“‘Arjuna said, “These six car-warriors of the Dhritarashtra army whom thou
regardest to be so strong their (united) energy, I think is not equal to
even half of mine! Thou shalt see, O slayer of Madhu, the weapons of all
these cut off and baffled by me when I go against them for slaying
Jayadratha! In the very sight of Drona and all his men, I will fell the
head of the ruler of the Sindhus, on the earth, beholding which they will
indulge in lamentations. If the Siddhas, the Rudras, the Vasus, with the
Aswins, the Maruts with Indra (at their head) the Viswadevas with other
gods, the Pitris, the Gandharvas, Garuda, the Ocean, the mountains, the
firmament, Heaven, Earth, the point of the compass (cardinal and
subsidiary), and the regents of those points, all the creatures that are
domestic and all that are wild, in fact if all the mobile and the
immobile beings together, become the protectors of the ruler of the
Sindhus, yet, O slayer of Madhu, shalt thou behold Jayadratha slain by me
tomorrow in battle with my arrows! O Krishna, I swear by Truth, I touch
my weapons (and swear by them), that I shall, O Kesava, at the very
outset, encounter that Drona, that mighty bowman, who hath become the
protector of that sinful wretch Jayadratha! Suyodhana thinks that this
game (of battle) resteth on Drona! Therefore, piercing through the very
van commanded by Drona himself, I shall get at Jayadratha! Thou shalt
tomorrow behold the mightiest of bowmen riven by me in battle by means of
my shafts endued with fierce energy, like summits of a hill riven by the
thunder. Blood shall flow (in torrents) from the breasts of fallen men
and elephants and steeds, split open by whetted shafts falling fast upon
them! The shafts shot from Gandiva, fleet as the mind or the wind, will
deprive thousands of men and elephants and steeds of life! Men will
behold in tomorrow’s battle those weapons which I have obtained from Yama
and Kaurva and Varuna and Indra and Rudra! Thou shalt behold in
tomorrow’s battle the weapons of all those who come to protect the ruler
of the Sindhus, baffled by me with my Brahma weapon! Thou shalt in
tomorrow’s battle, O Kesava, behold the earth strewn by me with the heads
of kings cut off by the force of my shafts! (Tomorrow) I shall gratify
all cannibals, rout the foe, gladden my friends, and crush the ruler of
the Sindhus! A great offender, one who hath not acted like a relative,
born in a sinful country, the ruler of the Sindhu, slain by me, will
sadden his own. Thou shalt behold that ruler of the Sindhus, of sinful
behaviour, and brought up in every luxury, pierced by me with my shafts!
On the morrow, O Krishna, I shall do that which shall make Suyodhana
think that there is no other bowman in the world who is equal to me! My
Gandiva is a celestial bow! I myself am the warrior, O bull among men!
Thou, O Hrishikesa, art the charioteer! What is that I will not be able
to vanquish? Through thy grace, O holy one, what is there unattainable by
me in battle? Knowing my prowess to be incapable of being resisted, why,
O Hrishikesa, dost thou yet rebuke me? As Lakshmi is ever present in
Soma, as water is ever present in the Ocean, know this, O Janardana,
that even so is my vow ever accomplished! Do not think lightly of my
weapons! Do not think lightly of my tough bow! Do not think lightly of
the might of my arms! Do not think lightly of Dhananjaya! I shall go to
battle in such a way that I shall truly win and not lose! When I have
vowed it, know that Jayadratha hath already been slain in battle! Verily,
in the Brahmana is truth; verily, in the righteous is humility; verily,
in sacrifice is prosperity; verily, in Narayana is victory!”’
“Sanjaya continued,--‘Having said these words unto Hrishikesa, the son of
Vasudeva, having himself said so unto his own self, Arjuna in a deep
voice, once more addressed lord Kesava, saying--“Thou shouldst, O Krishna,
so act that my car may be well equipt as soon as this night dawns, since
grave is the task that is at hand!”’”