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The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2 by or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli

o >> or: Kisari Mohan Ganguli >> The Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 2




"Beholding Abhimanyu, resplendent as the sun or the moon, lying on the
ground, thy troops were in transport of joy, while Pandavas were filled
with grief. When youthful Abhimanyu, yet in his minority, fell, the
Pandava divisions, O king, fled away in the very sight of king
Yudhishthira. Beholding his army breaking upon the fall of Subhadra's
son, Yudhishthira addressed his brave warriors, slaying, 'The heroic
Abhimanyu, who without retreating from battle hath been slain, hath
certainly ascended to heaven. Stay then, and fear not, for we shall yet
vanquish our foes.' Endued with great energy and great splendour, king
Yudhishthira the just, that foremost of warriors, saying such words unto
his soldiers inspired with grief, endeavoured to dispel their stupor. The
king continued, 'Having in the first instance, slain in battle hostile
princes, resembling snakes of virulent poison, the son of Arjuna hath
then given up his life. Having slain ten thousand warriors, viz., the
king of the Kosalas, Abhimanyu, who was even like Krishna or Arjuna
himself, hath assuredly gone to the abode of Indra. Having destroyed cars
and steeds and men and elephants by thousands, he was still not content
with what he did. Performing as he did such meritorious feats, we should
not certainly grieve for him, he hath gone to the bright regions of the
righteous, regions that men acquire by meritorious deeds.'"



SECTION XLVIII

"Sanjaya said, 'Having thus slain one of their foremost warriors, and
having been afflicted with their arrows, we came back to our encampment
in the evening, covered with blood. Steadfastly gazed at by the enemy, we
slowly left, O monarch, the field of battle, having sustained a severe
loss and nearly deprived of our senses. Then came that wonderful hour
intervening between day and night. Inauspicious howls of jackals were
heard. The sun, with the pale-red hue of the filaments of the
lotus,--sank low in the horizon, having approached the western hills. And
he took away with him the splendour of our swords and darts, rapiers and
car-fences, and shields and ornaments. Causing the firmament and the
earth to assume the same hue, the sun assumed his favourite form of fire.
The field of battle was strewn with the motionless bodies of innumerable
elephants deprived of life, Looking like crests of cloud-capped hills
riven by the thunder, and lying about with their standards and hooks and
riders fallen from their backs. The earth looked beautiful with large
cars crushed to pieces, and with their warriors and charioteers and
ornaments and steeds and standards and banners crushed, broken and torn.
Those huge cars, O king, looked like living creatures deprived of their
lives by the foe with his shafts. The field of battle assumed a fierce
and awful aspect in consequence of large number of steeds and riders all
lying dead, with costly trappings and blankets of diverse kinds scattered
about, and tongues and teeth and entrails and eyes of those creatures
bulging out of their places. Men decked with costly coats of mail and
ornaments and robes and weapons, deprived of life, lay with slain steeds
and elephants and broken cars, on the bare ground, perfectly helpless,
although deserving of costly beds and blankets. Dogs and jackals, and
crown and cranes and other carnivorous birds, and wolves and hyenas, and
ravens and other food-drinking creatures, all diverse tribes of
Rakshasas, and large number of Pisachas, on the field of battle, tearing
the skins of the corpse and drinking their fat, blood and marrow, began
to eat their flesh. And they began to suck also the secretions of rotten
corpses, while the Rakshasas laughed horribly and sang aloud, dragging
dead bodies numbering thousands. An awful river, difficult to cross, like
the Vaitarani itself, was caused there by foremost of warriors. Its
waters were constituted by the blood (of fallen creatures). Cars
constituted the rafts (or, which to cross it), elephants formed its
rocks, and the heads of human beings, its smaller stones. And it was miry
with the flesh (of slain steeds and elephants and men). And diverse kinds
of costly weapons constituted the garlands (floating on it or lying on
its banks). And that terrible river flowed fiercely through the middle of
the field of battle, wafting living creatures to the regions of the dead.
And large numbers of Pisachas, of horrible and repulsive forms, rejoiced,
drinking and eating in that stream. And dogs and jackals and carnivorous
birds, all eating of the same food, and inspiring living creatures with
terror, held their high carnival there. And the warriors, gazing on that
field of battle which, enhancing the population of Yama's domain,
presented such an awful sight, and where human corpses rising up, began
to dance, slowly left it as they beheld the mighty car-warrior Abhimanyu
who resembled Sakra himself, lying on the field, his costly ornaments
displaced and fallen off, and looking like a sacrificial fire on the
altar no longer drenched with clarified butter.'"



