the latter's self like insects rushing upon a blazing fire. Indeed, as
that mighty car-warrior was engaged in scorching the Pandava divisions,
the kshatriyas avoided him, regarding him to be the blazing Yuga fire.
Those heroic and mighty car-warriors of the Pancala that survived the
slaughter fled away. The brave Karna, however, pursued those broken and
retreating warriors from behind, shooting his shafts at them. Endued with
great energy, he pursued those combatants divested of armour and
destitute of standards. Indeed, the Suta's son, possessed of great might,
continued to scorch them with his shafts, like the dispeller of darkness
scorching all creatures when he attains to the meridian.'"
25
"Sanjaya said, 'Against Yuyutsu who was employed in routing the vast army
of thy son, Uluka proceeded with speed saying "Wait, Wait." Then Yuyutsu,
O king, with a winged arrow of keen edge struck Uluka with great force,
like (Indra himself striking ) a mountain with the thunderbolt. Filled
with rage at this, Uluka, in that battle, cut off thy son's bow with a
razor-headed arrow and struck thy son himself with a barbed shaft.
Casting off that broken bow, Yuyutsu, with eyes red in wrath, took up
another formidable bow endued with greater impetus. The prince then, O
bull of Bharata's race, pierced Uluka with sixty arrows. Piercing next
the driver of Uluka, Yuyutsu struck Uluka once more. Then Uluka, filled
with rage pierced Yuyutsu with twenty shafts adorned with gold, and then
cut off his standard made of gold. That lofty and gorgeous standard made
of gold, O king, thus cut off (by Uluka), fell down in front of Yuyutsu's
car. Beholding his standard cut off, Yuyutsu, deprived of his senses by
wrath, struck Uluka with five shafts in the centre of the chest. Then
Uluka, O sire, in that battle, cut off, with a broad-headed arrow steeped
in oil, the head of his antagonist's driver, O best of the Bharatas.
Slaying next his four steeds he struck Yuyutsu himself with five arrows.
Deeply struck by the strong Uluka, Yuyutsu proceeded to another car.
Having vanquished him in battle, O king, Uluka proceeded quickly towards
the Pancalas and the Srinjayas and began to slaughter them with sharp
shafts. Thy son Srutakarman, O monarch, within half the time taken up by
a wink of the eye, fearlessly made Satanika steedless and driverless and
carless. The mighty car-warrior Satanika, however, staying on his
steedless car, O sire, hurled a mace, filled with rage, at thy son. That
mace, reducing thy son's car with its steeds and driver into fragments,
fell down upon the Earth with great speed, and pierced it through. Then
those two heroes, both enhancers of the glory of the Kurus, deprived of
their cars, retreated from the encounter, glaring at each other. Then thy
son, overcome with fear, mounted upon the car of Vivingsu, while Satanika
quickly got upon the car of Prativindhya. Shakuni, filled with rage,
pierced Sutasoma with many keen shafts, but failed to make the latter
tremble like a torrent of water failing to produce any impression upon a
mountain. Beholding that great enemy of his father, Sutasoma covered
Shakuni, O Bharata, with many thousands of arrows. Shakuni, however, that
warrior of sure aim and conversant with all methods of warfare, actuated
by desire of battle, quickly cut off all those shafts with his own winged
arrows. Having checked those shafts with his own keen arrows in battle,
Shakuni, filled with rage, struck Sutasoma with three arrows. Thy
brother-in-law then, O monarch, with his arrows cut off into minute
fragments the steeds, the standard, and the driver of his adversary, at
which all the spectators uttered a loud shout. Deprived of his steed and
car, and having his standard cut off, O sire, the great bowman
(Sutasoma), jumping down from his car, stood on the Earth, having taken
up a good bow. And he shot a large number of arrows equipped with golden
wings and whetted on stone, and shrouded therewith the car of thy
brother-in law in that battle. The son of Subala, however, beholding
those showers of arrows that resembled a flight of locusts, coming
towards his car, did not tremble. On the other hand, that illustrious
warrior crushed all those arrows with arrows of his own. The warriors
that were present there, as also the Siddhas in the firmament, were
highly pleased at sight of that wonderful and incredible feat of
Sutasoma, inasmuch as he contended on foot with Shakuni staying in his
car. Then Shakuni, with a number of broad-headed shafts of great
impetuosity, keen and perfectly straight, cut off, O king, the bow of
Sutasoma as also all his quivers. Bowless, and carless, Sutasoma then,
uplifting a scimitar of the hue of the blue lotus and equipped with an
ivory handle, uttered a loud shout. That scimitar of the intelligent
Sutasoma of the hue of the clear sky, as it was whirled by that hero, was
regarded by Shakuni to be as fatal as the rod of Death. Armed with that
scimitar he suddenly began to career in circles over the arena,
displaying, O monarch, the fourteen different kinds of manoeuvres, endued
as he was with skill and might. Indeed, he displayed in that battle all
those motions such as wheeling about and whirling on high, and making
side-thrusts and jumping forward and leaping on high and running above
and rushing forward and rushing upwards. The valiant son of Subala then
sped a number of arrows at his foe, but the latter quickly cut them off
with that excellent scimitar of his as they coursed towards him. Filled
with rage (at this), the son of Subala, O king, once more sped at
Sutasoma a number of shafts that resembled snakes of virulent poison.
