Prapaksha Kamboja
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The fourth prince of the Kambojas referenced in the Mahabharata is the younger brother of the illustrious prince Sudakshina Kamboja. In the epic, this prince is simply addressed as Kamboja, but according to Pandit Bhagavadatta Sharma, the real name of the prince was Parpakash Kamboja (Bharata ka Itihaas, p 161).
Prince Kamboja had also participated in the destructive war of Kurukshetra, and had fought ferocious duels on Kaurava's behalf. Like a true Kshatriya, the Kamboja prince had fought for the Kurus with dedication, valor, honor, loyalty, sacrifice and in full compliance of the war ethics. After brave Sudakshina fell on fourteenth day of the war, the young prince had taken over the supreme command of Kamboja division (Some Kshatriya Tribes, p 246, Dr B. C. Law).
On 17th day of the war, prince Kamboja also fell a magnificent martyr to Kuru cause at the hands of great Arjuna (MBH 8/56/111-114)
Like his elder brother Sudakshina, the young prince is also portrayed as very tall and exceedigly handsome, having a face as beautiful as the full moon and eyes resembling lotus petals. As this Kamboja prince fell fighting, it appeared as if a tower of gold or a summit of the golden Sumeru had collapsed [1].
- Sanskrit:
- hastyashvarathapattina.n vratannighnantamarjunam |
- sudakshinadavarajah sharavrishtyabhyavivrishat || 111 ||
- asyasyato.ardhachandrabhya.n sa bahu parighopamau |
- purnachandrabhavaktra.n cha kshurenabhyahanachchhirah || 112 ||
- sa papata tato vahatsvalohita parisravah |
- manahshila gireh shringa.n vajrenevavadaritam || 113 ||
- sudakshinadavaraja.n Kambojam dadrishurhatam |
- pramshu.n kamalapatrakshamatyartham priyadarshanam |
- kanchana~stambhasa nkasham bhinna.n hemagirim yatha ||114 ||
- — (MBH 8.56.111-114)
- Translation:
- “Repairing to that further wing which was protected by the Kambojas, Partha began to grind it forcibly with his arrows like Vasava grinding the Danavas. With broad-headed arrows he began to quickly cut off the arms, with weapons in grasp, and also the heads of foes longing to slay him. Deprived of diverse limbs, and of weapons, they began to fall down on the Earth, like trees of many boughs broken by a hurricane. While he was engaged in thus slaughtering elephants and steeds and car-warriors and foot-soldiers, the younger brother of Sudakshina (the chief of the Kambojas) began to pour showers of arrows on him. With a couple of crescent-shaped arrows, Arjuna cut off the two arms, looking like spiked maces, of his striking assailant, and then his head graced with a face as beautiful as the full moon, with a razor-headed arrow. Deprived of life, the prince fell down from his vehicle, his body bathed in blood, like the thunder-riven tower or summit of a mountain of gold. Indeed, people saw the tall and exceedingly handsome younger brother of Sudakshina, the chief of the Kambojas, of eyes resembling lotus petals, slain and fall down like a column of gold or like a summit of the golden Sumeru.” (8.56.111-114)
The fact that the young prince had survived 16 days of destructive war shows him to have been an accomplished warrior.