SECTION XLIX

"Sanjaya said, 'After the slaughter of that hero, that leader of
car-divisions, viz., the son of Subhadra, the Pandava warriors, leaving
their cars and putting off their armour, and throwing aside their Lows,
sat, surrounding king Yudhishthira. And they were brooding over that
grief of theirs, their hearts fixed upon the (deceased) Abhimanyu.
Indeed, upon the fall of that heroic nephew of his, viz., the mighty
car-warrior Abhimanyu, king Yudhishthira, overwhelmed with grief,
indulged in (these) lamentations: 'Alas, Abhimanyu, from desire of
achieving my good, pierced the array formed by Drona and teeming with his
soldiers. Encountering him in battle, mighty bowmen endued with great
courage, accomplished in weapons and incapable of being easily defeated
in battle, were routed and forced to retreat. Encountering our implacable
foe Duhsasana in battle, he with his arrows, caused that warrior to fly
away from the field, deprived of his senses. Alas, the heroic son of
Arjuna, having crossed the vast sea of Drona's army, was ultimately
obliged to become a guest of Yama's abode, upon encountering the son of
Duhsasana. When Abhimanyu is slain, how shall I cast my eyes on Arjuna
and also the blessed Subhadra deprived of her favourite son? What
senseless, disjointed, and improper words shall we have to say today unto
Hrishikesa and Dhananjaya! Desirous of achieving what is good, and
expectant of victory, it is I who have done this great evil unto Subhadra
and Kesava and Arjuna. He that is covetous never beholdth his faults.
Covetousness spring from folly. Collectors of honey see not the fall that
is before them; I am even like them. He who was only a child, he who
should have been provided with (good) food, with vehicles, with beds,
with ornaments, alas, even he was placed by us in the van of battle. How
could good come to a child of tender years, unskilled in battle, in such
a situation of great danger. Like a horse on proud mettle, he sacrificed
himself instead of refusing to do the bidding of his master. Alas, we
also shall today lay ourselves down on the bare earth, blasted by the
glances of grief, cast by Arjuna filled with wrath. Dhananjaya liberal,
intelligent, modest, forgiving, handsome, mighty, possessed of
well-developed and beautiful limbs, respectful to superiors, heroic,
beloved, and devoted to truth; of glorious achievements' the very gods
applaud his feats. That valiant hero slew the Nivatakavachas and the
Kalakeyas, those enemies of Indra having their abode in Hiranyapura. In
the twinkling of an eye he slew the Paulomas with all their followers.
Endued with great might, he granteth quarter to implacable enemies asking
for quarter! Alas, we could not protect today the son of even such a
person from danger. A great fear hath overtaken the Dhartarashtras endued
though they might be with great strength![81] Enraged at the slaughter of
his son, Partha will exterminate the Kauravas. It is evident also that
the mean-minded Duryodhana having mean counsellors, that destroyer of his
own race and partisans, beholding this extermination of the Kaurava army,
will give up his life in grief. Beholding this son of Indra's son, of
unrivalled energy and prowess, on the field of battle, neither victory,
nor sovereignty, nor immortality, nor abode with the very celestials,
causeth me the least delight!'"



SECTION L

"Sanjaya said, 'While Kunti's son, Yudhishthira, was indulging in such
lamentations, the great Rishi Krishna Dwaipayana came to him. Worshipping
him duly, and causing him to be seated, Yudhishthira, afflicted with
grief on account of the death of his brother's son, said, 'Alas, while
battling with many mighty bowmen, the son of Subhadra, surrounded by
several great car-warriors of unrighteous propensities, hath been slain
on the field. The slayer of hostile heroes, the son of Subhadra, was a
child in years and of childish understanding.[82] He fought in battle
against desperate odds. I asked him to open a passage for us in battle.
He penetrated within the hostile army, but we could not follow him,
obstructed by the ruler of the Sindhus. Alas, they that betake themselves
to battle as a profession, always fight with antagonists equally
circumstanced with themselves. This battle, however, that the enemy
fought with Abhimanyu, was an extremely unequal one. It is that which
grieves me greatly and draws tears from me. Thinking of this, I fail to
regain peace of mind.'

"Sanjaya continued, 'The illustrious Vyasa, addressing Yudhishthira who
was indulging in such lamentations and who was thus unmanned by an
accession of sorrow, said these words.'

"Vyasa said, 'O Yudhishthira, O thou of great wisdom, O thou that art
master of all branches of knowledge, persons like thee never suffer
themselves to be stupefied by calamities. This brave youth, having slain
numerous foes hath ascended to heaven. Indeed, that best of persons,
(though a child), acted, however, like one of matured years. O
Yudhishthira, this law is incapable of being transgressed. O Bharata,
Death takes all viz., Gods and Dhanavas and Gandharvas (without
exception).'

