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THE MAHABHAR ATA
BHISHMA PARVA
C O N T E N T S
SE CTION : I—XJamv u-Khanda Ni rman a Pa r v a
SE CTION : X I—XIIBhum i Parva n u
SECT ION : XII I—XLIIBhagava t-Gita Par va
SE CTION : XLI I I“
Yudh ish th i ra a sks for Kr ishna's Bl e ss in gs Parva
SECTION : XL IV—Ll st. Day
’
sWar
SECT ION : LI- LV2od . Day
's War
SECT ION LV I—L IX3 1 d . Day
's Wa r
SECT ION"
L X—L XIV4 th . Da y
's War
SECT ION : LXV—LXV I I IThe Glo r ie s o f Va sudeva
SECT ION : LXIX—LXXIV5 th . Day
's Wa r
SECT ION LXXV—LXXX6 th . Day
’
s War
S ECTION L XXXL—L XXXVI I7 th . Day
’
s War
SECT ION : LXXXV I I I— XCV I I8th . Day
's War
SECT ION XCVI I IDuryodhana 5 Consultation s w i th Saku n i .
D u ssasan a an d Kam a
SECT ION :
"
XC IX—CVI I9th . Day
’
s War
SECT ION: CV I I IYudh i shth ira R epa ir s to Bh i shm a
SECT ION . CIX- CXXl oth . Day
’
sWar
SECTION : CXX I—CXXI IBh i shma 3 Bed o f Arrow
SECTION ; CXXII I—CXXIVAl l mee t Bh ishm a
1 - 26
2 5'
s? ”1 1 5 9 W 6“
32—1 05
1 05—1 1 1
1 1 1—1 37
1 37—1 52
153—1 66
1 67—1 80
1 80— 1 89
201—21 3
213— 232
233 262
262—265
265—286
287 292
332 336
THE MAHABHARATABHISHMA PARVA
SE CTION I
(Jamvu o khanda Ni rmana Parva)
Om Having bowed down to Narayan a . and Nara . the most exa lted ofma l e bei n g s. an d a lso the g oddess Saraswati , then must theword Jaya be uttered .
Jan amej aya sa id .—"
How did those h eroes . t he Kurus . the Pandavas .and the Somakas. and t he h igh-souled k i ngs assembled toge th er from
various countr ie s . fight
Va i sam payan a sa id , L is ten thou . 0 lo rd of the ear th . how those
heroes . -t h e Kurus . t he Pandava s . and th e Som akas .—fought on th e
sacred pla in 1 o f the K u rukshe tra . Enter ing Ku rukshe tra. th e Pandavas
endued with great m ight . along with the Som akas. advanced . desi rous of
v ictory.a ga inst the Kaurava s . Accompl i sh ed in t he s tudy of the V6 61“ .
al l (o f them ) took great deli gh t in ba t t l e . Expectan t of success i n bat tle ,
wi th t he i r t roops ( they ) faced the figh t . Approach ing the army of
Dhritarash tra's son . those (warriors ) i nv incible i n bat tle . ” sta t ion ed
themsel v e s with t h e i r t roops on t he weste rn par t (of the pla in) . the ir
faces turned towards the ea st . Yudh i shth i ra , th e son of Kunti , caused
tents by thousands to be se t u p accord i ng to ru le . beyond th e reg io n
cal led Saman tapan chaka . The whol e ea r th seemed then to be emp ty .d ives ted o f horses and men . dest itu te of cars and el e phant s , and with
only the ch il d ren and the old le ft (a t home ) . From the whole ar ea o f
J amvudwipa over wh ich th e sun sheds hi s rays .3 was col lected that force .
0 b est o f kings . Men o f a l l race s . 4 assembled togeth e r . occupied anarea extendin g for many Yoj an as over d i s t ric ts , r ivers . h ills . and woods .That bul l among men . king Yudhi shth i ra . ordered excellen t food and
other art icl es of enjoyment for al l of them a long with thei r an imals .
And Yudh i sh th i ra fixed d i v ers e watch-words for them so that one
say ing thi s should be known as belong ing to the Pandavas . An d that
descendan t of Kuru's race also sett led n ames and badges for a ll of them
for recogn i t ion dur in g t ime of ba tt le .
1 Tapas-kshetra b ecause Kuru , the common an cestor of th e riva lhouses , performed h i s ascetic austerities there . S in ce K n r
'
u’
s time , man yascetics took up their ab ode there .—T.
2 Some texts have Dn ddharsham for Duddharshas.-T.
3 L itera lly,
“ g ives h eat.—T.
4 ‘Varn a.’
i s used h ere i n th e sense of races and not oastaa—T.
MAHABHARATA
Behold ing th e standard-top of Pr i tha’
s son . the hi gh-souled son of
Dhr i tarashtra.with a whi te umbre l la he ld ove r h i s h ead . i n th e m idst of
a thousand elephants . and surrounded by his cen tury o f broth ers . began
w ith al l the kin gs (on hi s s ide ) t o array h is troops agains t th e son ofPandu
.Seeing Duryodhana . the Pan cha las who took de l ight
‘
i n bat t le .
were fil led with joy and blew the ir loud-sound ing co uches and cymb al s
of sweet sounds . Behold ing those t roops so del ighted , Pandu's son and
Vasudeva of g rea t energy had the i r hear t s fi lled with j oy . An d those
t ig ers among men. Vasudeva and Dhananj aya . sea te d on one car . hav in g
fel t great joy . both blew the ir ce lestia l Conches An d hear ing the bla re
o f'
Gt'
ya n tea and th e loud blast o f Theodotea belon g in g unto the two . the
combatants ejected ur ine an d excreta . l As o th er an imals ar e fi lled
wi th fea r on hearing th e vo ice of th e roar in g l ion . even so became tha t
force upon hear ing thos e blasts . A f r ightful dus t arose and noth ing
could be seen . for the sun himself . suddenly enveloped by i t . seem ed to
hav e set. ’ A black cloud poured a shower of flesh and blo od ov er the
troops all around . Al l this s eemed extraord i na ry . A wind rose t her e,
bear ing along th e ear th myr iads of stony nodules . and a ffl ic t ing there
with the combatants by hundreds and thousands . (For al l that ) . O
monarch . b a th armies . fi lle d‘with joy . stood addrest for battle . on
K u ruksh e tra l ike two agitated ocean s Ind eed . tha t e n coou n te r of the
two arm ies was h ighly wonderfu l . l ik e that o f two ocean s when the end
of the Yu ga i s arr ived . Th e whole ea rt h was em pty . hav in g only t h e
children an d th e old le f t (at home ) . i n con sequence of tha t lar g e army
mustered by the Kauravas . 3 Th en the Kurus . th e Pandava s . and the
Somakas made cer ta in co n v enants . a nd sett l ed th e . rul es . 0 hu l l of
Bharata’
s race . re gard in g th e difi eren t k inds of combat . Person s equallycircums tanced must encoun ter each othe r . fight ing fa ir ly . An d i f
hav ing fought fa irly the combatants withdraw (without fear o f mol es ta
t ion ) . even that would be gra t ify ing to us . Those who eng aged in g o n
t ests o f words should be fought against w ith word s . Those that lef t the
ranks should never be sla in .
‘1 A car-warr ior should hav e a car-warrior
for h is antagonist he on the neck of an e lephant should hav e a sim ilar
combatan t for h is foe a ho rse should 7b e met by a ho rs e . and a foot
soldie r . O Bharata . should be met by a fo o taso ldi er . Gu ided by considera
tions of fi tness . will in gness . daring and m igh t . o ne should Str ik e ano ther .
1 Both 1 7 an d 1 8 are read di fferently b y'
t'h e Bu rdwan Pun dits .
-T.
2 Th i s sloka i s variously read . For 67
1
1
33297201 1. in th e first l i n e some
texts read bh imamO
Wh i ch I have adopted . rssaha sa i n th e second linesom e texts have n ausea. an d th en ad i tya (l ocatrveffor ‘
aditya s .
’-T.
3 Th e Bombay text i s ev iden tly faulty h ere ; i t repeats th e second
gzl
flof tr
he 7th s loka , making the secon d ha lf of th e 25th th e first h alf of th et o_
o
4 i .a. . stragg lers should n ot be Gleam-4 T.
g iv ing no t ice . No one should st r i ke anothe r tha t i s unprepared .l orpan ic-struck One engag ed with ano ther . on e s e eking quarter , o ne
retreat ing . one whose weapon is r endered unfit . uncased i nma i l . shou ldnever be s truck . Car-d ri vers , an imals (yok ed to cars or carryin g Wea
pons) men engaged in the t ranspor t o f weapons . .2 players on drum s and
blowers of conches should never be struck . Ha v ing made these con ve
nants . the Kurus , a nd the Pandavas . and the Som akas wondered much.
gazi ng at e ach othe r . An d hav i ng s ta t ioned ( the i r fo rce s thus) . those
. bulls among men . those hig h-souled ones , wi th thei r troops . became
glad a t h ear t . their j oy.be i ng reflec ted on the ir countenances .
" 3
SECTION . I I
Va isampay an a sa id , -"See ing th en th e two armie s (stan di ng) 1on
the east and the wes t for the fierce ba t tl e tha t was impending . t he -holy
R ishi Vyase the son of Saty av ati . tha t foremost of a l l a pe rso n s acqua inted
wi th the Vedas. t hat g randsi r e of. th e Bharata s . conversan t with the past.the presen t . and t he fut ur e . and behold ing ev e rything as i i f i t we re
presen t before h is eye s , sa id these words i n pr iva te unto t he roya l son
of Vich i trav i rya who was then di s tressed and g iv ing way to sorrow .
reflect ing on th e ‘élvi l po l icy of hi s sons .
Vyase sa idfi‘l J -O king . thy sons and t h e o ther mo narchs hav e the i r
hour arr ived .
4 Maste red i n batt l e t hey wi ll ki l l one ano t her . 0
Bharata . the i r houe h av i n g come . they wi l l a l l per ish . Bear ing i n m ind“
the changes b ro u gh t io n by t ime . do no t y i e ld thy heart to gr i e f . 0 king .
i f t hou wish to see them (fightm g ) i n ba t tle , I wil l . ‘0 son . gran t thee
v ision . Behold th e ba ttle .
Dhr i tarashtra sa id .—‘
O best of regen erate R i shi . I l ike . not to
behol d the slaughte r of kin smen . I shall . however . through thy po tencyhear of this bat tl e m inutely .
Va isampayan a continued . Upon h i s not wish ing to see the battlebut wish ing to hear of i t . Vy a se . tha t lord of boons . gave a boon to
San jay a . (An d add ress ing Dhr i tarash ta he said ) , —‘
Th i s San jaya . 0
king; will descr ibe the battle to thee . Noth ing in the whol e ba ttle wil l
be beyon d this one’
s eyes .’
E ndued . 0 king with ce lest ia l v i sion . Senj aya
i
1 L itera l ly , “co n fidi n g .
" —T.
2 Th e Bom b ay text h as Castropan ay i shu ; the Ben gal texts haveCastropmi b i shu .
—T.
3JIt i s im pos sib le to n otice a l l th e variation s of readin g occurin g i n
11100‘ th e section w i thout con s iderab ly swe ll in g th e n ote s . I have accordin g lyleft a good m any un noticed—T.
4 R ath er ,“ hay s their periods run out. -T.
MAHABHABA’I'A
wil l narra te t he battle to thee . He wil l have knowledge of every th ing .‘
Manifes t or concealed . (happen ing ) by day or by n igh t . even that which
is thought of in the m ind . Se njaya shall k n ow everyth in g . Weapons
W l l l n o r cut h i m and exert ion wil l not fa t igue h im . This so n of Gava‘l
gani w 1 l l come o u t of the b attl e w 1 th l 1fe . As re gards mysel f . 0 hu l l of
Bhara ta's race
.th e fame of these Kurus . a s also of al l th e Pandavas . I
wil l spread.Do not g r ieve . This i s dest iny . O t iger among men . It
b ehov eth the e no t t o give way to g r 1e f . I t is not capable of be ing pre0 $ 0 0
vented. As re gard s v ictory . i t is there where r ig ht eousness l s.
Va i sampayan a cont inued .—"That h igh ly-ble ssed and hol y grand s ire
of the Kurus.having said so . once more addressed Dhr i tarash tra and
sa id.
-‘Great wi l l the slaughter be , 0 monarch . i n th i s bat tle . I see
here also (numerous) omens indicat iv e of ter ror . Hawks and v ulture s .
and crows and herons.together w ith cranes . are a l ight ing on t he tops
of trees and gath er ing i n flocks . These birds , deligh ted a t t he prospect
o f battle . are look ing down (on the field ) before them . Carn ivorousbeasts will feed on the flesh of e lephants and ste eds . Fierce herons.
foreboding terror . and u tte r ing merci le ss cr i es . are wh eel ing across the
cen tre towards the southern reg ion . In both th e tw il ig hts . pr ior and
post er ior. I da i ly behold . O Bharata . t he sun durin g hi s r ising and se t t ing
to be covered by headless trunks . Tr ico lour ed clouds with the i r ex
trem i ties white and red and necks black. charged with l ightn ing . and
r esembling maces ( i n figure ) env elope th e su n i n both twi l i ghts . I haVe
seen the sun . th e moon , and the st ars to be a l l blazing . No diff erence
in their aspect i s to be no ted in t he e v en ing . I hav e seen this al l day
and all night . Al l this f orbodes fear . On ev en t h e fifteen th n ight o f the
l igh t ed fortn ight in ( the mon th of) K artika . the moon . d ives ted of
splendour . became i n v 1si b le . or of the hue of fire . the fi rmam en t being
of the hue of th e lotus . Many heroic lord s of ear th . —kings and princes .—endued w i th g reat bravery and possessed of arms resembli ng maces .will be sla in and sle ep . ly in g down on the ear th . Da ily I notice in the
sky durin g n ight t ime the fierce crie s of batt l in g boars and cats . “ The
images of gods and goddesses somet imes lau gh . sometim es tremble . and
somet imes aga in these vom i t blood th rough th e ir mouths and somet imes
they swea t and some times fa l l down . O monarch . drum s , withoutbeing beaten , g ive sounds . and the grea t cars of Kshatr iya s move withou t
(being drawn by ) animals yoked to th em . K oki las. wood-peckers . j aws .water-cocks . parrots . crows . and peacocks . utter te rr ibl e cr ie s. Here
and there . cavalry soldiers . cased in m a i l . arm ed w ith wea pons . s end
1 ‘
Ih e secon d h a lf of th e 9th , an d th e whole of the 1 0th sloka are
om itted i n th e Ben ga l texts . —T.
2 Th e Bomb ay text reads pra l ahshaye for praj a shayc. I have adaptedthe l u men—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
fo rth fie rce shouts . At sun -r i se fl ights of insects . by hundreds a r e seen .
In both twil ights . t he ca rd ina l quar te rs se em to be ablaze . and th e
clouds . O Bhara ta . show er dust and fle sh . She . O king . who i s cel ebratedove r t he thre e wor ld s an d is applauded by th e r ighteous . even that
(cons te lla t ion) Arun dhati keepeth (her lo rd ) Vasi sth a on her back . The
plane t San i a lso . 0 k ing . appeare th affl ict ing ( the con st e l lat ion ) R ohin i .
The s ign of the deer i n the moon ha th dev ia t ed from i ts usual posi t ion .
A grea t t erro r i s i ndica ted . E ven though the sky i s cloudless . a t errible
roar i s heard there . The an imal s are all weeping and the ir tears are
fall in g fas t .’
SE CTION III
Vya se said .—‘
Asses a re takin g bir th s in kine . Some are hav ing
sexual pleasure with mo thers. Th e t rees in the fore sts a re exh ibi t ing
unseasonable flowers and fru it s . Women quick with child . and even
those tha t ar e no t so . are g iving bir th to monsters . Carn ivorous beasts.
m i n gl 1n g wi th (carnivorous ) birds , ar e feed ing together . Il l-omened
beast s,some hav ing three horn s . som e with four ey es . some w ith fiv e
legs . som e wit h two sexual or gans . some wi th two heads . some with two
t a i ls . some hav ing fierce tee th . ar e be ing born . and w it h mouths wide
open ar e u tterin g unholy cri es . Horse s wi th three leg s . furn ished wi th
crests . hav i ng four tee th . and endued wi th ho rns . a r e also being born . 0
k ing . i n thy ci ty i s a l so s ee n tha t the wiv es of m any u t terers of Brahma
are br inging fo rth Ga ruda s and p eacocks . The mare i s brin g in g for th th ecow-calf and the bi tch is br ingin g forth . 0 kin g . j ackal s a nd cocks . andan te lopes and parro ts a r e al l u tte ring inauspic ious cr ies . 1 Certa in women
a re br ing ing for th four or five daughter s ( a t a t ime ) . and these a s soo n
as t h ey are born . dance and sing an d laugh . The members of th e lowest
order s are laughin g and dancin g a n d s ing ing . and thus indicat in g direful
consequences . Infan ts . as i f u rged by death , are draw ing a rmed images .and are runn ing agains t on e another . arm ed wi th clubs . and des i rous of
bat t le are also breaking down the towns (they erect in sport) . L o tuses
of d iff eren t kin ds and li l ie s are g rowing on tre es . S t rong winds are
blowin g fiercely and the dus t ceaset h not . Th e eart h i s frequentl y trem
bling . and Rahu approachet h towards the su n . The wh i te p l an et (K etu )stayeth . having passed beyond the const ellat ion Chitra . Al l th i s parti
cu l arly b ode th the destruct ion of the K urus . A fie rce come t r i se th.
afil ictin g th e conste lla t ion Pu sya . Th is grea t planet will cause fr i g h tfu lm ischief to bo th the arm ie s . Mars whee l eth toward s Magha and
Vriha spati (Jup i ter) towards Sravan a . The sun’
s off sprin g (Sa n i ) approach
1 Bo th th e B en ga l an d th e B omb ay edition s h ave Kukkum n for
Kukku tan a s th e Burdwan Pundi ts correct i t. A bitch producin g dog s an db itches wou ld b e n o an omaly .
ing towards the cons tel lat ion Bha ga . affl icteth i r The p l an et ; Su ltra.
ascending towards Pu rva Bhadra . sh in e th br il l ian tly . an d wheel ing
towards the U ttara Bhadra .looketh towards i t . hav ing eff ected a junc
tion (with a sm alle r planet) . The whi te p lan et (K etu ) . blaz ing up l ike
fire mixed with smoke . stayeth . ha v in g at tacked t he br igh t conste l la tion
Jeshtha th a t is sacred to Indra . The const el la tion Dhm va . blaz in g
fiercely.whee l eth towards the r i gh t . Bo t h the moon and the su n are
afil icti n g Rohin i . The fie rce plan et (R a hu ) ha th taken up i ts pos i t ion
between the conste llations Chitra and Swati . l The red-bodied (Mars)
possessed o f the eE u l gen ce of fire . wheeli n g c ircuitously . st ayet h i n a l ine
with the const el lation Sravana over-r idden by Vrihaspati . The ear th
that produceth par ticular cro ps at parti cular seasons is n ow cov ere d
with the cre ps of e v ery season .
2 Every barl ey sta lk is graced w ith fiveears
.and every paddy stalk w ith a hundred . Th ey that
.are the best
of creatures in the worlds and upon whom depends th e un iverse . v iz. ,
kine.when milked afte r the ca lves have the l r suck . y ield on ly blood.
R adiant r ays of l ight emanate from bows . an d swords blaze forth bri ll i
en tly . I t i s ev iden t t hat the weapon s beho l d (be fore th em) the batt l e .
as i f i t were already arr ived . The h ue o f weapons and the water . a s
al so of coa ts of ma il and standard s . i s l ik e that o f fire . A grea t slau ght erwill take place
.In th is ba ttle . 3 O Bhara ta . of t h e Kurus wi th the
Pandavas.th e fearth . O monarch . wil l be a r ive r o f bl ood wi th the
s tandards (of warr io rs) as i t s rafts . Animals an d birds on al l s ides . with
mouths blazing l ike fire . utter ing fierce cr ie s. and d isplay ing these ev il
omens . are fo reboding te r ribl e consequences . A (fierce) bi rd with bu t
one wing . one eye . and one leg . hover ing over the sky in th e n ight .scream eth frightfully i n wrath . as i f for making the h earer s v om itblood .
‘ I t seemeth . 0 g rea t king . that a l l weapons a re n ow blaz ing
with rad iance . The eflu l g en ce of the constell at io n known by the name
of the seven h igh-souled R ishis. hath be en d immed . Those two blaz ing
plan ets . vi z Vr ihaspati and San i . hav ing approached the conste lla tion
cal led Vi sakha . have become sta t ionary there for a who l e year . Three
1 U n l ike the Ben g a l ed ition s . the Bom b ay editi o n correctly v i n c ludes
th i s s l o lra . or rather h a l f s loka . with in th e 1 7th . makin g the 1 7th a tripletin stead of a coup let. For th e we ll-kn own wo rd Dh i shth i ta s , however . th eBomb ay text ha s Vi shth i ta s .
—T.
2 Th e Bomb ay text reads P ari cchann a for P ari coh i nna . Th e former1 8 b etter .—T.
3 Va i sase i s expla ined by Ni l akan tha a s Vi rodhe . Oon ttavarta—a
ri ver h ay in g bloody edd ies .-T.
4 Con i tam cohardayann iva . I h ave adopted Ni l akan tha's explan ation .
Th e Burdwan Pundits take i t a s referring to “ weapon s" in stead o f “ h earer s .
”
Th e pa s sage , however . m ay m ean that th e bird scream s so (righ tful ly asi f i t vom l ts b lood . Th e only th in g th at militates a ga i n st th i s interpretation i s that cchardayan i s a causa l verb . In th e Mahabharata . however .causa l form s ar e frequently u sed without cau sal
,mean ing .—T.
lun at ion s twice mee ting toge ther in course of the same lunar fortnigh t .
the dura t io n o f th e la t t er is shortened by two days .’
On the ‘th irteen th
day t he refore . f rom the fir st lunat ion . acco rdin g as i t i s the day of th e
ful l moon or t h e new moon . t h e moon and the sun are affl ic ted by R ahu .
Such st range ecl ipses . both lunar and solar . fo rebode a grea t slaughter . ‘
Al l t he quarte rs of the earth . being overwhelmed by showers of dust .
loo k i na usp ic ious . Fierce cloud s . por ten tous of danger . drop bloodyshowers during the night . R ahu of fierce deeds i s al so . 0 monarch .
afflict ing the constel lat ion K irtika . R ough winds . protending fierce
danger . are con s tan tly blowing . A l l th e se be get a war characte r i sed bymany sad incidents . 2 The constel l a tions are div ided in to three classes .
U pOn one o r anoth er o f each c lass . a planet of ev i l omen has shed it s
influence . fo reboding ter r ible dan gers . 3 A l unar for tn igh t had hithe rtocons isted of fourte en days . or fi fteen days ( as usual ) . or s ixteen days .This . however . I neve r knew tha t t he day of new moon wo uld be onthe thirteen th day f rom the fi rs t lunation . or th e day of ful l moon ont he thir te e n th day from the same . An d ye t in course of th e sam e
‘
m o n th
both t h e moon and the sun hav e undergone ecl ipses on the th i r teen thday s f rom the day of the fi rst luna tion .
4 The sun and the moon therefore . by undergoi n g ec l 1pses on unusual days .
5 wil l cause a grea tslaughter o f t he c reature s of the ear th . Indeed . R akshasas. though dr inking blood by mouthful . wil l y e t not be sat i ated . Th e grea t r ivers a reflbwm g i n o ppos i te d irect ions . The waters o f r ive rs hav e become
1 Th i s s loka i s omitted i n ma n y ed ition s . th ough i t i s certa in ly gen u in e .
I h ave rendered i t very free ly , a s oth erwi se i t would b e un i n te ll ig ib l e . Th e
fact i s . three lun ation s twice m eetin g togeth er in co u r se of th e sam e lu n arfortn igh t i s very rare . Th e lun ar fortn igh t (Paksha ) b e in g then redu ced b ytwo day s . th e day of ful l moon or that of n ew mo on , in stead of b e in g (a su sua l) th e fifteenth day from th e first l un ation become s th e th irteen th day .
L un ar ec lip ses a lways occur on da y s of th e fu l l moo n . wh i le so lar ec l ipseson tho se of the n ew moon . Such ecl ipses . th erefore . occuri n g o n daysremoved from th e days of th e first lunation b y th irteen in stead of (as usual)fifteen day s , are very extraordin ary occu rren ces .
—T.
2 Vi sham am i s battle or war . an d akranda. i s weep ing or productive of
grief . The l atter word m ay a lso mean a fierce b attle . I f understood in thi ssen se . Vi sh am am m ay b e taken a s in dicating h o sti l ity . or absen ce o f peace .—T
3 Ni l akan tb a exp la ins th i s in a lon g n ote th e substance of wh ich i sappen ded b e low . K in g s are d ivided in to th ree cla s se s , vi z . ,
owners o f
elephan ts (Gag apati ) , owners of horses (Aswapati ) , an d own ers of men
(Narapati ) . I f an evi f-om ened plan et (papa-gra b s ) sh eds i ts in fluen ce uponan y of the nine conste llations b eg innin g with Aswi n i , i t foreb ode s dan ger toA‘
swapati s if on an y of th e n i n e b eg i n ning wi t h Mag b a . i t foreb odes dangerto Gajapati s an d i f on an y of th e nine b eg inning with Mula . i t forebodesdanger to Narapati s . Wh a t Vya sa say s here . therefore . i s that on e or an oth er papagraha ha s shed i ts i nfluen ce upon on e anoth er of each o f th e th reec lasses of co n ste llation s . thus forebodin g dan ger to a l l c lasses of k in gs—T.
4 Vi da note an te—T.
Q Aparvan i . i .a. . not on Parva days or day s of fu l l moon an d n ew moona s ord1n ar i l y comin g . Th e Bombay edition , after ap arfvami . read s grahemmtau . A
'I
b etter read ing unquestion ab ly grastavetau , a s many B en ga l textshaveo
_0
bloo dy . The wel ls foam ing up . are bel low ing l ike bull s . ‘ Me teo r s .
eE u l ge n t l ike Indra s thunder-bol t , fa l l wi t h loud h issess .
’ When th i sn ight passeth away
.e v i l conseq uences w il l overtake you . People . for
mee ti n g toge the r . coming ou t the i r houses with l ight ed brands . have
st il l to encoun ter a thick g loom all roun d .
3 Grea t R ish i s h ave sa id tha t
in view of such circumstances th e earth drinks th e blood of thousands
of k ings.From the mountain s of Kailasa and Mandara and Him avat
thousands of explosions are heard and thousand s of summi ts a re tum
bling down . In consequence of the Earth's t rembling . each of the four
oceans having swel led g rea tl y . se em s ready to transgress i ts con tinents
for affl icting the E ar th .
4 Fierce w inds charged w it h‘
poin ted pebbles
are blowing.c r ushing mighty t rees . In v il lages and towns tre es . ord i
nary and sacred . are fa l l ing down . crushed by m ighty winds and s t ruck
by l ightn ing . The (sacrificial ) . fire . when Brahmana s pour l iba tion s on
it.b ecomes blue . or red . or ye l low . Its flames bend towards the l ef t .
y ie ld in g a bad scent . accompanied by loud repor t s . Touch , smell . and
taste have . 0 monarch . becom e what they we re no t . The standards
(of warr iors) . repea ted ly trembl ing are emi tt i n g smoke . Drums and
cymbals are throwing o ff showers o f coal-dust . An d f rom the tops of
tal l trees a ll a round . crows . wheel in g i n c i rcles f rom t h e le f t . are u tter in g
fi erce crie s . Al l of t h em aga in are ut t e r in g fright ful cr ie s of pakka .
pakka and are perch ing upon the tops o f standards for the d es truct ion of
the king s . Vic ious elephant s . t rembl ing a l l ov e r . are runn ing hi ther andthi the r . ur ina t ing a nd ej ect in g excre ta . The ho rse s are a l l m elancholy .
while the elephants are resor t in g to the water . Hea r ing a ll this . l e t tha tbe done which i s sui tabl e . so that . O Bharata . the wor ld may not bedepopulated
'
Va i sampayan a con t inued. Hea r ing t hese words of hi s fa ther .Dhr itarashtra sa i d .—
‘
I think al l th i s ha t h been ordained of old . A grea t
slaughter o f human being s wil l take place . If the k i n gs d ie in batt leobserv ing the duties of t he Kshatriya order , th ey wi l l th en . a tta in i ng to
the regions re served for heroe s . obta in only ha ppiness . Th ese t igers
among men . cast i ng away the i r l iv es i n great bat tle . wil l Wi n fame in
th i s an d great bl iss fo r ever in the n ext world .
’
1 Prati srota s strict grammar wou ld req u i re prati srota sas '
, th e meanin g 1 8 that th o se that flowed ea st to w est n ow flow west to ea st, &0 . Forkarddan ts some texts have n ardda nti which i s certa in ly b etter. Kurddan timeans play or sport we ll s p layin g l ike b u ll s would b e unmeanin g
,un less
th e sport i s accompanied by bel lowi n g —T.
2 Th e Burdwan P un dits reads suska san i for sakrastm i . The latter .however . 1 5 the true reading —T .
3 The orig in a l i s very ob scure . U luka i s expla ined b y Ni lakan tha as
a b ran d (used forowant of lamb s) . Th e l in e . however . i s e l liptical . The
Burdwan Pun d1ts 1 n troduce an entirely new l ine—T.
4 Mahabhuta i s swell ing greatly . -T.
BHISHMA PARVA
Va isam payan a continued . O be st of kin gs . thus addressed by h i s sonDhr itarashtra . that pr ince of poets . t he Mau i (Vyasa) concentra ted h is
m ind in su preme Yoga . Hav ing contempla ted for only a shor t space of
t ime. Vyase once more sa id .—
‘
Without doubt . 0 kin g of king s . i t i sT ime
that destroy e th th e un ivers e . I t i s T i me also that createth t he wor lds .
There i s noth ing h ere tha t i s e ternal . Show the path of r igh teousness to
the Kurus.to thy kinsmen . re lat i v es . and friends . Thou art compe tent
to r es tra in them . Thev
slau gh ter of kinsm en hath been sa id to be sinful .
Do no t do t h a t wh ich is disagreeable to me . 0 king . Death h imse l f
hath been born i n the shape of thy son . S laughter i s nev er applauded
in the Vedas . It can neve r b e benefic ial . The usage s o f on e’
s race are
as one’ s own body . Those usages slay h im that des troyeth them . For
the destruc t ion of th i s race and of th ose kings of the ear t h i t i s Time
that make th thee dev iate i n to th e wrong path l ike one i n dis tress .
although thou ar t compe ten t (to walk along the path of righteousness) .
O king.in th e shape o f thy kin gdom hath calam ity come to t hee . Thy
v ir tue is susta ining a v ery grea t d im inution .
‘ Show what r ighteousnes s
is un to thy sons . O thou tha t a r t inv inc ible . of what value i s t hatkingdom to thee which br in ge th s in to thee Take care of thy good
name.thy v i r tu e , and thy fam e . Thou wi l t then win heav en . Eet t h e
Pandava s hav e th e i r kingdom . and l e t the Kau ravas have peace .“While that best of Brahmanas was say ing these words i n a sorrowful
tone.Dhritarashtra, the son of Amv ika . accompl ished in speech . once
more addressed him . say ing .—'My knowledge of l if e and deat h i s similar
to th ine . The t ruth i s kn own to me as r egards these . Man . however .i n what concerns h is own inter ests . i s depr iv ed of judgment . O sire .know me to be one who i s an ordinary person . Of immeasurable pow er
t hou art . I pray thee to extend th ine towards u s. Of soul under
complete contro l . thou ar t our r efuge and in s tr uctor . My sons are no t
obed ient to me . 0 great R i sh i , My unde rstand ing too is no t incl ined to
commit sin .
2 Thou ar t th e cause o f th e fame . th e ach ievements . and
the inclinat ion for v ir tue , of the Bhar a tas . Thou a r t the r ev eren d
grandsire of both th e Kurus and th e Pandav as .’
“
Vyasa sa id . -'O royal son of Vich i trav i ry a . te l l m e free ly what i s i n
thy mind . I w ill remove thy doubts ."
"Dhritarash tra said .—‘
O holy o ne . I des i r e to hear f rom thee of a l l
those indica t ions that happen unto those tha t become v ic to r ious i nbat t le .
"
1 Parana i s explained by Ni l akan tha as a ti sayena .—T.
2 Some of the Benga l texts read anugraham (m ak ing the initia l a si lentafter makarska (i n the vocative case) . Th ere can b e no doubt however, thatth i s i s incorrect. Th e true reading i s n adharmam wh ich I have adepted .
The Bomb ay text reads n a oha dharmam . The introduction of th e particl eaha needlessly makes th e l ine incorrect as to metre—T
MAHABBABATA
Vya se sa1d‘
The (sacre d) fire assumes a cheerful rad 1ance . Itsl igh t a scends upwards . Its flam e bends towards the
‘righ t . I t bla z es upwi thout be ing smoky . The l ibations poured on i t y ie ld a frag rant scent
.
I t i s said that these are th e indica t ion s o f future success. The co uches
and cymbals y ield sounds that are deep and loud . The Sun as wel l asthe Moon gives pure rays . I t is said tha t these are the indicat ions o f
fu ture success . Crows . whet her s tat ionary or on their w ings.utter
crie s tha t are agreeabl e . They again tha t are behind.urge the warr iors
to advance ; wh ile they tha t are a h ead . forbid a ll advance . 1 Where
bat tl e i s cer ta in . They whose d iv i s1ons . in consequence of ornamen ts.
coats o f mail . and standards . or the melod ious neigh of 'the i r s teeds.
become resplendent and incapable of be ing gazed a t . always conquer
the ir foes . They who utter chee r ful shouts. those warrior s.
O Bhara ta.
whose energ ies are not damped and whose ga rlands do not fade.
a lways
cross the ocean of battle . They who ut ter che erfu l shouts hav ing
pene t ra ted into the divi s ions of th e foe . who utte r e ven k ind words.
’ tothe enemy . and who . before s tr iking
. forewa rn the foe win v ictory.
The objects o f hea ring . vi sion , taste . touch . and smel l . W1thou t undergoing any change for th e worse
.becom e auspicious . Th i s al so i s ano ther
indicat ion of a victor ious army . vi z . , t here i s j oy among the combatan tsa t a l l t ime . Th is also is another ind icat ion of succe ss
.
v iz.
the w inds
ness . as an attr ibute o f the combatants . i s sa id to be a cer ta in indica tionof v ictory . One soldie r
. st ruck with pan ic . can cause even a large a rmyto take f right and fly
. And when an army. s truck wi t h
fl ight . i t causes even her0 1c warr1o rs t o take f r ight
1 . Th e second l ine of the 67thNi lakan tha in tran slatin g i t thus .
hover behind an army. that i s
sloka i s very ob scure . I have followedTh e sense seem s to b e . that when crows
an auspiciou s s ign 3 While i t i s an i n auSpic1ous si gn if they are seen ahea I am n ot sure that Ni l akan tha i s righti n takin g the pronoun 113 as referrin g to even crows—T2. Such as "don't fight. for you wil l b e dead men soon . &c .
- T.
BHISHMA PARVA
spreads in other d irect ions . and soon . O king . th e whole army is broken
and fl i es i n a ll d irections . An d when an a rmy is routed . even brav eleaders . O king . a t the head of large d iv i s ions consi s t in g of th e fourk inds of fo rces . a re incapable of ra l ly in g them . An in t el ligen t man .always exer ting himsel f wi th activ i ty . should s tr iv e ( to wi n success ) by
the a id of means . 1 It is said that th at succe ss which i s won by n ego tia
t ion and other means i s the very bes t . Tha t wh ich i s ach ieved byproducing di sum o n (among the foe i s i nd ifferent . While tha t success .O king . which is wo n by ba tt l e . i s the wors t . In ba t tl e are many ev i l s .th e in ita l on e . as it is sa id . be ing slaughter . Even fif ty brave m en who
know one anot her . who a re undepressed . who are f r ee from family t ies .
and who are firmly reso lv ed . can crush a lar g e army . Ev en five . six .
seven men , who are u n re treat ing . wi n vic to ry . Vi nata's so n Garuda . O
Bharata . behold ing even a large concourse of bird s . asketh not the a id o f
many followers ( to vanqu ish them ) . The streng th in numbe r . the refore
o f an army is no t a lways the caus e of v ictory . Vic tory i s uncertain . It
depends o n chance . Even they that becom e victor ious have to sustain
loss .’
SE CTION IV
Va i sam payan a sa id. Having sa id these words unto Dhrit a rash t ra.
Vyase took h is depar tur e . An d Dhr itar ashtra a lso . hav ing h eard those
words . began to reflect in si lence . An d having reflecte d for only a short
space of t im e. h e began to s igh r epeatedly . An d. soon . O hu l l of Bharata's race . the king asked San j aya of soul worthy of pra ise .—say in g .—
‘
O
Senjaya . these k ings . these lords of e ar th . so brave and takin g deligh t in
ba ttl e . are for smit ing one another w it h weapons of d ive rse kinds . be ingprepared to lay down thei r v e ry l ives for the sake o f earth . Incapable
of being restrained . t h ey ar e . inde ed . sm iting one another for increasing
the popula t ion of Yama’
s domain . Desirous of prosper i ty conn ected
wi th the possess ion of ear th they are incapable of bea r ing on e another .
I . therefore . th ink that earth must be possessed of many attribu te s .
Tel l m e al l these . O San j ay a . Many thousands . many mill ions . many
tens of m il l ions . many hundred s of m i l l ions . heroic men have “ come
together at Kuru jan gala . I desi re to h ear . O Sen jaya . with accurate
“detai ls . about the s i tuat ion and d imension s o f those countr ies and citiesfrom which they have come . Through the potency of tha t regen erate3 58715Vyase of immeasurabl e energy . 3thou ar t endued with the lamp o f
cel estial perception and th e eye of knowledge .1 “
San jaya thou of grea t wisdom . I wil l recount to thee the
1 Thi s l ine i s omitted i n many of the Bengal texts except the Burdwan
MAHABHARATA
mer its of earth accord ing to my knowl edge . Behold them w ith thy ey e
of wi sdom. I b ow to thee . O hu l l of Bh ara ta
’
s race . Creatures in th is
world are of two kind s . mobil e a n d immobi le . Mob ile crea tures are
o f th ree kinds accordin g to thei r b ir th .vi z ov iparous . v ivipa rous . and
those engendered by hea t and damp . O f mob ile cr ea ture s . O kin g . theforemost are certain ly tho se c al led v ivi parous . Of v iv iparous creature s
th e foremost are men and anim al s . Animal s . 0 ki ng . of d iverse form s .
are of four teen spec ies . Seven hav e the i r abodes in the woods . and seven
of the se are domestic . Lions . t igers . boars . buffaloes . and elephan ts
as also bears and apes . are . O king . rega rded as wild . Kine . goats . sheep .
men . horses . mul es . and asse s . - t he se se ven amongs t an imals ar e reckoned
as dome st ic by the learned . These fourteen . O kin g . comple te the taleof domestic and wild animals . ment ioned . O lord o f ear th . i n t he Vedas ,and on which the sacr ifices rest . Of creat u r es tha t are domestic . men
are foremost . while l ions are the foremos t of those t ha t have the i r abode
i n th e woods . Al l creatures suppor t t he i r l ife by l iv ing upon on e anoth er .
Vegetables are said to be immobi l e . and t h ey are of four speci es vi z
t rees . shrubs . creepers . cree ping p la n ts exist ing for only a year . and a l l
stem less plants of the grass speci es . 1 Of mob ile and immobile crea tures .t here are thus one less tw enty and as r egards the i r un iv ersa l cons t i
tu en ts. there are five . Twen ty-four in a ll . these a re described as Gayatri
(Brahma ) as is wel l-known to al l . 2 He who knows these truly to be the
sacred Ga yatr i possessed of every v ir tue . i s not l iable . O best of t heBhara tas . to destruct ion in th is wor ld . Every thing spr ingeth f rom the
eart h and everything. wh en destroyed . m ergeth in to the Earth . The
E ar th is t h e stay and r efuge of al l crea tu res . an d the Earth is e ternal . He
that bath the E arth . hath t he e nti re un iv erse with its mobi l e and im
mobile popula t ion . Ir is for this th a t long ing for (th e possess ion of the)Earth . kings slay one another . ”
1 Ni lakan th a expla in s these five speci es thus -tree s such a s th e peapul ; gulma (shrub ) , as ku sa . ka sa . &c . . g rowing from a clump un derneathcreepers . such
.
as a l l p lan ts growing upon th e so i l b u t requ i rn i g somesupport to tw1n e round ; Val li , th ose that creep on th e earth an d l ive for ayear only . such . as th e gourd . th e pumpk in , etc . . an d lastly . Trina . such asgrass an d al l plants that are stem l ess . h avin g on ly their b arks an d leaves T
2 When GaO
yatri . o r Brahm a or th e U niver se . i s men tioned . thesetwenty-four are 1 n d1cated . five o f wh ich exist i n dependen tly . th e rema inin gn l n eteen b alu g th e resu lt of five i n tho se variou s preportion s—T.
3 Th i s section i n th e Bomb ay text con s i sts a l so of 21 slokas in a l l .Man y of th e sloka s . h owever . a fter th e l 0th . are g iven in a mo st in correctorder . Before comp l etm g th e ta le of th e mob i le creatures an d th eir twodry i si on s . domestic
.
an d wi ld, th e Bom b ay text introduce s th e s lokas about‘the vegetable creatio n di stinctly inc luded within th e h ead “ immobile . ” Th efact i s . where the arrangement of the s loka s i s concerned . th e Bengal textsare g en eral ly superior to the Bombay on e ° -T
1 4 MAHABHARATA
tains looking like masses of clouds . and with c it i es and m any deligh t
ful pro v inces.It is al so ful l of trees furn ish ed with flowers and frui ts .
and with crops o f div ers e k inds and o ther weal th . An d i t i s surrounded
on al l s ides with the sal t ocean . As a person can see h is own face in a
mirror.ev en so is t he is land cal led Sudarsan a seen in the lunar d isc .
Two of i t s parts se em to be a peepul tre e . while two others look like a
large hare.I t i s sur rounded on al l s ides wi t h an assemblage of ev ery
k ind of dec iduous plants . Be si des these por t ions . the r est i s a l l wate r .
What remains I wil l descr ibe to thee shortly . The rest I wil l speak of
af te rwards . L isten now to t his that I describe in br ie f .”
SE CTION VI
Dhri tarashtra sa id .—‘
Thou ar t intell ig en t . O Senjay a . and acqua i n
t ed wi th the t ru th (about everything) . Thou has t duly g i v en a descript ion of the island in brief . Tel l us now of the i sland in de ta il . Tel l us
now of the dimension of the expanse of land t hat l i es i n the port ion
looking l ike a b are . Thou mayst th en speak of the portion resembl ing
pu ppa la t ree
Va i sampayan a said . Thus addressed by the king . Sa n jaya began
to say .“
San jaya sa id—S t retching from ea st to west . are th ese six mounta in s
that are equal 2 and that extend from the easte rn to the western ocean .
They are Himav a t . Hemakuta . tha t best of mounta ins cal led Nishadha.
Nila aboun ding with stones of l ap i s lazu l i , Sweta white as the moon , and
the mountains ca l led Srin gavat composed of a l l k i nds o f me ta ls . 3 These
are the six mounta ins . O king . which are always th e resort s o f S i ddhasand Charan as , The space ly in g be tween each of these measures athousand Yoj an as , and thereon are many del ight fu l k in gdoms . An d thesediv is ions are called Varshas
, O Bhar a ta . In a l l those kingdoms res ide
crea tures of div erse species . Th i s th e land whe r e we are i s in theVarsha that i s called after Bharata Next to i t (northwards) i s theVarsha called af ter Himavat . The land that i s be yond Hemaku ta i scal led Hra i varsha , South of the N ila range and on the nor th of t he N isha
dha is a mounta in . O king . called Ma lyava t that s tr e tche s f rom east
to west . Beyond Ma lyavat northwards is the mounta in ca l l e d Gandha
1 Ni lakan tha expla in s th e la st s ix s lokas as havi n g an esoteric meanin g .
By Sudarsan a he un derstan ds the mind. Th e rest i s expla in ed consi stently .I n terpretatmn s . however , are n ot rare among commentators seek ing to putsense l n non-sense . -T .
2 Th e Bomb ay text reads Varsha paraa tas for parec i a s saun as—T.
3 For P i n addha. occurri n i n the B 1 treads Vich i tm .
—T.
g 6 3 32 9 1 58 . the Bomb ay edition
BHISHMA PARVA
madana . 1 Between these two (vi z Ma lyavat and Gan dhamadan a) i s a
globular mounta in call ed Me ru made of gold . Effulgent as the morn ing
sun . i t is l 1ke fire wi thout smoke .2 I t is e i ghty-four thousand Yoj an as
high . and . O k ing. i t s de pth also is e igh ty-four Yoj an as . I t standet h
bear ing the wor lds above . below and tran sversely . Besides Meru are
si tua ted . 0 lord . t hese four islands . vi z Bhadraswa . and Ketumal a ,
and Jamvudwipa oth erwis e called Bhara ta . and Uttar-Kuru which is
the abod e of per sons who have ach iev ed the meri t of r igh teousne ss . Thebird Sumukha . t he son of Superna . beholding that al l t h e birds on Meru
were of golden plumage . reflec te d tha t h e should leave that mounta in
inasmuch as there was no diff erence be tween the good . midd l ing . and
bad bi rds . Tha t fo r emos t of lum inar ies . t h e sun . a lways c icumambu
la tes M eru . a s al so th e moon with (h is) attendant constel lat ion . and the
Wind-god too . Th e moun tain . O king . i s endued with celest ial frui tsan d flowers . and i t i s cov ered al l over with mansions made of furn ished
gold . There . on tha t mounta in . O king . the celes t ia l s . th e Gan dharvas ,th e Asuras. and th e R akshasas . accompan ied by t h e tr ibes of Apsaras .a lway s spor t . There Brahman . and R udra and also Sakra the ch ie f of
th e celest ials . assembled to geth e r . performed di v erse kinds of sacrificeswith plent ifu l gif ts Tumvu ru . and Narada and Viswavasu . and t h e
Hahas and the Huhus . repair ing th i ther . adore d the foremost of the
cel e st ia l s with d i v ers e hymns . The h igh-souled seven R i shi s. and
Kasyapa the lord of crea tures . rep a i r th i ther . ble ss ed be thou . on every
part?“ day .3 Upon the summit of tha t mountain . U san as . o therwise
called the Poet . spo rteth with th e Da i tyas (h i s d isciple s) . 4 The j ewels
~and gems (tha t we see) and a l l the mounta ins abounding in preciousstones are of Meru . Ther efrom a fourth part i s enj oyed by the holy
Kuvera . Only a sixteenth part of that wealth he giveth unto me i i .
On the northern side of Me ru is a delight ful and excellen t forest o fKam i karas
, cov ere d with the flower s of every seaso n .5 and occu py ing a
rahge o f hill s . There the il lustr ious Pasupati him self . th e crea tor o f al l
thin gs . surrounded by h is celest ia l a t t endants and accompan ied by Uma .sporteth bear in g a chain of K arn i lcam flowers (on h is n eck) reachingdown to h is f eet . and blazin g w ith radiance with his thre e ey es
”
re sem
bl ing three r isen suns . H im S iddhas t ruthfu l in speech . o f excel len t vows
1 The Bengal texts add a l ine h ere which i s properly omitted in theBombay edi tion .
—T.
2. After th e l oth occurs a line in the Ben gal text which i s eviden tlyvicious—T.
3 Day of the ful l moon an d that of th e n ew moon .—T.
4 The Bengal texts . except th e Burdwan on e . have di vi for Dam/as .of course. the latter readin g i s correct.5 The Bomb ay text has Screams (wh ich i s better) for Sarecta in the
Ben gal texts .-T
MAHABHARATA
and austere asce tic penances . can behold . Indeed . Maheswara i s in cap
able of being seen by per sons o f wicked conduct . From th e summit o f
tha t mounta in.l ike a stream of milk . 0 ruler o f men . the sacred an d
auspic ious Ganga.o therwise cal led Bhag irath i . ado red by the most
r ighteous.of uni v ersa l form and immeasurable and i ssu in g out w ith
terr ific noise . fal le th with impe tuous force on the del ight f ul lake of
Chandramas .
‘ Indeed that sacred lake . l ike an ocean . hat h been formed
by Ganga her self . (While leap i n g f r om th e mounta in s) . Ganga . i n capable of bei ng suppor ted by even th e mounta i ns . was held for a hundred
t housand y ear s by th e bearer of P i n aha on h is head .
13 On the western
side of Meru . O king . i s K etuma la fi And th ere a l so i s J amvukhan dc .
Both are great sea ts of human i ty . O king . 4 There . O Bharata . the
measure o f human li fe is te n thousand years . Th e men are al l of a
golden complex ion . and the women are l ike Apsa ras , An d al l t he res i
d ents are without s ickness . without sorrow . and a lways cheerful . The
men born t here are of the eflu l gen ce o f melted gold . On the summ its
of Gandham adan a . Kuve ra the lord o f the Guhyakas with many
R akshasas and accompa in ed by tr ibes of Apsaf as . passeth l’l l S t im e in joy .
Besides Gan dhamadan a there ar e many smal ler mounta in s and hill s . The
measure of human l ife there i s eleven thousand years . Th ere . O kin g .the men are cheerful ] . and endued with g rea t energy and g rea t st ren g t h
and the women are al l of t he complexion of t he lotu s and h i ghly
beautiful . Beyond Nf lu i s (the Varsha ca l led) Sweta , beyond Sweta i s
( the Varsha cal led ) Hi ran yaka . Beyond Hi ranyaka is (the Varsha called)
Ai ravata covered with prov inces . Th e last Varsha i n th e (ex treme) nor th
and Bhara ta’
s Va rsha i n the extreme south are both . 0 k ing . of th eform of a bow . Thes e fiv e Varshas (vi z . ,
Sweta,Hi ranyaka ,
E lavn'
ta,
Harivarsha ,and Ha imavat-varsha) ar e i n t h e middl e . of which E lavri ta
exists in the v ery m iddle of al l . Amongst these seven Varshas (the fi v e
already ment ioned an d Ai ravata and Bharata ) t ha t wh ich i s further northexcels the one to its immed iat e south in re spect of these attr ibut es . vi z . ,
the per iod of l ife . s tature . heal th . r ighteousness . pleasure , and profi t .
In these Varshas , O Bhara ta . creat ure s (though of d i v e rse speci es) ye t .
1 In the first l in e of 28 , th e Ben ga l texts read S i ra sas ab lative forS i khhf
'at of th e Bomb ay editi on . I n th e last line of 29 a lso . th e Bomb ay
text has p lavan ti va -p raveg ena for th e Benga l reading potatyaj ap mvegena .
No materia l difference of meanin g ari ses i f one or the oth er i s accepted .
2 Al luding to th e tradition of S iva ’
s holdin g Gan ga on h i s head an dfor which th e great g od i s sometim es called Gangadham .
—T .
tb
s Th is word occurs in various forms . K etuma la. an d Ketuma l i bein g two0 ers.
4 The Bombay edition reads tu for cha after J amvukhanda . Th e meani ng becomes chan ged—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
l ive together . Thus . 0 king . i s Ea rth cove red wi th mountain s . The
huge mountains of Hem akuta a re ot herwis e cal l ed Kailasa . There. 0
king . Va i sravan a passe th hi s t i me in joy w ith h i s 0 1575310 700 8 . Imme
diate l y to th e no r th of Kailasa and near the mounta ins of Ma i n aka there
is a huge and beaut iful moun ta in cal led Man imaya endued with golden
summits . Beside th is moun ta in is a large . beautiful . crys ta l and del igh t
ful lake cal led Vi ndusam s wi th gold en sands (on its beach ) . There king
Bhag i ratha , beholding Ganga ( s i nce) called af t er his own nam e . resid ed
for many years . There may be seen innumerabl e sacr ificial stakes made
of gems . and Cha i tya tr ee m ade of gold . It was there that he of a
thousand eyes and grea t fam e wo n (a sce tic) success by perform ing sacr i
fices. There the Lord of al l crea tures . the eternal Creator of a l l the
world s endued wi th supr eme energy surrounded by h is ghostly a tten
dants . l s adored . Ther e Nara and Narayana . Brahman . and Man n .and
Sthan u as the fi f th . are (ever pres ent ) . An d there th e ce l es t ia l s tream
Ganga having three curr ents . l issuin g out of the reg io n of Brahman.
first
showed hersel f . and then d i v idin g h erse l f i nto seven stream s . became
Vaswokasara . Nal in i . the sin-cle ansing Sa ra swat i . Jamvu n adi . Sita . Ganga
and S indhu as t he seven th . The Supreme Lord hath (himself) madethe arrangement wi th re ference to that inconceivable and ce les tia l
str eam . It i s ther e tha t ’ sacr ific es have been perfo rmed (by gods and
R i shi s) on a thousand occa s ions after the end of the Yuga (when creationbeg ins) . As regard s the Sara sw at i . in some par ts (of he r course) sh e be.
cometh v i s ible a nd in some par ts not so . Th is celes t ia l seven-fold Gangai s w idely known over the three world s. R akahasas res ide on Himavat
.
Guhyakas on Hemaku ta . and se rpen ts and Na gas on Nishadha. and
asce t ics on Gokarna The Swet a mounta ins a r e sa id to be the abode o f
the celestial and the Asuras , The Gandharvas always r eside on N i sha
dhas . and the r egen era t e 3 581158 on Nila . Th e mounta ins o f Srin gavatalso are regarded as the r e so r t of the ce l est ials .
'These then . O g rea t king . ar e the seven Varahas of the wor ld as they
are d iv ided . Div erse creatures . mobile 3 and immobile . are placed in themal l . Diverse kinds of prosper i ty . both prov iden ta l and human . arenot iceable in t h em . They are incapab le of be ing counted . Those des i rous
.howe ver . of the ir own good bel i eve (all this ) . I have n ow told thee
of tha t del ightful reg ion (o f l and ) of the form of a b are about whichthou had st asked me . At the extrem it i es of tha t region are the twoVarshas. vi z on e on the nor th and the othe r on the south . Those two
1 Th e sacred stream Gan ga i s bel ieved to have three currents . Inheaven the current i s ca l led Man dak in i on earth , i t i s cal led Ganga and
i n the subterraneous world i t i s called Bh ogavati . —T.
2 Th e Benga l texts . exceptin g th e Burdwan one . incorrectly read Sakramfor Satram .
-T.
3 The correct reading i s Gatiman ti ..
Many of th e Ben gal texts incorrectly read matim an ti . which i s unm ean 1n g .
-T.
al so have now been told to thee . Then aga in the two islands Naga-dwip‘
a
and Kasyapa-dwipa a r e th e two ears of th i s re g ion of the fo rm of a bare .
The beaut iful mounta ins of Mal eya . O king . h av ing rocks l ike pla tes o fcopper
.form anoth er (prom inent ) par t of Jamvudwipa tha t hav ing its
shape resembl ing a hare .’
SE CT ION VII
Dhr itarashtra said.—'Tell m e . O San jaya . thou of g reat in tel ligence .
of the regions to the north and the east s ide of Meru . a s also of the
mounta ins o fMalyavat. in de tail .1
"San jaya said .-
‘
On t he south of the Ni la mounta in and the nor thern
de of Meru are the sa cred Northern Kurus . O king . which are the residence of the Siddhas. The tree s th ere bear swee t fru it s . and are a lways
cover ed with frui t s and f lower s . Al l th e f lowers (the re ) are fragran t .
and the fruits of exce l len t taste . Some of the t ree s . aga in . 0 k in g . yield
f ruit s accord ing to ( the ) wi l l of th e plucker Th ere are aga in som e
o ther trees. 0 king . that are cal led m i lk-yieldin g . These always yie ld
milk and the six d iff erent kinds of food of th e tast e of Amrita i t sel f .
Those t rees also y ield clo ths and in the i r fruits are ornaments (for the
use of man) . The entire land abounds w ith fine golden sands . A por
tion of the r e g ion there . extremely del ig h tful . is seen to be posse ss ed of
the r ad iance of th e ruby or d iamond . or of th e lapis laz u li or other
jewels and gems . 2 Al l the se asons t here are agre eabl e an d nowhere
does the land become miry . O king . The tank s ar e charm in g . del icious ,and ful l of crystal water . 8 The men born t here have dropped from th e
world of the celest ia ls } Al l are of pur e birth and a ll a r e extremely
handsome in appearance' There tw ins (of oppos i te sexes) are born and
the women resemble Apsaras i n beauty . They drink the mi lk . sweet as
Amrita . of tho se m ilk-y ield ing t rees (already ment ioned ) . An d th etwins born there of opposi te sexes g row up equal ly . Both possessedof equal beauty . both endued with similar v ir tues . and both equallyd ressed . both grow up in love , 0 monarch . l ike a couple of chakrabaka s .
The people of that country are fr ee f rom illness and are a lways cheerful . Ten thousand and ten hundr ed years they l iv e . O king . and ne v erabandon one another . A class o f birds ca l led Bharunda . furn ished withsharp beaks and possessed of great st rength . take them up when deadand th row them into mounta i n cav es . I hav e now descr ibed to thee .0 k ing . the Northern Kurus br ief ly .
1 Many of the Ben ga l texts incorrectly read Merorapyyn taram forMerorathottaram .
-T.
2 Thi s sloka. b eg inn ing with man i an d ending with prabham i s omitted inthe Bombay text. I don
't th ink rightly . If anyth ing that seems to be a
reptiti ti on i s to b e om itted . ha lf the Mahabharata a s i t n ow exi sts . wouldthen h ave to b e pronounced n ot genuine . -T.
3'
Th e l ine i s om itted . without an y rea son , in th e Bu rdwan text. —T.
4 z . e.
"have fallen away from a celestia l state .—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
I wil l n ow descri be to thee the eastern side of Meru duly . Of al l
t he regions there . the foremost . O kin g . is called Bhadraswa . wher e there
is a large fo r es t o f Bhadra-sa laa. as al so a huge tree ~ cal led Ka lamra .
Th is Ka lam ra . 0 king . i s a lways g raced w ith frui ts and flowers . That
t ree aga in is a Yoj an a in he i g h t a nd i s a dored by S i ddhas and the
Cham n ac. The men there are al l of a white complex ion .
'
endued wit h
great energy , and possessed o f grea t st re n g th . The women are of t he
compl ex ien of l i l ie s . very beaut i fu l . and a gr eeable to s igh t . Posse ssedof radiance of the moon . 2 and white as the moon . th e i r faces are a s the
ful l moon . Their bodies aga in a re a s coo l as the rays of the moon andthey are all accompl ished in s in gin g and dancing . The per iod of human
l ife t he r e . 0 hu l l of th e Bhara ta’
s race . i s ten thousand years . Drinkin g
the juice of the Ka lam ra they cont inue youthful for ever . On the south
of Nila and the north of N ishadha . ther e is a huge J amvu t re e th a t is
e ternal . Adored by t he Siddhas and Charan as.‘
th at sacred t ree gran teth
every wish . Af te r th e name of t ha t tree th is d iv ision hath ev er been
ca lled J amvudwipa . O hu l l of Bhara ta race . a thousand and a hundredYoj an as i s the h eight of that pr ince of trees . which touches t he very
heavens . O king of men . Two th ousand and fiv e hundred cubits measure
the c ircumference of a frui t of tha t tree wh ich bursts when r ipe. In
fall ing upon the ear th th ese frui ts make a loud no ise . an d th en pourout . 0 king . a s i l v ery juice on the ground . That j u ice of th e J amvu .
becom in g . O king . a r iver . an d passin g circui tously round Meru . comethto the re g ion of th e Nor the rn Kurus . I f the juice of tha t frui t i s
q uafled . i t conduces to peace of m ind . No thirst i s fel t ever af ter . 0k in g . Decrepitude neve r weakens th em . And the r e a spec ies o f gold
cal led J amvu n ada and used for cel est ia l ornaments . very brill ia n t andl ike the compl exion of I n dragopoka inse c ts . i s produced . The men born
there a re o f the complexion of t h e mornin g sun .
‘
On the summit of Ma l y avat i s a lway s seen . O hu l l of Bharata's
race . th e fire called S amvataka which b laz e th for th a t th e end of th eYugo for the destruct ion of the un iverse . On Ma l yavat
’
s summit to
wards th e east are many small mountain s and Ma lyavat. O kin g . measure s e le v e n thousand 3 Yoj anas . The men born t here are of th e com
plexion of gold . And they are al l fal l en from the region o f Brahman and
1 In sl oka 1 3 , th e Benga l texts read Bhayanakas for mahaca las. In 1 5Mudhabh i sh ekas for Puroabh z
’
shekas i s substituted in th e Bomb ay text. InI again th e Bom b ay text reads Subhas for drama s . Th ere are some minordi screpan c i es from 1 3 to 1 6 wh ich n eed n ot b e noticed—T
2 The Ben ga l texts have Chan drab hasa for Chan draprab ha . The difference i s n ot materia l—T.
3 Both th e Burdwan an d th e Bomba y edition s read Pan chashat ( fiveand si x) . Th e Benga l texts general ly have pan chasat (fifty) . -T.
are utterers of Brahma , They unde r go the severes t of a scet ic austeri t ies .
and their v i tal seed is drawn up . For the protectio n of crea tures they
al l enter the sun . Number ing s ix ty-six thousand . t h ey proceed in ad'
vance of Am n a.surroundin g the sun . Hea t e d w1th t he sun
’
s rays for
s ixty-six thousand years . th ey t h e n ente r the lunar d isc .
'
SECTION V I II
Dhr itarashtra sa id . -'Tel l me truly . O San jay a . the names of a ll
the Varshas , and o f al l the mounta ins . and also of al l those t hat dwel l
on those mounta ins .
Senjaya said .—'Ou the south of Swe ta and the nor th of Ni shadha .
is the Varsha ,cal le d R oman aka . The men that a re bo rn there are a ll o f
whi te complex ion . of good parenta ge . and handsome fe atures . An d the
men born there ar e a lso a l l w i thou t enem ies . An d th ey l iv e . O king . for
e l even thousand and fiv e hundred years . be ing eve r of cheerful h earts .
On the south of Ni shadha is th e Varsha cal led Hi ranmaya where i s the
r iver called Hiranwati . There . 0 king . l i v e th tha t foremos t of bird s
n amed Garuda . An d the p eople there . 0 monarch . ar e a l l fol lowers o f
the Tchekas , weal thy . and of handsome feature s . An d. 0 king . the men
there are endued with great streng th and hav e chee rful hearts . And
they l ive for twelve thousand and five h undred years . O king . which isthe measure of thei r l ives . The mounta i ns of Srin g avat . 1 O ruler of men .hav e three beaut iful summ its . One of these is made of j ewels and g ems .
another is very wonderfu l . be in g made of al l kin d s of gems and adornedw ith palat ial mansions . There the se lf-luminous lady named San di l i
always l ive th . On the north of Sr i n gavat and up to the marg in of the
sea . 0 king . the Varsha cal l ed A iravat. An d because this j ewel le d
mountain i s there . t herefor e i s th is Varsha superior to a l l . The sun
g iv eth no h eat there and men are no t subject to decay . An d the moon
there . with the stars . becoming the only source of l ight . covere th the
firmamen t Possessin g th e rad iance and complexion o f t he lotus .and endued wi th eye s tha t resemble lotu s-pe tals . the m en born th ere
have the fra granc e of the lotus. With w in kl ess eyes . and a greeable
scent emanat i ng from the ir bodi es they go wi thout food and have
their senses under control . They are al l fal len f rom the reg ion of thecel est ials . and are a ll . O k ing . wit hout sin of any kind . And they l ive .O monarch . for thir teen thou sand yea rs . t ha t b exn g . 0 be s t of the
1 The Bombay ed ition reads Ta smat-sr i n gam ats param . Th e Ben ga ltexts
‘
read Ta smat-sri n gam ata s param . Th e B enga l reading i s better . Th eA sl atl c Society s ed 1t1 on conta ins a mi sprint . Th e meanin g i s .
“ BecauseSri n g a ( j ewelled mounta in o f th at n am e ) . th erefore superior. " I haveren dered l t somewhat freely .—T.
MAHABHARATA
I w ill now . 0 chast iser of fo es , describe to thee that coun try as I haVe
heard of i t . L isten to me . O kin g' as I speak of what thou h ast a skedme . Mahendra . Malaya . Sahya . Sukti m at . R akshav at. Vindhya . and
Paripatra .—these seven ar e the K a la-mou n ta i n s l (o f Bharatvarsha)
Beside s t hese . 0 king . there are thousands of mounta ins tha t a r e
unknown ” of hard make . hug e . and hav ing exce llen t valley s . Be sides
these there are many oth er small er mounta ins inhabited by barbarous
tribes . Aryans and Mlecchas . O Kau ravya . and many races . 0 lord . mixed
of the two el emen ts . dr ink the wat ers of th e fol lowing r ive rs . vi z magn i
heen t Ganga . Sindhu . and Saraswat i of Godavar i . and Narmad a . and
the large r i v er called Yamuna ; of Dhri shadwati . and Vipapa . an d Vi pasa
and Sthu lavaluka ; of the r iver Vetrava ti . and t hat other one cal led
Kri shna-vena of Iravati . and Vi tasta . and Payosy in i . and Dev ika o f
Vedasmr ita and Vedav ati . and Tr idi va . and Ikshumalav i 52 of Kari shin i .
a nd Chi travaha . and the r iver called Ch i trasen a of Gomati . and
Dhu tapada a nd the large r iver cal l ed Gandak i“. of Kausik i . and Nischi tra .
and Ki rtya . and N ich ita . and L ohatar i n i of R a shasi and Satakumbha .
and also Sarayu of Charmanwati . and Ve travati . and Hastisoma . and
Disa of th e r iver cal led Saravati . and Venna . and Bh imarath i of
Kaver i . and Chuluka . and Vi na . and Sataval a of Nivara . and Mah ila .
and Suprayoga . 0 kin g ; of Pav i tra . and Kundala . and R ajan i . andPuramal i n i of Purvabhirama. an d V i ra . a nd Bhima . and Oghava ti of
P alasin i . and Papahara . and Mahendra . and Patalavati . o f Karish in i .and Asikn i . and the la rge r iver Ku sacb i ra : o f Makar i . and Pravara .and Mena . and Hema . a n d Dhri tavati of Purava ti . and An u shn a .
andSa i v ya . and Kap i . O Bhara ta ; o f Sadan ira .
and Adhri shya . and the
migh ty st ream K u sadhara of Sadakan ta . and S iva . and Vi ravatiof Va tsu . and Suvastu . and Kampana with Hi ranwati of Va ra . and the
mighty r iv e r Panchami , o f R athach i tra . an d Jyo tiratha . and V iswam i tra .
and Kap i n i ala ; of U pendra . and Vahu la . an d Kuch i ra . and Madhuvah i n i :of V i n adi and Pi n j a l a . and Vena . and the g rea t r ive r Pu n gav en a of Vid isa and K r ishna-V ena . and Tamra . a n d Kapi la . of Salu . and Suvama .
t heVedaswa . an d th e m ighty r ive r Har i srav a o f S i ghra .
and P i scha la .and
the r iver Bharadwaj i . of the r iver Kau siki . and Son s .and Chandrama
of Durgaman trasfla . and Brahma-v odhya . andVr ihadva ti ; of Yavksha .
1 mountain s forming b oun daries of divi s ions .-T.
2 The Bomb ay text reads “ Ikshu la an d K rim i for " Ikshum l avi ocourting in Ben ga l texts—T.
3 Th e Beng a l texts h ave Gan daki n cha m a h an a di m . Th e Bom bay textreads Van dan an cha m a han adim with a aha imm ediately before
, Th e Burdwan P a n d l ts read Chan dan an cha m ahan adim
.-T .
.
4.
The Bomb ay texts read Tri diva for Ni sch i ta ; th is i n correct . f0 rTrrdrva occur s in th e Bom bay text itself a l ittle before
, Th e name L oh atar im occurs in var iou s form s .—T .
5 For Vetravati ..
th e Benga l texts read Chan drab hag a . Both Chandrab haga and Vetravati . however occur b efore—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
and R oh i . and Yamvu nadi of Su n asa . an d Tamasa . and Das i and Vasa .and Va runa . and Asi of Nila . a nd Dh rim ati . and t he m ighty r iv erParnasa of Pomasi . and Vr i shab ha . and Brahma-m eddhya . and Vrihad
dhan i . These and many o ther large r iv ers . 0 king . such as Sado n irmayaand Krishna . an d Mandaga . and Mandavah i n i and Maha gou ri
‘
and
Durga . O Bharata and Ch i tro pal a . Chitrarath a . and Manjula . and
Vah in i ; and Man dak in i . and Va i ta ran i . and Kosa . and Mahan adi z and
Suktimat i . and An anga . and Pushpaven i . and U tpa lavati and L oh i tya .
Karato y a. and Vr ishasabhya ; and Kum ari . and R i sh iku l lya . and Mar isha .and Saraswati ; and Mo n daki n i . and Supu n y a . Sarv asan g a .
O Bharata .are all moth er s of the un ive rse a nd productive of grea t mer i t . Bes ide s
these . there are r ivers . by hundreds and thousands . that a re not know n
(by names ) . I have n ow recoun ted to th ee . O k in g . all the r ivers as fa ras I remember .
"
Af te r this. l i s ten to the nam es of the prov inces as I men tion them .
”
They are the Kuru-Pancha las. the Salwas . th e Madreyas . the Jangala s .th e Surasen a . the Kalin gas . the Vodhas. th e Ma la s . the Matsyas . the
Sauv alyas. Kun talas. the Kasi-ko sal as . the Chedi s. th e Ka tushas. the
Bhoj as . the Sin dhu s . th e Pu l i n dakas . the U ttamas. the Dasarn as. th e
Mekalas. th e U tkalas t he Pan cha l as . t h e Kau sijas . the Nikarpri shthas.
Dhurandharas t he So dhas. the Madrab hu j in gas. the Kas is. and the fu r
t h er -Kasis ;~
the Jatharas. the Kuku ras. the Dasarn as. O Bharata theKun tis . the Avant is . and th e fur t her-Ku n ti s th e Goman tas . theMand a
kas, the Shandas . the Vidarb has. the R upavah ikas ; th e Aswakas. the
Pan surashtras. the Goparashtras . and Kari ty as the Adh irjayas. the
Ku l adyas. Mal larashtras. t he Ke ralas. the Varatrasy as. th e Apavahas. the
Chakras . the Vakra tapas. the Sakas ; t h e Videhas. the Magadhas. theSwakshas. the Ma layas . t h e V i jay as . the Angas . th e Van gas. the Kal ingas ,the Yakri l loman s the Ma llas . the Suddel las. the Pran radas. the Mah ikas .the Sasikas the Va lh ikas . the Vatadhan as. th e Abhi ras. th e Kala joshakas th e Aparentas , th e Paran tas. t he Pahn ab has. the Charmamandalas the Atav isikharas. the Meaubhu tas. O sire the U pavr i ttas .th e An upavr i ttas . the Su rashatras. Kekayas ; the Kuta s . the Maheyas .th e Kaksbas . th e Sam udran ishku tas th e Andhras . and . O kin g . manyhil ly tri bes . and many tr ibes re sid ing on lands lay in g a t the foo t of theh ills . and the An gamal ajas. and the Man avan jakas th e Prav i sheyas.and the Bhargavas. O king the Fundre s . t he Bharg as. t he Ki ra
‘
tas. the
1 I t i s impossible in th e above l ist to notice . without largel y swellingthe notes . al l th e discrepanci es of read in g th at occur in th e various texts .
Man y of the names g iven in one ed ition would n ot agree with those g iven inanother . Con siderin g . aga in , that most of these names are n ot capab le ofi n den tificati on , th e selection of the right readin g i s exceed in g ly di fficu l t -T,
2 In Sanskrit. the provinces are ca lled after the people or trib e inhabiti n g them thus Magadha i s frequently mentioned as
"the coun try of th eMagadh as . So al so . i t i s n ot th e king of Ma adha but the king of theMagadhas . The names below. therefore. are a 1 n ames of tribes an d n otof places—T.
MAHABHARATA
Sudeshnas, and th e Yamunas . the Sakas . th e Ni shadhas. th e An artas.
the Na i ri tas . th e Durgalas. th e Pratimasyas. the Ku n talas and the
Kusalas 3 the Ti ragrahas . the Ijakas. t h e Kan yakagu n as. t he T l lab haras .
t he Sam iras . the Madhumattas. t h e Sukandakas the Kasm i ras. th e
S i ndhusauv i ras. the Gandharvas . and the Darsakas the Ab h isaras.
the the Sa iva las. and the Valh ikas the Derv i s . th e Venavadarvas
.the Vatagas. the Am arathas . and t h e U ragas the Vahuvadhas .
th e Kauravyas. the Sudaman as. the Sumal ikas the Vadhras. t he
Kari shakas. the‘Kalindas . and the U patyakas the Vatay anas. the
R omanas . and the Ku sav i ndas the Kacchas . the Gopalkacchas. the
Kuruvarn akas t he K i ratas . th e Va rvasas, the S iddhas . the Va idehas.
and the Tam ra l i ptas ; the Aun dras . the Paundras . t he Sa i sikatas . and
the Parvatiyas . O s i r e .‘
There are ot her kingdoms . O bull of Bharata's race . i n the south .
They are the Drav idas. the Keralas. t he Pracbyas . the Mush ikas. and
the Van avash ikas the Karna takas . the Mab ishakas . th e Vikalpas . an d
also the Mu shakas the Ihi l l ikas . the Ku n ta las. th e Sau n ridas . and the
Nalakan an as ; th e Kanku takas . the Cholas , and the Mal avayakas 5 the
Saman gas . the Kanakas . th e Kukku ras. and the An gara-mar i shas the
Saman gas. the Karakas . the Kuku ras . the An garas . the Mari shas : the
t aj in i s . the U tsavas. the San ke tas. t h e Tr igartas. and the Salwasen a
the Vakas . th e Kokarakas . t he Pashtris . and the L amav egavasas ; t he
Vindhy acb u lakas . the Pu l i ndas . and t h e Va lka las the Melavas . t h e
Val lavas . the further-Val lav as . the Ku l i n das . the Kalavas . th e Kun taukas .and th e Karatas ; the Mrishakas. the Tan avalas . the San iyas t he
Al idas . the Pasivatas . the Tan ayas . and the Su lanyas t he R i shi kas. t he
Vidarbh as. the Kakas . the Tangene s . and the furth er-Tan gan as. Among
the tr ibes of the north are the Ml eechas. and the Kruras. 0 best of the
Bharatas ; the Yavan as . t h e China s . the Kamvo jas . the Darun as. and
many Mleccha tr ibe s ; th e Sukri tvahas. the Ku latthas. the Hunas. andthe Parasikas t he R amanas . the Chinas . and the Dasamal ikas. These
count r ie s are . bes ides . the abodes of many Ksha t riya . Vaisya . and Su dra
tribes . Then again there are the Sudra-abh i ras. t he Dardas , the Kasm i
ras. and the Pa ttis the Khasiras th e Atreyas. the Bharadwaj as. the
Stan apo sh ikas. the Po shakas. the Kal inga s . and d iverse tr ibes of Kiratasthe Tomaras . the Han samargas . and the Karaman jakas. These an d
oth er ki ngdoms are on the east and on the north . 0 lord . al l ud ing to
them brief ly I have told thee al l . Earth . i f i ts resources a r e Iproperlydeveloped accord ing to i ts qual i ti es and prowess . i s l ike an ev e r-y i eldin g l
cow . from which the t hr ee-fold fru i ts of v ir tue.p rofi t a nd plea sure . may
be milked . Brave kings conversan t w i th vir tue and profit have becomecov etou s o f E arth . Endued wi th activ i ty . they would even cast away
1 Kamadhuk i s that species of kine which always yield milk .—T.
SECTION XIV
Dhr itarash tra sa id .—'How ha th Bh ishma . that bull amon g the
Kurus . been slain by S ikhandin How did my fa the r . who r esembled
Vasava h imsel f . fal l down from his car ? What became of my sons . OSenjaya . when th ey were deprived of the m ighty Bh ishma who was l ikeunto a celestia l , and who led a l i fe o f Bm hmackaryya for th e sake of h is
father ?1 U pon the fal l of t h a t t ige r among men who was endued w ith
great wisdom . great capacity for exert ion . g r ea t m ight and great ene r gy .how d id ou r war r iors fee l Hear ing tha t bull amongst th e Kurus
.tha t
foremos t of men . tha t unwaver ing hero i s sla in , g reat is the grief thatpierceth my hear t . While ad v ancin g (aga inst the foe ) . who fo llowed
h im an d who proceeded ahea d Who stayed by his sid e Whoproceeded with him Wh a t brave combatan ts fo llowed behind( pro tecting his rear tha t tiger among car-warr iors. t ha t wonderful
a rche r . tha t bul l among Kshatr iyas . whi l e,
he penetrated into the
d ivis ions of the foe ? Whi l e se iz ing the host i l e ranks . what warr iorsopposed that slayer o f foes re sembl ing the luminary o f thousand ray s .
who spread ing terror among the foe destroy ed the ir ranks l ike the Sun
des troy ing darkness . and who ach ieved in battle amongst the ranks of
Pa ndu’
s son s feats exceed ing ly d i ffi cul t of accompl ishm en t ? How. i n
deed . O San jaya . d id the Pandavas oppose in battle th e son o f San tan u .
tha t accomplished and invincibl e warr ior when h e approached them
sm it ing Slaughte ring th e (hos ti l e ) ranks . hav in g arrows for h is te eth .and ful l of ener gy . wi th the bow for h is wide-open mouth . and wit h the
terrible sword for his tongue . and inv incible . a very t ig er among men .endued with m edesty . and nev er before v anquished . alas . how d id
Ku n ti’
s so n ov erthrow in batt l e that unconquered one . u n deserv i n g as
he was o f such a fate .—tha t fierce bowman shoo ting fierce shaf ts .stat ioned on h is excel len t car . and plucking o ff the heads o f foes ( from
the ir bodies) - that warr io r . i rres istible as the Yug a-fire . beho ld ing whom
addres t for bat t le the great army of the Pandavas alway s used to waver
l Th e fir st h alf of th e fir st l in e . in th e Benga l texts . i s read a s
‘K ath am ascha m e putra', th e Bombay text read s
‘
K ath am achksha m e Yodha’
.
If th e l atter read in g b e a dopted,th e m eanin g would b e Tel l m e
fl
h ow mywarriors were , etc . etc—T.
2 In the second l ine of s loka 3 , for‘k im n a asi n m an astada
’
(what wasth e state of mind of our m en ) th e Bombay text reads
‘
K imu asinm an astava'
(what was th e state of your min d) There can b e n o question that th eBen ga l reading i s b etter . —T.
3 Th e P lura l pronoun ‘ye in th e secon d l ine of th e 8th sloka (ch an gedin to ‘
ya'by ru le of Gan dh i b ecau se comin g b efore tanam ) i s read
‘ke
’
(or kb y the Burdwan Pundits . I thin k th e correction a happy one . Ni lakan twou ld take 7 an d 8 an d the first half of 9 as a comp lete sentence reading‘
Asya twam an tike' (thou wart n ear h i m) for‘Asy atam antike
'(smitin g or
shootin g arrows near) . -T.
34 MAHABHARATA
Mangl ing the host ile troops for ten n igh ts . alas . that slayer of r anks h ath
set l ike th e Sun . hav ing achiev ed f eat s d ifficul t of ach iev ement . He
who .scatter ing l ike Sakra h imself and inexhaust ible shower o f arrows .
sl ew i n battle a hundred mill ions of wa rr iors in ten days . that scion of
Bharata's rac e
.now lieth . al thoug h h e de serveth i t not . on th e bare
ground.i n the field of battl e . depr ived of l i f e . a m ighty t re e uprooted
by the winds.as a resul t of my evil counsel s Behold ing San tan u
’
s son
Bh i shma of terribl e prowess . how indeed . could the army of the
Pandavas I succeed in sm it ing him there How d id the son s of Pandu
battle wi th Bh ishma How i s i t . O San jaya . t ha t Bhishma could not
conquer when Drona l ive th When Kripa . aga in . was near h im . and
Drona’ s son (Aswatthaman ) a lso . how could Bhi shma . that for emost of
sm iters be sla in How could Bh i shma who was reckoned as an Atiratha
and who could not be resi st ed by the ve ry gods . be sla in in bat tle by
S ikhandin . the prince of Panchala He . who a lways regarded h imsel f
as t he equa l of the mighty son of Jamadagn i i n battl e . he whom
Jamadagn i's son h imself could not vanqu i sh . he who resembled Indra
h imself in prowess .—ala s . O San jay a . tel l me h ow t ha t hero . Bh ishma .
born in the race of Maharathas . was sl a i n i n battl e . for withou t knowing
al l th e part iculars I canno t reg a in my equanim i ty . Wha t grea t bowm enof my army . O San jay a . did no t de se r t th a t h ero of unfad ing glory
What hero ic warr iors . again . a t Duryodhana’
s command . s tood around
that hero (for pro tect in g h i m) When al l the Pandavas placingS ikhan di n i n the i r van advanced aga inst Bh ishm a . d id no t a l l the Kurus .
O Senjaya stay by the side o f tha t he ro o f unfad ing prowess ? Hard as
my heart 1 8 . surely i t must be m ade of adaman t . for i t breaketh not on
hear in g the death of that ti ge r among men . vi z . , Bh ishma ! I n that
irresist ible hu l l of Bharata’
s race . wer e t ruth . and intel ligence . and
pol icy . to an immeasurable extent . Alas , how was h e sla in in batt l e
L ike unto a mighty cloud of high al t i tude . hav ing the twang of h is bowstring for i t s roar . h is arrows for i ts ra in-drops . and th e sound of h is
bow for it s thunder . t hat he ro showerin g h is shaf t s on Kun ti’
s son s with
the Pan chalas and the Srin jayas on t he ir side . smot e hosti le car-warr i ors
l ike the slaye r of Va la smiting the Danava s . Who were the heroes thatr es isted . l ike the bank resisting the surging sea . tha t chas t is er o f foes .who was a ter r ible ocean of arrows and weapons . an ocean in which
shafts were the irresist ible crocod i les and bows were the wa ves . an ocean
that was inexhaust ible . without an island . agi ta ted and withou t a raf t to
cross i t. in which mace s and swords were l ike sharks and st eeds and
1 Some of th e Ben ga l texts have “Pan cha l an am'for ‘P an davan am
'- T.
2 The form of th e 2n d line i s a negative interrogative . implying . -‘Ih 0pe th e Kurus d i d n ot ab andon h im ._ T.
3 The Burdwan Pundits omit th is an d th e followin g sloka Without anyreason .
—T.
e lephants l ike eddie s . and foo t-so ldiers l ike fishes in abunda nce . and the
sound of conches and drums like i ts roar . and ocean tha t swal lowed
horses and elephan t s and foot-soldie r s quickly . an ocean tha t devouredhostil e hero es and tha t seethed wi th wrath and energy wh ich con stituted
its Vadava-fire ?1 When for Duryodhan a’ s good . tha t slaye r o f foe s .Bhishma . ach ieved (ter r ible) f ea ts i n battl e , who were then in h is van
Who were they that pro tec ted the r i ght whe el of tha t warr io r o f im
measurabl e e nergy Who were they tha t. muster ing pat ience an d
energy . res isted hos til e h ero es from h is rea r Who stat ioned themselves
in hi s n ear front for pro tect ing h im Who were tho se he roes tha t
protected the fore-wheel o f t hat br ave warr io r whi l e he bat tled with
the foe Who were th ey tha t stat ion ing t hems elves by hi s left wheel
smote the Srin jay as ? Who were'
they tha t pro tec ted th e irre si st ib le
advance ranks of h is van Who pro tect ed the wings of t ha t warr ior
who ha th made the la st pain ful j ourney And who , O S an jaya . foughtwith hosti l e heroe s in the gene ra l engagem ent ? I f he was protected
by (our) heroes . and if they we re prot ec ted by him . why could he no t
th en speedi ly v anquish in batt l e -th e army of th e Pandavas . i nv inc ibl e
though i t be Indeed . O San jaya . how could th e Pandavas succee deven in st r iking Bhi shma who was l ike Parameshti h imself . tha t L ord
and creator of al l c reatures ? Thou telles t me . O Sen jaya . i f t he d i s
appearance o f tha t Bh i shma . that t iger among men . who was our refugeand rely in g upon whom the Kurus were fighting wi th t h ei r foes . thatwarr ior of m ighty st reng th r ely ing on whose en ergy my son had neve r
reckoned the Pandavas . a la s . how hath h e been sla in by t he enem y‘
28
In days of yore . all th e gods wh i le engaged i n slay i ng the Danavas .sought the a id of that inv inc ible warr ior . viz . , my fa th er of h igh v ows .That fo remost of sons endued wi th g reat ener gy , on whose bi r th the
world-renown ed San tan u abandoned a ll g r ie f . mel ancholy . and sorrows .how can st thou tel l m e . O San jay a . tha t th at cel ebra ted h ero . tha t
g re a t r efuge of a ll . t hat wis e and hol y persona g e who was devoted to
the dut ies of h i s order and conversan t w ith the t ruth s of the Vedas and
their branche s . ha th bee n sla in Accomplished in every weapon and
endued with hum il i ty . gen tle and wi th pass ions under full con trol . and
posse ssed of g rea t energy as he was. alas . h ear ing that so n of San tan u
1 Th is compar i son , lengthy as i t i s . i s n ot sustained throughout withthe usual fel ic ity of Vyasa . In severa l parts i t i s undoub tedly faulty .Slight variations of reading a lso occur h ere an d there . without afi ecti n g th esense materia lly . -T .
2 ‘Gachch hato durgam gatim .
’
Th e Bombay ed ition reads ‘Gachc h han toetc . . Th e meanin g then would b e—“ who protected th e wings, themselves makin g the last painful journey —T.
3 Th e Burdwan Pun d its make ‘Mahaval as’
an adj ective of ‘Putras’
. Ab etter construction would b e to take i t as referri n g to Bh i shma.
—T.
MAHABBABATA
sla in I regard the rest of my army as alr eady sla i n . I n my judgment .unr ighteousness hath now become stron ger t han r ig ht eousness . for the
sons of Pandu des ire sovere i g nty ev en by k ill in g thei r venerable
superior 1 In days of yore . Iam adag n i’
s son R ama . who was acquainted
with eve ry weapon and whom none excel led . when addre st for battl e
on b eha l f of Am vya . was va nquish ed by Bh ishma in combat . Thou
telle s t me that tha t Bh ishm a . who was th e foremost o f a l l warriors and
who resembled Indra h imse lf in the fea ts he achieved . hath been sla in .
What can be a g rea ter grief to me than this Endued with grea t
inte ll igence . he that was not s la in even by tha t s layer of ho st ile h eroes .that R ama . the son of Jam adag n i . who defeat ed in bat tl e c rowds of
Ksha tr iyas repea ted ly . ha th he now been sla in by S ikhan din . Without
doubt . Drupada's son S ikhand i n . the re for e who hath s la in in ba ttl e that
bull of Bha rata’
s race . tha t hero acqua in ted w ith t h e hi ghes t weapons .tha t brave and accompl ished warrior conversant w ith ev ery weapon . i s
superior in energy . prowess . an d might to the inv incibl e Vargava endued
with the highest energy . In t hat encount er of arms who were theheroes that fo llowed that sl ayer of foe s Te l l me how the battl e was
fought between Bh i shma and th e Pand avas . The army of my son . 0
San jay a . reft of i ts hero . i s l ik e an unpro tected woman . Indeed . that
army o f mine is l ike a pan ic-s truck herd of kine re f t o f it s herdsman .
He i n whom resided prowess super ior to that of every on e . when h e
was la id low on th e fi e ld o f bat t le . wha t was the s tate of m ind of my
army ? What power is there . O Sen j aya . i n our l i fe . when we havecaused our father of m igh ty energy . tha t for emost of r igh teous men in
th e world . to be s la in L ike a person desirous of crossing t h e sea when
he beholds the boat sunk in fathomless waters . ala s . my sons . I ween . are
bi tterly weeping fr om g rie f on Bh i sl i m a's death . My heart . 0 San jaya .
is surely mad e of adaman t . for it re nde th n o t even af ter hea r ing the
death of Bh i shma . th at t i ger among men . Th a t bul l among men in
whom were weapons . i n te l l ig enc e . and pol icy . t o an immeasurabl e
exten t . how . alas . h a th that inv inc ible warr ior been sl a in i n ba t t le ?Ne ither in consequence of weapons no r of courage
.nor of asce tic merit
.
nor of in tell igence . nor of firmness . nor of g if t . can a m an free himsel f
from dea th . Indeed . t ime . endued with g rea t energy . is i ncapable of
be in g t ransgressed by any thing in th e wor ld . when t hou tel lest me . OSan j aya . that San tan u
's son Bh i shma i s dead . Burn ing with grief on
account of my sons . i n fact . overwhelmed w i th g rea t sorrow .I had
hoped for rel ief from Bh i shm a . the son of San tan u . When he beheldSan tan u
’
s so n . O Senjaya . ly i ng on ear th l ike the Sun (dropped fromthe firmamen t) . what e lse was m ade by Duryodhana as h is refuge
O Senj aya . r eflecting wi th the a i d of my under standing.I do not see
what the end w il l be of the kings belongin g to my s id e and t h at of the.
SE CTION XV
San jaya said.Deser v ing as thou ar t . th is question is . i nd eed .
worthy o f thee.O g rea t ki ng . I t b ehov e th th ee no t . howeve r . to impute
this faul t to Duryodhana . Th e man who i ncu rreth ev i l as the cou se
quen ce of h is own misconduct . should not a tt r ibu te th at m isconduct tooth ers
.O grea t king . the man that doth eve ry k ind of injury to other
men.dese rveth to be slain by al l men in consequence of those censurable
deeds of his. The Pandav as unacqua in t ed w i th the ways o f wickedness
had.for a long t ime . with the ir fr i end s and counsel lors. look in g up to
thy face,borne the injur ie s (done to th em ) and forgive n th em . dwel l ing
in the woods .
Of steeds and elephants and kings of immeasurable energy that
which hath been seen by the a id of Yog a-power . h ear . 0 lord of Eart h .
and do not set thy hear t on sorrow . Al l th i s was pr e-dest in ed . O king .
Hav ing bowed down to thy father . tha t !wise and high-so u l ed l ] son of
Parasara . t hrough whose grace . ! through whose boon bes towed on me .] I
have obta in ed excellent and cele stia l apprehens ion . sigh t beyond the
rang e of the vi sual sense . and hear ing . O king . f rom grea t d ista nce .knowledge of oth e r people
's hea r ts and also of the past and th e future .
a knowledge al so of the o rig in of al l persons transg re ss ing t he
o rdinances}?the del igh tful power of coursing th rough the skies . an d un
touchableness by weapons in battle s . l is ten to me in de tai l as I rec it e
the romant ic and h i ghly wonder ful ba tt l e t ha t happened between the
Bharata s . a batt le that makes one's ha ir stand on end .
When t he combatants were ar rayed ac cord in g to rule and whenthey were addres t fo r bat t le . Duryodhana . O king , sa id these words toDussasan a .
—O Dussasan a . le t ca rs be speed ily d ir ect ed for the protec
t ion of Bh i shma . and do thou speed i ly u rge al l o ur d iv i sion s (to ad vance) .That hath n ow come to me o f wh ich I had been thinking for a ser ie s o f
years. v i z . , the meet ing of the Pandavas and the Kurus a t th e head ofthe ir respective troops . I do not th ink tha t there i s a ny act moreimportant (for us) i n this bat tl e than the prot ect ing of Bh ishma . I f
protected he w ill sl ay the Pandavas . the Som akas . and th e Sri n jayas.That warr ior of pure soul said . —
‘
I wil l no t slay S ikhan di n . I t is heard that
he was a female befor e . For th is reason he should be renounced by me in
bat t le—For this . Bh i shma should be part icularly protec ted . L et al l my
warriors take up the i r posi t ion s . resolved to sl ay S ikhan din . L et also al l
the troops from the east . the wes t . th e south . an d the nor th . accompli sh
1 Th e words " h igh-souled an d a l so “ through whose boon b estowed
fin m e
”
T
occur in the 9th sloka followin g . In paraphrasing . their place i set6 . o
2 ‘Vyotth iOpatti vijan an am .
’ ‘Vyutth i ta'i s avery doubtful word . It
has been explained by Ni lakan tha thus. -T.
might y car-warr io rs conv ersant wi th policy . obed i en t to the commands
of Duryodhana.a ll cased in ma il . were see n stat ioned in the i r r espect ive
d iv i s ions . Al l of them .cased in black deer-skins . endued wi th g reat
s tren g th.accompl ished in batt le . and cheerful ly p repar ed . for Du ryo
dhama’ s sake
.to ascend to th e reg ion of Brahma .
I stood there commanding
ten efficient Akshau hin is. The elevent h g reat d i v is ion of t he Kauravas .
consi s t ing of the Dhartarashtra t roops . s tood in a dvance of the whole
a rmy . There in the van of t ha t d iv i s io n was San tan u's so n . With h is
white head-gear.whit e umbrella . and white mai l . O monarch . we
beheld Bhishm a of unfa il ing prowess look like th e r i sen moon . Hi s
standard bearing the device o f a palmyra of gold h imsel f sta t ion ed on a
car made of si lver.bo th the Kurus and the Pandav as beh eld th a t hero
look ing l ike t he moon encirc led by whi te clouds . The g reat bowmen
amongst the Sr in jayas headed by Dh r i shtady um n a . (behold ing Bh i shm a )
looked like l i t t l e animals when th ey would be hold a mig hty yawn ing l ion .
Indeed.all the combatant s headed by Dh r ish tady um n a rep eat ed ly trem
bled i n fear . Thes e . O king . were the e l even splendi d d iv i s ions of thyarmy
.So also the seven d iv i s ions b elonging to the Pandavas were
protected by foremos t o f men . Indeed . the two a rmies fac ing each o t her
looked l ike two oceans a t the end o f the Yu ga a g i ta ted by fierce
Makaras. and abounding with huge crocod i le s . Never before , O king,did we see or hea r o f two such arm ie s encounter ing each o ther l ike
these of the Kauravas
SECTION XVII
San jays sa id . Just as the holy Kr ishna-Dwa i payan a Vyasa had sa id .
i n t hat v ery ma n ne r the kings o f the Earth . mustered toge ther . come to
th e encounter . On that day on wh i ch the batt le commenced Soma
approached the re g ion o f Pi tris .
3 The s even larg e planet s. as they
1 A K shatriya fal l ing bravely in figh t at once goe s to th e h ighestreg ions of bliss .
-T .
2 E ither th e 26th or th e 27th should b e regarded as a triplet.-T.
3 Ni lakan th a in a long n ote explai ns that ‘Magha Vi shayagas Somas'
cannot mean th at ‘Shoma' or th e Moon entered th e con stel lation ca l led
Magha . He quotes numerous s lokas scattered th roug hout th e Mahabharatathat throw l ig ht. directly or in di rectly . on th e question of th e Open ing dayo f th e battl e . an d shows that a l l th ese lead to a d i fi eren t con clusion. What i smeant b y the Moon approach in g th e reg ion of th e ‘P itris'i s that those whofa l l in b attl e imm ed iate l y a scend to h eaven of course . they h ave first togo to the region o f ‘P itris.
’
Th ence they have to go to the lunar reg ion forob ta in in g celestia l b od ies . Al l th i s impl i es a l ittle delay . Here . however .in th e ca se of th o se that would fa l l on the fie ld o f K uruksh etra . they wouldn ot h ave to i ncur
.
even such a littl e delay . ‘Ohan dram a s' ‘
or ‘Soma ’
approached th e region of ‘P itris'so that th e fa l len warr iors might havecel e stia l bodies very soon . with out. in fact. an y neces s ity . on thei r part ,to incur the delay o f a journey to the lunar reg ion prior to th eir ascen s ionto h eaven with resplen den t bodies.—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
appeared in the firmamen t al l looked blaz ing l ike fire .
1 The Sun . when
he rose . seemed to be d iv ided in twa in . Bes ides . that lum inary . as i t
appeared in the firm amen t. s eem ed to blaze for th in flames. 2 Carni
vo rous j ackal s and crows ; expect ing (dead) bodi es ( to feast upon) .began to u t ter fierce crie s f rom al l d i rec tions tha t seemed to be ablaze .
E very day the o ld g rands i re o f the Kurus . and the so n of Bharadwaja.r ising ( from bed ) in t h e morn in g . wit h concen trate d m ind . sa id .—
'Victory
to the sons of Pandu'—whi le those chas ti ser s o f foes used (a t the same
t ime ) y e t to fight for t hy sake accord ing to the pl edge they had gi v en .
Thy father Devavrata . fu l ly x
con v ersan t wi th e v ery duty . summoning
al l the k in gs . said th ese words (unto th em . )‘
Ye Kshatr iyas.th is broad
door is open to you for en ter ing h eaven . Go ye through i t to the
reg io n of Sakra and Brahman . The R ishi s of o lden t imes have showed
you this ete r nal path . 3 Honour y e yourse lves by engag ing i n ba t t le
with a tte n t ive m inds . Nab haga . and Yayati . and Mandhatri . and
Nahusa . and Nriga . wer e crowned w i th success and ob tained the h igh es t
reg ion of bli ss by feats l ike the s e . To d i e of d i sease a t home is s in for
a Kshatr iya . The death he m eets w i th i n battl e i s his e te rn a l duty ’.
Thus addressed . O hu l l of Bhar a ta's race. by Bh i shma . th e kin gs . looking
beautiful i n the i r excell ent cars . proceed ed to the heads of thei r
respectiv e d iv is ions . Only Vikarta n a’
s son Karna . with h is f r iends an d
re la ti v es. O hul l of Bharata’
s race . la i d aside h is weapons i n bat t le for
the sake of Bh ishma . Withou t Kam a th en . thy sons and all t h e k ings
on thy side proc eeded . makin g t h e t en points of the hor izon resoundw i th t he i r l eon ine roars . And the i r d i v is ion s shone br igh tly . O king .with wh i te umbrellas . banners . s tandards . elephants . ste eds , cars . andfoo t-soldiers . An d th e Ear th was agita ted wi th th e sounds of drumsand tabors and cymbals . and t h e cla tt er o f ca r-wh eels . An d the m igh tycar-warr iors . decked wi th thei r brac ele ts and armlets of gol d and w itht h ei r bows (variegated w it h gold) . look ed resplendent l ike hi l ls of fire .
An d w ith ’ h is large palmyra-standard decked with fivef
stars . Bh ishma .
the general issimo of the Kuru army . 4 looked like the resplendent Sunhimse l f . Those migh ty bowmen of roya l bir th . 0 hu l l of Bh ara ta
's
1 Th ere are n ine p lanets in a l l th e Pauran i c a stron omy . Of theseHah n an d K etu are regard ed ‘Upagrah a s ,
’
an d h ence . of ‘grab a s’
th ere areon ly seven . Thus Ni l akan th a . a n d th e Burdwan pundits have made a messof thi s line . Th e gen esis of th e b lun de r s th ey have committed i s di stinctlytraceab le to their n on -appreh en sion of Ni l akan tha
’
s very s imple n ote—T.
2 Th e Benga l texts read 'Bh an um a n udi to d ivi .’
The Bombay readin gi s ‘Bhan um an udi to R avis .
’ If th e latter b e adopted . ‘Bh an uman' wou ld b e
an adjective of ‘R avis .
'—T.
3 ‘Purvai s P urvatara i s’
i s l iteral ly—“ They of o ld an d sti l l oldertimes for ‘San atan as
’
some editions read ‘Srn ti jas'(qua lifyin g
‘Srutija'means arising from th e Sta ti s or as la id down in th e Sru ti s .
—T.
4 ‘Ohamupati s'i s th e B en ga l readi ng . Th e Bomb ay text reads
‘Ohamupari .’ If the latter read in g b e adopted . th e meaning would b e .
"at
th e h ead of the (Kuru) arm y”
.—T.
MAHABHARATA
race.tha t were on thy s id e . al l took up their pos it ions . 0 king . as
San tan u’
s son ordered . (King ) Sa ivya of the country of the Govasan as.
accompan ied by a l l the monarchs . went ou t on a pr ince ly ele phant
worthy of royal use and g raced with a banner on i ts back . And
Aswatthaman .of the complex ion of the lo tus . wen t ou t r eady for every
emergency.stat ion ing h imself a t the v ery h e ad of al l the d i v i sions . with
h is standard bear ing th e dev ice o f t he l ion’
s ta i l . An d Sru tayudha
and Gh i trasen a and Pu rum i tra and Viv i n sati . and Saly a and Bhu risravas .
and that m igh ty car-warr ior V ikarna .—the se sev en m igh ty bowmen onthe ir cart s and cased in excel lent mail . fol lowed Drona
’
s son beh ind but
in advance of Bh ishm a . The tal l s ta ndards of t h e se war riors . made of
gold.beauti fully set up for adorn ing the i r excellent ca rs . looked highly
re splenden t . The standard of Drona . the foremost of precepto rs . bore
the dev ice of a golden al tar decked with a water-po t and the figure of
a how. The standard of Duryodhana guid ing many hundreds and
thousands of d ivis ions bore the dev ice of an el ephan t worked in g ems}
Pau rava and the ruler of th e Kal ingas . an d Salya . th ese R athas took up
their pos i t ion in Duryodhana's van . On a co stly car w it h h is s tandard
bear ing the dev ice of a bul l . and guid ing the v ery v an (of h i s di v is ion ) .the ruler o f the Magadhas marched against the foe . 1 That l arge force
of the E asterners look ing lik e the fl eecy clouds of autumn 2 was (bes id es)protected by the chief of th e Angas (Karna
's son Vr i shaketu ) and
Kripa endued with g r eat energy . Sta t ionin g h im sel f in the van of his
d iv ision with h is beautiful standard of si l ve r bear ing the dev ice of the
boar . the famous Iayadratha looked h ighly resplenden t . -A hundred
thousand cars . e ight thousand elephan t s . a nd sixty t housand cavalry
were under his command .
3 Comm anded by the royal chi ef of the
S i ndhus. that large d iv ision occupying the very van (of t he army ) andabounding w ith un told cars . elephan ts . and s teeds . looked m agnificen t .
W i th s ixty thousand car s an d ten thou sand e l ephants . the ruler of theKa l ingas . accompanied by Ke tum at. went out . Hi s huge elephants . look
i n g l ike h il l s. and adorned with Yan tm s .‘ lance s . quivers and standard s .
looked exceeding ly beauti ful . An d the ruler of the Kal ingas . with h is ta l l
1 The Ben ga l editions read ‘Magadh ascha r ipum yayan Th e Bom b aytext reads ‘Magadhasya K ripo-yayan
’
. I f th e latter readin g b e adopted .th e meanin g would b e "
an d guidin g th e very van of th e Magadha troopsK r ipa went. -T.
2 Th e Ben ga l read in g i s ‘Saradab hraghan a-prakshyam .
’
Th e Bomb ayreadin g i s
‘S haradamvudhara-praksh yam .
’-T.
3 Vasavartinas i s nomi n ative . masculi ne . plura l . referring to cars . &c . ;th e B urdwan P un d its take i t as a g en etive s in gular qua l ify in g ‘
ta sya .’
an dthey render i t. th erefore , as
“of that subordinate of Duryodhan a .
”
Th is i sevidentl y incorrect.—T.
4 Mach ines . perhaps catapults.—T.
standard e E u l g ent as fire . with h is whit e umbrel la . and golden curass.and Chamaras (wh erew i t h he was fanned ) . shone bri l l ian tly . And
Ketuma t a lso . r id ing on an ele phant wi th a h igh l y excel len t and
beautiful hook . was s tat ion ed in bat t le . O K in g . l ike the Su n in the
mids t of (black) clouds . An d king Bhagada tta . blazing wi th energy and
riding on that e le phant of h is . wen t ou t l ike the w ielde r o f th e thunder .
And the two pr inces of Avan t i n amed Vi nda and An uv i nda . who were
regarded as eq ual to Bhagadatta . fo l low ed Ketum at . r id ing on th e necksof t hei r e lephan ts . And. O k ing . arrayed by Drona and the roya l son ofSan tan u . and Drona
's so n . and Valhika . and Kripa . the (Kan t ay a)
Vyuhal consis t ing o f m any div is iohs of cars was such that the e lephant s
formed it s body th e k in g s . i t s head and the s teeds . i ts w ings. W ithface towards al l sid es . tha t fierce Vyuha seem ed to smil e and ready to
spr ing (upon the fo e ) .
SECTION XVI II
Senj aya said . Soon a f ter . 0 king . a loud uproar . caus ing the heart
to tremble was hea rd ; made by the comba tan ts ready for the fight .
Indeed . with the sounds of couch es and drums . the grunts of elephants .
and the clatter of ca r-wheels . t he Ear th seemed to rend in twain . And
soon the welkin and the whole Earth wa s filled w ith the ne i gh of
chargers and the shou ts of combatan ts . O i r r es ist ible one . th e t roops
of thy sons an d of the Pandavas bo th tr embled when they encountered
each oth er . The re (on the field of bat t l e ) e lephan t s and cars. deckedin gold . looked beaut i ful l ike clouds decked wi th l ightn ing . And
standards of d i v erse forms . O king . be longin g to th e combatan ts on thys ide . and adorned with go ld en r in g s . looked re spl e nden t l ike fi re . And
those standa rds of t hy s ide and thei rs . r esembled . O Bha ra ta . th e
bann ers of I nd ra i n h is celes t ia l mansions . An d the h eroic wa rriors al l
accoutr ed and cased in go ld en coats of mai l e ndued w ith the efi u lgen ce
of the blazing Sun . themse lves looked l ike blazin g fire or the Sun . Al l
the foremost warr ior s amongst th e Kurus . 0 kin g . wi th excellent bows .and weapons upraised (for s tr iki ng ) . with l eathern fences on the irhands . and with s tandards .—t hose mighty bowmen . of eyes large as those
of bul ls . all placed t hemselve s at the h eads of the ir respectiv e
div isions . And these amongst th y sons . O king . pro tect ed Bhi shm a from
behind . vi z . , Du ssasan a . and Durv i shaha . and Du rmukha . and Dussaha
and Viv in sati . and Ch i trasen a . and tha t migh ty car-warr ior Vikarn a .And amongst them were Satyavrata . and Purum i tra . and Jaye . an d
Bhurisravas. and Sa le . An d twenty thousand car-warriors fo l lowed
them . The Abh i shahas . the Surasen as . the S i v i s . and t h e Vasari s . the
1 ‘Vyuha’
i s an array of tr0 0 ps in a certain form . Many such wi ll b espoken of i n this an d the other 'parvas
’
devoted to th e battle . —T.
MAHABHARATA‘
Swalyas. the Ma tsyas . the Am vashtas . the Trigartas . and th e Kekayas.
the Sauv i ras . the K i tavas . and the dwe l l e rs of the E astern .rWeste rn .
and the Northern coun tr ie s . -t h ese twelv e brav e race s w e re r eso lved to
fight reckless of the l iv es . And the se p ro tected the grandsire w i th a
mul t i tud inous ar ray of cars . And with a d iv i sion tha t.consisted of te n
thousand activ e e lephants . the king of Magadha fol lowed tha t large ca r
d iv ision . l They that protected t he whee ls of the cars a nd they th at
protected th e elephants . numbered ful l six mil l ions . And the foot-so l
d iers tha t matched in advance (of the army ) . armed w i th bows . swords .and shiel ds . numbered many hundred s of thousands . An d th ey fought
also us i ng the i r nai ls and bearded darts . An d th e te n and one Akshauh in is
of t hy son . O Bharata . looked . O mighty k i n g , l ike Gan ga ‘ sepa ra ted
from Yamun afi "
SECTION XIX
Dhr itarashtr a said—“
Behold in g (ou r) ten and on e Akshauhin isarrayed in order of batt l e . how d id Yudh i sh th i ra . th e so n of Pandu . make
h is coun ter-ar ray w i th h is fo rces small e r i n number How d id Ku n ti’
s
son . O San jaya . fo rm hi s counte r-array aga in st t ha t Bhi shm a who was
acquainted with a l l kinds of arrays . v i z . , human . cel est ial . Gandharva .and Asura
Sen jaya said . Se eing the Dhr ita rash t r a d ivis ion s ar ra y ed in order
of bat tle . Pandu’
s son o f v ir tuous soul , ki n g Yudh i sh th ira the j ust .addressed Dhananjaya . say ing . a r e in fo rmed from the words o f
In encounters of the few wi th the many.the array to be form ed should
be the n eedle-mou thed one . Our t roop s compared w ith the en emy ’ s ar e
few . Keep ing in vi ew this precept of the grea t R i shi , a r ray our troops.O so n of Pandu .
’—Hear ing th i s . that son of Pandu answered kin gYudh ish th i ra the j ust . say ing . -That immovable ar ray known by the
name of Va jra , which was desig n ed by the w ielder o f t h e thunder-bol t.
that in v incible array i s the one th a t I w i l l make fo r thee.O best of
k ings . He who is l ike the burst i ng t empes t.he who i s incapable of
be ing borne in bat tle by th e foe . th a t Bhima the foremost of sm ite r s.
wil l fight a t our head . That foremost of men.conversant wi th all the
a ppl iances of bat t le . becom ing our lea der . wil l fight in t he van.crush ing
the energy of the foe . That foremost o f sm i te rs.viz Bhima . beho ld ing
whom all (the hostile warr iors) headed by Duryodhana wil l r etrea ti n pan ic l ike smal ler an imals behold in g the l ion . a ll of us . o ur
“
fear sI Th e Ben ga l texts read this l in
th e Bombay read ing —T .
e m a very faulty way . I have adOpted2 The Bombay edition reads ‘Yam un an tara
’
for ‘Yamunj
antare of theBen gal texts. The d ifferen ce in meaning i s n o t very material . —T.
tal l standards bearin g d iv erse d ev ices . d ecked with excel lent ornaments
of gold.and endued wi th the efi
’
u lg en ce of th e Sun and the Moon .
Causing those king s to mov e and mak e space fo r h im . that mighty
ca r-warrior Dhr i shtadyum n a . accompani ed by h i s bro thers and sons
protected Yudh i sh th i ra f rom be hin d . Transcend ing the huge standa rds
on al l the cars o n thy s ide and that o f th e enemy . was the one g igant ic
ape on Arj un a’
s car . Foo t-sold ie rs . by many hundreds of thousands .
and armed w ith swords . spears . and scim itar s . proce eded ahead forpro tecting Bh imasen a . An d ten thousand ele ph a nts w ith ( temporal)
ju ice t r ickl ing down th ei r cheek and mou th . and resembling (on that
account) showering cloud s . l endued w ith g r ea t courage . blazing w ith
go lden armour . huge h ills . cost ly . and emit t ing the fragrance of lot uses .fol lowed th e k in g behind l ike moving mounta i ns . 2 An d th e h igh-so uled
and inv inc ibl e Bh imasena . whir l i n g h is fierce mace tha t re sembled a
parigha3 seemed to crush the larg e army (o f t h y son ) . Incapabl e of be ing
looked at l ike the Su n himse l f . a nd scorch ing as i t we re . th e hosti le
army ( l ike fi re ) . none of the combatants could bea r to even look at h im
from any near point . And this a r ray . fea rle ss and hav in g i ts fac e turnedtowards a ll s ides ca l lg d Vaj ra . ha v ing bows fo r i ts l igh tn ing sign .
