vrishni race, doth a man\ncommit sin, even though unwilling and as if constrained by force?'\n\n\"The Holy One said,--'It is desire, it is wrath, born of the attribute of\npassion; it is all devouring, it is very sinful. Know this to be the foe\nin this world.[166] As fire is enveloped by smoke, a mirror by dust, the\nfoetus by the womb, so is this enveloped by desire. Knowledge, O son of\nKunti, is enveloped by this constant foe of the wise in the form of\ndesire which is insatiable and like a fire. The senses, the mind and the\nunderstanding are said to be its abode. With these it deludeth the\nembodied self, enveloping (his) knowledge. Therefore, restraining (thy)\nsenses first, O bull of Bharata's race, cast off this wicked thing, for\nit destroyeth knowledge derived from instruction and meditation.[167] It\nhath been said that the senses are superior (to the body which is inert).\nSuperior to the senses is the mind. Superior to the mind is the\nknowledge. But which is superior to knowledge is He.[168] Thus knowing\nthat which is superior to knowledge and restraining (thy) self by self,\nslay, O mighty-armed one, the enemy in the shape of desire which is\ndifficult to conquer.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVIII\n [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter IV)]\n\n\"The Holy One said,--'This imperishable (system of) devotion I declared\nto Vivaswat; Vivaswat declared it to Manu; and Manu communicated it to\nIkshaku. Descending thus from generation, the Royal sages came to know\nit. But, O chastiser of foes, by (lapse of a) long time that devotion\nbecame lost to the world. Even the same (system of) devotion hath today\nbeen declared by me to thee, for thou art my devotee and friend, (and)\nthis is a great mystery.'\n\n\"Arjuna said,--'Thy birth is posterior; Vivaswat's birth is prior. How\nshall I understand then that thou hadst first declared (it)?'\n\n\"The Holy One said,--'Many births of mine have passed away, O Arjuna, as\nalso of thine. These all I know, but thou dost not, O chastiser of foes.\nThough (I am) unborn and of essence that knoweth no deterioration, though\n(I am) the lord of all creatures, still, relying on my own (material)\nnature I take birth by my own (powers) of illusion. Whenever, O Bharata,\nloss of piety and the rise of impiety occurreth, on those occasions do I\ncreate myself. For the protection of the righteous and for the\ndestruction of the evil doers, for the sake of establishing Piety, I am\nborn age after age. He who truly knoweth my divine birth and work to be\nsuch, casting off (his body) is not born again; (on the other hand) he\ncometh to me, O Arjuna. Many who have been freed from attachment, fear,\nwrath, who were full of me, and who relied on me, have, cleansed by\nknowledge and asceticism, attained to my essence. In whatsoever manner\nmen come to me, in the selfsame manner do I accept them. It is my way, O\nPartha, that men follow on all sides.[169] Those in this world who are\ndesirous of the success of action worship the gods, for in this world of\nmen success resulting from action is soon attained. The quadruple\ndivision of castes was created by me according to the distinction of\nqualities and duties. Though I am the author thereof, (yet) know me to be\nnot their author and undecaying.[170] Actions do not touch me. I have no\nlonging for the fruits of actions. He that knoweth me thus is not impeded\nby actions. Knowing this, even men of old who were desirous of\nemancipation performed work. Therefore, do thou also perform work as was\ndone by ancients of the remote past. What is action and what is\ninaction,--even the learned are perplexed at this. Therefore, I will tell\nthee about action (so that) knowing it thou mayst be freed from evil. One\nshould have knowledge of action, and one should have knowledge of\nforbidden actions: one should also know of inaction. The course of action\nis incomprehensible. He, who sees inaction in action and action in\ninaction, is wise among men; he is possessed of devotion; and he is a\ndoer of all actions. The learned call him wise whose efforts are all free\nfrom desire (of fruit) and (consequent) will, and whose actions have all\nbeen consumed by the fire of knowledge.[171] Whoever, resigning all\nattachment to the fruit of action, is ever contented and is dependent on\nnone, doth nought, indeed, although engaged in action. He who, without\ndesire, with mind and the senses under control, and casting off all\nconcerns, performeth action only for the preservation of the body,\nincurreth no sin.[172] He who is contented with what is earned without\nexertion, who hath risen superior to the pairs of opposites, who is\nwithout jealousy, who is equable in success and failure, is not fettered\n(by action) even though he works. All his actions perish who acts for the\nsake of sacrifice,[173] who is without affections, who is free (from\nattachments), and whose mind is fixed upon knowledge. Brahma is the\nvessel (with which the libation is poured); Brahma is the libation (that\nis offered); Brahma is the fire on which by Brahma is poured (the\nlibation); Brahma is the goal to which he proceedeth by fixing his mind\non Brahma itself which is the action.[174] Some devotees perform\nsacrifice to the gods. Others, by means of sacrifice, offer up sacrifices\nto the fire of Brahma.[175] Others offer up (as sacrificial libation) the\nsenses of which hearing is the first to the fire of restraint. Others\n(again) offer up (as libations) the objects of sense of which sound is\nthe first to the fire of the senses.[176] Others (again) offer up all the\nfunctions of the senses and the functions of the vital winds to the fire\nof devotion by self-restraint kindled by knowledge.[177] Others again\nperform the sacrifice of wealth, the sacrifice of ascetic austerities,\nthe sacrifice of meditation, the sacrifice of (Vedic) study, the\nsacrifice of knowledge, and others are ascetics of rigid vows.[178] Some\noffer up the upward vital wind (Prana) to the downward vital wind\n(apana); and others, the downward vital wind to the upward vital wind;\nsome, arresting the course of (both) the upward and the downward vital\nwinds, are devoted to the restraint of the vital winds. Others of\nrestricted rations, offer the vital winds to the vital winds.[179] Even\nall these who are conversant with sacrifice, whose sins have been\nconsumed by sacrifice, and who eat the remnants of sacrifice which are\namrita, attain to the eternal Brahma. (Even) this world is not for him\nwho doth not perform sacrifice. Whence then the other, O best of Kuru's\nrace? Thus diverse are the sacrifices occurring in the Vedas. Know that\nall of them result from action, and knowing this thou wilt be\nemancipated. The sacrifice of knowledge, O chastiser of foes, is superior\nto every sacrifice involving (the attainment of) fruits of action, for\nall action, O Partha, is wholly comprehended in knowledge.[180] Learn\nthat (Knowledge) by prostration, enquiry, and service. They who are\npossessed of knowledge and can see the truth, will teach thee that\nknowledge, knowing which, O son of Pandu, thou wilt not again come by\nsuch delusion, and by which thou wilt see the endless creatures (of the\nuniverse) in thyself (first) and then in me. Even if thou be the greatest\nsinner among all that are sinful, thou shalt yet cross over all\ntransgressions by the raft of knowledge. As a blazing fire, O Arjuna,\nreduceth fuel to ashes, so doth the fire of knowledge reduce all actions\nto ashes. For there is nothing here that is so cleansing as knowledge.\nOne who hath attained to success by devotion finds it without effort\nwithin his own self in time. He obtaineth knowledge, who hath faith and\nis intent on it and who hath his senses under control; obtaining\nknowledge one findeth the highest tranquillity in no length of time. One\nwho hath no knowledge and no faith, and whose minds is full of doubt, is\nlost. Neither this world, nor the next, nor happiness, is for him whose\nmind is full of doubt. Actions do not fetter him, O Dhananjaya, who hath\ncast off action by devotion, whose doubts have been dispelled by\nknowledge, and who is self-restrained. Therefore, destroying, by the\nsword of knowledge, this doubt of thine that is born of ignorance and\nthat dwelleth in thy mind, betake to devotion, (and) arise, O son of\nBharata.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIX\n [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter V)]\n\n\"Arjuna said,--'Thou applaudest, O Krishna, the abandonment of actions,\nand again the application (to them). Tell me definitely which one of\nthese two is superior.'\n\n\"The Holy One said--'Both abandonment of actions and application to\nactions lead to emancipation. But of these, application to action is\nsuperior to abandonment. He should always be known to be an ascetic who\nhath no aversion nor desire. For, being free from pairs of opposites, O\nthou of mighty arms, he is easily released from the bonds (of action).\nFools say, but not those that are wise, that Sankhya and Yoga are\ndistinct. One who stayeth in even one (of the two) reapeth the fruit of\nboth[181]. Whatever seat is attained by those who profess the Sankhya\nsystem, that too is reached by those who profess the Yoga. He seeth truly\nwho seeth Sankhya and Yoga as one.[182] But renunciation, O mighty-armed\none, without devotion (to action), is difficult to attain. The ascetic\nwho is engaged in devotion (by action) reacheth the Supreme Being without\ndelay. He who is engaged in devotion (by action) and is of pure soul, who\nhath conquered his body and subdued his senses, and who indentifieth\nhimself with all creatures, is not fettered though performing\n(action).[183] The man of devotion, who knoweth truth, thinking--I am\ndoing nothing--When seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving,\nsleeping, breathing, talking, excreting, taking, opening the eyelids or\nclosing them; he regardeth that it is the senses that are engaged in the\nobjects of senses.[184] He who renouncing attachment engageth in actions,\nresigning them to Brahma, is not touched by sin as the lotus-leaf (is not\ntouched) by water.[185] Those who are devotees, casting off attachment,\nperform actions (attaining) purity of self, with the body, the mind, the\nunderstanding, and even the senses (free from desire). He who is\npossessed of devotion, renouncing the fruit of action, attaineth to the\nhighest tranquillity. He, who is not possessed of devotion and is\nattached to the fruit of action, is fettered by action performed from\ndesire. The self-restrained embodied (self), renouncing all actions by\nthe mind, remains at ease within the house of nine gates, neither acting\nhimself nor causing (anything) to act.[186] The Lord is not the cause of\nthe capacity for action, or of the actions of men, or of the connection\nof actions and (their) fruit. It is nature that engages (in action). The\nLord receiveth no one's sin, nor also merit. By ignorance, knowledge is\nshrouded. It is for this that creatures are deluded. But of whomsoever\nthat ignorance hath been destroyed by knowledge of self, that knowledge\n(which is) like the Sun discloseth the Supreme Being. Those whose mind is\non Him, whose very soul is He, who abide in Him, and who have Him for\ntheir goal, depart never more to return, their sins being all destroyed\nby knowledge.[187] Those, who are wise cast an equal eye on a Brahmana\nendued with learning and modesty, on a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a\nchandala.[188] Even here has birth been conquered by them whose minds\nrest on equality; and since Brahma is faultless and equable, therefore,\nthey (are said to) abide in Brahma.[189] He whose mind is steady, who is\nnot deluded, who knows Brahma, and who rests in Brahma, doth not exult on\nobtaining anything that is agreeable, nor doth he grieve on obtaining\nthat is disagreeable. He whose mind is not attached to external objects\nof sense, obtaineth that happiness which is in self; and by concentrating\nhis mind on the contemplation of Brahma, he enjoyeth a happiness that is\nimperishable. The enjoyments born of the contact (of the senses with\ntheir objects) are productive of sorrow. He who is wise, O son of Kunti,\nnever taketh pleasure in these that have a beginning and an end. That man\nwhoever here, before the dissolution of the body, is able to endure the\nagitations resulting from desire and wrath, is fixed on contemplation,\nand is happy. He who findeth happiness within himself, (and) who sporteth\nwithin himself, he whose light (of knowledge) is deprived from within\nhimself, is a devotee, and becoming one with Brahma attaineth to\nabsorption into Brahma. Those saintly personages whose sins have been\ndestroyed, whose doubts have been dispelled, who are self-restrained, and\nwho are engaged in the good of all creatures, obtain absorption into\nBrahma. For these devotees who are freed from desire and wrath, whose\nminds are under control, and who have knowledge of self, absorption into\nBrahma exists both here and thereafter.[190] Excluding (from his mind)\nall external objects of sense, directing the visual glance between the\nbrows, mingling (into one) the upward and the downward life-breaths and\nmaking them pass through the nostrils, the devotee, who has restrained\nthe senses, the mind, and the understanding, being intent on\nemancipation, and who is freed from desire, fear, and wrath, is\nemancipated, indeed. Knowing me to be enjoyer of all sacrifices and\nascetic austerities, the great Lord of all the worlds, and friend of all\ncreatures, such a one obtaineth tranquillity.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXX\n [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter VI)]\n\n\"The Holy One said,--'Regardless of fruit of action, he that performs the\nactions which should be performed, is a renouncer and devotee, and not\none who discards the (sacrificial) fire, nor one that abstains from\naction.[191] That which has been called renunciation, know that, O son of\nPandu, to be devotion, since nobody can be a devotee who has not\nrenounced (all) resolves.[192] To the sage desirous of rising to\ndevotion, action is said to be the means; and when he has risen to\ndevotion, cessation of action is said to be the means. When one is no\nlonger attached to the objects of the senses, nor to actions, and when\none renounces all resolves, then is one said to have risen to devotion.\nOne should raise (his) self by self; one should not degrade (his) self;\nfor one's own self is one's friend, and one's own self is one's\nenemy.[193] To him (only) who has subjugated his self by his self is self\na friend. But to him who has not subjugated his self, his self behaves\ninimically like an enemy. The soul of one who has subjugated his self and\nwho is in the enjoyment of tranquillity, is steadily fixed (on itself)\namid cold and heat, pleasure and pain, and also honour and dishonour.\nThat ascetic is said to be devoted whose mind is satisfied with knowledge\nand experience, who hath no affection, who hath subjugated his senses,\nand to whom a sod, a stone and gold are alike. He, who views equally\nwell-wishers, friends, foes, strangers that are indifferent to him, those\nwho take part with both sides, those who are objects of aversion, those\nwho are related (to him), those who are good, and those who are wicked,\nis distinguished (above all others). A devotee should always fix his mind\non contemplation, remaining in a secluded place alone, restraining both\nmind and body, without expectations (of any kind), and without concern\n(with anything).[194] Erecting his seat immovably on a clean spot, not\ntoo high nor too low, and spreading over it a piece of cloth, a\ndeer-skin, or blades of Kusa grass, and there seated on that seat, with\nmind fixed on one object, and restraining the functions of the heart and\nthe senses, one should practise contemplation for the purification of\nself. Holding body, head, and neck even, unmoved and steady, and casting\nhis glance on the tip of his nose, and without looking about in any of\nthe different directions, with mind in tranquillity, freed from fear,\nobservant of the practices of Brahmacharins, restraining the mind, with\nheart fixed on me, the devotee should sit down, regarding me as the\nobject of his attainment. Thus applying his soul constantly, the devotee\nwhose heart is restrained, attains to that tranquillity which culminates\nin final absorption and assimilation with me. Devotion is not one's, O\nArjuna, who eateth much, nor one's who doth not eat at all; nor one's who\nis addicted to too much sleep, nor one's who is always awake, devotion\nthat is destructive of misery is his who is temperate in food and\namusements, who duly exerts himself temperately in all his works, and who\nis temperate in sleep and vigils. When one's heart, properly restrained,\nis fixed on one's own self, then, indifferent to all objects of desire,\nhe is one called a devotee.[195] As a lamp in a windless spot doth not\nflicker, even that is the resemblance declared of a devotee whose heart\nhath been restrained and who applieth his self to abstraction. That\n(condition) in which the mind, restrained by practice of abstraction,\ntaketh rest, in which beholding self by self, one is gratified within\nself; in which one experienceth that highest felicity which is beyond the\n(sphere of the) senses and which the understanding (only) can grasp, and\nfixed on which one never swerveth from the truth; acquiring which one\nregards no other acquisition greater than it, and abiding in which one is\nnever moved by even the heaviest sorrow; that (Condition) should be known\nto be what is called devotion in which there is a severance of connection\nwith pain. That devotion should be practised with perseverance and with\nan undesponding heart.[196] Renouncing all desires without exception that\nare born of resolves, restraining the group of the senses on all sides by\nmind alone, one should, by slow degrees, become quiescent (aided) by\n(his) understanding controlled by patience, and then directing his mind\nto self should think of nothing.[197] Wheresoever the mind, which is (by\nnature) restless and unsteady, may run, restraining it from those, one\nshould direct it to self alone. Indeed, unto such a devotee whose mind is\nin tranquillity, whose passions have been suppressed, who hath become one\nwith Brahma and who is free from sin, the highest felicity cometh (of his\nown accord). Thus applying his soul constantly (to abstraction), the\ndevotee, freed from sin, easily obtaineth that highest happiness, viz.,\nwith Brahma. He who hath devoted his self to abstraction casting an equal\neye everywhere, beholdeth his self in all creatures and all creatures in\nhis self. Unto him who beholdeth me in everything and beholdeth\neverything in me, I am never lost and he also is never lost to me.[198]\nHe who worshippeth me as abiding in all creatures, holding yet that all\nis one, is a devotee, and whatever mode of life he may lead, he liveth in\nme. That devotee, O Arjuna, who casteth an equal eye everywhere,\nregarding all things as his own self and the happiness and misery of\nothers as his own, is deemed to be the best.'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'This devotion by means of equanimity which thou hast\ndeclared, O slayer of Madhu,--on account of restlessness of the mind I do\nnot see its stable presence.[199] O Krishna, the mind is restless,\nboisterous, perverse, and obstinate. Its restraint I regard to be as\ndifficult of accomplishment as the restraint of the wind.'\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'Without doubt, O thou of mighty arms the mind is\ndifficult of subjugation and is restless. With practice, however, O son\nof Kunti, and with the abandonment of desire, it can be controlled. It is\nmy belief that by him whose mind is not restrained, devotion is difficult\nof acquisition. But by one whose mind is restrained and who is assiduous,\nit is capable of acquisition with the aid of means.'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'Without assiduity, though endued with faith, and with mind\nshaken off from devotion, what is the end of him, O Krishna, who hath not\nearned success in devotion? Fallen off from both,[200] is he lost like a\nseparated cloud or not, being as he is without refuge, O thou of mighty\narms, and deluded on the path leading to Brahma? This my doubt, O\nKrishna, it behoveth thee to remove without leaving anything. Besides\nthee, no dispeller of this doubt is to be had.'[201]\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'O son of Pritha, neither here, nor hereafter, doth\nruin exist for him, since none, O sire, who performs good (acts) comes by\nan evil end. Attaining to the regions reserved for those that perform\nmeritorious acts and living there for many many years, he that hath\nfallen off from devotion taketh birth in the abode of those that art\npious and endued with prosperity, or, he is born even in the family of\ndevotees endued with intelligence. Indeed, a birth such as this is more\ndifficult of acquisition in this world. There in those births he\nobtaineth contact with that Brahmic knowledge which was his in his former\nlife; and from that point he striveth again, O descendant of Kuru,\ntowards perfection. And although unwilling, he still worketh on in\nconsequence of that same former practice of his. Even one that enquireth\nof devotion riseth above (the fruits of) the Divine Word.[202] Striving\nwith great efforts, the devotee, cleaned of all his sins, attaineth to\nperfection after many births, and then reacheth the supreme goal. The\ndevotee is superior to ascetics engaged in austerities; he is esteemed to\nbe superior to even the man of knowledge. The devotee is superior to\nthose that are engaged in action. Therefore, become a devotee, O Arjuna.\nEven amongst all the devotees, he who, full of faith and with inner self\nresting on me, worshippeth me, is regarded by me to be the most devout.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXI\n [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter VII)]\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'Listen, O son of Pritha, how, without doubt, thou\nmayst know me fully, fixing thy mind on me, practising devotion, and\ntaking refuge in me. I will now, without leaving anything out speak to thee\nabout knowledge and experience, knowing which there would be left nothing\nin this world (for thee) to know. One among thousands of men striveth for\nperfection. Of those even that are assiduous and have attained to\nperfection, only some one knoweth me truly.[203] Earth, water, fire, air,\nspace, mind, also understanding, and consciousness,--thus hath my nature\nbeen divided eight-fold. This is a lower (form of my) nature. Different\nfrom this, know there is a higher (form of my) nature which is animate, O\nthou of mighty arms, and by which this universe is held.[204] Know that\nall creatures have these for their source. I am the source of evolution\nand also of the dissolution of the entire universe. There is nothing\nelse, O Dhananjaya, that is higher than myself. Upon me is all this like\na row of pearls on a string. Taste I am in the waters, O son of Kunti,\n(and) I am the splendour of both the moon and the sun, I am the Om in all\nthe Vedas, the sound in space, and the manliness in men. I am the\nfragrant odour in earth, the splendour in fire, the life in all (living)\ncreatures, and penance in ascetics. Know me, O son of Pritha, to be the\neternal seed of all beings. I am the intelligence of all creatures endued\nwith intelligence, the glory of all glorious objects. I am also the\nstrength of all that are endued with strength, (myself) freed from desire\nand thirst, and, O bull of Bharata's race, am the desire, consistent with\nduty, in all creatures.[205] And all existences which are of the quality\nof goodness, and which are of the quality of passion and quality of\ndarkness, know that they are, indeed, from me. I am, however, not in\nthem, but they are in me. This entire universe, deluded by these three\nentities consisting of (these) three qualities knoweth not me that am\nbeyond them and undecaying; since this illusion of mine, depending on the\n(three) qualities, is exceedingly marvellous and highly difficult of\nbeing transcended. They that resort to me alone cross this illusion.[206]\nDoers of evil, ignorant men, the worst of their species, robbed of their\nknowledge by (my) illusion and wedded to the state of demons, do not\nresort to me. Four classes of doers of good deeds worship me, O Arjuna,\nviz., he that is distressed, that is possessed of knowledge, being always\ndevoted and having his faith in only One, is superior to the rest, for\nunto the man of knowledge I am dear above everything, and he also is dear\nto me. All these are noble. But the man of knowledge is regarded (by me)\nto be my very self, since he, with soul fixed on abstraction, taketh\nrefuge in me as the highest goal. At the end of many births, the man\npossessed of knowledge attaineth to me, (thinking) that Vasudeva is all\nthis. Such a high-souled person, however, is exceedingly rare. They who\nhave been robbed of knowledge by desire, resort to their godheads,\nobservant of diverse regulations and controlled by their own nature.[207]\nWhatever form, (of godhead or myself) any worshipper desireth to worship\nwith faith, that faith of his unto that (form) I render steady. Endued\nwith that faith, he payeth his adorations to that (form), and obtaineth\nfrom that all his desire, since all those are ordained by me.[208] The\nfruits, however, of those persons endued with little intelligence are\nperishable. They that worship the divinities, go to the divinities,\n(while) they that worship me come even to me.[209] They that have no\ndiscernment, regard me who am (really) unmanifest to have become\nmanifest, because they do not know the transcendent and undecaying state\nof mine than which there is nothing higher.[210] Shrouded by the illusion\nof my inconceivable power, I am not manifest to all. This deluded world\nknoweth not me that I am unborn and undecaying. I know, O Arjuna, all\nthings that have been past, and all things that are present, and all\nthings that are to be. But there is nobody that knoweth me. All\ncreatures, O chastiser of foes, are deluded at the time of their birth by\nthe delusion, O Bharata, of pairs of opposites arising from desire and\naversion. But those persons of meritorious deeds whose sins have attained\ntheir end, being freed from the delusion of pairs of opposites, worship\nme, firm in their vow (of that worship). Those who, taking refuge in me,\nstrive for release from decay and death, know Brahman, the entire\nAdhyatma, and action.[211] And they who know me with the Adhibhuta, the\nAdhidaiva, and the Adhiyajna, having minds fixed on abstraction, know me\nat the time of their departure (from this world).'\"[212]\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXII\n [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter VIII)]\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'What is that Brahman, what is Adhyatma, what is action, O\nbest of male beings? What also has been said to be Adhibhuta, and what is\ncalled Adhidaiva? Who is here Adhiyajna, and how, in this body, O slayer\nof Madhu? And how at the time of departure art thou to be known by those\nthat have restrained their self'?--\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'Brahman is the Supreme and indestructible. Adhyatma\nis said to be its own manifestation. The offering (to any godhead in a\nsacrifice) which causeth the production and development of all--this is\ncalled action.[213] Remembering me alone in (his) last moments, he that,\ncasting off his body, departeth (hence), cometh into my essence. There is\nno doubt in this. Whichever form (of godhead) one remembereth when one\ncasteth off, at the end, (his) body, unto that one he goeth, O son of\nKunti, having habitually meditated on it always. Therefore, think of me\nat all times, and engage in battle. Fixing thy mind and understanding on\nme, thou wilt, without doubt, come even to me. Thinking (of the Supreme)\nwith a mind not running to other objects and endued with abstraction in\nthe form of uninterrupted application, one goeth, O son of Pritha, unto\nthe Divine and Supreme male Being. He who at the time of his departure,\nwith a steady mind, endued with reverence, with power of abstraction, and\ndirecting the life-breath called Prana between the eye-brows, thinketh of\nthat ancient seer, who is the ruler (of all), who is minuter than the\nminutest atom, who is the ordainer of all, who is inconceivable in form,\nand who is beyond all darkness, cometh unto that Divine and Supreme Male\nBeing. I will tell thee in brief about that seat which persons conversant\nwith the Vedas declare to be indestructible, which is entered by ascetics\nfreed from all longings, and in expectation of which (people) practise\nthe vows of Brahmacharins. Casting off (this) body, he who departeth,\nstopping up all the doors, confining the mind within the heart, placing\nhis own life-breath called Prana between the eye-brows, resting on\ncontinued meditation, uttering this one syllable Om which is Brahman, and\nthinking of me, attaineth to the highest goal.[214] He who always\nthinketh of me with mind ever withdrawn from all other objects, unto that\ndevotee always engaged on meditation, I am, O Partha, easy of access.\nHigh-souled persons who have achieved the highest perfection, attaining\nto me, do not incur re-birth which is the abode of sorrow and which is\ntransient. All the worlds, O Arjuna, from the abode of Brahman downwards\nhave to go through a round of births; on attaining to me, however, O son\nof Kunti, there is no re-birth.[215] They who know a day of Brahman to\nend after a thousand Yugas, and a night (of his) to terminate after a\nthousand Yugas are persons that know day and night.[216] On the advent of\n(Brahman's) day everything that is manifest springeth from the\nunmanifest; and when (his) night cometh, into that same which is called\nunmanifest all things disappear. That same assemblage of creatures,\nspringing forth again and again, dissolveth on the advent of night, and\nspringeth forth (again), O son of Pritha, when day cometh, constrained\n(by the force of action, etc.)[217]. There is, however, another entity,\nunmanifest and eternal, which is beyond that unmanifest, and which is not\ndestroyed when all the entities are destroyed. It is said to be\nunmanifest and indestructible. They call it the highest goal, attaining\nwhich no one hath to come back. That is my Supreme seat. That Supreme\nBeing, O son of Pritha, He within whom are all entities, and by whom all\nthis is permeated, is to be attained by reverence undirected to any other\nobject. I will tell thee the times, O bull of Bharata's race, in which\ndevotees departing (from this life) go, never to return, or to return.\nThe fire, the Light, the day, the lighted fortnight, the six months of\nthe northern solstice, departing from here, the persons knowing Brahma go\nthrough this path to Brahma.[218] Smoke, night, also the dark-fortnight\n(and) the six months of the southern solstice, (departing) through this\npath, devotee, attaining to the lunar light, returneth. The bright and\nthe dark, these two paths, are regarded to be the eternal (two paths) of\nthe universe. By the one, (one) goeth never to return; by the other, one\n(going) cometh back. Knowing these two paths, O son of Pritha, no devotee\nis deluded. Therefore, at all times, be endued with devotion, O Arjuna.\nThe meritorious fruit that is prescribed for the (study of the) Vedas,\nfor sacrifices, for ascetic austerities and for gifts, a devotee knowing\nall this (that hath been said here), attaineth to it all, and (also)\nattaineth the Supreme and Primeval seat.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIII\n [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter IX)]\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'Now I will tell thee that art without envy that most\nmysterious knowledge along with experience, knowing which thou wilt be\nfreed from evil. This is royal science, a royal mystery, highly\ncleansing, directly apprehensible, consistent with the sacred laws, easy\nto practise, (and) imperishable. Those persons, O chastiser of foes, who\nhave no faith in this sacred doctrine, not attaining to me, return to the\npath of this world that is subject to destruction. This entire universe\nis pervaded by me in my unmanifest form. All entities are in me, but I do\nnot reside in them. Nor yet are all entities in me. Behold my divine\npower. Supporting all entities and producing all entities, myself doth\nnot (yet) reside in (those) entities. As the great and obiquitious\natmosphere always occupieth space, understand that all entities reside in\nme in the same way.[219] All entities, O son of Kunti, attain to my\nnature at the close of a Kalpa. I create them again at the beginning of a\nKalpa.[220] Regulating my own (independent) nature I create again and in\nthis whole assemblage of entities which is plastic in consequence of its\nsubjection to nature.[221] Those acts, however, O Dhananjaya, do not\nfetter me who sitteth as one unconcerned, being unattached to those acts\n(of creation). Through me, the overlooker, primal nature produceth the\n(universe of) mobiles and immobiles. For the reason, O son of Kunti, the\nuniverse passeth through its rounds (of birth and destruction).[222] Not\nknowing my supreme nature of the great lord of all entities, ignorant\npeople of vain hopes, vain acts, vain knowledge, confounded minds, wedded\nto the delusive nature of Asuras and Rakshasas, disregard me (as one)\nthat hath assumed a human body. But high-souled ones, O son of Pritha,\npossessed of divine nature, and with minds directed to nothing else,\nworship me, knowing (me) to be the origin of all entities and\nundestructible. Always glorifying me, (or) striving with firm vows, (or)\nbowing down to me, with reverence and ever devoted, (they) worship\nme.[223] Others again, performing the sacrifice of knowledge, worship me,\n(some) as one, (some) as distinct, (some) as pervading the universe, in\nmany forms.[224] I am the Vedic sacrifice, I am the sacrifice enjoined in\nthe Smritis, I am Swadha, I am the medicament produced from herbs; I am\nthe mantra, I am the sacrificial libation, I am the fire, and I am the\n(sacrificial) offering.[225] I am the father of this universe, the\nmother, the creator, grandsire; (I am) the thing to be known, the means\nby which everything is cleaned, the syllable Om, the Rik, the Saman and\nthe Yajus, (I am) the goal, the supporter, the lord, the on-looker, the\nabode, the refuge, the friend, the source, the destruction, the support,\nthe receptacle, and the undestructible seed. I give heat, I produce and\nsuspend rain; I am immortality, and also death; and I am the existent and\nthe non-existent, O Arjuna. They who know the three branches of\nknowledge, also drink the Soma juice, and whose sins have been cleansed\nworshipping me by sacrifices, seek admission into heaven; and these\nattaining to the sacred region of the chief of the gods, enjoy in heaven\nthe celestial pleasure of the gods. Having enjoyed that celestial world\nof vast extent, upon exhaustion of their merit they re-enter the mortal\nworld. It is thus that they who accept the doctrines of the three Vedas\nand wish for objects of desires, obtain going and coming. Those persons\nwho, thinking (of me) without directing their minds to anything else,\nworship me, of those who are (thus) always devoted (to me)--I make them\ngifts and preserve what they have. Even those devotees who, endued with\nfaith, worship other godheads, even they, O son of Kunti, worship me alone,\n(though) irregularly.[226] I am the enjoyer, as also the lord, of all\nsacrifices. They, however, do not know me truly; hence they fall off\n(from heaven). They whose vows are directed to the Pitris attain to the\nPitris; who direct (their) worship to the inferior spirits called Bhutas\nattain to Bhutas; they who worship me, attain even to myself. They who\noffer me with reverence, leaf, flower, fruit, water--that offered with\nreverence, I accept from him whose self is pure.[227] Whatever thou dost,\nwhatever eatest, whatever drinkest, whatever givest, whatever austerities\nthou performest, manage it in such a way, O son of Kunti, that it may be\nan offering to me. Thus mayst thou be freed from the fetters of action\nhaving good and evil fruits. With self endued with renunciation and\ndevotion, thou wilt be released and will come to me. I am alike to all\ncreatures; there is none hateful to me, none dear. They, however, who\nworship me with reverence are in me and I also am in them. If even a\nperson of exceedingly wicked conduct worshippeth me, without worshipping\nany one else, he should certainly be regard as good, for his efforts are\nwell-directed. (Such a person) soon becometh of virtuous soul, and\nattaineth to eternal tranquillity. Know, O son of Kunti, that none\ndevoted to me is ever lost. For, O son of Pritha, even they who may be of\nsinful birth, women, Vaisyas, and also Sudras, even they, resorting to\nme, attain to the supreme goal. What then (shall I say) of holy Brahmanas\nand saints who are my devotees? Having come to this transient and\nmiserable world, be engaged in my worship.[228] Fix thy mind on me; be my\ndevotee, my worshipper; bow to me; and thus making me thy refuge and\napplying thy self to abstraction, thou wilt certainly come to me.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIV\n [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter X)]\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'Once more still, O mighty-armed one, listen to my\nsupernal words which, from desire of (thy) good, I say unto thee that\nwouldst be pleased (therewith).[229] The hosts of gods know not my\norigin, nor the great Rishis, since I am, in every way, the source of the\ngods and the great Rishis.[230] He that knoweth me as the Supreme Lord of\nthe worlds, without birth and beginning, (he), undeluded among mortals,\nis free from all sins. Intelligence, knowledge, the absence of delusion,\nforgiveness, truth, self-restraint, and tranquillity, pleasure, pain,\nbirth, death, fear, and also security, abstention from harm, evenness of\nmind, contentment, ascetic austerities, gift, fame, infamy, these several\nattributes of creatures arise from me. The Seven great Rishis, the four\nMaharishis before (them), and the Manus, partaking of my nature, were\nborn from my mind, of whom in this world are these offsprings.[231] He\nthat knoweth truly this pre-eminence and mystic power of mine, becometh\npossessed of unswerving devotion. Of this (there is) no doubt. I am the\norigin of all things, from me all things proceed. Thinking thus, the\nwise, endued with my nature, worship me.[232] Their hearts on me, their\nlives devoted to me, instructing one another, and glorifying me they are\never contented and happy.[233] Unto them always devoted, and worshipping\n(me) with love, I give that devotion in the form of knowledge by which\nthey come to me.[234] Of them, for compassion's sake, I destroy the\ndarkness born of ignorance, by the brilliant lamp of knowledge, (myself)\ndwelling in their souls.'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'Thou art the Supreme Brahma, the Supreme Abode, the\nHoliest of the Holy, the eternal Male Being Divine, the First of gods\nUnborn, the Lord. All the Rishis proclaim thee thus, and also the\ncelestial Rishi Narada; and Asita, Devala, (and) Vyasa; thyself also\ntellest me (so). All this that thou tellest me, O Kesava, I regard as\ntrue since, O Holy One, neither the gods nor the Danavas understand thy\nmanifestation. Thou only knowest thyself by thyself. O Best of Male\nBeings, O Creator of all things; O Lord of all things, O God of gods, O\nLord of the Universe, it behoveth thee to declare without any\nreservation, those divine perfections of thine by which perfections\npervading these worlds thou abidest. How shall I, ever meditating, know\nthee, O thou of mystic powers, in what particular states mayst thou, O\nHoly One, be meditated upon by me?[235] Do thou again, O Janardana,\ncopiously declare thy mystic powers and (thy) perfections, for I am never\nsatiated with hearing thy nectar-like words.'\n\n\"The Holy One said,--'Well, unto thee I will declare my divine\nperfections, by means of the principal ones (among them), O chief of the\nKurus, for there is no end to the extent of my (perfections).[236] I am\nthe soul, O thou of curly hair, seated in the heart of every being, I am\nthe beginning, and the middle, and the end also of all beings. I am\nVishnu among the Adityas, the resplendent Sun among all luminous bodies;\nI am Marichi among the Maruts, and the Moon among constellations.[237] I\nam the Sama Veda among the Vedas; I am Vasava among the gods; I am the\nmind among the senses; I am the intellect in (living) beings. I am\nSankara among the Rudras, the Lord of treasures among the Yakshas and the\nRakshasas; I am Pavaka among the Vasus, and Meru among the peaked\n(mountains). [238] Know me, O son of Pritha, to be Vrihaspati, the chief\nof household priests. I am Skanda among commanders of forces. I am Ocean\namong receptacles of water. I am Bhrigu among the great Rishis, I am the\nOne, undestructible (syllable Om) among words. Of sacrifices I am the\nJapa-sacrifice.[239] Of immobiles I am the Himavat. I am the figtree\namong all trees, I am Narada among the celestial Rishis. I am Chitraratha\namong the Gandharvas and the ascetic Kapila among ascetics crowned with\nYoga success. Know me to be Uchchaisravas among horses, brought forth by\n(the churning for) nectar, Airavata among princely elephants, and the\nking among men. Among weapons I am the thunderbolt, among cows I am (she\ncalled) Kamadhuk. I am Kandarpa the cause of reproduction, I am Vasuki\namong serpents.[240] I am Ananta among Nagas, I am Varuna among aquatic\nbeings, I am Aryaman among the Pitris, and Yama among those that judge\nand punish.[241] I am Prahlada among the Daityas, and Time among things\nthat count. I am the lion among the beasts, and Vinata's son among winged\ncreatures. Of purifiers I am the wind. I am Rama among wielders of\nweapons. I am the Makara among fishes, and I am Jahnavi (Ganga) among\nstreams.[242] Of created things I am the beginning and the end and also\nthe middle, O Arjuna. I am the knowledge of Supreme Spirit among all\nkinds of knowledge, and the disputation among disputants.[243] Among all\nletters I am the letter A, and (the compound called) Dwanda among all\ncompounds. I am also Time Eternal, and I am the Ordainer with face turned\non every side.[244] I am Death that seizeth all, and the source of all,\nthat is to be. Among females, I am Fame, Fortune, Speech, Memory,\nIntelligence, Constancy, Forgiveness. Of the Sama hymns, I am the\nVrihat-sama and Gayatri among metres. Of the months, I am Margasirsha, of\nthe seasons (I am) that which is productive of flowers.[245] I am the\ngame of dice of them that cheat, and the splendour of those that are\nsplendid. I am Victory, I am Exertion, I am the goodness of the good. I\nam Vasudeva among the Vrishnis, I am Dhananjaya among the sons of Pandu.\nI am even Vyasa among the ascetics, and Usanas among seers. I am the Rod\nof those that chastise, I am the Policy of those that seek victory. I am\nsilence among those that are secret. I am the Knowledge of those that are\npossessed of Knowledge. That which is the Seed of all things, I am that,\nO Arjuna. There is nothing mobile or immobile, which can exist without\nme. There is no end, O chastiser of foes, of my divine perfections. This\nrecital of the extent of (those) perfections hath been uttered by me by\nway (only) of instancing them. Whatever of exalted things (there is) or\nglorious, or strong, understand thou that everything is born of a portion\nof my energy. Or rather, what hast thou to do, by knowing all this in\ndetail, O Arjuna? Supporting this entire universe with only a portion (of\nmyself), I stand.[246]'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXV\n [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter XI)]\n\n\"Arjuna said,--'This discourse about the supreme mystery, called\nAdhyatman, which thou hast uttered for my welfare, hath dispelled my\ndelusion.[247] For I have heard at large from thee of the creation and\ndissolution of beings, O thou of eyes like lotus petals, and also of thy\ngreatness that knoweth no deterioration. What thou hast said about\nthyself, O great Lord, is even so. O best of Male Beings, I desire to\nbehold thy sovereign form. If, O Lord, thou thinkest that I am competent\nto behold that (form), then, O Lord of mystic power, show me thy eternal\nSelf.[248]'\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'Behold, O son of Pritha, my forms by hundreds and\nthousands, various, divine, diverse in hue and shape. Behold the Adityas,\nthe Vasus, the Rudras, the Aswins, and the Maruts. Behold, O Bharata,\ninnumerable marvels unseen before (by thee). Behold, O thou of curly\nhair, the entire universe of mobiles and immobiles, collected together in\nthis body of mine, whatever else thou mayst wish to see.[249] Thou art,\nhowever, not competent to behold me with this eye of thine. I give thee\ncelestial sight. Behold my sovereign mystic nature.'\"\n\nSanjaya continued,--\"Having said this, O monarch, Hari, the mighty Lord\nof mystic power, then revealed to the son of Pritha his Supreme sovereign\nform, with many mouths and eyes, many wonderous aspects, many celestial\nornaments, many celestial weapons uplifted, wearing celestial garlands\nand robes, (and) with unguents of celestial fragrance, full of every\nwonder, resplendent, infinite, with faces turned on all sides.[250] If\nthe splendour of a thousand suns were to burst forth at once in the sky,\n(then) that would be like the splendour of that Mighty One. The son of\nPandu then beheld there in the body of that God of gods the entire\nuniverse divided and sub-divided into many parts, all collected\ntogether.[251] Then Dhananjaya, filled with amazement, (and) with hair\nstanding on end, bowing with (his) head, with joined hands addressed the\nGod.\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'I behold all the gods, O God, as also all the varied hosts\nof creatures, (and) Brahman seated on (his) lotus seat, and all the\nRishis and the celestial snakes. I behold Thee with innumerable arms,\nstomachs, mouths, (and) eyes, on every side, O thou of infinite forms.\nNeither end nor middle, nor also beginning of thine do I behold, O Lord\nof the universe, O thou of universal form. Bearing (thy) diadem, mace,\nand discus, a mass of energy, glowing on all sides, do I behold thee that\nart hard to look at, endued on all sides with the effulgence of the\nblazing fire or the Sun, (and) immeasurable. Thou art indestructible,\n(and) the Supreme object of this universe. Thou art without decay, the\nguardian of eternal virtue. I regard thee to be the eternal (male) Being.\nI behold thee to be without beginning, mean, end, to be of infinite\nprowess, of innumerable arms, having the Sun and the Moon for thy eyes,\nthe blazing fire for thy mouth, and heating this universe with energy of\nthy own. For the space betwixt heaven and earth is pervaded by Thee\nalone, as also all the points of the horizon. At sight of this marvellous\nand fierce form of thine, O Supreme Soul, the triple world trembleth. For\nthese hosts of gods are entering thee. Some, afraid, are praying with\njoined hands. Saying Hail to Thee--the hosts of great Rishis and Siddhas\npraise Thee with copious hymns of praise.[252] The Rudras, the Adityas,\nthe Vasus, they that (called) the Siddhas, the Viswas, the Aswins, the\nMaruts, also the Ushmapas, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Asuras, the\nhosts of Siddhyas, behold Thee and are all amazed. Beholding Thy mighty\nform with many mouths and eyes, O mighty-armed one, with innumerable\narms, thighs and feet, many stomachs, (and) terrible in consequence of\nmany tusks, all creatures are frightened and I also. Indeed, touching the\nvery skies, of blazing radiance, many-hued, mouth wide-open, with eyes\nthat are blazing and large, beholding thee, O Vishnu, with (my) inner\nsoul trembling (in fright), I can no longer command courage and peace of\nmind. Beholding thy mouths that are terrible in consequence of (their)\ntusks, and that are fierce (as the all-destroying fire at the end of the\nYuga), I cannot recognise the points of the horizon nor can I command\npeace of mind. Be gracious, O God of gods, O thou that art the refuge of\nthe Universe. And all these sons of Dhritarashtra, together with the\nhosts of kings, and Bhishma, and Drona, and also this Suta's son (Karna),\naccompanied by even the principal warriors of our side, are quickly\nentering thy terrible mouths rendered fierce by thy tusks. Some, with\ntheir heads crushed, are seen striking at the interstices of (thy) teeth.\nAs many currents of water flowing through different channels roll rapidly\ntowards the ocean, so these heroes of the world of men enter thy mouths\nthat flame all around. As moths with increasing speed rush for (their\nown) destruction to the blazing fire, so also do (these) people, with\nunceasing speed, enter thy mouths for (their) destruction. Swallowing all\nthese men from every side, thou lickest them with thy flaming mouths.\nFilling the whole universe with (thy) energy, thy fierce splendours, O\nVishnu, are heating (everything). Tell me who thou art of (such) fierce\nform. I bow to thee, O chief of the gods, be gracious to me. I desire to\nknow thee that art the Primeval One, I do not understand thy action.'[253]\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'I am Death, the destroyer of the worlds, fully\ndeveloped. I am now engaged in slaying the race of men. Without thee all\nthese warriors standing in the different divisions shall cease to\nbe.[254] Wherefore, arise, gain glory, (and) vanquishing the foe, enjoy\n(this) swelling kingdom. By me have all these been already slain. Be only\n(my) instrument. O thou that can'st draw the bow with (even) the left\nhand. Drona and Bhishma, and Jayadratha, and Karna, and also other heroic\nwarriors, (already) slain by me, do thou slay. Be not dismayed, fight;\nthou shalt conquer in battle (thy) foes.'\"\n\nSanjaya continued,--\"Hearing these words of Kesava, the diadem-decked\n(Arjuna), trembling, (and) with joined hands, bowed (unto him); and once\nmore said unto Krishna, with voice choked up and overwhelmed with fear,\nand making his salutations (to him).--\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'It is meet, Hrishikesa, that the universe is delighted and\ncharmed in uttering thy praise, and the Rakshasas flee in fear in all\ndirections, and the hosts of the Siddhas bow down (to thee). And why\nshould they not bow down to thee, O Supreme Soul, that are greater than\neven Brahman (himself), and the primal cause? O thou that art Infinite, O\nGod of the gods, O thou that art the refuge of the universe, thou art\nindestructible, thou art that which is, and that which is not and that\nwhich is beyond (both). Thou art the First God, the ancient (male) Being,\nthou art the Supreme refuge of this universe. Thou art the Knower, thou\nart the Object to be known, thou art the highest abode. By thee is\npervaded this universe, O thou of infinite form.[255] Thou art Vayu,\nYama, Agni, Varuna, Moon, Prajapati, and Grandsire. Obeisance be to thee\na thousand times, and again and yet again obeisance to thee. Obeisance to\nthee in front, and also from behind. Let obeisance be to thee from every\nside, O thou that art all. Thou art all, of energy that is infinite, and\nprowess that is immeasurable. Thou embracest the All. Regarding (thee) a\nfriend whatever hath been said by me carelessly, such as--\"O Krishna, O\nYadava, O friend,\"--not knowing this thy greatness from want of judgement\nor from love either, whatever disrespect hath been shown thee for purpose\nof mirth, on occasions of play, lying, sitting, (or) at meals, while\nalone or in the presence of others, O undeteriorating one, I beg thy\npardon for it, that art immeasurable. Thou art the father of this\nuniverse of mobiles and immobiles. Thou art the great master deserving of\nworship. There is none equal to thee, how can there be one greater? O\nthou whose power is unparalleled in even three worlds?[256] Therefore\nbowing (to thee) prostrating (my) body, I ask thy grace, O Lord, O\nadorable one. It behoveth thee, O God, to bear (my faults) as a father\n(his) son's, a friend (his) friend's, a lover (his) loved one's.\nBeholding (thy) form (unseen) before, I have been joyful, (yet) my mind\nhath been troubled, with fear. Show me that (other ordinary) form, O God.\nBe gracious, O Lord of the gods, O thou that art the refuge of the\nuniverse. (Decked) in diadem, and (armed) with mace, discus in hand, as\nbefore, I desire to behold thee. Be of that same four-armed form, O thou\nof a thousand arms, thou of universal form.'\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'Pleased with thee, O Arjuna, I have, by my (own)\nmystic power, shown thee this supreme form, full of glory, Universal,\nInfinite, Primeval, which hath been seen before by none save thee. Except\nby thee alone, hero of Kuru's race, I cannot be seen in this form in the\nworld of men by any one else, (aided) even by the study of the Vedas and\nof sacrifices, by gifts, by actions, (or) by the severest\nausterities.[257] Let no fear be thine, nor perplexity of mind at seeing\nthis awful form of mine. Freed from fear with a joyful heart, thou again\nsee Me assuming that other form.'\"\n\nSanjaya continued,--\"Vasudeva, having said all this to Arjuna, once more\nshowed (him) his own (ordinary) form, and that High-Souled one, assuming\nonce more (his) gentle form, comforted him who had been afflicted.\"\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'Beholding this gentle human form of thine, O Janardana, I\nhave now become of right mind and have come to my normal state.'\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'This form of mine which thou hast seen is difficult\nof being seen. Even the gods are always desirous of becoming spectators\nof this (my) form. Not by the Vedas, nor by austerities, nor by gifts,\nnor by sacrifices, can I be seen in this form of mine which thou hast\nseen. By reverence, however, that is exclusive (in its objects), O\nArjuna, I can in this form be known, seen truly, and attained to, O\nchastiser of foes. He who doth everything for me, who hath me for his\nsupreme object, who is freed from attachment, who is without enmity\ntowards all beings, even he, O Arjuna, cometh to me.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVI\n [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter XII)]\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'Of those worshippers who, constantly devoted, adore thee,\nand those who (meditate) on thee as the Immutable and Unmanifest, who are\nbest acquainted with devotion?'\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'Fixing (their) mind on me, they that constantly\nadore me, being endued (besides) with the highest faith, are deemed by me\nto be the most devoted. They, however, who worship the Immutable, the\nUnmanifest, the All-pervading, the Inconceivable, the Indifferent, the\nImmutable, the Eternal, who, restraining the entire group of the senses,\nare equal-minded in respect of all around and are engaged in the good of\nall creatures, (also) attain to me. The trouble is the greater for those\nwhose minds are fixed on the Unmanifest; for the path to the Unmanifest\nis hard to find by those that are embodied. They (again) who, reposing\nall action on me (and) regarding me as their highest object (of\nattainment), worship me, meditating on me with devotion undirected to\nanything else, of them whose minds are (thus) fixed on me, I, without\ndelay, become the deliverer from the ocean of (this) mortal world. Fix\nthy heart on me alone, place thy understanding on me, Hereafter then\nshalt thou dwell in me. (There is) no doubt (in this).[258] If however,\nthou art unable to fix thy heart steadily on me, then, O Dhananjaya,\nstrive to obtain me by devotion (arising) from continuous application. If\nthou beest unequal to even (this) continuous application, then let\nactions performed for me be thy highest aim. Even performing all thy acts\nfor my sake, thou wilt obtain perfection. If even this thou art unable to\ndo, then resorting to devotion in me, (and) subduing thy soul, abandon\nthe fruit of all actions. Knowledge is superior to application (in\ndevotion); meditation is better than knowledge; the abandonment of the\nfruit of reaction (is better) than meditation; and tranquillity (results)\nimmediately from abandonment. He who hath no hatred for any creature, who\nis friendly and compassionate also, who is free from egoism, who hath no\nvanity, attachment, who is alike in pleasure and pain, who is forgiving,\ncontented, always devoted, of subdued soul, firm of purpose, with heart\nand understanding fixed on me, even he is dear to me. He through whom the\nworld is not troubled, (and) who is not troubled by the world, who is\nfree from joy, wrath, fear and anxieties, even he is dear to me. That\ndevotee of mine who is unconcerned, pure, diligent, unconnected (with\nworldly objects), and free from distress (of mind), and who renounceth\nevery action (for fruit), even he is dear to me.[259] He who hath no joy,\nno aversion, who neither grieveth nor desireth, who renounceth both good\nand evil, (and) who is full of faith in me, even he is dear to me. He who\nis alike to friend and foe, as also in honour and dishonour, who is alike\nin cold and heat, (and pleasure and pain), who is free from attachment,\nto whom censure and praise are equal, who is taciturn, who is contented\nwith anything that cometh (to him), who is homeless, of steady mind and\nfull of faith, even that man is dear to me. They who resort to this\nrighteousness (leading to) immortality which hath been (already)\ndeclared,--those devotees full of faith and regarding me as the highest\nobject (of their acquisition) are the dearest to me.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVII\n [(Bhagavad Gita, Chapter XIII)]\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'This body, O son of Kunti, is called Kshetra. Him\nwho knoweth it, the learned call Kshetrajna.[260] Know me, O Bharata, to\nbe Kshetras. The knowledge of Kshetra and Kshetrajna I regard to be\n(true) knowledge. What that Kshetra (is), and what (it is) like, and what\nchanges it undergoes, and whence (it comes), what is he (viz.,\nKshetrajna), and what his powers are, hear from me in brief. All this\nhath in many ways been sung separately, by Rishis in various verses, in\nwell-settled texts fraught with reason and giving indications of Brahman.\nThe great elements, egoism, intellect, the unmanifest (viz., Prakriti),\nalso the ten senses, the one (manas), the five objects of sense, desire,\naversion, pleasure, pain, body consciousness, courage,--all this in brief\nhath been declared to be Kshetra in its modified form. Absence of vanity,\nabsence of ostentation, abstention from injury, forgiveness, uprightness,\ndevotion to preceptor, purity, constancy, self-restraint, indifference to\nobjects of sense, absence of egoism, perception of the misery and evil of\nbirth, death, decrepitude and disease,[261] freedom from attachment,\nabsence of sympathy for son, wife, home, and the rest, and constant\nequanimity of heart on attainment of good and evil, unswerving devotion\nto me without meditation on anything else, frequenting of lonely places,\ndistaste for concourse of men,[262] constancy in the knowledge of the\nrelation of the individual self to the supreme, perception of the object\nof the knowledge of truth,--all this is called Knowledge; all that which\nis contrary to this is Ignorance.[263] That which is the object of\nknowledge I will (now) declare (to thee), knowing which one obtaineth\nimmortality. [It is] the Supreme Brahma having no beginning, who is said\nto be neither existent nor non-existent; whose hands and feet are on all\nsides, whose eyes, heads and faces are on all sides, who dwells pervading\neverything in the world, who is possessed of all the qualities of the\nsenses (though) devoid of the senses, without attachment (yet) sustaining\nall things, without attributes (yet) enjoying (a) all attributes,[264]\nwithout and within all creatures, immobile and mobile, not knowable\nbecause of (his) subtlety, remote yet near, undistributed in all beings,\n(yet) remaining as if distributed, who is the sustainer of (all) beings,\nthe absorber and the creator (of all); who is the light of all luminous\nbodies, who is said to be beyond all darkness; who is knowledge, the\nObject of knowledge, the End of knowledge and seated in the hearts of\nall. Thus Kshetra, and Knowledge, and the Object of Knowledge, have been\ndeclared (to thee) in brief. My devotee, knowing (all) this, becomes one\nin spirit with me. Know that Nature and Spirit are both without beginning\n(and) know (also) that all modifications and all qualities spring from\nNature.[265] Nature is said to be the source of the capacity of enjoying\npleasures and pains.[266] For Spirit, dwelling in nature enjoyeth the\nqualities born of Nature. The cause of its births in good or evil wombs\nis (its) connection with the qualities.[267] The Supreme Purusha in this\nbody is said to be surveyor, approver, supporter, enjoyer, the mighty\nlord, and also the Supreme Soul.[268] He who thus knows Spirit, and\nNature, with the qualities, in whatever state he may be, is never born\nagain. Some by meditation behold the self in the self by the self; others\nby devotion according to the Sankhya system; and others (again), by\ndevotion through works. Others yet not knowing this, worship, hearing of\nit from others. Even these, devoted to what is heard, cross over\ndeath.[269] Whatever entity, immobile or mobile, cometh into existence,\nknow that, O bull of Bharata's race, to be from the connection of Kshetra\nand Kshetrajna (matter and spirit). He seeth the Supreme Lord dwelling\nalike in all beings, the Imperishable in the Perishable. For seeing the\nLord dwelling alike everywhere, one doth not destroy[270] himself by\nhimself, and then reacheth the highest goal. He seeth (truly) who seeth\nall actions to be wrought by nature alone in every way and the self\nlikewise to be not the doer. When one seeth the diversity of entities as\nexisting in one, and the issue (everything) from that (One), then is one\nsaid to attain to Brahma. This inexhaustible Supreme Self, O son of\nKunti, being without beginning and without attributes, doth not act, nor\nis stained even when stationed in the body. As space, which is\nubiquitous, is never, in consequence of its subtlety tainted, so the\nsoul, stationed in every body, is never tainted.[271] As the single Sun\nlights up the entire world, so the Spirit, O Bharata, lights up the\nentire (sphere of) matters. They that, by the eye of knowledge, know the\ndistinction between matter and spirit, and the deliverance from the\nnature of all entities, attain to the Supreme.'\"[272]\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVIII\n [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter XIV)]\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'I will again declare (to thee) that supernal science\nof sciences, that excellent science, knowing which all the munis have\nattained to the highest perfection from (the fetters of) this body.[273]\nResorting to this science, and attaining to my nature, they are not\nreborn even on (the occasion of) a (new) creation and are not disturbed\nat the universal dissolution. The mighty Brahma is a womb for me. Therein\nI place the (living) germ. Thence, O Bharata, the birth of all beings\ntaketh place. Whatever (bodily) forms, O son of Kunti, are born in all\nwombs, of them Brahma is the mighty womb, (and) I the seed-imparting\nSire.[274] Goodness, passion, darkness, these qualities, born of nature,\nbind down, O thou of mighty arms, the eternal embodied [soul] in the\nbody.[275] Amongst these, Goodness, from its unsullied nature, being\nenlightening and free from misery, bindeth (the soul), O sinless one,\nwith the attainment of happiness and of knowledge. Know that passion,\nhaving desire for its essence, is born of thirst and attachment. That, O\nson of Kunti, bindeth the embodied (soul) by the attachment of work.\nDarkness, however, know, is born of ignorance, (and) bewilders all\nembodied [soul]. That bindeth, O Bharata, by error, indolence, and sleep.\nGoodness uniteth (the soul) with pleasure; Passion, O Bharata, uniteth\nwith work; but darkness, veiling knowledge, uniteth with error. Passion\nand darkness, being repressed, Goodness remaineth, O Bharata. Passion and\ngoodness (being repressed), darkness (remaineth); (and) darkness and\ngoodness (being repressed), passion (remaineth). When in this body, in\nall its gates, the light of knowledge is produced, then should one know\nthat goodness hath been developed there. Avarice, activity, performance\nof works, want of tranquillity, desire,--these, O bull of Bharata's race,\nare born when passion is developed. Gloom, inactivity, error, and\ndelusion also,--these, O son of Kuru's race, are born when darkness is\ndeveloped. When the holder of a body goeth to dissolution while goodness\nis developed, then he attaineth to the spotless regions of those that\nknow the Supreme. Going to dissolution when passion prevails, one is born\namong those that are attached to work. Likewise, dissolved during\ndarkness, one is born in wombs that beget the ignorant. The fruit of good\naction is said to be good and untainted. The fruit, however, of passion,\nis misery; (and) the fruit of Darkness is ignorance. From goodness is\nproduced knowledge; from passion, avarice; (and) from darkness are error\nand delusion, and also ignorance. They that dwell in goodness go on high;\nthey that are addicted to passion dwell in the middle; (while) they that\nare of darkness, being addicted to the lowest quality, go down. When an\nobserver recognises none else to be an agent save the qualities, and\nknows that which is beyond (the qualities), he attaineth to my nature.\nThe embodied [soul], by transcending these three qualities which\nconstitute the source of all bodies, enjoyeth immortality, being freed\nfrom birth, death, decrepitude, and misery.'[276]\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'What are indications, O Lord, of one who hath transcended\nthese three qualities? What is his conduct? How also doth one transcend\nthese three qualities?'\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'He who hath no aversion for light, activity, and\neven delusion, O son of Pandu, when they are present, nor desireth them\nwhen they are absent,[277] who, seated as one unconcerned, is not shaken\nby those qualities; who sitteth and moveth not, thinking that it is the\nqualities (and not he) that are engaged (in their respective functions);\nto whom pain and pleasure are alike, who is self-contained, and to whom a\nsod of earth, a stone, and gold are alike; to whom the agreeable and the\ndisagreeable are the same; who hath discernment; to whom censure and\npraise are the same; to whom honour and dishonour are the same; who\nregardeth friend and foe alike; who hath renounced all exertion--is said\nto have transcended the qualities. He also who worshippeth Me with\nexclusive devotion, he, transcending those qualities, becometh fit for\nadmission into the nature of Brahma. For I am the stay of Brahma, of\nimmortality, of undestructibility, of eternal piety, and of unbroken\nfelicity.'\"[278]\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIX\n [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter XV)]\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'They say that the Aswattha, having its roots above\nand branches below, is eternal, its leaves are the Chhandas. He who\nknoweth it, knoweth the Vedas.[279] Downwards and upwards are stretched\nits branches which are enlarged by the qualities; its sprouts are the\nobjects of senses. Downwards its roots, leading to action, are extended\nto this world of men.[280] Its form cannot here (below) be thus known,\nnor (its) end, nor (its) beginning, nor (its) support. Cutting, with the\nhard weapon of unconcern, this Aswattha of roots firmly fixed, then\nshould one seek for that place repairing whither one returneth not again\n(thinking)--\"I will seek the protection of that Primeval Sire from whom\nthe ancient course of (worldly) life hath flowed.\"--Those that are free\nfrom pride and delusion, that have subdued the evil of attachment, that\nare steady in the contemplation of the relation of the Supreme to the\nindividual self, from whom desire hath departed, freed from the pairs of\nopposites known by the names of pleasure and pain (and the like), repair,\nundeluded, to that eternal seat. The sun lighteth not that [seat], nor\nthe moon, nor fire. Whither going none returneth, that is my supreme\nseat. An eternal portion of Me is that which, becoming an individual soul\nin the world of life, draweth to itself the (five) senses with the mind\nas the sixth which all depend on nature. When the sovereign (of this\nbodily frame) assumeth or quitteth (a) body, it departeth taking away\nthese, like the wind (taking away) perfumes from their seats. Presiding\nover the ear, the eye, (the organs of) touch, taste, and smell, and also\nover the mind, he enjoyeth all objects of senses. They that are deluded\ndo not see (him) when quitting or abiding in (the body), when enjoying or\njoined to the qualities. They (however) see that have the eye of\nknowledge.[281] Devotees exerting (towards that end) behold him dwelling\nin themselves. They (however) that are senseless and whose minds are not\nrestrained, behold him not, even while exerting (themselves).[282] That\nsplendour dwelling in the sun which illumines the vast universe, that\n(which is) in the moon, and that (which is) in the fire, know that\nsplendour to be mine. Entering into the earth I uphold creatures by my\nforce; and becoming the juicy moon I nourish all herbs.[283] Myself\nbecoming the vital heat (Vaiswanara) residing in the bodies of creatures\nthat breathe, (and) uniting with the upward and the downward\nlife-breaths, I digest the four kinds of food.[284] I am seated in the\nhearts of all. From Me are memory and knowledge and the loss of both. I\nam the objects of knowledge to be known by (the aid of) all the Vedas. I\nam the author of the Vedantas, and I alone am the knower of the\nVedas.[285] There are these two entities in the world, viz., the mutable\nand the immutable. The mutable is all (these) creatures. The unchangeable\none is called the immutable.[286] But there is another, the Supreme\nBeing, called Paramatman, who was the Eternal Lord, pervading the three\nworlds, sustaineth (them) (and) since I transcend the mutable, and am\nhigher than even the immutable; for this I am celebrated in the world\n(among men) and in the Veda as Purushottama (the Highest Being). He who,\nwithout being deluded, knoweth Me as this Highest Being,--he knowing all,\nO Bharata, worshippeth Me in every way.[287] Thus, O sinless one, hath\nthis knowledge, forming the greatest of mysteries, been declared by Me\n(to thee). Knowing this, O Bharata, one will become gifted with\nintelligence, and will have done all he needs do.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XL\n [(Bhagavad Gita Chapter XVI)]\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'Fearlessness, purity of heart, perseverance in (the\npursuit of) knowledge and Yoga meditation, gifts, self-restraint,\nsacrifice, study of the Vedas, ascetic penances, uprightness,[288]\nabstention from injury, truth, freedom from anger, renunciation,\ntranquillity, freedom from reporting other's faults, compassion for all\ncreatures, absence of covetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence of\nrestlessness, vigour, forgiveness, firmness, cleanliness, absence of\nquarrelsomeness, freedom from vanity,--these become his, O Bharata, who\nis born to godlike possessions. Hypocrisy, pride, conceit, wrath,\nrudeness and ignorance, are, O son of Pritha, his who is born to demoniac\npossessions. God-like possessions are deemed to be for deliverance; the\ndemoniac for bondage. Grieve not, O son of Pandu, for thou art born to\ngod-like possessions. (There are) two kinds of created beings in this\nworld, viz., the god-like and the demoniac. The god-like have been\ndescribed at length. Hear now, from me, O son of Pritha, about the\ndemoniac. Persons of demoniac nature know not inclination or\ndisinclination. Neither purity, nor good conduct, nor truth exist in\nthem.[289] They say that the universe is void of truth, of guiding\nprinciple, (and) of ruler; produced by the union of one another (male and\nfemale) from lust, and nothing else. Depending on this view, these men of\nlost selves, little intelligence, and fierce deeds, these enemies (of the\nworld), are born for the destruction of the universe.[290] Cherishing\ndesires that are insatiable, and endued with hypocrisy, conceit and\nfolly, they adopt false notions through delusion and engage in unholy\npractices. Cherishing boundless thoughts limited by death (alone), and\nregarding the enjoyment of (their) desires as the highest end, they are\npersuaded that that is all. Fettered by the hundred nooses of hope,\naddicted to lust and wrath, they covet to obtain this wealth\nto-day,--This I will obtain later,--This wealth I have,--This (wealth)\nwill be mine in addition,--This foe hath been slain by me,--I will slay\neven others,--I am lord,--I am the enjoyer,--I am successful, powerful,\nhappy,--I am rich and of noble birth,--Who else is there that is like\nme?--I will sacrifice,--I will make gifts,--I will be merry,--thus\ndeluded by ignorance, tossed about by numerous thoughts, enveloped in\nthe meshes of delusion, attached to the enjoyment of objects of desire,\nthey sink into foul hell. Self-conceited, stubborn, filled with the pride\nand intoxication of wealth, they perform sacrifices that are nominally\nso, with hypocrisy and against the (prescribed) ordinance. Wedded to\nvanity, power, pride, lust and wrath, these revilers hate Me in their own\nbodies and those of others. These haters (of Me), cruel, the vilest among\nmen, and unholy, I hurl continually down into demoniac wombs. Coming into\ndemoniac wombs, deluded birth after birth, they, O son of Kunti, without\nattaining to Me go down to the vilest state. Three-fold is the way to\nhell, ruinous to the self, viz., lust, wrath, likewise avarice.\nTherefore, these three, one should renounce. Freed from these three gates\nof darkness, a man, O son of Kunti, works out his own welfare, and then\nrepairs to his highest goal. He who, abandoning the ordinances of the\nscriptures, acts only under the impulses of desire, never attains to\nperfection, nor happiness, nor the highest goal. Therefore, the\nscriptures should be thy authority in determining what should be done and\nwhat should not be done. It behoveth thee to do work here, having\nascertained what hath been declared by the ordinances of the scriptures.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLI\n [(Bhagavad Gita, Chapter XVII)]\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'What is the state, O Krishna, of those who abandoning the\nordinance of the scriptures, perform sacrifices endued with faith? It is\none of Goodness, or Passion, or Darkness?'\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'The faith of embodied (creatures) is of three kinds.\nIt is (also) born of their (individual) natures. It is good, passionate,\nand dark. Hear now these. The faith of one, O Bharata, is conformable to\nhis own nature. A being here is full of faith; and whatever is one's\nfaith, one is even that. They that are of the quality of goodness worship\nthe gods; they that are of the quality of passion (worship) the Yakshas\nand the Rakshasas; other people that are of the quality of darkness\nworship departed spirits and hosts of Bhutas. Those people who practise\nsevere ascetic austerities not ordained by the scriptures, are given up\nto hypocrisy and pride, and endued with desire of attachment, and\nviolence,--those persons possessed of no discernment, torturing the\ngroups of organs in (their) bodies and Me also seated within (those)\nbodies,--should be known to be of demoniac resolves. Food which is dear\nto all is of three kinds. Sacrifice, penance, and gifts are likewise (of\nthree kinds). Listen to their distinctions as follows. Those kinds of\nfood that increase life's period, energy, strength, health, well-being,\nand joy, which are savoury, oleaginous, nutritive, and agreeable, are\nliked by God. Those kinds of food which are bitter, sour, salted,\nover-hot, pungent, dry, and burning, and which produce pain, grief and\ndisease, are desired by the passionate. The food which is cold, without\nsavour, stinking and corrupt, and which is even refuse, and filthy, is\ndear to men of darkness. That sacrifice is good which, being prescribed\nby the ordinance, is performed by persons, without any longing for the\nfruit (thereof) and the mind being determined (to it under the belief)\nthat its performance is a duty. But that which is performed in\nexpectation of fruit and even for the sake of ostentation, know that\nsacrifice, O chief of the sons of Bharata, to be of the quality of\npassion. That sacrifice which is against the ordinance, in which no food\nis dealt out, which is devoid of mantras (sacred verse), in which no fees\nare paid to the brahmanas assisting to it, and which is void of faith, is\nsaid to be of the quality of darkness. Reverence to the gods, regenerate\nones, preceptors, and men of knowledge, purity, uprightness, the\npractices of a Brahmacharin, and abstention from injury, are said to\nconstitute the penance of the body. The speech which causeth no\nagitation, which is true, which is agreeable and beneficial, and the\ndiligent study of the Vedas, are said to be the penance of speech.\nSerenity of the mind, gentleness, taciturnity, self-restraint, and purity\nof the disposition,--these are said to be the penance of the mind. This\nthree-fold penance performed with perfect faith, by men without desire of\nfruit, and with devotion, is said to be of the quality of goodness. That\npenance which is performed for the sake of (gaining) respect, honour, and\nreverence, with hypocrisy, (and) which is unstable and transient is said\nto be of the quality of passion. That penance which is performed under a\ndeluded conviction, with torture of one's self, and for the destruction\nof another, is said to be of the quality of darkness. That gift which is\ngiven because it ought to be given, to one who cannot return any service\nfor it, in a proper time, and to a proper person, is said to be of the\nquality of goodness. That, however, which is given reluctantly, for\nreturn of services (past or expected), or even with an eye to\nfruit,--that gift is said to be of the quality of passion. In an unfit\nplace and at an unfit time, the gift that is made to an unworthy object,\nwithout respect, and with contempt, is said to be of the quality of\ndarkness. OM, TAT, SAT, this is said to be the three-fold designation of\nBrahma. By that (Brahma), the Brahmanas and the Vedas, and the\nSacrifices, were ordained of old. Therefore, uttering the syllable OM,\nthe sacrifices, gifts, and penances, prescribed by the ordinance, of all\nutterers of Brahma begin. Uttering TAT, the various rites of sacrifice,\npenance, and gifts, without expectation of fruit, are performed by those\nthat are desirous of deliverance. SAT is employed to denote existence and\ngoodness. Likewise, O son of Pritha, the word SAT is used in any\nauspicious act. Constancy in sacrifices, in penances and in gifts, is\nalso called SAT, and an act, too, for the sake of That is called\nSAT.[291] Whatever oblation is offered (to the fire), whatever is given\naway, whatever penance is performed, whatever is done, without faith, is,\nO son of Pritha, said to be the opposite of SAT; and that is nought both\nhere and hereafter.'\"[292]\n\n\n\nSECTION XLII\n [(Bhagavad Gita, Chapter XVIII)]\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'Of renunciation, O thou of mighty arms, I desire to know\nthe true nature, and also of abandonment, O lord of the senses\ndistinctly, O slayer of Kesi.'[293]\n\n\"The Holy One said, 'The rejection of the works with desire is known by\nthe learned as renunciation. The abandonment of the fruit of all work,\nthe discerning call abandonment. Some wise men say that work (itself)\nshould be abandoned as evil; others (say) that the works of sacrifice,\ngifts, and penance, should not be abandoned. As to that abandonment,\nlisten to my decision, O best of the sons of Bharata, for abandonment, O\ntiger among men, hath been declared to be of three kinds. The works of\nsacrifice, gifts, and penance should not be abandoned. They should,\nindeed, be done. Sacrifice, gift, and penance, are the purifications of\nthe wise. But even those works should be done, abandoning attachment and\nfruit. This, O son of Pritha, is my excellent and decided opinion. The\nrenunciation of an act prescribed (in the scriptures) is not proper. Its\nabandonment (is) from delusion, (and) is (therefore,) declared to be of\nthe quality of darkness.[294] (Regarding it) as (a source of) sorrow,\nwhen work is abandoned from (fear of) bodily pain, one making such an\nabandonment which is of the quality of passion never obtaineth the fruit\nof abandonment. (Regarding it) as one that should be done, when[295] work\nthat is prescribed (in the scriptures) is done, O Arjuna, abandoning\nattachment and fruit also, that abandonment is deemed to be of the\nquality of goodness. Possessed of intelligence and with doubts dispelled,\nan abandoner that is endowed with the quality of goodness hath no\naversion for an unpleasant action and no attachment to pleasant\n(ones).[296] Since actions cannot be absolutely abandoned by an embodied\nperson, (therefore) he who abandons the fruit of actions is truly said to\nbe an abandoner. Evil, good and mixed-action hath (this) three-fold fruit\nhereafter for those that do not abandon. But there is none whatever for\nthe renouncer.[297] Listen from me, O thou of mighty arms, to those five\ncauses for the completion of all actions, declared in the Sankhya\ntreating of the annihilation of actions.[298] (They are) substratum,\nagent, the diverse kinds of organs, the diverse efforts severally, and\nwith them the deities as the fifth.[299] With body, speech, or mind,\nwhatever work, just or the reverse, a man undertakes, these five are its\ncauses. That being so, he that, owing to an unrefined understanding,\nbeholdeth his own self as solely the agent, he, dull in mind, beholdeth\nnot. He that hath no feeling of egoism, whose mind is not sullied, he,\neven killing all these people, killeth not, nor is fettered (by\naction).[300]--Knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the knower, form\nthe three-fold impulse of action. Instrument, action, and the agent, form\nthe three-fold complement of action.[301] Knowledge, action, and agent,\nare declared in the enumeration of qualities to be three-fold, according\nto the difference of qualities. Listen to those also duly.[302] That by\nwhich One Eternal Essence is viewed in all things, undivided in the\ndivided, know that to be knowledge having the quality of goodness. That\nknowledge which discerneth all things as diverse essences of different\nkinds in consequence of their separateness, know that that knowledge hath\nthe quality of passion. But that which is attached to (each) single\nobject as if it were the whole, which is without reason, without truth,\nand mean, that knowledge hath been said to be of the quality of darkness.\nThe action which is prescribed (by the scriptures), (done) without\nattachment, performed without desires and aversion, by one who longeth\nnot for (its) fruit, is said to be of the quality of goodness. But that\naction which is done by one seeking objects of desire, or by one filled\nwith egoism, and which is attended with great trouble, is said to be of\nthe quality of passion. That action which is undertaken from delusion,\nwithout regard to consequences, loss, injury (to others), and (one's own)\npower also, is said to be of the quality of passion. The agent who is\nfree from attachment, who never speaketh of himself, who is endued with\nconstancy and energy, and is unmoved by success and defeat, is said to be\nof the quality of goodness. The agent who is full of affections, who\nwisheth for the fruit of actions, who is covetous, endued with cruelty,\nand impure, and who feeleth joy and sorrow, is declared to be of the\nquality of passion.[303] The agent who is void of application, without\ndiscernment, obstinate, deceitful, malicious, slothful, desponding, and\nprocrastinating, is said to be of the quality of darkness.[304] Hear now,\nO Dhananjaya, the three-fold division of intellect and constancy,\naccording to their qualities, which I am about to declare exhaustively\nand distinctly. The intellect which knoweth action and inaction, what\nought to be done and what ought not to be done, fear and fearlessness,\nbondage and deliverance, is, O son of Pritha, of the quality of goodness.\nThe intellect by which one imperfectly discerneth right and wrong, that\nwhich ought to be done and that which ought not to be done, is, O son of\nPritha, of the quality of passion. That intellect which, shrouded by\ndarkness, regardeth wrong to be right, and all things as reversed, is, O\nson of Pritha, of the quality of darkness. That unswerving constancy by\nwhich one controls the functions of the mind, the life-breaths, and the\nsenses, through devotion, that constancy, is, O son of Pritha, of the\nquality of goodness.[305] But that constancy, O Arjuna, by which one\nholds to religion, desire, and profit, through attachment, desiring\nfruit, that constancy, O son of Pritha, is of the quality of passion.\nThat through which an undiscerning person abandons not sleep, fear,\nsorrow, despondency, and folly, that constancy is deemed to be of the\nquality of darkness. Hear now from me, O bull of Bharata's race, of the\nthree kinds of happiness. That in which one findeth pleasure from\nrepetition (of enjoyment), which bringeth an end to pain, which is like\npoison first but resembleth nectar in the end, that happiness born of the\nserenity produced by a knowledge of self, is said to be of the quality of\ngoodness.[306] That which is from the contact of the senses with their\nobjects which resembleth nectar first but is like poison in the end, that\nhappiness is held to be of the quality of passion. That happiness which\nin the beginning and its consequences deludeth the soul, and springeth\nfrom sleep, indolence, and stupidity, that is described to be of the\nquality of darkness. There is not, either on earth or heaven among the\ngods, the entity that is free from these three qualities born of nature.\nThe duties of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas, and of Sudras also, O\nchastiser of foes, are distinguished by (these three) qualities born of\nnature. Tranquillity, self-restraint, ascetic austerities, purity,\nforgiveness, rectitude, knowledge, experience, and belief (in an\nexistence hereafter),--these are the duties of Brahmanas, born of (their\nproper) nature. Bravery, energy, firmness, skill, not flying away from\nbattle, liberality, the bearing of a ruler,--these are the duties of\nKshatriyas, born of (their proper) nature. Agriculture, tending of\ncattle, and trade, are the natural duties of Vaisyas. Of Sudras also, the\nnatural duty consists in servitude. Every man, engaged in his own duties,\nattains to perfection. Hear now how one obtains perfection by application\nto his duties. Him from whom are the movements of all beings, Him by whom\nall this is pervaded, worshipping him by (the performance of) one's own\nduty, one obtaineth perfection. Better is one's own duty though performed\nfaultily than another's duty well-performed. Performing the duty\nprescribed by (one's own) nature, one incurreth no sin. One must not\nabandon, O son of Kunti, one's natural duty though tainted with evil, for\nall actions are enveloped by evil like fire by smoke. He whose mind is\nunattached everywhere, who hath subdued his self, and whose desire hath\ndeparted, obtaineth, through renunciation, the supreme perfection of\nfreedom from work. Learn from me, only in brief, O son of Kunti, how one,\nhaving obtained (this kind of) perfection, attaineth to Brahma which is\nthe supreme end of knowledge. Endued with a pure mind, and restraining\nhis self by constancy, renouncing sound and other objects of sense, and\ncasting off affection and aversion, he who resideth in a lonely place,\neateth little, and restraineth speech, body, and mind, who is ever intent\non meditation and abstraction, who hath recourse to indifference, who,\nabandoning egoism, violence, pride, lust, wrath, and (all) surroundings,\nhath been freed from selfishness and is tranquil (in mind), becometh fit\nfor assimilation with Brahma. Becoming one with Brahma, tranquil in\nspirit, (such a) one grieveth not, desireth not; alike to all beings, he\nobtaineth the highest devotion to Me. By (that) devotion he truly\nunderstandeth Me. What I am, and who I am; then understanding Me truly,\nhe entereth into Me forthwith. Even performing all actions at all times\nhaving refuge in Me, he obtaineth, through my favour, the seat that is\neternal and imperishable. Dedicating in thy heart all actions to Me,\nbeing devoted to Me, resorting to mental abstraction, fix thy thoughts\nconstantly on Me. Fixing thy thoughts on Me, thou wilt surmount all\ndifficulties through my grace. But if from self-conceit thou wilt not\nlisten, thou wilt (then) utterly perish. If, having recourse to\nself-conceit, thou thinkest--I will not fight,--that resolution of thine\nwould be vain, (for) Nature will constrain thee. That which, from\ndelusion, thou dost not wish to do, thou wilt do involuntarily, bound by\nthy own duty springing from (thy own) nature. The Lord, O Arjuna,\ndwelleth in the region of the heart of beings, turning all beings as if\nmounted on a machine, by his illusive power. Seek shelter with Him in\nevery way, O Bharata. Through his grace thou wilt obtain supreme\ntranquillity, the eternal seat. Thus hath been declared to thee by Me the\nknowledge that is more mysterious than any (other) matter. Reflecting on\nit fully, act as thou likest. Once more, listen to my supernal words, the\nmost mysterious of all. Exceedingly dear art thou to Me, therefore, I\nwill declare what is for thy benefit. Set thy heart on Me, become My\ndevotee, sacrifice to Me, bow down to Me. Then shalt thou come to Me. I\ndeclare to thee truly, (for) thou art dear to Me. Forsaking all\n(religious) duties, come to Me as thy sole refuge. I will deliver thee\nfrom all sins. Do not grieve. This is not to be ever declared by thee to\none who practiseth no austerities, to one who is not a devotee, to one\nwho never waiteth on a preceptor, nor yet to one who calumniateth Me. He\nwho shall inculcate this supreme mystery to those that are devoted to Me,\noffering Me the highest devotion, will come to Me, freed from (all his)\ndoubts.[307] Amongst men there is none who can do Me a dearer service\nthan he, nor shall any other on earth be dearer to Me than he. And he who\nwill study this holy converse between us, by him will have been offered\nto Me the sacrifice of knowledge. Such is my opinion. Even the man who,\nwith faith and without cavil, will hear it (read), even he freed (from\nre-birth), will obtain of the blessed regions of those that perform pious\nacts. Hath this, O son of Pritha, been heard by thee with mind undirected\nto any other objects? Hath thy delusion, (caused) by ignorance, been\ndestroyed, O Dhananjaya?'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'My delusion hath been destroyed, and the recollection (of\nwhat I am) hath been gained by me, O Undeteriorating one, through thy\nfavour. I am now firm. My doubts have been dispelled. I will do thy\nbidding.'\"\n\nSanjaya continued, \"Thus I heard this converse between Vasudeva and the\nhigh-souled son of Pritha, (that is) wonderful and causeth the hair to\nstand on end. Through Vyasa's favour heard I this supreme mystery, this\n(doctrine of) Yoga, from Krishna himself, the Lord of Yoga, who declared\nit in person. O King recollecting and (again) recollecting this wonderful\n(and) holy converse of Kesava and Arjuna, I rejoice over and over again.\nRecollecting again and again that wonderful form also of Hari, great is\nmy amazement, O king, and I rejoice ever more. Thither where Krishna, the\nLord of Yoga (is), thither where the great bowman (Partha) is, thither,\nin my opinion, are prosperity, and victory, and greatness, and eternal\njustice[308]\"\n\n[End of the Bhagavad Gita]\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIII\n\nSanjaya said,--\"Beholding Dhananjaya then to take up once again (his)\narrows and Gandiva, the mighty car-warriors (of the Pandava party)\nuttered a tremendous shout. And those heroes, viz., the Pandavas and the\nSomakas, and those who followed them, filled with joy, blew their\nsea-born conches. And drums, and Pesis, and Karkachas, and cow-horns were\nbeaten and blown together, and the uproar made was very loud. And then, O\nruler of men, there came the gods, with Gandharvas and the Pitris, and\nthe hosts of Siddhas and Charanas, from desire of witnessing (the sight).\nAnd Rishis highly blessed came there in a body with him (Indra) of a\nhundred sacrifices at their head, for beholding that great slaughter.\nThen, O king, beholding the two armies, that looked like two oceans,\nready for the encounter and continuously moving, the heroic king\nYudhishthira, the Just, putting off his coat of mail and casting aside\nhis excellent weapon and quickly descending from his car, with joined\nhands, proceeded on foot, eyeing the grandsire, with restrained speech,\nfacing the east, towards the direction where the hostile host was\n(standing).[309] And seeing him proceed (thus), Dhananjaya, the son of\nKunti, speedily alighting from his car, followed him, accompanied by his\n(other) brothers. And the Lord Vasudeva also followed him behind. And the\nprincipal kings too (of his army), filled with anxiety, followed in the\nsame path.\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'What is this act of thine, O king, that abandoning thy\nbrothers, thou proceedest on foot, face eastwards, to the hostile host?'\n\n\"Bhimasena said, 'Where wilt thou go, O king of kings, having cast off\nthy coat of mail and weapons, towards the warriors of the foe cased in\nmail, and leaving thy brothers, O ruler of earth?'\n\n\"Nakula said, 'Thou art my eldest brother, O Bharata, (beholding) thee\nproceeding in this way, fear troubleth my bosom. Tell (us), whither wilt\nthou go?'\n\n\"Sahadeva said, 'When these hostile divisions, terrible and numerous, are\nhere with whom we are to fight, whither dost thou go, O king, in the\ndirection of our foes?'\"\n\nSanjaya continued, \"Though thus addressed by his brothers, O son of\nKuru's race, Yudhishthira of restrained speech said nothing but continued\nto proceed. Unto them (then), the high-souled Vasudeva of great wisdom\nsmilingly said,--'His object is known to me. Having paid his respects to\nall his superiors (such as) Bhishma, Drona, and Kripa, and Salya also, he\nwill fight the foe. It is heard in histories of olden times that he who,\nhaving paid his respects according to the ordinance unto his preceptors,\nrevered in years and his kinsmen, fighteth with those that are his\nsuperiors, is sure to obtain victory in battle. Even that is my\nopinion.'--When Krishna was saying this, among the ranks of\nDhritarashtra's son, a loud uproar of Alas, and Oh arose, but the other\n(army) remained perfectly still. Beholding Yudhishthira, the heroic\nwarriors of Dhritarashtra's son conversed with one another saying,--'This\none is an infamous wretch of his race. It is plain that this king is\ncoming in terror towards Bhishma's side. Yudhishthira, with his brothers,\nhath become a seeker after (Bhishma's) shelter. When Dhananjaya, however,\nis (his) protector, and Pandu's son Vrikodara, and Nakula, and Sahadeva\nalso, why doth the (eldest) son of Pandu come (hither) in fear? Though\ncelebrated in the world, this one, however, could never have been born in\nthe Kshatriya order, since he is weak and his bosom is filled with fear\n(at the prospect) of battle.' Then those warriors all praised the\nKauravas. And all of them, becoming rejoiced, with cheerful hearts waved\ntheir garments. And, O monarch, all the warriors there (then) censured\nYudhishthira with all his brothers and along with Kesava too. Then the\nKaurava army, having said Fie to Yudhishthira, soon again, O monarch,\nbecame perfectly still,--What will this king say? What will Bhishma say\nin reply? What will Bhima boastful of his powers in battle, (say), and\nwhat Krishna and Arjuna? What, indeed, hath (Yudhishthira) to say?--Great\nwas the curiosity then, O king, of both the armies in respect of\nYudhishthira. The king (meanwhile), penetrating the hostile array\nbristling with arrows and darts, proceeded quickly towards Bhishma,\nsurrounded by his brothers. Seizing his feet with his two hands, the\nroyal son of Pandu then said unto Santanu's son Bhishma who was there\nready for battle, (these words).\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'I salute thee, O invincible one. With thee we will\ndo battle. Grant (us) thy permission in that matter. Give (us) also (thy)\nblessing.'\n\n\"Bhishma said, 'If, O lord of the earth, thou hadst not, in this battle\ncome to me thus, I would have, O great king, cursed thee, O Bharata, for\nbringing about thy defeat. I am gratified (with thee), O son. Do battle,\nand obtain victory, O son of Pandu, What else may be desired by thee,\nobtain thou in battle. Solicit also the boon, O son of Pritha, which thou\ndesirest to have from us. If it happens so, O great king, then defeat\nwill not be thine. A man is the slave of wealth, but wealth is no one's\nslave. This is very true, O king. I have been bound by the Kauravas with\n(their) wealth. It is for this, O son of Kuru's race, that like a eunuch\nI am uttering these words, viz.,--\"Bound I am by the Kauravas with wealth.\nBattle excepted, what dost thou desire?\"[310]'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'O thou of great wisdom, do thou, desirous of my\nwelfare, from day to day, consult my interests. Do battle, however for\nthe sake of the Kauravas. Even this is always my prayer (to thee).'\n\n\"Bhishma said, 'O king, O son of Kuru's race, what aid can I render thee\nin this? I shall, of course, fight for (thy) foes. Tell me what thou hast\nto say.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Therefore, O Sire, I ask thee, I bow to thee, O\ngrandsire, how shall we, in battle, vanquish thee that art invincible?\nTell me this that is for my benefit, if indeed, thou seest any good in\nit.'\n\n\"Bhishma said, 'I do not, O son of Kunti, see the person who, even if he\nwere the chief of the celestials himself, can defeat me in battle when I\nfight.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'My salutations to thee, O grandsire. Therefore, do I\nask thee (this). Tell us how thy own death may be compassed by foes in\nbattle.'\n\n\"Bhishma said, 'I do not see the person, O sire, who can vanquish me in\nbattle. The time also of my death is not yet come to me once again.'\"\n\nSanjaya continued,--\"Then, O son of Kuru's race, Yudhishthira, once more\nsaluting him, accepted Bhishma's words with a bend of his head. And that\nmighty-armed one then proceeded towards the car of the preceptor (Drona)\nthrough the midst of all the soldiers who were eyeing him, accompanied by\nhis brothers. Then saluting Drona and walking round him, the king spoke\nto that invincible warrior words that were for his own benefit.[311]\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'I ask thee, O invincible one, how I may fight\nwithout incurring sin, and how, with thy permission, O regenerate one, I\nmay vanquish all my foes?'[312]\n\n\"Drona said, 'If, having resolved to fight, thou hadst not come to me\n(thus), I would have cursed thee, O king, for thy complete overthrow. I\nam, however, gratified, O Yudhishthira, and honoured by thee, O sinless\none. I permit thee, fight and obtain victory. I will also fulfil thy\nwish. Say what thou hast to say. Under these circumstances, battle\nexcepted, what dost thou wish? A man is the slave of wealth, but wealth\nis not one's slave. This is quite true, O king! Bound I have been with\n(their) wealth by the Kauravas! It is for this that like a eunuch I shall\nfight for the sake of the Kauravas. It is for this that like a eunuch I\nam uttering these words--\"Battle excepted, what dost thou wish? I shall\nfight for the sake of the Kauravas, but will pray for thy victory.\"'[313]\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Pray for my victory, O regenerate one, and counsel\nwhat is for my good. Fight, however, for the Kauravas. This is the boon\nsolicited by me.'\n\n\"Drona said, 'Victory, O king, is certain for thee that hast Hari for thy\ncounsellor. I (also) grant thee that thou wilt vanquish thy foes in\nbattle. Thither where righteousness is, thither is Krishna, and thither\nwhere Krishna is, thither is victory. Go, fight, O son of Kunti! Ask me,\nwhat shall I say unto thee?'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'I ask thee, O foremost of regenerate ones, listen to\nwhat I have to say. How shall we in battle vanquish thee that art\ninvincible?'\n\n\"Drona said, 'As long as I will fight, so long victory can never be\nthine. (Therefore) O king, seek with thy brothers, for my speedy\nslaughter.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Alas, for this, O thou of mighty arms, tell (us) the\nmeans of thy death. O preceptor, prostrating myself I ask thee this. (My)\nsalutations to thee.'\n\n\"Drona said, 'The foe, O sire, I see not who may slay me while standing\nin battle I am engaged in fight, with wrath excited, and scattering (my)\narrowy showers continually. Except when addrest for death, O king, having\nabandoned my arms and withdrawn (in Yoga meditation) from surrounding\nsights, none will be able to slay me. This that I tell thee is true. I\nalso tell thee truly that I will cast off my arms in battle, having heard\nsomething very disagreeable from some one of credible speech.--'\"\n\nSanjaya continued, \"Hearing these words, O king, of the wise son of\nBharadwaja, and honouring the preceptor, (Yudhishthira then) proceeded\ntowards the son of Saradwat. And saluting Kripa and walking round him, O\nking, Yudhishthira, accomplished in speech, said these words unto that\nwarrior of great valour.\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Obtaining thy permission, O preceptor, I will fight\nwithout incurring sin, and permitted by thee, O sinless one, I will\nvanquish all (my) foes.'\n\n\"Kripa said, 'If having resolved on fight, thou hadst not come to me\n(thus), I would have cursed thee, O king, for thy complete overthrow. A\nman is the slave of wealth, but wealth is no one's slave. This is very\ntrue, O king, and bound I have been with wealth by the Kauravas. I must,\nO king, fight for their sake. This is my opinion. I therefore, speak like\na eunuch in asking thee,--\"Battle excepted, what dost thou desire?\"'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Alas, I ask thee, therefore, O preceptor, listen to\nmy words.'--Saying this, the king, greatly agitated and deprived of his\nsense, stood silent.\"\n\nSanjaya continued.--\"Understanding, however, what he intended to say,\nGautama (Kripa) replied to him, saying,--'I am incapable of being slain, O\nking. Fight, and obtain victory. I am gratified with thy coming. Rising\nevery day [from bed] I will pray for thy victory, O monarch. I say this\nto thee truly.'--Hearing, O king, these words of Gautama, and paying him\ndue honours, the king proceeded thither where the ruler of the Madra was.\nSaluting Salya and walking round him the king said unto that invincible\nwarrior those words that were for his own benefit.\n\n\"Yudhishthira said,--'Obtaining thy permission, O invincible one, I will\nfight without incurring sin, and permitted by thee, O king, I will\nvanquish (my) valourous foes.'[314]--\n\n\"Salya said, 'If, having resolved on fight, thou hadst not come to me\n(thus), I would have, O king, cursed thee for thy overthrow in battle. I\nam gratified (with thee) and honoured (by thee). Let it be as thou\nwishest. I grant thee permission, fight and obtain victory. Speak, O\nhero, for what hast thou any need? What shalt I give thee? Under these\ncircumstances, O king, battle excepted, what dost thou desire? A man is\nthe slave of wealth but wealth is no one's slave. This is true, O king.\nBound I have been with wealth by the Kauravas, O nephew, it is for this\nthat I am speaking to thee like a eunuch,--I will accomplish the desire\nthou mayst cherish. Battle excepted, what dost thou wish.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Think, O king, daily of what is for my great good.\nFight, according to thy pleasure, for the sake of the foe. This is the\nboon that I solicit.'\n\n\"Salya said, 'Under these circumstances, say, O best of kings what aid\nshall I render thee? I shall, of course, fight for the sake of (thy)\nenemy, for I have been made one of their party by the Kauravas with their\nwealth.'[315]\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Even that is my boon, O Salya, which was solicited\nby me during the preparations (for the fight). The energy of the Suta's\nson (Karna) should be weakened by thee in battle.'\n\n\"Salya said, 'This thy wish, O Yudhishthira, shall be accomplished, O son\nof Kunti. Go, fight according to thy pleasure. I shall look after thy\nvictory.'\"\n\nSanjaya continued, \"Having obtained the permission of his maternal\nuncle, the ruler of the Madra, the son of Kunti, surrounded by his\nbrothers, came out of that vast army. Vasudeva then went to Radha's son\non the field of battle. And the elder brother of Gada, for the sake of\nthe Pandavas, then said to Karna,--'It hath been heard by me, O Karna,\nthat from hatred of Bhishma thou wilt not fight. Come to our side, O son\nof Radha, and (stay with us) as long as Bhishma is not slain. After\nBhishma is slain, O son of Radha, thou mayst then again engage in battle\non Duryodhana's side, if thou hast no preference for any of the\nparties.--'\n\n\"Karna said, 'I will not do anything that is disagreeable to\nDhritarashtra's son, O Kesava. Devoted to Duryodhana's good, know that I\nhave cast off my life (for him).'--Hearing these words (of Karna), Krishna\nceased, O Bharata, and reunited himself with the sons of Pandu headed by\nYudhishthira. Then amid all the warriors the eldest son of Pandu, loudly\nexclaimed,--'He who will choose us, him we shall choose for our\nally!'--Casting his eyes then upon them, Yuyutsu said these words, with a\ncheerful heart, unto Kunti's son king Yudhishthira the Just,--'I will\nfight under thee in battle, for the sake of you all, with the sons of\nDhritarashtra, if, O king, thou wilt accept me, sinless one.'\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Come, come, all of us will fight with thy foolish\nbrothers. O Yuyutsu, both Vasudeva and we all say to thee--\"I accept thee,\nO thou of mighty arms, fight for my cause. On thee rests, it seems, the\nthread of Dhritarashtra's line as also his funeral cake. O prince, O thou\nof great splendour, accept us that accept thee. The wrathful Duryodhana\nof wicked understanding will cease to live.\"'\"\n\nSanjaya continued, \"Yuyutsu then, abandoning the Kurus thy sons, went\nover to the army of the Pandavas, with beat of drums and cymbals. Then\nking Yudhishthira of mighty arms, filled with joy, again put on his\nshining coat of mail of golden effulgence. And those bulls among men then\nmounted their respective cars. And they counter-arrayed their troops in\nbattle-array as before. And they caused drums and cymbals in many\nhundreds to be sounded. And those bulls among men also set up diverse\nleonine roars.[316] And beholding those tigers among men, viz., the sons\nof Pandu, on their cars, the kings (on their side) with Dhrishtadyumna\nand others, once more set up shouts of joy. And beholding the nobility of\nthe sons of Pandu who had paid due honour to those that were deserving of\nhonour, all the kings there present applauded them highly. And the\nmonarchs, talked with one another about the friendship, the compassion,\nand the kindness to kinsmen, displayed at the proper season by those\nhigh-souled personages. Excellent,--Excellent,--were the delightful words\neverywhere bruited about, coupled with eulogistic hymns about those\nfamous men. And in consequence of this the minds and hearts of every one\nthere were attracted towards them. And the Mlecchas and the Aryas there\nwho witnessed or heard of that behaviour of the sons of Pandu, all wept\nwith choked voices. And those warriors then, endued with great energy,\ncaused large drums and Pushkaras by hundreds upon hundreds to be sounded\nand also blew their conches all white as the milk of cows.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIV\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"When the divisions of both my side and the foe were\nthus arrayed, who struck first, the Kurus or the Pandavas?\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"Hearing those words of his (elder) brother, thy son\nDussasana advanced with his troops, with Bhishma at their head, and the\nPandavas also advanced with cheerful hearts, desiring battle with\nBhishma, having Bhimasena at their head. Then leonine shouts, and\nclamorous uproars and the noise of Krakachas, the blare of cow-horns, and\nthe sound of drums and cymbals and tabors, arose in both armies. And the\nwarriors of the foe rushed against us, and we also (rushed) against them\nwith loud shouts. And the uproar (caused by this rush) was\ndeafening.[317] The vast hosts of the Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras, in\nthat awfully murderous encounter shook in consequence of that uproar of\nconches and cymbals, like forests shaken by the wind.[318] And the din\nmade by those hosts teeming with kings, elephants, and steeds, rushing\nagainst one another in that evil hour, was as loud as that of oceans\nagitated by the tempest. And when that din, loud and causing the hair to\nstand on end, arose, the mighty-armed Bhimasena began to roar like a\nbull. And those roars of Bhimasena rose above the clamour of conches and\ndrums, the grunts of elephants, and the leonine shouts of the combatants.\nIndeed, the shouts of Bhimasena transcended the noise made by the\nthousands of chargers neighing in (both) the armies. And hearing those\nshouts of Bhimasena who was roaring like the clouds, shouts that\nresembled the report of Sakra's thunder, thy warriors were filled with\nfear. And at those roars of the hero, the steeds and elephants all\nejected urine and excreta like other animals at the roar of the lion. And\nroaring like a deep mass of clouds, and assuming an awful form, that hero\nfrightened thy sons and fell upon them.[319] Thereupon the brothers,\nviz., thy sons Duryodhana, and Durmukha and Dussaha, and that mighty\ncar-warrior Dussasana, and Durmarshana, O king, and Vivinsati, and\nChitrasena, and the great car-warrior Vikarna and also Purumitra, and\nJaya, and Bhoja, and the valorous son of Somadatta, shaking their\nsplendid bows like masses of clouds exhibiting the lightning's flashes,\nand taking out (of their quivers) long arrows resembling snakes that have\njust cast off their sloughs, surrounded that mighty bowman rushing\n(towards them) covering him with flights of arrows like the clouds\nshrouding the sun. And the (five) sons of Draupadi, and the mighty\ncar-warrior Saubhadra,[320] and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna\nof Prishata's race, rushed against (those) Dhartarashtras, tearing them\nwith whetted shafts like summits of mountains with the impetuous bolts of\nheaven. And in that first encounter characterised by the awful twang of\nbow-strings and their flapping against the leathern fences (of the\nwarriors)[321] no combatant, either on thy side or that of the foe,\nturned back. And, O bull of Bharata's race, I beheld the lightness of\nhand of the disciples of Drona (in particular), who, shooting innumerable\narrows, O king, always succeeded in hitting the mark.[322] And the twang\nof sounding bowstrings ceased not for a moment, and the blazing arrows\nshot through (the air) like meteors (falling) from the firmament. And all\nthe other kings, O Bharata, stood like (silent) spectators witnessing\nthat interesting and awful encounter of kinsmen. And then those mighty\ncar-warriors, with wrath excited and remembering the injuries sustained\nat one another's hands, strove in battle, O king, challenging one\nanother. And the two armies of the Kurus and the Pandavas, teeming with\nelephants, steeds and cars, looked exceedingly beautiful on the field of\nbattle like painted figures on a canvas. And then the (other) kings all\ntook up their bows. And the Sun himself was shrouded by the dust raised\nby the combatants. And they fell upon one another, at the heads of their\n(respective) troops, at the command of thy son. And the loud uproar made\nby the elephants and the chargers of those kings rushing to the combat,\nmingled with the leonine shouts of the combatants and the din made by the\nblare of conches and the sounds of drums. And the uproar of that ocean\nhaving arrows for its crocodiles, bows for its snakes, swords for its\ntortoises, and the forward leaps of the warriors for its tempest,\nresembled the din made by the (actual) ocean when agitated. And kings in\nthousands, commanded by Yudhishthira, with their (respective) troops fell\nupon the ranks of thy son. And the encounter between the combatants of\nthe two hosts was fierce in the extreme. And no difference could be\nperceived between the combatants of our side or that of the foe, while\nbattling, or retreating in broken array or rallying again to the fight.\nIn that terrific and awful battle, thy father (Bhishma) shone,\ntranscending that countless host.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLV\n\nSanjaya said, \"On the forenoon of that awful day, O king, the terrible\nbattle that mangled the bodies of (so many) kings commenced. And the loud\nshouts, resembling leonine roars of the Kurus and the Srinjayas, both\ndesirous of victory in battle, made both the welkin and the earth resound\ntherewith. And a tumultuous uproar was heard mingled with the flaps of\nleathern fences and the blare of conches. And many were the leonine roars\nthat rose there of men shouting against one another. And, O bull of\nBharata's race, the sound of bowstrings stretched by (hands cased in)\nfences, the heavy tread of infantry, the furious neigh of chargers, the\nfalling of sticks and iron hooks (on the heads of elephants), the clash\nof weapons, the jingle of bells of elephants rushing against one another,\nand the clatter of cars resembling the roar of clouds, mingled together,\nproduced a loud uproar making one's hair stand on end. And all the Kuru\nwarriors, reckless of their very lives and with cruel intentions, rushed,\nwith standards upraised, against the Pandavas. And Santanu's son himself,\ntaking up a terrible bow that resembled the rod of Death, rushed, O king,\non the field of battle, against Dhananjaya. And Arjuna also, endued with\ngreat energy, taking up the bow Gandiva celebrated overall the world,\nrushed, on the field of battle, against Ganga's son. And both those\ntigers among the Kurus became desirous of slaying each other. The mighty\nson of Ganga however, piercing in battle the son of Pritha could not make\nhim waver. And so, O king, the son of Pandu also could not make Bhishma\nwaver in battle. And the mighty bowman Satyaki rushed against\nKritavarman. And the battle between these two was fierce in the extreme\nand made the hair (of onlookers) stand on end. And Satyaki afflicted\nKritavarman, and Kritavarman afflicted Satyaki, with loud shouts and each\nweakened the other. And pierced all over with arrows those mighty\nwarriors shone like two blossoming Kinsukas in spring adorned with\nflowers. And the mighty bowman Abhimanyu battled with Vrihadvala. Soon,\nhowever, in that encounter, O king, the ruler of Kosala cut off the\nstandard and overthrew the charioteer of Subhadra's son. The son of\nSubhadra then upon the overthrow of his charioteer, was filled with wrath\nand pierced Vrihadvala, O king, with nine shafts, and with a couple of\nsharp arrows that grinder of foes also cut off (Vrihadvala's) standard,\nand with one (more) cut off one of the protectors of his car-wheels and\nwith the other his charioteer.[323] And those chastisers of foes\ncontinued to weaken each other with sharp arrows. And Bhimasena struggled\nin battle with thy son Duryodhana, that mighty car-warrior, proud and\ninflated, who had injured (the sons of Pandu). Both of those foremost\n(princes) among the Kurus, are tigers among men and mighty car-warriors.\nAnd they covered each other, on the field of battle, with their arrowy\nshowers. And beholding those high-souled and accomplished warriors\nconversant with all modes of warfare, all creatures were filled with\namazement, O Bharata. And Dussasana, rushing against that mighty\ncar-warrior Nakula, pierced him with many sharp arrows capable of\npenetrating into the very vitals. The son of Madri, then, laughing the\nwhile, cut off, with sharp arrows (of his), adversary's standard and bow,\nand then he struck him with five and twenty small-headed arrows. Thy son,\nhowever, then, who can with difficulty be vanquished, slew in that fierce\nencounter the steeds of Nakula and cut off his standard. And Durmukha\nrushing against the mighty Sahadeva battling in that terrific encounter,\npierced him with a shower of arrows. The heroic Sahadeva then, in that\nfearful battle, overthrew Durmukha's charioteer with an arrow of great\nsharpness. Both of them, irrepressible in fight, approaching each other\nin combat, and each attacking the other and desirous of warding off the\nother's attack, began to strike terror into each other with terrible\nshafts. And king Yudhishthira himself encountered the ruler of the\nMadras. The chief of the Madras then in his very sight cut off in twain\nYudhishthira's bow. Thereupon the son of Kunti, throwing aside that\nbroken bow, took up another that was stronger and capable of imparting a\ngreater velocity. The king then, with straight arrows, covered the ruler\nof the Madras, and in great wrath said, 'wait, wait'. And Dhrishtadyumna,\nO Bharata rushed against Drona. And Drona, then, in great wrath, cut off\nin that encounter the hard bow of the high-souled prince of Panchala that\nwas capable of always taking the lives of foes. And at the same time he\nshot in that conflict a terrible arrow that was like a second rod of\nDeath. And the arrow shot penetrated the body of the prince. Taking up\nthen another bow and fourteen arrows, the son of Drupada pierced Drona in\nthat encounter. And enraged with each other, they battled on fiercely.\nAnd the impetuous Sankha encountered Somadatta's son who was equally\nimpetuous in battle and addressed him, O king, saying 'wait, wait'. And\nthat hero then pierced his (adversary's) right arm in that combat. And\nthereupon the son of Somadatta struck Sankha on the shoulders. And the\nbattle that ensued between those two proud heroes, O king, soon became as\nterrible as a combat between the gods and the Danavas. And that mighty\ncar-warrior Dhrishtaketu of immeasurable soul, with wrath excited, rushed\nin battle, O king, against Valhika, the very embodiment of wrath.\nValhika, then, O king, setting up a leonine roar, weakened the wrathful\nDhrishtaketu with innumerable arrows. The king of the Chedis, however,\nexceedingly provoked, quickly pierced Valhika in that encounter with nine\narrows. Like an infuriate elephant against an infuriate elephant, in that\ncombat they roared against each other repeatedly, both exceedingly\nenraged. And they encountered each other with great wrath and looked like\nthe planets Angaraka and Sukra.[324] And Ghatotkacha of cruel deeds\nencountered the Rakshasa Alamvusha of cruel deeds like Sakra\n(encountering) Vala in battle. And Ghatotkacha, O Bharata, pierced that\ninfuriate and powerful Rakshasa with ninety keen-edged shafts. And\nAlamvusha also in that combat pierced the mighty son of Bhimasena in many\nplaces with straight arrows (of his). And mangled with arrows they shone\nin that encounter like the mighty Sakra and the powerful Vala in the\ncombat (of old) between the celestials and the Asuras. The powerful\nSikhandin, O king, rushed against Drona's son, Aswatthaman, however\ndeeply piercing the angry Sikhandin stationed (before him) with a\nkeen-edged shaft, caused him to tremble, Sikhandin also, O king, smote\nDrona's son with a sharp-whetted shaft of excellent temper. And they\ncontinued in that encounter to strike each other with various kinds of\narrows. And against the heroic Bhagadatta in battle, Virata, the\ncommander of a large division, rushed impetuously, O king, and then\ncommenced (their) combat. Virata, exceedingly provoked, poured on\nBhagadatta an arrowy shower like, O Bharata, the clouds showering rain on\nthe mountain breast. But Bhagadatta, that lord of the earth, speedily\nenveloped Virata in that encounter (with arrows) like the clouds\nenveloping the risen sun. Kripa, the son of Saradwat, rushed against\nVrihadkshatra, the ruler of the Kaikeyas. And Kripa, O Bharata, enveloped\nhim with a shower of arrows. Vrihadkshatra also shrouded the infuriate\nson of Gautama with an arrowy downpour. And those warriors, then, having\nslain each other's steeds and cut off each other's bows, were both\ndeprived of their cars. And exceedingly enraged, they then approached\neach other for fighting with their swords. And the combat which then took\nplace between them was terrible in aspect and unparalleled. That\nchastiser of foes, king Drupada, then, in great wrath rushed against\nJayadratha, the ruler of the Sindhus, cheerfully waiting (for battle).\nThe ruler of the Sindhus pierced Drupada in that combat with three\nshafts, and Drupada pierced him in return. And the battle that took place\nbetween them was terrible and fierce, and productive of satisfaction in\nthe hearts of all the spectators and resembling a conflict between the\nplanets Sukra and Angaraka. And Vikarna, son to thee, with fleet steeds,\nrushed against the mighty Sutasoma and the combat between them commenced.\nVikarna, however, although he pierced Sutasoma with many arrows, failed\nto make him waver. Neither could Sutasoma make Vikarna waver. And that\nappeared wonderful (to all). And against Susarman, that mighty\ncar-warrior and tiger among men, viz., Chekitana of great prowess, rushed\nin exceeding wrath for the sake of the Pandavas. And Susarman also, O\ngreat king, in that encounter checked the advance of that mighty\ncar-warrior Chekitana with a plentiful shower of arrows. And Chekitana\nalso, greatly provoked, showered on Susarman, in that terrible conflict,\na shower of arrows like a mighty mass of clouds showering rain on the\nmountain breast. And Sakuni, endued with great prowess, rushed, O king,\nagainst Prativindhya[325] of great prowess, like a lion against an\ninfuriate elephant. Thereupon the son of Yudhishthira, in exceeding\nwrath, mangled Suvala's son in that combat, with sharp arrows, like\nMaghavat[326] (mangling) a Danava. And Sakuni also, in that fierce\nconflict, pierced Prativindhya in return and mangled that warrior of\ngreat intelligence with straight arrows. And Srutakarman rushed in\nbattle, O great king, against that mighty car-warrior Sudakshina of great\nprowess, the ruler of the Kamvojas. Sudakshina, however, O great king,\npiercing that mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Sahadeva, failed to\nmake him waver (for he stood) like the Mainaka mountain (against the\nassaults of Indra). Thereupon Srutakarman, exceedingly provoked, weakened\nthat mighty car-warrior of the Kamvojas with innumerable arrows and\nmangled him in every part of his body. And Iravan, that chastiser of\nfoes, in great wrath and exerting carefully, rushed in battle against the\nwrathful Srutayush. The powerful son of Arjuna, that mighty car-warrior,\nthen slaying the steeds of his adversary, set up a loud roar, and\nthereupon, O king, all the warriors (who saw the feat) praised him\ngreatly. And Srutasena also, exceedingly provoked, slew in that conflict\nthe steeds of Falguni's son with a powerful mace, and the battle between\nthem continued. And Vinda and Anuvinda, those two princes of Avanti,\napproached in battle that mighty car-warrior the heroic Kuntibhoja at the\nhead of his troops accompanied by his son. And wonderful was the prowess\nwe beheld of those two princes on that occasion, for they fought on very\ncooly though battling with a large body of troops. And Anuvinda hurled a\nmace at Kuntibhoja, but Kuntibhoja quickly covered him with a shower of\narrows. And the son of Kuntibhoja pierced Vinda with many arrows, and the\nlatter also pierced him in return. And the combat (between them) looked\nvery wonderful. And the Kekaya brothers, O sire, at the head of their\ntroops, encountered in battle the five Gandhara princes with their\ntroops. And thy son Viravahu battled with that best of car-warriors\nUttara, the son of Virata and pierced him with nine arrows. And Uttara\nalso pierced that hero with sharp-edged arrows. And the ruler of the\nChedis, O king, rushed in battle against Uluka. And he pierced Uluka with\na shower of arrows, and Uluka also pierced him with sharp arrows\nfurnished with excellent wings. And the combat that took place between\nthem, O king, was fierce in the extreme, for unable to vanquish each\nother, they mangled each other terribly. And thus in that general\nengagement thousands of single combats took place between men on cars,\nwarriors on elephants and horsemen, and foot-soldiers, of their side and\nthine. For a short while only that engagement offered a beautiful sight.\nSoon, however, O king, it became furious and nothing could be discovered.\nIn the battle (that ensued) elephants rushed against elephants,\ncar-warriors against car-warriors, steed against steed and foot-soldier\nagainst foot-soldier. The conflict then became confused and fierce in the\nextreme, of heroes rushing against each other in the melee. And the\ncelestial Rishi, and Siddhas and Charanas, that were present there,\nbeheld that terrific battle to resemble the combat of the gods and the\nAsuras. And elephants in thousands, and cars also in thousands, and vast\nbodies of infantry, O sire, seemed to alter their character.[327] And, O\ntiger among men, it was seen that cars and elephants and steeds and\ninfantry fought with each other repeatedly on the same places.\"[328]\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVI\n\nSanjaya said,--\"O king, I will now describe to thee the combats of\nhundreds and thousands of foot-soldiers, O Bharata, in utter\nforgetfulness of all consideration due to others. There the son\nrecognised not the sire, the sire (recognised not) the son of his loins,\nthe brother (recognised not) the brother, the sister's son (recognised\nnot) the maternal uncle. The maternal uncle (recognised not) the sister's\nson, the friend not the friend. The Pandavas and the Kurus fought as if\nthey were possessed by demons. Some tigers among men, fell with cars into\npieces. And the shafts of cars broke clashing against shafts, and the\nspikes of car-yokes against spikes of car-yokes. And some (warriors)\nunited together encountered others that were united together, all\ndesirous of taking one another's life. And some cars, obstructed by cars,\nwere unable to move. And huge-bodied elephants with rent temples, falling\nupon huge elephants, angrily tore one another in many places with their\ntusks. Others, O king, encountering impetuous and huge ones of their\nspecies with arched edifices and standards (on their backs) and trained\nto the fight struck with their tusks, shrieked in great agony.[329]\nDisciplined by training and urged on by pikes and hooks, elephants not in\nrut rushed straight against those that were in rut.[330] And some huge\nelephants, encountering compeers in rut, ran, uttering cries like those\nof cranes, in all directions. And many huge elephants, well-trained, and\nwith juice trickling down from rent temples and mouth, mangled with\nswords, lances, and arrows, and pierced in their vital parts, shrieked\naloud and falling down expired. And some, uttering frightful cries, ran\nin all directions. The foot-soldiers that protected the elephants, endued\nwith broad chests, and capable of smiting effectually, with wrath\nexcited, and armed with pikes and bows, and bright battle-axes, and with\nmaces and clubs, and short arrows, and lances, and with shafts, and stout\nbludgeons mounted with iron spikes and swords, well-grasped of the\nbrightest polish, ran hither and thither, O king, and seemed resolved to\ntake one another's life. And the sabres of brave combatants rushing\nagainst one another steeped in human blood, seemed to shine brightly. And\nthe whiz of swords whirled and made to descend by heroic arms and falling\nupon the vital parts (of the bodies) of foes, became very loud. And the\nheart-ending wails of combatants in multitudinous hosts, crushed with\nmaces and clubs, and cut off with well-tempered swords, and pierced with\nthe tusks of elephants, and grained by tuskers, calling upon one another,\nwere heard, O Bharata, to resemble the wails of those that are doomed to\nhell. And horsemen, on chargers of exceeding speed and furnished with\noutstretched tails resembling (the Plumes of) swans, rushed against one\nanother. And hurled by them, long-bearded darts adorned with pure gold,\nfleet, and polished, and sharp-pointed, fell like snakes.[331] And some\nheroic horsemen, on coursers of speed, leaping high, cut off the heads of\ncar-warriors from their cars.[332] And (here and there) a car-warrior,\ngetting bodies of cavalry within shooting distance, slew many with\nstraight shafts furnished with heads. And many infuriate elephants\nadorned with trappings of gold, and looking like newly-risen clouds,\nthrowing down steeds, crushed them with their own legs. And some elephants\nstruck on their frontal globes and flanks, and mangled by means of\nlances, shrieked aloud in great agony. And many huge elephants, in the\nbewildering of the melee, crushing steeds with their riders, threw them\ndown. And some elephants, overthrowing with the points of their tusks,\nsteeds with their riders, wandered, crushing cars with their standards.\nAnd some huge male elephants, from excess of energy and with the temporal\njuice gushing down in large quantities, slew steeds along with their\nriders by means of their trunks and legs. Fleet arrows polished and\nsharp-pointed and resembling snakes fell upon the heads, the temples, the\nflanks, and the limbs of elephants. And polished javelins of terrible\nmien, and looking like large meteoric flashes, hurled by heroic arms,\nfelt hither and thither, O king, piercing through the bodies of men and\nhorses, and cutting through coats of mail. And many taking out their\npolished sabres from sheaths made of the skins of leopards and tigers,\nslew the combatants opposed to them in battle. And many warriors, though\nthemselves attacked and had the flanks of their bodies cut open, yet\nangrily fell upon (their foes) with swords, shields and battle-axes. And\nsome elephants dragging down and overthrowing cars with their steeds by\nmeans of their trunks, began to wander in all directions, guided by the\ncries of those behind them. And hither and thither some pierced by\njavelins, and some cut asunder by battle-axes, and some crushed by\nelephants and others trod down by horses, and some cut by car-wheels, and\nsome by axes, loudly called upon their kinsmen, O king. And some called\nupon their sons, and some upon their sires, and some upon brother and\nkinsmen. And some called upon their maternal uncles, and some upon their\nsister's sons. And some called upon others, on the field of battle. And a\nvery large number of combatants, O Bharata, lost their weapons, or had\ntheir thighs broken. And others with arms torn off or sides pierced or cut\nopen, were seen to wail aloud, from desire of life. And some, endued with\nlittle strength, tortured by thirst, O king, and lying on the field of\nbattle on the bare ground, asked for water. And some, weltering in pools\nof blood and excessively weakened, O Bharata, greatly censured themselves\nand thy sons assembled together for battle. And there were brave\nKshatriyas, who having injured one another, did not abandon their weapons\nor set up any wails, O sire. On the other hand, lying in those places\nwhere they lay, roared with joyful hearts, and biting from wrath with\ntheir teeth their own lips, looked at one another with faces rendered\nfierce in consequence of the contraction of their eyebrows. And others\nendued with great strength and tenacity in great pain, afflicted by\narrows and smarting under their wounds, remained perfectly silent. And\nother heroic car-warriors, deprived, in the encounter, of their own cars\nand thrown down and wounded by huge elephants, asked to be taken up on\nthe cars of others. And many, O king, looked beautiful in their wounds\nlike blossoming Kinsukas. And in all the divisions were heard terrific\ncries, countless in number. And in that awful combat destructive of\nheroes, the sire slew the son, the son slew the sire, the sister's son\nslew the maternal uncle, the maternal uncle slew the sister's son, friend\nslew friend, and relatives slew kinsmen. Even thus the slaughter took\nplace in that encounter of the Kurus with the Pandavas. And in that\nfrightful and terrible battle in which no consideration was shown (by\nanybody for anybody), the divisions of the Pandavas, approaching Bhishma,\nbegan to waver. And, O bull of Bharata's race, the mighty-armed Bhishma,\nO king, with his standard which was made of silver and graced with the\ndevice of the palmyra with five stars, setting upon his great car, shone\nlike the lunar orb under the peak of Meru.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVII\n\nSanjaya said,--\"After the great part of the forenoon of that awful day\nhad worn out, in that terrific engagement, O king, that was (so)\ndestructive of foremost of men[333], Durmukha and Kritavarman, and Kripa,\nand Salya, and Vivinsati, urged by thy son, approached Bhishma and began\nto protect him. And protected by those five mighty car-warriors, O bull\nof Bharata's race, that great car-warrior penetrated the Pandava host.\nAnd the palmyra standard of Bhishma was seen to glide continually, O\nBharata, through the Chedis, the Kasis, the Karushas, and the Panchalas.\nAnd that hero, with broad-headed shafts of great swiftness which were\nagain perfectly straight, cut off the heads (of foes) and their cars with\nyokes and standards. And, O bull of Bharata's race, Bhishma seemed to\ndance on his car as it coursed along its track. And some elephants,\nstruck (by him) in their vital parts, shrieked in agony. Then Abhimanyu\nin great wrath, stationed on his car unto which were yoked excellent\nsteeds of a tawny hue, rushed towards Bhishma's car. And with his\nstandard adorned with pure gold and resembling a Karnikara tree, he\napproached Bhishma and those (five) foremost of car-warriors. And\nstriking with a keen-edged shaft the standard of the palmyra-bannered\n(warrior), that hero engaged in battle with Bhishma and those other\ncar-warriors that protected him.[334] Piercing Kritavarman with one\narrow, and Salya with five, he weakened his great-grandsire with nine\narrows. And with one arrow well shot from his bow drawn to its fullest\nstretch, he cut off (his adversary's) standard adorned with pure gold.\nAnd with one broad-headed shaft capable of penetrating every cover, which\nwas perfectly straight, he cut off from his body the head of Durmukha's\ncharioteer. And with another keen-edged arrow he cut in twain the\ngold-decked bow of Kripa. And they also, with many sharp-pointed shafts,\nthat mighty car-warrior smote in great wrath, seeming to dance (the\nwhile). And beholding his lightness of hand, the very gods were\ngratified. And in consequence of Abhimanyu's sureness of aim, all the\ncar-warriors headed by Bhishma regarded him to be possessed of the\ncapacity of Dhananjaya himself.[335] And his bow, emitting a twang like\nthat of Gandiva, while stretched and re-stretched, seemed to revolve like\na circle of fire.[336] Bhishma then, that slayer of hostile heroes,\nrushing on him impetuously, speedily pierced the son of Arjuna in that\ncombat with nine arrows. And he also, with three broad-headed shafts, cut\noff the standard of that warrior of great energy. Of rigid vows, Bhishma\nalso struck his (adversary's) charioteer. And Kritavarman, and Kripa, and\nSalya also, O sire, piercing Arjuna's son, all failed to make him waver,\nfor he stood firm like the Mainaka mountain. And the heroic son of\nArjuna, though surrounded by those mighty car-warriors of the\nDhartarashtra army, still showered on those five car-warriors arrowy\ndownpours. And baffling their mighty weapons by his arrowy showers, and\npouring on Bhishma his shafts, the powerful son of Arjuna set up a loud\nshout. And struggling in the battle thus and afflicting Bhishma with\n(his) arrows, the strength we saw of his arms then was very great. But\nthough endued with such prowess Bhishma also shot his arrows at him. But\nhe cut off in that combat the arrows shot from Bhishma's bow. And then\nthat heroic warrior of arrows that were never lost, cut off with nine\narrows, in that combat, the standard of Bhishma. And at that feat the\npeople there set up a loud shout. Decked with jewels and made of silver,\nthat tall standard bearing the device of the palmyra, cut off, O Bharata,\nby the shafts of Subhadra's son, fell down on the earth. And beholding, O\nbull of Bharata's race, that standard falling in consequence of the\nshafts of Subhadra's son, the proud Bhima set up a loud shout for\ncheering the son of Subhadra. Then in fierce combat, the mighty Bhishma\ncaused many celestial weapons of great efficacy to appear. And the great\ngrandsire of immeasurable soul then covered Subhadra's son with thousands\nof arrows. And at this, ten great bowmen and mighty car-warriors of the\nPandavas, quickly rushed on their cars for protecting the son of\nSubhadra. And those were Virata with his son, and Dhrishtadyumna of\nPrishata's race, and Bhima, the five Kekaya brothers, and Satyaki also, O\nking. And as they were falling upon him with great impetuosity, Bhishma\nthe son of Santanu, in that conflict, pierced the prince of Panchala with\nthree arrows, and Satyaki with ten. And with one winged arrow, whetted\nand sharp-edged as a razor, and shot from his bow drawn to its fullest\nstretch, he cut off the standard of Bhimasena. And, O best of men, the\nstandard of Bhimasena, made of gold and bearing the device of a lion, cut\noff by Bhishma, fell from the car. And Bhima then, piercing Santanu's son\nBhishma in that combat with three arrows, pierced Kripa with one, and\nKritavarman with eight. And Uttara also, the son of Virata, on a tusker\nwith upraised trunk, rushed against the ruler of the Madras. Salya,\nhowever, succeeded in checking the unparalleled impetuosity of that\nprince of elephants rushing quickly towards his car. That prince of\nelephants, in great wrath, placing his leg upon the yoke of (Salya's)\ncar, killed his four large steeds of excellent speed. The ruler of the\nMadras then, staying on that car whose steeds had been slain, hurled a\ndart, all made of iron, and resembling a snake, for slaying Uttara\noutright. The latter's coat of mail being cut through by that dart, he\nbecame totally deprived of his senses and fell down from his elephant's\nneck, with the hook and the lance loosened from his grasp. And Salya\nthen, taking up his sword and jumping down from his excellent car, and\nputting forth his prowess, cut off the large trunk of that prince of\nelephants. His coat of mail pierced all over with a shower of arrows, and\nhis trunk cut off, that elephant uttered a loud shriek and fell down and\nexpired. Achieving such a feat, O king, the ruler of the Madras speedily\nmounted on the splendid car of Kritavarman. And beholding his brother\nUttara slain and seeing Salya staying with Kritavarman, Virata's son\nSweta blazed up in wrath, like fire (blazing up) with clarified butter.\nAnd that mighty warrior, stretching his large bow that resembled the bow\nof Sakra himself, rushed with the desire of slaying Salya the ruler of\nthe Madras. Surrounded on all sides with a mighty division of cars, he\nadvanced towards Salya's car pouring an arrowy shower. And beholding him\nrush to the fight with prowess equal to that of an infuriate elephant,\nseven car-warriors of thy side surrounded him on all sides, desirous of\nprotecting the ruler of Madras who seemed to be already within the jaws\nof Death. And those seven warriors were Vrihadvala the ruler of the\nKosalas, and Jayatsena of Magadha, and Rukmaratha, O king, who was the\nvalourous son of Salya, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Sudakshina\nthe king of the Kamvojas, and Jayadratha, the ruler of the Sindhus and\nthe kinsman of Vrihadkshatra. And the stretched bows of those high-souled\nwarriors, decorated with diverse colours, looked like the lightning's\nflashes in the clouds. And they all poured on Sweta's head ceaseless\nshowers of arrows like the clouds tossed by the wind dropping rain on the\nmountain breast on the expiry of summer. That mighty bowman and commander\nof the forces, enraged at this, with seven broad-headed arrows of great\nimpetuosity, struck their bows, and then continued to grind them. And\nthose bows we saw were cut off, O Bharata, and thereupon they all took\nup, within half the time taken up in a wink of the eye, other bows. And\nthey then shot at Sweta seven arrows. And once again that mighty-armed\nwarrior of immeasurable soul, with seven fleet shafts, cut off those\n(other) bows of these bowmen. Those warriors then, whose large bows had\nbeen cut off, those mighty car-warriors swelling (with rage), grasping\n(seven) darts, set up a loud shout. And, O chief of the Bharatas, they\nhurled those seven darts at Sweta's car. And those blazing darts which\ncoursed (through the air) like large meteors, with the sound of thunder,\nwere all cut off, before they could reach him, that warrior conversant\nwith mighty weapons, by means of seven broad-headed arrows. Then taking\nup an arrow capable of penetrating into every part of the body, he shot\nit, O chief of the Bharatas, at Rukmaratha. And that mighty arrow,\nsurpassing (the force of) the thunder-bolt, penetrated into the latter's\nbody. Then, O king, forcibly struck by that arrow, Rukmaratha sat down on\nthe terrace of his car and fell into a deadly swoon. His charioteer then,\nwithout betraying any fear, bore him away, senseless and in a swoon, in\nthe very sight of all. Then taking up six other (arrows) adorned with\ngold, the mighty-armed Sweta cut off the standard-tops of his six\nadversaries. And that chastiser of foes then, piercing their steeds and\ncharioteers also, and covering those six warriors themselves with\nceaseless shafts, proceeded towards the car of Salya. And beholding that\ngeneralissimo of the (Pandava) forces proceeding quickly towards Salya's\ncar, a loud uproar of oh and alas arose in thy army, O Bharata. Then thy\nmighty son, with Bhishma at the head, and supported by heroic warriors\nand many troops, proceeded towards Sweta's car.[337] And he (thus)\nrescued the ruler of the Madras who had already entered the jaws of\nDeath. And then commenced a battle, terrific and making the hair stand on\nend, between thy troops and those of the enemy, in which cars and\nelephants all got mixed up in confusion. And upon Subhadra's son and\nBhimasena, and that mighty car-warrior Satyaki, and upon the ruler of the\nKekayas, and Virata, and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race, and upon the\nChedi troops, the old Kuru grandsire poured showers of arrows.\"[338]\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVIII\n\nDhritarashtra said,--\"When that great bowman Sweta proceeded towards\nSalya's car, what did the Kauravas and the Pandavas do, O Sanjaya? And\nwhat also did Bhishma the son of Santanu do? Tell me who ask thee, all\nthis.\"\n\nSanjaya said,--\"O king, hundreds and thousands of bulls among Kshatriyas,\nall brave and mighty car-warriors, placing the generalissimo Sweta in the\nvan, and displaying their strength, O Bharata, unto thy royal son and\nwith Sikhandin also at their head, desired to rescue (Sweta). And those\nmighty car-warriors rushed towards Bhishma's car decked with gold\ndesirous of slaying that foremost of warriors. And the battle that ensued\nthen was terrible. I shall describe to thee that wonderful and terrific\nbattle as it occurred between thy troops and those of the enemy. The son\nof Santanu made the terraces of many cars empty, (for) that best of\ncar-warriors showering (his) arrows, cut off many heads. Endued with\nenergy equal to that of the Sun himself, he shrouded the very Sun with\nhis arrows. And he removed his enemies from around him in that combat\nlike the rising Sun dispelling the darkness around. And in that battle, O\nking, arrows were shot by him in hundreds and thousands that were\npowerful and possessed of great impetuosity and that took in that\nconflict the lives of numberless Kshatriyas. And in that combat he felled\nheads, by hundreds, of heroic warriors, O king, and elephants cased in\nthorny mail, like summits of mountains (felled) by heaven's bolt. And\ncars, O king, were seen to mingle with cars. A car might be seen upon\nanother car, and a steed upon another steed. And impetuous chargers, O\nking, bore hither and thither heroic riders in the prime of youth, slain\nand hanging (from their saddles) with their bows (still in their\ngrasp).[339] With swords and quivers attached (to their persons) and\ncoats of mail loosened (from their bodies), hundreds of warriors,\ndeprived of life, lay on the ground, sleeping on beds (worthy) of heroes.\nRushing against one another, falling down and rising up again and rushing\nagain having risen up, the combatants fought hand to hand. Afflicted by\none another, many rolled on the field of battle. Infuriate elephants\nrushed hither and thither, and car-warriors by hundreds were slain. And\ncar-warriors, along with their cars, were crushed on all sides. And some\nwarriors fell upon his car, slain by another with arrows. And a mighty\ncar-warrior might be seen to fall down from high, his charioteer (also)\nhaving been slain. A thick dust arose, and thereupon unto the warrior\nstruggling in battle, the twang of the (hostile) bow indicated the\nstruggling adversary before. From the pressure also on their bodies,\ncombatants guessed their foes. And the warriors, O king, fought on with\narrows, guided by the sound of bow-strings and (hostile) division. The\nvery hiss of the arrows shot by the combatants at one another could not\nbe heard. And so loud was the sound of drums, that it seemed to pierce\nthe ears. And in that tumultuous uproar making the hair stand on end, the\nname of the combatant uttered in the battle, while displaying his\nprowess, could not be heard. The sire could not recognise the son of his\nloins. One of the wheels being broken, or the yoke being torn off or one\nof the steeds being slain, the brave car-warrior was overthrown from his\ncar, along with his charioteer, by means of straight arrows. And thus\nmany heroic warriors, deprived of their cars, were seen to fly away.[340]\nHe who was slain had cut off; he who was not slain, was struck at the\nvery vitals: but unstruck there was none, when Bhishma attacked the foe.\nAnd in that terrific battle, Sweta caused a great slaughter of the Kurus.\nAnd he slew many noble princes by hundreds upon hundreds.[341] And he cut\noff, by means of his arrows, the heads of car-warriors by hundreds upon\nhundreds, and (their) arms decked with Angadas, and (their) bows all\naround. And car-warriors and car-wheels and others that were on cars, and\nthe cars themselves, and standards both small and costly, O king, and\nlarge bodies of horses, and crowds of cars, and crowds of men, O\nBharata's race, were destroyed by Sweta. Ourselves, from fear of Sweta,\nabandoning (Bhishma) that best of car-warriors, left the battle\nretreating to the rear and, therefore, do we (now) behold your lordship.\nAnd all the Kurus, O son of Kuru's race, beyond the range of arrows, and\nabandoning Bhishma the son of Santanu, in that battle, stood (as\nspectators though) armed for the combat. Cheerful in the hour of\n(universal) cheerlessness, that tiger among men Bhishma, alone of our\narmy, in that terrible battle stood immovable like the mountain Meru.\nTaking the lives (of the foe) like the Sun at close of winter, he stood\nresplendent with the golden rays (of his car) like the Sun himself with\nhis rays. And that great bowman shot clouds of arrows and struck down the\nAsuras.[342] And while being slaughtered by Bhishma in that dreadful\ncombat, those warriors breaking away from their ranks, they all fled from\nhim, as if from a fire fed by fuel.[343] Encountering the single warrior\n(Sweta), that slayer of foes, Bhishma, was the only one (amongst us) who\nwas cheerful and whole. Devoted to the welfare of Duryodhana, he began to\nconsume the Pandava (warrior). Reckless of his very life which is\ndifficult of being cast off, and abandoning all fear he slaughtered, O\nking, the Pandava army in that fierce conflict.[344] And beholding the\ngeneralissimo (Sweta) smiting the (Dhartarashtra) divisions, thy father\nBhishma, called also Devavrata, impetuously rushed against him.\nThereupon, Sweta covered Bhishma with an extensive net-work of arrows.\nAnd Bhishma also covered Sweta with a flight of arrows. And roaring like\na couple of bulls, they rushed, like two infuriate elephants of gigantic\nsize or two raging tigers, against each other. Baffling each other's\nweapons by means of their weapons, those bulls among men, viz., Bhishma\nand Sweta fought with each other, desirous of taking each other's life.\nIn one single day Bhishma, infuriate with anger, could consume the\nPandava army with his arrows, if Sweta did not protect it. Beholding the\ngrandsire then turned off by Sweta, the Pandavas were filled with joy,\nwhile thy son became cheerless. Duryodhana then, with wrath excited and\nsurrounded by many kings, rushed with his troops against the Pandava host\nin battle. Then Sweta, abandoning the son of Ganga, slaughtered thy son's\nhost with great impetuosity like the wind (uprooting) trees with\nviolence. And the son of Virata, senseless with wrath, having routed thy\narmy, advanced (once more), O king, to the place where Bhishma was\nstationed. And those two high-souled and mighty warriors then, both\nblazing with their arrows, battled with each other like Vritra and Vasava\n(of old), desirous, O king, of slaying each other. Drawing (his) bow to\nthe fullest stretch, Sweta pierced Bhishma with seven arrows. The\nvalourous (Bhishma) then, putting forth his prowess, quickly checked his\nfoe's valour, like an infuriate elephant checking an infuriate compeer.\nAnd Sweta then, that delighter of Kshatriyas struck Bhishma, and Bhishma\nthe son of Santanu also pierced him in return with ten arrows. And though\npierced by him (thus), that mighty warrior stood still like a mountain.\nAnd Sweta again pierced Santanu's son with five and twenty straight\narrows, at which all wondered. Then smiling and licking with his tongue\nthe corners of his mouth, Sweta in that combat cut off Bhishma's bow into\nten fragments with ten arrows. Then aiming a plumed arrow made wholly of\niron, (Sweta) crushed the palmyra on the top of the standard of the\nhigh-souled (Bhishma). And beholding the standard of Bhishma cut down,\nthy sons thought that Bhishma was slain, having succumbed to Sweta. And\nthe Pandavas also filled with delight, blew their conches all around. And\nbeholding the palmyra standard of the high-souled Bhishma laid low,\nDuryodhana, from wrath, urged his own army to the battle. And they all\nbegan very carefully to protect Bhishma who was in great distress. Unto\nthem, also unto those that stood (idle) spectators, the king\nsaid,--'Either Sweta will die (today), or Bhishma the son of Santanu. I\nsay this truly.' Hearing the words of the king, the mighty car-warriors\nspeedily with four kinds of forces, advanced protecting the son of Ganga.\nAnd Valhika and Kritavarman, and Kripa, and Salya also, O Bharata, and\nthe son of Jarasandha, and Vikarna, and Chitrasena, and Vivinsati, with\ngreat speed, when speed was so necessary, surrounding him on all sides,\npoured on Sweta ceaseless showers of arrows. That mighty warrior then, of\nimmeasurable soul, quickly checked those angry warriors by means of sharp\narrows, displaying his own lightness of hand. And checking them all like\na lion and a multitude of elephants, Sweta then cut off Bhishma's bow\nwith thick shower of arrows. Then Bhishma the son of Santanu, taking up\nanother bow in that battle, pierced Sweta, O king, with arrows furnished\nwith feathers of Kanka bird. Then the commander (of the Pandava army),\nwith wrath excited, pierced Bhishma in that encounter O king, with a\ngreat many shafts in the very sight of all. Beholding Bhishma, that\nforemost of heroes in all the world, checked in battle by Sweta, the king\n(Duryodhana) became greatly troubled, and great also became the distress\nof thy whole army. And beholding the heroic Bhishma checked and mangled\nby Sweta with his arrows, all thought that Bhishma, having succumbed to\nSweta, was slain by him. Then thy sire Devavrata, yielding to anger, and\nbeholding his (own) standard overthrown and the (Dhartarashtra) army\nchecked, shot a great many arrows, O king, at Sweta. Sweta, however, that\nforemost of car-warriors, baffling all those arrows of Bhishma, once more\ncut off, with a broad-headed shaft, thy sire's bow. Throwing aside that\nbow, O king, Ganga's son, senseless with anger, taking up another bow\nlarger and stronger, and aiming seven large broad-headed arrows whetted\non stone, slew with four arrows the four steeds of the generalissimo\nSweta, cut off his standard with two and with the seventh shaft that\nwarrior of great prowess, exceedingly provoked, cut off his charioteer's\nhead. Thereupon, that mighty car-warrior, jumping down from his car whose\nsteeds and charioteer had been slain[345], and yielding to the influence\nof wrath, became exceedingly troubled. The grandsire, beholding Sweta\nthat foremost of car-warriors, deprived of car, began to smite him on all\nsides with showers of arrows. And smitten in that combat with arrows shot\nfrom Bhishma's bow, Sweta, leaving his bow on his (abandoned) car took up\na dart decked with gold and taking up that terrible and fierce dart[346]\nwhich resembled the fatal rod of Death and was capable of slaying Death's\nself. Sweta then, in great wrath, addressed Bhishma the son of Santanu in\nthat combat, saying,--'Wait a little, and behold me, O best of men,'--And\nhaving said this unto Bhishma in battle, that great bowman of exceeding\nprowess and immeasurable soul, hurled the dart resembling a snake,\ndisplaying his valour for the sake of the Pandavas and desiring to\nachieve thy evil. Then loud cries of 'Oh' and 'Alas' arose among thy sons,\nO king, upon beholding that terrible dart resembling the rod of Death in\nsplendour. And hurled from Sweta's arms, (that dart), resembling a snake\nthat had just cast off its slough, fell with great force, O king, like a\nlarge meteor from the firmament. Thy sire Devavrata then, O king, without\nthe slightest fear, with eight sharp and winged arrows, cut off into nine\nfragments, that dart decked with pure gold and which seemed to be covered\nwith flames of fire, as it coursed ablaze through the air. All thy troops\nthen, O bull of Bharata's race, set up loud shouts of joy. The son of\nVirata, however, beholding his dart cut off into fragments, became\nsenseless with anger, and like one whose heart was overcome by (the\narrival of) his hour, could not settle what to do. Deprived of his senses\nby anger, O king, the son of Virata, then, smiling, joyfully took up a\nmace for Bhishma's slaughter, with eyes red in wrath, and resembling a\nsecond Yama armed with mace, he rushed against Bhishma like a swollen\ntorrent against the rocks. Regarding his impetuosity as incapable of\ncheek, Bhishma endued with great prowess and conversant with the might\n(of others), suddenly alighted on the ground for warding off that blow.\nSweta then, O king, whirling in wrath that heavy mace, hurled it on\nBhishma's car like the god Maheswara.[347] And in consequence of that\nmace intended for Bhishma's destruction, that car was reduced to ashes,\nwith standard, and charioteer, and steeds and shaft. Beholding Bhishma,\nthat foremost of car-warriors, become a combatant on foot, many\ncar-warriors, viz., Salya and others, speedily rushed (to his rescue).\nMounting then upon another car, and cheerlessly stretching his bow,\nBhishma slowly advanced towards Sweta, seeing that foremost of\ncar-warriors. Meanwhile, Bhishma heard a loud voice uttered in the skies,\nthat was celestial and fraught with his own good. (And the voice\nsaid).--'O, Bhishma, O thou of mighty arms, strive without losing a\nmoment. Even this is the hour fixed by the Creator of the Universe for\nsuccess over this one'. Hearing those words uttered by the celestial\nmessenger, Bhishma, filled with joy, set his heart upon Sweta's\ndestruction. And beholding that foremost of car-warriors, Sweta become a\ncombatant on foot, many mighty car-warriors (of the Pandava side) rushed\nunitedly (to his rescue). (They were) Satyaki, and Bhimasena, and\nDhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race; and the (five) Kekaya brothers, and\nDhrishtaketu and Abhimanyu of great energy. And beholding them rushing\n(to the rescue), with Drona and Salya and Kripa that hero of immeasurable\nsoul (Bhishma) checked them all like the mountain resisting the force of\nthe wind. And when all the high-souled warriors of the Pandava side were\n(thus) held in check, Sweta, taking up a sword cut off Bhishma's bow.\nCasting aside that bow, the grandsire, quickly made up his mind for\nSweta's destruction, having heard the words of the celestial messenger.\nThough baffled (by Sweta), thy sire Devavrata then that mighty\ncar-warrior quickly taking up another bow that resembled the bow of Sakra\nhimself in splendour, stringed it in a moment. Then thy sire, O chief of\nthe Bharatas, beholding that mighty car-warrior Sweta, though the latter\nwas then surrounded by those tigers among men with Bhimasena at their\nhead,--(thy sire) the son of Ganga--advanced steadily for the sake of the\ngeneralissimo Sweta alone. Beholding Bhishma advance, Bhimasena of great\nprowess pierced him with sixty shafts. But that mighty car-warrior, thy\nsire Devavrata, checking both Bhimasena and Abhimanyu and other\ncar-warriors with terrible shafts, struck him with three straight arrows.\nAnd the grandsire of the Bharatas also struck Satyaki, in that combat,\nwith a hundred arrows, and Dhrishtadyumna with twenty and the Kekaya\nbrothers with five. And checking all those great bowmen with terrible\narrows, thy sire Devavrata advanced towards Sweta alone. Then taking out\nan arrow resembling Death's self and capable of bearing a great strain\nand incapable of being resisted, the powerful Bhishma placed it on his\nbowstring. And that shaft, furnished with wings and duly endued with the\nforce of the Brahma weapon, was seen by the gods and Gandharvas and\nPisachas and Uragas, and Rakshasas. And that shaft, of splendour like\nthat of a blazing fire, piercing through his coat of mail (passed through\nhis body and) struck into the earth, with a flash like that of heaven's\nbolt. Like the Sun when speedily retiring to his western chambers taking\nalong with him the rays of light, even thus that shaft passed out of\nSweta's body, bearing away with itself his life. Thus slain in battle by\nBhishma, we beheld that tiger among men fall down like the loosened crest\nof a mountain. And all the mighty car-warriors of the Kshatriya race\nbelonging to the Pandava side indulged in lamentations. Thy sons,\nhowever, and all the Kurus, were filled with delight. Then, O king,\nbeholding Sweta overthrown, Dussasana danced in joy over the field in\naccompaniment with the loud music of conches and drums. And when that\ngreat bowman was slain by Bhishma, that ornament of battle, the mighty\nbowmen (of the Pandava side) with Sikhandin at their head, trembled in\nfear. Then when their commander was slain, Dhananjaya, O king, and he of\nVrishni's race, slowly withdrew the troops (for their nightly rest). And\nthen, O Bharata, the withdrawal took place of both theirs and thine,\nwhile thine and theirs were frequently setting up loud roars. And the\nmighty car-warriors of the Parthas entered (their quarters) cheerlessly,\nthinking, O chastiser of foes, of that awful slaughter in single combat\n(of their commander).\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIX\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"When the generalissimo Sweta, O son, was slain in\nbattle by the enemy, what did those mighty bowmen, the Panchalas with the\nPandavas, do? Hearing their commander Sweta slain, what happened between\nthose that strove for his sake and their foes that retreated before them?\nO Sanjaya, hearing of our victory, (thy) words please my heart. Nor doth\nmy heart feel any shame in remembering our transgression.[348] The old\nchief of Kuru's race is ever cheerful and devoted (to us). (As regards\nDuryodhana), having provoked hostilities with that intelligent son of his\nuncle, he sought at one time the protection of the sons of Pandu in\nconsequence of his anxiety and fear due to Yudhishthira. At that time,\nabandoning everything he lived in misery. In consequence of the prowess\nof the sons of Pandu, and everywhere receiving checks--having placed\nhimself amid entanglements--from his enemies Duryodhana had (for some\ntime) recourse to honourable behaviour. Formerly that wicked-minded king\nhad placed himself under their protection. Why, therefore, O Sanjaya,\nhath Sweta who was devoted to Yudhishthira, been slain. Indeed, this\nnarrow-minded prince, with all his prospects, hath been hurled to the\nnether regions by a number of wretches. Bhishma liked not the war, nor\neven did the preceptor.[349] Nor Kripa, nor Gandhari liked it, O Sanjaya,\nnor do I like it, nor Vasudeva of Vrishni's race, nor that just king the\nson of Pandu; nor Bhima, nor Arjuna, nor those bulls among men, the twins\n(liked it.) Always forbidden by me, by Gandhari, by Vidura, by Rama the\nson of Jamadagni, and by the high-souled Vyasa also, the wicked-minded\nand sinful Duryodhana, with Dussasana, O Sanjaya, always following the\ncounsels of Karna and Suvala's son, behaved maliciously towards the\nPandavas. I think, O Sanjaya, that he has fallen into great distress.\nAfter the slaughter of Sweta and the victory of Bhishma what did Partha,\nexcited with rage, do in battle accompanied by Krishna? Indeed, it is\nfrom Arjuna that my fears arise, and those fears, O Sanjaya, cannot be\ndispelled. He, Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, is brave and endued with\ngreat activity. I think, with his arrows he will cut into fragments the\nbodies of his enemies. The son of Indra, and in battle equal unto Upendra\nthe younger brother of Indra, a warrior whose wrath and purposes are\nnever futile, alas, beholding him what becomes the state of your minds?\nBrave, acquainted with Vedas, resembling the fire and the Sun in\nsplendour, and possessing a knowledge of the Aindra weapon, that warrior\nof immeasurable soul is ever victorious when he falleth upon the foe. His\nweapons always falling upon the foe with the force of the thunderbolt and\nhis arms wonderfully quick in drawing the bowstring, the son of Kunti is\na mighty car-warrior. The formidable son of Drupada also, O Sanjaya, is\nendued with great wisdom. What, indeed, did Dhristadyumna do when Sweta\nwas slain in battle? I think that in consequence of the wrongs they\nsustained of old, and of the slaughter of their commander, the hearts of\nthe high-souled Pandavas blazed up. Thinking of their wrath I am never at\nmy ease, by day or by night, on account of Duryodhana. How did the great\nbattle take place? Tell me all about it, O Sanjaya.\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"Hear, O king, quietly about thy transgressions. It\nbehoveth thee not to impute the fruit to Duryodhana. As is the\nconstruction of an embankment when the waters have disappeared, so is thy\nunderstanding, or, it is like the digging of a well when a house is on\nfire.[350] When, after the forenoon had passed away, the commander Sweta\nwas, O Bharata, slain by Bhishma in that fierce conflict, Virata's son\nSankha, that grinder of hostile ranks ever delighting in battle,\nbeholding Salya stationed with Kritavarman (on his car), suddenly blazed\nup with wrath, like fire with clarified butter. That mighty warrior,\nstretching his large bow that resembled the bow of Indra himself, rushed\nwith the desire of slaying the ruler of the Madras in battle, himself\nsupported on all sides by a large division of cars. And Sankha, causing\nan arrowy downpour rushed towards the car on which Salya was. And\nbeholding him advancing like an infuriate elephant, seven mighty\ncar-warriors of thy side surrounded him--desirous of rescuing the ruler\nof the Madras already within the jaws of death. Then the mighty-armed\nBhishma, roaring like the very clouds, and taking up a bow full six\ncubits long, rushed towards Sankha in battle. And beholding that mighty\ncar-warrior and great bowman thus rushing, the Pandava host began to\ntremble like a boat tossed by a violence of the tempest. Then Arjuna,\nquickly advancing, placed himself in front of Sankha, thinking that\nSankha should then be protected from Bhishma. And then the combat\ncommenced between Bhishma and Arjuna. And loud cries of oh and alas arose\namong the warriors engaged in battle. And one force seemed to merge into\nanother force. And thus all were filled with wonder.[351] Then Salya,\nmace in hand, alighting from his large car, slew, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, the four steeds of Sankha. Jumping down from his car thus deprived\nof steeds, and taking a sword, Sankha ran towards Vibhatsu's car and\n(mounting on it) was once more at his ease. And then there fell from\nBhishma's car innumerable arrows by which were covered the entire welkin\nand the earth. And that foremost of smiters, Bhishma, slaughtered with\nhis arrows the Panchala, the Matsya, the Kekaya, and the Prabhadraka\nhost. And soon abandoning in that battle, Pandu's son (Arjuna) capable of\ndrawing the bow with even his left hand, Bhishma rushed towards Drupada,\nthe king of the Panchalas, surrounded by his host. And he soon covered\nhis dear relative with innumerable arrows. Like a forest consumed by fire\nat the end of winter, the troops of Drupada were seen to be consumed. And\nBhishma stood in that battle like a blazing fire without smoke, or like\nthe Sun himself at midday scorching everything around with his heat. The\ncombatants of the Pandavas were not able to even look at Bhishma. And\nafflicted with fear, the Pandava host cast its eyes around, and not\nbeholding any protector, looked like a herd of kine afflicted by cold.\nSlaughtered or retreating in despondence being crushed the while, loud\ncries, O Bharata, of oh and alas arose among the troops of the Pandavas.\nThen Bhishma the son of Santanu, with bow always drawn to a circle, shot\ntherefrom blazing arrows that resembled virulent poison. And creating\ncontinuous lines of arrows in all directions, that hero of rigid vows\nslew Pandava car-warriors, naming each, O Bharata, beforehand. And then\nwhen the troops of the Pandavas were routed and crushed all over the\nfield, the sun set and nothing could be seen. And then beholding Bhishma,\nO bull of Bharata's race, proudly standing in battle, the Parthas\nwithdrew their forces (for nightly rest).\"\n\n\n\nSECTION L\n\nSanjaya said, \"When the troops, O bull of Bharata's race, were withdrawn\non the first day, and when Duryodhana was filled with delight upon\n(beholding) Bhishma excited with wrath in battle, king Yudhishthira the\njust, speedily repaired unto Janardana, accompanied by all his brothers\nand all the kings (on his side). Filled with great grief thinking of his\ndefeat, and beholding Bhishma's prowess, O king, he addressed that scion\nof Vrishni's race, saying, 'Behold, O Krishna, that mighty bowman Bhishma\nof terrible prowess. He consumes with his arrow my troops like fire\n(consuming) dry grass. How shall we even look at that high-souled\n(warrior) who is licking up my troops like fire fed with clarified\nbutter? Beholding that tiger among men, that mighty warrior armed with\nthe bow, my troops fly away, afflicted with arrows. Enraged Yama himself,\nor He armed with the thunder, or even Varuna noose in hand, or Kuvera\narmed with mace, may be vanquished in battle but the mighty car-warrior\nBhishma, of great energy is incapable of being vanquished. Such being the\ncase, I am sinking in the fathomless ocean represented by Bhishma,\nwithout a boat (to rescue me).[352] In consequence, O Kesava, of the\nweakness of my understanding, having obtained Bhishma (for a foe in\nbattle), I shall, O Govinda, retire into woods. To live there is\npreferable to devoting these lords of earth to Death in the form of\nBhishma. Conversant with mighty weapons, Bhishma, O Krishna, will\nannihilate my army. As insects rush into the blazing fire for their own\ndestruction, the combatants of my army are even so. In putting forth\nprowess for the sake of kingdom, O thou of Vrishni's race, I am being led\nto destruction. My heroic brothers also are pained and afflicted with\narrows for my sake, having been deprived of both sovereignty and\nhappiness in consequence of their love for their eldest brother. We\nregard life very highly, for, under these circumstances, life is too\nprecious (to be sacrificed). During the remainder of my days I will\npractise the severest of ascetic austerities. I will not, O Kesava, cause\nthese friends of mine to be slain.[353] The mighty Bhishma incessantly\nslays, with his celestial weapon, many thousands of my car-warriors who\nare foremost of smiters. Tell me, O Madhava, without delay, what should\nbe done that might do me good. As regards Arjuna, I see that he is an\nindifferent spectator in this battle. Endued with great might, this Bhima\nalone, remembering Kshatriya duties, fighteth putting forth the prowess\nof his arms and to the utmost of his power. With his hero-slaying mace,\nthis high-souled (warrior), to the full measure of his powers, achieveth\nthe most difficult feats upon foot-soldiers and steeds and cars and\nelephants. This hero, however, is incapable, O sire, of destroying in\nfair fight the hostile host in even a century. This thy friend (Arjuna)\nalone (amongst) is conversant with (mighty) weapons. He, however,\nbeholding us consumed by Bhishma and the high-souled Drona, looketh\nindifferently on us. The celestial weapons of Bhishma and the high-souled\nDrona, incessantly applied, are consuming all the Kshatriyas. O Krishna,\nsuch is his prowess, that Bhishma, with wrath excited, aided by the kings\n(on his side), will, without doubt annihilate us. O Lord of Yoga, look\nfor that great bowman, that mighty car-warrior, who will give Bhishma his\nquietus like rain-charged clouds quenching a forest conflagration. (Then)\nthrough thy grace, O Govinda, the son of Pandu, their foes being slain,\nwill, after recovery of their kingdom, be happy with their kinsmen.'\n\n\"Having said this, the high-souled son of Pritha, with heart afflicted by\ngrief and mind turned within, remained silent for a long while in a\nreflected mood. Beholding the son of Pandu stricken with grief and\ndeprived of his senses by sorrow, Govinda then gladdening all the\nPandavas said, 'Do not grieve, O chief of the Bharatas. It behoveth thee\nnot to grieve, when thy brothers are all heroes and renowned bowmen in\nthe world. I also am employed in doing thee good, as also that mighty\ncar-warrior Satyaki and Virata and Drupada, both reverend in years, and\nDhrishtadyumna of Prishata's line. And so also, O best of kings, all\nthese monarchs with their (respective) troops are expectant of thy favour\nand devoted to thee, O king. This mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna of\nPrishata's race placed in command of thy army is always desirous of thy\nwelfare and engaged in doing that which is agreeable to thee, as also\nthis Sikhandin, O thou of mighty arms, who is certainly the slayer of\nBhishma.' Hearing these words, the king (Yudhishthira), said, unto that\nmighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna, in that very assembly and in the\nhearing of Vasudeva, these words, 'O Dhrishtadyumna, mark these words that\nI say unto thee, O thou of Prishata's line. The words uttered by me\nshould not be transgressed. Approved by Vasudeva, thou hast been the\ncommander of our forces. As Kartikeya, in days of old, was ever the\ncommander of the celestial host, so also art thou, O bull among men, the\ncommander of the Pandava host. Putting forth thy prowess, O tiger among\nmen, slay the Kauravas. I will follow thee, and Bhima, and Krishna also,\nO sire, and the sons of Madri united together, and the sons of Draupadi\naccoutred in mail, and all the other foremost of kings, O bull among men.'\nThen gladdening (the listeners) Dhrishtadyumna said, 'Ordained of old by\nSambhu himself, I am, O son of Pritha, the slayer of Drona. I shall now\nfight in battle against Bhishma, and Drona and Kripa and Salya and\nJayadratha and all the proud monarchs (on the Kuru side)'. When that\nforemost of princes, that slayer of foes, the son of Prishata, said this\ndefiantly, the Pandava warriors, endued with great energy and incapable\nof being defeated in battle, all set up a loud shout. And then Pritha's\nson Yudhishthira said unto the commander of his army, the son of\nPrishata, (these words), 'An array known by the name of Krauncharuma,\nthat is destructive of all foes, and that was spoken of by Vrihaspati\nunto Indra in days of old when the gods and the Asuras fought,--that\narray destructive of hostile divisions, do thou form. Unseen before, the\nkings behold it, along with the Kurus.' Thus addressed by that god among\nmen, like Vishnu addressed by the wielder of the thunderbolt,[354] he\n(Dhrishtadyumna), when morning dawned, placed Dhananjaya in the van of\nthe whole army. And Dhananjaya's standard, created at Indra's command by\nthe celestial artificer, while moving through the skies, seemed\nwonderfully beautiful. Decked with banners bearing hues resembling those\nof Indra's bow,[355] coursing through the air like a ranger of the skies,\nand looking like the fleeting edifice of vapour in the welkin, it seemed,\nO sire to glide dancingly along the track of the car (to which it was\nattached). And the bearer of Gandiva with that (standard) graced with\ngems, and that standard itself with the bearer of Gandiva, looked highly\nadorned, like the Self-create with the Sun (and the Sun with the\nSelf-create).[356] And king Drupada, surrounded by a large number of\ntroops, became the head (of that array). And the two kings Kuntibhoja and\nSaivya became its two eyes. And the ruler of the Dasarnas, and the\nPrayagas, with the Dasarakas, and the Anupakas, and the Kiratas were\nplaced in its neck, O bull of Bharata's race. And Yudhishthira, O king,\nwith the Patachcharas, the Hunas, the Pauravakas and the Nishadas, became\nits two wings, so also the Pisachas, with the Kundavishas, and the\nMandakas, the Ladakas, the Tanganas, and the Uddras, O Bharata, and the\nSaravas, the Tumbhumas, the Vatsas, and the Nakulas. And Nakula and\nSahadeva placed themselves on the left wing. And on the joints of the\nwings were placed ten thousand cars and on the head a hundred thousand,\nand on the back a hundred millions and twenty thousand and on the neck a\nhundred and seventy thousand. And on the joints of the wings, the wings\nand the extremities of the wings proceeded elephants in large bodies,\nlooking, O king, like blazing mountains. And the rear was protected by\nVirata aided by the Kekayas, and the ruler of Kasi and the king of the\nChedis, with thirty thousand cars.[357] Forming, O Bharata, their mighty\narray thus, the Pandavas, expectant of sunrise, waited for battle, all\ncased in armour. And their white umbrellas, clean and costly, and\nbrilliant as the sun, shone resplendent on their elephants and cars.\"[358]\n\n\n\nSECTION LI\n\nSanjaya said, \"Beholding the mighty and terrible array called Krauncha\nformed by Pandu's son of immeasurable energy, thy son, approaching the\npreceptor, and Kripa, and Salya, O sire, and Somadatta's son, and\nVikarna, and Aswatthaman also, and all his brothers too, headed by\nDussasana, O Bharata, and other immeasurable heroes assembled there for\nbattle, said these timely words, gladdening them all, 'Armed with various\nkinds of weapons, ye all are conversant with the meaning of the\nscriptures. Ye mighty car-warriors, each of you is singly capable of\nslaying in battle the sons of Pandu with their troops. How much more\nthen, when ye are united together. Our host, therefore, which is\nprotected by Bhishma, is immeasurable, while that host of theirs, which\nis protected by Bhima, is measurable.[359] Let the Samsthanas, the\nSurasenas, the Venikas, the Kukkuras, the Rechakas, the Trigartas, the\nMadrakas, the Yavanas, with Satrunjayas, and Dussasana, and that\nexcellent hero Vikarna, and Nanda and Upanandaka, and Chitrasena, along\nwith the Manibhadrakas, protect Bhishma with their (respective)\ntroops,'--Then Bhishma and Drona and thy sons, O sire, formed a mighty\narray for resisting that of the Parthas. And Bhishma, surrounded by a\nlarge body of troops, advanced, leading a mighty army, like the chief of\nthe celestials himself. And that mighty bowman, the son of Bharadwaja,\nendued with great energy, followed him with the Kuntalas, the Dasarnas,\nand the Magadhas, O king, and with the Vidarbhas, the Melakas, the\nKarnas, and the Pravaranas also. And the Gandharas, the Sindhusauviras,\nthe Sivis and the Vasatis with all their combatants also, (followed)\nBhishma, that ornament of battle, and Sakuni, with all his troops\nprotected the son of Bharadwaja. And then king Duryodhana, united with\nall his brothers, with the Aswalakas, the Vikarnas, the Vamanas, the\nKosalas, the Daradas, the Vrikas, as also the Kshudrakas and the Malavas\nadvanced cheerfully against the Pandava host. And Bhurisravas, and Sala,\nand Salya, and Bhagadatta, O sire, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti,\nprotected the left flank. And Somadatta, and Susarman, and Sudakshina,\nthe ruler of the Kamvojas and Satayus, and Srutayus, were on the right\nflank. And Aswatthaman, and Kripa, and Kritavarman of Satwata's race,\nwith a very large division of the troops, were stationed at the rear of\nthe army. And behind them were the rulers of many provinces, and Ketumat,\nand Vasudana, and the powerful son of the king of Kasi. Then all the\ntroops on thy side cheerfully waiting for battle, O Bharata, blew their\nconches with great pleasure, and set up leonine roars. And hearing the\nshouts of those (combatants) filled with delight the venerable Kuru\ngrandsire, endued with great prowess, uttering a leonine roar, blew his\nconch. Thereupon, conches and drums and diverse kinds of Pesis and\ncymbals, were sounded at once by others, and the noise made became a loud\nuproar. And Madhava and Arjuna, both stationed on a great car unto which\nwere yoked white steeds, blew their excellent conches decked with gold\nand jewels. And Hrishikesa blew the conch called Panchajanya, and\nDhananjaya (that called) Devadatta. And Vrikodara of terrible deeds blew\nthe huge conch called Paundra. And Kunti's son king Yudhishthira blew the\nconch called Anantavijaya, while Nakula and Sahadeva (those conches\ncalled) Sughosa and Manipushpaka.[360] And the ruler of Kasi, and Saivya,\nand Sikhandin the mighty car-warrior, and Dhrishtadyumna, and Virata, and\nthe mighty car-warrior Satyaki, and that great bowman the king of the\nPanchalas, and the five sons of Draupadi, all blew their large conches\nand set up leonine roars. And that great uproar uttered there by those\nheroes, loudly reverberated through both the earth and the welkin. Thus,\nO great king, the Kurus and the Pandavas, both filled with delight,\nadvanced against each other for battling again, and scorching each other\nthus.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LII\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"When mine and the hostile hosts were thus formed\ninto battle array, how did the foremost of smiters begin to strike?\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"When all the divisions were thus arrayed, the combatants\nwaited, each cased in mail, and with their beautiful standards all\nupraised. And beholding the (Kuru) host that resembled the limitless\nocean, thy son Duryodhana, O king, stationed within it, said unto all the\ncombatants on thy side, 'Cased in mail (as ye are), begin ye the fight'.\nThe combatants then, entertaining cruel intentions, and abandoning their\nvery lives, all rushed against the Pandavas, with standards upraised. The\nbattle that took place then was fierce and made the hair stand on end.\nAnd the cars and elephants all got mixed together. And shafts with\nbeautiful feathers, and endued with great energy and sharp points, shot\nby car-warriors fell upon elephants and horses. And when the battle began\nin this way, the venerable Kuru grandsire, the mighty-armed Bhishma of\nterrible prowess, cased in mail, taking up his bow, and approaching them,\nshowered an arrowy downpour on the heroic son of Subhadra, and the mighty\ncar-warrior Arjuna, and the ruler of the Kekayas and Virata, and\nDhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race, as also upon the Chedi and the Matsya\nwarriors. And that mighty array (of the Pandavas) wavered at the onset of\nthat hero. And terrific was the encounter that took place between all the\ncombatants. And horse-men and car-warriors and foremost of steeds fell\nfast. And the car-divisions of the Pandavas began to fly away. Then that\ntiger among men, Arjuna, beholding that mighty car-warrior Bhishma,\nangrily said unto him of Vrishni's race, 'Proceed to the place where the\ngrandsire is. O thou of Vrishni's race, it is evident that this Bhishma,\nwith wrath excited, will annihilate for Duryodhana's benefit my host. And\nthis Drona, and Kripa and Salya and Vikarna, O Janardana, united with\nDhritarashtra's sons headed by Duryodhana, and protected by this firm\nbowman, will slaughter the Panchalas. Even I, therefore, shall slay\nBhishma for the sake of my troops, O Janardana.' Unto him Vasudeva then\nsaid, 'Be careful, O Dhananjaya, for I will soon take thee, O hero,\ntowards the grandsire's car.' Having said this, O king, Saurin took that\ncar, which was celebrated over the world, before the car of Bhishma. With\nnumerous banners all waving, with steeds looking handsome like a flight\nof (white) cranes, with standard upraised on which was the ape roaring\nfiercely, upon his large car of solar effulgence and whose rattle\nresembled roar of the clouds, slaughtering the Kaurava divisions and the\nSurasenas also, the son of Pandu, that enhancer of the joys of friends\nspeedily came to the encounter. Him (thus) rushing impetuously like an\ninfuriate elephant and (thus) frightening in a battle brave combatants\nand felling them with his shafts, Bhishma the son of Santanu, protected\nby the warriors headed by Saindhava and by the combatants of the East and\nthe Sauviras and the Kekayas, encountered with great impetuosity. Who\nelse save the Kuru grandsire and those car-warriors, viz., Drona and\nVikartana's son (Karna), are capable of advancing in battle against the\nbearer of the bow called Gandiva? Then, O great king, Bhishma, the\ngrandsire of the Kauravas, struck Arjuna with seventy-seven arrows and\nDrona (struck him) with five and twenty, and Kripa with fifty, and\nDuryodhana with four and sixty, and Salya with nine arrows; and Drona's\nson, that tiger among men, with sixty, and Vikarna with three arrows; and\nSaindhava with nine and Sakuni with five. And Artayani O king, pierced\nPandu's son with three broad-headed arrows. And (though) pierced on all\nsides by them with sharp arrows, that great bowman,[361] that\nmighty-armed (warrior), wavered not like a mountain that is pierced (with\narrows). Thereupon he, the diadem-decked, of immeasurable soul, O bull of\nBharata's race, in return pierced Bhishma with five and twenty, and Kripa\nwith nine arrows, and Drona with sixty, O tiger among men, and Vikarna\nwith three arrows; and Artayani with three arrows, and the king\n(Duryodhana) also with five. And then Satyaki, and Virata and\nDhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race, and the sons of Draupadi, and\nAbhimanyu, all surrounded him, (proceeding to his support). Then the\nprince of the Panchalas, supported by the Somakas, advanced towards the\ngreat bowman Drona who was engaged in seeking the welfare of Ganga's son.\nThen Bhishma, that foremost of car-warriors, speedily pierced the son of\nPandu with eighty sharp arrows, upon which the combatants on thy side\nwere much gratified. Hearing the shouts of those lions among\ncar-warriors, Dhananjaya, endued with great prowess, then cheerfully\nentered into the midst of those lions among car-warriors and sported with\nhis bow, O king, (successively) aiming at those mighty car-warriors. Then\nthat ruler of men, king Duryodhana, said unto Bhishma, beholding his own\ntroops (thus) afflicted in battle by the son of Pritha, 'This mighty son\nof Pandu, O sire, accompanied by Krishna, felling all our troops, cutteth\ndown our roots, even though thou, O son of Ganga, and that foremost of\ncar-warriors, Drona, are alive. O monarch, it is for thee only that this\nKarna, laying aside his weapons, doth not fight with the sons of Pritha\nin battle (though) he is ever a well-wisher of mine, Do, therefore, that,\nO son of Ganga by which Phalguni may be slain.' Thus addressed, O king,\nthy sire Devavrata, saying, 'Fie to Kshatriya usage', then proceeded\ntowards Partha's car. And all the kings, O monarch, seeing both those\nwarriors with white steeds yoked unto their cars stationed (for battle),\nset up loud leonine roars, and also blew their conches, O sire. And\nDrona's son and Duryodhana, and thy son Vikarna, surrounding Bhishma in\nthat combat, stood, O sire, for battle. And so all the Pandavas,\nsurrounding Dhananjaya, stood for fierce conflict. And the battle then\ncommenced. And the son of Ganga pierced Partha in that combat with nine\nshafts. And Arjuna pierced him in return with ten shafts penetrating into\nthe very vitals. Then, with a thousand arrows, well shot, Pandu's son\nArjuna, famed for his skill in battle, shrouded Bhishma on all sides.\nThat arrowy net, however, of Partha, O king, Bhishma the son of Santanu\nbaffled with an arrowy net (of his own). And both well-pleased, and both\ndelighting in battle, fought with each other without each gaining any\nadvantage over the other, and each desirous of counteracting the other's\nfeats. And the successive flights of arrows shot from Bhishma's bow were\nseen to be dispersed by the shafts of Arjuna. And so the flights of\narrows shot by Arjuna, cut off by the arrows of Ganga's son, all fell\ndown on the ground. And Arjuna pierced Bhishma with five and twenty\narrows of sharp points. And Bhishma, too, in that combat, pierced Partha\nin return with nine arrows. And those two mighty warriors, those\nchastisers of foes, piercing each other's steeds, and also the shafts and\nthe wheels of each other's cars, began to sport. Then, O king, Bhishma,\nthat foremost of smiters, struck Vasudeva between his two breasts with\nthree arrows. And the slayer of Madhu, struck with those shafts shot from\nBhishma's bow, shone in that battle, O king, like a flowering Kinsuka.\nThen Arjuna, indignant at seeing Madhava, pierced in that combat the\ncharioteer of Ganga's son with three arrows. And both heroes, striving\nwith each other against each other's car, succeeded not in taking aim at\neach other in the combat. And in consequence of the ability and dexterity\nof the charioteers of both those warriors, both displayed, O king,\nbeautiful circles and advancings and retreatings in respect of their\nmoving cars. And, O monarch, seeing the opportunity to strike, they\nfrequently changed positions, O king, for obtaining what they sought. And\nboth the heroes blew their conches, mingling that blare with their\nleonine roars. And those mighty car-warriors twang their bows, both in\nthe same manner. And with the blare of their conches and the rattle of\ntheir car-wheels, the very Earth was suddenly rent. And it began to\ntremble and produce subterranean noises. And nobody, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, could detect any latches in either of them. Both of them was\npossessed of great might and great courage in battle, each was other's\nmatch. And by (the sight of) his standard alone, the Kauravas could\napproach him (for aid). And so the Pandavas approached Pritha's son (for\naid), guided by his standard only. And beholding, O king, prowess thus\ndisplayed by those two foremost of men, O Bharata, all creatures\n(present) in that battle were filled with wonder. And none, O Bharata,\nobserved any difference between the two, just as none finds any\ntransgression in a person observant of morality. And both of them (at\ntimes) became perfectly invisible in consequence of clouds of arrows. And\nsoon enough both of them in that battle became visible. And the gods with\nGandharvas and the Charanas, and the great Rishis beholding their\nprowess, said unto one another, 'These mighty car-warriors when excited\nwith rage, are incapable of ever being vanquished in battle by all the\nworlds with the gods, the Asuras and the Gandharvas. This highly\nwonderful battle would be wonderful in all the worlds. Indeed, a battle\nsuch as this will never take place again. Bhishma is incapable of being\nconquered in combat by Pritha's son of great intelligence, showering his\narrows in battle, with bow and car and steeds. So also that great bowman,\nthe son of Pandu, incapable of being vanquished in battle by the very\ngods, Bhishma is not competent to conquer in combat. As long as the world\nitself will last, so long will this battle continue equally.' We heard\nthese words, O king, fraught with the praise of Ganga's son and Arjuna in\nbattle bruited about there. And while those two were engaged in\ndisplaying their prowess, other warriors of thy side and of the Pandavas,\nO Bharata, slew one another in battle, with sharp-edged scimitars, and\npolished battle-axes, and innumerable arrows, and diverse kinds of\nweapons. And the brave combatants of both armies cut one another down,\nwhile that terrible and murderous conflict lasted. And the encounter\nalso, O king, that took place between Drona and the prince of the\nPanchalas, was awful.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIII\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"Tell me, O Sanjaya, how that great bowman Drona and\nthe Panchala prince of Prishata's race encounter each other in battle,\neach striving his best. I regard destiny to be superior, O Sanjaya, to\nexertion, when Santanu's son Bhishma (even) could not escape Pandu's son\nin battle. Indeed, Bhishma, when enraged in battle could destroy all\nmobile and immobile creatures, why, O Sanjaya, could he not then by his\nprowess, escape the son of Pandu in battle?\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"Listen, O king, quietly to this terrific battle. The son\nof Pandu is incapable of being vanquished by the very gods with Vasava.\nDrona with diverse arrows pierced Dhrishtadyumna and felled the latter's\ncharioteer from his niche in the car.[362] And, O sire, the enraged hero\nalso afflicted Dhrishtadyumna's four steeds with four excellent shafts.\nAnd the heroic Dhrishtadyumna too pierced Drona in the combat with nine\nsharp arrows and addressed him, saying, 'Wait--Wait'. Then, again,\nBharadwaja's son of great prowess and immeasurable soul, covered with his\narrows the wrathful Dhrishtadyumna. And he took up a dreadful arrow for\nthe destruction of Prishata's son whose force resembled that of Sakra's\nbolt and which was like a second rod of death. And beholding that arrow\naimed by Bharadwaja in battle, loud cries of oh and alas arose, O\nBharata, among all the combatants. And then we beheld the wonderful\nprowess of Dhrishtadyumna insomuch that the hero stood alone, immovable\nlike a mountain. And he cut off that terrible and blazing arrow coming\ntowards him like his own Death, and also showered an arrowy downpour on\nBharadwaja's son. And beholding that difficult feat achieved by\nDhrishtadyumna, the Panchalas with the Pandavas, filled with delight, set\nup loud shouts. And that prince, endued with great prowess, desirous of\nslaying Drona hurled at him a dart of great impetuosity, decked with gold\nand stones of lapis lazuli. Thereupon the son of Bharadwaja, smiling the\nwhile, cut off into three fragments that dart decked with gold that was\ncoming towards him impetuously. Beholding his dart thus baffled,\nDhrishtadyumna of great prowess rained arrowy downpours on Drona, O king.\nThen that mighty car-warrior Drona, baffling that arrowy shower, cut off\nwhen the opportunity presented, the bow of Drupada's son. His bow (thus)\ncut off in the combat, that mighty warrior of great fame hurled at Drona\na heavy mace endued with the strength of the mountain. And hurled from\nhis hands, that mace coursed through the air for Drona's destruction. And\nthen we beheld the wonderful prowess of Bharadwaja's son. By (the)\nlightness (of his car's motion), he baffled that mace decked with gold,\nand having baffled it, he shot at Prishata's son many shafts of sharp\nedge, well-tempered, furnished with golden wings, and whetted on stone.\nAnd these, penetrating through Prishata's coat of mail, drank his blood\nin that battle. Then the high-souled Dhrishtadyumna, taking up another\nbow, and putting forth his prowess pierced Drona in that encounter with\nfive shafts. And then those two bulls among men, both covered with blood,\nlooked beautiful like two blossoming Kinsukas in spring variegated with\nflowers. Then, O king, excited with wrath and putting forth his prowess\nat the head of his division, Drona once more cut off the bow of Drupada's\nson. And then that hero of immeasurable soul covered that warrior whose\nbow was cut off, with innumerable straight arrows like the clouds\nshowering rain on a mountain. And he also felled his foe's charioteer\nfrom his niche in the car. And his four steeds, too, with four sharp\narrows, Drona felled in that combat that set up a leonine roar. And with\nanother shaft he cut off the leathern fence that cased Dhrishtadyumna's\nhand. His bow cut off, deprived of car, his steeds slain, and charioteer\noverthrown, the prince of Panchala alighted from his car, mace in hand,\ndisplaying great prowess. But before he could come down from his car, O\nBharata, Drona with his shafts cut off that mace into fragments. This\nfeat seemed wonderful to us. And then the mighty prince of the Panchalas\nof strong arms, taking a large and beautiful shield decked with a hundred\nmoons, and a large scimitar of beautiful make, rushed impetuously from\ndesire of slaying Drona, like a hungry lion in the forest towards an\ninfuriate elephant. Then wonderful was the prowess that we behold of\nBharadwaja's son, and his lightness (of hand) in the use of weapons, as\nalso the strength of his arms, O Bharata, in as much as, alone, he\nchecked Prishata's son with a shower of arrows. And although possessed of\ngreat might in battle, he was unable to proceed further. And we behold\nthe mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna staying where he did and warding\noff those clouds of arrows with his shield, using his arms with great\ndexterity. Then the mighty-armed Bhima endued with great strength quickly\ncame there, desirous of aiding in battle the high-souled son of Prishata.\nAnd he pierced Drona, O king, with seven sharp-pointed arrows, and\nspeedily caused Prishata's son to be taken up on another car. Then king\nDuryodhana urged the ruler of the Kalingas supported by a large division,\nfor the protection of Bharadwaja's son. Then that terrible and mighty\ndivision of the Kalingas, O ruler of men, rushed against Bhima at the\ncommand of thy son. And Drona then, that foremost of car-warriors,\nabandoning the prince of Panchala, encountered Virata and Drupada\ntogether. And Dhrishtadyumna also proceeded to support king Yudhishthira\nin battle. And then commenced a fierce battle, making the hair stand on\nend, between the Kalingas and the high-souled Bhima, a battle that was\ndestructive of the universe, terrific, and awful.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIV\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"How did the ruler of the Kalingas, that commander of\na large division, urged by my son, and supported by his troops, fight in\nbattle with the mighty Bhimasena of wonderful feats, that hero wandering\nover the field of battle with his mace like Death himself club in hand?\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"Thus urged by thy son, O great king, the mighty king of\nthe Kalingas, accompanied by a large army advanced towards Bhima's car.\nAnd Bhimasena, then, O Bharata, supported by the Chedis, rushed towards\nthat large and mighty army of the Kalingas, abounding with cars, steeds,\nand elephants, and armed with mighty weapons, and advancing towards him\nwith Ketumat, the son of the king of the Nishadas. And Srutayus also,\nexcited with wrath, accoutred in mail, followed by his troops in\nbattle-array, and, accompanied by king Ketumat, came before Bhima in\nbattle. And the ruler of the Kalingas with many thousands of cars, and\nKetumat with ten thousand elephants and the Nishadas, surrounded\nBhimasena, O king, on all sides. Then the Chedis, the Matsyas, and\nKarushas, with Bhimasena at their head, with many kings impetuously\nrushed against the Nishadas. And then commenced the battle, fierce and\nterrible, between the warriors rushing at one another from desire of\nslaughter. And terrific was the battle that suddenly took place between\nBhima and his foes, resembling the battle, O great king, between Indra\nand the mighty host of Diti's sons. And loud became the uproar, O\nBharata, of that mighty army struggling in battle, that resembled the\nsound of the roaring ocean. And the combatants, O king, cutting one\nanother, made the whole field resemble a crematorium strewn with flesh\nand blood. And combatants, impelled by the desire of slaughter could not\ndistinguish friend from foe. And those brave warriors, incapable of being\neasily defeated in battle, even began to strike down their own friend.\nAnd terrific was the collision that took place between the few and many,\nbetween the Chedis (on the one side) and the Kalingas and the Nishadas, O\nking, (on the other). Displaying their manliness to the best of their\npower, the mighty Chedis, abandoning Bhimasena, turned back, and when the\nChedis ceased to follow him, the son of Pandu, encountering all the\nKalingas, did not turn back, depending upon the might of his own arms.\nIndeed, the mighty Bhimasena moved not, but from the terrace of his car\ncovered the division of the Kalingas with showers of sharp arrows. Then\nthat mighty bowman, the king of the Kalingas, and that car-warrior, his\nson known by the name of Sakradeva, both began to strike the son of Pandu\nwith their shafts. And the mighty-armed Bhima, shaking his beautiful bow,\nand depending on the might of his own arms, fought with Kalinga, and\nSakradeva, shooting in that battle innumerable arrows, slew Bhimasena's\nsteeds with them. And beholding that chastiser of foes Bhimasena deprived\nof his car, Sakradeva rushed at him, shooting sharp arrows. And upon\nBhimasena, O great king, the mighty Sakradeva showered arrowy downpours\nlike the clouds after summer is gone. But the mighty Bhimasena, staying\non his car whose steeds had been slain, hurled at Sakradeva a mace made\nof the hardest iron. And slain by that mace, O king, the son of the ruler\nof the Kalingas, from his car, fell down on the ground, with his standard\nand charioteer. Then that mighty car-warrior, the king of the Kalingas\nbeholding his own son slain, surrounded Bhima on all sides with many\nthousands of cars. Then the mighty-armed Bhima endued with great\nstrength, abandoning mace, took up a scimitar, desirous of achieving a\nfierce feat. And that bull among men also took up, O king, crescents made\nof gold. And the ruler of the Kalingas also, excited with wrath, and\nrubbing his bowstring, and taking up a terrible arrow (deadly) as poison\nof the snake, shot it at Bhimasena, desirous at that monarch was of\nslaying (the Pandava). That sharp arrow, thus shot and coursing\nimpetuously, Bhimasena, O king, cut in twain with his huge sword. And\nfilled with delight he set up a loud shout, terrifying the troops. And\nthe ruler of the Kalingas, excited with rage in that combat with\nBhimasena, quickly hurled at him fourteen bearded darts whetted on stone.\nThe mighty-armed son of Pandu, however, with that best of scimitars,\nfearlessly cut into fragments in a trice, O king, those darts while\ncoursing through the welkin and before they could reach him. And having\nin that battle (thus) cut off those fourteen darts Bhima, that bull among\nmen, beholding Bhanumat, rushed at him. Bhanumat then covered Bhima with\na shower of arrows, and set up a loud shout, making the welkin resound\nwith it. Bhima, however, in that fierce battle, could not hear that\nleonine shout. Himself endued with a loud voice, he also shouted very\nloudly. And at these shouts of his, the army of the Kalingas became\nfilled with fear. In that battle they no longer regarded Bhima, O bull\namong men, as a human being. Then, O great king, having uttered a loud\nshout, Bhima, sword in hand impetuously jumping on (Bhanumat's) excellent\nelephant aided by the latter's tusks, gained, O sire, the back of that\nprince of tuskers, and with his huge sword cut Bhanumat, dividing him in\nthe middle. That chastiser of foes, then, having (thus) slain in battle\nthe prince of the Kalingas, next[363] made his sword which was capable of\nbearing a great strain, to descend upon the neck of that elephant. His\nhead cut off, that prince of elephants fell down with a loud roar, like a\ncrested mountain (whose base is) eaten away by the impetuous (surges of\nthe) sea. And jumping down, O Bharata, from that falling elephant, the\nprince of Bharata's race, of undepressed soul, stood on the ground, sword\nin hand and accoutred in mail (as before). And felling numerous elephants\non all sides, he wandered (over the field), making many paths (for\nhimself). And then he seemed to be like a moving wheel of fire\nslaughtering whole divisions of cavalry, of elephants, and cars, and\nlarge bodies of infantry. And that lord among men, the mighty Bhima, was\nseen to move over the field with the activity of the hawk, quickly\ncutting off in that battle, with his sharp-edged sword, their bodies and\nheads, as also those of the combatants on elephant. And combatant on\nfoot, excited with rage, all alone, and like Yama at the season of\nuniversal dissolution, he struck terror into his foes and confounded\nthose brave warriors. Only they that were senseless rushed with loud\nshouts at him wandering in that great battle with impetuosity, sword in\nhand. And that grinder of foes, endued with great strength, cutting off\nthe shafts and yokes of warriors on their cars, slew those warriors also.\nAnd Bhimasena was seen, O Bharata, to display diverse kinds of motions\nthere. He wheeled about, and whirled about on high, and made\nside-thrusts, and jumped forward, and ran above, and leapt high. And, O\nBharata, he was also seen to rush forward and rush upward. And some\nmangled by the high-souled son of Pandu by means of his excellent sword,\nshrieked aloud, struck at their vitals or fell down deprived of life. And\nmany elephants, O Bharata, some with trunks and the extremities of their\ntusks cut off, and others having their temporal globes cut open, deprived\nof riders, slew their own ranks and fell down uttering loud cries. And\nbroken lances, O king, and the heads of elephant drivers, and beautiful\nhousings of elephants, and chords resplendent with gold, and collars, and\ndarts and mallets and quivers, diverse kinds of machines, and beautiful\nbows, short arrows with polished heads, with hooks and iron crows for\nguiding elephants, bells of diverse shape, and hilts decked with gold,\nwere seen by us falling down or (already) fallen along with riders of\nsteeds. And with elephants (lying down) having the fore parts and hind\nparts of their bodies and their trunks cut off, or entirely slain, the\nfield seemed to be strewn with fallen cliffs. That bull among men, having\nthus crushed the huge elephants, next crushed the steeds also. And, O\nBharata, that hero also felled the foremost of cavalry soldiers. And the\nbattle, O sire, that took place between him and them was fierce in the\nextreme. And hilts and traces, and saddle girths resplendent with gold,\nand covers for the back of steeds, and bearded darts, and costly swords,\nand coats of mail, and shields, and beautiful ornaments, were seen by us\nstrewn over the ground in that great battle. And he caused the earth to\nbe strewn over (with blood) as if it were variegated with lilies. And the\nmighty son of Pandu, jumping high and dragging some car-warriors down\nwith his sword felled them along with (their) standards. Frequently\njumping up or rushing on all sides, that hero endued with great activity,\nwandering along many routes, caused the combatants to be amazed. And some\nhe slew by his legs, and dragging down others he pressed them down under\nthe earth. And others he cut off with his sword, and others he frightened\nwith his roars. And others he threw down on the ground by the force of\nhis thighs (as he ran). And others, beholding him, fled away in terror.\nIt was thus that that vast force of the Kalingas endued with great\nactivity, surrounding the terrible Bhimasena in battle, rushed at him.\nThen, O bull of Bharata's race, beholding Srutayush at the head of\nKalinga troops, Bhimasena rushed at him. And seeing him advancing the\nruler of the Kalingas, of immeasurable soul, pierced Bhimasena between\nhis breasts with nine arrows. Struck with those shafts shot by the ruler\nof the Kalingas, like an elephant pierced with the hook, Bhimasena blazed\nup with wrath like fire fed with fuel. Then Asoka, that best of\ncharioteers, bringing a car decked with gold, caused Bhima to mount on\nit. And thereupon that slayer of foes, the son of Kunti, speedily mounted\non that car. And then he rushed at the ruler of the Kalingas,\nsaying,--'Wait, Wait'. And then the mighty Srutayush excited with wrath,\nshot at Bhima many sharp arrows, displaying his lightness of hand, and\nthat mighty warrior, Bhima, forcibly struck with those nine sharp arrows\nshot by Kalinga from his excellent bow, yielded to great wrath, O king,\nlike a snake struck with a rod. Then that foremost of mighty men, Bhima,\nthe son of Pritha, excited with rage and drawing his bow with great\nstrength, slew the ruler of the Kalingas with seven shafts made wholly of\niron. And with two shafts he slew the two mighty protectors of the\ncar-wheels of Kalinga. And he also despatched Satyadeva and Satya to the\nabode of Yama. Of immeasurable soul, Bhima also, with many sharp arrows\nand long shafts, caused Ketumat to repair unto Yama's abode. Then the\nKshatriyas of the Kalinga country, excited with rage and supported by\nmany thousands of combatants, encountered the wrathful Bhimasena in\nbattle. And armed with darts and maces and scimitars and lances and\nswords and battle-axes, the Kalingas, O king, hundreds upon hundreds\nsurrounded Bhimasena. Baffling that risen shower of arrows, that mighty\nwarrior then took up his mace and jumped down (from his car) with great\nspeed.[364] And Bhima then despatched seven hundred heroes to Yama's\nabode. And that grinder of foes despatched, in addition, two thousand\nKalingas to the region of death. And that feat seemed highly wonderful.\nAnd it was thus that the heroic Bhima of terrible prowess repeatedly\nfelled in battle large bands of the Kalingas. And elephants deprived by\nPandu's son, in that battle, of their riders, and afflicted with arrows\nwandered on the field, treading down their own ranks and uttering loud\nroars like masses of clouds driven by the wind. Then the mighty-armed\nBhima, scimitar in hand, and filled with delight, blew his conch of\nterrible loudness. And with that blare he caused the hearts of all the\nKalinga troops to quake with fear. And, O chastiser of foes, all the\nKalingas seemed at the same time to be deprived of their senses. And all\nthe combatants and all the animals shook with terror. And in consequence\nof Bhimasena wandering in that battle through many paths or rushing on\nall sides like a prince of elephants, or frequently jumping up, a trance\nseemed to be engendered there that deprived his foes of their senses. And\nthe whole (Kalinga) army shook with terror of Bhimasena, like a large\nlake agitated by an alligator. And struck with panic in consequence of\nBhima of wonderful achievements, all the Kalinga combatants fled away in\nall directions. When, however, they were rallied again, the commander of\nthe Pandava army (Dhrishtadyumna), O Bharata, ordered his own troops,\nsaying,--'Fight'. Hearing the words of their commander, many leaders (of\nthe Pandava army) headed by Sikhandin approached Bhima, supported by many\ncar-divisions accomplished in smiting. And Pandu's son, king Yudhishthira\nthe just, followed all of them with a large elephant force of the colour\nof the clouds. And thus urging all his divisions, the son of Prishata,\nsurrounded by many excellent warriors, took upon himself the protection\nof one of the wings of Bhimasena.[365] There exists nobody on earth, save\nBhima and Satyaki, who to the prince of the Panchalas is dearer than his\nvery life. That slayer of hostile heroes, the son of Prishata, beheld the\nmighty-armed Bhimasena, that slayer of foes, wandering among the\nKalingas. He set up many shouts, O king, and was filled with delight, O\nchastiser of foes. Indeed, he blew his conch in battle and uttered a\nleonine roar. And Bhimasena also, beholding the red standard of\nDhrishtadyumna on his car decked with gold and unto which were yoked\nsteeds white as pigeons, became comforted.[366] And Dhrishtadyumna of\nimmeasurable soul, beholding Bhimasena encountered by the Kalingas rushed\nto the battle for his rescue. And both those heroes, Dhrishtadyumna and\nVrikodara, endued with great energy, beholding Satyaki at a distance,\nfuriously encountered the Kalingas in battle. And that bull among men,\nthe grand son of Sini, that foremost of victorious warriors, quickly\nadvancing to the spot took up the wing of both Bhima and Prishata's son.\nBow in hand creating a great havoc there and making himself fierce in the\nextreme, he began to slay the enemy in battle. And Bhima caused a river\nto flow there of bloody current, mingled with the blood and flesh of the\nwarriors born in Kalinga. And beholding Bhimasena then, the troops cried\naloud, O king, saying. 'This is Death himself that is fighting in Bhima's\nshape with the Kalingas.' Then Santanu's son Bhishma, hearing those cries\nin battle, quickly proceeded towards Bhima, himself surrounded on all\nsides with combatants in army. Thereupon, Satyaki and Bhimasena and\nDhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race, rushed towards that car of Bhima\ndecked with gold. And all of them quickly surrounding Ganga's son in\nbattle, pierced Bhishma, each with three terrible shafts, without losing\na moment. Thy sire Devavrata, however, in return pierced each of those\nmighty bowmen striving (in battle) with three straight shafts. And\nchecking those mighty car-warriors, with thousands of arrows he slew with\nhis shafts the steeds of Bhima decked with golden armour. Bhima, however,\nendued with great energy, staying on that car whose steeds had been\nslain, with great impetuosity hurled a dart at Bhishma's car. Thy sire\nDevavrata then, in that battle, cut off that dart in twain before it\ncould reach him, and thereupon it fell down on the earth. Then that bull\namong men, Bhimasena, taking up a heavy and mighty mace made of Saikya\niron speedily jumped down from his car. And Dhrishtadyumna quickly taking\nup that foremost of car-warriors on his own car, took away, in the very\nsight of all the combatants, that renowned warrior. And Satyaki then from\ndesire of doing what was agreeable to Bhima, felled with his shaft the\ncharioteer of the reverend Kuru grand-sire. Upon his charioteer being\nslain, that foremost of car-warriors, Bhishma, was borne away from the\nfield of battle by his steeds with the speed of the wind. And when that\nmighty car-warrior was (thus) taken away from the field, Bhimasena then,\nO monarch, blazed up like a mighty fire while consuming dry grass. And\nslaying all the Kalingas, he stayed in the midst of the troops, and none,\nO bull of Bharata's race, of thy side ventured to withstand him. And\nworshipped by the Panchalas and the Matsyas, O bull of Bharata's race, he\nembraced Dhrishtadyumna and then approached Satyaki. And Satyaki, the\ntiger among the Yadus, of prowess incapable of being baffled, then\ngladdening Bhimasena, said unto him, in the presence of Dhrishtadyumna,\n(these words). 'By good luck the king of the Kalingas, and Ketumat, the\nprince of the Kalingas, and Sakradeva also of that country and all the\nKalingas, have been slain in battle. With the might and prowess of thy\narms, by thee alone, hath been crushed the very large division of the\nKalingas that abounded with elephants and steeds and cars, and with noble\nwarriors, and heroic combatants.' Having said this, the long-armed\ngrandson of Sini, that chastiser of foes, quickly getting upon his car,\nembraced the son of Pandu. And then that mighty car-warrior, coming back\nto his own car, began to slay thy troops excited with rage and\nstrengthening (the hands of) Bhima.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LV\n\nSanjaya said, \"When the forenoon of that day had passed away, O Bharata,\nand when the destruction of cars, elephants, steeds, foot-soldiers and\nhorse-soldiers, proceeded on, the prince of Panchala engaged himself in\nbattle with these three mighty car-warriors, viz., Drona's son, Salya,\nand the high-souled Kripa. And the mighty heir of Panchala's king with\nmany sharp shafts, slew the steeds of Drona's son that were celebrated\nover all the world. Deprived then of his animals, Drona's son quickly\ngetting up on Salya's car, showered his shafts on the heir of the\nPanchala king. And beholding Dhrishtadyumna engaged in battle with\nDrona's son, the son of Subhadra, O Bharata, quickly came up scattering\nhis sharp arrows. And, O bull of Bharata's race, he pierced Salya with\nfive and twenty, and Kripa with nine arrows, and Aswatthaman with eight.\nDrona's son, however, quickly pierced Arjuna's son with many winged\narrows, and Salya pierced him with twelve, and Kripa with three sharp\narrows. Thy grandson Lakshmana then, beholding Subhadra's son engaged in\nbattle, rushed at him, excited with rage. And the battle commenced\nbetween them. And the son of Duryodhana, excited with rage, pierced\nSubhadra's son with sharp shafts in that combat. And that (feat), O king,\nseemed highly wonderful. The light-handed Abhimanyu then, O bull of\nBharata's race, excited with rage, quickly pierced his cousin with five\nhundred arrows. Lakshmana also, with his shafts, then cut off his\n(cousin's) bow-staff at the middle, at which, O monarch, all the people\nsent forth a loud shout. Then that slayer of hostile heroes, the son of\nSubhadra, leaving aside that broken bow, took up another that was\nbeautiful and tougher.[367] And thereupon those two bulls among men, thus\nengaged in combat and desirous of counteracting each other's feats,\npierced each other with sharp shafts. King Duryodhana then, O monarch,\nbeholding his mighty son thus afflicted by thy grandson (Abhimanyu),\nproceeded to that spot. And when thy son turned (towards that spot), all\nthe kings surrounded the son of Arjuna on every side with crowds of cars.\nIncapable of being defeated in battle and equal in prowess unto Krishna\nhimself, that hero, O king, thus surrounded by those heroes, was not\nagitated in the least. Then Dhananjaya, beholding Subhadra's son engaged\nin battle, rushed to that spot, excited with wrath, desirous of rescuing\nhis own son. Thereupon the kings (on the Kuru side), headed by Bhishma\nand Drona and with cars, elephants and steeds, rushed impetuously at\nSavyasachin. Then a thick earthly dust, suddenly raised by foot-soldiers\nand steeds and cars and cavalry troopers, covering the sky appeared on\nthe view. And those thousands of elephants and hundreds of kings, when\nthey came within reach of Arjuna's arrows, were all unable to make any\nfurther advance. And all creatures there set up loud wails, and the\npoints of the compass became dark. And then the transgression of the\nKurus assumed a fierce and dreadful aspect as regards its consequences.\nNeither the welkin, nor the cardinal points of the compass nor the earth,\nnor the sun, could be distinguished, O best of men, in consequence of the\narrows shot by Kiritin.[368] And many were the elephants there deprived\nof the standards (on their backs), and many car-warriors also, deprived\nof their steeds. And some leaders of car divisions were seen wandering,\nhaving abandoned their cars. And other car-warriors, deprived of their\ncars, were seen to wander hither and thither, weapon in hand and their\narms graced with Angadas. And riders of steeds abandoning their steeds\nand of elephants abandoning their elephants from fear of Arjuna, O king,\nfled away in all directions. And kings were seen felled or falling from\ncars and elephants and steeds in consequence of Arjuna's shafts. And\nArjuna, assuming a fierce countenance, cut off with his terrible shafts,\nthe upraised arms of warriors, mace in grasp, and arms bearing swords, O\nking, or darts, or quivers, or shafts, or bows, or hooks, or standards,\nall over the field. And spiked maces broken in fragments, and mallets, O\nsire, and bearded darts, and short arrows, and swords also, in that\nbattle, and sharp-edged battle-axes, and lances, O Bharata, and shields\nbroken into pieces, and coats of mail also, O king,[369] and standards,\nand weapons of all kinds thrown away and umbrellas furnished with golden\nstaves, and iron hooks also, O Bharata, and goads and whips, and traces\nalso, O sire, were seen strewn over the field of battle in heaps. There\nwas no man in thy army, O sire, who could advance against the heroic\nArjuna in battle. Whoever, O king, advanced against Pritha's son in\nbattle, pierced by sharp shafts was despatched to the other world. When\nall these combatants of thine broke had fled away, Arjuna and Vasudeva\nblew their excellent conches. Thy sire Devavrata then, beholding the\n(Kuru) host routed, smilingly addressed the heroic son of Bharadwaja in\nthe battle and said, 'This mighty and heroic son of Pandu, viz.,\nDhananjaya, accompanied by Krishna, is dealing with (our) troops as he\nalone is competent to deal with them. He is incapable of being vanquished\nin battle today by any means, judging by his form that we see now so like\nunto that of the Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga. This vast host\nagain (of ours) is incapable of being rallied. Behold, looking at one\nanother, our troops are flying away. Yon Sun, robbing in every way the\nvision of the whole world, is about to reach that best of mountains\ncalled Asta.[370] For this, O bull among men, I think that the hour is\ncome for the withdrawal (of the army). The warriors, who have all been\ntired and struck with panic, will never fight.' Having said this unto\nDrona that best of preceptors, Bhishma, that mighty car-warrior, caused\nthy army to be withdrawn. And then when the sun set, the withdrawal of\nboth thy army and theirs took place, O sire, and twilight set in.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVI\n\nSanjaya said,--\"When the night having passed away, the dawn came,\nSantanu's son Bhishma, that chastiser of foes, gave the order for the\n(Kuru) army to prepare for battle. And the son of Santanu, the old Kuru\ngrandsire, desirous of victory to thy sons, formed that mighty array\nknown after the name of Garuda. And on the beak of that Garuda was thy\nsire Devavrata himself. And its two eyes were Bharadwaja's son and\nKritavarman of Satwata's race. And those renowned warriors, Aswatthaman\nand Kripa, supported by the Trigartas, the Matsyas, the Kekayas, and the\nVatadhanas, were in its head. And Bhurisravas and Sala, and Salya and\nBhagadatta, O sire, and the Madrakas, the Sindhu-Souviras, and they that\nwere called the Pancha-nodas, together with Jayadratha, were placed on\nits neck. And on its back was king Duryodhana with all his followers. And\nVinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and the Kamvojas with the Sakas, and the\nSurasenas, O sire, formed its tail, O great king. And the Magadhas and\nthe Kalingas, with all the tribes of the Daserakas, accoutred in mail,\nformed the right wing of that array. And the Karushas, the Vikunjas, the\nMundas, and the Kaundivrishas, with Vrithadvala, were stationed on the\nleft wing. Then that chastiser of foes, Savyasachin, beholding the host\ndisposed in battle-array, aided by Dhrishtadyumna, disposed his troops in\ncounter-array. And in opposition to that array of thine, the son of Pandu\nformed a fierce array after the form of the half-moon. And stationed on the\nright horn, Bhimasena shone surrounded by kings of diverse countries\nabundantly armed with various weapons. Next to him were those mighty\ncar-warriors Virata and Drupada; and next to them was Nila armed with\nenvenomed weapons. And next to Nila was the mighty car-warrior\nDhrishtaketu, surrounded by the Chedis, the Kasis, the Karushas, and the\nPauravas. And Dhrishtadyumna, and Sikhandin, with the Panchalas and the\nPrabhadrakas, and supported by other troops, were stationed in the\nmiddle, O Bharata, for battle. And thither also was king Yudhishthira the\njust, surrounded by his elephant division. And next to him were Satyaki,\nO king, and the five sons of Draupadi. And immediately next to them was\nIravan. And next to him were Bhimasena's son (Ghatotkacha) and those\nmighty car-warriors, the Kekayas. And next, on the left horn (of that\narray), was that best of men, viz., he who had for his protector,\nJanardana--that protector of the whole Universe. It was thus that the\nPandavas formed their mighty counter-array for the destruction of thy\nsons and of those who had sided with them. Then commenced the battle\nbetween thy troops and those of the foe striking one another, and in\nwhich cars and elephants mingled in the clash of combat. Large numbers of\nelephants and crowds of cars were seen everywhere, O king, to rush\ntowards one another for purposes of slaughter. And the rattle of\ninnumerable cars rushing (to join the fray), or engaged separately raised\na loud uproar, mingling with the beat of drums. And the shouts of the\nheroic combatants belonging to thy army and theirs, O Bharata, slaying\none another in that fierce encounter, reached the very heavens.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVII\n\nSanjaya said, \"After the ranks of thy army and theirs had been disposed\nin battle-array, that mighty car-warrior, Dhananjaya, felling in that\nconflict leaders of car-divisions with his arrows, caused a great\ncarnage, O Bharata, among the car-ranks. The Dhartarashtras, (thus)\nslaughtered in battle by Pritha's son, like the Destroyer himself at the\nend of the Yuga, still fought perseveringly with the Pandavas. Desirous.\nof (winning) blazing glory and (bent upon) making death (the only ground\nfor) a cessation of the fight, with minds undirected to anything else,\nthey broke the Pandava ranks in many places and were also themselves\nbroken. Then both the Pandava and the Kaurava troops broke, changed\npositions, and fled away. Nothing could be distinguished. An earthly dust\narose, shrouding the very sun. And nobody there could distinguish, either\nthe cardinal or the subsidiary directions. And everywhere the battle\nraged, O king, the combatants being guided by the indications afforded by\ncolours, by watch-words, names and tribal distinctions. And the array of\nthe Kauravas, O king, could not be broken, duly protected as it was by\nBharadwaja's son, O sire.[371] And so the formidable array of the Pandava\nalso, protected by Savyasachin, and well-guarded by Bhima, could not be\nbroken. And the cars and elephants in close ranks, O king, of both the\narmies, and other combatants, coming out of their respective arrays,\nengaged in conflict. And in that fierce battle cavalry soldiers felled\ncavalry soldiers, with polished swords of sharp edges and long lances.\nAnd car-warriors, getting car-warriors (within reach) in that fierce\nconflict, felled them with shafts decked with golden wings. And\nelephant-riders, of thy side and theirs, felled large numbers of\nelephant-riders in close ranks, with broad-headed shafts and arrows and\nlances. And large bodies of infantry, inspired with wrath towards one\nanother, cheerfully felled combatants of their own class with short\narrows and battle-axes. And car-warriors, O king, getting elephant-riders\n(within reach) in that conflict, felled them along with their elephants.\nAnd elephant-riders similarly felled car-warriors. And, O bull of\nBharata's race, the cavalry soldier with his lance felled the car-warrior\nin that conflict, and the car-warrior also felled the cavalry soldier.\nAnd both the armies the foot-soldier felled the car-warrior in the\ncombat, and the car-warrior felled the foot-soldiers, with sharp weapons.\nAnd elephant-riders felled horse-riders, and horse-riders felled warriors\non the backs of elephants. And all this appeared exceedingly wonderful.\nAnd here and there foot-soldiers, were felled by foremost of\nelephant-riders, and elephant-riders were seen to be felled by the\nformer. And bands of foot-soldiers, by hundreds and thousands, were seen\nto be felled by horse-riders and horse-riders by foot-soldiers. And\nstrewn with broken standards and bows and lances and housings of\nelephants, and costly blankets and bearded darts, and maces, and clubs\nfurnished with spikes, and Kampanas, and darts, and variegated coats of\nmail and Kunapas, and iron hooks, and polished scimitars, and shafts\nfurnished with golden wings, the field, O best of Bharata's race, shone\nas if with floral wreaths. And the earth, miry with flesh and blood,\nbecame impassable with the bodies of men and steeds and elephants slain\nin that dreadful battle. And drenched with human blood, the earthy dust\ndisappeared. And the cardinal points, all around, became perfectly clear,\nO Bharata. And innumerable headless trunks rose up all around indicating,\nO Bharata, of the destruction of the world. And in that terrible and\nawful battle, car-warriors were seen to run away in all directions. Then\nBhishma and Drona, and Jayadratha, the ruler of the Sindhus and\nPurumitra, and Vikarna, and Sakuni the son of Suvala--these warriors\ninvincible in battle and possessed of leonine prowess--staying in battle\nbroke the ranks of the Pandavas. And so Bhimasena and the Rakshasa\nGhatotkacha, and Satyaki, and Chekitana, and the sons of Draupadi, O\nBharata, supported by all the kings (on their side), began to grind thy\ntroops and thy sons stationed in battle, like the gods grinding the\nDanavas. And those bulls among Kshatriyas, striking one another in\nbattle, became terrible to behold and covered with blood shone like\nKinsukas. And the foremost warriors of both armies, vanquishing their\nopponents, looked, O king, like the planetary luminaries in the\nfirmament. Then thy son Duryodhana, supported by a thousand cars, rushed\nto battle with the Pandavas and the Rakshasa. And so all the Pandavas,\nwith a large body of combatants rushed in battle against those chastisers\nof foes, the heroic Bhishma and Drona. And the diadem-decked (Arjuna)\nalso, excited with rage rushed against the foremost of kings. And\nArjuna's son (Abhimanyu), and Satyaki, both advanced against the forces\nof Suvala's son. And then commenced once more a fearful battle, making\nthe hair to stand on end, between thine and the enemy's troops both\ndesirous of vanquishing each other.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVIII\n\nSanjaya said, \"Then those kings, excited with rage, beholding Phalguni in\nbattle, surrounded him on all sides with many thousands of cars. And\nhaving, O Bharata surrounded him with multitudinous division of cars,\nthey shrouded him from all sides with many thousands of shafts. And\nbright lances of sharp points, and maces, and clubs endued with spikes,\nand bearded darts and battle-axes, and mallets and bludgeons they hurled\nat Phalguni's car, excited with rage. And that shower of weapons\napproaching (towards him) like a flight of locusts, Pritha's son checked\non all sides with his gold-decked arrows. And beholding there on that\noccasion the superhuman lightness of hand that Vibhatsu possessed, the\ngods, the Danavas, the Gandharvas, the Pisachas, the Uragas and the\nRakshasas eulogised Phalguni, O king, saying,--'Excellent, Excellent.'\nAnd the heroic Gandharvas along with Suvala's son with a large force\nsurrounded Satyaki and Abhimanyu. Then the brave warriors led by Suvala's\nson from anger, cut into pieces the excellent car of the Vrishni hero,\nwith weapons of diverse kinds. And in course of that fierce conflict,\nSatyaki, abandoning that car of his, speedily mounted on Abhimanyu's car,\nO chastiser of foes. And those two, mounted on the same car, then began\nto speedily slaughter the army of Suvala's son with straight arrows of\nsharp points. And Drona and Bhishma, steadily struggling in battle, began\nto slaughter the division of king Yudhishthira the just, with sharp\nshafts furnished with the feathers of the Kanka bird. Then the son of\nDharma and two other sons of Pandu by Madri, in the very sight of the\nwhole army, began to grind the division of Drona. And the battle that\ntook place there was fierce and awful, making the hair stand on end, like\nthe terrible battle that took place between the gods and the Asuras in\ndays of yore. And Bhimasena and Ghatotkacha, both achieved mighty feats.\nThen Duryodhana, approaching, checked them both. And the prowess we then\nbeheld of Hidimva's son was exceedingly wonderful, insomuch that he\nfought in battle, O Bharata, transcending his very father. And Bhimasena,\nthe son of Pandu, excited with wrath, pierced the vindictive Duryodhana\nin the breast, with an arrow, smiling the while. Then king Duryodhana,\nafflicted by the violence of that blow, sat down on the terrace of his\ncar and swooned away. And his charioteer then, beholding him senseless,\nspeedily bore him away, O king, from battle. And then the troops that\nsupported Duryodhana broke and fled. And thereupon Bhima, smiting that\nKuru army thus flying away in all directions, with sharp-pointed shafts,\npursued it behind. And Prishata's son (Dhrishtadyumna), that foremost of\nwarriors, and Pandu's son king Yudhishthira, the just, in the very sight,\nO Bharata, of both Drona and Ganga's son, slew their army with sharp\nshafts capable of slaying hostile forces. That host of thy son, thus\nflying away in battle, those mighty car-warriors, Bhishma and Drona were\nincapable of checking. For though attempted to be checked by Bhishma and\nthe high-souled Drona, that host fled away in the very sight of Drona and\nBhishma. And then when (those) thousand of car-warriors fled away in all\ndirections, Subhadra's son and that bull of Sini's race, both stationed\non the same car, began, O chastiser of foes, to slaughter the army of\nSuvala's son of battle. And Sini's grandson and that bull of Kuru's race\nlooked resplendent like the sun and the moon when together in the\nfirmament after the last lunation of the dark fortnight has passed away.\nAnd then Arjuna also, O king, excited with rage, showered arrows on thy\narmy like the clouds pouring rain in torrents. And the Kaurava army, thus\nslaughtered in battle with the shafts of Partha, fled away, trembling in\ngrief and fear. And beholding the army flying away, the mighty Bhishma\nand Drona, excited with rage and both desirous of Duryodhana's welfare\nsought to check it. Then king Duryodhana himself, comforting the\ncombatants, checked that army, then flying away in all directions. And\nthereupon all the mighty Kshatriya car-warriors stopped, each at the spot\nwhere he saw thy son. And then others among the common soldiers,\nbeholding them stop, stopped of their own accord, O king, from shame and\ndesire of displaying their courage unto one another. And the impetuosity,\nO king, of that army thus rallied to the fight resembled that of the\nsurging sea at the moment of the moon's rise. And king Duryodhana,\nbeholding that army of his rallied for the fight, quickly repaired to\nSantanu's son Bhishma and said these words. 'O grandsire, listen to what\nI say, O Bharata. When, O son of Kuru, thou art alive, and Drona, that\nforemost of persons conversant with weapons, along with his son and with\nall our other friends (is alive), and then that mighty bowman Kripa also\nis alive, I do not regard it as at all creditable that my army should\nthus fly away. I do not regard the Pandavas to be, by any means, a match\nfor thee or for Drona, in battle, or for Drona's son, or for Kripa.\nWithout doubt, O grandsire, the sons of Pandu are being favoured by thee,\ninasmuch as thou forgivest, O hero, this slaughter of my army. Thou\nshouldst have told me, O king, before this battle took place, that thou\nwouldst not fight with the Pandavas. Hearing such words from thee, as\nalso from the preceptor, O Bharata, I would then have, with Karna,\nreflected upon what course I should pursue. If I do not deserve to be\nabandoned by you two in battle, then, O bulls among men, do ye fight\naccording to the measure of your prowess.' Hearing these words, Bhishma,\nlaughing repeatedly, and turning up his eyes in wrath, said to thy son,\n'Many a time, O king, have I said unto thee words worthy of thy\nacceptance and fraught with thy good. The Pandavas are incapable of being\nvanquished in battle by the very gods with Vasava amongst them. That,\nhowever, which my aged self is capable of doing, I will do to the extent\nof my power, O best of kings, in this battle. Witness it now with thy\nkinsmen. Today, in the very sight of all, alone I shall check the sons of\nPandu at the head of their troops and with all their kinsfolk.' Thus\naddressed by Bhishma, thy son, O king, filled with delight, caused\nconches to be blown and drums to be beaten. And the Pandavas also, O\nking, hearing that loud uproar, blew their conches, and caused their\ndrums and cymbals to be played upon.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIX\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"After that dreadful vow had been made in battle by\nBhishma enraged by the words of my son, what, O Sanjaya, did Bhishma do\nunto the sons of Pandu or what did the Panchalas do unto the grandsire?\nTell it all unto me, O Sanjaya.\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"After the forenoon of that day, O Bharata, had passed\naway, and the sun in his westward course had passed a portion of his\npath, and after the high-souled Pandavas had won the victory, thy sire\nDevavrata, conversant with the distinction of all codes of morality,\nrushed carried by the fleetest steeds, towards the army of the Pandavas,\nprotected by a large force and by all thy sons. Then, O Bharata, in\nconsequence of thy sinful policy, commenced a dreadful battle, making the\nhair stand on end, between ourselves and the Pandavas. And the twang of\nbows, the flapping of bowstrings against the leathern fences (casing the\nhands of the bowman), mingling together, made a loud uproar resembling\nthat of splitting hills. Stay--Here I stand,--Know this one,--Turn\nback,--Stand,--I wait for thee--Strike,--these were the words heard\neverywhere. And the sound of falling coats of mail made of gold, of\ncrowns and diadems, and of standards resembled the sound of falling\nstones on a stony ground. And heads, and arms decked with ornaments,\nfalling by hundreds and thousands upon the ground moved in convulsions.\nAnd some brave combatants, with heads severed from their trunks,\ncontinued to stand weapons in grasp or armed with drawn bow. And a\ndreadful river of blood began to flow there, of impetuous current, miry\nwith flesh and blood, and with the bodies of (dead) elephants for its\n(sub-aqueous) rocks. Flowing from the bodies of steeds, men, and\nelephants, and delightful to vultures and jackals, it ran towards the\nocean represented by the next world. A battle such as that, O king, which\n(then) took place between thy sons, O Bharata, and the Pandavas, was\nnever seen or heard before. And in consequence of the bodies of\ncombatants slain in that conflict, cars could not make their way. And the\nfield of battle in consequence of the bodies of slain elephants seemed to\nbe strewn over with blue crests of hills. And the field of battle, strewn\nwith variegated coats of mail and turbans, O sire, looked beautiful like\nthe firmament autumn. And some combatants were seen who, though severely\nwounded, yet rushed cheerfully and proudly upon the foe in battle. And\nmany, fallen on the field of battle, cried aloud, saying--'O father, O\nbrother, O friend, O kinsman, O companion, O maternal uncle, do not\nabandon me.'--And others cried aloud, saying,--'Come! Come thou here! Why\nart thou frightened? Where dost thou go? I stand in battle, do not be\nafraid.' And in that combat Bhishma, the son of Santanu, with bow\nincessantly drawn to a circle, shot shafts of blazing points, resembling\nsnakes of virulent poison. And shooting continuous line of arrows in all\ndirections, that hero of rigid vows smote the Pandava car-warriors naming\neach beforehand, O Bharata. And displaying his extreme lightness of\nhands, and dancing (as it were) along the track of his car, he seemed, O\nking, to be present everywhere like a circle of fire. And in consequence\nof the lightness of his movements, the Pandavas in that battle, along\nwith the Srinjayas, beheld that hero, though really alone, as multiplied\na thousand-fold. And every one there regarded Bhishma as having\nmultiplied his self by illusion. Having seen him now on the east, the\nnext moment they saw him on the west. And so having seen him on the\nnorth, the next moment they saw him on the south. And the son of Ganga\nwas thus seen fighting in that battle. And there was no one amongst the\nPandavas capable of even looking at him. What they all saw were only the\ninnumerable shafts shot from his bow. And heroic warriors, beholding him\nachieve such feats in battle, and (thus) slaughtering their ranks,\nuttered many lamentations. And, kings in thousands came in contact with\nthy sire, thus coursing over the field in a superhuman way, and fell upon\nthat fire represented by the enraged Bhishma like flights of senseless\ninsects (upon a blazing fire) for their own destruction. Not a single\nshaft of that light-handed warrior was futile, falling upon the bodies of\nmen, elephants, and steeds, in consequence of the numbers (opposed to\nhim). With a single straight shaft shot in that battle, he despatched a\nsingle elephant like hill riven by the thunderbolt. Two or three\nelephant-riders at a time, cased in mail and standing together, thy sire\npierced with one shaft of sharp point. Whoever approached Bhishma, that\ntiger among men, in battle, seen for a moment, was next beheld to fall\ndown on the ground. And that vast host of king Yudhishthira the just,\nthus slaughtered by Bhishma of incomparable prowess, gave way in a\nthousand directions. And afflicted with that arrowy shower, the vast army\nbegan to tremble in the very presence of Vasudeva and the high-souled\nPartha. And although the heroic leaders of the Pandava army made great\nefforts, yet they could not check the flight of (even) the great\ncar-warriors of their side afflicted with the shafts of Bhishma. The\nprowess, in consequence of which that vast army was routed, was equal to\nthat of the chief of the gods himself. And that army was so completely\nrouted, O great king, that no two persons could be seen together. And\ncars and elephants and steeds were pierced all over, and standards and\nshafts of cars were strewn over the field. And the army of the sons of\nPandu uttered cries of oh and alas, and became deprived of senses. And\nthe sire struck the son and the son struck the sire; and friend\nchallenged the dearest of friends to battle as if under the influence of\nfate. And others amongst the combatants of Pandu's son were seen, O\nBharata, to run away, throwing aside their coats of mail, and with\ndishevelled hair. And the army of the sons of Pandu, indulging in loud\nwails, including the very leaders of their best of car-warriors, was seen\nto be as confounded as a very herd of kine. The delighter of the Yadavas\nthen, beholding that army thus routed, said unto Partha, stopping that\nbest of cars (which he guided), these words, 'The hour is now come, O\nPartha, which was desired by thee. Strike Bhishma, O tiger among men,\nelse, thou wilt lose the senses. O hero, formerly, in the conclave of\nkings, thou hadst said,--\"I will slay all the warriors of Dhritarashtra's\nsons, headed by Bhishma and Drona--all in fact, who will fight with me in\nbattle.\" O son of Kunti, O chastiser of foes, make those words of thine\ntrue. Behold, O Vibhatsu, this army of thine is being routed on all\nsides. Behold, the kings in Yudhishthira's host are all flying away,\nseeing Bhishma in battle, who looketh like the Destroyer himself with\nwide-open mouth. Afflicted with fear, they are making themselves scarce\nlike the weaker animals at sight of the lion.' Thus addressed, Dhananjaya\nreplied unto Vasudeva, saying, 'Plunging through this sea of the hostile\nhost, urge on the steeds to where Bhishma is. I will throw down that\ninvincible warrior, the reverend Kuru grandsire'. Then Madhava urged\nthose steeds of silvery hue to where, O king, the car of Bhishma was,\nthat car which, like the very sun, was incapable of being gazed at. And\nbeholding the mighty-armed Partha thus rushing to an encounter with\nBhishma, the mighty army of Yudhishthira rallied for battle. Then Bhishma,\nthat foremost of warriors amongst the Kurus, repeatedly roaring like a\nlion, quickly covered Dhananjaya's car with an arrowy shower. In a moment\nthat car of his, with standard and charioteer, became invisible, shrouded\nwith that arrowy downpour. Vasudeva, however, endued with great might\nfearlessly and summoning all his patience, began to guide those steeds\nmangled by Bhishma's shafts. Then Partha, taking up his celestial bow\nwhose twang resembled the roar of the clouds, caused Bhishma's bow to\ndrop down, cutting it off with his keen shafts. The Kuru warrior, thy\nsire, seeing his bow cut off, took up another and stringed it within the\ntwinkling of the eye. And he stretched that bow whose twang resembled the\nroar of the clouds, with his two hands. But Arjuna, excited with wrath,\ncut off that bow also of his. Then the son of Santanu applauded that\nlightness of hand (displayed by Arjuna), saying--'Excellent, O Partha, O\nthou of mighty arms, excellent, O son of Pandu. O Dhananjaya, such a\nmighty feat is, indeed, worthy of thee. I have been pleased with thee.\nFight hard with  me, O son.' And having applauded Partha thus, and taking\nup another large bow, that hero shot his shafts at Partha's car. And\nVasudeva then displayed his great skill in the guiding of chariot, for he\nbaffled those shafts of his, by guiding the car in quick circles. Then, O\nsire, Bhishma with great strength pierced both Vasudeva and Dhananjaya\nwith keen shafts all over their bodies. And mangled by those shafts of\nBhishma, those two tigers among men looked like two roaring bulls with\nthe scratches of horns on their bodies. And once again, excited with\nrage, Bhishma covered the two Krishnas on all sides with shafts in\nhundreds and thousands. And with those keen shafts of his, the enraged\nBhishma caused him of Vrishni's race to shiver. And laughing loudly he\nalso made Krishna to wonder. Then the mighty-armed Krishna, beholding the\nprowess of Bhishma in battle as also the mildness with which Arjuna\nfought, and seeing that Bhishma was creating incessant showers of arrows\nin that conflict and looked like the all-consuming Sun himself in the\nmidst of the two armies, and marking besides, that that hero was slaying\nthe foremost of combatants in Yudhishthira's host and causing a havoc in\nthat army as if the hour of dissolution had come,--the adorable Kesava,\nthat slayer of hosts, endued with immeasurable soul--unable to bear what\nhe saw, thought that Yudhishthira's army could not survive that\nslaughter.--In a single day Bhishma can slaughter all the Daityas and the\nDanavas. With how much ease then can he slay in battle the sons of Pandu\nwith all their troops and followers. The vast army of the illustrious son\nof Pandu is again flying away. And the Kauravas also beholding the\nSomakas routed, are rushing to battle cheerfully, gladdening the\ngrandsire. Accoutred in mail, even I will stay Bhishma to-day for the\nsake of the Pandavas. This burthen of the high-souled Pandavas even I\nwill lighten. As regards Arjuna, though struck in battle with keen\nshafts, he knoweth not what he should do, from respect for Bhishma,--And\nwhile Krishna was reflecting thus the grandsire, excited with wrath, once\nagain shot his shafts at Partha's car. And in consequence of very great\nnumber of those arrows all the points of the compass became entirely\nshrouded. And neither the welkin nor the quarters nor the earth nor the\nsun himself of brilliant rays, could be seen. And the winds that blew\nseemed to be mixed with smoke, and all the points of the compass seemed\nto be agitated. And Drona, and Vikarna, and Jayadratha, and Bhurisrava,\nand Kritavarman, and Kripa, and Srutayush and the ruler of the Amvashtas\nand Vinda and Anuvinda, Sudakshina and the westerners, and the diverse\ntribes of the Sauviras, the Vasatis, and the Kshudrakas, and the Malavas,\nall these, at the command of the royal son of Santanu, quickly approached\nKiritin for battle. And the grandson of Sini saw that Kiritin was\nsurrounded by many hundreds of horse, and infantry, and cars, and mighty\nelephants. And beholding both Vasudeva and Arjuna thus encompassed by\ninfantry and elephants and horses and cars, on all sides, that foremost\nof all bearers of arms, viz., the chief of the Sinis, quickly proceeded\nto that spot. And that foremost of bowmen, the chief of the Sinis,\nquickly rushing at those troops, came to Arjuna's side like Vishnu coming\nto the aid of the slayer of Vritra. And that foremost warrior of Sini's\nrace cheerfully said unto Yudhishthira's host all the combatants of which\nhad been frightened by Bhishma and whose elephants, steeds, cars, and\nnumberless standards had been mangled and broken into pieces, and which\nwas flying away from the field, these words, 'Ye Kshatriyas, where do ye\ngo? This is not the duty of the righteous as hath been declared by the\nancients. Ye foremost of heroes, do not violate your pledges. Observe\nyour own duties as heroes'. Beholding that those foremost of kings were\nflying together from the field of battle, and marking the mildness with\nwhich Partha fought, and beholding also that Bhishma was exerting himself\nvery powerfully in battle, and that the Kurus were rushing from all\nsides, the younger brother of Vasava, the high-souled protector of all\nthe Dasarhas, unable to bear it all, addressed the renowned grandson of\nSini, and applauding him, said,--'O hero of Sini's race, they that are\nretreating, are, indeed, retreating. They that are yet staying, O thou of\nthe Satwata race, let them also go away. Behold, I will soon throw\nBhishma down from his car, and Drona also in battle, with all their\nfollowers. There is none in the Kuru host, O thou of the Satwata race,\nwho is able to escape my angry self. Therefore, taking up my fierce\ndiscus, I will slay Bhishma of high vows. And slaying in battle those two\nforemost of car-warriors, viz., Bhishma along with his followers and\nDrona also, O grandson of Sini, I will gladden Dhananjaya, and the king,\nand Bhima, and the twin Aswins. And slaying all the sons of Dhritarashtra\nand all those foremost of kings who have embraced their side, I will\njoyfully furnish king Ajatasatru with a kingdom today.' Saying this,\nVasudeva's son, abandoning (the reins of) the steeds, jumped down from\nthe car, whirling with his (right) arm his discus of beautiful nave with\nedge sharp as a razor, effulgent as the sun and possessed of force equal\nto that of a thousand bolts of heaven. And making the earth tremble under\nhis tread, the high-souled Krishna rushed impetuously towards Bhishma.\nAnd that grinder of foes, the younger brother of the chief of the gods,\nexcited with wrath, rushed towards Bhishma staying in the midst of his\ntroops, like a lion from desire of slaying upon a prince of elephants\nblinded with fury and staying proudly for the attack. And the end of his\nyellow garments waving in the air looked like a cloud charged with\nlightning in the sky. And that lotus of a discus called Sudarsana, having\nfor its stalk the beautiful arm of Saurin, looked as beautiful as the\nprimeval lotus, bright as the morning sun, which sprung from the navel of\nNarayana. And Krishna's wrath was the morning sun that caused that lotus\nto blow. And the beautiful leaves of that lotus were as sharp as the edge\nof a razor. And Krishna's body was the beautiful lake, and his (right)\narm the stalk springing therefrom, upon which that lotus shone. And\nbeholding the younger brother of Mahendra, excited with wrath and roaring\nloudly and armed with that discus, all creatures set out a loud wail,\nthinking that the destruction of the Kurus was at hand. And armed with\nhis discus Vasudeva looked like the Samvarta fire that appears at the end\nof the Yuga for consuming the world. And the preceptor of the universe\nblazed up like a fierce comet risen for consuming all creatures. And\nbeholding that foremost of bipeds, that divine personage, advancing armed\nwith the discus, Santanu's son stationed on his car, bow and arrow in\nhand, fearlessly said, 'Come, Come, O Lord of the gods, O thou that hast\nthe universe for thy abode. I bow to thee, O thou that art armed with\nmace, sword and Saranga. O lord of the universe, forcibly throw me down\nfrom this excellent car, O thou that art the refuge of all creatures in\nthis battle. Slain here by thee, O Krishna, great will be my good fortune\nboth in this world and the next. Great is the respect thou payest me, O\nLord of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas. My dignity will be celebrated in\nthe three worlds.' Hearing these words of Santanu's son, Krishna rushing\nimpetuously towards him said, 'Thou art the root of this great slaughter\non earth. Thou wilt behold Duryodhana slain to-day. A wise minister who\ntreadeth in the path of righteousness should restrain a king that is\naddicted to the evil of gambling. That wretch again of his race who\ntransgresseth duty should be abandoned as one whose intelligence hath\nbeen misdirected by destiny.'--The royal Bhishma, hearing these words,\nreplied unto the chief of the Yadus, saying,--'Destiny is all powerful.\nThe Yadus, for their benefit, had abandoned Kansa. I said this to the\nking (Dhritarashtra) but he minded it not. The listener that hath no\nbenefit to receive becometh, for (his own) misery, of perverted\nunderstanding through (the influence of destiny).' Meanwhile, jumping\ndown from his car, Partha, himself of massive and long arms, quickly ran\non foot after that chief of Yadu's race possessed of massive and long\narms, and seized him by his two hands. That first of all gods devoted in\nself, Krishna, was excited with rage. And therefore, though thus seized,\nVishnu forcibly dragged Jishnu after him, like a tempest bearing away a\nsingle tree. The high-souled Partha, however, seizing them with great\nforce his legs as he was proceeding at a quick pace towards Bhishma,\nsucceeded, O king, in stopping him with difficulty at the tenth step. And\nwhen Krishna stopped, decked as he was with a beautiful garland of gold,\ncheerfully bowed down to him and said, 'Quell this wrath of thine. Thou\nart the refuge of the Pandavas, O Kesava. I swear, O Kesava, by my sons\nand uterine brothers that I will not withdraw from the acts to which I\nhave pledged myself. O younger brother of Indra, at thy command I will\ncertainly annihilate the Kurus.' Hearing that promise and oath of his,\nJanardana became gratified. And ever engaged as he was in doing what was\nagreeable to Arjuna--that best of the Kurus.--he once more, discus on\narm, mounted on his car. And that slayer of foes once more took up those\nreins (that he had abandoned), and taking up his conch called\nPanchajanya, Saurin filled all the points of the compass and the welkin\nwith its blare. And thereupon beholding Krishna decked with necklace and\nAngada and ear-rings, with curved eye-lashes smeared with dust, and with\nteeth of perfect whiteness, once more take up his conch the Kuru heroes\nuttered a loud cry. And the sound of cymbals and drums and kettle-drums,\nand the rattle of car-wheels and the noise of smaller drums, mingling\nwith those leonine shouts, set forth from all the ranks of the Kurus,\nbecame a fierce uproar. And the twang of Partha's Gandiva, resembling the\nroll of the thunder, filled the welkin and all the quarters. And shot\nfrom the bow of Pandu's son, bright and blazing shafts proceeded in all\ndirections. Then the Kuru king, with a large force, and with Bhishma and\nBhurisravas also, arrow in hand, and resembling a comet risen for\nconsuming a constellation, rushed against him. And Bhurisravas hurled at\nArjuna seven javelins furnished with wings of gold, and Duryodhana a\nlance of fierce impetuosity, and Salya a mace, and Santanu's son a dart.\nThereupon, Arjuna, baffling with seven shafts the seven javelins, fleet\nas arrows, shot by Bhurisravas, cut off with another keen-edged shaft the\nlance hurled from Duryodhana's arm. And the blazing dart coming towards\nhim--effulgent as lightning--hurled by Santanu's son, and the mace hurled\nfrom the arm of the ruler of the Madras, that hero cut off with two\n(other) shafts. Then drawing with his two hands and with great force his\nbeautiful bow Gandiva of immeasurable energy, he invoked with proper\nmantras the highly wonderful and terrible Mahendra weapon and caused it\nto appear in the welkin. And with that mighty weapon producing profuse\nshowers of arrows endued with the effulgence of the blazing fire, that\nhigh-souled and mighty bowman, decked with diadem and garland of gold,\nchecked the entire Kaurava host. And those shafts from Partha's bow,\ncutting off the arms, bows, standard-tops, and cars, penetrated into the\nbodies of the kings and of the huge elephants and steeds of the foe. And\nfilling the cardinal and the subsidiary directions with those sharp and\nterrible shafts of his, Pritha's son decked with diadem and garland of\ngold, agitated the hearts of his foes by means of the twang of Gandiva.\nAnd in that awful passage at arms, the blare of conches and beat of drums\nand the deep rattle of cars were all silenced by the twang of Gandiva.\nAnd ascertaining that twang to be of Gandiva, king Virata and other\nheroes among men, and the brave Drupada, the king of the Panchalas, all\nproceeded to that spot with undepressed hearts. And all thy combatants\nstood, struck with fear, each at the spot where he heard that twang of\nGandiva. And none amongst them ventured to proceed to that place whence\nthat sound was heard. And in that awful slaughter of kings, heroic\ncombatants were slain and car-warriors with those that guided their cars.\nAnd elephants with resplendent housings of gold and gorgeous standards\n(on their backs), afflicted with broad-headed shafts falling upon them,\nsuddenly fell down, deprived of life and their bodies mangled by Kiritin.\nAnd forcibly struck by Partha with his winged arrows of great impetuosity\nand broad-headed shafts of keen edge and points, the standards of\ninnumerable kings stationed at the heads of their yantras and Indrajalas\nwere cut off.[372] And bands of infantry and car-warriors, in that\nbattle, and steeds and elephants, fell fast on the field, their limbs\nparalysed, or themselves speedily deprived of life, affected by\nDhananjaya with those shafts. And, O king, many were the warriors who in\nthat terrible conflict had their coats of mail and bodies cut through by\nthat mighty weapon called after the name of Indra. And with those\nterrible and sharp shafts of his, Kiritin caused an awful river to run on\nthe field of battle, having for its waters the blood flowing from the\nmangled bodies of the combatants and having for its froth their fat. And\nits current was broad and ran fiercely. And the bodies of elephants and\nsteeds despatched to the other world formed its banks. And its mire\nconsisted of the entrails, the marrow, and the flesh of human beings, and\nprodigious Rakshasas formed the (tall) trees (standing on its banks). And\nthe crowns of human heads in profusion, covered with hair, formed its\n(floating) mess, and heaps of human bodies, forming its sandbanks, caused\nthe current to flow in a thousand directions. And the coats of mail\nstrewn all over formed its hard pebbles. And its banks were infested by\nlarge number of jackals and wolves and cranes and vultures and crowds of\nRakshasas, and packs of hyenas. And they that were alive beheld that\nterrible river of current consisting of fat, marrow, and blood, caused by\nthe arrowy showers of Arjuna--that embodiment of (man's) cruelty--to look\nlike the great Vaitarani.[373] And beholding the foremost warriors of\nthat army of the Kurus thus slain by Phalguni, the Chedis, the Panchalas,\nthe Kurushas, the Matsyas, and all the combatants of the Pandava side,\nthose foremost of men, elated with victory, together set up a loud shout\nfor frightening the Kaurava warriors. And they uttered that cry\nindicative of victory, beholding the foremost combatants of the (Kuru)\narmy, the very troops protected by mighty leaders of divisions, thus\nslain by Kiritin, that terror of foes, who frightened them like a lion\nfrightening herds of smaller animals. And then the bearer of Gandiva\nhimself, and Janardana both filled with delight, uttered loud roars. And\nthe Kurus, with Bhishma, and Drona and Duryodhana and Valhika,\nexceedingly mangled by the weapons (of Arjuna), beholding the sun\nwithdraw his rays, and seeing also that awful and irresistible weapon\ncalled after the name of Indra spread out and causing (as it were) the\nend of the Yuga to appear, withdraw their forces for the nightly rest.\nAnd that foremost of men, Dhananjaya also, having achieved a great feat\nand won great renown by crushing his foes, and beholding the sun assume a\nred hue and the evening twilight to set in, and having completed his\nwork, retired with his uterine brothers to the camp for nightly rest.\nThen when darkness was about to set in, there arose among the Kuru troops\na great and terrible uproar. And all said, 'In today's battle Arjuna hath\nslain ten thousand car-warriors, and full seven hundred elephants. And\nall the westerners, and the diverse tribes of the Sauviras, and the\nKshudrakas and the Malavas, have all been slain. The feat achieved by\nDhananjaya is a mighty one. None else is competent to achieve it.\nSrutayush, the ruler of the Amvashtas, and Durmarshana, and Chitrasena,\nand Drona, and Kripa, and the ruler of the Sindhus, and Valhika, and\nBhurisravas, and Salya, and Sala, O king, and other warriors by hundreds\nunited together, along with Bhishma himself, have in battle, by the\nprowess of his own arms, been vanquished today by the angry son of\nPritha, viz., Kiritin, that one mighty car-warrior in the world.' Talking\nthus, O Bharata, all the warriors of thy side went to their tents from\nthe field of battle. And all the combatants of the Kuru army frightened\nby Kiritin, then entered their tents illumined by thousands of torches,\nand beautified by innumerable lamps.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LX\n\nSanjaya said,--\"When the night passed away, O Bharata, the high-souled\nBhishma, with wrath engendered, supported by a large force, and stationed\nat the head of the Bharata army, proceeded against the foe. And Drona and\nDuryodhana and Valhika, and also Durmarshana and Chitrasena, the mighty\nJayadratha, and other royal warriors, supported by large divisions\naccompanied, surrounding him all sides. And surrounded by those great and\nmighty car-warriors endued with great prowess and energy, O king, he\nshone, O best of monarchs, in the midst of those foremost of royal\nwarriors, like the chief of the celestials in the midst of the gods. And\nthe magnificent standards on the backs of the elephants stationed in\nfront of those ranks, of diverse colours, viz., red, yellow, black and\nbrown, waving in the air, looked exceedingly beautiful. And that army\nwith the royal son of Santanu and other mighty car-warriors and with\nelephants and steeds, looked resplendent like a mass of clouds charged\nwith lightning, or like the firmament, in the season of rains, with\ngathering clouds.[374] And then the fierce army of the Kurus, bent on\nbattle and protected by Santanu's son, rushed impetuously towards Arjuna\nlike the fierce current of the ocean-going Ganga.[375] Pervaded by\ndiverse kinds of forces possessed of great strength, and having in its\nwings elephants, steeds, infantry, and cars in profusion, that array the\nhigh-souled (Arjuna) having the prince of apes on his banner beheld from\na distance to resemble a mighty mass of clouds.[376] That high-souled\nhero, that bull among men, upon his car furnished with tall standard and\nunto which were yoked white steeds, at the head of his (own) division and\nsurrounded by a mighty force, proceeded against the whole hostile army.\nAnd all the Kauravas with thy sons, beholding that ape-bannered (warrior)\nwith his excellent standard and handsome car-shaft wrapped (in costly\ncover), accompanied by that bull of Yadu's race, his charioteer in\nbattle, were filled with dismay. And thy army beheld that best of arrays,\nwhich was protected by that mighty car-warrior of the world, viz.,\nKiritin, with weapons upraised to have at each of its corners four\nthousand elephants. Like the array which was formed on the day before by\nthat best of Kurus viz., king Yudhishthira the just, and like of which\nhad never been seen or heard before by human beings, was this one of\ntoday (that the Pandavas formed). Then on the field of battle thousands of\ndrums were loudly beaten, and there arose from all the divisions the loud\nblare of conches and the notes of trumpets and many leonine shouts. Then\n(innumerable) bows of loud twang, stretched by heroic warriors with shaft\nfixed on the bowstrings, and the blare of conches, silenced that uproar\nof drums and cymbals. And the entire welkin filled with that blare of\nconches was diffused with an earthly dust that made it wonderful to\nbehold. And with that dust the sky looked as if a vast canopy were spread\noverhead. And beholding that canopy the brave warriors all rushed\nimpetuously (to battle). And car-warriors, struck by car-warriors, were\noverthrown with charioteers, steeds, cars, and standards. And elephants,\nstruck by elephants, fell down, and foot-soldiers struck by\nfoot-soldiers. And rushing horsemen, struck down by rushing horsemen with\nlances and swords, fell down with frightful countenances. And all this\nseemed exceedingly wonderful. And excellent shields decked with golden\nstars and possessed of solar effulgence, broken by (strokes of)\nbattle-axes, lances and swords dropped on the field.[377] And many\ncar-warriors mangled and bruised by the tusks and the strong trunks of\nelephants, fell down with their charioteers. And many bulls among\ncar-warriors struck by bulls among car-warriors with their shafts, fell\ndown on the ground. And many persons hearing the wails of horsemen and\nfoot-soldiers struck with the tusks and other limbs of elephants or\ncrushed by the impetus of those huge creatures rushing in close ranks,\nfell down on the field of battle.[378]\n\n\"Then when cavalry and foot-soldiers were falling fast, and elephants and\nsteeds and cars were flying away in fear, Bhishma, surrounded by many\nmighty car-warriors, obtained sight of him who had the prince of apes on\nhis standard. And the palmyra-bannered warrior, viz. the son of Santanu,\nhaving five palmyras on his standard, then rushed against the\ndiadem-decked (Arjuna) whose car, in consequence of the fleetness of the\nexcellent steeds attached to it was endued with wonderful energy and\nwhich blazed like the very lightning in consequence of the energy of his\nmighty weapons. And so against that son of Indra who was like unto Indra\nhimself, rushed many (other) warriors headed by Drona and Kripa and Salya\nand Vivinsati and Duryodhana and also Somadatta's son, O king. Then the\nheroic Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, conversant with all weapons and\ncased in a handsome and golden coat of mail, rushing out of the ranks,\nquickly proceeded against all those warriors. And that son of Krishna of\nfeats incapable of being borne, baffling the mighty weapons of all those\nwarriors of great strength, looked resplendent like the adorable Agni\nhimself, on the sacrificial altar, of blazing flames, invoked with high\nmantras. Then Bhishma of mighty energy, creating in that battle a very\nriver whose waters were the blood of foes, and quickly avoiding\nSubhadra's son, encountered that mighty car-warrior, viz., Partha\nhimself. Then Arjuna decked with diadem and garlands with his Gandiva of\nwonderful mien and twang loud as the roar of the thunder, shooting\nshowers of arrows, baffled that shower of mighty weapons (shot by\nBhishma). And that high-souled warrior having the prince of apes on his\nbanner, of feats incapable of being borne, then poured in return upon\nBhishma, that best of all wielders of bows a shower of sharp-edged arrows\nand polished shafts of broad heads. And so thy troops also beheld that\nshower of mighty weapons shot by him who had the prince of apes on his\nbanner, opposed and dispersed by Bhishma like the maker of day dispelling\n(the gloom of night). And the Kurus and the Srinjayas, and all the people\nthere, beheld that single combat between those two foremost of men, viz.,\nBhishma and Dhananjaya, proceeding thus steadily and thus distinguished\nby the terrible twang of the bows of both.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXI\n\nSanjaya said, \"And Drona's son, and Bhurisravas, and Chitrasena, O sire,\nand the son of Samyamani also, all fought with Subhadra's son. And while\nfighting alone with five tigers among men, people beheld him possessed of\nexceeding energy, like a young lion fighting with five elephants. And no\none among them equalled Krishna's son in sureness of aim, in bravery, in\nprowess, in lightness of hand or in knowledge of weapons. And beholding\nhis son, that chastiser of foes thus struggling and displaying his\nprowess in battle, Partha set up a leonine roar. And seeing thy grandson,\nO king, thus afflicting thy host, thy warriors, O monarch, surrounded him\non all sides. Then that smiter of foes, the son of Subhadra, depending\nupon his prowess and might, advanced with undepressed heart against the\nDhartarashtra host. And while battling with the foe in that conflict, his\nmighty bow endued with the effulgence of the sun, was seen by all to be\nincessantly stretched for striking. And piercing the son of Drona with\none shaft, and Salya with five, he overthrew the standard of Samyamani's\nson with eight shafts. And with another sharp-edged arrow he cut off the\nmighty dart of golden staff, resembling a snake, that was hurled at him\nby Somadatta's son. And the heir of Arjuna, baffling in the very sight of\nSalya, his hundreds of terrible shafts, slew his four steeds. Thereupon\nBhurisravas, and Salya, and Drona's son and Samyamani, and Sala struck\nwith the fear at the strength of arms displayed by Krishna's son could\nnot stay before him. Then, O great king, the Trigartas and the Madras,\nwith the Kekayas, numbering five and twenty thousand urged by thy son,\nall of whom were foremost of men accomplished in the science of arms and\nwho were incapable of defeat by foes in battle, surrounded Kiritin with\nhis son for slaying them both. Then, O king, that vanquisher of foes, the\ncommander of the Pandava army, the prince of the Panchalas, beheld the\ncars of the father and the son (thus) surrounded (by the foe). Supported\nby many thousands of elephants and cars, and by hundred thousands of\ncavalry and infantry, and stretching his bow in great wrath he advanced\nagainst that division of the Madras and the Kekayas, O chastiser of foes,\nleading his troops with him. And that division (of the Pandava army),\nprotected by that renowned and firm bowman, and consisting of cars,\nelephants, and cavalry, looked resplendent as it advanced for the\nencounter. And while proceeding towards Arjuna, that perpetuator of\nPanchala's race struck Saradwat's son on his shoulder-joint with three\narrows. And piercing the Madrakas then with ten sharp shafts, he speedily\nslew the protector of Kritavarman's rear. And that chastiser of foes\nthen, with a shaft of broad head, slew Damana, the heir of the\nhigh-souled Paurava. Then the son of Samyamani pierced the Panchala\nprince incapable of defeat in the battle with ten shafts, and his\ncharioteer also with ten shafts. Then that mighty bowman, (thus) severely\npierced, licked with his tongue the corners of his mouth, and cut off his\nenemy's bow with a broad-headed shaft of excessive sharpness. And soon\nthe prince of Panchala afflicted his foe with five and twenty arrows, and\nthen slew his steeds, O king, and then both the protectors of his wings.\nThen, O bull of Bharata's race, Samyamani's son, standing on that car\nwhose steeds were slain, looked at the son of the renowned king of the\nPanchalas. Then taking up a terrible scimitar of the best kind, made of\nsteel, Samyamani's son walking on foot, approached Drupada's son staying\non his car. And the Pandavas, soldiers and Dhrishtadyumna also of\nPrishata's race beheld him coming like a wave and resembling a snake\nfallen from the skies. And he whirled his sword and looked like the sun\nand advanced with the tread of an infuriate elephant. The prince of\nPanchala then, excited with rage, quickly taking up a mace, smashed the\nhead of Samyamani's son thus advancing towards him, sharp-edged scimitar\nin grasp and shield in hand, as soon as the latter, having crossed the\nshooting distance, was near enough to his adversary's car. And then, O\nking, while falling down deprived of life, his blazing scimitar and\nshield, loosened from his grasp, fell down with his body on the ground.\nAnd the high-souled son of the Panchala king, of terrible prowess, having\nslain his foe with his mace, won great renown. And when that prince, that\nmighty car-warrior and great bowman, was (thus) slain, loud cries of oh\nand alas arose among thy troops, O sire. Then Samyamani, excited with\nrage upon beholding his own son slain, impetuously rushed towards the\nprince of Panchala who was incapable of defeat in battle. And all the\nkings of both the Kuru and the Pandava armies beheld those two princes\nand foremost of car-warriors engaged in battle. Then that slayer of\nhostile heroes Samyamani, excited with wrath, struck Prishata's son with\nthree shafts like (the conductor of an elephant striking) a mighty\nelephant with hooks. And so Salya also, that ornament of assemblies,\nexcited with wrath, struck the heroic son of Prishata on his breast. And\nthen commenced (another) battle (there).\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXII\n\nDhritarashtra said,--\"I regard destiny to be superior to exertion, O\nSanjaya, inasmuch as the army of my son is continually slaughtered by the\narmy of the Pandavas. Thou always speakest, O suta, of my troops as being\nslaughtered, and thou always speakest of the Pandavas as both unslain and\ncheerful. Indeed, O Sanjaya, thou speakest of mine as deprived of\nmanliness, felled and falling, and slaughtered, although they are\nbattling to the best of their powers and striving hard for victory. Thou\nalways speakest to me of the Pandavas as obtaining victory and mine as\nbecoming weaker and weaker. O child, I am incessantly hearing of\ncountless cause of unbearable and poignant grief on account of\nDuryodhana's doing. I do not see, O Sanjaya, the means by which the\nPandavas may be weakened and sons of mine may obtain the victory in\nbattle.\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"This mighty evil hath proceeded from thee, O king. Listen\nnow with patience to the great slaughter of men, elephants, steeds and\ncar-warriors. Dhrishtadyumna, afflicted by Salya with nine shafts,\nafflicted in return the ruler of Madras with many shafts made of steel.\nAnd then we beheld the prowess of Prishata's son to be highly wonderful\ninasmuch as he speedily checked Salya that ornament of assemblies. The\nbattle between them lasted for only a short space of time. While angrily\nengaged in combat, none beheld even a moment's rest taken by any of them.\nThen, O king, Salya in that battle cut off Dhrishtadyumna's bow with a\nbroad-headed shaft of sharp edge and excellent temper. And he also\ncovered him, O Bharata, with a shower of arrows like rain charged clouds\npouring their drops on the mountain breast during the season of rains.\nAnd while Dhrishtadyumna was being thus afflicted, Abhimanyu, excited\nwith wrath, rushed impetuously towards the car of the ruler of the\nMadras. Then the wrathful son of Krishna, of immeasurable soul, obtaining\nthe car of the ruler of the Madras (within shooting distance), pierced\nArtayani with three sharp shafts.[379] Then the warriors of thy army, O\nking, desirous of opposing the son of Arjuna in battle, speedily\nsurrounded the car of the ruler of Madras. And Duryodhana, and Vikarna,\nand Dussasana, and Vivinsati and Durmarshana, and Dussala, and\nChitrasena, and Durmukha, and Satyabrata, blessed be thou, and Purumitra,\nO Bharata,--these, protecting the car of the ruler of the Madras,\nstationed themselves there. Then Bhimasena, excited with wrath, and\nDhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race, and the five sons of Draupadi, and\nAbhimanyu, and the twin sons of Madri and Pandu,--these ten opposed those\nten warriors of the Dhritarashtra army shooting, O king, diverse kinds of\nweapons. And they approached and encountered one another in battle\ndesirous of slaying one another, in consequence, O king, of thy wicked\npolicy. And when those ten car-warriors, excited with wrath, engaged with\nthe ten others in that awful battle, the other car-warriors of both thy\narmy and of the foe all stood as spectators. And those mighty\ncar-warriors, shooting diverse kinds of weapons and roaring at one\nanother, smote one another fiercely. With wrath engendered in their\nbreasts, desirous of slaying one another, they uttered fierce shouts,\nchallenging one another. And jealous of one another, O king, those\nkinsfolk united together, encountered one another wrathfully, shooting\nmighty weapons. And wonderful to say, Duryodhana, excited with rage,\npierced Dhrishtadyumna in that battle with four sharp shafts. And\nDurmarshana pierced him with twenty, and Chitrasena with five, and\nDurmukha with nine, and Dussaha with seven, and Vivinsati with five, and\nDussasana with three shafts. Then, O great king, that scorcher of foes,\nviz., Prishata's son, pierced each of them in return with five and twenty\nshafts, displaying his lightness of hand. And Abhimanyu, O Bharata,\npierced Satyavrata and Purumitra each with ten shafts. Then the son of\nMadri, those delighters of their mother, covered their uncle with showers\nof sharp arrows. And all this seemed wonderful. Then, O monarch, Salya\ncovered his nephews, those two foremost of car-warriors desirous of\ncounteracting their uncle's feats, with arrows, but the sons of Madri\nwavered not. Then the mighty Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, beholding\nDuryodhana and desirous of ending the strife, took up his mace. And\nbeholding the mighty-armed Bhimasena with upraised mace and looking like\nthe crested Kailasa mount, thy sons fled away in terror. Duryodhana,\nhowever, excited with wrath, urged the Magadha division consisting of ten\nthousand elephants of great activity. Accompanied by that elephant\ndivision and placing the ruler of Magadha before him, king Duryodhana\nadvanced towards Bhimasena. Beholding that elephant division advancing\ntowards him, Vrikodara, mace in hand, jumped down from his car, uttering\na loud roar like that of a lion. And armed with that mighty mace which\nwas endued with great weight and strength of adamant, he rushed towards\nthat elephant division, like the Destroyer himself with wide open mouth.\nAnd the mighty-armed Bhimasena endued with great strength, slaying\nelephants with his mace, wandered over the field, like the slayer of\nVritra among the Danava host. And with the loud shouts of the roaring\nBhima, shouts that made the mind and the heart to tremble with fear, the\nelephants, crouching close, lost all power of motion. Then the sons of\nDraupadi, and that mighty car-warrior, the son of Subhadra, and Nakula\nand Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race, protecting Bhima's\nrear, rushed behind him, checking all by scattering their arrowy showers\nlike the very clouds pouring rain on the mountain breast. And those\nPandava warriors struck off the heads of their foes battling from the\nbacks of elephants, with well-tempered and keen-edged shafts of diverse\nforms.[380] And the heads (of elephant-riders), and arms decked with\nornaments, and hands with iron-hooks in grasp, falling fast, resembled a\nstony shower. And the headless trunks of elephant-riders on the necks of\nthe beasts they rode, looked like headless trees on mountain summits. And\nwe beheld mighty elephants felled and falling, slain by Dhrishtadyumna,\nthe high-souled son of Prishata. Then the ruler of the Magadhas, in that\nbattle, urged his elephant resembling Airavata himself, towards the car\nof Subhadra's son. Beholding that mighty elephant advancing towards him,\nthat slayer of hostile heroes, the brave son of Subhadra, slew it with a\nsingle shaft. And when the ruler of the Magadhas was thus deprived of his\nelephant, that conqueror of hostile cities viz., the son of Krishna, then\nstruck off that king's head with a broad-headed shaft with silver wings.\nAnd Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, having penetrated that elephant\ndivision, began to wander over the field, crushing those beasts around\nhim like Indra himself crushing the mountains. And we beheld elephants\nslain in that battle by Bhimasena, each with only one stroke (of his\nmace), like hills riven by thunder. And many elephants, huge as hills,\nwere slain there, having their tusks broken or temples, or bones, or\nbacks, or frontal globes. And others, O king, deprived of life, lay there\nwith foaming mouths. And many mighty elephants, with frontal globes\ncompletely smashed, vomited large quantities of blood. And some, from\nfear, laid themselves down on the ground like (so many) hillocks. And\nsmeared with the fat and blood (of elephants) and almost bathed in their\nmarrow, Bhima wandered over the field like the Destroyer himself, club in\nhand. And Vrikodara, whirling that mace of his which was wet with the\nblood of elephants, became terrible and awful to behold, like the wielder\nof Pinaka armed with Pinaka.[381] And those huge tuskers, while (thus)\ncrushed by the angry Bhima, suddenly fled away, afflicted, crushing thy\nown ranks. And these mighty bowmen and car-warriors, headed by Subhadra's\nson (all the while) protected that battling hero whirling his gory\nmace[382] wet with the blood of elephants, like the celestials protecting\nthe wielder of the thunder-bolt. Of terrible soul, Bhimasena then looked\nlike the Destroyer himself. Indeed, O Bharata, putting forth his\nstrength on all sides, mace in arms, we beheld Bhimasena then to resemble\nSankara himself dancing (at the end of the Yuga), and his fierce, heavy,\nand sounding mace to resemble the club of Yama and possessed of the sound\nof Indra's bolt. And that gory mace of his, smeared with marrow and hair,\nresembled (also) the angry Rudra's Pinaka while he is engaged in\ndestroying all creatures. As a herdsman chastises his herd of cattle with\na goad, so did Bhima smite that elephant division with that mace of his.\nAnd while thus slaughtered by Bhima with his mace and with shafts (by\nthose that protected his rear), the elephants ran on all sides, crushing\nthe cars of thy own army. Then driving away those elephants from the\nfield like a mighty wind driving away masses of clouds, Bhima stood there\nlike wielder of the trident on a crematorium.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIII\n\nSanjaya said, \"When that elephant division was exterminated, thy son\nDuryodhana urged his entire army, commanding the warriors to slay\nBhimasena. Then the entire army at the command of thy son, rushed towards\nBhimasena who was uttering fierce shouts. That vast and unlimited host\ndifficult of being borne by the very gods, incapable of being crossed\nlike the surging sea on the day of full moon or new moon, abounding with\ncars, elephants, and steeds, resounding with the blare of conches and the\nbeat of drums, numbering untold foot-soldiers and car-warriors, and\nshrouded by the dust (raised), that very sea of hostile troops incapable\nof being agitated, thus coming towards him, Bhimasena checked in battle,\nO king, like the bank resisting the ocean. That feat, O king, which we\nbeheld, of Bhimasena the high-souled son of Pandu, was exceedingly\nwonderful and superhuman. With his mace, he fearlessly checked all those\nkings angrily rushing towards him, with their steeds and cars and\nelephants. Checking that vast force with mace, that foremost of mighty\nmen, Bhima, stood in that fierce melee, immovable as the mountain Meru.\nAnd in that dreadful, fierce, and terrific encounter his brother and sons\nand Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race, and the sons of Draupadi and\nAbhimanyu, and the unvanquished Sikhandin--these mighty warriors,--did\nnot abandon him from fear. Taking up his massive and weighty mace made of\nSaika iron, he rushed towards the warriors of thy army like the Destroyer\nhimself, armed with his club. And pressing crowds of cars and crowds of\nhorsemen down into the earth, Bhima wandered over the field like the fire\nat the end of the Yuga. And Pandu's son of infinite prowess crushing\ncrowds of cars with the impetus of his thighs and slaying thy warriors in\nbattle, wandered like the Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga. And\nhe began to grind thy troops with the greatest ease like an elephant\ncrushing a forest of reeds. And dragging car-warriors down from their\ncars, and warriors fighting from the backs of heroes, and foot soldiers\nas they stood on the ground, in the army of thy son, the mighty-armed\nBhimasena slew them all with his mace like the wind crushing trees by its\nforce. And that mace of his, slaying elephants and steeds, became smeared\nwith fat, marrow, flesh, and blood, and looked exceedingly terrible. And\nwith the bodies of slain men and cavalry lying scattered about, the field\nof battle wore the appearance of the abode of Yama. And the terrible and\nslaughtering mace of Bhimasena, resembling the fierce bludgeon of Death\nand endued with the effulgence of Indra's bolt, looked like Pinaka of the\nangry Rudra while destroying living creatures. Indeed, that mace of the\nhigh-souled son of Kunti, who was slaying all around, looked fiercely\nresplendent like the bludgeon of the Destroyer himself at the time of the\nuniversal dissolution. And beholding him thus routing that large army\nrepeatedly and advancing like Death's self, all the warriors became\ncheerless. Withersoever the son of Pandu, raising his mace, cast his\neyes, in consequence of his look alone, O Bharata, all the troops there\nseemed to melt away. Beholding Vrikodara of terrible deeds, thus routing\nthe army and unvanquished by even so large a force and devouring the\n(hostile) division like the Destroyer himself with wide-open mouth,\nBhimasena speedily came towards him, on his car of solar effulgence and\nrattle loud as that of the clouds, (shrouding the welkin) with his arrowy\nshowers like a vapoury canopy charged with rain. Then the mighty-armed\nBhimasena, beholding Bhishma thus advancing like the Destroyer himself\nwith wide-open mouth, rushed towards him, excited with wrath. At that\nmoment, that foremost hero of Sini's race viz., Satyaki of sure aim, fell\nupon the grandsire, slaying his enemies (along the way) with his firm bow\nand causing thy son's army to tremble. And all the combatants who\nbelonged to thy army were then, O Bharata, unable to impede the progress\nof that hero thus advancing with his steeds of silvery hue and scattering\nhis sharp shafts furnished with handsome wings. At that time the Rakshasa\nAlamvusha (only) succeeded in piercing him with ten shafts. But piercing\nAlamvusha in return with four shafts, the grandson of Sini proceeded on\nhis car. Beholding that hero of Vrishni's race thus advancing and rolling\n(as it were) through the very midst of his enemies, and checking (as he\nproceeded) the foremost of Kuru warriors, and repeatedly uttering loud\nshouts in that battle, thy warriors then like masses of clouds pouring\nrain in torrents on the mountain breast, showered their arrowy downpours\non him. They were, however, incapable of impeding the progress of that\nhero who looked like the noon-day sun in his glory. And there was none\nwho was not then cheerless, save Somadatta's son, O king, and\nBhurisravas, the son of Somadatta, O Bharata, beholding the car-warriors\nof his own side driven away, rushed against Satyaki from desire of\nbattle, taking up his bow of fierce impetus.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIV\n\nSanjaya said, \"Then, O king, Bhurisravas, excited with great wrath,\npierced Satyaki with nine arrows like the conductor of an elephant\npiercing an elephant with the iron hook. Satyaki also, of immeasurable\nsoul, in the very sight of all the troops, pierced the Kaurava warrior\nwith nine shafts. Then king Duryodhana, accompanied by his uterine\nbrothers, surrounded Somadatta's son thus striving in battle. Similarly\nthe Pandavas also, of great energy, quickly surrounding Satyaki in that\nbattle took up their positions around him. And Bhimasena, excited with\nwrath, and with mace upraised, O Bharata, encountered all thy sons headed\nby Duryodhana. With many thousands of cars, and excited with wrath and\nvindictiveness, thy son Nandaka pierced Bhimasena of great might with\nkeen-edged and sharp-pointed shafts whetted on stone and winged with the\nfeathers of the kanka bird. Then Duryodhana, O king, in that great\nbattle, excited with wrath, struck Bhimasena in the breast with nine\nshafts. Then the mighty-armed Bhima of great strength mounted on his own\nexcellent car and addressing (his charioteer) Visoka, said, 'These heroic\nand mighty sons of Dhritarashtra, all great car-warriors, are exceedingly\nangry with me and desirous of slaying me in battle. I will slay all these\ntoday in thy sight, without doubt. Therefore, O charioteer, guide my\nsteed in battle with care.' Having said this, O monarch, Pritha's son\npierced thy son with sharp-pointed arrows decked with gold. And he\npierced Nandaka in return with three arrows between his two breasts. Then\nDuryodhana having pierced the mighty Bhima with six arrows pierced Visoka\nin return with three other sharp arrows. And Duryodhana, O king, as if\nsmiling the while, with three other sharp arrows cut off at the grasp the\nresplendent bow of Bhima in that battle. Bhima then, that bull among men,\nbeholding his charioteer Visoka afflicted, in that conflict, with sharp\nshafts by thy son armed with the bow, and unable to bear it, drew another\nexcellent bow, excited with wrath, for the destruction of thy son, O\nmonarch. And excited with great wrath, he also took up an arrow with\nhorse-shoe head and furnished with excellent wings. And with that (arrow)\nBhima cut off the excellent bow of the king. Then thy son, excited to the\nhighest pitch of fury, leaving that broken bow aside, speedily took up\nanother that was tougher. And aiming a terrible shaft blazing as Death's\nrod, the Kuru king, excited with rage struck Bhimasena between his two\nbreasts. Deeply pierced therewith, and greatly pained, he sat down on the\nterrace of his car. And while seated on the terrace of his car, he\nswooned away. Beholding Bhima thus unmanned, the illustrious and mighty\ncar-warriors of the Pandava army, headed by Abhimanyu could not bear it.\nAnd those warriors then, with great steadiness, showered on thy sons'\nhead a thick down-pour of fierce shafts. Then the mighty Bhimasena,\nregaining consciousness, pierced Duryodhana at first with those shafts\nand then with five. And that mighty bowman the son of Pandu then pierced\nSalya with five and twenty shafts furnished with golden wings. And\npierced therewith, Salya was borne away from the battle. Then thy\nfourteen sons, viz., Senapati, Sushena, Jalasandha, Sulochana, Ugra,\nBhimaratha, Bhima, Viravahu, Aolupa, Durmukha, Dushpradarsha, Vivitsu,\nVikata, and Sama, then encountered Bhimasena in battle. United together\nthey rushed against Bhimasena, and with eyes red in wrath, showering\ncountless arrows, they pierced him deeply. Then the heroic and mighty\nBhimasena of strong arms, beholding thy sons, licking the corners of his\nmouth like a wolf in the midst of smaller creatures, fell upon them with\nthe impetuosity of Garuda. And the son of Pandu then cut off the head of\nSenapati with a shaft having a horse-shoe head. And with delighted soul\nand laughing the while, that mighty-armed warrior, piercing Jalasandha\nwith three arrows, despatched him to Yama's abode. And next, smiting\nSushena, he sent him to the presence of Death's self. And with a single\nbroad-headed shaft he felled on the ground the head, handsome as the\nmoon, of Ugra, decked with turban and adorned with ear-rings. And in that\nbattle, Pandu's son Bhima, with seventy shafts, despatched Viravahu to\nthe other world with his steeds and standard and charioteer. And smiling\nthe while, O king, Bhimasena quickly despatched both the brothers Bhima\nand Bhimaratha also to Yama's abode. And then in that great battle in the\nvery sight of all the troops, with an arrow of horse-shoe head Bhima\ndespatched Sulochana also to Death's domain. Then the rest of thy sons\nthat were there, O king, beholding the prowess of Bhimasena and while\nthus being struck by that illustrious warrior, all fled from battle from\nfear of Bhima. Then Santanu's son, addressing all the mighty car-warriors\n(of his army) said, 'That fierce bowman, Bhima, excited with wrath in\nbattle, is slaying the mighty sons of Dhritarashtra and other heroic\ncar-warriors united together, whatever their knowledge of weapons, and\nwhatever their bravery. Therefore, seize ye all that son of Pandu'. Thus\naddressed, all the troops of the Dhritarashtra army, excited with rage,\nrushed towards Bhimasena endued with great might. And Bhagadatta, O king,\non his elephant of rent temples, suddenly rushed thither where Bhimasena\nwas stationed. And thither to the combat, he shrouded Bhima with his\nshafts whetted on stone so as to make him completely invisible, like the\nclouds covering the sun. Those mighty car-warriors, however, (of the\nPandava army), relying on the prowess of their own arms, could not bear\nthat shrouding of Bhima (with the arrowy showers of Bhagadatta). They,\ntherefore, surrounding Bhagadatta on all sides, poured on him their\narrowy down-pours. And they pierced his elephant also with showers of\nshafts. And struck by all those mighty car-warriors with showers of\nfierce shafts of diverse kinds that elephant, O king, of the ruler of the\nPragjyotishas with blood trickling down his body, became beautiful to\nbehold on the field of battle like a mass of clouds tinged with the rays\nof the sun. And that elephant with temporal juice trickling down urged by\nBhagadatta, like the Destroyer, ran with double his former speed, shaking\nthe very earth with his tread. Then all those mighty car-warriors,\nbeholding that terrible mien of the animal, and regarding it\nirresistible, became cheerless. Then king Bhagadatta, that tiger among\nmen, excited with rage, struck Bhimasena between his two breasts with a\nstraight shaft. Deeply pierced by the king with that shaft, that great\nbowman and mighty car-warrior, with limbs deprived of sensation in\nconsequence of a swoon, sat down on his car, holding his flagstaff. And\nbeholding those mighty car-warriors terrified and Bhimasena in a swoon,\nBhagadatta of great prowess uttered a loud roar. Then, O king, that\nterrible Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, beholding Bhima in that state, became\nexcited with rage and there and then disappeared from the view. And\ncreating a terrible illusion enhancing the fears of the timid, he\nreappeared in a moment assuming a fierce form. Himself riding on an\nAiravata created by his powers of illusion, the other Dik-elephants,\nviz., Anjana, Vamana, and Mahapadma of blazing glory, followed him. And\nthose three mighty elephants, ridden by Rakshasas, were of huge form,\nwith juice profusely trickling down in three lines, and endued with great\nspeed and prowess. Then Ghatotkacha urged his own elephant to battle,\ndesirous, O chastiser of foes, of slaying Bhagadatta with his elephant.