Sanjaya said, "The son of Drona, O monarch, having reflected thus,
descended from the terrace of his car and stood, bending his head unto
that supreme god. And he said, "I seek the protection of Him called Ugra,
Sthanu, Shiva, Rudra, Sharva, Ishana, Ishvara, Girisha; and of that
boon-giving god who is the Creator and Lord of the universe; of Him whose
throat is blue, who is without birth, who is called Shakra, who destroyed
the sacrifice of Daksha, and who is called Hara; of Him whose form is the
universe, who hath three eyes, who is possessed of multifarious forms,
and who is the lord of Uma; of Him who resides in crematoriums, who
swells with energy, who is the lord of diverse tribes of ghostly beings,
and who is the possessor of undecaying prosperity and power; of Him who
wields the skull-topped club, who is called Rudra, who bears matted locks
on his head, and who is a brahmacari. Purifying my soul that is so
difficult to purify, and possessed as I am of small energy, I adore the
Destroyer of the triple city, and offer myself as the victim. Hymned thou
hast been, deserving art thou of hymns, and I hymn to thy glory!
Thy purposes are never baffled. Thou art robed in skins; thou hast red
hair on thy head; thou art blue-throated; thou art unbearable; thou art
irresistible! Thou art pure; thou art the Creator of Brahman; thou art
Brahma; thou art a brahmacari; thou art an observer of vows; thou art
devoted to ascetic austerities; thou art infinite; thou art the refuge of
all ascetics; thou art multiform; thou art the leader of diverse tribes
of ghostly beings; thou art three-eyed; thou art fond of those beings
called companions; thou art always seen by the Lord of treasures; thou
art dear to Gauri's heart; thou art the sire of Kumara; thou art tawny;
thou hast for thy excellent bearer a bovine bull; thou art robed in a
subtle attire; thou art most fierce; thou art eager to adorn Uma; thou
art higher than all that is high; thou art higher than everything; there
is nothing higher than thou; thou art the wielder of weapons; thou art
immeasurable, and thou art the protector of all quarters; thou art cased
in golden armour; thou art divine; thou hast the moon as an ornament on
thy brow! With concentrated attention, I seek thy protection, O god! For
success in getting over this dreadful distress that is so difficult to
get over, I sacrifice unto thee, the purest of the pure, offering for thy
acceptance the (five) elements of which my body is composed!"
Knowing this to be his resolution in consequence of his desire to
accomplish his object, a golden altar appeared before the high-souled son
of Drona. Upon the altar, O king, appeared a blazing fire, filling all
the points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary, with its splendour.
Many mighty beings also, of blazing mouths and eyes, of many feet, heads,
and arms, adorned with angadas set with gems, and with uplifted arms, and
looking like elephants and mountains, appeared there. Their faces
resembled those of hares and boars and camels and horses and jackals and
cows and bears and cats and tigers and pards and crows and apes and
parrots. And the faces of some were like those of mighty snakes, and
others had faces like those of ducks. And all of them were endued with
great effulgence. And the faces of some were like those of woodpeckers
and jays, O Bharata, and of tortoises and alligators and porpoises and
huge sharks and whales, and of lions and cranes and pigeons and elephants
and stags. Some had faces like those of ravens and hawks, some had ears
on their hands; some had a 1,000 eyes, some had very large stomachs, and
some had no flesh, O Bharata! And some, O king, had no heads, and some, O
Bharata, had faces like those of bears. The eyes of some were like fire,
and some had fiery complexions. The hair on the heads and bodies of some
were blazing and some had four arms, and some, O king, had faces like
those of sheep and goats. The colour of some was like that of conchs, and
some had faces that resembled conchs, and the ears of some were like
conchs, some wore garlands made of conchs, and the voices of some
resembled the blare of conchs. Some had matted locks on their heads, and
some had five tufts of hair, and some had heads that were bald. Some had
lean stomachs; some had four teeth, some had four tongues, some had ears
straight as arrows and some had diadems on their brows. Some had strings
of grass on their bodies, O monarch, and some had curly hair. Some had
head-gears made of cloth, some had coronets, some had beautiful faces,
and some were adorned with ornaments. Some had ornaments made of lotuses,
and some were decked with flowers. They numbered in hundreds and
thousands.
Some were armed with shataghnis, some with thunder, and some had mushalas
in their hands. Some had bhushundis, some had nooses, and some had maces
in their hands, O Bharata! On the backs of some were slung quivers
containing excellent shafts, and all were fierce in battle. Some had
standards with banners and bells, and some were armed with battle-axes.
Some had large nooses in their uplifted arms, and some had clubs and
bludgeons. Some had stout posts in their hands, some had scimitars, and
some had snakes with erect heads for their diadems. Some had large snakes
(wound round their upper arms) for angadas, and some had beautiful
ornaments on their persons. Some were begrimed with dust, some smutted
with mire, and all were attired in white robes and white garments. The
limbs of some were blue, while others had limbs that were tawny. And some
there were that were beardless. Those beings, called companions,
possessed of golden complexions, and filled with joy, played upon drums
and horns and cymbals and jharjharas and anakas and gomukhas. And some
sang and some danced about uttering loud sounds, and some leapt forward
and cut capers and jumped sideways. Endued with great fleetness, they ran
about most fiercely, the hair on their heads waving in the air, like huge
elephants infuriated with passion and frequently uttering loud roars.
