Kuru king, there where that large umbrella of splendour equal to that of
the full moon, is visible - there where those car-warriors, clad in mail,
are staying - there where that loud noise, deep as the roar of clouds, is
being heard! Proceed quickly thither, O king, and thou wilt then see the
Kuru monarch!" Thus addressed by those brave warriors, Subala's son
Shakuni, O king, proceeded to that spot where thy son was staying,
surrounded on all sides by unretreating heroes. Beholding Duryodhana
stationed in the midst of that car-force, Shakuni, gladdening all those
car-warriors of thine, O king cheerfully said these words unto
Duryodhana. Indeed, he said the following words in a manner which showed
that he regarded all his purposes to have been already achieved. "Slay, O
king, the car-divisions (of the Pandavas)! All their horses have been
vanquished by me! Yudhishthira is incapable of being conquered in battle
unless one is prepared to lay down his life! When that car-force,
protected by the son of Pandu, will have been destroyed, we shall then
slay all those elephants and foot-soldiers and others!" Hearing these
words of his, thy warriors, inspired with desire of victory, cheerfully
rushed towards the Pandava army. With quivers on their backs and bows in
their hands, all of them shook their bows and uttered leonine roars. Once
more, O king, the fierce twang of bows and the slapping of palms and the
whiz of arrows shot with force was heard. Beholding those Kuru combatants
approach the Pandava army with uplifted bows, Kunti's son Dhananjaya said
unto the son of Devaki these words, "Urge the steeds fearlessly and
penetrate this sea of troops! With my keen shafts I shall today reach the
end of these hostilities! Today is the eighteenth day, O Janardana, of
this great battle that is raging between the two sides! The army of those
high-souled heroes, which was literally numberless, hath been nearly
destroyed! Behold the course of Destiny! The army of Dhritarashtra's son,
O Madhava, which was vast as the ocean, hath, O Achyuta, become, after
encountering ourselves, even like the indent caused by a cow's hoof! If
peace had been made after Bhishma's fall, O Madhava, everything would
have been well! The foolish Duryodhana of weak understanding, however,
did not make peace! The words that were uttered by Bhishma, O Madhava,
were beneficial and worthy of adoption. Suyodhana, however, who had lost
his understanding, did not act according to them. After Bhishma had been
struck and thrown down on the Earth, I do not know the reason why the
battle proceeded! I regard the Dhartarashtras to be foolish and of weak
understanding in every way, since they continued the battle even after
the fall of Santanu's son! After that when Drona, that foremost of all
utterers of Brahma, fell, as also the son of Radha, and Vikarna, the
carnage did not still cease! Alas, when a small remnant only of the
(Kaurava) army remained after the fall of that tiger among men, Karna,
with his sons, the carnage did not still cease! After the fall of even
the heroic Srutayush, of also Jalasandha of Puru's race, and of king
Srutayudha, the carnage did not still cease! After the fall of
Bhurishrava, of Shalya, O Janardana, and of the Avanti heroes, the
carnage did not still cease! After the fall of Jayadratha, of the
Rakshasa Alayudha, of Bahlika, and of Somadatta, the carnage did not
still cease! After the fall of heroic Bhagadatta, of the Kamboja chief
Sadakshina, and of Duhshasana, the carnage did not still cease! Beholding
even diverse heroic and mighty kings, each owning extensive territories,
slain in battle, the carnage, O Krishna, did not still cease! Beholding
even a full Akshauhini of troops slain by Bhimasena in battle, the
carnage did not still cease, in consequence of either the folly or the
covetousness of the Dhartarashtras! What king born in a noble race, a
race especially like that of Kuru, save of course the foolish Duryodhana,
would thus fruitlessly wage such fierce hostilities? Who is there,
possessed of reason and wisdom and capable of discriminating good from
evil, that would thus wage war, knowing his foes to be superior to him in
merit, strength, and courage? How could he listen to the counsels of
another, when, indeed, he could not make up his mind to make peace with
the Pandavas in obedience to the words uttered by thee? What medicine can
be acceptable to that person today who disregarded Bhishma the son of
Santanu, and Drona, and Vidura, while they urged him to make peace? How
can he accept good counsels, who from folly, O Janardana, insolently
disregarded his own aged sire as also his own well-meaning mother while
speaking beneficial words unto him? It is evident, O Janardana, that
Duryodhana took his birth for exterminating his race! His conduct and his
policy, it is seen, point to that line, O lord! He will not give us our
kingdom yet! This is my opinion, O Achyuta! The high-souled Vidura, O
sire, told me many a time that as long as life remained in
Dhritarashtra's son, he would never give us our share of the kingdom!
