Chapter 45

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘While the youthful and invincible son of Subhadra,never retreating from battle, was, after penetrating into our array,engaged in achieving feats worthy of his lineage, borne by his three-yearold steeds of great might and of the best breed, and apparently trottingin the welkin, what heroes of my army encompassed him?’

“Sanjaya said, ‘Having penetrated into our array, Abhimanyu of Pandu’srace, by means of his sharp shafts, made all the kings turn away from thefight. Then Drona, and Kripa, and Karna, and Drona’s son, and Vrihadvalaand Kritavarman, the son of Hridika,–these sixcar-warriors,–encompassed him. As regards the other combatants of thyarmy, beholding that Jayadratha had taken upon himself the heavy duty (ofkeeping off the Pandavas), they supported him, O king, by rushing againstYudhishthira.[76] Many amongst them, endued with great strength, drawingtheir bows full six cubits long, showered on the heroic son of Subhadraarrowy downpours like torrents of rain. Subhadra’s son, however, thatslayer of hostile heroes, paralysed by his shafts all those great bowmen,conversant with every branch of learning. And he pierced Drona with fiftyarrows and Vrihadvala with twenty. And piercing Kritavarman with eightyshafts, he pierced Kripa with sixty. And the son of Arjuna piercedAswatthaman with ten arrows equipped with golden wings, endued with greatspeed and shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. And the son ofPhalguni pierced Karna, in the midst of his foes, in one of his cars,with a bright, well-tempered, and bearded arrow of great force. Fellingthe steeds yoked to Kripa’s car, as also both his Parshni charioteers,Abhimanyu pierced Kripa himself in the centre of the chest with tenarrows. The mighty Abhimanyu, then, in the very sight of thy heroic sons,slew the brave Vrindaraka, that enhancer of the fame of the Kurus. WhileAbhimanyu was thus engaged in fearlessly slaying one after another theforemost warriors among his enemies, Drona’s son Aswatthaman pierced himwith five and twenty small arrows. The son of Arjuna, however, in thevery sight of all the Dhartarashtras quickly pierced Aswatthaman inreturn, O sire, with many whetted shafts. Drona’s son, however, inreturn, piercing Abhimanyu. with sixty fierce arrows of great impetuosityand keen sharpness, failed to make him tremble, for the latter, piercedby Aswatthaman, stood immovable like the Mainaka mountain. Endued withgreat energy, the mighty Abhimanyu then pierced his antagonist with threeand seventy straight arrows, equipped with wings of gold. Drona then,desirous of rescuing his son, pierced Abhimanyu with a hundred arrows.And Aswatthaman pierced him with sixty arrows, desirous of rescuing hisfather. And Karna struck him with two and twenty broad-headed arrows andKritavarman struck him with four and ten. And Vrihadvala pierced him withfifty such shafts, and Saradwata’s son, Kripa, with ten. Abhimanyu,however, pierced each of these in return with ten shafts. The ruler ofthe Kosala struck Abhimanyu, in the chest with a barbed arrow. Abhimanyu,however, quickly felled on the earth his antagonist’s steeds and standardand bow and charioteer. The ruler of the Kosalas, then, thus deprived ofhis car, took up a sword and wished to sever from Abhimanyu’s trunk hisbeautiful head, decked with ear-rings. Abhimanyu then pierced kingVrihadvala, the ruler of the Kosalas, in the chest, with a strong arrow.The latter then, with riven heart, fell down. Beholding this, tenthousand illustrious kings broke and fled. Those kings, armed with swordsand bows, fled away, uttering words inimical (to king Duryodhana’sInterest). Having slain[77] Vrihadvala thus, the son of Subhadra careeredit battle, paralysing thy warriors,—those great bowmen,–by means ofarrowy downpours, thick as rain.'”[78]