TEXT 16
yad-dohsu ma pranihitam guru-bhisma-karna-
naptr-trigarta-salya-saindhava-bahlikadyaih
astrany amogha-mahimani nirupitani
nopasprsur nrhari-dasam ivasurani
SYNONYMS
yatunder whose; dohsuprotection of arms; ma pranihitammyself being situated; guruDronacarya; bhismaBhisma; karnaKarna; naptrBhurisrava; trigartaKing Susarma; salyaSalya; saindhavaKing Jayadratha; bahlikabrother of Maharaja Santanu (Bhisma's father); adyaihetc.; astraniweapons; amoghainvincible; mahimanivery powerful; nirupitaniapplied; nanot; upasprsuhtouched; nrhari-dasamservitor of Nrsimhadeva (Prahlada); ivalike; asuraniweapons employed by the demons.
TRANSLATION
Great generals like Bhisma, Drona, Karna, Bhurisrava, Susarma, Salya, Jayadratha, and Bahlika all directed their invincible weapons against me. But by His [Lord Krsna's] grace they could not even touch a hair on my head. Similarly, Prahlada Maharaja, the supreme devotee of Lord Nrsimhadeva, was unaffected by the weapons the demons used against him.
PURPORT
The history of Prahlada Maharaja, the great devotee of Nrsimhadeva, is narrated in the Seventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Prahlada Maharaja, a small child of only five years, became the object of envy for his great father, Hiranyakasipu, only because of his becoming a pure devotee of the Lord. The demon father employed all his weapons to kill the devotee son, Prahlada, but by the grace of the Lord he was saved from all sorts of dangerous actions by his father. He was thrown in a fire, in boiling oil, from the top of a hill, underneath the legs of an elephant, and he was administered poison. At last the father himself took up a chopper to kill his son, and thus Nrsimhadeva appeared and killed the heinous father in the presence of the son. Thus no one can kill the devotee of the Lord. Similarly, Arjuna was also saved by the Lord, although all dangerous weapons were employed by his great opponents like Bhisma.
Karna: Born of Kunti by the sun-god prior to her marriage with Maharaja Pandu, Karna took his birth with bangles and earrings, 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 thenceforward he became known as Vaikartana. After his birth from the maiden Kunti, he was thrown in the Ganges. Later he was picked up by Adhiratha, and he and his wife Radha brought him up as their own offspring. Karna was very charitable, especially toward the brahmanas. There was nothing he could not spare for a brahmana. In the same charitable spirit 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 called Sakti. He was admitted as one of the students of Dronacarya, and from the very beginning there was some rivalry between him and Arjuna. Seeing his constant rivalry with Arjuna, Duryodhana picked him up as his companion, and this gradually grew into greater intimacy. He was also present in the great assembly of Draupadi's svayamvara function, and when he attempted to exhibit his talent in that meeting, Draupadi's brother declared that Karna could not take part in the competition because of his being the son of a sudra carpenter. Although he was refused in the competition, still when Arjuna was successful in piercing the fish target on the ceiling and Draupadi bestowed her garland upon Arjuna, Karna and the other disappointed princes offered an unusual stumbling block to Arjuna while he was leaving with Draupadi. Specifically, Karna fought with him very valiantly, but all of them were defeated by Arjuna. Duryodhana was very much pleased with Karna because of his constant rivalry with Arjuna, and when he was in power he enthroned Karna in the state of Anga. Being baffled in his attempt to win Draupadi, Karna advised Duryodhana to attack King Drupada, for after defeating him both Arjuna and Draupadi could be arrested. But Dronacarya rebuked them for this conspiracy, and they refrained from the action. Karna was defeated many times, not only by Arjuna but also by Bhimasena. He was the king of the kingdom of Bengal, Orissa and Madras combined. Later on he took an active part in the Rajasuya sacrifice of Maharaja Yudhisthira, and when there was gambling between the rival brothers, designed by Sakuni, Karna took part in the game, and he was very pleased when Draupadi was offered as a bet in the gambling. This fed his old grudge. When Draupadi was in the game he was very enthusiastic to declare the news, and it is he who ordered Duhsasana to take away the garments of both the Pandavas and Draupadi. He asked Draupadi to select another husband because, being lost by the Pandavas, she was rendered a slave of the Kurus. He was always an enemy of the Pandavas, and whenever there was an opportunity, he tried to curb them by all means. During the Battle of Kuruksetra, he foresaw the conclusive result, and he expressed his opinion that due to Lord Krsna's being the chariot driver of Arjuna, the battle should be won by Arjuna. He always differed with Bhisma, and sometimes he was proud enough to say that within five days he could finish up the Pandavas, if Bhisma would not interfere with his plan of action. But he was much mortified when Bhisma died. He killed Ghatotkaca with the Sakti weapon obtained from Indradeva. His son, Brisasena, was killed by Arjuna. He killed the largest number of Pandava soldiers. At last there was a severe fight with Arjuna, and it was he only who was able to knock off the helmet of Arjuna. But it so happened that the wheel of his chariot 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.
