Udyog Parva - The Day Before - Part 2
Reply to Duryodhan via Ulook
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When Ulook had finished, the Pandavas leapt from their seats, speechless with rage. They stared at each other, ground their teeth their breath came in hot blasts and they seemed like infuriated serpents. Bheem's eyes turned red and he looked across at Krishna, who laughed and said, "O Ulook, go back to your master and tell him we have heard his message and understood its meaning. Let it be as he says. The battle will begin tomorrow."
Rubbing his hands together, Bheem roared, "O fool, we have heard your words, intended to rouse us to action as if we were weak and inactive. Ulook, carry my reply back to your master.
"O Duryodhan, only due to respect for our elder brother have we tolerated you for so long. The virtuous Yudhishthir has offered peace. You have refused. Pushed by your own fate, you now desire to meet Yamaraj. The battle will certainly begin tomorrow. I have vowed to slay you and all your brothers. Do not doubt my power to carry out this vow. The ocean may transgress its banks, the mountains may split asunder, but my words will not prove false. O you of little sense, not even the gods and demons combined can save you now. I will drink Dushasan's blood and grind the rest of the Kauravas into the earth. Any kshatriya approaching me in anger will go at once to Death's abode. I swear by my soul that I speak the truth."
Sahadev then stepped forward. "Tell this to the fool who gives you orders: 'Only because of you has this dispute arisen. You were born for the destruction of your own race, and indeed of the world. Goaded on by Shakuni, you have always acted with evil intentions toward us. You will soon be slain by me before all your warriors.'"
Duryodhan's message was creating a tumult in the Pandavas' tent. The kings and warriors shouted and waved their weapons at Ulook. Arjun calmed them. Then he turned to Bheem and said, "O Bheemsena, be patient. Those who have made you their enemy will soon be destroyed. Nothing can save them. There is no need to rebuke Ulook. He is only an envoy. What fault can an envoy commit? The words he spoke were not his own."
Arjun looked at the assembled kings. "You have all heard Duryodhan's foul speech directed even toward Krishna. With your leave I will give my response."
By now, Ulook was trembling. Arjun said, "Tell Duryodhan: 'Tomorrow you will have my reply delivered by the Gandiv. Only eunuchs use words.'"
Arjun took his seat by Yudhishthir's side, who then said, "I have heard your master's words, Ulook. Tell him this in reply: 'O fool, you have ever adopted an evil course with us. Although you lack power, you now challenge us to war. Depending on others' prowess you utter threats. A real kshatriya fights his enemies depending upon his own power. Since you are unable to do so, why do you roar so much?'"
Seeing that Yudhishthir had finished, Ulook rose from his seat to depart. Krishna checked him. "Also say this to Duryodhan: 'O sinful one, you think that I shall be of no consequence in this war as I will not fight. Do not make such a miscalculation. I will act as Arjun's charioteer and you will see him everywhere, destroying your forces as fire burns dry grass. Even if you go beyond the three worlds or enter the nether regions, you will see Arjun's chariot there tomorrow. You also think Bheem has indulged in idle threats, but you can consider that he has already drunk Dushasan's blood. Neither Yudhishthir nor his brothers are in the least afraid of you. You are strong only in speech.'"
As Krishna stopped speaking, Arjun leapt to his feet. He was not satisfied with the curt response he had given to Duryodhan. He spoke again. "Tell this to your master: 'O worst of men, having installed Bhishma as your commander, you are boasting that Arjun and his brothers will never attack him. But I will make him my first target.'"
Arjun's voice seethed with restrained rage as he went on. "Although the worshipful grandfather's senses are under control and he possesses great wisdom, he has taken your side and chosen to die. I will not hesitate to direct my arrows toward him. O Duryodhan, your hopes are in vain. You are arrogant, harsh, inhuman, addicted to vice, partial, and you hate virtue. You will soon receive the consequences of your nature. When I am angry and have Krishna as my second, what hope can you have for success? Your relatives will soon lament your death. When you are struck down by Bheem, you will recall your foolishness."
