SECTION LXXXIV
"Vaisampayana said, 'The heroic son of Sakuni, who was a mighty
car-warrior among the Gandharas, accompanied by a large force, proceeded
against the Kuru hero of curly hair.[200] That force was properly equipt
with elephants and horses and cars, and was adorned with many flags and
banners. Unable to bear and, therefore, burning to avenge, the slaughter
of their king Sakuni, those warriors, armed with bows, rushed together at
Partha. The unvanquished Vibhatsu of righteous soul addressed them
peacefully, but they were unwilling to accept the beneficial words of
Yudhishthira (through Arjuna). Though forbidden by Partha with sweet
words, they still gave themselves up to wrath and surrounded the
sacrificial steed. At this, the son of Pandu became filled with wrath.
Then Arjuna, carelessly shooting from Gandiva many shafts with razor-like
heads that blazed with splendour, cut off the heads of many Gandhara
warriors. While thus slaughtered by Partha, the Gandharas, O king,
exceedingly afflicted, set free the horse, moved by fear and desisted
from battle. Resisted, however, by those Gandhara combatants who still
surrounded him on every side, the son of Pandu, possessed of great
energy, felled the heads of many, previously naming those whom he thus
despatched. When the Gandhara warriors were thus being slain all around
him in battle, the royal son of Sakuni came forward to resist the son of
Pandu. Unto the Gandhara king who was fighting with him, impelled by
Kshatriya duty, Arjuna said, 'I do not intend to slay the kings who fight
with me, in consequence of the commands of Yudhishthira. Cease, O hero,
to fight with me. Do not court defeat.' Thus addressed the son of Sakuni,
stupefied by folly, disregarded that advice and covered with many swift
arrows the Kuru hero who resembled Sakra himself in the feats he
accomplished in battle. Then Partha, with a crescent-shaped arrow, cut
off the head-gear of his foe. Of immeasurable soul, he also caused that
head-gear to be borne along a great distance like the head of Jayadratha
(after he had cut it off in the battle of Kurukshetra). Beholding this
feat, all the Gandhara warriors became filled with wonder. That Arjuna
voluntarily spared their king was well understood by them. The prince of
the Gandharas then began to fly away from the field, accompanied by all
his warriors who resembled a flock of frightened deer. The Gandharas,
through fear, lost their senses and wandered over the field, unable to
escape. Arjuna, with his broad-headed shafts, cut off the heads of many.
Many there were who lost their arms in consequence of Arjuna's arrows,
but so stupefied were they with fear that they were not aware of the loss
of that limb. Verity, the Gandhara army was exceedingly afflicted with
those large shafts which Partha sped from Gandiva. That army, which then
consisted of frightened men and elephants and horses, which lost many
warriors and animals, and which had been reduced to a rabble and put to
rout, began to wander and wheel about the field repeatedly. Among those
foes who were thus being slaughtered none could be seen standing in front
of the Kuru hero famed for foremost of feats. No one could be seen who
was able to bear the prowess of Dhananjaya. Then the mother of the ruler
of the Gandharas, filled with fear, and with all the aged ministers of
state, came out of her city, bearing an excellent Arghya for Arjuna. She
forbade her brave son of steady heart from fighting any longer, and
gratified Jishnu who was never fatigued with toil. The puissant Vibhatsu
worshipped her and became inclined to show kindness towards the
Gandharas. Comforting the son of Sakuni, he said, 'Thou hast not, O
mighty-armed hero, done what is agreeable to me by getting thy heart upon
these measures of hostility. O slayer of heroes, thou art my brother, O
sinless one.[201] Recollecting my mother Gandhari, and for the sake of
Dhritarashtra also, I have not taken thy life. It is for this, O king,
that thou livest still. Many of thy followers, however, have been slain
by me. Let not such a thing happen again. Let hostilities cease. Let not
thy understanding again go astray. Thou shouldst go to the
Horse-sacrifice of our king which comes off on the day of full moon of
the month of Chaitra.'
