Mahabharata Condensed in the Poet's Own Words /397

381
 
Sage Narada and the grandfather of the

Bharatas, Vyasa, the embodiment of all

Dharmas, stood with their supreme

splendour, between the two blazing

missiles, to calm the two warriors,

Asvatthaman and Arjuna.
 
SAUPTIKA PARVA
 

 
सञ्जहार शरं दिव्यं त्वरमाणो धनञ्जयः ।

अशक्तः प्रतिसंहारे परमास्त्रस्य संयुगे ।

द्रौणिर्दोदीनमना [राजन् ] गर्भभेषु प्रमुमोच ह ॥
 

Hastening, Arjuna withdrew the divine

arrow. Incapable of withdrawing that

supreme missile in the battle, Asvatthaman,

with a dejected mind, discharged it at the

womb (of Uttara).
 

 
तदाशाज्ञाय हृषीकेशो द्रौणिणिं प्रत्यब्रवीत्तदा ।

'परीक्षिद्भविता ह्येषां पुनर्वेशकरस्सुतः ।
 

अहं तं जीवियिष्यामि दग्धं शस्त्राग्नितेजसा ॥"
 

Knowing that Asvatthaman had discharged

the missile of Brahmasiras at Uttara's womb,

Krishna told him : "There will be born

a son, Parikshit, the continuer of the