Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Volume 1).pdf/521

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Vaisampayana said,-'Then the inhabitants of the forest of Khan. dava,--the Danavas and Rakshasas and Nagas and wolves and bears and other wild animals, and elephants with rent temples, and tigers, and lions with manes and deer and buffaloes by hundreds, and birds, and various other creatures, frightened at the falling stones and extremely anxious, began to fly in all directions. They saw the forest (burning all around) and Krishna and Arjun also ready with their weapons. Frightened at the terrible sounds that were audible there those creatures lost their power of movement. Beholding the forest burning in innumerable places and Krishna also ready to smite them down with his weapons, they all set up a frightful roat. With that terrible clamour as also with the roar of fire, the whole welkin resounded, as it were, with the voice of porten tous clouds. The Keshava of dark hue and mighty arms, in order to compass their destruction, hurled at them his large and fierce discus resplendent with its own energy. The forest-dweilers including the Danavas and the Rakshasas, afflicted by that weapon, were cut into hundreds of pieces and fell unto the mouth of Agni. Mangled by Krishna's discus, the Asuras were besmeared with blood and fat and looked like evening clouds. And, O Bharata, he of the Vrishoi face moved about like death itself, slaying Pisachas and birds and Nagas and other creatures by thousands. The discus itself, repeatedly burled from the hands of Krishna, that slayer of all foes, came back to his hands after slaughtering numberless creatures. The face and form of Krishna, that soul of every created thing-became fierce to behold while he was thus employed in the slaughter of the Pisachas, Nagas and Rakshasas, No one among the celestials, who had mustered there could vanquish in battle Krishna and Arjuna. When the celestials saw that they could not protect that forest from the might of Krishna and Arjuna by extinguishing that conflagration, they retired from the scene. Tben, O monarch, be of a hundred sacrifices (Indra), beholding the immortals retreat, became filled with joy and applauded Krishna and Arjuna. And when the celestials gave up the fight, an incorporeal voice, deep and loud, addressing bim of a hundred sacrifices. said, "Thy friend Takshaka, that chief of snakes, hath not been slain ! Before the conflagration commenced in Khandava he had journeyed to Kurukshetra, Know from my words. O Vasa va, that Vasudeva and Arjuna are incapa. ble of being vanguished in battle by any one ! They are Nara and