The HISTORY OF INDIA. PART II. gests the lie. gests a prevari been grafted upon the original tradition. battle between Dhrishta-dyumna and Drona was fought with magical weapons, and gods and Rishis were amongst the spectators. Many armies came to the aid of Dhrishta-dyumna, but the martial skill of Drona, and his long and faithful worship of Vishnu, enabled him to resist every enemy. At length Krishna sugKrishna, somewhat inconsistently with his divine character, told Yudhishthira that if he would assure Drona that his son Aswattháma was dead, the old warrior would immediately lay down his arms and become an easy prey. Yudhishthira, however, utterly refused to tell a lie, even to secure the death of so powerful an enemy. Krishna then endea- Krishna sugvoured to overcome the difficulty by directing the cation.. Pándavas to slay an elephant which was named Aswattháma; as by so doing the statement that Aswattháma was dead would cease to be a lie. Bhíma accordingly killed the elephant, and then told Drona that Aswattháma was dead. But Drona was convinced that Bhíma was telling a falsehood ; and in his anger he slew ten thousand cavalry and twenty thousand infantry, and would have destroyed all the armies of the Pándavas, had he not been restrained by the gods and Rishis who reminded him that he was a Bráhman. Drona, however, was still disturbed by the idea that Aswattháma might be dead, and accordingly asked Yudhishthira, who had never been known to tell a falsehood. Yudhish- Manner in thira accordingly intended to say:-" Aswattháma thira is said to is dead; not indeed the man but the elephant." No sooner, however, had he uttered the first part of the sentence than Krishna and Arjuna sounded their war-shells with all their might, and Drona only which Yudhish have told a lie. HISTORY OF heard the words:-"Aswattháma is dead!" INDIA. PART II. Drona dies in the character of Escape of his soul through his skull. 3rd, Karna's command-two days. Three important combats. At the same time Drona was assailed by evil omens. His left eye began to quiver, his left hand began to shake, his heart grew weak, and tears flowed from the eyes of his horse. He still, however, continued fighting until Bhíma again assured him that Aswattháma was dead. Believing now that his son was really slain, he stripped himself of his arms, and sat upon the end of his chariot cross-legged like a Yogi. He then drew up all the breath of his body into a spot in the neighbourhood of his heart, and drove it into his head, upon which the top of his skull was burst open, and his soul escaped through the orifice like a ray of the sun. Dhrishta-dyumna then rushed upon the expiring body and cut off the head. The terrible story of the revenge of Aswattháma for the slaughter of his father will appear hereafter. By the death of Drona the Kauravas were once more deprived of their Generalissimo, and Karna was elected to succeed to the command. Karna only held this post for two days, namely, the sixteenth and seventeenth of the war; but within this brief period are crowded some of the most decisive events in the great struggle. The most important combats which took place during Karna's command were as follows: 1st, The battle between Karna and Yudhishthira. 2nd, The battle between Bhíma and Duhsá sana. 3rd, The crowning battle between Karna and Arjuna. The story of these incidents is as follows: INDIA. PART II. Election of Generalissimo of the war, and command. struggle. Now Drona had been slain in the fifth day of his com- HISTORY OF mand, and on the fifteenth day of the war; and when it was evening the Kauravas assembled together and elected Karna to be their Generalissimo in the room of Drona. Karna to be Next morning the Kauravas, commanded by Karna, again of the Kauravas. went out to battle on the plain of Kurukshetra; and there Sixteenth day was a great slaughter, and the rivers flowed with blood, and first of Karna's the whole plain was covered with corpses; and when it was Indecisive evening the battle was stayed, and the Pándavas and Kauravas returned to their respective camps. Now after nightfall Duryodhana summoned Karna, and Duhsásana, and Sakuni, and many others to Council, and said :-"This is the sixteenth day of our war with the Pándavas, and some of our greatest Captains, such as Bhishma and Drona, have been slain to our great reproach." Karna then smote his hands together, and said:" It has so happened that the Pandavas have escaped with their lives from my attack this day, but you shall see how I will deal with them to-morrow, as well as with their army; for I have determined with my- Karna engages self either to slay Arjuna and his brethren to-morrow, or to lay my head level with the ground." At these words Duryodhana and the other Kauravas returned with great elation of mind to their several quarters. to slay Arjuna. of the war and Karna's com On the morning of the seventeenth day, both armies Seventeenth day bathed and perfumed themselves, and arrayed themselves second of in all their splendour; and they all said to each other: mand. "This will be the great day of the war, and whoever comes out safely from this day's battle will be like one who is born again." And when both armies had been drawn up in opposite ranks, Karna ascended his chariot, and drove to