SECTION CCI
“SANJAYA SAID, ‘BEHOLDING Bhimasena overwhelmed by that weapon, Dhananjaya, for baffling its energy, covered him with the Varuna weapon. In consequence of the lightness of Arjuna’s arms, and owing also to the fiery force that shrouded Bhima, none could see that the latter had been covered with the Varuna weapon. Shrouded with the weapon of Drona’s son, Bhima, his steeds, driver, and car became incapable of being gazed at, like a fire of blazing flame in the midst of another fire. As at the close of the night, O king, all the luminaries run towards the Asta hill, even so the fiery shafts (of Aswatthaman) all began to proceed towards Bhimasena’s car. Indeed, Bhima himself, his car, steeds, and driver, O sire, thus shrouded by Drona’s son seemed to be in the midst of a conflagration. As the (Yuga) fire consuming the entire universe with its mobile and immobile creatures when the hour of dissolution comes, at last enters the mouth of the Creator, even so as the weapon of Drona’s son began to enter the body of Bhimasena. As one cannot perceive a fire if it penetrates into the sun or the sun if it enters into a fire, even so none could perceive that energy which penetrated into Bhima’s body. Beholding that weapon thus investing Bhima all around, and seeing Drona’s son swelling with energy and might, the latter being then without an antagonist, and observing also that all the warriors of the Pandava army had laid down their weapons and that all the mighty car-warriors of that host headed by Yudhishthira had turned away their faces from the foe, those two heroes, viz., Arjuna and Vasudeva, both endued with great splendour, quickly alighting from their car, ran towards Bhima. Those two mighty men, diving into that energy born of the might of Aswatthaman’s weapon, had resorted to the power of illusion. The fire of that weapon consumed them not, in consequence of their having laid aside their weapons, as also in consequence of the force of the Varuna weapon, and owing also to the energy possessed by themselves. Then Nara and Narayana, for the pacification of Narayana weapon, began forcibly to drag Bhima and all his weapons. Thus dragged by them, Kunti’s son, that mighty car-warrior, began to roar aloud. Thereupon, that terrible and invincible weapon of Drona’s son began to increase (in might and energy). Then Vasudeva, addressing Bhima, said, “How is it, O son of Pandu, that though forbidden by us, thou, O son of Kunti, dost not yet abstain from battle? If the Kurus could now be vanquished in battle, then we, as also all these foremost of men, would certainly have continued to fight. Behold, all the warriors of thy host have alighted from their cars. For this reason, O son of Kunti, do thou also come down from thy car.” Having said these words, Krishna brought Bhima down from his car. The latter, with eyes red as blood in rage, was sighing like a snake. When, however, he was dragged down from his car and made to lay aside his weapons, the Narayana weapon, that scorcher of foes, became pacified.’
“Sanjaya continued, ‘When, by this means, the unbearable energy of that weapon became stilled, all the points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary, became clear. Sweet breezes began to blow and birds and animals all became quiet. The steeds and elephants became cheerful, as also all the warriors, O ruler of men! Indeed, when the terrible energy of that weapon, O Bharata, became stilled, Bhima, of great intelligence, shone resplendent like the morning sun. The remnant of the Pandava host, beholding the pacification of the Narayana weapon, once more stood prepared on the field for compassing the destruction of thy sons. When, after that weapon had been baffled, the Pandava host, stood arrayed, Duryodhana, O king, addressing Drona’s son, said, “O Aswatthaman, once more use that weapon speedily since the Panchalas are once more arrayed, desirous of victory.” Then addressed by thy son, O sire, Aswatthaman, sighing cheerlessly, replied unto the king in these words, “That weapon, O king, cannot be brought back. It cannot be used twice. If brought back, it will without doubt, slay the person calling it back. Vasudeva hath, by what means thou hast seen, caused it to be baffled. For this, O ruler of men, the destruction of the foe hath not been compassed in battle. Defeat and death, however, are the same. Rather, defeat is worse than death. Lo, the enemy, vanquished and compelled to lay down his arms, looks as if deprived of life”. Duryodhana then said, “O preceptor’s son, if it be so, if this weapon cannot be used twice, let those slayers of their preceptor be slain with other weapons then, O foremost one of all persons acquainted with weapons! In thee are all celestial as well as in the Three eyed (Siva) of immeasurable energy. If thou wishest it not, even Purandara in rage cannot escape thee.”
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘After Drona had been slain with the aid of fraud, and the Narayana weapon baffled, what, indeed, did Drona’s son, thus urged by Duryodhana then, do, beholding the Parthas once more arrived for battle freed from the Narayana weapon, and careering at the head of their divisions?’