When Arjun sat down, Ulook bowed before Yudhishthir, anxious to depart. Reassuring him, Yudhishthir said, "Say this to Duryodhan also: 'You have judged me improperly. I do not desire to harm even worms or ants--what to speak of my relatives. Thus I was prepared to accept only five villages to avoid this war. It is only due to you that this calamity has arisen, O man of meager understanding. Overpowered by lust you could not accept Krishna's advice, and for that reason you rant like one deprived of his senses. What is the use of your words? Come out and fight along with all your friends. Death awaits you.'"
Bheem wrung his hands together and breathed heavily. Although he would have accepted a peaceful solution to the conflict, he could not deny his joy at the prospect of finally confronting the sinful Kauravas. Ulook's message had stoked his long-cherished anger to the point of distraction. But he would have to wait until morning. It would be a long night. Suppressing his rage, Bheem spoke again to Ulook even more harshly. "This is my final word to Duryodhan: 'O sinful one, either remain in Hastinapur or lie in the belly of a vulture. Those are the only choices left for you now. I swear by truth that my words made in the council hall will come to pass. I will drink Dushasan's blood and I will smash your thighs. Know me as the death of all Dhritarashtra's sons."
As Ulook turned and bowed to the assembled kings, Dhrishtadyumna's voice rang out: "O Ulook, tell Duryodhan that I was born to kill Drona. He and all his followers will die at my hands. There is no doubt. What more need I say?"
Ulook went out of the tent backwards, bowing from the waist with his palms folded. He ran over to his chariot and leapt aboard, urging his horses back to the Kaurava camp.
Yudhishthir began to move his army into position on the battlefield. Dhrishtadyumna appointed specific tasks to the principal warriors. Each chariot fighter was to protect the divisions of foot soldiers from the enemy charioteers. Equals should fight equals. The chiefs of the army were allotted chiefs on the opposing side. Bheem would fight with Duryodhan, Sahadev with Shakuni, Nakul with Ashwatthama, Shikhandi with Bhishma, Uttamauja with Kripa, and Dhrishtadyumna would engage with Drona. Abhimanyu, whom he considered as powerful as Arjun, was ordered to engage with all the kings supporting Duryodhan, while Arjun had the task of protecting the entire army.
Gradually the Pandava forces arrayed themselves. By evening, everyone was in position, ready to march into battle the next morning.
The Classification of Warriors
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Duryodhan was sitting amid all his generals when Ulook returned and delivered the Pandavas' replies. The prince sneered and turned to Bhishma. "The war begins tomorrow, O Grandfather. I desire to hear from you about the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy and also of ourselves. Please tell me everything you know."
Sitting before a large number of warriors in Duryodhan's tent, Bhishma said, "O King, listen as I describe who are the rathis, maharathis, and atirathis in your army. There are thousands of rathis on your side, each capable of contending with a thousand warriors at once. There are also numerous maharathis, who can stand against ten thousand, and many atirathis, who can face an almost unlimited number of opponents. You, O son of Gandhari, are an atirathi, and your brothers are all maharathis. All of you are skillful elephant and chariot drivers, and expert with weapons. You will slay Pandava forces in large numbers."
Bhishma then described the strength of every principal warrior on the Kauravas' side. He described Kritavarma, Shalya, Kripa, Drona, Ashwatthama, and Balhika as atirathis. When he came to Karna, usually considered an atirathi and upon whom Duryodhan pinned his hopes, Bhishma said, "Because of Parashuram's curse and the loss of his celestial armour, he is no longer powerful. Although he brags of his prowess and you have elevated him to a higher station than he deserves, he is of little consequence. In battle he becomes confounded and is too soft on the enemy. In my opinion, he is only half a rathi. When he comes before Arjun, he will not escape with his life."
Drona agreed. "It is so. What you say is never false."
