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
also, I set out on my car unto which were yoked the horses _Saivya_, and
_Sugriva_, filling all sides with the clatter (of my wheels) and blowing
that best of conchs, the _Panchajanya_! And, O king, O tiger among men,
accompanied by my redoubted and victorious army consisting of the four
kinds of the forces so persevering in battle, I set out. And leaving
many countries, and mountains, crowned with trees, and pieces of water,
and streams, I at last arrived at the country of Matrikavarta. It is
there, O thou tiger among men, that I heard that Salwa was coursing on
his car of precious metals near the ocean, and I followed in his
pursuit. And, O thou slayer of thy foes, having reached the main, Salwa
on his car of costly metals was in the midst of the deep heaving with
billows! And on seeing me from a distance, O Yudhishthira, that one of
wicked soul himself challenged me repeatedly to the fight. And many
arrows capable of piercing to the quick, discharged from my bow reached
not his car. And at this I was wroth! And, O king, that essentially
sinful wretch of a Daitya's son of irrepressible energy, on his part
began to shoot thousand upon thousands of arrows in torrents! And, O
Bharata, he rained shafts upon my soldiers and upon my charioteer and
upon my steeds! But without thinking of the shafts, we continued the
conflict. Then the warriors following Salwa poured on me straight arrows
by thousands. And the Asuras covered my horses and my car and Daruka
with arrows capable of piercing the very vitals. And, O hero, I could
not at that time see either my horses, or my car, or my charioteer
Daruka! And I with my army was covered with weapons. And, O son of
Kunti, superhumanly skilled in weapons, I also let fly from my bow
arrows by tens of thousands, inspiring them with _mantras_! But as that
car of costly metals was in the sky, full two miles off, it could not, O
Bharata, be seen by my troops. They could therefore only remaining on
the field of battle look on like spectators in a place of amusement,
cheering me on by shouts loud as the roar of the lion, and also by the
sound of their clapping. And the tinted arrows shot by the fore-part of
hand penetrated into the bodies of the Danavas like biting insects. And
then arose cries in the car of precious metals from those that were
dying of wounds by those sharp arrows and falling into the waters of the
mighty ocean. And the Danavas deprived of their arms, necks, and wearing
the form of _Kavandhas_,--fell, sending up tremendous roars. And as they
fell they were devoured by animals living in the waters of the ocean.
And then I powerfully blew the _Panchajanya_ obtained from the waters
and graceful as the lotus-stalk and white as milk or the _Kunda_ flower
or the moon or silver. And seeing his soldiers fall, Salwa the possessor
of the car of precious metals, began to fight with the help of illusion.
And then he began to ceaselessly hurl at me maces, and ploughshares, and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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