"Yudhishthira said, 'Alas, these lords of earth, that lie on the bare
earth, slain in the midst of their forces, bereft of consciousness, were
possessed of great might. Others (of their class) possessed strength
equal to that of ten thousand elephants. Others, again, were endued with
the impetuosity and might of the very wind. They have all perished in
battle, slain by men of their own class. I do not behold the person (save
one of their own class) who could slay any of them in battle. Endued with
great prowess, they were possessed of great energy and great might. Alas,
they who used daily to come to battle with this hope firmly implanted in
their hearts, viz., that they would conquer, alas even they, possessed of
great wisdom, are lying on a field, struck (with weapons) and deprived of
life. The significance of the word Death hath today been made
intelligible, for these lords of earth, of terrible prowess, have almost
all been dead. Those heroes are lying motionless; reft of vanity, having
succumbed to foes. Many princes, filled with wrath, have been victimised
before the fire (of their enemies' wrath). A great doubt possesses me,
viz., whence is Death? Whose (offspring) is Death? What is Death? Why
does Death take away creatures? O grandsire, O thou that resemblest a
god, tell me this.'

"Sanjaya continued, 'Unto Kunti's son, Yudhishthira, asking him thus, the
illustrious Rishi, comforting him, said these words.'

"Vyasa said, As regards the matter in hand, O king, this ancient story of
what Narada had in days of old said unto Akampana is cited. King
Akampana, O monarch, I know, while in this world was afflicted with very
great and unbearable grief on account of the death of his son, I will now
tell these the excellent story about the origin of Death. Having listened
to it, thou wilt be emancipated from sorrow and the touch of affection's
tie. Listen to me, O sire, as I recite this ancient history. This history
is, indeed, excellent. It enhanceth the period of life, killeth grief and
conduceth to health. It is sacred, destructive of large bodies of foes,
and auspicious of all auspicious things. Indeed, this history is even as
the study of the Vedas. O monarch, it should every morning be listened to
by the foremost of kings who are desirous of longlived children and their
own good.

"In days of old, O sire, there was a king named Akampana. Once, on the
field of battle, he was surrounded by his foes and nearly overpowered by
them. He had a son who was called Hari. Equal to Narayana himself in
might, that latter was exceedingly handsome, accomplished in weapons,
gifted with great intelligence, possessed of might, resembled Sakra
himself in battle. Encompassed by countless foes on the field of battle,
he sped thousands of shafts at those warriors and the elephants that
surrounded him. Having achieved the most difficult feats in battle, O
Yudhishthira, that scorcher of foes was, at last, slain in the midst of
the army. Performing the obsequies of his son, king Akampana cleansed
himself.[83] Grieving, however, for his son day and night, the king
failed to regain happiness of mind. Informed of his grief on account of
the death of his son, the celestial Rishi Narada came to his presence.
The blessed king, beholding the celestial Rishi, told the latter
everything that had happened unto him, viz., his defeat at the hands of
his foes, and the slaughter of his son. And the king said, 'My son was
endued with great energy, and equalled Indra or Vishnu himself in
splendour. That mighty son of mine, having displayed his prowess on the
field against countless foes was at last slain! O illustrious one, who is
this Death? What is the measure of his energy, strength and prowess? O
foremost of intelligent persons, I desire to hear all this truly.'
Hearing these words of his, the boon giving lord, Narada., recited the
following elaborate history, destructive of grief on account of a son's
death.'

"Narada said. 'Listen, O mighty-armed king, to this long history, exactly
as I have heard it, O monarch! In the beginning, the Grandsire Brahma
created all creatures. Endued with mighty energy, he saw that the
creation bore no signs of decay. Thereat, O king, the Creator began to
think about the destruction of the universe. Reflecting on the matter, O
monarch, the Creator failed to find any means of destruction. He then
became angry, and in consequence of his anger a fire sprang from the sky.
That fire spread in all directions for consuming everything of the
universe. Then heaven, sky, and earth, all became filled with fire. And
thus the Creator began to consume the whole mobile and immobile universe.
Thereby all creatures, mobile and immobile, were destroyed. Indeed, the
mighty Brahma, frightening everything by the force of his wrath, did all
this, Then Hara, otherwise called Sthanu or Siva, with matted locks on
his head, that Lord of all wanderers of the night, appealed to the divine
Brahma, the Lord of the gods. When Sthanu fell (at Brahma's feet) from a
desire of doing good to all creatures, the Supreme Deity to that greatest
of ascetics, blazing with splendour, said, 'What wish of thine shall we
accomplish, O thou that deservest to have all thy wishes fulfilled? O
thou that hast been born of our wish! We shall do all that may be
agreeable to thee! Tell us, O Sthanu, what is thy wish?'"



