Shalya Parva — Arjuna bewails before Krishna, Arjuna goes to the field for killing Duryodhana

Sanjaya said When the loud noise of battle had somewhat subsided and the Pandavas had killed large numbers of their foes Subala's son once more came with the remnant of his cavalry, seven hundred in number.

Spcedily approaching his own soldiers and urging them to fight, he again and again said-"You chastisers of enemies, fight merrily.”

And he asked the Kshatriyas assembled there, saying-"Where is the king that great carwarrior!"-Hearing those words of Shakuni, O foremost of Bharatas, they replied saying "There stands the great car-warrior, viz., the Kuru king-there the large umbrella, effulgent like the full moon, is seen, —there where those car-warriors, clad in mail, are staying-there where that loud noise, deep as the muttering of clouds, is being heard. Go quickly thither, O king and you will see the Kuru king."-Thus spoken to by those brave warriors. Subala's son Shakuni, O king, proceeded where your son was waiting, surrounded on all sides by unretreating heroes.

Beholding Duryodhana stationed in the midst of the car-force, Shakuni, checring up your car-warriors, O king, said these words to Duryodhana, in a manner which showed that he considered all his purposes to have been already accomplished. "Slay, O king, the carwarriors of the Pandavas. All their horse have been defeated by me. Yudhishthira is incapable of being defeated in battle unless one is prepared to sacrifice his life.

When that car-army, protected by the son of Pandu, will have been destroyed, we shall then kill all those elephants and foot-soldiers and others."

Hearing those words your warriors, actuated with the desire of victory, cheerfully proceeded against the Pandava army.

With quivers on their backs and bows in their hands, all of them shook their bows and sent up leonine war-cries.

Again O king, the fierce twang of bows and the slapping of palms and the sound of arrows shot forcibly was heard.

Beholding those Kuru heroes approach the Pandava army with uplifted bows, Kunti's son, Dhananjaya, said to the son of Devaki-"Drive the horse fearlessly and enter this deep of troops. With my keen arrows I shall to-day terminate these hostilities.

Today is the eighteenth day, O Janarddana, of this great battle.

The numberless army of those great heroes has been almost destroyed. Mark the course of Destiny.

The army of Dhritarashtra's son, O Madhava, which was vast as the deep, has O Achyuta, became, after meeting ourselves, even like a pit caused by a cow's hoof.

If peace had been made after Bhishma's fall, O Madhava, everything would have fared well. The foolish and wicked-minded Duryodhana, however, did not make peace.

The words, that were given vent to by Bhishma, O Madhava, were beneficial and should have been accepted. Suyodhana however, who had lost his understanding, did not follow them.

After Bhishma had been struck down on the carth, I do not know why the battle was fought on.

I regard the son of Dhritarashtra as foolish and of weak understanding by every means since they continued the battle even after the fall of Shantanu's son.

After that when Drona, that foremost of Brahmanas, as fell, as also the son of Radha and Vikartana, the battle did not stop.

Even, when a residue only of the Kaurava army remained after the fall of that best of men, viz., Karna, with his sons the battle did not stop.

After the fall of even the heroic Shrutayush, of also Jalasandha of Puru's race and of king Shrutayudha, the slaughter did not still cease.

After the death of Bhurishravas, of Shalya, O Janarddana and of the Avanti heroes, the slaughter did not still stop.

After the fall of Jayadratha, of the Rakshasa Alayudha, of Valhika and of Somadatta the killing battle did not still stop.

After the fall of the heroic Bhagadatta, of the Kamboja chief Sudakshina and of Dusshasana, the all-destroying battle did not still stop.

Seeing the many heroic and powerful kings, each master of extensive territories' killed in a battle, the all-destroying battle, O Krishna, did not still stop.

Beholding even a full Akshauhini of troops slain by Bhimasena in battle, the all-destroying battle did not still stop on account of either the folly or the covetousness of the sons of Dhritarashtra.

What king, born in noble family cspecially as one like that of Kuru, except the foolish Duryodhana, would thus create useless hostilities.

Who is there reasonable and wise and capable of distinguishing between good and evil, that would thus make a war, knowing his foes to be superior to him in merit, strength and bravery.

