SECTION 7
"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of the (Kuru) king, the valiant
monarch (Shalya), O king, said these words unto Duryodhana in reply, "O
mighty-armed Duryodhana, listen to me, O foremost of eloquent men. Thou
regardest the two Krishnas, when on their car, to be the foremost of
car-warriors. They are not, however, together equal to me in might of
arms. What need I say of the Pandavas? When angry, I can fight, at the
van of battle, with the whole world consisting of gods, Asuras, and men,
risen up in arms. I will vanquish the assembled Parthas and the Somakas
in battle. Without doubt, I will become the leader of your troops. I will
form such an array that our enemies will not be able to overmaster it. I
say this to thee, O Duryodhana. There is no doubt in this." Thus
addressed (by Shalya), king Duryodhana cheerfully poured sanctified
water, without losing any time, O best of the Bharatas, on the ruler of
the Madras, in the midst of his troops, according to the rites ordained
in the scriptures, O monarch. After Shalya had been invested with the
command, loud leonine roars arose among your troops and diverse musical
instruments also, O Bharata, were beat and blown. The Kaurava warriors
became very cheerful, as also the mighty car-warriors among the Madrakas.
And all of them praised the royal Shalya, that ornament of battle,
saying, "Victory to thee, O king. Long life to thee! Slay all the
assembled foes! Having obtained the might of your arms, let the
Dhartarashtras endued with great strength, rule the wide Earth without a
foe. Thou are capable of vanquishing in battle the three worlds
consisting of the gods, the Asuras, what need be said of the Somakas and
the Srinjayas that are mortal?" Thus praised, the mighty king of the
Madrakas obtained great joy that is unattainable by persons of unrefined
souls.
"'Shalya said, "Today, O king, I will either slay all the Pancalas with
the Pandavas in battle, or, slain by them, proceed to heaven. Let the
world behold me today careering (on the field of battle) fearlessly.
Today let all the sons of Pandu, and Vasudeva, and Satyaki, and the sons
of Draupadi, and Dhrishtadyumna, and Shikhandi, and all the Prabhadrakas,
behold my prowess and the great might of my bow, and my quickness, and
the energy of my weapons, and the strength of my arms, in battle. Let the
Parthas, and all the Siddhas, with the Charanas behold today the strength
that is in my arms and the wealth of weapons I possess. Beholding my
prowess today, let the mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, desirous of
counteracting it, adopt diverse courses of action. Today I will rout the
troops of the Pandavas on all sides. Surpassing Drona and Bhishma and the
Suta's son, O lord, in battle, I will career on the field, O Kauravas,
for doing what is agreeable to thee."'
"Sanjaya continued, 'After Shalya had been invested with the command, O
giver of honours, no one among your troops, O bull of Bharata's race, any
longer felt any grief on account of Karna. Indeed, the troops became
cheerful and glad. They regarded the Parthas as already slain and brought
under the power of the ruler of the Madras. Having obtained great joy,
thy troops, O bull of Bharata's race, slept that night happily and became
very cheerful. Hearing those shouts of your army, king Yudhishthira,
addressing him of Vrishni's race, said these words, in the hearing of all
the Kshatriyas, "The ruler of the Madras, Shalya, that great bowman who
is highly regarded by all the warriors hath, O Madhava, been made the
leader of his forces by Dhritarashtra's son. Knowing this that has
happened, do, O Madhava, that which is beneficial. Thou are our leader
and protector. Do that which should next be done." Then Vasudeva, O
monarch, said unto that king, "I know Artayani, O Bharata, truly. Endued
with prowess and great energy, he is highly illustrious. He is
accomplished, conversant with all the modes of warfare, and possessed of
great lightness of hand. I think that the ruler of the Madras is in
battle equal to Bhishma or Drona or Karna, or perhaps, superior to them.
I do not, O ruler of men, even upon reflection, find the warrior who may
be a match for Shalya while engaged in fight. In battle, he is superior
in might to Shikhandi and Arjuna and Bhima and Satyaki and
Dhrishtadyumna, O Bharata. The king of the Madras, O monarch, endued with
the prowess of a lion or an elephant, will career fearlessly in battle
like the Destroyer himself in wrath amongst creatures at the time of the
universal destruction. I do not behold a match for him in battle save
thee, O tiger among men, that are possessed of prowess equal to that of a
tiger. Save you there is no other person in either heaven or the whole
of this world, who, O son of Kuru's race, would be able to slay the ruler
of the Madras while excited with wrath in battle. Day after day engaged
in fight, he agitates your troops. For this, slay Shalya in battle, like
Maghavat slaying Samvara. Treated with honour by Dhritarashtra's son,
that hero is invincible in battle. Upon the fall of the ruler of the
Madras in battle, you are certain to have victory. Upon his slaughter,
the vast Dhartarashtra host will be slain. Hearing, O monarch, these
words of mine now, proceed, O Partha, against that mighty car-warrior,
the ruler of the Madras. Slay that warrior, O you of mighty arms, like
Vasava slaying the Asura Namuchi. There is no need of showing any
compassion here, thinking that this one is your maternal uncle. Keeping
the duties of a Kshatriya before thee, slay the ruler of the Madras.
Having crossed the fathomless oceans represented by Bhishma and Drona and
Karna, do not sink, with your followers, in the print of a cow's hoof
represented by Shalya. Display in battle the whole of your ascetic power
and your Kshatriya energy. Slay that car-warrior." Having said these
words, Keshava, that slayer of hostile heroes, proceeded to his tent in
the evening, worshipped by the Pandavas. After Keshava had gone, king
Yudhishthira the just, dismissing all his brothers and the Somakas,
happily slept that night, like an elephant from whose body the darts have
been plucked out. All those great bowmen of the Pancalas and Pandavas,
delighted in consequence of the fall of Karna, slept that night happily.
Its fever dispelled, the army of the Pandavas, abounding with great
bowmen and mighty car-warriors having reached the shore as it were,
became very happy that night, in consequence of the victory, O sire, it
had won by the slaughter of Karna.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 9 : UPA-PARVA 7 ---------------------
