Mahabharata – 162
by
Sankar Mukherjee
and
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
Aadivamsavatarana Parva
Fight between Bhisma & contending kings
The king of Kasi had three beautiful daughters in Amba, Ambika & Ambalika. To get them married the King of Kasi invited the prospective bride grooms at a meet. And the kings & princes from all over the globe assembled. There each of the three princesses would choose her life partner. The venerable Bhisma of the Kuru race also turned up there to get his step brother married to the three princesses of Kasi.
While all other kings & princes were waiting to see whom the three girls would choose as their life partners Bhisma unceremoniously lifted up the beautiful maids & planted them on his chariot.He boldly said that he would carry off the three maids to Hastinapur the capital of the Kurus to get them married to his step brother. If the kings & the princes present opposed his wishes they were at liberty to fight him & rescue the three women.
The challenged kings then all stood up in great rage & hurry. They cast off their ornaments and put on their armor. Their armor and ornaments dazzled with their agitated steps. The charioteers soon brought handsome chariots with fine horses & sharp weapons for
fighting. Then those splendid warriors,equipped with all kinds of weapons, rode those chariots, and with uplifted weapons pursued on his way to Hastinapur. Then a terrible fight between those innumerable kings on one side and Bhisma alone on the other side took place. And the assembled kings threw ten thousand arrows at a same time at Bhisma. Bhishma, however checked those innumerable arrows presently with a shower of arrows before they could reach him. Then those kings surrounded him from all corners and rained arrows on him like masses of clouds showering on a mountain. But Bhisma, arrested with his arrows the course of that arrowy downpour. Bhisma pierced each of the kings with three arrows. Then the kings, in their turn pierced Bhisma, each with five arrows. But Bhishma checked those by his prowess and pierced each of the kings with two arrows. The combat was so fierce that it looked like the encounter between the celestials and the demons. Eye witnesses and men of courage who took no part in it were struck with fear even to look at the scene. Bhisma cut off, with his
arrows, on the field of battle, bows, and flagstaffs, armor & human heads by hundreds and thousands. His enemies, began to praise him loudly because of his terrible prowess and extraordinary lightness of hand and the skill with which he protected himself. Then that foremost of the warriors having defeated in the battle all those kings, made his way towards Hastinapura taking those maidens with him.
by
Sankar Mukherjee
and
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
Aadivamsavatarana Parva
Fight between Bhisma & contending kings
The king of Kasi had three beautiful daughters in Amba, Ambika & Ambalika. To get them married the King of Kasi invited the prospective bride grooms at a meet. And the kings & princes from all over the globe assembled. There each of the three princesses would choose her life partner. The venerable Bhisma of the Kuru race also turned up there to get his step brother married to the three princesses of Kasi.
While all other kings & princes were waiting to see whom the three girls would choose as their life partners Bhisma unceremoniously lifted up the beautiful maids & planted them on his chariot.He boldly said that he would carry off the three maids to Hastinapur the capital of the Kurus to get them married to his step brother. If the kings & the princes present opposed his wishes they were at liberty to fight him & rescue the three women.
The challenged kings then all stood up in great rage & hurry. They cast off their ornaments and put on their armor. Their armor and ornaments dazzled with their agitated steps. The charioteers soon brought handsome chariots with fine horses & sharp weapons for
fighting. Then those splendid warriors,equipped with all kinds of weapons, rode those chariots, and with uplifted weapons pursued on his way to Hastinapur. Then a terrible fight between those innumerable kings on one side and Bhisma alone on the other side took place. And the assembled kings threw ten thousand arrows at a same time at Bhisma. Bhishma, however checked those innumerable arrows presently with a shower of arrows before they could reach him. Then those kings surrounded him from all corners and rained arrows on him like masses of clouds showering on a mountain. But Bhisma, arrested with his arrows the course of that arrowy downpour. Bhisma pierced each of the kings with three arrows. Then the kings, in their turn pierced Bhisma, each with five arrows. But Bhishma checked those by his prowess and pierced each of the kings with two arrows. The combat was so fierce that it looked like the encounter between the celestials and the demons. Eye witnesses and men of courage who took no part in it were struck with fear even to look at the scene. Bhisma cut off, with his
arrows, on the field of battle, bows, and flagstaffs, armor & human heads by hundreds and thousands. His enemies, began to praise him loudly because of his terrible prowess and extraordinary lightness of hand and the skill with which he protected himself. Then that foremost of the warriors having defeated in the battle all those kings, made his way towards Hastinapura taking those maidens with him.
