Mahabharata Vol. 6 (Penguin Translated Texts) (23 page)

‘“O lord of the earth! On seeing him in this state, your sons and the soldiers were delighted in their minds and repeatedly roared like lions. O king! O descendant of the Bharata lineage! On hearing this terrible roar and on seeing that Madhava was thus oppressed, Yudhishthira spoke to all the soldiers. ‘This brave Satyaki, the performer of truthful deeds, is supreme among the Vrishni lineage. He is being devoured in the battle by the brave one,
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like the sun by Rahu. Go quickly to the spot where Satyaki is fighting.’ The lord of men spoke to Dhrishtadyumna from Panchala. ‘O Parshata! Attack Drona quickly. Why are you waiting? Can you not see the terrible danger that confronts us because of Drona? This Drona is a great archer. In the battle, he is playing with Yuyudhana, like a child with a bird that is tied to a string. Let the rathas go there, with Bhimasena at the forefront, and with all of you, towards Satyaki’s chariot. I will follow you, with my soldiers. Satyaki must be rescued now. He is within the jaws of death.’ Having spoken in this way, for Yuyudhana’s sake, the king and all the Pandava soldiers attacked Drona in that battle. O fortunate one! The Pandavas and all the Srinjayas raised a great roar there, as they fought with the single-handed Drona.

‘“Those tigers among men united against the maharatha who was Bharadvaja’s son. They showered down sharp arrows, tufted with the feathers of herons, peacocks and hawks. However, Drona smiled and received all those brave ones himself, like receiving guests who have arrived, with seats and water. O king! Bharadvaja’s archer son tormented them with arrows, as if offering hospitality to guests who have arrived in a house. O lord! None of them were
capable of looking at Bharadvaja’s son. He was like the one with a thousand rays
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when it is midday. Drona, supreme among those who wield weapons, scorched all those great archers with the storm of his arrows, like the sun with its rays. O king! The Pandavas and the Srinjayas were slaughtered in that battle and could see no protector, like an elephant that is immersed in mud. Drona was seen to release great arrows. They travelled in the sky and scorched all the directions, like the sun. Twenty-five Panchalas were killed by Drona. They were all famous as maharathas and had been honoured by Dhrishtadyumna. All the soldiers of the Pandus and the Panchalas saw Drona kill the best of brave warriors. O great king! Having killed one hundred Kekayas and routed them in all the directions, Drona was like Death with a gaping mouth. The mighty-armed Drona defeated hundreds and thousands of Panchalas, Srinjayas, Matsyas, Kekayas and Pandavas. They were pierced by Drona’s arrows and emitted a mighty sound, like the residents of a forest when the forest is consumed by a fire.
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O king! The gods, the gandharvas and the ancestors said, ‘The Panchalas and the Pandavas are being driven away, with all their soldiers.’ When Drona thus slaughtered the Somakas in the encounter, no one dared to advance against him in the battle and no one could pierce him.

‘“While that terrible destruction of the best of brave ones was going on, Partha
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suddenly heard the sound of Panchajanya being blown. Blown by Vasudeva, that king of conch shells emitted a terrible blare. As the brave ones who were protecting Saindhava fought and the sons of Dhritarashtra roared and advanced towards Vijaya’s chariot,
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the twang of Gandiva could not be heard in any direction. The Pandava king lost his senses and thought, ‘There is no doubt that Partha is not well, since the king of conch shells is blaring. The Kouravas are repeatedly roaring in delight.’ Having thought in
this way, Ajatashatru became anxious. Kounteya repeatedly spoke to Satvata, as if he was bereft of his senses and in a voice choking with tears.

‘“He thought about everything that should be done next and spoke to Shini’s descendant, the bull of the Shini lineage. ‘O Shini’s descendant! There is an eternal dharma that has been indicated by the virtuous ones from ancient times and this is for well-wishers who are in distress. That time has now arrived. O bull among the Shini lineage! O Satyaki! Having considered all the warriors and having thought about it, I do not know of a greater well-wisher than you. You have always been affectionate towards us. You have always been devoted to us. It is my view that it is such a person who must be used in times of distress. Keshava has always been the refuge of the Pandavas. O Varshneya! You have also been like that and you are Krishna’s equal in valour. I will impose this burden on you and you should not refuse me. You should never act contrary to my intentions. He
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is your brother and your friend. He is your preceptor in battle.
