Having then cut off his head, beautiful as the full moon and decked with excellent car-rings with a broad-headed arrow, fierce as the Yuga-fire. Having slain that descendant of many kings in battle, that bull among the Yadus, that hero capable of grinding hostile hosts, proceeded towards Arjuna, O king, resisting, as he went, the enemy’s troops. Indeed, O king, thus careering in the midst of the foe, the Vrishni hero, while proceeding in the wake (of Arjuna), was seen repeatedly to destroy with his shafts the Kuru host, like the hurricane dispersing gathering masses of clouds. Whithersoever that lion among men desired to go, thither he was borne by those excellent steeds of his, of the Sindhu breed, well-broken, docile, white as milk of the Kunda flower or the moon or snow, and adorned with trappings of warriors, viz., Duhsasana,--their commander. Those leaders of divisions, encompassing the grandson of Sini on all sides in that battle, began to strike him. That foremost one among the Satwatas, that hero, viz., Satyaki also, resisted them all with showers of arrows. Quickly checking all of them by means of his fiery shafts, that slayer of foes, viz., the grandson of Sini, forcibly uplifting his bow, O Ajamida, slew the steeds of Duhsasana. Then, Arjuna and Krishna, beholding that foremost of men, (viz., Satyaki) in that battle, became filled with joy.”’Mbh 7.139.2b · Mahabharata · DRONA PARVA
Mbh 7.139.2b
Mahabharata · translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
Themes in this passage
War in other traditions
The same theme, as Christianity, Taoism, Islam and Hellenism address it.
For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army.1 Samuel 17:21 · Bible · 1 Samuel
A master of the art of war has said, 'I do not dare to be the host (to commence the war); I prefer to be the guest (to act on the defensive). I do not dare to advance an inch; I prefer to retire a foot.' This is called marshalling the ranks where there are no ranks; baring the arms (to fight) where there are no arms to bare; grasping the weapon where there is no weapon to grasp; advancing against the enemy where there is no enemy.Tao Te Ching 69.1 · Tao Te Ching
Those who believe do battle for the cause of Allah; and those who disbelieve do battle for the cause of idols. So fight the minions of the devil. Lo! the devil's strategy is ever weak.Quran 4:76 · Quran · Women
He spoke, then rush’d amid the warrior crew, And sent his voice before him as he flew, Loud, as the shout encountering armies yield When twice ten thousand shake the labouring field; Such was the voice, and such the thundering sound Of him whose trident rends the solid ground. Each Argive bosom beats to meet the fight, And grisly war appears a pleasing sight.Iliad 14.15 · Iliad · 14
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