SECTION CLXXXII
"Bhishma said, 'I then smilingly addressed Rama stationed for battle,
saying,--Myself on my car, I do not wish to fight with you that are on
the earth! Mount on a car, O hero, and case your body in mail, O
mighty-armed one, if indeed, O Rama, you wishest to fight me in
battle!--Then Rama smilingly replied unto me on that field of battle,
saying, 'The Earth, O Bhishma, is my car, and Vedas, like good steeds,
are the animals that carry me! The wind is my car-driver, and my coat of
mail is constituted by those mothers in the Vedas (viz., Gayatri, Savitri
and Saraswati). Well-covered by these in battle, O son of Kuru's race, I
will fight!' Having said this, O Gandhari's son. Rama of prowess
incapable of being baffled, covered me on all sides with a thick shower
of arrows. I then beheld Jamadagni's son stationed on a car equipped with
every kind of excellent weapons! And the car he rode was exceedingly
handsome and was of wonderful appearance. And it had been created by a
fiat of his will, and it was beautiful like a town. And celestial steeds
were yoked unto it, and it was well-protected by the necessary defences.
And it was decked all over with ornaments of gold. And it was
well-covered with tough skins all around, and bore the device of the sun
and the moon. Rama was armed with bow and equipped with a quiver, and
with fingers cased in leathern fences! Akritavrana, the dear friend of
Bhargava, well-versed in the Vedas, did the duties of a car-driver for
that warrior. And he, of Bhrigu's race, repeatedly summoning me to
battle, saying,--Come, come,--gladden my heart. And I then, myself,
singly obtained for my adversary that invincible and mighty exterminator
of the Kshatriya race, viz., Rama risen like the sun himself in
splendour, desirous (on his part) of fighting singly! And after he had
poured three showers of arrows on me curbing my steeds, I came down from
my car and placing my bow aside I proceeded on foot to that best of
Rishis. And arriving before him, I worshipped the best of Brahmanas with
reverence. And having saluted him duly, I told him these excellent
words,--O Rama, whether you are equal or superior to me, I will fight
with thee, my virtuous preceptor, in battle! O lord, bless me, wishing me
victory!'
"Rama, thus addressed, said, 'O foremost one of Kuru's race, he that
desires prosperity should act even thus! O you of mighty arms, they that
fight with warriors more eminent than themselves, have this duty to
perform. O king, I would have cursed you if you had not approached me
thus! Go, fight carefully and summoning all your patience, O you of
Kuru's race! I cannot, however, wish you victory, for I myself stand
here to vanquish thee! Go, fight fairly! I am pleased with thy
behaviour!--Bowing unto him, I then speedily came back, and mounting on
my car, I once more blew my conch decked with gold, And then, O Bharata,
the combat commenced between him and me. And it lasted for many days.
each of us, O king, having been desirous of vanquishing the other. And in
that battle, it was Rama who struck me first with nine hundred and sixty
straight arrows furnished with vulturine wings. And with that arrowy
shower, O king, my four steeds and charioteer were completely covered!
Notwithstanding all this, however, I remained quiet in that encounter,
accoutred in my coat of mail! Bowing unto the gods, and especially unto
the Brahmanas, I then smilingly addressed Rama stationed for battle,
saying,--Although you hast shown little regard for me, yet I have fully
honoured your preceptorship! Listen again, O Brahmana, to some other
auspicious duty that should be discharged if virtue is to be earned! The
Vedas that are in your body, and the high status of Brahmana that is also
in thee, and the ascetic merit you hast earned by the severest of
austerities, I do not strike at these! I strike, however, at that
Kshatriyahood which thou, O Rama, hast adopted! When a Brahmana taketh up
weapons, he becometh a Kshatriya. Behold now the power of my bow and the
energy of my arms! Speedily shall I cut off that bow of yours with a
sharp shaft!--Saying this I shot at him, O bull of Bharata's race, a
sharp broad-headed arrow, And cutting off one of the horns of his bow
with it. I caused it to drop on the ground. I then shot at Jamadagni's
car a hundred straight arrows winged with vulturine feathers. Piercing
through Rama's body and borne along by the wind, those arrows coursing
through space seemed to vomit blood (from their mouths) and resembled
veritable snakes. Covered all over with blood and with blood issuing out
of his body. Rama, O king, shone in battle, like the Sumeru mountain with
streams of liquid metal rolling down its breast, or like the Asoka tree
at the advent of spring, when covered with red bunches of flowers, or, O
king, like the Kinsuka tree when clad in its flowery attire! Taking up
then another bow, Rama, filled with wrath, showered upon me numerous
arrows of excessive sharpness, furnished with golden wings. And those
fierce arrows of tremendous impetus, resembling snakes, or fire, or
poison, coming at me from all sides, pierced my very vitals and caused me
to tremble. Summoning all my coolness then addressed myself for the
encounter, and filled with rage I pierced Rama with a hundred arrows. And
afflicted with those hundred blazing shafts resembling either fire, or
the sun or looking like snakes of virulent poison, Rama seemed to lose
his senses! Filled, O Bharata, with pity (at the sight), I stopped of my
own accord and said,--Oh, fie on battle! Fie on Kshatriya practices! And
overwhelmed, O king, with grief, I repeatedly said,--Alas, great is the
sin committed by me through observance of Kshatriya practices, since I
have afflicted with arrows my preceptor who is a Brahmana endued with a
virtuous soul!--After that, O Bharata, I ceased striking Jamadagni's son
any more. At this time, the thousand-rayed luminary, having heated the
earth with his rays, proceeded at the close of day to his chambers in the
west and the battle also between us ceased.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 5 : UPA-PARVA 182 ---------------------
