Mahabharata Vol. 6 (Penguin Translated Texts) (54 page)

‘“He covered the sky with his arrows and sought to counter the divine maya with which the rakshasa fought. He was modest and accomplished extremely difficult and noble deeds. The son of a suta was not confounded in that battle. O king! All the frightened Saindhavas and Bahlikas looked towards Karna. He was not confounded in that battle and they worshipped him, while witnessing the rakshasa’s victory. He
²⁶⁷
created a shataghni with wheels and hurling it, killed his
²⁶⁸
four horses at the same time. They lost their lives and sank down on their knees. They lost their teeth, eyes and tongues. With the horses killed, he
²⁶⁹
leapt down
from the chariot and saw that the Kurus were being driven away. His divine weapon had been destroyed by the maya. He began to think about what should be the appropriate course of action. All the Kurus saw Karna and the terrible maya. They said, ‘O Karna! Quickly kill the rakshasa now with your spear.
²⁷⁰
The Kurus and the sons of Dhritarashtra are being destroyed. What can Bhima and Arjuna possibly do to us? Kill the rakshasa who is destroying us in the night. We will be able to fight with the Parthas in the battle only if we escape from this terrible encounter. Therefore, kill the rakshasa, terrible in form, with the spear that Vasava has given you. O Karna! All the Kouravas are like Indra. Let these warriors not be destroyed in the night.’ O king! He saw that the army was being destroyed by the rakshasa in the night. He heard the loud lamentations of the Kouravas.

‘“Karna made up his mind to use the spear. Unable to bear the assaults made in the battle, he was like an angry and intolerant lion. That supreme spear was always victorious and he decided to use it to kill him.
²⁷¹
O king! He had preserved it for many years, worshipping it for the sake of Phalguna. Shakra had given that supreme spear to Karna in exchange for the earrings. That spear was resplendent and flaming. It was tied with ropes and in the night, looked like Death. Flaming like a meteor, it was like Death’s sister. Vaikartana released it towards the rakshasa. That flaming weapon was released from the arm of the son of a suta. It was supreme and was capable of destroying the body of every enemy. O king! On seeing it, the rakshasa was frightened. He fled, assuming a body that was as large as the foothills of the Vindhya mountains. O Indra among kings! On seeing that spear in Karna’s hands, all the beings in the sky roared loudly. O king! Turbulent winds began to blow. Bolts of thunder began to strike. Blazing away, it reduced the rakshasa’s maya to ashes and severely penetrated his heart. Then it blazed and ascended up in the night, entering among the nakshatras.

‘“The brave rakshasa had fought in many colourful ways, using the weapons of gods, humans and rakshasas. His life was robbed by Shakra’s spear and uttering many fierce yells, he fell down. This was yet another wonderful and extraordinary deed that he performed for the destruction of the enemy. At that time, his heart was shattered by the spear. O king! He was as beautiful as a mountain or a cloud. The Indra among rakshasas fell down from the sky, devoid of life. With his body shattered, he fell down on the ground. As he fell down dead, Ghatotkacha made his body assume a gigantic form. With that fierce form, Bhimasena’s son, the performer of terrible deeds, performed another terrible deed. He fell down on one part of your army and fiercely crushed the Kouravas. A loud uproar arose, mixed with the sounds of drums, conch shells, kettledrums and cymbals, and roars like lions’. With the maya destroyed and the rakshasa killed, the Kouraveyas were delighted and roared in joy. Karna was honoured by the Kurus, just as Shakra was by the Maruts, after the slaying of Vritra. He
²⁷²
ascended your son’s chariot and cheerfully entered the army.”’

This parva has 692 shlokas and eleven chapters.

Chapter 1132(155): 30 shlokas
Chapter 1133(156): 33 shlokas
Chapter 1134(157): 44 shlokas
Chapter 1135(158): 62 shlokas
Chapter 1136(159): 50 shlokas
Chapter 1137(160): 37 shlokas
Chapter 1138(161): 51 shlokas
Chapter 1139(162): 52 shlokas
Chapter 1140(163): 49 shlokas
Chapter 1141(164): 159 shlokas
Chapter 1142(165): 125 shlokas

This section is named after the death or killing of Drona. The fight continues in the night and day dawns on the fifteenth day of the war. Drona kills three of Drupada’s grandsons and Drupada and Virata. He causes great destruction. Bhima kills an elephant named Ashvatthama and Bhima and Yudhishthira tell Drona that Ashvatthama has been killed. When Drona casts aside his weapons, he is killed by Dhrishtadyumna and Ashvatthama is told the news.