Fight between Salva & Bhisma
It was then, the mighty chariot-warrior, king Salva of great prowess, followed Bhisma from behind and called Bhisma, the son of Santanu, for fight. And desirous of obtaining the maidens, he came upon Bhisma like a mighty leader of a herd of elephants rushing upon another of his kind, and tearing with his tusks the latter's hips at the sight of a female elephant. And Salva of mighty arms, moved by anger said to Bhisma – ‘Stay, Stay’.
Then Bhisma, the great chariot warrior provoked by those words, flamed up in rage. Like a blazing fire. He took the bow in hand with arrow. He stayed in the chariot itself as per the rules of war in those days. He turned the chariot in the direction of the enemy. All the kings seeing Bhisma stop, stood there to become spectators of the coming encounter between him and Salva. The two then began to exhibit their prowess on each other like roaring bulls of great strength at the sight of a cow. Then the foremost of men, king Salva covered Bhisma, the son of Santanu with hundreds and thousands of arrows. And the kings seeing Salva thus covering Bhisma at the outset with innumerable arrows, were awestruck. They cheered king Salva. Seeing his lightness of hand in encounter, the crowd of royal spectators became very glad. Bhisma, then, on hearing those shouts of the Kshatriyas, became very angry and said, Stay, Stay. He commanded his charioteer in rage -- Lead my chariot to where Salva is, so
that I may kill him right now just as Garuda slays a serpent.
Instantly he fixed his Varuna arrow on his bow & shot. The four horses of Salva were injured. And then he killed Salva's charioteer. Then great Bhisma, the son of Santanu, fighting for the sake of those maidens, slew with the Aindra weapon the horses of king Salva. He then defeated that mighty king but left him with his life. Salva, after his defeat, returned to his kingdom and continued to rule it righteously.
And the other kings also, who had come to witness, the Swayamvara returned to their own kingdoms. Bhisma, after defeating those kings, set out with those maidens, for Hastinapura. The foremost of the warriors Bhisma many went past forests, rivers, hills, and woods & brought the daughters of the king of Kasi to Hastinapur. He tenderly treated the maidens on the way. They were like his younger sisters or like daughters in law as it were. And Bhisma of mighty arms, urged by the desire of getting his brother, married to the maidens of celestial
beauty with every accomplishment was alight with great expectations.
At Hastinapura the virtuous prince Vichitravirya ruled the earth like that best of the kings his father Santanu.
It was then, the mighty chariot-warrior, king Salva of great prowess, followed Bhisma from behind and called Bhisma, the son of Santanu, for fight. And desirous of obtaining the maidens, he came upon Bhisma like a mighty leader of a herd of elephants rushing upon another of his kind, and tearing with his tusks the latter's hips at the sight of a female elephant. And Salva of mighty arms, moved by anger said to Bhisma – ‘Stay, Stay’.
Then Bhisma, the great chariot warrior provoked by those words, flamed up in rage. Like a blazing fire. He took the bow in hand with arrow. He stayed in the chariot itself as per the rules of war in those days. He turned the chariot in the direction of the enemy. All the kings seeing Bhisma stop, stood there to become spectators of the coming encounter between him and Salva. The two then began to exhibit their prowess on each other like roaring bulls of great strength at the sight of a cow. Then the foremost of men, king Salva covered Bhisma, the son of Santanu with hundreds and thousands of arrows. And the kings seeing Salva thus covering Bhisma at the outset with innumerable arrows, were awestruck. They cheered king Salva. Seeing his lightness of hand in encounter, the crowd of royal spectators became very glad. Bhisma, then, on hearing those shouts of the Kshatriyas, became very angry and said, Stay, Stay. He commanded his charioteer in rage -- Lead my chariot to where Salva is, so
that I may kill him right now just as Garuda slays a serpent.
Instantly he fixed his Varuna arrow on his bow & shot. The four horses of Salva were injured. And then he killed Salva's charioteer. Then great Bhisma, the son of Santanu, fighting for the sake of those maidens, slew with the Aindra weapon the horses of king Salva. He then defeated that mighty king but left him with his life. Salva, after his defeat, returned to his kingdom and continued to rule it righteously.
And the other kings also, who had come to witness, the Swayamvara returned to their own kingdoms. Bhisma, after defeating those kings, set out with those maidens, for Hastinapura. The foremost of the warriors Bhisma many went past forests, rivers, hills, and woods & brought the daughters of the king of Kasi to Hastinapur. He tenderly treated the maidens on the way. They were like his younger sisters or like daughters in law as it were. And Bhisma of mighty arms, urged by the desire of getting his brother, married to the maidens of celestial
beauty with every accomplishment was alight with great expectations.
At Hastinapura the virtuous prince Vichitravirya ruled the earth like that best of the kings his father Santanu.
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