\nAnd those other elephants, excited with fury and each endued with four\ntusks, urged by Rakshasas of great strength, fell from all sides upon\nBhagadatta's elephant and afflicted him with their tusks. And the\nelephant of Bhagadatta, thus afflicted by those elephants, (already)\nstruck with arrows and feeling great pain, uttered loud cries that\nresembled the thunder of Indra. And hearing those terrible and loud cries\nof that roaring elephant, Bhishma, addressing Drona, Suyodhana and all\nthe kings, said, 'The mighty bowman Bhagadatta is battling with the\nwicked-souled son of Hidimva, and hath fallen into great distress. That\nRakshasa is of huge form, and the king also is very wrathful. Engaged in\nbattle, they would certainly prove each other's death. Loud shouts were\nalso heard of the rejoicing Pandavas, and the cries of agony of (king\nBhagadatta's) terrified elephant. Blessed be ye, let us all go there for\nrescuing the king, for, if left unprotected, in battle, he will soon give\nup his life. Ye warriors of great energy, do, as I bid, even now. Ye\nsinless ones, make no delay. The combat deepens and becometh fierce,\nmaking the hair to stand on end. That commander of a division is\nhigh-born, endued with great bravery, and devoted to us. Ye warriors of\nunfading glory, it is meet that his rescue should be effected by us.'\nHearing these words of Bhishma, all the kings (of the Kuru army), headed\nby Bharadwaja's son, desirous of rescuing Bhagadatta, proceeded with\ngreat speed to where the ruler of the Pragjyotishas was. And beholding\nthe enemy advancing, the Panchalas with the Pandavas, headed by\nYudhishthira, pursued them behind. Then that prince of Rakshasas, endued\nwith great prowess, beholding that division (of the enemy) advance,\nuttered a fierce roar, deep as that of thunder. Hearing that roar of his\nand beholding those battling elephants, Santanu's son Bhishma once again\naddressed Bharadwaja's son and said, 'I do not like to fight (to-day)\nwith the wicked-souled son of Hidimva. Endued with great might and\nenergy, he is at present well-supported. He is incapable of being\nvanquished now by the wielder of the thunder-bolt himself. Of sureness of\naim, he is a great smiter. As regards ourselves, our animals are tired\n(today). We have also been greatly mangled by Panchalas and the Pandavas.\nI do not like fresh encounter with the victorious Pandavas. Let the\nwithdrawal of our army, therefore, be proclaimed today. Tomorrow we will\nfight with the foe.' Hearing these words of the grandsire, the Kauravas,\nafflicted with the fear of Ghatotkacha, and availing of the advent of\nnight as a pretext, gladly did what the grandsire said. And after the\nKauravas had withdrawn, the Pandavas, crowned with victory uttered\nleonine roars, mingling them with the blare of conches and the notes of\npipes. Thus did the battle take place that day, O Bharata, between the\nKurus and the Pandavas headed by Ghatotkacha. And the Kauravas also,\nvanquished by the Pandavas and overcome with shame, retired to their own\ntents when night came. And those mighty car-warriors, the sons of Pandu,\ntheir bodies mangled with shafts and themselves filled with (the result\nof) the battle, proceeded, O king, towards their encampment, with\nBhimasena and Ghatotkacha, O monarch, at their head. And filled with\ngreat joy, O king, they worshipped those heroes. And they uttered diverse\nkinds of shouts which were mingled with the notes of trumpets. And those\nhigh-souled warriors shouted making the very earth tremble therewith, and\ngrinding as it were, O sire, the hearts of thy sons. And it was thus that\nthose chastisers of foes, when night came, proceeded towards their tents.\nAnd king Duryodhana, cheerless at the death of his brothers, passed some\ntime in thoughtfulness, overcome with grief and tears. Then making all\nthe arrangements for his camp according to the rules (of military\nscience), he began to pass the hours in meditation, scorched with grief\nand afflicted with sorrow on account of his (slain) brothers.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXV\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"Hearing of those feats of the sons of Pandu which\nare incapable of being achieved by the gods themselves, my heart, O\nSanjaya, is filled with fear and wonder. Hearing also of the humiliation\nof my sons in every way, great hath been my anxiety as to the consequence\nthat will ensue. The words uttered by Vidura will, no doubt, consume my\nheart. Everything that hath happened seemeth to be due to Destiny, O\nSanjaya. The combatants of the Pandava army are encountering and smiting\nthose best of warriors having Bhishma for their head, those heroes\nconversant with every weapon. What ascetic penances have been performed\nby the high-souled and mighty sons of Pandu, what boon hath they\nobtained, O son, or what science is known to them, in consequence of\nwhich, like the stars in the firmament, they are undergoing no\ndiminution? I cannot bear it that my army should be repeatedly\nslaughtered by the Pandavas. The divine chastisement, highly severe, hath\nfallen on me alone. Tell me everything truly, O Sanjaya, about that for\nwhich the sons of Pandu have become unslayable and mine slayable. I do\nnot see the other shore of this (sea of) distress.[383] I am like a man\ndesirous of crossing the vastly deep ocean with my two arms alone. I\ncertainly think that a great calamity hath overtaken my sons. Without\ndoubt, Bhima will slay all my sons. I do not see that hero who is able to\nprotect my sons in battle. The death of my sons in this battle, O\nSanjaya, is certain. It behoveth thee, therefore, O Suta, to tell me, who\nasketh thee, everything about the true cause of all these. Beholding his\nown troops retreating from battle, what did Duryodhana do? And what old\nBhishma and Drona, and Kripa, and Suvala's son, and Jayadratha, and that\nmighty bowman, viz., Drona's son and Vikarna of great strength do? When\nalso, O thou of great wisdom, my sons turned back from the fight, what O\nSanjaya, became the resolve of those high-souled warriors?\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"Listen, O king, with attention, and having listened, let\nit go to thy heart. Nothing (in this) is the result of incantation,\nnothing the result of illusion of any kind. Nor have the sons of Pandu\ncreated any new terrors. They are endued with might; and they are\nfighting by fair means in this battle. Desirous of high fame, the sons of\nPritha always do every act, including even the support of their lives,\nagreeably to the way of morality. Endued with every kind of prosperity,\nand possessed of great strength, they never desist from battle, keeping\ntheir eyes on righteousness. And victory is there where righteousness is.\nIt is for this, O king, that the sons of Pritha are unslayable in battle\nand always victorious. Thy sons are of wicked souls and are addicted to\nsinfulness. They are cruel and wedded to mean acts. It is for this that\nthey are being weakened in battle. Thy sons, O king, like despicable men,\ndid many cruel and deceitful acts to the sons of Pandu. Disregarding,\nhowever, all those offences of thy sons, the sons of Pandu always\nconcealed those acts, O elder brother of Pandu. Thy sons also, O king, on\nnumerous occasions humiliated the Pandavas. Let them now reap the\nterrible fruit, like poison, of that persistent course of\nsinfulness.[384] That fruit should be enjoyed by thee also, O king, with\nthy sons and kinsmen, since thou, O king, could not be awakened even\nthough counselled by thy well-wishers. Repeatedly forbidden by Vidura, by\nBhishma, by the high-souled Drona, and by myself also thou didst not\nunderstand, rejecting our words intended for thy good and worthy of thy\nacceptance, like a sick man rejecting the medicine prescribed. Accepting\nthe views of thy sons thou hadst regarded the Pandavas as already\nvanquished. Listen again, O king, to what thou hast asked me, viz., the\ntrue cause, O chief of the Bharatas, of the victory of the Pandavas. I\nwill tell thee what I have heard, O chastiser of foes. Duryodhana had\nasked the grandsire this very question. Beholding his brothers, all\nmighty car-warriors, vanquished in battle, thy son Duryodhana, O Kaurava,\nwith heart confounded with grief, repairing with humility during the\nnight to the grandsire possessed of great wisdom, asked him this\nquestion. Listen to me, O monarch, about it all.\n\n\"Duryodhana said, 'Drona and thou, and Salya, and Kripa, and Drona's son,\nand Kritavarman the son of Hridika, and Sudakshina the ruler of the\nKamvojas, and Bhurisravas, and Vikarna, and Bhagadatta of exceeding\nprowess, are all regarded as mighty car-warriors. All of these, again,\nare high-born, and prepared to throw away their lives in battle. It is my\nopinion that these are a match for even the three worlds (united\ntogether). Even all the warriors of the Pandava army (united together)\ncannot bear your prowess. A doubt has arisen in my mind. Explain it to me\nwho enquireth of thee. Who it is, relying on whom the Pandavas are\nvanquishing us repeatedly.'\n\n\"Bhishma said, 'Listen, O king, to the words that I will speak unto thee,\nO thou of Kuru's race. Frequently wert thou addressed by me to the same\neffect but thou didst not do what I said. Let peace be made with the\nPandavas, O best of the Bharatas. I regard this to be beneficial both to\nthe world and thee, O lord. Enjoy this earth, O king, with thy brothers\nand be happy, gratifying all thy well-wishers and delighting thy\nkinsfolk. Although I cried myself hoarse before this, thou didst not yet\nlisten to me, O sire. Thou hadst always disregarded the sons of Pandu.\nThe effect of all that hath now overtaken thee. Listen also, O king, from\nme as I speak of it, O Lord, to the reason why the Pandavas, whose\nachievements tire them not, are unslayable.[385] There is not, was not,\nwill not be, the being in all the worlds who would or will be able to\nvanquish the sons of Pandu who are all protected by the wielder of\nSaranga. Listen truly, O thou that art conversant with morality, to that\nancient history which was recited to me by sages of souls under control.\nIn days of yore, all the celestials and the Rishis, united together,\nwaited reverentially on the Grandsire upon the mountains of Gandhamadana.\nAnd the Lord of all creatures, seated at his ease in their midst, beheld\nan excellent car stationed in the firmament, blazing with effulgence.\nHaving ascertained (everything about it) by meditation, joining his hands\nwith restrained heart, Brahman, with delighted soul, made his salutations\nto the highest Divine Being. And the Rishis and the celestials, beholding\nin the firmament (the form thus) displayed, all stood up with joined\nhands, their eyes fixed on that wonder of wonders. Worshipping him duly,\nBrahma, the foremost of all conversant with Brahman, the Creator of the\nuniverse, acquainted with the highest morality, uttered these high words:\nThou art the Glory of the Universe for thy form. Thou art the Lord of the\nUniverse. O thou whose protection extendeth through the whole Universe, O\nthou that hath the Universe for thy work, O thou that hath thy soul under\ncontrol, Thou art the Supreme Master of the Universe. Thou art Vasudeva.\nTherefore, I seek refuge in Thee that art the soul of Yoga and the\nhighest Divinity. Victory to Thee that art the Supreme God of the\nUniverse. Victory to Thee that art ever employed in the good of the\nworlds. Victory to Thee that art the Lord of Yoga. Thee that art\nall-powerful. Victory to Thee that art prior, and subsequent to Yoga.\nHaving the lotus springing from thy navel, and having large expansive\neyes, victory to Thee that art Lord of Lords of the Universe. O Lord of\nthe Past, the Present, and the Future, victory to Thee that art the\nembodiment of gentleness, Thee that art the sun of suns. O thou that art\nthe receptacle of untold attributes, victory to Thee that art the refuge\nof all things. Thou art Narayana, thou art incapable of being understood,\nvictory to Thee that art the wielder of the bow called Saranga. Victory\nto Thee that art endued with every attribute, O thou that hast the\nUniverse for thy form, O thou that art ever hale. O Lord of the Universe,\nO thou of mighty arms, victory to Thee that art always ready for\nbenefitting the worlds. O great Snake, O huge Boar, O first Cause, O thou\nof tawny locks, victory to Thee that art Almighty. O thou of yellow\nrobes, O Lord of the cardinal and the subsidiary points of the compass, O\nthou that hast the Universe for thy abode, O thou that art Infinite, O\nthou that hast no decay, O thou that art the Manifest, O thou that art\nthe Unmanifest, O thou that art the immeasurable Space, O thou that hast\nall thy senses under control, O thou that always achievest what is good,\nO thou that art immeasurable, O thou that alone knowest thy own nature,\nvictory to Thee that art deep, O thou that art the giver of all wishes, O\nthou that art without end, O thou that art known as Brahma, O thou that\nart Eternal, O thou that art the Creator of all creatures, O thou that\nart ever successful, O thou whose acts always display wisdom, O thou that\nart conversant with morality, O thou that givest victory, O thou of\nmysterious Self, O thou that art the Soul of all Yoga, O thou that art\nthe Cause of everything that hath sprung into existence, O thou that art\nthe knowledge of the selves of all beings, O Lord of the worlds, victory\nto thee that art the Creator of all beings. O thou that hath thyself for\nthy origin, O thou that art highly blessed, O thou that art the Destroyer\nof everything, O thou that art the inspirer of all mental thoughts,\nvictory to Thee that art dear to all conversant with Brahma. O thou that\nart busy in creation and destruction, O controller of all wishes, O\nSupreme Lord, O thou that art the Cause of Amrita, O thou that art\nAll-existent, O thou that art the first that appears at the end of the\nYuga, O thou that art the giver of victory, O Divine Lord of the Lord of\nall creatures, O thou that hast the lotus springing from thy navel, O\nthou of mighty strength, O thou that art sprung from Thyself, O thou that\nart the great elements in their primeval state, O thou that art the soul\nof all (religious) rites, victory to Thee that givest all. The goddess\nEarth represents thy two feet, the cardinal and the subsidiary directions\nthy arms, and the heavens thy head. I am thy form, the celestials\nconstitute thy limbs, and the Sun, the moon are thy two eyes. Ascetic\nausterities and Truth born of morality and (religious) rites, constitute\nthy strength. Fire is thy energy, the wind is thy breath, and the waters\nhave sprung from thy sweat. The twins Aswins constitute thy ears, and the\ngoddess Saraswati is thy tongue. The Vedas are thy Knowledge, and upon\nthee resteth this Universe. O Lord of Yoga and Yogins, we do not know thy\nextent, thy measure, thy energy, thy prowess, thy might, thy origin. O\nGod, O Vishnu, filled with devotion in thee, and depending upon thee with\nvows and observances, we ever worship Thee as the highest Lord, the God\nof gods. The Rishis, the gods, Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Rakshasas,\nthe Pannagas, the Pisachas, human beings, beasts, birds, reptiles,--all\nthese were created by me on Earth through Thy grace. O thou having the\nlotus springing from thy navel, O thou of large expansive eyes, O\nKrishna, O Dispeller of all woe, Thou art the Refuge of all creatures,\nand Thou art their Guide. Thou hast the Universe for thy mouth. Through\nthy grace, O Lord of the gods, the gods are ever happy. Through thy grace\nthe Earth hath always been freed from terrors. Therefore, O thou of large\neyes, take birth in the race of Yadu.[386] For the sake of establishing\nrighteousness, for slaying the sons of Diti, and for upholding the\nUniverse, do what I have said, O Lord. O Vasudeva, that which is thy\nsupreme mystery, that, O Lord hath been sung by me through Thy grace.\nHaving created the divine Sankarshana out of thy own Self by Thyself,\nthou didst then, O Krishna, create Thyself as Pradyumna born of thyself.\nFrom Pradyumna thou didst then create Aniruddha who is known as the\neternal Vishnu. And it was Aniruddha who created me as Brahma, the\nupholder of the Universe. Created out of Vasudeva's essence I have,\ntherefore, been created by thee. Dividing Thyself into portions, take\nbirth, O Lord, among human beings. And slaughtering the Asuras there for\nhappiness of all the worlds, and establishing righteousness, and winning\nrenown, Thou wilt again truly attain to Yoga. The regenerate Rishis on\nEarth and the gods, O thou of infinite prowess, devoted to thee, sing of\nthy wonderous Self under those names that belong to thee. O thou of\nexcellent arms, all classes of creatures rest on thee, having taken\nrefuge in Thee, thou giver of boons. The regenerate ones sing Thee as the\nworld's bridge, having no beginning, middle and end, and as possessed of\nunlimited Yoga.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVI\n\n\"Bhishma said, 'Then that illustrious Deity, the Lord of the worlds,\nreplied unto Brahma in a soft deep voice, saying,--\"Through Yoga, O sire,\nall that is wished by thee is known to me. It will be even as thou\nwishest,\"--And saying this, he disappeared then and there. Then the gods,\nRishis, and Gandharvas, filled with great wonder and curiosity all asked\nthe Grandsire, saying,--\"Who is that one, O Lord, that was worshipped by\nthy illustrious self with such humility and praised in such high words?\nWe desire to hear,\"--Thus addressed, the illustrious Grandsire replied\nunto all the Gods, the regenerate Rishis, and the Gandharvas, in sweet\nwords saying,--\"He who is called TAT, He who is Supreme, He who is\nexistent at present and who will be for all time, He who is the highest\nSelf, He who is the Soul of beings, and who is the great Lord, I was\ntalking even with His ever-cheerful self, ye bulls among gods. The Lord\nof the Universe was solicited by me, for the good of the Universe, to\ntake his birth among mankind in the family of Vasudeva. I said unto\nhim,--For the slaughter of the Asuras take thy birth in the world of\nmen!--Those Daityas and Rakshasas, of fierce form and great strength,\nthat were slain in battle, have been born among men. Indeed, the\nillustrious and mighty Lord, taking birth in the human womb, will live on\nthe Earth, accompanied by Nara. Those ancient and best of Rishis, viz.,\nNara and Narayana, are incapable of defeat in battle by even all the\ncelestials united together. Of immeasurable effulgence, those Rishis\nviz., Nara and Narayana, when born together in the world of men, will not\nbe known (as such) by fools. He, from whose Self, I, Brahman, the Lord of\nthe whole Universe, have sprung that Vasudeva, that Supreme God of all\nthe worlds, is worthy of your adoration. Endued with great energy, and\nbearing the conch, the discus, and the mace, he should never be\ndisregarded as a man, ye best of deities. He is the Supreme Mystery, the\nSupreme refuge, the Supreme Brahma, and the Supreme glory. He is without\ndecay, Unmanifest, and Eternal. He it is who hath been sung as Purusha,\nthough none can comprehend him. The divine Artificer hath sung of him as\nthe Supreme Energy, the Supreme Felicity, and the Supreme Truth.\nTherefore, the Lord Vasudeva of immeasurable prowess should never be\ndisregarded as a man by all the Asuras and the gods with Indra at their\nhead. That person of foolish understanding is called a wretch, who, from\ndisregard, speaketh of Hrishikesa as only a man. People speak of him as\none labouring under darkness who disregardeth Vasudeva, that Yogin of\nillustrious soul, for his entering into a human form. People speak of him\nas one labouring under darkness who knoweth not that Divine personage,\nthat Soul of the mobile and the immobile creation, that one bearing the\nauspicious wheel (on his breast), that one of dazzling effulgence, that\none from whose navel hath sprung the (primeval) lotus. He who\ndisregardeth that wearer of the diadem and the Kaustuva gem, that\ndispeller of fears of his friends, that high-souled one, sinketh in thick\ndarkness. Having known all these truths duly, that Lord of the worlds,\nviz., Vasudeva, should be adored by every one, ye best of gods.\"'--\n\n\"Bhishma continued,--'Having said these words unto those gods and Rishis\nin days of yore, the illustrious Grandsire, dismissing them all, repaired\nto his own abode. And the gods and the Gandharvas, and the Munis and the\nApsaras also, having listened to those words spoken by Brahman, were\nfilled with delight and repaired to heaven. Even this was heard by me, O\nsire, from Rishis of cultured soul talking in their assembly, of\nVasudeva, that ancient one. And O thou that art well-versed in\nscriptures, I heard this from Rama, the son of Jamadagni, and Markandeya\nof great wisdom, and Vyasa and Narada also. Having learnt all this and\nheard of the illustrious Vasudeva as the Eternal Lord, the Supreme God of\nall the worlds, and the great Master, from whom hath sprung Brahman\nhimself, the Father of the Universe, why should not that Vasudeva be\nadored and worshipped by men? Forbidden wert thou before, O sire, by\nsages of cultured souls, (who said unto thee)--Never go to war with that\nVasudeva armed with bow as also with the Pandavas,--This, from folly,\nthou couldst not apprehend. I regard thee therefore, as a wicked Rakshasa.\nThou art, besides, enveloped in darkness. It is for this that thou hatest\nGovinda and Dhananjaya the son of Pandu, for who else among men would\nhate the divine Nara and Narayana? It is for this, O king, that I say\nunto thee that this one is Eternal and Unfading, pervading the whole\nUniverse, Unchanging, the Ruler, Creator and Upholder of all, and the\ntruly Existent. He it is who upholdeth the three worlds. He is the\nSupreme Lord of all mobile and immobile creatures, and He is the great\nMaster, He is warrior, He is Victory, He is Victor, and He is the Lord of\nall nature. O king, He is full of goodness and divested of all the\nqualities of Darkness and Passion. There, where Krishna is, there\nrighteousness is; and there is victory where righteousness is. It is by\nthe Yoga of his Supreme Excellence, and the Yoga of his Self, that the\nsons of Pandu, O king, are supported. Victory, therefore, will surely be\ntheirs. He it is that always imparteth to the Pandavas and understanding\nendued with righteousness, and strength in battle; and He it is that\nalways protecteth them from danger. He is the Eternal God, pervading all\nbeings, and ever blessed. He, of whom thou hadst asked me, is known by\nthe name of Vasudeva. He it is whom Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas\nand Sudras, having distinctive features of their own, humbly serve and\nworship with restrained hearts and performing their own duties. He it is\nwho, towards the close of the Dwapara Yuga and the beginning of the Kali\nYuga, is sung of with Sankarshana, by believers with devotion. It is that\nVasudeva that createth, Yuga after Yuga, the worlds of the gods and the\nmortals, all cities girt by the sea, and the region of human\nhabitation.--'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVII\n\n\"Duryodhana said, 'In all the worlds Vasudeva is spoken of as the Supreme\nBeing. I desire, O Grandsire, to know his origin and glory.'\n\n\"Bhishma said, 'Vasudeva is the Supreme Being. He is the God of all Gods.\nNone superior to him of eyes like lotus-petals is to be seen, O bull of\nBharata's race. Markandeya speaketh of Govinda as the Most Wonderful and\nthe Most high, as the All-being, as the All-soul, as the Highest soul,\nand as the Supreme male Being. Water, Air, and Fire,--these three were\ncreated by Him. That Divine Master and Lord of all the worlds created\nthis Earth. That Supreme Being of illustrious soul laid himself down on\nthe waters. And that Divine Being made up of all kinds of energy slept\nthereon in Yoga. From his mouth He created Fire, and from his breath, the\nWind. Of unfading glory, He created from his mouth Speech and the Vedas.\nIt was thus that he created first the Worlds and also the gods along with\nthe diverse classes of Rishis. And he created decay and death also of all\ncreatures, as well as birth and growth. He is Righteousness and of\nrighteous soul. He is the giver of boons and the giver of all (our)\nwishes. He is the Actor and Action, and He is himself the Divine\nMaster.[387] He first made the Past, the Present, and the Future; He is\nthe Creator of the Universe. He is of illustrious soul; He is the Master\npossessed of unfading glory. He created Sankarshana, the First-born of\nall creatures. He created the divine Sesha who is known as Ananta and who\nupholdeth all creatures and the Earth with her mountains. Of Supreme\nEnergy, He it is whom the regenerate ones know by Yoga meditation. Sprung\nfrom the secretions of his ear, the great Asura known by the name of\nMadhu, fierce and of fierce deeds and entertaining a fierce intent and\nabout to destroy Brahman, was slain by that Supreme Being. And O sire, in\nconsequence of Madhu's slaughter, the gods, the Danavas, and human\nbeings, and Rishis, call Janardana the slayer of Madhu. He is the great\nBoar. He is the great Lion, and He is the Three-stepped Lord.[388] He is\nthe Mother and the Father of all living creatures. There never was, nor\nwill be, any superior to Him of eyes like lotus-petals. From His mouth He\ncreated the Brahmanas: and from His two arms the Kshatriyas, and from His\nthighs, O king, He created the Vaisyas, and from His feet He created the\nSudras. One waiting dutifully on Him, observant of vows with ascetic\nausterities on days of the full-moon and the new-moon, is sure to obtain\nthe Divine Kesava, that refuge of all embodied creatures that essence of\nBrahma and of Yoga. Kesava is the higher Energy, the Grandsire of all the\nworlds. Him, O king, the sages call Hrishikesa (the lord of the senses).\nHim also should all know as the Preceptor, the Father, and the Master.\nInexhaustible regions (of blessedness) are won by him with whom Krishna\nis gratified. He also who, in a place of fear, seeketh the protection of\nKesava, and he who frequently readeth this description, becometh happy\nand endued with every prosperity. Those men who attain to Krishna are\nnever beguiled, Janardana always saveth those that are sunk in great\nterrors. Knowing this truly, O Bharata, Yudhishthira, with his whole\nsoul, O king, hath sought the shelter of the highly blessed Kesava, the\nLord of Yoga, and the Lord of the Earth.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVIII\n\n\"Bhishma said, 'Hear from me, O king, this hymn that was uttered by\nBrahman himself. This hymn was in days of old communicated by regenerate\nRishis and the gods (to men) on Earth. Narada described thee as the Master\nand the Lord of the god of gods and all the Sadhyas and the celestials,\nand as one acquainted with the nature of the Creator of the worlds.\nMarkandeya spoke of thee as the Past, the Present, and the Future, and\nthe sacrifice of sacrifices, and the austerity of austerities. The\nillustrious Bhrigu said of thee that thou art the God of the gods, that\nthine is the ancient form of Vishnu. Dwaipayana said of thee that thou\nart Vasudeva of the Vasus, the establisher of Sakra, and the God of gods\nand all creatures. In days of old on the occasion of procreating\ncreatures, the sages spoke of thee as Daksha, the Father of creation.\nAngiras said that thou art the creator of all beings. Devala said of thee\nthat the unmanifest all is thy body, and the manifest is in thy mind, and\nthat the gods are all the result of thy breath.[389] With thy heads is\npervaded the heavens, and thy two arms support the Earth. In thy stomach\nare three worlds and thou art the Eternal Being. Even thus do men exalted\nby asceticism know thee. Thou art the Sat of Sat, with Rishis gratified\nwith sight of Self.[390] With royal sages of liberal minds, never\nretreating from battle and having morality for their highest end, thou, O\nslayer of Madhu, art the sole refuge. Even thus is that illustrious and\nSupreme Being, viz., Hari, adored and worshipped by Sanatkumar and other\nascetics endued with Yoga. The truth about Kesava, O sire, is now\nnarrated to thee, both in brief and detail. Turn thy heart in love to\nKesava.'\"\n\nSanjaya continued, \"Hearing this sacred story, thy son, O great king,\nbegan to regard highly both Kesava and these mighty car-warriors, viz.,\nthe sons of Pandu. Then, O monarch, Bhishma the son of Santanu once more\naddressed thy son, saying, 'Thou hast now heard truly, O king, about the\nglory of the high-souled Kesava and of Nara about which thou hadst asked\nme. Thou hast also heard about the object for which both Nara and\nNarayana have taken their births among men. Thou hast also been told the\nreason why those heroes are invincible and have never been vanquished in\nbattle, and why also, O king, the sons of Pandu are incapable of being\nslain in battle, by anybody. Krishna beareth great love for the\nillustrious sons of Pandu. It is for this, O king of kings, that I say,\n\"Let peace be made with the Pandavas.\" Restraining thy passions enjoy\nthou the Earth with thy mighty brothers (around thee). By disregarding\nthe divine Nara and Narayana, thou shalt certainly be destroyed.' Having\nsaid these words, thy sire, became silent, O monarch, and dismissing the\nking, entered his tent. And the king also came back to his (own) tent,\nhaving worshipped the illustrious grandsire. And then, O bull of\nBharata's race, he laid himself down on his white bed for passing the\nnight in sleep.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIX\n\nSanjaya said, \"After the night had passed away and the sun had risen, the\ntwo armies, O king, approached each other for battle. Beholding each\nother, each rushed in united ranks towards the other excited with rage\nand desirous of vanquishing the other. And in consequence of thy evil\npolicy, O king, the Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras thus rushed, cased in\nmail and forming battle-array, for striking each other. And the array\nthat Bhishma protected from all sides, O king, was of the shape of a\nMakara.[391] And so the Pandavas also, O king, protected the array they\nhad formed (of their troops). Then thy sire Devavrata, O great king, that\nforemost of car-warriors, proceeded in advance, supported by a large\ndivision of cars. And others, viz., car-warriors, infantry, elephants,\nand cavalry, all followed him, each stationed in the place allotted. And\nbeholding them prepared for battle, the illustrious sons of Pandu arrayed\ntheir troops in that invincible and prince of arrays called the\nSyena.[392] And in the beak of that array shone Bhimasena of great\nstrength. And in its two eyes were the invincible Sikhandin and\nDhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race. And in the head was the heroic Satyaki\nof prowess incapable of being baffled. And in its neck was Arjuna shaking\nhis Gandiva. And in its left wing was the high-souled and blessed Drupada\nwith his son and supported by an Akshauhini of all forces. And the king\nof the Kekayas, owning an Akshauhini, formed the right wing (of that\narray). And in its back were the sons of Draupadi, and Subhadra's son of\ngreat prowess. And in its tail was the heroic king Yudhishthira himself,\nof excellent prowess, supported by his twin brothers. Then in the battle\n(that ensued). Bhima, penetrating the Makara array (of the Kauravas)\nthrough its mouth, and approaching Bhishma, covered him with his shafts.\nThen in that great battle, Bhishma possessed of great prowess shot his\nmighty weapons, confounding the combatants of the Pandavas disposed in\nbattle-array. And when the combatants (of the Pandava army) were thus\nconfounded, Dhananjaya, speedily proceeding, pierced Bhishma at the van\nof battle with a thousand arrows. And counteracting, in that conflict,\nthe weapons shot by Bhishma, Arjuna stood ready for the combat, supported\nby his own division filled with cheerfulness.[393] Then king Duryodhana,\nthat foremost of mighty men, that great car-warrior, beholding that\nterrible carnage of his troops and remembering the slaughter of his\nbrothers (on the previous day), came quickly towards Bharadwaja's son,\nand addressing him, said, 'O preceptor, O sinless one, thou art ever my\nwell-wisher,--Relying on thee as also on the grandsire Bhishma,\nourselves hope to vanquish without doubt the very gods in battle, let\nalone the sons of Pandu that are destitute of energy and prowess. Blessed\nbe thou, act in such a way that the Pandavas may be slain.' Thus addressed\nin battle by thy son, Drona penetrated into the Pandava array in the very\nsight of Satyaki. Then O Bharata, Satyaki checked the son of Bharadwaja,\n(and thereupon) ensued a battle that was fierce in its incidents and\nawful to behold. Then Bharadwaja's son excited with rage and endued with\ngreat prowess, as if smiling the while, pierced the grandson of Sini with\nten shafts at his shoulder-joint. And Bhimasena also, excited with rage,\npierced Bharadwaja's son (with many shafts), desirous of protecting\nSatyaki, O king, from Drona that foremost of all warriors. Then Drona and\nBhishma, and Salya also, O sire, excited with rage, covered Bhimasena, in\nthat battle, with their shafts. Thereupon Abhimanyu excited with wrath,\nand the sons of Draupadi, O sire, pierced with their sharp-pointed shafts\nall those warriors with upraised weapons. Then in that fierce battle, the\ngreat bowman Sikhandin rushed against those two mighty warriors, viz.,\nBhishma and Drona who, excited with rage, had (thus) fallen upon the\nPandavas. Firmly grasping his bow whose twang resembled the roar of the\nclouds, that hero, shrouding the very Sun with his arrows, quickly\ncovered his antagonists therewith. The grandsire of the Bharatas,\nhowever, getting Sikhandin before him, avoided him, remembering the\nfemininity of his sex. Then, O king, urged by thy son, Drona rushed to\nbattle, desirous of protecting Bhishma in that stress. Sikhandin,\nhowever, approaching Drona that foremost of all wielders of weapons,\navoided, from fear, that warrior resembling the blazing fire that appears\nat the end of the Yuga. Then, O king, thy son with a large force,\ndesirous of winning great glory, proceeded to protect Bhishma. And the\nPandavas also proceeded, O king, firmly setting their hearts upon\nvictory, and the battle then that took place between the combatants of\nboth armies desirous of victory and fame, was fierce and highly\nwonderful, resembling that (in days of yore) between the gods and Danavas.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXX\n\nSanjaya said, \"Then Bhishma the son of Santanu fought fiercely,[394]\ndesirous of protecting thy sons from the fear of Bhimasena. And the\nbattle that then took place between the kings of the Kaurava and the\nPandava armies was awful in the extreme and destructive of great heroes.\nAnd in that general engagement, so fierce and terrible, tremendous was\nthe din that arose, touching the very heavens. And in consequence of the\nshrieks of huge elephants and the neigh of steeds and the blare of\nconches and beat of drums, the uproar was deafening. Fighting for the\nsake of victory, the mighty combatants endued with great prowess roared\nat one another like bulls in a cow-pen. And heads cut off in that battle\nwith keen-edged shafts, incessantly falling, created, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, the appearance of a stony shower in the welkin. Indeed, O bull of\nBharata's race, innumerable were the heads lying on the field of battle,\ndecked with ear-rings and turbans and resplendent with ornaments of gold.\nAnd the earth was covered with limbs cut off with broad-headed shafts,\nwith heads decked with ear-rings, and with arms adorned with ornaments.\nAnd in a moment the whole field was strewn over with bodies cased in\nmail, with arms decked with ornaments, with faces beautiful as the moon\nand having eyes with reddish corners, and with every limb, O king, of\nelephants, steeds and men. And the dust (raised by the warriors) looked\nlike a thick cloud, and the bright implements of destruction, like\nflashes of lightning. And the noise made by the weapons resembled the\nroar of thunder. And that fierce and awful passage-at-arms, O Bharata,\nbetween the Kurus and the Pandavas caused a very river of blood to flow\nthere. And in that terrible, fierce, and awful battle causing the hair\nstand on end, Kshatriya warriors incapable of defeat incessantly poured\ntheir arrowy showers. And the elephants of both thy army and the enemy's,\nafflicted with those arrowy showers, shrieked aloud and ran hither and\nthither in fury. And in consequence of (the twang of) bows, endued with\ngreat energy, of fierce and heroic warriors excited with fury, and of\nflapping of their bow-strings against their leathern fences, nothing\ncould be distinguished.[395] And all over the field which looked like a\nlake of blood, headless trunks stood up, and the kings bent upon slaying\ntheir foes, rushed to battle. And brave warriors of immeasurable energy\nand possessed of arms resembling stout bludgeons, slew one another with\narrows and darts and maces and scimitars. And elephants, pierced with\narrows and deprived of riders to guide them with hooks, and steeds\ndestitute of riders, wildly ran in all directions. And many warriors, O\nbest of the Bharatas, belonging to both thy army and that of the foe,\ndeeply pierced with shafts jumped up and fell down. And in that encounter\nbetween Bhima and Bhishma, heaps of arms and heads, as also of bows and\nmaces and spiked clubs and hands and thighs, of legs and ornaments and\nbracelets, were seen lying over the field. And here and there over the\nfield, O king, were seen large bodies of unretreating elephants and\nsteeds and cars. And the Kshatriya warriors, urged on by fate, slew one\nanother with maces, swords, lances, and straight shafts. And others\nendued with great heroism and accomplished in fight, encountered one\nanother with their bare arms that resembled spiked clubs made of iron.\nAnd other heroic warriors of thy army, engaged with the combatants of the\nPandava host, fought on slaying one another with clenched fists and\nknees, and slaps and blows, O king. And with the fallen and falling\nwarriors and those weltering in agony on the ground, the field of battle\neverywhere became, O king, terrible to behold, and car-warriors, deprived\nof the cars and grasping excellent swords, rushed at one another,\ndesirous of slaughter. Then king Duryodhana, surrounded by a large\ndivision of Kalingas, and placing Bhishma ahead, rushed towards the\nPandavas. And so the Pandava combatants also, supporting Vrikodara, and\nowning fleet animals, rushed, excited with rage, against Bhishma.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXI\n\nSanjaya said, \"Beholding his brothers and the other kings engaged in\nbattle with Bhishma, Dhananjaya, with weapons upraised, rushed against\nthe son of Ganga. Hearing the blare of Panchajanya and the twang of the\nbow Gandiva, and seeing also the standard of Pritha's son, a great fear\nentered our hearts. And the standard that we beheld, O king, of the\nwielder of Gandiva bore the device of lion's tail and looked like a\nblazing mountain in the welkin. Beautiful and of celestial workmanship,\nit was variegated with diverse hues, and looking like a risen comet it\ncould not be obstructed by trees. And in that great battle, the warriors\nbeheld Gandiva, the back of whose staff was decked with pure gold, and\nwhich looked beautiful like a flash of lightning in the midst of a mass\nof clouds in the firmament. And while slaying the combatants of thy army,\nthe shouts we heard uttered by Arjuna seemed to resemble the loud roars\nof Indra himself, and the slaps also of his palms were frightfully loud.\nLike a roaring mass of clouds charged with lightning and aided by a\nraging tempest, Arjuna incessantly poured his arrowy showers on all\nsides, completely shrouding the ten points of the compass. Dhananjaya\nthen possessed of terrible weapons, quickly proceeded towards the son of\nGanga. Deprived of four senses in consequence of his weapons, we could\nnot then distinguish the East from the West. And thy warriors, then, O\nbull of Bharata's race,--their animals tired, steeds slain, and hearts\ndepressed,--thoroughly confounded[396] and huddling close to one another,\nsought Bhishma's protection along with all thy sons. And in that battle\nBhishma the son of Santanu became their protector. Struck with fear,\ncar-warriors jumping down from their cars, cavalry soldiers jumping down\nfrom the backs of their steeds, and the foot-soldiers where they stood,\nall began to fall down on the earth. Hearing the twang of Gandiva that\nresembled the roar of the thunder, all thy warriors were struck with fear\nand seemed, O Bharata, to melt away. Then, O king, with many huge and\nfleet steeds of the Kamvoja breed, and surrounded by many thousand of\nGopas with a large Gopayana force and supported by the Madras, the\nSauviras, the Gandharas and the Trigartas, and surrounded by all the\nprincipal Kalingas, the king of the Kalingas, and king Jayadratha\naccompanied by all the kings and supported by a large force of diverse\nraces with Dussasana at their head, and fourteen thousand principal\nhorsemen, urged by thy son, surrounded the son of Suvala (for supporting\nhim). Then in that battle, all the Pandavas, united together, and riding\non separate cars and animals, began, O bull of Bharata's race, to\nslaughter thy troops.[397] And the dust raised by car-warriors and steeds\nand foot-soldiers, looking like a mass of clouds, made the field of\nbattle exceedingly awful. And with a large force consisting of elephants,\nsteeds and cars, and armed with lances and bearded darts and broad-headed\nshafts, Bhishma engaged in battle with the diadem decked (Arjuna). And\nthe king of Avanti engaged with the ruler of Kasi, and the ruler of the\nSindhus engaged with Bhimasena. And king Yudhishthira with his sons and\ncounsellors engaged with Salya, the famous chief of the Madras. And\nVikarna engaged with Sahadeva, and Chitrasena with Sikhandin. And the\nMatsyas, O king, engaged with Duryodhana, and Sakuni; and Drupada and\nChekitana, and that mighty car-warrior Satyaki engaged in battle with the\nhigh-souled Drona aided by his son. And Kripa and Kritavarman both rushed\nagainst Dhrishtadyumna. And thus, all over the field, rushing bodies of\nhorses, of elephants and cars, engaged with one another in battle. And\nalthough there were no clouds in the sky, yet flashes of lightning were\nseen. And all the points of the compass were covered with dust. And, O\nking, fierce meteors were seen falling with thundering noise. And violent\nwinds blew and a shower of dust fell from above. And the sun, covered by\nthe dust raised by the troops, disappeared in the firmament. And all the\nwarriors, covered by that dust and battling with weapons, were deprived\nof their senses. And the sound made by weapons, all capable of\npenetrating through every armour and hurled from heroic arms, became a\ntremendous uproar. And, O bull of Bharata's race, weapons hurled from\nexcellent arms and possessed of stellar brightness, illumined the whole\nwelkin. And variegated shields made of bull's hides and embossed with\ngold were strewn, O bull of Bharata's race, all over the field. And heads\nand limbs were seen falling on all sides, cut off with swords and\nscimitars possessed of solar effulgence. And great car-warriors, the\nwheels, axles, and boxes of whose cars were broken, fell down on the\nground, their steeds slain and their tall standards tumbling down.[398]\nAnd many car-warriors having been slain, their steeds, mangled with\nweapons, fell down as they ran dragging the cars (to which they were\nyoked). And, in many places over the field, excellent steeds, afflicted\nwith arrows, with limbs mangled, and with their traces on, ran, dragging\nthe car-yokes after them. And many car-warriors, with their charioteers\nand steeds, were seen, O king, to be crushed by single elephants endued\nwith great strength.[399] And in that battle, in the midst of large\nforces, many elephants, scenting the odour of the temporal juice of their\ncompeers, began to snuff the breeze repeatedly. And the whole field was\nstrewn with slain elephants, deprived of life by means of broad-headed\nshafts and falling down with the wooden edifices and the guides on their\nbacks. And many elephants, in the midst of large forces crushed, with\nthe standards and warriors on their backs, by huge compeers urged by\ntheir guides, fell down on the field. And many car-shafts, O king, were\nseen to be broken in that battle by huge elephants using their trunks,\neach of which resembled the trunk of the prince of elephants (called\nAiravata). And many car-warriors also, in that conflict, the Jalas of\nwhose cars had been broken, were like branches of trees dragged down by\ntuskers, seized by the hair of their heads and, thrashed violently on the\nground, were crushed into shapeless masses. And other huge elephants,\ndragging cars that were entangled with other cars, ran in all directions\nshrieking loudly. And those elephants, thus dragging those cars, looked\nlike others of their species dragging lotus-stalks growing in lakes. And\nthus was that vast field of battle strewn over with cavalry soldiers and\nfoot-soldiers and great car-warriors and standards.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXII\n\nSanjaya said, \"Sikhandin with Virata king of the Matsyas speedily\napproached Bhishma that invincible and mighty bowman. And Dhananjaya\nencountered Drona and Kripa, and Vikarna and many other kings, brave in\nbattle, all mighty bowmen endued with great strength, as also that mighty\nbowman the ruler of the Sindhus supported by his friends and kinsmen and\nmany kings of the west and the south also, O bull of Bharata's race. And\nBhimasena proceeded against that mighty bowman, viz., thy vindictive son\nDuryodhana, and also against Dussaha. And Sahadeva proceeded against\nthose invincible warriors, viz., Sakuni and that mighty car-warrior\nUluka, those great bowmen, who were sire and son. And that mighty\ncar-warrior Yudhishthira, deceitfully treated by thy son, proceeded in\nthat battle, O king, against the elephant division (of the Kauravas). And\nthat son of Pandu and Madri, viz., the heroic Nakula capable of wringing\ntears from the foe, engaged in battle with the excellent car-warriors of\nthe Trigartas. And those invincible warriors, viz., Satyaki and\nChekitana, and the mighty son of Subhadra, proceeded against Salya and\nthe Kaikeyas. And Dhrishtaketu and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, both\ninvincible in battle, proceeded against the car-division of thy sons. And\nthat mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna, that generalissimo (of the\nPandava forces) of immeasurable soul, engaged in battle, O king, with\nDrona of fierce achievements. And it was thus that those heroic and\nmighty bowmen of thy army and the Pandavas, engaged in battle, began to\nstrike one another. And when the sun had reached the meridian and the sky\nwas brilliantly illumined by his rays, the Kauravas and the Pandavas\nbegan to slay one another. Then cars, furnished with standards from whose\ntops pennons were afloat, variegated with gold and covered with\ntiger-skins, looked beautiful as they moved on the field of battle. And\nthe shouts of warriors engaged in battle from desire of vanquishing one\nanother, became as loud as leonine roars. And that encounter which we\nbeheld between the heroic Srinjayas and the Kurus, was fierce in the\nextreme and highly wonderful. And in consequence of the arrows shot all\naround, we could not, O king, distinguish, O chastiser of foes, the\nfirmament, the sun and the cardinal and the subsidiary points of the\ncompass. And the splendour, like that of the blue lotus, of darts with\npolished points, of bearded lances hurled (at the foe), of well-tempered\nsabres and scimitars, of variegated coats of mail and of the ornaments\n(on the persons of the warriors), illumined the welkin and the cardinal\nand the subsidiary points with its effulgence. And the field of battle in\nmany places, O king, shone in consequence of the bodies of monarchs whose\neffulgence resembled that of the moon and the sun. And brave\ncar-warriors, tigers among men shone in that battle, O king, like the\nplanets in the firmament. And Bhishma, that foremost of car-warriors,\nexcited with rage, checked the mighty Bhimasena in the very sight of the\ntroops. And the impetuous shafts shot by Bhishma, furnished with golden\nwings, and whetted on stone, and rubbed with oil pierced Bhima in that\nbattle. Then Bhimasena endued with great strength hurled at him, O\nBharata, a dart of fierce impetuosity that resembled a wrathful snake.\nBut Bhishma in that combat cut off with straight shafts that dart with\nstaff made of gold and difficult of being borne, as it coursed\nimpetuously towards him. And with another broad-headed shaft, sharp and\nwell-tempered, he cut off Bhimasena's bow, O Bharata, into two parts.\nThen, O king, in that battle, Satyaki, coming quickly towards Bhishma,\npierced thy sire with innumerable keen-edged and sharp-pointed shafts of\nfierce impetuosity shot from his bowstring drawn to the ear. Then\nBhishma, aiming an exceedingly fierce shaft, felled the charioteer of the\nVrishni hero from his box in the car. And when the charioteer of\nSatyaki's car was thus slain, his steeds, O king, bolted away. Endued\nwith the speed of the tempest or the mind, they ran wild over the field.\nThen cries were uttered by the whole army which became a loud uproar. And\nexclamation of oh and alas arose from the high-souled warriors of the\nPandava army. And those cries-said--'Run, seize, check the horses, go in\nhaste.' And this uproar followed Yuyudhana's car. Meanwhile, Bhishma the\nson of Santanu began to slay the Pandava forces like Indra slaying the\nDanavas. But the Panchalas and the Somakas, though slain by Bhishma thus,\nforming yet a laudable resolution, rushed towards Bhishma. And other\nwarriors of the Pandava army, headed by Dhrishtadyumna, and desirous of\nslaughtering the ranks of thy son, rushed towards Santanu's son in that\nbattle. And so also, O king, the warriors of thy army, headed by Bhishma\nand Drona, impetuously rushed towards their foes. And thereupon another\nbattle took place.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIII\n\nSanjaya said, \"King Virata then pierced that mighty car-warrior, viz.,\nBhishma, with three shafts. And that great car-warrior pierced his\n(antagonist's) steeds also with three shafts furnished with golden wings.\nAnd that terrible bowman and mighty car-warrior of firm hand, viz.,\nDrona's son, pierced with six shafts the wielder of Gandiva between his\ntwo breasts. Thereupon that grinder of foes, viz., Phalguni, that slayer\nof hostile heroes, cut off Aswatthaman's bow and deeply pierced him in\nreturn with five shafts. Deprived of his senses by anger, and unable to\nbear the cutting off of his bow in that battle, Drona's son, taking up\nanother bow that was tougher, pierced Phalguni, O king, with ninety\nsharp shafts, and Vasudeva also with seventy fierce arrows. Then, with\neyes red in wrath, Phalguni, with Krishna, breathing long and hot\nbreaths, reflected for a moment. Firmly grasping the bow with his left\nhand, that grinder of foes, viz., the wielder of Gandiva excited with\nrage, fixed on his bowstring a number of fierce shafts, sharp and\nperfectly straight, and capable of taking (the foe's) life. And that\nforemost of mighty men speedily pierced Drona's son, in that battle, with\nthose arrows. And those arrows, penetrating through his armour, drank his\nlife-blood. But though thus pierced by the wielder of Gandiva, Drona's\nson wavered not. Shooting in return similar arrows at Partha, he stayed\nunperturbed, in that battle, desirous, O king, of protecting Bhishma of\nhigh vows. And that feat of his was applauded by the foremost warriors of\nthe Kuru army, consisting, as it did, of his having encountered the two\nKrishnas united together. Indeed, Aswatthaman daily battled fearlessly\namid the forces, having obtained from Drona all weapons with the methods\nalso of their withdrawal. 'This one is the son of my preceptor. He is\nagain the dear son of Drona. He is especially a Brahmana, and, therefore,\nworthy of my regard.' Thinking so, that scorcher of foes, the heroic\nVibhatsu, that foremost of car-warriors, showed mercy to the son of\nBharadwaja. Avoiding the son of Drona, Kunti's son endued with great\nprowess and having white steeds (yoked unto his car), began to fight,\ndisplaying great quickness of arms and causing a great carnage of thy\ntroops. Duryodhana then pierced that great bowman Bhima with ten shafts\nwinged with vulturine feathers, adorned with gold, and whetted on stone.\nThereupon Bhimasena, excited with wrath, took up a tough and well-adorned\nbow capable of taking the life of the foe, and also ten sharp shafts. And\nsteadily aiming those sharp-pointed shafts of fierce energy and impetuous\nvelocity, and drawing the bow-string to his ear, he deeply pierced the\nking of the Kurus in his wide chest. Thereupon the gem hanging on his\nbreast on threads of gold, surrounded by those shafts, looked beautiful\nlike the Sun in the firmament surrounded by the planets. Thy son,\nhowever, endued with great energy, thus struck by Bhimasena, could not\nbear it (coolly), like a snake unable to bear the sounds of a man's slap.\nExcited with wrath and desirous of protecting his army, he then pierced\nBhima in return, O king, with many shafts whetted on stone and endued\nwith golden wings. Thus struggling in battle and mangling each other\nfiercely, those two mighty sons of thine looked like a pair of celestials.\n\n\"That tiger among men and slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of\nSubhadra, pierced Chitrasena with many sharp shafts and Purumitra also\nwith seven shafts. And piercing Satyavrata too with seventy shafts, that\nhero resembling Indra himself in battle, began as it were to dance on the\nfield, and caused us much pain. Chitrasena then pierced him in return\nwith ten shafts, and Satyavrata with nine, and Purumitra with seven. Then\nthe son of Arjuna, thus pierced, while yet covered with blood, cut off\nthe large and beautiful bow of Chitrasena that was capable of checking\nfoes. And cutting through his coat of mail he pierced his antagonist's\nbreast with a shaft. Then the princes of thy army, all heroic and mighty\ncar-warriors, excited with wrath and united together in that conflict,\npierced him with sharp arrows. And Abhimanyu, acquainted with the\nmightiest weapons, smote them all with keen shafts. Beholding that feat\nof his, thy sons then surrounded the son of Arjuna, who was consuming thy\narmy in that conflict like a swelling fire of blazing flames consuming a\nheap of dry grass in summer. And the son of Subhadra, while smiting thy\ntroops (thus), seemed to glow in splendour. Seeing that conduct of his,\nthy grandson Lakshmana then, O monarch, quickly fell upon the son of\nSubhadra. Thereupon that mighty car-warrior Abhimanyu, excited with\nwrath, pierced Lakshmana graced with auspicious marks, as also his\ncharioteer, with six sharp arrows. But Lakshmana also, O king, pierced\nSubhadra's son with many keen shafts. And that feat, O king, seemed to be\nhighly wonderful. Then that mighty car-warrior, viz., Abhimanyu, slaying\nthe four steeds as also the charioteer of Lakshmana with sharp shafts,\nrushed towards the latter. Thereupon Lakshmana, that slayer of hostile\nheroes, staying on that car of his whose steeds had been slain, and\nexcited with wrath, hurled a dart towards the car of Subhadra's son.\nAbhimanyu, however, with his sharp arrows, cut off that irresistible dart\nof fierce mien, resembling a snake, and coming impetuously towards him.\nThen Kripa, taking Lakshmana up on his own car, bore him away from the\nconflict, in the very sight of all the troops. Then when that awful\nconflict became general, the combatants rushed against one another,\ndesirous of taking another's life. And the mighty bowmen of thy army and\nthe great car-warriors of the Pandava host, prepared to lay down their\nlives in battle, slew one another. With hair dishevelled, divested of\ntheir coats of mail, deprived of their cars, and their bows broken, the\nSrinjayas fought with the Kurus with their bare arms. Then the\nmighty-armed Bhishma, endued with great strength, and excited with wrath,\nslew with his celestial weapons the troops of the high-souled Pandavas.\nAnd the earth became covered with the fallen bodies of elephants deprived\nof their guides of men and steeds and car-warriors and cavalry-soldiers.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIV\n\nSanjaya said, \"Then, O king, the mighty-armed Satyaki invincible in\nbattle, drawing in that conflict an excellent bow capable of bearing a\ngreat strain shot innumerable winged arrows resembling snakes of virulent\npoison, displaying his wonderful lightness of hand. And while slaying his\nfoes in battle, so quickly did he draw the bow, take out his arrows, fix\nthem on the bowstring, and letting them off throw them among the foe,\nthat he then seemed to be a mass of clouds pouring a thick shower of\nrain. Beholding him then thus blazing up (like a swelling fire), king\nDuryodhana, O Bharata, despatched ten thousand cars against him. But that\ngreat bowman, Satyaki, of prowess incapable of being baffled and\npossessed of great energy, slew with his celestial weapons all those\nmighty car-warriors. Having achieved, bow in hand, that fierce feat, that\nhero then approached Bhurisravas in battle. And Bhurisravas also, that\nenhancer of the fame of the Kurus, beholding the Dhartarashtra ranks thus\nfelled by Yuyudhana, rushed in wrath against the latter.[400] Drawing his\ngreat bow which resembled that of Indra himself in hue, he shot thousands\nof shafts, O monarch, looking like snakes of virulent poison and\npossessed of the strength of the thunder, displaying his extreme\nlightness of hand. Thereupon the combatants that followed Satyaki, unable\nto bear those shafts of fatal touch, fled away, O king, in all\ndirections, abandoning, O monarch, the invincible Satyaki in that\nconflict. Beholding this, the mighty sons of Yuyudhana, all mighty\ncar-warriors of great renown, cased in excellent mail, bearing diverse\narms, and possessing excellent standards, approaching that great bowman,\nviz., Bhurisravas, in battle, wrathfully addressed that warrior bearing\non his standard the device of a sacrificial stake, and said these words,\n'Listen, O kinsman of the Kauravas, O thou that art possessed of great\nstrength, come, fight in battle with us, i.e., with either all of us\njointly or with each of us separately. Vanquishing us in battle thou\nmayst win great renown, or ourselves, vanquishing thee, will have great\ngratification.' Thus addressed by them, that mighty hero endued with\ngreat strength and proud of his prowess, that foremost of men, beholding\nthem before him, replied unto them, saying, 'Ye heroes, ye have said\nwell. If such be now your wish, fight ye then all together with care. I\nshall slay all of you in battle.' Thus addressed by him, those heroic and\nmighty bowmen endued with great activity covered that chastiser of foes\nwith a thick shower of arrows. And it was towards the afternoon, O king,\nthat that dreadful battle took place between Bhurisravas alone on one\nside and the many united together on the other. And those ten heroes\ncovered that single mighty car-warrior with showers of arrows like the\nclouds showering rain on a mountain cliff in the season of rains. That\nmighty car-warrior, however, cut off those clouds of shafts shot by them\nresembling the fatal darts of Death or the very thunder in effulgence,\nbefore they could reach him.[401] They then, surrounding that\nmighty-armed warrior, endeavoured to slay him. But the son of Somadatta,\nexcited with rage, cut off their bows, O Bharata, and then their heads,\nwith sharp shafts. Thus slain, they fell down, O monarch, like mighty\ntrees felled by the thunder.[402] Beholding then his mighty sons thus\nslain in battle, the Vrishni hero (Satyaki), O king, uttering a loud\nroar, rushed against Bhurisravas. And those mighty warriors then each\npressed his car against the other. And each of them in that combat slew\nthe other's car-steeds. And both deprived of their cars, those mighty\nwarriors jumped down on the ground. And both taking up large scimitars\nand excellent shields encountered each other. And those tigers among men,\nstationed for the encounter, shone brightly. Then Bhimasena, O king,\nquickly coming up to Satyaki thus armed with an excellent scimitar, took\nhim up on his own car. And thy son also, O monarch, speedily took up\nBhurisravas on his car, in that battle, at the very sight of all the\nbowmen.\n\n\"Meanwhile, during the continuance of that battle, the Pandavas, O bull\nof Bharata's race, excited with wrath, fought with that mighty\ncar-warrior Bhishma. And when the sun assumed a red hue, Dhananjaya\nexerting himself actively, slew five and twenty thousand great\ncar-warriors. These, urged on by Duryodhana for slaying Partha, were thus\ncompletely destroyed before they could even come up to him, like insects\non a blazing fire. Then the Matsyas and the Kekayas, all accomplished in\nthe science of arms, surrounded that mighty car-warrior Partha as also\nhis son (for supporting them). Just at that time the sun disappeared, and\nall the combatants seemed to be deprived of their senses. Then at\ntwilight, O king, thy sire Devavrata, his animals having been tired,\ncaused the troops to be withdrawn. And the troops of both the Pandavas\nand the Kurus, filled with fear and anxiety in course of that dreadful\nencounter, proceeded to their respective camps, the Pandavas with the\nSrinjayas and the Kauravas also rested for the night agreeably to the\nrules (of military science).\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXV\n\nSanjaya said, \"Having rested for a while, O king, both the Kurus and the\nPandavas, after the night had passed away, once more went out for battle.\nAnd then loud was the uproar, O king, that arose of mighty car-warriors\nas they prepared for battle, and of tuskers as these were being equipped\nfor the conflict, and of infantry as they put on their armour, and of\nsteeds also, O Bharata. And the blare of conches and the beat of drums\nbecame deafening in all parts of the field. Then king Yudhishthira\naddressed Dhrishtadyumna and said, 'O mighty-armed one, dispose the\ntroops in the array called Makara that scorcheth the foe.' Thus addressed\nby Pritha's son, that mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna, that foremost of\ncombatants on cars, issued the order, O great king, to the car-warriors,\n(for forming the Makara array). Drupada, and Dhananjaya the son of Pandu,\nformed the head of that array, and Sahadeva and that mighty car-warrior\nNakula formed its two eyes. And the mighty Bhimasena formed its beak. And\nSubhadra's son, and the sons of Draupadi and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha,\nand Satyaki, and king Yudhishthira the just, were stationed in its neck.\nAnd king Virata that commander of a large division, formed its back,\nsupported by Dhrishtadyumna and a large force. And the five Kekaya\nbrothers consisted its left wing, and that tiger among men, viz.,\nDhrishtaketu, and Chekitana of great prowess, stationed in the right\nwing, stood for protecting that array. And its two feet, O monarch, were\nconstituted by that mighty car-warrior the blessed Kuntibhoja, and\nSatanika, supported by a large force. And that great bowman, the mighty\nSikhandin, surrounded by the Somakas, and Iravat, were stationed in the\ntail of that Makara array. And having, O Bharata, formed their great\narray, the Pandavas, O monarch, equipped in mail at dawn, again stood for\nbattle. And with elephants and steeds and cars and infantry, and with\nstandards upraised and umbrellas set up, and armed with bright, whetted\nweapons, they quickly proceeded against the Kauravas.\n\n\"Then thy sire Devavrata, beholding the (Pandava) army thus arrayed,\ndisposed his army, O king, in counter-array after the form of a huge\ncrane. And in its beak was Bharadwaja's son (Drona). And Aswatthaman and\nKripa, O monarch, formed its two eyes. And that foremost of all bowmen,\nviz., Kritavarman, united with the ruler of the Kamvojas and with the\nValhikas was stationed, O king, in its head. And in its neck, O Bharata,\nwere Surasena, and thy son Duryodhana, O king, surrounded by many kings.\nAnd the ruler of the Pragjyotishas, united with the Madras, the Sauviras,\nand the Kekayas, and surrounded by a large force, was stationed, O king,\nin its breasts. And Susarman the king of Prasthala, accompanied by his\nown troops, stood, accoutred in mail, in the left wing. And the Tusharas,\nthe Yavanas and the Sakas, along with the Chulikas, stood in the right\nwing, O Bharata, of that array. And Srutayush and Sataytish and\nSomadatta's son, O sire, were stationed in the rear of that array\nprotecting one another.\n\n\"Then the Pandavas, O king, rushed against the Kauravas for battle. The\nsun, O Bharata, had risen when the battle commenced. And elephants\nproceeded against elephants. And horsemen rushed against horsemen,\ncar-warriors against car-warriors, O king, and against elephants also, in\nthat dreadful conflict. And car-men rushed against riders of elephants,\nand riders of elephants against horsemen. And car-warriors engaged with\nfoot-soldiers, and cavalry with infantry. And all the warriors, O king,\nexcited with wrath, rushed against one another in battle. And the Pandava\narmy, protected by Bhimasena and Arjuna and the twins, looked beautiful\nlike the night decorated with stars. And thy army also, with Bhishma and\nKripa and Drona and Salya and Duryodhana, and others, shone like the\nfirmament spangled with the planets. And Bhimasena the son of Kunti,\nendued with great prowess, beholding Drona rushed against the division of\nBharadwaja's son, borne by his steeds of great fleetness. Then Drona,\nexcited with wrath in that conflict and endued with great energy, pierced\nBhima with nine shafts made wholly of iron, aiming his vital limbs.\nDeeply pierced by Bharadwaja's son in that conflict, Bhima despatched\nDrona's charioteer to the region of Yama. Thereupon the son of\nBharadwaja, endued with great prowess, himself restraining his steeds,\nbegan to consume the Pandava army like fire consuming a heap of cotton.\nAnd while thus slaughtered, O king, by Drona and Bhishma, the Srinjayas\nalong with the Kekayas took to flight. And so thy troops also, mangled by\nBhima and Arjuna, became deprived of their senses as they stood, like a\nbeautiful female in her pride. And in that conflict destructive of heroes\ngreat was the distress, O Bharata, that befell both thy army and theirs.\nAnd we beheld the wonderful sight, O Bharata, of the troops fighting with\none another regardless of their lives.[403] And the Pandavas and the\nKauravas, O king, in that conflict, fought with one another counteracting\none another's weapons.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVI\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"Our army is possessed of many excellencies,\nconsisting of diverse forces, its efficiency is great. It is again\narrayed according to the rules of science and, therefore, ought to be\nirresistible. It is attached to us exceedingly, and always devoted to us.\nIt is submissive, and free from the faults of drunkenness and\nlicentiousness. Its prowess had before been tested. The soldiers are\nneither very old nor very young. They are neither lean nor corpulent. Of\nactive habits, of well-developed and strong frames, they are free from\ndisease. They are cased in mail and well-equipped with arms. They are\nexercised in every kind of weapons. They are skilled in encounters with\nswords, with bare arms, and with maces. They are well-exercised in\nlances, sabres, and darts, as also in iron clubs, short arrows, javelins\nand mallets. They are devoted to all kinds of armed exercises, and are\nadepts in mounting upon and descending from the backs of elephants, in\nmoving forward and stepping back, in smiting effectually, in marching and\nretreating. Many a time have they been tested in the management of\nelephants and steeds and cars. Having been examined duly they have been\nentertained on pay, and not for the sake of lineage, nor from favour nor\nfrom relationship, nor from strength of attachments, nor from connections\nof birth and blood. They are all respectable and honest, and their\nkinsmen have been well-treated and gratified by us. We have done them\nmany good offices. They are, besides, all renowned men and endued with\ngreat mental vigour. O son, they are again protected by many foremost of\nmen endued with great activity, and of famous achievements, resembling\nthe very Regents of the world and renowned over the whole earth.\nInnumerable Kshatriyas, respected throughout the world, and who have of\ntheir own will sided us with their forces and followers also protect\nthem. Indeed, our army is like the vast ocean filled with the water of\ninnumerable rivers running from all directions. It abounds with\nelephants, and with cars which though destitute of wings, yet resemble\nthe winged tenants of the air. Vast numbers of combatants constitute the\nwaters of that ocean, and the steeds and other animals constitute its\nterrible waves. Innumerable swords and maces and darts and arrows and\nlances constitute the oars (piled on that ocean). Abounding with\nstandards and ornaments and adorned with cloth inlaid with gold and gems,\nthe rushing steeds and elephants constitute the winds agitating it into\nfury. Our host, therefore, really resembles the vast, shoreless ocean\nroaring in rage. And that host is protected by Drona and Bhishma and by\nKritavarman and Kripa and Dussasana, and others headed by Jayadratha. It\nis also protected by Bhagadatta and Vikarna, by Drona's son, and Suvala's\nson, and Valhika and by many other mighty and high-souled heroes of the\nworld. That our army should yet be slaughtered in battle is due only to\npredestined fate, O Sanjaya. Neither men nor highly blessed Rishis of old\never beheld such preparations (for battle) on earth before. That so large\nan army, mustered according to science, and attached (to us) by wealth,\nshould yet be slaughtered in battle, alas, what can it be but the result\nof Destiny? O Sanjaya, all these seem to be unnatural. Indeed Vidura had\noften said what was both beneficial and desirable. But my wicked son\nDuryodhana would not accept it. I believe that high-souled and\nwell-knowing person had foreseen all that is now happening and hence the\ncounsel he gave.[404] Or, O Sanjaya, all these, in all its details, had\nbeen pre-arranged by Him, for that which is ordained by the Creator must\nhappen as ordained and cannot be otherwise.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVII\n\nSanjaya said, \"Thou hast, O king, in consequence of thy own fault, been\novertaken by this calamity. O bull of Bharata's race, the faults which\nthou, O monarch, hadst seen in that unrighteous course of conduct\n(towards the Pandavas), were not seen by Duryodhana. It was through thy\nfault, O king, that the match at dice had taken place. And it is through\nthy fault that this battle hath taken place with the Pandavas. Having\ncommitted a sin, do thou, therefore, reap the fruit of that sin of thine.\nOne reapeth the fruit of acts perpetrated by one's own self. Do thou,\ntherefore, O king, reap the fruit of thy own acts both here and\nhereafter. Therefore, O monarch, though overtaken by this calamity, be\ncalm still, and listen, O sire, to the (account of the) battle as I\nrecite it.\n\n\"The heroic Bhimasena, having with his sharp shafts broken thy mighty\narray, then came upon all the younger brothers of Duryodhana. The mighty\nBhima, beholding Dussasana and Durvisaha and Dussaha and Durmada and\nJaya, and Jayasena and Vikarna and Chitrasena and Sudarsana, and\nCharuchitra and Suvarman and Duskarna and Karna, and many other mighty\ncar-warriors, excited with rage, of the Dhartarashtra host near enough to\nhimself, penetrated into (thy) mighty array that was protected by Bhishma\nin that battle. Then, beholding him in their midst, all those warriors\nsaid, 'Ye kings, let us take this one's life'!--Thereupon that son of\nPritha was surrounded by those cousins of his who were firmly resolved\n(to take his life). And Bhima then resembled Surya himself of fierce\nsplendour surrounded by the mighty planets of evil nature, at the time of\nthe universal destruction. And although the son of Pandu was there in the\nvery midst of the (Kaurava) array, yet fear entered not his heart, as it\ndid not that of Indra while surrounded by the Danavas in the fierce\nbattle of old between the celestials and the Asuras. Then thousands of\ncar-warriors armed with all weapons and fully prepared for battle\noverwhelmed his single self with terrible shafts. Thereupon the heroic\nBhima, disregarding the sons of Dhritarashtra, slew in that conflict many\nforemost warriors (of the Kaurava army) fighting from cars or upon the\nback of elephants and steeds. And ascertaining the purpose harboured by\nthose cousins of his who were bent upon his destruction, the mighty Bhima\nset his heart upon slaying them all. Then leaving his car and taking up\nhis mace, the son of Pandu began to smite that very sea of Dhartarashtra\ntroops.\n\n\"Then when Bhimasena thus penetrated the Dhartarashtra host,\nDhrishtadyumna the son of Prishata, forsaking Drona (with whom he had\nbeen engaged), quickly proceeded to the spot where Suvala's son was\nstationed. That bull among men, battling countless warriors of thy army,\ncame upon the empty car of Bhimasena in that battle. And beholding in\nthat conflict Visoka, the charioteer of Bhimasena, Dhrishtadyumna, O\nking, became exceedingly cheerless and almost deprived of his senses.\nWith voice choked in tears, and sighing as he spoke, he asked Visoka, in\ngrief, saying, 'Where is Bhima who is dear to me as my life itself?'\nVisoka then, joining his hands, replied unto Dhrishtadyumna saying, 'The\nmighty son of Pandu, endued with great strength, ordering me to wait for\nhim here, hath alone penetrated into the Dhartarashtra host that\nresembleth the very ocean. That tiger among men very cheerfully said unto\nme these words--\"Wait for me, O charioteer, restraining the steeds for a\nshort space of time, that is, till I slay those that are bent upon my\ndestruction.\"--Beholding then the mighty Bhima rushing mace in hand, all\nour troops (that supported him) became filled with delight. Then in this\nfierce and terrible battle, O prince, thy friend, breaking the mighty\narray (of the foe), hath penetrated into it.' Hearing these words of\nVisoka, Prishata's son Dhrishtadyumna, endued with great strength, said\nunto the charioteer these words on the field of battle. 'What need have I\ntoday of life itself, if forgetting my affection for the Pandavas, I\nforsake Bhima in battle? If I return today without Bhima, what will the\nKshatriyas say of me? What will they say of me when they will learn that\nwhile I was on the field Bhima penetrated alone into the hostile array\nmaking a single opening in it? The gods with Indra at their head visit\nhim with evil who, forsaking his comrades in battle, returneth home\nunhurt! The mighty Bhima again is my friend and kinsman. He is devoted to\nme, and I also am devoted to that slayer of foes. Therefore, I will go\nthither, whither Bhima hath gone. Behold me slaying the foe like Vasava\nslaying the Danavas.' Having said this, the heroic Dhrishtadyumna, O\nBharata, proceeded through the midst of the foe, along the tracks opened\nby Bhimasena and marked by elephants crushed with his mace. He then\nobtained sight of Bhimasena consuming the hostile ranks or felling\nKshatriya warriors like the tempest devastating rows of trees. And\ncar-warriors and horsemen and foot-soldiers and tuskers, while thus\nslaughtered by him, uttered loud cries of woe. And cries of ah and alas\narose from thy troops, O sire, while they were slaughtered by the\nvictorious Bhima accomplished in all modes of warfare. Then the Kaurava\nwarriors all accomplished in arms, surrounding Vrikodara on all sides,\nfearlessly poured upon him their arrowy showers at the same time. Then\nthe mighty son of Prishata, beholding that foremost of all wielders of\nweapons, that celebrated hero, viz., the son of Pandu, thus attacked on\nall sides by fierce ranks of foes in close array, mangled with shafts,\ntreading the field on foot, and vomiting the poison of his wrath, mace in\nhand and looking like the Destroyer himself at the hour of the universal\ndissolution, quickly approached him and comforted him by his presence.\nAnd taking him upon his car, and plucking the arrows off from all his\nlimbs, and embracing him warmly, the high-souled son of Prishata\ncomforted Bhimasena in the very midst of the foe. Then thy son, in that\nterrible conflict, quickly coming up to his brothers, said unto them,\n'This son of Drupada of wicked soul, is now united with Bhimasena. Let us\nall approach him together for slaying him. Let not the foe seek our ranks\n(for battle).' Hearing these words, the Dhartarashtras, thus urged on by\nthe command of their eldest brother and unable to put up (with the foe),\nquickly rushed, with upraised weapons, for slaying Dhrishtadyumna like\nfierce comets at the hour of the universal dissolution. Taking up their\nbeautiful bows, those heroes, making the very earth shiver with the twang\nof their bowstring and the rattle of their car-wheels, showered shafts on\nDrupada's son, like the clouds covering the mountain-breast with torrents\nof rain. But that hero conversant with all modes of warfare, though thus\nstruck with sharp arrows in that battle, did not waver. On the other\nhand, that mighty car-warrior, the youthful son of Drupada, beholding\nthose heroic sons of thine staying before him in battle and exerting\nthemselves to their utmost being desirous of slaying them applied that\nfierce weapon called Pramohana and engaged with thy sons, O king, like\nIndra with the Danavas in battle. Then those heroic warriors were\ndeprived of their senses, their minds and strength afflicted by the\nPramohana weapon. And the Kauravas fled away in all directions, with\ntheir steeds and elephants and cars, beholding those sons of thine\ndeprived of their senses in a swoon like those whose hours had come. And\nat that time Drona, the foremost of all wielders of weapons, approaching\nDrupada, pierced him with three fierce shafts. And that monarch then, O\nking, viz., Drupada, deeply pierced by Drona, left the battle, O Bharata,\nremembering his former hostility (with Bharadwaja's son). Thereupon Drona\nendued with great prowess having thus vanquished Drupada, blew his conch.\nAnd hearing the blare of his conch, all the Somakas were struck with\nfear. Then Drona, possessed of great energy, that foremost of all\nwielders of weapons, heard of thy sons being deprived of their senses in\nbattle with the Pramohana weapon. Then the son of Bharadwaja, desirous of\nrescuing the princes, speedily left that part of the field where he was\nand proceeded to the place where thy sons were. And that mighty bowman\nviz., Bharadwaja's son of great prowess, there beheld Dhrishtadyumna and\nBhima careering through the field in that dreadful conflict. And that\nmighty car-warrior beheld thy sons deprived of their senses. Taking up\nthen the weapon called Prajna, he neutralised the Pramohana weapon (that\nDhrishtadyumna had shot). Then thy sons those mighty car-warriors, when\ntheir senses returned, once more proceeded to battle with Bhima and\nPrishata's son. Then Yudhishthira, addressing his own troops said, 'Let\ntwelve brave car-warriors cased in mail and headed by Subhadra's son,\nfollow, to the utmost of their might, the track of Bhima and Prishata's\nson in battle. Let intelligence be had (of those two warriors). My heart\nis very uneasy.' Thus ordered by the king, those heroes possessed of\ngreat prowess in battle and proud of their manliness, saying 'Yes,' all\nproceeded forward when the sun had reached the meridian. And those\nchastisers of foes then, viz., the Kaikeyas and the sons of Draupadi, and\nDhrishtaketu of great prowess, supported by a large force and with\nAbhimanyu at their head, and disposing themselves in the array called\nSuchimukha,[405] penetrated into that car-division of the Dhartarashtras\nin battle. And thy troops, O king, struck with the fear of Bhimasena and\ndeprived of their senses by Dhrishtadyumna, were unable to resist (the\nrush of) those mighty bowmen headed by Abhimanyu. And they were quite\nhelpless, like a lady in the streets. And those mighty bowmen with\nstandards variegated with gold cutting through (the Kaurava ranks),\nproceeded with great speed for rescuing Dhrishtadyumna and Vrikodara. And\nthe latter, beholding those mighty bowmen headed by Abhimanyu, became\nfilled with delight and continued to smite down thy ranks. And the heroic\nprince of Panchala, viz., the son of Prishata, seeing meanwhile his\npreceptor advancing towards him with great speed, no longer wished to\ncompass the death of thy sons. Causing Vrikodara then to be taken up on\nthe car of the king of the Kaikeyas, he rushed in great wrath against\nDrona accomplished in arrow and all weapons. And that slayer of foes,\nviz., the valiant son of Bharadwaja, excited with rage, cut off with a\nbroad-headed shaft the bow of Prishata's son who was rushing towards him\nwith impetuosity. And remembering the bread he had eaten of his master\nand desirous of doing good to Duryodhana, he also sped hundreds of shafts\nafter Prishata's son. Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son\nof Prishata, taking up another bow, pierced Drona with seventy shafts\nwhetted on stone and furnished with wings of gold. Then that grinder of\nfoes, viz., Drona, once more cut off his bow, and despatched his four\nsteeds to Yama's abode with four excellent arrows, and also slew his\ncharioteer, O Bharata, with a broad-headed shaft. Then that mighty\ncar-warrior of strong arms, viz., Dhrishtadyumna, quickly descending from\nthat car whose steeds had been slain, ascended the great car of\nAbhimanyu. Then Drona caused the Pandava army consisting of cars,\nelephants, and steeds, to tremble, in the very sight of Bhimasena and the\nintelligent son of Prishata. Beholding then that army thus broken by\nDrona of immeasurable energy, all those mighty car-warriors were\nincapable of checking its flight. And that army, thus slaughtered by\nDrona with his sharp shafts, began to move in eddies there, like the\nagitated sea. And beholding the (Pandava) army in that condition, thy\ntroops were filled with delight. And seeing the preceptor excited with\nrage and thus consuming the ranks of the foe, all thy warriors, O\nBharata, set up loud shouts and uttered exclamations in praise of Drona.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVIII\n\nSanjaya said, \"Then king Duryodhana, regaining his senses, once more\nbegan to resist Bhima with showers of arrows. And once more those mighty\ncar-warriors viz., thy sons, united together, began to fight valiantly\nwith Bhimasena. And Bhimasena also of mighty arms during that battle,\nhaving got his car, ascended it and proceeded to the spot where thy sons\nwere. And taking up a strong and very tough bow adorned with gold and\ncapable of taking the lives of foes he pierced thy sons in that conflict,\nwith his shafts. Then king Duryodhana struck the mighty Bhimasena at the\nvery vitals with a long shaft of exceeding sharpness. Then that mighty\nbowman, pierced thus deeply by thy son, bow in hand, forcibly drawing his\nown with eyes red in wrath, struck Duryodhana in his two arms and the\nbreast with three shafts. But struck thus, O king, he moved not, like a\nprince of mountains. Beholding then those two heroes excited with rage\nand smiting each other, the younger brothers of Duryodhana, all of whom\nwere heroes prepared to lay down their lives, remembering their\npreviously formed scheme of afflicting Vrikodara of terrible deeds, set\nabout firmly resolved, for smiting him down. And as they fell upon him in\nbattle, Bhimasena of great strength rushed against them, O king, like an\nelephant rushing against an attacking compeer. Excited with fury and\nendued with great energy, that celebrated hero then, O king, afflicted\nthy son Chitrasena with a long arrow. And as regards thy other sons, that\ndescendant of Bharata smote them all in that battle, with diverse kinds\nof shafts furnished with wings of gold and endued with great impetus.\nThen king Yudhishthira the just, disposing all his own divisions properly\ndespatched twelve mighty car-warriors including Abhimanyu and others to\nfollow Bhimasena behind. Those, O king, all proceeded against those\nmighty car-warriors, viz., thy sons. Beholding those heroes on their\ncars, resembling the Sun himself or the fire in splendour--those great\nbowmen of blazing effulgence and superb beauty, looking resplendent in\nthat dreadful conflict with ornaments of gold,--thy mighty sons abandoned\nBhima (with whom they had been fighting). The sons of Kunti, however,\ncould not bear the sight of their abandoning the conflict alive.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIX\n\nSanjaya said, \"Then Abhimanyu, accompanied by Bhimasena pursuing thy\nsons, afflicted them all. Then the mighty car-warriors of thy army,\nincluding Duryodhana and others, beholding Abhimanyu and Bhimasena united\nwith Prishata's son in the midst of the (Kauravas) troops, took up their\nbows, and borne by their fleet steeds rushed to the spot where those\nwarriors were. And on that afternoon, O king, a dreadful conflict took\nplace between the mighty combatants of thy army and those of the foe, O\nBharata. And Abhimanyu, having, in that fierce battle, slain the steeds\nof Vikarna, pierced the latter with five and twenty small arrows. Then\nthat mighty car-warrior, Vikarna, abandoning that car whose steeds had\nbeen slain, mounted on the resplendent car, O king, of Chitrasena. Then\nthus stationed on the same car, viz., those two brothers of Kuru's race,\nthe son of Arjuna covered, O Bharata, with showers of arrows. Then\nDurjaya and Vikarna pierced Abhimanyu with five shafts made wholly of\niron. Abhimanyu however, shook not in the least but stood firm like the\nmountain Meru. Dussasana in that battle, O sire, fought with the five\nKekaya brothers. All these, O great king, seemed exceedingly wonderful.\nThe sons of Draupadi, excited with rage, resisted Duryodhana in that\nbattle. And each of them, O king, pierced thy son with three shafts. Thy\nson also, invincible in battle, pierced each of the sons of Draupadi, O\nmonarch, with sharp shafts. And pierced by them (in return) and bathed in\nblood, he shone like a hill with rillets of water mixed with red chalk\n(gliding down its breast). And the mighty Bhishma also, in that battle, O\nking, afflicted the Pandava army like a herdsman belabouring his herd.\nThen, O monarch, the twang of Gandiva was heard, of Partha, who was\nengaged in slaughtering the foe on the right of the army.\n\n\"And in that part of the field headless trunks stood up by thousands,\namongst the troops, O Bharata, of both the Kauravas and the Pandavas. And\nthe field of battle resembled an ocean whose water was blood, and whose\neddies were the shafts (shot by the combatants). And the elephants\nconstituted the islands of that ocean, and the steeds its waves. And cars\nconstituted the boats by which brave men crossed it. And many brave\ncombatants, with arms cut off, divested of armour, and hideously\nmutilated, were seen lying there in hundreds and thousands. And with the\nbodies of infuriate elephants deprived of life and bathed in blood, the\nfield of battle. O Bharata, looked as if strewn with hills. And the\nwonderful sight we saw there, O Bharata, was that neither in their army\nnor in thine was a single person that was unwilling to fight. And thus, O\nmonarch, did those brave warriors, of both thy army and the Pandavas,\nfight, seeking glory and desirous of victory.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXX\n\nSanjaya said, \"Then when the sun assumed a red hue, king Duryodhana,\ndesirous of battle, rushed towards Bhima from desire of slaying him.\nBeholding that heroic warrior cherishing deep animosity (thus) coming\ntowards him, Bhimasena, excited with great wrath, said these\nwords,--'That hour hath come which I have desired for so many years. I\nwill slay thee to-day if thou dost not abandon the battle. Slaying thee I\nshall today dispel the sorrows of Kunti as also of Draupadi and the woes\nthat were ours during our exile in the woods. Filled with pride, thou\nhadst formerly humiliated the sons of Pandu. Behold, O son of Gandhari,\nthe dire fruit of that sinful behaviour. Following the counsels of Karna\nas also of Suvala's son, and recking the Pandavas little, thou hadst\nformerly behaved towards them as thou hadst hinted. Thou hadst also\ndisregarded Krishna who begged thee (for peace). With a joyous heart\ndidst thou despatch Uluka (to us) with thy messages. For all these, I\nshall slay thee to-day with all thy kinsmen, and thus avenge all those\noffences of thine of former days.' Having said these words, Bhima bending\nhis bow and stretching it repeatedly, and taking up a number of terrible\nshafts whose effulgence resembled that of the lightning itself, and\nfilled with wrath, quickly sped six and thirty of them at Duryodhana. And\nthose shafts resembled the flames of a blazing fire, and coursed straight\nwith the force of the thunder-bolt. And then he pierced Duryodhana's bow\nwith two shafts, and his charioteer with two. And with four shafts he\ndespatched Duryodhana's (four) steeds to the regions of Yama. And that\ngrinder of foes then, with two shafts shot with great force, cut off in\nthat battle the king's umbrella from his excellent car. And with three\nother shafts he cut off his handsome and blazing standard. And having cut\nit off, he uttered a loud shout in the very sight of thy son. And that\nbeautiful standard of the latter, decked with diverse gems, suddenly fell\ndown on the earth from his car like a flash of lightning from the clouds.\nAnd all the kings beheld that beautiful standard of the Kuru king,\nbearing the device of an elephant, decked with gems, and blazing like the\nsun, fell down cut off (by Bhimasena). And that mighty car-warrior, viz.,\nBhima, then pierced Duryodhana in that battle, smiling the while, with\nten shafts like a guide piercing a mighty elephant with the hook. Then\nthat foremost of car-warriors, viz., the mighty king of the Sindhus,\nsupported by many brave warriors, placed himself on the flank of\nDuryodhana. And then that great car-warrior, viz., Kripa, O king, caused\nthe vindictive Duryodhana, that son of Kuru's race, of immeasurable\nenergy, to mount on his own car. Then king Duryodhana, deeply pierced by\nBhimasena and feeling great pain, sat down on the terrace of that car.\nThen Jayadratha, desirous of slaying Bhima, surrounded him on all sides\nwith several thousands of cars. Then, O king, Dhrishtaketu and Abhimanyu\nof great energy, and the Kekayas, and the sons of Draupadi, all\nencountered thy sons. And the high-souled Abhimanyu smote them all,\npiercing each with five straight shafts, resembling the bolts of heaven\nor Death's selves, shot from his excellent bow. Thereupon, all of them,\nunable to bear it (coolly), showered on that foremost of car-warriors,\nviz., the son of Subhadra, a perfect down-pour of sharp shafts like\nrain-charged clouds pouring rain on the breast of the mountains of Meru.\nBut Abhimanyu, that invisible warrior accomplished in arms, thus\nafflicted by them in battle, caused all thy sons, O king, to tremble like\nthe wielder of the thunder-bolt causing the mighty Asuras to tremble in\nthe battle between the celestials and the latter. Then that foremost of\ncar-warriors, O Bharata, shot fourteen broad-headed shafts, fierce and\nlooking like snakes of virulent poison, at Vikarna. Endued with great\nprowess and as if dancing in that battle, he felled with those shafts the\nstandard of Vikarna from his car and slew also his charioteer and steeds.\nThen that mighty car-warrior, the son of Subhadra, again sped at Vikarna\nmany other arrows that were well-tempered, straight-going, and capable of\npenetrating every armour. And those arrows furnished with feathers of the\nkanka bird, coming at Vikarna and passing through his body, entered the\nearth, like hissing snakes. And those arrows, with wings and points\ndecked with gold, bathed in Vikarna's blood, seemed to vomit blood on the\nearth. Beholding Vikarna thus pierced, his other uterine brothers rushed,\nin that battle, against those car-warriors headed by Subhadra's son. And\nwhen these invincible warriors upon their (own) cars came upon those\ncombatants (of the Pandava army) resplendent like so many suns and\nstaying on their cars both began to pierce one another. And Durmukha,\nhaving pierced Srutakarman with five shafts, cut off the latter's\nstandard with a single shaft and then pierced his charioteer with seven.\nAnd advancing closer, he slew with half a dozen shafts his foe's steeds,\nfleet as the wind and cased in golden armour, and then felled his\ncharioteer. Srutakarman, however, staying on that car of his, the steeds\nof which had been slain, hurled in great wrath a dart blazing like a\nfierce meteor. That dart, blazing with effulgence, passing through the\nrenowned Durmukha's hard coat of mail, penetrated into the earth.\nMeanwhile the mighty Sutasoma beholding Srutakarman deprived of his car,\ncaused him to mount upon his own car in the very sight of all the troops.\nThe heroic Srutakirti rushed against thy son Jayatsena in that battle,\ndesirous, O king, of slaying that renowned warrior. Then thy son\nJayatsena, O king, with a sharp arrow having a horse-shoe head, smiling\nthe while, cut off the bow of the high-souled Srutakirti as the latter\ncame along stretching it in his hands. Then Satanika, beholding his\nuterine brother's bow cut off, endued as he was with great valour,\nquickly came at that spot repeatedly roaring like a lion. And Satanika,\ndrawing his bow in that battle with great force, speedily pierced\nJayatsena with ten shafts, and uttered a loud shout like an infuriate\nelephant. And with another arrow of sharp point and capable of\npenetrating every armour, Satanika deeply pierced Jayatsena in the chest.\nJust at that time, Dushkarna who was near his brother (Jayatsena)\ninfuriate with anger, cut off Satanika's bow and arrow. Then the mighty\nSatanika taking up another excellent bow capable of bearing a great\nstrain, aimed many sharp shafts. And addressing Dushkarna in the presence\nof his brother (Jayatsena), saying--'Wait', 'Wait',--he sped at him those\nsharp and blazing shafts resembling so many snakes. And then he speedily\ncut off Dushkarna's bow with one arrow, and slew his charioteer, O sire,\nwith two, and then pierced Dushkarna himself with seven arrows. And that\nspotless warrior then with a dozen sharp shafts slew all the steeds of\nDushkarna that were fleet as the mind and of variegated hue. And then\nwith another broad-headed arrow, well-aimed and capable of coursing\nswiftly, Satanika, excited with great wrath deeply pierced Dushkarna in\nthe chest. And thereupon the latter fell down on the earth like a tree\nstruck with lightning. Beholding Dushkarna slain, five mighty\ncar-warriors, O king, surrounded Satanika on all sides, from desire of\nslaying him. And they struck the renowned Satanika with showers of\narrows. Then the five Kekaya brothers, excited with wrath, approached\n(Satanika for rescuing him). Beholding the latter coming upon them, thy\nsons--those mighty car-warriors,--rushed towards them like elephants\nrushing against mighty elephants. (These amongst thy sons, viz.,)\nDurmukha and Durjaya and the youthful Durmarshana and Satrunjaya and\nSatrusha, all renowned warriors, excited with rage, proceeded, O king,\nagainst the (five) Kekaya brothers. On their cars that resembled\n(fortified) towns, unto which were yoked steeds decked with ornaments,\nand which were graced with beautiful standards of variegated hue, those\nheroes wielding excellent bows and cased in beautiful coats of mail and\nowning excellent standards, entered the hostile army like lions entering\none forest from another. Smiting one another, fierce and terrific was the\nbattle that ensued between them and the foe, in which cars and elephants\ngot entangled with one another. Cherishing feelings of hostility towards\none another, the terrible battle in which they took part lasted for a\nshort space of time about sunset, increasing the population of Yama's\nkingdom. And car-warriors and horsemen by thousands were strewn over the\nfield. And Bhishma the son of Santanu excited with wrath, began to\nslaughter the troops of the high-souled Pandavas with his straight\nshafts. And with his arrows he began to despatch the combatants of the\nPanchalas to the domains of Yama. And the grandsire, having thus broken\nthe ranks of the Pandavas at last withdrew his troops and retired, O\nking, to his encampment. And king Yudhishthira also, beholding both\nDhrishtadyumna and Vrikodara, smelt their heads, and filled with joy,\nretired to his tents.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXI\n\nSanjaya said, \"Then those heroes, O king, who cherished feelings of\nhostility towards one another, retired to their tents, their persons\ncovered with blood. Having rested for a while agreeably to rule, and\npraising one another (for the feats of the day), they were again seen\nclad in mail, desirous of battle. Then thy son, O king, overwhelmed with\nanxiety and covered with blood trickling down (from his wounds), asked\nthe grandsire, saying,[406] 'Our troops are fierce and terrible and carry\ninnumerable standards. They are, again, arrayed properly. Yet the brave\nand mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, having penetrated (into our\narray) and afflicted and slaughtered (our troops), escaped unhurt.[407]\nConfounding us all, they have won great fame in battle. Bhima again,\nhaving penetrated into our Makara array which was strong as the\nthunder-bolt, afflicted me with his terrible shafts each resembling the\nrod of Death. Beholding him excited with wrath, O king, I was deprived of\nmy senses. Even now I cannot regain my peace of mind. Through thy grace,\nO thou that art firm in truth, I desire to obtain victory and slay the\nsons of Pandu.' Thus addressed by him, the high-souled son of Ganga, that\nforemost of all wielders of weapons, endued with great mental energy,\nunderstanding that Duryodhana was possessed by grief replied unto him,\nlaughing the while though cheerless, saying,[408] 'Penetrating into\n(their) army with the utmost exertions and with my whole soul, O prince,\nI wish to give thee victory and joy. For thy sake I do not at all\ndissemble. They that have become the allies of the Pandavas in this\nbattle are fierce and numerous. Mighty car-warriors of great renown, they\nare exceedingly brave and accomplished in arms. Incapable of being\nfatigued, they vomit forth their wrath. Cherishing feelings of animosity\ntowards thee, and swelling with prowess, they are not capable of being\ndefeated easily. I will, however, O king, contend against those heroes\nwith my whole soul and throwing away my very life. For thy sake, in\nbattle, O thou of great glory, my life itself shall today be recklessly\nexposed. For thy sake I would consume all the worlds with the celestials\nand the Daityas, let alone thy foes here. I will, O king, fight with\nthose Pandavas, and do all that is agreeable to thee.' Hearing these\nwords, Duryodhana became inspired with great confidence and his heart was\nfilled with delight. And cheerfully he ordered all the troops, and all\nthe kings, (in his army) saying, Advance. And at that command, O king,\nhis army consisting of cars, steeds, foot-soldiers, and elephants, began\nto advance. And that large force. O king, armed with diverse kinds of\nweapons, was exceedingly cheerful. And that army of thine, O monarch,\nconsisting of elephants, steeds, and foot-soldiers, on the field of\nbattle, looked exceedingly beautiful. And huge tuskers, stationed in\nlarge bodies, and skilfully urged, looked resplendent on the field all\naround. And many royal combatants accomplished in diverse weapons were\nseen in the midst of thy troops. And the dust, red as the morning sun,\nraised by those cars and foot-soldiers and elephants and steeds in large\nbodies as they were duly moved over the field, looked beautiful,\nshrouding the rays of the sun. And the many-coloured banners stationed on\ncars and elephants, waving in the air and moving along the welkin, looked\nbeautiful like flashes of lightning amid the clouds. And loud and fierce\nwas the uproar made by the twang of the bows stretched by the kings,\nresembling the roar of the ocean while churned in the Krita age by the\ngods and the great Asuras. And that army of thy sons, looking so proud,\nconsisting of (combatants of) diverse hues and shapes, shouting so\nfiercely, and capable of slaying hostile warriors, then looked like those\nmasses of clouds that appear at the end of the Yuga.[409]\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXII\n\nSanjaya said, \"O chief of the Bharatas, Ganga's son, once more addressing\nthy son who was plunged in thought, told him these delightful words,\n'Myself and Drona and Salya and Kritavarman of Satwata's race, and\nAswatthaman and Vikarna and Bhagadatta and Suvala's son and Vinda and\nAnuvinda of Avanti, and Valhika with the Valhikas,[410] and the mighty\nking of the Trigartas and the invincible ruler of the Magadhas,\nVrihadvala the king of the Kosalas, and Chitrasena and Vivinsati and\nmany thousands of car-warriors graced with tall standards, a large number\nof country-born steeds well-mounted with excellent horse-soldiers and\nmany infuriate elephants of large size with temporal juice issuing from\ntheir mouths and cheeks, and many brave foot-soldiers armed with diverse\nweapons and born in diverse realms, are all prepared to do battle for thy\nsake.[411] These, and many others ready for thy sake to lay down their\nlives, are, as I think, competent to vanquish the very gods in battle. I\nshould, however, always tell thee, O king, what is for thy good. The\nPandavas are incapable of being vanquished by the very gods with Vasava.\nThey have Vasudeva for their ally and are equal to Mahendra himself in\nprowess. As regards myself, I shall, however, always do thy bidding.\nEither I shall vanquish the Pandavas in battle or they will vanquish me.'\nHaving said these words, the grandsire gave him an excellent herb of\ngreat efficacy for healing his wounds. And therewith thy son was cured of\nhis wounds. Then at dawn when the sky was clear, the valiant Bhishma,\nthat foremost of men well-versed in all kinds of array, himself disposed\nhis troops in that array called Mandala bristling with weapons. And it\nabounded with foremost of warriors and with tuskers and foot-soldiers.\nAnd it was surrounded on all sides with many thousands of cars, and with\nlarge bodies of horsemen armed with swords and lances. Near unto every\nelephant were placed seven cars, and near unto every car were placed\nseven horsemen. And behind every horseman were placed seven bowmen, and\nbehind every bowman were seven combatants with shields. And thus, O king,\nthy army, arrayed by mighty car-warriors, stood for fierce battle,\nprotected by Bhishma. And ten thousand horses, and as many elephants, and\nten thousand cars, and thy sons, all equipped in mail, viz., the heroic\nChitrasena and others, protected the grandsire. And it was seen that\nBhishma was protected by those brave warriors, and those princes\nthemselves of great strength, accoutred in mail, were (in their turn)\nprotected by him. And Duryodhana accoutred in mail sat upon his car on\nthe field, and possessed of every grace, looked resplendent like Sakra\nhimself in heaven. Then, O Bharata, loud were the shouts uttered by thy\nsons and deafening the clatter of cars and the uproar of musical\ninstruments. That mighty and impenetrable array of those slayer of foes,\nviz., the Dhartarashtras (in the form called) Mandala, (thus) arrayed by\nBhishma, began to proceed, facing the west. Incapable of being defeated\nby enemies, it looked beautiful in every point. Beholding then the array\ncalled Mandala that was exceedingly fierce, king Yudhishthira himself\ndisposed his troops in the array called Vajra. And when the divisions\nwere thus arrayed, car-warriors and horsemen, stationed in their proper\nplaces, uttered leonine shouts. Accompanied by their respective forces,\nthe brave warriors of both armies, well versed in smiting, and longing\nfor battle, proceeded, desirous of breaking each other's array. And\nBharadwaja's son proceeded against the king of the Matsyas, and his son\n(Aswatthaman) against Sikhandin. And king Duryodhana himself rushed\nagainst the son of Prishata. And Nakula and Sahadeva went forth against\nthe king of the Madras. And Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti proceeded\nagainst Iravat. And many kings together battled with Dhananjaya. And\nBhimasena, exerting himself well, opposed the son of Hridika in battle.\nAnd possessed of great prowess, (Abhimanyu) the son of Arjuna, fought in\nbattle, O king, against thy sons Chitrasena and Vikarna, and Durmarshana.\nAnd Hidimva's son, that prince of the Rakshasas, rushed against that\nmighty bowman, the ruler of the Pragjyotishas, like one infuriate\nelephant against another. And the Rakshasa Alamvusha, O king, excited\nwith wrath, rushed in battle against the invincible Satyaki in the midst\nof his followers. And Bhurisravas, exerting himself greatly, fought\nagainst Dhrishtaketu. And Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, proceeded\nagainst king Srutayush. And Chekitana in that battle fought against\nKripa. And others (among the Kuru warriors), exerting themselves\npowerfully, proceeded against that mighty car-warrior Bhima. And\nthousands of (other) kings surrounded Dhananjaya, with darts, lances,\narrows, maces, and spiked clubs in their hands. Then Arjuna, excited with\ngreat wrath, addressing him of Vrishni's race, said, 'Behold, O Madhava,\nthe Dhartarashtra troops in battle, arrayed by the high-souled son of\nGanga, acquainted with every kind of array. Behold, O Madhava, those\nbrave warriors, countless in number, and desirous of battle (with me).\nBehold, O Kesava, the ruler of the Trigartas with his brothers.[412] This\nvery day I shall slay them all, O Janardana, before thy eyes,--them, that\nis, O foremost of the Yadus, who, longing for battle (with me), are on\nthe field.' Having said these words, the son of Kunti, rubbing his\nbowstring, showered his arrows on that multitude of kings. And those\ngreat bowmen also, poured on him thick showers of arrows, like clouds\nthat fill a lake with torrents of rain in the rainy season. And loud\nshouts were heard in thy army, O monarch, when in that great battle the\ntwo Krishnas were seen covered with thick showers of arrows. And the\ngods, the celestial Rishis, and the Gandharvas with the Uragas, beholding\nthe two Krishnas in that state, were filled with great wonder. Then\nArjuna, O king, excited with wrath, invoked the Aindra weapon. And then\nthe prowess we beheld of Vijaya seemed to be highly wonderful insomuch\nthat those showers of weapons shot by his foes were checked by his\nmyriads of arrows. And there among those thousands of kings and steeds\nand elephants, was none, O king, that was not wounded. And others, O\nsire, the son of Pritha pierced, each with two or three arrows. And while\nbeing thus struck by Pritha, they sought the protection of Bhishma, the\nson of Santanu. But Bhishma then became the rescuer of those warriors who\nwere like men sinking in the fathomless deep. And in consequence of those\nwarriors thus flying away and mixing with thy troops, thy broken ranks, O\nking, were agitated like the vast deep with a tempest.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIII\n\nSanjaya said, \"And when the battle was thus raging and after Susarman had\nceased fighting, and the (other) heroic warriors (of the Kuru army) had\nbeen routed by the high-souled son of Pandu; after, indeed, thy army,\nresembling the very ocean, had become quickly agitated and the son of\nGanga had speedily proceeded against the car of Vijaya, king Duryodhana,\nbeholding the prowess of Partha in battle, quickly proceeded towards\nthose kings, and addressing them as also the heroic and mighty Susarman\nstationed in their van, said in their midst these words, gladdening them\nall, 'This Bhishma, the son of Santanu, this foremost one among the\nKurus, reckless of his very life, is desirous of fighting with his whole\nsoul against Dhananjaya. Exerting your best, ye all, united together, and\naccompanied by your troops, protect in battle the grandsire, of Bharata's\nrace, who is proceeding against the hostile army.' Saying, 'Yes,' all\nthose divisions, belonging to those kings, O monarch, proceeded,\nfollowing the grandsire. Then the mighty Bhishma, the son of Santanu,\n(thus rushing to battle), speedily came upon Arjuna of Bharata's race who\nalso had been coming towards him, on his exceedingly resplendent and\nlarge car unto which were yoked white steeds and upon which was set up\nhis standard bearing the fierce ape, and whose rattle resembled the deep\nroll of the clouds. And thy entire army, beholding the diadem-decked\nDhananjaya, thus coming to battle, uttered, from fear, many loud\nexclamations. And beholding Krishna, reins in hand, and looking like the\nmid-day sun in splendour, thy troops could not gaze at him. And so also\nthe Pandavas were incapable of looking at Santanu's son Bhishma of white\nsteeds and white bow and resembling the planet Sukra risen in the\nfirmament. And the latter was surrounded on all sides by the high-souled\nwarriors of the Trigartas headed by their king with his brothers and\nsons, and by many other mighty car-warriors.\n\n\"Meanwhile, Bharadwaja's son pierced with his winged arrows the king of\nthe Matsyas in battle. And in that combat he cut off the latter's\nstandard with one shaft, and his bow also with another. Then Virata, the\ncommander of a large division, leaving aside that bow thus cut off,\nquickly took up another that was strong and capable of bearing a great\nstrain. And he also took up a number of blazing arrows that resembled\nsnakes of virulent poison. And he pierced Drona in return with three (of\nthese) and his (four) steeds with four. And then he pierced Drona's\nstandard with one arrow, and his charioteer with five. And he also\npierced Drona's bow with one arrow, and (at all this) that bull among\nBrahmanas became highly angry. Then Drona slew Virata's steeds with eight\nstraight shafts, and then his charioteer, O chief of the Bharatas, with\none shaft. His charioteer having been slain, Virata jumped down from his\ncar whose steeds also had been killed. And then that foremost of\ncar-warriors speedily mounted upon the car of (his son) Sankha. Then sire\nand son, staying on the same car, began with great might to resist the\nson of Bharadwaja with a thick shower of arrows. Then the mighty son of\nBharadwaja, excited with wrath, quickly shot at Sankha in that encounter,\nan arrow resembling a snake of virulent poison. And that arrow, piercing\nthrough Sankha's breast and drinking his blood, fell upon the earth, wet\nand smeared with gore. Struck with that arrow of Bharadwaja's son, Sankha\nspeedily fell down from his car, his bow and arrows loosened from his\ngrasp in the very presence of his sire. And beholding his son slain,\nVirata fled from fear, avoiding Drona in battle, who resembled Death's\nself with gaping mouth. The son of Bharadwaja then, without losing a\nmoment, checked the mighty host of the Pandavas resisting combatants by\nhundreds and thousands.\n\n\"Sikhandin also, O king, getting at Drona's son in that battle, struck\nthe latter between his brows with three swiftly coursing shafts. And that\ntiger among men, viz., Aswatthaman, pierced with those shafts looked\nbeautiful like the mountain Meru with its three tall golden crests. Then,\nO king, Aswatthaman excited with rage, and within half the time taken up\nby a wink of the eye, overthrew in that battle Sikhandin's charioteer and\nstandard and steeds and weapons, covering them with myriads of shafts.\nThen that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Sikhandin, that scorcher of\nfoes, jumping down from that car whose steeds had been slain, and taking\nup a sharp and polished scimitar and a shield, excited with rage, moved\non the field with great activity like a hawk. And while moving with great\nactivity, O king, on the field sword in hand, the son of Drona failed to\nfind an opportunity (for striking him). And all this seemed highly\nwonderful. And then, O bull of Bharata's race, the highly wrathful son of\nDrona sent after Sikhandin in that battle many thousands of shafts. But\nSikhandin, that foremost of mighty men, with his sharp sword cut that\nfierce shower of arrows coming towards him. Then the son of Drona cut\ninto pieces that resplendent and beautiful shield decked with a hundred\nmoons and then that sword also of Sikhandin. And he pierced the latter's\nperson also, O king, with a large number of winged arrows. Then\nSikhandin, whirling the fragment (in his hand) of that sword of his which\nhad been cut off by Aswatthaman with his arrows and which resembled a\nblazing snake, quickly hurled it at him. The son of Drona however,\ndisplaying in that battle the lightness of his arms, cut off that (broken\nblade) coming impetuously towards him and resembling in splendour the\nfire that blazeth forth at the end of the Yuga. And he pierced Sikhandin\nhimself with innumerable arrows made of iron. Then Sikhandin, O King,\nexceedingly afflicted with those whetted arrows, speedily mounted on the\ncar of (Satyaki) that high-souled scion of Madhu's race. Then Satyaki,\nexcited with rage, pierced in that battle, with his terrible shafts the\ncruel Rakshasa Alamvusha on all sides. That prince of Rakshasas then, O\nBharata, cut off in that combat Satyaki's bow with a crescent-shaped\narrow and pierced Satyaki also with many shafts. And creating by his\nRakshasa powers an illusion, he covered Satyaki with showers of arrows.\nBut wonderful was the prowess that we then beheld of the grandson of\nSini, inasmuch as struck with those whetted shafts he betrayed no fear.\nOn the other hand, O Bharata, that son of Vrishni's race applied (with\nMantras) the Aindra weapon, which that illustrious hero of Madhu's race\nhad obtained from Vijaya.[413] That weapon, consuming into ashes that\nDemoniac illusion, covered Alamvusha all over with terrible shafts, like\na mass of clouds covering the mountain-breast with torrents of rain in\nthe rainy season. Thereupon the Rakshasa, thus afflicted by that hero of\nMadhu's race, fled away in fear, avoiding Satyaki in battle. Then the\ngrandson of Sini, having vanquished that prince of Rakshasas who was\nincapable of being vanquished by Maghavat himself, uttered a loud roar in\nthe very sight of all thy troops. And Satyaki, of prowess incapable of\nbeing baffled, then began to slay thy troops with innumerable shafts\nwhereupon the latter fled away in fear.\n\n\"Meanwhile, O monarch, Dhrishtadyumna, the mighty son of Drupada, covered\nthy royal son in battle with innumerable straight shafts. While, however,\nO Bharata, Dhrishtadyumna was thus shrouding him with his shafts, thy\nroyal son was neither agitated nor struck with fear. On the other hand,\nhe speedily pierced Dhrishtadyumna in that battle (first) with sixty and\n(then) with thirty shafts. And all these seemed highly wonderful. Then\nthe commander of the Pandava army, O Bharata, excited with wrath cut off\nhis bow. And that mighty car-warrior then slew in that combat the four\nsteeds of thy son, and also pierced him with seven shafts of the keenest\npoints. Thereupon (thy son), that mighty-armed warrior endued with great\nstrength, jumping down from that car whose steeds had been slain, ran on\nfoot, with an upraised sabre, towards the son of Prishata. Then the\nmighty Sakuni, devoted to the king, quickly coming to that spot, caused\nthy royal son to mount on his own car in the very sight of all. Then that\nslayer of foes, the son of Prishata, having vanquished the king, began to\nslaughter thy troops like the wielder of the thunder-bolt slaughtering\nthe Asuras.\n\n\"Kritavarman, in that battle, covered with his arrows that mighty\ncar-warrior Bhima. Indeed, he overwhelmed the latter entirely, like a\nmighty mass of clouds shrouding the sun. Then that chastiser of foes\nviz., Bhimasena, excited with wrath, and laughing the while, sped some\nshafts at Kritavarman. Struck therewith, that Atiratha of the Satwata\nrace, excelling all in might, trembled not, O king, but (instead) pierced\nBhima (in return) with many sharp arrows. Then the mighty Bhimasena,\nslaying the four steeds of Kritavarman, felled the latter's charioteer,\nand then his beautiful standard. And that slayer of hostile heroes (viz.,\nBhima) then pierced Kritavarman himself with many shafts of diverse\nkinds. And Kritavarman, pierced all over, seemed to be excessively\nmangled in every limb. Then from that car whose steeds had been slain,\nKritavarman quickly went to the car of Vrishaka, in the very sight, O\nking, of both Salya and thy son. And Bhimasena, excited with rage, began\nto afflict thy troops. Goaded to fury, he began to slay them, like the\ndestroyer himself armed with his club.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIV\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"Many and wonderful, O Sanjaya, were the single\ncombats I hear thee speak of between the Pandavas and my warriors. Thou\nspeakest not, however, O Sanjaya, of any one of my side having been\ncheerful (on such occasions). Thou always speakest of the sons of Pandu\nas cheerful and never routed, O Suta and thou speakest of mine as\ncheerless, deprived of energy, and constantly vanquished in battle. All\nthis, without doubt, is Destiny.\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"Thy men, O bull of Bharata's race, exert themselves\naccording to the measure of their might and courage, and display their\nvalour to the utmost extent of their strength. As contact with the\nproperties of the ocean make the sweet waters of the celestial stream\nGanga brakish, so the valour, O king, of the illustrious warriors of thy\narmy coming in contact with the heroic sons of Pandu in battle, becometh\nfutile. Exerting themselves according to their might, and achieving the\nmost difficult feats, thou shouldst not, O chief of the Kurus, find fault\nwith thy troops. O monarch, this great and awful destruction of the\nworld, swelling the (population of the) domains of Yama, hath arisen from\nthy misconduct and that of thy sons. It behoveth thee not, O king, to\ngrieve for what hath arisen from thy own fault. Kings do not always in\nthis world protect their lives. These rulers of Earth, desirous of\nwinning by battle the regions of the righteous, daily fight, penetrating\ninto (hostile) divisions, with heaven only for their aim.\n\n\"On the forenoon of that day, O king, great was the carnage that ensued,\nresembling what occurred in the battle between the gods and the Asuras\n(of old). Listen to it, O monarch, with undivided attention. The two\nprinces of Avanti, those great bowmen endued with exceeding might, those\nexcellent warriors fierce in battle, beholding Iravat, advanced against\nhim. The battle that took place between them was fierce, making the hair\nstand on end. Then Iravat, excited with rage, quickly pierced those two\nbrothers of celestial forms with many sharp and straight shafts. Those\ntwo, however, conversant with all modes of warfare, pierced him in return\nin that battle. Struggling their best to slaughter the foe, and desirous\nof counteracting each other's feats, no distinction, O king, could be\nobserved between them as they fought. Iravat then, O monarch, with four\nshafts, despatched the four steeds of Anuvinda to the abode of Yama. And\nwith a couple of sharp, broad-headed shafts, O sire, he cut off the bow\nand standard also of Anuvinda. And this feat, O king, seemed highly\nwonderful. Then Anuvinda, leaving his own car, mounted on the car of\nVinda. Taking up an excellent and strong bow capable of bearing a great\nstrain, Anuvinda, as also his brother Vinda, those foremost of\ncar-warriors hailing from Avanti, both stationed on the same car, quickly\nshot many shafts at the high-souled Iravat. Shot by them, those shafts of\ngreat impetuosity decked with gold, while coursing through the air,\ncovered the welkin.[414] Then Iravat, excited with rage, showered on\nthose mighty car-warriors, those two brothers (of Avanti) his arrowy\ndown-pours, and felled their charioteer. When the charioteer, deprived of\nlife, fell down on the ground, the horses, no longer restrained, ran away\nwith the car. Having vanquished those two warriors, that daughter's son of\nthe king of the Nagas, displaying his prowess, then began to consume with\ngreat activity thy ranks. Then that mighty Dhartarashtra host, while thus\nslaughtered in battle, began to reel in many directions like a person who\nhath drunk poison.\n\n\"That prince of Rakshasa, the mighty son of Hidimva, on his car of solar\neffulgence furnished with a standard, rushed against Bhagadatta. The\nruler of the Pragjyotishas was stationed on his prince of elephants like\nthe wielder of the thunder-bolt in days of old in the battle occasioned\nby the ravishment of Taraka. The gods, the Gandharvas, and the Rishis had\nall come there. They could not, however, notice any distinction between\nHidimva's son and Bhagadatta. As the chief of the celestials, excited\nwith wrath, had inspired the Danavas with fear, so did Bhagadatta, O\nking, frightened the Pandava warriors. And the warriors of the Pandava\narmy, frightened by him on all sides, failed, O Bharata, to find among\ntheir ranks any protector. We beheld however, O Bharata, the son of\nBhimasena there, on his car. The other mighty car-warriors fled away with\ncheerless hearts. When, however, O Bharata, the troops of the Pandavas\nrallied, in the battle that then ensued an awful uproar arose among thy\ntroops. Then Ghatotkacha, O king, in that dreadful battle, covered\nBhagadatta with his arrows like the clouds pouring rain on the breast of\nMeru. Baffling all those arrows shot from the Rakshasa's bow, the king\nquickly struck the son of Bhimasena in all his vital limbs. That prince\nof the Rakshasa, however, though struck with innumerable straight shafts,\nwavered not at all (but stood still) like a mountain pierced (with\nshafts). Then the ruler of the Pragjyotishas, excited with wrath, hurled\nin that combat fourteen lances, all of which, however, were cut off by\nthe Rakshasa. Cutting off by means of his sharp shafts those lances, the\nmighty-armed Rakshasa pierced Bhagadatta with seventy shafts, each\nresembling the thunder-bolt in force. Then the ruler of the\nPragjyotishas, laughing the while, O Bharata, despatched in that combat\nthe four steeds of the Rakshasa to Death's domain. The prince of the\nRakshasas, however, of great valour, staying on that car whose steeds had\nbeen slain, hurled with great force a dart at the elephant of the ruler\nof the Pragjyotishas. King Bhagadatta then cut off that swift dart\nfurnished with a staff of gold and coursing impetuously towards him into\nthree fragments, and thereupon it fell down on the ground. Beholding his\ndart cut off, the son of Hidimva fled from fear like Namuchi, that\nforemost of the Daityas, in days of old, from battle with Indra. Having\nvanquished in battle that hero of great valour and renowned prowess, who,\nO king, cannot be vanquished in battle by Yama himself or Varuna, king\nBhagadatta with his elephant began to crush down the troops of the\nPandavas like a wild elephant, O king, crushing as he treads the\nlotus-stalks (in a lake).\n\n\"The ruler of the Madras engaged in battle with his sister's sons, the\ntwins. And he overwhelmed those sons of Pandu with clouds of arrows.\nThen Sahadeva, beholding his maternal uncle, engaged in battle (with\nhim), covered him with arrows like the clouds covering the maker of day.\nCovered with those clouds of arrows, the ruler of the Madras wore a\ndelighted expression, and the twins also felt great delight for the sake\nof their mother.[415] Then Salya, that mighty car-warrior, smiting\neffectively in that battle, despatched with four excellent shafts, O\nking, the four steeds of Nakula to the abode of Yama. Nakula then, that\nmighty car-warrior, quickly jumping down from that car whose steeds had\nbeen slain, mounted upon the vehicle of his renowned brother. Stationed\nthen on the same car, those two heroes, both fierce in battle, and both\nexcited with rage, began to shroud the car of the ruler of Madras, (with\ntheir arrows), drawing their bows with great strength. But that tiger\namong men, though thus covered by his sister's sons with innumerable\nstraight arrows shook not in the least (but stood immovable) like a hill.\nLaughing the while, he smote them (in return) with showers of arrows.\nThen Sahadeva of great prowess, O Bharata, excited with wrath, took up a\n(powerful) shaft, and rushing at the ruler of the Madras, shot it at\nhim[416]. That shaft endued with the impetuosity of Garuda himself, shot\nby him, pierced the ruler of the Madras through, and fell on the earth.\nThereupon that mighty car-warrior, deeply pierced and greatly pained, sat\ndown, O king, on the terrace of his car, and went into a swoon. Beholding\nhim (thus) afflicted by the twins, deprived of consciousness, and\nprostrated (on his car), his charioteer bore him away on his vehicle over\nthe field. Seeing the car of the ruler of the Madras retreating (from\nbattle) the Dhartarashtras all became cheerless and thought it was all\nover with him.[417] Then those mighty car-warriors, viz., the two sons of\nMadri, having vanquished in battle their maternal uncle, cheerfully blew\ntheir conches and uttered leonine roars. And then they rushed joyfully, O\nking, towards thy forces like the gods Indra and Upendra, O monarch,\ntowards the Daitya host.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXV\n\nSanjaya said, \"Then when the sun attained the meridian, king\nYudhishthira, beholding Srutayush, urged on his steeds. And the king\nrushed at Srutayush, that chastiser of foes, striking him with nine\nstraight shafts of keen points. That great bowman, viz., king Srutayush\nthen, checking in that battle those arrows shot by the son of Pandu,\nstruck Yudhishthira with seven shafts. These penetrating through his\narmour, drank his blood in that battle, as if sucking the very vital\nenergies dwelling in the body of that high-souled one.[418] The son of\nPandu then, though deeply pierced by that high-souled king, pierced king\nSrutayush (in return), at the latter's heart, with an arrow shaped as the\nboar's ear. And that foremost of car-warriors, viz., the son of Pritha,\nwith another broad-headed arrow, quickly felled on the earth the standard\nof the high-souled Srutayush from his car. Beholding his standard\noverthrown, king Srutayush then, O monarch, pierced the son of Pandu with\nseven sharp shafts. Thereupon Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, blazed up\nwith wrath, like the fire that blazeth forth at the end of the Yuga for\nconsuming creatures. Beholding the son of Pandu excited with rage, the\ngods, the Gandharvas, and the Rakshasas, trembled, O king, and the\nuniverse became agitated. And even this was the thought that arose in the\nminds of all creatures, viz., that that king, excited with rage, would\nthat day consume the three worlds. Indeed, when the son of Pandu was thus\nexcited with wrath, the Rishis and the celestials prayed for the peace of\nthe world. Filled with wrath and frequently licking the corners of his\nmouth, Yudhishthira assumed a terrible expression looking like the sun\nthat riseth at the end of the Yuga. Then all thy warriors, O king, became\nhopeless of their lives, O Bharata. Checking, however, that wrath with\npatience, that great bowman endued with high renown then cut off\nSrutayush's bow at the grasp. And then, in the very sight of all the\ntroops, the king in that battle pierced Srutayush whose bow had been cut\noff, with a long arrow in the centre of the chest. And the mighty\nYudhishthira then, O king, speedily slew with his arrows the steeds of\nSrutayush and then, without losing a moment, his charioteer. Beholding\nthe prowess of the king, Srutayush leaving that car whose steeds had been\nslain, quickly fled away from battle. After that great bowman had been\nvanquished in combat by the son of Dharma, all the troops of Duryodhana,\nO king, turned their faces. Having, O monarch, achieved this feat,\nYudhishthira, the son of Dharma, began to slay thy troops like Death\nhimself with wide-open mouth.\n\n\"Chekitana of the Vrishni race, in the very sight of all the troops,\ncovered with his shafts Gautama, that foremost of car-warriors. Baffling\nall those arrows, Kripa the son of Saradwat, pierced Chekitana in return\nwho was fighting with great care, O king, with arrows in that battle.\nThen, O Bharata, with another broad-headed arrow he cut off Chekitana's\nbow, and endued with great lightness of hand, he also felled with another\nbroad-headed arrow the former's charioteer. Kripa then, O monarch, slew\nChekitana's steeds, as also both the warriors that protected the latter's\nwings. Then Chekitana of the Satwata race, quickly jumped down from his\ncar, and took up a mace. The foremost of all wielders of the mace,\nChekitana, with that hero-slaying mace of his, slew the steeds of Gautama\nand then felled his charioteer. Then Gautama, standing on the ground,\nshot sixteen arrows at Chekitana. Those arrows, piercing through that\nhero of the Satwata race, entered the earth. Thereat, Chekitana excited\nwith rage, once more hurled his mace, desirous of slaying Gautama, like\nPurandara desirous of slaying Vritra. Then Gautama with many thousands of\narrows checked that huge mace, endued with the strength of adamant, that\nwas coursing towards him. Then Chekitana, O Bharata, drawing his sabre\nfrom the sheath, rushed with great speed towards Gautama. Thereupon\nGautama also, throwing away his bow, and taking up a polished sabre,\nrushed with great speed towards Chekitana. Both of them possessed of\ngreat strength, and both armed with excellent sabres, began to strike\neach other with those sharp-edged weapons of theirs. Then those bulls\namong men, struck with the force of each other's sabres, fell down on the\nearth, that (common) element of all creatures. Exhausted by the efforts\nthey had made, the limbs of both were motionless in a swoon. Then\nKarakarsha impelled by friendship, quickly rushed to that spot. And that\ninvincible warrior, beholding Chekitana in that plight, took him up on\nhis car in the very sight of all troops. And so also the brave Sakuni,\nthy brother-in-law, O monarch, speedily caused Gautama, that foremost of\ncar-warriors, to mount on his car.\n\n\"The mighty Dhrishtaketu, excited with wrath, speedily pierced the son of\nSomadatta, O king, with ninety shafts in the chest. And the son of\nSomadatta looked highly resplendent with those shafts on his chest, like\nthe sun, O king, with his rays at mid-day. Bhurisravas, however, in that\nbattle, with his excellent shafts, deprived Dhrishtaketu, that mighty\ncar-warrior, of his car, slaying his charioteer and steeds. And beholding\nhim deprived of his car, and his steeds and charioteer slain, Bhurisravas\ncovered Dhrishtaketu in that combat with a thick shower of arrows. The\nhigh-souled Dhrishtaketu then, O sire, abandoning that car of his,\nmounted upon the vehicle of Satanika. Chitrasena, and Vikarna, O king,\nand also Durmarshana,--these car-warriors cased in golden mail,--all\nrushed against the son of Subhadra. Then a fierce battle took place\nbetween Abhimanyu and those warriors, like the battle of the body, O\nking, with wind, bile, and phlegm.[419] That tiger among men, however,\n(viz., Abhimanyu), having, O king, deprived thy sons of their cars, slew\nthem not, remembering Bhima's words.[420] Then during the progress of the\nfight, Kunti's son (Arjuna), of white steeds, beholding Bhishma, who was\nincapable of being vanquished by very gods, proceeding to rescue thy sons\nin view of Abhimanyu--a boy and alone though a mighty car-warrior,\naddressed Vasudeva and said these words, 'Urge the steeds, O Hrishikesa,\nto that spot where are those numerous car-warriors. They are many in\nnumber, brave, accomplished in arms, invincible in battle. Guide the\nhorses so, O Madhava, that the foe may not be able to slay our troops.'\nThus urged by Kunti's son of immeasurable energy, he of Vrishni's race\nthen drove that car, unto which were yoked white steeds, to battle. When\nArjuna, excited with rage, thus proceeded towards thy army, a loud\nuproar, O sire, arose among thy troops.[421] The son of Kunti then,\nhaving come up to those kings that were protecting Bhishma, (first)\naddressed Susarman, O king, and said these words, 'I know thee to be\nforemost in battle, and a dire enemy (of ours) of old. Behold to-day the\nterrible fruit of that evil behaviour (of thine).[422] I will today cause\nthee to visit the manes of thy ancestors.' That leader of car-divisions,\nSusarman, however, hearing these harsh words uttered by that slayer of\nfoes viz., Vibhatsu, told him nothing (in reply), well or ill. (But)\napproaching the heroic Arjuna, with a large number of kings in his train,\nand surrounding him in that battle, he covered him aided by thy sons, O\nsinless one, with arrows from all sides, viz., front, rear, and flanks,\nlike the clouds covering the maker of day. Then, O Bharata, a dreadful\nbattle took place between thy army and the Pandavas, in which blood ran\nlike water.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVI\n\nSanjaya said, \"Then the mighty Dhananjaya, struck with those shafts and\ndrawing long breaths like a trodden snake, cut off, with great force, by\nmeans of his successive shafts, the bows of those mighty car-warriors.\nCutting off in a moment, O king, the bows of those powerful monarchs in\nthat battle, the high-souled Arjuna, desiring to exterminate them pierced\nall of them simultaneously with his shafts. Struck (thus) by Indra's son,\nO king, some of them fell down on the field, covered with blood. And some\nhad their limbs mangled, and some had their heads struck off. And some\nperished with bodies mangled and coats of mail cut through. And afflicted\nby the arrows of Partha, many of them, falling down on the earth,\nperished together. Beholding then those princes slain in battle, the\nruler of the Trigartas advanced on his car. And two and thirty others\namongst those car-warriors, they who had been protecting the rear of the\nslain combatants also fell upon Partha. These all, surrounding Partha,\nand drawing their bows of loud twang, poured on him a thick shower of\narrows like the clouds pouring torrents of water on the mountain breast.\nThen Dhananjaya afflicted with that arrowy down-pour in that battle,\nbecame excited with wrath, and with sixty arrows steeped in oil he\ndespatched all those protectors of the rear. Having vanquished in battle\nthose sixty car-warriors, the illustrious Dhananjaya became cheerful at\nheart. And having slain also the forces of those kings, Jishnu sped for\nBhishma's slaughter. Then the ruler of the Trigartas, beholding his\nfriends those mighty car-warriors slain, speedily advanced upon Partha,\nwith a number of (other) kings in his van, for slaying him. Then the\nPandava warriors headed by Sikhandin, beholding those combatants advancing\nupon Dhananjaya that foremost of all conversant with arms, proceeded with\nwhetted weapons in hand, desirous of protecting the car of Arjuna. Partha\nalso beholding those brave men advanced towards him with the ruler of the\nTrigartas, mangled them in battle with arrows shot from Gandiva. Then\nthat distinguished bowman, desirous of approaching Bhishma beheld\nDuryodhana and other kings headed by the ruler of the Sindhus. Fighting\nwith great energy for a moment and checking those warriors that were\ndesirous of protecting Bhishma, the heroic Arjuna of great valour and\ninfinite prowess avoiding Duryodhana and Jayadratha and others,--that\nwarrior of mighty strength and great mental vigour,--at last proceeded,\nbow and arrow in hand, towards the son of Ganga in battle. The\nhigh-souled Yudhishthira also, of fierce prowess and infinite renown,\navoiding in battle the ruler of the Madras who had been assigned to his\nshare, quickly proceeded, with excited wrath and accompanied by Bhima and\nthe sons of Madri towards Bhishma, the son of Santanu, for battle.\nConversant with all modes of warfare the high-souled son of Ganga and\nSantanu, though attacked in battle by all the sons of Pandu united\ntogether, wavered not at all. Of fierce might and great energy king\nJayadratha of sure aim, advancing in battle, forcibly cut off with his\nown excellent bow the bows of all those mighty car-warriors. And the\nillustrious Duryodhana also with excited wrath and having wrath for his\nposition, struck Yudhishthira and Bhimasena and the twins and Partha,\nwith arrows resembling flames of fire. Pierced with arrows by Kripa and\nSala and Chitrasena, O lord, the Pandavas, inflamed with rage, resembled\nthe gods pierced with arrows by the united Daityas (in days of old). King\nYudhishthira then, beholding Sikhandin flying away, having had his weapon\ncut off by Santanu's son became filled with anger. The high-souled\nAjatasatru, angrily addressing Sikhandin in that battle, said these\nwords, 'Thou saidst at that time, in the presence of thy sire, unto\nme--\"Even I shall slay Bhishma of high vows with my shafts of the hue of\nthe effulgent sun. Truly do I say this.\"--Even this was thy oath. That\noath of thine thou dost not fulfil inasmuch as thou dost not slay\nDevavrata in battle. O hero, be not a person of unfulfilled vow. Take\ncare of thy virtue, race, and fame. Behold Bhishma of terrible\nimpetuosity scorching all my troops with his innumerable arrows of fierce\nenergy and destroying everything in a moment like Death himself. With thy\nbow cut off avoiding the battle, and vanquished by the royal son of\nSantanu, whither dost thou go, forsaking thy kinsmen and brothers? This\ndoth not become thee. Beholding Bhishma of infinite prowess, and our army\nrouted and flying away, thou art assuredly, O son of Drupada, frightened,\nsince the colour of thy face is pale. Unknown to thee, O hero, Dhananjaya\nhath engaged in the dreadful battle. Celebrated over the whole world, why\nO hero, art thou afraid today of Bhishma.[423]'--Hearing these words of\nking Yudhishthira the just, that were harsh, though fraught with sound\nreason, the high-souled Sikhandin, regarding them as good counsel,\nspeedily set himself about slaying Bhishma.[424] And while Sikhandin was\nproceeding to battle with great impetuosity for falling upon Bhishma,\nSalya began to resist him with terrible weapons that were difficult of\nbeing baffled. The son of Drupada, however, O king, of prowess equal to\nthat of Indra himself, beholding those weapons effulgent as the fire that\nblazeth forth at the hour of universal dissolution (thus) displayed, was\nnot confounded in the least. Checking those weapons by means of his own\nshafts, that mighty bowman, viz., Sikhandin, stayed there without moving.\nAnd then he took up another weapon, viz., the fierce Varuna weapon for\nbaffling (those fiery weapons of Salya). Then the celestials staying in\nthe firmament, and the kings of the earth also, all beheld Salya's\nweapons baffled by that Varuna weapon of Sikhandin. Meanwhile, the\nhigh-souled and heroic Bhishma, O king, in that battle, cut off the bow\nand the variegated standard also of Pandu's son, king Yudhishthira of the\nAjamida race. Thereupon casting aside his bow and arrows upon beholding\nYudhishthira overwhelmed with fear, and taking up a mace in that battle,\nBhimasena rushed, on foot, at Jayadratha. Then Jayadratha, with five\nhundred terrible arrows of keen points and each resembling the rod of\nDeath, pierced Bhimasena from every side who was thus rushing impetuously\nat him, mace in hand. Disregarding those arrows, the impetuous Vrikodara,\nwith heart filled with rage, slew in that battle all the steeds, born in\nAratta, of the king of the Sindhus. Then beholding Bhimasena on foot, thy\nson (Chitrasena) of unrivalled prowess and resembling the chief of the\ncelestials himself, quickly rushed at him on his car, with upraised\nweapons, for giving him his quietus. Bhima also, roaring and uttering a\nloud shout, rushed at him impetuously, mace in hand. Thereupon the\nKauravas all around beholding that upraised mace resembling the rod of\nDeath, forsaking thy brave son, fled away, desirous of avoiding its fall\n(amongst them). In that fierce and awful crush (of men), O Bharata,\nconfounding the senses, Chitrasena, however, beholding that mace coursing\ntowards him, was not deprived of his senses. Taking up a bright scimitar\nand a shield, he forsook his car and became a warrior on foot in the\nfield, for jumping down (from his vehicle) like a lion from the top of a\ncliff he came down upon the level ground. Meanwhile that mace, falling\nupon that beautiful car and destroying the vehicle itself with its steeds\nand charioteer in that battle, dropped on the ground like a blazing\nmeteor, loosened from the firmament, falling upon the earth. Then thy\ntroops, O Bharata, beholding that highly wonderful feat became filled\nwith joy, and all of them together set up a loud shout over the field of\nbattle. And the warriors all applauded thy son (for what they witnessed).\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVII\n\nSanjaya said,--\"Approaching then thy son Chitrasena of great energy who\nhad thus been deprived of his car, thy son Vikarna caused him to mount on\nhis car. And during the progress of that general engagement, so fierce\nand dreadful, Bhishma, the son of Santanu, impetuously rushed at\nYudhishthira. Then the Srinjayas with their cars, elephants, and horses,\ntrembled. And they regarded Yudhishthira to be already within the jaws of\nDeath. The lord Yudhishthira, however, of Kuru's race, accompanied by the\ntwins, proceeded towards that mighty bowman, that tiger among men viz.,\nBhishma. Then the son of Pandu, shooting in that battle thousands of\narrows, shrouded Bhishma like the clouds shrouding the sun. And those\nnumberless arrows, well shot by Yudhishthira, were received by the son of\nGanga in distinct sets by hundreds and thousands.[425] And so also, O\nsire, innumerable were the arrows shot by Bhishma (in return), which\nlooked like flights of insects coursing through the air. In half the time\ntaken up by a wink of the eye, Bhishma, the son of Santanu, in that\nbattle, made Kunti's son invisible by means of his numberless shafts shot\nin sets. Then king Yudhishthira, excited with rage, sped at the\nhigh-souled Kaurava a long arrow resembling a snake of virulent poison.\nThat mighty car-warrior, Bhishma, however, O king, cut off in that\ncombat, with a horse-shoe (headed) arrow, that shaft shot from\nYudhishthira's bow before it could reach him. Having cut off that long\narrow resembling Death himself, Bhishma then slew in that battle the\nsteeds, decked with gold, of that prince of Kuru's line. Then\nYudhishthira the son of Pandu, abandoning that car whose steeds had been\nslain, quickly mounted upon the car of the high-souled Nakula. Then\nBhishma that subjugator of hostile cities, excited with rage, and coming\nupon the twins in that battle, covered them with arrows. Beholding those\ntwo (brothers), O king, thus afflicted, with the arrows of Bhishma,\nYudhishthira began to reflect earnestly desirous, O monarch, of\n(compassing) Bhishma's destruction. Then Yudhishthira, O king, urged his\nfriends and the rulers (on his side), saying,--'Slay Bhishma the son of\nSantanu, uniting together.' Then all those rulers, hearing these words of\nPritha's son, surrounded the grandsire with a large number of cars. Thy\nsire Devavrata then, thus surrounded on all sides, began to sport, O\nking, with his bow, felling (all the while) many mighty car-warriors. Him\nof Kuru's race, thus careering over the field of battle, the Pandavas\nbeheld resembling a young lion in the forest amid a herd of deer.\nUttering a loud roar in that battle and striking fear into the hearts of\nbrave warriors by means of his shafts, the Kshatriyas beholding him, O\nking, were all struck with fear, like inferior animals upon seeing a\nlion. Indeed the Kshatriyas beheld the movements of that lion of\nBharata's race in battle to resemble those of a conflagration aided by\nthe wind while consuming a heap of dry grass. And Bhishma in that battle\nfelled the heads of car-warriors like a skilful man felling (with stones)\nripe (palmyra) fruits from trees that bear them. And the heads of\nwarriors, O king, falling upon the surface of the earth produced a loud\nnoise resembling that of a stony shower. During the progress of that\nfierce and dreadful battle a great confusion set in among all the troops.\nAnd in consequence of that confusion the arrays (of both armies) were\nbroken. And the Kshatriyas summoning one another individually, approached\none another for fight. Then Sikhandin, sighting the grandsire of the\nBharatas, rushed at him impetuously, saying,--'Wait, Wait'--Remembering,\nhowever, the femininity of Sikhandin, and disregarding him on that\naccount, Bhishma proceeded against the Srinjayas. Thereupon the\nSrinjayas, beholding Bhishma in that great battle, were filled with joy.\nAnd they set forth diverse kinds of loud shouts, mingled with the blare\nof their conches. Then commenced a fierce battle in course of which cars\nand elephants got entangled with one another. And it was that hour of the\nday, O lord, when the sun was on the other side (of the meridian). Then\nDhrishtadyumna, the prince of the Panchalas, and that mighty car-warrior\nSatyaki, greatly afflicted the (Bharata) host with showers of arrows and\nlances. And with innumerable shafts, O king, these two began to smite\ndown thy warriors in that battle. Thy combatants, however, O bull among\nmen, though slaughtered in battle (thus) retreated not from the fight,\nhaving formed an honourable resolution in that engagement. Indeed, thy\ntroops began to smite according to the measure of their courage. While,\nhowever, O king, thy high-souled combatants were being slaughtered by the\nillustrious son of Prishata, loud cries of woe were heard among them.\nHearing those loud cries, that couple of mighty car-warriors of thy army,\nviz., Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, quickly proceeded against Prishata's\nson. And those mighty car-warriors, speedily slaying his steeds, together\ncovered Prishata's son with showers of arrows. Thereupon that mighty\ncar-warrior, viz., the prince of the Panchalas, quickly jumping down from\nthat car of his, mounted without loss of time the car of the high-souled\nSatyaki. Then king Yudhishthira, supported by a large force, proceeded\nagainst those chastisers of foes, viz., the two princes of Avanti excited\nwith rage. Similarly thy son, O sire, with every preparation, stood,\nsurrounding Vinda and Anuvinda in that battle (for supporting them).\nArjuna also in that battle, excited with rage, fought against many bulls\nof the Kshatriya race, like the wielder of the thunder-bolt against the\nAsuras. Drona also, who always does what is agreeable to thy son,\ninflamed with wrath in that battle, began to consume the Panchalas like\nfire consuming a heap of cotton. Thy other sons, O king, owning\nDuryodhana as their chief, surrounding Bhishma in that battle, fought\nagainst the Pandavas. Then when the sun assumed a red hue,[426] king\nDuryodhana, O Bharata, addressing thy troops, said,--'Lose no time'--And\nwhile they were thus battling and achieving feats difficult of\naccomplishment, the sun having become invisible in consequence of his\nretirement behind the western hill, there soon flowed, towards dusk, an\nawful river whose current and billows were of blood, and which was\ninfested by innumerable jackals. And the field of battle became dreadful,\nabounding as it did with spirits and with those jackals howling\nhideously, forboding evil. Rakshasas and Pisachas and other cannibals\nwere seen all round, in hundreds and thousands. Then Arjuna, having\nvanquished those kings headed by Susarman along with all their followers,\nin the midst of their division, proceeded towards his tent. And the lord\nYudhishthira also of Kuru's race, accompanied by his brothers, and\nfollowed by his troops, proceeded, O king, when night set in, towards his\ntent. And Bhimasena, too, having vanquished those kings, viz., those\nwarriors headed by Duryodhana, proceeded towards his tent. And king\nDuryodhana (with his troops), surrounding Bhishma, the son of Santanu, in\nthat great battle proceeded towards his tent. And Drona, and Drona's son,\nand Kripa, and Salya, and Kritavarman of the Satwata race, surrounding\nthe whole (Dhartarashtra) army, proceeded towards their tents. And\nsimilarly Satyaki also, O king, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata,\nsurrounding their army, proceeded towards their tents. It was thus, O\nking, that those chastisers of foes, viz., thy troops and the Pandavas,\nceased to fight when darkness came. Then the Pandavas, and the Kauravas,\nretiring to their tents, entered the same, applauding one another. And\nmaking arrangements for the protection of their brave warriors and\ndisposing outposts according to rule, they plucked out the arrows (from\ntheir bodies) and bathed in diverse kinds of water. And Brahmanas\nperformed propitiatory rites for them, and bards sang their praises. And\nthose renowned men sported for a while in accompaniment with music both\nvocal and instrumental. And for a while the whole scene resembled heaven\nitself. And those bulls among men for a while spoke not of battle. And\nwhen both armies abounding with tired men and elephants and steeds slept\nthere, they became, O monarch, beautiful to behold.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVIII\n\nSanjaya said, \"Having passed the night in sound sleep, those rulers of\nmen, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, once more proceeded to battle. And\nwhen the troops of both armies were about to proceed to the field, great\nwas the uproar heard there, resembling the loud uproar of the ocean\nitself. Then king Duryodhana, and Chitrasena, and Vivinsati, and that\nforemost of car-warriors, viz., Bhishma and Bharadwaja's son possessed of\ngreat prowess,--those mighty car-warriors, clad in mail and uniting\ntogether, O King, formed with great care the array of the Kauravas\nagainst the Pandavas. Having formed that mighty array fierce as the ocean\nand having for its billows and current its steeds and elephants, thy sire\nBhishma, the son of Santanu, then, O king, proceeded in the van of the\nwhole army, supported by the Malavas, and the inhabitants of the southern\ncountries, and the Avantis. Next to him was the valiant son of\nBharadwaja, accompanied by the Pulindas, the Paradas, and the\nKshudraka-Malavas. Next to Drona was the valiant Bhagadatta, O king,\nfirmly resolved on fight, accompanied by the Magadhas, the Kalingas, and\nthe Pisachas. Behind Bhagadatta was Vrihadvala the king of the Kosalas\naccompanied by the Melakas, the Tripuras, and the Chichilas. Next to\nVrihadvala was the brave Trigarta, the ruler of the Prasthala,\naccompanied by a large number of the Kamvojas, and by Yavanas in\nthousands. Next to the ruler of the Trigartas, O Bharata, proceeded that\nmighty hero, viz., the son of Drona, uttering leonine roars and filling\nthe earth with those shouts. Next to Drona's son proceeded king\nDuryodhana with the whole army, surrounded by his uterine brothers.\nBehind Duryodhana proceeded Kripa the son of Saradwat. It was thus that\nthat mighty array, resembling the very ocean, advanced (to battle). And\nstandards and white umbrellas, O lord, and beautiful bracelets and costly\nbows shed their effulgence there. And beholding that mighty array of thy\nforces, that great car-warrior Yudhishthira, speedily addressed the\ngeneralissimo (of his forces), viz., Prishata's son saying, 'Behold, O\ngreat bowman, that array, already formed, resembling the ocean. Do thou\nalso, O son of Prishata, form without delay thy counter-array.' (Thus\naddressed), the heroic son of Prishata, O great king, formed that\nterrible array called Sringataka that is destructive of all hostile\narrays. At the horns were Bhimasena and that mighty car-warrior, viz.,\nSatyaki, with many thousands of cars as also of horse and infantry. Next\nto them was that foremost of men, (viz., Arjuna) of white steeds and\nhaving Krishna for his charioteer.[427] In the centre were king\nYudhishthira and the twin sons of Pandu by Madri. Other royal bowmen,\nconversant with the science of arrays, with their troops, filled up that\narray. In the rear were ordered Abhimanyu, and that mighty car-warrior,\nVirata, and the sons of Draupadi and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha. Thus, O\nBharata, having formed their mighty array, the heroic Pandavas waited on\nthe field, longing for battle and desirous of victory. And the loud noise\nof drums mingling with the blare of conches and leonine roars and shouts\n(of the combatants) and the slapping of their armpits, became terrible\nand filled all the points of the compass. Then those brave warriors,\napproaching one another for battle, looked at one another, O king, with\nwinkless eyes. Then O ruler of men, the warriors, first challenging each\nother by name, engaged with each other.[428] Then commenced a fierce and\nterrible battle between thy troops and those of the foe striking one\nanother. And in that battle, O Bharata, whetted shafts fell in showers\nlike terrible snakes with mouths wide open. And polished darts of\nimpetuous force, washed with oil, O king, shone like the effulgent\nflashes of lightning from the clouds. And maces decked with gold and\nattached to bright slings were seen to fall all over the field,\nresembling beautiful crests of hills. And sabres of the colour of the\nclear (blue) sky, O Bharata, and shields of bull's hides and decked with\na hundred moons, as they fell everywhere over the field, O king, looked\nbeautiful. And as the two armies, O king, were engaged in battle with\neach other, they looked resplendent like the celestial and the demoniac\nhosts battling with each other. All around they rushed against one\nanother in battle. Foremost of royal car-warriors, impetuously dashing\nagainst car-warriors in that dreadful battle, fought on, with the yokes\nof their cars entangled with those of their adversaries. And, O bull of\nBharata's race, all over the field flashes of fire mixed with smoke were\ngenerated, in consequence of friction, in the tusks of battling\nelephants. And combatants on the backs of elephants, struck with lances,\nwere seen all around to fall down like blocks (loosened) from crests of\nhills.[429] And brave foot-soldiers, battling with their bare arms or\nwith lances, and striking one another, looked exceedingly beautiful. And\nthe warriors of the Kaurava and the Pandava hosts, coming upon one\nanother in that conflict, despatched one another with diverse kinds of\nshafts to the abode of Yama. Then Bhishma, the son of Santanu, filling\n(the air) with the rattle of his car, and depriving the foe of his senses\nby the twang of his bow, rushed against the Pandavas in battle. The\ncar-warriors of the Pandavas, too, headed by Dhrishtadyumna, uttering\nfierce shouts, rushed at him, firmly resolved on fight. Then commenced, O\nBharata, a battle between the infantry, car-warriors, and elephants, of\ntheirs and thine, in which the combatants became all entangled with one\nanother.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIX\n\nSanjaya said, \"The Pandavas were incapable of even looking at Bhishma\nexcited with rage in battle and scorching every side like the Sun himself\nshedding scorching heat. Then all the (Pandava) troops, at the command of\nDharma's son, rushed at the son of Ganga who was grinding (everything)\nwith his whetted arrows. Bhishma, however, who delighted in battle felled\nthe mightiest of bowmen amongst the Srinjayas and the Panchalas, with his\nshafts. Though thus slaughtered by Bhishma, the Panchalas along with the\nSomakas still rushed impetuously at him, forsaking the fear of death. The\nheroic Bhishma, the son of Santanu, however, in that battle, cut off, O\nking, the arms and heads of their car-warriors. Thy sire, Devavrata\ndeprived their car-warriors of cars. And the heads of cavalry soldiers on\ntheir chargers fell fast. And we beheld, O king, huge elephants looking\nlike hills, deprived of their riders, and paralysed with Bhishma's\nweapons, lying all around. Amongst the Pandavas, O king, there was no\nother man save that foremost of car-warriors, the mighty Bhimasena, (who\ncould resist Bhishma). Indeed, Bhima alone, approaching Bhishma,\nencountered him in battle. Then in that encounter between Bhima and\nBhishma, a fierce and terrible uproar arose among all the troops (of the\nKauravas). The Pandavas then, filled with joy, uttered leonine shouts.\nDuring that destructive carnage, king Duryodhana, surrounded by his\nuterine brothers, protected Bhishma in that battle. Then that foremost of\ncar-warriors, viz., Bhima, slew Bhishma's charioteer. Thereupon the\nsteeds no longer controlled, ran away from the field with car. Then that\nslayer of foes, viz., Bhima with a sharp arrow having a horse-shoe head,\ncut off the head of Sunabha. (Thus) slain, the latter fell down on the\nearth. When that son of thine, that mighty car-warrior and great bowman\nwas slain, seven of his heroic brothers, O sire, could not (quietly) bear\n(that act). These, viz., Adityaketu and Vahvasin, and Kundadhara and\nMahodara, and Aparajita, and Panditaka and the invincible Visalaksha,\nclad in variegated armour and with their beautiful coats of mail and\nweapons,--these grinders of foes desirous of battle,--rushed against the\nson of Pandu. And Mahodara, in that battle, pierced Bhimasena with nine\nwinged arrows, each resembling the thunder-bolt in force, like the slayer\nof Vritra striking (the great Asura) Namuchi. And Adityaketu struck him\nwith seventy shafts, and Vishnu with five. And Kundadhara struck him with\nninety shafts, and Visalaksha with seven. And that conqueror of foes, the\nmighty car-warrior Aparajita, O king, struck Bhimasena of great strength\nwith many arrows. And Panditaka also, in battle, pierced him with three\narrows. Bhima, however, did not (quietly) bear these attacks of his foes\nin battle. Forcibly grasping the bow with his left hand, that grinder of\nfoes cut off, in that battle, the head, with a straight shaft, of thy son\nAparajita, graced with a fine nose. Thus vanquished by Bhima, his head\nthen dropped on the ground. Then, in the very sight of all the troops,\nBhima despatched, with another broad-headed arrow, the mighty car-warrior\nKundadhara to the domain of Death. Then that hero of immeasurable soul,\nonce more aiming an arrow, sped it, O Bharata, at Panditaka in that\nbattle. And the arrow killing Panditaka, entered the earth, like a snake\nimpelled by Death quickly entering the earth after despatching the person\n(whose hour had come). Of undepressed soul, that hero then, O king,\nrecollecting his former woes, felled Visalaksha's head, cutting it off\nwith three arrows. Then Bhima, in that battle, struck the mighty bowman\nMahodara in the centre of the chest with a long shaft. Slain (therewith),\nO king, the latter fell down on the earth. Then, O Bharata, cutting off\nwith an arrow the umbrella of Adityaketu in that battle, he severed his\nhead with another broad-headed shaft of exceeding sharpness. Then, O\nmonarch, excited with rage, Bhima, with another straight shaft,\ndespatched Vahvasin towards the abode of Yama. Then thy other sons, O\nking, all fled away regarding the words to be true which Bhima had\nuttered in the (midst of the Kaurava) assembly.[430] Then king Duryodhana\nafflicted with sorrow on account of his brothers, addressed all his\ntroops, saying, 'There is Bhima. Let him be slain.' Thus, O king, thy\nsons, those mighty bowmen, beholding their brothers slain, recollected\nthose words beneficial and peaceful, that Vidura of great wisdom had\nspoken. Indeed, those words of the truthful Vidura are now being\nrealised,--those beneficial words, O king, which, influenced by\ncovetousness and folly as also by affection for thy sons, thou couldst\nnot then understand. From the way in which that mighty armed hero is\nslaying the Kauravas, it seemeth that that mighty son of Pandu hath\nassuredly taken his birth for the destruction of thy sons. Meanwhile,\nking Duryodhana, O sire, overwhelmed with great grief, went to Bhishma,\nand there, overcome with sorrow, he began to lament, saying, 'My heroic\nbrothers have been slain in battle by Bhimasena. Although, again, all our\ntroops are fighting bravely, yet they also are falling. Thou seemest to\ndisregard us, behaving (as thou dost) like an indifferent spectator,\nAlas, what course have I taken. Behold my evil destiny.'\"\n\nSanjaya continued. \"Hearing these cruel words of Duryodhana, thy sire\nDevavrata with eyes filled with tears, said this unto him.[431] 'Even\nthis was said by me before, as also by Drona, and Vidura, and the\nrenowned Gandhari. O son, thou didst not then comprehend it. O grinder of\nfoes, it hath also been before settled by me that neither myself, nor\nDrona, will ever escape with life from this battle. I tell thee truly\nthat those upon whom Bhima will cast his eyes in battle, he will surely\nslay. Therefore, O king, summoning all thy patience, and firmly resolved\non battle, fight with the sons of Pritha, making heaven thy goal. As\nregards the Pandavas, they are incapable of being vanquished by the very\ngods with Vasava (at their head). Therefore, setting thy heart firmly on\nbattle, fight, O Bharata.--'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XC\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"Beholding my sons, so many in number, O Sanjaya,\nslain by a single person, what did Bhishma and Drona and Kripa do in\nbattle?[432] Day after day, O Sanjaya, my sons are being slain. I think,\nO Suta, that they are completely overtaken by evil destiny, inasmuch as\nmy sons never conquer but are always vanquished. When my sons staying in\nthe midst of those unretreating heroes, viz., Drona and Bhishma, and the\nhigh-souled Kripa, and Somadatta's heroic son and Bhagadatta, and\nAswatthaman also, O son, and other brave warriors, are being still slain\nin battle, what can it be said save the result of fate?[433] The wicked\nDuryodhana did not comprehend (our) words before, though admonished by\nme, O son, and by Bhishma and Vidura. (Though forbidden) always by\nGandhari, too, from motives of doing him good, Duryodhana of wicked\nunderstanding awoke not before from folly.[434] That (conduct) hath now\nborne fruit, inasmuch as Bhimasena, excited with wrath, despatcheth, day\nafter day in battle, my insensate sons to the abode of Yama.\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"Those excellent words of Vidura, uttered for thy good, but\nwhich thou didst not then understand, have now come to be realised.\nVidura had said, 'Restrain thy sons from the dice.' Like a man whose hour\nis come refusing the proper medicine, thou didst not then listen to the\nwords of well-wishing friends counselling thee (for thy good). Those\nwords uttered by the righteous have now been realised before thee.\nIndeed, the Kauravas are now being destroyed for having rejected those\nwords, deserving of acceptance, of Vidura and Drona and Bhishma and thy\nother well-wishers. These very consequences happened even then when thou\ndeclinedst to listen to those counsels. Hear now, however, to my\nnarration of the battle exactly as it has happened.[435] At midday the\nbattle became exceedingly awful and fraught with great carnage. Listen to\nme, O king, as I describe it. Then all the troops (of the Pandava army),\nexcited with rage, rushed, at the command of Dharma's son, against\nBhishma alone from desire of slaying him. Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin,\nand the mighty car-warrior Satyaki, accompanied, O king, by their forces,\nproceeded against Bhishma alone. And those mighty car-warriors, viz.,\nVirata and Drupada, with all the Somakas, rushed in battle against\nBhishma alone. And the Kaikeyas, and Dhrishtaketu, and Kuntibhoja,\nequipped in mail and supported by their forces, rushed, O king, against\nBhishma alone. And Arjuna, and the sons of Draupadi, and Chekitana of\ngreat prowess, proceeded against all the kings under the command of\nDuryodhana. And the heroic Abhimanyu, and that mighty car-warrior, viz.,\nthe son of Hidimva, and Bhimasena excited with wrath, rushed against the\n(other) Kauravas. (Thus) the Pandavas, divided into three bodies began to\nslaughter the Kauravas. And similarly the Kauravas also, O king, began to\nslaughter their foes.[436] That foremost of car-warriors, viz., Drona\nexcited with wrath, rushed against the Somakas and the Srinjayas,\ndesirous of sending them to the abode of Yama. Thereupon loud cries of\nwoe arose among the brave Srinjayas while they were being slaughtered, O\nking, by Bharadwaja's son bow in hand. Large numbers of Kshatriyas,\nstruck down by Drona, were seen to all convulsing like persons writhing\nin the agony of disease. All over the field were continuously heard moans\nand shrieks and groans resembling those of persons afflicted with hunger.\nAnd so the mighty Bhimasena, excited with wrath, and like unto a second\nYama, caused a terrible carnage amongst the Kaurava troops. There in that\ndreadful battle, in consequence of the warriors slaying one another, a\nterrible river began to flow whose billowy current consisted of\nblood.[437] And that battle, O king, between the Kurus and the Pandavas,\nbecoming fierce and awful, began to swell the population of Yama's\nkingdom. Then in that battle Bhima excited with wrath, fell with great\nimpetuosity upon the elephant division (of the Kauravas) and began to\nsend many to the regions of Death. Then, O Bharata, struck with Bhima's\nshafts, some of those beasts fell down, some were paralysed, some\nshrieked (in pain), and some ran away in all directions. Huge elephants,\ntheir trunks cut off and limbs mangled, screaming like cranes, began, O\nking, to fall down on the earth. Nakula and Sahadeva fell upon the\n(Kaurava) cavalry. Many steeds with garlands of gold on their heads and\nwith their necks and breasts adorned with ornaments of gold, were seen to\nbe slain in hundreds and thousands. The earth, O king, was strewn with\nfallen steeds. And some were deprived of their tongues; and some breathed\nhard; and some uttered low moans, and some were void of life. The earth\nlooked beautiful, O chief of men, with those steeds of such diverse\nkinds. At the same time, O Bharata, she looked fiercely resplendent, O\nmonarch, with a large number of kings slain by Arjuna in that battle. And\nstrewn with broken cars and rent banners and brilliant umbrellas, with\ntorn chamaras and fans, and mighty weapons broken into fragments, with\ngarlands and necklaces of gold, with bracelets, with heads decked with\near-rings, with head-gears loosened (from off heads), with standards,\nwith beautiful bottoms of cars, O king, and with traces and reins, the\nearth shone as brightly as she does in spring when strewn with flowers.\nAnd it was thus, O Bharata, that the Pandava host suffered destruction\nwhen Bhishma the son of Santanu, and Drona that foremost of car-warriors,\nand Aswatthaman, and Kripa, and Kritavarman, were inflamed with wrath.\nAnd similarly thy army also suffered the same kind of destruction when\nthe other side, viz., the Pandava heroes were excited with rage.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCI\n\nSanjaya said, \"During the progress, O king, of that fierce battle fraught\nwith the slaughter of great heroes, Sakuni the glorious son of Suvala,\nrushed against the Pandavas. And so also, O monarch, Hridika's son of the\nSatwata race, that slayer of hostile heroes, rushed in that battle\nagainst the Pandava ranks. And smiling the while, (several warriors on\nthy side), with a large number of steeds consisting of the best of the\nKamvoja breed as also of those born in the country of the Rivers, and of\nthose belonging to Aratta and Mahi and Sindhu, and of those of Vanayu\nalso that were white in hue, and lastly those of hilly countries,\nsurrounded (the Pandava army).[438] And so also with horses, exceedingly\nswift, fleet as the very winds, and belonging to the Tittri breed,\n(others encompassed that army). And with many horses, clad in mail and\ndecked with gold, the foremost of their class and fleet as the winds the\nmighty son of Arjuna (viz., Iravat), that slayer of foes, approached the\n(Kaurava) force. This handsome and valiant son of Arjuna, named Iravat,\nwas begotten upon the daughter of the king of the Nagas by the\nintelligent Partha. Her husband having been slain by Garuda, she became\nhelpless, and of cheerless soul. Childless as she was, she was bestowed\n(upon Arjuna) by the high-souled Airavat. Partha accepted her for wife,\ncoming to him as she did under the influence of desire. It was thus that\nthat son of Arjuna was begotten upon the wife of another.[439] Abandoned\nby his wicked uncle from hatred of Partha, he grew up in the region of\nthe Nagas, protected by his mother. And he was handsome and endued with\ngreat strength, possessed of diverse accomplishments, and of prowess\nincapable of being baffled. Hearing that Arjuna had gone to the region of\nIndra, he speedily went thither. And the mighty-armed Iravat, possessed\nof prowess incapable of being baffled, approaching his sire, saluted him\nduly, standing before him with joined hands. And he introduced himself to\nthe high-souled Arjuna, saying, 'I am Iravat, blessed be thou, and I am\nthy son, O lord'. And he reminded Arjuna of all the circumstances\nconnected with the latter's meeting with his mother. And thereupon the\nson of Pandu recollected all those circumstances exactly as they\nhappened. Embracing his son then who resembled himself in\naccomplishments, Partha, in Indra's abode, was filled with joy. The\nmighty-armed Iravat then, O king, in the celestial regions was, O\nBharata, joyfully commanded by Arjuna, with regard to his own business,\n(in these words), 'When the battle takes place, assistance should be\nrendered by thee'. Saying 'Yes', O lord, he went away. And now at the\ntime of battle he presented himself, O king, accompanied with a large\nnumber of steeds of great fleetness and beautiful colour. And those\nsteeds, decked with ornaments of gold, of various colours and exceeding\nfleetness, suddenly coursed over the field, O king, like swans on the\nbosom of the vast deep. And those steeds falling upon thine of exceeding\nswiftness, struck their chests and noses against those of thine.\nAfflicted by their own impetuous clash (against thine), they suddenly\nfell down, O king, on the earth. And in consequence of those steeds as\nalso of thine occasioned by that clash, loud sounds were heard resembling\nwhat occurs at Garuda's swoop. And the rider of those steeds, O king,\nthus dashing against one another in that battle, began to slay one\nanother fiercely. And during that general engagement which was fierce and\nterrible, the chargers of both sides (escaping from press of battle) ran\nwildly away over the field. Weakened by one another's shafts, brave\nwarriors, with their horses killed under them, and themselves worn out\nwith exertion, perished fast sabring one another. Then when those cavalry\ndivisions were thinned and a remnant only survived, the younger brothers\nof Suvala's son, possessed of great wisdom, rode out, O Bharata (from the\nKaurava array) to the van of battle, mounted on excellent chargers that\nresembled the tempest itself in both fleetness and the violence of their\ndash and that were well-trained and neither old nor young.[440] Those six\nbrothers endued with great strength, viz., Gaya, Gavaksha, Vrishava,\nCharmavat, Arjava, and Suka dashed out of the mighty (Kaurava) array,\nsupported by Sakuni and by their respective forces of great valour,\nthemselves clad in mail, skilled in battle, fierce in mien, and possessed\nof exceeding might. Breaking through that invincible cavalry division (of\nthe Pandavas), O thou of mighty arms, those Gandhara warriors who could\nwith difficulty be vanquished, supported by a large force, desirous of\nheaven, longing for victory, and filled with delight, penetrated into it.\nBeholding them filled with joy, the valiant Iravat, addressing his own\nwarriors decked with diverse ornaments and weapons, said unto them,\n'Adopt such contrivances in consequence of which these Dhritarashtra\nwarriors with their weapons and animals may all be destroyed.' Saying\n'Yes', all those warriors of Iravat began to slay those mighty and\ninvincible Dhartarashtra soldiers. Beholding that their own warriors were\nthus overthrown by Iravat's division, those sons of Suvala being unable\nto bear it coolly, all rushed at Iravat and surrounded him on all sides.\nAnd commanding (all their followers) to attack those of Iravat with\nlances, those heroes swept over the field, creating a great confusion.\nAnd Iravat, pierced with lances by those high-souled warriors, and bathed\nin blood that trickled down (his wounds), looked like an elephant pierced\nwith the hook. Wounded deeply on the chest, back, and flanks, singly\nencountering the many, he did not yet, O king, swerve from his (natural)\nfirmness. Indeed, Iravat, excited with rage, deprived all those\nadversaries of their senses, piercing them, in that battle, with sharp\nshafts. And that chastiser of foes, tearing those lances from off his\nbody, struck with them the sons of Suvala in battle. Then unsheathing his\npolished sword and taking a shield, he rushed on foot, desirous of\nslaying Suvala's sons in that combat. The sons of Suvala, however,\nrecovering their senses, once more rushed at Iravat, excited with wrath.\nIravat, however, proud of his might, and displaying his lightness of\nhand, proceeded towards all of them, armed with his sword. Moving as he\ndid with great activity, the sons of Suvala, although they moved about on\ntheir fleet steeds, could not find an opportunity for striking that hero\n(on foot). Beholding him then on foot, his foes surrounded him closely\nand wished to take him captive. Then that crusher of foes, seeing them\ncontiguous to himself, struck off, with his sword, both their right and\nleft arms, and mangled their other limbs. Then those arms of theirs\nadorned with gold, and their weapons, fell down on the earth, and they\nthemselves, with limbs mangled, fell down on the field, deprived of life.\nOnly Vrishava, O king, with many wounds on his person, escaped (with\nlife) from that dreadful battle destructive of heroes. Beholding them\nlying on the field of battle, thy son Duryodhana, excited with wrath said\nunto that Rakshasa of terrible mien, viz., Rishyasringa's son\n(Alamvusha), that great bowman versed in illusion, that chastiser of\nfoes, who bore feelings of animosity against Bhimasena in consequence of\nthe slaughter of Vaka, these words: 'Behold, O hero, how the mighty son\nof Phalguni, versed in illusion, hath done me a severe injury by\ndestroying my forces. Thou also, O sire, art capable of going everywhere\nat will and accomplished in all weapons of illusion. Thou cherishest\nanimosity also for Partha. Therefore, do thou slay this one in battle.'\nSaying 'Yes', that Rakshasa of terrible mien proceeded with a leonine\nroar to that spot where the mighty and youthful son of Arjuna was. And he\nwas supported by the heroic warriors of his own division, accomplished in\nsmiting, well-mounted, skilled in battle and fighting with bright lances.\nAccompanied by the remnant of that excellent cavalry division (of the\nKauravas), he proceeded, desirous of slaying in battle the mighty Iravat.\nThat slayer of foes, viz., the valiant Iravat, excited with rage, and\nadvancing speedily from desire of slaying the Rakshasa, began to resist\nhim. Beholding him advance, the mighty Rakshasa speedily set himself\nabout for displaying his powers of illusion. The Rakshasa then created a\nnumber of illusive chargers which were ridden by terrible Rakshasas armed\nwith spears and axes. Those two thousand accomplished smiters advancing\nwith rage, were however, soon sent to the regions of Yama, (falling in\nthe encounter with Iravat's forces). And when the forces of both\nperished, both of them, invincible in battle, encountered each other like\nVritra and Vasava. Beholding the Rakshasa, who was difficult of being\nvanquished in battle, advancing towards him, the mighty Iravat, excited\nwith rage, began to check his onset. And when the Rakshasa approached him\nnearer, Iravat with his sword quickly cut off his bow, as also each of\nhis shafts into five fragments. Seeing his bow cut off, the Rakshasa\nspeedily rose up into the welkin, confounding with his illusion the\nenraged Iravat. Then Iravat also, difficult of approach, capable of\nassuming any form at will, and having a knowledge of what are the vital\nlimbs of the body, rising up into the welkin, and confounding with his\nillusion the Rakshasa began to cut off the latter's limbs in that battle\nand thus were the limbs of the Rakshasa repeatedly cut into several\npieces.[441] [(Rakshasa ceases to be italicized at this point for a\ncouple of pages.--JBH)] Then the Rakshasa, however, O king, was re-born,\nassuming a youthful appearance. Illusion is natural with them, and their\nage and form are both dependent on their will. And the limbs of that\nRakshasa, O king, cut into pieces, presented a beautiful sight. Iravat,\nexcited with rage, repeatedly cut that mighty Rakshasa with his sharp\naxe. The brave Rakshasa, thus cut into pieces like a tree by the mighty\nIravat, roared fiercely. And those roars of his became deafening.\nMangled with the axe, the Rakshasa began to pour forth blood in torrents.\nThen (Alamvusha), the mighty son of Rishyasringa, beholding his foe\nblazing forth with energy, became infuriate with rage and himself put\nforth his prowess in that combat. Assuming a prodigious and fierce form,\nhe endeavoured to seize the heroic son of Arjuna, viz., the renowned\nIravat. In the sight of all the combatants there present, beholding that\nillusion of the wicked Rakshasa in the van of battle, Iravat became\ninflamed with rage and adopted steps for himself having recourse to\nillusion. And when that hero, never retreating from battle, became\ninflamed with wrath, a Naga related to him by his mother's side, came to\nhim. Surrounded on all sides, in that battle by Nagas, that Naga, O king,\nassumed a huge form mighty as Ananta himself. With diverse kinds of Nagas\nthen he covered the Rakshasa. While being covered by those Nagas, that\nbull among Rakshasas reflected for a moment, and assuming the form of\nGaruda, he devoured those snakes. When that Naga of his mother's line was\ndevoured through illusion, Iravat became confounded. And while in that\nstate, the Rakshasa slew him with his sword, Alamvusha felled on the\nearth Iravat's head decked with ear-rings and graced with a diadem and\nlooking beautiful like a lotus or the moon.\n\n\"When the heroic son of Arjuna was thus slain by the Rakshasa, the\nDhartarashtra host with all the kings (in it) were freed from grief. In\nthat great battle that was so fierce, awful was the carnage that occurred\namong both the divisions. Horses and elephants and foot-soldiers\nentangled with one another, were slain by tuskers. And many steeds and\ntuskers were slain by foot-soldiers. And in that general engagement\nbodies of foot-soldiers and cars, and large numbers of horses belonging\nboth to thy army and theirs, were slain, O king, by car-warriors.\nMeanwhile, Arjuna, not knowing that the son of his loins had been\nslaughtered, slew in that battle many kings who had been protecting\nBhishma. And the warriors, O king, of thy army and the Srinjayas, by\nthousands, poured out their lives as libations (on the fire of battle),\nstriking one another. And many car-warriors, with dishevelled hair, and\nwith swords and bows fallen from their grasp fought with their bare arms,\nencountering one another. The mighty Bhishma also, with shafts capable of\npenetrating into the very vitals, slew many mighty car-warriors and\ncaused the Pandava army to tremble (the while). By him were slain many\ncombatants in Yudhishthira's host, and many tuskers and cavalry-soldiers\nand car-warriors and steeds. Beholding, O Bharata, the prowess of Bhishma\nin that battle, it seemed to us that it was equal to that of Sakra\nhimself. And the prowess of Bhimasena, as also that of Parshata, was\nhardly less, O Bharata, (than that of Bhishma). And so also the battle\nfought by that great bowman (viz., Satyaki) of Satwata's race, was\nequally fierce. Beholding, however, the prowess of Drona, the Pandavas\nwere struck with fear. Indeed they thought, 'Alone, Drona can slay us\nwith all our troops. What then should be said of him when he is\nsurrounded by a large body of warriors who for their bravery are renowned\nover the world?' Even this, O king, was what the Partha said, afflicted by\nDrona. During the progress of that fierce battle, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, the brave combatants of neither army forgave their adversaries of\nthe other. O sire, the mighty bowmen of both thy army and that of the\nPandavas, inflamed with wrath, fought furiously with one another, as if\nthey were possessed of by the Rakshasas and demons. Indeed, he did not\nsee any one in the battle which was so destructive of lives and which was\nconsidered as a battle of the demons, to take of life.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCII\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"Tell me, O Sanjaya, all that the mighty Partha did\nin battle when they heard that Iravat had been slain.\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"Beholding Iravat slain in battle, the Rakshasa\nGhatotkacha, the son of Bhimasena, uttered loud shouts. And in\nconsequence of the loudness of those roars, the earth having the ocean\nfor her robes, along with her mountains and forests, began to tremble\nviolently. And the welkin also and the quarters both cardinal and\nsubsidiary, all trembled. And hearing those loud roars of his, O Bharata,\nthe thighs and other limbs of the troops began to tremble, and sweat also\nappeared on their persons. And all thy combatants, O king, became\ncheerless of heart. And all over the field the warriors stood still, like\nan elephant afraid of the lion. And the Rakshasa, uttering those loud\nroars resembling the rattle of thunder, assuming a terrible form, and\nwith a blazing spear upraised in hand, and surrounded by many bulls among\nRakshasas of fierce forms armed with diverse weapons, advanced, excited\nwith rage and resembling the Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga.\nBeholding him advance in wrath and with a terrible countenance, and\nseeing also his own troops almost all running away from fear of that\nRakshasa, king Duryodhana rushed against Ghatotkacha, taking up his bow\nwith arrow fixed on the string, and repeatedly roaring like a lion.\nBehind him proceeded the ruler of the Vangas, with ten thousand\nelephants, huge as hills, and each with juice trickling down. Beholding\nthy son, O king, (thus) advancing surrounded by that elephant division,\nthat ranger of the night (viz., Ghatotkacha) was highly inflamed with\nrage. Then commenced a battle with utmost vehemences that made the hair\nstand on end, between the formidable Rakshasa and the troops of\nDuryodhana. And beholding also that elephant division risen (on the\nhorizon) like a cloud, the Rakshasas, inflamed with rage, rushed towards\nit, weapons in hand, and uttering diverse roars like clouds charged with\nlightning. With arrows and darts and swords and long shafts, as also with\nspears and mallets and battle-axes and short arrows, they began to smite\ndown that elephant host. And they slew huge elephants with\nmountain-summits and large trees. While the Rakshasas slew those\nelephants, O king, we saw that some of them had their frontal globes\nsmashed, some were bathed in blood, and some had their limbs broken or\ncut through. At last when that elephant host was broken and thinned,\nDuryodhana, O king, rushed upon the Rakshasas, under the influence of\nrage and becoming reckless of his very life. And that mighty warrior sped\nclouds of sharp shafts at the Rakshasas. And that great bowman slew many\nof their foremost warriors. Inflamed with rage, O chief of the Bharatas,\nthat mighty car-warrior, viz., thy son Duryodhana, then slew with four\nshafts four of the principal Rakshasas, viz., Vegavat, Maharudra,\nVidyujihva, and Pramathin. And once again, O chief of the Bharatas, that\nwarrior of immeasurable soul, sped at the Rakshasa host showers of arrows\nthat could with difficulty be resisted. Beholding that great feat of thy\nson, O sire, the mighty son of Bhimasena blazed up with wrath. Drawing\nhis large bow effulgent as the lightning, he rushed impetuously at the\nwrathful Duryodhana. Beholding him (thus) rushing like Death himself\ncommissioned by the Destroyer, thy son Duryodhana, O king, shook not at\nall. With eyes red in anger, and excited with rage, Ghatotkacha, then,\naddressing thy son, said, 'I shall today be freed from the debt I owe to\nmy sires, as also to my mother, they that had so long been exiled by thy\ncruel self. The sons of Pandu, O king, were vanquished by thee in that\nmatch at dice. Drupada's daughter Krishna also, while ill and, therefore,\nclad in a single raiment, was brought into the assembly and great trouble\nwas given by thee in diverse ways, O thou most wicked, unto her. While\ndwelling also in her sylvan retreat, thy well-wisher, that wicked wight,\nviz., the ruler of the Sindhus, persecuted her further, disregarding my\nsires. For these and other wrongs, O wretch of thy race, I shall today\ntake vengeance if thou dost not quit the field.' Having said these words,\nHidimva's son, drawing his gigantic bow, biting his (nether) lip with his\nteeth, and licking the corners of his mouth, covered Duryodhana with a\nprofuse shower, like a mass of clouds covering the mountain-breast with\ntorrents of rain in the rainy season.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCIII\n\nSanjaya said,--\"That arrowy shower, difficult of being borne by even the\nDanavas, king Duryodhana, however, (quietly) bore in that battle, like a\ngigantic elephant bearing a shower (from the blue).[442] Then filled with\nanger and sighing like a snake, thy son, O bull of Bharata's race, was\nplaced in a position of great danger. He then shot five and twenty sharp\narrows of keen points. These, O king, fell with great force on that bull\namong Rakshasas, like angry snakes of virulent poison on the breast of\nGandhamadana. Pierced with those shafts, blood trickled down the\nRakshasa's body and he looked like an elephant with rent temples.[443]\nThereupon that cannibal set his heart upon the destruction of the (Kuru)\nking. And he took up a huge dart that was capable of piercing even a\nmountain. Blazing with light, effulgent as a large meteor, it flamed with\nradiance like the lightning itself. And the mighty-armed Ghatotkacha,\ndesirous of slaying thy son, raised that dart. Beholding that dart\nupraised, the ruler of the Vangas mounting upon an elephant huge as a\nhill, drove towards the Rakshasa. On the field of battle, with the mighty\nelephant of great speed, Bhagadatta placed himself in the very front of\nDuryodhana's car. And with that elephant he completely shrouded the car\nof thy son. Beholding then the way (to Duryodhana's car) thus covered by\nthe intelligent king of the Vangas, the eyes of Ghatotkacha, O king,\nbecame red in anger. And he hurled that huge dart, before upraised, at\nthat elephant. Struck, O king, with that dart hurled from the arms of\nGhatotkacha, that elephant, covered with blood and in great agony, fell\ndown and died. The mighty king of the Vangas, however, quickly jumping\ndown from that elephant, alighted on the ground. Duryodhana then\nbeholding the prince of elephants slain, and seeing also his troops\nbroken and giving way, was filled with anguish. From regard, however, for\na Kshatriya's duty[444] as also his own pride, the king, though defeated,\nstood firm like a hill. Filled with wrath and aiming a sharp arrow that\nresembled the Yuga fire in energy, he sped it at that fierce wanderer of\nthe night. Beholding that arrow, blazing as Indra's bolt, thus coursing\ntowards him, the high-souled Ghatotkacha baffled it by the celerity of\nhis movements. With eyes red in wrath, he once more shouted fiercely,\nfrightening all thy troops, like the clouds that appear at the end of the\nYuga. Hearing those fierce roars of the terrible Rakshasa, Bhishma the\nson of Santanu, approaching the preceptor, said these words, 'These\nfierce roars that are heard, uttered by Rakshasas, without doubt indicate\nthat Hidimva's son is battling with king Duryodhana. That Rakshasa is\nincapable of being vanquished in battle by any creature. Therefore,\nblessed be ye, go thither and protect the king. The blessed Duryodhana\nhath been attacked by the high-souled Rakshasa. Therefore, ye chastisers\nof foes, even this is our highest duty.[445]' Hearing those words of the\ngrandsire, those mighty car-warriors without loss of time and with the\nutmost speed, proceeded to the spot when the king of the Kurus was. They\nmet Duryodhana and Somadatta and Valhika and Jayadratha; and Kripa and\nBhurisravas and Salya, and the two princes of Avanti along with\nVrihadvala, and Aswatthaman and Vikarna, and Chitrasena and Vivinsati.\nAnd many thousands of other car-warriors, including all those that\nfollowed them, proceeded, desirous of rescuing thy son Duryodhana who had\nbeen hotly pressed. Beholding that invincible division protected by those\nmighty car-warriors, coming towards him with hostile intentions, that\nbest of Rakshasas, viz., the mighty-armed Ghatotkacha, stood firm like\nthe Mainaka mountain, with a huge bow in hand, and surrounded by his\nkinsmen armed with clubs and mallets and diverse other kinds of weapons.\nThen commenced a fierce battle, making the hair stand on end, between\nthose Rakshasas on the one side and that foremost of Duryodhana's\ndivisions on the other. And the loud noise of twanging bows in that\nbattle was heard, O king, on all sides resembling the noise made by\nburning bamboos. And the din produced by the weapons falling upon the\ncoats of mail of the combatants resembled, O king, the noise of splitting\nhills. And the lances, O monarch, hurled by heroic arms, while coursing\nthrough the welkin, looked like darting snakes. Then, excited with great\nwrath and drawing his gigantic bow, the mighty-armed prince of the\nRakshasas, uttering a loud roar, cut off, with a crescent-shaped arrow,\nthe preceptor's bow in a rage. And overthrowing, with another\nbroad-headed arrow, the standard of Somadatta, he uttered a loud yell.\nAnd he pierced Valhika with three shafts in the centre of the chest. And\nhe pierced Kripa with one arrow, and Chitrasena with three. And with\nanother arrow, well-aimed and well-sped from his bow drawn to its fullest\nstretch, he struck Vikarna at the shoulder-joint. Thereupon the latter,\ncovered with gore, sat down on the terrace of his car. Then that Rakshasa\nof immeasurable soul, excited with rage, O bull of Bharata's race, sped\nat Bhurisravas five and ten shafts. These, penetrating through the\nlatter's armour, entered the earth. He then struck the chariot of\nVivinsati and Aswatthaman. These fell down on the front of their cars,\nrelinquishing the reins of the steeds. With another crescent-shaped shaft\nhe overthrew the standard of Jayadratha bearing the device of a boar and\ndecked with gold. And with a second arrow he cut off the latter's bow.\nAnd with eyes red in wrath, he slew with four shafts the four steeds of\nthe high-souled king of Avanti. And with another arrow, O king,\nwell-tempered and sharp, and shot from his bow drawn to its fullest\nstretch, he pierced king Vrihadvala. Deeply pierced and exceedingly\npained, the latter sat down on the terrace of his car. Filled with great\nwrath and seated on his car, the prince of the Rakshasas then shot many\nbright arrows of keen points that resembled snakes of virulent poison.\nThese, O king, succeeded in piercing Salya accomplished in battle.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCIV\n\nSanjaya said, \"Having in that battle made all those warriors (of thy\narmy) turn their faces from the field, the Rakshasa then, O chief of the\nBharatas, rushed at Duryodhana, desirous of slaying him. Beholding him\nrushing with great impetuosity towards the king, many warriors of thy\narmy, incapable of defeat in battle, rushed towards him (in return) from\ndesire of slaying him. Those mighty car-warriors, drawing their bows that\nmeasured full six cubits long, and uttering loud roars like a herd of\nlions, all rushed together against that single warrior. And surrounding\nhim on all sides, they covered him with their arrowy showers like the\nclouds covering the mountain-breast with torrents of rain in autumn.\nDeeply pierced with those arrows and much pained, he resembled then an\nelephant pierced with the hook. Quickly then he soared up into the\nfirmament like Garuda. And (while there) he uttered many loud roars like\nthe autumnal clouds, making the welkin and all the points of the compass,\ncardinal and subsidiary, resounded with those fierce cries. Hearing those\nroars of the Rakshasa, O chief of the Bharatas, king Yudhishthira then,\naddressing Bhima, said unto that chastiser of foes these words, 'The\nnoise that we hear uttered by the fiercely-roaring Rakshasa, without\ndoubt, indicates that he is battling with the mighty car-warriors of the\nDhartarashtra army. I see also that the burden has proved heavier than\nwhat that bull among Rakshasas is able to bear. The grandsire, too,\nexcited with rage, is ready to slaughter the Panchalas. For protecting\nthem Phalguni is battling with the foe. O thou of mighty arms hearing now\nof these two tasks, both of which demand prompt attention, go and give\nsuccour to Hidimva's son who is placed in a position of very great\ndanger.' Listening to these words of his brother, Vrikodara, with great\nspeed, proceeded, frightening all the kings with his leonine roars, with\ngreat impetuosity, O king, like the ocean itself during the period of the\nnew full moon. Him followed Satyadhriti and Sauchiti difficult of being\nvanquished in battle, and Srenimat, and Vasudana and the powerful son of\nthe ruler of Kasi, and many car-warriors headed by Abhimanyu, as also\nthose mighty car-warriors, viz., the sons of Draupadi, and the valiant\nKshatradeva, and Kshatradharman, and Nila, the ruler of the low\ncountries, at the head of his own forces. And these surrounded the son of\nHidimva with a large division of cars (for aiding him).[446] And they\nadvanced to the rescue of Ghatotkacha, that prince of the Rakshasas, with\nthe six thousand elephants, always infuriate and accomplished in smiting.\nAnd with their loud leonine roars, and the clatter of their car-wheels,\nand with the tread of their horse's hoofs, they made the very earth to\ntremble. Hearing the din of those advancing warriors the faces of thy\ntroops who were filled with anxiety in consequence of their fear of\nBhimasena became pale. Leaving Ghatotkacha then they all fled away. Then\ncommenced in that part of the field a dreadful battle between those\nhigh-souled warriors and thine, both of whom were unretreating. Mighty\ncar-warriors, hurling diverse kinds of the weapons, chased and smote one\nanother. That fierce battle striking terror into the hearts of the timid,\nwas such that the different classes of combatants became entangled with\none another. Horses engaged with elephants and foot-soldiers with\ncar-warriors. And challenging one another, O king, they engaged in the\nfight.[447] And in consequence of that clash of cars, steeds, elephants,\nand foot-soldiers, a thick dust appeared, raised by the car-wheels and\nthe tread (of those combatants and animals). And that dust, thick and of\nthe colour of reddish smoke, shrouded the field of battle. And the\ncombatants were unable to distinguish their own from the foe. Sire\nrecognised not the son, and son recognised not the sire, in that dreadful\nengagement which made the hair stand on end and in which no consideration\nwas shown (by any one for any body). And the noise made by the hissing\nweapons and the shouting combatants resembled, O chief of Bharata's race,\nthat made by departed spirits (in the infernal regions). And there flowed\na river whose current consisted of the blood of elephants and steeds and\nmen. And the hair (of the combatants) formed its weeds and moss. And in\nthat battle heads falling from the trunks of men made a loud noise like\nthat of a falling shower of stones. And the earth was strewn with the\nheadless trunks of human beings, with mangled bodies of elephants and\nwith the hacked limbs of steeds. And mighty car-warriors chased one\nanother for smiting one another down, and hurled diverse kinds of\nweapons. Steeds, urged by their riders and falling upon steeds, dashed\nagainst one another and fell down deprived of life. And men, with eyes\nred in wrath, rushing against men and striking one another with their\nchests, smote one another down. And elephants, urged by their guides\nagainst hostile elephants, slew their compeers in that battle, with the\npoints of their tusks. Covered with blood in consequence of their wounds\nand decked with standards (on their backs), elephants were entangled with\nelephants and looked like masses of clouds charged with lightning. And\nsome amongst them mounted (by others) with the points of their tusks, and\nsome with their frontal globes split with lances, ran hither and thither\nwith loud shrieks like masses of roaring clouds. And some amongst them\nwith their trunks lopped off,[448] and others with mangled limbs, dropped\ndown in that dreadful battle like mountains shorn of their wings.[449]\nOther huge elephants, copiously shedding blood from their flanks, ripped\nopen by compeers, looked like mountains with (liquified) red chalk\nrunning down their sides (after a shower).[450] Others, slain with shafts\nor pierced with lances and deprived of their riders, looked like\nmountains deprived of their crests.[451] Some amongst them, possessed by\nwrath and blinded (with fury) in consequence of the juice (trickling down\ntheir temples and cheeks)[452] and no longer restrained with the hook,\ncrushed cars and steeds and foot-soldiers in that battle by hundreds. And\nso steeds, attacked by horsemen with bearded darts and lances, rushed\nagainst their assailants, as if agitating the points of the compass.\nCar-warriors of noble parentage and prepared to lay down their lives,\nencountering car-warriors, fought fearlessly, relying upon their utmost\nmight. The combatants, O king, seeking glory or heaven, struck one\nanother in that awful press, as if in a marriage by self-choice. During\nhowever, that dreadful battle making the hair stand on end, the\nDhartarashtra troops generally were made to run their backs on the field.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCV\n\nSanjaya said, \"Beholding his own troops slain, king Duryodhana then\nexcited with wrath, rushed towards Bhimasena, that chastiser of foes.\nTaking up a large bow whose effulgence resembled that of Indra's bolt, he\ncovered the son of Pandu with a thick shower of arrows. And filled with\nrage, and aiming a sharp crescent-shaped shaft winged with feathers, he\ncut off Bhimasena's bow. And that mighty car-warrior, noticing an\nopportunity, quickly aimed at his adversary a whetted shaft capable of\nriving the very hills. With that (shaft), that mighty-armed (warrior)\nstruck Bhimasena in the chest. Deeply pierced with that arrow, and\nexceedingly pained, and licking the corners of his mouth, Bhimasena of\ngreat energy caught hold of his flag-staff decked with gold. Beholding\nBhimasena in that cheerless state, Ghatotkacha blazed up with wrath like\nan all-consuming conflagration. Then many mighty car-warriors of the\nPandava army, headed by Abhimanyu and with wrath generated (in their\nbosoms), rushed at the king shouting loudly. Beholding them (thus)\nadvancing (to the fight) filled with wrath and in great fury,\nBharadwaja's son addressing the mighty car-warriors (of thy side), said\nthese words,--'Go quickly, blessed be ye, and protect the king. Sinking\nin an ocean of distress, he is placed in a situation of great danger.\nThese mighty car-warriors of the Pandava army, these great bowmen,\nplacing Bhimasena at their head, are rushing towards Duryodhana, shooting\nand hurling diverse kinds of weapons, resolved upon winning success,\nuttering terrible shouts, and frightening the kings (on your side)'.\nHearing these words of the preceptor, many warriors of thy side headed by\nSomadatta rushed upon the Pandava ranks. Kripa and Bhurisravas and Salya,\nand Drona's son and Vivinsati, and Chitrasena and Vikarna, and the ruler\nof the Sindhus, and Vrihadvala, and those two mighty bowmen, viz., the\ntwo princes of Avanti, surrounded the Kuru king. Advancing only twenty\nsteps, the Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras began to strike, desirous of\nslaughtering each other. The mighty-armed son of Bharadwaja also, having\nsaid those words (unto the Dhartarashtra warriors), stretched his own\nlarge bow and pierced Bhima with six and twenty arrows. And once again\nthat mighty car-warrior speedily covered Bhimasena with a shower of\narrows like a mass of clouds dropping torrents of rain on the\nmountain-breasts in the rainy season. That mighty bowman Bhimasena,\nhowever, of great strength, speedily pierced him in return with ten\nshafts on the left side. Deeply pierced with those arrows and exceedingly\npained, O Bharata, the preceptor, enfeebled as he is with age, suddenly\nsat down on the terrace of his car, deprived of consciousness. Beholding\nhim thus pained, king Duryodhana himself, and Aswatthaman also, excited\nwith wrath, both rushed towards Bhimasena. Beholding those two warriors\nadvance, each like Yama as he shows himself at the end of the Yuga, the\nmighty-armed Bhimasena, quickly taking up a mace, and jumping down from\nhis car without loss of time, stood immovable like a hill, with that\nheavy mace resembling the very club of Yama, upraised in battle.\nBeholding him with mace (thus) upraised and looking (on that account)\nlike the crested Kailasa, both the Kuru king and Drona's son rushed\ntowards him. Then the mighty Bhimasena himself rushed impetuously at\nthose two foremost of men thus rushing together towards him with great\nspeed. Beholding him thus rushing in fury and with terrible expression of\nface, many mighty car-warriors of the Kaurava army speedily proceeded\ntowards him. Those car-warriors headed by Bharadwaja's son, impelled by\nthe desire of slaughtering Bhimasena, hurled at his breast diverse kinds\nof weapons, and thus all of them together afflicted Bhima from all sides.\nBeholding that mighty car-warrior thus afflicted and placed in a\nsituation of great peril, many mighty car-warriors of the Pandava army,\nheaded by Abhimanyu, and prepared to lay down dear life itself, rushed to\nthe spot, desirous of rescuing him. The heroic ruler of the low country,\nthe dear friend of Bhima, viz., Nila, looking like a mass of blue clouds,\nrushed at Drona's son, filled with wrath. A great bowman, Nila always\ndesired an encounter with Drona's son. Drawing his large bow, he pierced\nthe son of Drona with many winged arrows, like Sakra in days of old, O\nking, piercing the invincible Danava Viprachitti, that terror of the\ncelestials, who, moved by anger frightened the three worlds by his\nenergy. Pierced after the same way by Nila with his well-shot arrows\nwinged with feathers, Drona's son, covered with blood and exceedingly\npained, was filled with wrath. Drawing then his large bow, of twang loud\nas the roar of Indra's thunder, that foremost of intelligent persons set\nhis heart upon the destruction of Nila. Aiming then a few bright shafts\nof broad heads and sharpened by the hands of their forger, he slew the\nfour steeds of his adversary and overthrew also his standard. And with\nthe seventh shaft he pierced Nila himself in the chest. Deeply pierced\nand exceedingly pained, he sat down on the terrace of his car. Beholding\nking Nila, who looked like a mass of blue clouds, in a swoon,\nGhatotkacha, filled with wrath and surrounded by his kinsmen, rushed\nimpetuously towards Drona's son, that ornament of battle. Similarly many\nother Rakshasas, incapable of being easily defeated in battle, rushed at\nAswatthaman. Beholding then that Rakshasa of terrible mien coming towards\nhim, the valiant son of Bharadwaja impetuously rushed towards him. Filled\nwith wrath he slew many Rakshasas of formidable visage, that is, those\nwrathful ones amongst them who were in Ghatotkacha's van. Beholding them\nrepulsed from the encounter by means of the shafts shot from the bow of\nDrona's son, Bhimasena's son Ghatotkacha of gigantic size was filled with\nrage. He then exhibited a fierce and awful illusion. Therewith that\nprince of the Rakshasas, endued with extraordinary powers of illusion,\nconfounded the son of Drona in that battle. Then all thy troops, in\nconsequence of that illusion, turned their backs upon the field. They\nbeheld one another cut down and lying prostrate on the surface of the\nearth, writhing convulsively, perfectly helpless, and bathed in blood.\nDrona and Duryodhana and Salya and Aswatthaman, and other great bowmen\nthat were regarded as foremost among the Kauravas, also seemed to fly\naway. All the car-warriors seemed to be crushed, and all the kings seemed\nto be slain. And horses and horse-riders seemed to be cut down in\nthousands. Beholding all this, thy troops fled away towards their tents.\nAnd although, O king, both myself and Devavrata cried out at the top of\nour voices, saying, 'Fight, do not fly away, all this is Rakshasa\nillusion in battle, applied by Ghatotkacha,' yet they stopped not, their\nsenses having been confounded. Although both of us said so, still struck\nwith panic, they gave no credit to our words. Beholding them fly away the\nPandavas regarded the victory to be theirs. With Ghatotkacha (among them)\nthey uttered many leonine shouts. And all around they filled the air with\ntheir shouts mingled with the blare of their conches and the beat of\ntheir drums. It was thus that thy whole army, routed by the wicked\nGhatotkacha, towards the hour of sunset, fled away in all directions.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCVI\n\nSanjaya said, \"After that great battle, king Duryodhana, approaching\nGanga's son and saluting him with humility, began to narrate to him all\nthat had happened about the victory won by Ghatotkacha and his own\ndefeat. That invincible warrior, O king, sighing repeatedly, said these\nwords unto Bhishma, the grandsire of the Kurus, 'O lord, relying upon\nthee, as Vasudeva hath been (relied upon) by the foe, a fierce war hath\nbeen commenced by me with the Pandavas. These eleven Akshauhinis of\ncelebrated troops that I have, are, with myself, obedient to thy command,\nO chastiser of foes. O tiger among the Bharatas, though thus situated,\nyet have I been defeated into battle by the Pandava warriors headed by\nBhimasena relying upon Ghatotkacha. It is this that consumeth my limbs\nlike fire consuming dry tree. O blessed one, O chastiser of foes, I\ntherefore desire, through thy grace, O grandsire, to slay Ghatotkacha\nmyself, that worst of Rakshasas, relying upon thy invincible self. It\nbehoveth thee to see that wish of mine may be fulfilled.' Hearing these\nwords of the king, that foremost one among the Bharatas, viz., Bhishma,\nthe son of Santanu, said these words unto Duryodhana, 'Listen, O king, to\nthese words of mine that I say unto thee, O thou of Kuru's race, about\nthe way in which thou, O chastiser of foes, shouldst always behave. One's\nown self, under all circumstances, should be protected in battle, O\nrepressor of foes. Thou shouldst always, O sinless one, battle with king\nYudhishthira the Just, or with Arjuna, or with the twins, or with\nBhimasena. Keeping the duty of a king before himself, a king striketh a\nking. Myself, and Drona, and Kripa, and Drona's son, and Kritavarman of\nthe Satwata race, and Salya, and Somadatta's son, and that mighty\ncar-warrior Vikarna, and thy heroic brothers headed by Dussasana, will\nall, for thy sake, battle against that mighty Rakshasas. Or if thy grief\non account of that fierce prince of the Rakshasas be too great, let this\none proceed in battle against that wicked warrior, that is to say, king\nBhagadatta who is equal unto Purandara himself in fight'. Having said\nthis much unto the king, the grandsire skilled in speech then addressed\nBhagadatta in the presence of the (Kuru) king, saying, 'Proceed quickly,\nO great monarch, against that invincible warrior, viz., the son of\nHidimva. Resist in battle, with care, and in view of all the bowmen, that\nRakshasa of cruel deeds, like Indra in days of old resisting Taraka. Thy\nweapons are celestial. Thy prowess also is great, O chastiser of foes. In\ndays of old many have been the encounters that thou hadst with Asura, O\ntiger among kings, thou art that Rakshasa's match in great battle.\nStrongly supported by thy own troops, slay, O king, that bull among\nRakshasas'. Hearing these words of Bhishma the generalissimo (of the\nKaurava army), Bhagadatta specially set out with a leonine roar facing\nthe ranks of the foe. Beholding him advance towards them like a mass of\nroaring clouds, many mighty car-warriors of the Pandava army proceeded\nagainst him, inflamed with wrath. They were Bhimasena, and Abhimanyu and\nthe Rakshasa Ghatotkacha; and the sons of Draupadi, and Satyadhriti, and\nKshatradeva, O sire, and the rulers of the Chedis, and Vasudana, and the\nking of the Dasarnas. Bhagadatta then, on his elephant named Supratika,\nrushed against them. Then commenced a fierce and awful battle between the\nPandavas and Bhagadatta, that increased the population of Yama's kingdom.\nShafts of terrible energy and great impetuosity, shot by car-warriors,\nfell, O king, on elephants and cars. Huge elephants with rent temples and\ntrained (to the fight) by their guides, approaching fell upon one another\nfearlessly. Blind (with fury) in consequence of the temporal juice\ntrickling down their bodies, and excited with rage, attacking one another\nwith their tusks resembling stout bludgeons, they pierced one another\nwith the points of those weapons.[453] Graced with excellent tails, and\nridden by warriors armed with lances, steeds, urged by those riders fell\nfearlessly and with great impetuosity upon one another. And\nfoot-soldiers, attacked by bodies of foot-soldiers with darts and lances,\nfell down on the earth by hundreds and thousands. And car-warriors upon\ntheir cars, slaughtering heroic adversaries in that battle by means of\nbarbed arrows and muskets and shafts, uttered leonine shouts.[454] And\nduring the progress of the battle making the hair stand on end, that\ngreat bowman, viz., Bhagadatta, rushed towards Bhimasena, on his elephant\nof rent temples and with juice trickling down in seven currents and\nresembling (on that account) a mountain with (as many) rillets flowing\ndown its breast after a shower. And he came, O sinless one, scattering\nthousands of arrows from the head of Supratika (whereon he stood) like\nthe illustrious Purandara himself on his Airavata. King Bhagadatta\nafflicted Bhimasena with that arrowy shower like the clouds afflicting\nthe mountain breast with torrents of rain on the expiry of summer. That\nmighty bowman Bhimasena, however, excited with rage, slew by his arrowy\nshowers the combatants numbering more than a hundred, that protected the\nflanks and rear of Bhagadatta.[455] Beholding them slain, the valiant\nBhagadatta, filled with rage, urged his prince of elephants towards\nBhimasena's car. That elephant, thus urged by him, rushed impetuously\nlike an arrow propelled from the bowstring towards Bhimasena, that\nchastiser of foes. Beholding that elephant advancing, the mighty\ncar-warriors of the Pandava army, placing Bhimasena at their head,\nthemselves rushed towards it. Those warriors were the (five) Kekaya\nprinces, and Abhimanyu, and the (five) sons of Draupadi and the heroic\nruler of the Dasarnas, and Kshatradeva also, O sire, and the ruler of the\nChedis, and Chitraketu. And all these mighty warriors came, inflamed with\nanger, and exhibiting their excellent celestial weapons. And they all\nsurrounded in anger that single elephant (on which their adversary rode).\nPierced with many shafts, that huge elephant, covered with gore flowing\nfrom his wounds, looked resplendent like a prince of mountain variegated\nwith (liquified) red chalk (after a shower). The ruler of the Dasarnas\nthen, on an elephant that resembled a mountain, rushed towards\nBhagadatta's elephant. That prince of elephants, however, viz.,\nSupratika, bore (the rush of) that advancing compeer like the continent\nbearing (the rush of) the surging sea. Beholding that elephant of the\nhigh souled king of the Dasarnas thus resisted, even the Pandava troops,\napplauding, cried out 'Excellent, excellent!' Then that best of kings,\nviz., the ruler of the Pragjyotishas, excited with rage, sped four and\nten lances at that elephant. These, speedily penetrating through the\nexcellent armour, decked with gold, that covered the animal's body,\nentered into it, like snakes entering anthills. Deeply pierced and\nexceedingly pained, that elephant, O chief of the Bharatas, its fury\nquelled, speedily turned back with great force. And it fled away with\ngreat swiftness, uttering frightful shrieks, and crushing the Pandava\nranks like the tempest crushing trees with its violence. After that\nelephant was (thus) vanquished, the mighty car-warriors of the Pandava\narmy, uttering loud leonine shouts, approached for battle. Placing Bhima\nat their head, they rushed at Bhagadatta scattering diverse kinds of\narrows and diverse kinds of weapons. Hearing the fierce shouts, O king,\nof those advancing warriors swelling with rage and vengeance, that great\nbowman Bhagadatta, filled with rage and perfectly fearless, urged his own\nelephant. That prince of elephants then, thus urged with the hook and the\ntoe, soon assumed the form of the (all-destructive) Samvarta fire (that\nappears at the end of the Yuga). Crushing crowds of cars and (hostile)\ncompeers and steeds with riders, in that battle, it began, O king, to\nturn hither and thither. Filled with rage it also crushed foot-soldiers\nby hundreds and thousands. Attacked and agitated by that elephant, that\nlarge force of the Pandavas shrank in dimensions, O king, like a piece of\nleather exposed to the heat of fire. Beholding, then the Pandava array\nbroken by the intelligent Bhagadatta, Ghatotkacha, of fierce mien, O\nking, with blazing face and eyes red as fire, filled with rage, rushed\ntowards him. Assuming a terrible form and burning with wrath, he took up\na bright dart capable of riving the very hills. Endued with great\nstrength, he forcibly hurled that dart that emitted blazing flames from\nevery part desirous of slaying that elephant. Beholding it coursing\ntowards him with great impetuosity, the ruler of the Pragjyotishas sped\nat it a beautiful but fierce and sharp arrow with a crescent head.\nPossessed of great energy he cut off that dart with that arrow of his.\nThereupon that dart, decked with gold, thus divided in twain, dropped\ndown on the ground, like the bolt of heaven, hurled by Indra, flashing\nthrough the welkin. Beholding that dart (of his adversary), O king,\ndivided in twain and fallen on the ground, Bhagadatta took up a large\njavelin furnished with a golden staff and resembling a flame of fire in\neffulgence, and hurled it at the Rakshasa, saying, 'Wait, Wait'. Seeing\nit coursing towards him like the bolt of heaven through the welkin, the\nRakshasa jumped up and speedily seizing it uttered a loud shout. And\nquickly placing it against his knee, O Bharata, he broke it in the very\nsight of all the kings. All this seemed exceedingly wonderful. Beholding\nthat feat achieved by the mighty Rakshasa, the celestials in the\nfirmament, with the Gandharvas  and the Munis, were filled with wonder.\nAnd the Pandava warriors also, headed by Bhimasena, filled the earth with\ncries of 'Excellent, Excellent'. Hearing, however, those loud shouts of\nthe rejoicing Pandavas, that great bowman, viz., the valiant Bhagadatta,\ncould not bear it (coolly). Drawing his large bow whose effulgence\nresembled that of Indra's bolt, he roared with great energy at the mighty\ncar-warriors of the Pandava army, shooting at the same time many bright\narrows of great sharpness and possessed of the effulgence of fire. And he\npierced Bhima with one arrow, and the Rakshasa with nine. And he pierced\nAbhimanyu with three, and the Kekaya brothers with five. And with another\nstraight arrow shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch, he\npierced, in that battle, the right arm of Kshatradeva. Thereupon the\nlatter's bow with arrow fixed on the bowstring dropped down from his\nhand. And he struck the five sons of Draupadi with five arrows. And from\nwrath, he slew the steeds of Bhimasena. And with three shafts winged with\nfeathers, he cut down Bhimasena's standard bearing the device of a lion.\nAnd with three other shafts he pierced Bhima's charioteer. Deeply pierced\nby Bhagadatta in that battle, and exceedingly pained, Visoka thereupon, O\nchief of the Bharatas, sat down on the terrace of the car. Then, O king,\nthat foremost of car-warriors, viz., Bhima, thus deprived of his car,\nquickly jumped down from his large vehicle taking up his mace. Beholding\nhim with mace upraised and looking like a crested hill, all thy troops, O\nBharata, became filled with great fear. Just at this time that son of\nPandu who had Krishna for his charioteer, O king, slaughtering the foe on\nall sides as he came, appeared at that spot where those tigers among men,\nthose mighty car-warriors, viz., Bhimasena and Ghatotkacha, sire and son,\nwere engaged with the ruler of the Pragjyotishas. Beholding his brothers,\nthose mighty car-warriors, engaged in battle, that son of Pandu quickly\ncommenced to fight, profusely scattering his shafts, O chief of the\nBharatas. Then that mighty car-warrior, viz., king Duryodhana, speedily\nurged on a division of his troops abounding with cars and elephants.\nTowards that mighty division of the Kauravas thus advancing with\nimpetuosity, Arjuna of white steeds rushed with great impetuosity.\nBhagadatta also, upon that elephant of his, O Bharata, crushing the\nPandava ranks, rushed towards Yudhishthira. Then commenced a fierce\nbattle between Bhagadatta, O sire, and the Panchalas, the Srinjayas, and\nthe Kekayas, with upraised weapons. Then Bhimasena, in that battle told\nboth Kesava and Arjuna in detail about the slaughter of Iravat as it had\noccurred.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCVII\n\nSanjaya said, \"Hearing that his son Iravat had been slain, Dhananjaya was\nfilled with great grief and sighed like a snake. And addressing Vasava in\nthe midst of battle, he said these words, 'Without doubt, the high-souled\nVidura of great wisdom had before seen (with his mind's eye) this awful\ndestruction of the Kurus and the Pandavas. It was for this that he\nforbade king Dhritarashtra.[456] In this battle, O slayer of Madhu, many\nother heroes have been slain by the Kaurava and many amongst the Kauravas\nhave similarly been slain by ourselves. O best of men, for the sake of\nwealth vile acts are being done. Fie upon that wealth for the sake of\nwhich such slaughter of kinsmen is being perpetrated. For him that hath\nno wealth, even death would be better than the acquisition of wealth by\nthe slaughter of kinsmen. What, O Krishna, shall we gain by slaying our\nassembled kinsmen? Alas, for Duryodhana's fault, and also of Sakuni the\nson of Suvala, as also through the evil counsels of Karna, the Kshatriya\nrace is being exterminated, O slayer of Madhu. I now understand, O\nmighty-armed one, that the king acted wisely by begging of Suyodhana[457]\nonly half the kingdom, or, instead, only five villages. Alas, even that\nwas not granted by that wicked-souled wight. Beholding so many brave\nKshatriyas lying (dead) on the field of battle, I censure myself,\n(saying) fie upon the profession of a Kshatriya. The Kshatriyas will\nregard me powerless in battle. For this alone, I am battling. Else, O\nslayer of Madhu, this battle with kinsmen is distasteful to me. Urge the\nsteeds on with speed towards the Dhartarashtra army. I will, with my two\narms, reach the other shore of this ocean of battle that is so difficult\nto cross. There is no time, O Madhava, to lose in action'. Thus addressed\nby Partha, Kesava, that slayer of hostile heroes, urged those steeds of\nwhite hue endued with the speed of the wind. Then, O Bharata, loud was\nthe noise that was heard among thy troops, resembling that of the ocean\nitself at full tide when agitated by the tempest.[458] In the afternoon,\nO king, the battle that ensued between Bhishma and the Pandavas was\nmarked by noise that resembled the roar of the clouds. Then, O king, thy\nsons, surrounding Drona like the Vasus surrounding Vasava, rushed in the\nbattle against Bhimasena. Then Santanu's son, Bhishma, and that foremost\nof car-warriors, viz., Kripa, and Bhagadatta, and Susarman, all went\ntowards Dhananjaya. And Hridika's son (Kritavarman) and Valhika rushed\ntowards Satyaki. And king Amvashta placed himself before Abhimanyu. And\nother great car-warriors, O king, encountered other great car-warriors.\nThen commenced a fierce battle that was terrible to behold. Bhimasena\nthen, O king, beholding thy sons, blazed up with wrath in that battle,\nlike fire with (a libation of) clarified butter. Thy sons, however, O\nmonarch, covered that son of Kunti with their arrows like the clouds\ndrenching the mountain-breast in the season of rains. While being (thus)\ncovered in diverse ways by thy sons, O king, that hero, possessed of the\nactivity of the tiger, licked the corners of his mouth.[459] Then, O\nBharata, Bhima felled Vyudoroska with a sharp horse-shoe-headed arrow.\nThereupon that son of thine was deprived of life. With another\nbroad-headed arrow, well-tempered and sharp, he then felled Kundalin like\na lion overthrowing a smaller animal. Then, O sire, getting thy (other)\nsons (within reach of his arrows), he took up a number of shafts, sharp\nand well-tempered, and with careful aim speedily shot these at them.\nThose shafts, sped by that strong bowman, viz., Bhimasena, felled thy\nsons, those mighty car-warriors, from their vehicles. (These sons of\nthine that were thus slain were) Anadhriti, and Kundabhedin, and Virata,\nand Dirghalochana, and Dirghavahu, and Suvahu, and Kanykadhyaja. While\nfalling down (from their cars), O bull of Bharata's race, those heroes\nlooked resplendent like falling mango trees variegated with blossoms in\nthe spring. Then thy other sons, O monarch, fled away, regarding the\nmighty Bhimasena as Death himself. Then like the clouds pouring torrents\nof rain on the mountain breast, Drona in that battle covered with arrows\nfrom every side that hero who was thus consuming thy sons. The prowess\nthat we then beheld of Kunti's son was exceedingly wonderful, for though\nheld in check by Drona, he still slew thy sons. Indeed, as a bull beareth\na shower of rain falling from above, Bhima cheerfully bore that shower of\narrows shot by Drona. Wonderful, O monarch, was the feat that Vrikodara\nachieved there, for he slew thy sons in that battle and resisted Drona\nthe while. Indeed, the elder brother of Arjuna sported amongst those\nheroic sons of thine, like a mighty tiger, O king, among a herd of deer.\nAs a wolf, staying in the midst of a herd of deer, would chase and\nfrighten those animals, so did Vrikodara, in that battle chase and\nfrighten thy sons.\n\n\"Meanwhile, Ganga's son, and Bhagadatta, and that mighty car-warrior,\nviz., Gautama, began to resist Arjuna, that impetuous son of Pandu. That\nAtiratha, baffling with his weapons the weapons of those adversaries of\nhis in that battle, despatched many prominent heroes of thy army to the\nabode of Death. Abhimanyu also, with his shafts, deprived that renowned\nand foremost of car-warriors, viz., king Amvashta, of his car. Deprived\nof his car and about to be slain by the celebrated son of Subhadra, that\nking quickly jumped down from his car in shame, and hurled his sword in\nthat battle at the high-souled Abhimanyu. Then, that mighty monarch got\nup on the car of Hridika's son, conversant with all movements in battle.\nSubhadra's son, that slayer of hostile heroes, beholding that sword\ncoursing towards him, baffled it by the celerity of his movements. Seeing\nthat sword thus baffled in that battle by Subhadra's son, loud cries of\n'well done', 'well done', were, O king, heard among thy troops. Other\nwarriors headed by Dhrishtadyumna battled with thy troops, while thy\ntroops, also, all battled with those of the Pandavas. Then, O Bharata,\nfierce was the engagement that took place between thine and theirs, that\ncombatants smiting one another with great force and achieving the most\ndifficult feats. Brave combatants, O sire, seizing one another by the\nhair, fought using their nails and teeth, and fists and knees, and palms\nand swords, and their well-proportioned arms. And seizing one another's\nlaches, they despatched one another to the abode of Yama. Sire slew son,\nand son slew sire. Indeed, the combatants fought with one another, using\nevery limb of theirs. Beautiful bows with golden staves, O Bharata,\nloosened from the grasp of slain warriors, and costly ornaments, and\nsharp shafts furnished with wings of pure gold or silver and washed with\noil, looked resplendent (as they lay scattered on the field), the latter\nresembling, in particular, snakes that had cast off their slough. And\nswords furnished with ivory handles decked with gold, and the shields also\nof bowmen, variegated with gold, lay on the field, loosened from their\ngrasp. Bearded darts and axes and swords and javelins, all decked with\ngold, beautiful coats of mail, and heavy and short bludgeons, and spiked\nclubs, and battle-axes, and short arrows, O sire, and elephants' housings\nof diverse shapes, and yak tails, and fans, lay scattered on the field.\nAnd mighty car-warriors lay on the field with diverse kinds of weapons in\ntheir hands or beside them, and looking alive, though the breath of life\nhad gone.[460] And men lay on the field with limbs shattered with maces\nand heads smashed with clubs, or crushed by elephants, steeds, and cars.\nAnd the earth, strewn in many places with the bodies of slain steeds,\nmen, and elephants, looked beautiful, O king, as if strewn with hills.\nAnd the field of battle lay covered with fallen darts and swords and\narrows and lances and scimitars and axes and bearded darts and iron crows\nand battle-axes, and spiked clubs and short arrows and Sataghnis[461] and\nbodies mangled with weapons. And, O slayer of foes, covered with blood,\nwarriors lay prostrate on the field, some deprived of life and therefore,\nin the silence of death, and others uttering low moans. And the earth,\nstrewn with those bodies, presented a variegated sight. And strewn with\nthe arms of strong warriors smeared with sandal paste and decked with\nleathern fences and bracelets, with tapering thighs resembling the trunks\nof elephants, and with fallen heads, graced with gems attached to turbans\nand with earrings of large-eyed combatants, O Bharata, the earth assumed\na beautiful sight. And the field of battle, overspread with blood, dyed\ncoats of mail and golden ornaments of many kinds, looked exceedingly\nbeautiful as if with (scattered) fires of mild flames. And with ornaments\nof diverse kinds fallen off from their places, with bows lying about,\nwith arrows of golden wings scattered around, with many broken cars\nadorned with rows of bells, with many slain steeds scattered about\ncovered with blood and with their tongues protruding, with bottoms of\ncars, standards, quivers, and banners, with gigantic conches, belonging\nto great heroes, of milky whiteness lying about, and with trunkless\nelephants lying prostrate, the earth looked beautiful like a damsel\nadorned with diverse kinds of ornaments. And there, with other elephants\npierced with lances and in great agony, and frequently uttering low moans\nwith their trunks, the field of battle looked beautiful as if with moving\nhills. With blankets of diverse hue, and housings of elephants, with\nbeautiful hooks falling about having handles decked with stones of lapis\nlazuli, with bells lying about that had adorned gigantic elephants, with\nclean and variegated cloths as also skins of the Ranku deer, with\nbeautiful neck-chains of elephants, with gold-decked girths, with broken\nengines of diverse kinds, with bearded darts decked with gold, with\nembroidered housings of steeds, embrowned with dust, with the lopped off\narms of cavalry soldiers, decked with bracelets and lying about, with\npolished and sharp lances and bright swords, with variegated head-gears\nfallen off (from heads) and scattered about, with beautiful\ncrescent-shaped arrows decked with gold, with housings of steeds, with\nskins of the Ranku deer, torn and crushed, with beautiful and costly gems\nthat decked the head-gears of kings, with their umbrellas lying about and\nyak tails and fans, with faces, bright as the lotus or the moon, of\nheroic warriors, decked with beautiful ear-rings and graced with well-cut\nbeards, lying about and radiant with other ornaments of gold, the earth\nlooked like the firmament bespangled with planets and stars. Thus, O\nBharata, the two armies, viz., thine and theirs, encountering each other\nin battle, crushed each other. And after the combatants had been\nfatigued, routed, and crushed, O Bharata, dark night set in and the\nbattle could no longer be seen. Thereupon both the Kurus and the Pandavas\nwithdrew their armies, when that awful night of pitchy darkness came. And\nhaving withdrawn their troops, both the Kurus and the Pandavas took rest\nfor the night, retiring to their respective tents.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCVIII\n\nSanjaya said, \"Then king Duryodhana, and Sakuni the son of Suvala, and\nthy son Dussasana, and the invincible Suta's son (Karna) meeting\ntogether, consulted in the following way. How could the sons of Pandu,\nwith their followers, be vanquished in battle? Even this was the subject\nof their consultation. Then king Duryodhana, addressing the Suta's son\nand the mighty Sakuni, said unto all those counsellors of his, 'Drona,\nBhishma, and Kripa, and Salya and Somadatta's son do not resist the\nParthas. I do not know what the cause is of such conduct (of theirs).\nUnslain by any of these, the Pandavas are destroying my forces.\nTherefore, O Karna, I am becoming weaker in strength and my weapons also\nare being exhausted. I am deceived by the heroic Pandavas--they that are\nincapable of being vanquished by the very gods. Doubt filleth my mind as\nto how, indeed, I shall succeed is smiting them in battle.' Unto the king\nwho said so, O great monarch, the Suta's son answered, 'Do not grieve, O\nchief of the Bharata. Even I will do what is agreeable to thee. Let\nSantanu's son Bhishma soon withdraw from the great battle. After Ganga's\nson will have withdrawn from the fight and laid aside his weapons, I will\nslay the Partha along with all the Somakas, in the very sight of Bhishma.\nI pledge my truth, O king. Indeed, Bhishma every day showeth mercy\ntowards the Pandavas. He is, besides incapable of vanquishing those\nmighty car-warriors. Bhishma is proud of showing his prowess in battle.\nHe is again, very fond of fight. Why, O sire, will he, therefore,\nvanquish the assembled Pandavas (for then the battle will be over)?\nTherefore, repairing without delay to the tent of Bhishma, solicit that\nold and reverend signior to lay aside his weapons. After he will have\nlaid aside his weapons, O Bharata, think the Pandavas as already slain,\nwith all their friends and kinsmen, O king, by myself alone.' Thus\naddressed by Karna, thy son Duryodhana then said unto his brother\nDussasana these words, 'See, O Dussasana, that without delay that all who\nwalk in my train be dressed.' Having said these words, O monarch, the\nking addressed Karna, saying, 'Having caused Bhishma, that foremost of\nmen, to consent to this, I will, without delay, come to thee, O chastiser\nof foes. After Bhishma will have retired from the fight, thou wilt smite\n(the foe) in battle'. Then thy son, O monarch, set out without delay,\naccompanied by his brothers like He of a hundred sacrifices (accompanied)\nby the gods. Then his brother Dussasana caused that tiger among kings,\nendued, besides, with the prowess of a tiger, to mount on his horse.\nGraced with bracelets, with diadem on head, and adorned with other\nornaments on his arms, O king, thy son shone brightly as he proceeded\nalong the streets. Smeared with fragrant sandal-paste of the hue of the\nBhandi flower and bright as burnished gold, and clad in clean vestments,\nand proceeding with the sportive gait of the lion, Duryodhana looked\nbeautiful like the Sun of brilliant radiance in the firmament. And as\nthat tiger among men proceeded towards the tent of Bhishma, many mighty\nbowmen, celebrated over the world, followed him behind. And his brothers\nalso walked in his train, like the celestials walking behind Vasava. And\nothers, foremost of men, mounted upon steeds, and others again on\nelephants, O Bharata, and others on cars, surrounded him on all sides.\nAnd many amongst those that wished him well, taking up arms for the\nprotection on his royal self, appeared there in large bodies, like the\ncelestials surrounding Sakra in heaven. The mighty chief of the Kurus,\nadored by all the Kauravas, thus proceeded, O king, towards the quarters\nof the renowned son of Ganga. Ever followed and surrounded, by his\nuterine brothers, he proceeded, often raising his right arm, massive and\nresembling the trunk of an elephant and capable of resisting all foes.\nAnd with that arm of his, he accepted the regards that were paid to him\nfrom all sides by by-standers who stood raising towards him their joined\nhands. And he heard, as he journeyed, the sweet voices of the natives of\ndiverse realms. Of great fame, he was eulogised by bards and eulogists.\nAnd in return that great king paid his regards unto them all. And many\nhigh-souled persons stood around him with lighted lamps of gold fed with\nfragrant oil. And surrounded with golden lamps, the king looked radiant\nlike the Moon attended by the blazing planets around him. And\n(attendants) with head-gears decked with gold, having canes and\nJhariharas in hand, softly caused the crowd all around to make way. The\nking then, having reached the excellent quarters of Bhishma, alighted\nfrom his horse. And arrived at Bhishma's presence, that ruler of men\nsaluted Bhishma and then sat himself down on an excellent seat that was\nmade of gold, beautiful throughout and overlaid with a rich coverlet.\nWith hands joined, eyes bathed in tears, and voice chocked in grief, he\nthen addressed Bhishma, saying, 'Taking thy protection, this battle, O\nslayer of foes, we ventured to vanquish the very gods and the Asuras with\nIndra at their head. What shall I say, therefore, of the sons of Pandu,\nheroic though they be, with their kinsmen and friends? Therefore, O son\nof Ganga, it behoveth thee, O lord, to show me mercy. Slay the brave sons\nof Pandu like Mahendra slaying the Danavas.--\"I will slay, O king, all the\nSomakas and the Panchalas and the Karushas along with the Kekayas, O\nBharata\"--these were thy words to me. Let these words become true. Slay the\nassembled Parthas, and those mighty bowmen, viz., the Somakas. Make thy\nwords true, O Bharata. If from kindness (for the Pandavas), O king, or\nfrom thy hatred of my unfortunate self, thou sparest the Pandavas, then\npermit Karna, that ornament of battle, to fight. He will vanquish in\nbattle the Parthas with all their friends and kinsmen.' The king, thy son\nDuryodhana having said this, shut his lips without saying anything more\nto Bhishma of terrible prowess.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCIX\n\nSanjaya said, \"The high-souled Bhishma, deeply pierced with wordy daggers\nby thy son, became filled with great grief. But he said not a single\ndisagreeable word in reply. Indeed, mangled by those wordy daggers and\nfilled with grief and rage, he sighed like a snake and reflected (in\nsilence) for a long while. Raising his eyes then, and as if consuming,\nfrom wrath, the world with the celestials, the Asuras, and the\nGandharvas, that foremost of persons conversant with the world, then\naddressed thy son and said unto him these tranquil words, 'Why, O\nDuryodhana, dost thou pierce me thus with thy wordy daggers? I always\nendeavour to the utmost of my might to achieve, and do achieve, what is\nfor thy good. Indeed, from desire of doing what is agreeable to thee, I\nam prepared to cast away my life in battle. The Pandavas are really\ninvincible. When the brave son of Pandu gratified Agni in the forest of\nKhandava, having vanquished Sakra himself in battle, even that is a\nsufficient indication.[462] When, O mighty-armed one, the same son of\nPandu rescued thee while thou wert being led away a captive by the\nGandharvas, even that is a sufficient indication. On that occasion, O\nlord, thy brave uterine brothers had all fled, as also Radha's son of the\nSuta caste. That (rescue, therefore, by Arjuna) is a sufficient\nindication. In Virata's city, alone he fell upon all of us united\ntogether. That is a sufficient indication. Vanquishing in battle both\nDrona and myself excited with rage, he took away our robes. That is a\nsufficient indication. On that occasion, of old, of the seizure of kine,\nhe vanquished that mighty bowman the son of Drona, and Saradwat also.\nThat is a sufficient indication. Having vanquished Karna also who is very\nboastful of his manliness, he gave the latter's robes unto Uttara. That\nis a sufficient indication. The son of Pritha defeated in battle the\nNivatakavachas who were incapable of defeat by Vasava himself. That is a\nsufficient indication. Who, indeed, is capable of vanquishing in battle\nthe son of Pandu by force, him, viz., that hath for his protector the\nProtector of the Universe armed with conch, discus, and mace? Vasudeva is\npossessed of infinite power, and is the Destroyer of the Universe. He is\nthe highest Lord of all, the God of gods, the Supreme Soul and eternal.\nHe hath been variously described, O king, by Narada and other great\nRishis. In consequence of thy folly, however, O Suyodhana, thou knowest\nnot what should be said and what should not. The man on the point of\ndeath beholdeth all trees to be made of gold. So thou also, O son of\nGandhari, seest everything inverted. Having provoked fierce hostilities\nwith the Pandavas and the Srinjayas, fight now (thyself) with them in\nbattle. Let us see thee act like a man. As regards myself, I will, O\ntiger among men, slay all the Somakas and the Panchalas assembled\ntogether, avoiding Sikhandin alone. Slain by them in battle, I will go to\nYama's abode, or slaying them in battle, I will give thee joy. Sikhandin\nwas born in Drupada's palace as female at first. She became a male in\nconsequence of the grant of a boon. After all, however, she is\nSikhandini. Him I will not slay even if I have to lose my life, O\nBharata. She is the same Sikhandini that the Creator had first made her.\nPass the night in happy sleep, O son of Gandhari. Tomorrow I will fight a\nfierce battle about which men will speak as long as the world lasts.'\nThus addressed by him, thy son, O monarch, came away. And saluting his\nsignior with a bow of the head, he came back to his own tent. Coming\nback, the king dismissed his attendants. And soon then that destroyer of\nfoes entered his abode. And having entered (his tent) the monarch passed\nthe night (in sleep). And when the night dawned, rising up, the king,\nordered all the royal warriors, saying, 'Draw up the forces. Today\nBhishma, excited with wrath, will slay all the Somakas.'\n\n\"Hearing those copious lamentations of Duryodhana in the night, Bhishma\nregarded them, O king, as commands to himself. Filled with great grief\nand deprecating the status of servitude, Santanu's son reflected for a\nlong time, thinking of an encounter with Arjuna in battle. Understanding\nfrom signs that Ganga's son had been thinking of that, Duryodhana, O\nking, commanding Dussasana, saying, 'O Dussasana, let cars be quickly\nappointed for protecting Bhishma. Let all the two and twenty divisions\n(of our army) be urged on. That hath now come about which we had been\nthinking for a series of years, viz., the slaughter of the Pandavas with\nall their troops and the acquisition (by ourselves) of the kingdom. In\nthis matter, I think, the protection of Bhishma is our foremost duty.\nProtected by us, he will protect us and slay the Parthas in battle. Of\ncleansed soul, he said unto me,--\"I will not slay Sikhandini. He was a\nfemale before, O king, and, therefore, should be avoided by me in battle.\nThe world knoweth, O thou of mighty arms, that from desire of doing good\nto my father, I formerly gave up a swelling kingdom. I will not,\ntherefore, slay in battle, O foremost of men, any female or anybody that\nwas a female before. This that I tell thee is true. This Sikhandin, O\nking, was first born a female. Thou hast heard that story. She was born\nas Sikhandini after the manner I told thee before the battle began.\nTaking her birth as a daughter she hath become a man. Indeed, she will\nfight with me, but I will never shoot my arrows at her. As regards all\nother Kshatriyas desirous of victory to the Pandavas, O sire, whom I may\nget within my reach on the field of battle, I will slay them.\"--These were\nthe words that Ganga's son acquainted with the scriptures, that chief of\nBharata's race, said unto me. Therefore, with my whole soul I think that\nprotecting the son of Ganga is our foremost duty. The very wolf may slay\nthe lion left unprotected in the great forest. Let not Ganga's son be\nslain by Sikhandin like the lion slain by the wolf. Let our maternal\nuncle Sakuni, and Salya, and Kripa, and Drona, and Vivinsati, carefully\nprotect the son of Ganga. If he is protected, (our) victory is certain.'\n\n\"Hearing these words of Duryodhana, all surrounded Ganga's son with a\nlarge division of cars. And thy sons also, taking up their position\naround Bhishma, proceeded to battle. And they all went, shaking the earth\nand the welkin, and causing fear in the hearts of the Pandavas. The\nmighty car-warriors (of the Kaurava army), supported by those cars and\nelephants, and clad in mail, stood in battle, surrounding Bhishma. And\nall of them took up their positions for protecting that mighty\ncar-warrior like the celestials in the battle between themselves and the\nAsuras for protecting the wielder of the thunder-bolt. Then king\nDuryodhana once more addressing his brother, said, 'Yudhamanyu protects\nthe left wheel of Arjuna's car, and Uttamaujas his right wheel. And (thus\nprotected) Arjuna protects Sikhandin. O Dussasana, adopt such steps that,\nprotected by Partha, Sikhandin may not be able to slay Bhishma left\nunprotected by us.' Hearing these words of his brother, thy son\nDussasana, accompanied by the troops, advanced for battle, placing\nBhishma in the van. Beholding Bhishma (thus surrounded by a large number\nof cars), Arjuna, that foremost of car-warriors, addressed Dhrishtadyumna\nand said, 'O prince, place that tiger among men, Sikhandin, today in\nfront of Bhishma. I myself will be his protector, O prince of Panchala.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION C\n\nSanjaya said, \"Then Bhishma, the son of Santanu, went out with the\ntroops. And he disposed his own troops in mighty array called\nSarvatobhadra.[463] Kripa, and Kritavarman, and that mighty car-warrior\nSaivya, and Sakuni, and the ruler of the Sindhus, and Sudakshina the\nruler of the Kamvojas, these all, together with Bhishma and thy sons, O\nBharata, took up their stations in the van of the whole army and in the\nvery front of the (Kaurava) array. Drona and Bhurisravas and Salya and\nBhagadatta, O sire, clad in mail, took up their position in the right\nwing of that array. And Aswatthaman, and Somadatta, and those great\ncar-warriors, viz., the two princes of Avanti, accompanied by a large\nforce, protected the left wing. Duryodhana, O monarch, surrounded on all\nsides by the Trigartas, took up, for encountering the Pandavas, a\nposition in the midst of that array. That foremost of car-warriors, viz.,\nAlamvusha, and that mighty car-warrior, viz., Srutayush, clad in mail,\ntook up their position in the rear of that array, and therefore, of the\nwhole army. Having, O Bharata, on that occasion formed their array thus,\nthy warriors, clad in mail, looked like scorching fires.\n\n\"Then king Yudhishthira, and that son of Pandu, viz., Bhimasena, and the\ntwin sons of Madri, viz., Nakula and Sahadeva, clad in mail, took up\ntheir position in the van of that array and therefore, at the very head\nof all their troops. And Dhrishtadyumna, and Virata, and that mighty\ncar-warrior, viz., Satyaki,--these destroyers of hostile ranks,--stood,\nsupported by a large force. And Sikhandin, and Vijaya (Arjuna), and the\nRakshasa Ghatotkacha, and Chekitana of mighty arms, and the valiant\nKuntibhoja, stood for battle, surrounded by a large force. And that great\nbowman Abhimanyu, and the mighty Drupada, and the (five) Kaikeya\nbrothers, stood for battle, clad in mail. Having formed their mighty and\ninvincible array thus, the Pandavas, endued with great courage in battle,\nstood for the fight, clad in mail.\n\n\"Then the kings of thy array, O monarch, exerting themselves at their\nbest, accompanied by their forces, and placing Bhishma at their van,\nrushed against the Parthas in battle. Similarly the Pandavas also, O\nking, headed by Bhimasena, and desirous of victory in battle proceeded,\nfor battling with Bhishma. With leonine roars and confused cries, blowing\ntheir conches Krakachas, and cow-horns, beating their drums and cymbals\nand Pandavas in thousands.[464] And uttering terrible shouts, the\nPandavas advanced to battle. With the din of our drums and cymbals and\nconches and smaller drums, with loud leonine roars, and other kinds of\nshouts, ourselves also, replying to the cries of the foe, rushed against\nhim with great impetuosity, inflamed with rage. Those sounds mingling\nwith one another, produced a tremendous uproar. The warriors then, of the\ntwo armies, rushing at one another, began to strike. And in consequence\nof the din produced by that encounter, the earth seemed to tremble. And\nbirds, uttering fierce cries, hovered in the air. The Sun, radiant as he\nwas when he had risen, became dimmed. And fierce winds blew, indicating\ngreat terrors. Frightful jackals wandered, yelling terribly, O king, and\nforeboding an awful carnage at hand. The quarters seemed, O king, to be\nablaze, and showers of dust fell from the blue. And a shower fell there,\nof pieces of bones mixed with blood. And tears fell from the eyes of the\nanimals which were all weeping. And filled with anxiety, O king, these\nbegan to urinate and eject the contents of their stomachs. And the loud\nshouts of battle, O bull of Bharata's race, were rendered inaudible by\nthe louder cries of Rakshasas and cannibals. And jackals and vultures and\ncrows and dogs, uttering diverse kinds of cries, began, O sire, to fall\nand swoop down on the field. And blazing meteors, striking against the\nSun's disc, fell with great celerity on the earth, foreboding great\nterrors. Then those two vast hosts belonging to the Pandavas and the\nDhartarashtras, in course of that awful encounter, shook in consequence\nof that tremendous uproar of conches and drums like forests shaken by the\ntempest. And the noise made by the two armies, both of which abounded\nwith kings, elephants, and steeds, and which encountered each other in an\nevil hour, resembled the noise made by oceans tossed by the tempest.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CI\n\nSanjaya said, \"Then the noble Abhimanyu of great energy, borne by his\nsteeds of a tawny hue, rushed at the mighty host of Duryodhana,\nscattering his arrowy showers like the clouds pouring torrents of rain. O\nson of Kuru's race, thy warriors, in that battle, were unable to resist\nthat slayer of foes, viz., Subhadra's son, who, excited with wrath and\npossessed of wealth of arms, was then immersed in that inexhaustible\nocean of (Kaurava) forces. Death-dealing shafts, O king, shot by him in\nthat battle, despatched many heroic Kshatriyas to the regions of the king\nof the departed spirits. Indeed, excited with wrath Subhadra's son in\nthat battle shot fierce and blazing arrows in profusion that resembled\nsnakes of virulent poison or rods of death himself. And Phalguni's son\nspeedily split into fragments car-warriors with their cars, steeds with\ntheir riders, and elephant-warriors along with the huge animals they\nrode. And the rulers of the earth, filled with joy, applauded those\nmighty feats in battle and praised him also that achieved them. And the\nson of Subhadra, O Bharata, tossed those divisions (of the Kaurava army)\nlike the tempest tossing a heap of cotton on all sides in the welkin.\nRouted by him, O Bharata, the troops failed to find a protector, like\nelephants sunk in a slough. Then, O best of men, having routed all\ntroops, Abhimanyu stood, O king, like a blazing fire without a curl of\nsmoke. Indeed, O king, thy warriors were incapable of bearing that slayer\nof foes, like insects impelled by fate unable to bear a blazing fire.\nThat mighty car-warrior and great bowman, having struck all the foes of\nthe Pandavas, looked at that moment like Vasava himself armed with the\nthunder. And his bow, the back of whose staff was decked with gold, as it\nmoved on every side, seemed, O king, like the lightning's flash as it\nspotted amid the clouds. And well-tempered and sharp shafts came from his\nbow-string in that battle like flights of bees, O king, from blossoming\ntrees in the forest. And as the high-souled son of Subhadra careered on\nthe field on his car whose limbs were decked with gold, people were\nincapable of finding an opportunity (for striking him). Confounding Kripa\nand Drona and mighty son of Drona, as also the ruler of the Sindhus, the\ngreat bowman moved on the field of battle with great activity and skill.\nAs he consumed thy troops, O Bharata, I beheld his bow incessantly drawn\nto a circle and resembling on that account the circular halo of light\nthat is sometimes seen around the Sun. Brave Kshatriyas, beholding him\nendued with such activity and scorching the foe thus, thought, in\nconsequence of those feats, that the world contained two Phalgunis.\nIndeed, O king, the vast host of the Bharatas, afflicted by him, reeled\nhither and thither like a woman drunk with wine. Routing that large army\nand causing many mighty car-warriors to tremble, he gladdened his friends\n(like Vasava gladdening the celestials) after vanquishing Maya. And while\nbeing routed by him in that battle, thy troops uttered loud exclamations\nof woe that resembled the roar of the clouds. Hearing that awful wail thy\ntroops, O Bharata, that resembled the roar of the very sea at full tide\nwhen agitated by the winds, Duryodhana then, O king, addressed the son of\nRishyasringa and said, 'This Abhimanyu singly, O thou of mighty arms,\nlike a second Phalguni, routeth from rage (my) army like Vritra routing\nthe celestial host. I do not see any other efficacious medicine for him\nin battle than thyself, O best of Rakshasas, that art well-skilled in\nevery science. Therefore, go speedily and slay the heroic son of Subhadra\nin battle. As regards ourselves, headed by Bhishma and Drona, we will\nslay Partha himself.' Thus addressed, the mighty and valiant Rakshasa\nspeedily went to battle at the command of thy son, uttering loud roars\nlike the clouds themselves in the season of rains. And in consequence of\nthat loud noise, O king, the vast host of the Pandavas trembled\nthroughout like the ocean when agitated by the wind. And many combatants,\nO king, terrified by those roars, giving up dear life, fell prostrate on\nthe earth. Filled with joy and taking up his bow with arrow fixed on the\nstring, and apparently dancing on the terrace of his car, that Rakshasa\nproceeded against Abhimanyu himself. Then the angry Rakshasa, having in\nthat battle got Arjuna's son within reach, began to rout his ranks,--even\nthose that stood not far from him. Indeed, the Rakshasa rushed in battle\nagainst that mighty Pandava host which he began to slaughter, like Vala\nrushing against the celestial host. Attacked in battle by that Rakshasa\nof terrible mien, the slaughter was very great, O sire, that took place\namongst those troops. Exhibiting his prowess, the Rakshasa began to rout\nthat vast force of the Pandavas, with thousands of arrows. Thus\nslaughtered by that Rakshasa of terrible visage, the Pandava army fled\naway from excess of fear. Grinding that army like an elephant grinding\nlotus-stalks, the mighty Rakshasa then rushed in battle against the sons\nof Draupadi. Then those great bowmen, accomplished in fighting, viz., the\nsons of Draupadi, rushed towards the Rakshasa in battle like five planets\nrushing against the Sun. That best of Rakshasa then was afflicted by\nthose brothers endued with great energy, like the Moon afflicted by the\nfive planets of the awful occasion of the dissolution of the world. Then\nthe mighty Prativindhya quickly pierced the Rakshasa with whetted shafts,\nsharp as battle-axes and furnished with points capable of penetrating\nevery armour. Thereupon that foremost of Rakshasas, with his armour\npierced through, looked like a mass of clouds penetrated by the rays of\nthe Sun. Pierced with these shafts furnished with golden wings,\nRishyasringa's son, O king, looked resplendent like a mountain with\nblazing crests. Then those five brothers in that great battle, pierced\nthat foremost of Rakshasas with many whetted shafts of golden wings.\nPierced with those terrible shafts resembling angry snakes, Alamvusha, O\nking, became inflamed with rage like the king of the serpents himself.\nDeeply pierced, O king, within only a few moments, O sire, by those great\ncar-warriors, the Rakshasa, much afflicted, remained senseless for a long\nwhile. Regaining his consciousness then, and swelling through rage to\ntwice his dimensions, he cut off their arrows and standards and bows. And\nas if smiling the while he struck each of them with five arrows. Then\nthat mighty Rakshasa and great car-warrior, Alamvusha, excited with\nwrath, and as if dancing on the terrace of his car, quickly slew the\nsteeds, and then the charioteers, of those five illustrious adversaries\nof his. And burning with rage he once more pierced them with sharp arrows\nof diverse shades by hundreds and thousands. Then that wanderer of the\nnight, viz., the Rakshasa Alamvusha, having deprived those great bowmen\nof their cars, rushed impetuously at them, wishing to despatch them to\nYama's abode. Beholding them (thus) afflicted in battle by that\nwicked-souled Rakshasa, the son of Arjuna rushed at him. Then the battle\nthat took place between him and the cannibal resembled that between\nVritra and Vasava. And the mighty car-warriors of thy army, as also of\nthe Pandavas, all became spectators of that engagement. Encountering each\nother in fierce battle, blazing with wrath, endued with great might, and\nwith eyes red in rage, each beheld the other in that battle to resemble\nthe Yuga fire. And that engagement between them became fierce and awful\nlike that between Sakra and Samvara in days of old in the battle between\nthe gods and Asuras.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CII\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"How, O Sanjaya, did Alamvusha resist in combat the\nheroic son of Arjuna smiting many of our mighty car-warriors in battle?\nAnd how also did that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of\nSubhadra, fight with Rishyasringa's son? Tell me all this in detail,\nexactly as it happened in that fight. What also did Bhima, that foremost\nof car-warriors, and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, and Nakula, and Sahadeva\nand the mighty car-warrior Satyaki, and Dhananjaya, do with my troops in\nbattle? Tell me all this truly, O Sanjaya, for thou art skilled (in\nnarration).\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"I will presently describe to thee, O sire, the awful\nbattle that took place between that foremost of the Rakshasas and the son\nof Subhadra. I will also describe to thee the prowess that Arjuna put\nforth in battle, and Bhimasena the son of Pandu, and Nakula, and Sahadeva,\nas also the warriors of thy army headed by Bhishma and Drona, all of whom\nfearlessly achieved wonderful feats of diverse kinds. Alamvusha, uttering\nloud shouts and repeatedly roaring at Abhimanyu, rushed impetuously\nagainst that mighty car-warrior in battle, saying, 'Wait,\nWait'--Abhimanyu also, repeatedly roaring like a lion, rushed with a\ngreat force at that mighty bowman, viz., the son of Rishyasringa, who was\nan implacable foe of the former's sire. Soon then those two foremost of\ncar-warriors, man and Rakshasa, on their cars, encountered each other,\nlike a god and Danava. That best of Rakshasa were endued with powers of\nillusion, while Phalguni's son was acquainted with celestial weapons.\nThen Abhimanyu, O king, pierced Rishyasringa's son in that battle with\nthree sharp shafts and once more with five. Alamvusha, also, excited with\nwrath, speedily pierced Abhimanyu in the chest with nine shafts like a\nguide piercing an elephant with hooks. Then, O Bharata, that wanderer of\nthe night, endued with great activity, afflicted Arjuna's son in that\ncombat with a thousand arrows. Then Abhimanyu excited with rage, pierced\nthat prince of the Rakshasas in his wide chest with nine straight shafts\nof great sharpness. Piercing through his body these penetrated into his\nvery vitals. And that best of Rakshasas, his limbs mangled by them,\nlooked beautiful like a mountain overgrown with flowering Kinsukas.\nBearing those shafts of golden wings on his body, that mighty prince of\nRakshasas looked radiant like a mountain on fire. Then the vindictive son\nof Rishyasringa, inflamed with wrath, covered Abhimanyu, who was equal\nunto Mahendra himself, with clouds of winged arrows. Those sharp shafts\nresembling the rods of Yama himself, shot by him, pierced Abhimanyu\nthrough and entered the earth. And similarly the gold-decked arrows shot\nby Arjuna's son, piercing Alamvusha through, entered the earth. The son\nof Subhadra then, in that battle, with his straight shafts, obliged the\nRakshasa to turn his back upon the field, like Sakra repulsing Maya in\ndays of old. That scorcher of foes, the Rakshasa, then, thus repulsed and\nstruck repeatedly by his adversary, exhibited his great powers of\nillusion by causing a thick darkness to set in. Then all the combatants\nthere, O king, were covered by that darkness. Neither could Abhimanyu be\nseen, nor could friends be distinguished from foes in that battle.\nAbhimanyu, however, beholding that thick and awful gloom, invoked into\nexistence, O son of Kuru's race, the blazing solar weapon. Thereupon, O\nking, the universe once more became visible. And thus he neutralised the\nillusion of that wicked Rakshasa. Then that prince of men, excited with\nwrath and endued with great energy, covered that foremost of Rakshasa in\nthat battle with many straight shafts. Diverse other kinds of illusion\nwere conjured up there by that Rakshasa. Conversant with all weapons, the\nson of Phalguni however, neutralised them all. The Rakshasa then, his\nillusions all destroyed, and himself struck with shafts, abandoned his\ncar even there, and fled away in great fear. After that Rakshasa addicted\nto unfair fight had been thus vanquished, the son of Arjuna began to\ngrind thy troops in battle, like a juice-blind prince of wild elephants\nagitating a lake overgrown with lotus.[465] Then Bhishma the son of\nSantanu, beholding his troops routed, covered Subhadra's son with a thick\nshower of arrows. Then many mighty car-warriors of the Dhartarashtra\narmy, standing in a ring round that single hero, began to strike him\nforcibly with their shafts. That hero then, who resembled his sire in\nprowess and who was equal to Vasudeva in valour and might,--that foremost\nof all wielders of weapons,--achieved diverse feats in that battle that\nwere worthy of both his sire and maternal uncle. Then the heroic\nDhananjaya, excited with wrath and desirous of rescuing his son, arrived\nat the spot where the latter was slaughtering thy troops as he came\nalong. And similarly, O king, thy sire Devavrata in that battle\napproached Partha like Rahu approaching the sun.[466] Then thy sons, O\nmonarch, supported by cars, elephants, and steeds, surrounded Bhishma in\nthat battle and protected him from every side. And so also the Pandavas,\nO king, clad in mail and surrounding Dhananjaya, engaged in fierce\nbattle, O bull of Bharata's race. Then Saradwat's son (Kripa), O king,\npierced Arjuna who was staying in front of Bhishma, with five and twenty\nshafts. Thereupon, like a tiger attacking an elephant, Satyaki,\napproaching Kripa, pierced him with many whetted shafts from desire of\ndoing what was agreeable to the Pandavas. Gautama in return, excited with\nwrath, quickly pierced him of Madhu's race in the chest with nine arrows\nwinged with the feathers of the Kanka bird. Sini's grandson also, excited\nwith wrath, and forcibly drawing his bow, quickly sped at him an arrow\ncapable of taking his life. The fiery son of Drona, however, excited with\nwrath, cut in twain that arrow as it coursed impetuously towards Kripa,\nresembling Indra's bolt in effulgence. Thereupon that foremost of\ncar-warriors, viz., Sini's grandson, abandoning Gautama, rushed in battle\ntowards Drona's son like Rahu in the firmament against the Moon. Drona's\nson, however, O Bharata, cut Satyaki's bow in twain. After his bow had\nthus been cut off, the former began to strike the latter with his shafts.\nSatyaki then, taking up another bow capable of bearing a great strain and\nslaughtering the foe, struck Drona's son, O king, in the chest and arms\nwith six shafts. Pierced therewith and feeling great pain, for a moment\nhe was deprived of his senses, and he sat down on the terrace of his car,\ncatching hold of his flag-staff. Regaining his consciousness then, the\nvaliant son of Drona, excited with rage afflicted him of Vrishni's race\nin that battle, with one long shaft. That shaft, piercing Sini's grandson\nthrough, entered the earth like a vigorous young snake entering its hole\nin the season of spring. And with another broad-headed arrow, Drona's son\nin that battle cut off the excellent standard of Satyaki. And having\nachieved this feat he uttered a leonine roar. And once more, O Bharata,\nhe covered his adversary with a shower of fierce shafts like the clouds,\nO king covering the Sun after summer is past. Satyaki also, O monarch,\nbaffling that arrowy shower, soon covered the son of Drona with diverse\nshowers of arrows. That slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the grandson of\nSini, freed from that arrowy shower like the Sun from the clouds, began\nto scorch the son of Drona (with his energy). Swelling with rage the\nmighty Satyaki once more covered his foe with a thousand arrows and\nuttered a loud shout. Beholding his son then thus afflicted like the Moon\nby Rahu, the valiant son of Bharadwaja rushed towards the grandson of\nSini. Desirous, O king, of rescuing his son who was afflicted by the\nVrishni hero, Drona, in that great battle, pierced the latter with a\nshaft of exceeding sharpness. Satyaki then, abandoning the mighty\ncar-warrior Aswatthaman, pierced Drona himself in that battle with twenty\narrows of exceeding sharpness. Soon after, that scorcher of foes and\nmighty car-warrior, viz., Kunti's son of immeasurable soul, excited with\nwrath, rushed in that battle against Drona. Then Drona and Partha\nencountered each other in fierce combat like the planets Budha and Sukra,\nO king, in the firmament.\"[467]\n\n\n\nSECTION CIII\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"How did those bulls among men, viz., that great\nbowman Drona, and Dhananjaya the son of Pandu, encounter each other in\nbattle? The son of Pandu is ever dear to the wise son of Bharadwaja. The\npreceptor also is ever dear to Pritha's son, O Sanjaya. Both of those\ncar-warriors delight in battle, and both of them are fierce like lions.\nHow therefore, did Bharadwaja's son and Dhananjaya, both fighting with\ncare encounter each other in battle?\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"In battle Drona never recognises Partha as dear to\nhimself. Partha also, keeping a Kshatriya's duty in view, recognises not\nin battle his preceptor. Kshatriyas, O king, never avoid one another in\nbattle. Without showing any regard for one another, they fight with sires\nand brothers. In that battle, O Bharata, Partha pierced Drona with three\nshafts. Drona, however, regarded not those shafts shot in battle from\nPartha's bow. Indeed, Partha once more covered the preceptor in the fight\nwith a shower of arrows. Thereupon the latter blazed up with wrath like a\nconflagration in a deep forest. Then, O king, Drona soon covered Arjuna\nin that combat with many straight shafts, O Bharata. Then king\nDuryodhana, O monarch, despatched Susarman for taking up the wing of\nDrona. Then the ruler of the Trigartas, excited with rage and forcibly\ndrawing his bow, covered Partha, O king, with a profusion of arrows\nfurnished with iron heads. Shot by those two warriors, O king, the shafts\nlooked beautiful in the welkin like cranes in the autumnal sky. Those\nshafts, O lord, reaching the son of Kunti, entered his body like birds\ndisappearing within a tree bending with a load of tasteful fruits. Arjuna\nthen, that foremost of car-warriors, uttering a loud roar in that battle\npierced the ruler of the Trigartas and his son with his shafts. Pierced\nby Partha like Death himself at the end of the Yuga, they were unwilling\nto avoid Partha, resolved as they were on laying down their lives. And\nthey shot showers on the car of Arjuna. Arjuna, however, received those\narrowy showers with showers of his own, like a mountain, O monarch,\nreceiving a downpour from the clouds. And the lightness of hand that we\nthen beheld of Vibhatsu was exceedingly wonderful. For alone he baffled\nthat unbearable shower of arrows shot by many warriors like the wind\nalone scattering myriads of clouds rushing upon clouds. And at that feat\nof Partha, the gods and the Danavas (assembled there for witnessing the\nfight) were highly gratified. Then, O Bharata, engaged with the Trigartas\nin that battle, Partha shot, O king, the Vayavya weapon against their\ndivision. Then arose a wind that agitated the welkin, felled many trees,\nand smote down the (hostile) troops. Then Drona, beholding the fierce\nVayavya weapon, himself shot an awful weapon called the Saila. And when\nthat weapon, O ruler of men, was shot by Drona in that battle, the wind\nabated and the ten quarters became calm. The heroic son of Pandu,\nhowever, made the car-warriors of the Trigarta division destitute of\nprowess and hope, and caused them to turn their backs on the field. Then\nDuryodhana and that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Kripa, and\nAswatthaman, and Salya, and Sudakshina, the ruler of the Kamvojas, and\nVinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Valhika supported by the Valhikas, with\na large number of cars surrounded Partha on all sides. And similarly\nBhagadatta also, and the mighty Srutayush, surrounded Bhima on all sides\nwith an elephant division. And Bhurisravas, and Sala, and Suvala's son, O\nmonarch, began to check the twin sons of Madri with showers of bright and\nsharp arrows. Bhishma, however, in that battle, supported by the sons of\nDhritarashtra with their troops, approaching Yudhishthira, surrounded him\non all sides. Beholding that elephant division coming towards him,\nPritha's son Vrikodara, possessed of great courage, began to lick the\ncorners of his mouth like a lion in the forest. Then Bhima, that foremost\nof car-warriors, taking up his mace in that great battle, quickly jumped\ndown from his car and struck terror into the hearts of thy warriors.\nBeholding him mace in hand, those elephant-warriors in that battle\ncarefully surrounded Bhimasena on all sides. Stationed in the midst of\nthose elephants, the son of Pandu looked resplendent like the Sun in the\nmidst of a mighty mass of clouds. Then that bull among the sons of Pandu\nbegan with his mace to consume that elephant-division like the wind\ndispelling a huge mass of clouds covering the welkin. Those tuskers,\nwhile being slaughtered by the mighty Bhimasena, uttered loud cries of\nwoe like roaring masses of clouds. With diverse scratches (on his person)\ninflicted by those huge animals with their tusks, the son of Pritha\nlooked beautiful on the field of battle like a flowering Kinsuka. Seizing\nsome of the elephants by their tusks, he deprived them of those weapons.\nWrenching out the tusks of others, with those very tusks he struck them\non their frontal globes and felled them in battle like the Destroyer\nhimself armed with his rod. Wielding his mace bathed in gore, and himself\nbespattered with fat and marrow and smeared with blood, he looked like\nRudra himself. Thus slaughtered by him, the few gigantic elephants that\nremained, ran away on all sides, O king, crushing even friendly ranks.\nAnd in consequence of those huge elephants fleeing away on all sides,\nDuryodhana's troops once more, O bull of Bharata's race, fled away from\nthe field.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CIV\n\nSanjaya said, \"At mid-day, O king, happened a fierce battle, fraught with\ngreat carnage, between Bhishma and the Somakas. That foremost of\ncar-warriors, viz., Ganga's son began to consume the ranks of the\nPandavas with keen shafts by hundreds and thousands. Thy sire Devavrata\nbegan to grind those troops like a herd of bulls grinding (with their\ntread) a heap of paddy sheaves. Then Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin and\nVirata and Drupada, falling upon Bhishma in that battle, struck that\nmighty car-warrior with numerous arrows. Bhishma then, having pierced\nDhrishtadyumna and Virata each with three arrows, sped a long shaft, O\nBharata, at Drupada. Thus pierced in battle by Bhishma, that grinder of\nfoes, those great bowmen became filled with wrath, O king, like snakes\ntrod upon (by human feet). Then Sikhandin pierced the grandsire of the\nBharatas (with many shafts). Of unfading glory, Bhishma, however,\nregarding his foe as a female struck him not. Dhrishtadyumna then, in\nthat battle, blazing up with wrath like fire, struck the grandsire with\nthree shafts in his arms and chest. And Drupada pierced Bhishma with five\nand twenty shafts, and Virata pierced him with ten, and Sikhandin with\nfive and twenty. Deeply pierced (with those shafts) he became covered\nwith blood, and looked beautiful like a red Asoka variegated with\nflowers. Then the son of Ganga pierced, in return, each of them with\nthree straight shafts. And then, O sire, he cut off Drupada's bow with a\nbroad-headed arrow. The latter then, taking up another bow, pierced\nBhishma with five shafts. And he pierced Bhishma's charioteer also with\nthree sharp shafts on the field of battle. Then the five sons of\nDraupadi, and the five Kaikeya brothers and Satyaki also of the Satwata\nrace, headed by Yudhishthira, all rushed towards Ganga's son, desirous of\nprotecting the Panchalas headed by Dhrishtadyumna. And so all the\nwarriors of thy army also, O king, prepared to protect Bhishma, rushed at\nthe head of their troops against the Pandava host. And then happened\nthere a fierce general engagement between thy army of men and steeds and\ntheirs, that increased the population of Yama's kingdom. And car-warriors\nfalling upon car-warriors despatched one another to Yama's abode. And so\nmen and elephant-riders and horse-riders, falling upon others (of their\nclass), despatched them to the other world with straight shafts. And here\nand there on the field, O monarch, cars, deprived of riders and\ncharioteers by means of diverse kinds of fierce shafts, were in that\nbattle dragged on all sides over the field. And those cars, O king,\ncrushing large numbers of men and steeds in battle, were seen to resemble\nthe wind itself (in speed) and vapoury edifices in the firmament (for\ntheir picturesque forms). And many car-warriors cased in mail and endued\nwith great energy, decked with ear-rings and head-gears and adorned with\ngarlands and bracelets, resembling the children of the celestials, equal\nto Sakra himself for prowess in battle, surpassing Vaisravana in wealth\nand Vrihaspati in intelligence, ruling over extensive territories, and\npossessed of great heroism, O monarch, deprived of their cars, were seen\nto run hither and thither like ordinary men. Huge tuskers also, O chief\nof men, deprived of their skilled riders, ran, crushing friendly ranks,\nand fell down with loud shrieks. Prodigious elephants looking like\nnewly-risen clouds and roaring also like the clouds, were seen to run in\nall directions, deprived of their coats of mail. And, O sire, their\nChamaras and variegated standards, their umbrellas with golden staves,\nand the bright lances (of their riders), lay scattered about.[468] And\nelephant-riders, O king, deprived of their elephants, belonging both of\nthy army and theirs, were seen to run (on foot) amid that awful press.\nAnd steeds from diverse countries, decked with ornaments of gold, were\nseen, by hundreds and thousands, to run with the speed of the wind. And\nhorse-riders, deprived of their horses, and armed with swords were in\nthat battle seen to run, or made to run (by others assailing them).\nElephant, meeting with a flying elephant in that dreadful battle,\nproceeded, quickly crushing foot-soldiers and steeds. And, similarly, O\nking those prodigious creatures crushed many cars in that battle, and\ncars also, coming upon fallen steeds crushed them (in their course). And\nsteeds too, in the press of battle, crushed many foot-soldiers, O king\n(with their hoofs). And thus, O monarch, they crushed one another in\ndiverse ways.[469] And in that fierce and awful battle there flowed a\nterrible river of bloody current. And heaps of bows obstructed its\nstraight course, and the hair (of slain warriors) formed its moss. And\n(broken) cars formed its lakes, and arrows its eddies. And steeds formed\nits fishes. And heads (severed from trunks) formed its blocks of stone.\nAnd it abounded with elephants that formed its crocodiles. And coats of\nmail and head-gears formed its froth. And bows (in the hands of the\nwarriors) constituted the speed of its current, and swords its tortoises.\nAnd banners and standards in profusion formed the trees on its banks. And\nmortals constituted its banks which that river continually ate away. And\nit abounded with cannibals that formed its swans. And that stream\n(instead of swelling the ocean with its discharge) swelled the population\nof Yama's kingdom. And brave Kshatriyas,--mighty car-warriors,--casting\noff all fear, O king, sought to cross that river with the aid of cars,\nelephants, and steeds that played the part of rafts and boats. And as the\nriver Vaitarani beareth all departed spirits towards the domains of the\nKing of the Dead, so that river of bloody current bore away all timid men\ndeprived of their senses in a swoon. And the Kshatriyas, beholding that\nawful carnage, all exclaimed, saying, 'Alas, through Duryodhana's fault\nthe Kshatriyas are being exterminated. Why, Oh, Dhritarashtra of sinful\nsoul, deluded by avarice, harboured envy for the sons of Pandu, who are\ngraced with numerous virtues.' Diverse exclamations of this kind were\nheard there, made by one another, fraught with the praises of the\nPandavas and censure of thy sons. Hearing then these words uttered by all\nthe combatants, thy son Duryodhana, that offender against all, addressed\nBhishma and Drona and Kripa and Salya, O Bharata, saying, 'Fight ye\nwithout boastfulness. Why tarry ye at all?' Then the battle was resumed\nbetween the Kurus and the Pandavas, that fierce battle, O king, caused by\nthe match at dice and marked by an awful slaughter. Thou beholdest now, O\nson of Vichitravirya, the dreadful fruit of that rejection by thee (of\nthe counsels of thy friends) though warned against it by many illustrious\npersons. Neither the sons of Pandu, O king, nor their troops, nor they\nthat follow them, nor the Kauravas, show the least regard for their lives\nin battle. For this reason, O tiger among men, a dreadful destruction of\nkinsmen is taking place, caused either by Destiny or by thy evil policy,\nO king.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CV\n\nSanjaya said, \"O tiger among men, Arjuna sent those Kshatriyas that\nfollowed Susarman to the abode of the King of the Dead by means of his\nwhetted shafts. Susarman however, in that battle, pierced Partha with his\nshafts. And he pierced Vasudeva with seventy, and Arjuna once more with\nnine shafts. Checking those shafts by means of his arrowy showers, that\nmighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Indra, despatched Susarman's troops\nunto Yama's abode. Those mighty car-warriors, while being slaughtered by\nPartha in that battle as if by Death himself at the end of the Yuga, all\nfled away from the field, O king, struck with panic, some abandoning their\nsteeds, some abandoning, O sire, their cars, and others their elephants,\nfled away in all directions. Others taking with them their horses,\nelephants, and cars, fled away, O king, with great speed. Foot-soldiers\nin that dreadful battle, throwing aside their weapons, and without any\nregard for one another, fled away hither and thither. Though forbidden by\nSusarman the ruler of the Trigartas, and by other foremost of kings, they\nstayed not yet in battle. Beholding that host routed, thy son Duryodhana\nhimself at the head of the whole army and with Bhishma ahead, attacked\nDhananjaya with all his vigour, for the sake, O king, of (protecting) the\nlife of the ruler of the Trigartas. And he stayed in battle, scattering\ndiverse kinds of arrows, supported by all his brothers. The rest of the\nmen all fled away. Similarly, the Pandavas, O king, clad in mail and with\nall their vigour, proceeded, for the sake of Phalguni, to the spot where\nBhishma was. Although acquainted with the awful prowess in battle of the\nwielder of Gandiva, these yet proceeded with loud cries and great bravery\nto the spot where Bhishma was and surrounded him on all sides. Then the\npalmyra-bannered hero covered the Pandava army, in that battle, with his\nstraight shafts. The sun having reached the meridian, the Kauravas, O\nking, fought with the Pandavas in one confused mass. The heroic Satyaki,\nhaving pierced Kritavarman with five arrows, stayed in battle scattering\nhis arrows by thousands. And so king Drupada also, having pierced Drona\nwith many whetted shafts, once more pierced him with seventy shafts and\nhis charioteer with nine. Bhimasena also, having pierced his great\ngrandsire king Valhika uttered a loud roar like a tiger in the forest.\nArjuna's son (Abhimanyu) pierced by Chitrasena with many shafts, deeply\npierced Chitrasena in the chest with three arrows. Engaged with each\nother in battle, those two foremost of men looked resplendent on the\nfield like the planets, Venus and Saturn, O king, in the firmament. Then\nthat slayer of foes, viz., the son of Subhadra, having slain his\nantagonist's steeds and charioteer with nine arrows, uttered a loud\nshout. Thereupon that mighty car-warrior, (viz., Chitrasena), quickly\njumping down from that car whose steed had been slain, mounted, O king,\nwithout delay, the car of Durmukha. The valiant Drona pierced the\nlatter's charioteer also. Then, O king, Drupada, thus afflicted at the\nhead of his troops, retreated by the aid of his fleet steeds,\nrecollecting the hostility that existed from days of old (between himself\nand Drona). Bhimasena, within a moment, deprived king Valhika of his\nsteeds, car and charioteer, in the very sight of all the troops. Fallen\ninto a situation of great danger and with fear in his heart, O king,\nValhika, that best of men, jumping down from that vehicle, quickly\nmounted upon the car of Lakshmana in that battle. Satyaki, having checked\nKritavarman in that dreadful battle, fell upon the grandsire and rained\non him shafts of diverse kinds.[470] Piercing the grandsire with sixty\nwhetted shafts winged with feathers, he seemed to dance on his car,\nshaking his large bow. The grandsire then hurled at him a mighty dart\nmade of iron, decked with gold, endued with great velocity, and beautiful\nas a daughter of the Nagas. Beholding that irresistible dart, resembling\nDeath himself, coursing towards him, that illustrious warrior of the\nVrishni race baffled it by the celerity of movements. Thereupon that\nfierce dart, unable to reach him of the Vrishni race, fell down on the\nearth like a large meteor of blazing splendour. Then he of Vrishni's\nrace, O king, taking up with a firm hand his own dart of golden\neffulgence, hurled it at the car of the grandsire. That dart, hurled in\nthat dreadful battle with the strength of Satyaki's arms, coursed\nimpetuously like the fatal night, coursing speedily towards a (doomed)\nman. As it coursed, however, towards him with great force, Bhishma cut it\nin twain, O Bharata, with a couple of horse-shoe-headed arrows of keen\nedge, and thereupon it fell down on the earth. Having cut that dart, that\ngrinder of foes, viz., Ganga's son, excited with wrath and smiling the\nwhile struck Satyaki in the chest with nine arrows. Then the Pandava\nwarriors, O elder brother of Pandu, with their cars, elephants, and\nsteeds,[471] surrounded Bhishma in that battle, for the sake of rescuing\nhim of Madhu's race. Then commenced again a fierce battle, making the\nhair to stand on end, between the Pandavas and the Kurus both of whom\nwere desirous of victory.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CVI\n\nSanjaya said, \"Beholding Bhishma excited with wrath in battle,\nsurrounded on all sides by the Pandavas like the Sun in the firmament, O\nking, by the clouds at the end of summer, Duryodhana, O monarch,\naddressed Dussasana, saying, 'This heroic and great bowman Bhishma, this\nslayer of heroes, hath, O bull of Bharata's race, been surrounded on all\nsides by the brave Pandavas. It is thy duty, O hero, to protect that\nillustrious one. Protected by us in battle, our grandsire Bhishma will\nslay all the Panchalas along with the Pandavas. The protection of\nBhishma, therefore, I think, is our highest duty, for this great bowman\nof his vows, viz., Bhishma, is our protector in return. Therefore,\nsurrounding the grandsire with all our troops, do thou protect him, who\nalways achieveth the most difficult feats in battle.' Thus addressed by\nDuryodhana, thy son Dussasana, surrounding Bhishma with a large force on\nall sides took up his position. Then Suvala's son Sakuni, with hundreds\nand thousands of horsemen having bright spears and swords and lances in\nhand, and who formed a proud, well-dressed, and strong body bearing\nstandards, and who were mingled with excellent foot-soldiers that were\nall well-trained and skilled in battle began to cheek Nakula, and\nSahadeva, and Yudhishthira the son of Pandu, surrounding those foremost\nof men on all sides. Then king Duryodhana despatched ten thousand (other)\nbrave horsemen for resisting the Pandavas. When these rushed like so many\nGarudas towards the enemy with great impetuosity, the earth, O king,\nstruck with their horse-hoofs, trembled and uttered a loud noise. And the\nloud clatter of their hoofs was heard resembling the noise made by a\nlarge forest of bamboos, in conflagration on a mountain. And as these\ndashed over the field, there rose a cloud of dust, which rising to the\nwelkin shrouded the very Sun. And in consequence of those impetuous\nsteeds, the Pandava army was agitated like a large lake with a flight of\nswans suddenly alighting on its bosom. And in consequence of their\nneighing, nothing else could be heard there. Then king Yudhishthira, and\nthe two sons of Pandu by Madri, quickly checked the charge of those\nhorsemen in battle, like the continent, O king, bearing the force, at\nfull tide, of the surging sea swollen with the waters of the rainy\nseason. Then those (three) car-warriors, O monarch, with their straight\nshafts, cut off the heads of those horse-riders. Slain by those strong\nbowmen, they fell down, O king, (on the earth), like mighty elephants\ntumbling into mountain caves, slain by huge compeers. Indeed, coursing\nall over the field, those warriors (of the Pandavas army) cut off the\nheads of those cavalry soldiers with sharp-bearded darts and straight\nshafts. Struck with swords, those horsemen, O bull of Bharata's race,\nsuffered their heads to drop like tall trees, dropping their fruits. All\nover the field, O king, steeds along with their riders were seen fallen\nor falling, deprived of life. And while being (thus) slaughtered, the\nsteeds, affected with panic, fled away like smaller animals desirous of\nsaving their lives at sight of the lion. And the Pandavas, O king, having\nvanquished their foes in that great battle, blew their conches and beat\ntheir drums. Then Duryodhana, filled with grief on seeing his troops\nvanquished, addressed the ruler of the Madras, O chief of the Bharatas,\nand said, 'There, the eldest son of Pandu, accompanied by the twins in\nbattle, in thy very sight, O thou of mighty arms, routeth our troops, O\nlord. O mighty-armed one, resist him like the continent resisting the\nocean. Thou art exceedingly well-known as possessed of might and prowess\nthat are irresistible.' Hearing these words of thy son, the valiant Salya\nproceeded with a large body of cars to the spot where Yudhishthira was.\nThereupon, the son of Pandu began to resist in battle that large host of\nSalya rushing impetuously towards him with the force of a mighty wave.\nAnd that mighty car-warrior, viz., king Yudhishthira the just, in that\nbattle quickly pierced the ruler of the Madras in the centre of the chest\nwith ten shafts. And Nakula and Sahadeva struck him with seven straight\nshafts. The ruler of the Madras then struck each of them with three\narrows. And once more he pierced Yudhishthira with sixty sharp-pointed\narrows. And excited with wrath he struck each of the sons of Madri also\nwith two shafts. Then that vanquisher of foes, the mighty-armed Bhima,\nbeholding the king, in that great battle, staying within reach of Salya's\ncar as if within the very jaws of Death, quickly proceeded to\nYudhishthira's side. Then when the Sun, having passed the meridian, was\nsinking, there commenced a fierce and terrible battle (on that part of\nthe field).\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CVII\n\nSanjaya said, \"Then thy sire, excited with wrath, began to strike the\nParthas and their troops all round, with excellent shafts of great\nsharpness. And he pierced Bhima with twelve shafts, and Satyaki with\nnine. And having pierced Nakula with three shafts, he pierced Sahadeva\nwith seven. And he pierced Yudhishthira in the arms and the chest with\ntwelve shafts. And piercing Dhrishtadyumna also, that mighty warrior\nuttered a loud roar. Him Nakula pierced (in return) with twelve shafts,\nand Satyaki with three. And Dhrishtadyumna pierced him with seventy\nshafts, and Bhimasena with seven. And Yudhishthira pierced the grandsire\nin return with twelve shafts. Drona (on the other hand), having pierced\nSatyaki, pierced Bhimasena next. And he pierced each of them with five\nsharp shafts, each of which resembled the rod of Death. Each of those\ntwo, however, pierced Drona, that bull among Brahmanas, in return, with\nthree straight shafts. The Sauviras, the Kitavas, the Easterners, the\nWesterners, the Northerners, the Malavas, the Abhishahas, the Surasenas,\nthe Sivis, and the Vasatis, did not avoid Bhishma in battle although they\nwere incessantly slaughtered by him with sharp shafts. And similarly\nkings coming from diverse countries and armed with diverse weapons,\napproached the Pandavas (without seeking to avoid them in battle). And\nthe Pandavas, O king, surrounded the grandsire on all sides. Surrounded\non all sides, yet unvanquished by that large body of cars, Bhishma blazed\nup like a fire in the midst of a forest, and consumed his foes. His car\nwas his fire-chamber; his bow constituted the (flames of that fire);\nswords, darts, and maces, constituted the fuel; his shafts were the\nsparks (of that fire); and Bhishma was himself the fire that consumed the\nforemost of Kshatriyas. Indeed, with shafts furnished with golden wings\nand vulturine feathers and endued with great energy, with barbed arrows,\nand nalikas, and long shafts, he covered the hostile host. And he felled\nelephants and car-warriors also with his sharp shafts. And he made that\nlarge body of cars resemble a forest of palmyras shorn of their leafy\nheads. And that mighty armed warrior, that foremost of all wielders of\nweapons, O king, deprived cars and elephants and steeds of their riders\nin that conflict. And hearing the twang of his bow-string and the noise\nof his palms, loud as the roar of the thunder, all the troops trembled, O\nBharata. The shafts of thy sire, O bull of Bharata's race, told on the\nfoe. Indeed, shot from Bhishma's bow they did not strike the coats of\nmail only (but pierced them through). And we beheld, O king, many cars\ndestitute of their brave riders dragged over the field of battle, O\nmonarch, by the fleet steeds yoked unto them. Fourteen thousand\ncar-warriors, belonging to the Chedis, the Kasis, and the Karushas, of\ngreat celebrity and noble parentage, prepared to lay down their lives,\nunretreating from the field, and owning excellent standards decked with\ngold, having met with Bhishma in battle who resembled the Destroyer\nhimself with wide-open mouth, all went to the other world along with\ntheir cars, steeds, and elephants. And we beheld there, O king, cars by\nhundreds and thousands, some with their axles and bottoms broken, and\nsome, O Bharata, with broken wheels. And the earth was strewn with cars\nbroken along with their wooden fences, with the prostrate forms of\ncar-warriors, with shafts, with beautiful but broken coats of mail, with\naxes, O monarch; with maces and short arrows and sharp shafts, with\nbottoms of cars, with quivers and broken wheels, O sire, with innumerable\nbows and scimitars and heads decked with ear-rings; with leathern fences\nand gloves and overthrown standards, and with bows broken in various\nparts. And elephants, O king, destitute of riders, and slain horsemen (of\nthe Pandava army), lay dead. The valiant Pandavas notwithstanding all\ntheir efforts, could not rally those car-warriors, who, afflicted by the\nshafts of Bhishma, were flying away from the field. Indeed, O king, that\nmighty host while being slaughtered by Bhishma endued with energy equal\nto that of Indra himself, broke so completely that no two persons fled\ntogether. With its cars, elephants, and steeds overthrown, and with its\nstandards laid low in profusion, the army of the sons of Pandu, deprived\nof senses, uttered loud exclamations of woe. And at that time, sire slew\nson, and son slew sire, and friend smote dear friend, impelled by fate.