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82.THE SINDHU KING
His mother had obtained this mace as a
result of her offering but the condition
attached to the boon operated and it came
back and struck Srutayudha himself dead.
This is the story of the mace.
Parnasa went through penances that
pleased Varuna and obtained from that
god a boon that her son Srutayudha may
not be killed by any enemy.
"I shall give your son a divine weapon.
Let him use it in all his battles. No enemy
will be able to defeat him or kill him. But
he should not use the weapon against one
who does not fight. If he does, the weapon
will recoil and kill him. Saying this, god
Varuna gave a mace. Srutayudha, when
fighting Arjuna, disregarding the
injunction, hurled the mace at Krishna
who was not fighting but was only driving
Arjuna's chariot.
The missile hit Janardana's chest and
immediately rebounded fiercely back to
Srutayudha. And like a demon recoiling
fatally on the magician, that commits an
error in uttering the spell of power that
holds it in thrall, it slew Srutayudha and
laid him dead on the field, like a great
forest tree blown down by a storm.
Then the king of Kamboja led his forces
against Arjuna. After a fierce fight, he lay
stretched dead on the field like a great
flagstaff after the festival is over.
When they saw the strong warriors,
Srutayudha and the king of Kamboja,
slain, the Kaurava force was in great
confusion.
Srutayu and his brother Asrutayu then
attacked Partha on both sides trying to
save the situation, and greatly harassed
him. At one stage of this battle, Arjuna
leaned on the flagstaff, dazed with the
wounds he received.
But Krishna spoke to him encouragingly
and Arjuna recovered and resumed the
fight, slaying the two brothers as well as
their two sons who continued the struggle.
Arjuna marched on and, killing many
more warriors successfully made his way
to Jayadratha.
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