Mahabharata Vol. 1 (Penguin Translated Texts) (53 page)

‘Then, one after another, those kings exhibited their valour for Krishna. But the bow was so strong that with all their strength, they could not string it. The firm wood of the bow recoiled and flung those brave rulers of men on the ground. They failed in their desire and could be seen on the ground, miserable and broken in spirit. That firm bow caused them pain and shattered their bracelets and earrings. Having lost hopes of obtaining Krishna, that assembly of kings was crestfallen. In that assembly, those kings who boasted of noble birth then became objects of derision. Kunti’s brave son Jishnu then arose, wishing to string the bow and place an arrow on it.’

Vaishampayana said, ‘When all the kings gave up attempting to string the bow, the great-souled Jishnu arose from among the Brahmanas. On seeing Partha advance, with a complexion resplendent like that of Indra’s flag, the chief Brahmanas shook their deerskins and created a loud uproar. Some of them were pleased. Others were displeased. Others among them, who lived by their wisdom and were wise, told each other, “O Brahmanas! If Kshatriyas like Karna and Shalya, who are famous in the world, have great strength and are well versed in Dhanur Veda,
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could not string the bow, how can this weakling Brahmana, with no knowledge of weapons, succeed? If he fails to succeed in an act that he has undertaken because of his juvenile inexperience, the Brahmanas will become objects of ridicule in the eyes of the kings. Therefore, stop him from attempting to string the bow. He is doing it out of vanity and childishness, inexperienced at being a Brahmana. We will not be ridiculed, not incur anyone’s
disrespect. Nor will we displease the kings of this world.” Others said, “He is handsome and youthful. He is like the trunk of the king of elephants. His shoulders, arms and thighs are built well. In perseverance, he looks like the Himalayas. One who is so resolute may well accomplish the task. Without a doubt, he has great strength and great endeavour. Without these, he would not have gone on his own. Besides, among the three orders,
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there is no task in the worlds that Brahmanas cannot accomplish. Brahmanas abstain from food, live on air, eat only fruits, observe rigid vows and become weak, yet retain the strength of their own energy. A Brahmana should not be looked down upon, whether his deeds are right or wrong. No one should consider him incapable of performing a deed, big or small, pleasing or unpleasant.” The Brahmanas continued to voice their opinions in this way.

‘Arjuna came to where the bow was and stood there like a stationary mountain. Circumambulating the bow in accordance with the rites, the scorcher of enemies bowed his head to the bow and joyously grasped it. In the twinkling of an eye, he strung the bow and grasped the five arrows. Through the hole in the machine, he suddenly pierced the target and it fell down on the ground. Thereupon, a great roar was heard in the sky and a great clamour arose in the assembly. The gods rained down celestial flowers on Partha’s head, that killer of enemies. All the spectators waved their upper garments in joy, or uttered sounds of despair. Flowers showered down from the sky. The musicians played on hundreds of instruments. In a sweet voice, the bards and the raconteurs began to chant the praises of the hero. Seeing that destroyer of enemies, Drupada was extremely happy and wished to help Partha with his army, should the need arise.

‘When the uproar reached its peak, Yudhishthira, foremost among those who tread the path of dharma, swiftly left the assembly and went home, accompanied by the twins, supreme among men. On seeing the target shot and on seeing Partha, the equal of Shakra,
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Krishna was extremely happy. She went to Kunti’s son with a garland of white flowers. All the Brahmanas paid homage to the one who
had accomplished the unthinkable and had won her in the assembly. He soon left the arena, followed by the one who would be his wife.’

Vaishampayana said, ‘When the king expressed his desire to give his daughter to that great-souled Brahmana, all the assembled kings looked at each other and were filled with anger. The kings said, “We are assembled here and he passes us over like straw. He wishes to give Droupadi, supreme among women, to a Brahmana. This evil-hearted one does not respect us. Let us kill him. He does not deserve our respect or veneration because of qualities of age. On account of this, let us kill this wretch who insults kings and their sons. After inviting and entertaining in the proper fashion all the kings with food, he then shows them disrespect. In this assembly of kings, which is like a conclave of the gods, can he not find a single king who is his equal? The sacred texts clearly say that a svayamvara is for Kshatriyas; Brahmanas have no right in the choice of a husband. O kings! If this lady does not wish one of us as her husband, let us throw her into the fire and return to our kingdoms. Though that Brahmana has done injury to kings out of his impertinence and greed, he should not still be killed. After all, our kingdoms, lives, riches, sons, grandsons and all our other wealth exist for the sake of Brahmanas. But something must be done to prevent insult and to protect our own dharma, so that other svayamvaras do not end like this one.” Having said this, those tigers among kings, with arms like clubs, rushed at Drupada with diverse weapons, so as to kill him.