\nAnd many combatants of the Pandavas army, throwing aside their armour,\nwere seen flying in all directions with dishevelled hair. Indeed, the\nPandava troops looked like bulls running wild in fear, and no longer\nrestrained by the yoke. Indeed, loud were the exclamations we heard of\nwoe that they uttered.\n\n\"Then that delighter of the Yadavas, beholding the Pandava army breaking,\nreined the excellent car (that he guided), and addressing Vibhatsu the\nson of Pritha, said,--'That hour is come, O Partha, which thou hadst hoped\nfor. Strike now, O tiger among men, or thou wilt be deprived of thy\nsenses. Formerly, O hero, thou saidst, O Partha, in that conclave of\nkings in Virata's city, in the presence also of Sanjaya, these words:--\"I\nwill slay all the warriors of Dhritarashtra's son, all of them with their\nfollowers, including, Bhishma and Drona, that would fight with me in\nbattle\"--O son of Kunti, O chastiser of foes, make those words of thine\ntrue. Remembering the duty of a Kshatriya, fight, without any anxiety.'\nThus addressed by Vasudeva, Arjuna hung down his head and looked askance\nat him. And Vibhatsu replied very unwillingly, saying, 'To acquire\nsovereignty with hell in the end, having slain those who should not be\nslain, or the woes of an exile in the woods,--(these are the\nalternatives). Which of these should I achieve? Urge the steeds, O\nHrishikesa, I will do thy bidding. I will overthrow the Kuru grandsire\nBhishma, that invincible warrior.'--Thus asked, Madhava urged those\nsteeds of a silvery hue, to the spot where Bhishma, incapable of being\nlooked at like the Sun himself, was staying. Then that large host of\nYudhishthira rallied and came again to the fight, beholding the\nmighty-armed Partha proceeding for an encounter with Bhishma. Then\nBhishma that foremost one among the Kurus, repeatedly roared like a lion.\nAnd he soon covered Dhananjaya's car with a shower of arrows. Within a\ntrice that car of his with its steeds and charioteer, became entirely\ninvisible in consequence of that thick shower of arrows. Vasudeva,\nhowever, without fear, mustering patience, and endued with great\nactivity, urged those steeds mangled with Bhishma's shafts. Then Partha,\ntaking up his celestial bow of twang loud as the roar of the clouds,\ncaused Bhishma's bow to drop from his hands, cutting it (into fragments)\nby means of his sharp shafts. Then thy sire, the Kuru hero, whose bow had\nthus been cut off, stringed another large bow within the twinkling of the\neye. Arjuna, however, excited with wrath, cut that bow also of his. The\nson of Santanu applauded that lightness of hand displayed by Arjuna,\nsaying, 'Well done, Well done, O mighty-armed one. Well done, O son of\nKunti.'--Having addressed him thus, Bhishma took up another beautiful bow\nin that battle, and shot many arrows at Partha's car. And Vasudeva showed\ngreat skill in the management of steeds, for, displaying the circling\nmotion he baffled all those arrows (of Bhishma). Mangled with the arrows\nof Bhishma, those two tigers among men looked beautiful like two angry\nbulls marked with scratches of horns. Then that slayer of hostile heroes,\nviz., the mighty-armed Vasudeva of Madhu's race beholding that Partha was\nfighting mildly and that Bhishma was incessantly scattering his arrowy\nshowers in battle, and that stationed between the two hosts, he latter\nwas scorching everything like the Sun himself, smiting down the foremost\nof Yudhishthira's combatants, and, in fact, achieving feat on\nYudhishthira's army like unto what happeneth at the end of the Yuga,\ncould not any longer bear it. Abandoning then, O sire, Partha's steeds\nthat looked like silver, and filled with wrath, that great lord of Yoga\npowers jumped down from that great car. Repeatedly roaring like a lion,\nthe mighty Krishna of great energy and immeasurable splendour, the Lord\nof Universe, with eyes red as copper from rage, and having his bare arms\nalone for his weapons, rushed towards Bhishma, whip in hand, desirous of\nslaying him and seeming to split the universe itself with his tread.\nBeholding Madhava in the vicinity of Bhishma and about to fall upon him\nin that furious battle, the hearts of all the combatants seemed to be in\na stupor. 'Bhishma is slain, Bhishma is slain.'--These loud exclamations\nwere heard there, O king, caused by the fear inspired by Vasudeva. Robed\nin yellow silk, and himself dark as the lapis lazuli, Janardana, when he\npursued Bhishma, looked beautiful as a mass of clouds charged with\nlightning. Like a lion towards an elephant, or the leader of a bovine\nherd upon another of his species, that bull of Madhu's race, with a loud\nroar, impetuously rushed towards Bhishma. Beholding him of eyes like\nlotus petals (thus) rushing towards him in that battle, Bhishma began to\nfearlessly draw his large bow. And with a fearless heart he addressed\nGovinda, saying, 'Come, come, O thou of eyes like lotus petals. O God of\nthe gods, I bow to thee. O best of the Satwatas, throw me down today in\nthis great battle. O god, slain by thee in battle, O sinless one, great\nwill be the good done to me, O Krishna, in every respect in the world.\nAmongst all, in the three worlds, great is the honour done to me today in\nbattle, O Govinda. Strike me as thou pleasest, for I am thy slave, O\nsinless one.' Meanwhile, the mighty-armed Partha, quickly following\nKesava behind, seized him by encircling him with his two arms. That best\nof male beings, viz., Krishna, of eyes like lotus petals, seized by\nPartha, still proceeded with great speed, bearing the latter away with\nhim. The mighty Partha, that slayer of hostile heroes, however, forcibly\ncatching hold of his legs, stopped Hrishikesa with great difficulty at\nthe tenth step. Then Arjuna his dear friend, filled with sorrow,\naffectionately addressed Kesava, who was then sighing like a snake and\nwhose eyes were troubled in wrath, saying, 'O thou of mighty arms, stop,\nO Kesava, it behoveth thee not to make those words false which thou hadst\nspoken before, viz., I will not fight. O Madhava, people will say that\nthou art a liar. All this burden resteth upon me. I will slay the\ngrandsire. I swear, O Kesava, by my weapons, by truth, and my good deeds,\nthat, O slayer of foes, I will do all by which the destruction of my foes\nmay be achieved. Behold this very day that invincible and mighty\ncar-warrior in the act of being thrown down by me, with the greatest\nease, like the crescent moon at the end of the Yuga (when the destruction\nof the universe comes).' Madhava, however, hearing these words of the\nhigh-souled Phalguni, spoke not a word, but in anger once more mounted\nupon the car. And then upon those two tigers among men, when stationed on\ntheir car, Bhishma the son of Santanu, once more poured his arrowy\nshowers like the clouds pouring rain upon the mountain-breast. Thy sire\nDevavrata took the lives of the (hostile) warriors like the Sun sucking\nwith his rays the energies of all things during summer. As the Pandavas\nhad been breaking the ranks of the Kurus in battle, so thy sire broke the\nPandava ranks in battle. And the routed soldiers, helpless and heartless,\nslaughtered in hundreds and thousands by Bhishma, were unable to even\nlook at him in that battle,--him who resembled the mid-day Sun blazing in\nhis own splendour. Indeed, the Pandavas afflicted with fear, timidly\ngazed at Bhishma who was then achieving super-human feats in that battle.\nAnd the Pandava troops, thus fleeing away, O Bharata, failed to find a\nprotector, like a herd of kine sunk in a shoal of ants while being trod\ndown by a strong person. Indeed, the Pandavas could not, O Bharata, look\nat that mighty car-warrior incapable of being shaken, who, furnished with\na profusion of shafts, was scorching the kings (in the Pandava army), and\nwho in consequence of those shafts looked like the blazing Sun shedding\nhis fiery rays. And while he was thus grinding the Pandava army, the\nthousand-rayed maker of day repaired to the setting hills, and the\ntroops, worn with fatigue, set their hearts on withdrawal (from the\nfield).\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CVIII\n\nSanjaya said, \"While they were battling, the Sun set, O Bharata, and\nthere came the dreadful hour of twilight and the battle could no longer\nbe seen. Then king Yudhishthira, seeing that twilight had come and that\nhis own troops, slaughtered by Bhishma, had thrown aside their weapons,\nand that stricken with fear, and turned off the field, they were seeking\nto flee away, and beholding Bhishma also, that mighty car-warrior,\nexcited with wrath and afflicting everybody in fight, and noticing that\nthe mighty car-warriors of the Somakas, having been vanquished, had all\nbecome cheerless, reflected a little, and then ordered the troops to be\nwithdrawn. Then king Yudhishthira withdrew his forces. And similarly, the\nwithdrawal of thy forces also took place at the same time. Then those\nmighty car-warriors, O chief of the Kurus, having withdrawn their forces,\nentered their tents, themselves mangled in battle. Afflicted by the\nshafts of Bhishma and reflecting upon that hero's feats in battle, the\nPandavas obtained no peace of mind. Bhishma also, having vanquished the\nPandavas and the Srinjayas in battle, was worshipped by thy sons and\nglorified by them, O Bharata. Accompanied by the rejoicing Kurus, he then\nentered his tent. Night then set in, that deprives all creatures of their\nsenses. Then in that fierce hour of night, the Pandavas, the Vrishnis and\nthe invincible Srinjayas sat down for a consultation. All those mighty\npersons, skilled in arriving at conclusions in council, coolly\ndeliberated about that which was beneficial for them in view of their\nimmediate circumstances. Then king Yudhishthira, having reflected for a\nlong while, said these words, casting his eyes on Vasudeva, 'Behold, O\nKrishna, the high-souled Bhishma of fierce prowess. He crusheth my troops\nlike an elephant crushing a forest of reeds. We dare not even look at\nthat high-souled warrior. Like a raging conflagration he licketh up my\ntroops. The valiant Bhishma of keen weapons, when excited with wrath in\nbattle and bow in hand shooting his shafts, becometh as fierce as the\nmighty Naga Takshaka of virulent poison. Indeed, the angry Yama is\ncapable of being vanquished, or even the chief of the celestials armed\nwith the thunder, or Varuna himself, noose in hand, or the Lord of the\nYakshas armed with mace. But Bhishma, excited with wrath, is incapable of\nbeing vanquished in battle. When this is the case, O Krishna, I am,\nthrough the weakness of my understanding, plunged in an ocean of grief\nhaving got Bhishma (as a foe) in battle. I will retire into the woods, O\ninvincible one. My exile there would be for my benefit. Battle, O\nKrishna, I no longer desire. Bhishma slayeth us always. As an insect, by\nrushing into a blazing fire meeteth only with death, even so do I rush\nupon Bhishma. In putting forth prowess, O thou of Vrishni's race, for the\nsake of my kingdom, I am, alas, led to destruction. My brave brothers\nhave all been exceedingly afflicted with arrows. In consequence of the\naffection they bear to myself their (eldest) brother they had to go into\nthe woods, deprived of kingdom. For myself alone, O slayer of Madhu, hath\nKrishna been sunk into such distress. I regard life to be of high value.\nIndeed, even life now seemeth to be difficult of being saved. (If I can\nsave that life), its latter remnant will I pass in the practice of\nexcellent virtue. If, with my brothers, O Kesava, I am worthy of thy\nfavour, tell me, O Krishna, what is for my benefit, without contravening\nthe duties of my order.' Hearing these words of his, and (describing the\nsituation) in detail, Krishna, from compassion, said these words in reply\nfor comforting Yudhishthira, 'O son of Dharma, O thou that art firm in\ntruth, do thou not indulge in sorrow, thou that hast these invincible\nheroes, these slayers of foes, for thy brothers. Arjuna and Bhimasena are\neach endued with the energy of the Wind and the Fire. The twin sons of\nMadri also are each as valiant as the Chief of the celestials himself.\nFrom the good understanding that exists between us, do thou set me also\nto this task. Even I, O son of Pandu, will fight with Bhishma. Directed\nby thee, O great king, what is there that I may not do in great battle.\nChallenging that bull among men, viz., Bhishma, I will slay him in\nbattle, in the very sight of the Dhartarashtras, if Phalguni doth not\nwish to slay him. If, O son of Pandu, thou seest victory to be certain on\nthe slaughter of the heroic Bhishma, even I, on a single car, will slay\nthat aged grandsire of the Kurus. Behold, O king, my prowess, equal to\nthat of the great Indra in battle. I will overthrow from his car that\nwarrior who always shooteth mighty weapons. He that is an enemy of the\nsons of Pandu, without doubt, is my enemy also. They, that are yours, are\nmine, and so they, that are mine, are yours. Thy brother (Arjuna) is my\nfriend, relative, and disciple. I will, O king, cut off my own flesh and\ngive it away for the sake of Arjuna. And this tiger among men also can\nlay down his life for my sake. O sire, even this is our understanding,\nviz., that we will protect each other. Therefore, command me, O king, in\nwhat way I am to fight. Formerly, at Upaplavya, Partha had, in the\npresence of many persons, vowed, saying, \"I will slay the son of Ganga.\"\nThese words of the intelligent Partha should be observed (in practice).\nIndeed, if Partha requests me without doubt I will fulfill that vow. Or,\nlet it be the task of Phalguni himself in battle. It is not heavy for\nhim. He will slay Bhishma, that subjugator of hostile cities. If excited\nin battle, Partha can achieve feats that are incapable of being achieved\nby others. Arjuna can slay in battle the very gods exerting themselves\nactively, along with the Daityas and the Danavas. What need be said of\nBhishma, therefore, O king? Endued with great energy, Bhishma, the son of\nSantanu, is now of perverted judgment, of intelligence decayed, and of\nlittle sense, without doubt, he knoweth not what he should do.'\n\n\"Hearing these words of Krishna, Yudhishthira said, 'It is even so, O\nthou of mighty arms, even as thou sayest, O thou of Madhu's race. All\nthese together are not competent to bear thy force. I am sure of always\nhaving whatever I desire, when, O tiger among men, I have thyself staying\non my side. O foremost of victorious persons, I would conquer the very\ngods with Indra at their head, when, O Govinda, I have thee for my\nprotector. What need I say, therefore, of Bhishma, though he is a mighty\ncar-warrior? But, O Krishna, I dare not, for my own glorification,\nfalsify thy words. Therefore, O Madhava, as promised before by thee,\nrender me aid without fighting for me. In this battle an agreement was\nmade by me with Bhishma. He said,--\"I will give thee counsel, but fight I\nshall never for thee, since I shall have to fight for Duryodhana's sake.\"\nKnow this for truth. Therefore, O Lord, Bhishma may give me sovereignty\nby giving me good counsel, O Madhava. Therefore, O slayer of Madhu, all\nof us accompanied by thee, will once more repair unto Devavrata, for\nasking him about the means of his own death. All of us then, O best of\npersons, together going to Bhishma without delay, will speedily ask him\nof Kuru's race his advice. O Janardana, he will truly give us beneficial\ncounsel; and O Krishna, I will do in battle what he will say. Of austere\nvows, he will give us counsel, as also victory. We were children and\norphans. By him were we reared. O Madhava, him, our aged grandsire, I\nwish to day,--him, the sire of our sire. Oh, fie upon the profession of a\nKshatriyas.'\"\n\nSanjaya continued, \"Hearing these words, O king, he of Vrishni's race\nsaid unto Yudhishthira, 'O thou of great wisdom, these words of thine, O\nking, are to my taste. Bhishma, otherwise called Devavrata, is skilled in\nweapons. With only his glances he can consume the foe. Repair unto that\nson of the Ocean-going (Ganga), for asking him about the means of his\ndeath. Asked by thee, in particular, he will certainly say the truth. We\nwill, therefore, proceed for questioning the Kuru grandsire. Repairing\nunto the reverend son of Santanu, we will, O Bharata, ask him his advice\nand according to the advice that he will give us we will fight with the\nfoe.' Having thus deliberated, O elder brother of Pandu, the heroic sons\nof Pandu, and the valiant Vasudeva, all proceeded together towards the\nabode of Bhishma, casting aside their coats of mail and weapons and\nentering then his tent, they all bowed to him, bending their heads. And\nthe sons of Pandu, O king, worshipping that bull of Bharata's race, and\nbowing unto him with their heads, sought his protection. The Kuru\ngrandsire, the mighty-armed Bhishma, then addressed them, saying,\n'Welcome art thou, O thou of Vrishni's race. Welcome art thou, O\nDhananjaya. Welcome to thee, O king Yudhishthira the just. And to thee, O\nBhima. Welcome to you also, ye twins. What am I to do now for enhancing\nyour joy? Even if it be exceedingly difficult of achievement, I will yet\ndo it with all my soul.' Unto the son of Ganga who thus repeatedly spoke\nunto them with such affection, king Yudhishthira, with a cheerful heart,\nlovingly said, these words, 'O thou that art conversant with everything,\nhow shall we obtain victory, and how shall we acquire sovereignty? How\nalso may this destruction of creatures be stopped? Say all these unto me,\nO lord. Tell us the means of thy own death. How, O hero, shall we be able\nto bear thee in battle? O grandsire of the Kurus, thou givest not thy\nfoes even a minute hole to pick in thee. Thou art seen in battle with thy\nbow ever drawn to a circle. When thou takest thy shafts, when aimest\nthem, and when drawest the bow (for letting them off), no one is able to\nmark. O slayer of hostile heroes, constantly smiting (as thou dost) cars\nand steeds and men and elephants, we behold thee on thy car, O\nmighty-armed one, to resemble a second Sun. What man is there, O bull of\nBharata's race, who can venture to vanquish thee, scattering showers of\narrows in battle, and causing a great destruction. Tell me, O grandsire,\nthe means by which we may vanquish thee in battle, by which sovereignty\nmay be ours, and lastly, by which my army may not have to undergo such\ndestruction.' Hearing these words, Santanu's son, O elder brother of\nPandu, said unto the son of Pandu, 'As long as I am alive, O son of\nKunti, victory cannot be yours in battle, O thou of great wisdom. Truly\ndo I say this unto thee. After, however, I am vanquished in fight, ye may\nhave victory in battle, ye sons of Pandu. If, therefore, ye desire\nvictory in the battle, smite me down without delay. I give you\npermission, ye sons of Pritha, strike me as ye please. I am thus known to\nyou in what I regard to be a fortunate circumstance.[472] After I am\nslain, all the rest will be slain. Therefore, do as I bid'.\n\n\"Yudhishthira said, 'Tell us the means by which we may vanquish thee in\nbattle, thee that art, when excited with wrath in the fight, like unto\nthe Destroyer himself armed with mace. The wielder of the thunder-bolt\nmay be vanquished or Varuna, or Yama. Thou, however, art incapable of\nbeing defeated in battle by even the gods and Asuras united together,\nwith Indra at their head.'\n\n\"Bhishma said, 'That, O son of Pandu, is true, which thou sayest, O thou\nof mighty arms. When with weapons and my large bow in hand I contend\ncarefully in battle, I am incapable of being defeated by the very gods\nand the Asuras with Indra at their head. If, however, I lay aside my\nweapons, even these car-warriors can slay me. One that hath thrown away\nhis weapons, one that hath fallen down, one whose armour hath slipped\noff, one whose standard is down, one who is flying away, one who is\nfrightened, one who says--\"I am thine\"--one who is a female, one who\nbeareth the name of a female, one no longer capable of taking care of\none's self, one who hath only a single son, or one who is a vulgar\nfellows,--with these I do not like to battle. Hear also, O king, about my\nresolve formed before. Beholding any inauspicious omen I would never\nfight. That mighty car-warrior, the son of Drupada, O king, whom thou\nhast in thy army, who is known by the name of Sikhandin, who is wrathful\nin battle, brave, and ever victorious, was a female before but\nsubsequently obtained manhood. How all this took place, ye all know it\ntruly. Brave in battle and clad in mail, let Arjuna, keeping Sikhandin\nbefore him, attack me with his sharp shafts. When that inauspicious omen\nwill be there, especially in the form of one that was a female before, I\nwill never seek, though armed with bow and arrow, to strike him.\nObtaining that opportunity, let Dhananjaya the son of Pandu quickly\npierce me on every side with his shafts, O bull of Bharata's race. Except\nthe highly blessed Krishna, and Dhananjaya the son of Pandu, I do not\nbehold the person in the three worlds who is able to slay me while\nexerting myself in battle. Let Vibhatsu, therefore, armed with weapons,\nstruggling carefully in battle, with his excellent bow in hand, placing\n(Sikhandin or) something else before, throw me down (from my car). Then\nthe victory will be certain. Do this, O great king, even this that I have\nsaid unto thee, O thou of excellent vows. Thou wilt then be able to slay\nall Dhartarashtras assembled together in battle.'\"\n\nSanjaya continued, \"The Parthas then, having ascertained all this went\nback to their tents, saluting the Kuru grandsire, viz., the high-souled\nBhishma. After Ganga's son, prepared to go to the other world, had said\nthis, Arjuna, burning with grief and his face suffused in shame, said\nthese words, 'How, O Madhava, shall I fight in battle with the grandsire\nwho is my senior in years, who is possessed of wisdom and intelligence,\nand who is the oldest member of our race? While sporting in days of\nchildhood, O Vasudeva, I used to smear the body of this high-souled and\nillustrious one with dust by climbing on his lap with my own filthy body.\nO elder brother of Gada, he is the sire of my sire Pandu. While a child,\nclimbing on the lap of this high-souled one I once called him father. I\nam not thy father but thy father's father, O Bharata!--even this is what\nhe said to me (in reply) in my childhood. He who said so, Oh, how can he\nbe slain by me. O, let my army perish. Whether it is victory or death\nthat I obtain I will never fight that high-souled person. (Even this is\nwhat I think). What dost thou think, O Krishna!'\n\n\"Vasudeva said, 'Having vowed the slaughter of Bhishma before, O Jishnu,\nhow canst thou abstain from slaying him, agreeably to the duties of a\nKshatriya? Throw down from his car, O Partha, that Kshatriya who is\ninvincible in battle. Victory can never be yours without slaying Ganga's\nson. Even thus shall he go to the abode of Yama. This hath been settled\nbefore by the gods. That which hath been destined before, O Partha, must\nhappen. It cannot be otherwise. None save thee, O invincible one, not\neven the wielder of the thunder-bolt himself, would be capable of\nfighting with Bhishma, who is like the Destroyer with wide-open mouth.\nSlay Bhishma, without any anxiety. Listen also to these words of mine\nthat are what Vrihaspati of great intelligence had said unto Sakra in\ndays of old. One should slay even an aged person endued with every merit\nand worthy of reverence if he cometh as a foe, or, indeed any other who\napproacheth for destroying one's self--O Dhananjaya, this is the eternal\nduty sanctioned for the Kshatriya, viz., that they should fight, protect\nsubjects, and perform sacrifices, all without malice.'\n\n\"Arjuna said, 'Sikhandin, O Krishna, will certainly be the cause of\nBhishma's death, for Bhishma, as soon as he beholds the prince of the\nPanchalas, abstains from striking. Therefore, keeping Sikhandin before\nhim and at our head, we will, by that means, overthrow the son of Ganga.\nEven this is what I think. I will hold in check other great bowmen with\nmy shafts. As regards Sikhandin, he will fight with Bhishma alone, that\nforemost of all warriors. I have heard from that chief of the Kurus that\nhe would not strike Sikhandin, for having been born before as a woman he\nsubsequently became a male person.'\"\n\nSanjaya continued, \"Having settled this with Bhishma's permission, the\nPandavas, along with Madhava, went away with rejoicing hearts. And then\nthose bulls among men retired to their respective beds.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CIX\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"How did Sikhandin advance against the son of Ganga\nin battle, and how did Bhishma also advance against the Pandavas? Say all\nthis unto me, O Sanjaya!\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"Then all those Pandavas, towards the hour of sun-rise,\nwith beat of drums and cymbals and smaller drums, and with the blare of\nconches of milky whiteness, all around, went out for battle, placing\nSikhandin in their van. And they marched out, O king, having formed an\narray that was destructive of all foes. And Sikhandin, O monarch, was\nstationed in the very van of all the troops. And Bhimasena and Dhananjaya\nbecame the protectors of his car-wheels. And in his rear were the sons of\nDraupadi and the valiant Abhimanyu. And those mighty car-warriors, viz.,\nSatyaki and Chekitana, became the protectors of the last. And behind them\nwas Dhrishtadyumna protected by the Panchalas. Next to Dhrishtadyumna,\nbehind, marched the royal lord Yudhishthira, accompanied by the twins,\nfilling the air with leonine shouts, O bull of Bharata's race. Next\nbehind him was Virata, surrounded by his own troops. Next to him marched\nDrupada, O mighty-armed one. And the five Kaikeya brothers and the\nvaliant Dhrishtaketu, O Bharata, protected the rear of the Pandava army.\nHaving disposed their vast army in such an array, the Pandavas rushed\nagainst thy host, prepared to cast away their lives. And similarly the\nKauravas, O king, placing that mighty car-warrior Bhishma at the head of\ntheir whole host, proceeded against the Pandavas. And that invincible\nwarrior was protected by thy mighty sons. Next behind them was the great\nbowman Drona, as also his mighty son (Aswatthaman). Next behind was\nBhagadatta surrounded by his elephant division. And behind Bhagadatta\nwere Kripa and Kritavarman. Behind them were Sudakshina the mighty ruler\nof the Kamvojas, and Jayatsena, the king of the Magadhas, and Suvala's\nson and Vrihadvala. And similarly, many other kings, that were all great\nbowmen, protected the rear of thy host, O Bharata. As each day came,\nBhishma the son of Santanu, formed arrays in battle, sometimes after the\nmanner of the Asuras, sometimes after that of the Pisachas, and sometimes\nafter that of the Rakshasas. Then commenced the battle between thy\ntroops, O Bharata, and theirs, both parties smiting one another and\nincreasing the population of Yama's kingdom. And the Parthas with Arjuna\nat their head, placing Sikhandin in the van, proceeded against Bhishma in\nthat battle, scattering diverse kinds of arrows. And then, O Bharata\nafflicted by Bhishma with his shafts, (many of) thy warriors, profusely\nbathed in blood, repaired to the other world. And Nakula and Sahadeva,\nand the mighty car-warrior Satyaki, approaching thy army, began to\nafflict it with great vigour. Thus slaughtered in battle, O bull of\nBharata's race, thy warriors were unable to resist that vast host of the\nPandavas. Then thy host, vigorously afflicted by great car-warriors and\nthus slaughtered by them everywhere, fled away on all sides. Slaughtered\nwith sharp shafts by the Pandavas and the Srinjayas they found not a\nprotector, O bull of Bharata's race.\"\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"Tell me, O Sanjaya, what the valiant Bhishma,\nexcited with rage, did in battle, upon beholding my host afflicted by the\nParthas. O sinless one, tell me how that hero, that chastiser of foes,\nrushed against the Pandavas in battle, and slaughtered the Somakas.\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"I will tell thee, O king, what thy sire did when thy sons'\nhost was afflicted by the Pandavas and the Srinjayas. With cheerful\nhearts, the brave sons of Pandu, O elder brother of Pandu, encountered\nthy son's host, slaughtering (all whom they met). That carnage, O chief\nof men, of human beings, elephants and steeds, that destruction by the\nfoe of thy army in battle, Bhishma could not brook. That invincible and\ngreat bowman, then, reckless of his very life poured upon the Pandavas,\nthe Panchalas, and the Srinjayas, showers of long shafts and calf-toothed\nand crescent-shaped arrows. And with weapons, O monarch, he checked with\nhis shafts and with showers of other weapons, both offensive and\ndefensive, all sped with energy and wrath, the five foremost of mighty\ncar-warriors of the Pandavas, who had been struggling vigorously in\nbattle. Excited with wrath, he slaughtered in that battle countless\nelephants and steeds. And that bull among men, O monarch, throwing down\nmany car-warriors from their cars,[473] and horsemen from their horses,\nand crowds of foot soldiers, and elephant-warriors from the backs of the\nbeasts they rode, struck terror into the foe. And the Pandava warriors\nall rushed together upon Bhishma singly, upon that mighty car-warrior\nstruggling in battle with great activity, like the Asuras rushing\ntogether upon him with the thunderbolt in hand. Shooting on all sides his\nwhetted arrows whose touch resembled that of Indra's thunder, he seemed\nto the enemy to have assembled a terrible visage. While fighting in that\nbattle, his large bow, resembling that of Sakra himself, seemed to be\nalways drawn to a circle. Beholding those feats in battle, thy sons, O\nmonarch, filled with exceeding wonder, worshipped the grandsire. The\nParthas cast their eyes, with cheerless hearts, upon thy heroic sire\nstruggling in battle, like the celestials upon (the Asura) Viprachitti\n(in days of old).[474] They could not resist that warrior who then\nresembled the Destroyer himself with wide-open mouth. In that battle on\nthe tenth day, Bhishma, with his sharp shafts, consumed the division of\nSikhandin like a conflagration consuming a forest. Him resembling an\nangry snake of virulent poison, or the Destroyer urged by Death himself,\nSikhandin pierced with three shafts in the centre of the chest. Deeply\npierced therewith, Bhishma saw that it was Sikhandin (who was piercing\nhim). Excited with wrath, but unwilling (to fight with Sikhandin) Bhishma\nlaughingly said, 'Whether thou choosest to strike me or not, I will never\nfight with thee. Thou art that Sikhandin still which the Creator had made\nthee first'.[475] Hearing these words of his, Sikhandin, deprived of his\nsenses by wrath, and licking the corners of his mouth addressed Bhishma\nin that battle, saying, 'I know thee, O mighty-armed one, to be the\nexterminator of the Kshatriya race. I have heard also of thy battle with\nJamadagni's son. I have also heard much of thy super-human prowess.\nKnowing thy prowess I will still fight with thee today. For doing what is\nagreeable to the Pandavas and is agreeable to my own self, O chastiser of\nfoes, I will today fight with thee in battle, O best of men. I will, of a\ncertainty, slay thee. I swear this before thee by my troth! Hearing these\nwords of mine, do that which thou shouldst. Whether thou choosest to\nstrike me or not, thou shall not escape me with life. O thou that art\never victorious, O Bhishma, look thy last on this world.'\"\n\nSanjaya continued, \"Having said so, Sikhandin in that battle pierced\nBhishma with five straight shafts, having already pierced him with his\nwordy shafts. Hearing those words of his, the mighty car-warrior Arjuna,\nregarding Sikhandin to be Bhishma's Destroyer, urged him on, saying, 'I\nwill fight behind thee, routing the foe with my shafts. Excited with\nfury, rush thou against Bhishma of terrible prowess. The mighty Bhishma\nwill not be able to afflict thee in battle. Therefore, O mighty-armed\none, encounter Bhishma with vigor. If, O sire, thou returnest today\nwithout slaying Bhishma, thou wilt, with myself, be an object of ridicule\nto the world. Seek to do that in battle by which, O hero, we may not\nincur ridicule in this great battle. Stay the grandsire. O thou of great\nstrength, I will protect thee in this battle, checking all the\ncar-warriors (of the Kuru army). Do thou slay the grandsire. Drona, and\nDrona's son, and Kripa, and Suyodhana, and Chitrasena, and Vikarna, and\nJayadratha the ruler of the Sindhus, Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and\nSudakshina the ruler of the Kamvojas, and the brave Bhagadatta, and the\nmighty king of the Magadhas, and Somadatta's son, and the brave Rakshasas\nwho is Rishyasringa's son and the ruler of the Trigartas, alone with all\nthe other great car-warriors (of the Kuru army), I will check like the\ncontinent resisting the surging sea. Indeed, I will hold in check all the\nmighty warriors of the Kuru army assembled together and battling with us.\nDo thou slay the grandsire.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CX\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"How did Sikhandin the prince of the Panchalas,\nexcited with wrath, rushed in battle against the grandsire, viz., Ganga's\nson of righteous soul and regulated vows. What mighty car-warriors of the\nPandavas army, upraised weapons, desirous of victory, and exerting\nthemselves with activity, protected Sikhandin on that occasion which\nrequired great activity? How also did Bhishma the son of Santanu, endued\nwith great energy, fight on that tenth day of battle with the Pandavas\nand the Srinjayas? I cannot brook the idea of Sikhandin encountering\nBhishma in battle. (Indeed, when Sikhandin attacked Bhishma), was\nBhishma's car or his bow broken?\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"While fighting in that battle, O bull of Bharata's race,\nneither the bow nor the car of Bhishma had suffered any injury. He was\nthen slaying the foe with straight shafts. Many thousands of mighty\ncar-warriors belonging to thy army, as also elephants, O king, and steeds\nwell harnessed, proceeded for battle, with the grandsire in the van.\nAgreeably to his vow, O thou of Kuru's race, the ever-victorious Bhishma\nwas incessantly engaged in slaughtering the troops of the Parthas. The\nPanchalas and the Pandavas were unable to bear that great bowman battling\n(with them) and slaying his foes with his shafts. When the tenth day\ncame, the hostile army was torn into pieces by Bhishma with his shafts by\nhundreds and thousands. O elder brother of Pandu, the sons of Pandu were\nincapable of defeating in battle the great bowman Bhishma who resembled\nthe Destroyer himself armed with the lance.\n\n\"Then, O king, the unvanquished Vibhatsu or Dhananjaya, who was capable\nof drawing the bow with even the left hand, came to that spot,\nfrightening all the car-warriors. Roaring loudly like a lion, and\nrepeatedly drawing the bow-string, and scattering showers of arrows,\nPartha careered on the field of battle like Death himself. Frightened at\nthose roars of his, thy warriors, O bull of Bharata's race, fled away in\nterror, like smaller animals, O king, at the sound of the lion. Beholding\nthe son of Pandu crowned with victory and thus afflicting that host,\nDuryodhana, himself under the influence of terror addressed Bhishma and\nsaid, 'The son of Pandu, O sire, with white steeds (yoked unto his car),\nand having Krishna for his charioteer, consumeth all my troops like a\nconflagration consuming a forest. Behold, O son of Ganga, all troops,\nslaughtered by Pandu's son in battle, are, O foremost of warriors,\nfleeing away. Indeed, as the herdsman belaboureth his cattle in the\nforest, even so, O scorcher of foes is my army being belaboured. Broken\nand driven away on all sides by Dhananjaya with his shafts, the\ninvincible Bhima is also routing that (already broken) host of mine. And\nSatyaki, and Chekitana, and the twin sons of Madri, and the valiant\nAbhimanyu,--these also are routing my troops. The brave Dhrishtadyumna,\nand the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha also, are vigorously breaking and driving\naway my army in this fierce conflict. Of these troops that are being\nslaughtered by all those mighty car-warriors, I do not see any other\nrefuge in the matter of their staying and fighting on the field, O\nBharata, save thee, O tiger among men, that art possessed of prowess\nequal to that of the celestials. Therefore, receive thou those great\ncar-warriors without delay, and be thou the refuge of these afflicted\ntroops.' Thus addressed by him, O king, thy sire Devavrata, the son of\nSantanu, reflecting for a moment and settling what he should do, said\nthese words unto thy son, comforting him (therewith), 'O Duryodhana,\nlisten calmly to what I say, O king. O thou of great might, formerly I\nvowed before thee that slaying every day ten thousand high-souled\nKshatriyas, I would come back from the battle. I have fulfilled that vow,\nO bull of Bharata's race! O thou of great might, today I will achieve\neven a great feat. Today I will either sleep myself being slain, or, I\nwill slay the Pandavas. O tiger among men, I will today free myself from\nthe debt I owe thee,--the debt, O king, arising out of the food, thou\ngavest me,--by casting away my life at the head of thy army.' Having said\nthese words, O chief of the Bharatas, that invincible warrior, scattering\nhis shafts among the Kshatriyas, attacked the Pandava host. And the\nPandavas then, O bull of Bharata's race, began to resist the son of Ganga\nstaying in the midst of his forces and excited with wrath like a snake of\nvirulent poison. Indeed, O king, on that tenth day of the battle,\nBhishma, displaying his might, slew, O son of Kuru's race, hundreds of\nthousands. And he drained the energies of those royal and mighty\ncar-warriors that were the foremost among the Panchalas, like the Sun\nsucking up the moisture (of the earth) with his rays. Having slain ten\nthousand elephants of great activity and ten thousand steeds also, O\nking, along with their riders, and full two hundred thousands of\nfoot-soldiers, that best of men, viz., Bhishma, shone resplendent in\nbattle like a fire without a curl of smoke. And no one amongst the\nPandavas was capable of even looking at him who then resembled the\nburning Sun staying in the northern solstice. The Pandavas, however,\nthough afflicted in battle by that great bowman, still rushed,\naccompanied by the mighty car-warriors of the Srinjayas, for slaughtering\nhim. Battling with myriads upon myriads around him, Santanu's son Bhishma\nthen looked like the cliff of Meru covered on all sides with masses of\nclouds. Thy sons, however, stood, surrounding Bhishma on all sides with a\nlarge force (for protecting him). Then commenced a fierce battle (between\nthe Kurus and the Pandavas).\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXI\n\nSanjaya said, \"Arjuna then, O king, beholding the prowess of Bhishma in\nbattle, addressed Sikhandin saying, 'Proceed towards the grandsire. Thou\nshouldst not entertain the slightest fear of Bhishma today. Even I will\nthrow him down from his excellent car by means of my sharp shafts'. Thus\naddressed by Partha, Sikhandin, O bull of Bharata's race, having heard\nthose words, rushed at the son of Ganga. And so Dhrishtadyumna also, O\nking, and the mighty car-warrior Abhimanyu, having heard those words of\nPartha, joyfully rushed at Bhishma. And old Virata and Drupada, and\nKuntibhoja also, clad in mail, rushed at Bhishma in the very sight of thy\nson. And Nakula, Sahadeva, and the valiant king Yudhishthira also, and\nall the rest of the warriors, O monarch, rushed against Bhishma. As\nregards thy warriors O king, that rushed, according to the measure of\ntheir might and courage, against those mighty car-warriors (of the\nPandava army) united together, listen to me as I speak (of them) unto\nthee. Like a young tiger attacking a bull, Chitrasena, O king, rushed\nagainst Chekitana who in that battle was proceeding for getting at\nBhishma. Kritavarman, O king, resisted Dhrishtadyumna who had reached the\npresence of Bhishma and who was exerting himself with great activity and\nvigour in that battle. Somadatta's son, O monarch, with great activity,\nresisted Bhimasena excited with fury and desirous of slaying Bhishma.\nSimilarly Vikarna, desirous of (protecting) Bhishma's life, resisted the\nbrave Nakula who was scattering innumerable arrows around. And so, O\nking, Kripa the son of Saradwat, excited with rage, resisted Sahadeva\nproceeding towards Bhishma's car. And the mighty Durmukha rushed at that\nRakshasa of cruel deeds, viz., the mighty son of Bhimasena, desirous of\nBhishma's slaughter. Thy son Duryodhana himself resisted Satyaki\nproceeding to battle. Sudakshina the ruler of the Kamvojas, O king,\nresisted Abhimanyu, O monarch, who was proceeding towards Bhishma's car.\nAnd Aswatthaman, O king, excited with rage, resisted old Virata and\nDrupada, those two chastisers of foes united together. And Bharadwaja's\nson, exerting himself with vigour in battle, resisted the eldest Pandava,\nthat is to say, king Yudhishthira the just, who was desirous of Bhishma's\ndeath. And that great bowman, viz., Dussasana, in that battle, resisted\nArjuna who was rushing with great speed, with Sikhandin before him,\ndesirous of coming upon Bhishma, O monarch, and illuminating the ten\nquarters (with his bright weapons). And other warriors of thy army\nresisted in that great battle other mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas\nproceeding against Bhishma. Dhrishtadyumna, that mighty car-warrior,\nexcited with rage, rushed against Bhishma alone and addressing the\ntroops, repeatedly said in a loud voice, \"There, Arjuna, that delighter\nof Kuru's race, is proceeding against Bhishma in battle. Rush ye against\nGanga's son. Be not afraid. Bhishma will not be able to attack you in\nbattle.[476] Vasava himself cannot venture to fight with Arjuna in\nbattle. What therefore, need be said of Bhishma who, though possessed of\nbravery in battle, is feeble and old.\" Hearing these words of their\ncommander, the mighty car-warriors of the Pandava army, filled with joy,\nrushed towards the car of Ganga's son. Many foremost of men, however, of\nthy army cheerfully received and resisted those heroes coming towards\nBhishma like impetuous mass of living energy. That mighty car-warrior,\nDussasana, abandoning all fears, rushed against Dhananjaya, desirous of\nprotecting the life of Bhishma. And so the heroic Pandavas also, O king,\nrushed in battle against thy sons, those mighty car-warriors, stationed\nabout Bhishma's car. And then, O king we beheld a highly wonderful\nincident, viz., that Partha, having proceeded as far as Dussasana's car,\ncould not advance further. As the continent resists the surging sea, even\nso did thy son (Dussasana) resist the angry son of Pandu. Both of them\nwere foremost of car-warriors. Both of them, O Bharata, were invincible.\nBoth of them, in beauty and splendour, O Bharata, resembled the Sun or\nthe Moon. Both of them were excited with wrath. And each of them desired\nto slay the other. And they encountered each other in dreadful battle\nlike Maya and Sakra in days of old. And Dussasana, O king, in that battle\npierced the son of Pandu with three shafts and Vasudeva with twenty. Then\nArjuna, excited with rage upon beholding him of Vrishni's race thus\nafflicted, pierced Dussasana with a hundred shafts. These, penetrating\nthrough the latter's armour, drank his blood in that battle. Then\nDussasana, excited with wrath, pierced Partha with five shafts. And once\nmore, O chief of the Bharatas, he pierced Arjuna in the forehead with\nthree sharp shafts. And with those shafts sticking to his forehead, the\nson of Pandu looked beautiful in that battle, like Meru, O king with its\ntall crests. That great bowman, viz., Partha, then thus deeply pierced by\nthy son wielding the bow, looked resplendent in that battle like a\nflowering Kinsuka. The son of Pandu then, excited with rage, afflicted\nDussasana, like Rahu inflamed with rage on the fifteenth day of the\nlighted fortnight afflicting the Moon at full. Thus afflicted by that\nmighty warrior, thy son, O king, pierced Partha in that battle with many\nshafts whetted on stone and winged with the features of the Kanka bird.\nThen Partha, cutting off Dussasana's bow and splitting his car with three\nshafts, sped at him many fierce arrows resembling the darts of Death. Thy\nson, however, cut off all those shafts of Partha exerting himself with\nvigour before they could reach him. All this seemed highly wonderful.\nThen thy son pierced Partha with many shafts of great sharpness. Then\nPartha, excited with rage in that battle, placed on his bowstring a\nnumber of shafts whetted on stone and furnished with wings of gold and\naiming them, sped them all at his foe. These, O king, penetrated the body\nof that high-souled warrior, like swans, O monarch, diving into a lake.\nThus afflicted by the high-souled son of Pandu, thy son avoiding Partha,\nquickly proceeded to the car of Bhishma. Indeed, Bhishma then became an\nisland unto him who was thus sinking into fathomless waters. Regaining\nconsciousness then, thy son, O monarch, endued with heroism and prowess,\nonce more began to resist Partha with sharp arrows like Purandara\nresisting (the Asura) Vritra. Of huge form, thy son began to pierce\nArjuna, but the latter was scarcely pained (at all this).\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXII\n\nSanjaya said, \"The mighty bowman (Alamvusha) the son of Rishyasringa, in\nthat battle, resisted Satyaki clad in mail and proceeding towards\nBhishma. He of Madhu's race, however, O king, excited with wrath, pierced\nthe Rakshasa with nine arrows, smiling the while, O Bharata. And so the\nRakshasa also, O king, excited with wrath, afflicted him of Madhu's race,\nviz., that bull of Sini's line, with nine arrows. Then Sini's grandson,\nthat slayer of hostile heroes, of Madhu's race, excited with rage, sped\nin that battle a profusion of arrows at the Rakshasa. Then that\nmighty-aimed Rakshasa pierced Satyaki, of prowess incapable of being\nbaffled, with many sharp arrows, and uttered a loud shout. Then he of\nMadhu's race, endued with great energy, though deeply pierced by the\nRakshasa in that battle, still relying upon his prowess, laughed (at his\nwounds) and uttered loud roars. Then Bhagadatta, excited with rage,\nafflicted him of Madhu's race in that battle with many sharp arrows like\na guide piercing a huge elephant with the hook. Then that foremost of\ncar-warriors, viz., the grandson of Sini, abandoning the Rakshasa in\nbattle, sped many straight shafts at the ruler of the Pragjyotishas. The\nruler of the Pragjyotishas then, with a broad-headed arrow of great\nsharpness, displaying great lightness of hand, cut off the large bow of\nSatyaki. Then that slayer of hostile heroes, excited with rage and taking\nup another bow of greater impetus, pierced Bhagadatta in that battle with\nmany sharp arrows. That mighty bowman, viz., Bhagadatta, then deeply\npierced, began to lick the corners of his mouth. And he then hurled at\nhis foe, in that dreadful battle, a tough dart, made wholly of iron,\ndecked with gold and stones of lapis lazuli, and fierce as the rod of\nYama himself. Sped with the might of Bhagadatta's arm and coursing\ntowards him impetuously, Satyaki, O king, cut that dart in twain by means\nof his shafts. Thereupon that dart fell down suddenly, like a great\nmeteor shorn of its splendour. Beholding the dart baffled, thy son\n(Duryodhana), O monarch, surrounded him of Madhu's race with a large\nnumber of cars. And seeing that mighty car-warrior among the Vrishnis\nthus surrounded, Duryodhana, angrily addressing all his brothers, said,\n'Take such steps, ye Kauravas, that Satyaki may not, in this battle,\nescape you and this large division of cars, with life. If he be slain,\nthe vast host of the Pandavas may be regarded as slain also.' Accepting\nDuryodhana's words with the answer--'So be it,'--those mighty car-warriors\nfought with Sini's grandson in the view of Bhishma. The mighty ruler of\nthe Kamvojas, in that battle, resisted Abhimanyu who was proceeding\nagainst Bhishma. The son of Arjuna, having pierced the king with many\nstraight shafts,[477] once more pierced that monarch, O monarch, with\nfour and sixty shafts. Sudakshina, however, desirous of Bhishma's life,\npierced Abhimanyu in that battle with five arrows and his charioteer with\nnine. And the battle that took place there, in consequence of the meeting\nof those two warriors, was fierce in the extreme. That grinder of foes\nSikhandin, then rushed at the son of Ganga. Old Virata and Drupada, those\nmighty car-warriors, both excited with rage, rushed to battle with\nBhishma, resisting the large host of the Kauravas as they went. That best\nof car-warriors, viz., Aswatthaman, excited with rage, encountered both\nthose warriors. Then commenced a battle, O Bharata, between him and them.\nVirata then, O chastiser of foes, struck, with broad-headed shafts, that\nmighty bowman and ornament of battle, viz., Drona's son, as the latter\nadvanced against them. And Drupada also pierced him with three sharp\nshafts. Then the preceptor's son, Aswatthaman, coming upon those mighty\nwarriors thus striking him, viz., the brave Virata and Drupada both\nproceeding towards Bhishma, pierced them both with many shafts. Wonderful\nwas the conduct that we then beheld of those two old warriors, inasmuch\nas they checked all those fierce shafts shot by Drona's son. Like an\ninfuriate elephant in the forest rushing against an infuriate compeer,\nKripa, the son of Saradwat, proceeded against Sahadeva who was advancing\nupon Bhishma. And Kripa, brave in battle, quickly struck that mighty\ncar-warrior, viz., the son of Madri, with seventy shafts decked with\ngold. The son of Madri, however, cut Kripa's bow in twain by means of his\nshafts. And cutting off his bow, Sahadeva then pierced Kripa with nine\narrows. Taking up then, in that battle, another bow capable of bearing a\ngreat strain Kripa, excited with rage and desirous of Bhishma's life,\ncheerfully struck Madri's son in that battle with ten shafts. And so the\nson of Pandu, in return, desirous of Bhishma's death, excited with rage,\nstruck the wrathful Kripa in the chest (with many shafts). And then\noccurred there a terrible and fierce battle. That scorcher of foes, viz.,\nVikarna, desirous of saving the grandsire Bhishma, excited with rage in\nthat battle, pierced Nakula with sixty arrows. Nakula also, deeply\npierced by thy intelligent son, pierced Vikarna in return with seven and\nseventy shafts. There those two tigers among men, those two chastisers of\nfoes, those two heroes, struck each other for the sake of Bhishma, like\ntwo bovine bulls in a fold. Thy son Durmukha, endued with great prowess,\nproceeded, for the sake of Bhishma, against Ghatotkacha advancing to\nbattle and slaughtering thy army as he came. Hidimva's son, however, O\nking, excited with rage, struck Durmukha, that chastiser of foes, in the\nchest a straight shaft. The heroic Durmukha then, shouting cheerfully,\npierced Bhimasena's son on the field of battle with sixty shafts of keen\npoints. That mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Hridika resisted\nDhrishtadyumna, that foremost of car-warriors, who was advancing to\nbattle from desire of Bhishma's slaughter. The son of Prishata, however,\nhaving pierced Kritavarman with five shafts made wholly of iron, once\nmore, struck him quickly in the centre of the chest fifty shafts. And\nsimilarly, O king, Prishata's son struck Kritavarman with nine sharp and\nblazing shaft, winged with the feathers of the Kanka bird. Encountering\neach other with great vigour, the battle that took place between them for\nBhishma's sake was as fierce as that between Vritra and Vasava. Against\nBhimasena who was advancing upon the mighty Bhishma, proceeded\nBhurisravas with great speed, saying,--'Wait, Wait,'--And the son of\nSomadatta struck Bhima in the centre of the chest with an arrow of\nexceeding sharpness and golden wings in that battle. And the valiant\nBhimasena, with that arrow on his chest, looked beautiful, O best of\nkings, like the Krauncha mountain in days of old with the dart of Skanda.\nAnd those two bulls among men, enraged in battle, shot at each other\nshafts brightly polished by their forgers and endued with effulgence of\nthe Sun. Bhima, longing for Bhishma's death, fought with the mighty son\nof Somadatta, and the latter, desirous of Bhishma's victory, fought with\nthe former, each carefully seeking to counteract the other's feats.\nBharadwaja's son resisted Yudhishthira the son of Kunti, who, accompanied\nby a large force, was coming towards Bhishma. Hearing the rattle of\nDrona's car, O king, that resembled the roar of the clouds, the\nPrabhadrakas, O sire, began to tremble. That large force, of Pandu's son,\nresisted by Drona in battle, could not, exerting vigorously, advance even\none step. Thy son Chitrasena, O king, resisted Chekitana of wrathful\nvisage who was exerting vigorously for coming upon Bhishma. Possessed of\ngreat prowess and great dexterity of hand, that mighty car-warrior for\nthe sake of Bhishma, battled with Chekitana, O Bharata, according to the\nutmost of his power. And Chekitana also fought with Chitrasena to the\nutmost of his power. And the battle that took place there in consequence\nof the meeting of those two warriors, was exceedingly fierce. As regards\nArjuna, although he was resisted by all means, O Bharata, he still\ncompelled thy son to turn back and then crushed thy troops. Dussasana\nhowever, to the utmost stretch of his power, began to resist Partha,\nwishing, O Bharata, to protect Bhishma. The army of thy son, O Bharata,\nundergoing such slaughter, began to be agitated here and there by many\nforemost car-warriors (of the Pandava).\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXIII\n\nSanjaya said, \"The heroic Drona, that great bowman endued with the\nprowess of an infuriate elephant, that foremost of men possessed of great\nmight, taking up his large bow which was capable [of] checking even an\ninfuriate elephant, and shaking it (in his hands), was engaged in\nafflicting the Pandava ranks, having penetrated into their midst. That\nvaliant warrior acquainted with every omen, beholding the omens on all\nsides, addressed his son who also was scorching the hostile ranks and\nsaid these words, 'This is that day, O son, on which the mighty Partha,\ndesirous of slaying Bhishma in battle, will exert himself to the best of\nhis might. My arrows are coming out (of the quiver, of their own accord).\nMy bow seems to yawn. My weapon seems unwilling to obey my behests, and\nmy heart also is cheerless. Animals and birds are uttering fearful and\nincessant cries. Vultures seem to disappear beneath the feet of the\nBharata troops. The Sun himself seems to have lost hue. The quarters are\nall ablaze. The Earth seems to shriek, inspire fear, and tremble\neverywhere. Kankas, and vultures, and cranes are frequently crying.\nJackals are uttering inauspicious and fierce yells foreboding great\ndanger. Large meteors seem to fall from the centre of the solar disc. The\nconstellation called Parigha, with a trunkless form, appeareth around the\nSun. The solar and the lunar discs have become awful, foreboding great\ndanger to Kshatriyas about the mangling of their bodies. The idols of the\nKuru king in his temples tremble and laugh and dance and weep. The\nillustrious Moon riseth with his horns downward. The bodies of the kings\nbelonging to the Kuru army all seem to be pale, and though clad in mail,\nare shorn of splendour. The loud blare of Panchajanya and the twang of\nGandiva are heard on all sides of both the armies. Without doubt, Arjuna,\nrelying upon his great weapons and avoiding other warriors will advance\nupon the grandsire. The pores of my body are contracting, and my heart\nalso is depressed, thinking, O mighty-armed one, of the encounter between\nBhishma and Arjuna. Keeping on his fore the Panchala prince of sinful\nsoul and conversant with deceit, Partha is proceeding towards Bhishma for\nbattle. Bhishma said before that he would not slay Sikhandin. By the\nCreator had that one been made female, though through chance he\nsubsequently became a male person. That mighty son of Yajnasena is also\nan inauspicious omen (by himself). The son of the Ocean-going (Ganga)\nwill not strike that person of inauspicious self. Thinking of this, viz.,\nthat Arjuna, excited with wrath, is about to fall upon the aged Kuru\ngrandsire, my heart is exceedingly depressed. The wrath of Yudhishthira,\nan encounter between Bhishma and Arjuna in battle, and an endeavour like\nthis (of the shooting of weapons) by myself,--these (three) are certainly\nfraught with great harm to creatures. Arjuna is endued with great energy;\nhe is powerful, brave, accomplished in weapons, and possessed of valour\nthat is very active. Capable of shooting his arrows to a great distance\nand shooting them with force, he is, besides, acquainted with omens.\nEndued with great might and intelligence, and above fatigue, that\nforemost of warriors is incapable of defeat by the very gods with Vasava\nat their head. The son of Pandu possesses terrible weapons and is ever\nvictorious in battle. Avoiding his path, go thou to battle (for Bhishma's\nvictory) O thou of rigid vows.[478] Today in this dreadful battle thou\nwilt behold a great carnage. The beautiful and costly coats of mail,\ndecked with gold, of brave warriors will be pierced with straight shafts.\nAnd the tops of standards, and bearded javelins, and bows, and bright\nlances of sharp points, and darts bright with gold, and the standards on\nthe backs of elephants, will all be cut off by Kiritin in wrath. O son,\nthis is not the time when dependants should take care of their lives. Go\nto battle, keeping heaven before thee, and for the sake of fame and\nvictory. There, the ape-bannered (Arjuna) crosseth on his car the river\nof battle that is awful and incapable of being easily crossed, and hath\ncars, elephants, and steeds, for its eddies. Regard for Brahmanas,\nself-restraint, liberality, asceticism, and noble conduct, are seen in\nYudhishthira alone who hath for his brothers Dhananjaya, and the mighty\nBhimasena, and the twin sons of Madri by Pandu, and who hath Vasudeva of\nthe Vrishni race for his protector. The wrath, born of grief, of that\nYudhishthira whose body hath been purified by the flames of penance,\ndirected to the wicked-souled son of Dhritarashtra, is consuming this\nBharata host. There cometh Partha, having Vasudeva for his protector,\nchecking (as he cometh) this entire Dhartarashtra army. Behold, Kiritin\nis agitating this host like a large whale agitating the vast sea of\ncrested waves. Hark, cries of distress and woe are heard in the van of\nthe army. Go, encounter the heir of the Panchala king. As for myself, I\nwill proceed against Yudhishthira. The heart of king Yudhishthira's very\nstrong array is difficult of access. Inaccessible as the interior of the\nsea, it is guarded on all sides by Atirathas. Satyaki, and Abhimanyu and\nDhrishtadyumna, and Vrikodara, and the twins, even these are protecting\nthat ruler of men, viz., king Yudhishthira. Dark as the younger brother\nof Indra, and risen like a tall Sala, behold Abhimanyu advancing at the\nhead of the (Pandava) host, like a second Phalguna! Take up thy mighty\nweapons, and with thy large bow in hand proceed against the royal son of\nPrishata (viz., Sikhandin), and against Vrikodara. Who is there that doth\nnot wish his dear son to live for many years? Keeping the duties of a\nKshatriya, however, before me, I am engaging thee (to this task). So\nBhishma also, in this battle, is consuming the mighty host of the\nPandavas. O son, he is, in battle, equal to Yama or Varuna himself.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXIV\n\nSanjaya said, \"Hearing these words of the high-souled Drona, Bhagadatta\nand Kripa and Salya and Kritavarman, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti,\nand Jayadratha the ruler of the Sindhus, and Chitrasena and Vikarna and\nDurmarshana and others, these ten warriors of thy army, supported by a\nlarge host consisting of many nationalities, fought with Bhimasena,\ndesirous of winning high renown in the battle for Bhishma's sake. And\nSalya struck Bhima with nine arrows, and Kritavarman struck him with\nthree, and Kripa with nine. And Chitrasena and Vikarna and Bhagadatta, O\nsire, each struck him with ten arrows. And the ruler of the Sindhus\nstruck him with three, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti each struck him\nwith five arrows. And Duryodhana struck that son of Pandu with twenty\nsharp arrows. Bhimasena, O king, pierced in return every one of those\nkings, those foremost of men in the world, those mighty car-warriors of\nthe Dhartarashtra army, one after another. The brave Pandava, that slayer\nof hostile heroes, pierced Salya with seven arrows, and Kritavarman with\neight. And he cut off Kripa's bow with arrow fixed thereon, O Bharata, in\nthe middle, dividing it in twain. And after thus cutting off his bow, he\npierced Kripa once more with seven arrows. And he struck Vinda and\nAnuvinda with three arrows each. And he pierced Durmarshana with twenty\narrows, and Chitrasena with five, and Vikarna with ten, and Jayadratha\nwith five. And once more striking the ruler of the Sindhus with three\narrows, he uttered a loud shout, filled with joy. Then Gautama, that\nforemost of car-warriors, taking up another bow, angrily pierced Bhima\nwith ten sharp shafts. Pierced with those ten shafts like a huge elephant\nwith the hook, the valiant Bhimasena, O king, filled with wrath, struck\nGautama in that battle with many shafts. Possessed of the splendour of\nYama himself, as he appears at the end of the Yuga, Bhimasena then, with\nthree arrows, despatched unto Death's domain the steeds of the ruler of\nthe Sindhus as also his charioteer. Thereupon that mighty car-warrior,\n(viz., Jayadratha), quickly jumping down from that car whose steeds had\nbeen slain, shot in that battle many sharp-pointed shafts at Bhimasena.\nThen, O sire, with a couple of broad-headed arrows, he cut off, O chief\nof the Bharatas, the bow of the high-souled king of the Sindhus in the\nmiddle. His bow cut off, himself deprived of car, his steeds and\ncharioteer slain, Jayadratha then, O king, quickly mounted on the car of\nChitrasena. Indeed, the son of Pandu achieved in that battle a most\nwonderful feat, for piercing all those mighty car-warriors and holding\nthem in check, he deprived, O sire, the ruler of the Sindhus of his car\nin the very sight of all the army. Salya could not brook to see the\nprowess that Bhimasena displayed, for saying unto him,--'Wait, Wait,'--he\naimed some sharp arrows well-polished by the forger's hands, and pierced\nBhima therewith in that battle. And Kripa and Kritavarman and the valiant\nBhagadatta, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Chitrasena, and\nDurmarshana, and Vikarna, and the valiant ruler of the Sindhus also, in\nthat battle,--These chastisers of foes, all quickly pierced Bhima for the\nsake of Salya. Bhima then pierced each of them in return with five\narrows. And he pierced Salya then with seventy arrows and once more with\nten. And Salya then pierced him with nine arrows and once more with five.\nAnd he pierced Bhimasena's charioteer also, deep in his vitals, with a\nbroad-headed arrow. The valiant Bhimasena then, beholding his charioteer\nVisoka deeply pierced, sped three arrows at the arms and chest of the\nruler of Madras. And as regards the other great bowmen, he pierced each\nof them in that battle with three straight arrows, and then uttered a\nloud roar like that of a lion. Each of those great bowmen then, exerting\nhimself with vigour, deeply pierced that son of Pandu skilled in battle,\nwith three arrows in his vitals. That mighty bowman viz., Bhimasena,\nthough pierced deeply, trembled not (but stood still) like a mountain\ndrenched with torrents of rain by showering clouds. Then that mighty\ncar-warrior of the Pandavas, filled with wrath, that celebrated hero,\ndeeply pierced the ruler of the Madras with three arrows. And he pierced\nthe ruler of the Pragjyotishas, O king, in that battle, with a hundred\narrows. Of great renown, he then pierced Kripa with many arrows, and\nthen, displaying great dexterity, he cut off with a keen-edged shaft the\nbow, with arrow fixed thereon, of the high-souled Kritavarman. Then\nKritavarman, that scorcher of foes, taking up another bow, struck\nVrikodara between his eyebrows with a long arrow. Bhima, however, in that\nbattle, having pierced Salya with nine arrows made wholly of iron, and\nBhagadatta with three, and Kritavarman with eight, pierced each of the\nothers with Gautama at their head, with two arrows. Those warriors also,\nin return, pierced him, O king, with sharp-pointed shafts. Though thus\nafflicted by those mighty car-warriors with all kinds of weapons, yet,\nregarding them all as straw, he coursed on the field without any anxiety.\nThose foremost of car-warriors (on the other hand), with great coolness,\nsped at Bhima sharp-pointed arrows by hundreds and thousands. The heroic\nand mighty Bhagadatta then, in that battle, hurled at him a dart of\nfierce impetuosity furnished with a golden staff. And the Sindhu king, of\nstrong arms, hurled at him a lance and an axe. And Kripa, O king, hurled\nat him a Sataghni, and Salya an arrow. And the other great bowmen each\nsped at him five arrows with great force. The son of the Wind-god then\ncut off, with a sharp shaft, that lance in twain. And he cut off that axe\nalso with three shafts, as if it were a sesame stalk. And with five\nshafts winged with the feathers of the Kanka bird, he cut that Sataghni\ninto fragments. That mighty car-warrior then, having cut off the arrow\nsped by the ruler of the Madras, forcibly cut off the dart sped by\nBhagadatta in that battle. As regards the other fierce shafts, Bhimasena,\nproud of his feats in battle, cut them each into three fragments by means\nof his own straight shafts. And he struck each of those great bowmen also\nwith three shafts. Then Dhananjaya, during the progress of that dreadful\nbattle, beholding the mighty car-warrior Bhima striking the foe and\nbattling (against many) with his arrows, came thither on his car. Then\nthose bulls among men, of thy army, beholding those two high-souled sons\nof Pandu together, gave up all hopes of victory. Then Arjuna, desirous of\nslaying Bhishma, placing Sikhandin before him, approached Bhima who had\nbeen fighting with those great car-warriors and fell upon those fierce\ncombatants, numbering ten, of thy army, O Bharata. Then Vibhatsu,\ndesirous of doing what was agreeable to Bhima, pierced all those\nwarriors, O king, who had been battling with Bhima. Then king Duryodhana\nurged Susarman, for the destruction of both Arjuna and Bhimasena, saying,\n'O Susarman, go thou quickly supported by a large force. Slay those two\nsons of Pandu, viz., Dhananjaya and Vrikodara.' Hearing these words of\nhis, the Trigarta king who ruled the country called Prasthala, quickly\nrushed in battle upon those two bowmen, viz., Bhima and Dhananjaya, and\nsurrounded them both by many thousands of cars. Then commenced a fierce\nbattle between Arjuna and the foe.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXV\n\nSanjaya said, \"Arjuna covered with his straight shafts the mighty\ncar-warrior Salya who was struggling vigorously in battle. And he pierced\nSusarman and Kripa with three arrows each. And in that battle the\nAtiratha Arjuna, afflicting thy host, struck the ruler of the\nPragjyotishas, and Jayadratha the king of the Sindhus, and Chitrasena,\nand Vikarna, and Kritavarman, and Durmarshana, O monarch, and those two\nmighty car-warriors, viz., the princes of Avanti, each with three arrows\nwinged with the feathers of the Kanka and the peacock. Jayadratha,\nstaying on the car of Chitrasena, pierced Partha (in return), O Bharata,\nand then, without loss of time, Bhima also, with his shafts. And Salya,\nand that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Kripa, both pierced Jishnu, O\nmonarch, with diverse arrows capable of penetrating into the very vitals.\nThy sons headed by Chitrasena, O king, each quickly pierced Arjuna and\nBhimasena in that battle, O sire, with five sharp shafts. Those two\nforemost of car-warriors however, viz., those sons of Kunti, those bulls\nof Bharata's race, began in that battle to afflict the mighty host of the\nTrigartas. Susarman (in return) pierced Partha with nine swift arrows,\nand uttered a loud shout frightening the vast host (of the Pandavas). And\nother heroic car-warriors pierced Bhimasena and Dhananjaya with many\nstraight-going arrows of keen points and golden wings. Amid these\ncar-warriors, however, those two bulls of Bharata's race, viz., the two\nsons of Kunti, those great car-warriors, looked exceedingly beautiful.\nAnd they seemed to sport amid them like two furious lions amid a herd of\nkine. Cutting off in various ways the bows and arrows of many brave\nwarriors in that battle, those two heroes felled the heads of combatants\nby hundreds upon hundreds. Innumerable cars were broken, and steeds by\nhundreds were slain, and many elephants, along with their riders, were\nlaid low on the field in that dreadful battle. And car-warriors and\nhorsemen and elephant-riders in large numbers, O king, deprived of life\nwere seen moving in convulsions all over the field. And the earth was\ncovered with slain elephants and foot-soldiers in large bands, and steeds\ndeprived of life, and cars broken in diverse ways. And the prowess we\nbeheld there of Partha was highly wonderful, in as much as holding in\ncheck all those heroes, that mighty warrior caused a great slaughter.\nKripa, and Kritavarman, and Jayadratha, the ruler of the Sindhus, and\nVinda and Anuvinda of Avanti,--these did not forsake the battle. Then\nthat great bowman Bhima, and that mighty car-warrior Arjuna, began in\nthat battle to rout the fierce host of the Kauravas. The kings (in that\narmy) quickly sped at Dhananjaya's car myriads upon myriads and millions\nupon millions of arrows furnished with peacock feathers. Partha, however,\nchecking those arrows by means of his own arrowy showers, began to send\nthose mighty car-warriors to Yama's abode. The great car-warrior Salya\nthen, excited with wrath and as if sporting in that battle, struck Partha\nin the chest with some straight shafts of broad heads. Partha then,\ncutting off by means of five shafts Salya's bow and leathern fence,\npierced the latter deeply in the very vitals with many arrows of keen\npoints. Taking up another bow capable of bearing a great strain, the\nruler of the Madras then furiously attacked Jishnu with three arrows, O\nking, and Vasudeva with five. And he struck Bhimasena in the arms and the\nchest with nine arrows. Then Drona, O king, and that mighty car-warrior,\nviz., the ruler of the Magadhas, commanded by Duryodhana, both came to\nthat spot where those two mighty car-warriors, viz., Partha and\nBhimasena, were slaughtering the mighty host of the Kuru king. Jayatsena\n(the king of the Magadhas) then, O bull of Bharata's race pierced Bhima,\nthat wielder of awful weapons in battle, with eight sharp arrows. Bhima,\nhowever, pierced him (in return) with ten arrows, and once more with\nfive. And with another broad-headed shaft he felled Jayatsena's\ncharioteer from his niche in the car. The steeds (of his car), no longer\nrestrained, ran wildly in all directions and thus carried away the ruler\nof the Magadhas (from battle) in the sight of all the troops. Meanwhile\nDrona, noticing an opening, pierced Bhimasena, O bull of Bharata's race,\nwith eight keen shafts furnished with heads shaped after the frog's\nmouth. Bhima, however, ever delighting in battle, pierced the preceptor,\nwho was worthy of paternal reverence, with five broad-headed arrows, and\nthen, O Bharata, with sixty. Arjuna, again piercing Susarman with a large\nnumber of arrows made (wholly) of iron, destroyed his troops like the\ntempest destroying mighty masses of clouds. Then Bhishma, and the king\n(viz., Duryodhana), and Vrihadvala, the ruler of the Kosalas, excited\nwith rage, advanced upon Bhimasena and Dhananjaya. At this, the heroic\nwarriors of the Pandava army, and Dhrishtadyumna the son of Prishata,\nrushed in battle against Bhishma who was advancing like Death himself\nwith wide-open mouth. Sikhandin also, sighting the grandsire of the\nBharatas, was filled with joy and rushed at him, abandoning all fear of\nthe mighty car-warrior. Then all the Parthas with Yudhishthira at their\nhead, placing Sikhandin in the van, and uniting with the Srinjayas,\nfought with Bhishma in battle. And similarly all the warriors of thy\narmy, placing Bhishma of regulated vows in their van, fought in battle\nwith all the Parthas headed by Sikhandin. The battle then that commenced\nthere between the Kauravas and the sons of Pandu for the sake of\nBhishma's victory or victory over Bhishma, was exceedingly terrible.\nIndeed, in that game of battle, played for the sake of victory or the\nreverse, Bhishma, O monarch, became the stake on which the victory of thy\narmy depended. Then Dhrishtadyumna, O king, commanded all the troops,\nsaying, 'Rush against the son of Ganga. Do not fear, ye best of\ncar-warriors.' Hearing those words of their generalissimo, the army of the\nPandavas quickly advanced against Bhishma, ready to lay down their lives\nin that dreadful battle. Bhishma then, that foremost of car-warriors,\nreceived that large host rushing towards him, like the continent\nreceiving the surging sea.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXVI\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"How, O Sanjaya, did Santanu's son Bhishma of mighty\nenergy fight on the tenth day of battle, with the Pandavas and the\nSrinjayas? How also did the Kurus resist the Pandavas in battle? Describe\nto me the great battle fought by Bhishma, that ornament of battle.\"\n\nSanjaya said, \"I will presently describe to thee, O Bharata, how the\nKauravas fought with the Pandavas, and how that battle took place. Day\nafter day many mighty car-warriors of thy army, excited with wrath, were\ndespatched to the other world by the diadem-decked (Arjuna) with his\ngreat weapons. The ever-victorious Kuru warrior Bhishma also, agreeably\nto his vow, always caused a great carnage among the Partha army. O\nchastiser of foes, beholding Bhishma, fighting at the head of the Kurus,\nand Arjuna also fighting at the head of the Panchalas, we could not say\ntruly on which side the victory would declare itself. On the tenth day of\nbattle, when Bhishma and Arjuna encountered each other, awful was the\ncarnage that took place. On that day, O scorcher of foes, Santanu's son,\nBhishma, conversant with high and mighty weapons, repeatedly slew\nthousands upon thousands of warriors. Many, O Bharata, whose names and\nfamilies were not known, but who, endued with great bravery, were\nunretreating from battle, were on that day slain by Bhishma. Scorching\nthe Pandava army for ten days, Bhishma of virtuous soul, gave up all\ndesire of protecting his life. Wishing his own slaughter presently at the\nhead of his troops,--'No more shall I slay large numbers of foremost of\nwarriors.'--thought thy mighty-armed sire Devavrata. And seeing\nYudhishthira near him, O king, he addressed him, saying, 'O Yudhishthira,\nO thou of great wisdom, O thou that art acquainted with every branch of\nlearning, listen to these righteous and heaven-leading words, O sire,\nthat I say. O Bharata, I no longer desire to protect, O sire, this body\nof mine. I have passed much time in slaying large numbers of men in\nbattle. If thou wishest to do what is agreeable to me, strive to slay me,\nplacing Partha with the Panchalas and the Srinjayas at thy van'.\nAscertaining this to be his intention, king Yudhishthira of true sight\nproceeded to battle with the Srinjayas (for his support). Then\nDhrishtadyumna, O king, and Pandu's son Yudhishthira, having heard those\nwords of Bhishma urged their array on. And Yudhishthira said, 'Advance!\nFight! Vanquish Bhishma in battle. Ye all will be protected by that\nconqueror of foes, viz., Jishnu of unbaffled aim. And this great bowman,\nthis generalissimo (of our forces), viz., the son of Prishata, as also\nBhima, will assuredly protect you. Ye Srinjayas, entertain no fear today\nof Bhishma in battle. Without doubt, we will vanquish Bhishma today,\nplacing Sikhandin in our van'. Having, on the tenth day of battle, made\nsuch a vow, the Pandavas, resolved to (conquer or) go to heaven,\nadvanced, blinded by rage, with Sikhandin and Dhananjaya the son of Pandu\nto the fore. And they made the most vigorous efforts for the overthrow of\nBhishma. Then diverse kings, of great might, urged by thy son, and\naccompanied by Drona and his son and a large force, and the mighty\nDussasana at the head of all his uterine brothers, proceeded towards\nBhishma staying in the midst of that battle. Then those brave warriors of\nthy army, placing Bhishma of high vows in their van, battled with the\nParthas headed by Sikhandin. Supported by the Chedis and the Panchalas,\nthe ape-bannered Arjuna, placing Sikhandin ahead, proceeded towards\nBhishma, the son of Santanu. And the grandson of Sini battled with\nDrona's son, and Dhrishtaketu with the descendant of Puru, and Yudhamanyu\nwith thy son Duryodhana at the head of his followers. And Virata, at the\nhead of his forces, encountered Jayadratha supported by his own troops.\nAnd Vardhakshatra's heir, O chastiser of foes, encountered thy son\nChitrasena armed with excellent bow and arrows.[479] And Yudhishthira\nproceeded against the mighty bowman Salya at the head of his troops. And\nBhimasena, well-protected, proceeded against the elephant-division (of\nthe Kaurava army). And Dhrishtadyumna, the prince of Panchala, excited\nwith fury and accompanied by his brothers, proceeded against Drona, that\nforemost of all wielders of weapons, invincible, and irresistible. That\nchastiser of foes, viz., prince Vrihadvala, bearing on his standard the\ndevice of the lion, proceeded against Subhadra's son whose standard bore\nthe device of the Karnikara flower. Thy sons, accompanied by many kings,\nproceeded against Sikhandin and Dhananjaya the son of Pritha, from desire\nof slaughtering both of them. When the combatants of both armies rushed\nagainst each other with awful prowess, the earth shook (under their\ntread). Beholding Santanu's son in battle, the divisions of thy army and\nof the foe, O Bharata, became mingled with one another. Tremendous was\nthe din, O Bharata, that arose there of those warriors burning with rage\nand rushing against each other. And it was heard on all sides, O king.\nWith the blare of conchs and the leonine shouts of the soldiers, the\nuproar became awful. The splendour, equal to that of either the Sun or\nthe Moon, of bracelets and diadems of all the heroic kings, became\ndimmed. And the dust that rose looked like a cloud, the flash of bright\nweapons constituting its lightning. And the twang of bows, the whiz of\narrows, the blare of conchs, the loud beat of drums, and the rattle of\ncars, of both the armies, constituted the fierce roar of those clouds.\nAnd the welkin, over the field of battle, in consequence of the bearded\ndarts, the javelins, the swords and showers of arrows of both armies, was\ndarkened. And car-warriors, and horsemen felled horsemen, in that\ndreadful battle. And elephants killed elephants, and foot-soldiers slew\nfoot-soldiers. And the battle that took place there for Bhishma's sake,\nbetween the Kurus and the Pandavas, O tiger among men, was fierce in the\nextreme, like that between two hawks for a piece of flesh. Engaged in\nbattle, that encounter between those combatants desirous of slaughtering\nand vanquishing one another, was extremely dreadful.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXVII\n\nSanjaya said, \"Abhimanyu, O king, displaying his prowess for the sake of\nBhishma, fought with thy son who was supported by a large force. Then\nDuryodhana, excited with wrath, struck Abhimanyu in the chest with nine\nstraight arrows, and once more with three. Then in that battle, Arjuna's\nson, inflamed with wrath, hurled at Duryodhana's car a terrible dart\nresembling the rod of Death himself. Thy son, however, that mighty\ncar-warrior, O king, with a broad-headed arrow of great sharpness, cut\noff in twain that dart of terrible force coursing towards him with great\nspeed. Beholding that dart of his drop down on the earth, Arjuna's\nwrathful son pierced Duryodhana with three shafts in his arms and chest.\nAnd once more, O Chief of the Bharatas, that mighty car-warrior of\nBharata's race struck the Kuru king with ten fierce shafts in the centre\nof his chest. And the battle, O Bharata, that took place between those\ntwo heroes, viz., Subhadra's son, and that bull of Kuru's race, the\nformer fighting for compassing Bhishma's death and the latter for\nArjuna's defeat, was fierce and interesting to behold, and gratifying to\nthe senses, and was applauded by all the kings. That bull among Brahmanas\nand chastiser of foes, viz., the son of Drona, excited with wrath in that\nbattle, forcibly struck Satyaki in the chest with fierce arrow. The\ngrandson of Sini also, that hero of immeasurable soul, struck the\npreceptor's son in every vital limbs with nine shafts winged with the\nfeathers of the Kanka bird. Aswatthaman then, in that battle, struck\nSatyaki (in return) with nine shafts, and once more, quickly, with\nthirty, in his arms and chest. Then that great bowman of the Satwata\nrace, possessed of great fame, deeply pierced by Drona's son, pierced the\nlatter (in return) with arrows. The mighty car-warrior Paurava, covering\nDhrishtaketu in that battle with his shafts, mangled that great bowman\nexceedingly. The mighty car-warrior Dhrishtaketu, endued with great\nstrength, quickly pierced the former with thirty arrows. Then the mighty\ncar-warrior Paurava cut off Dhrishtaketu's bow, and uttering a loud\nshout, pierced him with whetted shafts. Dhrishtaketu then taking up\nanother bow, pierced Paurava, O king, with three and seventy shafts of\ngreat sharpness. Those two great bowmen and mighty car-warriors, both of\ngigantic stature, pierced each other with showers of arrows. Each\nsucceeded in cutting off the other's bow, and each slew the other's\nsteeds. And both of them, thus deprived of their cars, then encountered\neach other in a battle with swords. And each took up a beautiful shield\nmade of bull's hide and decked with a hundred moons and graced with a\nhundred stars. And each of them also took up a polished sword of\nbrilliant lustre. And thus equipt, they rushed, O king at each other,\nlike two lions in the deep forest, both seeking the companionship of the\nsame lioness in her season. They wheeled in beautiful circles, advanced\nand retreated, and displayed other movements, seeking to strike each\nother. Then Paurava, excited with wrath, addressed Dhrishtaketu,\nsaying--'Wait, Wait,'--and struck him on the frontal bone with that large\nscimitar of his. The king of the Chedis also, in that battle, struck\nPaurava, that bull among men, on his shoulder-joint, with his large\nscimitar of sharp edge. Those two repressors of foes thus encountering\neach other in dreadful battle and thus striking each other, O king, both\nfell down on the field. Then thy son Jayatsena, taking Paurava up on his\ncar, removed him from the field of battle on that vehicle. And as regards\nDhrishtaketu, the valiant and heroic Sahadeva, the son of Madri,\npossessed of great prowess, bore him away from the field.\n\n\"Chitrasena, having pierced Susarman with many arrows made wholly of\niron, once more pierced him with sixty arrows and once more with nine.\nSusarman, however, excited with wrath in battle, pierced thy son, O king,\nwith hundreds of arrows. Chitrasena then, O monarch, excited with rage,\npierced his adversary with thirty straight shafts. Susarman, however,\npierced Chitrasena again in return.[480]\n\n\"In that battle for the destruction of Bhishma, Subhadra's son, enhancing\nhis fame and honour, fought with prince Vrihadvala, putting forth his\nprowess for aiding (his sire) Partha and then proceeded towards Bhishma's\nfront. The ruler of the Kosalas, having pierced the son of Arjuna with\nfive shafts made of iron, once more pierced him with twenty straight\nshafts. Then the son of Subhadra pierced the ruler of Kosalas with eight\nshafts made wholly of iron. He succeeded not, however, in making the\nruler of the Kosalas to tremble, and, therefore, he once more pierced him\nwith many arrows. And Phalguni's son then cut off Vrihadvala's bow, and\nstruck him again with thirty arrows winged with feathers of the Kanka\nbird. Prince Vrihadvala then, taking up another bow, angrily pierced the\nson of Phalguni in that battle with many arrows. Verily, O scorcher of\nfoes, the battle, for Bhishma's sake, that took place between them, both\nexcited with rage and both conversant with every mode of fight, was like\nthe encounter of Vali and Vasava in days of old on the occasion of the\nbattle between the gods and the Asuras.\n\n\"Bhimasena, fighting against the elephant-division, looked highly\nresplendent like Sakra armed with the thunder after splitting large\nmountains.[481] Indeed, elephants, huge as hills, slaughtered by\nBhimasena in battle, fell down in numbers on the field, filling the earth\nwith their shrieks. Resembling massive heaps of antimony, and of\nmountain-like proportions, those elephants with frontal globes split\nopen, lying prostrate on the earth, seemed like mountains strewn over the\nearth's surface. The mighty bowman Yudhishthira, protected by a large\nforce, afflicted the ruler of the Madras, encountering him in that\ndreadful battle. The ruler of the Madras, in return, displaying his\nprowess for the sake of Bhishma, afflicted the son of Dharma, that mighty\ncar-warrior, in battle. The king of Sindhus, having pierced Virata with\nnine straight arrows of keen points, once more struck him with thirty.\nVirata, however, O king, that commander of a large division, struck\nJayadratha in the centre of his chest with thirty shafts of keen points.\nThe ruler of the Matsyas and the ruler of the Sindhus, both armed with\nbeautiful bows and beautiful scimitars, both decked with handsome coats\nof mail and weapons and standards, and both of beautiful forms looked\nresplendent in that battle.\n\n\"Drona, encountering Dhrishtadyumna the prince of the Panchalas in\ndreadful battle, fought fiercely with his straight shafts. Then Drona, O\nking, having cut off the large bow of Prishata's son, pierced him deeply\nwith fifty arrows. Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of\nPrishata, taking up another bow, sped at Drona who was contending with\nhim, many arrows. The mighty car-warrior Drona however, cut off all those\narrows, striking them with his own. And then Drona sped at Drupada's son\nfive fierce shafts. Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of\nPrishata, excited with rage, hurled at Drona in that battle a mace\nresembling the rod of Death himself. Drona however, with fifty arrows\nchecked that mace decked with gold as it coursed impetuously towards him.\nThereupon that mace, cut into fragments, O king, by those shafts shot\nfrom Drona's bow, fell down on the earth. Then that scorcher of foes,\nviz., the son of Prishata, beholding his mace baffled, hurled at Drona an\nexcellent dart made wholly of iron. Drona, however, O Bharata, cut that\ndart with nine shafts in that battle and then afflicted that great\nbowman, viz., the son of Prishata. Thus took place, O king, that fierce\nand awful battle between Drona and the son of Prishata, for the sake of\nBhishma.\n\n\"Arjuna, getting at the son of Ganga, afflicted him with many arrows of\nkeen points, and rushed at him like an infuriate elephant in the forest\nupon another. King Bhagadatta, however, of great prowess then rushed at\nArjuna, and checked his course in battle with showers of arrows. Arjuna\nthen, in that dreadful battle, pierced Bhagadatta's elephant coming\ntowards him, with many polished arrows of iron, that were all bright as\nsilver and furnished with keen points. The son of Kunti, meanwhile, O\nking, urged Sikhandin, saying,--'Proceed, proceed, towards Bhishma, and\nslay him!'--Then, O elder brother of Pandu, the ruler of Pragjyotishas,\nabandoning that son of Pandu, quickly proceeded, O king, against the car\nof Drupada. Then Arjuna, O monarch, speedily proceeded towards Bhishma,\nplacing Sikhandin ahead. And then there took place a fierce battle, for\nall the brave combatants of thy army rushed with great vigour against\nArjuna, uttering loud shouts. And all this seemed extremely wonderful.\nLike the wind dispersing in the summer masses of clouds in the welkin,\nArjuna dispersed, O king, all those diverse divisions of thy sons.\nSikhandin, however, without any anxiety, coming up at the grandsire of\nthe Bharatas, quickly pierced him with great many arrows. As regards\nBhishma, his car was then his fire-chamber. His bow was the flame of that\nfire. And swords and darts and maces constituted the fuel of that fire.\nAnd the showers of arrows he shot were the blazing sparks of that fire\nwith which he was then consuming Kshatriyas in that battle. As a raging\nconflagration with constant supply of fuel, wandereth amid masses of dry\ngrass when aided by the wind, so did Bhishma blaze up with his flames,\nscattering his celestial weapons. And the Kuru hero slew the Somakas that\nfollowed Partha in that battle. Indeed that mighty car-warrior checked\nalso the other forces of Arjuna, by means of his straight and whetted\nshafts furnished with wings of gold. Filling in that dreadful battle all\nthe points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary, with his leonine\nshouts, Bhishma felled many car-warriors, O king, (from their cars) and\nmany steeds along with their riders. And he caused large bodies of cars\nto look like forests of palmyras shorn of their leafy heads. That\nforemost of all wielders of weapons, in that battle, deprived cars and\nsteeds and elephants, of their riders. Hearing the twang of his bow and\nthe slap of his palms, both resembling the roll of the thunder, the\ntroops, O king, trembled all over the field. The shafts, O chief of men,\nof thy sire were never bootless as they fell. Indeed, shot from Bhishma's\nbow they never fell only touching the bodies of the foe (but pierced them\nthrough in every case). We saw crowds of cars, O king, deprived of\nriders, but unto which were yoked fleet steeds, dragged on all sides with\nthe speed of the wind. Full fourteen thousand great car-warriors of noble\nparentage, prepared to lay down their lives, unretreating and brave, and\npossessed of standards decked with gold, belonging to the Chedis, the\nKasis, and the Karushas, approaching Bhishma, that hero who resembled the\nDestroyer himself with wide-open mouth, were despatched to the other\nworld, with their steeds, cars and elephants. There was not, O king, a\nsingle great car-warrior among the Somakas, who, having approached\nBhishma in that battle, returned with life from that engagement.\nBeholding Bhishma's prowess, people regarded all those warriors (who\napproached him) as already despatched to the abode of the king of the\nDead. Indeed, no car-warrior ventured to approach Bhishma in battle,\nexcept the heroic Arjuna having white steeds (yoked unto his car) and\nowning Krishna for his charioteer, and Sikhandin, the prince of Panchala,\nof immeasurable energy.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXVIII\n\nSanjaya said,--\"Sikhandin, O bull among men, approaching Bhishma in\nbattle, struck him in the centre of the chest with ten broad-headed\narrows The son of Ganga, however, O Bharata, only looked at Sikhandin\nwith wrath and as if consuming the Panchala prince with that look.\nRemembering his femininity, O king, Bhishma, in the very sight of all,\nstruck him not. Sikhandin, however, understood it not. Then Arjuna, O\nmonarch, addressed Sikhandin, saying,--'Rush quickly and slay the\ngrandsire. What needst thou say, O hero? Slay the mighty car-warrior\nBhishma. I do not see any other warrior in Yudhishthira's army who is\ncompetent to fight with Bhishma in battle, save thee, O tiger among men.\nI say this truly.' Thus addressed by Partha, Sikhandin, O bull of\nBharata's race, quickly covered the grandsire with diverse kinds of\nweapons. Disregarding those shafts, thy sire Devavrata began, with his\nshafts, to check the angry Arjuna only in that battle. And that mighty\ncar-warrior, O sire, began also to despatch, with his shafts of keen\npoints, the whole army of the Pandavas to the other world. The Pandavas\nalso, O king, after the same manner, supported by their vast host, began\nto overwhelm Bhishma like the clouds covering the maker of day. O bull of\nBharata's race, surrounded on all sides, that Bharata hero consumed many\nbrave warriors in that battle like a raging conflagration in the forest\n(consuming numberless trees). The prowess that we then beheld there of\nthy son (Dussasana) was wonderful, inasmuch as he battled with Partha and\nprotected the grandsire at the same time. With that feat of thy son\nDussasana, that illustrious bowman, all the people there were highly\ngratified. Alone he battled with all the Pandavas having Arjuna amongst\nthem; and he fought with such vigour that the Pandavas were unable to\nresist him. Many car-warriors were in that battle deprived of their cars\nby Dussasana. And many mighty bowmen on horseback and many\nmighty-warriors, elephants, pierced with Dussasana's keen shafts, fell\ndown on the earth. And many elephants, afflicted with his shafts, ran\naway in all directions. As a fire fiercely blazeth forth with bright\nflames when fed with fuel, so did thy son blaze forth, consuming the\nPandava host. And no car-warrior, O Bharata, of the Pandava host ventured\nto vanquish or even proceed against that warrior of gigantic proportions,\nsave Indra's son (Arjuna) owning white steeds and having Krishna for his\ncharioteer. Then Arjuna also called Vijaya, vanquishing Dussasana in\nbattle, O king, in the very sight of all the troops, proceeded against\nBhishma. Though vanquished, thy son, however, relying upon the might of\nBhishma's arms, repeatedly comforted his own side and battled with the\nPandavas with great fierceness. Arjuna, O king, fighting with his foes in\nthat battle, looked exceedingly resplendent.[482] Then Sikhandin, in that\nbattle, O king, pierced the grandsire with many arrows whose touch\nresembled that of the bolts of heaven and which were as fatal as the\npoison of the snake. These arrows, however, O monarch, caused thy sire\nlittle pain, for the son of Ganga received them laughingly. Indeed, as a\nperson afflicted with heat cheerfully receives torrents of rain, even so\ndid the son of Ganga received those arrows of Sikhandin. And the\nKshatriyas there, O king, beheld Bhishma in that great battle as a being\nof fierce visage who was incessantly consuming the troops of the\nhigh-souled Pandavas.\n\n\"Then thy son (Duryodhana), addressing all his warriors, said unto them,\n'Rush ye against Phalguni from all sides. Bhishma, acquainted with the\nduties of a commander, will protect you'. Thus addressed, the Kaurava\ntroops casting off all fear, fought with the Pandavas. (And once more,\nDuryodhana said unto them), 'With his tall standard bearing the device of\nthe golden palmyra, Bhishma stayeth, protecting the honour and the armour\nof all the Dhartarashtra warriors. The very gods, striving vigorously,\ncannot vanquish the illustrious and mighty Bhishma. What need be said,\ntherefore, of the Parthas who are mortals? Therefore, ye warriors, fly\nnot away from the field, getting Phalguni for a foe. I myself, striving\nvigorously, will today fight with the Pandavas, uniting with all of you,\nye lords of earth, exerting yourselves actively.' Hearing these words, O\nmonarch, of thy son with bow in hand, many mighty combatants, excited\nwith rage, belonging to the Videhas, the Kalingas, and the diverse tribes\nof the Daserkas, fell upon Phalguni. And many combatants also, belonging\nto the Nishadas, the Sauviras, the Valhikas, the Daradas, the Westerners,\nthe Northerners, the Malavas, the Abhighatas, the Surasenas, the Sivis,\nthe Vasatis, the Salwas, the Sakas, the Trigartas, the Amvashthas, and\nthe Kekayas, similarly fell upon Partha, like flights of insects upon a\nfire. The mighty Dhananjaya, otherwise called Vibhatsu, then, O monarch,\ncalling to mind diverse celestial weapons and aiming them at those great\ncar-warriors at the heads of their respective divisions,[483] quickly\nconsumed them all, by means of those weapons of great force, like fire\nconsuming a flight of insects. And while that firm bowman was (by means\nof his celestial weapons) creating thousands upon thousands of arrows,\nhis Gandiva looked highly resplendent in the welkin. Then those\nKshatriyas, O monarch, afflicted with those arrows with their tall\nstandards torn and overthrown, could not even together, approach the\nape-bannered (Partha). Car-warriors fell down with their standards, and\nhorsemen with their horses, and elephant-riders with their elephants,\nattacked by Kiritin with his shafts. And the earth was soon covered all\non all sides with the retreating troops of those kings, routed in\nconsequence of the shafts shot from Arjuna's arms. Partha then, O\nmonarch, having routed the Kaurava army, sped many arrows at Dussasana.\nThose arrows with iron heads, piercing thy son Dussasana through, all\nentered the earth like snakes through ant-hills. Arjuna then slew\nDussasana's steeds and then felled his charioteer. And the lord Arjuna,\nwith twenty shafts, deprived Vivinsati of his car, and struck him five\nstraight shafts. And piercing Kripa and Vikarna and Salya with many\narrows made wholly of iron, Kunti's son owning white steeds deprived all\nof them of their cars. Thus deprived of their cars and vanquished in\nbattle by Savyasachin, Kripa and Salya, O sire, and Dussasana, and\nVikarna and Vivinsati, all fled away. Having vanquished those mighty\ncar-warriors, O chief of the Bharatas, in the forenoon, Partha blazed up\nin that battle like a smokeless conflagration. Scattering his shafts all\naround like the Sun shedding rays of light, Partha felled many other\nkings, O monarch. Making those mighty car-warriors turn their backs upon\nthe field by means of his arrowy showers, Arjuna caused a large river of\nbloody current to flow in that battle between the hosts of the Kurus and\nthe Pandavas, O Bharata. Large numbers of elephants and steeds and\ncar-warriors were slain by car-warriors. And many were the car-warriors\nslain by elephants, and many also were the steeds slain by foot-soldiers.\nAnd the bodies of many elephant-riders and horsemen and car-warriors, cut\noff in the middle, as also their heads, fell down on every part of the\nfield. And the field of battle, O king, was strewn with (slain)\nprinces,--mighty car-warriors,--falling or fallen, decked with ear-rings\nand bracelets. And it was also strewn with the bodies of many warriors\ncut off by car-wheels, or trodden down by elephants. And foot-soldiers\nran away, and horsemen also with their horses. And many elephants and\ncar-warriors fell down on all sides. And many cars, with wheels and yokes\nand standards broken, lay scattered all about on the field. And the field\nof battle, dyed with the gore of large numbers of elephants, steeds, and\ncar-warriors, looked beautiful like a red cloud, in the autumnal sky.\nDogs, and crows, and vultures, and wolves, and jackals, and many other\nfrightful beasts and birds, set up loud howls, at the sight of the food\nthat lay before them. Diverse kinds of winds blew along all directions.\nAnd Rakshasas and evil spirits were seen there, uttering loud roars. And\nstrings, embroidered with gold, and costly banners, were seen to wave,\nmoved by the wind. And thousands of umbrellas and great cars with\nstandards attached to them, were seen lying scattered about on the field.\nThen Bhishma, O king, invoking a celestial weapon, rushed at the son of\nKunti, in the very sight of all the bowmen. Thereupon Sikhandin, clad in\nmail, rushed at Bhishma who was dashing towards Arjuna. At this, Bhishma\nwithdrew that weapon resembling fire (in effulgence and energy).\nMeanwhile Kunti's son owning white steeds slaughtered thy troops,\nconfounding the grandsire.[484]\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXIX\n\nSanjaya said, \"When the combatants of both armies, strong in number, were\nthus disposed in battle array, all those unretreating heroes, O Bharata,\nset their heart upon the region of Brahma.[485] In course of the general\nengagement that followed, the same class of combatants did not fight with\nthe same class of combatants. Car-warriors fought not with car-warriors,\nor foot-soldiers with foot-soldiers, or horsemen with horsemen, or\nelephant-warriors with elephant-warriors. On the other hand, O monarch,\nthe combatants fought with one another like mad men. Great and dreadful\nwas the calamity that overtook both the armies. In that fierce slaughter\nwhen elephants and men spread themselves on the field, all distinctions\nbetween them ceased, for they fought indiscriminately.\n\n\"Then Salya and Kripa, and Chitrasena, O Bharata, and Dussasana, and\nVikarna, those heroes mounted on their bright cars, caused the Pandava\nhost to tremble. Slaughtered in battle by those high-souled warriors, the\nPandava army began to reel in diverse ways, O king, like a boat on the\nwaters tossed by the wind. As the wintry cold cuts kine to the quick, so\ndid Bhishma cut the sons of Pandu to the quick. As regards thy army also,\nmany elephants, looking like newly-risen clouds, were felled by the\nillustrious Partha. And many foremost of warriors too were seen to be\ncrushed by that hero. And struck with arrows and long shafts in\nthousands, many huge elephants fell down, uttering frightful shrieks of\npain. And the field of battle looked beautiful, strewn with the bodies,\nstill decked with ornaments of high-souled warriors deprived of life and\nwith heads still decked with ear-rings. And in that battle, O king, which\nwas destructive of great heroes, when Bhishma and Dhananjaya the son of\nPandu put forth their prowess, thy sons, O monarch, beholding the\ngrandsire exert himself vigorously, approached him, with all their troops\nplaced ahead. Desirous of laying down their lives in battle and making\nheaven itself their goal, they approached the Pandavas in that battle,\nwhich was fraught with great carnage. The brave Pandavas also, O king,\nbearing in mind the many injuries of diverse kinds inflicted upon them\nbefore by thee and thy son, O monarch, and casting off all fear, and\neager to win the highest heavens, cheerfully fought with thy son and the\nother warriors of thy army.\n\n\"Then the generalissimo of the Pandava army, viz., the mighty car-warrior\nDhrishtadyumna, addressing his soldiers, said, 'Ye Somakas, accompanied\nby the Srinjayas, rush ye at Ganga's son.' Hearing those words of their\ncommander the Somakas and the Srinjayas, though afflicted with showers of\narrows, rushed at the son of Ganga. Thus attacked, O king, thy sire\nBhishma, influenced by wrath, began to fight with the Srinjayas. In days\nof old, O sire, the intelligent Rama had imparted to Bhishma of glorious\nachievements that instruction in weapons which was so destructive of\nhostile ranks. Relying on that instruction and causing a great havoc\namong the troops of the foe, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the old\nKuru grandsire Bhishma, day after day, slew ten thousand warriors of the\nRatha. On the tenth day, however, O bull of Bharata's race, Bhishma,\nsingle-handed, slew ten thousand elephants. And then he slew seven great\ncar-warriors among the Matsyas and the Panchalas. In addition to all\nthis, in that dreadful battle five thousand foot-soldiers, and one\nthousand tuskers, and ten thousand steeds, were also slain by thy sire, O\nking, through skill acquired by education. Then having thinned the ranks\nof all the kings, he slew Satanika, the dear brother of Virata. And the\nvaliant Bhishma, having slain Satanika in battle, felled, O king, full\none thousand Kshatriyas with his broad-headed shafts. Besides these, all\nthe Kshatriyas of the Pandava army who followed Dhananjaya, as soon as\nthey approached Bhishma, had to go to Yama's abode. Covering the Pandava\nhost from every side with showers of arrows, Bhishma stayed in battle at\nthe head of the Kaurava army. Achieving the most glorious feats on the\ntenth day, as he stayed between the two armies, bow in hand, none of the\nkings, O monarch, could even look at him, for he then resembled the hot\nmid-day Sun in the summer sky. As Sakra scorched the Daitya host in\nbattle, even so, O Bharata, did Bhishma scorch the Pandava host.\nBeholding him thus put forth his prowess, the slayer of Madhu, viz., the\nson of Devaki, cheerfully addressing Dhananjaya, said, 'There, Bhishma,\nthe son of Santanu, stayeth between the two armies. Slaying him by\nputting forth thy might, thou mayst win victory. There, at that spot,\nwhence he breaketh our ranks, check him, putting forth thy strength. O\nlord, none else, save thee, ventureth to bear the arrows of Bhishma.' Thus\nurged, the ape-bannered Arjuna at that moment made Bhishma with his car,\nsteeds, and standard, invisible by means of his arrows. That bull,\nhowever, among the foremost of Kurus, by means of his own arrowy showers,\npierced those showers of shafts shot by the son of Pandu. Then the king\nof the Panchalas the valiant Dhrishtaketu, Bhimasena the son of Pandu,\nDhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race, the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva),\nChekitana, and the five Kaikaya brothers, and the mighty-armed Satyaki\nand Subhadra's son, and Ghatotkacha, and the (five) sons of Draupadi, and\nSikhandin, and the valiant Kuntibhoja, and Susarman, and Virata, these\nand many other powerful warriors of the Pandava army, afflicted by the\nshafts of Bhishma, seemed to sink in an ocean of grief. Phalguni,\nhowever, rescued them all. Then Sikhandin, taking up a mighty weapon and\nprotected by Kiritin, rushed impetuously towards Bhishma alone. The\nunvanquished Vibhatsu then, knowing what should be done after what, slew\nall those that followed Bhishma, and then himself rushed at him. And\nSatyaki, and Chekitana, and Dhristadyumna of Prishata's race, and Virata,\nand Drupada, and the twin sons of Madri by Pandu, all protected by that\nfirm bowman (viz., Arjuna) rushed against Bhishma alone in that battle.\nAnd Abhimanyu, and the five sons of Draupadi also, with mighty weapons\nupraised, rushed against Bhishma in battle. All those firm bowmen,\nunretreating from battle, pierced Bhishma in diverse parts of his body\nwith well-aimed shafts. Disregarding all those shafts, large in number,\nshot by those foremost of princes belonging to the Pandava host, Bhishma\nof undepressed soul penetrated into the Pandava ranks. And the grandsire\nbaffled all those arrows, as if sporting the while. Frequently looking at\nSikhandin the prince of the Panchalas with a laugh, he aimed not a single\narrow at him, recollecting his femininity. On the other hand, he slew\nseven great car-warriors belonging to Drupada's division. Then confused\ncries of woe soon arose amongst the Matsyas, the Panchalas, and the\nChedis, who were together rushing at that single hero. With large numbers\nof foot-soldiers and steeds and cars, and with showers of arrows, O\nscorcher of foes, they overwhelmed that single warrior, viz., Bhishma the\nson of Bhagirathi, that scorcher of foes, like the clouds overwhelming\nthe maker of day. Then in that battle between him and them, which\nresembled the battle between the gods and the Asuras in days of old, the\ndiadem-decked (Arjuna), placing Sikhandin before him, pierced Bhishma\n(repeatedly).\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXX\n\nSanjaya said, \"Thus all the Pandavas, placing Sikhandin before them\npierced Bhishma in that battle repeatedly surrounding him on all sides.\nAnd all the Srinjayas, uniting together, struck him with dreadful\nSataghnis, and spiked maces, and battle-axes, and mallets, and short\nthick clubs, and bearded darts, and other missiles, and arrows furnished\nwith golden wing, and darts and lances and kampanas; and with long\nshafts, and arrows furnished with heads shaped like the calf-tooth, and\nrockets. Thus afflicted by many, his coat of mail was pierced everywhere.\nBut though pierced in every vital part, Bhishma felt no pain. On the\nother hand, he then seemed to his enemies to resemble in appearance the\n(all-destructive) fire that rises at the end of Yuga. His bow and arrows\nconstituted the blazing flames (of that fire). The flight of his weapons\nconstituted its (friendly) breeze. The rattle of his car-wheels\nconstituted its heat and mighty weapons constituted its splendour. His\nbeautiful bow formed its fierce tongue, and the bodies of heroic\nwarriors, its profuse fuel. And Bhishma was seen to roll through the\nmidst of crowds of cars belonging to those kings, or to come out (of the\npress) at times, or course once more through their midst. Then,\ndisregarding the king of the Panchalas and Dhrishtaketu, he penetrated, O\nmonarch, into the midst of the Pandava army. He then pierced the six\nPandava warriors, viz., Satyaki, and Bhima, and Dhananjaya the son of\nPandu, and Drupada, and Virata, and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race,\nwith many excellent arrows of great sharpness and dreadful whizz and\nexceeding impetuosity, and capable of piercing through every kind of\narmour. Those mighty car-warriors, however, checking those keen shafts,\nafflicted Bhishma with great force, each of them striking him with ten\nshafts. Those mighty shafts, whetted on stone and furnished with golden\nwings, which the great car-warrior Sikhandin shot, quickly penetrated\ninto Bhishma's body. Then the diadem-decked (Arjuna), excited with wrath,\nand placing Sikhandin ahead rushed at Bhishma and cut off the latter's\nbow. Thereupon mighty car-warriors, seven in number, viz., Drona and\nKritavarman, and Jayadratha the ruler of the Sindhus, and Bhurisravas,\nand Sala, and Salya, and Bhagadatta could not brook that act of Arjuna.\nInflamed with rage, they rushed at him. Indeed, those mighty\ncar-warriors, invoking into existence celestial weapons, fell with great\nwrath upon that son of Pandu, and covered him with their arrows. And as\nthey rushed towards Phalguni's car, the noise made by them was heard to\nresemble that made by the ocean itself when it swelleth in rage at the\nend of the Yuga, Kill, Bring up (our forces), Take, Pierce, Cut off, this\nwas the furious uproar heard about Phalguni's car. Hearing that furious\nuproar, the mighty car-warriors of the Pandava army rushed forward, O\nbull of Bharata's race, for protecting Arjuna. They were Satyaki, and\nBhimasena, and Dhrishtadyumna of Prishata's race, and both Virata and\nDrupada, and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, and the wrathful Abhimanyu. These\nseven, inflamed with rage, and armed with excellent bows, rushed with\ngreat speed. And the battle that took place between these and the Kaurava\nwarriors was fierce, making the hair stand on end, and resembling O chief\nof the Bharatas, the battle of the gods with the Danavas. Sikhandin,\nhowever, that foremost of car-warriors, protected in the battle by the\ndiadem-decked (Arjuna), pierced Bhishma, in that encounter, with ten\nshafts after the latter's bow had been cut off. And he struck Bhishma's\ncharioteer with other shafts, and cut off the latter's standard with one\nshaft. Then the son of Ganga took up another bow that was tougher. That\neven was cut off by Phalguni with three sharp shafts. Indeed, that\nchastiser of foes, viz., Arjuna, who was capable of drawing the bow with\neven his left hand, excited with rage, one after another, cut off all the\nbows that Bhishma took up. Then Bhishma, whose bows were thus cut off,\nexcited with rage, and licking the corners of his mouth, took up a dart\nthat was capable of riving a hill. In rage he hurled it at Phalguni's\ncar. Beholding its course towards him like the blazing bolt of heaven,\nthe delighter of the Pandavas fixed five sharp broad-headed arrows (on\nhis bow-string). And with those five arrows, O chief of the Bharatas, the\nangry Arjuna cut off into five fragments that dart hurled from Bhishma's\narms. Thus cut off by the angry Arjuna, that dart then fell down like a\nflash of lightning separated from a mass of clouds. Beholding his dart\ncut off, Bhishma became filled with rage. That hero, that subjugator of\nhostile cities, then began to reflect. And he said unto himself, 'With\nonly a single bow I could slay all the Pandavas, if the mighty Vishnu\nhimself had not been their protector. For two reasons, however, I will\nnot fight with the Pandavas, viz., their unslayableness, and the\nfemininity of Sikhandin. Formerly, when my sire wedded Kali, he pleased\n(with me) gave me two boons, viz., that I should be incapable of being\nslain in battle, and that my death should depend on my own choice. I\nshould, however, now wish my own death, this being the proper hour.'\nAscertaining this to be the resolve of Bhishma of immeasurable energy,\nthe Rishis and the Vasus stationed in the firmament, said, 'That which\nhath been resolved by thee is approved by us also, O son! Act according\nto thy resolution, O king. Withdraw thy heart from battle.' On the\nconclusion, of those words, fragrant and auspicious breeze charged with\nparticles of water, began to blow along a natural direction.[486] And\ncelestial cymbals of loud sounds began to beat. And a flowery shower fell\nupon Bhishma, O sire. The words spoken by the Rishis and the Vasus,\nhowever, O king, were not heard by any one save Bhishma himself. I also\nheard them, through the power conferred on me by the Muni. Great was the\ngrief, O monarch, that filled the hearts of the celestials at the thought\nof Bhishma, that favourite of all the worlds, falling down from his car.\nHaving listened to these words of the celestials, Santanu's son Bhishma\nof great ascetic merit rushed out at Vibhatsu, even though he was then\nbeing pierced with sharp arrows capable of penetrating through every\narmour. Then Sikhandin, O king, excited with rage, struck the grandsire\nof the Bharatas in the chest with nine sharp arrows. The Kuru grandsire\nBhishma, however, though struck by him in battle, thus, trembled not, O\nmonarch, but remained unmoved like a mountain during an earthquake. Then\nVibhatsu, drawing his bow Gandiva with a laugh, pierced the son of Ganga\nwith five and twenty arrows. And once more, Dhananjaya, with great speed\nand excited with wrath struck him in every vital part with hundreds of\narrows. Thus pierced by others, also with thousands of arrows, the mighty\ncar-warrior Bhishma pierced those others in return with great speed. And\nas regards the arrows shot by those warriors, Bhishma, possessed of\nprowess in battle that was incapable of being baffled, equally checked\nthem all with his own straight arrows. Those arrows, however, endued with\nwings of gold and whetted on stone, which the mighty car-warrior\nSikhandin shot in that battle, scarcely caused Bhishma any pain. Then the\ndiadem-decked (Arjuna), excited with rage and placing Sikhandin to the\nfore, approached Bhishma (nearer) and once more cut off his bow. And then\npiercing Bhishma with ten arrows, he cut off the latter's standard with\none. And striking Bhishma's chariot with ten arrows, Arjuna caused him to\ntremble. The son of Ganga then took up another bow that was stronger.\nWithin, however, the twinkling of an eye, as soon, in fact, as it was\ntaken up, Arjuna cut that bow also into three fragments with three\nbroad-headed shafts. And thus the son of Pandu cut off in that battle\neven all the bows of Bhishma. After that, Bhishma the son of Santanu, no\nlonger desired to battle with Arjuna. The latter, however, then pierced\nhim with five and twenty arrows. That great bowman, thus pierced greatly,\nthen addressed Dussasana, and said, 'Behold, Partha, that great\ncar-warrior of the Pandavas, excited with wrath in battle, pierceth me\nalone with many thousands of arrows. He is incapable of being vanquished\nin battle by the wielder of the thunder-bolt himself. As regards myself\nalso, O hero, the very gods, Danavas and Rakshasas united together, are\nincapable of vanquishing me. What shall I say then of mighty car-warriors\namong men?' While Bhishma was thus speaking to Dussasana, Phalguni with\nsharp shafts, and placing Sikhandin to the fore, pierced Bhishma in that\nbattle. Then Bhishma, deeply and excessively pierced by the wielder of\nGandiva with keen-pointed shafts, once more addressed Dussasana with a\nsmile and said, 'These arrows coursing towards me in one continuous line,\nwhose touch resembleth that of heaven's bolt, have been shot by Arjuna.\nThese are not Sikhandin's. Cutting me to the quick, piercing through even\nmy hard coat of mail, and striking me with the force of mushalas, these\narrows are not Sikhandin's. Of touch as hard as that of the Brahmana's\nrod (of chastisement),[487] and of impetus unbearable as that of the\nthunder-bolt, these arrows are afflicting my vital forces. These are not\nSikhandin's. Of the touch of maces and spiked bludgeons, those arrows are\ndestroying my vital forces like messengers of Death commissioned (by the\ngrim king himself). These are not Sikhandin's. Like angry snakes of\nvirulent poison, projecting their tongues out, these are penetrating into\nmy vitals. These are not Sikhandin's--these that cut me to the quick like\nthe cold of winter cutting kine to the quick. Save the heroic wielder of\nGandiva, viz., the ape-bannered Jishnu, even all other kings united\ntogether cannot cause me pain.' Saying these words, Bhishma, the valiant\nson of Santanu, as if for the object of consuming the Pandavas, hurled a\ndart at Partha. Partha, however, caused that dart to drop down, cutting\nit into three fragments with three shafts, in the very sight, O Bharata,\nof all the Kuru heroes of thy army. Desirous of obtaining either death or\nvictory, the son of Ganga then took up a sword and a shield decked with\ngold. Before, however, he could come down from his car, Arjuna cut off by\nmeans of his arrows, that shield into a hundred fragments. And that feat\nof his seemed exceedingly wonderful. Then the king Yudhishthira urged his\nown troops, saying, 'Rush ye at Ganga's son. Do not entertain the\nslightest fear'. Then, armed with bearded darts, and lances, and arrows,\nfrom all sides, with axes, and excellent scimitars, and long shafts of\ngreat sharpness, with calf-toothed arrows, and broad-headed shafts, they\nall rushed at that single warrior. Then arose from among the Pandava host\na loud shout. Then thy sons also, O king, desirous of Bhishma's victory,\nsurrounded him and uttered leonine shouts. Fierce was the battle fought\nthere between thy troops and those of the enemy on that the tenth day, O\nking, when Bhishma and Arjuna met together. Like unto the vortex that\noccurs at the spot where the Ganga meets the Ocean, for a short while a\nvortex occurred there where the troops of both armies met and struck one\nanother down. And the Earth, wet with gore, assumed a fierce form. And\nthe even and the uneven spots on her surface could no longer be\ndistinguished. Although Bhishma was pierced in all his vital limbs, yet\non that the tenth day he stayed (calmly) in battle, having slain ten\nthousand warriors. Then that great bowman, Partha, stationed at the head\nof his troops, broke the centre of the Kuru army. Ourselves then, afraid\nof Kunti's son Dhananjaya having white steeds attached to his car, and\nafflicted by him with polished weapons, fled away from the battle. The\nSauviras, the Kitavas, the Easterners, the Westerners, the Northerners,\nthe Malavas, the Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Sivis, the Vasatis, the\nSalwas, the Sayas, the Trigartas, the Amvashthas, and the\nKaikeyas.[488]--these and many other illustrious warriors,--afflicted\nwith arrows and pained by their wounds, abandoned Bhishma in that battle\nwhile he was fighting with the diadem-decked (Arjuna). Then a great many\nwarriors, surrounding that single warrior on all sides, defeated the\nKurus (that protected him) and covered him with shower of arrows. Throw\ndown, Seize, Fight, Cut into pieces,--this was the furious uproar, O\nking, heard in the vicinity of Bhishma's car. Having slain in that\nbattle, O monarch, (his foes) by hundreds and thousands, there was not in\nBhishma's body space of even two fingers' breadth that was not pierced\nwith arrows. Thus was thy sire mangled with arrows of keen points by\nPhalguni in that battle. And then he fell down from his car with his head\nto the east, a little before sunset, in the very sight of thy sons. And\nwhile Bhishma fell, loud cries of alas and oh, O Bharata, were heard in\nthe welkin uttered by the celestials and the kings of the earth. And\nbeholding the high-souled grandsire falling down (from his car), the\nhearts of all of us fell with him. That foremost of all bowmen, that\nmighty-armed hero, fell down, like an uprooted standard of Indra, making\nthe earth tremble the while.[489] Pierced all over with arrows, his body\ntouched not the ground. At that moment, O bull of Bharata's race, a\ndivine nature took possession of that great bowman lying on a bed of\narrows. The clouds poured a (cool) shower (over him) and the Earth\ntrembled. While falling he had marked that the Sun was then in the\nsouthern solstice. That hero, therefore, permitted not his senses to\ndepart, thinking of that (inauspicious) season (of death). And all around\nin the welkin he heard celestial voices saying, 'Why, Oh why, should\nGanga's son, that foremost of all warriors of weapons, yield up his life\nduring the southern declension?' Hearing these words, the son of Ganga\nanswered, 'I am alive!' Although fallen upon the earth, the Kuru\ngrandsire Bhishma, expectant of the northern declension, suffered not his\nlife to depart. Ascertaining that to be his resolve, Ganga, the daughter\nof Himavat, sent unto him the great Rishis in swanlike form. Then those\nRishis in the forms of swans inhabiting the Manasa lake, quickly rose up,\nand came together, for obtaining a sight of the Kuru grandsire Bhishma,\nto that spot where that foremost of men was lying on his bed of arrows.\nThen those Rishis in swanlike forms, coming to Bhishma, beheld that\nperpetuator of Kuru's race lying on his bed of arrows. Beholding that\nhigh-souled son of Ganga, that chief of the Bharatas, they walked round\nhim, and the Sun being then in the southern solstice, they said,\naddressing one another, these words, 'Being a high-souled person, why\nshould Bhishma pass out (of the world) during the southern declension?'\nHaving said these words, those swans went away, proceeding towards the\nsouthern direction. Endued with great intelligence, Bhishma, O Bharata.\nbeholding them, reflected for a moment. And the son of Santanu then said\nunto them, 'I will never pass out (of the world) as long as the Sun is in\nthe southern solstice. Even this is my resolve. I will proceed to my own\nancient abode when the Sun reacheth the northern solstice. Ye swans, I\ntell you this truly. Expectant of the northern declension I will hold my\nlife. Since I have the fullest control over the yielding up of my life, I\nwill, therefore, hold life, expectant of death during the northern\ndeclension. The boon that was granted to me by my illustrious sire, to\nthe effect that my death would depend on my own wish. O, let that boon\nbecome true. I will hold my life, since I have control in the matter of\nlaying it down.' Having said these words to those swans, he continued to\nlie down on his bed of arrows.\n\n\"When that crest of the Kuru race, viz., Bhishma of great energy, fell\ndown, the Pandavas and the Srinjayas uttered leonine shouts. When the\ngrandsire of the Bharatas who was endued with great might was overthrown,\nthy son, O bull of Bharata's race, knew not what to do. And all the Kurus\nwere entirely deprived of their senses. And the Kurus headed by Kripa,\nand Duryodhana, sighed and wept. And from grief they remained for a long\nwhile deprived of their senses. And they remained perfectly still, O\nmonarch, without setting their hearts on battle. As if seized by thighs,\nthey stood motionless, without proceeding against the Pandavas. When\nSantanu's son Bhishma of mighty energy, who was (regarded as) unslayable,\nwas slain, all of us thought that the destruction of the Kuru king was at\nhand.[490] Vanquished by Savyasachin, with our foremost heroes slain, and\nourselves mangled with sharp arrows, we knew not what to do. And the\nheroic Pandavas possessed of massive arms that looked like spiked maces,\nhaving obtained the victory and won a highly blessed state in the other\nworld,[491] all blew their great conches. And the Somakas and the\nPanchalas all rejoiced, O king. Then when thousands of trumpets were\nblown, the mighty Bhimasena slapped his arm-pits and uttered loud shouts.\nWhen the all-powerful son of Ganga was slain, the heroic warriors of both\narmies, laying down their weapons, began to reflect thoughtfully. And\nsome uttered loud shrieks and some fled away, and some were deprived of\ntheir senses. And some censured the practices of the Kshatriya order and\nsome applauded Bhishma. And the Rishis and the Pitris all applauded\nBhishma of high vows. And the deceased ancestors of the Bharatas also\npraised Bhishma. Meanwhile the valiant and intelligent Bhishma, the son\nof Santanu, having recourse to that Yoga which is taught in the great\nUpanishads and engaged in mental prayers, remained quiet, expectant of\nhis hour.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXI\n\nDhritarashtra said, \"Alas, what was the state of (my) warriors, O\nSanjaya, when they were deprived of the mighty and god-like Bhishma who\nhad become a Brahmacharin for the sake of his reverend sire? Even then I\nregarded the Kurus and all the others as slain by the Pandavas when\nBhishma, despising the son of Drupada, struck him not. Wretch that I am,\nalso, I hear today of my sire's slaughter. What can be a heavier sorrow\nthan this? My heart assuredly, O Sanjaya, is made of adamant, since it\nbreaketh not into a hundred fragments on hearing of Bhishma's death! Tell\nme, O thou of excellent vows, what was done by that lion among the Kurus,\nviz., the victory-desiring Bhishma when he was slain in battle. I cannot\nat all brook it that Devavrata should be slain in battle. Alas, he that\nwas not slain by Jamadagni's son himself in days of old by means of even\nhis celestial weapons, alas, he hath now been slain by Drupada's son\nSikhandin, the prince of Panchala!--\"\n\nSanjaya said,--\"Slain in the evening the Kuru grandsire Bhishma saddened\nthe Dhartarashtras and delighted the Panchalas. Falling down on the\nearth, he lay on his bed of arrows without however, touching the earth\nwith his body. Indeed, when Bhishma, thrown down from his car fell upon\nthe surface of the earth, cries of Oh and Alas were heard among all\ncreatures. When that boundary-tree of the Kurus, viz., the ever\nvictorious Bhishma, fell down, fear entered the hearts, O king, of the\nKshatriyas of both the armies. Beholding Bhishma, the son of Santanu,\nwith his standard overthrown and his armour cut open, both the Kurus and\nthe Pandavas were inspired, O monarch, with sentiments of cheerlessness.\nAnd the welkin was enveloped with a gloom and the Sun himself became dim.\nThe Earth seemed to utter loud shrieks when the son of Santanu was slain.\nThis one is the foremost of those conversant with the Vedas! This one is\nthe best of those that are conversant with the Vedas!--Even thus did\ncreatures speak of that bull among men as he lay (on his bed of\narrows). This one, formerly, ascertaining his sire Santanu to be afflicted\nby Kama, this bull among men, resolved to draw up his vital steed!--Even\nthus did the Rishis together with the Siddhas and the Charanas said of\nthat foremost one of the Bharatas as he lay on his bed of arrows. When\nSantanu's son Bhishma, the grandsire of the Bharatas, was slain, thy\nsons, O sire, knew not what to do. Their faces wore an expression of\ngrief. The splendour of their countenances seemed to abandon them, O\nBharata! All of them stood in shame, hanging down their heads. The\nPandavas, on the other hand, having won the victory, stood at the head\nof their ranks. And they all blew their large conchs decked with gold.\nAnd when in consequence of their joys thousands of trumpets, O sinless\none, were blown there, we beheld O monarch, the mighty Bhimasena, the son\nof Kunti, sporting in great glee, having quickly slain many hostile\nwarriors endued with great strength. And a great swoon overtook all the\nKurus. And Karna and Duryodhana repeatedly drew long breaths. When the\nKuru grandsire Bhishma fell down, thus, cries of sorrow were heard all\nround, and the greatest confusion prevailed (among the Kuru army).\nBeholding Bhishma fallen, thy son Dussasana, with great speed, entered\nthe division commanded by Drona. That hero, clad in mail and at the head\nof his own troops, had been placed by his elder brother (for the\nprotection of Bhishma). That tiger among men now came, plunging the\ntroops he had commanded into grief. Beholding him coming towards them,\nthe Kauravas surrounded prince Dussasana, desirous, O monarch, of hearing\nwhat he had to say. Then Dussasana of Kuru's race informed Drona of\nBhishma's slaughter. Drona then, hearing those evil tidings, suddenly\nfell down from his car. Then the valiant son of Bharadwaja, quickly\nrecovering his senses, forbade the Kuru army, sire, to continue the\nfight. Beholding the Kurus desist from battle, the Pandavas also, through\nmessengers on fleet horses, forbade their orders, ceased to fight, the\nkings of both armies, putting off their armour, all repaired to Bhishma.\nDesisting from the fight, thousands of (other) warriors then, proceeded\ntowards the high-souled Bhishma like the celestials towards the Lord of\nall creatures. Approaching Bhishma who was then, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, lying (on his bed of arrows), the Pandavas and the Kurus stood\nthere, having offered him their salutations. Then Santanu's son Bhishma\nof righteous soul addressed the Pandavas and the Kurus who having\nreverenced him thus, stood before him. And he said,--'Welcome to you, ye\nhighly blessed ones! Welcome to you, ye mighty car-warriors! Gratified am\nI with your sight, ye that are the equals of the very gods.'--Thus\naddressing them with his head hanging down, he once more said,--'My head\nis hanging down greatly. Let a pillow be given to me!'--The kings\n(standing there) then fetched many excellent pillows that were very soft\nand made of very delicate fabrics. The grandsire, however, desired them\nnot. That tiger among men then said unto those kings with a\nlaugh,--'These, ye kings, do not become a hero's bed.'--Beholding them that\nforemost of men, that mightiest of car-warriors in all the worlds, viz.,\nthe mighty-armed Dhananjaya the son of Pandu, he said,--'O Dhananjaya, O\nthou of mighty arms, my head hangeth down, O sire! Give me a pillow such\nas thou regardest to be fit!--'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXII\n\nSanjaya said,--\"Stringing then his large bow and reverentially saluting\nthe grandsire, Arjuna, with eyes filled with tears, said these words, O\nforemost one among the Kurus, O thou that art the first among all\nwielders of weapons, command me, O invincible one, for I am thy slave!\nWhat shall I do, O grandsire!--Unto him Santanu's son said,--'My head, O\nsire, hangeth down!--O foremost one among the Kuru's! O Phalguni, get me a\npillow! Indeed, give me one without delay, O hero, that would become my\nbed! Thou O Partha, art competent, thou art the foremost of all wielders\nof bows! Thou art conversant with the duties of Kshatriyas and thou art\nendued with intelligence and goodness!'--Then Phalguni, saying,--'So be\nit'--desired to do Bhishma's bidding. Taking up Gandiva and a number of\nstraight shafts, and inspiring them with mantras, and obtaining the\npermission of that illustrious and mighty car-warrior of Bharata's race,\nArjuna then, with three keen shafts endued with great force, supported\nBhishma's head. Then that chief of the Bharatas, viz., Bhishma of\nvirtuous soul, conversant with the truths of religion, seeing that\nArjuna, having divined his thought, had achieved that feat, became highly\ngratified. And after that pillow had thus been given to him, he applauded\nDhananjaya. And casting his eyes upon all the Bharatas there, he\naddressed Kunti's son Arjuna, that foremost of all warriors, that\nenhancer of the joys of his friends and said,--'Thou hast given me, O son\nof Pandu, a pillow that becometh my bed! If thou hadst acted otherwise, I\nwould have cursed thee, from wrath! Even thus, O mighty-armed one, should\na Kshatriya, observant of his duties, sleep on the field of battle on his\nbed of arrows!'--Having addressed Vibhatsu thus, he then said unto all\nthose kings and princes that were present there, these words:--'Behold ye\nthe pillow that the son of Pandu hath given me! I will sleep on this bed\ntill the Sun turneth to the northern solstice! Those kings that will then\ncome to me will behold me (yield up my life)! When the Sun on his car of\ngreat speed and unto which are yoked seven steeds, will proceed towards\nthe direction occupied by Vaisravana, verily, even then, will I yield up\nmy life like a dear friend dismissing a dear friend! Let a ditch be dug\nhere around my quarters ye kings! Thus pierced with hundreds of arrows\nwill I pay my adorations to the Sun. As regards yourselves, abandoning\nenmity, cease ye from the fight, ye kings--'\"\n\nSanjaya continued,--\"Then there came unto him some surgeons well trained\n(in their science) and skilled in plucking out arrows, with all becoming\nappliances (of their profession). Beholding them, the son of Ganga said\nunto thy son,--'Let these physicians, after proper respect being paid to\nthem, be dismissed with presents of wealth. Brought to such a plight,\nwhat need have I now of physicians? I have won the most laudable and the\nhighest state ordained in Kshatriya observances! Ye kings, lying as I do\non a bed of arrows, it is not proper for me to submit now to the\ntreatment of physicians. With these arrows on my body, ye rulers of men,\nshould I be burnt!'--Hearing these words of his, thy son Duryodhana\ndismissed those physicians, having honoured them as they deserved. Then\nthose kings of diverse realms, beholding that constancy in virtue\ndisplayed by Bhishma of immeasurable energy, were filled with wonder.\nHaving given a pillow to thy sire thus, those rulers of men, those mighty\ncar-warriors, viz., the Pandavas and the Kauravas, united together, once\nmore approached the high-souled Bhishma lying on that excellent bed of\nhis. Reverentially saluting that high-souled one and circumambulating him\nthrice, and stationing guards all around for his protection, those\nheroes, with bodies drenched in blood, repaired for rest towards their\nown tents in the evening, their hearts plunged into grief and thinking of\nwhat they had seen.\n\n\"Then at the proper time, the mighty Madhava, approaching the Pandavas,\nthose mighty car-warriors cheerfully seated together and filled with joy\nat the fall of Bhishma, said unto Dharma's son Yudhishthira these\nwords,--'By good luck victory hath been thine, O thou of Kuru's rare! By\ngood luck hath Bhishma been overthrown, who is unslayable by men, and is\na mighty car-warrior of aim incapable of being baffled! Or, perhaps, as\ndestiny would have it, that warrior who was master of every weapon,\nhaving obtained thee for a foe that canst slay with thy eyes alone, hath\nbeen consumed by thy wrathful eye!'--Thus addressed by Krishna, king\nYudhishthira the just, replied unto Janardana, saying,--'Through Thy grace\nis Victory, through Thy wrath is Defeat! Thou art dispeller of the fears\nof those that are devoted to thee. Thou art our refuge! It is not\nwonderful that they should have victory whom Thou always protectest in\nbattle, and in whose welfare Thou art always engaged, O Kesava! Having\ngot Thee for our refuge, I do not regard anything as wonderful!' Thus\naddressed by him, Janardana answered with a smile,--'O best of kings,\nthese words can come from thee alone!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXIII\n\nSanjaya said,--\"After the night had passed away, O monarch, all the\nkings, the Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras, repaired to the grandsire.\nThose Kshatriyas then saluted that bull of their order, that foremost one\namong the Kurus, that hero lying on a hero's bed, and stood in his\npresence. Maidens by thousands, having repaired to that place, gently\nshowered over Santanu's son powdered sandal wood and fried paddy, and\ngarlands of flowers. And women and old men and children, and ordinary\nspectators, all approached Santanu's son like creatures of the world\ndesirous of beholding the Sun. And trumpets by hundreds and thousands,\nand actors, and mimes, and skilled mechanics also came to the aged Kuru\ngrandsire. And ceasing to fight, putting aside their coats of mail, and\nlying aside their weapons, the Kurus and the Pandavas, united together,\ncame to the invincible Devavrata, that chastiser of foes. And they were\nassembled together as in days of old, and cheerfully addressed one\nanother according to their respective ages. And that conclave full of\nBharata kings by hundreds and adorned with Bhishma, looked beautiful and\nblazing like a conclave of the gods in heaven. And that conclave of kings\nengaged in honouring the son of Ganga looked as beautiful as a conclave\nof the celestials engaged in adorning their Lord, viz., the Grandsire\n(Brahman). Bhishma, however, O bull of Bharata's race, suppressing his\nagonies with fortitude though burning with the arrows (still sticking to\nhis body), was sighing like a snake. His body burning with these arrows,\nand himself nearly deprived of his senses in consequence of his\nweapon-wounds, Bhishma cast his eyes on those kings and asked for water.\nThen those Kshatriyas, O king, brought thither excellent viands and\nseveral vessels of cold water. Beholding that water brought for him,\nSantanu's son said,--'I cannot, O sire, now use any article of human\nenjoyment! I am removed from the pale of humanity. I am lying on a bed of\narrows. I am staying here, expecting only the return of the Moon and the\nSun!' Having spoken these words and thereby rebuked those kings, O\nBharata, he said,--'I wish to see Arjuna!'--The mighty-armed Arjuna then\ncame there, and reverentially saluting the grandsire stood with joined\nhands, and said,--'What shall I do?'--Beholding then that son of Pandu, O\nmonarch, thus standing before him after having offered him respectful\nsalutations, Bhishma of righteous soul cheerfully addressed Dhananjaya,\nsaying,--'Covered all over with thy shafts, my body is burning greatly!\nAll the vital parts of my body are in agony. My mouth is dry. Staying as\nI am with body afflicted with agony, give me water, O Arjuna! Thou art a\ngreat bowman! Thou art capable of giving me water duly!'--The valiant\nArjuna then saying,--'So be it,'--mounted on his car, and striking his\nGandiva with force, began to stretch it. Hearing the twang of his bow and\nthe slap of his palms which resembled the roar of the thunder, the troops\nand the kings were all inspired with fear. Then that foremost of\ncar-warriors, mounted on his car, circumambulated that prostrate chief of\nthe Bharatas, that foremost of all wielders of weapons. Aiming then a\nblazing arrow, after having inspired it with Mantras and identified it\nwith the Parjanya weapon, in the very sight of the entire army, the son\nof Pandu, viz., Partha, pierced the Earth a little to the south of where\nBhishma lay. Then there arose a jet of water that was pure, and\nauspicious, and cool, and that resembling the nectar itself, was of\ncelestial scent and taste. And with that cool jet of water Partha\ngratified Bhishma, that bull among the Kurus, of godlike deeds and\nprowess. And at that feat of Partha who resembled Sakra himself in his\nacts, all those rulers of Earth were filled with great wonder. And\nbeholding that feat of Vibhatsu implying superhuman prowess, the Kurus\ntrembled like kine afflicted with cold. And from wonder all the kings\nthere present waved their garments (in the air). And loud was the blare\nof conchs and the beat of drums that were then heard all over the field.\nAnd Santanu's son, his thirst quenched, then addressed Jishnu, O monarch,\nand said, applauding him highly in the presence of all those kings, these\nwords, viz.,--'O thou of mighty arms, this is not wonderful in thee, O son\nof Kuru's race! O thou of immeasurable effulgence, even Narada spoke of\nthee as an ancient Rishi! Indeed, with Vasudeva as thy ally, thou wilt\nachieve many mighty feats which the chief of the celestials himself with\nall the gods, of a certainty, will not venture to achieve! They that have\nknowledge of such things know thee to be the destroyer of the whole\nKshatriya race! Thou art the one bowman among the bowmen of the world!\nThou art the foremost among men. As human beings are, in this world,\nforemost of all creatures, as Garuda is the foremost of all winged\ncreatures; as the Ocean is the foremost among all receptacles of water\nand the cow among all quadrupeds; as the Sun is the foremost amongst all\nluminous bodies and Himavat among all mountains; as the Brahmana is the\nforemost among all castes, art thou the foremost of all bowmen!\nDhritarashtra's son (Duryodhana) listened not to the words repeatedly\nspoken by me and Vidura and Drona and Rama and Janardana and also by\nSanjaya. Reft of his senses, like unto an idiot, Duryodhana placed no\nreliance on those utterances. Past all instructions, he will certainly\nhave to lie down for ever, overwhelmed by the might of Bhima!'--Hearing\nthese words of his, the Kuru king Duryodhana became of cheerless heart.\nEyeing him, Santanu's son said,--'Listen, O king! Abandon thy wrath! Thou\nhast seen, O Duryodhana how the intelligent Partha created that jet of\ncool and nectar-scented water! There is none else in this world capable\nof achieving such feat. The weapons appertaining to Agni, Varuna, Soma,\nVayu, and Vishnu, as also those appertaining to Indra, Pasupati, and\nParamesthi, and those of Prajapati, Dhatri, Tashtri, Savitri, and\nVivaswat, all these are known to Dhananjaya alone in this world of men!\nKrishna, the son of Devaki, also knoweth them. But there is none else\nhere that knoweth them. This son of Pandu, O sire, is incapable of being\ndefeated in battle by even the gods and the Asuras together. The feats of\nthis high-souled one are superhuman. With that truthful hero, that\nornament of battle, that warrior accomplished in fight, let peace, O\nking, be soon made! As long as the mighty-armed Krishna is not possessed\nby wrath, O chief of the Kurus, it is fit, O sire, that peace should be\nmade with the heroic Parthas! As long as this remnant of thy brothers is\nnot slain, let peace, O monarch, be made! As long as Yudhishthira with\neyes burning in wrath doth not consume thy troops in battle, let peace, O\nsire, be made! As long as Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Bhimasena, the sons\nof Pandu, do not, O monarch, exterminate thy army, it seems to me that\nfriendly relations should be restored between thee and the heroic\nPandavas! Let this battle end with my death, O sire! Make peace with the\nPandavas. Let these words that are uttered to thee by me be acceptable to\nthee, O sinless one! Even this is what I regard to be beneficial both for\nthyself and the race (itself of Kuru)! Abandoning thy wrath, let peace be\nmade with Parthas. What Phalguni hath already done is sufficient. Let\nfriendly relations be restored with the death of Bhishma! Let this\nremnant (of warriors) live! Relent, O king! Let half the kingdom be given\nto the Pandavas. Let king Yudhishthira the just, go to Indraprastha. O\nchief of the Kurus, do not achieve a sinful notoriety among the kings of\nthe earth by incurring the reproach of meanness, becoming a fomentor of\nintestine dissensions! Let peace come to all with my death! Let these\nrulers of earth, cheerfully mix with one another! Let sire get back the\nson, let sister's son get back the maternal uncle! If from want of\nunderstanding and possessed by folly thou dost not harken to those timely\nwords of mine thou wilt have to repent greatly! What I say is true.\nTherefore, desist even now!' Having, from affection, said these words unto\nDuryodhana in the midst of the kings, the son of the ocean-going (Ganga)\nbecame silent. Though his vital limbs were burning with the arrow-wounds,\nyet, prevailing over his agonies, he applied himself to yoga.\"\n\nSanjaya continued--\"Having heard these beneficial and peaceful words\nfraught with both virtue and profit, thy son, however, accepted them not,\nlike a dying man refusing medicine.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXIV\n\nSanjaya said,--\"After Santanu's son Bhishma, O monarch, had become\nsilent, all those rulers of earth, there present, then returned to their\nrespective quarters. Hearing of Bhishma's slaughter that bull among men,\nviz., Radha's son (Karna), partially inspired with fear quickly came\nthere. He beheld that illustrious hero lying on his bed of reeds. Then\nVrisha (Karna) endued with great glory, with voice choked in tears,\napproaching that hero lying with eyes closed, fell at his feet. And he\nsaid,--'O chief of the Kurus, I am Radha's son, who while before thy eyes,\nwas everywhere looked upon by thee with hate!'--Hearing these words, the\naged chief of the Kurus, the son of Ganga, whose eyes were covered with\nfilm slowly raising his eyelids, and causing the guards to be removed,\nand seeing the place deserted by all, embraced Karna with one arm, like a\nsire embracing his son, and said these words with great affection:--'Come,\ncome! Thou art an opponent of mine who always challengest comparison with\nme! If thou hadst not come to me, without doubt, it would not have been\nwell with thee! Thou art Kunti's son, not Radha's! Nor is Adhiratha thy\nfather! O thou of mighty arms, I heard all this about thee from Narada as\nalso from Krishna-Dwaipayana! Without doubt, all this is true! I tell\nthee truly, O son, that I bear thee no malice! It was only for abating\nthy energy that I used to say such harsh words to thee! O thou of\nexcellent vows without any reason thou speakest ill of all the Pandavas!\nSinfully didst thou come into the world. It is for this that thy heart\nhath been such. Through pride, and owing also to thy companionship with\nthe low, thy heart hateth even persons of merit! It is for this that I\nspoke such harsh words about thee in the Kuru camp! I know thy prowess in\nbattle, which can with difficulty be borne on earth by foes! I know also\nthy regard for Brahmanas, thy courage, and thy great attachment to\nalms-giving! O thou that resemblest a very god, amongst men there is none\nlike thee! For fear of intestine dissensions I always spoke harsh words\nabout thee. In bowmanship, in aiming weapon, in lightness of hand and in\nstrength of weapons, thou art equal to Phalguni himself, or the\nhigh-souled Krishna! O Karna, proceeding to the city of Kasi, alone with\nthy bow, thou hadst crushed the kings in battle for procuring a bride for\nthe Kuru king! The mighty and invincible king Jarasandha also, ever\nboastful of his prowess in battle, could not become thy match in fight!\nThou art devoted to Brahmanas; thou always fightest fairly! In energy and\nstrength, thou art equal to a child of the celestials and certainly much\nsuperior to men. The wrath I cherished against thee is gone. Destiny is\nincapable of being avoided by exertion. O slayer of foes, the heroic sons\nof Pandu are thy uterine brothers! If thou wishest to do what is\nagreeable to me, unite with them, O thou of mighty arms! O son of Surya,\nlet these hostilities end with me! Let all the kings of Earth be to-day\nfreed from danger!--'\n\n\"Karna said, 'I know this, O thou of mighty arms! All this without doubt,\nis (as thou sayest)! As thou tellest me, O, Bhishma, I am Kunti's son,\nand not the son of a Suta! I was, however, abandoned by Kunti, and I have\nbeen reared by a Suta. Having (so long) enjoyed the wealth of Duryodhana,\nI dare not falsify it now. Like Vasudeva's son who is firmly resolved for\nthe sake of the Pandavas, I also, O thou that makest profuse presents to\nBrahmanas, am prepared to cast away my possessions, my body itself, my\nchildren, and my wife, for Duryodhana's sake! Death from disease, O thou\nof Kuru's race, doth not become a Kshatriya! Relying upon Suyodhana I\nhave always offended the Pandavas! This affairs is destined to take its\ncourse. It is incapable of being prevented. Who was there that would\nventure to overcome Destiny by exertion? Various omens indicating the\ndestruction of the Earth, O grandsire, were noticed by thee and declared\nin the assembly. It is well known to me that the son of Pandu, and\nVasudeva, are incapable of being conquered by other men. Even with them\nwe venture to fight! I will vanquish the son of Pandu in battle! Even\nthis is my firm resolve! I am not capable, of casting off this fierce\nanimosity (that I cherish against the Pandavas)! With a cheerful heart,\nand keeping the duties of my order before my eye, I will contend against\nDhananjaya. Firmly resolved that I am on battle, grant me thy permission,\nO hero! I will fight. Even this is my wish. It behoveth thee to forgive\nme also any harsh words that I may have at any time uttered against thee\nor any act that I may have done against thee from anger or\ninconsiderateness!--'\n\n\"Bhishma said,--'If, indeed, thou art unable to cast off this fierce\nanimosity, I permit thee, O Karna! Fight, moved by the desire of heaven!\nWithout anger and without vindictiveness, serve thou the king according\nto thy power and according to thy courage and observant of the conduct of\nthe righteous! Have then my permission, O Karna! Obtain thou that which\nthou seekest! Through Dhananjaya thou wilt obtain all those regions\n(hereafter) which are capable of being had by fulfilling the duties of a\nKshatriya! Freed from pride, and relying on thy (own) might and energy,\nengage in battle, since a Kshatriya cannot have a (source of) greater\nhappiness than a righteous battle. For a long while I made great efforts\nfor bringing about peace! But I succeeded not, O Karna, in the task!\nTruly do I say this unto thee!--'\"\n\nSanjaya continued,--\"After the son of Ganga had said this, Radha's son\n(Karna) having saluted Bhishma and obtained his forgiveness, got up on\nhis car and proceeded towards (the quarters of) thy son.\"\n\nThe End of Bhishma Parva\n\nFOOTNOTES\n\n1. Tapas-kshetra because Kuru, the common ancestor of the rival houses,\nperformed his ascetic austerities there. Since Kuru's time, many ascetics\ntook up their abode there.\n\n2. Some texts have Duddharsham for Durddharshas.\n\n3. Literally, \"gives heat\".\n\n4. 'Varna' is used here in the sense of races and not castes.\n\n5. This sloka is variously read. For bhauman in the first line some texts\nread bhimam which I have adopted. For sahasa in the second line some\ntexts have rajasa, and then aditye (locative) for 'adityas'.\n\n6. The Bombay text is evidently faulty here; it repeats the second half\nof the 7th sloka, making the second half of the 25th the first half of\nthe 24th.\n\n7. i.e., stragglers should not be slain.\n\n8. Literally, \"confiding.\"\n\n9. The Bombay text has Castropanayishu; the Bengal texts have\nCastropojibishu.\n\n10. Rather, \"have their periods run out.\"\n\n11. The Bombay text reads pralahshaye for prajashaye. I have adopted the\nformer.\n\n12. Both the Bengal and the Bombay editions have Kukkuran for Kukkutan as\nthe Burdwan Pundits correct it. A bitch producing dogs and bitches would\nbe no anomaly.\n\n13. Unlike the Bengal editions, the Bombay edition correctly includes\nthis sloka, or rather half sloka, within the 17th, making the 17th a\ntriplet instead of a couplet. For the well-known word Dhishthitas\nhowever, the Bombay text has Vishthitas.\n\n14. The Bombay text reads Paricchanna for Paricchinna. The former is\nbetter.\n\n15. Vaisase is explained by Nilakantha as Virodhe. Conttavarta--a river\nhaving bloody eddies.\n\n16. Conitam cchardayanniva. I have adopted Nilakantha's explanation. The\nBurdwan Pundits take it as referring to \"weapons\" instead of \"hearers.\"\nThe passage, however, may mean that the bird screams so frightfully as if\nit vomits blood. The only thing that militates against this\ninterpretation is that cchardayan is a causal verb. In the Mahabharata,\nhowever, causal forms are frequently used without causal meaning.\n\n17. This sloka is omitted in many editions, though it is certainly\ngenuine. I have rendered it very freely, as otherwise it would be\nunintelligible. The fact is, three lunations twice meeting together in\ncourse of the same lunar fortnight is very rare. The lunar-fortnight\n(Paksha) being then reduced by two days, the day of full-moon or that of\nnew moon, instead of being (as usual) the fifteenth day from the first\nlunation becomes the thirteenth day. Lunar-eclipses always occur on days\nof the full-moon, while solar-eclipses on those of the new moon. Such\neclipses, therefore, occurring on days removed from the days of the first\nlunation by thirteen instead of (as usual) fifteen days, are very\nextraordinary occurrences.\n\n18. Vishamam is battle or war, and akranda is weeping or productive of\ngrief. The latter word may also mean a fierce battle. If understood in\nthis sense, Vishamam may be taken as indicating hostility, or absence of\npeace.\n\n19. Nilakantha explains this in a long note the substance of which is\nappended below. Kings are divided into three classes, viz., owners of\nelephants (Gajapati), owners of horses (Aswapati), and owners of men\n(Narapati). If an evil-omened planet (papa-graha) sheds its influence\nupon any of the nine constellations beginning with Aswini, it forebodes\ndanger to Aswapatis; if on any of the nine beginning with Magha, it\nforebodes danger to Gajapatis; and if on any of the nine beginning with\nMula, it forebodes danger to Narapatis. What Vyasa says here, therefore,\nis that one or another papa-graha has shed its influence upon one another\nof each of the three classes of constellations, thus foreboding danger to\nall classes of kings.\n\n20. Vide note ante.\n\n21. Aparvani, i.e., not on Parva days or days of full-moon and new-moon\nas ordinarily coming. The Bombay edition, after aparvani, reads grahenau\ntau. A better reading unquestionably grastavetau, as many Bengal texts\nhave.\n\n22. Pratisrotas; strict grammar would require pratisrotasas; the meaning\nis that those that flowed east to west now flow west to east, &c. For\nkurddanti some texts have narddanti which is certainly better. Kurddanti\nmeans play or sport; wells playing like bulls would be unmeaning, unless\nthe sport is accompanied by bellowing.\n\n23. The Burdwan Pundits reads suskasani for sakrasani. The latter,\nhowever, is the true reading.\n\n24. The original is very obscure. Uluka is explained by Nilakantha as a\nbrand (used for want of lambs). The line, however, is elliptical. The\nBurdwan Pundits introduce an entirely new line.\n\n25. Mahabhuta is swelling greatly.\n\n26. Parena is explained by Nilakantha as atisayena.\n\n27. Some of the Bengal texts read anugraham (making the initial a silent\nafter maharshe, in the vocative case). There can be no doubt however,\nthat this is incorrect. The true reading is nadharmam which I have\nadopted. The Bombay text reads na cha dharmam. The introduction of the\narticle cha needlessly makes the line incorrect as to metre.\n\n28. The second line of the 67th sloka is very obscure. I have followed\nNilakantha in translating it thus. The sense seems to be, that when crows\nhover behind an army, that is an auspicious sign; while it is an\ninauspicious sign if they are seen ahead. I am not sure that Nilakantha\nis right in taking the pronoun ye as referring to even crows.\n\n29. Such as \"don't fight, for you will be dead men soon.\" &c.\n\n30. Nilakantha explains these five species thus: trees such as the\npeepul; gulma (shrub), as kusa, kasa, &c., growing from a clump\nunderneath; creepers, such as all plants growing upon the soil but\nrequiring some support to twine round; Valli, those that creep on the\nearth and live for a year only, such, as the gourd, the pumpkin, etc.,\nand lastly, Trina, such as grass and all plants that are stemless, having\nonly their barks and leaves.\n\n31. When Gayatri, or Brahma or the Universe, is mentioned, these\ntwenty-four are indicated, five of which exist independently, the\nremaining nineteen being the result of five in those various proportions.\n\n32. I have rendered 4 and 5 a little too freely. The language of the\noriginal is very terse.\n\n33. Samyam is homogeneity. The allusion is to the state of the universe\nbefore creation, when there exists nothing but a homogeneous mass or\nBrahma alone. The first compound of the 2nd line is read differently. The\nBurdwan Pandits and the Bombay edition read anyonyam (in the accusative);\nmany of the Bengal texts read anyonyena (in the instrumental). The\nmeaning is scarcely affected by this difference of reading.\n\n34. The order of destruction is that earth merges into water, water into\nfire, fire into air, and air into space. And so the order of birth is\nthat from space arises air, from air arises fire, from fire arises water,\nand from water arises earth.\n\n35. Nilakantha explains the last six slokas as having an esoteric\nmeaning. By Sudarsana he understands the mind. The rest is explained\nconsistently. Interpretations, however, are not rare among commentators\nseeking to put sense in non-sense.\n\n36. The Bombay text reads Varsha parvatas for parvatas samas.\n\n37. For Pinaddha occurring in the Bengal texts, the Bombay edition reads\nVichitra.\n\n38. The Bengal texts add a line here which is properly omitted in the\nBombay edition.\n\n39. After the 10th occurs a line in the Bengal text which is evidently\nvicious.\n\n40. Day of the full-moon and that of the new-moon.\n\n41. The Bengal texts, except the Burdwan one, have divi for Daityas, of\ncourse, the latter reading is correct.\n\n42. The Bombay text has Sarvatas (which is better) for Sarvata in the\nBengal texts.\n\n43. in the first line of 28, the Bengal texts read Sirasas (ablative) for\nSikhhrat of the Bombay edition. In the last line of 29 also, the Bombay\ntext has plavantiva-pravegena for the Bengal reading patatyajapravegena.\nNo material difference of meaning arises if one or the other is accepted.\n\n44. Alluding to the tradition of Siva's holding Ganga on his head and for\nwhich the great god is sometimes called Gangadhara.\n\n45. This word occurs in various forms, Ketumala and Ketumali being two\nothers.\n\n46. The Bombay edition reads tu for cha after Jamvukhanda. The meaning\nbecomes changed.\n\n47. The sacred stream Ganga is believed to have three currents. In heaven\nthe current is called Mandakini; on earth, it is called Ganga; and in the\nsubterraneous world it is called Bhogavati.\n\n48. The Bengal texts, excepting the Burdwan one, incorrectly read Sakram\nfor Satram.\n\n49. The correct reading is Gatimanti. Many of the Bengal texts\nincorrectly read matimanti, which is unmeaning.\n\n50. Many of the Bengal texts incorrectly read Merorapyyantaram for\nMerorathottaram.\n\n51. This sloka beginning with mani and ending with prabham is omitted in\nthe Bombay text, I don't think rightly. If anything that seems to be a\nrepetition is to be omitted.\n\n52. i.e. \"have fallen away from a celestial state.\"\n\n53. In sloka 13, the Bengal texts read Bhayanakas for mahavalas. In 15\nMudhabhishekas for Purvabhishekas is substituted in the Bombay text. In\n1 again the Bombay text reads Subhas for drumas.\n\n54. The Bengal texts have Chandrabhasa for Chandraprabha. The difference\nis not material.\n\n55. Both the Burdwan and the Bombay editions read Panchashat (five and\nsix). The Bengal texts generally have panchasat (fifty).\n\n56. The Bombay edition reads Tasmat-sritigamatas param. The Bengal texts\nread Yasmat-sringamatas param. The Bengal reading is better. The Asiatic\nSociety's edition contains a misprint. The meaning is, \"Because Sringa\n(jewelled mountain of that name), therefore superior.\" I have rendered it\nsomewhat freely.\n\n57. They are but portions of the same Supreme Being.\n\n58. i.e. mountains forming boundaries of divisions.\n\n59. The Bombay text reads Ikshula and Krimi for \"Ikshumlavi\" occurring in\nBengal texts.\n\n60. The Bengal texts have Gandakincha mahanadim. The Bombay text reads\nVandanancha mahanadim with a cha immediately before. The Burdwan Pandits\nread Chandanancha mahanadim.\n\n61. The Bombay texts read Tridiva for Nischita; this is incorrect, for\nTridiva occurs in the Bombay text itself a little before. The name\nLohatarini occurs in various forms.\n\n62. For Vetravati, the Bengal texts read Chandrabhaga. Both Chandrabhaga\nand Vetravati, however occur before.\n\n63. Kamadhuk is that species of kine which always yield milk.\n\n64. Nilakantha explains this in this way. The gods depend on sacrifices\nperformed by human beings; and as regards human beings, their food is\nsupplied by the Earth. Superior and inferior creatures, therefore, are\nall supported by the earth; the Earth then is their refuge. The word\nEarth in these slokas is sometimes used to signify the world and\nsometimes the element of that name.\n\n65. I render the last line a little too freely. If the saying is intended\nto be general, the translation should run thus: \"Up to this day there is\nno man whose desires can be satiated.\"\n\n66. The Bombay text reads Kimanyat Kathayami te. The Bengal reading is\nKimanyat srotumicchasi.\n\n67. The Bombay text reads Tatas parena; the Bengal reading is Tatas\npurvena. I adopt the former.\n\n68. Probably this mythical account of Sakadwipa embodies some vague\ntradition current in ancient India of some republic in Eastern Asia or\nOceanic Asia (further east in the Pacific). Accustomed as the Hindus were\nto kingly form of government, a government without a king, would strike\nthem exactly in the way described in the last two slokas.\n\n69. The second line of the 3rd sloka is read variously. The Bombay\nedition incorrectly reads 'Parvataccha' etc. etc.; the Bengal reading is\nevameva etc. etc. The Bengal reading is better, although the true\nreading, I apprehend, is Evametais &c., &c.\n\n70. Vamanaka and Vamana are the same words the final ka being a suffix\ncausing no difference of meaning. So Andhakaraka and Andhakara are the\nsame.\n\n71. Dig-gaja, i.e. an elephant supporting the globe. There are four such\nin Hindu mythology or ten according to some accounts.\n\n72. i.e., with the juice trickling down from their cheeks and mouth. In\nthe season of rut, a peculiar kind of juice issues from several parts of\nan elephant's body. It is believed to be the temporal-juice. The stronger\nand fierce the elephant, the greater the quantity of the juice that\nissues out its body.\n\n73. Tasya (singular of Tad) and sa (masculine singular of Tad) both refer\nto the four elephants, Gaja-chatushtaya in singular.\n\n74. Asamyadha lit. \"Unbound\" or \"unrestrained,\" i.e. freely or\nirregularly.\n\n75. It is a remarkable fact that the ratio between the diameter and the\ncircumference of a circle was roughly known to the ancient Hindus. The\ncircumference is nearly, as stated here, three times and a half of the\ndiameter. The next ratio, of course, is slightly less, being three and\none-seventh.\n\n76. The first word of this sloka is variously read. 'Yathadishtam' is the\nBengal reading, while the Bombay reading 'Yathoddishtam.' If the latter\nreading were adopted, the meaning would be as indicated (in the Sastras).\nThe second line literally rendered, is \"pacify thy son Duryodhana.\" But\nhow Dhritarashtra is to pacify his son having listened to the\ngeographical digression, is not easy to see.\n\n77. For Sadhusattamas of the Bengal texts, the Bombay edition reads\nSadhusammatas. I adopt the last.\n\n78. The last word in the first line of the 11th sloka, in the Bengal\ntexts, is 'Pravriha.' In the Bombay edition it is 'Anikaha.' The\ndifference in meaning is immaterial.\n\n79. The first half of the first line, in the Bengal texts, is read as\n'Kathamascha me putra', the Bombay text reads 'Kathamascha me Yoddha'. If\nthe latter reading be adopted, the meaning would be--\"Tell me how my\nwarriors were,\" etc. etc.\n\n80. In the second line of sloka 3, for 'kim na asinmanastada' (what was\nthe state of mind of our men) the Bombay text reads 'Kimu asinmanastava'\n(what was the state of your mind)?\n\n81. The Plural pronouns 'ye' in the second line of the 8th sloka (changed\ninto 'ya' by rule of Sandhi because coming before tenam) is read 'ke' (or\n'ka') by the Burdwan Pundits. I think the correction a happy one.\nNilakantha would take 7 and 8 and the first half of 9 as a complete\nsentence reading 'Asya twama antike' (thou wert near him) for 'Asyaram\nantike' (smiting or shooting arrows near).\n\n82. Some of the Bengal texts have Panchalanam for Pandavanam.\n\n83. The form of the 2nd line is a negative interrogative, implying,--'I\nhope the Kurus did not abandon him.'\n\n84. This comparison, lengthy as it is, is not sustained throughout with\nthe usual felicity of Vyasa. In several parts it is undoubtedly faulty.\nSlight variation of reading also occur here and there, without affecting\nthe sense materially.\n\n85. Gachchhato durgam gatim. The Bombay edition reads Gachchhanto etc.,\netc. The meaning then would be--\"who protected the wings, themselves\nmaking the last painful journey?\"\n\n86. The Burdwan Pundits make Mahavalas an adjective of Putras. A better\nconstruction would be to take it as referring to Bhishma.\n\n87. Ghatayitwa is, literally, causing to be slain.\n\n88. The words \"high-souled\" and also \"through whose boon bestowed of me\"\noccur in the 9th sloka following.\n\n89. Vyotthiopatti vijananam, Vyutthita is a very doubtful word.\n\n90. Literally, \"in Indra's abodes,\" i.e. Amaravati.\n\n91. A Kshatriya falling bravely in fight at once goes to the highest\nregions of bliss.\n\n92. Nilakantha in a long note explains that Magha Vishayagas Somas cannot\nmean that Soma or the Moon entered the constellation called Magha. He\nquotes numerous slokas scattered throughout the Mahabharata that throw\nlight, directly or indirectly, on the question of the opening day of the\nbattle, and shows that all these lead to a different conclusion. What is\nmeant by the Moon approaching the region of the Pitris is that those who\nfall in battle immediately ascend to heaven; of course, they have first\nto go to the region of Pitris. Thence they have to go to the lunar region\nfor obtaining celestial bodies. All this implies a little delay. Here,\nhowever, in the case of those that would fall on the field of\nKurukshetra, they would not have to incur even such a little delay.\nChandramas or Soma approached the region of Pitris so that the fallen\nwarriors might have celestial bodies very soon, without, in fact, any\nnecessity, on their part, to incur the delay of a journey to the lunar\nregion prior to their ascension to heaven with resplendent bodies.\n\n93. There are nine planets in all the Pauranic astronomy. Of these Rahu\nand Ketu are regarded Upagrahas, and hence, of grahas there are only\nseven. Thus Nilakantha, and the Burdwan pundits have made a mess of this\nline.\n\n94. The Bengal texts read Bhanumanudito divi. The Bombay reading is\nBhanumanudito Ravis. If the latter be adopted, Bhanuman would be an\nadjective of Ravis.\n\n95. Purvais Purvatarais is literally--\"They of old and still older\ntimes\"; for Sanatanas some editions read Srutijas (qualifying panthas).\nSrutija means arising from the Srutis or as laid down in the Srutis.\n\n96. Chamupatis is the Bengal reading. The Bombay text reads Chamupari. If\nthe latter reading be adopted, the meaning would be, \"at the head of the\n(Kuru) army.\"\n\n97. The Bengal editions read 'Magadhascha ripum yayau.' The Bombay text\nreads 'Magadhasya Kripo-yayau.' If the latter reading be adopted, the\nmeaning would be \"and guiding the very van of the Magadha troops Kripa\nwent.\"\n\n98. The Bengal reading is Saradabhraghana-prakshyam. The Bombay reading\nis 'Sharadamvudhara-prakshyam.'\n\n99. Vasavartinas is nominative, masculine, plural, referring to cars,\n&c.; the Burdwan Pundits take it as a genitive singular qualifying tasya,\nand they render it, therefore, as \"of that subordinate of Duryodhana.\"\nThis is evidently incorrect.\n\n100. Machines, perhaps catapults.\n\n101. 'Vyuha' is an array of troops in a certain form. Many such will be\nspoken of in this and the other 'parvas' devoted to the battle.\n\n102. The Bombay edition reads Yamunantara for Yamunantare of the Bengal\ntexts. The difference in meaning is not very material.\n\n103. The Bengal texts read Syandamana; the Bombay reading is Spandamana.\nBoth imply \"moving\", only the motion in the latter case is slower,\nperhaps, than in the former.\n\n104. The word used is Dayadas lit., taker of (one's) wealth.\n\n105. The Bombay text is here faulty. Darsay swamahavalam is scarcely\ncorrect. The Bengal reading is 'Darsayan sumahavalam.'\n\n106. Literally, \"with rent cheeks and mouth.\"\n\n107. The Bombay reading is certainly faulty here. For Chalanta iva\nparvatas it reads Jimuta iva varashikas, although it makes the previous\nline begin Ksharantaiva Jimuta.\n\n108. A parigha is a thick club mounted with iron. The comparison is very\nfeeble, for Bhima's mace, in the popular estimation, is much heavier and\nstouter than any parigha manufactured for human combatants. Prachakarsha\nis, lit. dragged. I think, however, the root krish must be taken here in\nthe sense of crush.\n\n109. The name Vajra implies either a hard needle for boring diamonds and\ngems, or the thunder-bolt. In this sloka the word Vajra is used as\nassociated with the thunder and therefore, as thunder is accompanied by\nlightning so the bows of the warriors are the lightning-marks of this\nparticular Vajra.\n\n110. The word is Uttaradhus which seems to be very doubtful.\n\n111. Yenarjunastena, Yena is yatra and tena is tatra, as Nilakantha\nrightly explains. The meaning is--\"who would be there where Arjuna would\nbe.\"\n\n112. The Bengal texts read Dharmenikena chanagha which is evidently\nfaulty, remembering that the words are Brahman's to Indra and the\ncelestials. The Bombay reading is Dharmenaivodyamena cha which I have\nadopted.\n\n113. The sense is that they, viz., the gods, who accepted Krishna's lead,\nor selected him for their leader, became victorious. The Bengal reading\nis evidently superior, viz., Anu Krishna literally \"behind Krishna,\"\ni.e., \"with Krishna in the front,\" or \"with Krishna as a leader.\" The\nBombay reading is Katham Krishna. If this were adopted, the meaning would\nbe, \"How O Krishna, shall we conquer?\" I do not understand how victory\nshould be theirs who answered in this way. Of course, the answer implies\nmodesty. But modesty is not the sole requisite of victory, nor is modesty\ninculcated here as the chief means of victory.\n\n114. The Bengal texts read Kanchana-bhanda-yuktam. The Bombay reading is\nmuch better, being Kanchanabhanda-yoktam; again, for Nagakulasya the\nBombay edition reads Nagapurasya, Nilakantha notices the latter reading.\n\n115. The Bengal reading is Mahindram (king of earth, or king); the Bombay\nreading is Mahendram (the great Indra). Without iva any word to that\neffect, Mahendram would be ungrammatical.\n\n116. The Bengal texts read, and as I think, correctly, Stutavanta enam.\nThe Bombay reading is Srutavanta enam. In the case of regenerate Rishis\nand Siddhas it is scarcely necessary to say that they are conversant with\nthe Srutis.\n\n117. The Bengal reading Sahasrani for Savastrani is correct. I adopt the\nlatter.\n\n118. This is how I understand this verse, and I am supported by the\nBurdwan Pundits. Nilakantha, it seems, thinks that the car had a thousand\nwheels resembling a thousand suns.\n\n119. Verse 15 is read variously. As the last word of the first line, I\nread Achakarsha for raraksha, and accordingly I take that as a genitive\nand not an ablative particle.\n\n120. I follow Nilakantha in rendering many of the names occurring in this\nand the succeeding slokas. I retain, however, those names that are of\ndoubtful etymology, as also those that are very common.\n\n121. Every scholar knows the derivation of this word as given in this\nsloka of Kalidasa (in his Kumara Sambhavam) Umeti matra tapasonishiddha\npaschadumakhyam Sumukhi Jagama.\n\n122. Both Swaha and Swadha are mantras of high efficacy. Kala and Kastha\nare divisions of time. Saraswati implies speech.\n\n123. Sankhye is explained by Nilakantha to be Samyak Khyanam Prakasana\nYasmin; hence Atmanatma-vivekarupa Samadhi.\n\n124. The text of the Gita has come down to us without, it may be ventured\nto be stated, any interpolation. The difference of reading are few and\nfar between. For Jayadratha some texts read tathaivacha.\n\n125. The words Aparyaptam and Paryaptam have exercised all commentators.\nIf paryaptam is sufficient (as it certainly is), aparyaptam may mean\neither more or less than sufficient. The context, however, would seem to\nshow that Duryodhana addressed his preceptor in alarm and not with\nconfidence of success, I, therefore, take aparyaptam to be less than\nsufficient.\n\n126. It has been observed before that Schlegel renders the names of these\nconches as Gigantea, Theodotes, Arundinca, Triumpphatrix, Dulcisona, and\nGemmiflora, and that Professor Wilson approves of them.\n\n127. It seems a fashion to doubt the etymology of this word, as if\ncommentators of the learning of Sreedhara and Sankara, Anandagiri and\nNilakantha even upon a question of derivation and grammar can really be\nset aside in favour of anything that may occur in the Petersburgh\nlexicon. Hrishikesa means the lord of the senses.\n\n128. Ranasamudyame may also mean \"at the outset of battle.\"\n\n129. The meaning is that even for the sake of such a rich reward in\nprospect I would not kill persons so dear and near to me. I would much\nrather suffer them strike me, myself not returning their blows.\n\n130. The word is atatayinas.\n\n131. Most editions read savandhavam \"with (their) kinsmen or friends,\" I\nthink, however, that swa (own) for (with) is the correct reading. K. T.\nTelang adopts it in his translation published in Vol. VIII of the Sacred\nBooks of the East.\n\n132. In some editions this lesson is stated to be \"Arjuna's grief.\" The\ndescription of the lesson again is given in fewer words.\n\n133. The commentators betray their ingenuity by emphasizing the word\nishubhis (with arrows), explaining, \"how can I encounter them with arrows\nwhom I cannot encounter with even harsh words?\"\n\n134. Arthakaman is an adjective qualifying Gurun. Some commentators\nparticularly Sreedhara, suggest that it may, instead, qualify bhogan. The\nmeaning, however, in that case would be far-fetched.\n\n135. Sreedhara explains that Karpanya is compassion (for kinsmen), and\ndosha is the fear of sin (for destroying a race). The first compound,\ntherefore, according to him, means,--\"My nature affected by both\ncompassion and fear of sin,\" etc. It is better, however, to take Karpanya\nitself as a dosha (taint or fault). K. T. Telang understands it in this\nway. Upahata, however, is affected and not contaminated.\n\n136. What Arjuna says here is that \"Even if I obtain such a kingdom on\nEarth, even if I obtain the very kingship of the gods, I do not yet see\nthat will dispel that grief which will overtake me if I slay my preceptor\nand kinsmen.\" Telang's version is slightly ambiguous.\n\n137. The Bengal texts have Parantapa with a Visarga, thus implying that\nit refers to Gudakesa. The Bombay edition prints it without the Visarga,\nimplying that it is in the vocative case, referring to Dhritarashtra, the\nlistener.\n\n138. One of the most useful rules in translating from one language into\nanother is to use identical words for identical expressions in the\noriginal. In translating, however, from a language like Sanskrit which\nabounds in synonyms, this is not always practicable without ambiguity. As\nan example, the word used in 13 is Dhira; that used in 11 is Pandita.\nThere can be little doubt, however, that Pandita and Dhira have exactly\nthe same meaning.\n\n139. Amritatwa is really emancipation or non-liability to repeated death\nor repeated rebirth. To render it as \"immortality\" is, perhaps, a little\nslovenly, for every soul is immortal, and this particular section\ninculcates it.\n\n140. Sat and asat are the two words which must be distinctly understood\nas they occur often in Hindu philosophy. Sat is explained as the real,\ni.e., the soul, or anything as real and permanent as the soul. Asat is\nthe reverse of this, i.e., the unreal or the Non-soul. What is said here\nby Krishna is that the unreal has no existence; the real, again can have\nno non-existence. Is not this a sort of cosmothetic idealism?\n\n141. Most texts read Yudhaya Yujyaswa. A manuscript belonging to a friend\nof mine has the correction in red-ink, Yudhaya Yudhaya Yudhaywa. It\naccords so well with the spirit of the lesson sought to be inculcated\nhere that I make no scruple to adopt it.\n\n142. A life in this world that is subject to decay and death. So say all\nthe commentators.\n\n143. What Krishna seeks to inculcate here is the simple truth that\npersons who believe in the Vedas and their ordinances laying down\nspecific acts for the attainment of a heaven of pleasure and power,\ncannot have the devotion without which there cannot be final emancipation\nwhich only is the highest bliss. The performance of Vedic rites may lead\nto heaven of pleasure and power, but what is that heaven worth? True\nemancipation is something else which must be obtained by devotion, by\npure contemplation. In rendering Janma-Karma-phalapradam I have followed\nSankara. Sreedhara and other commentators explain it differently.\n\n144. This sloka has been variously rendered by various translators. It is\nthe same that occurs in the Sanat-Sujata Parva of the Udyoga. (Vide\nUdyoga Parva, Section XLV). Both Sreedhara and Sankara (and I may mention\nAnandagiri also) explain it in this way. Shortly stated, the meaning is\nthat to an instructed Brahmana (Brahma-knowing person and not a Brahmana\nby birth), his knowledge (of self or Brahma) teaches him that which is\nobtainable from all the Vedas, just as a man wanting to bathe or drink\nmay find a tank or well as useful to him as a large reservoir of water\noccupying an extensive area. Nilakantha explains it in a different way.\n\n145. Srotavyasya Srutasyacha is literally 'of the hearable and the\nheard', i.e., \"what you may or will hear, and what you have heard.\"\nEuropean translators of the Gita view in these words a rejection of the\nVedas by the author. It is amusing to see how confidently they dogmatise\nupon this point, rejecting the authority of Sankara, Sreedhara,\nAnandagiri, and the whole host of Indian commentators. As K. T. Telang,\nhowever, has answered the point elaborately, nothing more need be said\nhere.\n\n146. One may abstain, either from choice or inability to procure them,\nfrom the objects of enjoyment. Until, however, the very desire to enjoy\nis suppressed, one cannot be said to have attained to steadiness of mind.\nOf Aristotle's saying that he is a voluptuary who pines at his own\nabstinence, and the Christian doctrine of sin being in the wish, mere\nabstinence from the act constitutes no merit.\n\n147. The particle 'he' in the second line is explained by both Sankara\nand Anandagiri as equivalent to Yasmat. The meaning becomes certainly\nclearer by taking the word in this sense. The 'he', however, may also be\ntaken as implying the sense of \"indeed.\"\n\n148. Buddhi in the first line is explained by Sreedhara as Aintavishayak\nbuddhi. Bhavanta Sreedhara explains, is Dhyanam; and Sankara as\nAtmajnanabhinivesas. K. T. Telang renders Bhavana as perseverance. I do\nnot think this is correct.\n\n149. Sankara, Anandagiri, and Nilakantha explain this sloka thus.\nSreedhara explains it otherwise. The latter supposes the pronouns yat and\ntat to mean a particular sense among the Charatam indriyanam. If\nSreedhara's interpretation be correct, the meaning would be--\"That (one\nsense) amongst the senses moving (among their objects) which the mind\nfollows, (that one sense) tosseth the mind's (or the man's) understanding\nabout like the wind tossing a (drunken boatman's) boat on the waters.\"\nThe parenthetical words are introduced by Sreedhara himself. It may not\nbe out of place to mention here that so far as Bengal, Mithila and\nBenares are concerned, the authority of Sreedhara is regarded as supreme.\n\n150. The vulgar, being spiritually dark, are engaged in worldly pursuits.\nThe sage in spiritual light is dead to the latter.\n\n151. Prakritijais Gunas is explained by Sreedhara as qualities born of\none's nature such as Ragadveshadi. Sankara thinks that they are the\nqualities or attributes of primal matter (which enters into the\ncomposition of every self) such as Satwa, Rajas, and Tamas.\n\n152. \"Apply to work\", i.e. to work as prescribed in the scriptures. Thus\nsays Sankara. \"To morning and evening prayers, etc.\" says Sreedhara.\n\n153. Sacrifices Vishnu's self as declared by the Srutis; work for\nsacrifice, therefore, is work for Vishnu's sake or gratification. For the\nsake of that i.e., for sacrifice's, or Vishnu's sake. So say all the\ncommentators.\n\n154. Bhavaya is explained by both Sankara and Sreedhara as Vradhaya or\nmake grow. Perhaps, \"rear\" is the nearest approach to it in English. K.\nT. Telang renders it, 'please.' The idea is eminently Indian. The gods\nare fed by sacrifices, and in return they feed men by sending rain. The\nAsuras again who warred with the gods warred with sacrifices.\n\n155. Parjjanya is explained by both Sankara and Sreedhara as rain. It\nmeans also the clouds or the origin of rain.\n\n156. The word in the original that is rendered in the Vedas is Brahma. It\nmay mean the Supreme Soul. Of course, in Brahmanic literature, the Vedas\nare Brahma and Brahma is the Vedas, but still in the second line of 15\nthere is no necessity of taking Brahma as equivalent to the Vedas. I do\nnot think Telang is accurate in his rendering of this line.\n\n157. The wheel referred to is what has been said before, viz., from the\nVedas are work, from work is rain, from rain is food, from food are\ncreatures, from creatures again work and so back to the Vedas.\n\n158. The sense seems to be, as explained by the commentators, that such a\nman earns no merit by action, nor sin by inaction or omission. Nor is\nthere anybody from the Supreme Being to the lowest creature on whom he\ndepends for anything.\n\n159. The example set by the great is always catching. Itaras, here, is\nVulgar and not \"other\". Kurute which I have rendered as \"maketh\" is used\nin the sense of \"regardeth.\" Pramanam, however, may not necessarily mean\nsomething else that is set up as an ideal. It may refer to the actions\nthemselves of the great men set up by them as a standard.\n\n160. Sreedhara would connect \"in the three worlds\" with what follows. I\nfollow Sankara and the natural order of words.\n\n161. The word rendered \"nature\" is prakriti. It really implies \"primal\nmatter.\"\n\n162. The second line, literally rendered, is \"deeming that qualities\nengage in qualities.\" The first \"qualities\" imply the senses, and the\nsecond, the objects of the senses. The purport is that one knowing the\ndistinction referred to, never thinks that his soul is the actor, for\nthat which is work is only the result of the senses being applied to\ntheir objects.\n\n163. Guna-karmashu is explained by Sankara as works of the qualities, or\nworks done by them. Sreedhara explains the compound as \"qualities and\n(their) works.\"\n\n164. Devoting all work to me, i.e., in the belief that all you do is for\nme or my sake.\n\n165. The senses, as regards their diverse objects in the world, are\neither drawn towards them or repelled by them. These likes and dislikes\n(in the case of men who, of course, only act according to their nature)\nstand in the way of their emancipation, if men submit to them.\n\n166. Desire, if not gratified, results in wrath. Thus say the\ncommentators.\n\n167. Prajahi is explained by both Sankara and Sreedhara as parityaja\n(cast off).\n\n168. He is the Supreme Soul or Being.\n\n169. There can be little doubt that what Krishna says here is that no\nform of worship is unacceptable to him. Whatever the manner of the\nworship, it is I who is worshipped. After K. T. Telang's exhaustive and\neffective reply to Dr. Lorinser's strange hypothesis of the Gita having\nbeen composed under Christian influences, it is scarcely necessary to add\nthat such toleration would ill accord with the theory of the Christian\nauthorship of the poem.\n\n170. i.e., both inactive and undecaying. Work implies exertion, and,\ntherefore, loss of energy. In me there is no action, no loss of energy\nand therefore, no decay.\n\n171. 'Kama-sankalpa vivarjjitas.' i.e., freed from kama (desire of fruit)\nand sankalpa--the consequent will or determination to do. Thus both\nSreedhara and Sankara.\n\n172. Chitta the mind and atma in this connection is the senses. Thus both\nSreedhara and Sankara.\n\n173. Sacrifice means here the Supreme Soul. What is done for the sake of\nsacrifice is done for procuring emancipation.\n\n174. What is meant by this is that in the case of such a person complete\nidentification with Brahma takes place, and when such an identification\nhas taken place, action is destroyed.\n\n175. I.e., offering up sacrifice itself as a sacrifice to the Brahma\nfire, they cast off all action.\n\n176. Offering up the senses to the fire of restraint means restraining\nthe senses for the practice of Yoga. Offering up the objects of the\nsenses means non-attachment to those objects.\n\n177. Suspending the functions of life for contemplation or Yoga.\n\n178. In these cases the sacrifices consist in the giving away of wealth,\nin the ascetic austerities themselves, in meditation, in study, etc.\nSreedhara explains the first compound of the second line differently.\nAccording to him, it means not study and knowledge, but the knowledge\nfrom study.\n\n179. All these are different kinds of Yoga, or the different stages of\nYoga practice.\n\n180. i.e., knowledge being attained, the fruits of action are attained\nby, at least, their end being compassed.\n\n181. Sankhya is renunciation of action, while Yoga is devotion through\naction.\n\n182. The grammatical form of the word Yoga as here employed is\nexceptional.\n\n183. The first atman is explained as the soul, the second as the body, by\nall the commentators.\n\n184. Taking means taking anything with the hands.\n\n185. Water when thrown over a lotus-leaf escapes without soaking or\ndrenching the leaf at all.\n\n186. Telang renders Pura as city, of course, the body having two eyes,\ntwo ears, two nostrils, one mouth, and two openings for excretions, is\nmeant.\n\n187. Such men are exempted from the obligation of re-birth. Leaving this\nbody they merge into the Supreme Soul.\n\n188. The word is Swapacha meaning a member of the lowest caste.\n\n189. \"Brahma is faultless and equable\"; so Sreedhara and others,--\"since\nfaultless equality is Brahma.\"\n\n190. The sense is that they are at one with Brahma both here and\nhereafter.\n\n191. Renouncer and devotee Sannyasin and Yogin.\n\n192. Which spring from desire.\n\n193. Self in this sloka is explained by the commentators as mind. The\nmind, unless controlled, cannot lead to devotion.\n\n194. Chitta and atma are explained by the commentators as \"mind and body.\"\n\n195. Fixed on one's own self, i.e., withdrawn from all objects of sense.\nThus Sankara.\n\n196. Nischayena is explained by Sankara as equivalent to \"with\npreservence\" or steadily. Sreedhara explains it as equal to \"with the\ncertitude of knowledge acquired by instruction.\"\n\n197. Mriti-grahitaya Buddhya is, as explained by Sankara and others \"with\nunderstanding controlled by patience.\" K. T. Telang renders it \"with firm\nresolve coupled with courage.\"\n\n198. i.e. I am always visible to him, and he too is always within my\nsight and I am always kind to him.\n\n199. i.e. how its stable existence may be secured, the mind being by\nnature ever restless.\n\n200. Fallen off from both, i.e., from heaven (through work) and\nabsorption into Brahma (through devotion).\n\n201. Without leaving anything, i.e., entirely.\n\n202. The Divine-Word i.e., the Vedas. So great is the efficacy of\ndevotion that one merely enquiring of it transcends him who conforms to\nthe rites of the Vedas.\n\n203. Only some one, i.e., very few. Few perfection, i.e., for knowledge\nof self. Thus all the commentators.\n\n204. The last word of the first line of this sloka is param (higher) and\nnot aparam with the initial a silent owing to the rules of Sandhi. Many\nof the Bengal texts have aparam, not excepting the latest one printed at\nCalcutta.\n\n205. Kama which I have rendered desire is explained by Sreedhara as the\nwish for an unattained object; and raga as the longing or thirst for\nmore. The second Kama is explained as desires of the class of love or\nlust.\n\n206. Daivi is explained by Sankara as divine; by Sreedhara as marvellous.\n\n207. The divine desires are about sons, fame, victory over enemies, etc.,\nregulations, such as fasts etc.; their own nature, i.e., disposition as\ndependent on the acts of their past lives. Thus all the commentators.\n\n208. The worshipper obtains his desires, thinking he gets them from the\ngodhead he worships. It is however, that gives him those.\n\n209. The divinities being perishable, myself imperishable. What these\nobtain is perishable. What my worshippers obtain is imperishable.\n\n210. The ignorant, without knowledge of my transcendent essence take me\nto be no higher than that what is indicated in my human and other\nincarnate manifestations. Thus Sreedhara.\n\n211. Adhyatman is explained as all that by which Brahman is to be\nattained. All actions mean the whole course of duties and practices\nleading to the knowledge of Brahman.\n\n212. The three words occurring in this sloka and explained in the next\nsection, forming as they do the subject of a question by Arjuna.\n\n213. Bhava is production, and Udbhava is growth or development. Thus\nSreedhara.\n\n214. All the doors, i.e., the senses. Confining the mind within the\nheart, i.e., withdrawing the mind from all external objects. Murdhni is\nexplained by Sreedhara to mean here \"between the eyebrows.\"\n\n215. All these regions being destructible and liable to re-birth, those\nthat live there are equally liable to death and re-birth.\n\n216. The meaning, as explained by Sreedhara, is that such persons are\nsaid to know all, and not those whose knowledge is bounded by the course\nof the sun and the moon.\n\n217. In this round of births and deaths, the creatures themselves are not\nfree agents, being all the while subject to the influence of Karma, as\nexplained by the commentators.\n\n218. The commentators explain the word fire, the light, day, &c., as\nseveral godheads presiding over particular times.\n\n219. The atmosphere occupies space without affecting it or its nature. So\nall things are in the Supreme Being without affecting him.\n\n220. My nature, i.e., the unmanifest principle or primal essence.\n\n221. Prakriti which I render \"nature\" is explained by the commentators as\nKarma, the influence of Karma or action being universal in setting the\nform of a particular entity at the time of its creation.\n\n222. This reason, i.e., my supervision.\n\n223. Sreedhara says that these are different modes of worship; \"with\nreverence and ever devoted\" grammatically refers to each of the three\nclasses of worshippers indicated.\n\n224. Performing the sacrifice of knowledge, i.e., believing Vasudeva to\nbe everything. In many forms, i.e., as Brahman, Rudra, etc.\n\n225. Mantra is the sacred verse or verses used for invoking godheads, and\nfor other purposes.\n\n226. Hence they have to come back, explains Sreedhara.\n\n227. Prayatatmanas is explained as Suddhachittasya.\n\n228. Iman lokan (this mortal world), Sreedhara says, may mean \"this form\nof royal saint that thou hast.\" This is far-fetched.\n\n229. Telang renders Paramam 'excellent'; Mr. John Davies, 'all\nimportant'. The meaning is referring to the 'Supreme Soul'.\n\n230. Both Sankara and Sreedhara explain Sarvassas as \"in every way\".\ni.e., as creator, as guide, &c.\n\n231. Prajas offspring, including, as Sankara says, both mobile, and\nimmobile, therefore, not mankind alone.\n\n232. Bhava-samanwitas is explained by Sreedhara as \"full of love\", which\nK. T. Telang accepts. Sankara explains it as \"endued with penetration\ninto the knowledge of the Supreme object.\"\n\n233. Tityam, ever, is connected with what follows and not what precedes.\nThus Sreedhara. Mr. Davies connects it with Kathayantas.\n\n234. K. T. Telang renders buddhi-yogam as knowledge; Mr. Davies, as\nmental devotion and Sankara, \"devotion by special insight.\"\n\n235. To know thee fully is impossible. In what particular forms or\nmanifestations, therefore, shall I think of thee? The word Bhava in the\nsecond line is rendered \"entities\" by K. T. Telang, and \"form of being\"\nby Mr. Davies.\n\n236. Vistarasya evidently refers (as explained by all the commentators)\nto Vibhutinam. It is a question of grammar and not of doctrine that there\ncan be any difference of opinion. Mr. Davies, however, renders it \"of\n(my) greatness.\" This is inaccurate.\n\n237. The Adityas are the solar deities, twelve in number, corresponding\nto the twelve months of the year. The Maruts are the wind-gods, whose\nchief is Marichi.\n\n238. The Rudras are a class of destructive gods, eleven in number. The\nVasus are an inferior class of deities, eight in number. The lord of\ntreasures is Kuvera.\n\n239. The Japa-sacrifice is the sacrifice by meditation which is superior\nto all sacrifices.\n\n240. Kamadhuk, the wish-giving cow called Surabhi. The cause of\nre-production, i.e., I am not the mere carnal passion, but that passion\nwhich procreates or is crowned with fruit.\n\n241. In 28, Vasuki is called the chief of the Sarpas (serpents); in 29\nAnanta is spoken of as the chief of the Nagas. The latter are Sarpas as\nwell. Sreedhara says that the distinction lies in the fact of the Nagas\nbeing without poison. This is hardly correct.\n\n242. Pavatam may also mean \"of those that have motion.\" Rama is\nDasaratha's son, the hero of Valmiki's poem. Ganga is called Jahnavi\nbecause she was, after having been drunk up, let out by the ascetic Jahnu\nthrough his knee.\n\n243. Mr. Davies renders Vedas 'Pravadatam' as \"the speech of those that\nspeak.\" K. T. Telang renders it \"the argument of controversialists.\"\n\n244. A, or rather the sound of A as in full, is the initial letter of the\nSanskrit alphabet. Of compounds, the Dwanda, or the copulative compound,\nis enumerated first. In other respects again, the Dwanda is the best kind\nof compound for the words forming it are co-ordinate, without one being\ndependent on the other or others.\n\n245. The Vrihat-saman is said to be the best, because it leads to\nemancipation at once. Thus Sankara. The Margasirsha is the month from the\nmiddle of February to the middle of March. Productive of flowers, i.e.,\nthe Spring.\n\n246. Mr. Davies renders the last line of this verse as \"I have\nestablished in continuance all this universe by one part myself.\" This is\nboth obscure and inaccurate.\n\n247. Adhyatman, i.e., the relation between the Supreme and the individual\nsoul. This my delusion, i.e., about my being the slayer.\n\n248. Avyayam is that which has no decay. Ordinarily, it may be rendered\n\"eternal.\" Telang renders it \"inexhaustible\". Elsewhere I have rendered\nit as \"understanding.\"\n\n249. Ekastham, lit. \"all in one\". i.e., collected together.\n\n250. Devam is explained by Sreedhara as Dyotanatmakam i.e., endued with\nsplendour. Mr. Davies renders it resplendent; but Telang renders it\n\"deity.\"\n\n251. Pra-vibhaktam-anekadha (divided diversely) is an adjective of Jagat.\nSee Sreedhara. Both Mr. Davies and Telang seem to take it as a predicate\nin contra-distinction to Ekastham. This is scarcely correct.\n\n252. Verse 21 is read differently. For Twam Surasangha, some texts read\ntwa-Asurasanghas. Then again for Stuvanti in the second line some read\nVikshate.\n\n253. Pravritti is explained by both Sankara and Sreedhara as Chesta,\ni.e., movements or acts. Mr. Davies is, I think, not correct in taking it\nto mean \"evolved or developed form.\"\n\n254. Kala here is death. Mr. Davies renders it Time, following some other\ntranslators. Pravriddha is not (as Mr. Davies renders it) \"old\" or \"very\nold,\" but swelling or fully developed. Then again, Mr. Davies commits a\nludicrous blunder in rendering Rite twam as \"Except thee.\" This is one of\nthose idioms at which a foreigner is sure to stumble who has only the\nlexicons for his guide. What Krishna says is not that all would perish\nsave Arjuna, but that without Arjuna (i.e., even if he did not fight) all\nwould perish.\n\n255. Nidhanam is either refuge or support or abode or receptacle. Mr.\nDavies incorrectly renders it \"treasure-house.\"\n\n256. Sankara accepts the reading Gururgariyan, Sreedhara takes it as\nGururgariyan. In either case the difference in meaning is not material.\n\n257. Sankara connects Adhyayana with Veda and Yajna. This seems to be\nright explanation.\n\n258. Ata urddham is 'after this,' or 'hereafter on high' as Mr. Davies\nrenders it.\n\n259. Although the limitation \"for fruit\" does not occur in the text, yet,\nit is evident, it should be understood. Krishna does not recommend the\ntotal abandonment of actions, but abandonment for their fruit. Mr. Davies\nrenders arambha as \"enterprise.\"\n\n260. The learned, i.e., they that are themselves acquainted with is\nKshetra and what not. As explained by Krishna himself below, Kshetra is\nMatter, and Kshetrajna is Soul.\n\n261. Dukha-dosha is explained by both Sankara and Sreedhara as a Dwanda\ncompound.\n\n262. Vivikta is explained by the commentators as Suddha or\nChittaprasadakara. There can be no doubt, however, that it is in\nopposition to Janasamsadi following. Hence I render it \"lonely\".\n\n263. The object of the knowledge of truth is the dispelling of ignorance\nand the acquisition of happiness.\n\n264. Nor having eyes, etc., yet seeing, etc.; without attributes, yet\nhaving or enjoying all that the attributes give.\n\n265. All modifications, i.e., of material forms; all qualities, i.e.,\npleasure, pain, etc. The word rendered \"nature\" is Prakriti (primal\nmatter), and that rendered \"spirit\" is Purusha (the active principle).\nVikarna and Gunan include all material forms and attributes of the soul.\n\n266. Karya-karana-karttritwa is explained by both Sankara and Sreedhara\nto mean \"the capacity of working (residing) in the body and the senses.\"\nK. T. Telang adopts this. Mr. Davies in his text has \"in the activity of\nthe organs of action.\" In course of his philological notes, however, he\ngives the correct rendering. 'Is said to be' is explained by Sreedhara\nas referring to Kapila and others.\n\n267. It is the embodied spirit only that can enjoy the qualities of\nNature. Then again, the kind of connection it has with those qualities\nsettles its birth in good or evil wombs.\n\n268. Mr. Davies misunderstands the grammatical connection of the words in\nthe second line of this verse. K. T. Telang, following Sreedhara, says,\nthe word should be rendered \"approver.\"\n\n269. What is heard, i.e., the Srutis or the sacred doctrines.\n\n270. Destroying self by self is to be deprived of true knowledge.\n\n271. Sarvatra in the second line is explained by Sreedhara as \"in every\nbody, superior and inferior.\" Grammatically it may mean also, \"in every\npart of the body.\" Such a theory, however, of the seat of the soul would\nbe contrary to all Hindu ideas.\n\n272. Bhuta-Prakriti-moksha is explained by both Sankara and Sreedhara as\nmoksha or deliverance from the prakriti (nature) of bhutas' or entities.\nIt is true knowledge that effects such deliverance. Mr. Davies renders it\n\"deliverance of beings from Nature.\" This is evidently incorrect.\n\"Beings\" is not synonymous with self or soul.\n\n273. Itas is explained by Sreedhara as \"from the fetters of this body.\"\n\n274. Sreedhara makes mahat an adjective of yoni; Sankara makes it an\nadjective of Brahma. K. T. Telang follows Sankara.\n\n275. Happiness and knowledge are attributes of the mind, not of the soul.\nHence, when attached to the soul, they are as fetters from which the soul\nshould be freed.\n\n276. Deha samudbhava is explained by the commentators as having their\n\"samudbhava or parinama in deha.\" It is an instance of the vahuvrihi\ncompound.\n\n277. Light, activity, and delusion are the three qualities as indicated\nby their effects.\n\n278. Pratishtha is explained by Sankara as \"something on which another\n(here Brahma) stays or rests.\" Sreedhara explains it as Pratima. Telang\nfollowing Sreedhara, renders it \"embodiment;\" Mr. Davies, as \"seat.\"\nAmritasya and Avyayasya are taken separately by the commentators.\n\n279. The 'Aswattha' is the sacred Indian fig tree, here emblematical of\nthe course of worldly life. Its roots are above; those roots are the\nSupreme Being. Its branches are below, these being the inferior deities.\nIts leaves are the sacred hymns of the Vedas, i.e., as leaves keep the\ntree alive and even conduce to its fruits, so the Vedas support this tree\nand lead to salvation.\n\n280. Upwards and downwards i.e., from the highest to the lowest of\ncreated things. Enlarged by the qualities, i.e., the qualities appearing\nas the body, the senses, etc. The sprouts are the objects of sense, being\nattached to the senses themselves as sprouts to branches. The roots\nextending downwards are the desires for diverse enjoyments. Thus Telang,\nfollowing the commentators.\n\n281. Joined to the qualities, i.e., perceiving objects of sense or\nexperiencing pleasure and pain.\n\n282. \"Atmani\" in the first line is \"in the body\" as explained by\nSreedhara and others: \"in the understanding\" as explained by Sankara. It\nseems, however, to be used in the general senses of \"themselves\", without\nparticular reference to either body or understanding. An Akritatman is\none whose soul is not made or formed; generally, \"a person of unsubdued\npassions.\"\n\n283. There can be no question that Soma here means the moon and not the\nSoma juice quaffed in sacrifices, or sap. It is the moon that supports,\nnourishes all herbs and numerous passages may be quoted from Hindu sacred\nliterature to show this. Mr. Davies, therefore, clearly errs in rendering\nSoma as \"the savoury juice.\"\n\n284. The four kinds of food are: that which is masticated, that which is\nsucked, that which is licked, and that which is drunk.\n\n285. Apohanam is loss or removal. It is a well-known word and its\napplication here is very natural. I am memory and knowledge (to those\nthat use them for virtuous acts). I am the loss of these faculties (to\nthose that engage in unrighteous acts). Mr. Davies erroneously renders it\nas \"The power of reason.\"\n\n286. Kutashtha is rendered by K. T. Telang as \"the unconcerned one\", by\nMr. Davies as \"the lord on high.\" I incline to the scholiasts who explain\nit as \"the uniform or the unchangeable one.\"\n\n287. Sarvabhavena is explained by Sankara by Sarvatma-chintaya (thinking\nMe to be the soul of everything). Sreedhara explains it as\nSarvaprakarena. Why may it not mean \"with the whole soul\" or \"with excess\nof love.\"\n\n288. I adopt Sankara's explanation of the last compound of the first line\nof this sloka. Sreedhara explains it differently.\n\n289. Prabritti I render \"inclination\" and Nivritti as \"disinclination.\"\nThe inclination is, as all the commentators explain, towards righteous\nactions, and the disinclination, consequently, is about all unrighteous\nactions. K. T. Telang renders these words as \"action\" and \"inaction\". Mr.\nDavies, following the French version of Burnouf, takes them to mean \"the\ncreation and its end.\"\n\n290. Sankara seems to connect the genitive Jagatas with achitas Sreedhara\nconnects it (which is natural) with Kshayaya, which I accept.\n\n291. 'That' evidently refers to sacrifice, penance, and gift, in the\nclause before. The commentators, however, suggest that it may, besides,\nrefer to Brahma. I am myself not sure that it does not refer to Brahma.\n\n292. What the author wishes to lay down in these verses is that the\nwords OM, TAT, and SAT, have each their respective uses. When used as\ndirected here, such use cures the defects of the respective actions to\nwhich they are applied, it being understood that all three denote Brahma.\n\n293. Sanyasa I render Renunciation. K. T. Telang does the same. Mr.\nDavies renders it \"abstention.\" So 'Tyaga' I render \"abandonment.\" Mr.\nDavies renders it \"renunciation.\" What the two words, however, mean is\nexplained fully in the verses that follow.\n\n294. Both Sankara and Sreedhara explain the second line consisting of two\npropositions, the connecting verb bhavet being understood.\n\n295. I have used \"when\" for \"whatever\" to make the sentence grammatical.\n\n296. Davies, giving the sense correctly, does not follow the true order\nof the subject and the predicate. Following Lassen, he renders kusala and\nakusala as \"prosperous\" and \"unprosperous;\" for medhabi K. T. Telang has\nrendered \"talented\" which has not the sanction of good usage.\n\n297. That is, as Sreedhara explains, one who hath renounced the fruit of\nactions.\n\n298. Kritante Sankara takes it as an adjective of Sankhye and thinks that\nthe reference is to the Vedanta. Sreedhara also seems to be of the same\nopinion.\n\n299. The substratum is the body. The agent is the person that thinks\nhimself to be the actor. The organs are those of perception etc. The\nefforts are the actions of the vital winds--Prana, etc. The deities are\nthose that preside over the eye and the other senses. The deities have no\nplace in Kapila's system. Hence, if it is not the Vedanta, some system\nmaterially based upon Kapila's and recognising the interference of the\ndeities, seems to be indicated. Atra is explained by Sreedhara as\nequivalent to \"among\" or \"with these.\" I think, however, it means, \"are\nhere\", i.e., are enumerated here, or, in this connection.\n\n300. Hath no feeling of egoism, i.e., doth not regard himself as the\ndoer, sullied, i.e., by the taint of desire of fruit.\n\n301. Mr. Davies, I think, is right in rendering Samgrahas as\n\"complement.\" K. T. Telang renders it as equivalent to \"in brief.\"\n\n302. In the enunciation of qualities i.e., in the Sankhya system.\n\n303. Full of affections, i.e., for children, etc., as Sreedhara.\n\n304. Prakrita which I have rendered \"without discernment\" following\nSreedhara, may be, as Mr. Davies renders it, but \"malicious.\"\n\n305. Mr. Davies makes \"unswerving\" an adjective of 'devotion.' This is\nwrong, for Avyabhicharinya (unswerving) is a feminine instrumental, and\nmust qualify Dhritya.\n\n306. Atma-budhi-prasadajam. K. T. Telang, following an alternative\nexplanation offered by Sankara, renders it \"clear knowledge of the self.\"\nMr. Davies renders the \"serenity of one's own mind.\" I follow Sreedhara.\n\n307. Asamsayas is the reading that occurs in every text, and not\nAsamsayam. Mr. Davies, therefore, is incorrect in rendering it\n\"doubtless\" and making it an adverb qualifying \"come to me.\"\n\n308. Bhuti is explained by Sreedhara as gradual abhivridhhi, i.e., growth\nor greatness. Niti is explained as Nyaya or justice.\n\n309. Varayudham is according to Nilakantha, the excellent bow. Yena in\nverse 8 is equivalent to Yatra.\n\n310. What Bhishma says is this: I am bound by the Kauravas and,\ntherefore, I am not a free agent. Obliged I am to battle against you. Yet\nI am saying, \"What do you ask of me?\" as if I could really give you what\nyou might ask. My words, therefore, are without meaning, or vain, like\nthose of a eunuch. Klivavat is explained by Nilakantha as Kataravat. Even\nin that case, the sense would be the same.\n\n311. The Bengal reading is evidently incorrect. The Bombay text reads\nRaja for Vacoa.\n\n312. Nilakantha thinks that vigatakalmashas refers to Drona; the meaning\nhe suggests is \"Tell me with pure heart etc., etc.,\" I think Nilakantha\nis not right.\n\n313. The sense of the first line is that because I am bound by the\nKauravas with their wealth, therefore, I am obliged to make this\nreservation in the matter of granting thee thy wishes. That reservation\nreally nullifies my promise.\n\n314. Paran is explained by Nilakantha as \"superior\" qualifying Ripun.\n\n315. Vritosmi is the reading of the Bengal texts, better than Vaddhosmi\nof the Bombay edition, and bhristomi of the Burdwan text. Salya was not\nbound to the Kauravas like Bhishma or Drona or Kripa by pensions, but\ngratified by the reception granted to him by Duryodhana in secret, he,\ngenerously agreed to aid the latter even against his own sister's sons\nand their step-brothers.\n\n316. For Puskalan the Bombay text reads Pushkaran which means a kind of\ndrum.\n\n317. For rajan in the Bengal texts, in the first line of the 5th verse,\nthe Bombay text reads hyasan which I adopt.\n\n318. Maha samucchrave is explained by Nilakantha as Mahasamprahare.\n\n319. Literally, \"showing himself in an awful form.\"\n\n320. Subhadra's son Abhimanyu.\n\n321. These fences were made of iguana skins and cased the hands of the\nbowmen up to a few inches of the elbow-joint.\n\n322. Nimitta is explained by Nilakantha as the mark of object aimed at.\nDrona was the preceptor in arms of almost all the Bharata princes.\n\n323. With two Bhallas Abhimanyu cut off his adversary's standard; with\none, one of the protectors of his car-wheels: and with another, his\ncharioteer. Thus Nilakantha. A Parshni is altogether a different person\nfrom a Sarathi. Hence Nilakantha is assuredly right.\n\n324. 'Angaraka' is the planet Mars, and 'Sukra' i.e. Venus.\n\n325. Prativindhya was Yudhishthira's son by Draupadi.\n\n326. Maghavat is Indra, the chief of the celestials.\n\n327. The word used in the original is Viparitam lit. contrary. The sense\nseems to be that car men fought on foot, cavalry soldiers on elephants,\nwarriors on elephants from horseback, &c. The very character of the\nforces was altered.\n\n328. i.e., though repulsed, these frequently rallied, and occupied the\nsame ground as before.\n\n329. The last half of the 7th with the 8th forms one sentence. It is\ncertainly pleonastic. Ranavaranais of the Bengal texts is preferable to\nthe Bombay reading Varavaranais. Toranas are the wooden edifices placed\non the backs of elephants for the protection and comfort of the riders.\nThese are called in India Hawdas.\n\n330. Many of the Bengal texts read Avinitas. The correct reading, as in\nthe Bombay text, is Abhinitas. Aprabhinna is literally \"unrent,\" i.e.\nwith the temporal juice not trickling down. This juice emanates from\nseveral parts of the elephant's body when the season of rut comes. To\navoid a cumbrous periphrasis, which again would be unintelligible to the\nEuropean reader, I have given the sense only.\n\n331. For the Bengal reading 'Mahaprajna' the Bombay text reads\n'Mahaprasas.'\n\n332. Rathat and not Rathan is the reading that I adopt.\n\n333. The Bengal reading 'narvarakshaye' seems to be better than\n'Mahavirakshaye' of the Bombay text.\n\n334. Talaketu is lit. Palmyra-bannered. Without using such compounds, the\n'brevity' of the sentences cannot be maintained.\n\n335. Karshni is Krishna's or Arjuna's son Abhimanyu. Arjuna was sometimes\ncalled Krishna.\n\n336. Laghavamargasya is a mis-reading for Laghavamargastham'; then again\nchapi is incorrect, the correct reading chapam as in the Bombay text.\n\n337. The Bengal reading is 'Suaris Vritascha Sainyena'. The Bombay\nreading (which I do not adopt) is 'Vritastu Sarva Sainyena.'\n\n338. Nine slokas and a half, from the second half of the 43rd verse to\nthe 52nd verse (as above), are omitted in the Bengal texts. These,\nhowever, occur subsequently in section 46 following. The fact is, the\nwhole of the passage in this section and the 116 verses in the following\nsection, and the first 24 verses in the section 49, are regarded as an\ninterpolation. In those sections of the Udyoga Parvam where the Rathas\nand the Atirathas, &c, are counted by Bhishma, no mention is made of any\nwarrior of the name of Sweta. The Burdwan Pundits omit these passages\naltogether. I myself believe them to be an interpolation. Occurring,\nhowever, as it does in both the Bengal and the Bombay texts, I cannot\nomit in the English version.\n\n339. The Bombay text reads 'Yavana nihatam,' which is better.\n\n340. I adopt the Bombay reading of the 22nd verse.\n\n341. 'Swayam' in some of the Bengal texts is a misprint for 'Kshayam'.\n\n342. Chakrapani is Vishnu armed with the discus.\n\n343. For 'Yuthan' which gives no meaning, I read 'Yodhas'. The Bengal\nreading 'muktvagnimiva daruna' is better than the Bombay reading 'muktam\nripumishu darunam.'\n\n344. The Bombay reading 'jivitam dustyajam' is better than the Bengal\nreading 'jivam taduttham', if it has any meaning.\n\n345. In the first line of 71st verse, the word is not 'Laghu' but\n'alaghu', the initial 'a' being only silent according to the rule of\nSandhi. Though omitted in the Bengal texts, it occurs in the Bombay\nedition.\n\n346. 'Ghoram', 'ugram', 'mahabhayam', are pleonastic.\n\n347. In the first line of 87 for Maheswara (meaning Siva) the Bombay text\nreads Dhaneswara (meaning Kuvera, the lord of treasures). For also\n'Bhimainipatitiya' in the second line the Bombay text reads 'Bhishma\ninipainya'.\n\n348. The transgression of which Dhritarashtra alludes is the slaughter by\nBhishma from his car, of Sweta who was then a combatant on foot. Or, it\nmay be the very slaughter of Sweta, who was dear to the Pandavas and\nwhich act would, the king thought, provoke them more.\n\n349. Verses 4 to 7 are exceedingly difficult. I am not sure that I have\nunderstood them correctly. They are of the nature of Vyasakutas, i.e.,\ndeliberate obscurities for puzzling Ganesa, who acted as the scribe, for\nenabling Vyasa to gain time for compositions. In verse 4 'Pitus' means\nuncle's and not father's; so also 'durga decam' in verse 6 means\nentanglements, like Duryodhana's hostility with the Gandharvas on the\noccasion of the tale of cattle. In verse 7 of the Bengal reading is\nYudhishthiram bhaktya. The Bombay reading which I adopt, is Yudhishthire\nbhaktas. In 8, the purushadhamas are Sakuni and Karna. &c.\n\n350. As both operations are useless, so are these thy regrets.\n\n351. The sense is that Arjuna representing one force, and Bhishma\nanother, the two forces seemed to mingle, into one another, like one bolt\nof heaven against another, as one may say.\n\n352. Aplavas and Alpave are both correct.\n\n353. In the first line of the 14th verse Aviseshana seems to be\nincorrect. The Bombay text reads Avaseshena which I adopt.\n\n354. The correct reading is Vishnu, and not Jishnu as in many of the\nBengal texts.\n\n355. Indrayudha is Indra's bow or the rainbow. Akasaga (literally a\nranger of the skies) is a bird. The vapoury edifices and forms,\nconstantly melting away and reappearing in new shapes, are called\nGandharvanagar as (lit. towns of the Gandharvas or celestial choiristers).\n\n356. The Bengal reading is Savayambhuriva bhanuna which I have adopted.\nThe Bombay reading is Merurivabhanuna, which means \"like the mountain\nMeru with Sun.\" It is difficult to make a choice between the two.\n\n357. The Bombay text differs in many respects from the Bengal texts as\nregards the positions assigned to the several warriors and races in the\nPandava host. It is impossible to settle the true readings. I have,\ntherefore, without any attempt at correction, followed the Bengal text.\n\n358. The last word of the 28th verse is 'Ratheshu cha', and not 'Dhajeshu\ncha' for umbrellas could not possibly be fastened to standards.\n\n359. This identical verse occurs in the first chapter of the Bhagavad\nGita (vide, Verse 10, Chap. 25, of this Parvan, ante). There following\nthe commentators, particularly Sreedhara, I have rendered Aparyaptam and\nParyaptam as less than sufficient and sufficient. It would seem, however,\nthat that is erroneous.\n\n360. For these names, vide note in page ante, Bhishma Parva.\n\n361. The 26th verse in the Bengal texts consists of three lines. In the\nBombay texts, the half-sloka about Artayani does not occur.\n\n362. In the first line of the 5th verse, the true reading is avidhata and\nnot amarshanam.\n\n363. In the first line of 29, the correct reading is Prishna and not\nPritana.\n\n364. 'Samuchchhritam' or 'Samutthitam,' meaning risen, is scarcely a\nhappy adjective here.\n\n365. 'Parshni' is the wing or side of a car-warrior. The last word of\nthis verse is not 'Satpurushochitam' but 'Satparushairvritam'.\n\n366. 'Kovdara' is the species of ebony called Bauhinia Variegata.\n\n367. The Bombay reading 'Vegavattaram' is better. Literally, it means,\n'capable of imparting a greater impetus.' To avoid such periphrasis I\nrender it 'tougher'.\n\n368. The sense is that all these were entirely shrouded by Arjuna's\narrows.\n\n369. The true reading is Charmanam and not Varmanam: also bhumipa and\nbhutale.\n\n370. i.e., is about to set.\n\n371. For 'Satyatha tena' the Bombay text reads 'Satyasandhena'. I follow\nthe Bengal reading.\n\n372. What these were it is difficult to determine. The Bombay reading is\ndifferent. For Indrajala they read Indrakila which is as unknown as the\nother.\n\n373. The Vaitarani is the fabulous river that separate this world from\nthe next.\n\n374. In the first line of the 5th, for 'rajna' of the Bengal texts the\nBombay text reads 'gupta'. I follow the Bengal reading which is better.\n\n375. In the second line of the 6th, for sasars sena the Bombay reading is\nsena mahogra which is better. I adopt it.\n\n376. I adopt the Bengal reading Vyapta and not Vyala.\n\n377. The word Saravarani in the text is rendered by K. P. Singha as\nquivers. Nilakantha explains it as coats of mail. There can be no doubt,\nhowever, that the Burdwan Pundits render it correctly as shields.\n\n378. In the first line of 19th, the Bengal reading Saykanam is a mistake.\nThe true reading is Saditanam.\n\n379. Salya is called Artayani after the name of his father.\n\n380. These were Kshuras (arrows with heads like razors), kshurapras,\n(arrows with horseshoe heads), bhallas (broad-headed arrows), and\nanjalikas (arrows with crescent-shaped-heads).\n\n381. i.e., the universal destroyer armed with his bow.\n\n382. Gory mace wet with &c. the original is pleonastic.\n\n383. The Bengal reading parantapa is a mistake for kathanchana.\n\n384. 'Kimpaca' is a species of cucurbitaceous plant. To avoid periphrasis\nI render it poison.\n\n385. Aklishtakarman literally means one who is not tired with what he\ndoes; hence, one who easily achieves the highest feats. When applied to\nKrishna or any divine personage it means one who does everything by a\nfiat of his will, without being dependent on means like ordinary persons.\nIt may also mean one of pure or white deeds.\n\n386. Literally \"be a perpetuator (son) of Yadu's race!\"\n\n387. The Bengal reading is Sa vai devas. The Bombay reading is Purvadevas.\n\n388. The Three-stepped Lord, Vishnu became vamana or the dwarf for\nrobbing the Asura Vali of his dominions. Disguised in that shape he asked\nof Vali three steps of land. Vali, smiling at the littleness of what was\nasked, gave it. But when the dwarf expanded his form and covered the\nheavens and the earth with only two steps of his, no space could be found\nfor the third step. Vali was forthwith seized and bound as a\npromise-breaker, and sent to reside in the nether regions.\n\n389. Word of command.\n\n390. i.e., really existent among all things.\n\n391. A fabulous aquatic animal resembling an alligator.\n\n392. Formed after the shape of the hawk.\n\n393. The Bengal reading is 'Yudhi sandhaya'. The Bombay reading is\n'pratisamvarya'. I adopt the latter.\n\n394. Literally, \"made a fierce battle.\"\n\n395. The Bengal reading Gooranamatitejasa is what I adopt. The Bombay\nreading, Ghoranamapnitaujasam involves a useless hyperbole. Of course,\natitejasa qualifies dhanusha in the next line.\n\n396. Kandigbhutas lit. \"not knowing which point of the compass was which.\"\n\n397. In the second line of 17, the Bombay text incorrectly reads Arjunam\nfor Pandavas.\n\n398. In the first line of 32 the Bengal reading is Mahabhujas. The\ncorrect reading seems to be (as in the Bombay text) Mahadhvajas.\n\n399. The last half of the second line of 35 in the Bengal text is\nvicious. I adopt the Bombay reading.\n\n400. The pronoun 'sa' in the first line of 8 refers to Yuyudhana. Burdwan\nPundits erroneously take it as referring to Duryodhana, being misled by\nthe words Kurunam Kirtivardhanas.\n\n401. The Bombay reading asaniparabhan (which I adopt) is better than the\nBengal reading asaniswanan, for in connection with yamadanda immediately\npreceding the latter would be incongruous, if not unmeaning.\n\n402. An additional verse occurs here in connection with the slaughter of\nSatyaki's sons, in the Bombay texts. The Bengal texts omit it.\n\n403. Ekayangatas is lit. \"intently.\"\n\n404. Literally, \"hence his thoughts were so.\"\n\n405. Suchimukha is literally \"needle-mouthed.\" It is a wedge-like column\nwith the thin or pointed end turned towards the side of the enemy.\n\n406. The Bombay reading, which I adopt, is visravat in the beginning of\nthe 2nd line. The Bengal reading is visramvat, meaning \"from motives of\naffectionate enquiry\". It may also mean \"from confidence,\" though not in\nthis connection.\n\n407. The last word of 4 is read differently in the Bengal texts viz.,\nRathanghas, instead of, as in the Bombay edition, Maharathas.\n\n408. Vimana the nominative singular of Vamanas refers to Gangasutas. The\nBurdwan Pundits wrongly translate it \"with mind unmoved.\" I am not aware\nof any other reading.\n\n409. The last verse is read variously. But the Bombay and the Bengal\ntexts have faults of their own. The first word is ugranadam (Bengal) and\nnot ugranagam (Bombay). The Vahuvarnarupam (Bombay) is correct, and not\nVahuvarnarutam (Bengal). The last word of the first line is\nSamudirnamevam (Bombay), and not Samudirnavarnam (Bengal).\n\n410. Differently read in the Bengal texts, viz., Somadatta with the\nSaindhavas.\n\n411. The Bengal reading Rathas in the first line of 6 is a mistake;\nshould be, as in the Bombay text, tatha.\n\n412. The last word of the first line of 36 is amitan in the Bengal texts.\nThe Bombay reading is Varmitan. I prefer the Bengal reading.\n\n413. Satyaki was Arjuna's disciple in arms. Vijaya was another name of\nArjuna.\n\n414. Divakaram prapya, lit, 'reaching the path of the sun,' i.e., while\ncoursing through the sky.\n\n415. The meaning seems to be that Salya was pleased in witnessing the\nskill of his sister's sons, while the twins themselves were pleased in\ndisplaying that skill before one who was related to them through their\nmother.\n\n416. The Burdwan Pundits render this verse by carelessly taking, Viryavat\nas an adjective of saram. It qualifies Sahadeva. The reading Viryavat\noccurs in no text.\n\n417. Lit. \"This one no longer is\" i.e., 'alive'.\n\n418. The original is Vichnvantas (a practical) meaning 'plucking as\nflowers'.\n\n419. These, in Hindu physiology, are the three humours of the body always\ncontending for mastery over the vital forces.\n\n420. Bhima had vowed to slay the sons of Dhritarashtra; therefore,\nAbhimanyu liked not to falsify his uncle's vow by himself slaying any of\nthem.\n\n421. Instead of yat in the beginning of the second line, yada would be\nbetter. None of the printed text, however, have yada.\n\n422. In the first line of 50, the Bengal reading is Satam. I prefer the\nBombay reading which is atyantam. For, again, paryayasya in the beginning\nof the second line, the Bombay text reads anayassa which is better.\n\n423. The Bombay reading which I adopt is ajnayamanas cha. The Bengal\nreading seems to be incorrect.\n\n424. Vipralapapavidham is literally \"force from unreasoning declamation.\"\nThe Bombay reading is vicious.\n\n425. The meaning seems to be that the arrows shot by Yudhishthira were\ncut off by Bhishma, in numberless distinct sets, taking each set at a\ntime.\n\n426. i.e., just before setting.\n\n427. Krishna-sarathis (Bombay); the Bengal reading is Vanaradhvajas.\n\n428. The true reading, I think, is that of the Bombay text, viz.,\nnamabhis. The Bengal reading is manobhis. How can persons challenge each\nother mentally, although they may single out their antagonists so?\n\n429. Nagas, which may mean both stones and trees. In either case, the\ncomparison would apply.\n\n430. His pledge, viz., that in battle he would slay all the sons of\nDhritarashtra.\n\n431. The Bengal reading is tatas kruddhar. The Bombay reading is vachas\nkruram. I adopt the latter.\n\n432. The last word of this verse in the Bengal text is Sanjaya; in the\nBombay text, it is Samyuge. The latter seems to be the true reading, for\nafter Sanjaya in the first line, its repetition in the second is useless.\n\n433. The last word of the 4th verse is anivartinam. In the Bengal texts\nit is sumahatmanam.\n\n434. The last word of the first line of 8 is Vichetasa and not (as in the\nBengal texts, including the Burdwan edition) Viseshatas which would\nscarcely have any meaning.\n\n435. I have expanded the first line of 13, as a closely literal version\nwould scarcely be intelligent to the general reader. The sense is that\nthe evil consequences, that have now overtaken thee, arose even then when\nthe beneficial counsels of Vidura were first rejected.\n\n436. The Bengal reading Dwidhabhutais is incorrect. It should be, as in\nthe Bombay text, tridhabhutais.\n\n437. In the Bengal texts, tava in the first line is incorrect. It should\nbe tatra (Bombay).\n\n438. Steeds that are described as Nadijas would literally mean \"those\nborn in rivers.\" The Punjab, or some other country watered by many rivers\nis meant.\n\n439. Literally, \"in soil belonging to another.\" The original is\nparakshetre.\n\n440. Vayuvega-samsparsam, literally, \"the contact (of whose dash or\ncollision) resembles that of the wind in force.\" The meaning, therefore,\nis that those chargers dashed against hostile division with the fury of\nthe tempest.\n\n441. In the first line of 64, the true reading is Survamarmajna, and not\nSarvadharmajna.\n\n442. The last word of the second line is variously read. The Bengal\nreading is Mahadwijas, probably implying Garuda, the prince of birds. I\nhave adopted the Bombay reading.\n\n443. i.e., with temporal juice trickling down.\n\n444. The duty consisted in not retreating from the field.\n\n445. i.e., the rescue of the king.\n\n446. In the second line of 15, the Bengal reading saravarshena is\nincorrect. The Bombay reading Rathavansena is what I follow.\n\n447. The Bengal reading hayais in the instrumental plural is incorrect.\nThe Bombay text reads hayas (nom. plural). This is correct.\n\n448. Literally, 'divided in twain'.\n\n449. Mountains, in Hindu mythology, had wings, till they were shorn of\nthese by Indra with his thunder. Only Mainaka, the son of Himavat, saved\nhimself by a timely flight. To this day he conceals himself within the\nocean.\n\n450. The Bengal reading of the first line of this verse is vicious. The\ntrue reading is parswaistudaritairanye. Both parsa and darita should be\n(as here) in the instrumental plural, and anye should be in the nom.\nplural.\n\n451. The correct reading, as settled by the Burdwan Pundits, is Hataroha\nvyodrisyanta. Some texts have Hayaroha which is incorrect.\n\n452. \"Blinded cheeks.\" The Sanskrit word is madandha. Literally rendered,\nit would be \"juice-blind\". This can scarcely be intelligible to the\ngeneral European reader. Hence the long-winded adjectival clause I have\nused.\n\n453. The first line is evidently pleonastic. Sanskrit, however, being\nvery copious, repetitions can scarcely be marked at the first glance.\nLiterally rendered, the original is--\"Juice-blind and excited with rage.\"\n'Juice-blind,' I have explained elsewhere.\n\n454. The word I render \"muskets\" is nalika sometime ago the Bharata (a\nBengali periodical of Calcutta edited by Babu Dwijendra Nath Tagore) in a\npaper on Hindu weapons of warfare from certain quotations from the\nRamayana and the Mahabharata, argued that the nalika must have been some\nkind of musket vomiting bullets of iron in consequence of some kind of\nexplosive force. The Rishis discouraged use of nalika, declaring them to\nbe barbarous and fit only for kings that would come in the Kali age.\n\n455. Padarakshan lit., those that protected the feet (for any warrior of\nnote). These always stood at the flanks and rear of the warrior they\nprotected. In the case of car-warriors these were called chakra-rakshas\n(protectors of the wheels). So we have Parshni-rakshas and\nPrishata-rakshas, &c.\n\n456. In the first line of the 3rd verse, the Bengal reading is bhayam.\nThe true reading, however, is khayam.\n\n457. In the second line of 8th, for the Bengal reading, vachaymasa\nyodhanam, the Bombay reading is yachtacha Suyodhanam. This is better. The\nBengal reading has no meaning.\n\n458. Literally, \"when its impetuosity is stirred up by the wind.\"\n\n459. The Bengal reading, which I adopt is sardula iva vegavan. The Bombay\nreading is sardula iva darpitas.\n\n460. In the first line of 54, the Bombay reading pragrihya is better than\nthe Bengal reading visrijya.\n\n461. Literally, hundred-slayers; supposed to be a kind of rockets.\n\n462. Some of the Bengal texts, in the first line of the 6th, incorrectly\nread sa-run for Sakram.\n\n463. The Bengal reading atmana, the last word of the verse, seems to be a\nmistake. The Bombay text gives the right word, which is aimanas\n(genitive). Sarvatobhadra seems to have been a kind of square array in\nwhich the troops faced all the points of the compass.\n\n464. In the Bengal texts, savdas in the first line is vicious. The true\nreading seems to be sahkhan, as in the Bombay edition. Then again in\nKunjaran (Bengal), the Bombay text reads Pushkaran which is\nunquestionably correct.\n\n465. The Bengal reading vanya-nagendra is better than the Bombay reading\ngandha-nagendra.\n\n466. In Hindu mythology, solar eclipses are caused by Rahu's attempts at\nswallowing the Sun.\n\n467. Budha is Mercury, and Sukra is Venus.\n\n468. Both the Bombay and the Bengal texts repeat Chamarais in the second\nline of 24th. This is certainly erroneous. The Burdwan Pundits read it\ntomarais. This is correct.\n\n469. In the second line of 30th, the correct reading is Rathas (nom.\nplural) and not Rathan. So in the first line of 31st, the word is\nturangas (nom. plural) and not turangan.\n\n470. Lit. \"reached him with shafts etc.\"\n\n471. Both the Bengal and the Bombay printed texts are in fault regarding\nthe word Pandupurvaja. The Bombay text makes it a nom. plural. The Bengal\ntext makes it an accusative singular. There can be no doubt that the\nBurdwan Pundits are right in taking it as a vocative.\n\n472. That you know me to be invincible is a fortunate circumstance, for\nif you had not known this, you would have fought on for days together and\nthus caused a tremendous destruction of creatures. By your coming to\nknow, that destruction may be stopped.\n\n473. The adjective Vahu in the first line of 32 qualifies rathinas in the\nsecond line. The last of the verse is a nom. sing. and not a vocative.\n\n474. The Bengal texts read mahasuram in the second line of the verse.\nThis seems to be vicious. A latter reading would be mahasuram (the great\nAsura). The Bombay text reads rane suram. I adopt the last.\n\n475. i.e. Thou art still a woman though the sex hath been changed.\n\n476. Literally, \"will not get or obtain you.\"\n\n477. There can be no doubt that (in the second line of 19 corresponding\nwith the first line of 19 of the Bombay text), Arjuni should be a\nnominative, and not an accusative. The Bombay reading, therefore, is\nvicious. The Burdwan Pundits also err in taking that word as occurring in\nthe accusative form.\n\n478. I think Yatavrata had better be read Yatavratam. It would then mean\nBhishma.\n\n479. Both the Bengal and the Bombay texts are confusing here. I follow\nthe text as settled by the Burdwan Pundits. If the erudition of the\nBurdwan Pundits be rejected, 28 would read as, \"Virata, at the head of\nhis forces, encountered Jayadratha supported by his own troops, and also\nVardhaskhemi's heir, O Chastiser of foes.\" This would be evidently wrong.\n\n480. This Susarman was not the king of the Trigartas but another person\nwho was on the Pandava side.\n\n481. Both the Bengal and the Bombay texts have Rathanika. The correct\nreading as settled by the Burdwan Pundits, is Gajanika.\n\n482. Both the Bengal and the Bombay texts read Arjunas in the second line\nof 21. The Burdwan Pundits are for correcting it as Arjunam. I do not\nthink the correction happy.\n\n483. In the second line of 35 for Satanika, the true reading, is\nSahanikan.\n\n484. After the 60th verse, three lines occur in the Bombay edition as\nfollows,--\"And many elephants, with standards on their backs, were seen\nto fly away in all directions. And many Kshatriyas, O monarch, armed with\nmaces and darts and bows, were seen lying prostrate on the field.\"\n\n485. The Bengal texts read Evam etc.; the Bombay reading is samam, I\nadopt the former reading. \"Set their hearts upon the region of Brahma,\"\ni.e., fought on, resolved to win the highest heaven by bravery or death\nin battle.\n\n486. The Bengal reading of this verse is vicious. In the first line,\nlokasya is incorrect and unmeaning, the correct word being vakyasa. In\nthe second line, again, for Prishtha-ascha samantatas, the correct\nreading is Prisharaischa samantatas.\n\n487. Brahma-danda literally means a Brahmana's rod--bamboo-stick. In\nconsequence of the Brahmana's ascetic power, this thin rod (symbolical of\nthe Brahmana's power of chastisement) is infinitely more powerful than\neven Indra's bolt. The latter can strike only one, but the former can\nsmite whole countries, and entire races from generation to generation.\nWith only his Brahma-danda Vasishtha baffled all the mighty and celestial\nweapons of Viswamitra vide, Ramayana, section 56, Valakanda.\n\n488. Instead of \"the Salwas, the Sayas, and the Trigartas,\" the Bombay\ntext reads, \"the Trigartas depending on (king) Salwa.\" I have not,\nhowever, met with any Trigartas under Salwa's rule, that race having, at\nthis time, Susarman for their ruler.\n\n489. Indraddhwaja was a pole, decked with banners, created in honour of\nIndra. The festival attracted considerable crowds.\n\n490. The second line of 114 in the Bengal text is vicious. I adopt the\nBombay reading, which is Kururajasya tarkitas. Literally rendered the\nsecond line is \"the destruction of the Kuru king was inferred.\"\n\n491. By bravery on the field of battle, which, according to the Hindu\nscriptures, is always thus rewarded.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Mahabharata\n\nof\n\nKrishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa\n\nBOOK 7\n\nDRONA PARVA\n\nTranslated into English Prose from the Original Sanskrit Text\n\nby\n\nKisari Mohan Ganguli\n\n[1883-1896]\n\nScanned at sacred-texts.com, 2004. Proofed by John Bruno Hare, October\n2004.\n\n\n\n\n\nSECTION I\n\n(Dronabhisheka Parva)\n\nOM! HAVING BOWED down unto Narayan, and unto that most exalted of male\nbeings, viz., Nara, and unto the goddess Saraswati also, must the word\nJaya be uttered.\n\nJanamejaya said, \"Hearing that his sire Devavrata of unrivalled vigour\nand sturdiness, and might, energy and prowess, had been slain by\nSikhandin, the prince of the Panchalas, what, indeed, O regenerate Rishi,\ndid the powerful king Dhritarashtra with eyes bathed in tears do? O\nillustrious one, his son (Duryodhana) wished for sovereignty after\nvanquishing those mighty bowmen, viz., the sons of Panda, through Bhishma\nand Drona and other great car-warriors. Tell me, O thou that hast wealth\nof asceticism, all that he, of Kuru's race, did after that chief of all\nbowmen had been slain.\"\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Hearing that his sire had been slain, king\nDhritarashtra of Kuru's race filled with anxiety and grief, obtained no\npeace of mind. And while he, of Kuru's race, was thus continually\nbrooding over that sorrow, Gavalgana's son of pure soul once more came to\nhim. Then, O monarch, Dhritarashtra, the son of Amvika, addressed\nSanjaya, who had that night come back from the camp to the city called\nafter the elephant. With a heart rendered exceedingly cheerless in\nconsequence of his having heard of Bhishma's fall, and desirous of the\nvictory of his sons, he indulged in these lamentations in great distress.\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'After having wept for the high-souled Bhishma of\nterrible prowess, what, O son, did the Kauravas, urged by fate, next do?\nIndeed, when that high-souled and invincible hero was slain, what did the\nKauravas do, sunk as they were in an ocean of grief? Indeed, that\nswelling and highly efficient host of the high-souled Pandavas, would, O\nSanjaya, excite the keenest fears of even the three worlds. Tell me,\ntherefore, O Sanjaya, what the (assembled) kings did after Devavrata,\nthat bull of Kuru's race, had fallen.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Listen, O king, with undivided attention, to me as I\nrecite what thy sons did after Devavrata had been killed in battle. When\nBhishma, O monarch, of prowess incapable of being baffled, was slain, thy\nwarriors as also the Pandavas both reflected by themselves (on the\nsituation). Reflecting on the duties of the Kshatriya order, they were\nfilled with wonder and joy; but acting according to those duties of their\nown order, they all bowed to that high-souled warrior. Then those tigers\namong men contrived for Bhishma of immeasurable prowess a bed with a\npillow made of straight shafts. And having made arrangements for\nBhishma's protection, they addressed one another (in pleasant converse).\nThen bidding Ganga's son their farewell and walking round him, and\nlooking at one another with eyes red in anger, those Kshatriyas, urged by\nfate, once more went out against one another for battle. Then by the\nblare of trumpets and the beat of drums, the divisions of thy army as\nalso those of the foe, marched out. After the fall of Ganga's son, O\nking, when the best part of the day had passed away, yielding to the\ninfluence of wrath, with hearts afflicted by fate, and disregarding the\nwords, worthy of acceptance, of the high-souled Bhishma, those foremost\nones of Bharata's race went out with great speed, armed with weapons. In\nconsequence of thy folly and of thy son's and of the slaughter of\nSantanu's son, the Kauravas with all the kings seemed to be summoned by\nDeath himself. The Kurus, deprived of Devavrata, were filled with great\nanxiety, and resembled a herd of goats and sheep without a herdsman, in a\nforest abounding with beasts of prey. Indeed, after the fall of that\nforemost one of Bharata's race, the Kuru host looked like the firmament\ndivested of stars, or like the sky without the atmosphere, or like the\nearth with blasted crops, or like an oration disfigured by bad\ngrammar,[1] or like the Asura host of old after Vali had been smitten\ndown, or like a beautiful damsel deprived of husband,[2] or like a river\nwhose waters have been dried up, or like a roe deprived of her mate and\nencompassed in the woods by wolves; or like a spacious mountain cave with\nits lion killed by a Sarabha.[3] Indeed, O chief of the Bharatas, the\nBharata host, on the fall of Ganga's son, became like a frail boat on the\nbosom of the ocean, tossed by a tempest blowing from every side.\nExceedingly afflicted by the mighty and heroic Pandavas of sure aim, the\nKaurava host, with its steeds, car-warriors and elephants much troubled,\nbecame exceedingly distressed, helpless, and panic-stricken. And the\nfrightened kings and the common soldiers, no longer relying upon one\nanother, of that army, deprived of Devavrata, seemed to sink into the\nnethermost region of the world. Then the Kauravas remembered Karna, who\nindeed, was equal to Devavrata himself. All hearts turned to that\nforemost of all wielders of arms, that one resembling a guest resplendent\n(with learning and ascetic austerities). And all hearts turned to him, as\nthe heart of a man in distress turneth to a friend capable of relieving\nthat distress. And, O Bharata, the kings then cried out saying, \"Karna!\nKarna! The son of Radha, our friend, the son of a Suta, that one who is\never prepared to lay down his life in battle! Endued with great fame,\nKarna, with his followers and friends, did not fight for these ten days.\nO, summon him soon!\" The mighty-armed hero, in the presence of all the\nKshatriyas, during the mention of valiant and mighty car-warriors, was by\nBhishma classed as an Ardha-ratha, although that bull among men is equal\nto two Maharathas! Even thus was he classed during the counting of Rathas\nand Atirathas, he that is the foremost (of all Rathas and Atirathas), he\nthat is respected by all heroes, he that would venture to fight even with\nYama, Kuvera, Varuna, and Indra. Through anger caused by this, O king, he\nhad said unto Ganga's son these words: \"As long as thou livest, O thou of\nKuru's race, I will never fight! if thou, however, succeedest in slaying\nthe sons of Pandu in great battle, I shall, O Kaurava, with Duryodhana's\npermission, retire into the woods. If, on the other hand, thou, O\nBhishma, slain by the Pandavas, attainest to heaven, I shall then, on a\nsingle car, slay all of them, whom thou regardest as great car-warriors.\"\nHaving said this, mighty-armed Karna of great fame, with thy son's\napproval, did not fight for the first ten days. Bhishma, of great prowess\nin battle and of immeasurable might, slew, O Bharata, a very large number\nof warriors belonging to Yudhishthira's army. When, however, that hero of\nsure aim and great energy was slain, thy sons thought of Karna, like\npersons desirous of crossing a river thinking of a boat. Thy warriors\nand thy sons, together with all the kings, cried out, saying, Karna! And\nthey all said, \"Even this is the time for the display of his prowess.\"\nOur hearts are turned to that Karna who derived his knowledge of weapons\nfrom Jamadagni's son, and whose prowess is incapable of being resisted!\nHe, indeed, O king, is competent to save us from great dangers, like\nGovinda always saving the celestials from great dangers.'\"\n\nVaisampayana continued, \"Unto Sanjaya who was thus repeatedly applauding\nKarna, Dhritarashtra sighing like a snake, said those words.\"\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, '[I understand] that the hearts of all of you are\nturned towards Vikartana's son Karna, and that all of you, saw that son\nof Radha, that hero of the Suta caste, ever prepared to lay down his life\nin battle. I hope that hero of prowess incapable of being baffled, did\nnot falsify the expectations of Duryodhana and his brothers, all of whom\nwere then afflicted with grief and fear, and desirous of being relieved\nfrom their danger. When Bhishma, that refuge of Kauravas, was slain,\ncould Karna, that foremost of bowmen, succeed in filling up the gap\ncaused? Filling up that gap, could Karna fill the foe with fear? Could he\nalso crown with fruit the hopes, entertained by my sons, of victory?'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION II\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then Adhiratha's son of the Suta caste, knowing that\nBhishma had been slain, became desirous of rescuing, like a brother, thy\nson's army from the distress into which it had fallen, and which then\nresembled a boat sunk in the fathomless ocean. [Indeed], O king, having\nheard that that mighty car-warrior and foremost of men, that hero of\nunfading glory, viz., Santanu's son, had been thrown down (from his car),\nthat grinder of foes, that foremost of all wielders of bows, viz., Karna,\nsoon came (to the field of battle). When the best of car-warriors, viz.,\nBhishma, was slain by the foe, Karna speedily came there, desirous of\nrescuing the Kuru host which resembled a boat sunk in the ocean, like a\nsire desirous of rescuing his children.'\n\n\"'And Karna (addressing the soldiers) said, \"That Bhishma who possessed\nfirmness, intelligence, prowess, vigour, truth, self-restraint, and all\nthe virtues of a hero, as also celestial weapons, and humility, and\nmodesty, agreeable speech, and freedom from malice, that ever-grateful\nBhishma, that slayer of the foes of Brahmanas, in whom were these\nattributes as permanently as Lakshmi in the moon, alas, when that\nBhishma, that slayer of hostile heroes, hath received his quietus, I\nregard all other heroes as already slain. In consequence of the eternal\nconnection (of all things) with work, nothing exists in this world that\nis imperishable. When Bhishma of high vows hath been slain, who is there\nthat would take upon himself to say with certitude that tomorrow's sun\nwill rise? When he that was endued with prowess equal to that of the\nVasus, he that was born of the energy of the Vasus, when he, that ruler\nof the earth, hath once more been united with the Vasus, grieve ye,\ntherefore, for your possessions and children for this earth and the\nKurus, and this host.\"'[4]\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Upon the fall of that boon-giving hero of great\nmight, that lord of the world, viz., Santanu's son of great energy, and\nupon the (consequent) defeat of the Bharatas, Karna, with cheerless heart\nand eyes filled with tears, began to console (the Dhartarashtras).\nHearing these words of Radha's son, thy sons, O monarch, and thy troops,\nbegan to wail aloud and shed copious tears of grief corresponding with\nthe loudness of those wails.[5] When, however, the dreadful battle once\nmore took place and the Kaurava divisions, urged on by the Kings, once\nmore set up loud shouts, that bull among mighty car-warriors, viz.,\nKarna, then addressed the great car-warriors (of the Kaurava army) and\nsaid words which caused them great delight: \"In this transient world\neverything is continually flitting (towards the jaws of Death). Thinking\nof this, I regard everything as ephemeral. When, however, all of you were\nhere, how could Bhishma, that bull among the Kurus, immovable as a hill,\nbe thrown down from his car? When that mighty car-warrior, viz., the son\nof Santanu, hath been overthrown, who even now lieth on the ground like\nthe Sun himself dropped (from the firmament), the Kuru kings are scarcely\ncompetent to bear Dhananjaya, like trees incapable of bearing the\nmountain-wind. I shall, however, now protect, as that high-souled one\ndid, this helpless Kuru host of cheerless mien, whose foremost warriors\nhave already been slain by the foe. Let this burden now devolve on me. I\nsee that this universe is transient, since that foremost of heroes hath\nbeen slain in battle. Why shall I then cherish any fear of battle?\nCoursing, therefore, on the field I shall despatch those bulls of Kuru's\nrace (viz., the Pandavas) to Yama's abode by means of my straight shafts.\nRegarding fame as the highest object in the world, I shall slay them in\nbattle, or, slain by the foe, shall sleep on the field. Yudhishthira is\npossessed of firmness, intelligence, virtue, and might. Vrikodara is\nequal to a hundred elephants in prowess, Arjuna is young and is the son of\nthe chief of the celestials. The Pandava host, therefore, is not capable\nof being easily defeated by the very celestials. That force in which are\nthe twins, each resembling Yama himself, that force in which are Satyaki\nand the son of Devaki, that force is like the jaws of Death. No coward,\napproaching it, can come back with life. The wise oppose swelling ascetic\npower with ascetic austerities, so should force be opposed by force.\nVerily, my mind is firmly fixed upon opposing the foe and protecting my\nown party. O charioteer, I shall today certainly resist the might of the\nenemy, and vanquish him by repairing only to the field of battle. I will\nnot tolerate this intestine feud. When the troops are broken, he that\ncometh (for aiding) in the endeavour to rally is a friend. I shall either\nachieve this righteous feat worthy of an honest man, or casting off my\nlife shall follow Bhishma. I shall either slay all my foes united\ntogether, or slain by them proceed to the regions reserved for heroes. O\ncharioteer, I know that even this is what I should do, when women and\nchildren cry for help, or when Duryodhana's prowess sustains a check.\nTherefore, I shall today conquer the foe. Reckless of my very life in\nthis terrible battle, I shall protect the Kurus and slay the sons of\nPandu. Slaying in battle all my foes banded together, I shall bestow\n(undisputed) sovereignty on Dhritarashtra's son. Let my armour,\nbeautiful, made of gold, bright, and radiant with jewels and gems, be\ndonned; and my head-gear, of effulgence equal to that of the sun; and my\nbows and arrows that resemble fire, poison, or snakes. Let also sixteen\nquivers be tied (to my car) at the proper places, and let a number of\nexcellent bows be procured. Let also shafts, and darts and heavy maces,\nand my conch, variegated with gold, be got ready. Bring also my\nvariegated, beautiful, and excellent standard, made of gold, possessed of\nthe effulgence of the lotus, and bearing the device of the elephant's\ngirth, cleaning it with a delicate cloth, and decking it with excellent\ngarlands and a network of wires.[6] O charioteer's son, bring me also,\nwith speed, some fleet steeds of the hue of tawny clouds, not lean, and\nbathed in water sanctified with mantras, and furnished with trappings of\nbright gold. Bring me also, with speed, an excellent car decked with\ngarlands of gold, adorned gems, bright as the sun or the moon, furnished\nwith every necessary, as also with weapons, and unto which are yoked\nexcellent animals. Bring me also a number of excellent bows of great\ntoughness, and a number of excellent bow-strings capable of smiting (the\nfoe), and some quivers, large and full of shafts and some coats of mail\nfor my body. Bring me also, with speed, O hero, every (auspicious)\narticle needed for occasions of setting out (for battle), such as vessels\nof brass and gold, full of curds. Let garlands of flowers be brought, and\nlet them be put on the (proper) limbs of my body. Let drums also be\nbeaten for victory! Go, O charioteer, quickly to the spot where the\ndiadem-decked (Arjuna), and Vrikodara, and Dharma's son (Yudhishthira),\nand the twins, are. Encountering them in battle, either I shall slay\nthem, or, being slain by them, my foes, I shall follow Bhishma. Arjuna,\nand Vasudeva, and Satyaki, and the Srinjayas, that force, I think, is\nincapable of being conquered by the kings. If all-destroying Death\nhimself with unremitting vigilance, were to protect Kiritin, still shall\nI slay him, encountering him in battle, or repair myself to Yama's abode\nby Bhishma's track. Verily, I say, that I will repair into the midst of\nthose heroes. Those (kings) that are my allies are not provokers of\nintestine feuds, or of weak attachment to me, or of unrighteous souls.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Riding on an excellent and costly car of great\nstrength, with an excellent pole, decked with gold, auspicious, furnished\nwith a standard, and unto which were yoked excellent steeds that were\nfleet as the wind, Karna proceeded (to battle) for victory. Worshipped by\nthe foremost of Kuru car-warriors like Indra by the celestials, that\nhigh-souled and fierce bowman, endued with immeasurable energy like the\nSun himself, upon his car decked with gold and jewels and gems, furnished\nwith an excellent standard, unto which were yoked excellent steeds, and\nwhose rattle resembled the roll of the clouds, proceeded, accompanied by\na large force, to that field of battle where that bull of Bharata's race\n(Bhishma) had paid his debt to nature. Of beautiful person, and endued\nwith the splendour of fire, that great bowman and mighty car-warrior,\nviz., the son of Adhiratha, then mounted on his own beautiful car\npossessed of the effulgence of fire, and shone like the lord of the\ncelestials himself riding on his celestial car.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION III\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the grandsire, viz., the venerable Bhishma,\nthat destroyer of all the Kshatriyas, that hero of righteous soul and\nimmeasurable energy, that great bowman thrown down (from his car) by\nSavyasachin with his celestial weapons, lying on a bed of arrows, and\nlooking like the vast ocean dried up by mighty winds, the hope of thy\nsons for victory had disappeared along with their coats of mail and peace\nof mind. Beholding him who was always an island unto persons sinking in\nthe fathomless ocean in their endeavours to cross it, beholding that hero\ncovered with arrows that had coursed in a stream as continuous as that of\nYamuna, that hero who looked like Mainaka of unbearable energy thrown\ndown on the earth by the great Indra, that warrior lying prostrate on the\nearth like the Sun dropped down from the firmament, that one who looked\nlike the inconceivable Indra himself after his defeat of old by Vritra,\nthat depriver of all warriors of their senses, that foremost of all\ncombatants, that signal of all bowmen, beholding that hero and bull among\nmen, viz., thy sire Bhishma of high vows, that grandsire of the Bharatas\nthrown down in battle and lying covered with Arjuna's shafts, on a hero's\nbed. Adhiratha's son (Karna) alighted from his car, in great affliction,\nfilled with grief, and almost senseless. Afflicted (with sorrow), and\nwith eyes troubled with tears, he proceeded on foot. Saluting him with\njoined palms, and addressing him reverentially, he said, \"I am Karna!\nBlessed be thou! Speak to me, O Bharata, in sacred and auspicious words,\nand look at me, opening thy eyes. No man certainly enjoyeth in this world\nthe fruits of his pious deeds, since thou, reverend in years and devoted\nto virtue, liest slain on the ground. O thou that art the foremost one\namongst the Kurus, I do not see that there is any one else among them,\nwho is competent (like thee) in filling the treasury, in counsels, in the\nmatter of disposing the troops in battle array, and in the use of\nweapons. Alas, he that was endued with a righteous understanding, he that\nalways protected the Kurus from every danger, alas, he, having slain\nnumberless warriors, proceedeth to the region of the Pitris. From this\nday, O chief of the Bharatas, the Pandavas, excited with wrath, will\nslaughter the Kurus like tigers slaying deer. Today the Kauravas,\nacquainted with the force of Gandiva's twang, will regard Savyasachin,\nlike the Asuras regarding the wielder of the thunder-bolt, with terror.\nToday the noise, resembling that of heaven's thunder, of the arrows shot\nfrom Gandiva, will inspire the Kurus and other kings with great terror.\nToday, O hero, like a raging conflagration of fierce flames consuming a\nforest, the shafts of Kiritin will consume the Dhartarashtras. In those\nparts of the forest through which fire and wind march together, they burn\nall plants and creepers and trees. Without doubt, Partha is even like a\nsurging fire, and, without doubt, O tiger among men, Krishna is like the\nwind. Hearing the blare of Panchajanya and the twang of Gandiva all the\nKaurava troops, O Bharata, will be filled with fear. O hero, without\nthee, the kings will never be able to bear the rattle of the ape-bannered\ncar belonging to that grinder of foes, when he will advance (upon them).\nWho amongst the kings, save thyself, is competent to battle with that\nArjuna whose feats, as described by the wise, are all superhuman?\nSuperhuman was the battle that he fought with the high-souled (Mahadeva)\nof three eyes. From him he obtained a boon that is unattainable by\npersons of unsanctified souls. Delighted in battle, that son of Pandu is\nprotected by Madhava. Who is there that is competent to vanquish him who\ncould not be vanquished by thee before, although thou, endued with great\nenergy, hadst vanquished Rama himself in battle, that fierce destroyer of\nthe Kshatriya race, worshipped, besides, by the gods and the Danavas?\nIncapable of putting up with that son of Pandu, that foremost of heroes\nin battle, even I, with thy permission, am competent to slay, with the\nforce of my weapons, that brave and fierce warrior who resembleth a snake\nof virulent poison and who slayeth his foes with his glances alone!\"''\"\n\n\n\nSECTION IV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Unto him who was talking thus, the aged Kuru grandsire\nwith a cheerful heart, said these words adapted to both time and place:\n\"Like the ocean unto rivers, like the Sun unto all luminous bodies, like\nthe righteous unto Truth, like a fertile soil unto seeds, like the clouds\nunto all creatures, be thou the refuge of thy relatives and friends! Like\nthe celestials upon him of a thousand eyes, let thy kinsmen depend on\nthee. Be thou the humiliator of thy foes, and the enhancer of the joys of\nthy friends. Be thou unto the Kauravas as Vishnu unto the dwellers of\nheaven. Desirous of doing what was agreeable to Dhritarashtra's son, thou\ndidst with the might and prowess of own arms, O Karna, vanquish the\nKamvojas having proceeded to Rajpura. Many kings, amongst whom Nagnajit\nwas the foremost, while staying in Girivraja, as also the Amvashthas, the\nVidehas, and the Gandharvas, were all vanquished by thee. The Kiratas,\nfierce in battle, dwelling in the fastness of Himavat, were formerly, O\nKarna, made by thee to own Duryodhana's sway. And so also, the Utpalas,\nthe Mekalas, the Paundras, the Kalingas, the Andhras, the Nishadas, the\nTrigartas, and the Valhikas, were all vanquished by thee, O Karna, in\nbattle. In many other countries, O Karna, impelled by the desire of doing\ngood to Duryodhana, thou didst, O hero, vanquish many races and kings of\ngreat energy. Like Duryodhana, O child, with his kinsmen, and relatives,\nand friends, be thou also the refuge of all the Kauravas. In auspicious\nwords I command thee, go and fight with the enemy. Lead the Kurus in\nbattle, and give victory unto Duryodhana. Thou art to us our grandson\neven as Duryodhana is. According to the ordinance, all of us also are as\nmuch thine as Duryodhana's![7] The wise, O foremost of men, say that the\ncompanionship of the righteous with the righteous is a superior\nrelationship to that born of the same womb. Without falsifying,\ntherefore, thy relationship with Kurus, protect thou the Kaurava host\nlike Duryodhana, regarding it as thy own.\"\n\n\"'Hearing these words of his, Vikartana's son Karna, reverentially\nsaluting Bhishma's feet, (bade him farewell) and came to that spot where\nall the Kaurava bowmen were. Viewing that wide and unparalleled\nencampment of the vast host, he began to cherish (by words of\nencouragement) those well-armed and broad-chested warriors. And all the\nKauravas headed by Duryodhana were filled with joy. And beholding the\nmighty-armed and high-souled Karna come to the field and station himself\nat the head of the whole army, for battle, the Kauravas received him with\nloud shouts and slapping of arm-pits and leonine roars and twang of bows\nand diverse other kinds of noise.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION V\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding that tiger among men, viz., Karna, mounted on\nhis car, Duryodhana, O king, filled with joy, said these words, \"This\nhost, protected by thee, hath now, I think, got a proper leader. Let\nthat, however, be settled now which is proper and within our power.\"\n\n\"'Karna said, \"Tell us thyself, O tiger among men, for thou art the wisest\nof kings. Another can never see so well what should be done as one seeth\nit whose concern it is. Those kings are all desirous of listening to what\nthou mayst have to say. I am sure that no improper words will be uttered\nby thee.\"\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"Bhishma was our commander possessed (as he was) of\nyears, prowess, and learning and supported by all our warriors. That\nhigh-souled one, O Karna, achieving great glory and slaying large numbers\nof my enemies protected us by fair fight for ten days. He achieved the\nmost difficult of feats. But now that he is about to ascend to heaven,\nwhom, O Karna, dost thou think fit to our commander after him? Without a\nleader, an army cannot stay in battle for even a short while. Thou art\nforemost in battle, like a boat without a helmsman in the waters. Indeed,\nas a boat without a helmsman, or a car without a driver, would go\nanywhere, so would the plight be of a host that is without a leader. Like\na merchant who falleth into every kind of distress when he is\nunacquainted with the ways of the country he visits, an army that is\nwithout a leader is exposed to every kind of distress. Look thou,\ntherefore, among all the high-souled warriors of our army and find out a\nproper leader who may succeed the son of Santanu. Him whom thou wouldst\nregard as a fit leader in battle, him, all of us, without doubt, will\ntogether make our leader.\"\n\n\"'Karna said, \"All these foremost of men are high-souled persons. Every\none of them deserveth to be our leader. There is no need of any minute\nexamination. All of them are conversant with noble genealogies and with\nthe art of smiting; all of them are endued with prowess and intelligence,\nall of them are attentive and acquainted with the scriptures, possessed\nof wisdom, and unretreating from battle.[8] All, however, cannot be\nleaders at the same time. Only one should be selected as leader, in whom\nare special merits. All of these regard one another as equals. If one\namongst them, therefore, be honoured, others will be dissatisfied, and,\nit is evident, will no longer fight for thee from a desire of benefiting\nthee. This one, however, is the Preceptor (in arms) of all these\nwarriors; is venerable in years, and worthy of respect. Therefore, Drona,\nthis foremost of all wielders of weapons, should be made the leader. Who\nis there worthy of becoming a leader, when the invincible Drona, that\nforemost of persons conversant with Brahma, is here, that one who is\nequal to Sukra or Vrihaspati himself? Amongst all the kings in thy army,\nO Bharata, there is not a single warrior who will not follow Drona when\nthe latter goeth to battle.[9] This Drona is the foremost of all leaders\nof forces, the foremost of all wielders of weapons, and the foremost of\nall intelligent persons. He is, besides, O king, thy preceptor (in arms).\nTherefore, O Duryodhana, make this one the leader of thy forces without\ndelay, as the celestials made Kartikeya their leader in battle for\nvanquishing the Asuras.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of Karna, king Duryodhana then said\nthis unto Drona who was staying in the midst of the troops.'\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"For the superiority of the order of thy birth, for the\nnobility of thy parentage, for thy learning, years and intelligence, for\nalso thy prowess, skill, invincibility, knowledge of worldly matters,\npolicy, and self-conquest, by reason also of thy ascetic austerities and\nthy gratitude, superior as thou art as regards every virtue, among these\nkings there is none who can make so good a leader as thou. Protect thou,\ntherefore, ourselves, like Vasava protecting the celestials. Having thee\nfor our leader, we desire, O best of Brahmanas, to vanquish our foes. As\nKapali amongst the Rudras, Pavaka among the Vasus, Kuvera among the\nYakshas, Vasava among the Maruts, Vasishtha among Brahmanas, the Sun\namongst luminous bodies, Yama among the Pitris, Varuna among aquatic\ncreatures, as the Moon among the stars, and Usanas among the sons of\nDiti, so art thou the foremost of all leaders of forces. Be thou,\ntherefore, our leader. O sinless one, let these ten and one Akshauhinis\nof troops be obedient to thy word of command. Disposing these troops in\nbattle array, slay thou our foes, like Indra slaying the Danavas. Proceed\nthou art the head of us all, like Pavaka's son (Kartikeya) at the head of\nthe celestial forces. We will follow thee to battle, like bulls following\na bovine leader. A fierce and great bowman as thou art, beholding thee\nstretching the bow at our head, Arjuna will not strike. Without doubt, O\ntiger among men, if thou becomest our leader, I will vanquish\nYudhishthira with all his followers and relatives in battle.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'After Duryodhana had uttered these words, the kings\n(in the Kaurava army) all cried victory to Drona. And they delighted thy\nson by uttering a loud leonine shout. And the troops, filled with joy,\nand with Duryodhana at their head, desirous of winning great renown,\nbegan to glorify that best of Brahmanas. Then, O king, Drona addressed\nDuryodhana in those words.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VII\n\n\"'Drona said, \"I know the Vedas with their six branches. I know also the\nscience of human affairs. I am acquainted also with the Saiva weapon, and\ndiverse other species of weapons. Endeavouring to actually display all\nthose virtues which ye, desirous of victory, have attributed to me, I\nwill fight with the Pandavas. I will not, however, O king, be able to\nslay the son of Prishata. O bull among men, he hath been created for my\nslaughter. I will fight with the Pandavas, and slay the Somakas. As\nregards the Pandavas, they will not fight with me with cheerful hearts.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus permitted by Drona, thy son, O king, then made\nhim the commander of his forces according to the rites prescribed in the\nordinance. And the kings (in the Kaurava army) headed by Duryodhana\nperformed the investiture of Drona in the command of the forces, like the\ncelestials headed by India in days of yore performing the investiture of\nSkanda. After Drona's installation in the command, the joy of the army\nexpressed itself by the sound of drums and the loud blare of conchs. Then\nwith cries such as greet the ears on a festive day, with auspicious\ninvocations by Brahmanas gratified with cries of Jaya uttered by foremost\nof Brahmanas, and with the dance of mimes, Drona was duly honoured. And\nKaurava warriors regarded the Pandavas as already vanquished.'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Then that mighty car-warrior, viz., Bharadwaja's\nson, having obtained the command, arrayed the troops in order of battle,\nand went out with thy sons from desire of fighting the foe. And the ruler\nof the Sindhus, and the chief of the Kalingas, and thy son Vikarna, clad\nin mail, took up their position on the right wing (of Drona). And Sakuni,\naccompanied by many foremost of horsemen battling with bright lances and\nbelonging to the Gandhara tribe, proceeded, acting as their support. And\nKripa, and Kritavarman, and Chitrasena, and Vivinsati headed by\nDuhsasana, strove vigorously for protecting the left wing. And the\nKamvojas headed by Sudakshina, and the Sakas, and the Yavanas, with\nsteeds of great fleetness, proceeded, as the latter's support. And the\nMadras, the Trigartas, the Amvashthas, the Westerners, the Northerners,\nthe Malavas, the Surasenas, the Sudras, the Maladas, the Sauviras, the\nKaitavas, the Easterners, and the Southerners placing thy son\n(Duryodhana) and the Suta's son (Karna) at their head, forming the rear\nguard, gladdened warriors of their own army, added to the strength of the\n(advancing) force. Vikartana's son Karna proceeded at the head of the\nbowmen.[10] And his blazing and large and tall standard bearing the\ndevice of the elephant's rope, shone with an effulgence like that of the\nSun, gladdening his own divisions. Beholding Karna, none regarded the\ncalamity caused by Bhishma's death. And the kings, along with the Kurus,\nall became freed from grief. And large numbers of warriors, banded\ntogether, said unto one another, \"Beholding Karna on the field, the\nPandavas will never be able to stand in battle. Indeed, Karna is quite\ncompetent to vanquish in battle the very gods with Vasava at their head.\nWhat need be said, therefore, for the sons of Pandu who are destitute of\nenergy and prowess? The mighty-armed Bhishma spared the Parthas in\nbattle. Karna, however, will slay them in the fight with his keen\nshafts.\" Speaking unto one another thus and filled with joy, they\nproceeded, applauding and worshipping the son of Radha. As regards our\narmy, it was arrayed by Drona in the form of a Sakata (vehicle); while\nthe array of our illustrious foes, O king, was in the form of a Krauncha\n(crane), as disposed, O Bharata, by king Yudhishthira the just in great\ncheerfulness. At the head of their array were those two foremost of\npersons viz., Vishnu and Dhananjaya, with their banner set up, bearing\nthe device of the ape. The hump of the whole army and the refuge of all\nbowmen, that banner of Partha, endued with immeasurable energy, as it\nfloated in the sky, seemed to illumine the entire host of the\nhigh-souled Yudhishthira. The banner of Partha, possessed of great\nintelligence, seemed to resemble the blazing Sun that riseth at the end\nof the Yuga for consuming the world. Amongst bowmen, Arjuna is the\nforemost; amongst bows, Gandiva is the foremost; amongst creatures Vasudeva\nis the first; and amongst all kinds of discs, Sudarsana is the first.\nBearing these four embodiments of energy, that car unto which were yoked\nwhite steeds, took up its position in the front of the (hostile) army,\nlike the fierce discus upraised (for striking). Thus did those two\nforemost of men stand at the very head of their respective forces, viz.,\nKarna at the head of thy army, and Dhananjaya at the head of the hostile\none. Both excited with wrath, and each desirous of slaying the other,\nKarna and Arjuna looked at each other in that battle.'\n\n\"'Then when that mighty car-warrior, viz.. Bharadwaja's son, proceeded to\nbattle with great speed, the earth seemed to tremble with loud sounds of\nwailing. Then the thick dust, raised by the wind resembling a canopy of\ntawny silk, enveloped the sky and the sun. And though the firmament was\ncloudless, yet a shower fell of pieces of flesh, bones, and blood. And\nvultures and hawks and cranes and Kankas, and crows in thousands, began\ncontinually to fall upon the (Kaurava) troops. And jackals yelled aloud;\nand many fierce and terrible birds repeatedly wheeled to the left of thy\narmy, from desire of eating flesh and drinking blood,[11] and many\nblazing meteors, illuminating (the sky), and covering large areas with\ntheir tails, fell on the field with loud sound and trembling motion. And\nthe wide disc of the sun, O monarch, seemed to emit flashes of lightning\nwith thundering noise, when commander of the (Kaurava) army set out.\nThese and many other portents, fierce and indicating a destruction of\nheroes, were seen during the battle. Then commenced the encounter between\nthe troops of the Kurus and the Pandavas, desirous of slaying each other.\nAnd so loud was the din that it seemed to fill the whole earth. And the\nPandavas and the Kauravas, enraged with each other and skilled in\nsmiting, began to strike each other with sharp weapons, from desire of\nvictory. Then that great bowman of blazing effulgence rushed towards the\ntroops of the Pandavas with great impetuosity, scattering hundreds of\nsharp arrows. Then the Pandavas and the Srinjayas, beholding Drona rush\ntowards them, received him, O king, with showers upon showers (in\ndistinct sets) of arrows. Agitated and broken by Drona, the large host of\nthe Pandavas and the Panchalas broke like rows of cranes by force of the\nwind. Invoking into existence many celestial weapons in that battle,\nDrona, within a very short time, afflicted the Pandavas and the\nSrinjayas. Slaughtered by Drona, like Danavas by Vasava, the Panchalas\nheaded by Dhrishtadyumna trembled in that battle. Then that mighty\ncar-warrior, viz., Yajnasena's son (Dhrishtadyumna), that hero acquainted\nwith celestial weapons, broke, with his arrowy showers, the division of\nDrona in many places. And the mighty son of Prishata baffling with his\nown arrowy showers the showers of arrows shot by Drona, caused a great\nslaughter among the Kurus. The mighty-armed Drona then, rallying his men\nin battle and gathering them together, rushed towards the son of\nPrishata. He then shot at Prishata's son a thick shower of arrows, like\nMaghavat excited with rage showering his arrows with great force upon the\nDanavas. Then the Pandavas and the Srinjayas, shaken by Drona with his\nshafts, repeatedly broke like a herd of inferior animals attacked by a\nlion. And the mighty Drona coursed through the Pandava force like a\ncircle of fire. All this, O king, seemed highly wonderful. Mounted on his\nown excellent car which (then) resembled a city coursing through the\nskies, which was furnished with every necessary article according to\n(military) science, whose banner floated on the air, whose rattle\nresounded through the field, whose steeds were (well) urged, and the\nstaff of whose standard was bright as crystal, Drona struck terror into\nthe hearts of the enemy and caused a great slaughter among them.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION VIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Drona thus slaying steeds and drivers and\ncar-warriors and elephants, the Pandavas, without being troubled,\nencompassed him on all sides. Then king Yudhishthira, addressing\nDhrishtadyumna and Dhananjaya, said unto them, \"Let the pot-born (Drona)\nbe checked, our men surrounding him on all sides with care.\" Thus\naddressed those mighty car-warriors, viz., Arjuna and Prishata's son,\nalong with their followers, all received Drona as the latter came. And\nthe Kekaya princes, and Bhimasena, and Subhadra's son and Ghatotkacha and\nYudhishthira, and the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), and the ruler of the\nMatsyas, and the son of Drupada, and the (five) sons of Draupadi, all\nfilled with joy, and Dhrishtaketu, and Satyaki, and the wrathful\nChitrasena, and the mighty car-warrior, Yuyutsu, and many other kings, O\nmonarch, who followed the sons of Pandu, all achieved diverse feats in\nkeeping with their lineage and prowess. Beholding then that host\nprotected in that battle by those Pandava warriors, Bharadwaja's son,\nturning his eyes in wrath, cast his looks upon it. Inflamed with rage,\nthat warrior, invincible in battle, consumed, as he stood upon his car,\nthe Pandava host like the tempest destroying vast masses of clouds.\nRushing on all sides at car-warriors and steeds and foot-soldiers and\nelephants, Drona furiously careered over the field like a young man,\nthough bearing the weight of years. His red steeds, fleet as the wind,\nand of excellent breed, covered with blood, O king, assumed a beautiful\nappearance. Beholding that hero of regulated vows, felling them like Yama\nhimself inflamed with wrath, the soldiers of Yudhishthira fled away on\nall sides. And as some fled away and others rallied, as some looked at him\nand others stayed on the field, the noise they made was fierce and\nterrible. And that noise causing delight to heroes and enhancing the\nfears of the timid, filled the whole sky and the earth. And once more\nDrona, uttering his own name in battle, made himself exceedingly fierce,\nscattering hundreds of arrows among the foes. Indeed, the mighty Drona,\nthough old, yet acting like a young man, careered like Death himself, O\nsire, amid the divisions of Pandu's son. That fierce warrior cutting off\nheads and arms decked with ornaments, made the terraces of many cars\nempty and uttered leonine roars. And in consequence of those joyous\nshouts of his, as also of the force of his shafts, the warriors, O lord,\n(of the hostile army) trembled like a herd of cows afflicted by cold. And\nin consequence of the rattle of his car and the stretching of his\nbow-string and the twang of his bow, the whole welkin resounded with a\nloud noise. And the shaft, of that hero, coursing in thousands from his\nbow, and enveloping all the points of the compass, fell upon the\nelephants and steeds and cars and foot-soldiers (of the enemy). Then the\nPanchalas and the Pandavas boldly approached Drona, who, armed with his\nbow of great force, resembled a fire having weapons for its flames. Then\nwith their elephants and foot-soldiers and steeds he began to despatch\nthem unto the abode of Yama. And Drona made the earth miry with blood.\nScattering his mighty weapons and shooting his shafts thick on every\nside, Drona soon so covered all the points of the compass, that nothing\ncould be seen except his showers of arrows. And among foot-soldiers and\ncars and steeds and elephants nothing could be seen save Drona's arrows.\nThe standard of his car was all that could be seen, moving like flashes\nof lightning amid the cars.[12] Of soul incapable of being depressed,\nDrona then, armed with bow and arrows, afflicted the five princes of\nKekaya and the ruler of the Panchalas and then rushed against the\ndivision of Yudhishthira. Then Bhimasena and Dhananjaya and the grandson\nof Sini, and the sons of Drupada, and the ruler of Kasi, viz., the son of\nSaivya, and Sivi himself, cheerfully and with loud roars covered him with\ntheir arrows. Shafts in thousands, decked with wings of gold, shot from\nDrona's bow, piercing through the bodies of the elephants and the young\nhorses of those warriors, entered the earth, their feathers dyed with\nblood. The field of battle, strewn with cars and the prostrate forms of\nlarge bands of warriors, and of elephants and steeds mangled with shafts,\nlooked like the welkin covered with masses of black clouds. Then Drona,\ndesirous of the prosperity of thy sons, having thus crushed the divisions\nof Satyaki, and Bhima, and Dhananjaya and Subhadra's son and Drupada, and\nthe ruler of the Kasi, and having ground many other heroes in battle,\nindeed, that high-souled warrior, having achieved these and many other\nfeats, and having, O chief of the Kurus, scorched the world like the Sun\nhimself as he rises at the end of the Yuga, proceeded hence, O monarch,\nto heaven. That hero possessed of golden car, that grinder of hostile\nhosts, having achieved mighty feats and slain in thousands the warriors\nof the Pandava host in battle, hath at last been himself slain by\nDhrishtadyumna. Having, in fact, slain more than two Akshauhinis of brave\nand unreturning warriors, that hero endued with intelligence, at last,\nattained to the highest state. Indeed, O king, having achieved the most\ndifficult feats, he hath, at last, been slain by the Pandavas and the\nPanchalas of cruel deeds. When the preceptor was slain in battle, there\narose in the welkin, O monarch, a loud uproar of all creatures, as also\nof all the troops. Resounding through heaven and earth and the\nintermediate space and through the cardinal and the subsidiary\ndirections, the loud cry \"O Fie!\"--of creatures was heard. And the gods,\nthe Pitris, and they that were his friends, all beheld that mighty\ncar-warrior, viz., the son of Bharadwaja, thus slain. The Pandavas,\nhaving won the victory, uttered leonine shouts. And the earth trembled\nwith those loud shouts of theirs.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION IX\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'How did the Pandavas and the Srinjayas slay Drona\nin battle,--Drona, who was so accomplished in weapons amongst all\nwielders of arms? Did his car break (in course of the fight)? Did his bow\nbreak while he was striking (the foe)? Or, was Drona carless at the time\nwhen he met with his death-blow? How, indeed, O child, could Prishata's\nson, (viz., Dhrishtadyumna) the prince of the Panchalas, slay that hero\nincapable of being humiliated by enemies, who scattered thick showers of\nshafts furnished with wings of gold, and who was endued with great\nlightness of hand, that foremost of Brahmanas, who was accomplished in\neverything, acquainted with all modes of warfare, capable of shooting his\nshafts to a great distance, and self-restrained, who was possessed of\ngreat skill in the use of weapons and armed with celestial weapons, that\nmighty warrior, of unfading glory, who was always careful, and who\nachieved the fiercest feats in battle? It is plain, it seems to me, that\ndestiny is superior to exertion, since even brave Drona hath been slain\nby the high-souled son of Prishata, that hero in whom were the four kinds\nof weapons. Alas, thou sayest that that Drona, that preceptor in\nbowmanship, is slain. Hearing of the slaughter of that hero who used to\nride his bright car covered with tiger skins and adorned with pure gold.\nI cannot drive away my grief. Without doubt, O Sanjaya, no one dies of\ngrief caused by another's calamity, since, wretch that I am, I am yet\nalive although I have heard of Drona's death. Destiny I regard to be all\npowerful, exertion is fruitless. Surely, my heart, hard as it is, is made\nof adamant, since it breaketh not into a hundred pieces, although I have\nheard of Drona's death. He who was waited upon by Brahmanas and princes\ndesirous of instruction in the Vedas and divination and bowmanship, alas,\nhow could he be taken away by Death? I cannot brook the overthrow of\nDrona which is even like the drying up of the ocean, or the removal of\nMeru from its site, or the fall of the Run from the firmament. He was a\nrestrainer of the wicked and a protector of the righteous. That scorcher\nof foes who hath given up his life for the wretched Duryodhana, upon\nwhose prowess rested that hope of victory which my wicked sons\nentertained, who was equal to Vrihaspati or Usanas himself in\nintelligence, alas, how was he slain? His large steeds of red hue,\ncovered with a net of gold, fleet as the wind and incapable of being struck\nwith any weapon in battle, endued with great strength, neighing\ncheerfully, well-trained and of the Sindhu breed, yoked unto his car and\ndrawing the vehicle excellently, always preserving in the midst of\nbattle, did they become weak and faint? Coolly bearing in battle the roar\nof elephants, while those huge creatures trumpeted at the blare of conchs\nand the beat of drums, unmoved by the twang of bows and showers of arrows\nand other weapons, foreboding the defeat of foes by their very\nappearance, never drawing long breaths (in consequence of toil), above\nall fatigue and pain, how were those fleet steeds that drew the car of\nBharadwaja's son soon over-powered? Even such were the steeds yoked unto\nhis golden car. Even such were the steeds yoked thereto by that foremost\nof human heroes. Mounted on his own excellent car decked with pure gold,\nwhy, O son, could he not cross the sea of the Pandava army? What feats\nwere achieved in battle by Bharadwaja's son, that warrior who always drew\ntears from other heroes, and upon whose knowledge (of weapons) all the\nbowmen of the world rely? Firmly adhering to truth, and endued with great\nmight, what, indeed, did Drona do in battle? Who were those car-warriors\nthat encountered that achiever of fierce deeds, that foremost of all\nwielders of the bow, that first of heroes, who resembled Sakra himself in\nheaven? Did the Pandava fly away beholding him of the golden car and of\nmighty strength who invoked into existence celestial weapons? Or, did\nking Yudhishthira the just, with his younger brothers, and having the\nprince of Panchala (Dhrishtadyumna) for his binding chord,[13] attack\nDrona, surrounding him with his troops on all sides? Verily, Partha must\nhave, with his straight shafts, checked all the other car-warriors, and\nthen Prishata's son of sinful deeds must have surrounded Drona. I do not\nsee any other warrior, save the fierce Dhrishtadyumna protected by\nArjuna, who could have compassed the death of that mighty hero. It seems\nthat when those heroes, viz., the Kekayas, the Chedis, the Karushas, the\nMatsyas, and the other kings, surrounding the preceptor, pressed him\nexceedingly like ants pressing upon a snake, while he was engaged in some\ndifficult feat, the wretched Dhrishtadyumna must have slain him then.\nThis is what I think. He who, having studied the four Vedas with their\nbranches and the histories forming the fifth (Veda), became the refuge of\nthe Brahmanas, as the ocean is of rivers, that scorcher of foes, who\nlived both as a Brahmana and as a Kshatriya, alas, how could that\nBrahmana, reverend in years, meet with his end at the edge of a weapon?\nOf a proud spirit, he was yet often humiliated and had to suffer pain on\nmy account. However undeserving of it, he yet attained at the hands of\nKunti's son, the fruit of his own conduct.[14] He, upon whose feats\ndepend all wielders of bows in the world, alas, how could that hero,\nfirmly adhering to truth and possessed of great skill, be slain by\npersons desirous of affluence? Foremost in the world like Sakra himself\nin heaven, of great might and great energy, alas, how could he be slain\nby the Parthas, like the whale by the smaller fish? He, from whose\npresence no warrior desirous of victory could ever escape with life, he\nwhom, while alive, these two sounds never left, viz., the sound of the\nVedas by those desirous of Vedic lore, and the twang of bows caused by\nthose desirous of skill in bowmanship, he who was never cheerless, alas,\nthat tiger among men, that hero endued with prosperity and never\nvanquished in battle, that warrior of prowess equal to that of the lion\nor the elephant, hath been slain. Verily, I cannot bear the idea of his\ndeath. How could Prishata's son, in the sight of the foremost of men,\nslay in battle that invincible warrior whose might was never humiliated\nand whose fame was never tarnished? Who were they that fought in Drona's\nvan, protecting him, standing by his side? Who proceeded in his rear and\nobtained that end which is so difficult of attainment? Who were those\nhigh-souled warriors that protected the right and the left wheels of\nDrona? Who were in the van of that hero while he struggled in battle? Who\nwere they that, reckless of their lives on that occasion, met with death\nwhich stood face to face with them? Who were those heroes that went in\nthe last journey in Drona's battle? Did any of those Kshatriyas that were\nassigned for Drona's protection, proving false, abandon that hero in\nbattle? Was he slain by the foe after such desertion and while alone?\nDrona would never, from fear, show his back in battle, however great the\ndanger. How then was he slain by the foe? Even in great distress, O\nSanjaya, an illustrious person should do this, viz., put forth his\nprowess according to the measure of his might. All this was in Drona; O\nchild, I am losing my senses. Let this discourse be suspended for a\nwhile. After regaining my senses I will once more ask thee, O Sanjaya!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION X\n\nVaisampayana said, \"Having addressed the Suta's son in this way,\nDhritarashtra, afflicted with excessive grief of heart and hopeless of\nhis son's victory, fell down on the ground. Beholding him deprived of his\nsenses and fallen down, his attendants sprinkled him with perfumed and\ncold water, fanning him the while. Seeing him fallen, the Bharata ladies\nO king, surrounded him on all sides and gently rubbed him with their\nhands. And slowly raising the king from the ground, those royal ladies,\ntheir voices choked with tears, seated him on his seat. Seated, the King\ncontinued to be under the influence of that swoon. And he remained\nperfectly motionless, while they fanned him standing around. And a\ntremour then passed over the monarch's body and he slowly regained his\nsenses. And once more he began to interrogate Gavalgana's son of the Suta\ncaste about the incidents, as they occurred in the battle.\"\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, '[That Ajatasatru] who, like the risen sun,\ndispelleth darkness by his own light; who rusheth against a foe as a\nswift and angry elephant with rent temples, incapable of being vanquished\nby hostile leaders of herds, rusheth against a rival proceeding with\ncheerful face towards a female of the species in lust, O, what warriors\n(of my army) resisted that Ajatasatru as he came, for keeping him away\nfrom Drona?[15] That hero, that foremost of persons, who hath slain many\nbrave warriors (of my army) in battle, that mighty-armed and intelligent\nand courageous prince of unbaffled prowess, who, unassisted by any one,\ncan consume the entire host of Duryodhana by means of his terrible\nglances alone, that slayer by his sight, that one bent on winning\nvictory, that bowman, that hero of unfading glory, that self-restrained\nmonarch who is revered by the whole world, O, who were those heroes (of\nmy army) that surrounded that warrior?