SECTION XV
Sanjaya said,--"Deserving as you art, this question is, indeed, worthy
of thee, O great king. It behoveth you not, however, to impute this
fault to Duryodhana. The man who incurreth evil as the consequence of his
own misconduct, should not attribute that misconduct to others. O great
king, the man that doth every kind of injury to other men, deserveth to
be slain by all men in consequence of those censurable deeds of his. The
Pandavas unacquainted with the ways of wickedness had, for a long time,
with their friends and counsellors, looking up to your face, borne the
injuries (done to them) and forgiven them, dwelling in the woods.
"Of steeds and elephants and kings of immeasurable energy that which hath
been seen by the aid of Yoga-power, hear, O lord of earth, and do not set
thy heart on sorrow. All this was pre-destined, O king. Having bowed down
to your father, that (wise and high-souled[88]) son of Parasara, through
whose grace, (through whose boon bestowed on me,) I have obtained
excellent and celestial apprehension, sight beyond the range of the
visual sense, and hearing, O king, from great distance, knowledge of
other people's hearts and also of the past and the future, a knowledge
also of the origin of all persons transgressing the ordinances,[89] the
delightful power of coursing through the skies, and untouchableness by
weapons in battles, listen to me in detail as I recite the romantic and
highly wonderful battle that happened between the Bharatas, a battle that
makes one's hair stand on end.
"When the combatants were arrayed according to rule and when they were
addrest for battle. Duryodhana, O king, said these words to Dussasana,--O
Dussasana, let cars be speedily directed for the protection of Bhishma,
and do you speedily urge all our divisions (to advance). That hath now
come to me of which I had been thinking for a series of years, viz., the
meeting of the Pandavas and the Kurus at the head of their respective
troops. I do not think that there is any act more important (for us) in
this battle than the protecting of Bhishma. If protected he will slay the
Pandavas, the Somakas, and the Srinjayas. That warrior of pure soul
said,--'I will not slay Sikhandin. It is heard that he was a female
before. For this reason he should be renounced by me in battle. For this,
Bhishma should be particularly protected. Let all my warriors take up
their positions, resolved to slay Sikhandin. Let also all the troops from
the east, the west, the south, and the north, accomplished in every kind
of weapon, protect the grandsire. Even the lion of mighty strength, if
left unprotected may be slain by the wolf. Let us not, therefore, cause
Bhishma to be slain by Sikhandin like the lion slain by the jackal.
Yudhamanyu protects the left wheel, and Uttamauja protects the right
wheel of Phalguni. Protected by those two, Phalguni himself protects
Sikhandin. O Dussasana, act in such a way that Sikhandin who is protected
by Phalguni and whom Bhishma will renounce, may not slay Ganga's son."
--------------------END OF PARVA 6 : UPA-PARVA 15 ---------------------