Vidura further told me, 'As long also as Dhritarashtra will live, O giver
of honours, even that sinful wight will act sinfully towards you! Ye will
never succeed in vanquishing Duryodhana without battle!' Even thus, O
Madhava, did Vidura of true foresight often speak to me! All the acts of
that wicked-souled wight, I now find to be exactly as the high-souled
Vidura had said! That person of wicked understanding who, having listened
to the beneficial and proper words of Jamadagni's son, disregarded them,
should certainly be held as standing in the face of destruction. Many
persons crowned with ascetic success said as soon as Duryodhana was born,
that the entire Kshatriya order would be exterminated in consequence of
that wretch. Those words of the sages, O Janardana, are now being
realised, since the Kshatriyas are undergoing almost entire extermination
in consequence of Duryodhana's acts! I shall, O Madhava, slay all the
warriors today! After all the Kshatriyas will have been slain and the
(Kaurava) camp made empty, Duryodhana will then desire battle with us for
his own destruction. That will end these hostilities! Exercising my
reason, O Madhava, and reflected in my own mind, O thou of Vrishni's
race, thinking of Vidura's words, and taking into account the acts of the
wicked-souled Duryodhana himself, I have come to this conclusion!
Penetrate the Bharata army, O hero, for I shall slay the wicked-souled
Duryodhana and his army today with my keen shafts! Slaying this weak army
in the very sight of Dhritarashtra's son, I shall today do what is for
Yudhishthira's good!"'
"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed by Savyasaci, he of Dasarha's race,
reins in hand, fearlessly penetrated that vast hostile force for battle.
That was a terrible forest of bows (which the two heroes entered). Darts
constituted its prickles. Maces and spiked bludgeons were its paths. Cars
and elephants were its mighty trees. Cavalry and infantry were its
creepers. And the illustrious Keshava, as he entered that forest on that
car decked with many banners and pennons, looked exceedingly resplendent.
Those white steeds, O king, bearing Arjuna in battle, were seen careering
everywhere, urged by him of Dasarha's race! Then that scorcher of foes,
Savyasaci, proceeded on his car, shooting hundreds of keen shafts like a
cloud pouring showers of rain. Loud was the noise produced by those
straight arrows, as also by those combatants that were covered with them
in that battle by Savyasaci. Showers of shafts, piercing through the
armour of the combatants, fell down on the Earth. Impelled from Gandiva,
arrows, whose touch resembled that of Indra's thunder, striking men and
elephants and horses, O king, fell in that battle with a noise like that
of winged insects. Everything was shrouded with those shafts shot from
Gandiva. In that battle, the points of the compass, cardinal and
subsidiary, could not be distinguished. The whole world seemed to be
filled with gold-winged shafts, steeped in oil, polished by the hands of
the smith, and marked with Partha's name. Struck with those keen shafts,
and burnt therewith by Partha even as a herd of elephants is burnt with
burning brands, the Kauravas became languid and lost their strength.
Armed with bow and arrows, Partha, resembling the blazing sun, burnt the
hostile combatants in that battle like a blazing fire consuming a heap of
dry grass. As a roaring fire of blazing flames and great energy (arising
from embers) cast away on the confines of a forest by its denizens, fire
consumes those woods abounding with trees and heaps of dry creepers, even
so that hero possessed of great activity and fierce energy and endued
with prowess of weapons, and having shafts for his flames, quickly burnt
all the troops of thy son from wrath. His gold-winged arrows, endued with
fatal force and shot with care, could not be baffled by any armour. He
had not to shoot a second arrow at man, steed, or elephant of gigantic
size. Like the thunder-wielding Indra striking down the Daityas, Arjuna,
alone, entering that division of mighty car-warriors, destroyed it with
shafts of diverse forms.'"
25
"Sanjaya said, 'Dhananjaya, with his Gandiva, frustrated the purpose of
those unreturning heroes struggling in battle and striking their foes.
The shafts shot by Arjuna, irresistible and endued with great force and
whose touch was like that of the thunder, were seen to resemble torrents
of rain poured by a cloud. That army, O chief of the Bharatas, thus
struck by Kiritin, fled away in the very sight of thy son. Some deserted
their sires and brothers, others deserted their comrades. Some
car-warriors were deprived of their animals. Others lost their drivers.
