srimahabharat - (Book 10) Souptika Parva -chapters 16 to 18

The Sacred  Scripture of

 great Epic Sree Mahabharatam:

The Mahabharata

                                      Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa
                                                        translated by
                                  Sreemaan Brahmasri  Kisari Mohan Ganguli

Book 10
Chapter 16

 

 

 

1 [v]
      tad ājñāya hṛṣīkeśo visṛṣṭaṃ pāpakarmaṇā
      hṛṣyamāṇa idaṃ vākyaṃ drauṇiṃ pratyabravīt tadā
  2 virāṭasya sutāṃ pūrvaṃ snuṣāṃ gāṇḍīvadhanvanaḥ
      upaplavya gatāṃ dṛṣṭvā vratavān brāhmaṇo 'bravīt
  3 parikṣīṇeṣu kuruṣu putras tava janiṣyati
      etad asya parikṣit tvaṃ garbhasthasya bhaviṣyati
  4 tasya tad vacanaṃ sādhoḥ satyam eva bhaviṣyati
      parikṣid bhavitā hy eṣāṃ punar vaṃśakaraḥ sutaḥ
  5 evaṃ bruvāṇaṃ govindaṃ sātvata pravaraṃ tadā
      drauṇiḥ paramasaṃrabdhaḥ pratyuvācedam uttaram
  6 naitad evaṃ yathāttha tvaṃ pakṣapātena keśava
      vacanaṃ puṇḍarīkākṣa na ca madvākyam anyathā
  7 patiṣyaty etad astraṃ hi garbhe tasyā mayodyatam
      virāṭa duhituḥ kṛṣṭayāṃ tvaṃ rakṣitum icchasi
  8 [vāsudeva]
      amoghaḥ paramāstrasya pātas tasya bhaviṣyati
      sa tu garbho mṛto jāto dīrgham āyur avāpsyati
  9 tvāṃ tu kāpuruṣaṃ pāpaṃ viduḥ sarve manīṣiṇaḥ
      asakṛt pāpakarmāṇaṃ bāla jīvitaghātakam
  10 tasmāt tvam asya pāpasya karmaṇaḥ phalam āpnuhi
     trīṇi varṣasahasrāṇi cariṣyasi mahīm imām
     aprāpnuvan kva cit kāṃ cit saṃvidaṃ jātu kena cit
 11 nirjanān asahāyas tvaṃ deśān pravicariṣyasi
     bhavitrī nahi te kṣudrajanamadhyeṣu saṃsthitiḥ
 12 pūya śoṇitagandhī ca durga kāntārasaṃśrayaḥ
     vicariṣyasi pāpātman sarvavyādhisamanvitaḥ
 13 vayaḥ prāpya parikṣit tu veda vratam avāpya ca
     kṛpāc chāradvatād vīraḥ sarvāstrāṇy upalapsyate
 14 viditvā paramāstrāṇi kṣatradharmavrate sthitaḥ
     ṣaṣṭiṃ varṣāṇi dharmātmā vasudhāṃ pālayiṣyati
 15 itaś cordhvaṃ mahābāhuḥ kururājo bhaviṣyati
     parikṣin nāma nṛpatir miṣatas te sudurmate
     paśya me tapaso vīryaṃ satyasya ca narādhama
 16 [vyāsa]
     yasmād anādṛtya kṛtaṃ tvayāsmān karma dāruṇam
