Mahabharata: Vol. 5 (69 page)

‘Sanjaya said, “The infinitely energetic Pragjyotisha was Indra’s beloved friend. Having killed him, Arjuna circumambulated him. The two sons of the king of Gandhara, the brothers Vrishaka and Achala, the conquerors of enemy cities, began to afflict Arjuna in the battle. Those two brave archers united and pierced Arjuna severely from the front and the back, using extremely swift and sharp arrows. In an instant, Partha used sharp arrows to pierce the horses, charioteer, bow, umbrella, chariot and standard of Vrishaka, Subala’s son. Arjuna again used a storm of arrows and many other weapons. He oppressed the Gandhara soldiers, with Subala’s son at the forefront. There were five hundred brave Gandhara warriors, with their weapons raised. The enraged Dhananjaya used arrows to send them to the world of the dead. With his horses slain, the mighty-armed one
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quickly descended from his chariot and ascending onto his brother’s chariot, grasped another bow. Those two brothers, Vrishaka and Achala, were stationed on the same chariot. They repeatedly pierced Bibhatsu with a shower of arrows. Those two great-souled kings, Vrishaka and Achala, your brothers-in-law, severely wounded Partha, like Indra against Vritra and Bala. Those two from Gandhara were themselves not injured, but successful in striking the target, again struck Pandava. It was like the months of summer and monsoon, afflicting the world with
sweat and rain.
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Those two kings, tigers among men, Vrishaka and Achala, were stationed on the same chariot. O king! They were stationed next to each other and Arjuna slew them with a single arrow. They were like lions, giant-armed and with red eyes. They were brothers and possessed similar features. Those two brave ones lost their lives and fell down from the chariot. Their bodies, loved by their relatives, fell down from the chariot onto the ground. They lay there, spreading their sacred fame in the ten directions. O lord of the earth! On seeing that their maternal uncles, who never retreated, had been slain in the battle, your sons fiercely showered down weapons.

‘“Shakuni was skilled in a hundred different kinds of maya. On seeing that his brothers had been killed, he confused the two Krishnas with his maya. Sticks, iron balls, shataghnis, javelins, clubs, maces, swords, spears, bludgeons, spikes, kampanas, scimitars, nails, mallets, battleaxes, razors, kshurapras, hollow arrows,
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vatsadantas, weapons with joints, chakras, tufted arrows, darts and many other weapons showered down on Arjuna from all the directions. Asses, camels, buffaloes, lions, tigers, small deer,
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kites, bears, wolves, vultures, monkeys, reptiles and many other kinds of flesh-eaters
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hungrily dashed towards Arjuna. Many diverse kinds of crows angrily rushed towards him. Kunti’s son, the brave Dhananjaya, was skilled in the use of divine weapons. He suddenly unleashed a net of arrows and attacked them. The arrows released by the brave one were firm and excellent and they were slain by these. They let out a giant wail, as all of them were slain and destroyed. Darkness then appeared
and enveloped Arjuna’s chariot.
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From within that darkness, a cruel voice censured Arjuna. But Arjuna destroyed this with the mighty weapon known as jyotisha.
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When that was destroyed, a terrible flood of water appeared. For destroying this, Arjuna used the weapon named aditya. Thanks to this weapon, the water was almost completely dried up. Subala’s son repeatedly resorted to many different kinds of maya. But Arjuna laughed and used the strength of his weapons to destroy them all. When his maya was destroyed, Shakuni was injured by Arjuna’s arrows. He fled on his swift horses, like an ordinary man.

