SECTION 60
"Dhritarashtra said, 'Beholding the (Kuru) king struck down unfairly,
what O Suta, did the mighty Baladeva, that foremost one of Yadu's race,
say? Tell me, O Sanjaya, what Rohini's son, well-skilled in encounters
with the mace and well acquainted with all its rules, did on that
occasion!'
"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding your son struck at the thighs, the mighty Rama,
that foremost of smiters, became exceedingly angry. Raising his arms
aloft the hero having the plough for his weapon, in a voice of deep
sorrow, said in the midst of those kings, "Oh, fie on Bhima, fie on
Bhima! Oh, fie, that in such a fair fight a blow hath been struck below
the navel! Never before hath such an act as Vrikodara hath done been
witnessed in an encounter with the mace! No limb below the navel should
be struck. This is the precept laid down in treatises! This Bhima,
however, is an ignorant wretch, unacquainted with the truths of
treatises! He, therefore, acteth as he likes!" While uttering these
words, Rama gave way to great wrath. The mighty Baladeva then, uplifting
his plough, rushed towards Bhimasena! The form of that high-souled
warrior of uplifted arms then became like that of the gigantic mountains
of Kailasa variegated with diverse kinds of metals. The mighty Keshava,
however, ever bending with humanity, seized the rushing Rama encircling
him with his massive and well-rounded arms. Those two foremost heroes of
Yadu's race, the one dark in complexion and the other fair, looked
exceedingly beautiful at that moment, like the Sun and the Moon, O king,
on the evening sky! For pacifying the angry Rama, Keshava addressed him,
saying, "There are six kinds of advancement that a person may have: one's
own advancement, the advancement of one's friends, the advancement of
one's friends', the decay of one's enemy, the decay of one's enemy's
friends, and the decay of one's enemy's friends' friends. When reverses
happen to one's own self or to one's friends, one should then understand
that one's fall is at hand and, therefore, one should at such times look
for the means of applying a remedy. The Pandavas of unsullied prowess are
our natural friends. They are the children of our own sire's sister! They
had been greatly afflicted by their foes! The accomplishment of one's vow
is one's duty. Formerly Bhima had vowed in the midst of the assembly that
he would in great battle break with his mace the thighs of Duryodhana.
The great Rishi Maitreya also, O scorcher of foes, had formerly cursed
Duryodhana, saying, 'Bhima will, with his mace, break your thighs!' In
consequence of all this, I do not see any fault in Bhima! Do not give way
to wrath, O slayer of Pralamva! Our relationship with the Pandavas is
founded upon birth and blood, as also upon an attraction of hearts. In
their growth is our growth. Do not, therefore, give way to wrath, O bull
among men!" Hearing these words of Vasudeva the wielder of the plough,
who was conversant with rules of morality, said, "Morality is well
practised by the good. Morality, however, is always afflicted by two
things, the desire of Profit entertained by those that covet it, and the
desire for Pleasure cherished by those that are wedded to it. Whoever
without afflicting Morality and Profit, or Morality and Pleasure, or
Pleasure and Profit, followeth all three--Morality, Profit and
Pleasure--always succeeds in obtaining great happiness. In consequence,
however, of morality being afflicted by Bhimasena, this harmony of which
I have spoken hath been disturbed, whatever, O Govinda, you mayst tell
me!" Krishna replied, saying, "Thou are always described as bereft of
wrath, and righteous-souled and devoted to righteousness! Calm thyself,
therefore, and do not give way to wrath! Know that the Kali age is at
hand. Remember also the vow made by the son of Pandu! Let, therefore, the
son of Pandu be regarded to have paid off the debt he owed to his
hostility and to have fulfilled his vow!"
"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing this fallacious discourse from Keshava, O
king, Rama failed to dispel his wrath and became cheerful. He then said
in that assembly, "Having unfairly slain king Suyodhana of righteous
soul, the son of Pandu shall be reputed in the world as a crooked
warrior! The righteous-souled Duryodhana, on the other hand, shall obtain
eternal blessedness! Dhritarashtra's royal son, that ruler of men, who
hath been struck down, is a fair warrior. Having made every arrangement
for the Sacrifice of battle and having undergone the initiatory
ceremonies on the field, and, lastly, having poured his life as a
libation upon the fire represented by his foes, Duryodhana has fairly
completed his sacrifice by the final ablutions represented by the
attainment of glory!" Having said these words, the valiant son of Rohini,
looking like the crest of a white cloud, ascended his car and proceeded
towards Dwaraka. The Pancalas with the Vrishnis, as also the Pandavas, O
monarch, became rather cheerless after Rama had set out for Dwaravati.
Then Vasudeva, approaching Yudhishthira who was exceedingly melancholy
and filled with anxiety, and who hung down his head and knew not what to
do in consequence of his deep affliction, said unto him these words:
"'Vasudeva said, "O Yudhishthira the just, why dost you sanction this
unrighteous act, since you permittest the head of the insensible and
fallen Duryodhana whose kinsmen and friends have all been slain to be
thus struck by Bhima with his foot. Conversant with the ways of morality,
why dost thou, O king, witness this act with indifference?"
"'Yudhishthira answered, "This act, O Krishna, done from wrath, of
Vrikodara's touching the head of the king with his foot, is not agreeable
to me, nor am I glad at this extermination of my race! By guile were we
always deceived by the sons of Dhritarashtra! Many were the cruel words
they spoke to us. We were again exiled into the woods by them. Great is
the grief on account of all those acts that is in Bhimasena's heart!
Reflecting on all this, O you of Vrishni's race, I looked on with
indifference! Having slain the covetous Duryodhana bereft of wisdom and
enslaved by his passions, let the son of Pandu gratify his desire, be it
righteousness or unrighteousness!"
"Sanjaya continued, 'After Yudhishthira had said this, Vasudeva, that
perpetuator of Yadu's race, said with difficulty, "Let it be so!" Indeed,
after Vasudeva had been addressed in those words by Yudhishthira, the
former, who, always wished what was agreeable to and beneficial for
Bhima, approved all those acts that Bhima had done in battle. Having
struck down your son in battle, the wrathful Bhimasena, his heart filled
with joy, stood with joined hands before Yudhishthira and saluted him in
proper form. With eyes expanded in delight and proud of the victory he
had won, Vrikodara of great energy, O king, addressed his eldest brother,
saying, "The Earth is today thine, O king, without brawls to disturb her
and with all her thorns removed! Rule over her, O monarch, and observe
the duties of your order! He who was the cause of these hostilities and
who fomented them by means of his guile, that wretched wight fond of
deception, lieth, struck down, on the bare ground, O lord of earth! All
these wretches headed by Duhshasana, who used to utter cruel words, as
also those other foes of thine, the son of Radha, and Shakuni, have been
slain! Teeming with all kinds of gems, the Earth, with her forests and
mountains, O monarch, once more cometh to you that hast no foes alive!"
"'Yudhishthira said, "Hostilities have come to an end! King Suyodhana
hath been struck down! The earth hath been conquered (by us), ourselves
having acted according to the counsels of Krishna! By good luck, thou
hast paid off your debt to your mother and to your wrath! By good luck, thou
hast been victorious, O invincible hero, and by good luck, your foe hath
been slain!"'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 9 : UPA-PARVA 60 ---------------------