‘Seeing those angry kings rush at him with bows and arrows, Drupada was frightened and sought the protection of the Brahmanas. However, as those kings rushed at Drupada like mad elephants, Pandu’s two sons,
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the great archers who conquered their enemies,
advanced to repulse them. Thereupon, all the kings, their fingers clad in armour and with their weapons raised, violently rushed towards the Kuru princes, Arjuna and Bhimasena. Bhima, the performer of amazing deeds, with immense strength and like a thunderbolt, tore up a large tree with his hands and stripped it of all its leaves, like an elephant. With that tree, the mighty-armed Bhima, Pritha’s son and the destroyer of enemies, stood next to Partha, bull among men and with long and thick arms, like Yama with his terrible staff.

‘On seeing the unthinkable feats of Jishnu and his brother, Damodara,
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the one with superhuman intelligence, turned to his brother Halayudha, himself the performer of awesome deeds, and said, “O Sankarshana! The warrior who has the gait of a mad bull and who holds a great bow that is 4 cubits long in his hand must be Arjuna. If I am Vasudeva’s son, there can be no doubt about this. The warrior who has uprooted a tree with his strength and is instantly ready to repulse the kings is undoubtedly Vrikodara.
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No other mortal on earth can perform such a feat today. O Achyuta!
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The other one who left a while ago, with eyes like lotus petals, slender and with the gait of a powerful lion, humble, fair and with a long and shining nose, must have been Dharmaraja. I am sure that the other two youths, each like Kartikeya, must have been sons of the two Ashvins. I had heard that Pandu’s sons and Pritha had escaped from the fire in the house of lac.” Halayudha, with a complexion like that of clouds, happily spoke to his younger brother, “I am delighted that our father’s sister Pritha, with the foremost of the Kurus, has escaped.”’

Vaishampayana said, ‘Those bulls among the Brahmanas shook their deerskins and water pots
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and said, “Do not be frightened.
We will fight with the enemies.” Arjuna smilingly told those Brahmanas, “Stand aside as spectators. I will repulse those kings, like poisonous snakes, with mantras, with showers of hundreds of sharp-pointed arrows.” Having said this, the maharatha took up the bow he had obtained as dowry and accompanied by his brother Bhima stood there like an immovable mountain. Seeing the Kshatriyas, with Karna leading them, furious to do battle, they fell upon them, like two elephants against hostile elephants. Eager to fight, those kings then said, “It is permissible to kill a Brahmana who is willing to fight.” Then the mighty Vaikartana
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Karna rushed at Arjuna, eager to fight, like an elephant rushes at a rival over a female elephant. Shalya, king of the Madras, rushed at Bhimasena. Duryodhana and the others rushed at the Brahmanas, but they fought with them lightly and carelessly.

‘Seeing Vaikartana Karna rush towards him, the wise Arjuna stretched his mighty bow and pierced him with three arrows. The impact of these sharp arrows stunned Radheya
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and he approached with greater circumspection. Then those two invincible warriors fought violently, each eager to vanquish the other. Such was the speed that they became invisible.
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“Look at the strength in my arms”, “See how I countered that”, they taunted each other in words that only warriors understand. Seeing the valour in Arjuna’s arms, unparalleled on earth, Vaikartana Karna fought even more vigorously. Repulsing Arjuna’s swift arrows, Karna shouted out aloud and the warriors applauded his feat.

‘Karna said, “O foremost among Brahmanas! I am pleased with the strength of your arms, which do not tire in battle, and with your persistent control over weapons. O supreme among Brahmanas! Are you Rama,
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the personification of the knowledge of weapons?
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Or are you Harihaya
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himself? Or are you Achyuta Vishnu himself?
Have you assumed the form of a Brahmana to disguise yourself and are now fighting strongly with me for self-preservation, mustering the strength of your arms? When I am angry in the field of battle, no one except Shachi’s husband
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and Pandava Kiriti
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can withstand me.” Hearing these words, Phalguni
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replied, “O Karna! I am not the science of weapons personified. Nor am I the powerful Rama. I am only a Brahmana, chief among warriors and supreme among those who have the knowledge of weapons. Through my preceptor’s grace, I have become skilled in the use of brahma and paurandara
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weapons. O warrior! Wait for a bit. I stand here today, to vanquish you in battle.” At these words, Radheya Karna withdrew from the battle, because the maharatha thought that Brahmana strength was invincible.

