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
all of a sudden discharged his arrows on Pradyumna. Then the heroic and
mighty armed Pradyumna, sorely pierced by his adversary about his
throat, was enfeebled on his car. And, O mighty king, wounding the son
of Rukmini, Salwa sent up a shout like unto the roar of a lion, and
filling the entire earth with it! And, O Bharata, when my son became
senseless, Salwa, without losing a moment, again discharged at him other
shafts difficult to bear. And pierced with numberless arrows and
deprived of his senses, Pradyumna, O chief of the Kuru race, became
motionless on the field of battle!'"
SECTION XVIII
"Vasudeva continued, 'O king, afflicted with the arrows of Salwa, when
Pradyumna became senseless the Vrishnis who had come to the fight were
all disheartened and filled with grief! And the combatants of the
Vrishni and Andhaka races burst into exclamations of _Oh!_ and _Alas!_
while great joy was felt by the enemy and beholding him thus deprived of
sense, his trained charioteer, the son of Daruka, soon carried him off
the field by the help of his steeds. The car had not gone far when that
best of warriors regained his senses, and taking up his bow addressed
his charioteer, saying, "O son of the Suta tribe, what hast thou done?
Why dost thou go leaving the field of battle? This is not the custom of
the Vrishni heroes in battle! O son of a Suta, hast thou been bewildered
at the sight of a Salwa in that fierce encounter? Or hast thou been
disheartened, beholding the fight? O! tell me truly thy mind!" The
charioteer answered, "O son of Janardana, I have not been confounded,
nor hath fear taken possession of me. On the other hand, O son of
Kesava, the task, I ween, of vanquishing Salwa is difficult for thee!
Therefore, O hero, I am slowly retiring from the field. This wretch is
stronger than thou art! It behoveth a charioteer to protect the warrior
on the car, however, when he is deprived of his senses! O thou gifted
with length of days, thou shouldst always be protected by me, even as it
behoveth thee to protect me! Thinking that the warrior on the car should
always be protected (by his charioteer), I am carrying thee away!
Further, O thou of mighty arms, thou art alone, while the Danavas are
many. Thinking, O son of Rukmini, that thou art not equal to them in the
encounter, I am going away!"'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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