SECTION CXCIX
"Vaisampayana said, 'Like Duryodhana, king Yudhishthira also, the son of
Kunti and Dharma, ordered out, O Bharata, his heroic warriors headed by
Dhrishtadyumna. Indeed, he ordered that slayer of foes and commander of
force, that leader, steady in prowess, of the Chedis, the Kasis, and the
Karushas, viz., Dhrishtaketu, as also Virata, and Drupada, and Yuyudhana,
and Sikhandin, and those two mighty bowmen, those two princes of
Panchala, viz., Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, to set out. Those brave
warriors, cased in handsome coats of mail and decked with golden
ear-rings, blazed forth like fires on the sacrificial altar when fed with
clarified butter. Indeed, those mighty bowmen looked resplendent like the
planets in the firmament. Then that bull among men king Yudhishthira,
having duly honoured all his combatants, ordered them to march. And king
Yudhishthira ordered excellent provisions of food for those high-souled
kings with their troops consisting of infantry, and elephants and horses,
and with all their followers, as also for all those that subsisted on
mechanical arts. And the son of Pandu first ordered Abhimanyu, and
Vrihanta, and the five sons of Draupadi, to march with Dhrishtadyumna at
their head. And he then despatched Bhima, and Dhananjaya the son of
Pandu, in the second division of his forces. And the din made by the men
moving and running about for harnessing their steeds and elephants and
loading the cars with implements of battle, and the shouts of the
cheerful combatants, seemed to touch the very heavens. And last of all,
the king marched himself, accompanied by Virata and Drupada and the other
monarchs (on his side). And that army of fierce bowmen commanded by
Dhrishtadyumna, hitherto stationed in one place, but now extended into
columns for marching, looked like the (impetuous) current of Ganga. The
then intelligent Yudhishthira depending on his wisdom, disposed his
divisions in a different order, confounding the sons of Dhritarashtra.
And the son of Pandu ordered that those mighty bowmen, the (five) sons of
Draupadi and Abhimanyu, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and all the
Prabhadrakas, and ten thousand horses, and two thousand elephants, and
ten thousand foot-soldiers, and five hundred cars, constituting the first
irresistible division of his army, should be placed under the command of
Bhimasena. And he placed in the middle division of his army Virata and
Jayatsena, and those two mighty car-warriors, viz., Yudhamanyu and
Uttamauja, the two high-souled princes of Panchala, both endued with
great prowess and both armed with mace and bow. And in this middle
division marched Vasudeva and Dhananjaya. There were (placed) combatants
highly accomplished in arms and burning with anger. Amongst them were
steeds ridden by brave warriors, and five thousand elephants, and crowds
of cars all around. And foot-soldiers in thousands, that were all brave
and armed with bows, swords, and maces, marched behind them, as thousand
marched before them. And in that part of that sea of troops, where
Yudhishthira himself was, there were stationed numerous lords of earth.
And there also were thousands of elephants, and steeds by ten thousands,
and cars and foot-soldiers also by thousands. And there also marched, O
bull among kings, Chekitana with his own large force, and king
Dhrishtaketu, the leader of the Chedis. And there also was that mighty
bowman, Satyaki, the foremost car-warrior of the Vrishnis, that mighty
combatant, surrounded by hundreds and thousands of cars and leading (them
to battle)! And those bulls among men, Kshatrahan and Kshatradeva,
mounted on their cars, marched behind, protecting the rear. And there (in
the rear) were the waggons, stalls, uniforms, vehicles and draft animals.
There also were thousands of elephants and horses by tens of thousands.
And taking all the invalids and women, and all that were emaciated and
weak, and all the animals carrying his treasures, and all his granaries,
with the aid of his elephant-divisions, Yudhishthira marched slowly. And
he was followed by Sauchitti, who steadily adhered to truth and was
invincible in battle, and Srenimat, and Vasudeva and Vibhu, the son of
the ruler of Kasi, with twenty thousand cars, and hundred million steeds
of high mettle, each bearing scores of bells on its limbs, and twenty
thousand smiting elephants with tusks as long as plough-shares, all of
good breed and divided temples and all resembling moving masses of
clouds. Indeed, these usually walked behind those monarchs. Besides
these, O Bharata, the elephants that Yudhishthira had in his seven
Akshauhinis, numbering seventy thousand with humour trickling down their
trunks and from their mouths, and resembling (on that account) showering
clouds, also followed the king, like moving hills.
'Thus was arrayed that terrible force of the intelligent son of Kunti.