Aided by his skill and might, Sutasoma cut off even these with his
scimitar, displaying his great activity, and possessed as he was of
prowess equal to that of Garuda himself. With a razor-headed arrow of
great sharpness, Shakuni then, O king, cut off that bright scimitar of
his adversary as the latter careered in circles before him. Thus cut off,
(half of) that large scimitar suddenly fell down on the Earth, while half
of it, O Bharata, continued in the grasp of Sutasoma. Seeing his sword
cut off, the mighty car-warrior Sutasoma retreated six steps and then
hurled that half (of the scimitar) which he had in his grasp at his foe.
The fragment decked with gold and gems, cutting off the bow, with string,
of the illustrious Shakuni, quickly fell down on the Earth. Then Sutasoma
went to the great car of Srutakirti. Subala's son also, taking up another
formidable and invincible bow, proceeded towards the Pandava army,
slaying large numbers of foes (on the way). Beholding the son of Subala
careering fearlessly in battle, a loud uproar, O king, arose among the
Pandavas in that part of the army. People witnessed those large and proud
divisions bristling with arms, routed by the illustrious son of Subala.
Even as the chief of the celestials crushed the Daitya army, the son of
Subala destroyed that army of the Pandavas.'"
26
"Sanjaya said, 'Kripa, O king, resisted Dhrishtadyumna in battle, like a
Sarabha in the forest resisting a proud lion. Checked by the mighty son
of Gautama, Prishata's son, O Bharata, could not advance even one step.
Beholding Gautama's car in front of Dhrishtadyumna's, all creatures were
inspired with fright and regarded the latter's destruction to be at hand.
Car-warriors and horsemen, becoming very cheerless, said, "Without doubt,
this foremost of men, Sharadvata's son of mighty energy and great
intelligence and versed in celestial weapon, is filled with rage at the
death of Drona. Will Dhrishtadyumna today escape from the hands of
Gautama? Will this vast army escape today this great danger? Will not
this brahmana slay all of us together? The form that he has assumed
today, even like that of the Destroyer himself, shows that he will today
act after the manner of Drona himself. The preceptor Gautama, endued with
great lightness of hands, is ever victorious in battle. Possessing a
knowledge of weapons, he is endued with great energy and filled with
rage." Diverse speeches like these, uttered by the warriors of both the
armies were, O monarch, heard there as those two heroes encountered each
other. Drawing deep breath in rage, Sharadvata's son Kripa, O king, began
to afflict the son of Prishata in all his vital limbs while the latter
stood inactive. Struck in that battle by the illustrious Gautama,
Dhrishtadyumna, greatly stupefied, knew not what to do. His driver then,
addressing him said, "It is not all right with thee, O son of Prishata.
Never before have I seen such a calamity overtake thee in battle. It is a
lucky chance, it seems, that these shafts, capable of penetrating the
very vitals, sped by that foremost of brahmanas aiming at thy vital
limbs, are not striking thee. I will presently cause the car to turn
back, like the current of a river dashed back by the sea. I think that
brahmana, by whom thy prowess hath been annihilated, is incapable of
being slain by thee." Thus addressed, Dhrishtadyumna, O king, slowly
said, "My mind becometh stupefied, O sire, and perspiration covereth my
limbs. My body trembles and my hair stands on end. Avoiding that brahmana
in battle, proceed slowly to where Arjuna is, O charioteer; arrived at
the presence of either Arjuna or Bhimasena, prosperity may be mine. Even
this is my certain conviction." Then, O monarch, the charioteer, urging
the steeds, proceeded to the spot where the mighty bowman Bhimasena was
battling with thy troops. Beholding the car, O sire, of Dhrishtadyumna
speedily moving away from that spot, Gautama followed it, shooting
hundreds of shafts. And that chastiser of foes also repeatedly blew his
conch. Indeed, he routed the son of Prishata like Indra routing the
Danava Namuci.
