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Saturday, December 12, 2020

Arms Sacrifice

Karna to Krishna :

O Janardana, like an ocean,--great is this assemblage, O Krishna, of Kshatriyas (that hath been made by Yudhishthira). This blazing kingdom, celebrated among all the kings of the earth, is already won (by Yudhishthira). O thou of Vrishni's race, a great sacrifice of arms is about to be celebrated by Dhritarashtra's son. 
  1. Thou, O Janardana, wilt be the Upadrashtri of that sacrifice. The office of Adhyaryu also, O Krishna, in that sacrifice, will be thine. 
  2. The ape-bannered Vibhatsu accoutred in mail will be the Hotri (his bow), Gandiva will be the sacrificial ladle, and the prowess of the warriors will be the clarified butter (that is to be consumed). The weapons called Aindra, Pasupata, Brahma, and Sthunakarna, applied by Arjuna, will, O Madhava, be the mantras (of that sacrifice). 
  3. Resembling his father, or perhaps, excelling him in prowess, Subhadra's son (Abhimanyu) will be the chief Vedic hymn to be chanted. 
  4. That destroyer of elephant ranks that utterer of fierce roars in battle, that tiger among men, the exceedingly mighty Bhima, will be Udgatri and Prastotri in this sacrifice. 
  5. King Yudhishthira of virtuous Soul, ever engaged in Yapa and Homa, will himself be the Brahma of that sacrifice. The sounds of conchs, tabors, and drums, and the leonine roaring rising high in the welkin, will be the calls upon the invited to eat. 
  6. The two sons of Madri, Nakula and Sahadeva, of great fame and prowess, will be the slayers of the sacrificial animals; rows of bright cars furnished with standards of variegated hue, will, O Govinda, be stakes (for tying the animals), 
  7. O Janardana, in this sacrifice. Barbed arrows and Nalikas, and long shafts, and arrows with heads like calf's tooth, will play the part of spoons (wherewith to distribute the Soma juice) 
  8. while Tomaras will be the vessels of Soma, and bows will be pavitras. 
  9. The swords will be Kapalas, the heads (of slain warriors) 
  10. the Purodasas and the blood of warriors the clarified butter. O Krishna, in this sacrifice. 
  11. The lances and bright maces (of the warriors) will be pokers (for stirring the sacrificial fire) and the corner stakes (for keeping the fire-wood from falling down). 
  12. The disciples of Drona and Kripa, the son of Saradwat, will be the Sadasyas (assisting priests). 
  13. The arrows shot by the wielder of Gandiva and by (other) mighty car-warriors, and by Drona and Drona's son, will play the part of ladles for distributing the Soma. 
  14. Satyaki will discharge the duties of the chief assistant of the Adhyaryu. 
  15. Of this sacrifice, Dhritarashtra's son will be installed as the performer, while this vast army will be his wife. 
  16. O thou of mighty arms, when the nocturnal rites of sacrifice will begin, the mighty Ghatotkacha will play the part of the slayer of (devoted) victims. 
  17. The mighty Dhrishtadyumna, who sprang into life from thesacrificial fire, having for its mouth the rites celebrated with mantras, will, O Krishna, be the Dakshina of that sacrifice.
  18.  For those harsh words, O Krishna, that I said before unto the sons of Pandu for the gratification of Dhritarashtra's son,--for that wicked conduct of mine,--I am consumed with repentance. When O Krishna, thou wilt behold me slain by Arjuna, then will the Punachiti of this sacrifice commence. 
  19. When the (second) son of Pandu will drink the blood of the loudly roaring Dussasana, then will the Soma-drinking of this sacrifice have taken place! 
  20. When the two princes of Panchala (Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin) will overthrow Drona and Bhishma, then, O Janardana, will this sacrifice be suspended for an interval. 
  21. When mighty Bhimasena will slay Duryodhana, then, O Madhava, will this sacrifice of Dhritarashtra's son be concluded. 
  22. When the wives of Dhritarashtra's sons and grandsons assembled together, deprived, O Kesava, of their husbands and sons and without protectors, will indulge in lamentations with Gandhari in their midst, on the field of battle haunted by dogs and vultures and other carnivorous birds, then, O Janardana, will the final bath of this sacrifice take place.

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