‘Sanjaya said, “On seeing that Hidimba’s son had been killed, like a shattered mountain, all the Pandavas were distressed in
their minds and their eyes were full of tears. However, Vasudeva was overcome with great delight. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! He roared like a lion and this pained them. He roared loudly and embraced Phalguna. Roaring loudly, he tied the horses. He danced in joy, like a tree stirred by the wind. Having embraced Partha yet again, he slapped his arms against his breast. Achyuta climbed onto the chariot and let out a fierce yell. O king! On discerning that the immensely strong Vasudeva was in a delighted frame of mind, Arjuna was miserable and spoke to him. ‘O Madhusudana! At this time of death today, you are extremely happy. The death of Hidimba’s son is a time for great sorrow. On seeing that Ghatotkacha has been killed, the soldiers are retreating. Since Hidimba’s son has been brought down, we are also extremely anxious. O Janardana! There must be a grave reason behind your delight now. O supreme among the ones who are truthful! I am asking you. Tell me the truth. O scorcher of enemies! If it is not a secret, you should tell me. O Madhusudana! Tell me why your calm has been disturbed so much today. This is like the ocean drying up, or Mount Meru moving. O Janardana! I think that this act of yours shows levity.’

‘“Vasudeva replied, ‘O Dhananjaya! I am overcome by great delight. Listen to me. I will tell you what will bring supreme satisfaction to your mind. O immensely radiant one! Because of Ghatotkacha, the spear has been used up. O Dhananjaya! Therefore, know that Karna has already been slain. Had Karna possessed the spear in his hand, no man in the world would have been able to stand before him. He would have been stationed like Kartikeya in the battle. It is through good fortune that his armour has gone. It is through good fortune that his earrings have been robbed. It is through good fortune that the invincible spear has been used up on Ghatotkacha. Had he possessed the armour and had he possessed the earrings, the powerful Karna would have been able to defeat everyone in the three worlds, even the immortals. Vasava, Kubera, Varuna, lord of the waters, and Yama would not have ventured against Karna in an encounter. Had that bull among men possessed those, you with your Gandiva and I with my
sudarshana chakra
would not have had the capacity to defeat him in a battle. It is for your welfare that Shakra
used delusion to rob him of his earrings. The conqueror of enemy cities was also robbed of his armour. It is because he sliced off the armour and the sparkling earrings and gave them to Shakra that Karna came to be known as Vaikartana.
¹
Karna is now like an angry snake, whose energy has been sapped through mantras. Therefore, Karna is now like a fire whose flames have been pacified. O mighty-armed one! Karna obtained a spear from the great-souled Vasava, the one that has now been used against Ghatotkacha. This was obtained in exchange for the earrings and the celestial armour. Since the time he obtained it, Vrisha has always thought that you have been killed in the battle. O unblemished one! O tiger among men! However, though that spear has now gone, I swear to you truthfully that he is incapable of being killed by anyone other than you. He is devoted to brahmanas. He is truthful. He has engaged in austerities. He is devoted to his vows. He is compassionate towards his enemies. It is for these reasons that Karna is known as Vrisha.
²
He is terrible in battle. He is mighty-armed. His bow is always raised. He is like a lion in the forest, crushing the leaders of crazy herds of elephants. In the field of battle, he crushes tigers among the rathas. He is like the sun when it has attained midday and no one is capable of looking at him. O tiger among men! He has fought with all the foremost and great-souled ones on your side. His nets of arrows are like the thousand rays of the autumn sun. His incessant shower of arrows is like rain from the clouds, at the end of summer. Karna is like a cloud with divine weapons, showering down rain. However, having been deprived today of what was given to him by Shakra, he has become human. There is now an opportunity to kill him, one that the insolent one has brought about through his own insolence. He will face a hardship when the wheel of his chariot sinks. That is the time to kill him and I will signal the moment to you in advance. Jarasandha, the great-souled king of Chedi, the immensely strong Ekalavya from Nishadha—all of these
have been killed through my yoga, for your sake.
³
Later, other Indras among rakshasas have been killed—Hidimba, Kirmira, Baka, the foremost among them, Alayudha, the destroyer of enemy soldiers, and the spirited Ghatotkacha, the performer of fierce deeds.’”’