     brāhmaṇasya sataś caiva yasmāt te vṛttam īdṛśam
 17 tasmād yad devakīputra uktavān uttamaṃ vacaḥ
     asaṃśayaṃ te tadbhāvi kṣudrakarman vrajāśv itaḥ
 18 [aṣvattāman]
     sahaiva bhavatā brahman sthāsyāmi puruṣeṣv aham
     satyavāg astu bhagavān ayaṃ ca puruṣottamaḥ
 19 [v]
     pradāyātha maṇiṃ drauṇiḥ pāṇḍavānāṃ mahātmanām
     jagāma vimanās teṣāṃ sarveṣāṃ paśyatāṃ vanam
 20 pāṇḍavāś cāpi govindaṃ puraskṛtya hatadviṣaḥ
     kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaṃ caiva nāradaṃ ca mahāmunim
 21 droṇaputrasya sahajaṃ maṇim ādāya satvarāḥ
     draupadīm abhyadhāvanta prāyopetāṃ manasvinīm
 22 tatas te puruṣavyāghrāḥ sadaśvair anilopamaiḥ
     abhyayuḥ saha dāśārhāḥ śibiraṃ punar eva ha
 23 avatīrya rathābhyāṃ tu tvaramāṇā mahārathāḥ
     dadṛśur draupadīṃ kṛṣṇām ārtām ārtatarāḥ svayam
 24 tām upetya nir ānandāṃ duḥkhaśokasamanvitām
     parivārya vyatiṣṭhanta pāṇḍavāḥ saha keśavāḥ
 25 tato rājñābhyanujñāto bhīmaseno mahābalaḥ
     pradadau tu maṇiṃ divyaṃ vacanaṃ cedam abravīt
 26 ayaṃ bhadre tava maṇiḥ putra hantā jitaḥ sa te
     uttiṣṭha śokam utsṛjya kṣatradharmam anusmara
 27 prayāṇe vāsudevasya śamārtham asitekṣaṇe
     yāny uktāni tvayā bhīru vākyāni madhu ghātinaḥ
 28 naiva me patayaḥ santi na putrā bhrātaro na ca
     naiva tvam api govinda śamam icchati rājani
 29 uktavaty asi ghorāṇi vākyāni puruṣottamam
     kṣatradharmānurūpāṇi tāni saṃsmartum arhasi
 30 hato duryodhanaḥ pāpo rājyasya paripanthakaḥ
     duḥśāsanasya rudhiraṃ pītaṃ visphurato mayā
 31 vairasya gatam ānṛṇyaṃ na sma vācyā vivakṣatām
     jitvā mukto droṇaputro brāhmaṇyād gauraveṇa ca
 32 yaśo 'sya pātitaṃ devi śarīraṃ tv avaśeṣitam
     viyojitaś ca maṇinā nyāsitaś cāyudhaṃ bhuvi
 33 [draupadī]
     kevalānṛṇyam āptāsmi guruputro gurur mama
     śirasy etaṃ maṇiṃ rājā pratibadhnātu bhārata
 34 [v]
     taṃ gṛhītvā tato rājā śirasy evākarot tadā
     gurur ucchiṣṭam ity eva draupadyā vacanād api
 35 tato divyaṃ maṇivaraṃ śirasā dhārayan prabhuḥ
     śuśubhe sa mahārājaḥ sacandra iva parvataḥ
 36 uttasthau putraśokārtā tataḥ kṛṣṇā manasvinī
     kṛṣṇaṃ cāpi mahābāhuṃ paryapṛcchata dharmarāṭ

