The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 228

Section CCXXVIII. ( Khandava-daha Parva continued. )

Vaisampayana said, "Then those foremost of charioteers (Krishna and Arjuna), riding on their chariots and placing themselves on opposite sides of that forest, began a great slaughter on all sides, of the creatures dwelling in Khāndava. And at whatever point any of the creatures dwelling in Khāndava could be seen attempting to escape, thither rushed those mighty heroes (for preventing its flight). And the chariots themselves were moving so fast around that forest that the inmates of Khāndava saw not an interval of space (between them). Indeed, those two excellent cars seemed to be but one, and the two warriors also on them but one individual. And while the forest was burning, hundreds and thousands of living creatures, uttering frightful yells, began to run about in all directions. And some had particular limbs burnt and some were scorched with excesive heat and some were withered therewith. And the eyes of some came out, and some ran about in fear. And some clasping their children and some their parents and brothers, died calmly without, from excess of affection, being able to abandon those that were dear unto them. And many there were who biting their nether lips rose upwards and soon feel whirling into the blazing element below. And some were seen to roll on the ground with wings, eyes, and feet scorched and burnt. And these creatures were all seen to perish there almost soon enough. And the tanks and ponds within that forest, heated with the fire around, began to boil, and the fishes and the tortoises in them were all seen to perish. And during that great slaughter of living creatures in that forest, the burning bodies of various animals looked as if fire itself had assumed many forms. And the birds that took to their wings for escaping from the conflagration were pierced by Arjuna with his shafts, and cut into pieces they fell down into the burning element below. And pierced all over with Arjuna's shafts, the birds dropped down upon the burning forest, uttering loud cries. And the dwellers of the forest, struck with those shafts, began to roar and yell. And the clamour they caused was like unto the frightful uproar that had been heard during the churning of the ocean (in days of yore). And the mighty flames of the blazing fire, reaching the firmament, caused great anxiety amongst the celestials themselves. Then all the illustrious dwellers of heaven went in a body unto him of an hundred sacrifices and thousand eyes, viz, their chief, that grinder of Asuras. And approaching Indra, the celestials said, 'Why, O lord of the immortals, doth Agni burn these creatures below? Hath the time come for the destruction of the worlds?'"

Vaisampayana continued, "Hearing these words of the gods, and himself beholding what Agni was doing, the slayer of Vritrā set out for the protection of the forest of Khandava. And Vāsava—the chief of the celestials—soon covering the sky with masses of clouds of every kind, began to shower upon the burning forest. And these masses of clouds by hundreds and thousands, commanded by Indra, began to pour rain upon Khandava in showers thick as the flag-staffs of chariots. But the showers were all dried up in the sky itself by the heat of the fire and could not, therefore, reach the fire at all. Then the slayer of Namuchi, getting angry with Agni, collected more masses of clouds and caused them to yield a heavy down-pour. Then with the flames contending with those heavy showers, and with masses of clouds overhead, that forest, filled with smoke and flashes of lightnings became terrible to behold."

Thus ends the two hundred and twenty-eighth Section in the Kāndava-dāha of the Adi Parva.