‘“Arjuna asked, ‘O Janardana! What objective of ours was served and what yoga did you use? How were Jarasandha and the other lords of the earth killed?’

‘“Vasudeva replied, ‘If Jarasandha, the king of Chedi and the immensely strong Nishadha
⁴
had not been killed earlier, they would have become terrible now. There is no doubt that Suyodhana would have chosen those supreme among rathas.
⁵
They have always harboured wicked intentions towards us and would have gone to the side of the Kouravas. All of those great-souled ones were brave, skilled in the use of weapons and firm warriors. They would have protected the army of the son of Dhritarashtra like the immortals. Resorting to the son of a suta, Jarasandha, the king of Chedi and the son of Nishadha, Suyodhana would have been able to conquer the entire earth. O Dhananjaya! They were killed by me through yoga. Listen to it. Without using yoga, they could not have been defeated in a battle, not even by the gods. O Partha! Each of them was separately capable of countering the army of the gods in a battle, even if it were to be protected by the guardians of the world. Jarasandha was angered, incited by Rohini’s son.
⁶
To kill us, he hurled a club that was red at
the tip. It was as resplendent as the fire and it divided the sky, like a parting.
⁷
It was seen to descend, like the vajra released by Shakra. On seeing that the club was descending, Rohini’s son wished to counter it and released the weapon known as
sthunakarna
.
⁸
Countered by the force of that weapon, the club fell down on the ground. It shattered the goddess earth and made the mountains tremble. There was a terrible
rakshasi
⁹
named Jara and she possessed great valour. O scorcher of enemies! She united the infant and it came to be known as Jarasandha. Two separate parts were born from the bodies of two separate mothers. Since she united them, he came to be known as Jarasandha. O Partha! That rakshasi was slain by the club and the weapon known as sthunakarna and entered the earth, together with her son and kin. O Dhananjaya! Jarasandha was deprived of the club in the great battle and while you watched, was killed by Bhimasena. O supreme among men! If the powerful Jarasandha had possessed that club in his hand, the gods, together with Indra, would not have been able to kill him in an encounter. O one for whom truth is valour! It is also for your sake that Drona adopted the disguise of a preceptor and severed Nishadha’s thumb.
¹⁰
With his finger guards, the son of the Nishadha was firm in his valour. He was as resplendent as a second Rama in the forest. O Partha! Had Ekalavya possessed his thumb, the gods and the danavas, with the rakshasas and the serpents, would never have been able to defeat him in a battle. His fist was firm and he could continuously shoot, throughout the day and night. How could a mere human have looked at him? It is for your sake that I killed
him in the field of battle. I killed the powerful king of Chedi in your presence. He was capable of conquering all the gods and the asuras in a battle. O tiger among men! I have been born to slay him and also all the others who hate the gods, with your help, and desiring the welfare of the worlds. Hidimba, Baka and Kirmira have been brought down by Bhimasena. They were the equals of Ravana and destroyed the sacrifices of brahmanas. Similarly, Alayudha, who used maya, was slain by Hidimba’s son. And I thought of means to get Hidimba’s son killed by Karna’s spear. Had he not been killed by Karna’s spear in the great battle, I would have had to kill Ghatotkacha, Bhimasena’s son, in the future. I did not kill him earlier, because I wanted to ensure your pleasure. This rakshasa hated brahmanas and hated sacrifices. Because he caused the destruction of dharma and because he was evil in his soul, he would have had to be brought down. O unblemished one! I thought of a means through what had been given by Shakra. O Pandava! Those who are the destroyers of dharma, deserve to be killed by me. I have taken a pledge that I will establish dharma. I am always present wherever the brahman, truthfulness, self-control, purity, dharma, humility, prosperity, fortitude and forgiveness exist. You should not have any anxiety about Karna Vaikartana. I will tell you the means so that you can destroy him. In the battle, Suyodhana will also be killed by Vrikodara. O Pandava! I will tell you about the means whereby that death can be ensured. There is a tumultuous uproar that has arisen in the direction of the enemy’s army. Your soldiers are fleeing in the ten directions. Having attained their objective, the Kouravas are destroying your army. Drona, supreme among strikers, is scorching our soldiers.’”’