[16] That invincible prince, that\nbowman of unfading glory, that tiger among men, that son of Kunti, who\nadvancing with great celerity came upon Drona, that mighty warrior who\nalways achieves grand feats against the foe, that hero of gigantic fame\nand great courage, who in strength is equal to ten thousand elephants, O,\nwhat brave combatants of my army surrounded that Bhimasena as he rushed\nupon my host? When that car-warrior of exceeding energy, viz., Vibhatsu,\nlooking like a mass of clouds, came, emitting thunderbolts like the\nclouds themselves, shooting showers of arrows like Indra pouring rain,\nand making all the points of the compass resound with the slaps of his\npalms and the rattle of his car-wheels, when that hero whose bow was like\nthe lightning's flash and whose car resembled a cloud having for its\nroars the rattle of its wheels (when that hero came) the whizz of whose\narrows made him exceedingly fierce, whose wrath resembles an awful cloud,\nand who is fleet as the mind or the tempest, who always pierces the foe\ndeep into his very vitals, who, armed with shafts, is terrible to look\nat, who like Death himself bathes all the points of the compass with\nhuman blood in profusion, and who, with fierce uproar and awful visage,\nwielding the bow Gandiva incessantly pours on my warriors headed by\nDuryodhana shafts whetted on stone and furnished with vultures' feathers,\nalas, when that hero of great intelligence came upon you, what became the\nstate of your mind? When that warrior having the huge ape on his banner\ncame, obstructing the welkin with dense showers of arrows, what became\nthat state of your mind at sight of that Partha? Did Arjuna advance upon\nyou, slaying your troops with the twang of the Gandiva and achieving\nfierce feats on the way? Did Duryodhana take, with his shafts, your\nlives, like the tempest destroying gathering masses of clouds or felling\nforests of reeds, blowing through them? What man is there that is capable\nof bearing in battle the wielder of the Gandiva? Hearing only that he is\nstationed at the head of the (hostile) force, the heart of every foe\nseems to rend in twain. In that battle in which the troops trembled and\neven heroes were struck with fear, who were they that did not desert\nDrona, and who were those cowards that abandoned him from fear? Who were\nthey that, reckless of their lives met Death himself, standing face to\nface with them, in the shape of Dhananjaya, who hath vanquished even\nsuperhuman combatants in battle? My troops are incapable of bearing the\nimpetus of that warrior having white steeds yoked unto his car and the\ntwang of Gandiva, that resembles the roll of the very clouds. That car\nwhich has Vishnu himself for its driver and Dhananjaya for its warrior,\nthat car I regard to be incapable of being vanquished by the very gods\nand the Asuras united together. Delicate, young, and brave, and of a very\nhandsome countenance, that son of Pandu who is gifted with intelligence\nand skill and wisdom and whose prowess incapable of being baffled in\nbattle, when Nakula with loud noise and afflicting all hostile warriors,\nrushed at Drona, what heroes (of my army) surrounded him? When Sahadeva\nwho resembles an angry snake of virulent poison, when that hero owning\nwhite steeds and invincible in battle, observant of laudable vows,\nincapable of being baffled in his purposes, gifted with modesty, and\nnever vanquished in fight, came upon us, what heroes (of our army)\nsurrounded him? That warrior who, having crushed the mighty host of the\nSauvira king, took for his wife the beautiful Bhoja maiden of symmetrical\nlimbs, that bull among men, viz., Yuyudhana, in whom are always truth and\nfirmness and bravery and Brahmacharya, that warrior gifted with great\nmight, always practising truth, never cheerless, never vanquished, who in\nbattle is equal to Vasudeva and is regarded as his second self, who,\nthrough Dhananjaya's instructions, hath become foremost in the use of\narrows, and who is equal to Partha himself in weapons, O, what warrior\n(of my army) resisted that Satyaki, for keeping him away from Drona? The\nforemost hero among the Vrishnis, exceedingly brave among all bowmen,\nequal to Rama himself in (knowledge and the use of) weapons and in\nprowess and fame, (know, O Sanjaya, that) truth and firmness,\nintelligence and heroism, and knowledge of Brahma, and high weapons, are\nall in him (Satyaki) of the Satwata race, as the three worlds are in\nKesava. What heroes (of my army), approaching that mighty bowman,\nSatyaki, possessed of all those accomplishments and incapable of being\nresisted by the very gods, surrounded him? The foremost among the\nPanchalas, possessed of heroism, high-born and the favourite of all\nhigh-born heroes, ever achieving good deeds in battle, viz., Uttamaujas,\nthat Prince ever engaged in the welfare of Arjuna, born for only my evil,\nequal unto Yama, or Vaisravana, or Aditya, or Mahendra, or Varuna, that\nprince regarded as a mighty car-warrior and prepared to lay down his life\nin the thick of battle, O, what heroes (of my army) surrounded him? Who\n(amongst my warriors) opposed Dhrishtaketu, that single warrior amongst\nthe Chedis who, deserting them, hath embraced the side of the Pandavas,\nwhile he rushed upon Drona? Who resisted the heroic Ketumat for keeping\nhim away from Drona, the brave Ketumat who slew prince Durjaya while the\nlatter had taken shelter in Girivraja? What heroes (of my army)\nsurrounded Sikhandin, that tiger among men, who knows the merits and\ndemerits (in his own person) of manhood and femininity, that son of\nYajnasena, who is always cheerful in battle, that hero who became the\ncause of the high-souled Bhishma's death in battle, when he rushed\ntowards Drona? That foremost hero of the Vrishni race, that chief of all\nbowmen, that brave warrior in whom all accomplishments exist in a greater\ndegree than in Dhananjaya himself, in whom are ever weapons and truth\nand Brahmacharya, who is equal to Vasudeva in energy and Dhananjaya in\nstrength, who in splendour is equal to Aditya and in intelligence to\nVrihaspati, viz., the high-souled Abhimanyu, resembling Death himself\nwith wide-open mouth, O what heroes (of my army) surrounded him when he\nrushed towards Drona? That youth of vigorous understanding, that slayer\nof hostile heroes, viz., Subhadra's son, O, when he rushed towards Drona,\nwhat became the state of your mind? What heroes surrounded those tigers\namong men, viz., the sons of Draupadi, when they rushed in battle against\nDrona like rivers rushing towards the sea? Those children who, giving up\nall (childish) sports for twelve years, and observing excellent vows,\nwaited upon Bhishma for the sake of weapons, those children, viz.,\nKshatranjaya and Kshatradeva and Kshatravarman and Manada, those heroic\nsons of Dhrishtadyumna, O, who resisted them, seeking to keep them away\nfrom Drona? He whom the Vrishnis regarded as superior in battle to a\nhundred car-warriors, O, who resisted that great bowman, viz., Chekitana,\nfor keeping him away from Drona? Those five Kekaya brothers, virtuous and\npossessed of prowess, incapable of being baffled, resembling (in hue) the\ninsects called Indragopakas, with red coats of mail, red weapons and red\nbanners, those heroes that are the maternal cousins of the Pandavas and\nthat always wish for victory unto the latter, O, what heroes (of my army)\nsurrounded those valiant princes when they rushed towards Drona for\nslaying him? That lord of battle, that foremost of bowmen, that hero of\nunbaffled aim and great strength, that tiger among men, viz., Yuyutsu,\nwhom many wrathful kings battling together for six months at Varanavata\nfrom desire of slaying him could not vanquish, and who in battle at\nVaranasi overthrew with a broad-headed arrow that mighty car-warrior,\nviz., the prince of Kasi, desirous of seizing (at a Swayamvara) a maiden\nfor wife, O, what hero (of my army) resisted him? That mighty bowman,\nviz., Dhrishtadyumna, who is the chief counsellor of the Pandavas, who is\nengaged in doing evil to Duryodhana, who was created for Drona's\ndestruction, O, what heroes (of my army) surrounded him when he came\ntowards Drona, breaking through all my ranks and consuming all my\nwarriors in battle? That foremost of all persons conversant with weapons,\nwho has been reared almost on Drupada's lap, O, what warriors (of my\narmy) surrounded that Sikhandin protected by (Arjuna's) weapons, for\nkeeping him away from Drona? He who encompassed this earth by the loud\nrattle of his car as by a leathern belt, that mighty car-warrior and\nforemost of all slayers of foes, who, as (a substitute for) all\nsacrifices, performed, without hindrance, ten Horse sacrifices with\nexcellent food and drink and gifts in profusion, who ruled his subjects\nas if they were his children, that Usinara's son who in sacrifices gave\naway kine countless as the grains of sand in the Ganga's stream, whose\nfeat none amongst men have been or will ever be able to imitate, after\nthe performance of whose difficult feats the very gods had cried out,\nsaying, 'We do not see in the three worlds with their mobile and immobile\ncreatures a second person other than Usinara's son who was, has ever\nbeen, or will ever be born, who hath attained to regions (in after-life)\nwhich are unattainable by human beings, O, who (amongst my army) resisted\nthat Saivya, that grandson of that Usinara's son, while he came upon\n(Drona)? What heroes (of my army) surrounded the car-division of that\nslayer of foes, viz. Virata, the king of the Matsyas, while it reached\nDrona in battle? Who kept away from Drona the gigantic Ghatotkacha, that\nthorn (on the side), of my sons, that warrior who always wishes victory\nunto the Pandavas, that heroic Rakshasa, possessed of extensive powers of\nillusion, endued with great strength and great prowess, and born of Bhima\nin course of a single day, and of whom I entertain very great fears?[17]\nWhat, O Srinjaya, can remain unconquered by them for whose sake these and\nmany others are prepared to lay down their lives in battle? How can the\nsons of Pritha meet with defeat, they, viz., that have the greatest of\nall beings, the wielder of the bow called Sarnga, for their refuge and\nbenefactor? Vasudeva is, indeed, the great Master of all the worlds, the\nLord of all, and Eternal! Of celestial soul and infinite power, Narayana\nis the refuge of men in battle. The wise recite his celestial feats. I\nalso will recite them with devotion, for recovering my firmness!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XI\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Hear, O Sanjaya, the celestial feats of Vasudeva,\nfeats that Govinda achieved and the like of which no other person hath\never been able to achieve. Whilst being brought up, O Sanjaya, in the\nfamily of the cowherd (Nanda), that high-souled one, while yet a boy,\nmade the might of his arms known to the three worlds. Even then he slew\nHayaraja, living in the woods (on the shores) of the Yamuna, who was\nequal to (the celestial steed) Uchchaisravas in strength and the wind\nitself in speed.[18] In childhood, he also slew with his two bare arms,\nthe Danava, in the form of a bull, of terrible deeds, and risen like\nDeath himself unto all the kine. Of eyes like the lotus petals, he also\nslew the mighty Asuras named Pralamva, and Naraka, and Jambha, and Pitha,\nas also Mura, that terror of the celestials. And so also Kansa of mighty\nenergy, who was, besides, protected by Jarasandha, was, with all his\nfollowers, slain in battle by Krishna aided by his prowess alone.[19]\nWith Valadeva as his second, that slayer of foes, viz., Krishna, consumed\nin battle, with all his troops, the king of the Surasenas, viz., Sunaman,\nof great activity and prowess in battle, the lord of a full Akshauhini,\nand the valiant second brother of Kansa, the king of the Bhojas. The\nhighly wrathful regenerate Rishi (gratified with the adoration) gave him\nboons.[20] Of eyes like the lotus petals, and endued with great bravery,\nKrishna, vanquishing all the kings at a self-choice, bore away the\ndaughter of the king of the Gandharas. Those angry kings, as if they were\nhorses by birth, were yoked unto his nuptial car and were lacerated with\nthe whip. The mighty-armed Janardana also caused Jarasandha, the lord of\na full Akshauhini of troops, to be slain through the instrumentality of\nanother.[21] The mighty Krishna also slew the valiant king of Chedis,\nthat leader of kings, as if he were some animal, on the occasion of the\nlatter's disputing about the Arghya. Putting forth his prowess, Madhava\nhurled unto the sea the Daitya city called Saubha, (moving) in the skies,\nprotected by Salwa, and regarded as impregnable. The Angas, the Vangas,\nthe Kalingas, the Magadhas, the Kasis, the Kosalas, the Vatsyas, the\nGargyas, the Karushas and the Paundras,--all these he vanquished in\nbattle. The Avantis, the Southerners, the Mountaineers, the Daserakas,\nthe Kasmirakas, the Aurasikas, the Pisachas, the Samudgalas, the\nKamvojas, the Vatadhanas, the Cholas, the Pandyas, O Sanjaya, the\nTrigartas, the Malavas, the Daradas difficult of being vanquished, the\nKhasas arrived from diverse realms, as also the Sakas, and the Yavanas\nwith followers, were all vanquished by him of eyes like lotus-petals. In\ndays of old, penetrating into the very sea, he vanquished in battle\nVaruna himself in those watery depths, surrounded by all kinds of aquatic\nanimals. Slaying in battle (the Danava named) Panchajanya living in the\ndepths of Patala, Hrishikesa obtained the celestial conch called\nPanchajanya. The mighty Kesava, accompanied by Partha, having gratified\nAgni at Khandava, obtained his invincible weapon of fire, viz., his\ndiscus (called Sudarsana). Riding on Vinata's son and frightening (the\ndenizens of) Amaravati, the heroic Krishna brought from Mahendra himself\n(the celestial flower called) Parijata. Knowing Krishna's prowess, Sakra\nquietly bore that act.[22] We have never heard that there is any one\namong the kings who has not been vanquished by Krishna. That exceedingly\nwonderful feat also, O Sanjaya, which the lotus-eyed one performed in my\ncourt, who else is capable of performing it? And since, humbled by\ndevotion, I was suffered to behold Krishna as the Supreme Lord;\neverything (about that feat) is well-known to me, myself having witnessed\nit with my own eyes. O Sanjaya, the end can never be seen of the\n(infinite) achievements of Hrishikesa of great energy and great\nintelligence. Gada, and Samva, and Pradyumna, and Viduratha, and\nCharudeshna, and Sarana, and Ulmukha, and Nisatha, and the valiant\nJhilivabhru, and Prithu, and Viprithu, and Samika, and Arimejaya,--these\nand other mighty Vrishni heroes, accomplished in smiting, will, standing\non the field of battle, take up their position in the Pandava host, when\nsummoned by that Vrishni hero, viz., the high-souled Kesava. Everything\n(on my side) will then be in great danger. Even this is what I think. And\nthere where Janardana is, there will be the heroic Rama, equal in\nstrength to ten thousand elephants, resembling the Kailasa peak, decked\nwith garlands of wild flowers, and armed with the plough. That Vasudeva,\nO Sanjaya, whom all the regenerate ones describe as the Father of all,\nwill that Vasudeva fight for the sake of the Pandavas? O son, O Sanjaya,\nif he puts on his armour for the sake of the Pandavas, there is none\namongst us who can be his antagonist. If the Kauravas happen to vanquish\nthe Pandavas, he, of the Vrishni race, will then, for the sake of the\nlatter, take up his mighty weapon. And that tiger among men, that\nmighty-armed one, slaying then all the kings in battle as also the\nKauravas, will give away the whole earth to Kunti's son. What car will\nadvance in battle against that car which has Hrishikesa for its driver\nand Dhananjaya for its warrior? The Kurus cannot, by any means, gain\nvictory. Tell me then everything about how the battle took place. Arjuna\nis Kesava's life and Krishna is always victory; in Krishna is always\nfame. In all the worlds, Vibhatsu is invincible. In Kesava are infinite\nmerits in excess. The foolish Duryodhana, who doth not know Krishna or\nKesava, seems, through Destiny, to have Death's noose before him. Alas,\nDuryodhana knows not Krishna of Dasarha's race and Arjuna the son of\nPandu. These high-souled ones are ancient gods. They are even Nara and\nNarayana. On earth they are seen by men as two separate forms, though in\nreality they are both possessed but by one soul. With the mind alone,\nthat invincible pair, of world-wide fame, can, if only they wish it,\ndestroy this host. Only, in consequence of their humanity they do not\nwish it.[23] Like a change of the Yuga, the death of Bhishma, O child,\nand the slaughter of the high-souled Drona, overturn the senses. Indeed,\nneither by Brahmacharya, nor by the study of the Vedas, nor by\n(religious) rites, nor by weapons, can any one prevent death. Hearing of\nthe slaughter of Bhishma and Drona, those heroes accomplished in weapons,\nrespected by all the worlds, and invincible in battle, why O Sanjaya, do\nI yet live? In consequence of the death of Bhishma and Drona, O Sanjaya,\nwe will henceforth have to live as dependants on that prosperity\nbeholding which in Yudhishthira we had before been so jealous. Indeed,\nthis destruction of the Kurus hath come in consequence only of my acts. O\nSuta, in killing these that are ripe for destruction, the very straw\nbecomes thunderbolt. That prosperity is without end in this world which\nYudhishthira is about to obtain--Yudhishthira through whose wrath both\nBhishma and Drona have fallen. In consequence of his very disposition,\nhath Righteousness gone over to the side of Yudhishthira, while it is\nhostile to my son. Alas, time, so cruel, that hath now come for the\ndestruction of all, cannot be overcome. Things calculated in one way, O\nson, even by men of intelligence, become otherwise through Destiny. This\nis what I think. Therefore, tell me everything that has taken place\nduring the progress of this unavoidable and dreadful calamity productive\nof the most sorrowful reflection incapable of being crossed over (by\nus).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Yes, as I saw everything with my own eyes, I will\ndescribe to thee how Drona fell down, slain by the Pandavas and the\nSrinjayas. Having obtained the command of the troops, that mighty\ncar-warrior, viz., Bharadwaja's son, said these words unto thy son in the\nmidst of all the troops, \"Inasmuch as, O king, thou hast honoured me with\nthe command of the troops immediately after that bull among the Kauravas,\nviz., the son of the Ocean-going (Ganga), take thou, O Bharata, the\nadequate fruit of that act of thine. What business of thine shall I now\nachieve? Ask thou the boon that thou desirest.\" Then king Duryodhana\nhaving consulted with Karna and Duhsasana and others, said unto the\npreceptor, that invincible warrior and foremost of all victors, these\nwords, \"If thou wouldst give me a boon, then, seizing that foremost of\ncar-warriors, viz., Yudhishthira, alive, bring him unto me here.\" Then\nthat preceptor of the Kurus, hearing those words of thy son, returned him\nthe following answer, gladdening all the troops therewith. \"Praised be\nKunti's son (Yudhishthira) whose seizing only thou desirest. O thou that\nart difficult of being vanquished, thou askest not any other boon (one\nfor example) for his slaughter. For what reason, O tiger among men, dost\nthou not desire his death? Thou art, without doubt, O Duryodhana, not\nignorant of policy. Why, therefore, dost thou not allude to Yudhishthira's\ndeath? It is a matter of great wonder that king Yudhishthira, the just,\nhath no enemy desirous of his death. Inasmuch as thou wishest him to be\nalive, thou (either) seekest to preserve thy race from extinction, or, O\nchief of the Bharatas, thou, having vanquished the Pandavas in battle,\nart desirous of establishing brotherly relation (with them) by giving\nthem their kingdom. Auspicious was the birth of that intelligent prince.\nTruly is he called Ajatasatru (the foeless one), for even thou bearest\naffection for him.\" Thus addressed by Drona, O Bharata, the feeling that\nis ever present in thy son's breast suddenly made itself known. Not even\npersons like Vrihaspati can conceal the expressions of their countenance.\nFor this, thy son, O king, filled with joy, said these words, \"By the\nslaughter of Kunti's son in battle, O preceptor, victory cannot be mine.\nIf Yudhishthira were slain, Partha then, without doubt, would slay all of\nus. All of them, again, cannot be slain by the very gods. He amongst them\nthat will, in that case, survive, will exterminate us. Yudhishthira,\nhowever, is truthful in his promises. If brought hither (alive),\nvanquished once more at dice, the Pandavas will once more go to the\nwoods, for they are all obedient to Yudhishthira. It is evident that such\na victory will be an enduring one. It is for this that I do not, by any\nmeans, desire the slaughter of king Yudhishthira the just.\" Ascertaining\nthis crooked purpose of Duryodhana, Drona who was conversant with the\ntruths of the science of profit and gifted with great intelligence,\nreflected a little and gave him the boon circumscribing it in the\nfollowing way.\n\n\"'Drona said, \"If the heroic Arjuna do not protect Yudhishthira in battle,\nthou mayst think the eldest Pandava as already brought under thy control.\nAs regards Partha, the very gods and the Asuras together headed by Indra,\ncannot advance against him in battle. It is for this that I dare not do\nwhat thou askest me to do. Without doubt, Arjuna is his disciple, and I was\nhis first preceptor in arms. He is, however, young, endued with great\ngood fortune, and excessively intent (on the achievement of his\npurposes). He hath obtained, again, many weapons from Indra and Rudra. He\nhath besides been provoked by thee. I dare not, therefore, do what thou\naskest me. Let Arjuna be removed, by whatsoever means that can be done,\nfrom the battle. Upon Partha being withdrawn, thou mayst regard king\nYudhishthira as already vanquished. Upon his seizure is victory and not\nupon his slaughter, O bull among men! Even by stratagem, can his seizure\nbe accomplished. Seizing that king devoted to truth and righteousness, I\nwill, without doubt, O monarch, bring him to thy control this very day,\nif he stays before me in battle even for a moment, of course, if\nDhananjaya, the son of Kunti, that tiger among men, be withdrawn from the\nfield. In Phalguni's presence, however, O king, Yudhishthira is incapable\nof being taken in battle even by the gods and the Asuras headed by Indra.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'After Drona had promised the king's seizure even\nunder these limitations, thy foolish sons regarded Yudhishthira as\nalready taken. Thy son (Duryodhana) knew Drona's partiality for the\nPandavas. In order to make Drona stick to his promise, therefore, he\ndivulged those counsels. Then, O chastiser of foes, the fact of Drona's\nhaving promised to seize the (eldest) Pandava was proclaimed by\nDuryodhana unto all his troops.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After Drona had promised the kings seizure under those\nlimitations, thy troops hearing of (that promise about) Yudhishthira's\ncapture, uttered many leonine shouts, mingling them with the whiz of\ntheir arrows and the blare of their conchs. King Yudhishthira the just,\nhowever, O Bharata, soon learnt in detail, through his spies, everything\nabout the purpose upon which Bharadwaja's son was intent. Then bringing\ntogether all his brothers and all the other kings of his army, king\nYudhishthira the just addressed Dhananjaya, saying, \"Thou hast heard, O\ntiger among men, about the intention of Drona. Let such measures,\ntherefore, be adopted as may prevent the accomplishment of that purpose.\nIt is true, Drona, that grinder of foes, hath vowed his pledge, subject\nto limitations, however, O great bowman, rest on thee. Fight thou,\ntherefore, today, O thou of mighty arms, in my vicinity, so that\nDuryodhana may not obtain from Drona the fruition of his desire.\"\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"As the slaughter of my preceptor can never be accomplished\nby me, so, king, I can never consent to give thee up. O son of Pandu, I\nwould rather yield up my life in battle than fight against my preceptor.\nThis son of Dhritarashtra desireth sovereignty, having seized thee as a\ncaptive in battle. In this world he will never obtain the fruition of\nthat desire of his. The firmament itself with its stars may fall down,\nthe Earth herself may split into fragments, yet Drona will, surely, never\nsucceed in seizing thee as long as I am alive. If the wielder of the\nthunderbolt himself, or Vishnu at the head of the gods, assist him in\nbattle, still he shall not succeed in seizing thee on the field. As long\nas I am alive, O great king, it behoveth thee not to entertain any fear\nof Drona, although he is the foremost of all wielders of weapons. I\nfurther say unto thee, O monarch, that my promise never remains\nunfulfilled. I do not recollect having ever spoken any untruth. I do not\nrecollect having ever been vanquished. I do not recollect having ever,\nafter making a vow, left the least part of it unfulfilled.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Then, O king, conchs and drums and cymbals and\nsmaller drums were sounded and beaten in the Pandava camp. And the\nhigh-souled Pandavas uttered many leonine shouts. These and the awful\ntwang of their bow-strings and the slaps of palms reached the very\nheaven. Hearing that loud blare of conchs that arose from the camp of the\nmighty sons of Pandu, diverse instruments were sounded amongst thy\ndivisions also. Then thy divisions as also those of theirs were arrayed\nin order of battle. And slowly they advanced against each other from\ndesire of battle. Then commenced a battle, that was fierce and that made\nthe hairs stand on their ends, between the Pandavas and the Kurus, and\nDrona and the Panchalas. The Srinjayas, though struggling vigorously,\nwere unable to beat in battle the host of Drona as it was protected by\nDrona himself. And so also the mighty car-warriors of thy son, skilled in\nsmiting, could not beat the Pandava host, as it was protected by the\nDiadem-decked (Arjuna). Protected by Drona and Arjuna, both the hosts\nseemed to stand inactive like two blossoming forests in the silence of\nthe night. Then he, of the golden car, (viz., Drona) like the Sun himself\nof great splendour, crushing the ranks of the Pandavas, careered through\nthem at will. And the Pandavas, and the Srinjayas, through fear, regarded\nthat single warrior of great activity upon his quickly-moving car as if\nmultiplied into many. Shot by him, terrible shafts coursed in all\ndirections, frightening, O king, the army of Pandu's son. Indeed, Drona\nthen seemed as the Sun himself at mid-day covered by a hundred rays of\nlight. And as the Danavas were unable to look at Indra, so there was not\none amongst the Pandavas, who, O monarch, was able to look at the angry\nson of Bharadwaja in that battle. The valiant son of Bharadwaja then,\nhaving confounded the (hostile) troops, speedily began to consume the\ndivision of Dhrishtadyumna by means of sharp shafts. And covering and\nobstructing all the points of the compass by means of his straight\nshafts, he began to crush the Pandava force even there, where Prishata's\nson was.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then Drona, causing a great confusion in the Pandava\nhost, careered through it, like a conflagration consuming (a forest of)\ntrees. Beholding that angry warrior, owning a golden car, consume their\ndivisions like a raging conflagration, the Srinjayas trembled (in fear).\nThe twang, in that battle, of the constantly stretched bow of that\nwarrior of great activity was heard to resemble the roar of the\nthunder.[24] Fierce shafts shot by Drona, endued with great lightness of\nhand, began to crush car-warriors and horsemen and elephant-warriors and\nfoot soldiers along with elephants and steeds. Showering his arrows as\nthe roaring clouds at the close of summer, assisted by the wind, pour\nhail-stones, he inspired fear in the hearts of the foe. Coursing (through\nthe hostile ranks), O king, and agitating the troops, the mighty Drona\nenhanced the unnatural fear entertained by the enemy. The gold-decked\nbow, on his quickly-moving car, was repeatedly seen to resemble the\nlightning's flash amid a mass of dark clouds. That hero, firm in truth,\nendued with wisdom, and always devoted, besides, to righteousness, caused\nan awful river of angry current, such as may be seen at the end of the\nYuga, to flow there. And that river had its source in the impetuosity of\nDrona's wrath, and it was haunted by crowds of carnivorous creatures. And\nthe combatants constituted the waves that filled its entire surface. And\nheroic warriors constituted the trees on its banks whose roots were\nconstantly eaten away by its current. And its waters were constituted by\nthe blood that was shed in that battle, and cars constituted its eddies,\nand elephants and steeds formed its banks. And costs of mail constituted\nits lilies, and the flesh of creatures the mire on its bed. And the fat,\nmarrow, and bones (of fallen animals and men) formed the sands on its\nbeach, and (fallen) head-gears its froth. And the battle itself that was\nfought there constituted the canopy above its surface. And lances\nconstituted the fish with which it abounded. And it was inaccessible in\nconsequence of the large number of (slain) men, elephants, and steeds\n(that fell in it). And the impetus of the shaft shot constituted its\ncurrent. And the slain bodies themselves constituted the timber floating\non it. And cars constituted its tortoises. And heads constituted the\nstones scattered on its banks and bed, and scimitars, its fish in\nprofusion. And cars and elephants formed its lakes. And it was decked\nwith many adornments. And mighty car-warriors constituted its hundreds of\nlittle whirlpools. And the dust of the earth constituted its wavelets.\nAnd capable of being easily crossed by those possessed of exceeding\nenergy, it was incapable of being crossed by the timid. And heaps of dead\nbodies constituted the sand-banks obstructing its navigation. And it was\nthe haunt of Kankas and vultures and other birds of prey. And it carried\naway thousands of mighty-car-warriors to the abode of Yama. And long\nspears constituted the snakes that infested it in profusion. And the\nliving combatants constituted the fowls sporting on its waters.[25] Torn\numbrellas constituted its large swans. Diadems formed the (smaller) birds\nthat adorned it. Wheels constituted its turtles, and maces its\nalligators, and arrows its smaller fish. And it was the resort of\nfrightful swarms of crows and vultures and jackals. And that river, O\nbest of kings, bore away in hundreds, to the region of the Pitris, the\ncreatures that were slain by Drona in battle. Obstructed by hundreds of\nbodies (floating on it), the hair (of slain warriors and animals)\nconstituted its moss and weeds. Even such was the river, enhancing the\nfears of the timid, that Drona caused to flow there.[26]\n\n\"'And when Drona was thus grinding the hostile army hither and thither,\nthe Pandava warriors headed by Yudhishthira rushed at that mighty\ncar-warrior from all sides. Then seeing them thus rushing (towards\nDrona), brave combatants of thy army, possessed of unyielding prowess,\nrushed from every side. And the battle that thereupon ensued made the\nhair stand on end. Sakuni, full of a hundred kinds of deceit, rushed\ntowards Sahadeva, and pierced the latter's charioteer, and standard, and\ncar, with many keen-pointed shafts. Sahadeva, however, without being much\nexcited, cutting off Sauvala's standard and bow and car-driver and car,\nwith sharp arrows, pierced Sauvala himself with sixty shafts. Thereupon,\nSuvala's son, taking up mace, jumped down from his excellent car, and\nwith that mace, O king, he felled Sahadeva's driver from the latter's\ncar. Then these two heroic and mighty warriors, O monarch, both deprived\nof car, and both armed with mace, sported in battle like two crests of\nhills. Drona, having pierced the ruler of the Panchalas with ten shafts,\nwas, in return, pierced by the latter with many shafts. And the latter\nwas again pierced by Drona with a larger number of shafts. Bhimasena\npierced Vivinsati with sharp arrows. The latter, however, thus pierced,\ntrembled not, which seemed to be highly wonderful. Vivinsati then, O\nmonarch, suddenly deprived Bhimasena of his steeds and standard and bow.\nAnd thereupon all the troops worshipped him for that feat. The heroic\nBhimasena, however, brooked not that exhibition of prowess by his enemy\nin battle. With his mace, therefore, he slew the well-trained steeds of\nVivinsati. Then the mighty Vivinsati, taking up a shield (and sword)\njumped down from that car whose steeds had been slain, and rushed against\nBhimasena like an infuriated elephant rushing against an infuriated\ncompeer. The heroic Salya, laughing the while, pierced, as if in\ndalliance, his own dear nephew, Nakula, with many shafts for angering\nhim. The valiant Nakula, however, cutting off his uncle's steeds and\numbrella and standard and charioteer and bow in that battle, blew his\nconch. Dhrishtaketu, engaged with Kripa, cut off diverse kinds of arrows\nshot at him by the latter, and then pierced Kripa, with seventy arrows.\nAnd then he cut off the device of Kripa's standard with three arrows.\nKripa, however, began to oppose him with a thick shower of arrows. And\nresisting him in this way, the Brahmana fought on with Dhrishtaketu.\nSatyaki, laughing the while, pierced Kritavarman in the centre of the\nchest with a long arrow. And piercing him then with seventy arrows, he\nonce more pierced him with many others. The Bhoja warrior, however, in\nreturn, pierced Satyaki with seventy arrows of keen points. Like the\nswiftly-coursing winds failing to move a mountain, Kritavarman was unable\nto move Satyaki or make him tremble. Senapati deeply struck Susarman in\nhis vitals. Susarman also struck his antagonist with a lance on the\nshoulder-joint. Virata, aided by his Matsya warriors of great energy,\nresisted Vikartana's son in that battle. And that feat (of the Matsya\nking) seemed highly wonderful. Even this was regarded as an act of great\nvalour on the part of the Suta's son, in that, he singly resisted that\nwhole force by means of his straight shafts. King Drupada was engaged\nwith Bhagadatta. And the battle between those two warriors became\nbeautiful to behold. That bull among men, viz., Bhagadatta, pierced king\nDrupada and his driver and standard and car with many straight shafts.\nThen Drupada, excited with wrath, quickly pierced that mighty car-warrior\nin the chest with a straight shaft. Those two foremost of warriors on\nearth, viz., Somadatta's son and Sikhandin, both conversant with every\nweapon, encountered each other in fierce battle that made all creatures\ntremble with fear. The valiant Bhurisravas, O king, covered that mighty\ncar-warrior, Yajnasena's son Sikhandin, with a thick shower of arrows.\nSikhandin, then O monarch, excited with wrath, pierced Somadatta's son\nwith ninety shafts, and caused him, O Bharata, to tremble. Those\nRakshasas of fierce deeds, viz., Hidimba's son and Alamvusha, each\ndesirous of vanquishing the other, battled most wonderfully. Both capable\nof creating a hundred illusions, both swelling with pride, battled with\neach other most wonderfully, relying on their powers of illusion, and\neach desirous of vanquishing the other. The fierce Chekitana battled with\nAnuvinda. They coursed on the field, disappearing at times, and causing\ngreat wonder. Lakshmana fought fiercely with Kshatradeva, even as Vishnu,\nO monarch, in days of old, with the (Asura) Hiranyaksha. With his fleet\nsteeds and upon his car duly equipped, Paurava, O king, roared at\nAbhimanyu. Endued with great might, Paurava then rushed at Abhimanyu,\ndesirous of battle. Then that chastiser of foes, viz., Abhimanyu fought\nfiercely with that foe. Paurava covered Subhadra's son with a thick\nshower of arrows. Thereupon, Arjuna's son felled his antagonist's\nstandard and umbrella and bow on earth.[27] Then piercing Paurava with\nseven arrows, Subhadra's son pierced the latter's driver and steeds with\nfive arrows. Gladdening his troops thus, he then repeatedly roared like a\nlion. Then Arjuna's son quickly fixed an arrow on his bow-string that was\ncertain to take away Paurava's life. Beholding however, that arrow of\nfrightful mien fixed on Abhimanyu's bow-string, Hridika's son, with two\nshafts, cut off that bow and arrow. Then that slayer of hostile heroes,\nviz., Subhadra's son, throwing aside that broken bow, took up a bright\nsword and a shield. Whirling with great speed that shield decked with\nmany stars, and whirling that sword also, he coursed on the field,\nexhibiting his prowess. Whirling them before him, and whirling them on\nhigh, now shaking them and now jumping up himself, from the manner of his\nhandling those weapons, it seemed that (with him) there is no difference\nbetween that offensive and that defensive weapons. Jumping suddenly then\nupon the shafts of Paurava's car, he roared aloud. Mounting next upon his\ncar, he seized Paurava by the hair, and slaying meanwhile with a kick,\nthe latter's driver, he felled his standard with a stroke of his sword.\nAnd as regards Paurava himself, Abhimanyu raised him up, like the Garuda\nraising a snake from the bottom of the sea agitating the waters.\nThereupon, all the kings beheld Paurava (standing helpless) with\ndishevelled hair, and looking like an ox deprived of its senses while on\nthe point of being slain by a lion. Beholding Paurava thus prostrated,\nplaced under the control of Arjuna's son, and dragged helplessly,\nJayadratha was unable to brook it. Taking up a sword as also a shield\nthat bore the device of a peacock and was decked with a hundred bells of\nsmall size suspended in rows, Jayadratha jumped down from his car with a\nloud roar. Then Subhadra's son (Abhimanyu), beholding the ruler of the\nSindhus, let Paurava alone, and leaping up like a hawk from the latter's\ncar, quickly alighted on the earth. The lances and aves and scimitars\nhurled by his foes, Arjuna's son cut off by means of his sword or warded\noff by his shield. Thus showing unto all the warriors the strength of his\nown arms the mighty [and heroic] Abhimanyu, once more upraising his large\nand heavy sword as also his shield,[28] proceeded towards\nVriddhakshatra's son who was a sworn foe of his (Abhimanyu's) father,\nlike a tiger proceeding against an elephant. Approaching they cheerfully\nattacked each other with their swords like a tiger and a lion with their\nclaws and teeth. And none could notice any difference between those two\nlions among men as regards the whirl-strokes, and descent of their swords\nand shields.[29] And as regards the descent and the whiz of their swords,\nand the warding off of each other's blows, it seemed there was no\ndistinction between the two. Coursing beautifully in outward and inward\ntracks, those two illustrious warriors seemed to be like two winged\nmountains. Then Jayadratha struck on the shield of the renowned Abhimanyu\nwhen the latter stretched his sword for making a pass at him. Then, O\nBharata, Jayadratha's large sword sticking into Abhimanyu's shield\ncovered with golden plate, broke, as the ruler of the Sindhus attempted\nto draw it off forcibly. Seeing his sword broken, Jayadratha hastily\nretreated six steps and was seen within a twinkle of the eye to be\nmounted on his own car. Then Arjuna's son also, that combat with the\nsword being over, ascended his own excellent car. Many kings, then, of\nthe Kuru army, uniting together, surrounded him on all sides. The mighty\nson of Arjuna, however, eyeing Jayadratha, whirled his sword and shield,\nand uttered a loud shout. Having vanquished the ruler of the Sindhus,\nSubhadra's son, that slayer of hostile heroes, then began to scorch that\ndivision of the Kaurava army like Sun scorching the world. Then in that\nbattle Salya hurled at him a fierce dart made wholly of iron, decked with\ngold, and resembling a blazing flame of fire. Thereupon, Arjuna's son,\njumping up, caught hold of that dart, like Garuda catching a mighty snake\nfalling from above. And having seized it thus, Abhimanyu unsheathed his\nsword. Witnessing the great activity and might of that warrior of\nimmeasurable energy, all the kings together uttered a leonine shout. Then\nthat slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of Subhadra, hurled with the\nmight of his arms at Salya himself that very dart of great effulgence,\ndecked with stones of lapis lazuli. Resembling a snake that has recently\ncast off its slough, that dart, reaching Salya's car slew the latter's\ndriver and felled him from his niche of the vehicle. Then Virata and\nDrupada, and Dhrishtaketu, and Yudhishthira, and Satyaki, and Kekaya, and\nBhima, and Dhrishtadyumna, and Sikhandin, and the twins (Nakula and\nSahadeva), and the five sons of Draupadi, all exclaimed, \"Excellent!\nExcellent!\" And diverse kinds of sounds due to the shooting of arrows,\nand many leonine shouts, arose there, gladdening the unretreating son of\nArjuna. Thy sons, however, could not brook those indications of the\nvictory of their foe. Then all of them suddenly surrounded Subhadra's son\nand covered him, O king, with showers of arrows like the clouds pouring\nrain on the mountain-breast. Then that slayer of foes, viz., Artayani\n(Salya), wishing good of thy sons, and remembering the overthrow of his\nown driver, rushed in rage against Subhadra's son.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Thou hast, O Sanjaya, described to me many\nexcellent single combats. Hearing about them, I envy those that have\neyes. This battle between the Kurus and the Pandavas, resembling that (of\nold) between the gods and the Asuras, will be spoken of as exceedingly\nwonderful by all men. I am scarcely gratified by listening to thy\nnarrations of this stirring battle. Tell me, therefore, about this combat\nbetween Artayani (Salya) and Subhadra's son.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding his driver slain, Salya, upraising a mace made\nwholly of iron, jumped down in rage from his excellent car. Bhima, then\ntaking up his own huge mace, quickly rushed towards Salya who then\nresembled the blazing Yuga-fire or the Destroyer himself armed with his\nbludgeon. Subhadra's son also, taking up a prodigious mace resembling the\nbolt of heaven, addressed Salya, saying, \"Come, Come!\" Bhima, however,\nwith much ado, persuaded him to stand aside. The valiant Bhimasena, then,\nhaving persuaded Subhadra's son to stand aside, approached Salya in\nbattle and stood immovable as a hill. The mighty ruler of Madras also\nbeheld Bhima, and proceeded towards him like a tiger towards an elephant.\nThen was heard there the loud blare of trumpets and conchs by thousands\nand leonine shouts, and the sound of drums. And loud cries of \"Bravo,\nBravo,\" arose among hundreds of Pandava and Kaurava warriors rushing\ntowards each other. There is none else among all the kings, O Bharata,\nsave the ruler of Madras who can venture to bear the might of Bhimasena\nin battle; similarly, who else save Vrikodara, in the world, can venture\nto bear the impetus of the illustrious Salya's mace in battle? Bound in\nhempen strings mixed with wires of gold, the prodigious mace of Bhima,\ncapable of delighting by its beauty all spectators, being grasped by him,\nshone brilliantly. And similarly the mace of Salya, also, who coursed in\nbeautiful circles, looked like a blazing flash of lightning. Both of them\nroared like bulls, and both coursed in circles. And both Salya and\nVrikodara, standing as they did, with their maces slightly bent, looked\nlike a couple of horned bulls. Whether as regards coursing in circles or\nin whirling and striking with their maces, the combat that took place\nbetween those two lions among men was in every way equal. Struck by\nBhimasena with his mace, the prodigious mace of Salya, emitting fierce\nsparks of fire, soon broke unto fragments. And similarly, Bhimasena's\nmace, struck by the foe, looked beautiful like a tree covered with\nfire-flies during the season of rains at even-tide. And the mace that the\nruler of Madras hurled in that battle, irradiating the welkin, O Bharata,\nfrequently caused sparks of fire (to fly around). Similarly, the mace\nhurled by Bhimasena at the foe scorched his antagonist's forces like a\nfierce meteor falling down (from the firmament). And both those best of\nmaces, striking against each other, resembled sighing she-snakes and\ncaused flashes of fire. Like two large tigers attacking each other with\ntheir claws, or like two mighty elephants with their tusks, those mighty\nwarriors coursed in circles, encountering each other with those two\nforemost of maces, and soon covered with blood, those two illustrious\nwarriors seemed to resemble a couple of flowering Kinsukas. And the\nblows, loud as Indra's thunder, of the maces wielded by those two lions\namong men were heard on all sides. Struck by the ruler of Madras with his\nmace on both the left and the right side, Bhima moved not in the least,\nlike a hill riven by the thunder. Similarly, the mighty ruler of Madras,\nstruck by Bhima with his mace, patiently stood still like a hill struck\nwith the thunder. Both of them, with upraised maces, endued as they were\nwith great impetus, fell upon each other, coursing in shorter circles.\nQuickly nearing each other, then by eight steps and falling upon each\nother like two elephants, they suddenly struck each other with those\nmaces of theirs made entirely of iron. And each of those heroes, in\nconsequence of the other's impetuosity and violence being struck with\neach other's mace, fell down at the same instant of time like a couple of\nIndra's poles. Then the mighty car-warrior Kritavarman quickly approached\nSalya who, deprived of his senses, was breathing hard as he lay on the\nfield. And beholding him, O king, struck violently with the mace, and\nwrithing like a snake, and deprived of his senses in a swoon, the mighty\ncar-warrior Kritavarman, taking him upon his car, quickly bore the ruler\nof Madras away from the field. Reeling like a drunken man, the heroic\nBhima of mighty arms, rising up within the twinkling of an eye, stood\nmace in hand. Thy sons then, beholding the ruler of the Madras turn away\nfrom the fight, began, O sire, to tremble, along with their elephants,\nand foot-soldiers, and cavalry, and cars. Ground then by the Pandavas\ndesirous of victory, those warriors of thy army, struck with fear, fled\naway in all directions, like masses of clouds driven away by the wind.\nAnd those mighty car-warriors, viz., the Pandavas, having vanquished the\nDhritarashtras, looked resplendent in that battle, O king, like blazing\nfires. And they uttered loud leonine roars, and blew their conchs, elated\nwith joy. And they beat their drums, large and small, and cymbals and\nother instruments.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding that army of thine exceedingly broken, the\nvaliant Vrishasena, single-handed, began to protect it, O king,\ndisplaying the illusion of his weapons. Shot by Vrishasena in that\nbattle, thousands of arrows coursed in all directions, piercing through\nmen and steeds and cars and elephants. Mighty arrows, of blazing\neffulgence, shot by him, coursed in thousands, like the rays, O monarch,\nof the sun, in the summer season. Afflicted and crushed therewith, O\nking, car-warriors and horse-men, suddenly fell down on the earth, like\ntrees broken by the wind. The mighty car-warrior Vrishasena, O king,\nfelled large bodies of steeds, of cars and of elephants, in that battle,\nby thousands. Beholding that single warrior coursing fearlessly on the\nfield, all the kings (of the Pandava army) uniting together, surrounded\nhim on all sides. Nakula's son, Satanika, rushed at Vrishasena and\npierced him with ten arrows capable of penetrating into the vitals. The\nson of Karna, however, cutting off his bow, felled then his standard.\nThereupon, the other sons of Draupadi, desirous of rescuing that brother\nof theirs, rushed at him. And soon they made Karna's son invisible by\nmeans of their arrowy showers. Against them thus smiting (the son of\nKarna), many car-warriors headed by Drona's son (Aswatthaman) rushed. And\nthose, O monarch, quickly covered those mighty car-warriors, viz., the\nsons of Draupadi, with diverse kinds of arrows like clouds pouring rain\non mountain breasts. Thereupon, the Pandavas, from affection for their\nsons, quickly encountered those assailants. The battle then that took\nplace between thy troops and those of the Pandavas, was exceedingly\nfierce and made the hairs stand on their ends, resembling as it did that\nbetween the Gods and the Danavas. Even thus did the heroic Kauravas and\nthe Pandavas, excited with rage, fight, eyeing one another (furiously)\nand having incurred one another's animosity for past offences. The bodies\nof those heroes of immeasurable energy then seemed, in consequence of\n(the) wrath (that inspired them), to resemble those of Garuda and\n(mighty) Nagas battling in the sky. And with Bhima and Karna and Kripa\nand Drona and Drona's son and Prishata's son and Satyaki, the field of\nbattle looked resplendent like the all-destructive sun that rises at the\nend of the Yuga. The battle that took place between those mighty men\nengaged with mighty antagonists and all smiting one another was fierce in\nthe extreme, resembling that (of yore) between the Danavas and the gods.\nThen Yudhishthira's host, uttering a shout, loud as that of the surging\nsea, began to slaughter thy troops, the great car-warriors of thy army\nhaving fled away. Beholding the (Kaurava) host broken and excessively\nmangled by the foe, Drona said, \"Ye heroes, ye need not fly away.\" Then\nhe (Drona) owning red steeds, excited with wrath and resembling a\n(fierce) elephant with four tusks, penetrated into the Pandava host and\nrushed against Yudhishthira. Then Yudhishthira pierced the preceptor with\nmany whetted arrows equipped with Kanka feathers; Drona, however, cutting\noff Yudhishthira's bow, rushed impetuously at him. Then the protector of\nYudhishthira's car-wheels, Kumara, the renowned prince of the Panchalas,\nreceived the advancing Drona, like the continent receiving the surging\nsea. Beholding Drona, that bull among Brahmanas, held in check by Kumara,\nloud leonine shouts were heard there with cries of \"Excellent,\nExcellent!\" Kumara then, in that great battle, excited with rage, pierced\nDrona with an arrow in the chest and uttered many leonine shouts. Having\nchecked Drona in battle, the mighty Kumara, endued with great lightness\nof hand, and above all fatigue, pierced him with many thousands of\narrows. Then that bull among men (Drona) slew that protector of\nYudhishthira's car-wheels, Kumara, that hero observant of virtuous vows\nand accomplished in both mantras and weapons. And then penetrating into\nthe midst of the (Pandava) host and careering in all directions, that\nbull among men, Bharadwaja's son, became the protector of thy troops. And\npiercing Sikhandin with twelve arrows, and Uttamaujas with twenty, and\nNakula with five, and Sahadeva with seven, and Yudhishthira with twelve,\nand each of the (five) sons of Draupadi with three, and Satyaki with\nfive, and the ruler of Matsyas with ten arrows, and agitating the entire\nhost in that battle, he rushed against one after another of the foremost\nwarriors (of the Pandavas). And then he advanced against Kunti's son,\nYudhishthira, from a desire of seizing him. Then Yugandhara, O king,\nchecked Bharadwaja's son, that mighty car-warrior, filled with rage and\nresembling the very ocean lashed into fury by the tempest. Bharadwaja's\nson, however, having pierced Yudhishthira with many straight arrows,\nfelled Yugandhara with a broad-headed shaft from his niche in the car.\nThen, Virata and Drupada, and the Kaikeya princes, and Satyaki, and Sivi,\nand Vyaghradatta, the prince of the Panchalas, and the valiant Singhasena,\nthese, and many others, desirous of rescuing Yudhishthira, surrounded\nDrona on all sides and impeded his way, scattering countless arrows.\nVyaghradatta, the prince of the Panchalas, pierced Drona with fifty\nkeen-pointed arrows, at which, O king, the troops uttered loud shouts.\nThen Singhasena also, quickly piercing that mighty car-warrior, Drona,\nroared aloud in joy, striking terror into the hearts of mighty\ncar-warriors; Drona then expanding his eyes and rubbing his bowstring and\nproducing loud sound of slaps by his palms, rushed against the latter.\nThen the mighty son of Bharadwaja, putting forth his prowess, cut off\nwith a couple of broad-headed arrows the heads decked with earrings from\nthe trunks of both Singhasena and Vyaghradatta. And afflicting also, with\nhis arrowy showers, the other mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, he\nstood in front of Yudhishthira's car, like all-destroying Death himself.\nThen, O king, loud cries were heard among the warriors of Yudhishthira's\narmy to the effect, \"The king is slain,\" when Bharadwaja's son, of\nregulated vows, thus, stood in his vicinity. And the warriors there all\nexclaimed, beholding Drona's prowess, \"Today the royal son of\nDhritarashtra will be crowned with success. This very moment Drona having\nseized Yudhishthira, will, filled with joy, assuredly come to us and\nDuryodhana's presence.\" While thy soldiers were indulging in such talks,\nKunti's son (Arjuna) quickly came there, filling (the welkin) with the\nrattle of his car, and creating, as he came, owing to the carnage he\ncaused, a river whose waters were blood, and whose eddies were cars, and\nwhich abounded with the bones and bodies of brave warriors and which bore\ncreatures away to where the spirits of the departed dwell. And the son of\nPandu came there, routing the Kurus, and quickly crossing that river\nwhose froth was constituted by showers of arrows and which abounded with\nfish in the form of lances and other weapons. And the diadem-decked\n(Arjuna) suddenly came upon Drona's divisions, covering it with a thick\nnet-work of arrows and confounding the very sense (of those that followed\nDrona). Incessantly placing his arrows on the bow-string and quickly\nshooting them, none could notice any lapse of time between these two acts\nof the renowned son of Kunti. Neither (four cardinal) directions, nor the\nfirmament above, nor the earth, O king, could any longer be\ndistinguished, for everything then became one dense mass of arrows.\nIndeed, O king, when the wielder of Gandiva caused that thick darkness by\nmeans of his arrows, nothing could be seen in that battle. Just then the\nsun also set, enveloped with a dusty cloud. Neither friend nor foe could\nany longer be distinguished. Then Drona and Duryodhana and others caused\nthe withdrawal of their troops. And ascertaining the foe to be inspired\nwith fear and unwilling to continue the fight, Vibhatsu also slowly\ncaused his troops to be withdrawn. Then the Pandavas and the Srinjayas\nand the Panchalas, filled with joy, praised Partha with delightful\nspeeches like the Rishis praising the Sun. Having vanquished his foes\nthus, Dhananjaya then, filled with joy, retired to his tent, proceeding\nin the rear of the whole army, with Kesava as his companion. And\nstationed on his beautiful car decked with the costliest specimens of\nsapphires and rubies and gold and silver and diamonds and corals and\ncrystals, the son of Pandu looked resplendent like the moon in the\nfirmament bespangled with stars.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'The troops of both the armies, having proceeded to their\ntents, duly took up their quarters, O king, according to the divisions\nand the sub-divisions to which they belonged. Having withdrawn the\ntroops, Drona, in great cheerlessness of mind, beholding Duryodhana, said\nthese words in shame: \"I told thee before that when Dhananjaya is by\nYudhishthira, he is incapable of being seized in battle by the very gods.\nAlthough all of you fell upon him in battle, yet Partha frustrated all\nyour attempts. Do not doubt what I say, Krishna and Pandu's son (Arjuna)\nare invincible. If, however, Arjuna of white steeds can, by any means, be\nwithdrawn (from Yudhishthira's side), then Yudhishthira, O king, shall\nsoon come under thy control. Let some one challenging him (Arjuna) in\nbattle draw him away to some other part of the field. The son of Kunti\nwill not return without vanquishing him. Meanwhile, when Arjuna will not\nbe by, O monarch, I will seize king Yudhishthira the just, penetrating\nthrough the Pandava host in the very sight of Dhrishtadyumna. Thus, O\nmonarch, I will, without doubt, bring Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma,\nalong with his followers, under control. If that son of Pandu stays even\nfor a moment before me in battle, I will bring him a captive from the\nfield. That feat will be more advantageous than victory (over the Pandava\narmy).\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing those words of Drona, the ruler of the\nTrigartas, O monarch, with his brothers, said these words: \"We, O king,\nare always humiliated by the wielder of Gandiva! O bull of Bharata's\nrace, although we have done him no injury, yet he hath always injured us.\nRemembering all those diverse instances of humiliation, we burn in wrath\nand are never able to sleep at night. By good luck, that Arjuna, armed\nwith weapons, will stand before us. That therefore, which is in our heart\nand which we strive to accomplish, we are resolved to achieve now, that\nviz., which will be agreeable to thee, and which will bring us renown.\nTaking him out of the field will slay him. Let the earth today be without\nArjuna or let it be without the Trigartas. We truly swear this before\nthee. This our vow will never be false.\" And Satyaratha and Satyavarman,\nO Bharata, and Satyavrata and Satyeshu, and Satyakarman also, having\nspoken similarly, those five brothers together, with ten thousand cars,\ncame, O king, (before Duryodhana), having taken that oath on the field of\nbattle. And the Malavas, and the Tundikeras with thousand cars, and the\ntiger among men, Susarman, the ruler of Prasthala, with the Mavellakas,\nthe Lalithas, and the Madrakas, accompanied by ten thousand cars and his\nbrothers, and with another ten thousand cars from diverse realms came\nforward for taking the oath. Then bringing fire, and each making\npreparations for igniting one for himself, they took up ropes Kusa grass\nand beautiful coats of mail. And equipped in mail, bathed in clarified\nbutter, clad in robes of Kusa grass, and with their bow-strings serving\nas girdles, those heroes, who had given away hundreds and thousands as\npresents to Brahmanas, who had performed many sacrifices, had been\nblessed with children, and were deserving of blessed regions hereafter,\nwho had nothing more to do in this world, who were deserving of blessed\nregions hereafter, who were prepared to lay down their lives in battle,\nand who devoted their souls to the attainment of fame and victory, who\nwere desirous of soon repairing by fair fight to those regions\n(hereafter) that are attainable by means only of sacrifices, with\nabundant presents to Brahmanas, and by means also of the rites, the chief\namongst which are Brahmacharya and study of the Vedas, those heroes,\nhaving each gratified Brahmanas by giving them gold,[30] and kine, and\nrobes, and having addressed one another in loving discourse, ignited\nthose fires and took that vow in battle. And in the presence of those\nfires, firmly resolved, they took that vow. And having made that vow for\nthe slaughter of Dhananjaya, they, in the hearing of creatures, very\nloudly said, \"Those regions that are for persons who have never adopted\nany vows, are for one who drinketh wine, those that are for him who hath\nadulterous connection with his preceptor's wife, those that are for him\nwho robbeth the property of a Brahmana, or for him who enjoyeth the\nking's grant without satisfying the condition of that grant or for him\nwho abandoneth one asking for shelter, or for him who slayeth a candidate\nfor his favour, those that are for persons that set fire to houses and\nfor those that slay kine, those regions that are for those that injure\nothers, those that are for persons harbouring malice against Brahmanas,\nthose that are for him who from folly doth not seek the companionship of\nhis wife in her season, those also that are for those that seek the\ncompanionship of women on the day they have to perform the Sraddha of\ntheir ancestors, those that are for persons that injure their own selves,\nor for those that misappropriate what is deposited with them from\nconfidence or for those that destroy learning, or for those who battle\nwith eunuchs, or for those that follow persons that are mean, those\nregions that are for atheists, or for those that abandon their (sacred)\nfires and mothers, and those regions also that are for the sinful, those\nshall be ours, if without slaying Dhananjaya we return from the field, or\nif, ground by him on the field, we turn back from fear. If, again, we\nsucceed in achieving in battle feats the most difficult of accomplishment\nin the world, we shalt then, without doubt, obtain the most desirable\nregions.\" Having said these words, O king, those heroes then marched to\nbattle, summoning Arjuna towards the southern part of the field. That\ntiger among men, and subjugator of hostile cities, Arjuna, thus\nchallenged by them, said these words unto king Yudhishthira the Just\nwithout any delay: \"Summoned, I never turn back. This is my fixed vow.\nThese men, sworn to conquer or die, are summoning me, O king, to great\nbattle. This Susarman here, with his brothers, summoneth me to battle. It\nbehoveth thee to grant me permission for slaying him, with all his\nfollowers. O bull among men, I am unable to brook this challenge. I tell\nthee truly, know these foes to be (already) slain in battle.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Thou hast heard, O child, in detail, what Drona hath\nresolved to accomplish. Act thou in such a way that that resolve of his\nmay become futile. Drona is endued with great might. He is a hero,\naccomplished in arms, and above fatigue. O mighty car-warrior, even he\nhath vowed my seizure.\"\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"This Satyajit, O king, will today become thy protector in\nbattle. As long as Satyajit lives, the preceptor will never be able to\nattain his desire. If, however, O lord, this tiger among men, Satyajit,\nbe slain in battle, thou shouldst not then remain on the field even if\nsurrounded by all our warriors.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'King Yudhishthira then gave (Arjuna) the leave (he\nsought). And he also embraced Arjuna and eyed him affectionately. And\ndiverse were the benedictions that the king uttered on him. Having made\nthis arrangement (for Yudhishthira's protection),[31] the mighty Partha\nwent out against the Trigartas, like a hungry lion, for assuaging his\nhunger upon a herd of deer. Then Duryodhana's troops, filled with joy at\nArjuna's absence (from Yudhishthira's side), became furious for the\nseizure of Yudhishthira. Then both the hosts, with a great impetuosity,\nencountered each other, like the Ganga and the Sarayu in the season of\nrains when both streams are swollen with water.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'The Samsaptakas,[32] then, filled with joy, took their\nstand on a level field, having, with their cars, formed an array in the\nshape of the half-moon. And those tigers among men, beholding the\ndiadem-decked (Arjuna) come towards them, were, O sire, filled with\ndelight and uttered loud shouts. That noise filled the sky and all the\npoints of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary. And because it was an\nopen plain covered only with men, it produced no echoes. Ascertaining\nthem to be exceedingly delighted, Dhananjaya, with a little smile, said\nthese words unto Krishna: \"Behold, O thou that hast Devaki for thy\nmother, those Trigarta brothers, who are about to perish in battle, are\nfilled with delight at a time when they should weep. Or, this is, without\ndoubt, the hour of delight (with them) since they will obtain those\nexcellent regions that are unattainable by cowards.\" Having said these\nwords unto the mighty-armed Hrishikesa, Arjuna came upon the arrayed\nranks of the Trigartas in battle, taking up then his conch called\nDevadatta decked with gold, he blew it with great force, filling all the\npoints of the compass with its blare. Terrified by that blare, that\ncar-host of the Samsaptakas stood motionless in battle, as if it was\npetrified. And all their animals stood with eyes wide open, ears and\nnecks and lips paralysed, and legs motionless. And they passed urine and\nvomited blood. Regaining consciousness then, and placing their ranks in\nproper order, they shot their arrows all at once at the son of Pandu.\nCapable of displaying his prowess with great speed, Arjuna, with five and\nten arrows cut off those thousands of arrows before they could reach him.\nThey then pierced Arjuna, each with ten arrows. Partha pierced them with\nthree arrows. Then each of them, O king, pierced Partha with five arrows.\nEndued with great prowess, he pierced each of them in return with two\narrows. And, once again, excited with wrath, they quickly poured upon\nArjuna and Kesava countless arrows like the clouds pouring upon a lake\ntheir incessant showers. Then those thousands of arrows fell upon Arjuna,\nlike swarms of bees upon a flowering cluster of trees in the forest. Then\ndeeply pierced Arjuna's diadem with thirty shafts, endued with the\nstrength of adamant with those shafts equipped with wings of gold fixed\non his diadem, Arjuna, as if decked with ornaments of gold, shone like\nthe (newly) risen sun. The son of Pandu then, in that battle, with a\nbroad-headed arrow, cut off the leathern fence of Suvahu, and covered\nSudharman and Sudhanwan, and Suvahu pierced Partha with ten arrows.\nPartha, having the excellent ape-device on his banner, pierced all of\nthem in return with many arrows, and also cut off, with some broad-headed\nshafts, their standards made of gold. And cutting off the bow of\nSudhanwan, he slew with his arrows the latter's steeds. And then he cut\noff from his trunk the latter's head graced with turban. Upon the fall of\nthat hero, his followers were terrified. And stricken with panic, they\nall fled away to where Duryodhana's forces were. Then Vasava's son,\nfilled with wrath, smote that mighty host with incessant showers of\narrows, like the sun destroying darkness by means of his incessant rays.\nThen when that host broke and melted away on all sides, and Arjuna was\nfilled with wrath, the Trigartas were struck with fear. While being\nslaughtered by Partha with his straight shafts, they remained where they\nstood, deprived of their senses, like a terrified herd of deer. Then the\nking of the Trigartas, filled with rage, addressed those mighty\ncar-warrior, saying, \"Do not fly, ye heroes! It behoveth ye not to be\nfrightened. Having, in the sight of all the troops, taken those terrible\nsteps, repairing thither, what shall ye say unto the leaders of\nDuryodhana's host? Do we not incur ridicule in the world by such a\n(cowardly) act in battle? Therefore, stop ye all, and fight according to\nyour strength.\" Thus addressed, O king, those heroes, repeatedly uttering\nloud shouts, blew their conchs, gladdening one another. Then those\nSamsaptakas once more returned to the field, with the Narayana cow-herds,\nresolved to face Death himself.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XIX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding those Samsaptakas once more return to the\nfield, Arjuna addressed the high-souled Vasudeva, saying, \"Urge the\nsteeds, O Hrishikesa, towards the Samsaptakas. They will not give up the\nbattle alive. This is what I think. Today thou shalt witness the terrible\nmight of my arms as also of my bow. Today I shall slay all these, like\nRudra slaying creatures (at the end of the Yuga).\" Hearing these words,\nthe invincible Krishna smiled, and gladdening him with auspicious\nspeeches, conveyed Arjuna to those places whither the latter desired to\ngo. While borne in battle by those white steeds, that car looked\nexceedingly resplendent like a celestial car borne along the firmament.\nAnd like Sakra's car, O king, in the battle between the gods and the\nAsuras in days of old, it displayed circular, forward, backward, and\ndiverse other kinds of motion. Then the Narayanas, excited with wrath and\narmed with diverse weapons, surrounded Dhananjaya, covering him with\nshowers of arrows. And, O bull of Bharata's race, they soon made Kunti's\nson, Dhananjaya, together with Krishna, entirely invisible in that\nbattle. Then Phalguni, excited with wrath, doubled his energy, and\nquickly rubbing its string, grasped Gandiva (firmly) in the battle.\nCausing wrinkles to form themselves on his brow, sure indications of\nwrath, the son of Pandu blew his prodigious conch, called Devadatta, and\nthen he shot the weapon called Tvashtra that is capable of slaying large\nbodies of foes together. Thereupon, thousands of separate forms started\ninto existence there (of Arjuna himself and of Vasudeva). Confounded by\nthose diverse images after the form of Arjuna, the troops began to strike\neach other, each regarding the other as Arjuna's self. \"This is Arjuna!\"\n\"This is Govinda!\" \"They are Pandu's son and he is of Yadu's race!\"\nUttering such exclamations, and deprived of their senses, they slew one\nanother in that battle. Deprived of their senses by that mighty weapon,\nthey slew one another. Indeed, those warriors (while striking one\nanother) looked beautiful like blossoming Kinsukas. Consuming those\nthousands of arrows shot by them, that (mighty) weapon despatched those\nheroes to Yama's abode. Then Vibhatsu, laughing, crushed with his arrows\nthe Lalithya, the Malava, the Mavellaka, and the Trigarta warriors. While\nthose Kshatriyas, urged by fate, were thus slaughtered by that hero, they\nshot at Partha showers of diverse kinds of arrows. Overwhelmed with those\nterrible showers of arrows, neither Arjuna, nor his car, nor Kesava,\ncould any longer be seen. Seeing their arrows strike the aim, they\nuttered joyous shouts. And regarding the two Krishnas as already slain,\nthey joyously waved their garments in the air. And those heroes also blew\ntheir conchs and beat their drums and cymbals by thousands, and uttered\nmany leonine shouts, O sire! Then Krishna, covered with sweat, and much\nweakened, addressed Arjuna, saying, \"Where art thou, O Partha! I do not\nsee thee. Art thou alive, O slayer of foes?\" Hearing those words of his,\nDhananjaya with great speed dispelled, by means of the Vayavya weapon,\nthat arrowy downpour shot by his foes. Then the illustrious Vayu (the\npresiding deity of that mighty weapon) bore away crowds of Samsaptakas\nwith steeds and elephants and cars and weapons, as if these were dry\nleaves of trees. Borne away by the wind, O king, they looked highly\nbeautiful, like flights of birds, O monarch, flying away from trees. Then\nDhananjaya, having afflicted them thus, with great speed struck hundreds\nand thousands of them with sharp shafts. And he cut off their heads and\nalso hands with weapons in their grasp, by means of his broad-headed\narrows. And he felled on the ground, with his shafts, their thighs,\nresembling the trunks of elephants. And some were wounded on their backs,\narms and eyes. And thus Dhananjaya deprived his foes of diverse limbs,\nand cars decked and equipped according to rule, and looking like the\nvapour edifices in the welkin, he cut off into fragments, by means of his\narrows, their riders and steeds and elephants. And in many places crowds\nof cars, whose standards had been cut off, looked like forests of\nheadless palmyras. And elephants with excellent weapons, banners, hooks,\nand standards fell down like wooded mountains, split with Sakra's\nthunder. Graced with tails, looking like those of the yak, and covered\nwith coats of mail, and with their entrails and eyes dragged out, steeds\nalong with their riders, rolled on the ground, slain by means of Partha's\nshafts. No longer holding in their grasp the swords that had served for\ntheir nails, with their coats of mail torn, and the joints of their bones\nbroken, foot-soldiers with their vital limbs cut open, helplessly laid\nthemselves down on the field, slain by means of Arjuna's arrows. And the\nfield of battle assumed an awful aspect in consequence of those warriors\nslain, or in the course of being slaughtered, falling and fallen,\nstanding or in course of being whirled along. And the air was purified of\nthe dust that had arisen, by means of the showers of blood (caused by\nArjuna's arrows). And the earth, strewn with hundreds of headless trunks,\nbecame impassable. And the car of Vibhatsu in that battle shone fiercely\nlike the car of Rudra himself, while engaged at the end of the Yuga in\ndestroying all creatures. While slaughtered by Partha thus, those\nwarriors, with their steeds and cars and elephants in great distress,\nceased not to rush against him; though, deprived of life one after\nanother, they had to become the guests of Sakra. Then the field of\nbattle, O chief of the Bharatas, strewn with mighty car-warriors deprived\nof life, looked dreadful like Yama's domains, abounding with the spirits\nof the departed creatures. Meanwhile, when Arjuna was furiously engaged\n(with the Samsaptakas), Drona, at the head of his forces arrayed for\nbattle, rushed against Yudhishthira, and many warriors, accomplished in\nsmiting and properly arrayed, followed him, actuated by the desire of\nseizing Yudhishthira. The battle then that ensued became exceedingly\nfierce.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having passed the night, that mighty car-warrior viz.,\nBharadwaja's son, addressed Suyodhana, O monarch, saying, \"I am\nthine![33] I have made arrangements for Partha's encounter with the\nSamsaptaka.\"[34] After Partha went out for slaying the Samsaptakas, Drona\nthen, at the head of his troops arrayed for battle, proceeded, O chief of\nthe Bharatas, for seizing king Yudhishthira the just. Seeing that Drona\nhad arrayed his forces in the form of a Garuda, Yudhishthira disposed his\ntroops in counter array in the form of a semi-circle. In the mouth of\nthat Garuda was the mighty car-warrior Drona himself. And its head was\nformed by king Duryodhana, surrounded by his uterine brothers. And\nKritavarman and the illustrious Kripa formed the two eyes of that Garuda.\nAnd Bhutasarman, and Kshemasarman, and the valiant Karakaksha, and the\nKalingas, the Singhalas, the Easterners, the Sudras, the Abhiras, the\nDaserakas, the Sakas, the Yavanas, the Kamvojas, the Hangsapadas, the\nSurasenas, the Daradas, the Madras, and the Kalikeyas, with hundreds and\nthousands of elephants, steeds, cars, and foot-soldiers were stationed at\nits neck. And Bhurisravah, and Salya, and Somadatta, and Valhika, these\nheroes, surrounded by a full Akshauhini, took up their position in the\nright wing. And Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Sudakshina, the ruler\nof the Kamvojas, stationed themselves in the left wing at the head,\nhowever, of Drona's son Aswatthaman. In the back (of that Garuda) were\nthe Kalingas, the Amvashthas, the Magadhas, the Paundras, the Madrakas,\nthe Gandharas, the Sakunas, the Easterners, the Mountaineers, and the\nVasatis. In the tail stood Vikartana's son Karna, with his sons, kinsmen\nand friends, and surrounded by a large force raised from diverse realms,\nJayadratha, and Bhimaratha, and Sampati, and the Jays, and the Bhojas,\nand Bhuminjaya, and Vrisha, and Kratha, and the mighty ruler of the\nNishadhas, all accomplished in battle, surrounded by a large host and\nkeeping the region of Brahma before their eyes, stood, O king, in the\nheart of that array. That array, formed by Drona, in consequence of its\nfoot-soldiers, steeds, cars and elephants, seemed to surge like the\ntempest-tossed ocean (as it advanced to battle). Warriors, desirous of\nbattle, began to start out from the wings and sides of that array, like\nroaring clouds charged with lightning rushing from all sides (in the\nwelkin) at summer. And in the midst of that army, the ruler of the\nPragjyotishas, mounted on his duly equipped elephant, looked resplendent,\nO king, like the rising sun. Decked, O monarch, in garlands of flower,\nand with a white umbrella held over his head, he looked like the full\nmoon when in conjunction with the constellation Krittika. And blind with\nthe wine-like exudation, the elephant, looking like a mass of black\nantimony, shone like a huge mountain washed by mighty clouds (with their\nshowers). And the ruler of the Pragjyotishas was surrounded by many\nheroic kings of the hilly countries, armed with diverse weapons, like\nSakra himself surrounded by the celestials. Then Yudhishthira, beholding\nthat superhuman array incapable of being vanquished by foes in battle,\naddressed Prishata's son, saying, \"O lord, O thou that ownest steeds\nwhite as pigeons, let such measures be adopted that I may not be taken a\nprisoner by the Brahmana.\"\n\n\"'Dhrishtadyumna said, \"O thou of excellent vows, never shalt thou be\nplaced under the power of Drona, however much may he strive. Even I shall\ncheck Drona today with all his followers. As long as I am alive, O thou\nof Kuru's race, it behoveth thee not to feel any anxiety. Under no\ncircumstances will Drona be able to vanquish me in battle.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Having said these words, the mighty son of Drupada\nowning steeds of the hue of pigeons, scattering his shafts, rushed\nhimself at Drona. Beholding that (to him) evil omen in the form of\nDhrishtadyumna stationed before him, Drona soon became exceedingly\ncheerless. Beholding this, that crusher of foes, viz., thy son Durmukha,\ndesirous of doing what was agreeable to Drona, began to resist\nDhrishtadyumna. Then a terrible and a fierce battle took place, O\nBharata, between the brave son of Prishata and thy son, Durmukha. Then\nPrishata's son, quickly covering Durmukha, with a shower of arrows,\nchecked Bharadwaja's son also with a thick arrowy downpour. Beholding\nDrona checked, thy son Durmukha quickly rushed at Prishata's son and\nconfounded him with clouds of arrows of diverse kinds. And while the\nprince of the Panchalas and that foremost one of Kuru's race were thus\nengaged in battle, Drona consumed many sections of Yudhishthira's host.\nAs a mass of clouds is dispersed in different directions by the wind,\neven so was Yudhishthira's host, in many parts of the field, scattered by\nDrona. For only a short while did that battle look like an ordinary\ncombat. And then, O king, it became an encounter of infuriated persons in\nwhich no consideration was shown for anybody. And the combatants could no\nlonger distinguish their own men from the foe. And the battle raged on,\nthe warriors being guided by inferences and watch-words. Upon the gems on\ntheir headgears, upon their necklaces and other ornaments, and upon their\ncoats of mail, rays of light like those of the Sun seemed to fall and\nplay. And cars and elephants and steeds, decked with streaming banners,\nseemed in that battle to resemble masses of clouds with flocks of cranes\nunder them. And men slew men, and steeds of fiery metal slew steeds, and\ncar-warriors slew car-warriors and elephants slew elephants. And soon a\nfierce and terrible encounter took place between elephants with tall\nstandards on their backs and mighty compeers (rushing against them). All\nin consequence of those huge creatures rubbing their bodies against those\nof hostile compeers and tearing one another (with their tusks), fires\nmixed with smoke were generated there by (such) friction of countless\ntusks with tusks. Shorn of the standards (on their backs), those\nelephants, in consequence of the fires caused by their tusks, looked like\nmasses of clouds in the welkin charged with lightning. And the earth,\nstrewn with elephants dragging (hostile compeers) and roaring and falling\ndown, looked beautiful like the autumnal sky overspread with clouds. And\nthe roars of those elephants while they were being slaughtered with\nshowers of shafts and lances, sounded like the roll of clouds in the\nrainy season. And some huge elephants, wounded with lances and shafts,\nbecame panic-stricken. And others amongst those creatures, left the field\nwith loud cries.[35] And some elephants there, struck by others with\ntheir tusks, uttered fierce yells of distress that resounded like the\nroll of the all-destroying clouds at the end of the Yuga. And some,\nturned back by huge antagonists, returned to the charge, urged on by\nsharp hooks. And crushing hostile ranks, they began to kill all who came\nin their way. And elephant-drivers, attacked by elephant-drivers with\narrows and lances, fell down from the backs of their beasts, their\nweapons and hooks being loosened from their hands. And many elephants,\nwithout riders on their backs, wandered hither and thither like clouds\ntorn from mightier masses, and then fell down, encountering one another.\nAnd some huge elephants, bearing on their backs slain and fallen\nwarriors, or those whose weapons had fallen down, wandered in all\ndirections singly.[36] And in the midst of that carnage, some elephants\nattacked, or in course of being attacked with lances, swords and battle\naxes, fell down in course of that awful carnage, uttering sounds of\ndistress. And the earth, suddenly struck with the falling bodies, huge as\nhills, of those creatures all around trembled and emitted sounds. And\nwith those elephants slain along with their riders and lying all about\nwith the standards on their backs, the earth looked beautiful as if\nstrewn with hills. And the drivers on the backs of many elephants, with\ntheir breasts pierced by car-warriors with broad-headed shafts in that\nbattle, fell down, their lances and hooks loosened from their grasp. And\nsome elephants, struck with long shafts, uttered crane-like cries and ran\nin all directions, crushing friends and foes by trampling them to death.\nAnd covered with countless bodies of elephants and steeds and\ncar-warriors, the earth, O king, became miry with flesh and blood. And\nlarge cars with wheels and many without wheels, crushed by the points of\ntheir tusks, were thrown up by elephants, with the warriors mounted on\nthem. Cars were seen deprived of warriors. And riderless steeds and\nelephants ran in all directions, afflicted with wounds. And there father\nslew his son, and son slew his sire, for the battle that took place was\nexceedingly fierce and nothing could be distinguished. Men sank\nankle-deep in the gory mire and looked like tall trees whose lower parts\nwere swallowed up in a blazing forest-conflagration. And robes and coats\nof mail and umbrellas and standards having been dyed with blood,\neverything seemed to be bloody on the field. Large bodies of slain\nsteeds, of cars, and of men, were again cut into fragments by the rolling\nof car-wheels. And that sea of troops having elephants for its current,\nand slain men for its floating moss and weeds, and cars for its fierce\neddies, looked terribly grim. Warriors, having steeds and elephants for\ntheir large vessels, and desirous of victory as their wealth, plunged\ninto that sea, and instead of sinking in it endeavoured to deprive their\nenemies of their senses. When all the warriors, each bearing particular\nsigns, were covered with arrowy showers, there was none amongst them lost\nheart, though all were deprived of their signs. In that fierce and awful\nbattle, Drona confounding the senses of his foes, (at last) rushed at\nYudhishthira.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXI\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Then Drona, beholding Yudhishthira near him\nfearlessly received him with a thick shower of arrows. And there arose a\nloud noise among the troops of Yudhishthira's army like what is made by\nthe elephants belonging to a herd when their leader is attacked by a\nmighty lion. Beholding Drona, the brave Satyajit, of prowess incapable of\nbeing baffled, rushed at the Preceptor who was desirous of seizing\nYudhishthira. The Preceptor and the Panchala prince, both endued with\ngreat might, fought with each other, agitating each other's troops, like\nIndra and Vali. Then Satyajit, of prowess incapable of being baffled,\ninvoking a mighty weapon, pierced Drona with keen-pointed arrows. And\nSatyajit shot at Drona's charioteer five arrows, fatal as snake-poison\nand each looking like Death himself. The charioteer, thus struck, became\ndeprived of his senses. Then Satyajit quickly pierced Drona's steeds with\nten shafts; and filled with rage, he next pierced each of his Parshni\ndrivers with ten shafts. And then he coursed at the head of his troops on\nhis car in a circular motion. Excited with wrath, he cut off the standard\nof Drona, that crusher of foes. Drona then, that chastiser of foes,\nbeholding these feats of his foe in battle, mentally resolved to despatch\nhim to the other world.[37] The Preceptor, cutting off Satyajit's bow\nwith arrow fixed thereon, quickly pierced him with ten arrows capable of\npenetrating into the very vitals. Thereupon, the valiant Satyajit,\nquickly taking up another bow, struck Drona, O king, with thirty arrows\nwinged with the feathers of the Kanka bird. Beholding Drona (thus)\nencountered in battle by Satyajit, the Pandavas, O king, shouted in joy\nand waved their garments. Then the mighty Vrika, O king, excited with\ngreat wrath, pierced Drona in the centre of the chest with sixty arrows.\nThat feat seemed highly wonderful. Then that mighty car-warrior, viz.,\nDrona, of great impetuosity, covered with the arrowy showers (of his\nfoes) opened his eyes wide and mustered all his energy. Then cutting off\nthe bows of both Satyajit and Vrika, Drona, with six shafts slew Vrika\nwith his charioteer and steeds. Then Satyajit, taking up another bow that\nwas tougher, pierced Drona with his steeds, his charioteer, and his\nstandard. Thus afflicted in battle by the prince of the Panchalas, Drona\ncould not brook that act. For the destruction then of his foe, he quickly\nshot his arrows (at him). Drona then covered with incessant showers of\narrows his antagonist's steeds and standards as also the handle of his\nbow, and both his Parshni drivers. But though his bows were (thus)\nrepeatedly cut off, the prince of the Panchalas conversant with the\nhighest weapons continued to battle with him of red steeds. Beholding\nSatyajit swell with energy in that dreadful combat, Drona cut off that\nillustrious warrior's head with a crescent-shaped arrow.[38] Upon the\nslaughter of that foremost of combatants, that mighty car-warrior among\nthe Panchalas, Yudhishthira, from fear of Drona, fled away, (borne) by\nfleet steeds. Then the Panchalas, the Kekayas, the Matsyas, the Chedis,\nthe Karushas and the Kosalas, seeing Drona, rushed at him, desirous of\nrescuing Yudhishthira. The Preceptor, however, that slayer of large\nnumbers of foes, desirous of seizing Yudhishthira, began to consume those\ndivisions, like fire consuming heaps of cotton. Then Satanika, the\nyounger brother of the ruler of the Matsyas, rushed at Drona who was thus\nengaged in incessantly destroying those divisions (of the Pandava host).\nAnd Satanika, piercing Drona along with his driver and steeds with six\nshafts, bright as the rays of the sun and polished by his hands of their\nforger, uttered loud shouts. And engaged in a cruel act, and endeavouring\nto accomplish what was difficult of attainment, he covered Bharadwaja's\nson, that mighty car-warrior with showers of arrows.[39] Then Drona, with\nan arrow sharp as razor, quickly cut off from his trunk the head, decked\nwith ear-rings, of Satanika, shouting at him. Thereupon, the Matsya\nwarriors all fled away. Having vanquished the Matsyas, the son of\nBharadwaja then defeated the Chedis, the Karushas, the Kaikeyas, the\nPanchalas, the Srinjayas, and the Pandus repeatedly. Beholding that hero\nof the golden car, excited with rage and consuming their divisions, like\na fire consuming a forest, the Srinjayas trembled (with fear). Endued\nwith great activity and slaughtering the foe ceaselessly, the twang of\nthe bow-string, as he stretched his bow, was heard in all directions.\nFierce arrows shot by that warrior endued with great lightness of hand,\ncrushed elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers and car-warriors and\nelephant-riders. As a mighty mass of roaring clouds in summer with\nviolent winds (blowing) poureth a shower of hail-stones, so did Drona\npour his arrowy showers and inspired fear in the hearts of his foes. That\nmighty hero, that great bowman, that dispeller of the fears of his\nfriends, careered in all directions (of the field) agitating the\n(hostile) host. The bow, decked with gold, of Drona of immeasurable\nenergy, was seen in all directions like the flashes of lightning in the\nclouds. The beautiful altar on his banner, as he careered in battle, O\nBharata, was seen to resemble a crest of Himavat. The slaughter that\nDrona caused among the Pandava troops was very great, resembling that\ncaused by Vishnu himself, the adored of both the gods and Asuras, among\nthe Daitya host. Heroic, truthful in speech, endued with great wisdom and\nmight, and possessed of prowess incapable of being baffled, the\nillustrious Drona caused a river to flow there that was fierce and\ncapable of striking the timid with fear. Coats of mail formed its waves,\nand standards its eddies. And it carried away (as it ran) large numbers\nof mortal creatures. And elephants and steeds constituted its great\nalligators, and swords formed its fishes. And it was incapable of being\neasily crossed over. The bones of brave warriors formed its pebbles, and\ndrums and cymbals its tortoises. And shields and armour formed its boats,\nand the hair of warriors its floating moss and weeds. And arrows\nconstituted its wavelets and bows its current. And the arms of the\ncombatants formed its snakes.[40] And that river of fierce current,\nrunning over the field of battle, bore away both the Kurus and the\nSrinjayas. And the heads of human beings, constituted its stones, and\ntheir thighs its fishes. And maces constituted the rafts (by which many\nsought to cross it). And head-gears formed the forth that covered its\nsurface, and the entrails (of animals) its reptiles. Awful (in mien), it\nbore away heroes (to the other world). And blood and flesh constituted\nits mire. And elephants formed its crocodiles, and standards, the trees\n(on its banks). Thousands of Kshatriyas sank in it. Fierce, clogged with\n(dead) bodies, and having horse-soldiers and elephant-warriors for its\nsharks, it was extremely difficult to cross it. And that river ran\ntowards the abode of Yama. And it abounded with Rakshasas and dogs and\njackals. And it was haunted by fierce cannibals all around.\n\n\"'Then many Pandava warriors, headed by Kunti's son, rushing at Drona,\nthat mighty car-warrior consuming their divisions like Death himself,\nsurrounded him on all sides. Indeed, those brave warriors completely\nencompassed Drona who was scorching everything around him like the sun\nhimself scorching the world with his rays. Then the kings and the princes\nof thy army, with upraised weapons, all rushed for supporting that hero\nand great bowman. Then Sikhandin pierced Drona with five straight arrows.\nAnd Kshatradharman pierced him with twenty arrows, and Vasudeva with\nfive. And Uttamaujas pierced him with three arrows, and Kshatradeva with\nfive. And Satyaki pierced him in that battle with a hundred arrows, and\nYudhamanyu with eight. And Yudhishthira pierced Drona with a dozen\nshafts, and Dhrishtadyumna pierced him with ten, and Chekitana with\nthree. Then Drona, of unbaffled aim and resembling an elephant with rent\ntemples, getting over the car-division (of the Pandavas), overthrew\nDridhasena. Approaching then king Kshema who was battling fearlessly, he\nstruck him with nine arrows. Thereupon, Kshema, deprived of life, fell\ndown from his car. Getting then into the midst of the (hostile) troops,\nhe careered in all directions, protecting others, but himself in no need\nof protection. He then pierced Sikhandin with twelve arrows, and\nUttamaujas with twenty. And he despatched Vasudeva with a broad-headed\narrow to the abode of Yama. And he pierced Kshemavarman with eighty\narrows, and Sudakshina with six and twenty. And he felled Kshatradeva\nwith a broad-headed arrow from his niche in the car. And having pierced\nYudhamanyu with sixty-four arrows and Satyaki with thirty, Drona, of the\ngolden car, quickly approached Yudhishthira. Then Yudhishthira, that best\nof kings, quickly fled away from the preceptor, borne by his fleet\nsteeds. Then Panchala rushed at Drona. Drona slew the prince, cutting off\nhis bow, and felling his steeds and charioteer along with him. Deprived\nof life, the prince fell down on the earth from his car, like a luminary\nloosened from the firmament. Upon the fall of that illustrious prince of\nthe Panchalas, loud cries were heard thereof, \"Slay Drona, Slay Drona!\"\nThe mighty Drona then began to crush and mangle the Panchalas, the\nMatsyas, the Kaikeyas, the Srinjayas, and the Pandavas, all excited with\nrage. And supported by the Kurus, Drona, then vanquished Satyaki and\nChekitana's son, and Senavindu, and Suvarchas, all these and numerous\nother kings. Thy warriors, O king, having obtained the victory in that\ngreat battle, slew the Pandavas as they flew away in all directions. And\nthe Panchalas, the Kaikeyas and the Matsyas, thus slaughtered on all\nsides like the Danavas by Indra, began to tremble (with fear).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'When the Pandavas were broken by Bharadwaja's son\nin that dreadful battle, and the Panchalas also, was there anybody that\napproached Drona for battle? Alas, beholding Drona stationed in battle,\nlike a yawning tiger, or an elephant with rent temples, ready to lay down\nhis life in battle, well-armed, conversant with all modes of fight, that\ngreat bowman, that tiger among men, that enhancer of the fear of foes,\ngrateful, devoted to truth, ever desirous of benefiting\nDuryodhana,--alas, beholding him at the head of his troops, was there no\nman that could approach him, with a laudable determination for battle a\ndetermination that enhances the renown of Kshatriyas, that mean-spirited\npersons can never form, and that is distinctive only of the foremost of\npersons? Tell me, O Sanjaya, who were those heroes that approached the\nson of Bharadwaja, beholding him at the head of his forces?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the Panchalas, the Pandavas, the Matsyas, the\nSrinjayas, the Chedis, the Kalikeyas, thus routed after being broken in\nbattle by Drona with his shafts, beholding them thus driven from the\nfield by those showers of fleet arrows shot from Drona's, bow, like\nvessels sent adrift by the awful waves of the tempest-tossed ocean, the\nKauravas with many leonine shouts and with the noise of diverse\ninstruments, began to assail the cars and elephants and foot-soldiers (of\nthat hostile host) from all sides. And beholding those (fleeing soldiers\nof the Pandavas) king Duryodhana, stationed in the midst of his own\nforces and encompassed by his own relatives and kinsmen, filled with joy,\nand laughing as he spoke, said these words unto Karna.'\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"Behold, O Radha's son, the Panchalas broken by that\nfirm bowman (Drona) with his shafts, like a herd of the wild deer\nfrightened by a lion. These, I think, will not again come to battle. They\nhave been broken by Drona like mighty trees by the tempest. Afflicted by\nthat high-souled warrior with those shafts winged with gold, they are\nfleeing away, no two persons are together. Indeed, they seem to be\ndragged in eddies all over the field. Checked by the Kauravas as also by\nthe high-souled Drona, they are huddling close to one another like (a\nherd of) elephants in the midst of a conflagration. Like blossoming\ntrees penetrated by flights of bees, these warriors, pierced with the\nsharp shafts of Drona, are huddling close to one another, as they are\nflying away from the field. There, the wrathful Bhima, abandoned by the\nPandavas and the Srinjayas, and surrounded by my warriors, delighteth me\ngreatly, O Karna! It is evident, that wicked wight beholdeth the world\ntoday to be full of Drona! Without doubt, that son of Pandu hath today\nbecome hopeless of life and kingdom.\"\n\n\"'Karna said, \"That mighty-armed warrior will not certainly abandon the\nbattle as long as he is alive. Nor will he, O tiger among men, brook\nthese leonine shouts (of ours). Nor will the Pandavas, I think, be\ndefeated in battle. They are brave, endued with great might, accomplished\nin weapons, and difficult of being resisted in battle. Recollecting the\nwoes caused them by our attempts at poisoning and burning them, and the\nwoes that arose from the match at dice, bearing in mind also their exile\nin the woods, the Pandavas, I think, will not abandon the fight. The\nmighty-armed Vrikodara of immeasurable energy hath already turned back\n(for the fight). The son of Kunti will certainly slay many of our\nforemost car-warriors. With sword and bow and dart, with steeds and\nelephants and men and cars,[41] with his mace made of iron, he will slay\ncrowds (of our soldiers). Other car-warriors headed by Satyajit, together\nwith the Panchalas, the Kekayas, the Matsyas, and especially the\nPandavas, are following him. They are all brave, and possessed of great\nmight and prowess. Mighty car-warriors, they are again led by Bhima in\nwrath. Those bulls of thy race, surrounding Vrikodara on all sides, like\nthe clouds surrounding the Sun, begin to approach Drona from all sides.\nClosely intent upon one object, these will certainly afflict unprotected\nDrona, like flights of insects, on the point of death, striking a blazing\nlamp. Accomplished in weapons, they are certainly competent to resist\nDrona. Heavy is the burthen, I think, that now rests on Bharadwaja's son.\nLet us then quickly go to the spot where Drona is. Let not those slay him\nof regulated vows like wolves slaying a mighty elephant!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing these words of Radheya, king Duryodhana\nthen, accompanied by his brothers, O monarch, proceeded towards Drona's\ncar. The noise there was deafening, of Pandava warriors returned to the\nfight on their cars drawn by excellent steeds of diverse hue,[42] all\nactuated by the desire of slaying Drona alone.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me, O Sanjaya, the distinctive indications of\nthe cars of all those who, excited with wrath and headed by Bhimasena,\nhad proceeded against Drona.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Vrikodara advancing (on a car drawn) by steeds\nof dappled hue (like that of the antelope), the brave grandson of Sini\n(Satyaki) proceeded, borne by steeds of a silvery hue. The irresistible\nYudhamanyu, excited with rage, proceeded against Drona, borne by\nexcellent steeds of variegated hue. Dhristadyumna, the son of the\nPanchala king, proceeded, borne by steeds of great fleetness in trappings\nof gold and of the hue of pigeons.[43] Desirous of protecting his sire,\nand wishing him complete success, Dhristadyumna's son, Kshatradharman of\nregulated vows, proceeded., borne by red steeds. Kshatradeva, the son of\nSikhandin, himself urging well-decked steeds of the hue of lotus-leaves\nand with eyes of pure white, proceeded (against Drona). Beautiful steeds\nof the Kamvoja breed, decked with the feathers of the green parrot,\nbearing Nakula, quickly ran towards thy army. Dark steeds of the clouds\nwrathfully bore Uttamaujas, O Bharata, to battle, against the invincible\nDrona, standing with arrows aimed. Steeds, fleet as the wind, and of\nvariegated hue, bore Sahadeva with upraised weapons to that fierce\nbattle. Of great impetuosity, and possessed of the fleetness of the wind,\nsteeds of the ivory hue and having black manes on the neck, bore\nYudhishthira, that tiger among men. And many warriors followed\nYudhishthira, borne on their steeds, decked in trappings of gold and all\nfleet as the wind. Behind the king was the royal chief of the Panchalas,\nviz., Drupada, with a golden umbrella over his head and himself protected\nby all those soldiers (that followed Yudhishthira). That great bowman\namong all the kings, viz., Sautabhi, proceeded, borne by beautiful steeds\ncapable of bearing every noise. Accompanied by all the great\ncar-warriors, Virata quickly followed the former. The Kaikeyas and\nSikhandin, and Dhrishtaketu, surrounded by their respective troops,\nfollowed the ruler of Matsyas. Excellent steeds of the (pale red) hue of\ntrumpet-flowers, looked exceedingly beautiful as they bore Virata. Fleet\nsteeds of yellow colour and decked in chains of gold, bore with great\nspeed the son (Uttara) of that slayer of foes, viz., Virata, the royal\nchief of the Matsyas. The five Kekaya brothers were borne by steeds of\ndeep red hue. Of the splendour of gold and owning standards of the red\nhue, and decked with chains of gold, all of them heroes, accomplished in\nbattle, they proceeded, clad in mail, and showering arrows like the very\nclouds. Excellent steeds, the gift of Tumvuru, of the hue of unbaked\nearthen pots, bore Sikhandin, the Panchala prince of immeasurable energy.\nAltogether, twelve thousand mighty car-warriors of the Panchala race\nproceeded to battle. Of these, six thousand followed Sikhandin. Sportive\nsteeds, O sire, of the dappled hue of the antelope, bore the son of\nSisupal, that tiger among men. That bull among the Chedis, viz.,\nDhrishtaketu, endued with great strength, and difficult of being\nvanquished in battle, proceeded, borne by Kamvoja steeds of variegated\nhue. Excellent steeds of the Sindhu breed, of beautiful limbs, and of the\nhue of the smoke of straw, quickly bore the Kaikeya prince,\nVrihatkshatra. Possessed of eyes of pure white, of the hue of the lotus,\nborn in the country of the Valhikas, and decked with ornaments, bore\nSikhandin's son, the brave Kshatradeva.[44] Decked in trappings of gold,\nand possessed of the hue of red silk, quiet steeds bore Senavindu, that\nchastiser of foes, to battle. Excellent steeds of the hue of cranes, bore\nto battle the youthful and delicate son of the king of the Kasis, that\nmighty car-warrior. White steeds with black necks, endued with the speed\nof the mind, O monarch, and exceedingly obedient to the driver, bore\nprince Prativindhya. Whitish yellow steeds bore Sutasoma, the son of\nArjuna, whom the latter had obtained from Soma himself. He was born in\nthe Kuru city known by the name of Udayendu. Endued with effulgence of a\nthousand moons, and because he also had won great renown in an assembly\nof the Somakas, he came to be called Sutasoma. Steeds of the hue of Sala\nflowers or of morning sun bore Nakula's son Satanika worthy of every\npraise. Steeds decked in trappings of gold, and endued with the hue of\nthe peacock's neck, bore that tiger among men, Srutakarman, the son of\nDraupadi (by Bhima). Excellent steeds of the hue of the king-fishers bore\nDraupadi's son Srutkirti to that battle, who like Partha was an ocean of\nlearning. Steeds of a tawny hue bore the youthful Abhimanyu who was\nregarded as superior to Krishna or Partha one and a half times in battle.\nGigantic steeds bore Yuyutsu to battle, that only warrior amongst the\nsons of Dhritarashtra who (abandoning his brothers) hath sided with the\nPandavas. Plump and well-decked steeds of the hue of the (dried) paddy\nstalk bore Vardhakshemi of great activity to that dreadful battle. Steeds\nwith black legs, equipped in breast-plates of gold, and exceedingly\nobedient to the driver, bore youthful Sauchitti to battle. Steeds whose\nbacks were covered with golden armour, decked with chains of gold,\nwell-broken, and of the hue of red silk, bore Srenimat. Steeds of a red\nhue bore the advancing Satyadhriti accomplished in the science of arms\nand in the divine Vedas. That Panchala who was commander (of the Pandava\narmy) and who took Drona as the victim allotted to his share,--that\nDhrishtadyumna,--was borne by steeds of the hue of pigeons. Him followed\nSatyadhriti, and Sauchitti irresistible in battle, and Srenimat, and\nVasudana, and Vibhu, the son of the ruler of the Kasis. These had fleet\nsteeds of the best Kamvoja breed decked with chains of gold. Each\nresembling Yama or Vaisravana, they proceeded to battle, striking fear\ninto the hearts of the hostile soldiers. The Prabhadrakas of the Kamvoja\ncountry, numbering six thousand, with upraised weapons, with excellent\nsteeds of diverse hues on their gold-decked cars, with stretched bows and\nmaking their foes tremble with their showers of arrows and resolved to\ndie together,[45] followed Dhristadyumna. Excellent steeds of the hue of\ntawny silk, decked with beautiful chains of gold, cheerfully bore\nChekitana. Arjuna's maternal uncle Purujit, otherwise called Kuntibhoja,\ncame borne by excellent steeds of the colour of the rainbow. Steeds of\nthe colour of star-bespangled firmament bore to battle king Rochamana.\nSteeds of the hue of the red deer, with white streaks over their bodies,\nbore the Panchala prince Singhasena, the son of Gopati. That tiger among\nthe Panchalas who is known by the name of Janamejaya, had excellent\nsteeds of the hue of mustard flowers. Fleet, gigantic and dark blue\nsteeds decked with chains of gold, with backs of the hue of curd and\nfaces of the hue of the moon, bore with great speed the ruler of the\nPanchalas. Brave steeds with beautiful heads, (white) as the stalks of\nreeds, and a splendour resembling that of the firmament or the lotus,\nbore Dandadhara. Light brown steeds with backs of the hue of the mouse,\nand with necks proudly drawn up, bore Vyaghradatta to battle.\nDark-spotted steeds bore that tiger among men, viz., Sudhanwan, the\nprince of Panchala. Of fierce impetuosity resembling that of Indra's\nthunder, beautiful steeds of the hue of Indragopakas, with variegated\npatches, bore Chitrayudha. Decked with golden chains, steeds whose\nbellies were of the hue of the Chakravaka bore Sukshatra, the son of the\nruler of the Kosalas. Beautiful and tall steeds of variegated hue and\ngigantic bodies, exceedingly docile, and decked with chains of gold, bore\nSatyadhriti accomplished in battle. Sukla advanced to battle with his\nstandard and armour and bow and steeds all of the same white hue. Steeds\nborn on the sea-coast and white as the moon, bore Chandrasena of fierce\nenergy, the son of Samudrasena. Steeds of the hue of the blue lotus and\ndecked with ornaments of gold and adorned with beautiful floral wreaths,\nbore Saiva owning a beautiful car to battle. Superior steeds of the hue\nof Kalaya flowers, with white and red streaks, bore Rathasena difficult\nof being resisted in battle. White steeds bore that king who slew the\nPatachcharas and who is regarded as the bravest of men. Superior steeds\nof the hue of Kinsuka flowers bore Chitrayudha decked with beautiful\ngarlands and owning beautiful armour and weapons and standard. King Nila\nadvanced to battle, with standard and armour and bow and banner and\nsteeds all of the same blue colour. Chitra advanced to battle with\ncar-fence and standard and bow all decked with diverse kinds of gems, and\nbeautiful steeds and banner. Excellent steeds of the hue of the lotus\nbore Hemavarna, the son of Rochamana. Chargers, capable of bearing all\nkinds of weapons, of brave achievements in battle, possessed of vertebral\ncolumns of the hue of reeds, having white testicles, and endued with the\ncolour of the hen's egg, bore Dandaketu. The mighty Sarangadhwaja, endued\nwith wealth of energy, the king of the Pandyas, on steeds of the hue of\nthe moon's rays and decked with armour set with stones of lapis lazuli,\nadvanced upon Drona, stretching his excellent bow. His country having\nbeen invaded and his kinsmen having fled, his father had been slain by\nKrishna in battle. Obtaining weapons then from Bhishma and Drona, Rama\nand Kripa, prince Sarangadhwaja became, in weapons, the equal of Rukmi\nand Karna and Arjuna and Achyuta. He then desired to destroy the city of\nDwaraka and subjugate the whole world. Wise friends, however, from desire\nof doing him good, counselled him against that course. Giving up all\nthoughts of revenge, he is now ruling his own dominions. Steeds that were\nall of the hue of the Atrusa flower bore a hundred and forty thousand\nprincipal car-warriors that followed that Sarangadhwaja, the king of the\nPandyas. Steeds of diverse hues and diverse kinds of forces, bore the\nheroic Ghatotkacha. Mighty steeds of gigantic size, of the Aratta breed,\nbore the mighty-armed Vrihanta of red eyes mounted on his golden car,\nthat prince, viz., who, rejecting the opinions of all the Bharatas, hath\nsingly, from his reverence for Yudhishthira, gone over to him, abandoning\nall his cherished desire.[46] Superior steeds of the hue of gold,\nfollowed that foremost of kings viz., the virtuous Yudhishthira at his\nback. Large number of Prabhadrakas, of celestial shapes, advanced to\nbattle, with steeds of diverse excellent colours. All of them owning\nstandards of gold and prepared to struggle vigorously, proceeded with\nBhimasena, and wore the aspect, O monarch, of the denizens of heaven with\nIndra at their head. That assembled host of Prabhadrakas was much liked\nby Dhristadyumna.'\n\n\"'Bharadwaja's son, however, O monarch, surpassed all the warriors in\nsplendour. His standard, with a black deer-skin waving on its top and the\nbeautiful water-pot, O monarch, that it bore, looked exceedingly\nbeautiful. And Bhimasena's standard, bearing the device of a gigantic\nlion in silver with its eyes made of lapis lazuli, looked exceedingly\nresplendent. The standard of Yudhishthira of great energy, bearing the\ndevice of a golden moon with planets around it, looked very beautiful.\nTwo large and beautiful kettle-drums, called Nanda and Upananda, were\ntied to it. Played upon by machinery, these produced excellent music that\nenhanced the delight of all who heard it. For terrifying the foe, we\nbeheld that tall and fierce standard of Nakula, placed on his car bearing\nthe device of a Sarabha with its back made of gold. A beautiful silver\nswan with bells and banner terrible to look at and enhancing the grief of\nthe foe, was seen on Sahadeva's standard. The standards of the five sons\nof Draupadi bore on them the excellent images of Dharma, Marut, Sakra,\nand the twin Aswins. On the car, O king, of the youthful Abhimanyu was an\nexcellent standard that bore a golden peacock, which was bright as heated\ngold. On Ghatotkacha's standard, O king, a vulture shone brightly, and\nhis steeds also were capable of going everywhere at will, like those of\nRavana in days of yore. In Yudhishthira's hands was the celestial bow\ncalled Mahendra; and in the hands of Bhimasena, O king, was the celestial\nbow called Vayavya. For the protection of the three worlds Brahman\ncreated a bow. That celestial and indestructible bow was held by\nPhalguni. The Vaishnava bow was held by Nakula, and the bow called Aswina\nwas held by Sahadeva. That celestial and terrible bow called the\nPaulastya, was held by Ghatotkacha. The five jewels of bows borne by the\nfive sons of Draupadi were the Raudra, the Agneya, the Kauverya, the\nYamya, and the Girisa. That excellent and best of bows, called the\nRaudra, which Rohini's son (Valadeva) had obtained, the latter gave unto\nthe high-souled son of Subhadra, having been gratified with him. These\nand many other standards decked with gold, were seen there, belonging to\nbrave warriors, all of which enhanced the fear of their foes. The host\ncommanded by Drona, which numbered not a single coward, and in which\ncountless standards rising together seemed to obstruct the welkin, then\nlooked, O monarch, like images on a canvas. We heard the names and\nlineage, O king, of brave warriors rushing towards Drona in that battle\nlike to what is heard, O monarch, at a self-choice.[47]\n\n\"'Then royal Drupada advanced against him at the head of a mighty\ndivision. The encounter between those two old men at the heads of their\nrespective forces became terrible like that between two mighty leaders,\nwith rent temples, of two elephantine herds. Vinda and Anuvinda of\nAvanti, with their troops encountered Virata, the ruler of Matsyas at the\nhead of his forces, like Indra and Agni in days of old encountering the\n(Asura) Vali. That awful encounter between the Matsyas and the Kekayas,\nin which steeds and car-warriors and elephants fought most fearlessly,\nresembled that between the gods and the Asuras in days of old.\nBhutakarman, otherwise called Sabhapati, kept away from Drona. Nakula's\nson Satanika, as the latter advanced, scattering showers of arrows. Then\nthe heir of Nakula, with three broad-headed shafts of great sharpness,\ndeprived Bhutakarman of both his arms and head in that battle. Vivinsati\nresisted the heroic Sutasoma of great prowess, as the latter advanced\ntowards Drona, scattering showers of arrows. Sutasoma, however, excited\nwith wrath, pierced his uncle Vivinsati with straight arrows, and cased\nin mail, stood ready for the combat. Bhimaratha, (brother of Duryodhana),\nwith six sharp shafts of great swiftness and made wholly of iron,\ndespatched Salwa along with his steeds and charioteer to Yama's abode.\nChitrasena's son, O king, opposed thy (grand) son Srutakarman as the\nlatter came, borne by steeds, looking like peacocks. Those two grandsons\nof thine, both difficult of being vanquished in battle, and each desirous\nof slaying the other, fought vigorously for the success of the objects of\ntheir respective sires. Beholding Prativindhya staying at the van of that\ndreadful battle, Drona's son (Aswatthaman), desirous of protecting the\nhonour of his sire, resisted the former with his shafts. Prativindhya,\nthen, excited with rage pierced Aswatthaman, bearing on his standard the\ndevice of a lion's tail and staying in battle for the sake of his father,\nwith many sharp shafts. The (eldest) son of Draupadi then scattered over\nDrona's son showers of arrows, like a sower, O bull among men, scattering\nseeds on the soil at the sowing season.[48] The son of Duhsasana resisted\nthe mighty car-warrior Srutakirti, the son of Arjuna by Draupadi, as the\nlatter was rushing towards Drona. That son of Arjuna, however, who was\nequal to Arjuna himself, cutting off the former's bow and standard and\ncharioteer with three broad-headed arrows of great sharpness, proceeded\nagainst Drona. Duryodhana's son, Lakshmana, resisted the slayer of the\nPatachcharas,--him, that is, O king, who is regarded by both the armies\nas the bravest of the brave. The latter, however, cutting off both the\nbow and the standard of Lakshmana, and showering upon him many arrows,\nflared up with splendour. The youthful Vikarna of great wisdom resisted\nSikhandin, the youthful son of Yajnasena, as the latter advanced in that\nbattle. Yajnasena's son then covered the former with showers of arrows.\nThy mighty son Vikarna, baffling those arrowy showers, looked resplendent\non the field of battle. Angada resisted with showers of arrows the heroic\nUttamaujas in that battle as the latter rushed towards Drona. That\nencounter between those two lions among men became frightful, and it\nfilled both them and the troops with great zeal. The great bowman\nDurmukha, endued with great might, resisted with his shafts the heroic\nPurujit as the latter proceeded towards Drona. Purujit struck Durmukha\nbetween his eye-brows with a long shaft. Thereupon, Durmukha's face\nlooked beautiful like a lotus with its stalk. Karna resisted with showers\nof arrows the five Kekaya brothers, owning red standards, as they\nproceeded towards Drona. Scorched with the arrowy showers of Karna, those\nfive brothers covered Karna with their arrows. Karna, in return,\nrepeatedly covered them with showers of arrows. Covered with arrows,\nneither Karna nor the five brother could be seen with their steeds,\ncharioteers, standards, and cars. Thy sons, Durjaya, Jaya, and Vijaya,\nresisted Nila, and the ruler of the Kasis, and Jayatsena, three against.\nAnd the combat between those warriors deepened and gladdened the hearts\nof the spectators like those between a lion, a tiger, and a wolf on the\none side and a bear, a buffalo, and a bull on the other. The brothers\nKshemadhurti and Vrihanta mangled Satyaki of the Satwata race with their\nkeen arrows, as the latter proceeded against Drona. The battle between\nthose two on one side and Satyaki on the other became exceedingly\nwonderful to behold, like that between a lion and two mighty elephants\nwith rent temples in the forest. The king of the Chedis, excited with\nwrath, and shooting many warriors, kept away from Drona, king Amvashtha,\nthat hero who always delighted in battle. Then king Amvashtha pierced\nhis antagonist with a long arrow capable of penetrating into the very\nbones. Thereupon, the latter, with bow and arrow loosened from his grasp,\nfell down from his car on the ground. The noble Kripa, son of Saradwata,\nwith many small arrows resisted Vardhakshemi of the Vrishni race who was\nthe embodiment of wrath (in battle). They that looked at Kripa, son of\nSaradwata, with many small arrows, resisted Vardhakshemi of the Vrishni\nrace who was the embodiment of wrath (in battle). They that looked at\nKripa and Vardhakshemi, those heroes conversant with every mode of\nwarfare, thus engaged in encountering each other, became so absorbed in\nit that they could not attend to anything else. Somadatta's son, for\nenhancing the glory of Drona, resisted king Manimat of great activity as\nthe latter came to fight. Then Manimat quickly cut off the bowstring, the\nstandard, the banner, the charioteer and the umbrella of Somadatta's son\nand caused them to fall down from the latter's car.[49] The son of\nSomadatta then, bearing the device of the sacrificial stake on his\nstandard, that slayer of foes, quickly jumping down from his car, cut off\nwith his large swords, his antagonist with his steeds, charioteer,\nstandard, and car. Re-ascending then upon his own car, and taking up\nanother bow, and guiding his steeds himself, he began, O monarch, to\nconsume the Pandava host. Vrishasena (the son of Karna), competent for\nthe feat, resisted with showers of arrows king Pandava who was rushing to\nbattle like Indra himself following the Asuras for smiting them. With\nmaces and spiked bludgeons, and swords and axes and stones, short clubs\nand mallets, and discs, short arrows and battle-axes with dust and wind,\nand fire and water, and ashes and brick-bats, and straw and trees,\nafflicting and smiting, and breaking, and slaying and routing the foe,\nand hurling them on the hostile ranks, and terrifying them therewith,\ncame Ghatotkacha, desirous of getting at Drona. The Rakshasa Alambhusha,\nhowever, excited with rage, encountered him with diverse weapons and\ndiverse accoutrements of war. And the battle that took place between\nthose two foremost of Rakshasas resembled that which took place in days\nof old between Samvara and the chief of the celestials. Thus blessed be\nthou, took place hundreds of single combats between car-warriors and\nelephants, and steeds and foot-soldiers of thy army and theirs in the\nmidst of the dreadful general engagement. Indeed, such a battle was never\nseen or heard of before as that which then took place between those\nwarriors that were bent upon Drona's destruction and protection. Indeed,\nmany were the encounters that were then seen on all parts of field, some\nof which were terrible, some beautiful, and some exceedingly fierce, O\nlord.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'When the troops were thus engaged and thus\nproceeded against one another in separate divisions, how did Partha and\nthe warriors of my army endued with great activity fight? What also did\nArjuna do towards the car-warriors of the Samsaptakas? And what, O\nSanjaya, did the Samsaptakas, in their turn, do to Arjuna?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When the troops were thus engaged and proceeded against\none another, thy son Duryodhana himself rushed against Bhimasena, leading\nhis elephant division. Like an elephant encountering an elephant, like a\nbull encountering a bull, Bhimasena, summoned by the king himself, rushed\nagainst that elephant division of the Kaurava army. Skilled in battle and\nendued with great might of arms, Pritha's son, O sire, quickly broke that\nelephant division. These elephants, huge as hills, and with ichor\ntrickling down from every part of their bodies, were mangled and forced\nto turn back by Bhimasena with his arrows. Indeed, as the wind, when it\nriseth, driveth away gathering masses of clouds, so did that son of\nPavana rout that elephant force of the Kauravas. And Bhima, shooting his\narrows at those elephants, looked resplendent like the risen sun,\nstriking everything in the world with his rays. Those elephants,\nafflicted with the shafts of Bhima, became covered with blood and looked\nbeautiful like masses of clouds in the welkin penetrated with the rays of\nthe sun. Then Duryodhana, excited with wrath, pierced with the sharp\nshafts that son of the Wind-god who was causing such a slaughter among\nhis elephants. Then Bhima, with eyes red in wrath, desirous of\ndespatching the king to Yama's abode, pierced him speedily with many\nsharp shafts. Then Duryodhana, mangled all over with arrows and excited\nwith rage, pierced Bhima, the son of Pandu, with many shafts endued with\nthe effulgence of solar rays, smiling the while. Then the son of Pandu,\nwith a couple of broad-headed arrows, quickly cut off Duryodhana's bow as\nalso his standard, bearing the device of a jewelled elephant, decked with\ndiverse gems. Beholding Duryodhana thus afflicted, O sire, by Bhima, the\nruler of the Angas on his elephant came there for afflicting the son of\nPandu. Thereupon, Bhimasena deeply pierced with a long arrow that prince\nof elephants advancing with loud roars, between its two frontal globes.\nThat arrow, penetrating through its body, sank deep in the earth. And at\nthis the elephants fell down like a hill riven by the thunder. While the\nelephant was falling down, the Mleccha king also was falling down it. But\nVrikodara, endued with great activity, cut off his head with a\nbroad-headed arrow before his antagonist actually fell down. When the\nheroic ruler of the Angas fell, his divisions fled away. Steeds and\nelephants and car-warriors struck with panic, crushed the foot-soldiers\nas they fled.\n\n\"'When those troops, thus broken, fled away in all directions, the ruler\nof the Pragjyotishas then advanced against Bhima, upon his elephant.[50]\nWith its two (fore) legs and trunk contracted, filled with rage, and with\neyes rolling, that elephant seemed to consume the son of Pandu (like a\nblazing fire). And it pounded Vrikodara's car with the steed yoked\nthereto into dust. Then Bhima ran forward and got under the elephant's\nbody, for he knew the science called Anjalikabedha. Indeed, the son of\nPandu fled not. Getting under the elephant's body, he began to strike it\nfrequently with his bare arms. And he smote that invincible elephant\nwhich was bent upon slaying him. Thereupon, the latter began to quickly\nturn round like a potter's wheel. Endued with the might of ten thousand\nelephants, the blessed Vrikodara, having struck that elephant thus, came\nout from under Supratika's body and stood facing the latter. Supratika\nthen, seizing Bhima by its trunk, threw him down by means of its knees.\nIndeed, having seized him by the neck, that elephant wished to slay him.\nTwisting the elephant's trunk, Bhima freed himself from its twine, and\nonce more got under the body of that huge creature. And he waited there,\nexpecting the arrival of a hostile elephant of his own army. Coming out\nfrom under the beast's body, Bhima then ran away with great speed. Then a\nloud noise was heard, made by all the troops, to the effect, \"Alas, Bhima\nhath been slain by the elephant!\" The Pandava host, frightened by that\nelephant, suddenly fled away, O king, to where Vrikodara was waiting.\nMeanwhile, king Yudhishthira, thinking Vrikodara to have been slain,\nsurrounded Bhagadatta on all sides, aided by the Panchalas. Having\nsurrounded him with numerous cars, king Yudhishthira that foremost of\ncar-warriors, covered Bhagadatta with keen shafts by hundreds and\nthousands. Then Bhagadatta, that king of the mountainous regions,\nfrustrating with his iron hook that shower of arrows, began to consume\nboth the Pandavas and the Panchalas by means of that elephant of his.\nIndeed, O monarch, the feat that we then beheld, achieved by old\nBhagadatta with his elephant, was highly wonderful. Then the ruler of the\nDasarnas rushed against the king of the Pragjyotisha, on a fleet elephant\nwith temporal sweat trickling down, for attacking Supratika in the flank.\nThe battle then that took place between those two elephants of awful\nsize, resembled that between two winged mountains overgrown with forests\nin days of old. Then the elephant of Bhagadatta, wheeling round and\nattacking the elephant of the king of the Dasarnas, ripped open the\nlatter's flank and slew it outright. Then Bhagadatta himself with seven\nlances bright as the rays of the sun, slew his (human) antagonist seated\non the elephant just when the latter was about to fall down from his\nseat. Piercing king Bhagadatta then (with many arrows), Yudhishthira\nsurrounded him on all sides with a large number of cars. Staying on his\nelephant amid car-warriors encompassing him all around, he looked\nresplendent like a blazing fire on a mountain-top in the midst of a dense\nforest. He stayed fearlessly in the midst of those serried cars ridden by\nfierce bowmen, all of whom showered upon him their arrows. Then the king\nof the Pragjyotisha, pressing (with his toe) his huge elephant, urged him\ntowards the car of Yuyudhana. That prodigious beast, then seizing the car\nof Sini's grandson, hurled it to a distance with great force. Yuyudhana,\nhowever, escaped by timely flight. His charioteer also, abandoning the\nlarge steeds of the Sindhu breed, yoked unto that car, quickly followed\nSatyaki and stood where the latter stopped. Meanwhile the elephant,\nquickly coming out of the circle of cars, began to throw down all the\nkings (that attempted to bar his course). These bulls among men,\nfrightened out of their wits by that single elephant coursing swiftly,\nregarded it in that battle as multiplied into many. Indeed, Bhagadatta,\nmounted on that elephant of his, began to smite down the Pandavas, like\nthe chief of the celestials mounted on Airavata smiting down the Danavas\n(in days of old).[51] As the Panchalas fled in all directions, loud and\nawful was the noise that arose amongst them, made by their elephants and\nsteeds. And while the Pandava troops were thus destroyed by Bhagadatta,\nBhima, excited with rage, once more rushed against the ruler of the\nPragjyotisha. The latter's elephant then frightened the steeds of\nadvancing Bhima by drenching them with water spouted forth from its\ntrunk, and thereupon those animals bore Bhima away from the field. Then\nKriti's son, Ruchiparvan, mounted on his car, quickly rushed against\nBhagadatta, scattering showers of arrows and advancing like the Destroyer\nhimself. Then Bhagadatta, that ruler of the hilly regions, possessed of\nbeautiful limbs, despatched Ruchiparvan with a straight shaft to Yama's\nabode.[52] Upon the fall of the heroic Ruchiparvan, Subhadra's son and\nthe sons of Draupadi, and Chekitana, and Dhrishtaketu, and Yuyutsu began\nto afflict the elephant. Desiring to slay that elephant, all those\nwarriors, uttering loud shouts, began to pour their arrows on the\nanimals, like the clouds drenching the earth with their watery down-pour.\nUrged then by its skilful rider with heel, hook, and toe the animal\nadvanced quickly with trunk stretched, and eyes and cars fixed. Treading\ndown Yuyutsu's steeds, the animal then slew the charioteer. Thereupon, O\nking, Yuyutsu, abandoning his car, fled away quickly. Then the Pandava\nwarriors, desirous of slaying that prince of elephants, uttered loud\nshouts and covered it quickly with showers of arrows. At this time, thy\nson, excited with rage, rushed against the car of Subhadra's son.\nMeanwhile, king Bhagadatta on his elephant, shooting shafts on the foe,\nlooked resplendent like the Sun himself scattering his rays on the earth.\nArjuna's son then pierced him with a dozen shafts, and Yuyutsu with ten,\nand each of the sons of Draupadi pierced him with three shafts and\nDhrishtaketu also pierced him with three. That elephant then, pierced\nwith these shafts, shot with great care, looked resplendent like a mighty\nmass of clouds penetrated with the rays of the sun. Afflicted with those\nshafts of the foe, that elephant then, urged by its riders with skill and\nvigour, began to throw hostile warriors on both his flanks. Like a\ncowherd belabouring his cattle in the forest with a goad, Bhagadatta\nrepeatedly smote the Pandava host. Like the cawing of quickly retreating\ncrows when assailed by hawks, a loud and confused noise was heard among\nthe Pandava troops who fled away with great speed. That prince of\nelephants, struck by its rider with hook, resembled, O king, a winged\nmountain of old. And it filled the hearts of the enemy with fear, like to\nwhat merchants experience at sight of the surging sea.[53] Then elephants\nand car-warriors and steeds and kings, flying away in fear, made, as they\nfled, a loud and awful din that, O monarch, filled the earth and sky and\nheaven and the cardinal and subsidiary directions in that battle. Mounted\non that foremost of elephants, king Bhagadatta penetrated the hostile\narmy like the Asura Virochana in days of old into the celestial host in\nbattle well-protected by the gods. A violent wind began to blow; a dusty\ncloud covered the sky and the troops; and people regarded that single\nelephant as multiplied into many, coursing all over the field.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Thou askest me about the feats of Arjuna in battle.\nListen, O thou of mighty arms, to what Partha achieved in the fight.\nBeholding the risen dust and hearing the wail of the troops when\nBhagadatta was performing great feats on the field, the son of Kunti\naddressed Krishna and said \"O slayer of Madhu, it seems that the ruler of\nthe Pragjyotishas hath, on his elephant, with great impetuosity, advanced\nto battle. This loud din that we hear must be due to him. Well-versed in\nthe art of grinding and battling from the back of an elephant, and not\ninferior to Indra himself in battle, he, I think, is the foremost of all\nelephant-warriors in the world.[54] His elephant, again, is the foremost\nof elephants, without a rival to encounter it in battle. Possessed of\ngreat dexterity and above all fatigue, it is, again, impervious to all\nweapons. Capable of bearing every weapon and even the touch of fire, it\nwill, O sinless one, alone destroy the Pandava force today. Except us\ntwo, there is none else capable of checking that creature. Go quickly,\ntherefore, to that spot where the ruler of the Pragjyotishas is. Proud in\nbattle, in consequence of the strength of his elephant, and arrogant in\nconsequence of his age, I will this very day send him as a guest to the\nslayer of Vala.\" At these words of Arjuna, Krishna began to proceed to\nthe place where Bhagadatta was breaking the Pandava ranks. While Arjuna\nwas proceeding towards Bhagadatta, the mighty Samsaptaka car-warriors,\nnumbering fourteen thousand, made up of ten thousand Gopalas or Narayanas\nwho used to follow Vasudeva, returning to the field, summoned him to\nbattle. Beholding the Pandava host broken by Bhagadatta, and summoned on\nthe other hand by the Samsaptakas, Arjuna's heart was divided in twain.\nAnd he began to think, \"Which of these two acts will be better for me to\ndo today, to return from this spot for battling with Samsaptakas or to\nrepair to Yudhishthira?\" Reflecting with the aid of his understanding, O\nperpetuator of Kuru's race, Arjuna's heart, at last, was firmly fixed on\nthe slaughter of the Samsaptakas. Desirous of alone slaughtering in\nbattle thousands of car-warriors, Indra's son (Arjuna) having the\nforemost of apes on his banner, suddenly turned back. Even this was what\nboth Duryodhana and Karna had thought of for achieving the slaughter of\nArjuna. And it was for this that they had made arrangements for the\ndouble encounter. The son of Pandu allowed his heart to waver this side\nand that, but, at last, resolving to slay those foremost of warriors,\nviz., the Samsaptakas, he baffled the purpose of his enemies.[55] Then\nmighty Samsaptakas car-warriors, O king, shot at Arjuna thousands of\nstraight arrows. Covered with those arrows, O monarch, neither Kunti's\nson Partha, nor Krishna, otherwise called Janardana, nor the steeds, nor\nthe car, could be seen. Then Janardana became deprived of his senses and\nperspired greatly. Thereupon, Partha shot the Brahma weapon and nearly\nexterminated them all. Hundreds upon hundreds of arms with bows and\narrows and bowstrings in grasp, cut off from trunks, and hundreds upon\nhundreds of standards and steeds and charioteers and car-warriors, fell\ndown on the ground. Huge elephants, well-equipped and resembling foremost\nhills over-grown with woods or masses of clouds, afflicted with Partha's\nshafts and deprived of riders, fell down on the earth. Many elephants\nagain, with riders on their backs, crushed by means of Arjuna's shafts,\nfell down, deprived of life, shorn of the embroidered cloths on their\nbacks, and with their housings torn. Cut off by Kiritin with his\nbroad-headed arrows, countless arms having swords and lances and rapiers\nfor their nails or having clubs and battle-axes in grasp, fell down on\nthe earth. Heads also, beautiful, O king, as the morning sun or the lotus\nor the moon, cut off by Arjuna with his arrows, dropped down on the\nground. While Phalguni in rage was thus engaged in slaying the foe with\ndiverse kinds of well-adorned and fatal shafts, that host seemed to be\nablaze. Beholding Dhananjaya crushing that host like an elephant crushing\nlotus-stalks, all creatures applauded him, saying, \"Excellent,\nExcellent!\" Seeing that feat of Partha resembling that of Vasava himself,\nMadhava wondered much and, addressing him with joined hands, said,\n\"Verily, O Partha, I think that this feat which thou hast achieved, could\nnot be performed by Sakra, or Yama, or the Lord of treasures himself. I\nsee that thou hast today felled in battle hundreds and thousands of\nmighty Samsaptaka warriors an together.\" Having slain the Samsaptakas\nthen,--that is, who were engaged in battle,--Partha addressed Krishna,\nsaying, \"Go towards Bhagadatta.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'At Partha's desire, Krishna then urged his white steeds,\nfleet as the mind and covered in golden armour, towards Drona's\ndivisions. While that foremost one of the Kurus was thus proceeding\ntowards his brothers who were exceedingly afflicted by Drona, Susarman\nwith his brothers, followed him behind, desirous of battle. The\never-victorious Arjuna then addressed Krishna, saying, \"O thou of\nunfading glory, this Susarman here, with his brothers, challengeth me to\nbattle! O slayer of foes, our host, again, is broken (by Drona) towards\nthe north. In consequence of these Samsaptakas, my heart wavers today as\nto whether I should do this or that. Shall I slay the Samsaptakas now, or\nprotect from harm my own troops already afflicted by the foe? Know this\nto be what I am thinking of, viz., 'Which of these would be better for\nme?'\" Thus addressed by him, he of Dasarha's race, turned back the car,\nand took the son of Pandu to where the ruler of the Trigartas was. Then\nArjuna pierced Susarman with seven shafts, and cut off both his bow and\nstandard with a couple of sharp arrows. He then, with six arrows, quickly\ndespatched the brothers of Trigarta king to Yama's abode.[56] Then\nSusarman, aiming at Arjuna, hurled at him a dart made wholly of iron and\nlooking like a snake, and aiming at Vasudeva, hurled a lance at him.\nCutting off that dart with three arrows and that lance also with three\nother arrows, Arjuna, by means of his arrowy showers, deprived Susarman of\nhis senses on his car. Then advancing fiercely (towards thy division),\nscattering showers of arrows, like Vasava pouring rain, none among thy\ntroops, O king, ventured to oppose. Like a fire consuming heaps of straw\nas it advances, Dhananjaya advanced, scorching all the mighty\ncar-warriors among the Kauravas by means of his arrows. Like a living\ncreature incapable of bearing the touch of fire, thy troops could not\nbear the irresistible impetuosity of that intelligent son of Kunti.\nIndeed, the son of Pandu, overwhelming the hostile host by means of his\narrows, came upon the king of the Pragjyotishas, O monarch, like Garuda\nswooping down (upon his prey). He then held in his hands that Gandiva\nwhich in battle was beneficial to the innocent Pandavas and baneful to\nall foes, for the destruction of Kshatriyas brought about, O king, by the\nfault of thy son who had recourse to deceitful dice for accomplishing his\nend. Agitated by Partha thus, thy host then, O king, broke like a boat\nwhen it strikes against a rock. Then ten thousand bowmen, brave and\nfierce, firmly resolved to conquer, advanced (to encounter Arjuna). With\ndauntless hearts, those mighty car-warriors all surrounded him. Capable\nof bearing any burden, howsoever heavy in battle, Partha took up that\nheavy burden. As an angry elephant of sixty years, with rent temples,\ncrushes an assemblage of lotus stalks, even so did Partha crush that\ndivision of thy army. And when that division was being thus crushed, king\nBhagadatta, on that same elephant of his, impetuously rushed towards\nArjuna. Thereupon, Dhananjaya, that tiger among men, staying on his car,\nreceived Bhagadatta. That encounter between Arjuna's car and Bhagadatta's\nelephant was fierce in the extreme. Those two heroes, viz., Bhagadatta\nand Dhananjaya, then coursed on the field, the one on his car and the\nother on his elephant, both of which were equipped according to the rules\nof science. Then Bhagadatta, like the lord Indra, from his elephant\nlooking like a mass of clouds, poured on Dhananjaya showers of arrows.\nThe valiant son of Vasava, however, with his arrows, cut off those arrowy\nshowers of Bhagadatta before they could reach him. The king of the\nPragjyotishas, then, baffling that arrowy shower of Arjuna, struck both\nPartha and Krishna, O king, with many shafts and overwhelming both of\nthem with a thick shower of shafts. Bhagadatta then urged his elephant\nfor the destruction of Krishna and Partha. Beholding that angry elephant\nadvancing like Death himself, Janardana quickly moved his car in such a\nway as to keep the elephant on his left. Dhananjaya, although he thus got\nthe opportunity of slaying that huge elephant with its rider from the\nback, wished not yet to avail himself of it, remembering the rules of\nfair fight. The elephant, however, coming upon other elephants and cars\nand steeds, O king, despatched them all to Yama's abode. Beholding this,\nDhananjaya was filled with rage.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Filled with rage, what did Partha, the son of\nPandu, do to Bhagadatta? What also did the king of the Pragjyotishas do\nto Partha? Tell me all this, O Sanjaya!'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'While Partha and Krishna were thus engaged with the ruler\nof the Pragjyotishas, all creatures regarded them to be very near the\njaws of Death. Indeed, O monarch, from the neck of his elephant,\nBhagadatta scattered showers of shafts on the two Krishnas, staying upon\ntheir car. He pierced Devaki's son with many arrows made wholly of black\niron, equipped with wings of gold, whetted on stone, and shot from his\nbow, drawn to the fullest stretch. Those shafts whose touch resembled\nthat of fire, equipped with beautiful feathers, and shot by Bhagadatta,\npassing through Devaki's son, entered the earth. Partha then cut off\nBhagadatta's bow and slaying next the warrior that protected his elephant\nfrom the flank, began to fight with him as if in sport. Then Bhagadatta\nhurled at him fourteen lances of sharp points, that were bright as the\nrays of the sun. Arjuna, however, cut each of those lances into three\nfragments. Then Indra's son cut open the armour in which that elephant\nwas cased, by means of a thick shower of arrows. The armour thus cut off,\nfell down on the earth. Exceedingly afflicted with arrows shot by Arjuna,\nthat elephant, deprived of its coat of mail, looked like a prince of\nmountains destitute of its cloudy robes and with streaks of water running\ndown its breast. Then the ruler of the Pragjyotishas hurled at Vasudeva a\ndart made wholly of iron and decked with gold. That dart Arjuna cut in\ntwain. Then cutting off the king's standard and umbrella by means of his\narrows Arjuna quickly pierced that ruler of the mountainous realms with\nten arrows, smiling all the while. Deeply pierced with those shafts of\nArjuna, that were beautifully winged with Kanka feathers, Bhagadatta, O\nmonarch, became incensed with the son of Pandu. He then hurled some\nlances at Arjuna's head and uttered a loud shout. In consequence of those\nlances Arjuna's diadem was displaced. Arjuna, then, having placed his\ndiadem properly, addressed the ruler of the Pragjyotishas, saying, \"Look\nwell on this world!\" Thus addressed by him, Bhagadatta became filled with\nrage, and taking up a bright bow showered upon both the Pandava and\nGovinda his arrowy down-pours. Partha then cutting off his bow and\nquivers, quickly struck him with two and seventy shafts, afflicting his\nvital limbs. Thus pierced, he was excessively pained. Filled then with\nrage, he with Mantras, turned his hook into the Vaishnava weapon and\nhurled it at Arjuna's breast. That all-slaying weapon, hurled by\nBhagadatta, Kesava, covering Arjuna, received on his breast. Thereupon,\nthat weapon became a triumphal garland on Kesava's breast. Arjuna then\ncheerlessly addressed Kesava, saying, \"O sinless one, without battling\nthyself, thou art to only guide my steed! Thou hadst said so, O\nlotus-eyed one! Why then dost thou not adhere to thy promise? If I sink\nin distress, or become unable to baffle, or resist a foe or weapon, then\nmayst thou act so, but not when I am standing thus. Thou knowest that\nwith my bow and arrows I am competent to vanquish these worlds with the\ngods, the Asuras, and men.\" Hearing these words of Arjuna, Vasudeva\nreplied unto him, saying, \"Listen, O Partha, to this secret and ancient\nhistory as it is, O sinless one! I have four forms, eternally engaged as\nI am in protecting the worlds. Dividing my own Self, I ordain the good of\nthe worlds. One form of mine, staying on the earth, is engaged in the\npractice of ascetic austerities. Another beholdeth the good and the evil\ndeeds in the world. My third form, coming into the world of men, is\nengaged in action. My fourth form lieth down in sleep for a thousand\nyears. The form of mine which awaketh from sleep at the end of a thousand\nyears, granteth, upon awakening, excellent boons to persons deserving of\nthem. The earth, knowing (on one occasion) that that time had come, asked\nof me a boon for (her son) Naraka. Hear, O Partha, what that boon was.\n'Possessed of the Vaishnava weapon, let my son become incapable of being\nslain by the gods and the Asuras. It behoveth thee to grant me that\nweapon.' Hearing this prayer, I then gave, in days of old, the supreme and\ninfallible Vaishnava weapon to the Earth's son. I said also at that time\nthese words, 'O Earth, let this weapon be infallible for the protection\nof Naraka. None will be able to slay him. Protected by this weapon, thy\nson will always, in all the worlds, be invincible and crush all hostile\nhosts.' Saying, So be it! the intelligent goddess went away, her wishes\nfulfilled. And Naraka also became invincible and always scorched his\nfoes. It was from Naraka, O Partha, that the ruler of the Pragjyotishas\ngot this weapon of mine. There is none, in all the world, O sire,\nincluding even Indra and Rudra, who is unslayable by this weapon. It was\nfor thy sake, therefore, that I baffled it, violating my promise. The\ngreat Asura hath now been divested of that supreme weapon. Slay now, O\nPartha, that invincible foe of thine, viz., Bhagadatta, enemy of the\ngods, even as I formerly slew for the good of the worlds, the Asura\nNaraka.\" Thus addressed by the high-souled Kesava, Partha suddenly\noverwhelmed Bhagadatta with clouds of whetted arrows. Then, the\nmighty-armed and high-souled Arjuna fearlessly struck a long arrow\nbetween the frontal globes of his enemy's elephant. That arrow, splitting\nthe elephant like the thunder splitting a mountain, penetrated into its\nbody to the very wings, like a snake penetrating into an ant-hill. Though\nurged repeatedly then by Bhagadatta, the elephant refused to obey like a\npoor man's wife her lord. With limbs paralysed, it fell down, striking\nthe earth with its tusks. Uttering a cry of distress, that huge elephant\ngave up the ghost. The son of Pandu then, with a straight shaft furnished\nwith a crescent-shaped head, pierced the bosom of king Bhagadatta. His\nbreast, being pierced through by the diadem-decked (Arjuna), king\nBhagadatta, deprived of life, threw down his bow and arrows. Loosened\nfrom his head, the valuable piece of cloth that had served him for a\nturban, fell down, like a petal from a lotus when its stalk is violently\nstruck. And he himself, decked with golden garlands, fell down from his\nhuge elephant adorned with golden housings, like flowering Kinsuka broken\nby the force of the wind from the mountain-top. The son of Indra then,\nhaving slain in battle that monarch who resembled Indra himself in\nprowess and who was Indra's friend, broke the other warriors of thy army\ninspired with hope of victory like the mighty wind breaking rows of\ntrees.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having slain Bhagadatta who was ever the favourite and\nfriend of Indra and who was possessed of great energy, Partha\ncircumambulated him. Then the two sons of the king of Gandhara viz., the\nbrothers Vrishaka and Achala, those subjugators of hostile towns, began\nto afflict Arjuna in battle. Those two heroic bowmen, uniting together,\nbegan to deeply pierce Arjuna from the front and from behind with whetted\nshafts of great impetuosity. Arjuna then with sharp shafts cut off the\nsteeds and driver and bow and umbrella and standard and car of Vrishaka,\nthe son of Suvala, into atoms. With clouds of arrows and diverse other\nweapons, Arjuna then once more severely afflicted the Gandhara troops\nheaded by Suvala's son. Then Dhananjaya, filled with rage, despatched to\nYama's abode, with his shafts, five hundred heroic Gandharas with\nupraised weapons. The mighty-armed hero then, quickly alighting from that\ncar whose steeds had been slain, mounted upon the car of his brother and\ntook up another bow. Then those two brothers, viz., Vrishaka and Achala,\nboth mounted on the same car, began incessantly to pierce Vibhatsu with\nshowers of arrows. Indeed, those high-souled princes, those relatives of\nthine by marriage, viz., Vrishaka and Achala, struck Partha very\nseverely, like Vritra or Vala striking Indra of old. Of unfailing aim,\nthese two princes of Gandhara, themselves unhurt, began once more to\nstrike the son of Pandu, like the two months of summer afflicting the\nworld with sweat-producing rays.[57] Then Arjuna slew those princes and\ntigers among men, viz., Vrishaka and Achala, staying on one car side by\nside, with, O monarch, a single arrow. Then those mighty-armed heroes,\nwith red eyes and looking like lions, those uterine brothers having\nsimilar features, together fell down from that car. And their bodies,\ndear to friends, falling down upon the earth, lay there, spreading sacred\nfame all around.\n\n\"'Beholding their brave and unretreating maternal uncles thus slain by\nArjuna, thy sons, O monarch, rained many weapons upon him. Sakuni also,\nconversant with a hundred different kinds of illusions, seeing his\nbrothers slain, created illusions for confounding the two Krishnas. Then\nclubs, and iron balls, and rocks and Sataghnis and darts, and maces, and\nspiked bludgeons, and scimitars, and lances, mallets, axes, and Kampanas,\nand swords, and nails, and short clubs, and battle-axes, and razors, and\narrows with sharp broad heads, and Nalikas, and calf-tooth headed shafts,\nand arrows having bony heads and discs and snake-headed shafts, and\nspears, and diverse other kinds of weapons, fell upon Arjuna from all\nsides. And asses, and camels, and buffaloes, and tigers, and lions, and\ndeer, and leopards, and bears, and wolves and vultures, and monkeys, and\nvarious reptiles, and diverse cannibals, and swarms of crows, all hungry,\nand excited with rage, ran towards Arjuna. Then Dhananjaya, the son of\nKunti, that hero conversant with celestial weapons, shooting clouds of\narrows, assailed them all. And assailed by that hero with those excellent\nand strong shafts, they uttered loud cries and fell down deprived of\nlife. Then a thick darkness appeared and covered Arjuna's car, and from\nwithin that gloom harsh voices rebuked Arjuna. The latter, however, by\nmeans of the weapons called Jyotishka, dispelled that thick and awful\ndarkness. When that darkness was dispelled frightful waves of water\nappeared. For drying up those waters, Arjuna applied the weapon called\nAditya. And in consequence of that weapon, the waters were almost dried\nup. These diverse illusions, repeatedly created by Sauvala, Arjuna\ndestroyed speedily by means of the force of his weapons, laughing the\nwhile. Upon all his illusions being destroyed, afflicted with Arjuna's\nshafts and unmanned by fear, Sakuni fled away, aided by his fleet\nsteeds, like a vulgar wretch. Then Arjuna, acquainted with all weapons,\nshowing his enemies the exceeding lightness of his hands, showered upon\nthe Kaurava host clouds of arrows. That host of thy son, thus slaughtered\nby Partha, became divided into two streams like the current of Ganga when\nimpeded by a mountain. And one of those streams, O bull among men,\nproceeded towards Drona, and the other with loud cries, proceeded towards\nDuryodhana. Then a thick dust arose and covered all the troops. We could\nnot then see Arjuna. Only the twang of Gandiva was heard by us from off\nthe field. Indeed, the twang of Gandiva was heard, rising above the blare\nof conchs and the beat of drums and the noise of other instruments. Then\non the southern part of the field took place a fierce battle between many\nforemost warriors on the one side and Arjuna on the other. I, however,\nfollowed Drona. The various divisions of Yudhishthira's force smote the\nfoe on every part of the field. The diverse divisions of thy son, O\nBharata, Arjuna smote, even as the wind in the summer season destroys\nmasses of clouds in the welkin. Indeed, as Arjuna came, scattering clouds\nof arrows, like Vasava pouring thick showers of rain, there was none in\nthy army who could resist that great fierce bowman, that tiger among men.\nStruck by Partha, thy warriors were in great pain. They fled away, and in\nflying killed many among their own number. The arrows shot by Arjuna,\nwinged Kanka feathers and capable of penetrating into every body, fell\ncovering all sides, like flights of locusts. Piercing steeds and\ncar-warriors and elephants and foot-soldiers, O sire, like snakes through\nant-hills, those shafts entered the earth. Arjuna never shot multiple\narrows at any elephant, steed or man. Struck with only one arrow, each of\nthese, severely afflicted, fell down deprived of life. With slain men and\nelephant and shaft-struck steeds lying all about, and echoing with yells\nof dogs and jackals, the field of battle presented a variegated and awful\nsight. Pained with arrows, sire forsook son, and friend forsook friend\nand son forsook sire. Indeed, every one was intent upon protecting his\nown self. Struck with Partha's shafts, many warriors abandoned the very\nanimals that bore them.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXIX\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'When those divisions (of mine), O Sanjaya, were\nbroken and routed, and all of you retreated quickly from the field, what\nbecame the state of your minds? The rallying of ranks when broken and\nflying away without beholding a spot whereon to stand, is always\nexceedingly difficult. Tell me all about it, O Sanjaya!'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, '[Although thy troops were broken], yet, O monarch, many\nforemost of heroes in the world, inspired by the desire of doing good to\nthy son and of maintaining their own reputation, followed Drona. In that\ndreadful pass, they fearlessly followed their commander, achieving\nmeritorious feats against the Pandava troops with weapons upraised, and\nYudhishthira within accessible distance.[58] Taking advantage of an error\nof Bhimasena of great energy and of heroic Satyaki and Dhrishtadyumna, O\nmonarch, the Kuru leaders fell upon the Pandava Army.[59] The Panchalas\nurged their troops, saying, \"Drona, Drona!\" Thy sons, however, urged all\nthe Kurus, saying, \"Let not Drona be slain. Let not Drona be slain!\" One\nside saying, \"Slay Drona\", \"Slay Drona,\" and the other saying, \"Let not\nDrona be slain,\" \"Let not Drona be slain,\" the Kurus and the Pandavas\nseemed to gamble, making Drona their stake. Dhrishtadyumna, the prince of\nthe Panchalas, proceeded to the side of all those Panchala car-warriors\nwhom Drona sought to crush. Thus no rule was observed as to the\nantagonist one might select for battling with him. The strife became\ndreadful. Heroes encountered heroes, uttering loud shouts. Their foes\ncould not make the Pandavas tremble. On the other hand, recollecting all\ntheir woes, the latter made the ranks of their enemies tremble. Though\npossessed of modesty, yet excited with rage and vindictiveness, and urged\nby energy and might, they approached that dreadful battle, reckless of\ntheir very lives for slaying Drona. That encounter of heroes of\nimmeasurable energy, sporting in fierce battle making life itself the\nstake, resembled the collision of iron against adamant. The oldest men\neven could not recollect whether they had seen or heard of a battle as\nfierce as that which took place on this occasion. The earth in that\nencounter, marked with great carnage and afflicted with the weight of\nthat vast host, began to tremble. The awful noise made by the Kuru army\nagitated and tossed by the foe, paralysing the very welkin, penetrated\ninto the midst of even the Pandava host. Then Drona, coming upon the\nPandava divisions by thousands, and careering over the field, broke them\nby means of his whetted shafts. When these were being thus crushed by\nDrona of wonderful achievements, Dhrishtadyumna, the generalissimo of the\nPandava host, filled with rage himself checked Drona. The encounter that\nwe beheld between Drona and the prince of the Panchalas was highly\nwonderful. It is my firm conviction that it has no parallel.\n\n\"'Then Nila, resembling a veritable fire, his arrows constituting its\nsparks and his bow its flame, began to consume the Kuru ranks, like a\nconflagration consuming heaps of dry grass. The valiant son of Drona, who\nfrom before had been desirous of an encounter with him, smilingly\naddressed Nila as the latter came consuming the troops, and said unto him\nthese polite words,[60] \"O Nila, what dost thou gain by consuming so many\ncommon soldiers with thy arrowy flames? Fight with my unaided self, and\nfilled with rage, strike me.\" Thus addressed, Nila, the brightness of\nwhose face resembled the splendour of a full-blown lotus, pierced\nAswatthaman, whose body resembled an assemblage of lotuses and whose eyes\nwere like lotus-petals with his shafts. Deeply and suddenly pierced by\nNila, Drona's son with three broad-headed arrows, cut off his\nantagonist's bow and standard and umbrella. Quickly jumping down from his\ncar, Nila, then, with a shield and an excellent sword, desired to sever\nfrom Aswatthaman's trunk his head like a bird (bearing away its prey in\nits talons). Drona's son, however, O sinless one, by means of a bearded\narrow, cut off, from his antagonist's trunk, his head graced with a\nbeautiful nose and decked with excellent ear-rings, and which rested on\nelevated shoulders. That hero, then, the brightness of whose face\nresembled the splendour of the full moon and whose eyes were like\nlotus-petals, whose stature was tall, and complexion like that of the\nlotus, thus slain, fell down on the earth. The Pandava host then, filled\nwith great grief, began to tremble, when the Preceptor's son thus slew\nNila of blazing energy. The great car-warriors of the Pandavas, O sire,\nall thought, \"Alas, how would Indra's son (Arjuna) be able to rescue us\nfrom the foe, when that mighty warrior is engaged on the southern part of\nthe field in slaughtering the remnant of the Samsaptakas and the Narayana\nforce?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Vrikodara, however, could not brook that slaughter of his\narmy. He struck Valhika with sixty and Karna with ten arrows. Drona then,\ndesirous of slaying Bhima, quickly struck the latter, in his very vitals,\nmany straight and whetted shafts of keen edge. Desirous again of allowing\nno time, he once more struck him with six and twenty shafts whose touch\nresembled that of fire and which were all like snakes of virulent poison.\nThen Karna pierced him with a dozen shafts, and Aswatthaman with seven,\nand king Duryodhana also with six. The mighty Bhimasena, in return,\npierced them all. He struck Drona with fifty shafts, and Karna with ten.\nAnd piercing Duryodhana with a dozen shafts, and Drona with eight, he\nengaged in that battle uttering a loud shout. In that encounter in which\nthe warriors fought reckless of their lives and in which death was easy\nof attainment, Ajatasatru despatched many warriors, urging them to\nrescue Bhima. Those heroes of immeasurable energy, viz., the two sons of\nMadri and Pandu, and others headed by Yuyudhana, quickly proceeded to\nBhimasena's side. And those bulls among men, filled with rage and uniting\ntogether, advanced to battle, desirous of breaking the army of Drona that\nwas protected by many foremost of bowmen. Indeed, those great\ncar-warriors of mighty energy, viz., Bhima and others, fell furiously\nupon Drona's host. Drona, however, that foremost of car-warriors,\nreceived without any anxiety, all those mighty car-warriors, of great\nstrength,--those heroes accomplished in battle. Disregarding their\nkingdoms and casting off all fear of death, the warriors of thy army\nproceeded against the Pandavas. Horsemen encountered horsemen, and\ncar-warriors encountered car-warriors. The battle proceeded, darts\nagainst darts, swords against swords, axes against axes. A fierce\nencounter with swords took place, producing a terrible carnage. And in\nconsequence of the collision of elephants against elephants the battle\nbecame furious. Some fell down from the backs of elephants, and some from\nthe backs of steeds, with heads downwards. And others, O sire, fell down\nfrom cars, pierced with arrows. In that fierce press, as some one fell\ndown deprived of armour, an elephant might be seen attacking him in the\nchest and crushing his head. Elsewhere might be seen elephants crushing\nnumbers of men fallen down on the field. And many elephants, piercing the\nearth with their tusks (as they fell down), were seen to tear therewith\nlarge bodies of men. Many elephants, again, with arrows sticking to their\ntrunks, wandered over the field, tearing and crushing men by hundreds.\nAnd some elephants were seen pressing down into the earth fallen warriors\nand steeds and elephants cased in armour of black iron, as if these were\nonly thick reeds. Many kings, graced with modesty, their hour having\ncome, laid themselves down (for the last sleep) on painful beds, overlaid\nwith vultures' feathers. Advancing to battle on his car, sire slew son;\nand son also, through madness all losing regard, approached sire in\nbattle. The wheels of cars were broken; banners were torn; umbrellas fell\ndown on the earth. Dragging broken yokes, steeds ran away. Arms with\nswords in grasp, and heads decked with ear-rings fell down. Cars, dragged\nby mighty elephants, thrown down on the ground, were reduced to\nfragments. Steeds with riders fell down, severely wounded by elephants.\nThat fierce battle went on, without anybody showing any regard for any\none. \"Oh father!--Oh son!--Where art thou, friend?--Wait!--Where dost\nthou go!--Strike!--Bring! Slay this one!\"--these and diverse other cries,\nwith loud laughs and shouts, and roars were uttered and heard there. The\nblood of human beings and steeds and elephants, mingled together. The\nearthy dust disappeared. The hearts of all timid persons became\ncheerless. Here a hero getting his car-wheel entangled with the car-wheel\nof another hero, and the distance being too near to admit of the use of\nother weapons, smashed that other's head by means of his mace. Brave\ncombatants, desirous of safety where there was no safety, dragged one\nanother by the hair, and fought fiercely with fists, and teeth and nails.\nHere was a hero whose upraised arm with sword in grasp was cut off. There\nanother's arm was lopped off with bow, or arrow or hook in grasp. Here\none loudly called upon another. There another turned his back on the\nfield. Here one severed another's head from his trunk, getting him within\nreach. There another rushed with loud shouts upon an enemy. Here one was\nfilled with fear at another's roar. There another slew with sharp shafts\na friend or a foe. Here an elephant, huge as a hill, slain with a long\nshaft, fell down on the field and lay like a flat island in a river\nduring the summer season. There an elephant, with sweat trickling down\nits body, like a mountain with rills flowing down its breast,\nhaving crushed by its tread a car-warrior with his steeds and charioteer\non the field. Beholding brave warriors, accomplished in arms and covered\nwith blood, strike one another, they that were timid and of weak hearts,\nlost their senses. In fact, all became cheerless. Nothing could any\nlonger be distinguished. Overwhelmed with the dust raised by the troops,\nthe battle became furious. Then the commander of the Pandava forces\nsaying, \"This is the time,\" speedily led the Pandavas on those heroes\nthat are always endued with great activity. Obeying his behest, the\nmighty-armed Pandavas, smiting (the Kaurava army) proceeded towards\nDrona's car like swans towards a lake,--\"Seize him,\"--\"Do not fly\naway,\"--\"Do not fear,\"--\"Cut into pieces,\"--these uproarious cries were\nheard in the vicinity of Drona's car. Then Drona and Kripa, and Karna and\nDrona's son, and king Jayadratha, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and\nSalya, received those heroes. Those irresistible and invincible warriors,\nhowever, viz., the Panchalas and the Pandavas, inspired by noble\nsentiments, did not, though afflicted with shafts, avoid Drona. Then\nDrona, excited with great rage, shot hundreds of shafts, and caused a\ngreat carnage amongst the Chedis, the Panchalas, and the Pandavas. The\ntwang of his bowstring and the slaps of his palms, were, O sire, heard on\nall sides. And they resembled the roar of thunder and struck fear into\nthe hearts of all. Meanwhile, Jishnu, having vanquished large number of\nSamsaptakas, quickly came to that place where Drona was grinding the\nPandava troops. Having crossed many large lakes whose waters were\nconstituted by blood, and whose fierce billows and eddies were\nconstituted by shafts, and having slain the Samsaptakas, Phalguni showed\nhimself there. Possessed of great fame and endued as he was with the\nenergy of the Sun himself, Arjuna's emblem, viz., his banner bearing the\nape, was beheld by us to blaze with splendour. Having dried up the\nSamsaptaka ocean by means of weapons that constituted his rays, the son\nof Pandu then blasted the Kurus also, as if he were the very Sun that\narises at the end of the Yuga. Indeed, Arjuna scorched all the Kurus by\nthe heat of his weapons, like the fire[61] that appears at the end of the\nYuga, burning down all creatures. Struck by him with thousands of shafts,\nelephant warriors and horsemen and car-warriors fell down on the earth,\nwith dishevelled hair, and exceedingly afflicted with those arrowy\nshowers, some uttered cries of distress. Others set up loud shouts. And\nsome struck with the shafts of Partha, fell down deprived of life.\nRecollecting the practices of (good) warriors, Arjuna struck not those\ncombatants among the foe that had fallen down, or those that were\nretreating, or those that were unwilling to fight. Deprived of their cars\nand filled with wonder, almost all the Kauravas, turning away from the\nfield, uttered cries of Oh and Alas and called upon Karna (for\nprotection). Hearing that din made by the Kurus, desirous of protection,\nAdhiratha's son (Karna), loudly assuring the troops with the words \"Do\nnot fear\" proceeded to face Arjuna. Then (Karna) that foremost of Bharata\ncar-warriors, that delighter of all the Bharatas, that first of all\npersons acquainted with weapons, invoked into existence the Agneya\nweapon. Dhananjaya, however, baffled by means of his own arrowy downpours\nthe flights of arrows shot by Radha's son, that warrior of the blazing\nbow, that hero of bright shafts. And similarly, Adhiratha's son also\nbaffled the shafts of Arjuna of supreme energy. Resisting Arjuna's\nweapons thus by his own, Karna uttered loud shouts and shot many shafts\nat his antagonist. Then Dhristadyumna and Bhima and the mighty\ncar-warrior Satyaki, all approached Karna, and each of them pierced in\nwith three straight shafts. The son of Radha, however, checking Arjuna's\nweapons by his own arrowy showers, cut off with three sharp shafts the\nbows of those three warriors. Their bows cut off, they looked like snakes\nwithout poison. Hurling darts at their foe from their respective cars,\nthey uttered loud leonine shouts. Those fierce darts of great splendour\nand great impetuosity, looking like snakes, hurled from those mighty\narms, coursed impetuously towards Karna's car. Cutting each of those\ndarts with three straight arrows and speeding many arrows at the same\ntime at Partha, the mighty Karna uttered a loud shout. Then Arjuna\npiercing Karna with seven shafts, despatched the latter's younger brother\nby means of his sharp shafts. Slaying Satrunjaya thus with six arrows,\nPartha, with a broad-headed shaft, struck off Vipatha's head as the\nlatter stood on his car. In the very sight of the Dhritarashtras,\ntherefore, as also of the Suta's son, the three uterine brothers of the\nlatter were despatched by Arjuna unaided by any one. Then Bhima, jumping\ndown from his own car, like a second Garuda, slew with his excellent\nsword five and ten combatants amongst those that supported Karna.\nMounting once more on his car and taking up another bow, he pierced Karna\nwith ten shafts and his charioteer and steeds with five. Dhrishtadyumna\nalso taking up a sword and a bright shield, despatched Charmavarman and\nalso Vrihatkshatra, the ruler of the Naishadhas. The Panchala prince\nthen, mounting upon his own car and taking up another bow, pierced Karna\nwith three and seventy shafts, and uttered a loud roar. Sini's grandson\nalso, of splendour equal to that of Indra himself, taking up another bow\npierced Suta's son with four and sixty shafts and roared like a lion. And\ncutting off Karna's bow with a couple of well-shot shafts, he once more\npierced Karna on the arms and the chest with three arrows. The king\nDuryodhana, and Drona and Jayadratha, rescued Karna from the\nSatyaki-ocean, as the former was about to sink into it. And foot-soldiers\nand steeds and cars and elephants, belonging to thy army and numbering by\nhundreds, all accomplished in smiting rushed to the spot where Karna was\nfrightening (his assailants). Then Dhrishtadyumna, and Bhima and\nSubhadra's son, and Arjuna himself, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, began to\nprotect Satyaki in that battle. Even thus went on that fierce battle for\nthe destruction of bowmen belonging to thy army and of the enemy's. All\nthe combatants fought, reckless of their very lives. Infantry and cars\nand steeds and elephants were engaged with cars and infantry.\nCar-warriors were engaged with elephants and foot-soldiers and steeds,\nand cars and foot-soldiers were engaged with cars and elephants. And\nsteeds were seen engaged with steeds, and elephants with elephants, and\nfoot-soldiers with foot-soldiers. Even thus did that battle, marked by\ngreat confusion, take place, enhancing the delight of cannibals and\ncarnivorous creatures, between those high-souled men facing one another\nfearlessly. Indeed, it largely swelled the population of Yama's kingdom.\nLarge numbers of elephants and cars and foot-soldiers and steeds were\ndestroyed by men, cars, steeds and elephants. And elephants were slain by\nelephants, and car-warriors with weapons upraised by car-warriors, and\nsteeds by steeds, and large bodies of foot-soldiers. And elephants were\nslain by cars, and large steeds by large elephants and men by steeds; and\nsteeds by foremost of car-warriors. With tongues lolling out, and teeth\nand eyes pressed out of their places, with coats of mail and ornaments\ncrushed into dust, the slaughtered creatures fell down on the field.\nOthers, again, of terrible mien were struck and thrown down on the earth\nby others armed with diverse and excellent weapons and sunk into the\nearth by the tread of steeds and elephants, and tortured and mangled by\nheavy cars and car wheels. And during the progress of that fierce carnage\nso delightful to beasts of prey and carnivorous birds and cannibals,\nmighty combatants, filled with wrath, and slaughtering one another\ncareered over the field putting forth all their energy. Then when both\nthe hosts were broken and mangled, the warriors bathed in blood, looked\nat each other. Meanwhile, the Sun went to his chambers in the western\nhills, and both the armies, O Bharata, slowly retired to their respective\ntents.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXI\n\n(Abhimanyu-badha Parva)\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having been first broken by Arjuna of immeasurable\nprowess, and owing also to the failure of Drona's vow, in consequence of\nYudhishthira having been well-protected, thy warriors were regarded as\ndefeated. All of them with coats of mail torn and covered with dust, cast\nanxious glances around. Retiring from the field with Drona's consent,\nafter having been vanquished by their enemies of sure aim and humiliated\nby them in battle, they heard, as they proceeded, the countless merits of\nPhalguni praised by all creatures, and the friendship of Kesava for\nArjuna spoken of by all. They passed the night like men under a curse,\nreflecting upon the course of events and observing perfect silence.\n\n\"'Next morning, Duryodhana said unto Drona, these words, from petulance\nand wrath, and in great cheerlessness of heart at the sight of the\nprosperity of their foe. Skilled in speech, and filled with rage at the\nsuccess of the foe, the king said these words in the hearing of all the\ntroops, \"O foremost of regenerate ones, without doubt thou hast set us\ndown for men who should be destroyed by thee. Thou didst not seize\nYudhishthira today even though thou hadst got him within thy reach. That\nfoe whom thou wouldst seize in battle is incapable of escaping thee if\nonce thou gettest him within sight, even if he be protected by the\nPandavas, aided by the very gods. Gratified, thou gavest me a boon; now,\nhowever, thou dost not act according to it. They that are noble (like\nthee), never falsify the hopes of one devoted to them.\" Thus addressed by\nDuryodhana, Bharadwaja's son felt greatly ashamed. Addressing the king,\nhe said, \"It behoveth thee not to take me to be such. I always endeavour\nto achieve what is agreeable to thee. The three worlds with the gods, the\nAsuras, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Nagas and the Rakshasas, cannot\ndefeat the force that is protected by the diadem-decked (Arjuna). There\nwhere Govinda, the Creator of the universe is, and there where Arjuna is\nthe commander, whose might can avail, save three-eyed Mahadeva's, O lord?\nO sire, I tell thee truly today and it will not be otherwise. Today, I\nwill slay a mighty car-warrior, one of the foremost heroes of the\nPandavas. Today I will also form an array that is impenetrable by the very\ngods. Do, however, O king, by some means take Arjuna away from the field.\nThere is nothing that he doth not know or cannot achieve in battle. From\nvarious places hath he acquired all that is to be known about battle.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'After Drona had said these words, the Samsaptakas\nonce more challenged Arjuna to battle and took him away to the southern\nside of the field. Then an encounter took place between Arjuna and his\nenemies, the like of which had never been seen or heard of. On the other\nhand, the array formed by Drona, O king, looked resplendent. Indeed, that\narray was incapable of being looked at like the sun himself when in his\ncourse he reaches the meridian and scorches (everything underneath).\nAbhimanyu, at the command, O Bharata, of his sire's eldest brother,\npierced in battle that impenetrable circular array in many places. Having\nachieved the most difficult feats and slain heroes by thousands, he was\n(at last) encountered by six heroes together. In the end, succumbing to\nDuhsasana's son, O lord of earth, Subhadra's son, O chastiser of foes,\ngave up his life. At this we were filled with great joy and the Pandavas\nwith great grief. And after Subhadra's son had been slain, our troops\nwere withdrawn for nightly rest.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Hearing, O Sanjaya, of the slaughter of the son\n(Abhimanyu), yet in his minority, of that lion among men, (viz., Arjuna),\nmy heart seems to break into pieces. Cruel, indeed, are the duties of\nKshatriyas as laid down by the legislators, in as much as brave men,\ndesirous of sovereignty scrupled not to shoot their weapons at even a\nchild. O son of Gavalgana, tell me how so many warriors, accomplished in\narms, slew that child who, though brought up in luxury, yet careered over\nthe field so fearlessly. Tell me, O Sanjaya, how our warriors behaved in\nbattle with Subhadra's son of immeasurable energy who had penetrated into\nour car-array.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'That which thou askest me, O king, viz., the slaughter of\nSubhadra's son, I will describe to thee in detail. Listen, O monarch,\nwith attention. I shall relate to thee how that youth, having penetrated\ninto our ranks, played with his weapons, and how the irresistible heroes\nof thy army, all inspired by hope of victory, were afflicted by him. Like\nthe denizens of a forest abounding with plants and herbs and trees, when\nsurrounded on all sides by a forest conflagration, the warriors of thy\narmy were all filled with fear.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Of fierce deeds in battle and above all fatigue, as\nproved by their feats, five sons of Pandu, with Krishna, are incapable of\nbeing resisted by the very gods. In righteousness, in deeds, in lineage,\nin intelligence, in achievements, in fame, in prosperity, there never\nwas, and there never will be, another man so endued as Yudhishthira.\nDevoted to truth and righteousness, and with passions under control, king\nYudhishthira, in consequence of his worship of the Brahmans and, diverse\nother virtues of similar nature, is always in the enjoyment of Heaven.\nThe Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga, Jamadagni's valiant son\n(Rama), and Bhimasena on his car,--these three, O king, are spoken of as\nequal. Of Partha, the wielder of Gandiva, who always achieveth his vows\nin battle, I do not see a proper parallel on earth. Reverence for\nsuperiors, keeping counsels, humility, self-restraint, beauty of person,\nand bravery--these six--are ever present in Nakula. In knowledge of\nscriptures, gravity, sweetness of temper, righteousness and prowess, the\nheroic Sahadeva is equal to the Aswins themselves. All those noble\nqualities that are in Krishna, all those that are in the Pandavas, all\nthat assemblage of qualities was to be found in Abhimanyu alone. In\nfirmness, he was equal to Yudhishthira, and in conduct to Krishna; in\nfeats, he was the equal to Bhimasena of terrible deeds, in beauty of\nperson, in prowess, and in knowledge of scriptures he was the equal to\nDhananjaya. In humility, he was equal to Sahadeva and Nakula.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'I desire, O Suta, to hear in detail, how the\ninvincible Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadra, hath been slain on the field\nof battle.'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Be still, O king! Bear thy grief that is so\nunbearable. I shall speak to thee of the great slaughter of thy kinsmen.\n\n\"'The preceptor, O king, had formed the great circular array. In it were\nplaced all the kings (of our side) that are each equal to Sakra himself.\nAt the entrance were stationed all the princes possessed of solar\neffulgence. All of them had taken oaths (about standing by one another).\nAll of them had standards decked with gold. All of them were attired in\nred robes, and all had red ornaments. All of them had red banners and all\nwere adorned with garlands of gold, smeared with sandal-paste and other\nperfumed unguents; they were decked with floral wreaths. In a body they\nrushed towards Arjuna's son, desirous of battle. Firm bowmen, all they\nnumbered ten thousand. Placing thy handsome grandson, Lakshmana, at their\nhead, all of them, sympathising with one another in joy and grief, and\nemulating one another in feats of courage, desiring to excel one another,\nand devoted to one another's good, they advanced to battle. Duryodhana, O\nmonarch, was stationed in the midst of his forces. And the king was\nsurrounded by the mighty car-warriors, Karna, Duhsasana, and Kripa, and\nhad a white umbrella held over his head. And fanned with yak tails, he\nlooked resplendent like the chief of the celestials. And at the head of\nthat army was the commander Drona looking like the rising sun.[62] And\nthere stood the ruler of the Sindhus, of great beauty of person, and\nimmovable like the cliff of Meru. Standing by the side of the ruler of\nthe Sindhus and headed by Aswatthaman, were, O king, thy thirty sons,\nresembling the very gods. There also on Jayadratha's flank, were those\nmighty car-warriors, viz., the ruler of Gandhara, i.e., the gamester\n(Sakuni), and Salya, and Bhurisrava. Then commenced, the battle, fierce,\nand making the hairs stand on their ends, between thy warriors and those\nof the foe. And both sides fought, making death itself the goal.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'The Parthas then, headed by Bhimasena, approached that\ninvincible array protected by Bharadwaja's son. And Satyaki, and\nChekitana, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, and Kuntibhoja of\ngreat prowess, and the mighty car-warrior Drupada, and Arjuna's son\n(Abhimanyu), and Kshatradharman, and the valiant Vrihatkshatra, and\nDhrishtaketu, the ruler of the Chedis, and the twin sons of Madri, (viz.,\nNakula and Sahadeva), and Ghatotkacha, and the powerful Yudhamanyu and\nthe unvanquished Sikhandin, and the irresistible Uttamaujas and the\nmighty car-warrior Virata, and the five sons of Draupadi,--these all\nexcited with wrath, and the valiant son of Sisupala, and the Kaikeyas of\nmighty energy, and the Srinjayas by thousands,--these and others,\naccomplished in weapons and difficult of being resisted in battle,\nsuddenly rushed, at the head of their respective followers, against\nBharadwaja's son, from a desire of battle. The valiant son of Bharadwaja,\nhowever, fearlessly checked all those warriors, as soon as they came\nnear, with a thick shower of arrows. Like a mighty wave of waters coming\nagainst an impenetrable hill, or the surging sea itself approaching its\nbank, those warriors were pushed back by Drona. And the Pandavas, O king,\nafflicted by the shafts shot from Drona's bow, were unable to stay before\nhim. And the strength of Drona's arms that we saw was wonderful in the\nextreme, inasmuch as the Panchalas and the Srinjayas failed to approach\nhim. Beholding Drona advancing in rage. Yudhishthira thought of diverse\nmeans for checking his progress. At last, regarding Drona incapable of\nbeing resisted by any one else, Yudhishthira placed that heavy and\nunbearable burden on the son of Subhadra. Addressing Abhimanyu, that\nslayer of hostile heroes, who was not inferior to Vasudeva himself and\nwhose energy was superior to that of Arjuna, the king said, \"O child, act\nin such a way that Arjuna, returning (from the Samsaptakas), may not\nreprove us. We do not know how to break the circular array. Thyself, or\nArjuna or Krishna, or Pradyumna, can pierce that array. O mighty-armed\none, no fifth person can be found (to achieve that feat). O child, it\nbehoveth thee, O Abhimanyu, to grant the boon that thy sires, thy\nmaternal uncles, and all these troops ask of thee. Taking up thy arms\nquickly, destroy this array of Drona, else Arjuna, returning from the\nfight, will reprove us all.\"\n\n\"'Abhimanyu said, \"Desiring victory to my sires, soon shall I in battle\npenetrate into that firm, fierce and foremost of arrays formed by Drona.\nI have been taught by my father the method of (penetrating and) smiting\nthis kind of array. I shall not be able, however, to come out if any kind\nof danger overtakes me.\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Break this array once, O foremost of warriors, and\nmake a passage for us. All of us will follow thee in the track by which\nthou wilt go. In battle, thou art equal to Dhananjaya himself. Seeing\nthee enter, we shall follow thee, protecting thee on all sides.\"\n\n\"'Bhima said, \"I myself will follow thee, and Dhrishtadyumna and Satyaki,\nand the Panchalas, and the Prabhadrakas. After the array once is broken\nby thee, we will enter it repeatedly and slay the foremost warriors within\nit.\"\n\n\"'Abhimanyu said, \"I will penetrate into this invincible array of Drona,\nlike an insect filled with rage entering a blazing fire. Today, I will do\nthat which will be beneficial to both races (viz., my sire's and my\nmother's). I will do that which will please my maternal uncle as also my\nmother. Today all creatures will behold large bodies of hostile soldiers\ncontinually slaughtered by myself, an unaided child. If anybody,\nencountering me, escapes today with life, I shall not then regard myself\nbegotten by Partha and born of Subhadra. If on a single car I cannot in\nbattle cut off the whole Kshatriya race into eight fragments, I will not\nregard myself the son of Arjuna.\"[63]\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Since protected by these tigers among men, these\ngreat bowmen endued with fierce might, these warriors that resemble the\nSadhyas, the Rudras, or the Maruts, or are like the Vasus, or Agni or\nAditya himself in prowess, thou venturest to pierce the invincible array\nof Drona, and since thou speakest so, let thy strength, O son of Subhadra\nbe increased.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing these words of Yudhishthira, Abhimanyu\nordered his charioteer, Sumitra, saying, \"Quickly urge the steeds towards\nDrona's army.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of the intelligent Yudhishthira, the\nson of Subhadra, O Bharata, urged his charioteer towards Drona's array.\nThe charioteer, urged by him with the words, \"Proceed, Proceed,\" replied\nunto Abhimanyu, O king, in these words, \"O thou that art blest with\nlength of days, heavy is the burthen that hath been placed upon thee by\nthe Pandavas! Ascertaining by thy judgment as to whether thou art able to\nbear it or not, thou shouldst then engage in battle. The preceptor Drona\nis a master of superior weapons and accomplished (in battle). Thou,\nhowever, hast been brought up in great luxury and art unused to battle.\"\n\n\"'Hearing these words, Abhimanyu replied unto his charioteer, saying with\na laugh, \"O charioteer, who is this Drona? What, again, is this vast\nassemblage of Kshatriyas? Sakra himself on his Airavata and aided by all\nthe celestials, I would encounter in battle. I do not feel the slightest\nanxiety about all these Kshatriyas today. This hostile army doth not come\nup to even a sixteen part of myself. O son of a Suta, getting my maternal\nuncle Vishnu himself, the conqueror of the universe or my sire, Arjuna,\nas an antagonist in battle, fear would not enter my heart.\" Abhimanyu\nthen, thus disregarding those words of the charioteer, urged the latter,\nsaying, \"Go with speed towards the army of Drona.\" Thus commanded, the\ncharioteer, with a heart scarcely cheerful, urged Abhimanyu's three-year\nold steeds, decked with golden trappings. Those coursers, urged by\nSumitra towards Drona's army, rushed towards Drona himself, O king, with\ngreat speed and prowess. Beholding him coming (towards them) in that way,\nall the Kauravas, headed by Drona, advanced against him, as, indeed, the\nPandavas followed him behind. Then Arjuna's son, superior to Arjuna's\nself cased in golden mail and owning an excellent standard that bore the\ndevice of a Karnikara tree, fearlessly encountered, from desire of\nbattle, warriors headed by Drona, like a lion-cub assailing a herd of\nelephants. Those warriors then, filled with joy, began to strike\nAbhimanyu while he endeavoured to pierce their array. And for a moment an\nagitation took place there, like to the eddy that is seen in the ocean\nwhere the current of the Ganga mingles with it. The battle, O king, that\ncommenced there, between those struggling heroes striking one another,\nbecame fierce and terrible. And during the progress of that awful battle,\nArjuna's son, in the very sight of Drona, breaking that array, penetrated\ninto it. Then large bodies of elephants and steeds and cars and infantry,\nfilled with joy, encompassed that mighty warrior after he had thus\npenetrated into the midst of the foe, and commenced to smite him.\n[Causing the earth to resound] with noise of diverse musical instruments,\nwith shouts and slaps of arm-pits and roars, with yells and leonine\nshouts, with exclamations of \"Wait, Wait,\" with fierce confused voices\nwith cries of, \"Do not go, Wait, Come to me\", with repeated exclamations\nof, \"This one, It is I, The foe,\" with grunt of elephants, with the\ntinkling of bells and ornaments, with bursts of laughter, and the clatter\nof horse-hoofs and car-wheels, the (Kaurava) warriors rushed at the son\nof Arjuna. That mighty hero, however, endued with great lightness of\nhands and having a knowledge of the vital parts of the body, quickly\nshooting weapons capable of penetrating into the very vitals, slew those\nadvancing warriors. Slaughtered by means of sharp shafts of diverse\nkinds, those warriors became perfectly helpless, and like insects falling\nupon a blazing fire, they continued to fall upon Abhimanyu on the field\nof battle. And Abhimanyu strewed the earth with their bodies and diverse\nlimbs of their bodies like priests strewing the altar at a sacrifice with\nblades of Kusa grass. And Arjuna's son cut off by thousands the arms of\nthose warriors. And some of these were cased in corslets made of iguana\nskin and some held bows and shafts, and some held swords or shields or\niron hooks and reins; and some, lances or battle axes. And some held\nmaces or iron balls or spears and some, rapiers and crow-bars and axes.\nAnd some grasped short arrows, or spiked maces, or darts, or Kampanas.\nAnd some had goads and prodigious conchs; and some bearded darts and\nKachagrahas. And some had mallets and some other kinds of missiles. And\nsome had nooses, and some heavy clubs, and some brickbats. And all those\narms were decked with armlets and laved with delightful perfumes and\nunguents. And with those arms dyed with gore and looking bright the field\nof battle became beautiful, as if strewn, O sire, with five-headed snakes\nslain by Garuda. And Phalguni's son also scattered over the field of\nbattle countless heads of foes, heads graced with beautiful noses and\nfaces and locks, without pimples, and adorned with ear-rings. Blood\nflowed from those heads copiously, and the nether-lips in all were bit\nwith wrath. Adorned with beautiful garlands and crowns and turbans and\npearls and gems, and possessed of splendour equal to that of the sun or\nthe moon, they seemed to be like lotuses severed from their stalks.\nFragrant with many perfumes, while life was in them, they could speak\nwords both agreeable and beneficial. Diverse cars, well-equipped, and\nlooking like the vapoury edifices in the welkin, with shafts in front and\nexcellent bamboo poles and looking beautiful with the standards set up on\nthem, were deprived of their Janghas, and Kuvaras, and Nemis, and\nDasanas, and wheels, and standards and terraces. And the utensils of war\nin them were all broken.[64] And the rich clothes with which they were\noverlaid, were blown away, and the warriors on them were slain by\nthousands. Mangling everything before him with his shafts, Abhimanyu was\nseen coursing on all sides. With his keen-edged weapons, he cut into\npieces elephant-warriors, and elephants with standards and hooks and\nbanners, and quivers and coats of mail, and girths and neck-ropes and\nblankets, and bells and trunks and tusks as also the foot-soldiers that\nprotected those elephants from behind. And many steeds of the Vanayu, the\nhilly, the Kamvoja, and the Valhika breeds, with tails and ears and eyes\nmotionless and fixed, possessed of great speed, well-trained, and ridden\nby accomplished warriors armed with swords and lances, were seen to be\ndeprived of the excellent ornaments on their beautiful tails. And many\nlay with tongues lolling out and eyes detached from their sockets, and\nentrails and livers drawn out. And the riders on their backs lay lifeless\nby their sides. And the rows of bells that adorned them were all torn.\nStrewn over the field thus, they caused great delight to Rakshasas and\nbeasts of prey. With coats of mail and other leathern armour (casing\ntheir limbs) cut open, they weltered in excreta ejected by themselves.\nThus slaying many foremost of steeds of thy army, Abhimanyu looked\nresplendent. Alone achieving the most difficult feat, like the\ninconceivable Vibhu himself in days of old, Abhimanyu crushed thy vast\nhost of three kinds of forces (cars, elephants, and steeds), like the\nthree-eyed (Mahadeva) of immeasurable energy crushing the terrible Asura\nhost. Indeed, Arjuna's son, having achieved in battle feats incapable of\nbeing borne by his foes, everywhere mangled large divisions of\nfoot-soldiers belonging to thy army. Beholding then thy host extensively\nslaughtered by Subhadra's son single-handed with his whetted shafts like\nthe Asura host by Skanda (the celestial generalissimo), thy warriors and\nthy sons cast vacant looks on all sides. Their mouths became dry; their\neyes became restless; their bodies were covered with sweat; and their\nhairs stood on their ends. Hopeless of vanquishing their foe, they set\ntheir hearts on flying away from the field. Desirous of saving their\nlives, called one another by their names and the names of their families,\nand abandoning their wounded sons and sires and brothers and kinsmen and\nrelatives by marriage lying around on the field, they endeavoured to fly\naway, urging their steeds and elephants (to their utmost speed).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding his army routed by Subhadra's son of\nimmeasurable energy, Duryodhana, filled with rage, himself proceeded\nagainst the former. Seeing the king turn back towards Subhadra's son in\nbattle, Drona, addressing all the (Kaurava) warriors, said, \"Rescue the\nking.[65] Before us, in our very sight, the valiant Abhimanyu is slaying\nall he aims at. Rush ye, therefore, speedily against him, without fear\nand protect the Kuru king.\" Then many grateful and mighty warriors,\nhaving Duryodhana's good at heart, and always graced with victory,\ninspired with fear, surrounded thy son. And Drona, and Drona's son, and\nKripa and Karna and Kritavarman and Suvala's son, Vrihadvala, and the\nruler of the Madras, and Bhuri, and Bhurisravas, and Sala, and Paurava\nand Vrishasena, shooting sharp shafts, checked Subhadra's son by means of\nthose arrowy showers. Confounding him with those showers of shafts, they\nrescued Duryodhana. The son of Arjuna, however, brooked not that act of\nsnatching a morsel from his mouth. Covering those mighty car-warriors,\ntheir charioteers, and steeds with thick showers of arrows and causing\nthem to turn back, the son of Subhadra uttered a leonine roar. Hearing\nthat roar of his, resembling that of a lion hungering after prey, these\nangry car-warriors, headed by Drona, brooked it not. Encompassing him on\nall sides, O sire, with a large body of cars they shot at him showers of\ndiverse kinds of arrows. The grandson, however, cut them off in the\nwelkin (before any of them could reach him) by means of sharp shafts, and\nthen pierced all of them with his shafts. That feat of his seemed\nexceedingly wonderful. Provoked by him thus by means of those shafts of\nhis that resembled snakes of virulent poison, they surrounded that\nunretreating son of Subhadra, desirous of slaying him. That sea of\n(Kaurava) troops, however, O bull of Bharata's race, the son of Arjuna\nsingly held in check by means of his shafts, like the continent resisting\nthe surging ocean. And among those heroes thus fighting with and striking\none another, viz., Abhimanyu and his man on one side and all those\nwarriors together on the other, none turned back from the field. In that\ndreadful and fierce battle, Duhsaha pierced Abhimanyu with nine shafts.\nAnd Duhsasana pierced him with a dozen; and Saradwata's son Kripa, with\nthree. And Drona pierced him with seventeen shafts, each resembling a\nsnake of virulent poison. And Vivinsati pierced him with seventy shafts,\nand Kritavarman with seven. And Vrihadvala pierced him with eight, and\nAswatthaman with seven shafts. And Bhurisrava pierced him with three\nshafts and the ruler of the Madras with six. And Sakuni pierced him with\ntwo, and king Duryodhana with three shafts. The valiant Abhimanyu,\nhowever, O king, seemingly dancing on his car, pierced each of those\nwarriors in return with three shafts. Then Abhimanyu, filled with rage in\nconsequence of thy sons' endeavouring to frighten him thus, displayed the\nwonderful strength he had acquired from culture and practice. Borne by\nhis well-broken steeds, endued with the speed of Garuda or the Wind, and\nthoroughly obedient to the behests of him who held their reins, he\nquickly checked the heir of Asmaka. Staying before him, the handsome son\nof Asmaka, endued with great might, pierced him with ten shafts and\naddressing him, said, \"Wait, Wait.\" Abhimanyu then, with ten shafts, cut\noff the former's steeds and charioteer and standard and two arms and bow\nand head, and caused them to fall down on the earth, smiling the while.\nAfter the heroic ruler of the Asmakas had thus been slain by the son of\nSubhadra, the whole of his force wavered and began to fly away from the\nfield. Then Karna and Kripa, and Drona and Drona's son, and the ruler of\nthe Gandharas, and Sala and Salya, and Bhurisravas and Kratha, and\nSomadatta, and Vivinsati, and Vrishasena, and Sushena, and Kundavedhin,\nand Pratardana, and Vrindaraka and Lalithya, and Pravahu, and\nDrighalochana, and angry Duryodhana, showered their arrows upon him. Then\nAbhimanyu, excessively pierced by those great bowmen with their straight\nshafts, shot shafts at Karna which was capable of piercing through every\narmour and body. That shaft, piercing through Karna's coat of mail and\nthen his body, entered the earth like a snake piercing through an\nanthill. Deeply pierced, Karna felt great pain and became perfectly\nhelpless. Indeed, Karna began to tremble in that battle like a hill\nduring an earthquake. Then with three other shafts of great sharpness,\nthe mighty son of Arjuna, excited with rage, slew those three warriors,\nviz., Sushena, Drighalochana, and Kundavedhin. Meanwhile, Karna\n(recovering from the shock) pierced Abhimanyu with five and twenty\nshafts. And Aswatthaman struck him with twenty, and Kritavarman with\nseven. Covered all over with arrows, that son of Sakra's son, filled with\nrage, careered over the field. And he was regarded by all the troops as\nYama's self armed with the noose. He then scattered over Salya, who\nhappened to be near him thick showers of arrows. That mighty-armed\nwarrior then uttered loud shouts, frightening thy troops therewith.\nMeanwhile, Salya, pierced by Abhimanyu accomplished in weapons, with\nstraight shafts penetrating into his very vitals, sat down on the terrace\nof his car and fainted away. Beholding Salya thus pierced by the\ncelebrated son of Subhadra, all the troops fled away in the very sight of\nBharadwaja's son. Seeing that mighty-armed warrior, viz., Salya, thus\ncovered with shafts of golden wings, thy army fled away like a herd of\ndeer attacked by a lion. And Abhimanyu glorified by the Pitris, the gods,\nand Charanas, and Siddhas, as also by diverse classes of creatures on the\nearth, with praises about (his heroism and skill in) battle, looked\nresplendent like a sacrificial fire fed with clarified butter.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVI\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'While Arjuna's son was thus grinding, by means of\nhis straight arrows, our foremost bowmen, what warriors of my army\nendeavoured to check him?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hear, O king, of the splendid prowess in battle of\nyouthful Abhimanyu while engaged in breaking the car-ranks (of the\nKauravas), protected by the son of Bharadwaja himself.'\n\n\"'Beholding the ruler of the Madras disabled in battle by Subhadra's son\nwith his shafts, the younger brother of Salya, filled with wrath,\nadvanced against Abhimanyu, scattering his shafts. Arjuna's son however,\nendued with great lightness of hand, cut off his antagonist's head and\ncharioteer, his triple bamboo-pole, his bed (on the car), his car-wheels,\nhis yoke, and shafts and quiver, and car-bottom, by means of his arrows,\nas also his banner and every other implements of battle with which his\ncar was equipped. So quick were his movements that none could obtain a\nsight of his person. Deprived of life, that foremost and chief of all\nornaments of battle fell down on the earth, like a huge hill uprooted by\na mighty tempest. His followers then, struck with fear, fled away in all\ndirections. Beholding that feat of the son of Arjuna, all creatures were\nhighly gratified, and cheered him, O Bharata, with loud shouts of\n\"Excellent, Excellent!\"\n\n\"'After Salya's brother had thus been slain, many followers of his, loudly\nproclaiming their families, places of residence, and names, rushed\nagainst Arjuna's son, filled with rage and armed with diverse weapons.\nSome of them were on cars, some on steeds and some on elephants; and\nothers advanced on foot. And all of them were endued with fierce might.\nAnd they rushed frightening the son of Arjuna with the loud whiz of their\narrows, the deep roar of their car-wheels, their fierce whoops and shouts\nand cries, their leonine roars, the loud twang of their bow-string, and\nthe slaps of their palms. And they said, \"Thou shalt not escape us with\nlife today!\" Hearing them say so, the son of Subhadra, smiling the while,\npierced with his shafts those amongst them that had pierced him first.\nDisplaying diverse weapons of beautiful look and of great celerity, the\nheroic son of Arjuna battled mildly with them. Those weapons that he had\nreceived from Vasudeva and those that he had received from Dhananjaya,\nAbhimanyu displayed in the very same way as Vasudeva and Dhananjaya.\nDisregarding the heavy burthen he had taken upon himself and casting off\nall fear, he repeatedly shot his arrows. No interval, again, could be\nnoticed between his aiming and letting off an arrow. Only his trembling\nbow drawn to a circle could be seen on every side, looking like the\nblazing disc of the autumnal sun. And the twang of his bow, and the slap\nof his palms, O Bharata, were heard to resound like the roaring of clouds\ncharged with thunder. Modest, wrathful, reverential to superiors, and\nexceedingly handsome, the son of Subhadra, out of regard for the hostile\nheroes, fought with them mildly. Commencing gently, O king, he gradually\nbecame fierce, like the illustrious maker of the day when autumn comes\nafter the season of the rains is over. Like the Sun himself shedding his\nrays, Abhimanyu, filled with wrath, shot hundreds and thousands of\nwhetted arrows, furnished with golden wings. In the very sight of\nBharadwaja's son, that celebrated warrior covered the car-division of the\nKaurava army with diverse kinds of arrows.[66] Thereupon, that army thus\nafflicted by Abhimanyu with his shafts, turned its back on the field.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'My heart, O Sanjaya, is agitated with different\nemotions, viz., shame and gratification, upon hearing that Subhadra's son\nsingly held in check the whole army of my son. O son of Gavalgana, tell me\neverything once more in detail about the encounter of youthful Abhimanyu,\nwhich seems to have been pretty like Skanda's encounter with the Asura\nhost.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'I will relate to thee that fearful encounter, that fierce\nbattle, as it took place between one and the many. Mounted upon his car,\nAbhimanyu, with great daring, showered his arrows on the warriors of thy\narmy mounted on their cars, all of whom were chastisers of foes, endued\nwith great courage. Careering with great speed like a circle of fire, he\npierced Drona and Karna, and Kripa, and Salya and Drona's son, and\nKritavarman of the Bhoja race, and Vrihadvala, and Duryodhana, and\nSomadatta, and mighty Sakuni, and diverse kings and diverse princes and\ndiverse bodies of troops. While engaged in slaying his foes by means of\nsuperior weapons, the valiant son of Subhadra, endued with mighty energy,\nseemed, O Bharata, to be present everywhere. Beholding that conduct of\nSubhadra's son of immeasurable energy, thy troops trembled repeatedly.\nSeeing that warrior of great proficiency in battle, Bharadwaja's son of\ngreat wisdom, with eyes expanded in joy, quickly came towards Kripa, and\naddressing him said, as if crushing (by that speech of his) the very\nvitals of thy son, O Bharata, the following words, \"Yonder cometh the\nyouthful son of Subhadra at the head of the Parthas, delighting all his\nfriends, and king Yudhishthira, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Bhimasena,\nthe son of Pandu, and all his kinsmen, and relatives by marriage, and all\nwho are watching the battle as spectators without taking any part in it.\nI do not regard any bowman to be his equal in battle. If only he\nentertains the wish, he can slay this vast host. It seems, that for some\nreason or other, he doth not entertain that wish.\" Hearing these words of\nDrona, so expressive of the gratification he felt, thy son, enraged with\nAbhimanyu, looked at Drona, faintly smiling the while. Indeed, Duryodhana\nsaid unto Karna and king Valhika and Duhsasana and the ruler of the\nMadras and the many other mighty car-warriors of his army, these words,\n\"The preceptor of the entire order of the Kshatriyas,--he that is the\nforemost of all conversant with Brahma, doth not, from stupefaction, wish\nto slay this son of Arjuna. None can, in battle, escape the preceptor\nwith life, not even the Destroyer himself, if the latter advanceth\nagainst the preceptor as a foe. What, O friend, shall we say then of any\nmortal? I say this truly. This one is the son of Arjuna, and Arjuna is\nthe preceptor's disciple. It is for this that the preceptor protecteth\nthis youth. Disciples and sons and their sons are always dear to the\nvirtuous people. Protected by Drona, the youthful son of Arjuna regardeth\nhimself valourous. He is only a fool entertaining a high opinion of\nhimself. Crush him, therefore, without delay.\" Thus addressed by the Kuru\nking, those warriors, O monarch, excited with rage and desirous of\nslaying their foe, rushed, in the very sight of Drona at the son of\nSubhadra that daughter of the Satwata race. Duhsasana, in particular,\nthat tiger among the Kurus, hearing those words of Duryodhana, answered\nthe latter, saying, \"O monarch, I tell thee that even I will slay this\none in the very sight of the Pandavas and before the eyes of the\nPanchalas. I shall certainly devour the son of Subhadra today, like Rahu\nswallowing Surya (sun).\" And once more addressing the Kuru king loudly,\nDuhsasana said, \"Hearing that Subhadra's son hath been slain by me, the\ntwo Krishnas, who are exceedingly vain, will without doubt, go to the\nregion of the departed spirits, leaving this world of men. Hearing then\nof the death of the two Krishnas, it is evident that the other sons born\nof Pandu's wives, with all their friends, will, in course of a single\nday, cast away their lives from despair. It is evident, therefore, that\nthis one foe of thine being slain, all thy foes will be slain. Wish me\nwell, O king, even I will slay this foe of thine.\" Having said these\nwords, O king, thy son Duhsasana, filled with rage and uttering a loud\nroar, rushed against the son of Subhadra and covered him with showers of\narrows. Abhimanyu then, O chastiser of foes, received that son of thine\nthus advancing upon him wrathfully, with six and twenty arrows of sharp\npoints. Duhsasana, however, filled with rage, and looking like an\ninfuriated elephant, fought desperately with Abhimanyu, the son of\nSubhadra in that battle. Both of them masters in car-fight, they fought\non describing beautiful circles with their cars, one of them to the left\nand other to the right. The warriors then, with their Panavas and\nMridangas and Dundubhis and Krakachas and great Anakas and Bheris and\nJharjaras, caused a deafening noise mingled with leonine roars, such as\narise from the great receptacle of salt waters!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then the intelligent Abhimanyu, with limbs mangled with\narrows, smilingly addressed his foe, Duhsasana, stationed before him\nsaying, \"By good luck it is that I behold in battle that vain hero\narrived before me, who is cruel, who hath cast away all righteousness,\nand who brawleth out lustily his own praises. In the assembly (for the\nKurus) and in the hearing of king Dhritarashtra, thou hadst, with thy\nharsh speeches, angered king Yudhishthira. Relying on the deception of\nthe dice and the skill (therein) of Suvala's son, thou hadst also\nmaddened by success, addressed many delirious speech to Bhima![67] In\nconsequence of the anger of those illustrious persons, thou art, at last,\nabout to obtain the fruit of that conduct of thine![68]. O thou of wicked\nunderstanding, obtain thou without delay the fruit[69] of the robbery of\nother people's possessions, wrathfulness, of thy hatred of peace, of\navarice, of ignorance, of hostilities (with kinsmen), of injustice and\npersecution, of depriving my sires--those fierce bowmen--of their\nkingdom, and of thy own fierce temper. I shall today chastise thee with\nmy arrows in the sight of the whole army. Today, I shall in battle\ndisburden myself of that wrath which I cherish against thee. I shall\ntoday free myself of the debt I owe to angry Krishna and to my sire who\nalways craveth for an opportunity to chastise thee. O Kaurava, today I\nshall free myself of the debt I owe to Bhima. With life thou shalt not\nescape me, if indeed, thou dost not abandon the battle.\" Having said\nthese words, that mighty-armed warrior, that slayer of hostile heroes,\naimed a shaft endued with the splendour of Yama or of Agni or of the\nWind-god, capable of despatching Duhsasana to the other world. Quickly\napproaching Duhsasana's bosom, that shaft fell upon his shoulder-joint\nand penetrated into his body up to the very wings, like a snake into an\nant-hill. And soon Abhimanyu once more struck him with five and twenty\narrows whose touch resembled that of fire, and which were sped from his\nbow drawn to its fullest stretch. Deeply pierced and greatly pained,\nDuhsasana, sat down on the terrace of his car and was, O king, overtaken\nby a swoon. Afflicted thus by the arrows of Subhadra's son and deprived\nof his senses, Duhsasana was speedily borne away from the midst of the\nfight by his charioteer. Beholding this, the Pandavas, the five sons of\nDraupadi, Virata, the Panchalas, and the Kekayas, uttered leonine shouts.\nAnd the troops of the Pandavas, filled with joy, caused diverse kinds of\nmusical instruments to be beat and blown. Beholding that feat of\nSubhadra's son they laughed with joy. Seeing that implacable and proud\nfoe of theirs thus vanquished, those mighty car-warriors, viz., the\n(five) sons of Draupadi, who had on their banners the images of Yama and\nMaruta and Sakra and the twin Aswins, and Satyaki, and Chekitana, and\nDhrishtadyumna, and Sikhandin, and the Kekayas, and Dhrishtaketu, and the\nMatsyas, Panchalas, and the Srinjayas, and the Pandavas headed by\nYudhishthira, were filled with joy. And all of them rushed with speed,\ndesirous of piercing Drona's array. Then a dreadful battle took place\nbetween the warriors and those of the foe. All of them were unretreating\nheroes, and inspired by desire of victory. During the progress of that\ndreadful encounter, Duryodhana, O monarch, addressing the son of Radha,\nsaid, \"Behold, the heroic Duhsasana, who resembleth the scorching sun who\nwas hitherto slaying the foe in battle, hath at last himself succumbed to\nAbhimanyu. The Pandavas also, filled with rage and looking fierce like\nmighty lions, are rushing towards us, desirous of rescuing the son of\nSubhadra.\" Thus addressed, Karna with rage and desirous of doing good to\nthy son, rained showers of sharp arrows on the invincible Abhimanyu. And\nthe heroic Karna, as if in contempt of his antagonist, also pierced the\nlatter's followers on the field of battle, with many excellent shafts of\ngreat sharpness. The high-souled Abhimanyu, however, O king, desirous of\nproceeding against Drona, quickly pierced Radha's son with three and\nseventy shafts. No car-warrior of thy army succeeded at that time in\nobstructing the progress towards Drona, of Abhimanyu, who was the son of\nIndra's son and who was afflicting all the foremost car-warriors of the\nKaurava host. Then Karna, the most honoured of all bowmen, desirous of\nobtaining victory, pierced the son of Subhadra with hundreds of arrows,\ndisplacing his best weapons. That foremost of all persons conversant with\nweapons, that valiant disciple of Rama, by means of his weapons, thus\nafflicted Abhimanyu who was incapable of being defeated by foes. Though\nafflicted in battle by Radha's son with showers of weapons, still\nSubhadra's son who resembled a very celestial (for prowess) felt no pain.\nWith his shafts whetted on stone and furnished with sharp points, the son\nof Arjuna, cutting off the bows of many heroic warriors, began to afflict\nKarna in return. With shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison and\nshot from his bow drawn to a circle, Abhimanyu quickly cut off the\numbrella, standard, the charioteer, and the steeds of Karna, smiling the\nwhile. Karna then shot five straight arrows at Abhimanyu. The son of\nPhalguna, however, received them fearlessly. Endued with great valour and\ncourage, the latter then, in a moment, with only a single arrow, cut off\nKarna's bow and standard and caused them to drop down on the ground.\nBeholding Karna in such distress, his younger brother, drawing the bow\nwith great force, speedily proceeded against the son of Subhadra. The\nParthas then, and their followers uttered loud shouts and beat their\nmusical instruments and applauded the son of Subhadra [for his heroism].'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XXXIX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then the younger brother of Karna, uttering loud roars,\nbow in hand, and repeatedly stretching the bow-string, quickly placed\nhimself between those two illustrious warriors. And Karna's brother, with\nten shafts, pierced invincible Abhimanyu and his umbrella and standard\nand charioteer and steeds, smiling the while. Beholding Abhimanyu thus\nafflicted with those arrows, although he had achieved those superhuman\nfeats in the manner of his sire and grandsire, the warriors of thy army\nwere filled with delight. Then Abhimanyu, forcibly bending the bow and\nsmiling the while, with one winged arrow cut off his antagonist's head.\nThat head, severed from the trunk, fell down on the earth. Beholding his\nbrother slain and overthrown, like a Karnikara tree shaken and thrown\ndown by the wind from the mountain top, Karna, O monarch, was filled with\npain. Meanwhile, the son of Subhadra, causing Karna by means of his\narrows to turn away from the field, quickly rushed against the other\ngreat bowmen. Then Abhimanyu of fierce energy and great fame, filled with\nwrath, broke that host of diverse forces abounding with elephants and\nsteeds and cars and infantry. As regards Karna, afflicted by Abhimanyu\nwith countless shafts, he fled away from the field borne by swift steeds.\nThe Kaurava array then broke. When the welkin was covered with\nAbhimanyu's shafts, like flights of locusts or thick showers of rain,\nnothing, O monarch, could be distinguished. Amongst thy warriors thus\nslaughtered by Abhimanyu with sharp shafts, none, O monarch, stayed any\nlonger on the field of battle except the ruler of the Sindhus. Then that\nbull among men, viz., the son of Subhadra, blowing his conch, speedily\nfell upon the Bharata host, O bull of Bharata's race! Like a burning\nbrand thrown into the midst of dry grass, Arjuna's son began to consume\nhis foes, quickly careering through the Kaurava army. Having pierced\nthrough their array, he mangled cars and elephants and steeds and human\nbeings by means of his sharp shafts and caused the field of battle teem\nwith headless trunks. Cut off by means of excellent arrows shot from the\nbow of Subhadra's son, the Kaurava warriors fled away, slaying, as they\nfled, their own comrades before them. Those fierce arrows, of terrible\neffect whetted on stone and countless in number, slaying car-warriors\nand elephants, steeds, fell fast on the field. Arms, decked with Angadas\nand other ornaments of gold, cut off and hands cased in leathern covers,\nand arrows, and bows, and bodies and heads decked with car-rings and\nfloral wreaths, lay in thousands on the field. Obstructed with Upashkaras\nand Adhishthanas and long poles also with crushed Akshas and broken\nwheels and yokes, numbering thousands, with darts and bows and swords and\nfallen standards, and with shields and bows lying all about, with the\nbodies, O monarch, of slain Kshatriyas and steeds and elephants, the\nfield of battle, looking exceedingly fierce, soon became impassable. The\nnoise made by the princes, as they called upon one another while\nslaughtered by Abhimanyu, became deafening and enhanced the fears of the\ntimid. That noise, O chief of the Bharatas, filled all the points of the\ncompass. The son of Subhadra, rushed against the (Kaurava) troops,\nslaying foremost of car-warriors and steeds and elephants, Quickly\nconsuming his foes, like a fire playing in the midst of a heap of dry\ngrass, the son of Arjuna was seen careering through the midst of the\nBharata army. Encompassed as he was by our troops and covered with dust,\nnone of us could obtain a sight of that warrior when, O Bharata, he was\ncareening over the field in all directions, cardinal and subsidiary. And\nhe took the lives of steeds and elephants and human warriors, O Bharata,\nalmost incessantly. And soon after we saw him (come out of the press).\nIndeed, O monarch, we beheld him then scorching his foes like the\nmeridian sun (scorching everything with his rays). Equal to Vasava\nhimself in battle, that son of Vasava's son, viz., Abhimanyu, looked\nresplendent in the midst of the (hostile) army.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XL\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'A mere child in years, brought up in great luxury,\nproud of the strength of his arms, accomplished in battle, endued with\ngreat heroism, the perpetuator of his race, and prepared to lay down his\nlife--when Abhimanyu penetrated into the Kaurava army, borne on his\nthree-years old steeds of spirited mettle, was there any of great\nwarriors, in Yudhishthira's army, that followed the son of Arjuna?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Yudhishthira and Bhimasena, and Sikhandin and Satyaki,\nand the twins Nakula and Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna and Virata, and\nDrupada, and Kekaya, and Dhrishtaketu, all filled with wrath, and the\nMatsya warrior, rushed to battle. Indeed, Abhimanyu's sires accompanied\nby his maternal uncles, those smiters of foes, arrayed in order of battle\nrushed along the self-same path that Abhimanyu had created, desirous of\nrescuing him. Beholding those heroes rushing, thy troops turned away\nfrom the fight. Seeing then that vast army of thy son turning away from\nthe fight, the son-in-law of great energy rushed to rally them. Indeed,\nking Jayadratha, the son of the ruler of the Sindhus, checked, with all\ntheir followers, the Parthas, desirous of rescuing their son. That fierce\nand great bowman, viz. the son of Vriddhakshatra, invoking into existence\ncelestial weapons resisted the Pandavas, like an elephant sporting in a\nlow land.'[70]\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'I think, Sanjaya, that heavy was the burthen thrown\nupon the ruler of the Sindhus, inasmuch as alone he had to resist the\nangry Pandavas desirous of rescuing their son. Exceedingly wonderful, I\nthink, was the might and heroism of the ruler of the Sindhus. Tell me\nwhat the high-souled warrior's prowess was and how he accomplished that\nforemost of feats. What gifts did he make, what libations had he poured,\nwhat sacrifices had he performed, what ascetic austerities had he well\nundergone, in consequence of which, single-handed, he succeeded in\nchecking Parthas excited with wrath?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'On the occasion of his insult to Draupadi, Jayadratha was\nvanquished by Bhimasena. From a keen sense of his humiliation, the king\npractised the severest of ascetic austerities, desirous of a boon.\nRestraining his senses from all objects dear to them, bearing hunger,\nthirst and heat, he reduced his body till his swollen veins became\nvisible. Uttering the eternal words of the Veda, he paid his adoration to\nthe god Mahadeva. That illustrious Deity, always inspired with compassion\nfor his devotees, at last, became kind towards him. Indeed, Hara,\nappearing in a dream unto the ruler of the Sindhus, addressed him, saying\n\"Solicit the boon thou desirest. I am gratified with thee, O Jayadratha!\nWhat dost thou desire?\" Thus addressed by Mahadeva, Jayadratha, the ruler\nof the Sindhus, bowed down unto him and said with joined palms and\nrestrained soul, \"Alone, on a single car, I shall check in battle all the\nsons of Pandu, endued though they are with terrible energy and prowess.\"\nEven this, O Bharata, was the boon he had solicited. Thus prayed to that\nforemost of the deities said unto Jayadratha, \"O amiable one, I grant\nthee the boon. Except Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, thou shalt in battle\ncheck the four other sons of Pandu.\" \"So be it,\" said Jayadratha unto\nthat Lord of the gods and then awoke, O monarch, from his slumber. In\nconsequence of that boon which he had received and of the strength also\nof his celestial weapons, Jayadratha, single-handed, held in check the\nentire army of the Pandavas. The twang of his bow-string and the slaps of\nhis palms inspired the hostile Kshatriyas with fear, filling thy troops,\nat the same time with delight. And the Kshatriyas (of the Kuru army),\nbeholding that the burthen was taken up by the ruler of the Sindhus,\nrushed with loud shouts, O monarch, to that part of the field where\nYudhishthira's army was.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Thou askest me, O monarch, about the prowess of the ruler\nof the Sindhus. Listen to me as I describe in detail how he fought with\nthe Pandavas. Large steeds of the Sindhu breed, well-trained and fleet as\nthe wind, and obedient to the commands of the charioteer, bore him (on\nthat occasion). His car, duly equipped, looked like a vapoury edifice in\nthe welkin. His standard bearing the device of a large boar in silver,\nlooked exceedingly beautiful. With his white umbrella and banners, and\nthe yak-tails with which he was fanned--which are regal indications--he\nshone like the Moon himself in the firmament. His car-fence made of iron\nwas decked with pearls and diamonds and gems and gold. And it looked\nresplendent like the firmament bespangled with luminous bodies. Drawing\nhis large bow and scattering countless shafts, he once more filled up\nthat array in those places where openings had been made by the son of\nArjuna. And he pierced Satyaki with three arrows, and Vrikodara with\neight; and having pierced Dhrishtadyumna with sixty arrows, he pierced\nDrupada with five sharp ones, and Sikhandin with ten. Piercing then the\nKaikeyas with five and twenty arrows, Jayadratha pierced each of the five\nsons of Draupadi with three arrows. And piercing Yudhishthira then with\nseventy arrows, the ruler of the Sindhus pierced the other heroes of the\nPandava army with thick showers of shafts. And that feat of his seemed\nexceedingly wonderful. Then, O monarch, the valiant son of Dharma, aiming\nJayadratha's bow, cut it off with a polished and well-tempered shaft,\nsmiling the while. Within the twinkling, however, of the eye, the ruler\nof the Sindhus took up another bow and piercing Pratha (Yudhishthira)\nwith ten arrows struck each of the others with three shafts. Marking that\nlightness of hands showed by Jayadratha, Bhima then with three\nbroad-headed shafts, quickly felled on the earth his bow, standard and\numbrella. The mighty Jayadratha then, taking up another bow, strung it\nand felled Bhima's standard and bow and steeds, O sire! His bow cut off,\nBhimasena then jumping down from that excellent car whose steeds had been\nslain, mounted on the car of Satyaki, like a lion jumping to the top of a\nmountain. Seeing this, thy troops were filled with joy. And they loudly\nshouted, \"Excellent! Excellent!\" And they repeatedly applauded that feat\nof the ruler of the Sindhus. Indeed, all creatures highly applauded that\nfeat of his, which consisted in his resisting, single-handed, all the\nPandavas together, excited with wrath. The path that the son of Subhadra\nhad made for the Pandavas by the slaughter of numerous warriors and\nelephants was then filled up by the ruler of the Sindhus. Indeed, those\nheroes, viz., the Matsyas, the Panchalas, the Kaikeyas, and the Pandavas,\nexerting themselves vigorously, succeeded in approaching the presence of\nJayadratha, but none of them could bear him. Everyone amongst thy enemies\nwho endeavoured to pierce the array that had been formed by Drona, was\nchecked by the ruler of the Sindhus in consequence of the boon he had got\n(from Mahadeva).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When the ruler of the Sindhus checked the Pandavas,\ndesirous of success, the battle that took place then between thy troops\nand the enemy became awful. The invincible son of Arjuna, of sure aim and\nmighty energy, having penetrated in the (Kaurava) array agitated it like\na Makara agitating the ocean. Against that chastiser of foes then, viz.,\nthe son of Subhadra, who was thus agitating the hostile host with his\narrowy showers, the principal warriors of the Kaurava army rushed, each\naccording to his rank and precedence. The clash between them of\nimmeasurable energy, scattering their arrowy showers with great force, on\nthe one side and Abhimanyu alone on the other, became awful. The son of\nArjuna, encompassed on all sides by those enemies with crowds of cars,\nslew the charioteer of Vrishasena and also cut off his bow. And the\nmighty Abhimanyu then pierced Vrishasena's steeds with his straight\nshafts, upon which those coursers, with the speed of the wind, bore\nVrishasena away from the battle. Utilizing that opportunity, Abhimanyu's\ncharioteer freed his car from that press by taking it away to another\npart of the field. Those numerous car-warriors then, (beholding this\nfeat) were filled with joy and exclaimed, \"Excellent! Excellent!\" Seeing\nthe lion-like Abhimanyu angrily slaying the foe with his shafts and\nadvancing from a distance, Vasatiya, proceeding towards him quickly fell\nupon him with great force. The latter pierced Abhimanyu with sixty shafts\nof golden wings and addressing him, said, \"As long as I am alive, thou\nshalt not escape with life.\" Cased though he was in an iron coat of mail,\nthe son of Subhadra pierced him in the chest with a far-reaching shaft.\nThereupon Vasatiya fell down on the earth, deprived of life. Beholding\nVasatiya slain, many bulls among Kshatriyas became filled with wrath, and\nsurrounded thy grandson, O king, from a desire of slaying him. They\napproached him, stretching their countless bows of diverse kinds, and the\nbattle then that took place between the son of Subhadra and his foes was\nexceedingly fierce. Then the son of Phalguni, filled with wrath, cut off\ntheir arrows and bows, and diverse limbs of their bodies, and their heads\ndecked with ear-rings and floral garlands. And arms were seen lopped off,\nthat were adorned with various ornaments of gold, and that still held\nscimitars and spiked maces and battle-axes and the fingers of which were\nstill cased in leathern gloves. [And the earth became strewn][71] with\nfloral wreaths and ornaments and cloths, with fallen standards, with\ncoats of mail and shields and golden chains and diadems and umbrellas and\nyak-tails; with Upashkaras and Adhishthanas, and Dandakas, and Vandhuras\nwith crushed Akshas, broken wheels, and yokes, numbering thousands,[72]\nwith Anukarashas, and banners, and charioteers, and steeds; as also with\nbroken cars, and elephants, and steeds. The field of battle, strewn with\nslain Kshatriyas endued (while living) with great heroism,--rulers of\ndiverse realms, inspired with desire of victory,--presented a fearful\nsight. When Abhimanyu angrily careered over the field of battle in all\ndirections, his very form became invisible. Only his coat of mail, decked\nwith gold, his ornaments, and bow and shafts, could be seen. Indeed,\nwhile he slew the hostile warriors by means of his shafts, staying in\ntheir midst like the sun himself in his blazing effulgence, none could\ngaze at him with his eyes.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Engaged in taking the lives of brave warriors, Arjuna's\nson then resembled the Destroyer himself, when the latter takes the lives\nof all creatures on the arrival of the Universal Dissolution. Possessed\nof prowess resembling that of Sakra himself, the mighty son of Sakra's\nson, viz., Abhimanyu, agitating the Kaurava army looked exceedingly\nresplendent. Penetrating into the Kaurava host, O king, that destroyer\nof foremost Kshatriyas resembling Yama himself, seized Satyasravas, like\nan infuriated tiger seizing a deer. Beholding Satyasrayas, seized by him,\nmany mighty car-warriors, taking up diverse kinds of weapons, rushed upon\nhim. Indeed, those bulls among Kshatriyas, from a spirit of rivalry,\nrushed at the son of Arjuna from desire of slaying him, all exclaiming,\n\"I shall go first, I shall go first!\" As a whale in the sea obtaining a\nshoal of small fish seizes them with the greatest ease, even so did\nAbhimanyu receive that whole division of the rushing Kshatriyas. Like\nrivers that never go back when they approach the sea, none amongst those\nunretreating Kshatriyas turned back when they approached Abhimanyu. That\narmy then reeled like a boat tossed on the ocean when overtaken by a\nmighty tempest, (with its crew) afflicted with panic caused by the\nviolence of the wind. Then the mighty Rukmaratha, son of the ruler of the\nMadras, for assuring the frightened troops, fearlessly said, \"Ye heroes,\nye need not fear! When I am here, what is Abhimanyu? Without doubt, I\nwill seize this one a living captive\". Having said these words, the\nvaliant prince, borne on his beautiful and well-equipped car, rushed at\nAbhimanyu. Piercing Abhimanyu with three shafts in the chest, three in\nthe right arm, and three other sharp shafts in the left arm, he uttered a\nloud roar. Phalguni's son, however, cutting off his bow, his right and\nleft arms, and his head adorned with beautiful eyes and eye-brows quickly\nfelled them on the earth. Beholding Rukmaratha, the honoured son of\nSalya, slain by the illustrious son of Subhadra, that Rukmaratha viz.,\nwho had vowed to consume his foe or take him alive, many princely friends\nof Salya's son, O king, accomplished in smiting and incapable of being\neasily defeated in battle, and owning standards decked with gold, (came\nup for the fight). Those mighty car-warriors, stretching their bows full\nsix cubits long, surrounded the son of Arjuna, all pouring their arrowy\nshowers upon him. Beholding the brave and invincible son of Subhadra\nsingly encountered by all those wrathful princes endued with heroism and\nskill acquired by practice and strength and youth, and seeing him covered\nwith showers of arrows, Duryodhana rejoiced greatly, and regarded\nAbhimanyu as one already made a guest of Yama's abode. Within the\ntwinkling of an eye, those princes, by means of their shafts of golden\nwings, and of diverse forms and great impetuosity, made Arjuna's son\ninvisible. Himself, his standard, and his car, O sire, were seen by us\ncovered with shafts like (trees overwhelmed with) flights of locusts.\nDeeply pierced, he became filled with rage like an elephant struck with\nthe hook. He then, O Bharata, applied the Gandharva weapon and the\nillusion consequent to it.[73] Practising ascetic penances, Arjuna had\nobtained that weapon from the Gandharva Tumvuru and others. With that\nweapon, Abhimanyu now confounded his foes. Quickly displaying his\nweapons, he careered in that battle like a circle of fire, and was, O\nking, seen sometimes as a single individual, sometimes as a hundred, and\nsometimes as a thousand ones. Confounding his foes by the skill with\nwhich his car was guided and by the illusion caused by his weapons, he\ncut in a hundred pieces, O monarch, the bodies of the kings (opposed to\nhim). By means of his sharp shafts the lives of living creatures were\ndespatched. These, O king attained to the other world while their bodies\nfell down on the earth. Their bows, and steeds and charioteers, and\nstandards, and armies decked with Angadar, and heads, the son of Phalguni\ncut off with his sharp shafts. Those hundred princes were slain and\nfelled by Subhadra's son like a tope of five-year old mango-trees just on\nthe point of bearing fruit (laid low by a tempest). Beholding those\nyouthful princes brought up in every luxury, and resembling angry snakes\nof virulent poison, all slain by the single-handed Abhimanyu, Duryodhana\nwas filled with fear. Seeing (his) car-warriors and elephants and steeds\nand foot-soldiers crushed, the Kuru king quickly proceeded in wrath\nagainst Abhimanyu. Continued for only a short space of time, the\nunfinished battle between them became exceedingly fierce. Thy son then,\nafflicted with Abhimanyu's arrows, was obliged to turn back from the\nfight.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'That which thou tellest me, O Suta, about the\nbattle, fierce and terrible, between the one and the many, and the\nvictory of that illustrious one, that story of the prowess of Subhadra's\nson is highly wonderful and almost incredible. I do not, however, regard\nit as a marvel that is absolutely beyond belief in the case of those that\nhave righteousness for their refuge. After Duryodhana was beaten back and\na hundred princes slain, what course was pursued by the warriors of my\narmy against the son of Subhadra?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Their mouths became dry, and eyes restless. Sweat covered\ntheir bodies, and their hairs stood on their ends. Despairing of\nvanquishing their foe, they became ready to leave the field. Abandoning\ntheir wounded brothers and sires and sons and friends and relatives by\nmarriage and kinsmen they fled, urging their steeds and elephants to\ntheir utmost speed. Beholding them broken and routed, Drona and Drona's\nson, and Vrihadvala, and Kripa, and Duryodhana, and Karna, and\nKritavarman, and Suvala's son (Sakuni), rushed in great wrath against the\nunvanquished son of Subhadra. Almost all these, O king, were beaten back\nby thy grandson. Only one warrior then, viz., Lakshmana, brought up in\nluxury, accomplished in arrows, endued with great energy, and fearless in\nconsequence of inexperience and pride, proceeded against the son of\nArjuna. Anxious about his son, his father (Duryodhana) turned back for\nfollowing him. Other mighty car warriors, turned back for following\nDuryodhana. All of them then drenched Abhimanyu with showers of arrows,\nlike clouds pouring rain on the mountain-breast. Abhimanyu, however,\nsingle-handed, began to crush them like the dry wind that blows in every\ndirection destroying gathering masses of clouds. Like one infuriated\nelephant encountering another, Arjuna's son then encountered thy\ninvincible grandson, Lakshmana, of great personal beauty, endued with\ngreat bravery, staying near his father with outstretched bow, brought up\nin every luxury, and resembling a second prince of the Yakshas[74].\nEncountering Lakshmana, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of\nSubhadra, had his two arms and chest struck with his sharp shafts. Thy\ngrandson, the mighty-armed Abhimanyu then, filled with rage like a snake\nstruck (with a rod), addressing, O king, thy (other) grandson, said,\n\"Look well on this world, for thou shalt (soon) have to go to the other.\nIn the very sight of all thy kinsmen, I will despatch thee to Yama's\nabode.\" Saying thus that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the mighty-armed\nson of Subhadra, took out a broad-headed arrow that resembled a snake\njust emerged from its slough. That shaft, sped by Abhimanyu's arms, cut\noff the beautiful head, decked with ear-rings, of Lakshmana, that was\ngraced with a beautiful nose, beautiful eye-brows, and exceedingly\ngood-looking curls. Beholding Lakshmana slain, thy troops uttered\nexclamations of Oh and, Alas. Upon the slaughter of his dear son,\nDuryodhana became filled with rage. That bull among Kshatriyas then\nloudly urged the Kshatriyas under him, saying, \"Slay this one!\" Then\nDrona, and Kripa, and Karna, and Drona's son and Vrihadvala, and\nKritavarman, the son of Hridika,--these six car-warriors,--encompassed\nAbhimanyu. Piercing them with sharp arrows and beating them off from him,\nthe son of Arjuna fell with great speed and fury upon the vast forces of\nJayadratha. Thereupon, the Kalingas, the Nishadas, and the valiant son of\nKratha, all clad in mail, cut off his path by encompassing him with their\nelephant-division. The battle then that took place between Phalguni's son\nand those warriors was obstinate and fierce. Then the son of Arjuna began\nto destroy that elephant-division as the wind coursing in every direction\ndestroys vast masses of gathering clouds in the welkin. Then Kratha\ncovered the son of Arjuna with showers of arrows, while many other\ncar-warriors headed by Drona, having returned to the field, rushed at\nhim, scattering sharp and mighty weapons. Checking all those weapons by\nmeans of his own arrows, the son of Arjuna began to afflict the son of\nKratha with ceaseless showers of shafts, with great despatch and inspired\nby the desire of slaying his antagonist. The latter's bow and shafts, and\nbracelets, and arms, and head decked with diadem, and umbrella, and\nstandard, and charioteer, and steeds, were all cut off and felled by\nAbhimanyu. When Kratha's son, possessed of nobility of lineage, good\nbehaviour, acquaintance with the scriptures, great strength, fame, and\npower of arms, was slain, the other heroic combatants almost all turned\naway from the fight.'\"[75]\n\n\n\nSECTION XLV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'While the youthful and invincible son of Subhadra,\nnever retreating from battle, was, after penetrating into our array,\nengaged in achieving feats worthy of his lineage, borne by his three-year\nold steeds of great might and of the best breed, and apparently trotting\nin the welkin, what heroes of my army encompassed him?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having penetrated into our array, Abhimanyu of Pandu's\nrace, by means of his sharp shafts, made all the kings turn away from the\nfight. Then Drona, and Kripa, and Karna, and Drona's son, and Vrihadvala\nand Kritavarman, the son of Hridika,--these six\ncar-warriors,--encompassed him. As regards the other combatants of thy\narmy, beholding that Jayadratha had taken upon himself the heavy duty (of\nkeeping off the Pandavas), they supported him, O king, by rushing against\nYudhishthira.[76] Many amongst them, endued with great strength, drawing\ntheir bows full six cubits long, showered on the heroic son of Subhadra\narrowy downpours like torrents of rain. Subhadra's son, however, that\nslayer of hostile heroes, paralysed by his shafts all those great bowmen,\nconversant with every branch of learning. And he pierced Drona with fifty\narrows and Vrihadvala with twenty. And piercing Kritavarman with eighty\nshafts, he pierced Kripa with sixty. And the son of Arjuna pierced\nAswatthaman with ten arrows equipped with golden wings, endued with great\nspeed and shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. And the son of\nPhalguni pierced Karna, in the midst of his foes, in one of his cars,\nwith a bright, well-tempered, and bearded arrow of great force. Felling\nthe steeds yoked to Kripa's car, as also both his Parshni charioteers,\nAbhimanyu pierced Kripa himself in the centre of the chest with ten\narrows. The mighty Abhimanyu, then, in the very sight of thy heroic sons,\nslew the brave Vrindaraka, that enhancer of the fame of the Kurus. While\nAbhimanyu was thus engaged in fearlessly slaying one after another the\nforemost warriors among his enemies, Drona's son Aswatthaman pierced him\nwith five and twenty small arrows. The son of Arjuna, however, in the\nvery sight of all the Dhartarashtras quickly pierced Aswatthaman in\nreturn, O sire, with many whetted shafts. Drona's son, however, in\nreturn, piercing Abhimanyu with sixty fierce arrows of great impetuosity\nand keen sharpness, failed to make him tremble, for the latter, pierced\nby Aswatthaman, stood immovable like the Mainaka mountain. Endued with\ngreat energy, the mighty Abhimanyu then pierced his antagonist with three\nand seventy straight arrows, equipped with wings of gold. Drona then,\ndesirous of rescuing his son, pierced Abhimanyu with a hundred arrows.\nAnd Aswatthaman pierced him with sixty arrows, desirous of rescuing his\nfather. And Karna struck him with two and twenty broad-headed arrows and\nKritavarman struck him with four and ten. And Vrihadvala pierced him with\nfifty such shafts, and Saradwata's son, Kripa, with ten. Abhimanyu,\nhowever, pierced each of these in return with ten shafts. The ruler of\nthe Kosala struck Abhimanyu in the chest with a barbed arrow. Abhimanyu,\nhowever, quickly felled on the earth his antagonist's steeds and standard\nand bow and charioteer. The ruler of the Kosalas, then, thus deprived of\nhis car, took up a sword and wished to sever from Abhimanyu's trunk his\nbeautiful head, decked with ear-rings. Abhimanyu then pierced king\nVrihadvala, the ruler of the Kosalas, in the chest, with a strong arrow.\nThe latter then, with riven heart, fell down. Beholding this, ten\nthousand illustrious kings broke and fled. Those kings, armed with swords\nand bows, fled away, uttering words inimical (to king Duryodhana's\ninterest). Having slain[77] Vrihadvala thus, the son of Subhadra careered\nin battle, paralysing thy warriors,--those great bowmen,--by means of\narrowy downpours, thick as rain.'\"[78]\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Phalguni's son once more pierced Karna in the car with a\nbarbed arrow, and for angering him still further, he pierced him with\nfifty other shafts. The son of Radha pierced Abhimanyu in return with as\nmany shafts. Covered all over with arrows, Abhimanyu, then, O sire,\nlooked exceedingly beautiful. Filled with rage, he caused Karna also to\nbe bathed in blood. Mangled with arrows and covered with blood, the brave\nKarna also shone greatly.[79] Both of them pierced with arrows, both\nbathed in blood, those illustrious warriors then resembled a couple of\nflowering Kinsukas. The son of Subhadra then slew six of Karna's brave\ncounsellors, conversant with all modes of warfare, with their steeds and\ncharioteers and cars. As regards other great bowmen Abhimanyu fearlessly\npierced each of them in return, with ten arrows. That feat of his seemed\nhighly wonderful. Slaying next the son of the ruler of the Magadhas,\nAbhimanyu, with six straight shafts, slew the youthful Aswaketu with his\nfour steeds and charioteer. Then slaying, with a sharp razor-headed\narrow, the Bhoja prince of Martikavata, bearing the device of an elephant\n(on his banner), the son of Arjuna uttered a loud shout and began to\nscatter his shafts on all sides. Then the son of Duhsasana pierced the\nfour steeds of Abhimanyu with four shafts, his charioteer with one and\nAbhimanyu himself with ten. The son of Arjuna, then, piercing Duhsasana's\nson with ten fleet shafts, addressed him in a loud tone and with eyes red\nin wrath, said, \"Abandoning the battle, thy sire hath fled like a coward.\nIt is well thou knowest how to fight. Thou shalt not, however, escape\ntoday with life.\" Saying these words unto him, Abhimanyu sped a long\narrow, well polished by smith's hand, at his foe. The son of Drona cut\nthat arrow with three shafts of his own. Leaving Aswatthaman alone,\nArjuna's son struck Salya, in return, fearlessly pierced him in the chest\nwith highly nine shafts, equipped with vulture's feathers. That feat\nseemed highly wonderful. The son of Arjuna then cut off Salya's bow and\nslew both his Parshni charioteers. Abhimanyu then pierced Salya himself\nwith six shafts made wholly of iron. Thereupon, the latter, leaving that\nsteedless car, mounted another. Abhimanyu then slew five warriors, named\nSatrunjaya, and Chandraketu, and Mahamegba, and Suvarchas, and\nSuryabhasa. He then pierced Suvala's son. The latter piercing Abhimanyu\nwith three arrows, said unto Duryodhana, \"Let us all together grind this\none, else, fighting singly with us he will slay us all. O king, think of\nthe means of slaying this one, taking counsel with Drona and Kripa and\nothers.\" Then Karna, the son of Vikartana, said unto Drona, \"Abhimanyu\ngrindeth us all. Tell us the means by which we may slay him.\" Thus\naddressed, the mighty bowman, Drona, addressing them all, said,\n\"Observing him with vigilance, have any of you been able to detect any\ndefeat in this youth? He is careening in all directions. Yet have any of\nyou been able to detect today the least hole in him? Behold the lightness\nof hand and quickness of motion of this lion among men, this son of\nArjuna. In the track of his car, only his bow drawn to a circle can be\nseen, so quickly is he aiming his shafts and so quickly is he letting\nthem off. Indeed, this slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of\nSubhadra, gratifieth me although he afflicteth my vital breath and\nstupefieth me with shafts. Even the mightiest car-warriors, filled with\nwrath, are unable to detect any flaw in him. The son of Subhadra,\ntherefore, careering on the field of battle, gratifieth me greatly. I do\nnot see that in battle there is any difference between the wielder of\nGandiva himself and this one of great lightness of hand, filling all the\npoints of the horizon with his mighty shafts.\" Hearing these words,\nKarna, afflicted with the shafts of Arjuna's son, once more said unto\nDrona, \"Exceedingly afflicted with the shafts of Abhimanyu, I am staying\nin battle, only because (as a warrior) I should stay here. Indeed, the\narrows of this youth of great energy are exceedingly fierce. Terrible as\nthey are and possessed of the energy of fire, these arrows are weakening\nmy heart.\" The preceptor then, slowly and with a smile, said unto Karna,\n\"Abhimanyu is young, his prowess is great. His coat of mail is\nimpenetrable. This one's father had been taught by me the method of\nwearing defensive armour. This subjugator of hostile towns assuredly\nknoweth the entire science (of wearing armour). With shafts well shot,\nyou can, however, cut off his bow, bow-string, the reins of his steeds,\nthe steeds themselves, and two Parshni charioteers. O mighty bowman, O\nson of Radha, if competent, do this. Making him turn back from the fight\n(by this means), strike him then. With his bow in hand he is incapable of\nbeing vanquished by the very gods and the Asuras together. If you wish,\ndeprive him of his car, and divest him of his bow.\" Hearing these words\nof the preceptor, Vikartana's son Karna quickly cut off, by means of his\nshafts, the bow of Abhimanyu, as the latter was shooting with great\nactivity. He, of Bhoja's race (viz., Kritavarman) then slew his steeds,\nand Kripa slew his two Parshni charioteers. The others covered him with\nshowers of arrows after he had been divested of his bow. Those six great\ncar-warriors, with great speed, when speed was so necessary, ruthlessly\ncovered that carless youth, fighting single-handed with them, with\nshowers of arrows. Bowless and carless, with an eye, however, to his duty\n(as a warrior), handsome Abhimanyu, taking up a sword and a shield,\njumped into the sky. Displaying great strength and great activity, and\ndescribing the tracks called Kausika and others, the son of Arjuna\nfiercely coursed through the sky, like the prince of winged creatures\n(viz., Garuda.). \"He may fall upon me sword in hand,\" with such thoughts,\nthose mighty bowmen, were on the lookout for the laches of Abhimanyu, and\nbegan to pierce him in that battle, with their gaze turned upwards. Then\nDrona of mighty energy, that conqueror of foes with a sharp arrow quickly\ncut off the hilt, decked with gems, of Abhimanyu's sword. Radha's son\nKarna, with sharp shafts, cut off his excellent shield. Deprived of his\nsword and shield thus, he came down, with sound limbs, from the welkin\nupon the earth. Then taking up a car-wheel, he rushed in wrath against\nDrona. His body bright with the dust of car-wheels, and himself holding\nthe car-wheel in his upraised arms, Abhimanyu looked exceedingly\nbeautiful, and imitating Vasudeva (with his discus), became awfully\nfierce for a while in that battle. His robes dyed with the blood flowing\n(from his wounds), his brow formidable with the wrinkles visible thereon,\nhimself uttering loud leonine roars, lord Abhimanyu of immeasurable\nmight, staying in the midst of those kings, looked exceedingly\nresplendent on the field of battle.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'That joy of Vishnu's sister (viz., Abhimanyu), that\nAtiratha, decked with the weapons of Vishnu himself, looked exceedingly\nbeautiful on the field of battle and looked like a second Janardana. With\nthe end of his locks waving in the air, with that supreme weapon upraised\nin his hands, his body became incapable of being looked at by the very\ngods. The kings beholding it and the wheel in his hands, became filled\nwith anxiety, and cut that off in a hundred fragments. Then that great\ncar-warrior, the son of Arjuna, took up a mighty mace. Deprived by them\nof his bow and car and sword, and divested also of his wheel by his foes,\nthe mighty-armed Abhimanyu (mace in hand) rushed against Aswatthaman.\nBeholding that mace upraised, which looked like the blazing thunderbolt,\nAswatthaman, that tiger among men, rapidly alighted from his car and took\nthree (long) leaps (for avoiding Abhimanyu). Slaying Aswatthaman's steeds\nand two Parshni charioteers with that mace of his, Subhadra's son,\npierced all over with arrows, looked like a porcupine. Then that hero\npressed Suvala's son, Kalikeya, down into the earth, and slew seven and\nseventy Gandhara followers of the latter. Next, he slew ten car-warriors\nof the Brahma-Vasatiya race, and then ten huge elephants. Proceeding next\ntowards the car of Duhsasana's son, he crushed the latter's car and\nsteeds, pressing them down into the earth. The invincible son of\nDuhsasana, then, O sire, taking up his mace, rushed at Abhimanyu, saying,\n\"Wait, Wait!\" Then those cousins, those two heroes, with upraised maces,\nbegan to strike each other, desirous of achieving each other's death,\nlike three-eyed (Mahadeva) and (the Asura) Andhaka in the days of old.\nEach of those chastisers of foes, struck with the other's mace-ends fell\ndown on the earth, like two uprooted standards erected to the honour of\nIndra. Then Duhsasana's son, that enhancer of the fame of the Kurus,\nrising up first, struck Abhimanyu with the mace on the crown of his head,\nas the latter was on the point of rising. Stupefied with the violence of\nthat stroke as also with the fatigue he had undergone, that slayer of\nhostile hosts, viz., the son of Subhadra, fell on the earth, deprived of\nhis senses. Thus, O king, was one slain by many in battle,--one who had\nground the whole army, like an elephant grinding lotus-stalks in a lake.\nAs he lay dead on the field, the heroic Abhimanyu looked like a wild\nelephant slain by the hunters. The fallen hero was then surrounded by thy\ntroops. And he looked like an extinguished fire in the summer season\nafter (as it lies) having consumed a whole forest, or like a tempest\ndivested of its fury after having crushed mountain crests;[80] or like\nthe sun arrived at the western hills after having blasted with his heat\nthe Bharata host; or like Soma swallowed up by Rahu; or like the ocean\nreft of water. The mighty car-warriors of thy army beholding Abhimanyu\nwhose face had the splendour of the full moon, and whose eyes were\nrendered beautiful in consequence of lashes black as the feathers of the\nraven, lying prostrate on the bare earth, were filled with great joy. And\nthey repeatedly uttered leonine shouts. Indeed, O monarch, thy troops\nwere in transports of joy, while tears fell fast from the eyes of the\nPandava heroes. Beholding the heroic Abhimanyu lying on the field of\nbattle, like the moon dropped from the firmament, diverse creatures, O\nking, in the welkin, said aloud, \"Alas, this one lieth on the field,\nslain, while fighting singly, by six mighty car-warriors of the\nDhartarashtra army, headed by Drona and Karna. This act hath been, we\nhold, an unrighteous one.\" Upon the slaughter of that hero, the earth\nlooked exceedingly resplendent like the star-bespangled firmament with\nthe moon. Indeed, the earth was strewn with shafts equipped with wings of\ngold, and covered with waves of blood. And strewn with the beautiful\nheads of heroes, decked with ear-rings and variegated turbans of great\nvalue, and banners and yak-tails and beautiful blankets, and begemmed\nweapons of great efficacy, and the bright ornaments of cars and steeds,\nand men and elephants, and sharp and well-tempered swords, looking like\nsnakes freed from their sloughs, and bows, and broken shafts, and darts,\nand swords, and lances, and Kampanas, and diverse other kinds of weapons,\nshe assumed a beautiful aspect. And in consequence of the steeds dead or\ndying, but all weltering in blood, with their riders (lying about them),\nfelled by Subhadra's son, the earth in many places became impassable. And\nwith iron hooks, and elephants--huge as hills--equipped with shields and\nweapons and standards, lying about, crushed with shafts, with excellent\ncars deprived of steeds and charioteers and car-warriors, lying scattered\non the earth, crushed by elephants and looking like agitated lakes, with\nlarge bodies of foot-soldiers decked with diverse weapons and lying dead\non the ground, the field of battle, wearing a terrible aspect, inspired\nall timid hearts with terror.\n\n\"'Beholding Abhimanyu, resplendent as the sun or the moon, lying on the\nground, thy troops were in transport of joy, while Pandavas were filled\nwith grief. When youthful Abhimanyu, yet in his minority, fell, the\nPandava divisions, O king, fled away in the very sight of king\nYudhishthira. Beholding his army breaking upon the fall of Subhadra's\nson, Yudhishthira addressed his brave warriors, saying, \"The heroic\nAbhimanyu, who without retreating from battle hath been slain, hath\ncertainly ascended to heaven. Stay then, and fear not, for we shall yet\nvanquish our foes.\" Endued with great energy and great splendour, king\nYudhishthira the just, that foremost of warriors, saying such words unto\nhis soldiers inspired with grief, endeavoured to dispel their stupor. The\nking continued, \"Having in the first instance, slain in battle hostile\nprinces, resembling snakes of virulent poison, the son of Arjuna hath\nthen given up his life. Having slain ten thousand warriors, viz., the\nking of the Kosalas, Abhimanyu, who was even like Krishna or Arjuna\nhimself, hath assuredly gone to the abode of Indra. Having destroyed cars\nand steeds and men and elephants by thousands, he was still not content\nwith what he did. Performing as he did such meritorious feats, we should\nnot certainly grieve for him, he hath gone to the bright regions of the\nrighteous, regions that men acquire by meritorious deeds.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having thus slain one of their foremost warriors, and\nhaving been afflicted with their arrows, we came back to our encampment\nin the evening, covered with blood. Steadfastly gazed at by the enemy, we\nslowly left, O monarch, the field of battle, having sustained a severe\nloss and nearly deprived of our senses. Then came that wonderful hour\nintervening between day and night. Inauspicious howls of jackals were\nheard. The sun, with the pale-red hue of the filaments of the\nlotus, sank low in the horizon, having approached the western hills. And\nhe took away with him the splendour of our swords and darts, rapiers and\ncar-fences, and shields and ornaments. Causing the firmament and the\nearth to assume the same hue, the sun assumed his favourite form of fire.\nThe field of battle was strewn with the motionless bodies of innumerable\nelephants deprived of life, looking like crests of cloud-capped hills\nriven by the thunder, and lying about with their standards and hooks and\nriders fallen from their backs. The earth looked beautiful with large\ncars crushed to pieces, and with their warriors and charioteers and\nornaments and steeds and standards and banners crushed, broken and torn.\nThose huge cars, O king, looked like living creatures deprived of their\nlives by the foe with his shafts. The field of battle assumed a fierce\nand awful aspect in consequence of large number of steeds and riders all\nlying dead, with costly trappings and blankets of diverse kinds scattered\nabout, and tongues and teeth and entrails and eyes of those creatures\nbulging out of their places. Men decked with costly coats of mail and\nornaments and robes and weapons, deprived of life, lay with slain steeds\nand elephants and broken cars, on the bare ground, perfectly helpless,\nalthough deserving of costly beds and blankets. Dogs and jackals, and\ncrown and cranes and other carnivorous birds, and wolves and hyenas, and\nravens and other food-drinking creatures, all diverse tribes of\nRakshasas, and large number of Pisachas, on the field of battle, tearing\nthe skins of the corpse and drinking their fat, blood and marrow, began\nto eat their flesh. And they began to suck also the secretions of rotten\ncorpses, while the Rakshasas laughed horribly and sang aloud, dragging\ndead bodies numbering thousands. An awful river, difficult to cross, like\nthe Vaitarani itself, was caused there by foremost of warriors. Its\nwaters were constituted by the blood (of fallen creatures). Cars\nconstituted the rafts (on which to cross it), elephants formed its\nrocks, and the heads of human beings, its smaller stones. And it was miry\nwith the flesh (of slain steeds and elephants and men). And diverse kinds\nof costly weapons constituted the garlands (floating on it or lying on\nits banks). And that terrible river flowed fiercely through the middle of\nthe field of battle, wafting living creatures to the regions of the dead.\nAnd large numbers of Pisachas, of horrible and repulsive forms, rejoiced,\ndrinking and eating in that stream. And dogs and jackals and carnivorous\nbirds, all eating of the same food, and inspiring living creatures with\nterror, held their high carnival there. And the warriors, gazing on that\nfield of battle which, enhancing the population of Yama's domain,\npresented such an awful sight, and where human corpses rising up, began\nto dance, slowly left it as they beheld the mighty car-warrior Abhimanyu\nwho resembled Sakra himself, lying on the field, his costly ornaments\ndisplaced and fallen off, and looking like a sacrificial fire on the\naltar no longer drenched with clarified butter.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XLIX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After the slaughter of that hero, that leader of\ncar-divisions, viz., the son of Subhadra, the Pandava warriors, leaving\ntheir cars and putting off their armour, and throwing aside their bows,\nsat, surrounding king Yudhishthira. And they were brooding over that\ngrief of theirs, their hearts fixed upon the (deceased) Abhimanyu.\nIndeed, upon the fall of that heroic nephew of his, viz., the mighty\ncar-warrior Abhimanyu, king Yudhishthira, overwhelmed with grief,\nindulged in (these) lamentations: \"Alas, Abhimanyu, from desire of\nachieving my good, pierced the array formed by Drona and teeming with his\nsoldiers. Encountering him in battle, mighty bowmen endued with great\ncourage, accomplished in weapons and incapable of being easily defeated\nin battle, were routed and forced to retreat. Encountering our implacable\nfoe Duhsasana in battle, he with his arrows, caused that warrior to fly\naway from the field, deprived of his senses. Alas, the heroic son of\nArjuna, having crossed the vast sea of Drona's army, was ultimately\nobliged to become a guest of Yama's abode, upon encountering the son of\nDuhsasana. When Abhimanyu is slain, how shall I cast my eyes on Arjuna\nand also the blessed Subhadra deprived of her favourite son? What\nsenseless, disjointed, and improper words shall we have to say today unto\nHrishikesa and Dhananjaya! Desirous of achieving what is good, and\nexpectant of victory, it is I who have done this great evil unto Subhadra\nand Kesava and Arjuna. He that is covetous never beholdeth his faults.\nCovetousness spring from folly. Collectors of honey see not the fall that\nis before them; I am even like them. He who was only a child, he who\nshould have been provided with (good) food, with vehicles, with beds,\nwith ornaments, alas, even he was placed by us in the van of battle. How\ncould good come to a child of tender years, unskilled in battle, in such\na situation of great danger. Like a horse of proud mettle, he sacrificed\nhimself instead of refusing to do the bidding of his master. Alas, we\nalso shall today lay ourselves down on the bare earth, blasted by the\nglances of grief, cast by Arjuna filled with wrath. Dhananjaya, liberal,\nintelligent, modest, forgiving, handsome, mighty, possessed of\nwell-developed and beautiful limbs, respectful to superiors, heroic,\nbeloved, and devoted to truth, of glorious achievements, the very gods\napplaud his feats. That valiant hero slew the Nivatakavachas and the\nKalakeyas, those enemies of Indra having their abode in Hiranyapura. In\nthe twinkling of an eye he slew the Paulomas with all their followers.\nEndued with great might, he granteth quarter to implacable enemies asking\nfor quarter. Alas, we could not protect today the son of even such a\nperson from danger. A great fear hath overtaken the Dhartarashtras endued\nthough they might be with great strength![81] Enraged at the slaughter of\nhis son, Partha will exterminate the Kauravas. It is evident also that\nthe mean-minded Duryodhana having mean counsellors, that destroyer of his\nown race and partisans, beholding this extermination of the Kaurava army,\nwill give up his life in grief. Beholding this son of Indra's son, of\nunrivalled energy and prowess, on the field of battle, neither victory,\nnor sovereignty, nor immortality, nor abode with the very celestials,\ncauseth me the least delight!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION L\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'While Kunti's son, Yudhishthira, was indulging in such\nlamentations, the great Rishi Krishna Dwaipayana came to him. Worshipping\nhim duly, and causing him to be seated, Yudhishthira, afflicted with\ngrief on account of the death of his brother's son, said, \"Alas, while\nbattling with many mighty bowmen, the son of Subhadra, surrounded by\nseveral great car-warriors of unrighteous propensities, hath been slain\non the field. The slayer of hostile heroes, the son of Subhadra, was a\nchild in years and of childish understanding.[82] He fought in battle\nagainst desperate odds. I asked him to open a passage for us in battle.\nHe penetrated within the hostile army, but we could not follow him,\nobstructed by the ruler of the Sindhus. Alas, they that betake themselves\nto battle as a profession, always fight with antagonists equally\ncircumstanced with themselves. This battle, however, that the enemy\nfought with Abhimanyu, was an extremely unequal one. It is that which\ngrieves me greatly and draws tears from me. Thinking of this, I fail to\nregain peace of mind.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'The illustrious Vyasa, addressing Yudhishthira who\nwas indulging in such lamentations and who was thus unmanned by an\naccession of sorrow, said these words.'\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"O Yudhishthira, O thou of great wisdom, O thou that art\nmaster of all branches of knowledge, persons like thee never suffer\nthemselves to be stupefied by calamities. This brave youth, having slain\nnumerous foes hath ascended to heaven. Indeed, that best of persons,\n(though a child), acted, however, like one of matured years. O\nYudhishthira, this law is incapable of being transgressed. O Bharata,\nDeath takes all viz., Gods and Danavas and Gandharvas (without\nexception).\"\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Alas, these lords of earth, that lie on the bare\nearth, slain in the midst of their forces, bereft of consciousness, were\npossessed of great might. Others (of their class) possessed strength\nequal to that of ten thousand elephants. Others, again, were endued with\nthe impetuosity and might of the very wind. They have all perished in\nbattle, slain by men of their own class. I do not behold the person (save\none of their own class) who could slay any of them in battle. Endued with\ngreat prowess, they were possessed of great energy and great might. Alas,\nthey who used daily to come to battle with this hope firmly implanted in\ntheir hearts, viz., that they would conquer, alas even they, possessed of\ngreat wisdom, are lying on a field, struck (with weapons) and deprived of\nlife. The significance of the word Death hath today been made\nintelligible, for these lords of earth, of terrible prowess, have almost\nall been dead. Those heroes are lying motionless; reft of vanity, having\nsuccumbed to foes. Many princes, filled with wrath, have been victimised\nbefore the fire (of their enemies' wrath). A great doubt possesses me,\nviz., whence is Death? Whose (offspring) is Death? What is Death? Why\ndoes Death take away creatures? O grandsire, O thou that resemblest a\ngod, tell me this.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Unto Kunti's son, Yudhishthira, asking him thus, the\nillustrious Rishi, comforting him, said these words.'\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"As regards the matter in hand, O king, this ancient story of\nwhat Narada had in days of old said unto Akampana is cited. King\nAkampana, O monarch, I know, while in this world was afflicted with very\ngreat and unbearable grief on account of the death of his son, I will now\ntell thee the excellent story about the origin of Death. Having listened\nto it, thou wilt be emancipated from sorrow and the touch of affection's\ntie. Listen to me, O sire, as I recite this ancient history. This history\nis, indeed, excellent. It enhanceth the period of life, killeth grief and\nconduceth to health. It is sacred, destructive of large bodies of foes,\nand auspicious of all auspicious things. Indeed, this history is even as\nthe study of the Vedas. O monarch, it should every morning be listened to\nby the foremost of kings who are desirous of longlived children and their\nown good.\n\n\"'\"In days of old, O sire, there was a king named Akampana. Once, on the\nfield of battle, he was surrounded by his foes and nearly overpowered by\nthem. He had a son who was called Hari. Equal to Narayana himself in\nmight, that latter was exceedingly handsome, accomplished in weapons,\ngifted with great intelligence, possessed of might, resembled Sakra\nhimself in battle. Encompassed by countless foes on the field of battle,\nhe sped thousands of shafts at those warriors and the elephants that\nsurrounded him. Having achieved the most difficult feats in battle, O\nYudhishthira, that scorcher of foes was, at last, slain in the midst of\nthe army. Performing the obsequies of his son, king Akampana cleansed\nhimself.[83] Grieving, however, for his son day and night, the king\nfailed to regain happiness of mind. Informed of his grief on account of\nthe death of his son, the celestial Rishi Narada came to his presence.\nThe blessed king, beholding the celestial Rishi, told the latter\neverything that had happened unto him, viz., his defeat at the hands of\nhis foes, and the slaughter of his son. And the king said, 'My son was\nendued with great energy, and equalled Indra or Vishnu himself in\nsplendour. That mighty son of mine, having displayed his prowess on the\nfield against countless foes was at last slain! O illustrious one, who is\nthis Death? What is the measure of his energy, strength and prowess? O\nforemost of intelligent persons, I desire to hear all this truly.'\nHearing these words of his, the boon giving lord, Narada, recited the\nfollowing elaborate history, destructive of grief on account of a son's\ndeath.\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Listen, O mighty-armed king, to this long history, exactly\nas I have heard it, O monarch! In the beginning, the Grandsire Brahma\ncreated all creatures. Endued with mighty energy, he saw that the\ncreation bore no signs of decay. Thereat, O king, the Creator began to\nthink about the destruction of the universe. Reflecting on the matter, O\nmonarch, the Creator failed to find any means of destruction. He then\nbecame angry, and in consequence of his anger a fire sprang from the sky.\nThat fire spread in all directions for consuming everything of the\nuniverse. Then heaven, sky, and earth, all became filled with fire. And\nthus the Creator began to consume the whole mobile and immobile universe.\nThereby all creatures, mobile and immobile, were destroyed. Indeed, the\nmighty Brahma, frightening everything by the force of his wrath, did all\nthis. Then Hara, otherwise called Sthanu or Siva, with matted locks on\nhis head, that Lord of all wanderers of the night, appealed to the divine\nBrahma, the Lord of the gods. When Sthanu fell (at Brahma's feet) from a\ndesire of doing good to all creatures, the Supreme Deity to that greatest\nof ascetics, blazing with splendour, said, \"What wish of thine shall we\naccomplish, O thou that deservest to have all thy wishes fulfilled? O\nthou that hast been born of our wish! We shall do all that may be\nagreeable to thee! Tell us, O Sthanu, what is thy wish?\"'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LI\n\n\"'\"'Sthanu said, \"O lord, thou hadst taken great care for creating diverse\ncreatures. Indeed, creatures of diverse kinds were created and reared by\nthee. Those very creatures, again, are now being consumed through thy\nfire. Seeing this, I am filled with compassion. O illustrious lord, be\ninclined to grace.\"\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"I had no desire of destroying the universe, I desired\ngood of the earth, and it was for this that wrath possessed me. The goddess\nEarth, afflicted with the heavy weight of creatures, always urged me for\ndestroying the creatures on her. Urged by her, I could not however, find\nany means for the destruction of the infinite creation. At this wrath\npossessed me.\"\n\n\"'\"'Rudra said, \"Be inclined to grace. O lord of the universe, cherish not\nthe wrath for the destruction of creatures. No more let creatures,\nimmobile and mobile, be destroyed. Through thy grace, O illustrious one,\nlet the threefold universe, viz., the Future, the Past, and the Present\nexist. Thou, O Lord, hadst blazed up with wrath. From that wrath of\nthine, a substance like fire sprang into existence. That fire is even now\nblasting rocks and trees and rivers, and all kinds of herbs and grass.\nIndeed, that fire is exterminating the immobile and the mobile universe.\nThe mobile and the immobile universe is being reduced to ashes. Be\ninclined to grace, O illustrious one! Do not give way to wrath. Even this\nis the boon I solicit. All created things, O divine Being, belonging to\nthee, are being destroyed. Therefore, let thy wrath be appeased. Let it\nbe annihilated in thy own self. Cast thy eye on thy creatures, inspired\nwith the desire of doing them good. Do that by which creatures endued\nwith life may not cease to be. Let not these creatures, with their\nproductive powers weakened be exterminated. O Creator of the worlds, thou\nhast appointed me their Protector, O Lord of the universe, let not the\nmobile and the immobile universe to be destroyed. Thou art inclined to\ngrace, and it is for this that I say these words unto thee.\"'\n\n\"'\"Narada continued, 'Hearing these words (of Mahadeva) the divine Brahma,\nfrom desire of benefiting creatures, held in his own inner self his wrath\nthat had been roused. Extinguishing the fire, the divine Benefactor of\nthe world, the great Master, declared the duties of Production and\nEmancipation. And while the Supreme Deity exterminated that fire born of\nhis wrath, there came out from the doors of his diverse senses a female\nwho was dark and red and tawny, whose tongue and face and eyes were red,\nand who was decked with two brilliant ear-rings and diverse other\nbrilliant ornaments. Issuing out of his body, she smilingly looked at\nthose two lords of the universe and then set out for the southern\nquarter. Then Brahma, that controller of the creation and destruction of\nthe worlds, called after her by the name of Death. And Brahma, O king,\nsaid unto her, \"Slay these creatures of mine! Thou hast been born of that\nwrath of mine which I cherished for the destruction (of the universe). By\ndoing this, kill all creatures including idiots and seers at my command.\nBy doing this, thou wilt be benefited.\" The lotus-lady, called Death,\nthus addressed by him reflected deeply, and then helplessly wept aloud in\nmelodious accents. The Grandsire then caught the tears she had shed, with\nhis two hands, for the benefit of all creatures, and began to implore her\n(with these words).'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LII\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'The helpless lady, suppressing her arrow within her own\nself, addressed, with joined hands, the Lord of the creation, bending\nwith humility like a creeper. And she said, \"O foremost of speakers,\ncreated by thee how shall I, being a female, do such a cruel and evil act\nknowing it to be cruel and evil? I fear unrighteousness greatly. O divine\nLord, be inclined to grace. Sons and friends and brothers and sires and\nhusbands are always dear; (if I kill them), they who will suffer these\nlosses will seek to injure me. It is this that I fear. The tears that\nwill fall from the eyes of woe-stricken and weeping persons, inspire me\nwith fear, O Lord! I seek thy protection. O divine Being, O foremost of\ngods, I will not go to Yama's abode. O boon-giving one, I implore thee of\nthy grace, bowing my head and joining my palms. O grandsire of the\nworlds, I solicit (the accomplishment of even) this wish at thy\nhands![84] I desire, with thy permission, to undergo ascetic penances, O\nLord of created things! Grant me this boon, O divine Being, O great\nmaster! Permitted by thee, I will go to the excellent asylum of Dhenuka!\nEngaged in adoring Thyself, I will undergo the severest austerities\nthere. I will not be able, O Lord of the gods, to take away the dear\nlife-breaths of living creatures weeping in sorrow. Protect me from\nunrighteousness.\"\n\n\"'\"'Brahma said, \"O Death, thou hast been intended for achieving the\ndestruction of creatures. Go, destroy all creatures, thou needst have no\nscruples. Even this must be. It cannot be otherwise. Do but my behest.\nNobody in the world will find any fault in thee.\"'\n\n\"'\"Narada continued, 'Thus addressed, that lady became very much\naffrighted.[85] Looking at Brahma's face, she stood with joined hands.\nFrom desire of doing good to creatures, she did not set her heart upon\ntheir destruction. The divine Brahma also, that Lord of the lord of all\ncreatures, remained silent. And soon the Grandsire became gratified in\nhis own self. And casting his eyes upon all the creation he smiled. And,\nthereupon, creatures continued to live as before i.e., unaffected by\npremature death. And upon that invincible and illustrious Lord having\nshaken off his wrath, that damsel left the presence of that wise Deity.\nLeaving Brahma, without having agreed to destroy creatures, the damsel\ncalled Death speedily proceeded to the retreat called Dhenuka. Arrived\nthere, she practised excellent and highly austere vows. And she stood\nthere on one leg for sixteen billions of years, and five times ten\nbillions also, through pity for living creatures and from desire of doing\nthem good, and all the time restraining her senses from their favourite\nobjects. And once again, O king she stood there on one leg for one and\ntwenty times ten billions of years. And then she wandered for ten times\nten thousand billions of years with the creatures (of the earth). Next,\nrepairing to the sacred Nanda that was full of cool and pure water, she\npassed in those waters eight thousand years. Observing rigid vows at\nNanda, she cleansed herself of all her sins. Then she proceeded, first of\nall, to the sacred Kausiki, observant of vow. Living upon air and water\nonly, she practised austerities there. Repairing then to Panchaganga and\nnext to Vetasa, that cleansed damsel, by diverse kinds of especial\nausterities, emaciated her own body. Going next to the Ganga and thence\nto the great Meru, she remained motionless like a stone, suspending her\nlife-breath. Thence going to the top of Himavat, where the gods had\nperformed their sacrifice (in days of yore), that amiable and auspicious\ngirl remained for a billion of years standing on the toe only of her\nfeet. Wending then to Pushkara, and Gokarna, and Naimisha, and Malaya,\nshe emaciated her body, practising austerities agreeable to her heart.\nWithout acknowledging any other god, with steady devotion to the\nGrandsire, she lived and gratified the Grandsire in every way. Then the\nunchangeable Creator of the worlds, gratified, said unto her, with a\nsoftened and delighted heart, \"O Death, why dost thou undergo ascetic\nausterities so severe?\" Thus addressed, Death said unto the divine\nGrandsire, \"Creatures, O Lord, are living in health. They do not injure\none another even by words. I shall not be able to slay them. O Lord, I\ndesire even this boon at thy hands. I fear sin, and it is for this that I\nam engaged in ascetic austerities. O blessed one, undertake to remove for\never my fears. I am a woman, in distress, and without fault. I beg thee,\nbe thou protector.\" Unto her the divine Brahman acquainted with the past,\nthe present and the future, said, \"Thou shalt commit no sin, O Death, by\nslaying these creatures. My words can never be futile, O amiable one!\nTherefore, O auspicious damsel, slay these creatures of four kinds.\nEternal virtue shall always be thine. That Regent of the world, viz.,\nYama, and the diverse disease shall become thy helpmates. I myself and\nall the gods will grant thee boons, so that, freed from sin and perfectly\ncleansed, thou mayst even acquire glory.\" Thus addressed, O monarch, that\nlady, joining her hands, once more said these words, seeking her grace by\nbowing down unto him with her head. \"If, O Lord, this is not to be without\nme, then thy command I place upon my head. Listen, however, to what I\nsay. Let covetousness, wrath, malice, jealousy, quarrel, folly and\nshamelessness, and other stern passions tear the bodies of all embodied\ncreatures.\"\n\n\"'\"'Brahman said, \"It will be, O Death, as thou sayest. Meanwhile, slay\ncreatures duly. Sin shall not be thine, nor shall I seek to injure thee,\nO auspicious one. Those tear-drops of thine that are in my hands, even\nthey will become diseases, springing from living creatures themselves.\nThey will kill men; and if men are killed, sin shall not be thine.\nTherefore, do not fear. Indeed, sin shall not be thine. Devoted to\nrighteousness, and observant of thy duty, thou shalt slay (all\ncreatures). Therefore, take thou always the lives of these living\ncreatures. Casting off both desire and wrath, take thou the life of all\nliving creatures. Even thus will eternal virtue be thine. Sin will slay\nthose that are of wicked behaviour. By doing my bidding cleanse thyself.\nIt will be thine to sink them in their sins that are wicked. Therefore,\ncast off both desire and wrath, and kill these creatures endued with\nlife.\"'\n\n\"'\"Narada continued, 'That damsel, seeing that she was (persistently)\ncalled by the name of Death, feared (to act otherwise). And in terror\nalso of Brahma's curse, she said, \"Yes!\" Unable to do otherwise, she\nbegan, casting off desire and wrath, to take the lives of living\ncreatures when the time came (for their dissolution). It is only living\ncreatures that die. Diseases spring from living creatures themselves.\nDisease is the abnormal condition of creatures. They are pained by it.\nTherefore, indulge not in fruitless grief for creatures after they are\ndead. The senses, upon the death of creatures, go with the latter (to the\nother world), and achieving their (respective) functions, once more come\nback (with creatures when the latter are reborn). Thus all creatures, O\nlion among beings, the very gods included, going thither, have to act,\nlike mortals.[86] The wind, that is awful, of terrible roars and great\nstrength, omnipresent and endued with infinite energy, it is the wind\nthat will rive the bodies of living creatures. It will, in this matter\nput forth no active energy, nor will it suspend its functions; (but do\nthis naturally). Even all the gods have the appellation of mortals\nattached to them. Therefore, O lion among kings, do not grieve for thy\nson! Repairing to heaven, the son of thy body is passing his days in\nperpetual happiness, having obtained those delightful regions that are\nfor heroes. Casting off all sorrows, he hath attained to the\ncompanionship of the righteous. Death hath been ordained by the Creator\nhimself for all creatures! When their hour comes, creatures are destroyed\nduly. The death of creatures arises from the creatures themselves.\nCreatures kill themselves. Death doth not kill any one, armed with her\nbludgeon! Therefore, they that are wise, truly knowing death to be\ninevitable, because ordained by Brahma himself, never grieve for\ncreatures that are dead. Knowing this death to be ordained by the Supreme\nGod, cast off, without delay, thy grief for thy dead son!'\"\n\n\"'Vyasa continued, \"Hearing these words of grave import spoken by Narada,\nking Akampana, addressing his friend, said, 'O illustrious one, O\nforemost of Rishi, my grief is gone, and I am contented. Hearing this\nhistory from thee, I am grateful to thee and I worship thee.' That\nforemost of superior Rishi, that celestial ascetic of immeasurable soul,\nthus addressed by the king, proceeded to the woods of Nandava. The\nfrequent recital of this history for the hearing of others, as also the\nfrequent hearing of this history, is regarded as cleansing, leading to\nfame and heaven and worthy of approbation. It enhanceth besides, the\nperiod of life. Having listened to this instructive story, cast off thy\ngrief, O Yudhishthira, reflecting besides on the duties of a Kshatriya\nand the high state (of blessedness) attainable by heroes. Abhimanyu, that\nmighty car-warrior, endued with mighty energy, having slain (numerous)\nfoes before the gaze of all bowmen, hath attained to heaven. The great\nbowman, that mighty car-warrior, struggling on the field, hath fallen in\nthe battle struck with sword and mace and dart and bow. Sprung from\nSoma, he hath disappeared in the lunar essence, cleansed of all his\nimpurities. Therefore, O son of Pandu, mustering all thy fortitude,\nthyself with thy brothers, without allowing your senses to be stupefied\nspeedily set out, inflamed with rage, for battle.\"'\"[87]\n\n\n\nSECTION LIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing of the origin of Death and her strange acts, king\nYudhishthira, humbly addressing Vyasa, once more said these words unto\nhim.'\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said, \"Many kings there were in blessed countries, of\nrighteous deeds and of prowess equal to that of Indra himself. They were\nroyal sages, O regenerate one, that were sinless and truth-speaking. Once\nmore, address me in words of grave import, and console me with (accounts\nof) the feats of those royal sages of ancient times. What was the measure\nof the sacrificial gifts made by them? Who were those high-souled royal\nsages of righteous deeds that made them? Tell me all this, O illustrious\none!\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"There was a king of the name of Switya. He had a son who\nwas called Srinjaya. The Rishis Narada and Parvata were his friends. One\nday, the two ascetics, for paying Srinjaya a visit, came to his palace.\nDuly worshipped by Srinjaya, they became pleased with him, and continued\nto live with him happily. Once on a time as Srinjaya was seated at his\ncase with the two ascetics, his beautiful daughter of sweet smiles came\nto him. Saluted with reverence by his daughter, Srinjaya delighted that\ngirl standing by his side with proper benedictions of the kind she\ndesired. Beholding that maiden, Parvata smilingly asked Srinjaya, saying,\n'Whose daughter is this damsel of restless glances and possessed of every\nauspicious mark? Is she the splendour of Surya, or the flame of Agni? Or,\nis she any of these, viz., Sri, Hri, Kirti, Dhriti, Pushti, Siddhi, and\nthe splendour of Soma?' After the celestial Rishi (Parvata) said these\nwords, king Srinjaya answered, saying, 'O illustrious one, this girl is\nmy daughter. She beggeth my blessings.' Then Narada addressed king\nSrinjaya and said. 'If, O monarch, thou wishest for great good (to\nthyself), then give this daughter of thine unto me for a wife.' Delighted\n(with the Rishi's proposal), Srinjaya addressed Narada, saying, 'I give\nher unto thee.' At this, the other Rishi, viz., Parvata, indignantly\naddressed Narada, saying, 'Chosen before this by me, within my heart,\nthou hast taken this damsel as thy wife. And since thou hast done this,\nthou, O Brahmana, shalt not go to heaven as thy will.' Thus addressed by\nhim, Narada answered him, saying, 'The husband's heart and speech\n(directed thereto), (the giver's) consent, the speeches (of both), the\nactual gift made by sprinkling water, and the (recital of the mantras)\nordained for the seizure of the (bride's hand),--these have been declared\nto be indications by which one is constituted a husband. Even this\nceremonial is not all. That which (above all) is essential is the walk\nfor seven paces (by the bride in circumambulating the bridegroom).[88]\nWithout these thy purpose (about marriage) have been unaccomplished. Thou\nhast cursed. Therefore, thou also shalt not go to heaven without me.'\nHaving cursed each other those two Rishis continued to live there.\nMeanwhile, king Srinjaya, desirous of (obtaining) a son, began, with\ncleansed soul, to carefully entertain the Brahmanas, to the utmost of his\npower, with food and robes. After a certain time, those foremost of\nBrahmanas devoted to the study of the Vedas and fully conversant with\nthose scriptures and their branches became gratified with that monarch,\ndesirous of getting a son. Together they came to Narada and said unto\nhim, 'Give this king a son of the kind he desires.'--Thus addressed by\nthe Brahmanas, Narada replied unto them, saying, 'So be it.'--and then\nthe celestial Rishi addressed Srinjaya saying, 'O royal sage, the\nBrahmanas have been pleased and they wish thee a son! Solicit thou the\nboon, blessed be thou, about the kind of son thou desirest.' Thus\naddressed by him, the king, with joined hands, asked for a son possessed\nof every accomplishment, famous, of glorious feats, of great energy, and\ncapable of chastising all foes. And he further asked that the urine, the\nexcreta, the phlegm and the sweat of that child should be gold. And in\ndue time the king had a son born unto him, who came to be named\nSuvarnashthivin[89] on earth. And in consequence of the boon, that child\nbegan to increase (his father's) wealth beyond all limits. And king\nSrinjaya caused all desirable things of his to be made of gold. And his\nhouses and walls and forts, and the houses of all Brahmanas (within his\ndominions), and his beds, vehicles, and plates, and all manners of pots\nand cups, and palace that he owned, and all implements and utensils,\ndomestic and otherwise were made of gold. And in time his stock\nincreased. Then certain robbers hearing of the prince and seeing him to\nbe such, assembled together and sought to injure the king. And some\namongst them said, 'We will seize the king's son himself. He is his\nfather's mine of gold. Towards that end, therefore, we should strive.'\nThen those robbers inspired with avarice, penetrating into the king's\npalace, forcibly took away prince Suvarnashthivin. Having seized and\ntaken him to the woods, those senseless idiots, inspired with avarice but\nignorant of what to do with him, slew him there and cut his body in\nfragments. They saw not, however, any gold in him. After the prince was\nslain, all the gold, obtained in consequence of the Rishi's boon,\ndisappeared. The ignorant and senseless robbers struck one another. And\nstriking one another thus, they perished and with them that wonderful\nprince on the earth. And those men of wicked deeds sank in an\nunimaginable and awful hell. Seeing that son of his, obtained through the\nRishi's boon thus slain, that great ascetic, viz., king Srinjaya,\nafflicted with deep sorrow, began to lament in piteous accents. Beholding\nthe king afflicted with grief on account of his son, and thus weeping,\nthe celestial Rishi Narada showed himself in his presence. Listen, O\nYudhishthira, to what Narada said unto Srinjaya, having approached that\nking, who afflicted with grief and deprived of his senses, was indulging\nin piteous lamentations. Narada said, 'Srinjaya, with thy desires\nunfulfilled, thou shalt have to die, although we utterers of Brahma, live\nin thy house. Avikshit's son Marutta even, O Srinjaya, we hear, had to\ndie. Piqued with Vrihaspati, he had caused Samvatta[90] himself to\nofficiate at his great sacrifices! Unto that royal sage the illustrious\nlord (Mahadeva) himself had given wealth in the shape of a golden plateau\nof Himavat. (With that wealth) king Marutta had performed diverse\nsacrifices. Unto him, after the completion of his sacrifices diverse\ntribes of celestials, those creators of the universe, with Indra himself\nin their company and with Vrihaspati at their head, used to come. All the\ncarpets and furnitures of his sacrificial compound were of gold. The\nregenerate classes, desirous of food, all ate as they pleased, at his\nsacrifices, food that was clean and agreeable to their desires. And in\nall his sacrifices, milk and curds and clarified butter and honey, and\nother kinds of food and edibles, all of the best order, and robes and\nornaments covetable for their costliness, gratified Brahmanas, thoroughly\nconversant with the Vedas. The very gods used to become distributors of\nfood in king Marutta's palace. The Viswedevas were the courtiers of that\nroyal sage, the son of Avikshit. By him were gratified the denizens of\nheaven with libations of clarified butter. And gratified (therewith),\nthese, in their turn, increased that powerful ruler's wealth of crops\nwith copious showers of rain. He always contributed to the gratification\nof the Rishis, the Pitris, and the gods, and thereby made them happy, by\npractising Brahmacharya, study of the Vedas, obsequial rites, and all\nkinds of gifts. And his beds and carpets and vehicles, and his vast\nstores of gold difficult to be given away, in fact, all that untold\nwealth of his, was given away voluntarily unto the Brahmanas. Sakra\nhimself used to wish him well. His subjects were made happy (by him).\nActing always with piety, he (ultimately) repaired to those eternal\nregions of bliss, acquired by his religious merit. With his children and\ncounsellors and wives and descendants and kinsmen, king Marutta, in his\nyouth, ruled his kingdom for a thousand years. When such a king, O\nSrinjaya, died who was superior to thee, in respect of the four cardinal\nvirtues (viz., ascetic penances, truth, compassion, and liberality), and\nwho, superior to thee, was much superior to thy son, do not grieve saying\n\"O Swaitya,\" for thy son who performed no sacrifice and gave no\nsacrificial present.'\n\n\n\nSECTION LVI\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'King Suhotra also, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to\ndeath. He was the foremost of heroes, and invincible in battle. The very\ngods used to come for seeing him. Acquiring his kingdom virtuously, he\nsought the advice of his Ritwijas and domestic priests and Brahmanas for\nhis own good, and enquiring of them, used to obey their behests.\nWell-acquainted with the duty of protecting his subjects, possessed of\nvirtue and liberality, performing sacrifices and subjugating foes, king\nSuhotra wished for the increase of his wealth. He adored the gods by\nfollowing the ordinances of the scriptures, and defeated his foes by\nmeans of his arrows. He gratified all creatures by means of his own\nexcellent accomplishments. He ruled the earth, freeing her from Mlecchas\nand the forest-thieves.[91] The deity of the clouds showered gold unto\nhim from year's end to year's end. In those olden days, therefore, the\nrivers (in his kingdom) ran (liquid) gold, and were open to everybody for\nuse.