"'The invincible Shikhandi, the cause of Bhishma's death, was in that
battle, resisted by Hridika's son who smiled repeatedly as he fought with
the former. Shikhandi, however, encountering the mighty car-warrior of
the Hridikas, struck him with five keen and broad-headed shafts at the
shoulder-joint. Then the mighty car-warrior Kritavarma filled with rage,
pierced his foe with sixty winged arrows. With a single arrow then, he
cut off his bow, laughing the while. The mighty son of Drupada, filled
with wrath, took up another bow, and addressing the son of Hridika, said,
"Wait, Wait." Then, O monarch, Shikhandi sped at his foe ninety shafts of
great impetuosity, all equipped with golden wings. Those shafts, however,
all recoiled from Kritavarma's armour. Seeing those shafts recoil and
scattered on the surface of the Earth, Shikhandi cut off Kritavarma's bow
with a keen razor-headed arrow. Filled with wrath he struck the bowless
son of Hridika, who then resembled a hornless bull, in the arms and the
chest, with eighty arrows. Filled with rage but torn and mangled with
shafts, Kritavarma vomited blood through his limbs like a jar disgorging
the water with which it is filled. Bathed in blood, the Bhoja king looked
beautiful like a mountain, O king, streaked with streams of liquefied red
chalk after a shower. The puissant Kritavarma then, taking up another bow
with a string and an arrow fixed thereon, struck Shikhandi in his
shoulder-joint. With those shafts sticking to his shoulder-joint,
Shikhandi looked resplendent like a lordly tree with its spreading
branches and twigs. Having pierced each other, the two combatants were
bathed in blood, and resembled a couple of bulls that have gored each
other with their horns Carefully exerting themselves to slay each other,
those two mighty car-warriors moved in a 1,000 circles with their
respective cars on that arena. Then Kritavarma, O king, in that
encounter, pierced the son of Prishata with seventy shafts all of which
were equipped with wings of gold and whetted on stone. The ruler of the
Bhojas then, that foremost of smiters, sped with great activity a
terrible and fatal shaft at his foe. Struck therewith, Shikhandi quickly
swooned away. Overcome with stupefaction, he supported himself by seizing
his flag-staff. The driver then of that foremost of car-warriors speedily
bore him away from the fight. Scorched with the shaft of Hridika's son he
drew breath upon breath repeatedly. After the defeat of the heroic son of
Drupada, O lord, the Pandava army, slaughtered on all sides, fled away
from the field."
27
"Sanjaya said, 'The white steeded (Arjuna) also, O monarch, routed thy
force even as the winds, approaching a heap of cotton, scatters it on all
sides. Against him rushed the Trigartas, the Sivis, the Kauravas, the
Salwas, the samsaptakas, and that force which consisted of the Narayanas.
And Satyasena and Candradeva, and Mitradeva and Satrunjaya, and Susruta's
son, and Citrasena, and Mitravarman, O Bharata, and the king of the
Trigartas surrounded by his brothers and by his sons that were all mighty
bowmen accomplished in diverse weapons, suddenly advanced, shooting and
scattering showers of shafts in that battle, against Arjuna, like a
fierce current of water towards the ocean. Those warriors in hundreds of
thousands, approaching Arjuna, seemed to melt away like snakes at sight
of Garuda. Though slaughtered in battle, they did not still leave the son
of Pandu like insects, O monarch, never receding from a blazing fire.