SECTION LI

"Sthanu said, 'O lord, thou hadst taken great care for creating diverse
creatures. Indeed, creatures of diverse kinds were created and reared by
thee. Those very creatures, again, are now being consumed through thy
fire. Seeing this, I am filled with compassion. O illustrious lord, be
inclined to grace.'

"Brahma said, 'I had no desire of destroying the universe, I desired good
of the earth, and it was for this that wrath possessed me. The goddess
Earth, afflicted with the heavy weight of creatures, always urged me for
destroying the creatures on her. Urged by her, I could not however, find
any means for the destruction of the infinite creation. At this wrath
possessed me.'

"Rudra said, 'Be inclined to grace. O lord of the universe, cherish not
the wrath for the destruction of creatures. No more let creatures,
immobile and mobile, be destroyed. Through thy grace, O illustrious one,
let the threefold universe, viz., the Future, the Past, and the Present
exist. Thou, O Lord, hadst blazed up with wrath. From that wrath of
thine, a substance like fire sprang into existence, That fire is even now
blasting rocks and trees and rivers, and all kinds of herbs and grass.
Indeed, that fire is exterminating the immobile and the mobile universe.
The mobile and the immobile universe is being reduced to ashes. Be
inclined to grace, O illustrious one! Do not give way to wrath. Even this
is the boon I solicit, All created things, O divine Being, belonging to
thee, are being destroyed. Therefore, let thy wrath be appeased. Let it
be annihilated in thy own self. Cast thy eye on thy creatures, inspired
with the desire of doing them good. Do that by which creatures endued
with life may not cease to be. Let not these creatures, with their
productive powers weakened be exterminated. O Creator of the worlds, thou
hast appointed me their Protector, O Lord of the universe, let not the
mobile and the immobile universe to be destroyed. Thou art inclined to
grace, and it is for this that I say these words unto thee.'

"Narada continued, Hearing these words (of Mahadeva) the divine Brahma,
from desire of benefiting creatures, held in his own inner self his wrath
that had been roused. Extinguishing the fire, the divine Benefactor of
the world, the great Master, declared the duties of Production and
Emancipation. And while the Supreme Deity exterminated that fire born of
his wrath, there came out from the doors of his diverse senses a female
who was dark and red and tawny, whose tongue and face and eyes were red,
and who was decked with two brilliant ear-rings and diverse other
brilliant ornaments. Issuing out of his body, she smilingly looked at
those two lords of the universe and then set out for the southern
quarter, Then Brahma, that controller of the creation and destruction of
the worlds, called after her by the name of Death. And Brahma, O king,
said unto her, 'Slay these creatures of mine! Thou hast been born of that
wrath of mine which I cherished for the destruction (of the universe). By
doing this, kill all creatures including idiots and seers at my command.
By doing this, thou wilt be benefited.' Thou lotus-lady, called Death,
thus addressed by him reflected deeply, and then helplessly wept aloud in
melodious accents. The Grandsire then caught the tears she had shed, with
his two hands, for the benefit of all creatures, and began to implore her
(with these words).'



SECTION LII

"Narada said, 'The helpless lady, suppressing her arrow within her own
self, addressed, with joined hands, the Lord of the creation, bending
with humility like a creeper. And she said, O foremost of speakers,
created by thee how shall I, being a female, do such a cruel and evil act
knowing it to be cruel and evil? I fear unrighteousness greatly. O divine
Lord, be inclined to grace. Sons and friends and brothers and sires and
husbands are always dear; (if I kill them), they who will suffer these
losses will seek to injure me. It is this that I fear. The tears that
will fall from the eyes of woe-stricken and weeping persons, inspire me
with fear, O Lord! I seek thy protection. O divine Being, O foremost of
gods, I will not go to Yama's abode. O boon-giving one, I implore thee or
thy grace, bowing my head and joining my palms. O grandsire of the
worlds, I solicit (the accomplishment of even) this wish at thy
hands![84] I desire, with thy permission, to undergo ascetic penances, O
Lord of created things! Grant me this boon, O divine Being, O great
master! Permitted by thee, I will go to the excellent asylum of Dhenuka!
Engaged in adoring Thyself, I will undergo the severest austerities
there. I will not be able, O Lord of the gods, to take away the dear
life-breaths of living creatures weeping in sorrow. Protect me from
unrighteousness.'

