CHAPTER CLXII
(BATTLE BETWEEN PRADYUMNA AND SHAMVARA'S SONS)
Vaishampāyana said:—Thereupon there took place a great hair-stirring encounter between Rukshmini's son and those of Shamvara (1). Afterwards in anger those great Daityas began to shower simultaneously on Pradyumna arrows, Saktis, Parashwadhas, Tomara's, Kuntas, Bhushundis and maces (2). Krishna's son too, worked up with anger, struck them in the battle each with five arrows shot off his bow. Thereupon those resolute Asuras, exceedingly wroth, set up a net-work of weapons for killing Pradyumna. Thereat worked up with anger Ananga soon took up his bow (3-5). He then killed the ten highly powerful sons of Shamvara. The next moment, filled with anger the powerful son of Keshava soon cut off Chitrasena's head with a Bhalla. Thereupon the remaining sons of Shamvara, anxious to fight, began to run taking up and discharging arrows. And for killing Ananga they all unitedly fought and shot arrows. The highly powerful son of Krishna, on the other hand, cut off their heads, as if in sport. Having thus slain one hundred sons of Shamvara, all good bow men, he stood in the battle field desirous of fighting. Hearing of the death of his hundred sons Shamvara was filled with wrath (6–10). He asked his charioteer to get ready his car. Receiving the order of the king the charioteer saluted him touching the ground with his head and brought the car there, and asked the soldiers to get ready soon. It was drawn by a thousand bear and tied with the ropes of snakes. It was coated with tiger-skin, adorned with a net-work of small bells and filled with wolves. It had ten stairs, one after another, was painted with stars and adorned with gold. It had a huge standard, was high and embellished with flags having the figures of lions painted on them. It had wooden fenders around it and iron axles. It was high like the summit of Mandara, was bedecked with beautiful chowries, covered with stars and adorned with golden standards (11-16). As if urged on by Death, Shamvara, putting on a golden armour and taking up his bow and arrows, set out for battle accompanied by his soldiers and four ministers. Encircled by his ministers, Durdhara, Ketumāli, Shatruhantā and Pramarddana, Shamvara set out, desirous of fighting. When with two hundred cars, ten thousands elephants, eight thousand horses and ten lakhs of infantry Shamvara set out for the battle-field there appeared various omens on all sides. The cranes began to emit hideous yells in the sky filled with vultures and fire-brands, making a sound like that of evening clouds, began to fall down. The jackals yelled striking terror into the huge army. And vultures sat on the tops of the standards desirous of drinking the blood of the Danavas. Headless figures were seen dropping on his car (17–23). The birds emitted indistinct notes on Samvara's car. The moon was possessed by Rahu (eclipsed) and encircled by its disc. His left hand and eye danced presaging some calamity and the horses, attached to his car, became of slackened speed. The Kanka birds fell on the head of Shamvara, the sworn enemy of the celestials and Indra began to send down a shower of blood mixed with live coals and cinders. Thousands of fire-brands dropped down on the battle-field and reins slipped off the hands of the charioteer. But Shamvara, filled with anger, paid no attention to those portends and proceeded for slaying Pradyumna. Thereat the earth shook at the sound of bugles, conch-shells, Mridanga, Panava, and Anaka all played upon simultaneously. Overwhelmed with terror caused by that terrible sound, beasts and birds fled away on all sides. Krishna's son, however, bent on slaying his enemy, waited in the battle-field.
Shamvara, determined to fight and encircled by thousands of soldiers, struck Pradyumna with thousands of arrows. He, however, displaying quick-handedness, cut those arrows off before they could reach him. And bending his bow he shot arrows that there was none in the army who was not struck with one (24–33). Thus assailed with arrows by Pradyumna Shamvara's men returned to him in fear. Beholding his men take to their heels, Shamvara, beside himself with anger, ordered his ministers. "At my mandate do ye proceed and strike my enemy's son. Do not neglect him but kill him at once. If neglected he will ultimately ruin us like a disease disregarded in the beginning. If you wish to please me kill this sinful wretch of a wicked soul" (34–37).
Obeying Shamvara's command and filled with anger the ministers drove their cars showering arrows. Seeing them run towards the battle-field the powerful Pradyumna was worked up with anger. Quickly taking up his bow he stood there. The highly powerful Pradyumna, the enhancer of the delight of Rukshmini, in anger, struck Durdhara with twenty-five arrows, Ketumāli with sixty three, Satruhanta with seventy and Pramarddana with eighty two. Thereat filled with anger the ministers covered Pradyumna with a downpour of arrows. Indeed it appeared highly wonderful. Each of them shot at him severally one hundred and twenty arrows (38–42). Makaradwaja (Pradyumna) cut them all off before they could hurt him. Afterwards, taking up a crescent-shaped arrow he killed with it Durdhara’s charioteer before the very eyes of the soldiers and warriors. The very next moment with four beautiful Kanka-feathered arrows he killed his four horses, with one arrow he cut off the umbrella and rein, with another the standard and crest and with sixty other arrows the axles, wheels and poles. Thereupon taking up another powerful Kanka-feathered arrow he shot it at the breast of the short-lived Durdhara. Deprived of his life, beauty, vitality and lustre the Danava fell down from his car like a planet of waning piety.
