SECTION CLXV
“SANJAYA SAID, ‘BHURI, O king, in that battle, resisted that foremost of car-warriors, viz., the grandson of Sini, who advanced like an elephant towards a lake full of water. Then Satyaki, excited with wrath, pierced his foe in chest with five keen shafts. At this, the latter’s blood began to flow. The Kuru warrior in that encounter similarly pierced with great speed the grandson of Sini, that hero difficult of defeat in battle, with ten shafts in the chest. Those warriors, drawing their bows to their fullest stretch, and with eyes red in wrath, began, O king, to mangle each other in that combat. The arrowy downpours of those two warriors, both excited with rage and resembling Death himself or the sun scattering his rays, were exceedingly terrible. Shrouding each other with shafts, each stayed before the other in that battle. For a short while that battle proceeded equally. Then, O king, the grandson of Sini, excited with rage and smiling the while, cut off the bow of the illustrious Kuru warrior in that battle. Having cut off his bow, Satyaki quickly pierced him in the chest with nine keen arrows and addressing him, said, “Wait! Wait!” That scorcher of foes deeply pierced his mighty foe, quickly took up another bow and pierced the Satwata warrior in return. Having pierced the Satwata hero with three shafts, O monarch, Bhuri, then, smiling the while, cut off his foe’s bow with a sharp and broad-headed shaft. His bow being cut off, Satyaki, O king, maddened with rage, hurled an impetuous dart at the broad chest of Bhuri. Pierced with that dart, Bhuri fell down from his excellent car, covered with blood, like the sun dropping down from the firmament. Beholding him thus slain, the mighty car-warrior Aswatthaman, O Bharata, rushed impetuously against grandson of Sini. Having addressed Satyaki, O king, saying, “Wait, Wait,” he shrouded him with showers of shafts, like the clouds pouring torrents of rain on the crest of Meru. Beholding him rushing towards the car of Sini’s grandson, the mighty car-warrior Ghatotkacha, O king, uttering a loud roar, addressed saying, “Wait, Wait, O son of Drona! Thou shalt not escape from me with life. I will presently slay thee like the six-faced (Karttikeya) slaying (the Asura) Mahisha. I shall today, on the field, purge thy heart of all desire of battle.” Having said these words, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the Rakshasa (Ghatotkacha), with eyes red like copper in wrath, rushed furiously against the son of Drona, like a lion rushing against a prince of elephants. And Ghatotkacha sped at his foe shafts of the measure of the Aksha of a car, and covered that bull among car-warriors therewith, like clouds pouring torrents of rain. With his own shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison, Drona’s son, however, in that battle, quickly dispelled that arrowy shower before it could reach him. He then pierced that chastiser of foes, viz., Ghatotkacha, that prince of the Rakshasas, with hundreds of keen and swift-coursing arrows, all capable of penetrating into the very vitals. Thus pierced with those shafts by Aswatthaman, that Rakshasa, on the field of battle, looked beautiful, O monarch, like a porcupine with quills erect on its body. Then the valiant son of Bhimasena, filled with rage, mangled the son of Drona with many fierce arrows, whizzing through the air with the roar of thunder. And he rained on Aswatthaman a perfect shower of arrows of diverse kinds; some, equipped with heads like razors; some, shaped as the crescent; some, only pointed; some, frog-faced; some, with heads resembling the boar’s ear; some, barbed; and some of other species.221 Like the wind dispersing mighty masses of clouds, Drona’s son, O king, without his senses being agitated, destroyed with his own terrible arrows, inspired by mantras with the force of celestial weapons, that fierce, unbearable and unrivalled shower of weapons, whose sound resembled the roar of thunder, and which fell incessantly upon him. It seemed then that another encounter was taking place in the welkin between weapons (as the combatants), which was terrible, and which, O king, filled the warriors with awe. With the sparks all around, generated by the clash of the weapons, shot by those two warriors, the welkin looked beautiful as illumined by myriads of fire-flies in the evening. Drona’s son then, filling all the points of the compass with his shafts, shrouded the Rakshasa himself, for doing what was agreeable to thy sons. Then commenced a battle once more between Drona’s son and the Rakshasa on that night of thick darkness, which resembled the encounter between Sakra and Prahlada. Then Ghatotkacha, filled with rage, struck Drona’s son, in that battle, on the chest with ten shafts, each resembling the Yuga-fire. Deeply pierced by the Rakshasa, the mighty son of Drona began to tremble in that battle like a tall tree shaken by the wind. Supporting himself by holding the flagstaff, he swooned away. Then all thy troops, O king, uttered cries of Oh and Alas. Indeed, O monarch, all thy warriors then regarded Drona’s son as slain. Beholding Aswatthaman in that plight, the Panchalas and the Srinjayas in that battle uttered leonine roars. Then that crusher of foes, viz., the mighty car-warrior Aswatthaman, recovering his senses, forcibly drawing the bow with his left hand, stretching the bowstring to his ear, quickly shot a terrible shaft resembling the rod of Yama himself, aiming at Ghatotkacha. That excellent shaft, fierce and equipped with golden wings, piercing through the chest of the Rakshasa, entered the earth, O king. Deeply pierced, O monarch, by Drona’s son who was proud of his prowess in battle, that prince of Rakshasas, endued with great strength, sat down on the terrace of his car. Beholding Hidimva’s son deprived of his senses, his charioteer, inspired with fear, speedily removed him from the field, bearing him away from the presence of Drona’s son. Having pierced that prince of Rakshasas, viz., Ghatotkacha, in that encounter thus, Drona’s son, that mighty car-warrior, uttered a loud roar. Worshipped by thy sons as also by all thy warriors, O Bharata, Aswatthaman’s body blazed up like the midday sun.