‘ and
extremely fierce . was pro tected by t he wie lde r of Gan diva . Dispos ing
their troops i n th i s count er-array aga in s t th y a rmy . t he Pandavas
waited for batt le . An d protected by the Pandava s . tha t array became
inv i ncible in the world o f men .
“
An d as (both ) the a rm ies s tood at dawn of day wa i t i n g for sunr ise .a wind began to blow with d rops o f wate r ( fall ing ) . and al though there
were no clouds . the rol l of th unde r was heard . An d dry w inds began
to blow all around . bear ing a shower of poin ted pebbles a lon g the g round .
An d at thick dust arose . cover ing the world with darkness . An d la rgem eteors began to fal l eas t-wards . O hu l l of Bharata’ s r ace . and str ikingagainst the r i s ing S u n . broke i n fra gm ents Wi th loud no ise . When t hetroops stood array ed . O hu l l of Bha ra ta
’
s race . the Sun rose d i vested ofsplendour . and the E ar th trembled wi th a loud soun d . and cracked in
1 L itera l ly . “ with rent ch eek s an d mouth .
” —T.
2 The Bombay readin g i s certainly faulty h ere. For ‘0 ha lan ta iva
paravata s'i t reads ‘J imuta iva varash i kas .
’
a l though i t makes th e previousl ine b eg in ‘K sharan taiva J imuta —T .
3 A ‘
pari gh a’
i s a th ick club mounted with iron Th e compari son i svery feeb le . for Bh ima
's mace. in th e popular e stimation . i s much h eavier
an d stouter than an y par i g ha manufactured for human combatants . ‘P rachakarsha
’
i s . l i t. dragged . I think . h owever . the root ‘kri sh’ must b e taken
h ere in th e sense of ‘crush .
’
By th e by . i s n ot‘kri sh
'th e same word as
‘crush
' —T.
4 The n ame Vajra implies ei th er a h ard needle for borin g diamondsan d gems . or th e thunder-b o lt. In th is s loka the word Vaj ra i s u sed as
associated with the thunder a n d therefore . as thun der i s accompan ied b yl i g htning so the bows o f th e warriors are th e l igh ting-mark s o f th i s particu lar Vaj ra .
—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
many places . 0 chief of th e Bha ra tas . wit h loud noise . An d the rol l of
thunder . O king . was heard frequently on a ll sides . So th ick was thedust tha t arose tha t noth ing could be seen . And the tal l standards (of
th e combatants ) . f urni shed w ith str in g s of bel ls . d ecked with golden
ornaments . gar lands of flowe rs . and r ich d rapery . graced with banners
and resembl ing the Su n i n spl endour . being suddenly shaken by th e
wind . gave a loud j in g l ing no ise l ike that of a fo rest of palmyra trees
(when mov e d by th e wind ) . It was thu s tha t those t i g ers among men .the sons of Pandu . ev er taking delight in battle . s tood hav ing disposedthe i r troops in coun ter-array a ga ins t the army of thy so n . and suckin g
as i t were . the marrow . O bull o f Bhara ta's race . of our warr iors . and
cast ing their ey es on Bh imasen a s ta tioned a t the i r head . in ace in hand .
"
SECTION XX
Dhrita ra shtra sa id . When the Sun rose . O San jaya . of my army
led by Bh i shm a and the Pandava army led by Bhima . wh ich firs t
cheerful ly approached the o t her . desi rous of fight To which s ide
were th e Sun . the Moon and the wind host i le . and aga in s t whom did
the beasts of prey utt er i n auspicious sounds Who were thos e youn gmen . the complex ions of who se faces were ch eerfu l Tel l me all the se
t ruly and duly ."
San jay a said . Both armies . when a rrayed . were equally joyful . 0king . Both arm ies looked equal ly beaut iful . assumin g the aspect o f
blossom ing woods . and both arm ies wer e ful l o f ele phants . ca rs andhorses . Bo th armies w er e vas t and ter r ible in aspect and so also
. 0
Bharata . none of t hem could bear th e oth er . Both o f th em were
arrayed for conquer ing th e very h eavens . and both o f them consisted o f
t persons . The Kauravas belonging to the Dhr itarashtra par ty
cing the west . while the Parthas s tood fac ing th e ea st . addrest
The t roops o f the Kauravas looked like the army of the ch ie f
Pandavas looked l ike th e army of the
w from beh ind the Pandavas (aga inst
as ) . and the beasts of p rey began to _ yell
The elephan ts belong ing to thy sons could
th e temporal j u ice em i tt ed by th e hugeAn d Duryodhana rode on an eleph an t o f
with ren t temple s . graced wi th a golden
d in a n armour of st eel ne t-work . And h e
o red by eulog is t s an d
And a white umbrella of lunar efl‘
u l g en ce was held over h i sgraced with a go lden cha in . Him Sakun i , th e rule r of the
aras . fol lowed with mounta ineers of Gandhara placed al l around.
MAHABHARATA
An d th e venerable Bh ishma was a t the head of a l l the troops . w ith a
white umbre lla h e ld over his head . armed with how and sword . with a .
white headgea r.wi th a white banner (on h is ca r) . and with white steeds
( yoked thereto ) . and altoget her look ing l ike a whi te . moun ta in . In
Bh i sh m a's d iv ision were a l l the so ns of Dhr i tar ash tra . and also Sala who
was a countryman of the Va l h ikas . and al so a l l those Kshatr iya s call ed
Amvastas. and those calle d Si n dhu s. an d those also th at are called
Sauv i ras. and the heroic dwel lers o f th e coun try o f the five r ivers . An d ‘
on a golden car un to which were yoked red ste eds . the high-so uled '
Drona. bow i n hand an d wit h neve r-fa i l ing hear t . the precepto r of
a lmost al l the k ings . remained behind a l l the troops. pro tect i ng theml ike Indra . An d Saradwat
’
s son . tha t fi ghter in the van . 1 tha t h igh
souled and mighty bowman . ca lled also Ga u t ama . conversant with a l l
modes of warfare . accompanied by t h e Sakas . the K i ratas. the Yavan as .
and the Pa l hav as . took up his posi t ion at th e nor thern point of t h e
army . That la rge force wh ich wa s well protec ted by m ighty car
warr ior s of the Vri shn i and the Bho ja r aces . as also by the warr iors of
Su rasbtra well-armed and we l l-acquai n t ed wi th the use s of weapons .
and wh ich was led by Kri tav arm an . proceeded towards the south of t he
army . 2 Ten thousand cars of the Sam asap takas . who we re cre a ted fo r ,e i th e r the death or the fame of Ar juna . and who . accompl i sh ed in arms .intend ed to fol low Arj una at h is heel s . 3 a l l went ou t a s al so th e bra v e
Trigartas . In thy army . O Bhara ta . were a thousand e leph ants o f the
foremost fightin g powe rs. U nto each e l ephan t was assigned a cen tury
of cars unto each car . a hund red ho rsemen unto each ho’
rseman . ten
bowmen ; and un to each bowman te n combatan t s a rmed wi th (sword
and) sh ie ld . Tt s . O Bharata . were thy d iv is ion s arrayed by Bh ishm a .
Thy generaliss imo Bh i shm a . the son of Sa n tan u . a s each day dawned .sometimes d isposed thy troops in th e human ar my . som e t imes i n the
celes t ial . somet im es in the Gan dharva . and some t im es in the Asura .
Thronged wi th a la rg e number of Maharathas . and roar in g l ike t he very.
ocean . t he Dhartarashtra army . a rrayed by Bhi shma . s tood fac in g the
west for batt le . I ll im i t abl e as t hy army was . 0 rul er of men . i t looked,
te rr ible : but t he army of the Pandavas . al though i t was not such ( in
number) . yet seemed to m e to be very large and invincible s ince Ke savaand Arjuna were i t s l eade r .
1 Th e word i s ‘U ttaradhu s'wh ich seems to b e very doubtfu l . -T.
2 Thi s s loka i s om itted in the Benga l texts .—T.
3 ‘Yen arj u n a sten a .
'‘Yen a'i s yatra . an d ‘tena'i s ‘
tatra .
’
as Ni l akan tharig htly expla in s . Th e mean in g i s—"who would b e there where Arj unawould b e .
” —T.
SECTION XXI
Sen j aya said. Beholding the vas t Dhartarashtra‘a rmy ready for
ttl e . king Yudh isth i ra . th e son of Kunti . gave way to gr ief . See ing
impene trable array formed by Bh ishma and regarding i t a s real lyimpene trable . the k ing became pal e and addressed Arj una . say ing .—
'O
migh ty-armed Dhananj aya . how sha ll we be able to figh t in bat tle w it h
the Dhartarashtras who h ave th e Grands ire for t hei r (chief) comba
tan t ? Immovable and impenetrable i s this array that hath been
designed . according to th e rul es la id down in the scr iptures . by tha t
grinde r of foes . Bh i shma . of t ranscenden t glory . With our troon s we
have become doubtful (of success) . O grinder of foes . How . indeed .will vic tory be ours in th e face of th i s mighty a rray -Thus addressed .that slay e r of foe s Arjuna a nswered Yudhi sth i ra . the so n of Pri tha .
who had been plunged into g r i ef a t s ight . O king . of t hy army . in t hesewords .—Hear. 0 king . how sold iers tha t are few in number may van
qu ish th e many th at are po ssessed of ev ery qual i ty . Thou ar t without
mal ice ; I shal l . t her efore . tel l thee means . 0 king . Th e R i sh i Narada
knows it . as also both Bh ishma and Drona . R efe rr ing to this m eans .th e G randsire h im se lf i n days of old on th e occas ion of th e battl e
be tween the Gods and the Asuras sa id unto Indra and the o ther celes
ria ls .—They tha t ar e desirous of v ictory do not conquer by might andenergy so much as by t ruth . compass ion . r ighteousness and en ergy .
1
Discrim inat ing then be tween r ighteousne ss . and unr igh teousness . and
u i i derstan d in g what i s mean t by cove tousne ss and having recourse to
exert ion fight without arrogance . for v ictory i s th ere wh ere r ighteous
ness is . -For this know . O king . that to us v ictory is certa in in (this)battl e . Inde ed . as Narada sa id . - There i s v ictory wher e Kr ishna i s .
Victory i s inh erent to Kri shna . Indeed . i t fo l lowe th Madhava . An das ‘victory is on e o f i ts at tr ibutes . so humil ity ishis ano the r a ttr ibute .Govinda i s posse ssed of en ergy th a t i s infinite . Even in the m id s t ofimmeasurable foes h e i s Wi thou t pa in . He i s t he mos t etern a l of malebe ings. An d t here v ictory is wher e K r i shna is. Even b e . indestructible
Th e Benga l texts read 9Dharm en i ken a chan agha ’ wh ich i s eviden tlyords are Brahman ’
s to Indra an d th e ce le s‘Dh arm en ai vody am en a cha
'wh ich I have
vi z . , th e gods . who accepted K ri shna's lead .
b ecam e vi ctorious Th e Ben ga l reading i sshn a l iteral ly “ beh ind K ri shna .
"i . e. .
“ withor “ with K rish n a a s a leader . "
‘
Th e Bomb ay readin gKri shna . If th i s were adopted . th e meanin g Wou ld b e . "How
sh a l l we conquer‘
I do n ot under stand how victory shouldwh o a n swered in thi s way .
‘
Of course . the answer impliesBu t modesty i s n ot th e so le requ isite of vi ctory . n or i s modestyhere as th e ch ief means of victory .—T.
MAHABHARATA
the th ree worlds were obtained by the gods headed by Sakra . I do not .
therefore . behold the sl igh test caus e of so rrow in thee f thee that has t
the Sovereign of the U niverse and the Lord himself o f the cele st ials for
w ish ing vic tory to thyself .
SECTION XXII
Senjaya sa id Then . 0 hu l l of Bharata’
s race . k ing Yudh i shth i ra .
d isposing his own troops in counter ar ray again s t t he d iv is ions of
Bhishma . urged them on . say ing—“
The Pandavas have n ow d isposed
the ir forces in coun ter array agre eably to what is la id down ( in the
scr iptures) . Ye sinless ones . fight fa ir ly . d es irou s of ( enter ing ) the h ighes theaven
'.—In the cen tre (of the Pan d ava army ) was S ikhan din and h is
t r0 0 ps . protected by Arjuna . An d Dhr i stadyumn a mov ed in the van .
protected by Bhim a .
l The southern div is ion (of the Panda va army ) was
pro tected . O,
king. by that mighty bowman . the handsom e Yuyudhan a .
that foremost combatant o f the Satwata race . resembling Ind ra h imself.
Yudh i sth i ra was sta t ioned on a car that was wor thy of bear ing Mah endra
himself . adorned with an exce l len t standard . v ar iegated with gol d and
gems . and furn ished with golden traces ( fo r th e steeds ) . in the m idst
of h i s elephant divisi on s . 2 Hi s pure whi te umbrel la w ith ivory h andl e .
ra ised ove r his head . looked exceedin gly beautiful and many greatR i chi e walked arround the kin g'utterin g word s in h is praise . An d many
priests. and regenera te 3 587158 an d S i ddhas , utter ing hymns in h is pra ise“
wished h im . as they walked a round . the de struction of h is enemies . bythe a id of Yap“
. and Man tras, efficac iou 5 dru gs . and d iv erse pro
p i tiato ry ceremon ie s . Tha t h igh-souled ch ie f of the Kurus . then
g iv ing away unto th e Bra hmanas kin e and fru i ts and flowers and golden
1 . It will strike even th e m o st cu rsory reader that San jaya . in newsectio n assign s n ew positions to a lm o st every o n e of th e n oted com batantsof b oth s ides .
-a fact that furn i shes stron gest argument for supposin gthat a l l these section s ab oun d with interpolation s . I t i s difficult. a lmostimpossib le . to a scerta in what th e genuin e text i s .
-T.
2. Th e Benga l texts read ‘
K anchan a-b handa-yuksam .
’
The Bombayreadin g i s much b etter , be ing ‘
Kan chan ab han da-yoktam'
aga in . for jNag a
ku la sy a'th e Bomb ay edition read s ‘Nagapura sya
’
, Ni lakan th a notices thelatter reading but i t i s a wretched conce it.
—T.
3 . Th e.
Ben ga l readin g i s'Mah i n dram
'(k in g of earth . or k ing) the
Bombay read in g i s “Mah endram’
(th e great Indra) . Without iva an y wordto that effect. ‘Mah en dram
'wou ld b e un g ramm ati caL—T.
The Benga l texts read . a nd a s I th in k , correctly . ‘Stutavan taen am . Th e Bombay readi n g i s ‘Srutavan ta en am .
’ In th e ca se of regon erate Bi sh i s an d S iddh as i t i s scarcely necessary to say that th ey are conversan t with th e Srn ti s.
- T.
BHI SHMA PAR VA
coins along wi th cloths l proceeded l ike Sakra . the chie f o f the ce lest ial s.
The car of Arjuna . furn ished with a hundred bells . decked w i thJ amvun ada gold of th e bes t kind . endued with excellen t wheel s .possessed of the efi u lgen ce o f fire . and unto which were yoked whi te
steeds . looked exceedingly br i ll iant l ike a thousand suns . ’ An d on that
ape-bannered car the re ins of which wer e held by Kesav a . stoo d
Arjuna wi th Gandi va and arrows in hand—a bowman whose peer
exists no t on earth . nor ever will . For crushin g t hy sons'troops he who
assum eth the most awful form .-who . d ivested of weapons . with only
his bare han ds . pou n de th to dust m en . horses . a nd eleph ants .—tha tstrong-armed Bh im asen a . otherwise call ed Vrikodara . accompan ied by
the twins . becam e the protector of the heroic car-war r iors of the Pan
dav a army . L ike un to a fur ious pr ince of l ions of sportiv e ga it . or like'the great Indra h imsel f wi th ( ear t h ly body on the E ar th . beholding
th_g_t_inv incible Vri kodara . l ike unto a proud lead er of an elep hantine
herd . sta t ioned in the van of the army the wa rr iors on thy 1 s ide.the i r s tr eng th weaken ed by fea r . be gan to tremble l ike e lephants sunk
in mire .“U nto tha t inv incible pr ince Gudakesa s tay ing in t h e m idst of h is
t roops . Jan arddan a . O chief of Bhara ta’
s race . sa id—He . who scorchingu s with h is wra th . stay e th in th e m idst of hi s forces . he , who wil l at tackour troops l ike a l ion . h e . who performed t h ree hundred horse-sacri fices .—that banner o f Kuru
’
s race . that Bh i shm a .—stay eth yonder Yon
ranks around h im on al l s ides g re at warr iors l ike the clouds shroud ingthe br ight luminary . O foremost of men . slaying yon t roops . seek batt lewith yonder hu l l of Bharata
's race .
SECTION XXIII
r Senjaya sa id . Behold in g the Dhartarashtra a rmy approach forfight . Kr i shna said these words for Arj un a
's benefi t .
g .
"
The holy on e sa id . -‘
Clean si i i g t hyse lf . O mighty-armed on e . _u tter
o?t
l
he
fev eof the batt le thy hymn to Durga for (compass ing ) t he defeat
o t e oe .
Senjaya cont inued—Thus addressed on the eve of bat tl e by VasudeVa endued with g rea t in te l l igence . Pr i tha
's son Ar juna . a l ighting from
h i s car . said t he (fol lowing) hymn with joined h ands .“
Ar j un a sa id . -‘
I bow to thee . O l eader o f Yog im , O thou that ar tidentical with Brahman , O thou tha t dwel l est in the forest o f Mandara .
1 Th e Bengal readin g‘Sahasran i for ‘S avastreni ’ i s correct. I adopt
the latter . -T
2 This i s how I understand th i s ver se . an d I am supported b y th eBurdwan Pundits . Ni lkan tha . i t seems . thinks that th e '
car h ad a thousan d wheels resem b ling a thousand suns . Th i s seems to b e extravagant. —T,
3 Verse 1 5 i s read variously . As th e last word -o f th e first l ine . I read
b akarsha' for ‘raraksha f. an d according ly I take that as a g en etive an d
an ab lative particle—T.
O tho u’
tb at art f re ed f rom decrep itude and decay . O Ka li . O wife o f
Kapala .
O thou that ar t of a black and tawny hue . I bow to thee . O_
br inger of benefi t s to thy devotees . I bow to thee . O Mahaka l i , 0 W i fe
of the u n iversa l 'destroyer . I bow to thee . O proud one . O thou that
re scuestf rom dan gers
.O thou tha t art endued wi th ev ery auspicious
attr ibu te.
O th ou tha t ar t sp run g from the K ata race . O thou that
deservest th e most rega rdful worsh ip . 0 fierce one . O g iv e r o f victory .O v ictory's se lf
.O thou that beares t a bann er o f peacock plumes . O
thou that ar t d ecked wi th every orn am en t. .O thou that bearest an awfu l
spear
.O t hou tha t holdes t a swo rd and sh ield . O thou tha t art the
youn ger s iste r o f the chief o f cow-herds . O e ldes t one . 0 thou that wert
born in th e rac e of the cowherd Nanda l O thou that ar t always fond ofbuff alo
's blood. 0 thou t hat w er t born in the race o f K usi ka , O thou
tha t ar t dressed in ye l low robes . O thou that hadst devouredtAsu ras
assuming the face of a wol f . I b ow to th ee tha t ar t fond o f bat tle I 0
Uma.
2 O Sakambhari , O thou that ar t wh ite i n hu e . O thou tha t a r tblack in hue
.O thou tha t h ast sla in th e Asum Ka i tabha . O thou tha t
ar t yel low-eyed . O thou tha t a r t d iver se-eyed . O th ou of eyes that h avethe colour of smoke
.I bow to t hee . O thou that art t h e Vedas , t he
Grati s . and the h igh est v ir tue . O thou tha t art propi t ious to Brahma.
n as en gaged i n sacr ifice . O t h ou tha t h ast a knowled ge o f the pas t.thou that art ev er pr esen t in the sacred abodes erected to thee in
c it i es of Iamvudwipa . I bow to t he e . Thou ar t the scienc e o f Brahma
among science s.and thou tha t art t ha t slee p of creature s f rom which
there is no waking . 0 moth er o f Skanda . O thou that possesses t the six
(h igh est) at t r ibutes . O Durga . O thou that dwellest in acces ible re g ion s .thou art descr ibed as Swaha , and Swadhafi as K a la , as K ashta , and
as Saraswati , as Savi tra’
t h e mo ther of the Vedas, a nd as the
sc ience of Vedan ta . With inner soul cleansed . I pra ise thee . 0
grea t goddess . l e t v ictory a lways a t tend me through thy grace on th e
field of battl e . In inaccessibl e regions . where ther e i s fea r . in places
of difi icu l ty . i n th e abodes o f thy worsh ippers and i n the'
n e ther regions
(Pata la ) . thou always‘
dwellest . Thou always defea test‘
they
,Dan avas ,
Thou ar t th e unconsc iousne ss . the sleep . the il lus io n .‘ the
modesty . the\
beauty o f al l creatu res Thou ar t the twil igh t .
1 I follow Ni lakan tha i n rendering many of th e names occurr in g in thisa n d th e succeeding slokas . I reta in . however . those n ames th at are of
doub tfu l etymology , a s a lso those th at are very common .—T.
2 E very scholar knows the derivation of this word a s g iven in th i s'sloka.of K al ida sa in h i s Kumara. Sambhavam ) Umati matm tapa son i shi ddha
pa sohadumakhyam Samakki J ag ama .—T .
3 BothQ
Swaha an d Swadha. are man trasof h igh efficacy . Ka l a an d°
Kastha are di vm on s of time. Saraswati impl ies speech .-T.
SECTION XXIV
Dhr i ta rashtra sa id. There (on the fi eld of battle ) O San jaya . the
warriors of which sid e firs t advanc ed to battl e ch eer fully‘
Whose
hear ts were fi l led with confidence. and who wer e spir it l ess from melan
cho ly In tha t bat tle wh ich make th the h earts of men tremble with
fear 1 ,
who were they that struck th e firs t blow . m ine or they be longin g
to the Pandavas ? Tel l me al l this . O San j aya . Among whose’
troops
d id the flowery garlands and unguen ts em it fragrant odours ? And
whose troops.roaring fiercely . u tte red mercifu l words
San j aya said . Th e combatan ts of both arm ies wer e ch eerful t h en
and the flowery garlands and perfumes of both t roops emi tted equal
frag rance. An d.
O hu l l of Bharata’
s race . fi erce was t he collis ion that
took place when the serried ranks arrayed for batt le encoun tered each
other. An d the
’
sou n d of musical instrum en ts . mingled w ith the blare
o f conches and the noise of drums . and t he shouts of brave warr iors
roar ing fiercel y a t on e another . became v ery l oud . O hu l l of Bharata’
s'
race.dreadful was t h e col l is ion caused by the encoun te r of th e comba
tants o f both armie s . fi lled wit h joy and sta r ing at on e another . and t he
elephants u t te r in g obstr eperous grun t s ."
SE CTION XXV
Dhr itarashtra sa id . Assembled toge th er on th e sacred pla in of
Ku rukshetra from desi re of fight ing what d id my sons and the Pandavas
do . O Senjaya .San jaya sa id . Beho ld ing the army of the Pandavas array ed . kin g
Duryodhana . approach ing the preceptor (Drona) sa id these words
Behold . O precepto r th is vast a rmy of the son o f Pandu . arrayed by
Dru pada’
s son (Dhr i shtadyumn a ) . thy in te l l i gent d isciple . There ( in
tha t army ) are many brave and mighty bowmen .2 who i n bat t le a re
equal to Bh ima and Ar juna . (They are ) Yuyudhan a . an d Vi ra ta . and
that mighty car-warr ior" Dru pada . and Dhrish taketu . and Chek itan a .
and the ruler of Kas i endued wit h grea t en ergY : and Puru j it. and
Ku n t ibb o ja . and Saivya that bul l among men ; and Yudhaman yu of
great prowess . and U ttamau jas of great energy ; and Su bhadra’
s son .
and the sons of Draupadi . al l of whom are mighty car-warr io r s . Hea r .however . O b est of regenera te ones . who are the di st ingu ished one s
among us . the leader of army . ! wil l name them to th ee for ( th y )
informat ion . (Th ey are) thyse l f . and Bh ishma . and Karna . and Kripa
who is ever v ictor ious ; and Aswathaman and V ikarna . and Sauma
1 Hr idayakampane i s the correct reading . an d n ot Hr idayakampan am .-T
2 L itera l ly . "bearers of large b ow s .
”—T .
3 L i t.
” own er of a large car ,”
or . a s expla in ed warriorisompeten t to fig ht s ing l e-handed again st a thousand arch ers .
”
BHISHMA PARVA
dat ta . and Iayadratha .l Bes ides these are many heroic warriors .
prepared to lay down th eir l ives fo r my sake . armed Wi t h d iverse k indso f weapons . and all accompl ished in battl e . Our army . therefore .
protected by Bhishma . i s i n sufi'
ici en t. Thi s force . howev er . of these
th e Pandavas protect ed by Bhima . i s sufl'
ic ien t.
2 Stat ion ing your
selv es then in th e entran ces of the d i visions tha t have been ass igned toyou . al l o f you pro tec t Bhi shm a alone —(Just a t th is t ime ) the val ian t
and v en erable g r an dsir e of the Kurus , affording great joy to h im
(Duryodhana) by loudly ut te ring a l eon ine roar . blew (his) conch . Then
conches and drums and cymbals and horn s we re sounded at once and
the no ise (made ) became a loud uproar . Then Madhava and Pan du’
s
son (Arjuna ) . both st a t io n ed on a grea t car unto which wer e yok ed
Wh ite s teeds. blew the ir ce l es t ial conches . An d Hr ish ikesha bl ew the
couch cal led Pan chaja nya and Dh anan jaya ( tha t cal led ) Devadatta and
Vr ikodara of ter r ible d eeds bl ew th e huge conch (cal l ed ) Pau ndra . An d
Ku n ti’
s son kin g Yudh i sh th i ra blew the conch ca l led An an tavij aya
wh ile Nakula and Sahadeva . ( those icon ch e s cal led respect i v e ly) Sugho sa
and Man ipushpaka .
’ And tha t splendid bowman . th e ru le r o f K as i a n d
t hat migh ty car-warrior . S ikhan di n . Dhrishtady um n a . V i ra ta . and that
unvanquished Sa tyak i . and Drupada . and the son s of Draupad i . and
the mighty-armed son of Su bhadra— a ll th ese . O lord of Ear th . sev eral lybl ew the i r conches . An d tha t blare ; loud ly reverbera t ing through th e
welkin and th e earth . r en t the hearts of the Dhartarashtras. Then
beho lding the Dhartara shtra troops drawn up. the ape-bannered “so n of
Pandu . r i sing his b ow . when . the throwing of m iss i le s had justcommenced . sa id these words . O lord of E arth . to Hrishikesha-5
“
Arjuna sa id .—‘
O thou that°
kn owe th no deteriora tion . place my car
(once) be tween th e two arm ies . so th a t I may observe these tha t stand
1 The text of th e G i te. h a s com e down to u s without, i t m ay b e ven
tu rad to b e stated .a n y interpolation . Th e d ifferen ce o f readin g are few
an d far b etween . For J ayadratha some texts read ta tha z’
fvacha .—T.
2 Th e words ‘Apary aptam an d P ary aptam’
h ave exerci sed a l l commen tators. I f ‘
paryaptam'i s su ffi c i en t (as i t certa in ly i s) .
‘aparyaptam
’
m ay meaneither more or les s than suffic ien t . Th e con text, however . would seem toshow th at Duryodhan a addre s sed h i s preceptor in alarm an d n ot with con fi
den ce of success . I . therefore . take ‘apary aptam
’
to b e le ss than suffici en t -T
3 I t has been ob s erved b efore th at Sch lege l render s th e n am e s of th eseconch es as Gigantea . Th eodotes . Aru n di n ca , Tri um pph atrix . Du lci son a , an d
Gemm i flora . an d th at P rofesso r Wi l son approves of th em .—T.
4 I have elsewhere (see ante) shown wh y compoun ds such as th i s arenecessary in tran s lating from th e Sanskr it.—T.
5 I t seems a fa shion to dou b t th e etymology of thi s word . as if com entatora o f th e learn ing of Sreedh ara an d San kara
,An an dag i r i an d Nilkantha
even'
upon a question of derivation an d g ramm a r can rea ll y b e set a side i nfavour of anythin g that m ay occur i n the P etersbu rgh l ex idon . Hri sh ikesa
means th e lord of th e senses .—T.
here desi rous of battle . and with whom I shal l have to cont en d in the
labours of thi s s truggle . 1 I wi l l obs erve those Who are assemble d hereand who are prepared to fight for do ing what i s a greeabl e in battl e to the
ev i l-minded son of Dh r i t a rash tra .’
Senjaya cont inued .—“
Thus addressed by Gudakesa . O Bharata .Hrish ikesa . placin g tha t ex cell ent car be tween the two arm i es . i n v i ew
of Bh ishma and Drona and a ll th e kin g s of the E arth . sa id .-'Behold . O
Partha these assembl ed Kurus.—An d ther e th e son o f Pri tha behe ld .
standing (his) s ire s and gra ndsons . and friends . and fa the r-in -law and
wel l-W i she r s . in bo th the a rm ie s . Behold i n g a ll those kinsm en s tand ing
( there ) . the son of Kunt i . possessed b y exc ess iv e pity . despond in gly sa id
( these words) .
“Arjuna sa id .—
‘
Behold ing these k in smen . O Krishna . assembledtoge th er and eager for the fight. my limbs . becom e langu id . and mymouth becomes dry . My body trembles . and my ha ir s tands on end .
Gandiva sl ips f rom my hand . and my sk in burns . I am unable to stand
(any longer ) my mind se ems to wande r . I b ehold adverse omens . too .O Keseve . I do not des ir e v ictory . O Krishna . not sovere ign ty. nor
pleasures . Of what use would so v ere ignty be to us . 0 Gov inda . o r
enjoym ents . or even li f e . s inc e they . for whose sake so ver e ignty .enjoyments . and pleasures are d es i r ed by us . are h e re ar ray ed for battl e
ready to g ive up l i fe and wealt h , vi z . . preceptors . s i r es . sons an d gran d
s ires . maternal uncl es . fat hers-i n -l aw . grandsons . bro the rs-in -law . and
k insmen . I wish no t to slay the se though they slay m e . O s layer ofMadhu . even for the sake of t he sovere ign ty of the three worlds. what
then for t he sake of (th is) ear th ?2 What gra t ificat ion c be ours.
O Janarddan a . by sla y ing th e Dharta rashtras Even i f they oe regarded
as foes . 3 si n will o v ertake us i f we slay th em . Th erefore . i t b ehoveth
us not to slay the sons o f Dhr itara sh tra who are our own kin smen.
‘
How. O Madhava can we be happy by k il l in g our own kinsmen
Even if t hese . with j udgm ents pervert ed by avar ic e . do no t see the
evil that ar ise th from the exterminat ion of a race . and the s i n of
in ternecine quarrels, why shoul d not we . 0 Jan arddan a . Who see the
ev i ls of the exterminat ion of a race . l e a rn to abstain from tha t sin
1 ‘Banasam udyam e'm ay al so m ean
”at the outset of battl e . —T .
2 The meaning i s that even for the sake of such a rich reward i nprospect I wou ld n ot ki l l perso n s so dear an d n ear to me . I would muchrath er suff er th em strike m e . m y self n ot retu rn ing the ir b lows .
—T.
3 The word i s ‘atatay i n as .
-T.
4 Most editions read ‘savan dh avam
’ “ with (their) kin smen or frien ds .
I th ink . however , th at swa (own ) for (with ) i s th e correct read ing . K .T.
Tela n g adopts i t i n h i s translation pub li sh ed in Vo l VIII of th e SacredBooks of the E ast—T.
BHISHMA PABVA
A race be ing d est roy ed . the e ternal custom s of t ha t'race are lost ; and
upo n those customs be ing lost . s in ove rpowers t he whol e race . From the
predom inance of s in . O Krishna . the wome n of that race become co rrupt .An d the women becoming corrupt . an int ermingling of caste s h appen
eth . O de scendan t of Vri shn i . Th is int erm ingl ing of castes l ead eth to hel l
both the destroyer of th e race and the race i tsel f . The ancestor s o f
those fal l ( f rom hea v en ) . the i r r i t es of p i nda and wa ter ceasing . By
these s ins of de stroyers of races . caus ing int erm ixture o f castes . the rul esof caste and the e ter nal r i tes of fami l ies become extinct . We haveheard . O Jan arddan a . that men whose family r i te s become ext inct . ever
dwel l i n hel l . Ala s . we ha ve resolved to perpet rat e a grea t sin . for we
are ready to slay our own kinsmen from In st of the sweets of soverei gnty .
Better would i t b e for me i f the sons of Dhrita ra sh t ra . weapon in hand .should in batt le slay me (mysel f ) unaveng ing unarmed
San jay a cont inued .—"Hav ing spoken thus on th e fie ld of ba ttl e .
Arjuna . h is m ind troubled with gri e f . cast ing as ide h i s bow and arrows .sa t down on his car .
”
!Here ends the first le sson en t i t led Survey of Forces" 1 in thedialogue between Kri shna and Ar juna of the Bhagavadgit a . t he essence
of re l i g ion . the knowledge of Brahma , and the system o f Yoga , comprised
within the Bhi shma Parva of the Mahabharata of Vy ase conta in ing one
hund red thousand verses . ]
SECTION XXVI
San jaya said . Un to him thus possessed with pi ty . h is eyes fil led
and oppressed with tears . and desponding . th e slayer of Madh u sa id
the se words .
The holy one sa id . Whence . O Arj una . hath com e upon thee . at
such a cris is . t h is d espondency that i s unbecom ing‘
a p erson of nobl e
birth . tha t shuts o n e out from hea v en . and that i s product ive of in famy ?Let no efi m in acy be th in e . O so n of Kunt i . This sui ts thee not .
Shaking o ff th is v i le weakness of hea r ts . ar i se . O chast iser of foesArjuna sa id—
"
How . O s lay er of Madhu . can I wi th arrows con tend
in battl e agains t Bhi shm a an d Drona . deserv ing as t hey are . O sl aye r offoes . o f worship W i thout slay ing (one
's) preceptors o f g rea t g lory ,
i t is well (for on e ) . to l i v e on even alm s in th is world . By slay in g
preceptors . even i f th ey are a v ar ic iou s o f weal th . I should only en j oy
1 In some editions th i s'
l esson i s stated to be "Arjun a’
s grief . Th edescription of th e l esson again i s g iven in fewer words—T.
2 The commentators b etray their in genu ity b y emphasi z ing the word‘ i shub h i s
’
(with arrows) . expla in in g .
“ how can I encoun ter them witharrows whom I can n ot encoun ter with even harsh words -T.
53 MAHABHARATA
pl easures t h at ar e b loodsta i ii ed We know n ot which of the two is of
grea ter momen t to us . vi z . ,whether we should conquer th em or they
sho uld co nquer us . By slay ing whom we would not l ike to l ive . —eventhey . the sons of Dhr itarasht ra . stand befo re (us) . My natur e aff ected
by the ta int of compassion . my mind unsettl ed about (my ) duty . I ask
thee. Tel l me What is a s suredly good ( for me ) . I am thy d isciple .
O.instruc t me . I se ek thy a id .
2 I do no t see (t ha t) which woul d di spe l
that grief of mine blast in g my v ery sense s . e ven i f I obtain a prosperous
kingdom on eart h w ithout a foe or the very sovere i gn ty of th e gods . 3'
Sanjays said . -“
Hav ing sa id th is unto Hri sh ikesa . tha t chast iser o i
foes—Gudakesa—(once more ) add ressed Gov inda . say ing . -'I wil l not
figh t .'—and then r emained s ilent . 4 U nto him ov e rcome by de spondency .
Hrishikesa .i n t he midst o f th e two a rmies . sa id .
“
The holy o ne sa id . —'Thou m ou rn est tho se that deserve not to be
mourned. Thou speakes t also th e words of the so-called W i se .
Those . howev e r . tha t ar e (real ly ) wise . g r i ev e n ei th e r fo r the dead nor
for the l ivin g . I t i s not that . I or you or th ose ru lers o f men n ever
were . or that al l of us sha l l no t he r ea f t e r be . Of an Embodied be i n g . as
ch i ldhood.youth . and decrepit ude a re i n t h i s body . so (also) i s t he
acquisi tion of another body . The man . who i s w ise . i s nev er deluded in
th is . 5 The con tacts of th e sen ses with th eir ( re spec t ive) objectsproducin g (sensat ions of) hea t and cold . ple a sur e and pain . ar e not
permanent.hav ing (as they do ) a beginning and an end . Do thou . O
Bharata . endure t hem . For th e m an whom these affl ict not . 0 bull
1 ‘Arthakam an'i s an adje ctive qua l ify in g ‘Gurun ’
. Some commentatorsparticularly Sreedhara , sug gest that i t m ay , in stead , qual ify
‘bhogan'. Th e
meanin g . however . i n that ca s e wou ld b e far-fetched.-T.
2. Sreedhara expla ins that‘Karpan ya
’
i s compassion (for k in smen ) . an d‘dosha
’
i s th e fear of si n (for destroy i n g a race) . Th e first compoun d . therefore . accordin g to h im . mean s . —“My n atu re affected b y both compassionan d fear of s i n . etc .
"I t i s b etter , however . to take ‘K arpan ya
'itself as a‘do sha
'(ta in t or fau lt) . K . T . Te lan g understands i t in th is way .
‘
Upahata .'
however . i s affected an d n o t contam in ated—T .
3. What Arjuna says h ere i s that “ E ven i f I obta in such a k in gdom onE arth . even if I obta in the very k in gsh ip of th e gods . I do n ot y et see thatwi ll di spel that grief which wi l l overtake m e if I s lay myk insm en. " Te lan g
's vers ion i s sli ghtly amb iguou s .—T.
4 . Th e Ben gal texts have ‘Paran tapa’ with a l‘Vi sarga
'.
that i t refers to‘Gudakesa
'. The Bomb ay edition prints
‘Vi sarga imply ing th at i t i s in th e vocative case , referrin g tothe listener .—T.
6 On e of th e most usefu l rules i ii tran san other i s to use identica l words
'
for identica l eXpression s i n theIn tran slating . however. from a lan guage l ike Sanskrit which absynonyms . th is i s n ot a lway s practicable without amb iguity . As a
p l e . th e word used in 1 3 i s 'Dh ira’
that used in 1 1 i s ‘Pandita'. Tb e l ittle doubt. however . th at ‘Pandita'an d ‘Dh i ra ’ have exactly tmeanin g .
—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
among men . who is the same in pain and p leasure and who is firm in
mind. i s fi t fo r emancipat io n .
‘ There i s no (obj ect ive) ex istence of
anyth ing that is d is t inct f rom t he soul nor non-exist ence of any th in g
possessing the v irtues o f the so ul . Th is conclusion i n respect of bot ht hese hath been arr iv ed at by thos e that know the truths (of th ings) .
2
Know that ! the soul] to be immor tal by which al l t hi s ! un iverse] i s
pervaded . No one can compass the des truct ion of tha t which i s
imper ishabl e . I t hath been sa i d that t hose bod ie s of the Embodi ed (soul)
which is e ternal . i ndest ruct ible and infin ite . have an e n d. Do thou .‘ the re fore . fight . 0 Bharata . He who th inks i t ( the soul ) to be the
slayer and he who th inks i t to be the sla in . both of them know nothing
fo r i t n ei ther slay s nor i s sla in . It is n ever born . nor dot h i t ever d ie
nor.hav ing ex isted . will i t exi s t no more . Unborn . unchangeable .
e terna l . and anc ien t . i t i s no t sla in upon the body be ing per ished . Tha t
man who knoweth i t to be indes truct ibl e . unchangeable . withou t decay .
how and Whom can he slay or cause to be sla in As a man . casting o ff
robes t ha t ar e worn out . put t eth o n other s tha t are n ew . so t he Embo
d ied (soul) . cas t ing o ff bodies that are worn out. en te re t h other bodiesth at are n ew Wea pons cleave i t not. fire consume th i t not thewaters do not drench i t . nor doth the wi n d waste i t . I t is incapable o f
be ing cut . burn t . drenched . or dried u p . I t i s unchangeable . al l .
pervading . stable . firm . and e ternal . It i s sa id to b e imperce ivable .
inconceivable and unchangeable . Therefore . knowing i t to be such . i t
beho veth the e no t to mourn (for i t ) . Then a ga in ev en if thou regarde st
it as constantly bo rn and constan t ly dead . i t b ehoveth the e not yet . Omighty-armed one , to mourn ( for i t) thus . For . of one that i s born .death is certa in and of one that i s dead . birth is c er ta in . There fore.
i t b ehov eth th ee no t to mourn f in a mat te r tha t i s unavo idable . Al l
beings (befor e birt h ) were unman ife st. Only dur ing an interval
be tween bir th and death O Bhara ta . a re they manifes t and thenaga in . when death comes . they becom e (once more) unman ifest . Whatgr i ef then is there i n th is ? On e looks upon i t as a marvel ; anot herspeaks of i t as a marvel . Ye t even afte r hav ing h eard of i t . no oneapprehends i t t ruly . The Embod ied (soul ) . O Bharata . i s ever indestructible in everyone
's body . Therefore . i t b ehoveth thee no t to
g r ieve for al l (thos e ) creatur es . Casting thy eyes on the (prescribed )
1 ‘Amri tatWa'i s rea l ly eman c ipation or non-l iab i l ity to repeated deathor repeated re-b irth . To render i t as
“ immortal ity" i s . perhaps . a l i ttl e
slovenly . for every so u l i s immorta l . an d th is particular section inculcatesi to_To
2 ‘Sat'an d ‘asat
'are th e two words which must b e di stinctly understood
as they occur often in Hi n du phi losophy .
‘
Sat'i s expla ined as the rea l . i . e . .
th e soul . or anythin g a s rea l an d perman ent as the sou l . 'Asat'i s the reverse
of th is,i . e . . the unrea l or th e Non -soul . Wh at i s said here b y Krishna i s
that th e unrea l h as n o existence ; th e real , again can have n o n on -exi eI s n ot th is a sort of cosmothetic ideal ism —T'
60 MAR ABHABATA
dutie s of thy order.i t b eho v eth t hee no t to waver . for there is no thing
e lse that is better for a Ksha tr iya t han a battl e fought fair ly . Arr ivedof i tsel f and l ike unto an open gate of heaven . happs7 are thoseKshatr iyas
.O Partha
,tha t obta in such a figh t . Bu t i f t hou dost no t
fight such a jus t bat tle . t hou shal t the n incur sin by abandon in g the
dut ies of thy order and thy fame . P eople wil l then proc la im thy
et ernal infamy.and to one that i s h eld in r e spect . i nfamy is great er (as
an ev il) than death i t se l f . Al l great car-warrio rs w i ll r egard the e as
absta ining from batt l e from fear . and thou wi l t be though t l ightly by
tho se tha t h ad (hither to) e steemed thee h igh ly . Thy en em i es. . decry i n g
thy prowess.wi l l say many word s wh ich should not be sa id . What can
be more painful than that ? Sla in . thou wil t a t ta in to heav en o rv ic tor ious . thou wil t enjoy the Ear th . Th er efor e . ar ise . O son of Kunti .reso lved for bat tle
. R e gard in g pleasure and pain . ga i n and loss . v ictory
and defea t.as equal
.do bat tle for batt l e
's sake and sin will n o t be
th ine.l This knowledge . tha t hath been communica ted to thee i s
( taught) i n the S ankhya (system) . Lis ten now to that ( inculca ted) i n
Yoga (syst em ) . Possessed o f that knowl edge . t hou . O Par tha . wil t cast
o ff the bonds of action . In this ( th e Yoga sys t em there i s no waste of
even t he first a ttempt . Th ere are no impedime n ts . Ev en a l i t t le of
this (form of) pi e ty del iv e rs from grea t fear .2 He re ! i n this pa th] . 0
son of Kuru.t h ere is only one state of mind . consi s t ing in f irm devot ion
(to on e object . vi z . , secur ing emancipation ) . The minds o f those . how
ever . tha t are no t firm ly devot ed (to th is) . ar e m any-branched (u n
settl ed ) and attached to endless pursui ts . That flowery ta lk which . th eythat ar e ignorant . th ey that del igh t in the words o f the Vedas . t hey . 0Partha , that say tha t ther e i s noth ing el se . th ey whose minds areattached to wo rdly plea sures . they tha t r e gard (a) heaven (of plea suresand en joyments) a s the highest obj ect of acquisi tion .—u tterand promises b irth a s the f rui t of act ion and concerns i tse l f w i thmultifar ious r i tes of spec ific characters for th e a t tainmen t of pleasure sand power .—delude th ei r hearts a nd the m inds of these men who area ttached to pl easures and power can not be d i rec ted to contempla t ion( of the divine being ) rega rd ing i t as the sole m ean s of emancipat ion “ . The Vedas - are concerned with three qual i t ie s . (vi z . relig ion .profit . and pleasure ) . Be thou . O Arjuna . free f rom them . un sfl’
ected
1 Most texts read ‘Yudhay a Yu jya swa .
’
A manuscript b elong ing to a
friend of m ine ha s th e correction in red-ink . ‘ Yud haya Yudhaya Yudhaswa .
'
I t accords so well with th e spir it of th e lesson sou g ht to b e incu lcated herethat I make no scrup le to adopt i t. -T.
2 A l ife in this world that i s sub j ect to decay an d death . 80 say al l th ecommentators .
-T .
3 What K rishna seeks to in culcate here i s th e simple truth that persons who bel ieve in the Veda s an d their ord inances layin g down spec ificacts for th e atta inm en t of a heaven of plea sure an d power . can n ot have thedevotion Without wh ich th ere cann ot b e fina l emancipation which only i sth e hi ghest b l i ss . Th e performance of Ved ic rites m ay l ead to heaven of
The holy one sa id .—'When on e cas ts ofic al l the des i r es o f h is heart
and is pleased wi thin (hi s) sel f wi th self . then is one sa id to be of steady
m ind. He whose mind is no t ag ita ted am id calam i t ie s . whose crav in g
for pl easur e i s gone.who is f reed f rom at tachment ( to wo rld ly obj ect s) .
fear and wra th . i s sa id to b e a M im i of s te ady m in d . Hi s i s s tead iness of
m ind who i s without aff ec tion everywhere . and wh o fee le th no exul ta
tion and no av ers io n on obta i n ing d i v erse objects tha t a re ag reeableand di sa gre eable . When on e w ithdraws h is se nses f rom the objec ts of
( those) senses as the to r tois e i ts l imbs from all s ides . even h is i s steadi
ness of mind . Obj ects o f se nse s fal l back f rom an abst inen t person . butnot so the pass ion ( for t hose objects) . Even the pa ss ion reced es from one
who has behe ld the S upreme (be in g ) .1 The agit a t in g sense s . O son of
Kunt i.forc ibly draw away th e m ind of even a w ise man s tr iv ing hard
to keep himse l f a loof from them . R e st ra in ing them all . one should s tay
in cont emplat ion . makin g me Hi s so le r e fuge . For h is i s steadin ess ofmind whose sense s are unde r con trol . Th ink i ng of t he objec ts of s ense .a per son
's at tachment i s b e go tten towards them . From at tachment
sprin ge th wrath f rom wrath ar i se th want of discr im inat ion from
want of d iscr imina t ion . loss of m emory from loss of memory . loss of
understand ing and from loss of understa nd in g (he ) i s u tte rly ruined .
Bu t the se lf-re st ra ined man . enjoy ing obj ects (of sense ) with senses
f re ed from attachmen ta n d av ers ion and under h is own cont rol . attain eth
to peace (of mind ) . On peace (o f m i nd ) be ing a ttained . t he ann ih ilat ion of al l h is miseries t ake th pl ace . s ince th e mind of him whose h ear ti s peaceful soon becometh steady .
2 He who i s not se l f-restra in ed h athno contemplation (of self) . He who hath no contempla t ion ha t h nopeace (of min d ) .
3 Wh ence can t h ere be happ iness for h im who hathno peace (of m ind ) Fo r th e h ear t th a t fo l lows in th e wake of thesense moving (among the i r o b j ec t s ) destroys h i s und erstanding l ike thew ind destroy in g a boat in the waters . 4 Th erefore . O thou of m i g hty arm s .
1 On e m ay ab sta in , e ith er from cho ice or inab i l ity to procure them ,
from th e ob j ects of e n joym en t. U n ti l . h owever , th e very de s ire to enj oyi s suppressed . on e cannot b e said to have atta ined to steadin es s of mind .
r i stotl e’
s saying that h e i s a voluptuary wh o p ines at h i s own ab stin en ce , an d th e Christa in doctrin e of si n b eing i n th e wi sh . mere abstinencefrom th e act constitutes n o m erit—T .
2 The partic le‘h e
'in th e second l in e i s explain ed b y b oth Sankara an d
An an dag i r i as equiva lent to‘Ya sm at
’
. Th e mean in g becomes certa inlyc l earer by tak ing the word in th is sense . Th e ‘ h e
'. however . m ay a lso b e
taken as imply ing the sen se of " indeed .
"—T .
“
3 Buddh i i n th e fir st l in e i s expla ined b y Sreedh ara a s‘Atmavi sh ayak
buddh i .’ ‘Bhavan ta
'S reedhara expla ins . i s
‘Dh yan am ; an d Sankara as‘Atm ajn an ab h i n ivesas
'. K . T. Telang renders ‘Bhavan a
'as perseverance . I
do n ot think this i s correct —T.
4 Sankara . An an dag ir i . an d Ni l akan tha expla in this sl cika thus . Sreedhara expla ins i t oth erwise . Th e la tter supposes th e pronouns ‘
y at'an d ‘tat
to mean a particular sen se among th e ‘Oh aratam i n dri yan am .
'If Sreedh ara'sinterpretation b e correct. the m ean ing would be—“ That (on e sen se) amon g st
BHISHMA PM A
his i s stead ines s of m ind whose senses are restra ined on al l s ides from the
object of sense . The res tr a ined man i s awak e when i t i s n igh t for al lcreatures and when ot he r creatures ar e awa ke tha t i s h igh t to ad iscern ing Mun i . ‘ He i n to whom all object s of desire en te r . even as
the w aters en ter the ocean
'
which (though) consta n tly replen i shed stil l
ma in ta ins i ts wa ter-mark unch an g ed—(h e ) obta ins peace (of m ind ) an dnot one tha t longe th fo r obj ects o f des i r e . That man who moveth abou t .g ivi n g up al l objects of desir e , who i s f ree from crav ing ( fo r en joyments)and who hath no aff ect ion a nd no pride , atta i n eth to peace (of mind ) .This . 0 Pa r tha . i s t he d iv in e s ta te . At ta in in g to i t . one is n ever
deluded . Abid i n g in i t o n e obta ins , on d ea th . absorpt ion in to th e
Supr eme Self:
SECT ION XXVI I
Arj una said .-‘
If devot ion . O Jan arddan a . is regarded by thee a s
super ior to work . why then . 0 K esava . dos t thou en gage me in such
dreadful work By equivocal words t hou seemest to confound my
understand ing . Th ere fo re . te l l (me) on e th in g defini tely by which I
may atta in to what i s good .
'
The holy one sa id . —‘
It hat h already been sa id by me . O s inless one .tha t he r e are , i n th is wo rld . two kind s of devot ion that of the Sankhyas
through Knowledge and tha t of the Yog im through Work . A man doth“no t acquire freedom from work from (only ) t h e non-per fo rmance of
work . Nor doth he acquire final emancipat ion from only renuncia tion
(of work) . No one can ab ide even for a momen t wi t hout doin g wo rk .
”
That man of delud ed soul who . curbing the organ s of sense . l i veth
mentally ch er ish ing the object s of sen se . i s sa id to be a d issembler . He .
however . 0 Arj una . who rest r a i ni ng (his ) sense s by h is m ind . en gageth
i n devotion ( i n the form) of work w ith the o r gans of work . and i s free
from attachment . is d ist i nguished ( abov e a l l) . (Therefore ) . do thou
always apply yourse lf t o work . for ac t io n i s bet te r than inac t ion . Eventh e support of thy body cannot be accompl ished wit hout work .
3This
the senses movin g (amon g th eir ob j ects) which th e mind follows . (that on esen se) tosseth th e mind
’
s (or th e man’s) un derstandin g about l ike the win d
tossing a (drunken boatman’
s) boat on th e water s . The parenthetical wordsare i n troduced b y Sreedhara himself . I t may n ot b e out of place to mention h ere that so far as Bengal . Mi th i l a an d Ben ares are con cern ed . th eauthority of Sreedhara i s regarded a s supreme .—T
l Th e vulgar . b eing spiritua lly dark . are en gaged in worldly pursu its.The sage in spiritual light i s dead to th e latter . -T.
2 ‘Prakriti ja i s Gun a s’
i s expla ined b y Sreedhara as qual ities born ofon e
’
8 n ature such as‘R agadvesh adi .
’
San kara th in ks that they are th e
qualiti es or attributes of prim a l matter (wh ich enters into the compos itionof every self) such a s Satwa . Baja s . an d Tamas .
-T.
3 “ Apply to work . i . e. to work as prescrib ed in the scriptures. Thussays San kara .
"To mornin g an d even ing prayer s , etc . says Sreedhara.—T.
world is fe ttered by all work ot h er than tha t which is (performed) for
Sacr ifice . (The refore ) . O so n of Kunt i . perform work for the sake of
that.freed from a ttachment . l In olden t imes . the Lord of creat ion .
creat ing men and Sacrifice t ogether . said ..- flouri sh by m eans o f th is
! Sacr ifice ] . L et this Sac r ifice be to you (a l l) the dispenser of a l l
object s cherished by you . R ear t he gods w ith th i s . and let the god s ( in
re turn ) rear y ou . Thus fulfi l l ing the mutual interes t you w ill obta in tha t
which is beneficial (to you) .
2 Prop itiat ed with sacr ifices the gods will
bestow on you the pleasures you de s ire . He who en jo yeth (h imsel f) withou t
giving t hem what they hav e g iv en . i s a ssured ly a thief . The good who ea t
the r emnan t of sacr ifices are fr ee d from al l s in s . Those unr igh teous ones
incur s in who dress food for the i r own sake —From food are a l l crea
tures and sacr ifice is t he ou tcome of work .
8 Know that work proce ed s
from the Vedas Vedas ha v e proceede d from Him who hath no decay .
There fore . the al l-pe rvading Suprem e Be in g i s insta l l ed in sacrifice .
4
He who con fo rm eth not to t h is whee l tha t is thus revolv ing . t hat manof sinful l i fe del ighting t he i ndul g ence of h i s se nse s . l iveth in va in .O Partha . ‘5 Th e man . howeve r . that i s a tta ched to se l f only . that i s con
tented with self . and tha t i s pleas ed in h is sel f .- hath no work ( to do) .
He hath no concern whate v e r w i th actio n nor wi th any omiss ion
here . Nor . amongs t p11 c rea tures . i s th ere any upon whom his
in ter est depende th .
‘ Therefore . alway s do work that shou ld
be done . withou t attachment . The man“
who performeth
work without attach ment . atta in eth t o t h e Supreme . By
1 Sacrifice i s Vi shnu’ s se lf a s declared b y th e Sruti s work for sacri
fice , therefore . i s work for Vi shnu’
s sake or g ratification . For the sake ofthat i . e . . for sacr i fice
’
s , or Vi shnu’
s sake . So a l l th e commentators.- T.
2 ‘Bhavay a’
i s expla in ed b y both San kara an d Sreedhara as "Vradhayaor "make grow P erhaps . “ rear i s th e nearest approach to i t in E n g l ish .K . T. Telang renders i t Th e idea i s eminen tly Indian . The godsare fed b y sacrifices . an d i n return th ey feed men b y sen d ing ra in . The
Asuras again who warred wi th th e gods warred wi th sacrifices—T.
3 ‘Parj jan ya’
i s explai n ed b y both S ankara an d Sreedhara as rain . Itmeans also th e clouds or th e orig in of ra in .
—T .
4 The word i n the orig ina l that i s rendere d i n the Vedas i s Brahma .
It m ay mean th e Supreme Sou l . Of cou rse . in Brahmanic l iterature . theVeda s are Brahma an d Brahma i s th e Vedas . b ut sti l l in th e second l ine of1 5 there i s no necess ity o f tak ing Brahm a a s equiva lent to th e Vedas. I don ot th in k Telang i s accurate in h i s ren dering of th is l ine .
- T.
5 The wheel referred to i s what has been sa id b efore . vi z . from theVedas are work . from work i s ra in . from ra i n i s food . from food are creatu res . from creatures aga in work an d so b ack to the Vedas .
—T.
6 The sense seems to b e, as ei tpla i n ed b y th e commentators, that sucha m an earns no mer it b y action , nor si n b y inaction or omi s s ion . Nor i sthere anybody . from th e Supreme Be ing to the lowest creature on whomh e depends for anything —T.
BHISHMA PARVA
work alone . Janaka and others . at ta ined the accomplishmentof their objects . Hav i ng regard al so to the observance by menof their du t ie s . i t b eho veth thee to work . Whatever a g reat man
cloth . i s also done by vulgar people . Ord inary m en follow the ideal
se t by th em the grea t There i s nothing whatever fo r m e . OPartha . to do in th e th ree worlds . s ince I hav e nothin g for me
which hath not been acquired st i l l I enga ge in action .
2 Because i f a t
any time I do not . without sloth . enga ge in action . men wou ld follow
my pa th . 0 Partha . on a l l side s . The worlds would per ish i f I did not
perform work . and I should cause inte rmixtur e of cas tes and ruin these
people . As the ignoran t work . 0 Bharata . hav ing att achment to th eperformer . so sh ould a wise m an work w ithout be ing at tached . desir in gto make men observant of thei r du t ies . A wi se man should not cause
confusion of unde rstandin g amongs t ignorant p ersons . who have attachment to work i tse l f (on the ot her hand ) h e should (himsel f ) acting
with devotion engag e them to all (kinds of) work . Al l works are.i n
every way . done by the qua li t ies of natu re . He . whose m ind i s deluded
by egoism . however . regar ds h imsel f as the ac tor . 3 But he . O mighty
armed one . who knoweth the d i st i nct ion (of se l f) from qual it ies and
work . i s not attach ed to wo rk . cons idering that i t i s h is senses a lone
and not h i s self that engage in th ei r obj ect s . ‘ Those who are deluded
by the qual i t ie s of nature . become a t tached to the works done by the
quali t ies . A person of perfec t knowledge shoul d n ot bewil d er those
men of imperfect knowledge . 5 Devoting al l work to me . with ( thy )mind directed to se lf . engage in batt l e . without desire . wi thout affect ion
and wi th th y (heart’
s) weakness dispel led .
“ Those men who always
follow this op in ion of mine with fa i th and without cav i l a t tain to fina l
emancipat ion even by work . But they who cavi l a t and do not follow
1 Th e example set b y th e great i s a lway s h ere . i s “Vu l
g ar'an d n ot “ oth er . ” ‘Kurute
’ wh ich I h ave ren dered as “ maketh ”
i s u sedi n th e sense of “ regardeth .
” ‘Pram an am ,
’
however , may n ot n ece s sari lymean someth in g e l se that i s set up as an idea l . It m ay refer to the actionsthemselves of th e great m en set up by them as a standard—T.
2 Sreedhara would con n ect " i n th e th ree worlds”
with what fol lows . Ifol low Sankara an d th e n atura l order of words .
—T .
3 . Th e word rendered “n atu re
”
i s ‘prakriti . ’ I t really impl ies “ prima lmatter . ”—T.
4 The second l ine . l iteral ly rendered. i s“ deeming that qual iti es en gag e
in qual iti es .
”
Th e first "qual ities” imply the sen ses . an d th e second . the
ob jects of the senses. The purport i s that on e knowing th e distin ctionreferred to . never th in k s that h i s sou l i s th e actor . for that which i s worki s on l y the result of th e senses b eing applied to thei r ob jects .
—T.
5 'Guna-karm ashu’
i s expla ined b y Sanka ra as works of th e qua l i ties .Works done by them . Sreedhara explai ns the compound as
“ qua li ti esheir) works .
-T.
Devoting a l l work to me . i . e . , i n th e be l i ef that al l you do i s for me
Baker—Jr .
MAHABHARATA“
this opinion of,m i n e .
know.t h at . beref t of al l know ledg e and W ithout
disc rim inat ion . th ey are ru ined . Even a wis e man ac ts accordi n g to h is
o wn nature . Al l l ivin g be ings foll ow ( th e ir own ) na ture . Wha t t h en
would restra int avai l The sen ses have . as r egards th e objects of the
senses.e ither aff ectio n or av ers ion fixed . One should . no t submit to
these.for they are ob stacles in one
’
s way . l One’
s own duty . ev en ifimperfectly performed . i s be tter than be ing done by other even if wel l
per formed.Dea th in (pe r formance of) one
’
s own du ty . i s pre ferabl e .
(The adoption’ of) the d uty of anot he r carr ies fear (w i th i t ) .
"
Arjuna sa id .—’ Impe ll ed by who m . O son of the Vr i sh n i race . doth
a man commit sin . even though unwill i n g and as if constr ain ed by
force’
?”
The holy one sa id . -’
It i s desire . i t i s wrath . born of the a tt r ibute
of passion ; i t i s al l devouring . i t i s very s in ful . Know th is to be the
fo e in t h is world .
’ As fire i s env eloped by smoke . a mirror by dust .
the foetus by the womb . so i s Mi s s env eloped by desi re . Knowledge .
O son of Kunti.i s enve loped by th is constan t f oe o f the wi se in the fo rm
of d esi re which i s i nsa ti abl e and l ike a fi re . The s en ses . th e mind and
the underst and ing are said to be i t s abode . With these i t de ludeth the
E mbod ied se lf . enveloping (his) knowle dge . Therefore . r estra in ing
(thy ) senses first . O hu l l of Bharata's r ace . ca st o ff th is w icked t h ing .
fo r i t de stroye th knowl edge der iv ed from inst ruct ion and m edi ta
t ion .
4 It hat h been sa id tha t the sense s are super ior (to th e body which
i s in er t) . Super ior to the senses is the mind . Super io r to the m i n d i s
th e knowledge . But' which is super io r to knowl edge i s He 5 Thus
knowing that wh ich is super ior to know ledge and re stra in in g ( thy ) sel fby self . sl a y . O m igh ty-armed on e . t h e e nemy i n the shape of des ire
which i s d i ff icul t to conquer .’
SE CTION XXVIII
The holy one sa id . -‘Th i s imper ishable ( system of ) devot ion I
declared to V ivaswat : V ivaswat declared i t to Manu and Men u
commu n icated it to Iksh aku . Descendin g thus fro m gene ra t ion.th e
R oya l sages came to know i t . Bu t . O c ha s t ise r of fo es . by lapse of along t ime that devotion became lost to the world . Ev en the same(system of ) devot ion hath today b een declared by me to thee
.for thou
ar t my devo tee and fr iend . (and ) t h is i s a g r ea t myste ry'.
1 Th e senses . a s regard s their diverse obj ects in th e world . areeither
drawn towards them or repel led b y th em . Th ese l ikes an d d i s likes (i n theca se of men w ho . of course . only act accord ing to th eir n ature) stand i n th eway o f their eman cipation . if m en submit to them .
-T.
2 Desire , if n ot gratified . resu lts in wrath . Thus th e commentators .—T
3 Vide next sloka .
’
-T .
4 ‘Praj ah i’
i s expla ined b y both Sankara an d Sreedh r' a ar it
(ca st ofi ) .—T.
a a B p yaja
6 He i s the Supreme Soul or Being —T,
Ar juna sa id .—’
Thy bi r th is pos ter ior Vi vaswat's birth i s pr ior .
How shal l I underst and then tha t t hou hadst first‘
decl ared ( i t)”
The hol y one sa id . —’
Many b ir th s of m ine have passed away. 0Arjuna . as a lso of thin e . These a l l I kn ow.
L but thou dost not . 0
chast iser o f foes . Though ( I am ) unborn and of essence th a t knoweth
no deterio rat ion . though ( I am) the lord of a l l creatures . st i ll . re lying onmy own (materia l ) natur e I t ake bi r th by my own (powers ) of i l lus ion .
Whenever . O Bhara ta . loss o f pie ty and the r ise of impie ty o ccu rreth .on those occasions do I create myself . For the protec t ion
'
o i the r igh t
cous and fo r t he destructio n of th e e v i l -do ers . for the sak e o f
establishing pi ety . I am born a ge a fter age. He who t rul y knoweth my
d iv ine bir th and work to be such . casting o ff (h is body) i s not bo rn
aga in ; (on the o th er hand ) he cometh to me . O Ar juna . Many who
have been freed f rom attachm ent . fear , wra th . who were full o f me . and
who rel ied on me . have . cleansed by knowledge and asce t icism . a tta ined
to my essence . In whatsov er manner men come to m e . in the sel fsamemanner do I accept them . I t is my way . O Partha . that men fo l low on
all s ides . l Those i n t his world who are des irous of the success of ac t ion
worship the gods . for i n th is worl d of men success resul t in g from action
is soon a t tained . The quadruple divis ion o f caste s was creat ed by me
according to the d is t inct ion of qua l i t ie s and duties . Though I am theauthor thereof . (ye t ) know me to be not their au tho r and undecaying . 2
Act ions do not tou ch me . I hav e no longing for th e fruits of actions .He ' tha t knowe th me thus i s not impeded by act ions . Knowin g th is
.
even men o f old who wer e d es irous of emancipation perf ormed work .
Therefore. do thou also perform work a s wa s done b y Ancients of the
remote past . What i s action and what is inactio n .—even th e learned area t thi s . Therefor e . I wil l tell thee about action (so th at)thou mayst be f re ed from ev il . One shou ld hav e knowledge
of act io n . and one should ha v e knowledge of forbidden actions : one
should also know of inact ion . The course of act ion i s incomprehensible .Hef who sees inaction in action and act ion in inac tion . i s wise among
men he is possessed o f devotion and he is a doer of a l l act ion s . Th elearned call h im w ise whose eE o rts are all fr ee from desir e (o f fruit)
have a ll been consumed by
1 There can b e l ittle doub t that what K ri s hna says h ere i s that noform of worsh ip i s unacceptab le to h im . Wh atever th e manner of th eworsh ip . i t i s I wh o i s worsh ipped . After K . T. Te l an g
’
s exhaustive an d
cfiective reply to Dr . L or i n ser’
s strange hypothes is o f the Gita having b eencomposed under Ch ri stian in fluences . i t i s scarcely n ecessary to add thatsuch toleration would i ll accord with th e theory of th e Ch ri stian authorshipof the poem .
—T.
2 i .s . . both inactive an d undecay ing . Work impli e s exertion . an d. th ereloss of energy . In me th ere i s no action . no lo s s of en ergy an d th ereno decay.—T.
the fire o f kn owledge . ‘ Whoever . resi gn ing all a ttachm ent to th e
f ruit of act ion.i s ever con ten ted and i s d ependen t on none . doth nough t .
indeed.a l though engaged in ac tion . He who . wi thout desire . with
mind and the senses under control . and cast ing o ff al l concerns . per
formeth action only for the pres ervat ion of the body . i ncurre th no sin .
2
He who is con tented w ith what is earn ed w ithou t exert ion . who hath
r isen super io r to the pa irs of opposi tes . who i s withou t jealousy , who i s
equable in success and fa i lure . i s not f et ter ed (by act ion ) even thoughhe works . Al l his act ions peri sh wh o act s for th e sake of Sacrifice .
3
who i s without affect ions . who i s f re e ( from attachm ents) . and whose
mind is fixed upon knowledge . Brahma i s th e vessel (with which the
l ibat ion is poured ) ; Brahma i s the l iba tion ( t h a t is ofl’ered) ; Brahma
i s the fir e on which by Brahma i s poure d (the l ibat io n ) Brahma i s the
goal to which he proceede th by fixing h is mind on Brahma i tse l f which i s
t h e ac tion .
‘ Some devo te es perform sacr ifice to the gods . Others . by
means o f sacrifice . off e r up sacr ifice s to th e fire o f Brahma .
‘s Others
off e r up (as sacrific ial l ibat ion ) th e senses of which he ar ing i s the first
to the fire of r estra in . Others (again ) off e r up (as l iba t ions) the obj ect sof sense of which sound is t he first to the fire o f t he senses . ° Others
( aga in ) off e r up al l the funct ions of t h e senses and the functions of the
v ital winds to the fire of d evot io n by self-re s tra int kindle d by know
ledge . “ Others aga in perform the sacrifice of wea lth . the sac r ifice of
asce t ic auster i t i es . the sacr ifice o f medi ta t ion. t he sacr ifice of (Vedic)study . the sacr ifice of knowledge . and o thers are asce tics of r igid vows . 8
Some o ff er up the upward v i tal wind (Prana) to the downward v i ta l
wind (apana ) and others . t he downward v i tal w ind to the upward
vita l wind ; some . arres ting the course o f (both ) the upward and the
1 ‘K ama-san ka lpa vivarj j i tas .’
i . a . . freed from kama (des i re of fruit)an d san ka lpa—th e consequen t wi l l or determ ination to do . Thus both Sreedhara an d San kara .
-T.
2 ‘Ch itta’
i s the mind an d ‘atm a
'in thi s conn ection i s th e senses . Thusboth Sreedhara an d Sankara .
-T.
3 Sacrifice means here th e Supreme Soul . What i s done for the sakef sacr ifice i s done for procurin g eman cipation .
—T.
4 What i s meant b y thi s i s that i n th e case of such a person completeidentification with Brahma takes place . an d when such an i n den tificati onh as taken place . action i s destroyed .
—T.
5 i . a . . off ering up sacrifice itself as a sacrifice to the Brahma fire . theycast off a l l
.
acti on .—T.
6 Offer ing up th e sen ses to th e fire of restra in t means restra in ing thesenses for the practice of Yoga . Off ering up th e ob j ects of the sen ses meansnon-attachment to tho se obj ects .
- T.
7 Suspen d ing th e fun ctions of l ife for contemp lation or Yoga—T.
8 In th ese ca ses th e sacrifices consi st i n th e g iving away of wea lth .in
the ascetic au'ster ities th emse lves , in med i tation . in study . etc . Sreedhara
expla in s the f irst compoun d of th e second l in e d ifferently . Accordin g toh im . i t mean s. n ot study an d knowledge . but the knowledg e from study .
who hath no avers ion nor des ire . For . be in g f ree f rom pairs of oppos ites .
O thou o f mighty arms . he is’
e as i ly re leased f rom the bonds (of action) .
Fools say .but no t those th at are wis e . that S an khyas and Yoga a re dis
tinct.One who “stayeth in eve n one of th e two rea peth t he frui t of
both .
1 Whatever sea t is a t ta ined by those who profess the Sankhya
system .that too i s reached by those who profe ss t he Yoga , He see th
truly who see t h S an khya and Yoga as one .2 Bu t ren uncia t ion . O migh ty
armed one.withou t devot ion to ac tion is difi icu l t to a t ta in . The
ascet ic who is e ngaged in devot ion (by ac t ion ) r each e th the Supreme
Be ing without d elay . He who is engaged in devotion (by act ion) and is
of pure soul.who hath conquered h is body and subd ued hi s sen ses . and
who in den tifieth himsel f wi th al l crea tures . i s'
not fet te red though pe r
forming (act ion ) .3 The man of devo t ion . who knoweth t ru th . th inking
am do i n g n othi n g—when see ing . hear ing . touc hing . smg l l i n g . eatin g .
mov ing.sleep ing . breath ing , talk i n g . excre tin g . taking . opening the
eye l ids o r clos ing them he regard eth tha t i t i s the sen se s that are
en gaged in the objects o f senses“ He who renouncing a t tachmen t
en gageth i n act ions . resi gnin g t hem to Brahma , i s no t t ouched by sin as
t he lotus l eaf ( i s not touch ed ) by Those who a r e devotees .cast ing o ff attachment . pe rform act ions ( a t ta in ing puri ty of se l f. with
the body . the mind . the und er st and ing . and even the senses free from
des ire He who is posse ssed of de v o tio n . renou ncing the frui t of act ion .
atta i n eth to the h ighest t ranquil i ty . He . who is n o t possessed of devo
tion and is attached to the f rui t of a c tion . i s fette redb y action pe r
fo rmed from desire . The self-re st ra ine d embodied (sel f ) . renouncin g
all ac tio ns by the mi nd . rema ins at ease w ithin the house of nine gates .ne ither acting h imself no r causin g (any th ing) to act . ° The Lord is no t
th e cause of the capacity for accion . or of the act ions o f men . o r of the
connection of act ions and ( th e ir) f rui t . I t i s na ture th at engages ( i n
act ion ) . The Lord rece iveth no one's s in . nor al so mer i t . By Ignorance .
Knowledge is shrouded . I t is f or th is tha t crea ture s are deluded . But
of whom soever that I g noranc e hath been destroy ed by knowled ge of
self . t hat knowledge which is ) l ike the Su n discloseth the Supreme
. 1 ‘Sankhya ’ i s renun ciation of action . while ‘Yoga ’
i s devotion throughaction .
—T .
2
l
Thregramm atical form of th e word Yoga as here employed i s excep
tiona
3 Th e fir st atman i s expl an ed as the son ],th e second as th e body . b y
a l l th e commentators .—T’
4 Tak in g mean s taking anyth in g with the hands .—T.
5 Water when thrown over a lotus leaf escapes w ithout soak in g ordrench ing the leaf at a l l .6 Tel ang re n ders ‘Pura
’
as city . Of course , th e body having two eyes , twoears . two nostri ls . one m on th . an d two Opening for excretions . i s mean t.—+T,
BHISHMA PARVA
Being . Those whose m ind is on Him . whose v ery soul is He . who abide
in Him . and who hav e Him fo r the ir goa l . depart never more to return .the ir s in s being all destroy ed by knowledge . ’
Those . who are wise cas t
an equal ey e on a Brahma endued with l earn ing an d modesty . on a cow .
an e lephan t . a dog . and a Cha n da la .
2 Even here has bi r th been conque r
ed by them whose m inds rest on equal i ty and s inc e Brahma is faul tl e s s
and equable . therefor e . they (are sa id to ) abide in Brahma .3 He whose
mind i s st eady . who is not deluded , who knows Brahma . and who rests in
Bra hma . doth not exult on obta in in g anyth ing tha t i s a g reeable . nor
doth he gri eve on ob ta in in g that i s d i sagreeable . He whose m ind i s not
a ttached to external obj ects of sense . obta ine th that happiness which is
in sel f and by conce ntrating his mind on th e contempla t ion of Brahma .he en joye th a happiness tha t i s im per i shable . The enjoyments born of
the contac t (of the sense s w it h thei r obj ec ts ) are product iv e of sorrow .
He who i s wise . O son of Kunt i . never taket h p l easure in th ese t hat
have a beg inn ing and a n end . That man whoever h ere.before the
di ssolut ion of the body . i s able to endure the ag i ta tions re sul t in g f rom
desire and wrath . i s fixed on com templation . and is happy . He who
findeth happiness w ith in h imsel f . (and ) who sporteth within h imself. he
whose l igh t (o f knowledge) i s deprived from wi th in himself . is a devotee .and b ecoming one with Brahma atta in eth to absorption in to Brahma .
Those sa in tly pe rsonages whose sins have been destroyed . whose doubt s
hav e been dispelled . who a re sel f-rest ra ined . and who are engaged in th egood of al l crea tures , obta in absorpt ion in to Brahma . For these
devo tee s who a re freed from d es i r e and wrat h . whose minds are under
and who hav e knowl edge o f se lf . absorpt ion in to Brahma exists
re and th e reafter . 4 Excluding ( from his mind ) al l externalobjects of sen se . d i recting the v isua l g lance be tween th e brows . mingl ing( into one ) the u pward and the downward li fe-brea ths and making them
pass through the nostr i ls . t he devotee . who has rest ra ined th e senses. the
mind. and the understand in g . be i ng i nt e nt on emancipa t ion . and who isfreed from desi r e . fear . and wra th . i s em anc ipa ted . in d eed . Knowing me
to be en joy er of al l sacrifices and a sce tic auster i t ie s . the g reat Lord of a l ltheworlds . and fr iend of al l cr ea t ures . such a one obta ineth tranqui l li ty .
’
1 Such men are exempted from th e ob ligation of re-b i rth . L eavin gth is b ody they merge into th e Saprem e Sou l . —T.
2 Th e word i s ‘Swapach a’ mea n ing a member of the lowest caste . .- T.
"Brahma i s fau ltle ss an d equabl e
": so Sreedhara an d oth ers . -" sinoe
less equa l ity i s Brahma .
” —T .
e i s that they are at on e with Brahma both here an d here
SECTION XXX
The holy one sa id .—’
R egardless of frui t of act ion . he that performs
the ac tions which should be pe rfo rmed . i s a R enouncer and devote e .
an d not one who d i scards the (sacr ificial) fi re . nor one t hat absta ins
from act ion . l That which has been called R enunciation . know that .
O son of Pandu . to be Dev ot ion . s ince no body can be 3 Devot ee who
has not r enounced (al l ) resolves .” To the sag e desi rous of r i s ing to
devot io n .act ion is said to be th e means : and when he has r isen to
devotion.cessat ion of action is sa id to be the m e ans . When one i s no
longer a t tached to the objects o f th e sen ses , nor to act ion s . and when
one renounce s al l re solves . th en i s one sa id to have r isen to Devot ion .
One should ra ise (his) sel f by se lf one should not degrad e (his) sel f
for one's own sel f is one
's fr iend . and one
’
s own sel f i s one’
s enemy" To
him (only ) . who has s ubjuga ted his sel f by hi s self . i s sel f a fr iend . Bu t
to h im who has not subj ugated his se l f . h i s sel f behave s in im ical ly l ike
an enemy . The‘sou l of one who has subjugat ed h is sel f and who i s in
the enjoymen t of t r anqui ll i t y . is s teadi l y fixed (on i tse lf ) amid cold and
heat.pleasu re and pa in . and a lso honour and dishonour . Tha t ascet ic is
sa id to be d ev oted whose m ind i s sa t i sfied with knowledge an d ex per i
ence . who hath no affect ion . who hat h subjuga t ed h is senses . and to
whom a sod , a stone an d gold are a l i ke . He . who v iews equal ly .well
wishers . f riends . foes . s tran g ers that are indiff erent to him . those who
take part w it h both s ides . t hose who a re obj ec ts of av ers ion . those who
are relat ed ( to h im ) . those who are good . and those who are wicked .i s dis t i n guished (above a l l oth ers) . A d evotee should always fix h i s
m ind on con templat ion . remain i n g i n a secluded place alon e . re straining
both m ind and body . without expecta t ions (of any kind) . and wi thoutconcern !with any th ing] .
4 Erect in g h i s seat imm ovably on a c lean
spot . no t too h igh nor too low . and spread ing over i t a p iece of clo th a
deer-skin . or blad es o f Kusa g rass . and there sea ted on that sea t.‘
wnth
mind fixed’
o n on e obj ect . and restra inin g the funct ion s o f the heartand th e sen ses . one should practi se contempla t ion for the purification
of self . Hold ing body. head . and neck e v en . unmoved and steady . and
casting h i s glance on the t ip of h is nose . and without looking about in
l R enoun cer an d devotee ‘Sannya s in ’
an d ‘Yog i n . ’ —T.
2 Wh ich spring from desire .—T .
3 Sel f i n th is sl oka i s expla in ed by the commentators as mind. Them ind . un l ess contro l l ed . cann ot l ead to devotion .
—T.
b d
4 :ph itta’
an d ‘atma
’
are explained b y the commentators as “mind an d0 y . o
BHISHMA PARVA
of the d ifferen t d irect ions . with m ind in t ranquil li ty .freed from
observant of the pract ices of Brahmachari n s, restrain i ng the mind .
fixed on me . the devotee should s i t down . regard ing me as the
object of his atta inment . Thus apply ing h is soul constant ly . the devoteewhose hear t is re stra in ed . at ta ins to tha t tranqu ill i ty wh ich culminates in
final absorpt ion and a ssim ila t ion with m e . Devotion is not on e's . O
Arjuna . who eat e th much n or on e's who do th no t eat a t al l nor one
’
s
who is add ic ted to to o much sleep no r on e's who i s a lways awake . Devo
tion that is destruc tiv e of misery is his who is temperate in food andamusemen ts . who duly exer ts h im se lf t emperately in a l l hi s work s . andwho is temperate i n sleep and v igi l s . Whe n one's h eart . properly restra in ed . i s fixed o n one
’
s o wn self. then . i nd iffer ent to al l objects of de
sire . he i s one cal led a de votee . l As a lamp in a windless spo t doth not
fl icker . even that i s the res emblance decla red of a devot ee whose heart
ha th been restrained an d who appl i e th h is se l f to abstraction . Tha t
(cond it ion) i n which the mind . restra in ed by pract ic e of abs tract ion .taketh re s t . i n which behold ing sel f by sel f one i s gratified within sel f
in which one ex perien ceth tha t h ighe st fe l ic ity wh ich i s beyond t h e
( sphere of the ) se nses and which th e understanding (only ) can grasp . and
fixed on wh ich one never swerveth f rom the tru th acquiring which one
regards no o ther acquis i t ion greater than i t . and abid ing in wh ich on e i s
never moved by ev en the heav iest sorrow tha t condi t ion should be
known to be what i s cal led Devotion in which th ere is a severance of
connect ion wi th pa in . That Devotion should be prac tised with prese r
vance . and with an undesponding hear t . 2 R enouncin g al l des i res without
excep t ion that a re born of r esol v es . r estra in ing the group of the senses
on all sides by m ind alone , one shoul d . by slow degrees . become quiescent
(a ided ) by (his) understanding control l ed by pat ience . and t hen di rec
t ing his mind to self should th ink o f no thin g . 3 Wheresoever th e mind .which i s (by natur e) res tl ess an d un steady . may run . rest ra ining i t
from those . one should di rect i t to se l f alone . Indeed . unto such adevotee whose m ind is in tranqu i l l i ty . whose pass ions have been sup
pressed . who hath become one with Brahma and who i s free f rom si n .
the highest fel ici ty cometh (of h is own accord ) . Thus apply ing his'
soul
constan tly (to abstrac t ion) . the d evote e . fre ed from s in . easily obta ineth
that h ighes t happiness . vi z . , with Brahma , He who hath devoted h is
1 Fixed on one’s own self , i . e . . withdrawn from a l l ob jects of sense .Thus Sankara .
-T
2 SNi schay en a i s expla ined b y Sankara as equivalent to “with
preserven ce” or steadi ly . Sreedhara expla ins i t a s equa l to with the
certitude of knowledge a cquired b y in struction .
”-T .
3 ‘Dhriti -grah i taya Buddh ya’
.
i s . as expla ined b y Sankara an d oth ers .“with understandi ng controlled by pati ence .
"K . T. Telang renders it
“ wi th firm resolve 0 0 11pl ed with cou rage . ” —T.
MAHABE ABATA
se l f to abstraction . casti ng an equal eye e verywhere . behol deth his self
i n all creatures and al l crea ture s in h i s s el f . Unto him who beholdet h
m e i n every th ing and beholdeth ev erythi ng in me . I am neve r lost and
he also is n ever lost to me . 1 He who worsh ippet h m e as abiding in all
crea tures.hold ing ye t that a ll i s one . i s a devotee . and whatever mode
of l i fe he may lead . he l iveth i n me . That devotee . O Ar j una . who
caste th an equal eye e v erywhere . regard ing al l t hing s as h is own self and
th e happine ss and m isery of others as h is own . i s deemed to be the best .’
"Arjuna sa id .
‘
This de votion by means of equan imity wh ich thou
hast declared.O slayer of Madhu .—o u accoun t of res t lessness of the m ind
I do not see i t s stabl e pre sence ?“ O Kri sh na . the m ind is re st less . bois
tero u s. perverse . and obst ina t e . Its restra in t I regard to be as d ifficul t
of accomplishmen t a s the re stra in t of t h e wind.
’
"The holy one sa id .
’W i thout doubt . O thou of m igh ty arm s themind is difi icu l t of subjugation and i s restl e ss . With practice . how
ever. 0 son of Kunt i . and with the abandonment of des i re . i t can b e
controlled . I t i s my bel ief tha t by him whose m ind is not res trained .
devot ion is d iff icul t of acquisi tion . Bu t by one whose mind i s rest ra ined
and who is assiduous . i t i s capabl e of acqui s it ion with the a id of mean s .’
Ar juna sa id .‘
Without assidu ity . t h ough endued with fa ith . and
with mind shaken o ff f rom devotion . wha t i s the end of him . 0 Krishna .
who hath not earned succe ss in d evo t ion ? Fallen of f f ro m both .3 is
he lost l ike a separated cloud or not . being as he is w ithout refuge . O
t hou of mighty arms . and de luded on the path leadin g to Brahma
This my doubt . O Krishna . i t b ehoveth thee to remove without leav ingany thing . Bes ide s thee . no d ispel ler o f th i s doubt is to be had .
‘
Th e holy one sa id .‘
O son of Pri tha . ne ither here . nor
doth ru in ex ist for h im . since none . O sire . who performs g
comes by an ev i l end . At taining to the r egions rese rved
tha t perform mer itor ious act s and l iv ing there for many many
that hath fall en o ff f rom devotion tak eth bir th in th e abode o f
ar e p ious and endued wi th prosper ity . Or . h e is bor
of devo te es endued wi th inte l ligence . Indee d . a b
more d iff icul t of acquisi tion in this wor ld . There
ob ta ineth contac t w ith that Brahm i c knowledge
1 i . e . . I am a lways vi s i b l e to him . and he too i s always wsight and I am a lway s k ind to him .
—T.
2 i,e . . how i ts stab le existence may be secured . th e min d
nature ever restl ess .—T.
3.
Fallen off from both . i . e . , from heaven (through work) and ab stion into Brahma (throug h devotion) . —T.
4 Without leav ing anyth ing , i . e . . enti rely . —T.
BHISHMA PARVA
former l i fe and f rom that po ih t he str iv e t h aga in . 0 descendan t of
Kuru.towards per fec t ion . And al thou gh unw ill ing , he st il l worketh on
in consequence o f that same for mer p rac tice of h is . E ven one that enqu i r
eth of devotion r i se th abov e ( the fru its of ) th e D iv ine word . l St riv ing
with g rea t efforts . the de v o tee . cleansed of al l hi s s in s , a tta in eth t o
perfection a fter many bir ths . and then reache t h th e supreme goal . The
devotee i s super ior to asce t ics e ngaged in au stereti es h e i s es teemed to
be superior to even the man of knowledge . The d evo te e i s superior tothose tha t are engaged in act ion . There fo re . become a devo tee . O
Ar juna . Even amongst a l l the devotees . he who . ful l of fa ith and with
inner self re st in g on me . worshippeth me . i s regarded by me to be the
most devout ."
SECTION XXXI’
The holy on e said .“
Listen O so n of Pr i tha . how . wi thout doubt .thou mayst know me fully . fixm g thy m ind on me . practis ing de vot ion .and taking refuge in me . I wi l l now , without leav in g any thing speak tothe e about knowl edge and expe r ience . knowing which there would be
left noth ing i n thi s world ( for t hee) to know . One among thousand s of
men str ive th for perfect ion . Of t hose ev en that are a ss iduous and hav e
atta ined to per fec t ion . only some on e knoweth me t ruly . 2 Earth . water .fire . air . space . mind . also understanding . and consc iou sness—thushathmy nature be en div ided
'e ight-fo ld . This i s a lower ( fo rm of my) nature .
D ifi'
eren t f rom th is , know there i s a higher ( form of my ) nature which
is animate . O t hou of m igh ty a rms . and by which this univer se i s held .
3
Know that a l l cr eatu res have these for the i r source . I am the source ofevolution and al so o f the dissolution o f the en t ir e universe . There is
nothing else . O Dhananj aya . tha t i s higher than myself . Upon me is al l
t h is l ike a row of p earls on e s tri ng . Tas te I am in the waters . O son ofKunti . (and) I am the splendour of both th e moon and the sun . I am the
Om in a l l th e Vedas . the sound in space , and t he manl iness i n men . I
am the f rag rant odour in ear th . the splendour in fire . the l ife i n a l l
(l iv ing ) creatures . and penance i n asce t ic s . Know me . O son of Pri tha .
to be the et ernal seed o f a ll being s . I am the intel l i gence o f a l l creafures
1 Th e Divine Word . i . e . , th e Veda s . 8 0 great i s th e efficacy ofdevotion that on e mer e ly en quiring of i t transcen d s h im who conforms tothe rites of the Vedas—T
2 Only some one , i . s . , very few . For per fecti on . i . e . .for kn owledg e
of self . Thus a l l th e commentators —T.
3 The la st word of the fir st l ine of thi s s loka i s ‘param ’
(h igher) an dn ot “
aparam’
with th e in itial ‘a'si lent owing to th e rules of Sandh i . Man y
of the Bengal texts h ave ‘aparam’
. n ot exceptin g th e latest on e printed atCalcutta .
—T.
endued with int el l igence
.the glory o f all glor ious objects . 1 am a l so the
s trength of al l tha t ar e endued wi th st rength . (myself) fre ed from desir e
and thirst.and
.O hu l l of Bhara ta
's race . am the des i re . consist ent wi th
duty . in al l crea tu r es .’ And a l l ex ist ences wh ich are of t h e qual i ty of
goodness.and which ar e of the qual i ty o f pass ion and qual ity of
darkness.know that they are . i ndeed . from me . I am . however . not in
them,but t hey a re in me . This ent ire un iverse . delud ed by these three
ent i t ie s cons i s t ing of (th ese) three qual i t ie s knowe th not me tha t am
beyond them and undecay ing si nce t his illus ion o f m in e . depen d ing on
the ( three) qual i t i es . i s exceeding ly marvel lous a nd high ly d ifi cu l t of
be ing transcended . They that resort to me alone c ros s t his i l lus ion .’
Doers of ev il . ignorant men . the wor st of t h e i r spec i es , robbed of the ir
knowledge by (my ) i l lus io n a nd wedded to th e stat e of demons . do not
resor t to me . Four classes of doers of g ood deeds worship m e . O
Arjuna . vi z ., he that i s d istr ess ed . tha t is poss essed of knowledg e . being
always devo ted and having h i s fai t h i n only One , i s su per ior to the
rest . for unto the ma n of knowledge I am dear above every th in g . andhe also is d ear to me . Al l the se are noble . But the man of knowledge
is regarded (by me) to be my very se l f . s ince b e . with soul fixed on
abst ract ion , take th refuge in me as t h e h ighest goa l . At the end of
many bir ths . the man possessed o f knowledge atta i n e th t o me . ( t h inking )
that Vasudeva is a l l th is . Such a h igh-souled pe rspn . however . i s exce ed
i n gl y rare . They who ha v e been robbed of kn owl edge by des ir e , re sor t
to their godheads . observant of diver se r egula t ions and contro lled by
t he ir own n atu re .
a What e v er form (of godhead or my self) a n y worshipper des ire th to worship with fa i th . that fai th of h is unto t hat(form) I ren der steady . E ndued w i t h t ha t fa ith . he paye th his adorat ion s to that (form) . and obta ineth f rom that al l hi s desire .those are orda ined by ru e . il The f ru its , however . ofti tle d w it h l i t tl e intell igence a re per ishable . Theydiv in i t ies . go to the d iv in it ie s , (wh i le) they thaeven to me . 5 They that have no d iscer nment .(rea ll
1 ‘Kama’
which I h ave ren dered des ire i s expla inedas th e wi sh for an unattai ned ob j ect ; an d ‘ raga ’
as th e
th irst for more . Th e second ‘Kama’
i s explained as de siresof love or lust—T.
2
“P a i nt i s explained b y Sankara as divine ; b y Sreedhara as
ous
3 The divine desires are a bout sons , fame , victory overetc . regulation s , such a s fa sts etc . ; th eir own nature . i .a. . di
as deprl
i
l
a
j
n dan t on the acts o f their past l ives . Thus a l l the co
liOt S . o
4 Th e worshipper ob tains h i s des ires . think ing he getsthe godhead h e worsh ips . I t i s however . that g ives h im those .
—T.
5 The divinities b e i n g periob tai n i s perishab le . What my
78 MAHABHARATA'
even to me. Think ing (of the Supreme) with a mind not running to
othe r obj ect s and endued w i th abs t rac tion in the form of un interruptedappl ication . one goe th . O son o f P ri tha . un to the Divin e and Suprememale Be ing . He who a t the t i m e o f h i s depar ture . w ith a s teady mind .
endued with reverence.with power o f abstract ion . and d ir ecting the
l ife-brea t h cal l ed P ra n a between the eye-brows . t h i nk eth of that ancien t
S ee r . who is the rule r ( of a ll) . wh o i s m inut e r th an the minute s t a tom .
who 18 the ordaine r of all . who is inconc e ivable i n form . and who i s
beyond a l l darkness.cometh unto that Di v i n e and Supr eme male Be ing .
I will tell t hee in br ief about th at seat wh ich p ersons con v er san t w i th
the Vedas declar e to be i ndestructible . which i s enter ed by asce t ic s f reed
from al l longings. and i n ex pécta tio n o f wh ich (people) prac ti se the vows
of Brahmachari ns , Casting o ff ( thi s ) body . he who departe th . steppi n g
up all the doors . confin ing the m ind wit h i n t he hear t . plac ing h i s own
l i fe-brea th called P um a be tw ee n the ey e-brow s . re st ing o n cont inued
meditation . u tte ring th is one syl labl e 0 m which i s Brahman . and th inking
of me. attai n eth to th e highes t goa l} ,
He who a lways thinke th of me
w it h mind ever wit hdr awn from a l l oth er obj ect s . unt o tha t devoteealways engaged on meditat ion . I am . O Partha . easy o f access . High
souled persons wh o h ave achi eved th e hi gh est perf ect ion . at ta in ing to me .
do not incur re-bir t h which i s the abode of sorrow an d whic h i s transient .
Al l the worlds . 0 Ar j una . f rom the abode of Brahma n downward s ha v e
to go th rough a round of bi r th s . on at ta in ing to me . howeve r . O 50 11 of
Kunt i.there is no re-birth . 2 They who know a day o f Bra hman to end
after a thousand Yu gaS . and a n ig ht (of h i s) to te rmina te afte r a thousand
Yugas are persons tha t know day a nd n ight .35 On the adven t of
(Brahman’
s ) day everyth ing tha t is man if est springe th from the
unmanifest and when (hi s) night come th . i nto tha t same which i s ca lled
unmanifest all thin g s d i sappear . That same assembla ge of creatures .
spr inging for th again and again . d i sso lv eth on t he ad v ent o f n igh t . and
spr inge th forth (again ) . 0 so n of Pr i tha . when day cometh . constra in ed
(by th e force o f act ion . There is . howeve r . an o ther enti ty .unman ifest and e ternal . which is b eyond that unman i fes t . and which is
not dest royed when al l t he enti t ie s are destroy ed . I t is sa id to be
1 Al l th e doors . i . .a , th e senses . Oon fin i n g th e min d within theheart. i . .e . withdrawin g the mind from a l l externa l ob j ects. ‘Murdh n i
'
i s expla ined by Sreedhara to mean here “ between th e eyebrow s .—T.
2 Al l these reg ion s being destructib l e an d l iab le to re-birth . thosethat live there are equal ly l iable to death an d re-b irth .
-T.
3 Th e meaning . as explai ned b y Sreedh ara , i s that such personsare sa id to know a l l . an d n ot those whose knowledge i s bounded b y thecourse of the sun an d th e moon .
—T.
4 In this round of birth s an d deaths . the creature s themselves arenot free agents . being a l l the wh i l e sub ject to the influence of Karma , asexplain ed by the commentators.—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
unman ifest and indestruct ible . They call i t the highe st goa l . atta in ing
which no one hath to come back . That is my Supreme seat . That
Supreme Being O son of Pritha . He withi n w hom are a l l ,enti t i es . and
by whom all this is permeated . i s to be a t tained by r ev erence und irec t
ed to any other object . I wil l t e l l th ee the t imes . O hull of Bharata’
s
race . in which devotees depart in g ( from th is l ife ) go . n eve r to return .or to retu rn . The fire . the l igh t . the day . th e l igh ted fortn ight . the s ixmonth s of the northern so lst ice . depart ing from here . the person sknow ing Brahma go thro ugh . th is path to Brahma . l Smoke . n igh t . a l so
the dark for tnight (and ) th e s ix month s of the south ern solst ice .
(depar t in g ) through th is pa th a devotee . at ta ining to the lunar ligh t .re turneth . The brigh t and the dark . t hese two paths . are regarded tobe the eternal (two pa ths) of the un iv erse . By t h e one . (one) goe th
never to re turn ; by the other . one (go ing) come th back . Know ing
these two pa ths . O son of Pri tha . no devo tee i s deluded . Therefo re . at
al l t imes . be endued with de v otion . O Arjuna . Th e meri tor ious fru i t
that is prescr ibed for th e ( study of th e) Vedas , fo r sacrifice s . for asce tic
aus ter it ies . and for gift s . a devotee know ing a ll this (that ha th beensaid he re ) . atta i n eth to i t al l . and (also) atta i n eth the Supreme and
Prim eval seat .’
SECTION XXXII I
The holy on e sa id .“
Now I w il l tell th ee th at ar t wi thout envy that
most myster ious knowledge along with experience . knowing which thou
wi lt be fre ed from ev il . This i s royal sci ence . a royal mystery . h ighlycleans ing . directly app rehensible . con sist e nt w ith the sacred l aws . ea sy to
pract ise. (and) imper i shabl e . Those p ersons. 0 ch ast iser of foes . who
have no fa i th in th i s sacred doctr ine . no t a tta in in g to me . return to the
path of th i s world that is subject to dest ruc t ion . This ent ire un i v erse
is pervaded by me in my unman ifes t form . Al l ent it ies a re in me . but I
do not res ide in t hem . Nor yet ar e a ll ent it i e s i n me . Behold my div inepower . Support ing a l l ent it ies and producing all en t it ies . myself dot h
not (yet) reside in ( those ) en t i t i es . As the great and ob iq u itio us atmos
phere always occupie th space . un derstand tha t al l e nt it i es resid e in me
in t h e same way .
’ Al l en t it ies . O son of Kun t i . at ta in to my nature a t
the close of a K a lpa , I crea te them a ga in a t the beginnin g of a K a lqm ,
‘
R egulat ing my own ( independent ) nature I creat e aga in and in this
whole ass emblage of ent it ies which is plas tic in consequence o f i ts
1 Th e commentators expla in th e word fire . th e ligh t. day . &c . . as
s evera l godhead s presidin g over pa rticular tim es —T.
2 Th e atmosph ere occupie s space without affecting it or i ts n ature .80 a l l th ings are in th e Supreme Bein g without affecting h im —T.
3 My nature . i .e. . th e unmanifest principle or primal essence .-T.
MAHABHARATA
subj ect io n to nature . 1 Those act s . howev er . 0 Dhananjaya . do not
fe t ter me who s it t e th as one unconce rne d . being una tt ached to those acts
(of creat ion ) . Through me . the ov er looker . pr im al nature produceth
the (un iv ers e of ) mobiles and immobile s . For the r eason . 0 son of
Kunt i . the un iverse passeth through it s rounds (of b irth and destruct ion ) . 2
Not knowing my supreme nature o f the great lord of al l en t i t ie s . i g n o
ran t people o f vain hope s . va in acts . vain knowledge . confo unded m inds .wedded to the de lusive nature o f Am m o and 3 0 7087561 80 8
. disregard me
(as one ) that hat h assumed a human body . Bu t hi gh-souled on es . 0 son
of Pri tha . possessed of d iv in e nature . and w ith mind s d irected to no thin g
e lse . worship me . knowing (me ) to be the or ig in of a l l ent i t ie s and u ndes
tructi b l e . A lways glo ri fyin g me . (or) st r iv ing wit h firm vows . (or)bowing down to me , with reverence and e v e r devoted . ( th ey ) worship
me .
3 Others again . performing the sacrifice of knowledge . worship me .
(some ) as one . (some ) as dis t inct . (some ) as pervad ing the un i v ers e . in
many forms. ‘ I am the Vedi c sacr ifice . I am the sacr ifice en joined in theSmri ti s
. I am Swadha . I am the med icamen t produced from h erbs I am
the man tra , I am t he sacr ificial l ibat ion . I - am the fir e . and I am the
( sacr ificia l ) o ffer ing .5I am the father of th i s univ erse . the mother . the
creator . grandsire ( I am ) th e th in g to be known . the m eans by which
everything i s cleansed . the syl lable 0 m , the R i k ,the S aman and t h e Yaj ua.
(I am ) the goal . t he supporter . th e lord . the on -looker . t h e abode . therefuge . the fr iend . t he source . the des truct ion . the support . t he recep
tacle ; and the undes truct ible seed . I g ive hea t . I produce and suspend
ra in I am immortal i ty . and also deat h and I am the ex isten t and the
non-exist en t. O Arjuna . They who know th e thre e branches o f know
led ge . also drink the S oma juice . and whose s ins hav e been cl eansed
worsh ipping me by sacr ifices . se ek admiss ion i nto h eaven ; and the se
at ta ining to th e sacred region of the chi ef of t he gods . enjoy i n heaven
the celest ial pleasure of t he gods . Hav i n g en joy ed tha t celestia l world
of vas t extent . upon exhaust ion of the ir mer i t th ey te-en te r the
mortal world . I t i s thus tha t they who accept the doc tr i n es of th e threeVedas and wish fo r obj ects of d esi res . obta in go ing and coming . Those
1 ‘P rakriti ’ which 1 render “ nature i s expla ined by th e comm en
tatora 3 9‘K arma
', the influence of ‘K arma
’ or action being universal i nsetting the form of a particu l ar entity at th e time of i ts creation —T.
2 Thi s rea son . i . e . . my supervi s ion . -T.
3 Sreedhara says that these are d ifi eren t modes of worship “ withreverence an d ever devoted” gram matica l l y refers to each of th e th reecl asses of worsh ippers indicated .
4 Performing the sacrifice of knowledge. i . e . . b elieving Vasudeva tob e everyth ing . In many form s. i .a . . as Brahman . R udra , etc .
—T.
5‘Man tra
'i s th e sacred verse or ver ses u sed for i nvokin g godh eads .
an d for oth er purposes.—T.
BHISHMA PAR VA
persons who . think ing (of me ) wi thou t direct ing the i r m inds to any th ing
else . worsh ip me . o f those who a r e t hus always devoted to meI make them gif ts and preserve what they have . Ev en those devotees
who . endued wi t h f a i th worsh i p ot he r godheads ev en they . 0 son of
Kunt i . worsh ip me alone . (though ) i rr egul a rly I am th e enjoyer . a s also
the lord . of a ll sacr ifices . They . howev er . do not know me truly hencethey fal l o ff ( from heaven ) . They who se vows are di rected to the P i tri s
atta in to the P i trs’
a ; who d i rect ( the i r ) worsh ip to the in fe rior spir i tscalled Bhutas a t ta in to Bhu tas they who worship me . at ta in even to myse l f . They who ofi
‘
er me with reverence . l e af . flower . f rui t . water—that
offered with re v erence . I accept from h im whose self i s pure . 2 Whatever thou do st . whateve r eate s t . whatev er dri n kest. wha t ev er g iv es t .whatever auster i t i es thou per fo rm est. manage i t in such a way . 0 son
of Kunti . th a t i t may be an off er in g to me . Thus mayst thou be
freed from the fet t ers of act ion having good an d evi l fr uits . W it hsel f endued wi th renunci ation and devo t ion . thou wi l t be r eleased and
wilt com e s to me . I am a l ik e to all crea ture s ther e i s none hate
ful to me . none dea r . Th ey . however . who wo rship m e with reverence
ar e in me and I a lso am in them . I f e ven a person of exceedin gly
wicked conduct worsh ippeth me . w ithout worsh i ppin g any on e
else . he should cer ta inly be re ga rded as good . for h i s efforts a re Welld i rected . (Such a person) soon becometh of v i r tuous soul . and atta i n e th
to e tern a l t ranqu il l i ty . Know . 0 son of Kunt i . tha t non e d e v o ted to me
is ever los t . For . 0 son o f Fri ths . even th ey who may be of sinful bir th .women . Vaisyas . and al so Sudras . even they . resort ing to m e . at ta in to
th e Suprem e goal . What th en (sh al l I say ) o f h ol y Brahmanas and sain ts
who are my dev otees ? Hav ing come to th is transient and m iserable
world . b e en gaged in my worship .
3 Fix thy m ind on m e be my devotee.
my worsh ipper bow to me and thus makin g me th y refuge and
apply ing thy se l f to abstr act ion . t hou wil t cer ta inly come to me .’
SECTION XXXIV
The holy one sa id .‘
Once more sti l l . 0 mi ghty-armed one . l isten to
my superna l words which . from des i re of (thy) good . I say unto t heethat wouldst be pleased (t h erewi th ) The hosts of gods know no t myorig in . nor the great R i shi s . since I am . in every way . the source o f the
gods and the g reat R i sh i s .
‘ He tha t knowe th me a s th e Supreme L ord of
1 Hen ce they have to come b ack . explains Sreedhara .-T .
2 ‘Prayatatm an as’
i s explain ed a s‘Suddhach i ttasya
'.—T.
3 ‘Iman lokan'(this morta l world) . Sreedhara says . m ay mean “ th isform of roya l sa int th at thou ha st.
"Th is i s far-fetched .
-T.
4 Telang renders ‘Param am’ ‘ excel lent
'Mr . J ohn Davies, a l l im .
portant'. Th e mean in g i s referring to th e ‘Supreme Soul
’
.-T.
5 Both Sankara an d Sreedh ara expla in ‘Sarvassas'as
“ in every way .
i . e . . as creator . as guide, eta—T.
MAHABHARATA
th e worlds . withou t bi r th and begin n ing . (he ) . undeluded among mortal s .
i s free from all s ins . Int e ll igence . knowledg e . t h e absence of delus ion . fo r
g iven ess. t ru th . se l f-re stra in t . and tranqu il l ity. pleasure . pa in . birth . dea th .
fear.and also secur ity . absten t ion from harm . ev enness o f m ind . conten t
m en t.ascet ic auster it ies . gift . fame . i n famy . these several a ttr ibutes
of creatures ar ise f rom me . The S even gr ea t R i cki e, the four Maharsh is
before (them ) . and the Manus . par tak in g o f my nature. were born from
my mind . of whom in t h is wor ld a r e the se o ffspr in gs.l He tha t
knoweth tru ly th is pr e-em inence and myst ic power o f m in e . becometh
possessed of unswerv ing devot ion Of th is ( ther e is) no doubt . I am the
orig in of al l thing s . from me al l things p roceed . Th inking thus . the
wi se . endued with my nature . worsh i p me .2 Their hearts on me . the ir
l ives devoted to me . i nst ructing one a no th er . and glo ry fy in g me they
are eve r contented and happy .
8 Unto th em always d evoted . andworshipping (me) with lov e . I g ive t ha t de v otion in th e form of
know ledge by which they come to me . 4 Of them . for compass ion's sake .
I de st roy the darkness born of ignorance . by the bri l l iant lamp of
knowledge . (my sel f) dwel l in g in the ir sou ls .’
“
Ar juna sa id .“
Thou ar t the Supreme Brahma . the Supreme abode .the hol ie st of th e holy . the e ternal mal e be ing Div i n e . th e Fir s t o f gods
Unborn . the Lord .
‘ A l l the R i shi s procla im the e thus . and also the
celest ia l R i shi Narada and As ita . Devala . (and ) Vyasa ; thyse lf a lsotel l est m e (so) . Al l this that t hou tel le st me . O Kesava . I regard as t rue
since . O holy one . ne i ther th e gods no r th e Danavas understand thy
mani fest at ion . Thou only knowe st thysel f by thyse l f . O best of male
Beings . O Creator of al l th ings . 0 Lord of a ll t h ings . O god o f gods ,O Lord of the Universe . i t b ehoveth the e to declar e without an y
reserva t ion . tho se d iv i ne per fection s of th ine by wh ich perfec tionspervad ing these worlds t hou ab idest . How shall I . ever med i ta t ing
.
know thee. O thou of mystic powers . in wha t par t icu lar s ta tesmays t thou . O holy one . be med itated upon by me Do t houagain . 0 Jan arddan a . copiousl y d eclare thy mystic powers and (thy )perfsctio n s. for I am never sat iat ed w ith h ear ing ( thy ) necta r-l ike
wo r s ;
1 ‘Prajas’
offspring , in c luding . as Sankara says. both mob i l e . an dimmob i l e . therefore . n ot man k i nd a lon e —T.
2 ‘Bh ava-samanwi tas'i s expla ined b y Sreedhara as
" fu l l of love .which K . T. Telan g accepts . San kara expl ai ns i t as “ endued with penetration i nto th e knowledge of the Supreme ob j ect” .
—T.
3 ‘Tityam’
. ever . i s conn ected with what follows an d n ot whatprecedes . Thus Sreedhara . Mr . Davies connects i t with K ath ayan tas.—T.
4 K . T. Telan g renders ‘buddhi-yogam'as know l edge Mr . Davies . as
men ta l devotion an d Sankara .
"devotion by speci a l insight." -T.
5 To know th ee ful l y i s imposs ibl e . In what particul ar forms or
m an ifestation s . therefore . sha l l I th in k of than ‘
2 Th e word Bhava i n thesecond l ine i s rendered “
entities" by K . T. Te lan g .an d"form of being" byMr . Davies.—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
The ho lyb n e sa id .—'Well . un to the e I wil l dec lare my div ine per
fection s. by means of the pr inc ipa l ones (among th em ) . 0 chief of the
Kurti s . for there is no end to the exte n t o f my (perfectio n s) .l I am the
soul , 0 t hou of curly hai r . seat ed i n t he hear t of e v ery be ing . I am the
beg inning . and the m iddle . and t h e end also of al l be ings . I am Vishnu
among the Adityas . the resple ndent Sun among all l uminous bod iesI am Marichi among t he Ma ru ts . and the Moon among cons tell a tions . 2
I am the Sama Veda among t he Vedas I am Vasava among the gods I
am the mind among the senses ; I am the in tel lec t in (l iv ing) be ings . I am
Sankara among the R udra s . th e lord of t reasures among the Yukshas and
the Rakshasas I am Pavaka among th e Vasus. and Me ru among the peaked
(mounta ins) . Kn ow me . O son of Pri tha . t o be Vrihaspati . th e chie f of
househo ld pr i ests . I a i n Skanda among commanders o f forces . I am
Ocean among receptacl es of water . I am Bhri gu among the grea t R ishis.I am the One . undestructibl e (sy llabl e Om ) a m ong words . Of sacrificesI am the Japa-sacrifice .
