elephant
slaying an infuriate compeer. I shall, by my mind alone, hurl today at
Partha, for my victory, that weapon of immeasurable energy, called the
brahmastra. Arjuna will never be able to escape that weapon, if only the
wheels of my car do not sink into the Earth in battle today. Know this, O
Shalya, that I would not take fright at Yama himself armed with his rod,
or Varuna himself armed with his noose, or Kuvera himself armed with his
mace, or Vasava himself armed with the thunderbolt, or at any other foe
whatever that may approach for slaying me. Therefore, I have no fear from
Partha, nor from Janardana. On the other hand, I shall encounter them
both in today's destructive battle. Once on a time, while wandering for
the sake of practising weapons on my bow called Vijaya, O king, I had, by
shooting many fierce shafts of terrible forms, heedlessly struck the calf
of a (Brahmana's) homa cow with one of those shafts, and unwillingly
killed it while it was wandering in a solitary forest. The Brahmana then
addressed me, saying, 'Since, becoming insensate, thou hast slain the
offspring of my homa cow, the wheel (of thy car) will sink into the Earth
while at the time of battle fear will enter thy heart.' From these words
of the Brahmana I am experiencing great fear. These kings of the Lunar
race that are lords of (other people's) weal and woe, offered to give
that Brahmana a 1,000 kine and 600 bovine bulls. With even such a gift, O
Shalya, the Brahmana would not be gratified, O ruler of the Madras. I was
then for giving him seven hundred elephants of large tusks and many
hundred of slaves male and female. That foremost of Brahmana would not
still be gratified. Collecting next full 14,000 kine, each black in hue
and having a white calf I was still unable to obtain the grace of that
best of Brahmana. A wealthy mansion full of every object of desire, in
fact, whatever wealth I had, I wished to give him with due worship, but
he refused to accept the gift. Unto me then that had offended and that
had begged so importunately for his pardon, the Brahmana said, 'That
which, O Suta, hath been uttered by me is sure to happen. It cannot be
otherwise. A false speech would destroy creatures, and sin also would be
mine. Therefore, for the preservation of virtue I do not venture to speak
what is false. Do not, again, destroy the means of a Brahmana's support.
There is none in the world that would be able to falsify my speech.
Accept those