Ghatotkacha-Vadha Parva — Words of Krishna

Arjuna said How, O Janardana and by what measures were those lords of earth Jarasandha and others slain, for our welfare?

Vasudeva said Had not Jarasandha, the ruler of the Chedis and the highly puissant prince of the Nishadas been slain before, they would have become very terrible by this time.

Duryodhana would then surely have invited those foremost of car-warriors to embrace his cause and they, ever hostile to us, must have chosen the Kaurava party.

They all were brave, fierce bowmen, accomplished in the use of weapons and firm in battle; and they would have then defended the Dhritarashtras like so many immortals.

The son of Suta, Jarasandha, the ruler of the Chedis and the prince of the Nishadas, these, united with Suyodhana, mighty have conquered the whole earth.

It was through my tactics that they were slain. Hear from me of those tactics. Indeed even the gods, without the employment of tactics, could not have defeated them in battle.

Each of them, individually, could have fought with entire army of the celestials, protected by the regents of the worlds themselves, O son of Pritha!

Once on a time, afflicted by the son of Rohini, Jarasandha, excited to the highest pitch of fury, hurled at ourselves a mace capable of slaying at creatures.

Sparkling like the tongues of fire, that mace flew towards ourselves dividing the welkin like the line that parts the tresses of woman and with the impetuosity of the thunder hurled by Shakra.

Then beholding that mace course towards us, the son of Rohini, for repulsing that mace, hurled the weapon know as Sthanukarna.

Repulsed by the force of Baladeva's weapon, that mace fell on the earth riving her open and causing the mountains thereon to tremble.

There was a terrible Rakshasi, by name Jara, possessed of dreadful mighty. She, O monarch, had put together the different parts of Jarasandha's body and therefore was the latter so named.

From two mothers, the two halves of his body come out separately. And in consequence of those two halves being united by that Rakshasi, he was called Jarasandha.

That Rakshasi, that was then within bowels of the death, was slain with her sons and relatives, O son of Pritha, by means of that mace and that weapon Sthanuharana.

Deprived of that mace of his Jarasandha was slain in a fierce encounter by Bhimasena even before your very eyes O Dhananjaya!

Had the puissant Jarasandha been then armed with his mace then, O foremost of men, even the celestials, with Indra at their head, could not have succeeded in slaying him in battle.

For your good also was the mighty son of the Nishadhas, deprived, by a guileful means, of his thuinb, by Drona who assumed the position of his preceptor.

That prince of the Nishadas of resolute prowess with his finger-protectors tied round them, used to rove in the forest, swelling with his own pride, like a second Rama.

Retaining the use of his thumb Akalavya could not have been defeated in battle by the Danavas, the celestials, the Rakshasas and the serpents, all united together in battle.

Of firm grasp, accomplished in the use of weapons, incessantly shooting his weapons, he could not have been looked at by mere men?

For your good, he was slain by me in the van of battle. The powerful ruler of the Chedis was also slain before your very eyes.

He also was incapable of being conquered in battle by the celestials and the Asuras. I suffered this birth only for slaughtering him and other such molesters of the gods.

With your aid, in order to achieve the word's welfare, O foremost of men, Hidimba and Vaka and Krimitra had all been slain by Bhimasena.

Also Alayudha, possessed of potent powers of illusion, has been slain by Hidimva's son. All other Rakshasas, brave like Karna and destroyers of the Brahma, sacrifice, have also been slain.

Through our tactics Karna used that Sakti of his in felling the son of Hidimba. If on the other hand, Karna had not slain this Rakshasa by his Sakti.

Then it would have been my (painful) duty to slay Bhimasena's son Ghatotkacha. It was only for pleasing you that I did not slay him before.

This Rakshasa was a contumner of the Brahmanas and a destroyer of sacrifices; this wicked-souled one inimical to the performance of sacrifices and therefore has he been slain thus.

O sinless one, through our tactics the Sakti given to him by Shakra has been also rendered useless. O son of Pandu, those who destroy righteousness are all slayable by me. was

This vow has been taken for establishing righteousness. Where there are the Vedas, truth, self-control, purity, righteousness, humility, prosperity, wisdom and forbearance, there I am also to be found. You need not now be at all anxious about the slaughter of Karna.

I shall tell you the means through which you shall be able to slay Karna. Vrikodara also will slay Suyodhana in battle.

O son of Pandu, I shall also tell you the means by which that one's slaughter will be compassed. But now, the tumult of the hostile cry is increasing every moment.

Your own troops also are flying away in all the ten directions of compass; the Kaurava warriors, having reached their aim, are now killing your troops. Yonder indeed does Drona, that foremost of smiters, consume our ranks.