10.006
Dhritarashtra said:
O Sañjaya, tell me, what did Bhoja and Kṛpa do when they saw Aśvatthāman standing at the gate?
Sanjaya said:
After speaking to Kṛtavarman and Kṛpa, the mighty charioteer, Droṇa's son, his mind filled with rage, went to the entrance of the camp.
There he saw a being of enormous size, shining like the moon and sun, standing at the door and blocking it, whose appearance made one's hair stand on end.
He was dressed in a tiger skin, stained with much blood, with a black antelope skin as his upper garment, and wore a serpent as his sacred thread.
He had long, strong arms raised with various weapons, adorned with great armlets resembling serpents, and his face was surrounded by a garland of flames.
Its face was terrible with fangs, mouth wide open and fearful, adorned with thousands of strange eyes.
It is not possible to describe his form or appearance at all. In fact, just seeing it, even mountains would shatter.
From his face, from his nostrils and ears, and from all directions, and from the thousand eyes, great flames arose.
Thus, from the rays of light, countless forms of Hṛṣīkeśa, each bearing a conch, discus, and mace, appeared by the hundreds and thousands.
Seeing that most astonishing and terrifying being for the world, Drauni (Aśvatthāma), undisturbed, showered it with divine weapons.
But that mighty being devoured all those arrows shot by Droṇa's son, just as the submarine fire swallows the waves of the ocean.
But Aśvatthāman, seeing that those masses of arrows were useless, released at him a blazing chariot-spear like a flame of fire.
She then struck with her blazing-tipped chariot-spear, which was shattered. At the end of the age, like a great meteor falling from the sky after striking the sun, she fell from the heavens.
Then he quickly drew the divine sword, shining like the sky, from its golden scabbard, just as a radiant serpent emerges from its hole.
Then the wise man sent the excellent sword to the being. Upon receiving it, the being was destroyed instantly, like cotton is consumed.
Then, enraged, the son of Droṇa sent a blazing mace, resembling Indra's banner, at him; but he also devoured that weapon.
Then, when all weapons were gone, looking all around, he saw that Janardana (Krishna and his forms) had created both sky and non-sky.
Seeing that most astonishing event, Droṇa's son, unarmed and deeply troubled, recalled Kṛpa's words and spoke.
One who does not heed the beneficial but unpleasant advice of friends suffers in adversity, just as I now grieve for having ignored those two.
He who disregards the scriptural injunctions and seeks to kill those who should not be slain, strays from the righteous path and follows an evil way.
One should be especially careful and respectful towards cows, brāhmaṇas, kings, women, friends, mothers, teachers, the elderly, children, the dull-witted, the blind, those who are asleep, those who are frightened, and those who have just awakened.
It has always been instructed by the teachers that weapons should never be given to those who are intoxicated, insane, or careless.
I have deviated from the eternal path shown by the scriptures and, by following a wrong way, have brought myself into a terrible calamity.
The wise say that the greatest misfortune is when, out of fear, a person abandons a great task after having begun it.
Who here is able to accomplish the impossible by mere strength? Indeed, no human action is said to be greater than fate.
If a person's actions do not succeed because of fate, then one who has strayed from the path of righteousness encounters misfortune.
The wise say that when someone, out of fear, abandons any action after starting it, the cause is an unknown obstacle.
This danger has come upon me due to mismanagement. Indeed, the son of Droṇa would never retreat in battle under any circumstances.
This is a truly extraordinary event, as if a divine punishment has been raised. No matter how much I think about it, I cannot understand what it is.
Certainly, this impure mind of mine, which has engaged in unrighteousness, now faces the terrible consequences of its actions.
This return of mine from battle is destined by fate; in no way is it possible to act otherwise here except by fate.
Today, I take refuge in Mahadeva, the great lord. He will indeed destroy this terrible divine punishment of mine.
Then, having sought refuge in Kapardin, the god of gods, the husband of Umā, the skull-garlanded Rudra, the destroyer of Bhaga's eye, Hara.
He, the god, truly surpassed the other gods through his austerity and valor; therefore, I will seek refuge in Giriśa (Śiva), the wielder of the trident.
