w made of the horn (Krishna), thou alone, if
roused, wouldst be able to surround even the whole of this earth. I ask
thee to kill Dhritarashtra's son with all his men, as the great Indra,
the lord of the gods killed Vritra. Arjuna, the son of Pritha, is my
brother, and also my friend, and also my preceptor, and is like the
second self of Krishna. It is for this that men desire for a worthy son,
and that preceptor seeks a pupil who would contradict him not. It is for
this that the time is come for that excellent work, which is the best of
all tasks and difficult to perform. I shall baffle Duryodhana's volleys
of arms by my own excellent weapons. I shall overpower all in the field
of battle. I shall in my wrath cut off his head with my excellent
shafts, little inferior to snakes and poison and fire. And with the keen
edge of my sword, I shall forcibly sever his head from the trunk, in the
field of battle; then I shall kill his followers, and Duryodhana, and
all of Kuru's race. O son of Rohini! let the followers of Bhima look at
me with joy at their heart, when I shall keep up the weapons of war in
the field of battle, and when I shall go on slaying all the best
fighting men on the side of the Kurus, as at the end of time fire will
burn vast heaps of straw. Kripa and Drona and Vikarna and Karna are not
able to bear the keen arrows shot by Pradyumna. I know the power of
Arjuna's son--he conducts himself like the son of Krishna in the field
of battle. Let Samva chastise by the force of his arms Dussasana; let
him destroy by force Dussasana and his charioteer and his car. In the
field of battle when the son of Jamvavati becomes irresistible in fight,
there is nothing which can withstand his force. The army of the demon
Samvara was speedily routed by him when only a boy. By him was killed in
fight Asvachakra, whose thighs were round, and whose muscular arms were
of exceeding length. Who is there that would be able to go forward to
the car of Samva, who is great in fight, when mounted on a car? As a
mortal coming under the clutches of death can never escape; so who is
there that once coming under his clutches in the field of battle, is
able to return with his life? The son of Vasudeva will burn down by the
volleys of his fiery shafts all the hostile troops, and those two
warriors, Bhishma and Drona,--who are great on a car, and Somadatta
surrounded by all his sons. What is there in all the world including the
gods, which Krishna