“Sanjaya said, ‘Having slain Bhagadatta who was ever the favourite and friend of Indra and who was possessed of great energy, Partha circumambulated him. Then the two sons of the king of Gandhara viz., the brothers Vrishaka and Achala, those subjugators of hostile towns, began to afflict Arjuna in battle. Those two heroic bowmen, uniting together, began to deeply pierce Arjuna from the front and from behind with whetted shafts of great impetuosity. Arjuna then with sharp shafts cut off the steeds and driver and bow and umbrella and standard and car of Vrishaka, the son of Suvala, into atoms. With clouds of arrows and diverse other weapons, Arjuna then once more severely afflicted the Gandhara troops headed by Suvala’s son. Then Dhananjaya, filled with rage, despatched to Yama’s abode, with his shafts, five hundred heroic Gandharas with upraised weapons. The mighty-armed hero then, quickly alighting from that car whose steeds had been slain, mounted upon the car of his brother and took up another bow. Then those two brothers, viz., Vrishaka and Achala, both mounted on the same car, began incessantly to pierce Vibhatsu with showers of arrows. Indeed, those high-souled princes, those relatives of thine by marriage, viz., Vrishaka and Achala, struck Partha very severely, like Vritra or Vala striking Indra of old. Of unfailing aim, these two princes of Gandhara, themselves unhurt, began once more to strike the son of Pandu, like the two months of summer afflicting the world with sweat-producing rays.[57] Then Arjuna slew those princes and tigers among men, viz., Vrishaka and Achala, staying on one car side by side, with, O monarch, a single arrow. Then those mighty-armed heroes, with red eyes and looking like lions, those uterine brothers having similar features, together fell down from that car. And their bodies, dear to friends, falling down upon the earth, lay there, spreading sacred fame all around.Mbh 7.28.1 · Mahabharata · DRONA PARVA
Mbh 7.28.1
Mahabharata · translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
Themes in this passage
ChildrenFriendshipAngerFamilyLeadershipMarriageNatureSuffering
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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