“Sanjaya said, ‘That arm (of Bhurisravas) decked with Angada and the
sword in its grasp (thus cut off), fell down on the earth to the great
grief of all living creatures. Indeed, that arm, which was to have cut
off Satyaki’s head itself, cut off by the unseen Arjuna, quickly dropped
down on the earth, like a snake of five heads. The Kuru warrior,
beholding himself incapacitated by Partha abandoned his hold on Satyaki
and wrathfully reproved the son of Pandu.’
“‘Bhurisravas said, “Thou hast, O son of Kunti, done a cruel and heartless
deed, since without being engaged with me, thou hast, unseen by me, cut
off my arm. Shalt thou not have to say unto Yudhishthira, the royal son
of Dharma, even this, viz., ‘Bhurisravas, while otherwise engaged, was
slain by me in battle?’ Wert thou taught this use of weapons by the
high-souled Indra or by Rudra, O Partha, or by Drona, or by Kripa? Thou
art, in this world, better acquainted with the rules about the use of
weapons than all others. Why then hast thou cut off in battle the arm of
a warrior who was not engaged with thee? The righteous never strike him
that is heedless, or him that is terrified, or him that is made carless,
or him that beggeth for life or protection, or him that hath fallen into
distress. Why, then, O Partha, hast thou perpetrated such an extremely
unworthy deed that is sinful, that is worthy only of a low wretch, and
that is practised by only a wicked bloke! A respectable person, O
Dhananjaya, can easily accomplish a deed that is respectable. A deed,
however, that is disrespectable becomes difficult of accomplishment by a
person that is respectable. A man quickly catches the behaviour of those
with whom and amongst whom he moves. This is seen in thee, O Partha!
Being of royal lineage and born, especially, in Kuru’s race, how hast
thou fallen off from the duties of a Kshatriya, although thou wert of
good behaviour and observant of excellent vows. This mean act that thou
hast perpetrated for the sake of the Vrishni warrior, is without doubt,
conformable to Vasudeva’s counsels. Such an act does not suit one like
thee. Who else, unless he were a friend of Krishna’s, would inflict such
a wrong upon one that is heedlessly engaged with another in battle? The
Vrishnis and the Andhakas are bad Kshatriyas, ever engaged in sinful
deeds, and are, by nature, addicted to disreputable behaviour. Why, O
Partha, hast thou taken them as model?” Thus addressed in battle, Partha
replied unto Bhurisravas, saying, “It is evident that with the
decrepitude of the body one’s intellect also becomes decrepit, since, O
lord, all those senseless words have been uttered by thee. Although thou
knowest Hrishikesa and myself well, how is it that thou rebukest us thus?
Knowing as I do the rules of battle and conversant as I am with the
meaning of all the scriptures, I would never do an act that is sinful.
Knowing this well, thou rebukest me yet. The Kshatriyas fight with their
foes, surrounded by their own followers, their brothers, sires, sons,
relatives, kinsmen, companions, and friends. These also fight, relying on
the (strength of) arms of those they follow. Why, then, should I not
protect Satyaki, my disciple and dear kinsman, who is fighting for our
sake in this battle, regardless of life itself, that is so difficult of
being laid down.[169] Invincible in fight, Satyaki, O king, is my right
arm in battle. One should not protect one’s own self only, when one goes
to battle, he, O king, who is engaged in the business of another should
be protected (by that other). Such men being protected, the king is
protected in press of battle. If I had calmly beheld Satyaki on the point
of being slain in great battle (and had not interfered for saying him),
sin would, then, owing to Satyaki’s death, have been mine, for such
negligence! Why then dost thou become angry with me for my having
protected Satyaki? Thou rebukest me, O king, saying, ‘Though engaged with
another, I have yet been maimed by thee.’ In that matter, I answer, I
judged wrongly. Sometimes shaking my armour; sometimes riding on my car,
sometimes drawing the bow-string, I was fighting with my enemies in the
midst of a host resembling the vast deep, teeming with cars and elephants
and abounding with steeds and foot-soldiers and echoing with fierce
leonine shouts. Amongst friends and foes engaged with one another, how
could it be possible that the Satwata warrior was engaged with only one
person in battle? Having fought with many and vanquished many mighty
car-warriors, Satyaki had been tired. He himself, afflicted with weapons,
had become cheerless. Having, under such circumstances, vanquished the
mighty car-warrior, Satyaki, and brought him under thy control, thou
soughtest to display thy superiority. Thou hadst desired to cut off,
with thy sword, the head of Satyaki in battle. I could not possibly
behold with indifference Satyaki reduced to that strait.[170] Thou
shouldst rather rebuke thy own self, since thou didst not take care of
thyself (when seeking to injure another). Indeed, O hero, how wouldst
thou have behaved towards one who is thy dependant?”’