And relying upon that force he battled with Suyodhana, the son of
Dhritarashtra. Besides those already named, other men by hundreds and
thousands and tens of thousands, in divisions numbering by thousands,
followed (the Pandava army), roaring loudly. And the warriors by
thousands and ten thousands, filled with joy, beat their drums by
thousands and blew conchs by tens of thousands!'"
The End of Udyoga Parva
FOOTNOTES
1. i.e., passage of the sun from the winter to the summer solstice.
2. Divination was practised by reference to the stars in the night.
3. The question that Dhritarashtra asks is easy enough. The Rishi having
applauded knowledge and its efficacy in procuring emancipation, the king
asks, if knowledge is of such efficacy, what then is the value of Karma
or acts, i.e. prayers and sacrifices as ordained in the Vedas? Ijyaya is
the instrumental form of Ijya, meaning sacrifices, religious rites, and
ceremonies. Parartham is explained by Nilakantha to mean
Mokshaprapakatwam, i.e., capacity to lead to emancipation. It should be
noted here that the Hindu idea of emancipation is not bliss enjoyed by a
conscious Self, but freedom from the obligation of re-birth and Karma.
Mere Karma, as such, implies pain and misery and the Supreme Soul
(Para-Brahman) is without action and attributes. Although other kinds of
salvation are spoken of in other systems of philosophy, the emancipation
that forms the subject of these queries and answers, is freedom from this
Karma.
4. The Rishi answers,--Yes, Karma or action does, indeed, lead to the
emancipate state. In the regions, of which you speakest, there are both
bliss and emancipation (Arthajata) is explained by Nilakantha to mean
Bhoja-mokshakhya-prayojana samanyam. The second line is elliptical, the
construction being Paratma aniha (san) param ayati; (anyatha-tu) margena
margan nihatya param (prayati). Paratma is explained by Nilakantha, to
mean one who regards the material body to be Self. In the succeeding
Slokas the Rishi uses the word dehin which, in this connection, is the
same as dehabhimanin. The Rishi's answer is,--The materialist, by
renouncing desire, attaineth to the state of the Supreme Soul, i.e.,
emancipation. The sense seems to be that by renouncing desire, both
actions and attributes are lost. The state, therefore, of such a soul is
one of inaction, or perfect quietude and the absence of attributes, which
is exactly the nature of the Supreme Soul. If, again, emancipation be
sought without extinguishing desire, i.e., by the aid of work (prayers
and sacrifices), it is to be attained "by extinguishing path by a path,"
i.e., the seeker is to proceed along a definite or prescribed or ordained
route, taking care that the portions of the route he once passes over may
not have to be re-trodden by him. Action, as explained in a subsequent
Sloka, leadeth, it is true to regions of bliss and emancipation, but that
state is transitory, for when the merit is extinguished, the state that
was attained in consequence of it, is extinguished, and the person
falling off, has to recommence action. If, therefore, permanent
emancipation is to be attained, the obligation of re-commencing action
must be got rid of, i.e., care must be taken that the portions of the
route once passed over may not have to be re-trodden.
5. Apparently this question of Dhritarashtra is not connected with what
precedes. The connection however, is intimate, and the question follows
as a corollary from the Rishi's last answer. The Rishi having said that
the ordinary soul, by a certain process (i.e., renunciation of desire)
attains to the state of the Supreme Soul, Dhritarashtra infers that vice
versa, it is the Supreme Soul that becomes the ordinary soul, for (as
Nilakantha puts it in the phraseology of the Nyaya school) things
different cannot become what they are not and unless things are similar,
they cannot become of the same nature. Applying this maxim of the Nyaya
it is seen that when the ordinary soul becomes the Supreme Soul, these
are not different, and, therefore, it is the Supreme Soul that becomes
the ordinary soul. Under this impression Dhritarashtra asks,--Well, if it
is the Supreme Soul that becomes the ordinary soul, who is it that urgeth
the Supreme Soul to become so? And if all this (universe) be indeed, that
Soul, in consequence of the latter pervading and entering into
everything, then divested of desire as the Supreme Soul is, where is the
possibility of its action (action or work being the direct consequence of
desire)? If it is answered that the universe is the Deity's lila (mere
sport, as some schools of philosophy assert), then, as every sport is
ascribable to some motive of happiness, what can be the happiness of the
Deity, who, as presupposed, is without desire?
6. The Rishi answers--There is a great objection in admitting the
complete or essential identity of things different, i.e., the ordinary
soul and Supreme Soul being different, their identity cannot be admitted.