[92] The deity of the clouds showered on his kingdom large number of\nalligators and crabs and fishes of diverse species and various objects of\ndesire, countless in number, that were all made of gold. The artificial\nlakes in that king's dominions each measured full two miles. Beholding\nthousands of dwarfs and humpbacks and alligators and Makaras, and\ntortoises all made of gold, king Suhotra wondered much. That unlimited\nwealth of gold, the royal sage Suhotra performing a sacrifice at\nKurujangala, gave away unto the Brahmanas, before the completion of the\nsacrifice. Having performed a thousand Horse-sacrifices, a hundred\nRajasuyas, many sacred Kshatriya-sacrifices[93] in all of which he made\nabundant presents to the Brahmanas and having performed daily rites,\nalmost countless in number, undergone from specified desires, the king\nultimately obtained a very desirable end. When, O Srinjaya, such a king\ndied, who was superior to thee as regards the four cardinal virtues and\nwho, superior to thee, was therefore, much superior to thy son, thou\nshouldst not grieve saying, \"Oh Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,\" for thy son\nperformed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVII\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'The heroic king Paurava also, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a\nprey to death. That king gave away a thousand times thousand horses that\nwere all white in hue. At the Horse-sacrifice performed by that royal\nsage, countless number of learned Brahmanas versed in the principles of\nSiksha[94] and Akshara come from diverse realms. These Brahmanas,\npurified by the Vedas, by knowledge, and by vows, and liberal and of\nagreeable countenances, having obtained from the king costly gifts, such\nas robes and houses and excellent beds and carpets and vehicles and\ndraft-cattle, were always delighted by actors and dancers and singers,\nthoroughly competent and well-versed (in their respective art), engaged\nin sport and ever-striving for their diversion. At each of his sacrifices\nin due time he gave away as sacrificial presents ten thousand elephants\nof golden splendour, with the temporal juice trickling down their bodies,\nand cars made of gold with standards and banners. He also gave away, as\nsacrificial presents, a thousand times thousand maidens decked with\nornaments of gold, and cars and steeds and elephants for mounting, and\nhouses and fields, and hundreds of kine, by hundreds of thousand, and\nthousands of cowherds decked with gold. They that are acquainted with the\nhistory of the past, sing this song, viz., that in that sacrifice, king\nPaurava gave away kine with calves, having golden horns and silver hoofs\nand brass milkpots, and female slaves and male slaves and asses and\ncamels, and sheep, countless in number, and diverse kinds of gems and\ndiverse hill-like mounds of food. That sacrificing king of the Angas\nsuccessively performed, in the order of their merit, and according to\nwhat was competent for his own class, many auspicious sacrifices capable\nof yielding every object of desire. When such a king, O Srinjaya, died\nwho was superior to thee as regards the four cardinal virtues and who,\nsuperior to thee was, therefore, much more superior to thy son, thou\nshouldst not, saying \"Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,\" grieve for thy son who\nperformed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LVIII\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Usinara's son, Sivi also, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey\nto death. That king had, as it were, put a leathern girdle around the\nearth, making the earth with her mountains and islands and seas and\nforests resound with the clatter of his car. The vanquisher of foes,\nviz., king Sivi, always slew the foremost of foes. He performed many\nsacrifices with presents in profusion unto the Brahmanas. That monarch of\ngreat prowess and great intelligence had acquired enormous wealth. In\nbattle he won the applause of all Kshatriyas.[95] Having brought the\nwhole earth under subjection, he performed many Horse-sacrifices, without\nany obstruction, which were productive of great merit giving away (as\nsacrificial present) a thousand crores of golden nishkas, and many\nelephants and steeds and other kinds of animals, much grain, and many\ndeer and sheep. And king Sivi gave away the sacred earth consisting of\ndiverse kinds of soil unto the Brahmanas. Indeed, Usinara's son, Sivi,\ngave away as many kine as the number of rain-drops showered on the earth,\nor the number of stars in the firmament, or the number of sand-grains on\nthe bed of Ganga, or the number of rocks that constitute the mountain\ncalled Meru, or the number of gems or of (aquatic) animals in the ocean.\nThe Creator himself hath not met with and will not meet within the past,\nthe present, or the future, another king capable of bearing the burdens\nthat king Sivi bore. Many were the sacrifices, with every kind of rites,\nthat king Sivi performed. In those sacrifices, the stakes, the carpets,\nthe houses, the walls, and the arches, were all made of gold. Food and\ndrink, agreeable to the taste and perfectly clean were kept in profusion.\nAnd the Brahmanas that repaired to them could be counted by myriads and\nmyriads. Abounding with viands of every description, nothing but\nagreeable words such as give away and take were heard there. Milk and\ncurds were collected in large lakes. In his sacrificial compound, there\nwere rivers of drink and white hills of food. \"Bathe, and drink and eat\nas ye like,\" these were the only words heard there. Gratified with his\nrighteous deeds, Rudra granted Sivi a boon, saying, \"As thou givest away,\nlet thy wealth, thy devotion,--thy fame, thy religious acts, the love\nthat all creatures bear thee, and the heaven (thou attain), be all\ninexhaustible.\" Having obtained all these desirable boons, even Sivi,\nwhen the time came, left this world for heaven. When, O Srinjaya, he died\nwho was superior to thee, was much superior to thy son, thou shouldst\nnot, saying, \"Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya\", grieve for thy son who performed\nno sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LIX\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Rama, the son of Dasaratha, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a\nprey to death. His subjects were as much delighted with him, as a sire is\ndelighted with the children of his loins. Endued with immeasurable\nenergy, countless virtues were there in him. Of unfading glory, Rama, the\nelder brother of Lakshmana, at the command of his father, lived for\nfourteen years in the woods, with his wife. That bull among men slew in\nJanasthana fourteen thousand Rakshasas for the protection of the\nascetics. While dwelling there, the Rakshasa called Ravana, beguiling\nboth him and his companion (Lakshmana) abducted his wife, the princess of\nVideha. Like the Three-eyed (Mahadeva), in days of old, slaying (the\nAsura) Andhaka, Rama in wrath slew in battle that offender of Pulastya's\nrace who had never before been vanquished by any foe. Indeed, the\nmighty-armed Rama slew in battle that descendant of Pulastya's race with\nall his kinsmen and followers, that Rakshasa who was incapable of being\nslain by the gods and the Asuras together, that wretch who was a thorn\nunto the gods and the Brahmanas. In consequence of his affectionate\ntreatment of his subjects, the celestials worshipped Rama. Filling the\nentire earth with his achievements, he was much applauded even by the\ncelestial Rishis. Compassionate unto all creatures, that king, having\nacquired diverse realms and protected his subjects virtuously, performed\na great sacrifice without obstruction. And the lord, Rama, also performed\na hundred Horse-sacrifices and the great sacrifice called Jaruthya. And\nwith libations of clarified butter he contributed to Indra's delight.[96]\nAnd by these acts of his, Rama conquered hunger and thirst, and all the\ndiseases to which living creatures are subject. Possessed of every\naccomplishment, he always blazed forth with his own energy. Indeed, Rama,\nthe son of Dasaratha, greatly outshone all creatures. When Rama ruled his\nkingdom, the Rishis, the gods, and men, all lived together on the earth.\nThe lives of living creatures were never otherwise. The life-breaths\nalso, called Prana, Apana, Samana, and the others, when Rama ruled his\nkingdom, all performed their functions. All luminous bodies shone\nbrighter, and calamities never occurred. All his subjects were\nlong-lived. None died in youth. The dwellers of heaven highly gratified,\nused to get, according to (the ordinances of) the four Vedas, libations\nof clarified butter and other offerings of food made by men. His realms\nwere free from flies and gnats; and of beasts of prey and poisonous\nreptiles, there were none. And none was of unrighteous tendencies, none\nwas covetous, and none was ignorant. The subjects, of all the (four)\norders, were engaged in righteous and desirable acts. When the Rakshasas,\nabout this time obstructed the offerings to the Pitris and the worship of\nthe gods in Janasthana, Lord Rama, slaying them, caused those offerings\nand that worship to be once more given to the Pitris  and the gods. Men\nwere each blessed with a thousand children, and the period of their lives\nwas a thousand years. Seniors had never to perform Sraddhas of their\njuniors.[97] Youthful in shape, of a dark-blue hue, of red eyes,\npossessed of the tread of an infuriated elephant, with arms reaching down\nto the knees, and beautiful and massive, of leonine shoulders, of great\nstrength, and beloved by all creatures, Rama ruled his kingdom for eleven\nthousand years. His subjects always uttered his name. While Rama ruled\nhis kingdom, the world became extremely beautiful. Taking at last his\nfour kinds of subjects[98] with him Rama went to heaven, having\nestablished his own line consisting of eight houses on the earth. When\neven he died, O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee in respect of the four\ncardinal virtues and superior to thy son, thou shouldst not lament,\nsaying \"Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,\" for thy son who performed no sacrifice\nand made no sacrificial present.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LX\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Even king Bhagiratha, O Srinjaya, we hear, was dead. He\ncaused the shores of Ganga, called after his name Bhagirath to be covered\nwith flights of steps made of gold.[99] Surpassing all kings and all\nprinces, he gave unto the Brahmanas a thousand times thousand damsels\ndecked with ornaments of gold. All those damsels were upon cars. And unto\nevery car were yoked four steeds, and behind each car were a hundred\nkine. And behind each cow were (many) goats and sheep. King Bhagiratha\ngave enormous presents at his sacrifices. For that reason a large\nconcourse of men assembled there. Afflicted there with Ganga was much\npained. \"Protect Me,\" she said and sat down on his lap. And because Ganga\nthus sat upon his lap in days of old, therefore, she, like the celestial\ndancer Urvasi came to be regarded as his daughter and was named after his\nname. And having become the king's daughter, she became his son (by\nbecoming like a son, the means of salvation unto his deceased\nancestors).[100] Sweet-speeched Gandharvas of celestial splendour,\ngratified, sang all this in the hearing of the Rishis, the gods, and\nhuman beings.[101] Thus, O Srinjaya, did that goddess, viz., the\nocean-going Ganga, select lord Bhagiratha, descendant of Ikshvaku, the\nperformer of sacrifices with profuse gifts (to the Brahmanas), as her\nfather. His sacrifices were always graced with (the presence of) the very\ngods with Indra at their head. And the gods used to take their respective\nshares, by removing all impediments, to facilitate those sacrifices in\nevery way. Possessed of great ascetic merit, Bhagiratha gave unto the\nBrahmanas whatever benefit they desired without obliging them to stir\nfrom the place wherever they might entertain those desires. There was\nnothing which he could withhold from the Brahmanas. Every one received\nfrom him everything he coveted. At last, the king ascended to the region\nof Brahman, through the grace of the Brahmanas. For that object on which\nthe Rishis that subsisted on the rays of the sun used to wait upon the\nsun and the presiding deity of the sun, for that very object they used to\nwait upon the lord Bhagiratha, that ornament of the three worlds. When he\ndied, O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee, as regards the four cardinal\nvirtues, and who, superior to thee, was much superior to thy son, thou\nshouldst not grieve, saying \"Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,\" for the latter\nwho performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXI\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Dilipa, the son of Havila, too, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell\na prey to death. Brahmanas, vested in knowledge of Truth, devoted to the\nperformance of sacrifices, blessed with children and children's children\nand numbering myriads upon myriads, were present at his hundreds of\nsacrifices. King Dilipa, having performed various sacrifices, gave away\nthis earth, filled with treasures, unto the Brahmanas. At the sacrifices\nof Dilipa, the roads were all made of gold. The very gods, with Indra at\ntheir head used to come to him regarding him as Dharma himself. The upper\nand lower rings of his sacrificial stake were made of gold. Eating his\nRaga-khandavas, many persons, at his sacrifices, were seen to lie down on\nthe roads. While battling over the waters, the two wheels of Dilipa's car\nnever sank in that liquid. This seemed exceedingly wonderful, and never\noccurred to other kings. Even those that saw king Dilipa, that firm\nbowman, always truthful in speech and giving away profuse gifts at his\nsacrifices, succeeded in ascending to heaven. In the abode of Dilipa,\ncalled also Khattanga, these five sounds were always to be heard, viz.,\nthe sound of Vedic recitations, the twang of bows, and Drink, Enjoy, and\nEat! When he died, O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee in respect of the\nfour cardinal virtues and who superior to thee, was much superior to thy\nson, thou shouldst not, saying, \"Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,\" grieve for\nthy son who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial gifts.'\"'\"[102]\n\n\n\nSECTION LXII\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Mandhatri, the son of Yuvanaswa, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell\na prey to death. That king vanquished the gods, the Asuras and men. Those\ncelestials, viz., the twin Aswins, brought him out of his father's womb\nby a surgical operations. Once on a time, king Yuvanaswa while chasing\nthe deer in the forest, became very thirsty and his steeds also became\nexceedingly fatigued. Beholding a wreath of smoke, the king (directed by\nit) went to a sacrifice and drank the sacred sacrificial butter that lay\nscattered there. (The king, thereupon, conceived). Beholding that\nYuvanaswa was quick with child, those best of physicians, viz., the twin\nAswins among the celestials, extracted the child from the king's womb.\nSeeing that child of celestial splendour lying on the lap on his father,\nthe gods said unto one another, \"What shall support this child?\" Then\nVasava said, \"Let the child suck my fingers.\" Thereupon from the fingers\nof Indra issued milk sweet as nectar. And since Indra from compassion,\nsaid, \"He will draw his sustenance from me,\" and showed him that\nkindness, therefore, the gods named that child Mandhatri.[103] Then jets\nof milk and clarified butter dropped into the mouth of Yuvanaswa's son\nfrom the hand of the high-souled Indra. The boy continued to suck the\nhand of Indra and by that means to grow. In twelve days he became twelve\ncubits in stature and endued with great prowess. And he conquered the\nwhole of this earth in the course of a single day. Of virtuous soul,\npossessed of great intelligence, heroic, devoted to truth and a master of\nhis passions, Mandhatri vanquished by his bow Janamejaya and Sudhanwan\nand Jaya and Suna[104] and Vrihadratha and Nriga. And the lands lying\nbetween the hill where the sun rises and the hill where he sets, are\nknown to this day as the dominion of Mandhatri. Having performed a\nhundred Horse-sacrifices and a hundred Rajasuya sacrifices also, he gave\naway, O monarch, unto the Brahmanas, some Rohita fish made of gold, that\nwere ten Yojanas in length and one Yojana in breadth. Mountains of\nsavoury food and comestibles of diverse kinds, after the Brahmanas had\nbeen entertained, were eaten by others, (who came at his sacrifices) and\ncontributed to their gratification. Vast quantities of food and eatables\nand drink, and mountains of rice, looked beautiful as they stood. Many\nrivers, having lakes of clarified butter, with diverse kinds of soup for\ntheir mire, curds for their froth and liquid honey for their water,\nlooking beautiful, and wafting honey and milk, encircled mountains of\nsolid viands. Gods and Asuras and Men and Yakshas and Gandharvas and\nSnakes and Birds, and many Brahmanas, accomplished in the Vedas and their\nbranches, and many Rishis came to his sacrifices. Amongst those present\nthere, none was illiterate. King Mandhatri, having bestowed the earth\nbounded by the seas and full of wealth upon the Brahmanas, at last\ndisappeared like the sun. Filling all the points of the compass with his\nfame, he repaired to the regions of the righteous. When he died, O\nSrinjaya, who excelled thee in the four cardinal virtues and who,\nsuperior to thee, was much superior to thy son, thou shouldst not grieve,\nsaying, \"Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya\" for the latter who performed no\nsacrifice and made no sacrificial gift.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIII\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Yayati, the son of Nahusha, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a\nprey to death. Having performed a hundred Rajasuyas, a hundred\nHorse-sacrifices, a thousand Pundarikas, a hundred Vajapeyas, a thousand\nAtiratras, innumerable Chaturmasyas, diverse Agnishtomas, and many other\nkinds of sacrifices, in all of which he made profuse gifts unto the\nBrahmanas, he gave away unto the Brahmanas, having counted it first, the\nwhole of the wealth that existed on the earth in the possession of\nMlecchas and other Brahmana-hating people. When the gods and the Asuras\nwere arrayed for battle, king Yayati aided the gods. Having divided the\nearth into four parts, he gave it away unto four persons. Having\nperformed various sacrifices and virtuously begotten excellent offspring\nupon (his wives) Devayani, the daughter of Usanas and Sarmishtha, king\nYayati, who was like unto a celestial, roved through the celestial woods\nat his own pleasure, like a second Vasava. Acquainted with all the Vedas,\nwhen, however, he found that he was not satiated with the indulgence of\nhis passions, he then, with his wives, retired into the forest, saying\nthis: \"Whatever of paddy and wheat and gold and animals and women there\nare on earth, even the whole of these is not sufficient for one man.\nThinking of this, one should cultivate contentment.\" Thus abandoning all\nhis desires, and attaining to contentment, the lord Yayati, installing\n(his son) on his throne, retired into the forest. When he died, O\nSrinjaya, who was superior to thee in respect of the four cardinal\nvirtues and who, superior to thee, was much superior to thy son, thou\nshouldst not, saying, \"Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya\", grieve for the latter\nwho performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIV\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Nabhaga's son, Amvarisha, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey\nto death. Alone he battled a thousand times with a thousand kings.\nDesirous of victory, those foes, accomplished in weapons, rushed against\nhim in battle from all sides, uttering fierce exclamations. Aided by his\nstrength and activity and the skill he had acquired by practice, he cut\noff, by the force of his weapons, the umbrellas, the weapons, the\nstandards, the cars, and the lances of those enemies, and dispelled his\nanxieties.[105] Desirous of saving their lives, those men, doffing their\ncoats of mail, implored him (for mercy). They sought his protection,\nsaying, \"We yield ourselves to thee.\" Reducing them to subjection and\nconquering the whole earth, he performed a hundred sacrifices of the best\nkind, according to the rites ordained in the scriptures, O sinless one!\nFood possessed of every agreeable quality was eaten (at those sacrifices)\nby large classes of people. At those sacrifices, the Brahmanas were\nrespectfully worshipped and greatly gratified. And the regenerate classes\nate sweet-meats, and Purikas and Puras, and Apupas and Sashkalis of good\ntaste and large size, and Karambhas and Prithumridwikas, and diverse\nkinds of dainties, and various kinds of soup, and Maireyaka, and\nRagakhandavas, and diverse kinds of confectionary, well-prepared, soft,\nand of excellent fragrance, and clarified butter, and honey, and milk,\nand water, and sweet curds, and many kinds of fruits and roots agreeable\nto the taste.[106] And they that were habituated to wine drank in due\ntime diverse kinds of intoxicating drinks for the sake of the pleasure\nthat those produced, and sang and played upon their musical instruments.\nAnd others, by thousands, intoxicated with what they drank, danced and\nmerrily sang hymns to the praise of Amvarisha; while others, unable to\nkeep themselves erect, fell down on the earth. In those sacrifices, king\nAmvarisha gave, as sacrificial presents, the kingdoms of hundreds and\nthousands of kings unto the ten million priests (employed by him). Having\nperformed diverse sacrifices the king gave unto the Brahmanas, as\nsacrificial presents, numbers of princes and kings whose coronal locks\nhad undergone the sacred bath, all cased in golden coats of mail, all\nhaving white umbrellas spread over their heads, all seated on golden\ncars, all attired in excellent robes and having large trains of\nfollowers, and all bearing their sceptres, and in possession of their\ntreasuries. The great Rishis, seeing what he did, were highly gratified,\nand said, \"None amongst men in past times did, none in future will be\nable to do, what king Amvarisha of profuse liberality, is doing now.\" When\nhe, O Srinjaya, died who was superior to thee in respect of the four\ncardinal virtues and who superior to thee, was much more superior to thy\nson, thou shouldst not, therefore, saying, \"Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya\",\ngrieve for the latter who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial\npresent.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXV\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'King Sasavindu, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death.\nOf great beauty and of prowess incapable of being baffled, he performed\ndiverse sacrifices. That high-souled monarch had one hundred thousand\nwives. From each of those wives were born a thousand sons. All those\nprinces were endued with great prowess. They performed millions of\nsacrifices. Accomplished in the Vedas, those kings performed many\nforemost of sacrifices. All of them were cased (on occasions of battle)\nin golden coats of mail. And all of them were excellent bowmen. All these\nprinces born of Sasavindu performed Horse-sacrifices. Their father, O\nbest of monarchs, in the Horse-sacrifices he had performed, gave away,\n(as sacrificial presents), all those sons unto the Brahmanas. Behind each\nof those princes were hundreds upon hundreds of cars and elephants and\nfair maidens decked in ornaments of gold. With each maiden were a hundred\nelephants; with each elephant, a hundred cars; with each car a hundred\nsteeds, adorned with garlands of gold. With each of those steeds were a\nthousand kine; and with each cow were fifty goats. The highly blessed\nSasavindu gave away unto the Brahmanas, in the great Horse-sacrifice of\nhis such unlimited wealth. The king caused as many sacrificial stakes of\ngold to be made for that great Horse-sacrifice of his as is the number,\ndouble of sacrificial stakes of wood in other sacrifices of the kind.\nThere were mountains of food and drink of the height of about two miles\neach. Upon the completion of his Horse-sacrifice, thirteen such\nmountains of food and drink remained (untouched). His kingdom abounded in\npeople that were contented and well-fed. And it was free from all inroads\nof evil and the people were perfectly happy. Having ruled for many long\nyears, Sasavindu, at last, ascended to heaven. When he died, O Srinjaya,\nwho was superior to thee in respect of the four cardinal virtues and who\nsuperior to thee was, therefore, much more superior to thy son, thou\nshouldst not, saying, \"Oh, Swaitya, Oh Swaitya\", grieve for the latter\nwho performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVI\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Gaya, the son of Amartarayas, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a\nprey to death. That king, for a hundred years, ate nothing but what\nremained of the libations of clarified butter poured into the sacrificial\nfire. Agni (gratified with his proof of great devotion) offered to give\nhim a boon. Gaya solicited the boon (desired), saying, \"I desire to have\na thorough knowledge of the Vedas through ascetic penances, through\npractice of Brahmacharya, and of vows and rules, and through the grace of\nmy superiors.[107] I desire also inexhaustible wealth, through practice\nof the duties of my own order and without injury to others. I wish also\nthat I may always be able to make gifts unto the Brahmanas, with\ndevotion. Let me also procreate sons upon wives belonging to my own order\nand not upon others. Let me be able to give away food with devotion. Let\nmy heart always delight in righteousness. O (Agni) thou supreme cleanser,\nlet no impediment overtake me while I am engaged in acts for the\nattainment of religious merit.\" Saying \"Be it so,\" Agni disappeared then\nand there. And Gaya also, acquiring all he had asked for, subjugated his\nfoes in fair fight. King Gaya then performed, for a full hundred years,\ndiverse kinds of sacrifices with profuse presents unto the Brahmanas and\nthe vows called Chaturmasyas and others. Every year, for a century, the\nking gave (unto the Brahmanas) one hundred and sixty thousand kine, ten\nthousand steeds, and one crore gold (nishkas) upon rising (on the\ncompletion of his sacrifices). Under every constellation also he gave\naway the presents ordained for each of these occasions.[108] Indeed, the\nking performed various sacrifices like another Soma or another Angiras.\nIn his great Horse-sacrifice, king Gaya, making a golden earth, gave her\naway unto the Brahmanas. In that sacrifice, the stakes of king Gaya were\nexceedingly costly, being of gold, decked with gems delightful to all\ncreatures. Capable of killing every wish, Gaya gave those stakes unto\nwell-pleased Brahmanas and other people. The diverse classes of creatures\ndwelling in the ocean, the woods, the islands, the rivers male and\nfemale, the waters, the towns, the provinces, and even in heaven, were\nall gratified with wealth and food distributed at Gaya's sacrifices. And\nthey all said, \"No other sacrifice can come up to this one of Gaya.\" The\nsacrificial altar of Gaya was thirty Yojanas in length, six and twenty\nYojanas in width, and twenty Yojanas in height. And it was made entirely\nof gold, and overspread with pearls and diamonds and gems. And he gave\naway this altar unto the Brahmanas, as also robes and ornaments. And the\nmunificent monarch also gave unto the Brahmanas other presents of the\nkind laid down (in the scriptures). Upon the completion of that sacrifice\nfive and twenty hills of food remained untouched, and many lakes and\nseveral beautifully flowing rivulets of juicy drinks, and many heaps,\nbesides, of robes and ornaments. And in consequence of the merit of that\ngreat sacrifice, Gaya came to be well-known in the three worlds. And due\nto that sacrifice are the eternal Banian and the sacred Brahmasara. When\nhe died, O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee in respect of four cardinal\nvirtues and who superior to thee, was, therefore, much superior to thy\nson, thou shouldst not, saying, \"Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,\" grieve for\nthe latter who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVII\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Rantideva, the son of Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to\ndeath. That high-souled king had two hundred thousand cooks to distribute\nexcellent food, raw and cooked, like unto Amrita, unto the Brahmanas, by\nday and by night, who might come to his house as guests.[109] The king\ngave away unto the Brahmanas his wealth acquired by righteous means.\nHaving studied the Vedas, he subjugated his foes in fair fight. Of rigid\nvows and always engaged in due performance of sacrifices, countless\nanimals, desirous of going to heaven, used to come to him of their own\naccord.[110] So large was the number of animals sacrificed in the\nAgnihotra of that king that the secretions flowing from his kitchen from\nthe heaps of skins deposited there caused a veritable river which from\nthis circumstance, came to be called the Charmanwati.[111] He\nincessantly gave away nishkas of bright gold unto the Brahmanas, \"I give\nthee nishkas.\" \"I give thee nishkas,\" these were the words incessantly\nuttered by him. \"I give thee,\" \"I give thee\" saying these words he gave\naway thousands of nishkas. And once again, with soft words to the\nBrahmanas, he gave away nishkas. Having given away, in course of a single\nday, one crore of such coins, he thought that he had given away very\nlittle. And, therefore, he would give away more. Who else is there that\nwould be able to give what he gave? The king gave away wealth, thinking,\n\"If I do not give wealth in the hands of Brahmanas, great and eternal\ngrief, without doubt, will be mine.\" For a hundred years, every\nfortnight, he gave unto thousands of Brahmanas a golden bull into each,\nfollowed by a century of kine and eight hundred pieces of nishkas. All\nthe articles that were needed for his Agnihotra, and all that were needed\nfor his other sacrifices, he gave away unto the Rishis, including\nKarukas[112] and water-pots and plates and beds and carpets and vehicles,\nand mansions and houses, and diverse kinds of trees, and various kinds of\nviands. Whatever utensils and articles Rantideva possessed were of gold.\nThey that are acquainted with the history of ancient times seeing the\nsuperhuman affluence of Rantideva, sing this song, viz., \"We have not\nseen such accumulated treasures even in the abode of Kuvera; what need be\nsaid, therefore, of human beings?\" And people wonderingly said, Without\ndoubt, the kingdom of Rantideva is made of gold.[113] On such nights,\nwhen guests were assembled in the abode of Rantideva, one and twenty\nthousand kine were sacrificed (for feeding them). And yet the royal cook\nadorned with begemmed ear-rings, had to cry out, saying, \"Eat as much\nsoup as you like, for, of meat, there is not as much today as in other\ndays.\" Whatever gold was left belonging to Rantideva, he gave even that\nremnant away unto the Brahmanas during the progress of one of his\nsacrifices. In his very sight the gods used to take the libations of\nclarified butter poured into the fire for them, and the Pitris the food\nthat was offered to them, in Sraddhas. And all superior Brahmanas used to\nobtain from him (the means of gratifying) all their desires. When he\ndied, O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee in respect of the four\ncardinal virtues and who, superior to thee was, therefore, much superior\nto thy son, thou shouldst not, saying, \"Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,\" grieve\nfor the latter who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial\npresent.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXVIII\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Dushmanta's son, Bharata, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey\nto death. While only a child (living) in the forest, he achieved feats\nincapable of being achieved by others. Endued with great strength, he\nspeedily deprived the very lions, white as snow and armed with teeth and\nclaws, of all their prowess, and dragged them and bound them (at his\npleasure). He used to check tigers also, that were fiercer and more\nruthless (than lions), and bring them to subjection. Seizing other beasts\nof prey possessed of great might, and even huge elephants, dyed with red\narsenic and spotted with other liquid minerals by their teeth and tusks,\nhe used to bring them to subjection, causing their mouths to become dry,\nor obliging them to fly away. Possessed of great might, he used also to\ndrag the mightiest of buffaloes. And in consequence of his strength, he\nchecked proud lions by hundreds, and powerful Srimaras and horned\nrhinoceroses and other animals. Binding them by their necks and crushing\nthem to an inch of their lives, he used to let them go. For those feats\nof his the regenerate ascetics (with whom he lived) came to call him\nSarvadamana (the controller of all). His mother, at last, forbade him\nfrom torturing animals in that way. Endued with great prowess he\nperformed a hundred Horse-sacrifices on the banks of the Yamuna, three\nhundred such sacrifices on the banks of Saraswati, and four hundred on\nthe banks of the Ganga. Having performed these sacrifices, he once more\nperformed a thousand Horse-sacrifices and a hundred Rajasuyas, great\nsacrifices, in which his gifts also to the Brahmanas were very profuse.\nOther sacrifices, again, such as the Agnishtoma, the Atiratra, the Uktha\nand the Viswajit, he performed together with thousands and thousands of\nVajapeyas, and completed without any impediment. The son of Sakuntala,\nhaving performed all these, gratified the Brahmanas with presents of\nwealth. Possessed of great fame, Bharata then gave ten thousand billions\nof coins, made of the most pure gold, unto Kanwa (who had brought up his\nmother Sakuntala as his own daughter). The gods with Indra at their head,\naccompanied by the Brahmanas, coming to his sacrifice, set up his\nsacrificial stake made entirely of gold, and measuring in width a hundred\nVyamas.[114] And imperial Bharata, of noble soul, that victor over all\nfoes, that monarch never conquered by any enemy, gave away unto the\nBrahmanas beautiful horses and elephants and cars, decked with gold, and\nbeautiful gems of all kinds, and camels and goats and sheep, and\nslaves--male and female--and wealth, and grains and milch cows with\ncalves, and villages and fields, and diverse kinds of robes, numbering by\nmillions and millions. When he died, O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee\nin respect of the four cardinal virtues and who superior to thee, was,\ntherefore, much superior to thy son, thou shouldst not, saying, \"Oh,\nSwaitya, Oh, Swaitya,\" grieve for the latter who performed no sacrifice\nand made no sacrificial present.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXIX\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Vena's son, king Prithu, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey\nto death. In the Rajasuya sacrifice he performed, the great Rishis\ninstalled him as Emperor (of the world). He vanquished all, and his\nachievements, became known (all over the world). For this he came to be\ncalled Prithu (the celebrated). And because he protected all people from\nwounds and injuries, for this he became a true Kshatriya.[115] Beholding\nVena's son, Prithu, all his subjects said, We are highly pleased with\nhim. In consequence of this affection that he enjoyed of his subjects he\ncame to be called a Raja.[116] During the time of Prithu, the earth,\nwithout being cultivated, yielded crops in sufficiency. All the kine,\nagain, yielded milk whenever they were touched. Every lotus was full of\nhoney. The Kusa blades were all of gold, agreeable to the touch, and\notherwise delightful. And the subjects of Prithu made clothes of these\nblades and the beds also on which they lay. All the fruits were soft and\nsweet and like unto Amrita (in taste). And these constituted the food of\nhis subjects, none amongst whom had ever to starve. And all men in\nPrithu's time were hale and hearty. And all their wishes were crowned\nwith fruition. They had nothing to fear. On trees, or in caves, they\ndwelt as they liked. His dominions were not distributed into provinces\nand towns. The people lived happily and in joy as each desired. When king\nPrithu went to the sea, the waves became solid. The very mountains used\nto yield him openings that he might pass through them. The standard of\nhis car never broke (obstructed by anything). Once on a time, the tall\ntrees of the forest, the mountains, the gods, the Asuras, men, the\nsnakes, the seven Rishis, the Apsaras, and the Pitris, all came to\nPrithu, seated at his ease, and addressing him, said, \"Thou art our\nEmperor. Thou art our king. Thou art our protector and Father. Thou art\nour Lord. Therefore, O great king, give us boons after our own hearts,\nthrough which we may, for ever, obtain gratification and joy.\" Unto them\nPrithu, the son of Vena, said, So be it. Then taking up his Ajagava\nbow[117] and some terrible arrows the like of which existed not, he\nreflected for a moment. He then addressed the Earth, saying, \"Coming\nquickly, O Earth! Yield to these the milk they desire. From that, blessed\nbe thou, I will give them the food they solicit.\" Thus addressed by him,\nthe Earth said, \"It behoveth thee, O hero, to regard me as thy daughter.\"\nPrithu answered, So be it!--And then that great ascetic, his passions\nunder control, made all arrangements (for milking the Earth. Then the\nentire assemblage of creatures began to milk the Earth). And first of\nall, the tall trees of the forest rose for milking her. The Earth then,\nfull of affection, stood there desiring a calf, a milker, and vessels\n(wherein to hold the milk). Then the blossoming Sala became the calf, the\nBanian became the milker, torn buds became the milk, and the auspicious\nfig tree became the vessel. (Next, the mountains milked her). The Eastern\nhill, whereon the Sun rises, became the calf; the prince of mountains,\nviz., Meru, became the milker; the diverse gems and deciduous herbs\nbecame the milk; and the stones became the vessels (for holding that\nmilk). Next, one of the gods became the milker, and all things capable of\nbestowing energy and strength became the coveted milk. The Asuras then\nmilked the Earth, having wine for their milk, and using an unbaked pot\nfor their vessel. In that act, Dwimurddhan became the milker, and\nVirochana, the calf. The human beings milked the Earth for cultivation\nand crops. The self-created Manu became their calf, and Prithu himself\nthe milker. Next, the Snakes milked the Earth, getting poison as the\nmilk, and using a vessel made of a gourd, Dhritarashtra became the\nmilker, and Takshaka the calf. The seven Rishis, capable of producing\neverything by their fiat,[118] then milked the Earth, getting the Vedas\nas their milk. Vrihaspati became the milker, the Chhandas were the\nvessel, and the excellent Soma, the calf. The Yakshas, milking the Earth,\ngot the power of disappearance at will as the milk in an unbaked pot.\nVaisravana (Kuvera) became their milker, and Vrishadhvaja their calf. The\nGandharvas and the Apsaras milked all fragrant perfumes in a vessel made\nof a lotus-leaf. Chitraratha became their calf, and the puissant\nViswaruchi their milker. The Pitris milked the Earth, getting Swaha as\ntheir milk in a vessel of silver. Yama, the son of Vivaswat, became their\ncalf, and (the Destroyer Antaka) their milker. Even thus was the Earth\nmilked by that assemblage of creatures who all got for milk what they\neach desired. The very calves and vessels employed by them are existing\nto this day and may always be seen. The powerful Prithu, the son of Vena,\nperforming various sacrifices, gratified all creatures in respect of all\ntheir desires by gifts of articles agreeable to their hearts. And he\ncaused golden images to be made of every article on earth, and bestowed\nthem all on the Brahmanas as his great Horse-sacrifice,[119] The king\ncaused six and sixty thousand elephants to be made of gold, and all those\nhe gave away unto the Brahmanas. And this whole earth also the king\ncaused to be decked with jewels and gems and gold, and gave her away unto\nthe Brahmanas. When he died, O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee as\nregards the four cardinal virtues and who, superior to thee, was,\ntherefore, much superior to thy son thou shouldst not, saying \"Oh,\nSwaitya, Oh, Swaitya,\" grieve for the latter who performed no sacrifice\nand made no sacrificial present.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXX\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'Even the great ascetic Rama, the hero worshipped by all\nheroes, that son of Jamadagni, of great fame, will die, without being\ncontented (with the period of his life). Rooting out all evils from the\nearth, he caused the primeval Yuga to set in. Having obtained unrivalled\nprosperity, no fault could be seen in him.[120] His father having been\nslain and his calf having been stolen by the Kshatriyas, he without any\nboast, slew Kartavirya who had never been vanquished before by foes. With\nhis bow he slew four and sixty times ten thousand Kshatriyas already\nwithin the jaws of death. In that slaughter were included fourteen\nthousand Brahmana-hating Kshatriyas of the Dantakura country, all of whom\nhe slew. Of the Haihayas, he slew a thousand with his short club, a\nthousand with his sword, and a thousand by hanging.[121] Heroic warriors,\nwith their cars, steeds, and elephants, lay dead on the field, slain by\nthe wise son of Jamadagni, enraged at the slaughter of his father. And\nRama, on that occasion, slew ten thousand Kshatriyas with his axe. He\ncould not quietly bear the furious speeches uttered by those (foes of\nhis). And when many foremost of Brahmans uttered exclamations, mentioning\nthe name of Rama of Bhrigu's race,[122] then the valiant son of\nJamadagni, proceeding against the Kashmiras, the Daradas, the Kuntis, the\nKshudrakas, the Malavas, the Angas, the Vangas, the Kalingas, the\nVidehas, the Tamraliptakas, the Rakshovahas, the Vitahotras, the\nTrigartas, the Martikavatas, counting by thousand, slew them all by means\nof his whetted shafts. Proceeding from province to province, he thus\nslew thousands of crores of Kshatriyas. Creating a deluge of blood and\nfilling many lakes also with blood as red as Indrajopakas or the wild\nfruit called Vandujiva, and bringing all the eighteen islands (of which\nthe earth is composed) under his subjection, that son of Bhrigu's race\nperformed a hundred sacrifices of great merit, all of which he completed\nand in all of which the presents he made unto the Brahmanas were profuse.\nThe sacrificial altar, eighteen nalas high made entirely of gold, and\nconstructed according to the ordinance, full of diverse kinds of jewels\nand gems, and decked with hundreds of standards, and this earth abounding\nin domestic and wild animals, were accepted by Kasyapa as sacrificial\npresent made unto him by Rama, the son of Jamadagni. And Rama also gave\nhim many thousand prodigious elephants, all adorned with gold. Indeed,\nfreeing the earth from all robbers, and making her teem with honest and\ngraceful inhabitants, Rama gave her away to Kasyapa at his great\nHorse-sacrifice. Having divested the earth of Kshatriyas for one and\ntwenty times, and having performed hundreds of sacrifices, the puissant\nhero gave away the earth to the Brahmanas. And it was Marichi (Kasyapa)\nwho accepted from him the earth with her seven islands. Then Kasyapa said\nunto Rama, \"Go out of the earth, at my command.\" At the word of Kasyapa,\nthe foremost of warriors, desirous of obeying the Brahmana's behest,\ncaused by his arrows the very ocean to stand aside, and repairing to that\nbest of mountains called Mahendra, continued to live there. Even that\nenhancer of the fame of the Bhrigus, possessed of such numberless\nvirtues, that famous son of Jamadagni, of great splendour, will die.\nSuperior to thy son, (even he will die). Do not, therefore, grieve for\nthy son who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present. All\nthese, superior to thee as regards the four cardinal virtues and as\nregards also a hundred other merits, all these foremost of men, have\ndied, O Srinjaya, and they that are like them will also die.'\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXI\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Hearing this sacred history of sixteen kings, capable of\nenhancing the period of life (of the listener), king Srinjaya remained\nsilent without saying anything. The illustrious Rishi Narada then said\nunto him thus sitting silent, 'O thou of great splendour, hast thou heard\nthose histories recited by me, and hast thou caught their purport? Or,\nare all these lost like Sraddha as performed by a person of regenerate\nclasses having a Sudra wife?' Thus addressed, Srinjaya then replied with\njoined hands, 'O thou that hast wealth of asceticism, having listened to\nthese excellent and praiseworthy histories of ancient royal sages, all of\nwhom had performed great sacrifices with profuse presents unto the\nBrahmanas, my grief hath all been dispelled by wonder, like the darkness\nthat is dispelled by the rays of the sun. I have now been cleansed of my\nsins, and I do not feel any pain now. Tell me, what shall I do now?'\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'By good luck it is that thy grief hath been dispelled.\nSolicit thou the boon that thou desirest. Thou wilt obtain all thou mayst\nask. We never say what is not true.'\n\n\"'\"Srinjaya said, 'I am happy with even this, viz., that thou, O holy one,\nart gratified with me. He with whom thou, O holy one, art gratified, hath\nnothing unobtainable here.'\n\n\"'\"Narada said, 'I will once more give thee thy son who was fruitlessly\nslain by the robbers, like an animal, slaughtered in sacrifice, taking\nhim out of terrible hell.'\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Then the son of Srinjaya, of wonderful splendour, appeared,\nthat child resembling the son of Kuvera himself, bestowed by the\ngratified Rishi (on the bereaved father). And king Srinjaya, once more\nmeeting with his son, became highly delighted. And he performed many\nmeritorious sacrifices, giving away profuse sacrificial presents upon\ncompletion. Srinjaya's son had not fulfilled the purposes of his being.\nHe had performed no sacrifice and had no children. Destitute of bravery,\nhe had perished miserably and not in battle. It was for this reason that\nhe could be brought back into life.[123] As regards Abhimanyu, he was\nbrave and heroic. He hath fulfilled the purposes of life, for the brave\nson of Subhadra, having blasted his foes by thousands, hath left the\nworld, falling in the field of battle. Those inaccessible regions that\nare attainable by Brahmacharya, by knowledge, by acquaintance with the\nscriptures, by foremost of sacrifices, even these have been obtained by\nthy son. Men of knowledge always desire heaven by their righteous deeds.\nThey that are living in heaven never prefer this world to heaven.\nTherefore, it is not easy for any desirable thing that might have been\nunattained by him to bring back into the world Arjuna's son slain in\nbattle and now residing in heaven. Thy son has attained to that eternal\ngoal which is attained by yogins with eyes shut in contemplation or by\nperformers of great sacrifices, or people possessed of great ascetic\nmerit. After death, attaining a new body that hero is shining like a king\nin his own immortal rays. Indeed, Abhimanyu has once more got his own\nbody of lunar essence that is desirable by all regenerate persons. He\ndeserveth not thy grief.[124] Knowing this, be quiet, and slay thy foes.\nLet fortitude be thine. O sinless one, it is the living that stand in\nneed of our grief, and not they that have attained to heaven. His sins\nincrease, O king, for whom, the living grieve. Therefore, he that is\nwise, abandoning grief, should strive for (the) benefit (of the dead).\nThe living man should think of the joy, the glory, and the happiness (of\nthe dead). Knowing this, the wise never indulge in grief, for grief is\npainful. Know this to be true. Rise up! Strive (to achieve thy purpose).\nDo not grieve. Thou hast heard of the origin of Death, and her unexampled\npenances, as also the impartiality of her behaviour towards all\ncreatures. Thou hast heard that prosperity is unstable. Thou hast heard\nhow the dead son of Srinjaya was revived. O learned king, do not grieve.\nPeace be to thee, I go!\"--Having said this, the holy Vyasa disappeared\nthen and there. Upon the departure of that master of speech, that\nforemost of intelligent persons, viz., the holy Vyasa, whose colour was\nlike that of the clouded sky, Yudhishthira, having derived consolation in\nconsequence of what he had heard about the sacrificial merit and\nprosperity of these great monarchs of olden times, possessed of energy\nequal to that of the great Indra himself and all of whom had acquired\nwealth by righteous means, mentally applauded those illustrious persons\nand became freed from grief. Once more, however, with a melancholy heart\nhe asked himself, saying, \"What shall we say unto Dhananjaya?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When that terrible day, so fraught with the slaughter of\ncreatures, departed, and when the sun set, the beautiful twilight of the\nevening spread itself. The troops, O bull of Bharata's race, of both\nparties, had retired to their tents. Then the ape-bannered Jishnu, having\nslain a large number of Samsaptakas by means of his celestial weapons,\nproceeded towards his tent, mounted on that victorious car of his. And as\nhe was proceeding, he asked Govinda, with voice choked with tears, \"Why\nis my heart afraid, O Kesava, and why both my speech falter? Evil omens\nencounter me, and my limbs are weak. Thoughts of disaster possess my mind\nwithout living it. On earth, on all sides, various omens strike me with\nfear. Of many kinds are those omens and indications, and seen everywhere,\nforeboding dire calamity. Is it all right with my venerable superior,\nviz., the king with all his friends?\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"It is evident that everything is right with thy brother\nand his friends. Do not grieve, some trifling evil in another direction\nwill happen.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Then those two heroes (viz., Krishna and Arjuna),\nhaving adored the Twilight,[125] mounted on their car and proceeded,\ntalking of the day's battle so destructive of heroes. Having achieved\nfeats exceedingly difficult of accomplishment, Vasudeva and Arjuna, at\nlast, reached the (Pandava) encampment. Then that slayer of hostile\nheroes, viz., Vibhatsu, beholding the camp joyless and melancholy and\neverything to be in confusion, addressed Krishna with an agonised heart,\nand said, \"O Janardana, no auspicious trumpet blows today, its blasts\nmingled with the beat of drums and the loud blare of conchs. The sweet\nVina also is nowhere played upon in accompaniment with slapping of\npalms.[126] Auspicious and delightful songs fraught with praise are\nnowhere recited or sung by our bards amongst the troops. The warriors\nalso, all recede hanging down their heads. They do not tell me beholding\nme, as before, of the feats achieved by them. O Madhava, is it all right\nwith my brothers today? Beholding our own men plunged in grief, I know no\npeace. Is it all right, O giver of honours, with the ruler of the\nPanchalas, or Virata, or all our warriors, O thou of unfading glory?\nAlas, Subhadra's son, ever cheerful, doth not today, with his brothers,\ncome out with smiles to receive me returning from battle.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Thus conversing, those two, (viz., Krishna and Arjuna),\nentered their own camp. And they saw that the Pandavas, all cheerless,\nwere sitting, plunged in great grief. Beholding his brothers and sons,\nthe ape-bannered Arjuna became very cheerless. Not seeing the son of\nSubhadra there, Arjuna said, \"Pale is the colour I behold of the faces of\nyou all. I do not, again, see Abhimanyu. Nor doth he come to congratulate\nme. I heard that Drona had today formed the circular array. None amongst\nyou, save the boy Abhimanyu, could break that array. I, however, did not\nteach him how to come out of that array, after having pierced it. Did you\ncause the boy to enter that array? Hath that slayer of heroes, viz., the\nson of Subhadra, that mighty bowman, having pierced that array, through\nnumberless warriors of the enemy in battle, fallen, at last in the fight?\nOh, tell me, how that hero of mighty arms and red eyes, born (in our\nline) like a lion on the mountain breast, and equal unto the younger\nbrother of Indra himself, hath fallen on the field of battle? What\nwarrior, deprived on his senses by Death ventured to slay that dear son\nof Subhadra, that favourite of Draupadi and Kesava, that child ever loved\nby Kunti? Equal unto the high-souled Vrishni hero, Kesava, himself in\nprowess and learning and dignity, how hath he been slain on the field of\nbattle? The favourite son of that daughter of the Vrishni race, always\ncherished by me, alas, if I do not see him I will repair to the abode of\nYama. With locks ending in soft curls, of tender years, with eyes like\nthose of a young gazelle, with tread like that of an infuriated elephant,\ntall like a Sala offshoot, of sweet speech accompanied with smiles,\nquiet, ever obedient to the behest of his superiors, acting like one of\nmature years though tender in age, of agreeable speech, reft of vanity,\nof great courage and great energy, of large eyes resembling lotus-petals,\nkind to those devoted to him, self-restrained, following nothing mean,\ngrateful, possessed of knowledge, accomplished in weapons, unretreating\nfrom battle, always delighting in fight, and enhancing the fears of foes,\nengaged in the welfare of kinsmen, desirous of victory into sires, never\nstriking first, perfectly fearless in battle, alas, if I do not behold\nthat son, I will repair to the abode of Yama. In the counting of\ncar-warriors always reckoned as a Maharatha, superior to me one and a\nhalf times, of tender years, of mighty arms, even dear to Pradyumna and\nKesava and myself, alas, if I do not behold that son I will repair to the\nabode of Yama. Of beautiful nose, of beautiful forehead, of fair eyes and\neyebrows and lips, if I do not behold that face, what peace can my heart\nhave? Melodious as the voice of the male Kokila, delightful, and sweet as\nthe warblings of the Vina, without listening to his voice, what peace can\nmy heart have? His beauty was unrivalled, rare even among the celestials.\nWithout casting my eyes on that form, what peace can my heart have?\nAccomplished in saluting (his superiors) with reverence, and always\nobedient to the behests of his sires, alas, if I do not behold him, what\npeace can my heart have? Brave in battle, accustomed to every luxury,\ndeserving of the softest bed, alas, he sleepeth today on the bare earth,\nas if there is none to take care of him, although he is foremost of those\nthat have protectors to look after them. He on whom, while on his bed,\nthe foremost of beautiful women used to attend, alas, he mangled with\nshafts, will have inauspicious jackals, prowling over the field, to\nattend upon him today. He who was formerly roused from his slumbers by\nsingers and bards and panegyrists, alas, he will today be surely awakened\nby discordant beasts of prey. That beautiful face of his eminently\ndeserved to be shaded by the umbrella, alas, the dust of battle-field\nwill surely befoul today. O child, unfortunate that I am, death forcibly\ntakes thee away from me, who was never satiated with looking at thee.\nWithout doubt, that abode of Yama, which is always the goal of persons of\nrighteous deeds, that delightful mansion, illuminated today by thy own\nsplendours, is rendered exceedingly beautiful by thee. Without doubt,\nYama and Varuna and Satakratu and Kuvera, obtaining thee as a favourite\nguest, are making much of thy heroic self.\" Thus indulging in diverse\nlamentations, like a merchant whose vessel has been sunken, Arjuna,\nafflicted with great grief, asked Yudhishthira, saying, \"O, thou of\nKuru's race, hath he ascended to heaven, having caused a great slaughter\namong the enemy and contended with the foremost warriors in the face of\nbattle? Without doubt, while contending single-handed with foremost of\nwarriors, countless in number, and fighting with vigour and resolution,\nhis heart turned towards me from a desire of help. While afflicted by\nKarna and Drona and Kripa and others with sharp shafts of diverse kinds\nand bright points, my son of little strength, must have repeatedly\nthought, 'My father will in this press be my rescuer.' I think, while\nindulging in such lamentations, he was felled on the ground by cruel\nwarriors. Or, perhaps, when he was begotten by me, when he was the nephew\nof Madhva, when he was born in Subhadra he could not have uttered such\nlamentations. Without doubt, my heart, hard as it is, is made of the\nessence of the thunder, since it breaketh not, even though I do not\nbehold that mighty-armed hero of red eyes. How could those mighty bowmen\nof cruel hearts shoot their deep-piercing shafts upon that child of\ntender years, who, again, was my son and the nephew of Vasudeva? That\nnoble-hearted youth who, coming forward every day, used to congratulate\nme, alas, why doth he not present himself today to me when I come back\nhaving slain the foe? Without doubt, overthrown, he lieth today on the\nbare earth bathed in blood. Beautifying the earth by his body, he lieth\nlike the sun fallen (from the firmament). I grieve for Subhadra, who,\nhearing of the death in battle of her unretreating son, will, afflicted\nwith sorrow, cast away her life. What will Subhadra missing Abhimanyu,\nsay unto me? What also will Draupadi say unto me? Afflicted with grief as\nthey are, what also shall I say unto them? Without doubt, my heart is\nmade of the essence of the thunder, since it breaketh not in a thousand\nfragments at the sight of my weeping daughter-in-law, pierced with grief.\nThe leonine shouts of the Dhritarashtras swelling with pride did, indeed,\nenter my ears.\" Krishna also heard Yuyutsu, censuring the heroes (of the\nDhritarashtra army in these words): \"Ye mighty car-warriors, having been\nunable to vanquish Vibhatsu, and having slain only a child, why do ye\nrejoice? Why, having done what is disagreeable to those two, viz., Kesava\nand Arjuna, in battle, why do you in joy roar like lions, when truly the\nhour for sorrow is come? The fruits of this sinful deed of yours will\nsoon overtake you. Heinous is the crime perpetrated by you. How long will\nit not bear its fruits?\" Rebuking them in these words, the high-souled\nson of Dhritarashtra by his Vaisya wife, went away, casting off his\nweapons afflicted with rage and grief. \"O Krishna, why did you not tell me\nall this during the battle? I would then have consumed all those\ncar-warriors of cruel hearts.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Then Vasudeva, consoling Partha who was afflicted\nwith grief on account of his son, who was exceedingly anxious, whose eyes\nwere bathed in tears, and who was, in fact, overwhelmed with this sorrow\ncaused by the slaughter of his child, said unto him, \"Do not yield so to\ngrief. This is the way of all brave, unretreating heroes, especially of\nKshatriyas, whose profession is battle. O foremost of intelligent men,\neven this is the goal ordained by the authors of our scriptures for\nunretreating heroes engaged in battle. Death is certain for heroes that\ndo not retreat. There is no doubt that Abhimanyu hath ascended to those\nregions that are reserved for persons of righteous acts. O bull of\nBharata's race, even this is coveted by all that are brave, viz., that\nthey may die in battle, facing their foes. As regards Abhimanyu, he\nhaving slain in battle many heroic and mighty princes, hath met with that\ndeath in the face of battle which is coveted by heroes. Do not grieve, O\ntiger among men. The legislators of old have declared this to be the\neternal merit of the Kshatriyas, viz., their death in battle. O best of\nthe Bharatas, these brothers of thine are all exceedingly cheerless, as\nalso the king, and these thy friends, seeing thee plunged in grief. O\ngiver of honours, comfort them in consoling words. That which should be\nis known to thee. It behoveth thee not to grieve.\" Thus comforted by\nKrishna of wonderful deeds, Partha then said these words unto all his\nbrothers, with voice choked with sorrow: \"O lord of the earth, I desire\nto hear how the mighty-armed Abhimanyu, how that hero of large eyes,\nresembling lotus-petals, fought. Ye will see that I will exterminate the\nfoe with his elephants and cars and steeds, I will exterminate in battle\nthose slayers of my son with all their followers and kinsmen. Ye all are\naccomplished in arms. Ye all were armed with weapons, how then could\nSubhadra's son be slain, even if it were the wielder of the thunder-bolt\nhimself with whom he fought? Alas, if I had known that Pandavas and the\nPanchalas would be able to protect my son in battle, I myself would have\nthen protected him. Ye were then on your cars, ye were shooting your\nshafts. Alas, how then could Abhimanyu be slain by the foe, causing a\ngreat carnage in your ranks? Alas, ye have no manliness, nor have ye any\nprowess, since in the very sight of you all was Abhimanyu slain. Or, I\nshould chide my own self, since knowing that ye all are weak, cowardly,\nand irresolute, I went away! Alas, are your coats of mail and weapons of\nall kinds only ornaments for decking your persons, and were words given\nto you only for speaking in assemblies, that ye failed to protect my son\n(even though ye were clad in mail, armed from head to foot, and even\nthough you had assured me in words of your competence)?\"--Having said\nthese words, Partha sat down, holding bow and his excellent sword.\nIndeed, none could, at that time, even look at Vibhatsu who then\nresembled the Destroyer himself in wrath, repeatedly drawing deep\nbreaths. None of his friends or kinsmen could venture to look at or speak\nunto Arjuna, as he sat there exceedingly afflicted with grief on account\nof his son, and with face bathed in tears. None, indeed could address\nhim, save Vasudeva or Yudhishthira. These two, under all circumstances,\nwere acceptable to Arjuna. And because they were highly reverenced and\ndearly loved, therefore, could they alone address him at such times. Then\nking Yudhishthira addressing Partha, of eyes like lotus-petals, who was\nthen filled with rage and exceedingly afflicted with grief on account of\nthe death of his son, said these words.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIII\n\n\"'Yudhishthira said,--\"O mighty-armed one, after thou hadst gone towards\nthe army of the Samsaptakas, the preceptor Drona made fierce endeavours\nfor seizing me. We succeeded, however, in resisting Drona at the head of\nthe array at all points, having in that battle, disposed our vigorously\ncontending car-divisions in counter-array. Held in check by a large\nnumber of warriors, and myself also having been well protected, Drona\nbegan to smite us with great activity, afflicting us with his whetted\nshafts. Thus afflicted by him, we could not then even gaze at his army,\nfar less face it in battle. All of us then, addressing thy son by\nSubhadra, who was equal to thyself, O lord, in prowess said unto him, [O\nson, pierce this array of Drona!]--That valorous hero thus urged by us,\nthen sought, like a good horse, to take that burden on himself, however\nunbearable it might have been for him. Endued as he was with thy energy,\naided by that knowledge of weapons which he derived from thee, that child\nthen penetrated unto that array, like Garuda penetrating into the ocean.\nAs regards ourselves, we followed that hero, that son of Subhadra,\ndesirous in that battle, of penetrating (into the Dhritarashtra army) by\nthe same path by which Abhimanyu had entered it. Then, O sire, the\nwretched king of the Sindhus, viz., Jayadratha, in consequence of the\nboon granted to him by Rudra, checked all of us! Then Drona, Kripa and\nKarna and Drona's son, and the king of the Kosalas, and Kritavarman,\nthese six car-warriors surrounded the son of Subhadra. Having surrounded\nthat child all those great car-warriors--too many for him although he was\ncontending to the utmost of his power, deprived him of his car. After he\nhad been deprived of his car, Dussasana's son, though he himself had a\nhair-breadth escape, succeeded, as chance would have it, in making\nAbhimanyu, meet with his end. As regards Abhimanyu, he, having slain many\nthousands of men and steeds and elephants, and eight thousand cars, and\nonce more nine hundred elephants, two thousand princes, and a large\nnumber of heroic warriors unknown to fame, and despatching in that battle\nking Vrihadvala also to heaven, at last, through ill luck, met with his\nown death. Thus hath occurred this event that so enhances our grief! That\ntiger among men hath even thus ascended to heaven!\" Hearing these words\nuttered by king Yudhishthira, Arjuna, saying--Oh son!--and breathing a\ndeep sigh, fell down on the earth in great pain. Then all the warriors of\nthe Pandavas, surrounding Dhananjaya with cheerless faces began, filled\nwith grief, to look at one another with winkless eyes. Recovering\nconsciousness then, Vasava's son became furious with rage. He seemed to\nbe in a feverish tremor, and sighed frequently. Squeezing his hands,\ndrawing deep breaths, with eyes bathed in tears, and casting his glances\nlike a mad man, he said these words.'\n\n\"'Arjuna said,--\"Truly do I swear that tomorrow I will slay Jayadratha!\nIf from fear of death, he doth not forsake the Dhritarashtras, or implore\nour protection, or the protection of Krishna that foremost of men or of\nthine, O king, I shall assuredly slay him tomorrow! Forgetting his\nfriendship for me, engaged in doing what is agreeable to Dhritarashtra's\nson, that wretch is the cause of the child's slaughter! Tomorrow I will\nslay him! Whoever they may be that will encounter me in battle tomorrow\nfor protecting him, be it Drona, or Kripa, O king, I will cover them all\nwith my arrow! Ye bulls among men, if I do not achieve even this in\n(tomorrow's) battle, let me not attain the region reserved for the\nrighteous, ye foremost of heroes! Those regions that are for them that\nslay their mothers, or for them that slay their fathers, or them that\nviolate their preceptor's beds, or them that are vile and wicked, or them\nthat cherish envy against the righteous, or them that speak ill of others\nor them that appropriate the wealth confidingly deposited with them by\nothers, or them that are betrayers of trusts, or them that speak ill of\nwives enjoyed by them before, or them that have slain Brahmanas, or them\nthat have killed kine, or them that eat sugared milk and rice, or food\nprepared of barley, or pot-herbs, or dishes prepared of milk, sesamum,\nand rice, or thin cakes of powdered barley fried in clarified butter or\nother kinds of cakes, or meat, without having dedicated the same to the\ngods,--even those regions shall speedily be mine if I do not slay\nJayadratha!--Those regions to which they go that offer insults to\nBrahmanas devoted to the study of the Vedas, or otherwise worthy of\nrespect, or to those that are their preceptors, (those regions shall\nspeedily be mine if I do not slay Jayadratha!) That end which becomes\ntheirs who touch Brahmanas or fire with the feet, that end which becomes\ntheirs who throw phlegm and excreta and eject urine into water, even that\nmiserable end shall be mine, if I do not slay Jayadratha! That end which\nis his who bathes (in water) in a state of nudity, or his who does not\nhospitably entertain a guest, that end which is theirs who receive\nbribes, speak falsehood, and deceive and cheat others, that end which is\ntheirs who offend against their own souls, or who falsely utter praises\n(of others), or of those low wretches who eat sweetmeats in the sight of\nservants and sons and wives and dependents without sharing the same with\nthose, that awful end shall be mine if I do not slay Jayadratha! That end\nwhich overtakes the wretch of ruthless soul who without supporting a\nrighteous and obedient protege casts him off, or him who, without giving\nunto a deserving neighbour the offerings in Sraddhas, giveth them away\nunto those that deserve them not, that end which is his who drinks wine,\nor his who insults those that are worthy of respect, or his who is\nungrateful, or his who speaketh ill of his brothers, that end shall soon\nbe mine if I do not stay Jayadratha! The end of all those sinful persons\nwhom I have not mentioned, as also of those whom I have mentioned, shall\nsoon be attained by me, if after this night passes away, I do not slay\nJayadratha tomorrow!\n\n\"'\"--Listen now to another oath of mine! If tomorrow's sun set without my\nslaying that wretch, then even here I shall enter the blazing fire! Ye\nAsuras and gods and men, ye birds and snakes, ye Pitris and all wanderers\nof the night, ye regenerate Rishis and celestial Rishis, ye mobile and\nimmobile creatures, ye all that I have not mentioned, ye will not succeed\nin protecting my foe from me! If he enters the abode of the nether\nregion, or ascends the firmament, or repairs to the celestials, or the\nrealms of the Daityas, I shall still, with a hundred arrows, assuredly\ncut off, on the expiration of this night, the head of Abhimanyu's foe!--\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued,--'Having uttered these words, Arjuna began to stretch\nGandiva with both his arms. Transcending Arjuna's voice the sound of that\nbow rose and touched the very heavens. After Arjuna had taken that oath,\nJanardana, filled with wrath, blew his conch, Panchajanya. And Phalguna\nblew Devadatta. The great conch Panchajanya, well filled with the wind\nfrom Krishna's mouth, produced a loud blare. And that blare made the\nregents of the cardinal and the subsidiary points, the nether regions,\nand the whole universe, to shake, as it happens at the end of the Yuga.\nIndeed after the high-souled Arjuna had taken the oath, the sound of\nthousands of musical instruments and loud leonine roars arose from the\nPandava camp.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When the spies (of Duryodhana), having heard that loud\nuproar made by the Pandavas desirous of victory, informed (their masters\nof the cause), Jayadratha, overwhelmed with sorrow, and with heart\nstupefied with grief, and like one sinking in a fathomless ocean of\ndistress, slowly rose up and having reflected for a long while, proceeded\nto the assembly of the kings. Reflecting for a while in the presence of\nthose gods among men, Jayadratha, in fear of Abhimanyu's father and\ncovered with shame, said these words--\"He who in Pandu's soil was begotten\nby Indra under the influence of desire, that wicked wretch is thinking of\ndespatching me to the abode of Yama! Blessed be ye, I shall, therefore go\nback to my home from desire of life! Or, ye bulls among Kshatriyas,\nprotect me by the force of your weapons! Partha seeks to slay me, ye\nheroes, render me fearless! Drona and Duryodhana and Kripa, and Karna,\nand the ruler of the Madras, and Valhika, and Dussasana and others, are\ncapable of protecting a person who is afflicted by Yama himself. When\nhowever, I am threatened by Phalguna alone, will not all these the lords\nof earth, will not all of you, joined together, be able to protect me?\nHaving heard the shouts of joy of the Pandavas, great hath been my fear.\nMy limbs, ye lords of earth, have become powerless like those of a person\non the point of death. Without doubt, the wielder of Gandiva hath sworn\nfor my death! It is for this that the Pandavas are shouting in joy at a\ntime when they should weep! Let alone the rulers of men, the very gods\nand Gandharvas, the Asuras, the Uragas, and the Rakshasas, cannot venture\nto baffle a vow of Arjuna. Therefore, ye bulls among men, blessed be ye,\ngive me permission (to leave the Kuru camp). I want to make myself\nscarce. The Pandavas will no longer be able to find me!\" While indulging\nin such lamentations, with heart agitated by fear, king Duryodhana,\nalways looking upon the accomplishment of his own business to be\npreferable to everything else, said unto him these words. \"Do not fear, O\ntiger among men! O bull among men, who will seek to encounter thee in\nbattle when thou will remain in the midst of these Kshatriya heroes!\nMyself, Vikartana's son, Karna, Chitrasena, Vivinsati, Bhurisravas, Sala,\nSalya, the invincible Vrishasena, Purumitra, Jaya, Bhoja, Sudakshina the\nruler of the Kamvojas, Satyavrata, the mighty-armed, Vikarna, Durmukha,\nDussasana, Subahu, the ruler of the Kalingas, with his weapons upraised,\nVinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, Drona, Drona's son, and Suvala's son\n(Sakuni),--these and numerous other kings will, with their forces, face\nthe battle surrounding thee on all sides! Let the fever of thy heart,\ntherefore, be dispelled! Thou art thyself one of the foremost of\ncar-warriors! O thou of immeasurable splendour, thou thyself art a hero!\nBeing what thou art how canst thou then see any cause of fear, O king of\nthe Sindhus! The eleven Akshauhinis of troops I own will carefully fight\nfor protecting thee! Therefore, do not fear, O king of the Sindhus! Let\nthy fears be dispelled!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus comforted, O monarch, by thy son, the king of\nthe Sindhus then, accompanied by Duryodhana, repaired that very night to\nDrona (the generalissimo of the Kuru army). Then, O king, having touched\nDrona's feet with reverence, and taken his seat with humility, he asked\nthe preceptor these words--In hitting the aim, in hitting it from it\ndistance, in tightness of hand, and in the force of the stroke, O\nillustrious one, tell the difference between myself and Phalguna! O\npreceptor, I wish to know accurately the difference as regards\nproficiency (in the science of arms) between myself and Arjuna! Say it\nunto me truly.'\n\n\"'Drona said, \"Of tutorial instruction, both of you, i.e., thyself and\nArjuna, have had the same measure, O son! In consequence, however, of\nyoga and the hard life led by Arjuna, he is superior to thee! Thou\nshouldst not, however, for any reason, cherish fear of Partha! Without\ndoubt, I will, O son, protect thee from this fear! The very gods, cannot\nprevail over him who is protected by my arms! I will form an array which\nPartha will not succeed in piercing![127] Therefore contained thou in\nbattle, do not fear, observing the duties of thy own order! O mighty\ncar-warrior, tread in the track of thy sires and grandsires! Having duly\nstudied the Vedas, thou hast poured libations, according to the\nordinance, into fire! Thou hast also performed many sacrifices: Death\ncannot, therefore, be an object of terror to thee! (For if thou diest),\nattaining then to that great good fortune which is unattainable by vile\nmen, thou will acquire all those excellent regions in heaven that are\nattainable by the might of one's arms! The Kauravas, the Pandavas, the\nVrishnis, and other men, as also myself with my son, are all mortal and\nshort-lived! Think of this. One after another, all of us, slain by Time\nwhich is all powerful, shall go to the other world, carrying with us only\nour respective deeds. Those regions that ascetics acquire by undergoing\nsevere penances, those regions are acquired by heroic Kshatriyas that are\nobservant of the duties of their order.\" Even thus was the ruler of the\nSindhus consoled by Bharadwaja's son. Banishing his fear of Partha, he\nset his heart on battle. Then, O king thy troops also felt great delight,\nand the loud sounds of musical instruments were heard, mingled with\nleonine shouts.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After Partha had vowed the death of the ruler of the\nSindhus, the mighty-armed Vasudeva addressed Dhananjaya and said,--\"With\nthe consent of thy brothers (alone, but without consulting me), thou hast\nsworn, saying--'I will slay the ruler of the Sindhus!' This hath been an\nact of great rashness (on thy part)! Without consulting me, thou hast\ntaken up a great weight (upon thy shoulders)! Alas, how shall we escape\nthe ridicule of all men? I had sent some spies into the camp of\nDhritarashtra's son. Those spies, quickly coming unto me, gave me this\ninformation, viz., that after thou, O lord, hadst vowed to slay the ruler\nof the Sindhus, loud leonine shouts, mingled with the sounds of (our)\nmusical instruments, were heard by the Dhritarashtras. In consequence of\nthat uproar, the Dhritarashtras, with their well-wishers, became\nterrified,--'These leonine shouts are not causeless!'--thought they, and\nwaited (for what would ensue). O thou of mighty arms, an uproarious din\nthen arose amongst the Kauravas, of their elephants and steeds and\ninfantry. And a terrible rattle was also heard of their cars.--'Having\nheard of the death of Abhimanyu, Dhananjaya, deeply afflicted will in\nwrath come out in the night for battle!'--Thinking even thus, they waited\n(ready for battle). While preparing themselves, O thou of eyes like\nlotus-petals, they then learnt truly the vow about the slaughter of the\nruler of the Sindhus, made by thee that art wedded to truth.[128] Then\nall the counsellors of Suyodhana became heartless and frightened like\nlittle animals. As regards king Jayadratha, that ruler of the Sindhus and\nthe Sauviras, overwhelmed with grief and becoming thoroughly cheerless he\nstood up and entered his own tent with all his counsellors. Having\nconsulted (with them) about every remedy that could benefit him at a time\nwhen he stood in need of consultation, he proceeded to the assembly of\nthe (allied) kings and there said these words unto Suyodhana--'Dhananjaya\nthinking me to be the slayer of his son, will tomorrow encounter me in\nbattle! He hath, in the midst of his army, vowed to slay me! That vow of\nSavyasachin the very gods and Gandharvas and Asuras and Uragas and\nRakshasas cannot venture to frustrate! Protect me, therefore, ye all in\nbattle! Let not Dhananjaya, placing his foot on your head, succeed in\nhitting the mark! Let proper arrangements be made in respect of this\nmatter! Or, if, O delighter of the Kurus, you think that you will not\nsucceed in protecting me in battle, grant me permission then, O king, so\nthat I may return home!' Thus addressed (by Jayadratha), Suyodhana became\ncheerless and sat, hanging down his head. Ascertaining that Jayadratha\nwas in a great fright, Suyodhana began to reflect in silence. Beholding\nthe Kuru king to be greatly afflicted, king Jayadratha, the ruler of the\nSindhus, slowly said these words having a beneficial reference to\nhimself--'I do not behold here that bowman of superior energy who can\nbaffle with his arms the weapons of Arjuna in great battle! Who, even if\nit be Satakratu himself, will stay in front of Arjuna having Vasudeva for\nhis ally, while wielding the bow Gandiva? It is heard that lord Maheswara\nhimself of supreme energy had been encountered, before this, by Partha on\nfoot, on the mountains of Himavat! Urged by the chief of the celestials,\nhe slew on a single car, a thousand Danavas dwelling in Hiranyapura! That\nson of Kunti is now allied with Vasudeva of great intelligence. I think\nthat he is competent to destroy the three worlds including the very gods.\nI wish that you will either grant me permission (to leave the field for\nmy home) or that the high-souled and heroic Drona with his son will\nprotect me! Or, I would await thy pleasure!'--O Arjuna, (thus addressed by\nJayadratha) king Suyodhana humbly beseeched the preceptor in this\nmatter.[129] All remedial measures have been adopted. Cars and steeds\nhave been arranged. Karna and Bhurisravas, and Drona's son, and the\ninvincible Vrishasena, and Kripa, and the ruler of the Madras, these six\nwill be in (Jayadratha's) van. Drona will form an array half of which\nwill be a Sakata[130] and half a lotus. In the middle of the leaves of\nthat lotus will be a needle-mouthed array. Jayadratha, that ruler of the\nSindhus, difficult of being conquered in battle, will take his stand, by\nit, protected by heroes! In (the use of) the bow, in weapons, in prowess,\nin strength, and also in lineage, those six car-warriors, O Partha are\nwithout doubt, exceedingly difficult of being borne. Without first\nvanquishing those six car-warriors, access to Jayadratha will not to be\nhad. Think, O Arjuna, of the prowess of each of those six, O tiger among\nmen, when united together, they are not capable of being easily\nvanquished! We should, therefore, once again, take counsel with\nwell-wishing counsellors, conversant with policy, for our benefit and for\nthe success of our object!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVI\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"These six car-warriors of the Dhritarashtra army whom thou\nregardest to be so strong their (united) energy, I think is not equal to\neven half of mine! Thou shalt see, O slayer of Madhu, the weapons of all\nthese cut off and baffled by me when I go against them for slaying\nJayadratha! In the very sight of Drona and all his men, I will fell the\nhead of the ruler of the Sindhus, on the earth, beholding which they will\nindulge in lamentations. If the Siddhas, the Rudras, the Vasus, with the\nAswins, the Maruts with Indra (at their head) the Viswadevas with other\ngods, the Pitris, the Gandharvas, Garuda, the Ocean, the mountains, the\nfirmament, Heaven, Earth, the point of the compass (cardinal and\nsubsidiary), and the regents of those points, all the creatures that are\ndomestic and all that are wild, in fact if all the mobile and the\nimmobile beings together, become the protectors of the ruler of the\nSindhus, yet, O slayer of Madhu, shalt thou behold Jayadratha slain by me\ntomorrow in battle with my arrows! O Krishna, I swear by Truth, I touch\nmy weapons (and swear by them), that I shall, O Kesava, at the very\noutset, encounter that Drona, that mighty bowman, who hath become the\nprotector of that sinful wretch Jayadratha! Suyodhana thinks that this\ngame (of battle) resteth on Drona! Therefore, piercing through the very\nvan commanded by Drona himself, I shall get at Jayadratha! Thou shalt\ntomorrow behold the mightiest of bowmen riven by me in battle by means of\nmy shafts endued with fierce energy, like summits of a hill riven by the\nthunder. Blood shall flow (in torrents) from the breasts of fallen men\nand elephants and steeds, split open by whetted shafts falling fast upon\nthem! The shafts shot from Gandiva, fleet as the mind or the wind, will\ndeprive thousands of men and elephants and steeds of life! Men will\nbehold in tomorrow's battle those weapons which I have obtained from Yama\nand Kaurva and Varuna and Indra and Rudra! Thou shalt behold in\ntomorrow's battle the weapons of all those who come to protect the ruler\nof the Sindhus, baffled by me with my Brahma weapon! Thou shalt in\ntomorrow's battle, O Kesava, behold the earth strewn by me with the heads\nof kings cut off by the force of my shafts! (Tomorrow) I shall gratify\nall cannibals, rout the foe, gladden my friends, and crush the ruler of\nthe Sindhus! A great offender, one who hath not acted like a relative,\nborn in a sinful country, the ruler of the Sindhu, slain by me, will\nsadden his own. Thou shalt behold that ruler of the Sindhus, of sinful\nbehaviour, and brought up in every luxury, pierced by me with my shafts!\nOn the morrow, O Krishna, I shall do that which shall make Suyodhana\nthink that there is no other bowman in the world who is equal to me! My\nGandiva is a celestial bow! I myself am the warrior, O bull among men!\nThou, O Hrishikesa, art the charioteer! What is that I will not be able\nto vanquish? Through thy grace, O holy one, what is there unattainable by\nme in battle? Knowing my prowess to be incapable of being resisted, why,\nO Hrishikesa, dost thou yet rebuke me? As Lakshmi is ever present in\nSoma, as water is ever present in the Ocean, know this, O Janardana,\nthat even so is my vow ever accomplished! Do not think lightly of my\nweapons! Do not think lightly of my tough bow! Do not think lightly of\nthe might of my arms! Do not think lightly of Dhananjaya! I shall go to\nbattle in such a way that I shall truly win and not lose! When I have\nvowed it, know that Jayadratha hath already been slain in battle! Verily,\nin the Brahmana is truth; verily, in the righteous is humility; verily,\nin sacrifice is prosperity; verily, in Narayana is victory!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued,--'Having said these words unto Hrishikesa, the son of\nVasudeva, having himself said so unto his own self, Arjuna in a deep\nvoice, once more addressed lord Kesava, saying--\"Thou shouldst, O Krishna,\nso act that my car may be well equipt as soon as this night dawns, since\ngrave is the task that is at hand!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Both Vasudeva and Dhananjaya, afflicted with sorrow and\ngrief and frequently sighing like two snakes, got no sleep that night.\nUnderstanding that both Nara and Narayana were in rage, the gods with\nVasava became very anxious thinking, \"What will come of it?\" Fierce\nwinds, that were again dry and foreboded danger, began to blow. And a\nheadless trunk and a mace appeared on the disc of the sun. And although\nit was cloudless, frequent thunders were heard, of loud report, mixed\nwith flashes of lightning. The earth with her mountains and waters and\nforests, shook. The seas, those habitation of Makaras, swelled O king, in\nagitation. The rivers ran in directions opposite to their usual course.\nThe nether and upper lips of car-warriors and steeds and men and\nelephants began to tremble. And as if for gladdening the cannibals, on\nthat occasion foreboding a great accession of population to the domain of\nYama, the animals (on the field) began to eject urine and excreta, and\nutter loud cries of woe. Beholding these fierce omens that made the hair\nstand on end, and hearing also of the fierce vow of the mighty Arjuna,\nall thy warriors, O bull of Bharata's race became exceedingly agitated.\nThen the mighty-armed son of Pakasasana said unto Krishna. \"Go, and\ncomfort thy sister Subhadra with her daughter-in-law. And, O Madhava, let\nalso that daughter-in-law, and her companions, be comforted by thee; O\nlord, comfort them with soothing words that are again fraught with\ntruth.\" Thus addressed, Vasudeva, with a cheerless heart, wending to\nArjuna's abode, began to comfort his sorrowing sister afflicted with\ngrief on account of the death of her son.'\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"O lady of Vrishni's race, do not grieve, with thy\ndaughter-in-law, for thy son, O timid one, all creatures have but one end\nordained by Time. The end thy son hath met with--that becometh a hero of\nproud lineage, especially who is a Kshatriya. Do not, therefore, grieve.\nBy good luck it is that mighty car-warrior of great wisdom, of prowess\nequal to that of his father, hath, after the Kshatriya custom, met with\nan end that is coveted by heroes. Having vanquished numberless foes and\ndespatched them unto Yama's presence, he hath himself repaired to those\neternal regions, that grant the fruition of every wish, and that are for\nthe righteous. Thy son hath attained that end which the righteous attain\nby penance, by Brahmacharya, by knowledge of the scriptures, and by\nwisdom. The mother of a hero, the wife of a hero, the daughter of a hero,\nand a kinsman of heroes, O amiable one, grieve not thou for thy son who\nhath obtained the supreme end. The wretched ruler of the Sindhus, O\nbeautiful lady, that murderer of a child, that perpetrator of a sinful\nact, shall, with his friends and kinsmen, obtain the fruit of this\narrogance of his on the expiry of this night. Even if he enters the abode\nof Indra himself he will not escape from the hands of Partha. Tomorrow\nthou shalt hear that the head of the Sindhus hath, in battle, been cut\noff from his trunk to roll on the outskirts of Samantapanchaka! Dispel\nthy sorrow, and do not grieve. Keeping the duties of a Kshatriya before\nhim, thy brave son hath attained the end of the righteous, that end,\nviz., which we here expect to obtain as also others that bear arms as a\nprofession. Of broad chest, mighty arms, unreturning, a crusher of\ncar-warriors, thy son, O beautiful lady, hath gone to heaven. Drive away\nthis fever (of thy heart). Obedient to his sires and maternal relations,\nthat heroic and mighty car-warrior of great prowess hath fallen a prey\nto death, after having slain thousands of foes, comfort thy\ndaughter-in-law, O queen! Do not grieve too much, O Kshatriya lady!\nDrive away thy grief, O daughter, as thou shalt hear such agreeable news\non the morrow. That which Partha hath vowed must be accomplished. It\ncannot be otherwise. That which is sought to be done by thy husband can\nnever remain unaccomplished. Even if all human beings and snakes and\nPisachas and all the wanderers of the night and birds, and all the gods\nand the Asuras, help the ruler of the Sindhus on the field of battle; he\nshall still, with them, cease to exist tomorrow.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of the high-souled Kesava, Subhadra,\nafflicted with grief on account of the death of her son, began to indulge\nin these piteous lamentations: \"Oh, son of my wretched self, O thou that\nwast in prowess equal to thy father, O child, how couldst thou perish,\ngoing to battle! Alas, how doth that face of thine which resembleth the\nblue lotus and is graced with beautiful teeth and excellent eyes, now\nseem, now that, O child, it is covered with battle's dust! Without doubt,\nthee so brave and unreturning, thee fallen on the field, with beautiful\nhead and neck and arms, with broad chest, low belly, thy limbs decked\nwith ornaments, thee that art endued with beautiful eyes, thee that art\nmangled with weapon wounds, thee all creatures are, without doubt,\nbeholding as the rising moon! Alas, thou whose bed used to be overlaid\nwith the whitest and costliest sheets, alas, deserving as thou art of\nevery luxury, how dost thou sleep today on the bare earth, thy body\npierced with arrows? That hero of mighty arms who used of old to be\nwaited upon by the foremost of beautiful women, alas, how can he, fallen\non the field of battle, pass his time now in the company of jackals! He\nwho of old was praised with hymns by singers and bards and panegyrists,\nalas, he is today greeted by fierce and yelling cannibals and beasts of\nprey. By whom, alas, hast thou been helplessly slain when thou hadst the\nPandavas, O lord, and all the Panchalas, for thy protectors? Oh son, O\nsinless one, I am not yet gratified with looking at thee. Wretched as I\nam, it is evident that I shall have to go to Yama's abode. When again\nshall I cast my eyes on that face of thine, adorned, with large eyes and\nbeautiful locks that smooth face without pimples, from which sweet words\nand exquisite fragrance constantly issued? Fie on the strength of\nBhimasena, on the bowmanship of Partha, on the prowess of the Vrishni\nheroes, and the might of the Panchalas! Fie on the Kaikeyas, the Chedis,\nthe Matsyas, and the Srinjayas, they that could not protect thee, O hero,\nwhile engaged in battle! I behold the earth today to be vacant and\ncheerless. Without seeing my Abhimanyu, my eyes are troubled with\naffliction. Thou wast the sister's son of Vasudeva, the son of the\nwielder of Gandiva, and thyself, a hero and an Atiratha. Alas, how shall\nI behold the slain! Alas, O hero, thou hast been to me like a treasure in\na dream that is seen and lost. Oh, every thing human is as transitory as\na bubble of water. This thy young wife is overwhelmed with grief on\naccount of the evil that hath befallen thee. Alas, how shall I comfort\nher who is even like a cow without her calf! Alas, O son, thou hast\nprematurely fled from me at a time when thou wast about to bear fruit of\ngreatness, although I am longing for a sight of thee. Without doubt, the\nconduct of the Destroyer cannot be understood even by the wise, since\nalthough thou hast Kesava for thy protector, thou wast yet slain, as if\nthou wast perfectly helpless. O son, let that end be thine which is\ntheirs that perform sacrifices and theirs that are Brahmanas of purified\nsoul, and theirs that have practised Brahmacharya, and theirs that have\nbathed in sacred waters, and theirs that are grateful and charitable and\ndevoted to the service of their preceptors, and theirs that have made\nsacrificial presents in profusion. That end which is theirs that are\nbrave and unretreating while engaged in battle, or theirs that have\nfallen in battle, having slain their foes, let that end be thine. That\nauspicious end which is theirs that have given away a thousand kine, or\ntheirs that have given away in sacrifices, or theirs that give away\nhouses and mansions agreeable to the recipients, that end which is theirs\nthat give away gems and jewels to deserving Brahmanas, or theirs that are\npunishers of crime, O, let that end be thine. That end which is attained\nby Munis of rigid vows by Brahmacharya, or that which is attained by\nthose women that adhere to but one husband, O son, let that end be thine.\nThat eternal end which is attained by kings by means of good behaviour,\nor by those persons that have cleansed themselves by leading, one after\nanother, all the four modes of life, and through due observance of their\nduties, that end which is theirs that are compassionate to the poor and\nthe distressed, or theirs that equitably divide sweets amongst themselves\nand their dependants, or theirs that are never addicted to deceit and\nwickedness, O son, let that end be thine! That end which is theirs that\nare observant of vows, or theirs that are virtuous, or theirs that are\ndevoted to the service of preceptors, or theirs that have never sent away\na guest unentertained, O son, let that end be thine. That end which is\ntheirs that succeed in distress and the most difficult straits in\npreserving the equanimity of their souls, however much scorched they\nmight be by the fire of grief, O son, let that end be thine. O son, let\nthat end be thine which is theirs that are always devoted to the service\nof their fathers and mothers, or theirs that are devoted to their own\nwives only. O son, let that end be thine which is attained by those wise\nmen who, restraining themselves from the wives of others, seek the\ncompanionship of only their own wives in season. O son, let that end be\nthine which is theirs that look upon all creatures with an eye of peace,\nor theirs that never give pain to others, or theirs that always forgive.\nO son, let that end be thine which is theirs that abstain from honey,\nmeat, wine, pride and untruth, or theirs that have refrained from giving\npain to others. Let that goal be thine which they attain that are modest,\nacquainted with all the scriptures, content with knowledge, and have\ntheir passions under control.\"\n\n\"'And while cheerless Subhadra, afflicted with grief, was indulging in\nsuch lamentations, the princess of Panchala (Draupadi), accompanied by\nVirata's daughter (Uttara), came to her. All of them, in great grief,\nwept copiously and indulged in heart-rending lamentations. And like\npersons reft of reason by sorrow, they fainted away and fell down on the\nearth. Then Krishna, who stood, ready with water, deeply afflicted,\nsprinkled it over his weeping, unconscious and trembling sister, pierced\nin her very heart, and comforting her, said what should be said on such\nan occasion. And the lotus-eyed one said, \"Grieve not, O Subhadra! O\nPanchali, console Uttara! Abhimanyu, that bull among Kshatriyas, hath\nobtained the most laudable goal. O thou of beautiful face, let all the\nother men yet alive in our race obtain that goal which Abhimanyu of great\nfame hath obtained. Ourselves with all our friends, wish to achieve, in\nthis battle, that feat, the like of which, O lady, thy son, that mighty\ncar-warrior, hath achieved without any assistance.\" Having consoled his\nsister and Draupadi and Uttara thus, that chastiser of foes, viz., the\nmighty-armed (Krishna), returned to Partha's side. Then Krishna, saluting\nthe kings, friends and Arjuna, entered the inner apartments of the\n(latter's) tent while those kings also repaired to respective abodes.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXIX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then lord Kesava, of eyes like lotus-petals, having\nentered the unrivalled mansion of Arjuna, touched water, and spread (for\nArjuna) on the auspicious and even floor an excellent bed of Kusa blades\nthat were of the hue of the lapis lazuli. And keeping excellent weapons\naround that bed, he adorned it duly with garlands of flowers and fried\npaddy, perfumes and other auspicious articles. And after Partha (also)\nhad touched water, meek and submissive attendants brought the usual\nnightly sacrifice to the Three-eyed (Mahadeva). Then Partha, with a\ncheerful soul, having smeared Madhava with perfumes and adorned with\nfloral garlands, presented unto Mahadeva the nightly offering.[131] Then\nGovinda, with a faint smile, addressed Partha, saying, \"Blessed be thou,\nO Partha, lay thyself down, I leave thee.\" Placing door-keepers then, and\nalso sentinels well-armed, blessed Kesava, followed by (his charioteer)\nDaruka, repaired to his own tent. He then laid himself down on his white\nbed, and thought of diverse measures to be adopted. And the illustrious\none (Kesava) of eyes like lotus petals, began for Partha's sake, to think\nof various means that would dispel (Partha's) grief and anxiety and\nenhance his prowess and splendour. Of soul wrapt in yoga, that Supreme\nLord of all, viz., Vishnu of wide-spread fame, who always did what was\nagreeable to Jishnu, desirous of benefiting (Arjuna), lapsed into yoga,\nand meditation. There was none in the Pandava camp who slept that night.\nWakefulness possessed every one, O monarch. And everybody (in the Pandava\ncamp) thought of this, viz.,--\"The high-souled wielder of Gandiva, burning\nwith grief for the death of his son, hath suddenly vowed the slaughter of\nthe Sindhus. How, indeed, will that slayer of hostile heroes, that son of\nVasava, that mighty-armed warrior, accomplish his vow? The high-souled\nson of Pandu hath, indeed made a most difficult resolve. King Jayadratha\nis endued with mighty energy. Oh, let Arjuna succeed in fulfilling his\nvow. Difficult is that vow which he, afflicted with grief on account of\nhis son, hath made. Duryodhana's brothers are all possessed of great\nprowess. His forces also are countless. The son of Dhritarashtra hath\nassigned all these to Jayadratha (as his protectors). Oh, let Dhananjaya\ncome back (to the camp), having slain the ruler of the Sindhus in battle.\nVanquishing his foes, let Arjuna accomplish his vow. If he fails to slay\nthe ruler of the Sindhus tomorrow, he will certainly enter into blazing\nfire. Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, will not falsify his oath. If Arjuna\ndies, how will the son of Dharma succeed in recovering his kingdom?\nIndeed, (Yudhishthira) the son of Pandu hath reposed (all his hopes of)\nvictory of Arjuna. If we have achieved any (religious) merit, if we have\never poured libations of clarified butter into fire, let Savyasachin,\naided by the fruits thereof, vanquish all his foes.\" Thus talking, O\nlord, with one another about the victory (of the morrow), that long\nnight, O king, of theirs, at last, passed away. In the middle of the\nnight, Janardana, having awaked, remembered Partha's vow, and addressing\n(his charioteer) Daruka, said, \"Arjuna, in grief for the death of his\nson, hath vowed, O Daruka, that before tomorrow's sun goes down he will\nslay Jayadratha. Hearing of this, Duryodhana will assuredly take counsel\nwith his counsellors, about how Partha may fail to achieve his object.\nHis several Akshauhinis of troops will protect Jayadratha. Fully\nconversant with the ways of applying all weapons, Drona also, with his\nson, will protect him. That matchless hero, the Thousand-eyed (Indra\nhimself), that crusher of the pride of Daityas and Danavas cannot venture\nto slay him in battle who is protected by Drona. I, therefore, will do\nthat tomorrow by which Arjuna, the son of Kunti, may slay Jayadratha\nbefore the sun sets. My wives, my kinsmen, my relatives, none amongst\nthese is dearer to me than Arjuna. O Daruka, I shall not be able to cast\nmy eyes, even for a single moment, on the earth bereft of Arjuna. I tell\nthee, the earth shall not be reft to Arjuna. Myself vanquishing them all\nwith their steeds and elephants by putting forth my strength for the sake\nof Arjuna, I will slay them with Karna and Suyodhana. Let the three\nworlds tomorrow behold my prowess in great battle, when I put forth my\nvalour, O Daruka, for Dhananjaya's sake. Tomorrow thousands of kings and\nhundreds of princes, with their steeds and cars and elephants, will, O\nDaruka, fly away from battle. Thou shalt tomorrow, O Daruka, behold that\narmy of kings overthrown and crushed with my discus, by myself in wrath\nfor the sake of the son of Pandu. Tomorrow the (three) worlds with the\ngods, the Gandharvas, the Pisachas, the Snakes, and the Rakshasas, will\nknow me as a (true) friend of Savyasachin. He that hateth him, hateth me.\nHe that followeth him, followeth me. Thou hast intelligence. Know that\nArjuna is half of myself. When morning comes after the expiry of this\nnight, thou, O Daruka, equipping my excellent car according to the rules\nof military science, must bring it and follow me with it carefully,\nplacing on it my celestial mace called Kaumodaki, my dart and discus, bow\nand arrows, and every other thing necessary. O Suta, making room on the\nterrace of my car for my standard and for the heroic Garuda thereon, that\nadorns my umbrella, and yoking thereto my foremost of steeds named\nValahaka and Meghapushpa and Saivya and Sugriva, having cased them in\ngolden mail of the splendour of the sun and fire, and thyself putting on\nthy armour, stay on it carefully. Upon hearing the loud and terrible\nblast of my conch Panchajanya emitting the shrill Rishava note,[132] thou\nwilt come quickly to me. In course of a single day, O Daruka, I shall\ndispel the wrath and the diverse woes of my cousin, the son of my\npaternal aunt. By every means shall I strive so that Vibhatsu in battle\nmay slay Jayadratha in the very sight of the Dhartarashtras. O\ncharioteer, I tell thee that Vibhatsu will certainly succeed in slaying\nall these for whose slaughter he will strive.\"\n\n\"'Daruka said, \"He is certain to have victory whose charioteership, O\ntiger among men, hath been taken by thee. Whence, indeed, can defeat come\nto him? As regards myself, I will do that which thou hast commanded me to\ndo. This night will bring (on its train) the auspicious morn for Arjuna's\nvictory.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Kunti's son, Dhananjaya, of inconceivable prowess\nthinking of how to accomplish his vow, recollected the mantras (given to\nhim by Vyasa). And soon he was lulled in the arms of sleep. Unto that\nape-bannered hero, burning with grief and immersed in thought, Kesava,\nhaving Garuda on his banner, appeared in a dream. Dhananjaya of righteous\nsoul, in consequence of his love and veneration for Kesava, never omitted\nunder any circumstances to stand up and advance a few steps for receiving\nKrishna. Rising up, therefore, now (in his dream), he gave unto Govinda a\nseat. He himself, however, at that time, did not set his heart upon\ntaking his seat. Then Krishna, of mighty energy, knowing the resolution\nof Partha, said, while seated, unto the son of Kunti, these words while\nthe latter was standing: \"Do not set thy heart, O Partha, on grief. Time\nis unconquerable. Time forceth all creatures into the inevitable course.\nO foremost of men what for is this grief of thine? Grief should not be\nindulged in, O foremost of learned persons! Grief is an impediment to\naction. Accomplish that act which should be accomplished. The grief that\nmaketh a person forgo all efforts is, indeed, O Dhananjaya, an enemy of\nthat person. A person, by indulging in grief, gladdens his foes and\nsaddens his friends, while the person is himself weakened. Therefore, it\nbehoveth thee not to grieve.\" Thus addressed by Vasudeva, the\nunvanquished Vibhatsu of great learning then said these words of grave\nimport: \"Grave is the vow that I have made about the slaughter of\nJayadratha. Even tomorrow I shall slay that wicked wretch, that slayer of\nmy son. Even this hath been my vow, O Kesava! For frustrating my vow,\nJayadratha, protected by all the mighty car-warriors, will be kept in\ntheir rear by the Dhartarashtras. Their force, number, consists, O\nMadhava, of remnant, after slaughter, of eleven Akshauhinis of troops,\ndifficult of being vanquished. Surrounded in battle as he will be by all\nof them and by all the great car-warriors, how shall he obtain a sight, O\nKrishna, of the wicked ruler of the Sindhus? My vow will not be\naccomplished, O Kesava! How can a person like me live, having failed to\naccomplish his vow? O hero, the non-accomplishment is evident of this (my\nvow which to me is a) source of great grief. (At this season of the\nyear), I tell thee that the sun setteth quickly.\" The bird-bannered\nKrishna hearing this cause of Partha's grief, touched water and sat with\nface turned to the east. And then that hero, of eyes like lotus leaves,\nand possessed of great energy, said these words for the benefit of\nPandu's son who had resolved upon the slaughter of the ruler of the\nSindhus, \"O Partha, there is an indestructible, supreme weapon of the\nname of Pasupata. With it the god Maheswara slew in battle all the\nDaityas! If thou rememberest it now, thou shalt then be able to slay\nJayadratha tomorrow. If it is unknown to thee (now), adore within thy\nheart the god having the bull for his mark. Thinking of that god in thy\nmind, remember him, O Dhananjaya! Thou art his devotee. Through his grace\nthou shalt obtain that rich possession.\" Hearing these words of Krishna,\nDhananjaya, having touched water, sat on the earth with concentrated mind\nand thought of the god Bhava. After he had thus sat with rapt mind at\nthat hour called Brahma of auspicious indications, Arjuna saw himself\njourneying through the sky with Kesava. And Partha, possessed of the\nspeed of the mind, seemed to reach, with Kesava, the sacred foot of\nHimavat and the Manimat mountain abounding in many brilliant gems and\nfrequented by Siddhas and Charanas. And the lord Kesava seemed to have\ncaught hold of his left arm. And he seemed to see many wonderful sights\nas he reached (those place). And Arjuna of righteous soul then seemed to\narrive at the White mountain on the north. And then he beheld, in the\npleasure-gardens of Kuvera the beautiful lake decked with lotuses. And he\nalso saw that foremost of rivers, viz., the Ganga full of water. And then\nhe arrived at the regions about the Mandara mountains. Those regions were\ncovered with trees that always bore blossoms and fruits. And they\nabounded with stones lying scattered about, that were all transparent\ncrystal. And they were inhabited by lions and tigers and abounded with\nanimals of diverse kinds. And they were adorned with many beautiful\nretreats of ascetics, echoing with the sweet notes of delightful\nwarblers. And they resounded also with the songs of Kinnaras. Graced with\nmany golden and silver peaks, they were illumined with diverse herbs and\nplants. And many Mandara trees with their pretty loads of flowers,\nadorned them. And then Arjuna reached the mountains called Kala that\nlooked like a mound of antimony. And then he reached the summit called\nBrahmatunga, and then many rivers, and then many inhabited provinces. And\nhe arrived at Satasinga, and the woods known by the name of Sharyati. And\nthen he beheld the sacred spot known as the Horse-head, and then the\nregion of Atharvana. And then he beheld that prince of mountains called\nVrishadansa, and the great Mandara, abounding in Apsaras, and graced with\nthe presence of the Kinnaras. And roaming on that mountain, Partha, with\nKrishna, beheld a spot of earth adorned with excellent fountains, decked\nwith golden mineral, and possessed of the splendour of the lunar rays,\nand having many cities and towns. And he also beheld many seas of\nwonderful forms and diverse mines of wealth. And thus going through the\nsky and firmament and the earth, he reached the spot called Vishnupada.\nAnd wandering, with Krishna in his company, he came down with great\nvelocity, like a shaft shot (from a bow). And soon Partha beheld a\nblazing mountain whose splendour equalled that of the planets, the\nconstellations, or fire. And arrived at that mountain, he beheld on its\ntop, the high-souled god having the bull for his mark, and ever engaged\nin ascetic penances, like a thousand suns collected together, and blazing\nwith his own effulgence. Trident in hand, matted locks on the head, of\nsnow-white colour, he was robed in bark and skin. Endued with great\nenergy, his body seemed to be flaming with a thousand eyes. And he was\nseated with Parvati and many creatures of brilliant forms (around him).\nAnd his attendants were engaged in singing and playing upon musical\ninstruments, in laughing and dancing, in moving and stretching their\nhands, and in uttering loud shouts. And the place was perfumed with\nfragrant odours, and Rishis that worshipped Brahma adored with excellent\nhymns of unfading glory, that God who was the protector of all creatures,\nand wielded the (great) bow (called Pinaka). Beholding him, Vasudeva of\nrighteous soul, with Partha, touched the earth with his head, uttering\nthe eternal words of the Veda. And Krishna adored, with speech, mind,\nunderstanding, and acts, that God who is the first source of the\nuniverse, himself uncreate, the supreme lord of unfading glory: who is\nthe highest cause of the mind, who is space and the wind, who is the\ncause of all the luminous bodies (in the firmament), who is the creator\nof the rain, and the supreme, primordial substance of the earth, who is\nthe object of adoration, with the gods, the Danavas, the Yakshas, and\nhuman beings; who is the supreme Brahma that is seen by Yogins and the\nrefuge of those acquainted with Shastras, who is the creator of all\nmobile and immobile creatures, and their destroyer also; who is the Wrath\nthat burns everything at the end of the Yuga; who is the supreme soul;\nwho is the Sakra and Surya, and the origin of all attributes. And Krishna\nsought the protection of that Bhava, whom men of knowledge, desirous of\nattaining to that which is called the subtle and the spiritual, behold;\nthat uncreate one is the soul of all causes. And Arjuna repeatedly adored\nthat Deity, knowing that he was the origin of all creatures and the cause\nof the past, the future, and the present. Beholding those two, viz., Nara\nand Narayana arrived, Bhava of cheerful soul, smilingly said unto them,\n\"Welcome are ye, ye foremost of men! Rise up and let the fatigue of your\njourney be over. What, O heroes, is the desire in your heart? Let it be\nuttered quickly. What is the business that has brought you hither? I will\naccomplish it and do what would benefit you. I will grant everything ye\nmay desire.\" Hearing those words of the god, they both rose. And then\nwith joined hands, the faultless Vasudeva and Arjuna, both of great\nwisdom, began to gratify that high-souled deity with an excellent hymn.\nAnd Krishna and Arjuna said, \"We bow to Bhava, to Sarva, to Rudra, to the\nboon-giving deity. We bow to the lord of all creatures endued with life,\nto the god who is always fierce, to him who is called Kapardin! We bow to\nMahadeva, to Bhima, to the Three-eyed, to him who is peace and\ncontentment. We bow to Isana, to him who is the destroyer of (Daksha's)\nsacrifice. Let salutations be to the slayer of Andhaka, to the father of\nKumara, to him who is of blue throat, to him who is the creator. Let\nsalutation be to the wielder of Pinaka, to one worthy of the offer of\nlibations of clarified butter, to him who is truth, to him who is\nall-pervading. To him who is unvanquished! To him who is always of blue\nlocks, to him who is armed with the trident, to him who is of celestial\nvision! To him who is Hotri, to him who protects all, to him who is of\nthree eyes, to him who is disease, to him whose vital seed fell on fire!\nTo him who is inconceivable, to him who is the lord of Amvika, to him who\nis adored by all the gods! To him who hath the bull for his mark, to him\nwho is bold, to him who is of matted lock, to him who is a Brahmacharin!\nTo him who standeth as an ascetic in the water, to him who is devoted to\nBrahma, to him who hath never been conquered! To him who is the soul of\nthe universe, to him who is the creator of the universe, to him who\nliveth pervading the whole universe! We bow to thee that art the object\nof the reverence of all, to thee that art the original cause of all\ncreatures! To thee that art called Brahmachakra, to thee that art called\nSarva, Sankara, and Siva! We bow to thee that art the lord of all great\nbeings! We bow to thee that hast a thousand heads, to thee that hast a\nthousand arms, to thee that art called Death! To thee that hast a\nthousand eyes, a thousand legs! To thee whose acts are innumerable! We\nbow to thee whose complexion is that of gold, to thee that art cased in\ngolden mail, to thee that art ever compassionate to thy devotees! O lord,\nlet our wish be accomplished.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Having adored Mahadeva in these terms, Vasudeva with\nArjuna then began to gratify him for obtaining (the great) weapon (called\nPasupata).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then Partha, with a cheerful soul and joined hands and\neyes expanded (in wonder), gazed at the god having the bull for his mark\nand who was the receptacle of every energy. And he beheld the offerings\nhe made every night to Vasudeva lying by the side of the Three-eyed\ndeity. The son of Pandu then, mentally worshipping both Krishna and\nSarva, said unto the latter, \"I desire (to obtain) the celestial weapon.\"\nHearing these words of Partha desiring the boon he sought, god Siva\nsmilingly said unto Vasudeva and Arjuna, \"Welcome to you, ye foremost of\nmen! I know the wish cherished by you, and the business for which you\nhave come here. I will give you what you wish. There is a celestial lake\nfull of Amrita, not far from this place, ye slayers of foes! There were\nkept some time back, that celestial bow and arrow of mine. With them I\nslew in battle all the enemies of the gods. Bring hither, ye Krishna,\nthat excellent bow with arrow fixed on it.\" Hearing these words of Siva,\nVasudeva with Arjuna answered, \"So be it.\" And then accompanied by all\nthe attendants of Siva, those two heroes set out for that celestial lake\nwhich possessed hundreds of heavenly wonders, that sacred lake, capable\nof granting every object, which the god, having the bull for his mark,\nhad indicated to them. And unto that lake, the Rishis Nara and Narayana\n(viz., Arjuna and Vasudeva) went fearlessly. And having reached that\nlake, bright as the disc of the sun, Arjuna and Achyuta beheld within its\nwaters a terrible snake. And they beheld there another foremost of\nsnakes, that had a thousand heads. And possessed of the effulgence of\nfire, that snake was vomiting fierce flames. Then Krishna and Partha\nhaving touched water, joined their hands, and approached those snakes,\nhaving bowed unto the god having the bull for his mark. And as they\napproached the snakes, conversant as they were with the Vedas, they\nuttered the hundred stanzas of the Veda, to the praise of Rudra, bowing\nthe while with their sincere souls unto Bhava of immeasurable power. Then\nthose two terrible snakes, in consequence of the power of those\nadorations to Rudra, abandoned their snake-forms and assumed the forms of\na foe-killing bow and arrow. Gratified (with what they saw), Krishna and\nArjuna then seized that bow and arrow of great effulgence. And those\nhigh-souled heroes then brought them away and gave them unto the\nillustrious Mahadeva. Then from one of the sides of Siva's body there\ncame out a Brahmacharin of tawny eyes. And he seemed to be the refuge of\nasceticism. Of blue throat and red locks, he was endued with great might.\nTaking up that best of bows that Brahmacharin stood placing (both the bow\nand his feet properly). And fixing the arrow on the bowstring, he began\nto stretch the latter duly. Beholding the manner of his seizing the\nhandle of the bow and drawing the string and placing of his feet, and\nhearing also the Mantras uttered by Bhava, the son of Pandu, of\ninconceivable prowess, learnt everything duly. The mighty and puissant\nBrahmacharin then sped that arrow to that same lake. And he once more\nthrew that bow also in that self-same lake. Then Arjuna of good memory\nknowing that Bhava was gratified with him, and remembering also the boon\nthe latter had given him in the forest, and the sight also he gave him of\nhis person, mentally entertained the desire, \"Let all this become\nproductive of fruit!\" Understanding this to be his wish, Bhava, gratified\nwith him, gave him the boon. And the god also granted him the terrible\nPasupata weapon and the accomplishment of his vow. Then having thus once\nmore obtained the Pasupata weapon from the supreme god, the invincible\nArjuna, with hair standing on end, regarded his business to be already\nachieved. Then Arjuna and Krishna filled with joy, paid their adorations\nunto the great god by bowing their heads. And permitted by Bhava both\nArjuna and Kesava, those two heroes, almost immediately came back to\ntheir own camp, filled with transports of delight. Indeed, their joy was\nas great as that of Indra and Vishnu when those two gods, desirous of\nslaying Jambha, obtained the permission of Bhava that slayer of great\nAsuras.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'While Krishna and Daruka were thus conversing together,\nthat night, O king, passed away. (When morning dawned), king Yudhishthira\nrose from his bed. Paniswanikas and Magadhas and Madhuparkikas and Sutas,\ngratified that bull among men (with songs and music). And dancers began\ntheir dance, and sweet-voiced singers sang their sweet songs fraught with\nthe praises of the Kuru race. And skilled musicians, well-trained (in\ntheir respective instruments), played on Mridangas and Jharjharas and\nBheris, and Panavas, and Anakas, and Gomukhas, and Adamvaras, and conchs,\nand Dundubhis of loud sound, and diverse other instruments. That loud\nnoise, deep as the roar of the clouds, touched the very heavens. And it\nawoke that foremost of kings, viz., Yudhishthira, from his slumber.\nHaving slept happily on his excellent and costly bed, the king awoke.\n\n\"'And the monarch, rising from his bed, proceeded to the bath-room for\nperforming those acts that were absolutely necessary. Then a hundred and\neight servants, attired in white, themselves washed, and all young,\napproached the king with many golden jars filled to the brim. Seated at\nhis ease on a royal seat, attired in a thin cloth, the king bathed in\nseveral kinds of water fragrant with sandal-wood and purified with\nMantras. His body was rubbed by strong and well-trained servants with\nwater in which diverse kinds of medicinal herbs had been soaked. He then\nwashed with adhivasha water rendered fragrant by various odoriferous\nsubstances. Obtaining then a long piece of cloth (for the head) that was\nas white as the feathers of the swan, and that had been kept loose before\nhim, the king tied it round his head for drying the water. Smearing his\nbody then with excellent sandal-paste, and wearing floral garlands, and\naddressing himself in clean robes, the mighty-armed monarch sat with face\ntowards the east, and his hands joined together. Following the path of\nthe righteous, the son of Kunti then mentally said his prayers. And then\nwith great humility he entered the chamber in which the blazing fire (for\nworship) was kept. And having worshipped the fire with faggots of sacred\nwood and with libations of clarified butter sanctified with Mantras, he\ncame out of the chamber. Then that tiger among men, entering a second\nchamber, beheld there many bulls among Brahmanas well-acquainted with the\nVedas. And they were all self-restrained, purified by the study of the\nVedas and by vows. And all of them had undergone the bath on the\ncompletion of sacrifices performed by them. Worshippers of the Sun, they\nnumbered a thousand. And, besides them, there were also eight thousand\nothers of the same class. And the mighty-armed son of Pandu, having\ncaused them to utter, in distinct voices, agreeable benedictions, by\nmaking presents to them of honey and clarified butter and auspicious\nfruits of the best kind, gave unto each of them a nishka of gold, a\nhundred steeds decked with ornaments, and costly robes and such other\npresents as were agreeable to them. And making unto them presents also of\nkine yielding milk whenever touched, with calves and having their horns\ndecked with gold and their hoofs with silver, the son of Pandu\ncircumambulated them. And then seeing and touching Swastikas fraught with\nincrease of good fortune, and Nandyavartas made of gold, and floral\ngarlands, water-pots and blazing fire, and vessels full of sun-dried rice\nand other auspicious articles, and the yellow pigment prepared from the\nurine of the cow, and auspicious and well-decked maidens, and curds and\nclarified butter and honey, and auspicious birds and diverse other things\nheld sacred, the son of Kunti came into the outer chamber. Then, O\nmighty-armed one, the attendants waiting in that chamber brought an\nexcellent and costly seat of gold that was of a circular shape. Decked\nwith pearls and lapis lazuli, and overlaid with a very costly carpet over\nwhich was spread another cloth of fine texture, that seat was the\nhandiwork of the artificer himself. After the high-souled monarch had\ntaken his seat, the servants brought to him all his costly and bright\nornaments. The high-souled son of Kunti put on those begemmed ornaments,\nwhereupon his beauty became such as to enhance the grief of his foes. And\nwhen the servants began to fan him with white yak-tails of the bright\neffulgence of the moon and all furnished with handles of gold, the king\nlooked resplendent like a mass of clouds charged with lightning. And\nbards began to sing his praises, and panegyrists uttered his eulogies.\nAnd singers began to sing unto that delighter of Kuru's race, and in a\nmoment the voices of the panegyrists swelled into a loud noise. And then\nwas heard the clatter of car-wheels, and the tread of horse-hoofs. And in\nconsequence of that noise mingling with the tinkle of elephants' bells\nand the blare of conchs and the tread of men, the very earth seemed to\ntremble. Then one of the orderlies in charge of the doors, cased in mail,\nyouthful in years, decked with ear-rings, and his sword hanging by his\nside, entering the private apartment, knelt down on the ground, and\nsaluting with (a bend of) his head the monarch who deserved every\nadoration, represented unto that high-souled and royal son of Dharma that\nHrishikesa was waiting to be introduced. Then that tiger among men,\nhaving ordered his servants, \"Let an excellent seat and an Arghya be kept\nready for him,\" caused him of Vrishni's race to be introduced and seated\non a costly seat. And addressing Madhava with the usual enquiries of\nwelcome, king Yudhishthira the just duly worshipped Kesava.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then king Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, saluting\nDevaki's son Janardana, and cheerfully addressed him saying \"Hast thou\npassed the night happily, O slayer of Madhu? Are all thy perceptions\nclear, O thou of unfading glory?\" Vasudeva also made similar enquiries of\nYudhishthira. Then the orderly came and represented that the other\nKshatriya warriors were waiting to be introduced. Commanded by the king,\nthe man introduced that concourse of heroes, consisting of Virata and\nBhimasena and Dhrishtadyumna and Satyaki, and Dhrishtaketu, the ruler of\nthe Chedis, and the mighty car-warriors, Drupada, and Sikhandin, and the\ntwins (Nakula and Sahadeva), and Chekitana, and the ruler of the\nKalikayas, and Yuyutsu, of Kuru's race, and Uttamaujas of the Panchalas,\nand Yudhamanyu, and Suvahu, and the (five) sons of Draupadi. These and\nmany other Kshatriyas, approaching that high-souled bull among the\nKshatriyas, sat down on excellent seats. Those mighty and high-souled\nheroes of great splendour viz., Krishna and Yuyudhana, both sat on the\nsame seat. Then in the hearing of them all, Yudhishthira addressing the\nlotus-eyed slayer of Madhu, and said unto him these sweet words: \"Relying\non thee alone, we, like the celestial one, the deity of a thousand eyes,\nseek victory in battle and eternal happiness. Thou art aware, O Krishna,\nof the deprivation of our kingdom, our exile at the hands of the foe, and\nall our diverse woes. O lord of all, O thou that art compassionate unto\nthose that are devoted to thee, upon thee wholly rests the happiness of\nus all and our very existence, O slayer of Madhu! O thou of Vrishni's\nrace, do that by which my heart may ever rest on thee! Do also that, O\nLord, by which the proposed vow of Arjuna may be realised. O, rescue us\ntoday from this ocean of grief and rage. O Madhava, become thou today a\nboat unto us that are desirous of crossing (that ocean). The car-warriors\ndesirous of slaying the foe cannot, in battle, do that (for the success\nof his object) which, O Krishna, the car-driver can do, if he exerts\nhimself carefully. O Janardana, as thou always savest the Vrishnis in all\ncalamities, even so it behoveth thee to save us from this distress, O\nmighty-armed one! O bearer of the conch, discus, and mace, rescue the\nsons of Pandu sunk in the fathomless and boatless Kuru-ocean, by becoming\na boat unto them. I bow to thee, O God of the lord of the gods, O thou\nthat art eternal, O supreme Destroyer, O Vishnu, O Jishnu, O Hari, O\nKrishna, O Vaikuntha, O best of male beings! Narada described thee as\nthat ancient and best of Rishis (called Narayana) that giveth boons, that\nbeareth the bow Saranga, and that is the foremost of all. O Madhava, make\nthose words true.\" Thus addressed in the midst of that assembly by king\nYudhishthira the just, Kesava, that foremost of speakers, replied unto\nYudhishthira in a voice deep as that of clouds charged with rain, saying,\n\"In all the worlds including that of the celestials, there is no bowman\nequal to Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha! Possessed of great energy.\naccomplished in weapons, of great prowess and great strength, celebrated\nin battle, ever wrathful, and of great energy, Arjuna is the foremost of\nmen. Youthful in years, bull-necked, and of long arms, he is endued with\ngreat strength. Treading like a lion or a bull, and exceedingly beautiful\nhe will slay all thy foes. As regards myself, I will do that by which\nArjuna, the son of Kunti, may be able to consume the troops of\nDhritarashtra's son like a swelling conflagration. This very day, Arjuna\nwill, by his arrows despatch that vile wretch of sinful deeds, that\nslayer of Subhadra's son, (viz., Jayadratha), to that road from which no\ntraveller comes back. Today vultures and hawks and furious jackals and\nother carnivorous creatures will feed on his flesh. O Yudhishthira, if\neven all the gods with Indra become his protectors today, Jayadratha will\nstill, slain in the thick of battle, repair to Yama's capital. Having\nslain the ruler of the Sindhus, Jishnu will come to thee (in the\nevening). Dispel thy grief and the fever (of thy heart), O king, and be\nthou graced with prosperity.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'While Yudhishthira, Vasudeva, and others were thus\nconversing, Dhananjaya came there, desirous of beholding that foremost\none of Bharata's race, viz., the king, as also his friends and\nwell-wishers. After he had entered that auspicious chamber and having\nsaluted him duly, had taken its stand before the king, that bull among\nthe Pandavas, (viz., king Yudhishthira), rising up from his seat,\nembraced Arjuna with great affection. Smelling his head and embracing him\nwith his arms, the king blessed him heartily. And addressing him\nsmilingly, he said, \"It is evident, O Arjuna, that complete victory\ncertainly awaits thee in battle, judging from thy countenance (bright and\ncheerful as it is), and by the fact that Janardana is well-pleased with\nthee.\" Then Jishnu related unto him that highly wonderful incident,\nsaying, \"Blessed be thou, O monarch, I have, through Kesava's grace,\nbeheld something exceedingly wonderful.\" Then Dhananjaya related\neverything he had seen, about his meeting with the Three-eyed god, for\nassuring his friends. Then all the hearers, filled with wonder, bent\ntheir heads to the ground. And bowing unto the god having the bull for\nhis mark, they said, \"Excellent, Excellent!\" Then all the friends and\nwell-wishers (of the Pandavas), commanded by the son of Dharma, quickly\nand carefully proceeded to battle, their hearts filled with rage (against\nthe foe). Saluting the king, Yuyudhana and Kesava and Arjuna, cheerfully\nset out from Yudhishthira's abode. And those two invincible warriors,\nthose two heroes, viz., Yuyudhana, and Janardana, together proceeded on\nthe same car to Arjuna's pavilion. Arrived there, Hrishikesa, like a\ncharioteer (by profession), began to equip that car bearing the mark of\nthe prince of apes and belonging to that foremost of car-warriors (viz.,\nArjuna). And that foremost of cars, of the effulgence of heated gold, and\nof rattle resembling the deep roar of the clouds, equipped (by Krishna),\nshone brightly like the morning sun. Then that tiger among men, (viz.,\nVasudeva), clad in mail informed Partha, who had finished his morning\nprayers, of the fact that his car had been properly equipped. Then that\nforemost of men in this world, viz., the diadem-decked (Arjuna), clad in\ngolden armour, with his bow and arrows in hand, circumambulated that car.\nAnd adored and blessed with benedictions about victory by Brahmanas, old\nin ascetic penances and knowledge and years, ever engaged in the\nperformance of religious rites and sacrifices, and having their passions\nunder control, Arjuna then ascended that great car, that excellent\nvehicle, which had previously been sanctified with mantras capable of\ngiving victory in battle, like Surya of blazing rays ascending the\neastern mountain. And that foremost of car-warriors decked with gold, in\nconsequence of those golden ornaments of his, on his car like Surya of\nblazing splendour on the breast of Meru. After Partha, Yuyudhana and\nJanardana mounted on that car, like the twin Aswins riding the same car\nwith Indra while coming to the sacrifice of Saryati. Then Govinda, that\nforemost of charioteers, took the reins (of the steeds), like Matali\ntaking the reins of Indra's steeds, while the latter went to battle for\nslaying Vritra.[133] Mounted on that best of cars with those two friends,\nthat slayer of large bodies of foes, viz., Partha, proceeded for\nachieving the slaughter of the ruler of the Sindhus, like Soma rising (in\nthe firmament) with Budha and Sukra, for destroying the gloom of night,\nor like Indra proceeding with Varuna and Surya to the great battle (with\nthe Asuras) occasioned by the abduction of Taraka (the wife of\nVrihaspati). The bards and musicians gratified the heroic Arjuna, as he\nproceeded, with the sound of musical instruments and auspicious hymns of\ngood omen. And the voices of the panegyrists and the bards uttering\nbenedictions of victory and wishing good day, mingling with the sounds of\nmusical instruments, became gratifying to those heroes. And an auspicious\nbreeze, fraught with fragrance, blew from behind Partha, gladdening him\nand sucking up the energies of his foes. And at that hour, O king, many\nauspicious omens of various kinds appeared to view, indicating victory to\nthe Pandavas and defeat to thy warriors, O sire! Beholding those\nindications of victory, Arjuna, addressing the great bowman Yuyudhana on\nhis right, said these words: \"O Yuyudhana! in today's battle my victory\nseems to be certain, since O bull of Sini's race, all these (auspicious)\nomens are seen. I shall, therefore, go thither where the ruler of the\nSindhus waiteth for (the display of) my energy and in expectation of\nrepairing to the regions of Yama. Indeed, as the slaughter of the ruler\nof the Sindhus is one of my most imperative duties, even so is the\nprotection of king Yudhishthira the just another of my most imperative\nobligations. O thou of mighty arms, be thou today the king's protector.\nThou wilt protect him even as I myself protect him. I do not behold the\nperson in the world who would be able to vanquish thee. Thou art, in\nbattle, equal to Vasudeva himself. The chief of the celestials himself is\nunable to vanquish thee. Reposing this burden on thee, or on that mighty\ncar-warrior Pradyumna, I can, O bull among men, without anxiety slay the\nruler of the Sindhus. O thou of the Satwata race, no anxiety need be\nentertained on my account. With thy whole heart must thou protect the\nking. There where the mighty-armed Vasudeva stayeth, and where I myself\nstay, without doubt, the slightest danger to him or me can never befall.\"\nThus addressed by Partha, Satyaki, that slayer of hostile heroes, replied\nsaying, \"So be it.\" And then the latter proceeded to the spot where king\nYudhishthira was.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXV\n\n(Jayadratha-Vadha Parva)\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'After Abhimanyu's slaughter when the next day came,\nwhat did the Pandavas, afflicted with grief and sorrow do? Who amongst my\nwarriors fought with them? Knowing, as they did, the achievements of\nSavyasachin, O tell me, how the Kauravas could, having perpetrated such\na wrong, remain fearlessly. How could they in battle venture even to gaze\nat that tiger among men (viz., Arjuna), as he advanced like the\nall-destroying Death himself in fury, burning with grief on account of\nthe slaughter of his son? Beholding that warrior having the prince of\napes on his banner, that hero grieved on account of his son's death\nshaking his gigantic bow in battle, what did my warriors do? What, O\nSanjaya, hath befallen unto Duryodhana? A great sorrow hath overtaken us\ntoday. I do not any longer hear the sounds of joy. Those charming sounds,\nhighly agreeable to the ear, that were formerly heard in the abode of the\nSindhu king, alas those sounds are no longer heard today. Alas, in the\ncamp of my sons, the sounds of countless bards and panegyrists singing\ntheir praises, and of dances are no longer heard. Formerly, such sounds\nused to strike my ears incessantly. Alas, as they are plunged into grief\nI do not any longer hear those sounds uttered (in their camp). Formerly,\nO Sanjaya, while sitting in the abode of Somadatta who was devoted to\ntruth, I used to hear such delightful sounds. Alas, how destitute of\n(religious) merit I am, for I observe the abode of my sons today to be\nechoing with sounds of grief and lamentations and destitute of every\nnoise betokening life and energy. In the houses of Vivinsati, Durmukha,\nChitrasena, Vikarna, and other sons of mine, I do not hear the sounds I\nused to hear formerly. That great bowman, viz., the son of Drona, who was\nthe refuge of my sons, upon him Brahmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaisyas, and\na large number of disciples used to wait, who took pleasure day and night\nin controversial disputations, in talk, in conversation, in the stirring\nmusic of diverse instruments, and in various kinds of delightful songs,\nwho was worshipped by many persons among the Kurus, the Pandavas, and the\nSatwatas, alas, O Suta, in the abode of that son of Drona no sound can be\nheard as formerly. Singers and dancers used, in a large number, to wait\nclosely upon that mighty bowman, viz., the son of Drona. Alas, their\nsounds can no longer be heard in his abode. That loud noise which rose in\nthe camp of Vinda and Anuvinda every evening, alas, that noise is no\nlonger heard there. Not in the camp of the Kaikeyas can that loud sound\nof song and slapping of palms be heard today which their soldiers,\nengaged in dance and revelry, used to make. Those priests competent in\nthe performance of sacrifices who used to wait upon Somadatta's son, that\nrefuge of scriptural rites, alas, their sounds can no longer be heard.\nThe twang of the bowstring, the sounds of Vedic recitation, the whiz of\nlances and swords, and rattle of car-wheels, used incessantly to be heard\nin the abode of Drona. Alas, those sounds can no longer be heard there.\nThat swell of songs of diverse realms, that loud noise of musical\ninstruments, which used to arise there, alas, those can no longer be\nheard today. When Janardana of unfading glory came from Upaplavya,\ndesirous of peace, from compassion for every creature, I then, O Suta,\nsaid unto the wicked Duryodhana: \"Obtaining Vasudeva as the means, make\npeace with the Pandavas, O son! I think the time has come (for making\npeace). Do not, O Duryodhana, transgress my command. If thou settest\nVasudeva aside, who now begs thee for peace and addresses thee for my\ngood, victory thou wilt never have in battle. Duryodhana, however, did\nset aside him of Dasarha's race, that bull among all bowmen, who then\nspoke what was for Duryodhana's good. By this, he embraced what was\ncalamitous to himself. Seized by Death himself, that wicked-souled son of\nmine, rejecting my counsels, adopted those of Duhsasana and Karna. I\nmyself did not approve of the game of dice. Vidura did not approve of it.\nThe ruler of the Sindhus did not, nor Bhishma; nor Salya; nor\nBhurisravas; nor Purumitra; nor Jaya; nor Aswatthaman; nor Kripa; nor\nDrona, O Sanjaya! If my son had conducted himself according to the\ncounsels of these persons, he would then, with his kinsmen and friends\nhave lived for ever in happiness and peace. Of sweet and delightful\nspeech ever saying what is agreeable amid their kinsmen, high-born, loved\nby all, and possessed of wisdom, the sons of Pandu are sure to obtain\nhappiness. The man who casteth his eye on righteousness, always and\neverywhere obtaineth happiness. Such a man after death, winneth benefit\nand grace. Possessed of sufficient might, the Pandavas deserve to enjoy\nhalf the earth. The earth girt by the seas is as much their ancestral\npossession (as of the Kurus). Possessed of sovereignty, the Pandavas will\nnever deviate from the track of righteousness. O child, I have kinsmen to\nwhose voice the Pandavas will ever listen, such, for instance, as Salya,\nSomadatta, the high-souled Bhishma, Drona, Vikarna, Valhika, Kripa, and\nothers among the Bharatas that are illustrious and reverend in years. If\nthey speak unto them on thy behalf the Pandavas will certainly act\naccording to those beneficial recommendations. Or, who amongst these,\nthinkest thou, belongs to their party that will speak to them otherwise?\nKrishna will never abandon the path of righteousness. The Pandavas are\nall obedient to him. Words of righteousness spoken by myself also, those\nheroes will never disobey, for the Pandavas are all of righteous soul.\"\nPiteously lamenting, O Suta, I spoke these and many such words unto my\nson. Foolish as he is, he listened not to me! I think all this to be the\nmischievous influence of Time! There where Vrikodara and Arjuna are, and\nthe Vrishni hero, Satyaki, and Uttamaujas of the Panchalas, and the\ninvincible Yudhamanyu, and the irrepressible Dhrishtadyumna, and the\nunvanquished Sikhandin, the Asmakas, the Kekayas, and Kshatradharman of\nthe Somakas, the ruler of the Chedis, and Chekitana, and Vibhu, the son\nof the ruler of the Kasi, the sons of Draupadi, and Virata and the mighty\ncar-warrior Drupada, and those tigers among men viz., the twins (Nakula\nand Sahadeva), and the stayer of Madhu to offer counsel, who is there in\nthis world that would fight these, expecting to live? Who else, again, is\nthere, save Duryodhana, and Karna, and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, and\nDuhsasana as their fourth, for I do not see the fifth that would venture\nto resist my foes while the latter display their celestial weapons? They\nwho have Vishnu himself on their car, clad in mail and reins in hand,\nthey who have Arjuna for their warrior, they can never have defeat! Doth\nnot Duryodhana now recollect those lamentations of mine? The tiger among\nmen, Bhishma, thou hast said, has been slain. I think, beholding the\nfruits of the words uttered by the far-seeing Vidura, my sons are now\nindulging in lamentations! I think, beholding his army overwhelmed by\nSini's grandson and Arjuna, beholding the terraces of his cars empty, my\nsons are indulging in lamentations. As a swelling conflagration urged by\nthe winds consumes a heap of dry grass at the close of winter, even so\nwill Dhananjaya consume my troops. O Sanjaya, thou art accomplished in\nnarration. Tell me everything that transpired after the doing of that\ngreat wrong to Partha in the evening. When Abhimanyu was slain, what\nbecame the state of your minds? Having, O son, greatly offended the\nwielder of Gandiva, my warriors are incapable of bearing in battle his\nachievements. What measures were resolved upon by Duryodhana and what by\nKarna? What also did Duhsasana and Suvala's son do? O Sanjaya, O son,\nthat which has in battle befallen all my children assembled together, is\ncertainly due to the evil acts of the wicked Duryodhana, who followeth in\nthe path of avarice, who is of wicked understanding, whose judgment is\nperverted by wrath, who coveteth sovereignty, who is foolish, and who is\ndeprived of reason by anger. Tell me, O Sanjaya, what measures were then\nadopted by Duryodhana? Were they ill-judged or well-judged?'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'I will tell thee all, for everything hath been witnessed\nby me with my own eyes. Listen calmly. Great is thy fault. Even as an\nembankment is useless after the waters (of the field) have flowed away,\neven so, O king, are these lamentations of thine useless! O bull of\nBharata's race, do not grieve. Wonderful as are the decrees of the\nDestroyer, they are incapable of being transgressed. Do not grieve, O\nbull of Bharata's race, for this is not new. If thou hadst formerly\nrestrained Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, and thy sons also from the\nmatch at dice, this calamity then would never have overtaken thee. If,\nagain, when time for battle came, hadst thou restrained both the parties\ninflamed by wrath, this calamity then would never have overtaken thee.\nIf, again, hadst thou formerly urged the Kurus to slay the disobedient\nDuryodhana, then this calamity would never have overtaken thee. (If thou\nhadst done any of these acts), the Pandavas, the Panchalas, the Vrishnis,\nand the other kings would then have never known thy wrong-headedness. If,\nagain, doing thy duty as a father, thou hadst, by placing Duryodhana in\nthe path of righteousness, caused him to tread along it, then this\ncalamity would never have overtaken thee. Thou art the wisest man on\nearth. Forsaking eternal virtue, how couldst thou follow the counsels of\nDuryodhana and Karna and Sakuni? These lamentations of thine, therefore,\nO king, that I hear,--of thine that art wedded to (worldly) wealth, seem\nto me to be honey mixed with poison. O monarch, formerly Krishna did not\nrespect king Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu, or Drona, so much as he used\nto respect thee. When, however, he came to know thee as one fallen off\nfrom the duties of a king, since then Krishna hath ceased to regard thee\nwith respect. Thy sons had addressed various harsh speeches towards the\nsons of Pritha. Thou wast indifferent to those speeches then, O thou that\nwieldest sovereignty, unto thy sons. The consequence of that indifference\nof thine hath now overtaken thee. O sinless one, the ancestral\nsovereignty is now in danger. (If it is not so), obtain now the whole\nearth subjugated by the sons of Pritha.[134] The kingdom that the Kurus\nenjoy, as also their fame had been acquired by the Pandus. The virtuous\nsons of Pandu added to that kingdom and that fame. Those achievements,\nhowever, of theirs became (to them) barren of fruit as they came in\ncontact with thee, since they were deprived of even their ancestral\nkingdom by thy covetous self. Now, O king, when the battle has begun,\nthou censurest thy sons indicating diverse faults of theirs. This is\nscarcely becoming. The Kshatriyas, while fighting, do not take care of\ntheir very lives. Indeed, those bulls among Kshatriyas fight, penetrating\ninto the array of the Parthas. Who else, indeed, save the Kauravas, would\nventure to fight with that force which is protected by Krishna and\nArjuna, by Satyaki and Vrikodara? Them that have Arjuna for their\nwarrior, them that have Janardana for their counsellor, them that have\nSatyaki and Vrikodara for their protectors, what mortal bowman is there\nthat would dare fight with, save the Kauravas and those that are\nfollowing their lead? All that is capable of being achieved by friendly\nkings endued with heroism and observant of the duties of Kshatriyas, all\nthat is being done by the warriors on the Kauravas side. Listen now,\ntherefore, to everything that hath taken place in the terrible battle\nbetween those tigers among men viz., the Kurus and the Pandavas.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After that night had passed away, Drona, that foremost of\nall wielders of weapons, began to array all his divisions for battle.\nDiverse sounds were heard, O monarch of angry heroes shouting in wrath\nand desirous of slaying one another. And some stretched their bows, and\nsome rubbed with their hands their bow-strings. And drawing deep breaths,\nmany of them shouted, saying, \"Where is that Dhananjaya?\" And some began to\nthrow upwards (and again seize) their naked swords, unyielding,\nwell-tempered, of the colour of the sky, possessed of great sharpness,\nand furnished with beautiful hilts. And brave warriors, desirous of\nbattle, by thousands, were seen to perform the evolutions of swordmen and\nof bowmen, with skill acquired by practice. Some whirling their maces\ndecked with bells, smeared with sandal paste, and adorned with gold and\ndiamonds enquired after the sons of Pandu. Some intoxicated with the\npride of strength, and possessed of massive arms, obstructed the welkin\nwith their spiked clubs that resembled (a forest of flag) staff raised in\nhonour of Indra. Others, brave warriors all, adorned with beautiful\ngarlands of flowers, desirous of battle, occupied diverse portions of the\nfield, armed with diverse weapons. \"Where is Arjuna? Where is that\nGovinda? Where is proud Bhima? Where also are those allies of theirs?\"\nEven thus did they call upon them in battle. Then blowing his conch and\nhimself urging the horses to great speed, Drona moved about with great\ncelerity, arraying his troops. After all those divisions that delight in\nbattle had taken up their stations, Bharadwaja's son, O king, said these\nwords unto Jayadratha. \"Thyself, Somadatta's son, the mighty car-warrior\nKarna, Aswatthaman, Salya, Vrishasena and Kripa, with a hundred thousand\nhorse, sixty thousand cars, four and ten thousand elephants with rent\ntemples, one and twenty thousand foot-soldiers clad in mail take up your\nstation behind me at the distance of twelve miles. There the very gods\nwith Vasava at their head will not be able to attack thee, what need be\nsaid, therefore, of the Pandavas? Take comfort, O ruler of the Sindhus.\"\nThus addressed (by Drona), Jayadratha, the ruler of the Sindhus, became\ncomforted. And he proceeded to the spot indicated by Drona, accompanied\nby many Gandhara warriors, and surrounded by those great car-warriors,\nand with many foot-soldiers clad in mail, prepared to fight vigorously\nand armed with nooses. The steeds of Jayadratha, well-skilled in bearing\nor drawing were all, O monarch, decked with yak-tails and ornaments of\ngold. And seven thousand such steeds, and three thousand other steeds of\nthe Sindhu breed were with him.'\n\n\"'Thy son Durmarshana, desirous of doing battle, stationed himself at the\nhead of all the troops, accompanied by a thousand and five hundred\ninfuriated elephants of awful size clad in mail and of fierce deeds, and\nall ridden by well-trained elephant-riders. Thy two other sons, viz.,\nDuhsasana and Vikarna, took up their position amid the advance-divisions\nof the army, for the accomplishment of the objects of Jayadratha. The\narray that Bharadwaja's son formed, part Sakata and part a circle, was\nfull forty-eight miles long and the width of its rear measured twenty\nmiles. Drona himself formed that array with countless brave kings,\nstationed with it, and countless cars and steeds and elephants and\nfoot-soldiers. In the rear of that array was another impenetrable array\nof the form of lotus. And within that lotus was another dense array\ncalled the needle. Having formed his mighty array thus, Drona took up his\nstation. At the mouth of that needle, the great bowman Kritavarman took\nup his stand. Next to Kritavarman, O sire, stood the ruler of the\nKamvojas and Jalasandha. Next to these, stood Duryodhana and Karna.\nBehind them hundreds and thousands of unreturning heroes were stationed\nin that Sakata for protecting its head. Behind them all, O monarch, and\nsurrounded by a vast force, was king Jayadratha stationed at one side of\nthat needle-shaped array. At the entrance of the Sakata, O king, was\nBharadwaja's son. Behind Drona was the chief of the Bhojas, who protected\nhim. Clad in white armour, with excellent head-gear, of broad chest and\nmighty arms, Drona stood, stretching his large bow, like the Destroyer\nhimself in wrath. Beholding Drona's car which was graced with a beautiful\nstandard and had red sacrificial altar and a black deer-skin, the\nKauravas were filled with delight. Seeing that array formed by Drona,\nwhich resembled the ocean itself in agitation, the Siddhas and the\nCharanas were filled with wonder. And all creatures thought that array\nwould devour the whole earth with her mountains and seas and forests, and\nabounding with diverse things. And king Duryodhana, beholding that mighty\narray in the form of a Sakata, teeming with carts and men and steeds and\nelephants, roaring dreadful of wonderful form, and capable of riving the\nhearts of foes, began to rejoice.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After the divisions of the Kuru army had been (thus)\narrayed, and a loud uproar, O sire, had arisen; after drums and\nMridangas began to be beaten and played upon, after the din of the\nwarriors and the noise of musical instruments had become audible; after\nconch began to be blown, and an awful roar had arisen, making the hair\nstand on end; after the field of battle had been slowly covered by the\nBharata heroes desirous of fight; and after the hour called Rudra had set\nin, Savyasachin made his appearance. Many thousands of ravens and crows,\nO Bharata, proceeded sporting on the front of Arjuna's car. Various\nanimals of terrible cries, and jackals of inauspicious sight, began to\nyell and howl on our right as we proceeded to battle. Thousands of\nblazing meteors fell with great noise. The whole earth trembled on that\ndreadful occasion. Dry winds blew in all directions, accompanied by\nthunder, and driving hard pebbles and gravel when Kunti's son came at the\ncommencement of battle. Then Nakula's son, Satanika, and Dhrishtadyumna,\nthe son of Pritha, those two warriors possessed of great wisdom, arrayed\nthe several divisions of the Pandavas. Then thy son Durmarshana,\naccompanied by a thousand cars, a hundred elephants, three thousand\nheroes, and ten thousand foot-soldiers, and covering a piece of ground\nthat measured the length of fifteen hundred bows, took up his position at\nthe very van of all the troops, and said: \"Like the continent resisting\nthe surging sea, even I will today resist the wielder of Gandiva, that\nscorcher of foes, that warrior who is irresistible in battle. Let people\ntoday behold the wrathful Dhananjaya collide with me, like a mass of\nstone against another stony mass. Ye car-warriors that are desirous of\nbattle, stay ye (as witness). Alone I will fight with all the Pandavas\nassembled together, for enhancing my honour and fame.\" That high-souled\nand noble son of thine, that great bowman saying this, stood there\nsurrounded by many great bowmen. Then, like the Destroyer himself in\nwrath, or Vasava himself armed with the thunder, or Death's irresistible\nself armed with his club and urged on by Time, or Mahadeva armed with the\ntrident and incapable of being ruffled, or Varuna bearing his noise, or\nthe blazing fire at the end of the Yuga risen for consuming the creation,\nthe slayer of the Nivatakavachas inflamed with rage and swelling with\nmight, the ever-victorious Jaya, devoted to truth and desirous of\nachieving his great vow, clad in mail and armed with sword, decked in\ngolden diadem, adorned with garlands of swords of white flowers and\nattired in white robes, his arms decked with beautiful Angadas and ears\nwith excellent ear-rings, mounted on his own foremost of cars, (the\nincarnate) Nara, accompanied by Narayana, shaking his Gandiva in battle,\nshone brilliantly like the risen sun. And Dhananjaya of great prowess,\nplacing his car, O king, at the very van of his army, where densest\nshowers of arrows would fall, blew his conch. Then Krishna also, O sire,\nfearlessly blew with great force his foremost of conchs called\nPanchajanya as Partha blew his. And in consequence of the blare of the\nconchs, all the warriors in thy army, O monarch, trembled and became lost\nof heart. And their hair stood on end at that sound. As all creatures are\noppressed with fright at the sound of the thunder, even so did all thy\nwarriors take fright at the blare of those conchs. And all the animals\nejected urine and excreta. Thy whole army with its animals became filled\nwith anxiety, O king, and in consequence of the blare of those (two)\nconchs, all men, O sire, lost their strength. And some amongst them, O\nmonarch, were inspired with dread, and some lost their senses. And the\nape on Arjuna's banner, opening his mouth wide, made an awful noise with\nthe other creatures on it, for terrifying thy troops. Then conchs and\nhorns and cymbals and Anakas were once more blown and beat for cheering\nthy warriors. And that noise mingled with the noise of diverse (other)\nmusical instruments, with the shouts of warriors and the slaps of their\narm-pits, and with their leonine roars uttered by great car-warriors in\nsummoning and challenging (their antagonists). When that tumultuous\nuproar rose there, an uproar that enhanced the fear of the timid, the son\nof Pakasana, filled with great delight, addressing him of Dasarha's race,\nsaid (these words).'\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"Urge the steeds, O Hrishikesa, to where Durmarshana\nstayeth. Piercing through that elephant division I will penetrate into\nthe hostile army.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed by Savyasachin, the mighty-armed\nKesava urged the steeds to where Durmarshana was staying. Fierce and\nawful was the encounter that commenced there between one and the many, an\nencounter that proved very destructive of cars and elephants and men.\nThen Partha, resembling a pouring cloud, covered his foes with showers of\nshafts, like a mass of clouds pouring rain on the mountain breast.[135]\nThe hostile of car-warriors also, displaying great lightness of hand,\nquickly covered both Krishna and Dhananjaya with clouds of arrows. The\nmighty-armed Partha, then, thus opposed in battle by his foes, became\nfilled with wrath, and began to strike off with his arrows the heads of\ncar-warriors from their trunks. And the earth became strewn with\nbeautiful heads decked with ear-rings and turbans, the nether lips bit by\nthe upper ones, and the faces adorned with eyes troubled with wrath.\nIndeed, the scattered heads of the warriors looked resplendent like an\nassemblage of plucked off and crushed lotuses lying strewn about the\nfield. Golden coats of mail[136] dyed with gore (lying thick over the\nfield), looked like masses of clouds charged with lightning. The sound, O\nking, of severed heads dropping on the earth, resembled that of falling\npalmyra fruits ripened in due time, headless trunks arose, some with bow\nin hand, and some with naked swords upraised in the act of striking.\nThose brave warriors incapable of brooking Arjuna's feats and desirous of\nvanquishing him, had no distinct perception as to when their heads were\nstruck off by Arjuna. The earth became strewn with heads of horses,\ntrunks of elephants, and the arms and legs of heroic warriors. \"This is\none Partha\", \"Where is Partha? Here is Partha!\" Even thus, O king, the\nwarriors, of thy army became filled with the idea of Partha only.\nDeprived of their senses by Time, they regarded the whole world to be\nfull of Partha only, and therefore, many of them perished, striking one\nanother, and some struck even their own selves. Uttering yells of woe,\nmany heroes, covered with blood, deprived of their senses, and in great\nagony, laid themselves down, calling upon their friends and kinsmen.\nArms, bearing short arrows, or lances, or darts, or swords, or\nbattle-axes, or pointed stakes, or scimitars, or bows, or spears, or\nshafts, or maces, and cased in armour and decked with Angadas and other\nornaments, and looking like large snakes, and resembling huge clubs, cut\noff (from trunks) with mighty weapons, were seen to jump about, jerk\nabout, and move about, with great force, as if in rage. Every one amongst\nthose that wrathfully advanced against Partha in that battle, perished,\npierced in his body with some fatal shafts of that hero. While dancing on\nhis car as it moved, and drawing his bow, no one there could detect the\nminutest opportunity for striking him. The quickness with which he took\nhis shafts, fixed them on the bow, and let them off, filled all his\nenemies with wonder. Indeed Phalguna, with his shafts, pierced elephants\nand elephant-riders, horses and horse-riders, car-warriors and drivers of\ncars. There was none amongst his enemies, whether staying before him or\nstruggling in battle, or wheeling about, whom the son of Pandu did not\nslay. As the sun rising in the welkin destroyeth the thick gloom, even so\ndid Arjuna destroy that elephant-force by means of his shafts winged with\nKanka plumes. The field occupied by thy troops, in consequence of riven\nelephants fallen upon it, looked like the earth strewn with huge hills at\nthe hour of universal dissolution. As the midday sun is incapable of\nbeing looked at by all creatures, even so was Dhananjaya, excited with\nwrath, incapable of being looked at, in battle, by his enemies. The\ntroops of thy son, O chastiser of foes, afflicted (with the arrows of\nDhananjaya), broke and fled in fear. Like a mass of clouds pierced and\ndriven away by a mighty wind, that army was pierced and routed by Partha.\nNone indeed could gaze at the hero while he was slaying the foe. Urging\ntheir heroes to great speed by spurs, by the horns of their bows, by deep\ngrowls, by encouraging behests, by whips, by cuts on their flanks, and by\nthreatening speeches, thy men, viz., thy cavalry and thy car-warriors, as\nalso thy foot-soldiers, struck by the shafts of Arjuna, fled away from\nthe fields. Others (that rode on elephants), fled away, urging those huge\nbeasts by pressing their flanks with their hooks and many warriors struck\nby Partha's arrows, in flying, ran against Partha himself. Indeed, thy\nwarriors, then became all cheerless and their understandings were all\nconfused.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION LXXXIX\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'When the van of my army thus slaughtered by the\ndiadem-decked (Arjuna) broke and fled, who were those heroes that\nadvanced against Arjuna? (Did any of them actually fight with Arjuna, or)\ndid all, abandoning their determination enter the Sakata array, getting\nbehind the fearless Drona, resembling a solid wall?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When Indra's son Arjuna, O sinless one, began, with his\nexcellent arrows, to break and incessantly slay that force of ours many\nheroes were either slain, or becoming dispirited, fled away. None in that\nbattle, was capable of even looking at Arjuna. Then, thy son Duhsasana,\nO king, beholding that state of the troops, became filled with wrath and\nrushed against Arjuna for battle. That hero of fierce prowess, cased in a\nbeautiful coat of mail, made of gold, and his head covered with a turban\ndecked with gold, caused Arjuna to be surrounded by a large\nelephant-force which seemed capable of devouring the whole earth. With\nsound of the elephants' bells, the blare of conchs, the twang of\nbow-strings, and the grunts of the tuskers, the earth, the points of\ncompass, and the welkin, seemed to be entirely filled. That period of\ntime became fierce and awful. Beholding those huge beasts with extended\ntrunks filled with wrath and rushing quickly towards him, like winged\nmountains urged on with hooks, Dhananjaya, that lion among men, uttering\na leonine shout, began to pierce and slay that elephant-force with his\nshafts. And like a Makara penetrating into the vast deep, surging into\nmountain waves when agitated by the tempest, the diadem-decked (Arjuna)\npenetrated into that elephant-host. Indeed, Partha, that subjugator of\nhostile cities, was then seen by all on every side to resemble the\nscorching sun that rises, transgressing the rule about direction and\nhour, on the day of the universal destruction. And in consequence of the\nsound of horses' hoofs, rattle of car-wheels, the shouts of combatants,\nthe twang of bow-strings, the noise of diverse musical instruments, the\nblare of Panchajanya and Devadatta, and roar of Gandiva, men and\nelephants were dispirited and deprived of their senses. And men and\nelephants were riven by Savyasachin with his shafts whose touch resembled\nthat of snakes of virulent poison. And those elephants, in that battle,\nwere pierced all over their bodies with shafts, numbering thousands upon\nthousands shot from Gandiva. While thus mangled by the diadem-decked\n(Arjuna), they uttered loud noises and incessantly fell down on the earth\nlike mountains shorn of their wings. Others struck at the jaw, or frontal\nglobes, or temples with long shafts, uttered cries resembling those of\ncranes. The diadem-decked (Arjuna) began to cut off, with his straight\narrows the heads of warriors standing on the necks of elephants. Those\nheads decked with ear-rings, constantly falling on the earth, resembled a\nmultitude of lotuses that Partha was calling for an offer to his gods.\nAnd while the elephants wandered on the field, many warriors were seen to\nhang from their bodies, divested of armour, afflicted with wounds,\ncovered with blood, and looking like painted pictures. In some instances,\ntwo or three warriors, pierced by one arrow winged with beautiful\nfeathers and well-shot (from Gandiva), fell down on the earth. Many\nelephants deeply pierced with long shafts, fell down, vomiting blood from\ntheir mouths, with the riders on their backs, like hills overgrown with\nforests tumbling down through some convulsion of nature. Partha, by means\nof his straight shafts, cut into fragments the bow-strings, standards,\nbows, yokes, and shafts of the car-warriors opposed to him. None could\nnotice when Arjuna took up his arrows, when he fixed them on the\nbow-string, when he drew the string, and when he let them off. All that\ncould be seen was that Partha seemed to dance on his car with his bow\nincessantly drawn to a circle. Elephants, deeply pierced with long shafts\nand vomiting blood from their mouths, fell down, as soon as they were\nstruck, on the earth. And in the midst of that great carnage, O monarch,\ninnumerable headless trunks were seen to stand up. Arms, with bows in\ngrasp, or whose fingers were cased in leathern gloves, holding swords, or\ndecked with Angadas and other ornaments of gold, cut off from trunks,\nwere seen lying about. And the field of battle was strewn with\ninnumerable Upashkaras and Adhishthanas, and shafts, and crowns, crushed\ncar-wheels, and broken Akshas, and yokes, and warriors armed with shields\nand bows, and floral garlands, and ornaments and robes and fallen\nstandards. And in consequence of those slain elephants and steeds, and\nthe fallen bodies of Kshatriyas, the earth there assumed an awful aspect.\nDuhsasana's forces, thus slaughtered, O king, by the diadem-decked\n(Arjuna), fled away. Their leader himself was in great pain, for\nDuhsasana, greatly afflicted by those shafts, overcome by fear entered\nwith his division the Sakata array, seeking Drona as his deliverer.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XC\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Slaying the force of Duhsasana, the mighty car-warrior,\nSavyasachin, desirous of getting at the ruler of the Sindhus, proceeded\nagainst the division of Drona. Having approached Drona who was stationed\nat the entrance of the array, Partha, at Krishna's request joined his\nhands and said these words unto Drona: \"Wish me well, O Brahmana, and\nbless me, saying Swasti! Through thy grace, I wish to penetrate into this\nimpenetrable array. Thou art to me even as my sire, or even as king\nYudhishthira the just, or even as Krishna! I tell thee this truly, O\nsire, O sinless one! Even as Aswatthaman deserves to be protected by\nthee, I also deserve to be protected by thee, O foremost of regenerate\nones! Through thy grace, O foremost of men, I desire to slay the ruler of\nthe Sindhu in battle. O lord, see that my vow is accomplished.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed by him, the preceptor, smiling,\nreplied unto him, saying, \"O Vibhatsu, without vanquishing me, thou shalt\nnot be able to vanquish Jayadratha.\" Telling him this much, Drona, with a\nsmile covered him with showers of sharp arrows, as also his car and\nsteeds and standard and charioteer. Then, Arjuna baffling Drona's arrowy\nshowers with his own arrows, rushed against Drona, shooting mightier and\nmore awful shafts. Observant of Kshatriya duties, Arjuna then pierced\nDrona in that battle with nine arrows. Cutting the shafts of Arjuna by\nhis own shafts, Drona then pierced both Krishna and Arjuna with many\nshafts that resembled poison or fire. Then, while Arjuna was thinking of\ncutting off Drona's bow with his arrows, the latter, endued with great\nvalour, fearlessly and quickly cut off with shafts the bow-string of the\nillustrious Phalguna. And he also pierced Phalguna's steeds and standard\nand charioteer. And the heroic Drona covered Phalguna himself with many\narrows, smiling the while. Meantime, stringing his large bow anew,\nPartha, that foremost of all persons conversant with arms, getting the\nbetter of his preceptor, quickly shot six hundred arrows as if he had\ntaken and shot only one arrow. And once more he shot seven hundred other\narrows, and then a thousand arrows incapable of being resisted, and ten\nthousand other arrows. All these slew many warriors of Drona's array.\nDeeply pierced with those weapons by the mighty and accomplished Partha,\nacquainted with all modes of warfare, many men and steeds and elephants\nfell down deprived of life. And car-warriors, afflicted by those shafts,\nfell down from their foremost of cars, deprived of horses and standards\nand destitute of weapons and life. And elephants fell down like summits\nof hills, or masses of clouds, or large houses, loosened, dispersed, or\nburnt down by the thunder, or by the wind, or fire. Struck with Arjuna's\nshafts, thousands of steeds fell down like swans on the breast of\nHimavat, struck down by the force of watery current. Like the Sun, that\nrises at the end of the Yuga, drying up with his rays, vast quantities of\nwater, the son of Pandu, by his showers of weapons and arrows, slew a\nvast number of car-warriors and steeds and elephants and foot-soldiers.\nThen like the clouds covering the sun, the Drona-cloud, with its arrowy\nshowers, covered the Pandava-sun, whose rays in the shape of thick\nshowers of arrows were scorching in the battle the foremost ones among\nthe Kurus. And then the preceptor struck Dhananjaya at the breast with a\nlong shaft shot with great force and capable of drinking the life-blood\nof every foe. Then Arjuna, deprived of strength, shook in all his limbs,\nlike a hill during an earthquake. Soon, however, regaining his fortitude,\nVibhatsu pierced Drona with many winged arrows. Then Drona struck\nVasudeva with five arrows. And he struck Arjuna with three and seventy\narrows, and his standard with three. Then, O king, the valorous Drona\ngetting the better of his disciple, within the twinkling of an eye made\nArjuna invisible by means of his arrowy showers. We then beheld the\nshafts of Bharadwaja's son falling in continuous lines, and his bow also\nwas seen to present the wonderful aspect of being incessantly drawn to a\ncircle. And those shafts, countless in number, and winged with the Kanka\nfeathers, shot by Drona in that battle, incessantly fell, O king, on\nDhananjaya and Vasudeva. Beholding then that battle between Drona and the\nson of Pandu, Vasudeva of great intelligence began to reflect upon the\naccomplishment of the (important) task. Then Vasudeva, addressing\nDhananjaya, said these words: \"O Partha, O thou of mighty arms, we should\nnot waste time. We must go on, avoiding Drona, for a more important task\nawaits us.\" In reply Partha said unto Krishna, \"O Kesava, as thou\npleasest!\" Then keeping the mighty-armed Drona to their right, Arjuna\nproceeded onwards. Turning his face round, Vibhatsu proceeded, shooting his\nshafts. Then Drona, addressing Arjuna, said, \"Whither dost thou proceed, O\nson of Pandu! Is it not true that thou ceasest not (to fight) till thou\nhast vanquished thy foe?\"\n\n\"'Arjuna answered, \"Thou art my preceptor and not my foe. I am thy\ndisciple and, therefore, like to thy son. Nor is there the man in the\nwhole world who can vanquish thee in battle.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Saying these words, the mighty-armed Vibhatsu,\ndesirous of slaying Jayadratha, quickly proceeded against the (Kaurava)\ntroops. And while he penetrated into thy army, those high-souled princes\nof Panchala, viz., Yudhamanyu, and Uttamaujas, followed him as the\nprotector of his wheels. Then, O King, Jaya, and Kritavarman of the\nSatwata race, and the ruler of the Kamvojas, and Srutayus, began to\noppose the progress of Dhananjaya. And these had ten thousand\ncar-warriors for their followers. The Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the\nSivis, the Vasatis, the Mavellakas, the Lilithyas, the Kaikeyas, the\nMadrakas, the Narayana Gopalas, and the various tribes of the Kamvojas\nwho had before been vanquished by Karna, all of whom were regarded as\nvery brave, placing Bharadwaja's son at their head, and becoming\nregardless of their lives, rushed towards Arjuna, for resisting that\nangry hero, burning with grief on account of the death of his son, that\nwarrior resembling all-destroying Death himself, clad in mail, conversant\nwith all modes of warfare, prepared to throw away his life in thick of\nbattle,--that mighty bowman of great prowess, that tiger among men,--who\nresembled an infuriate leader of elephantine herd, and who seemed ready\nto devour the whole hostile army. The battle then that commenced was\nexceedingly fierce and made the hair stand on end, between all those\ncombatants on the one side and Arjuna on the other. And all of them,\nuniting together, began to resist that bull among men, advancing for the\nslaughter of Jayadratha, like medicines resisting a raging disease.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Held in check by them, that foremost of car-warriors,\nviz., Partha of great might and prowess, was quickly pursued by Drona\nfrom behind. The son of Pandu, however, like diseases scorching the body,\nblasted that army, scattering his sharp shafts and resembling on that\naccount the sun himself scattering his countless rays of light. And\nsteeds were pierced, and cars with riders were broken and mangled, and\nelephants were overthrown. And umbrellas were cut off and displaced, and\nvehicles were deprived of their wheels. And the combatants fled on all\nsides, exceedingly afflicted with arrows. Even thus progressed that\nfierce battle between those warriors and Arjuna encountering each other.\nNothing could be distinguished. With his straight shafts, Arjuna, O\nmonarch, made the hostile army tremble incessantly. Firmly devoted to\ntruth, Arjuna then, of white steeds desirous of accomplishing his vow\nrushed against the foremost of car-warriors, viz., Drona of red steeds.\nThen the preceptor, Drona, struck his disciple, viz., the mighty bowman\nArjuna, with five and twenty straight shafts capable of reaching the very\nvitals. Thereupon, Vibhatsu, that foremost of all wielders of weapons,\nquickly rushed against Drona, shooting arrows capable of baffling the\nforce of counter arrows, shot at him. Invoking into existence then the\nBrahma weapon, Arjuna, of immeasurable soul, baffled with his straight\nshafts those shot so speedily at him by Drona. The skill we then beheld\nof Drona was exceedingly wonderful, since Arjuna, though young, and\nthough struggling vigorously, could not pierce Drona with a single shaft.\nLike a mass of clouds pouring torrents of rain, the Drona cloud rained\nshower on the Partha-mountain. Possessed of great energy, Arjuna received\nthat arrowy downpour, O king, by invoking the Brahma weapon, and cut off\nall those arrows by arrows of his own. Drona then afflicted Partha of\nwhite steeds with five and twenty arrows. And he struck Vasudeva with\nseventy arrows on the chest and arms. Partha then, of great intelligence,\nsmiling the while resisted the preceptor in that battle who was\nincessantly shooting sharp arrows. Then those two foremost of\ncar-warriors, while thus struck by Drona, avoided that invincible\nwarrior, who resembled the raging Yuga fire. Avoiding those sharp shafts\nshot from Drona's bow, the diadem-decked son of Kunti, adorned with\ngarlands of flowers, began to slaughter the host of the Bhojas. Indeed,\navoiding the invincible Drona who stood immovable like the Mainaka\nmountain, Arjuna took up his position between Kritavarman and Sudakshina\nthe ruler of the Kamvojas. Then that tiger among men, viz., the ruler of\nthe Bhojas, coolly pierced that invincible and foremost descendant of\nRuru with ten arrows winged with Kanka feathers. Then Arjuna pierced him,\nO monarch, in that battle with a hundred arrows. And once more he pierced\nhim with three other arrows, stupefying that hero of the Satwata race.\nThe ruler of the Bhojas then, laughing the while, pierced Partha and\nVasudeva each with five and twenty arrows. Arjuna then, cutting off\nKritavarman's bow, pierced him with one and twenty arrows resembling\nblazing flames of fire or angry snakes of virulent poison. Then\nKritavarman, that mighty car-warrior, taking up another bow, pierced\nArjuna in the chest, O Bharata, with five arrows. And once more he\npierced Partha with five sharp arrows. Then Partha struck him in return\nin the centre of the chest with nine arrows. Beholding the son of Kunti\nobstructed before the car of Kritavarman, he of Vrishni's race thought\nthat no time should be wasted. Then Krishna addressing Partha, said, \"Do\nnot show any mercy to Kritavarman! Disregarding thy relationship (with\nhim), crush and slay him!\" Then Arjuna, stupefying Kritavarman with his\narrows, proceeded, on his swift steeds, to the division of the Kamvojas.\nSeeing Arjuna of white steeds penetrate into the Kamvoja force,\nKritavarman became filled with wrath. Taking his bow with arrows fixed\nthereon, he then encountered the two Panchala princes. Indeed,\nKritavarman, with his arrows resisted those two Panchala princes as they\nadvanced, following Arjuna for protecting his wheels. Then Kritavarman,\nthe ruler of the Bhojas, pierced them both with sharp shafts, striking\nYudhamanyu with three, and Uttamaujas with four. Those two princes in\nreturn each pierced him with ten arrows. And once more, Yudhamanyu\nshooting three arrows and Uttamaujas shooting three cut off Kritavarman's\nstandard and bow. Then the son of Hridika, taking up another bow, and\nbecoming infuriated with rage, deprived both those warriors of their bows\nand covered them with arrows. Then those two warriors, taking up and\nstringing two other bows, began to pierce Kritavarman. Meanwhile Vibhatsu\npenetrated into the hostile army. But those two princes, resisted by\nKritavarman, obtained no admittance into the Dhritarashtra host, although\nthose bulls among men struggled vigorously. Then Arjuna of white steeds\nquickly afflicted in that battle the divisions opposed to him. That\nslayer of foes, however, slew not Kritavarman although he had got him\nwithin reach. Beholding Partha thus proceeding, the brave king\nSrutayudha, filled with wrath, rushed at him, shaking his large bow. And\nhe pierced Partha with three arrows, and Janardana with seventy. And he\nstruck the standard of Partha with a very sharp arrow having a razor-like\nhead. Then Arjuna, filled with wrath deeply pierced his antagonist with\nninety straight shafts, like (a rider) striking a mighty elephant with\nthe hook. Srutayudha, however, could not, O king, brook that act of\nprowess on the part of Pandu's son. He pierced Arjuna in return with\nseven and seventy shafts. Arjuna then cut off Srutayudha's bow and then\nhis quiver, and angrily struck him on the chest with seven straight\nshafts. Then, king Srutayudha, deprived of his senses by wrath, took up\nanother bow and struck the son of Vasava with nine arrows on the latter's\narms and chest. Then Arjuna, that chastiser of foes laughing the while, O\nBharata, afflicted Srutayudha with many thousands of arrows. And that\nmighty car-warrior quickly slew also the latter's steeds and charioteer.\nEndued with great strength the son of Pandu then pierced his foe with\nseventy arrows. Then the valiant king Srutayudha abandoning that\nsteedless car, rushed in that encounter against Partha, uplifting his\nmace. The heroic king Srutayudha was the son of Varuna, having for his\nmother that mighty river of cool water called Parnasa. His mother, O\nking, had for the sake of her son, begged Varuna saying, \"Let this my son\nbecome unslayable on earth.\" Varuna, gratified (with her), had said, \"I\ngive him a boon highly beneficial to him, viz., a celestial weapon, by\nvirtue of which this thy son will become unslayable on earth by foes. No\nman can have immortality. O foremost of rivers, every one who hath taken\nbirth must inevitably die. This child, however, will always be invincible\nby foes in battle, through the power of this weapon. Therefore, let thy\nheart's fever be dispelled.\" Having said these words, Varuna gave him,\nwith mantras, a mace. Obtaining that mace, Srutayudha became invincible\non earth. Unto him, however, illustrious Lord of the waters again said,\n\"This mace should not be hurled at one who is not engaged in fight. If\nhurled at such a person, it will come back and fall upon thyself. O\nillustrious child, (if so hurled) it will then course in an opposite\ndirection and slay the person hurling it.\" It would seem that when his\nhour came, Srutayudha disobeyed that injunction. With that hero-slaying\nmace he attacked Janardana. The valiant Krishna received that mace on one\nof his well-formed and stout shoulders. It failed to shake Sauri, like\nthe wind failing to shake the Vindhya mountain. That mace, returning unto\nSrutayudha himself, struck that brave and wrathful king staying on his\ncar, like an ill-accomplished act of sorcery injuring the performer\nhimself, and slaying that hero fell down on the earth. Beholding the mace\nturn back and Srutayudha slain, loud cries of Alas and Oh arose there\namong the troops, at the sight of Srutayudha that chastiser of foes,\nslain by a weapon of his own.[137] And because, O monarch, Srutayudha had\nhurled that mace at Janardana who was not engaged in fighting it slew him\nwho had hurled it. And Srutayudha perished on the field, even in the\nmanner that Varuna had indicated. Deprived of life, he fell down on the\nearth before the eyes of all the bowmen. While falling down, that dear\nson of Parnasa shone resplendent like a tall banian with spreading boughs\nbroken by the wind. Then all the troops and even all the principal\nwarriors fled away, beholding Srutayudha, that chastiser of foes, slain.\nThen, the son of the ruler of the Kamvojas, viz., the brave Sudakshina,\nrushed on his swift steeds against Phalguna that slayer of foes. Partha,\nthen, O Bharata, sped seven shafts at him. Those shafts passing through\nthe body of that hero, entered the earth. Deeply pierced by those shafts\nsped in battle from Gandiva, Sudakshina pierced Arjuna in return with ten\nshafts winged with Kanka feathers. And piercing Vasudeva with three\nshafts, he once more pierced Partha with five. Then, O sire, Partha,\ncutting off Sudakshina's bow, lopped off the latter's standard. And the\nson of Pandu pierced his antagonist with a couple of broad-headed arrows\nof great sharpness. Sudakshina, however, piercing Partha once more with\nthree arrows, uttered a leonine shout. Then the brave Sudakshina, filled\nwith wrath, hurled at the wielder of Gandiva a terrible dart made wholly\nof iron and decked with bells. That dart blazing as a large meteor, and\nemitting sparks of fire, approaching that mighty car-warrior pierced him\nthrough and fell down on the earth. Deeply struck by that dart and\novercome with a swoon, Arjuna soon enough recovered. Then that hero of\nmighty energy, licking the corners of his mouth, that son of Pandu, of\ninconceivable feats, pierced his foe, along with his steeds, standard,\nbow, and charioteer, with four and ten shafts winged with Kanka feathers.\nWith other arrows, countless in number, Partha then cut Sudakshina's car\ninto fragments. And then the son of Pandu pierced Sudakshina, the prince\nof the Kamvojas, whose purpose and prowess had both been baffled, with a\nsharp arrow in the chest. Then the brave prince of the Kamvojas, his coat\nof mail cut off, his limbs weakened, his diadem and Angadas displaced,\nfell head downwards, like a pole of Indra when hurled from an engine.\nLike a beautiful Karnikara tree in the spring, gracefully growing on a\nmountain summit with beautiful branches, lying on the earth when uprooted\nby the wind, the prince of the Kamvojas lay on the bare ground deprived\nof life, though deserving of the costliest bed, decked with costly\nornaments. Handsome, possessed of eyes that were of a coppery hue, and\nbearing on his head a garland of gold, endued with the effulgence of\nfire, the mighty-armed Sudakshina, the son of the ruler of the Kamvojas,\noverthrown by Partha with his shafts, and lying on the earth, reft of\nlife, looked resplendent like a beautiful mountain with a level top. Then\nall the troops of thy son fled away, beholding Srutayudha, and Sudakshina\nthe prince of the Kamvojas, slain.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Upon the fall of Sudakshina and of the heroic Srutayudha,\nO monarch, thy warriors, filled with wrath, rushed with speed at Partha.\nThe Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Sivis, the Vasatis began, O king, to\nscatter their arrowy showers on Dhananjaya. The son of Pandu then\nconsumed by means of his arrows six hundred of them at once. Thereupon,\nthose warriors, terrified, fled away like smaller animals from a tiger.\nRallying, they once more surrounded Partha, who was slaying his foes and\nvanquishing them in battle. Dhananjaya then, with shafts sped from\nGandiva, speedily felled the heads and arms of the combatants thus\nrushing upon him. Not an inch of the field of battle was unstrewn with\nfallen heads, and the flights of crows and vultures and ravens that\nhovered over the field seemed to form a cloudy canopy. Seeing their men\nthus exterminated, Srutayus and Achyutayus were both filled with wrath.\nAnd they continued to contend vigorously with Dhananjaya. Endued with\ngreat might, proud, heroic, of noble lineage, and possessed of strength\nof arms, those two bowmen, O king, solicitous of winning great fame and\ndesirous, for the sake of thy son, to compass the destruction of Arjuna,\nquickly showered upon the latter their arrowy downpours at once from his\nright and left. Those angry heroes, with a thousand straight shafts,\ncovered Arjuna like two masses of clouds filling a lake. Then that\nforemost of car-warriors viz., Srutayus filled with wrath, struck\nDhananjaya with a well-tempered lance. That crusher of foes viz., Arjuna,\nthen, deeply pierced by his mighty foe, swooned away in that battle,\nstupefying Kesava also (by that act). Meanwhile, the mighty car-warrior\nAchyutayus forcibly struck the son of Pandu with a keen-pointed spear. By\nthe act he seemed to pour an acid upon the wound of the high-souled son\nof Pandu. Deeply pierced therewith, Partha supported himself by seizing\nthe flag-staff. Then a leonine shout was sent forth by all the troops, O\nmonarch, in the belief that Dhananjaya was deprived of life. And Krishna\nalso was scorched with grief upon beholding Partha senseless. Then Kesava\ncomforted Dhananjaya with soothing words. Then those foremost of\ncar-warriors, (viz., Srutayus and Achyutayus), of true aim, pouring their\narrowy showers on all sides, in that battle, made Dhananjaya and Vasudeva\nof Vrishni's race invisible with their car and car-wheels and Kuvaras,\ntheir steeds and flagstaff and banner. And all this seemed wonderful.\nMeanwhile, O Bharata, Vibhatsu slowly regained his senses, like one come\nback from the very abode of the king of the dead. Beholding his car with\nKesava overwhelmed with arrows and seeing also those two antagonists of\nhis staying before him like two blazing fires, the mighty car-warrior\nPartha then invoked into existence the weapon named after Sakra. From\nthat weapon flowed thousands of straight shafts. And those shafts struck\nSrutayus and Achyutayus, those mighty bowmen. And the arrows shot by the\nlatter, pierced by those of Partha, coursed through the welkin. And the\nson of Pandu quickly baffling those arrows by the force of his own\narrows, began to career over the field, encountering mighty car-warriors.\nMeanwhile Srutayus and Achyutayus were, by Arjuna's arrowy showers,\ndeprived of their arms and heads. And they fell down on the earth, like a\ncouple of tall trees broken by the wind. And the death of Srutayus and\nslaughter of Achyutayus created surprise equal to what men would feel at\nthe sight of the ocean becoming dry. Then slaying fifty car-warriors\namongst the followers of those two princes, Partha proceeded against the\nBharata army, slaying many foremost of warriors. Beholding both Srutayus\nand Achyutayus slain, their sons, those foremost of men, viz., Niyatayus\nand Dirghayus, O Bharata, both filled with rage, rushed against the son\nof Kunti, scattering shafts of diverse kinds, and much pained by the\ncalamity that had happened to their sires. Arjuna, excited with rage, in\na moment despatched them both towards Yama's abode, by means of straight\nshafts. And those bulls among Kshatriyas (that were in the Kuru army)\nwere unable to resist Partha who agitated the Dhartarashtra ranks, like\nan elephant agitating the waters of a lake filled with lotuses. Then\nthousands of trained elephant-riders amongst the Angas, O monarch, filled\nwith rage, surrounded the son of Pandu with their elephant-force. Urged\nby Duryodhana, many kings also of the west and the south, and many others\nheaded by the ruler of the Kalingas, also surrounded Arjuna, with their\nelephants huge as hills. Partha however, with shafts sped from Gandiva,\nquickly cut off the heads and arms, decked with ornaments, of those\nadvancing combatants. The field of battle, strewn with those heads and\narms decked with Angadas, looked like golden stones entwined by snakes.\nAnd the arms of warriors cut off therewith, while falling down, looked\nlike birds dropping down from trees. And the elephants, pierced with\nthousands of arrows and shedding blood (from their wounds), looked like\nhills in the season of rains with liquefied red chalk streaming down\ntheir sides. Others, slain by Partha with sharp shafts, lay prostrate on\nthe field. And many Mlecchas on the backs of elephants, of diverse kinds\nof ugly forms, robed in diverse attires, O king, and armed with diverse\nkinds of weapons, and bathed in blood, looked resplendent as they lay on\nthe field, deprived of life by means of diverse kinds of arrows. And\nthousands of elephants along with their riders and those on foot that\nurged them forward, struck with Partha's shafts, vomited blood, or\nuttered shrieks of agony, or fell down, or ran ungovernably in all\ndirections. And many, exceedingly frightened, trod down and crushed their\nown men. And many which were kept as reserves and which were fierce as\nsnakes of virulent poison, did the same. And many terrible Yavanas and\nParadas and Sakas and Valhikas, and Mlecchas born of the cow (belonging\nto Vasishtha), of fierce eyes, accomplished in smiting looking like\nmessengers of Death, and all conversant with the deceptive powers of the\nAsuras and many Darvabhisaras and Daradas and Pundras numbering by\nthousands, of bands, and together forming a force that was countless,\nbegan to shower their sharp shafts upon the son of Pandu. Accomplished in\nvarious modes of warfare, those Mlecchas covered Arjuna with their\narrows. Upon them, Dhananjaya also quickly poured his arrows. And those\narrows, shot from Gandiva, looked like flights of locusts, as they\ncoursed through the welkin. Indeed, Dhananjaya, having by his arrows\ncaused a shade over the troops like that of the clouds, slew, by the\nforce of his weapons, all the Mlecchas, with heads completely shaved or\nhalf-shaved or covered with matted locks, impure in habits, and of\ncrooked faces. Those dwellers of hills, pierced with arrows, those\ndenizens of mountain-caves, fled away in fear. And ravens and Kankas and\nwolves, with great glee, drank the blood of those elephants and steeds\nand their Mleccha-riders overthrown on the field by Partha with his sharp\nshafts. Indeed, Arjuna caused a fierce river to flow there whose current\nconsisted of blood. (Slain) foot-soldiers and steeds and cars and\nelephants constituted its embankments. The showers of shafts poured\nconstituted its rafts and the hairs of the combatants formed its moss and\nweeds. And the fingers cut off from the arms of warriors, formed its\nlittle fishes. And that river was as awful as Death itself at the end of\nthe Yuga. And that river of blood flowed towards the region of Yama, and\nthe bodies of slain elephants floating on it, obstructed its current. And\nthe earth was covered all over with the blood of Kshatriyas and of\nelephants and steeds and their riders, and became one bloody expanse like\nto what is seen when Indra showers a heavy down-pour covering uplands and\nlowlands alike. And that bull among Kshatriyas despatched six thousand\nhorsemen and again a thousand foremost of Kshatriyas in that battle into\nthe jaws of death. Thousands of well-equipped elephants, pierced with\narrows, lay prostrate on the field, like hills struck down by thunder.\nAnd Arjuna careered over the field, slaying steeds and car-warriors and\nelephants, like an elephant of rent temples crushing a forest a reeds. As\na conflagration, urged by the wind, consumes a dense forest of trees and\ncreepers and plants and dry wood and grass, even so did that fire, viz.,\nPandu's son Dhananjaya, having shafts for its flames and urged on by the\nKrishna-wind, angrily consume the forest of thy warriors. Making the\nterraces of cars empty, and causing the earth to be strewn, with human\nbodies, Dhananjaya seemed to dance bow in hand, in the midst of those\nvast masses of men. Deluging the earth with blood by means of his shafts,\nendued with the strength of the thunder, Dhananjaya, excited with wrath,\npenetrated into the Bharata host. While thus proceeding, Srutayus, the\nruler of the Amvashthas, resisted him. Arjuna then, O sire, speedily\nfelled with keen shafts equipped with Kanka feathers, the steeds of\nSrutayus struggling in battle. And cutting off with other shafts, the bow\nalso of his antagonist, Partha careered over the field. The ruler of the\nAmvashthas, then with eyes troubled in wrath, took up a mace and\napproached the mighty car-warrior Partha and Kesava also in that battle.\nThen that hero, uplifting his mace, stopped the (progress of Arjuna's)\ncar by its strokes, and struck Kesava also therewith. Then that slayer of\nhostile heroes, viz., Arjuna, beholding Kesava struck with that mace,\nbecame filled with wrath. And, then, O Bharata, that hero, with his\nshafts, equipped with wings of gold, covered the ruler of the Amvashthas,\nthat foremost or car-warriors, armed with mace, like clouds covering the\nrisen sun. With other shafts, Partha then cut off the mace of that\nhigh-souled warrior in fragments, reducing it almost to dust. And all\nthis seemed highly wonderful. Beholding that mace of his cut off in\nfragments, the ruler of the Amvashthas took up another huge mace, and\nrepeatedly struck both Arjuna and Kesava therewith. Then, Arjuna with a\ncouple of sharp broad-faced arrows, cut off the uplifted arms of Srutayus\nwhich held the mace, those arms that looked like a couple of Indra's\nstandard, and with another winged arrow, he cut off the head of that\nwarrior. Thus slain, Srutayus fell down, O king, filling the earth with a\nloud noise, like a tall standard of Indra when the strings, tying it to\nthe engine on which it is set, are cut off. Surrounded then on all sides\nby rounds of cars and by hundreds upon hundreds of elephants and cars,\nPartha became invisible like the sun covered with clouds.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After the son of Kunti, impelled by the desire of slaying\nthe ruler of the Sindhus, had penetrated (into the Bharata host) having\npierced through the irresistible divisions of both Drona and the Bhojas,\nafter the heir of the ruler of the Kamvojas, viz., prince Sudakshina, had\nbeen slain, after Savyasachin had killed the valiant Srutayudha also,\nafter the (Kuru) ranks had fled away and confusion had set in on all\nsides, thy son, beholding his army broken, repaired to Drona. Quickly\ncoming on his car to Drona, Duryodhana said: \"That tiger among men (viz.,\nArjuna), having crushed this vast host hath already passed through it.\nAided by thy judgment, think now what should be done next for the\nslaughter of Arjuna in view of awful carnage. Blessed be thou, adopt such\nmeasures that that tiger among men may not succeed in slaying Jayadratha.\nThou art our sole refuge. Like a raging conflagration consuming heaps of\ndry grass and straw, Dhananjaya-fire, urged by the wind of his wrath, is\nconsuming the grass and straw constituted by my troops. O scorcher of\nfoes, seeing the son of Kunti pass, having pierced through this host,\nthose warriors that are protecting Jayadratha have become doubtful (of\ntheir ability to resist Partha). O foremost of those acquainted with\nBrahma, it was the settled conviction of the kings that Dhananjaya would\nnever, with life, succeed in transgressing Drona. O thou of great\nsplendour, when, however, Partha has pierced through thy division in the\nvery sight, I regard my army to be very weak. Indeed, I think that I have\nno troops. O thou that art highly blessed, I know thou art devoted to the\nwelfare of the Pandavas. I lose my reason, O regenerate one, in thinking\nwhat should be done. To the best of my power, I also seek to gratify\nthee. Thou, however, dost not bear all this in mind. O thou of\nimmeasurable prowess, although we are devoted to thee, still thou never\nseekest our welfare. Thou art always well-pleased with the Pandavas and\nalways engaged in doing us evil. Though deriving thy livelihood from us,\nstill thou art engaged in doing evil to us. I was not aware that thou art\nbut a razor steeped in honey. If thou hadst not granted me the boon about\nhumiliating and checking the Pandavas, I would never have prevented the\nruler of the Sindhus from returning to his own country. Fool that I am,\nexpecting protection from thee, I assured the ruler of the Sindhus, and\nthrough my folly offered him as a victim to death. A man may escape,\nhaving entered the very jaws of death, but there is no escape for\nJayadratha, when once he comes within reach of Dhananjaya's arms. O thou\nthat ownest red steeds, do that by which the ruler of the Sindhus may yet\nbe saved. Do not give way to wrath on hearing the delirious ravings of my\nafflicted self, O, protect ye the ruler of the Sindhus.\"\n\n\"'Drona said, \"I do not find fault with thy words. Thou art as dear to me\nas Aswatthaman himself. I tell thee truly. Act, however, now according to\nmy words, O king! Of all drivers of cars, Krishna is the foremost. His\nsteeds are also the foremost of their species. Obtaining only a very\nsmall space, Dhananjaya can pass very quickly through it. Seest thou not\nthat the shafts of the diadem-decked (Arjuna), countless in number, shot\nfrom his bow, are falling full two miles behind his car as he is\nproceeding? Burdened with the weight of years, I am now incapable of\ngoing so fast. The whole army of the Parthas, again, is now close upon\nour van. Yudhishthira also should be seized by me. Even so, O thou of\nmighty arms, hath been the vow made by me in the presence of all bowmen\nand in the midst of all the Kshatriyas. O king! he is now staying at the\nhead of his troops, abandoned by Dhananjaya. I shall not, therefore,\nabandoning the gate of our array, fight with Phalguna. It is meet that\nthyself, properly supported, shouldst fight with that foe of thine, who\nis alone and who is thy equal in lineage and feats. Do not fear. Go and\nfight with him. Thou art the ruler of the world. Thou art a king. Thou\nart a hero. Possessed of fame, thou art accomplished in vanquishing (thy\nfoes). O brave subjugator of hostile towns, go thyself to that spot where\nDhananjaya the son of Pritha is.\"\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"O preceptor, how is it possible for me to resist\nDhananjaya who has transgressed even thee that art the foremost of all\nwielders of arms? The very chief of celestials, armed with the thunder,\nis capable of being vanquished in battle, but Arjuna that subjugator of\nhostile towns, cannot be vanquished in battle. He by whom Hridika's son\n(Kritavarman), the ruler of the Bhojas, and thyself equal unto a\ncelestial, have both been vanquished by the power of his weapons, he by\nwhom Srutayus hath been slain, as also Sudakshina, and king Srutayus too,\nhe by whom both Srutayus and Achyutayus and myriads of Mlecchas also have\nbeen slain, how can I contend in battle with that invincible son of\nPandu, that accomplished master of weapons, who is even like an\nall-consuming fire? How also dost thou think me competent to fight with\nhim today? I am dependent on thee like a slave. Protect my fame.\"\n\n\"'Drona said, \"Thou sayest truly, O thou of Kuru's race, that Dhananjaya\nis irresistible. I, however, will do that by which thou shalt be able to\nbear him. Let all the bowmen in the world behold today the wonderful feat\nof the son of Kunti being held in check by thee in the very sight of\nVasudeva. This thy armour of gold, O king, I will tie on thy body in such\na way that no weapon used by man will be able to strike thee in battle.\nIf even the three worlds with the Asuras and the celestials, the Yakshas,\nthe Uragas, and the Rakshasas, together with all human beings, fight with\nthee today, thou needst still entertain no fear. Neither Krishna, nor the\nson of Kunti, nor any other wielder of weapons in battle, will be able to\npierce this armour of thine with arrows. Cased in that coat of mail,\nquickly go thou today against angry Arjuna in battle. He will not be able\nto bear thee.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having said these words, Drona, that foremost of persons\nconversant with Brahma, touching water, and duly uttering certain\nMantras, speedily tied that highly wonderful and bright armour on\nDuryodhana's body for the victory of thy son in that dreadful battle and\ncausing (by that act) all persons there to be filled with amazement. And\nDrona said, \"Let the Vedas, and Brahman, and the Brahmanas, bless thee.\nLet all the higher classes of reptiles be a source of blessings to thee,\nO Bharata! Let Yayati and Nahusha, and Dhundhumara, and Bhagiratha, and\nthe other royal sages, all do what is beneficial to thee. Let blessings\nbe to thee from creatures having but one leg, and from those that have\nmany legs. Let blessings be to thee, in this great battle from creatures\nthat have no legs. Let Swaha, and Swadha, and Sachi, also, all do what is\nbeneficial to thee. O sinless one, let Lakshmi and Arundhati too do what\nis beneficial to thee. Let Asita, and Devala and Viswamitra, and Angiras,\nand Vasishtha, and Kasyapa, O king, do what is beneficial to thee. Let\nDhatri, and the lord of the worlds and the points of the compass and the\nregents of those points, and the six-faced Karttikeya, all give thee what\nis beneficial. Let the divine Vivaswat benefit thee completely. Let the\nfour elephants, of the four quarters, the earth, the firmament, the\nplanets, and he who is underneath the earth and holds her (on his head),\nO king, viz., Sesha, that foremost of snakes, give thee what is for thy\nbenefit. O son of Gandhari, formerly the Asura named Vritra, displaying\nhis prowess in battle, had defeated the best of celestials in battle. The\nlatter, numbering thousands upon thousands, with mangled bodies, those\ndenizens of heaven, with Indra at their head, deprived of energy and\nmight, all repaired to Brahman and sought his protection, afraid of the\ngreat Asura Vritra. And the gods said, 'O best of gods, O foremost of\ncelestials, be thou the refuge of the gods now crushed by Vritra. Indeed,\nrescue us from this great fear.' Then Brahman, addressing Vishnu staying\nbeside him as also those best of celestials headed by Sakra, said unto\nthem that were all cheerless, these words fraught with truth: 'Indeed, the\ngods with Indra at their head, and the Brahmanas also, should ever be\nprotected by me. The energy of Tvashtri from which Vritra hath been\ncreated is invincible. Having in days of yore performed ascetic penances\nfor a million of years, Tvashtri, then, ye gods, created Vritra,\nobtaining permission from Maheswara. That mighty foe of yours hath\nsucceeded in smiting you through the grace of that god of gods. Without\ngoing to the place where Sankara stayeth, ye cannot see the divine Hara.\nHaving seen that god, ye will be able to vanquish Vritra. Therefore, go\nye without delay to the mountains of Mandara. There stayeth that origin\nof ascetic penances, that destroyer of Daksha's sacrifice, that wielder\nof Pinaka, that lord of all creatures, that slayer of the Asura called\nBhaganetra.' Thus addressed by Brahman, the gods proceeding to Mandara\nwith Brahman in their company, beheld there that heap of energy, that\nSupreme god endued with the splendour of a million suns. Seeing the gods\nMaheswara welcomed them and enquired what he was to do for them. 'The\nsight of any person can never be fruitless. Let the fruition of your\ndesires proceed from this.' Thus addressed by him, the dwellers of heaven\nreplied, 'We have been deprived of our energy by Vritra. Be thou the\nrefuge of the dwellers of heaven. Behold, O lord, our bodies beaten and\nbruised by his strokes. We seek thy protection. Be thou our refuge, O\nMaheswara!' The god of gods, called Sarva, then said, 'Ye gods, it is\nwell-known to you how this action, fraught with great strength, terrible\nand incapable of being resisted by persons destitute of ascetic merit,\noriginated, springing from the energy of Tvashtri (the divine artificer).\nAs regards myself, it is certainly my duty to render aid to the dwellers\nof heaven. O Sakra, take this effulgent armour from off my body. And, O\nchief of the celestials, put it on, mentally uttering these mantras.'\n\n\"'Drona continued, \"Having said these words, the boon-giving (Siva) gave\nthat armour with the mantras (to be uttered by the wearer). Protected by\nthat armour, Sakra proceeded against the host of Vritra in battle. And\nalthough diverse kinds of weapons were hurled at him in that dreadful\nbattle, yet the joints of that armour could not be cut open. Then the\nlord of the celestials slew Vritra, and afterwards gave unto Angiras that\narmour, whose joints were made up of mantras. And Angiras imparted those\nmantras to his son Vrihaspati, having a knowledge of all mantras. And\nVrihaspati imparted that knowledge to Agnivesya of great intelligence.\nAnd Agnivesya imparted it to me, and it is with the aid of those mantras,\nO best of kings, that I, for protecting thy body, tie this armour on thy\nbody.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Having said these words Drona, that bull among\npreceptors, once more addressed thy son, of great splendour, saying, \"O\nking, I put this armour on thy body, joining its pieces with the aid of\nBrahma strings. In days of yore, Brahma himself had thus put it on Vishnu\nin battle. Even as Brahma himself had put this celestial armour on Sakra\nin the battle caused by the abduction of Taraka, I put it on thee.\"\nHaving thus, with mantras, donned that armour duly on Duryodhana, the\nregenerate Drona sent the king to battle. And the mighty-armed king,\ncased in armour by the high-souled preceptor, and accomplished in\nsmiting, and a thousand infuriated elephants endued with great prowess,\nand a hundred thousand horses, and many other mighty car-warriors,\nproceeded towards the car of Arjuna. And the mighty-armed king proceeded,\nwith the sound of diverse kinds of musical instruments, against his foe,\nlike Virochana's son (Vali in days of yore). Then, O Bharata, a loud\nuproar arose among thy troops, beholding the Kuru king proceeding like a\nfathomless ocean.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCIV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After that bull among men, viz., Duryodhana, had set out\nfrom behind, following Partha and him of Vrishni's race, O king, both of\nwhom had penetrated into the Kaurava army, the Pandavas accompanied by\nthe Somakas, quickly rushed against Drona with loud shouts. And then\ncommenced the battle (between them and Drona's troops). And the battle\nthat took place between the Kurus and the Pandavas at the gate of the\narray, was fierce and awful, making the hair stand on end. The sight\nfilled the spectators with wonder. O king, the sun was then in the\nmeridian. That encounter, O monarch, was truly such that we had never\nseen or heard of its like before. The Parthas headed by Dhrishtadyumna,\nall accomplished in smiting and arrayed properly covered the troops of\nDrona with showers of arrows. Ourselves also, placing Drona, that\nforemost of all wielders of weapons, at our head, covered the Parthas,\ngathered by Prishata's son, with our shafts. The two hosts, adorned with\ncars and looking beautiful, then appeared like two mighty masses of\nclouds in the summer sky, driven towards each other by opposite winds.\nEncountering each other, the two hosts increased their impetuosity, like\nthe rivers the Ganga and the Yamuna, swollen with water during the season\nof the rains. Having diverse kinds of weapons for the winds that ran\nbefore them, teeming with elephants and steeds and cars charged with\nlightning, constituted by the maces wielded by the warriors, the fierce\nand mighty cloud formed by the Kuru host, urged on by the Drona-tempest,\nand pouring incessant shafts that constituted its torrents of rain,\nsought to quench the scorching Pandava-fire. Like an awful hurricane in\nsummer agitating the ocean, that best of Brahmanas, viz., Drona,\nagitating the Pandava host. Exerting themselves with great vigour, the\nPandavas rushed towards Drona alone for piercing his host, like a mighty\ntorrent of water towards a strong embankment, for sweeping it away. Like\nan immovable hill resisting the fiercest current of water, Drona,\nhowever, resisted in that battle the enraged Pandavas and Panchalas and\nKekayas. Many other kings also, endued with great strength and courage,\nattacking them from all sides, began to resist the Pandavas. Then that\ntiger among men, viz., the son of Prishata, uniting with the Pandavas,\nbegan repeatedly to strike Drona, for piercing the hostile host. Indeed,\nas Drona showered his arrows on Prishata's son, even so did the latter\nshower his on Drona. Having scimitars and swords for the winds that blew\nbefore it, well-equipped with darts and lances and sabres, with the\nbow-string constituting its lightning, and the (twang of the) bow for its\nroars, the Dhrishtadyumna-cloud poured on all sides torrents of weapons,\nas its showers of stones. Slaying the foremost of car-warriors and a\nlarge number of steeds, the son of Prishata seemed to deluge the hostile\ndivisions (with his arrowy downpours). And the son of Prishata, by his\narrows, turned Drona away from all those tracks amid the car-divisions of\nthe Pandavas, through which that hero attempted to pass, striking the\nwarriors there with his shafts. And although Drona struggled vigorously\nin that battle, yet his host, encountering Dhrishtadyumna, became divided\ninto three columns. One of these retreated towards Kritavarman, the chief\nof the Bhojas; another towards Jalasandha; and fiercely slaughtered the\nwhile by the Pandavas, proceeded towards Drona himself. Drona, that\nforemost of car-warriors, repeatedly united his troops. The mighty\nwarrior Dhrishtadyumna as often smote and separated them. Indeed, the\nDhartarashtra force, divided into three bodies, was slaughtered by the\nPandavas and the Srinjayas fiercely, like a herd of cattle in the woods\nby many beasts of prey, when unprotected by herdsmen. And people thought\nthat in that dreadful battle, it was Death himself who was swallowing the\nwarriors first stupefied by Dhrishtadyumna. As a kingdom of a bad king is\ndestroyed by famine and pestilence and robbers, even so was thy host\nafflicted by the Pandavas. And in consequence of the rays of the sun\nfalling upon the weapons and the warriors, and of the dust raised by the\nsoldiers, the eyes of all were painfully afflicted. Upon the Kaurava host\nbeing divided into three bodies during that dreadful carnage by the\nPandavas, Drona, filled with wrath, began to consume the Panchalas with\nhis shafts. And while engaged in crushing those divisions and\nexterminating them with his shafts, the form of Drona became like that of\nthe blazing Yuga-fire. That mighty car-warrior pierced cars, elephants,\nand steeds, and foot-soldiers, in that battle, each with only a single\narrow, (and never employing more than one in any case). There then was no\nwarrior in the Pandava army who was capable of bearing, O lord, the\narrows shot from the bow of Drona. Scorched by the rays of the sun and\nblasted by the shafts of Drona, the Pandava divisions there began to reel\nabout on the field. And thy host also, similarly slaughtered by\nPrishata's son, seemed to blaze up at every point like a dry forest on\nfire. And while both Drona and Dhrishtadyumna were slaughtering the two\nhosts, the warriors of both armies, in utter disregard of their lives,\nfought everywhere to the utmost extent of their prowess. Neither in thy\nhost, nor in that of the enemy, O bull of Bharata's race, was there a\nsingle warrior who fled away from the battle through fear. Those uterine\nbrothers, viz., Vivinsati and Chitrasena and the mighty car-warrior\nVikarna, surrounded Kunti's son Bhimasena on all sides. And Vinda and\nAnuvinda of Avanti, and Kshemadhurti of great prowess supported thy three\nsons (who contended against Bhimasena). King Valhika of great energy and\nnoble parentage, with his own troops and counsellors, resisted the sons\nof Draupadi. Saivya, the chief of the Govasanas, with a thousand foremost\nwarriors, faced the son, of great prowess, of the king of the Kasis and\nresisted him. King Salya, the ruler of the Madras, surrounded royal\nYudhishthira, the son of Kunti, who resembled a blazing fire. The brave\nand wrathful Duhsasana, properly supported by his own divisions, angrily\nproceeded, in that battle, against Satyaki, that foremost of\ncar-warriors. I myself, with my own troops, cased in mail and equipped\nwith weapons, and supported by four hundred foremost of bowmen, resisted\nChekitana.[138] Sakuni with seven hundred Gandhara warriors armed with\nbows, darts and swords, resisted the son of Madri (viz., Sahadeva). Vinda\nand Anuvinda of Avanti, those two great bowmen, who had, for the sake of\ntheir friend (Duryodhana), uplifted their weapons, disregarding their\nlives, encountered Virata, the king of the Matsyas. King Valhika,\nexerting himself vigorously, resisted the mighty and unvanquished\nSikhandin, the son of Yajnasena, that hero capable of resisting all foes.\nThe chief of Avanti, with the Sauviras and the cruel Prabhadrakas,\nresisted wrathful Dhrishtadyumna, the prince of the Panchalas. Alamvusha\nquickly rushed against the brave Rakshasa Ghatotkacha of cruel deeds,\nwho was wrathfully advancing to battle. The mighty car-warrior\nKuntibhoja, accompanied by a large force, resisted Alamvusha, that prince\nof Rakshasas, of fierce mien. Thus, O Bharata, hundreds of separate\nencounters between the warriors of thy army and theirs, took place.\n\n\"As regards the ruler of the Sindhus, he remained in the rear of the\nwhole army protected by many foremost of bowmen and car-warriors\nnumbering Kripa amongst them. And the ruler of the Sindhus had for the\nprotectors of his wheels two of the foremost warriors, viz., the son of\nDrona on his right, O king, and the Suta's son (Karna) on the left. And\nfor protecting his rear he had a number of warriors headed by Somadatta's\nson, viz., Kripa, and Vrishasena, and Sala, and the invincible Salya, who\nwere conversant with policy and were mighty bowmen accomplished in\nbattle. And the Kuru warriors, having made these arrangements for the\nprotection of the ruler of the Sindhus, fought (with the Pandavas).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Listen, O king, to me as I describe to thee the wonderful\nbattle that then took place between the Kurus and the Pandavas.\nApproaching Bharadwaja's son who was staying at the gate of his array,\nthe Parthas battled vigorously for piercing through Drona's division. And\nDrona also, accompanied by his forces, desirous of protecting his own\narray, battled with the Parthas, seeking glory. Vinda and Anuvinda of\nAvanti, excited with wrath and desirous of benefiting thy son, struck\nVirata with ten shafts. Virata also, O king, approaching those two\nwarriors of great prowess staying in battle, fought with them and their\nfollowers. The battle that took place between these was fierce in the\nextreme, and blood ran in it like water. And it resembled an encounter in\nthe woods between a lion and a couple of mighty elephants, with rent\ntemples. The mighty son of Yajnasena forcibly struck king Valhika in that\nbattle with fierce and sharp shafts capable of penetrating into the very\nvitals. Valhika also filled with wrath, deeply pierced Yajnasena's son\nwith nine straight shafts of golden wings and whetted on stone. And that\nbattle between those two warriors became exceedingly fierce,\ncharacterised as it was by dense showers of shafts and darts. And it\nenhanced the fears of the timid and the joy of heroes. The arrows shot by\nthem entirely covered the welkin and all the points of the compass, so\nthat nothing could any longer be discerned. And Saivya, the king of the\nGovasanas on the head of the troops, fought in that battle with the\nmighty car-warrior, the prince of the Kasis, like an elephant battling\nwith another. The king of the Valhikas, excited with wrath, fighting\nagainst those (five) mighty car-warriors, viz., the sons of Draupadi,\nlooked resplendent, like the mind contending against the five senses. And\nthose five princes also, O foremost of embodied beings, fought with that\nantagonist of theirs, shooting their arrows from all sides, like the\nobjects of the senses forever battling with the body. Thy son Duhsasana,\nstruck Satyaki of Vrishni's race with nine straight shafts of keen\npoints. Deeply pierced by that strong and great bowman, Satyaki of\nprowess incapable of being baffled, was partially deprived of his senses.\nComforted soon, he, of Vrishni's race, then quickly pierced thy son, that\nmighty car-warrior, with ten shafts winged with Kanka feathers. Piercing\neach other deeply and afflicted with each other's shafts, they looked\nsplendid, O king, like two Kinsukas decked with flowers. Afflicted with\nthe arrows of Kuntibhoja, Alamvusha, filled with wrath looked like a\nbeautiful Kinsuka graced with its flowering burthen. The Rakshasa then\nhaving pierced Kuntibhoja with many arrows, uttered awful shouts at the\nhead of thy host. And as those heroes fought with each other in that\nbattle, they seemed to all the troops to resemble Sakra and the Asura\nJambha in days of old. The two sons of Madri, filled with wrath, fiercely\nground with their shafts the Gandhara prince Sakuni who had offended\nagainst them greatly. The carnage, O monarch, that set in was awful.\nOriginated by thee, nurtured by Karna, and kept up by thy sons, the fire\nof wrath (of the Pandavas) hath swollen now, O monarch, and is ready to\nconsume the whole earth. Forced to turn his back on the field by the two\nsons of Pandu with their shafts, Sakuni unable to put forth his valour,\nknew not what to do. Beholding him turn back, those mighty car-warriors,\nviz., the two sons of Pandu, once more showered their arrows on him like\ntwo masses of clouds pouring torrents of rain on a mighty hill. Struck\nwith countless straight shafts, the son of Suvala fled towards the\ndivision of Drona, borne by his swift steeds. The brave Ghatotkacha\nrushed towards the Rakshasa Alamvusha in that battle, with impetuosity\nmuch short of what he was capable. The battle between those two became\nfearful to behold, like that which in days of yore had taken place\nbetween Rama and Ravana. King Yudhishthira, having in that battle pierced\nthe ruler of the Madras with five hundred arrows, once more pierced him\nwith seven. Then commenced that battle between them which was exceedingly\nwonderful, O monarch, which resembled that, in days of yore, between the\nAsura Samvara and the chief of the celestials. Thy sons Vivinsati and\nChitrasena and Vikarna, surrounded by a large force, battled with\nBhimasena.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCVI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When that fierce battle, causing the hair to stand on\nend, commenced, the Pandavas rushed against the Kauravas who had been\ndivided into three bodies. Bhimasena rushed against the mighty-armed\nJalasandha, and Yudhishthira, at the head of his troops rushed, in that\nbattle, against Kritavarman. And Dhrishtadyumna, O king, scattering the\nshafts, like the sun shooting his rays, rushed against Drona. Then\ncommenced that battle between all the bowmen, eager for the encounter, of\nthe Kurus and the Pandavas, excited with wrath. And during the progress\nof that terrible carnage, when all the warriors were battling with one\nanother fearlessly the mighty Drona fought with the mighty prince of the\nPanchalas. And the clouds of arrows he shot in that encounter filled all\nspectators with wonder. And Drona and the prince of the Panchalas,\ncutting off the heads of men by thousands, scattered them on the field of\nbattle, making the latter resemble a forest of lotuses. In every\ndivision, were soon strewn on the ground robes and ornaments and weapons,\nand standards and coats of mail. And golden coats of mail, dyed with\nblood, looked like clouds charged with lightning. Other mighty\ncar-warriors, drawing their large bows measuring full six cubits long,\nfelled with their shafts, elephants and steeds and men. In that dreadful\nencounter of arms between brave and high-souled warriors, swords and\nshields, bows and heads and coats of mail were seen lying scattered\nabout. Innumerable headless trunks wore seen to rise up, O king, in the\nmidst of that fierce battle. And vultures and Kankas and jackals and\nswarms of other carnivorous animals, O sire, were seen there, eating the\nflesh of fallen men and steeds and elephants, of drinking their blood, or\ndragging them by the hair, or licking or pecking, O king, at their\nmarrow, or dragging their bodies and severed limbs, or rolling their\nheads on the ground. Warriors, skilled in battle, accomplished in\nweapons, and firmly resolved in fight, struggled vigorously in the\ncombat, solicitous only of fame. Many were the combatants that careered\nover the field, performing the diverse evolutions, of swordsmen. With\nsabres and darts and lances and spears and axes, with maces and spiked\nclubs and other kinds of weapons, and with even bare arms, men who had\nentered the arena of battle, filled with rage, slew one another. And\ncar-warriors fought with car-warriors, and horsemen with horsemen, and\nelephants with foremost of elephants, and foot-soldiers with\nfoot-soldiers. And many infuriated elephants, as if perfectly mad,\nuttered loud shrieks and slew one another, after the manner they do in\nsporting arenas.\n\n\"'During the progress, O king, of that battle in which the combatants\nfought without any regard for one another, Dhrishtadyumna caused his own\nsteeds to be mixed up with those of Drona. Those steeds endued with the\nspeed of the wind, that were white as pigeons and red as blood, thus\nmixed with one another in battle, looked exceedingly beautiful. Indeed,\nthey looked resplendent like clouds charged with lightning. Then that\nslayer of hostile heroes, viz., heroic Dhrishtadyumna, the son of\nPrishata, beholding Drona, O Bharata, arrived so near, cast off his bow\nand took up his sword and shield, for achieving a difficult feat. Seizing\nthe shaft of Drona's car, he entered into it. And he stayed sometimes on\nthe middle of the yoke, and sometimes on its joints and sometimes behind\nthe steeds. And while he was moving, armed with swords, quickly upon the\nbacks of those red steeds of Drona, the latter could not detect an\nopportunity for striking him.[139] All this seemed wonderful to us.\nIndeed, like the sweep of a hawk in the woods from desire of food, seemed\nthat sally of Dhrishtadyumna from his own car for the destruction of\nDrona. Then Drona cut off, with a hundred arrows, the shield, decked with\na hundred moons, of Drupada's son, and then his sword, with ten others.\nAnd mighty Drona then, with four and sixty arrows, slew the steeds of his\nantagonist. And with a couple of broad-headed shafts he cut off the\nlatter's standard and umbrella also, and then slew both his Parshni\ncharioteers. And then with great speed drawing his bow-string to his ear,\nhe shot at him a fatal shaft, like the wielder of the thunder hurling the\nthunder (at a foe). But soon Satyaki, with four and ten sharp shafts, cut\noff that fatal arrow of Drona. And thus the Vrishni hero, O sire, rescued\nDhrishtadyumna, who had been seized by that lion among men, the foremost\nof preceptors, like a deer seized by the king of the forests. Even thus\ndid that bull amongst the Sinis, the prince of the Panchalas. Beholding\nSatyaki to rescue the prince of the Panchalas in the dreadful battle,\nDrona quickly shot at him six and twenty arrows. The grandson of Sini\nthen, in return, pierced Drona in the centre of the chest with six and\ntwenty arrows, while the latter was engaged in devouring the Srinjayas.\nThen all the Panchala car-warriors, desirous of victory upon the Satwata\nhero, proceeding against Drona, quickly withdrew Dhrishtadyumna from the\nbattle.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCVII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'After that shafts of Drona had been cut off and\nDhrishtadyumna thus rescued, O Sanjaya, by Yuyudhana, that foremost one\nof the Vrishni race, what did that great bowman, that foremost of all\nwielders of weapons, viz., Drona, do in battle unto that tiger among men,\nviz., the grandson of Sini?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then Drona, like a mighty snake, having wrath for his\npoison, his stretched bow for his wide-open mouth, his sharp shafts for\nhis teeth and whetted arrows for his fangs, with eyes red as copper from\nrage, and breathing hard, that mighty hero among men, perfectly fearless,\nborne on his red steeds of great speed, that seemed to soar into the\nskies or get at the top of a mountain, rushed towards Yuyudhana,\nscattering his arrows equipped with golden wings. Then that subjugator of\nhostile cities, that hero of Sini's race invincible in battle, beholding\nthat irresistible Drona cloud having showers of arrows for its watery\ndownpour, the rattle of car-wheels for its roar, the out-stretched bow\nfor its volume, long shafts for its lightning-flashes, darts and swords\nfor its thunder, wrath for the winds and urged on by those steeds that\nconstituted the hurricane (impelling it forwards), rushed towards him,\naddressed his charioteer and smilingly said, \"O Suta, proceed quickly and\ncheerfully, urging the steeds to their greatest speed, against that\nheroic Brahmana, fallen off from the duties of his order, that refuge of\nDhritarashtra's son, that dispeller of the (Kuru) king's sorrows and\nfear, that preceptor of all the princes, that warrior ever boastful of\nhis prowess.\" Then the excellent steeds of silvery hue belonging to him\nof Madhu's race, endued with the speed of the wind, quickly proceeded\ntowards Drona. Then those two chastisers of foes, viz., Drona and Sini's\ngrandson, fought with each other, each striking the other with thousands\nof shafts. Those two bulls among men filled the welkin with their arrowy\nshowers. Indeed, the two heroes covered the ten points of the compass\nwith their shafts. And they poured on each other their shafts like two\nclouds pouring their contents (on the earth) on the expiration of summer.\nThe sun became invisible. The very wind ceased to blow. And in\nconsequence of those showers of shafts filling the welkin, a continuous\nand thick gloom was caused there that became unbearable to the other\nheroes. And when the shafts of Drona and Sini's grandson had caused that\ngloom there, none beheld any cessation in shooting in either of them.\nThey were both quick in the use of weapons, and they were both looked\nupon as lions among men. The sound produced by those torrents of arrows,\nshot by both striking against each other was heard to resemble the sound\nof the thunder hurled by Sakra. The forms of heroic warriors pierced with\nlong shafts looked like those of snakes, O Bharata, hit by snakes of\nvirulent poison. Brave warriors incessantly heard the twangs of their\nbows and the sounds of their palms to resemble the sound of thunder\nfalling upon summits of mountains. The cars of both of those warriors, O\nking, their steeds, and their charioteers pierced with shafts of golden\nwings, became beautiful to behold. Fierce was the downpour, O monarch, of\nshafts that were bright and straight and that looked resplendent like\nsnakes of virulent poison freed from their sloughs. The umbrellas of both\nwere cut off, as also the standards of both. And both of them were\ncovered with blood, and both were inspired with the hope of victory. With\nblood trickling down every limb of theirs, they resembled a couple of\nelephants with secretions trickling down their bodies. And they continued\nto strike each other with fatal shafts. The roars and shouts and other\ncries of the soldiers, the blare of conchs and the beat of drums ceased,\nO king, for none uttered any sound. Indeed, all the divisions became\nsilent, and all the warriors stopped fighting. People, filled with\ncuriosity became spectators of that single combat. Car-warriors and\nelephant riders and horsemen and foot-soldiers, surrounding those two\nbulls among men, witnessed their encounter with steadfast eyes. And the\nelephant-divisions stood still and so also the horse-divisions, and so\nalso the car-divisions. All stood still, disposed in array. Variegated\nwith pearls and corals, decked with gems and gold, adorned with standards\nand ornaments, with coats of mail made of gold, with triumphal banners\nwith rich caparisons of elephants, with fine blankets, with bright and\nsharp weapons, with yak-tails, ornamented with gold and silver, on the\nheads of steeds, with garlands, round the frontal globes of elephants and\nrings round their tusks, O Bharata, the Kuru and the Pandava hosts then\nlooked like a mass of clouds at the close of summer, decked with rows of\ncranes and myriads of fire-flies (under them) and adorned with rainbows\nand flashes of lightning. Both our men and those of Yudhishthira, beheld\nthat battle between Yuyudhana and high-souled Drona; the gods also,\nheaded by Brahma and Soma, and the Siddhas, and the Charanas, and the\nVidyadharas, and the great Snakes, saw it, stationed on their foremost of\nsky-ranging cars. And beholding the diverse motion, forward and backward,\nof those lions among men, and their acts of striking each other, the\nspectators were filled with wonder. And both endued with great strength,\nDrona and Satyaki, displaying their lightness of hand in the use of\nweapons, began to pierce each other with shafts. Then he of Dasarha's\nrace, with his mighty shafts, cut off those of the illustrious Drona in\nthat battle, and then, within a moment, the latter's bow also. Within,\nhowever, the twinkling of an eye, the son of Bharadwaja took up another\nbow and strung it. Even that bow of his was cut off by Satyaki. Drona\nthen, with utmost quickness waited with another bow in hand. As often,\nhowever, as Drona strung his bow, Satyaki cut it off. And this he did\nfull nine and seven times. Beholding then that superhuman feat of\nYuyudhana in battle, Drona, O monarch, thought in his mind, \"This force\nof weapons that I see in this foremost one among the Satwatas exists in\nRama and Dhananjaya and was seen also in Kartavirya and that tiger among\nmen, viz., Bhishma.\" The son of Bharadwaja, therefore, mentally applauded\nthe prowess of Satyaki. Beholding that lightness of hand equal unto that\nof Vasava himself, that foremost of regenerate ones, that first of all\npersons conversant with weapons, was highly gratified with Madhava. And\nthe gods also, with Vasava at their head, were gratified with it. The\ngods and the Gandharvas, O monarch, had never before witnessed that\nlightness of hand of the quickly moving Yuyudhana, although they and the\nSiddhas and the Charanas had been acquainted with the feats of which\nDrona was capable. Then Drona, that foremost of persons acquainted with\nweapons, that grinder of Kshatriyas, taking up another bow, aimed some\nweapons. Satyaki, however, baffling those weapons with the illusion of\nhis own weapon struck him with some sharp shafts. All this seemed highly\nwonderful. Beholding that superhuman feat of his in battle, that feat of\nwhich nobody else was capable, and which displayed very great skill,\nthose amongst thy warriors that were judges of skill, applauded it.\nSatyaki shot the same weapons that Drona shot. Beholding this, that\nscorcher of foes, viz., the preceptor, fought with a little less\nboldness, than usual. Then that master of military science, O king,\nfilled with wrath, invoked celestial weapons for the destruction of\nYuyudhana. Beholding that terrible foe-slaughtering Agneya weapon,\nSatyaki, that mighty bowman, invoked another celestial weapon, viz., the\nVaruna. Seeing them both take up celestial weapons, loud cries of Oh and\nAlas arose there. The very creatures having the sky for their element\nceased to range through it. Then the Varuna and the Agneya weapons which\nhad thus been grafted on their shafts coming against each other became\nfruitless.[140] Just at that time, the sun passed down in his course.\nThen king Yudhishthira and Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, and Nakula, and\nSahadeva, desirous of protecting Satyaki, and the Matsyas, and the\nSalweya troops, speedily proceeded towards Drona. Then thousands of\nprinces placing Duhsasana at their head, hastily proceeded towards Drona\n(for protecting him) who was surrounded by foes. Then, O king, commenced\na fierce battle between them and thy bowmen. The earth was covered with\ndust and with showers of arrows shot (by both sides). And everything\nbeing thus covered, nothing could any longer be discerned. Indeed, when\nthe troops were thus overwhelmed with dust, the battle proceeded in utter\ndisregard (of persons and rules).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION XCVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When the sun turned in his downward course towards the\nsummit of the Asta hills, when the welkin was covered with dust, when the\nheat of the solar rays abated, the day began to fade fast. As regards the\nsoldiers, some rested, some fought on, some returned to the encounter,\ndesirous of victory. And while the troops, inspired with hope of victory,\nwere thus engaged, Arjuna and Vasudeva proceeded towards the place where\nthe ruler of the Sindhus was. The son of Kunti, by means of his shafts,\nmade (through the hostile soldiers) a way sufficiently wide for his car.\nAnd it was in this way that Janardana proceeded, (guiding the car).\nThither where the car of the high-souled son of Pandu proceeded, thither\nthy troops, O monarch, broke and yielded a way. And he of Dasarha's race,\nendued with great energy, displayed his skill in driving car by showing\ndiverse kinds of circling motions. And the shafts of Arjuna, engraved\nwith his name, well-tempered, resembling the Yuga-fire, tied round with\ncatgut, of straight joints, thick, far-reaching, and made either of\n(cleft) bamboo (or their branches) or wholly of iron, taking the lives of\ndiverse foes, drank in that battle, with the birds (of prey assembled\nthere), the blood of living creatures. Standing on his car, as Arjuna\nshot his shafts full two miles ahead, those shafts pierced and despatched\nhis foes just as that car itself came up to the spot.[141] Hrishikesa\nproceeded, borne by those yoke-bearing steeds endued with the speed of\nGaruda or the wind, with such speed that he caused the whole universe to\nwonder at it. Indeed, O king, the car of Surya himself, or that of Rudra\nor that of Vaisravana, never goeth so fast. Nobody else's car had ever\nbefore moved with such speed in battle as Arjuna's car, moving with the\ncelerity of a wish cherished in the mind. Then Kesava, O king, that\nslayer of hostile heroes, having taken the car of battle quickly urged\nthe steeds, O Bharata, through the (hostile) troops. Arrived in the midst\nof that throng of cars, those excellent steeds bore Arjuna's car with\ndifficulty, suffering as they did from hunger, thirst, and toil, and\nmangled as they had been with the weapons of many heroes delighting in\nbattle. They frequently, however, described beautiful circles as they\nmoved, proceeding over the bodies of slain steeds and men, over broken\ncars, and the bodies of dead elephants, looking like hills by thousands.\n\n\"'Meanwhile O king, the two heroic brothers of Avanti, (viz., Vinda and\nAnuvinda), at the head of their forces, beholding the steeds of Arjuna to\nbe tired, encountered him. Filled with joy, they pierced Arjuna with four\nand sixty shafts, and Janardana with seventy, and the four steeds (of\nArjuna's car) with a hundred arrows. Then Arjuna, O king, filled with\nwrath, and having a knowledge of the vital parts of the body, struck them\nboth in the battle, with nine straight shafts, every one of which was\ncapable of penetrating into the very vitals. Thereupon, the two brothers,\nfilled with rage, covered Vibhatsu and Kesava with showers of shafts and\nuttered leonine roars. Then Partha of white steeds, with a couple of\nbroad-headed shafts, quickly cut off in that battle the beautiful bows of\nthe two brothers and then their two standards, bright as gold. Vinda and\nAnuvinda then, O king, taking up to other bows and becoming infuriated\nwith anger, began to grind the son of Pandu with their arrows. Then\nDhananjaya, the son of Pandu, exceedingly enraged, once more, with a\ncouple of shafts quickly cut off those two bows also of his foes. And\nwith a few other arrows whetted on stone and equipped with wings of gold,\nArjuna then slew their steeds, their charioteers, and the two combatants\nthat protected their rear, with those that followed the latter. And with\nanother broad-headed arrow, sharp as a razor, he cut off the head of the\neldest brother, who fell down on the earth, deprived of life, like a tree\nbroken by the wind. The mighty Anuvinda then endued with great prowess,\nbeholding Vinda slain left his steedless car, having taken up a mace.\nThen that foremost of car-warriors, viz., the brother of Vinda,\napparently dancing as he advanced with that mace in his arms, proceeded\nin that battle for avenging the slaughter of his elder brother. Filled\nwith rage, Anuvinda struck Vasudeva on the forehead with that mace. The\nlatter, however, trembled not, but stood still like the mountain Mainaka.\nThen Arjuna with six arrows, cut off his neck and two legs and two arms\nand head. Thus cut off (into fragments, the limbs of) Anuvinda fell down\nlike so many hills. Beholding them both stain, their followers, O king,\nfilled with rage rushed (towards Arjuna), scattering hundreds of arrows.\nSlaying them soon, O bull of Bharata's race, Arjuna looked resplendent\nlike a fire consuming a forest on the expiry of winter. Passing over\nthose troops with some difficulty, Dhananjaya then shone brightly like\nthe risen sun, transgressing the clouds under which it was hid. Beholding\nhim, the Kauravas were filled with fright. But recovering soon enough,\nthey rejoiced once more and rushed at him from all sides. O bull of\nBharata's race! Understanding that he was tired and that the ruler of the\nSindhus was yet at a distance, they surrounded him, uttering leonine\nroars. Beholding them, filled with wrath, Arjuna, that bull among men,\nsmilingly addressed him of Dasarha's race in soft words, and said, \"Our\nsteeds are afflicted with arrows and tired. The ruler of the Sindhus is\nstill at a distance. What do you think to be the best that should be done\nnow? Tell me, O Krishna, truly. Thou art always the wisest of persons.\nThe Pandavas having thee for their eyes, will vanquish their foes in\nbattle. That which seems to me should be done next, truly shall I say\nunto thee. Unyoking the steeds to their case, pluck off their arrows, O\nMadhava!\" Thus addressed by Partha, Kesava replied unto him, \"I am, also\nO Partha, of the opinion which thou hast expressed.\"\n\n\"'Arjuna then said, \"I will hold in check the whole army, O Kesava! Do\nthou properly perform that which should be done next.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Alighting then from the terrace of his car,\nDhananjaya, taking up his bow, Gandiva, fearlessly stood there like an\nimmovable hill. Beholding Dhananjaya standing on the ground, and\nregarding it a good opportunity, the Kshatriyas, desirous of victory and\nuttering loud shouts, rushed towards him. Him standing alone, they\nsurrounded with a large throng of cars, all stretching their bows and\nshowering their shafts on him. Filled with wrath, they displayed diverse\nkinds of weapons and entirely shrouded Partha with their shafts like the\nclouds shrouding the sun. And the great Kshatriya warriors impetuously\nrushed against that bull among Kshatriyas, that lion among men, like\ninfuriated elephants rushing towards a lion. The might then that we\nbeheld, of Partha's arms was exceedingly great, since, filled with rage,\nalone, he succeeded in resisting those countless warriors. The puissant\nPartha, baffling with his own weapons those of the foes, quickly covered\nall of them with countless shafts. In that part of the welkin, O monarch,\nin consequence of the clash of those dense showers of shafts, a fire was\ngenerated emitting incessant sparks. There, in consequence of hostile\nheroes, countless in number, all filled with wrath, and all great bowmen\nunited together for a common purpose, seeking victory in battle, aided by\nsteeds, covered with blood and breathing hard, and by infuriated and\nfoe-grinding elephants, uttering loud shrieks, the atmosphere became\nexceedingly hot. That uncrossable, wide, and limitless ocean of cars,\nincapable of being agitated, had arrows for its current, standards for\nits eddies, elephants for its crocodiles, foot-soldiers for its countless\nfishes, the blare of conchs and the beat of drums for its roar, cars for\nits surging waves, head-gears of combatants for its tortoises, umbrellas\nand banners for its froth, and the bodies of slain elephants for its\n(submarine) rocks: Partha resisted with his arrows, the approach of the\nsea like a continent. Then, in course of that battle, the mighty-armed\nJanardana, fearlessly addressing that dear friend of his, that foremost\nof men, viz., Arjuna, said unto him, \"There is no well here in the field\nof battle, O Arjuna, for the steeds to drink from. The steeds want water\nfor drink, but not for a bath.\" Thus addressed by Vasudeva, Arjuna\ncheerfully said, \"Here it is!\" And so saying, he pierced the earth with a\nweapon and made an excellent lake from which the steeds could drink. And\nthat lake abounded in swans and ducks, and was adorned with Chakravakas.\nAnd it was wide and full of transparent water, and abounded in full-blown\nlotuses of the finest species. And it teemed with diverse kinds of fish.\nAnd fathomless in depth, it was the resort of many a Rishi. And the\ncelestial Rishi, Narada, came to have a look at that lake created there\nin a moment. And Partha, capable of achieving wonderful works like (the\ncelestial artificer) Tvashtri himself, also constructed there an arrowy\nhall, having arrows for its beams and rafters, arrows for its pillars,\nand arrows for its roof. Then Govinda smiling in joy, said, \"Excellent,\nExcellent,\" upon seeing the high-souled Partha create that arrowy hall.'\"\n\n\n\n\n\nSECTION XCIX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After the high-souled son of Kunti had created that\nwater, after he had commenced to hold in check the hostile army, and\nafter he had built also that arrowy hall, Vasudeva of great splendour,\nalighting from the car, unyoked the steeds pierced and mangled with\narrows. Beholding that sight never seen before, loud uproars of applause\nwere heard there, uttered by the Siddhas and the Charanas and by all the\nwarriors. Mighty car-warriors (assembled together) were unable to resist\nthe son of Kunti, even when he fought on foot. All this seemed highly\nwonderful. Although throngs upon throngs of cars, and myriads of\nelephants and steeds, rushed towards him, yet Partha felt no fear but\nfought on, prevailing upon all his foes. And the (hostile) kings shot\nshowers of shafts at the son of Pandu. That slayer of hostile heroes,\nhowever, viz., the son of Vasava, of virtuous soul, felt no anxiety\nwhatever. Indeed, the valiant Partha received hundreds of arrowy showers\nand maces and lances coming towards him as the ocean receives hundreds\nupon hundreds of rivers flowing towards it. With the impetuous might of\nhis own weapons and strength of his arms, Partha received the foremost of\nshafts shot at him by those foremost of kings. Although staying on the\nground, and alone, he succeeded yet in baffling all those kings on their\ncars, like that one fault, avarice, destroying a host of accomplishments.\nThe Kauravas, O king, applauded the highly wonderful prowess of Partha as\nalso of Vasudeva, saying, \"What more wonderful incident hath ever taken\nplace in this world, or will ever take place than this, viz., that Partha\nand Govinda, in course of battle, have unyoked their steeds? Displaying\nfierce energy on the field of battle and the greatest assurance, those\nbest of men have inspired us with great thoughts.\" Then Hrishikesa, of\neyes like lotus-petals, smiling with the coolest assurance, as if, O\nBharata, he was in the midst of an assembly of women (and not armed\nfoes), after Arjuna had created in the field of battle that hall, made of\narrows, led the steeds into it, in the very sight, O monarch, of all thy\ntroops. And Krishna, who was well-skilled in grooming horses, then\nremoved their fatigue, pain, froth, trembling and wounds.[142] Then\nplucking out their arrows and rubbing those steeds with his own hands,\nand making them trot duly, he caused them to drink. Having caused them to\ndrink, and removed their fatigue and pain, he once more carefully yoked\nthem to that foremost of cars. Then, that foremost one among all wielders\nof weapons, viz., Sauri, of great energy, mounting on that car with\nArjuna, proceeded with great speed. Beholding the car of that foremost of\ncar-warriors once more equipped with these steeds, whose thirst had been\nslaked, the foremost ones among the Kuru army once more became cheerless.\nThey began to sigh, O king, like snakes whose fangs had been pulled out.\nAnd they said, \"Oh, fie, fie on us! Both Partha and Krishna have gone, in\nthe very sight of all the Kshatriyas, riding on the same car, and clad in\nmail, and slaughtering our troops with as much ease as boys sporting with\na toy. Indeed, those scorchers of foes have gone away in the very sight\nof all the kings displaying the prowess and unimpeded by our shouting and\nstruggling combatants.\" Seeing them gone away, other warriors said, \"Ye\nKauravas, speed ye for the slaughter of Krishna and the diadem-decked\n(Arjuna). Yoking his steeds unto his car in the very sight of all (our)\nbowmen, he of Dasarha's race is proceeding towards Jayadratha,\nslaughtering us in battle.\" And some lords of earth there, O king,\namongst themselves, having seen that highly wonderful incident in battle\nnever seen before said, \"Alas, through Duryodhana's fault, these warriors\nof king Dhritarashtra, the Kshatriyas, and the whole earth, fallen into\ngreat distress, are being destroyed. King Duryodhana understands it not.\"\nThus spoke many Kshatriyas. Others, O Bharata, said, \"The ruler of the\nSindhus hath already been despatched to Yama's abode. Of narrow sight and\nunacquainted with means, let Duryodhana now do what should be done for\nthat king.\"[143] Meanwhile, the son of Pandu, seeing the sun coursing\ntowards the Western hills, proceeded with greater speed towards the ruler\nof the Sindhus, on his steeds, whose thirst had been slaked. The (Kuru)\nwarriors were unable to resist that mighty-armed hero, that foremost of\nall wielders of weapons, as he proceeded like the Destroyer himself in\nwrath. That scorcher of foes, viz., the son of Pandu, routing the\nwarriors (before him), agitated that army, like a lion agitating a herd\nof deer, as he proceeded for getting at Jayadratha. Penetrating into the\nhostile army, he, of Dasarha's race, urged the steeds with great speeds,\nand blew his conch, Panchajanya, which was of the hue of the clouds. The\nshafts shot before by the son of Kunti began to fall behind him, so\nswiftly did those steeds, endued with the speed of the wind, drew that\ncar. Then many kings, filled with rage, and many other Kshatriyas\nsurrounded Dhananjaya who was desirous of slaying Jayadratha. When the\n(Kuru) warriors thus proceeded towards that bull among men (viz.,\nArjuna) who had stopped for a moment, Duryodhana, proceeding quickly,\nfollowed Partha in that great battle. Many warriors, beholding the car\nwhose rattle resembled the roar of clouds, and which was equipped with\nthat terrible standard bearing the ape and whose banner floated upon the\nwind, became exceedingly cheerless. Then when the sun was almost\ncompletely shrouded by the dust (raised by the combatants), the (Kuru)\nwarriors, afflicted with shafts, became incapable of even gazing, in that\nbattle, at the two Krishnas.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION C\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'O monarch, beholding Vasudeva and Dhananjaya penetrate\ninto their host, having already pierced through many divisions, the kings\nof the army, fled away in fear. A little while after, however, those\nhigh-souled ones, filled with rage and shame, and urged on by their\nmight, became cool and collected, and proceeded towards Dhananjaya. But\nthose, O king, who filled with rage and vindictiveness, proceeded against\nthe son of Pandu in battle, returned not, like rivers never returning\nfrom the ocean. Seeing this, many ignoble Kshatriyas incurred sin and\nhell by flying away from battle, like atheists turning away from the\nVedas.[144] Transgressing that throng of cars those two bulls among men,\nat last, issued out of it, and looked like the sun and the moon freed\nfrom the jaws of Rahu. Indeed, the two Krishnas, their fatigue dispelled,\nhaving pierced through that vast host, looked like two fishes that had\npassed through a strong net. Having forced through that impenetrable\ndivision of Drona, the way through which was obstructed by dense showers\nof weapons, those two high-souled heroes looked like Yuga-suns risen (on\nthe welkin). Piercing through those dense showers of weapons and freed\nfrom that imminent danger, those high-souled heroes, themselves\nobstructing the welkin with thick clouds of weapons, seemed like persons\nescaped from a raging conflagration, or like two fishes from the jaws of\na makara. And they agitated the (Kuru) host like a couple of makaras\nagitating the ocean. Thy warriors and thy sons, while Partha and Krishna\nwere in the midst of Drona's division, had thought that those two would\nnever be able to issue out of it. Beholding, however, those two heroes of\ngreat splendour issue out of Drona's division, they no longer, O monarch,\nhoped for Jayadratha's life. Hitherto they had strong hopes of\nJayadratha's life, for they had thought, O king, that the two Krishnas\nwould never be able to escape from Drona and Hridika's son. Frustrating\nthat hope, those two scorchers of foes had, O monarch, crossed the\ndivision of Drona, as also the almost uncrossable division of the Bhojas.\nBeholding them, therefore, ford through those divisions and look like two\nblazing fires, thy men became possessed with despair and no longer hoped\nfor Jayadratha's life. Then those two fearless heroes, viz., Krishna and\nDhananjaya, those enhancers of the fears of foes, began to converse\nbetween themselves about the slaughter of Jayadratha. And Arjuna said,\n\"This Jayadratha hath been placed in their midst by six of the foremost\ncar-warriors among the Dhartarashtras. The ruler of the Sindhus, however,\nshall not escape me if once he is seen by me. If Sakra himself, with all\nthe celestials, become his protector in battle, yet shall we slay him.\"\nThus did the two Krishnas talk. Even so, O mighty-armed one, did they\nconverse amongst themselves, while looking after the ruler of the\nSindhus. (Having heard what they said), thy sons set up a loud wail.\nThose two chastisers of foes then looked like a couple of thirsty\nelephants of great quickness of motion, refreshed by drinking water,\nafter having passed through a desert. Beyond death and above decrepitude,\nthey then looked like two merchants that have passed over a mountainous\ncountry abounding with tigers and lions and elephants. Indeed, beholding\nthem freed (from Drona and Kritavarman), thy warriors regarded the colour\nof Partha's and Krishna's face to be dreadful; and thy men then, from all\nsides, set up a loud wail. Freed from Drona who resembled a snake of\nvirulent poison or a blazing fire, as also from the other lords of the\nearth, Partha and Krishna looked like two blazing suns. Indeed, those two\nchastisers of foes, freed from Drona's division, which resembled the very\nocean, seemed to be filled with joy like persons that have safely crossed\nthe vasty deep. Freed from those dense showers of weapons, from those\ndivisions protected by Drona and Hridika's son, Kesava and Arjuna looked\nlike Indra and Agni, or blazing effulgence. The two Krishnas, pierced\nwith sharp shafts of Bharadwaja's son, and with bodies dripping with\nblood, looked resplendent like two mountains decked with flowering\nKarnikaras. Having forded that wide lake, of which Drona constituted the\nalligator, darts formed the fierce snakes, shafts, the Makaras, and\nKshatriyas, the deep waters, and having issued out of that cloud,\nconstituted by Drona's weapons, whose thunders were the twang of bows and\nthe sound of palms, and whose lightning flashes were constituted by maces\nand swords, Partha and Krishna looked like the sun and moon freed from\ndarkness. Having crossed the region obstructed by the weapons of Drona,\nall creatures regarded those mighty and famous bowmen viz., the two\nKrishnas, as persons who had forded, with the aid of their arms, the five\nrivers, (viz., the Satadru, the Vipasa, the Ravi, the Chandrabhaga, and\nthe Vitasta) having the ocean for their sixth, when full of water during\nthe season of rains, and abounding with alligators. Casting their eyes,\nfrom desire of slaughter, on Jayadratha who was not far off from them,\nthe two heroes looked like two tigers waiting from desire of falling upon\na Ruru deer. Such was then the colour of their faces, that thy warriors,\nO monarch, regarded Jayadratha as one already slain. Possessed of red\neyes, O mighty-armed one, and staying together, Krishna and the son of\nPandu, at the sight of Jayadratha were filled with joy and roared\nrepeatedly. Indeed, O monarch, the splendour then of Sauri, standing with\nreins in hand, and of Partha armed with bow, was like that of the sun or\nfire. Freed from the division of Drona, their joy, at sight of the ruler\nof the Sindhus, was like that of a couple of hawks at the sight of a\npiece of flesh. Beholding the ruler of the Sindhus not far off, they\nrushed in wrath towards him like a couple of hawks swooping down towards\na piece of meat. Seeing Hrishikesa and Dhananjaya transgress (the\ndivisions of Drona), thy valiant son, king Duryodhana, whose armour had\nbeen bound on his person by Drona, and who was well-versed in grooming\nand guiding horses, rushed, on a single car, O lord, for the protection\nof the Sindhus. Leaving those mighty bowmen, viz., Krishna and Partha,\nbehind, thy son, O king, turned back, facing Kesava of lotus-like eyes.\nWhen thy son thus outran Dhananjaya, diverse musical instruments were\njoyfully blown and beat among all thy troops. And leonine roars were\nuttered mingled with the blare of conchs, beholding Duryodhana staying in\nthe face of the two Krishnas. They also, O king, resembling blazing\nfires, that stood as the protectors of Jayadratha, were filled with joy\nupon beholding thy son in battle. Seeing Duryodhana transgress them with\nhis followers, Krishna, O monarch, said unto Arjuna these words suited to\nthe occasion.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CI\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"Behold, O Dhananjaya, this Suyodhana who hath\ntransgressed us! I regard this as highly wonderful. There is no\ncar-warrior equal to him. His arrows are far-reaching. He is a great\nbowman. Accomplished as he is in weapons, it is exceedingly difficult to\nvanquish him in battle. The mighty son of Dhritarashtra strikes hard, and\nis conversant with all modes of warfare. Brought up in great luxury, he\nis much regarded by even the foremost of car-warriors. He is\nwell-accomplished, and, O Partha, he always hates the Pandavas. For these\nreasons, O sinless one, I think, thou shouldst now fight with him. Upon\nhim resteth, as upon a stake at dice, victory or the reverse. Upon him, O\nPartha, vomit that poison of thy wrath which thou hast cherished so long.\nThis mighty car-warrior is the root of all the wrongs on the Pandavas. He\nis now within reach of thy shafts. Look after thy success. Why hath king\nDuryodhana, desirous as he is of kingdom, come to battle with thee? By\ngood luck, it is that he is now arrived within reach of thy arrows. Do\nthat, O Dhananjaya, by which he may be deprived on his very life. Reft of\nhis senses through pride of affluence, he hath never felt any distress. O\nbull among men, he doth not know also thy prowess in battle. Indeed, the\nthree worlds with the celestials, the Asuras, and human beings, cannot\nventure to vanquish thee in battle. What need be said, therefore, of\nsingle Duryodhana? By good luck it is, O Partha, that he hath approached\nthe vicinity of thy car. O mighty-armed one, slay him as Purandara slew\nVritra. O sinless one, this Duryodhana hath endeavoured to bring evil on\nyou. By deceit he cheated king Yudhishthira at dice. O giver of honours,\nsinless though you all are, this prince of sinful soul has always done\nvarious evil acts towards him. Nobly resolved upon battle, O Partha, slay\nwithout any scruple this wicked wight, who is ever wrathful and ever\ncruel, and who is the very embodiment of avarice. Remembering the\ndeprivation of your kingdom by deceit, your exile into the woods, and the\nwrongs of Krishna, put forth thy prowess, O son of Pandu! By good luck,\nit is that he stayeth within the range of the shafts. By good luck, it is\nthat staying before thee he endeavours to resist thy purpose. By good\nluck, it is that he knows today that he will have to fight with thee in\nthe battle. By good luck, it is that all your purposes, even those that\nare not presently entertained by you, will be crowned with fruition.\nTherefore, Partha, slay this wretch of his race, viz., the son of\nDhritarashtra, in battle, as Indra had in days of yore, slain the Asura\nJambha in the battle between the celestials and the Asuras. If he is\nslain by thee, thou canst then pierce through this masterless host. Cut\nthe very root of these wicked-souled wretches. Let the avabhritha[145] of\nthis hostility be now accomplished.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed, Partha replied unto Kesava\nsaying--\"So be it. Even this should be done by me. Disregarding\neverything else, proceed thither where Duryodhana is. Putting forth my\nprowess in battle, I will cut off the head of that wretch who hath for\nsuch a long period enjoyed our kingdom without a thorn on his side. Shall\nI not succeed, O Kesava, in avenging myself of the insult, in the shape\nof dragging her by the hair, offered unto Draupadi, undeserving as she\nwas of that wrong.\" Thus conversing with each other, the two Krishnas\nfilled with joy, urged those excellent white steeds of theirs, desirous\nof getting at king Duryodhana. As regards thy son, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, having approached the presence of Partha and Krishna, he\nentertained no fear, although, O sire, every circumstance was calculated\nto inspire fear. And the Kshatriyas there, on thy side, highly applauded\nhim then, for he proceeded to face Arjuna and Hrishikesa for resisting\nthem. Indeed, beholding the king in battle, a loud shout was heard there,\nO monarch, uttered by the entire Kuru army. What that terrible and awful\nshout arose there, thy son, pressing his foe hard, opposed his progress.\nHeld in check by thy son armed with bow, the son of Kunti became filled\nwith rage, and that chastiser of foes, Duryodhana, also became highly\nenraged with Partha. Beholding both Duryodhana and Dhananjaya enraged\nwith each other, all the Kshatriyas, of fierce forms, began to look at\nthem from all sides. Seeing Partha and Vasudeva both filled with rage,\nthy son, O sire, desirous of battle, smilingly challenged them, then he\nof Dasarha's race became filled with joy, and Dhananjaya also, the son of\nPandu, became cheerful. Uttering loud roars, they both blew their\nforemost of conchs. Seeing them thus cheerful, all the Kauravas became\nhopeless of thy son's life. Indeed, all the Kauravas, and many even\namongst the enemy, became possessed with grief, and regarded thy son as a\nlibation already poured into the mouth of the (sacred) fire. Thy\nwarriors, seeing Krishna and the Pandava so cheerful, loudly exclaimed,\nafflicted with fear, \"The king is slain.\" \"The king is slain.\" Hearing\nthat loud uproar of the warriors, Duryodhana said, \"Let your fears be\ndispelled. I will despatch the two Krishnas unto the region of death.\"\nHaving told all his warriors these words, king Duryodhana then,\nexpectant of success, addressed Partha angrily and said these words: \"If,\nO Partha, thou art begotten by Pandu apply upon me, without loss of time,\nall the weapons, celestial and earthly, that Kesava also hath of either,\nupon me. I wish to see thy manliness. They speak of many feats achieved\nby thee out of our view. Show me those feats that have won the applause\nof many endued with great heroism!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Saying these words, king Duryodhana pierced Arjuna with\nthree shafts of great impetuosity and capable of penetrating into the\nvery vitals. And with four others he pierced the four steeds of his foe.\nAnd he pierced Vasudeva in the centre of the chest with ten shafts, and\ncutting off, with a broad-headed arrow, the whip in the latter's hands,\nhe felled it on the ground. Then Partha, coolly and without losing a\nmoment, shot at him four and ten shafts whetted on stone and equipped\nwith beautiful feathers. All those shafts, however, were repelled by\nDuryodhana's armour. Beholding their fruitlessness, Partha once more sped\nat him nine and five arrows of keen points. But these too were repelled\nby Duryodhana's armour. Seeing eight and twenty arrows of his become\nabortive, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., Krishna said unto Arjuna,\nthese words: \"I see a sight never before witnessed by me, like the\nmovements of the hills. Shafts sped by thee, O Partha, are becoming\nabortive. O bull of Bharata's race, hath thy Gandiva decayed in power?\nHave the might of thy grasp and the power of thy arms become less than\nwhat they were. Is not this to be thy last meeting with Duryodhana? Tell\nme, O Partha, for I ask thee. Great hath been my amazement, O Partha,\nupon seeing all these shafts of thine fall towards Duryodhana's car,\nwithout producing the slightest effect. Alas, what misfortune is this\nthat these terrible shafts of thine that are endued with the might of the\nthunder and that always pierce the bodies of foes, fail in producing any\neffect.\"\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"I think, O Krishna, that this armour hath been put on\nDuryodhana's body by Drona. This armour, tied as it hath been, is\nimpenetrable to my weapons. In this armour, O Krishna, inhereth the might\nof the three worlds. Only Drona knoweth it, and from that best of men I\nalso have learnt. This armour is not capable of being pierced by my\nweapons. Maghavat himself, O Govinda, cannot pierce it with his thunder.\nKnowing it all, O Krishna, why seekest thou to confound me? That which\noccurred in the three worlds, that which, O Kesava, exists now, and which\nis in the womb of futurity, are all known to thee. Indeed, O slayer of\nMadhu, no one else knoweth this better than thou dost. This Duryodhana, O\nKrishna, cased by Drona in this armours, is staying fearlessly in battle,\nwearing this coat of mail. That however, which one wearing such armour\nshould do, is not known to him, O Madhava! He weareth it only like a\nwoman. Behold now, O Janardana, the might of my arms and that of my bow\ntoo. Though protected by such a coat of mail, I will still vanquish the\nKuru prince. The chief of the celestials gave this effulgent armour to\nAngiras. From the latter it was obtained by Vrihaspati. And from\nVrihaspati it was got by Purandara. The Lord of the celestials once more\ngave it to me with the mantras to be uttered in wearing it. Even if this\narmour were divine, if it were created by Brahma himself, still the\nwretch, Duryodhana, struck with my arrows, shall not be protected by it.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Having said these words, Arjuna inspired some arrows\nwith mantras, and began to draw them on the bow-string. And while he was\nthus drawing them on the bow-string, the son of Drona cut them off with a\nweapon that was capable of baffling every weapon. Beholding those shafts\nof his thus frustrated from a distance by that utterer of Brahma\n(Aswatthaman), Arjuna, owning white steeds, filled with amazement\nrepresented unto Kesava, saying, \"I cannot, Janardana, twice use this\nweapon, for if do so, it will slay my own self and my own troops.\"\nMeanwhile, Duryodhana, O king, pierced each of the Krishnas in that\nbattle with nine shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison. And once\nmore the Kuru king showered his shafts on Krishna and the son of Pandu.\nBeholding these showers of arrows (shot by their king), thy warriors were\nfilled with joy. They beat their musical instrument and uttered leonine\nroars. Then Partha, excited with rage in that battle, licked the corners\nof his mouth. Casting his eyes on his enemy's body, he saw not any part\nthat was not well-covered with that impenetrable armour. With some\nsharp-pointed shafts then, well-shot from his bow, and each of which\nresembled Death himself, Arjuna slew his antagonist's steeds and then his\ntwo Parshni charioteers. And soon also the valiant Partha cut off\nDuryodhana's bow and the leathern fence of his fingers. Then, Savyasachin\ncommenced to cut off his enemy's car in fragments. And with a couple of\nkeen arrows he made Duryodhana carless. And then Arjuna pierced both the\npalms of the Kuru king. Beholding that great bowman afflicted with the\nshafts of Dhananjaya and fallen into great distress, many warriors rushed\nto the spot, desirous of rescuing him. These, with many thousands of\ncars, well-equipped elephants and horses, as also with large bodies of\nfoot-soldiers, excited with wrath, encompassed by large bodies of men,\nneither that car of theirs nor of Arjuna and Govinda could any longer be\nseen. Then Arjuna, by the might of his weapons, began to slaughter that\nhost. And car-warriors and elephants, by hundreds, deprived of limbs,\nfell fast on the field. Slain, or in the act of being slain, those failed\nto reach the excellent car. Indeed, the car on which Arjuna rode, stood\nmotionless full two miles from the besieging force on every side. Then\nthe Vrishni hero (Krishna), without taking any time, said unto Arjuna\nthese words: \"Draw thy bow quickly and with great force, for I will blow\nmy conch.\" Thus addressed, Arjuna drawing his bow Gandiva with great\nforce, began to slaughter the foe, shooting dense showers of shafts and\nmaking a loud noise by stretching the bowstring with his fingers. Kesava\nmeanwhile forcibly and very loudly blew his conch Panchajanya, his face\ncovered with dust. In consequence of the blare of that conch and of the\ntwang of Gandiva, the Kuru warriors, strong or weak, all fell down on the\nground. The car of Arjuna then freed from that press, looked resplendent\nlike a cloud driven by the wind. (Beholding Arjuna) the protectors of\nJayadratha, with their followers, became filled with rage. Indeed, those\nmighty bowmen, the protectors of the ruler of Sindhus, suddenly beholding\nPartha, uttered loud shouts, filling the earth with that noise. The whiz\nof their arrows were mingled with other fierce noises and the loud blare\nof their conchs. Those high-souled warriors uttered leonine shouts.\nHearing that awful uproar raised by thy troops, Vasudeva and Dhananjaya\nblew their conchs. With their loud blare (of their conchs), the whole\nearth, with her mountains and seas and islands and the nether regions, O\nmonarch, seemed to be filled. Indeed, that blare, O best of Bharatas,\nfilled all the points of the compass, and was echoed back by both the\narmies. Then thy car-warriors, beholding Krishna and Dhananjaya, became\nvery much frightened. Soon, however, they recovered and put forth their\nactivity. Indeed, the great car-warriors of thy host, beholding the two\nKrishnas, those highly blessed persons, cased in mail rushed towards. The\nsight thus presented became a wonderful one.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Thy warriors, as soon as they beheld those foremost of\npersons of the Vrishni-Andhaka and the Kuru races, lost no time, each\nstriving to be first, in proceeding against them from a desire of\nslaughtering them. And so Vijaya also rushed against those foes of his.\nOn their great cars, decked with gold, cased in tiger-skins, producing\ndeep rattle, and resembling blazing fire, they rushed, illumining the ten\npoints of the compass, armed, O king, with bows, the backs of whose\nstaves were decked with gold, and which in consequence of their\nsplendour, were incapable of being looked at, and uttering loud cries,\nand drawn by angry steeds. Bhurisravas, and Sala and Karna, and\nVrishasena, and Jayadratha, and Kripa, and the ruler of the Madras, and\nthat foremost of car-warriors, viz., the son of Drona, these eight great\ncar-warriors, as if devouring the skies (as they proceeded) illuminated\nthe ten points of the compass with their splendid cars, cased in\ntiger-skins and decked with golden moons. Clad in mail, filled with wrath\nand mounted upon their cars the rattle of which resembled the roar of\nmasses of clouds, they covered Arjuna on every side with a shower of\nsharp shafts. Beautiful steeds of the best breed, endued with great\nspeed, bearing those great car-warriors, looked resplendent as they\nillumined the points of the compass. Their cars drawn by foremost steeds\nof great fleetness were of diverse countries and of diverse species, some\nbred in mountainous regions, some in rivers, and some in the country of\nthe Sindhus, many foremost of car-warriors among the Kurus desirous, O\nking, of rescuing thy son quickly rushed towards Dhananjaya's car from\nevery side. Those foremost of men, taking up their conchs blew them,\nfilling O king, the welkin and the earth with her seas (with that blare).\nThen those foremost ones among the gods, viz., Vasudeva and Dhananjaya,\nalso blew their foremost of conchs on earth. The son of Kunti blew\nDevadatta, and Kesava blew Panchajanya. The loud blast of Devadatta, sent\nforth by Dhananjaya, filled the earth, the welkin, and ten points of the\ncompass. And so Panchajanya also blown by Vasudeva, surpassing all\nsounds, filled the sky and the earth. And while that awful and fierce\nnoise continued, a noise that inspired the timid with fear and the brave\nwith cheers, and while drums and Jharjharas, and cymbals and Mridangas, O\ngreat king, were beat by thousands, great car-warriors invited to the\nKuru side and solicitous of Dhananjaya's welfare, those great bowmen,\nfilled with rage and unable to bear the loud blast of Arjuna's and\nKrishna's conchs, those kings from diverse realms supported by their\nrespective troops, in rage blew their great conchs, desiring to answer\nwith their own blasts the blasts of Kesava and Arjuna. The Kuru army\nthen, urged forward by that blare of conchs, had its car-warriors,\nelephants, and steeds filled with anxiety and fear. Indeed, O lord, that\nhost looked as if they that comprised it were ill. The agitated Kuru\nhost, echoing with that blare of conchs blown by brave warriors, seemed\nto be like the welkin resounding with the noise of thunder and fallen\ndown (through some convulsion of nature).[146] That loud uproar, O\nmonarch, resounded through the ten points and frightened that host like\ncritical incidents at the end of the Yuga frightening all living\ncreatures. Then, Duryodhana and those eight great car-warriors appointed\nfor the protection of Jayadratha all surrounded the son of Pandu. The son\nof Drona struck Vasudeva with three and seventy shafts, and Arjuna\nhimself with three broad-headed shafts, and his standard and (four)\nsteeds with five others. Beholding Janardana pierced, Arjuna, filled with\nrage, struck Aswatthaman with hundred shafts. Then piercing Karna with\nten arrows and Vrishasena with three, the valiant Dhananjaya cut off\nSalya's bow with arrows fixed on the string, at the handle. Salya then,\ntaking up another bow, pierced the son of Pandu. And Bhurisravas pierced\nhim with three arrows whetted on stone, and equipped with golden wings.\nAnd Karna pierced him with two and thirty arrows, and Vrishasena with\nseven. And Jayadratha pierced Arjuna with three and seventy shafts and\nKripa pierced him with ten. And the ruler of the Madras also pierced\nPhalguna in that battle with ten arrows. And the son of Drona pierced him\nwith sixty arrows. And he, once more, pierced Partha with five arrows,\nand Vasudeva with twenty. Then the tiger among men, viz., Arjuna owning\nwhite steeds and having Krishna for his driver, pierced each of those\nwarriors in return, displaying the lightness of his hand. Piercing Karna\nwith a dozen shafts and Vrishasena with three, Partha cut off Salya's bow\nat the handle. And piercing the son of Somadatta with three arrows and\nSalya with ten, he pierced Kripa with five and twenty arrows, and the\nruler of the Sindhus with a hundred, Partha struck Drona's son with\nseventy arrows. Then Bhurisravas filled with rage, cut off the goad in\nKrishna's hand, and struck Arjuna with three and twenty shafts. Then\nDhananjaya, of white steeds, filled with rage, mangled those enemies of\nhis with hundreds upon hundreds of arrows, like a mighty tempest tearing\nmasses of clouds.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CIV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Describe to me, O Sanjaya, the diverse kinds of\nstandards resplendent with great beauty, of both the Partha and our\nwarriors (in that battle).'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hear, O king, of the diverse kinds of standards of those\nhigh-souled warriors. Listen to me as I describe their forms and names.\nIndeed, O king, upon the cars of those foremost of car-warriors were seen\ndiverse kinds of standards that shone like blazing flames of fire. Made\nof gold, or decked with gold, or adorned with strings of gold and each\nlooking like the golden mountain (Meru), diverse kinds of standards were\nthere that were highly beautiful. And those standards of the warriors had\nattached all around them excellent banners. Indeed, having banners of\ndiverse hues attached to them all around, those standards looked\nexceedingly beautiful. Those banners, again, moved by the wind, looked\nlike fair ladies dancing in the midst of a sporting arena. Endued with\nthe splendour of the rainbow, those banners, O bull of Bharata's race, of\nthose car-warriors, floating in the breeze, highly adorned their cars.\nThe standard, bearing the sign of the ape of fierce face and tail, like\nthat of the lion, belonging to Dhananjaya, seemed to inspire fear in that\nbattle. That standard, O king of the wielder of Gandiva, bearing that\nforemost of apes, and adorned with many banners, frightened the Kuru\nhost. Similarly, the lion-tail standard-top of Drona's son, O Bharata, we\nsaw, was endued with the effulgence of the rising sun decked with gold,\nfloating in the breeze, possessed of the splendour of the rainbow, the\nstandard mark of Drona's son appeared on high, inspiring the foremost of\nKuru warriors with joy. The standard of Adhiratha's son bore the mark of\nan elephant-rope made of gold. It seemed, O king, in battle to fill the\nwhole welkin. The banner, adorned with gold and garlands, attached to the\nstandard of Karna in battle, shaken by the wind, seemed to dance upon his\ncar. The preceptor of the Pandavas, that Brahmana, given to ascetic\npenances, viz., Kripa the son of Gotama, had for his mark an excellent\nbovine bull. That high-souled one, O king, with that bovine bull, looked\nas resplendent, as the Destroyer of the three cities[147] looks\nresplendent with his bull. Vrishasena has a peacock made of gold and\nadorned with jewels and gems. And it stood on his standard, as if in the\nact of crowing, and always adorned the van of the army. With that\npeacock, the car of the high-souled Vrishasena shone, like the car, O\nking, of Skanda (the celestial generalissimo) shining with his peacock\nunrivalled and beautiful ploughshare made of gold and looking like flame\nof fire. That ploughshare, O sire, looked resplendent on his car. Salya,\nthe ruler of the Madras, we saw, had on his standard-top an image like\nthe presiding goddess of corn, endued with beauty and producing every\nseed. A silver boar adorned the standard-top of the ruler of the Sindhus.\nDecked with golden chains, it was of the splendour of a white\ncrystal.[148] With that silver mark on his banner, the ruler of the\nSindhus looked as resplendent, as Surya in days of yore in the battle\nbetween the celestials and the Asuras. The standard of Somadatta's son,\ndevoted to sacrifices, bore the sign of the sacrificial stake. It was\nseen to shine like the sun or the moon. That sacrificial stake made of\ngold, O king of Somadatta's son, looked resplendent like the tall stake\nerected in the foremost of sacrifices called the Rajasuya. The standard\nof Salya, O monarch, bearing a huge silver-elephant was adorned, on all\nsides, with peacocks made of gold. The standard, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, adorned thy troops like the huge white elephant adorning the host\nof the celestial king. On the standard decked with gold, of king\nDuryodhana, was an elephant adorned with gems. Tinkling with the sound of\na hundred bells, O king, that standard stood upon the excellent car of\nthat hero. And, O king, thy son, that bull among the Kurus, looked\nresplendent, O monarch, with that tall standard in battle. These nine\nexcellent standards stood erect among thy divisions. The tenth standard\nseen there was of Arjuna, decked with that huge ape. And with that\nstandard Arjuna looked highly resplendent, like Himavat with a blazing\nfire (on its top). Then many mighty car-warriors, all chastisers of foes,\nquickly took up their beautiful, bright and large bows for the sake of\n(resisting) Arjuna. Similarly, Partha also, that achiever of celestial\nfeats, took up his foe-destroying bow Gandiva, in consequence, O king, of\nthy evil policy. Many royal warriors, O king, were then slain in that\nbattle owing to thy fault. Rulers of men came from different realms\ninvited (by thy sons). And with them perished many steeds and many\nelephants. Then those mighty car-warriors headed by Duryodhana (on one\nside) and that bull amongst the Pandavas on the other, uttered loud roars\nand began the encounter. And the feat that Kunti's son, having Krishna\nfor his charioteer, achieved there, was highly wonderful, inasmuch as,\nalone, he encountered fearlessly all those warriors united together. And\nthat mighty-armed hero looked resplendent as he stretched his bow\nGandiva, desirous of vanquishing all those tigers among men for slaying\nthe ruler of the Sindhus. With his shafts shot in thousands, that tiger\namong men, viz., Arjuna, that scorcher of foes, made all those warriors\ninvisible (by means of his arrowy showers). On their side, those tigers\namong men, those mighty car-warriors, also made Partha invisible by means\nof their clouds of shafts shot from all sides. Beholding Arjuna, that\nbull of Kuru's race covered by those lions among men with their shafts,\nloud was the uproar made by thy troops.'\"\n\n\n\n SECTION CV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'After Arjuna had got the ruler of the Sindhus\nwithin sight, what, O Sanjaya, did the Panchalas, attacked by\nBharadwaja's son, do, encountering the Kurus?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'In the afternoon of that day, O monarch, in the battle\nthat took place between the Panchalas and the Kurus, Drona became, as it\nwere, the stake (for which each fought on to win or lose). The Panchalas,\nO sire, desirous of slaying Drona, cheerfully uttered loud roars and shot\ndense showers of arrows. Indeed, that encounter between the Panchalas and\nthe Kurus, fierce, awful, and highly wonderful as it was, resembled that\nin days of yore between the gods and the Asuras. Indeed, all the\nPanchalas with the Pandavas, obtaining Drona's car (within reach) used\nmany mighty weapons, desirous of piercing through his array. Car-warriors\nstationed on their cars, causing the earth to shake under them, and\nshowering their arrowy downpours, rushed towards Drona's car, without\nmuch speed. Then that mighty car-warrior among the Kaikeyas, viz.,\nVrihatkshatra, incessantly scattering keen shafts that resembled the\nthunder in force, proceeded towards Drona. Then Kshemadhurti of great\nfame quickly rushed against Vrihatkshatra, shooting keen arrows by\nthousands. Beholding this, that bull among the Chedis, viz.,\nDhrishtaketu, endued with great might, quickly proceeded against\nKshemadhurti, like Mahendra proceeding against the Asura Samvara. Seeing\nhim rush with great impetuosity, like the Destroyer himself with\nwide-open mouth, that mighty bowman viz., Viradhanwan, proceeded against\nhim with great speed. King Yudhishthira staying there at the head of his\ndivision from desire of victory, was resisted by valiant Drona himself.\nThy son Vikarna, O lord, endued with great prowess, proceeded against the\nrushing Nakula of great prowess, that warrior accomplished in battle.\nThat scorcher of foes, viz., Durmukha, covered the advancing Sahadeva\nwith many thousands of swiftly-coursing shafts. The heroic Vyughradatta\nresisted that tiger among men, viz., Satyaki making him repeatedly\ntremble by means of his sharp and keen-pointed shafts. The son of\nSomadatta resisted the (five) sons of Draupadi, those tigers among men,\nthose great car-warriors, wrathfully shooting mighty shafts. That mighty\ncar-warrior, viz., Rishyasringa's fierce son (the Rakshasa Alamvusha), of\nawful mien, resisted the advancing Bhimasena filled with wrath. The\nencounter that then took place between that man and Rakshasa resembled, O\nking, the battle in days of yore between Rama, and Ravana. Then, O\nBharata, Yudhishthira, that chief of the Bharatas, struck Drona with\nninety straight shafts in all his vital parts. Enraged by the famous son\nof Kunti, Drona struck him in return, O chief of the Bharatas, in the\ncentre of the chest with five and twenty shafts. And once more, in the\nvery sight of all the bowmen, Drona struck him, with his steeds,\ncharioteer, and standard, with twenty shafts. Pandu's son, of virtuous\nsoul, displaying great lightness of hand, baffled with his own arrowy\nshowers those arrows shot by Drona. Then that great bowman Drona, filled\nwith rage, cut off the bow of the high souled king Yudhishthira the just.\nThen that great car-warrior (viz., the son of Bharadwaja) speedily\ncovered the bowless Yudhishthira with many thousands of shafts. Beholding\nthe king made invisible by the shafts of Bharadwaja's son, all thought\nthat Yudhishthira was dead, and some thought that the king had fled\nbefore Drona. And many cried out, O king, saying, \"Alas the king hath\nbeen slain by the high-souled Brahmana.\" Then, king Yudhishthira the\njust, fallen into great distress, having laid aside that bow cut off by\nBharadwaja's son in battle took up another excellent, bright and tougher\nbow. And that hero then cut off in that encounter all those shafts shot\nin thousands by Drona. All this seemed exceedingly wonderful. Having cut\noff those shafts, O king, Yudhishthira, with eyes red in wrath, took up\nin that battle a dart, capable of riving even a mountain. Equipped with a\ngolden staff, of awful mien, having eight bells attached to it, and\nexceedingly terrible, the mighty Yudhishthira, taking it up, uttered a\nloud roar. And with that roar, O Bharata, the son of Pandu inspired all\ncreatures with fear. Beholding that dart upraised by king Yudhishthira\nthe just, all creatures, as if with one accord, said, \"Good be to Drona!\"\nHurled from the king's arms, that dart resembling a snake just freed from\nits slough, coursed towards Drona, illumining the welkin and all the\ndirections cardinal and subsidiary, like a she-snake with fiery mouth.\nBeholding it coursing towards him impetuously, O king, Drona, that\nforemost of all persons acquainted with weapons invoked into existence\nthe weapon called Brahma. That weapon, reducing that dart of terrible\nmien into dust, coursed towards the car of the illustrious son of Pandu.\nThen, O sire, king Yudhishthira of great wisdom baffled that weapon of\nDrona, thus coursing towards him by himself invoking the Brahma weapon.\nAnd then piercing Drona himself in that battle with five straight shafts,\nhe cut off, with a sharp razor-faced shaft, the large bow of Drona. Then\nDrona, that grinder of Kshatriyas, throwing aside that broken bow, hurled\nwith great force, O sire, a mace at the son of Dharma. Beholding that\nmace impetuously coursing towards him, Yudhishthira, O chastiser of foes,\nfilled with rage, took up a mace. Then those two maces, both hurled with\ngreat force, encountering each other in mid-air, produced by their\ncollision sparks of fire and then fell down on the earth. Then Drona,\nfilled with fury, slew, O sire, the steeds of Yudhishthira, with four\nexcellent shafts of keen points. And with another broad-headed shaft he\ncut off the king's bow resembling a pole erected to the honour of Indra.\nAnd with another shaft he cut off the standard of Yudhishthira, and with\nthree he afflicted the Pandava himself. Then king Yudhishthira, speedily\njumping down from that steedless car, stood weaponless and with arms\nupraised, O bull of Bharata's race! Beholding him carless, and especially\nweaponless, Drona, O lord, stupefied his foes, rather the whole army.\nFirmly adhering to his vow, and endued with great lightness of hands,\nDrona shot showers of sharp shafts and rushed towards the king, like a\nfurious lion towards a deer. Beholding Drona, that slayer of foes, rush\ntowards him, cries of \"Oh\" and \"Alas\" suddenly rose from the Pandava army.\nAnd many cried out, saying, \"The king is slain by Bharadwaja's son.\" Loud\nwails of this kind were heard, O Bharata, among the Pandava troops.\nMeanwhile, king Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, getting up on the car of\nSahadeva, retreated from the field, borne away by swift steeds.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CVI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Kshemadhurti, O monarch, pierced the advancing\nVrihatkshatra of great valour, that prince of the Kaikeyas, with many\narrows in the chest. King Vrihatkshatra then, O monarch, desirous of\npiercing through Drona's division, quickly struck his antagonist with\nninety straight shafts. Kshemadhurti, however, filled with rage, cut off,\nwith a sharp well-tempered, and broad-headed shaft, the bow of that\nhigh-souled prince of the Kaikeyas. Having cut off his bow, Kshemadhurti\nthen, with a keen and straight shaft, quickly pierced in that encounter\nthat foremost of all bowmen. Then Vrihatkshatra, taking up another bow\nand smiling (at his foe), soon made the mighty car-warrior Kshemadhurti\nsteedless and driverless and carless. And with another broad-headed shaft\nthat was well-tempered and sharp, he cut off, from the trunk of his royal\nantagonist his head blazing with (a pair of) ear-rings. That head, graced\nwith only locks and a diadem, suddenly cut off, fell down on the earth\nand looked resplendent like a luminary fallen from the firmament. Having\nslain his foe, the mighty car-warrior Vrihatkshatra became filled with\njoy and fell with great force upon thy troops for the sake of the\nParthas. The great bowman Viradhanwan, O Bharata, endued with great\nprowess, resisted Dhrishtaketu who was advancing against Drona.\nEncountering each other, those two heroes having arrows for their fangs,\nand both endued with great activity, struck each other with many\nthousands of arrows. Indeed, those two tigers among men fought with each\nother, like two leaders of elephantine herds in the deep woods with fury.\nBoth endued with great energy, they fought, each desirous of slaying the\nother, like two enraged tigers in a mountain-cave. That combat, O\nmonarch, became exceedingly fierce. Deserving to be witnessed, it became\nhighly wonderful. The very Siddhas and the Charanas, in large numbers,\nwitnessed it with wonder-waiting eyes. Then Viradhanwan, O Bharata, with\na laugh, cut off in rage Dhrishtaketu's bow in twain by means of\nbroad-headed arrows. Abandoning that broken bow, the ruler of the Chedis,\nthat mighty car-warrior took up a fierce dart made of iron and equipped\nwith a golden staff. Bending with his hands, O Bharata, that dart of\nfierce energy towards the car of Viradhanwan, Dhrishtaketu hurled it\ncarefully and with great force. Struck with great force by that\nhero-slaying dart, and his heart pierced by it through, Viradhanwan,\nquickly fell down on the earth from his car. Upon the fall of that hero,\nthat mighty car-warrior among the Trigartas, thy army, O lord, was broken\nby the Pandavas. (Thy son) Durmukha sped sixty shafts at Sahadeva, and\nuttered a loud shout in that battle, challenging that son of Pandu. The\nson of Madri, then, filled with rage, pierced Durmukha with many keen\narrows, smiling the while, the brother striking the brother. Beholding\nthe mighty Durmukha fighting furiously, Sahadeva, then, O Bharata, once\nmore struck him with nine shafts. Endued with great strength, Sahadeva\nthen cut off Durmukha's standard with a broad-headed arrow and struck\ndown his four steeds with four other arrows. And then with another\nbroad-headed arrow, well-tempered and sharp, he cut off, from his trunk,\nthe head of Durmukha's charioteer that shone with a pair of ear-rings. And\ncutting off Durmukha's large bow with a razor-faced arrow, Sahadeva\npierced Durmukha himself in that battle with five arrows. Durmukha\nfearlessly jumping down from that steedless car, mounted the car, O\nBharata, of Niramitra. Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz.,\nSahadeva, filled with rage slew in that great battle Niramitra in the\nmidst of his division with a broad-headed arrow. Thereupon, prince\nNiramitra, the son of the ruler of the Trigartas, fell down from his car,\nafflicting thy army with great grief. Slaying him, the mighty-armed\nSahadeva looked resplendent like Rama, the son of Dasaratha, after\nslaying the mighty (Rakshasa) Khara. Beholding that mighty car-warrior,\nviz., prince Niramitra slain, loud cries of Oh and Alas arose, O monarch,\namong the Trigarta warriors. Nakula, O king, in a moment vanquished thy\nson Vikarna of large eyes. This seemed highly wonderful. Vyaghradatta, by\nmeans of his straight shafts, made Satyaki invisible with his steeds and\ndriver and standard in the midst of his division. The brave grandson of\nSini, baffling those shafts with great lightness of hand, felled\nVyaghradatta by means of his arrows, with his steeds and driver and\nstandard. Upon the fall, O lord, of that prince of the Magadhas, the\nlatter, struggling vigorously, rushed against Yuyudhana from all sides.\nScattering their shafts and lances by thousands, and sharp arrows and\nspears and mallets and thick clubs, those brave warriors fought in that\nbattle with that invincible hero of the Satwata race. Endued with great\nmight, invincible Satyaki, that bull among men, with the greatest ease\nand laughing the while, vanquished them all. The Magadhas were nearly\nexterminated. A small remnant flew from the field. Beholding this, thy\narmy, already afflicted with the arrows of Yuyudhana, broke, O lord! Then\nthat foremost one of Madhu's race, having slaughtered in battle thy\ntroops, that illustrious hero, looked resplendent as he shook his bow.\nThe army, O king, was thus routed by that high-souled one of the Satwata\nrace. Indeed, frightened by that hero of long arms, none approached him\nfor fight. Then Drona filled with rage and rolling his eyes, himself\nrushed impetuously towards Satyaki, of feats incapable of being baffled.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CVII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'The illustrious son of Somadatta pierced each of the sons\nof Draupadi, those great bowmen, with five arrows, and once more with\nseven arrows. Much afflicted, O lord, by that fierce warrior, they were\nstupefied and knew not for some time what to do. Then that crusher of\nfoes, Satanika, the son of Nakula, piercing Somadatta's son, that bull\namong men, with a couple of arrows, uttered in joy a loud roar. The other\nbrothers then, struggling vigorously, quickly pierced the wrathful son of\nSomadatta, each with three straight shafts. Then the illustrious son of\nSomadatta, O monarch, sped at them five shafts, piercing each of them in\nthe chest with one shaft. Then those five brothers, thus pierced by that\nhigh-souled warrior with his shafts, surrounded that hero on every side\nand began to pierce him deeply with their shafts. Then the son of Arjuna,\nfilled with rage, despatched with keen shafts, the four steeds of\nSaumadatti to the region of Yama. And the son of Bhimasena, cutting off\nthe bow of the illustrious son of Somadatta, uttered a loud shout and\npierced his foe with many sharp arrows. The son of Yudhishthira then,\ncutting off Saumadatti's standard, felled it on the earth, while the son\nof Nakula felled the enemy's charioteer from his niche in the car. Then\nthe son of Sahadeva, ascertaining the foe to be on the point of leaving\nthe field in consequence of the brothers, cut off, with a razor-faced\narrow, the head of that illustrious warrior. That head, decked with\near-rings of gold, fell on the earth and adorned the field like the sun\nof brilliant effulgence that rises at the end of the Yuga. Beholding the\nhead of the high-souled son of Somadatta thus fallen on the ground, thy\ntroops, O king, overcome with fear, fled in all directions.