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7-Drone Parv, 200-201
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War Day 15: Drone as Commander-in-Chief - Day 5 (4)
15th day of the war - The 5th day under the leadership of Drone, Drone is dead...
Ashwatthaamaa Uses Naaraayan Astra

Ashwatthaamaa continued to come forward and killed many people. saying, " Yudhishthir has told the lie to my father, I will kill his army and all Paanchaal. In fact I will kill all Paandav." Hearing this Duryodhan also brought his army to fight. Both armies engaged in fighting again. Ashwatthaamaa had invoked his Naaraayan Astra, soon the sky was filled with millions of arrows and shining discs. This Astra was very powerful and there was no escape from this Astra. Yudhishthir was worried seeing this, he said to all - "I think you all should protect yourself, and Dhrishtdyumn, if you love your life, run to your country, Saatyaki, you also go to Dwaarakaa. Take your armies also with you. I have killed my Guru today. He who always loved us, he who killed Abhimanyu who did not know fighting, he who sat indifferently when Draupadee was brought in the assembly as a slave, he who put on Divine armor on Duryodhan when he wanted to kill Arjun, he who told us to go into woods when we were unrighteously exiled from our kingdom. There is no need to tell anything to Krishn, He knows everything. We all brothers will immolate ourselves."

Hearing this Krishn said - "All of you, don't have to flee away from here, just come down on the ground wherever you are and lay down all your weapons humbly before it, it will not hurt you. Because if you stand weaponless it will not affect you, but if you will be seeking other refuge even in imagination you will be killed." All started laying down their weapons and came down from their rides, but Bheem said - "Nobody should lay his weapon here, I will face this weapon with my Gadaa. I alone have the might of 10,000 elephants. See my these two mighty arms' power today. And Arjun you should not lay down your Gaandeev in front of this." But Arjun said - "But this is my vow that I will not use my Gaandeev against Naaraayan Astra, cows and Braahman." Then Bheem alone rushed towards Ashwatthaamaa and fought with him. He began to glow with the powerful Astra which Ashwatthaamaa used at him. Arjun, in panic, sent Varun Astra to put out the fire but it didn't help much. Krishn and Arjun rushed to Bheem and pulled out all weapons which covered his body and pushed him down by force until the Astra passed him by. Then only Bheem was saved.

Duryodhan saw all this, he asked Ashwatthaamaa to use it again. Ashwatthaamaa smiled and said - "It cannot be repeated. If I repeat it, it will kill me as well as all of us. Since they all laid down their weapons and fell down on the ground, it means the same as death. Death and defeat are the same thing for a Kshatriya." But this was not enough for Duryodhan, he said - "You have so many other Astra, use some other one, but I want to see them dead." When Ashwathaamaa's Naaraayan Astra was baffled by Krishn, remembering his father's killing, Ashwatthaamaa attacked Dhrishtdyumn and both engaged in fighting.

Soon Saatyaki had to go to Dhrishtdyumn's help, he fought with Ashwatthaamaa and even with his helpers - Duryodhan, Karn, Vrishsen, Kripaa, Kritvarmaa, he made them flee away from the field. After that he killed many soldiers of Kaurav army. But Ashwatthaamaa came back and wounded Saatyaki badly. Seeing this, Arjun, Bheem, and others went to help Saatyaki but Ashwatthaamaa wounded all of them. Still Bheem was fighting with him. They fought for a long time. Then Ashwatthaamaa wounded Bheem's Saarathee so he had to flee away from the field. Seeing Bheem fleeing away from the field, Arjun came forward and said to him - "You have shown your pride in battle, but I will shatter your pride. Come now and encounter with Dhrishtdyumn or myself. Even Dhrishtdyumn can shatter your pride today." Then they fought for some time.

Dhritraashtra said - "Both Arjun and Ashwathaamaa loved each other very much and Arjun has never spoken such words to him before, then why did he talk like this to him today?" Sanjay said - "In fact upon the fall of Brihadkshatra and Sudarshan (king of Maalavaa), and the defeat of Dhrishtdyumn, Saatyaki and Bheem he got emotionally sad that is why he spoke such words to him, otherwise he could not have spoken like this to him. Ashwatthaamaa wanted to finish Arjun soon so he sent Aagneya Astra at Arjun and his army. The army was beginning to burn up. Arjun sent Brahm Astra against his Aagneya Astra. A cool breeze flowed and everybody was relieved. Seeing this Ashwathaamaa got down from his chariot and fled away from the field saying - "Fie, Fie, Everything is untrue."

On his way, he met Rishi Vyaas. He asked him choking in grief - "Rishivar, Is this illusion or something is wrong with the Astra? Why my Astra failed? Was there my mistake in invoking it? Because it is capable of killing everybody but still the two, Arjun and Keshav, came out alive. It seems Time is most powerful, because neither Asur, nor Gandharv, nor Raakshas, nor Pishaach etc can baffle this Astra. However it was pacified after destroying only one Akshauhinee army. Why did it not kill Arjun and Keshav? I want to know it in detail."

Vyaas Jee said - "Then listen, Naaraayan is the older of the oldest who took birth as the son of Dharm on Himvaan. He did severe Tap for 66,000 years on Himvaan Parvat living on air alone. He went once more a severe kind of Tap for 132,000 years - twice of the time of the first Tap and filled the Earth and Heaven with his immeasurable energy. Then He became like Brahmaa - the origin of all Devtaa. He had Darshan of Shiv who is the minuter of the minutest and larger of the largest who is also called Har or Shambhoo. He worshipped him and his consort Paarvatee and prayed them thus - "O Creator of everything, Devtaa, Yaksh, Raakshas, Gandharv, and all the creatures we know of, that they have sprung out from you. Everything that is offered to Indra, Yam, Varun etc reaches to you. Form and light, sound and sky, wind and touch, taste and water, scent and earth, Time, Brahmaa, Ved, Braahman and all mobile and immobile all kinds of things have sprung from you. Two birds (Eeshwar and Jeev), four Ashwatth with their wordy branches (Ved), seven guardians (five elements, heart, and understanding), and the ten senses (which hold this city of body), have all been created by you. Still you are separate and independent of them. I am devoted to you and I am your great adorer. Grant me the Var I desire."

Then Shiv granted Var to Vaasudev - "By my grace you will be of immeasurable might. Neither Devtaa, nor Raakshas, nor Gandharv, nor birds, nor Naag, nor any creature in the Universe will be able to bear your power. No one among the celestials will be able to defeat you. No weapon of any kind or anything which is wet or dry, mobile or immobile will be able to afflict you with any kind of pain. You will even be superior to me if you will have a fight against me."

The same Vaasudev is now walking on Earth. From his Tap a Muni was born, his name was Nar. He was not less than Naaraayan in any way. Arjun is that Nar. Both Rishi take birth in every Yug for serving some purposes in the world. You are also a part of Rudra. In your previous birth you were also equal to Bhagvaan. You also did many Yagya and pleased with them Bhagvaan gave you several Vardaan. Keshav always worships Rudra. Like them you have also worshipped Rudra in his Phallic form. Keshav is also devoted to worshipper of Rudra who has sprung from Rudra himself. He has the knowledge of all past, present and future. Keshav is the creator of everything. Therefore the eternal Krishn should only be adored with sacrifices." Hearing this Ashwatthaamaa bowed to Rudra and regarded Keshav in his mind as the highest and bowed Vyaas in person. He got full control over himself, filled with joy he asked Kaurav army to retire. After fighting for five days, Drone thus retired to the region of Brahm.

 

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Created by Sushma Gupta On 05/27/04
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Modified on 11/23/12