The rage of Dhristadyumna and Satyaki

Dhritarashtra said Thai high-souled person who had duly studied the Vedas and their auxiliaries, he who had mastered this entire science of arms and who possessed modesty.

That Drona son of mighty sage, who had been insulted by the low-minded, cruel and mcan Dhristadyumna the slayer of his preceptor.

That Drona through whose grace the foremost of men still achieve superhuman feats difficult of being achieved even by the gods and the Asuras.

When that Drona suffered such an insult at the hands of that most sinful Dhristadyumna under the very eyes of all the warriors present, was there no Kshatriya who was then inspired with wrath? Fie on the Kshatriya order and fie on wrath itself!

Tell me, O Sanjaya, what did the Parthas or the other kings of the earth, all illustrious warriors, say, having heard the words of the Panchala prince?

Sanjaya said Hcaring those words of the ruthless son of Drupada, O king, all the rulers of the earth remained silent.

But Arjuna only casting side glances at Prisata's son and sighing and shedding copious tears said 'fie, fie.'

Yudhishthira and Bhima and the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) and Krishna himself were overwhelmed with shame, o king. Then Satyaki spoke these words-

Is there nobody that will quickly dispatch this sinful, low and cursed wretch, even when he is thus speaking?

Like the Brahmanas blaming a Chandala, all these Pandavas are reproaching you for your having perpetrated his sinful act.

Having perpetrated the most sinful act and condemned by the pious, do you not fell ashamed to open your lips in this august assemblage?

O despicable wretch, why did not your tongue and your cursed head go off into thousand fragments, when you were on the point of slaying your preceptor? Why were you not smitten down by that sinful act?

You richly merit the condemnation of the Parthas and all the Vrishnis and the Andhakas inasmuch as perpetrating this sinful act, you are boasting of it in the presence of this august assembly.

Having committed the most heinous act of sin, you further reveal you hatred for the preceptor. For this you deserve to be slain; there is no use in sparing your life even for a moment.

What other sinful wretch, except yourself, will dare cause the virtuous preceptor's death, holding him by his hoary locks?

Having obtained you-the disgrace to their race-for their descendant, seven generations before you and seven after, in your race, have sunk in hell, being deprived of their glory.

You have accused Partha that foremost of men with the slaughter of Bhisma. But this latter illustrious personage has hiinself caused his own destruction.

Indeed that vilest of wretches viz., your uterine brother Sikhandin, was the cause of Bhisma's death. Really there is no one more sinful on the face of the earth, than the sons of Panchala king

Your father had begotten Sikhandin for the slaughter of Bhishma. As regards Arjuna he only protected your brother when he caused the death of the high-souled Bhishma.

The Panchalas have gone astray from the paths of rectitude and like despicable wretches they are injuring their friends and their preceptors, only for having obtained yourself and your brother, hated by the pious, among themselves.

If you again speak such words before re, I shall knock down your head with a mace resembling the bolt of heaven.

Stained as you are with the sin of Brahmanicide, people looking at you the slayer of a Brahmana, have to look at the Sun for purifying themselves.

Ill-mannered wretch of Panchala, villifying my own preceptor in the first instance and then my preceptor's preceptor, why don't you feel ashamed?

'Wait, Wait.' Bear but this single stroke of my mace. I will bear many strokes of that of yours."

Thus reproached by that scion of the Satvata race, Prisata's son inspired with wrath, addressed these harsh words to the enraged Satyaki.

Dhristadyumna said O you of Madhu's race, I have heard you speak. But I forgive you; yourself sinful and impious, you desire to throw odium on the righteous?

Forgiveness is a praise worthy virtue, buy sinful wretches do not deserve it. A wicked fellow regards him who shows forgiveness as powerless (lit : conquered).

Ill-behaved, of low mind and sinful resolutions, you are condemnable from the end of your hair to the tip of your toe. Yet do you desire to censure others?

What act can be more unrighteous than that perpetrated by you when, repeatedly prevented, you slew Bhurisrava, whose arm was lopped off and who had betaken to the Praya Yoga?

Arranging his troops in order Drona was fighting with his celestial weapons he laid aside his weapons and I slew him o crooked one, what is there improper in this?

How can he, O Satyaki, censure such as act, who himself has slain his opponent, desisted from battle an opponent that was sitting in Praya Yoga and whose arm was cut-off by another.

That puissant opponent of yours, careered on the field having thrown you down with the stroke of his feet. Foremost if you were of all male beings why did you not then slay him?

When Partha had already vanquished him, it was only then that by an unfair means you slew the puissant son of Somadatta.

