Gadayuddha Parva — The anger of Rama at seeing the unfair fight. Krishna pacifies him

Dhritarashtra said “Seeing the (Kuru) king struck dawn unfairly, what, O charioteer did the powerful Baladeva, that Madhu's chief, say.

“Tell me, O Sanjaya, what Rohini's son, well-skilled in mace encounters and well acquainted with all its rules did on that occasion!"

Sanjaya said "Secing your son struck at the thighs, the powerful Rama, that best of smiters, became highly angry.

Raising his arms up, the hero having the plough for his weapon, sorrowfully said in the midst of those kings-'Oh, fie on Bhima, fie on Bhima.

Oh, fie, that in such a fair fight a blow has been inflicted below the navel! Never before has such an act, as has been done by Vrikodara, been seen in an encounter with the mace!

No limb below the navel should be struck. This is the rule laid down in treatises! Bhima, however, is an ignorant wretch, unacquainted with the code of war! He, therefore, acted as he likes.'

Uttering these words, Rama became very angry. Seeing on Duryodhana he became with reddened eyed and said these words:

(Baladeva then replied-) O Sri Krishna! King Duryodhana was mighty not any way less than me. Nobody here was able to face him in war with mace. Fall of Duryodhana unjust way or by tactics has humiliated me also, the shelterer is being condemned/insulted owing to defects in the person sheltered.

The powerful Keshava, however, ever bending with humility, caught the rushing Rama, with his massive and well-formed arms.

Those two Yadu heroes, the one dark in complexion and the other fair, shone exceedingly beautiful at that moment, like the Sun and the Moon, The great warrior with uplifted arms appeared like the huge mountain of Kailasa variegated with various kinds of metals.

For pacifying the angry Rama, Keshava addressed him, saying, "There are six sorts of advancement that a person may scek, viz., one's own advancement, the advancement of one's friends' the destruction of one enemy, the destruction of one's enemy's friends, and the destruction of one's enemy's friends' friends.

When misfortunes befall one's own self or one's friends, it is a sign that one's fall is near, and, therefore, one should at such times seek for the remedy.

The Pandavas are our natural friends. They are the children of our own father's sister! They had been greatly assailed by their enemies.

The fulfillment of one's promise is one's duty. Formerly Bhima had promised in the midst of the assembly that he would in great battle break with his mace the thighs of Duryodhana.

The great Rishi Maitreya also had formerly imprecated Duryodhana, saying, Bhima will, with his mace, break your thighs.

For all this, I do not see any fault in Bhima! Do not yield to anger, O slayer of Pralamba! Our relationship with the Pandavas is based on birth, blood and love.

On their advancement depends our own. Do not, therefore, give away to anger, O foremost of men!'-Hearing these words of Vasudeva the wielder of the plough, who was well read in the Ethical lore, said, 'Morality is always followed by the good. Morality is always followed by two motives, viz., the desire for Profit cherished by those that follow it, or the desire for Pleasure.

Whoever, without making distinction between Morality and Profit, or Morality and Pleasure, or Pleasure and Profit, follows all three, viz., Morality, Profit and Pleasure, always succeeds in obtaining great happiness.

It is because Bhimasena, has deviated from morality this harmony, of which I have spoken, has been disturbed, Inspite, O Govinda, of all your arguments to me!'

Krishna replied, saying-You are always described as shorn of wrath, and devoted to righteousness! Pacify yourself, therefore, and do not yield to wrath!

Know that the Kali age is at hand. Remember also the promise made by the son of Pandu! Let, therefore, the son of Pandu be regarded to have requited the debt he owed to his enemy and to have carried out his promise."

Sanjaya continued "Hearing this fallacious argument from Keshava, O king, Rama failed to remove his anger and become cheerful. He then said in that assembly, having unfairly killed the righteous king Suyodhana, the son of Pandu shall be known in the world as a wily warrior.

The righteous Duryodhana, on the other hand, shall acquire cternal blessedness! Dhritarashtra's royal son, who has been struck down, is a fair warrior!

Having made all possible arrangements for the Sacrifice of battle, and having performed the initiatory rites on the field, and lastly, having poured his life as a libation upon the fire of foes, Duryodhana had duly completed his Sacrifice by the final ablutions of glory!"

Having said these words, the brave son of Rohini, looking like a white cloud, got upon his chariot and went towards Dwaraka.

The Panchalas, the Vrishnis and the Pandavas. O king, became rather dispirited after Rama had started for Dvaravati.

Then approaching Yudhishthira, who was exceedingly melancholy and anxious, and who hung down his head and knew not what to do in the great affliction of his heart, Vasudeva, said to him these words.

Vasudeva said O Yudhishthira why do you allow such a wrong act, since you suffer the head of the insensible and fallen Duryodhana whose relatives and friends have all been killed to be thus struck by Bhima with his foot? conversant as thou art with the rules of Ethics, why do you, O king, look at this act with indifference?'

Yudhishthira answered This act, O Krishna, of Vrikodara's angrily touching the head of the king with his foot, is not pleasant to me, nor am I glad at this extermination of my race!

By gujle were we always imposed on by the sons of Dhritarastra! They spoke many harsh words to us. We were again exiled into the forest by them.

On account of all those acts great grief exists in Bhimasena's heart! Thinking of all this, O hero of the Vrishnis's race, I looked on with indifference!

Having killed the covetous, foolish and passionate Duryodhana, let the son of Pandu satisfy his desire, be it by means fair or foul.

Sanjaya continued After Yudhishthira had said this, Vasudeva, said with difficulty-Let it be so! After Vasudeva had been addressed in those words by Yudhishthira, the former, who, always wished what was pleasant to, and beneficial for, Bhima, insooth, approved all those acts that Bhima had done in battle. Having struck down your son in battle, the wrathful Bhimasena, his heart overflowing with joy, stood with joined hands before Yudhishthira and saluted him duly.

With eyes expanded in joy and proud of the victory he had acquired, the energetic Vrikodara, O king, said to his eldest brother, saying-'The Earth belongs to-day to you, O king, without quarrels to disturb her and with all her thorns gone! Govern her, O king, and observe the duties of your order.

He, who was the root of these hostilities, and who fomented them by means of his wiliness, that wretched being, lies struck down, on the bare ground, O lord of Earth.

All those wretched led by Dusshasana, who used to utter cruel words, as also those other enemies of yours, viz., the son of Radha, and Shakuni, have been killed.

Filled with all sorts of gems, the Earth, with her forests and mountains, O king, once more approaches you who have no foes alive.'

Yudhishthira said Hostilities have been closed! King Suyodhana has been struck down! The Earth has been conquered (by us), under the advice of Krishna.

By good luck, you had paid off your debt to your mother and to your wrath! By good luck, you have been victorious, O invincible hero, and by good luck, your enemy has been killed.'