‘ Of immobi le s I am the Hi mavat . I am the figtree among al l tr ees. I am Narada among the celest ia l R ishis. I am
Chi traratha among the Gandharvas . an d the asce t ic Kapi l a amon g asce t icscrowned with Yoga success . Know me t o be U chcha i sravas among
horses . brought forth by ( the churn ing for ) nectar . Ai rav ata amongpr ince ly e le phants . and the king amon g men . Among weapons I am the
thunderbol t . among cow s I am (she called) Kamadhuk . I am Kandarpa
the cause of re product ion . I am Vasuki among se rpents . 5 I am Anan taamong Nagas . I am Varuna amon g acquatic beings . I am Aryaman
among the Pi tris . and Yama among those tha t j udge and pun ish .
6 I am
Prahl ada among the Da ityas, and T i me among th ings that coun t . I amthe lion amon g the beast s . and Vi na t a
’
s son amon g wing ed creatures .
1 ‘Vi starasya’
evidently refers (as expla ined b y all the commentators)to Vi b huti n am . It i s a question of grammar an d n ot of doctrine thatth ere can b e any d ifference of Opinion . Mr. Davies . however . renders i t “ of
(m y ) greatnes s ."
This i s i naccurate . —T.
2 Th e Aditya s are th e solar deitie s . twelve in numb er . correspondingto th e twelve month s of the year . The Maruts are th e wind-gods. whosech ief i s Marich i .—T.
3 Th e R udras are a class of destructive gods . eleven in numb er. Th e
Vasus are an inferior class of deities . eight i n num b er . Th e l ord of treasuresi s K uvera .
—T.
4 The J apa-sacrifice i s th e sacrifice b y meditation which i s superior toal l sacr ifices .
—T.
5 ‘Kamadhuk .
’
the wi sh-g iving cow ca l led Surab h i . The cause of reproduction . i .a. . I am n ot th e mere carna l pa s s ion . but that pa ssion wh ichprocreates or i s crowned with fruit. -T.
6 In 28 . Vasuki i s ca l led the chief of the ‘Sarpas'
(serpents) ; in 29Anan ta i s spoken of a s th e ch ief of th e Nagas . Th e latter are Sarpas as wel l .Sreedhara says that th e d istinction l i es in th e fact of the Naga b eing without poison . Th is i s hardly correct—T.
MAHABHARATA
Of pur ifiers I am the wind . I am R ama amon g wield ers of weapons . I
am the Makara among fishes . a nd I am Iah n av i (Ganga ) amo ng stre ams . lOf crea ted th ing s I am the beg inn in g and the en d and also the middl e .
0 Arj una . I am the knowledg e of Supreme Spiri t among all k inds ofknowledge . and the d isputat ion among d isputants .
’ Among a ll le t te r s I
am the letter A . and (the compound cal led) Dwanda amon g a ll compounds . I am also Time Eterna l . and I am the Orda in er w i th face
turned on every s ide . 3 I am Death that se i z eth a ll . a nd the source of a ll .t hat i s to be . Among femal es . I a m Fame . Fortune . Speech . Memo ry .
Intelli gence.Constancy . Forg iv eness . Of the Sama hymns . I am the
Vrihat-sama and Gayatri among metr es. Of th e mont h s . I am Marg asirsha .
of the seasons (I am ) that wh ich i s produc t iv e of flowers .
4 I am the
game of d ice of them that chea t . and the sple ndour of those t ha t a resplendid . I am Victo ry . I am Exert ion . I am the goodne ss o f the good .
I am Vasudeva among t h e Vr i shn i s. I am Dhananjaya among th e son s of
Pandu . I am even Vyasa among the asce t ic s . and U san as among seers .
I am the R od of th o se tha t chast i se . I a m the Po l icy of t hose that seek
v ictory . (I am silence amon g tha t are secre t .) I am the Knowl edge ofthose th a t are possessed of Knowledge . Tha t which is the Seed o f a ll
t h ings . I am that . O Ar juna . Ther e is not h ing mobile o r immobi l e .
which ca n exist w ithou t me . There i s no end . O chast i se r of foes . of
my d iv ine perfect ion s. Th i s r ecita l of t he exten t o f ( those) perfect ions
hath been ut tered by me by way (on ly) o f i nstanc ing t hem . Whatevero f exal te d th ings (there i s) o r g lo r ious . or st rong . underst and thou t hat
every th ing i s born of a port ion of my ener gy . Or ra th er . wha t hast
t hou to do . by knowing a ll th i s in detai l . O Ar j una Suppor ti ng t h isent i r e uni v erse w ith only a por t ion (of myse l f) . I s ta nd .
“
I ‘Pavatam'may a l so mean “ of those that have motion .
"R ama i s
Dasaratha’
s son . th e h ero o f Va lm ik i ’s poem . Ganga i s ca l led J ahn avibecause sh e was . after h avin g b een drun k up . l et out b y th e a scetic J ahn uth rough h i s knee —T.
2 Mr. Davies renders Veda s ‘Pravadatam'a s
“ th e Speech hf those thatspeak . K . T. Telang ren der s i t “ th e argum ent o f controver sia l i sts .
”—T.
3 A'. or rather th e soun d of A as in fu l l . i s th e i n itia l letter of th e
Sanskr it a lphab et . Of com pounds . th e Dwanda . or the copulative com pound .i s en umerated first. In oth er respects a ga in . th e Dwan da i s th e best k indof compound for th e words form ing i t are cc-ordin ate . without on e be in gdependen t on th e other or others.
—T.
4 The ‘Vr i hat-saman'i s sa id to b e th e best, b ecause i t lead s to emane i
pa ti on at on ce . Thus Sankara . Th e ‘Margasi r sha’
i s th e month "from th e
middle o f Feb ruary to the middle of March . P roductive of flowers , i . e . . theSpr ing .
—T .
5 Mr . Davies renders th e last l ine of this verse as “ I h ave e stablish edin contin uan ce a l l thi s universe b y on e part my self .
"Th i s i s both ob scure
an d inaccurate—T.
Ar j una sa id .‘I behold al l the gods . O God . as also al l the var ied
hosts of creatures. (and) Brahman sea t ed on (his) lotus seat . and all
th e R ishi s and the celest ia l snakes . I b eho ld The e with innumerable
arms.stomachs
.mouths
. (a nd) eyes . on e v ery s ide . 0 thou of infin i te
fo rms.Nei t her end n o r middl e . no r also beg i nn in g of thi n e do I
behold.O Lord of th e un iverse . 0 thou of universa l form . Bearing
(thy) diadem .mace
.and d iscus . a mass of e nergy . glowing on al l s ides. do
I behold th ee tha t a r t hard to look at . endued on al l s ides with the
efiu l g ence o f the blazing fir e o r t he Sun . (and ) immeasurabl e . Thou
ar t indest ructibl e . (and ) the Supreme obj ect o f th i s un iverse . Thou ar t
without decay . the guard ian o f eternal v ir tue . I regard thee to be the
e ternal (male) Be ing . I behol d thee t o be withou t beginn ing . mean .
end . to be of i nfin i te prowess . of inn umerable a rms . having th e Sun and
the Moon for thy eyes . th e blaz ing fire for t hy mouth . and hea t ing th is
u niverse wit h energy of thy own . For th e space betwixt Heaven and
E ar th is perv aded by Thee alone . as al so a ll th e poin t s of th e hor iz on .
At sight of th i s marv e l lous and fie rce form of th in e , O Supreme So n ] .
t h e t r iple wor ld tremble th . For thes e hosts o f gods are en te r ing the e .
Some . afraid . are prayin g with jo i ned han ds . Say ing Ha i l to Thee—thehosts of great R ishi s and S iddhas pra ise Th ee wi th copious hymns of
praise . 1 The R udras . the Adityas . th e Vasus. they thaffml cal led) theSiddhas . the V i swas. the Aswi n s. the Maruts . a lso th e U s mapas . the
Gandharvas . t he Yakshas . t he Asura s . the hosts of S iddhy as. behold
Thee and are al l amazed . Beholding Thy mighty form with many mouths
and eyes . O mighty-armed one . wi th innumerable arm s . th i ghs and fee t .
many stomachs . (and ) t er r ible in consequence of many tusks . al l
creatures ar e fr igh tened and I also . Inde ed . touch in g the v ery skies. of
blazing rad iance . many-hued . mouth wide open . wi th ey es tha t are
blazing and large . behold ing thee . O Vi shnu . with (my) i n ner soul
trembling ( in fr ight ) . I can no longer command courage and peace of
m ind . Behold in g thy mouths that are te r r ible in consequence of
( th e ir) tusks . and that ar e fi erce (as the all-destroy ing fire a t the end of
the Yuga ) . I can not recognise th e po ints of th e horizo n n o r can I
command peace of mind . Be grac ious . O God of gods . O thou that ar tth e refug e of th e Un iverse . An d a ll these sons of Dhr i t arashtra .togethe r wi th the hosts o f k ings . and Bhishm a . and Drona . and also th is
Suta’
s so n (Karna ) . accompanied by ev en the pr incipal warr iors of our
s ide . ar e qu ickly enter in g thy terr ible mouths rendered fierce by thy
tusks . Some . wi th t hei r head s crushed . are seen str ikin g at thei nterst ices of ( thy ) teeth . As many curren ts of wa te r flowing t hrough
1 Verse 21 i s read d ifferently . For ‘Twam Sura san g ha .
’
some texts read‘twa-Asurasan g has .
’
Then aga in for ‘Stuvan ti’
in th e second l ine some readVikah afieo
‘_To
BHISHMA PARVA
diff eren t channe ls rol l r apidly towards the ocean . so thes e heroes of the
world of men ente r thy mouths t hat flame al l around . As moths w i th
increasin g speed rush for ( th e ir own ),
destruction to the blazing fire . so
also do ( t h ese) people . wit h unceasin g speed . enter thy mouths for
( th eir) destruction . Swal lowing al l th ese m en from every s ide . thou
l ickest them with thy flaming mouths . Fil l ing th e whole uni v erse with
( thy) energy . thy fierce splendours . O Vi shnu . are h eat ing (every
th in g ) . Tel l m e who t hou ar t of (such ) fie rce form . I b ow to t hee . O
ch ief of the gods . be grac io us to me . I d esire t o kn ch v thee that art
the Pr imeva l one . I do not understand t hy act ion .
“
The holy one said . I am Death . the de§troy er of the worlds . ful ly
deve loped . I am n ow engaged in slay in g the race of men . W i thou t theeall th e se war r i o rs s tand ing i n the d i fferent div isions shal l cease to b e .
2
Where fore . arise . gain glory . (and) vanqui sh ing the foe , enjoy ( this)swel l ing kingdom . By me hav e all these been al ready sla in . Be only (my)i nst rument . 0 than that can
'st draw the bow with (even) the left hand .
Drona and Bh i shma . and Jay adratha . and Karna . and also oth er heroic
warr iors . ( alr eady ) sla in by me . do thou sl ay . Be not d ismayed . fight
thou shal t conquer in bat t le ( thy) foes ."
San jaya cont inued—"Hearing thes e words of Kesava . the diadem
decked (Ar jun a) . t rembling . (and) with joined-hands . bowed (unto h im )and once more sa id unto Kr ishna . with voice choked up and overwhelm
ed with fear . and making his sa lutat ions (to him ) ."Arjuna sa id .
“
It i s m eet . Hri sh ikesa . t hat the un iverse is de ligh tedand charmed in u t ter ing thy pra ise . and the R akshasas fl ee i n fear in al l
d i rect ions . an d the host s o f the S i ddhas b ow down ( to t hee) . An d why
shoud they not bow down to thee . O Supreme Soul . tha t ar e grea t er
than even Bra hman (h imself) . a nd the pr imal cause O thou that artInfinite . O God of th e gods . O thou that a r t the refuge of the un iverse .t hou ar t indestructible . thou ar t that which 58 . and that wh ich i s not and
that which is beyond (both) . Thou art the First God . th e ancien t
(male ) Be in g . thou art the Supreme r efuge of th is un ivers e . Thou art t h eKnower . thou art the Obj ect to be known . thou ar t the h igh est abode .
1 ‘Pravri tti'i s expla ined b y both San kara an d Sreedhara as
‘Ohesta,
’
i .e . . movem en ts or acts . Mr . Davies i s . I thin k . n ot correct in tak in g i tto mean “
evolved or developed form .
"
2 ‘Kala' here i s death . Mr Davi es renders i t Time , followin g some
oth er tran slators .
‘ Pravri ddha i s n ot (as Mr . Davi es ren ders i t) "o ld
" or“ very o ld .
”
but swell in g or fu lly developed . Th en aga in . Mr . Davies cem
mits a l udicrous b lun der in renderin g 'R ite twam'a s
"E xcept thee .”
Th isi s fin e of those idioms at w h ich a fo reign er i s sure to stumble wh o was on l ythe l exicons for h i s guide . What K ri sh n a says i s n ot th at a l l would peri shsave Arjuna . but that without Arjuna i . e . . sven i i he di d not fight a l l
MAHABHARATA
By thee i s per v aded this un iverse . 0 thou of infin i t e form .
1 Thou art
Vayu . Yama . Agn i . Varuna . Moon . Praj apat i . and Grandsire . Obe isan ce
be to thee a thousand tim es . and again and ye t again Obe isance to thee .
Obe isance to thee in front . and also f rom beh ind . L et ob esiance be
to thee from every s ide . O thou tha t a r t a l l . Thou art a l l . of energy
that is infini te . and prowess tha t i s immeasurable . Thou embracest the
Al l . R egard ing (thee ) a fr i end whatever hath been said by m e care
lessly.such as—O Krishna . O Yadava . O friend .
—not knowing th is thy
greatness . from want of judgm en t or from love e i ther . whatever
disrespect hath been shown thee for purpose o f m irth , on occas ions o f
play.ly ing . si tt i ng . (or) at meals . wh ile a lone or i n the presence of o th ers .
O undeteriora ting on e . I beg th y pa rdon for i t . tha t a rt immea surabl e .
Thou art the fa ther of t his un iverse of mobi les and immobiles . Thou
art the great maste r deserving of worship . There is none equal to thee .how can t h ere be one g reate r O thou who se power i s unparalle l led i n
ev en three worlds ?2 Therefo re bowin g ( to thee ) prostrat ing (my )body . I ask thy grace . O L ord . 0 ado rabl e one . I t b eho veth thee . O
God . to bear (my fau l ts) as a fa ther (h is) son's . a fr i end (his) fr i end
’
s . a
lover (hi s) loved one’
s . Behold ing (thy ) form (unseen ) b efore . I have
been joyful . (yet) my mind hath bee n tro ubled . with fear . Show me
that (other o rdinary ) form . 0 God . Be g rac ious . O Lord of th e g ods .O thou that ar t th e refuge of the un ivers e . (Decked) i n diad em . and
(armed) with m a’
ce . d iscus i n hand . as before . I des i re to behold thee .
Be of that sam e four-arm ed form . O thou of a thousand arms . thou of
unive r sal form .
’
"The holy one sa id .
“
Pleased with t hee . O Arjuna . I have . by my
(own) myst ic powe r . shown thee th is Supreme form . ful l o f glory .
Univ ersal . Infinite . Primeval . which hath been seen befo re by none
save thee . Except by thee alo ne . hero of Kuru’
s race . I canno t be
seen in this form in the world of men by any one el se . (aided) e v en b yth e study o f the Vedas and of sacr ifices . by g ift s . by act ions . (or) by the
severest auster it ies . 3 Let no fear be thine . nor pe rplex i ty
see in g th is awful form of m ine . Freed from fear with a joyfu l hea r t.
t hou again see Me assuming th at other form .
’
San jaya con t inued—"
Va sudev a . hav in g sa id al l th is to Arjuna . oncemore showed (h im) his own (or d inary ) for m . and tha t hi gh-souled one .assum ing once more (his) gentle fo rm . comfor ted h im who had been
afflic ted .
”
1 ‘Nidhan am i s either refuge or support or abode or respectab le . Mr .
Davies incorrectly renders i t “treasure-house .
"—T.
2 Sankara accepts the reading ‘Gururg ariyan .
’
Sreedhara takes i t‘Gururgarryan .
’
In either case the d ifference in meaning i s n ot materia l3 Sankara connects “Adhyayan a
'with Veda an d Yajna . Thi s seemsbe ri ght explanation .
- T.
BHISHMA PARVA
Arj una said .‘
Beholding this g entle human form of thine . O
Jan arddan a .I have n ow become of r i ght m ind and hav e come to my
no rmal state .“The holy one sa id .
‘
This form of m ine which th ou ha st se en is dimcult o f being seen . Even the gods are always des irous o f becomin g
spect ators of th i s (my ) form . Not by the Vedas . nor by austeri t ies . nor
by gif ts . nor by sacr ifices . can I be seen in this form of mine wh ich thou
hast seen . By r e v erence . however. that i s exclusi v e ( i n i ts obj ects) . 0
Arjuna . I can in this form be known . seen truly . and a tta ine d to. O
chast i se r o f f o es . He who doth ev eryth in g fo r me . who hath me for
his supreme obj ect . who is f reed from attachment . who i s w i thout
i ty towards al l be ing s . even he . O Arj una . com eth to me .'
SE CTION XXXVI‘
Ar juna sa id .‘
Of those worsh ippe rs who . co n stan tl
and those who (med itate ) on thee a s the Imm u
who are bes t acq
The ho ly one tha t con stan tly
a re deemed by
worsh ip the Immu t
able . the Unmanif est . the A l l -pervad ing . the Inconce ivable . the
Ind iffer en t . the Immutable . th e E ter nal . who , restrain ing the ent ire
group of the se nses . are equal-minded in re spect o f al l around and are
engaged in the good of al l creatures . (a lso) at ta in to me . The t r ouble
is the great er for t hose whose m ind s a re fixed on the Unman ifest for
th e path to the Unman ifes t i s h ard to fin d by those that are embodied .
They (again) who . r eposing al l act ion on me (and) regarding me as the i rhighest obj ect (of a tta inm ent), worsh ip me . medita t in g on me with
devot io n undirec ted to any thing else . of them whose minds are ( thus)fixed on m e . I , withou t de l ay . become the del iv erer from the oce an of
(thi s) mortal world . F ix thy h ear t on me alone , place thy un derstand .
ing on me . Hereafte r then shal t thou dwel l in m e . (There is ) no deub t
( in th is) .
1 If however . thou ar t unable to fix thy heart s teadi ly on me.
then . O Dhananjaya . str ive to obtain me by devo t ion ( ar is ing ) f romcontinuous appl icat ion . If t hou bee st unequal to even ( th is) cont i
nuous app l icat ion . then le t act ion s performed for me be thy highest aim .
Eve n performing al l thy acts for my sake . thou wilt obta in perfect ion .
If even this thou ar t unable to do . th en resor t ing to devot ion in me .
(an d) subduing thy soul . abandon the f ru i t of a l l acri on s. Knowledge i s
super ior to appl icat ion ( i n d evotion ) . med itat ion 18 better than know .
ledge the abandonment of the fru i t of reaction ( i s bet te r ) than medi ta
Mr . Daviesl l
t ion and tranquil l i ty (resul ts) i mmediately from abandonmen t . He
who h a t h no hatr ed for any crea ture . who i s fr iend ly and compassionate
also . who is free from egoism . who hath no van i ty . a ttachment . who i s
al ike i n pleasure and pa in . who i s forg iv ing . conten ted . a lways devoted .of subdued
.soul . firm of purpose . with hear t and understanding fixed on
me . even he is cl ear to me . He through whom the world i s not t roubled .
(and ) who i s not troubled by the world . who is f ree from joy , wrath . fea r
and anxie ties.even h e is dear to me . That de vote e o f m ine who is
unconcerned , pure . d il i gen t . unconnected (with worldly ob ject s) . and
free from distress (o f m ind) . and who ren o u n ce th every action (fo r
fru it) . even h e is dear to me .1 He who hath no joy . no av ersion , who
ne i ther grieve th nor desi re th . who ren o u nceth both good and e v il . (and )
who i s full of fa i th in me , even h e i s dear t o me . He who is al ike to
fr iend an d fo e . as a lso in honour and d ishonour . who i s a l ike in co ld and
heat . (and pleasure and pain ) . who i s free from attachme n t . to whom
censure and praise are equal . who i s taciturn . who i s conten ted with
anything that cometh (to h im) . who i s hom eless . of steady mind an d ful l
of fa ith . even that man i s dea r to m e . Th ey who resort to t h is
r igh teousness ( leading to) immor tal ity which hath be en (already )declar ed . - those devotee s full of fa i th and rega rd ing me a s the h ighes t
object (of the i r acqui s it ion ) are'
the deares t to me .
’
SE CTION XXXVI I
The holy one said . Th is body . 0 son of Kunti . i s called K shetra .
Him who knowe th i t . the learned cal l K shetrajn a .
2 Know me , O Bhara ta .to be K shetras. The knowledge of K shetra and K shetraj na I r egard to be
(true) knowledge . What tha t K shetra (is) . and wha t (i t i s) l ike. and
what ch an ge s i t undergoe s . an d whence (i t com es) . what i s he (viz . ,Kshetrajn a) . and wha t h is powers are . hear from me in br ief . Al l th is hath
in many ways been sung sepa ra te ly . by R ish i s in var ious v erses . i n wel lsettled texts f raught wi th re a son and giving indicat ions o f Brahman .
The grea t e l ements. ego ism . i n t el lec t. the unman ifes t (vi z . , Prakriti) , also
th e ten senses . the one (manas) . the fiv e objects of sense . desi re .av ers ion . pleasure . pain . body . consc iousn ess . courage . - all this i n br ie f
hath been decla red to be K shetm i n i t s modified form . Absence o f
1 Although th e l imitation “ for fruit" does n ot occur in th e text. yet. i ti s eviden t. i t shou l d b e understood . K r ish n a does n ot recommend th e totalaban donmen t of action s , b ut a bandonment for their fruit. Mr Davies renders aram b ha as “ en terprise ."
2 Th e learned . i . e . . th ey that are th emselves acqua inted with i s K shatraan d what n ot. As expla ined b y K ri shn a h im self below. K shatra i s Matter .an d K shatrajn a i s Sou l .—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
van i ty . absence of ostenta t ion , abs tent ion f rom injury . forgiv en ess.uprightness . devo t ion to preceptor . pur i ty . constancy. sel f-rest ra in t .
in d ifi erence to objects of sense. absence of ego ism . percept ion of themisery and ev il of birth . death, decrepitude and d i s ease . 1 freedom from
attachment . absence of sympathy fo r son . w ife . home . and th e rest . and
constan t equanim i ty of hea r t on atta inmen t of goo d and e v il . un swerv
in g d evot ion to me wi thou t m ed itat io n on anyth ing e l se . frequen t ing of
lon ely places . distas te for concourse of men .2 con stancy in the know
ledge o f the r e la tion of the individual se lf to the supreme . percept ion
of the obj ect o f the knowledg e o f truth . - al l th is is cal led Knowledge
al l t hat which i s con trary to thi s is Ignorance .
3 That wh ich is the
object of knowledge I will (now ) declar e (to thee ) . knowing which oneobta ineth immortal ity . ! I t is] the Suprem e Brahma hav ing no beg i nn ing .who is sa id to be ne i th er exi st en t nor non-exist ent whose hands and
fee t are on al l side s , whose eyes . heads and fac e s a re on al l s ides , who
dwells pervading everyth ing in the world . who i s possessed o f al l th e
qual it ie s of the senses (though ) devoid of th e sense s , W ithout a t tachment
( yet ) susta in in g al l th in g s . wit hout attr ibutes (yet) en joy ing (a) al la ttr ibutes}; wit hout an d with in a ll creatur es . immobile and mobile . not
knowable because of (his) subt le ty . remot e y et near . undistr ibuted in
al l be ings. (yet ) remain ing a s i t dist ribu ted . who i s the sus ta in er of (al l)beings
,the absorber and the crea tor (of all) ; who i s the l ight of all
l uminous bodies , who i s sa id to be beyond all darkness who is knowledge .th e Ob jec t of knowledge , the E nd of k n owledge and seated i n the heart s
o f al l . Thus K shetm ,and Knowledg e . and the Object of Knowledge .
have been declared (to t h ee) in br i ef . My devote e . knowin g (al l) this .
becomes one in spir i t with me . Know that Nature and Spir i t ar e
both without beg i nn ing (and) know (also) that al l mbdification s and allqual i t ies spr ing f rom Na ture . 5 Nature i s said to be the source of t h e
capacity of enjoy ing pleasure s and pa ins .‘5 For Spi r i t . dwel ling in nature
1 ‘Du skha -dosh a’
i s expla ined b y both San kara an d Sreedhara as a
Dwanda compound .-T.
2 Vivi kta i s exp la in ed b y th e commen tator s a s‘Suddha
'or ‘Ch i ttaprasa
dakara .
’
Th ere ean b e no doub t. however , th at i t i s in Oppo sl tl on to‘J an asam sadi
’ followi n g . Hen ce I render i t “ lonely
3 Th e ob ject of the knowledge of truth i s th e di spellin g of ignorancean d th e acqu i sti on o f h appiness .
—T.
4 Nor havin g eyes . etc . ; y et seeing . etc without attribute s , y et
having or en joying a l l that th e attributes g ive—T .
5 Al l modification s . i .s . ,o f materia l fo rm s ; a l l qua l ities, l .a . , p lea sure .
pain . etc . Th e word ren dered “n ature
”
i s P rakr iti (primal matter) . an dthat ren dered “ Spirit" i s Pu ru sha th e active prin ciple) . Vikarna. an d
Gunan in clude a l l materia l form s an d attrib u te s of th e soul .—T .
6 Karya-karana-karttri twa i s expla ined b y b oth Sankara an d Sreedhara
to mean “th e capacity of work in g (residing) in th e body an d the senses.
"
la MAHABHAR ATA
en joyeth th e qual i t i es born of Nature . The cause of its b i r ths in good o r
ev i l wombs is ( i t s) connec tion with the qual it ies .1 The Supreme Pa rm ha
in thi s body is sa id to be surveyor . approv e r . support er . enjoyer .
t he m ighty lord.and also t he Suprnm e Soul . 2 He who thus knows
Spiri t.and Nature . with the qual i t i e s . in wha tever s tate h e may be . i s
never born again . Som e by meditat ion behold the se lf in the Sel f by the
self othe r s by dev ot ion accord in g to t he S an khya system and o thers
(aga in) . by d evot ion thro ugh works . Other s y et not kn owm g this .worship
.hear ing of i t from others . E v en t hese . devoted to what i s
h eard.cros s over death .
3 Whateve r en ti ty . immobile or mobi l e . cometh
i n to existence . know that . O hu l l of Bhar a ta’
s race . to be from the
connectio n of K abcam and K shetmj n a (matter an d spir i t) . He seeth th e
Supreme L ord dwel l in g al ike i n all b ein g s . th e Imper ish able in the
Per i shable . For see in g the L or d dwell ing al ike everywh ere , one do thnot d estroy ‘ himself by himse lf . and then reacheth the h i ghest goal .'He se eth (truly) who se e th a l l action s to be wrought by natu re alone in
every way and the se l f l ik ewi se to be no t th e doer . When one seeth
the d i v ers ity o f entit i es a s exi st ing in o ne . and the i ssue (ev eryth in g)from that (One) . then is one sa id to a t ta in to Brahma , This i n ex hau s
t ible Supr eme Sel f . O son of Kunt i . being w ithout beg inn in g and without
attr ibutes . doth not act . nor is s ta ined even when sta t ioned in the body .
As space . which i s ubiqui to us . i s n ever , in consequence of i t s subtle ty
t a inted . so the soul . sta t ioned in e very body . 1 8 neve r ta in ted .
5 As the
single Sun l igh ts up th e entire wor ld , so the Spir i t . 0 Bhara ta . l ights up
the ent ire (sphere of) matters . They tha t . by t h e ey e of knowledge .know t h e d ist inct io n between mat ter and spi r i t . and th e del iverance
f rom the nature of al l en t it ie s . at ta in to the Supreme . 6
K .T. Telan g adOpts th i s . Mr . Davies in hi s text h a s ‘ in th e activity of th eorgans of action . ” In cour se of h i s ph i lolog ica l n otes . however , h e g ivesthe co rrect renderin g .
‘ I s sa id to b e ‘
i s expla in ed b y Sreedhara. a s referr in gto K api la an d others —T.
1 I t i s th e emb odied spirit on ly that can enj oy th e qua l ities of Nature .Th en aga in . th e kind o f co n nection i t h as with those qua l ities settles i tsb irth i n good or evil womb s—T.
2 Mr . Davies mi sunderstand s the grammatica l connection of th e wordsi n the second l ine of th i s verse . K
.T. Telang . fo l lowing Sreedhara .says .
th e word shou ld b e rendered “approver -T.
3 Wh at i s h eard . i .e .,th e Sruti s or th e sacred doctrines .
—T .
4 Destroying self b y self i s to b e deprived of true knowledg e . T.
5 Sarvatra in the secon d l in e i s exp la ined b y Sreedhara a s“ in every
body , super1 or an d infer ior.”
Gramm a tica lly it m ay mean a l so.
“ in everypart of th e body . Such a th eory . however , of th e
’
seat of th e soul wouldb e contrary to a l l Hin du ideas—T .
6 ‘Bhuta -P rakriti-m oksha' i s expla i n ed b y both Sankara an d Sreedharaas
“
mok sh a'or del 1veran ce from th e prakriti (n ature) of
‘b hu ta s'or
‘en tities’
.
I t 1 8 true kn o wledg e t hat effects su ch de l iverance . Mr . Davies render s i tt‘de l iveran ce of b e in gs from Na ture .
"
Th i s i s evidently i n correct. ”Bein g s”
i s n ot synonymous wi th self or sou l ._T.
delusion . and also ignorance . Th ey that dwel l in Goodness go on high
they th at are add ict ed to Pa ssio n dwel l i n th e midd l e (while) they tha t
a r e o f Darkness.being add icted to the lowes t qual ity . go down . When
an obse rver recogni ses n one e lse to be an agent save the qual it i e s . an d
knows that wh ich is beyond (t h e qual it ie s) . he atta in eth to my n ature .
The E mbodied !Soul] . by transcending these th re e qual i t ie s which
const itute the source of a ll bod ies . en jo yeth immortal ity . be ing freed
from birt h . death . decrepi tude . and misery .
"
“
Arjuna said .‘What a r e i ndica t ions . O L ord . of one who hath
transcended these th re e qual it ies ? Wha t is h is conduct ? How also
do th one t ranscend t hese t hree qual it i es"Th e holy one sa id .
‘
He who hath no av ers io n for l igh t . activ i ty .and even delusion . O son of Pandu . when they are presen t . nor d esireth
them when they are absen t .2 who . sea ted as one unconcerned . i s no t
shaken by those qual it i es who s i tte th and moveth not . thinkin g t hat i t
is the qual i t ie s (and n ot he ) tha t a r e eng aged ( i n the i r respectiv e
funct ions) to whom pa in and pleasure a re al ike who is s elf-con ta ined .
and to whom a sod of ea r th . a ston e . and gold a re al ike to whom the
agreeabl e and the di sagreeabl e a re t he same who hat h d iscernmen t t o
whom censure and pra i s e a re the same to whom honour and dishonour
are the same who r egardeth fr i end and foe al ike who hath renounced
a ll exer tion—i s sa id to hav e t ranscended the quali t ie s . He also who
worsh ippeth Me with exclusive d evot ion . h e . t ranscendin g those
qualit ies. b ecome th fit for adm iss ion in to t he na tur e of Bra hm a, For I
am the stay o f Brahma , of immor ta l i ty . of u ndestru ctib i l i ty . o f e ternal
pi ety . and of unbroken fe l ici ty .
’ 3
SECTION XXXIX
Th e holy one sa id .
‘
Th ey say that th e Aswattha , h aving i ts roots
above and branches below . i s e te rnal . i ts l eaves are th e Chhandas , He who
knoweth it . knowe th the Vedas .
‘ Downward s and upwards are str etched
1‘Deha sam udb hava
'i s expla in ed b y th e commen tators a s having th eir
“sam udb hava or par in am a in deha .
"I t i s an in stance o f th e '
vahuvr i h i'com
pound—T.
2 L ig ht, activity . and delu sion are th e th ree qua liti es as i ndicated bytheir effects—T.
3 ‘Prati shth a'i s expla ined by Sankara a s
“something on which another
(here Bra hma ) stay s or re sts"
. Sreedh ara expla ins i t a s Pratima . Telangfo l lowing Sreedh ara , renders i t “ em b odiment”
Mr . Davies . as“seat.
”
‘Am r i tasy a'an d ‘Avy aya sy a
'are taken separately b y th e commentator s—T.
4 Th e ‘Aswattha'i s th e sacred Indian fig tree . here emblematica l of the
course of wordl y l ife . Its roots are ab ove those roots are th e SupremeBeing . I ts b ranches are b elow . these b e i n g th e in ferior deities . I ts leavesare th e sacred hym ns of th e Veda s . i . . e . .
as leaves keep th e tree a l ive'
an d
even conduce to i t s fruits, so th e Vedas support this tree an d lead to
sa lvation .-T.
BHISHMA PARVA
i ts branches wh ich are en larged by the qual it ies ; i ts sprouts are the
objec ts o f senses . Downwards i ts roots . leading to action . are extended
to th is world of men .
1 Its form cannot here (below) be thus known .nor (i ts) end . nor (i ts) be g inning . nor (i ts) support . Cut t ing . wi th t h e
hard weapon of unconcern . thi s Aswattha of root s firmly fixed . then
should one seek fo r th at place repair i ng wh ithe r one ret urneth not again
(thinkin g)—I wil l seek the protection of t hat pr ime val Si te f rom whom
the ancient course of (worldly) l if e hath flowed—Those that are f ree
from pr ide and delusion . that hav e subdued the ev i l of a ttachment . that
are steady in the contempla tion of the re la tion of the Suprem e to the
ind iv idual S e lf . from whom desi re hath departed , fr eed from t h e pairs
of opposi t es known by th e n am es of plea sure and pa in (and th e l ike) .repai r . undelude d . to
‘
that e terna l sea t . Th e Su n l ighte th not That
!Sea t] , nor th e Moon . nor Fire . Whi t her goin g non e re turne t h .tha t
is my Supreme Se a t . An e ternal port ion of Me i s tha t which . becom in g
an ind iv idua l soul in the worl d o f l ife . draweth to i tsel f t h e (fiv e) senses
with the m ind as t he s ix th wh ich all depend on Nature . When thesove re ign (of thi s bodi ly fram e) assum e th or qu i te th (a ) body . i t
depar teth tak in g away these . l ik e th e wind (taking away) perfumesfrom t h ei r seats . Pres id ing over the ear . t h e eye , (the organs of) touch .tas t e . and smell . and also over the mind . he en joy e th a ll obj ects o f senses .They that are d eluded do no t see (him ) when quit t ing or abid ing in
(t he body ) . when enjoy ing or join ed to th e qual i t ies . They ( however)see that have th e eye o f knowledge . 2 Devotees exert ing ( towards tha t
end ) behold h im dwelling in th emselves . They (however ) th a t are
senseless and whose m i nds are not rest ra i ned . behold him not . even
while exer t ing (themsel ves) . 3 Tha t splendour dwell ing in the su n
wh ich il lumin es the vast uni v erse , tha t (which i s) i n the moon . and
that (which is) in t he Fi r e . know tha t splendour to be mine . E nter ing
into th e Earth I uphold crea tures by my force and becoming the juicymoon I nourish a l l herbs . ‘ Mysel f becom ing the v ital heat (Va z swanara )
1 Upwa rds a n d downwards i . e . . from th e highest to th e lowest ofcreated th in g s . E nlarged b y the qua l ities , i . e . . th e qua l ities appearin g a sth e b ody . th e sen ses , etc . Th e sprouts are th e ob jects of sen se
kb ei n g
attached to th e sen ses th emselves as sprouts to b ranch es . Th e roots exten din g downwards are th e des ires for diverse en joym ents . Thus Telan g ,following th e commentator s . -T .
2 J oined to the qua l ities , i . e . . perceivin g obj ects of sen se or experien cin gpleasure an d pa in .
—T.
3 "Atm an i" in th e first l ine i s " in th e b ody as expla ined b y Sree
dhara an d oth ers : " i n th e understandi n g as expla in ed b y San kara ,I t
seems. however , to b e used i n th e genera l senses of "th em selves ,
” withoutparticular reference to eith er body or un derstandin g . An ‘
Akri tatm an'
i s one whose sou l i s n ot made or formed ; g en era lly , “a person of un
subdued passion s .
"—T.
4 Th ere can b e no question that Som e here mean s th e moon an d n ot
the Some. juice qu afi ed i n sacrifices . or sap . It i s the moon that supports .
MAHABHARATA
r es id in g in the bodies of crea ture s that breathe . ( and) uni t ing with t h eupward and th e downward life-breaths . I d ige s t the fo ur k inds of food .
1
I am seated in th e h earts of a l l . From M e are m emory and Knowledge
and the lo ss of both . I am the Obj ects of knowledge to be known by
( the a id of ) a l l the Vedas . I am the au thor of the Vedan tas , and I alone
am the knowe r o f the Vedas .
2 There are the se two enti ti es i n the
world . vi z ., the Mutable and t h e Immutable . The Mutabl e is al l
(the se ) crea tu res . T one i s ca l led the Immutable . ’
Bu t th ere IS another . g . cal led Paramatman, who was
the E te rnal L ord . pervad in g tha th ree worlds. susta i n eth ( them ) (and)s ince I transcend th e Muta bj e . and am higher than ev en the Immutable
for t h is I am cel ebrated in th e world among m en and in the
Vedan sm flbm ( the Highest Being ) . He wh o . without be ing
deluded . knoweth Me as th i s H i ghest Being .—he knowin g all . O
Bharata . worshippe th Me in every way .
4 Thus . O sin less one . ha th th i s
knowledge . fo rm ing the g rea tes t of m yster ies . been d eclared by
Me ( to thee ) . Knowing th is . O Bhara ta . one wi ll become gifted wi th
intell i g ence . and wil l hav e done all h e needs do .
’
SECTION XL
The holy one sa id .
'Fearlessn ess . puri ty of hear t . perseverance i n
( th e pursuit of) knowledge and Yoga medita t ion . g ifts . sel f-restra in t .
sacrifice . s tudy of the Veda s , asce tic penances . uprig h tness .5 absten tion
f rom injury . t rut h . f ree dom from anger . renunciat ion . t ranquill i ty .
freedom from report in g ot her’
s faults . compass ion fo r al l c reatures .
nourish es a l l herb s a n d numerous passages m ay b e quoted from H indu sacredliterature to show th i s . Mr Davies . th eref ore , c l early errs in renderin gSoma as
“th e savoury juice . -T.
1 The fou r kind s o f food are that wh ich i s masticated . that which i ssucked . th at wh ich i s l icked , an d that wh ich i s drun k —T .
2 ‘Apo han am’
i s lo ss or remova l . I t i s a wel l-known word an d i ts
application h ere i s ver y n atura l . I am m em ory an d kn owledge to thoseth at u se th em for virtuou s acts) . I am th e lo ss o f th e se faculti es to tho sethat engage in unrig h teous acts) . Mr . Davie s erroneou s l y renders i t as
“
Th e power of rea son .
”—T.
3 ‘K u ta sh th a'i s ren dered b y K . T . Telang a s
“ th e uncon cerned o n e
b y Mr . Davies a s“ th e l ord on hig h .
" I incline to th e schol ia sts wh o expla in i t as
" th e un iform o r th e un chan geab le one ."—T.
4 ‘Sarvab haven a'i s expla ined b y Sa n kara b y
‘Sarvatm a-ch in taya’
.
(th ink in g Me to b e th e sou l o f everyth i n g) . S reedh ara expla in s i t as Sarva
prakaren a . Wh y m ay i t n ot mean “ wit h the whole sou l" or "with excess
o f love . ” -T.
5 I adopt Sankara ’
s explanation o f th e la st compoun d of th e fir st l ine“
o f th i s s loka . Sreedhara expla ins i t d ifi‘
eren tl y .—T .
BHISHMA PARVA
absence of covetousness . gen tleness . modes ty . absence of restlessnes s.v igour . forg iv eness . firmness . cleanl iness , absence of quarrelsomeness .freedom from vani ty .—these become h i s. 0 Bharata . who i s born to
god-l ike possess ions . Hypocrisy . prid e . conceit . wrath , rudeness an d
ignorance . are . 0 son of Pr i tha . his who i s born to demon iac posse ssions .
God-l ike possess ions are d eemed to be for del iverance t h e demoniac for
bondage . Grieve no t . 0 son of Pandu , for thou ar t born to god-l ike
possessions . (The re are) two k inds of created bein g s in t h is wor ld . vi z
the god-l ike and the demon iac . Th e god-l ike have been described a t
length . Hear now . from me . O son of Pri tha . about the demoniac .
Persons of demon iac nature know not incl inat ion or d isincl inat ion .Ne ither pur ity . nor good conduct . nor truth exi st i n th em .
1 They say
t h at the un ivers e is void of truth . of guid ing principle . (and ) of ruler
produced by the un ion of one another (male and female ) from lus t . and
noth ing e lse . Depending on this view . these men of lost sel ves . l i tt le
i ntell igence . and fierce d eeds . these enemies (of the world) . are born for
the destruct ion of the un iverse . 2 Cherish ing desires that a re insatiable.
and endued w ith hypocr isy . conceit and fol ly . they adopt false not ions
through delusion and engage in unholy pract ices . Cher ishin g bound less
t houghts l imi t ed by death (alone ) , and rega rding the enjoyment of
(their) desir es a s the highest end . they are per suaded that that i s al l .Fet ter ed by the hundre d noose s of hope . add ic ted to lust and wrath
.
they covet to obta in th is w ea lth to-day .- This I wi l l obta in later.
This wea l th I ha v e .—Th i s (wealth ) wil l be m ine in add i tion . -Th is
foe hath bee n sla in by me .—I wil l s lay even others .—I am lord .- I am
the enjoyer .—I am successful . powerful . happy . - I am r ich and of n oble
bir th .—Who else i s t here th a t is l ike m e —I will sacri fice .—I w ill
make g i fts - I wil l be m erry .—thus de luded by ignorance .—tossed abou tby numerous though ts . env eloped i n the meshe s of delus ion . at tached to
th e enjoyment of obj ects of des ir e . t h ey s ink into foul hel l . Se l f
conce i ted . s tubborn . fi lled w ith th e pr ide and in toxicat ion o f wealth.
t hey perform sacr ifices that are nom inally so. with hypocrisy and againstthe (prescribed ) ord inance . Wedded to vani ty . power . pr ide . lust and
wrath . t hese r ev i le rs hate Me in t he ir own bodies and those o f others .These ha ters (of
.
Me) . cruel.the V i les t amon g men . and unholy. I hurl
continual ly down into demon iac wombs . Com ing into demon iac wombs.
1 Prab ri tti I render “ in cl ination ”
an d Nivr i tti as “ di s in clination . " Theinclination i s . as a l l the commentator s expla in . towards righteous action s,an d the d isincl ination . consequen tly . i s about a l l unri g h teous action s .
K . T. Telang render s th ese words as "action”
an d “ inaction". Mr . Davies,fol lowin g th e French vers ion of Burn out. takes th em to mean "the creationan d i ts en d.
”-T.
2 Sankara seems to connect th e g en etive‘J agatas
' with ach i tas .
Sreedhara connects i t (wh ich is natural) with‘K shayaya
'. wh ich I
accept. -T.
deluded bi r th a ft er birth . t hey. 0 so n of Kunti . without at t a in ing to Me
go down to the v ilest sta te . Threefold is the way to he l l . ru inous to the
self . vi z . , lus t . wra th . l ikew i se a varice . There fo r e . these three one
shou ld renounce . Freed from these t h ree gat es o f darkness. a man . 0
son of Kunt i . works ou t h is o wn welfa re . an d then repairs to h is h ighe st
goa l . He who. abandon in g the o rd inances of the scr iptures . acts only
under the impul ses of desire . nev er a tta in s to perfect ion . nor happiness .nor th e h ighe st goa l . Th ere fore , the scriptur es shou ld be thy author it y
in determ in ing what should b e don e and what should not be done . I t
b ehoveth thee to do work here . hav in g a scer tained what hath been
declared by the o rdinances of t he scr i ptures .’
SECTION XLI
Arjuna sa id . Wha t i s the sta te . 0 Kr ishna . o f those who aban doning the ordinance of the scr iptures . pe rform sacrifices endued wi th
fa ith It is one of Goodness . or Passion . or Darkness
The ho l y one sa id .‘
The fa i th o f embod ied (cre atu re s) is of thr ee
kinds . It i s (also ) born of the i r (i nd i v i dual ) natur es . I t is Good .Pass ionate . and Dark . Hear now these . The fa ith of one . O Bharata . is
conformable to h i s own nature . A be i n g here is fu ll of fa i th and
wha tever i s on e’
s fa ith . one is e v en t hat . They that a re o f the qual i ty
of Goodness worsh ip t he gods they tha t a re of t he quali ty of Pa ssion
(worship) t he Yakshas and the R ak8hfiwa 8 o the r people that are o f th e
qual ity of Darkn ess worsh ip depar ted sp ir i ts and hos ts of Bil/MM . Those
people who practi se se v er e ascet ic austeri t ies not orda ined by th e
scr iptures . are given up to hypocr isy and pride . an d endued with des ir e
of a ttachment . and v iolence .— those persons possessed o f no d isce rnmen t .to rtur in g th e group s of org ans in (t h eir ) bodies and Me al so sea ted
wi thin ( tho se ) bod ies .- should be known to be of demoniac resolves .Food w hich is dea r to al l i s of thre e kinds . Sacr ifice . penance . andgift s are l ikewise (of thre e k i nds) . L i st en to the ir dist inct ions as fo llows .Tho se k inds of food tha t increase li fe
's per iod . ener gy , stren g th . heal th .
well-be ing . and joy . which are savoury . oleagin ous . nutr i t ive . and
agre eable . are l iked by God . Those k inds of food which are bitte r .sour . salted . over-hot . pungen t . dry . and burn ing , and which produce
pain . gri ef and disease . are desi r ed by the Passiona te . The food which
i s co ld . without savour . stink ing and corrup t. and wh ich i s ev en refuse .a nd fil thy . i s dear to men of Darkness .
o
That sacr ifice i s good which.being prescribed by t h e ord inan ce . i s pe r formed by persons . withou t an ylong ing for the fru it ( the reof ) and th e mind be ing dete rmin e d ( to i tunder the belief) that i ts performance is a duty . Bu t that wh ich is
performed in expecta t ion of fru it and even for th e sake of osten ta t ion .kn ow that sacr ifice . O chief of the son s of Bhara ta . t o b e of t h e qua l ity
BarsaM'
A PARVA
ofPassion . That sacr ifice wh ich i s agains t th e ordinance . i n which no
food is dea l t ou t , which is devoid of man tras ( sacred verse) . i n wh ichno fees ar e paid to the Brahmanas ass is t ing to i t . and which i s void of
fa i th . i s sa id to be of the qua lity of Darkne ss . R everence to the gods .re gene rate on es . precepto rs . and men of knowledge . pur ity . uprigh tness .the practices of a Brahmachari n , and abstention from injury . ar e said to
const itut e the penance of the body . Th e speech which causeth no
ag ita t ion . which is t rue . wh ich i s agre eable and ben eficial .‘
and th e
dil igen t study o f the Vedas , are sa i d to be the penance of speech .
Sereni ty of the m ind . gen tlene ss . taci turn ity . se l f-restra in t . and pur ity
of the d ispos it ion ..- th ese a r e sa id to be the penance of t h e m ind . Th i s
three-fold penance performed with perfect fa i th . by men without
des ire of frui t . and wi th devot ion . i s sa id to be of the qual i ty of Good
ness . That penance wh ich is pe r formed for the sake of (gain in g ) respect .honour . and reverence . with hypocr isy . (and ) which is unstable and
transien t i s sa id to be of the quality of Pass ion . Tha t penance wh ich
is per formed under a deluded conv iction . with tortu re of one’
s sel f.
and for the d estruct ion of another . is sa id to be of the qual ity o f
Darkn ess . Tha t g i f t which i s g iv en because i t ought to be g iven . to one
wh o cannot re turn any serv ice for i t . i n a proper t ime . and to a proper
person.i s sa id to be of the quali ty of Goodness . That . however . which
is g iven reluctantly . fo r re turn of services (pas t or expec ted ) . o r even
w i th an ey e to fru i t .— that g i f t i s sa id to be of the qual i ty of Passion .
I n an unfi t place and a t an unfit t im e . the g if t tha t i s m ade to an
unworthy object . without r espect . and wi th cont empt . i s sa id to be of‘th e qual ity o f Darkness . OM . TAT . SAT . th i s i s sa id to be the three
t he Brah mana s an d the
old . Therefore . utter ing
an ces . prescr ibed by the
ordinance . of al l u t t erers of Brahma be g in . Utter ing TAT . the various
rites of sacr ifice . penanc e . and g i fts . withou t expectat ion of frui t . are
med by those that are d esi rous of d el i v e ranc e . SAT i s employed
ote exis t ence and goodn ess . Likewise . O son of Fri ths . the~word
5 used in any auspicious act . Constancy in sacrifices , in pen dn ce s
gif ts . IS al so called SAT , and an act , fo r t he sake Of That i s
SAT .
l Whatever obla t ion i s off ered ( to the fire ) . whatever i s
given away,wha tev er penance is performed . whatever i s done . withou t
fai th. i s. O son of Pr i tha . sa id to be th e oppo si te of SAT ; and that i s
1 ‘That'eviden tly refer s to sacrifice . pen an ce . an d g ift. in the c l ausee .
rTh e com m en tators , however . suggest t hat i t m ay . b esides . refer toI am myself n o t sure th a t i t doe s n ot refer to Bra hm a .
-T.
hat th e auth or w i sh e s to l ay “down in th ese verses i s that the wordsTAT, an d S AT. have each th eir re spective u ses . Wh en used a s directed
SECTION XL i i
Ar juna sa id . ‘Of renuncia t ion . O thou of m ighty arm s . I desire
to know th e true na ture . and also of Abandonmen t . O lord of th e senses
dist inctly . O slayer o f K esi .’l
“
The holy one sa id.’
The r ej ection o f the works w ith des i r e i s known
by the learned as R enunciat ion . Th e abandonment of the frui t of al l
work . the d iscern in g call Abandonment . Some w ise m en say tha t work
( i t sel f) should be abandoned as ev i l ; ot h ers (say ) th a t the works of
sacr ifice . gifts . and pen ance . shoul d not be abandon ed . As to that
abandonment.l is ten to my dec is ion . 0 bes t of th e sons of Bharata . fo r
Abandonment . O tiger among men . ha th been decla r ed to be of three
kinds . Th e works of sac r ifice . g if ts . and penance shou ld not be
abandoned . They should . i ndeed . be done . Sacr ifice , gift . and penance .
are th e pu rificat i o n s of t he wise . But even those works should be done .
abandon in g a t tachment and fru i t . Thi s . O so n of Pr i tha . i s my excellentand decided opin ion . The r enu nciat ion of an act pre scr ibed in the
scripture s ) is not prope r . Its abandonm ent ( i s) from de lus ion . (and ) i s
( therefore) declared to be of th e qual i ty of Darkness . 2 (R egarding i t)
as (a source of ) sor row , when work i s abandoned from ( fear o f) bod ily
pain . one making such an abandonment wh ich i s of the quali ty of Pass ion
ne v er obta in eth the frui t of Abandonmen t . (R egard ing i t) as one that
should be done , when3 work tha t is prescr ibed ( i n th e scrip tures) i s
done . O Arjuna . abandon in g att achment and frui t also . thad abandon
ment is deemed to be o f the qual ity of Goodness . Possess ed of i n te l l i
gence and with doubt s dispell ed . an abandoner that i s endowed with
the quality of Goodness ha th no a v ers ion for an unpleasan t action and
no at tachment to pleasan t S i nce action s cannot be absolute ly
abandoned by an embodied perso n . ( therefore ) . he who abandons thef ru it o f act ions i s tru el y sa id to be an Abandoner . E v il . good and
mixed—action hath (th i s) t hree-fo ld fru i t hereaftter for t hose that do
h ere, Such u se cures th e defects of th e respective actions to wh ich they areappl ied . i t being un der stood that a l l th ree den ote Brahma .
—T.
1 'San ya sa'I render R enun ciation . K . T . Telang does the same . Mr.
D avies render s i t “a b stention .
”
So ‘Tyag a'I ren der "
ab an donment. " Mr .
D avies render s i t " renun c iation . What th e two words , however . mean isn xpta i n ed fully in th e ver se s th at fo l low—T.
2 Both San kara an d Sreedhara expla in th e second l ine consistin g oftwp propos itions , th e con necti n g verb ‘ b havet
’ bei n g under stood—T.
l
3
§have used “ when
"for “Whatever" to make the senten ce g ramma
0 8. o_
o
4 Davies , g ivin g th e s ense correctly . does n ot follow th e true orderth e sub j ect an d th e pred icate . Fo l lowing L assen . he ren ders ‘ kusa la' a'aka se l e
’
as“ pro sperou
’s”
an d "un pro sperous for ‘m edhab i’
K . T . Telahas ren dered "ta len ted wh ich h a s n ot th e san ction of good usage—T.
sa id to be of th e quality o f Pass ion . Th e a gent who i s f r e e from at tach
ment . who never speaketh of h imsel f . who i s en dued w i th constancy and
energy . and i s unmoved by succe s s a n d defea t . is sa id to be of the
qua l i ty of Goodness . Th e a gen t who i s f ull o f aff ect ion s . who wisheth
fo r th e f ru i t of act ions . who is co v etous . endued wi th cruel ty , an d
impure . and who fee l e th joy and sorrow , is declared to be o f the quality
o f Passion .
1 The a gen t who is void of appl icat ion . without discern
men t . obstinate . deceit ful . mal ic ious . s lothful , despond ing . and procras
ti n ati n g i s said to b e of th e qua li ty of Darkness .2 Hear n ow . O
Dhanan j aya . the three-fol d div ision of Intellec t and Constancy . acco rd
in g to the i r qual i t i es, which I am abou t to declare exhaust ively anddis tinctly. The i nt e l lect which knowe th act ion and inact ion . what
ought to be done and what ough t n o t to be done . f ear and fearl e ssness .
bonda ge and del iv erance . is. O so n o f Pri tha . of the qual i ty of Goodne ss .
The intellec t by wh ich one imperfectly d i scern eth r ight and wrong .
that which ought to be done and that which ought no t to be done . i s . O
son of Pri tha . of th e qual i ty of passion . That in te l lec t wh ich . shrouded
by darkness . r egardeth wrong to be righ t . and al l th ings as r everse d , i s.O son of Fr i th s . of the qual i ty of Darkness . That unswe rv in g Constancyby which one controls the functions of t he m ind . t he l i fe-breaths . and
the senses . th rou gh devOCi OH . th a t Constancy . i s . O son of Pr i tha . o f the
qual ity of Goodness . 3 Bu t that Constancy . O Arjuna . by which oneholds to re l igion . desire . and profi t , through attachment , desi ring f ru i t ,that Con sta ncy . O son o f Pri tha . i s of th e qual i ty of Pass ion . That
through which an undi sce rn in g person abandons not s l eep . f ear , sorrow .
despondency . and folly . tha t Constancy is deemed to be of the quali t y
of Darkness . Hear now from m e . O hu l l of Bharata's race . of t he three
kinds of h app iness . That in which on e fin de th plea sure from repet i
tion (of enjoyment) . which brin g e t h an e nd to pain . which i s l ike poisonfir st but resemb l eth n ectar in the end . that happiness born of the
serenity produced by a knowledg e o f s el f . i s sa id to be of th e qual i ty ofGoodness . 4 Tha t which is from the con tact of t he sense s with thei r
objec ts wh ich resem b l eth nectar fir st but is l ike po ison i n the end .tha t happiness is held to be of the quali ty of Pa ssion . That happin ess
which in the beginn ing and its consequences de l udeth the soul . and
1 Fu l l of affections , i . s . . for children , etc . . a s Sreedhara -T.
2 “P rakri ta’
which I have rendered "without d iscernment fol lowin gSreedhara . m ay b e . a s Mr . Davies ren ders i t. b ut “ ma l icious .
" —T.
3 Mr Davies makes “ un swervin g" an adjective of ‘devotion .
'Th is i s
wrong . for'Avy ab h i char in Ya
'(unswervin g) i s a femin ine i n strumental , an d
must qua l ify ‘Dhri ty a'.- T.
4.
‘
Atma-budh i-prasadajam .
'K . T. Tel an g . fol lowin g an al ternative ex
plan atio n ofi‘
ered b y San kara . ren ders i t “c lear kn owledge of th e self . ” Mr .
Dawes ren der s the “serenity o f on e's own mind .
" I fo l low Sreedhara—T .
spr ingeth from sleep . i ndolence . a nd stupid it y , tha t i s descr ibed to be
of the quali ty of Darkne ss . There i s not . e i ther on ear th or heaven
among the gods , the enti t y that i s fre e from these three qual it ies born
of nature . . The dut ies o f Brahmanas . Kshatr iyas . and Va isyas. and of
Sudras a l so . 0 chast ise r of foe s . are d is t i nguished by (thes e t h r ee)qual i ties born of n ature . Tranquil l i ty . se l f-restra in t . a sce tic auster i t ie s .
pur i ty , fo rg iven ess . recti tude . knowledg e . experience . and bel ief ( i n anexis tence hereafter) .- the s e ar e the dutie s of Brahman as . born of ( their
proper ) nature . Bravery . en e rgy . fi rmness . ski l l . not f lying away frombattl e . l ibera l i ty , the bea r ing of a rule r . —t h es e are the dut i es of
Ksha tr iyas . born of (the ir proper ) natur e . Agriculture . t endin g of
cat tl e , and t rade . are th e n atural d ut ie s of Vaisyas . Of Sudras also .
the natura l duty consi s ts i n serv i tu de . E very man . enga ged in h i s own
dut ies.at ta in s to perfection . Hear n ow how one ob ta ins perfect ion by
appl icat io n to his dutie s . H im from Whom are the movements of a l lbe ings . Him by Whom all th i s i s per v aded . worshipp ing h im by ( the
p er formance o f) one's own duty . one obta ineth per f ect ion . Bet ter is
one's own duty though perfo rmed faul t i ly than another
's du ty wel l
performed . Per formin g the du t y p rescr ibed by (one's own) natu re .
one i n cu rreth no sin . One must no t abandon . O son of Kun t i . one’
s
natural duty though sta ined with evil . for al l act ion s are enveloped
by ev il l ike fir e by smoke . He whose m ind i s unattach ed everywhere .
who hath subdued h i s se lf . an d whose desir e ha th depar ted . obta in eth .
through R enunciat ion . th e supreme perfect ion of freedom from work .
L earn from m e . only in br ie f . O so n o f Kunti . how one . hav ing obtained
( th is kind of) perf ect io n . a tta i n e th to Bra hma which i s the '
supreme
end of knowled ge . Endued w ith a pur e m ind . and re s tra in ing h is sel f
by constancy . r enouncing sound and other objects of sense . and casti ng
ofi'
affection and aversion . he who reside tb i n a lonely place . eatet h
l i ttle . an d restra in eth speech . body . and m ind . wh o i s ever in ten t on
medita tion and abstract ion . who hath recourse to in difi'
eren ce . who .abandonin g egoi sm . v iolence . pride . lus t , wrath . and (all ) surroun d ings .hath been freed f rom se lfishness and is t ran qui l ( in m ind ) . becometh fi t
for ass im il a t ion w i th Brahma . Becom ing one with Brahma . tranqui l i n
spir i t. ( such a) one gr ieveth not . de s i re th not al ike to al l be ings . he
obtain e th th e hi ghest d evotion to Me . By ( that ) devotion he truly
u n derstan deth Me . What I am , and who I am then understanding Me
truly . b e entere th into Me for t hwith . Even perfo rming all act ion s atal l t imes . hav ing refuge in Me . he ob ta ineth . t hrough my favour . the
seat tha t i s e t ernal and im p er ishable . Dedicatin g i n thy hear t a l l’action s to Me . bein g devoted to Me . re sort in g to men tal abstract ion .
fix thy t houghts constan tl y on Me . Fixing thy though ts on Me . thou
wilt surmount al l difi cu l ties through my g race . But i f f rom self-conce it
thou wilt not l ist en . thou wil t ( then ) utter ly peri sh . If. \hav i n g r ecourse
to se l f-conceit . thou thinkest—I wi l l n otfi ght—t hat r esolut ion of th in ewould be vain . ( for ) Nature will constra in thee . That wh ich . from
delusion . thou dost not wi sh to do'
. thou w ilt do in v olunta ri ly . bound
by thy own duty spr inging from ( t hy own ) nature . The Lord . 0
Ar juna . dwelle th in the region of th e h ear t of be ings . turn in g al l be ings
as i f mounted on a machine . by h is i ll us iv e power . S eek she l ter w ith
Him in every way . 0 Bharata . Through h is g race thou wil t ob ta in
supreme tranqui l l i ty . t h e e terna l seat . Thus ha th been declared to thee
by Me the knowledg e that is more mysterious than any (o ther) matter .
R ef lect ing on i t fully . act as t hou l ikest . Once more . l isten to my
superna l words . the most mysterious of a l l . E xceed ingly dear art thou
to Me . therefo re . I wil l d eclare wha t is for thy benefit . Set thy heart
on Me . become My d evotee . sacr ifice to Me . bow down to Me . Th en
shalt thou come to Me . I declar e to th ee truly . ( for) thou ar t dea r to
Me . Forsaking al l ( re l ig ious) du ti es . come to . Me as thy sol e re fuge .
I w i l l del iver thee from all sins . Do not gr ieve . This i s no t to be ever
declared by thee to on e who practiseth no auster i t i e s. to one who i s not
a devote e . to one wh o never wai te th o n a prece ptor . nor yet to on e
who cal umn i ate th Me . He who shal l inc ulcate th is supreme myst e ry
to those t h at ar e de v o ted to Me . ofi'
erin g M e th e hi ghest devotion .will come to Me . freed from (al l hi s) doubts . l Among st m en there i s
none who can do Me a cl eare r service than b e . nor shal l any oth er on
ea rth be d earer to Me tha n b e . An d he who will study th is ho ly con
verse between u s. by him wil l have been o fi ered to Me t h e sacr ifice of
Knowled g e . Such is my opin ion . Ev en the man wh o . with fai th and
without ca v il . wil l hear i t (re ad ) . ev en b e fre ed (f rom re-bi r t h ) . will
obta in the ble ssed reg ion s o f t hose t h a t per form pious acts . Hath t h is ;
0 so n o f Pri tha . be en heard by thee w i th m ind und i r ec ted to any ot her
objects Hath thy delus ion . (caused ) by i g n o ran ce . been destroy ed . O
Dhananjaya"Arjuna sa id .
“
My delus ion hath bee n des troyed . and the reco l
lection (of what I am ) ha th been ga ined by me . O U nde ter iora t ing one .
through thy favour . I am now firm . My doubts have been dispelled .
I wil l do thy bidding .'
San jaya con t inued . Thu s I hea rd th is conve rs e between Vasudeva
and the h igh-souled son of Fr i ths . ( tha t i s ) wonde rful a nd causeth the
hair to stand on end . Through Vya sa’
s f avour heard I th is supr eme
myst ery . th is (doctr ine of) Yoga , from Krishna h im sel f . the Lord ofYoga . who declared i t in person . 0 King . reco l lect ing and (a ga in )
Senjaya con t inued . Though thus add res sed b y h is brothers . O son
of Kuru's race . Yudh i sh th ira of rest rained speech said noth ing but
continued to proceed . Unto the m ( then ) . t he high-souled ‘Vasudeva of
great wisdom smil ing ly sa id . -Hi s obj ec t i s known to me . Hav in g pai d
h is respects to al l h i s super iors (such as) Bh ishma . Drona . and Kripa .
and Salya also. he wil l figh t t h e foe . I t i s heard in h isto r i es o f olden
times that he who . h av ing pa id h is r e spec ts accord ing to th e ordinance
un to h is preceptors revered i n years and h is k insmen , figh te th with
those that are h is superiors . i s su re to obta in v ictory in batt le . Ev en
tha t i s my opinion . -When Krish na was say ing this . among the ranksof Dhr itarashtra
's son . a loud up r oa r o f Ala s. and Oh arose . but t h e
other (a rmy ) rem a ined perfect ly sti l l . Beho lding Yudh i shthi ra . th e
hero ic warr iors'
o f Dhr i tarashtra’
s son conversed with one another
saying —“
This one is a n i nfamous wretch of h is race . It i s p la i n that th is
king is coming i n te r ror towards Bh i shm a's s ide . Yudhi sh th i ra . w i th
h is brothers . hath become a seeke r a fter (Bh ishm a’
s) shel t er . When
Dhananj aya . howev e r , i s (his) protector . and Pe ndu's son Vr ikodara .
and Nakula . and Sahad ev a a l so . why do t h the (eldest ) son of Pandu come
(hi ther) in . fes t Though ce lebrated i n the world . th is on e . howev er .could never have been born in the K sha triya order . s i n ce he i s weak and
his bosom is fi l led with fea r (a t the prospect) of ba t tl e .’
Then those
warr iors al l prai sed the Kauravas . An d a ll of th em . becom ing rejoiced .wi th cheerful h ea rts waved the i r garments . An d . 0 monarch . al l the
warrio r s there (then ) censured Yudh i sh thi ra with al l hi s brothers and
along with Kesava too . Then the Ka u rav a a rmy . having said Fie to
Yudh i sh th i ra . soon aga in . O m onarch . becam e perfec tly st i l l .—Wha t willth is kin g say What wil l Bh ishm a say i n r eply Wha t w il l Bhimaboast ful of his powers i n ba t t l e . (say ) . and what Kr ishna an d Ar j una
Wha t . indeed . hath (Yudhi shth i ra ) to say -Grea t was the curios i ty
then . 0 king . o f both the armie s in re spec t o f Yudh i shth i ra . The king
(meanwhile) . pene t ra t ing the host i le array bristl ing with arrows and
dar ts . proceeded qu ick ly towards Bh ishma . surrounded by hi s ‘
b ro thers.
S e izin g his fee t w it h h i s two hands . the roya l so n of Pandu th en saidun to San tan u
’
s son E bishm a who was th ere ready for bat tl e . ( th ese'
words ) .“
Yudh i sh th i ra sa id .‘ I sa lu te thee . O invincible on e . With thee
we wil l do battle . Gran t (us) th y perm iss ion in that matter . Give
(us) also ( t hy) blessing .'
“
Bh ishm a said .‘
If . 0 lord o f the earth . thou hadst n o r. in,
th is bat tl e
come to m e thus . I would have . O g reat ki ng . cursed t hee . O Bharata .
for bring ing about thy defeat . I am gra t ified (with thee) . O son . Do
batt le . and obta i n v ic tory . O son of Pandu . Wha t else may be desi redby thee . obtain thou in battl e . Sol ic i t also the boon . 0 sea o f Friths .
BHISHMA. PAR VA
which thou des i rest to have from us. If i t happens 80 . O great king .then . defeat w il l not be thin e . A man i s the slave of wea lth . butwealth is no one
’
s s lave . This i s very true . 0 king . I h a v e been bound
by the Kauravas with (the i r ) wealth . It is for th i s . 0 son of Kuru’
s
rac e . tha t like a eunuch I am utte r ing these words . vi z . ,—Boun d I am by
the Kauravas with wealth . Bat tl e excepted . wha t dost thou des ire"
Yudhi shth i ra sa id .‘
O thou of great w i sdom . do t hou . desirous o f my
welfare . from day to day , consul t my in terests . Do ba t tl e. however fo r
the sake of the Kauravas .'
E ven this i s a lways my prayer (to"
Shi shma sa id .‘
O king . O son of Kuru's race . ~what a id can I rende r
thee in thi s I shal l , of course . fight fo r (thy) foes . Tel l m e wha t tho u
hast to say .
’
Yudhi shth ira sa id .“
The refore. O S ir e . I a sk thee . I bow to thee . O
grandsire . how shal l we . in bat tle . vanquish the e that a r t i n v incibleTe l l m e this that i s fo r my benefi t . i f indeed . thou see s t any good in i t .
’
S h ishma sa id .'I do no t . 0 son of Kunt i . se e the person who . even
if he were th e ch ie f o f th e celes t ia l s h imse lf . can defeat m e in batt le
wh en I fight .’
“
Yudh ish th i ra said . “My sa lutat ions to the e . O grandsire . There
fore , do I a sk thee (t h i s) . Te l l us how thy own death may be compassed
by foes in battle .
’
“
Bhishma sa id .'I do not see the person . 0 s i re . who can v anqu i sh
m e in bat tle . The t im e a lso of my deat h is no t ye t come to m e once
aga in .
Senjaya cont inued ; Then . 0 son of Kuru’
s race . Yudh ish th i ra .once more sa lut i n g h im . accepted Bhi shma
's words wi th a bend of hi s
head . An d tha t m ighty-armed one t h en proceeded towards th e ca r o f
t he preceptor (Drona) through the m ids t o f al l the soldiers who wereeye ing h im . accompan ied by hi s brothers . Then salut i ng Drona and
walk ing round h im . the king spoke to that inv incible warr io r wo rds that
were for h is own benefi t . ’
Yudh ishth ira sa id .‘
I ask thee . O invinc ible one . how I may figh t
.without incu r r in g sin . and how . with thy pe rmi ss ion . 0 regenerate one .
I may vanquish al l my foes ?3
1 What Bh i shm a says i s thi s I am bound b y th e K auravas an d .therefore . I am n ot a free agent. Ob li ged I am to battl e agai ns t you . YetI am sayin g . “Wh at do you a sk o f me a s i f I cou ld real l y g ive y ou whatyou mig ht ask . My words . th erefore . are without meaning . or va in . likethose of a eunuch .
‘K l ivavat'i s expla ined by Ni lakan tha as K ataravat.
E ven in that ca se . th e sen se would b e the same .—T.
2 Th e Ben gal readin g i s evidently incorrect. Th e Bom bay text readsBaja for Vacoa .
—T.
3 Ni lakan tha th i n k s that ‘vi g ataka lm ashas’ refer s td Drona th e mean
i n g h e sugges ts i s “ Tell m e with pure h eart etc . . I thin k Ni l akan thai s n ot rig ht—T
108 MAHABHARATA
Drona said .‘
If . hav in g r eso lved to fight . thou hadst not come to
me ( thus) . I would hav e cursed the e . 0 kin g . for thy comple t e over
throw . I am . however . gra t ified . O Yudhi shth i ra . and honour ed by thee .
O sinl ess one . I permit t hee . fight and obta i n v ictory . I wil l a lso
fulfi l t hy wish . Say wha t t hou hast to say . Under these c i rcumst ance s .battl e excepted . what dos t thou wish A man is t h e slav e of weal th .
but wea l th i s no t on e's s lave . Thi s i s qui te true . 0 kin g ! Bound I
have been wi th ( t he i r ) wealth by th e Kauravas ! It i s for th is that l ike
a eunuch I shal l figh t fo r t h e sake of the Kauravas . I t i s for this th a tl ike a eunuch I am ut ter ing these words—Battle excepted what do.” than
wi sh I shal l fight for the sake of the Kauravas . but Wi l l pray for thy
v ictory ."
Yudn i shthi ra sa id .‘
Pray for my v ic tory . O regenera t e on e . and
counsel what i s for my good . Fi ght . howeve r. for t he Kauravas . Th is
is the boon so l ic i ted by m e .’
"Drona sa id .
‘
Victo ry . 0 king . is cer ta in for thee tha t hastHar i fo r
thy counse l lor . I (a l so) g ran t thee tha t thou wil t vanqu ish thy fo es
in battle . Th i ther where r i ghteousness i s . th i ther i s Krishna . and th ither
whe re Kr ishna i s. th ither is victory . Go , fight . 0 son of Kunt i l Ask
me . what sh all I say unto the e"
Yudhi sh th i ra sa id .'I ask thee . O foremost of regen erate ones .
l i sten to what I have to say . How shal l we i n ba tt l e vanqu i sh the e thatar t inv inc ible
“
Drona said .'As long a s I wil l fi ght . so long v ictory can neve r be
thine . (Therefore ) O king . se ek wi th thy brothers . fo r my speedy
sa l ughter.
’
“
Yudhishth ira sa id .'A las . for th is . 0 thou of m ighty arms . tell
(us) the m eans of thy d ea th . 0 pre ceptor . prostrat ing myse lf I ask
t he e this . (My ) saluta t ions to t h ee ."
"
Drona sa id .“
Th e foe . O sir e . I see no t wh o may slay m e while
s tanding in bat tle I am engaged i n fight . with wrath excited . and sca t ter
ing (my) arrowy showers cont inually . E xcep t when addrest for dea th0 king . having abandoned my arms and wi thdrawn ( in Yoga medita
t ion) from surround ing sigh t s . none wi l l be abl e to s lay me . This that
I te l l t hee i s true . 2 I a l so tel l the e truly that I wi l l ca st o ff my arm s
in battl e . hav ing heard someth ing v ery d isag reeable from some one ofcredible speech .
1 Th e sen se of th e fir st l ine i s that because I am bound b y the K auravasWith their wea lth . therefore . I am obliged to make this reservation in th ematter of g rantin g thee thy wi shes . That reservation rea lly n u l l i fies myprom ise .- T.
2 Th is sloka i s very ell iptical . There i s a sl ight difi eren ce of readingbetween th e Ben gal an d the Bom bay texts , without afi ecti n g the sense.
Iren der the verse somewhat freely .- T.
MAHABHARATA
Salya z sa id .
“
Under these c ircumstances . say . 0 best of kings wha t
a id sha l l I render the e ? I sha l l . o f course . figh t for the sake of (thy )enemy
.for I h ave been made one of the ir party by the Kauravas with
the i r wealth .
‘
"
Yudh i shthira sa id ,‘
E ven tha t is my boon . O Salya . which was
sol ici ted by me during the prepar at ions ! for the fight] . The ene rgy of
the Sam's so n !Karna] should be weekend by the e in ba t tl e .
’
Salya sa id .“
This thy wish . O Yudh i shth i ra . sh al l be accompli sh ed .
O so n of Kunt i Go . fight accord ing to thy pleasure . I sha ll look af ter
thy victory“
San jaya cont inued . Havin g obtained the permiss ion of h is mater
nal uncle . the ruler o f the Mad ra . the son of Kunt i . surrounded by his
brothers.came out o f t ha t vast army . Vasudeva then went to R adha
’
s
so n on t he fie ld o f battl e . An d the e lde r brother o f Gada . for th e sake
of the Pandavas . then sa id to ha th been heard by me . O
Karna.tha t from ha tred of Bh ishm a t hou wi l t no t fight . Come to our
s ide . O son of R adha . and ! s tay with us] as lo ng a s Bhishma is n o t s la in .
Af ter Bh ishma is s la i n . O son o f R adh a . thou mayst th en aga i n engagein bat tle on Du ryodhana
’
s side . i f thou has t no prefe rence for any of
t he partie s .“
Kam a sa id .'I wi l l not do any th ing tha t i s d i sagreeable to Dhri ta
rashtra's son . O Kesa v a . Devo ted to Duryodhana ’s good . know tha t I
have cast o ff my lif e ! for h im] . —Hear i n g thes e words !of Karna] .Krishna ceased . O Bharata . and reun ited h imse lf w ith the son s o f Pan du
headed by Yudh i shth i ra . Then amid a ll the warr iors t he el dest so n of
Pandu . loudly excla imed . -He who W l l l choose u s . h im we shal l choose
for our al ly l—Cas t ing h is ey e s then upon them . Yu yu tsu sa id the se words .
with a cheerful heart , unto Ku n t i’
s so n k ing Yudh i shth i ra th e j ust . - I
will fight under the e in ba ttl e . for the sa ke of you a l l. wi th the sons of
Dhr itarash tra . i f . O k i ng . thou wil t accept me . s inless one .“
Yudh i sh thi ra said .'Come. come . a l l of us wi l l figh t wi t h thy foolish
brother s . O Yu yutsu . both Vasudeva and we a l l say to thee—I acceptthee . O thou of m ighty arms . figh t for my cause . On the e res ts . i t seem s .the thread of Dhr itarashtra
’
s l ine as a lso hi s fun era l cake . 0 prince. O
thou of g reat splendour . accept u s that accept thee . The wrath ful
Duryodhana of wicked understanding wi l l cease to l ive .
’
Sen jaya continued .'Yuyu tsu then . abandoning th e Kurus thy son s .
wen t over to the army of the Pandavas . with beat o f drums and cymbals.
their step-brothers.- T.
BHISHMA PARVA 1 1 1
Then king Yudh i sh th i ra of m ighty arms . fi l l ed wi th j oy . again put on h is
sh in i ng coat of mai l of golden eE u lg en ce . And those bulls among m en
then mounted the i r respect ive cars . An d th ey counter-ar rayed th eir
troops in battl e-array as be fore . An d th ey caused drums and cymbals
1n many hundreds to be sounded . An d those bulls among men al so se tup d ive rse leon ine roars . ‘ An d be ho lding those t i g ers among m en.
vi z .
t he sons of ~Pandu . on th e ir cars . t h e kings (on their side ) with
Dhr i shtadyumn a and others . once more se t up shout s o f j oy . An d
beholding th e nobil i ty of the sons of Pandu who had paid due ho n o u rt
t'o
t hose tha t were deserv ing of honour . a l l the kings t h e r e pre sen t applaud
ed them highly . And the monarchs talked w ith one anoth er about the
fr iendship . the compassion . and th e kin dness to k i n smen , d isplayed a t
the prope r season by those h i gh-souled personages . E xcel len t,_ E xcel l en t,—were the de lightful words everywhere bru i ted about . coupled wit h
eulogistic hymns about those famous m en . An d i n consequence of th is
the m ind s and hea r ts of every one th ere were a t tracted toward s th em .
And the M l eohchhas and th e Argus the re who witnessed or heard of that
behav iour o f thesons o f Pandu . a l l wept wi t h choked v o ices . An d
those warr iors th en . endued wi th grea t ener gy , caused l arge drums and
Pu shkaras by hundreds upon hundreds to be sounded and al so blew their
conches all white as the milk o f cows’
SE CTION XL IV
Dhr itara shtra sa id .'When th e d iv ision s of both my side and the
fo e wer e thus arrayed . who st ruck first . the Kurus or t he Pandavas
San jaya sa id .“
Hear in g those words of h is (e ld er) brothe r . t hy so n
Du ssasan a advanced with h is troops . with Bh i shma at t hei r head.
and the Pandavas a lso advanced w ith chee rful hear t s . desiring battl e
w ith Bh ishma . having Bh im asen a a t thei r head . Then leon ine .shouts . and clamorou s uproar s . and the noise o f K rakachaa
,
‘ the
blar e of cow-horns . and the sound of drums an d cymbal s and
tabors . arose in both armies . An d the warr ior s of the foe rush ed
against u s. and we also ( rush ed ) aga inst them with loud shouts . An dthe uproar (caused by th is rush) was deafen i n g 2 The v ast hosts of th ePandav as and the Dhartarashtras. i n tha t awfully murderous encounte rshook 1 n consequence of t hat uproar of conches and cymba ls . l ike forestsshaken by the wind . An d the din made by those hos ts te eming withkings . e lephants . and steed s . rushin g against one another in tha t evi lhour. was a s loud as tha t of oceans ag i ta ted by the t empes t . An d whenth at din . loud and causing the hai r to s tand on end . arose . the m ighty .armed Bh imasen a began to re ar l ike a bull . An d those roars of
1 For ‘P n ska l an'th e Bomb ay text reads “P u shkaran wh ich m eans a
kind of drum—T.
. 2 For ‘rajan 'in th e Benga l texts . in th e first line of th e 5th verse . th eBomb ay .text reads hya san wh ich I adopt. —T.
3 ‘Maha sam ucchra ye’
i s expla ined b y Ni lak an tha as'Ma ha samprab are .
'
1 1 2 MAHABHARATA
Bh imasen a rose above th e clamour of conches and d rums . the g run ts of
e lephants . and the leon in e shouts o f the combatant s . Indeed . the sho uts
of Bhimasen a transcended th e no ise made by th e t housan d s of chargers
neighing in (both ) the arm ies . An d hearin g those shouts o f Bh imasen a
who was roar ing l ike the clouds . shouts that r esembled the repor t o f
Sakra’
s thunder . t hy warr iors were fi l l ed wi t h fea r . And at those roar s
of the hero. the st eeds and e l ephant s al l e j ecte d urine an d ex cre ta l ike
othe r an imals at th e roar o f,th e lion . An d roa rin g l ike a deep mass of
clouds . and assuming an awful form . tha t hero fr ightened thy son s an d
fel l upon t hem .
1 Thereupon th e brother s . vi z thy sons Duryodhana .
and Du rmukha and B u ssaba . and th at m ighty car-warr ior Du ssasan a .
and Durmarshan a . O king . and Vi v in gsati . and Chi trasen a . and the
great car-warrior Vikarna and also Pu rum i tra . and Jaya . and Bhoja .
and the valorous so n of Som adatta . shak ing thei r splend id bows l ikemasses of clouds exhibit ing the l igh tning
's flashes . and taking out of
their quivers) long ar rows res embl ing snakes t ha t have in s t cast o ff
the ir sloughs . surrounded tha t mighty bowman rush ing ( toward s them )cover in g him with fl igh ts of arrows l ike the clouds shroud ing t he
sun . And t he (five) sons of Draupad i . and the mighty car-warrior
Saubhadra .
’ and Nakula . and Sahadeva . and Dhrishtady um n a of
Prishata's race . rushed aga ins t ( t hose) Dhartarashtras. tearing them with
whe tted sha fts l ike summits of mountain s wit h the impe tuous bol ts of
heaven . An d in t hat firs t encoun ter charac ter i sed by the awful twang
of bow-s trings and thei r flapping again s t the l ea thern fence s ( of the
warr iors) . 3 no combatant . e i t her on thy sid e o r tha t of the fo e . t urnedback . And. O bull of Bharat a
's race . I behe ld the l ightn ess of hand of
the d isciple s of Drona (i n par t icula r) . who . shoot ing innumerable arrows .
0 king . always succeeded in h i tt ing th e mark .
‘ And the twan g of
sounding bowstr ings ceased no t fo r a moment. and t he blazing arrows
shot through (the a ir) l ike meteor s ( fal l ing) from the firm amen t. An d
al l the Other kings . O Bhara ta . stood l ike (s i l en t) specta tor s witne ssing
that\
i n terestin g and awful encounter o f kinsmen .
5 And then those
migh ty car-warr ior s . with wrath exc it ed and rememberin g t he injuries
sustai ned a t o n e another's h a nds . strov e i n bat t le . O king . chal lenging
one another . An d th e two arm ies of the Kurus and the Pandavas .
teeming with elephant s . steeds and cars . looked exceed ingly beauti ful on
1 L iteral l y ,"showing h im self in an awful form .
-T.
2 Sub hadra's son Ab h im an yu .
-T.
3 Th ese fences were made of iguana sk ins an d eased th e hands of th ebowmen up to a few i nches of the elbow-jo int4 ‘Nim itta
'i s explained by Ni lakan tha as th e mark of object a imed at.
Drona was th e preceptor in arms of a lmost a l l the Bharata pr in ces.—T.
5 Interestin g , l iteral l y . s ightl y .—T.
£1 14 MAHABHAR’
ATA‘
however . pierc ing in batt l e the so n of Pri tha. could not make h im
waver. Ahd so .
‘
O king . the son o f Pandu also could not make Bhi shma
wav er in bat t le . An d th e m ighty bowman Saty ak i rushed aga ins tKri tavarman . An d the bat tle between the se two was fierce i n the
extr eme and made th e hair (of on looke rs ) s tand on end . An d Satyak i
afflicted Kr i tav arm an . and Kr i tavarman afi l lcted Saty ak i . with loud
shouts and each weakened t h e o ther . An d pierced al l o v er w it h a rrows
those mighty warr iors shone l ike two blossom in g K in sukas i n spring
adorned with flowers . An d the m ighty bowman Abh im an y u bat tl ed
with Vr i hadvala . Soon , howev er . i n tha t encoun t er . O kin g . the rule r
of Kose la cut o ff the standard and o v er th rew th e ch ar iote er of Subh adra's
son . The son of S ubhadra then u pon th e ov er throw of h is chariotee r .
was fi l led w ith wra th and pierced Vri hadva la . O k ing . with n ine shaft s .an d with a couple of sharp arrows tha t g r inder of foes also cut o ff
(Vrihadva la’
s) standard . an d wi th one (more) cut off one of the pro tec
tors o f his ca r-wheels and with the other h is chario teer .
l And those
chast isers o f foe s con ti nued to weaken each ot her with sharp arrows .
And Bhimasen a struggled in b a ttle w i t h thy so n Duryodhana . tha t
mighty car-warr ior . proud and inflat ed . wh o had 1 n ju red ( the sons of
Pandu) . Both of t hose foremost (pr inces) among the Kurus . ar e t ige r s
among men and m ighty car-warriors . An d they covered each other . '
o n
th e fie ld of ba tt le . wi th thei r ar rowy shower s. An d behold ing those
h igh-sou led and accompl ished warr iors conv ersan t w i th a l l modes of
warfare . all crea ture s were fi l le d w i t h amazemen t of Bharata . And
Dussasan a . rush ing agam st that m i ghty car-warr ior Nakula . pierced him
with many sharp arrows capabl e o f pen e trat in g into the very V i ta ls .
The son of Madr i . then . laughin g the wh il e . cut o ff . with sharp arrows
(of h is) . h i s adversary’
s sta ndard and bow . and then he st ruck h im with
fiv e and twen ty smal l-headed arrows. Thy son . however . t hen . who can
with d ifficulty be vanqui shed . s lew i n tha t fie rce encount er the ste eds
of Nakula and cut o ff his s tandard . An d Durm ukha rush ing aga in s t the
m ighty Sahadeva bat tl ing in tha t t e rr ific encoun ter . pierced h im with a
shower of arrows . Th e heroic Sahadeva th en , in that fea rf ul bat tle .over threw Du rmukh a
's char io tee r w it h an a rrow of g rea t sharpness .
Bot h of them . i r r epre ss ible i n fight . approaching each other in combat.and each attacking the o the r and de sirou s of ward ing o ff the other
’s
a ttack . began to str ike t error into each other wit h terr ibl e shafts . And
king Yudh i shthira himself encoun te r ed t h e rul er of’
t h e Madras . The
ch ief of th eMadras t hen in h is v ery s ight cut o ff i n twa in Yudhi shth i ra's
1 With two ‘Bh a l l as’
Ab h im an yu cut ofi h i s adversary ’
s standard ;with one . one of th e protectors o f h i s car-wh eels an d with another . h i scharioteer . Thus Ni l ak an tha . A ‘Parshn i
' i s a ltogeth er a difleren t person'from
.
a‘Sarath i .
’
Hen ce Ni l akan tha i s assuredly' right. Th e Burdwan
Pund1ts have misunderstood th e verse—T.
BHISHMA PARVA 1 1 5
bow. Thereupon the son of Kunti . throwing aside th at broken b ow . took
up another tha t was s t ronger and capable of impart ing a greater velocity .
Th e kin g th en . with str aigh t a rrows . co v ered th e rule r of the Madras .a nd in g rea t wra th sa id .
‘
wa i t,wa i t
’
. An d Dhri shtady um n a . O Bharata
rushed a ga in st Drona . b An d Drona . then . i n grea t wrath . cut 0 8 i n tha t
encoun te r t he hard bow of the h igh-souled prin ce of Panchala that was
capable o f always tak in g the l ive s of foes . An d a t the sam e time he shot
in tha t confl ict a ter r ibl e arrow th at was l ike a second rod o f Death .
An d t he arrow shot penetrated th e body of the pr ince . Taking up then
ano ther bow and fourteen arrows . the so n of Drupada pierced Drona in
that encoun t er . An d en raged with each ot her . they battled on fiercely .
And the impetuous Sankha encountered Som ada tta's son who was
equally impetuous in battle and addressed h im . O king . saying“
wa i t,wa i t
,
’
An d t hat h ero then pierced h is (ad v ersary’
s) r i ght arm in that combat .
And t her eupon the son o f Som adatta s truck Sankh a on the shoulders.
And the battle that ensued be tween those two proud heroes , 0 kin g .
soon became as t e rr ible as a combat be tween the gods and the Danavas .
An d tha t m igh ty car-warr ior Dhr i shtaketu of immeasurabl e soul . with
wrath exci ted . rushed in bat tl e . O k ing. agains t Valh ika . the v eryembodiment of wra th . Val h ika . then . 0 king . se tting up a l eoni ne
roar . weakened t he wrat h ful Dhri shtake tu with innumerable arrows.
The king of th e Chedi s. howev er . exce edingly provoked , quickly pierced
Val h ika i n that encounter with nin e arrows . Like an infur iate
el ephant agai nst an in fur iat e elephant . i n that combat th ey roared
agains t each other r epea tedly . both exceed ingly enraged . An d they
encoun tered each other wi th grea t wra th and looked like the plants
An garaka and Sukra .
1 An d Ghato tkacha of crue l deeds encounte red
the R akshasa Alam vu sha of cruel deeds l 1ke Sakra ( encoun ter ing )
Vala in ba tt l e . An d Gha to tkacha . O Bharata . pierced that infuriat e
and powerful R akshasa with n inety keen-edged shafts . And Alamv usha
also in that comba t pierced the mighty son of Bh imasen a in many placeswit h stra ight a rrows (of h i s) . An d mang l ed w ith arrows they sho ne in
that encounte r( l ike the migh ty Sakra and the powerful Vala in the
combat (of ol d) be tween the c eles t ia ls and the Aw flwog The powerfu l
S ikhan di n . 0 king . rushed aga ins t Drona's so n . Aswatthaman . howev er
deeply piercing th e angry S ikhandi n sta t ioned (before him ) with akeen-edged shaf t . caused him to tremble . S ikhandin a lso . 0 king .
smote Drona s so n wi th a sharp-whet t ed shaf t of excellen t temper . Andthey cont inued m th a t encounter to str ike each other w ith var ious kinds
1 'An garaka'i s th e planetMars . an d ‘Sukra ’ i . a . Ven u e.
—T.
2 Th e second line of th e 45th verse i s n o t in th e Ben ga l texts.—T.
3 I take the 46th a s con s i stin g of th ese lines In order to make thesucceeding numb ers of th e verses correspon d with those of the Benga l
15161 MAHABHM M
of arrows . And again st the ‘ hero ic Bhagadatta i n battl e . Virata .~the
commander of a large d iv i s i on . ru sh ed im pe tuously . O king . and then
commenced (the i r) combat . Vi ra ta . exce ed ingly provoked . poured on
Bhagadatta an a rrowy shower l i ke . O Bhara ta . the cloud s showering
rain ' on the mounta i n breas t . Bu t Bh agadatta . that l ord o f the ear th .
speed i ly enveloped Vi ra ta in th at encounte r (with arrows) l ik e the
clouds enveloping th e r i sen sun . Kripa . th e so n of Saradwat. rushed
aga ins t Vrihadkshatra . th e ru ler of the Ka ikeyas. An d Kr ipa . O Bharata .
enveloped h im with a shower of a rr ows . Vr ihadkshatra also shrouded
the infur iate so n of Gautama wit h an arrowy downpour . An d those
warri ors . th en , hav in g s la in each ot h er's s t e ed s and cut o ff each other
’
s
bows . were bot h depr i v e d of t h ei r cars . An d exceed in g ly enraged . th eythen approached each o ther for fight ing with the ir swords . An d t he
combat wh ich then took place be tween t hem wa s te rr ible in aspect and
unparalleled . That chastise r of foe s . king Dru pada . t hen . in great wrath
rushed a g ainst Jayadratha . the rul er of the S i ndhu s , ch e erfully wai t ing
(fo r batt le) . Th e rul er o f the S in dhus pierced Drupada i n tha t comba t
Wi th three shaf ts . and Dru pada pie rced him in re tur n . An d th e bat tle
that took place between them was t e r r ibl e and fie rce . and product ive
of sat isfact ion in the hear ts of al l t he sp‘
e’
cta tor s and r esembl ing a con
flict betwe en the planets Sakra and An ga taha . A n d Vikarna . so n to
thee . wi th fleet ste eds . rushed a gain st th e m ighty Su tasom a and the
combat between t h em commenced . Vika rna . howev er . al thou gh h e
pierced Sutasoma with many arrows . fa i led to m ake h im wave r . Nei ther
could Su tasoma make Vikarna wav er . An d tha t appeared wonderful
(to al l ) . An d against Su sarm an . that m i gh ty ca r-warr ior and tiger
among men . v i z . . Chek i tan a of g reat p ro wess , rushed in exceeding w
for the sake of the Pandavas . An d Su sarm an also . O grea t k in g . i nencounter checked the advance of th a t m ig h ty car-warr ior Ch ekiwith pl ent i ful s h ower of ar rows . An d Ch ek i tan a also . grea tlyvoked. showered on S usarm an . i n that te rr ibl e conflic t . a showe
arrows l ike a m ighty mass of c louds shower ing ra in on the
breast . And Sakun i . endued with gr ea t prowess . rush ed O kPrativ i ndhya of gr eat prowess . l ike a l io n against an in fur iat eThereupon t he son of Yudh ish th i ra . i n exce ed ing wrath .Suva la
’
s son i n that combat . with sharp a rrows . l ike Maghav a
l ing) a Danava , An d Saku n i a lso . i n tha t fierc e confl ict . pierced
vindhya in return and mang led that warrior of great in te ll i g encestraight arrows . An d Sru takarm an rushed i n ba t t le
. 0 g r ea tagainst tha t mighty car-warr io r Sudaksb in a of grea t prowess . the
of the Kamv o jas. Sudaksb i n a . howeve r . O g rea t king.pier
1 P rativi n dhya wa s Yudhi shth ira's son b y Draupadi .
2 Mag havat i s In dra . the ch ief of th e celestials.—T.
SE CTION XL VI
San jaya sa id . O king . I w i l l now describe to the e the combats of
hundreds and thousand s of foo t-fo ldiers . O Bha ra ta . i n u t te r f orge tful
ness of al l considerat ion due to others. There t he son recognised not
the si te . the s ire (recognised no t) the son of h is Io ins . th e brother
(recognised not) the bro ther . the s ist er’
s son ( recogn ised not ) the
materna l uncle . The maternal uncl e (recogn i sed not) t he s is te r's son .
the fr ie nd no t the fr i end . The Pandavas and t h e Kurus fough t as i f
they\
were possessed by demon s . Some t ig ers among men . fel l wi th carsinto pieces . An d the shaf t s of car s broke clash ing aga in st shaf t s . and the
spikes of car-yokes a ga inst spikes of car-yokes . An d some (warr iors)
uni ted together encounter ed others that w ere un i ted togethe r . all des ir
ous of t ak ing one ano ther’ s l i fe—An d som e ca rs . obstructe d by cars .
were unable to move . An d huge-bod ied elephants with rent temple s .
fall ing upon huge e lephants . angr i ly tore one ano ther i n many places
with the ir tusks . Others . 0 king . encounter in g 1mpetuou s and huge
ones o f the ir sp ec ies w i t h a rched edifices and standards (on thei r backs )and tra in ed to the figh t struck with t he i r tusks . sh r ieked in great
a gony . l Discipl i ned by tra in ing an d urge d on by pikes and hooks .elephants not in rut rushed stra ight a ga ins t those t hat were in rut . 2
An d some huge e l ephants. encounter ing compee rs in rut . ran . utterin g
cr ies l ike those of cranes . i n a l l d irect ion s . An d many huge e lephan t s .
well-train ed . and with j uice tr ick l in g down from ren t temples and
mouth , mangl e with swords . la nce s . and arrows . and pierced in th ei r
v i tal par ts. shr ieked a loud and fa l li ng down expired . An d some .u tt er ing fr ight ful
,
cries . ran in a l l d ir ect ion s . The foo t-so ld iers th at
protected the elephants . endued w i th broad chests . and capabl e o f smit ing
efiectu a l ly . with wrath excited . and armed w it h p ikes and bows . and br igh t
bat tle-axes . and w i th maces and clubs . and shor t a rrows . and lances .and . wi th shaf ts . and stou t bludgeons mounted wi th iron spike s and
swords . well-gra sped of the br igh te s t pol i sh . ran h ither and thith er . 0 kin g .and seemed resolv ed to take one anot he r
’
s l i fe . An d the sabres o f brave
1 Th e last h a l f of th e 7th with th e 8th forms one sentence . I t i scertainly p leonastic .
‘Ban avaran ai s’ of the Benga l texts i s preferab le to the
Bombay reading ‘Varavaran a i s .
’ ‘Toranas'are the wooden edifices pl aced
on th e b acks of eleph ants for th e protection an d comfort of the riders .
Th ese are ca l led in India ‘Hawdas .
’—T.
2 Many of th e Benga l texts read ‘Avi n i tas . Th e correct reading , asin th e Bomb ay text. i s
‘
Ab h i n i tas'.
‘Aprab h i n n a 1 8 l itera l lyw1th the temporal juice n ot tr ickl ing down . Th i s ju ice emanates fromsevera l parts of th e elephan t's body wh en th e season o f rut comes . Toavo1d a cumb rous periphrasis . wh ich aga in would b e un intelligi b le .to theE uropean reader . I have g iven th e sense only .—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
combatants rush ing against one another ste eped in human blood .seemed to sh in e br i ghtly . And the whiz of swords whirled and made to
descend by heroic arms and fal l in g upon the v i ta l pa rt s (of t h e bodie s )of foes . becam e very loud . And the hear t-ending wail s of combatan ts
in multitudinous ho s ts . crushe d wi th maces and clubs . and cut o ff with
well-tempered swords . and pierced with th e tusks of e lephants . and
gra ined by tuske rs . call ing upon one another . were heard . 0 Bharata .
t o resemble the wa ils o f those that are doomed to hell . An d horsemen ,on charge rs of exce ed i n g speed and furn ished with outstretched tailsresembl ing ( th e P lumes of ) swans . rush ed aga inst one another . An d
hurled by them . long-bearded dart s adorne d w i th pure gold . fleet . and
pol ish ed . and shar p-pointed . fel l l ike snakes . l An d some h eroic
horsemen . on coursers of speed . l eapin g h igh . cut o ff the heads o f car
warriors from the i r cars . 2 An d (here and ther e) a car-warr ior . getting
bodie s of cavalry within shooting d i s tance . sl ew many with stra ight
shafts furnished wi th beads An d many infuria te e l ephant s adorned
with trapp ing o f gold . and lookin g l ike n ewly-r isen clouds . throwing
down steed . crushed t hem wi th t h eir own legs . An d som e elephants
struck on the ir f ronta l g lobes and flanks . and mang l ed by means of
lances . shrieked a loud in great agony . An d m any hug e elephants . in
t he bewildering of the melee . crush ing ste ed s wi th thei r r iders . threw
them down . And some elephants . ov er th rowing with the po i nts o f
thei r tusks . ste eds w ith the ir r ider s . wander ed . crushin g cars wi th t hei r
standards . And some h uge mal e el ep han t s . from excess of ene rgy and
with the temporal j uice gushing down in la rg e quant it ies . s lew steeds
along with their r iders by means of thei r trunks and l egs . Fl ee t arrows
pol ished and sha rp-poin ted and resembl in g sn akes fel l upon th e heads.the temples . the flanks . and th e l imbs of e le phants .
‘ And pol ished
jav el ins o f t er r ibl e mien . and looking l ike large meteoric flashes.
hur led by heroic arms . fe ll h i the r and th ither . 0 k ing . pie rcin g throughthe bodie s of men and horses . and cut t ing through coasts of mai l . 5 And
many taking out the i r pol ished sabres from shea ths made of the skins of
leopards and ti gers , sl ew the combat ants opposed to them in ba ttle .And many warriors, though themse l v e s a t tacked an d b ad t h e flanks . of
their bod ies cut open . yet an g r i ly fe l l upon ( t h eir foes) with swords .
1 For the Benga l read i n g ‘Mahaprajn a'th e Bomb ay text reads
"Mahaprasas .
'—T.
2 ‘Batb at’
an d n ot‘R athan i s the read ing that I adopt.—T.
3 Man y of th e Ben ga l texts reads ‘Sudarn n as’
as th e la st word ofthe first l ine of the 25th verse . I t i s evidently unmean in g . Th e Bomb ayreadin g i s
‘cha Van aras .
'—T.
4 ‘Varan an’
the accusative form i s u sed. say s Ni l akan tha . for th e
gen etive‘asugas
'. l i t, quickly go in g . i s used here as a substan tive , mean in g
arrows . -T,
5 I take the 30th verse as consisting of th ree l in es.—T.
MAHABHdBAfl‘A
sh i elds and ba t tl e-axe s . An d some el ephants dra gg ing down -and over
throw in g cars with t h e ir s t e eds by means of thei r t runks . began towande r in al l d i rec t ions . guided by th e cr ie s o f
'
thos e behind them .
And h ither and th i ther some p ie rced by j av el ins . and som e cut asunder
by bat t le-axes . and some crushed by el e phan t s and o thers t rod down by
ho rses . and some cut by car-whee ls . and some by axes . loud ly cal l ed
upon their k insm en . 0 king . An d som e ca lled upon thei r sons . and
some upon the ir s ir es . and some upon bro ther and kinsmen . An d some
cal led u pon thei r maternal uncl es . and som e upon the ir s ister’
s sons.
An d some cal led upon o thers . on the fie ld o f ba t tle . An d a very large
number o f combatan ts , O Bh arata . los t the i r weapons . or had the ir
thighs broken . An d o th er wi th arm s torn o ff or s ides pierced or cut
open . were seen to wail a loud . from des ir e of l if e . An d som e . endued
wi th l i t t le stren g th . to r tured by thi r s t . O king . and ly ing on the field
of battle on the bare ground . asked for water . An d some . wel ter in g
in pools of blood and excessively weakened . O Bhar ata . g reat ly c ensured
th em selves and thy sons ass embled togeth er fo r battle An d there
were brav e Kshatr iya s . who h av ing in jured one another . did no tabandon the ir weapon s or set up any wa ils . O sire . On the other
hand . ly ing i n tho se places wher e t hey lay . roared with joy fu l hearts.and b i tin g from wra th with t h ei r t e e th t he i r own l ips . looked at on e
another wi t h faces rendered fierce in consequence o f the con trac t ion of
thei r eyebrows . An d oth ers endued with g re a t st ren g th and tenaci ty
in g rea t pain . affl ic ted by a rrows and smar t ing under the i r wounds .remained perfectly s i lent . And oth er heroic car-war r iors . depr ived .i n the encounter . o f th ei r own ca rs a nd thrown down and wounded
by huge el ephan ts . asked to be taken up on the cars of o thers .An d many . O k ing . looked beaut i ful i n the i r wounds l ike blossom ing
K im ukas . An d in al l th e div ision s were hea rd terrific cr i es . countless
i n number . An d i n that awful comba t d e s truct i v e o f heroes . . the s ir e
sl ew the son . ths so n sl ew th e s 1 re . th e sis te r’
s son slew the maternal
uncle . the maternal uncl e slew th e s i ster'
s son . f r iend sl ew f r iend . and
rela t ive s slew kinsmen . Even thus t he slaughte r took place in th atencounte r of the Kurus w i th the Pandava s . An d i n tha t frigh tful and
terribl e ba ttl e in which no con sidera t ion was shown (by anybody fo r any
body th e d ivis ions of the Pandavas . approach ing Bh i shm a . . began to
wav er . An d. O bull of Bharata’
s race . the mighty-armed Bh i shma , Oking . wi th his standard which was made o f si l v er an d g raced with the
device of th e palmyra wi th five stars . set t in g upon h is grea t car . shonel ike t he lunar orb under the peak of Meru .
1 22 MAHABHAR ATA
rushing on h im impetuously . speedi ly p ierced th e son o f Arjun a in th at
comba t w it h n ine arrows . An d he also . with th ree broad-hea ded shaf ts .
cut o ff the s tandard of tha t warr ior o f great ener gy . O f r ig id vows .Bh ishma also struck h is adver sary
’
s char io teer . An d Kr itavarm an .
and Kripa.and Salya also . O s ire . pie rc ing Arju n a
's son . a l l fa iled to
m ake h im waver . for he stood fi rm like the Ma i n aka mounta in . An d
the hero ic so n of Arjuna . t hou gh sur rounded by tho se m i gh ty car
warr iors of th e Dhartara shtra army . s t i l l showered on those fiv e
car-warriors a rrowy down -pours . An d baffl in g the ir mighty weaponsby h is ar rowy showers. and pourin g on Bh i shm a hi s shafts . the power ful
son of Ar juna set up loud shout . An d s trugg l in g in the battl e thu s
and affl icti n g Bhi shma with his arrows . the s t ren gth we saw of h is
arms then was very grea t . Bu t though endued wi t h such prowess
Bh i shm a a lso shot hi s arrows at h im . Bu t he cut o ff i n tha t combat the
arrows sho t from Bhi shm a’
s b ow . And then that hero ic warrior o f
a rrows that were never lost . cut o ff with n ine arrows . in th a t combat .the standard of Bhishma . An d at t hat fe a t th e peopl e there se t up a
loud shout . Decked with j ew el s and made of si lve r,tha t tal l standard
bearing th e device of th e pal myra . cut OH. O Bhara ta . by the sha fts of
Su hhadra's son . fe l l down on th e ear th . And beholding . O bull o f
Bha ra ta's race . tha t s tandard fa l l ing in conseque n ce of th e shafts o f
Sub hadra's son . th e proud Bhima set u p a loud shout for cheer in g th e
son of Sub hadra . Then in fie rc e comba t , the m i gh ty Bh i shm a caused
many ce l es t ia l weapons o f grea t effic ac y to appear . An d the g reat
grandsire o f immeasurable sou l th e n cov ere d Su bhadra’
s so n with
thousands o f a rrows . An d a t t h is . ten g rea t bowmen a n d mighty
ca r-warr iors of the Pandav as , quick l y rushed on th e i r cars fo r protecting the son of Sub hadra . An d those we re Vi ra ta w ith his so n . an d
Dhri shtady um n a of Pr i shata’
s race . an d Bh ima . the fiv e Kekeya
bro thers , and Se ryaki a lso . O kin g . An d as they were fa l l ing upon
him with great impetuos i ty . Bhi shm a t h e son o f S an ts u n , i n tha t
confliCt. pi erced the prince of Pancha la wi th thre e arrows.an d Satyak i
wi th t en . And with one winged arrow . wh et ted and sh arp-edged as
a razor . and shot from h i s bow drawn to i ts ful le s t stre tch.h e cut o ff
the standard of Bh imasen a . An d. O best of men . t he s tandard ofBh im asen a. made o f gold a n d bea r ing the d evice of a l ion ,
cut o ff byBh i shm a . fell from th e car . An d Bh ima t h en
.pierc ing San tan u
's
son Bh i shma i n tha t combat wi th thre e a r rows . pierced Krip a with one .and Kr i tavarman with e ight . An d U ttara al so . the son of Vi ra ta . on a
tusker wi th upra ised trunk . rushed a ga inst the rule r o f the Madras .Salya . however . succeeded in checkin g the unparalle l ed impe tuos i ty of
tha t prince of el ephants rush in g quick ly towa rds h i s ca r. Tha t pr ince
of elephan ts . in g rea t wrath . plac ing his l eg upon the yoke of
BHISHMA PARVA 1 23
Sa lya's car . ki l l ed h is four la rge s t eeds of excel len t speed . The
rul er of the Madra s then . st ay in g on that ca r whose steeds
had been sla i n . hurled a da r t . a l l made o f i ron . and resem
bl ing a snake . for slay in g Uttara outr i ght . The le t te rs coat
of mail be ing cut throu gh by tha t da r t , he became total ly depr ived of
h is senses and fe l l down from his elephant’
s neck . with th e hook and the
lance loosened from his grasp . An d Salya t hen . takin g up his sword an d
jumpin g down from his excel l en t car . a nd putt ing forth his prowess . cu t
0 5 the la r g e trunk of tha t pr i nce of e l e phants . Hi s coa t of ma i l pierced
al l over with a shower o f a rrows . an d his t runk cut off . tha t ele phan t
ut tered a loud shr 1 ek and fel l down and expired . Achiev ing such a fea t .
O king . th e ruler of the Madra s s pe ed i ly mounted on the splendid ca r of
Kri tava rm a n . An d beholding hi s brothe r U t t a ra sla in an d see ing Salya
stay in g wi th Kr i tavarman . Vi ra ta's son Sweta blazed up in w rath . l ike
fire blaz in g up wi th clar ified bu tte r . And t ha t migh ty warr ior .
stretch ing h i s large how t ha t r esembled the bow of Sakra himself .rushed w i th the desir e of slay in g Salya t h e ru ler of the Madras .Surrounded on a l l s ides with a migh t y divisio n of cars . b e advancedtowa rds Sa lya
'
s car pour in g an arrowy shower . An d beholdin g h im
rush to the fig ht wi th prowess equal to th at o f an infuriat e e lephant .seven car-warriors of thy s ide surrou n d ed h im on al l side s . des i rous of
protect i n g the r u le r of Madra s who seemed to be a l r eady wi th in t h e
jaws of Dea th . And t hose seven warr iors were Vri hadval a the ru ler of
the Kosal as. and Iaya tse n a of Magadha . and R ukmaratha . 0 kin g . who
was t he ve lo uton s son of Saly a . and Vi nda and An u v in da of Avan ti . and
Sudaksb in a the k ing of the Kamvo jas . an d Jayadra tha the ruler of the
S i n dhu s and the k insmen of Vr ihadkshatra . And the s tre tched bows of
those h igh-souled warriors , d ecorated w ith div erse colours . looked
l ike th e l i gh tn in g’
s fla sh es in the clouds . An d they all poured on
Swe te’
s he ad cease le ss showers of a rrows l ike the clouds to ssed by th e
wind dropping ra in on th e mounta in breast on th e expiry of summer .Tha t m ighty bowman and commande r of the forces . enraged at th is . with
seven broad-heade d a rrows of gr eat impetuos i ty . struck the i r bows .to grind them . And those bow s we saw were cut off .reu po n th ey al l took u p . within hal f the t ime taken
eye . other bows . An d they then shot a t Sweta
once a gain tha t mighty-a rmed warr ior of immeasu r
n fle et shaf ts . cut o ff those ( o ther ) bows of these
s e la rg e bows had been cut off .rage ) . grasping (se ven ) darts .e Bhara tas . th ey hurl ed those
blaz in g darts which coursed
1 24 MAHABHARATA
( t hrough t h e a ir) l ike larg e m e teors . with th e sound of thunder .were al l cut off . befor e they could r each h im . t h a t warr ior conv ersan twith m igh ty weapons . by means of sev en broa d-hea ded arrows . Then
taking up an arrow capable of pen etra t ing into every par t of the body .
he shot i t.O chi ef of the Bhara ta s . at R ukmaratha . An d t ha t mighty
arrow . sur passing ( th e force of) th e thunde r-bolt . penet ra te d into t h e
l at ter's body . Then , O king . forc ibly struck by that arrow . R ukm aratha
sa t down on t he te r race o f h is car and fel l in to a deadly swoon . His
char ioteer then, wit hout bet raying any fear . bore h im away . sensele ss
and in a swoon . i n the very s i g h t of al l . Then tak ing up six other
(arrows ) ador ned w ith gol d . the m igh ty-armed Sweta cut o f f the
standard-tops o f hi s six adv ersaries .
