The Sanskrit Epics

by Delphi Classics

  SECTION 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.’”

  SECTION 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.’”