“Sanjaya said, ‘Remembering the slaughter of his sire, Drona’s son, owning the device of the lion’s tail on his banner, filled with rage and casting off all fears, rushed against the son of Prishata. Rushing at him, O bull among men, that foremost of warriors, with great impetuosity, pierced the Panchala prince with five and twenty small arrows. Then Dhrishtadyumna, O King, pierced Drona’s son that resembled a blazing fire, with four and sixty shafts. And he pierced Aswatthaman’s driver also with twenty arrows whetted on stone and equipped with wings of gold, and then his four steeds with four sharp arrows. Repeatedly piercing Drona’s son, and causing the earth to tremble with his leonine roars. Dhrishtadyumna then seemed to be employed in taking the lives of creatures in the world in dreadful battle. Making death itself his goal, the mighty son of Prishata, O king, accomplished in weapons and endued with sureness of aim, then rushed against Drona’s son alone. Of immeasurable soul, that foremost of car-warriors, viz., the prince of Panchala, poured upon Aswatthaman’s head a shower of arrows. Then Drona’s son, in that battle, covered the angry prince with winged shafts. And once more, he pierced the latter with ten shafts, remembering the slaughter of his father. Then cutting off the standard and bow of the Panchala prince with a couple of well-shot shafts, equipped with heads like razors, Drona’s son began to grind his foe with other arrows. In that dreadful battle, Aswatthaman made his antagonist steedless and driverless and carless, and covered his followers also with thick showers of shafts. At this, the Panchala troops, O king, mangled by means of those arrowy showers fled away in fear and great affliction. Beholding the troops turning away from battle and Dhrishtadyumna exceedingly afflicted, the grandson of Sini quickly urged his car against that of Drona’s son. He then afflicted Aswatthaman with eight keen shafts. And once more striking that angry warrior with twenty shafts of diverse kinds, he pierced Aswatthaman’s driver, and then his four steeds with four shafts. With great deliberations and displaying a wonderful lightness of hand, he cut off Aswatthaman’s bow and standard, Satyaki then cut into fragments the gold-decked car of this foe together with its steeds. And then he deeply pierced Aswatthaman in the chest with thirty arrows in that battle. Thus afflicted, O king, (by Satyaki), and shrouded with arrows, the mighty Aswatthaman knew not what to do. When the preceptor’s son had fallen into that plight, thy son, that car-warrior, accompanied by Kripa and Karna and others began to cover the Satwata hero with arrows. All of them began quickly to pierce Satyaki from every side with keen shafts, Duryodhana pierced him with twenty, Saradwat’s son, Kripa, with three. And Kritavarman pierced him with ten, and Karna with fifty. And Duhsasana pierced him with a hundred arrows, and Vrishasena with seven. Satyaki, however, O king, soon made all those great car-warriors fly away from the field, deprived of their cars. Meanwhile, Aswatthaman, O bull of Bharata’s race, recovering consciousness, and sighing repeatedly in sorrow, began to think of what he should do. Riding then upon another car, that scorcher of foes, viz., the son of Drona, began to resist Satyaki, shooting hundreds of arrows. Beholding Aswatthaman once more approaching him in battle, the mighty car-warrior, Satyaki, once more made him carless and caused him to turn back. Then the Pandavas, O king, beholding the prowess of Satyaki, blew their conchs with great force and uttered loud leonine roars. Having d
eprived Aswatthaman of his car thus, Satyaki, of unbaffled prowess, then slew three thousand mighty car-warriors of Vrishasena’s division. And then he slew fifteen thousand elephants of Kripa’s force and fifty thousand horses of Sakuni. Then, the valiant son of Drona, O monarch, riding upon another car, and highly enraged with Satyaki, proceeded against the latter, desirous of slaying him. Beholding him approach again, the grandson of Sini, that chastiser of foes, once more pierced and mangled him with keen shafts, fiercer than those he had used before. Deeply pierced with those arrows of diverse forms by Yuyudhana, that great bowman, viz., the angry son of Drona, smilingly addressed his foe and said, “O grandson of Sini, I know thy partiality for Dhrishtadyumna, that slayer of his preceptor, but thou shalt not be able to rescue him or your own self when attacked by me. I swear to thee, O grandson of Sini, by truth and by my ascetic austerities, that I shall know no peace till I slay all the Panchalas. You may unite the forces of the Pandavas and those of the Vrishnis together, but I shall still slay the Somakas.” Saying this, the son of Drona shot at Satyaki an excellent and straight arrow possessed of the effulgence of the sun, even as Sakra had hurled in days of yore his thunder at the Asura Vritra. Thus shot by