16

Vaishampayana said, "Understanding that that weapon was thrown (into the wombs of the Pandava women) by Drona's son of sinful deeds, Hrishikesha, with a cheerful heart, said these words unto him: ‘A certain brahmana of pious vows, beholding Virata's daughter who is now daughter-in-law to Arjuna, while she was at Upaplavya, said, "While the Kuru line will become extinct, a son will be born to thee. This thy son for that reason, will be called by the name of Parikshit." The words of that pious man shall become true: the Pandavas shall have a son called Parikshit. Unto Govinda, that foremost one of the Satvata race, while he was saying these words, Drona's son, filled with wrath, replied, saying, ‘This, O Keshava, that thou sayest from thy partiality for the Pandavas, shall not happen. O thou of eyes like lotus-petals, my words cannot but be fulfilled. Uplifted by me, this weapon of mine shall fall on the foetus that is in the womb of Virata's daughter, upon that foetus which thou, O Krishna, art desirous of protecting.'
The holy one said, "The fall of this mighty weapon will not be fruitless. The foetus will die. But being dead, it will live again and have a long life! As regards thyself, all wise men know thee for a coward and a sinful wretch! Always engaged in sinful acts, thou art the slayer of children. For this reason, thou must have to bear the fruit of these thy sins. For 3,000 years thou shalt wander over this earth, without a companion and without being able to talk with anyone. Alone and without anybody by thy side, thou shalt wander through diverse countries, O wretch, thou shalt have no place in the midst of men. The stench of pus and blood shall emanate from thee, and inaccessible forests and dreary moors shall be thy abode! Thou shalt wander over the Earth, O thou of sinful soul, with the weight of all diseases on thee.
The heroic Parikshit, attaining to age and a knowledge of the Vedas and the practice of pious vows, shall obtain all weapons from the son of Sharadvata. Having obtained a knowledge of all high weapons, and observant of all kshatriya duties, that righteous-souled king shall rule the earth for sixty years. More than this, that boy shall become the mighty-armed king of the Kurus, known by the name of Parikshit, before thy very eyes, O thou of wicked soul! Though burnt by the energy of thy weapon's fire, I shall revive him. O lowest of men, behold the energy of my austerities and my truth."
Vyasa said, "Since, disregarding us, thou hast perpetrated this exceedingly cruel act, and since thy behaviour is such although thou art a good brahmana (by birth), therefore, those excellent words that Devaki's son has said, will, without doubt, be realised in thy case, an adopter as thou hast been of kshatriya usages!"
Ashvatthama said, "With thyself among all men, O holy one, I shall live! Let the words of this illustrious and foremost of men become true!"
Vaishampayana continued, "Drona's son, then, having made over his gem to the high-souled Pandavas, cheerlessly proceeded, before their eyes, to the forest. The Pandavas who had killed and chastised all their foes, placed Govinda and the island-born Krishna and the great ascetic Narada at their head, and taking the gem that was born with Ashvatthama, quickly came back to the intelligent Draupadi who was sitting in observance of the praya vow.
Those tigers among men, borne by their excellent steeds resembling the wing in fleetness, came back with him of Dasharha's race to their encampment. Speedily alighting from their cars, those great car-warriors, themselves much more afflicted, beheld, Drupada's daughter Krishna afflicted with woe. Approaching the cheerless princess stricken with sorrow and grief, the Pandavas with Keshava, sat round her.
Then the mighty Bhimasena, desired by the king, gave that celestial gem unto her and said these words: "This gem, O amiable lady, is thine. The slayer of thy sons hath been vanquished. Rise, casting off thy sorrow, and recollect the duties of a kshatriya lady. O thou of black eyes, when Vasudeva was about to set out (from Upaplavya) on his mission of peace, thou hadst, O timid lady, said even these words unto the slayer of Madhu, "I have no husbands! I have no sons, nor brothers! Nor art thou alive, O Govinda, since the king desires for peace!" Those bitter words were addressed by thee to Krishna, that foremost of persons! It behoveth thee to recollect those words of thine that were so consistent with kshatriya usages.
The wretched Duryodhana, that obstacle on the way of our sovereignty, has been slain. I have quaffed the blood of the living Duhshasana. We have paid off the debt we owed to our enemy. People, while talking, will not be able to censure us any longer. Having vanquished Drona's son, we have set him free for the sake of his being a brahmana and of the respect that should be shown to our deceased preceptor. His fame hath been destroyed, O goddess, only his body remains! He has been divested of his gem and on earth he has been reft of his weapons!"
Draupadi said, "I desired to only pay off our debt for the injury we have sustained. The preceptor's son is worthy of my reverence as the preceptor himself. Let the king bind this gem on his head, O Bharata!" The king then, taking that gem, placed it on his head, at the desire of Draupadi and regarding it as a gift from the preceptor. Holding on his head that excellent and celestial gem, the puissant king looked beautiful like a mountain with the moon above it. Though stricken with grief on account of the death of her sons, the princess Draupadi, possessed of great mental strength, gave up her vow. Then king Yudhishthira enquired of the mighty-armed Krishna, saying the following words."