“‘As regards Bhimasena who was battling in front of Drona’s car, king Duryodhana himself pierced him with many whetted shafts. Bhimasena, however, O Bharata, pierced him in return with nine arrows. Duryodhana, then, pierced Bhimasena with twenty arrows. Covered with each other’s arrows on the field of battle, those two warriors looked like the sun and the moon covered with clouds in the firmament. Then king Duryodhana, O chief of Bharatas, pierced Bhima with five winged arrows and said, “Wait! Wait!” Bhima then, cutting off his bow as also his standard with keen shafts, pierced the Kuru king himself with ninety straight arrows. Then, Duryodhana filled with rage, taking up a more formidable bow, O chief of the Bharatas, afflicted Bhimasena, at the van of battle, with many whetted shafts, in the very sight of all the bowmen. Baffling those shafts shot from Duryodhana’s bow, Bhima pierced the Kuru king with five and twenty short arrows. Duryodhana then, O sire, excited with wrath, cut off Bhimasena’s bow with a razor-faced arrow and pierced Bhima himself with ten shafts in return. Then the mighty Bhimasena, taking up another bow, quickly pierced the king with seven keen shafts. Displaying great lightness of hand, Duryodhana cut off even that bow of Bhima. The second, the third, the fourth, and the fifth, bow that Bhima took up were similarly cut off. Indeed, O king, thy son, proud of his prowess and desirous of victory, cut off Bhima’s bow as soon as the latter took up one. Seeing his bows repeatedly cut off, Bhima then hurled, in that battle, a dart made wholly of iron and hard as the thunder. That dart blazing as a flame of fire, resembled the sister of Death. The Kuru king, however, in the very sight of all the warriors and before the eyes of Bhima himself, cut in three fragments that dart, which coursed towards him through the welkin with the splendour of fire and dividing it, as it were by a straight line such as is visible on the head of a woman parting her tresses. Then Bhima, O king, whirling his heavy and blazing mace, hurled it with great force at the car of Duryodhana. That heavy mace speedily crushed the steeds, the driver, and the car also, of thy son in that encounter. Thy son, then, O monarch, afraid of Bhima and shrinking within the narrowest compass, ascended another car, viz., that of the illustrious Nandaka. Then Bhima, regarding Suyodhana to have been slain amid the darkness of that night, uttered a loud leonine roar challenging the Kauravas. Thy warriors regarded the king to be slain. All of them uttered loud cries of Oh and Alas. Hearing the wails of the affrighted warriors and the roars of the high
souled Bhima, O king, king Yudhishthira also regarded Suyodhana to have been slain. And the eldest son of Pandu, thereupon, rushed quickly to the spot where Vrikodara, the son of Pritha, was. And the Panchalas, the Srinjayas, the Matsyas, the Kaikeyas, and the Chedis, speedily advanced, with all their might against Drona from desire of slaying him. There also occurred a dreadful battle between Drona and the enemy. And the combatants of both sides were enveloped in thick gloom and struck and slew one another’.”
