Arjuna and Krishna Arm Themselves and Empower the Fire to Burn Khandava
Arjuna and Krishna receive the divine weapons. Arjuna strings the earth-shaking Gandiva bow, and Krishna is entrusted with the unfailing discus. Now armed, they declare their readiness to fight all the gods and command the fire to blaze forth.
Arjuna circumambulated the supreme chariot, adorned with many pennants. He worshipped all the gods. Then, attired in armour, with guards for his fingers and wrists and a sword slung against his chest, he ascended it like a virtuous man ascending a vimana (celestial chariot).
He was extremely delighted when he grasped Gandiva, the divine and supreme bow created by Brahma in ancient times. Paying homage to the fire, the valorous Arjuna grasped the bow with great force and strung it. When the powerful Pandava strung the bow, the sound made the hearts of those who heard it tremble. Having obtained the chariot, the bow, and the two inexhaustible quivers, Kounteya thought himself powerful and accomplished for the task.
Then the fire gave Krishna the chakra, with a vajra (thunderbolt) at its centre. On receiving this fiery and desirable weapon, he too became accomplished. The fire said, “O Madhusudana! There is no doubt that with this weapon you will be victorious in battle, even over those who are not human. It is certain that in the destruction of great enemies—humans, gods, rakshasas, pishachas, daityas, nagas—you will be the superior in battle. O Madhava! Whenever you hurl it at an enemy in the course of battle, it will irresistibly kill and return again to your hand.”
The illustrious Varuna also gave Hari a terrible club named Koumadaki, the destroyer of daityas, with the roar of the thunder.
Now armed, the delighted Krishna and Arjuna addressed the fire. “O illustrious one! We are now armed with weapons and know their use. We are mounted on chariots with flags. We are eager to fight all the gods and demons together, not to speak of a single wielder of the vajra who wishes to fight for the sake of a naga.”
Arjuna added, “O fire! When the powerful Varshneya releases the chakra in battle, there is nothing in the three worlds that Janardana cannot vanquish. Having obtained the bow Gandiva and these two inexhaustible quivers, I am also capable of vanquishing the worlds in battle. O lord! Blaze as you wish and encircle this great forest. We are capable of helping you in your task.”
Having been thus addressed by Dasharha and Arjuna, the illustrious fire assumed his energetic form. He began to consume the forest. He surrounded it from all sides with his seven flames. As terrible as the fire at the end of a yuga (cosmic age), he began to angrily consume Khandava. When he surrounded the forest from all sides, he roared like the clouds and burnt all the beings. The blazing forest looked like Meru, king of the mountains, golden in its great radiance.