Aswatthaman, that arrow, piercing through the armour of Satyaki, and passing through his body, entered the earth like a hissing snake entering its hole. His armour pierced through, the heroic Satyaki, like an elephant deeply struck with the hook, became bathed in blood that flowed from his wound. His bow, with arrow fixed thereon, being then loosened from his grasp, he sat down on the terrace of his car strengthless and covered all over with blood. Seeing this his driver speedily bore him away from Drona’s son. With another shaft, perfectly straight and equipped with goodly wings that scorcher of foes, viz., Aswatthaman, struck Dhrishtadyumna between his eyebrows. The Panchala prince had before this been much pierced; therefore, deeply wounded by that arrow, he became exceedingly weak and supported himself by seizing his flag-staff. Beholding Dhrishtadyumna thus afflicted by Aswatthaman, like an infuriated elephant by a lion, five heroic car-warriors of the Pandava army, viz., Kiritin, Bhimasena, Vrihatkshatra of Puru’s race, the youthful prince of the Chedis, and Sudarsana, the chief of the Malavas, quickly rushed against Aswatthaman. Armed with bows, all these rushed with cries Oh and Alas. And those heroes quickly encompassed the son of Drona on all sides. Advancing twenty paces, all of them, with great care, simultaneously struck the angry son of the preceptor with five and twenty arrows. Drona’s son, however, with five and twenty shafts, resembling snakes of virulent poison, cut off, almost at the same time, those five and twenty arrows shot at him. Then Aswatthaman afflicted the Paurava prince with seven sharp shafts. And he afflicted the chief of the Malavas with three, Partha with one, and Vrikodara with six shafts. Then all those great car-warriors, O king, pierced Drona’s son unitedly and separately with many shafts, whetted on stone equipped with wings of gold. The youthful prince of the Chedis pierced Drona’s son with twenty and Partha pierced him with three. Then Drona’s son struck Arjuna with six arrows, and Vasudeva with six, and Bhima with five, and each of the other two viz., the Malava and the Paurava, with two arrows. Piercing next the driver of Bhima’s car with six arrows, Aswatthaman cut off Bhimasena’s bow and standard with a couple of arrows. Then piercing Partha once more with a shower of arrows, Drona’s son uttered a leonine roar. With the sharp, well-tempered, and terrible arrows shot by Drona’s son, the earth, the sky, the firmament, and the points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary, all became entirely shrouded both in his front and rear. Endued with fierce energy and equal to Indra himself in prowess, Aswatthaman with three arrows, almost simultaneously cut off the two arms, like unto Indra’s poles, and the head of Sudarsana, as the latter was seated on his car. Then piercing Paurava with a dart and cutting off his car into minute fragments by means of his arrows, Aswatthaman lopped off his antagonist’s two arms smeared with sandal-paste and then his head from off his trunk with a broad-headed shaft. Possessed of great activity, he then pierced with many arrows resembling blazing flames of fire in energy, the youthful and mighty prince of the Chedis who was of the hue of the dark lotus, and despatched him to Yama’s abode with his driver and steeds. Beholding the chief of the Malavas, the descendant of Puru, and the youthful ruler of the Chedis slain in his very sight by the son of Drona. Bhimasena, the mighty-armed son of Pandu, became filled with rage. The scorcher of foes then covered Drona’s son in that battle with hundreds of keen arrows resembling angry snakes of virulent poison. Endued with mighty energy, the angry son of Drona then destroying that arrowy shower, pierced Bhimasena with sharp shafts. The mighty-armed Bhima then, possessed of great strength, cut off with a broad-headed arrow the bow of Drona’s son and then pierced Drona’s son himself with a powerful shaft. Throwing away that broken bow, the high-souled son of Drona took up another and pierced Bhima with his winged shafts. Then those two, viz., Drona’s son and Bhima, both possessed of great prowess and might, began to shower their arrowy downpours like two masses of rain-charged clouds. Gold-winged arrows, whetted on stone and engraved with Bhima’s name shrouded Drona’s son, like gathering masses of clouds shrouding the sun. Similarly, Bhima was soon shrouded with hundreds and thousands of strong arrows shot by Drona’s son. Though shrouded in that battle by Drona’s son, that warrior of great skill, Bhima yet felt no pain, O monarch, which seemed exceedingly wonderful. Then the mighty-armed Bhima sped ten gold-decked arrows, of great keenness and resembling the darts of Yama himself, at his foe. Those shafts, O sire, falling upon the shoulders of Drona’s son, quickly pierced his body, like snakes penetrating into an ant-hill. Deeply pierced by the high-souled son of