The setting of snakes at us while we were
asleep, the giving of poison to us while we ate, the casting of our body
into the water at Pramanakoti, the attempt to burn us at the house of
lac, the insult offered us at the assembly, the robbing us of all our
possessions, the whole year of our living in concealment, our exile into
the woods, O sinless one, of all these woes, O best of Bharata's race, I
shall today reach the end, O bull of Bharata's line! Slaying this wretch,
I shall, in one single day, pay off all the debts I owe him! Today, the
period of life of this wicked son of Dhritarashtra, of uncleansed soul,
hath reached its close, O chief of the Bharatas! After this day he shall
not again look at his father and mother! Today, O monarch, the happiness
of this wicked king of the Kurus hath come to an end! After this day, O
monarch, he shall not again cast his eyes on female beauty! Today this
disgrace of Santanu's line shall sleep on the bare Earth, abandoning his
life-breath, his prosperity, and his kingdom! Today king Dhritarashtra
also, hearing of the fall of his son, shall recollect all those evil acts
that were born of Shakuni's brain!" With these words, O tiger among
kings, Vrikodara of great energy, armed with mace, stood for fight, like
Shakra challenging the asura Vritra. Beholding Duryodhana also standing
with uplifted mace like mount Kailasa graced with its summit, Bhimasena,
filled with wrath, once more addressed him, saying, "Recall to thy mind
that evil act of thyself and king Dhritarashtra that occurred at
Varanavata! Remember Draupadi who was ill-treated, while in her season,
in the midst of the assembly! Remember the deprivation of the king
through dice by thyself and Subala's son! Remember that great woe
suffered by us, in consequence of thee, in the forest, as also in
Virata's city as if we had once more entered the womb! I shall avenge
myself of them all today! By good luck, O thou of wicked soul, I see thee
today! It is for thy sake that that foremost of car-warriors, the son of
Ganga, of great prowess, struck down by Yajnasena's son, sleepeth on a
bed of arrows! Drona also hath been slain, and Karna, and Shalya of great
prowess! Subala's son Shakuni, too, that root of these hostilities, hath
been slain! The wretched Pratikamin, who had seized Draupadi's tresses,
hath been slain! All thy brave brothers also, who fought with great
valour, have been slain! These and many other kings have been slain
through thy fault! Thee too I shall slay today with my mace! There is not
the slightest doubt in this.
Pages:
788
789
790
791
792
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812