MAHABHARATA CONDENSED INTO ENGLISH ... - Mandhata Global
MAHABHARATA CONDENSED INTO ENGLISH ... - Mandhata Global
MAHABHARATA CONDENSED INTO ENGLISH ... - Mandhata Global
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Pardon if the blood of anger mantled o'er this rugged brow,<br />
Pardon if I drew my sabre 'gainst my duty and my vow,<br />
For that hasty act repenting Arjun bows thy heart to move<br />
Grant me, holy king and elder, monarch's grace and brother's love!"<br />
From Yudhishthir's altered eyelids gentle tears of sorrow start,<br />
And he lifts his younger brother to his ever-loving heart:<br />
"Arjun, I have wronged thee brother, and no fault or sin is thine,<br />
Hasty words of thoughtless anger 'scaped these sinful lips of mine,<br />
Bitter was my shame and anguish when from Karna's car I fled,<br />
Redder than my bleeding bosom warrior's fame and honour bled,<br />
Hasty words I uttered, Arjun, by my pain and anguish driven,<br />
Wipe them with a brother's kindness, be thy elder's sin forgiven!"<br />
Stronger by his elder's blessing Arjun mounts the battle-car,<br />
Krishna drives the milk-white coursers to the thickening ranks of war.<br />
Onward came the fiery Karna with his chiefs and arméd men,<br />
Salya urged his flying coursers with the whip and loosened rein,<br />
Often met and often parted, life-long rivals in their fame,<br />
Not to part again the heroes, each before the other came,<br />
Not to part until a chieftain by the other chief was slain,<br />
Arjun dead or lifeless Karna, pressed the Kuru-kshetra plain!<br />
Long they strove, but neither archer could his gallant foeman beat,<br />
Though like surging ocean billows did the angry warriors meet,<br />
Arjun's arrows fell on Karna like the summer's angry flood,<br />
Karna's shafts like hissing serpents drank the valiant Arjun's blood,<br />
Fierce and quick from his Gandiva angry accents Arjun woke,<br />
Till the bow-string strained and heated was by sudden impulse broke!<br />
"Hold," cried Arjun to his rival, "mind the honoured rules of war,<br />
Warriors strike not helpless foemen thus disabled on the car,<br />
Hold, brave Karna, until Arjun mends his over-strainéd bow,<br />
Arjun then will crave for mercy nor from god nor mortal foe!"