Pandu, Aswatthaman, closing his eyes, supported himself by seizing his flagstaff. Recovering his senses within a moment, O king, Drona’s son bathed in blood, mustered all his wrath. Forcibly struck by the high-souled son of Pandu, Aswatthaman, endued with mighty arms, rushed with great speed towards the car of Bhimasena. And then, O Bharata, he sped at Bhimasena, from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch, a hundred arrows of fierce energy, all looking like snakes of virulent poison. Pandu’s son Bhima also, proud of his prowess in battle, disregarding Aswatthaman’s energy, speedily showered upon him a dense arrowy downpour. Then Drona’s son, O king, cutting off Bhima’s bow by means of his arrows, and filled with rage, struck the Pandava in the chest with many keen shafts. Incapable of brooking that feat, Bhimasena took up another bow and pierced Drona’s son in that battle with five keen shafts. Indeed, showering upon each other their arrowy downpours like two masses of clouds at the close of summer, two warriors, with eyes red as copper in rage, completely covered each other in that battle with their shafts. Frightening each other with the terrible sounds they made by their palms, they continued to fight with each other, each counteracting the feats of the other. Then bending his formidable bow adorned with gold, Drona’s son began to gaze steadfastly at Bhima who was thus shooting his shafts at him. At that time, Aswatthaman looked like the meridian sun of blazing rays in an autumnal day. So quickly then did he shoot his shafts that people could not see when he took them out of his quiver, when he fixed them on the bowstring, when he drew the string, and when he let them off. Indeed, when employed in shooting his arrows, his bow, O monarch, seemed to be incessantly drawn to fiery circle. Shafts in a hundred thousands, shot from his bow, seemed to course through the welkin like a flight of locusts. Indeed, those terrible shafts adorned with gold, shot from the bow of Drona’s son, coursed incessantly towards Bhima’s car. The prowess, O Bharata, that we then beheld of Bhimasena, and his might, energy, and spirit, were exceedingly wonderful, for, regarding that terrible shower of arrows thick as a gathering mass of clouds, falling around him to be nothing more than a downpour of rain at the close of summer. Bhima of terrible prowess, desirous of slaying the son of Drona, in return poured his arrows upon the latter like a cloud in the season of rains. Bhima’s large and formidable bow of golden back, incessantly drawn in that battle, looked resplendent like a second bow of Indra. Shafts in
hundreds and thousands, issuing from it, shrouded Drona’s son, that ornament of battle in that encounter. The showers of shafts, shot by both of them were so dense, O sire, that the very wind, O king, could not find room for coursing through them. Then Drona’s son, O king, desirous of slaying Bhima, sped at him many gold-decked arrows of keen points steeped in oil. Showing his superiority to Drona’s son Bhimasena cut off each of those arrows into three fragments before they could come at him. The son of Pandu then said, “Wait, Wait.” And once more, the mighty son of Pandu filled with rage, and desirous of slaying the son of Drona, shot at him a terrible shower of fierce arrows. Then Drona’s son that warrior acquainted with the highest weapons, quickly destroying that arrowy shower by the illusion of his own weapons, cut off Bhima’s bow in that encounter. Filled with rage, he then pierced Bhima himself with innumerable shafts in that battle. Endued with great might, Bhima then, after his bow had been cut off, hurled a dart at Aswatthaman’s car, having whirled it previously with great impetuosity. The son of Drona, displaying the lightness of his hand in that encounter, quickly cut off, by means of sharp shafts, that dart as it coursed towards him with the splendour of a blazing brand. Meanwhile, terrible Vrikodara, taking up a very strong bow, and smiling the while, began to pierce the son of Drona with many arrows. Then Drona’s son, O monarch, with a straight shaft, pierced the forehead of Bhima’s driver. The latter, deeply pierced by the mighty son of Drona, fell into a swoon, O king, abandoning the reins of the steeds. The driver of Bhima’s car having fallen into a swoon, the steeds, O king, began to fly away with great speed, in the very sight of all the bowmen. Beholding Bhima carried away from the field of battle by those running steeds, the unvanquished Aswatthaman joyfully blew his huge conch. Beholding Bhimasena borne away from the field, all the Panchalas, inspired with fear, abandoning the car of Dhrishtadyumna, fled away on every side. Then Drona’s son, shooting his shafts fiercely, pursued those broken troops, causing a great carnage among them. Thus slaughtered in battle by the son of Drona, those Kshatriyas fled away in all directions from fear of that warrior.’
The Sanskrit Epics Page 543