Section CXCIX

"Dhritarashtra said,

'That illustrious person who had duly studied the Vedas with all their branches, he, in whom the entire science of arms and modesty had dwelt, he through whose grace many foremost of men are still capable of achieving superhuman feats which the very gods cannot achieve with care, alas, when he, viz., that Drona, that son of a great Rishi was insulted in the sight of all by the low, wicked, mean minded and sinful Dhrishtadyumna, that slayer of his own preceptor, was there no Kshatriya who felt called upon to display his wrath? Fie on the Kshatriya order, and fie on wrath itself! Tell me, O Sanjaya, what the sons of Pritha, as also all the other royal bowmen in the world, hearing of Drona’s slaughter, said unto the prince of Pancala.'

"Sanjaya said,

'Hearing these words of Drupada’s son, of crooked deeds, all the persons present there, O monarch, remained perfectly silent. Arjuna, however, casting oblique glances upon Prishata’s son, seemed, with tears and sighs, to reproach him, saying, 'Fie, fie.' Yudhishthira and Bhima and the twins and Krishna and the others stood bashfully. Satyaki, however, O king, said these words, 'Is there no man here that would, without delay, slay this sinful wight, this lowest of men, who is uttering such evil speeches? The Pandavas are all condemning you for this sinful act of thine, like Brahmanas condemning a person of the Candala class.

Having committed such a heinous act, having incurred the censures of all honest men, art you not ashamed to open your lips in the midst of such a respectable assembly? O despicable wretch, why did not your tongue and head split into a hundred fragments while you were about to slay your own preceptor? Why were you not struck down by that act of sin? Since, having perpetrated such a sinful act, again applauding thyself in the midst of human beings, you incurrest the censures of the Parthas and all the Andhakas and the Vrishnis. Having perpetrated such an atrocious act, you are again displaying such hatred towards the preceptor. For this you deserves death at our hands. There is no use in keeping you alive for even a single moment.

Who is there, save you, O wretch, that would cause the death of the virtuous preceptor, seizing him by his locks? Having obtained you, O wretch, your ancestors, for seven generations and your descendants also for seven generations, deprived of fame, have sunk into hell, You have charged Partha, that bull among men, with the slaughter of Bhishma. The latter, however, viz., that illustrious personage, himself accomplished his own death. Truly speaking, the uterine brother, (viz., Sikhandin), that foremost of all sinners, was the cause of Bhishma’s death. There is none in the world that is more sinful than the sons of the Pancala king. Your father had created Sikhandin for the destruction of Bhishma. As regards Arjuna, he had only, protected Sikhandin while Sikhandin became the cause of the illustrious Bhishma’s death.

Having got you that is condemned by all righteous men, and your brother, amongst them, the Pancalas have fallen off from righteousness, and stained with meanness, have become haters of friends and preceptors. If you again speakest such words in my presence, I shall then break with this mace of mine that is as strong as the thunderbolt. Beholding you that art the slayer of a Brahmana, since you are guilty of nothing less than the slaughter of a Brahmana., people have to look at the sun for purifying themselves. You wretch of a Pancala, O you of wicked conduct, speaking all of my preceptor first and then of my preceptor’s preceptor, art you not ashamed?^[1] Wait, wait! Bear you but one stroke of this my mace! I myself will bear many strokes of thine.' Thus rebuked by the Satwata hero, Prishata’s son, filled with rage, smilingly addressed the angry Satyaki in these harsh words.'

"Dhrishtadyumna said,

'I have heard your words, O you of Madhu’s race, but I have forgiven you. Being thyself unrighteous and sinful, desirest you to rebuke them that are righteous and honest? Forgiveness is applauded in the world. Sin, however, does not deserve forgiveness. He that is of sinful soul regards the forgiving person powerless. You are a wretch in your behaviour. You are of sinful soul. You are wedded to unrighteousness. You are censurable in every respect, from the tip of your toe to the end of their hair. Desirest you still to speak ill of others? What can be more sinful than that act of thine, viz., your slaughter of the armless Bhurisravas while sitting in Praya, although you were with the aid of celestial weapons. He had laid aside his weapons and I slew him.

O you of crooked heart, what is there in that act that is improper? How can he, O Satyaki, blame such an act who himself has in Praya like an ascetic, and whose arms had been cut off by another? That valiant enemy of thine had displayed his prowess having struck you with his foot and thrown you down on the earth. Why didst you not then slay him, showing your manliness? When Partha, however, had already vanquished him, it was then that you, acting most unrighteously, didst kill the brave and valiant Somadatta’s son. When Drona had sought to rout the forces of the Pandavas, then I proceeded, shooting thousands of arrows.