‘“Arjuna was the best among those who were skilled in the use of weapons and he showed his nature to the enemy. He showered down a flood of arrows on the Kourava army. The army of your son was slaughtered by Partha. O great king! It became divided into two, like the Ganga when it confronts a mountain. O king! Some maharathas sought shelter with Drona. Others were afflicted by Kiriti and went to Duryodhana. Since they were covered by darkness, we could not see the soldiers or him then. I heard the twang of Gandiva on my south.
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There was the sound of conch shells and drums and the noise of musical instruments. Gandiva’s roar could be heard above all of these. A fight then again commenced towards the south, between wonderful warriors and Arjuna. However, I followed Drona. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! At that time, the many different divisions in your son’s army were slaughtered by Arjuna, like the wind scattering clouds in the sky. Like Vasava raining down copiously, the great archer and tiger among men showered down a flood of arrows and no one could counter the fierce one. Those on your side were killed by Partha and were severely afflicted. As they fled hither and thither, they killed many on their own side. The arrows shot by Arjuna were tufted with the feathers of herons and were capable of penetrating the body. They descended like locusts that covered the ten directions. O venerable one! Horses, charioteers, elephants were
pierced and the arrows then penetrated the ground, like snakes into a termite hill. He did not shoot a second arrow at any elephant, horse or man. Shot by a single arrow, they fell down, losing their lives. Men and horses were slain everywhere. Elephants were struck by arrows and brought down. At that time, dogs, jackals and wild crows howled and the field of battle looked wonderful. Oppressed by arrows, father abandoned son, well-wisher abandoned well-wisher and son abandoned father. Everyone sought to protect himself. Oppressed by Partha, they abandoned their mounts.”’

‘Dhritarashtra asked, “O Sanjaya! When those divisions were shattered by Pandu’s son and fled quickly, what was the state of your mind then? When divisions are shattered and do not see a place where they can make a stand, it is very difficult to counter this. O Sanjaya! Tell me everything about this.”

‘Sanjaya replied, “O lord of the earth! Despite this, there were those who wished to bring pleasure to your son. To preserve their fame in this world, those brave ones followed Drona. They raised their weapons and approached Yudhishthira. They performed noble and terrible deeds and were truly fearless. O lord! They detected a weakness in the infinitely energetic Bhimasena, the brave Satyaki and Dhrishtadyumna. The Panchalas cruelly urged, ‘Drona! Drona!’ However, your sons urged all the Kurus, ‘Not Drona!’ One side said, ‘Drona! Drona!’ The other side said, ‘Not Drona!’ The Kurus and the Pandavas seemed to be gambling over Drona. Wherever Drona sought to attack the chariots of the Panchalas, Panchala Dhrishtadyumna stationed himself at those spots. There was a terrible battle where one did not follow the respective divisions. Brave ones clashed against brave ones and roared against the enemy. The enemy was incapable of making the Pandavas tremble there. But because they remembered their own hardships, they made the enemy divisions waver. Though
they were modest, they were overcome by anger and driven by their spirit. They were prepared to give up their lives and sought to kill Drona in that great battle. There was a tumultuous battle, in which, those infinitely energetic ones offered their lives as stake. It was as if iron was clashing against rock. Even the aged could not remember a battle like this. O great king! Such had not been witnessed earlier, nor heard of. When those brave ones were slaughtered, the earth trembled, oppressed by the great burden of those two oceans of soldiers. As the armies whirled around, the firmament seemed to roar and stand still. Ajatashatru angrily advanced against your son. Drona roamed around in that battle. He approached the Pandu army and shattered it with thousands of sharp arrows. They were routed by Drona’s extraordinary deeds. Then the commander
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himself engaged with Drona and there was an extraordinary battle between Drona and Panchala. It is my view that there has never been anything that is equal to this.

‘“Like a fire, Nila burnt down the Kuru army. The arrows were the sparks and he was like a fire burning down dry wood. When he was burning down the soldiers, Drona’s powerful son, who had wished to have an encounter with him from earlier times,
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smilingly addressed him. ‘O Nila! What will you gain by burning down these warriors with the rays of your arrows? Fight with me and angrily strike me with your swift arrows.’ Nila’s eyes were like the petals of lotuses. He pierced the one whose face was as beautiful as a blooming lotus and whose body was like a collection of lotuses.
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On being thus suddenly pierced, Drona’s son used three sharp and broad-headed arrows to slice down the bow, standard and umbrella of the enemy. Nila swiftly jumped down from his chariot and grasped a shield and a supreme sword, wishing to sever, like a bird,
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the head of Drona’s son from his body. O unblemished one! But Drona’s son smiled. He
used a broad-headed arrow to sever his head, with a beautiful nose and with earrings, from his body. The face was as radiant as the full moon. The eyes were like the petals of lotuses. The shoulders were elevated and he
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was tall. He was slain and fell down on the ground. At this, the Pandava soldiers were distressed and became extremely anxious. Blazing in his energy, Nila was killed by the son of the preceptor. O venerable one! All the Pandava maharathas began to think, ‘How will Vasava’s son be able to save us from the enemy? The brave one is engaged in fighting with the soldiers in the southern direction, with the remaining soldiers in the samshaptaka and narayana army.’”’

