SB 1.15.16 (1965)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 16
Yad dohsu ma pranihitam guru bhisma karna Naptri trigartar sal saindhava balhika adayih. Astrani amogha mahimani nirupitani Na upaspisur nriharidasam iva asurani.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Yad—under whose, Dohsu—protection of arms, Ma Pranihitam—myself being situated, Guru—Dronacharya, Bhisma—of the name, Karna-of the name, Naptri—Bhurisrava, Trigartar—king Susarma, Sal—Salya, Saindhava—king Jaidrath, Bahlika—brother of Maharaj Santanu (Bhisma's father), Adaih—Etcetra, Astrani—weapons, Amogha—invincible, Mahimani—very powerful, Nirupitani—applied, Upaprisu—touch, Nriharidasam—Servitor of Nrisinghadeva (Prahlada), Iva—like, Asurani—weapons applied by the demons.
TRANSLATION
Great generals like Bhisma, Drona, Karna, Bhurisrava, Susarma, Salya, Jaidratha, Bahlika, etc all applied their invincible weapons upon me. But by His (Lord Krishna's) grace they could not even touch my hair just as Prahlad Maharaj the supreme devotee of Lord Nrisinghadeva was the least affected by the weapons used by the demons upon him.
PURPORT
The history of Prahlad Maharaj the great devotee of Nrisingha deva is narrated in the seventh canto of Srimad Bhagwatam. Prahlad Maharaj a small child of five years only became the object of enviousness of his great father Hiranya Kashipu for his only fault of becoming a pure devotee of the Lord. The demon father applied all his weapons for killing the devotee son Prahalad but by the Grace of the Lord he was saved from all sorts of dangerous actions by his father. He was thrown in the fire, in boiling oil, from top of the hill underneath the legs of an elephant. administered poison and at last the father himself took up a chopper to kill his son and thus Nrisinghadeva appeared and killed the heinous father before the son. Thus nobody can kill the devotee of Lord and similarly Arjuna was also saved by the Lord although all dangerous weapons were applied on him by his great opponents like Bhisma etc.
Karna:-Born of Kunti by the Sun-god prior to her marriage with Maharaj Pandu. Karna took his birth with bangles and ear rings extraordinary signs for an undaunted hero. In the beginning his name was Vasusena but when he grew up he presented his natural bangles and earrings to Indradeva and thence forward his name became famous as Vaikartan. After his birth from maiden Kunti, he was thrown in the Ganges water and later he was picked up by Adhirat and he and his wife Radha brought up him as their own offspring. Karna was very much munificent in charity and specially for the Brahmins there was nothing which he could not spare for a Brahmin. In the same spirit of charitable disposition he gave in charity his natural bangles and earrings to Indradeva who being very much satisfied with him gave him in return a great weapon of the name Shakti. He was admitted as one of the students of Dronacharya and from the very beginning there was some rivalry between him and Arjuna. Seeing his constant rivalry with Arjuna, Duryodhone picked him up as his companion which gradually grew into greater intimacy. He was also present in the great assembly of Droupadi's Saymvara function and when he attempted to exhibit his talent in that meeting, Droupadi's brother declared in the meeting that Karna could not take part in the competition on account of his becoming the son of Sudra carpenter. Although he was refused in the competition still when Arjuna was successful in pierching the target of fish and wheel on the ceiling and Droupadi bestowed her garland to Arjuna, Karna and others disappointed princes offered an unusual stumbling block to Arjuna while he was taking with him Droupadi. Specifically Karna fought with him very valiantly but all of them were defeated by him. Duryodhone was very much pleased with Karna on account of his constant rivalry with Arjuna and when he was in power of the earthly kingdom, he enthroned Karna in the state of Anga. Being baffled in his attempt to win over Droupadi, he advised Duryodhone to attack King Drupad and after defeating him both Arjuna and Droupadi could be arrested. But Dronacharya rebuked them for such conspiracy and they refrained from the action. Karna was defeated many times not only by Arjuna but also by Bhimsena. He was the king of the then kingdom of Bengal Orissa and Madras combined together. Later on he took active part in the Rajsuya sacrifice of Maharaj Yudhisthira and when there was gambling chess between the rival brothers designed by Sakuni, Karna took part in the game and he was very pleased when Droupadi was offered as bet in the gambling to feed his old grudge. When Droupadi was in the game he was very enthusiastic in declaring the news and it is he who ordered Duhsasan to take away the garments of both Pandavas and Droupadi. She asked Droupadi to select another husband because being lost by the Pandavas she was rendered a slave of the Kurus. He was always a dead enemy of the Pandavas and whenever there was an opportunity he wanted to curb them down by all means. During the battle of Kurukshetra he fore-saw the conclusive result of the battle and he expressed his opinion that due to Lord Krishna being the chariot driver of Arjuna, the battle should be won by him. He was always in difference of opinion with Bhisma and sometimes he said that he would not fight till Bhisma was living. And he was proud enough to say that within five days only he could finish up the Pandavas and fight if Bhisma would not interfere with his plan of action. But he was too much mortified when Bhisma died. He killed Ghatotkach by his Sakti weapon obtained from Indra-deva. His son Brisasena was killed by Arjuna. He killed the largest number of soldiers of the Pandavas. At last there was severe fight with Arjuna and it is he only who was able to drop the hemelt of Arjuna. But it so happened that the wheel of his chariot became stuck in the battlefield mud and when he got down to set the wheel right Arjuna took the opportunity and killed him although he requested Arjuna not to do so.