Karna started up from his seat, his eyes angry. "O Grandfather, you are ever given to piercing me with your sharp words. What sin have I committed that you derive such pleasure from insulting me? I tolerate it only for Duryodhan's sake. In my opinion, you too are only half a rathi. I do not speak an untruth when I say that you are the enemy of the entire universe. You are the Kurus' enemy in the guise of a friend. Who else would seek to create disunion among our forces and sap their energy by mean descriptions of their power? By saying that one is greater than another, based upon your own estimation, you simply discourage the fighters. You are moved only by desire and hatred."
Karna's voice filled the tent. He could no longer tolerate Bhishma's stinging words. Clenching his fists, he turned toward Duryodhan. "O King, abandon this wicked man at once! If you do not, he will soon destroy your army by sowing the seeds of discord. What use are his estimations? Let me go out to meet the Pandava armies. They will soon be routed like bulls meeting a tiger. Bhishma boasts of being able to fight the universe, but his words are vain and empty. He is old and senile. His intelligence has become like a boy's. Reject him at once and choose me. Alone I can slay the Pandavas and all their followers.
"But I will not do it while Bhishma is still on the battlefield. The glory and fame of a victory goes to the commander and not to the individual fighters. I will do nothing to increase Bhishma's fame. When he is killed, I will come out and display my prowess."
Bhishma looked contemptuously at Karna. "The time for battle has arrived. Long have I known this calamity would come. Now the burden of this battle, vast like the ocean, rests upon my shoulders. I have no desire to create dispute among our men. For this reason only do you still live, O son of a suta. Although I am now old and you are young, I would still immediately destroy your desire for battle and take your life."
The Kuru commander felt his anger rising. "Good men do not approve of self-praise, but I will say something now because I have lost my temper. When I attended the swayamvar at Kashi, I single-handedly overpowered all the kings on earth. What have you done? You are an ill-starred man, and since your arrival the Kurus have met with disaster. Prove your words in battle. I will see your actual strength when I see you escape from Arjun, O man of wicked intelligence."
Duryodhan leapt up. "Be peaceful, O son of Ganga. I need both you and Karna in this fight. No doubt you will both perform heroic deeds. Leave aside this petty squabbling and tell me more of the strengths and weaknesses of the two sides. The fight will soon begin."
Still glaring at Karna, Bhishma began to describe the Pandavas' strength. "The pious king Yudhishthir is himself a mighty maharathi. He will roam about in battle like fire itself. His brother Bheemsena is powerful beyond measure. His strength is not human, and in a fight with either mace or arrows he is without equal. The two sons of Madri are peerless fighters. Remembering their hard suffering in the forest, they will release the poison of their anger on your men. O King, all five Pandavas are great-souled devotees of the Supreme Lord. They are invincible. They have all practiced asceticism and are devoted to virtue. Their prowess is incomparable, as you saw at the Rajasuya when they conquered the earth. Even as children you saw their extraordinary strength, and that is when you first became envious of them. In my view, you should avoid them in battle."
Bhishma looked intently at Duryodhan as he spoke. "Regarding the copper-eyed Arjun, who has Narayan as his ally, I say this: No brave warrior in either army can match him in any way. Even among the gods, Gandharvas, Nagas, Rakshasas and Yakshas he has no equal, what to speak of among men. He has the Gandiv bow, a divine chariot drawn by horses that can fly at the speed of the wind, impenetrable celestial armour, and two inexhaustible quivers. He knows every celestial weapon. He will wreak havoc in your army, O King. Only myself or the preceptor can advance against him. There is no third warrior capable of standing before him when he pours forth his showers of arrows. But he is young and fit, while both Drona and I are old and worn out. He now waits for battle with Keshav at his side."
All the kings in Duryodhan's tent heard Bhishma's description of Arjun and felt shorn of power. Bhishma described the other fighters on the Pandavas' side. Having named many of them as atirathis and maharathis, he spoke about Shikhandi. "You have all heard that he is destined to kill me. But he was born a woman and I will not, therefore, face him in battle. Listen now as I tell you his history, which I have heard from Narad."
Source : http://www.facebook.com/MahabharatKiGalatiyan/posts/547776592001894:0
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