Some had their poles or yokes or wheels broken, O king! The arrows of
some were exhausted. Some were seen afflicted with arrows. Some, though
unwounded, fled in a body, afflicted with fear. Some endeavoured to
rescue their sons, having lost all their kinsmen and animals. Some loudly
called upon their sires, some upon their comrades and followers. Some
fled, deserting their kinsmen, O tiger among men, and brothers and other
relatives, O monarch! Many mighty car-warriors, struck with Partha's
shafts and deeply pierced therewith, were seen to breathe hard, deprived
of their senses. Others, taking them upon their own cars, and soothing
them for a while, and resting them and dispelling their thirst by
offering them drink, once more proceeded to battle. Some, incapable of
being easily defeated in battle, deserting the wounded, once more
advanced to battle, desirous of obeying the behests of thy son. Some,
having slaked their thirst or groomed their animals, and some, wearing
(fresh) armour, O chief of the Bharatas, and some, having comforted their
brothers and sons and sires, and placed them in camp, once more came to
battle. Some, arraying their cars in the order, O king, of superiors and
inferiors, advanced against the Pandavas once more for battle. Those
heroes (on their cars) covered with rows of bells, looked resplendent
like Daityas and Danavas intent on the conquest of the three worlds.
Some, advancing with precipitancy on their vehicles decked with gold,
fought with Dhrishtadyumna amid the Pandava divisions. The Pancala prince
Dhrishtadyumna, and the great car-warrior Shikhandi, and Satanika, the
son of Nakula, fought with the car-force of the enemy. The Pancala
prince, then, filled with rage and supported by a large army, rushed
against thy angry troops from desire of slaying them. Then thy son, O
ruler of men, sped many showers of arrows, O Bharata, at the Pancala
prince thus rushing at him. Then, O king, Dhrishtadyumna was quickly
pierced with many arrows in his arms and chest by thy son fighting with
his bow. Deeply pierced therewith like an elephant with pointed lances,
that great bowman then despatched with his shafts the four steeds of
Duryodhana to the regions of death. With another broad-headed arrow he
next cut off from his trunk the head of his enemy's driver. Then that
chastiser of foes, king Duryodhana, having thus lost his car, rode on
horse-back and retreated to a spot not remote. Beholding his own army
destitute of prowess, thy son, the mighty Duryodhana, O king, proceeded
to the place where Subala's son was. When the Kaurava cars were broken,
3,000 gigantic elephants encompassed those car-warriors, the five
Pandavas. Encompassed by that elephant force, O Bharata, the five
brothers looked beautiful, O tiger among men, like the planets surrounded
by the clouds. Then the mighty-armed and white-steeded Arjuna, O king, of
sureness of aim and having Krishna for his charioteer, advanced on his
car. Surrounded by those elephants huge as hills, he began to destroy
those animals with his keen and polished arrows. Each slain with a single
arrow, we beheld those huge elephants fallen or falling down, mangled by
Savyasaci. The mighty Bhimasena, himself like an infuriated elephant,
beholding those elephants, took up his formidable mace and rushed at
them, quickly jumping down from his car, like the Destroyer armed with
his club. Seeing that great car-warrior of the Pandavas with uplifted
mace, thy soldiers became filled with fright and passed urine and
excreta. The whole army became agitated upon beholding Bhimasena armed
with mace. We then beheld those elephants, huge as hills, running hither
and thither, with their frontal globes split open by Bhima with his mace
and all their limbs bathed in blood. Struck with Bhima's mace, those
elephants, running off from him, fell down with cries of pain, like
wingless mountains. Beholding those elephants, many in number, with their
frontal globes split open, running hither and thither or falling down,
thy soldiers were inspired with fear. Then Yudhishthira also, filled with
wrath, and the two sons of Madri, began to slay those elephant-warriors
with arrows equipped with vulturine wings. Dhrishtadyumna, after the
defeat of the (Kuru) king in battle, and after the flight of the latter
from that spot on horse-back, saw that the Pandavas had all been
surrounded by the (Kaurava) elephants. Beholding this, O monarch,
Dhrishtadyumna, the son of the Pancala king, proceeded towards those
elephants, from desire of slaughtering them. Meanwhile, not seeing
Duryodhana in the midst of the car-force. Ashvatthama and Kripa, and
Kritavarma of the Satwata race, asked all the Kshatriyas there, saying,
'Where has Duryodhana gone?' Not seeing the king in that carnage, those
great car-warriors all thought thy son to have been slain. Hence, with
sorrowful faces, they enquired after him. Some persons told them that
after the fall of his driver, he had gone to Subala's son. Other
Kshatriyas, present there, who had been exceedingly mangled with wounds,
said, "What need is there with Duryodhana? See if he is yet alive! Do you
all fight unitedly? What will the king do to you?" Other Kshatriyas, who
were exceedingly mangled, who had lost many of their kinsmen, and who
were still being afflicted with the arrows of the enemy, said these words
in indistinct tones, "Let us slay these forces by whom we are
encompassed! Behold, the Pandavas are coming hither, after having slain
the elephants!" Hearing these words of theirs, the mighty Ashvatthama,
piercing through that irresistible force of the Pancala king, proceeded
with Kripa and Kritavarma to the spot where Subala's son was. Indeed,
those heroes, those firm bowmen, leaving the car-force, repaired (in
search of Duryodhana). After they had gone away, the Pandavas, headed by
Dhrishtadyumna, advanced, O king, and began to slay their enemies.