‘
l An d that chast iser of fo es then .
piercing the ir ste ed s and char io tee rs a lso . and cover in g those s ix warr iorsthemselves with cease les s s ha f ts . proceeded toward s the ca r of Salya .
And beholdin g that general iss imo of t he (Panda va) forces proceed in g
quickly toward s Sal y a's car , a loud uproar of oh and a l a s a rose in thy
army . O Bharata . Then thy m igh ty so n . wi th Bh ishm a a t the h ead .
and supported by hero ic warr iors and many troops . proceeded towards
Swete's car . 2 An d he (thus ) r escued the ruler of t he Madras who had
already entered the jaws of Death . An d th en commenced a battle .ter ific and making the ha ir to stand on end . be tween thy troops andthose of the enemy . in wh 1ch cars and e lephan ts al l go t mixed up inconfusion . An d upon Sub hadra
’
s son and Bh imase n a . a n d t hat mightycar-warrior Satyak i . and upon the rule r of the Kekayas . and Virata .and Dh r i shtady uma o f Pr1shata s race . and upon the Ched i troops .the o ld Kuru grandsu e poured showers of a rrows . 8
SE CTION XLVIII
Dhr i tarashtra sa id—“When tha t g rea t bowman Sweta proceeded
towards Sa ly a’
s car . what d id the Kaurava s and the Pandava s do. OSenjaya And what a lso d id Bh ishma the son of San tan u do Te l l m ewho ask thee . a ll th is . “
1 Both 60 an d 61 are read differently i n th e _Ben ga l texts . I adoptth e Bomb ay readin gs—T.
2 The Ben gal readin g i s ‘Sua'
ri s Vr i ta scha Sai n y en a .
’
Th e Bomb ayreadin g (wh ich I do n ot adopt) i s
‘Vr i tastu Sarva Sa i n y en a ,
’—T.
3 Nine sloka s an d a ha lf . from th e second h a lf of th e 43rd verse to the52n d verse (as ab ove) . are omitted i n the Ben ga l texts . These , h owever .occu r subsequen tly in section 46 following . Th e fact i s . the whole of thepa s sage in th i s section an d the 1 1 6 vers es in the fol lowi n g section . an d th e
first 24 verse s in th e section 49 . are regarded as an interpo lation . In thosesections of th e U dy oga P arvam wh ere th e R ath a s an d th e Ati rathas
, &c .are counted b y Bh i shm a . n o men tion i s made o f an y warrior of th e name ofSweta . Th e Burdwan P undits om i t these pa s sage s a ltogeth er . I myselfb elieve them to b e an interpo lation . Occurring , however . as i t does i n
b oth th e Benga l an d the Bombay texts , I can n ot omit in th e E ng lishvers1on .—T.
4 The first verse i s taken as consi sting of three l in es .- T.
126 MAHABHARATA
in dicated the strugg l ing adversary before . From the pressure a l so on
the ir bod ies.combatan ts guessed the ir fo e s . An d the warr ior s . O k ing .
fough t on wi th arrows . guided by the so und of bow-strin g s and (host ile )d ivision
. Th e very h iss of the a rrows shot by the comba tan ts a t on e
another could not be h eard . An d so loud wa s the sound o f drums .
th a t i t seemed to pierce the ears . An d i n t hat tum u ltou s uproar making
the ha ir s tand on end . the nam e o f the combatan t ut ter ed in the bat tl e .
whi le d isplay ing h is prowess . cou ld not b e h ea rd . The s i r e cou ld n o t
recognise th e son of h is loins . One o f the whee ls be ing broken . or th e
yoke be ing torn o ff or one of the st eeds be in g sla in . t h e brave carwarr io r was o v er thrown from h is ca r . along w ith h is char ioteer . by
m eans of s traight arrows . And thus many her0 1c warr iors . depr i v ed
o f the i r cars . wer e seen to fly away .
1 He who was sla in had cu t o ff he
who was not sla in . was st ruck a t the very V i ta l s : but un struck t herewas none . when Bh i shm a a ttacked the foe . An d in tha t te rrific bat t le .
Swe ta caused a g rea t s l au ghter of the Kurus . An d he slew many noble
pr inces by hundreds upon hundreds . 2 An d he cut off . by m eans o f h is
a rrows . th e heads of car-warr io rs by hundreds upon hundreds , and
(the ir ) arm s deck ed w i th An gadas , and ( t he i r ) bows a l l around . An d
car-wa rrior s and car-wheel s . and others t hat wer e on cars , an d th e cars
themselves . and st andards bo th smal l and cost ly . 0 king . and lar ge bod ie s
of horse s,and crowd s of cars . and crowds o f m en . O Bharata
'
s race . were
destroyed by Sweta . Ourselve s . from feedo f Sweta . abandonin g (E b ish
ma ) that bes t o f car-warr iors . left the battl e re tr eat ing to th e rear and .
t he re fore . do we (now) behold your lord ship . An d a l l the Kuru s . O son
o f Kuru's race . beyond the range of arrow s . and abandon in g Bh i shm a the
son of San tan u . i n tha t ba t tle . stood (a s spec ta to rs though) armed for the
combat . Cheerful in the hour of (univ ersa l ) Cheer lessnes s . tha t t igeramong men Bh ishm a . alone of our a rmy , i n tha t ter r ibl e battl e stood
immovable l ike the moun ta in Meru . Ta k ing the l i v e s (of th e foe ) l ike
th e Su n at close of w inte r . he stood resple n den t wi th th e golden rays (ofh is car ) l ike the Sun himsel f w i th his r ay s . An d tha t grea t bowman shot
clouds of arrows and s truck down the Am rasfi An d while be ing slau g ht
ered by Bh i shm a i n that dreadf ul comba t . tho se warr iors breakin g awayf rom the i r ranks . they all fled from h im . as i f from a fire fed by fuel . 4
E ncounter ing the sin gl e warr ior Sweta that sl aye r o f foe s .Bh i shm a . was the only one (amon g s t u s ) who was chee rfu l a nd whole .
Devo ted to the welfare of Du ryodhana . he began to consume the
1 I adopt th e Bom b ay read i n g of th e 22n d ver se —T.
2 ‘Swayam'i n som e of th e Bengal texts i s a mi sprint fo r ‘K sh ayam
’fi T.
3 Chakrapan i i s Vishnu arm ed with th e d iscus .—T .
4 For ‘Yuthan’
wh ich g ive s no m ean in g . I read ‘Yodh a s .
’
The Ben ga lreading ‘muktvag n im iva daruna
'i s b etter th an th e Bom b ay readi n g
‘
m uktam
repum i shu darun am .
'—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
Pandava (warr ior) . R eckle ss of h i s v e ry l i fe wh ich i s d iffi cul t of be ing
cast o ff . and abandoning all fear h e slaugh tered . O king . the Pandava
army in that fierce conflic t . l And behold ing the general i ss imo (Sweta)
smi t i n g the (Dhar tarash tra ) div i sion s . th y fa ther Bh ishma . call ed a l so
Devavrata . im petuously rush ed aga inst h im . The reupon . Sweta cov ered
Bh ishm a with an extens i v e net-work of ar rows . An d Bh ishma al so
covered Sweta with a flight of arrows .An d roar in g l ike a coupl e of
bulls. t hey rushed . l ike two in f u r ia te elephan ts of g igant ic size o r twora g i n g t ige rs . a ga in st each othe r Baffli n g each ot her
’s weapons by
means of th eir w eapon s . those bulls among men , vi z Bh i shm a and Sweta
foug ht w ith each othe r . des i rous o f tak ing each o ther’
s l i fe . In on e
s in g le day Bh i shma . in fur ia te wi th a n ge r . could con sume the Pandava
a rmy with h i s a r rows. i f Swe ta did not p rotect i t . Behold in g th e
g ra nds ire then tu rned o ff by Sw e ta . th e Pandava s w e r e fil l ed wi th joy .wh i l e thy son became chee r less . Du ryod hana then . w i th wra th exci ted
and su r rounded by m any ki n gs . r ushed w i th h is troops a gainst thePandava host i n bat tl e . Then Sw e ta . abandon ing the son of Gan ga .slaughtered thy son
’
s ho st wi th great im petuosi ty l ike th e wind
(uproot in g ) trees wi th v iol ence . An d the son of V i rata . senseless w ith
wrath . having rou ted (thy ) arm y . advanced (once mor e) . O kin g . to the
plac e wher e Bh i shm a was sta t ioned . An d those two high-souled andmighty warriors th en . bo th blazin g wi th the i r a rrows . ba ttl ed with each
other l ike Vri tra and Vasava (of old) . desirous . O king . of slay in g eacho th er . Drawing (his) bow to th e full e st s tre tch . swe ta pierc ed Bh ishm a
wi th seven ar rows . The va lo u rou s (Bh i shma) then . putt ing forth h is prow
e ss. quick l y check ed (his foe's) v a lour . l ike an infur ia t e el ephant check
ing an infur iate compeer . An d Swe ta then , tha t del igh ter of Kshatriyasstruck Bhi shma . and Bhishm a the so n of San ts un also p ierced h im in
re turn with ten arrows . An d though pi erced by h im (thus) . tha t mighty
warrior stood st il l l ike a moun ta in . An d Swe ta aga in pierced San tan u's
son w ith five and twenty st ra i gh t a rrows . a t wh ich al l wondered . Then
smil ing and l ickin g with h is tongue the corne r s of h i s mouth . Sweta in
that combat cut o ff Bh i shm a's bo w i nto ten fra gmen ts wi th ten ar rows.
Then aim ing a plumed a rrow mad e wholly of i ron . (Sweta ) crushed the
palmyra on the top of t h e s tanda rd of th e hi gh-souled (Bh i shma ) . An d
beholding the s ta ndard of Bh i shma cu t down , thy sons th ough t tha t
Bhishma was sla in . hav in g succumbed to Swe ta . An d the Pandavas also
fi lle d w ith del ight . blew thei r conches a l l around . An d behold in g the
palmyra standard of the high-souled Bh i shma la id low . Duryodhana . f rom
wra th . urged h i s own army ( to the battle) . And th ey al l began very
careful ly to protect Bh i shma who was in grea t d ist r ess . Un to them . a lso
1 Th e Bomb ay read in g ‘
j ivi ta rn du styajam'i s better than th e Benga l
readin g ‘j iy em taduttham ’
. i f i t has an y meanin g —T.
1 MAHABHARATA
un to those that s tood ( id le) spec ta to rs . th e k ing said—Either Sweta w il l
die (today) . or Bhishma the son of Sants un . I say th is truly . Hearing
the words of the king.the m ighty car-warr iors speed ily with four kinds
of forces.advanced protec t ing the son o f Ganga . An d Val hika and
Kri tav a rm an . a nd Kri pa . an d Salya a l so . O Bharata . and the son o f
Jarasandha . and Vikarna , and Ch i trase n a . and Viv i n sati . with great
speed , when speed was so necessary . surround i ng h im on al l s ides . poured
on Swe ta cease less showers of arrows . Tha t mighty warr ior then . of im
measurable soul , quickly checked those ang ry warrior s by means of sharp
ar rows . d isplay i n g his own l ightness of hand .
‘
An d checkin g th em a l l
l ike a lion and a mult i tud e o f e lephants . Sweta th en cut o ff Bh ishm a's
bow w i th thick shower o f a rrows . Then Bh i shma the son o f San tan u .
tak ing up another bow in tha t ba tt le , p ierced Sweta . O k ing . with ar rows
furnish ed with fea the rs o f K a n /ca bi rd . Th en the commande r (of th e
Pandava army ) . with wrath exci t ed . pie rced Bhi shm a i n tha t encounte r
O ki n g . with a grea t many shaf ts in th e v ery sigh t of al l . Beholding
Bhi shm a . tha t foremost of h e roes i n a l l t he world . checked in ba ttle by
Swe ta . the k ing (Duryodh ana ) became grea tly t roubled . and grea t a l so
became the d istress of thy whol e a rmy . An d behold i ng th e h e ro ic
Bh ishma ch ecked and mangled by Sweta with h i s a rrow s . a ll thought
tha t Bh ishm a . ha v in g succumbed to Swe ta . was sla in by h im . Then thy
s i re Devavrata . y ield ing to an ger . and behold in g h is own standard
overthrown and the Dhartarashtra army checked . shot a great
many arrows . O k ing . a t Sweta . Sweta . howeve r . t ha t fo remost of
car-warr iors . bafflin g a l l those (a rrows ) o f Bh i shm a . once more cu t o ff .
with a broad-headed shaf t . thy s ire’
s bow . Throwi n g a s ide that bow .
0 king . Ganga’
s son . sense le ss w i th an ger . tak i ng up anotherbow large r and s tronger . and aim ing sev e n la rg e broad-headed
arrows whetted on s ton e . sl ew with four arrows th e four st eeds of th e
g eneral iss imo Sweta . cut o ff his s t andard wi th two and w i t h the seventh
sh aft tha t warr i or of grea t prow ess . exceedin g ly prov oked . cut
o ff hi s char iote er’
s h ead . The re upon . that m igh ty ca r-warr ior . j um ping
down from his car whose s te eds and char iote er had been sla in ‘. and
’
y ield ing to the influe n ce of wra t h.became exceed ingly t roubled . The
grandsi r e . beholding Sweta tha t foremos t of car-war r iors . depr ived of
car . began to smite h im on al l s ides w it h sh owers of arrows . And
smitten in that combat wi th ar rows sho t f rom Bh i shm a’
s bow . Sweta .l eav ing his bow on h is (abandoned ) car took up a dar t decked wi th goldand tak ing up that terr ible and fie rce da r t 2 which resembled the
I In.
th e firstl ine of 7 1 st verse . the word i s n ot‘L aghu' bu t '
a l ag b u'.
th e in itial “11. bein g only si len t accord in g to th e rule of Sandhi . Though
om itted in the Benga l texts . i t occurs i n th e Bomb ay edition .-T.
2 ‘Ghotam'.
‘ugram
'. .mahabh yam
’
, are pleonastic.—T.
1 30 MAHABHARATA
warriors (of t he Pandava s ide) rushed un i ted ly ( to hi s r escue) . (Th ey
were) Satyaki . and Bh imasen a . and Dh rishtady um n a of Prishata's r ace
and the (five) Kekaya brother s . and Dhr i shtaketu and Abh im an yu of
g rea t energy . An d beho ldin g th em ru shing to the re scue with
Drona and Salya and Kripa that hero o f immeasurabl e soul (Bhishma)
checked them all l ike the mounta in r e sist in g the force of th e wind . And
when all the.high-souled warr iors o f the
’
Pandava side were ( t hus )
held in check . Sweta . taking up a sword cut off Bh i shma’
s bow. Casting
a side that bow.t he grandsire . quickly made up h is m ind for Swete
'
s
d estruct ion .hav in g heard the words of the celest ia l m essenger . Though
b afil ed (by Sweta) . thy s ire Devavrata then that mighty car-warr io r
quickly taking up anoth er how tha t resembl ed the how of Sakra him
self i n splendour . str ing ed i t i n a mom ent . Then thy sire . O chief o fthe Bharata s . beholding th at mighty car-warr ior Swe t a . t hough the
lat ter was t h en surrounded by tho se t igers amon g men with Bhimasen a
at thei r h ead .—( thy s i re) the so n of Ganga—advanced . stead i ly fo r the
sake of the gen eral issimo Swe ta a lone . Beholding Bhishma advance .
Bh imasena of g r eat prowess pie rced h im wit h sixty shafts . But th a t
m igh ty car-warr ior. thy sir e Devav rata . ch ecking both Bhimasen a and
Abhimanyu an d o ther car-warr iors w ith terribl e shaf ts . s truck him
with three st raight arrows . An d the grandsir e of the Bhara tas a lso
struck Satyaki . i n tha t comba t . wi th a hundred arrows . and Dhrish ta
dyumn a with twenty and th e Kekaya bro thers wi th five . An d checkin g
all t hose g reat bowmen with te rr ible arrows . t hy s i re Devavrata
advanced towards Sweta alone . Then tak ing out an arrow resemblin g
Death’
s sel f and capable o f b ear in g a g reat st ra in and incapabl e of
be ing resi sted . th e powerful Bhi shm a placed i t o n his bowstr ing . And
tha t shaft . furn ished wi th w ing s and du ly endued w ith the force of the
Brahma weapon . was seen by the gods and Gandharvaa and Pi aackas and
U ragas . and 130 108710 811 8 . An d t hat shaf t . of sple ndour l ike that of a
blazing fire . piercing t hrough h i s coat o f ma i l ( passed through h isbody and ) struck into t he earth . w i th a flash l ike that of heaven
's bol t
.
L ike the Sun when speed ily re t ir ing to his western chambe rs taking
along wi th h im th e ray s of l igh t . even t hus that shaf t passed ou t of
Sweta’
s body . bear ing away w ith i tse lf h i s l i fe . Thus s la in in bat tl e
by Bhi shma . we behe ld that t i ge r among men fal l down l ike th e
loosened crest of a moun ta in . An d al l t he mighty car-warriors of the
Kshatriya race belong in g to the Pandava side indulged i n lamen ta t ions .Thy sons. howev e r . and all the Kurus. were fi l l ed wi th d el ight . Then .O k in g . beho ldi n g Sweta overthrown . Dussasan a danced i n j oy overthe field i n accompan iment w i th the, lo ud music o f conches an d drums .An d when th a t grea t bowman was sla in by Bh ishma. t h a t o rnament of
b attle . th e m ighty bowmen (of th e Pandava side) with Sikhandin at
BHISHMA PARVA
their head . t rembled i n fear . Then when the i r comma nde r was s la in .
Dhan an jaya . O king . and he o f Vri shn i’
s race . slowly wi thdrew thetroops ( for t he i r nigh tly rest) . An d t hen . 0 Bhara ta . th e w ithdrawa l
took place o f bo th the irs and th ine . whi le th in e and the ir s were
f requent ly set ting up loud roars . An d the m ighty car-warriors of theParthas en tered ( the i r quar t ers) cheerlessly . th ink ing . 0 chast ise r offoes . of that aw ful slau ghte r in single combat (of the i r commander) .
SECTION XLIX .
Dhri ta rash tra sa id . When th e general issi mo Sweta . O son . was‘
slain in batt le by the enemy . wha t did those m ighty bowmen . t h e
Panchal as wi th the Pandavas . do ? Hea r in g the ir commande r Sweta
sla in . wha t happened be twe en those t hat strov e for his sake and the ir
foes that re trea ted befo re them 7 O San j aya. h ear ing of our victory .
(thy ) words please my hear t 7 Nor both my hear t fee l any sham e inremembering our tran sgress ion . 1 The old chie f of Kuru
's race i s ave i
cheerful and devo ted ( to us) . (As regards Duryodhana ) . hav ing provo
ked host il i t ie s with that int el l i gen t son of h i s unc le. h e sough t at on e
t im e the protect ion o f the sons of Pandu in consequence of h is anx iety
and fear due to Yudh ishthi ra. At th a t t ime . abandon i ng ev e ry th ing hel ived in mis ery . I n consequence of the prowess of the sons o f
Pandu . and everywhere rece iv ing checks—hav ing placed h imgelfamid ent ang lements—from his enem ies Duryodhana had ( for
some t ime ) recourse to honourable behav iour . Formerel y that
wicked-minded king had placed h imself under th e i r protect ion .
Why . there fore . O Senj aya . hath Sweta who was d evoted to
Yudhi shth i ra . been sla in . Indeed . t h is n arrow-minded prince . wi th al l
h i s prospect s . hath been h ur l ed to th e nether regio ns by a number of
wre tches . Bh i shma l iked not the war . nor even d id the preceptor . 2 Nor
Kripa . nor Gandhari l iked it . 0 San jaya . nor do I l ike i t . nor Vasudevao f
‘
Vrishn i’
s race . nor tha t just k ing the son of Pandu nor Bh ima . n orAr juna . nor those bul ls among men . the tw ins (l iked i t . ) A lways forbidden by me . by Gandhari . by Vidure . by R ama th e son of Jamadagn i .
1 The transg re s s ion of wh ich Dh ritarash tra al ludes i s the slaughter byBh i shm a from h i s car . of Sweta wh o was then a combatant on foot. Or . i tmay b e th e very slaughter of Sweta . who was dear to th e Pandavas andwhich act would . th e k in g thought. provoke th em more—T.
2 Verses 4 to 7 are exceedin g ly difficult. I am n ot sur e that I h aveunderstood them correctly . They are of th e n ature of Vyasakutas . i .s . .
del ib erate ob scurities for pu z z lin g Ganesa . wh ojacted as th e scrib e, forenab l ing Vyasa to ga in time for compos ition s. _ In verse 4
'P itue'means
un cle's an d n ot fath er's so a l so 'durga decem
'in verse 6 means entan g le
ments. l ike Duryodhana’
s hosti l ity with th e Gandharvas on th e occasionof the tale of cattle . In verse 7 of the Benga l readin g i s ‘Yn dh i shth i rambhaktya .
’
Th e Bomb ay readin g wh ich I adopt. i s ‘Yudhi shth ire bhaktas’
.
In 8 . the‘
purushadhamas'are Sakun i and K arn a . &c. - T.
132 MAHABHARA'EA
and by the high-souled Vyasa a l so . t he wicked-minded and sinful Duryo
dhana . with Du ssasan a , O Senjaya . always fol lowing the counsels of
Karna and Suva la’
s son . behav ed mal iciously towards th e Pandavas . I
think. 0 San jaya . that he has fall en in to g rea t d istress . Af ter th e
slaugh ter of Swe ta and th e v ictory of Bh i shm a wha t did Parth a . excited
with rage , do in battle accompan i ed by Krishna ? Indeed , i t i s from
Arj una that my fears ar i s e . and those fears . O San jaya . canno t be
dispelled . He , Dhananjaya . t h e son of Kunt i . is brave and endued with
great ac t ivi ty . I think . with his ar rows he w i l l cut into fragment s
the bod ie s of h is enemie s . The son o f Indra , and in bat tle equal unto
Upendra the younger bro th er of I ndra . a wa r r io r whose wra t h and pur
poses a re never fu t i l e . alas . behol d ing h im what becomes t he state o f
your minds Brav e . acqua int ed w ith Vedas , resembl ing th e fire and
th e Sun in splendour . and possess in g a knowl edge of the Ai ndra weapon ,that warrior o f immeasurab le soul i s ever v ic tor ious when he fa lleth
upon the fo e Hi s weapons a lwa y s fal l in g upon the fo e with the force
of the thunderbol t and h is a rms wonderfully quick in drawing th e b ow
s tr i ng . the son of Kunt i is a mig hty car-warr io r . The form idable 3son of
Drupada also . 0 San jaya , i s endued with grea t wi sdom . Wha t . indeed .d id Dh ri stadyumn a do when Sweta was sla i n i n ba ttle I th ink that in
consequence of t he w ron gs t h ey su stained of old . and of t he slaughter o f
their commander . th e hearts of the h igh-souled Pandavas bla z ed up .Thinking of the i r wrath I am neve r a t my ease . by day or by nigh t . onaccount of Duryodhn a . How did th e g rea t batt l e take place ? Te l l
me al l’ab ou t i t . 0 San jaya .
San jaya sa id . Hear . 0 king . qu i e t ly about thy t ransgress ion s.
It b ehov e th thee not to impute t he f r ui t to Duryodhana. As i s the
construct ion of an embankment when th e wate rs have disappeared. so
i s thy understand ing . o r. i t is l ike the d i gg in g of a we l l when house i s on
fire .
1 When . af ter t he forenoon had passed away . th e commande r
Sweta was. 0 Bhara ta , sla i n by Bh i shma in t h at fie rce confl ict. Vi rata's
son Sankha . tha t grinder of host i le ranks e v er del igh ting in bat tle,
beholdin g Salya sta t ioned wi th Kr itavarm an on h i s car suddenly.
bla z ed up with wrath .’
l ike fire with clar ified but ter . That m ig h ty
warr ior . stre tching hi s la r g e how tha t resembled the bow of Indra
h imself . rushed w i th the d es i r e of sl ay ing the rul e r of the Madra s in
ba ttle . himself suppor ted on al l s ides by a large d i v i sio n o f cars . And
Sankha . causing an arrowy downpour rushed towards the ca r on whichSaly
la was. And behold in g h im advancing l ike a n in fur ia te e lephant
.
seven m ighty car-war r iors of thy side su rrounded h im —d es i rous,
of
re scu ing the ru ler of t h e Madras already wi th i n the jaws of Dea th.
1 As both Operations are useless. so are these thy regrets. -T.
SECTION I.
San jay a sa id , When the troops . O hu l l of Bhara ta's race. were
wi thdrawn on th e firs t day . and when Duryodhana was fi l l ed w ith
del ight upon beho lding Bh ishm a exci ted with wrath i n battle.king
Yudhi sth i ra the jus t speed il y repa i red un to Ian arddan a . accompan ied
by all his bro thers and al l t he king s on his s id e F i l led wi th great
gr ief th inking of h is d efe at . and behold ing Bh ishma's prowe ss . 0 king.
he addressed tha t scion of Vri shn i’
s race . s ay ing .“
Beho ld . O Kr ishn a .th a t m ighty bowman Bhi shma of te rr ibl e prowess . He consumes wi th h is
arrow my troops l ike fire con sum ing dry g ra ss . How shal l we e ven
look at tha t high-sou led warr ior who i s l i ckin g up m y troops l ike fire
fed wi th clarifie d but ter Behold ing that t i g er among men . tha t m ighty
warrior armed wi th t he how. my troops fly away . afil icted with arrows .Enraged Yama himse l f . or He armed w i th the thunder . o r even Varuna
noose i n hand . o r Kuvera armed wi th mace . may be v anqu ished i n battle
but the mighty car-warr ior Bh i shma . of g re a t energy i s i ncapable of
b e ing v anquished . Such bein g the case . I am sinking in th e fa thomless
ocean represented by Bh i shm a . wi thou t a boat (to rescue m e) . 1 Inconsequence . O Kesava . of t he weakness of my understanding . havin g
obta ined Bh ishma (for a foe in bat tle) . I shall . 0 Gov i nda . re t i r e in to
woods . To l iv e the re is pre ferabl e to d evoting these lords ofearth to Death i n the f orm of Bh i shma . Conve rsant wi t h migh tyweapons. Bhishma . O Kr ishna . wil l a nnihilat e my army . As i nsec ts
rush in to the blazing fire for the i r own destruct ion . the cambatan tsof my army are even so . In puttin g forth prowess for the sake of
k ingdom . O thou o f Vrish n i's race . I am bei ng led to des truc tion . My
heroic bro thers also a r e pa i ned and afflic ted with arrows for my
sake . hav in g been deprived of both sovere ign ty and happin ess inconsequence of t he ir lov e for the i r eld est bro ther . We rega rd l i fe
very highly . fo r . under these ci rcumstances . l i fe i s too precious
(to be sacr ificed ) . During the r emainder of my days I wi l l
the severest of asce t ic aust er i t i es . I wi l l no t , 0
caused these fr i ends of m ine to be sla in .
” Th e mighty
incessantly slays . wi th his celes t ia l weapon . many tho usan
car-warriors who ar e for emost of smit e rs . Te l l me . O M
withou t delay . wha t should be done that m i gh t do m e good . As
Arj una . I see that he i s an indiff er ent spec tator i n thi s battl e .
wit h great m ight . this Bhima alon e . rememberi n g Kshatr iya
fighteth put t ing for th t he prowess of hi s a rms and to
power . With hi s hero-slay ing mace .
1 ‘Aplavas'an d “Alpave
’
are both correct. -T.
The Bom bay text reads 'Avaseshen a'wh ich I adopt.- T.
BHISHMA PARVA 1 85
ful l measure of h is powers . achieveth the most difi cu l t fea ts upon foot
sold iers and st eeds and car s and e le phant s . This hero. however . i s
incapable . O sire . of destroy ing i n fa i r fight the hosti l e ho st i n e ven a
century , Th is thy fr iend (Arj una ) alone (amongst) i s conve rsan t with
(mighty) weapons . He . however . beholdi ng u s consumed by Bhi shma
and the hi gh-souled Drona . looket h ind i fferently on us . The celest ial
weapons of Bhishma and the high-souled Drona . incessan tly appl ied . are
consuming a ll th e Kshatr iya s . O Kr ishna . such i s hi s prowess. t h at
Bhi shma . with wrath excited . a ided by the k ings o n h i s s ide wi ll .
withou t doubt annihila te us . 0 lo rd of Yoga . look for tha t grea tbowman . tha t migh ty car-warr ior . who will g ive Bh ishma h is quietus
l ike ra in-charged clouds quench in g a forest co nflag rat io n .
1 Then
th rough thy grace . O Govinda . t he son o f Pandu . t he i r foe s be ing sla in .will . after recovery of the i r kin gdom . be happy with the ir kinsm en
"
Hav in g said th is . the h igh-soul ed son o f Pri tha . wi t h h eart stfiic
ted by gr ief and mind turned wi th in . r ema ined s il en t for a long wh ile in
a reflected mood . Behold ing the son of Pandu stricken with g r ie f a nddepr ived of hi s se nse s by sorrow . Gov inda t h en g ladden ing al l t h ePandavas sa id .
'Do not gr i eve . O ch ief of the Bharata s . It b ehov eth
thee not to gr iev e . when thy broth ers are al l heroes and renowned
bowmen in the world . I a l so am employed in do ing the e good . as al so
that mighty car-war r ior Satyak i and Vi ra ta and Drupada , bo th r everend
in y ears . and Db ri thtadymn a of Prisha ta’
s l i ne . An d so also . 0 best of
kings. all these monarch s wi th th e ir (respec tiv e ) t roops a re expectan t of
thy favour and devoted to thee . 0 king . This m i ghty ca r-warrio r
Dhri shtadyum n a of Prishata’
s race placed i n command of th y army is
alway s des irous o f t hy welfare a nd engaged i n do ing that wh ich i s
agre eabl e to thee . a s also th is S ikhandin . O thou of m ighty arm s . who is
certain ly the sl aye r of Bh ishm a . Hear in g these words . th e kin g
(Yudhishthi ra) . said. unto that m ighty ca r-warrior Dhri sh tadyumn a . i n
tha t ve ry assembly and in the hea r i ng of Vasudev a . these words .‘
0
Dhrish tady umn a . mark the se words tha t I say unto thee . O thou o f
Pri shata's l ine . The words u tt ered by me should not be t ransgre ssed .
Approved by Vasudeva . th ou hast been the commander o f our for‘
ces . 2
t h e commander of the cele stia l
e n . t h e commander of the Pandava
host . Puttin g fort h thy prowess . O t ige r am ong men . s l ay th e Kaurava s .Krishna a lso . 0 s ir e . a n d th et h e son s of Draupadi accou tred
1 The first l ine of th e 23rd verse i s read with a sl ight variation in the
186 MAHABHARATA
in mail . and al l th e other foremost of kings . O bull among men . Then
gladdening ( th e l i s tene rs Dh rish tady umn a said .'Ordained o f old by
Sambhu himsel f , I am . 0 son of Fr i ths . the slayer of Drona . I shal l now
figh t in bat tl e aga inst Bhishm a . and Drona and Kr ipa and Salya and
Jayadrarha and al l the proud monarchs (on the Kuru When thatfo remost of pr inces . tha t slayer o f foes . the son of Pr ishata . sa id this
de fiantly . the Pandav a warr ior s . endued wi th grea t ener gy and incapable
of be ing de f ea t ed in batt le . a l l se t up a loud shout . And then Pr i th a's so n
Yudh i sh th ira sa id unto th e commander of h is a rmy , the so n of Prishata .
(the se words) .'Ah a rray known by th e name of K raun cham ma , tha t
i s dest ruct iv e o f al l fo es . and that was spoken of by Vr ihaspati unto
Indra i n days of o ld when th e god s and the Asuras fough t . -that arraydestruc ti v e of host i l e div is ions . do thou form . Unseen before . the
kings behold i t . along Wi t h the Kurus .’
Thus add resse d by tha t god
amon g men . l ike Vi shnu addressed by the wielder of the t hunderbol t . l
he (Dhrish tadyumn a) . when morn ing dawned . placed Dhanan j aya in the
v an of the whol e army . An d Dhan an jaya’
s s tandard . c reated at Indra’
s
command by the c ele s tia l artifice r . while moving through the sk ies .seemed wonderfully beaut if ul . Decked w ith banne rs bear i ng hues
resembl ing those of Indra’
s bow .
2 cours ing th rough the ai r l ike a
ranger of the sk ies . and lookin g l ike th e fleet ing ed ifice of vapour i n the
welkin , i t se emed . O s ire . to gl ide dancingly alon g t he track of the car
to which i t was a t tach ed An d t he beare r of Gandi va wi th that
(standard) graced w i th gems . and tha t s tandard i tsel f w i th th e bearer of
Gandi va, looked h i g hly adorned . l ike th e Self-crea te w it h th e Sun and
the Sun wit h the se lf -cr ea te ) . 8 An d king D ru pada . surrounded by a
lar ge number o f troops. becam e t h e h ead ( o f that array An d the two
k ings Kun ti bbo ja and Sa ivya became i ts two eyes . And t he rule r of the
Dasarn as. and the Fr ayage s . with th e Daserakas. and the An u pakas. and
th e Ki ratas were placed in i t s neck . 0 bul l o f Bhara ta’
s race . An d
Yudh i sth i ra . 0 king . with th e Patachcharas. the Hundas . the Pau ravakas
and the N ishadas . became i ts two w ings . so al so the P isachas . withth e Kun dav ishas. an d the Man dakas. t he L adakas . the Tan gan as . andthe U ddras. O Bhara ta . an d th e Saravas . the Tumb humas. t h e Vatsas.and the Nakula s . An d Nakula an d Sahadeva placed th emse lves onth e lef t wing . An d o n th e join t s o f the wing s wer e placed ten
1 Th e correct readi n g i s ‘Vi s hn u'. an d n ot‘J i sh n u
'as i n many of the
Ben ga l texts . —T.
2 ‘I n drayudha i s Indra ’s b ow or th e ra inb ow ‘Akasaga'
( l itera l ly aran ger of th e sk ies i s a bi rd . Th e vapoury edifices an d forms . con sta n tlym eltin g away an d reappearin g i n n ew s hapes , are called Gan dharvan agar as(l it. towns of th e Gan dharva s or celestia l c h o i ri sters)—T.
3 Th e Bengal readin g i s “Savay am b huriva b h an u n a'wh ich I have
adOpted . The Bombay readin g i s 'Merurivab han un a ,
’ wh ich means “ like
th e ma
tain Meru with Sun .
’
It i s difficult to make a choice b etween theWOO o
MAHABHARATA
with the Vidarbhas.’
th e Me'
lakas .’
the'
Ka‘
rn as. and the Pravaranas al so .
And : t he Gandharas . the S i ndhu sauviras . th e Si v i s and t he Vasatis
w ith al l thei r combatants a lso. followed ) Bh ishm a . that ornament of
batt l e . And .Sakun i . with al l h is troops protected the so n of Bharadwaja.
And.t hen 'k in g Duryodhana . un i ted with a l l ‘ h is bro thers . wi th the
Aswa lakas, th e Vi karn as . the Vam anas . the’
Ko salas . th‘
e'
Daradas. t h e
VJ
rikas. as also the Kshudrakas an d t he Malavas advanced cheerfullyagains t the Pandava host . An d Bhu risravas; and and Salya and
Bhagadatta . O sire . and Vi nda and An uv inda of Avan ti . pro tec ted'thele f t flank An d Somada tta . and Su sarm an . and Sudaksb i n a. the ruler
of the Kamvo jas and Satayu s . and Sru tay u s. we re on the right flank
An d Aswatthaman . and Kr ipa . a nd Kri tav arman of Satwata s race .'
wi th a v ery la r ge d iv ision of the troops . w e re stat ioned a t the rear o f
.the army . And beh ind them were the rulers of many pro v inces; 5 and
Ketumat. and Vasudan a . and the powerful son of th e king of Kasr.
Th'
en a ll the t roops on thy side chee rful ly wa it ing for ba tt l e . 0 Bhara ta .blew thei r conches wi th grea t plea sure . and\ se t u p leonine ro arsfi And
heari n g ithe s houts of those comba tants fi l l ed with d el i ght the vene
ra'
ble Kuru gran d si r e . endued w ith grea t p rowess . u t t er in g a l eonine
roa r .’
blew h is conch . Th ereupon . conche s and drums an d diverse
kin d s of P¢858 and cymbal s . were sounded a t once by others . and the
no ise made became a loud uproar . An d Madh ava and Arj una . both
sta tione d on a grea t car unto wh ich were yoked whi t e s teeds . blew the ir
excell ent conch es decked with gold and jewe ls . An d Hrish ikesa blew the
conch called Pan chaj an ya , and Dhananj aya (tha t cal led) Devadatta . And
Vrikodara of terrible de eds blew th e huge conch ca lled Paundras. AndKu n ti
’
s'
son king Yudh ish thira blew the conch cal led An an tam’
j aya . while
Nak‘
ula and Sahadeva (those co n ch es cal led) Buab oca and Man ipuskpa
ba .
‘ And the r uler of Kasi . and Sa ivya . and Sikhan d in the mighty car
warrior . and Dhr i shtady umn a . and Vi ra ta . and the m igh ty car-warrior
Satyak i , and that grea t bowman th e kin g of the Pan cha las. and the
fiV e son s of Drau pad i . al l blew the ir large conches an d set up leon ine
roa r s . An d tha t g reat up roar ut te red there by t hose h eroes . loudly
rev erberated through bo th the ear th and the we lk in . Thus . 0 g reat
king . the Kurus and the Pandavas . both fil le d w it h de l ig h t . advanced
a gainst e ach other for bat tl ing aga in . and scorching each other t h us .
"
SECTION L II
Dhri tarashtra sa id . When m ine and the host i le hosts were thus
form ed into battl e array . how d id the fo remos t of smite rs beg i n to
BHISHMA PARVA 1 39
' Senjaya sa id . When all th e d iv is ions were thus arrayed.
'
the'
combatan ts waited , each cased in ma i l . and with thei r beaut iful'
stan
dards al l upra ised . And behold ing the (Kuru) host t hat r esembled the
lim itless ocean . l thy son Duryodhana . 0 king, s ta t ioned with in it .said unto a l l t he comba tan ts on thy side .
'Cased in ma il as -ye are
beg i n ye the fight’
. The combatants then . ente r ta in in g cruel inten t ions .and abandon ing th eir v e ry l ives . a ll rushed aga inst the Pandav as. (wi th
standards upra i sed . The ba t tle that took place then _’
wa s fierce andmade the hair to stand on end . And t he ca rs a nd elephan ts al l got
m ixed together . An d sh afts wi th beaut iful feath ers. ande n du ed with,
great ene rgy and sharp poi nts . sho t by car-war r io rs fe ll upon e lephants
and horses . An d when the batt l e began in this way , the ven erab l el
Kuru grandsi re . the m ighty-a rmed Bh i shma o f ter r ibl e prowess. cased ,
in mail . taking up h is bow . and approach ing th em . showered an
arrowy downpour on the hero ic son of Subhadra . and the mighty ca r
warrior Ar juna . and the ruler of t h e Kekayas and Vi rata . and Dhri shta
dyumn a of Pri shata's race . as al so upon the Chedi a nd the Matsya
warr iors . An d that mi ghty array (of the Pandavas ) wavered at the
onse t of tha t hero . An d terr ific was th e encounter th at took placebetween all the combatants . And horse-men and ca r-warr iors and
,
foremost of s te eds fel l fa st . And the ca r-d iv i sion s o f‘
the; P'andavas
began to fly away . The n that t ige r among men . Arjuna . beho ldihgthat m ighty car-warr io r Bh ishma. a ngr i ly sa id unto him of Vrishn i
’
s
race .‘Procee d to the place where the grands ire i s . O thou of
Vrishn i’
s race , i t i s ev ident tha t th is Bh ishm a . with wrath excit ed .o r Duryodhan a
’
s benefi t my host . And th is Drona . and
and Vikarna . O Ianarddan a . un ited with Dhr i tarasht ra’s
Duryodhana . and pro tec ted by th is firm bowman , w ill
r the Pan cha la s. Even I . therefore . shal l slay Bhishm a for th e
my troops. O Ian arddan a .
’
Unto him Vasudeva then sa id .'Be
0 Dhana n j aya . for I wil l soon take thee . O h ero . towards the .
a's car .
’
Hav ing sa id th is . 0 king . Saurin took t ha t ca r . wh icha ted over the world . before t he ca r of Bhishma .
‘
Wi th .
r s a l l wav i ng . with ste eds looking handsome l ik e a fligh tcranes
.with st anda rd upra ised on wh ich .was the ape roaring
po n his lar g e car of so lar eff ulg ence and whose rat t l eroar of t he clouds . slaugh t er in g the Kaurava div ision s and thealso
.t h e son of Pandu . that enhancer of the joys of friends
me to the encount er . Him (thus) rush ing impetuously l ike an
n t and (t h us) fr igh ten ing'
i h a batt l e brave combatantswith hi s shaf ts. ‘
Bhi shm a the so n of San tan u . protected
by the warriors he aded by Sa indhava and by the Combatants o f theEast
and the Sau v iras and the Kekay a s. encountered wit h grea t impetuosity .
Who'
else sav e th e Kuru grands i r e and those car-warr io rs , vi z Dronaand Vikartan a
's so n (Kam a) . are capabl e of advanc ing i n batt l e aga inst
t h e bear er of the b ow ca lled Gan di ra ? Then . 0 grea t king . Bhishma .
the grandsi re of t he Kau ravas . st ruck Arjuna w ith sev enty-s even ar rows
and Dro na (s truck him ) with five and twenty . and Kripa with fif ty . and
Duryodhana w i t h four and sixty . and Salya wit h n ine ar rows and
Drona's so n .that t iger among m en . wit h sixty . and Vikarna with three
a r rows and Sai ndhava with n ine and Sakun i with five . And Artayan i
0 king . pierced Pandu’
s son w i th t hr ee broad-heade d arrows . And
(though) p ierced on al l s ides by them wi th sharp a rrows. tha t grea t
b owman .
l tha t m i ghty-arm ed (warr ior) . wav ered not l ike mounta in
that i s pie rced wit h arrows Thereupon he . the d iadem-decked . o f
immeasurab le soul . O hu l l of Bhara ta's race . in re turn pie rced Bh ishma
with five and twen ty . and Kri pa wit h n ine ar rows . and Drona wi th six ty .O t iger among men . and Vikarn a wi th th ree a rrows and Artay an i with
thre e arrows . and the k ing (Duryodhana) al so with five . An d then
Sai tyak i . and Vi ra t a and Dhri sh tadyumn a of Pr i shata’
s race . and th e sons
of Draupadi . and Abhiman yu . a l l surrounded him . ( proceed ing to h is
support) . Then th e pr ince of the Pan cha l as. supported by the Som akas.
advanced towards th e grea t bowman‘
Drona who was engag ed in seek ing
the welfare of Ganga's son . Then Bh i shm a . tha t fo remost of car .
warr iors. speed ily p ierced the son of Pandu with e ighty sha’
rp arrows :
upon which the combatan ts on thy sid e were much gra tified . Hear ingth e shouts of t hose l ion s amon g car-warr iors . Dhananj ay a . endued
wi th g reat prowess . th en cheerfully entered in to the m idst of those l ions
among car-warr iors and spo r t ed wit h his bow . O kin g . success iv e lya iming those mighty car-war r iors . Then tha t ru le r of men . king
Duryodhana . sa id unto Bhi shm a . behold in g h is own troops ( th u s) etflic
ted in batt l e by the son of Pri tha .
‘
This m ighty son of Fandu . O s ire .accompan ied by Kr ishna . fe l l ing al l our troops . cut te th down our roots.even though thou . O son of Ganga . a nd tha t foremos t o f car-warriors.Drona . ar e al i v e . 0 monarch . i t i s f or thee
.
only tha
lay ing asid e h is weapons . doth not fight with th e son s o f Pr
( though ) he is ever a wel l-wish e r of min e . Do . th e r efore . t
of Ganga by which Pha l gu n i may be sla in .'Thus addresse
thy sir e Devav rata . s ay in g .‘Fs
’
c to K shatri ya u sage’
,th en
towards Parth a's car . And al l th e kin gs . O monarch . se e ing
warr iors with wh i te steed s yoked unto t h e i r cars stat ioned fset up loud leo n ine roar s . and a l so blew the ir conches . O
Bombay texts , th e half-sloka ab out Artayan i does n ot occur .- T.
MAHABHARATA
none . 0 Bhara ta . observed any d ifi'
eren ce be twe en the two . j ust asnone
finds any transgression in a person observ ant of mora l i ty . An d both of
them (at t imes ) became perfectly inv i s ible in con sequence of clouds of
arrows; An d soon enough bot h - o f t hem in tha t bat tl e became v is ible .
And the gods wit h Ga ndharvaa and the Charan aa . and th e great R i sh i s .
behold ing t h eir prowess . said . unto one ano ther . These mighty car
warr iors when excit ed wi th rage . are i ncapabl e of e v er be ing vanquished
in battle by all th e world s wi th the gods. the Au ras and th e Ga ndharvas .
This h ighly wonderful ba t tl e would be wonderfu l i n a l l th e worlds .Indeed
.a bat t le such as thi s wi l l ne v e r t ake place again. Bhi shma i s
i ncapable of b e in g conque r ed in combat by P ri tha's so n of great i n te l l i
gence.shower ing h is ar rows i n bat t l e . wi th bow and car and steeds .
So also tha t g rea t bowman; the so n of Pandu . incapable of being van
qu ished in battle by, the ver y gods Bhishm a i s not competent to conquer
in combat . As lon g as t he wo rld 1 tse lf wil l la st . so long wi l l th is bat tl e
cont inue equally . We hea rd th ese words . 0 king . fraught with thepraise of Ga n ga
’
s so n and Arjuna in battl e b ru ited ‘
abo u t there . An d
while those two were en gaged in di splay in g the i r pro wess . other warr iors
o f thy s ide and of t h e Pandav as . O Bha ra ta . sl ew one anot he r in battle .with sharp-edged sc imitar s . and pol ished bat t le-axes . and innumerable
arrows . and d iver s e kind s of weapons . And the brave combatants of
bo th 'armies cut one ano the r down . wh il e that terr ible and murderous
confl ic t las t ed . An d th e encounter a lso . 0 kin g . tha t took p lace
between Drona and the pr ince of thei’dn chalas . was awful .
SECTION LIII
Dhritarashtra sa id . Te l l me . O Senjaya . how that g reat bowmanDrona and the Pancha la pr ince o f Pr ish ata
’
s race encount er each o therin bat tl e . each str iv ing his best. I r egard Dest i ny to be super ior . O
San jaya . to ex er,t1o n . when Sa n tan u
's son Bh i shma even could not
'
escape Pandu's son in battl e . Indeed . Bh i shma . when enraged in bat tle
could destroy all mob i le and immob’
i l e creature s .why . 0 San jaya . coul d
he no t then by h is prowess . escape‘
th e son of Pandu in ba ttl e
San jaya sa id , L i s te n . 0 king; Quietly to his terrific bat tle . The
son of Pandu is i ncapable of be in g vanquish ed by the very gods withVasava . Drona w ith d iverse arrows pie rced Dhr ishtadyumn a and
felled the l att er's chariote er from h is n ich e in the car . 1 An d. 0 s ire .
the enraged hero a lso afi l ic ted Dhri sh tadyum n a's four ste eds wi th four
excell ent shafts . An d t h e heroic Dhr i shtady um na too pierced Drona inthe combat w ith nine sh arp a rrows and addressed h im . saying .
‘Wa i t
1 l n the first l ine of th e 5th verse . the true read ing i s ‘avidhata an d n ot
BHISHMA PARVA
‘
Then . again . Bharadwaja's son of gr eat prowess and immeasura
ble soul . cove red w ith h is ar rows the wrathful Dhri shtadyum n a . An d
he took up a dreadful a rrow for the dest ruct ion of Pr ish ata's so n whose
force resembled that of Sak ra’
s bol t and wh ich was li ke a second rod
of death . And beholding tha t arrow aimed by Bharadwaja in bat tle .loud cri e s of Oh and a l as arose . O Bharata . among all t he combatants .
An d then'
we: beheld t he wonderful prowess of Dhr ishtady umn ainsomuch that the hero s tood alone . immovable l ike a mounta in . An d he
cut 0 5 that te rr ibl e and blazin g arrow com ing towards him l ike h isown Death . and also showered an arrowy downpour on Bharadwaja
’
s
son . An d behold ing th a t difficul t fea t achieved by Dhr i shtadyumn a .
the Pan chal as with the Pandavas . fi l led wi th del igh t . se t up loud
shouts . An d tha t pr ince . endued with gr eat prowess . des irous'
o f
slayin g Drona hurled a t him a dart of grea t impetuo si ty . deck ed with
gold and stones o f 10 2758 lazu l i . Thereupon the son of Bharadwaja . smil ing
th e whi le . cut o ff in to thre e fragments tha t da r t decked w it h gold that
was com ing toward s him impetuously . Beholding hi s da r t thus baffled .Dhrishtadyumn a o f g rea t prowe ss ra ined arrowy downpours on Drona .0 king . Then that m i ghty car-warr io r , Drona . baffl ing that arrowy
shower . cut ofi when th e opportun i ty presen ted . th e howof Drupada’
s
son . Hi s bow (thus) cut OH i n the combat. t ha t mighty warr ior of
g i'eat fame hur led at Drona a heavy mace endued wi th the stren g t h ofthe mounta in . And hurled from his hands , tha t mace coursed through
the a ir fo r Drona’
s des t ruction . An d th en we beheld t he wond erful
prowess of Bharadwaja’
s son . By (the) l ightn ess (of h i s car’
s mot ion) .he ba ffled tha t mace decked with gold . and havin g ba ffled it . he shot a tPri shata
’
s son many sh afts of sharp edge . well-tempered . furnish ed
with golde n wings . and whett ed on ston e . An d th ese . pen etra t ing
through Prishata’
s coat of m a i l . drank his blood in th a t bat tl e . Then
the hi gh-souled Dhri shtadyu mn a . taking up another bow . and putt ing
fort h h is prowess pierced Drona in th at encounte r w i th fiv e sh af ts .
And th en tho se two'
b u l ls among men . both cove re d wi th blood . looked
b eau ti fu l il ike two blossoming R im a bas i n spr ing var ie ga ted w ith flowers .
Then .’
0 king . exci ted with w rath and putt in g fo r th hi s prowess a t th e
head of h is d ivis ion . Drona once more cu t o ff the bow of Drupada’
s son .
And then tha t hero of immeasurabl e soul covered that warrior whose
how was cu t o ff . with innum erable'
st ra ig‘
ht a rrows l ike the clouds
showering ra in on a mounta in . An d he also felled h i s fo e's chariotee r
from his n ich e in th e ca r . And his four s teeds . too . wi th four sharp
arrows . Drona fe l led in tha t combat tha t set up a l eon ine roa r . An d
with anothe r shaft he cut OH the leathern fence tha t ca sed Dhri shta
dyumn a's hand . H is b ow cut o ff . deprived o f ca r hi s s te eds sla in . and
char io te er over thrown . the pr ince of P ancha la al ighted from hi s car,
mam asm
mace in h and . d isp lay in g great prowess . Bu t before he could come
down from h is car . 0 Bhara ta . Drona wi th h is sh af ts cut o ff th a t mace
into fragments . This fea t seemed wonderful to us . An d th en the
mighty p r ince of the Pan chalas o f st rong arms . tak in g a large and
beaut iful sh i eld decked w i th a hundred moons . and a la rge sc imitar of
beautiful make . rushed im petuously f rom desi r e of sl ay ing Dron a .
l ike a hung ry l ion in the fore st towards an in fur ia t e elephan t . Then
w‘
onderfu l was the prowess t ha t we behold o f Bharadwaja's so n . and h i s
l ightness (of hand ) i n th e u se o f weapon s . as also the s trength of h i s
arms . O Bharata . i n as m uch as . alone . b e checked Prishata's son w ith a
shower of arrows . An d a l thoug h possessed of g rea t migh t in bat t l e . he
was unable to proceed fur ther . And we behold the m ig hty car-warrior
Dhr i shtadyumn a stay ing where he d id and ward ing o ff those c loud s of
a r rows with his sh ield . us ing hi s arms w ith grea t dexter i ty . Then t h e
m ighty-a rmed Bhima endued w ith grea t strength quickly came th ere .des i rous of a id in g in ba t tl e the h igh-so uled son of Pri sha ta . And he
pierced D rona . O kin g . wi th se v en sha rp-poin ted ar rows . and speed ily
caused Pr isha ta’
s son t o be taken up on anothe r ca r . Then king
Duryodhana urged the ruler o f th e Kal inga s suppor ted by a lar g e
d ivision.for th e prot ec t ion of Bharadwaja
’
s so n . Th en t ha t terr ible
and migh ty d iv i sion pf t he Kalin gas . O ru ler of men . rushed against
Bhima a t th e command of thy son . An d Drona then . tha t fo remost'
o f
car-warr iors . abandoning the pr ince of Panchala . encoun ter ed Vi rata
and Drupada tog ether. And Dhri shtadyumn a a l so proceeded to support
king Yudh ishth ira i n ba tt le . An d t hen commenced a fierce ba t tle .making the ha ir to stand on end . be tween th e Kal in gas and th e h ighsouled Bhima . a battl e t ha t was de str uct ive of the un iverse . terr ific .and awful .
SECTION L IV
Dhr itarasht ra sa id . How did the rul er of the Kal inga s . that
commander o f a large div is ion . urged by my son . and suppor ted by his
t roops. fight in battle wi th the mi ghty Bh imasen a of wonderful feats .that hero wander in g over t h e fi eld of batt l e wi th his mace l ike Deathhimse lf club in hand
Senjaya said . Thus urged by thy so n . 0 great king . th e m ig hty
king of t he Ka l in ga s . accompan ied by a lar g e army advanced towardsBhima
’
s car . And Bhimasen a . th en . O Bh ara ta . supported by the
Chedis . rushed towards tha t l arge and m igh ty army of the Ka l i ngas .abounding w 1th cars . s teeds . and e l ephant s . and a rm ed with mig hty
Weapo ns . and adv anc ing toward s h im wi th Ketumat. the son of the kingof the N ishadas . And Sru tay u s also . exc i ted w i th
'
wrath . accoutred in
mai l . fol lowed by h is troops i n bat tl e-a rray . and . accompanied by king
1 46 MAHABHARATA
with'
wra th . and rubbing h is bowstri ng . and tak ing up’
a terr ible ar i'o'
w
(deadl y ) a s poi son of t h e sn ake . sho t i t at Bh imasen a . desirous as that
monarch was o f slay in g (the Pand ava ) . Tha t sh arp arrow . t hus sho t
and coursing impetuously . Bh imasen a, O king . cut in twa in wi th his
huge sword . And fi l l ed w ith del i gh t he se t up a loud shout . ter r i fyi ng
the “ new. And the rule r of the Kal ingas . excit ed wi th ra g e in that
combat wi th Bh imasen a . quickly h url ed at him fourteen bearded dar ts
whetted on stone . The m igh ty-arm ed so n o f Pandu . howev er . wit h that
b est o f sc im itars . fearle ssly cut in to fragments in a tr ice . 0 king . those
dart s wh il e coursin g th rou gh the welk i n and before they could reach.h im . An d havin g in that ba t t le thus cut off t hose four teen dart s
Bhima . that bul l among m en . behold ing Bhanumat. rushed at h im .
Bhan umat then covered Bhima with a shower of a frows . and set up a
loud shout . making the welk in re sound wi th i t . Bh ima . howev er . i n
t hat fierce battle . cou ld not b ear tha t leonin e shout . Himself endued
w ith a loud voice . he also shouted v ery loud ly . An d at t hese shouts of
hi s. th e a rmy of the Kal inga s became fi ll ed with fea r . In tha t bat tl e
t hey no longer regarded Bh ima . O bul l among m e n . as a human be ing .
Then . 0 great k ing . hav in g ut ter ed a loud shou t . Bhima . sword in hand
impetuously jumpin g on (Bhan umat’
s) excelle nt ele phant a ided by the
lat ter’
s tusks . gained . 0 s i re . the back of tha t pr ince of tuskers . and with
his huge sword cut Bha n uma t. div id in g h im in t he m iddle . Tha t chasti se rof foe s . then , hav in g ( thus) sla in in bat tle th e prince of th e Kal ingas .
n ext l made h is sword which wa s capable of bea r in g a grea t s tra in . to
descend upo n the neck of tha t el ephan t . Hi s head cut 0 5 . that prince
of elephant s f el l down with a loud roar . l ike a crested mounta i n (whose
base is) eaten away by the im petuous (su rges of the) sea . An d jumping
down . 0 Bhara ta . f rom that fal l ing el ephan t . th e pr i nce of Bhara ta's
race . of uhdepressed soul . s tood on the ground . sword in hand and accou tred i n mail (as before ) . An d fe l l in g numerous el ephant s on all s ides . he
wandered (ove the field ) . makin g many paths ( for h imself) . An d then
he seemed to be l ike a movin g whee l of fire sl a ughter ing whol e d iv is ion s
o f cavalry . of e lephan ts . and ca rs . and larg e bod ie s o f in fantry . And tha t
lo rd among men . the m ighty Bhima . was se en to mov e over the field with
th e activ i ty of the hawk . quickly cut t ing o ff i n tha t ba t tl e . with ! h is
sharp-edged sword . the ir bodies and heads . as al so those of t h e combatantson e lephant . An d combatan t on foot excited with rage . a l l a lone . and
l ike Yama at the season of universa l d1sso luti on . he s truck ter ror in to his
foes and co nfounded tho se brav e warr iors . Only they tha t were senselessru shed with loud shouts at h im wander ing i n that g rea t battl e with
impetuosi ty . sword in hand . An d tha t grin d er of foe s . endued with great
‘
Pritana .—T .
BHISHMA PARVA 1 47
strength . cu tt i n g o ff th e shaf ts a nd yokes o f warr iors on thei r cars . slew
those warriors a lso . An d Bh imasen a was seen . 0 Bharata . to displaydiverse kinds of motions there . He wheel ed about . and wh irl ed about onhigh . and , made s ide-thrusts . and jumped forward . and ran above . and
l eapt high . An d. 0 Bhara ta . he was a lso seen to rush forward and rush
upward . An d some mangle d by the high-souled son of Pandu by means
of his excell ent sword . shrieked aloud . s t ruck a t the ir V i ta ls or f el l down
depr i v ed of l i fe . And many elephants . O Bhara ta. some wi th trunks and
the extremit ie s of th e i r tusks cut OE . and others hav ing th e i r tempora l
globes cu t open . depr ived of ride rs . sl ew their own ranks and fel l down
utter ing loud cr i es . And broken lance s . 0 king . and the h ead of
e lephan t dr ive rs , and beaut i ful hous ings of elephants . and chordsresplendent wi th gold . and col lars , and dar ts and ma lle ts and qui vers .d iverse kinds of machines , an d beauti ful bows . shor t ar rows withpol ished heads . with b o oks and iron crows for gu id ing elephants. be l ls
of d i v erse shape . and hilt s decked with gold . were seen by us fa l l ing
down or (al ready) fa l le n along with r iders of s teeds . An d with
elephants (ly in g down) ha v ing the fore part s and h ind parts of the i r
bodie s an d t heir trunks cu t o ff . or enti re ly slain . the field seemed to be
strewn with fal len cl iffs. That bull among men . hav ing thus crushe dthe huge e l ephan ts; next crushed th e s teeds a l so . An d. 0 Bhara ta . that
hero also fel led t he foremost of cava lry sold ie rs . And the bat tl e. 0 s ire .that too k place between h im and them was fierce in the extr emes And
h i l ts and t races . and sad d le g i rths resple nden t with gold. and covers fo r
the back of steeds . and bea rded dar t s . and cost ly swords . and coa ts
of ma il . and sh ie lds, and bea u t i ful o rnamen ts . were s ee n by us s t rewn
over t he ground in that g rea t battl e . And b e caused the ear th to be
strewn over,(wi th blood) a s i f i t were var iegat ed wi th l i l ie s . .An d the
m ighty son of Pandu . j umping h ig h an d dragging some car-warriors downwith hi s sword fe ll ed them alon g with ( th e ir) s tanda rds . Frequentl y
jum ping up.
or rushing on al l s ides . tha t he ro endued with great act iv i ty .wander ing along m any routes . caused the combatants to b e ama z ed. And
some he slew by h i s l egs . and dragg ing down oth ers be pressed“them
down under the earth . An d o t hers h e cu t 0 5 with hi s sword . an d others
he f righ tened with h is roars . An d others he threw down on the groun d
by the force of h is thighs (as he ran ) . An d oth ers . behold ing him . fled
away in‘
terro r . I t was thus that tha t vast force of the Kal inga s endued
wi th grea t ac tiv ity . surrounding the t err i bl e Bhim asen a i n batt l e . rushed
at h imm Then . 0 hu l l of Bharata’
s race . behold i ng Sru tayusb a t the head
of Kal inga troops . Bhimasen a r ushed a t him . And see ing him advanc in g
the ruler of the Kal in gas . of i mmeasurable soul . pierced Bhimasena
MAHABEIABATA
hook. Bhimasen a blazed up
.
with wra th l ik e fi r e fed with fuel . Then ’
Asdka .that best of cha r io tee rs . br ing i n g a car decked w i th gold . caused
Bhima to mount on i t . An d thereupon that slay er o f foes . the so n of
Kunt i.speed ily mounted on t hat car . An d th en he rushed a t the rule r
o f the Kalingas . say ing .—‘
Wait . Wait’
. An d th en t he mighty Srutayusb
exc i ted wi th wrath . shot a t Bhima many sharp ar rows . disp lay ing h is
l ightness of hand . And that m ighty warr io r . Bh ima . forc ibly struck with
those n i ne sharp arrows shot by Kal inga f rom h i s exce l le n t bow . y ie lded
to ~gr'ea t wrath . 0 king . l ike a snake s t ruck with a rod . Then that
foremost of m ighty men . Bh ima . the so n of Pri tha . exc i te d w ith rage and
drawing h is bow with grea t streng th . s lew the ru l er of the Kal in gaswith s even sh af ts mad e whol ly of iron . An d wi t h two shafts he s lew
the two mig h ty pro t ector s o f th e car-wheels of Kal inga . An d he also
de’
spatched Satyadev a and Sa tya to the abode of Yama . Of immeasurable soul . Bhima al so . with man y sharp ar rows and long shafts . caused
Ketumat to repair unto Yama's abode . Then the Ksha tr i ya s of the
Kal inga coun try . exci ted wi th rage and supported by many thousands
o f combatants . encounter ed th e wra thful Bhimasen a i n batrl e . An d
armed wi th darts and maces and sc im i tar s a nd lance s and swords andbat t le-axes ; the Kal ingas . 0 king . hu
’
ndreds u pon hundreds surrounded
Bh imasen'a . Batflin g that ri sen showe r o f a rrows . tha t mi ghty wa rrior
then took up h is mace and j um ped down from his ca r wi th g rea tspeed . 1 An d Bhima then despatched sev en hundred h eroes to Yama
's
abode . And that gr inder of foes de spatch ed . i n a dd i t ion . two thousand
Kal ingas to the region of dea th . And tha t f ea t seemed highly wonderful .And i t was thu s tha t the he roic Bh ima of te r r ibl e p rowess r epeatedly
fel led in batt l e la r g e bands o f the Kalin gas . And e lephants deprived
by Pandu’
s son .
‘ i n that ba tt l e , of the i r r iders . and afll icted w ith arrows
wandered on the field . t reading dow n the ir“
own ranks and ut tering
loud roa rs l ike masses of clouds driven by t he w ind . Then the mightyarmed Bhima . sc im itar in hand . and fi l l e d
'
wi th deli ght . bl ew h is conchof te rr ible ' loudness . An d wi th t ha t blare b e caused the hear ts of a ll
the Kal inga t roops to quake with fea r . An d. 0 chas tise r of foe s . all
the Kal ingas seemed a t t he same t ime to be depr i v ed of the i r senses.An d al l the combatan t s and a l l the an imals shook with te rror . An d in
consequence of Bh im asen a wande r ing in t hat batt l e through many pathsor
'
rushing on a l l s ides l ike a pr ince o f e lephants . or f requentl y jumpingup . a
'
trance seemed to be engendered there that de pri ved h is foesof
t he ir sense s . And t he whole (Kal inga ) army shook with te rro r ofBhimasen a . l ike a lar g e lake ag i ta ted by an a l l iga tor . An d s truck with
pan ic i n ‘ consequence of Bhima of wonderfu l ach ie vements . al l t he
a‘happy’ adjective here .
-T .
MAHABHABATA;
with golden a rmour . Bhima . howeve r . endued wi th g reat energy . stay ing
on that car whose steeds had been s la in , w i th great impetuosi ty hurled
a dart at Bh ish m a’
s car . Thy s ire Devavra ta then . i n tha t bat tle . cu t
o ff tha t da r t in twain befor e i t could reach him . and thereupon i t fell
down on t h e earth . Then tha t bul l among men . Bh im asen a . taking up
a heavy and mighty mace made of S a i kya i ron speed i ly j umped dow n
from h i s car . And Dhri sh tady um n a quickly taking up that foremos t
o f car-warr io rs on h i s own car . took away . i n the v ery si g h t of a l l the
combatants . tha t r enowned warrio r . An d Satyaki then from desire‘of
doing wha t was agreeable to Bh im a . fe l led w i th his sha f t the char iot eer
of the r everend Kuru grand-s i r e . U pon his charioteer bein g sl a i n , that
foremost o f car-warriors . Bh ishma . was borne away f rom th e field of
batt le by h is s teeds wi th th e spe ed of t he wind . An d w hen t ha t m ighty
car-warr ior was (thus) taken away f rom the field . Bh imasen a t hen . 0
monarch . blazed up l ike a m ighty fi re whi le con suming dry grass . And
slay in g a l l the Kal ingas , he stayed i n the m idst of the troops . and none .0 bul l o f Bharata
’
s race . o f thy s ide ven tured t o w ithstand him . And
worshipped by the Pan chalas and th e Matsya s . O hu l l of Bhara ta’
s race .
be embraced Dhr i shtadyumn a and the n approached Satyaki . An d Satya
k i . th e t ige r amon g the Yadua. o f prowess i ncapabl e of be ing baffled ,t h en g laddening Bhimasen a . s a id unt o h im . i n the presence of Dhri shta
dyumn a . these words’
By good luck the king of the Kal ingas . andKe tum at. the pr ince of the K al in ga s . and Sakradeva al so of that country
and a l l the Kal in gas . have been sla in in batt l e . W i th t h e m ight a ndprowess o f thy arms . by thee alone . ha th been crushed th e ve ry larg e
d ivis ion of the Kalingas tha t abounded w i th el ephant s and steeds and
cars . and with noble wa rr io rs . and heroic combatan t s .’
Hav ing sa id
this . th e long-arm ed grandson o f S in i . th a t chast iser of fo es . quickl y
get t ing upon his car . embraced the son of Pandu . And then that mighty
car-warr ior . coming back to h i s own car . began to slay thy t r0 0 pscxci ted with rage and strength e n ing ( th e hands of) Bh im a .
l
SECTION L V
San jaya sa id . When the forenoon of tha t day had passed away, 0Bhara ta . and when the destruction o f cars . e lephan ts , steeds .
'
foo t. so ldiers
and horse-soldi e rs . proceed ed on . the p r ince of Pancha la engaged h im selfi n bat tle with the se three m igh ty car-warr ior s . vi z Drona
’
s son . Salya .and the h igh-souled Kripa . An d the mighty he i r of Pan cha l a
’
s k in g withmany sharp shaf ts . s l ew the st eeds o f Drona
’
s son tha t . were c e lebrated
ov er al l the world . Depriv ed then of his an ima ls.Drona's so n quickly
.
1 I'
have followed th e Bengal texts in numb erin g th e verses i ncludedin th i s section . Al l m inor. d iff erences of readin g . ag ain ; between thed ifferent Pub l ished texts h ave n ecessar ily n ot been noticed in the ’
n otes .—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
ge tting up on Salya’
s car . showered his shafts on the ha ir of the Panchala
king . An d beholdingDhri shtadyum n a engaged in batt le with 'Dron a’
s so n .
'the son of Subhadra . O Bh arata . quickl y came up scat ter ing hi s sharp
arrows . An d. 0 bul l of Bha rata’
s race . he p ie rced Salya with fiv e and
twenty. and Kr ipa wi th nine a rrows . an d Aswatthaman with eight .Drona
's son . however . quickly p ie rced Arjun a
’
s son wi th many win ged
arrows . an d Sa lya p ierced h im wi th twelve . and Kripa w ith three sharp“ arrows . Thy grandson L akshm ana t h en . behold ing Subhadra
's son
engaged in ba t tle . rush ed a t h i m . exc ited with rage . And th e battl e
commenced between them . An d the so n of Dury odhana . exc i ted with
ra g e . pi erced Su bhadra's son wi th sharp shafts in tha t combat. An d
tha t (fe at ) . 0 king . seemed highly wonderful . The l ight-handed Abbi
manyu then . 0 bul l o f Bha rata’
s race , exci ted w tih ra g e . quickly pierced
h is cousin with fiv e hundred a rrows L akshm an a a lso . with hi s shafts .then cut o ff h i s ( cous in
’
s ) b ow-stafi at the m iddle . a t which . 0 monarch ."
all the people sen t for t h a loud'
shout . Th en th at slaye r o f hos ti le
h eroes . the son of Sub hadra . l ea v in g a side that broken bow . took up
ano ther that was beauti ful and tougher . 1 An d thereupon those two‘ bul ls among men . thus engaged in comba t and desirous o f coun teract ing
each o th e r's f ea ts . p ierced each other w i th sharp shaf ts . King Duryo
‘ dhana t hen . 0 monarch , behold ing h i s mighty so n thus afi l i cted by
thy grandson (Ab h iman yu ) , proceeded to that spo t . An d when thy
so n tur ned (towards that spot) . a l l the k ings surrounded the son of
Arjuna on ev ery s id'e wi th crowds o f cars . Incapable o f being defeate d
in ba tt le and equal in prowess un to Krishna h imsel f . that h ero . 0 k in g.
thus surrounded by t hose heroes , was no t ag i ta ted in the least . Then
Dhanan j aya . behold in g Su bhadra’
s son engaged in ba ttle . rushed to tha tspot . exci ted w ith wrath . des irous of rescu ing h i s own so n . Thereupon
the kings (on the Kuru side ) . headed by Bhi shma and Drona and wi th
cars . e le phan ts and ste eds . rushed impe tuously at S avy asachin . Then a
thick '
earthl y dust . suddenly ra ised by foo t-sold iers and s teeds and car s
a nd cav a lry t roopers . cover ing the sky appeared on th e v i ew . And those
thousands of elephan ts and hundreds of k in g s . when they came with in
reach of Arjuna’
s arrows . were al l un abl e to make any fur the r advance .And al l creatures t h ere se t up loud wa ils . and th e point s of the compass
became dark . An d t h en the t ran sgre ss ion o f t h e Kurus assumed a fiercean d dreadful aspect a s r egards i ts consequences . ’ Ne i th er the welkin
.
nor the car d inal points o f the compass nor th e ear th . nor the sun .could
be d istinguished . 0 be s t of men . i n consequence o f th e a rrows shot by
1 The Bombay readi n g‘Veg avattarm
'i s better . L itera lly . i t mean s .'
capab le of imparting a greater impetus .’
To avoid such periphrasis I ren derit ’ton g her .
’ —T.
2 A l itera l rendering of the second l ine of 21 wou ld be un in etel l ig i b l e.
Hen ce I have done i t rath er freely .
MAHABHARATA
Kiritin .
‘ And many we re the el ephants the re depr i v ed of the s tanda rds
(on th e ir backs) . and many car-warr iors a l so . depr ived of th e ir steeds.
And some leaders of car d iv is ion s were seen wandering . havi ng aban
doued thei r ca rs . And othe r car-warr io r s . depr ived of t he i r car s . wereseen to wander hith er and thi ther . weapon in hand and the i r a rms graced
with Anaada s . And r id ers o f s t e ed s abandon ing t h e ir steeds and of ele
phan ts abandon ing t h e i r e lephan ts . from fear of Ar juna . 0 king . fled away
i n all di rect ions . And k ing s were see n fe l led or fa l l in g from cars and el e
phan ts and steeds in consequence of Arju n a's shafts . And Arju na , assum .
ing a fierce countenance . cut o ff wi th his te rribl e shaf ts . t he upra i se d
arms of warr iors . mace in g rasp . and arms bea r i ng swords . 0 king . or
darts.or quivers . or sha fts . or bows . o r hooks . or standard s . al l over the
field . An d spiked maces broken in f ragmen ts . an d malle ts . O si re . and
beard ed da rts . and short arrows . and sword s a l so. i n th a t batt l e . and
sharp-edged bat tl e-axe s . and lances . O Bhara ta . and sh ield s broken into
pieces.and coats of mai l al so . 0 king .“ an d standards . an d weapons of al l
k inds t h rown away and umbrel la s fu rn ish ed wit h golden staves . and iron
hooks also . 0 Bhara ta . a nd goads and whip s . and traces al so . 0 s i re . were
seen strewn over the fie ld of bat tl e in heaps . Th er e was no !n an i n thy
army . O sire . who could ad v ance a ga i n st th e heroic Arjuna i n ba t t le .Whoever
. 0 king . advanced against Pri tha’
s son i n bat t le . pierced by
sharp shafts was despatched to the other worl d . When al l th ese com
b atan ts of th ine broke had fled away . Arjuna and Vasudeva blew the ir
excel len t conches . Thy sir e Dev av ra ta then . beho ld in g the,
(Kuru ) host
rou ted.sm il ingly addressed th e he roic so n of Bharadwaja i n th e ba tt le
and sa id.
‘
This m ighty and he roic son of Pandu . vi z Dhananjaya .accompan ied by Kr ishna . i s deal in g wi t h (our) t roops as h e alone is
competen t to deal wi th them . He i s incapable of be in g vanquished in
ba t tle today by any means . j udging by h is for m that we se e n ow so l ike
unto tha t of the Destroyer h imse lf a t t h e en d o f the Yug o . Thi s v ast
host aga i n (of our) i s incapable of be in g rall i ed . Beho ld . looking a t one
an other.‘
o u r troops ar e fl y in g away . Yon Sun . robb in g in“ every way
the v is ion of the whol e world . i s abou t to reach tha t best of moun ta ins
cal led Asta . ‘ For th is. 0 bul l among men . I t h ink tha t the hou r i s come
for the withdrawal (of the a rmy ) . The war r iors . who have al l been t i red
and struck w ith pan ic . will n e v er figh t . Hav ing sa id th i s unto Drona
tha t best of preceptors, Bh i shma . tha t migh ty car-wa rr ior . caused thy
army to be withdrawn . An d then when the sun set. the w ithdrawal of
both thy army and thei rs took place . 0 si re . and twilight se t i n .
"
1 Th e sense i s that a l l thes e were entirely sh rouded b y Arjun a’
s
arrows.2 Th e tr ue reading i s 'Charman am ’
an d n ot ‘Varman am': also ‘bhumi
pa’
an d ‘b hutal e'.—T.
3 i ce" i s GbOU ll to Salk—T.
1 54 MAHABHARATA
ses of slaugh ter . And t he rattl e of innumerable cars rush ing ( t o j o in
the fray ) . o r engaged separa te ly became a loud uproar . m ingling’
wit h
the bea t of d rums . An d the shouts o f t he h eroic combatan ts belon g ing
to thy a rmy and the ir s . O Bharata . slay in g one anothe r in tha t fi erce
encounte r . reached the very heavens ."
SECTION L VI I
San jaya sa id . Af te r th e rank s of thy army an d the irs had been
dispose d in ba t tl e-a rray . tha t m i gh ty car-warr ior . Dhanan jaya . fe l l in gin that conflict le aders of car-d i v is ions wi th h is a rrows . caused a grea t
carnage.O Bharata . amon g the car-rank s . The Dhartarashtra s . ( thus)
slaughter ed in battle by Pr itha s son . l ike th e Destroye r himsel f a t th e
end of the Yuga , s ti l l fought perseveringl y wi th the Pandavas . Desi rous
o f (win n in g ) blaz ing g lory and (ben t upon) making d ea t h (t he onlyg round for) a cessat io n of t he fight . wi th m inds undirected to any thingelse .
‘
t h ey broke the Pandava ranks i n many pl aces and were al so them
selve s broken . Th en bo t h the Pandava an d the Kau rava troop s broke .
changed pos it ions . and fled away . Nothing could be d i s t inguish ed . An
earthly dust arose . shrouding the v ery su n . And nobody . the re could
d ist ingu ish , e i th er t h e card inal o r the subsid ia r y'd i rection s . An d
everywh ere the . b attl e .raged. O king . the comba tants be i n g guided by
the ind ica t ions affo rded by colours , by wa tch-words . names and tribal
d ist inct ions . An d th e a r ray of the Kau ra v as . O k in g . could not bebroken . duly protecte d as it wa s by Bha radwaja
’
s so n . O sit e . 1 An d so
the fo rmidable array of t h e Pandava al so . pro tec ted by Sav yasach i n .
and wel l-guarded by Bhima . could n o t be broken . An d the ca rs and
eleph an ts i n c lose ranks . O k ing . of bo th the a rm ies . and oth e r combata n ts. comin g out
,o f the ir respect ive array s . engaged in conflic t . An d
in that fierce ba t tle cavalry so ld ie r s felled caval ry sold i e r s . wi th pol ished
swords of sharp ed ges and long lances . An d car-warr ior s . gett ing ca r
warr iors (with in reach ) in t ha t fierce conflic t, f el l ed them with shaf ts
decked wi th golden win gs . An d elephan t-r iders . of thy s ide and the irs .
fe l led lar ge numbers of e le phan t-r iders in close ranks. w ith broad-headedshaf ts an d arrows . an d lances . 2 An d la rg e . bodies o f in fantry. i n spi red
with wrath towards one ano ther . cheerful ly fel led combatan ts of t he ir
own class with short a rrows and bat t le-axes . And car-warriors . 0 king .
gett ing elephant-r id er s (within r each ) i n tha t con flic t. . fe l led them along
with the ir el ephant s . An d e lephan t-r ider s s imi larly fel l ed car-warriors:And. O bul l of Bharata
’
s race . the cavalry sold ier with h i s lance f el led
1 For ‘Satyatha teha'th e Bom bay text reads ‘Satya san dh en a .
’ I fol lowth e Ben ga l readin g .
-T .
2 Th ree s lokas occur after th e 1 3th . in th e Bombay editi on . that areom i tted i n the Benga l texts . I a l so om it them here .
—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
the car-warr io r i n tha t confl ic t . and the car-warr ior also f ell ed the cavalry
soldier . An d both the arm ies the foo t-so ld ie r . fel led th e car-warr ior in
the combat. a nd the car-warr io r fel l ed the foo t-sold ie r s . with sharp wea
pons . And e lephan t-ride rs f el led horse-r ider s . and ho rse-r ide rs fe l led
warriors on the backs of e lephan ts . An d a l l t his appeared exceed ing ly
wonder ful . An d here and there foot-sold ier s . were felled by foremost
o f e l e phant-r iders . and e l ep hant-r iderswere s een to be f elled by thefo rme r . An d bands of foot-so ldiers . by hundreds and t housands . were seen
to be fe l led by horse-r iders and horse-r iders by foot-sold iers . _And
st rewn with broken standards and bows and lances and hous ings of
el ephants . and cos tly blank ets and bearded dart s . and maces . and clubsfurn i shed wi t h sp ikes . and K ampan d a. and dar t s . a n d var iega ted coats ofmai l and Ku n apas , and i ron hooks . and po li shed sc imitars . and sh afts
furn ished with golden wings , th e fi eld . 0 best o f Bharata’
s race . shone
as if with floral wrea ths . An d th e ear t h . m iry with flesh an d blood,became impassablew ith the bod ies of men and ste eds and elephan t s sla in
in tha t d read ful bat t le . An d drenched wi th human blood . the earthy
dust d isappeared . An d the cardinal points . all around . becam e perfectly
clear . O Bhara ta,
And i nnumerable headl ess t runk s ros e up al l around
indicat ing . O Bharata . of t he des truction o f th e wor ld . An d i n t ha t
terribl e and awful ba tt l e . car-warriors were s een to run away in a l l
d irections . Then Bh i shm a and Drona . and Jayadratha th e rule r of » the
S in dhus and Pu rum i tra . and V ikarna . and Saku n i t he so n of Suva la
these warr io rs i nv inc ibl e i n ba ttle and possessed of leon in e prowess
stay ing in bat t le broke the ranks of th e Pandavas . An d so Bh imasen a
and the 130 7087261 8 0 Gho tatkacha . and S eryaki . and Cheki tan a . and the
sons o f Draupadi . O Bhara ta . supported by a l l the k ings (on the i r s ide) .b egan to gr in d thy troops a nd thy sons s ta tioned 1 1) ba tt l e . l ike the gods
gr ind ing the Da n avas , An d th ose bull s among Ksha triyas . s tr iking one
another in batt le,became terr ible to behold and covered with blood
shone l ike K i n suka a. An d th e foremost warr iors of both arm ies . vanqu i
shing the i r opponen ts . looked . 0 king . l ike the plan etary lum inar ies in
the firmam en t . Then thy son Duryodh ana . supporte d by a thousand
cars,rushed to battl e w i th th e Pandavas and the R akaha aa . And so al l
the Pandav as . w ith a large body of combatants rushed in battl e again stthose chas t iser s of foes . the h eroic Bhishma and Drona . An d the
t j une ) also . exc ited with rage ru shed again st th e
An d Arjuna's so n (Ab h iman y u ) . and Satyak i . both
h e forces of Suva l a’
s son . And t hen commenced once
more a f earful ba t tl e . making the ha i r to stand on e n d . be tween t h ine
and the enemy’
s t roops both desirous of vanquish in g each
SECTION L ymSenj aya sa id . Th en those k ings . exci ted with rage . behold ing
Phal gun i i n battl e . surrounded h im on al l s id es w i th many thousands o f
cars . An d hav i ng , O Bharata surrounded h im w i th mul t i tud inous
d iv is ion of cars . they shrouded h im from al l s ides with many thousands
of shafts . And bright lance s of sharp points . and maces . and clubs endued
wi th spikes.and bearded dar t s and ba t tle-axes . and mal le ts and bludge
on s they hurl ed a t Phal gun i's car . exc ited with rage . And that shower of
weapons approachin g (towards h im ) l ike a fl igh t of locusts . Pri tha's son
checked on al l s ides w it h his gold-decked arrow s . And behold ing th ere
o n that occas ion the super-human l igh tn ess of h and that Vibhatsu
poss essed,the god s , t h e Dan avas . the Gan dharvas . the P i sachas , th e Umace
and the R akshacas eulog ised Phalgun i . 0 king . say ing .—‘
Excellen t . E xce
l l en t .’
An d the hero i c Gandha rv as a long with Suvala's son with a larg e
forcesur rounded Satyaki and Abhiman yu .
l Th en the brave warr ior s
led by Suva la’
s son from ang er . cut into pieces the excellent car of th eVrishn i hero . with weapons o f d iverse kinds . An d i n course of tha t
fierce confl ict . Satyaki . abandon in g that ca r of hi s. speed ily moun ted onAbh iman yu
's car . O chast i se r of fo es . And those two . mounted on the
same car. t hen began to speedi ly slaugh t er the army of Suv ala's so n
with stra igh t ar rows of sha rp po in t s . And Drona and Bhi shma . stead ily
struggl ing in bat t le . began to slaughter th e d iv ision of king Yudh i shthi rat h e j ust . wi th sharp sh af ts furn i shed w ith the fea thers of the K an ka bi rd .
Then the son of Dharma and two oth er sons of Pandu by Madr i. i n th e
very s ight of the whole army . began to g r ind th e d iv is ion of Drona . An d
t h e battl e tha t took place there was fie rce and aw fu l . makin g th e ha ir
to stand on end . l ike th e te r r ibl e ba ttl e t h a t took place between thegods and the Asuras i n days of yore . And Bh imasen a and Ghato tkachaboth achi ev ed migh ty fea ts . Then Duryodhana . approaching . checkedthem bo th . An d the prowess we then behe ld of Hidimv a
’
s so n'
was
exceedingly wonderful . in somuch tha t he fought i n ba ttle . O Bhara ta .t ranscending h is very fathe r . An d Bh imasen a . th e son of Pandu . excited
with wrath . pierced t he v i nd ic t ive Duryodhan a in the breast.with an
arrow . smiling the while . Then king Duryodhana . aff l ic ted by the
v iolence o f tha t blow . sa t down on the te rrace of h is car and swooned
away . An d his char io teer then . behold ing h im sense less . speed i ly borehim away . O king ; f rom bat tl e .
,An d then the troops tha t supported
Duryodhana broke and fled . And thereupon Bh ima . smi ting tha t Kuruarmy thus fly ing away in al l d ir ect ions . with sharp-pointed shafts ; pursued i t behind . And Pr i sha ta
's son (Dhr i shtadyumn a) . tha t foremos t o f
warr io rs . and Pandu’
s son k ing Yudhishth ira the just . in the very
s ight . O Bhara ta . o f bo th Drona and Ganga's son .
sl ew th eir'
1.
The Bombay edition reads th i s s loka differently . I fol low the Bengalreadin g Wh l oh seem s to b e b atten—T.
158 MAHABHARATA
of thy acceptance and fra u ght w i th thy good . The Pandavas are
incapable of be ing vanquished in ba t tl e by th e very gods wi th Vasavaamongs t them . That . howeve r . wh ich my aged se lf is capab l e o f doing .
I wil l do to the exte n t of my power . 0 bes t o f kin g s . in th is ba t tle .Witness i t n ow with thy kinsm en . Today . i n the very si ght o f a l l .alone ! shall check the so n s o f Pa n du a t the head of the i r t roo ps and
with all the i r kin sfo lk .
’
Thus addressed by Bhi shma . t hy so n . 0
king. fi lled wi t h del igh t . caused conches to be blown and drums to , be
bea t . An d t he Pandavas a l so . O ki n g . hearing that loud uproar .blew the i r conches . and cause d the i r drums and cymbals to be played
upon .
SECTION LIX .
Dhrita rash t ra sa id . Af ter t h a t dread ful vow had been made in
battle by Bhi shma enrag ed by t he words of my son . what . 0 Senjaya .
did Bh i shma do unto t he sons of Pandu o r what d id th e Pan chalas dounto th e grandsi r e Tel l i t a l l un to me , O Senj aya .
San jaya sa id . Af te r the forenoo n o f th a t day . 0 Bharata . had
passed away . and the sun in his wes tward course had pas sed a po r t ion
of h is path . and afte r the hi g h-souled Pandav a s had own th e victory .thy s i re Devavrata . conversan t wi t h the dist inct ion of
. al l codes of
morali ty . rushed . carr i ed by the fleetest s te eds . towards t he a rmy of
the Pa n davas . pro tect ed by a l a rg e force and by a l l thy sons . Then . 0
Bharata . i n"
consequence of thy s inful pol icy . comm enced a dreadful
battl e . making th e ha i r to st and on end . be twe en ourselve s an d the
Pandavas . And t he twang of bows . th e flapping of bowstr ings aga inst
the l eather n fences ( casin g the hands o f the bowman m ingl in g
to ge t h e r . made a loud uproar r e sembl ing tha t of spl it ting h i ll s . Stay
Here I s tand . -Know th is one .—Turn back .—Stand .—I wai t for thee
Strike . -these w ere the word s heard ev erywhere . And th e sound of
fal l in g coat s of mai l made o f gold . of crowns and diad em s . an d of
standards re sembled the sound of fa l ling s ton es on a stony ground . And
he ads . and a rms decked wi th ornaments . fal l in g by hundreds and
thousands upon the g round moved in“
convulsion s . And ! som e brave
comba tant s . with b eads severed from thei r trunks . con tinued to stand
weapons in g rasp or armed w i th d rawn bow . An d a dreadful r ive r of
b lood began to flow there . o f i mpetuous current . miry with f le sh and
blood . and with th e bod ie s of dead el ephant s for i ts sub-aqueous
rocks . Flowin g from th e bodie s of steeds . men . and elephan ts , and
delightful to vul tures and jackals . i t ran towards th e ocean represen ted
by t he next world . A battle such as tha t . 0 king . which t hen took
place between thy son s . O Bhara ta . and the Pandavas . was ne v er seen
or heard before . An d i n consequence o f the bod ies o f combatantssl a in in tha t conflic t . cars could no t make their way . An d the field of
BHISHMA PARVA 1 59
ba t tle i n consequence o f the bod ie s of s la i n elephan t s . seemed to be
strewn ove r with blu e cre sts of b i l ls . An d the fie ld o f bat tl e. s trewn
wit h variega ted coats of ma il and tu rbans . O s i re . l ooked beaut i ful l ike
the firmamen t autumn . An d some combatan t s were seen wh o . thou gh
sev e re ly wounded . yet rush ed chee r fully and pro ud ly upon the foe inba t t l e . An d many . fal le n on the fie ld o f ba tt le . cr ied aloud . say ing.’
0 fa t he r. O brother . 0 fr iend . O kinsmen . O companion . O matern al
uncl e . do not abandon me .’
- And o thers cri ed aloud . saying .—'Come l
Come thou here l Why a r t thou fri gh tened 7 Wh ere dos t th ou go I
s tand in ba t tl e . do no t be af ra id .’
An d in that combat Bh ishm a . the son of
Sa n tan u . wit h bow incessantly d rawn to a c ircle . shot sh a fts of blazin g
poin ts resembl in g snak es o f v irulen t poison . An d shoot in g continuousl ine of a rrows i n al l d i rections . tha t hero of r i g id vows smote the Pandavacar-warr iors namin g each beforehand . O Bharata . An d d isplay ing his
extreme lightness o f hand s . and dancing (as i t were) alo n g th e track o f
his car , he seemed . O king . to be present everywhere l ike a c ircle of fire .
An d in consequence of th e l i ght n e ss of h is movements . the Pandava s i ntha t bat t le . along wi th the Sri n jayas. beheld th at hero . t hough r eal ly
a lone . as mult ipl ied a thousandfold . And every one there re garded
Bh i shma as hav in g mult ipl i ed hi s sel f by illus ion . Having seen h im now
on the east . the next moment they saw him on the we st . An d so hav in g
seen h im on the nor th . th e next moment they saw him on th e south . And
the son of Gan ga was thus se en fig hting in tha t ba tt l e . An d there was
no one amongst the Pandavas capabl e of even look ing at h im . Whatthey al l saw were only the innumerable shaf ts shot from h is bow . An d
hero ic warr io rs . b eho l didg h im ach i eve such feats in bat tl e . and (thus)slaugh ter i ng the i r ranks . uttered many lamenta t ions . An d king s in
thousands came in contac t w ith thy sire . thus cours in g over the fie ld in
a i superhuman way . and fel l upon tha t fir e represented by th e enraged
Bh i shma l ike f ligh t s of sen se le s s insects upon a blazing fire fo r thei r
own destruction . Not a s ingle shaf t of that ligh t-handed Warr ior wasfuti le . fa ll ing upon the bodies of men . el ephan ts . and s teeds . in cou se
quen ce of the numbers (opposed to h im ) . Wi th a s in gle straigh t shaf tshot in that battl e . h e despatch ed a single elephant l ike h i ll r even by thethunder-bol t. Two or thre e el ephant-r ide rs at a t im e. cased in ma il a nd
standing toge the r . thy sire p ierced with one sha ft o f shar p poin t . Who
ever . approached Bh i shm a . tha t t ige r among men . in ba t t le . seen for amoment was next beheld to fa l l down on the ground . And tha t va st
host of king Yudh ish th i ra the j ust, thus slaugh ter ed by Bhishma of
in comparable prowess . gav e way in a thousa nd d i rect ion s . And afflic tedwith that ! arrowy shower , the v a st a rmy began to tremble in the very
presence of Vasud eva and the h igh-soul ed Partha . And although th e
hero ic l eaders of the Pandava army made grea t'
eflorts. yet they could
we MAHABHMM’IA
n ot check the fl ight of ev en th e g reat car-warrio r s o f t hei r Isi de
affl icted wi th the shaf ts of Bh i shm a . The prowess . in consequence of
which that vast army was routed . was equal to tha t of th e ch ief of the
gods h imse l f. And tha t a rmy'
was so comple tely rou ted . 0 grea t k ing .
tha t no two persons could be se en toge th er . And car s and el ephan ts and
s teeds were p ie rced al l ov e r. and standard s a nd shafts o f cars were
st rewn ove r th e field . An d the a rmy of th e sons of Pandu ut tered cr ies
of oh and a las . and becam e deprived of senses . An d th e si re st ruck the son
and the son st ruck th e s i r e and fr i end ch a ll enged th e cl ea rest of f r iends
to bat t le as i f under the i nfluence of fa te . And others amongs t the
combatants of Pan du’
s so n wer e seen . O Bharata . to run away . throwin g
aside their coats of mail . and wi t h d ish ev e l le d ha ir . An d the army of
the sons of Pandu . i ndulg ing i n loud wa i ls . i nclud in g th e v ery l eade rs of
the i r best of ca r-warr iors . was seen to be as confounded as a ve ry he rd of
kine . The d el i ghter of the Yadavas Irb en . behold ing that a rmy thus
routed.sa id unto Partha . stopping tha t be s t of cars wh ich he guided
th ese word .“
The hour is n ow come . O Par tha . wh ich was desired by
thee . Str ike Bh i shm a . O t iger among men . e l se . thou wil t lose the
senses . O hero . formerly . i n the conclave o f kings . t hou hadst sa id . -'l
will slay al l the warri ors o f Dh ri ta rashtra's sons . headed by Bhi shm a and
Drona—al l in fact . who wil l figh t wi th m e in bat tl e . ’ O son of Kunt i . Ochast iser of foes . make those words of t h ine true . Beho ld . O Vibhatsu .
this army of th ine i s be in g rou ted on all s ide s . Beho ld . th e king s in
Yudh i sh th ira’
s host a re”
al l f ly in g away . see in g Bhi shm a in bat tle . who
looketh l ike the Dest roye r h im sel f with wide-open mouth . Afll icted
with fear. t he y are makin g themselv es scarce l ik e t h e weake r an imals
at sigh t of th e l ion . Thus addressed . Dhananjaya repl ied unto
Vasudeva . say in g .‘
Pl ungin g throu gh th is sea o f th e host i l e ho s t . urge
o n the s teeds to where Bhi shma is . I wil l t hrow down tha t i nv inc ible
warr ior . th e r ev erend Kuru g rands i re’
. Th en Madh ava urged those
steeds of s i lvery hue to where . O king . the ca r of Bh i shm a was . tha t nea r
which . l ike the very sun . was inca pable of be in g gazed at . An d behold
i n g the m i ghty-armed Pa rtha thu s rushin g to an enco un te r w it h Bh ishma.the m igh ty army o f Yudh i shth i ra ra l l i ed for bat t l e . Then Bhi shma .
that foremos t of war r iors amongst the Kurus . repea tedly roarin g ’ l ike
a l ion . quickly covered Dh an an j aya's ca r w ith an arrowy
a moment that car of h is . with standa rd and char ioteer . becashrou ded with th at ar rowy downpour . Vasudeva . howewith great m ig ht fea rle ssly and summonin g a l l his pa t iguide those steeds mangled by Bhi shma
’
s shaf ts . Then
up h i s cel est ial bow who se twang resembl ed the roarcaused Bh ishma
's bow to drop down . cut t ing i t 0 5 with
TheKuru warrio r . thy s ire. see ing hi s bow cut 0 6 . took
gas Ma n ag ua
Bhu risrava . a nd Kri tav arm an . and Kr ipa . an d Srutayusb and theutu ler
of the Am vash tas and Vin da and An uv in da . Sudaksh in a and the
westerners. and the diverse tr ib es of th e Sau v i ras . th e Vasaris . and‘
the
Kshudrakas. and the Mal avas . al l th ese . a t the command of the royal
son of San tsun . qu ickly approach ed K i r i t in for battle . And t h e g ran d
son o f Sin i saw that K i r i ti n was surrounded by many hundreds of horse .and infan try . and cars . and mighty e lephants . And beho lding bo t h
Vasudeva and Arj una thus encompassed by in fan try and elephan ts and
horses and cars . on al l s id es . that foremost o f a l l bearers of arms . vi z. .
the ch ief of th e Sinis . qu ickly proceeded to tha t spo t . And tha t foremost
o f bowmen . the ch ief of the S in i s . quickl y rush in g a t those t roops . cam eto Arjuna
's s ide l ike Vi shnu com ing to t he a id of the slay er of Vr i tra .
An d that fo remost warr ior of S in i’
s race cheerfu l ly sa id unto Yudh i sh
th ira’ s host a l l th e combatan ts of wh ich had been fr igh tened by Bh ishma
and whose e l ephants . ste ed s . cars . and numbe r less standard s had been
mangled and broken in to p ieces . and which was fly ing away from the
field.these words.
‘Ye Kshat r iyas . wher e do ye go Th is i s not the
duty of t he r ighteous as ha t h been declared by the ancients . Ye
foremost of heroes . do no t v iola t e your pledges Observe your own
dut ies as heroe s'. Behold ing that those foremost o f k ings we re flyin g
toge ther from the fie ld o f bat tl e . and markin g th e mildnes s wi th which
Partha fought . and behold ing a lso tha t Bh i shma was exe r t ing h imse l f
very powerful ly in batt l e . and tha t the Kurus we re rushing from all
s ides . th e younger brother of Va sava . the h igh-soule d pro tecro r o f-a l l
the Dasarhas. unable to bear i t a l l . addressed th e renowned grandson of
S in i.and applaudin g him . sa 1d
‘
O hero of Sin i's race . they that a re
retreating . ar e . indeed . r etreat ing . They tha t a re yet stay ing . O thou
of the Satwara race . l e t them al so go away . Behold . I wil l soon throw
Bhishma down from his car . and Drona a l so in ba tt l e . w ith a l l the ir
fol lowers . There is none i n the Kuru host . O tho u of the Satwata race .
who i s able to escape my ang ry se lf . Therefore . t akin g up my .
‘
fierce
di scus . I wil l s lay Bh ishma of hi gh VOWS . An d slay in g i n battl e tho se
two foremost of car-warr1o rs .vi z
. . Bh i shm a along with his fol lowers
and Drona also . 0 grandson of Sini . I wil l gladd en Dhanan jaya . and the !
king . and Bh ima . and the twin Aswi n s . An d sl ay i n g a ll the son s of
Dhri tarashtra an d al l those foremost of kin gs who hav e embraced the i r
s ide . I w il l joy fully furni sh king Aj atasa tru w i th a kingdom today .’
Say ing thi s . Vasudeva's so n . abandon i ng (t he re ins o f) t he steeds . jumped
down from the car . wh ir l i ng with h is (r igh t ) a rm h is d iscus of beaut i fu l
nave wi th edge sharp as a raz o r . efi u lgen t as the sun and posse ssed of
force equal to that o f a thousand bo l ts of heaven . And making the
earth tremble under h i s t read . the h igh-souled Krishn a ru shed 1mpetg ously towe l}C15 Bhishma. Apd that gr inder of fe es. the young er brother s
BHISHMA PAB’
VA 165
of the ch i e f of the gods . exc i t ed wi t h wrath . rushed i towards Bh'
ishmastaying i n the m idst of h is troops . l ike a l io n from des i re of sl ay in g uaa pri nce of elephan t s bl inded with fu ry and staying proudly fo r theat tack. And the end of h i s y el low garments waving in the a i r looked
l ike a cloud char ged wi th l i ghtning in the sky . And tha t lotus of a
discus called Sudarsan a , hav ing for i ts s talk the beaut iful a rm of Saur in .looked as beauti ful a s the pri meval lotus. bright as the morn ing sun .
which sprun g from t h e n avel of Na ra yana . An d Krishna’
s wrat h was
the morning su n tha t caused that lo tus to b lo gm An d the beautiful
lea v es of t h at lo tus were as sharp as th e edge of a ra z or . An d Krishn ai’
s'
body was the beaut i ful lake . and h is ( r igh t arm the stalk sprin g ingtherefrom . upon which t hat lotus shone . An d beholding t he younger
brother o f Mahendra . e xc l ted with wrath and roar in g loudly and armed
wit h that discu s. a l l crea tures set out a loud wai l . think in g tha t thedes tructio n of the Kurus was a t hand . An d armed wi th h is d iscu s
Vasudeva looked l ik e the S amvarta fire tha t appea rs a t th e end of theYuga for con suming th e wor ld . An d t h e preceptor of the universeblazed up l ike a fierce comet r ise n for con sum ing all creat ure s . And
behold ing tha t fo remos t of bipeds . tha t div ine personage . advan cingarmed with the d iscus . San t
’
an u’
s son s ta tioned on h is ca r . bow’
and arrow
i n hand . fearlessly sa id .
’
Come , Come . O L ord of the gods . O thou
that hast th e universe for thy abode . I bow to thee . O thou tha t ar t
armed with mace . sword and S a ran ga . 0 lord of the un iv erse . forciblythrow me down from t his excel lent ca r . 0 thou tha t a r t the r e fug e ofal l creatures i n this bat t le . Sla in h ere by thee . O Krishna . great wi l l
be my good for tune both in th is worl d and the next . Great i s ! the'
respect thou payest me . O L o rd o f th e Vri sh n i s and th e An dhakas.
My digni ty wil l be celebrate d in the three worlds .’
Hearing these
words o f San tan u’
s so n . Kr ishna rushing impetuously towards h im sa id .
‘
Thou ar t the roo r of th is grea t slaught er on ear th . Thou wil t behold
Duryodhana sla in to-day . A wise min is t er who t re adeth in the '
path
of righteousn ess should restr a in a king tha t,
i s a dd icted to the ev i l o fgambl in g . Tha t wre tch again of h is race who tran sgresseth dutyshould be abandoned as on e whose i ntell igence ha t h be en misd i rectedby dest i ny .—The royal Bh i shm a . hear in g these word s. repl ied unto the
chief of the Yadua. say ing . -Des tiny is al l powerful . The Yadus. fo r
the ir benefit. had abandoned Kansa . I said th is to the king (Dhri tarashtra) bu t he m inded i t not . Th e l i s tener that hath no benefit to
rece ive becometh . for h is own misery . o f perverted underst and ingthrough the in fluence of dest i ny . Meanwh i le . jumping down fromh is car . Partha . himsel f of mass i ve and long arms . quickly ran o n _foot
1 I ‘am x n o t sure that'
I'hav e correct ly u n dersto od
'the second l i n e‘
of'
. Ir-is v ery obscu re .
' -T .
164 MAHABHARATA
a fter tha t ch i ef of Yada’
s race possessed of mas siv e and lon g arms . and
se iz ed h im by his two hands . That fir s t o f a l l gods devoted i n sel f .
Krishna . was exc i ted with rag e . An d there fore . though thus seiz ed .
Vi sh nu forcibly d ragg ed J ish n u afte r h im . l ike a tempest
bea r ing away a single tree . The h igh-soul ed Par tha . however . se iz in g
them with great force hi s l e gs as he was proceeding a t a quick pace
towards Bh ishma , succe eded . 0 king . i n s topping him w ith d ifi cu l ty at
the ten th ste p . An d when Krishn a stopped . decked as he was with a
beauti ful garland of gold . che erful ly bowed down to h im and sa id .'Que l l th i s wrath o f th in e . Thou ar t th e refuge of the Pandavas. O
Kesava . I swear . O Kesav a . by my sons and uterin e bro th ers tha t Iwi l lnot wi thdraw f rom the ac ts to wh ich I hav e pledged myself. 0
younger brother of Indra . a t t hy command I wi l l certa inly annih ilate t he
Kurus o'Hear ing that—promis e and o ath of h is. Janarddan a became
grat ified . An d ever engaged as h e was in do ing what was agre eable to
Ar juna—that best of the Kurus .—he once more . d i scus on arm . mounted
on his car. An d tha t s layer of foe s once more took up th ose re ins that
h e had abandoned and tak ing up h is conch cal led Pan chaj an n a , Saurin
filled a l l the po in t s o f the compass and th e we lki n w i th i ts blar e . An d
t hereupon beho ldin g Krishna decked w it h necklace and An gadda and ear
r ings. with curved ey e-lashes smear ed w ith dust . and with te eth ofperfect wh ite ness . once more take up h is conch the Kuru heroes u ttereda loud cry . An d the sound of cymbals a nd drum s and kett le-drums ,and the ra t tle of car-whee ls a nd th e noise o f smal l er d rums . m ing ling
wi th t hose leon in e shouts . se t for th f rom al l th e ranks of t h e Kurus .
became a fierce uproar . And th e twang of Pa rtha’
s Gandi va , resembl in g
the rol l o f the t hunder . fi ll ed the welkin and a ll the quarte rs . And
shot from th e how of Pan du's son . br i g h t and blaz ing sha ftsiproceeded in
al l d irect ions . Then t h e Ku xu king . with a large force . and w ith Bh i shm a
and Bhuri sravas al so . arrow in hand . and resembling a comet ri sen
for consum ing a conste l lat ion . rushed ag a in st him An d Bhu risravas
hurled at Arjuna seven javeh n s furn ished with wm gs of gold . and
Duryodhana a lance of fierce im petuo s i ty . and Salya a mace . and
San tanu’
s son a dar t . Thereupon . Ar juna , baffl ing w i th sev en sh af ts the
sev en javel ins . flee t as a rrows. shot by Bhur isravas . cu t o ff with another
kee n-edged shaft the l ance hurled f rom Duryodhana’
s arm . And the
blazing dart coming towards him—efi u l gen t as l ightn ing—hurled bySan tan u
's so n . and the mace
' h urle d f rom the arm o f t he ruler of the
Madra s . th at hero cu t off with two (o ther ) shafts . Then drawing with
h i S ' two hands and with gre a t force h is beautiful bow Gandiva of
imm easurabl e energy . he invoked with proper man tras th e'
highlywonderful and ter i ib l e Mahendra weapon and caused i t to appear in the
welkin . And with tha t m igh ty weapon produc ing pro fuse showers‘
o f
1 68 i
pebbles . An d i t s banks 3‘ were i nfest ed by large number of jackal s and
wo lv es and cranes and vul ture s and crowds of R akaha sas , and packs o f
h y e n asi An d they that were al iv e beheld tha t te rr ible r iv e r of curre n t
consi sting of fa t . marrow . an d blood . caused by the a rrowy showers
o f Arjuna—L that embod imen t o f (man’
s) cruel ty— t o look l ike the g reat
Va i tam n i.
‘ An d behold in g the foremost warr iors of tha t army of the
Kurus t hus slain by Phal gu n i . the Chedi s . th e Pan chal as . th e Kurushas .
the Matsya s . and al l th e combatants of the Pa ndava side . th ose fore
m o st'
o f men . ela ted wi t h victory . toge ther set up a loud shout fo r
fr ighten ing the Kaurava warr io rs . An d they u t tered tha t cry in dica t iveof v ictory . behol d i n g t h e foremo st combatan ts of t he Kuru army“.the very t roops prot ec t ed by m ighty leaders of d i v i sions . thus sla in b y
'
K i r i ti n . t ha t t error o f foes . who frigh ten ed them like a l ion frig h teni ngherds of smal l er animals . An d then the bearer of Gandi va h ims elf .
and Ian arddan a bo t h fi l l ed with de l ight . u tte red loud roar s . Add the
Kurus . with Bh i shma . an d Drona and Durryodhan a an d Va l hika .
exce ed in gly mangled by the weapon s of Ar juna behold i n g the sun
withd raw his rays . and s eein g al so tha t awful and i rresist ible We apon a
called af te r the n ame of Indra spread ou t an d causing as i t were the
end of the Yuga to appea r . withd raw the ir forces fo r the n igh tly r es t .
An d that foremost of men . Dhanan jaya a lso, ha v in g achi ev ed’
a grea t )
feat and won grea t renown by crush ing h i s foe s. an d behold in g the su n
assume a red hue and the ev en in g twil igh t to se t in , and h av ingcompleted hi s work . re t ir ed wi th h i s ut e r ine brothers to th e camp fo r
n ightly rest . Then when darkn ess was about to se t i n . th er e arose
among‘
the Kuru troops a grea t and terr ible uproar . An d al l : sa id .’
In
today’
s batt l e Ar j una hat h s l a i n ten tho u so nd car-warriors . a nd ful l
s even hundred elephan ts . An d a l l the wes t erners. a n d t he d iverse
t r ibes of t he S auv iras. and th e Kshudrakas and the MalaV a s. have al l
been sla i n . The feat ach iev ed by Dhanan jaya i s a migh t y one . None
el se i scompeten t to achieve i t . S ru tay u sh . the rul er of the Amvashtas.
and Du rmarshan a . and Ch i trase n a . an d Drona . and Kri pa . an d the’
ruler of the S i n dhu s. and Va l h ika . and Bhu r i sravas . and Salya . and
Sa l e . 0 king . and other warrior s by hundreds un ited toge the r . alongwit h Bh i shma h imself . have on batt le . by t h e p rowess o f h is own a rm s.b een vanquished today by th e '
an gry son of Fr iths . vi z . , K i ri ti n . that one
m ighty car-warrior in th e world .
’
Talk in g thus . O Bharata . al l the
warr io rs of thy s ide wen t to thei r tentsfrom the field of ba t tle . And
al l th e combatan ts of th e Kuru a rmy fr igh tened by K iri t i n . then'
en t ered the i r tent s i l lumined by . thousands of torches . and b eau ti fied byi nnumerable lamps .
tTl
é
e'Vai taran i i s the fabulous r iver that separate th i s ‘
world from ta s:
SECTION LX
San jaya sa id . When the n ight pas s ed away . 0 Bhara ta . th e h igh
soul ed Bh i shma . wi th wra t h engendered . supported by a la rg e force . and
sta tioned a t the head o f the Bhara ta a rmy . proceeded agains t the foe .
