Samshaptaka-Vadha Parva — The slaughter of Bhagadatta

Dhritarastra said Wrought up with rage, what did Arjuna the son of Pandu do to Bhagadatta? What did also the ruler of the Pragjyotisas do towards Pritha's son? Tell me all as it happened.

Sanjaya said When Krishna and Arjuna were both thus engaged with the ruler of the Pragjyotisas, all creatures regarded them as placed within the teeth of Death.

Then, O mighty monarch, froin the back of the elephant he rode, the ruler of the Pragjyotisas poured incessant showers of arrows on the two Krishnas (Arjuna and Krishna) stationed on the same chariot.

Thereafter Bhagadatta, with iron shafts furnished with golden wings, whetted on stone and discharged from a full-drawn bow, pierced the illustrious son of Devaki.

Those superbly ornamented arrows of the touch of fire, shot with force by Bhagadatta, entered the earth, having pierced through the son of Devaki.

The son of Pritha then cut-off Bhagadatta's bow and slew that warriors who supporting the latter from his flanks; he then engaged with the Pragjyotisa king as if in sport.

Thereat Bhagadatta sped at Arjuna fourteen lances of great sharpness and of the solar effulgence; but Arjuna cut each of thein into two pieces.

was numerous Thereafter Arjuna shattered into pieces the armour covering Bhagadatta's elephant, with a mighty shower of arrows, the armour then dropped down on the earth.

With its armour shattered and mangled with arrow-wounds, that elephant appeared like a prince of mountain shorn of its cloudy envelope and with its breast drenched with showers of rain.

Thereupon the ruler of the Pragjyotisas hurled at Vasudeva's son a dart having a golden staff and an iron head; but Arjuna cut that dart in two.

Thereafter having severed with arrows the umbrella and the standard of the king, Arjuna quickly pierced the ruler of the mountainprovinces with ten shafts, smiling the while.

Then that ruler of the Pragjyotisas was sorely wounded by Arjuna's arrows furnished with beautiful wings formed of the feathers of the Kanka birds. Thereafter Bhagadatta, O ruler of men, waxing wroth, hurled lances at the head of Pandu's son owning white steeds. And then he uttered a loud war-cry. Then by those lances, the diadem of Arjuna was displaced.

Then putting his displaced diadem, in its proper place, Phalguna said to king Bhagadatta-"Take you a full view of this world."

Thus spoken to, king Bhagadatta, inflamed with rage, took up a lustrous bow and showers of arrow on Pandu's son and Govinda.

The son of Pritha then having cut-off Bhagadatta's bow and quivers quickly pierced the latter in all his vital limbs with seventy two arrows.

Thus pierced and pained to the extreme, Bhagadatta invoked the Vaishnava weapon and inspiring its hook with sacred aphorisms, he let to go, in rage, at the breast of Pandu's son.

Thereupon Keshava, covering Pritha's son, received upon his own breast that weapon capable of slaying every being, hurled by Bhagadatta.

That weapon turned into Vaijayanti garland when it had about to touch the chest of god Sri Krishna. That garland was made of all seasonal flowers and excellently graced with the stamen of lotus flower. It was illuminating like fire, sun and moon. Each petal of flowers intertwined in it was blazing like fire. God Keshava, the killer of Keshi, son of Sureasena, holder of Saranga bow, suppressor of enemy having their dark complexion like the Tisi flowers of that garland looked as if a mountain covered by clouds in one evening of rainy season. That garland was looked fantastic with lotus petals moving with the breeze,

Thereafter with a sorrowful heart Arjuna thus addressed Keshava "O sinless one, without fighting for you, I will drive your steeds, in battle. Even these, O lotus-eyed one, were the words you spoke before. Why then do you not keep your promise inviolate? It is only then when I shall be involved in a calamity or shall be incapable or resisting (my foes and their weapons), it is then only that you shall take it upon yourself to protect me; but not when I am competent and standing thus.

Equipped with my bows and arrows, I am competent enough to conquer the words with all the celestials, Asuras and mortals dwelling in them; this fact indeed you also know."