As regards creatures, they flow continually from Anadi-yoga, i.e., the
union of the Supreme Soul (which in itself is Unconditioned) with the
conditions of space, time etc.; i.e., there is this much of identity,
therefore between the ordinary and the Supreme Soul, but not a complete
or essential identity. It is also in consequence of this that the
superiority of the Supreme Soul is not lost (the opposite theory would be
destructive of that superiority). The favourite analogy of the thinkers
of this school for explaining the connection of the Supreme Soul with the
universe is derived from the connection of Akasa with Ghatakasa, i.e.,
space absolute and unconditioned and space as confined by the limits of a
vessel. The latter has a name, is moved when the vessel is moved, and is
limited in space; while space itself, of which the vessel's space forms a
part, is absolute and unconditioned, immovable, and unlimited.
7. Cars, elephants, horses, infantry, vehicles other than cars, and
warriors fighting from the backs of camels.
8. Called also the Badava fire.
9. The allusion is to the incarnation of Vishnu as the Horse-necked,
Nilakantha explains suvarnakhyam Jagat to be Veda prancha i.e., the whole
Vedas with all their contents, According to him, the sense of the passage
is that Vishnu in that form swells with his own voice the Vedic notes
chanted by the Brahmanas.
10. Patauti Jalam sravantiti patalam. Thus Nilakantha.
11. Literally, one that hath a beautiful or excellent face.
12. The story of Viswamitra's promotion to the status of a Brahmana is
highly characteristic. Engaged in a dispute with the Brahmana Rishi
Vasishtha, Viswamitra who was a Kshatriya king (the son of Kusika) found,
by bitter experience, that Kshatriya energy and might backed by the whole
science of arms, availed nothing against a Brahmana's might, for
Vasishtha by his ascetic powers created myriads and myriads of fierce
troops who inflicted a signal defeat on the great Kshatriya king. Baffled
thus, Viswamitra retired to the breast of Himavat and paid court to Siva.
The great God appeared and Viswamitra begged him for the mastery of the
whole science of weapons. The god granted his prayer. Viswamitra then
came back and sought an encounter with Vasishtha, but the latter by the
aid only of his Brahmanical (bamboo) stick baffled the fiercest weapons
of Viswamitra, of even celestial efficacy. Humiliated and disgraced,
Viswamitra set his heart on becoming a Brahmana. He gave up his kingdom
and retiring into the woods with his queen began to practise to severest
austerities. After the expiration of ten thousand years, the Creator
Brahma appeared before him and addressed him as a royal Rishi. Dispirited
at this, he devoted himself to still severer austerities. At last, at
Dharma's command (as here referred to) the great Kshatriya king became a
Brahmana. This, in the Hindu scriptures, is the sole instance of a person
belonging to a lower order becoming a Brahmana by ascetic austerities.
13. These articles of cognate origin are clarified butter, milk, and
other things used as libations in sacrifices.
14. i.e., the subdivisions of the Pranava, the mysterious Mantra, which
is the beginning of everything, were first promulgated here. Nilakantha
supposes this to refer to the origin of the Vedas, the Upanishads, and
the various branches of the Srutis and the Smritis.
15. Small divisions of time.
16. The limbs that should be 'prominent' or 'elevated' in order to
constitute an indication of beauty or auspiciousness are variously
mentioned. The general opinion seems to be that these six only, viz., the
back of each palm, the two dorsa, and the two bosoms should be elevated.
Another opinion would seem to indicate that the two bosoms, the two hips,
and the two eyes should be so. The seven that should be delicate or
slender are unanimously mentioned as the skin, the hair, the teeth, the
fingers of the hands, the fingers of the feet, the waist, and the neck.
The three that should be deep are the navel, the voice, and the
understanding. The five that should be red are the two palms, the two
outer corners of the eyes, the tongue, the nether and the upper-lips, and
the palate. These five also, are variously given.
17. The latter half of this Sloka is variously read. The correct reading,
I apprehend, is Niyamanani Santare Hritanyasan Vitastaya, i.e., 'while
transported across, were taken (down) by the (river) Vitasta'--the latter
being one of the five rivers of the Punjab.
18. The science of arms (Dhanurved) classes arms under four heads, viz.,
Mukta, Amukta, Muktamukta, and Yantramukta. A Mukta weapon is one that is
hurled from the hand, as a discus. An Amukta is not hurled from the hand,
as a sword. A Muktamukta is one that is sometimes hurled and sometimes
not, as a mace. A Yantramukta is one shot from a machine, as an arrow or
a ball. All Mukta weapons are Astras, while all Amukta ones are called
sastras.
19. The thousand-handed Arjuna, called also Kartaviryarjuna, the
vanquisher of Ravana, the chief of Haihaya clan of Kshatriyas having his
capital at Mahishmati on the banks of the Narmada (Nerbuda), was slain by
Rama