the chariot of Duryodhana, and said:"This is the day on which I will slay Arjuna, and now if I do not kill him you shall never see me again: But Arjuna has Krishna for his Karna desires charioteer; and if Sálya, the Raja of Madra, will drive my would drive his chariot, I shall be certain to get the better of Arjuna, for if any one in all this army can match Krishna in driving, it is Sálya." So Raja Duryodhana went with some of his brethren to the quarters of Sálya, and Sálya was not yet that Sálya chariot. INDIA. PART II. Duryodhana makes the re. quest to Sálya. HISTORY OF mounted for the battle; and he received Duryodhana with every mark of respect, and seated him on the same couch with himself." Duryodhana then said to Sálya :-" There is not in my army this day a single person who is equal to you, and just as the Pándavas pride themselves upon having Krishna, so do I pride myself upon having you: Now I have a particular request to make to you: To-day Karna is to combat with Arjuna, whose charioteer is Krishna, and we have no one among us who can drive like Krishna excepting yourself: My request is therefore that you will mount Karna's chariot this day, and drive it for him; and then Karna will certainly be the conqueror of Arjuna." Sálya's indignation. He sneers at the birth of Karna as the son of a charioteer. Duryodhana assures Sálya of ranks him with Krishna. When Sálya heard this speech he threw himself into a great rage, and rising up from his seat, he struck his hands together, and said:-" O Duryodhana, I have committed one great fault, that when I was going to join the Pandavas I suffered myself to be persuaded to join your army; and now I am punished by being asked to be a charioteer to Karna, who is himself the son of a charioteer: I have a hundred persons in my service who are quite equal to his father, and shall I make myself a servant to him?" So saying, Sálya went out in a rage, but Duryodhana and his brethren followed him, and said:-" We all of us respect his respect, and you as our Chief, and we know that there is no one equal to you in either army save Krishna alone: We did not invite you to be charioteer to Karna out of disrespect, but because such a condescension on your part would ensure us the victory; and surely it would be no more derogatory for you to drive the chariot of Karna than it is for Krishna to drive the chariot of Arjuna." Sálya replied:-"Since you rank me with Krishna I am satisfied; and I will drive Karna's chariot provided he obeys my orders and does as I shall direct him." And Duryodhana agreed to the condition, and he and all his brethren paid many compliments to Sálya. So Sálya rose up and went towards Karna's chariot, and he said to Karna :-"At the request of Duryodhana I have consented to drive your chariot on the condition that you will not swerve from my advice." Karna answered :- INDIA. PART II. "As Síva was charioteer to Bráhma, and Krishna is HISTORY OF charioteer to Arjuna, so have you now conferred a similar favour upon me." Karna against tween Karna specting the Arjuna. by a reference customs of Karna then ascended the body of the chariot, and sálya drives sounded his shell and beat his drum; and he said to Sálya :- Arjuna." "Drive speedily, I pray you, to the chariot of Arjuna, for I have nothing to do with Yudhishthira, or Bhíma, or the other Pandavas, but with Arjuna only." And Sálya drove off the chariot; and when they had gone a little way the four horses suddenly halted of their own accord, and a bone Evil omens. fell upon Karna from the air, and it could not be seen from whence it came. And Karna said :-" O Sálya, these are bad omens, and I much doubt if I shall return in safety from this battle; but I have no intention of returning, so drive me against Arjuna and Krishna, and God's will be done." Then Karna went to the field of battle, and there arose a conten- Contention betion between Karna and Sálya, for Sálya would vaunt the and Sálya reprowess of Arjuna, and declare that Karna would be alarmed prowess of at the twanging of his bow. And Karna replied in a rage:- Karna retorts "I have heard a description of the people of your country to the depraved of Madra, and you measure me by what you are yourself: Salya's subjects. In your country, wives and mothers, sisters and daughters, brothers and uncles, all commune together without modesty or shame, and eat flesh and drink wine until they are drunk, and then all dance together in a medley; and if their enemy pray for quarter they continue fighting until they have killed him; and if the enemy prove victorious, they sacrifice their wives and children to him without shame or concern: But I have taken you with me to assist me in this conflict, not to try and terrify me with Arjuna, and be a cause of mischief to me: If your heart be right towards me, conduct me at once to Arjuna, and you shall then see how I will deal with him; but if you mean to deceive me, descend from the chariot before the battle begins, that I may get another driver in time, and do what I have to do; for if during the combat I see any sign of treachery in you, I will certainly slay you." And Sálya, hearing these words, began to drive Karna towards the ranks of the Pándavas. Karna charges Now when Karna charged the Pándavas, Arjuna had the Pandavas. |