Chapter 42

“Sanjaya said, ‘The high-souled son of Adhiratha, having listenedunconvinced to these words of the ruler of the Madras, addressed Shalya,saying, “That which Vasudeva and Arjuna are is well-known to me. Theskill of Saurin in the management of cars, and the might and the highweapons of Arjuna, the son of Pandu are well known to me at this hour.Thou however, O Shalya, hast no ocular proof of those matters. I shallfearlessly fight with the two Krishnas, those two foremost of allwielders of weapons. The curse, however, of Rama that best of regeneratepersons, paineth me greatly today. I dwelt, in the disguise of abrahmana, with Rama in former days, desirous of obtaining celestialweapons from him. On that occasion, O Shalya, the chief of the gods,wishing to benefit Phalguna, caused an obstacle, by approaching my thighand piercing it, having assumed the dire form of a worm. When mypreceptor slept, having laid his head thereon, that worm, approaching mythigh, began to pierce it through. In consequence of the piercing of mythigh, a pool of thick blood flowed from my body. For fear of (disturbingthe slumber of) my preceptor I did not move my limb. Awaking, thebrahmana, however, beheld what had taken place. Witnessing my patience headdressed me, saying, ‘Thou art never a brahmana. Tell me truly who thouart.’ I then, O Shalya, truly informed him of myself, saying that I was aSuta. Hearing my words, the great ascetic, his heart filled with rage,cursed me, saying, ‘In consequence of the deception, O Suta, by whichthou hast obtained this weapon, it will never, at the time of need, whenthe hour of thy death comes, occur to thy memory. Brahma cannot certainlyreside in one that is not a brahmana.’ I have forgotten that great weaponin this fierce and terrible battle. He amongst the Bharatas, O Shalya,who is accomplished, who is an effectual smiter, who is universaldestroyer, and who is exceedingly terrible, (viz., Arjuna),–that mightycrusher,–I think, will burn many foremost of kshatriyas. Know, however,O Shalya, that I will slay in battle that fierce bowman, that foremost ofwarriors, that hero endued with activity, that terrible person whoseenergy is unbearable, that warrior whose promises are accomplished, thatson of Pandu, viz., Dhananjaya. I have that weapon (at least) under mycontrol today with which I will be able to destroy large numbers of foes.I will slay in battle that scorcher of enemies, that mighty warrioraccomplished in weapons, that fierce bowman of immeasurable energy, thatcruel and terrible hero, that great resister of enemies, viz.,Dhananjaya. The immeasurable Ocean, that lord of all waters, rusheth withfierce impetuosity for overwhelming innumerable creatures. The continent,however, holds and checks him. Today, in this world, I will resist infight the son of Kunti, that foremost of all drawers of the bow-string,while he will be engaged in ceaselessly shooting his countless shaftsequipped with goodly wings, destructive of heroes, capable of penetratinginto every limb and none of which becomes futile. Like the continentresisting the Ocean, I will today resist that mightiest of the mighty,that great warrior possessing the highest weapons, that hero like untothe Ocean’s self of far-reaching arrows, fierce, and having shafts forhis waves, while he will be engaged in overwhelming (hostile) kings.Behold today the fierce battle I fight with him that hath no equal, Ithink, among men wielding the bow, and that would vanquish the very godsunited with the Asuras. Exceedingly proud is that son of Pandu. Desirousof battle he will approach me with his mighty and super-human weapons.Baffling his weapons with my own weapons in battle, I shall todayoverthrow that Partha with my own excellent shafts. Scorching his foeslike the Sun endued with fiery rays, and blazing with flame like thatdispeller of the darkness, I shall, like a mass of clouds, completelyshroud Dhananjaya today with my shafts. Like the clouds extinguishing ablazing fire of great energy and smoke-mixed flames, that seems ready toconsume the whole Earth, I shall, with my showers of arrows, extinguishthe son of Kunti in battle. With my broad-headed shafts I shall still theson of Kunti, that terrible snake of virulent poison, that is exceedinglydifficult of being captured, that is endued with keen fangs, that is evenlike a blazing fire that flames up in wrath, and that always consumes hisfoes. Like Himavat bearing the mighty, all-crushing, fierce and smitinggod of wind, I shall, without moving, bear the angry and vindictiveDhananjaya. I shall resist in battle Dhananjaya, that foremost of allwielders of bows in the world, that hero in fight, that warrior who isalways in the van and who is competent to meet all foes, that car-warriorwho is conversant with all car-tracks. Today I shall fight in battle withthat person who hath, I think, no equal among men wielding the bow andwho conquered the entire Earth. What other man desirous of saving hislife, except myself, will fight with that Savyasaci, who vanquished allcreatures including the very gods in the country called