‘Sanjaya said, “Vrikodara could not tolerate the slaughter of the soldiers. He struck Bahlika with sixty and Karna with ten arrows. Drona wished to kill him and used sharp and iron arrows that were whetted at the tip and penetrated the inner organs to swiftly strike him, wishing to take away his life. Karna pierced him with twelve arrows, Ashvatthama with seven and King Duryodhana with six. But the immensely strong Bhimasena pierced all of them back in return. He struck Drona with fifty arrows, Karna with ten arrows, Duryodhana with twelve and Drona’s son with eight swift arrows. Having engaged in that battle, he let out a loud roar. They fought, prepared to give up their lives, and death was easily achieved. Ajatashatru sent many warriors, instructing them to save Bhima. Those infinitely energetic ones approached near Bhimasena. There were Yuyudhana and the others and the two Pandavas who were Madri’s sons. Those bulls among men were angry and united. They advanced, wishing to shatter Drona’s army, which was protected by the supreme among great archers. Those immensely valorous ones,
Bhima and the other rathas, advanced and were fiercely received by Drona and the best of rathas. Those brave and immensely strong atirathas were the ornaments of any battle. Outwardly giving up all fear of death, those on your side fought with the Pandavas. Riders killed riders and rathas killed rathas. The battle commenced, lances against lances, and with swords and battleaxes. There was a terrible clash with swords and it led to a cruel carnage. Because of the clash of elephants, the battle became extremely dreadful. Some fell down from elephants. Others fell down from horses, their heads hanging down. O venerable one! Other men fell down from chariots, pierced by arrows. Others were crushed in that encounter and fell down, shorn of their armour. Elephants attacked the chests and crushed the heads. In other places, elephants crushed men who had fallen down. Elephants struck the ground with their tusks and mangled many rathas. Other men were crushed by elephants that were pierced with weapons. Hundreds of elephants roamed around and crushed hundreds of men. There were men with bronze armour on their bodies and horses, chariots and elephants. They fell down and were crushed by elephants, as if they were thick reeds. Kings lay down to sleep on beds made out of the feathers of vultures.
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They were modest. But having been ripened by time, they lay down on beds of great distress. Advancing on a chariot, the father killed the son. Out of confusion and disregarding all honour, the son killed the father. Wheels of chariots were shattered. Standards were torn. Umbrellas were shredded and brought down. Dragging broken yokes, horses ran away. Arms wielding swords were brought down. Heads sporting earrings were severed. Powerful elephants threw down chariots and crushed them down on the ground. Charioteers struck elephants with iron arrows and brought them down. Severely wounded by elephants, riders fell down from horses. A cruel and great battle raged and it was extremely terrible. ‘Alas, father! Alas, son! Friend, where are you? Stay! Where are you going? Strike! Capture! Kill!’ These and other words mixed with the roars and sounds of laughter and many other kinds of noise were spoken and heard. The blood
of men, horses and elephants mingled together. The dust that arose from the ground was pacified.
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Those who were cowards became distressed. They dragged each other by the hair. There were terrible fights with fists. Brave ones fought with nails and teeth, wishing to find refuge where no refuge could be found. Heroes raised swords in their arms, but those were severed. So were others holding bows, arrows or goads. Someone loudly challenged another. Someone else fled, running away. Others confronted others and severed the head from the body. Some attacked others with loud roars. Others were severely frightened at the sounds and fled. Some killed the enemy, or those on one’s own side, with sharp arrows. Elephants that were like the peaks of mountains were brought down by iron arrows. They lay down, like islands in a river during the summer. There were elephants that exuded musth like mountainous streams. They crushed chariots down on the ground with their feet, together with the horses and the charioteers. There were brave ones who were skilled in the use of weapons. On seeing that they were covered with blood, but were still striking each other, those who were cowards and weak in heart lost their senses. Everyone was distressed and nothing could be distinguished. Despite the dust raised by the soldiers, the cruel battle raged on.