“Vaishampaayana said, ‘Then Bibhatsu (Arjuna), the son of Pandu, invoking his excellent weapons, prevented that
shower of rain by (Lord) Indra, by
means of a shower of his own weapons. 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. It
so happened that while that forest was burning, Takshaka, the chief of the Naagaas,
was not there, having gone at that time to the field of Kurukshetra.
“But Ashwasena, the mighty son of Takshaka, was there. He made great
efforts to escape from that fire; but restricted by Arjuna’s arrows he
succeeded not in finding a way. It was then that his mother, the daughter of a Naagaa,
determined to save him by swallowing him first. His mother first swallowed his
head and then was swallowing his tail. 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 saw her
escaping, cut her head from her body by means of a sharp and keen-edged arrow. (Lord) Indra saw all this, and desiring to save
his friend’s (Takshaka) son, the
wielder of Vajra (Lord Indra), by
raising a violent wind, deprived Arjuna of consciousness. During those few
moments, Ashwasena succeeded in achieving his escape.
“Looking that manifestation of the power of illusion (Maayaa in
Sanskrit), and deceived by that Naagaa,
Arjuna was much enraged. He immediately cut every animal seeking to escape by
the skies, into two, three, or more pieces. Bibhatsu (Arjuna) in anger, Agni and Vaasudeva (Sri
Krishna) also, cursed the Naagaa (Ashwasena) that had escaped so deceitfully, saying,
‘You shall never be famous!’ Jishnu (Arjuna) remembering the deception practised upon him, became angry, and
covering the sky with a cloud of arrows, sought to fight with Him of a thousand
eyes (Lord Indra). The chief of Devas
(Lord Indra) also, seeing Arjuna in
anger, sought to fight with Him, and hurled His own fierce weapons, covering
the wide area of the sky. Then Vaayu, making a loud roar and agitating all the
oceans, brought together masses of clouds in the sky, charged with outbursts 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 Vaayavya with proper mantras to eliminate those clouds. With that
weapon (Vaayavya), the energy and
force of (Lord) Indra’s Vajra and of
those clouds were destroyed. The torrents of rain with which those clouds were
charged were all dried up, and the lightning that played among 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 restrain him, assumed various forms, and
sprinkled over with the fat released 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, seeing
that the forest was protected by (Sri)
Krishna and Arjuna, descended filled with pride, from the upper skies, desirous
of striking those heroes with their thunderlike wings, beaks and claws.
Innumerable Naagaas also, with faces emitting fire descending from high,
approached Arjuna, vomiting the most venomous poison all the while. Looking
them approach, Arjuna cut them into pieces by means of arrows steeped in the
fire of his own anger. Then those birds and snakes, deprived of life, fell into
the burning element (Agni) below. Also,
there came, desirous of battle, innumerable Asuras with Gandharvas, Yakshas, Rakshasas
and Pannagaas sending forth terrific yells. Armed with machines vomiting from
their throats (mouths?) iron balls
and bullets, catapults for propelling huge stones, rockets, they approached to
strike (Sri) Krishna and Paartha (Arjuna), their energy and strength increased by anger.
But though they rained a perfect shower of weapons, Bibhatsu (Arjuna), addressing them disapprovingly, struck
off their heads with his own sharp arrows. That slayer of enemies, (Sri) Krishna, also, filled with great energy,
made a great slaughter of the Daitya and the Danava with his Chakra.
“Many Asuras of immeasurable might (Mahaa Tejaa in Sanskrit), pierced with (Sri) Krishna’s arrows and strikken with the
force of his Chakra, became motionless like neglected persons and strays
stranded on the bank by the violence of the waves. Then Shakra (Lord Indra), the lord of Devas, riding on His white
elephant, rushed at those heroes (Maheshwara in Sanskrit), and taking up His Vajra which could never
go in vain, hurled it with great force. The slayer of Asuras (Lord Indra) said to Devas, ‘These two are slain.’
“Looking the fierce Vajra about to be hurled by their chief (Lord
Indra), Devas all took up their
respective weapons. O king (Janamejaya),
Yama took up the death-dealing mace (Kaala Danda in Sanskrit), Kubera his spiked club (Shibikaa in
Sanskrit), and Varuna his noose (Paasha
in Sanskrit) and beautiful missile (Vichakra
in Sanskrit). Skanda (Lord Muruga) took up his long spear and stood
motionless like the mountain of Meru. The Ashwins (Ashwini Devas) stood there with glowing plants in their
hands. Dhaata stood, bow (Dhanu in Sanskrit) in hand, and Jaya with a thick club (Musala in Sanskrit). Tvashta of great strength took up in anger
– a huge mountain, Surya stood with a bright arrow, and Mrityu with a
battle-axe. Aryamaa approached about with a terrible bludgeon furnished with
sharp spikes, and Mitra stood there with a Chakra sharp as a razor (Kshura
in Sanskrit). O monarch (Janamejaya) – Pooshaa, Bhaga and Savita – in anger,
rushed at (Sri) Krishna and Paartha (Arjuna) with bows and swords in hand. Rudraas, Vasus,
the mighty Marutas, Vishwadevas and Saadhyas, all glowing with their own energy
-- these and many other Devas, armed with various weapons rushed against those noble
of men, (Sri) Krishna and Paartha (Arjuna), for striking them down.
“Then were seen in that great conflict wonderful omens all around
robbing every creature of his sense, and resembling those that appeared at the
time of the universal dissolution (Yugaanta in Sanskrit). But Arjuna and (Sri) Krishna, fearless and invincible in
battle, seeing Shakra and the other Devas prepared for fight, calmly waited,
bows in hands. Skilled in battle, those heroes in anger attacked the advancing army
of Devas with their own thunderlike arrows. Devas repeatedly routed by (Sri) Krishna and Arjuna, at last left the battlefield
for fear and sought the protection of (Lord) Indra. Munis who were witnessing the battle from the skies, seeing the
Devas defeated by Maadhava (Sri Krishna) and Arjuna, were filled with wonder. Shakra (Lord Indra) also repeatedly witnessing their prowess
in battle, became exceedingly satisfied, and once more rushed to the assault.
The punisher of Paaka (Lord Indra) then caused a heavy shower of stones, desiring to discover
the prowess of Arjuna who was able to draw the bow even with his left hand.
Arjuna, in great anger, eliminated with his arrows that thick shower. Then He
of a hundred yagnas (Lord Indra) seeing
that shower foiled, once more caused a thicker shower of stones. But the son of
the punisher of Paaka (viz., Arjuna)
satisfied his father by foiling that shower also with his swift arrows. Then Shakra
(Lord Indra), desirous of striking
down the Pandava (Arjuna), 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 (forest).’”
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