SECTION CXXII
"Sanjaya said,--'Stringing then his large bow and reverentially saluting
the grandsire, Arjuna, with eyes filled with tears, said these words, O
foremost one among the Kurus, O you that are the first among all
wielders of weapons, command me, O invincible one, for I am your slave!
What shall I do, O grandsire!--Unto him Santanu's son said,--My head, O
sire, hangeth down!--O foremost one among the Kuru's O Phalguni, get me a
pillow! Indeed, give me one without delay O hero, that would become my
bed! Thou O Partha, are competent, you are the foremost of all wielders
of bows! Thou are conversant with the duties of Kshatriyas and you art
endued with intelligence and goodness!--Then Phalguni, saying,--So be
it--desired to do Bhishma's bidding. Taking up Gandiva and a number of
straight shafts, and inspiring them with mantras, and obtaining the
permission of that illustrious and mighty car-warrior of Bharata's race,
Arjuna then, with three keen shafts endued with great force, supported
Bhishma's head. Then that chief of the Bharatas, viz., Bhishma of
virtuous soul, conversant with the truths of religion, seeing that
Arjuna, having divined his thought, had achieved that feat, became highly
gratified. And after that pillow had thus been given to him, he applauded
Dhananjaya. And casting his eyes upon all the Bharatas there, he
addressed Kunti's son Arjuna, that foremost of all warriors, that
enhancer of the joys of his friends and said,--Thou hast given me, O son
of Pandu, a pillow that becometh my bed! If you had acted otherwise, I
would have cursed thee, from wrath! Even thus, O mighty-armed one, should
a Kshatriya, observant of his duties, sleep on the field of battle on his
bed of arrows!--Having addressed Vibhatsu thus, he then said unto all
those kings and princes that were present there, these words:--Behold ye
the pillow that the son of Pandu hath given me! I will sleep on this bed
till the Sun turneth to the northern solstice! Those king that will then
come to me will behold me (yield up my life)! When the Sun on his car of
great speed and unto which are yoked seven steeds, will proceed towards
the direction occupied by Vaisravana, verily, even then, will I yield up
my life like a dear friend dismissing a dear friend! Let a ditch be dug
here around my quarters the kings! Thus pierced with hundreds of arrows
will I pay my adorations to the Sun? As regards yourselves, abandoning
enmity, cease the from the fight, the kings--
'Sanjaya continued,--"Then there came unto him some surgeons well trained
(in their science) and skilled in plucking out arrows, with all becoming
appliances (of their profession). Beholding them, the son of Ganga said
unto your son,--'Let these physicians, after proper respect being paid to
them, be dismissed with presents of wealth. Brought to such a plight,
what need have I now of physicians? I have won the most laudable and the
highest state ordained in Kshatriya observances! Ye kings, lying as I do
on a bed of arrows, it is not proper for me to submit now to the
treatment of physicians. With these arrows on my body, the rulers of men,
should I be burnt!'--Hearing these words of his, your son Duryodhana
dismissed those physicians, having honoured them as they deserved. Then
those kings of diverse realms, beholding that constancy in virtue
displayed by Bhishma of immeasurable energy, were filled with wonder.
Having given a pillow to your sire thus, those rulers of men, those mighty
car-warriors, viz., the Pandavas and the Kauravas, united together, once
more approached the high-souled Bhishma lying on that excellent bed of
his. Reverentially saluting that high-souled one and circumambulating him
thrice, and stationing guards all around for his protection, those
heroes, with bodies drenched in blood, repaired for rest towards their
own tents in the evening, their hearts plunged into grief and thinking of
what they had seen.
Then at the proper time, the mighty Madhava, approaching the Pandavas,
those mighty car-warriors cheerfully seated together and filled with joy
at the fall of Bhishma, said unto Dharma's son Yudhishthira these
words,--"By good luck victory hath been thine, O you of Kuru's rare! By
good luck hath Bhishma been overthrown, who is unslayable by men, and is
a mighty car-warrior of aim incapable of being baffled! Or, perhaps, as
destiny would have it, that warrior who was master of every weapon,
having obtained you for a foe that canst slay with your eyes alone, hath
been consumed by your wrathful eye!--Thus addressed by Krishna, king
Yudhishthira the just, replied unto Janardana, saying,--Through Thy grace
is Victory, through Thy wrath is Defeat! Thou are dispeller of the fears
of those that are devoted to thee. Thou are our refuge! It is not
wonderful that they should have victory whom Thou always protectest in
battle, and in whose welfare Thou are always engaged, O Kesava! Having
got Thee for our refuge, I do not regard anything as wonderful! Thus
addressed by him, Janardana answered with a smile,--O best of kings,
these words can come from you alone!"
--------------------END OF PARVA 6 : UPA-PARVA 122 ---------------------
