Chapter 74

“Arjuna said, ‘These six car-warriors of the Dhritarashtra army whom thouregardest to be so strong their (united) energy, I think is not equal toeven half of mine! Thou shalt see, O slayer of Madhu, the weapons of allthese cut off and baffled by me when I go against them for slayingJayadratha! In the very sight of Drona and all his men, I will fell thehead of the ruler of the Sindhus, on the earth, beholding which they willindulge in lamentations. If the Siddhas, the Rudras, the Vasus, with theAswins, the Maruts with Indra: (at their head) the Viswadevas with othergods, the Pitris, the Gandharvas, Garuda, the Ocean, the mountains, thefirmament, Heaven, Earth, the point of the compass (cardinal andsubsidiary), and the regents of those points, all the creatures that aredomestic and all that are wild, in fact if all the mobile and theimmobile beings together, become the protectors of the ruler of theSindhus, yet, O slayer of Madhu, shalt thou behold Jayadratha slain by metomorrow in battle with my arrows! O Krishna, I swear by Truth, I touchmy weapons (and swear by them), that I shall, O Kesava, at the veryoutset, encounter that Drona, that mighty bowman, who hath become theprotector of that sinful wretch Jayadratha! Suyodhana thinks that thisgame (of battle) resteth on Drona! Therefore, piercing through the veryvan commanded by Drona himself, I shall get at Jayadratha! Thou shalttomorrow behold the mightiest of bowmen riven by me in battle by means ofmy shafts endued with fierce energy, like summits of a hill riven by thethunder, Blood shall flow (in torrents) from the breasts of fallen menand elephants and steeds, split open by whetted shafts failing fast uponthem! The shafts shot from Gandiva, fleet as the mind or the wind, willdeprive thousands of men and elephants and steeds of life! Men willbehold in tomorrow’s battle those weapons which I have obtained from Yamaand Kaurva and Varuna and Indra and Rudra! Thou shalt behold intomorrow’s battle the weapons of all those who come to protect the rulerof the Sindhus, baffled by me with my Brahma weapon! Thou shalt intomorrow’s battle, O Kesava, behold the earth strewn by me with the headsof kings cut off by the force, of my shafts! (Tomorrow) I shall gratifyall cannibals, rout the foe, gladden my friends, and crush the ruler ofthe Sindhus! A great offender, one who hath not acted like a relative,born in a sinful country, the ruler of the Sindhu, slain by me, willsadden his own. Thou shalt behold that ruler of the Sindhus, of sinfulbehaviour, and brought up in every luxury, pierced by me with my shafts!On the morrow, O Krishana, I shall do that which shall make Suyodhanathink that there is no other bowman in the world who is equal to me! MyGandiva is a celestial bow! I myself am the warrior. O bull among men!Thou, O Hrishikesa, art the charioteer! What is that I will not be ableto vanquish? Through thy grace, O holy one, what is there unattainable byme in battle? Knowing my prowess to be incapable of being resisted, why,O Hrishikesa, dost thou, yet rebuke me? As Lakshmi is ever present inSoma, as water is ever present in the Ocean, know this, O Janarddana,that even so is my vow ever accomplished! Do not think lightly of myweapons! Do not think lightly of my tough bow! Do not think lightly ofthe might of my arms! Do not think lightly of Dhananjaya! I shall go tobattle in such a way that I shall truly win and not lose! When I havevowed it, know that Jayadratha hath already been slain in battle! Verily,in the Brahmana is truth; verily, in the righteous is humility; verily,in sacrifice is prosperity; verily, in Narayana is victory!

“Sanjaya continued,–‘Having said these words unto Hrishikesa, the son ofVasudeva, having himself said so unto his own self, Arjuna in a deepvoice, once more addressed lord Kesava, saying–Thou shouldst O Krishna,so act that my car may be well equipt as soon as this night dawns, sincegrave is the task that is at hand!'”