 

 

 

Book 10
Chapter 17

 

 

 

1 [v]
      hateṣu sarvasainyeṣu sauptike tai rathais tribhiḥ
      śocan yudhiṣṭhiro rājā dāśārham idam abravīt
  2 kathaṃ nu kṛṣṇa pāpena kṣudreṇākliṣṭa karmaṇā
      drauṇinā nihatāḥ sarve mama putrā mahārathāḥ
  3 tathā kṛtāstrā vikrāntāḥ sahasraśatayodhinaḥ
      drupadasyātmajāś caiva droṇaputreṇa pātitāḥ
  4 yasya droṇo maheṣvāso na prādād āhave mukham
      taṃ jaghne rathināṃ śreṣṭhaṃ dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ kathaṃ nu saḥ
  5 kiṃ nu tena kṛtaṃ karma tathāyuktaṃ nararṣabha
      yad ekaḥ śibiraṃ sarvam avadhīn no guroḥ sutaḥ
  6 [vāsudeva]
      nūnaṃ sa deva denānām īśvareśvaram avyayam
      jagāma śaraṇaṃ drauṇir ekas tenāvadhīd bahūn
  7 prasanno hi mahādevo dadyād amaratām api
      vīryaṃ ca giriśo dadyād yenendram api śātayet
  8 vedāhaṃ hi mahādevaṃ tattvena bharatarṣabha
      yāni cāsya purāṇāni karmāṇi vividhāny uta
  9 ādir eṣa hi bhūtānāṃ madhyam antaś ca bhārata
      viceṣṭate jagac cedaṃ sarvam asyaiva karmaṇā
  10 evaṃ sisṛkṣur bhūtāni dadarśa prathamaṃ vibhuḥ
     pitā maho 'bravīc cainaṃ bhūtāni sṛja māciram
 11 hari keśas tathety uktvā bhūtānāṃ doṣadarśivān
     dīrghakālaṃ tapas tepe magno 'mbhasi mahātapāḥ
 12 sumahāntaṃ tataḥ kālaṃ pratīkṣyainaṃ pitāmahaḥ
     sraṣṭāraṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ sasarja manasāparam
 13 so 'bravīt pitaraṃ dṛṣṭvā giriśaṃ bhagnam ambhasi
     yadi me nāgrajas tv anyas tataḥ srakṣyāmy ahaṃ prajāḥ
 14 tam abravīt pitā nāsti tvadanyaḥ puruṣo 'grajaḥ
     sthāṇur eṣa jale magno visrabdhaḥ kuru vai kṛtim
 15 sa bhūtāny asṛjat sapta dakṣādīṃs tu prajāpatīn
     yair imaṃ vyakarot sarvaṃ bhūtagrāmaṃ caturvidham
 16 tāḥ sṛṣṭa mātrāḥ kṣudhitāḥ prajāḥ sarvāḥ prajāpatim
     bibhakṣayiṣavo rājan sahasā prādravaṃs tadā
 17 sa bhakṣyamāṇas trāṇārthī pitāmaham upādravat
     ābhyo māṃ bhagavān pātu vṛttir āsāṃ vidhīyatām
 18 tatas tābhyo dadāv annam oṣadhīḥ sthāvarāṇi ca
     jaṅgamāni ca bhūtāni durbalāni balīyasām
 19 vihitānnāḥ prajās tās tu jagmus tuṣṭā yathāgatam
     tato vavṛdhire rājan prītimatyaḥ svayoniṣu
 20 bhūtagrāme vivṛddhe tu tuṣṭe lokagurāv api
     udatiṣṭhaj jalāj jyeṣṭhaḥ prajāś cemā dadarśa saḥ
 21 bahurūpāḥ prajā dṛṣṭvā vivṛddhāḥ svena tejasā
     cukrodha bhagavān rudro liṅgaṃ svaṃ cāpy avidhyata
 22 tat praviddhaṃ tadā bhūmau tathaiva pratyatiṣṭhata
     tam uvācāvyayo brahmā vacobhiḥ śamayann iva
 23 kiṃ kṛtaṃ salile śarva cirakālaṃ sthitena te
     kimarthaṃ caitad utpāṭya bhūmau liṅgaṃ praveritam
 24 so 'bravīj jātasaṃrambhas tadā lokagurur gurum
     prajāḥ sṛṣṭāḥ pareṇemāḥ kiṃ kariṣyāmy anena vai
 25 tapasādhigataṃ cānnaṃ prajārthaṃ me pitāmaha
     oṣadhyaḥ parivarteran yathaiva satataṃ prajāḥ
 26 evam uktvā tu saṃkruddho jagāma vimanā bhavaḥ
     girer muñjavataḥ pādaṃ tapas taptuṃ mahātapāḥ