Satyasena, in that encounter, pierced that son of Pandu with three
arrows, and Mitradeva pierced him with three and sixty, and Candradeva
with seven. And Mitravarman pierced him with three and seventy arrows,
and Susruta's son with seven. And Satrunjaya pierced him with twenty, and
Susharma with nine. Thus pierced in that encounter by many, Arjuna
pierced all those kings in return. Indeed, piercing the son of Susruta
with seven arrows, he pierced Satyasena with three, Satrunjaya with
twenty and Candradeva with eight, Mitradeva with a hundred, Srutasena
with three, Mitravarman with nine, and Susharma with eight. Then slaying
king Satrunjaya with a number of arrows whetted on stone, he smote off
from his trunk, the head, decked with headgear, of Susruta's son. Without
any delay he then, with a number of other shafts, despatched Candradeva
to the abode of Yama. As regards the other mighty car-warriors vigorously
contending with him, he checked each of them with five arrows. Then
Satyasena filled with rage, hurled a formidable lance in that battle
aiming at Krishna and uttered a leonine roar. That ironmouthed lance
having a golden shaft, piercing through the left arm of the high-souled
Madhava, penetrated into the Earth. Madhava being thus pierced with that
lance in great battle the goad and the reins, O king, fell down from his
hands. Beholding Vasudeva's limb pierced through, Pritha's son Dhananjaya
mustered all his wrath and addressing Vasudeva said, "O mighty-armed one,
bear the car to Satyasena, O puissant one, so that I may, with keen
shafts, despatch him to Yama's abode." The illustrious Keshava then,
quickly taking up the goad and the reins, caused the steeds to bear the
car to the front of Satyasena's vehicle. Beholding the Ruler of the
Universe pierced, Pritha's son Dhananjaya, that mighty car-warrior,
checking Satyasena with some keen arrows, cut off with a number of
broad-headed shafts of great sharpness, the large head of that king
decked with earrings, from off his trunk at the head of the army. Having
thus cut off Satyasena's head, he then despatched Citravarman with a
number of keen shafts, and then the latter's driver, O sire, with a keen
calf-toothed arrow. Filled with rage, the mighty Partha then, with
hundreds of shafts, felled the samsaptakas in hundreds and thousands.
Then, O king, with a razor-headed arrow equipped with wings of silver,
that mighty car-warrior cut off the head of the illustrious Mitrasena.
Filled with rage he then struck Susharma in the shoulder-joint. Then all
the samsaptakas, filled with wrath, encompassed Dhananjaya on all sides
and began to afflict him with showers of weapons and make all the points
of the compass resound with their shouts. Afflicted by them thus, the
mighty car-warrior Jishnu, of immeasurable soul, endued with prowess
resembling that of Sakra himself, invoked the Aindra weapon. From that
weapon, thousands of shafts, O king, began to issue continually. Then O
king, a loud din was heard of falling cars with standards and quivers and
yokes, and axles and wheels and traces with chords, of bottoms of cars
and wooden fences around them, of arrows and steeds and spears and
swords, and maces and spiked clubs and darts and lances and axes, and
Sataghnis equipped with wheels and arrows. Thighs and necklaces and
Angadas and Keyuras, O sire, and garlands and cuirasses and coats of
mail, O Bharata, and umbrellas and fans and heads decked with diadems lay
on the battle-field. Heads adorned with earrings and beautiful eyes, and
each resembling the full moon, looked, as they lay on the field, like
stars in the firmament. Adorned with sandal-paste, beautiful garlands of
flowers and excellent robes, many were the bodies of slain warriors that
were seen to lie on the ground. The field of battle, terrible as it was,
looked like the welkin teeming with vapoury forms. With the slain princes
and kshatriyas of great might and fallen elephants and steeds, the Earth
became impassable in that battle as if she were strewn with hills. There
was no path on the field for the wheels of the illustrious Pandava's car,
engaged as he was in continually slaying his foes and striking down
elephants and steeds with his broad-headed shafts. It seemed, O sire,
that the wheels of his car stopped in fright at the sight of his own self
careering in that battle through that bloody mire. His steeds, however,
endued with the speed of the mind or the wind, dragged with great efforts
and labour those wheels that had refused to move. Thus slaughtered by
Pandu's son armed with the bow, that host fled away almost entirely,
without leaving even a remnant, O Bharata, contending with the foe.
Having vanquished large numbers of the samsaptakas in battle, Pritha's
son Jishnu looked resplendent, like a blazing fire without smoke.'"
28
"Sanjaya said, 'King Duryodhana, O monarch, himself fearlessly received
Yudhishthira, as the latter was engaged in shooting large numbers of
shafts. The royal Yudhishthira the just, speedily piercing thy son, that
mighty car-warrior, as the latter was rushing towards him with
impetuosity, addressed him, saying, "Wait, Wait." Duryodhana, however,
pierced Yudhishthira, in return, with nine keen arrows, and filled with
great wrath, struck Yudhishthira's driver also with a broad-headed shaft.