In whatever quarter Drona had sought to rout the troops of the Pandavas, in that quarter I proceeded, shooting myriads of shafts.

Having yourself perpetrated an act worthy of a Chandala only, it is strange that you desire to censure me in such a vile language.

You are the perpetrator of vile acts and not I, O vilest of the Vrishni race. You are the hotbed of sin. Do not again blame this deed of mine.

Hold your tongue. It is improper that you shall move after this. I give you this reply from my own lips, you should not address me any longer.

If again, out of folly you speak such harsh words to me, I shall dispatch you to the abode of Death with my own arrows.

Once cannot overcome his foes, O fool, solely through fair means. Hear how our opponents also acted unfairly.

Pandu's eldest son Yudhishthira was a few years back cheated unfairly (out of his own kingdom) and O Satyaki, Draupadi was also most vilely insulted.

The Pandavas with Krishna their wife were also exiled to the woods and fool, all their possessions were robbed out of them by unrighteous means.

The king of the Madras was again weaned away from our side by an act of unrighteousness by the foe, unfairly also was the tender son of Subhadra slain.

Now for the Pandavas, the grand-father of the Kurus, Bhishma was slain by an act of unrighteousness. Bhurisrava was unfairly slain by your very justicel-oving self.

Thus, O you of the Salvata race, the heroic Pandavas and the Kurus have both acted sinfully for victory in battle, although they are all conversant with the rules of morality.

Thus morality is a mystery, as also immorality is difficult of being ascertained. Fight on with the Kauravas and do not return to the home of your fathers.

Sanjaya said Addressed in such ruthless and harsh words, the handsome Satyaki trembled from hcad to foot.

Hearing those words Satyaki with his eyes coppery in rage, laid his bow aside on the car and breathing like a snake he grasped his mace.

Then advancing furiously upon the Panchala prince he said-"I shall not waste my harsh words on you any longer, but I shall crush you, as you richly deserve to be slaughtered."

Beholding the puissant Satyaki rush, from wrath and desire for revenge, at the Panchala prince, like Death against a match of his.

The mighty Bhima urged by Vasudeva, quickly jumped down from his chariot and caught hold of him by the arms.

The puissant Satyaki, who was then furiously rushing (at Dhristadyumna) advanced a few steps, dragging after him the mighty son of Pandu, who was trying to withhold him.

Then Bhima firmly planting his feet, succeeded in stopping that foremost of all beings endowed with strength viz., that illustrious scion or Shini's race.

Then, Oking, Sahadeva jumping down from his car, addressed Satyaki held in check by the strong arms of Bhima, in these soothing

O foremost of men, we possess not friends dearer to ourselves, then the Andhakas, the Vrishnis and the Panchalas, O descendant of Madhu's race.

Similarly the Andhakas and the Vrishnis, specially Krishna among the latter, cannot have any friend dearer than ourselves.

The Panchalas also, O scion of the Vrishni race, will not be able to find friends dearer to themselves than the Vrishnis and the Pandavas, even if they search the whole earth to the very boundaries of the seas.

You are a dear friend to this prince and even such is he to you. You are to us even as we are to you.

Versed in the rules of duty, restrain your anger having the prince of the Panchalas for its object, remembering the duties that you owe to you friends.

Forgive the son of Prisata, let him also forgive you. We will also practise forgiveness. What other virtue can be equal to forgiveness!

When, O sire, Sahadeva was thus pacifying the grandson of Shini, the son of the Panchala king thus smilingly spoke:मुञ्चमुञ्च शिनेः पौत्रं भीम युद्धमदान्वितम्॥

Bhima, let the grandson of Shini, so proud of his prowess in battle, he released. Let him encounter me like the wind encountering the mountains.

I shall smother his wrath with my sharp arrows, as also his itching for battle; O son of Kunti, let me deprive him of his life in battle.

I am alone competent to achieve the mighty task the sons of Pandu have undertaken, heavy though it may be. Yonder come the Kauravas.

Or Phalguna himself will hold all of them in check. Let me cut-off this one's head with my arrows.

He takes me for Bhurisravas with his arm lopped off. Leave him, Either I will slay him or he shall slay me

Hearing the words of the Panchala prince the mighty Satyaki breathing like a snake, began to swell even within the embrace of Bhima's arms.

When those strong-armed and mighty heroes were thus roaring at each other like two bulls, O sire, Vasudeva and the son of Dharma Yudhishthira,

With great difficulty restrained those two heroes. Thus restraining those two mighty bowmen, whose eyes were red in rage, the foremost of the Kshatriyas advanced desirous of meeting the foe in battle.