his thy son will become unslayable on earth by foes. No
man can have immortality. O foremost of rivers, every one who hath taken
birth must inevitably die. This child, however, will always be invincible
by foes in battle, through the power of this weapon. Therefore, let thy
heart's fever be dispelled." Having said these words, Varuna gave him,
with mantras, a mace. Obtaining that mace, Srutayudha became invincible
on earth. Unto him, however, illustrious Lord of the waters again said,
"This mace should not be hurled at one who is not engaged in fight. If
hurled at such a person, it will come back and fall upon thyself. O
illustrious child, (if so hurled) it will then course in an opposite
direction and slay the person hurling it." It would seem that when his
hour came, Srutayudha disobeyed that injunction. With that hero-slaying
mace he attacked Janardana. The valiant Krishna received that mace on one
of his well-formed and stout shoulders. It failed to shake Sauri, like
the wind failing to shake the Vindhya mountain. That mace, returning unto
Srutayudha himself, struck that brave and wrathful king staying on his
car, like an ill-accomplished act of sorcery injuring the performer
himself, and slaying that hero fell down on the earth. Beholding the mace
turn back and Srutayudha slain, loud cries of Alas and Oh arose there
among the troops, at the sight of Srutayudha that chastiser of foes,
slain by a weapon of his own.[137] And because, O monarch, Srutayudha had
hurled that mace at Janardana who was not engaged in fighting it slew him
who had hurled it. And Srutayudha perished on the field, even in the
manner that Varuna had indicated. Deprived of life, he fell down on the
earth before the eyes of all the bowmen. While falling down, that dear
son of Parnasa shone resplendent like a tall banian with spreading boughs
broken by the wind. Then all the troops and even all the principal
warriors fled away, beholding Srutayudha, that chastiser of foes, slain.
Then, the son of the ruler of the Kamvojas, viz., the brave Sudakshina,
rushed on his swift steeds against Phalguna that slayer of foes. Partha,
then, O Bharata, sped seven shafts at him. Those shafts passing through
the body of that hero, entered the earth. Deeply pierced by those shafts
sped in battle from Gandiva, Sudakshina pierced Arjuna in return with ten
shafts winged with Kanka feathers. And piercing Vasudeva with three
shafts, he once more pierced Partha with five. T