The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Adi Parva
Religion
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Adi Parva
Epic literature, Sanskrit
"'It was then, O king, that mighty car-warrior, king Salya of immeasurable
prowess, from behind summoned Bhishma, the son of Santanu, to an encounter.
And desirous of obtaining the maidens, he came upon Bhishma like a mighty
leader of a herd of elephants rushing upon another of his kind, and
tearing with his tusks the latter's hips at the sight of a female elephant
in heat. And Salya of mighty arms, moved by wrath addressed Bhishma and
said, "Stay, Stay." Then Bhishma, that tiger among men, that grinder of
hostile armies, provoked by these words, flamed up in wrath like a blazing
fire. Bow in hand, and brow furrowed into wrinkles, he stayed on his car,
in obedience to Kshatriya usage having checked its course in expectation
of the enemy. All the monarchs seeing him stop, stood there to become
spectators of the coming encounter between him and Salya. The two then
began to exhibit their prowess (upon each other) like roaring bulls of
great strength at the sight of a cow in rut. Then that foremost of men,
king Salya covered Bhishma, the son of Santanu with hundreds and thousands
of swift-winged shafts. And those monarchs seeing Salya thus covering
Bhishma at the outset with innumerable shafts, wondered much and uttered
shouts of applause. Beholding his lightness of hand in combat, the crowd
of regal spectators became very glad and applauded Salya greatly. That
subjugator of hostile towns, Bhishma, then, on hearing those shouts of the
Kshatriyas, became very angry and said, "Stay, Stay." In wrath, he
commanded his charioteer, saying, "Lead thou my car to where Salya is, so
that I may slay him instantly as Garuda slays a serpent." Then the Kuru
chief fixed the Varuna weapon on his bow-string, and with it afflicted the
four steeds of king Salya. And, O tiger among kings, the Kuru chief, then,
warding off with his weapons those of his foe, slew Salya's charioteer.
Then that first of men, Bhishma, the son of Santanu, fighting for the sake
of those damsels, slew with the Aindra weapon the noble steeds of his
adversary. He then vanquished that best of monarchs but left him with his
life. O bull of Bharata's race, Salya, after his defeat, returned to his
kingdom and continued to rule it virtuously. And O conqueror of hostile
towns, the other kings also, who had come to witness the self-choice
ceremony returned to their own kingdoms.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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