Endued with great impetuosity, the Ape, darting forward, struck
the elephant's rope with his nails and teeth, like Garuda falling upon a
snake. Decked with rows of little bells, hard as iron, and resembling the
fatal noose (in the hands of Yama or Varuna), the elephant's rope, filled
with wrath, closed with the Ape. Thus in that fierce single combat
between those two heroes, which was the result of what had been settled
at the time of the match at dice, their standards first battled with each
other. Meanwhile the steeds of the one neighed at the steeds of the
other. The lotus-eyed Keshava pierced Shalya with his keen glances. The
latter also cast similar glances at the former. Vasudeva, however,
vanquished Shalya with those glances of his, while Dhananjaya, the son of
Kunti, vanquished Karna with his glances. Then the Suta's son, smilingly
addressing Shalya, said, "If Partha by any means slays me in battle
today, tell me truly, O friend, what thou wilt do after that." Shalya
answered, saying, "If thou art slain, I myself will slay both Krishna and
Dhananjaya." Once more the ruler of the Madras said, "If, O Karna, the
white steeded Arjuna slays thee in battle today, I myself, on a single
car, will slay both Madhava and Phalguna.'"
"Sanjaya continued, 'Arjuna also asked Govinda a similar question.
Krishna, however, smiling, said unto Partha these words of grave import,
"The Sun himself may fall down from his place, the Earth herself may
split into a 1,000 fragments; fire itself may become cold.
Pages:
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456