“Sanjaya continued, ‘Thus addressed (by Arjuna), the mighty-armed and
illustrious Bhurisravas, bearing the device of the sacrificial stake on
his banner, abandoning Yuyudhana, desired to die according to the vow of
Praya.[171] Distinguished by many righteous deeds, he spread with his
left hand a bed of arrows, and desirous of proceeding to the region of
Brahman, committed his senses to the care of the deities presiding over
them. Fixing his gaze on the sun, and setting his cleansed heart on the
moon, and thinking of (the mantras in) the great Upanishad, Bhurisravas,
betaking himself to Yoga, ceased to speak. Then all the persons in the
entire army began to speak ill of Krishna and Dhananjaya and applauded
Bhurisravas, that bull among men. Though censured, the two Krishnas,
however, spoke not a word disagreeable (to the dying hero). The
stake-bannered Bhurisravas also, though thus applauded, felt no joy. Then
Pandu’s son Dhananjaya, called also Phalguna, incapable of bearing thy
sons speaking in that strain, as also of putting up with their words and
the words of Bhurisravas, O Bharata, in grief and without an angry heart,
and as if for reminding them all, said these words, “All the kings are
acquainted with my great vow, viz., that no one shall succeed in slaying
anybody that belongs to our side, as long as the latter is within the
range of my shafts. Remembering this, O stake-bannered one, it behoveth
thee not to censure me. Without knowing rules of morality, it is not
proper for one to censure others. That I have cut off thy arm while thou,
well-armed in battle, wert on the point of slaying (the unarmed) Satyaki,
is not all contrary to morality. But what righteous man is there, O sire,
that would applaud the slaughter of Abhimanyu, a mere child, without
arms, deprived of car, and his armour fallen off?” Thus addressed by
Partha, Bhurisravas touched the ground with his left arm the right one
(that had been lopped off). The stake-bannered Bhurisravas, O king of
dazzling effulgence, having heard those words of Partha, remained silent,
with his head hanging down. Then Arjuna said, “O eldest brother of Sala,
equal to what I bear to king Yudhishthira the Just, or Bhima, that
foremost of all mighty persons, or Nakula, or Sahadeva, is the love I
bear to thee. Commanded by me as also by the illustrious Krishna, repair
thou to the region of the righteous, even where Sivi, the son of Usinara,
is.”
“‘Vasudeva also said, “Thou hast constantly performed sacrifices and
Agnihotras. Go thou then, without delay, into those pure regions of mine
that incessantly blaze forth with splendour and that are desired by the
foremost of deities with Brahma as their head, and becoming equal to
myself, be thou borne on the back to Garuda.”’
“Sanjaya continued, ‘Set free by Somadatta’s son, the grandson of Sini,
rising up, drew his sword and desired to cut off the head of the
high-souled Bhurisravas. Indeed, Satyaki desired to slay the sinless
Bhurisravas, the eldest brother of Sala, that giver of plenty in
sacrifices who was staying with his senses withdrawn from battle, who
had already been almost slain by the son of Pandu, who was sitting with
his arm lopped off and who resembled on that account a trunkless
elephant. All the warriors loudly censured him (for his intention). But
deprived of reason, and forbidden by Krishna and the high-souled Partha,
Bhima, and the two protectors of the two wheels (of Arjuna’s car, viz.,
Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas), and Aswatthaman, and Kripa and Karna, and
Vrishasena, and the ruler of the Sindhus also, and while the soldiers
were yet uttering shouts of disapproval, Satyaki slew Bhurisravas while
in the observance of his vow. Indeed, Satyaki, with his sword, cut off
the head of the Kuru warrior who had been deprived of his arm by Partha
and who was then sitting in Praya for freeing his soul from the body. The
warriors did not applaud Satyaki for that act of his in slaying that
perpetuator of Kuru’s race who had before been almost slain by Partha.
The Siddhas, the Charanas, and the men there present, as also the gods,
beholding the Sakra-like Bhurisravas slain in that battle, through
sitting in the observance of that Praya vow, began to applaud him, amazed
at the acts, accomplished by him. Thy soldiers also argued the matter,
“It is no fault of the Vrishni hero. That which was pre-ordained has
happened. Therefore, we should not give way to wrath. Anger is the cause
of men’s sorrow. It was ordained that Bhurisravas would be slain by the
Vrishni hero. There is no use of judging of its propriety or otherwise.
The Creator had ordained Satyaki to be the cause of Bhurisrava’s death in
battle.”
“‘Satyaki said, “Ye sinful Kauravas, wearing the outward garment of
righteousness, ye tell me, in words of virtue, that Bhurisravas should
not be slain. Where, however, did this righteousness of yours go when ye
slew in battle that child, viz., the son of Subhadra, while destitute of
arms? I had in a certain fit of haughtiness vowed that he who would,
throwing me down alive in battle, strike me with his foot in rage, he
would be slain by me even though that foe should adopt the vow of
asceticism. Struggling in the encounter, with my arms and eyes hale and
sound, ye had yet regarded me as dead. This was an act of folly on your
part. Ye bulls among the Kurus, the slaughter of Bhurisravas,
accomplished by me, hath been very proper! Partha, however, by cutting
off this one’s arm with sword in grasp for fulfilling, from his affection
for me, his own vow (about protecting all on his side), hath simply
robbed me of glory. That which is ordained must happen. It is destiny
that works. Bhurisravas hath been slain in press of battle. What sin have
I perpetrated? In days of yore, Valmiki sang this verse on earth, viz.,
‘Thou sayest, O ape, that women should not be slain. In all ages,
however, men should always, with resolute care, accomplish that which
gives pain to enemies.’”’
“Sanjaya continued, ‘After Satyaki had said these words, none amongst the
Pandavas and the Kauravas, O king, said anything. On the other hand, they
mentally applauded Bhurisravas. No one there applauded the slaughter of
Somadatta’s illustrious son who resembled an ascetic living in the woods,
or one sanctified with mantras in a great sacrifice, and who had given
away thousands of gold coins. The head of that hero, graced with
beautiful blue locks and eyes, red as those of pigeons, looked like the
head of a horse cut off in a Horse-sacrifice and placed on the
sacrificial altar.[172] Sanctified by his prowess and the death he
obtained at the edge of the weapon, the boon-giving Bhurisravas, worthy
of every boon, casting off his body in great battle, repaired to regions
on high, filling the welkin with his high virtues.’”