 

17

Vaishampayana said, "After all the troops had been slain during the hour of sleep by those three car-warriors, king Yudhishthira in great grief said these words unto him of Dasharha's race: ‘How, O Krishna, could my sons, all of whom were mighty car-warriors, be slaughtered by the sinful and wretched Ashvatthama of no great skill in battle? How also could Drona's son slay the children of Drupada, all of whom were accomplished in weapons, possessed of great prowess, and capable of battling with hundreds of thousands of foes? How could he slay that foremost of car-warriors, Dhrishtadyumna, before whom the great bowman Drona himself could not appear? What act was done by the preceptor's son, O bull among men, in consequence of which he succeeded in slaying, single-handed, all our men in battle?'
The holy one said, "Verily, Drona's son had sought the aid of that highest of all the gods, the eternal Mahadeva. It was for this that he succeeded in slaying, single-handed, so large a number of warriors. If Mahadeva be gratified, he can bestow even immortality. Girisha can give such valour as will succeed in checking Indra himself. I know Mahadeva truly, O bull of Bharata's race! I know also his various acts of old. He, O Bharata, is the beginning, the middle, and the end of all creatures. This entire universe acts and moves through his energy.
The puissant Grandsire, desirous of creating living creatures, saw Rudra; and the Grandsire asked him, saying, "Create living creatures without delay!" Thus asked, Rudra of tawny locks, saying, "So be it!" plunged into the water and practised austerities for a long time, inasmuch as he was sensible of the defects of living creatures. Having waited in expectation of Rudra for a very long time, the Grandsire, by a fiat of his will, invoked into existence another being for making him the creator of all kinds of living things. Beholding Girisha plunged into the waters, this (second) being said unto his sire, "If there be no being born before me, then I will create living creatures!" His sire replied unto him, saying, "There is no other first-born being besides thee! This Sthanu has plunged into the water! Go and create living creatures, without any anxiety!"
That being then created many living creatures, having Daksha for their first, who created all these creatures of four kinds. As soon, however, as they were created, they ran O king, towards their sire, afflicted with hunger and desirous of devouring him. The second being whom Brahma had created, thereupon ran towards him, desirous of protection from his own offspring. And he said unto the Grandsire, "O illustrious one, protect me from these, and let these creatures have their food assigned unto them!" Then the Grandsire assigned herbs and plants and other vegetables as their food, and unto those that were strong he assigned the weaker creatures as the means of sustenance. Their sustenance having been thus assigned, the newly-created creatures all went away to regions they desired, and cheerfully multiplied by union with their respective species.
After the creatures had multiplied and the Grandsire had become well pleased, the first-born rose from the water and beheld the living creation. He saw that diverse kinds of creatures had been created and that they had multiplied by their own energy. At this sight, Rudra became angry and caused his procreative limb to disappear in the bowels of the Earth. The unfading Brahma, soothing him by soft words, said unto him, "O Sharva, what wert thou doing so long within the water? For what reason, also hast thou caused thy limb of generation to disappear in the bowels of the Earth?" Thus questioned, that lord of the universe wrathfully answered the lord Brahman, "Somebody else has created all these creatures! What purpose then would be served by this limb of mine? I have by my austerities, O Grandsire, created food for all these creatures. These herbs and plants also will multiply like those that will subsist upon them!" Having said these words, Bhava went away, in cheerlessness and rage, to the foot of the Menjavat mountains for practising severer austerities."

