The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Vana Parva, Part 1
Religion
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Vana Parva, Part 1
Epic literature, Sanskrit
"Satyaki said, 'O Rama! this is not the time of lamentation; let us do
that which is proper and suited to the present occasion, although
Yudhishthira doth not speak a single word. Those who have persons to
look after their welfare do not undertake anything of themselves; they
have others to do their work, as Saivya and others did for Yayati.
Likewise, O Rama! those who have appointed functionaries to undertake
their work on their own responsibility, as the leaders of men, they may
be said to have real patrons, and they meet with no difficulty, like
helpless beings. How is it that when the sons of Pritha have for their
patrons these two men, Rama and Krishna, and the two others, Pradyumna
and Samva, together with myself,--these patrons being able to protect
all the three worlds,--how is it that the son of Pritha is living in the
wood with his brothers? It is fit that this very day the army of the
Dasarhas should march out, variously armed and with checkered mails. Let
Dhritarashtra's sons be overwhelmed with the forces of the Vrishnis and
let them go with their friends to the abode of the god of death. Let him
alone who wields the bow made of the horn (Krishna), thou alone, if
roused, wouldst be able to surround even the whole of this earth. I ask
thee to kill Dhritarashtra's son with all his men, as the great Indra,
the lord of the gods killed Vritra. Arjuna, the son of Pritha, is my
brother, and also my friend, and also my preceptor, and is like the
second self of Krishna. It is for this that men desire for a worthy son,
and that preceptor seeks a pupil who would contradict him not. It is for
this that the time is come for that excellent work, which is the best of
all tasks and difficult to perform. I shall baffle Duryodhana's volleys
of arms by my own excellent weapons. I shall overpower all in the field
of battle. I shall in my wrath cut off his head with my excellent
shafts, little inferior to snakes and poison and fire. And with the keen
edge of my sword, I shall forcibly sever his head from the trunk, in the
field of battle; then I shall kill his followers, and Duryodhana, and
all of Kuru's race. O son of Rohini! let the followers of Bhima look at
me with joy at their heart, when I shall keep up the weapons of war in
the field of battle, and when I shall go on slaying all the best
fighting men on the side of the Kurus, as at the end of time fire will
burn vast heaps of straw. Kripa and Drona and Vikarna and Karna are not
able to bear the keen arrows shot by Pradyumna. I know the power of
Arjuna's son--he conducts himself like the son of Krishna in the field
of battle. Let Samva chastise by the force of his arms Dussasana; let
him destroy by force Dussasana and his charioteer and his car. In the
field of battle when the son of Jamvavati becomes irresistible in fight,
there is nothing which can withstand his force. The army of the demon
Samvara was speedily routed by him when only a boy. By him was killed in
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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