Intro
Svayamvara Parva is the story of Draupadi’s marriage to the Pandavas.
https://crackpot.substack.com/t/svayamvara
As It Rhymes
1.
The Brahman shook their deer hide shirts.
Have no fear! They'll have to come through us first.
2.
Arjuna smiles and speaks,
Stand aside holy men for I have found my head.
3.
Watch me cast nets of arrows.
To ensnare these kings like sparrows.
4.
Like that the mighty armed Arjuna took up bow duty.
Arjuna and Bhima stood like mountain peaks.
5.
Karna led the kshatriyas charge.
Bhima and Arjuna charged like two mad elephants amidst a herd of elephants at large.
6.
The kings with mad martial skills desired to fight.
They said then it was no sin to kill brahman who wants to fight.
7.
The evil-minded kings raced with perforce confident to win at any price.
Karna faced Jishnu like he was about to be bust.
8.
The two so like mad elephants they exude a fragrance of musth.
Bhimasena locked horns with Shalya the king of Madras.
9.
Duryodhana and the warrior formation advance on the brahman mob.
The brahman hiss and throw water from pots while the warriors weave and bob.
10.
Then Arjuna pierced the hard-charging Karna thrice.
Arjuna's arrows made Karna Vaikartana the Divine shriek.
11.
Karna's attack grew meek.
The bewildered Radha's son's enterprise got weak.
12.
Then Karna found his feet.
Arjuna and Karna displayed manual dexterity that was elite.
13.
Countering and repulsing each other's arrows.
"See!" "See!" "Like that!", so on the heroes would mutually speak.
14.
Seeing Arjuna's arms and shoulders weave wheels of fire.
Karna fought with greater vigor.
15.
Karna repulsed Arjuna's arrows.
Karna gave a triumphant shout at his feat.
16.
Karna said,
I am pleased. The best of the brahman has might.
Your indestructible arms promise a glorious fate.
17.
Tell me your story, mate - are you military science incarnate?
Are you Parashurama or Rama or Indra or Vishnu or Achyuta?
18.
Are you the creator in the form of a Brahman come to fight me?
19.
No soldier can stand in front of me.
Who is this phenom?
20.
Vaishampayana said,
Hearing this venom,
Phalguni was defiant, 'O' Karna! I am not military science nor Rama the valiant.'
21.
I am a humble Brahman. I credit my guru for my talent.
O' hero! Wait!
22.
Karna smiled at this valor. The battlefield grew still.
Radheya felt his desire to fight evaporate.
23.
The brilliance of brahman pervades.
On another part of the field Shalya and Bhima locked horns like cattle ready to battle.
24.
Endowed with knowledge of fighting, strength and mutual desire to fight.
The two mighty elephants traded blows left and right.
25.
They threw clenched fists like pistons pounding.
They punched and kicked like flashing lightning.
26.
The display of fighting passion was astounding.
The blows on their flesh sounded like stones clashing.
27.
As part of the day slipped away.
Bhima gripped Shalya by the neck.
28.
Then Bhima took Shalya in his arms like a bear.
And hurled the king up and away into the air.
29.
Shalya crashed to earth making a sound like a wave pounding surf.
The King of Madras looked like a shipwreck.
30.
Seeing Shalya taken down struck Karna numb with fear.
The dumb struck kings gathered around Bhima to cheer.
31.
Exalting their strength, the kings wanted to know at length.
Who were they? Where were they born? Where do they live? How did they win?
32-35.
What soldier among us can fight Karna except Rama, Kiriti or Drona?
Who could toss Shalya like a discus except Baladeva or Vrikodara?
36.
Brahman are always under our protection.
On the other hand, let them answer our question.
37.
After we know who they are, the fight may go on.
First we must know what man had this and that son.
38.
Vaishampayana said,
Krishna felt certain they were Kunti's sons after witnessing Bhima's feat.
Vasudeva stepped forward to make peace.
'O' Kings! Dharma says you were beat. Maybe it's time to take the L and hit the street.'
39.
Thus the kings became disassociated from all desire to fight.
Even those most experienced in military science left the arena in wonder wide eye white.
40.
With desire drained the kings grumbled and stumbled from the arena like deadwood.
It was said at that time Panchali lawfully wed a brahman because of a boon.
41.
Throngs of bear chested brahman waving deerskin shirts swarmed giddy with glee.
When Bhima and Arjuna tried to move through it was like parting the sea.
42.
The two young men felt liberated from being bitter and sullen bums.
Bhimasena and Dhananjaya transformed from zeros to heroes by what they'd won.
43.
Shedding their skin - a dark cloud lifted and the two emerged like the sun and the moon.
Meanwhile their mother Kunti imagined various destructions that must have befallen.
44-47.
Unsteady she worried her sons had not returned from begging alms.
Dhritarashtra's sons must have killed them all.
Or it could have been the maya of a rakshasa that ate them for food.
Contrary injunctions must have Vyasa confused.
Knowing this, thinking her sons are dead, Pritha was depressed.
She cursed the cause for begetting children and felt unblessed.
A long dark cloud was coming down when like that the sun came into view.
A troupe of brahman entered the squat hut with Jishnu.
Notes
[1] Brahman are priests
[5] Kshatriya is warrior
[7] Jishnu is Arjuna
[17] Parashurama is an incarnation of Vishnu. He is a brahman who killed all kshatriyas 21 times. Parashurama is also Bhishma and Karna’s perceptor. Karna learned from Parashurama by posing as a Brahman, and Parashurama cursed him for this deception by telling Karna his knowledge would fail him when he would need it most.
[20] Phalguni is a name for Arjuna.
[29] Bali is a demon
[32] Kiriti is Arjuna
[38] Vasudeva is Krishna.
[40] Panchali is Draupadi.
[47] Jishnu is Arjuna