 

Book 10
Chapter 18

 

 

 

1 [vāsudeva]
      tato devayuge 'tīte devā vai samakalpayan
      yajñaṃ veda pramāṇena vidhivad yaṣṭum īpsavaḥ
  2 kalpayām āsur avyagrā deśān yajñocitāṃs tataḥ
      bhāgārhā devatāś caiva yajñiyaṃ dravyam eva ca
  3 tā vai rudram ajānantyo yāthā tathyena devatāḥ
      nākalpayanta devasya sthāṇor bhāgaṃ narādhipa
  4 so 'kalpyamāne bhāge tu kṛtti vāsā makhe 'maraiḥ
      tarasā bhāgam anvicchan dhanur ādau sasarja ha
  5 lokayajñaḥ kriyā yajño gṛhayajñaḥ sanātanaḥ
      pañca bhūtamayo yajño nṛyajñaś caiva pañcamaḥ
  6 lokayajñena yajñaiṣī kapardī vidadhe dhanuḥ
      dhanuḥ sṛṣṭam abhūt tasya pañca kiṣku pramāṇataḥ
  7 vaṣaṭkāro 'bhavaj jyā tu dhanuṣas tasya bhārata
      yajñāṅgāni ca catvāri tasya saṃhanane 'bhavan
  8 tataḥ kruddho mahādevas tad upādāya kārmukam
      ājagāmātha tatraiva yatra devāḥ samījire
  9 tam āttakārmukaṃ dṛṣṭvā brahmacāriṇam avyayam
      vivyathe pṛthivī devī parvatāś ca cakampire
  10 na vavau pavanaś caiva nāgnir jajvāla caidhitaḥ
     vyabhramac cāpi saṃvignaṃ divi nakṣatramaṇḍalam
 11 na babhau bhāskaraś cāpi somaḥ śrīmuktamaṇḍalaḥ
     timireṇākulaṃ sarvam ākāśaṃ cābhavad vṛtam
 12 abhibhūtās tato devā viṣayān na prajajñire
     na pratyabhāc ca yajñas tān vedā babhraṃśire tadā
 13 tataḥ sa yajñaṃ raudreṇa vivyādha hṛdi patriṇā
     apakrāntas tato yajño mṛgo bhūtvā sapāvakaḥ
 14 sa tu tenaiva rūpeṇa divaṃ prāpya vyarocata
     anvīyamāno rudreṇa yudhiṣṭhira nabhastale
 15 apakrānte tato yajñe saṃjñā na pratyabhāt surān
     naṣṭasaṃjñeṣu deveṣu na prajñāyata kiṃ cana
 16 tryambakaḥ savitur bāhū bhagasya nayane tathā
     pūṣṇaś ca daśanān kruddho dhanuṣkoṭyā vyaśātayat
 17 prādravanta tato devā yajñāṅgāni ca sarvaśaḥ
     ke cit tatraiva ghūrṇanto gatāsava ivābhavan
 18 sa tu vidrāvya tat sarvaṃ śitikaṇṭho 'vahasya ca
     avaṣṭabhya dhanuṣkoṭiṃ rurodha vibudhāṃs tataḥ
 19 tato vāg amarair uktā jyāṃ tasya dhanuṣo 'cchinat
     atha tat sahasā rājaṃś chinnajyaṃ visphurad dhanuḥ
 20 tato vidhanuṣaṃ devā deva śreṣṭham upāgaman
     śaraṇaṃ sahayajñena prasādaṃ cākarot prabhuḥ
 21 tataḥ prasanno bhagavān prāsyat kopaṃ jalāśaye
     sa jalaṃ pāvako bhūtvā śoṣayaty aniśaṃ prabho
 22 bhagasya nayane caiva bāhū ca savitus tathā
     prādāt pūṣṇaś ca daśanān punar yajñaṃ ca pāṇḍava
 23 tataḥ sarvam idaṃ svasthaṃ babhūva punar eva ha
     sarvāṇi ca havīṃṣy asya devā bhāgam akalpayan
 24 tasmin kruddhe 'bhavat sarvam asvasthaṃ bhuvanaṃ vibho
     prasanne ca punaḥ svasthaṃ sa prasanno 'sya vīryavān
 25 tatas te nihatāḥ sarve tava putrā mahārathāḥ
     anye ca bahavaḥ śūrāḥ pāñcālāś ca sahānugāḥ
 26 na tan manasi kartavyaṃ na hi tad drauṇinā kṛtam
     mahādeva prasādaḥ sa kuru kāryam anantaram