Khandava? Arjunais proud; his weapons strike deep; he is endued with great lightness ofhands; he is conversant with steeds; he agitates vast hosts; he isregarded an Atiratha. Though such, I shall yet, with my sharp shafts,strike his head from off his trunk today. O Shalya, ever keeping Death orvictory in battle before me, I shall today fight with Dhananjaya. Thereis none else save myself that would on a single car fight with thatPandava who resembles the destroyer himself. I myself will gladly speakof the prowess of Phalguna in the midst of an assembly of kshatriyas. Whyhowever, dost thou, a fool as thou art and of foolish understanding,speak to me of Phalguna’s prowess? Thou art a doer of disagreeable deeds.Thou art cruel and mean and being thyself unforgiving, thou art adetractor of one that is forgiving. I can slay a hundred persons likethee, but I forgive thee in consequence of my forgiving disposition,owing to the exigency of the times. Thou art of sinful deeds. Like a foolthou hast, for the sake of Pandu’s son, rebuked me and told me manydisagreeable things. Crooked-hearted as thou art, thou hast said allthese words unto me, that am of a sincere heart. Cursed art thou for thouart an injurer of friends,–of friends, because friendship isseven-paced. Terrible is the hour that is now passing. Duryodhana hathhimself come to battle. I am solicitous of seeing his purposes achieved.Thou, however, art acting in such a way that it shows thee to have nofriendship (for the Kuru king)! He is a friend who shows affection foranother, who gladdens another, who makes himself agreeable to another,who protects another, who honours another, and who rejoices in the joysof another. I tell thee that I have all those attributes, and the kinghimself knows all this. He, on the other hand, that destroys, chastises,sharpens his weapons, injures, causes us to sigh, makes us cheerless, andwrongs us in diverse ways, is a foe. All these attributes are to be foundin thee and thou discoverest all of them in me. For the sake ofDuryodhana, for the sake of doing what is agreeable to thee, for the sakeof victory, for the sake of myself, and for the sake of God himself, Iwill with vigorous exertion, fight with Partha and Vasudeva. Witnesstoday my feats. Behold today my excellent weapons, my brahmastra andother celestial weapons, as also those that are human. I will today slaythat hero of fierce prowess, like an exceedingly infuriate elephantslaying an infuriate compeer. I shall, by my mind alone, hurl today atPartha, for my victory, that weapon of immeasurable energy, called thebrahmastra. Arjuna will never be able to escape that weapon, if only thewheels of my car do not sink into the Earth in battle today. Know this, OShalya, that I would not take fright at Yama himself armed with his rod,or Varuna himself armed with his noose, or Kuvera himself armed with hismace, or Vasava himself armed with the thunderbolt, or at any other foewhatever that may approach for slaying me. Therefore, I have no fear fromPartha, nor from Janardana. On the other hand, I shall encounter themboth in today’s destructive battle. Once on a time, while wandering forthe sake of practising weapons on my bow called Vijaya, O king, I had, byshooting many fierce shafts of terrible forms, heedlessly struck the calfof a (brahmana’s) homa cow with one of those shafts, and unwillinglykilled it white it was wandering in a solitary forest. The brahmana thenaddressed me, saying, ‘Since, becoming insensate, thou hast slain theoffspring of my homa cow, the wheel (of thy car) will sink into the Earthwhile at the time of battle fear will enter thy heart.’ From these wordsof the brahmana I am experiencing great fear. These kings of the Lunarrace that are lords of (other people’s) weal and woe, offered to givethat brahmana a 1,000 kine and 600 bovine bulls. With even such a gift, OShalya, the brahmana would not be gratified, O ruler of the Madras. I wasthen for giving him seven hundred elephants of large tusks and manyhundred of slaves male and female. That foremost of brahmana would notstill be gratified. Collecting next full 14,000 kine, each black in hueand having a white calf I was still unable to obtain the grace of thatbest of brahmana. A wealthy mansion full of every object of desire, infact, whatever wealth I had, I wished to give him with due worship, buthe refused to accept the gift. Unto me then that had offended and thathad begged so importunately for his pardon, the brahmana said, ‘Thatwhich, O Suta, hath been uttered by me is sure to happen. It cannot beotherwise. A false speech would destroy creatures, and sin also would bemine. Therefore, for the preservation of virtue I do not venture to speakwhat is false. Do not, again, destroy the means of a brahmana’s support.There is none in the world that would be able to falsify my speech.Accept those words. It will be thy atonement (for the sin of having slaina calf).’ Though rebuked by thee, still for friendship’s sake, I havedisclosed to thee all this. I know thee that art rebuking me thus. Besilent now, and hear what I will presently say.'”