“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Filled with rage, what did Partha, the son of
Pandu, do to Bhagadatta? What also did the king of the Pragjyotishas do
to Partha? Tell me all this, O Sanjaya!’
“Sanjaya said, ‘While Partha and Krishna were thus engaged with the ruler
of the Pragjyotishas, all creatures regarded them to be very near the
jaws of Death. Indeed, O monarch, from the neck of his elephant,
Bhagadatta scattered showers of shafts on the two Krishnas, staying upon
their car. He pierced Devaki’s son with many arrows made wholly of black
iron, equipped with wings of gold, whetted on stone, and shot from his
bow, drawn to the fullest stretch. Those shafts whose touch resembled
that of fire, equipped with beautiful feathers, and shot by Bhagadatta,
passing through Devaki’s son, entered the earth. Partha then cut off
Bhagadatta’s bow and slaying next the warrior that protected his elephant
from the flank, began to fight with him as if in sport. Then Bhagadatta
hurled at him fourteen lances of sharp points, that were bright as the
rays of the sun. Arjuna, however, cut each of those lances into three
fragments. Then Indra’s son cut open the armour in which that elephant
was cased, by means of a thick shower of arrows. The armour thus cut off,
fell down on the earth. Exceedingly afflicted with arrows shot by Arjuna,
that elephant, deprived of its coat of mail, looked like a prince of
mountains destitute of its cloudy robes and with streaks of water running
down its breast. Then the ruler of the Pragjyotishas hurled at Vasudeva a
dart made wholly of iron and decked with gold. That dart Arjuna cut in
twain. Then cutting off the king’s standard and umbrella by means of his
arrows Arjuna quickly pierced that ruler of the mountainous realms with
ten arrows, smiling all the while. Deeply pierced with those shafts of
Arjuna, that were beautifully winged with Kanka feathers, Bhagadatta, O
monarch, became incensed with the son of Pandu. He then hurled some
lances at Arjuna’s head and uttered a loud shout. In consequence of those
lances Arjuna’s diadem was displaced. Arjuna, then, having placed his
diadem properly, addressed the ruler of the Pragjyotishas, saying, “Look
well on this world!” Thus addressed by him, Bhagadatta became filled with
rage, and taking up a bright bow showered upon both the Pandava and
Govinda his arrowy down-pours. Partha then cutting off his bow and
quivers, quickly struck him with two and seventy shafts, afflicting his
vital limbs. Thus pierced, he was excessively pained. Filled then with
rage, he with Mantras, turned his hook into the Vaishnava weapon and
hurled it at Arjuna’s breast. That all-slaying weapon, hurled by
Bhagadatta, Kesava, covering Arjuna, received on his breast. Thereupon,
that weapon became a triumphal garland on Kesava’s breast. Arjuna then
cheerlessly addressed Kesava, saying, “O sinless one, without battling
thyself, thou art to only guide my steed! Thou hadst said so, O
lotus-eyed one! Why then dost thou not adhere to thy promise? If I sink
in distress, or become unable to baffle, or resist a foe or weapon, then
mayst thou act so, but not when I am standing thus. Thou knowest that
with my bow and arrows I am competent to vanquish these worlds with the
gods, the Asuras, and men.” Hearing these words of Arjuna, Vasudeva
replied unto him, saying, “Listen, O Partha, to this secret and ancient
history as it is, O sinless one! I have four forms, eternally engaged as
I am in protecting the worlds. Dividing my own Self, I ordain the good of
the worlds. One form of mine, staying on the earth, is engaged in the
practice of ascetic austerities. Another beholdeth the good and the evil
deeds in the world. My third form, coming into the world of men, is
engaged in action. My fourth form lieth down in sleep for a thousand
years. The form of mine which awaketh from sleep at the end of a thousand
years, granteth, upon awakening, excellent boons to persons deserving of
them. The earth, knowing (on one occasion) that that time had come, asked
of me a boon for (her son) Naraka. Hear, O Partha, what that boon was.
‘Possessed of the Vaishnava weapon, let my son become incapable of being
slain by the gods and the Asuras. It behoveth thee to grant me that
weapon.’ Hearing this prayer, I then gave, in days of old, the supreme and
infallible Vaishnava weapon to the Earth’s son. I said also at that time
these words, ‘O Earth, let this weapon be infallible for the protection
of Naraka. None will be able to slay him. Protected by this weapon, thy
son will always, in all the worlds, be invincible and crush all hostile
hosts.’ Saying, So be it! the intelligent goddess went away, her wishes
fulfilled. And Naraka also became invincible and always scorched his
foes. It was from Naraka, O Partha, that the ruler of the Pragjyotishas
got this weapon of mine. There is none, in all the world, O sire,
including even Indra and Rudra, who is unslayable by this weapon. It was
for thy sake, therefore, that I baffled it, violating my promise. The
great Asura hath now been divested of that supreme weapon. Slay now, O
Partha, that invincible foe of thine, viz., Bhagadatta, enemy of the
gods, even as I formerly slew for the good of the worlds, the Asura
Naraka.” Thus addressed by the high-souled Kesava, Partha suddenly
overwhelmed Bhagadatta with clouds of whetted arrows. Then, the
mighty-armed and high-souled Arjuna fearlessly struck a long arrow
between the frontal globes of his enemy’s elephant. That arrow, splitting
the elephant like the thunder splitting a mountain, penetrated into its
body to the very wings, like a snake penetrating into an ant-hill. Though
urged repeatedly then by Bhagadatta, the elephant refused to obey like a
poor man’s wife her lord. With limbs paralysed, it fell down, striking
the earth with its tusks. Uttering a cry of distress, that huge elephant
gave up the ghost. The son of Pandu then, with a straight shaft furnished
with a crescent-shaped head, pierced the bosom of king Bhagadatta. His
breast, being pierced through by the diadem-decked (Arjuna), king
Bhagadatta, deprived of life, threw down his bow and arrows. Loosened
from his head, the valuable piece of cloth that had served him for a
turban, fell down, like a petal from a lotus when its stalk is violently
struck. And he himself, decked with golden garlands, fell down from his
huge elephant adorned with golden housings, like flowering Kinsuka broken
by the force of the wind from the mountain-top. The son of Indra then,
having slain in battle that monarch who resembled Indra himself in
prowess and who was Indra’s friend, broke the other warriors of thy army
inspired with hope of victory like the mighty wind breaking rows of
trees.’”