 

18

The holy one said, "After the krita-yuga had elapsed, the gods, desirous of performing a sacrifice, duly made preparation for one according to the directions laid down in the Vedas. They collected clarified butter and the other requisites. And they not only devised what the requisites of their sacrifice should be, but also determined those amongst themselves that should have a share in the sacrificial offerings.
Not knowing Rudra truly, the celestials, O king, assigned no share for the divine Sthanu. Seeing that the celestials assigned to him no share in the sacrificial offerings, Sthanu, clad in deer skins, desired to destroy that Sacrifice and with that object constructed a bow. There are four kinds of Sacrifices: the loka Sacrifice, the Sacrifice of special rites, the eternal domestic Sacrifice, and the Sacrifice consisting in the gratification derived by man from his enjoyment of the five elemental substances and their compounds. It is from these four kinds of Sacrifice that the universe has sprung. Kapardin constructed that bow using as materials the first and the fourth kinds of Sacrifices. The length of that bow was five cubits. The sacred (mantra) "vashat," O Bharata, was made its string. The four parts, of which a Sacrifice consists, became the adornments of that bow.
Then Mahadeva, filled with rage, and taking up that bow, proceeded to that spot where the celestials were engaged in their Sacrifice. Beholding the unfading Rudra arrive there attired as a brahmacari and armed with that bow, the goddess Earth shrunk with fear and the very mountains began to tremble. The very wind ceased to move, and fire itself, though fed, did not blaze forth. The stars in the firmament, in anxiety, began to wander in irregular courses. The Sun's splendour decreased. The disc of the Moon lost its beauty. The entire welkin became enveloped in a thick gloom. The celestials, overwhelmed, knew not what to do. Their Sacrifice ceased to blaze forth. The gods were all terrified. Rudra then pierced the embodiment of Sacrifice with a fierce shaft in the heart. The embodied form of Sacrifice, assuming the shape of a deer, fled away, with the god of fire. Approaching heaven in that form, he blazed forth in beauty. Rudra, however, O Yudhishthira, pursued him through the skies. After Sacrifice had fled away, the gods lost their splendour. Having lost their senses, the gods were stupefied.
Then the three-eyed Mahadeva, with his bow, broke in rage the arms of Savitri, and plucked out the eyes of Bhaga and the teeth of Pushana. The gods then fled away, as also all the several parts of Sacrifice. Some amongst them, reeling as they sought to fly away, fell down senseless. The blue-throated Rudra, having agitated them thus, laughed aloud, and whirling the horn of his bow, paralysed them. The celestials then uttered a cry. At their command, the string of the bow broke. The string having broken, the bow became stretched into a line. The gods then approached the bowless god of gods and, with the embodied form of Sacrifice, sought the protection of the puissant Mahadeva and endeavoured to gratify him.
Gratified, the great god threw his wrath into the water, O king, that wrath, assuming the form of fire, is always employed in consuming that liquid element. He then gave unto Savitri his arms, Bhaga his eyes, and Pushana his teeth. And he also restored the Sacrifices themselves, O Pandava! The world once more became safe and sound. The gods assigned unto Mahadeva all the libations of clarified butter as the share of great deity. O monarch, when Mahadeva had become angry, the whole world had thus become agitated: when he became gratified everything became safe. Possessed of great energy, the god Mahadeva was gratified with Ashvatthama. It was for this that thy sons, those mighty car-warriors, could be slain by that warrior. It was for this that many other heroes, the Pancalas, with all their followers, could be slain by him. Thou shouldst not suffer thy mind to dwell on it. It was not Drona's son that accomplished that act. It was done through the grace of Mahadeva. Do now what should next be done."

The end of Sauptika-parva

(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Sreeman Brahmasri K M Ganguli ji for the collection)