SECTION CLXIV
"Sanjaya said, 'Having heard those words of Duryodhana, Gudakesha of
great fame looked at the gambler's son with eyes exceedingly red. And
eyeing Kesava also and tossing his massive arms, he addressed the
gambler's son, saying, 'He, who, relying on his own strength, summoneth
his foes and fighteth with them fearlessly, is spoken of as a man. He,
however, who, relying on the strength of others, summoneth his foes, is
an infamous Kshatriya. In consequence of his incapacity, such a one is
regarded as the lowest of men. Relying on the strength of others, you (O
Duryodhana), being a coward thyself, desirest yet, O fool, to rebuke thy
foes. Having installed (Bhishma) the oldest of all the Kshatriyas, whose
heart is ever bent in doing what is good, who hath all his passions under
control, and who is endued with great wisdom, in the command of thy
troops and made him liable to certain death, you indulgest in brag! O
thou of wicked understanding, your object (in doing this) is fully known
to us, O wretch of your race! Thou hast done it, believing that sons of
Pandu will not, from kindness, slay the son of Ganga. Know, however, O
Dhritarashtra's son, that I will slay that Bhishma first in the sight of
all the bowmen, relying upon whose strength you indulgest in such
boasts! O gambler's son, repairing (hence) unto the Bharatas and
approaching Duryodhana the son of Dhritarashtra, say unto him that Arjuna
hath said,--So be it! After this night will have passed away, the fierce
encounter of arms will take place. Indeed, Bhishma of unfailing might and
firmly adhering to truth, hath told you in the midst of the Kurus these
words, viz.,--I will slay the army of the Srinjayas and the Salweyas. Let
that be my task. Excepting Drona I can slay the whole world. Thou needest
not, therefore, entertain any fear oil the Pandavas! At this, thou, O
Duryodhana, regardest the kingdom as your own and thinkest that the
Pandavas have sunk into distress. Thou hast been filled with pride at
this. Thou seest not, however, danger that is in your own self. I shall,
therefore, in battle, first slay before your very eyes, Bhishma the eldest
of the Kurus! At sunrise (tomorrow) at the head of the troops, with
standards and cars protect the that leader of your forces firm in his
promises. I shall, with my arrows, throw him down who is your refuge from
his car before the eyes of you all! When the morrow cometh, Suyodhana
will know what it is to indulge in brag, beholding the grandsire covered
with my arrows! Thou shalt, O Suyodhana, very soon see the fulfilment of
that which Bhimasena in anger had said, in the midst of the assembly,
unto your brother, that man of limited sight, viz., Dussasana, wedded to
unrighteousness, always quarrelsome, of wicked understanding, and cruel
in behaviour. Thou shalt soon see the terrible effects of vanity and
pride, of wrath and arrogance, of bragging and heartlessness, cutting
words and acts, of aversion from righteousness, and sinfulness and
speaking ill of others, of transgressing the counsels of the aged, of
oblique sight, and of all kinds of vices! O scum of humanity, how canst
thou, O fool, hope for either life or kingdom, if I, having Vasudeva for
my second, give way to anger? After Bhishma and Drona will have been
quieted and after the Suta's son will have been overthrown, you shalt be
hopeless of life, kingdom and sons! Hearing of the slaughter of thy
brothers and sons, and struck mortally by Bhimasena, you wilt, O
Suyodhana, recollect all your misdeeds!--Tell him, O gambler's son, that I
do not vow a second time. I tell you truly that all this will be
true!--Departing hence, O Uluka, say, O sire, these words of mine, unto
Suyodhana! It behoveth you not to apprehend my behaviour by the light of
thy own! Know the difference there is between your conduct and mine, which
is even the difference between truth and falsehood! I do not wish harm to
even insects and ants. What shall I say, therefore, of my ever wishing
harm to my kinsmen? O sire, it was for this that five villages only were
solicited by me! Why, O you of wicked understanding, dost you not see
the dire calamity that threatens thee? Thy soul overwhelmed with lust,
thou indulgest in vauntings from defectiveness of understanding. It is
for this also you acceptest not the beneficial words of Vasudeva. What
need now of much talk? Fight (against us) with all your friends! Say, O
gambler's son, unto the Kuru prince who always doth what is injurious to
me (these words also, viz.,)--Thy words have been heard; their sense also
hath been understood. Let it be as you wishest!'