Terrible, and of frightful mien and armed with lances and battle-axes,
they were attired in robes of diverse hues and decked with beautiful
garlands and unguents. Adorned with angadas decked with gems, and with
uplifted arms, they were endued with great courage. Capable of forcibly
slaying all foes, they were irresistible in prowess. Drinkers of blood
and fat and other animal matter, they subsisted on the flesh and entrails
of animals. Some had their locks tied in tall tufts above their heads.
Some had single tufts on their heads; some had rings on their ears; and
some had stomachs resembling earthen vessels used for cooking. Some were
of very short statures, and some were very high in stature. Some were
tall and very fierce. Some had grim features, some had long lips, and the
genital limbs of some were very long. Some had costly and diverse kinds
of crowns upon their heads; and some had bald heads, and the heads of
others were covered with matted locks.
They were capable of bringing down the firmament with the sun, moon, and
stars, on earth, and exterminating the four orders of created things.
They know not what it is to fear, and are capable of enduring the frowns
of Hara. They always act as they like, and are the lords of the lords of
the three worlds. Always engaged in merry sports, they are thorough
masters of speech and are perfectly free from pride. Having obtained the
eight kinds of divine attributes, they are never elated with pride. The
divine Hara is always filled with wonder at their feats. They are devout
worshippers of Mahadeva. Adored by them in thought, word, and deed, the
great god protects those worshippers of his, looking upon them, in
thought, word, and deed as children of his own loins. Filled with rage,
they always drink the blood and fat of all haters of Brahma. They always
drink also the soma juice endued with four kinds of taste. Having adored
the trident-bearing god with Vedic recitations, with brahmacarya, with
austerities, and with self-restraint, they have obtained the
companionship of Bhava. The divine Maheshvara, that lord of the past, the
present, and the future as also Parvati, eat with those diverse tribes of
mighty beings that partake of their own nature.
Causing the universe to resound with the peal of diverse kinds of
instruments, with noise of laughter, with loud sounds and shrieks and
leonine roar, they approached Ashvatthama. Uttering the praises of
Mahadeva and spreading an effulgent light all around, desirous of
enhancing the honour of Ashvatthama and the glory of the high-souled
Hara, and wishing to ascertain the extent of Ashvatthama's energy, and
desirous also of beholding the slaughter during the hour of sleep, armed
with terrible and fierce bludgeons and fiery wheels and battle-axes, that
crowd of strange beings, endued with terrible forms, came from every
side. They were capable of inspiring the three worlds with dread at their
sight. The mighty Ashvatthama, however, beholding them, felt no fear.
Drona's son, armed with bow, and with fingers cased in fences made of
iguana skins, himself offered up his own self as a victim unto Mahadeva.
Bows were the fuel, and sharp shafts were the ladles, and his own soul
possessed of great might was the libation, O Bharata, in that act of
sacrifice. The valiant and wrathful son of Drona then, with propitiating
mantras, offered up his own soul as the victim. Having with fierce rites
adored Rudra of fierce deeds, Ashvatthama with joined hands, said these
words unto that high-souled god.
Ashvatthama said, "Sprung from Angirasa's line, I am about to pour my
soul, O god, as a libation on this fire! Accept, O lord, this victim! In
this hour of distress, O Soul of the universe, I offer up my own self as
the sacrificial victim, from devotion to thee and with heart concentrated
in meditation! All creatures are in thee and thou art in all creatures!
Assemblage of all high attributes occur in thee! O lord, O thou art the
refuge of all creatures. I wait as a libation for thee, since I am unable
to vanquish my foes. Accept me, O god." Having said these words, Drona's
son, ascending that sacrificial altar on which a fire blazed brightly,
offered himself up as the victim and entered that blazing fire.
Beholding him stand immovable and with uplifted hands and as an offering
up to himself, the divine Mahadeva appeared in person and smilingly said,
"With truth, purity, sincerity, resignation, ascetic austerities, vows,
forgiveness, devotion, patience, thought, and word, I have been duly
adored by Krishna of pure deeds. For this there is none dearer to me than
Krishna. For honouring him and at his word I have protected the Pancalas
and displayed diverse kinds of illusion. By protecting the Pancalas I
have honoured him. They have, however, been afflicted by time. The period
of their lives hath run out."
Having said these words unto the high-souled Ashvatthama, the divine
Mahadeva entered Ashvatthama's body after giving him an excellent and
polished sword. Filled by that divine being, Drona's son blazed up with
energy. In consequence of that energy derived from godhead, he became
all-powerful in battle. Many invisible beings and rakshasas proceeded
along his right and his left as he set out, like the lord Mahadeva
himself, for entering the camp of his foes."