Thereupon the son of Vasudeva addressing Arjuna spoke these words in reply-"Hear, O sinless one, O son of Pritha, this ancient and mysterious piece of history.

Ever occupied as I am in achieving the welfare of the worlds. I have four semblance's. Dividing myself into parts I do try to bring about the world's benefit.

One of my semblance's, remaining on earth, is even now practising ascetic austerities. Another keeps an eye over the world engaged in good and evil deeds.

My third semblance, staying in the world of men, is engaged in the performance of acts and my fourth semblance sleeps a sleep extending over four thousand years.

This last-mentioned semblance of mine that awakes at the end of the every thousand years, accords excellent boons at that time, to those who really deserve them.

On one such occasion, the Earth knowing that the boon-giving hour has come, solicited a boon for her son Naraka; hear, I shall tell it to you.

Possessed of the Vaishnava weapon let my son be unslayable, both by the gods and the demons. It behoves you to grant me that weapon.

Listening then to that prayer for the boon that earth wanted me accord to her son, I gave the excellent and irresistible Vaishnava weapon to him.

I then said-'O Earth, let this weapon be infallible in protecting Naraka. None, I say, will be able to slay him.

'Protected by this weapon, your son, the crusher of hostile hosts, will, in all times and everywhere, be invincible.

Then saying “Be it so", that intelligent goddess went away, satisfied at the fruition of her desire. Her son Naraka, that afflicter of hostile horses, also accordingly became invincible.

Then, O son of Pritha, that weapon of mine was secured by the ruler of the Pragjyotisas from Naraka; and O sire, there, is none unslayable by it in all the worlds, not excluding Indra and Rudra themselves.

For your sake therefore, O Arjuna, I did baffle the weapon. Now slay the mighty Asura deprived of his excellent weapon.

Now slay in battle your invincible opponent Bhagadatta, that enemy of the gods, like myself slaying, in the days of yore, Naraka, for the worlds' benefit.

Thus spoken to by the high-souled Keshava, Pritha's son suddenly covered Bhagadatta with a shower of sharp arrows.

Then the mighty-armed and high-souled Arjuna dauntlessly wounded Bhagadatta's clephant between its frontal globes with a (long) lance.

Then like the thunder-bolt rending a mountain open, that dart flying towards the elephant penetrated into its body to the very wings, like a snake entering into its hole in an ant-hill.

Then like the wife of a poor man, refusing to carry out the orders of her husband, that elephant though often urged by Bhagadatta, refused to obey his orders.

With its limbs paralysed it fell down striking the earth with its tusks. Then that huge elephant gave up its breath uttering a yell of distress.

God Sri Krishna then said to Arjuna-O son of Kunti! Bhagadatta is in his old age with all hair lured grey and eyes covered by the forehead flesh due to wrinkles appear as if these are closed. He is great warrior and gallant. It is tough to defeat him in the battle. He has tied the eyelids with a strip of cloth with the forehead so as to keep both eyes opened.

In compliance with the direction, Arjuna took out crescent shaped arrow of straight knots and shot at the eyes of Bhagadatta. He thus, lost his eyes and became blind.

The mighty Bhagadatta then seemed the whole world sank in darkness a she was blind now. Arjuna, the son of Pandu, in the meantime; pierced the heart of king Bhagadatta by hitting hard an arrow crescent shaped and bent knot at that spot.

His bosom being torn open the diademdecked Arjuna. King Bhagadatta lost the grasp of his bow and arrows, being deprived of vitality. The precious cloth that had constituted his turban now fell off from his head like a petal falling off from a lotus when its stem is struck violently.

He himself decorated with a garland of gold fell down from the back of his mountain-like elephant, decked also with trappings of gold, like a blossoming Karnikara tree falling down from the crest of a hill, being uprooted by the violence of the wind.

Then in that battle, the son of Indra having slain that monarch equal to Indra in prowess and who was a friend of Indra, began to crush, inspired with the hopes of victory, other warriors of your army, like a violent gust of wind crushing large number to trees.