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O bull among men! Perform this hardship to help Arjuna. You are devoted to the truth. You are brave. You free your friends from fear. You are famous in the worlds. O brave one! You are the performer of deeds. You are truthful in speech. O Shini’s descendant! One who gives up his body while fighting for his friends, is the equal of someone who has followed the proper rites and has donated the entire earth to brahmanas. We have heard of many kings who have ascended to heaven, after having followed the proper rites and having donated the entire earth to brahmanas. You have dharma in your soul. I am begging you, with my hands joined in salutation. O lord! Obtain fruits that are the equal of donating the earth, or something higher. There is one named Krishna who is always the dispeller of the fears of his friends and is ready to give up his life in battle.
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O Satyaki! You are the second such. Desiring fame, it is only a brave one who can provide succour to a brave one in battle. O Madhava!
In times of supreme hardship like this, it is only a brave one who can be an aide, not an ordinary person. There is no one other than you who can protect Vijaya in battle. Pandava has boasted about your hundreds of deeds and has talked about them repeatedly, creating delight in me. “He is dexterous in using weapons.
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He is a colourful fighter. There is lightness in his valour. He is wise in all weapons. He is brave. He does not get confused in battle. He is broad in the shoulders. He is broad in the chest. He is mighty-armed. He wields a giant bow. He is immensely strong. He is immensely valorous. He is great-souled. He is a maharatha. He is my student. He is my friend. I love him and he loves me. Yuyudhana will be my aide and will crush the Kouravas. O Indra among kings! O great king! Even if Keshava, Rama,
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Aniruddha,
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maharatha Pradyumna, Gada,
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Samba
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and all the Vrishnis armour themselves for our sake and seek to help us in the forefront of the battle, I will appoint Shini’s descendant, that tiger among men, for whom truth is his valour, as our aide. There is no one else who is his equal.” O son!
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This is what Dhananjaya told me in Dvaitavana, when you were not present. He recounted your qualities in an assembly of noble ones. O Varshneya! You should not belie the expectations of Dhananjaya, Bhima, or me. While on the visit to the
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s, I had gone to Dvaraka. There, I had witnessed your devotion to Arjuna. O Shini’s descendant! While we were in Upaplavya, I did not witness in anyone else the affection of heart towards us that you possessed. You have been born in a noble lineage. You are devoted to us. You are your preceptor’s friend. O Madhava! You are a well-wisher. You are brave. You have been born in a noble lineage! O mighty-armed one! You are truthful. Show compassion towards Partha. O great archer! You should act in a deserving way. Suyodhana was armoured by Drona and has
suddenly gone towards Vijaya, where the Kourava maharathas had gone earlier. A great sound can be heard there. O Shini’s descendant! O Madhava! You should swiftly go there. If Drona advances against you, Bhimasena and we, and all our soldiers, will prepare ourselves and counter him. O Shini’s descendant! Behold. The soldiers of the Bharatas are being routed in the battle and as they are running away in the encounter, are uttering sounds of woe. It is like the ocean on the night of the new or full moon, driven by the force of the great wind. O son! The army of the sons of Dhritarashtra is being scattered by Savyasachi. Chariots, men and horses are quickly running away. The dust raised by the soldiers is spreading everywhere. The brave Phalguna, the destroyer of enemy heroes, has been surrounded by the brave Sindhus and the Souviras, who are fighting with nails and lances, and is severely afflicted. Without countering these forces, it is impossible to kill Jayadratha. All of them are prepared to give up their lives for Saindhava’s sake. There is a forest of arrows, spears and standards. There are large numbers of horses and elephants. Behold. The forces of the sons of Dhritarashtra are extremely difficult to assail. Hear the roar of the