The End of the Mahabharata War

Across the expansive battlefield as far as the eye could see stretched the broken and smoldering debris of a war finally drawing to a close: shattered machinery and ruined weapons lay twisted and strewn among the crushed bodies of dead warriors from both sides: Kuru and Pāṇḍava. One Kuru warrior, the king, stumbled and struggled to escape his predator, the enormous Pāṇḍava warrior called “Wolf-Belly.”

Wolf-Belly’s mace struck the king down, and with a roar he landed a blow on the Kuru’s spine, crushing it.

Camouflaged among the trees another fighter in the Kuru army watched his king’s painful end with deep dismay. And then an idea came upon him; a dark, terrible idea.

Night fell. The five young sons of the five Pāṇḍava’s slept deeply. A man snuck in it the tent. It was the same man who was hidden before among the trees: the son of a great man named Droṇa, who was the military guru of both the Pāṇḍavas and Kurus. He drew a blade and severed the head of each sleeping child, then left with the heads in a bag, dripping blood.

Early the next morning a terrible wailing lament echoed horribly across the silent battlefield. The mother had discovered the ghastly massacre.

Her husband, Arjuna, with tears in his own eyes, tried to comfort her. He said, “Oh my dear, auspicious woman. I will not wipe the tears from your eyes. Instead I will bring you the head of the murderer, stuck through with the arrows of my bow! Before performing the funerals for our children, you will stand upon the wretched head of that so-called brahmin!”

Arjuna, the friend of Infallible Krishna thus pacified his beloved wife with many heartfelt words. He then put on his armor, took up his terrible bow, and set off on his chariot in pursuit of his teacher’s son.

Arjuna Arrests Ashvattama

Then, with angry eyes burning like fiery copper, Arjuna deftly arrested the dangerous son of Gautama and bound him in ropes like an animal. When he began to drag his enemy back to the camp, the All-Attractive spoke with anger flashing in the glance of his lotus-like eyes:

Pārtha! This is not at all right! Don’t spare this so-called brahmin! Kill him!!! He killed your faultless children while they dreamt at night!

A moral person does not kill an enemy who is frightened, without weapons, begging for mercy, ignorant of their mistake, ridiculous, intoxicated, unaware, asleep, a youth, or a woman. He killed your children who were unarmed, and unconscious in deep sleep! He does not deserve any measure of pardon!!

By releasing a terrible weapon that he could not control he also threatened the lives of thousands, just to save his own. He is shamelessly and persistently wicked! Death is good for such people; otherwise their horrific faults drag them ever lower.

Besides, I personally heard you promise your wife, “Pāñcālī, I shall bring you the head of he who killed our children!”

Therefore kill this evil assassin of his own doom, who killed your children and defiled his own master! O warrior, do not spare him on the basis that his father is your guru! A person who has done what he has done is nothing but a burnt branch of his family.

“Once, Śuka …

“Once, Śuka (who was always naked) passed by a group of beautiful women bathing in a lake. Those girls felt no shyness at all! But when his father, Vyāsa came following close behind, they scrambled to cover their bodies. Astonished, Vyāsa asked the ladies to explain their behavior. They said, ‘You see differences between men and women, but your son does not. His eyes are pure.’”

How Great Suka Is

“Once, Śuka (who was always naked) passed by a group of beautiful women bathing in a lake. Those girls felt no shyness at all! But when his father, Vyāsa came following close behind, they scrambled to cover their bodies. Astonished, Vyāsa asked the ladies to explain their behavior. They said, ‘You see differences between men and women, but your son does not. His eyes are pure.’”