Sacred Concord

Mbh 7.156.2a

Mahabharata · translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli

“‘Then Yudhishthira, filled with wrath, began to destroy thy ranks, in the sight, O sinless one, of the Pot-born (Drona) and of thy sons. Indeed, with his shafts, Yudhishthira began to despatch to the regions of Yama the Amvashthas, the Malavas, the brave Trigartas and the Sivis. And cutting off the Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Valhikas, and the Vasatis, he caused the earth to be miry with flesh and blood. And he also despatched within a trice, by means of many shafts, to Yama’s domains, the Yaudheyas, the Malavas, and large numbers, O king, of the Madrakas. Then a loud uproar arose in the vicinity of Yudhishthira’s car, amid which was heard, “Slay”, “Seize”, “Capture”, “Pierce”, “Cut into pieces”! Beholding him thus slaying and routing thy troops, Drona, urged on by thy son, shrouded Yudhishthira with showers of shafts. Drona filled with great wrath, struck Yudhishthira with the Vayavya weapon. The son of Pandu, however, baffled that celestial weapon with a similar weapon of his own. Seeing his weapon baffled, the son of Bharadwaja, filled with great wrath and desirous of slaying the son of Pandu, sped at Yudhishthira diverse celestial weapons such as the Varuna, the Yamya, the Agneya, the Tvashtra, and the Savitra. The mighty-armed Pandava, however, conversant with morality, fearlessly baffled all those weapons of the Pot-born that were hurled or in course of being hurled at him. Then the Pot-born, striving to accomplish his vow and desirous also for thy son’s good, to slay the son of Dharma, invoked into existence, O Bharata, the Aindra and the Prajapatya weapons. Then that foremost one of Kuru’s race, Yudhishthira, of the gait of the elephant or the lion, of broad chest and large and red eyes, and endued with energy scarcely inferior (to that of Drona) invoked into existence the Mahendra weapon. With that he baffled the weapon of Drona.
Mbh 7.156.2a · Mahabharata · DRONA PARVA

Themes in this passage

ChildrenAngerCourageDharmaLeadershipNature

Children in other traditions

The same theme, as Christianity, Islam and Hellenism address it.

These are the children of Abihail the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz;
1 Chronicles 5:14 · Bible · 1 Chronicles
Or hath He daughters whereas ye have sons?
Quran 52:39 · Quran · The Mountain
they reached the low lying city of Lacedaemon, where they drove straight to the abode of Menelaus36 [and found him in his own house, feasting with his many clansmen in honour of the wedding of his son, and also of his daughter, whom he was marrying to the son of that valiant warrior Achilles. He had given his consent and promised her to him while he was still at Troy, and now the gods were bringing the marriage about; so he was sending her with chariots and horses to the city of the Myrmidons over whom Achilles’ son was reigning. For his only son he had found a bride from Sparta,37 the daughter of Alector. This son, Megapenthes, was born to him of a bondwoman, for heaven vouchsafed Helen no more children after she had borne Hermione, who was fair as golden Venus herself.
Odyssey 4.2 · Odyssey · 4
While thus they strive, Tlepolemus the great,[153] Urged by the force of unresisted fate, Burns with desire Sarpedon’s strength to prove; Alcides’ offspring meets the son of Jove. Sheathed in bright arms each adverse chief came on. Jove’s great descendant, and his greater son. Prepared for combat, ere the lance he toss’d, The daring Rhodian vents his haughty boast:
Iliad 5.66 · Iliad · 5

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