SECTION CLXVI
“SANJAYA SAID, ‘KARNA, the son of Vikartana,222 O king, resisted the mighty car-warrior Sahadeva in that battle, who advanced from desire of getting at Drona. Piercing the son of Radha with nine shafts, Sahadeva once more pierced that warrior with nine straight arrows. Karna then pierced Sahadeva in return with a hundred straight shafts, and displaying great lightness in hand, cut off the latter’s stringed bow. Then the valiant son of Madri, taking up another bow, pierced Karna with twenty arrows. This feat of his seemed exceedingly wonderful. Then Karna, slaying Sahadeva’s steeds with many straight shafts, speedily despatched the latter’s driver with a broad-headed shaft, to Yama’s abode. This carless Sahadeva then took up a sword and a shield. Even those weapons were cut off by Karna smiling the while. Then the mighty Sahadeva, in that encounter, sped towards the car of Vikartana’s son, a heavy and terrible mace decked with gold. Karna then with his shafts, quickly cut off that mace which hurled by Sahadeva, coursed towards him impetuously, and caused it to fall down on the earth. Beholding his mace cut off, Sahadeva quickly hurled a dart at Karna. That dart also was cut off by Karna. The son of Madri, then, quickly jumping down from his excellent car, and blazing with wrath upon beholding Karna stationed before him, took up a car-wheel and hurled it at the son of Adhiratha. The Suta’s son, however, with many thousands of arrows, cut off that wheel coursing towards him like the uplifted wheel of Death. When that wheel had been cut off, Sahadeva, O sire, aiming at Karna, hurled at him the shafts of his car, the traces of his steeds, the yokes of his cars, the limbs of elephants and steeds and dead human bodies. Karna cut off all these with his shafts. Seeing himself deprived of all weapons, Madri’s son, Sahadeva, struck by Karna with many shafts, left the battle. Pursuing him for a while, the son of Radha, O bull of Bharata’s race, smilingly addressed Sahadeva and said these cruel words, “Do not, O hero, fight in battle with those that are superior to thee. Fight with thy equals, O son of Madri! Do not mistrust my words.” Then touching him with the horn of his bow, he once more said, “Yonder, Arjuna is fighting resolutely with the Kurus in battle. Go there, O son of Madri, or return home if thou likest.” Having said those words, Karna, that foremost of car-warriors, smilingly proceeded on his car against the troops of the king of the Panchalas. The slayer of foes, that mighty car-warrior, devoted to truth, slew not the son of Madri although he had got the opportunity, recollecting the words of Kunti. Sahadeva, then, heartless and afflicted with arrows, and pierced with the wordy darts of Karna, no longer cherished any love for life. That mighty car-warrior then quickly ascended the car of Janamejaya, the illustrious prince of the Panchalas.’”
SECTION CLXVII
“SANJAYA SAID, ‘THE ruler of the Madras shrouded on all sides, with clouds of shafts, Virata with his troops, who was proceeding quickly for getting at Drona. The battle that took place between those two great bowmen resembled, O king, that between Vala and Vasava in days of yore. The ruler of the Madras, O monarch, with great activity, struck Virata, that commander of a large division, with a hundred straight shafts. King Virata, in return, pierced the ruler of the Madras with nine keen arrows, and once more with three and seventy, and once again with a hundred. The ruler of the Madras, then, slaying the four steeds yoked unto Virata’s car, cut down with a couple of shafts, the latter’s umbrella and standard. Quickly jumping down from that steedless car, the king stood, drawing his bow and shooting keen shafts. Beholding his brother deprived of his steeds, Satanika quickly approached him on his car in the very sight of all the troops. The ruler of the Madras, however, piercing the advancing Satanika with many shafts, despatched him to the abode of Yama. Upon the fall of the heroic Satanika, Virata, that commander of a large division, ascended the fallen hero’s car, decked with standard and garlands.223 Opening his eyes wide, and with prowess doubled by wrath, Virata quickly covered the car of the ruler of the Madras with winged arrows. The ruler of the Madras then, excited with rage, deeply pierced Virata, that commander of a large division, in the chest, with a hundred straight shafts. Deeply pierced by the mighty ruler of the Madras, that great car-warrior, viz., Virata, sat down on the terrace of his car and swooned away. His driver, then, beholding him mangled with shafts in that encounter, bore him away. Then that vast force, O Bharata, fled away on that night, oppressed by hundreds of arrows of Salya, that ornament of battle. Beholding the troops flying away, Vasudeva and Dhananjaya quickly advanced to that spot, O monarch, where Salya was stationed. Then that prince of the Rakshasas, viz., Alamvusha, O king, riding upon a foremost car, harnessed with eight steeds, having terrible-looking Pisachas of equine faces yoked unto it, furnished with blood-red banners, decked with floral garlands made of black iron, covered with bear-skins, and possessing a tall standard over which perched a terrible, fierce-looking, and incessantly shrieking vulture, of spotted wings and wide-open eyes, proceeded against those advancing heroes. That Rakshasa, O king, looked beautiful like a loose heap of antimony, and he withstood the advancing Arjuna, like Meru withstanding a tempest, scattering showers of arrows, O monarch, upon Arjuna’s head. The battle then that commenced between the Rakshasa and that human warrior, was exceedingly fierce. And it filled all the spectators there, O Bharata, with wonder. And it conduced to the joy also of vultures and crows, of ravens and owls and Kankas and jackals. Arjuna struck Alamvusha with six shafts and then cut off his standard with ten sharp arrows. With a few other arrows, he cut off his driver, and with some others his Trivenu, and with one more, his bow, and with four others his four steeds. Alamvusha strung another bow, but that also Arjuna cut off in two fragments. Then, O bull of Bharata’s race, Partha pierced that prince of the Rakshasas with four keen arrows. Thus pierced, the Rakshasa fled away in fear. Having vanquished him, Arjuna quickly proceeded towards the spot where Drona was, shooting as he went, many shafts, O king, at men, elephants, and steeds. Slaughtered O monarch, by the illustrious son of Pandu, the combatants fell down on the ground, like trees laid low by a tempest. Thus treated by the illustrious son of Pandu, all of them fled like a frightened herd of deer.’”
The Sanskrit Epics Page 529