\n\n\"'The Rakshasa Alamvusha in that battle, filled with rage, fought with the\nmighty Bhimasena, like Ravana's son (Indrajit) with (Rama's brother)\nLakshmana. Beholding that Rakshasa and that human warrior engaged in\nfight, all creatures experienced both joy and wonder. Then Bhima, O king,\nlaughing the while, pierced that wrathful prince of Rakshasa, viz.,\nRishyasringa's son (Alamvusha), with nine keen shafts. Then that\nRakshasa, thus pierced in battle, uttered a loud and awful sound, and\nrushed, with all his followers, against Bhima. Piercing Bhima then with\nfive straight shafts, he quickly destroyed in that battle, thirty cars\nsupporting Bhima. And once more destroying four hundred cars of\nBhimasena, the Rakshasa pierced Bhimasena himself with winged arrows.\nThen the mighty Bhima deeply pierced by the Rakshasa, sat down on the\nterrace of his car, overcome by a swoon. The son of the Wind-god then,\nrecovering his senses, became filled with rage. Drawing his excellent and\nterrible bow that was capable of bearing a great strain, he afflicted\nAlamvusha, in every part of his body, with keen shafts. Thereupon, the\nRakshasa who resembled a huge mass of antimony, looked resplendent O\nking, like a flowering Kinsuka. Whilst being struck in that battle with\nthose shafts sped from the bow of Bhima, the Rakshasa recollected the\nslaughter of his brother (Vaka) by the illustrious Pandava. Assuming then\nan awful form, he addressed Bhima, saying, \"Wait a little in this battle,\nO Partha! Behold today my prowess. O thou of wicked understanding, that\nforemost of Rakshasas, viz., the mighty Vaka, was my brother. It is true\nhe was slain by thee. But that took place out of my sight.\" Having said\nthese words unto Bhima, Alamvusha made himself invisible, and began to\ncover Bhimasena with a dense shower of arrows. Upon the disappearance of\nthe Rakshasa, Bhima, O monarch, covered the welkin with straight shafts.\nThus afflicted by Bhima, Alamvusha soon returned to his car. And soon\nagain, he entered into the bowels of the earth and once more becoming\nlittle he suddenly soared into the sky. Alamvusha assumed countless\nforms. Now becoming subtle and now huge and gross, he began to roar like\nthe clouds. And he uttered diverse kinds of words and speeches all\naround. And from the welkin there fell thousands of arrowy torrents, as\nalso darts, and Kunapas, and lances, and spiked maces, and short arrows,\nand scimitars, and swords, and thunders also. That awful downpour of\narrows caused by the Rakshasa, slew the troops of Pandu's son on the\nfield of battle. And in consequence of that arrowy downpour, many\nelephants also of the Pandava army were slain, and many steeds also, O\nking, and many foot-soldiers. And a river was caused there, whose waters\nwere blood and whose eddies were constituted by cars. And it abounded\nwith elephants that constituted its alligators. And the umbrellas of\ncar-warriors constituted its swans, and the flesh and marrow of animals,\nits mire. And it teemed with the (cut off) arms of human beings that\nconstituted its snakes. And it was haunted by many Rakshasas and other\ncannibals. And it wafted away, O king, countless Chedis and Panchalas and\nSrinjayas. Beholding him, O monarch, careering so fearlessly in that\nbattle and seeing his prowess, the Pandavas became filled with anxiety;\nand joy filled the hearts of thy troops then. And amongst the latter,\nloud and terrible sounds of musical instruments, making the hair stand on\nend, arose. Hearing that loud uproar made by thy troops, the son of Pandu\ncould not bear it, as a snake cannot bear the clap of human palms. With\neyes red as copper in rage, with glances that like fire consumed every\nthing, the son of the Wind-god, like Tvashtri himself, aimed the weapon\nknown by the name of Tvashtri. From that weapon were produced thousands\nof arrows on all sides. And in consequence of those arrows, a universal\nrout was seen among thy troops. That weapon, shot in battle by\nBhimasena, destroying the effective illusion produced by the Rakshasa,\ngreatly afflicted the Rakshasa himself. Struck in every part of his body\nby Bhimasena, the Rakshasa, then abandoning Bhimasena, fled towards the\ndivision of Drona. Upon the defeat of that prince of Rakshasa by the\nhigh-souled Bhima, the Pandavas caused every point of the compass to\nresound with their leonine roars. And filled with joy, they worshipped\nthe mighty son of Marut, like the Maruts worshipping Sakra after the\ndefeat in battle of Prahlada.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having fled away from Bhima, Alamvusha, in another part\nof the field, careered fearlessly in battle. And while he was thus\nfearlessly careering in battle, the son of Hidimva rushed impetuously at\nhim and pierced him with keen shafts. The battle between those two lions\namong Rakshasas became terrible. Both of them invoked into existence\nillusions like Sakra and Samvara (in days of old). Alamvusha, excited\nwith rage, attacked Ghatotkacha. Indeed, that encounter between those two\nforemost of Rakshasas resembled that of old between Rama and Ravana, O\nlord! Then Ghatotkacha having pierced Alamvusha, in the centre of the\nchest with twenty long shafts, repeatedly roared like a lion. Smilingly,\nO king, Alamvusha also, repeatedly piercing the invincible son of\nHidimva, uttered loud roars in joy, filling the entire welkin. Then,\nthose two foremost of Rakshasas, endued with great might, became filled\nwith rage. They fought with each other, displaying their powers of\nillusion, but without any of them getting any advantage over the other.\nEach, creating a hundred illusions, stupefied the other. Both\naccomplished in producing illusions, O king, that Ghatotkacha displayed\nin battle, were all destroyed, O monarch, by Alamvusha, producing similar\nillusions of his own. Beholding that prince of Rakshasas, viz.,\nAlamvusha, who was accomplished in producing illusions, fight in that\nmanner, the Pandavas became filled with anxiety, they then caused him to\nbe surrounded by many foremost of car-warriors. Bhimasena and others, O\nmonarch, all rushed in rage against him. Hemming him, O sire, on all\nsides by means of numberless cars, they shrouded him from every side with\nshafts, like men in a forest encompassing an elephant with blazing\nbrands. Baffling that shower of weapons by means of the illusion of his\nown weapons, freed himself from that press of cars like an elephant from\na forest conflagration. Then drawing his terrible bow whose twang\nresembled the thunder of Indra, he pierced the son of the Wind-god with\nfive and twenty shafts, and Bhimasena's son with five, and Yudhishthira\nwith three, and Sahadeva with seven, and Nakula with three and seventy,\nand each of the five sons of Draupadi with five shafts, and uttered a\nloud roar. Then Bhimasena pierced him in return with nine shafts, and\nSahadeva with five. And Yudhishthira pierced the Rakshasa with a hundred\nshafts. And Nakula pierced him with three shafts. The son of Hidimva\nhaving pierced him with five hundred shafts, Alamvusha once more pierced\nhim with seventy, and that mighty warrior uttered a loud roar. With that\nloud roar of Ghatotkacha the earth shook, O king, with her mountains and\nforests and with her trees and waters. Deeply pierced on all sides by\nthose great bowmen and mighty car-warriors, Alamvusha pierced each of\nthem in return with five arrows. Then that Rakshasa, O chief of the\nBharatas, viz., the son of Hidimva, filled with rage, pierced that other\nangry Rakshasa in battle with many shafts. Then that mighty prince of\nRakshasas, viz., Alamvusha, deeply pierced, quickly shot countless shafts\nequipped with wings of gold and whetted on stone. Those shafts, perfectly\nstraight, all entered the body of Ghatotkacha, like angry snakes of great\nstrength entering a mountain summit. Then the Pandavas, O king, filled\nwith anxiety, and Hidimva's son Ghatotkacha, also sped at their foe from\nevery side clouds of keen shafts. Thus struck in battle by the Pandavas,\ndesirous of victory, Alamvusha mortal as he was, did not know what to do.\nThen that delighter in battle, viz., the mighty son of Bhimasena,\nbeholding that state of Alamvusha, set his heart upon his destruction. He\nrushed with great impetuosity towards the car of the prince of Rakshasas,\nthat car which resembled a burnt mountain summit or a broken heap of\nantimony. The son of Hidimva, inflamed with wrath, flew from his own car\nto that of Alamvusha, and seized the latter. He then took him up from the\ncar, like Garuda taking up a snake. Thus dragging him up with his arms,\nhe began to whirl him repeatedly, and then crushed him into pieces,\nhurling him down on the earth, like a man crushing an earthen pot into\nfragments by hurling it against a rock. Endued with strength and\nactivity, possessed of great prowess, the son of Bhimasena, inflamed with\nwrath in battle, inspired all the troops with fear. All the limbs broken\nand bones reduced to fragments, the frightful Rakshasa Alamvusha, thus\nslain by the heroic Ghatotkacha, resembled a tall Sala uprooted and\nbroken by the wind. Upon the slaughter of that wanderer of the night, the\nParthas became very cheerful. And they uttered leonine roars and waved\ntheir garments. Thy brave warriors, however, beholding that mighty prince\nor Rakshasas, viz., Alamvusha, slain and lying like a crushed mountain,\nuttered cries, O monarch, of Oh and Alas. And people, possessed with\ncuriosity, went to view that Rakshasa lying helplessly on the earth like\na piece of charcoal (no longer capable of burning). The Rakshasa\nGhatotkacha, then, that foremost of mighty beings, having thus slain his\nfoe, uttered a loud shout, like Vasava after slaying (the Asura) Vala.\nHaving achieved that exceedingly difficult feat, Ghatotkacha, was much\napplauded by his sires as also by his relatives. Indeed, having felled\nAlamvusha, like an Alamvusha fruit, he rejoiced exceedingly with his\nfriends. There arose then a loud uproar (in the Pandava army) of conchs\nand of diverse kinds of arrows. Hearing that noise the Kauravas uttered\nloud shouts in reply, filling the whole earth with its echoes.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CIX\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me, O Sanjaya, how Yuyudhana rushed against\nthe son of Bharadwaja in battle. I feel a great curiosity to hear it.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Listen, O thou of great wisdom, to the account of that\nbattle, that makes the hair stand on end, between Drona and the Pandavas\nheaded by Yuyudhana. Beholding the (Kuru) army slaughtered, O sire, by\nYuyudhana, Drona himself rushed towards that warrior of unbaffled\nprowess, called also by the name of Satyaki. Satyaki pierced that mighty\ncar-warrior, viz., the son of Bharadwaja, thus advancing against him,\nwith five and twenty small arrows. Drona also, possessed of great prowess\nin battle, with deliberate aim, quickly pierced Yuyudhana, with five\nwhetted arrows, equipped with wings of gold. Those arrows, piercing the\nhard mount of the foe and drinking his life-blood, entered the earth, O\nking, like hissing snakes. The long-armed Satyaki then, inflamed with\nrage like an elephant struck with the hook, pierced Drona with fifty long\narrows that resembled flames of fire. Then Bharadwaja's son, thus quickly\npierced in battle by Yuyudhana, pierced carefully exerting Satyaki in\nreturn with many arrows. Then that great bowman, endued with great might,\nand filled with rage, once more afflicted that hero of the Satwata race\nwith many straight shafts. Thus struck in that battle by the son of\nBharadwaja, Satyaki, O monarch, knew not what to do. Then, O king,\nYuyudhana's face became cheerless, seeing the son of Bharadwaja shoot\ncountless keen arrows. Beholding Satyaki thus situated, thy sons and\ntroops, O king, becoming exceedingly cheerful, repeatedly uttered leonine\nroars. Hearing that terrible uproar and beholding that hero of Madhu's\nrace thus afflicted, king Yudhishthira, O monarch, addressing all his\nsoldiers, said, \"That foremost one among the Vrishnis, viz., the brave\nSatyaki, of prowess incapable of being baffled, is about to be devoured\nby the heroic Drona, like the sun by Rahu. Go and rush ye to the spot\nwhere Satyaki is battling.\" The king, addressing Dhrishtadyumna of the\nPanchala race, said, \"Rush thou with speed at Drona. Why dost thou tarry,\nO son of Prishata! Seest thou not the great danger to ourselves that has\nalready arisen from Drona? Drona is a great bowman. He is sporting with\nYuyudhana, in battle, like a boy with a bird bound in a string. Let all\nof you, headed by Bhimasena, and accompanied by others proceed thither\nwhere Satyaki's car is. Behind you I will follow with my troops. Rescue\nSatyaki today who is already within the jaws of the Destroyer.\" Having\nsaid these words, O Bharata, king Yudhishthira with all his troops rushed\ntowards Drona for the sake of Yuyudhana. Blessed be thou, great was the\nuproar made there by the Pandavas and the Srinjayas all fighting with\nDrona only. Together approaching, O tiger among men, that mighty\ncar-warrior, viz., the son of Bharadwaja, they covered with showers of\nkeen arrows equipped with the feathers of Kankas and peacocks. Drona,\nhowever, received all those heroes smilingly, like a householder\nreceiving guests arrived of their own will, with seats and water. With\nthe shafts of Bharadwaja's bow-wielding son, those heroes were\nwell-gratified like guests, O king, with the hospitality they receive in\nthe houses (of good hosts). And none of them, O lord, could even gaze at\nthe son of Bharadwaja who then resembled the thousand-rayed sun at\nmidday. Indeed, Drona, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, scorched\nall those great bowmen with showers of arrows like the sun scorching\n(everything below) with his burning rays. Thus struck, O king, by Drona,\nthe Pandavas and the Srinjayas beheld no protector, like elephants sunk\nin a morass. The mighty arrows of Drona, as they coursed (through the\nwelkin), looked like the rays of the sun blasting everything around. In\nthat encounter, five and twenty warriors among the Panchalas were slain\nby Drona, who were all regarded as Maharathas and all approved (as such)\nby Dhrishtadyumna. And amongst all the troops of the Pandavas and the\nPanchalas, men quietly beheld brave Drona slaying the foremost of\nwarriors in succession. Having slain a hundred warriors amongst the\nKekayas and routing them on all sides, Drona stood, O monarch, like the\nDestroyer himself with wide-open mouth. The mighty-armed Drona vanquished\nthe Panchalas, the Srinjayas, the Matsyas and the Kekayas, O monarch, by\nhundreds and thousands. Pierced by the arrows of Drona, the clamour made\nby them resembled that made in the woods by the denizens of the forest\nwhen encompassed by a conflagration. The gods, Gandharvas, and the\nPitris, said, \"Behold, the Panchalas, and the Pandavas, with all their\ntroops, are flying away.\" Indeed, when Drona was thus engaged in\nslaughtering the Somakas in battle, none ventured to advance against him\nand none succeeded in piercing him. And while that dreadful encounter, so\ndestructive of great heroes, continued, Pritha's son (Yudhishthira)\nsuddenly heard the blare of Panchajanya. Blown by Vasudeva, that best of\nconchs gave loud blasts. Indeed, while the heroic protectors of the ruler\nof the Sindhus were fighting, and while the Dhartarashtras were roaring\nin front of Arjuna's car, the twang of Gandiva could not be heard. The\nroyal son of Pandu repeatedly swooned, and thought, \"Without doubt, all\nis not well with Partha, since that prince of conchs (Panchajanya) is\nyielding such blasts and since the Kauravas also, filled with joy, are\nincessantly uttering such shouts.\" Thinking in this way, with an anxious\nheart, Ajatasatru, the son of Kunti, said unto him of the Satwata race\n(viz., Satyaki) these words in a voice choked with tears. Though\nrepeatedly stupefied, king Yudhishthira, however, did not lose sight of\nwhat was to be done next. Addressing Sini's grandson, that bull of his\nclan, (Yudhishthira said), \"O grandson of Sini, the time for that eternal\nduty which the righteous ones of old have indicated (for friends) towards\nfriends in seasons of distress, hath now come. O bull amongst the Sinis,\nreflecting within myself, I do not, O Satyaki, see amongst all my\nwarriors one who is a greater well wisher to us than thou art. He who is\nalways well-affected, he who is always obedient, I think, he should be\nappointed to a grave commission in times of distress. As Kesava is ever\nthe refuge of the Pandavas even, so art thou, O thou of Vrishni's race,\nwho art like Kesava in prowess. I will, therefore, lay a burthen on thee.\nIt behoveth thee not to frustrate my purpose. Arjuna is thy brother,\nfriend, and preceptor, O bull among men, in this battle render him aid in\ntime of distress. Thou art devoted to truth. Thou art a hero. Thou art\nthe dispeller of the fears of friends. Thou art celebrated in the world,\nin consequence of thy acts, O hero, as one that is truthful in speech.\nHe, O grandson of Sini, who casteth away his body while fighting in\nbattle for friends, is equal to him who giveth away to Brahmanas the\nwhole earth. We have heard of various kings gone to heaven, having given\naway the whole of this earth unto Brahmanas with due rites. O thou of\nvirtuous soul, I beg of thee, with joined hands, even this viz., that, O\nlord, attain thou the fruit of giving away (unto Brahmanas) the whole\nearth, or something higher than that by incurring danger to thy life\nitself for helping Arjuna. There is one, viz., Krishna, that dispeller of\nthe fears of friends, who is ever willing to cast away his life in battle\n(for the sake of friends). Thou, O Satyaki, art the second. None but a\nhero can render aid unto a hero, exerting valorously in battle, from\ndesire of fame. An ordinary person cannot do so. In this matter, here is\nnone else but thee who can protect Arjuna. On one occasion, while\napplauding thy numerous feats, Arjuna, giving me great pleasure\nrepeatedly recited them. He said of thee that thou art endued with\nextreme lightness of hand, that thou art conversant with all modes of\nwarfare, that thou art possessed of great activity and great prowess. He\nsaid, 'Satyaki is endued with great wisdom, is acquainted with every\nweapon, is a hero, and is never stupefied in battle. Of broad neck and\nbroad chest, of mighty arms and broad cheeks, or great strength and great\nprowess, Satyaki is a high-souled Maharatha. He is my disciple and\nfriend; I am dear to him and he is dear to me. Becoming my ally,\nYuyudhana will crush the Kauravas. Even if Kesava and Rama, and\nAniruddha, and the mighty car-warrior Pradyumna, and Gada, and Sarana,\nand Samva, with all the Vrishnis, case themselves in mail for assisting\nus, O king, in the field of battle, I shall yet appoint that tiger among\nmen viz., Satyaki of unbaffled prowess, for our aid, since there is none\nequal to him.' Even this is what Dhananjaya told me in the Dwaita woods,\nin thy absence, while truly describing thy merits in an assembly of\nrighteous persons. It behoveth thee not, O thou of the Vrishni race, to\nfalsify that expectation of Dhananjaya, and also of myself and Bhima!\nWhen, returning from various tirthas, I proceeded to Dwaraka, there I\nwitnessed thy reverence for Arjuna. While we were at Upaplavya I did not\nmark anybody else, O grandson of Sini, who showed us such affection as\nthou didst. Thou art of noble lineage and feelest reverence for us. For\nshowing kindness, therefore, to one who is thy friend and preceptor, it\nbehoveth thee, O thou of mighty arms, to act in a way deserving, O great\nbowman, of thy friendship and prowess and noble parentage and\ntruthfulness. O thou of Madhu's race! Suyodhana, cased in armour by Drona\nhimself, hath suddenly gone, following Arjuna! The other great\ncar-warriors of Kauravas have, before that followed Arjuna. Loud uproars\nare being heard against Arjuna's car. O grandson of Sini, it behoveth\nthee, O giver of honours, to go thither quickly. Bhimasena and ourselves,\nwell-equipped and with all our forces, will resist Drona if he advances\nagainst thee. Behold, O Grandson of Sini, the Bharata troops are flying\naway in battle, and as they are flying away, they are tittering loud\nwails. Like the very ocean at full tide agitated by a mighty tempest, the\nDhartarashtra host, O sire, is agitated by Savyasachin. Behold, in\nconsequence of countless cars and men and steeds moving quickly, the\nearthly dust raised is gradually spreading (over the field). See, that\nslayer of hostile hosts, Phalguna, is encompassed by the Sindhu-Sauviras,\narmed with spikes and lances and adorned with many horses in their ranks.\nWithout vanquishing this force it will not be possible to vanquish\nJayadratha. These warriors are prepared to lay down their lives for the\nsake of the ruler of the Sindhus. Behold the invincible Dhartarashtra\nforce, stationed there, that bristles with arrows and darts and tall\nstandards, and that teems with steeds and elephants. Hear the beat of\ntheir drums and the loud blare of their conchs, the tremendous leonine\nshouts uttered by them, and the rattle of their car-wheels. Hear the\ngrunt of their elephants, the heavy tread of their foot-soldiers, and the\nstamping of their rushing cavalry which all seem to shake the very earth\nitself. Before him is the division of Jayadratha, and behind is that of\nDrona. So great is the number of the foes that he is capable of\nafflicting the chief of the celestials himself. Sunk in the midst of the\nfathomless host, Arjuna may lose his life. If he be slain in battle, how\ncan one like me live? Is this calamity to befall me when thou art alive?\nDark-blue in colour, young in years, of curled locks and exceedingly\nhandsome is that son of Pandu. Active in the use of weapons, and\nconversant with every mode of warfare, the mighty-armed Arjuna hath, O\nsire, penetrated into the Bharata host at sunrise. The day is about to\nend. O thou of Vrishni's race, I do not know whether he liveth or not.\nThe vast Kuru host is like ocean. O sire, Vibhatsu hath penetrated into\nit all alone. That army is incapable of being resisted by the very gods\nin battle. In today's battle, I fail to keep my judgment clear. Drona\nalso is, with great might, afflicting my forces! Thou seest, O\nmighty-armed one, how that regenerate one is careering in battle. When\nseveral tasks present themselves together, thou art well-skilled in\nselecting that which would be first attended to. It behoveth thee, O\ngiver of honours, to accomplish with activity that task which is the\ngravest of all. Amongst all these tasks, I myself think, that this\n(aiding Arjuna) is the first that demands our attention. The rescue of\nArjuna in battle should be first undertaken. I do not grieve for him of\nDasarha's race. He is the Protector and the Lord of the Universe. I tell\nthee truly that tiger among men, O sire, is able to vanquish in battle\nthe three worlds assembled together. What need I say, therefore, of this\nweak Dhritarashtra host? Arjuna, however, O thou of Vrishni's race, is\nbeing afflicted by countless odds in battle. He may yield up his life. It\nis for this that I am so cheerless. O thou then go in his track, since\npersons like thee should follow a person like him, at such a season,\nurged on by one like me. Amongst the foremost ones of the Vrishni race,\ntwo are regarded as Atirathas. They are mighty-armed Pradyumna and\nthyself, O Satwata, that are so famous. In weapons, thou art equal to\nNarayana himself, and in strength to Sankarshana. In bravery, thou art\nequal to Dhananjaya, O tiger among men, and surpassest Bhishma and Drona\nand every one accomplished in battle. O tiger among men, the wise speak\nof thee, saying, O Madhava, 'There is nothing unachievable by Satyaki.' O\nthou of great strength, do thou, therefore, that which I say unto thee,\nviz., obey the wishes of all here, of myself and of Arjuna. It behoveth\nthee not, O mighty-armed one, to frustrate that wish. Reckless of thy\nvery life, career thou in battle like a hero. O grandson of Sini, the\nscions of Dasarha's race never care to protect their lives in battle.\nAvoiding battle, or fighting from behind breast-works, or flying away\nfrom battle,--those practices of cowards and wretches are never practised\nby the Dasarhas. The virtuous-souled Arjuna is thy superior, O bull among\nthe Sinis! Vasudeva is the superior of both thyself and intelligent\nArjuna. Casting my eyes on these two reasons, I say unto thee these\nwords. Do not discard my words, I am the superior of thy superiors. That\nwhich I am saying unto thee is approved as also by Arjuna. I tell thee\nthis truly. Go then to the spot where Dhananjaya is. Attending to these\nwords of mine, O thou of prowess incapable of being baffled, penetrate in\nthis host of the wicked son of Dhritarashtra. Having penetrated into it\nduly, encounter the great car-warriors, and display, O Satwata, such\nfeats as are worthy of thyself!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'That bull amongst the Sinis, viz., Satyaki, hearing these\nwords of full affection, agreeable, fraught with sweet sounds, opportune,\ndelightful, and equitable that were uttered by king Yudhishthira the\njust, replied unto him, O chief of the Bharatas, saying, \"O thou of\nunfading glory, I have heard all the words thou hast said, words fraught\nwith justice, delightful, and conducive to fame for the sake of Phalguna.\nAt such a time, indeed, beholding one devoted (to thee) like me, it\nbehoveth thee, O king of kings, to command him as much, as thou canst\ncommand Partha himself. As regards myself, I am prepared to cast away my\nlife for the sake of Dhananjaya. Commanded, again, by thee, what is there\nI would not do in great battle? What need I say of this weak\n(Dhritarashtra) force? Urged by thee, I am prepared, O best of men, to\nbattle with three worlds including the gods, the Asuras, and men. Today I\nwill fight with the entire army of Suyodhana and vanquish it in battle.\nTruly do I say this unto thee, O king! Safely shall I reach Dhananjaya\nhimself in safety, and after Jayadratha is slain, I shall, O king, come\nback into thy presence. I must, however, O king, inform thee of the words\nof Vasudeva as also those of the intelligent Arjuna. I was strongly and\nrepeatedly solicited by Arjuna in the midst of all our warriors and in\nthe hearing also of Vasudeva (in these words), 'Today, O Madhava, nobly\nresolved in battle, protect thou the king carefully, till I slay\nJayadratha! Making over the monarch to thee, O mighty-armed one, or to\nthat great car-warrior Pradyumna, I can go with an easy heart towards\nJayadratha. Thou knowest Drona in battle, that warrior who is regarded as\nthe foremost one among the Kurus. Thou knowest also the vow made by him\nin the presence of all, O lord! The son of Bharadwaja is always eager to\nseize the king. He is competent also in afflicting king Yudhishthira in\nbattle. Charging thee with the protection of that best of men, viz., king\nYudhishthira the just, I will proceed today for the destruction of the\nruler of the Sindhus. Slaying Jayadratha, I shall soon come back, O\nMadhava! See that Drona may not succeed in forcibly seizing king\nYudhishthira the just in battle. If Yudhishthira be seized by\nBharadwaja's son, O Madhava, I shall not succeed in slaying Jayadratha,\nand great will be my grief. If that best of men, the truthful son of\nPandu, be seized, it is evident that we shall have again to go into\nwoods. My success, therefore, over Jayadratha, it is plain, will be\nproductive of no benefit, if Drona, inflamed with rage, succeeds in\nseizing Yudhishthira in battle. O mighty-armed one, for doing what is\nagreeable to me, therefore, O Madhava, as also for the sake of my success\nand fame, protect the king in battle.' Thou seest, therefore, O king,\nthou hast been made over to me as a trust by Savyasachin, O lord, in\nconsequence of his constant fear of Bharadwaja's son. O mighty-armed one,\nI myself daily see, O lord, that there is none, save Rukmini's son\n(Pradyumna), who can be a match for Drona in battle. I also am regarded\nto be a match for the intelligent son of Bharadwaja in battle. It is\nplain, therefore, I cannot dare falsify that reputation which I have, or\ndisregard the commands of my preceptor (Arjuna), or leave thee, O king!\nThe preceptor (Drona), cased as he is in impenetrable mail, in\nconsequence of his lightness of arms, obtaining thee in battle, will\nsport with thee as a child with a little bird. If Krishna's son, bearing\nthe Makara on his banner, were here, I could then have made over to him,\nfor he would have protected thee as Arjuna himself. Thou shouldst protect\nthyself. When I am gone, who will protect thee, who that is, that will\nadvance against Drona while I proceed towards Arjuna? O king, let no fear\nbe thine today on Arjuna's account. He never becomes cheerless under any\nburden howsoever heavy. Those warriors that are opposed to him, viz., the\nSauvirakas, the Sindhava-Pauravas, they from the north, they from the\nsouth, and they, O king, headed by Karna, that are regarded as foremost\nof car-warriors, do not together come up to a sixteenth part of Arjuna.\nThe whole earth rising against him, with the gods, the Asuras, and men,\nwith all the tribes of Rakshasas, O king, with the Kinnaras, the great\nsnakes, and in fact, all the mobile and the immobile creatures assembled\ntogether, is no match for Arjuna in battle. Knowing this, O king, let thy\nfear on Dhananjaya's account be dispelled. There where those two heroes\nand great bowmen, viz., the two Krishnas, of prowess incapable of being\nbaffled, are, there the slightest obstacle cannot happen to their\npurpose. Think of the celestial puissance, the accomplishment in weapons,\nthe resourcefulness, the wrath in battle, the gratefulness, and the\ncompassion of thy brother. Think also, O king, of the wonderful knowledge\nof weapons that Drona will display in battle when I leave this place for\ngoing to Arjuna. The preceptor, O monarch, is eagerly solicitous of\nseizing thee. He is eagerly desirous also, O king, of making good his\nvow, O Bharata! Be attentive, O king, to thy own protection. Who will\nprotect thee when I am gone, who is he that is, confiding on whom I may\ngo towards Pritha's son, Phalguna? I tell thee truly, O great king, that\nwithout making thee over to somebody in this great battle, I will not\nsurely go towards Arjuna, O thou of Kuru's race! Reflecting on this, from\nevery point of view, with the aid of thy intelligence, O foremost of all\nintelligent persons, and ascertaining with thy intelligence what is for\nthy highest good, command me, O king!\"'\n\n\"'Yudhishthira hearing these words said, \"It is even so, O mighty-armed\none, as thou sayest, O Madhava! For all that, however, O sire, my heart\ndoth not become easy on Arjuna's account. I shall take the greatest\nprecaution in protecting myself. Commanded by me, go thou thither where\nDhananjaya hath gone. Weighing, with my judgment, my own protection in\nbattle with the necessity of your going towards Arjuna, the latter seems\nto me preferable, Make thyself ready, therefore, to go thither whither\nDhananjaya hath gone. The mighty Bhima will protect me. Prishata's son,\nwith all his uterine brothers, and all the mighty kings, and the sons of\nDraupadi, will without doubt, protect me. The five Kekaya brothers, and\nthe Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, and Virata, and Drupada, and the mighty\ncar-warrior Sikhandin and Dhrishtaketu of great strength, and Kuntibhoja,\nO sire, Nakula, and Sahadeva, and the Panchalas, and the Srinjayas,--all\nthese, O sire, will without doubt, very carefully protect me. Drona at\nthe head of his troops, and Kritavarman also, in battle, will not succeed\nin beating us or afflicting me. That scorcher of foes, viz.,\nDhrishtadyumna, displaying his prowess, will resist the angry Drona, like\nthe continent resisting the sea. There where Prishata's son, that slayer\nof hostile heroes, will remain, there Drona will never be able to\nforcibly transgress our troops. This Dhristadyumna sprang from the fire,\nfor the destruction of Drona, clad in mail, armed with bow and arrows and\nsword, and decked with costly ornaments. Go, O grandson of Sini, with an\neasy heart, do not be anxious on my account. Dhrishtadyumna will resist\nangry Drona in battle.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of the king Yudhishthira the just,\nthat bull among the Sinis feared the censure of Arjuna if he left the\nking. Seeing, however, the certainty of an imputation of cowardice by the\npeople (if he disobeyed Yudhishthira), he said to himself, \"Let not\npeople say that I am afraid of proceeding towards Arjuna.\" Reflecting\nrepeatedly on this, Satyaki, that hero invincible in battle, that bull\namong men, said these words unto king Yudhishthira the just, \"If thou\nthinkest that these arrangements will suffice for thy protection, O\nmonarch, I will then do thy bidding and follow Vibhatsu. I tell thee\ntruly, O king, that there is none in the three worlds who is dearer to me\nthan Phalguna. I will follow in his track at the command, O giver of\nhonours. There is nothing that I will not do for thy sake. O best of men,\nthe commands of my preceptor are always of weight with me. But thy\ncommands are still weightier with me, O lord! Thy brothers, viz., Krishna\nand Dhananjaya, are always engaged in doing what is agreeable to thee.\nTaking thy command on my head for the sake of Arjuna, O lord, I will\nproceed, O bull among men, piercing through this impenetrable host.\nDarting wrathfully through this force of Drona, like a fish through the\nsea, I will go thither, O monarch, where king Jayadratha, depending upon\nhis troops, stayeth, in fear of the son of Pandu, protected by those\nforemost of car-warriors, viz., Drona's son Karna and Kripa! The distance\nfrom here, O king, is three Yojanas, I think, of that spot where Partha\nstayeth, ready to slay Jayadratha! But though Partha is three Yojanas\ndistant I shall yet follow in his track with a stout heart, and stay with\nhim, O king, till Jayadratha's slaughter. What man is there that goes to\nbattle without the commands of his superiors? And when one is commanded,\nO king, as I have been by thee, who is there like me that would not\nfight? I know that place whither I shall have to go, O lord! Teeming as\nthis ocean-like host doth with ploughshare and darts and maces and\nshields and scimitars and swords and lances and foremost of shafts, I\nwill today agitate this ocean. This elephant division, consisting of a\nthousand elephants, that thou seest, all belonging to the breed known by\nthe name of Anjana and all endued with great prowess, which are all\nmounted by a large number of Mlecchas, delighting in battle and\naccomplished in smiting,--these elephants, O king, that are shedding\ntheir juicy secretions like rain-pouring clouds,--these never retreat if\nurged forward by those upon their backs. They cannot be vanquished, O\nking, unless they are slaughtered. Then again, those car-warriors\nnumbering thousands, that thou seest, are all of royal lineage and are\nall Maharathas. They are called Rukmarathas.[149] They are accomplished\nin weapons and battling from cars, as also in fighting from the backs of\nelephants, O monarch! Thorough masters of the science of weapons, they\nare accomplished in fighting with their fists. Skilled in battling with\nmaces, masters also of the art of close fight, they are equally clever in\nstriking with scimitars and in falling upon the foe with sword and\nshield. They are brave and learned, and animated by a spirit of rivalry.\nEvery day, O king, they vanquish a vast number of men in battle. They are\ncommanded by Karna and devoted to Duhsasana. Even Vasudeva applauds them\nas great car-warriors. Always solicitous of Karna's welfare, they are\nobedient to him. It is at Karna's command, O king, that returning from\ntheir pursuit of Arjuna and, therefore, unfatigued and unworn, those\nbrave warriors, cased in impenetrable armour and armed with strong bows,\nare certainly waiting for me, ordered by Duryodhana also. Crushing them\nin battle for thy good, O Kaurava, I shall then follow in the track of\nSavyasachin. Those other elephants, O king, seven hundred in number, that\nthou seest, all cased in armour and ridden by Kiratas, and decked with\nornaments, the king of the Kiratas, desirous of his life, had formerly\npresented to Savyasachin together with many servants in their train.\nThese, O king, were formerly employed in doing thy business. Behold the\nvicissitudes that time brings about, for these are now battling against\nthee. Those elephants are ridden by Kiratas difficult of defeat in\nbattle. They are accomplished in fighting from elephants, and are all\nsprung from the race of Agni. Formerly, they were all vanquished in\nbattle by Savyasachin. They are now waiting for me carefully, under the\norders of Duryodhana. Slaying with my shafts, O king, these Kiratas\ndifficult of defeat in battle, I shall follow in the track of Arjuna who\nis intent on the slaughter of the ruler of the Sindhus. Those (other)\nhuge elephants, sprung from the race of Arjuna, of impenetrable hides,\nwell-trained, and adorned, and from whose mouths the juicy secretions are\ntrickling down, and which are well-adorned with armour made wholly of\ngold are very formidable in battle and resemble Airavata himself. They\nhave come from the northern hills, and are ridden by fierce robbers that\nare of strong limbs, that are all foremost of warriors, and that are\ncased in steel coats of mail. There, amongst them, are persons born of\nthe cow, or the ape, or of diverse other creatures, including those born\nof men. That division of the assembled Mlecchas that are all sinful and\nthat come from the fastnesses of Himavat, seem at a distance to be of\nsmoky colour. Obtaining these, and countless Kshatriyas, as also Kripa\nand that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Drona and the ruler of the\nSindhus, and the Karna, he thinks lightly of the Pandavas. Impelled by\nfate, he regards himself crowned with success. Those I have named will,\nhowever, today be within reach of my arrows. They shall not escape me, O\nson of Kunti, even if they be endued with the speed of the mind. Much\nregarded always by Duryodhana, that prince who dependeth upon the prowess\nof others, those warriors, afflicted with my clouds of shafts, will meet\nwith destruction. Those other car-warriors, O king, whom thou seest, and\nwho have golden standards and are difficult of being resisted, are called\nKamvojas. They are brave and accomplished, and firmly devoted to the\nscience of weapons. Desiring one another's welfare they are all firmly\nunited. They constitute a full Akshauhini of wrathful warriors, O\nBharata, and are staying carefully for my sake, well-protected by the\nKuru heroes. They are on the alert, O king, with their eyes on me. I\nshall certainly destroy them all, like fire destroying a heap of straw.\nTherefore, O king, let those that equip cars, place quivers and all\nnecessaries on my car in proper places. Indeed, in such a dreadful\nbattle, diverse kinds of weapons ought to be taken. Let the car be\nequipped (with necessaries) five times more than what professors of\nmilitary science direct, for I shall have to encounter the Kamvojas who\nresemble fierce snakes of virulent poison. I shall have also to encounter\nthe Kiratas who are armed with diverse weapons of warfare, who resemble\nvirulent poison, who are accomplished in smiting, who have always been\nwell-treated by Duryodhana, and who on that account are always intent on\nDuryodhana's welfare. I shall also have to encounter the Sakas endued\nwith prowess equal to that of Sakra himself, who are fierce as fire, and\ndifficult to put out like a blazing conflagration. Indeed, O king, I\nshall have to encounter in battle many warriors difficult of being\nresisted. For this let well-known steeds of best breed and graced with\nauspicious marks be yoked to my car, after causing their thirst to be\nslaked and after grooming them duly!\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'After this, Yudhishthira caused quivers full of\nshafts, and diverse kinds of weapons, and, indeed, all necessaries, to be\nplaced on Satyaki's car. Then, people caused his four well-harnessed and\nexcellent steeds to drink and walk, bathe and eat, and having adorned\nthem with golden chains and plucked out their arrows, those animals, that\nhad (for these operations) been freed from the yoke, and that were of the\nhue of gold and well-trained and endued with great speed and cheerful and\nexceedingly docile, were duly yoked again unto his car. And upon that car\nwas set up a tall standard bearing a lion of golden maces. And that\nstandard had attached round it banners of the hue of white clouds and\ndecked with gold was also placed upon that vehicle bearing a heavy weight\nof weapons. After those steeds, adorned with trappings of gold, had been\nyoked to that car, the younger brother of Daruka, who was the charioteer\nand the dear friend of Satyaki, came and represented unto the latter that\nthe car had been duly equipped, like Matali representing the equipment of\nthe car unto Vasava himself. Satyaki then, having taken a bath and\npurified himself and undergone every auspicious ceremony, gave nishkas of\ngold unto a thousand Snataka Brahmanas who uttered benedictions upon him.\nBlessed with those benedictions Satyaki that foremost of handsome men,\nthat hero worthy of worship, having drunk kairata, honey, shone\nresplendent, with reddened eyes rolling in intoxication. Having touched a\nbrazen mirror and filled with great joy, his energy became doubled, and\nhimself looked like a blazing fire. Taking upon his shoulders his bow\nwith arrows, that foremost of car-warriors, eased in armour and decked in\nornaments, had the regenerate ones perform for him the rites of\npropitiation. And fair maidens honoured him by showering upon him fried\npaddy and perfumes and floral garlands. And the hero then, with joined\nhands, worshipped the feet of Yudhishthira, and the latter smelt his\nhead. And having undergone all these rites, he then mounted his foremost\nof cars. Then those steeds, cheerful and strong and fleet as the wind,\nand invincible, and belonging to the Sindhu breed, bore him on that\ntriumphant car. Similarly, Bhimasena also, honoured by king Yudhishthira\nthe just, and reverentially saluting the monarch, set out with Satyaki.\nBeholding those two chastisers of foes on the point of penetrating thy\nhost, their enemies, viz., thy troops, all stood still with Drona at\ntheir head. Then Satyaki, seeing Bhima cased in mail and following him,\nsaluted that hero and spoke unto him these delightful words. Indeed,\nheroic Satyaki, with every limb filled with joy, said unto Bhima, \"Do\nthou, O Bhima, protect the king. Even this is thy duty above all things.\nPiercing through this host whose hour hath come, I will proceed. Whether\nnow or hence, the protection of the king is thy highest duty. Thou\nknowest my prowess, thou desirest my good, return, O Bhima!\" Thus\naddressed by Satyaki, Bhima replied, \"Go then, for the success of thy\nobject. O best of men, I will protect the king.\" Thus addressed, he of\nMadhu's race answered Bhima, saying, \"Go back, O son of Pritha! My\nsuccess is certain, since won over by my merits, thus, O Bhima, art today\nobedient to my wishes. Indeed, O Bhima, as these auspicious omens tell\nme, my victory is assured. After the sinful ruler of the Sindhus has been\nslain by the high-souled son of Pandu, I shall embrace king Yudhishthira\nof virtuous soul.\" Having said these words unto Bhima and dismissing him\nwith an embrace that illustrious warrior eyed thy troops, like a tiger\neyeing a herd of deer. Beholding him thus looking at thy army, O king,\nthy troops become once more stupefied and began to tremble violently.\nThen, O king, Satyaki desirous of seeing Arjuna at the command of king\nYudhishthira the just, suddenly dashed against thy troops.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'O king, when Yuyudhana, from desire of battle proceeded\nagainst thy troops, king Yudhishthira, surrounded by his forces, followed\nYuyudhana for reaching the car of Drona. Then the son of the king of the\nPanchalas, viz., the invincible warrior Dhrishtadyumna, the king\nVasudana, both loudly exclaimed with the Pandava host, \"Come, smite\nquickly, and rush against the foe, so that Satyaki, that warrior\ninvincible in battle, might pass easily (through the Kaurava host). Many\nmighty car-warriors will struggle for vanquishing him.\" The great\ncar-warriors (of the Pandava army), saying this, fell impetuously upon\ntheir foes. Indeed, they all rushed, saying, \"We will vanquish those that\nwill endeavour to vanquish Satyaki.\" Then a loud uproar was heard about\nthe car of Satyaki. Thy son's host, however, covered with Satyaki's\nshafts, fled away. Indeed, O king that host was broken into a hundred\nstruggling bodies by him of the Satwata race. And while that force was\nbreaking, that mighty car-warrior, viz., the (grandson) of Sini, crushed\nseven heroic and great bowmen in the front rank of the foe. And, O\nmonarch, with his shafts that resembled blazing flames of fire, he\ndespatched many other heroes, kings of diverse realms, unto the region of\nYama. He sometimes pierced a hundred warriors with one shaft, and\nsometimes one warrior with a hundred shafts. Like the great Rudra\ndestroying creatures, he slew elephant-riders and car-warriors with\nsteeds and drivers. None amongst thy troops ventured to advance against\nSatyaki who was displaying such lightness of hand and who showered such\nclouds of shafts. Struck with panic and crushed grounded thus by that\nhero of long arms, those brave warriors all left the field at the sight\nof that proud hero. Although alone, they saw him multiplied manifold, and\nwere stupefied by his energy. And the earth looked exceedingly beautiful\nwith crushed cars and broken nidas,[150] O sire, and wheels and fallen\numbrellas and standards and anukarshas, and banners, and headgears decked\nwith gold, and human arms smeared with sandal-paste and adorned with\nAngadas, O king, and human thighs, resembling trunks of elephants or the\ntapering bodies of snakes, and faces, beautiful as the moon and decked\nwith ear-rings, of large-eyed warriors lying all about the field. And the\nground there looked exceedingly beautiful with the huge bodies of fallen\nelephants, cut off in diverse ways, like a large plain strewn with hills.\nCrushed by that hero of long arms, steeds, deprived of life and fallen\ndown on the ground, looked beautiful in their traces made of burnished\ngold and decked with rows of pearls, and in their carcasses of handsome\nmake and design. Having slain diverse kinds of thy troops, he of the\nSatwata race entered into thy host, agitating and routing thy army. Then\nSatyaki desired to go by that very track by which Dhananjaya had gone\nbefore him. Then Drona came and resisted him. Encountering the son of\nBharadwaja, Yuyudhana, filled with rage, stopped not like a vast expanse\nof water upon encountering on embankment. Drona, however, checking in\nthat battle the mighty car-warrior Yuyudhana, pierced him with five keen\nshafts, capable of penetrating into the very vitals. Satyaki, however, O\nking, in that battle pierced Drona with seven shafts whetted on stone,\nequipped with golden wings and the feathers of the Kanka and the peacock.\nThen Drona afflicted Satyaki, his steeds and the drivers, with six\nshafts. The mighty car-warrior Yuyudhana could not brook that feat of\nDrona. Uttering a leonine shout, he then pierced Drona with ten shafts,\nand then with six, and then with eight others. And once more Yuyudhana\npierced Drona with ten shafts, his charioteer with one and his four\nsteeds with four. And with another shaft, O sire, Satyaki struck Drona's\nstandard. Then, Drona speedily covered Satyaki, his car, steeds, driver,\nand standard, with swiftly coursing shafts, countless in number like a\nflight of locusts. Similarly, Yuyudhana fearlessly covered Drona with\ncountless shafts of great speed. Then Drona, addressing Yuyudhana, said,\n\"Thy preceptor (Arjuna) hath, like a coward, gone away, leaving the\nbattle, avoiding me who was fighting with him, proceeding by my flank. O\nthou of Madhu's race, if like thy preceptor, thou too dost not quickly\navoid me in this battle, thou shalt not escape me with life today,\nengaged as I am in battle with thee.\"'\n\n\"'Satyaki, hearing these words, answered, \"At the command of king\nYudhishthira the just, I shall follow in the track of Dhananjaya. Blessed\nbe thou, O Brahmana, I would lose time (if I fight with thee). A disciple\nshould always tread in the way trod by his preceptor. I shall, therefore\nfollow in the track that has been trod by my preceptor.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Having said this much, the grandson of Sini avoided\nthe preceptor and suddenly proceeded onwards, O king! And addressing his\ncharioteer, he said, \"Drona will, by every means, endeavour to check my\nprogress. Proceed carefully, O Suta, in battle and listen to these grave\nwords of mine. Yonder is seen the host of great splendour of Avantis.\nNext to them, is the mighty host of the Southerners. And next to it, is\nthe great host of the Valhikas. By the side of the Valhikas, stands\nresolved for fight the mighty host commanded by Karna. O charioteer, all\nthese hosts are different from one another, but relying upon one another,\nthey protect one another on the field of battle. Arrived at the space\nleft open between these divisions cheerfully urge thou the steeds. Indeed,\nO charioteer, bear me thither, making the steeds adopt a tolerable\nspeed,--thither, that is, where are seen the Valhikas with diverse\nweapons uplifted in their arms, and the countless Southerners headed by\nthe Suta's son and whose division is seen to present a serried array of\nelephants and steeds and cars and in which stand foot-soldiers from\nvarious realms.\" Having said this much unto his driver, avoiding the\nBrahmana (Drona), he proceeded, telling his charioteer, \"Pass through the\nopen space between those two divisions towards the fierce and mighty host\nof Karna.\" Drona, however, excited with wrath, pursued him from behind,\nshooting at him countless shafts. Indeed, the preceptor closely followed\nhighly blessed Yuyudhana who advanced without any desire of turning back.\nSmiting the great host of Karna with whetted arrows, Satyaki penetrated\ninto the vast and limitless army of the Bharatas. When Yuyudhana,\nhowever, entered the army, the troops (opposed to him) fled away. At\nthis, wrathful Kritavarman came forward to resist Satyaki. The valiant\nSatyaki striking the advancing Kritavarman with six shafts, quickly slew\nhis four steeds with four other shafts. And once again, he pierced\nKritavarman in the centre of the chest with four other shafts. And once\nagain, he pierced Kritavarman in the centre of the chest with sixteen\nstraight shafts of great speed. Thus encountered, O monarch, with many\nshafts of fierce energy by him of the Satwata race, Kritavarman was\nunable to brook it. Aiming then a calf-toothed shaft resembling a snake\nof virulent poison and endued with the speed of the wind, and drawing the\nbow-string, O monarch, to his ear, he pierced Satyaki in the chest. That\nshaft, equipped with beautiful feathers, penetrating through his armour\nand body, and dyed in blood, entered the earth. Then, O king,\nKritavarman, that warrior equipped with the highest weapons, shooting\nmany shafts, cut off the bow of Satyaki with arrows fixed thereon. And\nexcited with rage, he then, in that battle, O king, pierced Satyaki of\nunbaffled prowess in the centre of the chest with ten shafts of great\nkeenness. Upon his bow being broken, the foremost of mighty men, viz.,\nSatyaki, hurled a dart at the right arm of Kritavarman. And taking up and\ndrawing a tougher bow, Yuyudhana quickly shot at his foe, shafts by\nhundreds and thousands and entirely shrouded Kritavarman and his car with\nthat arrowy downpour. Having thus shrouded the son of Hridika, O monarch,\nin that battle, Satyaki cut of, with a broad-headed arrow, the head of\nhis foe's charioteer from his trunk. The charioteer of Hridika's son\nthen, thus slain, fell down from that great car. At this, the steeds of\nKritavarman, deprived of a driver, ran away with great speed. The ruler\nof the Bhojas, then, in great agitation, himself checked those steeds.\nThat heroic warrior then, bow in hand, stood upon his car (ready for\nbattle). Beholding this feat, his troops applauded it highly. Resting for\na short space of time, Kritavarman then urged those good steeds of his.\nHimself devoid of fear, he inspired his foes with great fear. Satyaki,\nhowever, had by that time, left him behind, while Kritavarman himself now\nrushed against Bhimasena without pursuing Satyaki. Thus issuing out of\nthe division of the Bhojas, Satyaki proceeded with great speed towards\nthe mighty division of the Kamvojas. Resisted there by many brave and\nmighty car-warriors, Yuyudhana, of prowess incapable of being thwarted,\ncould not then, O monarch, proceed a step. Meanwhile, Drona, having\nplaced his troops in a proper position and made over the burthen of their\nprotection to the ruler of the Bhojas, firmly resolved, proceeded with\ngreat speed towards Yuyudhana from desire of battle. Then the foremost\nwarriors of the Pandava host, beholding Drona thus pursuing Yuyudhana\nfrom behind, cheerfully began to resist him. The Panchalas, however, who\nwere headed by Bhimasena, having approached the son of Hridika, that\nforemost of car-warriors, all became cheerless. The heroic Kritavarman, O\nking, displaying his prowess, resisted all those warriors who, although\nthey had become a little heartless, struggled yet with great vigour.\nFearlessly he weakened, by means of his arrowy showers, the animals of\nhis foes. The brave warriors, however, (of the Pandava army), though thus\nafflicted by the ruler of the Bhojas, stood, like high-born soldiers that\nthey were, resolved to fight with the division of the Bhojas itself, from\na desire of great renown.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXIII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Our army is equally possessed of many excellences.\nIt is equally regarded as superior. It is equally arrayed according to\nthe rules of science, and it is equally numerous, O Sanjaya![151] It is\nalways well-treated by us, and is always devoted to us. It is vast in\nnumerical strength, and presents a wonderful aspect. Its prowess had\nbefore been tested. The soldiers are neither very old nor very young.\nThey are neither lean nor corpulent. Of active habits, of well-developed\nand strong frames, they are free from disease. They are cased in mail and\nwell-equipped with arms. They are devoted to all kinds of armed\nexercises. They are adepts in mounting upon and descending from the backs\nof elephants, in moving forward and stepping back, in smiting\neffectually, and in marching and retreating. Oftentimes have they been\ntested in the management of elephants and steeds and cars. Having been\nexamined duly, they have been entertained on pay and not for the sake of\nlineage, nor from favour, nor from relationship. They are not a rabble\ncome of their own accord, nor have they been admitted into my army\nwithout pay. My army consists of well-born and respectable men, who are,\nagain, contented, well-fed, and submissive. They are sufficiently\nrewarded. They are all famous and endued with great intelligence. They\nare, again, O son, protected by many of our foremost counsellors and\nothers of righteous deeds, all of whom are best of men, resembling the\nvery Regents of the world. Innumerable rulers of earth, seeking to do\nwhat is agreeable to us, and who have of their own well sided with us\nwith their forces and followers, also protect them. Indeed, our army is\nlike the vast ocean filled with the waters of innumerable rivers running\nfrom all directions. It abounds in steeds and cars which, though\ndestitute of wings, still resemble the winged tenants of the air. It\nseems also with elephants adorned whose cheeks flow with juicy\nsecretions. What can it, therefore, be but Destiny that even such an army\nshould be slain? (Ocean-like it is) vast number of combatants constitute\nits interminable waters, and the steeds and other animals constitute its\nterrible waves. Innumerable swords and maces and darts and arrows and\nlances constitute the oars (plied on that ocean).[152] Abounding in\nstandards and ornaments, the pearls and gems (of the warriors) constitute\nthe lotuses that deck it. The rushing steeds and elephants constitute the\nwinds that agitate it into fury. Drona constitutes the fathomless cave of\nthat ocean, Kritavarman its vast vortex. Jalasandha its mighty alligator,\nand Karna the rise of the moon that makes it swell with energy and pride.\nWhen that bull amongst the Pandavas, on his single car, hath speedily\ngone, piercing through that army of mine vast (though it be) like the\nocean, and when Yuyudhana also hath followed him, I do not, O Sanjaya,\nsee the prospect of even a remnant of my troops being left alive by\nSavyasachin, and that foremost of car-warriors belonging to the Satwata\nrace. Beholding those two exceedingly active heroes pierce through (the\ndivisions placed in the van), and seeing the ruler of the Sindhus also\nwithin reach of the shafts from Gandiva, what, indeed, was the measure\nadopted by the Kaurava impelled by fate? At that time, when all were\nfighting intently, what became of them? O sire, I regard the assembled\nKurus to be overtaken by Death himself. Indeed, their prowess also in\nbattle is no longer seen to be what it once was. Krishna and the son of\nPandu have both entered the (Kuru) host unwounded. There is none in that\nhost, O Sanjaya, capable of resisting them. Many combatants that are\ngreat car-warriors were admitted by us after examination. They are all\nhonoured (by us) with pay as each deserves, and others with agreeable\nspeeches. There is none, O son, amongst my troops who is not honoured\nwith good offices (done to him). Each receives his assigned pay and\nrations according to the character of his services. In my army, O\nSanjaya, there is none who is unskilled in battle, none who receives pay\nless than what he deserves, or none who does not receive any pay. The\nsoldiers are adored by me, according to the best of my powers, with gifts\nand honours and seats. The same conduct is followed towards them by my\nsons, my kinsmen, and my friends. Yet on the very approach of\nSavyasachin, have they been vanquished by him and by the grandson of\nSini. What can it be but Destiny? They who are protecting them, all\nfollow the same road, the protected with the protectors! Beholding Arjuna\narrived at the front of Jayadratha, what measure was adopted by my\nfoolish son? Beholding Satyaki also entering the host, what step did\nDuryodhana think suitable to that occasion? Indeed, beholding those two\nforemost of car-warriors who are beyond the touch of all weapons, enter\nmy host, what resolution was formed by my warriors in battle? I think,\nbeholding Krishna of Dasarha's race and that bull of Sini's race also\nboth engaged for Arjuna's sake my sons are filled with grief. I think,\nseeing both Satwata and Arjuna pass through my army and the Kurus flying\naway, my sons are filled with grief. I think, seeing their car-warriors\nretreat in despair of subjugating the foe and set their hearts upon\nflying away from the field, my sons are filled with grief. Their steeds\nand elephants and cars and heroic combatants by thousands flying away\nfrom the field in anxiety, my sons are filled with grief. I think, seeing\nmany huge elephants fly away, afflicted with the shafts of Arjuna, and\nothers fallen and falling, my sons are filled with grief. I think, seeing\nsteeds deprived of riders and warriors deprived of cars by Satyaki and\nPartha, my sons are filled with grief. I think, large bodies of steeds\nslain or routed by Madhava and Partha, my sons are filled with grief. I\nthink, seeing large bodies of foot-soldiers flying away in all\ndirections, my sons, despairing of success, are filled with grief. I\nthink, seeing those two heroes pass through Drona's division unvanquished\nwithin a moment, my sons are filled with grief. Stupefied am I, O son,\nupon hearing that Krishna and Dhananjaya, those two heroes of unfading\nglory, have both, with Satwata, penetrated into my host. After that\nforemost of car-warriors among the Sinis, had entered my host, and after\nhe had passed through the division of the Bhojas, what did the Kauravas\ndo? Tell me also, O Sanjaya, how did the battle take place there where\nDrona afflicted the Pandavas on the field? Drona is endued with great\nmight, is the foremost of all persons, is accomplished in weapons, and is\nincapable of being defeated in battle. How could the Panchalas pierce\nthat great bowman in the fight? Desirous of Dhananjaya's victory, the\nPanchalas are inveterate foes of Drona. The mighty car-warrior Drona also\nis an inveterate foe of theirs. Thou art skilled in a narration, O\nSanjaya! Tell me, therefore, everything about what Arjuna did for\ncompassing the slaughter of the ruler of the Sindhus.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'O bull of Bharata's race, overtaken by a calamity that is\nthe direct result of thy own fault, thou shouldst not, O hero, indulge in\nsuch lamentations like an ordinary person. Formerly, many of thy wise\nwell-wishers, numbering Vidura amongst them, had told thee, \"Do not, O\nking, abandon the sons of Pandu.\" Thou didst not then heed those words.\nThe man that heedeth not the counsels of well-wishing friends, weepeth,\nfalling into great distress, like thyself. He of Dasarha's race, O king,\nhad formerly begged thee for peace. For all that, Krishna of world-wide\nfame, obtained not his prayer. Ascertaining thy worthlessness, and thy\njealousy towards the Pandavas, and understanding also thy crooked\nintentions towards the sons of Pandu, and hearing thy delirious\nlamentations, O best of kings, that puissant Lord of all the worlds, that\nBeing, acquainted with the truth of everything in all the worlds, viz.,\nVasudeva, then caused the flame of war to blaze forth among the Kurus.\nThis great and wholesale destruction hath come upon thee, brought about\nby thy own fault. O giver of honours, it behoveth thee not to impute the\nfault to Duryodhana. In the development of these incidents no merit of\nthine is to be seen in the beginning, in the middle, or at the end. This\ndefeat is entirely owing to thee. Therefore, knowing as thou dost the\ntruth about this world, be quiet and hear how this fierce battle,\nresembling that between the gods and the Asuras, took place. After the\ngrandson of Sini, that warrior of prowess incapable of being baffled, had\nentered into thy host, the Parthas headed by Bhimasena also rushed\nagainst thy troops. The mighty car-warrior Kritavarman, however, alone,\nresisted, in that battle the Pandavas thus rushing in fury and wrath with\ntheir followers against thy host. As the continent resists the surgings,\neven so did the son of Hridika resist the troops of the Pandavas in that\nbattle. The prowess that we then beheld of the son of Hridika was\nwonderful, inasmuch as the united Parthas succeeded not in transgressing\nhis single self. Then the mighty-armed Bhima, piercing Kritavarman with\nthree shafts, blew his conch, gladdening all the Pandavas. Then Sahadeva\npierced the son of Hridika with twenty shafts, and Yudhishthira the just\npierced him with five and Nakula pierced him with a hundred. And the sons\nof Draupadi pierced him with three and seventy shafts, Ghatotkacha\npierced him with seven. And Virata and Drupada and Drupada's son\n(Dhrishtadyumna) each pierced him with five shafts, and Sikhandin, having\nonce pierced him with five, again pierced him smilingly with five and\ntwenty shafts. Then Kritavarman, O king, pierced every one of those great\ncar-warriors with five shafts, and Bhima again with seven. And the son of\nHridika felled both the bow and the standard of Bhima from the latter's\ncar. Then that mighty car-warrior, with great speed, wrathfully struck\nBhima, whose bow had been cut off with seventy keen shafts in the chest.\nThen mighty Bhima, deeply pierced with those excellent shafts of\nHridika's son, trembled on his car like a mountain during an earthquake.\nBeholding Bhimasena in that condition, the Parthas headed by king\nYudhishthira the just afflicted Kritavarman, O king, shooting at him many\nshafts. Encompassing that warrior there with throngs of cars, O sire,\nthey cheerfully began to pierce him with their shafts, desiring to\nprotect the Wind-god's son in that battle. Then mighty Bhimasena\nrecovering consciousness, took up in that battle a dart made of steel and\nequipped with a golden staff, and hurled it with great speed from his own\ncar at the car of Kritavarman. That dart resembling a snake freed from\nits slough, hurled from Bhima's hands, fierce-looking, blazed forth as it\nproceeded towards Kritavarman. Beholding that dart endued with the\nsplendour of the Yuga-fire coursing towards him, the son of Hridika cut\nit in twain with two shafts. Thereupon, that dart decked with gold, thus\ncut off, fell down on the earth, illumining the ten points of the\ncompass, O king, like a large meteor falling from the firmament. Seeing\nhis dart baffled, Bhima blazed forth in wrath. Then taking up another\nbow which was tougher and whose twang was louder, Bhimasena, filled with\nwrath, attacked the son of Hridika in that battle. Then O king, Bhima, of\nterrible might, struck Kritavarman, in the centre of the chest with five\nshafts, in consequence of thy evil policy, O monarch! The ruler of the\nBhoja then, mangled in every limb, O sire, by Bhimasena, shone\nresplendent in the field like a red Asoka covered with flowers. Then that\nmighty bowman, viz., Kritavarman, filled with rage, smilingly struck\nBhimasena with three shafts, and having struck him forcibly, pierced in\nreturn every one of those great car-warriors struggling vigorously in\nbattle, with three shafts. Each of the latter then pierced him in return\nwith seven shafts. Then that mighty car-warrior of the Satwata race,\nfilled with rage, cut off, smiling in that battle, with a razor-faced\nshaft the bow of Sikhandin. Sikhandin then, seeing his bow cut off,\nquickly took up a sword and a bright shield decked with a hundred moons.\nWhirling his large shield, decked with gold, Sikhandin sent that sword\ntowards the car of Kritavarman. That large sword, cutting off, O king,\nKritavarman's bow with arrow fixed thereon, fell down on the earth, like,\nO monarch, a bright luminary loosened from the firmament. Meanwhile,\nthose mighty car-warriors quickly and deeply pierced Kritavarman with\ntheir shafts in that battle. Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz.,\nthe son of Hridika, casting off that broken bow, and taking up another,\npierced each of the Pandavas with three straight shafts. And he pierced\nSikhandin at first with three, and then with five shafts. Then the\nillustrious Sikhandin, taking up another bow, checked the son of Hridika\nwith many swift-flying shafts, furnished with heads like tortoise nails.\nThen, O king, the son of Hridika, inflamed with rage in that battle,\nrushed impetuously at that mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of\nYajnasena, that warrior, O monarch, who was the cause of the illustrious\nBhishma's fall in battle. Indeed, the heroic Kritavarman rushed at\nSikhandin, displaying his might, like a tiger at an elephant. Then those\ntwo chastisers of foes, who resembled a couple of huge elephants or two\nblazing fires, encountered each other with clouds of shafts. And they\ntook their best of bows and aimed their arrows, and shot them in hundreds\nlike a couple of suns shedding their rays. And those two mighty\ncar-warriors scorched each other with their keen shafts, and shone\nresplendent like two Suns appearing at the end of the Yuga. And\nKritavarman in that battle pierced that mighty car-warrior viz.,\nYajnasena's son, with three and seventy shafts and once more with seven.\nDeeply pierced therewith, Sikhandin sat down in pain on the terrace of\nhis car, throwing aside his bow and arrows, and was overtaken by a swoon.\nBeholding that hero in a swoon, thy troops, O bull among men, worshipped\nthe son of Hridika, and waved their garments in the air. Seeing Sikhandin\nthus afflicted with the shafts of Hridika's son his charioteer quickly\nbore that mighty car-warrior away from the battle. The Parthas, beholding\nSikhandin lying senseless on the terrace of his car, soon encompassed\nKritavarman in that battle with crowds of cars. The mighty car-warrior,\nKritavarman, then achieved a most wonderful feat there, inasmuch as,\nalone, he held in check all the Parthas with their followers. Having thus\nvanquished the Parthas, that mighty car-warrior then vanquished the\nChedis, the Panchalas, the Srinjayas, and the Kekayas, all of whom are\nendued with great prowess. The forces of the Pandavas then, thus\nslaughtered by the son of Hridika began to run in all directions, unable\nto stay coolly in battle. Having vanquished the sons of Pandu headed by\nBhimasena himself, the son of Hridika stayed in battle like a blazing\nfire. Those mighty car-warriors, afflicted with torrents of shafts and\nrouted by Hridika's son in battle, ventured not to face him.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXIV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Listen with undivided attention, O king. After the rout\nof that force by the high-souled son of Hridika, and upon the Parthas\nbeing humiliated with shame and thy troops elated with joy, he that\nbecame protector of the Pandavas who were solicitous of protection while\nsinking in that fathomless sea of distress, that hero, viz., the grandson\nof Sini, hearing that fierce uproar, of thy army in that terrible fight,\nquickly turned back and proceeded against Kritavarman. Hridika's son,\nKritavarman, then excited with wrath, covered the grandson of Sini with\nclouds of sharp shafts. At this, Satyaki also became filled with rage.\nThe grandson of Sini then quickly sped at Kritavarman a sharp and\nbroad-headed arrow in the encounter and then four other arrows. These\nfour arrows slew the steeds of Kritavarman, and the other cut off\nKritavarman's bow. Then Satyaki pierced the charioteer of his foe and\nthose that protected the latter's rear, with many keen shafts, to afflict\nhis antagonist's forces. The hostile division then, afflicted with\nSatyaki's arrows, broke down. Thereupon, Satyaki of prowess incapable of\nbeing baffled, quickly proceeded on his way. Hear now, O king, what that\nhero of great valour then did unto thy troops. Having, O monarch, forded\nthe ocean constituted by Drona's division, and filled with joy at having\nvanquished Kritavarman in battle, that hero then addressed his\ncharioteer, saying, \"Proceed slowly without fear.\" Beholding, however,\nthat army of thine that abounded with cars, steeds, elephants and\nfoot-soldiers, Satyaki once more told his charioteer, \"That large\ndivision which thou seest on left of Drona's host, and which looks dark\nas the clouds, consists of the elephants (of the foe). Rukmaratha is its\nleader. Those elephants are many, O charioteer, and are difficult of\nbeing resisted in battle. Urged by Duryodhana, they wait for me, prepared\nto cast away their lives. All those combatants are of princely birth, and\ngreat bowmen, and capable of displaying great prowess in battle,\nbelonging to the country of the Trigartas, they are all illustrious\ncar-warriors, owning standards decked with gold. Those brave warriors are\nwaiting, desirous of battle with me. Urge the steeds quickly, O\ncharioteer and take me thither. I shall fight with the Trigartas in the\nvery sight of Bharadwaja's son.\" Thus addressed, the charioteer, obedient\nto Satwata's will, proceeded slowly. Upon that bright car of solar\neffulgence, equipped with standard, those excellent steeds harnessed\nthereto and perfectly obedient to the driver, endued with speed of the\nwind, white as the Kunda flower, or the moon, or silver, bore him (to\nthat spot). As he advanced to battle, drawn by those excellent steeds of\nthe hue of a conch, those brave warriors encompassed him on all sides\nwith their elephants, scattering diverse kinds of keen arrows capable of\neasily piercing everything. Satwata also fought with that elephant\ndivision, shooting his keen shafts, like a mighty cloud at the end of\nsummer pouring torrents of rain on a mountain breast. Those elephants\nslaughtered with those shafts, whose touch resembled thunder sped by that\nforemost one among the Sinis began to fly away from the field, their\ntusks broken, bodies covered with blood, heads and frontal globes split\nopen, ears and faces and trunks cut off, and themselves deprived of\nriders, and standards cut down, riders slain, and blankets loosened, ran\naway, O king, in all directions. Many amongst them, O monarch, mangled by\nSatwata with long shafts and calf-tooth-headed arrows and broad-headed\narrows and Anjalikas and razor-faced arrows and crescent-shaped ones fled\naway, with blood flowing down their bodies, and themselves ejecting urine\nand excreta and uttering loud and diverse cries, deep as the roar of\nclouds. And some amongst the others wandered, and some limped, and some\nfell down, and some became pale and cheerless. Thus afflicted by\nYuyudhana, with shafts that resembled the sun or fire, that elephant\ndivision fled away in all directions. After that elephant division was\nexterminated, the mighty Jalasandha, exerting himself coolly, led his\nelephant before Yuyudhana's car drawn by white steeds. Cased in golden\nAngadas, with ear-rings and diadem, armed with sword, smeared with red\nsandal-paste, his head encircled with a blazing chain of gold, his breast\ncovered with a cuirass, his neck adorned with a bright chain (of gold),\nthat hero of sinless soul, stationed on the heads of his elephant,\nshaking his bow decked with gold, looked resplendent, O king, like a\ncloud charged with lightning. Like the continent resisting the surging\nsea, Satyaki checked that excellent elephant of the ruler of the Magadhas\nthat approached him with such fury. Beholding the elephant checked by the\nexcellent shafts of Yuyudhana, the mighty Jalasandha became filled with\nrage. Then, O king, the enraged Jalasandha, pierced Sini's grandson on\nhis broad chest with some shafts of great force. With another sharp and\nwell tempered broad-headed arrow, he cut off the bow of the Vrishni hero\nwhile the latter was drawing it. And then, O Bharata, smiling the while,\nthe heroic ruler of the Magadhas pierced the bowless Satyaki with five\nkeen shafts. The valiant and mighty-armed Satyaki, however, though\npierced with many shafts by Jalasandha, trembled not in the least. All\nthis seemed exceedingly wonderful. Then mighty Yuyudhana without any\nfear, thought of the shafts (he should use). Taking up another bow,\naddressed Jalasandha, saying, \"Wait, Wait!\" Saying this much, the\ngrandson of Sini deeply pierced Jalasandha on his broad breast with sixty\narrows, smiling the while. And with another razor-faced arrow of great\nsharpness he cut off Jalasandha's bow at the handle, and with three more\nshafts he pierced Jalasandha himself. Then Jalasandha, casting aside that\nbow of his with an arrow fixed thereon, hurled a lance, O sire, at\nSatyaki. That terrible lance, passing through the left arm of Madhava in\nfierce battle, entered the earth, like a hissing snake of gigantic\nproportion. And his left arm had thus been pierced. Satyaki, of prowess\nincapable of being baffled, struck Jalasandha with thirty keen shafts.\nThen mighty Jalasandha taking up his scimitar and large shield made of\nbull's hide and decked with a hundred moons whirled the former for a\nwhile and hurled it at Satwata. Cutting off the bow of Sini's grandson,\nthat scimitar fell down on the earth, and looked resplendent like a\ncircle of fire, as it lay on the earth. Then Yuyudhana took up another\nbow capable of piercing everybody, large as a Sala-offshoot, and of twang\nresembling the roar of Indra's thunder, and filled with rage, stretched\nit and then pierced Jalasandha with a single shaft. And then Satyaki,\nthat foremost one of Madhu's race, smiling the while, cut off, with a\npair of razor-faced arrows, the two arms, decked with ornaments, of\nJalasandha. Thereupon, those two arms, looking like a couple of spiked\nmaces, fell down from that foremost of elephants, like a couple of\nfive-headed snakes falling down from a Mountain. And then, with a third\nrazor-headed arrow, Satyaki cut off his antagonist's large head endued\nwith beautiful teeth and adorned with a pair of beautiful ear-rings. The\nheadless and armless trunk, of fearful aspect, dyed Jalasandha's elephant\nwith blood. Having slain Jalasandha, in battle, Satwata quickly felled\nthe wooden structure, O king, from that elephant's back. Bathed in blood,\nthe elephant of Jalasandha bore that costly seat, hanging down from his\nback. And afflicted with the arrows of Satwata, the huge beast crushed\nfriendly ranks as it ran wildly, uttering fierce cries of pain. Then, O\nsire, wails of woe arose among thy troops, at the sight of Jalasandha\nslain by that bull among the Vrishnis. Thy warriors then, turning their\nfaces, fled away in all directions. Indeed, despairing of success over\nthe foe, they set their hearts on flight. Meanwhile, O king, Drona,\nthat foremost of all wielders of bows, approached the mighty car-warrior\nYuyudhana, borne by his swift coursers. Many bulls among the Kurus,\nbeholding Sini's grandson swelling (with rage and pride), rushed at him\nwith fury, accompanied by Drona. Then commenced a battle, O king, between\nthe Kurus and Drona (on one side) and Yuyudhana (on the other), that\nresembled the awful battle of old between the gods and the Asuras.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Shooting clouds of arrows, all those warriors,\naccomplished in smiting, carefully, O monarch, encountered Yuyudhana.\nDrona struck him with seven and seventy shafts of great keenness. And\nDurmarshana struck him with a dozen, Duhsasana, struck him with ten\nshafts. And Vikarna also pierced him on the left side as also on the\ncentre of the chest with thirty keen shafts equipped with Kanka feathers.\nAnd Durmukha struck him with ten shafts, and Duhsasana with eight,\nChitrasena, O sire, pierced him with a couple of shafts. And Duryodhana,\nO king, and many other heroes, afflicted that mighty car-warrior with\ndense showers of shafts in that battle. Though checked on all sides by\nthose mighty car-warriors, viz., thy sons, Yuyudhana of Vrishni's race\npierced each of them separately with his straight shafts. Indeed, he\npierced the son of Bharadwaja with three shafts, and Duhsasana with nine,\nand Vikarna with five and twenty, and Chitrasena with seven, and\nDurmarshana with a dozen, and Vivinsati with eight, and Satyavrata with\nnine, and Vijaya with ten shafts. And having pierced Rukmangada also that\nmighty car-warrior, viz., Satyaki, shaking his bow, speedily proceeded\nagainst thy son (Duryodhana). And Yuyudhana, in the sight of all men,\ndeeply pierced with his arrows the king, that greatest of car-warriors in\nthe whole world. Then commenced a battle between those two. Both shooting\nkeen arrows and both aiming countless shafts, each of those mighty\ncar-warriors made the other invisible in that battle. And Satyaki,\npierced by the Kuru king, looked exceedingly resplendent as blood\ncopiously ran down his body, like a sandal tree shedding its juicy\nsecretions. Thy son also pierced by Satwata with clouds of shafts, looked\nbeautiful like a stake set up (at a sacrifice) decked all over with gold.\nThen Madhava, O king, in that battle, cut off with razor-faced arrow,\nsmiling the while, the bow of the Kuru king. And then he pierced the\nbowless king with countless arrows. Pierced with arrows by that foe of\ngreat activity, the king could not brook this indication of the enemy's\nsuccess. Duryodhana then, taking up another formidable bow, the back of\nwhose staff was decked with gold, speedily pierced Satyaki with a hundred\narrows. Deeply pierced by thy mighty son armed with the bow, Yuyudhana\nbecame inflamed with wrath and began to afflict thy son. Beholding the\nking thus afflicted, thy sons, those mighty car-warriors, shrouded\nSatyaki with dense showers of arrows, shot with great force. Whilst being\nthus shrouded by those mighty car-warriors, viz., thy multitude of sons,\nYuyudhana pierced each of them with five arrows, and once more with\nseven. And soon he pierced Duryodhana with eight swift arrows and,\nsmiling the while, cut off the latter's bow that frightened all foes. And\nwith a few arrows he also felled the king's standard adorned with a\njewelled elephant. And slaying then the four steeds of Duryodhana with\nfour arrows, the illustrious Satyaki felled the king's charioteer with a\nrazor-faced shaft. Meanwhile, Yuyudhana, filled with joy, pierced the\nmighty car-warrior, viz., the Kuru king, with many arrows capable of\npenetrating into the very vitals. Then, O king, thy son Duryodhana, while\nbeing thus struck in that battle with those excellent arrows of Sini's\ngrandson, suddenly fled away. And the king, quickly mounted the car of\nChitrasena, armed with the bow. Beholding the king thus attacked by\nSatyaki in battle, and reduced to the position of Soma in the firmament\nwhile seized by Rahu, cries of woe arose from every section of the Kuru\nhost. Hearing that uproar, the mighty car-warrior Kritavarman quickly\nproceeded to that spot where the puissant Madhava was battling. And\nKritavarman proceeded, shaking his bow, and urging his steeds, and urging\nhis charioteer with the words, \"Go with speed, Go with speed!\" Beholding\nKritavarman rushing towards him like the Destroyer himself with wide-open\nmouth, Yuyudhana, O king, addressed his driver, saying, \"That\nKritavarman, armed with arrows, is rushing in his car towards me with\nspeed.\" Then, with his steeds urged to their greatest speed, and on his\ncar duly equipped, Satyaki came upon the ruler of the Bhojas, the\nforemost of all bowmen. Then those two tigers among men, both inflamed\nwith rage, and both resembling fire encountered each other like two\ntigers endued with great activity. Kritavarman pierced Sini's grandson\nwith six and twenty whetted arrows of keen points, and the latter's\ndriver with five arrows. And skilled in battle, the son of Hridika\npierced, with four mighty shafts, the four excellent and well-broken\nsteeds of Satyaki that were of the Sindhu breed. Owning a standard decked\nwith gold, and adorned with golden mail, Kritavarman, shaking his\nformidable bow, whose staff was decked with gold, thus checked Yuyudhana\nwith shafts equipped with golden wings. Then the grandson of Sini,\ndesirous of seeing Dhananjaya, sped with great activity eight arrows at\nKritavarman. That scorcher of foes, then, deeply pierced by that mighty\nfoe,--that invincible warrior,--began to tremble like a hill during an\nearthquake. After this, Satyaki, of prowess incapable of being baffled,\nspeedily pierced Kritavarman's four steeds with three and sixty keen\narrows, and his driver also with seven. Indeed, Satyaki, then aiming\nanother arrow of golden wings, that emitted blazing flames and resembled\nan angry snake, or the rod of the Destroyer himself, pierced Kritavarman.\nThat terrible arrow, penetrating through his antagonist's effulgent\narmour decked with gold, entered the earth, dyed with blood. Afflicted\nwith the shafts of Satwata, and bathed in blood in that battle,\nKritavarman throwing aside his bow with arrow, fell upon his car. That\nlion-toothed hero of immeasurable prowess, that bull among men, afflicted\nby Satyaki with his arrows, fell on his knees upon the terrace of his\ncar. Having thus resisted Kritavarman who resembled the thousand-armed\nArjuna of old, or Ocean himself of immeasurable might, Satyaki proceeded\nonwards. Passing through Kritavarman's division bristling with swords and\ndarts and bows, and abounding in elephants and steeds and cars, and out\nof the ground rendered awful in consequence of the blood shed by foremost\nKshatriyas numbering by hundreds, that bull among the Sinis proceeded\nonwards in the very sight of all the troops, like the slayer of Vritra\nthrough the Asura array. Meanwhile, the mighty son of Hridika, taking up\nanother huge bow, stayed where he was, resisting Pandavas in battle.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXVI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'While the (Kuru) host was shaken by the grandson of Sini\nin these places (through which he proceeded), the son of Bharadwaja\ncovered him with a dense shower of arrows. The encounter that then took\nplace between Drona and Satwata in the very sight of all the troops was\nextremely fierce, like that between Vali and Vasava (in days of old).\nThen Drona pierced the grandson of Sini on the forehead with three\nbeautiful arrows made entirely of iron and resembling snakes of virulent\npoison. Thus pierced on the forehead with those straight shafts,\nYuyudhana, O king, looked beautiful like a mountain with three summits.\nThe son of Bharadwaja always on the alert for an opportunity, then sped\nin that battle many other arrows of Satyaki which resembled the roar of\nIndra's thunder. Then he of Dasarha's race, acquainted with the highest\nweapons, cut off all those arrows shot from Drona's bow, with two\nbeautifully winged arrows of his. Beholding that lightness of hand (in\nSatyaki), Drona, O king, smiling the while, suddenly pierced that bull\namong the Sinis with thirty arrows. Surpassing by his own lightness the\nlightness of Yuyudhana, Drona, once more, pierced the latter with fifty\narrows and then with a hundred. Indeed, those mangling arrows, O king,\nissued from Drona's car, like vigorous snakes in wrath issuing through an\nant-hill. Similarly, blood-drinking arrows shot by Yuyudhana in hundreds\nand thousands covered the car of Drona. We did not mark any difference,\nhowever, between the lightness of hand displayed by that foremost of\nregenerate ones and that displayed by him of the Satwata race. Indeed, in\nthis respect, both those bulls among men were equal. Then Satyaki,\ninflamed with wrath, struck Drona with nine straight arrows. And he\nstruck Drona's standard also with many sharp shafts. And in the sight of\nBharadwaja's son, he pierced the latter's driver also with a hundred\narrows. Beholding the lightness of hand displayed by Yuyudhana, the\nmighty car-warrior Drona piercing Yuyudhana's driver with seventy shafts,\nand each of his (four) steeds with three, cut off with a single arrow the\nstandard that stood on Madhava's car. With another broad-headed arrow,\nequipped with feathers and with wings of gold, he cut off in that battle\nthe bow of that illustrious hero of Madhu's race. Thereupon, the mighty\ncar-warrior Satyaki, excited with wrath, laid aside that, taking up a\nhuge mace, hurled it at the son of Bharadwaja. Drona, however, with many\narrows of diverse forms, resisted that mace, made of iron and twined\nround with strings, as it coursed impetuously towards him. Then Satyaki,\nof prowess incapable of being baffled, took up another bow and pierced\nthe heroic son of Bharadwaja with many arrows whetted on stone. Piercing\nDrona thereby in that battle, Yuyudhana uttered a leonine shout. Drona,\nhowever, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, was unable to brook\nthat roar. Taking up a dart made of iron and equipped with golden staff\nDrona sped it quickly at the car of Madhava. That dart, however, fatal as\nDeath, without touching the grandson of Sini, pierced through the\nlatter's car and entered the earth with a fierce noise. The grandson of\nSini then, O king, pierced Drona with many winged arrows. Indeed,\nstriking him on the right arm, Satyaki, O bull of Bharata's race,\nafflicted him greatly. Drona also, in that battle, O king, cut off the\nhuge bow of Madhava with a crescent-shaped arrow and smote the latter's\ndriver with a dart. Struck with that dart, Yuyudhana's driver swooned\naway and for a while lay motionless on the terrace of the car. Then, O\nMonarch, Satyaki, acting as his own driver, achieved a superhuman feat,\ninasmuch as he continued to fight with Drona and hold the reins himself.\nThen the mighty car-warrior Yuyudhana struck that Brahmana with a hundred\narrows in that battle, and rejoiced exceedingly, O monarch, at the feat\nhe had achieved. Then Drona, O Bharata, sped at Satyaki five arrows.\nThose fierce arrows, piercing Satyaki's armour, drank his blood in that\nbattle. Thus pierced with those frightful arrows, Satyaki became inflamed\nwith wrath. In return, that hero shot many shafts at him of the golden\ncar. Then felling on the earth with a single shaft, the driver of Drona,\nhe caused next, with his arrows, those driverless steeds of his\nantagonist to fly away. Thereupon that car was dragged to a distance.\nIndeed, the bright chariot of Drona, O king, began to trace a thousand\ncircles in the field of battle like a sun in motion. Then all the kings\nand princes (of the Kaurava host) made a loud uproar, exclaiming, \"Run,\nRush, Seize the steeds of Drona.\" Quickly abandoning Satyaki in that\nbattle, O monarch, all those mighty car-warriors rushed to the place\nwhere Drona was. Beholding those car-warriors run away afflicted with the\narrows of Satyaki, thy troops once more broke down and became exceedingly\ncheerless. Meanwhile, Drona, once more proceeding to the gate of the\narray, took up his station there, borne away (from Satyaki's presence) by\nthose steeds, fleet as the wind, that had been, afflicted with the shafts\nof the Vrishni hero. The valiant son of Bharadwaja, beholding the array\nbroken (in his absence) by the Pandavas and the Panchalas, made no\nendeavour to follow the grandson of Sini, but employed himself in\nprotecting his (broken) array. Checking the Pandavas and the Panchalas\nthen, the Drona fire, blazing up in wrath stayed there, consuming\neverything, like the sun that rises at the end of the Yuga.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXVII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having vanquished Drona and other warriors of thy army,\nheaded by the son of Hridika, that foremost of men, viz., that bull\namongst the Sinis, O foremost one of the Kurus, laughing said unto his\ncharioteer, \"Our foes, O Suta, had already been consumed by Kesava and\nPhalguna. In vanquishing them (again), we have only been the (ostensible)\nmeans. Already slain by that bull among men, viz., the son of the\ncelestial chief, we have but slain the dead.\" Saying these words unto his\ncharioteer, that bull amongst the Sinis, that foremost of bowmen, that\nslayer of hostile heroes, that mighty warrior, scattering with great\nforce his arrows all around in that dreadful battle, proceeded like a\nhawk in search of prey. The Kuru warriors, although they attacked him\nfrom all sides, succeeded not in resisting that foremost of car-warriors,\nresembling the sun himself of a thousand rays, that foremost of men, who,\nhaving pierced the Kaurava ranks, was proceeding, borne by those\nexcellent steeds of his that were white as the moon or a conch. Indeed, O\nBharata, none amongst those that fought on thy side could resist\nYuyudhana of irresistible prowess, of might incapable of impairment, of\nvalour equal to that of him of a thousand eyes, and looking like the\nautumnal sun in the firmament. Then that foremost of kings, viz.,\nSudarsana, conversant with all modes of warfare, clad in golden coat of\nmail, armed with bow and arrows and filled with rage, advanced against\nthe rushing Satyaki and endeavoured to check his course. Then the\nencounter that took place between them was fierce in the extreme. And\nboth thy warriors and the Somakas, O king highly applauded the encounter\nas between Vritra and Vasava. Sudarsana endeavoured to pierce that\nforemost one of the Satwata's in that battle with hundreds of keen shafts\nbefore they could reach him. Similarly, Sudarsana, stationed on his\nforemost of cars, cut off, by means of his own excellent shafts in two or\nthree fragments all the shafts that Satyaki, resembling Indra himself,\nsped at him. Beholding his shafts baffled by the force of Satyaki's\nshafts, Sudarsana of fierce energy, as if to consume (his foe),\nwrathfully shot beautiful arrows winged with gold. And once more he\npierced his enemy with three beautiful arrows resembling fire itself and\nequipped with wings of gold, shot from his bow-string drawn to the ear.\nThose piercing through Satyaki's armour, penetrated into the latter's\nbody. Similarly, that (prince, viz., Sudarsana), aiming four other\nblazing arrows, smote therewith the four steeds of Satyaki that were\nwhite as silver in hue. Thus afflicted by him the grandson of Sini,\nendued with great activity and possessed of prowess equal to that of\nIndra himself speedily slew with his keen shafts the steeds of Sudarsana\nand uttered a loud roar. Then cutting off with a broad-headed arrow\nendued with the force of Sakra's thunder, the head of Sudarsana's driver,\nthe foremost one amongst the Sinis with a razor-faced arrow resembling\nthe Yuga-fire, cut off from Sudarsana's trunk his head graced with\near-rings, resembling the moon at full, and decked with an exceedingly\nradiant face, like the wielder of the thunder, O king, in days of old,\nforcibly cutting off the head of the mighty Vala in battle. That\nhigh-souled bull among the Yadus then, endued with great activity thus\nslaying that grandson of a prince, became filled with delight and shone\nresplendent, O monarch, like the chief of the celestials himself.\nYuyudhana, then, that hero among men, proceeded along the track by which\nArjuna had passed before him, checking (as he went) by means of clouds of\nshafts, all thy troops, and riding on that same car of his, O king, unto\nwhich were yoked those excellent steeds and filling everybody with\namazement. All the foremost of warriors there, assembled together,\napplauded that foremost of amazing feats achieved by him, for he consumed\nall foes that came within reach of his arrows, like a conflagration\nconsuming everything in its way.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then that bull of Vrishni's race, viz., the high-souled\nSatyaki of great intelligence, having slain Sudarsana, once more\naddressed his driver, saying, \"Having forded through the almost unfordable\nocean of Drona's division, teeming with cars and steeds and elephants,\nwhose waves are constituted by arrows and darts, fishes by swords and\nscimitars and alligators by maces, which roar with the whiz of shafts and\nthe clash of diverse weapons,--an ocean that is fierce and destructive of\nlife, and resounds with the noise of diverse musical instruments, whose\ntouch is unpleasant and unbearable to warriors of victory, and whose\nmargin is infested with fierce cannibals represented by the force of\nJalasandha.--I think, the portion of the array that remains may easily be\nforded like a poor stream of shallow water. Urge thou the steeds,\ntherefore, without fear. I think, I am very near to Savyasachin. Having\nvanquished in battle the invincible Drona with his followers, and that\nforemost of warriors, viz., the son of Hridika, I think, I cannot be\ndistant from Dhananjaya. Fear never comes to my heart even if I behold\ncountless foes before me. These to me are like a heap of straw and grass\nto a blazing conflagration in the woods. Behold, the track by which the\ndiadem-decked (Arjuna), that foremost one among the Pandavas, hath gone,\nis rendered uneven with large bodies of foot-soldiers and steeds and\ncar-warriors and elephants lying slain on the ground. Behold, routed by\nthat high-souled warrior, the Kaurava army is flying away. Behold, O\ncharioteer, a dark brown dust is raised by those retreating cars and\nelephants and steeds. I think, I am very near to Arjuna of white steeds\nhaving Krishna for his charioteer. Hark, the well-known twang of Gandiva\nof immeasurable energy is being heard. From the character of the omens\nthat appear to my view, I am sure that Arjuna will slay the ruler of the\nSindhus before the sun sets. Without causing their strength to be spent,\nurge the steeds slowly to where those hostile ranks are staying, that is,\nto where yonder warriors headed by Duryodhana, their hands cased in\nleathern fences, and yonder Kamvojas of fierce deeds, clad in mail and\ndifficult of being defeated in battle, and those Yavanas armed with bow\nand arrows and skilled in smiting, and under Sakas and Daradas and\nBarbaras and Tamraliptakas, and other countless Mlecchas, armed with\ndiverse weapons, are,--to the spot (I repeat) where, indeed, yonder\nwarriors headed by Duryodhana, their hands cased in leathern fences,--are\nwaiting with their faces turned towards me and inspired with the\nresolution of battling with me. Regard me to have already passed through\nthis fierce fastness, O Suta, having slain in battle all these combatants\nwith cars and elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers that are amongst\nthem.\"\n\n\"'The charioteer, thus addressed, said, \"O thou of Vrishni's race, fear I\nhave none, O thou of prowess that cannot be baffled! If thou hast before\nthe Jamadagni's son himself in wrath, or Drona, that foremost of\ncar-warriors, or the ruler of the Madras himself, even then fear doth not\nenter my heart, O thou of mighty arms, as long as I am under the shadow\nof thy protection, O slayer of foes, countless Kamvojas, clad in mail, of\nfierce deeds, and difficult to defeat in battle, have already been\nvanquished by thee, as also many Yavanas armed with bow and arrows and\naccomplished in smiting, including Sakas and Daradas and Tamraliptakas,\nand many other Mlecchas armed with various weapons. Never before did I\nexperience fear in any battle. Why shall I, therefore, O thou of great\ncourage, experience any fear in this miserable fray? O thou that art\nblessed with length of days, by which way shall I take thee to where\nDhananjaya is? With whom hast thou been angry, O thou of Vrishni's race?\nWho are they that will fly away from battle, beholding thee endued with\nsuch a prowess, resembling the Destroyer himself as he appears at the end\nof the Yuga, and putting forth that prowess of thine (against thy foes)?\nO thou of mighty arms, who are they of whom king Vaivaswata is thinking\ntoday?\"\n\n\"'Satyaki said, \"Like Vasava destroying the Danavas, I shall slay these\nwarriors with shaved heads. By slaying these Kamvojas I will fulfil my\nvow. Bear me thither. Causing a great carnage amongst these, I shall\ntoday repair to the dear son of Pandu. The Kauravas, with Suyodhana at\ntheir head, will today behold my prowess, when this division of Mlecchas,\nof shaved heads, will have been exterminated and the whole Kaurava army\nput to the greatest distress. Hearing the loud wails of the Kaurava host,\ntoday, mangled and broken by me in battle Suyodhana will be inspired with\ngrief. Today, I shall show unto my preceptor, the high-souled Pandava, of\nwhite steeds, the skill in weapons acquired by me from him. Beholding\ntoday thousands of foremost warriors slain with my arrows, king\nDuryodhana will be plunged into great grief. The Kauravas will today\nbehold the bow in my hands to resemble a circle of fire when,\nlight-handed, I will stretch the bowstring for shooting my host of\nshafts. Beholding the incessant slaughter of his troops today, their\nbodies covered with blood and pierced all over with my shafts, Suyodhana\nwill be filled with grief. While I shall slay in wrath the foremost of\nKuru warriors, Suyodhana will today behold to count two Arjunas.\nBeholding thousands of kings slain by me in battle, king Duryodhana will\nbe filled with grief in today's great battle. Slaying thousands of kings\ntoday, I will show my love and devotion to those high-souled ones, viz.,\nthe royal sons of Pandu. The Kauravas will know today the measure of my\nmight and energy, and my gratefulness (to the Pandavas).\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed, the charioteer urged to their utmost\nspeed those well-trained coursers of delightful pace and of the hue of\nthe moon. Those excellent animals, endued with the speed of the wind or\nthought, proceeded, devouring the very skies, and bore Yuyudhana to the\nspot where those Yavanas were. Thereupon, the Yavanas, many in number and\nendued with lightness of hands, approaching unretreating Satyaki, covered\nhim with showers of arrows. The rushing Satyaki, however, O king, cut off\nby means of his own straight arrows, all those shafts and weapons of the\nYavanas. Inflamed with wrath, Yuyudhana then, with his straight shafts\nof great sharpness, winged with gold and vulture's feathers, cut off the\nheads and arms of those Yavanas. Many of those arrows, again, piercing\nthrough their coats of mail, made of iron and brass, entered the earth.\nStruck by the brave Satyaki in that battle, the Mlecchas began to fall\ndown on the earth in hundreds, deprived of life. With his arrows shot in\ncontinuous lines from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch, that hero\nbegan to slay five, six, seven, or eight Yavanas at a time. Thousands of\nKamvojas, and Sakas, and Barbaras, were similarly slain by Satyaki.\nIndeed, the grandson of Sini, causing a great carnage among thy troops,\nmade the earth impassable and miry with flesh and blood. The field of\nbattle was strewn with the head-gears of those robbers and their shaved\nheads too that looked, in consequence of their long beards, like\nfeatherless birds. Indeed, the field of battle covered with headless\ntrunks dyed all over with blood, looked beautiful like the welkin covered\nwith coppery clouds. Slain by Satwata by means of his straight shafts\nwhose touch resembled that of Indra's thunder, the Yavanas covered the\nsurface of the earth. The small remnant of those mail-clad troops\nvanquished in battle, O king, by Satwata, becoming cheerless, their lives\non the point of being taken, broke and urging their steeds with goads and\nwhips to their utmost speed, fled from fear in all directions. Routing\nthe invincible Kamvoja host in battle, O Bharata, as also that host of\nthe Yavanas and that large force of the Sakas, that tiger among men who\nhad penetrated into thy army, viz., Satyaki, of prowess incapable of\nbeing baffled, crowned with victory, urged his charioteer, saying,\n\"Proceed!\" Beholding that feat of his in battle, never before achieved by\nany one else, the Charanas and the Gandharvas applauded him highly.\nIndeed, O king, the Charanas, as also thy warriors, beholding Yuyudhana\nthus proceeded for aiding Arjuna, became filled with delight (at his\nheroism).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXIX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having thus vanquished the Yavanas and the Kamvojas that\nforemost of car-warriors, viz., Yuyudhana, proceeded towards Arjuna,\nright through the midst of thy troops. Like a hunter slaying deer, that\ntiger among men, (Satyaki), endued with beautiful teeth, clad in\nexcellent armour, and owning a beautiful standard, slew the Kaurava\ntroops and inspired them with fear. Proceeding on his car, he shook his\nbow with great force, that bow, the back of whose staff was decked with\ngold, whose toughness was great, and which was adorned with many golden\nmoons. His arms decked with golden Angadas, his head-gear adorned with\ngold; his body clad in golden mail, his standard and bow also was so\nembellished with gold, that he shone like the summit of Meru. Himself\nshedding such effulgence, and bearing that circular bow in his hand, he\nlooked like a second sun in autumn. That bull among men, possessing the\nshoulders and the tread and eyes of a bull, looked in the midst of thy\ntroops, like a bull in a cow-pen. Thy warriors approached him from desire\nof slaughter like a tiger approaching the leader, with rent temples, of\nan elephant-herd, standing proudly in the midst of his herd, resembling\nas he did and possessed as he was of the tread of an infuriated elephant.\nIndeed, after he had passed through Drona's division, and the unfordable\ndivision of the Bhojas, after he had forded through the sea of\nJalasandha's troops as also the host of the Kamvojas, after he had\nescaped the alligator constituted by Hridika's son, after he had\ntraversed those ocean-like host, many car-warriors of thy army, excited\nwith wrath, surrounded Satyaki. And Duryodhana and Chitrasena and\nDuhsasana and Vivinsati, and Sakuni and Duhsaha, and the youthful\nDurdharshana, and Kratha, and many other brave warriors well-conversant\nwith weapons and difficult of defeat, wrathfully followed Satyaki from\nbehind as he proceeded onwards. Then, O sire, loud was the uproar that\narose among thy troops, resembling that of the ocean itself at full tide\nwhen lashed into fury by the tempest. Beholding all those warriors\nrushing at him, that bull among the Sinis smilingly addressed his\ncharioteer, saying, \"Proceed slowly. The Dhartarashtra force, swelling\n(with rage and pride), and teeming with elephants and steeds and cars and\nfoot-soldiers, that is rushing with speed towards me, filling the ten\npoints of the compass with deep roar of its cars, O charioteer, and\ncausing the earth, the welkin, and the very seas, to tremble,\ntherewith,--this sea of troops, O driver, I will resist in great battle,\nlike the continent resisting the ocean swelling to its utmost height at\nfull moon. Behold, O charioteer, my prowess which is equal to that of\nIndra himself in great battle. I will consume this hostile force by means\nof my whetted arrows. Behold these foot-soldiers and horsemen and\ncar-warriors, and elephants slain by me in thousands, their bodies\npierced with my fiery arrows.\" While saying these words (unto his\ncharioteer), those combatants from desire of battle, speedily came before\nSatyaki of immeasurable prowess. They made a loud noise, saying as they\ncame, \"Slay, Rush, Wait, See, See!\" Of those brave warriors that said\nthese words, Satyaki, by means of his sharp arrows, slew three hundred\nhorsemen and four hundred elephants. The passage at arms between those\nunited bowmen (on the one side) and Satyaki (on the other) was\nexceedingly fierce, resembling that between the gods and the Asuras (in\ndays of old). An awful carnage set in. The grandson of Sini received with\nhis shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison that force, O sire, of\nthy son which looked like a mass of clouds. Shrouding every side, in that\nbattle with his arrowy downpours, that valiant hero, O monarch,\nfearlessly slew a large number of thy troops. Exceedingly wonderful, O\nking, was the sight that I witnessed there, viz., that not an arrow even,\nO lord, of Satyaki failed in effect. That sea of troops, abounding in\ncars and elephants and steeds, and full of waves constituted by\nfoot-soldiers, stood still as soon as it came in contact with the Satyaki\ncontinent. That host consisting of panic-stricken combatants and\nelephants and steeds, slaughtered on all sides by Satyaki with his shafts\nrepeatedly turned round, and wandered hither and thither as if afflicted\nwith the chilling blasts of winter. We saw not foot-soldiers or\ncar-warriors or elephants or horsemen or steeds that were not struck with\nYuyudhana's arrows. Not even Phalguna, O king, had caused such a carnage\nthere as Satyaki, O monarch, then caused among those troops. That bull\namong men, viz., the dauntless grandson of Sini, endued with great\nlightness of hand and displaying the utmost skill, fighteth, surpassing\nArjuna himself. Then king Duryodhana pierced the charioteer of Satwata\nwith three keen shafts and his four steeds with four shafts. And he\npierced Satyaki himself with three arrows and once again with eight. And\nDuhsasana pierced that bull among the Sinis with sixteen arrows. And\nSakuni pierced him with five and twenty arrows and Chitrasena with five.\nAnd Duhsasana pierced Satyaki in the chest with five and ten arrows. That\ntiger amongst the Vrishnis then, thus struck with their arrows, proudly\npierced every one of them, O monarch, with three arrows. Deeply piercing\nall his foes with shafts endued with great energy, the grandson of Sini,\npossessed of great activity and prowess, careered on the field with the\ncelerity of a hawk. Cutting off the bow of Suvala's son and the leathern\nfence that cased his hand, Yuyudhana pierced Duryodhana in the centre of\nthe chest with three shafts. And he pierced Chitrasena with a hundred\narrows, and Duhsaha with ten. And that bull of Sini's race then pierced\nDuhsasana with twenty arrows. Thy brother-in-law (Sakuni) then, O king,\ntaking up another bow, pierced Satyaki with eight arrows and once more\nwith five. And Duhsasana pierced him with three. And Durmukha, O king,\npierced Satyaki with a dozen shafts. And Duryodhana, having pierced\nMadhava with three and seventy arrows, then pierced his charioteer with\nthree keen shafts. Then Satyaki pierced each of those brave and mighty\ncar-warriors vigorously contending in battle together with five shafts in\nreturn. Then the foremost of car-warriors, (viz., Yuyudhana) speedily\nstruck thy son's charioteer with a broad-headed shaft; whereupon, the\nlatter deprived of life, fell down on the earth. Upon the fall of the\ncharioteer, O lord, thy son's car was taken away from the battle by the\nsteeds yoked thereto, with the speed of the wind. Then thy sons, O king,\nand the other warriors, O monarch, setting their eyes on the king's car\nfled away in hundreds. Beholding that host fly away, O Bharata, Satyaki\ncovered it with showers of keen shafts whetted on stone and equipped with\nwings of gold. Routing all thy combatants counting by thousands, Satyaki,\nO king, proceeded towards the car of Arjuna. Indeed, thy troops\nworshipped Yuyudhana, beholding him shooting arrows and protecting his\ncharioteer and himself as he fought in battle.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXX\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Beholding the grandson of Sini proceeding towards\nArjuna, grinding as he went that large force, what, indeed, O Sanjaya,\ndid those shameless sons of mine do? When Yuyudhana who is equal to\nSavyasachin himself was before them, how, indeed, could those wretches,\nthat were at the point of death, set their hearts upon battle? What also\ndid all those Kshatriyas, vanquished in battle, then, do? How, indeed,\ncould Satyaki of world-wide renown pass through them in battle? How also,\nO Sanjaya, when my sons were alive, could the grandson of Sini go to\nbattle? Tell me all this. This is exceedingly wonderful, O sire, that I\nhave heard from thee, viz., this encounter between one and the many, the\nlatter, again, being all mighty car-warriors. O Suta, I think, Destiny is\nnow unpropitious to my sons, since so many mighty car-warriors have been\nslain by that one warrior of the Satwata race. Alas, O Sanjaya, my army\nis no match for even one warrior, viz., Yuyudhana inflamed with wrath.\nLet all the Pandavas hang up these weapons. Vanquishing in battle Drona\nhimself who skilled in weapons and conversant with all modes of warfare,\nSatyaki will slay my sons, like a lion slaying smaller animals. Numerous\nheroes, of whom Kritavarman is the first, contending vigorously in\nbattle, could not slay Yuyudhana. The latter, without doubt, will slay my\nsons. Phalguna himself fought not in the manner in which the renowned\ngrandson of Sini has fought.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'All this, O king, has been brought about by thy evil\ncounsels and the acts of Duryodhana. Listen attentively to what, O\nBharata, I say unto thee. At the command of thy son, the Samsaptakas,\nrallying, all resolved upon fighting fiercely. Three thousand bowmen\nheaded by Duryodhana, with a number of Sakas and Kamvojas and Valhikas\nand Yavanas and Paradas, and Kalingas and Tanganas and Amvashtas and\nPisachas and Barbaras and mountaineers, O monarch, inflamed with rage and\narmed with stone, all rushed against the grandson of Sini like insects\nagainst a blazing fire. Five hundred other warriors, O king, similarly\nrushed against Satyaki. And another mighty body consisting of a thousand\ncars, a hundred great car-warriors, a thousand elephants, two thousand\nheroes, and countless foot-soldiers, also rushed against the grandson of\nSini. Duhsasana, O Bharata, urging all those warriors, saying, \"Slay him,\"\nsurrounded Satyaki therewith. Grand and wonderful was the conduct that we\nthen beheld of Sini's grandson, inasmuch as alone he fought fearlessly\nwith those innumerable foes. And he slew that entire body of car-warriors\nand that elephant force, and all those horsemen and that entire body of\nrobbers. Like the autumnal firmament bespangled with stars, the field of\nbattle there became strewn with car-wheels broken and crushed by means of\nhis mighty weapons with innumerable Akshas and beautiful cart-shafts\nreduced to fragments, with crushed elephants and fallen standards, with\ncoats of mail and shields scattered all about, with garlands and\nornaments and robes and Anuskarshas, O sire! Many foremost of elephants,\nhuge as hills, and born of the race of Anjana or Vamana, O Bharata, or of\nother races, many foremost of tuskers, O king, lay there on the ground,\ndeprived of life. And Satyaki slew, O monarch, many foremost of steeds of\nthe Vanayu, the mountain, the Kamvoja and the Valhika breeds. And the\ngrandson of Sini also slew foot-soldiers there, in hundreds and\nthousands, born in various realms and belonging to various nations.\nWhilst those soldiers were being thus slaughtered, Duhsasana, addressing\nthe robbers said, \"Ye warriors unacquainted with morality, fight! Why do\nyou retreat?\" Beholding them run away without paying any heed to his\nwords, thy son Duhsasana urged on the brave mountaineers, skilled in\nfighting with stones, saying, \"Ye are accomplished in battling with\nstones. Satyaki is ignorant of this mode of warfare. Stay ye, therefore,\nthat warrior who, though desirous of battle, is ignorant of your mode of\nfight. The Kauravas also are all unacquainted with this mode of battle.\nRush ye at Satyaki. Do not fear. Satyaki will not be able to approach\nyou.\" Thus urged, those Kshatriyas dwelling on the mountains, all\nacquainted with the method of fighting with stones, rushed towards the\ngrandson of Sini like ministers towards a king. Those denizens of the\nmountain then, with stones huge as elephants' heads uplifted in their\nhands, stood before Yuyudhana in that battle. Others, urged by thy son,\nand desirous of slaying Satwata, encompassed the latter on all sides,\narmed with missiles. Then, Satyaki, aiming at those warriors rushing at\nhim from desire of fighting with stones, sped at them showers of keen\nshafts. That bull amongst the Sinis, with those shafts looking like\nsnakes, cut into fragments that dense shower of stones thrown by the\nmountaineers. The fragments of those stones, looking like a swarm of\nblazing fire-flies, slew many combatants there, whereupon, O sire, cries\nof oh and alas arose on the field. Then, again, five hundred brave\nwarriors with huge stones uplifted in their hands, fell down, O king, on\nthe ground, their arms cut off. And once more a full thousand, and again\na hundred thousand, amongst others, fell down without being able to\napproach Satyaki, their arms with stones still in grasp cut off by him.\nIndeed, Satyaki slew many thousands of those warriors fighting with\nstones. All this seemed exceedingly wonderful. Then many of them,\nreturning to the fight, hurled at Satyaki showers of stones. And armed\nwith swords and lances many Daradas and Tanganas and Khasas and Lampakas\nand Pulindas, hurled their weapons at him. Satyaki however,\nwell-conversant with the application of weapons, cut off those stones and\nweapons by means of his shafts. Those stones while being pierced, broken\nin the welkin by Satyaki's whetted shafts, produced a fierce noise, at\nwhich many car-warriors and steeds and elephants fled away from battle.\nAnd struck with the fragments of those stones, men and elephants and\nsteeds, became incapable of staying in battle, for they felt as if they\nwere bit by wasps. The small remnant of the elephants (that had attacked\nSatyaki), covered with blood, their heads, and frontal globes split open,\nthen fled away from Yuyudhana's car. Then there arose among thy troops,\nO sire, while they were being thus ground by Madhava a noise like that of\nthe ocean at full tide. Hearing that great uproar, Drona, addressing his\ncharioteer, said, \"O Suta, that great car-warrior of the Satwata race,\nexcited with wrath, is tearing our army into diverse fragments, and\ncareering in battle like the Destroyer himself. Take thou the car to that\nspot whence this furious uproar is coming. Without doubt, Yuyudhana is\nengaged with the mountaineers who battle with stones. Our car-warriors\nare seen also to be borne away by their wildly running steeds. Many\namongst them, weaponless and armourless and wounded, are falling down.\nThe charioteers are unable to check their steeds as these are rushing\nwildly.\" Hearing these words of Bharadwaja's son, the charioteer said\nunto Drona, that foremost of wielders of weapons, \"Thou blest with length\nof days, the Kaurava troops are flying away. Behold, our warriors,\nrouted (by the foe), are flying in all directions. There, again, those\nheroes, viz., the Panchalas, and the Pandavas, united together, are\nrushing from all sides from desire of slaughtering thee. O chastiser of\nfoes, do thou determine which of these tasks should first demand\nattention. Should we stay here (to meet the advancing Pandava), or should\nwe proceed (towards Satyaki)? As regards Satyaki, he is now far ahead of\nus.\" While the charioteer, O sire, was speaking thus unto Bharadwaja's\nson, the grandson of Sini suddenly appeared to the view, engaged in\nslaughtering a large number of car-warriors. Those troops of thine, while\nbeing thus slaughtered by Yuyudhana in battle, fled away from\nYuyudhana's car towards where Drona's division was. Those (other)\ncar-warriors also with whom Duhsasana had proceeded, all struck with\npanic, similarly rushed to the spot where Drona's car was seen.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Duhsasana's car staying near his, the son of\nBharadwaja, addressing Duhsasana, said these words, \"Why, O Duhsasana,\nare all these cars flying away? Is the king well? Is the ruler of the\nSindhus yet alive? Thou art a prince. Thou art a brother of the king.\nThou art a mighty car-warrior. Why dost thou fly away from battle?\n(Securing the throne to thy brother), become thou that Prince-Regent.\nThou hadst formerly said unto Draupadi, 'Thou art our slave, having been\nwon by us at dice. Without being confined to thy husbands, cast aside thy\nchastity. Be thou a bearer of robes to the king, my eldest brother. Thy\nhusbands are all dead. They are as worthless as grains of sesamum without\nkernel.' Having said these words then, why, O Duhsasana, dost thou fly\nfrom battle now? Having thyself provoked such fierce hostilities with the\nPanchalas and the Pandavas, why art thou afraid in battle in the presence\nof Satyaki alone? Taking up the dice on the occasion of the gambling\nmatch, couldst thou not divine that those dice then handled by thee would\nsoon transform themselves into fierce shafts resembling snakes of\nvirulent poison? It was thou that hadst formerly applied diverse abusive\nepithets towards the Pandavas. The woes of Draupadi have thee for their\nroot. Where now is that pride, that insolence, that brag of thine? Why\ndost thou fly, having angered the Pandavas, those terrible snakes of\nvirulent poison? When thou that art a brave brother of Suyodhana, are\nintent on flight, without doubt, O hero, thou shouldst today protect,\nrelying on the energy of thy own arms, this routed and panic-stricken\nKaurava host. Without doing this, thou, however, forsakest the battle in\nfear and enhancest the joy of thy foes. O slayer of foes, when thou that\nart the leader of thy host, fliest away thus, who else will stay in\nbattle? When thou, its refuge, art frightened, who is there that will not\nbe frightened? Fighting with a single warrior of the Satwata race, thy\nheart is inclined towards flight from battle. What, however, O Kaurava,\nwilt thou do when thou wilt see the wielder of Gandiva in battle, or\nBhimasena, or the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva)? The shafts of Satyaki,\nfrightened by which thou seekest safety in flight, are scarcely equal to\nthose of Phalguna in battle that resemble the sun or fire in splendour.\nIf thy heart is firmly bent on flight, let the sovereignty of the earth\nthen, upon the conclusion of peace, be given to king Yudhishthira the\nJust. Before the shafts of Phalguna, resembling snakes freed from their\nsloughs, enter thy body, make peace with the Pandavas. Before the\nhigh-souled Parthas, slaying thy hundred brothers in battle, wrest the\nearth by force, make peace with the Pandavas. Before king Yudhishthira is\nenraged, and Krishna also, that delighter in battle, makes peace with the\nPandavas. Before the mighty-armed Bhima, penetrating into this vast host,\nseizes thy brothers, make peace with the Pandavas. Bhishma formerly told\nthy brother Suyodhana, 'The Pandavas are unconquerable in battle. O\namiable one, make peace with them.' Thy wicked brother Suyodhana however,\ndid not do it. Therefore, setting thy heart firmly on battle, fight\nvigorously with the Pandavas. Go quickly on thy car to the spot where\nSatyaki is. Without thee, O Bharata, this host will fly away. For the\nsake of thy own self, fight in battle with Satyaki, of prowess incapable\nof being baffled.\" Thus addressed (by Drona), thy son said not a word in\nreply. Feigning not to have heard the words (of Bharadwaja's son),\nDuhsasana proceeded to the place where Satyaki was. Accompanied by a\nlarge force of unretreating Mlecchas, and coming upon Satyaki in battle,\nDuhsasana fought vigorously with that hero. Drona also, that foremost of\ncar-warriors, excited with wrath, rushed against the Panchalas and the\nPandavas, with moderate speed. Penetrating into the midst of the Pandava\nhost in that battle, Drona began to crush their warriors by hundreds and\nthousands. And Drona, O king, proclaiming his name in that battle, caused\na great carnage among the Pandavas, the Panchalas, and the Matsyas. The\nillustrious Viraketu, the son of the ruler of the Panchalas, rushed\nagainst the son of Bharadwaja who thus engaged in vanquishing the Pandava\nranks. Piercing Drona with five straight shafts, that prince then pierced\nDrona's standard with one shaft, and then his charioteer with seven. The\nsight that I then beheld, O monarch, in that battle, was exceedingly\nwonderful, inasmuch as Drona, though exerting himself vigorously could\nnot approach the prince of the Panchalas. Then, O sire, the Panchalas,\nbeholding Drona checked in battle, surrounded the latter on all sides, O\nking, from desire of king Yudhishthira's victory. And those warriors then\ncovered Drona along with showers of fiery shafts and strong lances and\nvarious other kinds of weapons, O king! Baffling then those dense showers\nof weapons by means of his own numerous shafts like the wind driving away\nfrom the welkin masses of clouds, Drona looked exceedingly resplendent.\nThen that slayer of hostile heroes (the son of Bharadwaja), aimed a\nfierce shaft endued with the effulgence of the sun or the fire, at the\ncar of Viraketu. The shaft, O monarch, piercing through the prince of\nPanchala, quickly entered the earth, bathed in blood and blazing like a\nflame of fire. Then the prince of the Panchalas quickly fell down from\nhis car, like a Champaka tree uprooted by the wind, falling down from a\nmountain summit. Upon the fall of that great bowman, that prince endued\nwith great might, the Panchalas speedily encompassed Drona on every side.\nThen Chitraketu, and Sudhanwan, and Chitravarman, O Bharata, and\nChitraratha also, all afflicted with grief on account of their (slain)\nbrother, together rushed against the son of Bharadwaja, desirous of\nbattling with him, and shooting shafts (at him) like the clouds (pouring)\nat the end of summer. Struck from all sides by those mighty car-warriors\nof royal lineage, that bull among Brahmanas mustered all his energy and\nwrath for their destruction. Then Drona shot showers of shafts at them.\nStruck with those shafts of Drona shot from his bow to its fullest\nstretch, those princes, O best of monarchs, became confounded and knew\nnot what to do. The angry Drona, O Bharata, beholding those princes\nstupefied, smilingly deprived them of their steeds and charioteers and\ncars in that battle. Then the illustrious son of Bharadwaja, by means of\nhis sharp arrows and broad-headed shafts, cut off their heads, like a\nperson plucking flowers from a tree. Deprived of life, those princes\nthere, O king of great splendour, fell down from their cars on the earth,\nlike the (slain) Daityas and Danavas in the battle between the gods and\nthe Asuras in days of old. Having slain them in battle, O king, the\nvaliant son of Bharadwaja shook his invincible bow, the back of whose\nstaff was decked with gold. Beholding those mighty car-warriors,\nresembling the very celestials among the Panchalas slain, Dhrishtadyumna\ninflamed with rage, shed tears in that battle. Excited with wrath, he\nrushed, in that encounter, against Drona's car. Then, O king, cries of\nwoe suddenly arose there at the sight of Drona covered with arrows by the\nprince of Panchala. Completely shrouded by the high-souled son of\nPrishata, Drona, however, suffered no pain. On the other hand, he\ncontinued to fight, smiling the while. The prince of the Panchalas then,\nfurious with rage, struck Drona in the chest with many straight shafts.\nDeeply pierced by that mighty warrior, the illustrious son Of Bharadwaja\nsat down on the terrace of his car and fell into a swoon. Beholding him\nin that condition, Dhrishtadyumna endued with great prowess and energy,\nlaid aside his bow and quickly took up a sword. That mighty car-warrior\nthen, speedily jumping down from his own car, mounted that of Bharadwaja,\nO sire, in no time, his eyes red in wrath and impelled by the desire of\ncutting Drona's head from off his trunk. Meanwhile, the valiant Drona,\nregaining his senses, took up his bow and seeing Dhrishtadyumna arrived\nso near him from desire of slaughter, began to pierce that mighty\ncar-warrior with shafts measuring a span only in length and therefore,\nfit to be used in close fight. Those arrows of the measure of a span and\nfit to be used in close fight, were known to Drona, O king! And with them\nhe succeeded in weakening Dhrishtadyumna. The mighty Dhrishtadyumna,\nstruck with a large number of those arrows, quickly jumped down from\nDrona's car. Then, that hero of great prowess, his impetuosity baffled,\nmounted upon his own car and once more took up his large bow. And the\nmighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna once more began to pierce Drona in that\nbattle. And Drona also, O monarch, began to pierce the son of Prishata\nwith his arrows. Thereupon, the battle that took place between Drona\nand the prince of the Panchalas was wonderful in the extreme, like that\nbetween Indra and Prahlada, both desirous of the sovereignty of the three\nworlds. Both conversant with the ways of battle, they careered over the\nfield, displaying diverse motions of their cars and mangling each other\nwith their shafts. And Drona and Prishata's son, stupefying the mind of\nthe warriors, shot showers of shafts like two mighty clouds (pouring\ntorrents of rain) in the rainy season. And those illustrious warriors\nshrouded with their shafts the welkin, the points of the compass, and the\nearth. And all creatures, viz., the Kshatriyas, O king, and all the other\ncombatants there, highly applauded that battle between them. And the\nPanchalas, O king, loudly exclaimed, \"Without doubt, Drona, having\nencountered Dhrishtadyumna in battle, will succumb to us. Then Drona, in\nthat battle, quickly cut off the head of Dhristadyumna's charioteer like\na person plucking a ripe fruit from a tree. Then the steeds, O king, of\nthe high-souled Dhrishtadyumna ran away and after those steeds had\ncarried away Dhrishtadyumna from the field, Drona, endued with great\nprowess, began to rout the Panchalas and the Srinjayas in that battle.\nHaving vanquished the Pandus and the Panchalas, Bharadwaja's son of great\nprowess, that chastiser of foes, once more took up his station in the\nmidst of his own array. And the Pandavas, O lord, ventured not to\nvanquish him in battle.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile, O king, Duhsasana rushed against the grandson\nof Sini, scattering thousands of shafts like a mighty cloud pouring\ntorrents of rain. Having pierced Satyaki with sixty arrows and once more\nwith sixteen, he failed to make that hero tremble, for the latter stood\nin battle, immovable as the Mainaka mountain. Accompanied by a large\nthrong of cars hailing from diverse realms, that foremost one of\nBharata's race shot numberless arrows, and filled all the points of the\ncompass with roars deep as those of the clouds. Beholding the Kaurava\ncoming to battle, Satyaki of mighty arms rushed towards him and shrouded\nhim with his shafts. They that were at the van of Duhsasana, thus covered\nwith those arrowy showers, all fled away in fear, in the very sight of\nthy son. After they had fled away, O monarch, thy son Duhsasana, O king,\nremained fearlessly in battle and began to afflict Satyaki with arrows.\nAnd piercing the four steeds of Satyaki with four arrows, his charioteer\nwith three, and Satyaki himself with a hundred in that battle, Duhsasana\nuttered a loud roar. Then, O monarch, Madhava, inflamed with rage, soon\nmade Duhsasana's car and driver and standard and Duhsasana himself\ninvisible by means of his straight arrows. Indeed, Satyaki entirely\nshrouded the brave Duhsasana with arrows. Like a spider entangling a gnat\nwithin reach by means of its threads, that vanquisher of foes quickly\ncovered Duhsasana with his shafts. Then King Duryodhana, seeing Duhsasana\nthus covered with arrows, urged a body of Trigartas towards the car of\nYuyudhana. Those Trigarta car-warriors, of fierce deeds, accomplished in\nbattle, and numbering three thousand, proceeded towards Yuyudhana. Firmly\nresolved upon battle and swearing not to retreat, all of them encompassed\nYuyudhana with a large throng of cars. Soon, however, Yuyudhana struck\ndown five hundred of their foremost warriors stationed in the van of the\nforce as it advanced towards him in battle, shooting showers of arrows at\nhim. Speedily slain by that foremost one amongst the Sinis with his\nshafts, these fell down, like tall trees from mountain-tops uprooted by a\ntempest. And the field of battle, strewn with mangled elephants, O\nmonarch, and fallen standards, and bodies of steeds decked in trappings\nof gold, and torn and lacerated with the shafts of Sini's grandson and\nweltering in blood, looked beautiful, O king, like a plain overgrown with\nflowering Kinsukas. Those soldiers of thine, thus slaughtered by\nYuyudhana, failed to find a protector like elephants sunk in a morass.\nThen all of them turned towards the spot where Drona's car was, like\nmighty snakes making towards holes from fear of the prince of birds.\nHaving slain those five hundred brave warriors by means of his shafts,\nresembling snakes of virulent poison, that hero slowly proceeded towards\nthe place where Dhananjaya was. And as that foremost of men was thus\nproceeding thy son Duhsasana quickly pierced him with nine straight\narrows. That mighty bowman then (Yuyudhana), pierced Duhsasana, in\nreturn, with five straight and sharp arrows equipped with golden wings\nand vulturine feather. Then Duhsasana, O Bharata, smiling the while,\npierced Satyaki, O monarch, with three arrows, and once more with five.\nThe grandson of Sini, then, striking thy Son with five arrows and cutting\noff his bow proceeded smilingly towards Arjuna. Then Duhsasana, inflamed\nwith wrath and desirous of slaying the Vrishni hero, hurled at him, as he\nproceeded, a dart made wholly of iron. Satyaki, however, O king, cut off,\nwith his shafts, equipped with Kanka feathers, that fierce dart of thy\nson. Then, O ruler of men, thy son, taking up another bow, pierced\nSatyaki with some arrows and uttered a loud roar. Then Satyaki excited\nwith wrath, stupefying thy son in that battle, struck him in the centre\nof the chest with some shafts that resembled flames of fire. And once\nmore, he pierced Duhsasana with eight shafts made wholly of iron and\nhaving very keen points. Duhsasana, however, pierced Satyaki in return\nwith twenty arrows. Then, the highly-blessed Satyaki, O monarch, pierced\nDuhsasana in the centre of the chest with three straight arrows. And the\nmighty car-warrior Yuyudhana, with some straight shafts slew the steeds\nof Duhsasana; inflamed with wrath he slew, with some straight arrows,\nthe latter's charioteer also. With one broad-headed arrow he then\ncut off thy son's bow, and with five arrows he cut the leathern fence\nthat encased his hand. Acquainted as he was with highest weapons,\nSatyaki, then, with a couple of broad-headed shafts, cut off Duhsasana's\nstandard and the wooden shafts of his car. And then with a number of keen\narrows he slew both the Parshni charioteers of thy son. The latter, then,\nbowless and carless and steedless and driverless, was taken up by the\nleader of the Trigarta warriors on his car. The grandson of Sini, then, O\nBharata, pursuing him a moment, restrained himself and slew him not, for\nthe mighty-armed hero recollected the words of Bhimasena. Indeed,\nBhimasena, O Bharata, vowed in the midst of the assembly the destruction\nof all thy sons in battle. Then, O lord, Satyaki, having thus vanquished\nDuhsasana, quickly proceeded, O king, along the track by which Dhananjaya\nhad gone before him.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXIII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Were there, O Sanjaya, no mighty car-warriors in\nthat army of mine who could slay or resist that Satyaki while he\nproceeded (towards Arjuna)? Of prowess incapable of being baffled, and\nendued with might equal to that of Sakra himself, alone he achieved feats\nin battle like the great Indra amidst the Danavas! Or, perhaps, the track\nby which Satyaki proceeded was empty? Alas, possessed of true prowess,\nalone he hath crushed numberless warriors! Tell me, O Sanjaya, how the\ngrandson of Sini, alone as he was, passed through that vast force\nstruggling with him in battle?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'O king, the fierce exertions and the uproar made by thy\nhost which abounded with cars and elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers,\nresembled what is seen at the end of the yuga. O giver of honours, when\nthy assembled host was (duly) mustered, it seemed to me that another\nassemblage like that of thy army had never been on earth. The gods and\nthe Charanas, who came there said, \"This muster will be the last of its\nkind on earth.\" Indeed, O king, never had such an array been formed\nbefore as that which was formed by Drona on the day of Jayadratha's\nslaughter. The uproar made by those vast bodies of soldiers rushing at\none another in battle resembled that of the ocean itself lashed into fury\nby the tempest. In that host of thine, as also in that of the Pandavas,\nthere were hundreds and thousands of kings, O best of men. The noise made\nby those angry heroes of fierce deeds while engaged in battle was\ntremendous and made the hair stand on end. Then Bhimasena and\nDhrishtadyumna, O sire, and Nakula and Sahadeva and king Yudhishthira the\nJust, loudly shouted, \"Come, Strike, Rush! The brave Madhava and Arjuna\nhave entered the hostile army! Do that quickly by which they may easily\ngo to where Jayadratha's car is.\" Saying this, they urged their soldiers.\nAnd they continued, \"If Satyaki and Arjuna be slain, Kurus will have\nachieved their objects, and ourselves shall be defeated. All of you,\ntherefore, uniting together, quickly agitate this ocean-like army (of the\nfoe) like impetuous winds agitating the deep.\" The warriors, O king, thus\nurged by Bhimasena and the prince of the Panchalas, smothered the\nKauravas, becoming reckless of their very lives. Endued with great\nenergy, all of them, desiring death in battle, at the point or the edge\nof weapons in expectation of heaven, showed not the least regard for\ntheir lives in fighting for their friends. Similarly, thy warriors, O\nking, desirous of great renown, and nobly resolved upon battle, stood on\nthe field, determined to fight. In that fierce and terrible battle,\nSatyaki having vanquished all the combatants proceeded towards Arjuna.\nThe rays of the sun being reflected from the bright armour of the\nwarriors, the combatants were obliged to withdraw their eyes from those.\nDuryodhana also, O king, penetrated the mighty host of the high-souled\nPandavas vigorously struggling in battle. The encounter that took place\nbetween him on the one side and them on the other, was exceedingly\nfierce, and great was the carnage that occurred there on the occasion.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'When the Pandava host was thus proceeding to\nbattle, Duryodhana, in penetrating it, must have been placed in great\ndistress. I hope, he did not turn his back upon the field, O Suta! That\nencounter between one and the many in dreadful battle, the one, again,\nbeing a king, seems to me to have been very unequal. Besides, Duryodhana\nhath been brought up in great luxury, in wealth and possessions, he is a\nking of men. Alone encountering many, I hope he did not turn back from\nfight.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Listen to me, O king, as I describe, O Bharata, that\nwonderful battle fought by thy son, that encounter between one and the\nmany. Indeed, the Pandava army was agitated by Duryodhana in that battle,\nlike an assemblage of lotus-stalks in a lake by an elephant. Seeing then\nthat army thus smitten by thy son, O king, the Panchalas headed by\nBhimasena rushed at them. Then Duryodhana pierced Bhimasena with ten\narrows and each of the twins with three and king Yudhishthira with seven.\nAnd he pierced Virata and Drupada with six arrows, and Sikhandin with a\nhundred. And piercing Dhrishtadyumna with twenty arrows, he struck each\nof the five sons of Draupadi with three arrows. With his fierce shafts he\ncut off hundreds of other combatants in that battle, including elephants\nand car-warriors, like the Destroyer himself in wrath exterminating\ncreatures. In consequence of his skill cultured by practice and of the\npower of his weapons, he seemed, as he was engaged in striking down his\nfoes, to bend his bow incessantly drawn to a circle whether when aiming\nor letting off his shafts. Indeed, that formidable bow of his, the back\nof whose staff was decked with gold, was seen by people to be drawn into\na perpetual circle as he was employed in slaying his enemies. Then king\nYudhishthira, with a couple of broad-headed shafts, cut off the bow of\nthy son, O thou of Kuru's race, as the latter struggled in fight. And\nYudhishthira also pierced him deeply with ten excellent and foremost of\nshafts. Those arrows, however, touching the armour of Duryodhana, quickly\nbroke into pieces. Then the Parthas, filled with delight surrounded\nYudhishthira, like the celestials and great Rishis in days of old\nsurrounding Sakra on the occasion of the slaughter of Vritra. Thy valiant\nson then, taking up another bow, addressed king Yudhishthira, the son of\nPandu, saying, \"Wait, Wait,\" and rushed against him. Beholding thy son\nthus advancing in great battle, the Panchalas, cheerfully and with hopes\nof victory, advanced to receive him. Then Drona, desirous of rescuing the\n(Kuru) king, received the rushing Panchalas, like a mountain receiving\nmasses of rain-charged clouds driven by tempest. The battle then, O king,\nthat took place there was exceedingly fierce, making the hair stand on\nend, between the Pandavas, O thou of mighty arms, and thy warriors.\nDreadful was the carnage of all creatures that then took place,\nresembling the sport of Rudra himself (at the end of the Yuga). Then\nthere arose a loud uproar at the place where Dhananjaya was. And that\nuproar, O lord, making the hair stand on end, rose above all other\nsounds. Thus, O mighty-armed one, progressed the battle between Arjuna\nand thy bowmen. Thus progressed the battle between Satyaki and thy men in\nthe midst of thy army. And thus continued the fight between Drona and his\nenemies at the gate of the array. Thus, indeed, O lord of the earth,\ncontinued that carnage on the earth, when Arjuna and Drona and the mighty\ncar-warrior Satyaki were all excited with wrath.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXIV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'In the afternoon of that day, O king, a dreadful battle,\ncharacterised by roars, deep as those of the clouds, once more occurred\nbetween Drona and the Somakas. That foremost of men, Drona, mounted on\nhis car of red steeds, and intent on battle rushed against the Pandavas,\nwith moderate speed. The valiant son of Bharadwaja, that great bowman\nendued with mighty strength, that hero born in an excellent pot, engaged\nin doing what was agreeable to thee, O king, and striking down, O\nBharata, many foremost of warriors with his whetted arrows, equipped with\nbeautiful wings, seemed to sport in that battle. Then that mighty\ncar-warrior of the Kaikeyas, Vrihatkshatra, irresistible in battle, and\nthe eldest of five brothers, rushed against him. Shooting many keen\nshafts, he greatly afflicted the preceptor, like a mighty mass of clouds\npouring torrents of rain on the mountain of Gandhamadana. Then Drona, O\nking, excited with wrath sped at him five and ten shafts whetted on stone\nand equipped with wings of gold. The prince of the Kekayas, however,\ncheerfully cut off every one of those shafts shot by Drona, and which\nresembled angry snakes of virulent poison, with five shafts of his own.\nBeholding that lightness of hand displayed by him that bull among\nBrahmanas, then, sped at him eight straight shafts. Seeing those shafts\nshot from Drona's bow, swiftly coursing towards him, Vrihatkshatra in\nthat battle resisted them with as many sharp shafts of his. Beholding\nthat exceedingly difficult feat achieved by Vrihatkshatra, thy troops, O\nking, were filled with amazement. Then Drona, O monarch, applauding\nVrihatkshatra, invoked into existence the irresistible and celestial\nweapon called Brahma in that battle. The prince of the Kekayas, seeing it\nshot by Drona in battle, baffled that Brahma weapon, O monarch, by a\nBrahma weapon of his own. After that weapon had been thus baffled,\nVrihatkshatra, O Bharata, pierced the Brahmana with sixty shafts whetted\non stone and equipped with wings of gold. Then Drona, that foremost of\nmen, pierced the prince of the Kekayas with a powerful shaft which,\npenetrating through the latter's armour, (passed through his body and)\nentered the earth. As a black cobra, O best of kings, pierces through an\nant-hill, even so did that shaft enter the earth, having pierced through\nthe body of the Kekaya prince in that battle. Deeply pierced, O monarch,\nwith the shafts of Drona, the prince of the Kekayas, filled with rage,\nand rolling his beautiful eyes, pierced Drona with seventy arrows whetted\non stone and equipped with wings of gold. And with another arrow he\ngreatly afflicted Drona's charioteer in this very vitals. Pierced by\nVrihatkshatra, O sire, with arrows, Drona shot showers of keen shafts at\nthe car of the Prince of the Kekayas. Depriving the mighty car-warrior,\nVrihatkshatra, of his coolness, Drona then, with four-winged arrows, slew\nthe four steeds of the former. With another arrow he felled\nVrihatkshatra's charioteer from his niche in the car. And felling on the\nearth, with two other arrows, his enemy's standard and umbrella, that\nbull among Brahmanas, with a third shaft well-shot from his bow, pierced\nVrihatkshatra himself in the chest. Thereupon, the latter, thus struck in\nthe chest, fell down from his car.\n\n\"'Upon the slaughter, O king, of Vrihatkshatra, that mighty car-warrior\namong the Kaikeyas, the son of Sisupala, filled with rage, addressed his\ncharioteer, saying, \"O charioteer, proceed to the spot where Drona\nstayeth, clad in armour and engaged in slaying the Kaikeya and the\nPanchala hosts.\" Hearing these words of his, the charioteer soon took\nthat foremost of car-warriors unto Drona, by means of those fleet steeds\nof the Kamvoja breed. Then Dhrishtaketu, that bull among the Chedis,\nswelling with might, rushed towards Drona for his own destruction like an\ninsect upon a blazing fire. Soon he pierced Drona and his steeds and car\nand standard with sixty shafts. And once more he struck him with many\nother keen shafts like a man rousing a sleeping tiger. Then Drona, with a\nsharp razor-faced arrow winged with vulturine feathers, cut off the\nmiddle of the bow of that mighty warrior struggling in battle. Then that\npowerful car-warrior, viz., the son of Sisupala, taking up another bow,\npierced Drona with many shafts winged with the feathers of Kankas and\npeacocks. Drona then, slaying with four shafts the four steeds of\nDhrishtaketu, smilingly cut off the head of the latter's charioteer from\nhis trunk. And then he pierced Dhrishtaketu himself with five and twenty\narrows. The prince of the Chedis then, quickly jumping down from his car,\ntook up a mace, and hurled it at the son of Bharadwaja like an angry\nsnake. Beholding that heavy mace, endued with the strength of adamant and\ndecked with gold, coursing towards him like Death, the son of Bharadwaja\ncut it off with many thousands of whetted arrows. That mace, cut off by\nBharadwaja's son, O sire, with many shafts, fell down, O Kaurava, making\nthe earth echo with its noise. Beholding his mace baffled, the wrathful\nand brave Dhrishtaketu hurled a lance and then a dart decked with gold.\nCutting off that lance with five shafts, Drona cut off that dart also\nwith five arrows. Both those missiles, thus cut off, fell down on the\nearth, like a couple of snakes mangled and torn by Garuda. The valiant\nson of Bharadwaja then, in that battle, sped for his destruction a keen\nshaft at Dhrishtaketu who was battling for the destruction of Bharadwaja\nhimself. That shaft, piercing through the armour and breast of\nDhrishtaketu of immeasurable energy, entered the earth, like a swan\ndiving into a lake overgrown with lotuses. As a hungry jay seizes and\ndevours a little insect, even so did the heroic Drona swallows up\nDhrishtaketu in that great battle. Upon the slaughter of the ruler of the\nChedis, his son who was conversant with the highest weapons, excited with\nwrath, sought to bear the burthen of his sire. Him also, Drona, smiling,\ndespatched to the abode of Yama by means of his shafts, like a huge and\nmighty tiger in the deep woods slaying an infant deer.\n\n\"'While the Pandavas, O Bharata, were thus being thinned, the heroic son\nof Jarasandha rushed towards Drona. Like the clouds shrouding the sun, he\nquickly made the mighty-armed Drona invisible in that battle by means of\nhis arrowy showers. Beholding that lightness of hand in him, Drona, that\ngrinder of Kshatriyas, quickly shot his shafts by hundreds and thousands.\nCovering (with his arrows) in that battle that foremost of car-warriors\nstationed on his car, Drona speedily slew the son of Jarasandha in the\nvery sight of all bowmen. Indeed, Drona, resembling the Destroyer\nhimself, swallowing up every one who approached him then, like the\nDestroyer himself, swallowing up creatures when their hour arrives. Then\nDrona, O monarch, proclaiming his name in that battle, covered the\nPandavas with many thousands of shafts. Those shafts shot by Drona,\nwhetted on stone and engraved with his name, slew in that battle men and\nelephants and steeds by hundreds. Thus slaughtered by Drona, like the\nAsuras by Sakra, the Panchalas began to tremble like a herd of kine\nafflicted with cold. Indeed, O bull of Bharata's race, when the Pandava\narmy was thus being slaughtered by Drona, there arose an awful wail of\nwoe from it. Scorched by the sun and slaughtered by means of those\narrows, the Panchalas then became filled with anxiety. Stupefied by\nBharadwaja's son with his arrowy showers in that battle the mighty\ncar-warriors among the Panchalas felt like persons whose thighs had been\nseized by alligators. Then, O king, the Chedis, the Srinjayas, the Kasis,\nand the Kosalas, rushed cheerfully against the son of Bharadwaja from\ndesire of battle. And the Chedis, the Panchalas, and the Srinjayas\naddressed one another, saying, \"Drona is slain! Drona is slain!\" Saying\nthese words, they rushed at that hero. Indeed, all these tigers among men\nfell with their utmost might upon the illustrious Drona, desirous of\ndespatching him to the abode of Yama. Then the son of Bharadwaja, by\nmeans of his shafts, despatched those brave warriors struggling\nvigorously in battle, especially those foremost ones among the Chedis, into\nthe presence of the King of the dead. After those foremost ones among the\nChedis had been exterminated, the Panchalas, afflicted with the shafts of\nDrona, began to tremble. Beholding, O sire, those feats of Drona, they\nloudly called after Bhimasena and Dhrishtadyumna, O Bharata, and said,\n\"This Brahmana hath, without doubt, practised the austerest of penances\nand acquired great ascetic merit. Inflamed with rage in battle, he\nconsumeth the foremost of Kshatriyas. A Kshatriya's duty is battle; a\nBrahmana's, the highest asceticism. A Brahmana endued with ascetic merit\nand learning, is capable of burning everything by his glances only. Many\nforemost of Kshatriyas, having approached the uncrossable and fierce fire\nof Drona's weapons, have, O Bharata, been blasted and consumed. The\nillustrious Drona, to the measure of his might, courage, and\nperseverance, stupefies all creatures and slays our troops!\" Hearing\nthese words of theirs, the mighty Kshatradharman, rightly observant of\nthe duties of a Kshatriya, wrathfully cut off with a crescent-shaped\narrow the bow of Drona with arrow fixed thereon. Then Drona, that grinder\nof Kshatriyas, becoming more angry still, took up another bright bow,\ntougher than the one he had laid aside. Fixing on it a keen arrow,\ndestructive of hostile ranks, the preceptor, endued with great strength,\nsped it at the prince, drawing the bowstring to his ear. That arrow,\nslaying Kshatradharman entered the earth. His breast pierced through, he\nfell down from his vehicle on the earth. Upon the slaughter of\nDhrishtadyumna's son, the (Pandava) troops began to tremble. Then the\nmighty Chekitana fell upon Drona, Piercing Drona with ten arrows, he once\nmore pierced him with a shaft in the centre of his chest. And he pierced\nDrona's charioteer with four arrows and his four steeds also with four.\nThe Preceptor then pierced the right arm of Chekitana with sixteen\narrows, and his standard with sixteen, and his charioteer with seven.\nUpon the charioteer being slain, Chekitana's steeds fled away, dragging\nthe car after them. Beholding the steeds of Chekitana pierced with the\narrows of Bharadwaja's son, and his car also deprived of driver, the\nPanchalas and the Pandavas were filled with great fear. Drona then, O\nsire, routing on all sides the Panchalas and the Srinjayas united\ntogether in battle looked exceedingly resplendent. The venerable Drona,\nfull five and eighty years of age, dark in hue and with white locks\ndescending to his ears, careered in battle like a youth of sixteen.\nIndeed, O king, enemies regarded the foe-slaying Drona, as he fearlessly\ncareered in battle, to be none else than Indra himself armed with the\nthunder. Then, O monarch, the mighty-armed Drupada of great intelligence\nsaid, \"This one (Drona) is slaying the Kshatriyas like a hungry tiger\nslaying smaller animals. The sinful Duryodhana of wicked soul will\nassuredly obtain the most miserable regions (in the next world). It is\nthrough his covetousness that many foremost of the Kshatriyas, slain in\nbattle, lay prostrate on the field, like mangled bulls, weltering in\nblood and becoming the food of dogs and jackals.\" Saying these words, O\nmonarch, Drupada, that master of an Akshauhini of troops, placing the\nParthas at his head, rushed with speed towards Drona.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When the army of the Pandavas was thus agitated on all\nsides, the Parthas and the Panchalas and the Somakas, retreated to a\ngreat distance. During the progress of that fierce battle, making the\nhair stand on end, and that universal carnage like to what happens, O\nBharata, at that end of the Yuga, when, indeed, Drona of great prowess\nwas repeatedly uttering leonine shouts, and when the Panchalas were being\nweakened and the Pandavas slaughtered, king Yudhishthira the Just,\nfailing in that battle to find any refuge in that distress, began, O\nking, to think how the matter would end. Casting his eyes around in\nexpectation of seeing Savyasachin, Yudhishthira, however, saw neither\nthat son of Pritha nor Madhava. Not seeing that tiger among men viz., the\nape-bannered Arjuna, and not hearing also the twang of Gandiva, the\nmonarch became filled with anxiety, not seeing Satyaki also, that\nforemost of car-warriors among the Vrishnis, king Yudhishthira the Just\nbecame equally anxious. Indeed, not seeing those two foremost of men,\nYudhishthira knew no peace. The high-souled king Yudhishthira the Just,\nof mighty arms, fearing the evil opinion of the world, began to think of\nSatyaki's car. \"Sini's grandson Satyaki, of true prowess, that dispeller\nof the fears of friends, hath been sent by me in the track of Phalguna. I\nhad only one source of anxiety before, but now I have two. I should have\ntidings of both Satyaki and Dhananjaya, the son of Pandu. Having\ndespatched Satyaki to follow in the track of Arjuna, whom shall I now\nsend in the track of Satyaki? If by every means I endeavour to obtain\nintelligence of my brother only, without enquiring after Yuyudhana, the\nworld will reproach me. They will say that, 'Yudhishthira, the son of\nDharma, having enquired after his brother, leaves Satyaki of Vrishni's\nrace, that hero of unfailing prowess, to his fate!' Fearing, as I do, the\nreproach of the world, I should therefore, send Vrikodara, the son of\nPritha, in the track of the high-souled Madhava. The love I bear to the\nVrishni hero, to that invincible warrior of the Satwata race, (viz.,\nSatyaki), is not less than the love I bear to Arjuna, that slayer of\nfoes. The delighter of the Sinis hath again, been set by me to a very\nheavy task. That mighty warrior, however, hath, either for the sake of a\nfriend's request or for that of honour, penetrated into the Bharata army\nlike a Makara into the ocean. Loud is the noise I hear of unretreating\nheroes, fighting together against that Vrishni hero of great\nintelligence. Without doubt, they are too many for him. The time,\ntherefore, is come when I should think of his rescue. It seems to me that\narmed with the bow, Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, should go there where\nthose two mighty car-warriors are. There is nothing on earth that Bhima\ncannot bear. If he struggles with resolution, he is a match in battle for\nall the bowmen in the world. Depending on the might of his own arms, he\ncan stand against all foes. Relying on the strength of arms of that\nhigh-souled warrior, we have been able to come back from our exile in the\nwoods and we have never been vanquished in battle. If Bhimasena, the son\nof Pandu, proceedeth hence to Satyaki, both Satyaki and Phalguna will\nderive real aid. Without doubt, I should not feel any anxiety for Satyaki\nand Phalguna. Both of them are accomplished in weapons, and Vasudeva\nhimself is protecting them. (For all that, I feel anxious on their\naccount), I should certainly seek to remove my anxiety. I shall,\ntherefore, set Bhima to follow in the wake of Satyaki. Having done this,\nI should regard my arrangements complete for the rescue of Satyaki.\"\nYudhishthira, the son of Dharma, having settled this in his mind,\naddressed his charioteer and said, \"Take me to Bhima.\" Hearing the\ncommand of king Yudhishthira the Just, the charioteer who was versed in\nhorse-lore, took that car decked with gold to where Bhima was. Arrived at\nthe presence of Bhima, the king, remembering the occasion, became\nunmanned by grief, and pressed Bhima with diverse solicitations. Indeed,\noverwhelmed with grief, the monarch addressed Bhima. And these were the\nwords, O king, that Yudhishthira the son of Kunti then said unto him, \"O\nBhima, I do not behold the standard of that Arjuna, who on a single car\nhad vanquished all the gods, the Gandharvas and Asuras!\" Then Bhimasena,\naddressing king Yudhishthira the Just who was in that plight, said,\n\"Never before did I see, or hear thy words afflicted with such\ncheerlessness. Indeed, formerly, when we were smitten with grief, it was\nthou who hadst been our comforter. Rise, Rise, O king of kings, say what\nI am to do for thee. O giver of honours, there is nothing that I cannot\ndo. Tell me what your commands are, O foremost one of Kuru's race! Do not\nset your heart on grief.\" Unto Bhimasena then, the king with a sorrowful\nface and with eyes bathed in tears, said, sighing the while like a black\ncobra, \"The blasts of the conch Panchajanya, wrathfully blown by Vasudeva\nof world-wide renown, are being heard. It seems, from this, that thy\nbrother Dhananjaya lieth today on the field, deprived of life. Without\ndoubt, Arjuna having been slain, Janardana is fighting. That hero of\ngreat might, relying on whose prowess the Pandavas are alive, he to whom\nwe always turn in times of fear like the celestials towards their chief\nof a thousand eyes, that hero hath, in search after the ruler of Sindhus,\npenetrated into the Bharata host. I know this, O Bhima, viz., that he\nhath gone, but he hath not yet returned. Dark in complexion, youthful in\nyears, of curly locks, exceedingly handsome mighty car-warrior, of broad\nchest and long arms, possessed of the tread of an infuriated elephant, of\neyes of the colour of burnished copper and like those a chakra, that\nbrother of thine enhances the fears of foes. Blessed be thou, even this\nis the cause of my grief, O chastiser of foes! For Arjuna's sake, O thou\nof mighty arms, as also for the sake of Satwata, my grief increaseth like\na blazing fire fed with libations of clarified butter. I do not see his\nstandard. For this am I stupefied with sorrow. Without doubt, he hath\nbeen slain, and Krishna, skilled in battle, is fighting. Know also that\nthe tiger among men, that mighty car-warrior, Satwata is slain. Alas!\nSatyaki hath followed in the wake of that other mighty car-warrior, with\nthy brother. Without seeing Satyaki also, I am stupefied by grief.\nTherefore, O son of Kunti, go thither, where Dhananjaya is and Satyaki\nalso of mighty energy, if, of course, thou thinkest it thy duty to obey\nmy words, O thou that art acquainted with duty. Remember that I am thy\neldest brother. Thou shouldst think Satyaki to be dearer to thee than\nArjuna himself. O son of Pritha, Satyaki hath gone, from desire of doing\ngood to me, in the track of Arjuna, a track that is incapable of being\ntrod by persons of vile souls. Beholding the two Krishnas and Satyaki\nalso of the Satwata race sound and whole, send me a message, O son of\nPandu, by uttering a leonine roar.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXVI\n\n\"'Bhima said, \"That car which formerly bore Brahma and Isana and Indra and\nVaruna (to battle), mounting upon that car, have two Krishnas gone. They\ncan have no fear of danger. Taking, however, thy command on my head, lo,\nI am going. Do not grieve. Meeting with those tigers among men, I shall\nsend thee intelligence.\"\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having said those words, the mighty Bhima began to\nprepare for setting out, repeatedly making over Yudhishthira to\nDhrishtadyumna and the other friends (of the Pandava cause). Indeed,\nBhimasena of mighty strength addressing Dhrishtadyumna, said, \"It is\nknown to thee, O thou of mighty arms, how the mighty car-warrior Drona is\nalways on the alert to seize king Yudhishthira the Just by all means in\nhis power. Indeed, O son of Prishata, I should never place my going (to\nArjuna and Satyaki) above my duty of protecting the king. King\nYudhishthira, however, hath commanded me to go, I dare not contradict\nhim. I shall go thither where the ruler of the Sindhus stayeth, at the\npoint of death. I should, in complete truthfulness, act according to the\nwords of my brother (Arjuna) and of Satyaki endued with great\nintelligence. Thou shouldst, therefore, vigorously resolved on fight,\nprotect Yudhishthira the son of Pritha today. Of all tasks, this is thy\nhighest duty in battle.\" Thus addressed by Vrikodara, O monarch,\nDhrishtadyumna replied, \"I shall do what thou wishest. Go, O son of\nPritha, without any anxiety of the kind. Without slaying Dhrishtadyumna\nin battle, Drona will never be able to humiliate king Yudhishthira in the\nfight.\" Thus making the royal son of Pandu over to Dhrishtadyumna, and\nsaluting his elder brother, Bhimasena, proceeded towards the spot where\nPhalguna was. Before dismissing him, however, king Yudhishthira the Just,\nO Bharata, embraced Bhimasena and smelt his head and pronounced\nauspicious blessings upon him. After circumambulating a number of\nBrahmanas, gratified with worship and presents, and touching the eight\nkinds of auspicious articles, and quaffing Kairataka honey, that hero,\nthe corners of whose eyes had become red in intoxication, felt his might\nto be doubled. The Brahmanas performed propitiatory ceremonies for him.\nVarious omens, indicative of success, greeted him. Beholding them, he\nfelt the delight of anticipated victory. Favourable winds began to blow\nand indicate his success. Then the mighty-armed Bhimasena, the foremost\nof car-warriors, clad in mail, decked with earrings and Angadas, and his\nhands cased in leathern fences, mounted on his own excellent car. His\ncostly coat of mail, made of black steel and decked with gold, looked\nlike a cloud charged with lightning. His body was beautifully covered\nwith yellow and red and black and white robes. Wearing a coloured cuirass\nthat protected also his neck, Bhimasena looked resplendent like a cloud\ndecked with a rainbow.\n\n\"'While Bhimasena was on the point of setting out against thy troops from\ndesire of battle, the fierce blasts of Panchajanya were once more heard.\nHearing those loud and terrible blasts, capable of filling the three\nworlds with fear, the son of Dharma once more addressed Bhimasena,\nsaying, \"There, the Vrishni hero is fiercely blowing his conch. Indeed,\nthat Prince of conchs is filling the earth and the welkin with its sound.\nWithout doubt, Savyasachin having fallen into great distress, the bearer\nof the discus and the mace is battling with all the Kurus. Without doubt,\nthe venerable Kunti, and Draupadi, and Subhadra, are all, with their\nrelatives and friends, beholding today exceedingly inauspicious omens.\nTherefore, O Bhima, go thither with speed where Dhananjaya is. All the\npoints of the compass, O Partha, seem empty to my eyes in consequence of\nmy (unsatisfied) desire to see Dhananjaya and owing also to Satwata.\"\nRepeatedly urged by his superior to go, the valiant son of Pandu, viz.,\nBhimasena, O king, casing his hands in leathern fence, took up his bow.\nUrged by his eldest brother, that brother, Bhimasena, who was devoted to\nhis brother's good, caused drums to be beat. And Bhima forcibly blew his\nconch also and uttering leonine roars, began to twang his bow. Damping\nthe hearts of hostile heroes by those leonine roars, and assuming a\ndreadful form, he rushed against his foes. Swift and well-broken steeds\nof the foremost breed neighing furiously, bore him. Endued with the speed\nof the wind or thought, their reins were held by Visoka. Then the son of\nPritha, drawing the bowstring with great force, began to crush the head\nof the hostile array, mangling and piercing the combatants there. And as\nthat mighty-armed hero proceeded, the brave Panchalas and the Somakas\nfollowed him behind, like the celestials following Maghavat. Then the\nbrothers Duhsasana and Chitrasena and Kundabhedin and Vivinsati, and\nDurmukha and Duhsaha and Sala, and Vinda and Anuvinda and Sumukha and\nDirghavahu and Sudarsana, and Suhasta and Sushena and Dirghalochana, and\nAbhaya and Raudrakarman and Suvarman and Durvimochana, approaching,\nencompassed Bhimasena. These foremost of car-warriors, these heroes, all\nlooking resplendent, with their troops and followers, firmly resolved\nupon battle, rushed against Bhimasena. That heroic and mighty\ncar-warrior, viz., Kunti's son Bhimasena of great prowess, thus\nencompassed, cast his eyes on them, and rushed against them with the\nimpetuosity of a lion against smaller animals. Those heroes, displaying\ncelestial and mighty weapons, covered Bhima with shafts, like clouds\nshrouding the risen sun. Transgressing all those warriors with\nimpetuosity, Bhimasena rushed against Drona's division, and covered the\nelephant-force before him with showers of arrows. The son of the\nWind-god, mangling with his shafts almost in no time that elephant\ndivision dispersed it in all directions. Indeed, like animals terrified\nin the forest at the roar of a Sarabha, those elephants all fled away,\nuttering frightful cries. Passing over that ground with speed, he then\napproached the division of Drona. Then the preceptor checked his course,\nlike the continent resisting the surging sea. Smilingly, he struck the\nson of Pandu in his forehead with a shaft. Thereupon, the son of Pandu\nlooked resplendent like the sun with upward rays. The preceptor thought\nthat Bhima would show him reverence as Phalguna had done before.\nAddressing Vrikodara, therefore, he said, \"O Bhimasena, it is beyond thy\npower to enter into the hostile host, without vanquishing me, thy foe, in\nbattle, O thou of mighty strength! Although Krishna with thy younger\nbrother hath penetrated this host with my permission, thyself, however,\nwill never succeed in doing so.\" Hearing these words of the preceptor,\nthe dauntless Bhima, excited with wrath, and his eyes red as blood or\nburnished copper, quickly replied unto Drona, saying, \"O wretch of a\nBrahmana, it cannot be that Arjuna hath entered this host with thy\npermission. He is invincible. He would penetrate into the host commanded\nby Sakra himself. If he offered thee reverential worship, it was only for\nhonouring thee. But know, O Drona, that myself, I am not compassionate\nlike Arjuna. On the other hand, I am Bhimasena, thy foe. We regard thee\nas our father, preceptor, and friend. Ourselves we look upon as thy sons.\nThinking so we always humble ourselves to thee. When, however, thou usest\nsuch words towards us today, it seems that all that is altered. If thou\nregardest thyself as our foe, let it be as thou thinkest. Being none else\nthan Bhima, I will presently act towards thee as I should towards a foe.\"\nSaying this, Bhima whirling a mace, like the Destroyer himself whirling\nhis fatal rod, hurled it, O king, at Drona. Drona, however, had quickly\njumped down from his car, (and that proved his safety). For that mace\npressed down into the earth the car of Drona, with its steeds, driver,\nand standard. Then Bhima crushed numerous warriors like the tempest\ncrushing trees with its force. Then those sons of thine once more\nencompassed that foremost of car-warriors. Meanwhile, Drona, that\nforemost of smiters mounting another chariot, proceeded to the gate of\nthe array and stayed there for battle. Then, O king, the angry Bhima of\ngreat prowess, covered the car-division in his front with showers of\nshafts. Then those mighty car-warriors, viz., thy sons, thus struck in\nbattle, endued as they were with great strength fought with Bhima from\ndesire of victory. Then Duhsasana, excited with wrath, hurled at\nBhimasena a keen dart made entirely of iron, wishing to slay the son of\nPandu. Bhima however, cut in twain that fierce dart hurled by thy son, as\nit coursed towards him. This feat seemed exceedingly wonderful. The\nmighty son of Pandu, then, with three other keen shafts, slew the three\nbrothers Kundabhedin and Sushena and Dirghanetra. And, again, amongst\nthose heroic sons of thine battling with him, Bhima slew heroic\nVrindaraka, that enhancer of the fame of the Kurus. And again, with three\nother shafts, Bhima slew three other sons of thine, viz., Abhaya and\nRaudrakarman and Durvimochana. Thus slaughtered, O king, by that mighty\nwarrior, thy sons surrounded Bhima, that foremost of smiters on all\nsides. They then showered their arrows upon that son of Pandu, of\nterrible deeds, like the cloud at the end of summer pouring torrents of\nrain on the mountain-breast. That slayer of hosts, the heir of Pandu,\nreceived that arrowy shower, like a mountain receiving a shower of\nstones. Indeed, the heroic Bhima felt no pain. Then the son of Kunti,\nsmiling the while, despatched by means of his shafts thy sons Vinda and\nAnuvinda and Suvarman to the abode of Yama. Then the son of Pandu, O bull\nof Bharata's race, quickly pierced in that battle thy heroic son\nSudarsan. The latter, thereupon, fell down and expired. Within a very\nshort time, the son of Pandu, casting his glances on that car-force\ncaused it by his shafts to fly away in all directions. Then like a herd\nof deer frightened at the clatter of car-wheels, or a loud shout, thy\nsons, in that battle, O king, afflicted with the fear of Bhimasena,\nsuddenly broke and fled. The son of Kunti, however, pursued that large\nforce of thy sons, and began, O king, to pierce the Kauravas from every\nside. Thy soldiers, O monarch, thus slaughtered by Bhimasena, fled away\nfrom battle, avoiding the son of Pandu and urging their own excellent\nsteeds to their greatest speed. The mighty Bhimasena then, having\nvanquished them in battle, uttered leonine roars and made a great noise\nby slapping his armpits. And the mighty Bhima, having made also a fierce\nnoise with his palms, and thereby frightened that car-force and the\nforemost of warriors that were in it, passed towards the division of\nDrona, transgressing that car-force (which he had vanquished.)'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXVII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After the son of Pandu had crossed that car-force, the\npreceptor Drona, smiling the while, covered him with showers of arrows,\ndesirous of checking his course. Stupefying thy force then with his\npowers of illusion, and drinking, as it were, those shafts shot from the\nbow of Drona, Bhimasena rushed against those brothers (viz., thy sons).\nThen many kings, that were all great bowmen, urged by thy sons, rushing\nimpetuously, began to surround him. Encompassed by them, O Bharata, Bhima\nsmiling the while and uttering a leonine roar, took up and hurled at them\nwith great force a fierce mace destructive of hostile ranks. That mace of\nadamantine strength, hurled like Indra's thunder by Indra himself,\ncrushed, O king, thy soldiers in battle. And it seemed to fill, O king,\nthe whole earth with loud noise. And blazing forth in splendour, that\nfierce mace inspired thy sons with fear. Beholding that mace of impetuous\ncourse and endued with lightning flashes, coursing towards them, thy\nwarriors fled away, uttering frightful cries. And at the unbearable\nsound, O sire, of that fierce mace, many men fell down where they stood,\nand many car-warriors also fell down from their cars. Slaughtered by\nBhimasena armed with the mace, thy warriors fled away in fear from\nbattle, like the deer attacked by a tiger. The son of Kunti, routing in\nbattle those valorous foes of his, impetuously crossed that force like\nGaruda of beautiful feathers.\n\n\"'While Bhimasena, that leader of leaders of car-divisions, was engaged in\nsuch carnage, Bharadwaja's son, O king, rushed at him. And Drona,\nchecking Bhima by means of his arrowy showers, suddenly uttered a leonine\nroar that inspired the Pandavas with fear. The battle that took place\nbetween Drona and the high-souled Bhima was, O king, furious and terrible\nand resembled the encounter between the gods and the Asuras of old.\nHeroic warriors by hundreds and thousands in that battle slain by the\nkeen shafts shot from the bow of Drona. The son of Pandu then, jumping\ndown from his car shut his eyes, O king, and rushed on foot with great\nspeed towards the car of Drona. Indeed, as a bovine bull easily bears a\nheavy shower of rain, even so that tiger among men, viz., Bhima, bore\nthat arrowy downpour from Drona's bow. Struck in that battle, O sire, by\nDrona, the mighty Bhima, seizing Drona's car by the shaft, threw it down\nwith great force. Thus thrown down in battle, O king, Drona, however,\nquickly mounting another car, proceeded towards the gate of the array,\nhis driver urging his steeds at that time with great speed. That feat, O\nthou of Kuru's race, achieved by Bhimasena, seemed exceedingly wonderful.\nThe mighty Bhima, then, mounting upon his own car, rushed impetuously\ntowards the army of thy son. And he crushed the Kshatriyas in battle,\nlike a tempest crushing rows of trees. Indeed, Bhima proceeded, resisting\nthe hostile warriors like the mountain resisting the surging sea. Coming\nthen upon the Bhoja-troops that were protected by the son of Hridika,\nBhimasena, O king, ground it greatly, and passed through it. Frightening\nthe hostile soldiers with the sound of his palms, O sire, Bhima\nvanquished them all like a tiger vanquishing a herd of bovine bulls.\nPassing through the Bhoja division and that of the Kamvojas also, and\ncountless tribes of Mlecchas too, who were all accomplished in fight, and\nbeholding that mighty car-warrior, Satyaki, engaged in fight, Bhimasena,\nthe son of Kunti, O monarch proceeded resolutely and with great speed,\ndesirous of having a sight of Dhananjaya. Transgressing all thy warriors\nin that battle, the son of Pandu then sighted the mighty car-warrior\nArjuna engaged in the fight. The valiant Bhima, that tiger among men,\nbeholding Arjuna putting forth his prowess for the slaughter of the ruler\nof the Sindhus, uttered a loud shout, like, O monarch, the clouds roaring\nin the season of rains. Those terrible shouts of the roaring Bhimasena\nwere, O thou of Kuru's race, heard by both Arjuna and Vasudeva in the\nmidst of the battle. Both those heroes, simultaneously hearing that shout\nof the mighty Bhima, repeatedly shouted from desire of beholding\nVrikodara. Then Arjuna uttering loud roar, and Madhava also doing the\nsame, careered in battle like a couple of roaring bulls. Hearing then\nthat roar of Bhimasena, as also that of Phalguna armed with the bow,\nYudhishthira, the son of Dharma, O king, became highly gratified. And\nking Yudhishthira, hearing those sounds of Bhima and Arjuna, had his\ngrief dispelled. And the lord Yudhishthira repeatedly wished success to\nDhananjaya in battle.\n\n\"'While the fierce Bhima was thus roaring, the mighty-armed Yudhishthira,\nthe son of Dharma, that foremost of virtuous men, smilingly reflected a\nwhile and thus worded the thoughts that inspired his heart, \"O Bhima,\nthou hast truly sent me the message. Thou hast truly obeyed the commands\nof thy superior. They, O son of Pandu, can never have victory that have\nthee for their foe. By good luck it is that Dhananjaya, capable of\nshooting the bow with (even) his left hand, still liveth. By good luck,\nthe heroic Satyaki also, of prowess incapable of being baffled, is safe\nand sound. By good luck, it is that I hear both Vasudeva and Dhananjaya\nuttering these roars. He who having vanquished Sakra himself in battle,\nhad gratified the bearer of sacrificial libations, that slayer of foes,\nviz., Phalguna, by good luck, still liveth in this battle. He, relying\nupon the might of whose arms all of us are alive, that slayer of hostile\narmies, Phalguna, by good luck, liveth still. He by whom with the aid of\na single bow the Nivatakavachas were vanquished, those Danavas, that is,\nthat were incapable of being defeated by the very gods, he, viz., Partha,\nby good luck, liveth still. He who had vanquished in Matsya's city all\nthe Kauravas assembled together for seizing Virata's kine, that Partha,\nby good luck, liveth still. He who, by the might of his arms, slew\nfourteen thousands of Kalakeyas, that Partha, by good luck, liveth still.\nHe who, for Duryodhana's sake, had vanquished, by the energy of his\nweapons, the mighty king of the Gandharvas, that Partha, by good luck,\nliveth still. Decked with diadem and garlands (of gold), endued with\ngreat strength, having white steeds (yoked to his car) and Krishna\nhimself for his charioteer, that Phalguna, always dear to me, by good\nluck, liveth still. Burning with grief on account of the death of his\nson, endeavouring to achieve a most difficult feat, and even now seeking\nto slaughter Jayadratha, alas, he that hath made that vow, viz.,\nDhananjaya, will he succeed in slaying the ruler of the Sindhus in\nbattle? After he, protected by Vasudeva, will have accomplished that vow\nof his, shall I behold that Arjuna again, before the sun sets? Shall the\nruler of the Sindhus who is devoted to Duryodhana's welfare, slain by\nPhalguna, gladden his foes? Shall king Duryodhana, beholding the ruler of\nthe Sindhus slain in battle make peace with us? Beholding his brother\nslain in battle by Bhimasena shall the wicked Duryodhana make peace with\nus? Beholding other great warriors lying prostrate on the surface of the\nearth, shall wicked Duryodhana give way to remorse? Shall not our\nhostilities cease with the single sacrifice of Bhishma? Shall that\nSuyodhana, make peace with us for saving the remnant (of what is still\nleft to him and us)?\" Diverse reflections of this kind passed through the\nmind of king Yudhishthira who was overwhelmed with compassion. Meanwhile,\nthe battle (between the Pandavas and the Kauravas) raged furiously.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXVIII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'While mighty Bhimasena was uttering those loud\nshouts deep as the roar of the clouds or peals of thunder, what heroes\n(of our side) surrounded him? I do not behold that warrior, O Sanjaya, in\nthe three worlds, who is capable of staying before the enraged Bhimasena\nin battle. I do not, O son, behold him that can stay on the field of\nbattle before Bhimasena armed with mace and resembling Death himself. Who\nwill stand before that Bhima, not excepting Sakra himself, that destroys\na car with a car and an elephant with an elephant?[153] Who, amongst\nthose devoted to Duryodhana's welfare stood in battle before Bhimasena\nexcited with rage and engaged in slaughtering my sons? Who were those men\nthat stood in battle in front of Bhimasena, engaged in consuming my sons\nlike a forest conflagration consuming dry leaves and straw? Who were they\nthat surrounded Bhima in battle, beholding my sons slain by him one after\nanother like Death himself cutting off all creatures? I do not fear\nArjuna so much, or Krishna so much, or Satyaki so much, or him (viz.,\nDhrishtadyumna) so much who was born of the sacrificial fire, as I fear\nBhima. Tell me, O Sanjaya, who were those heroes that rushed against that\nblazing fire, represented by Bhima, which so consumed my sons?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'While the mighty car-warrior Bhimasena was uttering\nthose roars, mighty Karna, unable to bear them, rushed at him with a loud\nshout, stretching his bow with great force. Indeed, the mighty Karna,\ndesirous of battle, displayed his strength and checked Bhima's course\nlike a tall tree withstanding tempest. The heroic Bhima also, beholding\nVikartana's son before him, suddenly blazed up in wrath and sped at him\nwith great force many shafts whetted on stone. Karna received all those\nshafts and sped many in return. At that encounter between Bhima and\nKarna, hearing the sounds of their palms, the limbs of all the struggling\ncombatants, car-warriors, and horsemen, began to tremble. Indeed, hearing\nthe terrible roars of Bhimasena on the field of battle, even all the\nforemost of Kshatriyas regarded the whole earth and the welkin to be\nfilled with that noise. And at the fierce peals uttered by the\nhigh-souled son of Pandu, the bows of all warriors in that battle dropped\non the earth. And steeds and elephants, O king, dispirited, ejected urine\nand excreta. Various frightful omens of evil then made their appearance.\nThe welkin was covered with flights of vultures and Kankas during that\nterrific encounter between Bhima and Karna. Then Karna struck Bhima with\ntwenty arrows, and quickly pierced the latter's charioteer also with\nfive. Smiling the while, the mighty and active Bhima then, in that\nbattle, quickly sped at Karna four and sixty arrows. Then Karna, O king,\nsped four shafts at him. Bhima, by means of his straight shafts, cut them\ninto many fragments, O king, displaying his lightness of hand. Then Karna\ncovered him with dense showers of arrows. Thus covered by Karna, the\nmighty son of Pandu, however, cut off Karna's bow at the handle and then\npierced Karna with ten straight arrows. The Suta's son then, that mighty\ncar-warrior of terrible deeds, taking up another bow and stringing it\nquickly, pierced Bhima in that battle (with many shafts). Then Bhima,\nexcited with rage, struck the Suta's son with great force on the chest\nwith three straight shafts. With those arrows sticking at his breast,\nKarna looked beautiful, O bull of Bharata's race, like a mountain with\nthree tall summits. Thus pierced with mighty shafts, blood began to flow\nfrom his wounds, like torrents of liquid red-chalk down the breast of a\nmountain. Afflicted with those shafts shot with great force, Karna became\nagitated a little. Fixing an arrow then on his bow, he pierced Bhima,\nagain, O sire! And once more he began to shoot arrows by hundreds and\nthousands. Suddenly shrouded with shafts by that firm bowman, viz.,\nKarna, the son of Pandu, smiling the while, cut off Karna's bow-string.\nAnd then with a broad-headed arrow, he despatched Karna's charioteer to\nthe abode of Yama. And that mighty car-warrior, viz., Bhima, deprived the\nfour steeds also of Karna of their lives. The mighty car-warrior Karna\nthen speedily jumping down, O king, from his steedless car, mounted the\ncar of Vrishasena. The valiant Bhimasena then, having vanquished Karna in\nbattle, uttered a loud shout deep as the roar of the clouds. Hearing that\nroar, O Bharata, Yudhishthira became highly gratified, knowing that Karna\nhad been vanquished by Bhimasena. And the combatants of the Pandava army\nblew their conchs from every side. Their enemies, viz., thy warriors,\nhearing that noise, roared loudly. Arjuna stretched Gandiva, and Krishna\nblew Panchajanya. Drowning, however, all those sounds, the noise made by\nthe roaring Bhima, was, O king, heard by all the combatants, O sire! Then\nthose two warriors, viz., Karna, and Bhima, each struck the other with\nstraight shafts. The son of Radha, however, shot shafts mildly, but the\nson of Pandu shot his with great force.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXIX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After that army had (thus) been routed, and Arjuna and\nBhimasena had all gone after the ruler of the Sindhus, thy son\n(Duryodhana) proceeded towards Drona. And Duryodhana went to the\npreceptor, on his single car, thinking, by the way, of diverse duties.\nThat car of thy son, endued with the speed of the wind or thought,\nproceeded with great celerity towards Drona. With eyes red in wrath, thy\nson addressed the preceptor and said, \"O grinder of foes, Arjuna and\nBhimasena, and unvanquished Satyaki, and many mighty car-warriors,\ndefeating all our troops, have succeeded in approaching the ruler of the\nSindhus. Indeed, those mighty car-warriors, who vanquished all the\ntroops, themselves unvanquished, are fighting even there. O giver of\nhonours, how hast thou been transgressed by both Satyaki and Bhima? O\nforemost of Brahmanas, this thy defeat at the hands of Satwata, of\nArjuna, and of Bhimasena, is like the drying of the ocean, exceedingly\nwonderful in this world. People are loudly asking, 'How, indeed, could\nDrona, that master of the science of arms, be vanquished?' Even thus all\nthe warriors are speaking in depreciation of thee. Destruction is certain\nfor my luckless self in battle, when three car-warriors, O tiger among\nmen, have in succession transgressed thee. When, however, all this hath\nhappened, tell us what thou hast to say on the business that awaits us.\nWhat hath happened, is past. O giver of honours, think now of what is\nremaining. Say quickly what should next be done for the ruler of the\nSindhus on the present occasion, and let what thou sayest be quickly and\nproperly carried out.\"\n\n\"'Drona said, \"Listen, O great king, to what I, having reflected much, say\nunto thee about what should now be done. As yet only three great\ncar-warriors among the Pandavas have transgressed us. We have as much to\nfear behind those three as we have to dread before them.[154] There,\nhowever, where Krishna and Dhananjaya are, our fear must be greater. The\nBharata army hath been attacked both on the front and from behind. In\nthis pass, I think, the protection of the ruler of the Sindhus is our\nfirst duty. Jayadratha, afraid of Dhananjaya, deserves of everything else\nto be protected by us. The heroic Yuyudhana and Vrikodara have both gone\nagainst the ruler of the Sindhus. All this that hath come is the fruit of\nthat match at dice conceived by Sakuni's intellect. Neither victory nor\ndefeat took place in the (gaming) assembly. Now that we are engaged in\nthis sport, there will be victory or defeat. Those innocent things with\nwhich Sakuni had formerly played in the Kuru assembly and which he\nregarded as dice, were, in reality, invincible shafts. Truly, there\nwhere, O sire, the Kauravas were congregated, they were not dice but\nterrible arrows capable of mangling your bodies. At present, however, O\nking, know the combatants for players, these shafts for dice, and the\nruler of the Sindhus, without doubt, O monarch, as the stake, in this\ngame of battle. Indeed, Jayadratha is the great stake about which we are\nplaying today with the enemy. Under the circumstances, therefore, O\nmonarch, all of us becoming reckless of our very lives, should make due\narrangements for the protection of the ruler of the Sindhus in battle.\nEngaged as we are in our present sport, it is here that we shall have\nvictory or defeat, here, that is, where those great bowmen are protecting\nthe ruler of the Sindhus. Go thither, therefore, with speed, and protect\nthose protectors (of Jayadratha). As regards myself, I will stay here,\nfor despatching others (to the presence of Jayadratha) and checking the\nPanchalas, the Pandus and the Srinjayas united together.\" Thus commanded\nby the preceptor, Duryodhana quickly proceeded (to the place indicated)\nwith his followers, resolutely setting himself to (the accomplishment of)\na fierce task. The two protectors of the wheels of Arjuna's car, viz.,\nthe Panchala princes, Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, were at that time\nproceeding towards Savyasachin by the skirts of the Kuru array. Thou\nmayest remember, O king, that formerly while Arjuna penetrated thy host\nfrom desire of battle, those two princes, O monarch, had been checked in\ntheir progress by Kritavarman. Now, the Kuru king beheld them proceeding\nby the skirts of his host. The mighty Duryodhana of Bharata's race lost\nno time in engaging in a fierce battle with those two brothers thus\nrushing furiously. Those two foremost of Kshatriyas, reputed as mighty\ncar-warriors, then rushed in that battle at Duryodhana, with outstretched\nbows. Yudhamanyu pierced Duryodhana with twenty, and his four steeds with\nfour shafts. Duryodhana, however, with a single shaft, cut off\nYudhamanyu's standard. And thy son then cut off the former's bow also\nwith another shaft. And then with a broad-headed arrow, the Kuru king\nfelled Yudhamanyu's charioteer from his niche in the car. And then he\npierced the four steeds of the latter with four shafts. Then Yudhamanyu,\nexcited with wrath, quickly sped, in that battle, thirty shafts at the\ncentre of thy son's chest. Then Uttamaujas also, excited with wrath,\npierced Duryodhana's charioteer with shafts decked with gold, and\ndespatched him to Yama's abode. Duryodhana also, O monarch, then slew the\nfour steeds as also the two Parshni charioteers of Uttamaujas, the prince\nof Panchalas. Then Uttamaujas, in that battle, becoming steedless and\ndriverless, quickly ascended the car of his brother, Yudhamanyu.\nAscending on the car of his brother, he struck Duryodhana's steeds with\nmany shafts. Slain therewith, those steeds fell down on the earth. Upon\nthe fall of his steeds, the valiant Yudhamanyu then, by a mighty weapon,\nquickly cut off Duryodhana's bow and then (with another shaft), his\nleathern fence. That bull among men then, viz., thy son, jumping down\nfrom that steedless and driverless car, took up a mace and proceeded\nagainst the two princes of Panchala. Beholding that subjugator of hostile\ntown, thus advancing in wrath, both Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas jumped down\nfrom the terrace of their car. Then Duryodhana armed as he was with a\nmace, pressed down into the earth with that mace that foremost of cars\nfurnished with gold, with steeds and driver and standard. Thy son then,\nthat scorcher of foes, having thus crushed that car, steedless and\ndriverless as he himself was, quickly ascended the car of the king of the\nMadras. Meanwhile, those two mighty car-warriors, viz., those two\nforemost Panchala princes, ascending on two other cars, proceeded towards\nArjuna.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'During the progress, O monarch, of that battle, making\nthe hair stand on end, and when all the combatants were filled with\nanxiety and greatly afflicted, the son of Radha, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, proceeded against Bhima for battle, like an infuriated elephant in\nthe forest proceeding against another infuriated elephant.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'How raged that battle, in the neighbourhood of\nArjuna's car, between those two mighty car-warriors, viz., Bhima and\nKarna, both of whom are endued with great strength? Once before Karna had\nbeen vanquished by Bhimasena in battle. How, therefore, could the mighty\ncar-warrior Karna again proceed against Bhima? How also could Bhima\nproceed against the Suta's son, that mighty warrior who is reckoned as\nthe greatest of car-warriors on earth? Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma,\nhaving prevailed over Bhishma and Drona, did not fear anybody else so\nmuch as the bowman Karna. Indeed, thinking of the mighty car-warrior\nKarna, he passeth his nights sleeplessly from fear. How, then, could\nBhima encounter that Suta's son in battle? Indeed, O Sanjaya, how could\nBhima fight with Karna, that foremost of warriors, that hero devoted to\nthe Brahmanas endued with energy and never retreating from battle? How,\nindeed, did those two heroes, viz., the Suta's son and Vrikodara, fight\nwith each other in that encounter which took place in the vicinity of\nArjuna's car? Informed before of his brotherhood (with the Pandavas), the\nSuta's son is again, compassionate. Remembering also his words to Kunti,\nhow could he fight with Bhima? As regards Bhima also, remembering all the\nwrongs formerly inflicted on him by the Suta's son, how did that hero\nfight with Karna in battle? My son Duryodhana, O Suta, hopeth that Karna\nwill vanquish all the Pandavas in battle. Upon whom my wretched son\nresteth his hope of victory in battle, how did he fight with Bhimasena of\nterrible deeds? That Suta's son, relying upon whom my sons chose\nhostilities with those mighty car-warriors (viz., the sons of Pandu), how\ndid Bhima fight with him? Indeed, remembering the diverse wrongs and\ninjuries done by him, how did Bhima fight with that son of Suta? How\nindeed, could Bhima fight with that son of a Suta, who, endued with great\nvalour, had formerly subjugated the whole earth on a single car? How did\nBhima fight with that son of a Suta, who was born with a (natural) pair\nof ear-rings? Thou art skilled in narration, O Sanjaya! Tell me,\ntherefore, in detail how the battle took place between those two, and who\namongst them obtained the victory?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Leaving Radha's son, that foremost of car-warriors\nBhimasena, desired to proceed to the place where those two heroes, viz.,\nKrishna and Dhananjaya were. The son of Radha, however, rushing towards\nhim as he proceeded, covered him, O king, with dense showers of arrows,\nlike a cloud pouring torrents of rain on a mountain. The mighty son of\nAdhiratha, his face beautiful as a full-blown lotus, lighted up with a\nsmile, challenged Bhimasena to battle, as the latter was proceeding. And\nKarna said, \"O Bhima, I dreamt not that thou knowest how to fight. Why\nthen dost thou show me thy back from desire of meeting with Arjuna? O\ndelighter of the Pandavas, this is scarcely fit for a son of Kunti.\nStaying, therefore, where thou art, cover me with thy arrows.\" Bhimasena,\nhearing that challenge of Karna, brooked it not, but wheeling his car a\nlittle, began to fight with the Suta's son. The illustrious Bhimasena\nshowered clouds of straight shafts. Desiring also to arrive at the end of\nthose hostilities by slaying Karna, Bhima began to weaken that hero\nconversant with every weapon and clad in mail, and staying before him for\nengaging in a single combat. Then mighty Bhima, that scorcher of foes,\nthat wrathful son of Pandu, having slain numerous Kauravas, shot diverse\nshowers of fierce shafts at Karna, O sire! The Suta's son, endued with\ngreat strength, swallowed, by means of the power of his own weapons, all\nthose showers of arrows shot by that hero, possessed of the tread of an\ninfuriated elephant. Duly favoured by knowledge, that great bowman, viz.,\nKarna, began in that battle, O monarch, to career like a preceptor (of\nmilitary science). The wrathful son of Radha, smiling the while, seemed\nto mock Bhimasena as the latter was battling with great fury. The son of\nKunti brooked not that smile of Karna in the midst of many brave warriors\nwitnessing from all sides that fight of theirs. Like a driver striking a\nhuge elephant with a hook, the mighty Bhima, excited with rage, pierced\nKarna whom he had obtained within reach, with many calf-toothed shafts in\nthe centre of the chest. And once more, Bhimasena pierced the Suta's son\nof variegated armour with three and seventy well-shot and keen arrows\nequipped with beautiful wings and cased in golden armour, each with five\nshafts. And soon, within the twinkling of the eye, was seen a network of\nshafts about Bhima's car caused by Karna. Indeed, O monarch, those shafts\nshot from Karna's bow completely shrouded that car with its standard and\ndriver and the Pandava himself. Then Karna pierced the impenetrable\narmour of Bhima with four and sixty arrows. And excited with rage he then\npierced Partha himself with many straight shafts capable of penetrating\ninto the very vitals. The mighty-armed Vrikodara, however, disregarding\nthose shafts shot from Karna's bow fearlessly struck the Suta's son.\nPierced with those shafts, resembling snakes of virulent poison, shot\nfrom Karna's bow, Bhima, O monarch, felt no pain in that battle. The\nvaliant Bhima then, in that encounter, pierced Karna with two and thirty\nbroad-headed shafts of keen points and fierce energy. Karna, however,\nwith the greatest indifference, covered, in return, with his arrows, the\nmighty-armed Bhimasena who was desirous of Jayadratha's slaughter.\nIndeed, the son of Radha, in that encounter, fought mildly with Bhima,\nwhile Bhima, remembering his former wrongs, fought with him furiously.\nThe wrathful Bhimasena could not brook that disregard by Karna. Indeed,\nthat slayer of foes quickly shot showers of arrows at Radha's son. Those\narrows, sped in that encounter by Bhimasena, fell on every limb of Karna\nlike cooing birds. Those arrows equipped with golden wings and keen\npoints, shot from Bhimasena's bow, covered the son of Radha like a flight\nof insects covering a blazing fire. Karna, however, O king, shot showers\nof fierce shafts in return, O Bharata. Then Vrikodara cut off, with many\nbroad-headed arrows, those shafts resembling thunderbolts, shot by that\nornament of battle, before they could come at him. That chastiser of\nfoes, viz., Karna, the son of Vikartana, once more, O Bharata, covered\nBhimasena with his arrowy showers. We then, O Bharata, beheld Bhima so\npierced in that encounter with arrows as to resemble a porcupine with its\nquills erect on its body.[155] Like the sun holding his own rays, the\nheroic Bhima held in that battle all those shafts, whetted on stone and\nequipped with wings of gold, that were shot from Karna's bow. All his\nlimbs bathed in blood, Bhimasena looked resplendent like an Asoka tree in\nspring adorned with its flowery burthen. The mighty-armed Bhima could not\nbrook that conduct, in battle, of the mighty-armed Karna. Rolling his\neyes in wrath, he pierced Karna with five and twenty long shafts.\nThereupon, Karna looked like a white mountain with many snakes of\nvirulent poison (hanging from its sides). And once more, Bhimasena,\nendued with the prowess of a celestial, pierced the Suta's son who was\nprepared to lay down his life in battle, with six and then with eight\narrows. And, again, with another arrow, the valiant Bhimasena quickly cut\noff Karna's bow, smiling the while. And he slew also with his shafts the\nfour steeds of Karna and then his charioteer, and then pierced Karna\nhimself in the chest with a number of long shafts endued with the\neffulgence of the sun. Those winged shafts, piercing through Karna's\nbody, entered the earth, like the rays of the sun piercing through the\nclouds. Afflicted with arrows and his bow cut off, Karna, though proud of\nhis manliness, felt great pain and proceeded to another car.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXI\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'What, indeed, O Sanjaya, did Duryodhana say when he\nsaw that Karna turning away from the field upon whom my sons had reposed\nall their hopes of victory? How, indeed, did the mighty Bhima, proud of\nhis energy, fight? What also, O son, did Karna do after this, beholding\nBhimasena in that battle resemble a blazing fire?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Mounting upon another car that was duly equipped Karna\nonce more proceeded against the son of Pandu, with the fury of the Ocean\ntossed by the tempest. Beholding Adhiratha's son excited with rage, thy\nsons, O king, regarded Bhimasena to be already poured as a libation on\nthe (Karna) fire. With furious twang of bowstring and terrible sounds of\nhis palms, the son of Radha shot dense showers of shafts towards\nBhimasena's car. And once more, O monarch, a terrible encounter took\nplace between the heroic Karna and the high-souled Bhima. Both excited\nwith wrath, both endued with mighty arms, each desirous of slaying the\nother, those two warriors looked at each other, as if resolved to burn\neach other with their (wrathful) glances. The eyes of both were red in\nrage, and both breathed fiercely, like a couple of snakes. Endued with\ngreat heroism, those two chastisers of foes approached and mangled each\nother. Indeed, they fought with each other like two hawks endued with\ngreat activity, or like two Sarabhas excited with wrath. Then that\nchastiser of foes, viz., Bhima recollecting all the woes suffered by him\non the occasion of the match at dice, and during his exile in the woods\nand residence in Virata's city, and bearing in mind the robbing of their\nkingdom swelling with prosperity and gems, by thy sons, and the numerous\nother wrongs inflicted on the Pandavas by thee and the Suta's son and\nremembering also the fact that thou hadst conspired to burn innocent\nKunti with her sons, and calling to his memory the sufferings of Krishna\nin the midst of the assembly at the hands of those wretches, as also the\nseizure of her tresses by Duhsasana, and the harsh speeches uttered, O\nBharata, by Karna, to the effect, \"Take thou another husband, for all thy\nhusbands are dead: the sons of Pritha have sunk into hell and are like\nsesamum seeds without kernel,\"--remembering also those other words, O son\nof Kuru, that the Kauravas uttered in thy presence, add the fact also\nthat thy sons had been desirous of enjoying Krishna as a slave, and those\nharsh words that Karna spoke to the sons of Pandu when the latter,\nattired in deer-skins were about to be banished to the woods, and the joy\nin which thy wrathful and foolish son, himself in prosperity, indulged,\nthinking the distressed sons of Pritha as veritable straw, the virtuous\nBhima that slayer of foes, remembering these and all the woes he had\nsuffered since his childhood, became reckless of his very life.\nStretching his invincible and formidable bow, the back of whose staff was\ndecked with gold, Vrikodara, that tiger of Bharata's race, utterly\nreckless of his life, rushed against Karna. Shooting dense showers of\nbright arrows whetted on stone, Bhima shrouded the very light of the sun.\nAdhiratha's son, however, smiling the while, quickly baffled, by means of\nhis own winged arrows whetted on stone, that arrowy downpour of\nBhimasena. Endued with great strength and mighty arms, that mighty\ncar-warrior, the son of Adhiratha, then pierced Bhima with nine keen\narrows. Struck with those arrows, like an elephant struck with the hook,\nVrikodara fearlessly rushed against the Suta's son. Karna, however,\nrushed against that bull among the Pandavas who was thus rushing towards\nhim with great impetuosity and might, like an infuriated elephant against\nan infuriated compeer. Blowing his conch then, whose blast resembled the\nsound of a hundred trumpets, Karna cheerfully agitated the force that\nsupported Bhima, like the raging sea. Beholding that force of his\nconsisting of elephants and steeds and cars and foot-soldiers, thus\nagitated by Karna, Bhima, approaching the former, covered him with\narrows. Then Karna caused his own steeds of the hue of swans to be\nmingled with those of Bhimasena's of the hue of bears, and shrouded the\nson of Pandu with his shafts. Beholding those steeds of the hue of bears\nand fleet as the wind, mingled with those of the hue of swans, cries of\noh and alas arose from among the troops of thy sons. Those steeds, fleet\nas the wind, thus mingled together, looked exceedingly beautiful like\nwhite and black clouds, O monarch, mingled together in the firmament.\nBeholding Karna and Vrikodara to be both excited with wrath, great\ncar-warriors of thy army began to tremble with fear. The field of battle\nwhere they fought soon became awful like the domain of Yama. Indeed, O\nbest of Bharatas, it became as frightful to behold as the city of the\ndead. The great car, warriors of thy army, looking upon that scene, as if\nthey were spectators of a sport in an arena, beheld not any of the two to\ngain any advantage over the other in that dreadful encounter. They only\nbeheld, O king, that mingling and clash of the mighty weapons of those\ntwo warriors, as a result, O monarch, of the evil policy of thyself and\nthy son. Those two slayers of foes continued to cover each other with\ntheir keen shafts. Both endued with wonderful prowess, they filled the\nwelkin with their arrowy downpours. Those two mighty car-warriors\nshooting at each other keen shafts from desire of taking each other's\nlife, became exceedingly beautiful to behold like two clouds pouring\ntorrents of rain. Those two chastisers of foes, shooting gold-decked\narrows, made the welkin look bright, O king, as if with blazing meteors.\nShafts equipped with vulturine feathers, shot by those two heroes, looked\nlike rows of excited cranes in the autumn sky. Meanwhile, Krishna and\nDhananjaya, those chastisers of foes, engaged in battle with the Suta's\nson, thought the burthen too great for Bhima to bear. As Karna and Bhima\nfor baffling each other's shafts, shot these arrows at each other, many\nelephants and steeds and men deeply struck therewith, fell down deprived\nof life. And in consequence of those falling and fallen creatures\ndeprived of life counting by thousands, a great carnage, O king, took\nplace in the army of thy sons. And soon, O bull of Bharata's race, the\nfield of battle became covered with the bodies of men and steeds and\nelephants deprived of life.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'I regard Bhimasena's prowess to be exceedingly\nwonderful, inasmuch as he succeeded in battling with Karna of singular\nactivity and energy. Indeed, O Sanjaya, tell me why that Karna, who is\ncapable of resisting in battle the very celestials with the Yakshas and\nAsuras and men, armed with all kinds of weapons, could not vanquish in\nbattle Pandu's son Bhima blazing with resplendence? O tell me, how that\nbattle took place between them in which each staked his very life. I\nthink that in an encounter between the two, success is within reach of\nboth as, indeed, both are liable to defeat.[156] O Suta, obtaining Karna\nin battle, my son Suyodhana always ventures to vanquish the sons of\nPritha with Govinda and the Satwatas. Hearing, however, of the repeated\ndefeat in battle of Karna by Bhimasena of terrible deeds, a swoon seems\nto come upon me. I think, the Kauravas to be already slain, in\nconsequence of evil policy of my son. Karna will never succeed, O\nSanjaya, in vanquishing those mighty bowmen, viz., the sons of Pritha. In\nall the battles that Karna has fought with the sons of Pandu, the latter\nhave invariably defeated him on the field. Indeed, O son, the Pandavas\nare incapable of being vanquished by the very gods with Vasava at their\nhead. Alas, my wicked son Duryodhana knoweth it not. Having robbed\nPritha's son, who is like the Lord of the treasures himself, of his\nwealth, my son of little intelligence seeth not the fall like a searcher\nof honey (in the mountains). Conversant with deceit, he regardeth it to\nbe irrevocably his and always insulteth the Pandavas. Myself also, of\nunrefined soul, overcome with affection for my children, scrupled not to\ndespise the high-souled sons of Pandu that are observant of morality.\nYudhishthira, the son of Pritha, of great foresight, always showed\nhimself desirous of peace. My sons, however, regarding him incapable,\ndespised him. Bearing in mind all those woes and all the wrongs\n(sustained by the Pandavas), the mighty-armed Bhimasena battled with the\nSuta's son. Tell me, therefore, O Sanjaya, how Bhima and Karna, those two\nforemost of warriors, fought with each other, desirous of taking each\nother's life!'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hear, O king, how the battle took place between Karna and\nBhima which resembled an encounter between two elephants in the forest,\ndesirous of slaying each other. The son of Vikartana, O king, excited\nwith rage and putting forth his prowess, pierced that chastiser of foes,\nviz., the angry Bhima of great prowess with thirty shafts. Indeed, O\nchief of Bharata's race, Vikartana's son struck Bhima with many arrows of\nkeen points, decked with gold, and endued with great impetuosity. Bhima,\nhowever, with three sharp shafts cut off the bow of Karna, as the latter\nwas engaged in striking him. And with a broad-headed arrow, the son of\nPandu then felled on the earth Karna's charioteer from his niche in the\ncar. The son of Vikartana, then desirous of slaying Bhimasena, seized a\ndart whose shaft was adorned with gold and stones of lapis lazuli.\nGrasping that fierce dart, which resembled a second dart of death, and\nuplifting and aiming it, the mighty son of Radha hurled it at Bhimasena\nwith a force sufficient to take away Bhima's life. Hurling that dart,\nlike Purandara hurling the thunderbolt, Radha's son of great strength\nuttered a loud roar. Hearing that roar thy sons became filled with\ndelight. Bhima, however, with seven swift arrows, cut off in the welkin\nthat dart endued with the effulgence of the sun or fire, hurled from the\nhands of Karna. Cutting off that dart, resembling a snake just freed from\nits slough, Bhima, O sire, as if on the lookout for taking the\nlife-breath of the Suta's son, sped, in great wrath, many shafts in that\nbattle that were equipped with peacock-feathers and golden wings and each\nof which, whetted on stone, resembled the rod of Yama. Karna also of\ngreat energy, taking up another formidable bow, the back of whose staff\nwas adorned with gold, and drawing it with force, shot many shafts. The\nson of Pandu, however, cut off all those arrows with nine straight arrows\nof his own. Having cut off, O ruler of men those mighty shafts shot by\nVasushena, Bhima, O monarch, uttered a loud roar like that of a lion.\nRoaring at each other like two mighty bulls for the sake of a cow in\nseason, or like two tigers for the sake of the same piece of meat, they\nendeavoured to strike each other, each being desirous of finding the\nother's laches. At times they looked at each other with angry eyes, like\ntwo mighty bulls in a cow-pen. Then like two huge elephants striking each\nother with the points of their tusks, they encountered each other with\nshafts shot from their bows drawn to the fullest stretch. Scorching each\nother, O king, with their arrowy showers, they put forth their prowess\nupon each other, eyeing each other in great wrath. Sometimes laughing at\neach other, and sometimes rebuking each other, and sometimes blowing\ntheir conchs, they continued to fight with each other. Then Bhima once\nmore cut Karna's bow at the handle, O sire, and despatched by means of\nhis shafts the latter's steeds, white as conchs, to the abode of Yama,\nand the son of Pandu also felled his enemy's charioteer from his niche in\nthe car. Then Karna, the son of Vikartana, made steedless and driverless,\nand covered in that battle (with shafts), became plunged into great\nanxiety. Stupefied by Bhima with his arrowy showers, he knew not what to\ndo. Beholding Karna placed in the distressful plight, king Duryodhana,\ntrembling with wrath, commended (his brother) Durjaya, saying, \"Go, O\nDurjaya! There the son of Pandu is about to devour the son of Radha! Slay\nthat beardless Bhima soon, and infuse strength into Karna!\" Thus\naddressed, the son Durjaya, saying unto Duryodhana, \"So be it\", rushed\ntowards Bhimasena engaged (with Karna) and covered him with arrows. And\nDurjaya struck Bhima with nine shafts, his steeds with eight, his driver\nwith six, his standard with three, and once more Bhima himself with\nseven. Then Bhimasena, excited with wrath, piercing with his shafts the\nvery vitals of Durjaya, and his steeds and driver, despatched them of\nYama's abode. Then Karna, weeping in grief, circumambulated that son of\nthine, who, adorned with ornaments, lay on the earth, writhing like a\nsnake. Bhima then, having made that deadly foe of his, viz., Karna,\ncarless, smilingly covered him with shafts and made him look like a\nSataghni with numberless spikes on it. The Atiratha Karna, however, that\nchastiser of foes, though thus pierced with arrows, did not yet avoid the\nenraged Bhima in battle.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then the carless Karna, thus once more completely\ndefeated by Bhima, mounted another car and speedily began to pierce the\nson of Pandu. Like two huge elephants encountering each other with the\npoints of their tusks, they struck each other with shafts, shot from\ntheir bows drawn to the fullest stretch. Then Karna, striking Bhimasena\nwith showers of shafts, uttered a loud roar, and once more pierced him in\nthe chest. Bhima, however, in return, pierced Karna with ten straight\narrows and once more with twenty straight arrows. Then Karna, piercing\nBhima, O king, with nine arrows in the centre of the chest, struck the\nlatter's standard with a sharp shaft. The son of Pritha then pierced\nKarna in return with three and sixty arrows, like a driver striking a\nmighty elephant with the hook, or a rider striking a steed with a whip.\nDeeply pierced, O king, by the illustrious son of Pandu, the heroic Karna\nbegan to lick with his tongue the corners of his mouth, and his eyes\nbecame red in rage. Then, O monarch, Karna, sped at Bhimasena, for his\ndestruction, a shaft capable of piercing everybody, like Indra hurling\nhis thunderbolt. That shaft equipped with beautiful feathers sped from\nthe bow of the Suta's son, piercing Partha in that battle, sank deep into\nthe earth. Then the mighty-armed Bhima, with eyes red in wrath, hurled\nwithout a moment's reflection, at the Suta's son, a heavy six-sided mace,\nadorned with gold measuring full four cubits in length, and resembling\nthe bolt of Indra in force. Indeed, like Indra slaying the Asuras with\nhis thunderbolt, that hero of Bharata's race, excited with wrath, slew\nwith that mace the well-trained steeds of the foremost breed, of\nAdhiratha's son. Then, O bull of Bharata's race, the mighty-armed Bhima,\nwith a couple of razor-faced arrows, cut off the standard of Karna. And\nthen he slew, with a number of shafts his enemy's charioteer. Abandoning\nthat steedless and driverless and standardless car, Karna, O Bharata,\ncheerlessly stood on the earth, drawing his bow. The prowess that we then\nbeheld of Radha's son was extremely wonderful, inasmuch as that foremost\nof car-warriors, though deprived of car, continued to resist his foe.\nBeholding that foremost of men, viz., the son of Adhiratha, deprived of\nhis car, Duryodhana, O monarch, said unto (his brother) Durmukha, \"There,\nO Durmukha, the son of Radha hath been deprived of his car by Bhimasena.\nFurnish that foremost of men, that mighty car-warrior with a car.\"\nHearing these words of Duryodhana, thy son Durmukha, O Bharata, quickly\nproceeded towards Karna and covered Bhima with his shafts. Beholding\nDurmukha desirous of supporting the Suta's son in that battle, the son of\nthe Wind god was filled with delight and began to lick the corners of his\nmouth. Then resisting Karna the while with his shafts, the son of Pandu\nquickly drove his car towards Durmukha. And in that moment, O king, with\nnine straight arrows of keen points, Bhima despatched Durmukha to Yama's\nabode. Upon Durmukha's slaughter, the son of Adhiratha mounted upon the\ncar of that prince and looked resplendent, O king, like the blazing sun.\nBeholding Durmukha lying prostrate on the field, his very vital pierced\n(with shafts) and his body bathed in blood, Karna with tearful eyes\nabstained for a moment from the fight. Circumambulating the fallen prince\nand leaving him there, the heroic Karna began to breathe long and hot\nbreaths and knew not what to do. Seizing that opportunity, O king,\nBhimasena shot at the Suta's son four and ten long shafts equipped with\nvulturine feathers. Those blood-drinking shafts of golden wings, endued\nwith great force illuminating the ten points as they coursed through the\nwelkin, pierced the armour of the Suta's son, and drank his life-blood, O\nking, and passing through his body, sank into the earth and looked\nresplendent like angry snakes, O monarch, urged on by Death himself, with\nhalf their bodies inserted within their holes. Then the son of Radha,\nwithout reflecting a moment, pierced Bhima in return with four and ten\nfierce shafts adorned with gold. Those fierce-winged arrows, piercing\nthrough Bhima's right arms, entered the earth like birds entering a grove\nof trees. Striking against the earth, those arrows looked resplendent,\nlike the blazing rays of the sun while proceeding towards the Asta hills.\nPierced in that battle with those all-piercing arrows, Bhima began to\nshed copious streams of blood, like a mountain ejecting streams of water.\nThen Bhima pierced the Suta's son in return with three shafts endued with\nthe impetuosity of Garuda and he pierced the latter's charioteer also\nwith seven. Then, O king, Karna thus afflicted by Bhima's might, became\nexceedingly distressed. And that illustrious warrior then fled, forsaking\nthe battle, borne away by his fleet steeds. The Atiratha Bhimasena,\nhowever, drawing his bow adorned with gold, stayed in battle, looking\nresplendent like a blazing fire.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXIV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'I think, Destiny is supreme. Fie on exertion which\nis useless, inasmuch as the son of Adhiratha, though fighting resolutely,\ncould not vanquish the son of Pandu. Karna boasts of his competency to\nvanquish in battle all the Parthas with Govinda amongst them. I do not\nsee in the world, another warrior like Karna! I often heard Duryodhana\nspeak in this strain. Indeed, O Suta, the wretched Duryodhana used to\ntell me formerly, \"Karna is a mighty hero, a firm bowman, above all\nfatigue. If I have that Vasushena for my ally, the very gods will not be\na match for me, what need be said, therefore, O monarch, of the sons of\nPandu that are weak and heartless?\" Tell me therefore, O Sanjaya, what\nDuryodhana said, beholding that Karna defeated and looking like a snake\ndeprived of its poison and flying away from battle. Alas, deprived of his\nsenses, Duryodhana despatched the unsupported Durmukha, unacquainted\nthough he was with battle, into that fiery encounter, like an insect into\nthe blazing fire. O Sanjaya, even Aswatthaman and the ruler of the Madras\nand Kripa, united together, could not stand before Bhimasena. Even these\nknow the terrible might, equal to that of ten thousand elephants, of\nBhima, endued with the energy of Marut himself, as also his cruel\nintents. Why did they provoke the fire in battle, of that hero of cruel\ndeeds, that warrior resembling Yama himself as the latter becomes at the\nend of the Yuga? It seems that Suta's son, the mighty armed Karna alone,\nrelying on the prowess of his own arms, fought in battle with Bhimasena,\ndisregarding the latter. That son of Pandu who vanquished Karna in battle\nlike Purandara vanquishing an Asura, is capable of being vanquished by\nanybody in fight. Who is there that would, hopeful of life, approach that\nBhima who, in Arjuna's quest, alone entered my host, having ground Drona\nhimself? Who, indeed, is there, O Sanjaya, that would dare stay in the\nface of Bhima? Who is there among the Asuras that would venture to stay\nbefore the great Indra with the thunderbolt uplifted in his hand?[157] A\nman may return having entered the abode of the dead, but none, however,\ncan return having encountered Bhimasena! Those men of weak prowess, who\nsenselessly rushed against the angry Bhimasena were like insects falling\nupon a blazing fire. Without doubt, reflecting upon what the angry and\nfierce Bhima had said in the assembly in the hearing of the Kurus about\nthe slaughter of my sons, and beholding the defeat of Karna, Duhsasana\nand his brothers ceased to encounter Bhima from fear. That wicked son\nalso of mine, O Sanjaya, who repeatedly said in the assembly (these\nwords, viz.,) \"Karna and Duhsasana and I myself will vanquish the Pandavas\nin battle,\"--without doubt, beholding Karna defeated and deprived of his\ncar by Bhima, is consumed with grief in consequence of his rejection of\nKrishna's suit![158] Beholding his mail-clad brothers slain in battle by\nBhimasena, in consequence of his own fault, without doubt, my son is\nburning with grief. Who that is desirous of life will make a hostile\nadvance against Pandu's son, Bhima, excited with wrath armed with\nterrible weapons and standing in battle like Death himself? A man may\nescape from the very jaws of the Vadava fire. But it is my belief that no\none can escape from before Bhima's face. Indeed, neither Partha, nor the\nPanchalas, nor Kesava, nor Satyaki, when excited with wrath in battle,\nshows the least regard for (his) life. Alas, O Suta, the very lives of my\nsons are in danger.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Thou, O Kaurava, that art thus grieving in view of the\npresent carnage, thou, without doubt, art the root of this destruction of\nthe world! Obedient to the counsels of thy sons, thou hast thyself\nprovoked this fierce hostility. Though urged (by well-wishers) thou\nacceptest not the proper medicine like a man fated to die. O monarch, O\nbest of men, having thyself drunk the fiercest and the most indigestible\npoison, take thou all its consequences now. The combatants are fighting\nto the best of their might, still thou speakest ill of them. Listen,\nhowever, to me as I describe to thee how the battle raged on.\n\n\"'Beholding Karna defeated by Bhimasena, five of thy sons, those uterine\nbrothers that were great bowmen, could not, O sire, brook it. They were\nDurmarshana and Duhsaha and Durmada and Durdhara and Jaya. Clad in\nbeautiful mail, all of them rushed against the son of Pandu. Encompassing\nthe mighty-armed Vrikodara, on all sides, they shrouded all the points of\nthe compass with their shafts looking like flights of locusts. Bhimasena,\nhowever, in the battle, smilingly received those princes of celestial\nbeauty thus rushing suddenly against him. Beholding thy sons advancing\nagainst Bhimasena, Radha's son, Karna rushed against that mighty warrior,\nshooting arrows of keen points that were equipped with golden wings and\nwhetted on stone. Bhima, however, quickly rushed against Karna, though\nresisted by thy sons. Then the Kurus, surrounding Karna, covered\nBhimasena with showers of straight shafts. With five and twenty arrows, O\nking, Bhima, armed with his formidable bow, despatched all those bulls\namong men to Yama's abode with their steeds and charioteers. Falling down\nfrom their cars along with their charioteers, their lifeless forms looked\nlike large trees with their weight of variegated flowers uprooted by the\ntempest. The prowess that we then beheld of Bhimasena was exceedingly\nwonderful, inasmuch as, resisting Adhiratha's son the while, he slew\nthose sons of thine. Resisted by Bhima with whetted arrows on all sides,\nthe Suta's son, O king, only looked at Bhima. Bhimasena also, with eyes\nred in wrath, began to cast angry glances on Karna, stretching his\nformidable bow the while.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding thy sons lying (on the field), Karna of great\nprowess filled with great wrath, became hopeless about his life. And\nAdhiratha's son regarded himself guilty, seeing thy sons slain before his\neyes in battle by Bhima. Then Bhimasena, recollecting the wrongs formerly\ninflicted by Karna, became filled with rage and began with deliberate\ncare to pierce Karna with many keen arrows. Then Karna, piercing Bhima\nwith five arrows, smiling the while, once more pierced him with seventy\narrows, equipped with golden wings and whetted on stone. Disregarding\nthese shafts shot by Karna, Vrikodara pierced the son of Radha in that\nbattle with a hundred straight shafts. And once more, piercing him in his\nvitals with five keen arrows, Bhima, O sire, cut off with a broad-headed\narrow the bow of the Suta's son. The cheerless Karna then, O Bharata,\ntaking up another bow shrouded Bhimasena on all sides with his arrows.\nThen Bhima, slaying Karna's steeds and charioteer, laughed a laugh,\nhaving thus counteracted Karna's feats. Then that bull amongst men, viz.,\nBhima, cut off with his arrows the bow of Karna. That bow, O king, of\nloud twang, and the back of whose staff was decked with gold, fell down\n(from his hand). Then the mighty car-warrior Karna alighted from his car\nand taking up a mace in that battle wrathfully hurled it at Bhima.\nBeholding that mace, O king, impetuously coursing towards him, Vrikodara\nresisted it with his arrows in the sight of all thy troops. Then the son\nof Pandu, gifted with great prowess and exerting himself with great\nactivity, shot a thousand arrows at the Suta's son, desirous of taking\nthe latter's life. Karna, however, in the dreadful battle, resisting all\nthose shafts with his own, cut off Bhima's armour also with his arrows.\nAnd then he pierced Bhima with five and twenty small shafts in the sight\nof all the troops. All this seemed exceedingly wonderful. Then, O\nmonarch, Bhima, excited with rage, sped nine straight shafts at the\nSuta's son. Those keen shafts, piercing through Karna's coat of mail and\nright arm, entered the earth like snakes into an ant-hill. Shrouded with\nshowers of shafts shot from Bhimasena's bow, Karna once more turned his\nback upon Bhimasena. Beholding the Suta's son turn back and flying away\non foot, covered all over with the arrows of Kunti's son, Duryodhana\nsaid, \"Go ye quickly from all sides towards the car of Radha's son.\"\nThen, O king, thy sons, hearing these words of their brother that were\nto them a surprise, rushed towards the son of Pandu for battle, shooting\nshowers of shafts. They were Chitra, and Upachitra, and Charuchitra, and\nSarasan, and Chitrayudha, and Chitravarman. All of them were well-versed\nin every mode of warfare. The mighty car-warrior, Bhimasena, however,\nfelled each of those sons of thine thus rushing against him, with a\nsingle arrow. Deprived of life, they fell down on the earth like trees\nuprooted by a tempest. Beholding those sons of thine, all mighty\ncar-warriors, O king, thus slain, Karna, with tearful face, recollected\nthe word of Vidura. Mounting upon another car that was duly equipped,\nKarna, endued with great prowess, quickly proceeded against the son of\nPandu in battle. Piercing each other with whetted arrows, equipped with\nwings of gold, the two warriors looked resplendent like two masses of\nclouds penetrated by the rays of the sun. Then the son of Pandu, excited\nwith rage, cut off the armour of Suta's son with six and thirty\nbroad-headed arrows of great sharpness and fierce energy. The\nmighty-armed Suta's son also, O bull of Bharata's race, pierced the son\nof Kunti with fifty straight arrows. The two warriors then, smeared with\nred sandal-paste with many a wound caused by each other's arrows, and\ncovered also with gore, looked resplendent like the risen sun and the\nmoon. Their coats of mail cut off by means of arrows, and their bodies\ncovered with blood, Karna and Bhima then looked like a couple of snakes\njust freed from their sloughs. Indeed, those two tigers among men mangled\neach other with their arrows, like two tigers mangling each other with\ntheir teeth. The two heroes incessantly showered their shafts, like two\nmasses of clouds pouring torrents of rain. Those two chastisers of foes\ntore each other's body with their arrows, like two elephants tearing each\nother with the points of their tusks. Roaring at each other and showering\ntheir arrows upon each other, causing their cars to trace beautiful\ncircles, they resembled a couple of mighty bulls roaring at each other in\nthe presence of a cow in her season. Indeed, those two lions among men\nthen looked like a couple of mighty lions endued with eyes red in wrath,\nthese two warriors endued with great energy fought on like Sakra and\nVirochana's son (Prahlada). Then, O king, the mighty-armed Bhima, as he\nstretched his bow with his two hands, looked like a cloud charged with\nlightning. Then mighty Bhima-cloud, having the twang of the bow for its\nthunder and incessant showers of arrows for its rainy downpour, covered,\nO king, the Karna-mountain. And once more Pandu's son, Bhima of terrible\nprowess, O Bharata, shrouded Karna with a thousand shafts shot from his\nbow. And as he shrouded Karna with his winged shafts, equipped with Kanka\nfeathers, thy sons witnessed his extra-ordinary prowess. Gladdening\nPartha himself and the illustrious Kesava, Satyaki and the two protectors\nof (two) wheels (of Arjuna's car), Bhima fought even thus with Karna.\nBeholding the perseverance of Bhima who knew his own self, thy sons, O\nmonarch, all became cheerless.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXVI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing the twang of Bhimasena's bow and the sound of his\npalms, the son of Radha could not brook it, like an infuriated elephant\nincapable of brooking the roars of an infuriated rival. Returning for a\nmoment from before Bhimasena, Karna cast his eyes upon those sons of\nthine that had been slain by Bhimasena. Beholding them, O best of men,\nKarna became cheerless and plunged in grief. Breathing hot and long\nsighs, he, once more, proceeded against the son of Pandu. With eyes red\nas copper, and sighing in wrath like a mighty snake, Karna then, as he\nshot his arrows, looked resplendent like the sun scattering his\nrays.[159] Indeed, O bull of Bharata's race, Vrikodara was then covered\nwith the arrows, resembling the spreading rays of the sun that were shot\nfrom Karna's bow. The beautiful shafts, equipped with peacock-feathers,\nshot from Karna's bow, penetrated into every part of Bhima's body, like\nbirds into a tree for roosting there. Indeed, the arrows, equipped with\nwings of gold, shot from Karna's bow falling incessantly, resembled\ncontinuous rows of cranes. So numerous were the shafts shot by\nAdhiratha's son that, these seemed to issue not from his bow alone but\nfrom his standard, his umbrella, and the shaft and yoke and bottom of his\ncar also. Indeed, Adhiratha's son shot his sky-ranging shafts of\nimpetuous energy, decked with gold and equipped with vulturine feathers,\nin such a way as to fill the entire welkin with them. Beholding him\n(thus) excited with fury and rushing towards him like the Destroyer\nhimself, Vrikodara, becoming utterly reckless of his life and prevailing\nover his foe, pierced him with nine shafts.[160] Beholding the\nirresistible impetuosity of Karna as also that dense shower of arrows,\nBhima, endued as he was with great prowess, quailed not in fear. The son\nof Pandu then counteracting that arrowy downpour of Adhiratha's son,\npierced Karna himself with twenty other sharp shafts. Indeed, as Pritha's\nson himself had before been shrouded by the Suta's son, even so was the\nlatter now shrouded by the former in that battle. Beholding the prowess\nof Bhimasena in battle, thy warriors, as also the Gandharas, filled with\njoy, applauded him. Bhurisravas, and Kripa, and Drona's son, and the\nruler of the Madras, and Uttamaujas and Yudhamanyu, and Kesava, and\nArjuna,--these great car-warriors, O king, among both the Kurus and the\nPandavas,--loudly cheered Bhima, saying, \"Excellent, Excellent,\" and\nuttered leonine roars. When that fierce uproar, making the hair stand on\nend rose, thy son Duryodhana, O king, quickly said unto all the kings and\nprinces and particularly his uterine brothers, these words, \"Blessed be\nye, proceed towards Karna for rescuing him from Vrikodara, else the\nshafts shot from Bhima's bow will slay the son of Radha. Ye mighty\nbowmen, strive ye to protect the Suta's son.\" Thus commanded by\nDuryodhana, seven of his uterine brothers, O sire, rushing in wrath\ntowards Bhimasena, encompassed him on all sides. Approaching the son of\nKunti they covered him with showers of arrows, like clouds pouring\ntorrents of rain on the mountain-breast in the season of rains. Excited\nwith wrath, those seven great car-warriors began to afflict Bhimasena, O\nking, like the seven planets afflicting the moon at the hour of the\nuniversal dissolution. The son of Kunti, then, O monarch, drawing his\nbeautiful bow with great force and firm grasp, and knowing that his foes\nwere but men, aimed seven shafts. And lord Bhima in great rage sped at\nthem those shafts, effulgent as solar rays. Indeed, Bhimasena\nrecollecting his former wrongs, shot those shafts as if for extracting\nthe life from out of the bodies of those sons of thine. Those arrows, O\nBharata, whetted on stone and equipped with wings of gold, shot by\nBhimasena, piercing through the bodies of those Bharata princes, flew\ninto the sky. Indeed, those arrows winged with gold, piercing through the\nhearts of thy sons, looked beautiful, O monarch, as they passed into the\nsky, like birds of excellent plumage. Decked with gold and covered all\nover with blood, those arrows, O king, drinking the blood of thy sons\npassed out of their body. Pierced in their vital limbs by means of those\narrows, they fell down on the earth from their cars, like tall trees\ngrowing on mountain precipices, broken by an elephant. The seven sons of\nthine that were thus slain were Satrunjaya, and Satrusaha, and Chitra,\nand Chitrayudha, and Dridha, and Chitrasena and Vikarna. Amongst all thy\nsons thus slain, Vrikodara, the son of Pandu, grieved bitterly from\nsorrow for Vikarna who was dear to him. And Bhima said, \"Even thus was\nthe vow made by me, viz., that all of you should be slain by me in\nbattle. It is for that, O Vikarna, that thou hast been slain. My vow hath\nbeen accomplished. O hero, thou camest to battle, bearing in mind the\nduties of a Kshatriya. Thou wert ever engaged in our good, and especially\nin that of the king (our eldest brother). It is scarcely proper,\ntherefore, for me to grieve for thy illustrious self.\" Having slain those\nprinces, O king, in the very sight of Radha's son, the son of Pandu\nuttered a terrible leonine roar. That loud shout of the heroic Bhima, O\nBharata, informed king Yudhishthira the Just that the victory in that\nbattle was his. Indeed, hearing that tremendous shout of Bhima armed with\nthe bow, king Yudhishthira felt great joy in the midst of that battle.\nThe gladdened son of Pandu, then, O king, received that leonine shout of\nhis brother with sounds and other musical instruments. And after\nVrikodara, had sent him that message by the sign agreed upon,\nYudhishthira, that foremost of persons acquainted with weapons, filled\nwith joy, rushed against Drona in battle. On the other hand, O king,\nbeholding one and thirty of thy sons slain, Duryodhana recollected the\nwords of Vidura. \"Those beneficial words spoken by Vidura are now\nrealised!\" Thinking even so, king Duryodhana was unable to do what he\nshould. All that, during the match at dice, thy foolish and wicked son,\nwith Karna (on his side), said unto the princes of Panchala causing her\nto be brought into the assembly, all the harsh words, again, that Karna\nsaid unto Krishna, in the same place, before thyself, O king, and the\nsons of Pandu, in thy hearing and that of all the Kurus, viz., \"O Krishna,\nthe Pandavas are lost and have sunk into eternal hell, therefore, choose\nthou other husbands,\"--alas, the fruit of all that is now manifesting\nitself. Then, again, O thou of Kuru's race, diverse harsh speeches, such\nas sesamum seeds without kernel, etc., were applied by the wrathful sons\nto those high-souled ones, viz., the sons of Pandu. Bhimasena, vomiting\nforth the fire of wrath (which these enraged) and which he had restrained\nfor thirteen years, is now compassing the destruction of thy sons.\nIndulging in copious lamentations, Vidura failed to persuade thee\ntowards peace. O chief of the Bharatas, suffer the fruit of all that with\nthy sons. Thou art old, patient, and capable of foreseeing the\nconsequences of all acts. Being so, when thou didst yet refuse to follow\nthe counsels of thy well-wishers, it seems that all this is the result of\ndestiny. Do not grieve, O tiger among men! All this is thy great fault.\nIn my opinion, thou art thyself the cause of the destruction of thy sons.\nO monarch, Vikarna hath fallen, and Chitrasena also of great prowess.\nMany other mighty car-warriors and foremost ones among thy sons have also\nfallen. Others, again, among thy sons whom Bhima saw come within the\nrange of his vision, O mighty-armed one, he slew in a trice. It is for\nthee only that I had to see our array scorched in thousands by means of\nthe arrows shot by Pandu's son, Bhima and Vrisha (Karna)!'\"\n\n\n\n SECTION CXXXVII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'O Suta, O Sanjaya, this grievous result that has\nnow overtaken us is, I think, certainly due to my evil policy. I had\nhitherto thought that what is past. But, O Sanjaya, what measures should\nI now adopt? I am now once more calm, O Sanjaya, therefore, tell me how\nthis slaughter of heroes is going on, having my evil policy for its\ncause.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Indeed, O king, Karna and Bhima, both endued with great\nprowess, continued in that battle to pour their arrowy showers like two\nrain-charged clouds. The arrows, winged with gold and whetted on stone\nand marked with Bhima's name, approaching Karna, penetrated into his\nbody, as if piercing into his very life. Similarly, Bhima also, in that\nbattle was shrouded with the shafts of Karna in hundreds and thousands,\nresembling snakes of virulent poison. With their arrows, O king, falling\non all sides, an agitation was produced among the troops resembling that\nof the very ocean. Many were the combatants, O chastiser of foes, in thy\nhost that were deprived of life by arrows, resembling snakes of virulent\npoison shot from Bhima's bow. Strewn with fallen elephants and steeds\nmixed with the bodies of men, the field of battle looked like one covered\nwith trees broken by a tempest. Slaughtered in battle with the arrows\nfrom Bhima's bow, thy warriors fled away, saying, \"What is this?\" Indeed,\nthat host of the Sindhus, the Sauviras, and the Kauravas, afflicted with\nthe impetuous shafts of both Karna and Bhima, was removed to a great\ndistance. The remnant of those brave soldiers, with their steeds and\nelephants killed, leaving the vicinity of both Karna and Bhima, fled away\nin all directions. (And they cried out), \"Verily, for the sake of the\nParthas, the gods are stupefying us, since those arrows shot by both\nBhima and Karna are slaying our forces.\" Saying those words, these troops\nof thine afflicted with fear avoiding the range of (Karna's and Bhima's)\narrows, stood at a distance for witnessing that combat. Then, on the\nfield of battle there began to flow a terrible river enhancing the joy of\nthe heroes and the fears of the timid. And it was caused by the blood of\nelephants and steeds and men. And covered with the lifeless forms of men\nand elephants and steeds, with flagstaffs and the bottoms of cars, with\nthe adornments of cars and elephants and steeds with broken cars and\nwheels and Akshas and Kuveras, with loud-twanged bows decked with gold,\nand gold-winged arrows and shafts in thousands, shot by Karna and Bhima,\nresembling snakes just freed from their sloughs, with countless lances\nand spears and scimitars and battleaxes, with maces and clubs and axes,\nall adorned with gold, with standards of diverse shapes, and darts and\nspiked clubs, and with beautiful Sataghnis, the earth, O Bharata, looked\nresplendent. And strewn all over with earrings and necklaces of gold and\nbracelets loosened (from wrists), and rings, and precious gems worn on\ndiadems and crowns, and head-gears, and golden ornaments of diverse\nkinds, O sire, and coats of mail, and leathern fences, and elephants'\nropes, and umbrellas displaced (from their places) and Yak-tails, and\nfans with the pierced bodies of elephants and steeds and men, with\nblood-dyed arrows, and with diverse other objects, lying about and\nloosened from their places, the field of battle looked resplendent like\nthe firmament bespangled with stars. Beholding the wonderful,\ninconceivable, and superhuman feats of those two warriors, the Charanas\nand the Siddhas were exceedingly amazed. As a blazing conflagration,\nhaving the wind for its ally, courses through an (extended) heap of dry\ngrass, even so, Adhiratha's son, engaged with Bhima, coursed fiercely in\nthat battle.[161] Both of them felled countless standards and cars and\nslew steeds and men and elephants, like a pair of elephants crushing a\nforest of reeds while engaged in battle with other. Thy host looked like\na mass of clouds, O king of men, and great was the carnage caused in\nthat battle by Karna and Bhima.'\"[162]\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then Karna, O king, piercing Bhima with three arrows,\npoured countless beautiful arrows upon him. The mighty-armed Bhimasena,\nthe son of Pandu, though thus struck by the Suta's son, showed no signs\nof pain but stood immovable like a hill pierced (with arrows). In return,\nO sire, in that battle, he deeply pierced Karna in the ear with a barbed\narrow, rubbed with oil, of great keenness, and of excellent temper. (With\nthat arrow) he felled on the earth the large and beautiful ear-ring of\nKarna. And it felled down, O monarch, like a blazing luminary of great\neffulgence from the firmament. Excited with wrath, Vrikodara, then,\nsmiling the while, deeply pierced the Suta's son in the centre of the\nchest with another broad-headed arrow. And once again, O Bharata, the\nmighty-armed Bhima quickly shot in that battle ten long shafts that\nlooked like snakes of virulent poison just freed from their sloughs. Shot\nby Bhima, those shafts, O sire, striking Karna's forehead, entered it\nlike snakes entering an ant-hill. With those shafts sticking to his\nforehead, the Suta's son looked beautiful, as he did before, while his\nbrow had been encircled with a chaplet of blue lotuses. Deeply pierced by\nthe active son of Pandu, Karna, supporting himself on the Kuxara of his\ncar, closed his eyes. Soon, however, regaining consciousness, Karna, that\nscorcher of foes, with his body bathed in blood, became mad with\nrage.[163] Infuriated with rage in consequence of his being thus\nafflicted by that firm bowman, Karna, endued with great impetuosity,\nrushed fiercely towards Bhimasena's car. Then, O king, the mighty and\nwrathful Karna, maddened with rage, shot at Bhimasena, O Bharata, a\nhundred shafts winged with vulturine feathers. The son of Pandu, however,\ndisregarding his foe and setting at nought his energy, began to shoot\nshowers of fierce arrows at him. Then Karna, O king, excited with rage, O\nscorcher of foes, struck the son of Pandu, that embodiment of wrath with\nnine arrows in the chest. Then both those tigers among men (armed with\narrows and, therefore), resembling a couple of tigers with fierce teeth,\npoured upon each other, in that battle, their arrowy showers, like two\nmighty masses of clouds. They sought to frighten each other in that\nbattle, with sounds of their palms and with showers of arrows of diverse\nkinds. Excited with rage, each sought in that battle to counteract the\nother's feat. Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the mighty-armed\nBhima, O Bharata, cutting off, with a razor-faced arrow, the bow of the\nSuta's son, uttered a loud shout. Casting off that broken bow, the Suta's\nson, that mighty car-warrior, took up another bow that was stronger and\ntougher. Beholding that slaughter of the Kuru, the Sauvira, and the\nSindhu heroes, and marking that the earth was covered with coats of mail\nand standards and weapons lying about, and also seeing the lifeless forms\nof elephants, foot-soldiers and horsemen and car-warriors on all sides,\nthe body of the Suta's son, from wrath, blazed up with effulgence.\nStretching his formidable bow, decked with gold, Radha's son, O king,\neyed Bhima with wrathful glances. Infuriated with rage, the Suta's son,\nwhile shooting his arrows, looked resplendent, like the autumnal sun of\ndazzling rays at mid-day. While employed with his hands in taking up an\narrow, fixing it on the bow-string, stretching the string and letting it\noff, none could notice any interval between those acts. And while Karna\nwas thus engaged in shooting his arrows right and left, his bow\nincessantly drawn to a circle, like a terrible circle of fire. The keen\npointed arrows, equipped with wings of gold, shot from Karna's bow,\ncovered, O king, all the points of the compass, darkening the very light\nof the sun. Countless flights were seen, in the welkin, of those shafts\nequipped with wings of gold, shot from Karna's bow. Indeed, the shafts\nshot from the bow of Adhiratha's son, looked like rows of cranes in the\nsky. The arrows that Adhiratha's son shot were all equipped with\nvulturine feathers, whetted on stone, decked with gold, endued with great\nimpetuosity, and furnished with blazing points. Impelled by the force of\nhis bow, those arrows urged by Karna, while coursing in thousands through\nthe welkin looked beautiful like successive flights of locusts. The\narrows shot from the bow of Adhiratha's son, as they coursed through the\nwelkin, looked like one long continuously drawn arrow in the sky. Like a\ncloud covering a mountain with torrents of rain, Karna in rage, covered\nBhima with showers of arrows. Then thy sons, O Bharata, with their\ntroops, beheld the might, energy, prowess and perseverance of Bhima, for\nthe latter, disregarding that arrowy downpour, resembling the raging sea,\nrushed in wrath against Karna, Bhima, O monarch, was armed with a\nformidable bow, the back of whose staff was decked with gold. He\nstretched it so quickly that it seemed, like a second bow of Indra,\nincessantly drawn to a circle. Shafts issued continuously from it seemed\nto fill the welkin. With those straight arrows, equipped with wings of\ngold, shot by Bhima, a continuous line was made in the sky that looked\neffulgent like a garland of gold. Then those showers of (Karna's) arrows\nspread in the welkin, struck by Bhimasena with his shafts, were scattered\nin portions and fell down on the earth. Then the sky was covered with\nthose showers of gold-winged and swiftly-coursing arrows, of both Karna\nand Bhimasena, that produced sparks of fire as they clashed against each\nother. The very sun was then shrouded, and the very wind ceased to blow.\nIndeed, when the welkin was thus covered with those arrowy showers,\nnothing could be seen. Then the Suta's son, disregarding the energy of\nthe high-souled Bhima, completely shrouded Bhima with other arrows and\nendeavoured to prevail over him. Then, O sire, those arrowy showers shot\nby both of them, seemed to clash against each other like two opposite\ncurrents of wind. And in consequence of that clash of the arrowy showers\nof those two lions among men, a conflagration, O chief of the Bharatas,\nseemed to be generated in the sky. Then Karna, desirous of slaying Bhima,\nshot at him in rage many whetted arrows equipped with wings of gold and\npolished by the hands of the smith. Bhima, however, cut off with his own\nshafts every one of those arrows into three fragments, and prevailing\nover the Suta's son, he cried out, \"Wait, Wait.\" And the wrathful and\nmighty son of Pandu, like an all-consuming conflagration, once more shot\nin rage showers of fierce shafts. And then in consequence of their\nleathern fences striking against their bow-strings, loud sounds were\ngenerated. And loud also became the sound of their palms, and terrible\ntheir leonine shouts, and fierce the rattle of their car-wheels and the\ntwang of their bow-strings. And all the combatants, O king, ceased to\nfight, desirous of beholding the prowess of Karna and of the son of\nPandu, each of whom was desirous of slaying the other. And the celestial\nRishis and Siddhas and Gandharvas, applauded them, saying, \"Excellent,\nExcellent!\" And the tribes of Vidyadharas rained flowery showers upon\nthem. Then the wrathful and mighty-armed Bhima of fierce prowess,\nbaffling with his own weapons the weapons of his foe, pierced the Suta's\nson with many shafts. Karna also, endued with great might, baffling the\nshafts of Bhimasena, sped at him nine long shafts in that battle. Bhima,\nhowever, with as many arrows, cut off those shafts of Suta's son in the\nwelkin and addressed him, saying, \"Wait, Wait!\" Then the mighty-armed and\nheroic Bhima, excited with rage, shot at Adhiratha's son an arrow\nresembling the rod of Yama or Death himself. Radha's son, however,\nsmiling, cut off that arrow, O king, of Pandu's son, however, of great\nProwess, with three arrows of his, as it coursed towards him through the\nwelkin. The son of Pandu then once more shot showers of fierce shafts.\nKarna, however, fearlessly received all those arrows of Bhima. Then\nexcited with rage, the Suta's son, Karna, by the power of his weapons,\nwith his straight arrows, cut off in that encounter the couple of quivers\nand the bow-string of fighting Bhima, as also the traces of his steeds.\nAnd then slaying his steeds also, Karna pierced Bhima's charioteer with\nfive shafts. The charioteer, quickly running away, proceeded to\nYudhamanyu's car. Excited with rage, the son of Radha then, whose\nsplendour resembled that of the Yuga-fire, smiling the while, cut off the\nflag-staff of Bhima and felled his banner. Deprived of his bow, the\nmighty-armed Bhima then seized a dart, such as car-warriors may use.\nExcited with wrath, he whirled it in his hand and then hurled it with\ngreat force at Karna's car. The son of Adhiratha then, with ten shafts,\ncut off, as it coursed towards him with the effulgence of a large meteor,\nthe gold-decked dart thus hurled (by Bhima).[164] Thereupon, that dart\nfell down, cut off into ten fragments by those sharp shafts of the Suta's\nson, Karna, that warrior conversant with every mode of warfare, then\nbattling for the sake of his friends. Then, the son of Kunti took up a\nshield decked with gold and a sword, desirous of obtaining either death\nor victory. Karna, however, O Bharata, smiling the while, cut off that\nbright shield of Bhima with many fierce shafts. Then, car-less, Bhima, O\nking, deprived of his shield, became mad with rage. Quickly, then, he\nhurled his formidable sword at Karna's car. That large sword, cutting off\nthe stringed bow of the Suta's son, fell down on the earth, O king, like\nan angry snake from the sky. Then Adhiratha's son, excited with rage in\nthat battle, smilingly took up another bow destructive of foes, having a\nstronger string, and tougher than the one he had lost. Desirous of\nslaying the son of Kunti, Karna then began to shoot thousands of arrows,\nO king, equipped with wings of gold and endued with great energy. Struck\nby those shafts shot from Karna's bow, the mighty Bhima leaped into the\nsky, filling Karna's heart with anguish. Beholding the conduct of Bhima,\nin battle desirous of victory, the son of Radha beguiled him by\nconcealing himself in his car. Seeing Karna concealing himself with an\nagitated heart on the terrace of his car, Bhima catching hold of Karna's\nflagstaff, waited on the earth. All the Kurus and the Charanas highly\napplauded that attempt of Bhima of snatching Karna away from his car,\nlike Garuda snatching away a snake. His bow cut off, himself deprived of\nhis car, Bhima, observant of the duties of his order, stood still for\nbattle, keeping his (broken) car behind him. The son of Radha, then, from\nrage, in that encounter, proceeded against the son of Pandu who was\nwaiting for battle. Then those two mighty warriors, O king, challenging\nas they approached each other, those two bulls among men, roared at each\nother, like clouds at the close of summer. And the passage-at-arms that\nthen took place between those two enraged lions among men that could not\nbrook each other in battle resembled that of old between the gods and the\nDanavas. The son of Kunti, however, whose stock of weapons was exhausted,\nwas (obliged to turn back) pursued by Karna. Beholding the elephants,\nhuge as hills that had been slain by Arjuna, lying (near), unarmed\nBhimasena entered into their midst, for impeding the progress of Karna's\ncar. Approaching that multitude of elephants and getting into the midst\nof that fastness which was inaccessible to a car, the son of Pandu,\ndesirous of saving his life, refrained from striking the son of Radha.\nDesirous of shelter, that subjugator of hostile cities viz., the son of\nPritha, uplifting an elephant that had been slain by Dhananjaya with his\nshafts, waited there, like Hanumat uplifting the peak of\nGandhamadana.[165] Karna, however, with his shafts, cut off that elephant\nheld by Bhima. The son of Pandu, thereupon, hurled at Karna the fragments\nof that elephant's body as also car-wheels and steeds. In fact, all\nobjects that he saw lying there on the field, the son of Pandu, excited\nwith rage, took up and hurled at Karna. Karna, however, with his sharp\narrows, cut off every one of those objects thus thrown at him. Bhima\nalso, raising his fierce fists that were endued with the force of the\nthunder, desired to slay the Suta's son. Soon, however, he recollected\nArjuna's vow. The son of Pandu, therefore, though competent, spared the\nlife of Karna, from desire of not falsifying the vow that Savyasachin had\nmade. The Suta's son, however, with his sharp shafts, repeatedly caused\nthe distressed Bhima, to lose the sense. But Karna, recollecting the\nwords of Kunti, took not the life of the unarmed Bhima. Approaching\nquickly Karna touched him with the horn of his bow. As soon, however, as\nBhimasena was touched with the bow, excited with rage and sighing like a\nsnake, he snatched the bow from Karna and struck him with it on the head.\nStruck by Bhimasena, the son of Radha, with eyes red in wrath, smiling\nthe while, said unto him repeatedly these words, viz., \"Beardless eunuch,\nignorant fool and glutton.\" And Karna said, \"Without skill in weapons, do\nnot fight with me. Thou art but a child, a laggard in battle! There, son\nof Pandu, where occurs a profusion of eatables and drink, there, O\nwretch, shouldst thou be but never in battle. Subsisting on roots,\nflowers, and observant of vows and austerities, thou, O Bhima, shouldst\npass thy days in the woods for thou art unskilled in battle. Great is the\ndifference between battle and the austere mode of a Muni's life.\nTherefore, O Vrikodara, retire into the woods. O child, thou art not fit\nfor being engaged in battle. Thou hast an aptitude for a life in the\nwoods. Urging cooks and servants and slaves in the house to speed, thou\nart fit only for reproving them in wrath for the sake of thy dinner, O\nVrikodara! O Bhima, O thou of a foolish understanding, betaking thyself\nto a Muni's mode of life, gather thou fruits (for thy food). Go to the\nwoods, O son of Kunti, for thou art not skilled in battle. Employed in\ncutting fruits and roots or in waiting upon guests, thou art unfit, I\nthink, to take a part, O Vrikodara, in any passage-at-arms.\" And, O\nmonarch, all the wrongs done to him in his younger years, were also\nreminded by Karna in harsh words. And as he stood there in weakness,\nKarna once more touched him with the bow. And laughing loudly, Vrisha\nonce more told Bhima those words, \"Thou shouldst fight with others, O\nsire, but never with one like me. They that fight with persons like us\nhave to undergo this and else! Go thither where the two Krishnas are!\nThey will protect thee in battle. Or, O son of Kunti, go home, for, a\nchild as thou art, what business hast thou with battle?\" Hearing those\nharsh words of Karna, Bhimasena laughed aloud and addressing Karna said\nunto him these words in the hearing of all, \"O wicked wight, repeatedly\nhast thou been vanquished by me. How canst thou indulge, then, in such\nidle boast? In this world the ancients witnessed the victory and defeat\nof the great Indra himself. O thou of ignoble parentage, engage thyself\nwith me in an athletic encounter with bare arms. Even as I slew the\nmighty Kichaka of gigantic frame, I would then slay thee in the very\nsight of all kings.\" Understanding the motives of Bhima, Karna, that\nforemost of intelligent men, abstained from that combat in the very sight\nof all the bowmen. Indeed, having made Bhima carless, Karna, O king,\nreproved him in such boastful language in the sight of that lion among\nthe Vrishnis (viz., Krishna) and of the high-souled Partha. Then the\nape-bannered (Arjuna), urged by Kesava, shot at the Suta's son, O king,\nmany shafts whetted on stone. Those arrows adorned with gold, shot by\nPartha's arms and issuing out of Gandiva, entered Karna's body, like\ncranes into the Krauncha mountains. With those arrows shot from Gandiva\nwhich entered Karna's body like so many snakes, Dhananjaya drove the\nSuta's son from Bhimasena's vicinity. His bow cut off by Bhima, and\nhimself afflicted with the arrows of Dhananjaya, Karna quickly fled away\nfrom Bhima on his great car. Bhimasena also, O bull among men, mounting\nupon Satyaki's car, proceeded in that battle in the wake of his brother\nSavyasachin, the son of Pandu. Then Dhananjaya, with eyes red in wrath,\naiming at Karna, quickly sped a shaft like the Destroyer urging forward\nDeath's self. That shaft shot from Gandiva, like Garuda in the welkin in\nquest of a mighty snake, quickly coursed towards Karna. The son of Drona,\nhowever, that mighty car-warrior, with a winged arrow of his, cut it off\nin mid-air, desirous of rescuing Karna from fear of Dhananjaya. Then\nArjuna, excited with wrath, pierced the son of Drona with four and sixty\narrows, O king, and addressing him, said, \"Do not fly away, O Aswatthaman,\nbut wait a moment.\" Drona's son, however, afflicted with the shafts of\nDhananjaya, quickly entered a division of the Kaurava army that abounded\nwith infuriated elephants and teemed with cars. The mighty son of Kunti,\nthen, with the twang of Gandiva, drowned the noise made in that battle by\nall other twangings of bows, of shafts decked with gold. Then, the mighty\nDhananjaya followed from behind the son of Drona who had not retreated to\na great distance, frightening him all the way with his shafts. Piercing\nwith his shafts, winged with the feathers of Kankas and peacocks, the\nbodies of men and elephants and steeds, Arjuna began to grind that force.\nIndeed, O chief of the Bharatas, Partha, the son of Indra, began to\nexterminate that host teeming with steeds and elephants and men.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXXXIX\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Day by day, O Sanjaya, my blazing fame is being\ndarkened. A great many warriors of mine have fallen. I think, all this is\ndue to the reverse brought about by time. Dhananjaya, excited with rage,\nhath penetrated into my host which is protected by Drona's son, and Karna\nand which, therefore, is incapable of being penetrated by the very gods.\nUnited with those two of blazing energy viz., Krishna and Bhima, as also\nwith that bull among the Sinis, his prowess hath been increased. Since I\nhave heard of Dhananjaya's entry, grief is consuming my heart, like fire\nconsuming a heap of dry grass, I see that all the kings of the earth with\nthe ruler of the Sindhus amongst them, are affected by evil destiny.\nHaving done a great wrong to the diadem-decked (Arjuna), how can the\nruler of the Sindhus, if he falls within Arjuna's sight, save his life?\nFrom circumstantial inference, I see, O Sanjaya, how can the ruler of the\nSindhus, if he falls within Arjuna's sight, save his life? From\ncircumstantial inference, I see, O Sanjaya, that the ruler of the Sindhus\nis already dead. Tell me, however, truly how the battle raged. Thou art\nskilled in narration, O Sanjaya, tell me truly how the Vrishni hero\nSatyaki fought, who striving resolutely for Dhananjaya's sake, alone\nentered in rage the vast force, disturbing and agitating it repeatedly,\nlike an elephant plunging into a lake overgrown with lotuses.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding that foremost of men, viz., Bhima, to proceed,\nafflicted with Karna's shafts in the midst, O king, of many heroes, that\nforemost warrior amongst the Sinis followed him on his car. Roaring like\nthe clouds at the close of summer, and blazing like the autumnal sun, he\nbegan to slaughter with his formidable bow the host of thy son, causing\nit to tremble repeatedly. And as the foremost one of Madhu's race, O\nBharata, thus proceeded along the field on his car, drawn by steeds of\nthe hue of silver and himself roaring terribly, none amongst thy warriors\ncould check his progress. Then that foremost of kings, viz., Alamvusha,\nfull of rage, never retreating from battle, armed with bow, and clad in a\ngolden coat of mail rushing quickly, impeded the progress of Satyaki,\nthat foremost warrior of Madhu's race. The encounter, then, O Bharata,\nthat took place between them was such that its like had never been. All\nthy warriors and the enemy, abstaining from the fight, became spectators\nof that engagement between those two ornaments of battle. Then that\nforemost of kings, viz., Alamvusha forcibly pierced Satyaki with ten\narrows. That bull of Sini's race, however, with shafts, cut all those\narrows before they could reach him. And once more, Alamvusha struck\nSatyaki with three sharp arrows equipped with beautiful wings, blazing as\nfire, and shot from his bow drawn to the ear. Those piercing through\nSatyaki's coat of mail, penetrated into his body. Having pierced\nSatyaki's body with those sharp and blazing arrows, endued with the force\nof fire or the wind, Alamvusha forcibly struck the four steeds of\nSatyaki, white as silver, with four other arrows. The grandson of Sini,\nendued with great activity and prowess like that of (Kesava himself), the\nbearer of the discus, thus struck by him, slew with four shafts of great\nimpetuosity the four steeds of Alamvusha. Having then cut off his head,\nbeautiful as the full moon and decked with excellent car-rings with a\nbroad-headed arrow, fierce as the Yuga-fire. Having slain that descendant\nof many kings in battle, that bull among the Yadus, that hero capable of\ngrinding hostile hosts, proceeded towards Arjuna, O king, resisting, as\nhe went, the enemy's troops. Indeed, O king, thus careering in the midst\nof the foe, the Vrishni hero, while proceeding in the wake (of Arjuna),\nwas seen repeatedly to destroy with his shafts the Kuru host, like the\nhurricane dispersing gathering masses of clouds. Whithersoever that lion\namong men desired to go, thither he was borne by those excellent steeds\nof his, of the Sindhu breed, well-broken, docile, white as milk of the\nKunda flower or the moon or snow, and adorned with trappings of warriors,\nviz., Duhsasana,--their commander. Those leaders of divisions,\nencompassing the grandson of Sini on all sides in that battle, began to\nstrike him. That foremost one among the Satwatas, that hero, viz.,\nSatyaki also, resisted them all with showers of arrows. Quickly checking\nall of them by means of his fiery shafts, that slayer of foes, viz., the\ngrandson of Sini, forcibly uplifting his bow, O Ajamida, slew the steeds\nof Duhsasana. Then, Arjuna and Krishna, beholding that foremost of men,\n(viz., Satyaki) in that battle, became filled with joy.\"'\n\n\n\nSECTION CXL\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then the great bowmen of the Trigarta country owning\nstandards, adorned with gold, encompassed on all sides the mighty-armed\nSatyaki, that warrior who accomplished with great activity everything\nthat demanded accomplishment and who, having penetrated into that host,\nunlimited as the sea, was rushing against Duhsasana's car from desire of\nDhananjaya's success. Checking his course with a large throng of cars on\nall sides, those great bowmen, excited with rage, covered him with\nshowers of arrows. Having penetrated into the midst of the Bharata army\nwhich resembled a shoreless sea, and which, filled with the sound of\npalms abounded with swords and darts and maces, Satyaki, of prowess\nincapable of being baffled, alone vanquished his foes, those fifty\n(Trigarta) princes shining brilliantly in that battle. On that occasion\nwe saw that the conduct of Sini's grandson in battle was extremely\nwonderful. So great was the lightness (of his movements) that having seen\nhim on the west, we immediately saw him in the east. North, south, east,\nwest, and in the other subsidiary directions, that hero seemed to career\ndancingly, as if he constituted a hundred warriors in his single self.\nBeholding that conduct of Satyaki, endued with the sportive tread of the\nlion, the Trigarta warriors, unable to bear his prowess fled away towards\n(the division of) their own (countrymen). Then the brave warriors of the\nSurasenas endeavoured to check Satyaki, striking him with showers of\nshafts, like a driver striking an infuriated elephant with the hook. The\nhigh-souled Satyaki struggled with them for a short space of time and\nthen that hero of inconceivable prowess began to fight with the Kalingas.\nTransgressing that division of the Kalingas which was incapable of being\ncrossed, the mighty-armed Satyaki approached the presence of Dhananjaya,\nthe son of Pritha. Like a tired swimmer in water when he reaches the\nland, Yuyudhana became comforted on obtaining the sight of Dhananjaya,\nthat tiger among men. Beholding him approach, Kesava, addressing Partha,\nsaid, \"Yonder cometh the grandson of Sini, O Partha, following in thy\nwake. O thou of prowess incapable of being baffled, he is thy disciple\nand friend. That bull among men, regarding all the warriors as straw,\nhath vanquished them. Inflicting terrible injuries upon the Kaurava\nwarriors, Satyaki, who is dear to thee as life, cometh towards thee, O\nKiritin! Having with his shafts crushed Drona himself and Kritavarman of\nthe Bhoja race, this Satyaki cometh to thee, O Phalguna! Intent on\nYudhishthira's good, having slain many foremost of warriors, the brave\nSatyaki, skilled in weapons, is coming to thee, O Phalguna! Having\nachieved the most difficult feat in the midst of the (Kaurava) troops,\nthe mighty Satyaki, desirous of obtaining thy sight cometh to thee, O son\nof Pandu! Having on a single car fought in battle many mighty\ncar-warriors with the preceptor (Drona) on their head, Satyaki cometh to\nthee, O Partha! Despatched by Dharma's son, this Satyaki cometh to thee,\nO Partha, having pierced through the Kaurava army, relying on the might\nof his own arms. Invincible in battle, that Satyaki, who hath no warrior\namongst the Kauravas equal to him, is coming to thee, O son of Kunti!\nHaving slain countless warriors, this Satyaki cometh to thee, O Partha,\nfreed from amid the Kaurva troops, like a lion from amid a herd of kine.\nHaving strewn the earth with the faces, beautiful as the lotus, of\nthousands of kings, this Satyaki is coming to thee, O Partha! Having\nvanquished in battle Duryodhana himself with his brothers, and having\nslain Jalasandha, Satyaki is coming quickly. Having caused a river of\nblood for its mire, and regarding the Kauravas as straw, Satyaki cometh\ntowards thee.\" The son of Kunti, without being cheerful, said these words\nunto Kesava, \"The arrival of Satyaki, O mighty-armed one, is scarcely\nagreeable to me. I do not, O Kesava, know how king Yudhishthira the Just\nis. Now that he is separated from Satwata, I doubt whether he is alive; O\nmighty-armed one, this Satyaki should have protected the king. Why then,\nO Krishna, hath this one, leaving Yudhishthira followed in my wake? The\nking, therefore, hath been abandoned to Drona. The ruler of the Sindhus\nhath not yet been slain. There, Bhurisravas is proceeding against Satyaki\nin battle. A heavier burthen hath been cast upon me on account of\nJayadratha. I should know how the king is and I should also protect\nSatyaki. I should also slay Jayadratha. The sun hangeth low. As regards\nthe mighty-armed Satyaki, he is tired; his weapons also have been\nexhausted. His steeds as also their driver, are tired, O Madhava!\nBhurisravas, on the other hand, is not tired, he hath supporters behind\nhim, O Kesava! Will success be Satyaki's in this encounter? Having\ncrossed the very ocean, will Satyaki of unbaffled prowess, will that bull\namongst the Sinis, of great energy, succumb, obtaining (before him) the\nvestige of a cow's foot?[166] Encountering that foremost one amongst the\nKurus, viz., the high-souled Bhurisravas, skilled in weapons, will\nSatyaki have good fortune? I regard this, O Kesava, to have been an error\nof judgment on the part of king Yudhishthira the Just. Casting off all\nfear of the preceptor, he hath despatched Satyaki (from away his side).\nLike a sky-ranging hawk after a peace of meat, Drona always endeavoureth\nafter the seizure of king Yudhishthira the Just. Will the king be free\nfrom all danger?\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Satwata, invincible in battle coming (towards\nArjuna), Bhurisravas, in rage, O king, suddenly advanced towards him. He\nof Kuru's race, then, O king, addressing that bull of Sini's race, said,\n\"By luck it is thou that hast today come within the range of my vision.\nToday in this battle, I obtain the wish I had always cherished. If thou\ndost not flee away from battle, thou wilt not escape me with life.\nSlaying thee today in fight, thou that art ever proud of thy heroism, I\nwill, O thou of Dasarha's race, gladden the Kuru king Suyodhana. Those\nheroes, viz., Kesava and Arjuna, will today together behold thee lying on\nthe field of battle, scorched with my arrows. Hearing that thou hast been\nslain by me, the royal son of Dharma, who caused thee to penetrate into\nthis host, will today be covered with shame. Pritha's son, Dhananjaya,\nwill today behold my prowess when he sees thee slain and lying on the\nearth, covered with gore. This encounter with thee hath always been\ndesired by me, like the encounter of Sakra with Vali in the battle\nbetween the gods and the Asuras in days of old. Today I will give thee\ndreadful battle, O Satwata! Thou shalt thence truly understand (the\nmeasure of) my energy, might, and manliness. Slain by me in battle, thou\nshalt today proceed to the abode of Yama, like Ravana's son (Indrajit)\nslain by Lakshmana, the younger brother of Rama. Today, Krishna and\nPartha and king Yudhishthira the Just, O thou of Madhu's race, witnessing\nthy slaughter will, without doubt, be overcome with despondency and will\ngive up battle. Causing thy death today, O Madhava, with keen shafts, I\nwill gladden the wives of all those that have been slain by thee in\nbattle. Having come within the scope of my vision, thou shalt not escape,\nlike a small deer from within the range of a lion's vision.\" Hearing\nthese words of his, Yuyudhana, O king, answered him with a laugh, saying,\n\"O thou of Kuru's race, I am never inspired with fear in battle. Thou\nshalt not succeed in terrifying me with thy words only. He will slay me\nin battle who will succeed in disarming me. He that will slay me in\nbattle will slay (foes) for all time to come.[167] What is the use of\nsuch idle and long-winded boast in words? Accomplish in deed what thou\nsayest. Thy words seem to be as fruitless as the roar of autumnal clouds.\nHearing, O hero, these roars of thine, I cannot restrain my laughter. Let\nthat encounter, O thou of Kuru's race, which has been desired by thee so\nlong, take place today. My heart, O sire, inspired as it is with the\ndesire of an encounter with thee, cannot brook any delay. Before slaying\nthee, I shall not abstain from the fight, O wretch.\" Rebuking each other\nin such words, those two bulls among men, both excited with great wrath,\nstruck each other in battle, each being desirous of taking the other's\nlife. Those great bowmen both endued with great might, encountered each\nother in battle, each challenging the other, like two wrathful elephants\nin rut for the sake of a she-elephant in her season. And those two\nchastisers of foes, viz., Bhurisravas and Satyaki, poured upon each other\ndense showers of arrows like two masses of clouds. Then Somadatta's son,\nhaving shrouded the grandson of Sini with swift coursing shafts, once\nmore pierced the latter, O chief of the Bharatas, with many keen shafts,\nfrom desire of slaying him. Having pierced Satyaki with ten shafts,\nSomadatta's son sped many other keen shafts at that bull amongst the\nSinis, from a desire of compassing his destruction. Satyaki, however, O\nlord, cut off, with the power of his weapons, all those keen shafts of\nBhurisravas, O king, in the welkin, before, in fact, any of them could\nreach him. Those two heroes, those two warriors that enhanced the fame of\nthe Kurus and the Vrishnis respectively, both of noble lineage, thus\npoured upon each other their arrowy showers. Like two tigers fighting\nwith their claws or two huge elephants with their tusks they mangled each\nother with shafts and darts, such as car-warriors may use. Mangling each\nother's limbs, and with blood issuing out of their wounds, those two\nwarriors engaged in a gambling match in which their lives were at the\nstake, checked and confounded each other. Those heroes of excellent\nfeats, those enhancers of the fame of the Kurus and the Vrishnis, thus\nfought with each other, like two leaders of elephantine herds. Indeed,\nthose warriors, both coveting the highest region, both cherishing the\ndesire of very soon attaining the region of Brahman, thus roared at each\nother. Indeed, Satyaki and Somadatta's son continued to cover each other\nwith their arrowy showers in the sight of the Dhartarashtras filled with\njoy. And the people there witnessed that encounter between those two\nforemost of warriors who were fighting like two leaders of elephantine\nherds for the sake of a she-elephant in her season. Then each slaying the\nother's steeds and cutting off the other's bow, those car-less combatants\nencountered each other with swords in a dreadful fight. Taking up two\nbeautiful and large and bright shields made of bull's hide, and two naked\nswords, they careered on the field. Stalking in circles and in diverse\nother kinds of courses duly, those grinders of foes excited with rage,\nfrequently struck each other. Armed with swords, clad in bright armour,\ndecked with cuirass and Angadas, those two famous warriors showed diverse\nkinds of motion. They wheeled about on high and made side-thrusts, and\nran about, and rushed forward and rushed upwards. And those chastisers of\nfoes began to strike each other with their swords. And each of them\nlooked eagerly for the dereliction of the other. And both of those heroes\nleapt beautifully and both showed their skill in that battle, began also\nto make skilful passes at each other, and having struck each other, O\nking, those heroes took rest for a moment in the sight of all the troops.\nHaving with their swords cut in pieces each other's beautiful shield, O\nking, decked with a hundred moons, those tigers among men, engaged\nthemselves in a wrestling encounter. Both having broad chests, both\nhaving long arms, both well-skilled in wrestling, they encountered each\nother with their arms of iron that resembled spiked maces. And they\nstruck each other with their arms, and seized each other's arms, and each\nseized with his arms the other's neck. And the skill they had acquired by\nexercise, contributed to the joy of all the warriors that stood as\nspectators of the encounter. And as those heroes fought with each other,\nO king, in that battle, loud and terrible were the sounds produced by\nthem, resembling the fall of the thunder upon the mountain breast. Like\ntwo elephants encountering each other with the end of their tusks, or\nlike two bulls with their horns, those two illustrious and foremost\nwarriors of the Kuru and the Satwata races, fought with each other,\nsometimes binding each other with their arms, sometimes striking each\nother with their heads, sometimes intertwining each other's legs,\nsometimes slapping their armpits, sometimes pinching each other with\ntheir nails, sometimes clasping each other tightly, sometimes twining\ntheir legs round each other's loins, sometimes rolling on the ground,\nsometimes advancing, sometimes receding, sometimes rising up, and\nsometimes leaping up. Indeed, those two and thirty kinds of separate\nmanoeuvres that characterise encounters of that kind.\n\n\"'When Satwata's weapons were exhausted during his engagement with\nBhurisravas, Vasudeva said unto Arjuna, \"Behold that foremost of all\nbowmen, viz., Satyaki, engaged in battle, deprived of car. He hath\nentered the Bharata host, having pierced through it, following in thy\nwake, O son of Pandu! He hath fought with all the Bharata warriors of\ngreat energy. The giver of large sacrificial presents, viz., Bhurisravas,\nhath encountered that foremost of warriors while tired with fatigue.\nDesirous of battle, Bhurisravas is about to encounter.\" Then that warrior\ninvincible in battle, viz., Bhurisravas, excited with wrath, vigorously\nstruck Satyaki, O king, like an infuriated elephant striking an\ninfuriated compeer. Those two foremost of warriors, both upon their cars,\nand both excited with wrath, fought on, king, Kesava and Arjuna\nwitnessing their encounter. Then the mighty-armed Krishna, addressing\nArjuna, said, \"Behold, that tiger among the Vrishnis and the Andhakas has\nsuccumbed to Somadatta's son. Having achieved the most difficult feats,\nexhausted with exertion, he hath been deprived of his car. O Arjuna,\nprotect Satyaki, thy heroic disciple. See that foremost of men may not,\nfor thy sake, O tiger among men, succumb to Bhurisravas, devoted to\nsacrifices. O puissant one, speedily do what is needed.\" Dhananjaya, with\na cheerful heart addressing Vasudeva, said, \"Behold, that bull amongst\nthe Kurus and that foremost one among the Vrishnis are sporting with each\nother, like a huge elephant mad with rage sporting with a mighty lion in\nthe forest.\" While Dhananjaya the son of Pandu was thus speaking, loud\ncries of oh and alas arose among the troops, O bull of Bharata's race,\nsince the mighty-armed Bhurisravas, exerting vigorously struck Satyaki\nand brought him down upon the ground. And like a lion dragging an\nelephant, that foremost one of Kuru's race, viz., Bhurisravas, that giver\nof profuse presents at sacrifices, dragging that foremost one amongst the\nSatwatas, looked resplendent in that battle. Then Bhurisravas in that\nencounter, drawing his sword from the scabbard, seized Satyaki by the\nhair of his head and struck him at the chest with his feet. Bhurisravas\nthen was about to cut off from Satyaki's trunk his head decked with\near-rings. For sometime, the Satwata hero rapidly whirled his head with\nthe arm of Bhurisravas that held it by the hair, like a potter's wheel\nwhirled round with the staff. Beholding Satwata thus dragged in battle by\nBhurisravas. Vasudeva once more, O king, addressed Arjuna and said,\n\"Behold, that tiger among the Vrishnis and the Andhakas, that disciple of\nthine, O mighty-armed one, not inferior to thee in bowmanship, hath\nsuccumbed to Somadatta's son. O Partha, since Bhurisravas is thus\nprevailing over the Vrishni hero, Satyaki, of prowess incapable of being\nbaffled, the very name of the latter is about to be falsified.\"[168] Thus\naddressed by Vasudeva the mighty-armed son of Pandu, mentally worshipped\nBhurisravas in that battle, saying, \"I am glad that, Bhurisravas, that\nenhancer of the fame of the Kurus, is dragging Satyaki in battle, as if\nin sport. Without slaying Satyaki that foremost one among the heroes of\nthe Vrishni race, the Kuru warrior is only dragging him like a mighty\nlion in the forest dragging a huge elephant.\" Mentally applauding the\nKuru warrior thus, O king, the mighty-armed Arjuna, the son of Pritha,\nreplied unto Vasudeva, saying, \"My eyes having rested upon the\nSindhus, I could not, O Madhava, see Satyaki. I shall, however, for the\nsake of that Yadava warrior, achieve a most difficult feat.\" Having said\nthese words, in obedience to Vasudeva, the son of Pandu, fixed on Gandiva\na sharp razor-headed arrow. That arrow, shot by Partha's hand and\nresembling a meteor flashing down from the firmament, cut off the Kuru\nwarrior's arm with the sword in the grasp and decked with Angada.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'That arm (of Bhurisravas) decked with Angada and the\nsword in its grasp (thus cut off), fell down on the earth to the great\ngrief of all living creatures. Indeed, that arm, which was to have cut\noff Satyaki's head itself, cut off by the unseen Arjuna, quickly dropped\ndown on the earth, like a snake of five heads. The Kuru warrior,\nbeholding himself incapacitated by Partha abandoned his hold on Satyaki\nand wrathfully reproved the son of Pandu.'\n\n\"'Bhurisravas said, \"Thou hast, O son of Kunti, done a cruel and heartless\ndeed, since without being engaged with me, thou hast, unseen by me, cut\noff my arm. Shalt thou not have to say unto Yudhishthira, the royal son\nof Dharma, even this, viz., 'Bhurisravas, while otherwise engaged, was\nslain by me in battle?' Wert thou taught this use of weapons by the\nhigh-souled Indra or by Rudra, O Partha, or by Drona, or by Kripa? Thou\nart, in this world, better acquainted with the rules about the use of\nweapons than all others. Why then hast thou cut off in battle the arm of\na warrior who was not engaged with thee? The righteous never strike him\nthat is heedless, or him that is terrified, or him that is made carless,\nor him that beggeth for life or protection, or him that hath fallen into\ndistress. Why, then, O Partha, hast thou perpetrated such an extremely\nunworthy deed that is sinful, that is worthy only of a low wretch, and\nthat is practised by only a wicked bloke! A respectable person, O\nDhananjaya, can easily accomplish a deed that is respectable. A deed,\nhowever, that is disrespectable becomes difficult of accomplishment by a\nperson that is respectable. A man quickly catches the behaviour of those\nwith whom and amongst whom he moves. This is seen in thee, O Partha!\nBeing of royal lineage and born, especially, in Kuru's race, how hast\nthou fallen off from the duties of a Kshatriya, although thou wert of\ngood behaviour and observant of excellent vows. This mean act that thou\nhast perpetrated for the sake of the Vrishni warrior, is without doubt,\nconformable to Vasudeva's counsels. Such an act does not suit one like\nthee. Who else, unless he were a friend of Krishna's, would inflict such\na wrong upon one that is heedlessly engaged with another in battle? The\nVrishnis and the Andhakas are bad Kshatriyas, ever engaged in sinful\ndeeds, and are, by nature, addicted to disreputable behaviour. Why, O\nPartha, hast thou taken them as model?\" Thus addressed in battle, Partha\nreplied unto Bhurisravas, saying, \"It is evident that with the\ndecrepitude of the body one's intellect also becomes decrepit, since, O\nlord, all those senseless words have been uttered by thee. Although thou\nknowest Hrishikesa and myself well, how is it that thou rebukest us thus?\nKnowing as I do the rules of battle and conversant as I am with the\nmeaning of all the scriptures, I would never do an act that is sinful.\nKnowing this well, thou rebukest me yet. The Kshatriyas fight with their\nfoes, surrounded by their own followers, their brothers, sires, sons,\nrelatives, kinsmen, companions, and friends. These also fight, relying on\nthe (strength of) arms of those they follow. Why, then, should I not\nprotect Satyaki, my disciple and dear kinsman, who is fighting for our\nsake in this battle, regardless of life itself, that is so difficult of\nbeing laid down.[169] Invincible in fight, Satyaki, O king, is my right\narm in battle. One should not protect one's own self only, when one goes\nto battle, he, O king, who is engaged in the business of another should\nbe protected (by that other). Such men being protected, the king is\nprotected in press of battle. If I had calmly beheld Satyaki on the point\nof being slain in great battle (and had not interfered for saying him),\nsin would, then, owing to Satyaki's death, have been mine, for such\nnegligence! Why then dost thou become angry with me for my having\nprotected Satyaki? Thou rebukest me, O king, saying, 'Though engaged with\nanother, I have yet been maimed by thee.' In that matter, I answer, I\njudged wrongly. Sometimes shaking my armour; sometimes riding on my car,\nsometimes drawing the bow-string, I was fighting with my enemies in the\nmidst of a host resembling the vast deep, teeming with cars and elephants\nand abounding with steeds and foot-soldiers and echoing with fierce\nleonine shouts. Amongst friends and foes engaged with one another, how\ncould it be possible that the Satwata warrior was engaged with only one\nperson in battle? Having fought with many and vanquished many mighty\ncar-warriors, Satyaki had been tired. He himself, afflicted with weapons,\nhad become cheerless. Having, under such circumstances, vanquished the\nmighty car-warrior, Satyaki, and brought him under thy control, thou\nsoughtest to display thy superiority. Thou hadst desired to cut off,\nwith thy sword, the head of Satyaki in battle. I could not possibly\nbehold with indifference Satyaki reduced to that strait.[170] Thou\nshouldst rather rebuke thy own self, since thou didst not take care of\nthyself (when seeking to injure another). Indeed, O hero, how wouldst\nthou have behaved towards one who is thy dependant?\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed (by Arjuna), the mighty-armed and\nillustrious Bhurisravas, bearing the device of the sacrificial stake on\nhis banner, abandoning Yuyudhana, desired to die according to the vow of\nPraya.[171] Distinguished by many righteous deeds, he spread with his\nleft hand a bed of arrows, and desirous of proceeding to the region of\nBrahman, committed his senses to the care of the deities presiding over\nthem. Fixing his gaze on the sun, and setting his cleansed heart on the\nmoon, and thinking of (the mantras in) the great Upanishad, Bhurisravas,\nbetaking himself to Yoga, ceased to speak. Then all the persons in the\nentire army began to speak ill of Krishna and Dhananjaya and applauded\nBhurisravas, that bull among men. Though censured, the two Krishnas,\nhowever, spoke not a word disagreeable (to the dying hero). The\nstake-bannered Bhurisravas also, though thus applauded, felt no joy. Then\nPandu's son Dhananjaya, called also Phalguna, incapable of bearing thy\nsons speaking in that strain, as also of putting up with their words and\nthe words of Bhurisravas, O Bharata, in grief and without an angry heart,\nand as if for reminding them all, said these words, \"All the kings are\nacquainted with my great vow, viz., that no one shall succeed in slaying\nanybody that belongs to our side, as long as the latter is within the\nrange of my shafts. Remembering this, O stake-bannered one, it behoveth\nthee not to censure me. Without knowing rules of morality, it is not\nproper for one to censure others. That I have cut off thy arm while thou,\nwell-armed in battle, wert on the point of slaying (the unarmed) Satyaki,\nis not all contrary to morality. But what righteous man is there, O sire,\nthat would applaud the slaughter of Abhimanyu, a mere child, without\narms, deprived of car, and his armour fallen off?\" Thus addressed by\nPartha, Bhurisravas touched the ground with his left arm the right one\n(that had been lopped off). The stake-bannered Bhurisravas, O king of\ndazzling effulgence, having heard those words of Partha, remained silent,\nwith his head hanging down. Then Arjuna said, \"O eldest brother of Sala,\nequal to what I bear to king Yudhishthira the Just, or Bhima, that\nforemost of all mighty persons, or Nakula, or Sahadeva, is the love I\nbear to thee. Commanded by me as also by the illustrious Krishna, repair\nthou to the region of the righteous, even where Sivi, the son of Usinara,\nis.\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva also said, \"Thou hast constantly performed sacrifices and\nAgnihotras. Go thou then, without delay, into those pure regions of mine\nthat incessantly blaze forth with splendour and that are desired by the\nforemost of deities with Brahma as their head, and becoming equal to\nmyself, be thou borne on the back to Garuda.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Set free by Somadatta's son, the grandson of Sini,\nrising up, drew his sword and desired to cut off the head of the\nhigh-souled Bhurisravas. Indeed, Satyaki desired to slay the sinless\nBhurisravas, the eldest brother of Sala, that giver of plenty in\nsacrifices who was staying with his senses withdrawn from battle, who\nhad already been almost slain by the son of Pandu, who was sitting with\nhis arm lopped off and who resembled on that account a trunkless\nelephant. All the warriors loudly censured him (for his intention). But\ndeprived of reason, and forbidden by Krishna and the high-souled Partha,\nBhima, and the two protectors of the two wheels (of Arjuna's car, viz.,\nYudhamanyu and Uttamaujas), and Aswatthaman, and Kripa and Karna, and\nVrishasena, and the ruler of the Sindhus also, and while the soldiers\nwere yet uttering shouts of disapproval, Satyaki slew Bhurisravas while\nin the observance of his vow. Indeed, Satyaki, with his sword, cut off\nthe head of the Kuru warrior who had been deprived of his arm by Partha\nand who was then sitting in Praya for freeing his soul from the body. The\nwarriors did not applaud Satyaki for that act of his in slaying that\nperpetuator of Kuru's race who had before been almost slain by Partha.\nThe Siddhas, the Charanas, and the men there present, as also the gods,\nbeholding the Sakra-like Bhurisravas slain in that battle, through\nsitting in the observance of that Praya vow, began to applaud him, amazed\nat the acts, accomplished by him. Thy soldiers also argued the matter,\n\"It is no fault of the Vrishni hero. That which was pre-ordained has\nhappened. Therefore, we should not give way to wrath. Anger is the cause\nof men's sorrow. It was ordained that Bhurisravas would be slain by the\nVrishni hero. There is no use of judging of its propriety or otherwise.\nThe Creator had ordained Satyaki to be the cause of Bhurisrava's death in\nbattle.\"\n\n\"'Satyaki said, \"Ye sinful Kauravas, wearing the outward garment of\nrighteousness, ye tell me, in words of virtue, that Bhurisravas should\nnot be slain. Where, however, did this righteousness of yours go when ye\nslew in battle that child, viz., the son of Subhadra, while destitute of\narms? I had in a certain fit of haughtiness vowed that he who would,\nthrowing me down alive in battle, strike me with his foot in rage, he\nwould be slain by me even though that foe should adopt the vow of\nasceticism. Struggling in the encounter, with my arms and eyes hale and\nsound, ye had yet regarded me as dead. This was an act of folly on your\npart. Ye bulls among the Kurus, the slaughter of Bhurisravas,\naccomplished by me, hath been very proper! Partha, however, by cutting\noff this one's arm with sword in grasp for fulfilling, from his affection\nfor me, his own vow (about protecting all on his side), hath simply\nrobbed me of glory. That which is ordained must happen. It is destiny\nthat works. Bhurisravas hath been slain in press of battle. What sin have\nI perpetrated? In days of yore, Valmiki sang this verse on earth, viz.,\n'Thou sayest, O ape, that women should not be slain. In all ages,\nhowever, men should always, with resolute care, accomplish that which\ngives pain to enemies.'\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'After Satyaki had said these words, none amongst the\nPandavas and the Kauravas, O king, said anything. On the other hand, they\nmentally applauded Bhurisravas. No one there applauded the slaughter of\nSomadatta's illustrious son who resembled an ascetic living in the woods,\nor one sanctified with mantras in a great sacrifice, and who had given\naway thousands of gold coins. The head of that hero, graced with\nbeautiful blue locks and eyes, red as those of pigeons, looked like the\nhead of a horse cut off in a Horse-sacrifice and placed on the\nsacrificial altar.[172] Sanctified by his prowess and the death he\nobtained at the edge of the weapon, the boon-giving Bhurisravas, worthy\nof every boon, casting off his body in great battle, repaired to regions\non high, filling the welkin with his high virtues.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLIII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Unvanquished by Drona, and Radha's son and Vikarna\nand Kritavarman, how could the heroic Satyaki, never before checked in\nbattle, having after his promise to Yudhishthira crossed the ocean of the\nKaurava troops, being humiliated by the Kuru warrior Bhurisravas and\nforcibly thrown on the ground?