'O son of king, Bhimasena then once more said these words, 'O Uluka, say
those words of mine unto the wicked-minded, deceitful, and unrighteous
Suyodhana, who is an embodiment of sin, who is wedded to guile, and whose
behaviour is exceedingly wicked. Thou shalt have to dwell in the stomach
of a vulture or in Hastinapura. O scum of human kind, I shall assuredly
fulfil the vow I have made in the midst of the assembly. I swear in the
name of Truth, slaying Dussasana in battle, I shall quaff his life-blood!
Slaying also your (other) brothers, I shall smash your own thighs. Without
doubt, O Suyodhana, I am the destroyer of all the sons of Dhritarashtra,
as Abhimanyu is of all the (younger) princes! I shall by my deeds,
gratify you all! Hearken once more to me. O Suyodhana, slaying thee, with
all your uterine brothers, I shall strike the crown of your head with my
foot in the sight of the king Yudhishthira the Just!'
'Nakula, then, O king, said these words, 'O Uluka, say unto
Dhritarashtra's son, Suyodhana, of Kuru's race that all the words uttered
by him have now been heard and their sense understood. I shall, O
Kauravya, do all that you hast commended me to do.'
'And Sahadeva also, O monarch, said these words of grave import, 'O
Suyodhana, it will all be as you wishest! Thou shalt have to repent, O
great king, along with your children, kinsmen, and counsellors, even as
thou are now bragging joyously in view of our sufferings.'
'Then Virata and Drupada, both venerable in years, said these words unto
Uluka, It is even our wish that we become slaves of a virtuous person!
Whether, however, we are slaves or masters, will be known tomorrow, as
also who owns what manliness!'
'After them, Sikhandin said these words unto Uluka, 'Thou must say unto
king Duryodhana who is always addicted to sinfulness, these words,
viz.,--See, O king, what fierce deed is perpetrated by me in battle! I
shall slay grandsire of yours from his car, relying upon whose prowess
thou are certain of success in battle! Without doubt, I have been created
by the high-souled Creator for the destruction of Bhishma. I shall
assuredly slay Bhishma in the sight of all bowmen.'
'After this, Dhrishtadyumna also said unto Uluka, the gambler's son,
these words, 'Say unto prince Suyodhana these my words, viz., I shall
slay Drona with all his followers and friends. And I shall do a deed
which none else will ever do.'
'King Yudhishthira once more said these high words fraught with clemency,
viz.,--O monarch, I never desire the slaughter of my kinsmen. O you of
wicked understanding, it is from your fault that all this will assuredly
take place. I shall, of course, have to sanction the fulfilment of their
great feats by all these (around me). Go hence, O Uluka, without delay or
stay here, O sire, for, blessed be thou, we too are your kinsmen.'
'Uluka, then, O king, thinking permission of Yudhishthira, the son of
Dharma, went thither where king Suyodhana was. Thus addressed, the
gambler's son carefully bearing in mind all he had heard, returned to the
place from which he had come. And arriving there, he fully represented
unto the vindictive Duryodhana all that Arjuna had charged him with. And
he also faithfully communicated unto Dhritarashtra's son the words of
Vasudeva, of Bhima, of king Yudhishthira the Just, of Nakula and Virata
and Drupada, O Bharata and the words of Sahadeva and Dhrishtadyumna and
Sikhandin, and the words also that were spoken (subsequently) by Kesava
and Arjuna. And having listened to the words of the gambler's son,
Duryodhana, that bull of Bharata's race, ordered Dussasana and Karna and
Sakuni, O Bharata, and their own troops and the troops of the allies, and
all the (assembled) kings, to be arrayed in divisions and be ready for
battle before sunrise (next morrow). Messengers then, instructed by Karna
and hastily mounting on cars and camels and mares and good steeds endued
with great fleetness, quickly rode through the encampment. And at Karna's
command they promulgated the order--Array (yourselves) before sunrise
tomorrow!'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 164 ---------------------