On the heroic Dānava Durdhara being slain the Daitya chief Ketumāli ran towards Krishna's son showering arrows. And with an angry and frowning countenance he repeatedly said to Pradyumna "Wait! Wait!" Thereat filled with anger Krishna’s son covered him with arrows as a cloud sprinkles a mountain in the rainy season. Sorely wounded by the great bowman Pradyumna, the Dānava minister took up his discus and hurled it for killing Pradyumna. Makardhwaja however sprang up and got hold of the discus, equally strong like that of Krishna, before it could fall on him. And with it before all he cut off Ketumāli’s head. Beholding that highly wondrous feat of Rukshmini's son the king of gods and the celestials were filled with surprise (43-54). And the Gandharvas and Apsaras showered flowers on him.
Beholding Ketumāli slain Shatruhantā and Pramarddana, surrounded by a huge army, ran towards Pradyumna (55). They all hurled at Krishna's son clubs, maces, discuses, nooses, Tomaras, arrows, Bhindhipālas, axes and other weapons simultaneously for killing him. However the heroic Kāma, displaying light-handedness, sundered them with his arrows into many pieces. In anger he so struck with arrows the thousands of elephants, elephant-drives, cars, charioteers and horses that none was seen there who was not wounded (56-59). Grinding their soldiers Pradyumna created a dreadful river there having blood for its water. Pearl necklaces were its many waves, flesh, fat and marrow were the mud, the discuses were the islands, the arrows the whirlpools the cars the beautiful bank, bracelets and ear-rings were tortoises, the flags were the fishes and the elephants were other acquatic animals. The river had the horses for its acquatic animals, the hairs for its mosses, the waist threads for its lotus-stalks, the beautiful faces for its lotuses, the chowries for its swans, the heads for its Timi fishes and the blood for its water. Nobody, especially the weak, could cross that river created by Ananga. If was dreadful, impassable and full of weapons, and it extended the territories of Yama. Having agitated the other bowmen the beautiful son of Rukshmini shot in numerable arrows at Shatruhantā. He too, filled with anger, discharged arrows which fell on Pradyumna's breast. Although wounded with that arrow the powerful son of Keshava did not tremble. He took a mace for killing Shatruhantā who was on the point of death (60-68). That burning Sakti, making a sound like that of Indra's thunder-bolt, discharged by Rukshmini’s son, fell down piercing the heart of the enemy (69). With it the heart of the highly powerful Shatruhantā was cut off, his limbs were mutilated and his vital parts and joints were separated. And he fell down vomitting forth blood (70).
Beholding Satruhantā slain Pramarddana came forward with a mace and said: "O you fond of fighting, what is the use of battling with these ordinary men? O you of wicked intellect, stand here firmly for a moment and fight with me and you will not have to live any longer on this earth (71–72). You are born in the race of Vrishnis and your father is our enemy. If we can slay his son today he will also be killed. O you of wicked understanding, with your death the gods will meet with extinction and the Daityas and Danavas, having their enemy slain, will enjoy happiness (73–74). Yourself being slain with my weapons I will, with your blood, perform the watering ceremony of the dead sons of Shamvara. Hearing of the death of a young son like yourself Bhishmaka's daughter will bewail piteously. Hearing of your death, your wicked father, the holder of discus, will give up his life today" (75–77).
Having said this Pramarddana quickly struck Rukshmini's son with his parigha. Wounded thus the highly powerful and energetic son of Rukshmini threw up his car with his hands, struck it down to the ground and crushed it. Leaping down then from his car the Danava stood on the ground as a foot-soldier. And taking up his club he hurled it at Keshava's son. Kāma, on the other hand, crushed down Pramarddana with that club (78–80).
Beholding Pramarddana slain the Daityas could not stand before Pradyumna and began to fly away like a herd of elephants terrorised by a lion (81). As the lambs fly on seeing a dog, so the Daitya soldiers, stricken with fear of Pradyumna, lost heart (82). The ugly-looking Danava soldiers, with hairs dishevelled and their dresses soiled with blood, looked like a woman in menses (83). As roughly handled by a cruel and lustful person a youthful damsel, cut with Cupid's shafts, cannot stand in that battle and flies away breathing to her house so those Danava soldiers, assailed with arrows and filled with fear, left the battle-field and fled away sighing heavily (84).
Source: https://archive.org/details/AProseEnglishTranslationOfHarivamsh
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