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hear, O king, about the origin, in the past times, of\nSini's grandson, and of how Bhurisravas also came to be descended. This\nwill clear thy doubts. Atri had for son Soma. Soma's son was called\nVudha. Vudha had one son, of the splendour of the great Indra, called\nPururavas. Pururavas had a son called Ayus. Ayus had for his son Nahusha.\nNahusha had for his son Yayati who was a royal sage equal to a celestial.\nYayati had by Devayani Yadu for his eldest son. In Yadu's race was born a\nson of the name of Devamidha of Yadu's race had a son named Sura,\napplauded in the three worlds. Sura had for his son that foremost of men,\nviz., the celebrated Vasudeva. Foremost in bowmanship, Sura was equal to\nKartavirya in battle. In Sura's race and equal unto Sura in energy was\nborn Sini, O king! About this time, O king, occurred the Swayamvara of\nthe high-souled Devaka's daughter, in which all the Kshatriyas were\npresent. In that self-choice, Sini vanquishing all the kings, quickly\ntook up on his car the princess Devaki for the sake of Vasudeva.\nBeholding the princess Devaki on Sini's car, that bull among men, viz.,\nthe brave Somadatta of mighty energy could not brook the sight. A battle,\nO king, ensued between the two which lasted for half a day and was\nbeautiful and wonderful to behold. The battle that took place between\nthose two mighty men was a wrestling encounter. That bull among men,\nviz., Somadatta, was forcibly thrown down on the earth by Sini. Uplifting\nhis sword and seizing him by the hair, Sini struck his foe with his foot,\nin the midst of many thousands of kings who stood as spectators all\naround. At last, from compassion, he let him off, saying, \"Live!\" Reduced\nto that plight by Sini, Somadatta, O sire, under the influence of wrath\nbegan to pay his adorations to Mahadeva for inducing the latter to bless\nhim. That great lord of all boon-giving deities viz., Mahadeva, became\ngratified with him and asked him to solicit the boon he desired. The\nroyal Somadatta then solicited the following boon, \"I desire a son, O\ndivine lord, who will strike Sini's son in the midst of thousands of\nkings and who will in battle strike him with his foot.\" Hearing these\nwords, O king, of Somadatta, the god saying, \"So be it,\" disappeared then\nand there. It was in consequence of the gift of that boon that Somadatta\nsubsequently obtained the highly charitable Bhurisravas for son, and it\nwas for this, Somadatta's son threw down Sini's descendant in battle and\nstruck him, before the eyes of the whole army, with his foot. I have now\ntold thee, O king, what thou hadst asked me. Indeed, the Satwata hero is\nincapable of being vanquished in battle by even the foremost of men. The\nVrishni heroes are all of sure aim in battle, and are conversant with all\nmodes of warfare. They are vanquishers of the very gods, the Danavas and\nthe Gandharvas. They are never confounded. They always fight, relying\nupon their own energy. They are never dependent on others. None, O lord,\nare seen in this world to be equal to the Vrishni's. None, O bull of\nBharata's race, have been, are, or will be equal in might to the\nVrishni's. They never show disrespect to their kinsmen. They are always\nobedient to the commands of those that are reverend in years. The very\ngods and Asuras and Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Uragas and the Rakshasas\ncannot vanquish the Vrishni heroes, what need be said of men, therefore,\nin battle? They never covet also the possessions of those that ever\nrender them aid on any occasion of distress. Devoted to the Brahmanas and\ntruthful in speech, they never display any pride although they are\nwealthy. The Vrishnis regard even the strong as weak and rescue them from\ndistress. Always devoted to the gods, the Vrishnis are self-restrained,\ncharitable, and free from pride. It is for this that the prowess[173] of\nthe Vrishnis is never baffled. A person may remove the mountains of Meru\nor swim across the ocean but cannot defeat the Vrishnis. I have told thee\neverything about which thou hadst thy doubts. All this, however, O king\nof the Kurus, that is happening is due to thy evil policy, O best of\nmen!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLIV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'After the Kuru warrior Bhurisravas had been slain\nunder those circumstances, tell me, O Sanjaya, how proceeded the battle.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After Bhurisravas had proceeded to the other world, O\nBharata, the mighty-armed Arjuna urged Vasudeva, saying, \"Urge the\nsteeds, O Krishna, to greater speed for taking me to the spot where king\nJayadratha is. O sinless one, the sun is quickly proceeding towards the\nAsta hills. O tiger among men, this great task should be achieved by me.\nThe ruler of the Sindhus is, again, protected by many mighty car-warriors\namong the Kuru army. Urge thou the steeds, therefore, O Krishna, in such\na way that I may, by slaying Jayadratha before the sun sets, make my vow\ntrue.\" Then the mighty-armed Krishna conversant with horse-lore, urged\nthose steeds of silvery hue towards the car of Jayadratha. Then, O king,\nmany leaders of the Kuru army, such as Duryodhana and Karna and\nVrishasena and the ruler of the Sindhus himself, rushed with speed, O\nking, against Arjuna whose shafts were never baffled and who was\nproceeding, on his car drawn by steeds of great fleetness. Vibhatsu,\nhowever, getting at the ruler of the Sindhus who was staying before him,\nand casting his glances upon him, seemed to scorch him with his eyes\nblazing with wrath. Then, king Duryodhana, quickly addressed the son of\nRadha. Indeed, O monarch, thy son Suyodhana said unto Karna, \"O son of\nVikartana, that time of battle hath come at last. O high-souled one,\nexhibit now thy might. O Karna, act in such a way that Jayadratha may not\nbe slain by Arjuna! O foremost of men, the day is about to expire, strike\nnow the foe with clouds of shafts! If the day expire, O foremost of men,\nvictory, O Karna, will certainly be ours! If the ruler of the Sindhus can\nbe protected till the setting of the sun, then Partha, his vow being\nfalsified, will enter into blazing fire. O giver of honours, the\nbrothers, then, of Arjuna, with all their followers, will not be able to\nlive for even a moment in a world that is destitute of Arjuna! Upon the\ndeath of the sons of Pandu, the whole of the earth, O Karna, with her\nmountains and waters and forests, we will enjoy without a thorn on our\nside! O giver of honours, it seems that Partha, who without ascertaining\nwhat is practicable and what is impracticable, made this vow in battle,\nwas afflicted by destiny itself, his judgment having taken a misdirected\ncourse! Without doubt, O Karna, the diadem-decked son of Pandu must have\nmade this vow about the slaughter of Jayadratha for his own destruction!\nHow, O son of Radha, when thou art alive will Phalguna succeed in slaying\nthe ruler of the Sindhus before the sun goes to the Asta hills? How will\nDhananjaya slay Jayadratha in battle when the latter is protected by the\nking of the Madras and by the illustrious Kripa? How will Vibhatsu, who\nseems to have been urged on by Fate, get at the ruler of the Sindhus when\nthe latter is protected by Drona's son, by myself, and Duhsasana? Many\nare the heroes engaged in fight. The sun is hanging low in the sky.\nPartha will not even get at Jayadratha in battle, O giver of honours. Do\nthou therefore, O Karna, with myself and other brave and mighty\ncar-warriors, with Drona's son and the ruler of the Madras and Kripa\nfight with Partha in battle, exerting thyself with the greatest firmness\nand resolution.\" Thus addressed by thy son, O sire, the son of Radha\nreplied unto Duryodhana, that foremost one among the Kurus, in these\nwords, \"Deeply hath my body been pierced in battle by the brave bowman\nBhimasena, capable of striking vigorously with repeated showers of\narrows. O giver of honours, that I am yet present in battle is because\nthat one like me should be present here. Scorched with the powerful\nshafts of Bhimasena, every limb of mine is suffering from torturing pain.\nI shall, however, for all that, fight to the best of my powers. My life\nitself is for thee. I shall strive my best so that this foremost one of\nthe sons of Pandu may not succeed in slaying the ruler of the Sindhus. As\nlong as I shall fight, shooting my whetted shafts, the heroic Dhananjaya,\ncapable of drawing the bow with even his left hand, will not succeed in\ngetting at the ruler of the Sindhus. All that a person, bearing love and\naffection to thee and always solicitous of thy good, may do, shall be\ndone by me, O thou of Kuru's race! As regards victory, that depends on\ndestiny. I shall in battle today exert myself to my utmost for the sake\nof the ruler of the Sindhus, and for achieving thy good. O king, victory,\nhowever, is dependent on destiny. Relying on my manliness, I shall fight\nwith Arjuna today for thy sake, O tiger among men! Victory, however, is\ndependent on destiny. O chief of the Kurus, let all the troops behold\ntoday the fierce battle, making the very hair stand on end, that takes\nplace between myself and Arjuna.\" While Karna and the Kuru king were thus\ntalking to each other in battle, Arjuna began, with his keen arrows, to\nslaughter thy host. With his broad-headed arrows of great sharpness he\nbegan to cut off in that battle the arms, looking like spiked clubs or\nthe trunks of elephants, of unreturning heroes. And the mighty-armed hero\nalso cut off their heads with whetted shafts. And Vibhatsu also cut off\nthe trunks of elephants and the necks of steeds and the Akshas of cars\nall around, as also blood-dyed horsemen, armed with spears and lances,\nwith razor-faced arrows into two or three fragments. And steeds and\nforemost of elephants and standards and umbrellas and bows and Yak-tails\nand heads fell fast on all sides. Consuming thy host like a blazing fire\nconsuming a heap of dry grass, Partha soon caused the earth to be covered\nwith blood. And the mighty and invincible Partha, of prowess incapable of\nbeing baffled, causing an immense slaughter in that army of thine, soon\nreached the ruler of the Sindhus. Protected by Bhimasena and by Satwata,\nVibhatsu, O chief of the Bharatas, looked resplendent like a blazing\nfire. Beholding Phalguna in that state, the mighty bowmen of thy army,\nthose bulls among men, endued with wealth of energy, could not brook him.\nThen Duryodhana and Karna and Vrishasena and the ruler of the Madras, and\nAswatthaman and Kripa and the ruler of the Sindhus himself, excited with\nwrath and fighting for the sake of the Sindhu king, encompassed the\ndiadem-decked Arjuna on all sides. All those warriors, skilled in battle,\nplacing the ruler of the Sindhus at their back, and desirous of slaying\nArjuna and Krishna, surrounded Partha, that hero conversant with battle,\nwho was then dancing along the track of his car, producing fierce sounds\nwith the bowstring and his palms and resembling the Destroyer himself\nwith wide-opened mouth. The sun then had assumed a red hue in the sky.\nDesirous of his (speedy) setting, the Kaurava warriors, bending their\nbows with arms, resembling the (tapering) bodies of snake sped their\nshafts in hundreds towards Phalguna, resembling the rays of the sun.\nCutting off those shafts thus sped towards him, into two, three, or eight\nfragments the diadem-decked Arjuna, invincible in battle, pierced them\nall in that encounter. Then Aswatthaman, bearing on his banner the mark\nof a lion's tail, displaying his might, began, O king, to resist Arjuna.\nIndeed, the son of Saradwata's daughter piercing Partha with ten shafts\nand Vasudeva with seven, stayed in the track of Arjuna's car, protecting\nthe ruler of the Sindhus. Then, many foremost ones among the Kurus, great\ncar-warriors, all encompassed Arjuna on all sides with a large throng of\ncars. Stretching their bows and shooting countless shafts, they began to\nprotect the ruler of the Sindhus, at the command of thy son. We then\nbeheld the prowess of the brave Partha as also the inexhaustible\ncharacter of his shafts, and the might, too, of his bow Gandiva. Baffling\nwith his own weapons those of Drona's son and Kripa, he pierced every one\nof those warriors with nine shafts. Then, Drona's son pierced him with\nfive and twenty arrows, and Vrishasena with seven, and Duryodhana pierced\nhim with twenty, and Karna and Salya each with three. And all of them\nroared at him and continued to pierce him frequently, and shaking their\nbows, they surrounded him on all sides. And soon they caused their cars\nto be drawn up in a serried line around Arjuna. Desirous of the (speedy)\nsetting of the sun, those mighty car-warriors of the Kaurava army, endued\nwith great activity, began to roar at Arjuna, and shaking their bows,\ncovered him with showers of keen arrows like cloud pouring rain on a\nmountain. Those brave warriors, with arms resembling heavy clubs, also\ndischarged on that occasion, O king, on Dhananjaya's body celestial\nweapons. Having caused an immense slaughter in thy army, the mighty and\ninvincible Dhananjaya, of prowess incapable of being baffled came upon\nthe ruler of the Sindhus. Karna, however, O king, with his arrows,\nresisted him in that battle in the very sight, O Bharata, of Bhimasena\nand Satwata. The mighty-armed Partha, in the very sight of all the\ntroops, pierced the Suta's son, in return, with ten arrows, on the field\nof battle. Then Satwata, O sire, pierced Karna with three arrows. And\nBhimasena pierced him with three arrows, and Partha himself, once more,\nwith seven. The mighty car-warrior, Karna, then pierced each of those\nthree warriors with sixty arrows. And thus, O king, raged that battle\nbetween Karna alone (on one side) and the many (on the other). The\nprowess, O sire, that we then beheld of the Suta's son was wonderful in\nthe extreme, since, excited with wrath in battle, he singly resisted\nthose three great car-warriors. Then the mighty-armed Phalguna, in that\nbattle, pierced Karna, the son of Vikartana, in all his limbs with a\nhundred arrows. All his limbs bathed in blood, the Suta's son of great\nprowess and bravery, pierced Phalguna in return with fifty arrows.\nBeholding that lightness of hand displayed by him in battle, Arjuna\nbrooked it not. Cutting off his bow, that hero, viz., Dhananjaya, the son\nof Pritha, quickly pierced Karna in the centre of the chest with nine\narrows. Then Dhananjaya, with great speed at a time, when speed was\nnecessary shot in that battle a shaft of solar effulgence for the\ndestruction of Karna. Drona's son, however, with a crescent-shaped arrow,\ncut off that shaft as it coursed impetuously (towards Karna). Thus cut\noff by Aswatthaman, that shaft fell down on the earth. Endued with great\nprowess, the Suta's son, then, O king, took up another bow, and covered\nthe son of Pandu with several thousands of arrows. Partha, however, like\nthe wind dispersing flight of locusts, dispelled with his own arrows that\nextraordinary shower of arrows issuing out of Karna's bow. Then Arjuna,\ndisplaying his lightness of hands, covered Karna, in that battle, with\nhis arrows, in the very sight of all thy troops. Karna also, that slayer\nof hosts, desirous of counteracting Arjuna's feat, covered Arjuna with\nseveral thousands of arrows. Roaring at each other like two bulls, those\nlions among men, those mighty car-warriors, shrouded the welkin with\nclouds of straight shafts. Each rendered invisible by the other's arrowy\nshowers, they continued to strike each other. And they roared at each\nother and pierced each other with their wordy darts, saying, \"I am\nPartha, wait\"--or, \"I am Karna, wait, O Phalguna!\" Indeed these two\nheroes fought with each other wonderfully, displaying great activity and\nskill. And the sight they presented was such that other warriors became\nwitnesses of that battle. And applauded by Siddhas, Charnas and Pannagas,\nthey fought with each other, O king, each desirous of slaying the other.\nThen Duryodhana, O king addressing thy warriors, said, \"Carefully protect\nthe son of Radha! Without slaying Arjuna he would not abstain from\nbattle. Even this is what Vrisha told me.\" Meanwhile, O monarch,\nbeholding the prowess of Karna, Arjuna, of white steeds, with four shafts\nshot from the bow-string drawn to the ear, despatched the four steeds of\nKarna to Yama's domain. And he also felled with a broad-headed arrow,\nKarna's charioteer from his niche in the car. And he covered Karna\nhimself with clouds of shafts in the very sight of thy son. Thus shrouded\nwith arrows the steedless and driverless Karna, stupefied by that arrowy\nshower, knew not what to do. Beholding him made carless, Aswatthaman, O\nking, caused him to ride on his car, and continued to fight with Arjuna.\nThen the ruler of the Madras pierced the son of Kunti with thirty arrows.\nSaradwata's son pierced Vasudeva with twenty arrows. And he struck\nDhananjaya also with a dozen shafts. And the ruler of the Sindhus pierced\neach with four arrows, and Vrishasena also pierced each of them, O king,\nwith seven arrows. Kunti's son, Dhananjaya, pierced all of them in\nreturn. Indeed, piercing Drona's son with four and sixty shafts, and the\nruler of the Madras with a hundred, and the Sindhu king with ten\nbroad-headed arrows, and Vrishasena with three arrows and Saradwata's son\nwith twenty, Partha uttered a loud shout. Desirous of baffling the vow of\nSavyasachin, thy warriors, excited with wrath, quickly rushed at\nDhananjaya from all sides. Then Arjuna, frightening the Dhartarashtras,\ninvoked into existence the Varuna weapon on all sides. The Kauravas,\nhowever, on their costly cars, pouring showers of arrows, advanced\nagainst the son of Pandu. But, O Bharata, in course of that stupefying\nand fierce engagement, fraught with the greatest confusion, that prince,\nviz., Arjuna, decked with diadem and gold chain never lost his senses. On\nthe other hand, he continued to pour showers of arrows. Desirous of\nrecovering the kingdom and recollecting all the wrongs he had suffered\nfor twelve years in consequence of the Kurus, the high-souled and\nimmeasurable Arjuna darkened all the points of the compass with shafts\nfrom Gandiva. The welkin seemed ablaze with meteors. Innumerable crows,\nalighting from the sky, perched on the bodies (of dead combatants).\nMeanwhile, Arjuna continued to slay the foe with his Gandiva, like\nMahadeva slaying the Asuras with his Pinaka equipped with tawny\nstring.[174] Then the illustrious Kiritin, that subjugator of (hostile)\nranks, dispersing the shafts of the foe by means of his own formidable\nbow, slaughtered with his arrows many foremost ones among the Kurus,\nmounted on their foremost of steeds and elephants. Then many kings,\ntaking up heavy maces and clubs of iron and swords and darts and diverse\nother kinds of powerful weapons, assuming terrible forms, rushed suddenly\nagainst Partha in that battle. Then Arjuna, bending with his arms his\nformidable bow Gandiva which resembled the bow of Indra himself and whose\ntwang was as loud as the roar of the clouds congregating at the end of\nthe Yuga, and laughing the while, went on consuming thy troops and\nincreasing the population of Yama's kingdom. Indeed, that hero caused\nthose enraged warriors with their cars and elephants and with the\nfoot-soldiers and bowmen supporting them, to be deprived of their arms\nand lives and thus to swell the population of Yama's domain.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing the twang, resembling the loud call of Death\nhimself or the frightful peal of Indra's thunder, of Dhananjaya's bow,\nwhile he stretched it, that host of thine, O king, anxious with fear and\nexceedingly agitated, became like the waters of the sea with fishes and\nmakaras within them, ruffled into mountain-like waves and lashed into\nfury by the hurricane that arises at the end of the Yuga. Then\nDhananjaya, the son of Pritha, careered in battle in such a way that he\nwas seen at the same time to be present in all directions, displaying his\nwonderful weapons. Indeed, so light-handed was the son of Pandu that we\ncould not mark when he took out his shafts, O king, when he fixed them on\nthe bow-string, when he stretched the bow, and when he let them off. Then\nthe mighty-armed one, O king, excited with wrath, invoked into existence\nthe invincible Aindra weapon, frightening all the Bharatas. Hundreds and\nthousands of blazing shafts of fiery mouths, inspired by mantras with the\nforce of celestial weapons, flowed from it. With those shafts resembling\nfire or the rays of the sun, coursing with fierce impetuosity, the welkin\nbecame incapable of being gazed at, as if filled with flashing meteors.\nThen that darkness which had been caused by the Kaurava with their\narrows, which was incapable of being dispersed even in imagination by\nothers, the son of Pandu, careering around and displaying his prowess,\ndestroyed by means of those shafts of his that were inspired by means of\nmantras with the force of celestial weapons, like the sun himself\nspeedily dispersing at dawn of day the darkness of night by means of his\nrays. Then the puissant Arjuna, with those blazing shafts of his, sucked\nthe lives of thy warriors like the summer sun sucking with his hot rays\nthe waters of tanks and lakes. Indeed, showers of shafts endued with the\nforce of celestial weapons, (shot by Arjuna) covered the hostile army\nlike the rays of the sun covering the earth. Other arrows of fierce\nenergy, sped (by Dhananjaya), quickly entered the hearts of (hostile)\nheroes, like dear friends. Indeed, those brave warriors that came in that\nbattle before Arjuna, all perished like insects approaching a blazing\nfire. Thus crushing the lives of his foes and their fame, Partha careered\nin that battle like Death in embodied form. Heads decked with diadems,\nmassive arms, adorned with Angadas, and ears with ear-rings of the foes,\nPartha, cut off with his shafts. The arms, with spears, of\nelephant-riders; those, with lances, of horsemen; those, with shields, of\nfoot-soldiers; those with bows, of car-warriors; and those, with whips\nand goads, of charioteers the son of Pandu cut off. Indeed, Dhananjaya\nlooked resplendent with his shafts of blazing points that seemed to\nconstitute his rays, like a blazing fire with incessant sparks and rising\nflames. The hostile kings, mustering all their resolution, could not even\ngaze at Dhananjaya, that foremost of all bearers of arms, that hero equal\nto the chief of the gods himself, that bull among men, seen at the same\ntime in all directions on his car, scattering his mighty weapons, dancing\nin the track of his car, and producing deafening sounds with his\nbowstring and palms, and resembling the midday sun of scorching rays in\nthe firmament. Bearing his shafts of blazing points, the diadem-decked\nArjuna looked beautiful like a mighty mass of rain-charged clouds in the\nseason of rains decked with a rainbow. When that perfect flood of mighty\nweapons was set in motion by Jishnu, many bulls among warriors sank in\nthat frightful and unfordable flood. Strewn with infuriated elephants\nwhose trunks or tusks had been cut off, with steeds deprived of hoofs or\nnecks, with cars reduced to pieces, with warriors having their entrails\ndrawn out and others with legs or other limbs cut off, with bodies lying\nin hundreds and thousands that were either perfectly still or moving\nunconsciously, we beheld the vast field, on which Partha battled,\nresembled the coveted arena of Death, O king, enhancing the terrors of\nthe timid, or like the sporting ground of Rudra when he destroyed\ncreatures in days of old. Portions of the field, strewn with the trunks\nof elephants cut off with razor-headed arrows, looked as if strewn with\nsnakes. Portions, again, covered with the cut-off heads of warriors,\nlooked as if strewn with garlands of lotuses. Variegated with beautiful\nhead-gear and crowns, Keyuras and Angadas and car-rings with coats of\nmail decked with gold, and with the trappings and other ornaments of\nelephants and steeds, and scattered over with hundreds of diadems, lying\nhere and there, and the earth looked exceedingly beautiful like a new\nbride. Dhananjaya then caused a fierce and terrible river full of fearful\nobjects and enhancing the fear of the timid, to flow resembling the\nVaitarani itself. The marrow and fat (of men and animals) formed its\nmire. Blood formed its current. Full of limbs and bones, it was\nfathomless in depth. The hairs of creatures formed its moss and weeds.\nHeads and arms formed the stones on its shores. It was decked with\nstandards and banners that variegated its aspect. Umbrellas and bows\nformed the waves. And it abounded with bodies of huge elephants deprived\nof life, and it teemed with cars that formed hundreds of rafts floating\non its surface. And the carcases of countless steeds formed its banks.\nAnd it was difficult to cross in consequence of wheels and yokes and\nshafts and Akshas and Kuveras of cars, and spears and swords and darts\nand battle-axes and shafts looking like snakes. And ravens and kankas\nformed its alligators. And jackals, forming its Makaras, made it\nterrible. And fierce vultures formed its sharks. And it became frightful\nin consequence of the howls of jackals. And it abounded with capering\nghosts and Pisachas and thousands of other kinds of spirits. And on it\nfloated countless bodies of warriors destitute of life. Beholding that\nprowess of Arjuna whose visage then resembled that of the Destroyer\nhimself, a panic, such as had never occurred before, possessed the Kurus\non the field of battle. The son of Pandu, then, baffling with his weapons\nthose of the hostile heroes, and engaged in achieving fierce feats, gave\nall to understand that he was a warrior of fierce feats. Then Arjuna\ntransgressed all those foremost of car-warriors, like the midday sun of\nscorching rays in the firmament, no one amongst the creatures there could\neven look at him. The shafts issuing out of the bow Gandiva of that\nillustrious hero in that battle, seemed to us to resemble a row of cranes\nin the welkin. Baffling with his own the weapons of all those heroes, and\nshowing by the terrible achievements in which he was engaged that he was\na warrior of fierce feats, Arjuna, desirous of slaying Jayadratha,\ntransgressed all those foremost of car-warriors, stupefying them all by\nmeans of his shafts. Shooting his shafts on all sides, Dhananjaya, having\nKrishna for his charioteer, presented a beautiful sight by careering with\ngreat speed on the field of battle. The shafts in the welkin, by hundreds\nand thousands, of that illustrious hero, seemed to course incessantly\nthrough the sky. We never could notice when that mighty bowman took out\nhis shafts, when indeed, that son of Pandu aimed them, and when he let\nthem off. Then, O king, filling all the points of the compass with his\nshafts and afflicting all the car-warriors in battle, the son of Kunti\nproceeded towards Jayadratha and pierced him with four and sixty straight\narrows. Then the Kuru warriors, beholding the son of Pandu proceeded\ntowards Jayadratha, all abstained from battle. In fact, those heroes\nbecame hopeless of Jayadratha's life. Every one amongst thy warriors that\nrushed in that fierce battle against the son of Pandu, had his body\ndeeply pierced, O lord, with a shaft of Arjuna. The mighty car-warrior\nArjuna, that foremost of victorious persons, with his shafts blazing as\nfire made thy army teem with headless trunks.[175] Indeed, O king, thus\ncreating a perfect confusion in thy host consisting of four kinds of\nforces, the son of Kunti proceeded towards Jayadratha, And he pierced the\nson of Drona with fifty shafts and Vrishasena with three. And the son of\nKunti mildly struck Kripa with nine arrows, and he struck Salya with\nsixteen arrows and Karna with two and thirty. And piercing the ruler of\nthe Sindhus then with four and sixty arrows, he uttered a leonine shout.\nThe ruler of the Sindhus, however, thus pierced by the wielder of Gandiva\nwith his arrows, became filled with rage and unable to brook it, like an\nelephant when pierced with the hook. Bearing the device of the boar on\nhis banner, he quickly sped towards Phalguna's car many straight shafts\nequipped with vulturine feathers, resembling angry snakes of virulent\npoison, well-polished by the hands of the smith, and shot from his bow\ndrawn to the fullest stretch. Then piercing Govinda with three shafts, he\nstruck Arjuna with six. And then he pierced the steeds of Arjuna with\neight arrows and his standard also with one. Then Arjuna, baffling the\nkeen arrows sped by the ruler of the Sindhus, cut off at the same time,\nwith a pair of shafts, the head of Jayadratha's driver and the\nwell-decked standard also of Jayadratha. Its stay cut off and itself\npierced and struck with arrows, that standard fell down like a flame of\nfire. Meanwhile, the sun was going down quickly. Janardana then quickly\naddressed the son of Pandu and said, \"Behold, O Partha, the ruler of the\nSindhus hath, by six mighty and heroic car-warriors, been placed in\ntheir-midst! Jayadratha also, O mighty-armed one, is waiting there in\nfear! Without vanquishing those six car-warriors in battle, O bull among\nmen, thou wilt never be able to slay the ruler of the Sindhus even if\nthou exertest thyself without intermission. I shall, therefore, resort to\nYoga for shrouding the sun. Then the ruler of the Sindhus will (in\nconsequence) behold the sun to have set. Desirous of life, O lord,\nthrough joy that wicked wight will no longer, for his destruction,\nconceal himself. Availing yourself of that opportunity, thou shouldst\nthen, O best of the Kurus, strike him. Thou shouldst not give up the\nenterprise, thinking the sun to have really set.\" Hearing these words,\nVibhatsu replied unto Kesava, saying, \"Let it be so.\" Then Krishna\notherwise called Hari, possessed of ascetic powers, that lord of all\nascetics, having taken recourse to Yoga, created that darkness. Thy\nwarriors, O king, thinking the sun to have set were filled with delight\nat the prospect of Partha's laying down his life. Indeed, thy warriors,\nnot seeing the sun, were filled with gladness. All of them stood, with\nheads thrown backwards. King Jayadratha also was in the same attitude.\nAnd while the ruler of the Sindhus was thus beholding the sun, Krishna,\nonce more addressing Dhananjaya said these words, \"Behold, the heroic\nruler of the Sindhus is now looking at the sun, casting off his fear of\nthee, O foremost one among the Bharatas! This is the hour, O mighty-armed\none, for the slaughter of that wicked-souled wretch. Speedily cut off the\nhead and make thy vow true.\" Thus addressed by Kesava the valiant son of\nPandu began to slaughter thy host with his arrows resembling the sun or\nfire in splendour. And he pierced Kripa with twenty arrows and Karna with\nfifty. And he struck Salya and Duryodhana each with six. And he pierced\nVrishasena with eight arrows and the ruler of the Sindhus himself with\nsixty. And the mighty-armed son of Pandu, O king, deeply piercing with\nhis arrows the other warriors of thy host, rushed against Jayadratha.\nBeholding him in their presence like a swelling fire with its tongue of\nflame outstretched, the protectors of Jayadratha were sorely puzzled.\nThen all the warriors, O king, desirous of victory bathed the son of\nIndra in that battle with torrents of arrows. Shrouded with incessant\nshowers of arrows, the son of Kunti, that mighty-armed and unvanquished\ndescendant of Kuru, became filled with rage. Then that tiger among men,\nviz., the son of Indra, desirous of slaughtering thy host, created a\nthick net of arrows. Then those warriors of thine, O king, thus\nslaughtered in battle by that hero, abandoned the ruler of the Sindhus in\nfear and fled away. And they fled away in such a manner that no two\npersons could be seen flying together. The prowess that we then beheld of\nKunti's son was extremely wonderful. Indeed, the like of what that\nillustrious warrior then did had never been nor will ever be. Like Rudra\nhimself slaughtering creatures, Dhananjaya slaughtered elephants and\nelephant-riders, horses and horse-riders, and (car-warriors and)\ncar-drivers. I did not in that battle, O king, see a single elephant or\nsteed or human warrior that was not struck with Partha's shafts. Their\nvision blurred by dust and darkness, thy warriors became perfectly\ncheerless and unable to distinguish one another. Urged on by fate and\nwith their vital limbs cut open and mangled with shafts, they began to\nwander, or limp, or fall down. And some amongst them, O Bharata, became\nparalysed and some became deathly pale. During that terrible carnage\nresembling the slaughter of creatures at the end of the Yuga, in that\ndeadly and fierce battle from which few could escape with life, the earth\nbecame drenched with gore and the earthy dust that had arisen disappeared\nin consequence of the showers of blood that fell and the swift currents\nof wind that blew over the field. So deep was that rain of blood that the\nwheels of cars sank to their naves. Thousands of infuriated elephants\nendued with great speed, O king, of thy army, their riders slain and\nlimbs mangled, fled away, uttering cries of pain and crushing friendly\nranks with their tread. Steeds destitute of riders and foot-soldiers\nalso, O king, fled away, O monarch, from fear, struck with the shafts of\nDhananjaya. Indeed, thy soldiers, with dishevelled hair and deprived of\ntheir coats of mail, with blood streaming out of their wounds, fled away\nin terror, leaving the field of battle. And some, deprived of the power\nof motion as if their lower limbs had been seized by alligators, remained\non the field. And others concealed themselves behind and under the bodies\nof slain elephants. Routing thy host thus, O king, Dhananjaya began to\nstrike with terrible shafts the protectors of the ruler of the Sindhus\nwith his arrowy showers, Karna and Drona's son and Kripa and Salya and\nVrishasena and Duryodhana. So quick was he in the use of weapons that no\none could mark when Arjuna took out his arrows, when he fixed them on the\nbowstring, when he stretched the bow and let them off. Indeed, while\nstriking the foe, his bow was seen incessantly drawn to a circle. His\narrows also were seen incessantly issuing out of his bow and scattered in\nall directions. Then cutting off Karna's bow as also of Vrishasena's,\nArjuna felled Salya's driver from his niche in the car, with a\nbroad-headed arrow. With many arrows that foremost of victors, viz.,\nDhananjaya, then deeply pierced in that battle Kripa and Aswatthaman,\nrelated as uncle and nephew to each other. Sorely afflicting those mighty\ncar-warriors of thy army thus, the son of Pandu took up a terrible arrow\nof fiery splendour. Looking like the thunderbolt of Indra, and inspired\nwith divine mantras, that formidable arrow was capable of bearing any\nstrain. And it had been always worshipped with incense and garlands of\nflowers. Duly inspiring it (by mantras) with the force of the\nthunderbolt, that descendant, of Kuru, viz., the mighty-armed Arjuna,\nfixed it on Gandiva. When that arrow of fiery effulgence was fixed on the\nbowstring, loud shouts, O king, were heard in the welkin. Then Janardana,\nonce more addressing Arjuna, quickly said, \"O Dhananjaya, quickly cut off\nthe head of the wicked-souled ruler of the Sindhus! The sun is about to\nget at the mountain of Asta. Listen, however, to the words I say about\nthe slaughter of Jayadratha. The father of Jayadratha is Vriddhakshatra\nknown all over the world. It was after a long time that he got\nJayadratha, that slayer of foes, for his son. (At the birth of the son)\nan incorporeal and invisible voice, deep as that of the clouds or of the\ndrum, said unto king Vriddhakshatra. 'This thy son, O lord, amongst men\nin this world will become worthy of the two races (viz., the Solar and\nthe Lunar) in respect of blood, behaviour, self-restraint and the other\nattributes. He will become one of the foremost of Kshatriyas, and will\nalways be worshipped by heroes. But while struggling in battle, some bull\namong the Kshatriyas, some conspicuous person in the world, excited with\nwrath, will cut off this one's head.' That chastiser of foes, viz., the\n(old) ruler of the Sindhus, hearing these words, reflected for sometime.\nOverwhelmed with affection for his son, he summoned all his kinsmen and\nsaid, 'That man who will cause the head of my son to fall on the earth\nwhile the latter, struggling in battle, will be bearing a great burthen,\nI say that the head of that man will certainly crack into a hundred\npieces.' Having spoken these words and installed Jayadratha on the\nthrone, Vriddhakshatra, repairing to the woods, devoted himself to\nascetic austerities. Endued with great energy, he is still engaged in the\nobservance of the austerest of penances outside this very\nSamantapanchaka, O ape-bannered one! Therefore, cutting off Jayadratha's\nhead in this dreadful battle, thou, O slayer of foes, shouldst, O\nBharata, by thy fierce celestial weapon of wonderful feats, quickly throw\nthat head decked with car-rings upon the lap of Vriddhakshatra himself, O\nyounger brother of the son of the Wind-god! If thou fellest Jayadratha's\nhead on the earth, thy own head, then, without doubt, will crack into a\nhundred fragments. Aided by thy celestial weapon, do thee deed in such a\nway that the lord of earth viz., the old Sindhu king, may not know that\nit is done. Truly, O Arjuna, there is nothing in the three worlds which\nthou canst not achieve or do, O son of Vasava!\" Hearing these words (of\nKrishna), Dhananjaya, licking the corners of his mouth, quickly shot that\narrow which he had taken up for Jayadratha's slaughter, that arrow, viz.,\nwhose touch resembled that of Indra's thunder, which was inspired with\nmantras and converted into a celestial weapon, which was capable of\nbearing any strain, and which had always been worshipped with incense and\ngarlands. That shaft, sped from Gandiva, coursing swiftly, snatched\nJayadratha's head away, like a hawk snatching away a smaller bird from\nthe top of a tree. Dhananjaya, then, with his shafts, sent that head\nalong in the welkin (without allowing it to fall down). For grieving his\nfoes and gladdening his friends, the son of Pandu, by shooting his shafts\nrepeatedly at it, sent that head outside the limits of Samantapanchaka.\nMeanwhile, king Vriddhakshatra, the father of thy son-in-law, endued with\ngreat energy, was, O sire, engaged in his evening prayers. Decked with\nblack locks and adorned with ear-rings, that head of Jayadratha was\nthrown upon Vriddhakshatra's lap, as the latter was saying his prayers in\na sitting posture. Thus thrown on his lap, that head decked with\ncar-rings, O chastiser of foes, was not seen by king Vriddhakshatra. As\nthe latter, however, stood up after finishing his prayers it suddenly\nfell down on the earth. And as the head of Jayadratha fell down on the\nearth, the head of Vriddhakshatra, O chastiser of foes, cracked into a\nhundred pieces. At the sight of this, all creatures were filled with\nwonder. And all of them applauded Vasudeva and the mighty Vibhatsu.\n\n\"'After, O king, the ruler of the Sindhus had been slain by the\ndiadem-decked Arjuna, that darkness, O bull of Bharata's race, was\nwithdrawn by Vasudeva. Thy sons with their followers, O king, thus came\nto know subsequently that the darkness, they had seen, had all been an\nillusion produced by Vasudeva. Even thus, O king, was thy son-in-law, the\nruler of the Sindhus, having caused eight Akshauhinis to be slaughtered,\nhimself slain by Partha of inconceivable energy. Beholding Jayadratha,\nthe ruler of the Sindhus slain, tears of sorrow fell from the eyes of thy\nsons. After Jayadratha, O king, had been slain by Partha, Kesava blew his\nconch and that scorcher of foes, viz., the mighty-armed Arjuna also blew\nhis; Bhimasena also, in that battle, as if for sending a message to\nYudhishthira, filled the welkin with a tremendous leonine shout.\nYudhishthira, the son of Dharma, hearing that tremendous shout understood\nthat the ruler of the Sindhus had been slain by the high-souled Phalguna.\nWith sounds of drums and other instruments he gladdened the warriors of\nhis own army, and proceeded against the son of Bharadwaja from desire of\nbattle. Then commenced, O king, after the sun had set, a fierce battle\nbetween Drona and the Somakas, that made the very hair stand on end.\nDesirous of slaying him, those mighty car-warriors after the fall of\nJayadratha, fought with the son of Bharadwaja, exerting themselves to\ntheir utmost. Indeed, the Pandavas, having got the victory by slaying the\nruler of the Sindhus fought with Drona, intoxicated with success. Arjuna,\nalso, O king, having slain king Jayadratha, fought with many mighty\ncar-warriors of thy army. Indeed, that hero decked with diadem and\ngarlands, having accomplished his former vow, began to destroy his foes\nlike the chief of the celestials destroying the Danavas, or the sun\ndestroying darkness.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLVI\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me, O Sanjaya, what did my warriors do after\nthe heroic ruler of the Sindhus had been slain, by Arjuna.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the ruler of the Sindhus, O sire, slain in\nbattle by Partha, Kripa, the son of Saradwat, under the influence of\nwrath, covered the son of Pandu with a dense shower of arrows. Drona's\nson also, on his car, rushed against Phalguna, the son of Pritha. Those\ntwo foremost of car-warriors began from their cars to shower from\nopposite directions upon the son of Pandu their keen arrows. That\nforemost of car-warriors, viz., the mighty-armed Arjuna, afflicted by\nthose arrowy showers of (Kripa and Drona's son) felt great pain. Without\ndesiring, however, to slay his preceptor (Kripa) as also the son of (his\nother preceptor) Drona, Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, began to act like a\npreceptor in arms. Baffling with his own weapons those of both\nAswatthaman and Kripa, he sped at them, without desiring to slay them,\nshafts that coursed mildly. Those shafts, however (though mildly), shot\nby Jaya struck the two with great force, and in consequence of their\nnumber, caused great pain to Kripa and his nephew. Then Saradwat's son, O\nking, thus afflicted with the arrows of Arjuna, lost all strength and\nswooned away on the terrace of his car. Understanding his master\nafflicted with shafts to be deprived of his senses, and believing him to\nbe dead, the driver of Kripa's car bore Kripa away from the fight. And\nafter Kripa, the son of Saradwat, had thus been borne away from the\nbattle, Aswatthaman also, from fear, fled away from the son of Pandu.\nThen the mighty bowman, Partha, beholding the son of Saradwat afflicted\nwith shafts and in a swoon, began to indulge, on his car, in piteous\nlamentations. With a tearful face and in great dejection of heart, he\nuttered these words: \"Beholding all this (in his mental vision), Vidura of\ngreat wisdom had, on the birth of the wretched Suyodhana, that\nexterminator of his race, said unto Dhritarashtra, 'Let this wretch of\nhis race be soon killed. Owing to him, a great calamity will overtake the\nforemost ones of Kuru's race.' Alas, these words of the truth-telling\nVidura have come to be true. It is for him that I behold my preceptor\ntoday lying on a bed of arrows. Fie on the practices of Kshatriya! Fie on\nmy might and prowess! Who else like me would fight with a Brahmana that\nis besides his preceptor? Kripa is the son of a Rishi; he is, again, my\npreceptor; he is also the dear friend of Drona. Alas, he lieth stretched\non the terrace of his car, afflicted with my arrows. Though not wishing\nit, I have still been the means of crushing him with my shafts. Lying\nsenseless on the terrace of his car, he paineth my heart exceedingly.\nEven though he afflicted me with shafts, I should still have only looked\nat that warrior of dazzling splendour (without striking him in return).\nStruck with numerous shafts of mine, he hath gone the way of all\ncreatures. By that he hath pained me more than even the slaughter of my\nown son. Behold, O Krishna, to what plight he hath been reduced, thus\nlying miserably and in a senseless state on his own car. Those bulls\namong men that give desirable objects unto their preceptors after\nobtaining knowledge from them, attain to godhead. Those lowest of mortals\non the other hand, who, after obtaining knowledge from their preceptors\nstrike the latter, those wicked men, go to hell. Without doubt, this act\nthat I have done will lead me to hell. I have deeply pierced my preceptor\non his car with showers of arrows. While studying the science of arms at\nhis feet, Kripa told me in those days, 'Do not, O thou of Kuru's race,\never strike thy preceptor.' That command of my righteous and high-souled\npreceptor I have not obeyed, for I have struck, the very Kripa himself\nwith my shafts. I bow to that worshipful son of Gotama, to that\nunretreating hero. Fie on me, O thou of Vrishni's race, since I have\nstruck even him.\" While Savyasachin was thus lamenting for Kripa, the son\nof Radha, beholding the ruler of the Sindhu slain, rushed towards him.\nSeeing the son of Radha thus rushing towards Arjuna the two Panchala\nprinces and Satyaki suddenly rushed towards him. The mighty car-warrior,\nPartha, beholding the son of Radha advancing, smilingly addressed the son\nof Devaki and said, \"Yonder cometh the son of Adhiratha against the car\nof Satyaki. Without doubt, he is unable to bear the slaughter of\nBhurisravas in battle. Urge my steeds, O Janardana, towards the spot\nwhither Karna cometh. Let not Vrisha (Karna) cause the Satwata hero to\nfollow in the wake of Bhurisravas.\" Thus addressed by Savyasachin, the\nmighty-armed Kesava, endued with great energy, replied in these opportune\nwords, \"The mighty-armed Satyaki is singly a match for Karna, O son of\nPandu! How much superior then will this bull among the Satwatas be when\nhe is united with the two sons of Drupada! For the present, O Partha, it\nis not proper for thee to fight with Karna. The latter hath with him the\nblazing dart, like a fierce meteor, that Vasava gave him. O slayer of\nhostile heroes, he hath kept it for thy sake, worshipping it with\nreverence. Let Karna then freely proceed against the Satwata hero. I\nknow, O son of Kunti, this wicked wight's hour, when, indeed, thou wilt,\nwith keen shafts, throw him down from his car.\"'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me, O Sanjaya, how the battle took place\nbetween the heroic Karna and Satyaki of the Vrishni race, after the fall\nof Bhurisravas and of the ruler of the Sindhus. Satyaki had been carless,\nupon what car then was he mounted? And how also did the two protectors of\nthe wheels (of Arjuna's car), viz., the two Panchala princes, fight?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'I will describe to thee all that happened in that\ndreadful battle. Listen patiently to (the consequences of) thy own evil\nconduct. Before even the encounter, Krishna knew it in his heart that the\nheroic Satyaki would be vanquished by the stake-bannered (Bhurisravas).\nJanardana, O king, knoweth both the past and the future. For this,\nsummoning his charioteer, Daruka, he had commanded him, saying, \"Let my\ncar be kept equipped tomorrow.\" Even this had been the command of that\nmighty one. Neither the gods, nor the Gandharvas, nor the Yakshas, nor\nthe Uragas, nor the Rakshasas, nor human beings, are capable of\nconquering the two Krishnas. The gods with the Grandsire at their head,\nas also the Siddhas, know the incomparable prowess of those two. Listen,\nhowever, now to the battle as it happened. Beholding Satyaki carless and\nKarna ready for battle Madhava blew his conch of loud blare in the\nRishabha note.[176] Daruka, hearing the blare of (Kesava's) conch,\nunderstood the meaning, and soon took that car, equipped with a lofty\nstandard of gold, to where Kesava was. With Kesava's permission, upon\nthat car guided by Daruka, and which resembled the blazing fire or the\nsun in effulgence, ascended the grandson of Sini. Ascending upon the car\nwhich resembled a celestial vehicle and unto which were yoked those\nforemost of steeds, capable of going everywhere at will, viz., Saivya and\nSugriva and Meghapushya and Valahaka, and which were adorned with\ntrappings of gold, Satyaki rushed against the son of Radha, scattering\ncountless shafts. The two protectors of (Arjuna's) car-wheels, viz.,\nYudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, abandoning Dhananjaya's car, proceeded against\nthe son of Radha. Radha's son also, O king, shooting showers of shafts,\nangrily rushed, in that battle, against the invincible grandson of Sini.\nThe battle that took place between them was such that its like had never\nbeen heard to have taken place on earth or in heaven between gods,\nGandharvas, Asuras, Uragas, or Rakshasas. The entire host consisting of\ncars, steeds, men, and elephants, abstained from the fight, beholding, O\nmonarch, the stunning feats of two warriors. All became silent spectators\nof that superhuman battle between those two human heroes, O king, and of\nthe skill of Daruka in guiding the car. Indeed, beholding the skill of\nthe charioteer Daruka standing on the car, as he guided the vehicle\nforwards, backwards, sidelong, now wheeling in circles and now stopping\noutright, all were amazed. The gods, the Gandharvas, and the Danavas, in\nthe welkin, intently watched that battle between Karna and the grandson\nof Sini. Both of them endued with great might, each challenging the\nother, those two warriors put forth their prowess for the sake of their\nfriends. Karna who looked like a celestial, and Yuyudhana, O king, rained\nupon each other showers of shafts. Indeed, Karna ground the grandson of\nSini with his arrowy downpours, unable to put up with the slaughter (by\nSatyaki) of the Kuru hero, Jalasandha. Filled with grief and sighing like\na mighty snake, Karna, casting angry glances on the grandson of Sini in\nthat battle, and as if burning him therewith, rushed at him furiously\nagain and again, O chastiser of foes! Beholding him filled with rage,\nSatyaki pierced him in return, shooting dense showers of arrows, like an\nelephant piercing (with his tusks) a rival elephant. Those two tigers\namong men, endued with the activity of tigers and possessed of\nincomparable prowess, mangled each other furiously in that battle. The\ngrandson of Sini, then, with shafts made entirely of iron, repeatedly\npierced Karna, that chastiser of foes, in all his limbs. And he also\nfelled, with a broad-headed arrow, the charioteer of Karna from his niche\nin the car. And with his keen shafts, he slew the four steeds, white in\nhue, of Adhiratha's son. And then cutting into a hundred fragments the\nstandard of Karna with a hundred arrows, that bull among men made Karna\ncarless in the very sight of thy son. Then all thy warriors, O king,\nbecame cheerless. Then Vrishasena, the son of Karna, and Salya, the ruler\nof the Madras, and Drona's son, encompassed the grandson of Sini from all\nsides. Then a confusion set in, and nothing could be seen. Indeed, when\nthe heroic Karna was made carless by Satyaki, cries of Oh and Alas arose,\namong all thy troops. Karna also, O king, pierced by Satwata with his\narrows and exceedingly weakened ascended the car of Duryodhana, sighing\ndeeply, remembering his friendship for thy son from his childhood and\nhaving striven to realise the promise he had made about the bestowal of\nsovereignty on Duryodhana. After Karna hath been made carless, thy brave\nsons, headed by Duhsasana, O king, were not slain by the self-restrained\nSatyaki because the latter wished not to falsify the vow made by\nBhimasena. Desirous also of not falsifying the vow formerly made by\nPartha (about the slaughter of Karna), Satyaki simply made those warriors\ncarless and weakened them exceedingly, but did not deprive them of life.\nIt is Bhima that hath vowed the slaughter of thy sons, and it is Partha\nthat, at the time of the second match at dice, vowed the slaughter of\nKarna. Although all those warriors headed by Karna made strong efforts\nfor slaying Satyaki, yet those foremost of car-warriors, failed to slay\nhim. Drona's son and Kritavarman and other mighty car-warriors, as also\nhundreds of foremost Kshatriyas, were all vanquished by Satyaki with only\none bow. That hero fought, desirous of benefiting king Yudhishthira the\nJust, and of attaining to heaven. Indeed, Satyaki, that crusher of foes,\nis equal to either of the two Krishnas in energy. Smiling the while, he\nvanquished all thy troops, O best of men! In this world, there are only\nthree mighty bowmen, viz., Krishna, Partha, and Satyaki. There is no\nfourth to be seen.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Ascending on the invincible car of Vasudeva that\nhad Daruka for its driver, Satyaki, proud of the might of his arms and\nequal in battle unto Vasudeva himself, made Karna carless. Did Satyaki\nride any other car (after his encounter with Karna was over)? I am\ndesirous of hearing this, O Sanjaya! Thou art skilled in narration. I\nregard Satyaki to be endued with unbearable prowess. Tell me all, O\nSanjaya!'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hear, O king, how it had happened. The intelligent\nyounger brother of Daruka soon brought unto Satyaki another car, duly\nequipped with all necessaries. With shafts attached to it by chains of\niron and gold and bands of silk, decked with a thousand stars, decked\nwith banners and with the figure of a lion on his standard, with horses,\nfleet as the wind and adorned with trappings of gold, yoked unto it, and\nwith rattle deep as the roar of the clouds, that car was brought unto\nhim. Ascending upon it, the grandson of Sini rushed against thy troops.\nDaruka, meanwhile, went as he listed to Kesava's side. A new car was\nbrought for Karna also, O king, unto which were yoked four steeds of the\nbest breed that were decked in trappings of gold and white as conchs or\nmilk. Its kaksha and standard were made of gold. Furnished with banners\nand machines, that foremost of cars had an excellent driver. And it was\nfurnished with a profusion of weapons of every kind. Mounting on that\ncar, Karna also rushed against his foes. I have now told thee all that\nthou hadst asked me. Once more, however, O king, learn the (extent of\nthe) destruction caused by thy evil policy. Thirty one of thy sons have\nbeen slain by Bhimasena. Having Durmukha for their foremost, they were\nconversant with all modes of warfare. Satyaki and Arjuna also have slain\nhundreds of heroes with Bhimasena as their foremost, and Bhagadatta also,\nO sire! Even thus, O king, hath the destruction commenced, caused by thy\nevil counsels.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLVII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'When such was the condition of battle, between those\nheroes of their side and mine, what did Bhima then do? Tell me all, O\nSanjaya!'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After Bhimasena had been made carless, that hero,\nafflicted with the wordy darts of Karna and filled with rage, addressed\nPhalguna and said, \"In thy very sight, O Dhananjaya, Karna hath\nrepeatedly said to me, 'Eunuch, fool, glutton, unskilled in weapons, do\nnot fight, child, unable to bear the burden of battle!' He that would\ntell me so would be slain by me. Karna hath told me those words, O\nBharata! O mighty-armed one, thou knowest the vow which I have made\njointly with thee. Remember the words that were then spoken by me. O\nforemost of men, act in such a way that that vow of mine, O son of Kunti,\nas also thy own vow, may not be falsified. O Dhananjaya, do that by which\nthat vow of mine may be made true.\" Hearing these words of Bhima, Arjuna\nof immeasurable prowess, getting near Karna in that battle, told him, \"O\nKarna, thou art of false fight. O son of a Suta, thou applaudest thy own\nself. Of wicked understanding, listen now to what I tell thee. Heroes\nmeet with either of these two things in battle, viz., victory or defeat.\nBoth of these are uncertain, O son of Radha! The case is not otherwise\nwhen Indra himself is engaged in battle. Made carless by Yuyudhana, with\nthy senses no longer under thy control, thou wert almost at the point of\ndeath. Remembering, however, that I had vowed to slay thee, that hero\ndismissed thee without taking thy life. It is true thou hadst succeeded\nin depriving Bhimasena of his car. Thy abuse, however, O son of Radha, of\nthat hero was sinful. Those bulls among men that are truly righteous and\nbrave, having vanquished a foe, never boast, nor speak ill of anybody.\nThy knowledge, however, is little. It is for this, O son of a Suta, that\nthou indulged in such speeches. Then again the abusive epithets thou\ndidst apply to the battling Bhimasena, endued with great prowess and\nheroism and devoted to the practices of the righteous, were not\nconsistent with truth. In the very sight of all the troops, of Kesava, as\nalso of myself, thou wert many a time made carless by Bhimasena in\nbattle. That son of Pandu, however, did not call thee a single harsh\nword. Since, however, thou hast addressed Vrikodara in many harsh\nspeeches, and since thou with others hast slain the son of Subhadra out\nof my sight, therefore, this very day obtain the fruit of those offences\nof thine. It was for thy own destruction, O wicked wight, that thou didst\nthen cut off Abhimanyu's bow; for that, O thou of little understanding,\nthou shalt be slain by me, with all thy followers, forces, and animals.\nAccomplish now all those acts which thou shouldst do, for a great\ncalamity is impending over thee. I will slay Vrishasena in thy very sight\nin battle. All those other kings, again, that will fully advance against\nme, I will despatch unto Yama's abode. I say this truly, laying my hand\non my weapon. A fool as thou art, without wisdom and full of vanity, I\nsay that beholding thee lying on the field of battle the wicked\nDuryodhana will indulge in bitter lamentations.\" After Arjuna had vowed\nthe slaughter of Karna's son, a loud and tremendous uproar arose amongst\nthe car-warriors. At that frightful time when confusion was everywhere,\nthe thousand-rayed sun, dimming his rays, entered the Asta hill. Then, O\nking, Hrishikesa, stationed in the van of battle embracing Arjuna who had\naccomplished his vow, told him these words, \"By good luck, O Jishnu, thy\ngreat vow hath been accomplished. By good luck, that Vriddhakshatra hath\nbeen slain along with his son. The celestial generalissimo himself, O\nBharata, encountering the Dhartarashtra force, would, in battle, O\nJishnu, lose his senses. There is no doubt of this. Except thee, O tiger\namong men, I do not even in thought see the person in the three worlds\nthat could fight with this host. Many royal warriors endued with great\nprowess, equal to thee or superior have been united together at\nDuryodhana's command. Clad in mail, they could not approach thee,\nencountering thy angry self in battle. Thy energy and might are equal to\nthat of Rudra or the Destroyer himself. None else is capable of putting\nforth such prowess in battle as thou, O scorcher of foes, alone and\nunsupported, didst today put forth. Thus shall I applaud thee again after\nKarna of wicked soul has been slain along with his followers. Thus shall\nI glorify thee when that foe of thine shall have been vanquished and\nslain.\" Unto him Arjuna replied, \"Through thy grace, O Madhava, this vow\nthat even the gods could with difficulty accomplish, hath been\naccomplished by me. Their victory is not at all a matter of wonder that\nhave thee, O Kesava, for their lord. Through thy grace, Yudhishthira will\nobtain the whole earth. All this is due to thy power, O thou of Vrishni's\nrace! This is thy victory, O lord! Our prosperity is thy victory, O lord!\nOur prosperity is thy care and we are thy servants, O slayer of Madhu!\"\nThus addressed, Krishna smiled softly, and slowly urged the steeds. And\nhe showed unto Partha, as they came, the field of battle abounding with\ncruel sights.\n\n\"'Then Krishna said, \"Desirous of victory in battle or world-wide fame\nmany heroic kings are lying on the earth, struck with thy shafts. Their\nweapons and ornaments lay scattered, and their steeds, cars, and\nelephants are mangled and broken. With their coats of mail pierced or cut\nopen, they have come to the greatest grief. Some of them are yet alive,\nand some of them are dead. Those, however, that are dead, still seem to\nbe alive in consequence of the splendour with which they are endued.\nBehold the earth covered with their shafts equipped with golden wings,\nwith their numerous other weapons of attack and defence, and with their\nanimals (deprived of life). Indeed, the earth looks resplendent with\ncoats of mail and necklaces of gems, with their heads decked with\nearrings, and headgears and diadems, and floral wreaths and jewels worn\non crowns, and Kanthasutras and Angadas, and collars of gold, and with\ndiverse other beautiful ornaments. Strewn with Anuskaras and quivers,\nwith standards and banners, with Upaskaras and Adhishthanas, with shafts\nand crests of cars, with broken wheels and beautiful Akshas in profusion,\nwith yokes and trappings of steeds, with belts and bows and arrows, with\nelephants, housings, with spiked maces and hooks of iron, with darts and\nshort arrows, with spears and pikes, with Kundas and clubs, with\nSataghnis and Bhushandis, with scimitars and axes, with short and heavy\nclubs and mallets, with maces and Kunapas, with whips decked with gold, O\nbull of Bharata's race, with the bells and diverse other ornaments of\nmighty elephants, with floral garlands and various kinds of decorations,\nand with costly robes all loosened from the bodies of men and animals,\nthe earth shines brilliantly, like the autumnal firmament with planets\nand stars. The lords of the earth, slain for the sake of earth, are\nslumbering on the earth clasping with their limbs the earth like a dear\nwife. Like mountains shedding through their caves and fissures streams of\nliquid chalk, these elephants, resembling Airavata himself and huge as\nmountains, are shedding profuse streams of blood through the openings in\ntheir bodies caused by weapons. Behold, O hero, those huge creatures\nafflicted with shafts lying on the ground in convulsions. Behold, those\nsteeds also, lying on the ground, adorned with trappings of gold. Behold\nalso, O Partha, those riderless and driverless cars that had at one time\nresembled celestial vehicles or the vapoury forms in the evening sky, now\nlying on the ground, with standards and banners and Akshas and yokes cut\ninto pieces, and with broken shafts and crests, O lord. Foot-soldiers\nalso, O hero, bearing bows and shields and slain in hundreds and\nthousands are lying on the ground, bathed in blood and clasping the earth\nwith every limb and their locks smeared with dust. Behold, O mighty-armed\none, those warriors with bodies mangled with thy weapons. Behold the\nearth, strewn with Yak-tails and fans, and umbrellas and standards, and\nsteeds and cars and elephants, and with diverse kinds of blankets, and\nreins of steeds, and beautiful robes and costly Varuthas (of cars), look,\nas if overspread with embroidered tapestry. Many warriors fallen from the\nbacks of well-equipped elephants along with those creatures themselves\nthat they had ridden, are looking like lions fallen from mountain summits\nstruck down by thunder. Mingled with the steeds (they had ridden) and the\nbows (they had held), horsemen and foot-soldiers in large numbers, are\nlying on the field, covered with blood. Behold, O foremost of men, the\nsurface of the earth is frightful to look at, covered as it is with large\nnumber of slain elephants and steeds and car-warriors, and miry with\nblood, fat, and rotten flesh in profusion, and on which dogs and wolves\nand Pisachas and diverse wanderers of the night are cantering with joy!\nThis fame-enhancing and mighty feat on the field of battle is capable of\nbeing achieved by thee only, O puissant one, or by that chief of the\ngods, viz., Indra himself, who in great battle slayeth the Daityas and\nthe Danavas.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus showing the field of battle unto the\ndiadem-decked Arjuna, Krishna blew his conch Panchajanya with the gleeful\nsoldiers of the Pandava army (blowing their respective conchs). Having\nshown the field of battle unto the diadem-decked hero, that slayer of\nfoes viz., Janardana quickly proceeded towards Ajatasatru, the son of\nPandu, and informed him of the slaying of Jayadratha.'\"[177]\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After the ruler of the Sindhus had been slain by Partha,\nKrishna, repairing unto the king, viz., Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma,\nworshipped the latter with a gladdened heart. And he said, \"By good luck,\nO king of kings, thy prosperity increaseth. O best of men, thy foe hath\nbeen slain. By good luck, thy younger brother hath accomplished his vow.\"\nThus addressed by Krishna, that subjugator of hostile towns, viz., king\nYudhishthira, filled with joy, came down from his car, O Bharata! His\neyes filled with tears of joy, he embraced the two Krishnas and wiping\nhis bright and lotus-like face, said these words unto Vasudeva, and\nDhananjaya, the son of Pandu, \"Ye mighty car-warriors, by good luck, I\nbehold both of you after ye have accomplished your task. By good luck,\nthat sinful wretch, viz., the ruler of the Sindhus, hath been slain. Ye\nKrishnas, by good luck, ye have done that which hath filled me with great\nhappiness. By good luck, our foes have been plunged into an ocean of\ngrief. Thou art the sovereign lord of all the worlds, O slayer of Madhu!\nIn the three worlds they that have thee for their preceptor can have no\nobject incapable of accomplishment. Through thy grace, O Govinda, we will\nconquer our foes, like Indra conquering the Danavas in days of old. Be it\nthe conquest of the world, or be it the conquest of the three worlds,\neverything is certain, O thou of the Vrishni race, in their case with\nwhom thou art gratified, O giver of honours! They can have no sin, nor\ncan they meet with defeat in battle with whom thou, O lord of the\ncelestials, art gratified, O giver of honours! It is through thy grace, O\nHrishikesa, that Sakra hath become the chief of the celestials. It is\nthrough thy grace, that blessed personage obtained on the field of battle\nthe sovereignty of the three worlds! It is through thy grace, O lord of\nthe celestials, that the latter obtained immortality, O Krishna, and\nenjoy eternal regions (of bliss). Having slain thousands of Daityas, with\nprowess having its origin in thy grace, O slayer of foes, Sakra obtained\nthe lordship of the celestials. Through thy grace, O Hrishikesa, the\nmobile and immobile universe, without swerving from its (ordained)\ncourse, O hero, is engaged in prayers and homa![178] In the beginning,\nthis universe, enveloped in darkness, had been one vast expanse of water.\nThrough thy grace, O mighty-armed one, the universe became manifest, O\nbest of men! Thou art the creator of all the worlds, thou art the Supreme\nSoul, and thou art immutable! They that behold thee, O Hrishikesa, are\nnever confounded. Thou art the Supreme God, thou art the God of gods, and\nthou art Eternal. They that seek refuge with thee, O lord of the gods,\nare never confounded. Without beginning and without death, thou art\nDivine, the Creator of all the worlds, and immutable. They that are\ndevoted to thee, O Hrishikesa, always tide over every difficulty. Thou\nart Supreme, the Ancient one, the Divine-Being, and that which is the\nHighest of the high. He that attaineth to that viz., thy Supreme Self\nhath ordained for him the highest prosperity. Thou art sung in the four\nVedas. The four Vedas sing of thee. Be seeking thy shelter, O high-souled\none, I shall enjoy unrivalled prosperity. Thou art the Supreme God, thou\nart the God of the highest gods, thou art the lord of Winged creatures,\nand the lord of all human beings. Thou art the Supremest Lord of\neverything. I bow to thee, O best of beings! Thou art the Lord, the Lord\nof lords O puissant one! Prosperity to thee, O Madhava! O thou of large\neyes, O Universal soul, Thou art the origin of all things. He, again,\nthat is a friend of Dhananjaya or is engaged in Dhananjaya's good,\nobtaineth thee that art the preceptor of Dhananjaya and attaineth to\nhappiness.\" Thus addressed by him those high-souled ones, viz., Kesava\nand Arjuna, cheerfully said unto the king, that lord of the earth, \"The\nsinful king Jayadratha, hath been consumed by the fire of thy wrath. O\npuissant one, although the Dhartarashtra host is vast and swelleth with\npride, yet, O Bharata, struck and slain, it is being exterminated. O\nslayer of foes, it is in consequence of thy wrath that the Kauravas are\nbeing destroyed. Having, O hero, angered thee that canst slay with thy\neyes alone, the wicked-minded Suyodhana, with his friends and kinsmen,\nwill have to lay down his life in battle. Slain before in consequence of\nthy ire, and struck down also by the gods themselves, the invincible\nBhishma, the grandsire of the Kurus, lieth now on a bed of arrows. O\nslayer of foes, victory in battle is unattainable by them, and death also\nwaiteth for them, that have thee, O son of Pandu, for their foe. Kingdom,\nlife, dear ones, children, and diverse kinds of bliss, will soon be lost\nby him with whom thou, O scorcher of foes, hast been angry. I regard the\nKauravas to be lost with their sons, and kinsmen, when thou, O scorcher\nof foes, that art observant of the duties of a king, hast been angry with\nthem.\" Then Bhima, O king, and the mighty car-warrior Satyaki, both\nmangled with shafts, saluted their senior. And those two mighty bowmen\nsat down on the ground, surrounded by the Panchalas. Beholding those two\nheroes filled with joy and arrived and waiting with joined hands, the son\nof Kunti congratulated them both, saying, \"By good luck, it is that I see\nyou both, ye heroes, escaped with life from that sea of (hostile) troops,\nthat sea in which Drona acted the part of an invincible alligator, and\nthe son of Hridika that of a fierce shark. By good luck, all the kings of\nthe earth have been vanquished (by you two).[179] By good luck, I see\nboth of you victorious in battle. By good luck, Drona hath been\nvanquished in battle, and that mighty car-warrior also viz., the son of\nHridika. By good luck, Karna hath been vanquished in battle with barbed\nshafts. By good luck, Salya also was obliged to turn away from the field\nby you both, ye bulls among men. By good luck, I behold you both come\nback from battle safe and sound, ye that are foremost of car-warriors and\nwell-skilled in battle! By good luck, I behold again, ye heroes, that\nhave forded that sea of troops in obedience to my command, ye that went\nto battle impelled by the desire of honouring me! Ye are heroes\ndelighting in battle. Ye are to me as life. By good luck, I see you\nboth.\" Having said this, the son of Pandu, O king, embraced both\nYuyudhana and Vrikodara, those tigers among men, and shed tears of joy.\nThen, O monarch, the entire host of the Pandavas became cheerful and\nfilled with joy. And all of them once more set their hearts on battle.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXLIX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Upon the fall, O king, of the ruler of the Sindhus, thy\nson Suyodhana, his face bedewed with tears, and himself filled with grief\nand breathing hot sighs like a snake whose fangs have been broken, that\noffender against the whole world, viz., thy son, experienced bitter\naffliction. Beholding that great terrible slaughter of his troops caused\nby Jishnu and Bhimasena and Satwata in battle, he became pale, dejected\nand melancholy, and his eyes became filled with tears. And he came to\nthink no warrior existed on the earth that could be compared with Arjuna.\nNeither Drona, nor the son of Radha, nor Aswatthaman, nor Kripa, O sire,\nis competent to stand before Arjuna when the latter is excited with\nwrath. And Suyodhana, said unto himself, \"Having vanquished in battle all\nthe mighty car-warriors of my army, Partha slew the ruler of the Sindhus.\nNone could resist him. This my vast host hath almost been exterminated by\nthe Pandavas. I think, there is no one that can protect my army, no, not\neven Purandara himself. He, relying upon whom I have been engaged in this\npassage-at-arms in battle, alas, that Karna hath been defeated in battle\nand Jayadratha slain. That Karna relying upon whose energy I regarded\nKrishna as straw who came to sue me for peace, alas, that Karna hath been\nvanquished in battle.\" Grieving so within his heart, that offender\nagainst the whole world, O king, went to Drona, O bull of Bharata's race,\nfor seeing him. Repairing unto him, he informed Drona of that immense\nslaughter of the Kurus, the victory of his foes, and the dire calamity of\nthe Dhartarashtras.[180] And Suyodhana said, \"Behold, O preceptor, this\nimmense slaughter of kings.[181] I came to battle, placing that grandsire\nof mine, viz., the heroic Bhishma, at our head. Having slain him,\nSikhandin, his aspiration fulfilled, stayeth at the very van of all the\ntroops, surrounded by all the Panchalas, covetous of another\ntriumph.[182] Another disciple of thine, viz., the invincible\nSavyasachin, having slain seven Akshauhinis of troops hath despatched\nking Jayadratha to Yama's abode. How, O preceptor, shall I be freed from\nthe debt I owe to those allies of mine who, desirous of victory to me and\never engaged in my good, have gone to Yama's abode? Those lords of earth\nwho had desired the sovereignty of the earth, are now lying on the earth,\nabandoning all their earthly prosperity. Truly, I am a coward. Having\ncaused such a slaughter of friends, I dare not think that I shall be\nsanctified by performing even a hundred horse-sacrifices. I am covetous\nand sinful and a transgressor against righteousness. Through my acts\nalone, these lords of earth, in their desire for victory, have gone to\nYama's abode. Why, in presence of those kings, does not the earth yield\nme a hole (through which to sink), since I am so sinful in behaviour and\nsuch a fomenter of internecine dissensions![183] Alas, what will the\ngrandsire with blood-red eyes, that invincible hero who hath conquered\nthe other world, tell me in the midst of the kings when he meets me?[184]\nBehold that mighty bowman, Jalasandha, slain by Satyaki. That great\ncar-warrior, that hero, came proudly to battle for my sake, prepared to\nlay down his life. Beholding the ruler of the Kamvojas slain, as also\nAlamvusha and many other allies of mine, what object can I have for\npreserving my life? Those unretreating heroes who, fighting for my sake\nand struggling to the utmost of their powers to vanquish my foes, have\nlaid down their lives. I shall today, O scorcher of foes, exerting the\nutmost measure of my might, free myself from the debt that I owe them and\ngratify them with oblations of water by repairing to the Yamuna. O\nforemost of all bearers of arms, I tell thee truly and swear by the good\nacts I have performed, by the prowess I possess and by my sons, that\nslaying all the Panchalas with the Pandavas, I shall obtain peace of\nmind, or slain by them in battle I shall repair to those regions whither\nthose allies of mine have gone. I shall certainly proceed thither whither\nthose bulls among men, slain, while engaged in battle for my sake, by\nArjuna have gone! Our allies, seeing that they are not well-protected by\nus, no longer desire to stand by us. O thou of mighty arms, they now\nregard the Pandavas to be preferable to ourselves. Thyself, of sure aim,\nhast ordained our extermination in battle, for thou treatest Arjuna\nleniently, since he is thy disciple. It is for this that all those have\nbeen slain who had endeavoured to secure victory to us. It seems that\nonly Karna now wishes us victory. The man of weak understanding who\nwithout duly examining another, accepteth him for a friend and engageth\nhim in concerns that require friends for their accomplishment, is certain\nto suffer injury, even so hath this affair of mine been managed by my best\nfriend![185] I am exceedingly covetous, sinful, crooked-hearted, and\ncharacterised by avarice! Alas, king Jayadratha hath been slain, and\nSomadatta's son also of great energy, and the Abhishahas, the Surasenas,\nthe Sivis, and the Vasatis! I shall go thither today whither those bulls\namong men, slain, while engaged in battle for my sake, by Arjuna, have\ngone. In the absence of those bulls among men, I have no need for life. O\npreceptor of the sons of Pandu, let me have thy permission in this.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CL\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'After the ruler of the Sindhus had been slain in\nbattle by Savyasachin and after the fall of Bhurisravas, what became the\nstate of your mind? After Drona also had been thus addressed by\nDuryodhana in the midst of the Kurus, what did the preceptor say unto him\nthen? Tell me all this, O Sanjaya!'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Loud wails arose among thy coops, O Bharata, after the\nslaughter of Bhurisravas and the ruler of the Sindhus. All of them\ndisregarded the counsels of thy son, those counsels in consequence of\nwhich leaders of men, by hundreds, were slain. As regards Drona, hearing\nthose words of thy son, he became filled with grief. Reflecting for a\nshort while, O monarch, he said these words in great affliction.\n\n\"'Drona said, \"O Duryodhana, why dost thou pierce me thus with wordy\nshafts? I told thee before that Arjuna is incapable of defeat in battle.\nProtected by the diadem-decked Arjuna, Sikhandin slew Bhishma. By that\nfeat, O thou of Kuru's race, the prowess of Arjuna in battle hath been\nwell-tested. Beholding Bhishma who was incapable of being defeated by the\ngods and the Danavas, actually slain in battle, even then I knew that\nthis Bharata host is doomed. Upon the fall of him whom of all persons in\nthe three worlds, we had regarded to be the very foremost of heroes, who\nelse is there upon whom we are to rely? Those dice, O sire, with which\nSakuni formerly played in the Kuru assembly, were not dice but keen\narrows capable of slaying foes. Even those arrows, O sire, sped by Jaya,\nare now slaying us. Though Vidura characterised them to be such, thou\ndidst not yet understand them to be so. Those words, again, that the wise\nand high-souled Vidura, with tears in his eyes had then said unto thee,\nthose auspicious words recommending peace, thou didst not then hear. That\ncalamity which foretold hath now come. That frightful carnage, O\nDuryodhana, hath now come as the result of that disobedience by thee of\nVidura's words. That man of foolish understanding who, disregarding the\nsalutary words of trusted friends, followeth his own opinion, soon falls\ninto a pitiable plight. O son of Gandhari, this great evil, viz., that\ndragging in our very sight to the Kuru assembly of Krishna who never\ndeserved such treatment, who hath been born in a noble race, and who\npractiseth every virtue. Know that all this is but little, for in the\nnext world dire consequences yet will be thine. Vanquishing the Pandavas\nat dice by deceit, thou hadst sent them, into the woods, attired in\ndeer-skins. What other Brahmana, except myself, in this world, would seek\nto injure those princes that are ever engaged in the practice of virtue\nand that are to me even as my own sons. With the approval of\nDhritarashtra, in the midst of the Kuru assembly, thou hadst, with Sakuni\nas thy help-mate, provoked the ire of the Pandavas. United with\nDuhsasana, Karna then fanned that wrath. Disregarding the words of\nVidura, thou hast repeatedly fanned it thyself. With resolute care, all\nof you had surrounded Arjuna, resolved to stand by the ruler of the\nSindhus. Why then have all of you been vanquished and why also has\nJayadratha been slain? Why, when thou art alive, and Karna, and Kripa,\nand Salya, and Aswatthaman, O Kauravya, hath the ruler of the Sindhus\nbeen slain? For rescuing the ruler of the Sindhus, the kings (on thy\nside) had put forth all their fierce energy. Why, then, hath Jayadratha\nbeen slain in their midst? Relying upon me, king Jayadratha had expected\nhis rescue from the hands of Arjuna. He, however, obtained not the rescue\nhe had expected. I do not also see my safety for my own self. Until I\nsucceed in slaying the Panchalas with Sikhandin, I feel like one sinking\nin the Dhristadyumna-mire. Having failed, O Bharata, in rescuing the\nruler of the Sindhus, why dost thou pierce me thus with thy wordy shafts,\nseeing that I too am burning with grief? Thou seest not any longer on the\nfield the gold standards of Bhishma of sure aim, that warrior who was\nnever tired in battle. How, then, canst thou hope for success? When the\nrulers of the Sindhus and Bhurisravas also have been slain in the very\nmidst of so many mighty car-warriors, what do you think, will the end be?\nKripa, difficult of being vanquished, is still alive, O king! That he\nhath not followed in the track of Jayadratha, I applaud him highly for\nthis! When I saw Bhishma himself, that achiever of the most difficult\nfeats (in battle), that warrior who was incapable of being slain in\nbattle by the gods with Vasava at their head, slain in thy sight, O\nKaurava, as also of thy younger brother Duhsasana, I thought then, O\nking, that the Earth hath abandoned thee. Yonder the troops of the\nPandavas and the Srinjayas, united together, are now rushing against me.\nFor achieving thy good in battle, O son of Dhritarashtra, I will not\nwithout slaying all the Panchalas, put off my armour. O king, go and tell\nmy son Aswatthaman who is present in battle that even at the risk of his\nlife he should not let the Somakas alone.[186] Thou shouldst also tell\nhim, 'Observe all the instructions thou hast received from thy father. Be\nfirm in acts of humility, in self-restraint, in truth and righteousness.\nObservant of religion, profit, and pleasure, without neglecting religion\nand profit, thou shouldst always accomplish those acts in which religion\npredominates. The Brahmanas should always be gratified with presents. All\nof them deserve thy worship. Thou shouldst never do anything that is\ninjurious to them. They are like flames of fire.' As regards myself, I\nwill penetrate the hostile host, O slayer of foes, for doing great\nbattle, pierced as I am by thee with thy wordy shafts. If thou canst, O\nDuryodhana, go and protect those troops. Both the Kurus and the Srinjayas\nhave been angry. They will fight even during the night.\" Having said\nthese words, Drona proceeded against the Pandavas and set himself to\nover-ride the energy of the Kshatriyas like the sun overshadowing the\nlight of the stars.'\"\n\n\n\n SECTION CLI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Thus urged by Drona, king Duryodhana, filled with rage\nset his heart on battle. And thy son, Duryodhana, then said unto Karna,\n\"Behold, the diadem-decked son of Pandu, with Krishna alone for helpmate,\npenetrated into the array formed by the preceptor, an array that the gods\nthemselves could not pierce, and in the very sight of the illustrious\nDrona struggling in battle and of many other foremost of warriors, slew\nthe ruler of the Sindhus. Behold, O son of Radha, many foremost of kings\nlying on the earth, slain in battle. Partha unaided by any one, in the\nvery sight of the illustrious Drona and myself, vigorously exerting\nourselves like a host of inferior animals-slain by a lion. The son of\nSakra hath reduced my host to a small remnant of what it was. How,\nindeed, could Phalguna, in spite of the resistance offered by Drona in\nbattle, accomplish his vow by slaying the ruler of the Sindhus? If Drona\nhad not himself willed it, O hero, how could the son of Pandu, in battle,\nhave pierced that impenetrable array, overcoming his struggling\npreceptor? Truly, Phalguna is exceedingly dear to the illustrious\npreceptor! For this, the latter gave him admittance, without having\nfought with him. Behold my misfortune! Having in the first instance\npromised protection unto the ruler of the Sindhus, Drona, that scorcher\nof foes, gave unto the diadem-decked Arjuna admittance into the array! If\nhe had in the beginning granted permission to the ruler of the Sindhus\nfor his return home, without doubt, such an awful carnage would then have\nnever occurred. Alas! Jayadratha, in hopes of saving his life, had\ndesired to return home. Having obtained from Drona a promise of\nprotection in battle, it was I, a fool that I was, who prevented him from\ngoing. Alas, today my brothers having Chitrasena for their head, have all\nperished in the very sight of our wretched selves.\"[187]\n\n\"'Karna said, \"Do not blame the preceptor. That Brahmana is fighting\naccording to the measure of his power and courage and regardless of his\nvery life. If Arjuna, of white steeds, having transgressed him,\npenetrated into our array, the slightest fault does not, for that, attach\nto the preceptor. Phalguna is accomplished in weapons, possessed of great\nactivity, endued with youth; he is a hero who has mastered all arms; he\nis distinguished for the celerity of his movements. Armed with celestial\nweapons and mounted on his ape-bannered car, the reins of whose steeds\nagain were in the hands of Krishna, cased in impenetrable armour, and\ntaking his celestial bow Gandiva of unfading might, the valiant Arjuna,\nscattering keen arrows, and proud of the strength of his arms,\ntransgressed Drona. There is nothing to wonder at this. The preceptor, on\nthe other hand is, O king, old and incapable of proceeding quickly. He is\nalso, O king, incapable of exercising his arms long. It was for this that\nPhalguna, of white steeds and having Krishna for his charioteer,\nsucceeded in transgressing the preceptor. For this reason also, I do not\nsee any fault in Drona. For all that, when Arjuna, of white steeds,\npenetrated into our array, having transgressed the preceptor it seems\nthat the latter, however skilled in weapons, is incapable of vanquishing\nthe Pandavas in battle. I think that which is ordained by Fate never\noccurs otherwise. And since, O Suyodhana, in spite of ourselves fighting\nto the utmost extent of our powers, the ruler of the Sindhus has been\nslain in battle, it seems that Fate is all-powerful. With thyself we had\nall been exerting to the utmost of our might on the field of battle.\nFate, however, baffling our exertions, did not smile on us. We have\nalways exerted to injure the Pandavas, relying both on deceit and\nprowess. Whatever act, O king, a person afflicted by Fate does, is\nfrustrated by Fate, however, much the person himself may strive to\nachieve it. Whatever, indeed, a man endued with perseverance should do,\nought to be done fearlessly. Success depends on Fate! By deceit the sons\nof Pritha were beguiled as also by the administration of poison, O\nBharata! Burnt they were in the palace of lac, vanquished they were at\ndice. In accordance with the dictates of statecraft, they were exiled\ninto the woods. All these, though done by us with care, have been baffled\nby Fate. Fight with resolution, O king, setting Fate at nought. Between\nthee and them, both striving to the best of your prowess even Fate may\nprove auspicious to that party which excels the other.[188] No wise\nmeasures have been adopted by the Pandavas with the aid of superior\nintelligence. Nor, O hero, do we see, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, that\nthou hast done anything unwise from want of intelligence! It is Fate that\ndecides the result of acts, wise or unwise; Fate, ever intent on its own\npurposes is awake when all else sleeps. Vast was thy host, and thy\nwarriors are many. Even thus the battle began. With their small force,\nmuch greater and consisting of men capable of smiting effectually, hath\nbeen much reduced. I fear, it is the work of Fate, that has frustrated\nour exertions.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'While they were discoursing thus, O king, the\nPandava divisions appeared for battle. Then occurred a fierce battle\nbetween thy warriors and theirs, in which cars and elephants encountered\none another. All this, however, O king, was due to thy evil policy!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLII\n\n(Ghatotkacha-badha Parva)\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'That elephant force of thine, O king, swelling with\nmight, fought everywhere, prevailing over the Pandava force. Resolved to\ngo to the other world, the Panchalas and the Kauravas fought with one\nanother for admission into the swelling domains of Yama. Brave warriors,\nencountering brave rivals, pierced one another with arrows and lances and\ndarts, and quickly despatched one another unto Yama's abode. Dreadful was\nthe battle that took place between car-warriors and car-warriors who\nstruck one another and caused a fierce flow of blood. Infuriated\nelephants, encountering infuriated compeers, afflicted one another with\ntheir tusks. Horsemen, solicitous of glory, pierced and cut down horsemen\nin that terrific melee with spears and darts and battle-axes.\nFoot-soldiers also O mighty-armed one, in hundreds, armed with weapons,\nrepeatedly rushed against one another with resolute courage, O scorcher\nof foes! So great was the confusion that the Panchalas and the Kurus\ncould only be distinguished from each other by the tribal, the family,\nand the personal names we heard them utter. The warriors, despatching one\nanother to the other world with arrows and darts and axes, careered\nfearlessly on the field. With thousands of arrows, however, O king, shot\nby the combatants the ten points were no longer illuminated as before in\nconsequence of the Sun having set. While the Pandavas were thus fighting,\nO Bharata, Duryodhana, O king, penetrated into the midst of their host.\nFilled with great wrath at the slaughter of the ruler of Sindhus, and\nresolved to lay down his life, he penetrated into the hostile army.\nFilling the earth with the rattle of his car-wheels and causing her to\ntremble therewith, thy son approached the Pandava host. Terrific was the\nclash that took place between him and them, O Bharata, causing a\ntremendous carnage of troops. Like the sun himself at midday scorching\neverything with his rays, thy son scorched the hostile host with his\narrowy showers.[189] The Pandavas became incapable of even looking at\ntheir brother (Duryodhana). Despairing of vanquishing their foes, they\nset their hearts on flying away from the field. Slaughtered by thy\nillustrious son, armed with the bow, by means of his gold-winged arrows\nof blazing points, the Panchalas ran away in all directions. Afflicted\nwith those keen shafts, the Pandava troops began to fall down on the\nground. Indeed, the Pandavas had never succeeded in achieving such a feat\nin battle as was then achieved by thy royal son, O monarch! The Pandava\nhost was crushed and ground by an elephant.[190] As, again, an assemblage\nof lotuses becomes shorn of its beauty when the water (over which it\ngrows) is dried up by the sun and the wind, even so became the Pandava\nhost being dried up by thy son, O Bharata, the Panchalas, with Bhimasena\nthen with ten shafts, and each of the sons of Madri with three, and\nVirata and Drupada each with six, and Sikhandin with a hundred, and\nDhrishtadyumna with seventy, and Yudhishthira with seven, and the\nKaikeyas and the Chedis with innumerable keen shafts, and Satwata with\nfive, and each of the (five) sons of Draupadi with three, and Ghatotkacha\nalso with a few, he uttered a leonine shout. Cutting off hundreds of\nother warriors and the bodies of elephants and steeds in that great\nbattle by means of his fierce shafts, he behaved like the Destroyer\nhimself in rage slaying created beings.[191] While engaged, however, in\nthus slaughtering his foes, his bow, the back of whose staff was\nornamented with gold, Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu, O sire, cut off\ninto three parts with a pair of broad-headed shafts. And Yudhishthira\npierced Duryodhana himself with ten keen arrows shot with great force.\nPiercing through Duryodhana's vital limbs, those passed out and entered\nthe earth in a continuous line. The troops that stood around then\nencompassed Yudhishthira, like the celestials encompassing Purandara for\nthe slaughter of Vritra. Then king Yudhishthira, O sire, who is incapable\nof being easily defeated, shot at thy son in that battle a fierce shaft.\nDeeply pierced therewith, Duryodhana sat down on his excellent car. Then\na loud noise arose from among the Panchala troops. Even this, O monarch,\nwas that tremendous uproar, viz., \"The king is slain!\" The fierce whizz\nof arrows also was heard there, O Bharata. Then Drona quickly showed\nhimself there in that battle. Meanwhile, Duryodhana recovering his\nsenses, had firmly grasped the bow. He then rushed towards the royal son\nof Pandu saying, \"Wait, Wait.\" Then the Panchalas also solicitous of\nvictory, began to advance with speed. Desirous of rescuing the Kuru\nprince, Drona received them all. And the preceptor began to destroy them\nlike the bright-rayed maker of day destroying tempest-tossed clouds.\nThen, O king, there occurred a fierce battle, fraught with immense\ncarnage, between thine and theirs encountering one another from desire of\nfight.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLIII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Having said all those words unto my son,\nDuryodhana, who is ever disobedient to my commands, when that mighty\nbowman endued with great strength, viz., the preceptor Drona, penetrated\nin wrath into the Pandava host, and when that hero, stationed on his car,\ncareered over the field, how did the Pandavas check his course? Who\nprotected the right wheel of the preceptor's car in that dreadful battle?\nWho also protected his left when he fiercely slaughtered the foe? Who\nwere those brave warriors that followed that fighting hero at his back?\nWho were those, then, that stood in front of that car-warrior? When that\nunvanquished and great bowman, that foremost of all bearers of weapons,\ndancing along the track of his car, entered the Pandavas host, I think,\nhis foes felt an excessive and unseasonable cold. I think, they trembled\nlike kine exposed to wintry blasts. How did that bull among car-warriors,\nwho consumed all the troops of the Panchalas like a raging conflagration,\nmeet with his death?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having slain the ruler of the Sindhus in the evening,\nPartha, after his meeting with Yudhishthira and the great bowman, viz.,\nSatyaki, both proceeded towards Drona. Then Yudhishthira, and Bhimasena,\nthe son of Pandu, each with a separate division of the army, quickly\nproceeded against Drona. Similarly, the intelligent Nakula, and the\ninvincible Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna with his own division, and\nVirata, and the ruler of the Salwas, with a large force, proceeded\nagainst Drona in battle. Similarly, king Drupada, the father of\nDhrishtadyumna, protected by the Panchalas proceeded, O king, against\nDrona. And the sons of Draupadi, and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha,\naccompanied by their forces, proceeded against Drona of great splendour.\nThe Prabhadraka-Panchalas also six thousand strong, and all effectual\nsmiters, proceeded against Drona placing Sikhandin at their head. Other\nforemost of men and mighty car-warriors among the Pandavas, uniting\ntogether, O bull among men, proceeded against Drona. When those heroic\nwarriors, O bull among the Bharatas, proceeded to battle, the night\nbecame pitch dark, enhancing the terrors of the timid. And during that\nhour of darkness, O king, many were the warriors that laid down their\nlives. And that night also proved the death of many elephants and steeds\nand foot-soldiers. On that night of pitch darkness, yelling jackals\neverywhere inspired great fear with their blazing mouths. Fierce owls,\nperching on the standards of Kauravas and hooting therefrom, foreboded\nfears. Then, O king, a fierce uproar arose among the troops. Mingling\nwith the loud beat of drums and cymbals, grunts of elephants, neighings\nof steeds, and stampings of horse-hoofs, that uproar spread everywhere.\nThen, in that hour of evening, fierce was the battle that took place\nbetween Drona, O king, and all of the Srinjayas. The world having been\nenveloped in darkness, nothing could be noticed. The welkin was covered\nwith the dust raised by the combatants. Blood of man and horse and\nelephant mingled together. The earthy dust then disappeared. All of us\nbecame perfectly cheerless. During that night, like the sounds of a\nburning forest of bamboos on a mountain, frightful sounds were heard of\nclashing weapons. With the sounds of Mridangas and Anakas and Vallakis\nand Patahas,[192] with the shouts (of human beings) and the neigh (of\nsteeds), a dreadful confusion set in everywhere, O lord! When the field\nof battle was enveloped in darkness, friends, O king, could not be\ndistinguished from foes. All were possessed with a madness in that night.\nThe earthen dust that had arisen, O king, was soon allayed with showers\nof blood. Then, in consequence of golden coats of mail and the bright\nornaments of the warriors, that darkness was dispelled. The Bharata host\nthen, adorned with gems and gold (and abounding with darts and\nstandards), looked like the firmament in the night, O bull of Bharata's\nrace, bespangled with stars. The field of battle then resounded with the\nyells of jackals and the cawings of crows, with the grunts of elephants,\nand the shouts and cries of the warriors. Those sounds, mingling\ntogether, produced a loud uproar, making the hair stand on end. That\nuproar filled all the points of the compass like the report of Indra's\nthunder. At dead of night, the Bharata host seemed illuminated with the\nAngadas, the ear-rings, the cuirasses, and the weapons of combatants.\nThere elephants and cars, adorned with gold, looked in that night like\nclouds charged with lightning. Swords and darts and maces and scimitars\nand clubs and lances and axes, as they fell, looked like dazzling flashes\nof fire. Duryodhana was the gust of wind that was the precursor (of that\ntempest-like host). Cars and elephants constituted its dry clouds. The\nloud noise of drums and other instruments formed the peal of its\nthunders. Abounding with standards, bows formed to lightning flashes.\nDrona and the Pandavas formed its pouring clouds. Scimitars and darts and\nmaces constituted its thunders. Shafts formed its downpour, and weapons\n(of other kinds) its incessant gusts of wind. And the winds that blew\nwere both exceedingly hot and exceedingly cold. Terrible, stunning and\nfierce, it was destructive of life. There was nothing that could afford\nshelter from it.[193] Combatants, desirous of battle entered into that\nfrightful host on that dreadful night resounding with terrible noises,\nenhancing the fears of the timid and the delight of heroes. And during\nthe progress of that fierce and dreadful battle in the night, the Pandus\nand the Srinjayas, united together, rushed in wrath against Drona. All\nthese, however, O king, that advanced right against the illustrious\nDrona, were either obliged to turn back or despatched to the abode of\nYama. Indeed, on that night, Drona alone pierced with his shafts,\nelephants in thousands and cars in tens of thousands and millions of\nmillions of foot-soldiers and steeds.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLIV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'When the invincible Drona, of immeasurable energy,\nunable to bear (the slaughter of Jayadratha), wrathfully entered into the\nmidst of the Srinjayas, what did all of you think? When that warrior of\nimmeasurable soul, having said those words unto my disobedient son,\nDuryodhana, so entered (the hostile ranks), what steps did Partha take?\nWhen after the fall of the heroic Jayadratha and of Bhurisravas, that\nunvanquished warrior of great energy, that scorcher of foes, viz., the\nunconquerable Drona, proceeded against the Panchalas, what did Arjuna\nthink? What also did Duryodhana think as the most seasonable step that he\ncould adopt? Who were they that followed that boon-giving hero, that\nforemost of regenerated ones? Who were those heroes, O Suta, that stood\nbehind that hero while engaged in battle? Who fought in his van, while\nhe was employed in slaughter? I think, all the Pandavas, afflicted with\nthe arrows of Bharadwaja's son, were, O Suta, like lean kine trembling\nunder a wintry sky. Having penetrated into the midst of the Panchalas how\ndid that great bowman, that scorcher of foes, that tiger among men, meet\nwith his death?[194] When on that night all the troops, united together,\nand all the great car-warriors combined were being separately ground (by\nDrona), who were those intelligent men amongst you that were present\nthere? Thou sayest that my troops were slain or huddled together, or\nvanquished, and that my car-warriors were made carless in those\nencounters. While those combatants became cheerless and were being ground\nby the Pandavas, what did they think when they sank in such affliction on\nthat dark night? Thou sayest that the Pandavas were hearty and\nexceedingly hopeful, and that mine were melancholy and heartless and\npanic-stricken. How, O Sanjaya, couldst thou mark the distinction on that\nnight between the Kurus and the unretreating Parthas?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'During the progress, O king, of that fierce night-battle,\nthe Pandavas along with the Somakas all rushed against Drona. Then Drona,\nwith his swift-going shafts, despatched all the Kaikeyas and the sons of\nDhrishtadyumna into the world of spirits. Indeed, all those mighty\ncar-warriors, O king, that advanced right against Drona, all those lords\nof the earth, were despatched (by him) into the region of the dead. Then\nking Sivi, of great prowess, filled with rage, proceeded against that\nmighty car-warrior, viz., the heroic son of Bharadwaja, while the latter\nwas thus employed in grinding (the hostile combatants). Beholding that\ngreat car-warrior of the Pandavas advancing, Drona pierced him with ten\nshafts made entirely of iron. Sivi, however, pierced Drona in return with\nthirty shafts, winged with Kanka feathers. And smiling the while, he\nalso, with a broad-headed shaft felled the driver of Drona's car. Drona\nthen, slaying the steeds of the illustrious Sivi as also the driver of\nhis car, cut off from his trunk Sivi's head with head-gear on it. Then\nDuryodhana quickly sent unto Drona a driver for his car. The reins of his\nsteeds having been taken up by the new man, Drona once more rushed\nagainst his foes. The sort of the ruler of the Kalingas, supported by the\nKalinga troops, rushed against Bhimasena, filled with rage at the\nslaughter of his sire by the latter. Having pierced Bhima with five\nshafts he once more pierced him with seven. And he struck Visoka (the\ndriver of Bhima's car) with three shafts and the latter's standard with\none. Then Vrikodara, filled with rage, leaping from his own car to that of\nhis foe, slew with only his fists that angry hero of the Kalingas. The\nbones of that prince thus slain in battle by the mighty son of Pandu with\nonly his fists, fell down on the earth separated from one another. Karna\nand the brother of the slain prince, (and others), could not brook that\nact of Bhima. All of them began to strike Bhimasena with keen shafts\nresembling snakes of virulent poison. Abandoning then that car of the foe\n(upon which he stood), Bhima proceeded to the car of Dhruva,[195] and\ncrushed, by a blow of his fist, that prince who had been striking him\nincessantly. Thus struck by the mighty son of Pandu, Dhruva fell down.\nHaving slain him, O king, Bhimasena of great strength, proceeding to the\ncar of Jayarata, began to roar repeatedly like a lion. Dragging Jayarata\nthen with his left arm, while, employed in roaring, he slew that warrior\nwith a slap of his palm in the very sight of Karna. Then Karna hurled at\nthe son of Pandu, a dart decked with gold. The Pandava, however, smiling\nthe while, seized with his hand that dart. And the invincible Vrikodara\nin that battle hurled that very dart back at Karna. Then Sakuni, with a\nshaft that had drunk oil, cut off that dart as it coursed towards Karna.\nHaving achieved these mighty feats in battle, Bhima, of wonderful\nprowess, came back to his own car and rushed against thy troops. And\nwhile Bhima was thus advancing, slaughtering (thy troops) like the\nDestroyer himself in rage, thy sons, O monarch, attempted to resist that\nmighty-armed hero. Indeed, those mighty car-warriors covered him with a\ndense shower of arrows. Then Bhima, smiling the while, despatched in that\nbattle, with his shafts, the driver and the steeds of Durmada unto the\nabode of Yama. Durmada, at this, quickly mounted upon the car of\nDushkarna. Then those scorchers of foes, viz., the two brothers, riding\non the same car, both rushed against Bhima in the front rank of battle,\nlike the Regent of the waters and Surya rushing against Taraka, that\nforemost of Daityas. Then thy sons, Durmada and Dushkarna, mounting on\nthe same car, pierced Bhima with shafts. Then in the very sight of Karna,\nof Aswatthaman, of Duryodhana, of Kripa, of Somadatta, and of Valhika,\nthe son of Pandu, that chastiser of foes, by a stamp of his foot, caused\nthat car of the heroic Durmada and Dushkarna to sink into the earth.\nFilled with rage, Bhima struck with his fists those mighty and brave sons\nof thine, viz., Durmada and Dushkarna, and crushed them therewith and\nroared aloud. Then cries of Oh and Alas arose among the troops. And the\nkings, beholding Bhima said, \"That is Rudra who is fighting in Bhima's\nform among the Dhartarashtras.\" Saying these words, O Bharata, all the\nkings fled away, deprived of their senses and urging the animals they\nrode to their greatest speed. Indeed, no two of them could be seen\nrunning together. Then, when on that night a great carnage had been\ncaused among the (Kaurava) army, the mighty Vrikodara, with eyes\nbeautiful as the full-blown lotus, highly applauded by many bulls among\nkings, repairing unto Yudhishthira, paid his regards unto him. Then the\ntwins (Nakula and Sahadeva), and Drupada and Virata, and the Kaikeyas,\nand Yudhishthira also, felt great joy. And all of them paid their\nadorations unto Vrikodara even as the celestials did unto Mahadeva after\nAndhaka had been slain. Then thy sons, all equal unto the sons of Varuna,\nfilled with rage and accompanied by the illustrious Preceptor and a large\nnumber of cars, foot-soldiers, and elephants encompassed Vrikodara on all\nsides from desire of fight. Then, O best of kings, on that terrible\nnight, when everything was enveloped in darkness, as thick as a cloud, a\ndreadful battle took place between those illustrious warriors, delightful\nto wolves and crows and vultures.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After his son (Bhurisravas) had been slain by Satyaki\nwhile the former was sitting in Praya, Somadatta, filled with rage, said\nunto Satyaki these words, \"Why, O Satwata, having abandoned those\nKshatriya duties ordained by the high-souled gods, hast thou betaken\nthyself to the practices of robbers? Why would one that is observant of\nKshatriya duties and possessed of wisdom, strike in battle a person that\nis turning away from the fight, or one that has become helpless, or one\nthat has laid aside his weapons, or one that beggeth for quarters? Two\npersons, indeed, among the Vrishnis are reputed to be the foremost of\ngreat car-warriors, viz., Pradyumna of mighty energy and thou also, O\nSatyaki! Why then didst thou behave so cruelly and sinfully towards one\nthat had sat in Praya and that had his arms cut off by Partha?[196] Take\nnow in battle the consequence of that act of thine, O thou of wicked\nbehaviour! I shall today, O wretch, putting forth my prowess, cut off\nthy head with a winged arrow. I swear, O Satwata, by my two sons, by\nwhat is dear to me, and by all my meritorious acts, that, if before this\nnight passes away, I do not slay thee, that art so proud of thy heroism,\nwith thy sons and younger brothers, provided Jishnu, the son of Pritha,\ndoes not protect thee, then let me sink into terrible hell, O wretch of\nVrishni's race!\" Having said these words, the mighty Somadatta, filled\nwith rage, blew his conch loudly and uttered a leonine roar. Then\nSatyaki, of eyes like lotus-petals and teeth like those of a lion,\npossessed of great strength, and filled with rage, said these words unto\nSomadatta, \"O thou of Kuru's race, whether battling with thee or with\nothers, I do not in my heart ever experience the slightest fear. If,\nprotected by all the troops, thou fightest with me, I would not, even\nthen experience on thy account, any pain, O thou of Kuru's race! I am\never observant of Kshatriya practices. Thou canst not, therefore,\nfrighten me with only words smacking of battle or with speeches that\ninsult the good. If, O king, thou wishest to fight with me today, be\ncruel and strike me with keen shafts and I will also strike thee. Thy\nson, the mighty car-warrior Bhurisravas, O king, had been slain. Sala\nalso, and Vrishasena, have been crushed by me. Thee also today I shall\nslay, with thy sons and kinsmen. Stay with resolution in battle, for\nthou, O Kaurava, art endued with great strength. Thou art already slain\nin consequence of the energy of that drum-bannered king Yudhishthira in\nwhom are always charity, and self-restraint, and purity of heart,\ncompassion, and modesty, and intelligence, and forgiveness, and all else\nthat is indestructible. Thou shalt meet with destruction along with Karna\nand Suvala's son. I swear by Krishna's feet and by all my good acts that,\nfilled with rage, I shall, with my shafts, slay thee with thy sons in\nbattle. If thou fliest away from battle, then mayst thou have safety.\"\nHaving thus addressed each other, with eyes red in wrath, those foremost\nof men began to shoot their shafts at each other. Then with a thousand\ncars and ten thousand horses, Duryodhana took his station, encompassing\nSomadatta. Sakuni also, filled with rage, and armed with every weapon and\nsurrounded by his sons and grandsons as also by his brothers, that were\nequal to Indra himself in prowess (did the same). Thy brother-in-law, O\nking, young in years and of body hard as the thunder-bolt and possessed\nof wisdom, had a hundred thousand horses of the foremost valour with him.\nWith these he encompassed the mighty bowman Somadatta. Protected by those\nmighty warriors, Somadatta covered Satyaki (with clouds of shafts).\nBeholding Satyaki thus covered with clouds of straight shafts,\nDhrishtadyumna proceeded towards him in rage and accompanied by a mighty\nforce. Then, O king, the sound that arose there of those two large hosts\nstriking each other, resembled that of many oceans lashed into fury by\nfrightful hurricanes. Then Somadatta pierced Satyaki, with nine arrows.\nSatyaki, in return, struck that foremost of Kuru warriors with nine\narrows. Deeply pierced in that battle by the mighty and firm bowman\n(Satyaki), Somadatta sat down on the terrace of his car and lost his\nsenses in a swoon. Beholding him deprived of his senses, his driver, with\ngreat speed, bore away from the battle that great car-warrior, viz., the\nheroic Somadatta. Seeing that Somadatta, afflicted with Yuyudhana's\nshafts, had lost his senses Drona rushed with speed, desiring to slay the\nYadu hero. Beholding the Preceptor advance, many Pandava warriors headed\nby Yudhishthira surrounded that illustrious perpetuator of Yadu's race\nfrom desire of rescuing him. Then commenced a battle between Drona and\nthe Pandavas, resembling that between Vali and the celestials for\nacquiring sovereignty of the three worlds. Then Bharadwaja's son of\ngreat energy shrouded the Pandava host with clouds of arrows and pierced\nYudhishthira also. And Drona pierced Satyaki with ten arrows, and the son\nof Prishata with twenty. And he pierced Bhimasena with nine arrows and\nNakula with five, and Sahadeva with eight, and Sikhandin with a hundred.\nAnd the mighty-armed hero pierced each of the (five) sons of Draupadi\nwith five arrows. And he pierced Virata with eight arrows and Drupada\nwith ten. And he pierced Yudhamanyu with three arrows and Uttamaujas with\nsix in that encounter. And piercing many other combatants, he rushed\ntowards Yudhishthira. The troops of Pandu's son, slaughtered by Drona,\nran away in all directions, from fear, O king, with loud wails. Beholding\nthat host slaughtered by Drona, Phalguna, the son of Pritha, with wrath\nexcited a little, quickly proceeded towards the preceptor. Beholding then\nthat Drona was also proceeding towards Arjuna in that battle, that host\nof Yudhishthira, O king, once more rallied. Then once more occurred a\nbattle between Drona and the Pandavas. Drona, surrounded, O king, on all\nsides, by thy sons, began to consume the Pandava host, like fire\nconsuming a heap of cotton. Beholding him radiant like the sun and endued\nwith the splendour of a blazing fire, and fiercely and continually, O\nking, emitting his ray-like arrows, with bow incessantly drawn to a\ncircle and scorching everything around like the sun himself, and\nconsuming his foes, there was none in that army that could check him. The\nshafts of Drona cutting off the head of all those that ventured to\napproach him in the face, penetrated into the earth. Thus slaughtered by\nthat illustrious warrior, the Pandava host, once more fled away in fear\nin the very sight of Arjuna. Beholding that force, O Bharata, thus routed\non that night by Drona, Jishnu asked Govinda to proceed towards Drona's\ncar. Then he of Dasarha's race urged those steeds, white as silver or\nmilk or the Kunda flower, or the moon, towards the car of Drona.\nBhimasena also, beholding Phalguna proceed towards Drona, commanded his\nown charioteer, saying, \"Bear me towards Drona's division.\" Hearing those\nwords of Bhima, his driver Visoka urged his steeds, following in the\nwake, O chief of the Bharatas, of Jishnu, of sure aim. Beholding the two\nbrothers resolutely proceeding towards Drona's division, the mighty\ncar-warriors among the Panchalas, the Srinjayas, the Matsyas, the Chedis,\nthe Karushas, the Kosalas, and the Kaikeyas, O king, all followed them.\nThen, O monarch, took place a terrible battle that made the hair stand on\nend. With two mighty throngs of cars, Vibhatsu and Vrikodara attacked thy\nhost; the former on the right and the latter in the front. Seeing those\ntigers among men, viz., Bhimasena and Dhananjaya (thus engaged),\nDhrishtadyumna, O monarch, and Satyaki of great strength, rushed behind.\nThen, O king, an uproar arose there in consequence of the two hosts\nstriking each other, that resembled the noise made by many seas lashed\ninto fury by a tempest. Beholding Satyaki in battle, Aswatthaman, filled\nwith rage at the slaughter of Somadatta's son, rushed furiously against\nthat Satwata hero at the van of battle. Seeing him rush in that battle\nagainst the car of Sini's grandson, Bhimasena's son, the gigantic\nRakshasa, Ghatotkacha, endued with great strength, rushed at him, riding\non a huge and terrible car made of black iron covered with bear-skins.\nBoth the height and the width of that large car measured thirty\nnalwas.[197] Equipped with machines set in proper places it was; its\nrattle resembled that of a mighty mass of clouds. No steeds or elephants\nwere yoked unto it, but, instead, beings that looked like elephants.[198]\nOn its tall standard perched a prince of vultures with outstretched wings\nand feet, with eyes wide-expanded, and shrieking awfully. And it was\nequipped with red flags and decked with the entrails of various animals.\nAnd that huge vehicle was furnished with eight wheels. Riding on it,\nGhatotkacha was surrounded by a full Akshauhini of fierce-looking\nRakshasas armed with lances and heavy clubs and rocks and trees. Seeing\nhim advance with uplifted bow, resembling the mace-armed Destroyer\nhimself in the hour of universal dissolution, the hostile kings were\nstruck with fear. At sight of that prince of Rakshasas, viz.,\nGhatotkacha, looking like a mountain summit of terrible aspect,\nfrightful, possessed of terrible teeth and fierce face, with arrow-like\nears and high cheek-bones, with stiff hair rising upwards, awful eyes,\nsunken belly, blazing mouth, wide as a chasm, and diadem on his head,\ncapable of striking every creature with fear, possessing jaws wide-open\nlike those of the Destroyer, endued with great splendour and capable of\nagitating all foes, advancing towards them, thy son's host, afflicted\nwith fear, became highly agitated like the current of the Ganga agitated\ninto fierce eddies by (the action of) the wind. Terrified by the leonine\nroar uttered by Ghatotkacha, elephants began to eject urine and the kings\nbegan to tremble. Then, thrown by the Rakshasas who had become more\npowerful in consequence of the night, there began to fall on the field of\nbattle a thick shower of stones. And a ceaseless shower of iron wheels\nand Bhundis and darts and lances and spears and Sataghnis and axes also\nfell there. Beholding that fierce and awful battle, the kings, thy sons,\nand Karna, also exceedingly pained, fled away. Only the proud son of\nDrona, ever boastful of his might in arms, stood fearlessly. And he soon\ndispelled that illusion that had been created by Ghatotkacha. Upon the\ndestruction of his illusion, Ghatotkacha in rage sped fierce shafts at\n(Aswatthaman). These pierced the son of Drona, like angry snakes speedily\npiercing through an ant-hill. Those arrows, having pierced through the\nbody of Aswatthaman, dyed with blood and quickly entered the earth like\nsnakes into an ant-hill. The light-handed Aswatthaman, however, of great\nprowess, filled with wrath, pierced Ghatotkacha with ten arrows.\nGhatotkacha, deeply pierced in his vital parts by Drona's son, and\nfeeling great pain, took up a wheel having a thousand spokes. Its edge\nwas sharp as a razor, and it was resplendent as the rising sun. And it\nwas decked with diverse gems and diamonds. Desirous of slaying him, the\nson of Bhimasena hurled that wheel at Aswatthaman. And as that wheel\ncoursed swiftly towards Drona's son, the latter cut it into fragments by\nmeans of his shafts. Baffled, it fell down on the earth, like the hope\ncherished by an unfortunate man. Beholding his wheel baffled, Ghatotkacha\nquickly covered the son of Drona with his shafts, like Rahu swallowing\nthe sun. Meanwhile, Ghatotkacha's son endued with great splendour and\nlooking like a mass of antimony, checked the advancing son of Drona like\nthe king of mountain (Meru) checking the (course of the) wind. Afflicted\nwith showers of shafts by Bhimasena's grandson, viz., the brave\nAnjanaparvan, Aswatthaman looked like the mountain Meru bearing a torrent\nof rain from a mighty cloud. Then Aswatthaman, equal unto Rudra or\nUpendra in prowess, became filled with rage. With one shaft he cut off\nthe standard of Anjanaparvan. With two others, his two drivers, and with\nthree others, his Trivenuka. And he cut off the Rakshasa's bow with one\narrow, and his four steeds with four other arrows. Made carless,\nAnjanaparvan took up a scimitar. With another keen shaft, Aswatthaman cut\noff in two fragments that scimitar, decked with golden stars, in the\nRakshasa's hand. The grandson of Hidimva then, O king, whirling a gold\nadorned mace, quickly hurled it at Aswatthaman. Drona's son, however,\nstriking it with his shafts, caused it to fall down on the earth. Soaring\nup then into the sky, Anjanaparvan began to roar like a cloud. And from\nthe welkin he showered trees upon his foe. Like the sun piercing a mass\nof clouds with his rays, Aswatthaman then began to pierce with his shafts\nthe son of Ghatotkacha, that receptacle of illusions, in the welkin.\nGifted with great energy, the Rakshasa once more came down on his gold\ndecked car. He then looked like a high and beautiful hill of antimony on\nthe surface of the earth. The son of Drona then slew that son of Bhima's\nson, viz., Anjanaparvan, cased in an iron coat of mail, even as Mahadeva\nhad slain in days of yore the Asura Andhaka. Beholding his mighty son\nslain by Aswatthaman, Ghatotkacha, coming unto the son of Drona,\nfearlessly addressed the heroic son of Saradwata's daughter, who was then\nconsuming the Pandava troops like a raging forest-conflagration, in these\nwords:\n\n\"'Ghatotkacha said, \"Wait, Wait, O son of Drona! Thou shalt not escape me\nwith life! I shall slay thee today like Agni's son slaying Krauncha.\"\n\n\"'Aswatthaman said, \"Go, O son, and fight with others, O thou that hast\nthe prowess of a celestial. It is not proper, O son of Hidimva, that sire\nshould battle with son.[199] I do not cherish any grudge against thee, O\nson of Hidimva! When, however, one's ire is excited, one may kill one's\nown self.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Having heard these words, Ghatotkacha, filled with\ngrief on account of the fall of his son, and with eyes red as copper in\nwrath, approached Aswatthaman and said, \"Am I a dastard in battle, O son\nof Drona, like a vulgar person, that thou dost frighten me thus with\nwords? Thy words are improper. Verily, I have been begotten by Bhima in\nthe celebrated race of the Kurus. I am a son of the Pandavas, those\nheroes that never retreat from battle. I am the king of the Rakshasas,\nequal to the Ten-necked (Ravana) in might. Wait, wait, O son of Drona!\nThou shalt not escape me with life. I shall today, on the field of\nbattle, dispel thy desire for fight.\" Having thus replied unto\nAswatthaman, that mighty Rakshasa with eyes red as copper in rage, rushed\nfuriously against the son of Drona, like a lion against a prince of\nelephants. And Ghatotkacha began to shower upon that bull among\ncar-warriors, viz., Drona's son, shafts of the measure of Aksha of battle\ncar, like a cloud pouring torrents of rain. Drona's son however, with his\nown shafts, checked that arrowy shower before it could reach him. At that\ntime, it seemed that another encounter was taking place in the welkin\nbetween shafts (as the combatants). The welkin, then, during the night,\nshone resplendent with the sparks caused by the clash of those weapons,\nas if with (myriads of) flies. Observing that his illusion was dispelled\nby Drona's son, proud of his prowess in battle, Ghatotkacha, once more\nmaking himself invisible, created an illusion. He assumed the form of a\nhigh mountain, crowded with cliffs and trees, and possessing fountains\nfrom which ceaselessly flowed spears and lances and swords and heavy\nclubs. Beholding that mountain-like mass of antimony, with countless\nweapons falling from it, Drona's son was not at all moved. The latter\ninvoked into existence the Vajra weapon.[200] The prince of mountains,\nthen, struck with that weapon, was quickly destroyed. Then the Rakshasa,\nbecoming a mass of blue clouds in the firmament, decked with rainbow,\nbegan furiously to shower upon Drona's son in that battle a downpour of\nstones and rocks. Then that foremost of all persons acquainted with\nweapons, viz., Aswatthaman, aiming the Vayavya weapon, destroyed that\nblue cloud which had risen on the firmament. Drona's son, that foremost\nof men, covering then all the points of the compass with his shafts, slew\na hundred thousand car-warriors. He then beheld Ghatotkacha fearlessly\ncoming towards him with bent bow and accompanied by a large number of\nRakshasas that resembled lions or infuriated elephants of great strength,\nsome riding on elephants, some on cars, and some on steeds. The son of\nHidimva was accompanied by those fierce followers of his, with frightful\nfaces and heads and necks. Those Rakshasas consisted of both Paulastyas\nand Yatudhanas.[201] Their prowess was equal to that of Indra himself.\nThey were armed with diverse kinds of weapons and were cased in diverse\nkinds of armour. Of terrible visage, they swelled with rage. Ghatotkacha\ncame to battle, accompanied by those Rakshasas, who were, indeed,\nincapable of being easily defeated in battle. Beholding them, thy son,\nDuryodhana, became exceedingly cheerless. Unto him the son of Drona said,\n\"Wait, O Duryodhana! Thou needst have no fear. Stand aside with these thy\nheroic brothers and these lords of earth, endued with the prowess of\nIndra. I will slay thy foes. Defeat thou shalt not have. I tell thee\ntruly. Meanwhile, assure thy troops.\"\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"I do not regard what thou sayest to be at all\nwonderful, since thy heart is large. O son of Gautama's daughter, thy\nregard for us is great.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Having said those words unto Aswatthaman, he then\naddressed the son of Suvala, saying, \"Dhananjaya is engaged in battle\nsurrounded by a hundred thousand car-warriors of great valour. Go thou\nagainst him, with sixty thousand cars. Karna also, and Vrishasena and\nKripa, and Nila, and the Northerners, and Kritavarman, and the sons of\nPurumitra, and Duhsasana, and Nikumbha, and Kundabhedin, and Puranjaya\nand Dridharatha, and Hemakampana, and Salya, and Aruni, and Indrasena,\nand Sanjaya, and Vijaya, and Jaya, and Purakrathin, and Jayavarman, and\nSudarsana, these will follow thee, with sixty thousand foot-soldiers. O\nuncle, slay Bhima and the twins and king Yudhishthira the Just, like the\nchief of the celestials slaying the Asuras. My hope of victory is in\nthee. Already pierced by Drona's son with shafts, all their limbs have\nbeen exceedingly mangled. Slay the sons of Kunti, O uncle, like Kartikeya\nslaying the Asuras.\" Thus addressed by thy son, Sakuni proceeded quickly\nto destroy the Pandavas, filling thy son's heart, O king, with delight.\n\n\"'Meanwhile, O king, the battle that took place between the Rakshasas and\nthe son of Drona on that night was exceedingly terrible like that between\nSakra and Prahlada (in days of old). Ghatotkacha, filled with rage,\nstruck Drona's son in the chest with ten powerful shafts fierce as poison\nor fire. Deeply pierced with those shafts by the son of Bhimasena,\nAswatthaman trembled on the terrace of his car like a tall tree shaken by\nthe tempest. Once more Ghatotkacha, with a broad-headed shaft, quickly\ncut off the bright bow that was in the hands of Drona's son. The latter,\nthen, taking up another bow capable of bearing of great strain, showered\nkeen arrows (upon his foe) like a cloud pouring torrents of rain. Then\nthe son of Saradwat's daughter, O Bharata, sped many sky-ranging and\nfoe-slaying arrows, winged with gold, towards the sky-ranging Rakshasa.\nAfflicted with those shafts of Aswatthaman, that vast force of\nbroad-chested Rakshasas looked like a herd of infuriated elephants\nafflicted by lions. Consuming with his arrows those Rakshasas with their\nsteeds, drivers, and elephants, he blazed forth like the adorable Agni\nwhile consuming creatures at the end of the Yuga. Having burnt with his\nshafts a full Akshauhini of Rakshasa troops, Aswatthaman shone\nresplendent like the divine Maheswara in heaven after the burning of the\ntriple city.[202] That foremost of victors, viz., Drona's son, having\nburnt thy foes, shone brilliantly like the blazing Yuga-fire after having\nburnt all creatures at the end of the Yuga. Then Ghatotkacha, filled with\nrage, urged that vast Rakshasa force on, saying, \"Slay the son of Drona!\"\nThat command of Ghatotkacha was obeyed by those terrible Rakshasa of\nbright teeth, large faces, frightful aspects, gaping mouths, long tongues\nand eyes blazing with wrath. Causing the earth to be filled with their\nloud leonine roars, and armed with diverse kinds of weapons, they rushed\nagainst the son of Drona for slaying him. Endued with fierce prowess,\nthose Rakshasas, with eyes red in wrath, fearlessly hurled at\nAswatthaman's head hundreds and thousands of darts, and Sataghnis, and\nspiked maces, and Asanis and long lances, and axes, and scimitars, and\nmaces, and short arrows and heavy clubs, and battle-axes, and spears, and\nswords, and lances, and polished Kampanas and Kunapas, and Hulas, and\nrockets, and stones, and vessels of (hot) treacle, and thunas made of\nblack iron, and mallets, all of terrible forms and capable of destroying\nfoes. Beholding that thick shower of weapons falling upon the head of\nDrona's son, thy warriors were much pained. The son of Drona, however,\nfearlessly destroyed with his whetted shafts endued with the force of the\nthunder that frightful shower of weapons looking like a risen cloud. Then\nthe high-souled son of Drona, with other weapons, equipped with golden\nwings and inspired with mantras speedily slew many Rakshasas. Afflicted\nwith those shafts, that vast force of broad-chested Rakshasas looked like\na herd of infuriated elephants afflicted by lions. Then those mighty\nRakshasas, thus afflicted by Drona's son, became filled with fury and\nrushed against the former. The prowess that the son of Drona then showed\nwas exceedingly wonderful, for the feat he achieved is incapable of being\nachieved by any other being among living creatures, since, alone and\nunsupported, that warrior acquainted with high and mighty weapons burnt\nthat Rakshasa force with his blazing shafts in the very sight of that\nprince of Rakshasas. Whilst consuming that Rakshasa force, Drona's son in\nthat battle shone resplendent like the Samvartaka fire, while burning all\ncreatures at the end of the Yuga. Indeed, amongst those thousands of\nkings and those Pandavas, O Bharata, there was none, except that mighty\nprince of the Rakshasa, viz., the heroic Ghatotkacha, capable of even\nlooking at the son of Drona in that battle, who was thus employed in\nconsuming their ranks with his shafts, resembling snakes of virulent\npoison. The Rakshasa, O chief of the Bharatas, with eyes rolling in\nwrath, striking his palms, and biting his (nether) lip, addressed his own\ndriver, saying, \"Bear me towards the son of Drona.\" Riding on that\nformidable car equipped with triumphal banners, that slayer of foes once\nmore proceeded against Drona's son, desirous of a single combat with the\nlatter. Endued with terrible prowess, the Rakshasa, uttering a loud\nleonine roar, hurled in that encounter at Drona's son, having whirled it\n(previously), a terrible Asani of celestial workmanship, and equipped\nwith eight bells.[203] Drona's son, however, jumping down from his car,\nhaving left his bow thereon, seized it and hurled it back at Ghatotkacha\nhimself. Ghatotkacha, meanwhile, had quickly alighted from his car. That\nformidable Asani, of dazzling effulgence, having reduced to ashes the\nRakshasa's vehicle with steeds and drivers and standard, entered the\nearth, having pierced her through. Beholding that feat of Drona's son,\nviz., his having jumped down and seized that terrible Asani of celestial\nworkmanship, all creatures applauded it. Proceeding then, O king, to\nDhrishtadyumna's car, Bhimasena's son, taking up a terrible bow that\nresembled the large bow of Indra himself, once more shot many keen shafts\nat the illustrious son of Drona. Dhrishtadyumna also fearlessly shot at\nAswatthaman's chest many foremost of shafts, equipped with wings of gold\nand resembling snakes of virulent poison. Then Drona's son shot arrows\nand long shafts by thousands. These two heroes, however, viz.,\nGhatotkacha and Dhrishtadyumna, struck and baffled Aswatthaman's shafts\nby means of their own shafts whose touch resembled that of fire. The\nbattle then that took place between those two lions among men\n(Ghatotkacha on the one side) and the son of Drona (on the other) became\nfierce in the extreme and gladdened all the combatants, O bull of\nBharata's race! Then, accompanied by a thousand cars, three hundred\nelephants, and six thousand horses, Bhimasena arrived at that spot. The\nvirtuous son of Drona, however, endued as he was with prowess that knew\nno fatigue, continued to fight with the heroic son of Bhima and with\nDhrishtadyumna supported by his followers.[204] The prowess then that\nDrona's son displayed on that occasion was exceedingly wonderful, in as\nmuch as, O Bharata, none else amongst all creatures is capable of\naccomplishing such feats. Within the twinkling of an eye, he destroyed,\nby means of his sharp shafts, a full Akshauhini of Rakshasa troops with\nsteeds, drivers, cars, and elephants, in the very sight of Bhimasena and\nHidimva's son and Prishata's son and the twins and Dharma's son and\nVijaya and Achyuta.[205] Deeply struck with the straight-going shafts (of\nAswatthaman), elephants fell down on elephants on the earth like\ncrestless mountains. Strewn all around with the lopped off trunks of\nelephants, that moved still in convulsions, the earth looked as if\noverspread with moving snakes. And the earth looked resplendent with\ngolden staves and royal umbrellas, like the firmament at the end of the\nYuga, bespangled with planets and stars and many moons and suns. And\nDrona's son caused a bloody river of impetuous current to flow there. The\nblood of elephants and steeds and combatants formed its water; tall\nstandards its frogs; drums formed its large tortoises; umbrellas, its\nrows of swans, yak-tails in profusion, Kankas and vultures, its\ncrocodiles; weapons its fishes; large elephants the stones and rocks on\nits banks; elephants and steeds, its sharks; cars, its unstable and broad\nbanks; and banners, its beautiful rows of trees. Having shafts for its\n(smaller) fishes, that frightful river had lances and darts and swords\nfor snakes; marrow and flesh for its mire, and trunkless bodies floating\non it for its rafts. And it was choked with the hair (of men and animals)\nfor its moss. And it inspired the timid with cheerlessness and fear. And\nbloody waves were seen on its surface. Rendered frightful by means of the\nfoot-soldiers with which it teemed, Yama's abode, was the ocean towards\nwhich it flowed. Having slain the Rakshasas, Drona's son then began to\nafflict the son of Hidimva with arrows. Filled once more with rage, the\npuissant son of Drona having pierced those mighty car-warriors, viz., the\nParthas including Vrikodara and the sons of Prishata, slew Suratha, one\nof the sons of Drupada. Then he slew in that battle Suratha's younger\nbrother named Satrunjaya. And then he slew Valanika and Jayanika, and\nJaya. And once more, with a keen shaft, Drona's son uttering a leonine\nroar, slew Prishdhra, and then proud Chandrasena. And then he slew with\nten arrows the ten sons of Kuntibhoja. Then, O king, Drona's son\ndespatched Srutayus to the abode of Yama. With three other keen shafts,\nequipped with beautiful wings and red eyes, he despatched the mighty\nSatrunjaya to the region of Sakra.[206] Then Aswatthaman, filled with\nrage, fixed on his bowstring a fierce and straight arrow. Drawing the\nstring to his ear, he quickly shot that fierce and excellent arrow\nresembling the rod of Death himself, aiming at Ghatotkacha. That mighty\nshaft, equipped with beautiful wings, passing through the chest of that\nRakshasa, O lord of the earth, entered the earth, piercing through it,\nGhatotkacha thereupon fell down on the car. Beholding him fallen down and\nbelieving him to be dead, the mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna took him\naway from the presence of Drona's son and caused him to be placed upon\nanother car. Thus, O king, that car-force of Yudhishthira turned away\nfrom the fight. The heroic son of Drona having vanquished his foes,\nuttered a loud roar. And he was worshipped by all men and all thy sons, O\nsire.[207] The earth, strewn all around with the fallen bodies of dead\nRakshasas, pierced and mangled with hundreds of arrows, became fierce\nlooking and impassable, as if strewn with mountain summits. The Siddhas\nand Gandharvas and Pisachas, and Nagas, and birds, and Pitris and ravens\nand large numbers of cannibals and ghosts, and Apsaras and celestials,\nall combined in highly applauding the son of Drona.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLVI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the sons of Drupada, as also those of\nKuntibhoja, and Rakshasas too in thousands, slain by the son of Drona,\nYudhishthira and Bhimasena, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, and\nYuyudhana, uniting together, set their hearts firmly on battle. Then\nSomadatta, once more filled with rage upon beholding Satyaki in that\nbattle, covered the latter, O Bharata, with a dense shower of arrows.\nThen took place a battle, fierce and exceedingly wonderful to behold,\nbetween thy warriors and those of the foe, both parties being solicitous\nof victory. Fighting on behalf of Satyaki, Bhima pierced the Kaurava\nhero with ten shafts. Somadatta, however, in return, pierced that hero\nwith a hundred arrows. Then Satwata, filled with rage, pierced with ten\nkeen shafts, endued with the force of the thunder, that old warrior\nafflicted with grief on account of the death of his son, and who was,\nbesides, endued with every estimable virtue like Yayati, the son of\nNahusha. Having pierced him with great force, he struck him once more\nwith seven arrows. Then, fighting for the sake of Satyaki, Bhimasena\nhurled at the head of Somadatta a new, hard and terrible Parigha. Satyaki\nalso filled with rage, shot at Somadatta's chest, in that battle, an\nexcellent shaft, keen and equipped with goodly wings and resembling fire\nitself in splendour. The Parigha and the shaft, both terrible, fell\nsimultaneously upon the body of the heroic Somadatta. That mighty\ncar-warrior, thereupon, fell down. Beholding his son (Somadatta) thus\nfallen into a swoon, Valhika rushed at Satyaki scattering showers of\narrows like a cloud in season. Then Bhima, for Satyaki's sake, afflicted\nthe illustrious Valhika with nine shafts and pierced him therewith at the\nvan of battle. Then the mighty-armed son of Pratipa, Valhika, filled with\ngreat fury, hurled a dart at the chest of Bhima, like Purandara himself\nhurling the thunder. Struck therewith, Bhima trembled (on his car) and\nswooned away. The mighty warrior then, recovering his senses, hurled a\nmace at his opponent. Hurled by the son of Pandu, that mace snatched away\nthe head of Valhika, who, thereupon, fell down lifeless on the earth,\nlike a tree struck down by lightning. Upon the slaughter of that bull\namong men, viz., the heroic Valhika, ten of thy sons, each of whom was\nequal unto Rama, the son of Dasaratha, in prowess, began to afflict\nBhima. They were Nagadatta, and Dridharatha, and Viravahu, and Ayobhuja,\nand Dridha, and Suhasta, and Viragas and Pramatha, and Ugrayayin.\nBeholding them Bhimasena became filled with rage. He then took up a\nnumber of arrows, each capable of bearing a great strain. Aiming at each\nof them one after another, he sped those arrows at them, striking each in\nhis vital part. Pierced therewith, they fell down from their cars,\ndeprived of energy and life, like tall trees from mountain cliffs broken\nby a tempest. Having with those ten shafts slain those ten sons of thine,\nBhima shrouded the favourite son of Karna with showers of arrows. Then\nthe celebrated Vrikaratha, brother of Karna, pierced Bhima with many\narrows. The mighty Pandava, however, soon disposed of him effectually.\nSlaying next, O Bharata, seven car-warriors among thy brother-in-law,\nwith his shafts, the heroic Bhima pressed Satachandra down into the\nearth. Unable to bear the slaughter of the mighty car-warrior\nSatachandra, Sakuni's brothers, viz., the heroic Gavaksha and Sarabha and\nBibhu, and Subhaga, and Bhanudatta, those five mighty car-warriors,\nrushing towards Bhimasena, attacked him with their keen shafts. Thus\nattacked with those shafts, like a mountain with torrents of rain,[208]\nBhima slew those five mighty kings with five shafts of his. Beholding\nthose heroes slain many great kings began to waver.\n\n\"'Then Yudhishthira, filled with wrath, began to destroy thy ranks, in the\nsight, O sinless one, of the Pot-born (Drona) and of thy sons. Indeed,\nwith his shafts, Yudhishthira began to despatch to the regions of Yama\nthe Amvashthas, the Malavas, the brave Trigartas and the Sivis. And\ncutting off the Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Valhikas, and the Vasatis,\nhe caused the earth to be miry with flesh and blood. And he also\ndespatched within a trice, by means of many shafts, to Yama's domains,\nthe Yaudheyas, the Malavas, and large numbers, O king, of the Madrakas.\nThen a loud uproar arose in the vicinity of Yudhishthira's car, amid\nwhich was heard, \"Slay\", \"Seize\", \"Capture\", \"Pierce\", \"Cut into pieces\"!\nBeholding him thus slaying and routing thy troops, Drona, urged on by thy\nson, shrouded Yudhishthira with showers of shafts. Drona filled with\ngreat wrath, struck Yudhishthira with the Vayavya weapon. The son of\nPandu, however, baffled that celestial weapon with a similar weapon of\nhis own. Seeing his weapon baffled, the son of Bharadwaja, filled with\ngreat wrath and desirous of slaying the son of Pandu, sped at\nYudhishthira diverse celestial weapons such as the Varuna, the Yamya, the\nAgneya, the Tvashtra, and the Savitra. The mighty-armed Pandava, however,\nconversant with morality, fearlessly baffled all those weapons of the\nPot-born that were hurled or in course of being hurled at him. Then the\nPot-born, striving to accomplish his vow and desirous also for thy son's\ngood, to slay the son of Dharma, invoked into existence, O Bharata, the\nAindra and the Prajapatya weapons. Then that foremost one of Kuru's race,\nYudhishthira, of the gait of the elephant or the lion, of broad chest and\nlarge and red eyes, and endued with energy scarcely inferior (to that of\nDrona) invoked into existence the Mahendra weapon. With that he baffled\nthe weapon of Drona. Seeing all his weapons baffled, Drona, filled with\nwrath and desirous of accomplishing the destruction of Yudhishthira,\ninvoked into existence the Brahma weapon. Enveloped as we then were by a\nthick gloom, we could not observe what passed. All creatures also, O\nmonarch, were filled with great fright. Beholding the Brahma weapon\nuplifted, Kunti's son, Yudhishthira, O king, baffled it with a Brahma\nweapon of his own. Then, all the foremost warriors applauded those two\nbulls among men, viz., Drona and Yudhishthira, those great bowmen\nacquainted with every mode of warfare. Abandoning Yudhishthira, Drona\nthen, with eyes red as copper in rage, began to consume the division of\nDrupada with the Vayavya weapon. Oppressed by Drona, the Panchalas fled\naway from fear, in the very sight of Bhimasena and of the illustrious\nPartha. Then the diadem-decked (Arjuna) and Bhimasena, checking that\nflight of their troops, suddenly encountered that hostile force with two\nlarge throngs of cars. Vibhatsu, attacking the right and Vrikodara the\nleft, Bharadwaja's son was encountered, with two mighty showers of\nshafts. Then the Kaikeyas, the Srinjayas, and the Panchalas of great\nenergy followed the two brothers, O king, accompanied by the Matsyas and\nthe Satwatas. Then the Bharata host, slaughtered by the diadem-decked\n(Arjuna) and overcome with sleep and darkness, began to break. Drona, and\nthy son himself, endeavoured to rally them. The combatants, however, O\nking, were incapable of being then checked in their flight.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLVII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding that vast host of the Pandavas swelling with\nrage and regarding it to be incapable of being resisted, thy son\nDuryodhana, addressing Karna, said these words, \"O thou that art devoted\nto friends, that hour hath now come in respect of thy friends (when thy\nhelp is most needed). O Karna, save in battle all my warriors. Our\ncombatants are now encompassed on all sides by the Panchalas, the\nKaikeyas, the Matsyas, and the mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, all\nfilled with rage and resembling hissing snakes. Yonder the Pandavas,\nsolicitous of victory, are roaring in joy. The vast car-force of the\nPanchalas is possessed of the prowess of Sakra himself.\"\n\n\"'Karna replied, \"If Purandara himself were to come hither for saving\nPartha, quickly vanquishing even him, I would slay that son of Pandu. I\ntell thee truly. Be cheered, O Bharata! I will slay the son of Pandu and\nall the assembled Panchalas, I will give thee victory, like Pavaka's son\ngiving victory unto Vasava. I shall do what is agreeable to thee in this\nbattle that has begun. Amongst all the Parthas, Phalguna is the\nstrongest. At him I will hurl the fatal dart of Sakra's workmanship. Upon\nthe death of that great bowman, his brothers, O giver of honour, will\neither surrender themselves unto thee or once more retire into the\nforest. When I am alive, O Kauravya, never indulge in any grief. I will\nvanquish in battle all the Pandavas united together and all the\nPanchalas, the Kaikeyas, and the Vrishnis assembled together. Making\nporcupines of them by means of my arrowy showers, I will give thee the\nearth.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'While Karna was uttering those words, Kripa, the\nmighty armed son of Saradwat, smiling the while, addressed the Suta's son\nin these words, \"Thy speech is fair, O Karna! If words alone could lead\nto success, then with thee, O son of Radha, as his protector, this bull\namong the Kurus would be considered to have the amplest measure of\nprotection. Thou boastest much, O Karna, in the presence of the Kuru\nchief, but thy prowess is seldom witnessed, nor, indeed, any result (of\nthy boastful speeches). Many a time have we seen thee encounter the sons\nof Pandu in battle. On every one of those occasions, O Suta's son, thou\nhast been vanquished by the Pandavas. While Dhritarashtra's son was being\ntaken away (as a captive) by the Gandharvas, all the troops fought on\nthat occasion except thy single self, who was the first to fly away. In\nVirata's city also, all the Kauravas, united together, including thyself\nand thy younger brother were vanquished by Partha in battle. Thou art not\na match for even one of the sons of Pandu, viz., Phalguna, on the field\nof battle. How then canst thou venture to vanquish all the sons of Pandu\nwith Krishna at their head? Thou indulgest in too much brag, O Suta's\nson! Engage thyself in battle without saying anything. To put forth\nprowess without indulging in brag is the duty of good men. Ever roaring\naloud, O Suta's son like the dry clouds of autumn, thou showest thyself,\nO Karna to be without substance. The king, however, does not understand\nit. Thou roarest, O son of Radha, as long as thou seest not the son of\nPritha. These thy roars disappear when thou seest Partha near. Indeed,\nthou roarest as long as thou art out of the range of Phalguna's shafts.\nThose roars of thine disappear when thou art pierced with Partha's\nshafts. Kshatriyas evince their eminence by means of their arms;\nBrahmanas, by means of speech; Arjuna evinces his by means of the bow;\nbut Karna, by the castles he builds in the air. Who is there that will\nresist that Partha who gratified Rudra himself (in battle)?\" Thus railed\nat by Saradwat's son, Karna, that foremost of smiters, answered Kripa in\nthe following strain, \"Heroes always roar like clouds in the season of\nrains, and like steeds put in the soil, quickly yield fruits. I do not\nsee any fault in heroes that take great burdens on their shoulders,\nindulging in boastful speeches on the field of battle. When a person\nmentally resolves to bear a burden, Destiny itself aids him in the\nexecution. Wishing in my heart bear a great burden, I always summon\nsufficient resolution. If, slaying the sons of Pandu with Krishna and\nSatwatas in battle, I indulge in such roars, what is it to thee, O\nBrahmana? They that are heroes never roar fruitlessly like autumnal\nclouds. Conscious of their own might, the wise indulge in roars! In my\nheart I am determined to vanquish in battle today Krishna and Partha\nunited together and fighting with resolution! It is for this that I roar,\nO son of Gotama! Behold the fruit of these my roars, O Brahmana! Slaying\nthe son of Pandu in battle, with all their followers, Krishna and\nSatwatas, I will bestow on Duryodhana the whole earth without a thorn in\nit.\"\n\n\"'Kripa said, \"Little do I reckon, O Suta's son, these delirious sayings of\nthine discovering thy thoughts, not deeds. Thou always speakest in\ndepreciation of the two Krishnas and king Yudhishthira the just. He, O\nKarna, is certain, to have the victory who hath on his side those two\nheroes skilled in battle. Indeed, Krishna and Arjuna are incapable of\nbeing defeated by the celestials, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, human\nbeings, the Nagas, and the birds, all clad in mail. Yudhishthira, the son\nof Dharma is devoted to the Brahmanas. He is truthful in speech and\nself-restrained. He reverences the Pitris and the deities. He is devoted\nto the practice of truth and righteousness. He is, again, skilled in\nweapons. Possessed of great intelligence, he is also grateful. His\nbrothers are all endued with great might and well-practised in all\nweapons. They are devoted to the service of their seniors. Possessed of\nwisdom and fame, they are also righteous in their practices. Their\nkinsmen and relatives are all endued with the prowess of Indra. Effectual\nsmiters, they are all exceedingly devoted to the Pandavas.\nDhrishtadyumna, and Sikhandin and Janamejaya, the son of Durmuksha and\nChandrasen, and Madrasen, and Kritavarman, Dhruva, and Dhara and\nVasuchandra, and Sutejana, the sons of Drupada, and Drupada himself,\nconversant with high and mighty weapons, and the king of the Matsyas\nalso, with his younger brothers, all resolutely struggling for their\nsake, and Gajanika, and Virabhadra, and Sudarsana, and Srutadhwaja, and\nValanika, and Jayanika, and Jayaprya, and Vijaya and Labhalaksha, and\nJayaswa, and Kamaratha, and the handsome brothers of Virata, and the\ntwins (Nakula and Sahadeva), and the (five) sons of Draupadi, and the\nRakshasa Ghatotkacha, are all fighting for the Pandavas. The sons of\nPandu, therefore, will not meet with destruction. These and many other\nhosts (of heroes) are for the sons of Pandu. Without doubt, the entire\nuniverse, with the celestials, Asuras, and human beings, with all the\ntribes of Yaksha and Rakshas and with all the elephants and snakes and\nother creatures, can be annihilated by Bhima and Phalguna by the prowess\nof their weapons. As regards Yudhishthira also, he can, with angry eyes\nonly, consume the whole world. How, O Karna, canst thou venture to\nvanquish those foes in battle for whom Sauri of immeasurable might hath\nclad himself in mail? This, O Suta's son, is a great folly on thy part,\nsince thou always venturest to contend with Sauri himself in battle.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed (by Kripa), Karna the son of Radha, O\nbull of Bharata's race, smiling the while, said these words unto the\npreceptor Kripa, the son of Saradwat, \"The words thou hast spoken about\nthe Pandavas, O Brahmana, are all true. These and many other virtues are\nto be seen in the sons of Pandu. It is true also that the Parthas are\nincapable of being vanquished by the very gods with Vasava at their head,\nand the Daityas, the Yakshas, and the Rakshasas. For all that I will\nvanquish the Parthas with the help of the dart given me by Vasava. Thou\nknowest, O Brahmana, that the dart given by Sakra is incapable of being\nbaffled. With that I will slay Savyasachin in battle. Upon Arjuna's fall,\nKrishna and the uterine brothers of Arjuna will never be able to enjoy\nthe (sovereignty of the) earth without Arjuna (to aid them). All of them,\ntherefore, will perish. This earth then, with her seas, will remain\nsubject to the chief of the Kurus, O Gautama, without costing him any\nefforts. In this world everything, without doubt, becomes attainable by\npolicy. Knowing this, I indulge in these roars, O Gautama! As regards\nthyself, thou art old, a Brahmana by birth, and unskilled in battle. Thou\nbearest much love for the Pandavas. It is for this thou insultest me\nthus. If, O Brahmana, thou tellest me again such words as these, I shall,\nthen, drawing out my scimitar, cut off thy tongue, O wretch! Thou\ndesirest, O Brahmana, to applaud the Pandavas, for frightening all the\ntroops and the Kauravas, O thou of wretched understanding! As regards\nthis also, O Gautama, listen to what I say. Duryodhana, and Drona, and\nSakuni, and Durmukha, and Jaya, and Duhsasana, and Vrishasena, and the\nruler of the Madras, and thyself too and Somadatta and Drona's son, and\nVivinsati,--all these heroes skilled in battle,--are here, clad in mail.\nWhat foe is there, endued with even the prowess of Sakra, that would\nvanquish these in battle? All those I have named are heroes, skilled in\nweapons, endued with great might, solicitous of admission into heaven,\nconversant with morality, and skilled in battle. They would stay the very\ngods in fight. These will take their places on the field for slaying the\nPandavas, clad in mail on behalf of Duryodhana desirous of victory. I\nregard victory to be dependent on destiny, even in the case of the\nforemost of mighty men. When the mighty-armed Bhishma himself lieth\npierced with a hundred arrows, as also Vikarna, and Jayadratha, and\nBhurisravas, and Jaya, and Jalasandha, and Sudakshina, and Sala, that\nforemost of car-warriors, and Bhagadatta of great energy, I say, when\nthese and many others, incapable of being easily vanquished by the very\ngods, heroes all and mightier (than the Pandavas), lie on the field of\nbattle, slain by the Pandavas, what dost thou think, O wretch among men,\nbut that all this is the result of destiny? As regards them also, viz.,\nthe foes of Duryodhana, whom thou adorest, O Brahmana, brave warriors of\ntheirs, in hundreds and thousands, have been slain. The armies of both\nthe Kurus and the Pandavas are diminishing in numbers; I do not, in this,\nbehold the prowess of the Pandavas! With them, O lowest of men, whom thou\nalways regardest to be so mighty, I shall strive, to the utmost extent of\nmy might, to contend in battle, for Duryodhana's good. As regards\nvictory, that depends on destiny.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Seeing his uncle thus addressed in harsh and insulting\nwords by the Suta's son, Aswatthaman, uplifting his scimitar, furiously\nrushed towards the latter. Filled with fury, Drona's son rushed towards\nKarna, in the very sight of the Kuru king, like a lion at an infuriated\nelephant.\n\n\"'And Aswatthaman said, \"O lowest of men, Kripa was speaking of the\nvirtues truly possessed by Arjuna. Of wicked understanding as thou art,\nthou rebukest, however, my brave uncle from malice. Possessed with pride\nand insolence, thou braggest today of thy prowess, not regarding any of\nthe world's bowmen in battle![209] Where was thy prowess and where were\nthy weapons when vanquishing thee in battle the wielder of Gandiva slew\nJayadratha in thy very sight? Vainly, O wretch of a Suta, dost thou\nindulge in thy mind the hope of vanquishing him who formerly contended in\nbattle with Mahadeva himself. The very gods with the Asuras united\ntogether and with Indra at their head had failed to vanquish Arjuna, that\nforemost of all wielders of weapons, having Krishna only for his ally.\nHow then, O Suta, hopest thou, aided by these kings, to vanquish that\nforemost of heroes in the world, viz., the unvanquished Arjuna, in\nbattle? Behold, O Karna of wicked soul, (what I do to thee) today! O\nlowest of men, O thou of wretched understanding, I shall presently sever\nthy head from thy trunk.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus saying, Aswatthaman made a furious rush at\nKarna. The king himself, of great energy, and Kripa, that foremost of\nmen, held him fast. Then Karna said, \"Of wicked understanding, this\nwretch of a Brahmana thinks himself brave and boasts of his prowess in\nbattle. Set him at liberty, O chief of the Kurus. Let him come in contact\nwith my might.\"\n\n\"'Aswatthaman said, \"O son of a Suta, O thou of wicked understanding, this\n(thy fault) is pardoned by us. Phalguna, however, will quell this risen\npride of thine.\"\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"O Aswatthaman, quell thy wrath. It behoveth thee, O\ngiver of honours, to forgive. Thou shouldst not, O sinless one, be angry\nwith the Suta's son. Upon thee and Karna and Kripa and Drona and the\nruler of the Madras and Suvala's son resteth a great burthen. Drive away\nthy wrath, O best of Brahmanas! Yonder, all the Pandava troops are\napproaching from desire of fight with Radha's son. Indeed, O Brahmana,\nyonder they come, challenging us all.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus pacified by the king, the high-souled son of\nDrona, O monarch, whose ire had been excited, suppressed his wrath and\nforgave (Karna). Then the preceptor Kripa, of noble heart, who is of a\nquiet disposition, O monarch, and mild temper, therefore, returned soon\nunto him, said these words.'\n\n\"'Kripa said, \"O Suta's son of wicked heart, this (thy fault) is pardoned\nby us. Phalguna, however, will quell this thy risen pride.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Then the Pandavas, O king, and the Panchalas,\ncelebrated for their prowess, uniting together approached in thousands,\nuttering loud shouts; Karna also, that foremost of car-warriors, endued\nwith great energy, surrounded by many foremost ones among the Kuru\nwarriors and resembling Sakra in the midst of the celestials, waited,\ndrawing his bow and relying on the might of his own arms. Then commenced\na battle between Karna and the Pandavas, O king, that was exceedingly\ndreadful and characterised by loud leonine roars. Then Pandavas, O\nmonarch, and the Panchalas, celebrated for their prowess, beholding the\nmighty-armed Karna, loudly shouted, saying, \"There is Karna,\" \"Where is\nKarna in this fierce battle.\"--\"O thou of wicked understanding, O lowest\nof men, fight with us!\"--Others, beholding the son of Radha said, with\neyes expanded in wrath, \"Let this arrogant wretch of little\nunderstanding, this son of a Suta, be slain by the allied kings. He hath\nno need to live. This sinful man is always very hostile to the Parthas.\nObedient to the counsels of Duryodhana, this one is the root of these\nevils. Slay him.\" Uttering such words, great Kshatriya car-warriors,\nurged by Pandu's son, rushed towards him, covering him with a dense\nshower of arrows, for slaying him. Beholding all those mighty Pandavas\nthus (advancing), the Suta's son trembled not, nor experienced any fear.\nIndeed, seeing that wonderful sea of troops, resembling Death himself,\nthat benefactor of thy sons, viz., the mighty and fight-handed Karna,\nnever vanquished in battle, O bull of Bharata's race, began, with clouds\nof shafts, to resist that force on all sides. The Pandavas also fought\nwith the foe, shooting showers of shafts. Shaking their hundreds and\nthousands of bows they fought with Radha's son, like the Daityas of old\nfighting with Sakra. The mighty Karna, however, with a dense arrowy\nshower of his own dispelled that downpour of arrows caused by those lords\nof earth on all sides. The battle that took place between them, and in\nwhich each party counteracted the feats of the other, resembled the\nencounter between Sakra and the Danavas in the great battle fought of\nyore between the gods and the Asuras. The lightness of arm that we then\nbeheld of the Suta's son was wonderful in the extreme, inasmuch as, all\nhis foes, fighting resolutely, could not strike him in that battle.\nChecking the clouds of arrows shot by the (hostile) king, that mighty\ncar-warrior, viz., Radha's son, sped terrible arrows marked with his own\nname at the yokes, the shafts, the umbrellas, the cars, and the steeds\n(of his foes). Then those kings, afflicted by Karna and losing their\ncoolness, began to wander on the field like a herd of kine afflicted with\ncold. Struck by Karna, large numbers of steeds and elephants and\ncar-warriors were seen there to drop down deprived of life. The whole\nfield, O king, became strewn with the fallen heads and arms of\nunreturning heroes. With the dead, the dying, and the wailing warriors,\nthe field of battle, O monarch, assumed the aspect of Yama's domain. Then\nDuryodhana, O king, witnessing the prowess of Karna, repaired to\nAswatthaman and addressing him, said, \"Behold, Karna, clad in mail, is\nengaged with all the (hostile) kings. Behold, the hostile army, afflicted\nwith the arrows of Karna, is being routed like the Asura army overwhelmed\nwith the energy of Kartikeya. Seeing his army vanquished in battle by\nthat intelligent Karna, yonder cometh Vibhatsu from desire of slaying the\nSuta's son. Let such steps, therefore, be taken as may prevent the son of\nPandu from slaying that mighty car-warrior viz., Suta's son, in the very\nsight of us all.\" (Thus addressed), Drona's son, and Kripa, and Salya,\nand that great car-warrior, viz., the son of Hridika, beholding the son\nof Kunti coming (towards them) like Sakra himself towards the Daitya\nhost, all advanced against Partha for rescuing the Suta's son. Meanwhile,\nVibhatsu, O monarch, surrounded by the Panchalas, advanced against Karna,\nlike Purandara proceeding against the Asura Vritra.'[210]\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Beholding Phalguna excited with fury and looking\nlike the Destroyer himself, as he appears at the end of the Yuga, what, O\nSuta, did Vikartana's son Karna do next? Indeed, the mighty car-warrior\nKarna, the son of Vikartana, had always challenged Partha. Indeed, he had\nalways said that he was competent to vanquish the terrible Vibhatsu. What\nthen, O Suta, did that warrior do when he thus suddenly met his ever\ndeadly foe?'[211]\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Beholding the son of Pandu rushing towards him like\nan elephant towards a rival elephant, Karna fearlessly proceeded against\nDhananjaya. Partha, however, soon covered Karna who was thus advancing\nwith great impetuosity, with showers of straight shafts, equipped with\nwings of gold. Karna also covered Vijaya with his shafts. The son of\nPandu then once more shrouded Karna with clouds of arrows. Then Karna,\nfilled with rage, pierced Arjuna with three shafts. The mighty\ncar-warrior, Arjuna, beholding Karna's lightness of hand, could not brook\nit. That scorcher of foes shot at the Suta's son thirty straight shafts,\nwhetted on stone and equipped with blazing points. Endued with great\nmight and energy, he also pierced him, in rage, with another long arrow\non the wrist of his left arm, smiling the while. Karna's bow then dropped\nfrom that arm of his, which had thus been pierced with great force. Then\nthe mighty Karna, taking up that bow within the twinkling of an eye, once\nmore covered Phalguna with clouds of shafts, displaying great lightness\nof hand. Dhananjaya then, O Bharata, smiling the while, baffled with his\nown shafts, that arrowy shower shot by the Suta's son. Approaching each\nother, those two great bowmen, desirous of counteracting each other's\nfeats, continued to cover each other with showers of shafts. The battle\nthat took place between them, viz., Karna and the son of Pandu, became\nexceedingly wonderful, like that between the two wild elephants for the\nsake of a she-elephant in her season. Then the mighty bowman Partha,\nbeholding Karna's prowess, quickly cut off the latter's bow at the handle.\nAnd he also despatched the four steeds of the Suta's son to Yama's abode\nwith a number of broad-headed shafts. And that scorcher of foes also cut\noff from the trunk the head of Karna's driver. Then, the son of Pandu and\nPritha pierced the bowless, the steedless, and the driverless Karna with\nfour shafts. Then that bull among men Karna, afflicted with those shafts,\nspecially jumping down from that steedless car, mounted upon that of\nKripa. Beholding the son of Radha vanquished, thy warriors, O bull of\nBharata's race, fled away in all directions. Seeing them fly away, king\nDuryodhana himself checked them and said these words, \"Ye heroes, do not\nfly away. Ye bulls among Kshatriyas, stay in battle. I myself will now\nadvance for slaying Partha in battle. I myself will slay Partha with the\nassembled Panchalas. While I shall fight with the wielder of Gandiva\ntoday, Partha will behold my prowess to resemble that of the Destroyer\nhimself at the end of the Yuga. Today the Parthas shall behold my shafts\nshot in thousands to resemble flights of locusts. The combatants shall\nbehold me today shooting, bow in hand, dense showers of shafts, like\ntorrents of rain poured by the clouds at the end of the summer season. I\nshall today vanquish Partha with my straight shafts. Stay, ye heroes, in\nbattle, and remove your fear of Phalguna. Encountering my prowess,\nPhalguna shall never be able to bear it, like the ocean, the abode of\nmakaras, unable to overcome the continents.\" Thus saying, the king\nproceeded in rage, his eyes red in wrath, surrounded by a large host,\ntowards Phalguna. Beholding the mighty-armed Duryodhana thus proceeding,\nSaradwat's son, approaching Aswatthaman, said these words, \"Yonder, the\nmighty-armed Duryodhana, deprived of his senses by wrath, desireth to\nfight with Phalguna, like an insect desiring to rush into a blazing fire.\nBefore this foremost of kings layeth down his life, in our very sight, in\nthis battle with Partha, prevent him (from rushing into the encounter).\nThe brave Kuru king can remain alive in battle as long only as he doth\nnot place himself within the range of Partha's shafts. Let the king be\nstopped before he is consumed into ashes by the terrible shafts of\nPartha, that resemble snakes just freed from their sloughs. When we are\nhere, O giver of honours, it seems to be highly improper that the king\nshould himself go to battle to fight, as if he had none to fight for him.\nThe life of this descendant of Kuru will be in great danger if he engages\nin battle with the diadem-decked (Arjuna), like that of an elephant\ncontending with a tiger.\" Thus addressed by his maternal uncle, Drona's\nson, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, quickly repaired unto\nDuryodhana and addressing him, said these words, \"When I am alive, O son\nof Gandhari, it behoveth thee not to engage thyself in battle,\ndisregarding me, O descendant of Kuru, that am ever desirous of thy good.\nThou needst not be at all anxious about vanquishing Partha. I will check\nPartha! Stand here, O Suyodhana.\"\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"The preceptor (Drona) always protecteth the sons of\nPandu, as if they are his own sons. Thou also always never interferest\nwith those my foes. Or, it may be due to my misfortune, that thy prowess\nnever becometh fierce in battle. This may be due also to thy affection\nfor Yudhishthira or Draupadi. I myself am ignorant of the true reason.\nFie on my covetous self, for whose sake all friends, desirous of making\nme happy, are themselves vanquished and plunged into grief. Except thee,\nO son of Gotama's daughter, what foremost of all wielders of weapons of\nthere, what warrior, indeed, equal to Mahadeva himself in battle, that\nwould not, though competent, destroy the foe? O Aswatthaman, be pleased\nwith me and destroy my enemies. Neither the gods nor the Danavas are\ncapable of staying within the range of thy weapons. O son of Drona, slay\nthe Panchalas and the Somakas with all their followers. As regards the\nrest, we will slay them, protected by thee. Yonder, O Brahmana, the\nSomakas and the Panchalas, possessed of great fame, are careering amid my\ntroops like a forest-conflagration. O mighty-armed one, check them as\nalso the Kailkeyas, O best of men, else, protected by the diadem-decked\n(Arjuna), they will annihilate us all. O Aswatthaman, O chastiser of\nfoes, go thither with speed. Whether thou accomplishest it now or\nafterwards, that feat, O sire, should be accomplished by thee. Thou hast\nbeen born, O mighty-armed one, for the destruction of the Panchalas.\nPutting forth thy prowess, thou shalt make the world destitute of\nPanchalas. Even thus the reverend ones crowned with (ascetic) success,\nhave said. It will be as they have said. Therefore, O tiger among men,\nslay the Panchalas with all their followers. The very gods with Vasava at\ntheir head are incapable of staying within the range of thy weapons, what\nneed be said then of the Parthas and the Panchalas? These words of mine\nare true. I tell thee truly, O hero, that the Pandavas united with the\nSomakas are no match for thee in battle! Go, O mighty-armed one! Let\nthere be no delay. Behold, our army, afflicted with Partha's shafts, is\nbreaking and flying away. Thou art competent, O mighty-armed one, aided\nby thy own celestial energy, to afflict, O giver of honours, the Pandavas\nand the Panchalas.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLIX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Thus addressed by Duryodhana, Drona's son, that warrior\ndifficult of defeat in battle, set his heart upon destroying the foe,\nlike Indra bent upon destroying the Daityas. The mighty-armed Aswatthaman\nanswered thy son, saying, \"It is even so as thou sayest, O descendant of\nKuru! The Pandavas are always dear to both myself and my father. So also,\nare we both dear unto them. Not so, however, in battle. We will,\naccording to the measure of our might, fearlessly contend in battle,\nreckless of our lives. Myself, Karna, Salya, Kripa, and Hridika's son,\ncould, O best of kings, destroy the Pandava host within the twinkling of\nan eye. The Pandavas also, O best of the Kurus, could within the\ntwinkling of an eye, destroy the Kaurava host, if, O mighty-armed one, we\nwere not present in battle. We are fighting with the Pandavas to the best\nof our might, and they also are fighting with us to the best of their\nmight. Energy, encountering energy, is being neutralised, O Bharata! The\nPandava army is incapable of being vanquished as long as the sons of\nPandu are alive. This that I tell thee is true. The sons of Pandu are\nendued with great might. They are, again, fighting for their own sake.\nWhy should not they, O Bharata, be able to slay thy troops. Thou,\nhowever, O king, art exceedingly covetous. Thou, O Kaurava, art\ndeceitful. Thou art vainglorious and suspicious of everything. For this,\nthou suspectest even us. I think, O king, thou art wicked, of sinful\nsoul, and an embodiment of sin. Mean and of sinful thoughts, thou\ndoubtest us and others. As regards myself, fighting with resolution for\nthy sake, I am prepared to lay down my life. I will presently go to\nbattle for thy sake, O chief of the Kurus. I will fight with the foe and\nslay a large number of the enemy. I will fight with the Panchalas, the\nSomakas, the Kaikeyas, and the Pandavas also, in battle, for doing what\nis agreeable to thee, O chastiser of foes. Scorched with my arrows today,\nthe Chedis, the Panchalas, and the Somakas, will fly away on all sides\nlike a herd of kine afflicted by a lion. Today, the royal son of Dharma\nwith all the Somakas, beholding my prowess, will regard the whole world\nto be filled with Aswatthamans. Dharma's son, Yudhishthira, will become\nexceedingly cheerless, beholding the Panchalas and Somakas slain (by me)\nin battle. I will, O Bharata, slay all those that will approach me in\nbattle. Afflicted with the might of my arms, none of them, O hero, will\nescape me today with life.\" Having said so unto thy son, Duryodhana, the\nmighty-armed (Aswatthaman) proceeded to battle, and afflicted all bowmen.\nThat foremost of all living beings thus sought to achieve what was\nagreeable to thy sons. The son of Gotama's daughter, then addressing the\nPanchalas and the Kaikeyas, said unto them, \"Ye mighty car-warriors,\nstrike ye all at my body. Displaying your lightness in the use of arms,\nfight ye with me coolly.\" Thus addressed by him, all those combatants, O\nking, poured showers of weapons upon Drona's son like clouds pouring\ntorrents of rain. Baffling that shower, Drona's son in that battle, slew\nten brave warriors amongst them, in the very sight, O lord, of\nDhrishtadyumna and the sons of Pandu. The Panchalas and the Somakas then,\nthus worked in battle, abandoned the son of Drona and fled away in all\ndirections. Beholding those brave warriors, viz., the Panchalas and the\nSomakas, flying away, Dhrishtadyumna, O king, rushed against Drona's son\nin that battle. Surrounded then by a hundred brave and unreturning\ncar-warriors mounted upon cars, decked with gold, and the rattle of whose\nwheels resembled the roar of rain-charged clouds, the mighty car-warrior\nDhrishtadyumna, the son of the Panchala king, beholding his warriors\nslain, addressed Drona's son and said these words, \"O foolish son of the\npreceptor, what is the use of slaying vulgar combatants. If thou art a\nhero, fight then with me in battle. I will slay thee. Wait for a moment\nwithout flying away.\" Saying thus, Dhrishtadyumna of great prowess struck\nthe preceptor's son with many keen and terrible arrows capable of\npiercing the very vitals. Those swiftly-coursing shafts, equipped with\ngolden wings and keen points, and capable of piercing the body of every\nfoe proceeding in a continuous line, penetrated into Aswatthaman's body,\nlike freely-roaming bees in search of honey entering a flowering tree.\nDeeply pierced and swelling with rage, like a trodden snake, the proud\nand fearless son of Drona, arrow in hand, addressed his foe, saying, \"O\nDhrishtadyumna, wait for moment, without leaving my presence. Soon shall\nI despatch thee to Yama's abode with my keen shafts.\" Having said these\nwords, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of Drona, displaying\ngreat lightness of hands, covered the son of Prishata from every side\nwith clouds of arrows. Thus covered in that encounter (with arrows) by\nDrona's son, the Panchala prince, difficult to defeat in battle, said\n\"Thou knowest not of my origin, O Brahmana, or of my vow. O thou of\nwicked understanding, having first slain Drona himself, I will not,\ntherefore, slay thee today when Drona himself is still alive. O thou of\nwicked understanding, after this night passeth away and bringeth in the\nfair dawn, I shall first slay thy sire in battle and then despatch thee\nalso to the region of Spirits. Even this is the wish entertained by me.\nStanding before me, display, therefore, till then, the hatred thou\nbearest towards the Parthas, and the devotion thou cherishest for the\nKurus. Thou shalt not escape from me with life. That Brahmana who,\nabandoning the practices of a Brahmana, devoteth himself to the practices\nof a Kshatriya, becomes slayable by all Kshatriyas even as thou, O lowest\nof men.\" Thus addressed by Prishata's son in language so harsh and\ninsulting that best of Brahmanas Aswatthaman mustered all his rage and\nanswered, saying, \"Wait, Wait!\" And he gazed at Prishata's son apparently\nburning him with his eyes. Sighing (in rage) like a snake, the\npreceptor's son, then, covered Dhrishtadyumna in that battle (with a\nshower of arrows). The mighty-armed son of Prishata, however, that best\nof car-warriors, surrounded by all the Panchala troops, though thus\nstruck with arrows in that encounter by Drona's son, did not tremble,\nrelying as he did on his own energy. In return, he sped many arrows at\nAswatthaman. Both engaged in a gambling match in which the stake was life\nitself, those heroes, unable to brook each other, resisted each other and\nchecked each other's arrowy showers. And those great bowmen shot dense\nshowers of shafts all around. Beholding that fierce battle, inspiring\nterror, between Drona's and Prishata's son, the Siddhas and Charanas and\nother sky-ranging beings applauded them highly. Filling the welkin and\nall the points of the compass with clouds of shafts, and creating a thick\ngloom therewith, those two warriors continued to fight with each other,\nunseen (by any of us). As if dancing in that battle, with their bows\ndrawn to circles, resolutely aspiring to slay each other, those\nmighty-armed warriors, inspiring fear in every heart, fought wonderfully\nand with remarkable activity and skill. Applauded by thousands of\nforemost warriors in that battle, and thus resolutely engaged in fight\nlike two wild elephants in the forest, both the armies, beholding them,\nbecame filled with delight. And leonine shouts were heard there, and all\nthe combatants blew their conchs. And hundreds and thousands of musical\ninstruments began to be sounded. That fierce fight, enhancing the terror\nof the timid, seemed only for a short time to be waged equally. Then\nDrona's son, O king, making a rush, cut off the bow, and standard, and\numbrella, and the two Parshni drivers, and the principal driver, and the\nfour steeds, of the high-souled son of Prishata. And that warrior of\nimmeasurable soul then caused the Panchalas in hundreds and thousands, by\nmeans of his straight shafts, to fly away. Beholding those feats of\nDrona's son, resembling those of Vasava himself in battle, the Pandava\nhost, O bull of Bharata race, began to tremble in fear. Slaying a hundred\nPanchalas with a hundred arrows, and three foremost of men with three\nkeen arrows, in the very sight of Drupada's son and of Phalguna, that\nmighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Drona, slew a very large number of\nPanchalas that stayed before him. The Panchalas then, as also the\nSrinjayas, thus disconcerted in battle, fled away leaving Drona's son,\nwith their banners torn. Then that mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of\nDrona, having vanquished his foes in battle, uttered a loud roar like\nthat of a mass of clouds at the end of summer. Having slain a large\nnumber of foes, Aswatthaman looked resplendent like the blazing fire at\nthe end of the Yuga, after having consumed all creatures. Applauded by\nall the Kauravas after having defeated thousands of foes in battle, the\nvaliant son of Drona beamed forth in beauty, like the chief of the\ncelestials himself after vanquishing his foes.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then king Yudhishthira, and Bhimasena, the son of Pandu,\nO monarch, encompassed Drona's son on all sides. Seeing this, king\nDuryodhana, aided by Bharadwaja's son, rushed against the Pandavas in\nthat encounter. Then commenced a battle that was fierce and terrific,\nenhancing the fears of the timid. Yudhishthira, in wrath began to\ndespatch vast numbers of Amvashthas, Malavas, Vangas, Sivis, and\nTrigartas, to the domain of the dead. Bhima also, mangling the\nAbhishahas, the Surasenas, and other Kshatriyas difficult to defeat in\nbattle, made the earth miry with blood. The diadem-decked (Arjuna) of\nwhite steeds despatched, O king, the Yaudheyas, the Mountaineers, the\nMadrakas, and the Malavas also, to the regions of the dead. Forcibly\nstruck with swiftly-coursing shafts, elephants began to fall down on the\nearth like double-crested hills. Strewn with the lopped-off trunks of\nelephants that still moved in convulsions, the earth seemed as if covered\nwith moving snakes. Covered with the fallen umbrellas of kings that were\nadorned with gold, the field of battle looked resplendent like the\nfirmament at the end of the Yuga bespangled with suns, moons and stars.\nAbout this time a fierce uproar arose near Drona's car, in the midst of\nwhich could be heard the words, \"Slay\", \"Strike fearlessly\", \"Pierce\",\n\"cut in pieces\". Drona, however, filled with rage, began to destroy by\nmeans of the Vayavya weapon the foes about him, like a mighty tempest\ndestroying gathering masses of clouds. Thus treated by Drona, the\nPanchalas fled away, from fear, in the very sight to Bhimasena and the\nhigh-souled Partha. Then the diadem-decked (Arjuna) and Bhimasena soon\nchecked the flight of their troops and accompanied by a large car-force\nattacked the vast force of Drona. Vibhatsu attacking the right and\nVrikodara the left, they both poured on Bharadwaja's son two dense\nshowers of arrows. The mighty car-warriors among the Srinjayas and the\nPanchalas, with the Matsyas and the Somakas, O king, followed the two\nbrothers thus engaged (in that encounter with Drona). Similarly, many\nforemost of car-warriors, skilled in smiting, belonging to thy son,\naccompanied by a large force, proceeded towards Drona's car (for\nsupporting the latter). Then the Bharata host, slaughtered by the\ndiadem-decked (Arjuna) and overcome with and afflicted by the darkness,\nbegan to break. Thy son himself, and Drona, both endeavoured to rally\nthem. Thy troops, however, O king, could not be checked in their flight.\nIndeed, that vast host, slaughtered by the shafts of Pandu's son, began\nto fly away in all directions in that hour when the world was enveloped\nwith gloom. Many kings, abandoning the animals and vehicles they rode,\nfled away on all sides, O monarch, overwhelmed with fear'.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Somadatta shaking his large bow, Satyaki,\naddressing his driver, said, \"Bear me towards Somadatta. I tell thee\ntruely, O Suta, that I shall not return from battle today without having\nslain that foe, viz., that worst of the Kurus, the son of Valhika\". Thus\naddressed, the charioteer then urged to battle those fleet steeds of the\nSindhu breed, white as conch and capable of bearing every weapon. Those\nsteeds endued with the speed of the wind or the mind, bore Yuyudhana to\nbattle like the steeds of Indra, O king, bearing the latter in days of\nyore when he proceeded to quell the Danavas. Beholding the Satwata hero\nthus advancing quickly in battle Somadatta, O king, fearlessly turned\ntowards him. Scattering showers of shafts like the clouds pouring\ntorrents of rain, he covered the grandson of Sini like the clouds\ncovering the sun. Satyaki also, O bull of Bharata's race, in that\nencounter fearlessly covered that bull amongst the Kurus with showers of\nshafts. Then Somadatta pierced that hero of Madhu's race with sixty\nshafts in the chest. Satyaki, in turn, O king, pierced Somadatta with\nmany whetted arrows. Mangled by each other with each-other's shafts,\nthose two warriors looked resplendent like a couple of flowering Kinsukas\nin the season of spring. Dyed all over with blood, those illustrious\nwarriors of the Kuru and the Vrishni races looked at each other with\ntheir glances. Riding on their cars that coursed in circles, those\ngrinders of foes, of terrible countenances, resembled two clouds pouring\ntorrents of rain. Their bodies mangled and pierced all over with arrows,\nthey looked, O king, like two porcupines. Pierced with countless shafts,\nequipped with wings of gold, the two warriors looked resplendent, O\nmonarch, like a couple of tall trees covered with fire-flies. Their\nbodies looking bright with the blazing arrows sticking to them, those two\nmighty car-warriors looked in that battle like two angry elephants decked\nwith burning torches. Then, O monarch, the mighty car-warrior, Somadatta,\nin that battle, cut off with a crescent-shaped arrow the large bow of\nMadhava. With great speed also, at a time when speed was of the utmost\nconsequence, the Kuru hero then pierced Satyaki with five and twenty\nshafts, and once again with ten. Then Satyaki, taking up a tougher bow,\nquickly pierced Somadatta with five shafts. With another broad-headed\narrow, Satyaki also, O king, smiling the while, cut off the golden\nstandard of Valhika's son. Somadatta, however, beholding his standard cut\ndown, fearlessly pierced the grandson of Sini with five and twenty\narrows. Satwata also, excited with rage, cut off with a razor-faced arrow\nthe bow of Somadatta, in that encounter. And he also pierced Somadatta\nwho then resembled a snake without fangs, with a hundred straight arrows,\nequipped with wings of gold. The mighty car-warrior Somadatta, then, who\nwas endued with great strength taking up another bow, began to cover\nSatyaki (with showers of shafts). Satyaki too, inflamed with rage,\npierced Somadatta with many shafts. Somadatta, in return, afflicted\nSatyaki with his arrowy showers. Then Bhima coming to the encounter, and\nfighting on behalf of Satyaki, struck Valhika's son with ten shafts.\nSomadatta, however, fearlessly struck Bhimasena with many whetted arrows.\nThen Satyaki, inflamed with rage, aiming at Somadatta's chest, shot a new\nand terrible Parigha equipped with a golden staff and hard as the\nthunder. The Kuru warrior, however, smiling the while, cut off that\nterrible Parigha advancing with speed against him in two parts. That\nformidable Parigha of iron, then, thus cut off into two fragments, fell\ndown like so many crests of a mountain riven by thunder. Then Satyaki, O\nking, with a broad-headed arrow, cut off in that encounter Somadatta's\nbow, and then with five arrows, the leathern fence that cased his\nfingers. Then, O Bharata, with four other shafts he speedily despatched\nthe four excellent steeds of the Kuru warrior to Yama's presence. And\nthen that tiger among car-warriors with another straight shaft, smiling\nthe while, cut off from his trunk the head of Somadatta's driver. Then he\nsought at Somadatta himself a terrible shaft of fiery effulgence, whetted\non stone, steeped in oil, and equipped with wings of gold. That excellent\nand fierce shaft, shot by the mighty grandson of Sini, quickly fell like\na hawk, O Lord, upon the chest of Somadatta. Deeply pierced by the mighty\nSatwata, the great car-warrior Somadatta, O monarch, fell down (from his\ncar) and expired. Beholding the great car-warrior Somadatta slain there,\nthy warriors with a large throng of cars rushed against Yuyudhana.\nMeanwhile, the Pandava also, O king, with all the Prabhadrakas and\naccompanied by a large force, rushed against Drona's army. Then\nYudhishthira, excited with wrath, began, with his shafts, to strike and\nrout the troops of Bharadwaja's son at the very sight of the latter.\nBeholding Yudhishthira thus agitating his troops, Drona, with eyes red in\nwrath, furiously rushed against him. The preceptor, then pierced the son\nof Pritha with seven keen arrows. Yudhishthira, in return, excited with\nwrath, pierced the preceptor with five arrows. Deeply pierced by the son\nof Pandu, the mighty bowman (Drona), licking the corners of his mouth for\na moment, cut off both the standard and the bow of Yudhishthira. With\ngreat speed, at a time when speed was of the utmost consequence, that\nbest of kings, whose bow had been cut off, took up another bow that was\nsufficiently tough and hard. The son of Pandu then pierced Drona with his\nsteeds, driver, standard, and car, with a thousand arrows. All this\nseemed exceedingly wonderful. Afflicted with the strokes of those arrows\nand feeling great pain, Drona, that bull among Brahmanas, sat down for a\nwhile on the terrace of his car. Recovering his senses, sighing like a\nsnake, and filled with great rage, the preceptor invoked into existence\nthe Vayavya weapon. The valiant son of Pritha, bow in hand, fearlessly\nbaffled that weapon with a similar weapon of his in that encounter. And\nthe son of Pandu also cut in two fragments the large bow of the Brahmana.\nThen Drona, that grinder of Kshatriyas, took up another bow. That bull of\nKuru's race, Yudhishthira, cut off that bow also, with many keen shafts.\nThen Vasudeva, addressing Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, said, \"Listen,\nO mighty-armed Yudhishthira, to what I say. Cease, O best of the\nBharatas, to fight with Drona. Drona always striveth to seize thee in\nbattle. I do not think it fit that thou shouldst fight with him. He who\nhath been created for Drona's destruction will, without doubt, slay him.\nLeaving the preceptor, go where king Suyodhana is. Kings should fight\nwith kings, they should not desire to fight with such as are not kings.\nSurrounded, therefore, by elephants and steeds and cars, repair thou\nthither, O son of Kunti, where Dhananjaya with myself, aided by a small\nforce, and Bhima also, that tiger among men, are fighting with the\nKurus\". Hearing these words of Vasudeva, king Yudhishthira the just,\nreflecting for a moment, proceeded to that part of the field where that\nslayer of foes, viz., Bhima, engaged in fierce battle, was slaughtering\nthy troops like the Destroyer himself with wide-open mouth. Making the\nearth resound with the loud rattle of his car, which resembled the roar\nof the clouds at the end of summer, king Yudhishthira the just, the\n(eldest) son of Pandu, took up the flank of Bhima, engaged in the\nslaughter of the foe. Drona also on that night, began to consume his\nfoes, the Panchalas.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'During the progress of that fierce and terrible battle,\nwhen the world was enveloped with darkness and dust, O king, the\ncombatants, as they stood on the field, could not see one another. Those\nforemost of Kshatriyas fought with each other, guided by conjectures and\nthe personal and other names (they uttered). And during the progress, O\nlord, of that terrible carnage of car-warriors and elephants and steeds\nand foot-soldiers[212], those heroes, viz., Drona and Karna and Kripa,\nand Bhima and Prishata's son and Satwata, afflicted one another and the\ntroops of either party, O bull of Bharata's race. The combatants of both\narmies, oppressed all around by those foremost of car-warriors, during\nthe hour of darkness, fled away on all sides. Indeed, the warriors, broke\nand fled away in all directions with hearts perfectly cheerless. And as\nthey fled away in all directions, they underwent a great carnage.\nThousands of foremost car-warriors also, O king, slaughtered one another\nin that battle. Unable to see anything in the dark, the combatants became\ndeprived of their senses. All this was the result of the evil counsels of\nthy son. Indeed, at that hour when the world was enveloped in darkness,\nall creatures, O Bharata, including even the foremost of warriors,\novercome with panic, were deprived of their senses in that battle.'[213]\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'What became the state of your mind then when,\nafflicted by that darkness, ye all were deprived of your energy and\nfuriously agitated by the Pandavas! How also, O Sanjaya, when everything\nwas enveloped in darkness, did the Pandava troops as also mine once more\nbecame visible?'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Then the remnant of the army (of the Kaurava),\nunder the orders of their leaders, were once more disposed in (compact)\narray. Drona placed himself at the van, and Salya at the rear. And\nDrona's son and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, placed themselves on the right\nand the left flanks. And king Duryodhana himself, O monarch, on that\nnight, busied himself in protecting all the troops. Cheering all the\nfoot-soldiers, O king, Duryodhana said unto them, \"Laying aside your\ngreat weapons, take ye all blazing lamps in your hands.\" Thus commanded\nby that best of kings, the foot-soldiers joyfully took up burning lamps.\nThe gods and Rishis, Gandharvas and celestial Rishis, and the diverse\ntribes of Vidyadharas and Apsaras, and Nagas and Yakshas and Uragas and\nKinnaras, stationed on the welkin also joyfully took up blazing lamps.\nMany lamps, filled with sweet-scented oil, were seen to fall from the\nRegents of the cardinal and the subsidiary points of the compass. For\nDuryodhana's sake, many such were seen to come from Narada and Parvata in\nespecial, lighting up that darkness. The (Kaurava) army then, disposed in\ncompact array, looked resplendent on that night with the light of those\nlamps, the costly ornaments (on the persons of combatants), and the\nblazing celestial weapons as those were shot or hurled by it. On each car\nwere placed five lamps, and on each infuriated elephant three.[214] And\nupon each horse was placed a large lamp. Thus was that host lighted up by\nthe Kuru warriors.[215] Set in their places within a short time, those\nlamps speedily lighted up thy army. Indeed, all the troops, thus made\nradiant by the foot-soldiers with oil-fed lamps in their hands, looked\nbeautiful like clouds in the nocturnal sky illumined by flashes of\nlightning. When the Kuru host had thus been illuminated, Drona, endued\nwith the effulgence of fire, scorching everything around, looked radiant,\nO king, in his golden armour, like the midday sun of blazing ray. The\nlight of those lamps began to be reflected from the golden ornaments, the\nbright cuirasses and bows, and the well-tempered weapons of the\ncombatants. And maces twined with strings, and bright Parighas, and cars\nand shafts and darts, as they coursed along, repeatedly created, O\nAjamida, by their reflection myriads of lamps. And umbrellas and\nyak-tails and scimitars and blazing brands, O king, and necklaces of\ngold, as these were whirled or moved, reflecting that light, looked\nexceedingly beautiful. Illuminated by the light of those lamps and\nirradiated by the reflection from weapons and ornaments, that host, O\nking, blazed up with splendour. Well-tempered and beautiful weapons, red\nwith blood, and whirled by heroes, created a blazing effulgence there,\nlike flashes of lightning in the sky at the end of summer. The faces of\nwarriors, impetuously pursuing foes for striking them down and themselves\ntrembling in the ardour of the rush, looked beautiful like masses of\nclouds urged on by the wind. As the splendour of the sun becomes fierce\non the occasion of the conflagration of a forest full of trees, even so\non that terrible night became the splendour of that fierce and\nilluminated host. Beholding that host of ours illumined, the Parthas\nalso, with great speed, stirring up the foot-soldiers throughout their\narmy, acted like ourselves. On each elephant, they placed seven lamps; on\neach car, ten; and on the back of each steed they placed two lamps; and\non the flanks and rear (of their cars) and on their standard also, they\nplaced many lamps. And on the flanks of their host, and on the rear and\nthe van, and all around and within, many other lamps were lighted. The\nKurus having done the same, both the armies were thus lighted. Throughout\nthe host, the foot-soldiers became mingled with elephants and cars and\ncavalry. And the army of Pandu's son was also illuminated by others (than\nfoot-soldiers) standing with blazing torches in their hands.[216] With\nthose lamps that host became fiercely effulgent, like a blazing fire made\ndoubly resplendent by the dazzling rays of the maker of day. The\nsplendour of both the armies, over-spreading the earth, the welkin, and\nall the points of the compass, seemed to increase. With that light, thy\narmy as also theirs became distinctly visible. Awakened by that light\nwhich reached the skies, the gods, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the\nRishis and other crowned with (ascetic) success, and the Apsaras, all\ncame there. Crowded then with gods and Gandharvas, and Yakshas, and\nRishis crowned with (ascetic) success, and Apsaras, and the spirits of\nslain warriors about to enter the celestial regions, the field of battle\nlooked like a second heaven. Teeming with cars and steeds and elephants,\nbrilliantly illumined with lamps, with angry combatants and horses slain\nor wandering wildly, that vast force of arrayed warriors and steeds and\nelephants looked like the arrays of the celestials and the Asuras in days\nof old. The rush of darts formed the fierce winds; great cars, the cloud;\nthe neigh and grunt of steeds and elephants, the roars; shafts, the\nshowers; and the blood of warriors and animals, the flood, of that\ntempest like nocturnal encounter between those god-like men. In the midst\nof that battle, that foremost of Brahmanas, viz., the high-souled\nAswatthaman, scorching the Pandavas, O ruler of men, resembled the midday\nsun at the end of the season of rains, scorching everything with his\nfierce ray.'\"[217]\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When the field of battle which had before been enveloped\nin darkness and dust had thus become illuminated, heroic warriors\nencountered one another, desirous of taking one another's life.[218]\nEncountering one another in battle, O king, those combatants, armed with\nlances and swords and other weapons, gazed at one another under the\ninfluence of rage. With thousands of lamps blazing all around and with\nthe more blazing lamps of the gods and the Gandharvas, set upon golden\nstands decked with jewels, and fed with fragrant oil, the field of\nbattle, O Bharata, looked resplendent like the firmament bespangled with\nstars. With hundreds upon hundreds of blazing brands, the earth looked\nexceedingly beautiful. Indeed, the earth seemed to be in a conflagration,\nlike what happens at the universal destruction.[219] All the points of\nthe compass blazed up with those lamps all around and looked like trees\ncovered by fire-flies at an evening in the season of rains. Heroic\ncombatants, then, O king, engaged in battle with heroic rivals. Elephants\nengaged with elephants, and horsemen with horsemen, and car-warriors with\ncar-warriors, filled with joy, on that fierce night at the command of thy\nson. The clash of the two armies both consisting of four kinds of forces,\nbecame terrible. Then Arjuna, O monarch, began, with great speed, to\ndestroy the Kaurava ranks, weakening all the kings.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'When the invincible Arjuna, excited with wrath and\nunable to brook (the feats of the Kurus), penetrated into the army of my\nson, what became the state of your minds? Indeed, when that scorcher of\nfoes entered into their midst, what did the soldiers think? What steps\nalso did Duryodhana think fit to be adopted then? Who were those\nchastisers of foes that proceeded in that battle against that hero?\nIndeed, when Arjuna, of white steeds, entered (our army), who were they\nthat protected Drona? Who guarded the right wheel and who the left wheel\nof Drona's car? Who were those heroes that protected the rear of that\nbattling hero? Indeed, when Bharadwaja's son proceeded, slaying the foe\n(along his route), who were they that proceeded in his van? That mighty\nand invincible bowman who penetrated into the midst of the Panchalas,\nthat tiger among men endued with great valour, who proceeded, as if\ndancing, along the track of his car, and consumed large throngs of\nPanchala cars by means of his shafts like a raging conflagration; alas,\nhow did that Drona meet with his death? Thou always speakest of my foes\nas cool and unvanquished and cheerful and swelling with might in battle.\nThou dost not, however, speak of mine in such words. On the other hand,\nthou describest them to be slain, pale, and routed, and thou speakest of\nmy car-warriors, as always deprived of their cars in all the battles they\nfight!'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Understanding the wishes of Drona who was bent on\nbattle, Duryodhana, on that night, O king, addressing his obedient\nbrothers, viz., Vikarna and Chitrasena and Suparsva and Durdharsha and\nDirghavahu, and all those that followed them, said those words, \"Ye\nheroes of great valour, struggling with resolution, all of you protect\nDrona from the rear. The son of Hridika will protect his right and Sala\nhis left.\" Saying this, thy son then urged forward placing them at the\nvan, the remnant of the brave and mighty Trigarta car-warriors, saying,\n\"The preceptor is merciful. The Pandavas are fighting with great\nresolution. While engaged in slaughtering the foe in battle, protect him\nwell, uniting together. Drona is mighty in battle; is endued with great\nlightness of hand and great valour. He can vanquish the very gods in\nbattle,--what need then be said of the Pandavas and the Somakas? All of\nyou, however, united together and struggling with great resolution in\nthis terrible battle, protect the invincible Drona from that mighty\ncar-warrior, viz., Dhrishtadyumna. Except Dhrishtadyumna, I do not see\nthe man amongst all the warriors of the Pandavas that can vanquish Drona\nin battle. I, therefore, think that we should, with our whole soul,\nprotect the son of Bharadwaja. Protected (by us), he is sure to slay the\nSomakas and the Srinjayas, one after another. Upon the slaughter of all\nthe Srinjayas at the head of the (Pandava) army, Drona's son without\ndoubt, will slay Dhrishtadyumna in battle. Similarly, the mighty\ncar-warrior Karna will vanquish Arjuna in battle. As regards Bhimasena\nand others clad in mail, I will subjugate them all in fight. The rest of\nthe Pandavas deprived of energy, will be easily defeated by the warriors.\nIt is evident, my success then will last for ever. For these reasons,\nprotect the mighty car-warrior Drona in battle.\" Having said these words,\nO chief of the Bharatas, thy son Duryodhana, urged his troops on that\nnight of terrible darkness. Then commenced a battle, O chief of the\nBharatas, between the two hosts, O Monarch, both actuated by the desire\nof victory. Arjuna began to afflict the Kauravas, and the Kauravas began\nto afflict Arjuna, with diverse kinds of weapons. Drona's son covered\nthe ruler of the Panchalas, and Drona himself covered the Srinjaya, with\nshowers of straight shafts in that battle. And as the Pandava and the\nPanchala troops (on the one side) and the Kaurava troops (on the other),\nO Bharata, were engaged in slaughtering each other, there arose a furious\nuproar on the field. The battle that took place on that night was so\nterrible and fierce that its like had never been previously witnessed by\nourselves or those gone before us.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXIV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'During the progress of that terrible nocturnal\nengagement, O king, which was fraught with an indiscriminate carnage,\nDharma's son Yudhishthira, addressed the Pandavas, the Panchalas, and the\nSomakas. Indeed, O king, for the destruction of men, cars, and elephants,\nking Yudhishthira commanded his own troops, saying, \"Proceed ye against\nDrona only, for slaying him!\"[220] At the command of the king, O monarch,\nthe Panchalas and the Somakas rushed against Drona alone, uttering\nterrible shouts. Ourselves excited with rage, and loudly roaring in\nreturn, rushed against them, to the best of our prowess, courage, and\nmight, in battle. Kritavarman, the son of Hridika, rushed against\nYudhishthira, as the latter was advancing against Drona, like an\ninfuriated elephant against an infuriated compeer. Against Sini's\ngrandson who advanced scattering arrowy showers all around, rushed, O\nking, the Kuru warrior Bhuri, that grinder (of foes) in battle. Karna,\nthe son of Vikartana, O king, resisted that mighty car-warrior, viz.,\nPandu's son, Sahadeva, as the letter advanced for getting at Drona. King\nDuryodhana, in that battle, himself rushed against that foremost of\ncar-warriors, viz., Bhimasena, advancing on his car like the Destroyer.\nSakuni, the son of Suvala, O king, proceeding quickly, resisted that\nforemost of warriors, viz., Nakula, who was conversant with every kind of\nbattle. Kripa, the son of Saradwat, O king, resisted Sikhandin in that\nbattle, that foremost of car-warriors, as the latter advanced on his car.\nDuhsasana, O king, contending vigorously, resisted Prativindhya as the\nlatter advanced with resolution (on his car), drawn by steeds looking\nlike peacocks. Aswatthaman, O monarch, resisted Bhimasena's son, viz.,\nRakshasa (Ghatotkacha) acquainted with a hundred kinds of illusion, as\nthe latter advanced. Vrishasena in that battle resisted the mighty\nDrupada with his troops and followers as the latter advanced for getting\nat Drona. The ruler of the Madras, O king, excited with wrath resisted\nVirata, O Bharata, as the latter quickly advanced for the slaughter of\nDrona; Chitrasena, in that battle, resisted, with great force and\nshooting many shafts, Nakula's son, Satanika, as the latter advanced for\nslaying Drona. The prince of the Rakshasas, viz., Alambhusha, O king,\nresisted Arjuna, that foremost of car-warriors, as the latter advanced.\nDhrishtadyumna, the prince of the Panchalas, cheerfully resisted the\ngreat bowman Drona as the latter was engaged in slaughtering the foe. As\nregards the mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, that advanced (against\nDrona), other car-warriors of thy army, O king, resisted them with great\nforce. Elephant riders speedily encountering elephant riders in that\ndreadful battle, began to fight with each other and grind each other by\nthousands. At dead of night, O monarch, as the steeds rushed against each\nother with impetuosity, they looked like winged hills. Horsemen, O\nmonarch, encountered horsemen, armed with lances and darts and swords,\nand uttering loud shouts. Large numbers of men slaughtered one another in\nheaps, with maces and short clubs and diverse other weapons. Kritavarman,\nthe son of Hridika, excited with wrath, resisted Dharma's son,\nYudhishthira, like continents resisting the swelling sea. Yudhishthira,\nhowever, piercing Hridika's son with five arrows, once more pierced him\nwith twenty, and addressing him, said, \"Wait, Wait.\" Then Kritavarman, O\nsire, excited with wrath, cut off with a broad-headed shaft, the bow of\nking Yudhishthira the just and pierced the latter with seven arrows.\nTaking up another bow, that mighty car-warrior, viz., Dharma's son,\npierced the son of Hridika in the arms and chest with ten arrows. Then\nthat warrior of Madhu's race, thus pierced, O sire, by Dharma's son in\nthat battle, trembled with rage and afflicted Yudhishthira with seven\nshafts. Then Pritha's son cutting off his enemy's bow as also the\nleathern fence that cased his hands, sped at him five keen shafts whetted\non stone. Those fierce shafts, piercing through the latter's costly\narmour, decked with gold, entered the earth like snakes into an ant-hill.\nWith the twinkling of an eye, Kritavarman, taking up another bow, pierced\nthe son of Pandu with sixty arrows and once more with ten. Of\nimmeasurable soul, the son of Pandu, then placing his large bow on his\ncar, sped at Kritavarman a dart resembling a snake. That dart decked with\ngold, shot by the son of Pandu, piercing through Kritavarman's right arm,\nentered the earth. Meanwhile, Pritha's son, taking up his formidable bow,\nshrouded the son of Hridika with showers of straight shafts. Then brave\nKritavarman, that great car-warrior among the Vrishnis, within less than\nthe twinkling of an eye, made Yudhishthira steedless and driverless and\ncarless. Thereupon, the eldest son of Pandu took up a sword and a shield.\nThen he, of Madhu's race, cut off both those weapons in that battle.\nYudhishthira then, taking up a fierce lance, equipped with a gold-decked\nstaff, quickly sped it, in that battle, at the illustrious son of\nHridika. Hridika's son, however, smiling the while, and displaying great\nlightness of hand, cut off into two fragments that lance hurled from the\narms of Yudhishthira, as it coursed impetuously towards him. He then\ncovered the son of Dharma with a hundred arrows in that encounter.\nExcited with wrath, he then cut off the latter's coat of mail with\nshowers of shafts. Yudhishthira's armour, decked with gold, cut off by\nHridika's son with his shafts, dropped down from his body, O king, like a\ncluster of stars dropping down from the firmament. His armour cut off,\nhimself deprived of car and afflicted with the shafts of Kritavarman,\nDharma's son, Yudhishthira, quickly retreated from battle. The mighty\ncar-warrior Kritavarman, then, having vanquished Yudhishthira, the son of\nDharma, once more began to protect the wheel of Drona's car.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Bhuri, O king, in that battle, resisted that foremost of\ncar-warriors, viz., the grandson of Sini, who advanced like an elephant\ntowards a lake full of water. Then Satyaki, excited with wrath, pierced\nhis foe in chest with five keen shafts. At this, the latter's blood began\nto flow. The Kuru warrior in that encounter similarly pierced with great\nspeed the grandson of Sini, that hero difficult of defeat in battle, with\nten shafts in the chest. Those warriors, drawing their bows to their\nfullest stretch, and with eyes red in wrath, began, O king, to mangle\neach other in that combat. The arrowy downpours of those two warriors,\nboth excited with rage and resembling Death himself or the sun\nscattering his rays, were exceedingly terrible. Shrouding each other with\nshafts, each stayed before the other in that battle. For a short while\nthat battle proceeded equally. Then, O king, the grandson of Sini,\nexcited with rage and smiling the while, cut off the bow of the\nillustrious Kuru warrior in that battle. Having cut off his bow, Satyaki\nquickly pierced him in the chest with nine keen arrows and addressing\nhim, said, \"Wait! Wait!\" That scorcher of foes deeply pierced his mighty\nfoe, quickly took up another bow and pierced the Satwata warrior in\nreturn. Having pierced the Satwata hero with three shafts, O monarch,\nBhuri, then, smiling the while, cut off his foe's bow with a sharp and\nbroad-headed shaft. His bow being cut off, Satyaki, O king, maddened with\nrage, hurled an impetuous dart at the broad chest of Bhuri. Pierced with\nthat dart, Bhuri fell down from his excellent car, covered with blood,\nlike the sun dropping down from the firmament. Beholding him thus slain,\nthe mighty car-warrior Aswatthaman, O Bharata, rushed impetuously against\ngrandson of Sini. Having addressed Satyaki, O king, saying, \"Wait, Wait,\"\nhe shrouded him with showers of shafts, like the clouds pouring torrents\nof rain on the crest of Meru. Beholding him rushing towards the car of\nSini's grandson, the mighty car-warrior Ghatotkacha, O king, uttering a\nloud roar, addressed saying, \"Wait, Wait, O son of Drona! Thou shalt not\nescape from me with life. I will presently slay thee like the six-faced\n(Karttikeya) slaying (the Asura) Mahisha. I shall today, on the field,\npurge thy heart of all desire of battle.\" Having said these words, that\nslayer of hostile heroes, viz., the Rakshasa (Ghatotkacha), with eyes red\nlike copper in wrath, rushed furiously against the son of Drona, like a\nlion rushing against a prince of elephants. And Ghatotkacha sped at his\nfoe shafts of the measure of the Aksha of a car, and covered that bull\namong car-warriors therewith, like clouds pouring torrents of rain. With\nhis own shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison, Drona's son,\nhowever, in that battle, quickly dispelled that arrowy shower before it\ncould reach him. He then pierced that chastiser of foes, viz.,\nGhatotkacha, that prince of the Rakshasas, with hundreds of keen and\nswift-coursing arrows, all capable of penetrating into the very vitals.\nThus pierced with those shafts by Aswatthaman, that Rakshasa, on the\nfield of battle, looked beautiful, O monarch, like a porcupine with\nquills erect on its body. Then the valiant son of Bhimasena, filled with\nrage, mangled the son of Drona with many fierce arrows, whizzing through\nthe air with the roar of thunder. And he rained on Aswatthaman a perfect\nshower of arrows of diverse kinds; some, equipped with heads like razors;\nsome, shaped as the crescent; some, only pointed; some, frog-faced; some,\nwith heads resembling the boar's ear; some, barbed; and some of other\nspecies.[221] Like the wind dispersing mighty masses of clouds, Drona's\nson, O king, without his senses being agitated, destroyed with his own\nterrible arrows, inspired by mantras with the force of celestial weapons,\nthat fierce, unbearable and unrivalled shower of weapons, whose sound\nresembled the roar of thunder, and which fell incessantly upon him. It\nseemed then that another encounter was taking place in the welkin between\nweapons (as the combatants), which was terrible, and which, O king,\nfilled the warriors with awe. With the sparks all around, generated by\nthe clash of the weapons, shot by those two warriors, the welkin looked\nbeautiful as illumined by myriads of fire-flies in the evening. Drona's\nson then, filling all the points of the compass with his shafts, shrouded\nthe Rakshasa himself, for doing what was agreeable to thy sons. Then\ncommenced a battle once more between Drona's son and the Rakshasa on that\nnight of thick darkness, which resembled the encounter between Sakra and\nPrahlada. Then Ghatotkacha, filled with rage, struck Drona's son, in that\nbattle, on the chest with ten shafts, each resembling the Yuga-fire.\nDeeply pierced by the Rakshasa, the mighty son of Drona began to tremble in\nthat battle like a tall tree shaken by the wind. Supporting himself by\nholding the flagstaff, he swooned away. Then all thy troops, O king,\nuttered cries of Oh and Alas. Indeed, O monarch, all thy warriors then\nregarded Drona's son as slain. Beholding Aswatthaman in that plight, the\nPanchalas and the Srinjayas in that battle uttered leonine roars. Then\nthat crusher of foes, viz., the mighty car-warrior Aswatthaman,\nrecovering his senses, forcibly drawing the bow with his left hand,\nstretching the bowstring to his ear, quickly shot a terrible shaft\nresembling the rod of Yama himself, aiming at Ghatotkacha. That excellent\nshaft, fierce and equipped with golden wings, piercing through the chest\nof the Rakshasa, entered the earth, O king. Deeply pierced, O monarch, by\nDrona's son who was proud of his prowess in battle, that prince of\nRakshasas, endued with great strength, sat down on the terrace of his\ncar. Beholding Hidimva's son deprived of his senses, his charioteer,\ninspired with fear, speedily removed him from the field, bearing him away\nfrom the presence of Drona's son. Having pierced that prince of\nRakshasas, viz., Ghatotkacha, in that encounter thus, Drona's son, that\nmighty car-warrior, uttered a loud roar. Worshipped by thy sons as also\nby all thy warriors, O Bharata, Aswatthaman's body blazed up like the\nmidday sun.\n\n\"'As regards Bhimasena who was battling in front of Drona's car, king\nDuryodhana himself pierced him with many whetted shafts. Bhimasena,\nhowever, O Bharata, pierced him in return with nine arrows. Duryodhana,\nthen, pierced Bhimasena with twenty arrows. Covered with each other's\narrows on the field of battle, those two warriors looked like the sun and\nthe moon covered with clouds in the firmament. Then king Duryodhana, O\nchief of Bharatas, pierced Bhima with five winged arrows and said, \"Wait!\nWait!\" Bhima then, cutting off his bow as also his standard with keen\nshafts, pierced the Kuru king himself with ninety straight arrows. Then,\nDuryodhana filled with rage, taking up a more formidable bow, O chief of\nthe Bharatas, afflicted Bhimasena, at the van of battle, with many\nwhetted shafts, in the very sight of all the bowmen. Baffling those\nshafts shot from Duryodhana's bow, Bhima pierced the Kuru king with five\nand twenty short arrows. Duryodhana then, O sire, excited with wrath, cut\noff Bhimasena's bow with a razor-faced arrow and pierced Bhima himself\nwith ten shafts in return. Then the mighty Bhimasena, taking up another\nbow, quickly pierced the king with seven keen shafts. Displaying great\nlightness of hand, Duryodhana cut off even that bow of Bhima. The second,\nthe third, the fourth, and the fifth, bow that Bhima took up were\nsimilarly cut off. Indeed, O king, thy son, proud of his prowess and\ndesirous of victory, cut off Bhima's bow as soon as the latter took up\none. Seeing his bows repeatedly cut off, Bhima then hurled, in that\nbattle, a dart made wholly of iron and hard as the thunder. That dart\nblazing as a flame of fire, resembled the sister of Death. The Kuru king,\nhowever, in the very sight of all the warriors and before the eyes of\nBhima himself, cut in three fragments that dart, which coursed towards\nhim through the welkin with the splendour of fire and dividing it, as it\nwere by a straight line such as is visible on the head of a woman parting\nher tresses. Then Bhima, O king, whirling his heavy and blazing mace,\nhurled it with great force at the car of Duryodhana. That heavy mace\nspeedily crushed the steeds, the driver, and the car also, of thy son in\nthat encounter. Thy son, then, O monarch, afraid of Bhima and shrinking\nwithin the narrowest compass, ascended another car, viz., that of the\nillustrious Nandaka. Then Bhima, regarding Suyodhana to have been slain\namid the darkness of that night, uttered a loud leonine roar challenging\nthe Kauravas. Thy warriors regarded the king to be slain. All of them\nuttered loud cries of Oh and Alas. Hearing the wails of the affrighted\nwarriors and the roars of the high souled Bhima, O king, king\nYudhishthira also regarded Suyodhana to have been slain. And the eldest\nson of Pandu, thereupon, rushed quickly to the spot where Vrikodara, the\nson of Pritha, was. And the Panchalas, the Srinjayas, the Matsyas, the\nKaikeyas, and the Chedis, speedily advanced, with all their might against\nDrona from desire of slaying him. There also occurred a dreadful battle\nbetween Drona and the enemy. And the combatants of both sides were\nenveloped in thick gloom and struck and slew one another'.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXVI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Karna, the son of Vikartana,[222] O king, resisted the\nmighty car-warrior Sahadeva in that battle, who advanced from desire of\ngetting at Drona. Piercing the son of Radha with nine shafts, Sahadeva\nonce more pierced that warrior with nine straight arrows. Karna then\npierced Sahadeva in return with a hundred straight shafts, and displaying\ngreat lightness in hand, cut off the latter's stringed bow. Then the\nvaliant son of Madri, taking up another bow, pierced Karna with twenty\narrows. This feat of his seemed exceedingly wonderful. Then Karna,\nslaying Sahadeva's steeds with many straight shafts, speedily despatched\nthe latter's driver with a broad-headed shaft, to Yama's abode. This\ncarless Sahadeva then took up a sword and a shield. Even those weapons\nwere cut off by Karna smiling the while. Then the mighty Sahadeva, in\nthat encounter, sped towards the car of Vikartana's son, a heavy and\nterrible mace decked with gold. Karna then with his shafts, quickly cut\noff that mace which hurled by Sahadeva, coursed towards him impetuously,\nand caused it to fall down on the earth. Beholding his mace cut off,\nSahadeva quickly hurled a dart at Karna. That dart also was cut off by\nKarna. The son of Madri, then, quickly jumping down from his excellent\ncar, and blazing with wrath upon beholding Karna stationed before him,\ntook up a car-wheel and hurled it at the son of Adhiratha. The Suta's\nson, however, with many thousands of arrows, cut off that wheel coursing\ntowards him like the uplifted wheel of Death. When that wheel had been\ncut off, Sahadeva, O sire, aiming at Karna, hurled at him the shafts of\nhis car, the traces of his steeds, the yokes of his cars, the limbs of\nelephants and steeds and dead human bodies. Karna cut off all these with\nhis shafts. Seeing himself deprived of all weapons, Madri's son,\nSahadeva, struck by Karna with many shafts, left the battle. Pursuing him\nfor a while, the son of Radha, O bull of Bharata's race, smilingly\naddressed Sahadeva and said these cruel words, \"Do not, O hero, fight in\nbattle with those that are superior to thee. Fight with thy equals, O son\nof Madri! Do not mistrust my words.\" Then touching him with the horn of\nhis bow, he once more said, \"Yonder, Arjuna is fighting resolutely with\nthe Kurus in battle. Go there, O son of Madri, or return home if thou\nlikest.\" Having said those words, Karna, that foremost of car-warriors,\nsmilingly proceeded on his car against the troops of the king of the\nPanchalas. The slayer of foes, that mighty car-warrior, devoted to truth,\nslew not the son of Madri although he had got the opportunity,\nrecollecting the words of Kunti. Sahadeva, then, heartless and afflicted\nwith arrows, and pierced with the wordy darts of Karna, no longer\ncherished any love for life. That mighty car-warrior then quickly\nascended the car of Janamejaya, the illustrious prince of the Panchalas.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXVII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'The ruler of the Madras shrouded on all sides, with\nclouds of shafts, Virata with his troops, who was proceeding quickly for\ngetting at Drona. The battle that took place between those two great\nbowmen resembled, O king, that between Vala and Vasava in days of yore.\nThe ruler of the Madras, O monarch, with great activity, struck Virata,\nthat commander of a large division, with a hundred straight shafts. King\nVirata, in return, pierced the ruler of the Madras with nine keen arrows,\nand once more with three and seventy, and once again with a hundred. The\nruler of the Madras, then, slaying the four steeds yoked unto Virata's\ncar, cut down with a couple of shafts, the latter's umbrella and\nstandard. Quickly jumping down from that steedless car, the king stood,\ndrawing his bow and shooting keen shafts. Beholding his brother deprived\nof his steeds, Satanika quickly approached him on his car in the very\nsight of all the troops. The ruler of the Madras, however, piercing the\nadvancing Satanika with many shafts, despatched him to the abode of Yama.\nUpon the fall of the heroic Satanika, Virata, that commander of a large\ndivision, ascended the fallen hero's car, decked with standard and\ngarlands.[223] Opening his eyes wide, and with prowess doubled by wrath,\nVirata quickly covered the car of the ruler of the Madras with winged\narrows. The ruler of the Madras then, excited with rage, deeply pierced\nVirata, that commander of a large division, in the chest, with a hundred\nstraight shafts. Deeply pierced by the mighty ruler of the Madras, that\ngreat car-warrior, viz., Virata, sat down on the terrace of his car and\nswooned away. His driver, then, beholding him mangled with shafts in that\nencounter, bore him away. Then that vast force, O Bharata, fled away on\nthat night, oppressed by hundreds of arrows of Salya, that ornament of\nbattle. Beholding the troops flying away, Vasudeva and Dhananjaya quickly\nadvanced to that spot, O monarch, where Salya was stationed. Then that\nprince of the Rakshasas, viz., Alamvusha, O king, riding upon a foremost\ncar, harnessed with eight steeds, having terrible-looking Pisachas of\nequine faces yoked unto it, furnished with blood-red banners, decked with\nfloral garlands made of black iron, covered with bear-skins, and\npossessing a tall standard over which perched a terrible, fierce-looking,\nand incessantly shrieking vulture, of spotted wings and wide-open eyes,\nproceeded against those advancing heroes. That Rakshasa, O king, looked\nbeautiful like a loose heap of antimony, and he withstood the advancing\nArjuna, like Meru withstanding a tempest, scattering showers of arrows, O\nmonarch, upon Arjuna's head. The battle then that commenced between the\nRakshasa and that human warrior, was exceedingly fierce. And it filled\nall the spectators there, O Bharata, with wonder. And it conduced to the\njoy also of vultures and crows, of ravens and owls and Kankas and\njackals. Arjuna struck Alamvusha with six shafts and then cut off his\nstandard with ten sharp arrows. With a few other arrows, he cut off his\ndriver, and with some others his Trivenu, and with one more, his bow, and\nwith four others his four steeds. Alamvusha strung another bow, but that\nalso Arjuna cut off in two fragments. Then, O bull of Bharata's race,\nPartha pierced that prince of the Rakshasas with four keen arrows. Thus\npierced, the Rakshasa fled away in fear. Having vanquished him, Arjuna\nquickly proceeded towards the spot where Drona was, shooting as he went,\nmany shafts, O king, at men, elephants, and steeds. Slaughtered O\nmonarch, by the illustrious son of Pandu, the combatants fell down on the\nground, like trees laid low by a tempest. Thus treated by the illustrious\nson of Pandu, all of them fled like a frightened herd of deer.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Thy son, Chitrasena, O Bharata, resisted (Nakula's son)\nSatanika who was engaged in scorching thy host with his keen shafts.\nNakula's son pierced Chitrasena with five arrows. The latter then pierced\nthe former in return with ten whetted shafts. And once more Chitrasena, O\nmonarch, in that battle, pierced Satanika in the chest with nine keen\nshafts. Then the son of Nakula with many straight shafts cut Chitrasena's\narmour from off his body. This feat of his seemed exceedingly wonderful.\nDivested of his armour, thy son, O king, looked exceedingly beautiful,\nlike a snake, O monarch, having cast off his slough at the proper season.\nThen Nakula's son, with many keen shafts, cut off the struggling\nChitrasena's standard, and then his bow, O monarch, in that encounter.\nHis bow cut off in that combat, and deprived also of his armour, that\nmighty car-warrior, then, O king, took up another bow capable of piercing\nevery foe. Then Chitrasena, that mighty car-warrior amongst the\nBharatas, quickly pierced the son of Nakula with many straight arrows.\nThen mighty Satanika, excited with rage, O Bharata, slew the four steeds\nof Chitrasena and then his driver. The illustrious Chitrasena, endued\nwith great strength, jumping down from that car, afflicted the son of\nNakula with five and twenty arrows. Then Nakula's son with a\ncrescent-shaped arrow, cut off in that combat the gold-decked bow of\nChitrasena while the latter was engaged in thus striking him. Bowless and\ncarless and steedless and driverless, Chitrasena then quickly ascended\nthe car of the illustrious son Hridika.\n\n\"'Vrishasena, O king, rushed with great speed, scattering shafts in\nhundreds, against the mighty car-warrior Drupada, advancing at the head\nof his troops against Drona.[224] Yajnasena, in that encounter pierced\nthat mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Karna in the arms and the\nchest, O lord, with sixty arrows. Vrishasena, then, excited with rage,\nquickly pierced Yajnasena, standing on his car, with many shafts in the\ncentre of the chest. Those two warriors mangled by arrows, and with\nshafts sticking to their bodies, looked beautiful like a couple of\nporcupines with their quills erect. Bathed in blood in consequence of the\nwounds caused by those straight arrows of keen points and golden wings,\nthey looked exceedingly beautiful in that dreadful encounter. Indeed, the\nspectacle they presented was that of a couple of beautiful and radiant\nKalpa trees or of a couple of Kinsukas rich with their flowery burthens.\nThen Vrishasena, O king, having pierced Drupada with nine arrows, once\nmore pierced him with seventy, and then again with three other arrows.\nThen shooting thousands of arrows, Karna's son, O monarch, looked\nbeautiful in that battle, like a cloud pouring torrents of rain. Then\nDrupada, inflamed with wrath, cut off Vrishasena's bow into two\nfragments, with a broad-headed arrow, sharp and well-tempered. Taking,\nthen, another gold-decked bow that was new and strong, and drawing out of\nhis quiver a strong, whetted, well-tempered, sharp and broad-headed\narrow, and fixing it on his string, and carefully aiming it at Drupada,\nhe let it off with great force, inspiring all the Somakas with fear. That\narrow, piercing through the breast of Drupada, fell on the surface of the\nearth. The king (of the Panchalas), then, thus pierced through with\nVrishasena's arrow, swooned away. His driver, then, recollecting his own\nduty, bore him away from the field. After the retreat, O monarch, of that\nmighty car-warrior of the Panchalas, the (Kaurava) army, on that terrible\nnight, rushed furiously against Drupada's troops whose coats of mail had\nbeen cut off by means of the arrows of the foe. In consequence of the\nblazing lamps dropped by the combatants all around, the earth, O king,\nlooked beautiful like the cloudless firmament bespangled with planets and\nstars. With the fallen Angadas of the combatants, the earth looked\nresplendent, O king, like a mass of clouds in the rainy season with\nflashes of lightning. Afflicted with the fear of Karna's son, the\nPanchalas fled away on all sides, like the Danavas from fear of Indra in\nthe great battle of yore between the gods and the Asuras. Thus afflicted\nin battle by Vrishasena, the Panchalas and the Somakas, O monarch,\nillumined by lamps, looked exceedingly beautiful.[225] Having vanquished\nthem in battle, Karna's son looked beautiful like the sun, O Bharata,\nwhen he reaches the meridian. Amongst all those thousands of kings of thy\nside and theirs the valiant Vrishasena then seemed to be the only\nresplendent luminary. Having defeated in battle many heroes and all the\nmighty car-warriors among the Somakas, he quickly proceeded, O king, to\nthe spot where king Yudhishthira was stationed.\n\n\"'Thy son Duhsasana proceeded against that mighty car-warrior, viz.,\nPrativindhya, who was advancing (against Drona), scorching his foes in\nbattle. The encounter that took place between them, O king, looked\nbeautiful, like that of Mercury and Venus in the cloudless firmament.\nDuhsasana pierced Prativindhya, who was accomplishing fierce feats in\nbattle, with three arrows on the forehead. Deeply pierced by that mighty\nbowman, thy son, Prativindhya, O monarch, looked beautiful like a crested\nhill. The mighty car-warrior Prativindhya, then, piercing Duhsasana with\nthree arrows, once more pierced him with seven. Thy son, then, O Bharata,\nachieved there an exceedingly difficult feat, for he felled\nPrativindhya's steeds with many arrows. With another broad-headed arrow\nhe also felled the latter's driver, and then his standard. And then he\ncut off, O king, into a thousand fragments the car of Prativindhya, armed\nwith the bow. Excited with rage, O lord, thy son also cut off, with his\nstraight shafts, into numberless fragments the banner, the quivers, the\nstrings, and the traces (of his antagonist's car). Deprived of his car,\nthe virtuous Prativindhya stood, bow in hand, and contended with thy son\nscattering numberless arrows. Then Duhsasana, displaying great lightness\nof hand, cut off Prativindhya's bow. And then he afflicted his bowless\nantagonist with ten shafts. Beholding their brother, (Prativindhya) in\nthat plight, his brothers, all mighty car-warriors, rushed impetuously to\nthat spot with a large force. He then ascended the resplendent car of\nSutasoma. Taking up another bow, he continued, O king, to pierce thy son.\nThen many warriors on thy side, accompanied by a large force, rushed\nimpetuously and surrounded thy son (for rescuing him). Then commenced a\nfierce battle between thy troops and theirs, O Bharata, at that dreadful\nhour of midnight, increasing the population of Yama's kingdom.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXIX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Against Nakula who was engaged in smiting thy host,\nSuvala's son (Sakuni) in wrath, rushed with great impetuosity and\naddressing him, said, \"Wait! Wait!\" Each enraged with the other and each\ndesirous of slaying the other, those two heroes struck each other with\nshafts sped from their bows drawn to their fullest stretch. Suvala's son\nin that encounter displayed the same measure of skill that Nakula\ndisplayed, O king, in shooting showers of arrows. Both pierced with\narrows, O king, in that battle, they looked beautiful like a couple of\nporcupines with quills erect on their bodies. The armour of each cut off\nby means of shafts with straight points and golden wings, and each bathed\nin blood, those two warriors looked resplendent in that dreadful battle\nlike two beautiful and brilliant Kalpa trees, or like two flowering\nKinsukas on the field of battle. Indeed, O king, those two heroes in that\nencounter, both pierced with arrows, looked beautiful like a couple of\nSalmali trees with prickly thorns on them. Casting oblique glances at\neach other, with eyes expanded in rage, whose corners had become red,\nthey seemed to scorch each other by those glances. Then thy\nbrother-in-law, excited with wrath, and smiling the while, pierced\nMadri's son in the chest with a barbed arrow of keen point. Deeply\npierced by that great bowman, viz., thy brother-in-law, Nakula sat down\non the terrace of his car and swooned away. Beholding his proud foe, that\nmortal enemy of his in that plight, Sakuni uttered a roar loud as that of\nthe clouds at the end of summer. Recovering consciousness, Nakula, the\nson of Pandu, once more rushed against Suvala's son, like the Destroyer\nhimself of wide-open mouth. Inflamed with rage, O bull of Bharata's race,\nhe pierced Sakuni with sixty arrows, and more with a hundred long shafts\nat the centre of his chest. He then cut off Sakuni's bow with arrow fixed\nthereon, into two fragments, at the handle. And then cutting off in a\ntrice Sakuni's standard, he caused it to fall down on the earth. Piercing\nnext Sakuni's thigh with keen, sharp, and well-tempered shafts, Nakula,\nthe son of Pandu, caused him to fall down on the terrace of his car,\nclasping his flag-staff, like an amorous man clasping his mistress.\nBeholding that brother-in-law of thine laid low and deprived of\nconsciousness, O sinless one, his driver quickly bore him away from the\nvan of battle. The Parthas, then, and all their followers, uttered a loud\nroar. Having vanquished his foes, Nakula, that scorcher of foes,\naddressing his driver, said, \"Bear me to the host commanded by Drona.\"\nHearing these words of Madri's son, his driver proceeded to the spot, O\nking, where Drona was stationed.[226] Against mighty Sikhandin proceeding\ntowards Drona, Kripa resolutely advanced with great impetuosity. That\nchastiser of foes, viz., Sikhandin, then, smiling the while, pierced with\nnine arrows the son of Gotama thus advancing against him towards the\nvicinity of Drona. Then the preceptor, Kripa, that benefactor of thy\nsons, piercing Sikhandin first with five arrows, once more pierced him\nwith twenty. The combat that took place, O monarch, between them, was\nexceedingly dreadful, like that between Samvara and the chief of the\ncelestials in the battle between the gods and the Asuras. Those heroic\nand mighty car-warriors, both invincible in battle, covered the welkin\nwith their arrows, like clouds covering the welkin on the expiry or\nsummer. Terrible of itself, that night, O chief of the Bharatas, became\nmore terrible still to the heroic combatants engaged in battle. Indeed,\nof terrible aspects and inspiring all sorts of fear, that night became,\nas it were, death-night (of all creatures). Then Sikhandin, O king, cut\noff, with a crescent-shaped arrow, the large bow of Gotama's son and shot\nat the latter many whetted shafts. Inflamed with wrath, O monarch, Kripa\nthen sped at his antagonist a fierce dart, equipped with a golden shaft\nand keen point, and polished by the hands of the smith. Sikhandin,\nhowever, cut it off with ten shafts as it coursed towards him. That dart,\nthen, decked with gold (thus cut off), fell down on the earth. Then\nGautama, foremost of men, taking up another bow, O king, covered\nSikhandin with a large number of whetted shafts. Thus covered in that\nbattle by the illustrious son of Gotama, Sikhandin, that foremost of\ncar-warriors sank on the terrace of his car. Beholding him thus weakened,\nKripa in that encounter, struck him with many arrows, from desire of\nslaying him, O Bharata! (Sikhandin then was borne away by his driver).\nBeholding that mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Yajnasena retreating\nfrom battle, the Panchalas and the Somakas surrounded him on all sides\n(for rescuing him). Similarly, thy sons also surrounded that foremost of\nBrahmans, Kripa, with a large force. Then commenced a battle once more,\nbetween car-warriors, O king, that struck one another. The uproar that\nrose became loud as the roaring of clouds, O Bharata, caused by rushing\nhorsemen and elephants, O monarch, smiting one another down. Then, O\nking, the field of battle looked exceedingly fierce. With the tread of\nrushing infantry the earth began to tremble, O monarch, like a lady\nshaken with fear. Car-warriors, mounting on their cars, rushed\nimpetuously, attacking compeers by their thousands, O king, like crows\nseizing winged insects (in the air). Similarly, mighty elephants with\nwiny exudation down their bodies, pursuing similar elephants, encountered\nthem, O Bharata, furiously. So also, horsemen coming upon horsemen, and\nfoot-soldiers angrily encountered one another in that battle. At dead of\nnight, the sound of retreating and the rushing of troops and of those\ncoming again to the encounter became deafening. The blazing lamps also,\nplaced on cars and elephants and steeds, seemed, O king, large meteors\nfalling from the firmament. That night, O chief of the Bharatas,\nlightened up by those lamps looked like day, O king, on the field of\nbattle. As the sun, encountering the thick gloom, destroys it completely,\neven so the thick gloom of the battle was destroyed by those blazing\nlamps. Indeed, the welkin, the earth, the cardinal and the subsidiary\npoints of the compass, enveloped by dust and darkness, became once more\nilluminated by that light. The splendour of weapons and coats of mail,\nand of the jewels of illustrious heroes, became overshadowed, by the\nlight of those blazing lamps. During the progress of that fierce battle\nat night, none of the combatants, O Bharata, could know the warriors of\nhis own side. Sire, O chief of the Bharatas, slew son, and son, from\nignorance, slew sire, and friend slew friend. And relatives slew\nrelatives, and maternal uncles slew sisters' sons, and warriors slew\nwarriors of their own side, and foes slew their own men, in that battle,\nO Bharata. In that dreadful nocturnal encounter, O king, all fought\nfuriously, ceasing to have any regard for one another.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'In that fierce and terrible battle, Dhrishtadyumna, O\nking, proceeded against Drona. Holding his formidable bow and repeatedly\nstretching his bowstring, the Panchala prince rushed towards Drona's car\ndecked with gold. And as Dhrishtadyumna proceeded for accomplishing the\ndestruction of Drona, the Panchalas and the Pandavas, O king, surrounded\nhim. Beholding Drona, that foremost of preceptors, thus assailed, thy\nson, resolutely contending in battle, protected Drona on all sides. Then\nthose two oceans of troops encountered each other on that night, looked\nlike two terrible oceans lashed into fury by tempest, with all living\ncreatures within them exceedingly agitated. Then the prince of the\nPanchalas, O king, quickly pierced Drona in the chest with five arrows\nand uttered a leonine roar. Drona, however, O Bharata, piercing his foe\nin return with five and twenty arrows in that battle, cut off, with\nanother broad-headed arrow, his bright bow. Forcibly pierced by Drona, O\nbull of Bharata's race, Dhrishtadyumna, quickly casting aside his bow,\nbit his (nether) lip in rage. Indeed, O monarch, the valiant\nDhrishtadyumna, excited with wrath, took up another formidable bow for\naccomplishing the destruction of Drona. That slayer of hostile heroes,\nthat warrior endued with great beauty, stretching that formidable bow to\nhis ear, shot a terrible shaft capable of taking Drona's life. That\nshaft, thus sped by the mighty prince in that fierce and dreadful battle,\nillumined the whole army like the risen sun. Beholding that terrible\nshaft, the gods, the Gandharvas, and the Danavas, said these words, O\nking, viz., \"Prosperity to Drona!\" Karna, however, O king, displaying\ngreat lightness of hand cut off into dozen fragments that shaft as it\ncoursed towards the preceptor's car. Thus cut off into many fragments, O\nking, that shaft of Dhrishtadyumna, O sire, quickly fell down on the\nearth like a snake without poison. Having cut off with his own straight\nshafts those of Dhrishtadyumna in that battle, Karna then pierced\nDhrishtadyumna himself with many sharp arrows. And Drona's son pierced\nhim with five, and Drona himself with five, and Salya pierced him with\nnine, and Duhsasana with three. And Duryodhana pierced him with twenty\narrows and Sakuni with five. Indeed, all those mighty car-warriors\nquickly pierced the prince of the Panchalas. Thus was he pierced by these\nseven heroes in that battle exerting themselves for the rescue of Drona.\nThe prince of the Panchalas, however, pierced every one of these heroes\nwith three arrows. Indeed, O king, Dhrishtadyumna, in that dreadful\nbattle, quickly pierced Drona himself, and Karna, and Drona's son, and\nthy son. Thus pierced by that bowman, those warriors, fighting together,\npierced Dhrishtadyumna again in that encounter, uttering loud roars the\nwhile. Then Drumasena, excited with wrath, O king, pierced the Panchala\nprince with a winged arrow, and once again quickly with three other\narrows. And addressing the prince, he said, \"Wait! Wait!\" Dhrishtadyumna\nthen pierced Drumasena in return with three straight arrows, in the\nencounter, which were equipped with wings of gold, steeped in oil, and\ncapable of taking the life of him at whom they are sped. With another\nbroad-headed shaft, the prince of the Panchalas then, in that battle, cut\noff from Drumasena's trunk the latter's head decked with bright ear-rings\nof gold. That head, with (the lower) lip bit (in rage), fell on the\nground like a ripe palmyra fruit separated from the stalk by the action\nof a strong wind. Once again, piercing all those warriors with keen\nshafts, that hero, with some broad-headed shafts, cut off the bow of\nRadha's son, that warrior conversant with all modes of warfare. Karna\ncould not brook that cutting off of his bow, like a fierce lion incapable\nof brooking the cutting off of his tail. Taking up another bow, Karna,\nwith eyes red in rage, and breathing hard, covered mighty Dhrishtadyumna\nwith clouds of arrows. Beholding Karna excited with rage, those heroes,\nviz., those six bulls among car-warriors, quickly encompassed the prince\nof the Panchalas from desire of slaying him. Seeing the latter in front\nof those six foremost warriors of thy side, all thy troops, O lord,\nregarded him to be already within the jaws of the Destroyer. Meanwhile,\nSatyaki, of the Dasarha race, scattering his shafts as he proceeded,\nreached the spot where the valiant Dhrishtadyumna was battling.\nBeholding that invincible warrior of the Satwata race advancing, Radha's\nson pierced him in that battle with ten arrows. Satyaki, then, O king,\npierced Karna with ten shafts in the very sight of all those heroes, and\naddressing him, said, \"Do not fly away but stay before me.\" The encounter\nthen, that took place between mighty Satyaki and the industrious Karna,\nresembled, O king, that between Vali and Vasava (in the days of yore).\nThat bull among Kshatriyas, viz., Satyaki, terrifying all the Kshatriyas\nwith the rattle of his car, pierced the lotus-eyed Karna in return (with\nmany arrows). Making the earth tremble with the twang of his bow, the\nmighty son of the Suta, O monarch, contended with Satyaki. Indeed, Karna\npierced the grandson of Sini in return with hundreds of long, and barbed,\nand pointed, and tall-toothed, and razor-headed arrows and diverse other\nshafts. Similarly, that foremost one of Vrishni's race, Yuyudhana, in\nthat battle, shrouded Karna with his arrows. For a time that battle\nproceeded equally. Then thy sons, O monarch, placing Karna at their head,\nall pierced Satyaki from every side with keen arrows. Resisting with his\nown weapons those of them all and of Karna also, O lord, Satyaki quickly\npierced Vrishasena in the centre of the chest. Pierced with that arrow,\nthe valiant Vrishasena, of great splendour, quickly fell down on his car,\ncasting aside his bow. Then Karna, believing that mighty car-warrior,\nviz., Vrishasena, slain, became scorched with grief on account of the\ndeath of his son and began to afflict Satyaki with great force. Thus\nafflicted by Karna, the mighty car-warrior Yuyudhana, with great speed,\nrepeatedly pierced Karna with many shafts. Once more piercing Karna with\nten arrows, and Vrishasena with five, the Satwata hero cut off the\nleathern fences and the bows of both sire and son. Then those two\nwarriors, stringing two other bows, capable of inspiring enemies with\nterror, began to pierce Yuyudhana from every side with keen shafts.\nDuring the progress of that fierce conflict that was so destructive of\nheroes the loud twang of Gandiva, O king, was heard over every other\nsound. Hearing then the rattle of Arjuna's car as also that twang of\nGandiva, the Suta's son, O king, said these words unto Duryodhana,\n\"Slaughtering our entire army and the foremost of heroic warriors and\nmany mighty bowmen among the Kauravas, Arjuna is loudly twanging his bow.\nThe rattle also of his car is heard, resembling the roar of the thunder.\nIt's evident, the son of Pandu is achieving feats worthy of his own self.\nThis son of Pritha, O monarch, will grind our large host. Many of our\ntroops are already breaking. No one stays in battle. Indeed, our army is\nbeing dispersed like a risen mass of clouds dispersed by the wind.\nEncountering Arjuna, our host breaks like a boat on the ocean. The loud\nwails, O king, of the foremost of warriors, O monarch, flying away from\nthe field, or falling down in consequence of the arrows sped from\nGandiva, are being heard. Hear, O tiger among car-warriors, the sound of\ndrums and cymbals near Arjuna's car at dead of night, resembling the deep\nroll of thunder in the welkin. Hear also the loud wails (of afflicted\ncombatants) and the tremendous leonine shouts, and diverse other noises\nin the vicinity of Arjuna's car. Here, however, this Satyaki, this\nforemost one of the Satwata race, stayeth amid us. If this object of our\naim can be struck down, we can then vanquish all our foes. Similarly, the\nson of the Panchala king is engaged with Drona. He is encompassed on all\nsides by many heroic and foremost of car-warriors. If we can slay Satyaki\nand Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata without doubt, O king, victory\nwill be ours. Surrounding these two heroes, these two mighty\ncar-warriors, as we did the son of Subhadra we will strive, O king, to\nslay them, viz., this son of Vrishni's race and this son of Prishata.\nSavyasachin, O Bharata, is before us, coming towards this division of\nDrona, knowing that Satyaki is engaged here with many chiefs among the\nKurus. Let a large number of our foremost of car-warriors proceed\nthither, so that Partha may not be able to come to the rescue of Satyaki,\nnow encompassed by many. Let these great heroes speedily shoot clouds of\nshafts with great force, so that Satyaki of Madhu's race may be speedily\ndespatched to Yama's abode.\" Ascertaining this to be the opinion of\nKarna, thy son, addressing Suvala's son in the battle, like the\nillustrious Indra addressing Vishnu, said these words, \"Surrounded by ten\nthousand unretreating elephants and ten thousand cars also, proceed\nagainst Dhananjaya! Duhsasana and Durvishaha and Suvahu and\nDushpradharshana--these will follow thee, surrounded by a large number of\nfoot-soldiers. O uncle, slay those great bowmen, viz., the two Krishnas,\nand Yudhishthira, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Bhima, the son of Pandu. My\nhope of victory resteth on thee, like that of the gods on their chief\nIndra. O uncle, slay the son of Kunti, like (Kartikeya) slaying the\nAsuras.\" Thus addressed and urged by thy son, Sakuni, clad in mail,\nproceeded against the Parthas, accompanied by a large force as also by\nthy sons, in order to consume the sons of Pandu. Then commenced a great\nbattle between the warriors of thy army and the foe. When Suvala's son, O\nking, (thus) proceeded against the Pandavas, the Suta's son, accompanied\nby a large force, quickly advanced against Satyaki, shooting many\nhundreds of shafts. Indeed, thy warriors, combining together, encompassed\nSatyaki. Then Bharadwaja's son, proceeding against the car of\nDhrishtadyumna, fought a wonderful and fierce battle at dead of night, O\nbull of Bharata's race, with the brave Dhrishtadyumna and the Panchalas.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then all those kings of thy army, incapable of being\neasily defeated in battle, angrily proceeded against Yuyudhana's car,\nunable to brook (his feats). Mounting on their well-equipped cars, O\nking, that were decked with gold and jewels, and accompanied also by\ncavalry and elephants, they encompassed the Satwata hero. Hemming him on\nall sides those mighty car-warriors, challenging that hero, uttered loud\nleonine roars. Those great heroes, desirous of slaying him of Madhu's\nrace, poured their keen arrows on Satyaki of invincible prowess.\nBeholding them thus advancing with speed towards him, that slayer of\nhostile hosts, viz., the mighty-armed grandson of Sini, took up and shot\nmany shafts. The heroic and great bowman Satyaki, invincible in battle,\ncut off many heads with his fierce and straight arrows. And he of Madhu's\nrace also cut off the trunks of many elephants, the necks of many steeds,\nand arms decked with Angadas of many warriors, by means of razor-faced\narrows. With the fallen yak-tails and white umbrellas, O Bharata, the\nfield of battle became almost full, and resembled the firmament, O lord,\nwith stars. The wails of the host thus slaughtered in battle, O Bharata,\nby Yuyudhana, became as loud as those of shrieking ghosts (in hell). With\nthat loud uproar the earth became filled, and the night became fiercer\nand more terrible. Beholding his host, afflicted with Yuyudhana's arrows\nbreaking, and hearing that tremendous uproar at dead of night making the\nhair stand on end, thy son, that mighty car-warrior, addressing his\ndriver, repeatedly said, \"Urge the steeds to that spot whence this uproar\ncometh.\" Then king Duryodhana, that firm bowman, above all modes of\nwarfare, rushed against Yuyudhana. Madhava pierced Duryodhana with a\ndozen blood-drinking shafts, sped from his bow drawn to its fullest\nstretch. Thus afflicted with arrows by Yuyudhana first, Duryodhana,\nexcited with rage, pierced the grandson of Sini in return with ten\narrows. Meanwhile, the battle that raged between the Panchalas and all\nthy troops presented an exceedingly wonderful sight. Then the grandson of\nSini, excited with rage in that battle, pierced thy son, that mighty\ncar-warrior, with eighty shafts, in the chest. He then, with other\nshafts, despatched Duryodhana's steeds to Yama's abode. And that slayer\nof foes then quickly felled his antagonist's driver from the car. Thy\nson, O monarch, staying on that steedless car, shot many keen arrows\ntowards Satyaki's car. The grandson of Sini, however, displaying great\nlightness of hand, O king, cut off those fifty shafts sped in that battle\nby thy son. Then Madhava, with a broad-headed shafts suddenly cut off in\nthat encounter the formidable bow of thy son in the handle. Deprived of\nboth his car and bow, that puissant ruler of men then mounted quickly\nupon the bright car of Kritavarman. Upon Duryodhana's retreat, the\ngrandson of Sini, O monarch, afflicted and routed thy army at dead of\nnight.\n\n\"'Sakuni, meanwhile, O king, encompassing Arjuna on all sides with many\nthousands of cars and several thousands of elephants, and many thousands\nof steeds, began to fight desperately. Many of them hurled towards Arjuna\ncelestial weapons of great power. Indeed, those Kshatriyas fought with\nArjuna, incurring the certitude of death. Arjuna, however, excited with\nrage, checked those thousands of cars and elephants and steeds, and\nultimately caused those foes to turn back. Then Suvala's son, with eyes\nred as copper with rage, deeply pierced Arjuna, that slayer of foes, with\ntwenty shafts. And once more shooting a hundred shafts, he checked the\nprogress of Partha's great car. Then Arjuna, O Bharata, pierced Sakuni\nwith twenty arrows in that battle. And he pierced each of the great\nbowmen with three arrows. Checking all of them with his arrows, O king,\nDhananjaya slew those warriors of thy army with excellent shafts, endued\nwith the force of thunder.[227] Strewn with lopped off arrows, O monarch,\nand (dead) bodies by thousands, the earth looked as if covered with\nflowers. Indeed, strewn with the heads of Kshatriyas, heads that were\ndecked with diadems and handsome noses and beautiful ear-rings and\n(nether) lips bit in rage and wide open eyes,--heads that were graced\nwith collars and crowned also with gems, and which, while life was in\nthem, spoke sweet words,--the earth looked resplendent as if strewn with\nhillocks overspread with Champaka flowers. Having achieved that fierce\nfeat, and pierced Sakuni once more, struck Uluka with an arrow in that\nbattle. Piercing Uluka thus in the sight of his sire, viz., Suvala's son,\nArjuna uttered a loud roar, filling the earth therewith. Then the son of\nIndra cut off Sakuni's bow. And then he despatched his four steeds to\nYama's abode. Then Suvala's son, O bull of Bharata's race, jumping down\nfrom his car, quickly ascended the car of Uluka. Then those two mighty\ncar-warriors, viz., sire and son, both riding on the same car, showered\ntheir arrows on Partha like two risen clouds pouring torrents of rain on\na mountain. The son of Pandu then piercing both those warriors with keen\nshafts, afflicted and caused thy troops to fly away in hundreds and\nthousands. Like a mighty mass of clouds dispersed on all sides by the\nwind, that army of thine, O monarch, was dispersed on all sides. Indeed,\nthat host, O chief of the Bharatas, thus slaughtered on the night, fled\naway in all directions, afflicted with fear and in the very sight (of\ntheir leaders). Many abandoning the animals they rode, other urging their\nanimals to their greatest speed, turned back from the battle, inspired\nwith fear, during that fierce hour of darkness. Having vanquished thy\nwarriors thus, O bull of Bharata's race, Vasudeva and Dhananjaya\ncheerfully blew their conchs.\n\n\"'Dhrishtadyumna, O monarch, piercing Drona with three arrows, quickly cut\noff the latter's bowstring with a sharp arrow. Throwing down that bow on\nthe earth, heroic Drona, that grinder of Kshatriyas, took up another that\nwas exceedingly tough and strong. Piercing Dhrishtadyumna then with five\narrows, Drona pierced his driver also, O bull of Bharata's race, with\nfive arrows. Checking Drona with his arrows, the mighty car-warrior\nDhrishtadyumna began to destroy the Kaurava host, like Maghavat\ndestroying the Asura army. During the slaughter of thy son's army, O\nsire, a terrible river, having blood for its current, began to flow. And\nit ran between the two hosts, bearing away men and steeds and elephants\nalong its current. And it resembled, O king, the Vaitarani that flows, O\nlord, towards the domains of Yama. Agitating and routing thy army, the\nvaliant Dhrishtadyumna, endued with great energy, blazed forth like Sakra\nin the midst of the celestials. Then Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin blew\ntheir large conchs, as also the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), and\nVrikodara, the son of Pandu. Thus those fierce warriors, vanquished\nthousands of kings on thy side that were endued with great energy, at\nthe sight of thy son and of Karna and the heroic Drona and Drona's son, O\nmonarch!'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding his own army routed while being slaughtered by\nthose illustrious heroes, thy son, well-acquainted with words, O monarch,\nquickly repairing unto Karna and Drona, that foremost of all victors in\nbattle, wrathfully said these words, \"This battle has been set on foot by\nyou two in rage, having seen the ruler of the Sindhus slain by\nSavyasachin. You are beholding with indifference the slaughter of my army\nby the forces of the Pandavas, although you two are fully competent to\nvanquish those forces. If you two now abandon me, you should have, in the\nbeginning, told me of it. 'We two shall vanquish the sons of Pandu in\nbattle.' Even these were the words, ye givers of honours, that ye then\nsaid unto me. Hearing these words of yours, I sanctioned these\nproceedings. I would never have provoked these hostilities with the\nParthas,--hostilities that are so destructive of heroic combatants (if ye\nhad told me otherwise). If I do not deserve to be abandoned by you two,\nye bulls among men, then fight according to the true measure of your\nprowess, ye heroes endued with great prowess.\" Thus pierced by the goad\nof speech of thy son, those two heroes once more engaged in battle, like\ntwo snakes vexed with sticks. Then those two foremost of car-warriors,\nthose two bowmen above all bowmen in the world, rushed with speed against\nthe Parthas headed by the grandson of Sini and by others. Similarly, the\nParthas uniting together, and accompanied by all their troops, advanced\nagainst those two heroes, who were roaring repeatedly. Then the great\nbowman, Drona, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, excited with\nrage, quickly pierced (Satyaki), that bull amongst the Sinis, with ten\narrows. And Karna pierced him with ten arrows, and thy son with seven,\nand Vrishasena pierced him with ten, and Suvala's son with seven. In that\nimpervious wall of Kauravas around the grandson of Sini, these also\nstationed themselves, encompassing him. Beholding Drona slaughtering the\nPandava army in that battle, the Somakas quickly pierced him from every\nside with showers of arrows. Then Drona began to take the lives of\nKshatriyas, O monarch, like the sun destroying darkness around him by his\nrays. We then heard, O monarch, a loud uproar amongst the Panchalas, who\ncalled upon one another, while they were being slaughtered by Drona. Some\nabandoning sons, some sires, some brothers, some uncles, some their\nsister's sons, some their relatives and kinsmen, fled away with speed,\nfor saving their own lives. Some, again, deprived of their senses, ran\nagainst Drona himself. Indeed, many were the combatants of the Pandava\narmy that were then despatched to the other world. Thus afflicted by that\nillustrious hero, the Pandava host, that night, O king, fled away,\nthrowing down their blazing torches all around, in the very sight of\nBhimasena and Arjuna and Krishna and the twins and Yudhishthira and\nPrishata's son. The world being enveloped in darkness, nothing could be\nseen. In consequence of the light that was amongst the Kaurava troops,\nthe flight of the foe could be ascertained. Those mighty car-warriors,\nviz., Drona and Karna, O king, pursued the flying host, scattering\nnumerous shafts. Seeing the Panchalas slaughtered and routed, Janardana\nbecoming cheerless, said these words unto Phalguna, \"Dhrishtadyumna and\nSatyaki, accompanied by the Panchalas, had proceeded against those great\nbowmen, viz., Drona and Karna, shooting many shafts. This large host of\nours hath been broken and routed (by them) with showers of arrows. Though\ntheir flight is sought to be checked, they are still incapable of being\nrallied, O son of Kunti!--Beholding the host fly away, through fear, ye\nPandava warriors, cast away your fears! Accompanied by all the forces and\narraying then, in good order, both of us, with uplifted weapons, are even\nnow proceeding against Drona and the Suta's son for withstanding them.\"\nThen Janardana beholding Vrikodara advancing, once more addressed Arjuna,\nthe son of Pandu, as if for gladdening him, in these words, \"Yonder\nBhima, who taketh delight in battle, surrounded by the Somakas and the\nPandavas, is coming against those mighty car-warriors, viz., Drona and\nKarna. Supported by him, as also by the many mighty car-warriors among\nthe Pandavas, fight now, O son of Pandu, for assuring all your\ntroops.\"[228] Then those two tigers among men, viz., the son of Pandu and\nhe of Madhu's race, approaching Drona and Karna, took up their station at\nthe head of battle.'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Then that vast force of Yudhishthira once more\nreturned to battle, proceeding to the place where Drona and Karna were\ngrinding their foes in battle. At dead of night, a fierce encounter took\nplace, resembling that of two oceans swelling at moon-rise. Then the\nwarriors of thy army, throwing away from their hands the blazing lamps\nheld by them, fought with the Pandavas fearlessly and madly. On that\nterrible night when the world was enveloped with gloom and dust, the\ncombatants fought with one another, guided only by the names they\nuttered. The names uttered by the kings contending in battle, were heard,\nO monarch, there, like what happens, O king, at a Swayamvara or\nself-choice. Suddenly, a silence overspread the field of battle, and\nlasted for a moment. Then, again, a loud uproar was heard made by the\nangry combatants, victors and vanquished. Thither where blazing lamps\nwere seen, O bull of Kuru's race, thither rushed those heroes like\ninsects (towards a blazing fire). And as the Pandavas, O king, and the\nKauravas, contended with each other in battle, the darkness of night\nthickened around them.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then Karna, that slayer of hostile heroes, beholding\nPrishata's son in battle, struck him on the chest with ten shafts capable\nof penetrating into the very vitals. Dhrishtadyumna quickly pierced Karna\nin return in that great battle, with five shafts, and addressing him,\nsaid, \"Wait! Wait!\" Shrouding each other in that dreadful combat with\nshowers of arrows, O king, they once more pierced each other with keen\nshafts, sped from bows drawn to their fullest stretch. Then Karna, in\nthat battle, despatched to Yama's abode the driver and the four steeds or\nDhrishtadyumna, that foremost warrior among the Panchalas. He then cut\noff his enemy's foremost bow with keen arrows, and felled, with a\nbroad-headed shaft the latter's driver from his niche in the car. Then\nthe valiant Dhrishtadyumna, deprived of car, steeds, and driver, quickly\njumped down from his car and took up a mace. Though struck all the while\nwith straight shafts by Karna, the Panchala prince, approaching Karna,\nslew the four steeds of the latter. Turning back with great speed, that\nslayer of hosts, viz., the son of Prishata, quickly ascended the car of\nDhananjaya. Mounting upon that car, the mighty car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna\ndesired to proceed towards Karna. Dharma's son (Yudhishthira), however,\nbade him desist. Then Karna endued with great energy, mingling his\nleonine shouts with it twanged his bow loudly and blew his conch with\ngreat force. Beholding Prishata's son vanquished in battle, those mighty\ncar-warriors, viz., the Panchalas and the Somakas, excited with rage, and\ntaking up all kinds of weapons, proceeded, making death itself their\ngoal, towards Karna, from desire of slaughtering him. Meanwhile, Karna's\ndriver had yoked other steeds unto his master's car, that were white as\nconchs, endued with great speed, of the Sindhu breed, and well-broken.\nThen Karna of sure aim, contending with vigour, afflicted those mighty\ncar-warriors among the Panchalas with his shafts like a cloud pouring\ntorrents of rain upon a mountain. The Panchala host, thus afflicted by\nKarna, fled away in fear, like a doe frightened by a lion. Horsemen were\nseen falling from their horses, and elephant-riders from their elephants,\nO monarch, and car-warriors from cars, all around. In that dreadful\nbattle, Karna cut off with razor-faced arrows the arms of flying\ncombatants and heads decked with car-rings. And he cut off, O king, the\nthighs of others that were on elephants or on the back of steeds, or on\nthe earth, O sire! Many mighty car-warriors, as they fled away, felt not\ntheir loss of limbs or the injury in their animals, in that battle.\nSlaughtered by terrible shafts, the Panchalas and the Srinjayas took the\nmotion of even a straw for Karna (so great was their fright). Deprived of\ntheir senses, the warriors took their flying friends for Karna and fled\naway from these in fear. Karna pursued the broken and retreating host, O\nBharata, shooting his shafts on all sides. Indeed, in that battle, the\nretreating warriors, deprived of their senses, were slaughtered with\nmighty weapons by that illustrious hero, Karna. Others, only looked at by\nDrona, fled away on all sides. Then king Yudhishthira, beholding his army\nflying away, and regarding retreat to be advisable, addressed Phalguna\nand said, \"Behold that mighty bowman, Karna stationed there like Rudra\nhimself armed with his bow. Behold him scorching everything around like\nthe blazing sun himself, at this fierce hour, this dead of night. These\nwails are being incessantly heard, O Partha, of thy helpless friends who\nare uttering them, mangled by the shafts of Karna. The manner in which\nKarna is aiming and letting off his shafts is such that no interval can\nbe noticed between the two acts. He will, O Partha, annihilate all our\nfriends. Do that now, Dhananjaya, about the slaughter of Karna, which,\naccording to thy judgment, should next be done and the time for which may\nhave come.\" Thus addressed (by Yudhishthira), Partha said unto Krishna,\n\"The royal son of Dharma is frightened today by the prowess of Karna.\nWhen Karna's division is thus acting (towards us) repeatedly, do thou\nspeedily adopt that course which should now be adopted. Our army is\nflying away, O slayer of Madhu, our troops, broken and mangled with\nDrona's shafts and frightened by Karna, are unable to make a stand. I see\nKarna careering fearlessly. Our foremost of car-warriors are flying away.\nKarna is scattering his keen shafts. I cannot, like a snake incapable of\nputting up with the tread of a human being upon its body, bear to see him\nthus careering at the head of battle, before my eyes, O tiger of\nVrishni's race. Proceed, therefore, to that spot where the mighty\ncar-warrior Karna is. I will either kill him, O slayer of Madhu, or let\nhim slay me.\"[229]\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"I behold Karna, O son of Kunti, that tiger among men,\nthat warrior of superhuman prowess, careering in battle like the chief of\nthe celestials himself. O Dhananjaya, there is none else capable of\nadvancing against him in battle, save thee, O tiger among men, and the\nRakshasa Ghatotkacha. I do not, however, O sinless one, regard the time\nto have come, O mighty-armed one, for thee to encounter the Suta's son in\nbattle. The blazing dart, resembling a mighty meteor, given him by\nVasava, is still with him, O thou of mighty arms, kept for thee with\ncare, by the Suta's son. He keepeth that dart by him, and hath now\nassumed a terrible form. As regards Ghatotkacha, he is always devoted to\nyou and desirous of your good. Let the mighty Ghatotkacha proceed against\nthe son of Radha. Endued with the prowess of a celestial, he has been\nbegotten by the mighty Bhima. With him are celestial weapons as also\nthose used by Rakshasa.\" The latter soon came before him, clad in mail,\nand armed, O king, with sword, arrow, and bow. Saluting Krishna and also\nDhananjaya, the son of Pandu, he proudly said, \"Here I am, command me.\"\nThen he of Dasarha's race, addressed Hidimva's son, that Rakshasa of\nblazing mouth and fiery eyes and body of the hue of clouds, and said\nthese words, \"Listen, O Ghatotkacha, attend to what I say. The time is\ncome for the display of thy prowess, and not of anybody else. Be thou the\nraft in this battle to the sinking Pandavas. Thou hast diverse weapons,\nand many kinds of Rakshasa illusion. Behold, O son of Hidimva, the army\nof the Pandavas is being beaten by Karna on the field of battle, like a\nherd of kine by the herdsman. Yonder, the mighty bowman Karna, endued\nwith great intelligence and steady prowess, is scorching the foremost of\nKshatriyas among the divisions of the Pandava host. Afflicted by his\nfiery arrows, the Pandava warriors are incapable of standing in front of\nthat firm bowman who is shooting showers of mighty shafts. Afflicted at\ndead of night by the Suta's son with his arrowy showers, the Panchalas\nare flying away like a herd of deer afflicted by a lion. Except thee, O\nthou of terrible prowess, there is none else that can withstand the\nSuta's son who is thus engaged in battle. Aided by thy energy and might,\ndo thou, O mighty-armed one, accomplish that which is worthy of thy own\nself, of thy maternal race, and of thy sires. It is even for this, O son\nof Hidimva, that men desire children, viz., for being rescued from\ndifficulties. Do thou now rescue thy kinsmen. O Ghatotkacha, sires desire\nsons for achieving their own objects. Children, those sources of good,\nare expected to rescue their sires both here and hereafter. Illustrious\nthou art, and thy might in battle is terrible and unrivalled, while\ncontending in battle, there is none equal to thee. O scorcher of foes, be\nthou the means by which the Pandavas who are routed by Karna with his\nshafts this night, and who are now sinking in the Dhartarashtra ocean,\nmay safely reach the shore. At night, Rakshasas, again, become endued\nwith unlimited prowess, great might, and great courage. They become (at\nsuch an hour) warriors of great valour and incapable of defeat. Slay\nKarna in battle, at this dead of night, aided by thy illusions. The\nParthas, with Dhrishtadyumna, will dispose of Drona.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing those words of Kesava, Vibhatsu also, O\nKauravya, said these words unto that chastiser of foes, viz., the\nRakshasa Ghatotkacha, \"O Ghatotkacha, thyself, the long-armed Satyaki,\nand Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, these three, in my judgment, are the\nforemost ones among all our warriors. Go and encounter Karna in single\ncombat this night. The mighty car-warrior Satyaki will protect thy rear.\nAssisted by Satwata hero, slay brave Karna in battle, as Indra in days of\nold had slain (the Asura) Taraka, aided by (the celestial generalissimo)\nSkanda.\"\n\n\"'Ghatotkacha said, \"I am match for Karna, as also for Drona, O Bharata,\nor for any illustrious Kshatriya accomplished in weapons. This night I\nshall fight such a battle with the Suta's son as will form the subject of\ntalk as long as the world lasts. Tonight, I will spare neither the brave\nnor the timid nor those that will, with joined hands, pray for quarter.\nFollowing the Rakshasa usage, I shall slay all.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Having said these words, that slayer of hostile\nheroes, viz., the son of Hidimva, rushed against Karna in that dreadful\nfight frightening thy troops. The Suta's son, that tiger among men,\nsmilingly received that angry warrior of blazing mouth and blazing locks.\nThe battle then that took place between Karna and that Rakshasa, both\nroaring against each other, O tiger among kings, resembled that between\nIndra and Prahlada (in days of yore).'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXIV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the mighty-armed Ghatotkacha, O king,\nproceeding towards the car of Suta's son, Karna, for slaughtering him in\nbattle, thy son Duryodhana addressing Duhsasana, said these words, \"The\nRakshasa, seeing the prowess of Karna in battle, is speedily advancing\nagainst him. Resist that mighty car-warrior. Surrounded by a mighty force\nproceed to that spot where the mighty Karna, the son of Vikartana, is\ncontending with the Rakshasa in battle. O giver of honours, surrounded by\ntroops and exerting thyself vigorously, protect Karna in battle. Let not\nthe terrible Rakshasa slay Karna in consequence of our carelessness.\"\nMeanwhile, O king, Jatasura's mighty son, that foremost of smiters,\napproaching Duryodhana, said unto him, \"O Duryodhana, commanded by thee,\nI desire to slay, with their followers, thy foes of celebrity, viz., the\nPandavas, those warriors incapable of being easily defeated in battle. My\nfather was mighty Jatasura, that foremost of Rakshasa. Formerly, having\nperformed some Rakshasa slaying incantations, the despicable sons of\nPritha slew him. I desire to worship my dead sire by offering him the\nblood of his foes, and their flesh, O monarch! it behoveth thee to grant\nme permission.\" The king, thus addressed, became exceedingly delighted\nand said unto him repeatedly, \"Aided by Drona and Karna and others, I am\nquite competent to vanquish my foes. Commanded, however, by me, O\nRakshasa, go thou to battle and slay Ghatotkacha in the fight--that\nRakshasa of fierce deeds, born of man, ever devoted to the welfare of the\nPandavas, and always slaying our elephants and steeds and car-warriors in\nbattle, himself all the while staying in the welkin. O, despatch him to\nYama's abode.\" Saying, \"so be it,\" and summoning Ghatotkacha to the\nfight, Jatasura's son shrouded the son of Bhimasena with diverse kinds of\nweapons. The son of Hidimva, however, alone and unsupported began to\ngrind Alamvusha and Karna and the vast Kuru host, like the tempest\ncrushing a mass of clouds. Seeing then the power of (Ghatotkacha's)\nillusion, the Rakshasa Alamvusha covered Ghatotkacha with showers of\ndiverse kinds of arrows. Having pierced Bhimasena's son with many shafts,\nAlamvusha, without losing any time, began to afflict the Pandava host\nwith his arrows. Thus afflicted by him, O Bharata, the Pandava troops, at\ndead of night, broke and fled away like clouds dispersed by a tempest.\nSimilarly, thy host also, mingled with the shafts of Ghatotkacha, fled\naway at dead of night, O king, in thousands, throwing down their torches.\nAlamvusha then, excited with great wrath, struck Bhimasena's son in that\ndreadful battle with many shafts, like a driver striking an elephant.\nThen Ghatotkacha cut off into minute fragments the car, the driver, and\nall the weapons of his foe and laughed frightfully. Then, like the clouds\npouring torrents of rain on the mountains of Meru, Ghatotkacha poured\nshowers of arrows on Karna, Alamvusha and all the Kurus. Afflicted by the\nRakshasa, the Kuru host became exceedingly agitated. The four kinds of\nforces, of which thy army consisted, began to press and crush one\nanother. Then Jatasura's son, carless and driverless, wrathfully struck\nGhatotkacha, in that battle, with his fists. Thus struck, Ghatotkacha\ntrembled like a mountain with its trees and creepers and grass at the\ntime of an earthquake. Then Bhimasena's son, mad with rage, raising his\nown foe-slaying arm that resembled a spiked mace, dealt a severe blow on\nJatasura's son. Crushing him then in rage, Hidimva's son quickly threw\nhim down, and seizing him with his two arms he began to press him with\ngreat force upon the earth. Then Jatasura's son freeing himself from\nGhatotkacha, rose up and assailed Ghatotkacha with great impetuosity.\nAlamvusha also, dragging and throwing down the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, in\nthat battle, began to crush him in rage on the surface of the earth. The\nbattle then that took place between those two roaring and gigantic\nwarriors, viz., Ghatotkacha and Alamvusha, became exceedingly fierce and\nmade the hair stand on end. Endeavouring to prevail over each other by\nmeans of their powers of illusion, those two proud warriors, endued with\ngreat energy, fought with each other like Indra and Virochana's son.\nBecoming fire and ocean, and, once more, Garuda and Takshaka, and once\nagain, a cloud and a tempest, and then thunder and a large mountain, and\nonce again, an elephant and then Rahu and the sun, they thus displayed a\nhundred different kinds of illusion, solicitous of destroying each other.\nIndeed, Alamvusha and Ghatotkacha fought most wonderfully, striking each\nother with spiked clubs and maces and lances and mallets and axes and\nshort clubs and mountain-cliffs. Riding on horseback or on elephants, on\nfoot or on car, those foremost of Rakshasas, both endued with large\npowers of illusion, fought with each other in battle. Then Ghatotkacha, O\nking, desiring to slay Alamvusha, roared aloft in rage and then alighted\nwith great quickness like a hawk. Seizing then that gigantic prince of\nRakshasas, viz., Alamvusha, who thus struggled with him, he pressed him\ndown on the earth, like Vishnu slaying (the Asura) Maya in battle. Taking\na scimitar of wonderful appearance, Ghatotkacha, of immeasurable prowess,\nthen cut off from his trunk, O king, his fierce and mighty foe's terrible\nhead that was still uttering awful roars. Seizing that blood-dyed head by\nthe hair, Ghatotkacha quickly proceeded towards Duryodhana's car.\nApproaching (the Kuru king), the mighty-armed Rakshasa, smiling the\nwhile, threw upon Duryodhana's car that head with frightful face and\nhair. Uttering then a fierce roar, deep as that of the clouds in the\nseason of rains, he addressed Duryodhana, O king, and said, \"This thy\nally is now slain, he, that is, whose prowess thou hadst beheld! Thou\nshalt see the slaughter of Karna again, and then thy own. One that is\nobservant of these three, viz., morality, profit and pleasure, should\nnever see with empty hands a king, a Brahmana, or a woman.[230] Live\ncheerfully till that time when I slay Karna.\" Having said these words, he\nthen, O king, proceeded towards Karna, shooting hundreds of keen arrows\nupon the head of Karna. The battle then that took place between that\nhuman warrior and that Rakshasa, was fierce and terrible, O king, and\nexceedingly wonderful.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'How, indeed, did that battle take place when at\ndead of night Vikartana's son, Karna, and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha\nencountered each other? What aspect did that fierce Rakshasa then\npresent? What kind of car did he ride, and what was the nature of his\nsteeds and what of his weapons? What was the size of his steeds, of the\nstandard of his car, and of his bow? What was the kind of armour he wore,\nand what head-gear had he on? Asked by me, describe all this, for thou\nart skilled in narration, O Sanjaya!'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Of blood-red eyes, Ghatotkacha was of gigantic form. His\nface was of the hue of copper. His belly was low and sunken. The bristles\non his body all pointed upwards. His head was green. His ears were like\narrows. His cheek-bones were high. His mouth was large, extending from\near to ear. His teeth were keen, and four of these were high and pointed.\nHis tongue and lips were very long and of a coppery hue. His brows were\nlong-extending. His nose was thick. His body was blue, and neck red. Tall\nas a hill, he was terrible to behold. Of gigantic frame, gigantic arms,\nand gigantic head, he was endued with great might. Ugly and of hard\nlimbs, the hair on his head was tied upwards in a frightful shape. His\nhips were large and his navel was deep. Of gigantic frame, the\ncircumference of his body, however, was not great. The ornaments on his\narms were proportionate. Possessed of great powers of illusion, he was\ndecked also in Angadas. He wore a cuirass on his breast like a circle of\nfire on the breast of a mountain. On his head was a bright and beautiful\ndiadem made of gold, with every part proportionate and beautiful, and\nlooking like an arch. His ear-rings were bright as the morning sun, and\nhis garlands were made of gold and exceedingly bright. He had on his body\na gigantic armour of brass of great effulgence. His car was decked with a\nhundred tinkling bells, and on his standard waved numerous blood-red\nbanners. Of prodigious proportions, and of the measure of a nalwa, that\ncar was covered with bear-skins. Equipped with all kinds of mighty\nweapons, it possessed a tall standard and was adorned with garlands,\nhaving eight wheels, and its clatter resembled the roar of the clouds.\nHis steeds were like infuriated elephants, and possessed of red eyes; of\nterrible aspect, they were variegated in hue, and endued with great speed\nand might. Above all fatigue, and adorned with long manes and neighing\nrepeatedly, they bore that hero to battle. A Rakshasa of terrible eyes,\nfiery mouth, and blazing ear-rings, acted as his driver, holding the\nreins, bright as the rays of the sun, of his steeds in battle. With that\ndriver he came to battle like Surya with his driver Aruna. Looking like a\nhigh mountain encircled with a mighty cloud, a very tall standard, that\ntouched the heavens, was set up on his car. A carnivorous and awful\nvulture of blood-red body perched on it. He came, forcibly drawing his\nbow whose twang resembled the thunder of Indra, and whose string was very\nhard, and which measured a dozen cubits in length and one cubit in\nbreadth.[231] Filling all the points of the compass with shafts of the\nmeasure of the Aksha of a car, the Rakshasa rushed against Karna on that\nnight that was so destructive of heroes. Staying proudly on his car, as\nhe stretched his bow, the twang that was heard resembled that sound of\nthe roaring thunder. Frightened by him, O Bharata, all thy troops\ntrembled like the surging waves of the ocean. Beholding that frightful\nRakshasa of horrible eyes advancing against him, Radha's son, as if\nsmiling, withstood him speedily. And Karna proceeded against the smiling\nRakshasa, smiting him in return from a near point, like an elephant\nagainst an elephant or the leader of a bovine herd against the leader of\nanother herd. The collision that took place between them, i.e., Karna and\nthe Rakshasa, O king, became terrible and resembled that between Indra\nand Samvara. Each taking a formidable bow of loud twang, struck and\ncovered the other with powerful shafts. With straight shafts sped from\nbows drawn to their fullest stretch, they mangled each other, piercing\ntheir coats of mail made of brass. With darts of the measure of Akshas,\nand shafts also they continued to mangle each other, like a couple of\ntigers or of mighty elephants with their teeth or tusks. Piercing each\nother's body, aiming shafts at each other, scorching each other with\nclouds of arrows, they became incapable of being gazed at. With limbs\npierced and mangled with shafts, and bathed in streams of blood, they\nlooked like two hills of chalk with rivulets running down their breasts.\nThose two mighty car-warriors, both struggling vigorously, both with\nlimbs pierced with keen-pointed shafts, and each mangling the other,\nfailed, however to make each other tremble. For a long time, that\nnocturnal combat between Karna and the Rakshasas in which both seemed to\nsport, making life itself the stake, continued equally. Aiming keen\nshafts and shooting them to the utmost measure of his might, the twang of\nGhatotkacha's bow inspired both friends and foes with fear.[232] At that\ntime, O king, Karna could not prevail over Ghatotkacha. Seeing this, that\nforemost of all persons acquainted with weapons, invoked into existence\ncelestial weapons. Beholding a celestial weapon aimed at him by Karna,\nGhatotkacha, that foremost of Rakshasas invoked into existence his\nRakshasa illusion. He was seen surrounded by a large force of\nterrible-looking Rakshasas, armed with lances, large rocks and hills and\nclubs.[233] Beholding Ghatotkacha advancing with a mighty weapon uplifted\n(in his hands) like unto the Destroyer himself of all creatures armed\nwith his fierce and fatal club, all the kings there were struck with\nfear. Terrified at the leonine roars uttered by Ghatotkacha, the\nelephants passed urine, and all the combatants trembled with fear. Then\nthere fell on all sides a thick rain of rocks and stones poured incessantly\nby the Rakshasas, who had, in consequence of midnight, became inspired with\ngreater strength.[234] Iron wheels and Bhusundis, and darts, and lances\nand spears and Sataghnis and axes also began to fall incessantly.\nBeholding that fierce and terrible battle, all the kings, as also thy\nsons and the combatants, fled away in fear. Only one amongst them, viz.,\nKarna, proud of the power of his weapons, and feeling a noble pride,\ntrembled not. Indeed, with his shafts he destroyed that illusion invoked\ninto existence by Ghatotkacha. Beholding his illusion dispelled,\nGhatotkacha, filled with rage began to shoot deadly shafts from desire of\nslaying the Suta's son. Those shafts, bathed in blood, piercing through\nKarna's body in that dreadful battle, entered the earth like angry\nsnakes. Then the valiant son of the Suta, filled with rage and possessed\nof great lightness of hands, prevailing over Ghatotkacha, pierced the\nlatter with ten shafts. Then Ghatotkacha, thus pierced by the Suta's son\nin his vital parts and feeling great pain, took up a celestial wheel\nhaving a thousand radii. The edge of that wheel was sharp as a razor.\nPossessed of the splendour of the morning sun, and decked with jewels and\ngems, Bhimasena's son hurled that wheel at the son of Adhiratha, desirous\nof making an end of the latter. That wheel, however, of great power and\nhurled also with great might, was cut off into pieces by Karna with his\nshafts, and fell down, baffled of its object, like the hopes and purposes\nof an unfortunate man. Filled with rage upon beholding his wheel baffled,\nGhatotkacha covered Karna with showers of shafts, like Rahu covering the\nsun. The Suta's son, however, endued with the prowess of Rudra or of\nIndra's younger brother or of Indra, fearlessly shrouded Ghatotkacha's\ncar in a moment with winged arrows. Then Ghatotkacha, whirling a\ngold-decked mace, hurled it at Karna. Karna, however, with his shafts,\ncutting it off, caused it to fall down. Then soaring into the sky and\nroaring deep like a mass of clouds, the gigantic Rakshasa poured from the\nwelkin a perfect shower of trees. Then Karna pierced with his shafts\nBhima's son in the sky, that Rakshasa acquainted with illusions, like the\nsun piercing with his rays a mass of clouds. Slaying then all the steeds\nof Ghatotkacha, and cutting also his car into a hundred pieces, Karna\nbegan to pour upon him his arrows like a cloud pouring torrents of rain.\nOn Ghatotkacha's body there was not even two finger's breadth of space\nthat was not pierced with Karna's shafts. Soon the Rakshasa seemed to be\nlike a porcupine with quills erect on his body. So completely was he\nshrouded with shafts that we could not in that battle, any longer see\neither the steeds or the car or the standard of Ghatotkacha or\nGhatotkacha himself. Destroying then by his own weapon, the celestial\nweapon of Karna, Ghatotkacha, endued with the power of illusion, began to\nfight with the Suta's son, aided by his powers of illusion. Indeed, he\nbegan to fight with Karna, aided by his illusion and displaying the\ngreatest activity. Showers of shafts fell from an invisible source from\nthe welkin. Then Bhimasena's son, endued with great prowess of illusion,\nO foremost of the Kurus, assumed a fierce form, aided by those powers,\nbegan to stupefy the Kauravas, O Bharata! The valiant Rakshasa, assuming\nmany fierce and grim heads, began to devour the celestial weapons of the\nSuta's son. Soon again, the gigantic Rakshasa, with a hundred wounds on\nhis body seemed to lie cheerlessly, as if dead, on the field. The Kaurava\nbulls then, regarding Ghatotkacha deed, uttered loud shouts (of joy).\nSoon, however, he was seen on all sides, careering in new forms. Once\nmore, he was seen to assume a prodigious form, with a hundred heads and a\nhundred stomachs, and looking like the Mainaka mountain.[235] Once again,\nbecoming small about the measure of the thumb, he moved about\ntransversely or soared aloft like the swelling surges of the sea. Tearing\nthrough the earth and rising on the surface, he dived again into the\nwaters. Once seen here, he was next seen at a different place. Descending\nthen from the welkin, he was seen standing, clad in mail, on a car decked\nwith gold, having wandered through earth and sky and all the points of\nthe compass, aided by his powers of illusion. Approaching then the\nvicinity of Karna's car, Ghatotkacha, with his ear-rings waving,\nfearlessly addressed the Suta's son, O monarch, and said, \"Wait a little,\nO Suta's son. Whither shalt thou go with life, avoiding me. I shall\ntoday, on the field of battle, quell thy desire of fight.\" Having said\nthose words, that Rakshasas, of cruel prowess and eyes red like copper in\nwrath, soared aloft into the sky and laughed aloud. Like a lion smiting a\nprince of elephants, he began to strike Karna, pouring upon him a shower\nof shafts, each of the measure the Aksha, of a car. Indeed, he poured\nthat arrowy shower upon Karna, that bull among car-warriors, like a cloud\npouring torrents of rain on a mountain, Karna destroyed that shower of\narrows from a distance. Beholding his illusion destroyed by Karna, O bull\nof Bharata's race, Ghatotkacha once more created an illusion and made\nhimself invisible. He became a high mountain with many summits and\nabounding with tall trees. And from that mountain incessantly issued\nstreams of lances and spears and swords and clubs. Seeing that mountain,\nwhich resembled a mighty mass of antimony, with its streams of fierce\nweapons, on the welkin, Karna was not at all agitated. Smiling the while,\nKarna invoked into existence a celestial weapon. Cut off with that\nweapon, that huge mountain was destroyed. Then the fierce Ghatotkacha,\nbecoming a blue cloud with a rainbow, in the welkin, began to pour upon\nthe Suta's son a shower of stones. Vikartana's son, Karna, who was called\nalso Vrisha, that foremost of all persons acquainted with weapons, aiming\na Vayavya weapon, destroyed that dart-cloud. Then covering all the points\nof the compass with innumerable shafts, he destroyed a weapon that had\nbeen aimed at him by Ghatotkacha. The mighty son of Bhimasena then\nlaughing loudly in that battle, once more invoked into existence an\nall-powerful illusion against the mighty car-warrior Karna. Once more\nbeholding that foremost of warriors, viz., Ghatotkacha, fearlessly\napproaching him, surrounded by a large number of Rakshasas that resembled\nlions and tigers and infuriated elephants in prowess, some riding on\nelephants, some on cars, and some on horseback, all armed with diverse\nweapons and clad in diverse kinds of mail and diverse kinds of ornaments;\nin fact, beholding Ghatotkacha surrounded by those fierce Rakshasas like\nVasava by the Maruts, the mighty bowman Karna began to battle with him\nfiercely. Then Ghatotkacha piercing Karna with five shafts, uttered a\nterrible roar frightening all the kings. Once more shooting an Anjalika\nweapon, Ghatotkacha quickly cut off the bow of Karna's hand along with\nthe arrowy shower the latter had shot. Karna then taking out another bow\nthat was strong and capable of bearing a great strain and that was as\nlarge as Indra's bow, drew it with great force. Then Karna shot some\nfoe-slaying shafts of golden wings at those sky-ranging Rakshasas.\nAfflicted with those shafts, the large foes of broad chested Rakshasas\nlooked agitated like a herd of wild elephants afflicted by a lion.\nDestroying with his shafts those Rakshasas along with their steeds and\ndiverse elephants, the puissant Karna looked like the divine Agni\nconsuming all creatures at the time of the universal dissolution. Having\ndestroyed that Rakshasa host, the Suta's son looked resplendent like the\ngod Maheswara in heaven after having consumed the triple city (of the\nAsuras). Among those thousands of kings on the Pandava side, O sire,\nthere was not a single one, O monarch, that could even look at Karna\nthen, save the mighty Ghatotkacha, that prince of Rakshasas, who was\nendued with terrible energy and strength, and who, inflamed with rage,\nthen looked like Yama himself. From his eyes, as he was excited with\nwrath, flames of fire seemed to emit, like blazing drops of oil from a\ncouple of burning brands. Striking his palm against palm and biting his\nnether lip, the Rakshasa was once more seen on a car that had been\ncreated by his illusion, and unto which were yoked a number of asses,\nlooking like elephants and having the faces of Pisachas. Excited with\nwrath, he addressed his driver, saying, \"Bear me towards the Suta's son.\"\nThen that foremost of car-warriors proceeded on that terrible-looking car\nof his, for once more fighting a single combat with the Suta's son, O\nking! The Rakshasa, excited with rage, hurled at the Suta's son an Asani\nof Rudra's workmanship, terrible and furnished with eight wheels. Karna,\nplacing his bow on his car, jumped down on the earth and seizing that\nAsani hurled it back at Ghatotkacha. The latter, however, had quickly\ndescended from his car (before the weapon could reach it). The Asani,\nmeanwhile, of great effulgence, having reduced the Raksha's car to ashes,\nwith its steeds, driver, and standard, piercing through the earth,\ndisappeared within its bowels, at which the gods were filled with wonder.\nThen all creatures applauded Karna, who, having jumped down from his car,\nhad seized that Asani. Having achieved that feat, Karna once more\nascended his car. The Suta's son, that scorcher of foes, then began to\nshoot his shafts. Indeed, O giver of honours, there is none else amongst\nall living creatures who can accomplish what Karna accomplished in that\nfrightful battle. Struck by Karna with shafts like a mountain with\ntorrents of rain, Ghatotkacha once more disappeared from the field of\nbattle like the melting forms of vapour in the sky. Contending in this\nway, the gigantic Rakshasa, that slayer of foes, destroyed the celestial\nweapons of Karna by means of his activity as also his power of illusion.