An d Drona and Duryodhana and Va l h ika . and al so Du rm arshan a an d
Ch i trasen a . t he m ighty Iay adratha . and other roya l war r iors . suppor ted
by large d iv is ions aco m pan ied . surround ing him al l s ides . An d
sur rounded by those g reat and m igh ty car-warr ior s e n d ued with g rea tprowess and ene rgy . O king . h e shone . O best o f m onarchs . in the
m idst of those foremost of roya l wa r r io rs . l ik e the ch ief of the celest ia ls
in t he m id st of the gods . An d the m a gn i ficent s tandards on the back s
of the elephants s ta t ioned in fron t o f those rank s . of d ive rse co l ou rsm'
z"
red . y el low . black and brown . waving in the a ir . looked exceed ing lybeaut iful . An d that a rmy wi th the royal son of San tan u and other
m igh ty ca r-warr iors and with el ephan ts and steeds . looked re spl endent
l ike a mass of clouds charg ed with l igh tning . o r l ike th e firmam en t. i n
t he season of ra ins . w i th ga the r in g clouds . l An d then the fierce army
of th e Kurus , ben t on bat tle and pro tected by San tan u's son . rushed
i mpe tuously towards Ar juna l ike the fi erce current o f the ocean-go in gGanga Pervaded by d iv erse k ind s of forces possessed of g reatstrength . and hav ing in i ts wing s e l ephan ts . steeds . i nfantry . and car s in
profusion t h at array th e h i gh-souled (Ar juna) hav ing the pr in ce ofapes on h is banner behe ld from a d istance to resembl e a m ighty mass
of clouds . ” That high-souled hero . th at bull among men . upon his car
furn ished wi t h tal l standard and unto which were yoked whit e s te eds.
atfi
the head of h is (own ) d ivision an d surrounded by a m ighty force .proceed ed aga inst th e whole ho st i le a rmy . An d all the Kauravas wi ththy sons. beholding that ape-bannered (warrior) with h is excel l en t
standard and h andsome car-shaft wrapp ed in costly cover accoom pa
n ied bythat hu l l of Yadu's race . h is char ioteer i n ba t tle . were filled
with dismay . An d th y a rmy beheld that best of a r rays. which was
protected by that m i ghty car-warrior of the world . vi z K i ri ti n . wi th
wieapbn s upra ised to have at each of i ts co rners four thousand e lephan t s .Like the array wh ich was form ed on t he day before by t ha t best of
Kurus vi z . , king Yudh i shth ira th e j ust . and l ike o f which had neve r
beenseen or he ard before by hum an‘
b e i n gs. was t h i s on e o f today (tha t
theQ
Pandavas formed) . Then on th e field of battle thousand of drumswer e loudly bea t . and there aro se from al l the d ivi sions the loud blareof coach es and the notes of trumpets and many leon ine shouts . Then
3 I adapt th e Bengal reading'Vyante.
’
an d n ot 'Vyale .
’-T.
1 68
innumerabl e bows of loud twang . s tre tched by heroic warr iors w ith
shaf t fixed on th e bowstrin g s . and th e bl are of conch es . si l enced thatuproar of drum s and symb a l s. An d the en tir e we lkin fil led wi t h that
bla re of conches was d iff used wi th an ear thly dust that made i t wonderful to behold . An d with that dus t
]
th e sky looked a s i f a vas t canopywere spread ov erhe ad . An d behold ing that canopy the brave warr iors
al l rushe d impetuously ( to battle And car-awarrio rs. st ruck by car
warr iors.were overth rown with chario teers . s te eds . cars . and standards .
And e lephants . st ruck by elephan ts . f el l down . and foot-sold iers
struck by foo t-sold ie rs . An d rush in g horsemen . st ruck down by rushing
hor semen wi th lances and swords . fe l l down w i th fr ightful coun tenances .
An d a l l th is seem ed exceed ing ly wonde rful . An d exce l len t sh ields
decked wi th golden s ta rs and possessed of solar efi u l gen ce . broken by
strokes o f battl e-axes . lances and swords dropped on the fiel d.
1 And
many car-war r iors mang l ed and brui sed by the tusks and t he s trong
trunks of e lephants . fel l down with the i r ch ar io tee rs . An d many bulls
amo'
ng car-warr iors struck by bul ls am ong car-warr iors w i th thei r
shafts . fel l down on the g round . An d many perso ns h ea r ing the wa il s
of horsemen and foot-sold iers struck wi th the tusks and oth er l imbs of
elephan ts o r c rush ed by the im petu s o f t h o se huge crea tur es rush ing in
close ranks . fel l down on the fie ld o f battl e . 2"Then when cava lry an d foo t-sold iers wer e fal l ing fast . and eleph an ts
and steeds and cars were fly ing away i n fea r . Bh i shm a . surrounded bymany mighty car-warrior s . obta ined s ight of h im who had the prince of
apes on hi s stan dard . An d the pa lmyra-bann ered wa r rio r .“
vi z, the son of
San tan u . havin g five pa lmyras on h is sta ndard . then rushed aga i nst the
d iadem-decked Ar j una whose ca r . i n consequenceof the fleetn ess of
the excellen t ste eds a ttached to i t was e ndued with wonde rful energy
and which blaz ed like th e very l ightn ing in consequence o f the energyof his m ighty weapons . An d so against tha t son of Indra who was l ike
un to Indra h imse lf . rushed many (ot her) warr iors h ead ed by Drona and
Kripa and Sa ly a and Viv i n sa ti and Duryodhana and a lso Som adatta's
son . 0 kin g . Then the heroic Abh iman yu . the so n o f Arjuna .
don versan t with a l l weapons and cased in a handsome and golden coat o f
mail . rusin g out of the ranks . quickly proceeded aga inst a l l t hose
warr iors . An d tha t son o f K r ishna of fea ts incapable o f be ing borne .baffling the mighty weapons of al l those
‘
war r iors of g rea t s treng th .
looked respl endent l ike the adorabl e Agni h im sel f . on th e sacrificial
Th e true reading i s‘Saditan am .
’—T.
1 70 MAHABHARATA
fo remost o f men accomplish e d i n the science of arms and who were
incapable of defea t by foes in bat t le . su r rounded Ki ritin wi th h i s son
for s lay ing them both . Then . 0 k ing . tha t vanqu isher of foes . the
comm ander of the Pandava army . the pr ince of the Pan ch alas. beh eld
the cars o f th e fa ther and the son thus surrounded by the foe
Supported'
by many thousands of e lephants and cars , and by hundred
thbu sands of cavalry and i nfantry . and stre tching h is bow in grea t wrath
he advanced aga i nst tha t d ivi sion of the Madra s and th e Kekayas. O
chastiser of foes. lead in g h is t roops wi th h im . An d that d iv i s ion of
th e Pandava army ) . protected by that renowned and firm bo wman . and
consistin g of cars . elephan t s . and caval ry . looked resplenden t a s i t
advanced for the encounte r . An d while proceed in g towards Arj una .
that perpetuator of Pancha i a's rac e struck Saradwat
’
s so n on h is
shoulde r-joint with thr ee a rrows . An d pierc in g the Madrakas then
wi th t en sharp shaf ts . he sp eed ily sl ew th e protector of Kr i tavarm an’
s
r ear . An d t hat ch ast i se r of foes then . wi th a sha ft o f broad head , slew
Damana.t he he ir of the high-souled Pautav a . Then t he son of Samya
ma n i pi erced t he Pancha la pr ince incapable of de fea t i n the battle with
t en shafts . and h is char io teer also with ten shaf t s . Then that m ighty
bowman . (thus) sev er e ly pierc ed . l icked wi th his tongue the corners o f
his mouth . and cut o ff his enemy’
s bow wi th a broad-headed shaft o f
excessi v e sharpness . And soon the pr ince of Pancha la affl l cted his foe
with five and twenty arrows . and then slew his s te eds . O king . and then
both th e pro tectors of h i s wings . Then . O bul l of Bhara ta’
s race . Samya
mani’
s son . s tanding on t h at car whose s teeds were sla in . looked a t the
son of the renowned k i n g of th e Pan ch a las . Then t akin g up a terr ibl e
scim itar of th e best k ind . made of stee l . Samyam an i’
s son walking on
foot . approached Drupada’
s son s tay ing on hi s car . An d t he Pa n davas .
sold iers an d Dhrishtady um n a al so of Pri shata's race beheld h im coming
l ike a wave and resembl in g a snake fa l len from the skies. An d he wh irl
ed h is sword and looked l ike the sun and advanced with th e tread of an
infur ia te elephant . The prince of Panchal a then . exc i te d with ra ge .quickly taking up a mace . smashed the head of Sam yam an i s so n thus
adv ancin g toward s h im . sharp-edged sc1m 1 tar i n grasp and shie ld in
hand . as soon as the lat ter . ha v in g crossed th e shoot ing distance . was near
enough to h i s adversary’
s ca r . An d then . O king . whi le fal l ing downdeprived of l i f e . h is blazing sc im i ta r and shie ld . loosened f rom h is g rasp .fel l down with h is body on the ground . And t h e high-souled son of the
Panchala k ing . of t err ibl e prowess . hav ing sla in hi s foe w i th h is mace .won great renown . An d when tha t prince . that m i gh ty car-warr ior
and great bowman . was (thus) sl a in , loud cr i es of oh and Glad aro se
among thy troo ps . O sire . Then Sam yam an i . exc it ed w ith rage upon
beholdin g h is own son slain , impetuously rushed towards the prince of
BHISHMA PARVA
Panchala who was incapable of defeat in battl e . And al l th e k ings of
bo th the Kuru and the Pandava a rmies beheld tho se two pr i nces an dforemost of car-warr iors engaged in battle . Then that slayer of hos til e
heroes Samy aman i . exc it ed wi th wrath . st ruck Pr i shata's son with th ree
shafts l ike the conducto r of a n elephant st r iking a m ighty e leph ant
with hooks . An d so Salya also . tha t ornament of assembl i e s . exci ted
with w ra th . s truck the heroic son of Pri shata on h is breast . An d then
commenced (another) ba ttle
SECTION L XII
Dhri tarashtra sa id . —I re gard dest iny to be super ior to exer tion . O
San jaya . inasmuch as the army of my son is cont in ual ly slaught ered by
the army o f the Pandavas . Thou always speakest . O sum. of my troops a s
being slaug hte r ed . and thou always speakest of the Pandavas as bothunslain and cheerful . Indeed . O San jaya . thou speakest o f m ine as
deprived of manl in ess . fe l l e d and fal l ing . and slaughtered . a l though they
are bat tl ing to the bes t of th e ir powers and str iv ing hard for v ictoryThou always speakes t to m e of the Pandavas as obtaining victory and
m ine as becom ing weaker and weaker . 0 ch i ld . I am incessantly hear ingof coun tl ess cause of unbearable and po ignan t gr ie f on accoun t of Duryo
dhama's do ing . I do no t see . 0 Sen jaya . th e means by which the
Pandavas . may be weakened and sons of min e may obta in the v ictory
in battl e .
San jaya sa id . This mighty e v i l hath proce eded from thee . 0 king .
Listen now with pati ence to the grea t sl aughter o f men . elephants . s teedsand car-warrior s . Dhri sh tadyumn a . afflic ted by Sa lya with n ine shaf ts .afflicted in return the ru ler of Madra s w i th many shafts m ade of
st ee l . And then we behe l d the prowess of Pr i shata’
s son to be highly
wonder fu l i nasmuch as he speed i ly checked Salya tha t ornament ofassembl ie s . Th e bat tle between them lasted for only a short space o f
t ime . While a n g ri l y engaged in combat . none behe ld ev en a moment ’ s
rest taken by any of them . Then . 0 k ing . Salya in tha t batt le cut o ffDhrishtadyumn a
's bow wi th a broad-headed shaf t of sharp edge and
excel lent temper . And he a l so covered h im . 0 Bhara ta . with} shower
of arrows l ike ra in charged cloud s pour ing th e i r drops on the mounta in
breast dur ing the season of ra ins . An d wh ile Dhr ishtady um n a wasbein g t hus affl ic ted . Ab h im an y u . excited with wrath . rush ed impetuou sly towards the car of th e ruler of th e Madras . Then the wrathfu lson of Krishna . of immeasurable soul . obta in ing th e car of the ruler ofthe Mad ras ( wi ih i n shooting d is tance p ie rced Artayan i wi th threesharp shaf ts . 1 Then the
.
wa rr‘
io rs of thy army . O king . desirous ofopposing t he son o f Ar juna l n bat tle . sp eed il y surrounded the car ofthe rul er of Madra s . And Duryodhana . and Vikarna . and Du ssasan a ,
1 Salya i s called Ar tayan i af te r the nam e of h is fa th er .- T.
l 7a MAHABHARA'I‘A
and Viv i n sati and Durm arshan a . a nd Dussa l a . and Chi trasen a . an d
Durmukha .and Sa tyabrata . blessed be thou . and Pu rum i tra . O Bharata .
— the s e.protect ing th e ca r of th e rule r of t he Madra s . stat ioned
themselve s there . Then Bh im ase n a .
'
exci ted w ith wra th . and
Dhrishtadyum n a of Pr i sha ta's race . and the five sons of Draupadi .
and Abh im an yu .and th e twi n sons o f Ma dr i a nd Pandu .
t hese ten opposed thos e ten wa rrio rs of the Dhr itarashtra army
shoot ing. 0 king . d iv erse k i nds o f weapon s . And they approached
and encoun tered one ano ther in batt l e d es i rou s of slay ing one anothe r .
i n consequence.O king . of thy wicked po l icy . An d when those ten
car-warriors . exci ted wi th wrath . engaged with the ten othe rs i n tha t
awful ba ttl e . the oth er car-warr io r s of both thy army and of th e foe
al l stood as specta tors . And those migh ty ca r-warr iors . shooting d iv e rse
kinds of weapons and roar ing a t one ano t her . smote on e ano th er fie rce ly .
With wrath engendered in thei r breast s . d es i rous of sl ay in g one another.
th ey uttered fierce shouts , chal l en g ing one anoth er . An d j ealous of on e
another . 0 kin g . t hose k insfo lk uni ted to gether . enco unte red one
ano ther wrathfully . shoo t ing m ighty weapons . An d wonderful to say .
Duryodhana . excit ed wi th ra ge . pierce d Dhri sh tadyumn a i n tha t battl e
with four sharp shaf ts . An d Du rm arshan a pierced h im wit h twenty .and Ch i trasen a with fiv e . an d Du rm ukha with nine . and Bussaba wi t h
seven . and Viv in sat i with fiv e . an d Du ssasan a w i th th re e sh afts .
Then . 0 gr eat king . that scorche r of foe s . vi z P r ish ata’
s son . pi erced
each of them in r etu rn with five and twen ty shafts . di splay ing h i s l i gh t
ness o f hand . An d Ab h iman yu . O Bharata . pierced Satyavrata and
Purum i tra each with t en sh aft s . Then the son of Madri . those del ighte rs
of the i r mother . covered the i r uncl e w i th showers o f shar p arrows.
And al l th i s seemed wonderful . Then . 0 monarch . Salya cov e redh is nephews . those two foremost of ca r-warriors d es irous of counterac t ing their uncl e
’
s feats . w ith arrows . bu t the sons of Madr i wavered
not . Then the migh ty Bh imasen a . the son of Pandu ; behold ing Du ryo
dh ana and desirous of end i n g t he str ife . took up h i s mace . And
beholding th e m ighty-arm ed Bh im asen a wi th upra ised mace and looking
l ike the cres ted Ka ila sa mount . thy sons fled away in ter ror . Duryo
dhana . however . excit ed wit h w ra th . urged the Magadha d iv ision con
s ist ing of te n thousand elephants o f grea t act iv i ty . Accompanied by
th at elephant divis ion and placing the rule r of Magadh a befor e h im ,
king Duryodhana adv anced toward s Bhim asen a . Behold in g tha t e lephant
d iv ision adv ancing towa rds h im . Vr ikodara . mace in han d. jumped down
from h i s car . utt er in g a loud roar l 1ke tha t of a l ion . An d armed w ith
that m ighty mace which was endued with g rea t we ig ht an d streng th ofadaman t . h e rushed toward s tha t e le phan t d iv is ion
.l ike the Destroyer
h imself w it h wide open mouth . And the m ighty-armed Bhimasen a
MAHABHARATA
c rushed by the an gry Bh ima . sudd enly fl ed away . a ff l icted. crush ing thyown ranks . An d th ese m ighty bowmen and car-warr iors . headed by
Subhadra’
s son (a ll th e whil e) pro tected tha t batt l ing h ero whir l ing h isgory mace l wet with the blood of elephan ts . l ike the cele st ia ls protect ing
the wield er of the thunde r-bo lt . Of t e r r ible soul . Bh im asen a th en
looked like the Des troyer himsel f . Indeed . O Bha ra ta . putt in g for t h h iss t rength on all s i des . mace in arms . we be held Bh imasen a th en to
re semble Sankara h imself dancing (a t the end of th e r aga and his
fierce . heavy . and sound in g mace to resemble the club of Yama and
posse ssed of the sound o f I nd ra’
s bol t . And t h a t gory mace of hi s.smeared with marrow and hai r . rese mbl ed also the angry R udra
’
s
P i n aka while he i s e ngaged in d estroy ing all crea ture s . As a herdsman
chast ises his he rd of ca t tl e wi th a goad . so d id Bh ima sm it e th at e lephant
d iv ision with tha t mace o f his . An d wh ile thus slaugh tered by Bhima
with his mace and w it h shafts (by t hose tha t protec ted h is rea r) . the
e l ephan ts ran on a ll s ide s . crush ing the car s of t hy own arm y . Then
dr iv ing away tho see lephants f rom the fi eld l ike a mighty wind dr iv i ngaway masses of clouds . Bhim a s tood there l ike wielde r of the tr iden t on
a crematori um .
SECTION L XIII
San jaya sa id .”When that el eph a nt d i v is ion was ex term inat ed . thy
son Duryodhana urged h is entir e army . comman di n g the warrior s to slay
Bhimasen a . Then the ent i re a rm y a t th e command of thy so n . rushed
towards Bh imasen a who was utte r ing fie rce shouts . Tha t vast and
unl im ited ho s t d ifi cu l t of be i n g born e by t h e very gods . incapable of
being crossed l ike the surging sea on the day of ful l moon or n ew moon .
abound ing wit h cars . elephants , and s te ed s . re sound ing with the blar e ofcouch es and the beat o f drums . numbe r ing un to ld foot-sold ier s and car
warriors. and shrouded by the dust ra i sed tha t v ery sea o f hostile
troops incapable o f be in g agi ta ted . t h us com ing towards h im . Bh imasen a
checked in bat t le . 0 k i n g . l ike t h e bank r es isting the ocean . Tha t feat.
O kin g . wh ich we beheld . of Bh imase n a th e high-souled son of Panduu
was exceed ing ly wonder ful and sup er human . Wi th h is ma ce . he fearlessly checked al l those kin g s an gri ly rushing towards h im . wi th theirsteeds and cars. and e lephan ts . Checkin g that vast fo rce
that foremost of m ighty men . Bh ima . stood in tha t fierce me lee . im
able as th e mounta in Meru . An d i n tha t dread ful . fierce . and te
encounte r h is brother and son s an d Dh ri shtady um n a of Pr i shata’
s
and th e . sons of Draupadi and Ab h iman y u . and the u n vanqu
S ikhan di n—these m ighty warr iors .—did not abandon h im fromTaking up h is
1 Gory m ace wetwith &o. the orig ina l i s pl eonastic—T.
BHISHMA PARVA 1 75
towards the warriors of thy army l ike th e Destroyer h imse lf . armed
with his club . An d pre ssi ng c rowds o f car s and crowd s of horsemen
down in to the earth . Bh ima wandered over the fie ld l ike the fire at the
end of the Yugo . An d Pan du’
s son of infin i te prowess crush in g crowds
of cars with the impetus of h is th ig h s and slay i ng thy warr iors in bat t l e .wandered l ike the Destroyer h imse l f a t th e end of the Yugo . And he
began to g r ind thy troops w ith th e grea test ease l ike an e lephan t crush
ing a forest Of reeds . And dragg ing car-warriors down from thei r cars .
and warrio rs fig h t in g from the backs of heroe s . and foo t sold ier s as
they stood on the ground . i n th e a rmy of thy son . th e m igh ty-armed
Bhimasen a slew them al l w ith his mace like the wi nd crushing tree s by
i ts force . An d tha t mace of h is . slay in g elephants a nd s te eds . becam e
sm eared wi th fa t . marrow . fl esh . and blood , and looked exceed ingly
terr ible . An d with the bod ies of sla in m en and cava l ry lying scat teredabout . t h e field of batt le wore the appearance of t he abode of Yama .
And t h e t er r ible and slau gh t ering mace of Bh imasen a . r esembling the
fierce bludgeon of Dea t h and endued wi th the efi u l gence of Ind ra’
s bol t .
looked like Pi n aka of th e angry R udra while destroy in g l iving creatu res .Indeed . tha t mace of th e h igh-soul ed son of Kunti . who was slay ing all
around . looked fiercely respl ende nt l ike the bludgeon o f the Destroy er
himsel f a t the t ime o f the universal d isso lu tion . And beholding h im
thus routing that large’
arm y repea ted ly and advancing l ike Death’
s se lf.
al l the warr iors became chee r l ess . W i th e rsover t h e son o f Pandu.
ra ising his mace . cast h is e ye s . i n consequence of h i s look alon e . 0Bharata . al l the troops ther e seemed to m elt away . Beho lding Vrikoda raof ter r ible deeds . t hus rou tin g th e army and unv anquished by even so
large a force and devouring th e (host i l e) di v i sion like the De stroy er
him sel f with wide-ope n mouth . Bh imasen a spe edily came towards h im .
on h i s car of solar efi u lgence and ratt l e loud as that of th e clouds.
(shroud ing the we lkin) wi th hi s a rrowy showers l ike a vapoury canopycharged with ra i n . Then the migh ty-armed Bh imasen a . beholdin g
Bh ishm a thus advanc ing l ike th e Dest roy er h imself with wide-openmouth . rushed towards h im . exc i t ed with wrath . At that moment . t hat
foremost hero of S i n i’
s race vi z Satyak i of sure a im . fe ll upon the grand
sire. slay ing hi s enemies (along the way ) wi th h i s firm bow and caus in g
thy son’
s army to tremble . And al l the combatants who belonged to thyarmy were then . 0 Bha ra ta . unabl e to im pede the progress of tha t h ero
t hus‘
advancin g with hi s ste eds of si lv ery hue and scatter i n g h is sharpshaf ts furn i shed w ith hand som e win g s . At that t ime the R abahaaa
Alamvusha only succeed ed in pierc ing him wi th ten shaf ts . But
pierc ing Alamv usha i n return with four shaf ts . the grandson of Sin i
proceeded on his car . Beholdin g tha t hero of Vr i shn i’
s race thus advan
cing and ro l l ing (as i t were) through the very midst of h i s enem ies . and
1 76 MAHABHARATA
checking (as he proceeded) the foremost of Kuru warr iors . a nd repeatedly ut tering loud shouts i n tha t bat tl e . t hy warr iors then l ike masses
of clouds pourin g ra in in to r rents on th e mounta in breast . showe redthe ir arrowy down-pours on h im . Th ey were howev er . i ncapable of
impeding t h e progress o f tha t hero who looked l ike the noon-day sun i nhis g lory . An d there was non e who was not th en cheer less . saveSomadatta
’
s son . O kin g . An d Bh u ri sravas . the son of Somadatta .O
Bharata . behold ing th e ca r-warriors o f h is own s id e driven away .rushed agains t Seryak i f rom des ir e o f bat tle . takin g up h is bow of fierce
impe tus .
SECTION L XIV
San jaya sa id . Then . O k ing . Bhu ri sravas. excited w i th grea t wrath .pierced Se ryaki w i th n ine arrows l ike th e conducto r o f an elephant
pierc in g an e l eph an t with the i ron hook . Saty ak i a lso . of imm easurable
soul . in t he very s ight o f a l l th e t roo ps. pie rced th e Kaurava warr ior
wi th n ine sha f ts . Then k in g Duryodhana . accom pa in ed by his uter ine
brothers. surrounded Som adatta’
s son thus str iv ing in ba t t l e . Sim ilary
the Pandav as also. of grea t energy . quickly surround ing Satyak i i n that
ba t t l e . took up th e ir pos i t ion s around h im . And Bh imasen a . exc ited w ith
wra th . and wi th mace upra ised . O Bharata . encoun ter ed a l l thy son s
headed by Duryodhana . W i th many thousands o f cars . and exci ted w ithwrath and vindict iveness . th y son Na ndaka pierced Bh im asen a of grea t
mi ght w i th ke en-edged and shar p-po in ted shafts whetted on s tone andwinged wi th the feath er s of t h e Iran ian bird . Then Duryodhana . O king .i n that g rea t bat tle . exc i t ed w i t h wrath . struck Bh imasen a i n th e breast
wi th nin e shaf t s . Then the m ighty c arm ed Bhima of g re a t st r engt h moun
ted ou h is own excell en t car and add ress in g (h is char io tee r) V i sok a . said .’
These heroic and m ighty sons of Dhr itarashtra . al l g rea t car-warr1o rs.
a re exceedingly ang ry wi t h me and desirous of s lay ing me in batt l e . Iw i ll slay all these today in thy sig ht. w ithout doubt . The refore . O
char io tee r . guide my steed in batt l e wi th care .’
Having said th is . 0
monarch . Pri th a’
s son p ierced thy son wi th sharp-poin t ed a rrows decked
wi th gold . And he p i erced Nandeke i n re turn with thre e arrows
between his two brea s t s . Then Duryodhana hav ing pi erced th e mighty
Bhima with six arrows p ie rced Vi soka in ret urn with th ree othe r sharp
arrows . An d Duryodhana . 0 kin g . as i f sm il ing the wh il e . with three
ot he r sharp arrows cut o ff a t t he g rasp t h e resplendent how of Bhima
i n that battle . Bhima then . t hat bul l among men . beholdin g his
char iotee r V isoka afflic ted . i n tha t confl ict . w i th sharp shafts by thy son
armed wi th th e bow . and unable to bear i t . d rew another excellen t how,
1 The la st ver se i s'a triplet a lthoug h th e Arya m ea sure does n ot admitof
a triplet. Th e fact 1s . 1 t should real ly b e counted as a sloka an d a half- T.
h
178
hero ic car-warr iors u n i ted togethe r . whatev er th ei r knowl edge o f
weapon s . and whatev er the i r brav e ry . Th ere for e . s’
eize y'
e a l l that”
son
of Pandu’
. Thus addressed . all th e t roops of the Dh r i ta ra shtra army .
Exc itedwith rage . ri l shed toward s Bh im asen a endued wi th g rea t m igh t‘
.
'
And Bhagadatta . 0 king . on his e l ephant o f r en t temples , suddenly rushed
thi ther where Bh im asen a was sta t ione d . An d thi ther to the combat . he
shrouded Bh ima w i th h i s shaf ts whe t ted on stone so as to make h im
comp letely inv is ibl e . l ike t he clouds cover ing the sun . Those m ighty
car-warrio r s . however . (of the Pandava army ) . rely ing on the prowess
bf the ir'
ovVn -arms . could not be a r tha t shroud ing o f Bh ima wi th th e
afrowy a
'
showers of Bhagadatta ) . They . therefore . surroundin g Bhagadatta
on al l sides . poured on h im the ir a r rowy down-pours And th ey pierced
h is elephant al so w i th showers of shaf ts . An d s t ruck by al l t hose
mighty car-warr ior s w ith showers o f fierce shaf ts of dive rse kind s tha t
elephant. 0 king . of the rule r of the Prag-yo tish as wi th blood trickl ing
down h is dody . became beautiful to behold on the field of battle l ike a
mass of elouds t in ged wi t h the rays o f the su n . An d tha t elephan t with
temporal j uice tr ickl in g 'down'
urged by Bhagadatta . l ike th e Destroyer .
ran'
wi th double h is fo rmer speed . sh aki n g th e very eart h with h is tread .
Then all those migh ty cav warriors . beho ld ing tha t t er r ible m i en of th e
a nimal . and regard ing i t i r r es i st i ble . became cheerl ess . Then k ing
Bhagadattafthat t ige r amon g men . exc ited w i th rage . s truck Bhimasen abetween h is two breasts w i t h a stra ight sha f t . Deeply pie rced by th e king
with that shaf t . that grea t bowman and mighty car-warr ior . with l imbsdepr ived of sensa tion in consequence of a swoon . sa t down on h is car .ho ldi n g his flags taff . And beho lding those m ighty car-warr io rs ter r ifi ed
and Bh imasen a i n a swoon . Bhagadatta of grea t prowess u tt ered a loud
roar . Then . 0 king . tha t”
t e rr ibl e R akshasa Ghato tkacha . behold ing
Bh ima in that sta te . bec ame excited wi th ra ge an d'
there an d then
d i sappeared fromth e vi ew . An d crea t in g a terr ibl e‘
i l lusion enhancing
the . fea rs of the t i mid . he rea ppeared in a mom en t assum ing a fierce
form . .Him self r id ing on an Ai rav ata created by his powers of i l lusion.t h e other D i k el ephan ts. vi z .
. Anj ana . .Vamans . and Mahapadma of
blazing g lory . fp l lowed him . . An d those thre e migh ty elephants . r idden
by R akchaaas . were of huge fo rm . with ju ice profusely t r ickl in g down in
three l ines . and endued with grea t speed and prowess . Then Gha to tka
cha'
urged his own elephant to bat t l e . desirous . O chast ise r o f}foes . of
slay in g Bhagadatta Wi th his eleph ant . An d th ose othe r elephants . exc i t edwith fury and each endued with four tusks , urged by RW MGM of g rea t
st ren g th . f e ll'
f rom a l l s ides upon Bhagadatta’
s e lephan t and afi l i c ted
him w ith t he ir tutks. And the e lephant of Bhagadatta . th us aff l ic ted bythose el ephan t s . a lready s truck w i t h arrows and feel ing grea t pai n .u tte red loud cr i es that resembled the thunder of Indra . And hear ing
Bureau s PAB‘
VA 1 79
those terrible and loud cr ie s o f tha t roa ring el e phan t . Bh i shma . add ress
ing Dro na. Su yodh an a and all the kin g s . sa id.’
The mi ghty bowman
Bhagadatta i s b a t tl ing wi th the wicked-soul ed son of Hidimva . and b ath
fal len in to grea t d is tress . Tha t R akshasa i s of huge form . and the kin g
also i s ve ry wrathful . E ngaged in ba ttle . they wouldcertai nly prov e eachother
’
s d ea th . L o ud shou ts were a lso heard of th e rejo ic ing Pandavas .and the cr ie s o f agony of terr ified elephan t. Bl essed
’
b e y e . l et us all ga thers fo r r escui ng the kin g . for. i f l e f t u n progectedq i nba ttle . he wil l soon g iv e upJ hi s l i fe . Ye warr iors of grea t energy . do .
as I bid . even now .
‘
Ye sin less ones . make no d elay . The combat
deepens and becometh fierce . making the h a ir to stand on end . That
commande r o f a d i v ision is h igh-.born . endued with great brav ery . and
devoted to us . Ye war r iors of unfad in g glo ry . i t i s mee t th at hi s rescueshould be
‘
efi ec ted by us .’
Hear i ng these wo rd s of Bhi shm a . all the
kings ( of the Kuru'
arm y headed 'b y Bharadwaja’
s son. desi rous o f
re scuing Bhagadatta . procee ded w ith grea t speed to wher e the ru ler of
t he PragZIy o tishas was . An d behold ing the enemy advan cin g . the
Pan chalas wi th the Panda'
vas . h eaded by’
Yudhi shth i ra . pursued them
beh ind . Then that prince o f “R akshaaas endued wi th grea t p rowess .
beholding that div ision of t he enemy adv an lce . uttered a fierce roa r .deep as that of thunder . Hear ing t hat
”
roar o f h is and beholdi ng t hose
battl ing el ephants . San tan u’
s so n
'
Bh i shm a once aga in.
a ddr essed Bhara‘dwaja
’
s'
son‘
an d sa id .’
I do no t l ike t o fight ('
to-day with? the wicked .
soul ed son of H id imva . Endued wi th grea t m ight and energy .
'
he is a t
p resent wel l-supported . He i s incapable“
of be in g vanq u i shed'
now b y
t he w ielde r of the thunder-bol t h'
imself . O f Suren ess of a im . h e fisfagreat smi te r . As r ega rds ourse lv es . our an imal s a re t i red ( today) . We
have also been g rea tly mangl ed by Pan cha l as an d 'i the Pandavas; I
do not l ik e fre sh encounte r w ith the v ictor ious L e t the
withdrawal of our a rmy . therefore . be procla imed 'today . Tomorrow’
We wil l fight with th e foe .’
Hear in g t hese words of . the'
g randsire'
; the
Kaur av as . affl icted with the f ear of Ghato tkacha . and avai l ing ; o f; the
advent of n igh t as a pre text . gladly d id what th e grand s ire sa id. And
after the Kauravas h ad w ithdrawn . t he Pandavas . crowned wi th v ictoryutt'ered leonine roar s
’
. m in gl in g them with the blare of couches and the
note s’
o i pipes . Thus d id t he bat tl e take place tha t 'day .‘
0 Bhara ta .
between the Kurus and th e Pand avas headed by Ghato tkacha And the
Kaufavas"
a l so .vanquished by the Pandava s and overcome wi th shame .
eretired to the i r own t ent s when n ight came .'
An d those m igh ty .car
‘warriors.th e son s o f Pandu . the ir bodie s mangled wi th sha fts and t hem
sel ves fi lled with ( th e resul t of ) the battle . proce ed ed . 0 k in g . towardsthe ir encampment .wi t h Bh imasen a and Ghato tkacha. O monarch . at
.thei r head ‘
An d fil l ed w ith grea t joy . 0 k ing . they w orsh ipped those
MAHABHAR ATA
heroes . An d they uttered div er se kinds o f shouts wh ich were ming l ed.wi th the notes of t rumpets . And t hose h igh-soul ed wa rr iors shouted
makin g th e very ear th trem b l e therew i th , and gr inding as i t were . 0s ire . th e h eart s of t h y sons . An d i t was thus t ha t those cha st isers o f
foes . when n ight came . proceeded towards th ei r tent s . An d king
Duryodhana . cheerless a t the d ea th of h is brothers . passed some t ime in
thoughtfulness . ov ercom e wi th grie f and tea rs . Then mak ing al l the
arrang ements for h is camp according to the rul es (o f m il i ta ry sc ie nce) .he began to pass the hours i n med i ta t ion . scorch ed w ith gr ie f and affl icto
ed w i th sorrow on accoun t of h is ( slain) b roth ers .
SECTION L XV
Dhr i ta rasht ra sa id .’
Hear ing of t hose feat s of th e sons of Pandu
which are incapable o f being ach ieved by th e gods themselves . my
hear t . 0 Sanjays . i s fi l led wi th fea r and wonde r . Hear ing a lso of t he
humil ia t ion of my son s in e v ery way . grea t hat h been my anxi ety as to
the consequence tha t wi l l ensu e . The words ut te red by Vidure will . no
doubt . consume my hear t . Every thing that h ath happened seem eth
to be due to Dest iny . O San jaya . The combatan ts o f the Pandav aarmy are encoun ter in g and sm it ing those best of warr iors hav ing
Bh i shma for the i r head . those heroe s con versant wi th e v e ry weapon .
What a sce t ic penances hav e been perf ormed by the h ig h-souled andm ighty sons of Pandu . what boon hath they obtai ne d . O son . or what
sc ience is known to them . i n consequence of wh ich . l ik e the stars in th e
firmam en t. they are undergoin g no d im i nu t io n I cannot bea r i t tha t
my army should be repeatedly slaugh tered by the Pandavas . The
d iv ine chast isement . highly se v ere . hath fa llen on me alone . Tel l me
every th ing tru ly . O Sanj ays , abou t that fo r wh ich t he son s of Pandu
have become unslayable an d min e slayabl e . I do no t see the other shoreof th i s (sea of ) dis tress I am like a man desirous o f crossing the vas tly
deep ocean with my two arms alone . I cer ta inly th ink tha t a grea t
calam ity ha th overtaken my sons W i t hout doubt , Bhima w il l s lay a llmy sons . I do not see that h ero who i s abl e to protect my sons in battle .The deat h of my son s in th i s bat tle . 0 Sanjays . is c e r tain . I t b ehoveth
thee . the ref ore . O Sum, to te l l m e . who a sketh thee . everyth ing abo u t
the true caus e of a l l t h ese . Beholdin g his own t roops ret reat ing frombattle . wha t d id Duryodhana do An d wha t old Bh i shma and Drona .
and Kripa . and Suv a l a's so n . and Jay adrath a . and t hat migh ty bowman .
vi z . . Drona’
s son an d V ikarna of gr eat s t ren g th do 7 Wh en also . 0 thouof grea t wisdom . my son s turned back from the fight . wha t O San jaya .
became th e r esolve of those hi gh-souled warr iors
1 The Bengal reading’
paran tapa’
i s a mistake for'kathanchan a.
’—T.
189 MAHABHARATA
(uni ted to ge the r ) cannot bea r y ou r. prowe ss. A doubt has ar isen in my
mind . E xpl ain i t 'to m e .who e n q u i reth‘
o f thee . Who i t . i s , r ely ing o n
whom th e Pandavas a r e vanqui sh in g -U S r epe atedly .
’
r
Bhishma said .’
L i s ten . O kin g . to the word s tha t I w il l speak unto
th ee.O . thon o f Kuru
's r ace . Frequently wer t t h ou addressed/by me to
the same f
efi ect bu t thou d idst not do wha t I sa id . Let peace be madewith t h e Pandavas . O bes t o f the Bhar a tas . I r egard t h is to be bene
fic ia l both to the world and th ee . O lord . E njoy this earth . 0 . kin g .
with .thy brothers and be happy. . gra ti fy in g al l t hy wel l-wishe r s and
delight ing thy kinsfolk . A l thou gh I cr ied myse l f hoars e before th i s .thou d ids t not y et l i sten to me . O. s ire . Thou hadst a lways disregarded
the son s o f Pandu . The effect of al l tha t ha th now over taken thee .
Listen al so . O kin g . from me as I speak of i t . 0 L ord . to the reason whythe Pandava s . whose ach ie v em en ts t ire t h em not . are unslayab l e .
l
There i s not . was not . wil l no t be . t he be i n g in al l t he wor lds who wouldor wi l l be ab le to vanquish the sons o f Pandu who a r e al l pro tec ted byt h e wielder of Sarng a . L i s ten tru ly . O thou. tha t ar t co nv ersant withmorali ty . to that r
an cien t h is tory wh ich was rec i t ed to me by sag es o f
soul s under control . In 'days of yore . a l l the celestia l s and the R i chi e,
un i ted toge ther . .wai ted reveren t ia l ly on t he Grandsi re .upon the
mountains of Gandhamadana . An d th e Lord o f al l creatures . seated,ar
h is ease i n f t h e i r m ids t . beheld an exce l le n t ca r stat ioned . in the
firmam en t. blaz ing wi th efi u l g en ce . Ha v ing ascerta in ed (every th ingabout i t) by med i tation . jo in ing h i s h ands with restra ined .hear t ,
Brahm'
a'
h. with de ligh ted soul . made his sa lutat ions to the hi gh e st Divine
Being . And the R i ah i s and the celest ia l s . behold ing i n th e firmamen t (the
for m thu s ) d isplay ed . a l l s tood up w ith joined hands . the i r eyes fixed
on tha t wonde r of won ders . Worsh ipp ing him duly . Brahm'
a'
. t h e fore
most o f all conv ersant w ith Brahman, the Creator of th e un iv er se .
acqua inted wi th t he hi ghest moral i ty . utt ered t h ese h igh words -Thou
art th e Glory of the U n i v ers e for t hy form . Thou ar t th e Lord of
t he Universe . 0 thou whose p ro tectio n .ex tendeth through th e who le
Univ erse . O thou - that ha th the U n iVerse . fo r thy work . O thou that
hath thy soul und er contro l . Thou art t h e Supr eme M aste r o f the
Univ erse . Thou art rVasudeva . The re fore . I seek refug e in The e that
ar t t he soul of Yoga . and t he h i ghest Divin i ty . V ictory to Thee that
ar t the Supreme God of the Universe . Victory to Thee that a r t . eve remp loyed i n t he good of the worlds . Vic to ry to Thee that a r t the Lord
1 litera l ly , mean s,one wh o i s n ot tired with what
(he
does ; hous e , on e who ea s i ly ach i eve s 'th e h igh e st feats . Wh en applied toK rishna or an y d ivine personage i t means one who does everyth ing by
’a
fiat of h i s will . without b eing dependent on means l ike oj
rdi n ary person s.I t may al so mean one
'
of pure orwhitedeeds —T.
BHISHMA PARVA 183
of Yoga , Thee that ar t all-powerful . Victory t hee that art prior.and subsequent to Yoga , Hav ing the lotus s pring ing f rom thy navel .
an d hav i ng large expansive eye s . v ic tory to The e that ar t Lord of L ordso f th e Un iverse . O L ord o f the Pas t . the Presen t . an d the Future .v i to ry to Thee tha t ar t th e embod iment of gentl en es s . Thee that ar t
the sun
'
o f suns . O tho ii that art the r eceptacl e of untol d attribute s .victo ry to Thee that art the refuge of al l th i n gs . Thou 'art Narayan a ,
thou art : i nca pabl e of being unde rs tood . v ic tory to Thee that art the
wielder of the bow cal led S am ga . V icto ry to Thee tha t a rt endued
with evety"attr ib u te . O thou that hast the U nivers e for thy form . 0
t hou that ar t ever hal e . O L ord ‘ of the U n iverse .'
O thou of m ighty
arms . v ictory to Thee that ar t a lway s r eady for b en efittin g the world s .
O grea t Snake . 0 hug e Boar . O fir s t Cause . O thou of twan y locks .vic to ry to Thee th at art Alm i ghty . O thou of yellow robes . O L ord of
the cardi n a’
l’
an d the subsid iary po ints o f the compass . O thou tha t has t
the Universe fo r thy abode . O thou that art Infin ite . O thou that hast
no decay ; O tho’
u th a t ar t the Man ife st . Ot hou tha t a rt the U nman i
f est . O thou that art'
th e immeasurabl e Space . 0 thou that hasta al l thy
sen ses u nde r con trol . O thou t ha t alway s ach i ev est what is good . 0
thou th at ar t imme asurable . O thou th at a lone knowest thy own nature .’
v ictb ry to Thee th a t ar t d eep . O thou that ar t the g iver o f al l wishes . O
thou that art wi thout end . O thou that ar t known a s Brahma , O thou
that art E te rnal . O thou that ar t the Creator o f a l l crea ture s , O thou
tha t ar t ev er successful . O thou whose acts alway s display wisdom . O
thou t ha t a rt‘
co n versan t with moral ity . O thou that g ives t victory . O
thou o f m'
yste r ious Self . O thou tha t ar t the Soul of a ll Koga . O thou
th at ar t the Cause of every th i n g rthat hath sprung in to exis tence . O
thou tha t '
art th e knowledge of th e s e lves o f al l be ings . O L o rd of the
worlds . victory to th ee tha t art the C reator of a l l be ings . O thou that
hath thyself for thy or i g i n . O -thou that ar t h ighly bl essed . O (thou tha t
art the Destroyer of e v eryth ing . O thou tha t ar t the in spire r of a l l
mental thouhg ts . v ictory to The e th at ar t dear to al l conversant wi th
Brahma .. O thou that art busy in creation and destruc t ion . O con trolle r
of al l w ishes . 0 Supreme L ord . O thou tha t ar t the Cause o f’
Amrita .
O thou that ar t Al l-existent. O thou tha t ar t the firs t that
appear s at the end of the Yuga , O thou that a r t the g iver of vic tory .O Div ine Lor d of the L o rd of a l l cre atures . O thou that ha st the lotus
spr i ng ing from thy nave l . O thou o f mighty s trength . 0 thou that artsprung f rom Thyself . O thou that ar t the g rea t elemen t s in t he ir pr i
meval sta te . O thou that art th e soul of a l l (rel igious) r ites. v ic tory to
Thee that g ives t all . The goddess Ear th repres ents thy two feet . the
cardina l and th e subsid iary d irecti ons thy . arms. and the
head . I am thy formg the cele st ia ls const itute thy l imbs . and theSun .
184' MAHABHARATA
the moon are thy two eyes . Asce t ic auste r i t ies . and Truth born of
moral i ty and ( rel igious r it es . constitut e thy s trength . Fire is thy
energy.the w ind is thy brea th . an d the waters hav e sprung from thy
sweat. The twin s Aswi n s constitu t e thy ears . and the goddess Saras
wat i i s thy ton gue . Th e Veda s are thy Knowledge . and upon thee
restet h this Universe . O lord o f Yoga and Yog i n a, we do not know thy
ex tent.thy measure . t hy ene rgy . t hy prowess . thy might . thy or i gi n : 0
God. 0 Vi shnu . filled with devot ion i n thee . and depending upon thee
with vows and observances . we ev er worsh ip The e as t h e highes t Lord .the God of gods . The R i shi s . th e gods , Gandharv as . the Yukshas . t h eR akshaeaa
, the Pan n agaa, the P i sachas . human bein gs . beasts . bi rds .reptiles . -all these were c rea ted by me on E ar th th rough Thy grace . O
thou hav ing the lotu s spr in gin g from thy n ave l . O thou of large expan
s ive '
ey es. O Krishna . O Dispe ll e r o f a l l woe . Thou ar t the R e fuge of
all creatures . and Thou ar t t he i r Guide . Thou h as t the Un ivers e for
thy mou th . Through thy grace . O Lord of th e gods . th e go ds a re ev er
happy . Through thy grace the E ar th ha th alway s be en fre ed from
terrors . There for e . O thou of la rge ey es . take bi r th in th e race of
Yadu .l For the sake o f establ ishing r ight eousness . for slay ing the
sons of Diti . and for uph old ing the Universe . do what I have sa id . O
Lord . O Vasudeva . that wh ich is thy suprem e myst ery . that. O Lordha th been sung by me through Thy grace . Hav ing created the div ine
Sankarshan a out o f t h y own S el f by Thyse l f . thou didst th en . O Krishna .
create Thysel f as Pradyum n a born of thyse l f . From Pradyumn a thou
d ids t then crea te An i ruddha who i s known as the e ternal Vishnu . An d
i t wa s An iruddha who creat ed me as Brahma . the uphold e r o f t h e
Universe . Created out of Vasudev a’
s e ssence I have . t herefore . been
created by thee . Divid ing Thysel f in to port ions . take bi r th . 0 Lord .
amon g human beings . And sl aughter in g the Amm o there for happ i
ness o f a l l the wor lds . and e s tabl ish in g r igh t eousness . and w inn ing
re nown . Thou wil t aga in truly at ta i n to Yoga , The r egenera t e 3 587158
on Earth and t he gods. O thou of infin i t e prowess . devoted to thee . s in g
of th y wonderous Self under those nam es tha t belong to thee . O thou
of excel le nt arms . all c la sses of creature s re st on thee . having taken
refuge in Thee . thou giv er of boons . The r e gene rate on es s ing Thee
a s th e world’
s br idge . hav ing no beg inning . middle land end . end as
possessed of unl im i ted Yogd .
’
1 Literal ly be a perpe tua tor (son ) of Yadu's race I —T .
1 86 MAHABHARATA
Soul o f t he mobile and th e immobile creat ion . th at on e bearing theauspic ious wheel (on his breas t ) . tha t one o f dazz l ing efi‘u l gence . that
one f rom whose navel ha th sprung the (prim eval) lotus . He who d is
regardeth tha t wearer o f the d i adem and the Kaustuva gem . tha t d is
pelle r of fears o f h is fr iends . t ha t h igh-souled one . si'
nketh i n th ick
da rkness . Hav in g known all these t ruths duly. tha t L ord of t h e worlds .v i z . . Vasudeva . should be a dored by every one . ye best of gods .
’
“
Bh ishma con t inued .—a-Hav ing sa id these wo rds un to those gods and
R ishis in day s of yo re . the i llu str ious G randsire . dism iss ing them al l .
repa i red to hi s own abode . And the gods and th e Gan dharvas , and the
Mum'
s and the Apsaras a l so . hav ing l i s tened to those words spoken by
Brahman . were fi lled wi th del ight and repa i red to h eaven . Even t h i s was
h eard by me . O sire . f rom R ishi s of cul tured soul talk ing i n th eirassembly . of vasud eva . tha t a ncien t one . An d O t hou that art wel l
versed in scr i ptures . I hea rd this f rom R ama . th e so n of Jam adagn i . and
Markandeya of g rea t wisdom . and Vya sa an d Narada a l so . Hav ing
learnt all th is 1 and heard of the i llustr ious Vasudeva as th e Eternal
L ord . the Supreme God of a l l the world s , and the g rea t Maste r . f rom
whom hath sprung Brahman himse lf . the Father of the U niverse . why
should not t ha t Vasud eva be adored and worshi pp ed by men ?Fi rb idden
wert thou before . O sir e . by sage s of cul tur ed souls . (who said un to thee )—Never go to war with that Vasudeva a rmed wi th how a s a l so w it h the
Pandavas—This . f rom folly , t hou cou lds t no t apprehend . I regard thee
therefore . as a wicked R aksha . Thou ar t , bes id es . enveloped in dark
ness . It i s for this that thou hatest Govind a and Dhananjaya t he son of
Pandu . for who e l se among m en would h ate th e d iv in e Nara and
Narayana It i s for this . O k i ng , t ha t I say unto thee that th i s on e is
E terna l and Unfading . pervading the whole Un iverse , U nchang in g . the
R ule r , Creator and Upho lde r of a l l , and th e t ruly Exis t ent . He i t i s
who upholdeth t he thre e wo rld s . He i s the Supreme L ord of al l mobile
and immobile creatu res . a nd He i s t h e gr ea t Ma s ter , He is warr ior .He i s Victo ry , He i s V ic to r , and He is t he L ord of a l l
’
n a tu re . O king .He is full of goodnes s a nd divested of a l l the qual i ti e s of Darkness andPass ion . There . where Kri shna is . th ere r i g hteousn ess i s and there
is victory wher e r igh teousness i s . I t i s by t he Yog a of his SupremeE xce llence . and th e Yog a of hi s Self , tha t t he sons of Pandu . O king .
a re supported . Vic tory . ther efo re , wil l surely be the i rs . He i t is
tha t a lways imparteth to t he Pandavas and understanding endued wi th
r i ghteousness , and stren g th i n battl e ; and He i t i s th a t a lways pro
tecte th them from dan ger . He i s t h e E te rnal God . pe rvad ing allbe ings . and ever bl e ssed . He . of whom thou had s t asked me . i s known
by the nam e of Vasudeva . He i t i s whom Bra hmanas a n d Kshatriyas
1 L i tera l ly . about th is subject . -T .
BHISHMA PARVA
and Va isyas and Sudra s . hav ing dis t i nct ive features of t he ir own .humbly serve and worship with re st ra in ed hearts and perfo rm ing thei r
own duties . He i t i s who . towards the close of th e Dwapara Yugo and
the beg inn in g of the K a l i Yugo , i s sung of w i th San ka rshan a . by belie
vers wi th devotion . It i s tha t Vasudeva that create th . Yugo afte r
Yugo , the worlds of the gods and the mortals . all ci tie s g i r t by t he sea .
and th e reg ion o f human hab i ta t ion .
SECTION LXVII
Duryodhana sa id .“
In al l the worlds Vasudeva i s spoken of as the
Supreme being . I des i r e. O Grands i r e . to know his origin an d g lory .’
“
Bh i shma sa id .'Vasud eva i s the Supreme Be in g . He i s the God o f
all Gods. None super ior to h im of ey es l ike lo tus petals i s to be seen . O
hu l l o f Bharata’
s race . Markandeya speake th of Govinda as the Mos t
Wonderful and the Most high . a s the Al l-being . a s the Al l-soul . as the
Highest soul . and as th e Supreme mal e Be ing . Water. Air. and Fire .these three were cr eated by Him . Tha t Div in e Mast er and L ord o f a l l
t he wo rlds created th i s Earth . That Suprem e Be ing o f i l lust r ious sou l
la id h imself down on the wa ters . An d tha t Div ine Be ing made up of
all k i nds of e ne rgy sle pt thereon in Yoga . From his mouth He created
Fire . and from his breat h . the W i nd . Of unfading g lory . He created
from his mouth Speech and the Vedas . It was thus that he create d fir s t
the Worlds and al so the gods a lon g wit h t h e d iverse c lasses of R i shi s .
An d he crea ted decay and death a lso of al l crea tures . as we l l a s birth
and growth . He i s R ighteousness and of righ teous soul . He i s the giv er
of boons and the giver o f al l (our ) w ishes . He i s th e Actor and Action .and He is h imsel f the Divine Master . l He first m ad e the Past . the
Present.and the Future He is the Creato r of th e U niv er se . He i s o f
i l lustrious sou l He is t h e Mas te r possess ed of unfading g lo ry . He
created San karshan a . the Fi rst-born of a l l cr eatures . He crea ted the
div ine Sesha who i s known a s An an ta and who upholde th a l l crea tures
and the E arth with her mounta in s . Of Supreme Energy . He i t i s whom
th e regenerate ones know by Yoga medi tat ion . Sprung from the
secret ions of h is e ar . th e grea t Aaura known by the name of Madhu .fierce and of fierce d eeds and enter ta in in g a fierce i n te n t and about to
destroy Brahman . was sla in by that Suprem e Be ing . An d . 0 s i te ,in
consequence of Madhu’
s s laughter . the gods . the Da n avas , an d h uman
beings , and R i chi e, ca ll Ian arddan a the slay er o f Madhu . He i s th e great
1 Th e Benga l readin g i s “89. Va i devas .
’
Th e Bomb ay reading i s‘Pu rva
devas .
’—T.
1 88 MAHABHARATA
Boar . He i s th e great L ion . and He i s t h e Three-st epped L ord . l He i s
the Mother and the Father of a l l l iv ing crea tures . There never was.
nor wil l be.any superior to H im of eyes l ike lotus p etal s . From His
mouth He created th e Brahmanas : and'
from H is tvo a rms the
K sha triya s . and from Hi s t h ighs , 0 king . He c reated th e Vaisya s . and
from Hi s fe e t He crea t ed t h e Sudras . One wa i tin g dut i ful ly on H im .
observant of vows with ascetic aus ter i t ie s on days of the ful l moon and
the n ew moon . is sure to obta in th e Div i n e Kesava . that refuge o f al l
embodied crea tures , t h a t essence o f Brahma and of Yoga , Kesav a i s the
h ighest Energy . th e Grandsi r e of al l th e worl ds . H im . O king . the sa ges
cal l Hri shi kesa ( the lord of the senses) . Him a l so should al l know as the
Precep tor.the Father . and t he Mast e r . Inexhaust ible r eg ions of
blessedness) are wo n by h im with whom Kr ishna is grat ified . He also
who . in a place of fear . seeketh the protec ti on of Kesava . and he who
frequen t ly r eade th this d escr i ption . become th happy and endued wi th
every prosper i ty . Those men who a t ta in to Kr i shna a re never beguiled .
Jan arddan a always sa ve th those that a re sunk in g rea t t errors . Knowin g
this t ruly , O Bharata . Yudh ish th i ra . with h i s whol e soul . 0 kin g . hath
sought the shel te r of the hi ghly ble ssed Kesev e . the Lord o f Yoga . andthe L ord of the
'
Earth .
SECTION L XVII I
Bh ishma sai d .“
Hear from me . 0 k ing. t h is hymn th at was utteredby Brahman himsel f . Th i s hymn was i n day s o f old communica ted by
regenerate R i shi s and th e gods to men on Earth—Narada descr ibed
thee a s t he Maste r and the L ord of th e god of gods and al l the Sadhyaa
and the c el est ial s . and as one acquain ted w ith t h e nature o f the Creator
of the worlds . Markandey a spoke of thee a s the Pas t . the Presen t .
an d the Fu ture . and the Sacr ifice of Sacr ifices . and the austeri ty of
aus teri t i es . The i l lustr ious Bhr i g u sa id o f the e tha t thou a r t the God
of the gods . that t hin e is th e anc ien t fo rm of Vi sh nu . Dwa ipayan a
said of the e that t hou ar t Va sudev a of t he Vasus . the establ i she r of
Sakra . and the God of gods and a l l creatures . In day s of old on theoccasion of procrea t ing creature s . th e sa ges spoke of t h e e a s Daksha .the Father of creat ion . An g i ras sa id that thou ar t the creator of all
beings . Dev ala sa id of the e tha t t he unman i f es t Al l is thy body . and
the man ife s t is in thy m ind . and tha t the gods are al l the r esult of thy
1 Th e three-stepped lord . Vi shn u b ecame Vam an a or th e dwarf forrob b ing
.
the Asura Va l i of h i s domi n ion s . Di sgu i sed in th at shape he a skedof Va l i three steps of lan d . Va l i , smilin g at th e l ittlen e s s of wh at wasa sked , gave i t. But wh en th e dwarf expa n ded h i s form an d covered theh eavens an d th e earth with only two steps of h i s , no space could b e foundfor th e th i rd step . Va l i was forthwith se iz ed an d bound as a promi seb reaker, an d sent to reside in the nether reg ions . —T.
MAHABHARATA
0 king , protected the array they had fo rmed (of th e ir t roops) . Then’
thy sire Devav ra ta , 0 grea t k i ng. tha t fo remost of car-warr iors .
proceeded in advance,suppor ted by a large d iv is ion of cars . And others ,
v i z . . car-warr iors , in fantry . el e ph an ts , and cava l ry . al l fol lowed h im ,
each sta t ioned in the place al lotted . An d behold ing th em prepared for
bat tle,th e i l lustr ious sons of Pan du arrayed t h e ir troops in that
inv incible and prince of arrays cal led the Syen a .
1 An d i n the beak of
that a rray shone Bh im asena of gre at s t r en g th . And i n i ts two eyes were
the inv incibl e S ikhan d i n and Dhr i shtadyumn a of Pri shata's race . And
in th e head was the heroic Satyak i of prowess incapable o f be ing baffle d .
An d i n i ts n eck was Arjuna shak ing hi s Gan diva . An d in i ts l ef t wing
was th e h igh-souled and bl essed Dru pada wi th h i s son and support ed by
an akshauh i n i of a ll fo rce s . An d the king o f the Kekay as, ownin g an
akshauhin i , formed t he r igh t w in g (of tha t array ) . An d i n i ts back
were the sons of Draupad i , and Su b hadra's son of g reat prow ess . An d
in i t s tai l was t h e hero ic king Yudh i shth i ra himsel f,of exce l l en t prowess .
supported by his twin brothe rs . Then i n th e batt le ( that ensued) .
Bhima , penetrating the Makara a rray (of the Kaurava s) through i ts
mouth , and approach ing Bh i shma , cove re d him with h i s shafts . Then
i n tha t great batt le . Bh i shma posses sed of great prowess shot hi s mighty
weapons , confound in g th e comba tants of the Pandavas d isposed i n battlear ray . And when th e comba tan ts (o f th e Pand ava a rmy ) wer e t hus
confounded . Dhananj aya , s peedi ly proceed ing . pie rced Bh ishma at
t he v an o f ba t tle with a thousand arrows . And counteract ing , i n
that confl ict . the weapons shot by Bh i shm a, Ar juna stood ready for
th e combat,suppor ted by h is own d iv i sion fill ed w i th ch eerfulness . 2
Then king Duryodhana . tha t foremost of m ighty m en . tha t grea t car-n
warr ior , beholding that t err ibl e carnage of his troops and remembering
the sl aughter of h is b rothe rs (on the pre v ious day ) . came quickly
towards Bharadwaja’
s son , an d address in g him , sa id .‘
O preceptor .O sinl ess one , t hou ar t ev e r my wel l-wisher .—R e ly ing on thee as also on
the gra ndsire Bhi shm a , ourselve s hope to v anquish without doubt the
v ery gods i n batt le , l e t alon e th e sons of Pandu that are dest i tu te of
energy and prowess . Bl essed be t hou , act l n such a way that the
Pandava s may be sla in . Thus add ressed in ba t tl e by thy son . Drona
penetrat ed into the Pandava array in the very si ght of Satyak i . Then
O Bhara ta . Seryaki checked the son of Bharadwaja . and thereupon
ensu ed a bat t l e t h at was fi e rce i n i ts incidents and awful to behold .
Then Bharadwaja’
s son exc i ted with rage and endued with great
prowess . as i f sm il in g the wh i le . pierced the g randson of S in i wi th ten
1 Formed after the shape of th e hawk .-T.
2 Th e Benga l reading i s ‘Yudh i saa dhaya .
’
Th e Bombay reading i s‘
prati samvarya .
' I adept the latter .-T.
BHISHMA PARVA
shafts a t h is sh oulder-join t . An d m asena also . excite d w ith rage .
pierced Bharadwaja's son with many shafts des iro us of protect in g
Satyaki . 0 k ing . from Drona that foremost of al l warr io r s . Then Drona
and Bh i shm a . and Salya also . O sire . exc ited with rage . covered
Bh imasen a . in th a t bat tl e . with the i r shaft s . The r eupon Abh im an yu
excit ed wi th wra th . and the sons of Drau padi . O s i r e . pie rced with the ir
sharp-poin ted sha ft s al l thos e warriors w ith upra ised weapon s . Then
in that fierce batt le . t he grea t bowman S ikh an din rush ed aga in st t hosetwo m ighty warr iors . v iz . . Bh i shma and Drona who . excited w ith
rage . had thus fal le n upon the Pandavas . Firmly gra sp i ng his bow
whose twan g resembled the roa r of the clouds , tha t he ro . shroud ing the
very Sun w it h h is arrows . quick ly cov ered h is antagon i st s therewi th .
The grandsi re of the Bharatas , however . ge t t ing Sikha n d i n before h im .
avoided h im . remember ing the fem in ity of h is sex . Then . 0 king . urged
by thy son , Drona rush ed to battl e . des irous of protecting Bh ishm a i n
tha t stress . S ikhan di n . however . approach in g Drona tha t fo remost of
a l l w ielder s of weapon s . avoided . from fea r . that warr ior resembl ing th eblazing fire tha t appears a t th e end of the
O
Yu ga . Then , O king . thy son
with a large force . des irou s of w inn ing gr'
eat glory . proceeded to protect
Bh i shm a . An d the Pandavas also proceeded . O king . firm ly sett ing
t he ir hearts upon V ictory . a n d t h e bat t l e then that took place b etween
th e combatan ts of bo th armies desi rous of v ic tory and fame . was fie rce
and highly wonderful . resembl ing that ( i n days o f yore be tween the
gods and Dan avas ,
”
SECTION LXX
San j aya sa id . Then Bh i shm a the so n o f San tan u fought fiercely:ldesi rous o f protect ing the sons from th e fe ar of Bh imasen a . An d th e
ba ttl e tha t then took place between the kings of the Kaurav a and the
Pandava a rm ies was awful i n the ext r eme and destructive of greath eroes . An d in th a t general engagem ent . so fierce and terr ible .tremendous wa s th e di n tha t arose . touch ing th e very heavens . And i n
consequence of the shr i ek s of huge elephant s and the ne igh o f steeds andthe blare of conches and bea t of drums . the uproar was deaf en ing .
Fightin g fo r the sak e of v ictory , the m ighty combatan t s endued with
g reat prowess roared at on e ano ther like bull s in a cow-pen . An d head s
cut o ff in that battl e wi th keen-edged shafts . ince ssa ntly fa l l ing . creat ed .0 hu l l of Bhara ta
’
s race . t h e appearance of a stony shower in the we lk in .
Indeed . O hu l l of Bharata’
s race . in numerable were the heads lyin g onthe fi eld of ba ttle . deck ed w ith ear-r in g s and turbans and r esplenden twith ornaments of gold . An d the Earth was covered with l imbs cu t off
wi th broad-headed shafts . with b eads decked wi th ea r-r in gs . and w ith
1 Literal ly . made a fierce battl e . - T.
1 92 MAHABHARATA
arms adorned wi th ornaments . And in a moment th e whole field was
strewn ove r with bod ie s case d in mai l . wi th arms d ecked w ith ornaments .
w ith face s beau t i ful a s the moon and hav ing eye s wi th redd ish corne rs.and with every l imb , O kin g . of e l ep l an ts, steed s and m en . And the
dust ra ised by the warr iors look ed like a thick cloud . and th e br ightimplements o f destruction . l ike flashe s of l ightn ing . And the noise m ade
by the weapons resembled the roa r of t hunder . An d tha t fie rce and
awful passage-ar-arms . O Bhara ta . be tween the Kurus and the Panda vas
caused a ve ry r iver of blood to flow there . An d i n tha t ter r ible . fierce .and awful ba t tl e caus ing the ha ir to s tand on end
,Kshatr iya war r iors
incapable of defeat incessan t ly poured the i r a r rowy showers . An d the
e lephan ts of both thy a rmy and the enemy's . affl ic t ed wi th those arrowy
showers . sh r iek ed a loud and ran h i th er and th i the r in fury .’ An d in
consequence of (the twan g o f ) bows . endued w ith g rea t energy. o f fi erce
and heroic warr ior s exci ted with fury . and of flapp in g o f the i r bow
strings ag a inst the ir l eathern fences . no th ing could be d istinguished . 2
An d all ov er the field which looked l ike a l ake of blood . head le ss t runks
stood up . and the king s bent upon s lay ing the ir fo es . rushe d to bat t le .
And brav e warriors of immeasurable energy and possessed o f arms
re sembl ing stout bludgeons . s lew one a no ther w i th arrows and dar t s and
maces and scim itars . And e lephants . pierced wit h a rrows and depr i v ed
of r ide rs to guide them with hooks . and stee d s des t i tu t e o f r ide rs . wild ly
ran in al l d ire ct ion s . An d many warr iors . 0 bes t o f the Bhara tas,belonging to both thy army and that
‘
of the foe . deep ly pierced with
shafts jumped up and fe ll down . 3 An d in tha t encounter between
Bh ima and Bhi shm a . heaps o f arms and heads . as al so o f bows and mace s
and spiked clubs and hands and thigh s . of legs and ornam ent s and
bracelet s . were se en ly in g ove r t he fie ld . And here a n d there ov er the
field . O king . were seen large bodies of unre tr ea t ing e l ephants and st eeds
and cars . An d the Kshat r iya warr iors . urged on by fate . s l ew one
another with maces . swords . lances . and stra ight shaf ts . And others
e ndued with great heroi sm and accompl i shed in fight , encountered one
another wi th thei r bare arms that res embled s p iked club s made of iron .An d other hero ic wa r r iors of thy army . enga g ed with the combatan t s of
the Pandava host . fought on slay ing one another w it h clenched fis ts and
knees . and slaps and blows O kin g . An d with the fal len and fall ing
wa rr iors and those we l ter ing 1 n a gony on the ground . the fie ld of ba ttl e
1 The last l ine of 1 4 i s read variously .—T.
2 Th e Ben ga l read ing ‘Gooran am ati teja sa'i s what I adopt. Th e
Bombay read ing :Ghor.an am am i tau j asam' involves a useless hyperbole . Of
course, ‘ati tej asa quah fies dh an u sh a in th e next l ine .—T.
3 Th e la st h a lf of th e second l ine of 1 9 i s differently read in th eBengal texts. l adopt the Bombay reading—T.
1 94 MAHABHARATA
king Jayadratha accompan ied by al l th e k in gs and suppor t ed by a l ar geforce of div erse races wi th Dussasan a at the ir head . and four t een
thousand pr incipal horsemen . urged by thy son . surrounded the son of
Suv a la (for support ing h im ) . Then i n tha t bat t le . a l l th e Pandavas .uni ted togeth er . and rid ing on separa te ca r s an d animal s . began . O hu l l
o f Bharata's race . to slaught e r thy troops . l And t he dust ra i sed by
car-warr iors and steed s and foot-sold ie rs . l ooking l ike a mass of clouds .made the field of bat t le exce edingly awful . An d wi th a larg e forc econs isting of e lephants . s teeds a nd car s . and armed w ith lances andbearded dart s and broad-headed sh af ts . Bh i shm a engaged in bat t le with
the d iadem decked (Ar juna) . An d t h e king of Av ant i en gaged with
the ruler of Kas i . and t h e rule r o f the S i n dhus engaged with Bh imasen a .
An d king Yudhi sh th ira with his s ons a nd counsel lor s engaged with
Salya , the famous ch ie f of th e Madra s . And V ikarna engag ed with
Sahade v a . and Ch i trasen a with S ikhandin . An d t he Matsayas. 0 king .engaged w ith Duryodhana . and Saku n i and Drupada an d Cheki tan a .
and that m ighty car-warr ior Saty ak i engaged in ba ttle with the high
souled Drona a ided by h is so n . An d Kripa and Kr i tavarman both
rushed against Dhri shtady u mna . And thus . a l l ov e r th e field . rushin g
bod ie s of ho rses . of e lephants a nd cars . engaged w i th one anoth er 1n
batt le. An d al thoug h the re were n o clouds in the sky . yet fla sh es of
l ightning were seen . And a l l th e poin ts of the compas s were covered
with dust . An d . 0 king . fierce m eteors were seen fal l ing wi th thunder
ing noise . And violen t w inds bl ew a nd a shower o f dus t fe ll from above .An d th e sun . co ve red by th e dust ra i s ed by the troop s . d isappeared in
th e firmam en t. An d al l the warr io rs . covered by tha t dust a nd
battl ing with weapons . we re d epr iv ed o f the ir sense s . An d t h e sound
made by weapons . a l l capabl e of penet ra t in g th rough every armour and
hur led from hero ic arms . became a t r emendous uproar . An d. 0 hu l l
of Bhara t a’
s race . weapons hur led from excellen t arms and possessed of
stel lar brightness . i l lumined the whol e we lkin . An d v arie gated shields
made of bul l's hides a nd embossed wi th gold w ere str ewn . O b u l l of
Bharata’
s race . al l over th e fi eld . An d he ads and l imbs were seen
fal l ing on al l s ides . cut OE with sword s and sc im i ta rs possessed of solar
eff ulgence . An d grea t car-warr iors . the wh eels . axles . and boxe s of
whose cars were broken . fel l down on the ground . t he i r s te eds sla inan d the ir tal l standa rds tumbl ing down .
2 And many car-warr iors
h aving been sla in . their s t eeds . mang l ed w ith weapons . fe l l down asthey ran dragging the cars ( to which th ey were yoked ) . And. in many
1 In the second line of 1 7 . th e Bomb ay text incorrectly reads Arjun amfor Pandavas .
—T.
2.
In the first l ine ot.
32 th e Bengal reading i s Th e correctreading seems to b e (as in th e Bomb ay text)
'Mahadhvajas’ —T .
BHISHMA PARVA
places over the field . exce l len t steeds . affl ict ed wi th arrows . with l imbsmangled . and w it h thei r t races on . ran . d ragging the car-yokes aft er
them . And many car-warrio r s . with thei r char iot eers and s teed s . wer e
seen . O king . to b e crushed by s i ngle elephan ts endued wi th great
strength .
’ An d i n tha t battl e . i n t h e m id st of la rge forces . many
elephan ts . scen ting the odour of the temporal ju ice of their compeers .began to snuff the bre eze rep ea tedly . And the whole field was strewn
with sla in elephants . d epr ived of l i f e by means of broad-headed shafts
and fal l ing down with th e wooden edifices and the guides on their backs .And many el ephants . in the m ids t o f la rge force s crushed . wi t h th e
standards and warr iors on th e i r backs . by huge compeers urged by their
gu ides . fe ll down on the field . An d many car-shaf ts . O king . were seen
to be broken in tha t batt l e by hug e elephants using thei r trunks. each ofwhich resembled the trunk of the pr ince of e lephants (cal led Airavata ) .And many ca r-wa rr io rs a l so . i n that confl ict . t he J a las of whose cars
had been broken . were l ike branches of t rees dragged down by tuskers .se ized by the hair of the i r heads and . thrash ed violently on the ground .we re crushed in to shapel ess masses . An d other huge elephants, dragg
in g cars that we re entangl ed w ith oth er cars . ran in al l d irect ion s
shr ieking loudly . An d those el ephan ts . thus draggin g t hose cars . lookedl ike others of the ir speci es dragging lot us-s talks g row ing in lakes . An d
thus was that v ast field of battl e strewn ove r with cav alry sold iers an dfoot-sold iers and g rea t car-warr iors and standards .
"
SE CTION LXXII
Senjaya sa id . S ikh an di n with V ira ta k in g o f th e Matsyasspeedi ly approached Bhi shma th a t inv incible and migh ty bowman . And
Dhanan j aya encoun tered Drona and Kripa . a nd Vikarna and many othe r
k in g s . brave in ba ttle . al l mi ghty bowmen endued wi th grea t strength . asa lso that m ighty bowman the rul e r of the S in dhus supported by h i sf r iends and k in smen and many king s of th e west and the south al so. 0bull of Bharata
's race . An d Bh imasen a proceeded against tha t m ighty
bowman.vi z . . t hy v ind ict iv e son Duryodhana . and also agains t Dussaha .
And Sahadeva proceed ed a ga inst those inv inc ible warr iors . vi z . ,
‘
Sakun i
and that mighty car-warrior Uluka . those great bowmen . who wer e si te
and son . And that m ighty car-warrior Yudh ishth i ra . deceit ful ly trea ted
by thy son ,proceeded in that bat t l e . O kin g . aga ins t the elephan t
d iv i sion (of th e Kauravas) . An d tha t son of Pandu and Madr i . vi z . , t he
hero ic Nakula capable of wr ing ing tear s from th e foe . engaged in batt l ewith the excel len t car-warr iors of the Tri gartas. An d those invincible
warr iors . vi z Seryaki and Cheki tan a . and the mighty so n o f Sub hadra .
'
1 The la st half of the second l ine of 35 in th e Ben gal text i s vicious. Iadopt the Bombay reading—T.
MAHABHARATA
proceeded against Saly a and t he Ka i keyas. An d -Dhri sh take tu and
the R akshasa Ghato tkacha . both in v inc ibl e i n battle , proceed ed aga inst
the car-d ivi sion of thy sons . An d th a t m igh ty car-warr ior Dhri sh ta
dyumn a . t hat gen eral iss imo of th e Pandava forc e s of immeasurabl e
soul.engaged i n battle. O k ing . wi t h Drona o f fierce ach iev ements . An di t was thus t ha t those hero ic and mi ghty bowmen of thy arm y and the
Pandava s . engaged in batt le , began to s tr ike on e another . An d when the
sun had reached the merid ian and the sky was bril l ian tly i l lum in ed by
h is rays . t h e Kauravas and the Pandavas began to sl ay o n e another .
Then car s . furn ished with standard s from whose tops pennons were
afloa t . va r ie ga ted with gold and cov e red with t ige r-sk in s . looked beaut ifulas they moved on the fi eld of battl e . An d the shout s of warrior s engaged
in battl e from des ire o f v anquish ing one another . became as loud as
l eon in e roars . An d tha t e ncounter wh ich we behel d betwee n the he roic
Sri n jayas and theKurus . was fierce i n th e extrem e and hi ghly wonderful .
An d i n consequence o f the arr ows shot a l l a round . we could no t . 0 king .
distinguish . O chast i ser o f foes . th e firmam en t . th e sun and the cardinal
and the subs id iary po in ts o f the compass . And the splendour . l ike
th a t of the blue lo tus . of d ar ts w i th pol i she d poi nts . of bearded lances
hurl ed (at the foe) . of well-tempered sabres and scim i tar s . of var iega ted
coats of mail and of tge ornaments o n the p ersons o f the warriors ) .i l lumined the we lkin and t h e card inal an d th e subsid i a ry poi nt s w ith i ts
efi u lgen ce . An d t h e fie ld of batt l e i n m any places . 0 king . shone incon sequence of the bodie s o f monarchs whose efi’
u lgen ce resembled that
o f the moon and the sun . An d brav e car-warr iors . t ig ers a mong m en
shone i n that ba t tl e . O king . l ike the p la nets in the firm amen t. An d
Bh ishma . tha t foremost of car-warr iors . excit ed wi th rage . checked the
migh ty Bh imasen a in the ve ry s ight of the troops . An d the impetuou s
shafts shot by Bh ishm a . furn ished with go lden wing s . and whetted onston e . an d rubbed w ith o i l p i erced Bhima in that ba tt le . Then Bhima
sen a endued w ith . grea t s trength hurled at h im , 0 Bhara ta .
'a dar t _of
fi erce impetuous ity tha t resembl ed a wrathful snake . Bu t Bh i shma; i n
that combat cut ofi‘ wi th stra igh t shaf ts tha t dart with staff made of
gold an d. difficu l t of be in g borne . as i t coursed impetuously towards h im.
Amd wi th ano th er broad-headed shaf t . sharp and we ll-tempered . h e cut
0 3 Bh imasen a's bow O Bhara ta . into two part s . Th en . O k ing . in tha t
battl e . Satyak i . com ing quickly towards Bh i shm a . pi erced thy si te with
innumerable keen-edged and sharp-poin ted shafts of fie rce impetuosi ty
sho t f rom his bowst r in g drawn to th e ear . Then Bh i shma . a im ing anexceedingly fierce shaft . fel l ed t h e char io te er of t h e Vrishn i hero from
hi s bo x‘
i n the car . An d when th e char io tee r o f Satyak i’
s car was. thus
sl ain . h is s teeds . O king . bolted away . E ndued w it h the speed of the
tempes t or the m ind . they ran wild over the fie ld. Then cr ies were
1 98 MAHABHARATA
of Bharadwaja . Avoiding the so n of Drona . Ku n ti's son endued with
grea t prowess and hav in g wh i t e st eeds (yoked un to h is car) . began tofigh t. display ing g rea t quickne ss of a rms and causing a grea t ca rnage ofthy troops . Duryodhana th en pierce d tha t gre a t bowman Bhima with
t en shafts winged wi th vulturine fea th e rs . ado rned w i th go ld . and
whetted on s to ne . Thereupon Bh im asen a . excit ed wi th wrath . took up
a tough and well-adorned bow capable of tak ing the l i fe of t h e fo e . an d
a lso ten sharp shaf t s . An d s tead i ly a im ing those sharp-poin t ed shafts of
fierc e energy and impetuous v eloci t y . and drawing t h e bow-str ing to h i s
ear . he deeply pie rced the k ing of t he Kurus i n h is w ide ches t . The r e
upon t he gem hang ing o n h i s breast on thread s of gold . surrounded by
those shafts , looked beaut iful l ike the Sun in the firm am en t surrounded
by the planet s . Thy so n . however . e ndued wit h great ene rgy . t hus struck
by Bh imasen a . could no t bear i t (coolly) , l ik e a snake unable to bear the
sounds of a man's slap . Exci ted w ith wra th and desi rous of protect in g
h is army . he then pie rced Bhim a i n re turn . O kin g . with m any shaft s
whetted on s tone an d endued with go lde n wing s . Thus st rug g ling in
battl e and mang l ing each oth e r fiercely . those two m ighty sons of
t h ine looked l ike a pair of ce les t i a l s .
Tha t t i ger among men and slayer of host i le h eroes . vi z the son o f
Subhadra . pierce d Ch itrasen a wi th many sh arp shaf ts and Purum i tra also
with seven shaft s . An d pierc ing Saty avrata too with seventy shafts . that
hero r esembl ing Ind ra h imse lf i n ba tt l e . began as it wer e to d ance on thefield . and caused us much pain . Ch i trasen a then pi erced h im in re turn
with ten sha fts . and Satyav rata with n ine , and Pu rum i tra with seven .
Then the son of Arj una . t h us p i e rced . whil e ye t cov er ed with blood . cuto ff the larg e and beautiful bow of Ch i trasen a tha t was capable of check
ing foes . An d cut t ing th rough his coa t of ma il he pierced h is ant agon ist's
breast w ith a shaf t . Then the pr inces o f t hy army . a l l heroic and mighty
car-warr iors . excite d w ith wra th a nd uni t ed together in tha t confl ict .
pierced h im w ith sharp arrows . An d Abh iman yu . acqua inted with the
mightiest weapons . smote th em al l with keen shafts . Beholding that
f ea t of h is , thy sons then surrounded the son of Arjuna . who was con
sum i n g th y army in tha t conflic t l ik e a swel l ing fir e o f blaz ing flames
consuming a heap of dry gra ss in summer . And th e son of Sub hadra .
while smit ing thy troops (thus) . seem ed to glow in spl endour . Seeing
that conduct o f his . thy grandson L aksh man a th en . 0 monarch . quickly
fel l upon the son of Subhadra . Thereupon tha t mighty car-wa rr ior Abhimanyu . exci ted wi th wra th . pierced L akshman a graced w i th auspicious
marks . as also his charioteer . wi th six sharp arrows . Bu t L akshman a
al so . O king . pierced Su bhadra’
s son with many keen shaf ts . And that
f eat . 0 kin g . seem ed to be highly wonderfu l . Then that m igh ty car
warrior, vi z . , Abhiman yu . slay ing the four s teeds as also the char io teer
BHISHMA PARVA
of L akshman a with sharp shaf ts . rushed towards the la tter . Thereupo n
L akshman a , that slayer of host ile hero es . stay in g on that car of his
whose ste eds ha d been sla in . and exci t ed wi th wrath . hurl ed a dart
towards the car .o f Subhadra’
s son . Abh im an y u . however. with h is
sharp arrows . cut off tha t i rr es istible dar t of fierce mien . re sembl ing a
snake , and coming impetuously towards him . Then Kr ipa . taking
L akshman a up on h i s own ca r . bore h im away from the confl ict . in thevery sight of a l l t he troops . Th en wh en tha t awful conflic t became
genera l the combatan ts rushed aga inst one anoth er . des i rous of takinganother 8 l ife . And the mighty bowmen of th y army and the grea t car
warr iors of th e Pandava host . prepared to lay down their l i ves in battl e .
slew one another. With ha ir d ishev ell ed , d ivested o f th ei r coats of
mail.depriv ed of t heir cars . and thei r bows broken . the Sr in jayas
fought with th e Kur us wi th th ei r bare arms . Then th e m ighty-armed
Bhi shma . endued wi th g reat st r en gth . and excited with wrath . sl ew with
hi s cel est ia l weapons the troops of the high-souled Pandavas . And the
ear th became cover ed with th e fal len bodies of elephants depr ived ofthe i r guides of men and steeds and car-warr iors and cavalry-sold iers .
”
SECTION LXXIV
Sen j aya sa i d . Then . 0 king . the mighty-a rmed Satyaki i nv incibl e
in bat tle . drawin g in that confl ic t an excel lent bow capable of bear ing a
grea t s tra in shot innumerable wing ed arrows resembling snakes ofv irulen t poison . d isplay ing h is wonderful l i ghtness of hand . An d while
sl ay ing his foes in battl e . so quick ly d id he draw the bow , take out hi s
arrows . fix th em on t h e bowstr ing . and lettin g t hem 0 5 throw them
among the foe . that he then seemed to be a mass of clouds pour
ing a th ick shower of ra in . Beholdin g h im then t hus blazin g up ( l ikea swel l ing fire ) , k ing Duryodhana . O Bhara ta . despatched ten thousand cars a ga inst h im . Bu t that g reat bowman . Saty aki , of prowess inca
pab l e of be ing baffl ed and possessed of gre a t energy . slew with h is celes
t ial weapon s al l those m ighty car-warr iors . Havi ng ach ieved bow inhand , that fierce fea t , that hero th en approached Bhu risravas 1n battl e .
An d Bhurisravas also. tha t enhancer o f th e fame of th e Kurus . beholdin g
the Dhartarash tra ra nk s thu s f elled by Yuyudhan a . rushed in wra th
again st the latter . 1 Draw ing hi s g reat bow wh ich resembled that o f
Indra himse lf in hue . he shot thousands o f shafts . O monarch . lookin g
l ike snakes of v irul ent po ison and possessed of t he strength of the thunder .display ing h is extrem e l i ghtn ess of hand . Thereupon th e combatants
that fol lowed Sa ty aki . unable to hear t hose shaf ts of f at a l touch . fled
1 The pronoun ‘sa
’ in th e first l in e of 8 refers to Yuyudhan a . BurdwanPundits erroneously take it as referring to Duryodhana , b eing misled b yth e words K urun am K i rtivardhan as.
—T.
MAHABHARATA
away.O
’
king . i n a l l direct ions . abandonin g . O monarch . th e inv in cib lgSatyaki in th at conflict . Be hold ing t his . the m igh ty sons o f Yuyudhan a .
al l mighty car-war riors of g reat r e nown . cased in excell en t ma il . bear ing
d iv erse a rms . and possessing excellen t standards . approach in g that great
bowman . v i z .. Bhu r isravas . i n battl e . wrathful ly addre ssed that war r ior
bearing on ‘hi s s tandard the d ev ice o f a sacr ificial s take . and sa id'
these
words .‘
L i sten . O kinsman of the Kauravas . O thou th at ar t possessed
of g reat s tren gth . come . fight in batt le with us . i .e . . with e ithe r a l l of
us jo in tly o r with each o f us separa tely . Vanquish in g u s in battle
thou mays t win grea t renown . o r ourselv es . vanquish ing thee , wil l hav e
grea t gratification .
“ Thus add ressed by them . that mighty hero endued
wi th g reat s trength an d proud o f h is p row ess . tha t foremos t o f men .
beholding them before him . re pl i ed un to them . say i n g .'Ye heroes . ye
hav e sa id well . If such he n o w your wish . fight y e then al l tog eth er
with care . I sha l l slay all of you in bat t l e .’
Thus addressed by h im .
those heroic and m igh ty bowmen endued wi th grea t act iv i ty cov eredthat chastiser o f foes wi th a th ick shower of a r rows. And i t was
towards the a f t ern oon . O kin g . that tha t d readful batt le took‘
place
be tween Bhur i sravas alo n e on one s id e and the m any united toge th e r on
the other . And those te n hero es cov ered t hat s ing le m ighty car-war r io r
with showers of ar rows l ike the c lo uds showering ra i n on a mountai n
cl i E in the sea son of ra in s . That m ighty car-warrio r . however . cut oE .
those clouds o f shaf ts sho t by them resembli ng the fa ta l dar ts of Death
or the very thunder i n eE u l g en ce . be for e they could r each h im .
’ They
th en . surround ing tha t mi g h ty-a rmed war r ior . endeavoured to slay him .
But the son o f Somadatta . exci t ed wi t h rage . cut o ff th e i r bows . O
Bharata . and t hen the i r heads . with sharp sha fts . Thus sla in . they fel l
down . O monarch . l ike migh ty t rees fel l ed by the t hunder . 8 Beh old in g
then hi s m igh ty sons thus sla in i n battl e . the Vri shn i hero (Satyak i ) . O
king . u t te rin g a loud roar . rushed aga in st Bhu r i sravas. And those
m i gh ty war r iors then each pressed hi s car agai nst the oth er . An d each
o f them in that comba t sl ew the other's car-s t eed s . An d bo th d epr ived
of thei r cars . those m ighty warr iors j umped down on the ground . 'An d
bo th taking un large sc imita r s a n d excellen t sh ields encou ntered each
other . An d those ti gers among men . s ta t ion ed for the encoun te r . shone
br igh tly . Then Bh im asen a . O king . quickly coming up to Sa tyaki t hus
armed with an exce llent sc im i ta r . took h im up on h is own car . And thy
t
l T
51
3
6 last half of th e second l i ne of 1 5 i s read di E eren tl y in th e Bombaytex
2 Th e Bombay read ing ‘asan i parab han
'(which I adopt) i s better than the
Ben ga l readin g ‘a san i swan an .
’
for in connection with 'yam adan da
'imm edi
ately preced ing th e latter would b e in con gruous , if n ot unmeanin g .—T.
3 An additio n a l verse occu rs here in con n ection with the s laug hter ofSatyaki
’
s sons. in th e Bombay texts . The Bengal texts omit i t.—T.
MAHABHARATA
supported by a ! large force . An d tha t grea t bowman . the,mighty
S ikhandin . surrounded by th e Somakas. and Iravat . we re sta t ion ed in
the tail of th a t Makam a rray. An d hav ing . O Bharata . fo rmed the i r
g rea t array . th e Pandava s . O monarch . equ ipped in mai l a t dawn .
aga in s tood fo r battle . An d with elephants and steeds and cars andi nfantry. an d w ith standards upra ised and umbrel la s set up . and armed
with bright . whet ted weapon s . they quickly proce eded aga in st the
Kauravas ."Then thy si r e Devav rata , beholdin g the (Pan dava) army
” th‘
u sarrayed. d i sposed h is a rmy . O king . in counter-a rray a fter the form of a
huge crane . And i n i ts beak was Bharadwaja’
s son (Drona) . And
Aswatthaman and Kr ipa . O monarch . fo rm ed i ts two eyes . And tha t
fo r emost of al l bowmen . v iz . . Kri tav arman . un i ted wi th the ruler o f the
Kamvo jas and with the Valh ikas was s tat ioned . O king . i n its h ead .
And in i ts neck . 0 Bhara ta . were Su rasen a . and thy so n Duryodhana .
0 kin g . surrounded by many kings . An d the ruler o f th e Pragyoti shas.
u nited wi th the Madras . the Sauv i ras. and th e K ekay as. and surrounded
by a l arge force . was sta tioned . 0 kin g. i n i ts breas ts . An d Susarman the
king of Prasthal a. accompan i ed by his own t roops . s tood . accoutred in
mai l . i n the l e f t win g . An d th e Tu sharas. th e Yavan as and t h e Sakas .
a lon g wi th the Chu l ikas . stood in the r ight win g . O Bharata . of that
array . An d Sru tayu sb and Sa tay ush and Somadatta’
s son . O sire . we r e
stat ioned in the r ear of tha t array protect in g on e ano ther .“
Then the Pandavas . O king. rush ed aga ins t the Kauravas forba ttl e . The su n . 0 Bharata . had r i se n when th e batt l e comm enced .
And elephan ts p roce ed ed a ga in st e lephan t s . An d horsemen rushed
against horsemen . car-wa rr iors aga inst car-warr iors . 0 kin g . and a gainst
elephan ts a lso . i n tha t dr eadful conflic t . An d car-men rushed aga inst
r iders o f el ephants. and r ide rs of e l ephant s a ga inst horsemen . And ca r
warriors enga ged wi th foot-sold ie rs . an d cavalry with in fantry . An d al l
the war r iors , O kin g . exc i ted w it h wra th . rushed a ga in s t on e anothe r inbat tle . And the Pandava army . pro tected by Bh imasen a an d Arjuna
and the twins . looked beauti ful l ike th e n ig h t decora t ed ' with stars .
An d thy army also . with Bh i shm a and Kripa and Drona and Sa lya and ,
Duryodhana . and oth ers . shone l ike th e firmam en t span gled wi th the
pl anets . An d Bhim asen a the so n of Kun t i . endued wi th grea t prowe ss .behold ing Drona rush ed a ga inst the d iv i s ion o f Bharadwaja
's so n . borne
by h is stee ds of great fleetn ess . Then Drona . exci ted wi th wra th in
that conflict and e ndued w ith great energy . pierced Bh ima wi th n in e
shaftsmade whol ly of i ron . aim ing his v ita l l imbs . Deeply pierced by
Bharadwaja's son i n that confl ic t . Bh ima despatch ed Drona
’
s char iot eer
to th e reg ion of Yama . Thereupon t he so n of Bharadwaja . endued
with grea t prowess . h imself re strain ing h is s teed s . began to consume
BHISHMA PARVA 909;
the Pandava army l ike fire consuming a h eap of co tton . An d while thusslaughtered . O king . by Drona and Bh i shma. th e Sri n j ayas along withthe Kekayas took to fl i gh t . An d so thy troops a l so . mangled by Bhima
and Arjuna . became depr ived of thei r sen ses as they s tood . l ike a
beaut iful female in her prid e . An d in t hat conflic t des t ruc t iv e of heroes
great was the distr ess . O Bha rata . that befel l both thy army and theirs .And we behe ld th e wonderful sight . 0 Bhara ta . of the troo ps fight ing:
with one anothe r regardless of thei r l iv es . 1 An d th e Pandavas and the
Kaurav as . 0 king . i n t ha t confl ic t . fought wi th one ano ther counteracting one another
's weapons .
"
SECTION L XXVI
Dhr itarash tra sa id . Our army is pos se ssed of many excell encie s .consist ing of d iverse fo rces . i ts efi c i en cy i s g rea t. I t i s aga in arrayed
accord ing to the rul e s of sc ience and . t herefore . ought to be ir res ist ible .
I t is attached to us exce edingly . and alway s d evoted to u s . It is sub
miss ive . and free f rom th e faul ts o f drunkenne ss and l icent iousness . Itsprowess had before been test ed . Th e so ld i ers are ne ither very old n orve ry young . They a re neither lean nor corpu l ent . Of active habits .of well-developed and strong frames . they are free from disea se . They
are cased in mail and wel l-equipt w ith arms . They are exercised i n
every kind of weapon s . They are ski lled in encounter s w i th swords.with bare arm s. and with maces . They are wel l exercised i n lances.sabres
.and darts . as also i n i ron clubs . short arrows . j avel ins and mal le ts.
They are d evoted to al l k inds of armed exerc ise s . and are adepts i nmount ing upon and descend ing from the backs o f e lephants . i n moving
forward and stepping back . in smit ing effectua l y . in march in g andre treat ing . Many a t im e hav e th ey been te sted in the management of
elephants and s te ed s an d cars . Hav in g been exam ined duly they havebeen en ter tained on pay . and not for the sake of l in eage . nor from favour
not from relat i onship . nor f rom strength of at tachments. n o r from
connections of b ir th and blood . They are all r espec table and honest .and their kinsmen hav e been well-treated and grat ified by us . owe hav
'
é
done them m any good ofi ces. They are . bes ides . all renowned men
and endued wi th g rea t men tal v igour . O so n . they ar e aga in protectedby many for emos t of men endued w ith great ac tiv i ty . and of famous
ach ievemen ts . resembl ing t h e v ery R e gen ts of the wor ld and renownedove r the whole e ar t h . Innumerable Ksh atr iyas . respected th roughou tthe wor ld . and who
'
hav e o f the ir own will sided us Wi th th eir forces
and fo llowers al so protect t hem . I ndeed . our army is l ike th e vast ocean
fi lled wi th the wate r of innumerabl e r ivers runn in g from all d irect ions.It abounds with elephants . and with ca rs which though desti tute o f
1‘
E kayan gatas l s l i t ." i n tently .
”
-T.
204 MAHABHARATA
wings , ‘ yet r esemble the winged tenants of the a ir . Va st numbers of
combatan ts const itute th e wa ters of that ocean . and the st e eds and othe r
animal s const i tu te i ts terr ibl e waves . Innumerable swords and maces
and darts and arrows and l ances const itu te th e oars (piled on that
ocean ) . Abound ing with s tandard s and ornaments and adorned with
cloth in laid wi th gold and gems . t h e rushing steeds and e lephants
const i tute the winds ag ita tin g i t i nto fu ry . Our host . t h ere fore . r eal lyresembles the vast . shore les s ocean roar ing in rage . And that hos t i s
protected by Drona and Bh i shma and by K i rtavarman and Kripa and
Dussasan a . and others h eade d by Iayadratha . I t i s also protec ted by
Bhagadatta and Vikarna . by Drona's so n . and Suvala
’
s son . and Valhika
and by many oth e r m ighty and h igh-souled heroes of the wor ld . That our
army should ye t be slaughte r ed i n bat tle i s due on ly to pred est in ed fat e .O San jaya . Neither m en n o t highly blessed R i chi e of old ever beh eld
such preparat ions (for batt le ) on earth befo re . That so large an army ,mustered accord ing to sc ienc e . and a ttached (to us) by wea l th . should
yet be slaugh te red i n bat tl e . a las . what can i t be but the resul t of
Dest iny O San jaya . al l t h e se seem to be unnatural . Indeed Vidurahad often sa i d what was both benefic ia l a nd d es irabl e . But my wi cked
son Duryodhana would not accept i t . I bel ieve that h igh-souled and
well-knowing pe rson had foreseen al l tha t i s now happen ing and hencethe counsel he gave . l Or. 0 San jaya . a l l th ese . i n a ll i ts de ta i l s. had been
Dre-arrang ed by Him . fo r t ha t wh ich i s orda ined by th e Creator mus t
happen as orda in ed and cannot be otherwise ."
SECTION LXXVI I
San jaya sa id . Thou has t . 0 king . in consequence of thy own faul t .
been ov ertaken by this calami ty . O hu l l of Bhara ta’
s race . the fau l ts
which thou . O mona rch . hads t s een in that unr igh teous course of
co nduct ( towards t h e Pandavas ) . were not se en by Du ryodhana . I t
was through thy fault . O king . tha t the match a t dice had taken place .
And i t i s through thy faul t th a t th i s ba ttl e hath taken place wi th the
Pandavas . Hav ing comm it ted a sin . do thou . the refore . reap the frui t
o f that s in of t h ine . One reapeth the fru i t o f act s perpe t ra ted by one’
s
own self . Do thou . t herefo re , 0 k ing . r eap th e fru i t o f thy own actsboth here and hereaf t er . There fo re . O monarch . thoug h overtaken
by this calamity . be calm s t i ll . and l is ten . O si te . to the (account of the)battle as I rec ite it .
_“
The heroic Bh imasen a . hav ing with h is sharp shaf ts broken thy
mighty array . t h en came upon all t h e younger bro the rs of Duryodhana .
The mighty Bhima . behold in g Dussa san a and Durv i saha and Dussaha
and Durm ada and Jaya . and Jayasen a and Vika rna and Ch itrasen a and
1 Litera lly . h ence h is thoughts were 39 ,
206 MAHABHARATA
battle .
“What need hav e I today of l i fe i t sel f . i f fo rgett in g my aff ect io nfor the Pandavas . I forsake Bhima in ba ttl e ?'If I return today w i thout
Bhima . what wi ll the Ksh arri y as say of me What wil l t hey say of me
when they wi l l learn tha t whi le I was on th e fie ld . Bhima pene trated
alone i nto t h e hos ti le ar ray making a sin g l e open in g i n i t ? The godswi th Indra a t the i r head v is i t h im wit h ev i l who . fo rsaking hi s com rades
in ba ttle. returneth home unhurt l The mighty Bhima again i s my
friend and kin sman . He i s devoted to me . and I also am devoted to th a tslayer of foes . There fo re . I wil l go th i t her . whither Bhima hath gone .
Behold m e sl ay ing the foe l ike Vasava slay ing the Danavaa‘
, Having
sa id th is . th e heroic Dhri shtady um n a . O Bhara ta . proceed ed through
th e mids t of the foe . along the tracks opened by Bh imasena and
marked by elephan ts cru shed with h is mace . He t hen ob ta ined sigh t o f
Bhimasen a consum ing the hos t i le ranks o r f el l ing Kshat r iya warriors
l ike the tempest devastat ing rows of t rees . An d car-warr iors and
horsemen and foot-sold i e rs and tuskers . while t hus sl au g h ter ed by him .
utte red loud cries of wo e . An d cr ie s of a l l and alas a rose from
thy troops . O sire . wh ile they were slaught ered by the v ic tor ious Bh imaaccomplish ed in al l moods of war fare . Then th e Kaurava warr iors al l
accomplished in arms . surro und ing Vrikodara on a l l s id es . f earle ss ly
poured upon him their arrowy showers a t the same t ime . Then the
migh ty son of Pri shata . behold ing that foremos t o f a ll w ielde rs o f weapons . that celebrated hero . v iz th e son of Pandu . thus attacked on a l l
s ides by fierce ranks of foes i n close array. mangled w i th shafts . tread ingth e field on foot . and vom it in g th e poi son of h is wrath . mace in hand andlookin g l ike the Destroye r him se l f a t th e hour o f th e un iversa l d issolu
t ion . quick ly approached h im and comforted h im by his presence . An dtak in g him upon his ca r . a nd plucking the arrows ofl f rom all h i s l imbs .and embrac ing him warm ly . the high-souled son o f Prishata comforted
Bhim asen a i n the ve ry midst o f the foe . Then thy so n . i n tha t terribl econfl ict . qu ickly coming up to h is brothe rs . sa id un to them .
‘
Th is son of
Drupada of w icked soul . i s now united w i th Bh imasen a . Let us a l l
approach h im toge ther fo r sl ay ing him . Le t no t t he fo e seek our ranks
fo r bat t le Hear ing th ese words . t he Dhartarashtras. thus urged on
by the command of the i r eldest brother and unable to put up wi th the
foe ) . quickly rushed . with upra ised w eapons . for slay ing Dhrishtadyumna
l ike fierce come ts at the hour of the universa l d issolu t ion . Takin g upthe ir beautiful bows . those heroes . makin g the v ery ea rth sh iver w iththe twan g of the ir bowstring and the ra t tle o f the ir car-wheels . showered shaf ts on Dru pada
’
s son .' l ike the clouds cov erin g the mountain
breast wit h torren ts of ra in . But tha t hero conve rsant with a l l modes of
1 Th e second l ine of 28 . I expand a. l ittle for m akin g th e sen se clearer . Aclosely l iteral render ing would scarcel y b e i nte l l ig ib le . —T.
BHISHMA PARVA
warfare . though thus struck with sharp arrows in tha t batt le . d id no t
wave r . On the oth er hand . tha t m igh ty car-warrior . the youth ful son of
Drupada . behold in g those hero ic sons of th ine stay ing before h im inbatt le and exer t ing themselves to t h ei r utmost be ing desirous o f slay in gthem appl ied that fierce wea pon cal le d
.Pramohana and engaged with
thy sons . O king . l ike Indra wi th the Danavas i n ba ttle . Then those
hero ic warr iors were depr ived of t he i r sense s. thei r m inds and s treng thaffl icted b y the P ramohan a weapon . An d the Kauravas fled away in
all d i r ect ions . wi th th e ir steed s and el ephants and cars . behol d ing thosesons o f t h ine depr ived o f the i r senses i n a swoon l ike those whose hourshad come . An d a t that t ime Drona . th e foremost of al l wielders of
weapons . approach ing Dru pada . pi erced him with t hree fierce shaf ts .
An d that‘
mo n arch then . O king . v i z . . Drupada . deeply p ierced by
Drona . l ef t t he battle . O Bhara ta . remembering his form er hosti l i ty (with
Bha radwaja's son ) . Thereupon Dron a endu ed with grea t prowess
hav ing thus vanquished Drupada . blew h is conch . And hear ing the blare
of h i s conch . al l the Somaka s were struck wi th fear . Then Drona .
po sse sse d of g reat energy . that foremost o f all wi elders of weapons . heard
of thy sons be in g depr ived of thei r se nses in batt le w ith the Pramohana
weapon . Then t h e son o f Bharadwaja . desirou s of r escuing the pr inces .speed i ly lef t t hat part of the field wher e he was and proceed ed to the
place where th y son s were . And tha t m igh ty bowman v iz . . Bharadwaja’
s
son of grea t prowess . there behe ld Dhri sh tadyumn a an d Bh ima care er
ing th rough t he fie ld in that d readful confl ict . And that mighty carwarr ior beheld thy sons depr ived of t he i r s ense s . Taking up th en th e
weapon call ed Praj na . he neut ral ise d the P ramohan a weapon (th a t
Dhrishtadyum n a had sho t) . Then thy sons , those mighty car-warr io rs .
when th e ir senses return ed . once more proceeded to battl e with Bhim a
and Prisha ta's son . Then Yudh i shthi ra . addressing his own t roops sa id .
‘Let twelve brave car-warr iors cased in mai l and headed by Subhadra's
son . fol low . to t h e utmost of the ir might . the track of Bhima and
Prishata's son in ba ttle . Let int ell igence be had (of those two warriors) .
My hear t i s v e ry uneasy .
’
Thus orde red by th e k in g . those \ heroespossessed o f gr eat prow ess in battl e and proud of th eir manliness .say ing
‘
Y68.
'al l proceeded forward when the sun had reached th e
merid ian . An d those chast ise rs of foes then . vi z .. the Ka ikeyas and the
sons of Drau padi . and Dhri shtaketu of great prowess . suppor ted by a
large force and with Ab h im an yu at the ir head . and disposing themselves
in the array cal l ed Suchimukha ,
‘ penetrated in to that car-d iv i s ion of the
Dhartarashtras i n battl e . And t hy troops . O king , struck wi th the fear
1 ‘Such im ukh a.’
i s litera l ly "needle-mouth ed ..
I t . i s a. wedge-l i keco lumn with the thi n or pointed an d turn ed towards th e side of th een emy -T.
908 MAHABfiABATA
of Bhimasen a and deprived of thei r senses by Dhri sh tadyum n a , were
unabl e to re sist (th e rush of ) those m ighty bowmen headed by Abhi
manyu . And they were qui te helpless, l ike a lady in the st r eets . And
those m igh ty bowmen wi th s tanda rds va r i ega te d wi th gol d cu t ti n gthrough ( the Kau rava ranks ) . proceeded w ith grea t speed for rescuingDhri shtadyum n a and Vr iko dara . An d the lat te r , beholding those m ig h ty
bowmen headed by Ab h iman yu . becam e fill ed w ith de l ight and co nt ie
n ued to sm ite down thy ranks . An d the hero ic pr inc e of Panchala , v i z . .
the son of Prishata . see in g meanwhi le h is preceptor advanc in g towards
him with great speed . no longer wished to compass the death of t hy sons .
Causing Vr ikodara t hen to be taken up on the ca r of the kin g of the
Ka ikeyas. he rushed i n grea t wrath against Drona accompl ish ed i n
a rrow and a l l weapons . An d tha t s laye r of foes. v iz . . the va l ian t son of
Bharadwaja , exci ted wit h rage . cut o ff with a broad-h eaded shaf t the
how of Pr i shata’
s son who was rush ing towa rd s h im wi th impetuos i ty .
An d remembering th e bread he had eaten of h is master and desirous of
doing good to Duryodhana . h e also sped hundred s o f sh a fts af ter
Pri shata’
s son . Then tha t sl aye r o f ho st il e heroes . v iz . . the son of
Prishata . t aking up ano the r bow . pi erced Drona with seventy shaftswhet te d on s tone and furn i shed wi th wing s o f gold . Then tha t gr inder
of foes . v iz . . Drona . once more cu t o ff h i s bow. and despatched h is four
steeds to Yama's abode w i th fo ur excell en t ar rows . and a lso sl ew his
char ioteer . O Bhara ta . wi th a broad-headed shaft . Then t ha t m ighty
car-warrior o f stron g arms . v iz . . Dhr i sh tadyumn a . quickly d escending
from that car whose s teed s had been sla in . ascended t h e grea t ca r of
Abhim any u . Th en Drona caused the Pandava army consis t ing o f ca rs .elephants , and steeds . to tr embl e . i n the v e ry sigh t o f Bh im asen a and
the i nt el l igen t son of Pri shata . Beho lding then that army thu s broken
by Dron a of immeasurable e ne rgy , a l l th ose migh ty car-warr io rs were
incapable of checking i t s fl igh t . An d tha t a rmy . thus slaughtered by
Drona wi th h i s sharp shafts . began to move in ed d ie s t h ere . l ike the
agi ta ted se a . An d behold ing the ( Pandava ) a rmy i n t hat condit ion . thy
troops were fil led wi th del i gh t . And see ing the preceptor exci ted withra ge and thus consuming the ranks of t he foe . al l t hy war riors . OBharata . se t up loud shou t s and u t ter ed exclama t ion s in p ra i se(o f Drona)
"
SECTION L XXVII I
San jay a sa id . Then kin g Duryodhana . rega in ing his sense s . once
more began to resis t Bh ima with showers of arrows . And on ce more'
t hose mighty car-warr ior s v iz t hy sons. uni ted toge ther . began to fight
val ian tl y with Bh imasen a. An d Bh im asen a also of m igh ty a rm s dur ing
that bat t l e . hav in g got his car . ascended i t and proceeded to the spo t
where thy sons were . And t aking up a st rong a nd v ery tough bow
MAHABHARATA
pie rced'
Abh iman yu wi th five shafts made whol ly of i ron . Abh iman yu“
however . shook no t in th e l east b ut s tood firm like the mou nta in Meru .
Dussasan a i n that ba t tle . 0 s ire . fought w ith the five Kekaya b ro rhers.
Al l these . 0 g rea t king . seemed exceed ingly wonde rful . The son s o f
Draupadi . exci ted wi th ra ge . res is ted Duryodhana i n tha t ba ttle . An d
each of them . 0 king . p ierced thy son with t hree shaf ts . Thy son also .inv in c ibl e in battle . pierced each of the sons of Draupad i . O monarch .wi th sharp shaf ts . An d pi erced by them ( in re turn ) and bathed in
blood.he shone l ike a h i l l wi th r i ll e ts of water mixed wi th red-chalk
(gl id ing down it s breast) . An d th e m ighty Bh i shma also . i n tha t ba t t l e .
O k ing.affl icted the Panda va a rmy l ike a herdsman belabour in g h is
herd . Then. O monarch . th e twan g of Gan diva was heard . of Partha .who was en gaged in s l aughte ring the foe on t he r i gh t of t h e army . An d
i n t hat par t of the field hea dless t runks s tood up by thousands . amongst
the t roops . O Bhara ta . of bo th the Kau ravas and the Pandavas . An d
th e field of ba tt l e resembled a n ocean whose wat er was blood . and whose
edd ies were the sha f t s (s hot by the combatan ts) . An d the e l ephants
const i t uted the i slands of th a t ocean . and th e ste eds i ts wav e s . An d
cars constituted the boats by wh ich brave m en cross ed i t . And manybrave combatan ts . wi th arms cut o ff . d ivested o f armour . an d hideously
mu l ti lated. wer e seen ly ing there l n hundr ed s and thousand s . An d with
the bod ies o f i nfu r i ate e le p hants depr ived of l i f e and ba thed i n blood .
th e fie ld o f battl e . 0 Bharata . looked as if s trewn with h il ls . An d the
wonderful sig h t we saw there . 0 Bhara ta . was that n e ith er in the ir army
nor in thine was a singl e pe rson that wa s unwil l in g to fight . And thus;O monarch . d id thos e bra v e warriors . o f both thy a rmy and the
Pandavas . fight. seekin g g lo ry and des irous of v icro ry .
”
SECTION L XXX
Senj aya sa id . Then when the sun’
a ssum ed a red hue , ki ng Duryor
-f
dhana . desirous of bat tl e . rushed towards Bh ima from des i re of sl ay i n gihim . Behold i n g that hero ic warrior cheri sh i ng d e ep an imosity ( thus )
com ing towards him . Bh imasen a . excited wi th grea t wra th . sa id these
words —‘
Th at hour ha th come which I have de s ir ed for so many years .I wil l sl ay thee to-day if t hou dost no t abandon the battl e . S lay ing thee
I shal l to-day dispe l the sor rows of Kun t i as a lso o f Drau padi and t he
woes th a t were ours during our exi le in the woods. Fil led with pr ide .thou hadst formerly humil ia ted th e sons o f Pandu . Behold , O son of
Gandhar i . the d ire frui t o f tha t s i n ful behaviour . Following the coun
sel s o f Karna as also of Su va l a’
s so n . a n d reck ing the Panda v as l i tt le . thou
1 The Bombay edi tion i ncludes these slokas wi th th e 78 th s ection Inth e Bengal texts they const itu te the 9th sect ion .
—T .
BHISHMA PARVA 21 1
hadst former ly behav ed toward s them as thou hadst h i s ted . Thou hadst
also disregarded Kr ishna who begged th ee for peace With a joyous
hea rt d idst thou despatch Uluka ( to us ) with thy messag es . For a l lthese . I shal l slay thee to-day with al l thy kin sm en . and thus a v enge al l
those offences of th in e of fo rem e r days .’