Then king Yudhishthira sped at Duryodhana three and ten arrows equipped
with wings of gold and whetted on stone. With four shafts that mighty
car-warrior then slew the four steeds of his foe, and with the fifth he
cut off from his trunk the head of Duryodhana's driver. With the sixth
arrow he felled the (Kuru) king's standard on the Earth, with the seventh
his bow, and with the eighth his scimitar. And then with five more shafts
king Yudhishthira the just deeply afflicted the Kuru monarch. Thy son,
then, alighting from that steedless car, stood on the Earth in imminent
danger. Beholding him in that situation of great peril, Karna and Drona's
son and Kripa and others rushed suddenly towards the spot, desirous of
rescuing the king. Then the (other) sons of Pandu, surrounding
Yudhishthira, all proceeded to the encounter, upon which, O king, a
fierce battle was fought. Thousands of trumpets then were blown in that
great engagement, and a confused din of myriad voices arose there, O
king. There where the Pancalas engaged the Kauravas, in battle, men
closed with men, and elephants with foremost of elephants. And
car-warriors closed with car-warriors, and horse with horse. And the
various couples of battling men and animals, of great prowess and armed
with diverse kinds of weapons and possessed of great skill presented a
beautiful sight, O king, over the field. All those heroes endued with
great impetuosity and desirous of compassing the destruction of one
another, fought beautifully and with great activity and skill. Observing
the (sanctioned) practices of warriors, they slew one another in battle.
None of them fought from behind others. For only a very short time that
battle presented a beautiful aspect. Soon it became an encounter of mad
men, in which the combatants showed no regard for one another. The
car-warrior, approaching the elephant, pierced the latter with keen
shafts and despatched it to Yama's presence by means of straight arrows.
Elephants, approaching steeds, dragged down many of them in that battle,
and tore them (with their tusks) most fiercely in diverse places. Large
numbers of horsemen also, encompassing many foremost of steeds, made a
loud noise with their palms, and closed with them. And those horsemen
slew those steeds as they ran hither and thither, as also many huge
elephants as these wandered over the field, from behind and the flanks.
Infuriate elephants, O king, routing large numbers of steeds, slew them
with their tusks or crushed them with great force. Some elephants, filled
with wrath pierced with their tusks horses with horsemen. Others seizing
such with great force hurled them to the ground with violence. Many
elephants, struck by foot-soldiers availing of the proper opportunities,
uttered terrible cries of pain and fled away on all sides. Among the
foot-soldiers that fled away in that great battle throwing down their
ornaments, there were many that were quickly encompassed on the field.
Elephant-warriors, riding on huge elephants, understanding indications of
victory, wheeled their beasts and causing them to seize those beautiful
ornaments, made the beasts to pierce them with their tusks. Other
foot-soldiers endued with great impetuosity and fierce might, surrounding
those elephant-warriors thus engaged in those spots began to slay them.
Others in that great battle, thrown aloft into the air by elephants with
their trunks, were pierced by those trained beasts with the points of
their tusks as they fell down. Others, suddenly seized by other
elephants, were deprived of life with their tusks. Others, borne away
from their own divisions into the midst of others, were, O king, mangled
by huge elephants which rolled them repeatedly on the ground. Others,
whirled on high like fans, were slain in that battle. Others, hither and
thither on the field, that stood full in front of other elephants had
their bodies exceedingly pierced and torn. Many elephants were deeply
wounded with spears and lances and darts in their cheeks and frontal
globes and parts between their tusks. Exceedingly afflicted by fierce
car-warriors and horsemen stationed on their flanks, many elephants,
ripped open, fell down on the Earth. In that dreadful battle many
horsemen on their steeds, striking foot-soldiers with their lances,
pinned them down to the Earth or crushed them with great force. Some
elephants, approaching mail-clad car-warriors, O sire, raised them aloft
from their vehicles and hurled them down with great force upon the Earth
in that fierce and awful fight. Some huge elephants slain by means of
cloth-yard shafts, fell down on the Earth like mountain summits riven by
thunder. Combatants, encountering combatants, began to strike each other
with their fists, or seizing each other by the hair, began to drag and
throw down and mangle each other. Others, stretching their arms and
throwing down their foes on the Earth, placed their feet on their chests
and with great activity cut off their heads. Some combatant, O king,
struck with his feet some foe that was dead, and some, O king, struck off
with his sword, the head of a falling foe, and some thrust his weapon
into the body of a living foe. A fierce battle took place there, O
Bharata, in which the combatants struck one another with fists or seized
one another's hair or wrestled with one another with bare arms. In many
instances, combatants, using diverse kinds of weapons, took the lives of
combatants engaged with others and, therefore, unperceived by them.