drums and the magnificent sound of conch shells. They are roaring like lions and there is the clatter of chariot wheels. Hear the sounds of the elephants and thousands of infantry. Listen. The earth is trembling because the riders are running. Saindhava’s array is in front of him and Drona’s array is at the rear. O tiger among men! There are so many that even Indra of the gods would be afflicted. He is immersed in an unlimited force and may lose his life. If he is killed in the battle, how can someone like me remain alive? Even if I were to obtain everything, life would be a hardship. Gudakesha is dark and young. Pandava is handsome. He possesses weapons. He is colourful in fighting. O son! The mighty-armed one has penetrated the army of the Bharatas at the time of sunrise. The day is almost over. O Varshneya! I do not know whether he is alive or not. This army of the Kurus is as large as an ocean. O son! The mighty-armed Bibhatsu has penetrated the army of the Bharatas alone and in a great battle, even the gods are incapable of resisting it. In today’s battle, my mind does not know what to do. Drona is violent in the battle and is oppressing my forces. O mighty-
armed one! You can see how that brahmana is roaming around. When several tasks present themselves, you are skilled in knowing which should be done. O Madhava! You should do what is the most important. You have always known which among several tasks should be performed first. In this battle, it is my view that Arjuna’s rescue is the immediate task. I do not sorrow over Dasharha. He is the protector and the lord of the universe. O son! O tiger among men! Even if the three worlds assemble together in battle, he is capable of withstanding them and defeating them, not to speak of this extremely weak force of the sons of Dhritarashtra. I tell you this truthfully. O Varshneya! But Arjuna is afflicted by many warriors. He may give up his life in the battle and that is the reason I am distressed. Therefore, follow in his footsteps. That is the way someone like you must tread at a time like this, especially when you are urged by someone like me. In a battle, among the foremost ones of the Vrishni lineage, two have been said to be atirathas. These are the mighty-armed Pradyumna and the illustrious Satvata.
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You are equal to Narayana in weapons and equal to Samkarshana
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in strength. O tiger among men! You are Dhananjaya’s equal in valour. You surpass Bhishma and Drona and all those who are skilled in fighting. In this world, the virtuous ones have spoken of you as a tiger among men. O Madhava! It has been said that there is nothing in the world that Satyaki cannot perform. O immensely strong one! Therefore, do what I am asking you to do. You should do what all the worlds and both the Parthas
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are asking you to do. O mighty-armed one! You should not act contrary to those wishes. Give up your beloved life in this battle and roam around like a brave one. O Shini’s descendant! Those from the Dasharha lineage do not seek to protect their lives in battle. Staying in a battle without fighting and running away—those paths followed by cowards are not followed by those of the Dasharha lineage. O son! Arjuna is your preceptor. O bull among the Shini lineage! You have dharma in your soul.
Vasudeva is your senior and so is the intelligent Partha. Knowing of both these reasons,
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I am addressing these words to you. Do not disregard my words. I am senior to your seniors and this is approved of by both Vasudeva and Arjuna. I am telling you this truthfully. Go to the spot where Dhananjaya is. O one for whom truth is valour! Follow these words of mine. O son! Penetrate the forces of the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra. Having penetrated in the proper way, encounter those maharathas. O Satvata! In the battle, display the deeds that are worthy of your own self.’”’

‘Sanjaya said, “Those words were full of affection. They were sweet as honey. They were appropriate to the occasion. They were colourful and were addressed by Dharmaraja himself. On hearing those words, Satyaki, bull among the Shini lineage, spoke to Yudhishthira, foremost among the Bharata lineage. ‘O unblemished one! I have heard all your words. They are just, colourful, for Phalguna’s benefit and conducive to fame. O Indra among kings! At times like this, it is appropriate for you to command someone like me, who is in front of you.