"Brahma said, 'O Death, thou hast been intended for achieving the
destruction of creatures. Go, destroy all creatures, thou needst have no
scruples. Even this must be. It cannot be otherwise. Do but my behest.
Nobody in the world will find any fault in thee.'

"Narada continued, 'Thus addressed, that lady became very much
affrighted.[85] Looking at Brahma's face, she stood with joined hands.
From desire of doing good to creatures, she did not set her heart upon
their destruction. The divine Brahma also, that Lord of the lord of all
creatures, remained silent. And soon the Grandsire became gratified in
his own self. And casting his eyes upon all the creation he smiled. And,
thereupon, creatures continued to live as before i.e., unaffected by
premature death. And upon that, invincible and illustrious Lord having
shaken off his wrath, that damsel left the presence of that wise Deity.
Leaving Brahma, without having agreed to destroy creatures, the damsel
called Death speedily proceeded to the retreat called Dhenuka. Arrived
there, she practised excellent and highly austere vows. And she stood
there on one leg for sixteen billions of years, and five times ten
billions also, through pity for living creatures and from desire of doing
them good, and all the time restraining her senses from their favourite
objects. And once again, O king she stood there on one leg for one and
twenty times ten billions of years. And then she wandered for ten times
ten thousand billions of years with the creatures (of the earth), Next,
repairing to the sacred Nanda that was full of cool and pure water, she
passed in those waters eight thousand years. Observing rigid vows at
Nanda, she cleansed herself of all her sins. Then she proceeded, first of
all, to the sacred Kausiki, observant of vow. Living upon air and water
only, she practised austerities there, Repairing then to Panchaganga and
next to Vetasa, that cleansed damsel, by diverse kinds of especial
austerities, emaciated her own body. Going next to the Ganga and thence
to the great Meru, she remained motionless like a stone, suspending her
life-breath. Thence going to the top of Himavat, where the gods had
performed their sacrifice (in days of yore), that amiable and auspicious
girl remained for a billion of years standing on the toe only of her
feet. Wending then to Pushkara, and Gokarna, and Naimisha, and Malaya,
she emaciated her body, practising austerities agreeable to her heart.
Without acknowledging any other god, with steady devotion to the
Grandsire, she lived and gratified the Grandsire in every way. Then the
unchangeable Creator of the worlds, gratified said unto her, with a
softened and delighted heart. 'O Death, why dost thou undergo ascetic
austerities so severe?' Thus addressed, Death said unto the divine
Grandsire, 'Creatures, O Lord, are living in health. They do not injure
one another even by words. I shall not be able to slay them. O Lord, I
desire even this boon at thy hands. I fear sin, and it is for this that I
am engaged in ascetic austerities. O blessed one, undertake to remove for
ever my fears. I am a woman, in distress, and without fault. I beg thee,
be thou protector. Unto her the divine Brahman acquainted with the past,
the present and the future, said, 'Thou shalt commit no sin, O Death, by
slaying these creatures. My words can never be futile., O amiable one!
Therefore, O auspicious damsel, slay these creatures of four kinds.
Eternal virtue shall always be thine. That Regent of the world, viz.,
Yama, and the diverse disease shall become thy helpmates. I myself and
all the gods will grant thee boons, so that, freed from sin and perfectly
cleansed, thou mayst even acquire glory.' Thus addressed, O monarch, that
lady, joining her hands, once more said these words, seeking her grace by
bowing down unto him with her head, If, O Lord, this is not to be without
me, then thy command I place upon my head. Listen, however, to what I
say, Let covetousness, wrath, malice, jealousy, quarrel, folly and
shamelessness, and other stern passions tear the bodies of all embodied
creatures.'

"Brahman said, 'It will be, O Death, as thou sayest. Meanwhile, slay
creatures duly. Sin shall not be thine, nor shall I seek to injure thee,
O auspicious one. Those tear-drops of thine that are in my hands, even
they will become diseases, springing from living creatures themselves.
They will kill men; and if men are killed, sin shall not be thine.
Therefore, do not fear, Indeed, sin shall not be thine. Devoted to
righteousness, and observant of thy duty, thou shalt sway (all
creatures). Therefore, take thou always the fives of these living
creatures. Casting off both desire and wrath, take thou the life of all
living creatures. Even thus will eternal virtue be thine. Sin will stay
those that are of wicked behaviour. By doing my bidding cleanse thyself.
It will be thine to sink them in their sins that are wicked. Therefore,
cast off both desire and wrath, and kill these creatures endued with
life.'

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