SECTION 88
"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile the welkin, filled with gods and Nagas and
Asuras and Siddhas and Yakshas and with large bands of Gandharvas and
Rakshasas, and Asuras and regenerate Rishis and royal sages and birds of
excellent feathers, assumed a wonderful aspect. All human beings
assembled there beheld those beings of wonderful aspect staying in the
sky, and the sky itself resounded with the voice of musical instruments
and song and adulatory hymns and laughter and dance, and diverse other
kinds of charming sounds. Then both the Kaurava and the Pandava warriors,
filled with joy, and causing the earth and the ten points of the compass
to resound with the voice of musical instruments, the blare of conchs,
and leonine roars and the din of battle, began to slaughter their foes.
Teeming with men and steeds and elephants and cars and weapons,
unbearable to combatants in consequence of the falling of maces and
swords and darts and rapiers, abounding in heroes, and crowded with
lifeless bodies, the field of battle, crimsoned with gore, looked
exceedingly resplendent. Indeed, the battle between the Kurus and the
Pandavas then resembled that in days of yore between the gods and the
Asuras. After that fierce and awful battle had commenced between
Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son, each of those two heroes, clad in
excellent mail, shrouded the ten points of the compass and the host
opposed to him with keen and straight arrows. A darkness having been
caused there with the arrows shot on that occasion, neither your warriors
nor the enemy could any longer see anything. From fear all the warriors
there sought the protection of either Karna or Arjuna like rays of light
spread out in the welkin converging towards either the sun or the moon.
The two heroes then, each baffling the other's weapons with his own, like
the east and the west winds encountering each other, looked exceedingly
resplendent like the sun and the moon risen after dispelling the darkness
caused by the clouds and covering the welkin. Each having encouraged his
troops, saying, "Do not fly away!" the enemy and your warriors stood their
ground, encircling those two mighty car-warriors like the gods and the
asuras standing around Vasava and Samvara. The two armies then greeted
those two best of men with the sounds of drums and other instruments and
with leonine roars, at which those two bulls among men looked beautiful
like the sun and the moon greeted by roaring clouds gathered around. Each
armed with a formidable bow drawn to a complete circle and looking like a
(solar or lunar) corona, those two heroes of great splendour, shooting,
in that battle thousands of arrows that constituted their rays, resembled
two unbearable suns risen at the end of the yuga for burning the entire
universe with its mobile and immobile creatures. Both invincible, both
capable of exterminating foes, each desirous of slaying the other; and
each displaying his skill upon the other, those two warriors, Karna and
the son of Pandu, closed fearlessly with each other in that dreadful
battle, like Indra and the asura Jambha. Invoking the mightiest of
weapons then, those two formidable bowmen began, with their terrible
shafts, to slay innumerable men and steeds and elephants as also to
strike each other, O king! Afflicted once more by those two foremost of
men, the troops of both the Kurus and the Pandavas, consisting of
elephants and foot-soldiers and horsemen and car-warriors, fled away on
all sides like other animals in the forest when assailed by the lion.
Then Duryodhana, and the chief of the Bhojas, and Subala's son, and
Kripa, and the son of Sharadvata's daughter, these five great
car-warriors, assailed Dhananjaya and Keshava with shafts capable of
producing great pain. Dhananjaya, however, with his shafts, cut off at
the same time the bows, the quivers, the steeds, the elephants, and the
cars with their drivers, of those warriors, and mangling every one of
them with excellent shafts, pierced the Suta's son with a dozen arrows.
Then a hundred cars, a hundred elephants, and a number of Saka and
Tukhara and Yavana horsemen, accompanied by some of the foremost
combatants among the Kambojas, quickly rushed against Arjuna from desire
of slaying him. Speedily cutting off with the shafts and razor-headed
arrows in his hands the excellent weapons of his foes, as also their
heads, and steeds, and elephants, and cars, Dhananjaya felled his
contending enemies on the field. Then in the welkin blasts of celestial
trumpets were blown by the excellent gods. These were mingled with the
praises of Arjuna. Blown by gentle breezes, excellent floral showers,
fragrant and auspicious, fell (upon Arjuna's head). Beholding that
incident, which was witnessed by gods and men, all creatures, O king,
were filled with wonder.' Only your son and the Suta's son who were both
of the same opinion, felt neither pain nor wonder. Then Drona's son,
catching hold of Duryodhana's hand, and adopting a soothing tone,
addressed your son, saying, "Be gratified, O Duryodhana! Make peace with
the Pandavas. There is no need for quarrel. Fie on war! The preceptor,
conversant with the mightiest of weapons and like unto Brahma itself,
hath been slain. Other bulls among men, headed by Bhishma, have also been
slain. As regards myself, I am unslayable, as also my maternal uncle.
Rule the kingdom for ever, (sharing it) with the sons of Pandu. Dissuaded
by me, Dhananjaya will abstain. Janardana also doth not desire
hostilities. Yudhishthira is always engaged in the good of all creatures.
Vrikodara is obedient to him. So also are the twins. Peace being made
between you and the Parthas, all creatures will be benefited, through,
as it would seem, your desire. Let the kings that are still alive go back
to their homes. Let the troops abstain from hostilities. If you dost not
listen to my words, O king, struck by foes in battle, you wilt have to
burn with grief. Thou hast beheld, as well as the universe, what has been
achieved by the single-handed Arjuna decked with diadem and garlands. The
slayer of Vala himself could not achieve its like, nor the Destroyer, nor
Prachetas, nor the illustrious king of the Yakshas. Dhananjaya, as
regards his merits, is even much greater than that. He will never
transgress whatever I say unto him. He will always follow thee. Be thou
gratified, O king, for the benefit of the universe. Thou always honourest
me greatly. I, too, bear a great friendship for thee. It is for this that
I say so unto thee. I shall dissuade Karna also, provided you art
inclined to peace. Discerning persons say that there are four kinds of
friends, viz., those that are naturally so, those that are made so by
conciliation, those that become so through wealth, and lastly those
brought under subjection by the exercise of power. All these elements are
owned by you with regard to the sons of Pandu. The Pandavas, O hero, are
naturally your friends. Obtain them again as friends for certain by
conciliation. If upon thyself being gratified, they agree to become
friends, do thou, O king of kings, act in that way." These beneficial
words having been said unto him by his friends, Duryodhana reflected for
some time. Drawing deep breaths, he then, with a cheerless heart, said,
"It is as thou, O friend, hast said. Listen, however, to the words that I
would say unto thee. The wicked-hearted Vrikodara, having slain
Duhshasana like a tiger, spoke words that still dwell in my heart. Thou
also heardest the same. How then can there be peace? Arjuna again will
not be able to bear Karna in battle, like a tempest whose force is
weakened when encountering the mighty mountains of Meru. Nor will the
sons of Pritha have the least confidence in me, thinking of the many acts
of forceful hostility (done by me towards them). Nor, O preceptor's son
of unfading glory, doth it behove you to say unto Karna now 'Abstain
from battle!' Phalguna is exceedingly tired today. Karna will soon slay
him". Having with humility said these words repeatedly unto the
preceptor's son, your son commanded his own troops, saying, "Armed with
arrows, rush against and slay these foes. Why stand the inactive?"'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 88 ---------------------
