गोहरण पर्व — गोहरण में गौओं की वापसी

Vaishampayana said After the mighty car-warriors of the Kurus had arrayed themselves in battle, sending out the rattle of their chariots, he quickly proceeded towards them.

They saw the top of his banner, heard the rattle of his car and the twang of his Gandiva bow, stretched greatly by him.

Observing all this and that the great carwarrior, the holder of the Gandiva bow has come, Drona said:

The top of the banner which shines at a distance belongs to Arjuna; this is the rattle of his chariot and this is the monkey which is roaring.

The monkey strikes great terror into the hearts of all the soldiers. And sitting on that best of cars, the foremost of car-warriors.

Draws his best of bows Gandiva, that emits the sound of thunder. Those two arrows coming together touch my feet.

Passing by others they touch my ears. Having completed the term of his exile in the forest and performed superhuman deeds,

Partha salutes me and speaks to my ears. After a long time we have seen the wise son of Pandu, Dhananjaya, ever a favourite to his friends and greatly shining in prosperity.

Possessed of chariot and shafts, beautiful gloves and quivers, conch, flag, armour; and adorned with a crest, scimitar and bow Partha shines like fire fed with clarified butter and sacrificial laddles.

“O charioteer, stop your horses at a place from which my arrows may reach the soldiers so long I do not single out from among them the wretch of the Kuru race (Duryodhana).

Disregarding all these I shall find that vain wretch out and strike him down and then all these will be defeated.

There stands Drona and thereafter his son and then those great bowmen Bhishma, Kripa and Karna.

I do not see the king, I am afraid, anxious to save his life he is going by the southern road. Leaving the car-warriors here go where Suyodhana is. I shall fight there, O son of Virata, for it will not be without result. Vanquishing him I will come back with the kine.

Thus addressed the son of Virata, carefully governing the horses and holding the reins, took the horses where the leading Kurus and the king Suyodhana were. As Arjuna, having white steeds, left that place,

Kripa, understanding his object, said: “Bibhatsu does not like to stand at a distance from the king."

We shall attach his sides who is advancing quickly. None can alone fight with him in battle when worked up with anger

Except the thousand-eyed Deity, Krishna, the son of Devaki, the preceptor his son, and the mighty car-warrior, the son of Bharadvaja.

What shall we do with these kine or the vast wealth if Duryodhana were to sink like a bark in the Partha water.

(In the mean time) going there ard announcing himself as Bibhatsu by name he speedily covered the soldiers with shafts like a swarm of locusts.

Assailed by the mass of shafts discharged by Partha the warriors couldn't see anything, the sky and the earth being covered therewith.

They who came to fight were so confounded that they even could not prepare themselves to fly away and began quickly to adore Partha in their minds.

He then blew the conch which made the hairs of the enemies stand erect; then twanging his most excellent bow he made the creatures on his flag staff (to cry aloud).

The earth shook with the sound of his conch, the rattle of his chariot and the twang of his Gandiva bow,

As well as with the cries of all the superhuman creatures placed on the flag staff. Then raising up their tails and running to and fro the king came back by the southern road.