"Sanjaya said, 'Then Duryodhana, O chief of Bharatas, repairing to Karna, said unto him as also unto the ruler of the Madras and the other lords of Earth present there, these words, "Without seeking hath this occasion arrived, when the gates of heaven have become wide open. Happy are those Kshatriyas, O Karna, that obtain such a battle. Brave heroes fighting in battle with brave Kshatriyas equal to them in might and prowess, obtain great good, O son of Radha. The occasion that hath come is even such. Either let these brave Kshatriyas, slaying the Pandavas in battle, obtain the broad Earth, or let them, slain in battle by the foe, win the blessed region reserved for heroes." Hearing these words of Duryodhana, those bulls among Kshatriyas cheerfully uttered loud shouts and beat and blew their musical instruments. When Duryodhana's force became thus filled with joy, the son of Drona, gladdening all thy warriors further said, "In the very sight of all the troops, and before the eyes of you all, my father after he had laid aside his weapons, was slain by Dhrishtadyumna. By that wrath which such an act might kindle, and for the sake also of my friend, ye kings, I swear truly before you all. Listen then to that oath of mine. Without slaying Dhrishtadyumna I shall not doff my armour. If this vow of mine be not fulfilled, let me not go to heaven. Be it Arjuna, be it Bhimasena, or be it anybody else, whoever will come against me I will crush him or all of them. There is no doubt in this." After Ashvatthama had uttered these words, the entire Bharata army, united together, rushed against the Pandavas, and the latter also rushed against the former. The collision of brave leaders of car-divisions, O Bharata, became exceedingly awful. A destruction of life then set in at the van of the Kurus and the Srinjayas, that resembled what takes place at the last great universal dissolution.Mbh 8.57.1a · Mahabharata · Karna-parva
Mbh 8.57.1a
Mahabharata · translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
Themes in this passage
WarCourageSpeechChildrenThe DivineLeadershipNatureStrength
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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