How could he listen to the advice of another when, indeed, he could not make up his mind to make peace with the Pandavas following your advice.

What medicine can be agreeable to that man today who discovered Bhishma, the son of Shantanu and Drona and Vidura, while they urged him to make peace.

How can be accept good advice who out of folly, O Janarddana, insolently disobeyed his own old father as also his own good mother who spoke wholesome words to him.

It is evident, O Janarddana, that Duryodhana is born for rooting out his family. His conduct and his policy, at least, speak the same, O lord. He will not give us our kingdom yet. This is my opinion, O Achyuta.

The great Vidura, O sire, told me many a time that as long as Duryodhana would live, he would never give us our share of the kingdom.

Vidura also told me-"As long as Dhritarashtra will live, O giver of honours that sinful man will act sinfully towards you.

You will never succeed in defeating Duryodhana without battle." Thus, O Madhava, did the far-seeing Vidura often speak to me.

All the Acts of that wicked man, I now find, to be exactly as the great Vidura had said.

That wicked man, who having listened to the beneficial and proper worlds of Jamadagni's son, disobeyed them, should certainly be regarded as standing in the face of destruction.

Many saints and ascetics said, as soon as Duryodhana was born, that the entire Kshatriya race would be exterminated for that wretch.

Those words of the sages, O Janarddana, have now borne fruits, because the Kshatriyas are undergoing almost entire extermination on account of Duryodhana's miss-deeds. I shall, O Madhava, kill all the warriors today.

After all the Kshatriyas will have been killed and the (Kaurava) camp made empty, Duryodhana will then wish for a battle with us for his own destruction.

That will terminate these hostilities. Exercising my reason, O Madhava and reflecting in my own mind, O Vrishni heroe, thinking of Vidura's words and taking into account the acts of the wicked Duryodhana himself, I have arrived at this conclusion. Enter into Kuru division, O hero, for I shall kill the wicked Duryodhana and his army today with my keen arrows.

Slaying this weak army in the very presence of Dhritarashtra's son, I shall today do what is for Yudhishthira's good."

Thus addressed by Arjuna, the Dasharha heroe, with reins in hand, fearlessly penetrated that vest hostile army for battle.

It was a terrible forest of bows. Darts were its prickles. Maces and bludgeons were its paths, Cars and elephants were its huge trees.

Cavalry and infantry were its creepers. And the illustrious Keshava, as he entered that forest on that car adorned with many banners and pennons, shone exceedingly resplendent.

Those white horses, O king, bearing Arjuna in battle, were seen moving about on all sides urged by the Dasharha heroe.

Then that scorcher of foes, viz., Savyasachin, proceeded on his car, discharging hundreds of keen arrows like a cloud pouring showers of rain. Loud noise was produced by those straight arrows as also by those combatants that were covered with them in that battle by Savyasachin. Showers of arrows, piercing through the armour of the warriors, dropped down on the Earth.

Shot off the Gandiva, arrows, whose touch resembled that of Indra's thunder, striking men and elephants and horses, O king, fell in that battle with a noise like that of winged insects.

Everything was covered with those shafts shot from Gandiva. In that battle, the points of the horizon could not be distinguished.

The entire earth was as if covered with gold-winged arrows, steeped in oil, polished by the hands of the smith and with Partha's name engraven on it.

Struck with those keen arrows and burnt therewith by Partha even as a herd of elephants is burnt with burning brands, the Kauravas were dispirited and weakened. Armed with bow and arrows, Partha, resembling the burning sun, consumed the hostile heroes in that battle like a blazing fire consuming a heap of dry grass.

As increasing and blazing fire of great energy, thrown on the outskirts of a forest by its inhabitants, quickly consumes those woods abounding with tree and heaps oi dry creepers, even so that active and energetic hero, endued with prowess of weapons and having arrows his flames, quickly consumed all the troops of your son from anger.

His powerful gold-winged arrows, discharged with care, could not be baffled by any armour. He had not to discharge a second arrow at a man, horse or a huge elephant.

Like Indra, the wilder of thunderbolt, striking down the Daityas, Arjuna, alone entering that division of great car-warriors, destroyed it with arrows of various froms.