Mahabharata (English)

by Kisari Mohan Ganguli | 2,566,952 words | ISBN-10: 8121505933

The English translation of the Mahabharata is a large text describing ancient India. It is authored by Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa and contains the records of ancient humans. Also, it documents the fate of the Kauravas and the Pandavas family. Another part of the large contents, deal with many philosophical dialogues such as the goals of life. Book...

Section CXCVI

[Sanjaya finishes his narration started at section CLXVI]

"Sanjaya said,

'When the night passed away and morning came, your sons once more, in the midst of all the troops, asked their grandsire, saying,

'O son of Ganga, this army that is ready for fight, of Pandu’s son, that abounds with men, elephants, and steeds, that is crowded with Maharathas, that is protected by these mighty bowmen endued with great strength, viz., Bhima and Arjuna and others headed by Dhrishtadyumna and all resembling the very regents of the world, that is invincible and incapable of being withstood, that resembles the unbounded sea,—this sea of warriors incapable of being agitated by the very gods in battle, in how many days, O son of Ganga, O you of great effulgence, canst you annihilate it, and in what time can that mighty bowman, our preceptor (Drona), in what time also the mighty Kripa, in what time Karna who takes a pleasure in battle, and in what time that best of Brahmanas, viz., the son of Drona, can each annihilate it? You that are in my army are all acquainted with celestial weapons! I desire to know this, for the curiosity I feel in my heart is great! O you of mighty arms, it behoves you to say this to me!'

"Bhishma said,

'O foremost one of the Kurus, O lord of the earth, you enquirest about the strength and weakness of the foe. This, indeed, is worthy of you. Listen, O king, as I tell you the utmost limit of my power in battle, or of the energy of my weapons, or of the might of my arms, O you of mighty arms! As regards ordinary combatants, one should fight with them artlessly. As regards those that are possessed of powers of deception, one should fight with them aided by the ways of deception. Even this is what has been laid down in respect of the duties of warriors.

I can annihilate the Pandava army, O blessed monarch, taking every morning ten thousand (ordinary) warriors and one thousand car-warriors as my share from day to day. Cased in mail and always exerting myself actively, I can, O Bharata, annihilate this large force, according to this arrangement as regards both number and time. If, however, stationed in battle, I shoot my great weapons that slay hundreds and thousands at a time, then I can, O Bharata, finish the slaughter in a month.'

"Sanjaya continued,

'Hearing these words of Bhishma, king Duryodhana then asked Drona, O monarch, that foremost one of Angira’s race, saying,

'O preceptor, in what time canst you annihilate the troops of Pandu’s son?'

Thus addressed by him, Drona said smilingly,

'I am old, O mighty-armed one! My energy and activity have both become weak. With the fire of my weapons I can consume the army of the Pandavas, like Santanu’s son Bhishma, I think, in a month’s time. Even this is the limit of my power, even this is the limit of my strength.'

Then Saradvat’s son Kripa said that he could annihilate the foe in two month’s time. Dronas son (Asvatthaman) pledged himself to annihilate the Pandava army in ten nights, Karna, however, acquainted as he was with weapons of high efficacy, pledged himself to achieve that feat in five days.

Hearing the words of the Suta’s son the son of the ocean-going (Ganga) laughed aloud and said,

'As long, O son of Radha, as you encounterest not in battle Partha with his arrows, conch, and bows and rushing to the combat on his car with Vasudeva in his company, so long mayest you think so! Why, you are capable of saying anything, even what you pleasest!'"

Conclusion:

This concludes Section CXCVI of Book 5 (Udyoga Parva) of the Mahabharata, of which an English translation is presented on this page. This book is famous as one of the Itihasa, similair in content to the eighteen Puranas. Book 5 is one of the eighteen books comprising roughly 100,000 Sanskrit metrical verses.

FAQ (frequently asked questions):

Which keywords occur in Section CXCVI of Book 5 of the Mahabharata?

The most relevant definitions are: Drona, Sanjaya, Ganga, Bhishma, Pandava, Kripa; since these occur the most in Book 5, Section CXCVI. There are a total of 26 unique keywords found in this section mentioned 42 times.

What is the name of the Parva containing Section CXCVI of Book 5?

Section CXCVI is part of the Uluka Dutagamana Parva which itself is a sub-section of Book 5 (Udyoga Parva). The Uluka Dutagamana Parva contains a total of 39 sections while Book 5 contains a total of 4 such Parvas.

Can I buy a print edition of Section CXCVI as contained in Book 5?

Yes! The print edition of the Mahabharata contains the English translation of Section CXCVI of Book 5 and can be bought on the main page. The author is Kisari Mohan Ganguli and the latest edition (including Section CXCVI) is from 2012.

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