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It is exactly as you have said. I am just like Partha to you. For Dhananjaya’s sake, I have never sought to preserve my own life. Instructed by you, what will I not do in this great battle? O Indra among men! If instructed by you, I will fight the three worlds, with all the gods, asuras and men, not to speak of this extremely weak force of Duryodhana’s. O king! In this battle today, I will fight with them in every direction and conquer them. I am telling you this truthfully. I will be safe and will also reach Dhananjaya, who is also safe. O king! After Jayadratha has been killed, I will return before you again. O lord of men! However, I must tell you all the
words that were spoken by Vasudeva and the intelligent Phalguna. In the midst of all the soldiers and in Vasudeva’s hearing, Arjuna repeatedly and firmly instructed me. “O Madhava! Today, it is your task to protect the king earnestly. O noble one! Set your mind on fighting, until I have killed Jayadratha. O mighty-armed one! Having handed over the king to you and to maharatha Pradyumna, I am going undistractedly towards Jayadratha. You know that Drona is violent in battle and is regarded as the best. O Madhava! You also know about the pledge that he has taken in everyone’s hearing. Bharadvaja’s son has promised to capture Dharmaraja in battle. Drona is capable of afflicting Yudhishthira in the battle. Having entrused the task of protecting Dharmaraja, supreme among men, to you, I am going today to kill Saindhava. O Madhava! It is certain that I will return after killing Jayadratha. Ensure that Drona does not forcibly capture Dharmaraja in the battle. O Madhava! If the foremost among men is seized by Bharadvaja’s son, I will obtain no delight from having slain Saindhava. If the truthful Pandava, foremost among men, is seized, it is evident that we will have to go to the forest again. If the angry Drona captures Yudhishthira in the battle, it is evident that my victory will obtain no success. O mighty-armed one! O Madhava! For the sake of doing that which will bring me pleasure, and for the sake of victory and fame, protect the king in the battle.” You have been given to me as a trust by Savyasachi. O lord! You can see that there is always a fear because of Bharadvaja’s son. O mighty-armed one! O lord! In this battle, with the exception of Rukmini’s son,
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I do not see anyone who is capable of withstanding him. In an encounter, I am regarded as a match for Bharadvaja’s intelligent son. I cannot act against that reputation or against the words of my preceptor. I cannot leave you. O lord of the earth! The preceptor
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is light in hand and is clad in impenetrable armour. If he approaches you in the battle, he will toy with you, like a child with a bird. Had Krishna’s son
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been here, with the makara on his banner and with the bow
in his hand, I would have handed you over to him and he would have protected you, like Arjuna. Protect yourself. Who will protect you when I am gone? When I go to Pandava, who will advance against Drona in the battle? O king! You should not have any fear on Arjuna’s account. The mighty-armed one does not suffer from any burden. There are warriors from the north, the Souviras, the Saindhavas and the Pouravas. There are other maharathas from the south, with Karna at the forefront. O king! They are famous as the best of rathas. But before an angry Arjuna, they do not amount to one of sixteen kalas.
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O king! Even if the entire earth were to rise up against him, with all the gods, asuras, humans, masses of rakshasas, kinnaras,
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giant serpents, together with all the mobile and immobile objects, they are incapable of withstanding Partha in battle. O great king! Knowing this, banish any fear on Dhananjaya’s account. Where those two brave and great archers, the two Krishnas who have truth for their valour, exist, there is nothing that can stand against what they wish to do. They are divine. They are skilled in the use of weapons. They possess yoga. They are intolerant in battle. Think of the gratefulness and compassion of your brother. I will go towards Arjuna, as you have asked me to. O king! Drona is wonderful in the use of weapons in battle. Think about that. O king! The preceptor is extremely keen to capture you. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! I have to protect my pledge. I have to protect my truth. Who will protect you when I am gone? O Partha! Without handing over your protection to someone, how can I go towards Phalguna? O great king! I cannot leave you unprotected in this great battle. O Kouravya! How can I do that? I am telling you this truthfully. O supreme among those who possess intelligence! Use your intelligence to reflect on this in many ways. Use your intelligence to determine what is most beneficial. O king! Then instruct me accordingly.’