Hav in g sa id thes e words . Bh ima
bending his bow and stre tch in g i t r epea ted ly . and taking up a number of
terr ible shafts whose efi u lgen ce resembled that o f the ligh tn ing itself . and
fil l ed w ith wra th . quickly sped six and th i rty o f them at Duryodhana .And those shaf ts re sembl ed t h e flames of a blazing fire . ,
an d coursed
straigh t with the fo rce of the thunde r-bol t . An d then he pierced
Duryodhana's bow with two shaf t s . and hi s char iotee r wit h two . An d
with four sha f ts b e despatched Duryodhana’
s (fou r ) s teeds to th e regions
of Yama . And tha t gr inder of foes th en . with two shaf t s shot w ith
grea t force . cut o ff i n that bat tl e t h e k in g's umbrel la from h i s excel len t
car . And with th ree other sha fts h e cut o ff h is handsome and b lazin g
standard . An d hav ing cut i t ofi . he uttered a loud shout in th e very
si ght of thy so n . An d that beautiful standard of the la tter . decked with
d i v erse gems . suddenly fe ll down on the earth fro m his car l ike a flash
of l igh tn ing f rom the clouds . And al l the k ings beheld th at beaut iful
standard of the Kuru king. bear ing the d ev ice o f an elephant . decked
with gems . and bla z i ng l ike the sun . fal l down cut o ff ( by Bhimasen a‘
An d tha t m igh ty car-warr io r . viz . . Bhima . then pierced Duryodhana intha t bat tle . smil in g the wh i le . with ten sh af ts l ik e a guide piercing amigh ty elephan t w i th th efihook . Then th at foremos t of car-warr iors . viz
t h e mighty king of the Si n dhu s . suppor ted by many brave warr iors .placed h im se lf on t h e flank of Duryodhana . An d then tha t grea t car
warr ior . v i z Kripa . O k in g . caused th e vind ict iv e Duryodhana. tha t sonof Kuru’ s race . of immeasurabl e en ergy . to moun t on h is own car .
Then king Duryodhana . deeply p ierced by Bh imasen a and feel ing grea t
pain.sat down on the terrace of t h a t ca r . Then Iayadratha . desirous of
slaying Bh ima . surrounded him on al l s ides with se v era l thousands of
cars. Then . 0 kin g . Dhr i shtaketu and Abhiman yu of great energy . and
th e Kekayas, and th e sons o f Draupadi . all encounter ed thy son‘
s . An d
the h igh-souled Ab h imanyu smo t e them al l . piercing each with five
stra ight shafts r esembl ing the bolts o f heaven or Death’
s selves . shot
from h is excel l ent bow . The reupon . a ll of them . unable ' to bea r i t
(coo l ly) . showered on tha t foremost of car-warriors . v i z . . the son o f
Subhadra .a per fec t down-pour of sharp sha fts l ike ra in-charged c louds
pour ing rain o n the breast of the mountains of Meru Bu t Abhiman yu .
! that inv is ible war r io r accom p l ish ed in a rms . thus affl icted by them inbattl e . caused all th y sons 0 king . to trembl e l ike the wielder o f the
thunder-bolt caus in g t he m 1 ghty Amm o to t remble in th e battl e between
the ce lestia ls and t h e la tter . Then tha t foremost of ca r-warr iors. Q
m MAHABHARATA
Bhara ta .. shot. four te en broad -head ed shaf ts . fie rc e and look in g l ike
snakes of v irul en t poison . a t Vika rna . . Endued wi th g rea t prowess an das i f danc ing in that bat t le . he f el l ed with those shaf ts the standard ofVikarn a from h i s car and sl ew a lso his char iotee r and st eeds . Then
that mighty car-warrio r . the so n of Su bhadra . ag a in sped a t V ikarna
many oth er arrows t hat were wel l-tempered . s t ra ight-go ing . an d capabl eof pene trat ing every armour . An d those ar rows furn i shed with fea thers
of the kanka bird . coming a t Vikarna and passing through h i s body .entered the ear t h . l ike hissi n g s nakes . An d those ar row s . w ith wings
and point s decked w ith gold . bathed in Vikarn a's blood . se emed to vomi t
blood on the earth . Behold in g V ikarna t hus pie rced . h is oth er u ter in e
brothers rushed . in tha t bat tle . aga ins t those car-warr iors h eaded by
Subhadra's son . An d when th ese invinc ib le warr io rs upon th e i r (own )
cars came upon those combatan ts of the Pandav a army resplenden t
l ike so many suns and s tay ing o n the i r cars both began to pie rce o n e
anoth er . And Durm ukha . hav ing pi erced Sru takarm an with five shaf ts.
cut off the la t ter's standard with a s in g l e sh af t and then p ie rced his
char ioteer w ith seven . An d advancing clos er . h e slew w i th hal f a doz en
shafts h is foe's steeds. f le et as the w ind and cased in gold en a rmour .
and then fe l l ed hi s char iot eer . Sru takarm a n . however . s tay ing on t h a t
car o f h is . th e s t eed s o f which had been sla in . hur led in g rea t wrath a
dar t blazing l ike a fierce meteor . Tha t dart . blazin g wi th e ffulgence .passin g through th e renowned Du rmukha
's hard coa t of m ail . penetra t ed
into the ear th . Meanwh il e the m ighty Su taso m a beho ld in g Sru takarman
deprived of h is ca r , caused him to moun t U pon his own ca r i n the very
sigh t of al l t h e troops . The heroic Sru tak i rti rushed against thy son
Iaya tsen a i n that battle . desi rous . O kin g . of slay 1n g t h a t renownedwarr ior . Then thy son Jay atsen a . O k ing . with a sharp arrow hav i ng a
horse-shoe head . sm il ing t he wh ile . cut of f t he ho w of the high-souled
Sru tak irti as th e la tter cam e along st retch in g i t in h is h ands . Then
Satan ika . behold ing his ut eri ne bro ther’
s bow cut o ff . endue d as he was
with grea t valour . quickly came a t tha t spot re peated ly roar ing l ike a
l ion . An d Sa tan ika . drawing h i s bow in t hat batt le w ith grea t force'
.
speedily p ierced Jayatsen a wit h ten sha f ts . and uttered a loud shout
l ike an infuria te e lephan t . And wi th ano ther arrow o f sharp po in t
and capable of pen e tra t in g every armour . Satan ika deeply pierced
Iay atsen a in th e chest . Just-
ar th at t i me . Dushkarn a who was n earg
h is
brother (Jaya tsen a) in furiat e w ith anger . cut o ff Satan ika's b ow and
arrow . Then th e mi ghty Satan ika taking up anothe r excel len t bow cap
able o f bear ing a g reat stra in . a imed many sharp shaft s . An d ad ress
in g Dushkarn a in the presence of h i s bro the r (Jayatsen a ) . say ing
fWai t'.
'Wait
’
.-he sped at him those sharp and blazing shaf ts resembling
so‘
many snakes . And then he speedi ly cut off Dushkarn a’
s
91 4 Manwm m m
pra is ing on e another (for the fears o f the day ) . they were aga in seen clad
in mail . desi rous of bat t le . Then thy son . 0 kin g , overwhelmed withanxie ty and covered wi th blood t r icking down from his wounds
asked the grandsi re , say ing . l'Our troops are fi erce a nd terrible an d
carry innumerable s t andards . They are . aga in . arrayed properl y . Yetthe bra v e and mighty ca r-warr iors of t he Pandavas . having pene tratedinto our array and affl ic ted and slaughtered our troops escaped
unhur t . ’ Confounding us a l l . they h ave won grea t fame in batt le .Bhima aga in . hav ing pen etrated into our Makara array which was s trongas the thund er-bol t . afflic t ed me wi th h is terr ible shafts each resem b l
i ng the rod o f De a th . Behold ing h im excit ed w ith wrath . O king . I was
depr i v ed o f my sense s . E ven now I canno t re ga in my peace of mind .
Through thy grac e . O thou that a rt firm i n truth . I desi re rocht a i n
v ictory and slay the sons of Pandu .
’
Thus add ressed by him . t h e high
soul ed so n of Gan ga . t h a t for emost of a l l wielders o f weapons . endued
with grea t menta l ene rgy . unders tanding that Duryodhana was po ssess
e d by gri e f r epl ied unto h im . laughing t he wh i le though cheerless.saying.
” ‘
Penetra tin g in to ( t he i r) a rmy wit h the utmost exer t ions and
.W i th my whole soul . 0 pri nce . I wish to g ive t h ee v ictory and joy . Fo r
thy sake I do not a t al l dissemble . They tha t have become the al l ies of
the Pandavas in this ba tt l e are fierce and numerous . M ighty car
warriors of great r enown . t hey are exceedin g ly brav e and accompl i shed
in arms . Incapable of be ing fa t igued . t h ey vomit forth their wrath .
Cherishing feel ings o f an imosi ty toward s t hee . and swe l l ing with prow
ess. t h ey a re not capable of be in g defea ted ea s ily . I wi l l . however . 0
‘kin g . contend a ga inst those heroe s wi th my whole soul and throwing
away my v ery l i fe . For thy sake . i n batt le . 0 t hou of g rea t g lory . myl i fe itsel f sha ll today be reckle ssl y expos ed . For thy sake I would con
sum e all the worlds w i th the ce les t ia ls and t h e le t alone thy foes
here . I will . O king . figh t w it h those Pa'
ndavas . and do all that isagreeabl e to thee . Hear in g these words . Duryodhana became inspired
w ith g reat confidence and hi s hea rt was fil l ed w ith de l ight . An d ch‘eer
ful ly h e ordered a l l the t roops . a nd al l the kin gs . i n hi s army say ing .Advance
, An d a t tha t command . O kin g . his a rmy consi st i ng o f ca rs .
1 Th e Bombay reading . wh ich I adopt. i s‘vi sravat
'in th e b eg i n n i n g’
o f
the 2n d l in e . The Benga l read i ng i s ‘vi sramvat
’
, meaning “ from motives ofaff ection ate enqu iry
”
. I t m ay a lso mean " from confidence .”
thoug h n ot inth is con n eoti om—T.
2.
The la st word of 4 i s read differentl y in the Bengal textsg has in stead of . as in th e Bombay ed ition . ‘Ma h arathas .
'—T.
3 ‘Vimana’
th e nominative singular of‘Vaman a s
'refers to Ganga sutas .
The Burdwan Pun d1 ts wron gly trans late i t “ with mind unmoved .
” I amn ot aware of an y oth er reading . the word occuring i n a l l th e texts I haveexami ned—T.
BHISHMA PARVA 21 5
s teeds. foot-sold i ers .‘ and elephant s . began to advan ce . And that l arge
force. O king . a rmed w i th d i v erse kinds of weapons . was exceedin glycheerful . And that a rmy of th ine . O monarch . consis t in g of elephants .
steeds . an d‘
fo o t-sold ier s . on t he fie l d o f bat t l e . looked exceed ingly
b eau ti fi i l . An d hug e tuskers . s ta t ion ed in la rg e bod ie s . and skilful lyurged . looked re splenden t on the field al l a round . An d many royal
combatants accomplished i n dive rse weapons were seen i n the m idst of
thy t roops . An d the dust . r ed as the mo r n 1n g su n . ra ised by those cars
and foot-sold i ers a nd elephan ts and s teeds in large bodies as they-
were
dul y moved ov e r the fie ld . looked beauti ful . shrouding the rays of t he
sun . An d the many .-coloured ban ners s tat io ned on cars and e l ephants .waving in t he a ir and mov ing along the we lk in . looked beautiful l ike
flashes of l ightn ing am id the clouds . An d loud and fierce was t he uproar
made by the twang of the bows s tre tched by the k in g s . re sembling there a t t g f the ocean wh i le churned in th e K ri ta age by the godsand thegrea t Asura s . An d tha t a rmy of thy son s . looking so proud . consist ing
of (comba tants of ) d iverse hues and shapess sho uti n g so fiercely . and
capable of slay ing hos til e warr iors . then looked l ike those masse s o fclouds tha t appear a t th e e nd of th e Yu go .
"
SE CTION L XXXII'Senj aya sa id .
'O ch ief of the Bhara tas . Ganga
’
s son . once more add
ress in g t hy‘
son who was pl unged in t hough t . told h im these del i ghtful
words.‘
Mysel f and Drona and Salya and Kr i tava rm an of Satwata's
race . and Aswa ttham an and Vika rna and Bhagada tta and Suva la's son
and V inda and An uv i n da of Avant i . an dQ
Va l hi ka wi th th e Va lhikas .2
and th e mighty king of t he Trig artas and the inv incibl e ru ler of theMagadhas . Vr i h adva l a t he k in g of the Ko sa las . and Ch i trasen a and
Viv in gsa ti an d many thousands o f car-warr iors graced w ith tal l s tand
ards . a la rge number o f country-born steeds well-mounted with exce l len thorse-sold i ers and many infur ia te e l eph ants of l arg e size with temporalj uice issu in g from the ir mouths and cheek s . and many brave foot-sold iersa rmed with diverse weapons and born in d iverse realms . are al lpreparedto do bat t l e for t hy sake . 8 Th ese . and many others ready for thy sake
to l ay down the ir l ives . are , as I th ink . competen t to vanquish the very
1 The la st ver se i s read variou s ly . But th e Bombay an d th e Ben ga l textshave faults of their own . Th e fir st word i s ‘
u gran adam: (Ben gal) an d n ot‘ug ra n a gam
'(Bom b ay) . Th e
‘Va huvarn arupam'(Bombay) 1 8 correct
, an d n ot‘Vahuvarn arutam
’
(Ben ga l) . Th e l a st word of th e fir st l in e i s ‘Samudirn a
movam an d n ot 'Sam udi rn avarn am'(Ben gal) —
’I‘
2 D ifferently read in the Ben ga l texts , vi z . .
"Som adatta with th e
Sa in dhavasfi
3 Th e Ben ga l reading ‘Batha s 1 n th e first l in e of 6 i s a mistake shouldhe. as i n the Bomb ay text .
‘tatha .—T
MAHABHARATA
gods in battle . I should . however. always te l l thee . 0 king . What is for
thy good . The Pandav as a re incapable of be i n g vanqui s hed by the verygods wi th Vasav a . They hav e Vasudeva for th ei r a l ly and are equal to
Mahendra h imsel f in prowess . As regards mysel f . I sha l l . however .always do thy bidding . Eith er I shal l vanqu ish the Pandavas i n ba t t l e
or they wil l vanquish me . Hav ing sa id these words. the grandsire
gave him an exce l l en t herb of grea t efi cacy fo r hea l ing h is .wounds.
An d therewi th thy so n wa s cured of h i s wounds . Th en a t dawn when
the sky was clea r . the v al ian t Bh ishma . t h a t fo remost o f me n wel l-ver sedi n a l l k inds o f array . him se l f d ispose d h is t roops i n t ha t array cal l ed
Mandala bris t l i ng wit h weapons . An d i t abounded with foremost Qfwarr iors an d with tuskers an d foot-sold iers . An d i t was surrounded on
al l sides wi th many t housands of cars , and with large bodies of horsemenarmed with swo rds and lances . Nea r un to eve ry eleph an t were placed
seven cars . an d-near un to eve ry ca r were placed seven horsemen . An d
behind every horseman wer e pl aced seve n bowmen . and beh ind~ everybowman were seven combatants w ith sh ields . And t hus . 0 king. thy
army . arrayed by mighty car-warr iors . stood for fierce bat t l e . pro tectedby Bh ishma . An d ten thousand horses . and as many ele phant s. and tenthousand cars
. and thy sons . a ll equipt i n mail . v iz th e heroic Ch itrasen a
and othe rs . protect ed the grands i r e . An d i t was seen that Bhi shma
was protect ed by those brave wa rr iors . and those pr i nces themselves o f
great strength . accoutred i n m ail . were ( i n the i r turn) pro tec ted by h im .
An d Du tyodhan a accou tred in mai l sa t upon h is car on the field , and
possessed of every grace. looked resplendent l ike Sakra himsel f in heaven .
Then . 0 Bhara ta . lo ud were the shou ts utte red by thy sonsand deafen ing
th e cla t ter of cars and the uproar of mus ical in strumen ts . Tha t m ightyand impenet rabl e a r ray of those sl ay e r of foes . v iz . . the Dhartarashtras
( i n the fo rrrr call ed ) Manda la . ( t hus ) a r rayed by Bh ishma . began to
proceed . facin g the west . Incapabl e o f being defeated by enemies. i tlooked beauti ful i n eve ry po int . Behold ing then the array called
Ma nda la tha t was exceed ingl y fierce . king Yudhi sh th i ra himself di sposedh is troops in the a rray ca l l ed Vaj ra . An d when th e div i sions we re thusarrayed . car-warr1o rs and hor semen . sta t ioned in the i r proper places.ut te red leonine shouts . Accompan i ed by the ir (respec t ive ) fo rces . thebrav e warr iors of both armies . wel l ve rsed i n sm i ti ng . and long in g fo rbatt l e . proceeded , de s irous of breaking each oth e r
’
s a rray . An d
Bharadwajais son proceeded agains t t h e k ing of the Matsyas. and h is so n(Aswatthaman) agai nst S ikhan di n . And king Duryodhana himsel f
rush ed aga ins t the so n of Pri sha ta . An d Nakula and Sahade v a wen tforth a g ainst t h e k in g o f the Madras . And Vinda and Anuv iada ofAvanti procee de d a ga inst Iravat . An d many kings togethe r battledw ith Dhananjaya . And Bhimasen a . exert ing h i mself wel l , opppggd
‘
thg z
SECTION L XXXIII
Senjaya sa id . And whe n the batt l e was t hus ragin g and after
Susarm an had ceased fighti ng . and th e (other ) heroic warr iors (of the
Kuru army) h ad been rou ted by the h ig h-s oul ed son of Pandu ; a fter .i ndeed
.thy army . resembl i ng the v ery ocean . had become quickl y
a g i ta ted and the so n of Ganga had ‘ speed i ly p roce ede d aga in st th e ca r of
Vij aya , k i ng Duryodhana . behold i n g the prowess of Par tha in battle .quick ly proceeded towards those k i ngs . and addre ss i ng them as a lso thehero ic and m ighty Su sa rm a n s ta t ione d i n t he ir v an . sa i d i n t he i r midst
these words . gladdenin g t h em al l .’
This Bh i shma . the so n of San tan u .
this for emos t one among the Kurus . r eckless o f hi s v ery l i f e . i s desirous
o f fight ing wi th h is whole so u l aga inst Dh ananj aya . Exert ing your best .ye all . un i t ed tog ether . and accompan ied by your t roops . protect in
battl e the g randsir e of Bhar a ta’
s race . who i s proc eedin g aga ins t the host il e army .
’
Say ing . e s.
’
al l tho se d iv is ions . be long ing to those kings .O monarch . proceed ed . fol lowing the g randsire . Then th e mighty
Bhi shma . the so n of San tan u . ( thus rush ing to ba ttle ) . speedi ly cam e
upon Arjuna of Bhara ta’
s race who a lso had been comin g towards h im.
on hi s exceed in g ly resplendent and l arge car unto which were yoked
white steeds a nd upon which wa s set up h is stand ard bear ing the fierce
ape . a nd who se ra ttl e r esembled the deep rol l of the clouds . An d th y
ent ir e army . behold in g the d iadem-decked Dhananjaya . thus com ing to
ba t tle. utt er ed . f rom fea r . many loud exclamat ions . An d behold in gKrishna , re ins in h and . an d lookin g l ike the m id-day sun in splendour ,thy troops could no t gaze at him . And so also th e Pandavas wer e
incapable o f looking at San tanu’
s so n Bhishma of wh i t e s teeds and wh i te
bow and resembl ing th e planet Sukra r i s en in th e firmam en t. And the
latt er was surrounded on all sides by the h igh-souled warr iors of th e
Tr i g ar tas headed by th e ir k in g wit h his bro thers and sons , and by many
other m ighty car-warr iors .“
Meanwh ile . Bharadwaja’
s so n pie rced wi th h is winged arrows t he
king of the Matsyas in ba ttl e . An d i n tha t combat he cut 0 5 the l a tret’ s
standard wi th one sh af t . and h i s bow also with ano the r . Then Vira ta.the commander of a la rge d iv is ion . l ea v ing as ide that b ow thus cut o ff ;quickly took up another tha t was strong and capable of bear in g a great
stra in . And he also took up a number of blazing a r rows tha t resembled
snak es of v irul en t po ison . An d he pierced Drona in re turn wi th three
(of t hese) and hi s (four ) s t eeds with four . An d then h e pierced Drona’
s
standard with one arrow . and h is char io teer w i t h five . And he also
pierced Drona’
s bow with on e arrow . and (a t al l th is) tha t bu l l among
Brahmanas became h ighly an gry . Then Drona slew Vi rara’
s s teeds with
e ight stra ig ht shaf ts . and then his chariotee r , O chief o f the Bharatas.
BHISHMA PARVA
wi th o ne sha ft . His char iot ee r hav ing been sla in . Vi rata jumped downfrom h i s car whose s t eeds a lso had been kil led . An d then tha t foremost
of ca r-warriors spe edily mounted upon the car of h i s son ) Sankha .
Then si re and son . stayin g o n the same ca r . began with great m ight t o
resi st the so n of Bharadwa ja wi t h a th ick shower of arrows . Then the
m igh ty son of Bharadwaja . exc i ted w i th wrath . quickly sho t a t Sankha
in tha t encounte r . an ar row resembl in g a sn ake o f v irulen t poi son . An d
t h at a rrow . pierc ing through Sa nkh a’
s brea st and drink ing h is blood . fe l l
upon th e ear th . wet and smeared with gore . S truck with tha t a rrowof Bharadwaja
’
s son . Sankha speedily fel l down from h i s car. h i s bow and
arrows loosened f rom his g rasp in th e v ery presence of h is s ire . An d
beho ld i n g h i s so n sl a in . Vi ra ta fled from fear . avo id ing Drona in battl e .
wh o re sembled Dea th’
s s el f w i th gaspin g mouth . The son o f Bharadwaja
t hen . without los ing a momen t . checked the mighty hos t of the Pandavasr esist ing combatan ts by hundreds and thousands .
“
S ikhandi n also. O king. ge tt ing a t Drona’
s son in tha t ba ttle . struck
th e lat ter between h is brows with th r ee swif t ly cours in g shaf ts . An d
t hat t i ger among men . vi z Aswatthaman . p ie rced with those shaftslooked be auti ful l ike the mounta in Meru with i ts three ta ll golden
crests . Then . O k ing . Aswatthaman exci ted with rage . a nd with in hal f
th e t im e taken up by a w ink of the eye . overth rew in that batt l e
Sikhan d i n’
s char iot e er and s tandard and steeds and weapons . coveringthem w i th myriads o f sh afts . Then tha t foremost of car-warr iors . vi z
S ikhan din . tha t scorcher of foes . jumping down f rom that car whose
ste eds had been sla in . and taking up a sh arp and polish ed sc imitar and a
sh ield. excite d wi t h rage . mov ed on t h e field wi th gteat acti v ity l ikea hawk . An d wh il e mov ing with g r ea t ac t iv i ty . 0 k ing . on the fieldsword in hand . t he son of Drona fa i led to fin d an opportunity ( for
str ik in g him ) . An d al l this s eem ed high ly wonderful . An d th en . 0 hu l lof Bharata
’
s race . the h 1gh ly wrathful son o f Drona sent after Sikh andi n
in tha t battle many thousands of shaf ts . Bu t S ikhandi n . that foremost
o f m ighty men . with h i s sharp sword cu t that fierce shower of arrows
coming towards him . Then the son of Drona cut into pieg es tha t
re splendent and beaut iful shie ld decked with a hundred moons andthen tha t sword also of S ikhan din . An d he p ierced t h e latter
’
s person’
also.O king
.with a lar g e number of wing ed arrows . Th en S ikhan d in .
whi rl ing th e fragment (i n h i s hand ) of tha t sword of h is which had been
cut 0 3 by Aswattham an with h is a rrows and which r esembled a bla z in g
snake.quickly hurled it at him . Th e son of Drona however . display ing
in.
that battle the l ightness of h i s arms . cut off that broken blade
coming im petuously towards h im and resembl ing in splendour the fire
that b laz eth forth a t the end of th e Yago . An d he pie rced S ikhandi n
h im sel f w ith innumerable arrows made of i ron . Then Shikandin . O
sac MAHABHARATA
King.exceedingly afflicted w ith those wh etted arrows .
’
speedily mounted
on the car of (Saty ak i ) t hat h igh-souled sc ion o f Madhu’
s race . Then
Satyaki . excited wi th rage . pierce d in that ba tt l e . with h i s t err ible shaf ts
the cruel R akshasa Alamv u sh a on al l s ides . That pr i nce of R akshasas
then. 0 Bharata . cut o ff i n that combat Saty aki
’
s b ow with a crescent
shaped arrow and pierced Satyaki a l so with many shaf t s . An d creat ing
by h i s R akshasa power s and i llusion . he covered Satyaki wit h showers of
arrows . Bu t wonderful was the prowess that we th en beheld of th e
g randson of Sin i . inasmuch as struck w ith those whett ed shaf ts hebetray ed no fear . On the other hand . O Bh a ra ta . that son of Vri shn i
’
s
race appl ied w ith Ma n tra s) the Ai n dra weapo n .which that i l lustr ious
he ro of Madhu’
s race had obta ined from Vi j aya . ‘ That weapon .
consum ing into ashes tha t Demoniac i llusion . covered Al am v u sha al l
over with terr ible shafts . l ike a mass of clouds cov e r ing the mounta in
breast w it h tor r en t s of ra in in the ra iny season . Thereupon the
R akshasa, thus afil icted by that hero of Madhu
’
s race . fled away in fea r .
avoid in g Saty aki i n bat t l e . Then the g randson o f Sini . hav ing van
qu i shed tha t pr ince of R akshasas who was i ncapabl e o f being vanquish ed
by Maghavat h imse lf . utte red a loud roar in the ve ry sigh t of al l thy
tr0 0 ps . And Satyaki . o f prowess incapab le of be in g hefil ed . then be gan
to slay thy troops wi th innumerable shaf ts wh e r eupon the l att er fl ed
away in fear ."
Meanwh ile . O monarch . Dhri shtady um n a . the m ighty son of
Drupada . covered thy roya l son in ba t t l e w ith innumerable stra ight
shaft s . While . however . 0 Bhara ta . Dhr i shtadyum n a was thu s shroud
ing him w ith h i s sha fts . thy royal so n Was neithe r a g i t a t ed nor struck
w i th fear . On the other hand . h e speedily p ierced Dhr i shtadyumn a
'
i n
that bat tl e (first ) with sixty and (the n ) wi th thir ty sha f ts . An d all these
seemed h ighly wonder ful . Then t he commander o f the Pandava army .O Bharata . exc i ted with wrath cut o ff h i s bow . An d tha t m ighty carwarrior t hen sl ew in t hat comba t th e four s teeds of thy son . and also
pierced h im with sev en shaf ts o f the keene s t poin ts . Thereupon ( thy
son tha t m ighty-armed warr ior endued w ith grea t st rength . jumpin g
down from that car whose steeds had been sla in . ra n on foot . with an
upra ised sabre . t owards the son of Pri shata . Then the m ighty Saku n i .
devoted to the k ing . quickly com ing to that spot . caused thy roya l sonto mount on his own car in th e very s ight of all . Then tha t slaye r of
foes . the son of Pr i shata . hav ing vanquished the k ing . began to sl augh l
ter thy t roops l ike the wielder o f t h e thunder-bol t slaughtering th eAsuras .
"
Kri tavarman . i n that battl e . cov er ed w ith h is arrows tha t m igh ty
1 Satyak i was Arju n a’
s d i sciple in arms . V1 j aya was an o thern ame of
ass MAHABHABATA
The two pr inces o f Avan ti . t hose great bowmen endued w ith exceed ing
might.those excell e nt warr iors fierce in battl e . behold in g Iravat.
advanced aga in st h im . The batt l e tha t took place betw een them was
fierce . makin g the hair to stand on end . Then Irav at . exci ted with rage .
quick ly pi erce d those two bro thers o f cel est ia l form s wi th many sharp
an d s tra ight shaft s . Those two . however , conversan t with a ll modes o f
warfare.pie rced him in re turn in that batt l e . Struggling th eir best to
slaughter the fo e . a nd desirous o f count eract in g each o ther’
s feats . no
d is t inct ion. 0 king . could
,
be observ ed b e tween them as th ey fought .
Iravat then . 0 monarch . wit h four shaf ts . despa tched the four s te edsof
An uv in da to the abode of Yama . An d with a couple o f sh arp . broad
headed shaft s . O sire . h e cu t OE th e bow and standard also of An u
vinda. An d this f eat . 0 king . seemed high ly wonderful . Then An u
v inda.l eav in g his own car . mounted on t h e car o f Vi n da . Taking up
an excellen t and s tro ng bow capable o f bea rin g a g rea t stra in . An uv i n da .
as a lso his bro ther Vi nda . those foremost o f car-warr iors ha i l ing f rom
Avanti . both s tat ioned o n the same car . quickly shot many shafts at the
high-souled Iravat. S hot by th em . those shafts of grea t i mpe tuos ity
decked with gold . while coursin g t h rough the a ir . covered the we lkin .
l
Then Irav a t. exci ted w i th ra ge . showered on those m ighty car-warr iors .those two brother s (of Avanti) . h is ar rowy down-pours , and fel l ed thei rch ario t eer . When the char io tee r . de pr ived o f l i f e . fel l down on theground . th e ho rse s . no longe r restrai n ed . ra n away with car . Having
v anquished tho se two warriors . th a t daughte r’
s so n of the king of t he
Nagas.d isp l ay ing his prowess . then began to consume wit h grea t
act iv ity thy ranks . Then t h at m ighty Dh artara shtra host . wh ile thus
slaughte red in bat tle . began to r e el in many d irect ions l ik e a person
who hath drunk poison .
"
Tha t prince of R akshasa , th e m ighty son of H idimva . on hi s car of
so la r effulgence f urnished with a standa rd . rushe d aga in st Bhagadatta .
Th e ruler of the Pragy o tishas was stat ioned on his pr ince of elephant s
l ike the w ield e r of t he thun der-bol t in d ays of o ld in the batt le
occas ioned hy , th e rav i shment of Ta raka . The gods . th e Gandha rvas ,and the R i chi e had a l l come th ere . They could no t . however . not ice
any d i st inc t ion between Hidim v a’
s son and Bhagadatta . As th e ch ie f
of th e celest ia ls . exci ted with w rath . had in spi red the Danavas wit h
f ear . so d id Bhagada tta . O king . fr igh ten ed the Pandava warr iors . An d
the warr iors of the Pandava army . frightened by h im on al l s ides .fa il ed . 0 Bhara ta . to fin d among t he ir ranks any protector . We beheldhowev er . O Bharata . the son of Bh imasen a there . on his
’
car . The o ther
mighty car-warriors fl ed away with cheer less hearts . When . howeve r .
,
1’
D ivakaram Drapya’
. l i t .'reaching the path of the sun .
’
i e . . whileenurel n g through the sky .
—T.
BHISHMA PARVA 228
O Bharata . the troops o f the Pandavas ral l ied . in the battle that then
ensued an awful uproar arose amon g thy troops . Then Ghato tkatcha . O
k ing. in that dreadfu l bat t l e . covered Bha g adatta wi t h h is arrows like
the clouds pour ing ra in on the breast of Meru . Batfli n g a ll those arrows
shot from the R akshaea’
a bow . th e k ing quick l y struck the son of
Bhimasen a in al l h is v i t a l l imbs . Tha t pr ince of the R akshasa , howeve r .though st ruck w ith innumerable s trai ght shaf ts . wavered not a t al l
(but s tood st i l l) l ike a mounta in pierced (with shafts) . Then th e
ruler of th e Pragy o ti shas . exci ted wi th wrath . hurled i n that combat
fourteen lances . al l o f which . however . were cut o ff by the 3 0 70871 0 80 .
Cutting o ff by m eans o f h i s sharp shaf t s those l ances . t h e m ighty-armedR akshasa pierced Bhag adatta
'
with sev en ty shaf t s . each resembling the
thunder-bol t in force . Then the rule r of the P ragy o t i shas. laugh ing t h e
wh il e . O Bhara ta . d espa tched in that combat the fo u r steeds of theR akshasa to Dea th
’
s domain . The prince of the R akshasas , however. of
great valour . stay ing on tha t ca r whose steeds had been sla in . hurled
wi t h g r eat force a da rt a t the ele phan t of the ru le r o f th e P ragyoti shas.Kin g Bhagadatta then cut o f f that swift dar t fu rnished w ith a staff of
gold and cours ing impetuously towards him in to three fragments . a ndthereupon i t f el l down on th e g round . Behold in g his da rt cu t off . th e
son of Hidimva f l ed from fear l ike Namuchi , tha t foremost of th e
Da i tyas , i n days of old . from batt l e w ith Ind ra . Hav ing v anquished in
battle tha t hero of g reat v alour and renowned prowess . who . 0 ki ng.canno t be vanquished in batt l e by Yama h imself o r Varuna . k ing
Bhagadatta with h is e lephan t began to cru sh down the t roops of t he
Pandavas l ik e a wild e lephant . 0 kin g . crushing as he tr eads the lo tus
stalks ( in a lake ) ."The ruler of the Madras engaged in battl e with his si s te r
’
s sons.
th e twins . An d he overwhelmed those sons of Pandu with clouds of
arrows . Then Sah ade va . behold i n g his maternal uncle . engag ed in battl e
(with h im) . covered h im w i th arrows l ike the clouds covering th e make r
of day . Covered with tho se clouds of arrows . the rule r of th e Madras
wore a del ight ed expression . and th e tw ins also f elt great de l ight for thesake o f their mother . l Then Salya . tha t m ighty car-warr ior . smit in geffect ively i n that bat tle . despatch ed with four excell ent shafts . Oking . the four ste eds of Nakula to the abode of Yama . Nakula then .tha t mighty car-warr ior . quick ly jumping down from that ca r whosesteeds had been sla in . mounted upon the vehicle o f h i s renowned
bro ther . Sta t ioned th en on the same car . those two heroes . both fierce
1 Th e meanin g seems to b e that Sa lya was p leas ed i n witness in gthe ski l l of h i s s i ster's son s , wh i l e the twin s themselves were pl eased indispl ayin g that ski l l b efore one who was related to th em through th eir
in batt le . and both 'exc i ted with rage . began to shroud th e car of the
ru ler o f Madras . (with the i r a r rows) . drawing the i r bows w ith great
s trength . Bu t tha t t ige r amon g men . though t hus covered by h iss i s te r
’
s sons wi th innumerable s tr a ight arrow s shook no t i n the least
(but stood immovable ) l ike a hi l l . L aughing t he whi le , he smote them
( in re turn ) with showers o f arrows . Th en Sahadeva of g rea t prowess .O Bhara ta . excited w ith w ra th . took up a (powerful) shaft . and rushing
at the rule r of the Mad ras . sho t i t a t h im .
1 That sha ft endued with
the impe tuosi ty af Gedura himse lf . shot by h im . pierced t h e rule r o f
the Madras t h rough . and fe l l on t h e earth . Thereupon tha t migh ty
car-warrior . deeply pierced an d grea t ly pa in ed . sat down . O king . on
the ter rac e of h i s car . and wen t i n to a swoon . Behold ing h im ( thus)
affl icted by the twins . depr i v ed of con sciousness . and prostra ted (on
h is car ) . his char ioteer bore h im away on h i s veh icl e ov er the field .
See ing the car of the rul er o f th e Mad ras re trea t ing ( from ba t tle) . the
Dhartarash tras al l became cheer l e ss and thought i t was a l l ove r w ithhim .
2 Then t hose mi ghty car-warrior s . vi z the two son s o f Madr i .
hav ing vanqu i s h ed i n batt le the i r m ate rna l uncl e . cheerful ly bl ew thei r
conche s and ut te red leon ine roars . And then they rushed joyfully . 0
king.towards th y forces l ike th e gods Indra and Upendra . O monarch .
towards the Da i tya host .”
SECTION LXXXV
San jaya said . Then when th e sun at ta ined the merid ian . king
Yudh i shth ira . behold ing S ru tay u sh . urged on h is s te eds . An d the king
ruhsed at Sru tay u sh . tha t chastise r of foe s . s tr ik in g him wi t h n ine
stra igh t sha f t s of keen points . Tha t gre a t bowman . vi z . . king Sru tay u sb
then . checking i n tha t bat tle those a rrows shot by the son of Pandu .struck Yudh i sh th i ra wit h seven shafts . The se penetrat in g through hi sarmour . drank h is blood in tha t bat t le . as i f sucking the ve ry v i talene rg ies dwell in g i n the body of tha t h i g h-souled one . The son of Panduth en . though deeply pierced by tha t h igh-souled king . pierced kingSrutayu sb ( in r eturn) . a t the la tt er
’
5 hear t . with a n arrow sha ped as theboar
’
s ear . An d tha t fo remost of c a r .-warr io rs . vi z . . t h e son o f Pri tha .
with'
anoth er broad headed a rrow . quickly fel le d on the ear th t h estandard o f the high-soul ed Sru tay u sb from h is car . Behol d ing h isstandard over thrown . k in g Sru tay usb then . O monarch . pierced t he so nof Pandu with seven sharp shafts . Thereupo n Yudh i shthi ra . t h e son ofDharma . blazed up wi t h wrath . l ike the fi re that b l a z eth fo rth a t theend of the Yugo for consum ing c reatur es . Behold ing the son of Panduexci ted w i t h ra ge . th e gods . the Gandha rvas , and t he R akshacaa, trembled .
1 The Burdwan P und its render th is ver se b y carelessly tak ing . ‘Vi ryavat’
a s an adjective of ‘saram . I t qua lifies Sah adeva . Th e reading ‘Vi ryavat
’
occurs in n o text" .T.
2 L it. “ This one no longer ’
i s"i . s .
3rElfhe orig in a l i s ‘Vi ch nvan tas (a practica l) meaning
‘plucking as flowers.-0 .
226 MAHABHARATA
each othe r w i th those sharp-edged weapons of th e irs . Then those bulls
among men ,st ruck with th e forc e of each other
’
s sabr es . f el l down on
th e earth . that (common) elemen t of a l l crea tures . E xh austed by th e
efforts they had made . the l imbs of both were motionles s in a swoon .
Then Karakarsh a impel le d by fr ien dsh ip . quickly rushed to tha t spot .
An d tha t invincible war r ior . behold ing Chek itan a i n tha t pl igh t . took
h im up on h i s car in the ve ry sight of al l t roops . An d so al so the brav e
Sakun i . thy brother-in-law . O monarch . spe ed i ly caused Gautama . tha t
foremost o f car-warr iors . to moun t on h i s car ."The migh ty Dhr ishtaketu . exc i ted with wrath . speed i ly pierced
the son of Somadatta . O king . with n ine ty shafts i n the ch est . And
the son of Somadatta l ooked highly r espl endent w ith those shaf ts on h is
chest . l ike the sun . O king . wit h h is ray s a t m id-day . Bhurisravas.
however . i n t hat bat tl e . with h is exce l l ent sh afts . d epr ived Dhri shtaketu .
that m ighty car-warr ior . of hi s car . sl ay in g h is char iotee r and steeds .And beholding h im d epr ived of h is car . and his steeds and charioteer
sla in . Bhu ri srav as covere d Dhr ishtaketu i n that combat w ith a th ick
shower of a r rows . Th e high-soul ed Dhri shtaketu then . O sire .
abandonin g t h a t car of h is . mounted upon th e vehicle of Satan ika .
Ch i trasen a . and V ikar na . 0 k in g . and also Du rmarshan a.—th ese car
warr iors cased in golden ma il .—al l rush ed a ga in st the son o f Subh adraThen a fierce ba tt le to ok place between Ab h iman y u and tho se warr iors .
l ike th e ba t t l e o f the body. O king . wi th w ind . bile . and ph l egm .'That
tiger among m en . howeve r . (vi z Abhiman yu ) . hav ing . O king . depr ived
thy sons of the ir cars . sl ew them not . rem ember ing Bhima’
s words . ”
Then during the progress o f t h e fight . Ku n t i’
s son (Arjuna) . of white
steeds . behold in g Bh i shma . who was i ncapable of bein g vanquished by
ve ry gods . proceed in g to r escue thy sons in v iew of Abh iman yu—a boy
and alone though a m ighty car-warr ior . addressed Vasudev a an d sa id
th ese words .‘
Urge th e steeds . O Hr ish i kesa . to tha t spot where are
those numerous car-warriors . Th ey are many in number . brave .accompl ished i n arms . inv incible in battle . Guide t h e horses so .O Madhava . t hat th e fo e m ay not be able to slay our troops .
’
Thus
urged by Kun ti’
s son of immeasurable energy . he of Vr ishn i’
s race thendrove tha t car . unto which were yoked whi te steeds. to bat t le . WhenAr juna . excit ed with rage . t h us proceeded t owards t hy army . a louduproar . O sire . a rose among thy t roops . 3 Th e son o f Kunti t hen . hav ingcome up to those kings that were protect ing Bhishma . (firs t ) addressed
1 Th ese . in Hindu physiology . are th e three humours of th e body alwayscon tending for mastery over th e vita l forces .
-T.
2 Bhima had vowed to slay th e sons of Dhritarashtra ; therefore . Ab h i
fii
l
an yu éi ked n ot to falsify h i s uncle
's vow b y h im self s laying any of
em .
3 Instead of ‘y at in the beg inning of th e second l ine . ‘yada ’ wou ld be
b etter. None of the printed text. however . have ‘
yada’
.—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
Susarman . 0 king . and sa id th ese words .‘
I know thee to be foremos t
in bat t le . and a d ire enemy (o f ours) of o ld . Behold to day the terr ibl e
fruit o f tha t ev i l behav iou r (of thine) . 1 I w ill today cause t he e tov is i t the manes of thy ancestors .
’
That l eader of car-d ivis ion s . Susar
man . howeve r . he ar ing the se harsh words u tt ere d by that slay er of foesvi z .
, Vibhatsu . to ld him no thin g ( i n r eply) . wel l or i l l . (But) approach
ing the hero ic Ar juna . with a la r g e number of kin gs i n his tr a in . and
surrounding him in t h a t bat tle . b e covered h im a ided by t hy sons . Osinless one . wi th arrows from al l s ides . vi z .
, front . rear . and flanks-l ike
th e clouds cove r in g the maker of day . Then . O Bharata . a dreadful
bat t le took place between thy army and the Pandavas . i n which bloo d
ran l ike wa ter .”
SECTION LXXXVI
Senjaya sa id . Then the mighty Dhananj aya . struck with those
shafts and drawing long breaths l ike a trodden snake . cut o ff . with grea t
force . by means of hi s success i v e shaf ts . t he bows of thos e m ighty car
warr iors. Cutt ing o ff in a moment . O king . the bows of those powerful
monarch s i n that bat tle . the high-souled Arj una . desir ing to ex terminateth em pierced al l of them simultaneously w ith h is s hafts . Struck (thus) by
Indra’
s so n . O king . some of t hem fell down on the field . cov ered with
blood . An d some had the ir l imbs mangled . and some had the ir head s
struck ofl’. And som e per ished with bod ie s man g l ed and coats of mail
cu t t hrough . And affl icted by the arrow s o f Par tha . many of them .
fa ll in g down on th e ear th . per ished togeth er . Behold ing the n those
pr inces sla in in bat tle . the ruler of the Tri g artas advanc ed on his ca r .And two an d th ir ty oth ers among st those car-warriors . they who hadbeen pro tect ing the re ar of the slain combatants a lso fel l upon Partha .
These a l l . surround ing Partha . and drawing t heir bows of loud twan g .poured on h im a thick shower of a rrows l ike the clouds pour ing torrent s
of water o n th e mounta i n breast . Then Dhanan j aya afflic t ed wi th that
arrowy down-pour i n tha t bat t l e . became excited wi th wra th .and w ith sixty arrows ste eped in oi l he despa tched a ll those protectorsof the rea r . Hav ing v anquished in bat t l e those s ixty car-warr io rs .th e i llust r iou s Dhananj aya became cheerful at hear t . An d hav ingsla in also the forces o f those kings . Ji shn u sped for Bh i shm a
’s sl aughte r .
Then the rule r of th e Tr igartas. beholdin g h is friends those mighty car-Iwarr iors sl a in . speed ily advanced upon Par tha . with a number of (o ther )k ings in h i s van . for slaying h im . Then th e Pandava warr io r headed by
S ikhan d i n . behold in g those combatants advancing upon Dhanan jaya
1 In th e first l ine o f 50 , th e Ben ga l read ing i s ‘Satam .
’ I prefer th eBomb ay reading which i s 'atyan tam .
’
For . agai n .
‘
paryayasy a'in th e beg in
1n g of the second l ine . the Bombay text reads ‘an ayassa
'which i s b atten—T
ass
tha t fo remost of a ll conve rsan t w ith arms . proceeded wi th whe tted
weapons in hand.desi rous o f pro t ec t ing th e ca r of Arj una . Par tha al so
beho ld ing those brave men advanced towards h im with the ruler of the
Tr i gartas. mangled them in battl e w ith ar rows shot f rom Gandiva .
Then that d is t ingui shed bowman . desi rous of a pproaching Bh ishm a b e
held . Duryodhana and other k in gs headed by th e ruler of the S in dhus .
Figh ting w ith gr ea t en e rgy for a momen t and check ing tho se warriors
tha t were desirous of prot ect i n g Bh ishma . t he h ero ic Arjuna o f great
v alour and infin i te p rowess avoid ing Duryodhana and Jayadratha and
other s . -that w arrior o f migh ty st re n g th and grea t men ta l v igour . - at
last proceeded . bow and arrow in hand . toward s t h e son of Ganga in
battle . The h i g h-soul ed Yudh i sh th i ra also . of fierce prowess a n d infinite
renown . avo id in g i n ba tt l e t he rul er of the Madra s who h a d been
assign ed to his s h a re . quickly proce eded . wi th exc ite d wra th and accom
pan ied by Bhima and the sons of Madr i towards Bhi shma . the so n of
San tanu . for ba t tl e . Conv ersant with al l modes of warfare the h igh
souled i son of Ganga and San tan u . though at tacked in battle by all thesons o f Pandu uni t ed togethe r . wav ere d not a t a l l . Of fierce m ight and
g reat en ergy kin g Jayadratha of sure a 1m . advancin g in ba t t l e . forc ibly
cut off with h i s own exce l l e n t how the bows of a l l tho se m igh ty car
warrior’
s . An d th e i llust r ious Duryodhana al so w i t h exc i ted wrat h and
having wra th for h is posi t ion . st ruck Yudhi shth ira and Bh im a sen a and
t h e twins and Pa r tha . w i th arrows res embling flam es of fir e . Pierced
with arrows by Kr ipa and Sa l e and Ch i tra sen a . O lord . t he Pandavas .
inflamed wit h rage . r esemb led the gods pierce d w ith arrows by the
united Da ityas ( i n days of o ld) . King Yud h i shth i ra then . behold ing
S ikhandin flying away . hav in g had hi s w ea pon cut o fic by San tan u
’
s so n
became fil l ed wi th an ger . The h igh-so ule d Aj a tasa tru . angrily address
in g Sikhan din i n t h a t batt le . sa i d t hese word s .’
Thou sa idst a t that
t ime . in the p res ence of thy s i r e . unto me . —Even I shal l s lay Bh ishma ofh ig h vows with my shaf ts o f the h ue of t h e efi u lg en t sun . Truly do I say
th is .—Eve n th is was thy oath . Tha t oa t h of th in e thou dost no t fulfil
i n asmuch as thou dost n or slay Devavrata i n ba tt l e . 0 he ro . be not a
person of unfulfil l ed vow . Take care of thy v i r tue . race . and fame.Behold Bhi shma of t err ible impetuos i ty sco rch ing a ll m y troops with h is
i nnumerable ar rows of fierce en ergy an d destroyin g everyth ing in a
moment l ike Death h imself . W i t h thy bow cut o ff . avoid ing the
battle . and vanquish ed by th e royal son of San tan u . whi ther dos t thou
go . forsakin g thy k in smen and bro thers Thi s do th not become thee .Behold in g Bh i shm a of infin i te prowess . an d our army routed and fly ing
away . thou a rt assu redly . O son of Drupada . fr ightened . s ince the colour
of thy face is pale . U nknow n to thee . O hero . Dhananjaya hath
engaged in the dreadful battl e . Celebra ted over th e whole Wor ld . why
230 MAHABHARATA
chario te er in that bat tle . dropped on t he g round l ike a blazing meteor .
loosened f rom the firm am en t. fall ing upon the ear th . Then thy troo ps .
O Bharata . behold ing that highly wond erful feat became fi l l ed with j oy .and al l o f them toge ther set up a loud shout ove r th e field of bat tl e .
And t h e war r io rs a l l a pplauded t hy so n (fo r what t hey
SECTION LXXXVII
Senj aya sa 1d .—“Approach ing th en th y son Ch i trasen a o f grea t
energy who had t hus been depri ved of his ca r , t hy son Vikarna caused
h im to mount on h i s car . An d dur ing the progre ss of tha t g en era l
enga g emen t . so fie rce and dreadful. Bh ishm a . the so n of San tan u . i mpe
tuously rush ed a t Yudh ishth i ra . Then the Sr in jayas with th ei r cars .elephants . and horses . t rembled . An d t hey re garded Yudh i shthi ra to b e
a lready with in the j aws o f Death . The lo rd Yudh i shthi ra . howev er .o f Kuru
’
s race . accompan ied by the twins . proceeded towards th a t
m ighty bowman . that t ig er among men v i z Bh i shm a . Then the son
of Pandu . shoot ing i n that batt l e thousa nds o f ar rows . shro uded Bh i shma
l ike th e clouds shroud ing the sun . An d t hos e number les s a r rows. well
shot by Yudhishth i ra . were rece iv ed by t he so n of Ganga in d is t inct se ts
by hundreds and thousands . ‘ An d so al so . 0 s i re . i nnum erable we re
the arrows sho t by Bh i shma (in r e turn ) . which looked l ike fl igh ts of
insects cours ing through the a i r . I n hal f t h e t ime taken up by a wink
o f the ey e . Bhi shma . the son of San tan u . i n that ba t tl e . made Kun ti’
s so n
i nv is ible by means o f h i s numberless shaf ts sho t in se ts . Then king
Yudhi shth i ra . exci ted w ith r age . sped at the high-souled Kau rava a long
arrow resembl ing a sn ake of virul e n t po ison . Tha t mighty car-warr ior.
Bh ishma . howeve r . O king . cu t o E in that comba t . with a ho r se-shoe
(headed) ar row. tha t shaf t shot from Yudh i shth i ra’
s bow before i t could
reach h im . Hav ing cu t ofi'
th a t lon g ar row resembl in g Dea th h imsel f .Bh i shma then sl ew in t ha t ba t tl e th e s te eds . decked wi th gold . of t h at
pr ince of Kuru’
s l ine . Then Yudh i sh th i ra the son of Pandu . abandon ing
that car whose s te eds had be en s la in . quickly mount ed u pon the car of
the high-souled Nakula . Then Bh i shm a t ha t subjugator of hosti l e ci t ies .excited with rage . and coming upon the twin s in that battle . covered
them with arrows . Be holding tho se two (brothers) . O king . thus afi icted.
with the arrows o f Bh i shma . Yudh i shth i ra began to r eflect earn estly
desirous . O monarch . of (compass ing ) Bh ishm a’
s des truct i on . Th enYudh i shth i ra . 0 king . urged his fr ie nds and t h e rulers (on h is s ide ) .say ing .—
’
S lay Bh ishm a the son of San tan u . uni tin g toge the r .’
Then al l
those rulers . hear ing these words of Pr i tha’
s son . sur rounded the grand s ire
W i th a large number of ca rs . Thy s ire Devavra ta then . thus surrounded
1 Th e m eaning seem s to b e that th e arrows shot b y Yudh i shth i ra werecut off by Bh i shm aun numberless distinct sets . takin g each ~set at a time . -T
BHISHMA PARVA
on all s ides . began to sport. 0 king . with h i s bow . fell ing (al l th e wh i le)
many mighty car-warr iors . Him o f Kuru's race . thus careering over
the field o f batt le . th e Pandavas beheld resembl ing a young l ion in th e
forest am id a herd of deer . Uttering a loud roar in that battl e and
str iking fe a r in to the hear ts of brav e warr iors by means of h i s shafts .the Ksha tr iyas behold ing h im . 0 k i ng . were al l st ruck w ith fear . l ikeinferior animals upon seei ng a l ion . Indeed the Kshatr iyas beheld the
movements of that l ion o f Bhara ta's race in bat tl e to re semble those of a
conflagration a id ed by the wind wh il e con sum in g a heap of dry g rass .
And Bh ishma in tha t bat tl e f ell ed the heads of car-war r iors like a skil ful
man fe l l ing (with stones) r ipe (palmyra) frui ts from trees tha t hear
t hem . And the heads of warr ior s . O king . fal l in g upon th e surface of
the ea r th produced a loud noise resembling th at of a s tony shower.
Durin g the progre ss of tha t fierce and dreadful bat tle a g reat confus ion
set i n amon g al l the troops . And i n consequence of tha t confusion the
arrays (of both armies) w ere broken . An d t h e Kshatr iyas summon ing
one another indiv i dually . appro ached one ano ther for figh t . Then
S ikhandin . sight ing th e g randsi r e of t he Bharat a s . rushed at h im impe
tuously . say ing .—Wa i t . Wa i t—R emember in g . howeve r . the fem inity ofSikhan d i n . and d i sre ga rd in g h im on t hat account . Bh ishma proceeded
aga in s t the Srin jayas . Th ereupon the Sri n jayas. beholding Bh ishma in
tha t great battle . were fi l led wit h joy . An d they set for th d iverse k ind sof loud shouts . mingled wi th th e blare o f th eir conches . Th en comm enced
a fierce batt le i n course o f which cars and elephants go t en tangled wi thone another . An d i t was tha t hour o f the day . O lord . when the sun
was on the o th er s ide (of th e m eridian ) . Then Dhr i sh tady umn a . the
pr ince of the Pan chal as. and that m ighty car-warr ior Satyaki . greatl y
a fflic ted th e (Bharat a ) host w i th showers of arrows and lances . An d
wi th innumerable shafts , O king . these two began to sm ite down thywarr iors in tha t bat tle . Thy combatant s . howeve r . 0 bull among men .though slaughter ed in bat t l e ( thus) re treated not from the fight . hav ingformed an honourable resolut ion in that engagement . Indeed . thy t roops
began to smi te accordin g to the measure of thei r courage . Wh il e . how .
ev er . O king . t hy high-souled combata n ts wer e be ing slaught ered by th ei l lustr ious son o f Pri shata . loud cr i es of woe wer e hea rd among th em .
Hear ing -those loud cr ies . th a t couple of m i ghty car-warriors of thyarmy . v iz . . Vi nda and An uv i nda of Avan t i . quickly proceeded aga inst
P rishata's so n . An d those m igh ty car-warriors . speed ily slay ing h i s
steeds . t ogether cov ered Pri shata's son wit h showers of a rrows . There
upon that migh ty car-warrio r . v iz . . the prince of the Pancha las, quicklyjumping down from th at ca r of h is . mounted without loss of t im e the
car of the high-sou led Seryaki . Th en king Yudh ishth ira . supported
1 The Benga l read ing i s faul ty .—T .
MAHABHARATA
by a l a rge forc e . proceeded aga inst those chas tise r s of foes . v iz ..the two
princes o f Avant i exci ted wi th rage . Simi larly thy son . 0 s ire . wit hevery preparat ion . s tood . surrounding Vi n da and An uv inda in tha t bat tle
( for support ing them) . Arjuna al so in that battl e . exci ted with rage .fought against many bul l s of the Ksha tr iya race . l ike the w ie lder o f the
thunder-bol t a ga inst the Asuras . Drona also. who alway s doe s what i s
agre eable t o thy son . i nflamed wi th wrath i n that bat tl e . began to con ;
sume the Pan cha l as l ike fire consuming a heap of cotton . Thy other
sons.O king. own ing Duryodhana as the i r chie f . sur round in g Bh i shma
i n tha t batt le . fought again s t the Pand avas . Then when th e su n
assum ed a red hue . l king Duryodhana . O Bhara ta . address in g thy troops .sa id .—Lose no t ime . —An d while th ey were thus bat t l in g and ach iev ingfea ts difficult of accompl ishment . the su n having become inv is ible i n
consequence of h is r e t i remen t be h ind the West ern h i l l . ther e soon
flowed . towards dusk . an awful r iver whose curren t a nd bil lows were of
blood . and which wa s in fest ed by innumerabl e j ackal s . An d the fiel d o f
battle became dreadfu l . abound ing as i t d id wi th spi r i ts and with those
jackals howlin g hideously . fo rbod in g ev i l . Rakshasas and Pisachas and
oth er cannibal s were seen al l round . i n hundred s and thousands . Then
Ar juna . hav ing vanquished those kings headed b y Su sarm an along with
all the ir fol lowe rs . i n the m id s t of t h eir d i v i s ion . proc eed ed t owards h is
tent. And the lord Yudhi shth i ra al so o f Kuru's race . accompan ied by
h is bro thers . and fol lowed by h i s t roops . proce eded . 0 kin g . when n ight
se t in . towards h is tent . An d Bh imasen a . too. hav ing vanquished those
kings . v iz t hose car-warr iors headed by Duryodhana . proce eded towardsh is tent . An d king Du ryodhana (wi th h i s t roops) . surround ing Bh i shma .
th e son of San tan u . i n that g rea t bat tle proceeded towards h is tent . An d
Drona . and Drona’
s son . and Kripa . and Sél ya . and Kr i tavarman of the
Satwata race . su rrounding the whole (Dhartarashtra ) army . proceeded
towards their tents . An d s im ila r ly Satyak i a l so. O king . and Dh rishta
dyumn a . the son o f Pri shata . surround in g the ir army . proceeded towards
the ir ten ts . It was thus . O king , tha t those chastise rs o f foes. v i z thy
troops and the Pandava s . ceased to figh t when darkness came . Thenth e Pandavas . and the Kauravas . r e tirin g to the i r t en ts . en tered ,
thesame . applauding on e another . An d makin g arrangem en ts for th e pro ;tection of thei r brav e warriors and disp o s in g outposts according to rule .they plucked out the ar rows (f rom their bod ie s ) and bath ed i ri diversekinds of wate r . An d Brahmanas performed prop itia tory r i tes for them .
and bards sang the ir prai ses . An d those renowned men sported for awh ile in accompanim ent with music both v ocal and instr um ental . An dfor
i
a while the whole scene re sembled heaven i tse lf . And those bul lsamon g men for a wh ile spoke not o f battl e . An d when both arm iesabo und ing with t ired men and elephants and steed s slept the re . they
1 i .e. . j ust before setti n g ._T.
234 MAHABHARATA
fil l ed up that array . In th e rear wer e ordered Ab h imanyu . an d that
migh ty car-warr ior . V ir a t a . and the son s o f Draupadi and th e
Ghato tkacha . Thus . O Bharata . havin g fo rm ed th e i r m ighty array .t he hero ic Pandava s wa it ed on the field . long in g f or batt l e and desirous
of victory . An d the loud noi se of drums m ingl ing with t h e blare ofconches and leon ine roa rs a nd shou ts (of the combatant s) and th e s lapp
in g o f the i r a rmp i ts . became te rr ibl e and fi l l ed al l the point s o f the
compass . Th en . those brave wa rr iors . approach ing one another for
batt le . looked a t one anoth er . O kin g . with w i n kl ess eyes . Then . 0
ruler of men . th e warr io rs . first chal l enging each othe r by n ame . en
gaged wi th each o th er . 1 Then commenced a fierce and terr ibl e batt l e
between thy t roops and those of the foe str ik ing on e anothe r . An d in
that ba ttl e . 0 Bhara ta , whe tted shaf t s fe l l in showers like te rr ibl e snakes
with mouths wide Open . An d po l ished dar ts of impetuous force . wa shedwith oil . 0 king . s hone like the eflu lgen t flashes of l ightning f rom the
clouds . And mace s decked w i th gold and at tached to br i ght sl ing s were
seen to fal l al l ove r the field . re sembling beau t iful crests of h i l l s . An d
sabres of the colour of th e cl ear (bl ue ) sky . O Bhara t a . and shields of
bu l l's hide s and decked w it h a hundred moons . as they f el l ev erywhere
over the field . 0 king . looked beaut ifu l . And as the two a rmies . 0
king . were engaged i n batt l e wi t h each oth e r. they looked r esplendent
l ike the cel estia l an d the demon iac hosts battl in g w ith each othe r . Al l
around they rush ed agains t on e another in bat tl e . Foremost of royal
car-warriors . impetuously da sh ing agains t ca r-warr iors in th a t d readfulba ttl e . fought on . with the yokes of the ir cars en tan gled w ith those of
th ei r adversar ie s . An d. O hu l l of Bharata's race . all o v er the field
flashes of fi r e m ixed w ith smoke were gen erated . i n consequence of
fr iction . in the tusks of ba ttl ing el ephan ts . An d combatants on th e
backs of e l ephan ts . s t ruck w it h la nces . were se en al l a round to fa l l downl ike blocks ( loosened) from crests of h i l ls . ’ And brave foot-sold ie rs .batt l in g wi th the i r ba re arms or wit h la nces . and s tr iking on e anothe r,looked exceed ingly beaut i ful . An d t he warr ior s of the Kau rava and thePandava hosts
,comi n g upon one ano ther in th at confl ict . despa tched
on e another with d iv er se kinds o f sha f t s to the abode of Yama . ThenBhishma . the son of San tan u . fi l l i n g ( th e a i r ) with the ratt l e of h is car.and depriv ing t h e foe of h is sen se s by th e twang of his bow . rushedaga ins t th e Pandavas in bat t le . The car-warr io r s of the Pandavas . too .headed by Dhrishtady um n a . ut tering fierce shouts . ru shed at him . firm
ly reso lved on figh t . Then commenced . O Bhara ta . a battl e be tween theinfantry . car-warr iors . and el ephants . of the irs and th ine . in which thecombatant s became al l en tan g l ed wi th one another .
"
1 The true readin g . I th in k . i s that of the Bomb ay text. vi z . .
'n am abh i s
’
.
Th e Ben ga l readin g i s ‘m an ob h i s.
’
How can porson s chal len ge each othermental ly . although they m ay s ing le out their antagoni sts so —T.
2 ‘Nagas’
. wh ich m ay mean b oth stones an d tree s . In either case. thecomparison wou ld apply .
SECTION LXXXIX
Senjay a sa id . The Pandavas were incapable of even looking a t
Bhishma exc i t ed wi th rage in ba ttle and scorching every side l ike theSun himse lf shedding scorch in g h eat . Then a ll the (Pandava) troops . a tthe command of Dharma
’
s so n . rush ed a t the so n of Ganga who was
g rind ing (every th in g ) with h i s whett ed arrows. Bh i shma . however .who delighte d in battl e fe l led the mighties t
.
of bowman among st th e
Srin jayas and the Pan chalas. with h i s shafts . Though thus slaugh tered
by Bhishma . the Panchal as along wi th the Somakas s t i l l rushed impetu
ou sl y a t h im . forsaking the fear of dea th . The heroic Bhishm a . t h e so n
of San tan u . however . i n that bat tle . cut o ff . O king . the arm s and h eads
of their ca r-warr iors . Thy s i re . Devavrata deprived the ir car-warr iorsof cars . And the heads of cava l ry sold i ers on the ir chargers fel l fast .
An d we beheld . O king . huge elephan ts looking l ike h i l l s . depr ived of
thei r r iders . and paraly sed wi th Bh i shma’
s weapons . ly ing al l around .
Amongst the Panda v as . 0 king . the re was no oth er man save tha t
foremost o f car-warr io rs . the migh ty Bh imasen a . (who could resist
Bh ishm a) . Indeed . Bhima alone . approaching Bh ishma . encountered h im
in battle . Then in that encounter between Bhima and Bh ishma . a fierce
and terr ible uproar aro se among al l th e troops (of the Kauravas) , The
Pandavas then . fil led wi th j oy . ut tered leonine shouts . Durin g
that d estruct ive carnage . king Duryodhana , surrounded by h is uterinebro thers . protec ted Bh i shm a i n that bat tle . Then th a t for emost of car
war riors . v iz . . Bh ima . slew Bh i shma's char io teer . Thereupon the steeds
no longer controlled . ran away from th e fie ld w i th car . Then tha t slayer
o f fo es . m'
x Bhima with a sharp arrow hav in g a ho rse-shoe head . cut o ff
the head of Su n ab ha . (Thu s ) s la i n . the latter fel l down on t h e ear t h .
When tha t son of th ine tha t migh ty car-warr ior and grea t bowman wassla in
.seven of his he r0 1c brothers . O s i r e . could not (quie t ly) bear (that
act) . These. vi z . Adi ty aketu and Vahv asin . and Ku ndadhara and
Mah odara . and Aparaj ita . and Panditaka and the inv incible Visal akha .clad in var iega t ed armour an d w ith the i r beaut iful coats of mai l an dweapons
.- t hese g r inders of foes des irous of battle .—rushed aga in s t the
so n of Pandu . An d Mahodara . i n t ha t bat tl e . pierced Bh imasen a wit h
n ine winged arrows . each resembl ing the t hunder-bol t i n force . l ik e'
the
slayer of Vr itra str ik in g (the grea t Am ” ) Namuch i . An d Adityaketustruck h im with seventy sha ft s . and V i shnu with five . An d Kun dadhara
struck him with n inety shaf ts . and Visal aksha wi th sev en . And tha t
conqueror of foes . t h e mighty car-warrior Aparaj i ta . O kin g . s t ruck
Bh im asen a of grea t strength with many arrows . An d Pan di taka also .in batt l e . pierced h im with three arrows . Bhima . however . d id not
(Quietl y ) hear th ese a t tacks of h is foes 1n batt l e. Forcibly g rasping the
how with h i s l e f t hand . tha t gr inder of foe s cut ofl . in that batt le . the
286 MAHABHARATA
h ead.with a stra igh t shaf t . of t hy so n Aparaj i ta . graced w i th a fine nose .
Thus vanqu ished by Bhima . his head then dropped on th e g round .
Then . in th e very s ight o f a l l the t roops . Bh ima despatched . with
another broad-h eaded arrow . th e m ighty car-warrior Ku n dadhara to
the domain of Death . Then tha t hero of immeasurable soul . once more
aim ing an arrow . speda
i t. O Bhara ta . a t Pan d 1taka i n tha t b a tt le . An d
th e arrow kill in g Pan di taka, ente red the ear th , l ik e a snake impe l led by
Death quickly enter ing the ea r th af ter despa tch ing th e person whose
hour had come) . Of undepressed soul . t ha t hero then . 0 kin g . r ecol lect
ing his fo rmer woes . f el l ed Vi sa l aksha's head. cutting it o ff with three
a rrows . Then Bhima . i n that bat tl e . struck the migh ty bowman Maho
dara in th e centre of th e ch est wi th a long sha ft . Sla in ( therewith) . O
king,the l atte r fel l down on the earth . Then . 0 Bharata . cutt ing 0 3
with an arrow the umbrell a of Adi tyaketu i n th a t battl e, he seve red h is
head wi t h anothe r broad-headed shaf t of exceed in g sha rpness . Then . O
monarch . exc i ted wi th rage . Bhima . with a no ther s trai ght sh af t . de spatch
ed Vahvasin towards t h e abode of Yama . Then thy other sons. O king .a l l fled away regard in g the word s to be t rue which Bhima had ut tered
in the (mids t o f the Kau rav a ) a ssembly .
‘ Then kin g Duryodhana afflict
ed with sor row on accoun t o f h i s bro thers . addresse d al l h i s troops .saying.
“
There i s Bhima. Le t h im be sl ain .
’
Thus . O king . thy sons. thosem i gh ty bowmen . behold ing t he i r broth e r s sl a in . r eco l l ec ted t hose wordsbenefic ia l and peace ful . th at Vidure of grea t wisdom h ad spoken . In
deed . those words of the t ru thful V idure a re now be in g real ised .those beneficial words . O king . which . i nfluenced by co v e tousness and
folly a s a l so by affectio n for t hy sons . thou couldst not then under
stand . From the way i n which tha t m igh ty armed hero i s slaying the
Kauravas . i t seeme th th at tha t mi ghty son of Pandu ha th assured lytak en his b i r th fo r the destruction of thy son s . Meanwhil e . king Dur
yodhan a . O sire . ove rwhelm ed with grea t gr ie f . went to Bh ishm a .and
there . ov ercome wi th sorrow . h e,began to lament . say ing.
‘
My h eroic
brother s hav e been sla in in bat tl e by Bh imasen a . Al though.again . all
o u r t roops are fightin g bravely . yet they al so are fal l ing . Thou seemest
t o d isregard u s. behav in g (as t hou dost ) l ike an ind iffe ren t specta tor .Alas . what course have I taken . Behol d my e v i l dest iny .
’
San jaya continued . Hear in g these crue l words of Duryodhana.thy
s ire Devav rata . with eyes fi l l ed wi th t ears . sa i d t h i s unto h im .
2 “Eventh1 s was sa id by me before . as a lso by Drona . and Vidure . and therenowned Gandha r i . O so n . thou didst not then comp rehend i t . 0g rl nder of foes . i t h a th al so been before s ett led by m e that ne ithe r my
1 H1 s pledg e . vi z . . that m battl e h e would s lay a l l th e sons of Dhritarashtr a .
—T.
“2 Th e Benga l reading i s ‘tatas kruddh ar
'. Th e Bom b s. readi
krurarn’
. I adopt the latter ._T,
Y "8 1 9 “ 0 11 3 8
MAHABHARATA
happened .
‘ At midday the batt le becam e exceedingly awful and
f rau ght wi th great carnage . L i ste n to me . O king . as I describe i t . Then
al l the troops (of the Pandava army ) . exci te d wi th rage . ru shed . at the
command of Dharma's 50 11 . aga inst Bh i shma a lon e from des i r e of slay
i ng h im . Dhri shtadyum n a and S ikhandi n . and the mighty car-warrio r
Seryaki . accompanied . O king . by t hei r forces . proce eded against
Bhishma alone . An d those mi ghty car-warrior s . vi z . . Vi ra ta and Dru
pada . with all the Som akas. rush ed in batt l e a ga i nst Bh i shma a lone .
An d t he Ka ikeyas. and Dhr i sh taketu . and Ku n tib b o ja . equipt in mai l
and supported by their forces . rushed . 0 king . agains t Bh ishm a a lone
An d Arj una . and the sons o f Drau padi . and Cheki tan a of g rea t prowess .
pro c eeded against al l the k ing s under the command of Duryodhana
An d th e h ero ic Ab h im an yu . and that m ighty car-warr ior . v iz . . the son
of Hidimva . and Bh imasen a exc i t ed wi th wrath . rush ed aga in st the
(other) Kaurava s . (Thus ) the Pandava s . d i v ided into t h re e bodie sbegan to sl aughter t h e Kauravas . An d s im i la r ly the Kaurava s a lso . 0
king . began t o slaught er t he ir foe s .’ That fo remost o f car-warr iors .
v iz . .Drona excite d with wrath . rus hed aga in s t the Som akas and the
S ri n jayas. des irous of send ing them to the abode o f Yama . Ther eupon
loud cr ie s of wo e a rose among the brav e S ri n jay as whil e they w erebein g slaught er ed . O kin g . by Bharadwaja
’
s son bow in hand . Large
numbers of K sh atr iya s . s truck down by Dro na , were seen to al l con vu l
s ing l ike persons wr i t hing i n t h e agony of di sease . Al l ov er the fiel d
wer e con tin uously heard moans and shrieks and groans r esembl ing those
of persons afflic ted with hunger . An d so t he m ighty Bh im asen a . exci ted
with w rath . and l ike unto a second Yama . caused a ter r ibl e carnageamongst the Kau rava t roops. The re in tha t dread ful ba ttl e . in cou se
q uence o f the warr io r s slay ing one anoth er . a te rr ible r ive r began to
flow whose bi l lowy curren t cons i sted o f blood .
3~ An d tha t bat tl e . 0
king . between the Kurus and the Pandava s . becoming fierce and awful .
began to swe l l the populat ion of Yama's k i ngdom . Then in tha t batt le
Bhima exci ted wi th wrath . f el l wi th great impetuosi t y upon the ele
phant div is ion (of th e Kauravas) and began to send many to the regions
of Dea th . Then . 0 Bhara ta . s truck w i th Bh ima’
s shafts . some of those
beasts fe l l down . some w ere paralysed . some sh rieked ( i n pa in ) . and
some ran away in al l direct ions . Huge e lephants . the i r t runks cut o ff
1 I h ave expa n ded th e first l ine of 1 3 . as a clo sel y'l i tera l ver sion wou ld
scarce ly b e intelligent to the gen era l reader . Th e sense is th at the evi lcon sequences , th at have now overtaken th ee . arose even th an wh en theb en eficial counsel s of Vidura were first rejected .
—T.
2 Th e Bengal reading ‘Dwidhab hu ta i s'i s i ncorrect. I t should b e . as
in the Bom b ay text. ‘tr idhab hutai s
'.
-T.
3 In the Benga l texts . ‘tava’ i n th e first l ine i s in correct. It shou ld b e‘tatra
'(Bombay) . -T.
BHISHMA PARVA 239
and l imbs mangled . screaming l ike cranes . began . O king . to fal l down
on the earth . Nakula and Sahadeva f el l upon the (Kau rava) caval ry .
Many steeds w it h gar lands o f g old o n the i r heads and with their necks
and breasts adorned wi th o rnaments of gold . were s een to be sla in in
hundreds a nd thousands . The ear th . O k i ng . was st rewn wi th fall en
steeds . And some were d eprived of the i r tongues and some breathedhard and some u tt ere d low moans . and some were void of l i fe . The
earth looked beau ti ful . O chief of men . with those s teeds of such diverse
kinds . At th e sam e t ime . 0 Bh ara ta . sh e looked fiercely resplenden t .O monarch . with a larg e number of k ings slain by Arj una in tha t battle .
An d s trewn with broken cars and ren t banne rs and br i ll ian t umbrellas.
with torn chamaras and fans . and mighty weapons b roken'
in to fragmen ts .wi th garlands and necklaces of gold . wi th bracel ets . with b eads decked
wi th ea r-r ings . with head-g ears loo sened (f rom o ff heads) . with standards.with beauti ful bot toms of cars . O kin g . and wi th t races and rein s . the
earth shone as br ight ly as she does in sprin g when strewn with flowers.
An d i t was thus . O Bharata . that t he Pandava hos t suffe red destructio n
when Bhishma th e son of San tan u . and Drona t hat foremost of car
war r iors . and Aswa tthaman . an d Kr ipa t and Kri tav arman . were inflamed
wi th wrath . And s im ilarly thy army also suff ered the same kind of
de struct ion when th e ot he r s ide . vi z th e Pandava heroe s wer e exci ted
with rag e ."
SECTION XCI
San jay a said . During the progress, 0 king . of tha t fierce ba ttl e
f raugh t w ith th e slaugh ter of g reat h eroes . Saku n i the g lo rious son of
Suval a . rush ed against the Pandavas . An d so al so , 0 monarch . Hr idika’
s
so n of the Satwata race . tha t slay er of host ile heroes . rush ed i n that
battl e aga ins t the Pandava ranks . An d sm il ing th e wh il e . (severa lwarr iors on thy side) . with a lar ge number of st eeds cons is t in g o f th e bestof th e Kamvo ja breed as al so of t hose born in the country o f the R ivers .and of those belong in g to Atatra and Mah i and S indhu . and of those of
Van ay u al so that were wh i te in hue . and last ly thos e of hi l l y countrie s .surrounded ( the Pandav a a rmy ) . l An d so also wi th horses . exceedin glyswif t. fleet as the very w inds . and belonging to the Ti ttri breed . (Othersencompassed that a rmy) . An d with many horse s . clad in mai l anddecked with gold . the foremost of the i r cla s s and flee t as the winds th emighty son o f Arjuna (v i z .
. Iravat) . tha t slayer of foes . approached the(Kaurava) force . This handsome and val ian t son of Arjuna . namedIravat. was begotten upon the daughte r of the kin g of the Na gas by th e
1 Th ese ver ses are incomplete . I am ob liged to make the parenth etica linterpolation s to make th e sen se clear . Steed s that are described as “Nadi j as
'
would l iterally mean " those born in rivers"
. What that mean s I can notguess . Prob ab ly . th e Pun jab . or some other country watered b y many r iverswas mean t.
—T.
MAHABHARATA"
inte ll i g en t Partha . Her husban d havin g been sl a in b y Gedura . she
became helpl ess.and of chee r less soul . Childless as she was . she was
bes towed (upon Ar juna ) by the high-souled Ai ravat. Par tha accepted
her fo r w i fe.coming to h im as sh e d id under the influence of des i re . I t
was thus tha t that son of Arj una was be gotten upon the w i fe o f anothe r .1
Abandoned by his wicked uncle from hatred of Par tha . he grew up in
th e reg io n of the Nagas . pro t ected by h is moth er . An d he was handsom eand endued with g rea t s treng th . possessed of di v e rse accompl ishment s .and of prowess incapabl e o f be in g baffled . Hear ing t ha t Ar juna had
gon e to the re g ion o f Ind ra . he speed ily wen t th i ther . An d the mig h ty
armed Iravat , possessed of p rowess incapable of being ba ffled .approach ing h is s i re . salu ted him duly . s tandin g befo re him with joi n ed
hands . An d h e in t roduced h imsel f to th e hi gh-souled Arjuna . say in g .’
I
am Iravat. blesse d be thou . and I am th y son . O lord .
’
An d h e rem in d
ed Arjuna o f al l t h e circumstances connected w ith the lat te r’
s m ee t i ng
with h is mother . And thereupon the son of Pand u recollected a l l t hose
circumstances exact ly as they happened . E mbracin g hi s son then who
resembled h imse l f i n accompl ishmen ts . Pa r th a . i n Indra’
s abode . was
fi lled w ith joy . The mighty-armed Irav at t hen . O king . i n the cele s t ia l
re g ions was . O Bhara ta . joy fu l ly'
comm an ded by Ar j una . with regard to
h is own bus i ness . ( i n t h ese words ) .’
When the battl e takes place .assist anc e should be render ed by th ee .
’
Say ing‘
Yes .’
O lo rd . he wen t
away . An d now a t th e t ime of battl e h e presen ted h imsel f. O king .accompanied w i t h a large numbe r of ste ed s o f grea t fleetn ess and
beauti ful colour . An d those ste eds . decked wi th ornaments of go ld . o f
v ar ious colou rs an d exceeding fleetn ess. suddenly coursed ove r th e field .
0 k ing . l ike swan s on the bosom o f the va st deep . An d t hose st eeds
fal l ing upon t hin e o f exceedin g swif tness , s truck their ches t s and nosesagainst those of th ine . Affl ic t ed by their own impetuous c lash (a gainst
th ine ) . they sudden ly fel l down . O kin g . on t he ear th . An d in cou se
qu en ce o f those ste eds a s a l so o f thine occas i oned by that cla sh . loud
sounds were heard resembl ing what occurs a t Gadu ra’
s swoop . And the
r ide r of those s teeds . 0 king . thus dashing aga inst one another in th a t
battle.began to slay one a noth er fiercely . And du ring that general
engagemen t which was fierce and terrible . the cha rgers of both s id es
(escapin g f rom press of bat t l e ) ran wildly away over th e field .
Weakened by one ano t h er’
s sha fts . brave warr iors . with th e i r ho rses
killed under‘
t hem , and th emselve s worn out wi th exert ion . per i shed fas t
sabr ing one another . Then when those cav alry d ivis ions were th inned
and a rem n an t only surv ived . the younger brothers of Su v a l a’
s son .
possessed of grea t wisdom . rode out . O Bh ara ta (from the Kau rava a rray)to the v an of batt l e . mounted on excellent charge s t ha t resembled the
1 L iteral ly. “ in so i l b elong ing to anoth er . The orig inal i s‘
parakshetre .
'-T.
242 MAHABHARATA
Then tho se arms of their s adorned wi th gold . and their WGéDOHS. f ell
down on the earth . and they th emselves , with l imbs mangled . fell down
on . the field . deprived of l i fe . Only Vr i shava . O k in g . with many
wounds on h is person . escaped w ith l i f e from th a t dreadful bat tle
destruc t ive of hero es . Behold in g th em ly ing on th e field of battle . thy
so n Duryodhana . exci ted w it h wra t h sa id u nto that R akshasa o f terr ible
m ien . vi z , R i shyasr i n ga’
s son Al am v u sha ) . tha t grea t bowm an versed
in il lusion . tha t chast ise r o f fo es . wh o bo re feel ing s of animosity aga inst
Bh imasen a i n consequence of the slaughte r of Vaka . these word s :’
Be
hold . O hero , how th e mi ghty son of Pha lgu n i . versed in i l lusion . hathdone me a seve re inj ury by destroy in g my fo rce s . Thou al so . 0 s ire . art
capabl e of goin g everywhere a t wil l and accomp l l sh ed i n al l weapons of
i l lusion . Thou cher ishest animos ity a lso for Pa rtha . The re fore . do thou
slay th i s one i n bat tl e .’
Say ing‘
Yes’
, tha t R akshasa of terrible mien
proceeded with a leon ine roa r to t hat spo t wher e th e m i ghty and youth ful
so n of Ar juna was . An d he w as suppo rted by t he hero ic wa rr io rs of his
own divi s ion . accompl ished in smi t ing. well-mounted . sk il led in batt le
and fighting wi th bri ght lances . Accom pa i n ed by the remnan t of that
excel l ent cav alry d iv is ion of th e Kaura v a s he proceeded , desi rous of
slay in g in bat tle t h e m ighty Iravat . That slayer of foe s . v i z the val iant
Irav at. excited wi th rage . an d a dvancing speed il y from des ir e of slay in g
the 3 0 168710 80 . be gan to resi s t h im . Behold ing him advance. the mighty
R akshasa speedi ly se t h imsel f about fo r d ispla y ing h i s powe rs of i l lusion .
The R akshaaa then created a number o f i l lu si v e cha rger s wh 1ch wereriden by terr ibl e R akshasas armed wi th spear s and axes . Those two
thousand accompl ished sm i ter s advancing w ith rag e ‘
were . however .
soon sen t to the regions of Yama . ( fal l i n g in th e encounte r w ith Iravat’
s
forces) . An d when the fo rce s o f bo th per i sh ed . both of th em . in v incible
in ba ttl e . encounte red each other l ike Vr i tra a n d Va sava . Beholding the
R akshasa, who wa s d ifficul t o f bein g vanquished i n battl e . advancing
towards h im . th e m ighty Iravat. excited wi th rage . be gan to check his
onse t . An d when the R akshasa approach ed h im n ear er . Iravat with his
sword quick ly cu t o ff hi s bow . as al so each of h is sh af t s in to fiv e frag
ments . Seein g h is bow cu t OH. t he R akshasa spe ed i ly rose up into the
welkin . confound ing w i th h i s i l lusion the enraged Iravat . Then Irava t
also . difi cu l t o f approach . capable of assuming any form a t will . and
h av in g a knowledge of wha t a re th e v ital l imbs of th e body . r ising upinto th e welk in . and confound in g with his i l lus ion the R akshasa began
to cut o ff the latter’
s l imbs i n tha t bat t l e and thus wer e the l imbs ofthe R akshasa repea tedly cut in to se v eral pieces . 1 Then t h e R akshasa .
however . O k in g . was te-born . assuming a youth ful appearance . Illusion
1 In the first l in e o f 64 . the true read ing is’
Survamarmaj n a’
. andnot
’
Sarvadharm a1n a’
.—T .
BHISHMA PARVA 243
is natura l with them . and thei r a ge and form ar e both de pendent on
the i r w i l l . An d the l l m b s of t h at R akshasa . 0 king . cut into p ieces .presen ted a beauti ful s i ght . Irava t . ex c i ted wi th rage . re pea tedly cut
tha t m igh ty R akshasa wi th h is sharp axe . Th e brave R akshasa . th us cu t
into piece s l ike a tre e by th e mi ght y Ira v at. roared fiercely . And those
roars of h is became dea fen ing . Man gled w i th the axe . t h e R aksh asa
began to pou r fourth blood in torren ts . The n (Alamvusha ) . the m igh tyson of R i shy a sr i n ga . beholdin g h i s fo e blaz ing fo rth wi th ene rgy . becameinfur iate with rag e and himse l f put forth his prowess i n tha t combat .
Assum in g a prodig ious and fierce form . he endeavoured to seize the
he roic so n of Arjun a . viz . . the r enowned Irav at . In the s ight of al l the
combatant s t h ere presen t . behol d in g tha t i l lus ion o f the wicked
R akshasa in the van o f batt le . Irav a t became - i nflamed with rag e and
adopted steps for hi msel f having recourse to i llus ion . An d when that
hero . nev er re treat ing from bat t le . became inflamed with wrath . a Nagare lated to h im by h i s mothe r
’
s side . came to him . Surrou nded on a l l
sides . i n that ba tt le by Nagas. t hat Naga . 0 king . assumed a huge form
mig h ty as An a n ta himself . With d iverse kinds of Nagas the n b e covered
th e R akshasa . While being covered by those Nagas. t h a t bu l l amongR ak sh asas reflected for a moment , and assumin g the fo rm o f Garuda .
he devoured those sn ake s. When that Na g a of his mother’
s l ine was
devoured through il lus ion . Iravat became confounded . An d wh il e i n
that sta te . t h e R akshasa slew h im with h is sword . Al amvu sha f el l ed on
the earth l ravat’
s h ead decked with ea r-r in g s and graced with a d iademand looking beautiful l ike a lotu s o r the moon .
"When the heroic son of Arj u n a was thus sla in by the R aksh asa .the Dh ar ta ra shtra host with a l l the kings ( i n i t ) were f reed from gr i ef .
In tha t great bat tl e that was so fie rc e . awful was the carnage t hatoccurred among both the d iv is ions . Horses and elephants and foot-sol
d iers en tangle d wi th one anoth e r. were sla in by tuskers . An d many
steeds and tusk ers . were sla in by foot-sold iers . An d.
i n t ha t gene ra l
engagement bodies of foot-sold ie rs and ca rs . and large numbers of horse s
belonging both to thy army and th eir s . were sla in . 0 king , by car .
warr io rs . Meanwhile . Ar juna . no t knowing tha t the so n of h is loins
had been slaugh ter ed . s l ew in that bat tl e many kin g s who had beenprot ect ing Bh i shm a . An d the warriors . 0 king . of thy army and th e
Srin jayas. by thousands . poured ou t the i r l iv es as l iba t ions (on the fire
of bat t l e ) . str ik i ng one anothe r . And many car-warr iors . with di she
ve l l ed ha ir . and with swo rds an d bows fal len f rom the ir grasp foughtwit h the ir bare arm s . encounte r ing one ano the r . The mighty Bh i shmaalso. with sha ft s capable o f penetrat ing in to the v ery V i ta ls . slew manym ighty car-warriors and caused th e Pandava army to t remble ( th e
whi le) . Byh im were sla in many combatants in Yudh ishth ira’
s host. and
244 MAHABHARATA
many tuskers and caval ry-so ld ie rs and car-warr io rs and s teeds . Behold
in g. 0 Bharata . t h e prow ess of Bh ishm a in t h a t battl e . i t se emed to us
that i t was equa l to that o f S ak ra h imse l f . l An d the p rowess o f
Bh imasen a . as a lso tha t o f Pa rshata . was hardly l ess . O Bharata . ( than
that of Bhi shma) . And so a lso th e ba tt le fough t by t hat great bowman
(viz . . Sa ty aki ) of Satwata’
s race . was equal ly fierce .
2 Behold in g . how
ev er . the prowess of Drona . t h e Pandavas were st ruck wi t h fe ar . I ndeed
they though t .’
Alone . Drona can slay u s wi th al l our t roops . What then
should be sa id of h im when he is su rrounded by a large body of warr iors
who for the i r bravery a re re nowned over the wor ld E v en this . 0king . was wha t t h e Partha sa id . affl ict ed by Drona . During the progre ss
of th a t fierc e batt le . O hu l l of Bhara ta’
s race . the brave combatants of
ne ither a rmy forgave th e i r adv er sar i es of the othe r . O sire . th e m ig hty
bowmen of both thy army and t hat o f th e Pandavas . i nflamed with
wrath . fought fur iously w i th on e an othe r. as i f th ey were possessed of
by t he R akshasas and demons . 3 Indeed . he did not see any on e i n t he
bat t le which was so destructive of l i v es and which was consid ered as a
battl e o f the demon s . to take of l i fe .”
SECTION XCII
Dhr itarasht ra said ."Tel l m e . O Senjay a . al l t ha t th e m ighty
Partha d id i n ba t tl e when they heard tha t Iravat had been sla in .
San jaya sa id ."Behold in g Iravat s la i n in ba tt l e . th e R akshasa
Ghato tkacha . th e son of Bhim asen a . u ttere d loud shou ts . And i n co n se
quen ce o f t h e loudness o f tho se roars . th e ear th hav ing th e ocean for
her robes. alon g wi th h er mount a ins and forest s . began to tremblev iolentl y . An d t he welk i n also and the quar te rs bot h cardina l and sub
sidiary . al l t r embled . An d hear ing tho se loud roars o f his . O Bh ara ta .
the th ighs and o th er l imbs of th e t roops began to tremble . an d swea t
also appeared on the i r pe rsons . An d a l l t hy combatants . O kin g . became
cheerless of hear t . An d a l l over th e fie ld th e warr iors stood sti l l . l lke
an el ephant afra id of t he l ion . And the R akshasa . utt er ing those loud
roars resembl ing th e rat t le of thunder . assumin g a te rr ible form . and
wi th a blaz ing spea r upra ised in h and . and surrounded by many bulls
among R akshasa s of fie rce forms armed with d iv ers e weapons . advanced .
excited w it h rage and rese mbling the Destroyer h imse lf a t t he en d of
the Yu ga . Beholdin g h im adv ance in wrath and wi th a ter r ibl e counten an ce . and see ing al so h is own troops almost al l runn in g away fromfear of tha t R akshasa. kin g Duryodhana rushed aga inst Ghato tkacha .
1 Th e second l in e of 87 i s omitted i n some of the Benga l textsa—T.
2 Th e Bom b ay reading of the second li ne of 88 i s vic ious—T.
3 The Bombay reading ‘R akshab hu ta'i s incorrect. Th e instrumental
plural i s the correct reading —T.
246 MAHABHARATA
bow.bi ting hi s (nether ) l ip with his te eth . and l ick ing the corners o f
h is mouth.cov ered Duryodhana wi th a pro fuse showe r . l ike a mass of
clouds cov e ri ng th e m ounta in-breas t w ith torr en ts o f ra in i n the ra in y
SE CTION XCIII
San jay a sa id . -"Tha t arrowy showe r . d ifficul t of being born e by
even th e Da navas . k i n g Duryodhana . however . (qui e tly ) bore i n tha t
batt le . l ike a g i gan t ic e le phan t bearing a showe r ( f rom the Then
fil l ed wi t h anger and sighing l ike a sn ake . th y son . 0 hu l l of Bhara ta’
s
race . was p laced i n a posi t ion o f g rea t dange r . He then shot five and
twenty sha rp a rrows of keen point s . Th ese . O king . fe l l w ith grea t force
on tha t bull among Rakshasas. l ike angry snakes o f v i rul en t poison on
th e breast o f Gan dham adan a . Pierced w ith t hose sha f ts . blood tr ickled
down the R akshasa’
s body an d he looked l ike a n elephan t w i th ren t.
temp l es.a Ther eupon that cann iba l se t h i s hea rt upon the d es truction
of the (Kuru ) k ing . And he took up a huge dart tha t was capable o f
piercing even a moun ta in . Blazing wi t h l i g h t . efl'
u l gen t a s a large
meteo r . i t flamed with rad iance l ike the l ightn i n g i t se l f . An d the
m ighty-a i med Ghato tkacha . des i rous o f slay ing thy so n . ra ised tha t dart .
Behold ing tha t dart upra ised . th e rule r of th e Van g as mounting upon
an el ephant huge as a h il l . drove towards th e R akshasa . On the fie ld of
bat tle . with the m ighty e le phan t of g reat speed . Bhagada tta p laced h imsel f i n the very f ron t o f Du ryodh ana
’
s car . An d with tha t eleph ant b e
comple tel y shrouded the car of t hy son . Beholdi ng t hen the way (to
Duryodhana ’ s car ) thus cove red by the in t e l l igent kin g o f the Vange s .th e eyes o f Gho tatkach a . O kin g . became red in an ge r . An d b e ruled
that huge dar t . before upra i sed . a t tha t el ephant . S t ruck . 0 kin g . with
that dar t hurled from t he a rms of Gha to tkacha . th at el e phant . cove red
w ith b lood and in g rea t agony . f el l down and d ied . The mighty k ing of
theVange s . however . quickly j umping down from that e l eph an t . al i ght
ed o n t he ground . Duryodhana then . beholding th e pr ince o f ele phant s
slam and see ing also his troops broken and g i v ing way . was fil l ed w i th
an gu 1sh . From regard . howeve r . fo r a Kshatr iya’
s du ty ‘ as a l so his
own pr ide . the k ing . though defea ted . s tood fi r m l ike a h il l . F i lled wi th
wrath and a im ing a sharp arrow that resembled the Yug a fire in energy .
he sped i t a t that fierc e wandere r of the n ight . Beholding tha t ar row.blazing as Indra
’
s bolt . thus cours in g towards h im . t h e h igh-soul ed
1 Th e la st verse consi sts of th ree lines . I t ought,however . to b e taken
a s a sloka an d a h a lf. - T.
2 Th e la st word of th e second l ine i s variously read . The Benga l readi n g i s
‘Ma hadwi jas'probably imp lyin g ‘Garuda ,
’
th e prince of bird s . I haveadopted th e Bomb ay readin g —T.
3 i . e . . with tempora l juice trick li n g down —T.
4 The duty consisted i n n ot retrea ting from the field .—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
Ghatotkacha baffled i t by the cel er i ty o f h i s mov em ents . With eyes
red in wra th . he once more shouted fie rcely . fr i gh tening al l thy t roops .
l ike th e clouds that appear a t the end o f th e Yug a . Hearing those
fierce roars of th e t er r ible R aksha sa , Bh i shm a the son o f San tan u .
approach ing th e preceptor . sa i d the se words ,’
These fierce roars tha t
are hea rd . u t tered by R akshasa s . wi thout doub t indica te that Hidim va’
s
son i s bat tl ing wi th k ing Duryodhana . That R aksh asa i s incapable of
be ing vanqu i shed in bat tl e by any crea ture . Therefor e . blessed be
ye . go th i th er and protect th e k ing . The ble ssed Duryodhan a hath been
attacked b y'
the h igh-soule d R ak shasa . Th ere fore . ye chasti se r s of
foes . ev en this i s our highes t duty .
” Hea r in g th ose words of the
grandsire,those m ighty ca r-warr iors without loss o f t im e and with th e
utmost spe ed . proceeded to th e spot where the k ing o f the Kurus was .
They met Duryodhana an d Som ada tta and Va lh ika and Jayadratha
and Kr ipa and Bhur i srav a s and Sal ya . and the two princes of Avan t 1
along with Vri hadval a . an d Aswattham an and Vikarna . and Chi tra
sena a nd V iv in sati . An d many thousands of other car-warr iors .i nclud ing al l t hose that fol lowed them . proce eded . d esirou s of rescuing
thy son Duryodhana who h ad bee n hotly pressed . Behold ing thati nv i ncible d i v i sio n pro tec t ed by t hose m igh ty car-warrio r s . com ing
towards h im wi t h host i l e in ten tions . th at best of R akshasas . v i z . . the
mighty-armed Ghato tkacha . stood firm l ike the Maimaka mountain .with a huge bow in hand . and surrounded by hi s kinsm en arm ed with
clubs and mal le ts and d iv erse other k inds o f weapons . Th en commenced
a fierce battle . mak i ng the ha i r to stand on end . be tween those
R akshasas on the on e side and that foremost of Duryodhana’
s d iv is ions
on the other . An d the loud noise of twang ing bows i n that bat t l e washeard . 0 king . on all s id es r esembl in g the no ise made by burn in g bamboos . And the din produced by the weapon s fa l l in g upo n the coats of
mail of t he combatan ts re sembled . 0 king . the no i se of spl i t ting hil ls .And the lances . O monarch . hurled by heroic a rms . whi le cours in g
through the welkin . looked l ike darting snakes . Then . exci ted with
g reat wrath and drawing h is g igant ic how. th e m ighty-armed princeo f the R aksha sas . utter ing a loud roar . cut off . with a cre scent-sh aped
arrow . the preceptor’
s bow in a rage . And ov e r throwing . with anothe r
broad-headed ar row . the standard of Som adatta . he utt e red a loud y ell .
An d he p ierced Va l h ika with th ree shaf ts i n the centre of the ches t .An d he p i erced Kr ipa with one arrow . and Chi trasen a with thre e . An d
with ano ther arrow . well-armed and well-sped from his bow drawn to
i ts ful l est st re tch . he struck Vikarna at the shoulde r-join t . Thereupon
the latt e r . co v e red with gore . sa t down on th e terrace of h is car . Then
1 i .e. . th e rescue of the k in g .- T .
MAHABHARATA
t ha t R aksha sa o f imm easurable soul . exc i ted w it h rage . O hu l l o f
Bharata’
s race . sped at Bhu ri sravas five and te n sha f ts . These . pene
tracing through th e la t ter’
s armour . en ter ed the ear th . He then struck
the charriot of Viv in gsati and Aswattham an . These fe l l down on th e
fron t of t he ir cars . rel inqu ish i ng th e re i n s of the s teed s . With ano the r
crescen t-shaped shaft he over threw the s tandard of Jayadratha bearin gthe dev ice o f a boar and deck ed wi th gold . An d with a second arrow
he cut 0 3 the la t t e r’
s bow . An d wit h eyes red i n wra th . he slew with
four shaf ts the four st e eds of the high-souled kin g o f Avant i . An d with
another arrow . 0 king . well-tempered and sha rp . and shot f rom his
bow drawn to i ts ful les t st re tch . he p 1e rced king Vrihadv a l a . Deeply
pierced and exce ed in gly pa ined . the l a tter sat down on the ter race o f
his car . F1 l l ed wi th grea t wra th and sea ted on h i s ca r . t h e prince ofthe R akshasas t hen shot many brig h t a r rows of keen poin t s t ha t resem
bled snakes o f v irulent po ison . These . 0 king. succeed ed in piercin g Salya
accompl ished in bat tl e .
SECTION XCIV
San jaya sa id . Hav ing in tha t bat t le made al l those war r iors (of thyarmy) turn the i r faces from th e field . the R akshasa then . O ch ie f of the
Bharatas . rushed at Duryodhana . des i rous o f sl ay in g him . Beholding him
rushin g with gr ea t impetuosi ty towards the king . many warr io rs of thy
army . i ncapable of d efeat in battl e . rushed towards h im ( i n re turn ) from
des ire of slay in g h im . Those mighty car-warr ior s . draw in g the i r bowsthat measu red ful l six cubits long. an d u t ter ing loud roars l ike a he rd o f
l ions . al l rushed toge t her ag a i n s t t ha t s ingl e war r ior . An d sur rounding
him on al l s ides . t hey cov ered h im with the i r a r rowy showers l ike the
clouds cov er ing t h e mountain-breas t wi th to rre nts o f r a in i n autumn .
Deeply pierced wi th those arrows and m uch pa ined . h e res embled th en
an elephant pierced wi th the hook . Quick l y then h e soared up into thefirm am en t l 1ke Garuda . An d (whil e t he re ) he u tter ed many loud roars
l ike the autumnal clouds . making t h e we lkin and a l l t he poin ts o f the
compass . cardmal and subs id iary . resounded w i th those fierce cr ie s .
Hear in g those roars of the R aksha sa . O chie f of t h e Bhara tas . king
Yudhish th ira then . ad dre ss ing Bhima . said unto tha t chast i ser of fo es
these words .’
The no i se th a t we he ar utte red by th e fierce ly-roa r in g
R ak shasa. without doubt . i nd ica tes t hat he i s ba t t l in g with the mightycar-warriors of the Dharta rash tra army . I s ee also that the burden
has prov ed heav ier than what that bul l a mong R akshasas i s able to hear.
The g randsi r e . to o . excited wi t h rage . i s r ea dy to slaughter th e Pan cha las.
For protect ing t hem Pha lgu n i i s ba ttl in g with the foe . O thou ofm ighty arms he aring n ow of th ese two ta sks . bo th of which demand
prompt attent ion . go and g ive succour to Hidimva’
s so n who i s placed in
250.
MAHABHARATA
reg ions) . And there flowed a r ive r whos e current con sist e d of the blood
of elephants and steeds and men . An d th e ha i r (o f the combatan ts)formed i ts weeds and moss . An d i n t h a t batt l e head s fal l in g from the
trunks of men made a loud no i se l ike that of a fa l l i ng shower of stones .
And the ear th was st rewn wi th the head l ess t runks of h uman be ings .
wit h mangl ed bod i e s o f e le pha n ts and w i th the hacked limbs of ste eds .
And mighty car-warr io rs chased one another for smit in g one ano th erdown . and hurled d iv e rse kinds of weapons . S teeds . urged by t he ir
r iders and f a ll i n g upon s teeds . da sh ed aga in s t one another and fel l down
depriv ed of l i fe . An d men , wi th ey es r ed in wrath . rushin g a gainst m en
and str iking one anoth er wi th the ir chests . smote one anoth er down .
An d e lephan t s . urged by the i r gui des aga inst host i l e elephan ts . s lew
the ir compeers in tha t bat tl e . wit h the points of the i r tusks . Covered
with blood in consequence of thei r wounds and decked with s tandards
on their backs el epha nts w ere enta ngle d with e leph ants a nd looked
l ike masse s o f clouds charged wi th h ghtn i n g . An d some amongs t t hem
moun ted (by other s) with th e points o f t h e i r tu sks . and some with
thei r fronta l g lobes spl i t w i th la nces . ra n h i th e r and th i ther w ith loud
sh rieks l ike masses of roa rin g c loud s . An d some amon gs t them with
the i r t r unks lopped o ff .‘ and ot h e rs w i th mangl ed l imbs . dropped
down in that d readtu l ba tt le l 1ke moun ta i ns shorn of the i r win gs ":Other huge e le pha nt s . cop iously sheddmg blood from the i r flanks .
ripped open by com peers , looked l ike m oun ta ins wi th ( l iq u i fied) red
chalk runn ing down the i r sides af t e r a shower Others . s la in wi th
sha f ts or pi erced wi th lances and deprive d o f the i r r i d ers . l ooked l ikemountains depri v ed of the i r cres t s . 4 Some amongst t hem . posse ssed by
wrat h and bl inded w it h fury i n consequence o f the j u ice trickl ing
down th ei r tem ple s and che eks and no longer r estra ined with the
hook . crushed ca r s a nd s teeds and foo t-so ld i e rs i n that batt le byhundreds . And so s teed s . a ttacked by horsemen wi th bearded dart s
and lances . ru sh ed aga inst t h e i r assa i l an ts. as i f ag itat in g the point s
1 L itera lly . ‘devi ded in twin’
.—T.
2 Mounta in s . i n Hindu m yth o logy . had win g s . ti l l th ey were shorn ofthese by Indra with h i s thun der . Only Ma i n aka . th e son of Himavat.saved h im se lf by a time ly flig ht . To th i s day h e con ceal s h im self withinth e ocean .
3 Th e Ben ga l readin g of th e fir st l in e of th i s verse i s vicious . Th e truereadin g i s ‘
parswa i studari ta i ran y e .
’
Both ‘par sa ’
an d ‘dar ita ’ s hould b e (ash ere) in th e in strum en tal plura l. an d ‘
anye ’ sh ould b e in the n om . plural .—T.
4 Th e Bom b ay readin g of th e s econd l ine i s vic iou s . Th e correct readm g . a s settled b y th e Bu rdwan Pun dits , i s
‘Hataroha vyodr i syan ta .
’
Sometexts have ‘Hayaroh a
’ wh ich i s incorrect. —T5 "Blin ded cheek s Th e Sanskrit word 1s -‘m adan dha L iterally ren
dered . 1t wou ld be “
j uice-bl in d .
"Th is can scarcely b e 1 n tel l i g i b l e to th e
g en
sra l
T
E urOpean reader . Hen ce th e long-winded adj ectiva l clause I haveu se
BHISHMA PARVA
of the compass . Car-warrio rs of nobl e parentage and prepared to lay
down thei r l iv es . encounte r in g car-warr iors . fough t fearle ssly . relyingupon the i r utmost migh t . The comba tan ts . 0 king . seekin g glory orheaven . s truck one anothe r in tha t aw ful pre ss . as i f in a marriage
by sel f-cho ice . Dur ing howeve r . that dread ful bat tl e makin g the hai r
s tand on end . the Dhartarash tra t r oops ge nera l ly wer e made to run
the ir backs on the fi eld .
”
SECTION XCV
Sen j ay a said . Beholding h is ow n troops sl a in . k ing Duryodhana
then exci ted with wrat h . rush ed towards Bh imasen a . tha t cha st iser of
foes . Taking up a large bow whose eflu lg en ce resembled tha t o f Indra’
s
bo l t . he cov ered the son of Pandu with a th ick shower o f arrows . An d
fi ll ed w ith ra ge . and aim ing a sharp crescen t-sh aped shaf t winged w ith
feathers . h e cut ofl Bh im asen a’
s b ow . An d that migh ty car-warrior .noticing an opportun i ty . quickly a imed a t his adversary a whet ted sha f t
capable of r iv ing t h e very h il ls . With that (sha ft ) . tha t mighty-armed
(warr ior ) st ruck Bh ima sen a in the chest . Deeply pi erced with that
arrow . and exceed ing ly pa ined . and lick ing t h e corners of hi s mouth .Bh imasen a of g rea t energy caugh t ho ld of h is flag-stafl decked w i th gold .
Behold ing Bh im asen a in tha t ch eerl ess sta te . Ghato tkacha blazed up
with wrath l ike an a ll-con sumin g co nflag rati on . Th en many mighty
car-warr iors of the Pandava army . headed by Abhiman y u and with
wrath genera ted ( i n th ei r bosoms) , rushed a t the king shouting loudly .
Beholding them ( th us) adv ancing (to the figh t) fi l led w i th wrath an d in
grea t fury . Bha radwaj a’
s son address in g the mighty car-warr io rs (o f
thy s id e) . sa id these words .—'Go quickly . blessed be y e . and pro tect the
king . S i nkin g in an ocean o f d is tress . he is placed i n a s itu at ion of grea tdanger . These mi gh ty car-warriors of the Pandava army . these g rea t
bowmen.p lac ing Bh imasen a at thei r head . are rush ing towards Du ryo .
dhana . shootin g and hur l ing d iverse k inds of weapons . resolved
upon winn in g success . utt er i n g terr ibl e shouts . and fr i gh ten in g th e
kings (on your Hea r in g t h ese words of the precepto r . many
warriors of thy s id e headed by Som adatta rushe d upon t h e Pandavaranks. Kripa and Bhu risravas and Salya . and Drona
’
s son and Viv in gsat i . and Ch i trasen a and V ikarna . and the rule r o f the Si ndhus. and
Vr i hadval a. and those two mighty bowmen . vi z the two princes of
Avanti . surrounded th e Kuru king . Advancing only twen ty steps.the
Pandavas and t h e Dhartarashtra s began to str ike . desi rous of slaugh te r
ing each other . The migh ty-armed so n of Bharadwaja a lso . having said
those words (unto th e Dha rtarashtra warr iors) . streched h is own lar gebow and pierced Bhim a with six an d twenty arrows . And once a ga in
that mighty car-warr ior speedi ly covered Bh imasen a with a showe r of
259 MAHABHARATA
arrows 1lke a mass of clouds dropping torrents o f rain on the mounta in
breasts in the ra iny sea son . Tha t mi ghty bowman Bh imasen a . however .
of grea t st rength . speed i ly p ierced h im in r eturn w ith ten shaf ts on the
lef t s ide . Deeply p ierced wi th those arrows and exce edingly pain ed . O
Bhara ta . t h e precepto r . enfeebled as he i s wi th age . suddenly sa t down
o n th e terrace of h is car . depr iv ed o f consc iousness . Behold ing h im
thus pained . king Du ryodhana h imsel f . and Aswattham an al so . excited
with wrath. bot h ru shed’
towards Bh imasen a . Beholding those two
warr iors advance . each like Yama a s h e shows h im sel f a t t he end of
the Yugo , the m igh ty-arm ed Bh imasen a . qu ickly tak in g up a mace . and
j umpin g down f rom h i s car wi thou t loss of t ime . stood immovable
l ike a h i ll . with that heavy mace r esembl ing th e'very club of Yama .
upra ise d in batt le . Behold i ng him with mac e ( thus) upra i sed and look
in g (on tha t accoun t) like the crested Kailasa . both th e Kuru kin g andDrona’ s son rushed toward s him . Then the m ighty Bhimase n a himsel f
rush ed impetuously a t those two fo r emo st o f m en thus rushin g tog e ther
towards him w ith grea t spee d . Behol ding h im thus rushin g i n fury
and wi th t errible expre s sion of face . many m igh ty car-warriors o f t he
Kau rava army speed 1 ly proceeded toward s him . Those ca r-warriors
headed by Bharadwaja’
s so n . im pel led by the des ire of s laughte r ing
Bhim ase n a . hurled a t hi s breast div e rse ki nd s of weapons . and thus al l
of them to get h er afll icted Bh ima from a l l s ides . Behold ing that m ighty
car-warr ior thus afll icted and placed in a si tua t ion of g re at per i l . ma ny
m ighty car-warr iors of the Pandava army . h ead ed by Ab h im an y u .and
prepared to lay down dear l if e i t se l f . rushed to the spo t . des irous o f
r e scuing h im . Th e heroic ruler of th e l ow country . the dear fr iend of
Bhima . vi z Nila . look ing l ike a m ass of blue clouds . rushed a t Drona’ s
son . fill ed w ith wrath . A g rea t bowman . N ila alway s d e s ir ed an
encounter w i th Drona’
s son . Draw in g h i s l a rge ho w .he pierced th e
son of Dron a with many winged arrows . l ike Sakra in days of old . 0n g . pie rcing the inv incible Dan ava V i prach itti . tha t ter ror of the
ce lest ia l s . who . moved by an ge r fr ight ened th e three worlds by hisenergy . Pierced af ter the sam e way by N ila wi th his well-sho t ,
a rrows
winged with fea th ers . Drona’
s son . cov ered with blood an d exceed ing ly
pa ined . was fi l led wi th wrath . Drawin g then h is la rge how.of twang
loud as the roar of Indra’
s thunder . tha t fo remost of in te l l ig en t persons
se t h is h ear t upon the des truct ion of N i la . Aim ing then a few bright
shaf ts o f b’
road heads and sharpened by the hands of the i r fo rger.he
slew the four steeds of his adversary and over th rew also h is standard .An d with the seventh shaf t he pierced Ni l a h imself i n t he chest . Deeply
p ierced and exceedin g ly pa in ed . he sat down on the terrace of h i s car .Beholding king Nila . who looked l ike a mass o f blue clouds
.in a swoon
.