Napta, or Bhurisrava: Bhurisrava was the son of Somadatta, a member of the Kuru family. His other brother was Salya. Both the brothers and the father attended the svayamvara ceremony of Draupadi. All of them appreciated the wonderful strength of Arjuna due to his being the devotee friend of the Lord, and thus Bhurisrava advised the sons of Dhrtarastra not to pick any quarrel or fight with them. All of them also attended the Rajasuya yajna of Maharaja Yudhisthira. He possessed one aksauhini regiment of army, cavalry, elephants and chariots, and all these were employed in the Battle of Kuruksetra on behalf of Duryodhana's party. He was counted by Bhima as one of the yutha-patis. In the Battle of Kuruksetra he was especially engaged in a 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 Visvadeva.
Trigarta, or Susarma: Son of Maharaja Vrddhaksetra, he was the King of Trigartadesa, and he was also present in the svayamvara ceremony of Draupadi. He was one of the allies of Duryodhana, and he advised Duryodhana to attack the Matsyadesa (Darbhanga). During the time of cow-stealing in Virata-nagara, he was able to arrest Maharaja Virata, but later Maharaja Virata was released by Bhima. In the Battle of Kuruksetra he also fought very valiantly, but at the end he was killed by Arjuna.
Jayadratha: Another son of Maharaja Vrddhaksetra. He was the King of Sindhudesa (modern Sind Pakistan). His wife's name was Duhsala. He was also present in the svayamvara ceremony of Draupadi, and he desired very strongly to have her hand, but he failed in the competition. But since then he always sought the opportunity to get in touch with Draupadi. When he was going to marry in the Salyadesa, on the way to Kamyavana he happened to see Draupadi again and was too much attracted to her. The Pandavas and Draupadi were then in exile, after losing their empire in gambling, and Jayadratha thought it wise to send news to Draupadi in an illicit manner through Kotisasya, one of his associates. Draupadi at once refused vehemently the proposal of Jayadratha, but being so much attracted by the beauty of Draupadi, he tried again and again. Every time he was refused by Draupadi. He tried to take her away forcibly on his chariot, and at first Draupadi gave him a good dashing, and he fell like a cut-root tree. But he was not discouraged, and he was able to force Draupadi to sit on the chariot. This incident was seen by Dhaumya Muni, and he strongly protested the action of Jayadratha. He also followed the chariot, and through Dhatreyika the matter was brought to the notice of Maharaja Yudhisthira. The Pandavas then attacked the soldiers of Jayadratha and killed them all, and at last Bhima caught hold of Jayadratha and beat him very severely, almost dead. Then all but five hairs were cut off his head and he was taken to all the kings and introduced as the slave of Maharaja Yudhisthira. He was forced to admit himself to be the slave of Maharaja Yudhisthira before all the princely order, and in the same condition he was brought before Maharaja Yudhisthira. Maharaja Yudhisthira was kind enough to order him released, and when he admitted to being a tributary prince under Maharaja Yudhisthira, Queen Draupadi also desired his release. After this incident, he was allowed to return to his country. Being so insulted, he went to Gangatri in the Himalayas and undertook a severe type of penance to please Lord Siva. He asked his benediction to defeat all the Pandavas, at least one at a time. Then the Battle of Kuruksetra began, and he took sides with Duryodhana. In the first day's fight he was engaged with Maharaja Drupada, then with Virata and then with Abhimanyu. While Abhimanyu was being killed, mercilessly surrounded by seven great generals, the Pandavas came to his help, but Jayadratha, by the mercy of Lord Siva, repulsed them with great ability. At this, Arjuna took a vow to kill him, and on hearing this, Jayadratha wanted to leave the warfield and asked permission from the Kauravas for this cowardly action. But he was not allowed to do so. On the contrary, he was obliged to fight with Arjuna, and while the fight was going on Lord Krsna reminded Arjuna that the benediction of Siva upon Jayadratha was that whoever would cause his head to fall on the ground would die at once. He therefore advised Arjuna to throw the head of Jayadratha directly onto the lap of his father, who was engaged in penances at the Samanta-pancaka pilgrimage. This was actually done by Arjuna. Jayadratha's father was surprised to see a severed head on his lap, and he at once threw it to the ground. The father immediately died, his forehead being cracked in seven pieces.

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