Naptri or Bhurisrava:-Bhurisrava was the son of Somadutt a member of the Kuru family. His other brother was Salya. Both the brothers and the father also attained the Sayambara ceremony of Droupadi. All of them appreciated the wonderful strength of Arjuna due to his becoming the devotee friend of the Lord and thus Bhurisrava advised the sons of Dhritarastra not to pick up any quarrel with nor to fight with them. All of them also attended the Rajsuya Yajna of Maharaj Yudhisthira. He possessed one full Akshanini regiment of army, cavalry, elephants, chariots and all these were employed in the battle of Kurukshetra on behalf of the Duryodhon's party. He was counted by Bhima as one of the Yuthapatis. In the battle of Kurukshetra he was specially engaged in fight with Satyaki and he killed ten sons of Satyaki. Later on Arjuna cut off his hands and he was ultimately killed by Satyaki. After his death he merged into the existence of Viswadeva.
Trigarta or Susarma:-Son of Maharaj Briddhakshetra and the King of Trigarta Desha and he was also present in the Sayambara ceremony of Droupradi. One of the allies of Duryodhone and he advised Duryodhone to attack the Matsadesha (Darbhanga). during the time of cow-stealing in Viratnagar he was able to arrest Maharaj Virat but later on Maharaj Virata was released by Bhima and in the battle of Kurukshetra he also fought very valiantly but at the end he was killed by Arjuna.
Jaidrath:-Another son of Maharaj Briddhakshetra and was the King of Sindhu (modern Sind Pakistan) Desha and his wife's name was Duhsala. He was also present in the Sayamvara ceremony of Droupadi and desired very strongly to have the hand of beautiful Droupadi but he failed in the competition game thus failed to have the celebrated princess as his wife. But since then he sought always the opportunity of getting in touch with Droupadi. When he was going to marry in the Salya Desha on the way at Kamyavan he happened to see Droupadi again and was too much attracted by her. The Pandavas and Droupadi were then in exile after losing empire in gambling and Jaidrath thought it wise to send news to Droupadi in an illicit manner through Kotisashya an associate of Jaidrath. Droupadi at once refuted vehemently the proposal of Jaidrath but being too much attracted by the beauty of Droupadi he tried for it again and again. Every time being refused by Droupadi he tried to take her away forcibly on his chariot and at first Droupadi gave him a good dashing and he fell like a cut-root tree. But he did not get it disappointed and was able to force Droupadi to sit on the Chariot. This incidence was seen by Dhoumya Muni and he strongly protested against the action of Jaidrath. He also followed the chariot and through Dhatreyak the matter was brought to the notice of Maharaj Yudhisthira. The Pandavas then attacked the soldiers of Jaidrath and killed them all and at last Bhima caught hold of Jaidrath and had beaten him very severely as almost dead. Then he was made bare headed with five hair spot on the skull and was taken to all the kings to introduce him as the slave of Maharaj Yudhisthir He was forced to admit himself as the slave of Maharaj Yudhisthir before all the princely order and in the same condition he was brought before Maharaj Yudhisthir, Maharaj Yudhisthar was kind enough to order him get released and when he admitted to become a tributory prince only under Maharaj Yudhisthir, Queen Droupadi also desired that he should be released. After this incidence he was allowed to return back to his country. Being too much insulted like this he went to Gongotri in the Himalaya and undertook a severe type of penance to please Lord Shiva and asked His benediction for defeating all the Pandavas at least one time. Then the battle of Kurukshetra began and he took side with Duryodhona and in the first day's fight he was engaged with Maharaj Drupad then with Virata and then with Abhimanyu. While Abhimanyu was being killed mercilessly surrounded by seven great generals and the boy was fighting alone the Pandavas came to his help but Jaidratha by the mercy of Lord Shiva repulsed them with great ability. On this Arjuna took a vow to kill him and on hearing this he wanted to go away from the warfield and asked permission from the Kouravas for this cowardly action. But he was not allowed to do this act of cowardice but on the contrary he was obliged to fight with Arjuna by all sides and while the fight was going Lord Krishna reminded Arjuna that causing the fall down of the head of Jaidratha means death of the killer. That was the benediction of Shivji upon him that whoever would cut his head would die at once with the falling of Jaidrath's head on the ground. He therefore advised Arjuna to throw the head of Jaidrath directly on the lap of his father who was engaged in penances at Samanta Panchak pilgrimage. This was actually done by Arjuna. Jaidrath's father was at once surprised to see a cut head on his lap and as soon as he threw it on the ground, the father also died at once on account of his forehead being cracked in seven pieces.