Chapter 193

“Sanjaya said.. ‘Hearing of the slaughter of his sire by Dhrishtadyumna,of sinful deeds, Drona’s son was filled with grief and rage, O bull amongmen. Filled with rage, O king, his body seems to blaze forth like that ofthe Destroyer while engaged in slaughtering creatures at the end of Yuga.Repeatedly wiping his tearful eyes, and breathing hot sighs in rage, hesaid unto Duryodhana, I have now learnt how my sire has been slain bythose low wretches after he laid aside his weapons, and how also has asinful act been perpetrated by Yudhishthira disguised in the grab ofvirtue![257] I have now heard of that unrighteous and exceedingly cruelact of Dharma’s son. Indeed, to those engaged in battle, either of thetwo things must happen, viz., victory or defeat. Death in battle isalways to be applauded. That death, in battle, of a person engaged infight, which takes place under circumstances of righteousness, is notdeserving of grief, as has been observed by the sages. Without doubt, mysire has gone to the region of heroes. He having met with such a death, Ishould not grieve for him. The humiliation, however, of a seizure of hislocks, that he sustained in the very sight of all the troops, while hewas righteously engaged in battle, is tearing the very core of my heart.Myself alive, my sire’s locks were seized, why should sonless people thenentertain a desire of offspring?[258] People perpetrate unrighteous actsor humiliate others, moved by lust or wrath or folly or hatred or levity.The cruel and wicked-souled son of Prishata hath perpetrated thisexceedingly sinful act in total disregard of me Dhrishtadyumna,therefore, shall surely suffer the dreadful consequence of that act, asalso the false-speeched son of Pandu, that has acted so wrongly. Today,the earth shall certainly drink the blood of that king Yudhishthira thejust, who caused the preceptor, by an act of deceit to lay aside hisweapons. I swear by truth, O Kauraveya, as also by my religious acts,that I shall never bear the burden of life if I fail to exterminate thePanchalas. By every means I contend with the Panchalas in dreadfulstrife. I shall certainly slay in battle Dhrishtadyumna, that perpetratorof unrighteous deeds. Mild or violent, let the means be what they will, Ishall effect the destruction of all the Panchalas before peace becomesmine. O Kaurava! O tiger among men, persons desire children so thatobtaining them they may be rescued from great fears both here andhereafter. My sire, however, fell unto that plight, like a friendlesscreature, although myself am alive, his disciple and son, resembling amountain (in might). Fie on my celestial weapons. Fie on my arms. Fie onmy prowess. Since Drona, although he had a son in me, had his locksseized! I shall, therefore, O chief of the Bharatas, now achieve that bywhich I may be freed from the debt I owe to my sire, now gone to theother world. He that is good never indulges in self-praise. Unable,however, to brook the slaughter of my sire, I speak of my prowess. Letthe Pandavas, with Janardana among them, behold my energy today, while Igrind all their troops, achieving what is done (by the destroyer himself)at the end of the Yuga. Neither the gods, nor the Gandharvas, nor theAsuras, the Uragas, and the Rakshasas, nor all the foremost of men, shalltoday be able to vanquish me on my car in battle. There is none in theworld equal to me or Arjuna in knowledge of weapons. Entering into themidst of the troops, like the sun himself in the midst of his blazingrays, I shall today use my celestial weapons. Today, applied by me,innumerable shafts, sped from my bow in dreadful battle, displaying theirterrible energy, I shall grind the Pandavas. Today, all the points of thecompass, O king will be seen by the warriors of our army shrouded with mywinged arrows of keen points, as if with torrents of rain. Scatteringshowers of shafts on all sides with a loud noise, I shall overthrow myfoes, like a tempest felling trees. Neither Vibhatsu, nor Janardana, norBhimasena, nor Nakula, nor Sahadeva, nor king Yudhishthira, norPrishata’s wicked-souled son (Dhrishtadyumna), nor Sikhandin, norSatyaki, O Kauravya, knoweth that weapon which I have, along with themantras, for hurting and withdrawing it. Formerly on one occasion,Narayana, assuming the from of a Brahmana, came to my father. Bowing untohim, my father presented his offerings unto him in due form. Taking themhimself, the divine Lord offered to give him a boon. My father thensolicited that supreme weapon called Narayana. The divine Lord, theforemost of all gods, addressing my sire, said, No man shall ever becomethy equal in battle. This weapon, however, O Brahmana, should never beused in haste. It never comes back without effecting the destruction ofthe foe. I know none whom it may not slay, O lord! Indeed, It would slayeven the unslayable. Therefore, it should not be used (without thegreatest deliberation). This mighty weapon, O scorcher of foes, shouldnever be hurled upon persons that abandon their cars or weapons inbattle, or upon those that seek for quarter or those that wieldthemselves up. He who seeketh to afflict in battle the unslayable withit, is himself exceedingly afflicted by it![259]’–My sire thus receivedthat weapon. Then Lord Narayana, addressing myself also, said, ‘With theaid of this weapon, thou too shalt pour diverse showers of celestialweapons in battle and blaze with energy in consequence of it. Having saidthese words, the divine Lord ascended to heaven. Even this is the historyof the Narayana weapon which has been obtained by my sire’s son. Withthat I will rout and slay the Pandavas, the Panchalas, the Matsyas, andthe Kaikeyas, in battle, like Sachi’s lord routing and slaying theAsuras. My shafts, O Bharata, will fall upon the contending foes, inthose particular forms which I shall wish them to assume. Staying inbattle, I will pour showers of weapons as I desire. I will rout and slayall the foremost of car warriors with sky-ranging arrows of iron-points.Without doubt, I will shower innumerable battle-axes upon the foe. Withthe mighty Narayana weapon, a scorcher of foes that I am, I will destroythe Pandavas, causing an immense carnage amongst them. That wretchamongst the Panchalas, (viz., Dhrishtadyumna), who is an injurer offriends and Brahmanas and of his own preceptor, who is a deceitful wretchof the most reprehensible conduct, shall never escape from me today withlife.’ Hearing these words of Drona’s son, the (Kuru) army rallied. Thenmany foremost of men blew their gigantic conchs. And filled with delight,they beat their drums and dindimas by thousands. The earth resounded withloud noises, afflicted with the hoofs of steeds and the wheels of cars.That loud uproar made the earth, and the firmament also echo with it.Hearing that uproar, deep as the roll of the clouds, the Pandavas, thoseforemost of car-warriors, uniting together, took counsel of one another.Meanwhile, Drona’s son, having said those words, O Bharata, touched waterand invoked the celestial weapon called the Narayana.'”