‘In another part of the arena, Shalya and Vrikodara, both warriors with great strength and knowledge of fighting, were engaged in battle. Calling out to each other, they fought like two mad and great elephants, striking each other with clenched fists and knees. For a while, they dragged each other around in the duel. Then the immensely powerful Bhima raised Shalya up with his arms and hurled him down on the ground. The Brahmanas began to laugh. Bhimasena, bull among men, surprised everyone.
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But though he hurled the powerful one on the ground, he did not kill him. When Shalya was thus hurled down by Bhima and Karna scared away, all the other kings were frightened and surrounded Vrikodara. They said, “These bulls among Brahmanas are supreme. Let us find out in what lineage they were born and where they live. Who can fight with Radheya Karna in battle except Rama, Drona, Sharadvata Kripa,
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Devaki’s son Krishna and Phalguni, the scorcher of enemies? Who can fight against Duryodhana and who can vanquish in battle the powerful Shalya, king of Madra and chief among warriors, except the brave Baladeva and Pandava Vrikodara? Therefore, let us desist
from this fight against the Brahmanas. Let us find out who they are and then we will happily fight with them again.” On witnessing Bhima’s feat, Krishna believed them to be Kunti’s sons. He gently restrained the assembled kings and said, “This lady has been won according to dharma.” Thereupon, those best of kings, skilled in battle, refrained from the fight and returned to their kingdoms, wonderstruck. Those who had assembled there went away, exclaiming that the Brahmanas had won the day and Panchali had become the wife of a Brahmana.

‘Surrounded by Brahmanas attired in the skins of deer and other animals, Bhimasena and Dhananjaya found it difficult to pass. Eventually, those radiant warriors among men freed themselves from the crowd, followed by Krishna. Their mother had been worried about various evils that might have occurred, since they were late in returning after begging for alms. She even thought that Dhritarashtra’s sons might have recognized and killed those bulls among the Kurus. Had some terrible rakshasas, versed with powers of maya and firm in their enmity, killed them? However, could the great-souled Vyasa’s predictions be wrong? Filled with love for her sons, these were the thoughts that occurred to Pritha. Then, late in the afternoon, Jishnu, in the company of many Brahmanas, entered with the Brahmana in the forefront,
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like the sun surrounded by clouds.’

Vaishampayana said, ‘Pritha’s two illustrious sons went to the potter’s house and to Pritha. With happiness in their hearts, those chiefs among men presented Yajnaseni and said, “See what alms we have got.” She was inside the house and without seeing her sons, replied, “Share it together.” Later, Kunti saw the lady and was miserable at what she had said.

‘She was anxious not to commit adharma and began to think about what might be done. She took the happy Yajnaseni by the hand and went to Yudhishthira and said, “This daughter of Drupada was presented to me as ‘alms’ your younger brothers had obtained. O king! O son! As I am in the habit of doing, but in ignorance, I said what I thought was proper, ‘Share it together.’ O bull among the Kurus! Now tell me how those instructions of mine don’t become a lie. How can the Panchala king’s daughter not be touched by adharma, committing that which hasn’t been done before?” Having been thus addressed by his mother, the wise king Yudhishthira, chief among the Kurus, sat for a while and thought.

‘He consoled Kunti and spoke to Dhananjaya. “O Pandava! You are the one who won Yajnaseni. It is proper that you should make this princess happy. Let the sacred fire be lit and offerings made. You should marry her in accordance with the proper rites.” Arjuna said, “O king of men! Since this is not the law that others accept, do not make me tread this path of adharma. You should marry her first, followed by the mighty-armed Bhima of wonderful deeds, then I, then Nakula after me and finally the energetic Sahadeva. O king! Vrikodara, I and the twins think that the lady should be yours. This is the state of affairs. After reflecting on it, please do what is appropriate, in accordance with dharma and fame and the welfare of the king of Panchala. Instruct us. We are all waiting for your command.” Then they all looked at the illustrious Krishna who was standing there. They looked at each other and sat down, her image in their hearts.