Having thyself acted in such a way, like a Candala, and having thyself become worthy of reproach, desirest you to reproach me in such harsh words? You are a perpetrator of evil deeds, and not I, O wretch the Vrishni race! You are the abode of all sinful deeds. Do not again blame me. Be silent. It behoves you. Don't say anything unto me after this. This is the reply I give you with my lips. Don't say anything more. If, from folly, you repeatest such harsh words, I shall then, in battle, despatch you, with my arrows, to Yama’s abode. By righteousness alone, O fool, one cannot vanquish his enemies. Listen now to the unrighteous acts of the Kurus also.

Pandu’s son, Yudhishthira was some time back unrighteously deceived by them. O Satyaki, Draupadi also was persecuted by them unrighteously. The Pandavas, with Krishna in their company, were also exiled and they were robbed of their all, O fool, most unrighteously. By an act of unrighteousness, again, has the ruler of the Madras been withdrawn from us by the enemy. By an act of unrighteousness also was the son of Subhadra slain. On this side, it was by an act of unrighteousness that Bhishma, the Kuru grandsire, was slain. Bhurisravas, too, was, by an act of unrighteousness, slain by you that art so acquainted with righteousness. Even thus have the enemy, as also the Pandavas, acted in this battle. Possessed of courage and acquainted with morality, all of them, O Satwata, have acted thus, for gaining victory. High morality is difficult of ascertainment. Similarly, immorality also can with difficulty be comprehended. Fight now with the Kauravas, without returning to the home of your fathers.'

"Sanjaya continued,

'Hearing these harsh and cruel words (from Dhrishtadyumna’s lips), the blessed Satyaki began to tremble from head to foot. With rage his eyes assumed the hue of copper. Keeping his bow then upon his car, he grasped his mace, sighing like a Snake. Rushing, then, towards the prince of the Pancalas, he said unto him in great wrath, 'I will not speak harshly to you, but I will slay you, deserving as you are of slaughter.'

Seeing the mighty Satyaki rushing, from wrath and desire of revenge, at the Pancala prince, like Yama against one like his own self, the mighty Bhima, urged by Vasudeva, quickly jumped down from his car and seized him with his arms. Endued with great strength, Satyaki, who was rushing in great wrath, proceeded for a few steps, forcibly dragging after him the mighty son of Pandu who was endeavouring to hold him back. Then Bhima firmly planting his feet stopped at the sixth step that foremost of strong men, viz., that bull of Sini’s race.

Then Sahadeva, O king, jumping down from his own car, addressed Satyaki, thus held fast by the strong arms of Bhima, in these words,

'O tiger among men, O you of Madhu’s race, we have no friends dearer to us than the Andhakas, the Vrishnis and the Pancalas. So also the Andhakas and the Vrishnis, particularly Krishna, cannot have any friends dearer than ourselves. The Pancalas, also, O you of Vrishni’s race, even if they search the whole world to the confines of the sea, have no friends dearer to them than the Pandavas and the Vrishnis. You are even such a friend to this prince; and he also is a similar friend to you. You all are to us even as we are to you. Acquainted as you are with all duties, remembering now the duties you owest to friends, restrain this wrath of thine, that has the prince of the Pancalas for its object. Be calm, O foremost one of Sini’s race! Forgive the son of Prishata, and let Prishata’s son also forgive you. Ourselves also will practise forgiveness. What is there that is better than forgiveness?'

"While the scion of Sini, O sire, was thus being pacified by Sahadeva, the son of the Pancala king, smiling, said these words, 'Release Sini’s grandson, O Bhima who is so proud of his prowess in battle. Let him come at me like the wind assailing the mountains, till, with my keen arrows, O son of Kunti, I quell his rage and desire for battle and take his life. Yonder come the Kauravas. I shall (after staying Satyaki) achieve this great task of the Pandavas that has presented itself. Or let Phalguna resist all the enemies in battle. As regards myself, I will fell this one’s head with my arrows. He takes me for the armless Bhurisravas in battle. Release him. Either I will slay him or he will slay me.' Hearing these words of the Pancala prince, the mighty Satyaki held fast in Bhima’s clasp, sighing like a snake, began to tremble. Both of them, endued with great might and possessed of powerful arms, began to roar like a couple of bulls. Then Vasudeva, O sire, and king Yudhishthira the just, with great effort, succeeded in pacifying those heroes. Having pacified those two great bowmen, those two heroes, whose eyes had become blood-red with rage, all the Kshatriyas (of the Pandava) army proceeded against the warriors of the hostile army for battle.'

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The Bengal reading is vicious, I adopt the Bombay reading which is Surorgurunsha bhuyopi, meaning, "this preceptor again." The fact is, Arjuna was Satyaki’s preceptor; Drona, therefore, was the latter’s preceptor’s preceptor.