During the progress of that general engagement when all the combatants
were mangled in battle, hundreds and thousands of headless trunks stood
up on the field. Weapons and coats of mail, drenched with gore, looked
resplendent, like cloths dyed with gorgeous red. Even thus occurred that
fierce battle marked by the awful clash of weapons. Like the mad and
roaring current of the Ganga it seemed to fill the whole universe with
its uproar. Afflicted with shafts, the warriors failed to distinguish
friends from foes. Solicitous of victory, the kings fought on because
they fought that fight they should. The warriors slew both friends and
foes, with whom they came in contact. The combatants of both the armies
were deprived of reason by the heroes of both the armies assailing them
with fury. With broken cars, O monarch, the fallen elephants, and steeds
lying on the ground, and men laid low, the Earth, miry with gore and
flesh, and covered with streams of blood, soon became impassable, Karna
slaughtered the Pancalas while Dhananjaya slaughtered the Trigartas. And
Bhimasena, O king, slaughtered the Kurus and all the elephant divisions
of the latter. Even thus occurred that destruction of troops of both the
Kurus and the Pandavas, both parties having been actuated by the desire
of winning great fame, at that hour when the Sun had passed the
meridian.'"
29
"Dhritarashtra said, 'I have heard from thee, O Sanjaya, of many poignant
and unbearable griefs as also of the losses sustained by my sons. From
what thou hast said unto me, from the manner in which the battle has been
fought, it is my certain conviction, O Suta, that the Kauravas are no
more. Duryodhana was made carless in that dreadful battle. How did
Dharma's son (then) fight, and how did the royal Duryodhana also fight in
return? How also occurred that battle which was fought in the afternoon?
Tell me all this in detail, for thou art skilled in narration, O Sanjaya.'
"Sanjaya said, 'When the troops of both armies were engaged in battle,
according to their respective divisions, thy son Duryodhana, O king,
riding on another car and filled with rage like a snake of virulent
poison, beholding king Yudhishthira the just, quickly addressed his own
driver, O Bharata, saying, "Proceed, proceed, quickly take me there, O
driver, where the royal son of Pandu, clad in mail shineth under yon
umbrella held over his head." Thus urged by the king, the driver, in that
battle, quickly urged his royal master's goodly car towards the face of
Yudhishthira. At this, Yudhishthira also, filled with rage and looking
like an infuriate elephant, urged his own driver saying, "Proceed to
where Suyodhana is." Then those two heroes and brothers and foremost of
car-warriors encountered each other. Both endued with great energy, both
filled with wrath, both difficult of defeat in battle, approaching each
other, those two great bowmen began to mangle each other with their
arrows in that battle. Then king Duryodhana, in that encounter, O sire,
with a broad-headed arrow whetted on stone, cut in twain the bow of the
virtuous monarch. Filled with rage, Yudhishthira could not brook that
insult. Casting aside his broken bow, with eyes red in wrath, Dharma's
son took up another bow at the head of his forces, and then cut off
Duryodhana's standard and bow. Duryodhana then, taking up another bow,
pierced the son of Pandu. Filled with rage, they continued to shoot
showers of shafts at each other. Desirous of vanquishing each other, they
resembled a pair of angry lions. They struck each other in that battle
like a couple of roaring bulls. Those mighty car-warriors continued to
career, expecting to find each other's lapses. Then wounded with shafts
sped from bows drawn to their fullest stretch the two warriors, O king,
looked resplendent like flowering Kinsukas. They then, O king, repeatedly
uttered leonine roars. Those two rulers of men, in that dreadful battle,
also made loud sounds with their palms and caused their bows to twang
loudly. And they blew their conchs too with great force. And they
afflicted each other very much. Then king Yudhishthira, filled with rage,
struck thy son in the chest with three irresistible shafts endued with
force of thunder. Him, however, thy royal son quickly pierced, in return,
with five keen shafts winged with gold and whetted on stone. Then king
Duryodhana, O Bharata, hurled a dart capable of slaying everybody,
exceedingly keen, and resembling a large blazing brand. As it advanced,
king Yudhishthira the just, with sharp shafts, speedily cut it off into
three fragments, and then pierced Duryodhana also with five arrows.
Equipped with golden staff, and producing a loud whizz, that dart then
fell down, and while falling, looked resplendent like a large brand with
blazing flames. Beholding the dart baffled, thy son, O monarch, struck
Yudhishthira with nine sharp and keen-pointed arrows. Pierced deeply by
his mighty foe, that scorcher of foes quickly took up an arrow for aiming
it at Duryodhana. The mighty Yudhishthira then placed that arrow on his
bow-string. Filled with rage and possessed of great valour, the son of
Pandu then shot it at his foe. That arrow, striking thy son, that mighty
car-warrior, stupefied him and then (passing through his body) entered
the Earth. Then Duryodhana, filled with wrath, uplifting a mace of great
impetuosity, rushed at king Yudhishthira the just, for ending the
hostilities (that raged between the Kurus and the Pandus). Beholding him
armed with that uplifted mace and resembling Yama himself with his
bludgeon, king Yudhishthira the just hurled at thy son a mighty dart
blazing with splendour, endued with great impetuosity, and looking like a
large blazing brand. Deeply pierced in the chest by that dart as he stood
on his car, the Kuru prince, deeply pained, fell down and swooned away.