Beholding those valiant and heroic and mighty car-warriors cheerfully
rushing towards them, thy troops, amongst whom the faces of many had
turned pale, became hopeless of their lives. Seeing those soldiers of
ours almost deprived of weapons and surrounded (by the foe). I myself, O
king, having only two kinds of forces, and becoming reckless of life,
joined the five leaders of our army, and fought with the forces of the
Pancala prince, posting our men on that spot where Saradwat's son was
stationed. We had been afflicted with the shafts of Kiritin.
Nevertheless, a fierce battle took place between us and the division of
Dhrishtadyumna. At last, vanquished by the latter, all of us retreated
from that encounter. I then beheld the mighty car-warrior Satyaki rushing
against us. With four hundred cars that hero pursued me in battle. Having
escaped with difficulty from Dhrishtadyumna whose steeds had been tired,
I fell among the forces of Madhava even as a sinner falleth into hell.
There a fierce and terrible battle took place for a short while. The
mighty-armed Satyaki, having cut off my armour, became desirous of taking
me alive. He seized me while I lay down on the ground insensible. Then
within a short while that elephant-force was destroyed by Bhimasena with
his mace and Arjuna with his arrows. In consequence of those mighty
elephants, huge as hills, falling down on every side with crushed limbs,
the Pandava warriors found their way almost entirely blocked up. Then the
mighty Bhimasena, O monarch, dragging away those huge elephants, made a
way for the Pandavas to come out. Meanwhile, Ashvatthama and Kripa and
Kritavarma of the Satwata race, not seeing that chastiser of foes,
Duryodhana, amid the car-division, sought for thy royal son, Abandoning
the prince of the Pancalas, they proceeded to the spot where Subala's son
was anxious to have a sight of the king during that terrible carnage.'"
26
"Sanjaya said, 'After that elephant-division had been destroyed, O
Bharata, by the son of Pandu, and while thy army was being thus
slaughtered by Bhimasena in battle, beholding the latter, that chastiser
of foes, careering like the all-killing Destroyer himself in rage armed
with his club, the remnant of thy unslaughtered sons, those uterine
brothers, O king, united together at that time when he of Kuru's race,
thy son Duryodhana, could not be seen, and rushed against Bhimasena. They
were Durmarshana and Srutanta and Jaitra and Bhurivala and Ravi, and
Jayatsena and Sujata and that slayer of foes, Durvishaha, and he called
Durvimochana, and Dushpradharsha and the mighty-armed Srutarvan. All of
them were accomplished in battle. Those sons of thine, uniting together,
rushed against Bhimasena and shut him up on all sides. Then Bhima, O
monarch, once more mounting on his own car, began to shoot keen shafts at
the vital limbs of thy sons. Those sons of thine, covered with arrows by
Bhimasena in that dreadful battle, began to drag that warrior like men
dragging an elephant from off a cross-way. Excited with rage, Bhimasena,
quickly cutting off the head of Durmarshana with a razor-headed arrow,
felled it on the Earth. With another broad-headed arrow capable of
penetrating every armour, Bhima next slew that mighty car-warrior, thy
son Srutanta. Then with the greatest ease, piercing Jayatsena with a
cloth-yard shaft, that chastiser of foes, the son of Pandu, felled that
scion of Kuru's race from his car. The prince, O king, fell down and
immediately expired. At this, thy son Srutarvan, excited with rage,
pierced Bhima with a hundred straight arrows winged with vulturine
feathers. Then Bhima, inflamed with rage, pierced Jaitra and Ravi and
Bhurivala, those three, with three shafts resembling poison or fire.
Those mighty car-warriors, thus struck, fell down from their cars, like
Kinsukas variegated with flowers in the season of spring cut down (by the
axe-man). Then that scorcher of foes, with another broad-headed arrow of
great keenness, struck Durvimochana and despatched him to Yama's abode.
