01.219
Pancharatra: Except for Ashvasena, Maya, and four Sharangas none escaped Kandava fire.
Vaiśampāyana said.
Thus, by the falling of rocks, the inhabitants of Khāṇḍava—Dānavas, Rākṣasas, Nāgas, hyenas, wolves, forest-dwellers, elephants, tigers, lions, and those with manes—were terrified.
Deer, buffaloes by the hundreds, and birds, all greatly agitated, scattered; other species of creatures also fled in fear.
The two Krishnas, seeing that forest fire and with their weapons raised, appeared to be frightened by the ominous sound.
Janardana released his radiant discus, and by it, those lowly demon night-wanderers were instantly cut down by the hundreds and all fell into the fire.
The rākṣasas, rendered invisible and torn apart by the black discus, their bodies smeared with fat and blood, looked like clouds at twilight.
O Bhārata, there, the descendant of Vṛṣṇi (Kṛṣṇa) moves like Time, slaying by thousands the flesh-eating spirits, birds, serpents, and animals.
That discus of Kṛṣṇa, the destroyer of enemies, when hurled again and again, after slaying many beings, returns to his hand repeatedly.
O Bhārata, in that manner, while he was striking all beings, then the form of the soul of all beings became very fierce.
Among all those assembled, whether gods or demons, no one became the victor in the battle between Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍava.
But when the gods were unable to extinguish that forest fire by force to save the two, they turned away.
Indra, seeing that the groups of gods had turned away, stood there pleased, praising Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna.
But when the gods had withdrawn, the bodiless voice, having looked at Indra, spoke with a great and deep sound.
Your friend Takshaka, the foremost of serpents, was not present; at the time of the burning of Khāṇḍava, he had gone to Kurukshetra.
O Śakra, know this: Vasudeva and Arjuna, standing together in this battle, cannot be conquered by you. This is my statement.
Nara and Nārāyaṇa are the two gods, these two are renowned in heaven; you too know their powers and valors.
These two, ancient and foremost among sages, are unconquerable and difficult to overpower in battle, not even in all the worlds.
These two are most worthy of worship by all—gods, asuras, yakṣas, rākṣasas, gandharvas, humans, kiṁnaras, and serpents alike.
Therefore, O Indra, you should go from here together with the gods. Also, see this destruction of Khāṇḍava as ordained.
Having heard these words, 'It is true,' the lord of the immortals let go of his anger and indignation and then departed for heaven.
O king, seeing the great-souled one depart, the swift dwellers of heaven together followed Indra.
When the king of the gods was seen proceeding with the other gods, Vāsudeva and Arjuna, the two heroes, uttered a lion's roar.
O king, after the king of the gods departed, Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, delighted and fearless, once again set the forest ablaze.
Arjuna, like the wind dispersing clouds, destroyed the gods and, with showers of arrows, struck down the living beings inhabiting the Khāṇḍava forest.
And indeed, no being was able to move from there, as it was being cut down by the arrows shot by Savyasācin (Arjuna).
Even the greatest beings there, O Arjuna, will only attempt to behold you, the destroyer, armed with unfailing arrows in battle; how then could they possibly fight?
He pierced one with a hundred arrows, and a hundred with a single feathered arrow; their lives fell into the fire as if they had been struck down directly by Death.
They did not find happiness in confinements or in difficult situations, nor in the abodes of ancestors and gods; instead, affliction also arose.
Thousands of groups of beings and the distressed made a great noise; the elephants roared, and so too did the animals and birds. By that sound, the fishes living in the Ganga and the ocean were terrified.
Indeed, no one is able to even look upon mighty-armed Arjuna or mighty Kṛṣṇa, so how could anyone fight them again?
Hari (Viṣṇu) slew with his discus those rākṣasas, dānavas, and nāgas who, having gone to one path, also emerged here.
Their severed heads and bodies, lifeless from the speed of the discus, fell into the mouth of the great-bodied, blazing son of Vasu.
He was seen as a smokeless fire moving in the sky above, fanned by streams of flesh, blood, and fat.
He is blazing-eyed, blazing-tongued, with a wide and great blazing mouth, his hair blazing upward, tawny-eyed, drinking the marrow of living beings.
Having received the nectar created by Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, Agni became joyful and content, attaining the highest bliss.
Then Madhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa) suddenly saw the demon Maya, by name, fleeing from the abode of Takṣaka.
Agni, wishing to burn him, requested the wind-charioteer; taking on a body with matted hair, and like a river and a cloud; Vasudeva, wishing to kill, also stood ready, raising his discus.
O Bhārata, seeing the discus raised and Agni eager to burn, Maya cried out in this way as he rushed toward Arjuna.
O Bhārata, hearing his fearful cry, Arjuna (Dhanañjaya) replied to Maya, saying, "Do not be afraid," as if bringing him back to life.
When Maya, the brother of Namuci, was given safety by Pārtha, Krishna did not wish to kill him, and the fire did not burn him either.
While that forest was burning, the six fires did not burn Aśvasena, Maya, or the four Śārṅgakas.