Ghato rkacha . fil l ed wi th wrath and sur rounded by his kin smen.rushed
MAHABHARATA
myse l f . obedi en t to thy command . O chasti se r of foe s . O tiger among
the Bharatas . though thus s i tuated . yet have I been d efea ted in to battle
by the Pandava warr iors he ad ed by Bh imase n a r ely ing upon Ghatot
kacha . I t i s th i s th a t consum e th m y l imbs l ik e fire consumi ng dry
t ree . O blessed one . O chast iser of foe s . I therefore . des ir e . through
thy grace . O grandsi re . to slay Gha to tkacha mysel f . t ha t worst of
R akshasas. rely ing upon th y in v incible sel f . I t b ehov eth thee to se e
tha t w ish of mine may be fu lfil l ed’
. Hearing these words of t h e k ing .that foremost one among th e Bhara ta s . v iz . . Bh ishma . the son o f
San tan u . sa id these words unto Duryodhana .'L ist en . O king . to these
words of m in e that I say unto the e . O thou of Kuru’
s race , about the
way in which tho u . O chast i s er of fo e s . shou ldst a lways beh ave . One’
s
own self . unde r a l l c ircumstances . should be protec ted in bat tl e . 0
represso r of foes . Thou shou lds t always . O sin less one . ba t t l e with
king Yudhishth i ra—th e j ust . or with Arjuna . or wit h the twins . or wi th
Bhimasen a . Keep in g the duty of a king be fo re h imself. a k ing strike th
a king . Myself . a nd Drona . and Kr ipa . and Drona’
s so n . and Kri te
varman o f the Satwa ra race . and Salya . and Somadatta’
s so n'
. and tha t
m ighty car-warr ior Vikarna . and thy h ero ic broth ers h ead ed by Dusse
sana . will al l . for thy sake . battl e a ga in st tha t mi ghty R akshasas , Or (if
thy gr ief on account of tha t fi erce pr ince of the R akshasas be too grea t .
le t t h is o ne proceed in ba t t l e aga inst th a t wick ed warr ior . tha t i s to
say . king Bh agadatta who i s equal unto Pu ran dara himself in fi gh t’
.
Hav in g sa id th is much unto the kin g . the g rands i r e skilled in speech
then addressed Bhagada tta in the presence o f the (Kuru) king . say ing .Proceed quickly . 0 grea t monarch , aga ins t tha t inv inc ible warrior . vi z . ,
the son of Hidimv a . R es is t 1 n ba t t l e . wi th care . and m v iew of all the
bowmen . that R akshasa o f crue l de ed s . l ike Ind ra i n days o f old resist in g
Taraka . Th y weapons a re celes t ial . Thy prowess a l so i s great . O
chast iser of foe s . In days o f old many have been the encount er s that
thou h adst wi th Asum . O tige r among k ings . thou ar t tha t R akshaaa’s
match in great battl e . S t rongly suppor ted by thy own t roops . s lay . 0
king . tha t bul l amon g R aksha sas'. Hear in g thes e word s of Bh ishma t he
general issimo (of the Kau rav a arm y ) . Bhagada tta specially se t out w ith
a leon ine roa r facing the rank s o f th e foe . Behold ing h im advance
towards t hem lik e a mass o f roar ing clouds . many mighty ca r-warr iorsof the Pandava army proceeded aga in st h im . i nflam ed wi th wrath . They
were Bh im asen a . and Ab h im an yu . and th e R akshasa Gha to tkacha and
the sons of Drau padi . and Stay adh ri ti . and Kshatradeva . O sire . and
the ruler s of the Ched is . an d Va sudan a’
. and the king o f the Dasarn as .
Bhagada tta then . on h i s e l ephant named Su pratika . rushe d against them .
Then commenced a fierce and awful battl e between the Pandavas and
Bhagadatta . that increased the popula t ion o f Yama’
s k in gdom . Shaf ts
BHISHMA PARVA 256
of terr ible ene rgy and great impe tuousi ty “ shot by car-warr iors . fel l . O
king . on elephants and cars . Huge ele phants wi th ren t temples and
t rained (to the fight ) by the ir guides . approach i n g fell upon one anoth e rfearle s sl y . Bl ind with fury in consequence of t h e tempora l j u ice
trickl ing down th eir bodies . and excited with rage . at tacking one
anothe r with th e i r tusks re sembl ing stout bludgeons.they pierced one
another wit h the poin ts o f those weapons . l Graced wi th excel len t ta il s .and r idd en by warr iors armed w i th lances . s te eds . urged by those riders
fel l fea rlessly and wi th g rea t impe tuousi ty upon one another . And
foot-sold i ers . at tacked by bod ies of foo t-so ld i e rs with da rts and lance s .fe l l down on the ear th by hund r eds and thou sand s . An d car-warr iors
upon the i r cars.s l augh te ring he ro ic adversar ie s i n th at bat tle by means
of barbed ar rows an d muskets and shaft s . utter ed leon ine shou ts . 2 An d
during the p rogress of the batt l e mak in g the ha ir to stand on end . tha t
grea t bowm an . v i z Bhagada tta . rush ed towards Bhimase n a , on his
elephant of rent temples a nd with juice t rickling down in seven curr en ts
and resembl in g (on tha t account) a mounta in with ( a s many ril l e ts
flowin g down i t s brea st after a showe r . And he came . 0 sin le ss one .scat t erin g thousands of a rrows from the head o f Supratika (wh ereon he
stood ) l ike the i llustrious Purandara himsel f on h is A irava ta . K ing
Bhagada tta a ffl ic ted Bhimasen a wi th tha t ar rowy shower l ike the cloud safflict ing the moun ta i n breast w ith to rren ts of ra in on the expi ry of
summer . That m ighty bowman Bh imasen a , however . exci ted with rage .slew by his arrowy showers the combatants numbe r i n g more than a
hundred.tha t pro tec ted the flanks an d rear of Bhagadatta .
8Beholding
them sla in.the val iant. Bhagadatta . fi l led w ith rage . urg ed h is prince of
elephants towards Bh im asen a’
s car . That el ephan t . th us urged by him .
rushed impetuously l ike an arrow propelled from the bowstrin g towards
Bhimasen a .tha t chast i se r o f foes . Behold ing tha t e lephan t advancing .
the m ighty car-warr iors of the Pandava.
army . p lac i i i go
Bh imasen a att hei r head
.themse lves ru shed towards i t . Those warr iors were
‘
the
1 Th e first li ne i s evidently pleon a stic . Sanskrit . however , bein g vary0 0piou s . repeti tions can scarcely b e marked at the fir st g lan ce . L iterally
A ”rendered . th e orig ina l i s—"J n i ce-b l in d an d exc ited with rage . J u i
’
oe
b l iml .’ I h ave expla in ed elsewhere .—T .
2 The word I render “ mu skets”
i s ‘n s l i ka
’
sometime ago th e Bharata (aBen gal i periodi ca l of Calcutta edited by Bab u Dwi j en dra Nath Tagore) in apaper on Hindu weapon s of warfare from certa i n quotation s from th e
R amayan a an d the Ma h ab harata . argued th at the‘n a l i ka
'must have been
some k in d of mu sket vomitin g b u l let s of iron i n con sequen ce of some k indof explo sive force. Th e R i s h i s di scouraged u se o f
‘n a l ikas
’
. declarin g th emto be b arb arou s an d fit on ly for kin g s th at would come in the K al i ag e —T.
3 ‘P adarak shan'l i t
,those th at protected th e feet (for any warrior of
n ote) . These a lway s stood at th e flanks an d rear of th e warrior they pro .
tected .In th e ca se of car-warriors
'th ese were called '
chakra-raksh a s'
( protectors of th e wheel s ) . 8 0 we h ave ‘Parshn i-rak shas’
an d Pri shata
rat GiB’
. &0 0—To
MAHABHARATA
(five ) Kekaya pr i nces . and Abh iman yu . and the (fiv e ) sons of Draupad i
and the heroic ruler of the Dasarn as . an d Kshatradev a a lso . O sir e . and
the rul er of th e Chedi s. and Ch i trake tu . An d al l th ese mighty warrio rs
came.i nflamed wi th anger . and exhibi t in g th ei r excel len t cele st i a l
weapons . An d they a l l su rrounded in anger that s ingl e elephan t (on
which th e i r adver sary rode) . Pie rced w ith many shafts . that hu geele phant . covered wi th gor e flowing from his wounds . looked resplenden t
l ike a pr i n ce o f mounta in va r ieg ated wi th (l iqu ified) red cha lk (afte r a
shower ) . Th e rul er of th e Dasarn as t hen . on an e lephant th a t resembled
a moun ta in . rush ed towards Bhagada tta’
s elephan t . Tha t prince of
ele ph ants . however . v i z . . Su pra tika . bore ( th e ru sh of ) tha t advan cm gcompeer l ike the co n t inen t bea r ing (the rush o f ) the su r g ing sea .
Behold ing th a t e lephant o f the h igh souled k ing o f t h e Dasarn as thus
res isted . even t he Pandav a troops . applaudin g . c ri ed out‘
Excel lent .
exce l lent l’
The n tha t bes t of k in gs . v i z . . the ruler o f the Pragyotishas .
excited wi t h rage , sped fou r and t en lance s a t that e lephant . These .
speed i ly pene t rat in g through the exce l len t armou r . decked wi th g o ld .that covered the an im al
’
s body . e n te r ed i n to i t , l ike snakes en te ring
ant-hi l l s . Deeply p i reced and exceed in g l y pained . tha t e l ephan t . O
chief o f the Bha ra tas . i t s fury quel l ed . speed i ly turned back with grea t
force . An d i t fled awa i ith g rea t swif tness . u ttern i n g f r i ghtfu l shrieks .and crush ing th e Pandava rank s l ik e the tempes t crush i n g t ree s With
i ts violence . Af te r tha t elephant was ( thus ) vanquished . the m ighty
car-warr io rs o f t he Pandava army . u t te r ing loud l eonin e shouts.approached fo r ba t t le . Placing Bh ima a t the i r head , they rush ed a t
Bhagadatta scat ter ing d iv erse k inds of arrows and d iver se k inds of wea
pons . Heari n g the fie rce shouts . O k i ng . of those advancing warr iorsswel l ing wi th rage and ven g eance . tha t grea t bowman Bhagadatta .
fil led wi th rage and per fectly fear l ess. urged his own elephan t . Th a t
prince of elephants then . thu s urged wi th . the hook and t he to e . soon
a ssumed the form of the (a ll -dest ruct i v e) S amvarta fi re ( th a t appear s a t
the end o f the Yuga ) , Crushing c rowds of cars and (hos ti l e) compeersand steeds with r iders . i n tha t ba tt l e . i t beg an . O k ing . to turn h it her
and thither . Filled wi th ra g e i t also crush ed foot-so ld ie rs by hundreds
and thousands . At tacked an d agi ta ted by t hat e le phan t . that l ar g e
force of the Pandavas shra nk in d im e n sions . O ki n g . l ik e a piece of
leather exposed to the hea t of fire . Behold ing . t hen the Panda v a array
broken b y the inte l l ig ent Bhagada tta . Ghato tkacha . of fie rce m ien . 0
king . wi th blazing face and eyes r ed a s fi re . fi l l ed wi th rage . r ush ed
towards h im . Assumin g a terr ible fo rm and burnin g with wra th . he
took up a br i gh t dar t capable of r iving th e ve ry hill s . Endued wi th
grea t s tren gth . he forc ibly h ur led t h a t dar t tha t em i t ted blaz ing flamesf rom every par t des i rous of slay ing that elephan t . Behold ing i t cours ing
ass MAHABHARATA
en gaged in ba t t le . th a t son of Pandu quickly commenced to fight . pro
fuse l y scatter ing h is shaf ts . O ch ief of the Bharatas . Then tha t m ighty
car-warr ior.viz . . king Duryodhana . speed il y urge d on a d iv ision of his
troops abounding with car s and ele ph an ts . Towards tha t mighty division
of th e Kauravas thus advancing with im petuos ity . Arj una of wh ites te eds rushed with great impetuos i t y . Bhagadatta al so . upon tha t
elephan t of h is. 0 Bharata . crush ing th e Pandav a ranks . rushed towards
Yudhishth i ra . Then commenced a fierce bat tl e betw een Bhagadatta . O
sir e.and th e Pan cha l as . the S ri n jay as . and the Kekayas. with upra ised
weapons . The n Bhim asen a . i n tha t battl e to ld bo th Kesava and Arj una
i n detail about th e sl aught er of Irav at as i t had occur red .
”
SECTION XCVI I
Sanjays sa id . Hear ing th at his son Iravat had been sla in . Dhanan
jaya was fi l led wit h grea t g r ief an d s ighed l ike a snak e . And address ing
Vasava in the m idst of bat t le . he sa id these words .’W i thout doubt
.
t h e high-sou l ed Vidura of g reat w isdom had be fore s een (wi th h i smind
’
s eye ) th is aw ful d est ructio n o f th e“ Kurus and the Pandavas . I t
was for th is that he forbade kin g Dhr ita ra sh tra .
‘ In th is bat tle. 0
slayer of Madhu .'
many o ther h eroes hav e been sla in by the Kan tay a
and m any amongst the Kaura vas have sim i la rly been s la in by ours elves .
0 bes t of men . for th e sake of weal th v i le ac ts a re bein g done . Fie
upon that weal th for th e sake of wh ich such slaughte r of k insmen isbe ing pe rpe tra ted . For h im tha t ha th no weal th . even death would
be be tter t han t he acqu i si t ion o f weal th by the slaughter of kinsmen .
What . O Krishna . shal l we ga i n by slaying our assembled kinsmen ?Alas . fo r Duryodhana
’
s fa ul t . and al so of Sako ni t he son of Suva la .as
also through the ev il counse ls of Karna . t h e Ksha triy a race is being
ext erm inated . O slay er of Madhu . I now unde rstand . O migh ty-armed
one . tha t the king ac t ed wise ly by beg g ing of Suyodhan a2 only ha lf t h e
kingdom . o r . i ns tead . only fiv e v il l ages . Ala s . e ven th a t was no t g rant
ed by that wicked-soul ed wight . Beholding so many bra v e Kshatriya s
ly ing (dead ) on the field of bat tl e . I censure my sel f . (say in g ) fie upon
the profess ion of a Ksha tr iya . The Kshat r iya s w il l regard m e powerlessin bat tl e . Fo r th i s a lone . I am ba ttl in g . E lse . 0 slay er o f Madh u .
this batt l e w i th kinsmen i s d istaste ful to U r g e th e s teeds on wi th
speed towards the Dhartarash tra a rmy . I wil l . wi th my two arms . reach
the o the r shore of th is ocea n of ba tt le tha t i s so difficul t to cross . Th ere
1 In the.
first l ine of th e 3rd verse . th e Benga l reading i s ‘b hayam .
’
Th e true readin g . h owever . i s ‘kh ayam .
'—T .
2 In th e second l in e of 8th . for th e Ben ga l readin g , 'yachaym asa
y odh an am’
th e Bomb ay readin g i s ‘
y achtacha Suy odhan am .
’
Th is i s b etter.Th e Bengal readin g has n o mean i n g —T.
BHISHMA PARVA
is no t ime . 0 Madhava . to l ose in act ion’
. Thus addre ssed by Parth a .
Kesava . that slayer o f host i l e he roes . u rged t hose st eeds of white hue
endued wi th th e speed of the wind . Th en . 0 Bharata . loud was the
no ise tha t was heard among thy troops . r esembl ing that of the ocean
itsel f a t ful l t id e when ag i ta ted by t he tempest . l I n the a f ternoon . O
king . the bat tl e t ha t ensued betwe en Bh i shm a an d the Pandavas was
marked by noise tha t resembled the roar of the cloud s . Then . O kin g .
thy sons . surround in g Drona l ike t he Vaso s sur round ing Va sava . rushed
in batt l e against Bh im asen a . Then San tan u’
s son . Bhishma . a nd that
foremost of car-wa rrio rs . viz Kr ipa . and Bhagada tta . and Su sarman . all
went towards Dhanan jaya . An d Hridika’
s son (Kr i tav arman ) and Valh ika
rushed towards Satyak i . An d k ing Am v a shta placed h imself before
Abhiman yu . An d other g r ea t ca r-warr io rs ; O king . encoun tered other
great car-war r iors . Then commenced a fierce bat t le that was t err ible
to behold . Bh imasen a then . O king . behold i ng t hy sons . blazed up wi th
wrath in that b‘at tle . l ike fire wi t h (a l iba t ion of) cla r ified butter . Thy
sons . how ever . O monarch . covered tha t son of Kunt i w i th the i r arrows
l ike the clouds drenchin g the mounta in-breast in t h e season of ra ins .While being (thus) cove red in d iverse ways by thy sons . 0 king . that
hero.possessed of t he activi ty of the t ige r . l icked t he corn ers of h is
mouth . 2 Then . O Bharata . Bh ima fel led Vyudo roska wi th a sharp
horse-shoe-head ed arrow . Thereupon that so n of thi ne was deprived
of l i f e . With an other broad-headed arrow . wel l-tempered and sharp .
he the n f el led Ku n dal i n l ike a l ion overthrow ing a smaller an imal .
Then . 0 s ire . gett in g th y (other ) sons (w ithi n reach o f h is a r rows) . hetook up a number of shaf ts . sharp and wel l-t empered . and with careful
aim speedi ly shot th ese a t t h em . Those sha fts . sped by that strong
bowman . vi z . , Bh imasen a . fe l led thy sons . those might y car-warr iors . from
the ir v ehicle s . (These sons of th ine tha t we re thus sla in wer e )
An adhr i ti . and Ku n dabhedin . and Vi ra ta . and Di rgha lochana . and
Di rghavahu . and Suvahu . and Kan ykadhyaja . While fal l ing down (from
the ir cars) . 0 hu l l o f Bharata’
s race . those heroes looked resplendent
l ike fa l l ing mango tree s var iegated wi th blossom s in the spr ing . Then
thy other son s . O monarch . fled away . re garding the migh ty Bh imasen a
as Death h imsel f . Then like the clouds pouring torr ents o f ra in on th e
mounta in breast . Drona in tha t bat tle covered with arrows from every
s ide that hero who was thus con suming thy sons . The prowess tha t we
then behe ld of Ku n t i’
s so n was exce edingly wonderful . fo r though
held in check by Drona . he stil l s l ew thy sons . Indeed .“ as a bul l
beare th a shower of ra in fal l ing from abo v e . Bhima cheerfully bore
1 L itera l ly . “ when i ts impetuosity i s sti rred up b y th e wind .—T.
2 Th e Benga l reading . which I adopt i s ‘cardu le iva veg avan .
’
TheBomb ay readin g i s ‘
sardn la iva darpi tas.
’ —T.
260 MAHABHARATA
tha t shower o f arrows sho t by Drona . Wonderful . O monarch . was
th e fea t tha t Vri kodara achieved there . fo r he slew thy son s i n that
ba ttl e and resisted Drona the while . Ind eed . t he elder b ro rher of Ar j una
spor ted among s t those h eroic sons of thine . l ik e a mighty t ige r . O king .among a herd of d ee r . As a wolf . s tay in g i n the m idst o f a herd of d eer .would chas e and fr ig hten tho se an imals . so d i d Vrikodara . in t h a t ba t t l e
chase and fr ig h ten thy sons .“
Meanwhi le . Ganga’
s so n . a nd Bhagadatta . and t hat m ighty car .
warr ior.v iz . . Gau tama . began to r e s is t Arj una . t h at impetuous son of
Pandu. That Atiratha . baffl in g w ith h i s weapon s th e weapons of t hose
adversar i es o f h is in tha t ba tt le . despatched many prom inen t h ero es of
thy army to t h e abode of Deat h . Ab h im an yu al so . with h is sha fts .
depriv ed tha t r enowned and foremost of car-warr iors. v iz . . k in g
Amvash ta . o f h is ca r . Depr iv ed of hi s car and about to be slain by the
ce l ebrated son of Su bhadra . t ha t k ing quickly j umped down from his
car in sham e . and hurle d h is sword in tha t batt l e a t the hi gh-souled
Abhiman yu . Th en . that m ighty monarch got up on the car of Hri dika’
s
so n . Conversan t with a l l moveme nts in battl e . Subhadra’
s son . that
slayer of host i le he roes. beho ld ing t h a t sword coursing towards him .
baffled i t by the celer i ty o f h is mov ements . See ing th at sword t hus baffled
in that ba tt l e by Subhadra’
s so n . loud cr i es of’
we l l done .’ 'well done .
’
were . 0 king . heard among the troops . Other warr iors headed by
Dhri shtadyum n a bat t l ed w i th thy t roops . whi le thy t roops . also . al l
battled wit h those of t he Pandava s . Then . 0 Bharata . fierce was th e
engagement tha t took p lace be tween th in e and t h e irs . tha t combatants
smit ing one ano ther with great force and ach iev in g th e m ost difi cu l t
fea t s . Brave combatants . O s ir e . se iz i ng on e anoth er by t he ha ir . fough t
us in g the i r na i ls a nd tee th . and fists and knees . and palms an d swords.and the i r well-propor t io ned a rm s . An d s e iz in g one another
’
s laches.
they despa tched one ano t her to th e abode o f Yama . S i r e slew son . and
so n sl ew s ire . Indeed . th e combatan ts fought w i th one ano ther . using
every l imb of t h ei rs . Beautiful bows w ith go ld en s taves . O Bhara ta .loosened fro m the grasp of sla in war riors . and cos t ly o rnam ent s . and
sharp shafts furnished wi th wings of pure gol d or S i lver and washed withoil . looked resple nden t (as they lay sca ttered on the fie ld ) . th e la tter
resembl ing . i n part icular , snakes tha t had cast o ff thei r slough . An d
swords furnished with ivo ry hand les d ecked wi th gold . an d the shield
a lso o f bowmen . varie ga ted w i th go ld . l ay on the field . loosened from
thei r gr asp . Bea rded dar ts and axes and swords and j ave l in s . al l deckedw i th gold . beaut i ful coa t s of ma il . and h eavy and sho r t bludgeons . and
spiked clubs . and bat t le-axe s . and short a rrow s . O sir e . and e l ephan ts’
housings of d iverse shapes . and yak ta i ls . and fans . lay sca t tered on the
fie ld . And mighty car-warriors lay on the field with diverse kinds of
262 MAHABHARATA
about.with beaut i ful crescen t-shap ed arrows decked with go ld . wi th
hous ings of s te e ds.with skins of the R an ku deer . torn and crushed . wi th
beauti ful and cos t ly g ems th at decked . the h ead-gears o f king s . withtheir umbre llas ly ing about and yak ta i ls and fans . wi th faces . br igh t
as t he lo tus or the moon . of hero ic warr iors . decked with beau t iful
ea r-r ings and g raced wi th wel l-cut beards . ly ing abou t a nd radian tw i t h other ornam ent s of gold . t he earth looked like the firmam en t b es
mangl ed w ith plan ets and stars . Thus . O Bhara ta . t he two arm ie s . vi z
th in e and thei rs . encoun te r ing each o th er in battle . crushe d each
o ther . And af te r the combatants had been fa t igued . routed . and cru sh
e d . 0 Bharata . dark ni gh t se t in and the bat tle could no longer be
seen . Thereupon both th e Kurus and the Pandavas wi t h d rew the i rarm ie s. when that awful n igh t of p i tchy darkness cam e . An d hav ing
w ithdrawn the ir t roops . bo th the Kurus and t h e Pandavas took r est fo r
t h e n ight . re t i r i ng to th e ir respect ive t en t s .”
SECTION XCVIII
San jaya sa id . Then kin g Duryodhana . and Saku n i the son of
Suvala . and thy son Du ssasan a . a nd the i nv inc ibl e Sam’s son (Karna)
meeting to gether . consu l te d in t he fo l lowing way . How cou ld th e sons
of Pandu . w i t h th e i r fodlowers. be v anquished i n ba t t le ? Even thi s
was t he subject of the ir consul ta tion . Then kin g Duryodhana. addre ss
in g the Suta’
s son and the mighty Saku n i . sa id unto al l those counsel lorsof h is .
‘
Drona . Bh i shma . and Kr ipa . and S a lya and Somadatta’
s
so n do no t resi st t h e Pe rthes . I do not know what t he cause i s of such
co nduct (of the i rs ) . U n sla in by any of the se . the Pandavas are destoryi ng my forces . Therefor e . O Karna . I am becom ing weaker in streng th
and my weapons also a r e be ing exhaust ed . I am dece ived by th e
he roic Pandavas—they t hat ar e inca pable o f be ing v anqu i shed by the
v ery gods . D ub t f il le th my mind as to how . i nd e ed . I sha l l succeed
in smitin g them in batt le .’
U n to the kin g who said so. O great
monarch . the S am’s so n answered .
‘Do not g ri eve . O chief of the
Bharata . Ev en I wi l l do what i s agreeabl e to th ee . L et San tan u’
s so n
Bh ishma soon withdraw from th e great bat t l e . Afte r Ganga’
s son wi l l
have withdrawn from the fight and la id aside h is weapons . I wil l slay
the Par tha along with a l l the Somakas . i n t he very sight of Bh i shm a . I
p ledge my truth . O kin g . Indeed . Bh ishma every day showeth mercy
towards the Pandav as . He i s . bes ide s incapabl e of vanquish in g those
m ighty car-warr iors . Bh i shma i s proud of showing h is p rowess i n
bat t le . He i s again . very fond of f ight . Why . O s ire . wil l he . therefore . vanquish the assembled Pandavas ( for then the battl e wil l beov er) ? Therefore . repair i n g without delay to the tent of Bh ishma .
sol ic i t tha t old and reverend signior to lay as ide h is weapons . Af ter heWi l l hav e la id asid e h is weapons . O Bharata . th ink the Pandavas as
BHISHMA PM A
already sla in . wit h all t he i r fr iends an d ki n sm en . O king . by myself alone .’
Thus add ressed by Karna . thy son Duryodhan a then sa id unto his
brother Du ssasan a these wo rds .‘
See . 0 Dussasan a . that wi thout delay
that al l who walk in my t ra in be dressed .
’
Hav ing sa id these word s . 0
monarch . th e kin g addressed Karna . say in g .‘
Ha v ing caused Bh i shm a .
that foremost of m en . to consen t to th i s . I wil l . without delay . come to
thee . O ch astiser of foes . Af te r Bh i shma wil l hav e r et i red from the
fight. thou wilt smi te ( the foe ) i n ba t tl e .’
Then thy son . O monarch . set
out wi thout d elay . accompan ie d by h i s brother s l ike He of a hundred
sacrifices (accompan ied ) by the gods . Then h is broth er Du ssasan a caused
that tiger among k in g . endued . beside s . wi th the prowess of a t iger . tomount on h is horse . Graced w ith bracel e ts . with d iadem on head . and
adorned wi th o ther ornam ents on h is arms . 0 king . thy son shone
bright ly as he proce eded a long the s tre ets . Smeared with f rag ran t sandal-past e of the hue of the Bhandi flower a n d br i ght as burnish ed gold .and clad in clean vestments . a n d proceedin g with t he sporti v e ga i t of
th e l ion . Duryodhan a looked beau t i ful l ike the Su n o f bri ll ian t rad iance
in the firm am en t. An d a s t ha t t ige r among men proceeded toward s
the t en t of Bh i shma . many migh ty bowmen . cel ebra ted o ver the world .
followed him beh ind . An d h i s brothers also walked in h is t ra in . l ike th e
celest ial s walkin g beh ind Vasava . An d others . foremost of men . mount
ed upon steeds . and ot h ers a ga in on e lephan ts . O Bhara ta . and others on
cars.surrounded h im on a l l s ide s . An d many amon gst t hose that wished
him well . tak ing up a rm s for th e pro tection on h is royal sel f . appeared
there in large bod i es . l ike th e cel es t ials su r roundin g Sakra in h eav en .The mighty ch ief o f th e Kurus . adored by al l the Kauravas . thus pro .
ceeded . 0 king . t owards the quar ters of the renowned son o f Ganga .
Ever fol lowed and surrounded . by h is u te r in e brothers . he proceeded .often ra ising his r ight arm . mass ive and resembl ing the trunk of an e le
’
phant and capable of resi st in g al l foes . An d wi th tha t arm of his.he
accepted the r ega rds that were pa id to h im f rom all s i de s by b y-standers
who s tood ra is in g towards h im th e ir jo ined hands . An d h e heard . as he
journeyed . th e sweet vo ice s of the na t ive s o f d iverse realms . b f grea tfame . he was eulog ised by bard s and eulogi sts . And in return that g reat
king paid h is regards unto them al l . An d many high-souled persons
stood around him with l i ghted lamps of gold fed wi th fragrant oi l . An d
surrounded with gold en lamps . the kin g looked rad ian t like the Moon
at tended by the blazing planets aroun d him . An d (at tendan ts) with
head-gear s decked with gold . h aving canes and Jhariharas in hand . softly
caused the crowd all around to make way . The king then.having
reached the excellent quarters of Bh i shma . al i gh ted from h i s horse .And arrived at Bhi shm a
’
s pre sence . t ha t rul er of men sa luted Bh i shma
and then sat him se l f down on an excel len t seat that was made of gold.
354 MAHABHARATA
beaut ifu l throughout and over la id w i th a r ich coverl et . W i th handsjoined
.eye s bathed in tears . and vo ice ch e cked in g r ief . he then address
ed Bhi shma .saying
.
'Tak ing thy pro tect ion . th is ba t t l e . O slayer of
foes. we ven tured to vanqu ish the very god s and the Asu ras w ith Indra
a t the ir head . What shal l I say . th erefore . of the sons of Pandu . h eroicthough they be . with the i r k insm en and fr i en d s Ther efore , O son of
Ganga . i t b eho v eth thee . O lord . to show me m ercy . Slay th e brave
sons of Pandu l ik e Mahe ndra s lay in g th e Dan avas —1 wil l slay . O kin g .al l the Som akas and the Pan cha las and th e Katusha s alon g with the
Kekaya s . O Bhara ta— th ese were thy words to me . L e t these
word s become true . S lay the a ssembled Pe r the s . and those migh ty
bowmen. v i z . . the Somakas Make thy wo rd s t rue . 0 Bhara ta . If
f rom kindness fo r th e Pandavas O k ing . o r from thy ha tred of my
un fortunate se l f . t hou spare st the Pandavas . t h en perm it Karna . tha t
o rnam ent of ba t tl e . to fight . He wil l vanquish in b a ttl e the Par th as
with a ll th e i r fr i ends and k insmen . The king . thy son Duryodhana
having sa id this . shut h is l ips w ithout say in g any th ing more to Bh ishma
of terr ibl e prowess ." 1
SECTION XCIX
Senj aya said . The high-soul ed Bh ishma . dee ply pi erced wi th wordy
daggers by t hy son . became fil l ed with great g r ief . Bu t he sa id not a
s ingl e d i sagreeable word in re ply . In d eed . man gled by tho se wordydagg ers and fi l led wi th gri ef ~and ra ge . he si gh ed l ike a sn ake and
reflected ( in si l ence ) for a long whi le .
2 R a i sin g h i s eye s then . an d as if
consuming . from wra th . th e world w i t h the cele stia l s . th e Asuras . and
the Gandharvas, that for emost of pe rsons conversant w it h th e wor ld .
th en addressed thy son and sa i d un to h im these tranqu il words ."Why .
O Duryodhana . dost thou pierce me thus w it h thy wordy daggers I
always endeavou r to th e utmost of m y m ight t o achi eve . and do
ach ieve . what is fo r t h y good . Indeed . f rom des i re of do in g what is
a g re eabl e to the e . I am prepared to ca s t away my li fe i n battl e . ThePandavas ar e r ea l ly i nv i n c ible . When the brave son of Pandu gra t ified Agni in the fore st of Kh an dav a . havin g vanqu ished Sakra h imselfin batt le . even tha t is a suffici ent i nd ication .
8 When . O m ighty-armedone . t he same son of Pandu rescued th ee wh ile thou wert being ledaway a cap tive by the Gan dha rva s , ev en tn a t i s a sufficien t in d icat ion .
1 In numb eri n g th e verses i n th i s S ection I h ave followed th e Bombayedition . Th e fact i s , i n th e Ben ga l texts . th i s . S ection i s made to con si stof 4 slokas . th e 6th an d th e 42n d b eing both taken as consisting of threel in es . Hen ce th e difi
'
eren ce .—T.
2 In th e Ben ga l texts . th e second l in e of th e 2ud verse . i s printed as the
2n d 0
:th'e
i ‘first verse . There can b e no doubt tha t th e Bomb ay '
text i scorrec
3 Some of the Ben ga l texts . in th e fir st li ne of the 6th . incorrectly read
“ea-.run
'for
‘Sakram'.
MAHABHARATA
g rea t gri ef and depreca ting th e status of serv i tude . San tan u's son
refl ected for a long time . t h ink i ng o f an encounte r w ith Ar juna in bat t l e .Unders tand in g from s igns th at Gan ga
's so n had bee n th ink in g of that .
Duryodhana . O king . commandin g Du ssasan a . say ing .'O Dussasan a .
l e t cars be qu ickly appoin ted for protect ing Bh i shm a . L et a l l th e two
and twen ty d ivi sion s (of our army ) be urged o n . That h ath now come
about wh ich we had been thinking fo r a ser i e s o f yea rs . vi z the slaugh
te r of t he Pandav a s wi t h a l l the ir t roops and t he acqu i s it ion (by
ou rse lves ) o f t he k ingdom . In this ma tter . I t h ink . the pro tection o f
Bh ishma i s our fo remost du ty . Protec ted by us . he wi l l protect u s and
slay the Pe r the s i n batt l e . Of cleansed soul . he sa id unto me .- I wil l
no t slay S ikhan din i . He was a female befo re , O kin g . and . therefore .should be avo ided by me i n bat tl e . Th e world knoweth . O thou of
mighty arms . that fro m des ir e of doing good to my fa th er . I forme r ly
gave up a swell in g k in gdom . I wi l l no t . t he refore . slay in batt l e . O
foremost of men . any female o r anybody tha t was a female before .
This that I t e l l t hee i s t rue . Th i s Si khan di n . O k in g . was first born a
femal e . Thou hast hea rd tha t s tory . She was born as S ikhan d in i afte r
th e mann er I told th ee be fo re th e ba t t le b egan . Tak in g her bi rth a s a
daugh ter sh e ha th become a man . I ndeed . she wi l l fight with me . bu t
I wil l ne v er shoot my a rr ows a t her . As re g ard s a l l o ther Ksha triya s
desirous of v ictory to th e Pandavas . O s ire .‘ whom I may ge t wi th in my
reach on th e fie ld of ba tt l e . I wi l l slay t h em —These were the wordstha t Gan ga
's son acqua inted w i t h the sc ripture s . th a t chief of Bharata
's
race . said un to me . The refore . wi th my whole soul I think tha t p ro
tec ti n g the son o f Gan ga i s our foremost du ty . The very wo lf may sl ay
the l ion left unprotected in the g r ea t fores t . L et not Ganga’
s son he
sla in by S ikhandin l ike the l ion sl a in by t he wo lf . Le t our maternal
uncl e Sakun i . and Sal ya . a n d Kripa . an d Dron a . and Vi v i n g sati . care
fully p rot ect the son of Ganga . If he is protected . (our ) v ictory i s
cer ta in .
’
“
Hear in g these words of Duryodhana . al l surrounded Ganga’
s son
with a large div is io n o f cars . An d thy sons a lso . tak ing up t he i r pos it ion around Bh i shma . p roceeded to ba t t l e An d th ey al l wen t . shaking
the ea rth and th e welkin . and causin g fear in the hea r ts of the Pandavas .The m ighty car-warr io rs (of the Kau rava army ) . supported by tho seca rs and elephan t s . and clad i n m a i l . s tood in ba ttl e , surroundingBh ishm a . An d al l o f th em took up the i r pos i t ions for p rotecting th at
mighty car-war r io r l ike th e cele s t ial s i n th e ba ttl e be tween themsel ves
and th e Asura s for protecti n g the wield er of t he thunder-bol t . Then
k in g Duryodhana once more addressing his bro ther . said .'Yudhama n y u
protects t h e lef t wheel o f Ar j un a's ca r . and U ttam au jas h is r igh t Wheel .
And ( t hus pro tec ted ) Arj una protects S ikhandi n . O Dussasan a . ade pt
BHISHMA PARVA 267
such ste ps tha t . p rotec ted by Partha . S ikh an din may not be abl e to sla y
Bh ishm a l e f t un protecte d by us .’
Hear ing the se words o f his broth er .thy son Dussasan a . accompan ied by the troops . advanced for battle .plac ing Bh i sh ma i n th e v an . Behold i ng Bh ishm a (thus surrounded by
a la rge number of cars . Arjuna . that foremos t of car-warr iors . address
ed Dhr i shtadyum n a and sa id .‘
O pr ince . place tha t t iger amon g men .S ikh an din . today in front of Bhishm a . ! myself wil l be his protecto r .O prince of Panchala .
"1
SECTION C
Senjaya sa id . The n Bh ishm a the son of San tan u . went out with
t he troops . An d h e disposed h is own troops in a m ighty ar ray calledSarvatobhadra .
’ Kripa . and Kri tavarman . and tha t mighty car-warrior
Sa ivy a . and Saku n i . an d the ruler o f th e S in dhus. and Sudaksh i na t he
ruler of th e Kamvo jas. the se all , toge t her wi th Bhi shma and thy sons .O Bharata . took up th e ir s tatio n s in the v an of the whole army and inthe very fron t of the (Kan ta y a ) ar ray . Drona and Bhu ri srav as and
Salya and Bhagada tta . O sire . clad i n ma il . took up th eir posi tion in the
righ t wing of tha t array . An d Aswattham an . a nd Som adatta . and
t hose great car-warr iors . vi z . , the two princes of Av ant i . accompanied
by a large force . protec ted th e left w in g . Duryodhana . O monarch .surrounded on all s ides by th e Tr igartas . took up . for encounte r ing the
Pandavas . a posi t ion in the mids t o f tha t array . Tha t fo remost of car
war r iors.vi z .
, Al am v u sha . and tha t m ighty car-warr ior . viz Sru tay u sh .
clad in mail . took up the i r po s it io n in the r ear o f that array . and there
fore . of the whole a rmy . Having . O Bharata , on th at occas ion formedthe ir array thus . thy warr iors . clad in ma il . looked l ike scorchin g fires .
“
Then king Yudh i sh th i ra . and tha t so n o f Pandu . v i z . . Bh imasen a ,
and the twin son s of Madri . v iz . . Nakula and Sahadeva . clad in mail .took up the i r pos i t ion in the v an of tha t array and therefor e . a t the
very head o f a l l the i r t roops . An d Dhrishtadyuma . and Virata , and
that mighty car-warrio r . viz Satyak i .— these des t royers o f host i le
ranks.—stood
.supported by a large force . An d S ikhan di n . and Vi j aya
(Arjuna ) . and th e R akshasa Gh atotkach a , and Cheki tan a of m ig h ty
arms.and th e va l iant Kun tibbo ja . stood for battl e . surrounded by a large
force. An d t hat g re a t bowman Abh iman yu . a nd t he
‘
mighty Drupada .
and th e (five ) Ka ikeya brothers . stood fo r ba tt l e . clad in ma il . Hav ing
formed the i r m ighty and i nv incibl e array thus . th e Pandavas . enduedwith g rea t courage in ba tt l e . stood for the fight . clad in mail .
1 Th e la st s loka cons i sted of th ree li nes —T .
2 Th e Ben ga l readin g ‘atm an a .
’
the last word of the vers e . seems to b e
a mistake . Th e Bomb ay text g ive s th e right word . which i s 'atman as
'
(gen etive) .‘Sarvatab hadra
' s eems to have been a k ind of square array in’
:
which th e tr0 0ps faced al l th e points of th e compass—T.
MAHABHARATA
Then the kings of thy a rray . O monarch . exe r t ing th em selve s a t
the i r bes t,accompan ied by the i r forces , and p lacing Bh i shm a a t th e i r
v an.rushed agains t th e Parthas i n bat t l e . S im ila rl y the Pandavas also ,
O kin g.headed by Bh imase n a . and desi rous of v ictory i n bat tl e proceed
ed,for ba ttlin g with Bh i shm a . W i t h leon ine roar s and confused cr i es .
blowin g t h ei r conches K rakacha s ,and cow-ho rn s . b eatin g the ir d rums
and cymbals an d Pan davas i n thousands .‘ An d u tt er ing t er r ibl e shouts .
th e Pandava s advanced to battle . Wi th t he d in o f our d rums andcymbal s and conches and smaller drum s . wit h loud l eonine roars . and
other kinds o f shouts . ourse lves also, reply i n g to the cr ies of the foe .
rushed against h im wi th grea t impetuo s ity . ” i nflamed w ith rage . Those
sounds m ing l ing with one ano th er . produced a tremendou s uproar . The
warr iors then . of th e two arm ies . rush in g a t on e an o the r . b ega n to
st r ike . An d in consequence o f th e d in produced by tha t encounte r .
the earth seemed to tremble . An d bi rd s . ut t er ing fierce cr ies , hov ered
in the a i r . The Su n . radian t as he was when he had ri sen . b ecam e
d immed . An d fi erce wind s bl ew . i ndicat ing g re a t t errors . Fr i ghtful
jackal s wandered . yell in g ter r ibly . O king . an d forebod ing an awful
carnage a t han d . The quar ters s e emed , O kin g . to be ablaze . and
showers o f dust fel l from the bl ue . An d a shower fe l l th e re . of piece s
of bones m ixed wi th blood . An d tea rs f el l from the ey es of the an imals
which were al l weep ing . An d fil led with anxie ty . O kin g . these began
to ur ina te and e ject th e contents of the i r stomach s . An d the loud
shout s o f bat tl e . O hu l l of Bharata's rac e . were rendered inaudible by
th e louder cr ie s of R akshasas and cannib a ls . An d jacka l s and vul tures
and crows and dogs . utter ing d ive rs e kinds of cr ies . began . O sire . to fa l l
and swoop down on the fie l d . An d blaz i ng me teor s . str iking aga inst
the Sun’
s d isc . fe l l w i th grea t cele r i ty on the ea r th . forebodin g g reat
terrors . Then thos e two vas t hos t s belongi ng to the Panda vas and the
Dhartarashtras . i n course of t ha t awful encoun te r . shook in cou se
quente o f t ha t t remendous u proar o f conches and drum s l ike forestsshaken by the tempest . An d th e noise made by the two armie s . bo th
of which abounded w ith kin gs . el ephan ts . and steeds . and wh ich : en
counter ed each other in an e v il h our . resembled the no ise made by
ocean s tossed by th e tempest ."
1 In th e Benga l texts . ‘savdas
’
i n the first l ine i s viciou s Th e truereading seems to b e
‘
sahkhan'. as in th e Bomb ay edition . Th en aga in in
‘
K u n jaran'(Ben ga l) . the Bom b ay text reads ‘Pushkaran
'wh ich i s un qu estion ab l y correct.—T.
2 Th e first l in e of 1 9 in the Benga l texts i s vicious—T.
MAHABHARATA
f riends like Vasa va gladd ening the ce le s t ia ls a fte r vanqu ish ingMaya .
An d whi le being routed by him i n t hat bat tle . thy t roops utt ered loud
exclamat ions of woe tha t re sembled th e roar of the clouds . Hea r in g
tha t awfu l wa i l thy t roops . O Bhara ta . t ha t resembl ed the roar of th e
very sea a t ful l t ide when ag i ta ted by the winds . Duryodhana then . O
king.addressed the son of R i shy asr i n g a and sa id .
“
Th is Abh iman y u
s ing ly , O thou of might y arms . l ike a second Pha lgun i . rou teth from rage
(my ) army l ike Vr i tra routin g the celes t ia l hos t . I do not see any other
efi cac ious medicine for h im in ba ttl e than thysel f . O best o f R akshasas ,
tha t art we ll-sk i l led in ev ery sc ience . Therefor e . go spe edi ly and slay
th e heroic son of Sub hadra i n bat t l e . As regards our se l ves . he aded
by Bhi shm a and Drona . we wil l slay Pa r tha h imself .’
Thus add ressed .
the m ighty and val ian t R akshasa speed i ly wen t to ba t tl e a t th e command
of thy son . uttering loud roars l ike the clouds th emselv e s in the season
of ra ins . An d i n consequence of th a t loud noi se . O king. the vast hos t
o f the Pandavas t rembled t h roughout l ike th e ocean wh en a g i ta t ed bythe wind . An d many combata nt s . O king . te rr ified by those roars .
g iv ing up dear l i fe . fe l l pros tra te on th e ea r t h . Fill ed w i th joy and
taking up h i s bow wi th ar row fixed on t he str in g . and appa rently danc
ing on the t er race of h i s car . t h a t R akshasa proceeded a ga i nst Ab b i
manyu himsel f . Then the a n gry R akshasa , hav in g i n th a t bat t le g ot
Arj un a’
s son with in reach . began to rou t h i s ranks . - e v en those that
s tood not fa r from h im . Indeed . th e R aksha sa rushed in bat t l e a ga inst
that mighty Pandava host which he be gan to sl aughte r . l ike Vala rushing again st t h e ce le s t ia l host . At tacked in bat tl e by tha t R akshasa of
terr ibl e m ien . the slau ghter was v er y g rea t . 0 s i r e . th a t took placeamongst those t roops . Exhibi t i n g hi s prow ess . the R aksha sa began torout that vast force of t he Panda v as . wi th thousands of a r rows . Thus
slaugh tere d by that R akshasa o f te rr ible v isa ge . the Panda v a a rmy fled
away from excess of f ea r . Gr indi ng that a rmy l ike an elephant
grind ing lo tus -sta lks . the mi gh ty R akshasa then rush ed in ba t t le aga in s t
the sons of D rau pad i . Then tho se g rea t bowmen . accompl ished i nfight in g . v i z . th e sons o f D rau padi . rushed towards t he R ak shasa in
battle l ike five plane ts rush in g a ga i nst t h e Sun . Th a t best o f R akshasa
then was afflict ed by those bro th ers endued wi t h grea t ener gy . l ike the
Moon affl icted by the five plan ets on the awful occas ion of the d i ssolu
t ion of the world . Then the mighty Pra ti v i n dh ya qu ick ly p i erced th e
R akshasa with whett ed s h a f t s . sharp as ba ttl e-axes and furn ished wi th
poin t s capable of pene tra t ing every a rmour . The reupo n tha t foremost
of R ak shasas . with his armour p ierced t hrough . looked l ik e a mass ofclouds pene trated by the rays of t he Su n . P i erc ed with th e se sha ft s
furnish ed with golden wings . R ishy asr i n g a’
s son . O k ing, looked res
p l enden t l ike a mounta in with blazing crests . Then th o se five bro thers
BHI SHMA PARVA
in tha t g reat ba t t l e, pierced t ha t foremost of Rakshasas w ith‘ many
whetted shaf ts of go lden wing s . P i e rced with those terrible shaf ts
resembling ang ry snakes . Alamv u sha . O k in g . becam e inflamed w ith
rage l ike the k ing of the ser pents h imself . Deeply pie rced . O kin g .wi thin on ly a few moment s . O si re . by those grea t car-warr iors . th eR akshasa . much affl icted . rema ined sense less fo r a lo n g wh ile . R ega in
ing hi s consci ousnes s the n . and swe e l l in g through ra ge to twice hisd imens ions. he cut o ff th e i r arrows and s tandards and bows . An d a s i f
smil ing th e whi le he str uck each of th em with fiv e arrows . Then tha t
m ighty R akshasa and grea t car-warr ior . Alamv usha . excited with“
wrath . and as i f dancin g o n t he te r race o f h i s car. q u ickly sl ew th e
steeds . and then the cha r i o tee rs . o f those fi v e i l lustr ious adversar ie s
of h is . An d burn ing w ith rage he once more pierced them with sharp
arrows of d iverse shades by hundreds and thousands . Then tha t wander
e r o f the night . viz . . the R akshasa Alamvu sha . havin g deprived thosegreat bowmen of th e ir ca rs . rushed impe tuously a t them . wish ing todespatch them to Yam a
’
s abode . Beho ld ing them thu s ) afflicted i n
batt l e by th a t wicked-soul ed R akshasa . the son o f Ar juna rush ed a t
him . Then the bat t l e that took place between h im a nd t h e canniba l
resembled tha t between V i t ra and Vasava . And the migh ty car
warriors o f thy army . as also o f the Pandavas . a l l became specta tors of
that enga g emen t . E ncoun ter ing each other in fierc e ba t tl e . blazin g
wit h wrath . endued wi th g rea t m ight . and w ith eyes red in ra ge . each
beheld the other i n tha t bat tle to re sembl e th e Yugo fire . An d that
engag emen t betwee n them became fierce and awful l ike t hat between
Sakra and S am vara i n days of o l d in the ba t tl e between t h e god s and
and Asu ras.
SECTION CII
Dhritarash tr a sa id . How. O Sen jaya . d id Alamvu sha resi st i n
combat the hero ic son o f Arj un a sm i t ing many of our mighty car
warr iors i n battle And how al so did that sl aye r of hostil e he roes . v i z
the son o f Su b hadra . fight with R ishyasrin ga’
s son ? Tel l m e a ll t h is
in deta i l . exactly a s i t happen ed in tha t fi ght . What al so d id Bhima .that for emost of ca r-warr iors . and the R akshasa Ghato tkacha . and
Nakula.and Sahadeva an d the m igh ty car-warrior Saty aki . and Dhanan
jaya . do with my troops in ba t tle Tel l m e a ll th i s truly . O Sen jaya .for thou ar t sk i l led ( i n na rra t ion ) .
Sen jaya sa id,'I will presently de scribe to the e . O sir e . the awful
ba ttle t hat took place be tween t h at foremos t o f the R akshasa s and th e
son of Sub hadra . I wil l a lso descr ibe to thee t he prowess that Ar juna
put for th in ba tt le.and Bhim asen a th e son of Pandu and Nakula and
Sahadeva . as also the warr ior s of t hy a rmy headed by Bhi shm a and
Drona . al l o f whom f ear l essly ach ieved wonder ful fea ts of d iverse kinds,
238 MAHABHARATA
Al amvusha .utter ing loud shou ts and repea tedly roar ing a t Abh imanyu .
rushed im petuously aga i nst that m ig h ty car-wa rr ior i n ba tt le . sayin g .'Wait
.Wa i t ’—Ab h im an y u a l so . repea t ed ly roarin g l ike a l ion e r ushed
wi th a t g rea t force a t tha t mi gh ty bowman . v i z t he son of R i shyasr i n ga .
who wa s a n i mplacable foe of th e former’
s si r e . Soo n then those two
foremost of ca r-warr iors , m a n and R ak s hasa . on the i r cars . encountere d
each oth er . l ike a god a nd a Da n ava . Tha t best of R aksh asas were endued
with powers o f i l lus ion . while Pha l g u n i’
s son was acquaint ed wi th
cele stia l weapon s . Then Ab hi m a n y u . O king . pie rced R i shyasri n g a’
s
son in tha t battle w i th three sharp shafts and once more wi th five .A lamvusha a lso . exci t ed wi th wrat h . speedi ly p ierced Ab h iman yu i n
the ches t wi th n ine shaf ts l i k e a guid e pi ercing an e le ph an t wi th hooks .
The n . O Bharata . that wande re r o f t he n i gh t . endued with g rea t ac t iv i ty .afflicted Arju n a
’
s so n in tha t combat wi th a thousand ar rows . Then
Ab h iman y u excited wi th rage . pi erc ed tha t pr ince o f the R akshasa s i nhis w ide ches t wit h nine s tra ight sha f ts of grea t sharpness . Pie rc ing .
throu gh h is body these pene tra ted in to h i s v ery V i tal s . An d tha t bes t
of R ak shasa s . hi s l imbs mangled by them . looked be aut iful l ike a moun
ta in overgrown w ith flowering K i n sukaa, Bear i ng those shaf ts of golden
w in g s on his body . t ha t m i ghty pri nce o f R ak sh a sas look ed rad ian t l ike
a mountain on fire . Then the v in d icti ve son of R i shy asri n ga . inflamed
w ith wrath . cove red Abh im an yu . who was equal u n to Mahendra h im
sel f.with c louds o f w ing e d a r rows . Those sharp sh afts resembl ing th e
rods of Yama himsel f . s hot by h im . pierced Ab h im an yu t h ro ugh anden tered th e earth . An d s imila r ly the gold-decke d a r rows sho t by
Arju n a’
s son . pie rc ing Alamv u sha th rough . en te red the e a r th . The son
of Su b hadra th en . in that ba ttle . with his s t raight sha ft s . obl i ged the
R akshasa to tu rn h i s back upon the fie ld . l ike Sakra r epuls in g Maya indays of o ld . That scorche r o f fo es . th e R aksha sa . the n . thus re pulsed
and struck repeated ly by h is adve rsary . exhibited h i s g rea t powers o fil lusion by causing a th ick darkness to s e t i n . Then a l l th e combatan ts
th e re , O king . were co v ered by th a t da rkness . Ne i the r could Abhimanyu be seen . nor could f r iends be d is t inguished from foes in tha t
battl e . Abh im an y u . howeve r . behold ing tha t thick and awful g loom .
invoked i n to exis te nce . O son o f Kuru’
s race . t he blazing sola r weapon .
Thereupon . 0 k ing, the u n i v erse once more became v isible . An d thus
he neutra l ised the i l lusion of tha t wicked R akshasa . Then that princeof men . excited with wra t h and endued w i th g re at energy . cov ered thatforemost of R akshasa in that ba t tl e with many stra i ght
’
shafts. Diverse
ot h er kinds of i l lusion were con jured up the re by tha t R akshasa . Conv ersan t wi th all weapons . th e son o f Phal gu n i howeve r . n eut ral ised themall . The R ak shasa then . h i s i l lusions a l l des troy ed . and h imself st ruckw ith sha f ts . abandoned hi s car even there . and fled away in great fear.Aft er tha t R akshasa addic ted to unfa i r figh t had been thus vanquished .
MAHABHARATA
shaft . pierc in g S im s grandson through . entered the ea r th l ike a v igo
rous young snake enter ing i t s hole in the season of spr ing . An d with
ano th er broad-headed arrow . Drona’
s so n i n th a t batt le cut off the
exce llen t standard of Satyak i . An d hav ing achieved t hi s feat he utter.
ed a l eon in e roar . ‘
An d onc e more . O Bha ra t a . he cov e red h is adversary
wi th a shower o f fierce shaf ts l ike the clouds . 0 king . cover ing t he Sun
af ter summe r i s past . Satyak i al so . O monarch . b afil in g tha t ar rowy
show er. soon covered t he so n o f Drona with div ers e showers of arrows .
That sl aye r of host i l e heroes . ms the g randson of S in i . freed from tha tarrowy shower l ike the Sun from t h e clouds . began to scorch the son of
Drona wi t h his e nergy Swel l ing w i th ra ge the m igh ty Seryaki once
more cover ed h is foe w ith a thousand arrows and ut tered a loud shout .
Behold ing his son then t hus affl icted like th e Moon by Babu . t he va lian t
so n of Bharadwaja rus hed towa rds the grandson o f Sin i . Desirous . O
king.of rescuin g h i s so n who was aff l ic ted by t he Vri shn i hero . Drona .
in tha t great bat tle , pierc ed the‘ la t ter wit h a shaf t of exceeding sharp
.
ness . Satyak i then . abando ning th e mighty car-warr ior Aswatthaman .
p i erced Drona h imself in that bat t l e w i th twenty arrows o f exceed ing
sharpness . Soon af t e r . tha t sco rche r of foe s and m ighty car-warrior .
vi z Ku n ti’
s son of imme asurable soul . excited with wrath . rushed in
t hat batt le aga inst Drona . Then Drona and Partha encounte red each
other in fie rce combat l ike t he p lane ts Budha and Sakra , O kin g . i n the
fi rm am en t.
SECTION CIII
Dhrita rash tra sa id . How did those bul ls among men . V i z tha t
great bowman Drona . and Dhanan j aya the so n of Pandu . encounte r each
other in ba ttle ? The son of Pandu i s ev e r dea r to the wise son of
Bharadwaja . The preceptor al so is ever dear to Pr itha’
s son . 0 Sanjays .
Bot h of those car-warriors del ight in batt l e . and both of them are fierce
l ike l ions . How therefore . di d Bharadwaja’
s son and Dhanan jaya . bo t h
fighting with car e encoun te r e ach o t h er in batt l e
Senjaya sa id . In bat tle Drona nev er recognises Partha as dear toh imself . Partha a lso . keep ing a Kshatriy a
’
s du ty i n v i ew . recognises no t
i n battle his preceptor . Ksh atriyas . O king . never avoid one a no ther in
bat tl e . W i thout showing any regard for one another . they fight w ith
si t es and brothers . In that bat t l e . 0 Bhara ta . Partha pierced Dron a
with th ree shafts . Drona . however . r egarded no t tho se sha ft s sho t in
bat t le from Partha’
s bow . Indeed . Par tha once more cov ered the preceptor in the fight w i th a shower of arrows . Thereupon t he lat ter
blazed up with wrath l ik e a co nflagrati on in a d eep forest . Then . 0
king . Drona soon cov e red Arj una in that combat with many st raight
shafts . O Bhara ta . Then k i ng Duryod hana . O m an arch . despatched
1 Budha i s Mercury . and Sukra is Venus —T .
BHISHMA PARVA
Susarman for taking up the w ing o f Drona . Then the ru l e r of the Tri
gat tas . exci ted wi th ra ge and forcibly drawing h i s bow . covered Parth a .0 king. with a profus ion of a r rows furn ished w ith iron h eads . Shot by
those two warr iors . O king . the shafts looked beaut i ful in the welkin
l ike cran es i n the au tumnal sky . Those shaf ts . O lord . reach ing the son
of Kunti . en tered his body l ike birds disappearing with in a tree bend
ing with a load of tas t efu l fru i ts . Ar juna then .‘ tha t foremost of car
warr iors . u tter i n g a loud roar in that bat tle p ierced the rule r o f the
Tri gartas and his so n with h is shaf ts . P i e rced by Partha l ike Death
himself a t t h e end of th e Yugo , th ey were unw il l in g to avoid Partha .
resol v ed a s t h ey wer e on l ay in g down the i r l ives . An d they shot showers
on the car of Arj una . Arjuna . however . rece iv ed those arrowy showers
with showers of h i s own . l ike a mountain . O monarch . receiving a
downpour from the clouds . And the l ightness of hand that we t h en
behe ld of Vi bh atsu was exce ed ing ly wonderful . For alone he baffledthat unbearable shower of arrows shot by many warr io rs like the wind
alone scat ter ing myriads o f clouds rushing upon clouds . An d at that
fea t of Par t ha . th e gods and the 0 0 71 0 0 0 8 (a ssembled th ere for w itn ess in g
the fight) were h ighly g ra t ified . Then . O Bhara ta , engaged w ith t he
Trigartas i n t ha t bat tl e . Pa rtha shot . O king , the Vayavya weapon
against the ir d iv i sio n . Then arose a wind tha t a g i ta ted the welkin .fel led many trees . and smote down the (host il e ) troops . Then Drona .
behold ing the fie rce Vayavya weapon . himself shot an awful weapon
called the Sa i la . An d when that we apon . O ruler of men . was shot by
Drona in that ba tt le . the wind abat ed and th e ten quarte r s becam e
calm . The heroic son of Pandu . howev er . made the car-warr iors of the
Tr igarta div i sion dest i tute of prowess and hope . and caused them to
turn their backs on the fie ld . Th en Duryodhana and that fo r emost o f
car-warr iors . vi z Kripa . and Aswa tth am an . and Salya . and Sudaksh i na
the rule r o f th e Kam vo jas . an d Vinda and An uv i n da of Avant i . and
Valhika suppor t ed by the Va lh ikas. with a larg e number of cars su r
rbunded Par th a on a l l sides . And s imi la r ly Bhagadatta a lso . and th e
mighty'
Srutayush .su r rounded Bh ima on al l side s w ith an elephan t
division . And Bhuri sravas. an d Sa l e . and Suval a’
s son . O monarch .
began to check t h e twi n sons of Mad r i wit h showers of bright and sharp
arrows . Bh i shma . howev er . in tha t battl e . suppor ted by the son s o f
Dhr itarasht r a wit h thei r troops . approachin g Yudh i shthi ra . surrounded
h im on al l sides . Be ho ld ing tha t el e phan t d ivi sion com ing toward s h im .
Pi rtha’
s son Vrikodara . possesse d of g reat courage . began to l ick thecorner s of h is mout h l ike a l ion in th e fo re st . Then Bhi ma . tha t fo re
most of car-warr ior s . tak ing up h is mace in tha t g rea t battle . quicklyjumped down from h i s ca r and s truck terror into the hearts o f thywarr io rs. Behold ing h im mace in h and . those ele phan t-warrio rs in tha t
MAHABHARATA
battl e care ful ly Isurrounded Bhimasen a on al l s ide s. Stat ioned in the
m idst of those e lephants. th e so n of Pandu looke d respl enden t l ike the
Sun i n the m ids t of a m ighty mass of cloud s . Then tha t bul l among the
sons of Pandu began wi th h is mace to consum e tha t e lephant-div ision
l ike the wind dispe ll in g a h uge m as s of clouds cover ing the welkin:
Those tuskers . whil e being s laughtered by the mighty Bhimasen a . ut ter
ed loud cr i es of wo e l ike roar ing ma sses o f clouds . With di v er se scrat
ches on his person infl ic ted by those h uge an imals w i th the i r tusks.the son of Fr iths looked beaut i fu l on the field o f bat t le l ike a flower ing
K i n suka, Se iz in g some of the el eph an ts by the ir tusks . b e depr i v ed
them of those weapons . Wrenching out the t usks of o thers . with those
very tusk s he s truck th em o n their f ron tal g lobes and fel led them in
bat tle l ike the Destroyer h imself armed w it h h i s rod . Wield ing h is
mace ba thed in gore . and h imsel f bespa t te re d wi th fa t and marrow an d
smeared with blood . he looked like R udra himse l f . Thus slaug hte red by
him . the few g ig an t ic el ephan ts tha t r ema ined . ran away on al l s ides .O king . crushing e v en fr ie ndly rank s . An d i n consequence of those huge
e lephants flee in g away on a l l s ides. Duryodhana’
s t roo ps once more . 0
hu l l of Bharata’
s race . fled away f rom th e field .
SE CTION CIV
Senj aya sa id . At mid-day . O k in g . happened a fierce battl e.
fraught with grea t carnage . betw ee n Bhi shma and the Somakas . That
for emost of car-warr iors . vi z Gan g a’
s so n bega n to consume ; th e ranks
of the Pandavas with ke en shaft s b y hundred s and thousands . Thy s i r e
Devavrata began to gr ind those troops l ike a herd of bul l s gr ind ing (with
t he ir t read) a h eap of paddy sheav es . Then Dh r i shtadyumn a and
S ikhan di n and Vi rat a and Drupada . fa l lin g upon Bh ishma in tha t ba t t le .
struck tha t mighty car-warr ior w i t h numerous a rrows . Bh i shma then;hav ing p ierced Dh rish tadyum n a and V i ra ta each w ith th ree arrows
.
sped a lon g shaft . 0 Bharata . a t Drupa da . Th us p ie rce d in ba t tle by
Bh ishm a . t hat gr inder o f foes . t hose g r ea t bowmen became fil l ed"
with
wrath . 0 king . l ike snakes trod upon (by human fee t) . Then Sikhandin
pierced the g rands ire of th e Bhara ta s w i th many shafts ) . O f unfadingglory . Bh i shma . however . r egard ing h is foe as a f emale . s truck h im not.
Dhr i shtady um n a then . i n that battle . blazing up wi th wrath l ike fire.
struck the g randsire w ith thre e sh afts in h is arm s and chest . And
Dru pada pierced Bh i shma with five and twenty shafts . and Vi ra ta
p ierced h im with ten . and S ikhan d i n with fiv e and twen ty . Deeply
pierced with those sh aft s he became covered w ith blood . and looked
b eau t i ful l ike a red Asoka variegated w ith flowers . The n the son of
Ganga pierced . i n re turn . each of them with thre e s tra ight sha f ts . And
then . 0 si r e . he cut o ff Drupada’
s bow with a bro ad-headed arrow.
MAHABHARATA
tha t dread fu l ba t tle . proceeded . quickly c rush ing foo t-sold i ers and steeds .
And. s imi la rly . 0 king . those prod igious crea t ures crushed many cars i n
that ba t t l e . and cars a lso . comin g upon fallen steed s crushed t hem ( i nthei r course ) . An d steeds too . i n th e press of ba t tl e . crushe d many
foot-soldiers , O kin g wit h thei r hoofs An d thus . 0 monarch . they
crushed on e anot her in d ivers e ways . 1 And i n that fi e rce and awful
bat t le t he re flowed a terr ibl e r iv er o f bloody curren t . An d heaps of
bows obstructed i t s st ra ight course , and th e h a ir o f s la in warr iors
formed i ts moss . An d (broken ) car s form ed i ts lakes . and arrows i ts
eddies . An d s t eeds form ed i ts fis he s. An d heads ( severed from trunks)
formed i ts blocks of s tone . An d i t abound ed w ith e l e phants t hat form ed
i ts crocod i le s . An d coats of ma i l an d h ead-gea rs formed i ts f roth . And
bows ( in the hand s of the war r ior s) cons ti tu ted the speed of i ts curren t .
and swords i ts tor toises . An d b anners and s tandard s in profusi on form ed
the t r ees on i ts banks . An d mor ta ls cons t i tu ted i ts banks which tha t
r iver con t inual ly a te away . An d i t abounded w i th cann iba ls t ha t fo rmed
i ts swa/
us. And tha t s tr e am (i ns tead of swell ing the ocean w ith i ts
discharge) swelled the popula t ion o f Yama'
s k ingdom . An d brav e
Ksha tr iyas .—mighty ca r-war riors .—ca s t ing o ff a l l fea r . 0 k ing . soughtto cross t ha t r ive r with th e aid of cars . e l ephan ts . and steeds that played
the part of rafts and boats . And as the r ive r Va i taran i beare th al l
departed spir i ts towards th e domains o f the Kin g of the Dead . so thatr i v e r o f bloody cu rren t bo re away a l l t im id men depr i v ed of the i r senses
in a swoon . And the Ksha triya s . be holding t ha t awful carnage . al l
excla im ed . say ing .“
Alas . through Duryodhana’
s fault th e Ksha t r iyas are
be in g exterm inated . Why . Oh . Dhr i ta rashtra of s in fu l soul . de luded by
a v ar ice . harboured envy fo r the sons of Pandu . who a re graced w ith
numerous v i rtues .’
Div erse exclamat ions of th is k ind were h eard there.made by one another . fraught wi th the p ra ise s o f the Panda v as and cen
sure o f thy sons‘
. Hear ing then these wo rds utte red by a l l the combat
ants. thy son Duryodhana . th a t o ff en de r aga in gt a ll . addresse d Bhi shma
and Drona and Kripa an d Salya . O Bharata . say ing .‘
F i gh t y e witho ut
boastfulne ss . Why tarry ye a t al l Then the ba ttl e was resumed b e
twe en the Kurus and the Pandavas . that fi erce ba ttle . 0 king . caused by
th e match a t di ce a nd marked by an awful slaughte r . Thou behold estn ow. 0 son of V ich i trav i ry a . the dreadfu l fru i t of that re jection by thee(of the counsels o f thy fr ie nds ) though warned aga i ns t i t by many il lustr io u s perso n s .
a Ne ither th e son s o f Pandu . O k ing . nor the i r t roo ps . nor
1 In th e second l ine of 3oth . th e correct readin g i s ‘Bathas'(nom
plura l ) an d n ot‘R athan
’
. So in the first l ine of 3 l st. the word i s 'turan gas(n om . plural) an d n ot ‘
turan g an',
—T,
2 I have expanded the orig ina l a little to make th e sense c lean —T.
BHISHMA PARVA
they tha t fol low th em . nor the Kaurav as . show the lea s t regard for their
l ives i n ba ttle . For this reason . O ti ger among men . a d read ful destruct ion of k in smen is tak in g pla ce . caused ei ther by Dest iny or by thy ev i l
policy . 0 king.”
SECTION CV
Senjaya sa id . O tige r among men . Arj una sent t hose Ksha triya s
that followed Susarman to the abode of t he K ing of th e Dead by means
of h is whetted shaft s . Susarm an however.in tha t ba t tl e , pierced
Partha with h is sha f t s . And he p ierced Vasudeva wi th seven ty . andArjuna once more wit h n ine sha f ts. Checking thos e shafts by means
of his a rrowy s howers . tha t m igh ty car-warr io r . v i z . . the son o f Indra .
despa tched Su sarm an’
s t roops un to Yama’
s abode . Tho se m ighty ca r
warr iors , whil e be ing slaughtered by Partha i n tha t ba ttle as i f by
Death himse l f a t th e end of the Yugo , a l l fled away from the field . 0
king . struck wi th panic . Some abandon in g the ir ste ed s . some abandoning .O sire . the i r cars a nd ot hers the i r elephan ts . fled away in al l d i rect ions .
Others takin g Wi th them th e i r horses . e le phants . and car s . fled away .
0 king . with g rea t s pe ed . Foo t-sold ie rs . i n tha t dreadful bat tle . throw
ing as ide thei r weapons . and wi thout any rega rd for one another . fled
away hi ther and th ithe r . Though forb idden ‘ by Susarm an the ru le r o f
t he Tr igartas. and by othe r foremost o f kings . they stay ed not yet in
batt l e . Behold ing t hat host rou ted . thy son Duryodhan a himse l f a t t h e
head of t he whole army and wi t h Bhishma ahead . a ttacked Dhananjaya
with al l hi s vigour . for the sake . O king . of (prote ct ing ) t h e l ife of t he
ruler of the Tr igartas. And he stay ed in bat tl e . s ca t ter ing d iverse
kinds o f a rrows . supported by a l l h i s brothers . The re s t of the men al l
fled away . S imi la r ly . t he Pandava s . O king . c la d i n ma il and with a l l
the i r v i gour . proceeded . for the sake of Phalg u n i . to t he spo t whe re
Bhishma was . Al though acquainted w ith the aw ful prowess . in battle
of the wielde r of Gondiva . the se ye t proceeded wi th loud cr ie s and
great bravery to the spo t where Bh ishma was and surrounded him on
al l s ides . Th en the palmyra-bannered hero covered the Pandava army .in tha t bat t l e . with his st raight shaft s . The su n ha v ing reached the
meridian . t he Kaurav as . O king. fough t wi th the Pandava s i n one con
fused mass . The h eroic Satyaki . having p ierced Kri tavarman with fivearrows . st ayed in batt l e sca t t er ing his arrows by thousand s . An d so
ki ng Drupada also . hav ing pierced Drona wi th many wh et ted sha fts .once more pierced h im with seventy shaf t s and h is char ioteer with n in e .Bh imasen a a lso . hav i ng pierced h i s g reat grands ire king Valh ika ut tereda loud roar like a ti g er in the fo r est . Arju n a
’
s son (Abh imanyu ) pi erced
by Ch itrasen a wi th many shafts . deeply pierced Ch i trasen a i n the chest
with thr ee arrows . Engaged wi th each o the r i n battl e . those two fore
most o f men looked resplenden t on the fie ld l ike the plane t s . Venus
MAHABHARATA
and Saturn . 0 king . i n the firm amen t. l Then that slayer of fo es. v i z
the son of Subhadra . hav ing sla i n his an tago nist’
s s teed s and char io tee r
with n ine ar rows . u ttered a loud shou t . The reupon tha t m ighty car
war r ior . (v iz . . Chi trasen a) . quickly j umpin g down f ro m that car whosest eed had been sla in . mount ed . O king . wi thout de lay . the car of
Durm ukha . The val ian t Drona . pie rced the la tter’
s char io teer a lso .
Then . O king . Dru pada . thus a ffl ic ted a t the head of h i s t roo ps . re t r eat
ed by the a id o f his flee t s te ed s . r ecol lect ing the host i l i ty that ex i stedf rom days of old (be tween h im self and Drona) . Bh im asen a , within a
moment . depr ived k ing Va lh ika of his s t eeds . car and cha r ioteer . in the
very sigh t of a l l the troops . Fal len into a s i tuat io n of gre a t danger and
wi th fe ar in h i s hear t . O king . Va l h ika . tha t best of men . j umping downfrom that v e hicle . qu ickly mounted upon the car of L akshmana i n tha t
bat tle . Seryaki . hav i n g checked Kri tavarm an i n tha t dreadf ul ba ttle .
fel l upon the g randsi re and ra i ned on him shaf t s of d iverse kinds . 2
Pi ercing the grands ire w ith sixty whet ted sha f t s winged wi th feath e rs.
he seemed to dance on h i s ca r . shaking h is l ar g e how . The grands i re
then hurl ed at h im a mighty dart made of iron . decked wi th go ld . endued
with great veloc i ty . a nd beau ti ful as a d augh ter of t he Nagas . Be hold
in g that i rres i s t i ble dart . re sembling Dea th h imsel f . cours in g toward s
him . that i l lust r ious warr ior of t he Vr i shn i race baffl ed i t by the cele ri ty
of movements . Th ereupon tha t fie rc e dar t . unable to reach him of
the Vrishn i race . fe l l down on the ea r th l ik e a large meteor o f blazing
spl endour . Then he o f Vr ishn i’
s rac e . O king . tak ing up w ith a firm
hand h i s own dar t of golden efi u lg en ce . hu r led i t a t th e ca r o f the
grand s ir e . That dar t . hur l e d in tha t dre ad ful bat tl e w ith the s tre n g th
of Satyak i 5 a rms . coursed impetuously l ike the fa ta l n ight . coursin g
speedi ly towards a (doomed) man . As i t co urse d . howe v e r . towards
h im with great force . Bh i shma cut i t i n twain . O Bhara ta . wi th _a
couple of horse-shoe-h eaded arro ws of ke en edge . and thereupon i t fe l l
down on the ear th . Hav ing cut tha t dar t . tha t g r inder of foes . V iz . .Ganga
’s son . exci ted wi th wra th and sm il ing the wh ile struck Sa ty aki i n
the chest wit h n ine a rrows . Then the Pandava warr iors . O elder brotherof Pandu . with the i r ca rs . e lephan ts . and s tee d s .
3 su r rounded Bh ishma
i n th at battle . for the sake of r e scu ing h im of Madhu’
s race . Thencommenced a ga in a fie rce ba t tle . mak ing the hai r to s tand on end .between the Pandava s and th e Kurus bo th of whom were d es i rous o fvictory .
"
I Th i s i s diff erently read in the Bombay edition . I adopt the Bengalreading . which i s better . -T.
2 L it."reached him with shafts etc .
—T.
3 Both the Benga l an d th e Bombay printed texts are in fault regardingth e word ‘Pan dupurvaja .
’
The Bomb ay text makes i t a n oun . plural . Th e
Benga l text makes i t an accusative singular . There can b e no doub t thatthe Burdwan Pundits are right in taking i t as a vocative . —T.
. i
O b u l l of Bharata’ s race . suffered thei r heads to d rop l ike t a l l t rees .
'dropping the ir f ru i ts . Al l ov e r th e field . O king . steeds a lon g w ith th eir
ri ders wer e seen fal le n or fal l in g . depri v ed of l ife . An d while be ing
(’
thus) slaughtered; t he s teeds . aff ect ed with pan ic . fled away l ike
smalle r an imals desirous of sa v in g thei r l ive s a t s i gh t of t he l ion . An d
the Pandav as . O king . hav ing vanquished the ir fo es in tha t grea t bat tl e .
blew the ir couches and beat th e i r d rums . Th en Duryodh ana . fil l ed w ithgr i ef on see ing his troops vanquished . addressed th e ruler o f th e Madras .O chief of the Bhara tas . and sa id .
‘There . t h e e ldes t so n of Pandu .
accompain ed b y th e tw ins i n battl e . i n th y v ery sigh t . O thou of mighty
arms. ro uteth our troops . 0 lord . O mighty-arm ed one . re si st h im l ike
the contin en t res is t i n g the ocean . Thou a rt exce ed ingly wel l-known as
po sse sse d o f m ight and prowess t h a t a re i r re sis t ibl e’
. Hear in g these
words o f t h y son . th e val ian t Sa lya proceeded wi th a large body of carsto the
'
spo t where Yudhish th i ra was. Thereupon . the so n o f Pandu
began “ to r esis t in ba t t l e tha t lar ge host o f Salya rush ing impe tuously
towards h im with the fo rc e of a m ighty wav e . And tha t mighty car
warr ior . king Yudh i sh th i ra th e j us t . i n tha t ba t tl e quickly pie rced
the rule r of the Madras in the ce nt re of t he che st wit h t en sha fts . An d
Nakula and Sahadeva s t ruck him wi th seven s tra igh t shaf ts . The rule r
of t he Madras the n stm ck each of th em with th ree arrows. An d once
more h e pierced Yudh i shth i ra w ith s ixty sharp-poin ted arrows . An d
exc i t ed with wrath h e st ruck each of the son s o f Madri also w i th two
shafts . Then that vanquisher of foes . the m ighty-armed Bh ima . behold
ing the kin g . i n that g rea t bat tl e . st ay ing with i n reach o f Sa lya’
s car
as i f w ithin the very j aws of Death . quickly proceeded to Yu dh ishth i ra’
s
si de . Then when the Su n . ha v in g passed the merid ian . was s ink ing .there commenced a fie rce and te r r ibl e ba ttl e on that par t of
SECTION CVI I
Sen jay a sa id .”
Then thy s ire . excit ed w it h wrath . began to st r ikethe Par thas and t he ir t r0 0 ps a l l_round . with excel lent sha fts of gre at
sharpn ess. An d he pierced Bh ima with twelve shaft s . and Saty aki wi th
n ine . An d hav ing pierced Nakula with th ree sh afts . he pie rced Saha
deva w i th seven . And he pierced Yudhi sh th i ra i n the arms and the
che st with twel v e sh af ts . An d pierc ing Dhr ish tadyumna al so . thatmighty war r ior u ttered a loud roar . Him Nakula pierced ( in r eturn )with twelve shaf ts . and Seryaki w ith three . An d Dhr i shtady um n a
p ierced h im w ith seven ty shafts . and Bh imasen a with seven . An d
Yudh ishthira pierced the g ra nds i r e i n r e tu rn wi th twelve shafts . Drona
( o n the other hav ing pie rced Seryaki . p ie rced Bhim asena n ext.
And he pierced each of them with fiv e sharp sha f ts . each of which
BHISHMA PARVA
resembled the rod of Death . Each of those two . however .‘
piercedDrona . tha t hull among Brahmanas . i n re turn . wi th t hree stra igh t
sha fts . The Sauv i ras . the Ki tavas. the Eas terners . . the Weste rners. the
Northerners . th e,Ma l avas. th e Abh ishahas . the Su rasen as. the S iv i s.
and the Vasaris . d id not avoid Bh i shm a i n batt le a l though they were
incessantly s laughtered by him w i th shar p sha fts . An d s im ilarl y k ings
coming f rom d iverse countr ie s and armed wi th d ivers e weapo ns .approached the Pandavas ‘
(withou t seekin g . to avo id them in batt l e ) .An d th e Pandavas . O king. surrounded the g rands ire o n al l s ides . S ur
rounded o n a l l sides . ye t unvanqu ished by that larg e body of c ars .Bhishma blazed up l ike a fire in the mids t of a forest . and con sumed h i s
foes . H i s ca r was h i s fire-chamber his bo w const ituted the (flames
of tha t fire ) swords . darts . and maces . con sti tu ted th e fue l h i s shafts
were the sparks (of that fire ) ; and Bh i shma was h imse l f the fire tha t
consumed the foremost of Ksha tr iyas . I ndeed . with shafts fu rn i sh ed
wi th golden win g s a nd vul turi n e feathe rs and endued wi th grea t energy .wi th barbed arrows . and n a l ikas . and long sha f ts . he covered the host i l e
hos t . An d he fe l led e lepha n ts and car-warr iors a lso with his sharp
shafts . And he made tha t la rge body of cars res embl e a forest of
palmyras shorn of th eir leafy heads . An d th a t mi ghty a rmed warr ior .’
that foremost o f al l wielde rs of weapons . O king . deprived cars a nd
e lephants and stee ds o f the i r r iders in tha t confl ic t . And hear ing the
twang of h is bow-st r ing and th e noise of h is palms . loud as t he roar of t he
thunde r.all the troops t rembled . O Bhara ta . The sha ft s of thy si te . 0
hu l l of Bhara ta’
s race . to ld on the foe . Indeed . shot from Bh ishma’
s bowthey d id not strike the coa ts o f ma i l only (but pierced them through) .
And we behe ld . 0 king . many c a rs dest itu te of the i r brave r ide rs
dragged ove r the fie ld of batt le . O monarch . by t he flee t st e eds yoked
unto them . Four teen thousand car-warr iors . belonging to the Chedis.
the Kasis.and the Katushas . of g reat cel ebr i ty and noble -paren ta g e,
prepared to lay down th e ir l iv es . unretrea t in g from the fie ld . and own
i ng excel le nt standards decked wit h gold . hav ing me t with .Bh ishma i n
batt l e wh o r esembled the Destroyer h imsel f w i th wide-open m outh . al l ,went to the o ther world along wit h thei r car s . s teeds . and elephants .
And we behe l d ther e . O king . ca rs by hundreds and t housands . some
with the i r axl es and bottoms broken . and some . 0 Bharat a . w ith
broken whee ls . An d the earth was s t rewn with cars broken a long wi ththe i r woo den fences . wi th th e prostra te forms of ca r-warr iors . wi th
shaf ts . _w ith beaut iful bu t broken coats of mail . with axe s . O monarch .
with maces and shor t arrows and sharp shaf ts . with bo ttom s of : ca rs .with quivers and broken wheels . O si re . w1 th innumerable bows andsc imitar s and heads decked wi th ear r ings w ith l eathern fences and
gloves and over th rown standards . and with bows broken in various;
MAHABHARATA
parts. And elepha n ts . 0 king . dest i tute of r i d ers and slain horsemen of
the Pandava a rmy lay dead . The val ian t Pandav as notwi ths tandin gal l . t he ir effo rts . could not ral ly those car-warriors . who afflic ted by
the shafts o f Bhishma . were fly in g away f rom the field . Indeed . 0 king .
tha t mighty hos t wh il e bein g sla ugh te red by Bh i shma e ndued with
energy equal to tha t of Indra h imself . broke so comple t ely that no two .
persons fled togethe r . With i ts cars . el e phants . an d steeds over thrown .
and with i ts standards la id low i n profus ion .‘ th e army of th e son s of
Pandu . depr ived of se nse s . utte red lou d exclamat ions o f woe . An d a t
tha t t ime.s ire s l ew son . and son slew si te . and f rien d smote dea r friend .
impel led by fate . And many combat an ts of the Pandava a rmy . t how .
ing as id e th ei r armour . were s een fly in g i n al l d i r ect ion s with d ishev el l
ed ha ir . Indeed . t he Pandava troops looked like bull s runn ing wi ld
in fear.and no longe r res tra ined by th e y oke . I nd eed . loud we re the
exclamations . we heard . of wo e t h a t t hey uttered .
“
Then that de l ighte r of the Yadavas . behold ing the Pandava army
break ing . re in ed the excel le n t car ( t ha t h e guided) . and address in g
V ibhatsu th e so n of Pri tha . sa id .—That hour i s come . 0 Partha . wh ichthou hadst hoped for . Str ike now . O t ige r among men . or thou wil t
be depr iv ed of thy sense s . Former ly . O hero . t hou sa idst . O Par tha . i nth at conclave o f kin gs i n Vi rata
’
s c i ty . i n th e pre sence a l so of San jaya .
these words —I wil l sl ay a l l the warr ior s of Dhr i ta rashtra ’ s son . a l l o fthem w ith their fol lowers . i ncluding Bh i shma and Drona . tha t would
fight with me in bat tl e—O so n o f Kunti . O chastiser of foe s , make those
words bf t h ine true . R emembering the duty o f a Ksha tr iy a . fight. with
out any anxi ety .’
Thus addressed by Vasudeva . Ar juna hung down h is
head and looked askance at h im . An d Vi bhatsu repl ied very unwillingly .say i ng .
‘
To acqu ir e sov ere i gn ty wit h h e l l i n the end . hav ing sla in those
who should no t be sl ain . o r the woes of an exi l e i n t he woods .—(th ese are
th e al t e r nat ives) . W hich o f these shoul d I ach ieve Urge the ste eds .O Hrishikesa . I w il l do t hy bidding . I wil l over t h row the Kuru grand
s ire Bh i shma. that inv inc ibl e warr io r .’—Thus asked . Madhava urged
those steeds of a s i lvery hue . to the spot wh ere Bh i shm a . i ncapable o f
be ing looked a t l ike the Sun h imself. was staying . Then that large host
of Yudh ishth ira ral l ied a nd came aga i n to the figh t . behol d ing the‘
mighty-arme d Par tha proceedi ng for an encounte r wi th Bh i shma . Then
Bh ishma that fo re most one among the Kurus . repeated ly roa r ed like a
l ion . And he soon co v e red Dhan an jay a’
s car wi th a shower of a r rows .
With i n a trice that car of h is w ith i ts steeds and char ioteer . b eEam e‘
entirely inv is ible in consequence of tha t th ick showe r of arrows .Vasudeva . however . without fea r . mustering patience . and endued w ith
1 The last h al f of the second l ine of 28th i s re ad incor rectly i n th eBen gal tex ts—T.
g reat wi l l be the good don e to me , O Krishna , i n every .respect i n th e
world . Amongs t a l l i n the three worlds . grea t i s .the honour done to me
today in b attl e , 0 Govinda . Strik e me as thou pleases t , for I am thy .
slave ; O sin le ss one .’
Meanwh ile . the m ighty-arm ed Par tha . quickly
follow in g Kesava beh ind . se ized him by enc ircl in g h im w i th h i s two,
arms . Tha t best of male be i ng s . vi z Kr ishna . of ey es l ike lotus pe ta ls .
seized by Partha . s ti l l p roceeded w ith g rea t speed . beari ng t he la t ter
away w ith h im . The mighty Par tha . tha t slaye r o f host i l e heroes .however . forcibly ca tch ing hold of h is l eg s . s topped Hrish ikesa with .
grea t d ifi cu l ty a t the t en t h ste p . Then Arj una h is dear fr iend . fi ll ed
with sorrow . aff ect i onate ly addres sed Ke sava . who was then sigh ing l ike
a snake and whose eyes were t roubled in wrath . say in g .‘
O thou of
migh ty a rm s . stop . O Kesava . i t b ehoveth thee not to make those words
fa lse which thou h ads t spoken before . v iz . . I wil l not figh t . 0
Madhava . peopl e wi l l say t ha t thou ar t a l ia r . Al l th is burden re s teth
upon me . I will slay the grands i re . I swear . O Kesava . by my wea pon s .by truth . and my good dee ds . tha t . O slaye r of foe s . I wil l do al l by wh ich
the des truct io n of my fo es may be ach ieved . Behol d this ve ry day tha tinvinc ibl e and mighty car wa r r ior in the ac t of b e ing
.th rown down by
me.w ith the greates t ease . l ike t h e crescen t moon a t th e end o f the
Yuga (when the dest ruction of the un iverse comes ) . Madhava . how
ever.‘
heari n g the se words of the h i gh-souled Pha l gun i . spoke not a word .
but i n anger once more mounted upo n th e car . An d the n upon t hose
two t igers among men . when stat ioned on the i r car. Bhi shma the . son of
San tan u . once more poured h i s ar rowy showers l ike the clouds pour ing
rain upon the m o un ta im-breas t . Thy s i re Devav rata took the l i v es of the
( ho st ile ) warr io rs l ike the Sun suckin g wi th h is ray s the energ i es of al l
thin g s during summer . As the Pandavas had been breaking the ranks ofthe Kurus i n battle . so thy si re “bro ke the Pandava ranks in bat tle . And
the routed sold ie rs . helpless a nd hear t less . sl au ghteted in hundred s and
thousands by Bh i shm a . were unable to even loo k a t him i n t h a t hartle phim who resembled the mid-day Sun blaz ing in h is own splendour .
Indee d . the Pandava s affl ic ted wi th fear . t i mid ly gazed at Bh ishma who
was t hen ach ieving supe r-human f ea ts i n tha t ba t t le . An d the Pan dava
troops . thus fle eing away . O Bhara ta . fa i led to find a protector . l ike aherd of kine sunk in a shoa l of ants whi l e be ing t rod down by a strong
person . I ndeed . th e Pandavas could not . O Bhara ta . look a t tha t mighty
car-warrior incapable of be ing shaken . who . furn ished w i th a profusion
of sha f ts . was scorch in g th e kings ( i n the Pandava army ) . and who i n
co n sequence of thos e shaf t s looked l ike the blaz ing Sun sheddin g h is
fiery rays . And wh ile he was thus g r ind ing th e Pandava‘ army , the
thousand-rayed maker of day repai red to the sett ing h il ls . an d the troops.wo rn wi th fatigue . se t the ir hear ts on w ithdrawa l (f rom the
SECTION CVII I
San jaya said . While they were battl ing. the Sun set . 0 Bharata. and
the r e came the dreadful hour of tw i l igh t and the batt l e could no longer
be seen . Then king Yudh i sh th ira . see ing th a t twi l ight had com e andthat his own troops . slaughtered by Bh i shm a . had th rown asid e their
weapons . and tha t s t r icken w i th fea r . and turn ed o ff the field . they
were seeking to flee away . and beho ld in g Bh i shma also . t ha t m ightycar-warr io r . excited wit h wrath and a fflictin g everybody in figh t . and
not icin g that t he m ighty car-war r iors of the Somakas . hav ing been
v anquished . had al l becom e cheer less . r eflected a l i tt le , and th en
ordered the troops to be wi thdrawn . Then kin g Yudh ishth ira wi thdrew
h is forces . An d s im ilarly . the wi thdrawal of thy forces also took place
a t t he same t ime . Then those m ighty ca r-warriors . O chief o f the
Kurus.havin g withdrawn their forces . e ntered the ir ten ts . th emselves
mangled i n ba ttle . Afll ic ted by the sha fts of Bh ishma and reflec tin g
upo n tha t hero's fea ts in bat tle . the Pandavas obta ined no peace of
mind . Bh ishma also , hav in g v anquished the Pandavas and the Sri n jayasi n bat t le . was worshipped by thy son s and g lo r ified by them . O Bhara ta .
Accompan ied by the rejo icing Kurus . he then ent ered h i s t en t . Nigh t
then set in . tha t depriv es a l l c reatures of the ir senses . Then in tha t
fierce hour of n ight . t he Pandavas . the Vr ishn i s and the i nv i ncible
Sri n jayas sat down for a consulta t ion . Al l those m i ghty persons, sk i l led
i n arr iv ing at conclus ions In council . coolly del iberated abou t that which
was beneficial for t hem in v i ew of thei r immed iate circumstances . Then
king Yudh ish thira . hav ing reflected for a long while . said th ese words.cast ing his eyes o n Vasudeva .
‘
Behold . O Krishna . the hi gh-souled
Bh ishma of fierce prowess . He crushetb my troops l ike an elephan t
crushing a forest of r eed s . We dare no t even look at that h igh-souled
warr ior . Like a rag ing confl agrat ion h e l icket h up my troops . The
va l iant Bhi shma o f keen weapons . when exc i ted wi th wrath i n ba t t leand bow i n hand shoo tin g h is shafts . becometh as ifierce as the mighty
Nana Takshaka of v i rulen t po ison . Indeed . the an gry Yama is capableof be ing vanquished . o r even the chief of the celestials armed wi th t hethunder , or Varuna h im sel f . noo se in hand. o r t he L ord of the Yakahaa
armed w ith mace . Bu t Bhi shma . exc i t ed wit h wrath . i s i ncapable of
be ing vanquished in bat tle . When this i s the case . O Krishna . I am .
through the weakn ess of my unde rstand ing . p lunged in an ocean o f gri e fhaving got Bhishma (as a foe ) i n bat t l e . I wil l re tir e i n to the woods . Oinvin cible one . My exil e t he re would be for my benefi t . Ba t tle . 0Kr ishna, I no longe r des i re . Bh ishma slay eth us a lways . As a n insec t.by rushin g into a blazing fire mee te th only wi th d eath even so I rush
upon Bhishma . In putt ing forth prowess . O thou of Vri shn i’
s race . for
the sake of my kingdom . I am . a la s . l ed to dest ruction . My brav e
MAHABHARATA
bro thers have al l been exceeding ly aff l icted with arrows . In couse
quence of the aff ect ion they bear to mysel f th e i r (e lde st) brothe r th ey
had to go in to the woods . deprived o f kin gdom . For my self a lone . 0
slay er of Madhu . hat h Krishna been sunk i n to such distress . I regard
l i fe to be of h ig h valu e . Indeed . ev en li f e now seemeth to be difi cu l t
of being saved . ( If I can sav e tha t l i fe ) . i t s l a te r remnan t wi l l I pass in
the practice of excel len t v ir tue . If . wi th my brothers . O Kesav a . I am
wor thy of thy favour . te l l m e . O Kr i shna . what i s for my ben efi t . wi th
out contravenin g the dut ie s o f my order . Hear ing th ese words of h is ,and descr ibing the s i tuatio n in de ta il . Krishna . from compassion .
sa id these words i n reply fo r comfort ing Yudh i shth i ra .
‘O so n of
Dharma . O thou that a r t firm in t ruth . do thou no t i ndul ge in sor row .
thou tha t hast these i nvinc ibl e he roes , t hese slayers of foes . fo r thy
brothers . Arjuna and Bh imasen a are each endued wi th the energy of
the Wind and the Fi re . The tw in so ns o f Mad r i a l so are each a s v alian t
as the Chief of the ce le s t ials h i msel f . From the good understanding that
exists between us. do thou set me also to this task . Even I. O so n o f
Pandu . will fig ht with Bh ishma . Directed by thee . O grea t kin g . what
is there t h at I may not do in grea t battle . Cha lleng ing that bul l
among men . v i z Bh i shma . I wi l l slay h im in ba t tl e . in t he v ery sight of
the Dhartarash tras. i f Phal gu n i do th not wish to slay h im . I f. O son
of Pandu . thou see st v ic tory to be cer ta in on the slaughter of the h eroic
Bhi shma . even . I . on a s ing le car . will sl ay that aged grandsir e of the
Kurus . Behold . O king . my prowe ss . equal to t hat of the g rea t Indra
in battle . I wil l ov er throw from h is car t ha t warr i or who always
shoot eth mighty weapons . He tha t i s an en emy of the sons of Pandu .
wi thout doubt . is my enemy also . They . t hat ar e yours . are m ine . and
so they . tha t are mine . a r e yours . Thy bro th er (Arj una ) i s my f r iend .
relat ive . and disci pl e . I wil l . O kin g . cut o ff my own flesh and g ive i taway for the sake of Arjuna . An d thi s t iger amon g men a lso can lay
down his l ife for my sake . O sire . even this is our unde rstanding . v iz . .
tha t we wil l protec t each o ther . Therefore . command m e . O king. in
what way I am to fight . Formerly , at U paplav ya . Partha had . i n the
presence o f many perso ns. vowed . say in g .'I will s lay the son . of Ganga .
'
These words of the intel li gen t Partha should be obse rved ( i n pract ice ) .
Indeed . if Par tha reques ts me without doubt I w i ll fulfi l th a t vow . Or .
let i t be the task of Pha l gu n i himsel f in ba t tl e . I t is no t heavy for him .
He wil l slay Bhi shma . t hat subjugator of h ost i l e c i t ies . If exci ted in
ba ttle . Partha can achieve feat s tha t are incapable of be ing . ach ieved
b y others . Arjuna can sl ay i n batt le the ve ry gods exer t in g themselvesact ively . a long with t he Da i tyas and the Danavas. What need be saidof Bh i shma . there fore . 0 king Endued with great en
t he son of San tan u . i s n ow of p erver ted judgment .
MAHABHARATA
race.Welcome art thou . O Dhananj aya . Welcome to thee . 0 ki n g
Yudhishthi ra t he just . and t o the e . O Bhima . Welcome to you al so .ye tw ins
.What am I to do now for enhanc ing your joy Ev en i f i t be
exceed ingly d ifi cu l t of achie vement . I w i l l y e t do i t w it h all my soul .
Unto the so n of Ganga who th us repeat edly spoke un to them wi th such
aflection .king Yudhi shth ira . with a cheer ful h eart . lov in gi y sa id th ese
words.
‘O thou tha t ar t conve rsant wi th ev e ry t h ing . how shal l we
obta in v ic tory , an d how shal l we acquire sove re i gn ty How a l so may
th is destruct ion of creatures be stopped Say al l thes e un to me . 0 lord .
Tel l us the means of thy own dea th . How, O hero . s hal l we be able to
bear the e in ba ttl e O g rands i r e of t he Kurus . thou gfi est not thy foe s
e v en a minute hole to pick in thee . Thou ar t s een in batt l e w ith thy
how ever drawn to a c ircl e . When thou takest thy shaf t s . when a imest
them . and wh en drewest the bow (for le tting them o ff ) . no one is able
to mark . 0 slaye r of host i le heroes . con stant ly sm i t in g (as thou dost)cars and s te eds and men and elephants . we behold thee on t hy ca r . 0
mighty-armed one . to r esemble a second Sun . What man i s th ere 0
bul l of Bharata's race . who can vent ure to vanquish the e . scatter ing
showers of arrows in batt l e . and caus ing a grea t destruct ion . Tel l me .
O grands ire . the means b y which we may v anqu ish the e in battl e . b y
which sove re ignty may‘
b e ours . and la s tl y . by which my army m ay not
have to undergo such de s t ruct ion . Hear in g these words . San ta n u’
s so n .
O elder brother of Pandu . s aid un to the so n of Pandu .‘
As long a s I am
al ive . O son of Kunti . v ic to ry cannot b e ~you rs in ba t t l e . O thou of great
w isdom . Truly do I say t hi s unto thee . Af te r . however . I'
am vanquish
ed in figh t, y e may have v ictory in ba tt l e . y e sons of Pandu . If .
th erefore.ye desir e v ictory i n the ba t tl e . smite me down without delay .
I giv e you perm ission . ye sons of Pri tha . s tr ik e me a s y e please . I am
th us known to you in what I regard to be a fortunate c ircumstance . ‘
Af ter I am sla in , a l l th e re s t w i l l be sla in . Therefore . do as
I h id .
Yudh ishth ira said .‘
Tel l us t h e mean s by wh ich we may v anqu ish
t h ee in battl e . thee tha t ar t . when exci t e d wit h wrath in the fight . like
unto th e Dest royer himself a rmed w i th mace . The wielde r of the
th under-bol t may be vanquished or Varuna . or Yama . Thou . however .
a rt incapable of be ing defeate d i n ba tt le by even th e gods and Asuras
united together . with Indra at th e ir h ead?“
Bh ishm a said .‘
That . O son of Pandu . is t rue . which thou sayes t .O thou . of mighty arms . Wh en w ith weapons and my large bow inhand I co n ten d care fully in ba tt l e . I am incapable o f be ing defea ted
1 Th at you know m e to b e invincib le i s a fortunate circumstan ce. for ifyou h ad n ot known th i s . you would h ave fough t on for day s togeth er an dthus caused a tremen dou s d estruction o f creatu res . By your comin g tokn ow. that destruction m ay b e stowed—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
by the v ery gods and the Asuras with Indra a t thei r head . If . however .I lay as ide my weapons . even t hese ca r-wa r riors can sl ay me . One tha thath thrown away h is we apon s . one that ha th fal l en down . one whose
armour hath sl i pped o fi‘. one whose standa rd is down . one who i s fly ing
away , o n e who is f right ened . one who say s—I‘ am thine—one who i s afemal e . one who bea reth the name o f a female . one no lon g e r ca pableof taking care o f one
’s sel f . one who hath only a sing le so n . or one who
i s a vulga r fe l low .—wi th these I do not l ike to battle . Hear a lso . O
king . abou t my reso lve formed before . Beholding any inausp icious omenI would ne v er figh t. Tha t m ighty car-warr ior. the son of Dru pada .
0 king . whom thou hast i n thy a rmy . who i s kn own by th e name of
S ikhan d i n . who i s wra th fu l i n ba t t le . brave . and ev er vict or ious . wasa femal e before but subsequen tly obta ined m anhood . How
‘ a l l th is
took p l ace . y e a l l know i t tru ly . Brave i n bat t l e and cl ad in male . l e t
Ar j una . keeping S ikhan di n before h im . at tack me with h is sha rp sha fts .
When tha t in auspicious omen Wi l l be the re . especial ly in th e fo rm of
one that was a femal e befo re . I Wi l l never s eek . though arm ed with
how and arrow . to s tr ike h im . Obta in ing that oppor tunity . l e t Dhan an l
j aya the son of Pandu quickly p ierce me on every s id e w i th h i s shafts .O hu l l of Bharata
's race . E xcept th e hi ghly bl essed Krishna
‘
. and
Dhananjaya t h e son of Pandu . I do no t behold the person in th e threeworlds wh o is able to
“
sl ay me whi le exert ing mysel f i n battl e . Let
Vib ha tsu . therefore . armed with weapons . s trug gl in g car efully in battle .with his excel l e nt bow in hand . placin g (Sikhan di n o r ) som ething e lse
before . throw . me down ( from my car ) . Then the v ic tory wil l bece r ta in . Do this . O g reat k ing . even this tha t I hav e sa id unto thee . Othou of exce l l en t vows . Thou wil t then be able to slay al l Dhartarashtras
assembled tog ethe r i n ba ttl e .’
Senjaya con tinued .“The Pe rthe s then . hav in g asc er ta ined a l l th i s
wen t back,
to the i r t en ts , salut in g th e Kuru grandsi re . vi z ., the h igh
souled Bh i shm a . . Aft e r Ganga’
s son . prepar ed to go to th e other world .had said th is . Ar juna . burn ing with gr ief and h i s face sufl
'
used in shm e .
sa id these words ,‘
How. O Madh ava . shal l I fight in ba t tl e w i th t h e
grandsir e who i s my sen ior in yea rs . who is possessed of wisdom and
intell igence . and who i s the oldest number of our race While spor'
t
ing in d ays of chi ldh ood . O Va sud eva . I used to sm ea r the'
bo dy of th i s
high souled an d i l l us tr ious one with dust by cl imbing on'
hi s lap wi th'
my
own fil thy body . O younger bro the r of Gada . he i s t he s ire of my si te
Pandu . Whil e a ch i ld . cl imbing on the lap of t h is h igh-sou led o n e I
once cal led him fathe r . I am no t thy fathe r but thy fa ther‘
s fa ther : O
Bharata l—ev e n th is i s what he sa id to me ( i n reply ) in my ch ildhood .He who said so . Oh . how can he be slain by me . O let my armyperish . Wh ether . i t i s v ic to ry or death that I . obt a in I wil l never
MAHABHARATA
figh t tha t h igh-sou led perso n . (Ev en th is i s wha t I th ink ) . Wha t does
thou t h ink . O Kr ishna .‘
"Vasudeva sa id .
‘
Hav ing v owed the slaughte r of Bhishm a before .
O J i shn u . how canst thou abstain f rom slay ing h im . agre ea b ly to th e
dut ie s of a Kshatr iya Th row down f rom h i s car . O Partha . t hat
Kshatriya who i s i n v inc ible i n ba t t l e . Vic tory can nev er be yours without slay in g Ganga
’
s so n . Even t hus sha ll h e go to t he abode of Yama .
This hath been se t tl ed befor e by the gods . That wh ich ha th been
destined before . O Par tha . must happen . I t cannot be oth erw ise . None
sav e thee . O inv incibl e on e . not even th e wielde r of th e thunder-bol th imself . would be capabl e of fi ghtin g w ith Bhishma . who i s l ike the
Des t royer w ith w ide-open mouth . S l ay Bhishma . withou t any anx iety .
Listen also to these words of m ine tha t a r e wha t Vrihaspati of grea t
in tel l igence had sa id unto Sakra in days of o ld . One should slay even an
aged person endued wit h ev e ry mer i t and worthy o f reverence if h e
cometh as a fo e . or . i n d eed any othe r wh o‘
appro ach e th for de stroy ing
one’
s self—O Dhanan jaya . th i s i s the e te r nal duty sanc tioned for theKshatr iya . vi z that they should fight . pro tect subj ec ts . and pe rformsacr ifices . al l w i thou t mal ice .
‘
“
Ar juna sa id .‘
S ik‘han di n . O Krishna . wil l certa inly be the cause of
Bh i shma's death . for Bhi shma as soon as he beholds th e prince of the
Pan chal as . abstai n s f rom str ik in g . Therefore . keepin g S ikhan d i n befor e
h im and at our head . we wil l . by tha t means , ove r th row the so n of
Ganga . E ven t hi s i s wha t I th ink . I wil l hold in check o th e r grea t
bowmen with m y shaf ts . As r ega rd s S ikhan di n . he w i l l fi gh t w ith
Bh ishma alon e . that - fo r emos t o f a l l wa rr io rs . I h ave heard f rom th a t
chi ef of the Kurus tha t h e would no t s t r ike Sikhan d i n . for hav in g been
born before a s a woman he subsequent ly became a ma le person .
’
Senjay a con t inued .“
Hav i n g se t t led thi s with Bhi shm a’
s perm iss ion .
the Pandavas . a long with Madhava , went away wi th re jo icin g heart s .And then those bul l s among men re ti r ed to t hei r respect iv e beds.
"
l
SECTION CIX
Dhr ita rash tra sa id . How did S ikhan d in advance aga inst the son ofGanga in bat t l e . and how d id Bh i shma also advanc e against the Pandavas Say al l thi s unto m e . O San j ay a .
Sanjay s sa id .“
Th en al l those Panda v as . towards th e hour of sun
r ise . with bea t o f drums and cymbal s and smal le r d rums . and wi th th e
blare of conch es o f m ilky wh iten ess . a l l a round . wen t out fo r battle .plac ing S ikhand i n in the i r van . An d they marched ou t . O kin g . having
formed an array tha t was destruct iv e of a l l foe s . An d Si khan din . O
1 The last v erse cons i s ts o f t h re e l ines . In some of th e Benga ltexts t he las t l ine i s omitted .
San j aya said . I wil l te l l thee . O king . wha t thy s i r e d id when thyson
's ho st was afi l icted by the Pandavas and the S ri n jayas. With
cheerful hear ts . the brave sons o f Pandu . oO e ld er brothe r of Pandu.
encounte r ed thy son’
s host . slaughter in g (a l l whom they met ) . Tha t
carnage . O ch ief of m en . o f human be ings . elephan ts and s t eeds . that
des tr uction by the foe of thy army in batt l e . Bhi shma could not brook .
Tha t invincible and grea t bowman . then . reckless o f h i s very li fe pou red
upon the Pandavas , th e Pan ch a las. and t he Sri n jayas . showers of long
shafts and calf-toothed and crescent-shaped a r rows . An d wi th weapons .
0 monarch . b e checked w i th his shaft s and with showers of other
weapons . both offens iv e and de fen siv e . al l sped w ith en ergy an d wrath ,the five foremos t of m igh ty car-warriors of the Pandav a s . who had be en
strugg l ing v igorously in ba tt le . Exci ted w i th wrath . he slaugh te red in
that bat t le countless e l e phants a nd ste eds . An d that bul l among men .0 monarch . throwin g down many car-warr iors f rom their cars , 1 andhorsemen f rom the ir hor s es , and crowds of foot-sold i e r s . and e l ephan t
war r ior s f rom the backs of the beasts they rod e . s truck terror into the
foe . An d the Pandava warr ior s al l rushed toge th er upo n Bhi shma
sin g ly . upon tha t migh ty car-warr ior s truggl ing in batt le w ith g reat
act iv i ty . l ike t he 4 8W “ r ushing togethe r upon h im wit h the thunder
bol t i n hand . Shooting on al l sides his w h e t ted ar rows whose to uch
resembled that of I ndra‘
s thunder . he se emed to the en emy to have
assembled a terrible v isage . While fight in g i n tha t bat t le , h i s lar ge
bow . resembling that of Sakra h imself . se emed to be a lways drawn to a
circle . Beholding those fea t s i n bat tle . thy son s . O monarch . fi ll ed wit h
exceedin g wond er. worshipped the grand si r e . Th e Parthas cast t h e i r
eyes . with cheer less hear ts . upon thy heroic s i r e s tr ugg l ing i n ba tt l e . l ikethe celes t ia ls upon the Asura Viprach i tti i n days of old They
could n o t resis t tha t warr io r who then resembl ed the Destroyer him self
with w ide-open mouth . In tha t ba tt l e on the tehth day . Bhi shma. wi th
h i s sharp shafts . consumed the d i v is ion of S ikh a n di n l ike a conflagration
consum ing a forest . Him resembl ing an an g ry snak e of v i rulent poison .or the Destroye r urged by Death h imsel f . S ikhan din p ierced with t hree
shaf ts i n the cent re of the chest . Deeply p ie rced th erewi th . Bh ishma
saw that i t was S ikhandin (who was piercing h im ) . Exc it ed w ith wrath .but unwill ing to fight w it h S i khan d i n Bh i shm a laughin g ly sa id .‘
Whether thou choosest to str ike me or no t . I wil l n ev er fight wi th t he e .T hou art th at Si khan di n sti ll which th e C reator had m ade thee fi rst
‘
.
3
Hearing these words of h is . S i khan d i n . depr i v ed of hi s senses by
1 The adj ective ‘Vahu'i n th e fir st l ine o f 32 qua lifies
'rath i n as
‘ i n thesecon d line . The la st of th e verse i s a n om . s in g . an d n ot a vocative . -T.
2 The Benga l texts read ‘m ahasu ram‘ in th e s eco n d l ine o f th e verse .
Th is seems to b e viciou s . A latter readin g wou ld b e 'm a ha su ram’
(th e g r eatAsura ) . Th e Bom bay text reads 'ra n e suram .
' I adopt th e lastr —T.
3 i .e. . Thou art sti l l a woman thoug h th e sex h ath b een changed—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
warth . and licking the corners of h is mouth addressed Bh ishma i n th atbattle . say ing ,
‘
I know thee . O migh ty-armed one . to be the extermina
to r of the Kshatr iya race . I hav e h eard al so of thy bat tle with Jamadagm’
s
son . I hav e a l so he ard much of thy super-human'
prowess . Knowin g
thy prowess l wil l s t i l l fight wi th th ee today . For doing wha t i s ag reeable to the Pandavas and i s agre eable to my own self
,O chast i ser
of foes . I w il l today fight wi th thee in bat tle . O bes t o f men . I wil l . of
a ce rta inty . slay thee . I swear this before thee by my troth . . Hear in g
th e se words"
of m i ne . do that wh ich thou shouldst . Wh ether t houchoosest to strike me o r not . t hou shall no t escape me w i th l i fe . 0
thou that ar t eve r v ictor ious. O Bhi shm a . look thy last on this world .
San jay a continued . Hav ing sa id so . S ikhan di n i n that battle
p ierced Bh i shm a wi th fiv e stra ight shaf ts . having already pierced him
with his wordy shaf ts . Hear ing those word s of h is , th e mighty car
warr io r Ar j una , regard ing S ikhan di n to be Bh ishm a's Destroyer . urged
him on . say ing ,‘
I wi l l fight beh ind the e . rout ing the foe w ith my
shaf ts . Exci ted wi th fury . rush thou aga inst Bh i shma of te rr ible prowess. The migh ty Bh i shm a will not be able to a ffl ict the e in bat t le .
Therefore . O mi ghty-armed one . encoun t er Bh ishma wi t h vigor. If .