‘Dhritarashtra said, “The son of the suta possessed a spear that could only be used to kill one person. Why did he not forget everyone else and hurl it at Partha? Had he been slain, all the Pandavas
and Srinjayas would have been killed too. Had that brave one alone been killed, why should victory in the battle not have been ours? He is great in his vows and does not retreat when he is challenged. The son of the suta should have challenged Phalguna himself. O Sanjaya! Tell me. Why did Vrisha not challenge Phalguna to a duel and kill him with what he had obtained from Shakra? There is no doubt that my son lacks both intelligence and advisers. How can he obtain victory if he is frustrated by the enemy in every way? That spear was a supreme weapon and our victory depended on it. Vasudeva has ensured that the spear was wasted on Ghatotkacha. This is like a powerful person snatching a
bilva
fruit from the hands of someone with a withered arm. In that fashion, because of Ghatotkacha, that infallible spear has been rendered fallible. In a fight between a boar and a dog, when either one dies, the hunter gains.
¹¹
O learned one! Like that, I think that Vasudeva has gained from the battle between Karna and Hidimba’s son. Had Ghatokacha slain Karna, it would have been a supreme gain for the Pandavas. And had Vaikartana slain him, it would still have been a gain, because the spear would have been rendered useless. The wisest among wise ones thought in this way about the encounter between Ghatotkacha and the son of a suta. Though Vasudeva, lion among men, is not fighting in this battle, he is engaged in ensuring the welfare of the Pandavas.”

‘Sanjaya said, “O king! The slayer of Madhu knew what Karna desired to do. The immensely intelligent Janardana instructed the immensely valorous Ghatotkacha, lord of the rakshasas, to engage in that duel. The intention was to make the infallible weapon useless. O king! All this happened because of your evil policy. O extender of the Kuru lineage! We would certainly have been successful, had not Krishna protected Partha from maharatha Karna. O Dhritarashtra! In the battle, with his horses, standard and chariot, Partha would have fallen down on the ground, but for Janardana, the lord and master of all yoga. O king! He has been protected in many different ways. Protected by Krishna, Partha has advanced against the enemy and obtained victory. It was indeed Krishna who protected Partha from
that infallible weapon. Kounteya would have been swiftly destroyed by the spear, like a tree by thunder.”

‘Dhritarashtra said, “My son is proud of his wisdom. But he quarrels and has evil advisers. He has thus overlooked the means for killing Jaya.
¹²
O son of Gavalgana! Why did you also forget that objective? O immensely intelligent one! Why did you not remind him about it?”

‘Sanjaya replied, “Night after night, this used to be the topic of discussion between Duryodhana, Shakuni, Duhshasana and me. ‘O Karna! Tomorrow, abandon all the other soldiers and kill Dhananjaya. We will then enjoy the Pandus and the Panchalas, as if they are our slaves. Or, after Partha has been killed, if Varshneya appoints one of the other sons of Pandu as the warrior, we will bring down Krishna. Krishna is the root of the sons of Pandu. Partha is the trunk. The Parthas
¹³
are the branches. The Panchalas can be thought of as leaves. Krishna is the refuge of the Pandavas. Krishna is the strength. Krishna is the protector. They are devoted to Krishna, like the stellar bodies to the moon. O son of a suta! Therefore, forget the leaves, branches and trunk. Bring down Krishna, who has always been the root of the Pandava in every way.’
¹⁴
O king! Had Dasharha Krishna, the descendant of the Yadava lineage, been slain, there is no doubt that this entire earth would have come under your control. O Indra among kings! Had the great-souled one, loved by the Yadu and Pandava lineages, been killed and made to lie down on the ground, there is no doubt that the earth, with its mountains, oceans and forests, would have come under your control. Every morning, we arose with that resolution about the lord of the thirty gods, the immeasurable Hrishikesha. But at the time of the battle, we forgot about it. Keshava has always protected Kounteya Arjuna. In the battle, that is the reason he didn’t allow him to be stationed before the son of the suta. Achyuta stationed other supreme rathas there. O lord! He acted so that the infallible spear might become fallible. The
mighty-armed Satyaki, tiger among rathas, for whom truth was his valour, had asked Krishna about maharatha Karna. ‘This has been the infinitely valorous Karna’s resolution. Why did the son of a suta not use the spear against Phalguna?’