Then Bhima, recollecting his own vow, addressed Yudhishthira, saying,
"This one should not be slain by thee, O king." At this Yudhishthira
abstained from giving his foe the finishing blow. At that time
Kritavarma, quickly advancing, came upon thy royal son then sunk in an
ocean of calamity. Bhima then, taking up a mace adorned with gold and
flaxen chords, rushed impetuously towards Kritavarma in that battle. Thus
occurred the battle between thy troops and the foe on that afternoon, O
monarch, every one of the combatants being inspired with the desire of
victory.'"
30
"Sanjaya said, 'Placing Karna at their van, thy warriors, difficult of
defeat in fight, returned and fought (with the foe) a battle that
resembled that between the gods and the Asuras. Excited by the loud
uproar made by elephants and men and cars and steeds and conchs,
elephant-men and car-warriors and foot-soldiers and horsemen, in large
numbers, filled with wrath advanced against the foe and slew the latter
with strokes of diverse kinds of weapons. Elephants and cars, steeds and
men, in that dreadful battle were destroyed by brave warriors with sharp
battle axes and swords and axes and shafts of diverse kinds and by means
also of their animals. Strewn with human heads that were adorned with
white teeth and fair faces and beautiful eyes and goodly noses, and
graced with beautiful diadems and earrings, and everyone of which
resembled the lotus, the Sun, or the Moon, the Earth looked exceedingly
resplendent. Elephants and men and steeds, by thousands, were slain with
hundreds of spiked clubs and short bludgeons and darts and lances and
hooks and Bhusundis and maces. The blood that fell formed a river like
currents on the field. In consequence of those car-warriors and men and
steeds and elephants slain by the foe, and lying with ghostly features
and gaping wounds, the field of battle looked like the domains of the
king of the dead at the time of universal dissolution. Then, O god among
men, thy troops, and those bulls amongst the Kurus, viz., thy sons
resembling the children of the celestials, with a host of warriors of
immeasurable might at their van, all proceeded against Satyaki, that bull
of Sini's race. Thereupon that host, teeming with many foremost of men
and steeds and cars and elephants, producing an uproar loud as that of
the vast deep, and resembling the army of the Asuras or that of the
celestials, shone with fierce beauty. Then the son of Surya, resembling
the chief of the celestials himself in prowess and like unto the younger
brother of Indra, struck that foremost one of Sini's race with shafts
whose splendour resembled the rays of the Sun. That bull of Sini's race
also, in that battle, then quickly shrouded that foremost of men, with
his car and steeds and driver, with diverse kinds of shafts terrible as
the poison of the snake. Then many Atirathas belonging to thy army,
accompanied by elephants and cars and foot-soldiers, quickly approached
that bull among car-warriors, viz., Vasusena, when they beheld the latter
deeply afflicted with the shafts of that foremost hero of Sini's race.