O si re , thou return est today without slayin g Bhi shm a . thou wilt , with
myse lf , be an obj ect of r id icule to the world . Seek to do that‘
i n battl e
by which , O hero . we may not incur r idicul e i n this great batt le . Slaythe grandsi re . O thou o f great s t r eng th . I wil l pro tect thee in th i s
battle . checking al l th e car-warri ors (of the Kuru army ) . Do thou slay
the grandsi re . Drona , and Drona’
s son . and Kr ipa . and Suy odhan a .
and Chitrasen a . an d Vikarna . and Iay adratha the ruler o f the S indhu s.
Vind a and An uv i nda of Av an t i . and Sudakshina t h e rul er of the Kamvo ies . and th e bra v e Bhagadatta , and the m igh ty king of the Magadhas .
and Somadatta's so n . an d the brav e q shaoas who is R ishy a srin ga
‘
s son
and th e rul er of the Tri gartas. a lon e with a l l t he o th er grea t ca r
warr iors (of the Kuru army ) . I wil l check l ike t he cont inent resi st ing
the surging sea . Indeed . I wi l l hold in check . a l l the m ighty warr iors
of t h e Kuru a rmy assembl ed together and bat tl ing wi th » u s.
"Do thou
slay the grandsi r e .'
SECTION CX
Dhr itarashtra sa id . How d id S ikhan din th e pr ince of the Pancha
las. exc i ted wi th wrat h . rushed in ba tt l e a ga inst th e grands ir e . viz . .Ganga
’
s so n of r ighteous soul an d regulated vows . What m igh ty carwarr ior s o f the Pandava arm y . upra ised weapons . desirous of victory .
and e xert in g them selve s w ith activ i ty , protec ted Sikhan d i n on that occa
sion which required grea t act iv i ty How a l so d id Bh i shma t he son of
Santanu . endued with g r eat energy . fight on that tent h day o f batt le
MAHABHARATA
wi t h the Pandavas a nd the Sri n jayas ? I canno t brook the idea of
Sikhan din encounte r ing Bh ishm a i n ba ttl e . (Indeed . when S ikh an din‘
attacked Bh i shm a). was Bh i shma‘
s car or h is bow broken
Senjaya sa id .“While fight ing i n t ha t ba ttle , O bul l o f Bhara ta
's
race.ne ither the bow no r the car o f Bhi shm a had su fi
’
ered any inju ry .
He was then slay in g the fo e wi th stra igh t sha fts . Many thousands ofmigh ty ca r
-warr ior s belong ing to th y army . a s a lso elephan ts . O k i ng .and s teeds wel l harne ssed . proceeded for battle . with the grandsi re i n
the van . Ag re eabl y to h is vow , O th o u of Kuru‘
s race . t h e e v e r
victorious Bh ishma was i nce ssan tly engaged in slaug hter ing the t roops
of the Parthas . The Pan cha las and t h e Pa ndav as were unabl e to bear
t hat great bowman ba ttl in g (wi th them ) and slay in g his foes with h isshafts . When the ten th day cam e . the hos ti le a rmy was torn i n to
piece s by Bhishma with hi s shaf t s by hund red s and thousand s. O elder
brother o f Pandu . t he sons o f Pandu were incapabl e of defea t ing in
bat tle the grea t bowman Bhishm a who resemble d the Des troye r himself
armed with the lance .“
Then . O king . the unvanquish ed Vi bhatsu or Dhananj aya . who wascapable of draw ing the bow with e v en the le f t h and . came to thatspo t . fr ig h tening al l the car-warr ior s . R oar ing loudly l ike a l ion . and
repeated ly drawin g the b ow-st ri ng . and sca t te ring showers of a rrows .Partha careered on th e field of battl e l ike Death h im se l f. Fri ghteneda t those roa r s of his , thy warr iors . O bull of Bharata
’
s race . fled away
in ter ror . l ike smalle r ani mals . O king . a t the sound of th e l ion .
Beholding t he son o f Pandu crowned wi th v ictory and thus a ffl ict ing
that host . Duryodhana . h imsel f under th e influence o f terror addr essed
Bh ishm a and sa id .‘
Yon so n of Pandu . O si re . wi th whi te ste eds (yoked
unto hi s car ) . and hav ing Krishna for h i s char ioteer . con sume th al l my
troops l ike a conflag ra t ion consum in g a fore s t . Beho ld . O son of
Ganga . all t roops . s laughtered by Pan du's son i n batt l e . are . O
foremost of warriors . flee in g away . Indeed . a s t he herdsman
b elabo u re th his cat tl e i n th e forest . even so . O scorcher of fo es
i s my a rmy be ing belaboured . Broke n a nd dr iven away on al l s ides
by Dhananjaya w ith his shaf ts . the invincible Bhima is al so rou ting
that (a l ready broken ) hos t of m ine . An d Sa tyak i . and Chek i tan a . and
the tw in sons of Madr i . and the val ian t Abh im an y u .
— th e se also a re
routing my troops . The brav e Dhr i shtady um n a . and the RakshasaGhato tkacha al so . are vigorously break in g and dr iv ing away my army inth is fierce confl ic t . Of the se t roops tha t ar e be ing slaughte red by allthose m ighty car-warr iors . I do not s ee an y othe r re fuge i n the ma t ter
of the ir stay in g and fight in g on the field . 0 Bharata . save thee . O tig er
among men . that art possessed o f prowess equa l to that o f the celes ti a l s .Th erefo re . rece ive thou those gre a t car-warr iors wi thout delay . and be
And so Dhri shtadyuma also . O king . and th e mi ghty car-warr iorAbh im an yu , hav in g hea rd tho se word s of Partha . joyful ly rushed atBh ishma. And o ld V i ra ta and Drupada . and Kun tib bo ja a l so . clad in
ma il . rushed a t Bh i shma i n the very s igh t o f thy son. An d Naku lh.
Sah adeva . and the va l ian t k ing Yu dh ish th i ra al so . and al l the r est o f the
warr iors . O monarch ."
rushed aga i n st Bh i shm a . As regards t hy warriors
0 k ing. tha t r‘
u shéd. accord in g to the measure o f the i r might an d
courag e . aga in st th ose m ighty car~wa rr io rs (of the Pand ava army)uni ted toge ther , li sten to me as I speak of th em unto t hee . Like a
young tiger attack ing a bul l , Ch i trasen a . O kin g . rushed aga i nst Chekitana who in th a t bat tl e was proc eed ing fo r g e t t ing a t Bh i shma . Kr i tal
varm an . O king . re s isted Dhr i stadyum n a who had reached the
presence of Bh i shma and who was exer t ing h imself wit h g rea t act iv i ty
an d v i gour"
i n that ba t t l e . Som ada tta's son . O monarch . with grea t
act iv i ty , resis ted Bh imasen a exci ted w i th fury and desi rous of slay ing
Bh i shm a . S im i l ar ly Vikarna . d esi ro us o f (protec t ing ) Bh i shm a‘
s l i f e .
r esi sted the brave Nakul a who was scat te r in g i nn um erabl e arrows
around . An d so . O king . Kri pa th e son of Saradwat. excited wi th rage .
r es isted Sahadeva procee d ing towards Bh i shm a’
s car . An d the m ightyDurm ukha rushed a t that R aksha sa of cruel d eeds . vi z . , the m ighty son
of Bhim asen a . des irous of Bhishma‘
s s laughte r . Thy son Duryodhana
h imse l f resisted Satyak i proceed ing to bat tle . Sudaksh i n a the ruler of
the Kamv ojas . O king . re s isted Ab h im an yu . O monarch . who was
proceed in g towards Bh i shma’
5 ca r . And Aswattham an . O king . excited
w ith ra ge . res i s ted ol d Vi ra ta and Dru pada . those two cha‘
s t iser s of fo es
U n ited togethe r . An d Bha radwa j a’
s son . exert in g h imsel f w i th v igour inbatt le . res ist ed the e l d es t Pa ndava . that i s to say . kin g Yudh i sh th i ra the
just . who was desirous of Bh i shma’
s death . And tha t grea t bowman . vi z . ,
Dussasan a . in that bat t le . res is t ed Arjuna who was rushing wit h g rea t
speed . with S 1kh andin before h im . des irous of com ing upon Bhi shm a . O
monarch . and i llum in at in g t he ten quar t ers wit h h is brigh t weaponsAnd other warr iors of thy army r es i s t ed in tha t grea t bat tl e othermighty car-warr io r s o f t h e Pandavas p roceed ing agains t Bh ishma .
Dh ri shtady umn a . th at m ighty car-warr ior . excit ed wi th rage . rushed
again st Bh ishma a lo ne and address ing the troop s , repeated ly sa id in a
loud vo ice .‘
There . Ar juna . tha t de l ig hte r o f Kuru‘
8 race . is proceed ing
aga inst Bh i shma in bat tl e . R ush ye aga inst Ganga’
s so n . Be not
afraid . Bh i shm a wil l not be able to at tack you in bat t l e . Vasava
himself cannot v enture to fight wi th Arj una 1n bat tle . What therefore .n eed be sa id of Bh i shma who . though possessed of bravery 1n bat tle . i s
feeble and old . Hear in g t he se words of thei r commander . the m ighty
1 L itera l ly . wil l not g e t or obta in you .—T .
l
BHISHMA PARVA 299
car-warr io rs of th e Pandava army . fil l ed wi th joy . ru shed towards th e
ca r of Ganga's so n . Many for emost of m en . however . of thy a rmy
cheerfully rece ived and re s i s ted those heroes com ing towards Bh ishma
l ike im pe tuous mass o f l ivin g energy . Tha t m igh ty car-warr ior .Dussasan a . abandoning al l fears . rush ed agains t Dhananjaya . des i rous of
protecting the l i fe o f Bh i shma . An d so the heroic Pandavas al so . O kin g .rushed in battle a ga inst thy sons . those m ighty car-warriors . s ta tioned
about Bhi shma’
s car . And then . O king ; we beh eld a h ighly wonder ful
inciden t , vi z tha t Pa rtha . hav ing proceeded as fa r as Du ssasan a’
s car.
could not advance furthe r . As the cont inent resi sts the surgin g see .
even so d id thy so n (Du ssasan a) r esist t he angry son of Pandu Both
of them we re foremost of ca r-warriors . Bo th of them . O Bharata . wereinv inc ibl e . Both of them . i n beauty an d splendour . O Bharata . r esembled
the Sun or th e Moon . Both of them wer e exci ted wi th wrath . An d
each of them de s i red to slay th e oth er . An d they encoun tered each
other in dreadful bat tle l ike .Maya and Sakra in days o f old . An d
Dussasan a . O king . in t h at ba t t le pi erced the so n of Pandu w i th three
shafts and Vasudeva w ith twent y . Then Arjuna . exc i ted w ith rage
upon behold in g him of Vr ishn i’
s race thus affl ic ted . pierced Du ssasan a
with a hund r ed shaf ts . These . penet ra t i n g through the lat t er's armour .
drank hi s blood in tha t bat tle . Then Du ssasan a . excited w ith wra t h .
pierced Parth a w i th five shaf ts . An d once more . O ch ief o f t h e
Bharatas . he pierced Arj una in the fo rehead wit h th re e sharp shafts .
An d with those shafts sticking to h i s foreh ead . th e son of Pandu looked
beautiful in t ha t bat tle . l ike Meru . O king . with i ts t al l crests . Tha t
grea t bowman.viz . . Parth a . then thus d eeply pierced by thy son wield
ing the bow. looked resplenden t in t ha t ba ttl e l ike a flower in g K i n suka .
The son o f Pandu th en . exci ted wi th rage . afi l ic ted Du ssasan a . l ike
R ahu inflamed w ith rage on th e fif t ee n th day of t he l igh t ed for tnight
aff l ic t in g th e Moon a t ful l . Thus afl'
l icted by t h at mighty warrior . t hy
son .O king
.pierced Partha in that bat tl e with many sh afts whe t te d on
ston e an d winged w i t h th e fea thers of the K an ka b ird . Then ..Par tha .
cutt ing ofi Dussasan a’
S how and spl i t t in g his ca r w ith thre e shaf ts . sped
at h im many fierce arrows resembl ing the dart s of Dea th . Thy son .
however . cut OE all those shaf ts of Par th a exert in g h im sel f wi th v i gourbefore they coul d reach him . Al l this seemed highly wonder ful . Then
thy son pierced Par tha w it h many shaf ts o f gr ea t sharpness. Then
Partha.exci ted with ra ge in tha t battle . pl aced on hi s bowstr ing a
number of shaf ts whe tted on stone and furn ished wi th w ings of gold . and
a imin g th em .sped the m al l a t h is foe . These . O king . p ene tra t ed t h e
body o f t hat high-soul ed w arr ior , l ike swan s . O monarch . di v ing in to a
lake
. Thus afi l icted by the h igh-souled son of Pandu . thy son avoid ing
Par tha . quickly proceeded to the car of Bhi shma . Indeed . Bhi shma
300'
MAHABfikaArA'
t hen became an island unto him who wa s thus sink ing i n to fathomle sswaters . R egain ing consc io usness then . thy son . 0 monarch .
'endued
wi th h eroism and prow ess . onc e more bega n to res i s t Par tha with
sharp arrows l ike Purandara re s i s t ing the Asura ) Vri tra. Of huge
form . thy son be gan to pierce Arj una . bu t the l atte r was scarcely pa ined
(at a l l
SECTION CXII
Senj aya sa id . The mighty bowman (Al amvusha)'
the so n of R i shya
sri n ga , in that battle . r esisted Satyak i c lad i n mai l and proceed ing
towards Bh ishm a . He o f Madhu’
s r ace . howe v e r . O king . exc i ted with
wrath . p ierced the R aksha sa with n in e a rrows, sm il ing the while.
O
Bharata . And so the R akshasa al so . 0 king . exci ted wi th'
wrath’
faff l icted him of Madhu
's rac e . v i z . . tha t hu l l o f Sin i
‘
s l i n e . with n ine
arrows . Then Sin i's g randson . t ha t slaye r o f hosti l e heroes . o f Madhu
’
s
race , exci t ed with rage . sped i n that ba tt le a profu s ion of arrows a t theR akshasa
, Then t ha t m ighty-armed R akshasa pi erced Satyaki . of prowessincapable o f bein g baff l ed. wi t h many sha rp arrows . and ut tered a loud
shout . Then he o f Ma dhu’
s race . endued with grea t ene rgy , though
deeply pierced by the R akshasa i n tha t battle . s t i l l . rely ing upon his
prowess . laughed (at h i s wounds) and ut tered lo ud roars . Then Bhaga
dat ta . exci ted w i th rage . affl icted h im of Madhu’
s race in th a t battle
wit h many sharp arrows l ike a guide p i e rcing a huge elephan t wi th the
hook . Then th at for emost of car-wa rr iors. viz . , t he grandson of S ini .abandon ing the R akshasa i n bat tl e . sped many straight sha f ts at the ruler
of th e Pragyo t ishas. The ruler of the Pragyo ti shas then . w ith a broad
headed arrow of g reat sharpn ess , display ing g r e a t l ightn ess o f hand , cuto ff . th e large how of Seryaki . Then tha t s layer of h ost i le he roes , excited
w ith rag e and taking up another how of greate r impetus . piercedBhagadatta in that ba ttl e w ith many sharp a rrows . Tha t mig h ty 1bow
man . vi z Bhagadatta . the n deeply pierced . be gan to l ick the corder s of
h i s mouth . And h e the n hurled at h i s foe. i n that d readful battl e . a
tough dar t . made wholly of i ron . decked with gold and s tones.
o f'f
lap“
laz u l i , and fierce a s the rod of Yam a h imsel f . Sped wi th the m ight of
Bhagadatta's arm and cours ing towards h im impe tuously . S atyak i. O
king . cut tha t dart i n twain by mean s of h is shafts . Thereupon tha t
dart fel l down suddenly . l ike a great meteor shorn o f i ts spl endo ur . Be;
hold ing th e dar t ba ffled . thy so n (Duryodhana ) . O monarch.’
surround
ed him of Madhu's race with a large number of cars . An d se eing that
m ighty car-warr ior among the Vrishn i s thus surrounded . Duryodhana .angrily a ddre ss ing a ll h is brothers . sai d .
‘
Take such steps . ye Kauravas .that Satyak i may no t . i n th i s ba tt le , e scape you and this l ar g e d iv i s ionof cars . with l ife . If h e be sla in . th e vast host o f the Pandavas may 'hé
MAHABHARATA
t e r r ibl e a nd fierce batt l e . That scorch e r of foes . viz Vikarna . des irous
of sav ing th e g ra ndsi r e Bh i shma . excited wi th rage in that bat tl e . pierced
Nakula with s ixty arrows . Nakula a lso . de eply p ierced by thy i n tel l igen t son
.p ierced V ikarna i n re turn with sev en and sev en ty shaf ts .
There those two t ige rs amon g men . those two chastiser s of foes . those
two heroes . s truck each o ther for the sake of Bh ishma . l ike two bovine
bul ls in a fold . Thy son Durmukha , endued w i th grea t prowess .
proce eded . for t he sake of Bhi shma . against Ghatorkacha advan c ing tobattle and sl aughte r in g t hy arm y as he came . Hidimva's son . however ,O king . exc i ted with rage . struck Du rmukha . t ha t ch as t iser of foe s . in
the chest a st raight shaf t . Th e he ro ic Du rm ukha then . shouti ng
cheerfully . pierced Bh imasen a‘
s so n on th e field of battl e w it h s ixty,
shaf ts o f kee n points . That m ighty car-war r io r . v i z t he son of Hridika
re s isted Dhr ish tady um n a . t ha t foremost of car-warriors. who was
advanc ing to ba ttl e f rom desi r e of Bh i shma's slaught er . The son of
Pri shata . howeve r . h avin g p ie rced Kri tavarman wi th five shaf t s mad e
whol ly of iron . once mor e struck him quickly i n t h e cent r e o f t he chest
fif ty shafts . An d s im i l arly . O king . Prishata's so n s t ruck K ri tavarman
wi th nin e sharp and blazin g shafts win g ed wi th th e f eathers of the Kanka
bird . Encounter ing each ot h er wit h grea t v igour. t he ba ttle tha t took
place between them for Bh ishma‘
s sake wa s as fierce a s th a t betwe en
Vr i tra and Vasa va . Against Bh imasen a who was advancing upon th e
mighty Bhishma . proceed ed Bhu ri sravas wit h g reat speed . say in g .Wa i t . Wa i t .—And t he so n of Somadatta s t ruck Bhima in the cent re of
t he chest with an ar row of excee d ing sharpness and golden wings in
that batt l e . An d th e va l ian t Bhimasen a . with that a rrow on h i s chest .looked beautiful . O b est of kin gs . l ike the Krau ncha moun tain in days
o f o l d with the dar t of Skanda . An d t hose two bulls among men .enraged in battl e . shot a t each other sha f ts br i ghtly polished by the ir
fo rgets and endued wi th‘
efi'
u l ge n ce of the Sun . Bhima . lon g ing for
Bhi shma‘
s death . fough t with t he mighty so n of Somada tta . and the
la t ter . desi rous of Bh ishma‘
s victory . fought wi th the former . each
carefully seek ing to co unteract t h e other‘
s fe a ts . Bharadwaja‘
s so n
r es ist ed Yudh ishth i ra the son of Kunt i , who . accompani ed by a large
force . was com ing towards Bhi shma . Hear i ng t h e ra tt l e of Drona‘
s car .0 king. tha t resembled the roar of the clouds . the Prabhadrakas . O sire .began to tremble . That large force . of Pan du
’
s son . res i sted by Drona
in battl e . could no t . exer t in g v i gorously . advance ev en one step . Thyso n Chi trasen a , O king. re sisted Cheki tan a of wrathful visage who wasexer t in g v i gorously for comin g upon Bh i sh ma . Possessed of g rea tprowess and great dexte r ity of hand . tha t m ighty car-warrio r fo r t he
sa k e of Bhi shm a, bat tled with Chek i tan a . O Bharata . accord in g to theutmost of h is power . And Chek i tan a also fough t w i th Ch i i f
‘
asen a to
BHISHMA PARVA
the u tmost of h 1s power . An d the battl e that took place there in con se
quence of th e mee t ing of those two warr iors . was exceed ingly fierce . As
regards Ar juna . although he was re sis t ed by a l l means . O Bha ra ta . he
sti ll compelled th y so n to tu rn back and then crushed thy tooops.
Dussasan a howeve r . to the utmost str et ch of h i s power . began to res is tPartha . wi shing. O Bharat a . to pro tect Bh i shm a . The army of thy so n .
0 Bhara ta . u nderghi n g such sl augh te r . began to be ag i ta ted here andther e by many foremost ca r-warrio r s (of the Pandava) .
SECTION CXIII
San jaya sa id . The heroic Drona . tha t grea t bowman endued w ith
the prowess o f an infur ia te e le phan t , tha t foremost of men possessed o f
great'
m igh t'
. tak ing up h i s lar g e bow which was capable check ing
even an infuriat e e l ephan t . and shak ing i t ( i n h is hands ) . was engagedin affl icting the Panda v a ranks . havin g penetrated into their m idst .
That val ian t warr ior acqua i nted wi th every om en . behold in g t h e omenson all s ides . add ress ed hi s so n who also was scorch ing th e host i l e rank s
and sa id these words .‘
Thi s i s that day . 0 son . on which th e m ighty
Pa rtha . de si rous of sl ay ing Bh i shm a in bat tle . wil l exert h im sel f to the
be st of h is m i gh t . My a rrows are com in g ou t (of th e quiver . of the i rown accord ) . My how seems to yawn . My weapon seems unw ill ing to
obey my behe sts . and my heart a lso i s cheer less . An imal s and
b irds a re utter ing fe ar ful a n d incessant c ries . Vul ture s seem to
d isappear benea th th e fe et of t he Bharata troops . Th e Sun himself
seems to hav e los t hue . The quarters are ~a l l ablaze . The E a r t h
seems to shri ek . i nsp ire fe ar , and t remble ev erywh ere . Kankas.
and vultu res . and cran es are frequently cry ing . Jackal s ar e u tte r in ginauspicious and fierce y el l s forebod in g grea t dang er . L ar g e m eteor s
seem to fa l l from th e cen tr e of the solar disc . The constellat ion cal led
Parigha . with a t runkless fo rm . appeareth around the Sun . The solar
and ' th e luna r d iscs hav e become awful . forebod ing great danger to
Kshat r iy as about the mangl ing of the ir bodies . The idols o f the Kuru
king in h is temples tremble and laugh and dance a nd weep. The
i l lustr ious Moon rise th wi th h is horns downward . The bo d ies of the
kings belong ing to t he Kuru army al l seem to be pa le . and though clad in
mail.are shorn o f splendour . The loud bla re of Panchajan nya and the
twang of Gandiva ar e h eard o n a l l sides of both the armies . Withoutdoub t . Arjuna . r ely ing upon h i s gr eat weapons and avo id ing o th er
warr l ors w 1l l advance upon t he grandsi r e . The pores of my body are
contracting . and my heart a lso i s depressed . th ink ing . 0 mighty-arm ed
on e . of the encoun ter be tween Bh ishma and Arj una . Keeping on h isfore the Panchala pr ince of s i nfu l sou l and conversant with deceit .Par tha i s proceeding towards Bh i shma fo r bat tle . Bh i shma said befo re
MAHABHABAHJA
that he would not slay S ikhan di n . By t he Crea to r had tha t one been
made female . though th rough chance he subsequently b ecame a maleperson
. That m ighty son o f Ya jn asen a is a l so an inauspicio us omen (byhimself ) . The son of the Ocean-go in g (Ganga) will no t str ike tha t
person of inauspicious sel f . Th inking of th is . v i z t hat Ar juna . excited
with wra th.i s about to fa l l upon the age d Kuru grandsir e . my hea r t i s
exceedingl y depressed . The wrath of Yudh ish thi ra . an encounte r
between Bh ishm a and Arj una in ba tt le . and an endeavou r l ike thi s (of
th e shoot ing of weapons) by myse l f .— these (three ) are certa inly fraugh t
with great harm to creatur es . Arj una i s endued w i th grea t energy he
i s powerful . brave . accompl i shed in w eapons . and posse ssed of valour
that i s very act ive . Capabl e of shoot ing his a rrows to a g reat di stanc e and
shoot ing them with force . b e i s . bes ide s . acqua inted w ith omens . Endued
w ith great m igh t and in te l l i gen ce . and above fa t igue . that foremost of
warr iors i s i ncapabl e of defeat by the v ery godsw ith Vasav a a t the ir
head . The son of Pandu po ss esses te rr ible weapons and i s e v er victor iousin battle . Avoid in g h is path . go th ou to bat tl e (for Bh ishma
's v ictory)
O thou of r ig id vows . l Today i n th i s dread ful bat tle thou wi l t beho ld
a g rea t carnage . The beaut i ful and cos t l y coats of ma il . decked w ithgold . of brave war r iors wil l be p ierced with s traight shaf ts . An d the
tops of standard s . and bea rded j ave l in s . and bows . and bright lances of
sharp points . and da r ts br igh t w ith gold . and the s tandards on the backs
of elephants . will a l l be cut o ff by K i riti n in wra th . O son . this is not
th e t ime when depe ndan ts should take care of t h e i r l i v es . Go to bat tle .
keep in g h eav en before . the e . and for th e sak e of fame and victory .
There . the ape-bannered (Arj una ) cro sseth on h i s car t he r ive r ,o f
battle th a t i s awful a nd incapable o f be ing easi ly crossed . and b ath cars .e lephan ts. and steeds . fo r i ts edd ies . R ega rd for Brahmanas . self .
restra int . l ibera l i ty . ascet1c 1sm . and nob le conduc t . a re seen in .
Yudh ishth i ra alon e who hath for h i s bro the r s Dhanan jaya . an d th e
mighty Bhimasen a , and the twin son s of Madr i by Pandu . an d,who ha th
Vasudeva of the Vri shn i race for h is pro tector . The wrath . born o f
g r ie f . of tha t Yudh i sh th i ra whose body ha th been pur ified by th e flames
of penance . d i rected to the w icked-souled so n of Dhri tarash t ra . isconsuming this Bh ara ta host . Ther e come th Partha . hav ing Vasudevafor h is pro tector . check ing (as h e cometh ) th is ent ire Dhartarashtraarmy . Behold . K i ri ti n is agi ta t ing th i s host l ike a l arge .whal e ag i tat in g
the v ast sea of cre st ed waves . Hark . crie s of dis t res s and woe are
heard in the van of the army . Go . encoun ter t h e he ir of the Panchala
king . As for mysel f . I wil l p roceed against Yudhi shthi ra . The hear t
1 I th in k 'Yatavrata ‘
h ad better b e read ‘Yatavmtam .
’It wou ld then
MAHABH‘
AB’
ATA'
the Yuga . Bh imasen a then fwi th t hree arrows . despa tched unto'
Deat’
h’
s
doma in the ste eds of t h e rul er of the S in dhu s . as also h is char ioteer .
Thereu pon that m igh ty car-war r ior . (vi z . , Jayadratha) . quickly j umping
down from that car whose s t eeds h ad been sl a i n . shot in tha t battl‘
e
many sharp-po in ted shaft s at Bh im asen a . Th en . O sire . with a couple
o f bro ad-headed arrows. he cu t o ff . O chi ef of t h e'
Bhara tas . the bow
of th e hi gh-souled k ing of t he S i n dhu s i n the m idd le . Hi s bow cut ofi .
h imsel f depr iv ed of ca r . h i s s teeds and char io tee r s l a in . Iayadratha then .
0 king . quickly mounted on the car of Chi trasen a . Indeed . the son of
Pandu achieved in tha t bat tl e a mos t wo underfu l fea t . for p ierc in g al l
those m ighty car-warr ior s a nd holding them in ch eck. he depr i v ed . O
sire.the ruler of the S in dhu s of h is car in th e very s igh t of a l l the army .
Salya could not brook to se e th e prowe ss that Bh imasen a d i splayed . for
say ing unto h im .—Wait . Wait .—he a im ed some sharp arrows we ll-polish
ed by the forge r's h ands . and pierced Bh ima the rew i t h in t hat bat tle .
An d Kripa and Kri tava rma n and the v al ian t Bhagadatta . and Vinda
and An uv in da o f Av ant i . and Chi trasen a . and Durmarshan a . and Vi
karna . and t h e val i an t r ule r of th e S i n dhu s al so. in that ba t tl e .—these
chast isers of fo es . ’ all qu ickly pie rced Bh ima for the sake o f Salya.Bhima then pierced each of them in re turn with five a r rows . An d he .
pierced Sa lya then w i th seven ty a rrows and once more with ten . An d
Saly a t hen pierced h im with n ine arrows and once more wi th five . An d
he p ierced Bh im asen a’
s char io te e r a lso . dee p in h is vita ls . wi th a broad
headed arrow . The val ia nt Bh imasen a t hen . beholding his char io teer
Vi soka deeply pierced . sped three arrows a t the arms a nd ches t of the
ruler of Madra s . An d as regards the othe r g reat bowm en . h e piercedeach of them in tha t bat tl e wi th three s t ra ight arrows . and th en uttered
a loud roar l ik e that o f the l io n . Each o f those grea t bowmenthen , exer t in g h imsel f w ith V 1gou r . de eply p ie rced tha t so n of Pandu
sk i l l ed in battl e . with three a rrows in his V i ta ls . That m ighty bowman
viz . . Bh imasen a . though p ie rced deeply . tremble d not (but stoo d sti ll)l ike a mounta in drenched w i th to rrents of ra in by shower ing clouds .
Then tha t m igh ty car-warr io r of the Pandava s . fi l l ed with wrath . that
cel ebrat ed hero. deeply p ie rced the r uler of the Madras with'
t hree
arrows. An d h e pie rc ed th e rule r of t h e Pragyo ti shas . 0 king . in that
battle . w i th a hundred arrows . Of g reat renown . he then pie
Kr ipa with many arrows . and then . di splay ing g rea t dexte r i ty . he cu
with a keen-edged shaf t the bow . wi t h arrow fixed th ereon .soul ed K r i tavarm an . Then Kr i tava rm an . t hat scorcher 0
up another bow . s t ruck Vr iko dara between h is eyebrows wi th a
arrow . Bh ima . however . in th a t bat tl e . hav in g p ierced Salya with
arrows made whol ly of iron . and Bhagada tta with th ree . and K r i tava
wi th e ight . pi erced each of the other s with Gautama a t th e i r head .
BHISHMA PARVA 80
two arrows . Those war r io rs a l so . i n re tu rn . pierced h im , O king . with
sharp-poin ted shafts . Though thus a ffl ic t ed by those m i ghty car-warr iors
with al l kinds o f weapon s . yet . re gard in g th em al l as s traw . he coursed
on the field without any anxi e ty . Those fo r emost o f car-warriors (on
the other hand) . with great coolness . sped a t Bhima sharp-pointed arrowsby hundreds and t housands . Th e hero ic and mighty Bhagadatta then . i n
tha t ba t t le . hurled at hi m a dar t o f fierce impetuos i ty furn ished with a
gold en staff . An d the Sindhu king . of strong arms . hurled a t him a
lance and an axe . And Kripa . 0 king . h ur led a t him a Satag hn i . and
Salya an arrow . An d the o the r g rea t bowmen each sped at h im five
arrows with great fo rce . The son of th e W i nd-god th en cut o ff . with asharp shaf t. tha t lance i n twain . An d he cu t o ff that axe a lso with
thre e shaf t s . a s i f i t w ere a se sam e sta lk . An d with(
five shaf ts winged
with t he feathers o f the K anka bird . he cut tha t Satag hn i i n to fragmen ts .That m ighty car-warrior then , hav ing cut o ff th e a rrow sped by the
rul er of the Madras . forc ibly cut o ff t he dar t sped by Bhagada tta i n tha tbatt l e . As regards t h e other fierce shafts . Bh imasen a , proud of h i s
feats i n batt l e . cut them each into th re e f ragmen t s by m eans of h is own
stra igh t shaf ts . An d h e s truck each of those grea t bowmen also wit h
three shafts . Then Dhananj aya . during the progress of t hat dreadfu l
battl e . behold ing t h e migh ty car-warrio r Bhima strik ing the fo e andba ttl in g (a gainst many ) with his a rrows , came thithe r on h i s car . Then
the se bulls among men . of t hy a rmy . behold ing those two h igh-souled
sons o f Pandu toge th er . gave up al l hopes of v icto ry . Then Arjuna .
des i rous o f slay ing Bh i shma . plac in g S ikhan d i n befor e him . approached
Bhima who had been fight ing w ith those g rea t car-warr iors and fe l l
upo n those fierce combatan ts . number ing ten . of thy army . O Bharata .
Then V ib h atsu . des i rous of do ing what was agreeabl e to Bhima . pie rced
al l those warr iors . O k in g . who had been ba tt l ing w ith Bhima . Then
king Duryodhana urged Su sarman . fo r the destruction of both Arjuna
and Bh im asen a . say ing . ‘
0 Su sarman , go thou qu ickly supported by a
lar ge fo rce . Slay thos e two sons of Pandu . v i z . . Dhananj aya and Vriko
dara .‘
Hear in g t hese words of h is . the Tr i g arta kin g who rul ed the
co untry ca l l ed Prasthala . quickly ru shed i n ba t tl e upon tho se two
bowmen . viz . . Bh ima.
and Dhananj aya . an d surrounded th em both by
many thousands of cars . Then commenced a fie rce battl e be tween Arj una
and the foe ."
SE CTION CXV
San jaya sa id . Ar j una covered wi th h is s t ra ight sh a f ts the m ighty
car-warrio r Salya who was struggl ing v igorously in battl e . An d he
pierced Susarm an and Kr ipa w i th thre e arrows each . An d in tha t battle
th e Atiratha Ar juna . a ffl ic t ing thy hos t. struck the ruler of the
Pragyotishas. and Iay adratha the k ing of the S indhu s. and Ch i trasen a .
303 MAHABHARATA’
an d V ikarna . and Kri tavarm an . an d'
Du rmarshan a . O monarch . and
those'
two mighty car-warr io r s . v i z . , the prince s of Avan ti . each wi ththre e arrows winged with t he fea the rs of the Kan ka and the peacock .
Jayadratha . stay in g on the car of Ch i trasen a . pierced Pa r tha ( i n re turn ) .
O Bh ara ta . and then , wi t hout loss o f t ime . Bh ima also . w it h h i s shafts .
An d Salya . and tha t fo r emos t of car-warr ior s . v i z Kripa , both pierced
Jisho u . O monarch . wi th d iv erse a r rows capabl e o f pene tra t ing into th e
very v i tal s . Thy sons headed by Chi trasen a , O king . each qu ick lypierced Arjuna and Bh imasen a i n tha t ba t t le . 0 s i re . with five sha rp
shaf ts . Those two'
foremo st of car-war r iors howeve r . v i z . . th o se sons of
Kunt i . those bul l s of Bharata‘
s r ace . began i n tha t bat tl e to affl ic t the
m igh ty host of the Tr igar tas . Su sa rm an ( i n r eturn ) pierced Partha wi th
n ine swi f t arrows . and uttered a loud sh out frigh t ening t he vast hos t (of
the Pandava s) . An d othe r h eroic car-warr iors p ierced Bh imasen a and
Dhananjaya wi th 'many straigh t-going arrows of keen po in'ts and golden
wings . Am id these car-warr i ors . howev e r . t hose two bulls of Bhara ta‘
s
race . v i z .. the two sons o f Kun t i . those g r ea t car-warriors . looked
exceed ingly beaut i ful . An d they se emed to spor t am id them l ike two
fur ious l ions am id a herd of ki n e . Cutt in g o ff i n va r ious ways the bows
and arrows of many bra v e warr io rs i n tha t battl e . t hose two he roes fe l l
ed the heads of combat an ts by hundreds upon hundreds . Innumerabl e
cars were broken . and steeds by hundr ed s were sla i n . and many el ephants .
along w ith the i r r i de rs . we re l a id low on t he fie ld i n tha t d readful
bat tle . An d car-warr ior s a nd horsemen and elephan t-r iders i n l arg e
numbers . O king . deprived of l i f e were see n mov in g in convulsions al l
over the field . And the ea rth wa s covered with s la in el ephants and
foot-sold iers i n large bands . and s teeds deprived of l i fe . and cars broken
in d iverse way s . An d the prowess '
we beheld there o f Par th a was
h ighly wonderful . i n as much as hold in g in check al l th ose he roes . thatmighty warr ior caused a grea t slau ghte r . Kr ipa . and Kr i tavarm an . and
Jayadratha . the ruler o f the S i n dhu s . an d Vinda and An u v i n da of
Avant i .—the se did no t‘
fo r sake t h e ba tt le . Then that grea t bowman
Bhima , and tha t migh ty car-warr io r Arj una , began i n that battle to tout
th e fierce host of the Kauravas . The k ings ( in th at a rmy ) quickly sped
at Dhan an jaya's car myr iads upon my r iads and mil l ions upon m i l l ion s
'ofarrows furn ished wi th peacock fea the rs . Partha . however . checkingthose ar rows by mean s of h i s own a r rowy showers . began
(
to send those
mighty car-warrior s to Yama's abod e . Th e grea t car-warrior Salya
then . exci ted with wra th and as if sport i ng i n tha t battl e
in the chest with some s tra ight sh a fts o f broad heads . Pacuttin g off by means of fiv e shaf ts Sa lya
’
s bow and leath
pierced th e latte r d eeply i n th e v ery vi tals w i th many a rrows o f k
poi nt s . Taking up ano ther bow capable o f bear in g a great s train'.
SECTION CXVI
Dhri tarash tra sa id . How . 0 San jaya . did San ta n u‘
s so n Bh i shma
of mighty energy fight on the tenth day of ba tt le , with th e Pandavas
and the Srin jay as ? Ho w also d id the Kurus re sis t the Pandavas in
bat tl e ? Describe to m e the‘
grea t bat t le fough t by Bh ishma . tha t
ornamen t of batt le .
San jay a sa id , I w i l l presently describe to the e . O Bhara ta . how
the Kauravas fought w ith th e Pandava s . and how that batt le took pl ace .
Day after day many mighty car-warr iors of t hy army ; exc i ted with
wra th . were d espatched to th e other worl d . by the d iadem-decked
(Ar juna) wi th h i s g reat weapon s . The ever-v ictor ious Kuru warr ior
Bhishma also , a gre eably to h is v ow . a lways caused a grea t carna ge among
th e Par tha army . O cha st iser of foes . beho ld in g Bh ishma fighting a t the
head of the Kurus . an d Ar juna also fightin g a t th e head of t h e Pa ncha l as.we could not say truly o n which s ide the vict ory would d eclar e i t se l f .
On the t enth day of ba t tle . when Bh i shm a and A rj una encountered each
other . awful was th e carnage tha t took place . On that d ay . O scorch er
of foes . San tan u‘
s so n . Bh i shm a . conversan t wi th high and mighty
weapons . repea t ed ly slew thousands upon thousands of wa rr ior s . Man y .O Bharata . whose names a nd fam i l i e s we re no t known . but who . e ndued
wi th great brav ery , were un re tr ea t in g from ba ttle . were on that day
sla in by Bh ishm a . Scorch ing the Pandava army for ten days , Bh ishma
of v irtuous soul gave up a l l d e sir e of pro tect ing h i s l ife . W i sh ing h i sown slaugh te r pre sent ly a t the head of h is troops .—NO more sha l l I 810 11
large n umber of foremost of wa rri ors ,_ tho ughc thy mighty-a rm ed sire
Devav ra ta . And s ee in g Yudh ishth i ra near h im . O king . he addressed
him . sayin g.‘
O Yudhi shth i ra . O thou o f grea t w isdom . O thou tha t art
acquainted wi th every branch o f l earn ing . l is ten to these r ig ht eous and
heaven-l ead ing words . 0 s ire . th a t I say . 0 Bhara t a . I no longer desire
to protect . O s ire . th i s body o f mine . I h ave passed much t ime in
slay ing la rge n umbers of m en in battl e . I f thou wi s'
hest t o do what i s
agreeable to me . str ive to slay me . placing Parth a wi th the Panchal as
and t he S r i n jayas a t thy v an‘
. Ascer ta in ing th i s to be h is i ntent ion .
king Yudhi shth i ra of t rue sig h t proceeded to battl e w ith t he Srin jayas( for h is support ) . Then Dhri shtady um n a . O king . and Pan du
‘
s son
Yudhi shth ira . h av in g heard those words of Bh ishm a urged the i r ar ray
on . An d Yudhi sh thira sa id .‘
Advance l Figh t 1 Vanquish Bh ishma i n
bat t l e . Ye a l l wil l be protected by th at conqueror of foes . vi z . , Jishn u
o f u nb affled aim . An d th is g rea t bowman . th is general i ssimo of our
forces) . vi z ., th e son o f Pr i sh ata . a s also Bhima . wil l assuredly protect
Yo u . Ye Srin jayas, en terta in no f ear today of Bh i shm a in battle .
Without doubt . we wi l l v anquish Bh i shm a to d a y . p lac ing Sikhan din in
our v an‘
. Hav in g . on the tenth day of battl e . made such . a vow. the
BHISHMArPARVA 81 1
'
Pandavas . resolved to (conque r or) go to heaven . advanced . bl inded" by
rage , with Sikhandin and Dhanan jay a th e son of Pandu to the~fo re . And
they made the most vigo rous efforts for the over throw of Bh ishma .
Then d iverse kings . o f gre at mi ght . urged by t hy son . and accompan ied
by Drona and h is son and a la rge fo rce . an d the migh ty Du ssasan a a t the
h ead of ‘ all h is u te r in e brother s . proceed ed towards Bh i shma s t ay i ng in
the m idst of tha t batt l e . Then those brav e warr io rs of thy a rmy , placing
Bhi shma of hi gh vows i n the i r van . ba tt led with t he Parthas headed by
S ikhan din . Supported by the Chedis and th e Pan cha las . t he ape
banne red Arjuna. placing S ikh an di n ahead proceeded towards Bh ishma .
t he son o f San tan u . An d the grand son of S in i ba ttled w i th Drona‘
s son
and Dh ri shtaketu with the descendant o f Puru . and Yudhaman yu with
thy so n Duryodh ana at the head of h i s fol lowe r s . ‘ An d Vi ra ta . a t the
h ead o f his forces . encoun tered Iay adratha suppor ted b y h is own troops .
An d Vardhakshatra‘
s heir . O chast ise r of foe s . encountered t hy son
Ch irasen a armed w i th excel l en t bow and arrows . 2 An d Yudhi sh th ira
proceeded against th e mighty bowman Salya a t the head of hi s troops .
An d Bh im asen a . well-protect ed . proceeded a ga inst the elephan t-div is ion
(of the Kau rava a rmy) . An d Dhri shtadyum n a . the pr ince of Panchala .exci ted with fury and accompanied by his bro th ers , proceeded against
Drona.tha t foremost of al l wie lde r s o f weapons . i n v incibl e . and
irres ist ibl e . That cha st i se r of foes . vi z . , prince Vrihadva la . bearing on
h is s ta ndard the d e v ice of the l ion . proceeded a ga i nst Subhadra‘
s son
whose s tandard bore the d evice of the K am i kam flower . Thy sons .accompan ied by many k ing s. proceeded aga inst S ikh an din and Dhananjaya the son of Pri tha . f rom d es i r e o f slaughtering both o f t hem .
1 When
the combatants of bo th arm ie s rushed against each other with awful
prowess . the earth shook (under the i r tread) . Beholding San tan u‘
s son
i n ba ttl e.the d iv ision s o f t h e army and of the f oe . O Bhara ta . became
m ingled wi th one ano ther . Trem endous was the din . O Bhara ta . tha t
a rose the re o f those warriors burn i ng w i th rage and r ush ing aga ins t each
o ther . An d i t was heard on a ll s ides . 0 king . With the blare of couches
and the l eo nine shouts o f th e so ldier s . the uproar became awful . The
splendour . equa l to that o f e ither th e Sun or the Moon . of bracel ets and
diadems of al l the hero ic kings . became d immed . And the dust that
rose l ooked l ike a c loud . the flash of brigh t weapon s consti tut ing i ts
l ightn ing . An d the twang o f hows. the wh iz of a r rows . the blare of
1 For Yudham an yu th e Bomb ay text reads Ab h im an yu .—T.
2 Both th e Bengal an d the Bomb ay texts are here at fault. I fol low th etext as settled b y th e Burdwan Pundits . If the erudition of th e BurdwanPund its b e rejected . 28 wou ld read as . "Virata . at the h ead of h i s forces .en countered J ayadratha supported b y h i s own tr0 0 ps , an d a lso varab as .
khemi’ s hei r . O ch astiser of foes."
Th is wou ld b e evidently wrong .—T.
coaches. the loud bea t of . drums . and the r a t tle o f cars . of bo th the
arm ies cons t i tuted th e fierce roa r o f those clouds . An d the welki n . over
the fie ld of batt le.i n con sequence of t h e bearded darts. the j avel i ns. .the
swords and showers of arrows of both a rmies. was dark ened . An d.Car
warriors.and horsemen felled horsemen . i n that dreadful ba ttle . And
elephants killed elephants . and foo t-soldi ers s lew foot-sold iers . 'And . the
ba ttle tha t took place ther e for Bh i shma‘
s sake . between t he Kurus an d
the Pandavas . O t iger among men . was fie rce in the extreme . l ike tha t
between two hawks for a p iece of flesh . En gaged i n ba tt l e . tha t encoun
ter betwee n tho se combatants des i rous of slaughter ing and vanqu i shing
one another. was extremely dreadful ."
SE CTION CXVII
Sen jaya sa id . Abh iman yu ,O king , d i splay ing h is p rowess for the
sake of Bh i shm a .fo ugh t wi th thy so n who was supported by a large
force. Then Duryodhana . excited wi th wrath . s truck Abh iman y u in the
chest with nine str a igh t a r rows . and once more wit h thr ee . The n in
that battl e . Arj un a‘
s son . inflamed wi th wrath . hurl ed a t Duryodhana‘
s
car a ter r ible dar t rese mbling th e rod o f Deat h himse lf . Thy son .
however . that m i gh ty car-warr io r . O king . Wi th a broad-heade d ar row
of great sharpness. cut off"
i n twa in tha t dar t of terr ible force cours ing
towards h im with g reat speed . Be ho ld ing tha t dart of his drop down on
the earth . Arjun a‘
s wra thful son pierced Duryodhana wi th t h r ee shaft s
i n h is a rm s and chest . An d once more . O chi ef of the Bhara tas . that
mighty car-warrior of Bhara ta‘
s race s t ruck the Kuru k ing with ten
fierce shaf ts in the cent re o f h is ch est . An d th e battle . O Bhara ta . tha t
took place be tween those two heroes . vi z . , Sub hadra‘
s so n . and tha t hu l l
of Kuru‘
s race . the former fihti n g for com pass in g Bh i shma‘
s death and
the latter for Ar iana‘
s defea t . was fierce and in t erest ing to behold . and
grati fy ing to th e sen se s . and wa s applauded by al l th e k ings . That bul l
amon g Brahmanas an d chast i se r of foes . vi z ., th e so n of Dron a . exci ted
wi th wrath in that bat t l e . forc ibly s truck Satyak i in the chest w ithfierce arrow . The grandson of S in i also . t h a t hero of immeasurable soul ;
struck the p r eceptor’
s son in ev ery v ita l limbs with n ine shafts .wing ed
wi th th e feathers of the K an lca bird . Aswattham an then . i n t ha t battl e.struck Se ryak i ( in ru tu rn ) wi th n ine shaf t s . and once more . quickly; with
thirty . in his a rm s and chest . Then that great bowman of the Satwara
race . possessed of g r ea t fam e . deeply pierced by Drona‘
s son . pierced t he
latte r ( i n return) with arrows . Th e migh ty ca r-wa rr ior Pautav a . Covering Dhri shtake tu in that ba t tle with h is shafts, man gled th a t gre a tbowman exceedi n g ly . Th e m igh ty car-warrio r Dhri shtaketu . endued
with great st rength . quickly p i erced the former wi th th i r ty arrows . Then
the m igh ty car-warr ior Pautav a cut ofi Dhrish take‘
tu‘
s bow. and u ttering
MAHABHARATA
wi nged with feath ers of the K anka bird . Pr ince Vr ihadv a l a th en .
t ak ing up ano ther bow . angr ily p ierced the so n of Phal gu n a in that
bat tl e w ith many arrows . Ver i ly . O scorcher o f fo es. th e battl e . for
Bb i shma’
s sake . tha t took place between th em . both exci ted w i t h ra ge
and both conv e rsant w i th eve ry mode of figh t . was l ike th e encounte r of
Va l i and Vasav a in days of old on the occas ion of the bat tl e be twe en the
gods and the Asu ras .“
Bhimasen a . fight ing aga ins t th e e lephan t-d iv ision . looked highly
respl endent l ike Sakra a rmed with the t hunder af te r spl i tt in g la rge
mounta ins . l Indeed . e lephants . huge as h i l l s . slaugh t ered by Bh imasena
i n batt l e . fel l down in numbers o n the field . fi l l i ng t he ea r th with the ir
sh r ieks . R esembl in g mass ive heaps o f a n t imony . and of moun ta in-l ike
propo rt ions . t hose e lephan ts w ith fron ta l g lobe s spl i t open . l y ingprostra te on the earth , seemed l ike moun ta in s s trewn over the earth
’
s
surface . The mighty bowman Yudh i sh th i ra . protected by a large force .
afflicted the ruler of the Madras . encounter in g h im i n tha t d readful
ba t tl e . The rule r o f the Mad ra s . i n re turn . di splay ing b i s prowe ss for
t he sake of Bh i shma . afi l icted the son o f Dharma . that mighty car
war r ior . i n battle . The king of S in dhus. hav in g pierced Vi ra ta w i th
nine stra igh t arrow s o f ke en poin ts . once mo re str uck him with thi r ty
Vi rata . however . O king . tha t commande r of a la rg e d ivis ion . s t ruck
Jay adratha in the centr e o f h i s chest w i th th ir ty sha fts of keen po int s .
The rul er of t h e Matsya s and th e ru le r of the S i n dhu s . both armed w ith
beau ti ful bows and beaut iful sc im i tar s . bo rh decked wi th handsome coatso f mail and weapons and s tandards . an d both of beauti ful form s looked
resplendent i n that ba t t l e ."
Drona . encounte r ing Dhri shtady um n a the prince o f the Pan chalas
in dreadful batt le . fough t fi erce ly wi th hi s s t ra ig h t sha f ts . Th en Drona
O kin g . hav ing cut o ff t he la r ge bow o f Pri sh ata's son . pierced h im
deeply wi th fif ty arrows . The n tha t slaye r of host ile he ro es . vi z . . t he
son of Pr ishata . taking up anoth er bow . sped a t Drona who was con
tendin g w i th b im . many arrows . The mighty car-warr ior Drona
however . cut ofi’ all those arrows. st rikin g them with h is own . And
then Drona sped a t Drupada’
s son five fie rce sh a f ts . Th en that slaye r of
hos t il e h eroes . vi z. , the son of Pr i shata . exc i ted with rag e . hurl ed at
Drona in that battl e a mace re sembl ing the rod of Dea th h imself . Drona
however . with fif ty a r rows checked tha t mace decked with go ld as i tcoursed impetuously towards h im . Thereupon tha t mace . cut in to
fra gments . O king . by those shaf ts s hot from Drona's bow . f el l down on
th e ea rth . Then that sco rch er of foes . vz z th e son of Pri shata . behold in g
1 Both th e B enga l an d th e Bombay texts h ave R athan ika , Th e correctreading a s settled by th e Burdwan P un d its . i s Gajan i ka .
—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
his mace baffl ed . hurl ed a t Drona an excel l en t dar t made wholly of i ron .
Drona . howeve r . 0 Bhara ta . cut tha t dar t w ith nine sha fts in tha t ba t tl e
a nd then affl icted that: g rea t bowman . v i z ..t he son of Pri sha ta . Thus
took place . O k i ng . tha t fierce and awful ba t tl e be tween Drona and the
son of Pr isha ta . for the sake of Bhishm a .
Arj una . ge t t i n g a t the son of Ganga . affl ic ted him wi th manya rrows of keen po ints . and rushed at h im like an infur ia t e e l ephant i n
the fores t upon another . Ki n g Bhagada tta , however . o f grea t prowessthen rushed a t Ar juna . and checked h is course in batt le with showers ofarrows . Ar juna the n . in t ha t dr eadful ba t tl e . pierced Bhagadatta
's
elephan t coming towards him . wi th many pol ish ed ar rows of i ron . tha t
were a ll br igh t as s ilv er and furnished with keen poin ts . The son of
Kunt i . meanwhile . O king . u rg ed S ikhan di n . say i n g —P roceed . proceed .towards Bh ishma . and slay h im l- a-Then . O elde r brother of Pandu . th e
ruler of Prag yo ti shas. abandon ing tha t son of Pandu . quickly proceeded0 king . agai ns t the car of Drupada . Th en Arj una . O monarch . speed
i ly proceeded towa rds Bhi shma . plac ing S ikhan di n ahead . An d th en
there took place a fierce ba t t l e . for a l l t h e brave comba tan t s o f t hyarmy rushed wi th g rea t v i gour aga ins t Arj una . u tter ing loud shouts .
And a l l th is seemed extrem ely wonderf ul . Like the w ind d ispers ing i n
the summer masses Of clouds i n t h e welkin . Ar j una dispersed . O king .
al l those d i v e rs e d iv isions o f thy sons . S ikhandin . however . without any
anxi ety . com in g up a t the g randsir e of t h e Bharatas . quickly pierced
him w i th grea t many arrows . As rega rd s Bh i shma . his ca r was th en
h is fire-chamber . His how was the flame of tha t fire . An d swords and
d ar ts and maces const i tu ted th e fue l o f that fire . An d the showers of
arrows he shot wer e the blaz ing sparks of th at fir e with which he was
then consuming Kshatr iy as in tha t ba t tle . As a ragin g conflagration
with constant supply of fue l . wandereth amid masses'
o f dry g rass when
a ided by t h e wi nd . so d id Bh ishma blaze up with h is flames . scatter ing
his cel est ial weapons . An d the Kuru h e ro sl ew the Somakas t ha t
fol lowe d Par th a in tha t battl e . Indeed tha t m ighty car-warr io r checked
a lso t he other force s of Arjuna . by means o f h is s tra i gh t and whe tted
shafts furnished wi th w ings of gold . Fi l l in g in that dreadful batt l e a l l
t he points of th e compass . card inal and subsid ia ry . wi t h hi s leon ine
shouts. Bh i shma f el led many car-warr ior s . 0 king . ( from the ir cars)
and many steeds along wi th t hei r r iders . An d he caused large bodie s of
cars to look l ike fores ts of pa lmyra s shorn of the i r lea fy heads . Tha t
foremost of a ll w ielders of weapon s , i n tha t battl e . depr ived cars andsteeds and el ephan ts
.of t heir r i d ers . Hea ring th e twan g of his bow
and the slap of h i s pa lms . both resembl i ng th e rol l o f t h e thunder . thetroops
.O king
.trembled al l over the fi eld . The shaf t s . O chief of men .
of thy sire were nev er bootles s as they fe l l . Indeed . s hot from Bhi shma's
MAHABHABATA
how t hey”
never fel l only touching the bod i es of t h e foe (bu t pierced
them’
through i n every case ) . We saw crowds o f cars . O k in g . deprived
of r iders.but unto whic h were yoked flee t s te eds . dragged on al l s ide s
with th e speed o f the wind . Full four te e n thousand great car-warr iors
of noble paren tage . pr epared to l ay down thei r l i v es . unre tre a t ing and
brave.and posse ssed of s t andards d e cked with go ld . belongin g to th e
Chedi s . the Kasis . and the Karushas . approachi n g Bh i shma . tha t hero
who r es embl ed the Des troy er h imsel f w i th wide-open mouth . were des
patched to the other world . with the i r steeds . ca r s and ele phants . There
was ne t . O king . a single gr ea t car-war r io r among the Som akas . who .
hav ing approached Bh i shma in tha t battl e . re turned w it h l if e from that
engagement . Behol di ng Bh i shma’
s prowess . peopl e r e garded a ll those
warr iors (who approached h im ) a s a l ready despa tched to t h e abode of
t he king of t he Dead . I ndeed . no car-war r ior ventured to approach
Bh ishma i n ba tt l e . except the he roic Ar j una hav ing whi te s teeds (yoked
unto h is car ) and owning Kri shn a for h is ch ar iot ee r . and S ikhan di n . the
pr ince of Pancha la . of immeasura ble e nergy .
"
SECTION CXVIII
San jaya sa id . Sikhan di n . O bul l amon g men . a pproach in g Bh i shma
in batt l e . st ruck h im in t he ce n t r e of thechest with ten broad-headed
arrows . The so n of Ganga . howeve r . O Bhara ta . onl y looked at S ikhan
din with wrath and as i f consuming the Panch a la prince wi th tha t look .
R emembering hi s fe m init y . O k i n g . Bhi shm a . i n the very sight of all .
s truck him not . S i khan d i n . howev er . unde rstood i t not . Then Arjuna .
O monarch . addressed S ikhan d in . say in g . -'R ush qu ick ly and slay the
grands ire . Wha t n eedst t h ou say . O hero Slay the migh ty car
warr ior Bhi shm a . I do not s ee any o ther w arr ior in Yudh i sh th ira’
s
army who is competen t to fight wi th Bhi shm a i n ba t tl e . sav e thee . Ot iger among men . I say th i s t ruly .
’
Thus addressed by Partha .
S ikhandi n . O hu l l of Bhara ta’
s rac e . qu ick ly cover ed the g rands ire with
d iverse kinds of weapons . Disregard ing tho se shaft s . thy s ire Devavrata
began . with his shaft s . to ch eck the an gry Arjuna on ly i n tha t battle .And tha t m ighty car-war r ior . O sir e . began al so to despatch . with his
shaf ts of keen po ints“
. the whol e a rmy of the Pandavas to the other
world . The Pandava s also . O king . afte r the same manner . su pported bythe ir v ast host . began to ov erwhelm Bh i shm a l ike the clouds cover
th e maker of day . O hu l l of Bhara ta’
s race . surrounded
that Bhara ta hero consumed many bra v e warr iors in tha t
rag ing con flagrati o n i n the fores t (consuming numbe r l es s
prowess tha t we then beheld there of thy son (Du ssasa n a )
ful . in as much as he bat tle d w ith Par th a and pro tecte d t
at the same t ime .” W i th t hat feat of thy s
MAHABHARATA
bow in han d . many mighty comba tants . exci t ed w i th rag e . be lon g ing to
th e Videhas. the Kal ingas . and the d ive rs e tr ibe s o f the Daserkas . f e l l
upon Pha l g u n i . An d many comba ta n ts a lso . belo ngi n g to the N ishadas .the Sau v i ras. the Va lh ikas . the Da radas. the Wes t ern e rs . the Nor therners
.the Ma lavas . t h e Ab higha tas . the S u ra sen as . t h e S iv i s . the Vasat is.
the Salwas. t he S akas . the Tri gartas . the Amv ashthas . an d th e Kekayas.s imilarly fe l l upon Pa rtha . l ike fl ights of in sects upon a fire . The
mighty Dhananj aya . o therw ise ca l l ed Vib hatsu . then . O monarch .
cal l ing to mind diverse ce l es t ia l weapons and a iming th em at thosegreat car-warriors at the heads of the i r respect i v e d ivis ions . ‘ quickly
consumed them a ll . by means of tho se weapons of gr ea t force . l ike fire
consuming a fl ig ht of insects . An d whil e tha t fi rm bowman was (by
means o f h is celest ia l weapons) crea t ing thousand s upon . tho u san ds of
arrows . his Gandiva looked h igh ly respl enden t i n the welkin . Then
those Kshatriyas . O monarch . aff l icted w ith thos e arrows with the irtal l s tandards torn and over t hrown . could no t even toge the r . approach
the ape-bannered Par tha Car-war rio rs fe l l down with thei r stand
ards.and horsemen with the i r hors es . and e lephant-r ide r s w i t h the i r
elephants . a ttacked by K i ri ti n with h is sha f ts . An d the ea r th was
soon covered al l on a l l side s with the re trea t in g t roops of those kings .routed in consequence of the shafts shot f rom Arjun a
's a rm s . Par tha
t hen.O monarch . hav ing rout ed the Kau rava a rm y . sped many ar rows
at Dussasan a . Those a r rows wi th iron heads . pie rc in g thy son Dusse
sana through . al l en te red the ea r th l ike snakes t hrough an t-h ills.
Arjuna t hen slew Du ssasan a's s te eds a nd t h en f el l ed h i s cha r io teer . And
the lord Arjuna . with tw en ty shaf t s . depr iv ed Vi v in g sati o f h is car .and struck him five s t ra i gh t shaf ts . And pie rc ing Kr ipa and Vikarna
and Salya with m any arrows made whol ly of i ron . Ku n ti's son ownin g
white steeds depr ived al l of t hem of thei r cars . Thus deprived o f th eir
cars and v anquished in ba t tl e by Savyasach i n . Kripa and Salya . O sire
and Dussasan a . and Vika rna and Viv i n g sa ti . al l fled away . Having van
qu i shed those m i ghty car-warr io r s . O chie f of the Bhara ta s. in theforenoon . Partha blazed up in that ba tt l e l ike a smokel ess conflag ration .
Scattering h is sha f ts al l a r oun d l ike t h e Sun shedd ing ray s of l ight .Partha fel led many oth er k ings . O monarch . Making t hose migh ty
car-warr iors turn their backs upon the field by means of his arrowy
showers . Ar juna caused a l arg e r ive r o f bloody curren t to flow in that
battl e between the hos t of t he Kurus and the Pandavas . O Bharata .
L arge numbers of e l ephants and s teeds a nd ca r-warrior s wer e .
’sla in by
car-warr iors . An d many were the ca r-warriors s l a in by e lephants . and
many a l so were the s teed s s la in by foot-sold i ers . An d t h e bod ies of
1 In the second l ine of 35 for Sata n i ka . th e true reading . I apprehend .i s Sahan ikan .
—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
many e le phan t-r id e r s and horsemen and car-warr io rs . cut o ff i n th e
middle . as a lso the i r h ead s . fe l l down on every part of the field . An d
th e fi eld o f ba ttle . O king . was s trewn with ( sla in) princes .—mi ghtycar-warr iors .- fal l ing o r fal len . decked w i th ear-r ings and bracelet s .And i t was also st rewn with the bodies of many warr iors cu t OR by
car-wheels . or t rodden down by e le pha n ts . An d foot-sold i e rs ran away
and horsemen also wi th th e i r horses . An d many elephants and car
warr ior s fel l down on al l s ides . An d many ca rs . wi th whee l s and
yokes and s tandards broken . lay scat tered a l l about on th e field . An d
the field of ba ttl e . dy ed wi th the gore of la r g e numbers of el ephan ts .s te eds . and car-warr iors . looked beautifu l l ike a re d cloud . i n the autum
nal sky . Dogs . and crows . and vul tures . a nd“
wolv es . and j ackal s , andmany other fri g h tful bea st s a nd birds . se t up loud howls . a t the s i gh t ofthe food tha t lay before them . Dive rse k in d s of w inds bl ew a lon g al l
d ir ect ions . An d Rakshasa s an d ev il spir i ts w ere se en the re . utter ingloud roars . An d s trings. embro ide r ed with gol d . and costly banners
were s een to wave . moved by the wind . An d thousands of umbre lla s
and gr eat cars w i th s tanda rds at tached to them . were se en ly ing scat ter
ed about o n th e fie ld . Then Bh i shma . O king invoking a celes t ia l
weapon . ru shed a t t h e son of Kun t i . i n th e ve ry S ight o f a l l the bowmen .
The reupon S ikhan di n . cla d i n mai l . rush ed a t Bh ishma who was dashin g
towards Arj una . At t h is Bh ishma withdrew th a t weapon resembling
fire (i n e ffulg ence and ener gy ) . Meanwhile Ku n ti's son ownin g whi te
steeds sl augh tered thy troops . confounding the grandsire . ”
SECTION CXIX
Senjay a sa id . When the combatants of both a rm ies . s t ron g innumber . were thus d isposed i n battle array . a l l those u nre treat ing h eroes .O Bhara ta . set the i r hear t upon th e r egion o f Brahma .
2 In course of
the gen era l engagemen t t ha t fol lowed . th e same class o f combatan ts d id
no t figh t with the same class of combatants . Car-warr iors fought not
w ith car-warr iors . or foot-so ldie r s w i th foo t-sold iers . o r horsem en wi t h
horsemen . or el ephant-warr iors w ith e lephant-warr iors . On the other
hand.O monarch . the combatan ts fought wi th on e ano ther l ike mad men .
1 After the 60 th verse . three l ines occur in th e Bombay edition as
follows —“ An d man y elephan ts . with standards on thei r b ack s . were seento fly away in a l l di rections . An d many K shatriya s , O m on arch . armedwi th maces an d darts an d bows . were seen lyin g pro strate on th e field .
Th e first l ine of 63 also i s read d ifi eren tl y in th e Bombay text. -T.
2 The Benga l texts read ‘E vam'etc . ; th e Bom b ay readin g i s 'samam
I adopt th e former read i n g .“ Set their h earts U pon the reg ion of Brahma ,
i . s . .fought on . resolved to wi n th e h ighest h eaven b y bravery or death in
battle .-T.
MAHABHAJRATA
Great and dreadful was the ca lam i ty tha t over took beth the arm ies . .- In ~
tha t fierce slaughter when ele phan ts and men spread th emse l v es p n the
field . a ll distinctions between them ceased . for they fough t i n d i scrim i
n ate ly
Then Salya and Kripa . a nd Ch i trasen a . O Bha ra ta , and Du ssasan a;
and Vikarna . those heroe s moun ted’
o n t h e i r brigh t cars . caused the» .
Pandava host to tremble . S laughte r ed i n ba t tl e by those h igh-soul ed
warr iors . the Pandava army began to reel i n d iv erse .ways . O k ing .l ike a boat on the wa ters tossed by the wind . As the wintry co ld cuts
kine to the quick . so d id Bhi shm a cu t the son s of Pandu to the quick ..
As regards th y army also . m any ele phan ts . look i ng l ike newly-r isen
clouds . were fel led by the il lustr ious Pa r tha . An d many foremo st of
warr io rs too were seen to be c rushed by that hero . An d s truck wi th
arrows and long shaf ts i n thousands . many huge e lephan t s fe l l down .ut ter ing f ri ght ful shr ieks of pa in . An d the fiel d o f ba ttl e looked
beauti ful . s trewn wi th the'bod ies . s t i l l deck e d w i th ornamen ts of
h igh-souled warriors depr iv ed of l i fe and w ith head s st i l l decked
w i th ear-r ing s . An d i n th a t ba t t le . O king . wh ich was dest ruc t iv e of
grea t heroes . when Bhi shma and Dhanan j aya the son of Pandu put
fort h the ir prowess . thy sons . O monarch . beholding the grandsi re exert
h imself vigorously , approached h im . with a l l t h e i r troop s placed ahead .
Desi rous o f lay in g down thei r l ives in bat tl e and mak i n g heaven i t selfthe i r goal . they approached the Pandavas i n that bat tle . wh ich was
f rau ght with grea t carnage . The brave Pa nda vas a lso . O king . bear ing
in m ind the many i n j uri es of d i v erse k ind s i nfl ic ted upon th em before
by thee and thy son . O monarch . and cas t i ng o ff a l l fea r . and eag er to
win the highest heavens . che er fu l ly fought w ith thy son an d the oth e r
warriors of thy army .
Then the gen e ra l iss imo of the Pa ndava army,m z the m igh ty car
warr ior Dh ri shtadyum n a . add ress i ng h is sold iers . sa id .'Ye Somakas .
accompanied by the Sr i n j ayas . r ush ye a t Ganga's son .
’
Hea r in g t hosewords o f their commander the Som akas and th e Sr in jay as . though afflic
t ed with showers of arrows . rushed at t he so n of Ganga . Thus at tacked.
O k ing . thy s ire Bh ishm a . i nfluence d by wra th . began to fig ht with th e
Sr i n jayas. In days of old , O sire . the int e l ligent R ama had impartedl
to
Bh i shm a of glor ious ach ievement s t ha t i ns truct ion in weapon whichwa s so dest ruct iv e o f host i le ranks. R ely ing on that ins truction and
causing a g reat hav oc among the t roops of t he foe . t ha t sl aye r o f host i le
heroes . viz the old Kuru grandsi re Bhishm a . day a ft er day . slew ten
thousand warriors o f the R atha . On the ten th day . however . Oh u l l o f Bhara ta
’
s race . Bh i shm a . s ingle-handed . slew ten thousand
e lephants . An d then he slew seve n g rea t car-warr io rs among theMatsyas and the Pan ch alas. In add i tion to al l this . i n t h at dreadful
MAHABHARATA
in g al l tho se sha f ts . l arge in number . shot by t hose foremost of pr incesb e lon g i n g t o th e Pandava h ost . Bh i shm a of undepr essed soul penetrated
into the Pandava ranks . An d the grandsi r e baffle d a l l those ar rows .as i f sportin g the whi le . Frequent ly loo k ing a t S ikh andin the pr ince ofthe Pan ch a las wi th a l augh . he a imed n ot a singl e arrow at h im .
recollecting his fem in ini ty . On th e othe r hand . h e slew seven g rea t
car-warrio rs‘
b e lo n g i n g t o Drupada’
s d ivi s ion . Th en confused cr ies of
wo e soon arose amongs t t h e Matsay asf th e Pan cha l as. and the Chedis.who were toge ther rush in g a t t h a t s ing l e hero . With large numbers of
foot-sold ie rs and st eeds and cars . and with show ers o f arrows . O
scorcher of fo es. they overwhelm ed that s i n g le warrior . vi z . , Bh ishma
the son of Bhag i rath i . tha t scorcher o f foes . l ike th e clouds overwhe lm
ing the maker of day . Then tha t bat tle be tween h im an d them . which
re sembled the ba t t l e be tween th e gods and th e Asuras i n days o f old .
the diadem-decked (Arj una ) . plac ing S ikhan di n be fore h im . piercedBhishma (repeatedly) .
SECTION CXX
San jaya sa id . Thus a l l the Pandavas . pl acin g S ikhan din beforeth em pierce d Bh ishma i n that bat tl e repeat ed ly surround in g h im on al l
s ides . And al l the Sri n jay as . unit ing toge the r . s truck h im w ith dreadfu lSataghn i s , and spiked maces . and bat tle-axe s. and malle t s . and short t h ick
clubs . and bea rded darts . and othe r m issi les . and a rrow s furn i shed with
golden w ings . and dart s a nd lances and kampan as , and w i th long shaf ts
and arrows furn i shed w 1 th heads shaped l ike t h e ca l f-t0 0 th . and rocke ts .
Thus afll icted by many . h is coa t o f mai l wa s pi erced eve rywhere . Bu t
though p ierced i n e v ery v i tal par t . Bhi shma f e l t no pa in . On the other
hand , he th en seemed to h is enemie s to r esemble in appearance the
(al l-dest ruct ive ) fire tha t r ise s a t th e end of Yuga , His bow and arrows
const i tuted the blaz ing fla mes (of th a t fire) . The flight of hi s weapons
const ituted its (fr i endly ) bree z e . Th e ra tt le of h i s car-wheels con sti tu
ted i ts hea t and mighty weapons co ns t i tu ted i t s spl endour . His
beautiful bow formed i ts fierce tongue and the bod ies of hero ic warriors .i ts profuse fu el . l 'An d Bhi shm a was see n to roll through th e m idst of
crowds of ca rs belonging to those k ings . or t o come out (of the press) att imes . or course once more th rough the i r m idst . Then . disregard ing the
k i ng of the Pan chalas and Dhri shtaketu , he pene tra ted . O monarch . in to
th e midst of the Pandav a army . He the n p ierced th e s ix Pandavawarr io rs . vi z . . Saty ak i uan d Bhima . and Dhananjaya the son of Pandu . andDru pada . and Virata . and Dhri sh tady um n a of Pr isha ta
's race , with many
excellent arrows of grea t sh a rpness a n d dreadful wh i z,a n d exceed ing
avo id repetition b y stra ining a word or two .—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
impe tuos i ty , and capable of pi erc ing t hrough eve ry kin d of armour.
Those m ighty car-warriors . howeve r check in g those kee n shaft s . affl icted
Bh i shma with great fo rce . each of them s triking h im with te n sh af ts .
Those migh ty shaf ts . whet ted on stone a nd furn i shed w i th gold en wings
wh ich th e g reat ca r-warr ior S ikhan d in shot . quickly pene t ra t ed i nto
Bh ishma’
s body . Then th e diadem-decked (Ar j una ) . excit ed wi t h wratha nd placing S ikhan d i n ahead rushed at Bh i shm a and cut ofl
'
the la t te r's
bow . Thereupon m igh ty ca r-warriors . s ev en i n number . vi z . , Drona and
Kri tavarm a n . and Iayadratha t he ruler of the S i n dhu s. and Bhu ri sra
vas . and Sal e . and Salya . and Bhagada tta could not brook th at act of
Arjuna . Inflam ed with ra ge . they rushed at h im . Indeed . those mighty
car-warr iors . i nvoking into exi s tence celes t ia l wea pon s . fe l l with gre a t
wra th upon that so n of Pandu . and cove red him w ith the i r arrows .
And as they rushed towards Phalgu n i’
s ca r . the noi se made by them was
heard to re semble t hat m ade by th e ocean itself when i t swe l leth i n rage
a t th e end o f the Yuga ,.K i l l
,Bri n g up (our forces) . Take, Pi erce, Cut off,
th is was the fur ious uproar heard about Phalgun i’
s car . Hear in g tha t
fur iou s uproar . t he ,migh ty car-warr io rs of th e Pandava army rushed
forward . 0 hu l l of Bha rata’
s race . for prot ec t ing Arjuna . They were
Sa tyak i . and Bh im asen a . and Dhri shtadyum n a of P r ishata’
s race . and
both Vi ra ta and Drupada . and the 3 0 708740 80 Ghato tkacha . and the wrat h
fu l Abh im an yu . These seven . inflamed w ith ra ge . and armed w i th
excel l en t bows . rushed with great speed . An d t h e battl e tha t took place
between these and th e Kaurava warr iors was fierce . making the ha ir to
s tand on end . an d resembl ing . O chie f o f t h e Bhara tas. the batt le of the
gods w i th th e Dan ava s, S ikhand i n . howeve r . tha t for emost of ca r
warr iors, prot ecte d i n the batt le by the d iadem-decked (Ar juna ) pierced
Bh ishm a . i n th a t encoun t e r . with ten shaf t s a f ter the lat t er’
s how had
been cut o ff . An d h e st ruck Bh ishm a’
s cha rio tee r w i th other shafts.and
cu t o ff the la tte r's s tandard wi t h on e shaf t . Then th e so n of Ganga
took up anothe r how tha t wa s tougher . Tha t even wa s cut o ff by Pha l
guni w ith t hr ee shar p shafts . Indee d . tha t chastiser o f foe s . vi z . , Arjuna .who was capable of draw in g th e bow with ev en h is l e f t han d:
‘
excited
with rage. on e afte r another . cut 0 8 a l l t he bows tha t Bhishma took up .
Then Bh ishm a . whose bows were thus cut o ff . exci ted wi th rage . and
l icking the corners of his mou th . took up a dar t that was capable o f r iv
ing a h i ll . In rage he hurled i t a t Pha lgun i’
s car . Beholdin g i ts cours e
towa rds h im like the blaz ing b e l t of heaven . the de l i ght er of the Pandavas fixed five shar p broad-headed arrows (on his b o w-st rin g ) . An d with
those five arrows . O chief of the Bhara tas . th e angry Arjuna cu t off in to
five fragments tha t dart hurl ed from Bhi shm a's a rms . Thus cut off by
the angry Arjuna . tha t dar t then fe l l down l ike a flash of l igh tnin gsepara ted from a mass of clouds . Beho ld ing h i s dar t cut off . Bhishma
became fil led w ith rag e . That hero . t hat subj uga to r o f hosti le c ities .t hen began to reflect . An d he sa id unto h imself .
‘
With only a s ing lebow I could sla y al l the Pandavas . i f the m ighty Vi s hnu h im se l f had notbeen th eir pro tecto r . Fo r two reasons . howev er . I wil l not fight with
t h e Pandav as. v i z . . the i r u n sl ayab l en ess . and the f emin in i ty of S ikhan din .
Formerly . when my s i re wedded Kal i . b e pleased (with me ) geve me twob oo n s , vi z th at I shou ld be incapable of be ing sla in i n bat t le . and that
my death should depend on my own choice . I should . howeve r . now
wish my own death . t h is b e ing the prope r hour .’
Ascerta ining this to be
the resolve of Bh ishm a of i mm ea surabl e energy . the R i chi e and the Vasus
stat ioned i n the firm am en t. sa id .‘
Tha t wh ich hath been resolved by
the e is approv ed by us also . 0 so n . Act accordin g to thy resolution .O king . Withdraw t h y hear t from batt l e .
’
On th e conclu sion . o f
those words . fra g ran t and auspic io u s breez e charged w ith particle s of
water . began to blow alon g a na tural d irec t io n . l An d celes t ia l cymbals
of loud sounds began to beat . And a flowery shower fe l l u pon Bh ishma .
O sire . Th e words spoken by the R i sk“ and th e Vasus . however . O
kin g . were n ot heard by any on e sav e Bh ishma h imself . I al so heard
them . through the power confer red on me by theMau i . Great was th e
g r ief. O monarch . t hat fi l led the hear ts o f t h e cel es ti a ls a t t h e though t
of Bh ishma . that favouri t e o f a l l the worlds . fal l ing down from his car .Hav ing l is t ened to these words of the ce l est ia l s , San tan u
’
s so n Bh ishm a
of grea t asce t ic mer i t rushed out a t Vib hatsu . ev en though h e was then
be ing pierced with sha rp a rrows capable o f pene t ra t in g through everyarmour . Then S ikhan din . O kin g . exci ted wi th rage . s truck the grand
s ire o f th e Bhara tas in the chest wi th n ine sharp arrows . The Kuru
grandsire Bhi shm a . howeve r . t hough s truck by h im in battl e . thus .trembled not . O monarch . but rema in ed unmov ed l ike a mounta indur ing an earthquake . Then Vi b hatsu . drawing h i s bow Ga n di va with
a laugh . pi erced the son of Ganga wi th five and twen ty arrows . An d
once more . Dhanan j ay a . .with grea t speed and exci te d wi th wrath
struck h im in every v i tal par t w i th hundred s of arrows . Thus piercedb y others . a lso w ith thousands of a rrows . t h e mighty car-warr iorBh ishma pi erced those others i n re turn w i t h grea t speed . An d as
regards the arrows sho t by t ho se warr iors . Bhi shma . possessed of prow
ess in batt l e that was incapable o f be in g baffled . equally ch ecked themal l w ith h is own st ra igh t ar rows . Those ar rows . however . endued w ith
wings of gold . and whe tted on s tone . which the mighty car-warriorS ikhan d i n sho t in t hat bat t l e . scarcely caused Bh ishm a any pain . Thenth e d iadem-decked (Arjuna ) . excited with rage and plac in g S i khandi n
1 Th a Ben g a l readin g of th i s verse i s vicious . In the first l i ne .‘ lokasya 1 8 incorrect an d u nmeanin g . th e correct word b eing 'vakya sa .
’ Inth e second line . aga in . for
'Pri shthatascha saman tata s'. th e correct reading
i s'Pn shatai scha sam an tatas.
'—T.
826 MAHABHARATA
and a shi eld d ecked with gold . Befor e . however. he could come down
f rom his car. Ar juna cut o ff by m eans of h i s a rrows . th at sh ie ld in to a
hundred f ragments . An d tha t feat of h is se emed exceed ingly wonderful .
Then the king Yudh ish th i ra urged h is own t roops . say in g .'R ush y e at
Ganga's son . Do not en ter ta in the sl ighte s t fe ar’
. Then . armed wi th
bearded dart s.and lances . and arrows . from a l l s ides . with axes . and
exce llent sc im i tars . an d long sh af ts of g rea t sh arpn ess , with cal f-toothedar rows
.and broad-h eaded shafts . they al l ru shed at t ha t s ingl e warr ior .
Then arose from amon g the Pandava hos t a lou d shout . Then thy sons
also 0 king. des irous o f Bh ishm a's v ic tory . surrounded him and utte red
l eon in e shouts . Fierce was t he bat tle fough t there b etween thy troops
and t hose of th e enemy on t hat th e ten th day . O king . when Bh i shm a and
Ar juna me t toget h er . L ike unto the vo r tex t h a t occurs a t th e spot
where the Ganga mee ts t h e Ocean . for a shor t wh i l e a vor tex occur red
there whe re th e troops of bo th arm ie s m et a nd s t ruck one anothe r down .
An d the Ear th . wet wi th gor e . assumed a fierce form . An d the ev en
and the uneven spo ts on he r surface could no lon ger be d i s t ingu ished .
Al though Bh i shma was p ierced i n al l h is v i ta l l imbs . yet on tha t the
ten th day‘
he stayed calmly i n batt le . h av ing slain ten thousand
w arr iors . Th en tha t gre a t bowman . Pa rtha . stat ioned a t the head of h is
troops . broke the centre of the Kuru army . Oursel v es then . afraid of
Kun ti’
s son Dhananj aya hav in g whi t e steed s a ttach ed to h is car . and
afi l icted by h im w ith pol ish ed weapons . fled away from the battle . The
Sau v i ras. the K i tav as . the E asterne rs . t he W es t ern ers . the Nort herne rs .the Mal avas. the Ab hi shahas . t h e Su ra sen as . t he S iv i s. the Vasari s . the
Salwas . the Sayas . t h e Tr igartas . the Amvash tha s. and the Ka ikeyas}these and many oth e r i l lu str ious warr iors .—afflicted with arrows and
pained by their wounds . aban doned Bhi shma i n tha t battlewhile he was
fight ing with t h e d iadem-decked (Arjuna ) . Then a grea t many warr iors .surrounding that s ingle war r ior on al l sid e s . de fea ted th e Kurus ( that
protecte d h im) and covered h im wit h shower o f a rrows . Throw down,
S ei z e,Fi ght, Cut i n to p i eces — th is was t h e furious uproa r . O king . heard
i n th e vicin i ty of Bh i shm a s car .
’
Hav i n g sla i n in tha t ba ttl e . O monarch .(h is fo es ) by hundreds and thousands . th ere was no t in Bh i shm a
's body
space of even two fi i n ger's breadth tha t was not pierced with arrows
.
Thus was thy s ire mang led with arrows of keen poin t s by Phal gun i inthat battl e . And then he fe l l down from hi s car wi th h is hea d to the
whole coun trie s . an d entire races i
only h i s Brahma-dan da Va s i sth a b a
pons of Vi swam i tra . vide . R amayana . section— 56 , Va l akan da—T,
1 Instead of " th e Sa lwas . th e S ayas . an d th etext reads . -“ the Tr i gartas depen ding on (king) Sa lwa .
” I have n ot.ever . m et with an y Tr i gartas under Sa lwa
's rule . that race having . a
time . Susarman for their ru ler.—T.
BHISHMA PARVA
ea s t . a l itt le be fore sunse t . in the very s ight of thy sons . And wh ile
Bh ishma fe l l . loud cr ies o f a las and oh. O Bhara ta . were heard in the
welkin ut tered by the cel e s t ials and the k i ngs of th e ear t h . An d behold:
i ng the h ig h-souled grands i r e fa l l ing down (from h is ca r ) . the hear ts ofal l of us fel l w i t h h im . That foremost of a l l bowm en
.tha t mi ghty-a rm ed
he ro . fel l down . l ike an uproote d standard of Indra . making the ear th t remble the wh i le . 1 P ierced all o ver with a rrows . his bo dy touch ed no t the
g round . At th a t momen t . O hu l l o f Bhara ta's race . a div ine natur e took
possess ion of that grea t bowman lying on a bed of a r row s . The clouds
poured a (cool ) shower (ov e r h im) and th e E ar th trembled . While fa ll
ing h e had marked that the Su n was th en in the southern solstice . Tha t
hero . th e refore . perm i tted not his sen ses to depar t. th inking of tha t ( i n
auspic ious) season (o f death) . An d al l a round in the welkin he heard ce
l estia l Voices say ing .
‘Why . oh why . should Gan ga’
s so n . tha t foremost
of al l warrio r s of weapon s . y ield up h is l i fe durin g th e south ern decl en
s ion Hear ing t h ese words . the son of Gan ga answered .‘
I am al ive
Al thoug h fal le n upon the earth . the Kuru g randsire Bh ishma . expectan t
o f t he nor thern decl en s ion . suff ered no t h is l if e to d epar t . Ascer ta in ing
t h at to be h i s r esolve .Ganga . the daugh ter ofHimavat . sen t unto him the
g rea t R i ch“ in swanl ike form . Then those R i chi e i n th e forms o f swans i n
habiting the Moscow l ake . quickly rose up . and came tog ethe r . fo r obta in
i ng a s igh t of the Kuru gran ds ir e Bh i shma . to th a t s pot wh ere tha t fore
most o f men was ly i n g on his bed of arrows . Then those R i sh i s i n swan
l ike forms . coming to Bh i shm a . behe ld tha t perpetuator of Kuru’
s race
ly ing on his bed o f arrows . Beholdin g that high-souled son of Gangatha t chie f of th e Bhara t as . t hey walked round h im . and the Su n be in g
then in t h e south e rn sol st ice . they sa id , address i ng one ano the r . t hese
wo rds.'Bei n g a hi g h-souled pe rson . why should Bh i shma pass ou t (of
the world ) during the souther n decl ens ion Hav in g sa id these words .thos e swans w en t away . proceed ing towards the southern d irect ion .
Endued wi th great i n tell igence . Bh i shma . O Bhara ta . beholding them .
reflected f or a moment . An d the son of San tan u then sa id un to"
them .
‘
I wi ll n ev er pass out (of the world ) as long a s the Sun is in th e southern
solst ice . Even t h is i s my resolve . I wil l proceed to my own ancient
abo de when the Sun reach et h the northern sol stice . Ye swans . I tel l
you thi s truly . E xpectan t of t he no r ther n declen sio n I wi l l hold my l ife .
Since I h av e th e ful lest control over th e y ie ld ing up o f my l ife . I wi ll .therefore . hold l i f e . expectan t o f dea th dur in g the northern declension .
The boon tha t was g ranted to me by my i l lustrious sire , to the effect tha tmy death would depend on my own wish O . le t tha t boon become true .
I wi ll hol d my l ife . sin ce I h ave con trol i n the matte r of lay ing i t down .’
1 In draddhaj a was a pole . decked with banner s . created in honour ofIndra . Th e festiva l attracted considerable crowds.
Havin g sa id t hese word s to those swan s . he cont inued to l ie down onh is bed of a rrows .
“When tha t cre st of the Kuru race . on Bhi shm a of gr ea t energy.fe l l down , the Pan davas and the Sri n jayas utt ered l eonin e shou ts . Whenthe grandsi re of the Bhara ta s who was end u ed with g rea t m ight was overthrown . th y son . O bul l o f Bhara ta
's race . knew no t wha t to do . An d
all the Kurus were ent ire ly de pr iv ed o f the i r senses. An d t he Kurus
headed by Kr ipa . and Duryod h an a . s ighed and wep t . An d f rom g r ie f t h ey
rema in ed for a long wh i le depriv ed of the i r se n ses . An d they rema ined
perfect ly sti l l . O monarch . wi thou t s e t t ing their hearts on ba ttle . As i f
se ized by th ighs . th ey s tood mot ionless . wit hout proceeding aga ins t thePandavas . When San tan u
’
s son Bh i shma of m i ghty energy . who was
(re garded as) unsl ayable . was slai n . a l l of us thought tha t the d estruction
of the Kuru k in g was a t hand .
1 Vanquished by Sav yasach in . w ith our
foremost heroes sla in . and our se lv es mangl ed with sh arp arrows . we
knew n o r what to do . An d the h ero ic Pandava s possessed of massiv e
arms that looked like sp iked mace s . hav ing obtained the v ictory and won
a highly blessed sta te i n the o th er world .2a l l blew the ir grea t conch es.
An d the Somakas and the Pancha i as a l l re jo iced . O king . Then when
thousands o f t rumpets were blown . the m igh ty Bh im asen a slapped h is
arm-p its and utte red loud shouts . When the al l-powe r fu l son of Ganga
was sla in . the heroic warr io rs o f both a rm ies. lay in g down -t he i r weapons .began to reflec t thoughtfu l ly . An d some ut t er ed loud shr i eks and some
fled away . and some were depr iv ed of t h e i r senses. An d some censuredthe practices of the Kshatriya order and some applauded Bh ishma . An d
the R i shi s and the P i tri s a ll a pplauded Bhishm a of h i gh vows . An d th e
deceased ance stors of the Bha ratas a lso pra ised Bh i shma . Meanwhi le the
va l i an t and inte l l igen t Bh i shm a . the son o f San tan u . hav ing recourse to
that Yoga which is taugh t in the gr eat Up an i shada and engaged in men
tal prayer s . remained quie t . expec tan t of h i s hour ."
SECTION CXXI
Dhr itarash tra sa id .‘
Alas . wh at wa s the state o f (my ) warr io rs .
O Sanjays . when they were depr ived of the m ighty a nd god-l ike Bh i shma
who had become a Brahmachari n for the sake o f h is reverend sire
Ev en then I regarded the Kurus and a l l t h e others as s la in by the Panda
vas when Bh i shma . despi s in g the son of Dru pada . s t r uck h im no t.Wretch that I am . also . I hear today o f my s ire
's s laughter . What can
1 The second l ine of 1 1 4 i n th e Ben ga l text i s vicious . I adopt th eBombay
.
readi n g . wh ich i s ‘K ururaj a sy a tarki tas'. L itera l ly rendered th e
second l ine i s "th e destruction of th e E uro k in g was inferred .
—T.
2 By bravery on th e field of b attle, wh ich . accordin g to th e Hindu
scr iptures . i s a lways thus rewarded—T.
MAHABHARATA
troops . had been placed by h is elder bro ther (for the protect ion of
Bhishma) . Tha t t iger amon g men n ow came . plungin g the t roops he
had commanded into g r ie f . Behold i n g h im com in g toward s them . the
Kaura v as surrounded pr ince Du ssasan a . des irous . O monarch . of hear ing
what he had to say . Then Dussasan a o f Kuru’
s race info rmed Drona
of Bh ishma’
s slaught e r . Drona then . h earin g those ev il th ings . suddenly
fel l down from h is car . Then th e val iant son of Bharadwa ja . quickly
recover in g his senses.forbade the Kuru army . s ire . to con tinue the fight .
Behold ing the Kurus d es i s t f rom bat tl e . th e Pandavas also . through
messen gers on fleet ho r se s . forbade the i r orders . ceased to fight . the
kings of both armies . pu tt in g ofi the ir armour . al l r epa i red to Bh ishma .
Desisting from the figh t . thousands o f (other ) warrio rs then . proceeded
towards the h i gh-souled Bhi shma l ik e the ce lest ia ls towards the Lord o f
al l cr ea tures . Approaching Bh ishm a who was th en . O bul l of Bharata'
s
race . ly ing (o n h is bed of arrows) . th e Pandavas and the Kurus stood
th ere.hav in g off ered h im t he i r salutat ions . Then San tan u
's son Bhishma
of righteous soul addressed the Pandavas and the Kurus who having
reverenced h im thus . stood befo r e h im . And h e said —Welcome to you
y e h ighly blessed ones 1 We lcome to you . ye m i ghty car-warr iorsGratified am I wi th your s ight . ye tha t ar e th e equals of the v ery gods .
Thus addre ss ing t h em with h is head han g in g down . h e once more sa id .My head i s hanging down greatly . L e t a pi l low be g iv en to me l—The
king s ( standing t here ) then fe tched many excel lent pi llows tha t were
very sof t and made of v e ry del ica te fabrics . Th e grandsi re . howev er .des ired them no t . Tha t tige r among men then sa id un to those kings w ith
a laugh .—These . ye k ing s . do not become a hero's b ed —Beholdin g th em
that foremost of men . that m ightie st of ca r -warr iors in al l t h e worlds . vi z
the m igh ty-armed Dh anan j ay a t he son of Pandu . he sa id . —O Dhanan
jaya . O thou of m i ghty a rms . my head hangeth down . O sire Giv e meQ "
a pil low such as thou regard es t to be fi t
SECTION CXXII
San jaya sa id.—‘
S tr ing ing then h is larg e bow and reverentiallysalut ing the grandsi re . Ar j una . with eyes fi ll ed w ith tears . said these
words -O foremost on e among the Kurus. O thou that ar t the firs t
among al l w ielders of weapons . command me . O inv incible one . fo r I am
thy slave ! What shal l I do . O grand sir e l—Unto h im San tan u's son
sa id .—My head . O sir e . hangeth down l—O foremost one among the
Kurus . O Phal gu n i . get m e a p il low 1 Indeed . g ive me on e w it hout delay0 hero . that would become my bed 1 Thou O Par tha . ar t competent .thou ar t th e fo remost of a l l w ielder s of bows ! Thou ar t conversan t with
the dut ies of Kshat r iyas a nd thou a rt endued wi th i ntel l i g ence and good
BHISHMA PARVA 8
ness l—Then Phalgun i . say ing .—So be i t—desired to do Bhishma’
s bid ing .
Takin g up Oundi ou and a number of s traight shafts . and inspir in g them
with man tras , and obta in ing the permiss ion of tha t i l lustr ious and m igh ty
car-warr ior of Bha rata’
s race . Ar juna then . with three keen shaf tsendued with great fo rce . supported Bh ishm a
’
s he ad . Then that ch ie f of
th e Bharatas. vi z ., Bhishma of v i r tuous soul . conv er sant with the truths
of rel ig ion . see ing tha t Arjuna . ha v ing div ined h i s thou gh t . had achieved
that feat . became highly grat ified . And af ter that pil low had thus
been g iven to him . he applauded Dhan an jaya . An d cast ing h is eyes
upon all t h e Bhara tas there . he addressed Ku n ti's son Arjuna . that for e
most of al l warrior s . that enhancer of the joys of h is f rie nd s and said .Thou hast g iven me . O son of Pandu . a pillow that becomet h my bed 1
If thou hadst acted o therw ise . I would have curse d thee . from wrath 1
Even thus . O migh ty-armed one . should a Kshatriya . observant of h is
duties . sleep on th e field of bat t le on h is bed o f arrow s l—Hav ing addr ess
ed Vi bhatsu thus . he then sa id unto al l those kings and princes that were
presen t th ere . t hese words —Behol d y e th e p i llow that the son o f Panduhath giv en me ! I w il l s le ep on th is bed . t i l l t h e Sun turne th to the
n o rhern sol st ice ! Those king that wil l then come to me wil l behold
me (y ield u p my li fe) ! When the Sun on hi s'
car of grea t speed and
unto which are yoked seven steeds . will proceed towards th e d irec t ion
occupied by Va isravan a . ve r i ly . ev en then . wil l I y iel d up my l i fe l ike adea r fr i end dismissing a d ea r fr iend Le t a d itch be dug h ere around
my quarters . y e kings Thus pierced wit h hundreds o f arrows wil l I pay
my adorat ions to the Sun 1 As r egards yoursel v es . abandoning enmi ty .
cease y e from th e figh t . ye kings‘
Sen jaya continued .—‘
Then there came un to h im som e surgeons
wel l tra ined ( in the ir science ) and ski l led in pluck i ng ou t arrows . with all
becom ing appl iances (of the ir profe ss ion ) . Behold in g them . th e son of
Ganga sa id un to thy son .— L et the se phys ician s . af ter proper respect
be ing pa id to them . be d ismissed with pr esen ts of w ealth . Brought to
such a plight . what need have I now of phys ician s I have won the mo st
laudable and the h ighes t s tate ordained in Kshatr iya observ ances l Yek ings . ly ing as I do on a bed o f arrows . i t i s not proper for m e to submit
n ow to the treatment of physicians . With these arrows on my body .
ye rulers o f m en .should I be burn t l—Hearin g these words of his . thy
son Duryodhana dismissed those physicians . hav in g honoured them as
t hey deserved . Then those k ings of d ivers e realms . beholding that cons
tan cy i n v i r tue d ispl ayed by Bh i shm a of immeasurable energy . were fi l led
with wonder. Hav ing gi v en a p il low to thy si re thus . those rulers of
men.those migh ty car-warr iors . vi z . , th e Pandavas and the Kauravas .
uni ted tog ether . once more approached the hig h-soul ed Bh i shma l y ing on
that excel len t bed of h is . R eve rent ial ly salut ing that h igh-souled on e an d
circumambulating him th r ice . an d st a tionin g guards all a round fo r his
protect ion . those heroes . w it h bodi es dre n ched in blood . repaired for r est
towards t he ir own tents in the e v ening . the ir h eart s plunged into gr ief
and t hink ing of wha t t h ey h ad s e en .
‘
Then a t the proper t ime . the m igh ty Madhava . approaching the
Pandavas . those mighty car-warr io rs cheerful ly sea ted toge ther an d filled
with joy a t the fa l l o f Bh i shm a . said unto Dharma’
s son Yudh ishth i ra
these words z—By good l uck v ictory hat h bee n th in e . O thou of Kuru's
race ! By good luck ha t h Bh i shm a be en over th rown . who i s u n slay
able by men . and i s a m igh t y car-war rior o f a im incapable o f be in g
hefl l ed 1 Or . perhaps . as dest iny would have i t . tha t warrior who was
mas ter o f every weapon . hav ing obtai n ed thee for a foe that canst slaywith thy eye s alone . h ath been consumed by thy wrathfu l eye l—Thus
addressed by Krishna . kin g Yudh ish th ira th e j us t repl ied unto Ian arddan a .
saying—Th rou gh Thy grace i s Victory . through Thy wrath is Defeat 1Thou ar t d ispell er of the fe a rs of those that are devot ed to thee . Thou
art our refuge I t i s no t wonderfu l th a t th ey shoul d have v ictory whom
Thou always profectest in bat tl e . and i n whose welfare Thou art always
engaged . O Keseve l Hav in g got Thee for our refuge . I do not regard
any thin g as wonderful 1 Thus add re ssed by h im , Jan arddan a answered
with a sm il e .—O best of k in gs . thes e words can com e from th ee alone 1"
SECTION CXXIII
Senj ay a sa id .—‘
Af t er the n igh t had passed away . O monarch . allth e kings . th e Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras. repaired to th e grand
sir e . Those Kshatr iyas then saluted that hu l l of th ei r order . tha t for e
most one amon g th e Kurus . th at h ero ly ing on a hero’
s bed . and stood
i n his presence . Maidens by thousands. having repa ir ed to that place .gently shower ed over San tan u
's son powdered sandal wood and
’
fr i ed
paddy. and garlands of flowers . An d women and old m en and chi ldren .and ord inary spectators , al l approache d San tan u
’
s so n l i ke crea tures of
the world des irous of beh old in g the Su n . An d trumpets by hundreds
and thousauds. and actors . an d mimes . and skill ed mechan ics a lso came
to the aged Kuru grandsi re . An d ceasin g to fight . put ting as ide the ir
coats of ma il , and ly ing as id e the ir weapons . the Kurus and the Pandavas .united toget her . came to the inv inc ibl e Devavratha . tha t chast i ser of
foes. An d they w ere a ssembled tog ethe r as i n days o f old.and cheer
fully addressed one another accord ing to t h e i r respect ive ages . An d that
conclave ful l of Bhara ta kings by hundreds and adorn ed wi th Bh ishma .looked beau tiful and blaz ing l ike a conc lave of the gods in h ea v en . An d
that conclave of king s en ga ged in honouring the son‘ of Ganga looked as
beautiful as a conclav e of the cele s t ial s en gaged in a dorn in g t
Kuru’ s race O t hou o f immeasurable eff ulgence . even Narada spoke
of th ee as an anc ient R i sh i Inde ed . with Vasudeva as t hy ally . thou
wil t achi eve many m ighty fea ts wh ich the chi ef of the ce les t ia ls h imself
w ith all the gods . o f a ce rta inty . Wi l l not venture to achie v e 1 They
tha t hav e knowledge of such th in g s know thee to be th e destroyer of thewhole Ksha triya race 1 Thou a r t t h e one bowman among the bowman
of th e world Thou ar t the foremo st among men . As human beings
are.i n th is world . foremost of al l c reature s . as Gedura is t h e fo remost
of al l winged creatures a s the Ocean is the foremost amon g al l r ecep
tacles of water and the cow among all quadrupeds as the Sun i s the
foremost amongst a l l lum inous bodies and Himavat among all
mounta ins as t he Brahmana is the forem os t among a l l ca stes . ar t thou
the foremost o f all bowmen Dhrita rash tra's son (Duryodhana ) l istened
not to the words repea tedly spoken by me and Vidura and Drona and
R ama and Jan arddan a and a lso by Senjaya . R e ft of h is senses . l ike un to
an id iot . Duryodhana placed n o rel iance on those ut terances . Past al l
instructions . h e wil l cer ta inly have to l i e down for eve r . overwhelm edby the might o f Bhima l—Hea r i ng these words of his . the Kuru king
Duryodhana became of che er l ess hear t . Eyein g him . San tan u’
s son said .—L i sten . 0 king Abandon thy wrath Thou has t seen . O Duryodhana
how th e in tel l i gent Par tha cr ea ted that j e t of cool and necta r-scent ed
water There is non‘ e else i n this world capable of achi ev ing such feat .
The weapons apperta inin g to Agn i . Varun a . Soma . Vayu . and Vi shnu .
as also those apperta in in g to Indra . Pasupati . and Paramesth i . and those
of Prajapa ti . Dhatri . Tashtri . Sav itr i . and Vi v aswat. all t h e se are . known
to Dhananjaya alone in this world o f men 1 Kr ishn a . the son of Devaki .al so knoweth t h em . Bu t there is none e l se here th at knoweth them .
This son of Pandu . O sire . i s incapable o f being defeated in battl e by
even the gods and the Asu ras toge t he r . Th e fea ts of this h igh-souled
on e are superhuman . W i th th at t rut h ful he ro . tha t orn ament of battle .that warrior accomplish ed in figh t . l e t peace . O king . be soon made
As lon g as the mighty-armed Kri shna i s no t possessed by wrath . O ch i ef
of the Kurus . i t i s fit . O sire . that peace sh oul d be made wi th the hero ic
Parthas I As long as th is remnant of thy b roth ers is not sla in . l e t peace .
0 monarch . be made ! As long as Yudhisth i ra . with eyes burn ing in
wrath doth not consume thy troops in battl e , l e t peace . 0 s ire . be made
As long as Nakula . and Sahadeva . and Bh imasen a , the sons o f Pandu . do
no t . 0 monarch . extermin ate thy army . i t se em s to me that f r iendly
relat ions should be restored between thee an d the h ero ic P andavas
L et this bat t le end w i th my death . O si re Make peace with the
Pandav as . L et the se words that are uttered to the e by me be accept
able to thee . O sinless one 1 E ven th is i s wha t I regard to be beneficial
bo th for t hyself and the race ( i ts el f of Kuru) l Abandon ing thy wrath
BHISHMA PARVA 885
l e t peace be made w ith Parthas. Wha t Pha l gun i hath already done i ssufi ci en t. L et fr iendly relation s be restored with the death of Bhi shma 1Let t his remnant o f warr ior s l iv e l R elen t . O k ing 1 L et ha l f thekingdom be giv en to the Pandav as . Let k ing Yudh i sh th i ra the jus t goto Indraprasha . O chief of th e Ku rus . do not ach iev e a sinful no torie tyamong the kin g s of the earth by incurr in g the r eproach of meanness .becoming fom en tor of in test in e di ssen s ion s L e t peace come to allwit h my death I Le t these rulers o f ear th . cheerfully mix with o n eanothe r Let s i r e g e t back the son . let sister
's son get back the mat er
na l uncle I f f rom want of under standin g and possessed by folly thoudoes not harken to those t imely words of mine thou wilt h av e to repen tgreatly What I say is t rue . Therefore . desis t even n ow 1 Hav ingfrom aff ec t ion . said these word s unto Duryodhana i n th e midst o f thekings. the son of the ocean-going Ganga became si len t . Though hi sv i ta l l imbs were burn ing with th e arrow-wounds . ye t . prev al i n g over hisagonies . he appl ied him self to yoga .
“
Senjaya con t inued—'Hav ing heard t h ese beneficial and peace fu l
words fraught w ith both v irtue and profit . thy son . however . acceptedth em not . l ike a dy ing man re fusing medic in e .
"
SECTION CXXIV
Senj aya sa id.—‘
Af te r San tan u’
s son Bh i shm a . O monarch . had hecome s ilen t , a ll those ru lers o f eart h ther e presen t . then re turned tothe ir respec tive quar ters . Hear ing of Bh i shm a
’
s slaughter that bul lamong men . v i z . . R adha
’
s son (Kam a) . part ia lly inspired with fear quickl y came there . He beh eld tha t i l lustr ious h ero ly in g on his bed of r eeds .Then Vri sh a (K arna ) endued wi th grea t g lo ry . wi th voice choked intears
.approach in g tha t hero ly in g w i th eyes closed . fel l a t h is fe e t . An d
h e sa id .—O chi ef of the Kuru s . I am R adha’
s so n . who while be forethy eye s
. was e v erywhere looked upon by thee w ith ha te l—Hearingthese words . the aged ch ie f o f the Kurus v iz . . the son of Ganga . whoseeyes were covered w it h film slowly ra isin g h is eyel ids . and causing th eguards to b e r emoved . and seeing the place deserted by al l . embracedKarna with one arm . l ike a sire embracin g his son . and sa id these wordswi t h grea t affect ion z— Come . come Thou ar t an opponent o f m in ewho always chal len gest compar ison wi th me If thou hadst not cometo me . wi thout doubt . i t would not hav e been wel l wi th thee 1 Thouar t Kun ti
's not R adha
's l Nor is Adh i rath a thy father O thou
of migh ty arms . I heard al l t his about th ee from Narada as also “ fromKr ishna-Dwa ipayan a Without doubt . al l t h i s is true I t el l thee truly .O son . tha t I hear thee no mal ice I I t was only for abat ing thy energytha t I used to say such ha rsh word s to t h ee O thou of excell ent vowswithout any reason thou speakest i l l o f al l the Pandavas S in ful ly d idstthou come in to the wo r ld . It i s for th i s that thy hear t hath been such .
Through pride . and own i ng a lso to thy companionship with th e low , thyheart hateth even persons o f mer i t ! It i s for th i s t hat I spoke suchharsh words about thee in the Kur u camp ! I know thy prowess inbattl e . wh ich can wi th difli cu l ty be bor n e on earth by foes ! I knowalso thy re gard fo r Brahmanas. thy courage a nd thy grea t a t tachmentto alms-g ivmg O thou tha t resem b l e st a ve ry god . amongst m en thereis none l ike the e For fear o f i n te st ine d i ssensions I alway s spok e harshword s about thee . In bowm an sh i p . in a im ing weapon . i n l i ghtness ofhan d and in streng th of weapons . thou ar t equa l to Pha lgun i himsel f . or
MAHABHARATA
th e h igh-souled Kri shna l O Karna , proce ed ing to the ci ty of Kasi . alon ewith thy . b ow.
thou hadst c rushed t h e kin g s in battle for procur ing abride for th e Kuru k ing The mighty and invinc i b l e kin g Jarasan dhaalso
.ever boastf ul of h is prowess in batt le . cou ld not becom e thy match i n
fi gh t l Thou gh ar t devoted to Brahmanas ; thou always fightest f a ir lyIn energy and st rength . t hou a r t equal to a chi ld o f the celes tia ls andce r ta inly much super ior to men . The wrath I cher i shed aga inst the e isgone . Destin y is incapab l e o f be in g avoid ed by exert ion . O slay er offoes
.the hero ic sons of Pandu are thy uter ine brother s I f thou wi shest
to do what is agr eeabl e to me . un i te w i t h th em . O thou of m ighty arms lO son of Sury a . l et t h ese h o st il i t ies end with m e l Le t al l the kings ofEar th be to-day f r eed from danger l
‘
Karna I know t h is , O thou of m ighty a rms I Al l th is withoutdoubt . i s (as thou saye s t ) As thou tel les t m e . O . Bh i shma . I am Ku n ti
’
s
son . and not the son of S um ! I we s . however . abandoned by Kun t i .and I hav e been reared by S u ta , Having ( so long ) enjoyed the weal th ofDuryodhana . I dare not fa lsify i t now . L i ke Vasudeva
's son who is
firmly resolved for the sake of t he Pandavas . I al so . O thou tha t m akestprofuse present s to Bra hmanas . am prepared to cas t away mypossess ion . my body i tsel f . my children . and my wife . for Duryodhana
's
sake 1 Death f rom d isease . O thou of Kuru’
s race . doth not becom e aKshatr iya l R ely ing upon Suyodhan a I have a lways off ended the Pandav as l Th i s affa i r is dest in ed to take i ts course . It is incapable of beingpreven ted . Who was t here tha t would v enture to overcome Destiny byexert ion ? Var ious omens indicatin g th e des tructio n of the Ear th . Ograndsir e .
w ere noted by thee and declared in the a ssembly . It is wellkn own . to me that the son of Pandu . and Vasudev a . are incapable of be in gconquered by other men . E v en W i th them we venture to figh t 1 I wi l lvanqu ish the son of Pand u i n bat tle 1 E ven th is is my firm r esol ve I amnot capable
,of cast i n g o ff th is firece animos i ty tha t I cheri sh aga in st
the Pandavas ) W i th a cheerful hear t . and keeping t h e duties of myorder befo re my eye . I w il l contend agains t Dhananj ay a . Firmly resolv ed that I am on bat t l e . grant me thy perm iss ion . O hero I I w i l l fight .E v en this is my Wi sh . I t b ehove th the e to for g iv e m e a lso any harshwords that I may have at any ti me uttered again st thee o r any act thatI may have done a ga i n s t thee from anger o r inconsidera teness
‘
Bh ishma sa id . I f . i ndeed . thou ar t unable to cas t 0 5 th i s fiercean imo si ty . I perm it th ee . O Karna Fi ght . moved by the des ire ofheaven W i thout an ge r and without vi nd ict iveness . serv e thou t hek ing accord ing to thy power and according to t hy courage and observantof the conduc t o f th e r igh teous 1 Hav e then my permission . O Karma 1Obta in thou that wh ich t hou se ekest Through Dhananjaya thou w il tobtain all those regions (hereaf ter ) which are ca pable of be ing had by
fulfil l ing the d ut ies of a Ksha tr iya l Fre ed f rom pr ide , and r elying ont hy (own ) might and en e rgy . engage in batt l e . s in ce a Kshatr iy a cannothave a (source of) grea ter happ iness than a r i ghteous batt le . For a longWh i le I made grea t efforts for b r ing ing about peace I Bu t I succeedednot . O Karna . in the task I Truly do I say this un to thee l
‘
Se n jaya con tin ued .— ‘
Afte r the son of Ganga had said this . R adh a's
50 0 (Karna ) haV i n g sa lu ted Bh i shma and obta ined his forgiveness. go tUP 0 “ h l s car and proceeded towards ( the quarters of thy son .
’
FINI SH BHI SHMA PAR VA
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