\nSeeing his weapons destroyed by the Rakshasa, aided by his powers of\nillusion, Karna, without being inspired with fear, continued to fight\nwith the cannibal. Then, O monarch, the mighty son of Bhimasena excited\nwith wrath, divided his own self into many parts, frightening all the\nmighty car-warriors (of the Kuru army). Then there came on the field of\nbattle lions, and tigers, and hyenas, and snakes with fiery tongues, and\nbirds with iron beaks. As regards Ghatotkacha himself, struck with the\nkeen arrows that were sped from Karna's bow, that huge Rakshasa, looking\nlike (Himavat) the prince of mountains, disappeared then and there. Then\nmany Rakshasas and Pisachas and Yatudhanas, and large numbers of wolves\nand leopards, of frightful faces rushed towards Karna for devouring him.\nThese approached the Suta's son, uttering fierce howls for frightening\nhim. Karna pierced every one of those monsters with many swift-winged and\nterrible shafts that drank their blood. At last, using a celestial\nweapon, he destroyed that illusion of the Rakshasa. He then, with some\nstraight and fierce shafts, struck the steeds of Ghatotkacha. These, with\nbroken and maimed limbs, and their backs cut by those shafts, fell down\non the earth, in the very sight of Ghatotkacha. The son of Hidimva,\nseeing his illusion dispelled, once more made himself invisible, saying\nunto Karna, the son of Vikartana, \"I will presently compass thy\ndestruction.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXVI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'During the progress of that battle between Karna and the\nRakshasa, the valiant Alayudha, that prince of Rakshasa, appeared (on the\nfield). Accompanied by a large force, he approached Duryodhana. Indeed,\nsurrounded by many thousands of frightful Rakshasas of diverse forms and\nendued with great heroism, he appeared (on the field) recollecting his\nold quarrel (with the Pandavas). His kinsmen, that valiant Vaka, who ate\nBrahmanas, as also Kirmira of great energy, and his friend Hidimva, had\nbeen slain (by Bhima). He had waited for a long time, brooding over his\nold quarrel. Learning now that a nocturnal battle was raging, he came,\nimpelled by the desire of slaying Bhima in fight, like an infuriated\nelephant or an angry snake. Desirous of battle, he addressed Duryodhana\nand said, \"It is known to thee, how my kinsmen, the Rakshasa Vaka and\nKirmira and Hidimva have been slain by Bhima. What shall I say more, the\nvirgin Hidimva was formerly deflowered by him, disregarding us and the\nother Rakshasas. I am here, O king, to slay that Bhima with all his\nfollowers, steeds, cars, and elephants, as also that son of Hidimva with\nfriends. Slaying today all the sons of Kunti, Vasudeva and others that\nwalk before them, I will devour them with all their followers. Command\nall thy troops to desist from battle. We will fight with the Pandavas.\"\n\n\"'Hearing these words of his, Duryodhana became very glad. Surrounded by\nhis brothers, the king, accepting the words of the Rakshasa, said,\n\"Placing thee with thine in the van, we will fight the foe. My troops\nwill not stand as indifferent spectators since their enmity has not\ncooled.\" That bull amongst Rakshasa, saying, \"Let it be so,\" unto the\nking, speedily proceeded against Bhima, accompanied by his cannibal\nforce. Endued with a blazing form, Alayudha rode a car bright like the\nsun. Indeed, O monarch, that car of his was similar to Ghatotkacha's car.\nThe rattle also of Alayudha's car was as deep as that of Ghatotkacha's,\nand it was decked with many arches. That large car was covered with\nbear-skins, and its measure was a nalwa. His steeds, like those of\nGhatotkacha, were endued with great speed, resembled elephants in shape,\nand had the voice of asses. Subsisting on flesh and blood and gigantic in\nsize, a hundred of them were yoked unto his vehicle. Indeed, the rattle\nof his car, like that of his rival, was loud and strong, and its string\nwas as hard. His shafts also, winged with gold and whetted on stone, were\nas large as Ghatotkacha's, being of the measure of Akshas. The heroic\nAlayudha was as mighty-armed as Ghatotkacha, and the standard of his car,\nendued with the splendour of the sun or fire, was, like Ghatotkacha's,\npierced upon by vultures and ravens. In form, he was more handsome than\nGhatotkacha, and his face, agitated (with wrath) looked blazing. With\nblazing Angadas and blazing diadem and garlands, decked with floral\nwreaths and headgear and sword armed with mace and Bhushundis and short\nclubs and ploughs and bows and arrows, and with skin black and hard as\nthat of the elephant, riding on that car possessed of the splendour of\nfire, he looked, while employed in afflicting and routing the Pandava\nhost, like a roving cloud in the welkin, decked with flashes of lighting.\n(As Alayudha came to battle), the principal kings of the Pandava army\nendued with great might, and armed with (sword and) shield, and clad in\nmail, engaged in fight, O king, with joyous hearts.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXVII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Alayudha of terrible deeds come to battle, all\nthe Kauravas became filled with delight. Similarly, thy sons having\nDuryodhana for their head, (were filled with delight) like raftless men\ndesirous of crossing the ocean when they meet with a raft. Indeed, the\nkings in the Kuru army then regarded themselves as persons reborn after\ndeath.[236] They all offered a respectful welcome to Alayudha. During the\nprogress of that terrible and superhuman battle between Karna and the\nRakshasa at night,--a battle which though fierce was yet delightful to\nbehold,--the Panchalas, with all the other Kshatriyas, smilingly looked\non as spectators. Meanwhile, thy soldiers, O king, though protected (by\ntheir leaders) all over the field and Drona and Drona's son and Kripa and\nothers, uttered loud wails, saying, \"All is lost!\" Indeed, beholding\nthose feats of Hidimva's son on the field of battle, all thy warriors\nwere agitated with fear, and uttering cries of woe became almost deprived\nof their senses. Thy troops, O king, became hopeless of Karna's life.\nThen Duryodhana, beholding Karna fallen into great distress, summoned\nAlayudha and said unto him, \"Yonder Vikartana's son, Karna, is engaged\nwith the son of Hidimva, and is accomplishing such feats in battle as are\nworthy of his might and prowess. Behold those brave kings slain by the\nson of Bhimasena, struck with diverse kinds of weapons (and lying on the\nfield) like trees broken by an elephant. Amongst all my royal warriors,\nlet this be thy share in battle, allotted by me, with thy permission, O\nhero, displaying thy prowess, slay thou this Rakshasa. O crusher of foes,\nsee that this wretch viz., Ghatotkacha, may not, relying on his powers of\nillusion, slay Karna, the son of Vikartana, before thou finishest him.\"\nThus addressed by the king, that Rakshasa of fierce prowess and mighty\narms, saying, \"So be it,\" rushed against Ghatotkacha. Then Bhimasena's\nson, O lord, abandoning Karna, began to grind his advancing foe with\narrows. The battle that took place then between those angry Rakshasa\nprinces, resembled that between two infuriated elephants in the forest,\nfighting for the sake of the same she-elephant in her season. Freed then\nfrom the Rakshasa, Karna, that foremost of car-warriors, rushed against\nBhimasena, riding on his car of solar effulgence. Beholding Ghatotkacha\nengaged with Alayudha in battle and afflicted like the leader of a bovine\nherd when engaged with a lion, Bhima, that foremost of smiters,\ndisregarding the advancing Karna, rushed towards Alayudha, riding on his\ncar of solar effulgence and scattering clouds of shafts. Seeing Bhima\nadvance, Alayudha, O lord, abandoning Ghatotkacha, proceeded against\nBhima himself. Then Bhima, that exterminator of Rakshasas, impetuously\nrushed towards him, O lord, and covered that prince of the Rakshasas with\nshafts. Similarly, Alayudha, that chastiser of foes, repeatedly covered\nthe son of Kunti with straight shafts whetted on stone. All the other\nRakshasas also, of terrible forms and armed with diverse weapons\nsolicitous for the victory of thy sons, rushed against Bhimasena. The\nmighty Bhimasena, thus assailed by them, pierced each of them with five\nwhetted shafts. Then those Rakshasas of wicked understanding, thus\nreceived by Bhimasena, uttered loud wails and fled away on all sides. The\nmighty Rakshasa, beholding his followers frightened by Bhima, rushed\nimpetuously against Bhima and covered him with shafts. Then Bhimasena, in\nthat battle, weakened his foe by means of many keen-pointed arrows.\nAmongst those arrows sped at him by Bhima, Alayudha speedily cut off some\nand seized others in that battle. Then Bhima of terrible prowess, looking\nsteadily at that prince of the Rakshasas, hurled at him with great force\na mace endued with the impetuosity of thunder. That mace, coursed towards\nhim like a flame of fire, and the cannibal struck it with a mace of his\nown, where-upon the latter (baffling the former) proceeded towards Bhima.\nThen, the son of Kunti covered that prince of Rakshasas, with showers of\nshafts. The Rakshasa, with his own keen shafts, baffled all those shafts\nof Bhima. Then all those Rakshasa warriors, of terrible forms, rallying\nand returning to battle, at the command of their leader, began to slay\nthe elephants (of Bhima's force). The Panchalas and the Srinjayas, the\nsteeds and huge elephants (of Bhima's army), exceedingly afflicted by the\nRakshasas, became much agitated. Beholding that terrible battle (fought\nbetween Bhima and the Rakshasa), Vasudeva, that foremost of men\naddressing Dhananjaya, said these words, \"Behold, the mighty-armed Bhima\nis succumbing to that prince of Rakshasas. Quickly proceed in Bhima's\nwake, without thinking of anything else, O son of Pandu. Meanwhile, let\nDhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin, and Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, these mighty\ncar-warriors, uniting with the son of Draupadi, proceed against Karna.\nLet Nakula and Sahadeva and the valiant Yuyudhana, O son of Pandu, at thy\ncommand, slay the other Rakshasas! As regards thyself, O mighty armed\none, do thou resist this division having Drona at its head. O thou of\nmighty arms, great is the danger that threatens us now.\" After Krishna\nhad said so, those foremost of car-warriors, as commanded, proceeded\nagainst Karna, the son of Vikartana, and against the other Rakshasas\n(fighting for the Kurus). Then with some shafts resembling snakes of\nvirulent poison and sped from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch, the\nvaliant prince of the Rakshasas cut off Bhima's bow. The mighty cannibal\nnext, in the very sight of Bhima, O Bharata, slew the latter's steeds and\ndriver with some whetted shafts. Steedless and driverless, Bhima,\ndescending from the terrace of his car, uttered a loud roar and hurled a\nheavy mace at his foe. That heavy mace, as it coursed impetuously towards\nhim with a terrible sound, the mighty cannibal baffled with a mace of his\nown. The latter then uttered a loud roar. Beholding that mighty and\nterrible feat of that prince of Rakshasas, Bhimasena filled with joy,\nseized another fierce mace. The battle then that took place between that\nhuman warrior and that Rakshasa, became dreadful. With the clash of their\ndescending maces, the earth trembled violently. Casting aside their\nmaces, they once more encountered each other. They struck each other with\ntheir clenched fists, falling with the sound of thunder. Excited with\nrage, they encountered each other with car-wheels, and yokes, and Akshas\nand Adhishthanas, and Upaskaras, in fact, with anything that came in\ntheir way. Encountering each other thus and both covered with blood, they\nlooked like a couple of infuriated elephants of gigantic size. Then,\nHrishikesa, ever devoted to the good of the Pandavas, beholding that\ncombat, despatched Hidimva's son for protecting Bhimasena.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Seeing Bhima in that battle assailed by the cannibal,\nVasudeva, approaching Ghatotkacha, said unto him these words, \"Behold, O\nmighty-armed one, Bhima is violently assailed by the Rakshasa in battle,\nin the very sight of all the troops and of thyself, O thou of great\nsplendour! Abandoning Karna for the present, quickly slay Alayudha, O\nmighty armed one! Thou can afterwards slay Karna.\" Hearing these words of\nhim of Vrishni's race, the valiant Ghatotkacha, abandoning Karna,\nencountered Alayudha, that prince of cannibals and brother of Vaka. The\nbattle then that took place at night between those two cannibals, viz.,\nAlayudha and the son of Hidimva became fierce and dreadful, O Bharata.\nMeanwhile, the mighty car-warrior Yuyudhana, and Nakula, and Sahadeva,\npierced with keen shafts the warriors of Alayudha, those terrible-looking\nand heroic Rakshasas, armed with bows. The diadem-decked Vibhatsu, O\nking, in that battle, shooting his arrows on all sides, began to\noverthrow many foremost of Kshatriyas. Meanwhile, Karna, O king, in that\nbattle agitated many kings and many mighty car-warriors amongst the\nPanchalas headed by Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin and others. Beholding\nthem slaughtered (by Karna), Bhima, of terrible prowess, rushed speedily\ntowards Karna, shooting his shafts in that battle. Then those warriors\nalso, viz., Nakula and Sahadeva and the mighty car-warrior,\nSatyaki, having slain the Rakshasas, proceeded to that place where the\nSuta's son was. All of them, then, began to fight with Karna, while the\nPanchalas encountered Drona. Then Alayudha, excited with rage, struck\nGhatotkacha, that chastiser of foes, on the head, with a gigantic\nParigha. With the stroke of that Parigha, the mighty son of Bhimasena,\nendued with great prowess, seemed to be in a state of partial swoon and\nsat down motionless. Recovering consciousness, the latter, then, in that\nencounter, hurled at his foe a gold-decked mace adorned with a hundred\nbells and looking like a blazing fire. Hurled forcibly by that achiever\nof fierce feats, that mace crushed into pieces the steeds, the driver,\nand the loud-rattling car of Alayudha. Having recourse to illusion, the\nlatter, then, jumped down from that car of his, whose steeds and wheels\nand Akshas and standard and Kuvara had all been crushed into pieces.\nRelying on his illusion, he poured a copious shower of blood. The sky\nthen seemed to be overspread with a mass of black clouds adorned with\nflashes of lightning. A thunder-storm was then heard, accompanied with\nloud reports and loud roars of clouds. Loud sounds also of chat, chat,\nwere heard in that dreadful battle. Beholding that illusion created by\nthe Rakshasa Alayudha, the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, soaring aloft, destroyed\nit by means of his own illusion. Alayudha, beholding his own illusion\ndestroyed by that of his foe, began to pour a heavy shower of stones on\nGhatotkacha. That terrible shower of stones, the valiant Ghatotkacha\ndispelled by means of a shower of arrows. They then rained on each other\ndiverse weapons, such as iron Parighas and spears and maces and short\nclubs and mallets, and Pinakas and swords and lances and long spears and\nKampanas, and keen shafts, both long and broad-headed, and arrows and\ndiscs and battle-axes, and Ayogudas and short-arrows, and weapons with\nheads like those of kine, and Ulukhalas. And they struck each other,\ntearing up many kinds of large-branched trees such as Sami and Pilu and\nKarira and Champaka, O Bharata, and Inguidi and Vadari and flowering\nKovidara and Arimeda and Plaksha and banian and peepul, and also with\ndiverse mountain-summits and diverse kinds of metals. The clash of those\ntrees and mountain-summits became very loud like the roar of driving\nthunder. Indeed, the battle that took place between Bhima's son and\nAlayudha, was, O king, dreadful in the extreme, like that in days of old,\nO monarch, between Vali and Sugriva, those two princes among the monkeys.\nThey struck each other with shafts and diverse other kinds of fierce\nweapons, as also with sharp scimitars. Then the mighty Rakshasas, rushing\nagainst each other, seized each other by the hair. And, O king, those two\ngigantic warriors, with many wounds on their bodies and blood and sweat\ntrickling down, looked like two mighty masses of clouds pouring rain.\nThen rushing with speed and whirling the Rakshasas on high and dashing\nhim down, Hidimva's son cut off his large head. Then taking that head\ndecked with a pair of ear-rings, the mighty Ghatotkacha uttered a loud\nroar. Beholding the gigantic brother of Vaka, that chastiser of foes,\nthus slain, the Panchalas and the Pandavas began to utter leonine shouts.\nThen, upon the fall of the Rakshasa, the Pandavas beat and blew thousands\nof drums and ten thousands of conchs. That night then clearly indicated\nthe victory of the Pandavas. Illumined with torches all around, and\nresounding with the noise of musical instruments, the night looked\nexceedingly resplendent. Then the mighty son of Bhimasena threw down the\nhead of the slain Alayudha before Duryodhana. Duryodhana, beholding the\nheroic Alayudha slain, became, O Bharata, filled with anxiety, for all\nhis troops. Alayudha, having come to Duryodhana of his own accord.\nremembering his former quarrel, had said unto him that he would slay\nBhima in battle. The Kuru king had regarded Bhima's slaughter to be\ncertain, and had believed that his brothers would all be long-lived.\nBeholding that Alayudha slain by Bhimasena's son, the king regarded\nBhima's vow (about the slaughter of himself and his brothers) already\nfulfilled.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXIX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having slain Alayudha, the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha became\nfilled with delight. Standing at the head of the army he began to utter\ndiverse kinds of shouts. Hearing those loud roars of his that made\nelephants tremble, a great fear, O monarch, entered into the hearts of\nthy warriors. Beholding the mighty son of Bhimasena engaged with\nAlayudha, the mighty-armed Karna rushed against the Panchalas. He pierced\nDhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin, each with ten strong and straight shafts\nsped from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. With a number of other\npowerful shafts, the Suta's son then caused Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas,\nand the great car-warrior Satyaki to tremble. The bows of those warriors\nalso, O king, while they were engaged in striking Karna from all sides,\nwere seen to be drawn into circles. On that night, the twang of their\nbow-strings and the rattle of their car-wheels (mingling together),\nbecame loud and deep as the roar of the clouds at the close of summer.\nThe nocturnal battle, O monarch, resembled a gathering mass of clouds.\nThe twang of bow-string and the rattle of car-wheels constituted its\nroar. The bows (of warriors) constituted its lightning flashes; and\nshowers of shafts formed its downpour of rain. Standing immovable like a\nhill and possessed of the strength of a prince of mountains, that grinder\nof foes, viz., Vikartana's son, Karna, O king, destroyed that wonderful\nshower of arrows shot at him. Devoted to the good of thy sons, the\nhigh-souled Vaikartana, in the battle, began to strike his foes with\nlances endued with the force of thunder, and with whetted shafts,\nequipped with beautiful wings of gold. Soon the standards of some were\nbroken and cut down by Karna, and the bodies of others pierced and\nmangled by him with keen arrows; and soon some were deprived of drivers,\nand some of their steeds. Exceedingly afflicted by the Suta's son in that\nbattle, many of them entered the force of Yudhishthira. Beholding them\nbroken and compelled to retreat, Ghatotkacha became mad with rage.\nMounted on that excellent car of his that was decked with gold and\njewels, he uttered a leonine roar and approaching Vikartana's son, Karna,\npierced him with shafts endued with the force of thunder. Both of them\nbegan to cover the welkin with barbed arrows, and cloth-yard shafts, and\nfrog-faced arrows, and Nalikas and Dandas and Asanis and arrows bearing\nheads like the calf's tooth or the boar's ear, and broad-headed shafts,\nand shafts pointed like horns, and others bearing heads like razors. The\nwelkin, covered with that arrowy shower, looked, in consequence of those\ngold-winged shafts of blazing splendour coursing horizontally through it,\nas if hung with garland of beautiful flowers. Each endued with prowess\nequal to that of the other, they struck each other equally with powerful\nweapons. None could, in that battle, find any mark of superiority in\neither of those excellent heroes. Indeed, that battle between the son of\nSurya and Bhima's son, characterised by a thick and heavy shower of\nweapons, looked exceedingly beautiful and presented almost an unrivalled\nsight like the fierce encounter between Rahu and Surya in the welkin.'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'When Ghatotkacha, O king, that foremost of all\npersons conversant with weapons, found that he could not prevail over\nKarna, he invoked into existence a fierce and mighty weapon. With that\nweapon, the Rakshasa first slew the steeds of Karna and then the latter's\ndriver. Having achieved that feat, Hidimva's son quickly made himself\ninvisible.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'When the Rakshasa fighting by deceitful means thus\ndisappeared, tell me, O Sanjaya, what the warriors of my army thought.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Seeing the Rakshasa disappear, all the Kauravas loudly\nsaid, \"Appearing next, the Rakshasa, fighting deceitfully, will certainly\nslay Karna.\" Then Karna, endued with wonderful lightness in the use of\nweapons, covered all sides with showers of shafts. The welkin being\ncovered with the darkness caused by that thick arrowy shower, all\ncreatures became invisible. So great was the lightness of hand displayed\nby the Suta's son, that none could mark when he touched his quivers with\nhis fingers, when he fixed his arrows on the bowstring, and when he aimed\nand sped them off. The entire welkin seemed to be shrouded with his\narrows. Then a fierce and terrible illusion was invoked into existence by\nthe Rakshas in the welkin. We beheld in the sky what appeared to us to be\na mass of red clouds resembling the fierce flame of a blazing fire. From\nthat cloud issued flashes of lightning, and many blazing brands, O Kuru\nking! And tremendous roars also issued therefrom, like the noise of\nthousands of drums beat at once. And from it fell many shafts winged with\ngold, and darts, lances and heavy clubs, and other similar weapons, and\nbattle-axes, and scimitars washed with oil, and axes of blazing edges,\nand spears, and spiked maces emitting shining rays, and beautiful maces\nof iron, and long darts of keen points, and heavy maces decked with gold\nand twined round with string's, and Sataghnis, all around. And large\nrocks fell from it, and thousands of thunderbolts with loud report, and\nmany hundreds of wheels and razors of the splendour of fire. Karna\nshooting showers of shafts, failed to destroy that thick and blazing\ndownpour of darts and lances and clubs. Loud became the uproar then of\nfalling steeds slain by those shafts, and mighty elephants struck with\nthunder, and great car-warriors deprived of life by other weapons.\nAfflicted by Ghatotkacha with that terrible shower of arrows all around,\nthat host of Duryodhana was seen to wander in great pain over the field.\nWith cries of Oh and Alas, and exceedingly cheerless, that wandering host\nseemed on the point of being annihilated. The leaders, however, in\nconsequence of the nobility of their hearts, fled not away with faces\nturned from the field. Beholding that exceedingly frightful and awful\nshower of mighty weapons, caused by the Rakshasa's illusion, falling upon\nthe field, and seeing their vast army incessantly slaughtered, thy sons\nbecame inspired with great fear. Hundreds of jackals with tongues blazing\nlike fire and terrible yells, began to cry. And, O king, the (Kaurava)\nwarriors beholding the yelling Rakshasas, became exceedingly distressed.\nThose terrible Rakshasas with fiery tongues and blazing mouths and sharp\nteeth, and with forms huge as hills, stationed in the welkin, with darts\nin grasp looked like clouds pouring torrents of rain. Struck and crushed\nwith those fierce shafts and darts and lances and maces and spiked clubs\nof blazing splendour, and thunder-bolts and Pinakas and Asanis and discs\nand Sataghnis, the (Kaurava) troops began to fall down. The Rakshasas\nbegan to pour upon the warriors of thy son long darts, and treacle and\nSataghnis, and Sthunas made of black iron and twined with strings of\njute. Then all the combatants became stunned. Brave warriors, with\nweapons broken or loosened from their grasp, or deprived of heads, or\nwith fractured limbs began to fall down on the field. And in consequence\nof the falling rocks, steeds and elephants and cars began to be crushed.\nThose Yatudhanas of terrible forms created by Ghatotkacha with the aid of\nhis powers of illusion pouring that thick shower of mighty weapons spared\nneither those that were terrified nor those that begged for quarter.\nDuring that cruel carnage of Kuru heroes, brought on by Death himself,\nduring that extermination of Kshatriyas the Kaurava warriors suddenly\nbroke and fled with speed, crying aloud, \"Fly, ye Kauravas! All is lost!\nThe gods Indra at their head are slaying us for the sake of the\nPandavas!\" At that time there was none that could rescue the sinking\nBharata troops. During that fierce uproar and rout and extermination of\nthe Kauravas, the camps losing their distinctive features, the parties\ncould not be distinguished from each other. Indeed, during that terrible\nrout in which the soldiers showed no regard for one another, every side\nof the field, when looked at, seemed to be empty. Only Karna, O king,\ncould be seen there, drowned in that shower of weapons. Then Karna\ncovered the welkin with his shafts, contending with that celestial\nillusion of the Rakshasa. The Suta's son, endued with modesty and\nachieving the most difficult and noble feats, did not lose his senses in\nthat battle. Then, O king, all the Saindhavas and Valhikas affrightedly\nlooked at Karna who kept his senses in that fight. And they all\nworshipped him, while they looked at the triumph of the Rakshasa. Then a\nSataghni equipped with wheels, hurled by Ghatotkacha, slew the four\nsteeds of Karna simultaneously. These dropped down on the ground, on\ntheir knees, deprived of life, teeth, eyes, and tongues. Then jumping\ndown from his steedless car and seeing the Kauravas flying away, and\nbeholding his own celestial weapon baffled by the Rakshasa illusion,\nKarna, without losing his senses, turned his mind inwards and began to\nreflect on what he should next do. At that time all the Kauravas,\nbeholding Karna and that terrible illusion (of the Rakshasa) cried out\nsaying, \"O Karna, slay the Rakshasa soon with thy dart. These Kauravas\nand the Dhartarashtras are on the point of being annihilated. What will\nBhima and Arjuna do to us? Slay this wretched Rakshasa at dead of night,\nwho is consuming us all. They that will escape from this dreadful\nencounter to-day will fight with the Parthas in battle. Therefore, slay\nthis terrible Rakshas now with that dart given thee by Vasava. O Karna,\nlet not these great warriors, the Kauravas, these princes that resemble\nIndra himself, be all destroyed in this nocturnal battle.\" Then Karna,\nseeing the Rakshasa alive at dead of night, and the Kuru army struck with\nfear, and hearing also the loud wails of the latter set his heart upon\nhurling his dart. Inflamed with rage like a wrathful lion and unable to\nbrook the assaults of the Rakshasa, Karna took up that foremost of\nvictory-giving and invincible darts, desirous of compassing the\ndestruction of Ghatotkacha. Indeed, that dart, O king, which he had kept\nand adored for years for (achieving) the slaughter of Pandu's son in\nbattle, that foremost of darts which Sakra himself had given to the\nSuta's son in exchange for the latter's ear-rings, that blazing and\nterrible missile twined with strings and which seemed to thirst for\nblood, that fierce weapon which looked like the very tongue of the\nDestroyer or the sister of Death himself, that terrible and effulgent\ndart, Naikartana, was now hurled at the Rakshasa. Beholding that\nexcellent and blazing weapon capable of piercing the body of every foe,\nin the hands of the Suta's son, the Rakshasa began to fly away in fear\nassuming a body gigantic as the foot of the Vindhya mountains. Indeed,\nseeing that dart in Karna's hand, all creatures in the sky, O king,\nuttered loud cries. Fierce winds began to blow, and thunders with loud\nreport began to fall on the earth. Destroying that blazing illusion of\nGhatotkacha and piercing right through his breast that resplendent dart\nsoared aloft in the night and entered a starry constellation in the\nfirmament. Having fought, using diverse beautiful weapons, with many\nheroic Rakshasa and human warriors, Ghatotkacha, then uttering diverse\nterrible roars, fell, deprived of life with that dart of Sakra. This also\nis another exceedingly wonderful feat that the Rakshasa accomplished for\nthe destruction of his foes, that at a time when his heart was pierced by\nthat dart, he shone resplendent, O king, like a mighty mountain or a mass\nof clouds. Indeed, having assumed that terrible and awful form,\nBhimasena's son of frightful deeds fell down. When dying, O king, he fell\nupon a portion of thy army and pressed those troops down by the weight of\nhis own body. Quickly falling down, the Rakshasa with his gigantic and\nstill increasing body, desirous of benefiting the Pandavas, slew a full\nAkshauhini of thy troops while he himself breathed his last. Then a loud\nuproar arose there made up of leonine shouts and blare of conchs and the\nbeat of drums and cymbals. The Kauravas indeed, beholding the illusion of\nthe Rakshasa destroyed and the Rakshasa himself slain uttered loud shouts\nof joy. Then Karna, worshipped by the Kurus as Sakra had been by the\nMaruts upon the slaughter of Vritra, ascended behind the car of thy son,\nand becoming the observed of all, entered the Kuru host.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXX\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Hidimva's son slain and lying like a riven\nmountain, all the Pandavas became filled with grief and began to shed\ncopious tears. Only Vasudeva filled with transports of delight, began to\nutter leonine shouts, grieving the Pandavas. Indeed, uttering loud shouts\nhe embraced Arjuna. Tying the steeds and uttering loud roars, he began to\ndance in a transport of joy, like a tree shaken by a tempest. Then\nembracing Arjuna once more, and repeatedly slapping his own armpits,\nAchyuta endued with great intelligence once more began to shout, standing\non the terrace of the car. Beholding those tokens of delight that Kesava\nmanifested, Dhananjaya, O king, with heart in grief, addressed him,\nsaying, \"O slayer of Madhu, thou showest great joy at a time scarcely fit\nfor it, indeed on an occasion for sorrow caused by the death of Hidimva's\nson. Our troops are flying away, beholding Ghatotkacha slain. We also are\nfilled with anxiety in consequence of the fall of Hidimva's son. O\nJanardana, the cause must be very grave when at such a time thou feelest\nsuch joy. Therefore, O foremost of truthful men, asked by me, tell me\ntruly (what that cause is). Indeed, if it be not a secret, it behoveth\nthee, O chastiser of foes, to say it unto me. O slayer of Madhu, tell me\nwhat has removed thy gravity today. This act of thine, O Janardana, this\nlightness of heart, seems to me like the drying up of the ocean or the\nlocomotion of Meru.\"'\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"Great is the joy I feel. Listen to me, Dhananjaya! This\nthat I will tell thee will immediately dispel thy sorrow and infuse\ndelight into thy heart. O thou of great splendour, know, O Dhananjaya,\nthat Karna, his dart being baffled through Ghatotkacha, is already slain\nin battle. The man does not exist in this world that could not stay\nbefore Karna armed with that dart and looking like Kartikeya in battle.\nBy good luck, his (natural) armour had been taken away. By good luck, his\nearrings also had been taken away. By good luck, his infallible dart also\nis now baffled, through Ghatotkacha. Clad in (natural) coat of mail and\ndecked with his (natural) ear-rings, Karna, who had his senses under\ncontrol, could singly vanquish the three worlds with the very gods.\nNeither Vasava, nor Varuna the lord of the waters, nor Yama, could\nventure to approach him. Indeed, if that bull among men had his armour\nand ear-rings, neither thyself, bending the Gandiva, nor myself,\nuplifting my discus, called Sudarsana, could vanquish him in battle. For\nthy good, Karna was divested of his ear-rings by Sakra with the help of\nan illusion. Similarly was that subjugator of hostile towns deprived of\nhis (natural) armour. Indeed, because Karna, cutting off his (natural)\narmour and his brilliant ear-rings, gave them unto Sakra, it is for that\nhe came to be called Vaikartana. Karna now seems to me to be like an\nangry snake of virulent poison stupefied by power of incantation, or like\na fire of mild flames. From that time, O mighty-armed one, when the\nhigh-souled Sakra gave that dart unto Karna in exchange for the latter's\near-rings, and celestial armour, that dart, viz., which has slain\nGhatotkacha, from that time, Vrisha, having obtained it, had always\nregarded thee as slain in battle! But though deprived of that dart, O\nsinless one, I swear to thee that hero is still incapable of being slain\nby anybody else save thee. Devoted to Brahmanas, truthful in speech,\nengaged in penances, observant of vows, kind even unto foes, for these\nreasons Karna is called Vrisha. Heroic in battle, possessed of mighty\narms and with bow always uplifted, like the lion in the forest depriving\nleaders of elephantine herds of their pride, Karna always deprives the\ngreatest car-warriors of their pride on the field of battle, and\nresembles the mid-day sun at whom none can gaze. Contending with all the\nillustrious and foremost of warriors of thy army, O tiger among men,\nKarna, while shooting his arrowy showers, looked like the autumnal sun\nwith his thousand rays. Indeed, incessantly shooting showers of shafts\nlike the clouds pouring torrents of rain at the end of summer, Karna is\nlike a pouring cloud charged with celestial weapons. He is incapable of\nbeing vanquished in battle by the gods, he would mangle them in such a\nway that their flesh and blood would fall copiously on the field.\nDeprived, however, of his armour as also of his car-rings, O son of\nPandu, and divested also of the dart given him by Vasava, Karna is now\nlike a man (and no longer like a god). There will occur one opportunity\nfor his slaughter. When his car-wheels will sink in the earth, availing\nthyself of that opportunity, thou shouldst slay him in that distressful\nsituation. I will make thee a sign beforehand. Warned by it, thou\nshouldst act. The vanquisher of Vala himself, that foremost of heroes,\nwielding his thunder, is incapable of slaying the invincible Karna while\nthe latter stands weapon in hand. Indeed, O Arjuna, for thy good, with\nthe aid of diverse contrivances I have slain, one after another,\nJarasandha and the illustrious ruler of the Chedis and the mighty-armed\nNishada of the name of Ekalavya. Other great Rakshasas having Hidimva and\nKirmira and Vaka for their foremost, as also Alayudha, that grinder of\nhostile troops, and Ghatotkacha, that crusher of foes and warrior of\nfierce deeds, have all been slain.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXI\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"How, O Janardana, for our good, and by what means, were\nthose lords of the earth, viz., Jarasandha and the others, slain?\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"If Jarasandha, and the ruler of the Chedis, and the\nmighty son of the Nishada king, had not been slain, they would have\nbecome terrible. Without doubt, Duryodhana would have chosen those\nforemost of car-warriors (for embracing his side). They had always been\nhostile to us, and, accordingly, they would all have adopted the side of\nthe Kauravas. All of them were heroes and mighty bowmen accomplished in\nweapons and firm in battle. Like the celestials (in prowess), they would\nhave protected Dhritarashtra's sons. Indeed, the Suta's son, and\nJarasandha, and the ruler of the Chedis, and the son of the Nishada\nadopting the son of Suyodhana, would have succeeded in conquering the\nwhole earth. Listen, O Dhananjaya, by what means they were slain. Indeed,\nwithout the employment of means, the very gods could not have conquered\nthem in battle. Each of them, O Partha, could fight in battle with the\nwhole celestial host protected by the Regents of the world. (On one\noccasion), assailed by Valadeva, Jarasandha, excited with wrath, hurled\nfor our destruction a mace capable of slaying all creatures. Endued with\nthe splendour of fire, that mace coursed towards us dividing the welkin\nlike the line on the head that parts the tresses of a woman, and with the\nimpetuosity of the thunder hurled by Sakra. Beholding that mace thus\ncoursing towards us the son of Rohini hurled the weapon called\nSthunakarna for baffling it. Its force destroyed by the energy of\nValadeva's weapon, that mace fell down on the earth, splitting her (with\nits might) and making the very mountains tremble. There was a terrible\nRakshasa of the name Jara, endued with great prowess. She, O prince, had\nunited that slayer of foes, and, therefore, was the latter called\nJarasandha. Jarasandha had been made up of two halves of one child. And\nbecause it was Jara that had united those two halves, it was for this\nthat he came to be called Jarasandha.[237] That Rakshasa woman, O Partha,\nwho was there within the earth, was slain with her son and kinsmen by\nmeans of that mace and the weapon of Sthunakarna. Deprived of his mace in\nthat great battle, Jarasandha was afterwards slain by Bhimasena in thy\npresence, O Dhananjaya.[238] If the valiant Jarasandha had stood armed\nwith his mace, the very gods with Indra at their head could not have\nslain him in battle. O best of men! for thy good, the Nishada's son also,\nof prowess incapable of being baffled, was, by an act of guile, deprived\nof his thumb by Drona, assuming the position of his preceptor. Proud and\nendued with steady prowess, the Nishada's son, with fingers cased in\nleathern gloves, looked resplendent like a second Rama. Undeprived of\nthumb, Ekalavya, O Partha, was incapable of being vanquished in battle by\nthe gods, the Danavas, the Rakshasas, and the Uragas (together). Of firm\ngrasp, accomplished in weapons, and capable of shooting incessantly day\nand night, he was incapable of being looked at by mere men. For thy good,\nhe was slain by me on the field of battle. Endued with great prowess, the\nruler of the Chedis was slain by me before thy eyes. He also was\nincapable of being vanquished in battle by the gods and the Asuras\ntogether. I was born to slay him as also the other enemies of the gods,\nwith thy assistance, O tiger among men, from desire of benefiting the\nworld. Hidimva and Vaka and Kirmira have all been slain by Bhimasena. All\nthose Rakshasas were endued with might equal to that Ravana and all of\nthem were destroyers of Brahmanas and sacrifices. Similarly, Alayudha,\npossessed of large powers of illusion, had been slain by Hidimva's son.\nHidimva's son also, I have slain by the employment of means, viz.,\nthrough Karna with his dart. If Karna had not slain him with his dart in\ngreat battle, I myself would have had to slay Bhima's son Ghatotkacha.\nFrom desire of benefiting you, I did not slay him before. That Rakshasa\nwas inimical to Brahmanas and sacrifices. Because he was a destroyer of\nsacrifices and of a sinful soul, therefore hath he been thus slain. O\nsinless one, by that act as a means, the dart given by Sakra, hath also\nbeen rendered futile. O son of Pandu, they that are destroyers of\nrighteousness are all slayable by me. Even that is the vow made by me,\nfor establishing righteousness. Whither the Vedas and truth and\nself-restraint and purity and righteousness and modesty and prosperity\nand wisdom and forgiveness are always to be met with, thither I myself\nalways remain. Thou needst not be at all anxious about Karna's slaughter.\nI will tell you the means by which you will slay him. Vrikodara also will\nsucceed in slaying Suyodhana. I will tell thee, O son of Pandu, the means\nby which that will have to be compassed. Meanwhile, the uproar made by\nthe hostile army is increasing. Thy troops also are flying away on all\nsides. Having achieved their objects, the Kauravas are destroying thy\nhost. Indeed, Drona, that foremost of all smiters, is scorching us in\nbattle.\"'\"\n\n\n\n SECTION CLXXXII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'When the Suta's son had such a dart as was sure to\nslay one person, why did he not hurl it at Partha, to the exclusion of\nall others? Upon Partha's slaughter by means of that dart, all the\nSrinjayas and the Pandavas would have been slain. Indeed, upon Phalguna's\ndeath, why should not the victory have been ours? Arjuna has made a vow\nto the effect that summoned to battle he would never refuse to accept the\nchallenge. The Suta's son should have, therefore, summoned Phalguna to\nbattle. Tell me, O Sanjaya, why did not Vrisha then engaging Phalguna in\nsingle combat, slay the latter with that dart given him by Sakra? Without\ndoubt, my son is destitute of both intelligence and counsellors. That\nsinful wretch is constantly baffled by the foe. How should he then\nsucceed in vanquishing his enemies? Indeed, that dart which was such a\nmighty weapon and upon which rested his victory, alas, that dart, hath,\nby Vasudeva, been made fruitless through Ghatotkacha. Indeed, it hath\nbeen snatched from Karna, like a fruit from the hand of a cripple, with a\nwithered arm, by a strong person. Even so hath that fatal dart been\nrendered fruitless through Ghatotkacha. As in a fight between a boar and\na dog, upon the death of either, the hunter is the party profited. I\nthink, O learned one, that even so was Vasudeva the party to profit by\nthe battle between Karna and Hidimva's son. If Ghatotkacha had slain\nKarna in battle, that would have been a great gain for the Pandavas. If,\non the other hand, Karna had slain Ghatotkacha, that too would have been\na great gain to them in consequence of the loss of Karna's dart. Endued\nwith great wisdom, that lion among men, viz., Vasudeva, reflecting in\nthis way, and for doing what was agreeable to and good for the Pandavas,\ncaused Ghatotkacha to be slain by Karna in battle.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Knowing the feat that Karna desired to achieve, the\nslayer of Madhu, the mighty-armed Janardana, O king, commanded the prince\nof the Rakshasas, Ghatotkacha of mighty energy, to engage in single\ncombat with Karna for rendering, O monarch, the latter's fatal dart\nfruitless. All this, O king, is the result of thy evil policy! We would\ncertainly have achieved success, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, if Krishna\nhad not (thus) rescued the mighty car-warrior Partha from Karna's hands.\nIndeed, Partha would have been destroyed with his steeds, standard, and\ncar, in battle, O Dhritarashtra, if that master, that lord of Yogins,\nviz., Janardana had not saved him. Protected by diverse means, O king,\nand well-aided by Krishna, Partha approaching his foes, vanquished that\nfatal dart, otherwise that weapon would have quickly destroyed the son of\nKunti like the lightning destroying a tree.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'My son is fond of quarrel. His advisers are\nfoolish. He is vain of his wisdom. It is for that, that this certain\nmeans of Arjuna's death hath been baffled. Why, O Suta, did not\nDuryodhana, or that foremost of all wielders, viz., Karna, possessed of\ngreat intelligence, hurl that fatal dart at Dhananjaya? Why, O son of\nGavalgana, didst thou too forget this great object, possessed as thou art\nof great wisdom, or why didst not thou remind Karna of it?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Indeed, O king, every night this formed the subject of\ndeliberation with Duryodhana and Sakuni and myself and Duhsasana. And we\nsaid unto Karna, \"Excluding all other warriors, O Karna, slay Dhananjaya.\nWe would then lord it over the Pandu's and the Panchalas as if these were\nour slaves. Or, if upon Partha's fall, he of Vrishni's race appoints\nanother amongst the sons of Pandu (in this place for carrying on the\nfight), let Krishna himself be slain. Krishna is the root of the\nPandavas, and Partha is like their risen trunk. The other sons of Pritha\nare like their branches, while the Panchalas may be called their leaves.\nThe Pandavas have Krishna for their refuge, Krishna for their might,\nKrishna for their leader. Indeed, Krishna is their central support even\nas the moon is of the constellations. Therefore, O Suta's son, avoiding\nthe leaves and branches and trunk, slay that Krishna who is everywhere\nand always the root of the Pandavas. Indeed, if Karna had slain him of\nDasarha's race, viz., that delighter of the Yadavas, the whole earth, O\nking, would, without doubt, have come under thy control. Truly, O\nmonarch, if that illustrious one, that delighter of both the Yadavas and\nthe Pandavas, could be made to lie down on the earth, deprived of life,\nthen certainly, O monarch, the entire earth with the mountains and\nforests would have owned thy supremacy.\" We rose every morning, having\nformed such a resolution in respect of that Lord of the very gods, viz.,\nHrishikesa of immeasurable energy. At the time of battle, however, we\nforget our resolution. Kesava always protected Arjuna, the son of Kunti.\nHe never placed Arjuna before the Suta's son in battle. Indeed, Achyuta\nalways placed other foremost of car-warriors before Karna, thinking how\nthat fatal dart of ours might be made fruitless by ourselves, O lord!\nWhen, again, the high-souled Krishna protected Partha in this manner from\nKarna, why, O monarch, would not that foremost of beings protect his own\nself? Reflecting well, I see that there is no person in the three worlds\nwho is able to vanquish that chastiser of foes, viz., Janardana, that\nhero bearing the discus in hand.'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'That tiger among car-warriors, viz., Satyaki of\nprowess incapable of being baffled, asked the mighty-armed Krishna about\nthe great car-warrior, Karna, saying, \"O Janardana, even this had been\nKarna's firm resolution, viz., that he would hurl that dart of\nimmeasurable energy at Phalguna. Why, however, did not the Suta's son\nactually hurl it then at him?\"\n\n\"'Vasudeva said, \"Duhsasana and Karna and Sakuni and the ruler of the\nSindhus, with Duryodhana at their head, had frequently debated on this\nsubject. Addressing Karna, they used to say, 'O Karna. O great bowman, O\nthou of immeasurable prowess in battle, O foremost of all victors, this\ndart should not be hurled at any one else than that great car-warrior,\nviz., Kunti's son, Partha or Dhananjaya. He is the most celebrated\namongst them, like Vasava amongst the gods. He being slain, all the other\nPandavas with the Srinjayas will be heartless like fireless\ncelestials![239]' Karna having assented to this, saying 'So be it' (the\ndesire of) slaughtering the wielder of Gandiva, O bull amongst the Sinis,\nwas ever present in Karna's heart. I, however, O foremost of warriors,\nalways used to stupefy the son of Radha. It was for this that he did not\nhurl the dart at Pandu's son, owning white steeds. As long as I could not\nbaffle that means of Phalguna's death, I had neither sleep, nor joy in my\nheart, O foremost of warriors! Beholding that dart, therefore, rendered\nfutile through Ghatotkacha, O bull amongst the Sinis, I regarded\nDhananjaya today to have been rescued from within the jaws of Death. I do\nnot regard my sire, my mother, yourselves, my brothers, ay, my very life,\nso worthy of protection as Vibhatsu in battle. If there be anything more\nprecious than the sovereignty of the three worlds, I do not, O Satwata,\ndesire (to enjoy) it without Pritha's son, Dhananjaya (to share it with\nme). Beholding Dhananjaya, therefore, like one returned from the dead,\nthese transports of delight, O Yuyudhana, have been mine. It was for this\nthat I had despatched the Rakshasa unto Karna for battle. None else was\ncapable of withstanding, in the night, Karna in battle.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Even thus did Devaki's son who is ever devoted to\nDhananjaya's good and to what is agreeable to him, speak unto Satyaki on\nthat occasion.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXIII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'I see, O sire, that this act of Karna and\nDuryodhana and Suvala's son, Sakuni, and of thyself, in especial, hath\nbeen very much against the dictates of policy. Indeed, when you knew that\ndart could always slay one person in battle, and that it was incapable of\nbeing either borne or baffled by the very gods with Vasava at their head,\nwhy then, O Sanjaya, was it not hurled by Karna at Devaki's son, or\nPhalguna, while he was engaged with this in battle before?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Returning from battle every day, O monarch, all of us, O\nforemost one of Kuru's race, used to debate in the night and say unto\nKarna, \"Tomorrow morning, O Karna, this dart should be hurled at either\nKesava or Arjuna.\" When, however, the morning came, O king, through\ndestiny, both Karna and the other warriors forgot that resolution. I\nthink destiny to be supreme, since Karna, with that dart in his hands,\ndid not slay in battle either Partha or Devaki's son, Krishna. Indeed,\nbecause his understanding was afflicted by destiny itself, it is for this\nthat he did not, stupefied by the illusion of the gods, hurl that fatal\ndart of Vasava, though he had it in his hand, at Devaki's son, Krishna\nfor his destruction or at Partha endued with prowess like Indra's, O\nlord!'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Ye are destroyed by destiny, by your own\nunderstanding, and by Kesava. Vasava's dart is lost, having effected the\nslaughter of Ghatotkacha who was as insignificant as straw. Karna, and my\nsons, as all the other kings, through his highly impolitic act, have\nalready entered the abode of Yama. Tell me now how the battle once more\nraged between the Kurus and the Pandavas after the fall of Hidimva's son.\nHow did they that rushed against Drona, arrayed in order of battle and\nwell-skilled in smiting, viz., the Srinjaya and the Panchalas, fight?\nHow, indeed, did the Pandus and Srinjaya withstand the smiting Drona,\nwhen the latter proceeding against them, penetrated into their host,\nexcited with wrath at the slaughter of Bhurisravas and Jayadratha,\nreckless of his very life, and resembling a yawning tiger or the\nDestroyer himself with wide open mouth? What also did they do in battle,\nO sire, viz., Drona's son and Karna and Kripa and others headed by\nDuryodhana that protected the preceptor? Tell me, O Sanjaya, how my\nwarriors in that battle covered with their shafts Dhananjaya and\nVrikodara who were solicitous of slaying Bharadwaja's son. How, indeed,\ndid these excited with wrath at the death of the ruler of the Sindhus,\nand those at the death of Ghatotkacha, each side unable to brook their\nloss, fight that nocturnal battle?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Upon the slaughter, that night, O king, of the Rakshasa,\nGhatotkacha, by Karna, thy troops, filled with joy, uttered loud shouts.\nIn that dark hour of the night, they fell impetuously upon the Pandava\ntroops and began to slay them. Seeing all this, king Yudhishthira became\nexceedingly cheerless, O chastiser of foes. The mighty-armed son of\nPandu, then addressed Bhimasena and said, \"O thou of mighty arms, resist\nthe Dhritarashtra host. In consequence of the slaughter of Hidimva's son,\na great stupefaction overwhelms me.\" Having ordered Bhimasena thus, he sat\ndown on his car. With tearful face and sighing repeatedly, the king\nbecame exceedingly cheerless at the sight of Karna's prowess. Beholding\nhim so afflicted, Krishna said these words, \"O son of Kunti, let not such\ngrief be thine. Such cheerlessness does not become thee, O chief of the\nBharatas, as it does an ordinary person. Rise, O king, and fight. Bear\nthe heavy burden, O lord! If cheerlessness overtakes thee, our victory\nbecomes uncertain.\" Hearing these words of Krishna, Dharma's son,\nYudhishthira, wiping his eyes with his hands, replied unto Krishna,\nsaying, \"O thou of mighty arms, the excellent path of duty is not unknown\nto me. The dire consequences of a Brahmana's slaughter are his that\nforgets the services he receives at other's hands. Whilst we were living\nin the woods the high-souled son of Hidimva, although then a mere child\ndid us many services, O Janardana! Learning that Partha, having white\nsteeds, had departed for the acquisition of weapons, that great bowman\n(viz., Ghatotkacha), O Krishna, came to me at Kamyaka. He dwelt with us\ntill Dhananjaya's reappearance. Whilst proceeding over many inaccessible\nfastnesses, he himself carried on his back the tired princess of\nPanchala. The feats he achieved, O lord, show that he was skilled in all\nmodes of warfare. Indeed, that high-souled one accomplished many\ndifficult feats for my benefit. My affection for Ghatotkacha, that prince\nof the Rakshasas is twice that, O Janardana, which I naturally bear\ntowards Sahadeva. That mighty-armed one was devoted to me. I was dear to\nhim and he was dear to me. It is for this that, scorched by grief, O thou\nof Vrishni's race, I have become so cheerless. Behold, O thou of\nVrishni's race, our troops afflicted and routed by the Kauravas. Behold,\nthose mighty car-warriors, viz., Drona and Karna, are contending\nearnestly in battle. Behold, the Pandava host crushed at dead of night,\nlike an extensive forest of heath by a couple of infuriated elephants.\nDisregarding the might of Bhimasena's son, as also the variety of weapon\nthat Partha bears, the Kauravas are putting forth their prowess. Yonder,\nDrona and Karna and king Suyodhana, having slain the Rakshasa in battle,\nare uttering loud roars. How, O Janardana, when we are alive and thyself\ntoo, could Hidimva's son be slain while engaged with the Suta's son?\nHaving caused a great slaughter amongst us, and in the very sight of\nSavyasachin, Karna, O Krishna, hath slain Bhimasena's son of great\nstrength, the Rakshasa, Ghatotkacha. When Abhimanyu was slain by the\nwicked Dhartarashtras, the mighty car-warrior Savyasachin, O Krishna, was\nnot present in that battle. We also were all held in check by the\nillustrious ruler of the Sindhus. Drona, with his son (Aswatthaman),\nbecame the cause of that act. The preceptor himself told Karna the means\nof Abhimanyu's slaughter. While Abhimanyu was battling with the sword it\nwas the preceptor himself that cut off that weapon. And while fallen into\nsuch distress, Kritavarman most cruelly slew the steeds and the two\nParshni drivers (of the boy). Other great bowmen then despatched the son\nof Subhadra. For a little offence, O Krishna, was the ruler of the\nSindhus slain by the wielder of Gandiva. O foremost one among the\nYadavas, that act did not give me great joy. If the slaughter of foes is\njust and should be achieved by the Pandavas, then Drona and Karna should\nhave been slain before this. This is what I think. O bull among men,\nthose two are the root of our woes. Obtaining those two (as his allies)\nin battle, Suyodhana has become confident. Indeed, when it was Drona that\nshould have been slain or the Suta's son with his followers, the\nmighty-armed Dhananjaya slew the Sindhu king whose connection with the\naffair was very remote. The punishment of the Suta's son should certainly\nby undertaken by me. I shall, therefore, O hero, now fight for slaying\nthe Suta's son. The mighty-armed Bhimasena is now engaged with Drona's\ndivision.\" Having said these words, Yudhishthira quickly proceeded\nagainst Karna, holding his formidable bow and blowing his conch fiercely.\nThen, surrounded by a Panchala and Prabhadraka force of a thousand cars,\nthree hundred elephants and five thousand horses, Sikhandin\nspeedily followed in the wake of the king. Then the mail-clad\nPanchalas and the Pandavas headed by Yudhishthira beat their drums and\nblew their conchs. At this time Vasudeva of mighty arms, addressing\nDhananjaya said, \"Filled with wrath, yonder proceedeth Yudhishthira with\ngreat speed from desire of slaying the Suta's son. It is not proper that\nthou shouldst rely upon him in this.\" Having said these words, Hrishikesa\nquickly urged the steeds. Indeed, Janardana followed in the wake of the\nking who was now at a distance. At that time, seeing Dharma's son,\nYudhishthira, whose mind was afflicted by grief and who seemed to be\nscorched as if by fire, rush with speed from desire of slaying the Suta's\nson, Vyasa approached him and said these words.'[240]\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"By good luck, Phalguna liveth still although he had\nencountered Karna in battle. Indeed, Karna had kept his dart, desirous of\nslaying Savyasachin, O bull of Bharata's race, by good luck Jishnu did\nnot engage in single combat with Karna. Each of them in that case\nchallenging the other, would have shot his celestial weapons on all\nsides. The weapons of the Suta's son would have been destroyed by Arjuna.\nThe former then afflicted by the latter, would certainly have hurled\nIndra's dart in that battle. O Yudhishthira! O foremost one of Bharata's\nrace, (if this had come to pass), then great would have been thy grief. O\ngiver of honours, by good luck the Rakshasa hath been slain in battle by\nthe Suta's son. Indeed, Ghatotkacha hath been slain by death himself\nmaking the dart of Vasava an instrument only. For thy good it is, O sire,\nthat the Rakshasa hath been slain in battle. Do not yield to anger, O\nforemost one of Bharata's race, and do not set thy heart on grief. O\nYudhishthira, this is the end of all creatures in this world. Uniting\nwith thy brothers and all the illustrious kings (of the host), fight with\nthe Kauravas in battle, O Bharata! On the fifth day from this, the earth\nwill be thine. O tiger among men, always think of virtue. With a cheerful\nheart, O son of Pandu, practise kindness (to all creatures), penances,\ncharity, forgiveness, and truth. Victory is there where righteousness is.\"\nHaving said these words unto the son of Pandu, Vyasa made himself\ninvisible there and then.'\"[241]\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXIV\n\n(Drona-vadha Parva)\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Thus addressed by Vyasa, the heroic king Yudhishthira the\njust refrained, O bull of Bharata's race, from himself seeking to slay\nKarna. In consequence, however of the slaughter of Ghatotkacha by the\nSuta's son that night, the king became filled with grief and anger.\nBeholding thy vast host held in check by Bhima, Yudhishthira, addressing\nDhrishtadyumna, said, \"Resist the Pot-born! O scorcher of foes, thou\nhadst, clad in mail, and armed with bow and arrows and scimitar, sprung\nfrom fire, for the destruction of Drona! Cheerfully rush thou to battle,\nthou needst have no fear. Let also Janamejaya and Sikhandin and\nDurmukha's son and Yasodhara, rush in wrath against the Pot-born on every\nside. Let Nakula and Sahadeva and the sons of Draupadi and the\nPrabhadrakas, and Drupada and Virata with their sons and brothers, and\nSatyaki and the Kaikeyas and the Pandavas and Dhananjaya, rush with speed\nagainst Bharadwaja's son, from desire of slaying him. Let also all our\ncar-warriors and all the elephants and horses we have, and all our\nfoot-soldiers, overthrow the mighty car-warrior Drona in battle.\" Thus\nordered by the illustrious son of Pandu, all of them rushed impetuously\nagainst the Pot-born from desire of slaughtering him. Drona, however,\nthat foremost of all wielders of arms, received in battle all those\nPandava warriors thus rushing towards him suddenly with great force and\nperseverance. The king Duryodhana, desiring to protect Drona's life,\nrushed, filled with wrath, against the Pandavas, with great force and\nperseverance. Then commenced the battle between the Kurus and the\nPandavas who roared at each other. The animals of both hosts as also the\nwarriors were all tired. The great car-warriors also, O king, with eyes\nclosing in sleep and worn out with exertion in battle, knew not what to\ndo. That night of nine hours, so terrible and awful[242] and so\ndestructive of creatures, appeared to them to be everything.[243] While\nthey were being thus slain and mangled by one another, and while sleep\nsat heavy on their eyes, it became midnight. All the Kshatriyas became\ncheerless. Thy troops, as also those of the foe, had no more weapons and\narrows. Passing the time thus (most of), the warriors (of both armies)\nendued with modesty and energy and observant of the duties of their\norder, did not abandon their divisions. Others, blind with sleep,\nabandoning their weapons, laid themselves down. Some laid themselves down\non the backs of elephants, some on cars, and some on horseback, O\nBharata! Blind with sleep, they became perfectly motionless, O king.\nOther warriors (that were yet awake) in that battle, despatched these to\nYama's abode. Others, deprived of their senses, and dreaming in sleep,\nslew themselves, that is, their own comrades, as also foes. Indeed, these\nfought in that dreadful battle, uttering various exclamations. Many\nwarriors, O monarch, of our army, desirous of continuing the fight with\nthe foe, stood with eyes drowsy with sleep. Some brave warriors, during\nthat terrible hour of darkness, though blind with sleep, yet gliding\nalong the field, slew one another in that battle. Many amongst the foe,\nentirely stupefied by slumber, were slain without their being conscious\n(of the strokes that launched them into eternity). Beholding this\ncondition of the soldiers, O bull among men, Vibhatsu in a very loud\nvoice, said these words: \"all of you, with your animals, are worn out with\nexertion and blind with sleep. Ye warriors, ye are enveloped in darkness\nand with dust. Therefore, if ye like, ye may rest. Indeed, here, on the\nfield of battle close your eyes for a while. Then when the moon will\nrise, ye Kurus and Pandavas, ye may again, having slept and taken rest,\nencounter each other for the sake of heaven.\" Hearing these words of the\nvirtuous Arjuna, the virtuous warriors (of the Kuru army) assented to the\nsuggestion, and addressing one another, loudly said, \"O Karna, O Karna, O\nking Duryodhana, abstain from the fight. The Pandava host hath ceased to\nstrike us.\" Then at those words of Phalguna, uttered loudly by him, the\nPandava army as also thine, O Bharata, abstained from battle. Indeed,\nthese noble words of Partha were highly applauded by the gods, the\nhigh-souled Rishis, and all the gladdened soldiers. Applauding those kind\nwords, O Bharata, all the troops, O king, worn out with exertion, laid\nthemselves down for sleep, O bull of Bharata's race. Then that army of\nthine, O Bharata, happy at the prospect of rest and sleep, sincerely\nblessed Arjuna saying, \"In thee are the Vedas as also all weapons! In\nthee are intelligence and prowess! In thee, O mighty armed one, are\nrighteousness and compassion for all creatures, O sinless one! And since\nwe have been comforted by thee, we wish thy good, O Partha! Let\nprosperity be to thee! Soon do thou get, O hero, those objects that are\ndear to thy heart!\" Blessing him thus, O tiger among men, those great\ncar-warriors, overcome with sleep, became silent, O monarch! Some laid\nthemselves down on horseback, some on the car-boxes, some on the necks of\nelephants, and some on the bare ground. Many men, with their weapons and\nmaces and swords and battle axes and lances and with their armours on,\nlaid themselves down for sleep, apart from one another. Elephants, heavy\nwith sleep, made the earth cool with the breath of their nostrils, that\npassed through their snake-like trunks spotted with dust. Indeed, the\nelephants, as they breathed on the ground, looked beautiful like hills\nscattered (on the field of battle) over whose breasts hissed gigantic\nsnakes. Steeds, in trappings of gold and with manes mingling with their\nyokes, stamping their hoofs made even grounds uneven. Thus every one, O\nking, slept there with the animal he rode. Thus steeds and elephants and\nwarriors, O bull of Bharata's race, very much worn out with exertion,\nslept, abstaining from battle. That slumbering host, deprived of sense\nand sunk in sleep, then looked like a wonderful picture drawn on canvas\nby skilful artists. Those Kshatriyas, decked in ear-rings and endued with\nyouth, with limbs mangled by shafts, and immersed in sleep, having laid\nthemselves down on the coronal globes of elephants, looked as if they\nwere lying on the deep bosom of beautiful ladies. Then the moon, that\ndelighter of eye and lord of lilies, of hue white as the checks of a.\nbeautiful lady, rose, adorning the direction presided over by Indra.[244]\nIndeed, like a lion of the Udaya hills, with rays constituting his manes\nof brilliant yellow, he issued out of his cave in the east, tearing to\npieces the thick gloom of night resembling an extensive herd of\nelephants.[245] That lover of all assemblage of lilies (in the world),\nbright as the body of Mahadeva's excellent bull, full-arched and radiant\nas Karna's bow, and delightful and charming as the smile on the lips of a\nbashful bride, bloomed in the firmament.[246] Soon, however, that divine\nlord having the hare for his mark showed himself shedding brighter rays\naround. Indeed, the moon, after this seemed to gradually emit a bright\nhalo of far-reaching light that resembled the splendour of gold. Then the\nrays of that luminary, dispelling the darkness by their splendour, slowly\nspread themselves over all the quarters, the welkin, and the earth. Soon,\ntherefore, the world became illuminated. The unspeakable darkness that\nhad hidden everything quickly fled away. When the world was thus\nilluminated into almost daylight by the moon, amongst the creatures that\nwander at night, some continued to roam about and some abstained. That\nhost, O king, awakened by the rays of the sun. Indeed, that sea of troops\nwas awakened by the rays of the moon bloomed (into life) like an\nassemblage of lotuses expanded by the rays of the sun. Indeed, that sea\nof troops was awakened by the risen moon like the ocean swelling up in\nagitated surges at the rise of that luminary. Then, O king, the battle\nonce more commenced on earth, for the destruction of the earth's\npopulation, between men that desired to attain to heaven.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'At this time Duryodhana, under the influence of wrath,\napproached Drona and addressing him said these words, for inspiring him\nwith joy and provoking his anger.'\n\n\"'Duryodhana said, \"No mercy should have been shown to our foes while they\nwere heartless and worn out with toil and taking rest, especially when\nthey are all of sure aim. Desirous of doing what is agreeable to thee, we\nshowed them kindness by then letting them alone. The tired Pandavas,\nhowever (having taken rest), have become stronger. As regards ourselves,\nwe are, in every respect, losing in energy and strength. The Pandavas,\nprotected by thee, are constantly gaining prosperity. All weapons that\nare celestial and all those that appertain to Brahma exist in thee. I\ntell thee truly, that neither the Pandavas, nor ourselves, nor any other\nbowmen in the world, can be a match for thee while thou art engaged in\nbattle. O foremost of regenerate ones, thou art acquainted with all\nweapons. Without doubt, by means of thy celestial weapons thou art\ncapable of destroying the (three) worlds with the gods, the Asuras, and\nthe Gandharvas. The Pandavas are all afraid of thee. Thou, however,\nforgivest them, remembering that they were thy pupils, or, perhaps, owing\nto my ill luck.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus rebuked and angered by thy son, Drona, O king,\nwrathfully addressed Duryodhana and said these words: \"Although I am so\nold, O Duryodhana, I am still exerting myself in battle to the utmost\nextent of might. All these men are unacquainted with weapons. I am,\nhowever, well-versed in them. If, from desire of victory, I slay these\nmen, there can be no more ignoble act for me to do. That, however, which\nis in thy mind, be it good or bad, I will accomplish, O Kaurava, at thy\ncommand. It will not be otherwise. Putting forth my prowess in battle and\nslaying all the Panchalas, I will doff my armour, O king! I swear this to\nthee truly. Thou thinkest that Arjuna, the son of Kunti, was worn out in\nbattle. O mighty-armed Kaurava! Listen to what I truly say regarding his\nprowess. If Savyasachin's wrath is excited, neither Gandharvas, nor\nYakshas nor Rakshasas can venture to bear him. At Khandavas, he\nencountered the divine chief of the celestials himself. The illustrious\nArjuna, with his shafts baffled the pouring Indra. Yakshas, and Nagas,\nand Daityas, and all others proud of their might, were slain by that\nforemost of men. That also is known to thee. On the occasion of the tale\nof cattle, the Gandharvas headed by Chitrasena and others were vanquished\nby him. That firm bowman rescued you, while you were being carried away\nby those Gandharvas. Nivatakavachas also, those enemies of the\ncelestials, that were unslayable in battle by the celestials, themselves,\nwere vanquished by that hero. Thousands of Danavas dwelling in\nHiranyapura, that tiger among men vanquished. How can human beings then\nwithstand him? O monarch, thou hast seen with thy own eyes how this host\nof thine, although exerting themselves so heroically, hath been destroyed\nby the son of Pandu.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Unto Drona who was thus applauding Arjuna, thy son,\nO king, angered thereat, once more said these words: \"Myself and\nDuhsasana, and Karna, and my maternal uncle, Sakuni, dividing this\nBharata host into two divisions (and taking one with us), shall to-day\nslay Arjuna in battle.\" Hearing these words of his, Bharadwaja's son,\nlaughing, sanctioned that speech of the king and said, \"Blessings to\nthee! What Kshatriya is there that would slay that bull amongst\nKshatriyas, that unslayable one, viz., the bearer of Gandiva, that hero\nblazing forth with energy? Neither the Lord of treasures, nor Indra, nor\nYama, nor the Asuras, the Uragas, and the Rakshasas can stay Arjuna armed\nwith weapons. Only they that are fools say such words as those thou hast\nsaid, O Bharata! Who is there that would return home in safety, having\nencountered Arjuna in battle? As regards thyself, thou art sinful and\ncruel and suspicious of everybody. Even them that are employed in thy\nwelfare, thou art ready to rebuke in this way. Go thou against the son of\nKunti, for withstanding him for thy own sake. Thou art a well-born\nKshatriya. Thou seekest battle. Why dost thou cause all these unoffending\nKshatriyas to be slain? Thou art the root of this hostility. Therefore,\ngo thou against Arjuna. This thy maternal uncle is possessed of wisdom\nand observant of Kshatriya duties. O son of Gandhari, let this one\naddicted to gambling proceed against Arjuna in battle. This one, skilled\nin dice, wedded to deception, addicted to gambling, versed in cunning and\nimposture, this gambler conversant with the ways of deceiving, will\nvanquish the Pandavas in battle! With Karna in thy company, thou hadst\noften joyfully boasted, from folly and emptiness of understanding, in the\nhearing of Dhritarashtra, saying, 'O sire, myself, and Karna, and my\nbrother Duhsasana, these three, uniting together, will slay the sons of\nPandu in battle.' This thy boast was heard in every meeting of the court.\nAccomplish thy vow, be truthful in speech, with them. There thy mortal\nfoe, the son of Pandu, is staying before thee. Observe the duties of a\nKshatriya. Thy slaughter at the hands of Jaya would be worthy of every\npraise. Thou hast practised charity. Thou hast eaten (everything ever\ndesired by thee). Thou hast obtained wealth to the measure of thy wish.\nThou hast no debts. Thou hast done all that one should do. Do not fear.\nFight now with the son of Pandu.\" These words said, the battle\ncommenced.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXVI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When three-fourths of that night had worn away, the\nbattle, O king, once more commenced between the Kurus and the Pandavas.\nBoth sides were elated with joy. Soon after, Aruna, the charioteer of\nSurya, weakening the splendour of the moon, appeared, causing the welkin\nto assume a coppery hue. The east was soon reddened with the red rays of\nthe sun that resembled a circular plate of gold. Then all the warriors of\nthe Kuru and the Pandava hosts, alighting from cars and steeds and\nvehicles borne by men, stood, with joined hands, facing the sun, and\nuttered the prayers of the twilight of dawn. The Kuru army having been\ndivided into two bodies, Drona, with Duryodhana before him, proceeded\n(with one of those divisions) against the Somakas, the Pandavas, and the\nPanchalas. Beholding the Kuru host divided into two bodies, Madhava\naddressed Arjuna and said, \"Keeping thy foes to thy left, place this\ndivision (commanded by Drona) to thy right.\" Obedient to the counsels of\nMadhava in respect of the Kurus, Dhananjaya moved to the left of those\ntwo mighty bowmen, viz., Drona and Karna. Understanding the intentions\nof Krishna, that subjugator of hostile cities, viz., Bhimasena,\naddressing Partha who was then staying at the van of battle, said these\nwords.\n\n\"'Bhimasena said, \"O Arjuna, O Vibhatsu, listen to these words of mine.\nThe time for that object for which Kshatriya ladies bring forth sons has\nnow come. If at such a time thou dost not strive to win prosperity, thou\nshalt then act meanly like a veritable wretch. Putting forth thy prowess,\npay the debt thou owest to Truth, Prosperity, Virtue, and Fame! O\nforemost of warriors, pierce this division, and keep these to thy right.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus urged by Bhima and Kesava, Savyasachin\nprevailing over Drona and Karna, began to resist the foe all round. Many\nforemost of Kshatriyas (among the Kurus), putting forth all their\nprowess, failed to withstand Arjuna who advanced at the very van of his\ntroops, and who, like a raging conflagration, was consuming the foremost\nones among his foes. Then Duryodhana and Karna, and Sakuni, the son of\nSuvala, covered Kunti's son, Dhananjaya, with showers of shafts. Baffling\nthe weapons of all those warriors, that foremost of all persons\nwell-skilled in weapons, O monarch, covered them (in return) with his\nshafts. Aiming at their weapons with his (and thus baffling them all),\nArjuna, endued with great lightness of hand and possessing a complete\ncontrol over his senses, pierced every one of those warriors with ten\nkeen-pointed shafts. The welkin was then covered with dust. Thick showers\nof arrows fell. Darkness set in, and a loud and terrible uproar arose.\nWhen such was the state of things, neither the welkin, nor the earth, nor\nthe points of the compass, could any longer be seen. Stupefied by the\ndust, all the troops became blind. Neither the foe, O king, nor we, could\ndistinguish each other. For this reason, the kings began to fight, guided\nby conjecture and the names they uttered. Deprived of their cars,\ncar-warriors, O king, encountering one another, lost all order and became\na tangled mass. Their steeds killed and drivers slain, many of them,\nbecoming inactive, preserved their lives and looked exceedingly\naffrighted. Slain steeds with riders deprived of lives were seen to lie\non slain elephants as if stretched on mountain-breasts. Then Drona,\nmoving away from that battle towards the north took up his station\nthere, and seemed to resemble a smokeless fire. Beholding him move away\nfrom the battle towards the north, the Pandava troops, O king, began to\ntremble. Indeed, beholding Drona resplendent and handsome and blazing\nwith energy, the enemy, inspired with fright became pale and wavered on\nthe field, O Bharata! While summoning the hostile army to battle, and\nlooking like an elephant in rut, the enemy became perfectly hopeless of\nvanquishing him, like the Danavas hopeless of vanquishing Vasava. Some\namong them became perfectly cheerless, and some, endued with energy,\nbecame inspired with wrath. And some were filled with wonder, and some\nbecame incapable of brooking (the challenge). And some of the kings\nsqueezed their hands, and some deprived of their senses by rage, bit\ntheir lips. And some whirled their weapons, and some rubbed their arms;\nand some, possessed of great energy and souls under complete control,\nrushed against Drona. The Panchalas particularly, afflicted with the\nshafts of Drona, O monarch, though suffering great pain, continued to\ncontend in battle.[247] Then Drupada and Virata proceeded, in that\nbattle, against Drona, that invincible warrior, who was thus careering on\nthe field. Then, O king, the three grandsons of Drupada, and those mighty\nbowmen, viz., the Chedis, also proceeded against Drona in that encounter.\nDrona, with three sharp shafts, took the lives of the three grandsons of\nDrupada. Deprived of lives, the princes fell down on the earth. Drona\nnext vanquished in that battle the Chedis, the Kaikeyas, and the\nSrinjayas. That mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Bharadwaja, then\nvanquished all Matsyas. Then Drupada, filled with wrath, and Virata, in\nthat battle, shot showers of shafts, O king, at Drona. Baffling that\narrowy shower, Drona, that grinder of Kshatriyas, covered both Drupada\nand Virata with his shafts. Shrouded by Drona, both those warriors, with\nrage, began to pierce him on the field of battle with their arrows. Then\nDrona, O monarch, filled with wrath and desire of revenge, cut off, with\na couple of broad-headed shafts, the bows of both his antagonists. Then\nVirata, filled with wrath, sped in that encounter ten lances and ten\nshafts at Drona from desire of slaying him. And Drupada, in anger, hurled\nat Drona's car a terrible dart made of iron and decked with gold and\nresembling a large snake. Drona cut off, with a number of sharp and\nbroad-headed arrows, those ten lances (of Virata), and with certain other\nshafts that dart (of Drupada) decked with gold and stones of lapis\nlazuli. Then that grinder of foes, viz., the son of Bharadwaja, with a\ncouple of well-tempered and broad-headed shafts, despatched both Drupada\nand Virata unto the abode of Yama. Upon the fall of Virata and Drupada,\nand the slaughter of the Kshatriyas, the Chedis, the Matsyas, and the\nPanchalas, and upon the fall of those three heroes, viz., the three\ngrandsons of Drupada, the high-souled Dhrishtadyumna, beholding those\nfeats of Drona, became filled with rage and grief, and swore in the midst\nof all the ear-warriors, saying, \"Let me lose merits of all my religious\nacts as also my Kshatriya and Brahma energy, if Drona escape me today\nwith life, or if he succeed in vanquishing me!\"[248] Having taken that\noath in the midst of all the bowmen, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz.,\nthe prince of the Panchalas, supported by his own division, advanced\nagainst Drona. The Panchalas then began to strike Drona from one side,\nand Arjuna from another. Duryodhana, and Karna, and Sakuni, the son of\nSuvala, and the uterine brothers of Duryodhana (stationed), according to\ntheir precedence, began to protect Drona in battle. Drona being thus\nprotected in battle by those illustrious warriors, the Panchalas though\nstruggling vigorously, could not even gaze at him. Then Bhimasena, O\nsire, became highly angry with Dhrishtadyumna and, O bull among men, that\nson of Pandu pierced Dhrishtadyumna with these fierce words:[249]\n\n\"'Bhimasena said, \"What man is there who being regarded as a Kshatriya and\nwho taking his birth in the race of Drupada and who being the foremost of\nall persons possessing a knowledge of weapons, would only thus look at\nhis foe stationed before him? What man having seen his sire and son\nslain, and especially, having sworn such an oath in the midst of the\nking, would thus be indifferent to his enemy? Yonder stands Drona like a\nfire swelling with its own energy. Indeed, with bow and arrows\nconstituting his fuel, he is consuming with his energy all the\nKshatriyas. Soon will he annihilate the Pandava army. Stand ye (as\nspectators) and behold my feat. Against Drona himself will I proceed.\"\nHaving said these words, Vrikodara, filled with rage, penetrated into\nDrona's array, began to afflict and rout that host. Then the\nPanchala prince Dhrishtadyumna, also, penetrating into that large host,\nengaged himself with Drona in battle. The battle became furious. Such a\nfierce encounter we had never seen or heard of before, O king, as that\nwhich now took place at sunrise of that day. The cars, O sire, were seen\nto be entangled with one another. The bodies of embodied creatures\ndeprived of lives were scattered all over the field. Some, while\nproceeding towards another part of the field, were, on the way, assailed\nby others. Some, while flying away, were struck on their backs, and\nothers on their sides. That general engagement continued to rage\nfiercely. Soon, however, the morning sun rose.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXVII\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'The warrior, O king, thus clad in mail on the field\nof battle, adored the thousand-rayed Aditya as he rose at morn. When the\nthousand-rayed luminary, of splendour bright as burning gold, arose, and\nthe world became illumined, the battle once more commenced. The same\nsoldiers that were engaged with each other before the sunrise, once more\nfought with each other, O Bharata, after the rise of the sun. Horsemen\nengaged with car-warriors, and elephants with horsemen, and foot-soldiers\nwith elephants and horsemen with horsemen, O bull of Bharata's race.\nSometimes unitedly and sometimes separately, the warriors, fell upon one\nanother in battle. Having fought vigorously in the night, many, tired\nwith exertion, and weak with hunger and thirst became deprived of their\nsenses. The uproar made of the blare of conchs, the beat of drums, the\nroar of elephants, and the twang of out-stretched bows drawn with force\ntouched the very heavens, O king! The noise made also by rushing infantry\nand falling weapons, and neighing steeds and rolling cars, and shouting\nand roaring of warriors, became tremendous. That loud noise increasing\nevery minute, reached the heavens. The groans and wails of pain, on\nfalling and fallen foot-soldiers and car-warriors and elephants, became\nexceedingly loud and pitiable as these were heard on the field. When the\nengagement became general, both side slew each other's own men and\nanimals. Hurled from the hands of heroes upon warriors and elephants,\nheaps of swords were seen on the field, resembling heaps of cloths on the\nwashing ground. The sound, again, of uplifted and descending swords in\nheroic arms resembled that of cloths thrashed for wash. That general\nengagement then, in which the warriors encountered one another with\nswords and scimitars and lances and battle-axes, became exceedingly\ndreadful. The heroic combatants caused a river there, that ran its course\ntowards the regions of the dead. The blood of elephants and steeds and\nhuman beings formed its current. Weapons formed its fish in profusion. It\nwas miry with blood and flesh. Wails of grief and pain formed its roar.\nBanners and cloth formed its froth. Afflicted with shafts and darts, worn\nwith exertion, spent with toil on the (previous) night, and exceedingly\nweakened, elephants and steeds, with limbs perfectly motionless, stood on\nthe field. With their arms (in beautiful attitudes) and with their\nbeautiful coats of mail, and heads decked with beautiful ear-rings, the\nwarriors, adorned with implements of battle, looked exceedingly\nresplendent.[250] At that time, in consequence of the carnivorous animals\nand the dead and the dying, there was no path for the cars all over the\nfield. Afflicted with shafts steeds of the noblest breed and high mettle,\nresembling elephants (in size and strength), worn out with toil, were\nseen to tremble with great effort, as they drew vehicles whose wheels had\nsunk in the earth. The whole of that host, O Bharata, resembling the\nocean for vastness, then became agitated, and afflicted, inspired with\nterror, with the exception only of Drona and Arjuna. Those two became the\nrefuge, these two became the saviours, of the warriors of their\nrespective sides. Others, encountering these two proceeded to the abode\nof Yama. Then the vast host of the Kurus became greatly agitated, and the\nPanchalas, huddled together, became no longer distinguishable. During\nthat great carnage of the Kshatriyas on earth, on that field of battle,\nenhancing the terrors of the timid and looking like a crematorium neither\nKarna, nor Drona, nor Arjuna, nor Yudhishthira, nor Bhimasena, nor the\ntwins, nor the Panchala prince, nor Satyaki, nor Duhsasana, nor Drona's\nson, nor Duryodhana nor Suvala's son, nor Kripa, nor the ruler of the\nMadras, nor Kritavarman, nor others, nor my own self, nor the earth, nor\npoints of the compass, could be seen, O king, for all of them, mingled\nwith the troops, were shrouded by clouds of dust. During the progress of\nthat fierce and terrible battle, when that dusty cloud arose, all thought\nthat night had once more come over the scene. Neither the Kauravas, nor\nthe Panchalas, nor the Pandavas, could be distinguished, nor the points\nof the compass, nor the welkin, nor the earth, nor even land nor uneven\nland. The warriors, desirous of victory, slew foes and friends, in fact,\nall whom they could perceive by the touch of their hands. The earthly\ndust that had arisen was soon dispelled by the winds that blew, and\ndrenched by the blood that was shed. Elephants and steeds and\ncar-warriors and foot-soldiers, bathed in blood, looked beautiful like\nthe (celestial) forest of Parijata. Then Duryodhana, Karna, Drona and\nDuhsasana, these four (Kauravas) warriors engaged in battle with four of\nthe Pandava warriors. Duryodhana and his brothers, encountered the twins\n(Nakula and Sahadeva). And Radha's son engaged himself with Vrikodara,\nand Arjuna with the son of Bharadwaja, all the troops, from every side,\nlooked on that terrible encounter. The car-warriors (of both armies\nquietly) beheld that beautiful, that superhuman engagement between those\nfierce and foremost of car-warriors conversant with every mode of\nwarfare, riding on their own beautiful cars that performed diverse\ndelightful evolutions. Endued with great prowess, struggling vigorously,\nand each solicitous of vanquishing the other, they covered each other\nwith showers of shafts, like the clouds at the close of summer (pouring\ntorrents of rain). Those bulls among men, riding on their cars of solar\neffulgence, looked beautiful like congregated masses of clouds in the\nautumnal sky. Then those warriors, O monarch, filled with wrath and\ndesire of revenge, mighty bowmen all, challenging, rushed at one another\nwith great vigour like infuriated leaders of elephantine herds. Verily, O\nking, death does not take place till its hour comes, since all those\nwarriors did not simultaneously perish in that battle. Strewn with lopped\noff arms and legs, and heads decked with beautiful ear-rings, and bows\nand arrows and lances and scimitars and battle-axes and (other kinds of)\naxes, and Nalihas and razor-headed arrows and cloth-yard shafts and darts\nand diverse kinds of beautiful armour, and beautiful cars broken into\npieces, and slain elephants and standardless cars broken like cities, and\nvehicles dragged hither and thither with the speed of the wind by\ndriverless steeds in great fright, and a large number of well-decked\nwarriors of great courage, and fallen fans and coats of mail and\nstandards, and ornaments and robes and fragrant garlands, and chains of\ngold and diadems and crowns and head-gears and rows of bells, and jewels\nworn on breasts, and cuirasses and collars and gems that adorn\nhead-gears, the field of battle looked beautiful like the firmament\nbespangled with stars.'\n\n\"'Then there occurred an encounter between Duryodhana, filled with wrath\nand desire of revenge, and Nakula filled with the same feelings. Madri's\nson cheerfully shooting hundreds of shafts, placed thy son on his right.\nAt this loud cheers were bestowed upon him. Placed on the right by his\ncousin-brother in wrath, thy son king Duryodhana, filled with rage,\nbegan, in battle, to wonderfully counteract Nakula from that very side.\nThereupon, Nakula, endued with great energy and acquainted with the\ndiverse course (in which a car may be conducted), began to resist thy son\nwho was engaged in counteracting him from his right. Duryodhana, however,\nafflicting Nakula with showers of shafts and resisting him on every side,\ncaused him to turn back. All the troops applauded that feat (of thy son).\nThen Nakula, addressing thy son, said, \"Wait, Wait,\" recollecting all his\nwoes caused by thy evil counsels.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CLXXXVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then Duhsasana, filled with wrath, rushed against\nSahadeva, causing the earth to tremble with the fierce speed of his car.\nMadri's son, however, that crusher of foes, with a broad-headed arrow,\nquickly cut off the head, decked with the head-gear of his rushing\nantagonist's driver. From the celerity with which that act was\naccomplished by Sahadeva, neither Duhsasana nor any of the troops knew\nthat the driver's head had been cut off. The reins being no longer held\nby anybody, the steeds ran at their will. It was then that Duhsasana knew\nthat his driver had been slain. Conversant with the management of steeds,\nthat foremost of car-warriors, himself restraining his steeds in that\nbattle fought beautifully and with great activity and skill. That feat of\nhis was applauded by friends and foes, since riding on that driverless\ncar, he careered fearlessly in that battle. Then Sahadeva pierced those\nsteeds with keen shafts. Afflicted with those shafts, they quickly ran\naway, careering hither and thither. For catching hold of the reins, he\nonce laid aside his bow, and then he took up his bow for using it, laying\naside the reins. During those opportunities the son of Madri covered him\nwith arrows. Then Karna, desirous of rescuing thy son, rushed to that\nspot. Thereupon, Vrikodara, with great care, pierced Karna in the chest\nand arms with three broad-headed shafts sped from his bow drawn to its\nfullest stretch. Struck with those shafts like a snake with a stick,\nKarna stopped and began to resist Bhimasena, shooting keen shafts.\nThereupon, a fierce battle took place between Bhima and Radha's son. Both\nof them roared like bulls, and the eyes of both were expanded (with\nrage). Excited with wrath, and rushing towards each other, with great\nspeed, they roared at each other. Those two delighters in battle were\nthen very close to each other. So near were they that they could not\neasily shoot their shafts at each other. Thereupon, an encounter with\nmaces happened. Bhimasena speedily broke with his mace the Kuvara of\nKarna's car. That feat of his, O king, seemed highly wonderful. Then the\nvaliant son of Radha, taking up a mace, hurled it at Bhima's car. Bhima,\nhowever, broke it with the mace of his own. Then taking up a heavy mace,\nonce more, Bhima hurled it at Adhiratha's son. Karna struck that mace\nwith numerous shafts of beautiful wings, sped with great force, and once\nagain with other shafts. Thus struck with Karna's shafts, the mace turned\nback towards Bhima, like a snake afflicted with incantations. With the\nrebound of that mace, the huge standard of Bhima, broke and fell down.\nStruck with that same mace, Bhima's driver also became deprived of his\nsenses. Then Bhima, mad with rage, sped eight shafts at Karna, and his\nstandard and bow, and leathern fence, O Bharata. The mighty Bhimasena,\nthat slayer of hostile heroes, with the greatest care, O Bharata, cut\noff, with those keen shafts, the standards, the bow, and the leathern\nfence of Karna. The latter then, viz., the son of Radha, taking up\nanother invincible and gold-decked bow, shot a number of shafts, and\nquickly slew Bhima's steeds of the hue of bears, and then his two\ndrivers. When his car was thus injured, Bhima, that chastiser of foes,\nquickly jumped into the car of Nakula like a lion jumping down upon a\nmountain summit.'\n\n\"'Meanwhile, Drona and Arjuna, those two foremost of car-warriors,\npreceptor and pupil, both skilled in weapon, O monarch, fought with each\nother in battle, stupefying the eyes and minds of men with their\nlightness in the use of weapons and the sureness of their aim, and with\nthe motions of their cars. Beholding that battle, the like of which had\nnever been witnessed before, between preceptor and pupil, the other\nwarriors abstained from fighting with each other and trembled. Each of\nthose heroes, displaying beautiful revolutions of his car, wished to\nplace the other on his right. The warriors present there beheld their\nprowess and became filled with wonder. Indeed, that great battle between\nDrona and the son of Pandu resembled that, O monarch, between a couple of\nhawks in the welkin for the sake of a piece of meat. Whatever feats Drona\nperformed for vanquishing the son of Kunti, were all counteracted by\nArjuna's performing similar feats. When Drona failed to gain any\nascendency over the son of Pandu, the son of Bharadwaja, that warrior\nacquainted with the course of all weapons, invoked into existence the\nAindra, the Pasupata, the Tvashtra, the Vayavya, and the Yamya weapons.\nAs soon as those weapons issued from Drona's bow, Dhananjaya destroyed\nthem quickly. When his weapons were thus duly destroyed by Arjuna with\nhis own weapons, Drona shrouded the son of Pandu with the mightiest of\ncelestial weapons. Every weapon, however, that Drona shot at Partha from\ndesire of vanquishing the latter, was shot by Partha in return for\nbaffling it. Seeing all his weapons, even the celestial ones, duly\nbaffled by Arjuna, Drona applauded the latter in his heart. That\nchastiser of foes, O Bharata, regarded himself superior to every person\nin the world acquainted with weapons, in consequence of Arjuna having\nbeen his pupil. Thus resisted by Partha in the midst of all those\nillustrious warriors, Drona, struggling with vigour, cheerfully resisted\nArjuna (in return), wondering all the while. Then the celestials and\nGandharvas in thousands, and Rishis and bodies of Siddhas, were seen on\nall sides in the welkin. Filled with (those as also with) Apsaras and\nYakshas and Rakshasas, it once more seemed that the welkin was darkened\nby gathering clouds. An invisible voice, fraught with the praises of\nDrona and the high-souled Partha, was heard to repeatedly course through\nthe firmament. When in consequence of the weapons shot by Drona and\nPartha all sides seemed ablaze with light, the Siddhas and the Rishis\nthat were present, said, \"This is no human nor Asura, nor Rakshasa, nor\ncelestial, nor Gandharva battle. Without doubt this is a high Brahma\nencounter. This battle is exceedingly beautiful and highly wonderful. We\nhave never seen or heard of its like. Now, the preceptor prevails over\nthe son of Pandu, and then the son of Pandu prevails over Drona. No one\ncan find any difference between them. If Rudra, dividing his own self\ninto two portions, fights, himself with himself, then may an instance be\nhad to match this. Nowhere else can an instance be found to match it.\nScience, gathered in one place, exists in the preceptor; science and\nmeans are in the son of Pandu. Heroism, in one place, is in Drona;\nheroism and might are in the son of Pandu. None of these warriors can be\nwithstood by foes in battle. If they wish, both of them can destroy the\nuniverse with the gods.\" Beholding those two bulls among men, all\ninvisible and visible creatures said these words. The high-souled Drona\nthen, in that battle, invoked into existence the Brahma weapon,\nafflicting Partha and all invisible beings. Thereupon, the earth with the\nmountains and waters and trees trembled. Fierce winds began to blow. The\nseas swelled in agitation. The combatants of the Kurus and the Pandava\narmies, as also all other creatures, became inspired with fear, when that\nillustrious warrior uplifted that weapon. The Partha, O monarch,\nfearlessly baffled that weapon by a Brahma weapon of his own, at which\nall that agitation in nature was speedily pacified. At last, when none of\nthem could vanquish his antagonist in combat, a general engagement took\nplace between the hosts, causing a great confusion on the field. During\nthe progress of that dreadful battle between Drona and the son of Pandu\n(as also of that general engagement), once more, O king, nothing could be\ndistinguished. The welkin became covered with dense showers of shafts, as\nif with masses of clouds, and creatures ranging in the air could no\nlonger find a passage through their element.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXC\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'During that fearful carnage of men and steeds and\nelephants, Duhsasana, O king, encountered Dhrishtadyumna. Mounted upon\nhis golden car and exceedingly afflicted with the shafts of Duhsasana,\nthe Panchala prince wrathfully showered his shafts upon thy son's steeds.\nCovered with the shafts of Prishata's son, O king, Duhsasana's car, with\nstandard and driver, soon became invisible. Afflicted with those showers\nof arrows, Duhsasana, O monarch, became unable to stay before the\nillustrious prince of the Panchalas. Forcing, by means of his shafts,\nDuhsasana to turn back Pritha's son, scattering his arrows, proceeded\nagainst Drona in that battle. At the time Hridika's son, Kritavarman,\nwith three of his uterine brothers, appeared on the scene and attempted\nto oppose Dhrishtadyumna. Those bulls among men, however, viz., the\ntwins, Nakula and Sahadeva following in the wake of Dhrishtadyumna who\nwas thus proceeding like a blazing fire towards Drona, began to protect\nhim. Then, all those great car-warriors, endued with might and excited\nwith rage, began to strike one another, making death their goal. Of pure\nsouls and pure conduct, O king, and keeping heaven in view, they fought\naccording to righteous methods, desirous of vanquishing one another. Of\nstainless lineage and stainless acts, and endued with great intelligence,\nthose rulers of men, keeping heaven in view, fought fair battles with\nanother. There was nothing unfair in that fight and no weapon was used\nthat was regarded as unfair. No barbed arrows, nor those called nalikas,\nnor those that are poisoned, nor those with heads made of horns, nor\nthose equipped with many pointed heads, nor those made of the bones of\nbulls and elephants, nor those having two heads, nor those having rusty\nheads, nor those that are not straight going, were used by any of\nthem.[251] All of them used simple and fair weapons and desired to win\nboth fame and region of great blessedness by fighting fairly. Between\nthose four warriors of thy army and those three of the Pandava side, the\nbattle that took place was exceedingly dreadful but divested of\neverything unfair. Then Dhrishtadyumna, exceedingly quick in the use of\nweapons, beholding those brave and mighty car warriors of thy army\nchecked by the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), proceeded towards Drona.\nChecked by those two lions among men, those four heroic warriors\nencountered the former like the wind assailing a couple of mountains\n(standing on their way). Each of the twins--those great car-warriors--was\nengaged with a couple of arrows against Drona. Beholding the invincible\nprince of the Panchalas proceeding against Drona, and those four heroes\n(of his own army) engaged with the twins, Duryodhana, O monarch, rushed\nto that spot, scattering showers of blood-drinking arrows. Seeing this,\nSatyaki quickly approached the Kuru king. Those two tigers among men,\nviz., the two descendants of Kuru and Madhu, approaching each other,\nbecame desirous of striking each other in battle. Recalling to mind their\nbehaviour towards each other in childhood and reflecting with pleasure on\nthe same, they gazed at each other and smiled repeatedly. Then king\nDuryodhana (mentally), blaming his own conduct, addressed his ever dear\nfriend Satyaki, and said, \"Fie on wrath, O friend, and fie on\nvindictiveness! Fie on Kshatriya usage, and fie on might and prowess,\nsince thou aimest thy weapons at me, and I too am aiming at thee, O bull\nof Sini's race! In those days thou wert dearer to me than life itself,\nand I also was such to thee! Alas, all those acts of childhood that I\nremember, of both thyself and mine, became quite insignificant in the\nfield of battle! Alas, moved by wrath and covetousness, we are here\nto-day for fighting against each other, O thou of the Satwata race!\" Unto\nhim who said those words, O king, Satyaki, conversant with high weapons,\ntaking up some keen arrows, smilingly replied, \"This is no assembly, O\nprince, nor the abode of our preceptor, where in former days we sported\ntogether.\" Duryodhana answered, \"Where have those sports of our childhood\ngone, O bull of Sini's race, and, alas, how has this battle now come upon\nus? It seems that the influence of Time is irresistible. (Urged though we\nare) by desire of wealth, what use, however, have we of wealth that,\nassembled together, we are now engaged in battle, moved by the avarice of\nwealth.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Unto king Duryodhana who said so, Satyaki replied, \"This\nhas always been the usage of the Kshatriyas that they have to fight even\nagainst their preceptors. If I am dear to thee, O king, then slay me\nwithout any delay. Through thee, O bull of Bharata's race, I shall then\nenter the region of the righteous. Exhibit, without delay, all thy might\nand prowess. I do not desire to witness this great calamity of friends.\"\nHaving replied and reasoned thus, Satyaki, O monarch, fearlessly and in\nutter disregard of life, quickly advanced against Duryodhana. Beholding\nhim advance, thy son received him; indeed, O king, thy son poured on him\nof Sini's race a perfect shower of arrows. Then commenced a terrible\nbattle between those lions of Kuru's and Madhu's races, resembling an\nencounter between an elephant and a lion. Then Duryodhana, filled with\nwrath, pierced the invincible Satyaki with many keen arrows, shot from\nhis bow drawn to its fullest stretch. Satyaki quickly pierced the Kuru\nprince in return with fifty keen shafts in that battle and once more with\ntwenty, and again with ten shafts. Then, in that encounter, O king, thy\nson, smiling the while, pierced Satyaki in return with thirty arrows shot\nfrom his bowstring drawn to his ear. Shooting then a razor-headed arrow,\nhe cut off in twain the bow, with arrow fixed thereon, of Satyaki. Endued\nwith great lightness of hand, the latter then, taking up a tougher bow,\nshot showers of shafts at thy son. As those lines of arrows advanced for\ncompassing the death of Duryodhana, the latter, O king, cut them in\npieces, at which the troops shouted loudly. With great swiftness, the\nKuru king afflicted Satyaki with three and seventy shafts, equipped with\nwings of gold and steeped in oil and shot from his bow drawn to its\nfullest stretch. All those arrows of Duryodhana, as also his bow, with\narrow fixed thereon, Satyaki quickly cut off. The Satwata hero then\npoured showers of shafts on his antagonist. Deeply pierced by Satyaki and\nfeeling great pain, Duryodhana, O king, in great distress, sought shelter\nin another car. Having rested awhile and refreshed himself, thy son once\nmore advanced against Satyaki, shooting showers of shafts at the latter's\ncar. Smilingly, O king, Satyaki ceaselessly shot multitudes of shafts at\nDuryodhana's car. The shafts of both mingled with one another in the\nwelkin. In consequence of those arrows thus shot by both, falling fast on\nevery side, loud sounds, like those of a raging fire consuming a mighty\nforest, arose there. With thousands of arrows shot by both, the earth was\ndensely covered. The welkin also became filled therewith. Beholding then\nthat foremost of car-warriors, viz., that hero of Madhu's race, to be\nmightier than Duryodhana, Karna rushed to that spot, desirous of rescuing\nthy son. Mighty Bhimasena, however, could not brook that attempt of\nKarna. He, therefore, quickly proceeded against Karna, shooting\ninnumerable shafts. Cutting off all those shafts of Bhima with the\ngreatest ease, Karna cut off Bhima's bow, arrows and driver also, with\nhis own shafts. Then, Pandu's son, Bhima, filled with rage, took up a\nmace and crushed the bow, standard, and driver of his antagonist in that\nencounter. The mighty Bhima also broke one of the wheels of Karna's car.\nKarna, however, stood on that car of his, which had one of his wheels\nbroken, immovable as (Meru), the king of mountains. That beautiful car of\nhis which had now only one wheel, was borne by his steeds, like the\nsingle wheeled car of Surya, drawn by the seven celestial steeds.\nIncapable of brooking the feats of Bhimasena, Karna continued to fight\nwith the latter, using diverse kinds of shafts in profusion and diverse\nkinds of other weapons in that encounter. Bhimasena also filled with\nwrath, continued to fight with the Suta's son. When the engagement became\ngeneral and confused, (Yudhishthira) the son of Dharma, addressing all\nthe foremost of warriors among the Panchalas and the Matsyas, said, \"They\nthat are our life, they that are our heads, they amongst us that are\nendued with great strength, those bulls among men are all engaged with\nthe Dhartarashtras. Why do ye then stand thus, as if stupefied and\ndeprived of your senses? Proceed thither where those car-warriors of my\narmy are fighting. Driving away your fears and keeping in view the duties\nof Kshatriyas (engage in fight), for then conquering or slain ye will\ngain desirable goals. If you prove victors, you may perform diverse\nsacrifices with profuse gifts to Brahmanas. If, on the other hand, you\nare slain, becoming then equals of the celestials, you will win many\nregions of blessedness.\" Thus urged by the king, those heroic and mighty\ncar-warriors engaged in battle, observant of Kshatriya duties, quickly\nproceeded against Drona. The Panchalas then, from one side, assailed\nDrona with innumerable arrows, while others headed by Bhimasena began to\nresist him from another side. The Pandavas had three crooked-minded\nmighty car-warriors amongst them. They were Bhimasena and the twins\n(Nakula and Sahadeva). These addressed Dhananjaya loudly and said, \"Rush,\nO Arjuna, with speed and drive away the Kurus from Drona's vicinity. If\nthe preceptor can be deprived of his protectors, the Panchalas may then\nslay him easily.\" Thus addressed, Partha suddenly rushed against the\nKauravas, while Drona rushed against the Panchalas headed by\nDhrishtadyumna. Indeed, on that the fifth day (of Drona's command) those\nheroic combatants, O Bharata, were grounded and crushed with\ngreat celerity (by Bharadwaja's son.)'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then Drona caused a great carnage among the Panchalas,\nlike the slaughter caused by Sakra himself in rage amongst the Danavas in\nthe days of yore. The great car-warriors of the Pandava army, endued with\nmight and energy, though slaughtered, O king, by Drona's weapons, were\nnot yet afraid of Drona in that battle. Indeed, O monarch, those mighty\ncar-warriors, viz., the Panchalas and the Srinjayas, all rushed against\nDrona himself, for fighting with him. Loud and fierce were the yells they\nuttered as they rushed towards Drona for encompassing him on all sides\nand were slaughtered by him with shafts and darts. Beholding the\nslaughter of the Panchalas in that battle by the illustrious Drona, and\nseeing his weapons overwhelm all sides, fear entered the hearts of the\nPandavas. Beholding that dreadful carnage of steeds and human beings in\nthat battle, the Pandavas, O monarch, became hopeless of victory. (They\nbegan to say unto each other) \"Is it not evident that Drona, that warrior\nconversant with the mightiest of weapons, will consume us all like a\nraging conflagration consuming a heap of straw in the season of spring?\nThere is none competent to even look at him in battle. Conversant with\nthe ways of morality, Arjuna (who alone is a match for him) will not\nfight with him.\" Beholding the sons of Kunti afflicted with the shafts of\nDrona and inspired with fear, Kesava, endued with great intelligence and\ndevoted to their welfare, addressed Arjuna and said, \"This foremost of\nall bowmen is incapable of being ever vanquished by force in battle, by\nthe very gods with Vasava at their head. When, however, he lays aside his\nweapons, he becomes capable of being slain on the field even by human\nbeings. Casting aside virtue, ye sons of Pandu, adopt now some\ncontrivance for gaining the victory, so that Drona of the golden car may\nnot slay us all in battle. Upon the fall of (his son) Aswatthaman he will\ncease to fight, I think. Let some man, therefore, tell him that\nAswatthaman hath been slain in battle.\" This advice, however, O king was\nnot approved by Kunti's son, Dhananjaya. Others approved of it. But\nYudhishthira accepted it with great difficulty. Then the mighty-armed\nBhima, O king, slew with a mace a foe-crushing, terrible and huge\nelephant named Aswatthaman, of his own army, belonging to Indravarman,\nthe chief of the Malavas. Approaching Drona then in that battle with some\nbashfulness Bhimasena began to exclaim aloud, \"Aswatthaman hath been\nslain.\" That elephant named Aswatthaman having been thus slain, Bhima\nspoke of Aswatthaman's slaughter. Keeping the true fact within his mind,\nhe said what was untrue. Hearing those highly disagreeable words of Bhima\nand reflecting upon them, Drona's limbs seemed to dissolve like sands in\nwater. Recollecting however, the prowess of his son, he soon came to\nregard that intelligence as false. Hearing, therefore, of his slaughter,\nDrona did not become unmanned. Indeed, soon recovering his senses, he\nbecame comforted, remembering that his son was incapable of being\nresisted by foes. Rushing towards the son of Prishata and desirous of\nslaying that hero who had been ordained as his slayer, he covered him\nwith a thousand keen shafts, equipped with kanka feathers. Then twenty\nthousand Panchala car-warriors of great energy covered him, while he was\nthus careering in battle, with their shafts. Completely shrouded with\nthose shafts, we could not any longer see that great car-warrior who then\nresembled, O monarch, the sun, covered with clouds in the season of\nrains. Filled with wrath and desirous of compassing the destruction of\nthose brave Panchalas, that mighty car-warrior, that scorcher of foes,\nviz., Drona, dispelling all those shafts of the Panchalas, then invoked\ninto existence the Brahma weapon. At that time, Drona looked resplendent\nlike a smokeless, blazing fire. Once more filled with rage the valiant\nson of Bharadwaja slaughtering all the Somakas, seemed to be invested\nwith great splendour. In that dreadful battle, he felled the heads of the\nPanchalas and cut off their massive arms, looking like spiked maces and\ndecked with golden ornaments. Indeed, those Kshatriyas, slaughtered in\nbattle by Bharadwaja's son fell down on the earth and lay scattered like\ntrees uprooted by the tempest. In consequence of fallen elephants and\nsteeds, O Bharata, the earth, miry with flesh and blood, became\nimpassable. Having slain twenty thousand Panchala car-warriors, Drona, in\nthat battle, shone resplendent like a smokeless, blazing fire. Once more\nfilled with rage, the valiant son of Bharadwaja cut off, with a\nbroad-headed arrow, the head of Vasudana from his trunk. Once more\nslaying five hundred Matsyas, and six thousand elephants, he slew ten\nthousand steeds. Beholding Drona stationed on the field for the\nextermination of the Kshatriya race, the Rishis Viswamitra, and\nJamadagni, and Bharadwaja, and Gautama, and Vasishtha, and Kasyapa, and\nAtri, and the Srikatas, the Prisnis, Garga, the Valkhilyas, the Marichis,\nthe descendants of Bhrigu and Angiras, and diverse other sages of subtle\nforms quickly came thither, with the Bearer of sacrificial libations at\ntheir head, and, desirous of taking Drona unto the region of Brahman,\naddressed Drona, that ornament of battle, and said, \"Thou art fighting\nunrighteously. The hour of thy death is come. Laying aside thy weapons in\nbattle, O Drona, behold us stationed here. After this, it behoveth thee\nnot to perpetrate such exceedingly cruel deeds. Thou art versed in the\nVedas and their branches. Thou art devoted to the duties enjoined by\ntruth, especially, thou art a Brahmana. Such acts do not become thee. Lay\naside thy weapons. Drive away the film of error that shrouds thee. Adhere\nnow to the eternal path. The period for which thou art to dwell in the\nworld of men is now full. Thou hast, with the Brahma weapon, burnt men on\nearth that are unacquainted with weapons. This act that thou hast\nperpetrated, O regenerate one, is not righteous. Lay aside thy weapons in\nbattle without delay, O Drona, do not wait longer on earth. Do not, O\nregenerate one, perpetrate such a sinful act.\" Hearing these words of\ntheirs as also those spoken by Bhimasena, and beholding Dhrishtadyumna\nbefore him, Drona became exceedingly cheerless in battle. Burning with\ngrief and exceedingly afflicted, he enquired of Kunti's son Yudhishthira\nas to whether his son (Aswatthaman) had been slain or not. Drona firmly\nbelieved that Yudhishthira would never speak an untruth even for the sake\nof the sovereignty of the three worlds. For this reason, that bull among\nBrahmanas asked Yudhishthira and not any body else. He had hoped for\ntruth from Yudhishthira from the latter's infancy.\n\n\"'Meanwhile, O monarch, Govinda, knowing that Drona, that foremost of\nwarriors, was capable of sweeping all the Pandavas off the face of the\nearth, became much distressed. Addressing Yudhishthira he said, \"If Drona\nfighteth, filled with rage, for even half-a-day, I tell thee truly, thy\narmy will then be annihilated. Save us, then, from Drona. Under such\ncircumstances, falsehood is better than truth. By telling an untruth for\nsaving a life, one is not touched by sin. There is no sin in untruth\nspoken unto women, or in marriages, or for saving a king, or for rescuing a\nBrahmana.\"[252] While Govinda and Yudhishthira were thus talking with\neach other, Bhimasena (addressing the king) said, \"As soon, O monarch, as\nI heard of the means by which the high-souled Drona might be slain,\nputting forth my prowess in battle, I immediately slew a mighty elephant,\nlike unto the elephant of Sakra himself, belonging to Indravarman, the\nchief of the Malavas, who was standing within thy army. I then went to\nDrona and told him, 'Aswatthaman has been slain, O Brahmana! Cease, then,\nto fight.' Verily, O bull among men, the preceptor did not believe in the\ntruth of words. Desirous of victory as thou art, accept the advice of\nGovinda. Tell Drona, O King, that the son of Saradwat's daughter is no\nmore. Told by thee, that bull among Brahmanas will never fight. Thou, O\nruler of men, art reputed to be truthful in the three worlds.\" Hearing\nthose words of Bhima and induced by the counsels of Krishna, and owing\nalso to the inevitability of destiny, O monarch, Yudhishthira made up his\nmind to say what he desired. Fearing to utter an untruth, but earnestly\ndesirous of victory, Yudhishthira distinctly said that Aswatthaman was\ndead, adding indistinctly the world elephant (after the name). Before\nthis, Yudhishthira's car had stayed at a height of four fingers' breadth\nfrom the surface of the earth; after, however, he had said that untruth,\nhis (vehicle and) animals touched the earth. Hearing those words from\nYudhishthira, the mighty car-warrior Drona, afflicted with grief, for the\n(supposed) death of his son, yielded to the influence of despair. By the\nwords, again, of the Rishis, he regarded himself a great offender against\nthe high-souled Pandavas. Hearing now about the death of his son, he\nbecame perfectly cheerless and filled with anxiety; upon beholding\nDhrishtadyumna, O king, that chastiser of foes could not fight as\nbefore.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Drona filled with great anxiety and almost\ndeprived of his senses by grief, Dhrishtadyumna, the son of the Panchala\nking, rushed at him. That hero had, for the destruction of Drona, been\nobtained by Drupada, that ruler of men, at a great sacrifice, from the\nBearer of sacrificial libations. Desirous of slaying Drona, he now took\nup a victory-giving and formidable bow whose twang resembled the roll of\nthe clouds, whose string was possessed of great strength, and which was\nirrefragable and celestial. And he fixed on it a fierce arrow, resembling\na snake of virulent poison and possessed of the splendour of fire. That\narrow, resembling a fire of fierce flame, while within the circle of his\nbow, looked like the autumnal sun of great splendour within a radiant\ncircle. Beholding that blazing bow bent with force by Prishata's son, the\ntroops regarded that to be the last hour (of the world). Seeing that\narrow aimed at him, the valiant son of Bharadwaja thought that the last\nhour of his body had come. The preceptor prepared with care to baffle\nthat shaft. The weapons, however, of that high-souled one, O monarch, no\nlonger appeared at his bidding.[253] His weapons had not been exhausted\nalthough he had shot them ceaselessly for four days and one night. On the\nexpiry, however, of the third part of that of the fifth day, his arrows\nbecame exhausted. Seeing the exhaustion of his arrows and afflicted with\ngrief on account of his son's death, and in consequence also of the\nunwillingness of the celestial weapons to appear at his bidding, he\ndesired to lay aside his weapons, as requested by the words of the Rishis\nalso. Though filled with great energy, he could not however, fight as\nbefore. Then taking up another celestial bow that Angiras had given him,\nand certain arrows that resembled a Brahmana's curse, he continued to\nfight with Dhrishtadyumna. He covered the Panchala prince with a thick\nshower of arrows, and filled with rage, mangled his angry antagonist.\nWith his own keen shafts he cut off in a hundred fragments those of the\nprince as also the latter's standard and bow. He then killed his\nantagonist's driver. Then Dhrishtadyumna, smiling, took up another bow,\nand pierced Drona with a keen shaft in the centre of the chest. Deeply\npierced therewith and losing his self-possession in that encounter, that\nmighty bowman, then, with a sharp and broad-headed arrow, once more cut off\nDhrishtadyumna's bow. Indeed, the invincible Drona then cut off all the\nweapons, O king, and all the bows that his antagonist had, with the\nexception only of his mace and sword. Filled with rage, he then pierced\nthe angry Dhrishtadyumna, O chastiser of foes, with nine keen arrows,\ncapable of taking the life of every foe. Then the mighty car-warrior\nDhrishtadyumna, of immeasurable soul, invoking into existence the Brahma\nweapon, caused the steeds of his own car to be mingled with those of his\nfoes. Endued with the speed of the wind, those steeds that were red and\nof the hue of pigeons, O bull of Bharata's race, thus mingled together,\nlooked exceedingly beautiful. Indeed, O king, those steeds thus mingled\ntogether on the field of battle, looked beautiful like roaring clouds in\nthe season of rains, charged with lightning. Then that twice-born one of\nimmeasurable soul cut off the shaft-joints, the wheel-joints, and (other)\ncar-joints of Dhrishtadyumna. Deprived of his bow, and made carless and\nsteedless and driverless, the heroic Dhrishtadyumna, fallen into great\ndistress, grasped a mace. Filled with rage, the mighty car-warrior,\nDrona, of unbaffled prowess, by means of a number of keen shafts, cut off\nthat mace, while it was on the point of being hurled at him. Beholding\nhis mace cut off by Drona with arrows, that tiger among men, (viz., the\nPanchala prince), took up a spotless sword and a bright shield decked\nwith a hundred moons. Without doubt, under those circumstances, the\nPanchala prince determined to make an end of that foremost of preceptors,\nthat high-souled warrior. Sometimes sheltering himself in his car-box\nand sometimes riding on his car-shafts, the prince moved about, uplifting\nhis swords and whirling his bright shield. The mighty car-warrior\nDhrishtadyumna, desirous of achieving, from folly, a difficult feat,\nhoped to pierce the chest of Bharadwaja's son in that battle. Sometimes,\nhe stayed upon the yoke, and sometimes under the haunches of Drona's red\nsteeds. These movements of his were highly applauded by all the troops.\nIndeed, while he stayed amid the trappings of the yoke or behind those\nred steeds, Drona found no opportunity to strike him. All this seemed\nexceedingly wonderful. The movements of both Drona and Prishata's son in\nthat battle resembled the fight of hawk careering through the welkin for\na piece of meat. Then Drona, by means of a dart pierced the white steeds\nof his antagonist, one after another, not striking, however, the red ones\namongst them (that belonged to himself)[254]. Deprived of life, those\nsteeds of Dhrishtadyumna fell down upon the earth. Thereupon, the red\nsteeds of Drona himself, O king, were freed from the entanglements of\nDhrishtadyumna's car. Beholding his steeds slain by that foremost of\nBrahmanas, Prishata's son, that mighty car-warrior, that foremost of\nfighters, could not brook it. Though deprived of his car, still that\nforemost of all swordsmen, armed with his sword, sprang towards Drona, O\nmonarch, like Vinata's son (Garuda) making a swoop at a snake. The form,\nO king, of Dhrishtadyumna at that time, when he sought to slay the son of\nBharadwaja, resembled the form of Vishnu himself in days of yore when at\nthe point of slaying Hiranyakasipu. He performed diverse evolutions, in\nfact. O Kauravya, the son of Prishata, careering in that battle,\nexhibited the well-known one and twenty different kinds of motion. Armed\nwith the sword, and shield in hand, Prishata's son wheeled about and\nwhirled his sword on high, and made side thrusts, and rushed forward, and\nran sideways, and leapt high, and assailed the flanks of his antagonists\nand receded backwards, and closed with his foes, and pressed them hard.\nHaving practised them well, he also showed the evolutions called Bharata,\nKausika Satwata, as he careened in that battle for compassing the\ndestruction of Drona. Beholding those beautiful evolutions of\nDhrishtadyumna, as he careered on the field, sword and shield in hand,\nall the warriors, as also the celestials assembled there, were filled\nwith wonder. The regenerate Drona then, shooting a thousand arrows in the\nthick of fight, cut off the sword of Dhrishtadyumna as also his shield,\ndecked with a hundred moons. Those arrows that Drona shot, while fighting\nfrom such a near point, were of the length of a span. Such arrows are\nused only in close fight. None else have arrows of that kind, except\nKripa, and Partha, and Aswatthaman and Karna, Pradyumna and Yuyudhana;\nAbhimanyu also had such arrows. Then the preceptor, desirous of slaying\nhis disciple who was unto him even as his own son, fixed on his\nbow-string a shaft endued with great impetuosity. That shaft, however,\nSatyaki cut off by means of ten arrows, in the very sight of thy son as\nalso of the high-souled Karna, as thus rescued Dhrishtadyumna who was on\nthe point of succumbing to Drona. Then Kesava and Dhananjaya beheld\nSatyaki of prowess incapable of being baffled, who, O Bharata, was thus\ncareering in the car-tracks (of the Kuru warriors) and within the range\nof the shafts of Drona and Karna and Kripa. Saying. \"Excellent,\nExcellent!\" both of them loudly applauded Satyaki of unfading glory, who\nwas thus destroying the celestial weapons of all those warriors. Then\nKesava and Dhananjaya rushed towards the Kurus. Addressing Krishna,\nDhananjaya said, \"Behold, O Kesava, that perpetuator of Madhu's race,\nviz., Satyaki of true prowess, sporting before the preceptor and those\nmighty car-warriors and gladdening me and the twins and Bhima and king\nYudhishthira. With skill acquired by practice and without insolence,\nbehold that enhancer of the fame of the Vrishnis, viz., Satyaki,\ncareering in battle, sporting the while with those mighty car-warriors.\nAll these troops, as also the Siddhas (in the welkin), beholding him\ninvincible in battle, are filled with wonder, and applauding him, saying,\n'Excellent, Excellent!' Indeed, O king, the warriors of both armies all\napplauded the Satwata hero, for his feats.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding those feats of the Satwata hero, Duryodhana and\nothers, filled with rage, quickly encompassed the grandson of Sini on all\nsides. Kripa and Karna, and also thy sons, O sire, in that battle,\nquickly approaching the grandson of Sini, began to strike him with keen\narrows. Then king Yudhishthira, and the two other Pandavas, viz., the two\nsons of Madri and Bhimasena of great might surrounded Satyaki (for\nprotecting him). Karna, and the mighty car-warrior Kripa, and Duryodhana\nand others, all resisted Satyaki, pouring showers of arrows on him. The\ngrandson of Sini, however, contending with all those car-warriors,\nbaffled, O monarch, that terrible downpour of arrows, so suddenly created\nby his foes. Indeed, in that dreadful battle, Satyaki, by means of his\nown celestial weapons, duly resisted all those celestial weapons aimed at\nhim by those illustrious warriors. The field of battle became full of\nmany cruel sights upon that encounter of those royal combatants,\nresembling that scene of yore when Rudra, filled with rage, had destroyed\nall creatures. Human arms and heads and bows, O Bharata, and umbrellas\ndisplaced (from cars), and yak-tails, were seen lying in heaps on the\nfield of battle. The earth became quickly strewn with broken wheels and\ncars, and massive arms lopped off from trunks, and brave horsemen\ndeprived of life. And, O foremost one among the Kurus, a large number of\nwarriors, mangled with falling arrows, were seen in that great battle to\nroll and writhe on the ground in agony of the last spasms of death.\nDuring the progress of that terrible battle, resembling the encounter in\ndays of old between the celestials and the Asuras, king Yudhishthira the\njust, addressing his warriors, said, \"Putting forth all your vigour, rush,\nye great car-warriors, against the Pot-born! Yonder the heroic son of\nPrishata is engaged with Drona! He is endeavouring to the utmost of his\nmight, to slay the son of Bharadwaja. Judging from the aspect he is\npresenting in this great battle, it is evident that filled with rage, he\nwill today overthrow Drona. Uniting together, all of you fight with the\nPot-born.\" Thus ordered by Yudhishthira, the mighty car-warriors of the\nSrinjayas all rushed with great vigour to slay the son of Bharadwaja.\nThat mighty car-warrior, viz., Bharadwaja's son, quickly rushed against\nthose advancing warriors, knowing for certain that he would die. When\nDrona, of sure aim, thus proceeded, the earth trembled violently. Fierce\nwinds began to blow, inspiring the (hostile) ranks with fear. Large\nmeteors fell, seemingly issuing out of the sun, blazing fiercely as they\nfell and foreboding great terrors. The weapons of Drona, O sire, seemed\nto blaze forth. Cars seemed to produce loud rattles, and steeds to shed\ntears. The mighty car-warrior, Drona, seemed to be divested of his\nenergy. His left eye and left hand began to twitch. Beholding Prishata's\nson, again, before him, and bearing in mind the words of the Rishis about\nhis leaving the world for heaven, he became cheerless. He then desired to\ngive up life by fighting fairly. Encompassed on all sides by the troops\nof Drupada's son, Drona began to career in battle, consuming large\nnumbers of Kshatriyas. That grinder of foes, having slain four and twenty\nthousand Kshatriyas, then despatched to Yama's abode ten times ten\nthousand, by means of his shafts of keen points. Exerting himself with\ncare, he seemed to stand in that battle like a smokeless fire. For the\nextermination of the Kshatriya race, he then had recourse to the Brahma\nweapon. Then the mighty Bhima, beholding the illustrious and irresistible\nprince of the Panchalas carless and weaponless, quickly proceeded towards\nhim. Beholding him striking at Drona from a near point, that grinder of\nfoes took up Dhrishtadyumna on his own car and said unto him, \"Save thee\nthere is no other man that can venture to fight with the preceptor. Be\nquick to slay him. The burden of his slaughter rests upon thee.\" Thus\naddressed by Bhima, the mighty-armed Dhrishtadyumna speedily took up a\nstrong, a new and a superb bow capable of bearing a great strain. Filled\nwith rage, and shooting his arrows in that battle at the irresistible\nDrona, Dhrishtadyumna covered the preceptor, desirous of withstanding\nhim. Those two ornaments of battle then, both foremost of fighters and\nboth filled with rage, invoked into existence the Brahma and diverse\nother celestial weapons. Indeed, O king, Dhrishtadyumna covered Drona\nwith many mighty weapons in that encounter. Destroying all the weapons of\nBharadwaja's son, the Panchala prince, that warrior of unfading glory,\nbegan to slay the Vasatis, the Sivis, the Valhikas and the Kurus, that\nis, them, who protected Drona in that battle. Indeed, O king, shooting\nshowers of arrows on all sides, Dhrishtadyumna at that time looked\nresplendent like the sun himself shedding his thousands of rays. Drona,\nhowever, once more cut off the prince's bow and pierced the vitals of the\nprince himself with many arrows. Thus pierced, the prince felt great\npain. Then Bhima, of great wrath, holding the car of Drona, O monarch,\nslowly said these words unto him: \"If wretches amongst Brahmanas,\ndiscontented with the avocations of their own order, but well-versed in\narms, did not fight, the Kshatriya order then would not have been thus\nexterminated. Abstention from injury to all creatures hath been said to\nbe the highest of all virtues. The Brahmana is the root of that virtue.\nAs regards thyself, again, thou art the foremost of all persons\nacquainted with Brahma. Slaying all those Mlecchas and other warriors,\nwho, however, are all engaged in the proper avocations of their order,\nmoved thereto by ignorance and folly, O Brahmana, and by the desire of\nwealth for benefiting sons and wives; indeed, for the sake of an only\nson, why dost thou not feel ashamed? He for whom thou hast taken up\nweapons, and for whom thou livest, he, deprived of life, lieth today on\nthe field of battle, unknown to thee and behind thy back. King\nYudhishthira the just hath told thee this. It behoveth thee not to doubt\nthis fact.\" Thus addressed by Bhima, Drona laid aside his bow. Desirous\nof laying aside all his weapons also, Bharadwaja's son of virtuous soul\nsaid aloud, \"O Karna, Karna, O great bowman, O Kripa, O Duryodhana, I\ntell you repeatedly, exert yourselves carefully in battle. Let no injury\nhappen to you from the Pandavas. As regards myself, I lay aside my\nweapons.\" Saying these words, he began loudly to take the name of\nAswatthaman. Laying aside his weapons then in that battle, and sitting\ndown on the terrace of his car, he devoted himself to Yoga and assured\nall creatures, dispelling their fears. Beholding that opportunity,\nDhrishtadyumna mustered all his energy. Laying down on the car his\nformidable bow, with arrow fixed on the bow-string, he took up a sword,\nand jumping down from his vehicle, rushed quickly against Drona. All\ncreatures, human beings and others, uttered exclamation of woe, beholding\nDrona thus brought under Dhrishtadyumna's power. Loud cries of Oh and\nAlas were uttered, as also those of Oh and Fie. As regards Drona himself,\nabandoning his weapons, he was then in a supremely tranquil state. Having\nsaid those words he had devoted himself to Yoga. Endued with great\neffulgence and possessed of high ascetic merit, he had fixed his heart on\nthat Supreme and Ancient Being, viz., Vishnu. Bending his face slightly\ndown, and heaving his breast forward, and closing his eyes, and resting\non the quality of goodness, and disposing his heart to contemplation,\nand thinking on the monosyllable Om, representing Brahma, and\nremembering the puissant, supreme, and indestructible God of gods, the\nradiant Drona of high ascetic merit, the preceptor (of the Kurus and the\nPandavas) repaired to heaven that is so difficult of being attained even\nby the pious. Indeed, when Drona thus proceeded to heaven it seemed to us\nthat there were then two suns in the firmament. The whole welkin was\nablaze and seemed to be one vast expanse of equal light when the sun-like\nBharadwaja, of solar effulgence, disappeared. Confused sounds of joy were\nheard, uttered by the delighted celestials. When Drona thus repaired to\nthe region of Brahman, Dhrishtadyumna stood, unconscious of it all,\nbeside him. Only we five amongst men beheld the high-souled Drona rapt in\nYoga proceed to the highest region of blessedness. These five were\nmyself, Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, and Drona's son, Aswatthaman, and\nVasudeva of Vrishni's race, and king Yudhishthira the just, the son of\nPandu. Nobody else, O king, could see that glory of the wise Drona,\ndevoted to Yoga, while passing out of the world. In fact, all human\nbeings were unconscious of the fact that the preceptor attained to the\nsupreme region of Brahman, a region mysterious to the very gods, and one\nthat is the highest of all. Indeed, none of them could see the preceptor,\nthat chastiser of foes, proceed to the region of Brahman, devoted to Yoga\nin the company of the foremost of Rishis, his body mangled with arrows\nand bathed in blood, after he had laid aside his weapons. As regards\nPrishata's son, though everybody cried fie on him, yet casting his eyes\non the lifeless Drona's head, he began to drag it. With his sword, then,\nhe lopped off from his foe's trunk that head,--his foe remained\nspeechless the while. Having slain Bharadwaja's son. Dhrishtadyumna was\nfilled with great joy, and uttered leonine shouts, whirling his sword. Of\na dark complexion, with white locks hanging down to his ears, that old\nman of five and eighty years of age, used, for thy sake only, to career\non the field of battle with the activity of a youth of sixteen. The\nmighty-armed Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, (before Drona's head was cut\noff) had said, \"O son of Drupada, bring the preceptor alive, do not slay\nhim. He should not be slain.\" Even thus all the troops also had cried\nout. Arjuna, in particular, melted with pity, had cried out repeatedly.\nDisregarding, however, the cries of Arjuna as also these of all the\nkings, Dhrishtadyumna slew Drona, that bull among men, on the terrace of\nhis car. Covered with Drona's blood, Dhrishtadyumna then jumped from the\ncar down upon the ground. Looking red like the sun, he then seemed to be\nexceedingly fierce. Thy troops beheld Drona slain even thus in that\nbattle. Then Dhrishtadyumna, that great bowman, O king, threw down that\nlarge head of Bharadwaja's son before the warriors of thy army. Thy\nsoldiers, O monarch, beholding the head of Bharadwaja's son, set their\nhearts on flight and ran away in all directions. Meanwhile Drona,\nascending the skies, entered the stellar path. Through the grace of the\nRishis Krishna (Dwaipayana), the son of Satyavati, I witnessed, O king,\nthe (true circumstances about the) death of Drona. I beheld that\nillustrious one proceeding, after he had ascended the sky, like a\nsmokeless brand of blazing splendour. Upon the fall of Drona, the Kurus,\nthe Pandavas and the Srinjayas, all became cheerless and ran away with\ngreat speed. The army then broke up. Many had been slain, and many\nwounded by means of keen shafts. Thy warriors (in particular), upon the\nfall of Drona, seemed to be deprived of life. Having sustained a defeat,\nand being inspired with fear about the future, the Kurus regarded\nthemselves deprived of both the worlds. Indeed, they lost all\nself-control.[255] Searching for the body of Bharadwaja's son, O\nmonarch, on the field covered with thousands of headless trunks, the\nkings could not find it. The Pandavas, having gained the victory and\ngreat prospects of renown in the future, began to make loud sounds with\ntheir arrows and conchs and uttered loud leonine roars. Then Bhimasena, O\nking, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, were seen in the midst of\nthe (Pandava) host to embrace each other. Addressing the son of Prishata,\nthat scorcher of foes, viz., Bhima said, \"I will again embrace thee, O\nson of Prishata, as one crowned with victory, when that wretch of a\nSuta's son shall be slain in battle, as also that other wretch, viz.,\nDuryodhana.\" Having said these words, Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, filled\nwith transports of joy, caused the earth to tremble with slaps on his\narmpits. Terrified by that sound, thy troops ran away from battle,\nforgetting the duties of the Kshatriyas and setting their hearts on\nflight. The Pandavas, having become victors, became very glad, O monarch,\nand they felt great happiness, derived from the destruction of their foes\nin battle.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCIV\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Upon the fall of Drona, O king, the Kurus, afflicted with\nweapons, deprived of their leader, broken and routed, became filled with\nexertion, and deprived of energy through grief. Uttering loud wails, they\ngrieved. Seeing their foes (the Pandavas) prevailing over them, they\nrepeatedly trembled. Their eyes filled with tears, and hearts inspired\nwith fear, they became, O king, melancholy and cheerless, and destitute of\nwill gathered round thy son. Covered with dust, trembling (with fear),\ncasting vacant looks on all sides, and their voice choked with fear, they\nresembled the Daityas after the fall of Hiranyaksha in the days of yore.\nSurrounded by them all, as if by small animals struck with fear, thy son,\nunable to stay in their midst, moved away. Afflicted with hunger and\nthirst, and scorched by the sun, thy warriors, then, O Bharata, became\nexceedingly cheerless. Beholding the fall of Bharadwaja's son, which was\nlike unto the dropping of the sun down upon the earth, or the drying up\nof the ocean, or the transplantation of Meru, or the defeat of Vasava,\nbeholding that act, incapable of being quietly witnessed, the Kauravas, O\nking, fled away in fear,--terror lending them greater speed. The ruler of\nthe Gandharas Sakuni, beholding Drona of the golden car slain, fled with\nthe car-warriors of his division, with speed that was much greater. Even\nthe Suta's son fled away in fear, taking with him his own vast division,\nthat was retreating with great speed with all its standards. The ruler of\nthe Madras, viz., Salya, also, casting vacant looks around, fled away in\nfear, taking with him his division, teeming with cars and elephants and\nsteeds. Saradwat's son, Kripa, too, fled away, saying, \"Alas. Alas,\"\ntaking with him his division of elephants and foot-soldiers, the greater\npart thereof having been slain. Kritavarman, O king, also fled away,\nborne by his swift steeds, and surrounded by the remnant of his Bhoja,\nKalinga, Aratta, and Valhika troops. Uluka, O king, beholding Drona\nslain, fled away with speed, afflicted with fear and accompanied by a\nlarge body of foot-soldiers. Handsome and endued with youth, and reputed\nfor his bravery, Duhsasana, also, in great anxiety, fled away surrounded\nby his elephant division. Taking with him ten thousand cars and three\nthousand elephants, Vrishasena also fled with speed at the sight of\nDrona's fall. Accompanied by his elephants and horses and cars, and\nsurrounded also by foot-soldiers, thy son, the mighty car-warrior,\nDuryodhana, too, fled away, O king, taking with him the remnant of the\nSamsaptakas whom Arjuna had not yet slaughtered. Susarman, O king, fled\naway, beholding Drona slain. Riding on elephants and cars and steeds, all\nthe warriors of the Kaurava army fled away from the field, seeing Drona,\nof golden car, slain. Some urging their sires on, some their brothers,\nsome their maternal uncles, some their sons, some their friends, the\nKauravas fled away. Others urging on their brethren in arms or their\nsisters' sons, their kinsmen, fled away on all sides. With dishevelled\nhair, and accoutrements loosened, all fled away in such a manner that\neven two persons could not be seen running together.--The Kuru army has\nbeen totally destroyed,--even this was the belief of every body. Others\namongst thy troops, fled away, O king, throwing off their coats of mail.\nThe soldiers loudly called upon one another, O bull of Bharata's race,\nsaying,--\"Wait, Wait, do not fly,\" but none of them that said so\nthemselves stood on the field. Abandoning their vehicles and cars decked\nwith ornaments, the warriors, riding on steeds or using their legs, fled\naway with great speed.\n\n\"'While the troops, deprived of energy, were thus flying away with speed,\nonly Drona's son, Aswatthaman, like a huge alligator coming up against\nthe current of a stream, rushed against his foes. A fierce battle took\nplace between him and many warriors headed by Sikhandin and the\nPrabhadrakas, the Panchalas, the Chedis, and the Kaikeyas. Slaying many\nwarriors of the Pandava army that were incapable of being defeated with\nease, and escaping with difficulty from the press of battle, that hero,\npossessed of the tread of an infuriated elephant, saw the (Kaurava) host\nrunning away, resolved on flight. Proceeding towards Duryodhana, Drona's\nson, approaching the Kuru king, said, \"Why, O Bharata, are the troops\nflying away as if in fear? Although flying away, thus, O monarch, why\ndost thou not yet rally them in battle? Thyself, too, O king, dost not\nseem to be in thy usual frame of mind. Upon the slaughter of that lion\namong car-warriors, O monarch, hath thy force fallen into this plight. O\nKaurava, O king, all these that are headed (even) by Karna, wait not on\nthe field. In no battle fought before did the army fly away thus. Hath\nany evil befallen thy troops, O Bharata?\" Hearing these words of Drona's\nson on that occasion, Duryodhana, that bull among kings, felt himself\nunable to impart the bitter intelligence. Indeed, thy son seemed to sink\ninto an ocean of grief, like a foundered boat. Beholding Drona's son on\nhis car, the king became bathed in tears. Suffused with shame, O monarch,\nthe king then addressed Saradwat's son, saying, \"Blessed be thou, say\nthou, before others, why the army is thus flying away\". Then Saradwat's\nson, O king, repeatedly feeling great anguish, told Drona's son how his\nsire had been slain.\n\n\"'Kripa said, \"Placing Drona, that foremost of car-warriors, at our head,\nwe commenced to fight with only the Panchalas. When the battle commenced,\nthe Kurus and the Somakas, mingled together, roared at one another and\nbegan to strike down one another with their weapons. During the progress\nof that battle the Dhartarashtras began to be thinned. Seeing this, thy\nsire, filled with rage, invoked into existence a celestial weapon.\nIndeed, Drona, that bull among men, having invoked the Brahma weapon,\nslew his enemies with broad-headed arrows, by hundreds, and\nthousands.[256] Urged by fate, the Pandavas, the Kaikeyas, the Matsyas,\nand the Panchalas, O foremast of regenerate ones, approaching Drona's\ncar, began to perish. With his Brahma weapon, Drona despatched unto\nYama's abode a thousand brave warriors and two thousand elephants. Of a\ndark complexion, with his gray locks hanging down to his ears, and full\nfive and eighty years old, the aged Drona used to careen in battle like a\nyouth of sixteen, When the enemy's troops were thus afflicted and the\nkings were being slain, the Panchalas, though filled with desire of\nrevenge, turned back from the fight. When the enemy, turning back,\npartially lost their order, that vanquisher of foes, (viz., Drona),\ninvoking celestial weapons into existence, shone resplendent like the\nrisen sun. Indeed, thy valiant sire, getting into the midst of the\nPandavas, and having arrows for the rays that emanated from him,\nresembled the midday sun at whom none could gaze. Scorched by Drona, as\nif by the blazing sun, they became cheerless and deprived of their energy\nand senses. Beholding them thus afflicted by Drona with his shafts, the\nslayer of Madhu, desirous of victory to the son of Pandu, said these\nwords: 'Truly, this foremost of all wielders of arms, this leader of the\nleaders is incapable of being vanquished in battle by the slayer of\nVritra himself. Ye sons of Pandu, laying aside righteousness, take care\nof victory, so that Drona of the golden car may not slay all of you in\nbattle. I think he will not fight after the fall of Aswatthaman. Let some\nman falsely tell him that Aswatthaman has been slain in battle.' Hearing\nthese words Kunti's son, Dhananjaya, approved them not. The advice,\nhowever, met with the approval of all others, and even of Yudhishthira\nwith some difficulty. Then, Bhimasena, with a tinge of bashfulness, said\nunto thy sire, 'Aswatthaman hath been slain.' Thy sire, however, did not\nbelieve him. Suspecting the intelligence to be false, thy father, so\naffectionate towards thee, enquired of Yudhishthira as to whether thou\nwert really dead or not. Afflicted with the fear of a lie, solicitous at\nthe same time of victory, Yudhishthira, beholding a mighty elephant, huge\nas a hill and called Aswatthaman, belonging to the Malava chief,\nIndravarman, slain on the field by Bhima, approached Drona and answered\nhim, saying, 'He for whom thou wieldest weapons, he, looking upon whom\nthou livest that ever dear son of thine, viz., Aswatthaman, hath been\nslain. Deprived of life he lieth on the bare ground like a young lion.'\nAware fully of the evil consequences of falsehood, the king spoke those\nwords unto that best of Brahmans, indistinctly adding elephant (after\nAswatthaman). Hearing of the fall of his son, he began to wail aloud,\nafflicted with grief, Restraining (the force of) his celestial weapons,\nhe fought not as before. Beholding him filled with anxiety, and almost\ndeprived of his senses by grief, the son of the Panchala king, of cruel\ndeeds, rushed towards him. Seeing the prince who had been ordained as his\nslayer, Drona, versed in all truths about men and things, abandoned all\nhis celestial weapons and sat in Praya on the field of battle. Then\nPrishata's son, seizing Drona's head with his left hand and disregarding\nthe loud admonitions of all the heroes, cut off that head. 'Drona should\nnot be slain,' even these were the words uttered from every side.\nSimilarly, Arjuna also, jumping down from his car, quickly ran towards\nPrishata's son, with arms upraised and repeatedly saying, 'O thou that\nart acquainted with the ways of morality, do not slay the preceptor but\nbring him alive.' Though thus forbidden by the Kauravas as also by\nArjuna, Dhrishtadyumna killed thy father. For this, afflicted with fear,\nthe troops are all flying away. Ourselves also, for the same reason, in\ngreat cheerlessness, O sinless one, are doing the same.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing of the slaughter of his sire in battle,\nDrona's son, like a snake struck with the foot, became filled with fierce\nwrath. And filled with rage, O sire, Aswatthaman blazed up in that battle\nlike a fire fed with a large quantity of fuel. As he squeezed his hands\nand ground his teeth, and breathed like a snake, his eyes became red as\nblood.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCV\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Hearing, O Sanjaya, of the slaughter, by\nunrighteous means, of his aged sire, by Dhrishtadyumna, what did the\nvaliant Aswatthaman say, he, that is, in whom human and Varuna and Agneya\nand Brahma and Aindra and Narayana weapons are always present? Indeed,\nlearning that the preceptor, that foremost of virtuous men, had been\nunrighteously slain by Dhrishtadyumna in battle, what did Aswatthaman\nsay? The high-souled Drona, having obtained the science of weapons from\nRama have imparted (a knowledge of) all the celestial weapons unto his\nson desirous of seeing the latter adorned with all the accomplishments\n(of a warrior). There is only one person in this world, viz., the son,\nand none else, whom people desire to become superior to themselves. All\nhigh-souled preceptors have this characteristic, viz., that they impart\nall the mysteries of their science unto either sons or devoted disciples.\nBecoming his sire's pupil, O Sanjaya, and obtaining all those mysteries\nwith every detail, the son of Saradwat's daughter has become a second\nDrona, and a great hero. Aswatthaman is equal to Karna in knowledge of\nweapons, to Purandara in battle, to Kartavirya in energy, and Vrihaspati\nin wisdom. In fortitude, that youth is equal to a mountain, and in energy\nto fire. In gravity, he is equal to an ocean, and in wrath, to the poison\nof the snake. He is the foremost of all car-warriors in battle, a firm\nbowman, and above all fatigue. In speed he is equal to the wind itself\nand he careens in the thick of fight like Yama in rage. While his engaged\nin shooting arrows in battle, the very earth becomes afflicted. Of\nprowess incapable of being baffled, that hero is never fatigued by\nexertions. Purified by the Vedas and by vows, he is a thorough master of\nthe science of arms, like Rama, the son of Dasaratha. He is like the\nocean, incapable of being agitated. Hearing that the preceptor, that\nforemost of righteous persons, had been unrighteously slain in battle by\nDhrishtadyumna, what, indeed, did Aswatthaman say? Aswatthaman hath been\nordained to be the slayer of Dhrishtadyumna, even as Yajnasena's son, the\nprince of the Panchalas, was ordained to be the slayer of Drona. What,\nO Suta, did Aswatthaman say, hearing that his sire, the preceptor, had been\nslain by the cruel, sinful, and mean Dhrishtadyumna of little foresight?'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCVI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing of the slaughter of his sire by Dhrishtadyumna,\nof sinful deeds, Drona's son was filled with grief and rage, O bull among\nmen. Filled with rage, O king, his body seems to blaze forth like that of\nthe Destroyer while engaged in slaughtering creatures at the end of Yuga.\nRepeatedly wiping his tearful eyes, and breathing hot sighs in rage, he\nsaid unto Duryodhana, \"I have now learnt how my sire has been slain by\nthose low wretches after he laid aside his weapons, and how also has a\nsinful act been perpetrated by Yudhishthira disguised in the grab of\nvirtue![257] I have now heard of that unrighteous and exceedingly cruel\nact of Dharma's son. Indeed, to those engaged in battle, either of the\ntwo things must happen, viz., victory or defeat. Death in battle is\nalways to be applauded. That death, in battle, of a person engaged in\nfight, which takes place under circumstances of righteousness, is not\ndeserving of grief, as has been observed by the sages. Without doubt, my\nsire has gone to the region of heroes. He having met with such a death, I\nshould not grieve for him. The humiliation, however, of a seizure of his\nlocks, that he sustained in the very sight of all the troops, while he\nwas righteously engaged in battle, is tearing the very core of my heart.\nMyself alive, my sire's locks were seized, why should sonless people then\nentertain a desire of offspring?[258] People perpetrate unrighteous acts\nor humiliate others, moved by lust or wrath or folly or hatred or levity.\nThe cruel and wicked-souled son of Prishata hath perpetrated this\nexceedingly sinful act in total disregard of me. Dhrishtadyumna,\ntherefore, shall surely suffer the dreadful consequence of that act, as\nalso the false-speeched son of Pandu, that has acted so wrongly. Today,\nthe earth shall certainly drink the blood of that king Yudhishthira the\njust, who caused the preceptor, by an act of deceit to lay aside his\nweapons. I swear by truth, O Kauraveya, as also by my religious acts,\nthat I shall never bear the burden of life if I fail to exterminate the\nPanchalas. By every means I contend with the Panchalas in dreadful\nstrife. I shall certainly slay in battle Dhrishtadyumna, that perpetrator\nof unrighteous deeds. Mild or violent, let the means be what they will, I\nshall effect the destruction of all the Panchalas before peace becomes\nmine. O Kaurava! O tiger among men, persons desire children so that\nobtaining them they may be rescued from great fears both here and\nhereafter. My sire, however, fell unto that plight, like a friendless\ncreature, although myself am alive, his disciple and son, resembling a\nmountain (in might). Fie on my celestial weapons. Fie on my arms. Fie on\nmy prowess. Since Drona, although he had a son in me, had his locks\nseized! I shall, therefore, O chief of the Bharatas, now achieve that by\nwhich I may be freed from the debt I owe to my sire, now gone to the\nother world. He that is good never indulges in self-praise. Unable,\nhowever, to brook the slaughter of my sire, I speak of my prowess. Let\nthe Pandavas, with Janardana among them, behold my energy today, while I\ngrind all their troops, achieving what is done (by the destroyer himself)\nat the end of the Yuga. Neither the gods, nor the Gandharvas, nor the\nAsuras, the Uragas, and the Rakshasas, nor all the foremost of men, shall\ntoday be able to vanquish me on my car in battle. There is none in the\nworld equal to me or Arjuna in knowledge of weapons. Entering into the\nmidst of the troops, like the sun himself in the midst of his blazing\nrays, I shall today use my celestial weapons. Today, applied by me,\ninnumerable shafts, sped from my bow in dreadful battle, displaying their\nterrible energy, I shall grind the Pandavas. Today, all the points of the\ncompass, O king will be seen by the warriors of our army shrouded with my\nwinged arrows of keen points, as if with torrents of rain. Scattering\nshowers of shafts on all sides with a loud noise, I shall overthrow my\nfoes, like a tempest felling trees. Neither Vibhatsu, nor Janardana, nor\nBhimasena, nor Nakula, nor Sahadeva, nor king Yudhishthira, nor\nPrishata's wicked-souled son (Dhrishtadyumna), nor Sikhandin, nor\nSatyaki, O Kauravya, knoweth that weapon which I have, along with the\nmantras, for hurting and withdrawing it. Formerly on one occasion,\nNarayana, assuming the form of a Brahmana, came to my father. Bowing unto\nhim, my father presented his offerings unto him in due form. Taking them\nhimself, the divine Lord offered to give him a boon. My father then\nsolicited that supreme weapon called Narayana. The divine Lord, the\nforemost of all gods, addressing my sire, said, 'No man shall ever become\nthy equal in battle. This weapon, however, O Brahmana, should never be\nused in haste. It never comes back without effecting the destruction of\nthe foe. I know none whom it may not slay, O lord! Indeed, it would slay\neven the unslayable. Therefore, it should not be used (without the\ngreatest deliberation). This mighty weapon, O scorcher of foes, should\nnever be hurled upon persons that abandon their cars or weapons in\nbattle, or upon those that seek for quarter or those that wield\nthemselves up. He who seeketh to afflict in battle the unslayable with\nit, is himself exceedingly afflicted by it![259]'--My sire thus received\nthat weapon. Then Lord Narayana, addressing myself also, said, 'With the\naid of this weapon, thou too shalt pour diverse showers of celestial\nweapons in battle and blaze with energy in consequence of it.' Having said\nthese words, the divine Lord ascended to heaven. Even this is the history\nof the Narayana weapon which has been obtained by my sire's son. With\nthat I will rout and slay the Pandavas, the Panchalas, the Matsyas, and\nthe Kaikeyas, in battle, like Sachi's lord routing and slaying the\nAsuras. My shafts, O Bharata, will fall upon the contending foes, in\nthose particular forms which I shall wish them to assume. Staying in\nbattle, I will pour showers of weapons as I desire. I will rout and slay\nall the foremost of car warriors with sky-ranging arrows of iron-points.\nWithout doubt, I will shower innumerable battle-axes upon the foe. With\nthe mighty Narayana weapon, a scorcher of foes that I am, I will destroy\nthe Pandavas, causing an immense carnage amongst them. That wretch\namongst the Panchalas, (viz., Dhrishtadyumna), who is an injurer of\nfriends and Brahmanas and of his own preceptor, who is a deceitful wretch\nof the most reprehensible conduct, shall never escape from me today with\nlife.\" Hearing these words of Drona's son, the (Kuru) army rallied. Then\nmany foremost of men blew their gigantic conchs. And filled with delight,\nthey beat their drums and dindimas by thousands. The earth resounded with\nloud noises, afflicted with the hoofs of steeds and the wheels of cars.\nThat loud uproar made the earth, and the firmament also echo with it.\nHearing that uproar, deep as the roll of the clouds, the Pandavas, those\nforemost of car-warriors, uniting together, took counsel of one another.\nMeanwhile, Drona's son, having said those words, O Bharata, touched water\nand invoked the celestial weapon called the Narayana.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCVII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'When the weapon called Narayana was invoked, violent\nwinds began to blow with showers of rain, and peals of thunder were heard\nalthough the sky was cloudless. The earth trembled, and the seas swelled\nup in agitation. The rivers began to run in a contrary course. The\nsummits of mountains, O Bharata, began to split. Diverse animals began to\npass by the left side of the Pandavas.[260] Darkness set in, the sun\nbecame obscure. Diverse kinds of carnivorous creatures began to alight on\nthe field in joy. The gods, the Danavas, and the Gandharvas, O monarch,\nall became inspired with fear. Beholding that tremendous agitation (in\nnature), all began to ask one another loudly about its cause. Indeed,\nseeing that fierce and terrible weapon invoked by Drona's son, all the\nkings, inspired with fear, felt great pain.'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me, O Sanjaya, what counsel was adopted by the\nPandavas for the protection of Dhrishtadyumna when they saw the Kauravas\nonce more advance to battle, rallied by Drona's son who was scorched by\ngrief and unable to brook the slaughter of his sire?'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Having behold before the Dhartarashtras fly away,\nYudhishthira, seeing them once more prepared for furious battle,\naddressed Arjuna, saying, \"After the preceptor Drona had been slain in\nbattle by Dhrishtadyumna, like the mighty Asura, Vritra, by the wielder\nof the thunderbolt, (the Kurus), O Dhananjaya, becoming cheerless, gave\nup all hopes of victory. Desirous of saving themselves, all of them fled\naway from battle. Some kings fled, riding on cars borne along irregular\ncourse without Parshni drivers, and divested of standards and banners and\numbrellas, and with their Kuvaras and boxes broken, and all their\nequipments displaced. Others, struck with panic and deprived of their\nsenses, themselves striking the steeds of their cars with their feet,\nfled precipitately. Others, riding on cars with broken yokes and wheels\nand Akshas, fled afflicted with fear. Others on horseback were carried\naway, their bodies half displaced from their saddles. Others, dislodged\nfrom their seats, and pinned by shafts to the necks of elephants, were\nquickly carried away by those animals. Others were trodden to death all\naround by elephants, afflicted and mangled with arrows. Others, deprived\nof weapons and divested of armour, fell from their vehicles and animals\ndown upon the earth. Others were cut by car-wheels, or crushed by steeds\nand elephants. Others loudly calling after their sires and sons, fled\naway in fear, without recognising one another, deprived of all energy by\ngrief. Some, placing their sons and sires and friends and brothers (on\nvehicles) and taking off their armour, were seen washing them with water.\nAfter the slaughter of Drona, (the Kuru) army, fallen into such a plight,\nfled away precipitously. By whom then hath it been rallied? Tell me, if\nthou knowest. The sound of neighing steeds and trumpeting elephants,\nmingled with the clatter of car-wheels, is heard loud. These sounds, so\nfierce, occuring in the Kuru ocean, are repeatedly swelling up and\ncausing my troops to tremble. This terrific uproar, making the hair stand\non end, that is now heard, would, it seems, swallow the three worlds with\nIndra at their head. I think this terrible uproar is uttered by the\nwielder of the thunderbolt himself. It is evident that upon the fall of\nDrona, Vasava himself is approaching (against us) for the sake of the\nKauravas. Our hairs have stood on their ends, our foremost of\ncar-warriors are all afflicted with anxiety. O Dhananjaya, hearing this\nloud and terrible noise, I ask thee who is that mighty car-warrior, like\nthe lord of the celestials himself, that rallying this terrible and\nswelling host, is causing it to return?\"\n\n\"'Arjuna said, \"He, relying upon whose energy the Kauravas, having\naddressed themselves to the accomplishment of fierce feats, are blowing\ntheir conchs and staying with patience, he about whom thou hast thy\ndoubts, O king, as to who he may be that is roaring so loud, having\nrallied the Dhartarashtras after the fall of the disarmed preceptor, he,\nwho is endued with modesty, possessed of mighty arms, has the tread of an\ninfuriated elephant, owns a face like that of a tiger, always achieves\nfierce feats, and dispels the fears of the Kurus, he upon whose birth\nDrona gave away a thousand kine unto Brahmanas of high worth, he O king,\nthat is roaring so loud, is Aswatthaman. As soon as he was born, that\nhero neighed like Indra's steed and caused the three worlds to tremble at\nthat sound. Hearing that sound, an invisible being, O lord, (speaking\naudibly) bestowed upon him the name of Aswatthaman (the horse-voiced).\nThat hero, O son of Pandu, is roaring today. Prishata's son, by an\nexceedingly cruel act, assailed Drona and took his life as if the latter\nwas without a preceptor. Yonder stayeth the preceptor of that Drona.\nSince the prince of the Panchalas seized my preceptor by the hair,\nAswatthaman, confident of his own prowess, will never forgive him. Thou,\nO monarch, hath told thy preceptor a falsehood for the sake of kingdom!\nAlthough thou art acquainted with the dictates of righteousness, thou\nhast yet perpetrated a very sinful act. Thy ill fame, in consequence of\nthe slaughter of Drona, will be eternal in the three worlds with their\nmobile and immobile creatures, like Rama's in consequence of the\nslaughter of Bali![261] About thyself, Drona had thought, 'The son of\nPandu is possessed of every virtue; he is, besides, my disciple. He will\nnever speak an untruth to me.' Thinking so, he gave credence to what thou\nhadst said. Although in speaking of Aswatthaman's death thou hadst added\nthe word elephant, yet thy answer to the preceptor was, after all, an\nuntruth in the garb of truth. Thus told by thee, the puissant Drona laid\naside his weapons and, as thou sawest, became indifferent (to\neverything), exceedingly agitated, and almost deprived of his senses. It\nwas even a disciple who, abandoning all morality, thus slew his own\npreceptor, full of affection for his son, while, indeed, that preceptor\nwas filled with grief and unwilling to fight. Having caused him, who had\nlaid his weapons to be unrighteously slain, protect the son of Prishata\nif thou canst, with all thy counsellors. All of us, uniting together,\nshall not be able to protect Prishata's son today, who will be assailed\nby the preceptor's son in wrath and grief. That superhuman being who is\nin that habit of displaying his friendship for all creatures, that hero,\nhearing of the seizure of his sire's locks, will certainly consume us all\nin battle today. Although I cried repeatedly at the top of my voice for\nsaving the preceptor's life, yet, disregarding my cries and abandoning\nmortality, a disciple took the life of that preceptor. All of us have\npassed the greater part of our lives. The days that remain to us are\nlimited. This exceedingly unrighteous act that we have perpetrated has\nstained that remnant. In consequence of the affection he bore to us, he\nwas a sire unto us. According to the dictates of the scriptures also, he\nwas a sire unto us. Yet he, that preceptor of ours, has been slain by us\nfor the sake of short-lived sovereignty. Dhritarashtra, O king, had given\nunto Bhishma and Drona the whole earth, and what was still more valuable,\nall his children. Though honoured by our foe thus, and though he had\nobtained such wealth from him, the preceptor still loved us as his own\nchildren. Of unfading energy and prowess, the preceptor has been slain,\nonly because, induced by thy words he had laid aside his weapons. While\nengaged in fight he was incapable of being slain by Indra himself. The\npreceptor was venerable in years and always devoted to our welfare. Yet\nunrighteous that we are, and stained with a levity of behaviour, we\nscrupled not to injure him. Alas, exceedingly cruel and very heinous has\nbeen the sin that we have committed, for, moved by the desire of enjoying\nthe pleasures of sovereignty, we have slain that Drona. My preceptor had\nall along been under the impression that in consequence of my love for\nhim, I could, (for his sake) abandon all,--sire, brother, children, wife\nand life itself. And yet moved by the desire of sovereignty, I interfered\nnot when he was about to be slain. For this fault, O king, I have, O\nlord, already sunk into hell, overcome with shame. Having, for the sake\nof kingdom, caused the slaughter of one who was a Brahmana, who was\nvenerable in years, who was my preceptor, who had laid aside his weapons,\nand who was then devoted, like a great ascetic, to Yoga, death has become\npreferable to me to life!\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCVIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of Arjuna, the mighty car-warriors\npresent there said not a single word, O monarch, agreeable or\ndisagreeable, unto Dhananjaya. Then the mighty-armed Bhimasena, filled\nwith wrath, O bull of Bharata's race, reproaching Kunti's son, Arjuna,\nsaid these words, \"Thou preachest truths of morality like an anchorite\nliving in the woods or a Brahmana of rigid vows and senses under complete\ncontrol. A person is called a Kshatriya because he rescues others from\nwounds and injuries. Being such, he must save himself from wounds and\ninjuries. Showing forgiveness towards the three that are good (viz., the\ngods, the Brahmanas, and preceptor), a Kshatriya, by doing his duties,\nsoon wins the earth as also piety and fame and prosperity.[262] Thou, O\nperpetuator of thy race, art endued with every attribute of a Kshatriya.\nIt does not, therefore, look well for thee to speak like an ignorant\nwight. O son of Kunti, thy prowess is like that of Sakra himself, the\nlord of Sachi. Thou dost not transgress the bounds of morality like the\nocean that never transgresses its continents. Who is there that would not\nworship thee, seeing that thou seekest virtue, having abandoned the wrath\ncherished by thee for thirteen years? By good luck, O sire, thy heart\ntoday followeth in the wake of virtue. O thou of unfading glory, by good\nluck, thy understanding inclineth towards compassion. Though, however,\nthou art inclined to adopt the path of virtue, thy kingdom was snatched\nfrom thee most unrighteously. Dragging thy wife Draupadi to the assembly,\nthy foes insulted her. Clad in barks of trees and skins of animals, all\nof us were exiled to the woods, and though we were undeserving of that\nplight, our foes nevertheless compelled us to endure it for thirteen\nyears. O sinless one, thou hast forgiven all these circumstances, every\none of which demands the exhibition of wrath. Wedded as thou art to\nduties of a Kshatriya, thou hast quietly borne these. Remembering all\nthose acts of unrighteousness, I came here with thee for avenging myself\nof them. (When, however, I see that thou art so indifferent, why), I\nmyself will slay those low wretches that despoiled us of our kingdom.\nThou hadst formerly said these words, viz., 'Addressing ourselves to\nbattle, we will exert to the utmost extent of our abilities.' Today,\nhowever, thou reproachest us. Thou now seekest virtue. Those words,\ntherefore, that thou saidst formerly were untrue. We are already\nafflicted with fear. Thou cuttest, however, the very core of our hearts\nwith these thy words, O crusher of foes, like one pouring acid upon the\nsores of wounded men. Afflicted with thy wordy darts, my heart is\nbreaking. Thou art virtuous, but thou dost not know in what righteousness\ntruly consists, since thou applaudest neither thyself nor us, though all\nof us are worthy of applause. When Kesava himself is here, praisest thou\nthe son of Drona, a warrior that does not come up to even a sixteenth\npart of thyself, O Dhananjaya, confessing thy own faults, why dost thou\nnot feel shame? I can rend asunder this earth in rage, or split the very\nmountains in whirling that terrible and heavy mace of mine, decked with\ngold. Like the tempest, I can break down gigantic trees looking like\nhills. I can, with my arrows, rout the united celestials with Indra at\ntheir head, together with all the Rakshasas, O Partha, and the Asuras,\nthe Uragas and human beings. Knowing me, thy brother, to be such, O bull\namong men, it behoveth thee not, O thou of immeasurable prowess, to\nentertain any fear about Drona's son. Or, O Vibhatsu, stand thou here,\nwith all these bulls amongst men. Alone and unsupported, I shall, armed\nwith my mace, vanquish this one in great battle.\" After Bhima had ended,\nthe son of the Panchala king, addressing Partha, said these words, like\nHiranyakasipu (the leader of the Daityas) unto the enraged and roaring\nVishnu,[263] \"O Vibhatsu, the sages have ordained these to be the duties\nof Brahmanas, viz., assisting at sacrifices, teaching, giving away,\nperformance of sacrifices, receiving of gifts, and study as the sixth. To\nwhich of these six was that Drona devoted who has been slain by me?\nFallen off from the duties of his own order and practising those of the\nKshatriya order, that achiever of wicked deeds used to slay us by means\nof superhuman weapons. Professing himself to be a Brahmana, he was in the\nhabit of using irresistible illusion. By an illusion itself hath he been\nslain today. O Partha, what is there that is improper in this? Drona\nhaving been thus punished by me, if his son, from rage, uttereth loud\nroars, what do you lose by that? I do not think it at all wonderful that\nDrona's son, urging the Kauravas to battle, will cause them to be slain,\nunable to protect them himself. Thou art acquainted with morality. Why\nthen dost thou say that I am a slayer of my preceptor? It was for this\nthat I was born as a son to the king of the Panchalas, having sprung from\nthe (sacrificial) fire. How, O Dhananjaya, you call him a Brahmana or\nKshatriya, with whom, while engaged in battle, all acts, proper and\nimproper, were the same? O foremost of men, why should not he be slain,\nby any means in our power, who, deprived of his senses in wrath, used to\nslay with the Brahma weapons even those that were unacquainted with\nweapons? He that is unrighteous is said by those that are righteous to be\nequal to poison. Knowing this, O thou that art well versed with the\ntruths of morality, why dost thou, O Arjuna, reproach me? That cruel\ncar-warrior was seized and slain by me. I have done nothing that is\nworthy of reproach. Why then, O Vibhatsu, dost thou not congratulate me?\nO Partha, I have cut off that terrible head, like unto the blazing sun or\nvirulent poison or the all-destroying Yuga fire, of Drona. Why then dost\nthou not applaud an act that is worthy of applause? He had slain in\nbattle only my kinsmen and not those of any one else. I say that having\nonly cut off his head, the fever of my heart hath not abated. The very\ncore of my heart is being pierced for my not having thrown that head\nwithin the dominion of the Nishadas, like that of Jayadratha![264] It\nhath been heard, O Arjuna, that one incurreth sin by not slaying his\nfoes. Even this is the duty of a Kshatriya, viz., to slay or be slain.\nDrona was my foe. He hath been righteously slain by me in battle, O son\nof Pandu, even as thou hast slain the brave Bhagadatta, thy friend.\nHaving slain thy grandsire in battle, thou regardest that act to be\nrighteous. Why then shouldst thou regard it unrighteous in me for my\nhaving slain my wretched foe? In consequence of our relationship, O\nPartha, I cannot raise my head in thy presence and am like a prostrate\nelephant with a ladder against his body (for helping puny creatures to\nget on his back). It, therefore, behoveth thee not to reproach me. I\nforgive all the faults of thy speech, O Arjuna, for the sake of Draupadi\nand Draupadi's children and not for any other reason. It is well known\nthat my hostility with the preceptor has descended from sire to son. All\npersons in this world know it. Ye sons of Pandu, are ye not acquainted\nwith it? The eldest son of Pandu hath not been untruthful in speech. I\nmyself, O Arjuna, am not sinful. The wretched Drona was a hater of his\ndisciples. Fight now. Victory will be thine.\"'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CXCIX\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'That illustrious person who had duly studied the\nVedas with all their branches, he, in whom the entire science of arms and\nmodesty had dwelt, he through whose grace many foremost of men are still\ncapable of achieving superhuman feats which the very gods cannot achieve\nwith care, alas, when he, viz., that Drona, that son of a great Rishi was\ninsulted in the sight of all by the low, wicked, mean minded and sinful\nDhrishtadyumna, that slayer of his own preceptor, was there no Kshatriya\nwho felt called upon to display his wrath? Fie on the Kshatriya order,\nand fie on wrath itself! Tell me, O Sanjaya, what the sons of Pritha, as\nalso all the other royal bowmen in the world, hearing of Drona's\nslaughter, said unto the prince of Panchala.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of Drupada's son, of crooked deeds,\nall the persons present there, O monarch, remained perfectly silent.\nArjuna, however, casting oblique glances upon Prishata's son, seemed,\nwith tears and sighs, to reproach him, saying, \"Fie, fie.\" Yudhishthira\nand Bhima and the twins and Krishna and the others stood bashfully.\nSatyaki, however, O king, said these words, \"Is there no man here that\nwould, without delay, slay this sinful wight, this lowest of men, who is\nuttering such evil speeches? The Pandavas are all condemning thee for\nthis sinful act of thine, like Brahmanas condemning a person of the\nChandala class. Having committed such a heinous act, having incurred the\ncensures of all honest men, art thou not ashamed to open thy lips in the\nmidst of such a respectable assembly? O despicable wretch, why did not\nthy tongue and head split into a hundred fragments while thou wert about\nto slay thy own preceptor? Why wert thou not struck down by that act of\nsin? Since, having perpetrated such a sinful act, again applauding\nthyself in the midst of human beings, thou incurrest the censures of the\nParthas and all the Andhakas and the Vrishnis. Having perpetrated such an\natrocious act, thou art again displaying such hatred towards the\npreceptor. For this thou deservest death at our hands. There is no use in\nkeeping thee alive for even a single moment. Who is there, save thee, O\nwretch, that would cause the death of the virtuous preceptor, seizing him\nby his locks? Having obtained thee, O wretch, thy ancestors, for seven\ngenerations and thy descendants also for seven generations, deprived of\nfame, have sunk into hell. Thou hast charged Partha, that bull among men,\nwith the slaughter of Bhishma. The latter, however, viz., that\nillustrious personage, himself accomplished his own death. Truly\nspeaking, the uterine brother, (viz., Sikhandin), that foremost of all\nsinners, was the cause of Bhishma's death. There is none in the world\nthat is more sinful than the sons of the Panchala king. Thy father had\ncreated Sikhandin for the destruction of Bhishma. As regards Arjuna, he\nhad only protected Sikhandin while Sikhandin became the cause of the\nillustrious Bhishma's death. Having got thee that is condemned by all\nrighteous men, and thy brother, amongst them, the Panchalas have fallen\noff from righteousness, and stained with meanness, have become haters of\nfriends and preceptors. If thou again speakest such words in my presence,\nI shall then break with this mace of mine that is as strong as the\nthunderbolt. Beholding thee that art the slayer of a Brahmana, since thou\nart guilty of nothing less than the slaughter of a Brahmana, people have\nto look at the sun for purifying themselves. Thou wretch of a Panchala, O\nthou of wicked conduct, speaking all of my preceptor first and then of my\npreceptor's preceptor, art thou not ashamed?[265] Wait, wait! Bear thou\nbut one stroke of this my mace! I myself will bear many strokes of\nthine.\" Thus rebuked by the Satwata hero, Prishata's son, filled with\nrage, smilingly addressed the angry Satyaki in these harsh words.'\n\n\"'Dhrishtadyumna said, \"I have heard thy words, O thou of Madhu's race,\nbut I have forgiven thee. Being thyself unrighteous and sinful, desirest\nthou to rebuke them that are righteous and honest? Forgiveness is\napplauded in the world. Sin, however, does not deserve forgiveness. He\nthat is of sinful soul regards the forgiving person powerless. Thou art a\nwretch in thy behaviour. Thou art of sinful soul. Thou art wedded to\nunrighteousness. Thou art censurable in every respect, from the tip of\nthy toe to the end of their hair. Desirest thou still to speak ill of\nothers? What can be more sinful than that act of thine, viz., thy\nslaughter of the armless Bhurisravas while sitting in Praya, although\nthou wert with the aid of celestial weapons. He had laid aside his\nweapons and I slew him. O thou of crooked heart, what is there in that\nact that is improper? How can he, O Satyaki, blame such an act who\nhimself has in Praya like an ascetic, and whose arms had been cut off by\nanother? That valiant enemy of thine had displayed his prowess having\nstruck thee with his foot and thrown thee down on the earth. Why didst\nthou not then slay him, showing thy manliness? When Partha, however, had\nalready vanquished him, it was then that thou, acting most unrighteously,\ndidst kill the brave and valiant Somadatta's son. When Drona had sought\nto rout the forces of the Pandavas, then I proceeded, shooting thousands\nof arrows. Having thyself acted in such a way, like a Chandala, and\nhaving thyself become worthy of reproach, desirest thou to reproach me in\nsuch harsh words? Thou art a perpetrator of evil deeds, and not I, O\nwretch of the Vrishni race! Thou art the abode of all sinful deeds. Do not\nagain blame me. Be silent. It behoveth thee. Don't say anything unto me\nafter this. This is the reply I give thee with my lips. Don't say\nanything more. If, from folly, thou repeatest such harsh words, I shall\nthen, in battle, despatch thee, with my arrows, to Yama's abode. By\nrighteousness alone, O fool, one cannot vanquish his enemies. Listen now\nto the unrighteous acts of the Kurus also. Pandu's son, Yudhishthira was\nsome time back unrighteously deceived by them. O Satyaki, Draupadi also\nwas persecuted by them unrighteously. The Pandavas, with Krishna in their\ncompany, were also exiled and they were robbed of their all, O fool, most\nunrighteously. By an act of unrighteousness, again, has the ruler of the\nMadras been withdrawn from us by the enemy. By an act of unrighteousness\nalso was the son of Subhadra slain. On this side, it was by an act of\nunrighteousness that Bhishma, the Kuru grandsire, was slain. Bhurisravas,\ntoo, was, by an act of unrighteousness, slain by thee that art so\nacquainted with righteousness. Even thus have the enemy, as also the\nPandavas, acted in this battle. Possessed of courage and acquainted with\nmorality, all of them, O Satwata, have acted thus, for gaining victory.\nHigh morality is difficult of ascertainment. Similarly, immorality also\ncan with difficulty be comprehended. Fight now with the Kauravas, without\nreturning to the home of thy fathers.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing these harsh and cruel words (from\nDhrishtadyumna's lips), the blessed Satyaki began to tremble from head to\nfoot. With rage his eyes assumed the hue of copper. Keeping his bow then\nupon his car, he grasped his mace, sighing like a Snake. Rushing, then,\ntowards the prince of the Panchalas, he said unto him in great wrath, \"I\nwill not speak harshly to thee, but I will slay thee, deserving as thou\nart of slaughter.\" Seeing the mighty Satyaki rushing, from wrath and\ndesire of revenge, at the Panchala prince, like Yama against one like his\nown self, the mighty Bhima, urged by Vasudeva, quickly jumped down from\nhis car and seized him with his arms. Endued with great strength,\nSatyaki, who was rushing in great wrath, proceeded for a few steps,\nforcibly dragging after him the mighty son of Pandu who was endeavouring\nto hold him back. Then Bhima firmly planting his feet stopped at the\nsixth step that foremost of strong men, viz., that bull of Sini's race.\nThen Sahadeva, O king, jumping down from his own car, addressed Satyaki,\nthus held fast by the strong arms of Bhima, in these words, \"O tiger\namong men, O thou of Madhu's race, we have no friends dearer to us than\nthe Andhakas, the Vrishnis and the Panchalas. So also the Andhakas and\nthe Vrishnis, particularly Krishna, cannot have any friends dearer than\nourselves. The Panchalas, also, O thou of Vrishni's race, even if they\nsearch the whole world to the confines of the sea, have no friends dearer\nto them than the Pandavas and the Vrishnis. Thou art even such a friend\nto this prince; and he also is a similar friend to thee. Ye all are to us\neven as we are to you. Acquainted as thou art with all duties,\nremembering now the duties thou owest to friends, restrain this wrath of\nthine, that has the prince of the Panchalas for its object. Be calm, O\nforemost one of Sini's race! Forgive the son of Prishata, and let\nPrishata's son also forgive thee. Ourselves also will practise\nforgiveness. What is there that is better than forgiveness?\"\n\n\"'While the scion of Sini, O sire, was thus being pacified by Sahadeva,\nthe son of the Panchala king, smiling, said these words, \"Release Sini's\ngrandson, O Bhima who is so proud of his prowess in battle. Let him come\nat me like the wind assailing the mountains, till, with my keen arrows, O\nson of Kunti, I quell his rage and desire for battle and take his life.\nYonder come the Kauravas. I shall (after slaying Satyaki) achieve this\ngreat task of the Pandavas that has presented itself. Or let Phalguna\nresist all the enemies in battle. As regards myself, I will fell this\none's head with my arrows. He taketh me for the armless Bhurisravas in\nbattle. Release him. Either I will slay him or he will slay me.\" Hearing\nthese words of the Panchala prince, the mighty Satyaki held fast in\nBhima's clasp, sighing like a snake, began to tremble. Both of them,\nendued with great might and possessed of powerful arms, began to roar\nlike a couple of bulls. Then Vasudeva, O sire, and king Yudhishthira the\njust, with great effort, succeeded in pacifying those heroes. Having\npacified those two great bowmen, those two heroes, whose eyes had become\nblood-red with rage, all the Kshatriyas (of the Pandava) army proceeded\nagainst the warriors of the hostile army for battle.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CC\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Then Drona's son began to cause a great carnage amongst\nhis foes in that battle, like the Destroyer himself at the end of the\nYuga. Slaying his enemies by means of his broad-headed arrows,\nAswatthaman soon piled a mountain there of the dead. The standards of\ncars formed its trees; and weapons its pointed summits; the lifeless\nelephants formed its large rocks; the steeds, its Kimpurushas; and bows,\nits creepers and plants. And it resounded with the cries of all\ncarnivorous creatures, that constituted its feathery population. And the\nspirits that walked there formed its Yakshas[266]. Then roaring aloud, O\nbull of Bharata's race, Aswatthaman once more repeated his vow in the\nhearing of thy son, thus, \"Since Kunti's son, Yudhishthira, assuming only\nthe outward garb of virtue, had caused the preceptor who was\n(righteously) engaged in battle to lay aside his weapons, I shall, in his\nvery sight, rout and destroy his army. Having mangled all his troops, I\nshall, then, slay the sinful prince of the Panchalas. Indeed, I shall\nslay all of them, if they contend with me in battle. I tell thee truly,\ntherefore, rally thou thy troops.\" Hearing these words of Aswatthaman,\nthy son rallied the troops, having dispelled their fears with a loud\nleonine roar. The encounter, then, O king, that once more took place\nbetween the Kuru and the Pandava armies, became as terrible as that of\ntwo oceans at full tide. The terrified Kauravas had their fears dispelled\nby Drona's son. The Pandus and the Panchalas had become fierce in\nconsequence of Drona's slaughter. Great was the violence of that\ncollision, on the field of battle, between those warriors, all of whom\nwere cheerful and filled with rage and inspired with certain hopes of\nvictory. Like a mountain, striking against a mountain, or an ocean\nagainst an ocean, O monarch, was that collision between the Kurus and the\nPandavas. Filled with joy, the Kuru and the Pandava warriors beat\nthousands of drums. The loud and stunning uproar that arose from among\nthose troops resembled that of the ocean itself while churned (of old by\nthe gods and the Danavas). Then Drona's son, aiming at the host of the\nPandavas and the Panchalas, invoked the weapon called Narayana. Then\nthousands of arrows with blazing mouths appeared in the welkin,\nresembling snakes of fiery mouths, that continued to agitate the\nPandavas. In that dreadful battle, those shafts, O king, like the very\nrays of the sun in a moment shrouded all the points of the compass, the\nwelkin, and the troops. Innumerable iron balls also, O king, then\nappeared, like resplendent luminaries in the clear firmament. Sataghnis,\nsome equipped with four and some with two wheels, and innumerable maces,\nand discs, with edges sharp as razor and resplendent like the sun, also\nappeared there. Beholding the welkin densely shrouded with those weapons,\nO bull of Bharata's race, the Pandavas, the Panchalas, and the Srinjayas,\nbecame exceedingly agitated. In all those places, O ruler of men, where\nthe great car-warriors of the Pandavas contended in battle, that weapon\nbecame exceedingly powerful. Slaughtered by the Narayana weapon, as if\nconsumed by a conflagration, the Pandava troops were exceedingly\nafflicted all over the field in that battle. Indeed, O lord, as fire\nconsumeth a heap of dry grass in summer, even so did that weapon consume\nthe army of the Pandus. Beholding that weapon filling every side, seeing\nhis own troops destroyed in large numbers, king Yudhishthira the just, O\nlord, became inspired with great fright. Seeing his army in course of\nflight and deprived of its senses, and beholding Parthas standing\nindifferent, Dharma's son said these words, \"O Dhrishtadyumna, fly away\nwith your Panchala troops. O Satyaki, you also go away, surrounded by the\nVrishnis and the Andhakas. Of virtuous soul, Vasudeva will himself seek\nthe means of his own safety. He is competent to offer advice to the whole\nworld. What need is there of telling him what he should do? We should not\nany longer fight. I say so unto all the troops. As regards myself, I\nwill, with all my brothers ascend a funeral pile. Having crossed the\nBhishma and the Drona oceans in this battle, that are incapable of being\ncrossed by the timid, shall I sink with all my followers in the vestige,\nrepresented by Drona's son, of a cow's hoof? Let the wishes of king\nDuryodhana be crowned with success today, for I have today slain in\nbattle the preceptor, that always cherished such friendly feelings\ntowards us, that preceptor, who, without protecting, caused that child\nunacquainted with battle, viz., the son of Subhadra, to be slain by a\nmultitude of wicked warriors, that preceptor, who with his son, sat\nindifferently, without answering, when Krishna in such distress, dragged\ninto the assembly and sought to be made a slave, asked him to say the\ntruth, that preceptor, who, while all the other warriors were fatigued,\ncased Duryodhana in invulnerable armour when the latter desired to slay\nPhalguna and who, having cased him so, appointed him to protect\nJayadratha, who, being acquainted with the Brahma weapon, scrupled not to\nexterminate the Panchalas, headed by Satyajit, that had exerted\nthemselves for my victory, that preceptor, who, whilst we were being\nunrighteously exiled from our kingdom, freely told us to go into the\nwoods although he had been solicited by our friends to withhold his\npermission[267]. Alas, that great friend of our hath been slain! For his\nsake, I will, with my friends, lay down my life.\" After Kunti's son,\nYudhishthira had said this, he of Dasarha's race, (viz., Kesava) quickly\nforbidding the troops, by motion of his arms, to fly away said these\nwords, \"Speedily lay down your weapons, all of you, and alight from your\nvehicles. Even this is the means ordained by the illustrious one, (viz.,\nNarayana himself) for baffling this weapon. Come down on the earth, all\nof you from your elephants and steeds and cars. If you stand weaponless\non the earth, this weapon will not slay you. In those places where you\nwill fight for quelling the force of this weapon the Kauravas will become\nmore powerful than you. Those men, however, that will throw down their\nweapons and alight from their vehicles, will not in this battle, be slain\nby this weapon. They, however, that will, even in imagination, contend\nagainst this weapon, will all be slain even if they seek refuge deep\nbeneath the earth\". The warriors of the Pandava army, hearing, O Bharata,\nthese words of Vasudeva, threw their weapons and drove away from their\nhearts all desire of battle. Then Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, beholding\nthe warriors about to abandon their weapons, said these words, O king,\ngladdening them all: \"None should lay down his weapons here. I shall,\nwith my shafts, oppose this weapon of Drona's son. With this heavy mace\nof mine, that is decked with gold, I shall career in this battle like the\nDestroyer himself, quelling this weapon of Drona's son. There is no man\nhere that is equal to me in prowess, even as there is no luminary in the\nfirmament that is equal to the sun. Beholding these two strong arms of\nmine like unto the trunks of a couple of mighty elephants, capable of\npulling down the mountain of Himavat, I am the one person here that\npossesses the might of the thousand elephants. I am without a peer, even\nas Sakra is known to be in heaven among the celestials. Let people\nwitness today the prowess of these two arms of my broad-chested self,\nwhile engaged in baffling the bright and blazing weapon of Drona's son.\nIf there be none (else) capable of contending against the Narayana\nweapon, even I shall contend against it today in the very sight of all\nthe Kurus and the Pandavas. O Arjuna, O Vibhatsu, thou shouldst not lay\nGandiva aside. A stain will then attach to thee like that of the moon.\"\nThus addressed by Bhima, Arjuna said, \"O Bhima, even this is my great vow,\nviz., that my Gandiva shall not be used against the Narayana weapon,\nkine, and Brahmanas.\" Thus answered by Arjuna, Bhima, that chastiser of\nfoes, riding on his car of solar effulgence, whose rattle, besides,\nresembled the roar of the clouds, rushed against the son of Drona. Endued\nwith great energy and prowess, the son of Kunti, in consequence of his\nextreme lightness of hand, within the twinkling of an eye, covered\nAswatthaman with a shower of weapons. Then Drona's son, smiling at the\nrushing Bhima and addressing him (in proper words) covered him with\narrows, inspired with mantras and equipped with blazing points. Shrouded\nwith those shafts that vomited fire and resembled snakes of blazing\nmouths, as if covered with sparks of gold, the form, O king, of Bhimasena\nin that battle looked like that of a mountain in the evening when covered\nwith fire. That weapon of Drona's son, directed against Bhimasena\nincreased in energy and might, O king, like a conflagration assisted by\nthe wind. Beholding that weapon of terrible energy thus increasing in\nmight, a panic entered the hearts of all the combatants of the Pandava\narmy with the exception of Bhima. Then all of them, throwing down their\nweapons on the earth, alighted from their cars and steeds. After they had\nthrown their weapons and alighted from their vehicles, that weapon of\nexceeding energy fell upon the head of Bhima. All creatures, especially\nthe Pandavas, uttered cries of Oh and Alas, beholding Bhimasena\noverwhelmed by the energy of that weapon.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCI\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Bhimasena overwhelmed by that weapon,\nDhananjaya, for baffling its energy, covered him with the Varuna weapon.\nIn consequence of the lightness of Arjuna's arms, and owing also to the\nfiery force that shrouded Bhima, none could see that the latter had been\ncovered with the Varuna weapon. Shrouded with the weapon of Drona's son,\nBhima, his steeds, driver, and car became incapable of being gazed at,\nlike a fire of blazing flame in the midst of another fire. As at the\nclose of the night, O king, all the luminaries run towards the Asta hill,\neven so the fiery shafts (of Aswatthaman) all began to proceed towards\nBhimasena's car. Indeed, Bhima himself, his car, steeds, and driver, O\nsire, thus shrouded by Drona's son seemed to be in the midst of a\nconflagration. As the (Yuga) fire consuming the entire universe with its\nmobile and immobile creatures when the hour of dissolution comes, at last\nenters the mouth of the Creator, even so as the weapon of Drona's son\nbegan to enter the body of Bhimasena. As one cannot perceive a fire if it\npenetrates into the sun or the sun if it enters into a fire, even so none\ncould perceive that energy which penetrated into Bhima's body. Beholding\nthat weapon thus investing Bhima all around, and seeing Drona's son\nswelling with energy and might, the latter being then without an\nantagonist, and observing also that all the warriors of the Pandava army\nhad laid down their weapons and that all the mighty car-warriors of that\nhost headed by Yudhishthira had turned away their faces from the foe,\nthose two heroes, viz., Arjuna and Vasudeva, both endued with great\nsplendour, quickly alighting from their car, ran towards Bhima. Those two\nmighty men, diving into that energy born of the might of Aswatthaman's\nweapon, had resorted to the power of illusion. The fire of that weapon\nconsumed them not, in consequence of their having laid aside their\nweapons, as also in consequence of the force of the Varuna weapon, and\nowing also to the energy possessed by themselves. Then Nara and Narayana,\nfor the pacification of Narayana weapon, began forcibly to drag Bhima and\nall his weapons. Thus dragged by them, Kunti's son, that mighty\ncar-warrior, began to roar aloud. Thereupon, that terrible and invincible\nweapon of Drona's son began to increase (in might and energy). Then\nVasudeva, addressing Bhima, said, \"How is it, O son of Pandu, that though\nforbidden by us, thou, O son of Kunti, dost not yet abstain from battle?\nIf the Kurus could now be vanquished in battle, then we, as also all\nthese foremost of men, would certainly have continued to fight. Behold,\nall the warriors of thy host have alighted from their cars. For this\nreason, O son of Kunti, do thou also come down from thy car.\" Having said\nthese words, Krishna brought Bhima down from his car. The latter, with\neyes red as blood in rage, was sighing like a snake. When, however, he\nwas dragged down from his car and made to lay aside his weapons, the\nNarayana weapon, that scorcher of foes, became pacified.'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'When, by this means, the unbearable energy of that\nweapon became stilled, all the points of the compass, cardinal and\nsubsidiary, became clear. Sweet breezes began to blow and birds and\nanimals all became quiet. The steeds and elephants became cheerful, as\nalso all the warriors, O ruler of men! Indeed, when the terrible energy\nof that weapon, O Bharata, became stilled, Bhima, of great intelligence,\nshone resplendent like the morning sun. The remnant of the Pandava host,\nbeholding the pacification of the Narayana weapon, once more stood\nprepared on the field for compassing the destruction of thy sons. When,\nafter that weapon had been baffled, the Pandava host, stood arrayed,\nDuryodhana, O king, addressing Drona's son, said, \"O Aswatthaman, once\nmore use that weapon speedily since the Panchalas are once more arrayed,\ndesirous of victory.\" Then addressed by thy son, O sire, Aswatthaman,\nsighing cheerlessly, replied unto the king in these words, \"That weapon,\nO king, cannot be brought back. It cannot be used twice. If brought back,\nit will without doubt, slay the person calling it back. Vasudeva hath,\nby what means thou hast seen, caused it to be baffled. For this, O ruler of\nmen, the destruction of the foe hath not been compassed in battle. Defeat\nand death, however, are the same. Rather, defeat is worse than death. Lo,\nthe enemy, vanquished and compelled to lay down his arms, looks as if\ndeprived of life\". Duryodhana then said, \"O preceptor's son, if it be so,\nif this weapon cannot be used twice, let those slayers of their preceptor\nbe slain with other weapons then, O foremost one of all persons\nacquainted with weapons! In thee are all celestial as well as in the\nThree eyed (Siva) of immeasurable energy. If thou wishest it not, even\nPurandara in rage cannot escape thee.\"\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'After Drona had been slain with the aid of fraud,\nand the Narayana weapon baffled, what, indeed, did Drona's son, thus\nurged by Duryodhana then, do, beholding the Parthas once more arrived for\nbattle freed from the Narayana weapon, and careering at the head of their\ndivisions?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Remembering the slaughter of his sire, Drona's son,\nowning the device of the lion's tail on his banner, filled with rage and\ncasting off all fears, rushed against the son of Prishata. Rushing at him,\nO bull among men, that foremost of warriors, with great impetuosity,\npierced the Panchala prince with five and twenty small arrows. Then\nDhrishtadyumna, O King, pierced Drona's son that resembled a blazing\nfire, with four and sixty shafts. And he pierced Aswatthaman's driver\nalso with twenty arrows whetted on stone and equipped with wings of gold,\nand then his four steeds with four sharp arrows. Repeatedly piercing\nDrona's son, and causing the earth to tremble with his leonine roars.\nDhrishtadyumna then seemed to be employed in taking the lives of\ncreatures in the world in dreadful battle. Making death itself his goal,\nthe mighty son of Prishata, O king, accomplished in weapons and endued\nwith sureness of aim, then rushed against Drona's son alone. Of\nimmeasurable soul, that foremost of car-warriors, viz., the prince of\nPanchala, poured upon Aswatthaman's head a shower of arrows. Then Drona's\nson, in that battle, covered the angry prince with winged shafts. And\nonce more, he pierced the latter with ten shafts, remembering the\nslaughter of his father. Then cutting off the standard and bow of the\nPanchala prince with a couple of well-shot shafts, equipped with heads\nlike razors, Drona's son began to grind his foe with other arrows. In\nthat dreadful battle, Aswatthaman made his antagonist steedless and\ndriverless and carless, and covered his followers also with thick showers\nof shafts. At this, the Panchala troops, O king, mangled by means of\nthose arrowy showers fled away in fear and great affliction. Beholding\nthe troops turning away from battle and Dhrishtadyumna exceedingly\nafflicted, the grandson of Sini quickly urged his car against that of\nDrona's son. He then afflicted Aswatthaman with eight keen shafts. And\nonce more striking that angry warrior with twenty shafts of diverse\nkinds, he pierced Aswatthaman's driver, and then his four steeds with\nfour shafts. With great deliberations and displaying a wonderful\nlightness of hand, he cut off Aswatthaman's bow and standard, Satyaki\nthen cut into fragments the gold-decked car of this foe together with its\nsteeds. And then he deeply pierced Aswatthaman in the chest with thirty\narrows in that battle. Thus afflicted, O king, (by Satyaki), and shrouded\nwith arrows, the mighty Aswatthaman knew not what to do. When the\npreceptor's son had fallen into that plight, thy son, that car-warrior,\naccompanied by Kripa and Karna and others began to cover the Satwata hero\nwith arrows. All of them began quickly to pierce Satyaki from every side\nwith keen shafts, Duryodhana pierced him with twenty, Saradwat's son,\nKripa, with three. And Kritavarman pierced him with ten, and Karna with\nfifty. And Duhsasana pierced him with a hundred arrows, and Vrishasena\nwith seven. Satyaki, however, O king, soon made all those great\ncar-warriors fly away from the field, deprived of their cars. Meanwhile,\nAswatthaman, O bull of Bharata's race, recovering consciousness, and\nsighing repeatedly in sorrow, began to think of what he should do. Riding\nthen upon another car, that scorcher of foes, viz., the son of Drona,\nbegan to resist Satyaki, shooting hundreds of arrows. Beholding\nAswatthaman once more approaching him in battle, the mighty car-warrior,\nSatyaki, once more made him carless and caused him to turn back. Then\nthe Pandavas, O king, beholding the prowess of Satyaki, blew their conchs\nwith great force and uttered loud leonine roars. Having deprived\nAswatthaman of his car thus, Satyaki, of unbaffled prowess, then slew\nthree thousand mighty car-warriors of Vrishasena's division. And then he\nslew fifteen thousand elephants of Kripa's force and fifty thousand\nhorses of Sakuni. Then, the valiant son of Drona, O monarch, riding upon\nanother car, and highly enraged with Satyaki, proceeded against the\nlatter, desirous of slaying him. Beholding him approach again, the\ngrandson of Sini, that chastiser of foes, once more pierced and mangled\nhim with keen shafts, fiercer than those he had used before. Deeply\npierced with those arrows of diverse forms by Yuyudhana, that great\nbowman, viz., the angry son of Drona, smilingly addressed his foe and\nsaid, \"O grandson of Sini, I know thy partiality for Dhrishtadyumna, that\nslayer of his preceptor, but thou shalt not be able to rescue him or your\nown self when attacked by me. I swear to thee, O grandson of Sini, by\ntruth and by my ascetic austerities, that I shall know no peace till I\nslay all the Panchalas. You may unite the forces of the Pandavas and\nthose of the Vrishnis together, but I shall still slay the Somakas.\"\nSaying this, the son of Drona shot at Satyaki an excellent and straight\narrow possessed of the effulgence of the sun, even as Sakra had hurled in\ndays of yore his thunder at the Asura Vritra. Thus shot by Aswatthaman,\nthat arrow, piercing through the armour of Satyaki, and passing through\nhis body, entered the earth like a hissing snake entering its hole. His\narmour pierced through, the heroic Satyaki, like an elephant deeply\nstruck with the hook, became bathed in blood that flowed from his wound.\nHis bow, with arrow fixed thereon, being then loosened from his grasp, he\nsat down on the terrace of his car strengthless and covered all over with\nblood. Seeing this his driver speedily bore him away from Drona's son.\nWith another shaft, perfectly straight and equipped with goodly wings\nthat scorcher of foes, viz., Aswatthaman, struck Dhrishtadyumna between\nhis eyebrows. The Panchala prince had before this been much pierced;\ntherefore, deeply wounded by that arrow, he became exceedingly weak and\nsupported himself by seizing his flag-staff. Beholding Dhrishtadyumna\nthus afflicted by Aswatthaman, like an infuriated elephant by a lion,\nfive heroic car-warriors of the Pandava army, viz., Kiritin, Bhimasena,\nVrihatkshatra of Puru's race, the youthful prince of the Chedis, and\nSudarsana, the chief of the Malavas, quickly rushed against Aswatthaman.\nArmed with bows, all these rushed with cries Oh and Alas. And those\nheroes quickly encompassed the son of Drona on all sides. Advancing\ntwenty paces, all of them, with great care, simultaneously struck the\nangry son of the preceptor with five and twenty arrows. Drona's son,\nhowever, with five and twenty shafts, resembling snakes of virulent\npoison, cut off, almost at the same time, those five and twenty arrows\nshot at him. Then Aswatthaman afflicted the Paurava prince with seven\nsharp shafts. And he afflicted the chief of the Malavas with three,\nPartha with one, and Vrikodara with six shafts. Then all those great\ncar-warriors, O king, pierced Drona's son unitedly and separately with\nmany shafts, whetted on stone equipped with wings of gold. The youthful\nprince of the Chedis pierced Drona's son with twenty and Partha pierced\nhim with three. Then Drona's son struck Arjuna with six arrows, and\nVasudeva with six, and Bhima with five, and each of the other two viz.,\nthe Malava and the Paurava, with two arrows. Piercing next the driver of\nBhima's car with six arrows, Aswatthaman cut off Bhimasena's bow and\nstandard with a couple of arrows. Then piercing Partha once more with a\nshower of arrows, Drona's son uttered a leonine roar. With the sharp,\nwell-tempered, and terrible arrows shot by Drona's son, the earth, the\nsky, the firmament, and the points of the compass, cardinal and\nsubsidiary, all became entirely shrouded both in his front and rear.\nEndued with fierce energy and equal to Indra himself in prowess,\nAswatthaman with three arrows, almost simultaneously cut off the two\narms, like unto Indra's poles, and the head of Sudarsana, as the latter\nwas seated on his car. Then piercing Paurava with a dart and cutting off\nhis car into minute fragments by means of his arrows, Aswatthaman lopped\noff his antagonist's two arms smeared with sandal-paste and then his head\nfrom off his trunk with a broad-headed shaft. Possessed of great\nactivity, he then pierced with many arrows resembling blazing flames of\nfire in energy, the youthful and mighty prince of the Chedis who was of\nthe hue of the dark lotus, and despatched him to Yama's abode with his\ndriver and steeds. Beholding the chief of the Malavas, the descendant of\nPuru, and the youthful ruler of the Chedis slain in his very sight by\nthe son of Drona. Bhimasena, the mighty-armed son of Pandu, became\nfilled with rage. The scorcher of foes then covered Drona's son in that\nbattle with hundreds of keen arrows resembling angry snakes of virulent\npoison. Endued with mighty energy, the angry son of Drona then destroying\nthat arrowy shower, pierced Bhimasena with sharp shafts. The mighty-armed\nBhima then, possessed of great strength, cut off with a broad-headed\narrow the bow of Drona's son and then pierced Drona's son himself with a\npowerful shaft. Throwing away that broken bow, the high-souled son of\nDrona took up another and pierced Bhima with his winged shafts. Then\nthose two, viz., Drona's son and Bhima, both possessed of great prowess\nand might, began to shower their arrowy downpours like two masses of\nrain-charged clouds. Gold-winged arrows, whetted on stone and engraved\nwith Bhima's name shrouded Drona's son, like gathering masses of clouds\nshrouding the sun. Similarly, Bhima was soon shrouded with hundreds and\nthousands of strong arrows shot by Drona's son. Though shrouded in that\nbattle by Drona's son, that warrior of great skill, Bhima yet felt no\npain, O monarch, which seemed exceedingly wonderful. Then the\nmighty-armed Bhima sped ten gold-decked arrows, of great keenness and\nresembling the darts of Yama himself, at his foe. Those shafts, O sire,\nfalling upon the shoulders of Drona's son, quickly pierced his body, like\nsnakes penetrating into an ant-hill. Deeply pierced by the high-souled\nson of Pandu, Aswatthaman, closing his eyes, supported himself by seizing\nhis flagstaff. Recovering his senses within a moment, O king, Drona's son\nbathed in blood, mustered all his wrath. Forcibly struck by the\nhigh-souled son of Pandu, Aswatthaman, endued with mighty arms, rushed\nwith great speed towards the car of Bhimasena. And then, O Bharata, he\nsped at Bhimasena, from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch, a hundred\narrows of fierce energy, all looking like snakes of virulent poison.\nPandu's son Bhima also, proud of his prowess in battle, disregarding\nAswatthaman's energy, speedily showered upon him a dense arrowy downpour.\nThen Drona's son, O king, cutting off Bhima's bow by means of his arrows,\nand filled with rage, struck the Pandava in the chest with many keen\nshafts. Incapable of brooking that feat, Bhimasena took up another bow\nand pierced Drona's son in that battle with five keen shafts. Indeed,\nshowering upon each other their arrowy downpours like two masses of\nclouds at the close of summer, two warriors, with eyes red as copper in\nrage, completely covered each other in that battle with their shafts.\nFrightening each other with the terrible sounds they made by their palms,\nthey continued to fight with each other, each counteracting the feats of\nthe other. Then bending his formidable bow adorned with gold, Drona's son\nbegan to gaze steadfastly at Bhima who was thus shooting his shafts at\nhim. At that time, Aswatthaman looked like the meridian sun of blazing\nrays in an autumnal day. So quickly then did he shoot his shafts that\npeople could not see when he took them out of his quiver, when he fixed\nthem on the bowstring, when he drew the string, and when he let them off.\nIndeed, when employed in shooting his arrows, his bow, O monarch, seemed\nto be incessantly drawn to fiery circle. Shafts in a hundred thousands,\nshot from his bow, seemed to course through the welkin like a flight of\nlocusts. Indeed, those terrible shafts adorned with gold, shot from the\nbow of Drona's son, coursed incessantly towards Bhima's car. The prowess,\nO Bharata, that we then beheld of Bhimasena, and his might, energy, and\nspirit, were exceedingly wonderful, for, regarding that terrible shower\nof arrows thick as a gathering mass of clouds, falling around him to be\nnothing more than a downpour of rain at the close of summer. Bhima of\nterrible prowess, desirous of slaying the son of Drona, in return poured\nhis arrows upon the latter like a cloud in the season of rains. Bhima's\nlarge and formidable bow of golden back, incessantly drawn in that\nbattle, looked resplendent like a second bow of Indra. Shafts in hundreds\nand thousands, issuing from it, shrouded Drona's son, that ornament of\nbattle in that encounter. The showers of shafts, shot by both of them\nwere so dense, O sire, that the very wind, O king, could not find room\nfor coursing through them. Then Drona's son, O king, desirous of slaying\nBhima, sped at him many gold-decked arrows of keen points steeped in oil.\nShowing his superiority to Drona's son Bhimasena cut off each of those\narrows into three fragments before they could come at him. The son of\nPandu then said, \"Wait, Wait.\" And once more, the mighty son of Pandu\nfilled with rage, and desirous of slaying the son of Drona, shot at him a\nterrible shower of fierce arrows. Then Drona's son that warrior\nacquainted with the highest weapons, quickly destroying that arrowy\nshower by the illusion of his own weapons, cut off Bhima's bow in that\nencounter. Filled with rage, he then pierced Bhima himself with\ninnumerable shafts in that battle. Endued with great might, Bhima then,\nafter his bow had been cut off, hurled a dart at Aswatthaman's car,\nhaving whirled it previously with great impetuosity. The son of Drona,\ndisplaying the lightness of his hand in that encounter, quickly cut off,\nby means of sharp shafts, that dart as it coursed towards him with the\nsplendour of a blazing brand. Meanwhile, terrible Vrikodara, taking up a\nvery strong bow, and smiling the while, began to pierce the son of Drona\nwith many arrows. Then Drona's son, O monarch, with a straight shaft,\npierced the forehead of Bhima's driver. The latter, deeply pierced by the\nmighty son of Drona, fell into a swoon, O king, abandoning the reins of\nthe steeds. The driver of Bhima's car having fallen into a swoon, the\nsteeds, O king, began to fly away with great speed, in the very sight of\nall the bowmen. Beholding Bhima carried away from the field of battle by\nthose running steeds, the unvanquished Aswatthaman joyfully blew his huge\nconch. Beholding Bhimasena borne away from the field, all the Panchalas,\ninspired with fear, abandoning the car of Dhrishtadyumna, fled away on\nevery side. Then Drona's son, shooting his shafts fiercely, pursued those\nbroken troops, causing a great carnage among them. Thus slaughtered in\nbattle by the son of Drona, those Kshatriyas fled away in all directions\nfrom fear of that warrior.'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding that force broken, Kunti's son, Dhananjaya, of\nimmeasurable soul, proceeded against Aswatthaman from desire of slaying\nhim. Those troops then, O king, rallied with effort by Govinda and\nArjuna, stayed on the field of battle. Only Vibhatsu, supported by the\nSomakas and the Matsyas, shot his arrows at the Kauravas and checked\ntheir onset.[268] Quickly approaching Aswatthaman, that great bowman\nhaving the mark of the lion's tail on his banner, Arjuna addressed him,\nsaying, \"Show me now the might thou hast, the energy, the knowledge, and\nthe manliness, that are in thee, as also thy affection for the\nDhartarashtras and thy hatred for us, and the high mettle of which thou\nart capable. Even Prishata's son, that slayer of Drona, will quell thy\npride today. Come now and encounter the Panchala prince, that hero\nresembling the Yuga fire and like the Destroyer himself with Govinda.\nThou hast displayed thy pride in battle, but I shall quell that pride of\nthine.\"'\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'The preceptor's son, O Sanjaya, is possessed of\nmight and worthy of respect. He beareth great love to Dhananjaya and the\nhigh-souled Dhananjaya also loveth him in return. Vibhatsu had never\naddressed Drona's son before in this way. Why then did the son of Kunti\naddress his friend in such words?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Upon the fall of the youthful prince of the Chedis, of\nVrihatkshatra of Puru's race, and of Sudarsana, the chief of the Malavas,\nwho was well-accomplished in the science of arms, and upon the defeat of\nDhrishtadyumna and Satyaki and Bhima, and feeling great pain and touched\nto the quick by those words of Yudhishthira, and remembering all his former\nwoes, O lord, Vibhatsu, in consequence of his grief, felt such wrath rise\nwithin him the like of which he had never experienced before. It was for\nthis that like a vulgar person, he addressed the preceptor's son who was\nworthy of every respect, in such unworthy, indecent, bitter, and harsh\nlanguage. Addressed, from wrath, in such harsh and cruel words by Partha,\nO king, Drona's son, that foremost of all mighty bowmen, became highly\nangry with Partha and especially with Krishna. The valiant Aswatthaman,\nthen, staying resolutely on his car, touched water and invoked the Agneya\nweapon incapable of being resisted by the very gods. Aiming at all his\nvisible and invisible foes, the preceptor's son, that slayer of hostile\nheroes, inspired with mantras a blazing shaft possessed of the effulgence\nof a smokeless fire, and let it off on all sides, filled with rage. Dense\nshowers of arrows then issued from it in the welkin. Endued with fiery\nflames, those arrows encompassed Partha on all sides. Meteors flashed\ndown from the firmament. A thick gloom suddenly shrouded the (Pandava)\nhost. All the points of the compass also were enveloped by that darkness.\nRakshasas and Pisachas, crowding together, uttered fierce cries.\nInauspicious winds began to blow. The sun himself no longer gave any\nheat. Ravens fiercely croaked on all sides. Clouds roared in the welkin,\nshowering blood. Birds and beasts and kine, and Munis of high vows and\nsouls under complete control, became exceedingly uneasy. The very\nelements seemed to be perturbed. The sun seemed to turn. The universe,\nscorched with heat, seemed to be in a fever. The elephants and other\ncreatures of the land, scorched by the energy of that weapon, ran in\nfright, breathing heavily and desirous of protection against that\nterrible force. The very waters heated, the creatures residing in that\nelement, O Bharata, became exceedingly uneasy and seemed to burn. From\nall the points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary, from the\nfirmament and the very earth, showers of sharp and fierce arrows fell and\nissued with the impetuosity of Garuda or the wind. Struck and burnt by\nthose shafts of Aswatthaman that were all endued with the impetuosity of\nthe thunder, the hostile warriors fell down like trees burnt down by a\nraging fire. Huge elephants, burnt by that weapon, fell down on the earth\nall around, uttering fierce cries loud as the rumblings of the clouds.\nOther huge elephants, scorched by that fire, ran hither and thither, and\nroared aloud in fear, as if in the midst of a forest conflagration. The\nsteeds, O king, and the cars also, burnt by the energy of that weapon,\nlooked, O sire, like the tops of trees burnt in a forest-fire. Thousands\nof cars fell down on all sides. Indeed, O Bharata, it seemed that the\ndivine lord Agni burnt the (Pandava) host in that battle, like the\nSamvarta fire consuming everything at the end of the Yuga.\n\n\"'Beholding the Pandava army thus burning in that dreadful battle, thy\nsoldiers, O king, filled with joy, uttered leonine shouts. Indeed, the\ncombatants, desirous of victory and filled with joy, speedily blew\nthousands of trumpets, O Bharata, of diverse kinds. Darkness having\nenveloped the world during that fierce battle, the entire Pandava army,\nwith Savyasachin, the son of Panda, could not be seen. We had never\nbefore, O king, heard of or seen the like of that weapon which Drona's\nson created in wrath on that occasion. Then Arjuna, O king, invoked into\nexistence the Brahma weapon, capable of baffling every other weapon, as\nordained by the Lotus-born (Brahma) himself. Within a moment that\ndarkness was dispelled, cool winds began to blow, and all the points of\nthe compass became clear and bright. We then beheld a wonderful sight,\nviz., a full Akshauhini (of the Pandava troops) laid low. Burnt by the\nenergy of Aswatthaman's weapon, the forms of the slain could not be\ndistinguished. Then those two heroic and mighty bowmen, viz., Kesava and\nArjuna, freed from that darkness, were seen together, like the sun and\nthe moon in the firmament. Indeed, the wielder of Gandiva and Kesava were\nboth unwounded. Equipped with its banners and standards and steeds, with\nthe Anukarsa unjoined; and with all the mighty weapons stored on it\nremaining uninjured, that car, so terrible to thy warriors, freed from\nthat darkness, shone resplendent on the field. And soon there arose\ndiverse sounds of life mingled with the blare of conchs and the beat of\ndrums, from among the Pandava troops filled with joy. Both hosts thought\nthat Kesava and Arjuna had perished. Beholding Kesava and Arjuna,\ntherefore (freed from darkness and the energy of that weapon) and seeing\nthat reappear so quickly, the Pandavas were filled with joy, and the\nKauravas with wonder. Unwounded and full of cheerfulness, those two\nheroes blew their excellent conchs. Indeed, seeing Partha filled with\njoy, thy soldiers became exceedingly melancholy. Seeing those two\nhigh-souled ones (viz., Kesava and Arjuna), freed (from the energy of his\nweapon) the son of Drona became very cheerless. For a moment he\nreflected, O sire, on what had happened. And having reflected, O king, he\nbecame filled with anxiety and grief. Breathing long and hot sighs, he\nbecame exceedingly cheerless. Laying aside his bow, then, the son of\nDrona speedily alighted from his car, and saying, \"O fie, fie! Every\nthing is untrue,\" he ran away from the fight. On his way he met Vyasa,\nthe abode of Saraswati, the compiler of the Vedas, the habitation of\nthose scriptures, unstained by sin, and of the hue of rain-charged cloud.\nBeholding him, that perpetuator of Kuru's race, standing on his way, the\nson of Drona with voice choked in grief, and like one exceedingly\ncheerless, saluted him and said, \"O sire, O sire, is this an illusion, or\nis it a caprice (on the part of the weapon)? I do not know what it is.\nWhy, indeed, hath my weapon become fruitless? What breach (has there been\nin the method of invocation)? Or, is it something abnormal, or, is it a\nvictory over Nature (achieved by the two Krishnas) since they are yet\nalive? It seems that Time is irresistible. Neither Asuras, nor\nGandharvas, nor Pisachas, nor Rakshasas, nor Uragas, Yakshas, and birds,\nnor human beings, can venture to baffle this weapon shot by me. This\nfiery weapon, however, having slain only one Akshauhini of troops, hath\nbeen pacified. This exceedingly fierce weapon shot by me is capable of\nslaying all creatures. For what reason then could it not slay Kesava and\nArjuna, both of whom are endued with the attributes of humanity? Asked by\nme, O holy one, answer me truly. O great Muni, I desire to hear all this\nin detail.\"'\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"O highly significant is this matter that thou enquirest of\nme from surprise. I will tell thee everything; listen attentively. He\nthat is called Narayana is older than the oldest ones. For accomplishing\nsome purpose, that creator of the universe took his birth as the son of\nDharma. On the mountain of Himavat he underwent the severest ascetic\nausterities. Endued with mighty energy, and resembling fire or the sun\n(in splendour), he stood there with arms upraised. Possessed of eyes\nlike lotus-petals, he emaciated himself there for sixty-six thousand\nyears, subsisting all the while upon air alone. Once more undergoing\nsevere austerities of another kind for twice that period, he filled the\nspace between earth and heaven with his energy. When by those\nausterities, O sire, he became like Brahma[269] he then beheld the\nMaster, Origin, and Guardian of the Universe, the Lord of all the gods,\nthe Supreme Deity, who is exceedingly difficult of being gazed at, who is\nminuter than the minutest and larger than the largest, who is called\nRudra,[270] who is the lord of all the superior ones, who is called Hara\nand Sambhu, who has matted locks on his head, who is the infuser of life\ninto every form, who is the First cause of all immobile and mobile\nthings, who is irresistible and of frightful aspect, who is of fierce\nwrath and great Soul, who is the All-destroyer, and of large heart; who\nbeareth the celestial bow and a couple of quivers, who is cased in golden\narmour, and whose energy is infinite, who holdeth Pinaka, who is armed\nwith thunderbolt, a blazing trident, battle axe, mace, and a large sword;\nwhose eye-brows are fair, whose locks are matted, who wieldeth the heavy\nshort club, who hath the moon on his forehead, who is clad in tiger-skin,\nand who is armed with the bludgeon; who is decked with beautiful angadas,\nwho hath snakes for his sacred thread, and who is surrounded by diverse\ncreatures of the universe and by numerous ghosts and spirits, who is the\nOne, who is the abode of ascetic austerities, and who is highly adored by\npersons of venerable age; who is Water, Heaven, Sky, Earth, Sun, Moon,\nWind and Fire, and who is the measure of the duration of the universe.\nPersons of wicked behaviour can never obtain a sight of that unborn one,\nthat slayer of all haters of Brahmanas, that giver of emancipation.[271]\nOnly Brahmanas of righteous conduct, when cleansed of their sins and\nfreed from the control of grief, behold him with their mind's eye. In\nconsequence of his ascetic austerities, Narayana obtained a sight of that\nunfading one, that embodiment of righteousness, that adorable one, that\nBeing having the universe for his form. Beholding that supreme Abode of\nall kinds of splendour, that God with a garland of Akshas round his neck,\nVasudeva, with gratified soul, became filled with delight which he sought\nto express by words, heart, understanding, and body. Then Narayana\nworshipped that Divine Lord, that First cause of the universe, that giver\nof boons, that puissant one sporting with the fair-limbed Parvati, that\nhigh-souled Being surrounded by large bands of ghosts, spirits, that\nUnborn one, that Supreme Lord, that Embodiment of the unmanifest, that\nEssence of all causes, that One of unfading power. Having saluted Rudra,\nthat destroyer of the Asura Andhaka, the lotus eyed Narayana, with\nemotion filling his heart, began to praise the Three-eyed one (in these\nwords), 'O adorable one, O first of all the gods, the creator of\neverything (viz., the Prajapatis) who are the regents of the world, and\nwho having entered the earth,--thy first work,--had, O lord, protected it\nbefore, have all sprung from thee. Gods, Asuras, Nagas, Rakshasas,\nPisachas, human beings, birds, Gandharvas, Yakshas and other creatures:\nwith the entire universe, we know, have all sprung from thee. Everything\nthat is done for propitiating Indra, and Yama, and Varuna, and Kuvera and\nPitris and Tvashtri, and Soma, is really offered to thee. Form and light,\nsound and sky, wind and touch, taste and water, scent and earth,[272]\ntime, Brahma himself, the Vedas, the Brahmanas and all these mobile\nobjects, have sprung from thee. Vapours rising from diverse receptacles\nof water, becoming rain-drops, which falling upon the earth, are\nseparated from one another. When the time of the Universal dissolution\ncomes those individual drops, separated from one another, once more unite\ntogether and make the earth one vast expanse of water. He that is\nlearned, thus observing the origin and the destruction, of all things,\nunderstands thy oneness. Two birds (viz., Iswara and Jiva), four\nAswatthas with their wordy branches (viz., the Vedas), the seven\nguardians (viz., the five essences or elements and the heart and the\nunderstanding), and the ten others that hold this city (viz., the ten\nsenses that constitute the body), have all been created by thee, but thou\nart separate from and independent of them. The Past, the Future, and the\nPresent, over each of which none can have any sway, are from thee, as\nalso the seven worlds and this universe. I am thy devoted adorer,--be\ngraceful unto me. Do not injure me, by causing evil thoughts to penetrate\nmy heart. Thou art the Soul of souls, incapable of being known. He that\nknows thee as the Universal Seed, attaineth to Brahma. Desiring to pay\nthee respects, I am praising thee, endeavouring to ascertain thy real\nnature, O thou that art incapable of being understood by the very gods.\nAdored by me, grant me the boons I desire but which are difficult of\nacquisition. Do not hide thyself in thy illusion.'\"\n\n\"'Vyasa continued, \"The blue-throated God, of inconceivable soul, that\nwielder of Pinaka, that divine Lord ever praised by the Rishis, then gave\nboons unto Vasudeva who deserved them all. The great God said, 'O\nNarayana, through my grace, amongst men, gods, and Gandharvas, thou shalt\nbe of immeasurable might and soul. Neither gods, nor Asuras, nor great\nUragas, nor Pisachas, nor Gandharvas, nor men, nor Rakshasas, nor birds,\nnor Nagas, nor any creatures in the Universe, shall ever be able to bear\nthy prowess. No one amongst even the celestials shall be able to vanquish\nthee in battle. Through my grace, none shall ever be able to cause thee\npain by the weapon of thunderbolt or with any object that is wet or dry,\nor with any mobile or immobile thing. Thou shalt be superior to myself if\nthou ever goest to battle against me.' Thus were these boons acquired by\nSauri in days of yore. Even that God now walketh the earth (as Vasudeva),\nbeguiling the universe by his illusion. From Narayana's asceticism was\nborn a great Muni of the name of Nara, equal to Narayana himself. Know\nthat Arjuna is none else than that Nara. Those two Rishis, said to be\nolder than the oldest gods, take their births in every Yuga for serving\nthe purposes of the world. Thyself also, O thou of great heart, hast been\nborn as a portion of Rudra, by virtue of all thy religious acts and as a\nconsequence of high ascetic austerities, endued with great energy and\nwrath. Thou wert (in a former life) endued with great wisdom and equal to\na god. Regarding the universe to consist only of Mahadeva, thou hadst\nemaciated thyself by diverse vows from desire of gratifying that God.\nAssuming the form of a very superior person, that blazes fourth with\nsplendour, thou hast, O giver of honours, worshipped the great god with\nmantras, with homa, and with offerings. Thus adored by thee in thy former\nlife, the great god became gratified with thee, and granted thee numerous\nboons, O learned one, that thou hadst cherished in thy heart. Like\nKesava's and Arjuna's thy birth acts and ascetic austerities are also\nsuperior. Like them, in thy worship, thou hast, in every Yuga, adored the\ngreat God in his Phallic form. Kesava is that devoted worshipper of Rudra\nwho has sprung from Rudra himself. Kesava always worship the Lord Siva,\nregarding his Phallic emblem to be the origin of the universe. In Kesava\nis always present that knowledge, in consequence of which he views the\nidentity of Brahman with the universe and that other knowledge by which\nthe Past, the Present and the Future, the near and the remote, are all\nseen, as if the whole are before his eyes. The gods, the Siddhas and the\ngreat Rishis, adore Kesava for obtaining that highest object in the\nuniverse, viz., Mahadeva. Kesava is the creator of everything. The\nEternal Krishna should be adored with sacrifices. The Lord Kesava always\nworshippeth Siva in the Phallic emblem as the origin of all creatures.\nThe God having the bull for his mark cherisheth greater regard for\nKesava.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing these words of Vyasa, Drona's son, that\nmighty car-warrior, bowed unto Rudra and regarded Kesava as worthy of the\nhighest regards. Having his soul under complete control, he became filled\nwith delight, the marks whereof appeared on his body. Bowing unto the\ngreat Rishi, Aswatthaman then, casting his eyes on the (Kuru) army,\ncaused it to be withdrawn (for nightly rest). Indeed, when, after the\nfall of Drona, the cheerless Kurus retired from the field, the Pandavas\nalso, O monarch, caused their army to be withdrawn. Having fought for\nfive days and caused an immense carnage, that Brahman well-versed in the\nVedas, viz., Drona, repaired, O king, to the region of Brahma!'.\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCII\n\n\"Dhritarashtra said, 'Upon the slaughter of the Atiratha, viz., Drona, by\nPrishata's son, what did my sons and the Pandavas next do?'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'After the rout of the Kuru army, upon the slaughter of\nthat Atiratha, viz., Drona, by Prishata's son, Dhananjaya, the son of\nKunti beholding a wonderful phenomenon in connection with his own\nvictory, asked Vyasa, O bull of Bharata's race, who came thither in\ncourse of his wanderings, saying, \"O great Rishi, while I was engaged in\nslaying the foe in battle with showers of bright shafts, I continually\nbeheld before me, proceeding in advance of my car, a person of blazing\nhue, as if endued with the effulgence of fire. Whithersoever he proceeded\nwith his uplifted lance, all the hostile warriors were seen to break\nbefore him. Broken in reality by him, people regarded the foe to have\nbeen broken by me. Following in his wake, I only destroyed those, already\ndestroyed by him. O holy one, tell me who was that foremost of persons,\narmed with lance, resembling the sun himself in energy, that was thus\nseen by me? He did not touch the earth with his feet, nor did he hurl his\nlance even once. In consequence of his energy, thousands of lances issued\nout of that one lance held by him.\"\n\n\"'Vyasa said, \"Thou hast, O Arjuna, seen Sankara, that First cause from\nwhich have sprung the Prajapatis, that puissant Being endued with great\nenergy, he that is the embodiment of heaven, earth and sky, the Divine\nLord, the protector of the universe, the great Master, the giver of\nboons, called also Isana. O, seek the protection of that boon-giving\nDeity, that lord of the universe. He is called Mahadeva (the Supreme\nDeity), of Supreme Soul, the one only Lord, with matted locks (on head),\nthe abode of auspiciousness. Of three eyes and mighty arms, he is called\nRudra, with his locks tied in the shape of a crown, and his body attired\nin skins. That boon-giving lord of the universe, that Supreme Deity, is\nalso called Hara and Sthanu. He is the foremost of every being in the\nuniverse, he is incapable of being vanquished, he is the delighter of the\nuniverse and its supreme ruler. The first cause, the light and refuge of\nthe universe, he is ever victorious. The Soul and the creator of the\nuniverse, and having the universe for his form, he is possessed of great\nfame. The Lord of the universe, and its great Ruler, that puissant one,\nis also the master of all actions. Called also Sambhu, he is self-born,\nhe is the lord of all creatures, and the origin of the Past, the Future,\nand the Present. He is Yoga and the lord of Yoga; he is called Sarva, and\nis the Lord of all the worlds. He is superior to everything. The foremost\nof everything in the universe, and the highest of all, he is called also\nParumesthin. The Ordainer of the three worlds, he is the sole refuge of\nthe three worlds. Incapable of being vanquished, he is the protector of\nthe universe, and abode (the necessity of) birth, decay, and death. The\nSoul of knowledge, incapable of being compassed by knowledge, and the\nhighest of all knowledge he is unknowable. Through grace, he giveth unto\nhis worshippers the boons they desire. That Lord hath for his companions\ncelestial beings of diverse forms, some of whom are dwarfs, some having\nmatted locks, some with bald heads, some with short necks, some with\nlarge stomachs, some with huge bodies, some possessed of great strength\nand some of long ears. All of them, O Partha, have deformed faces and\nmouths and legs and strange attires. That Supreme Deity, called Mahadeva,\nis worshipped by followers that are even such. Even that Siva, O son,\nendued with such energy, proceedeth through kindness, in advance of thee.\nIn that fierce battle, O Partha, making the very hair stand on end, who\nelse, O Arjuna, than the divine Maheswara, that foremost of all bowmen,\nthat Deity of divine form, could even in imagination venture to vanquish\nthat force which was protected by those great smiters and bowmen, viz.,\nAswatthaman and Karna and Kripa? None can venture to stay before the\nwarrior that hath Maheswara walking before him. There is no being in the\nthree worlds that is equal to him. At the very scent of the enraged\nMahadeva, foes in battle tremble and become senseless and fall in large\nnumbers. For this, the gods in heaven adore and bow to him. Those men in\nthis world and those other men of pious conduct, that devoutly worship\nthe boon-giving, divine, and auspicious Rudra, obtain happiness here and\nattain to the highest state hereafter. O son of Kunti, bow down unto him\nthat is peace, unto him, called Rudra of blue throat, exceedingly subtle,\nand of great effulgence, unto him called Kapardin, him that is terrible,\nhim that of tawny eyes, him that is boon-giving; unto that great\nordainer, of red locks and righteous conduct; unto him that always does\nauspicious acts; unto him that is an object of desire; him that is of\ntawny eyes; him that is called Sthanu; him that is called Purusha; unto\nhim that is of tawny hair; him that is bold, him that is exceedingly\nsubtle and of great effulgence; unto him that is the giver of light; him\nthat is the embodiment of all sacred waters; him that is the God of gods;\nand him that is endued with great impetuosity; unto him that is of\nmanifest form; him that is called Sarva; him that is of agreeable attire;\nunto him that has an excellent head-gear, him that is of handsome face;\nhim that has the mountains for his habitation; him that is peace; him\nthat is the protector; him that has barks of trees for his attire; him\nwhose arms are decked with ornaments of gold, him who is fierce, him that\nis the lord of all the points of the compass; him that is the lord of the\nclouds and of all created beings; him that is the lord of all trees and\nof all kine; him that has his body shrouded with trees; him who is the\ncelestial generalissimo; him who inspires all thought; him who has the\nsacrificial ladle in his hand; him who is blazing; him who wields the\nbow; him who is Rama's self, him who has diverse forms; him who is the\nlord of the universe; him who had the munja grass for his attire; him who\nhas a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand arms, and a thousand\nlegs. O son of Kunti, seek the protection of that boon-giving Lord of the\nuniverse, the lord of Uma, that God of three eyes, that destroyer of\nDaksha's sacrifice; that guardian of all created things, that being who\nis always cheerful, that protector of all beings, that God of unfading\nglory; that one with matted locks; that mover of all superior beings,\nthat one whose navel is like that of a bull and who hath the bull for his\nsymbol; that one who is proud like the bull, who is the lord of bulls;\nwho is represented by the horns of the bull; and who is the bull of\nbulls; that one who hath the image of the bull on his banner; who is\nliberal to all righteous persons; who can be approached by Yoga only; and\nwhose eyes are like those of a bull; who owneth very superior weapons;\nwho hath Vishnu himself for his arrow; who is the embodiment of\nrighteousness; and who is called Maheswara; who is of vast stomach and\nvast body; who hath a leopard's skin for his seat; who is the lord of the\nworlds; who is devoted to Brahma and who loveth Brahmanas; who is armed\nwith trident; who is boon-giving; who wieldeth the sword and the shield,\nand who is highly auspicious, who wieldeth the bow called Pinaka, who is\ndivested of the battle axe,[273] and who is the protector and lord of the\nuniverse. I place myself in the hands of that divine Lord, that grantor\nof protection, that God attired in deer-skins. Salutations, to that Lord\nof the celestials who hath Vaisravana for his friend. Salutations ever to\nhim of excellent vows; to him who hath excellent bowmen for his\ncompanions; to him who himself wieldeth the bow; to that God with whom\nthe bow is a favourite weapon; who is himself the shaft impelled by the\nbow; who is the bowstring and the bow; and the preceptor teaching the use\nof the bow. Salutations to the God whose weapons are fierce; and who is\nthe foremost of all the gods. Salutations to him of diverse forms; to him\nwho hath many bowmen around him. Salutations ever to him who is called\nSthanu and who has a large number of excellent bowmen for his companions.\nSalutations to him who destroyed the triple city. Salutations to him who\nslew (the Asura) Bhaga. Salutations to him who is the lord of trees and\nof men. Salutations to him who is the lord of the (celestial) Mothers,\nand of those tribes of spirits known by the name of Ganas. Salutations\never to him who is the lord of kine and of sacrifices. Salutations ever\nto him who is the lord of the waters and the lord of the gods, who is the\ndestroyer of Surya's teeth, who is of three eyes, who is the grantor of\nboons; who is called Hara, who is blue-throated, and who is of golden\nlocks. I will now tell thee, according to my knowledge and as I have\nheard of them, all the divine deeds of Mahadeva of Supreme wisdom. If\nMahadeva becomes angry, neither gods, nor Asuras, Gandharvas, nor\nRakshasas, even if they hide themselves in deep oceans, can have peace.\nIn the days of yore, Daksha, for performing a sacrifice, had collected\nthe necessary articles. Mahadeva destroyed that sacrifice in wrath.\nIndeed, he became very stern on that occasion. Shooting an arrow from his\nbow, he uttered terrible roars. The celestials then became filled with\nanxiety and fright. Indeed, when Mahadeva became angry and the Sacrifice\n(in its embodied form) fled away, the gods became exceedingly frightened\nat the twang of Mahadeva's bow and the sound of his palms. The gods and\nAsuras all fell down and submitted to Mahadeva. All the waters swelled up\nin agitations and the earth trembled. The mountains split, and all the\npoints of the compass and the Nagas became stupefied. The universe,\nenveloped in a thick darkness, could no longer be seen. The splendour of\nall luminaries, with the sun was destroyed. The Rishis, filled with fear,\nbecame agitated, and desirous of their own good as also of all creatures,\nperformed propitiatory rites. Surya was then eating the principal\noblation. Smilingly Sankara approached him and tore out his teeth. The\ngods then, humbling themselves to him, fled away, trembling. Once more,\nMahadeva aimed at the gods a shower of blazing and keen arrows resembling\nflames of fire mixed with smoke, or clouds with lightning. Beholding that\narrowy shower, all the gods bowing down unto Maheswara, assigned to Rudra\na substantial share in sacrifices. In fright, the gods, O prince, sought\nhis protection. His wrath being dispelled, the great God then restored\nthe sacrifice. The gods that had fled away came back. Indeed, they are to\nthis day afraid of Maheswara. Formerly, the valiant Asuras had, in\nheaven, three cities. Each of those cities was excellent and large. One\nwas made of iron, another of silver, and the third of gold. The golden\ncity belonged to Kamalaksha, the silver city to Tarakaksha, and the\nthird, made of iron, had Vidyunmalin for its lord. With all his weapons,\nMaghavat (Indra) was unable to make any impression on those cities.\nAfflicted (by the Asuras), all the gods sought the protection of Rudra.\nApproaching him, all the gods with Vasava at their head, said, 'These\nterrible dwellers of the triple city have received boons from Brahma.\nFilled with pride in consequence of those boons, they are greatly\nafflicting the universe, O Lord of the gods, none, save thee, is\ncompetent to slay them. Therefore, O Mahadeva, slay these enemies of the\ngods: O Rudra, creatures slain in every sacrifice shall then be thine.'\nThus addressed by the gods, Mahadeva thus accepted their request, moved\nby the desire of benefiting them, and said, 'I will overthrow these\nAsuras.' And Hara made the two mountains, viz., Gandhamadana and Vindhya,\nthe two poles of his car. And Sankara made the earth with her oceans and\nforests his battle car. And the three-eyed deity made that prince of\nsnakes, viz., Sesha, the Aksha, of that car. And that God of gods, the\nwielder of Pinaka, made the moon and the sun the two wheels of that\nvehicle. And the triple-eyed Lord made Elapatra and Pushpadanta, the two\npins of the yoke. And the valiant Mahadeva made the Malaya mountains the\nyoke, and the great Takshaka the string for tying the yoke to the poles,\nand the creatures about him the traces of the steed. And Maheswara made\nthe four Vedas his four steeds. And that lord of the three worlds made\nthe supplementary Vedas the bridle-bits. And Mahadeva made Gayatri and\nSavitri the reins, the syllable Om the whip, and Brahma the driver. And\nmaking the Mandara mountains the bow, Vasuki the bowstring, Vishnu his\nexcellent shaft, Agni the arrow-head, and Vayu the two wings of that\nshafts, Yama the feathers in its tail, lightning the whetting stone, and\nMeru the standard, Siva, riding on that excellent car which was composed\nof all the celestial forces, proceeded for the destruction of the triple\ncity. Indeed, Sthanu, that foremost of smiter, that Destroyer of Asuras,\nthat handsome warrior of immeasurable prowess, adored by the celestials,\nO Partha, and by Rishis possessing wealth of asceticism, caused an\nexcellent and unrivalled array called after his own name, and stood\nimmovable for a thousand years. When, however, the three cities came\ntogether in the firmament, the lord Mahadeva pierced them with that\nterrible shaft of his, consisting of three knots. The Danavas were unable\nto gaze at that shafts inspired with Yuga-fire and composed of Vishnu and\nSoma. While the triple city commenced to burn, the goddess Parvati\nrepaired thither to behold the sight. She had then on her lap, a child\nhaving a bald head with five clumps of hair on it. The goddess asked the\ndeities as to who that child was. Sakra, through ill-feeling endeavoured\nto strike that child with his thunderbolt. The divine lord Mahadeva (for\nthe child was none other), smiling, quickly paralysed the arm of the\nenraged Sakra. Then god Sakra, with his arm paralysed accompanied by all\nthe celestials, speedily repaired to the lord Brahma of unfading glory.\nBowing unto him with their heads, they addressed Brahma with joined hands\nand said, 'Some wonderful creature, O Brahma, lying on the lap of\nParvati, in the form of a child, was behold by us but not saluted. We\nhave all been vanquished by him. We, therefore, desire to ask thee as to\nwho he may be. Indeed, that boy, without fighting, hath with the greatest\nease vanquished us all with Purandara at our head.' Hearing these words\nof theirs, Brahma, that foremost of all persons, acquainted with Brahma,\nreflected for a moment and understood that boy of immeasurable energy to\nbe none else than the divine Sambhu. Addressing then, those foremost of\ncelestials with Sakra at their head, Brahma said, 'That child is the\ndivine Hara the Lord of the entire mobile and immobile universe. There is\nnothing superior to Maheswara. That Being of immeasurable splendour who\nwas beheld by you all with Uma, that divine lord, had assumed the form of\na child for Uma's sake. Let us all go unto him. That divine and\nillustrious one is the Supreme Lord of the world. Ye gods, ye could not\nrecognise that master of the universe.' Then all the gods with the\nGrandsire repaired to that child, endued with the effulgence of the\nmorning sun. Beholding Maheswara, and knowing that he was the Supreme\nBeing, the Grandsire Brahma thus adored him: 'Thou art Sacrifice, O lord,\nthou art the stay and refuge of the universe. Thou art Bhava, thou art\nMahadeva, thou art the abode (of all things), and thou art the highest\nrefuge. This whole universe with its mobile and immobile creatures, is\npervaded by thee. O holy one, O lord of the past and the future, O lord\nof the world, O protector of the universe, let Sakra, afflicted with thy\nwrath, have thy grace.'\"\n\n\"'Vyasa continued, \"Hearing these words of the lotus-born Brahma,\nMaheswara became gratified. Desirous of extending his grace, he laughed\naloud. The celestials then gratified (with praise) both Uma and Rudra.\nThe arm of the thunder-wielding Sakra re-got its natural state. That\nforemost one of all the gods, that destroyer of Daksha's sacrifice, that\ndivine lord having the bull for his sign, became gratified with the gods.\nHe is Rudra, he is Siva, he is Agni, he is everything, and he hath\nknowledge of everything. He is Indra, he is the Wind, he is the twin\nAswins, and he is the lightning. He is Bhava, he is Parjanya, he is\nMahadeva, he is sinless. He is the Moon, he is Isana, he is Surya, he is\nVaruna. He is Kala, he is Antaka, he is Mrityu, he is Yama.[274] He is\nthe day, and he is the night. He is the fortnight, he is the month, he is\nthe seasons. He is the morning and evening-twilights, he is the year. He\nis Dhatri, he is Vidhatri, he is the Soul of the universe, and he is the\ndoer of all acts in the universe. Though himself without body, it is he\nwho is the embodied celestial. Endued with great splendour he is adored\nand praised by all the gods. He is One, he is Many, he is hundred and\nthousand. Brahmanas versed in the Vedas say that he hath two forms. These\nare the terrible and the auspicious. These two forms, again, are\nmultifarious. His auspicious forms are water, light, and the moon.\nWhatever is highly mysterious in the several branches of the Vedas, in\nthe Upanishads, in the Puranas, and in those sciences that deal with the\nsoul, is that God, viz., Maheswara, Mahadeva is even such. That God is,\nagain, without birth. All the attributes of that God are not capable of\nbeing enumerated by me even if, O son of Pandu, I were to recite them\ncontinually for a thousand years. Even unto those that are afflicted by\nall the evil planets, even unto those that are stained with every sin,\nthat great protector, if they seek him, becomes gratified with them and\ngranteth them salvation. He granteth, and taketh away life and health and\nprosperity and wealth and diverse kinds of objects of desire. The\nprosperity is his that is seen in Indra and other gods. He is ever\nengaged in the good and evil of men in this world. In consequence of his\nsupremacy, he can always obtain whatever objects he desires. He is called\nMaheswara and is the lord of even the supreme ones. In many forms of many\nkinds he pervadeth the universe. The mouth which that God has is in the\nocean. It is well-known that mouth, assuming the form of a mare's head,\ndrinketh the sacrificial libation in the shape of water. This god always\ndwelleth in crematoriums. Men worship that Supreme lord in that place\nwhere none but the courageous can go. Many are the blazing and terrible\nforms of this God that men speak of and worship in the world. Many also\nare the names, of truthful import, of this Deity in all the worlds. Those\nnames are founded upon his supremacy, his omnipotence, and his acts. In\nthe Vedas the excellent hymn called Sata Rudriya, hath been sung in\nhonour of that great God called the infinite Rudra. That God is the lord\nof all wishes that are human and heavenly. He is omnipotent, and he is\nthe supreme master. Indeed, that God pervadeth the vast universe. The\nBrahmanas and the Munis describe him as the First-born of all creatures.\nHe is the First of all the gods; from his mouth was born Vayu (the wind).\nAnd since he always protecteth the creatures (of the universe) and\nsporteth with them, and since also he is the lord of all creatures,\ntherefore is he called Pasupati. And since his Phallic emblem is always\nsupposed to be in the observance of the vow of Brahmacharya, and since he\nalways gladden the world, therefore he is called Maheswara. The Rishis,\nthe gods, the Gandharvas, and Apsaras, always worship his Phallic emblem\nwhich is supposed to stand upright. That worship maketh Maheswara glad.\nIndeed, Sankara (at such worship) becomes happy, pleased, and highly\nglad. And since with respect to the past, the future, and the present,\nthat God has many forms, he is, on that account, called Vahurupa\n(many-formed). Possessed of one eye he blazeth forth in effulgence, or he\nmay be regarded to have many eyes on every side of his body. And since,\nhe possesseth the worlds, he is for that reason called Sarva. And since\nhis form is like that of smoke, he is for that reason called Dhurjjati.\nAnd since those deities, viz., the Viswedevas are in him, he is for that\nreason called Viswarupa. And since three goddesses adore and have\nrecourse to that Lord of the universe, viz., Firmament, Water and Earth,\nhe is for that reason called Tryamvaka. And since he always increaseth\nall kinds of wealth and wisheth the good of mankind in all their acts, he\nis for that reason called Siva. He possesseth a thousand eyes, or ten\nthousand eyes, and hath them on all sides. And since he protecteth this\nvast universe, he is for that reason called Mahadeva. And since he is\ngreat and ancient and is the source of life and of its continuance, and\nsince his Phallic emblem is everlasting, he is for that reason called\nSthanu. And since the solar and the lunar rays of light that appear in\nthe world are spoken of as the hair on the Three-eyed one, he is for that\nreason called Vyomakesa. And since, afflicting Brahma and Indra and\nVaruna and Yama and Kuvera, he destroyeth them ultimately, he is for that\nreason called Hara. And since, he is the Past, the Future, and the\nPresent, and, in fact, everything in the universe, and since he is the\norigin of the past, the future, and the present, he is for that reason\ncalled Bhava. The word Kapi is said to mean supreme, and Vrisha is said\nto mean righteousness. The illustrious God of gods, therefore, is called\nVrishakapi. And since Maheswara by means of his two eyes closed (in\nmeditation), created through sheer force of will a third eye on his\nforehead, he is for that reason called the Three-eyed. Whatever of\nunsoundness there is in the bodies of living creatures, and whatever of\nsoundness there is in them, represent that God. He is the wind, the vital\nairs called Prana, Apana (and the others) in the bodies of all creatures,\nincluding even those that are diseased. He who adoreth any image of the\nPhallic emblem of that high-souled God, always obtaineth great prosperity\nby that act. Downwards fiery, and half the body, that is auspiciousness\nis the moon. His auspiciousness is the moon. So also half his soul is\nfire and half the moon. His auspicious form, full of energy, is more\nblazing than the forms of the gods. Among men, his blazing and terrible\nform is called fire. With that auspicious form he practiseth\nBrahmacharya. With that other terrible form he as supreme Lord devoureth\neverything. And since he burneth, since he is fierce, since he is endued\nwith great prowess, and since he devoureth flesh and blood and marrow, he\nis for this called Rudra. Even such is the deity called Mahadeva, armed\nwith Pinaka, who, O Partha, was seen by thee engaged in slaying thy foes\nin advance of thy car. After thou hadst vowed to slay the ruler of the\nSindhus, O sinless one, Krishna showed thee this God, in thy dream,\nsitting on the top of that foremost of mountains. This illustrious God\nproceedeth in advance of thee in battle. It is he who gave thee those\nweapons with which thou didst slay the Danavas. The hymn approved of the\nVedas, and called Sata-Rudriya, in honour of that God of gods, that\nexcellent, famous, life-enhancing, and sacred hymn, has now, O Partha,\nbeen explained to thee. This hymn of four divisions, capable of\naccomplishing every object, is sacred, destructive of all sins, and\ncompetent to drive away all stains and to kill all sorrows and all fears.\nThe man that always listen to this succeeds in vanquishing all his foes\nand is highly respected in the region of Rudra. The person who always\nattentively reads or listens to the recitation of this excellent and\nauspicious account, appertaining to battle, of the illustrious Deity, and\nhe worships with devotion that illustrious Lord of the universe,\nobtaineth all the objects of desire, in consequence of the three-eyed God\nbeing gratified with him. Go and fight, O son of Kunti, defeat is not for\nthee, that hast Janardana on thy side for thy adviser and protector.\"'\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having addressed Arjuna in these words, the son of\nParasara, O chief of the Bharatas, went away to the place he had come\nfrom, O chastiser of foes.'\"\n\n\n\nSECTION CCIII\n\n\"Sanjaya said, 'Having battled fiercely for five days, O king, the\nBrahmana (Drona) endued with great strength, fell and repaired to the\nregion of Brahma. The fruits that arise from a study of the Vedas arise\nfrom a study of this Parva also. The great achievements of brave\nKshatriyas have been described here. He who readeth or listeneth to the\nrecitation of this Parva every day is freed from heinous sins and the\nmost atrocious acts of his life. Brahmanas may always obtain herefrom the\nfruits of sacrifices. From this, Kshatriyas may obtain victory in fierce\nbattle. The other orders (Vaisyas and Sudras) may obtain desirable sons\nand grandsons and all objects of desire!'\"\n\nThe end of Drona Parva.\n\n\n\n\nFOOTNOTES\n\n1. Literally, like an oration teeming with unrefined expressions.\n\n2. i.e., deprived of robes and ornaments because of her widowhood.\n\n3. A Sarabha is a fabulous animal of eight legs supposed to be stronger\nthan the lion.\n\n4. The sense seems to be, that when such an one hath been slain, what is\nthere on earth that is not subject to destruction? Ye, should, therefore,\ngrieve for your wealth, children etc. as things already gone.\n\n5. There is a slight difference of reading in this sloka as it occurs in\nthe Bombay text. The sense seems to be, that since everything is destined\nto die, why should I fear to do my duty.\n\n6. The last line is read incorrectly, I think, in the Bombay text.\n\n7. The second fine of 12 is read incorrectly in the Bengal text. Instead\nof tathapi the true reading (as in the Bombay edition) is tavapi.\n\n8. Kula-samhanana-jnana, i.e., 'knowledge of Kula,' as also of samhanana,\nwhich latter, as Nilakantha explains, means the body. A knowledge of the\nbody, of vital and other limbs, was possessed by every accomplished\nwarrior who wanted to smite effectually.\n\n9. i.e., who will feel it humiliating for him to walk behind Drona?\n\n10. A substantial difference of reading occurs here between the Bengal\nand the Bombay texts. Both have defects of their own. It seems to me that\nDrona, as leader, proceeded in the van. Karna, when described as\nproceeding at the head of all bowmen, must be taken marching at the head\nof the whole rear guard. In the case, his position would be immediately\nbehind Drona's.\n\n11. Lit, \"placed army to their right,\" i.e., these birds wheeled to the\nleft of thy host, which is an evil omen.\n\n12. The first line of 23 is read with a slight variation in the Bengal\ntext. The words 'nothing could be seen save Drona's arrows' are added\nhere to make the sense clear.\n\n13. Probably, a ready instrument.\n\n14. The sense seems to be that having carefully attained Arjuna in arms\nhe has got the fruit of his care and labour in the form of defeat and\ndeath at the hands of, or, at least, through, his own pupil.\n\n15. This sentence comprises 7, 8 and the first line of 9. I have followed\nthe exact order of the original. The peculiarity of the Sanskrit\nconstruction is that the Nominative Pronoun is made to stand in\napposition with a noun in the objective case. The whole of this Section\ncontains many such sentences.\n\n16. 10 and 11 also refer to Ajatasatru.\n\n17. Ghatotkacha was the son of Hidimva by Bhimasena. Rakshasi women bring\nforth the very day they conceive, and their offspring attain to youth the\nvery day they are born!\n\n18. Hayaraja, lit., the prince of steeds. He was an Asura, otherwise\ncalled Kesi, in the form of a steed.\n\n19. i.e., without weapons of any kind.\n\n20. Kaliprasanna Singha, in his Bengali translation, makes a mess of this\nSloka.\n\n21. Jarasandha, the powerful king of the Magadhas, and the sworn foe of\nKrishna, was slain by Bhima through Krishna's instigation.\n\n22. viz., the transplantation of the Parijata from Amaravati to the earth.\n\n23. Though gods, they have taken their births as men, and, they must\nachieve their objects by human means. It is for this that they do not, by\na fiat only of their will, destroy this host.\n\n24. The Bengal Texts read this verse incorrectly. For Prataptam, the\ncorrect reading is satatam; and for anukarinas, the correct word is\nasukarinas.\n\n25. The Bengal reading is Sura-vyala. The Bombay texts reads Sulav-yala.\nI adopt the latter. Vajinas, in Prani-vaji-nishevitam, is explained by\nNilakantha to mean fowl or bird.\n\n26. It is evident that the very minuteness with which the comparison is\nsought to be sustained, destroys the effect. Regarding the repetition,\nthey are just such as one may expect to find in verses composed extempore.\n\n27. This verse is read incorrectly in the Bengal texts. For hayan read\nDhanus.\n\n28. The word \"heroic\" occurs in the next verse.\n\n29. The word in the original are Sampata, Abhighata, and Nipata.\n\n30. Nishka, literally, a golden coin, whose weight is diversely stated by\ndiverse authorities.\n\n31. I adopt the Bengal reading which is Vidhayaivam. The Bombay reading\nis Vihayainam, meaning 'leaving Yudhishthira.'\n\n32. Soldiers sworn to conquer or die. Instead of using a long-winded\nphrase each time the word occurs, it is better to repeat it in this form.\n\n33. The second line reads differently in the Bombay text.\n\n34. It seems that the text here is vicious. It certainly requires\nsettling. One complete Sloka seems to be wanting.\n\n35. The second line of this verse is certainly vicious.\n\n36. Ekacharas is explained by Nilakantha as 'unable to bear the sight of\nothers of their species,' i.e., walking by themselves, or solitarily or\nsingly. Some of the vernacular translators are for taking this word as\nimplying the Rhinoceros.\n\n37. Literally, 'thought in his mind that his hour was come.'\n\n38. Literally, 'half-moon-shaped.'\n\n39. Cruel because it was a Brahmana with whom Satanika was fighting.\n\n40. The Bengal reading Vahupellava is a mistake. The correct reading is\nVahupannaga as in the Bombay text.\n\n41. Using even these as implements for striking, for Bhima's might was\nsuperhuman.\n\n42. Hemadandais is a mistake of the Bengal texts for Hemabhandiers.\n\n43. The first line of 20 is vicious as it occurs in the Bengal texts. The\nBombay reading is correct.\n\n44. This seems to be a repetition of the 6th verse.\n\n45. i.e., not to abandon their comrades in distress.\n\n46. The last word of the first line of 74 is vicious as printed in the\nBengal texts.\n\n47. The custom, when one warrior attacked another, was invariably to give\nhis name and lineage before striking.\n\n48. All the printed texts, not excepting that of Bombay, read Drupadeyas.\nThere can be no doubt, however, that it should be Draupadeyas.\n\n49. The first line of 54 is read incorrectly in the Bengal texts. I\nfollow the Bombay reading.\n\n50. After 19 occurs a complete sloka in the Bombay text which does not\nappear to be genuine.\n\n51. The second line of 46 is omitted in the Bengal texts.\n\n52. The Bengali translators have made a mess of these two verses. Among\nothers, K. P. Singha makes Ruchiparvan follow Bhima and suppose Suvarchas\nto be some Pandava warrior who slew Ruchiparvan. The reading Suvarchas is\nvicious. The correct reading is Suparva, meaning, as Nilakantha explains,\n\"of beautiful limbs.\" Parvatapati is Bhagadatta himself.\n\n53. The Bengal reading abhitas is incorrect. It should be Kshubitas.\n\n54. I render 16 and 17 rather freely, as otherwise the sense would not be\nclear.\n\n55. The Bengal texts read,--\"he is either the first or the second, on the\nearth, I think.\"\n\n56. The Bombay reading paritas is vicious. The Bengal texts read twaritas.\n\n57. The Bengal texts read the second line differently. Lokam\n(accusative). For Gharmancubhis the Bengal reading is Gharmamvubhis.\nNilakantha explains that varsha (whence varshika) means season. Hence\nNigadavarshikau masau would mean the two months of summer. If the Bengal\nreading were adopted, the meaning would be \"like summer and the rainy\nseasons afflicting the world with sweat and rain.\"\n\n58. The Bengal reading Samprapte is vicious. The Bombay reading\nSambhrante is evidently correct.\n\n59. I render 5 a little freely, and expand it slightly to make the sense\nclear.\n\n60. The Bengal reading Purvabhilashi is better than Purvabhilbhashi.\nBetween Nila and Aswatthaman existed a rivalry since some time.\n\n61. The word in the original is dhumaketu. Elsewhere I have rendered it\ncomet. It would seem, however, that is wrong. In such passages the word\nis used in its literal sense, viz., \"(an article) having smoke for its\nmark,\" hence fire.\n\n62. The first half of the first line of 21 seems to be grammatically\nconnected with 20.\n\n63. The last half of the second line of 4 is vicious as occuring in the\nBengal texts. The correct reading is ayuduha-viarada.\n\n64. Janghas, etc., are diverse limbs of cars used in battle.\n\n65. The second half of the second line of 2 is vicious in the Bengal\ntexts.\n\n66. I omit the names as they occur in the text. These are: (1)\nKshurupras, i.e., arrows sharp as razors, (2) Vatsadantas, i.e., arrows\nhaving heads like the calf-tooth, (3) Vipathas, i.e., long arrows having\nstout bodies, (4) Narachas, long arrows; Ardhachandrabhais, i.e., looking\nlike shafts furnished with heads of the form of the half-moon; it is an\nadjective qualifying Narachis, (5) Anjalikas were broad-headed shafts.\n\n67. There are the names of diverse kinds of drums small and large.\n\n68. I adopt the Bombay reading of the 1st line of 4.\n\n69. The fruit being the present encounter with Abhimanyu in which\nDuhsasana, according to Abhimanyu, shall have to lay down his life.\n\n70. Pravanddiva is explained by Nilakantha as nimnadeeam prapya. The\nmeaning seems to be, as I have put it, \"like an elephant in a low land,\ni.e., land covered with mud and water.\"\n\n71. These words occur in 17 lower down.\n\n72. These are limbs of cars.\n\n73. The Bombay reading is slightly different.\n\n74. Literally, \"like another son of the Lord of Treasure\".\n\n75. I confess I do not understand what the meaning is of asiva vachvz\nSrijatam. The rendering I offer is tentative.\n\n76. I follow the numbering of the Bengal texts. 23 consists of three\nlines.\n\n77. I expand the 5th a little to make the sense clear.\n\n78. I expand the 5th a little to make the sense clear.\n\n79. In the first fine of 3, the correct reading is Karnanchapy akarot\nkradha, etc., the reading in the Bengal text is vicious and unmeaning.\n\n80. Bengal text read Taru-tringani i.e., tree-tops.\n\n81. The correct reading is Mahavalan Mahavalat.\n\n82. The Bombay reading which I accept, is Valabudhischa. Of course Bengal\nreading is Avalabudhischa.\n\n83. During the days of mourning a person is regarded as unclean, being\nunable to perform his ordinary worship and other religious rites. After\nthe obsequies are performed the mourning is ended, he is supposed to be\ncleansed.\n\n84. The first line of 6 is read differently in the Bombay edition. The\nBengal reading, however, seems to me to be preferable.\n\n85. Both the Bengal and Bombay editions, in the first line of 12, read\nprita, i.e., gratified. There can be no doubt, however, that the correct\nreading is Bhita, i.e., affrighted, as I have put it. I find that some of\nthe Bengali translators have also made this correction.\n\n86. Devas, in the first line of 46, means the senses, Vrittas, as\nexplained by Nilakantha, means Vritavantus.\n\n87. Verse 55, as occuring in both the Bengal and the Bombay text,\nrequires corrections, 55 is incomplete. For the words tada Raja,\ntherefore, I read Sokam tyaja, as suggested by K. P. Singha. Then the\nVisarga after Yudhishthira must be dropped to make it a vocative.\nSimilarly, Pandavas in 58 should be Pandava, a vocative and not a\nnominative, upakramat should be upakrama. The last two corrections are\nmade in the Bombay text. The fact, is, are 55 to 58 the words of Vyasa,\nor of Sanjaya? Evidently, it is Vyasa that speaks, and, hence the\nnecessity of the corrections noted.\n\n88. I follow Nilakantha in rendering these two verses.\n\n89. Of golden excreta.\n\n90. The Bengal reading is Samvartam. The Bombay text makes Samvarta a\nnominative. I have adopted the Bengal reading. If the Bombay reading be\naccepted, the meaning would be that Samvarta himself, piqued with\nVrihaspati, caused Marutta to perform a sacrifice. K. P. Singha makes a\nludicrous blunder in supposing Samvarta to have been a kind of sacrifice.\n\n91. The word in the original Atavika, literally meaning one dwelling in\nthe woods. It is very generally used in the sense of thieves or robbers,\nthus showing that these depredators from the earliest times, had the\nwoods and the forests for their home.\n\n92. Vahinyas rivers. Swairinyas, open to every body. The Bengal reading\nis abhavan; the Bombay reading Vyatahan. If the former reading be\nadopted, it would mean the rivers were of liquid gold.\n\n93. i.e., sacrifices ordained for Kshatriyas.\n\n94. Siksha, one of the six branches of Vedas; it may be called the\northoepy of the Vedas. Akshara, letters of the alphabet. The sense seems\nto be that these Brahmanas were good readers of the Vedas.\n\n95. The word in the original Murddhabhishikta, which literally means one\nwhose coronal locks have undergone the ceremony of the sacred\ninvestiture. Hence, it is used to denote Kshatriyas or persons of the\nroyal order.\n\n96. Havisha mudamavahat; or havisham udam avahat, which would mean, he\npoured libations unto Indra as copious as water.\n\n97. Because juniors pre-deceased their seniors. The causative form of\nakarayan is a license.\n\n98. The four kinds of creatures that owned Rama's sway were (1) those\nthat were oviparous, (2) those that were viviparous, (3) those born of\nfilth, and (4) the vegetables.\n\n99. These were ghats for facilitating access to the sacred stream.\n\n100. Both 5 and 6 are difficult slokas. But for Nilakantha I could never\nhave understood their sense. The reading Jalaughena, occuring in both the\nBengal and the Bombay editions, is a mistake for Janaughena. The\nconstruction of 5 is this: Dakshina Bhuyasirdadat: tena hetuna Janaughena\nakaranta. The story of the salvation of Bhagiratha's ancestors is a\nbeautiful myth. King Sagara (whence Sagara or the Ocean) had sixty\nthousand sons. They were all reduced to ashes by the curse of the sage\nKapila, an incarnation of Vishnu himself. Bhagiratha, a remote\ndescendant, caused the sacred Ganga to roll over the spot where the ashes\nof his ancestors lay, and thus procured their salvation.\n\n101. The correct reading is Valguvadinas, and not the form in the\ngenitive plural.\n\n102. In the Bombay edition some verses occur after the 3rd.\n\n103. Literally \"Having me for his sustainer.\"\n\n104. Instead of Suna, the Bombay text gives Puru.\n\n105. The Bengal text reads this verse differently.\n\n106. The words in italics are names of Indian confectionery, prepared\nwith wheat or barley, milk, and sugar or honey.\n\n107. These are the methods by which he sought knowledge of the Vedas.\n\n108. Nakshatra-dakshina is explained by Nilakantha as Nakshatra\nvihitro-Dakshina.\n\n109. The Bengal reading of the second line of the second verse is\nvicious. At any rate, the Bombay reading is better.\n\n110. Animals slain in sacrifices are believed to go to heaven.\n\n111. Identified with the modern Chumbal.\n\n112. A kind of vessel used by Brahmanas and others for begging.\n\n113. Vaswoksara means made 'of gold.' It is a feminine adjective. The\nsubstantive is omitted. I think the passage may mean--'The city of\nRantideva is made of gold.'\n\n114. A Vyama is the space between the two arms extended at their furthest.\n\n115. Literally, a Kshatriya is one that rescues another from wounds and\ninjuries.\n\n116. A raja is one who enjoys the affection of his people, and with whom\nthey are delighted.\n\n117. The bow of Siva, otherwise called Pinaka.\n\n118. Aklishtakarman, literally, one who is never fatigued with work;\nhence one capable of obtaining the results of action by a mere fiat of\nthe will. It may also mean, of unspotted acts.\n\n119. Parthivas, i.e., relating to the earth.\n\n120. The first line of the verse, I think, has been correctly explained\nby Nilakantha. The paraphrase is ya imam bhumim sukham kurvan adyam i.e.\nadyam yugam anuparyeti sma.\n\n121. The Bombay text adds some verses here which do not occur in the\nBengal texts.\n\n122. K. P. Sinha makes a ludicrous blunder in reading this line.\n\n123. Sannahikas, i.e., clad in mail.\n\n124. The Bengal reading Dwijaidhitam is certainly better than the Bombay\nreading Dwijochitam although Nilakantha explains uchitam as abhimatam.\n\n125. Twilight is herself the goddess who is supposed to be adored by\ncertain prayers and on the occasion.\n\n126. These slaps mark the cadences.\n\n127. Literally, 'in crossing.'\n\n128. The Bengal reading Satyavrataiv in the first line of 9 is vicious. I\nadopt the Bombay reading Satyaratas, qualifying tara. To suppose that\nKrishna paid such a complement to the Kauravas as is implied by the\nBengal reading is an absurdity.\n\n129. i.e. added his voice to that of Jayadratha, requesting Drona to\nprotect the latter.\n\n130. A kind of car or vehicle.\n\n131. Nilakantha supposes that tasmai here refers to the Three-eyed and\nnot to Krishna. This seems to be right.\n\n132. The second note of the Hindu gamut.\n\n133. Vasavamiva is a mistake for Vasavasyeva.\n\n134. Apavrittam is explained by Nilakantha as endangered or made\ndoubtful. What Sanjaya says is that if it is not so, thou shalt then have\nto undergo the bitterness of ruling over the whole world bestowed upon\nthee by the Pandavas. Either the Pandavas will snatch away thy kingdom or\nmake thee ruler of the whole after slaying thy sons. Either of these\nalternatives would be bitter to thee.\n\n135. The original is pleonastic.\n\n136. This verse obviously needs correction. Instead of \"golden coats of\nmail,\" I think some such correction is needed, viz. coats of mail, of\nblack iron, decked with gold and dyed with blood, etc.\n\n137. The original is pleonastic.\n\n138. This Sloka occurs in all the texts. It would seem, therefore, that\nSanjaya was not always a witness only of the battle for narrating what he\nsaw to Dhritarashtra, but sometimes at least he took part in the battle.\n\n139. The words tatsainyanyabhyapujayan seem to be unmeaning in this\nconnection. The Bengali translators, unable to do anything with them,\nhave left them out.\n\n140. The celestial weapons were forces dependent on mantras. Ordinary\nshafts, inspired with these mantras, were converted into celestial\nweapons.\n\n141. In other words. Arjuna's car shot as quickly through the enemy as\nthe arrows themselves sped from it.\n\n142. The Bengal reading of the first line is vicious. The Bombay reading\nis Vamatkum Vipathum, Vanan. The first word means the froth in the mouth\nof the steeds.\n\n143. i.e., his funeral obsequies. The vernacular translators do not see\nthe intended joke.\n\n144. I give the sense of this verse, without giving a closely literal\nversion.\n\n145. Avabhritha is the final bath undergone, on completion of as\nsacrifice by the person performing the sacrifice. The slaughter of\nDuryodhana would according to Krishna, be the avabhritha of the sacrifice\nof battle.\n\n146. Praviddham means fallen down or loosened from its usual place. Thus\nNilakantha.\n\n147. Tripura means the three cities constructed by the Asura artificer\nMaya. The Asura, however, who owned those cities is also called Tripura.\nIt was Mahadeva who destroyed the three cities with all their population\nvide the close of the Harivansa.\n\n148. The true reading is alohita and not lohita. Arka here is crystal and\nnot the sun. It was a silvern boar, which could not, evidently, be like\nthe sun.\n\n149. Owners of golden cars.\n\n150. Nidas were niches or drivers boxes.\n\n151. Many of the opening slokas of this section are nearly the same as\nthose of section 76 of Bhishma Parva, vide ante. In a few instances I\nhave adopted the readings of the Bombay edition.\n\n152. I prefer the reading Samakulam to Jhashakulam.\n\n153. i.e., using cars and elephants as weapons for destroying cars and\nelephants.\n\n154. The fear behind them was from the Pandava army. The fear before them\nwas from the car-warriors who had succeeded in penetrating the Kuru host.\n\n155. Many of the Bengal texts have Calabhairiva. This is a mistake, the\nword being Calada, and not Calabha which would be unmeaning here.\n\n156. I render the second line of 4 too freely. The sense seems to be that\nwhen two persons fight, one cannot say beforehand who will succeed. Both\nhave chances of success, as, indeed, both have chances of defeat.\n\n157. The genius of the two languages being entirely different, I give the\nsense of the first line of 14 separately, without seeking to connect it,\nin the assertive form, with the second half of 13.\n\n158. Literally, 'disregard of Krishna.'\n\n159. The Bombay reading, which I adopt, seems to be better than the\nBengal one.\n\n160. I think that both Vrikodaram and nisitais in this verse as given in\nthe Bombay text are incorrect. I read Vrikodaras and navavhis following\nthe Bengal texts.\n\n161. The sense seems to be that Karna and Bhima were like fire and wind.\n\n162. Verse 28 is a triplet. The second line is obscure. It seems that a\nline has been omitted.\n\n163. Literally, mustered all his rage.\n\n164. In the first line of the 62 the Bengal reading Ayastam is better\nthan the Bombay reading Ayastas.\n\n165. Literally, 'a mountain overgrown with medicinal herbs of great\nefficacy.' Of course, the allusion is to Hanumat's removal of\nGandhamadana for the cure of Lakshmana.\n\n166. i.e., the little indent caused by a cow's hoof.\n\n167. The sense is that he that will slay me will always be victorious in\nbattle, will always slay the warriors with whom he may be engaged in\nbattle. Defeat will never be his.\n\n168. Do not render 55 literally. Satyaki is called 'Satyavikrama,' i.e.,\n'of true prowess' or 'of prowess incapable of being baffled.' If he\nsustains a defeat today at Bhurisrava's hand, that title of his will be\nfalsified. This is all that Krishna means.\n\n169. Verse 20 is incomplete. I supply the words,--'Why then should I not\nprotect' in order to make the meaning intelligible. The first line of 21\nis grammatically connected with 20. To avoid an ugly construction I\nrender it separately.\n\n170. Literally, 'who could witness with indifference Satyaki reduced to\nthat plight?'\n\n171. Generally, to die, abstaining from all food. It is a method of\nfreeing the soul from the body by Yoga.\n\n172. Literally, 'near the place assigned for the sacrificial butter.'\n\n173. Nilakantha explains chakram as Pratapam.\n\n174. The second line of 94 I render a little freely to make the sense\nclearer.\n\n175. A Kavandha is a headless trunk moving about as if endued with life.\nTales are told of these headless beings drinking the blood of victims\nfalling within their grasp.\n\n176. The second of the seven notes of the Hindu gamut.\n\n177. The printed editions and the manuscripts do not agree with one\nanother in respect of the order and numbering of the last dozen verses.\nThe Bombay edition omits a few of the verses.\n\n178. Everything even the inanimate creation, exists and adores the\nSupreme deity.\n\n179. This is a triplet in the Calcutta edition.\n\n180. Literally, 'the fact of the Dhartarashtras having sunk (into\ndistress).'\n\n181. Literally, 'of persons whose coronal locks have undergone the sacred\nbath.'\n\n182. Praluvdhas is explained by Nilakantha differently. He supposes that\nDuryodhana here characterises Sikhandin to be a deceitful fowler or\nhunter in consequence of the deceit with which he caused Bhishma's fall.\nThis is far-fetched.\n\n183. I adopt the Bombay reading.\n\n184. The Bombay edition reads this verse differently and introduces\nanother after it which does not occur in the Bengal texts.\n\n185. I am not sure whether I have rendered the 31st and the first half of\n32nd correctly. The vernacular translators have made a mess of the\npassage. The difficulty lies with Surhittamais. I take it to mean that\nDuryodhana says, 'Karna, Sakuni, Duhsasana, with myself, had taken thee,\nO preceptor, for a friend, and had engaged thee in this battle. We did\nnot, however, then know that thou art an enemy in disguise.'\n\n186. i.e., 'he should, by every means in his power, avenge himself on the\nSomakas, those enemies of mine.'\n\n187. This is a triplet in the Bengal texts.\n\n188. I render the second line freely, following Nilakantha.\n\n189. Literally, 'with shafts resembling his rays.'\n\n190. Or, 'as a lake overgrown with lotuses is agitated on every side by\nan elephant.'\n\n191. Sixteen lines, occurring after this in the Bombay edition, have been\nomitted in the Calcutta edition.\n\n192. Drums of diverse kinds and sizes.\n\n193. The Bombay reading is apalavam and not viplatam.\n\n194. This is a triplet in all the editions.\n\n195. The brother of the Kalinga prince.\n\n196. Patanipam is explained by Nilakantha as something that causes the\npatana or downfall of a person hence sin. [There is no reference for this\nnote in the body of this page, so I have placed it in a likely\nlocation.--JBH]\n\n197. A nalwa measured four hundred cubits.\n\n198. Nilakantha explains that there were Pisachas.\n\n199. Aswatthaman and the Pandavas were like brothers, for both were\ndisciples of Drona. Ghatotkacha, therefore, having been Bhima's son was\nAswatthaman's brother's son.\n\n200. i.e., the weapon endued with the force of the thunder.\n\n201. Different species of Rakshasas.\n\n202. Tripura, belonging to an Asura of the same.\n\n203. Asani literally means the thunder. Probably, some kind of iron mace.\n\n204. The Bengal texts read Utkrisha-vikramas. The correct reading seems\nto be Aklivhtavikramas. Then again Sahanujam seems to be inaccurate. I\nfollow the Bombay reading Sahanugam.\n\n205. Achyuta, when used as a proper noun, refers to Krishna. It means of\nunfading glory and 'the immortal.'\n\n206. Slight differences are observable between the Bengal and the Bombay\ntexts as regards the last three verses.\n\n207. This is a triplet.\n\n208. This is a triplet.\n\n209. In the second line of 4, utsedha and not udvrita is the true\nreading. So also kanchit and not kinchit. The paraphrase, according to\nNilakantha, in kanchit dhanurdharam na ganayan, etc.\n\n210. 147 is a triplet.\n\n211. The Bengal reading sudakshinas at the end of 49 dose not seem to be\ncorrect. I adopt the Bombay reading sudarnnam.\n\n212. The Bombay edition reads the first line of 3 differently. The Bengal\nreading is also defective. The correct reading seems to be Rathanaga\ninstead of Naranaga.\n\n213. This is a Triplet.\n\n214. Instead of mattagaje, the Bombay edition reads tatragaje.\n\n215. There seems to be a mistake in this sloka in its reference to the\nPandavas. The reading, however, that occurs in all the printed edition,\nis the same. In one manuscript I find Kamrava-yodhavurgais (which I\nadopt) for Pandava-Kauraveyais.\n\n216. The second line of 30, as it occurs in the Bengal texts, is adopted\nby me. A slight difference of reading occurs between the Bengal and the\nBombay editions.\n\n217. As regards almost every one of these slokas, differences of reading\nare observable between the Bengal texts and the Bombay edition. The\nreadings of the Bombay edition are almost uniformly better. Then, again,\nmany of those verses are disfigured with syntactical pleonasms and other\ngrave errors. Abounding with tiresome repetitions that scarcely attract\nnotice amid the variety of synonyms with which the language of the\noriginal abounds and amid also the melodious flow of the rhythm, the\ndefects become glaring in translation. At the latter, however, of\nfaithfulness, I have been obliged to sacrifice elegance, in rendering\nthis section.\n\n218. The Bengal reading tatha loka is incorrect. The Bombay text\ncorrectly reads tadaloka. Then also, instead of the Bengal reading\nrajasacaa samavrite (which is faulty), the true reading is raja tamasa\nvrite.\n\n219. Lokanamabhave is explained by Nilakantha as pralaya-kale.\n\n220. A different reading occurs in the Bombay edition.\n\n221. Nalikas, as used here, appear to have been some species of shafts.\nIn an earlier note, relying on other authorities, I took it to mean some\nkind of air-gun.\n\n222. Vaikartana may also mean one who has peeled off his skin of natural\narmour. To preserve dramatic propriety, the Hindu commentators explain it\nin this sense when it occurs in any such passage, for the real origin of\nKarna, viz., his procreation by the deity of the sun, became known after\nhis death.\n\n223. The second line of 9 is read differently in the Calcutta edition. I\nadopt the Bombay reading.\n\n224. In the second line of 13, Avyayatturnam instead of Maharaja is the\ncorrect reading.\n\n225. This sloka seems to be a vicious one.\n\n226. Yena and tena here are equal to yatra and tatra.\n\n227. In the first line of 30 Vaganais and not Vanaganan is the true\nreading.\n\n228. The second line of 30 is read differently in the Calcutta edition.\nIn consequence also of some differences between two printed editions, 30\nof the Calcutta text is 32 of the Bombay text.\n\n229. In the Bengal texts this is a triplet.\n\n230. It is for this that I see thee with this head as a tribute.\n\n231. An arani is a cubit measuring from the elbow to the end of the\nlittle figure.\n\n232. Both reading, viz., asaktam and asaktam are correct. The former\nmeans 'engaged', the latter, 'to the measure of his might!'\n\n233. The second line of 85 is differently in the Bombay edition.\n\n234. Rakshasas at certain hours were believed to be inspired with greater\nstrength.\n\n235. Mainaka the son of Himavat, has a hundred heads.\n\n236. i.e., they thought they obtained a new lease of life.\n\n237. Literally means, \"united by Jara.\"\n\n238. Nilakantha thinks that Sagadaya in one word, meaning 'deprived of\nthe both Rakshasas and the mace.' This is far-fetched.\n\n239. Fire being the mouth of the celestials, without fire, the celestials\nbecome mouthless. Thus Nilakantha.\n\n240. This is a triplet in the Bengal texts.\n\n241. 66 is a triplet in the Bengal texts.\n\n242. Triyama, literally, consisting of three Yamas, a Yama being a watch\nof three hours. The first hour and a half of the night and the last hour\nand a half, being regarded as twilight, the night, truly as such, with\nthe ancient Hindoos, consisted of only nine hours.\n\n243. Literally, 'of a thousand Yamas.'\n\n244. The moon is called the lord of lilies because the water-lily is seen\nto bloom at moonrise, just as the sun is called the lord of the lotuses\nbecause the lotus blooms at sun-rise. The direction presided over by\nIndra means the East.\n\n245. Dasatakasha-kkupa means the Kakup or direction presided by him of a\nthousand eyes; hence the East.\n\n246. Instead of Vrishodara, the Bombay text reads Vrishottama, which I\nadopt.\n\n247. In the first line of 31, the Bengal texts read Rajanam probably\nreferring to Drupada. The correct reading, however, is Rujendra in the\nvocative case as in the Bombay edition.\n\n248. I render this a little too freely. The form of the oath is, \"Let\nthat man lose, etc. whom Drona escapes today with life or whom Drona\nvanquishes today.\"\n\n249. This, in the Bengal texts, is a triplet.\n\n250. I adopt the Bombay reading of the first line of this verse.\n\n251. All these arrows inflicted had wounds and could not be easily\nextracted. Shafts of crooked courses were condemned because the\ncombatants could not easily baffle them, not knowing at whom they would\nfall.\n\n252. This verse is omitted in the Bombay text. There can be no doubt,\nhowever, about its genuineness.\n\n253. The celestial weapons were all living agents that appeared at the\nbidding of him who knew to invoke them. They abandoned, however, the\nperson whose death was imminent, although invoked with the usual formulae.\n\n254. I adopt the Bombay reading.\n\n255. Deprived of both the worlds, having sustained a defeat, they lost\nthis world, and flying away from the field, they committed a sin and lost\nthe next world.\n\n256. Celestial weapons were invoked with mantras, as explained in a\nprevious note. They were forces which created all sorts of tangible\nweapons that the invoked desired. Here the Brahma weapon took the form of\nbroad-headed arrows.\n\n257. Dharmadhwajin literally means a person bearing the standard of\nvirtue, hence, hypocrite, sanctimoniously talking only virtue and\nmorality but acting differently.\n\n258. I think the correct reading is aputrinas and not putrinas. If it is\nputrinas, literally rendered, the meaning is, 'Why should persons having\nchildren, feel any affection for the latter?' It the worthy of remark\nthat the author of Venisamhara has bodily adopted this verse, putting it\nin the mouth of Aswatthaman when introduced in the third Act.\n\n259. The last line of 37 is read differently in the Bombay edition.\nNilakantha accepts that reading, and explains it in his gloss remarking\nthat the grammatical solecism occuring in it is a license. The Bengal\nreading, however, is more apposite.\n\n260. Literally, \"the animals kept the Pandavas to their right.\"\n\n261. Dasaratha's son Rama, during his exile, slew the monkey-chief Bali,\nthe brother of Sugriva, while Bali was engaged with Sugriva in battle.\nBali had not done any injury to Rama. That act has always been regarded\nas a stain on Rama.\n\n262. I expand the original to make the sense clear.\n\n263. The first line of the 23rd verse in the Bengal editions, is made the\nsecond line of that verse in the Bombay text. There seems to be a\nmistake, however, in both the texts. Vishnu slew Hiranyakasipu without\nallowing the latter to say anything unto him. Vide Vishnu Purana. If\ninstead of Hiranyakasipu Harim, the rendering be Hiranyakasipu Haris, the\nline may then be connected with Bhima's speech, and the comparison would\nbecome more apposite.\n\n264. The Nishadas were and to this day are the lowest caste in India.\n\n265. The Bengal reading is vicious, I adopt the Bombay reading which is\nSurorgurunsha bhuyopi, meaning, \"this preceptor again.\" The fact is,\nArjuna was Satyaki's preceptor; Drona, therefore, was the latter's\npreceptor's preceptor.\n\n266. Kimpurushas were fabled creatures, half men and steeds. Not a\nmountain but had its Kimpurushas, according to the Hindu belief. Yakshas\nwere a sort of superhuman beings inhabiting inaccessible hills and\nmountains.\n\n267. I adopt the Bombay reading of the 2nd line of 35 and think that\nNilakantha explains it correctly.\n\n268. I adopt the Bombay reading.\n\n269. Nilakantha explains this to mean that when he became unconnected\nwith the world, rising superior to everything connected with the world.\n\n270. The terrible.\n\n271. Amritasya yonim, literally, the origin or cause of immortality,\ni.e., he from whom immortality springs. Hence, as explained by\nNilakantha, the phrase means the source of salvation, for those only that\nare emancipate became immortal as the Supreme Soul itself.\n\n272. i.e., the five attributes perceivable by the five senses, with the\nfive objects of Nature with which they are directly connected or in which\nthey manifest themselves.\n\n273. Having given it away to Rama, his disciple.\n\n274. All these terms imply Death or the Destroyer.","title":"The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2: Books 4, 5, 6 and 7","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":666528}