That force, however, vast as the ocean, assailed by foes possessed of
great quickness viz., the Pandava warriors headed by the sons of Drupada,
fled away from the field. At that time a great carnage occurred of men
and cars and steeds and elephants. Then those two foremost of men, viz.,
Arjuna and Keshava, having said their daily prayer and duly worshipped
the lord Bhava, quickly rushed against thy troops, resolved to slay those
foes of theirs. Their foes (i.e., the Kurus) cast their eyes cheerlessly
on that car whose rattle resembled the roar of the clouds and whose
banners waved beautifully in the air and which had white steeds yoked
unto it and which was coming towards them. Then Arjuna, bending Gandiva
and as if dancing on his car, filled the welkin and all the points of the
compass, cardinal and subsidiary, with showers of shafts, not leaving the
smallest space empty. Like the tempest destroying the clouds, the son of
Pandu destroyed with his arrows many cars looking like celestial
vehicles, that were well-adorned, and equipped with weapons and
standards, along with their drivers. Many elephants also, with the men
that guided them, adorned with truimphal banners and weapons, and many
horsemen with horses, and many foot-soldiers also, Arjuna despatched with
his arrows to Yama's abode. Then Duryodhana singly proceeded against that
mighty car-warrior who was angry and irresistible and resembled a
veritable Yama, striking him with his straight shafts. Arjuna, cutting
off his adversary's bow and driver and steeds and standard with seven
shafts, next cut off his umbrella with one arrow. Obtaining then an
opportunity, he sped at Duryodhana an excellent shaft, capable of taking
the life of the person struck. Drona's son, however, cut off that shaft
into seven fragments. Cutting off then the bow of Drona's son and slaying
the four steeds of the latter with his arrow, the son of Pandu next cut
off the formidable bow of Kripa too. Then cutting off the bow of
Hridika's son, he felled the latter's standard and steeds. Then cutting
off the bow of Duhshasana, he proceeded against the son of Radha. At
this, Karna, leaving Satyaki quickly pierced Arjuna with three arrows and
Krishna with twenty, and Partha again repeatedly. Although many were the
arrows that he shot while slaying his foes in that battle, like Indra
himself inspired with wrath, Karna yet felt no fatigue. Meanwhile
Satyaki, coming up, pierced Karna with nine and ninety fierce arrows, and
once more with a hundred. Then all the foremost heroes among the Parthas
began to afflict Karna. Yudhamanyu and Shikhandi and the sons of Draupadi
and the Prabhadrakas, and Uttamauja and Yuyutsu and the twins and
Dhrishtadyumna, and the divisions of the Cedis and the Karushas and the
Matsyas and Kaikeyas, and the mighty Chekitana, and king Yudhishthira of
excellent vows, all these, accompanied by cars and steeds and elephants,
and foot-soldiers of fierce prowess, encompassed Karna on all sides in
that battle, and showered upon him diverse kinds of weapons, addressing
him in harsh words and resolved to compass his destruction. Cutting off
that shower of weapons with his sharp shafts, Karna dispersed his
assailants by the power of his weapons like the wind breaking down the
trees that stand on its way. Filled with wrath, Karna was seen to destroy
car-warriors, and elephants with their riders, and horses with horse-men,
and large bands of foot-soldiers. Slaughtered by the energy of Karna's
weapons, almost the whole of that force of the Pandavas, deprived of
weapons, and with limbs mangled and torn, retired from the field. Then
Arjuna, smiling the while, baffled with his own weapons the weapons of
Karna and covered the welkin, the Earth, and all the points of the
compass with dense shower of arrows. The shafts of Arjuna fell like heavy
clubs and spiked bludgeons. And some amongst them fell like Sataghnis and
some fell like fierce thunderbolts. Slaughtered therewith, the Kaurava
force consisting of infantry and horse and cars and elephants, shutting
its eyes, uttered loud wails of woe and wandered senselessly. Many were
the steeds and men and elephants that perished on that occasion. Many,
again, struck with shafts and deeply afflicted fled away in fear.
"'Whilst thy warriors were thus engaged in battle from desire of victory,
the Sun approaching the Setting Mountain, entered it. In consequence of
the darkness, O king, but especially owing to the dust, we could not
notice anything favourable or unfavourable. The mighty bowmen (amongst
the Kauravas), fearing a night-battle, O Bharata, then retired from the
field, accompanied by all their combatants. Upon the retirement of the
Kauravas, O king, at the close of the day, the Parthas, cheerful at
having obtained the victory, also retired to their own encampment,
jeering at their enemies by producing diverse kinds of sounds with their
musical instruments, and applauding Acyuta and Arjuna. After those heroes
had thus withdrawn the army, all the troops and all the kings uttered
benediction upon the Pandavas. The withdrawal having been made, those
sinless men, the Pandavas, became very glad, and proceeding to their
tents rested there for the night. Then rakshasas and pishacas, and
carnivorous beasts, in large numbers came to that awful field of battle
resembling the sporting ground of Rudra himself.'
31
"Dhritarashtra said, 'It seems that Arjuna slew all of you at his will.
Indeed, the Destroyer himself could not escape him in battle, if Arjuna
took up arms against Him. Single-handed, Partha ravished Bhadra, and
single-handed, he gratified Agni. Single-handed, he subjugated the whole
Earth, and made all the kings pay tribute. Single-handed, with his
celestial bow he slew the Nivatakavachas. Single-handed, he contended in
battle with Mahadeva who stood before him in the guise of a hunter.
Single-handed, he protected the Bharatas, and single-handed, he gratified
Bhava. Single-handed, were vanquished by him all the kings of the Earth
endued with fierce prowess. The Kurus cannot be blamed. On the other
hand, they deserve praise (for having fought with such a warrior). Tell
me now what they did. Tell me also, O Suta, what Duryodhana did after
that.'