Thus struck, that foremost of carwarriors fell down on the ground from
his car, like a tree growing on the summit of a mountain when broken by
the wind. The son of Pandu next struck thy other two sons at the head of
their forces, Dushpradharsha and Sujata, each with a couple of arrows in
that battle. Those two foremost of car-warriors, pierced with those
shafts, fell down. Beholding next another son of thine, Durvishaha,
rushing at him, Bhima pierced him with a broad-headed arrow in that
battle. That prince fell down from his car in the very sight of all the
bowmen. Beholding so many of his brothers slain by the singlehanded Bhima
in that battle, Srutarvan, under the influence of rage, rushed at Bhima,
stretching his formidable bow decked with gold and shooting a large
number of arrows that resembled poison or fire in energy. Cutting off the
bow of Pandu's son in that dreadful battle, the Kuru prince pierced the
bowless Bhima with twenty arrows. Then Bhimasena, that mighty
car-warrior, taking up another bow, shrouded thy son with arrows and
addressing him, said, "Wait, Wait!' The battle that took place between
the two was beautiful and fierce, like that which had occurred in days of
yore between Vasava and the Asura Jambha, O lord! With the keen shafts,
resembling the fatal rods of Yama, sped by those two warriors, the Earth,
the sky, and all the points of the compass, became shrouded. Then
Srutarvan, filled with rage, took up his bow and struck Bhimasena in that
battle, O king, with many arrows on his arms and chest. Deeply pierced, O
monarch, by thy son armed with the bow, Bhima became exceedingly agitated
like the ocean at the full or the new moon. Filled with wrath, Bhima
then, O sire, despatched with his arrows the driver and the four steeds
of thy son to Yama's abode. Beholding him carless, Pandu's son of
immeasurable soul, displaying the lightness of his hands, covered him
with winged arrows. The carless Srutarvan then, O king, took up a sword
and shield. As the prince, however, careered with his sword and bright
shield decked with a hundred moons, the son of Pandu struck off his head
from his trunk with a razor-headed arrow and felled it on the Earth. The
trunk of that illustrious warrior, rendered headless by means of that
razor-headed arrow, fell down from his car, filling the Earth with a loud
noise. Upon the fall of that hero, thy troops, though terrified, rushed
in that battle against Bhimasena from desire of fighting with him. The
valiant Bhimasena, clad in mail, received those warriors rushing quickly
at him from among the unslain remnant of that ocean of troops.
Approaching him, those warriors encompassed that hero on all sides. Thus
surrounded by those warriors of thine, Bhima began to afflict them all
with keen shafts like him of a 1,000 eyes afflicting the Asuras. Having
destroyed five hundred great cars with their fences, he once more slew
seven hundred elephants in that battle. Slaying next 10,000 foot-soldiers
with his mighty shafts, as also 800 steeds, the son of Pandu looked
resplendent. Indeed, Bhimasena, the son of Kunti, having slain thy sons
in battle, regarded his object achieved, O lord, and the purpose of his
birth accomplished. Thy troops, at that time, O Bharata, ventured to even
gaze at that warrior who was battling in that fashion and slaying thy men
in that way. Routing all the Kurus and slaying those followers of theirs,
Bhima then slapped his armpits, terrifying the huge elephants with the
noise he produced. Then thy army, O monarch, which had lost a very large
number of men, and which then consisted of a very few soldiers, became
exceedingly cheerless, O king!'"
27
"Sanjaya said, 'Duryodhana, O king, and thy son Sudarsa, the only two of
thy children yet unslain, were at that time in the midst of the (Kaurava)
cavalry. Beholding Duryodhana staying in the midst of the cavalry,
Devaki's son (Krishna) said unto Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, "A large
number of our foes, kinsmen that had received our protection, have been
slain. There, that bull of Sini's race is returning, having taken Sanjaya
captive! Both Nakula and Sahadeva, O Bharata, are fatigued, having fought
with the wretched Dhartarashtras and their followers! Those three, Kripa
and Kritavarma and the mighty car-warrior Ashvatthama, have left
Duryodhana's side and taken up their position elsewhere! Having slain
Duryodhana's troops, the Pancala prince stayeth yonder, endued with great
beauty, in the midst of the Prabhadrakas. There, O Partha, Duryodhana
stayeth in the midst of his cavalry, with the umbrella held over his head
and himself flinging his glances all around! Having rearrayed the
(remnant of his) army, he stayeth in the midst of his forces. Slaying
this one with thy keen shafts, thou mayst achieve all thy objects! As
long as these troops do not fly away beholding thee, in their midst and