खाण्डवदाह पर्व — देवताहरू तथा कृष्ण र अर्जुनको युद्ध

Vaishampayana said : The son of Pandu, Vivatsu (Arjuna), calling his excellent weapons to his help, stopped that shower of rain by means of a shower of his own.

The high-souled Pandava covered the Khandava forest with innumerable arrows, as the atmosphere is filled with a thick fog.

When the sky over the forest was thus covered with the arrows of Savyasachi (Arjuna), not a single creature could escape (from that forest).

The greatly powerful king of the Nagas Takshaka, was not there. When the forest was on fire, he was absent in Kurukshetra where he had gone.

But the powerful son of Takshaka, named Ashvasena, was there (in the forest); and he made great efforts to escape from the fire.

Confined by Arjuna's arrows, he could not succeed to come out (of the forest), but the snakes lady, his mother, determined to save his life.

She first swallowed his head and then she began to swallow his tail; in that state she then attempted to save her son and rose to the sky.

As soon as the Pandava (Arjuna) saw her escaping, he cut off her head by means of sharp arrows, but the husband of Sachi, the wielder of thunder, Indra, saw all this; and he resolved to save the son of his friend. He raised a violent wind and deprived Arjuna of his consciousness. In the meantime Ashvasena succeeded in effecting his escape.

Having seen this fearful delusion and having been deceived by the Nagas, the Pandava cut down all creatures into two three or more pieces.

Vivatsu (Arjuna) cursed in anger the Naga that had so deceitfully escaped; so did Vasudeva (Krishna) and Agni. They said, "Never shall you be able to win fame or position.”

Then remembering the deception practised on him, Jishnu (Arjuna) became very much angry and covering the sky with a cloud of arrows, he sought to fight with the god of thousand eyes(Indra).

Seeing Arjuna in wrath, the king of the celestial also sought to fight with him. He hurled his very fearful weapons and covered whole of the sky.

Then greatly roaring winds, agitating all the oceans, gathered together masses of clouds charged with torrents of rains.

Thereupon those clouds, charged with thunder-rattle, vomited thunder and flashes of lightings; but to dispel them Arjuna hurled and excellent weapon. Named Vayavya (wind weapon) with proper Mantras. In a moment it destroyed the force and the energy of Indra's thunder and it dried up the water that was in those masses of clouds; it then destroyed the lightings that played amongst them.

(In a moment) the sky was cleared off dust and darkness; delicious and cool breeze began to blow and the sun regained its normal state. Then Agni, sprinkled over with the fat that came out of the burning bodies of the various creatures, blazed up with all his flames and filled the universe with his roars.

O great king, seeing that the forest was protected by the two Krishnas, many feathery creatures of the Garuda race proudly came down from the sky with the desire of striking those two heroes Krishna and the Pandava (Arjuna) with their thunder like strong wings, breaks and claws.

Many Nagas also came down upon the Pandava (Arjuna), all with faces emitting most virulent poisons.

Partha cut them to pieces by his arrows which appeared as if they had been steeped in the fire of his wrath. They (those birds and snakes) all fell into the burning fire below.

Wishing to fight, there also came innumerable Asuras, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Rakshasas and Nagas, all uttering fearful yells.

Armed with instruments which vomited iron balls and bullets from their throats and with machines and propelled huge stones and rockets, they rushed forward to strike Krishna and Partha.

Though they rained a fearful shower of weapons, Vivatsu (Arjuna) cut off their heads with his sharp arrows,

That slayer of foes, the greatly effulgent Krishna, also made a great slaughter of the Daityas and the Danavas with his discus.

Being struck with the force of his discus and pierced with his arrows, many immeasurably powerful Asuras became as motionless as the waifs and strays thrown on the shores by the waves.

Then the lord of the celestial Indra, riding on him white elephant, rushed upon the two heroes and speedily taking up his irresistible thunder bolt he hurled it with great force. The slayer of the Asuras (Indra) said to the celestial, “ These ter@ (Krishna and Arjuna) are already killed."

Thereupon seeing the great thunder about to be hurled by the great Indra, the celestial each took up his own respective weapon.

O king, Yama took up his death dealing club, the lord of wealth (Kubera) his mace, Varuna his noose and his beautiful missiles,

Skanda (Kartikeya) took up his weapon Shakti and he stood as motionless as Meru mountain. The Ashvinis stood up with their fiery plaints in there hands.

Dhatri (creator) stood with his bow in hand and Jaya with a great club, the greatly strong Tvashtri took up in anger a huge mountain.

Surya took up a bright dart and Mrityu a battle axe. Aryamana taking up a fearful bludgeon walked about.

Mitra stood there taking up a discuss as sharp as a razor. O king, Pushkara, Bhaga and Savita. Rushed upon Partha and Krishna with bows and swords in their hands.

The Rudras, the Vasus, the greatly powerful Marutas. The Vishvadevas and the Sadhyas, all blazing in their own effulgence, these and many other celestial, armed with various weapons, rushed upon those two best of men, Krishna and Partha, with the desire of killing them.

Then a wonderful phenomenon was seen in that great battle. Mysterious protects appeared, resembling those that appear at the great dissolution. Seeing this and seeing also Indra with millions of celestial prepared for fight. They (Krishna and Arjuna), fearless and invincible in battle, stood calmly with their bows in hands.

Well-skilled in battle those warriors angrily attacked the advancing hosts of the celestial with their thunder-like arrows.

They the celestial left the battle (field) in fear and sought the protection of Indra.

Seeing the celestial routed by Madhava (Krishna) and Arjuna. The Rishis who were in the sky became very much astonished.

Indra also, seeing that great prowess in the battle. Became exceedingly pleased; and he once more rushed upon them.

The chastiser of Paka (Indra) then sent down a shower of stones to ascertain the power of Savyasachi (Arjuna).

Who could draw his bow even with his left hand, but Arjuna dispelled that shower. Seeing his showers dispelled (by Arjuna), the god of one thousand sacrifices (Indra), the chastiser of Paka, once more sent down a thick shower of stone.

The son of the chastiser of Paka Arjuna gave great pleasure to his father Indra by dispelling that shower also by his greatly swift arrows.

Then Shakra Indra, wishing to kill the son of Pandu, tore up with his hands a large peak from the Mandara mountain with trees and all; he then hurled it against him.

But Arjuna soon cut down that mountain peak into thousand pieces by his swift and firemouthed arrows.

Fragments of that mountain peak in falling through the sky, looked as if the sun, the moon and the planets loosened from their positions fell down on earth.

The fragments of that huge peak fell down on that forest and they killed numerous creatures, the dwellers of the Khandava.