“Dhritarashtra said, ‘A mere child in years, brought up in great luxury,
proud of the strength of his arms, accomplished in battle, endued with
great heroism, the perpetuator of his race, and prepared to lay down his
life--when Abhimanyu penetrated into the Kaurava army, borne on his
three-years old steeds of spirited mettle, was there any of great
warriors, in Yudhishthira’s army, that followed the son of Arjuna?’
“Sanjaya said, ‘Yudhishthira and Bhimasena, and Sikhandin and Satyaki,
and the twins Nakula and Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna and Virata, and
Drupada, and Kekaya, and Dhrishtaketu, all filled with wrath, and the
Matsya warrior, rushed to battle. Indeed, Abhimanyu’s sires accompanied
by his maternal uncles, those smiters of foes, arrayed in order of battle
rushed along the self-same path that Abhimanyu had created, desirous of
rescuing him. Beholding those heroes rushing, thy troops turned away
from the fight. Seeing then that vast army of thy son turning away from
the fight, the son-in-law of great energy rushed to rally them. Indeed,
king Jayadratha, the son of the ruler of the Sindhus, checked, with all
their followers, the Parthas, desirous of rescuing their son. That fierce
and great bowman, viz. the son of Vriddhakshatra, invoking into existence
celestial weapons resisted the Pandavas, like an elephant sporting in a
low land.’[70]
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘I think, Sanjaya, that heavy was the burthen thrown
upon the ruler of the Sindhus, inasmuch as alone he had to resist the
angry Pandavas desirous of rescuing their son. Exceedingly wonderful, I
think, was the might and heroism of the ruler of the Sindhus. Tell me
what the high-souled warrior’s prowess was and how he accomplished that
foremost of feats. What gifts did he make, what libations had he poured,
what sacrifices had he performed, what ascetic austerities had he well
undergone, in consequence of which, single-handed, he succeeded in
checking Parthas excited with wrath?’
“Sanjaya said, ‘On the occasion of his insult to Draupadi, Jayadratha was
vanquished by Bhimasena. From a keen sense of his humiliation, the king
practised the severest of ascetic austerities, desirous of a boon.
Restraining his senses from all objects dear to them, bearing hunger,
thirst and heat, he reduced his body till his swollen veins became
visible. Uttering the eternal words of the Veda, he paid his adoration to
the god Mahadeva. That illustrious Deity, always inspired with compassion
for his devotees, at last, became kind towards him. Indeed, Hara,
appearing in a dream unto the ruler of the Sindhus, addressed him, saying
“Solicit the boon thou desirest. I am gratified with thee, O Jayadratha!
What dost thou desire?” Thus addressed by Mahadeva, Jayadratha, the ruler
of the Sindhus, bowed down unto him and said with joined palms and
restrained soul, “Alone, on a single car, I shall check in battle all the
sons of Pandu, endued though they are with terrible energy and prowess.”
Even this, O Bharata, was the boon he had solicited. Thus prayed to that
foremost of the deities said unto Jayadratha, “O amiable one, I grant
thee the boon. Except Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, thou shalt in battle
check the four other sons of Pandu.” “So be it,” said Jayadratha unto
that Lord of the gods and then awoke, O monarch, from his slumber. In
consequence of that boon which he had received and of the strength also
of his celestial weapons, Jayadratha, single-handed, held in check the
entire army of the Pandavas. The twang of his bow-string and the slaps of
his palms inspired the hostile Kshatriyas with fear, filling thy troops,
at the same time with delight. And the Kshatriyas (of the Kuru army),
beholding that the burthen was taken up by the ruler of the Sindhus,
rushed with loud shouts, O monarch, to that part of the field where
Yudhishthira’s army was.’”