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the slaughter of Jayadratha. The father of Jayadratha is Vriddhakshatra
known all over the world. It was after a long time that he got
Jayadratha, that slayer of foes, for his son. (At the birth of the son)
an incorporeal and invisible voice, deep as that of the clouds or of the
drum, said unto king Vriddhakshatra. 'This thy son, O lord, amongst men
in this world will become worthy of the two races (viz., the Solar and
the Lunar) in respect of blood, behaviour, self-restraint and the other
attributes. He will become one of the foremost of Kshatriyas, and will
always be worshipped by heroes. But while struggling in battle, some bull
among the Kshatriyas, some conspicuous person in the world, excited with
wrath, will cut off this one's head.' That chastiser of foes, viz., the
(old) ruler of the Sindhus, hearing these words, reflected for sometime.
Overwhelmed with affection for his son, he summoned all his kinsmen and
said, 'That man who will cause the head of my son to fall on the earth
while the latter, struggling in battle, will be bearing a great burthen,
I say that the head of that man will certainly crack into a hundred
pieces.' Having spoken these words and installed Jayadratha on the
throne, Vriddhakshatra, repairing to the woods, devoted himself to
ascetic austerities. Endued with great energy, he is still engaged in the
observance of the austerest of penances outside this very
Samantapanchaka, O ape-bannered one! Therefore, cutting off Jayadratha's
head in this dreadful battle, thou, O slayer of foes, shouldst, O
Bharata, by thy fierce celestial weapon of wonderful feats, quickly throw
that head decked with car-rings upon the lap of Vriddhakshatra himself, O
younger brother of the son of the Wind-god! If thou fellest Jayadratha's
head on the earth, thy own head, then, without doubt, will crack into a
hundred fragments. Aided by thy celestial weapon, do thee deed in such a
way that the lord of earth viz., the old Sindhu king, may not know that
it is done. Truly, O Arjuna, there is nothing in the three worlds which
thou canst not achieve or do, O son of Vasava!" Hearing these words (of
Krishna), Dhananjaya, licking the corners of his mouth, quickly shot that
arrow which he had taken up for Jayadratha's slaughter, that arrow, viz.,
whose touch resembled that of Indra's thunder, which was inspired with
mantras and converted into a celestial weapon, which was capable of
bearing any strain, and which had always been