SECTION CCXXIX
(Khandava-daha Parva continued)
"Vaisampayana said, 'Then Vibhatsu, the son
of Pandu, invoking his excellent weapons, prevented that shower of rain by
Indra, by means of a shower of his own weapons. And Arjuna of immeasurable soul
soon covered the forest of Khandava with innumerable arrows like the moon
covering the atmosphere with a thick fog. When the sky above that forest was
thus covered with the arrows of Arjuna no living creature could then escape
from below. And it so happened that while that forest was burning, Takshaka,
the chief of the Nagas, was not there, having gone at that time to the field of
Kurukshetra. But Aswasena, the mighty son of Takshaka, was there. He made great
efforts to escape from that fire; but confined by Arjuna's shafts he succeeded
not in finding a way. It was then that his mother, the daughter of a snake,
determined to save him by swallowing him first. His mother first swallowed his
head and then was swallowing his tail. And desirous of saving her son, the sea-snake
rose (up from the earth) while still employed in swallowing her son's tail. But
Arjuna as soon as he beheld her escaping, severed her head from her body by
means of a sharp and keen-edged arrow. Indra saw all this, and desiring to save
his friend's son, the wielder of the thunderbolt, by raising a violent wind,
deprived Arjuna of consciousness. During those few moments, Aswasena succeeded
in effecting his escape. Beholding that manifestation of the power of illusion,
and deceived by that snake, Arjuna was much enraged. He forthwith cut every
animal seeking to escape by the skies, into two, three, or more pieces. And Vibhatsu
in anger, and Agni, and Vasudeva also, cursed the snake that had escaped so
deceitfully, saying, 'Never shalt thou be famous!' And Jishnu remembering the
deception practised upon him, became angry, and covering the firmament with a
cloud of arrows, sought to fight with him of a thousand eyes. The chief of the
celestials also, seeing Arjuna in anger, sought to fight with him, and hurled
his own fierce weapons, covering the wide expanse of the firmament. Then the
winds, making a loud roar and agitating all the oceans, brought together masses
of clouds in the sky, charged with torrents of rain. Those masses of clouds
began to vomit thunder and terrible flashes of lightning charged with the
thunderclap. Then Arjuna possessing a knowledge of means, hurled the excellent
weapon called Vayavya with proper mantras to dispel those clouds. With that
weapon the energy and force of Indra's thunderbolt and of those clouds were
destroyed. And the torrents of rain with which those clouds were charged were
all dried up, and the lightning that played amongst them was also destroyed.
Within a moment the sky was cleared of dust and darkness, and a delicious, cool
breeze began to blow and the disc of the sun resumed its normal state. Then the
eater of clarified butter (Agni), glad because none could baffle him, assumed
various forms, and sprinkled over with the fat exuded by the bodies of
creatures, blazed forth with all his flames, filling the universe with his
roar. Then numerous birds of the Garuda tribe bearing excellent feathers,
beholding that the forest was protected by Krishna and Arjuna, descended filled
with pride, from the upper skies, desirous of striking those heroes with their
thunderlike wings, beaks and claws. Innumerable Nagas also, with faces emitting
fire descending from high, approached Arjuna, vomiting the most virulent poison
all the while. Beholding them approach, Arjuna cut them into pieces by means of
arrows steeped in the fire of his own wrath. Then those birds and snakes,
deprived of life, fell into the burning element below. And there came also,
desirous of battle, innumerable Asuras with Gandharvas and Yakshas and
Rakshasas and Nagas sending forth terrific yells. Armed with machines vomiting
from their throats (mouths?) iron balls and bullets, and catapults for
propelling huge stones, and rockets, they approached to strike Krishna and
Partha, their energy and strength increased by wrath. But though they rained a
perfect shower of weapons, Vibhatsu, addressing them reproachfully, struck off
their heads with his own sharp arrows. That slayer of foes, Krishna, also,
endued with great energy, made a great slaughter of the Daitya and the Danava
with his discus. Many Asuras of immeasurable might, pierced with Krishna's
arrows and smitten with the force of his discus, became motionless like waifs
and strays stranded on the bank by the violence of the waves. Then Sakra the
lord of the celestials, riding on his white elephant, rushed at those heroes,
and taking up his thunderbolt which could never go in vain, hurled it with
great force. And the slayer of Asuras said unto the gods, 'These two are
slain.' Beholding the fierce thunderbolt about to be hurled by their chief, the
celestials all took up their respective weapons. Yama, O king, took up the
death-dealing mace, and Kuvera his spiked club, and Varuna his noose and
beautiful missile. And Skanda (Kartikeya) took up his long lance and stood
motionless like the mountain of Meru. The Aswins stood there with resplendent
plants in their hands. Dhatri stood, bow in hand, and Jaya with a thick club.
Tvashtri of great strength took up in wrath, a huge mountain and Surya stood
with a bright dart, and Mrityu with a battle-axe. Aryaman stalked about with a
terrible bludgeon furnished with sharp spikes, and Mitra stood there with a
discus sharp as a razor. And, O monarch, Pusha and Bhaga and Savitri, in wrath,
rushed at Krishna and Partha with bows and scimitars in hand. And Rudras and
the Vasus, the mighty Maruts and the Viswedevas and the Sadhyas, all
resplendent with their own energy,--these and many other celestials, armed with
various weapons rushed against those exalted of men, Krishna and Partha, for
smiting them down. Then were seen in that great conflict wonderful portents all
around robbing every creature of his sense, and resembling those that appeared
at the time of the universal dissolution. But Arjuna and Krishna, fearless and
invincible in battle, beholding Sakra and the other celestials prepared for
fight, calmly waited, bows in hands. Skilled in battle, those heroes in wrath
assailed the advancing host of celestials with their own thunderlike arrows. The
celestials repeatedly routed by Krishna and Arjuna, at last left the field of
battle for fear and sought the protection of Indra. The Munis who were
witnessing the battle from the skies, beholding the celestials defeated by
Madhava and Arjuna, were filled with wonder. Sakra also repeatedly witnessing
their prowess in battle, became exceedingly gratified, and once more rushed to
the assault. The chastiser of Paka then caused a heavy shower of stones,
desiring to ascertain the prowess of Arjuna who was able to draw the bow even
with his left hand. Arjuna, in great wrath, dispelled with his arrows that
thick shower. Then he of a hundred sacrifices beholding that shower baffled,
once more caused a thicker shower of stones. But the son of the chastiser of Paka
(viz., Arjuna) gratified his father by baffling that shower also with his swift
arrows. Then Sakra, desirous of smiting down the son of Pandu, tore up with his
hands a large peak from Mandara, with tall trees on it, and hurled it against
him. But Arjuna divided that mountain-peak into a thousand pieces by his
swift-going and fire-mouthed arrows. The fragments of that mountain, in falling
through the skies, looked as if the sun and the moon and the planets, displaced
from their positions fell down on earth. That huge peak fell down upon that
forest and by its fall killed numerous living creatures that dwelt in
Khandava.'"
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