Chapter 92

Dhritarashtra said, “Tell me, O Sanjaya, all that the mighty Partha didin battle when they heard that Iravat had been slain.”

Sanjaya said, “Beholding Iravat slain in battle, the RakshasaGhatotkacha, the son of Bhimasena, uttered loud shouts. And inconsequence of the loudness of those roars, the earth having the oceanfor her robes, along with her mountains and forests, began to trembleviolently. And the welkin also and the quarters both cardinal andsubsidiary, all trembled. And hearing those loud roars of his, O Bharata,the thighs and other limbs of the troops began to tremble, and sweat alsoappeared on their persons. And all thy combatants, O king, becamecheerless of heart. And all over the field the warriors stood still, likean elephant afraid of the lion. And the Rakshasa, uttering those loudroars resembling the rattle of thunder, assuming a terrible form, andwith a blazing spear upraised in hand, and surrounded by many bulls amongRakshasas of fierce forms armed with diverse weapons, advanced, excitedwith rage and resembling the Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga.Beholding him advance in wrath and with a terrible countenance, andseeing also his own troops almost all running away from fear of thatRakshasa, king Duryodhana rushed against Ghatotkacha, taking up his bowwith arrow fixed on the string, and repeatedly roaring like a lion.Behind him proceeded the ruler of the Vangas, with ten thousandelephants, huge as hills, and each with juice trickling down. Beholdingthy son, O king, (thus) advancing surrounded by that elephant division,that ranger of the night (viz., Ghatotkacha) was highly inflamed withrage. Then commenced a battle with utmost vehemences that made the hairstand on end, between the formidable Rakshasa and the troops ofDuryodhana. And beholding also that elephant division risen (on thehorizon) like a cloud, the Rakshasas, inflamed with rage, rushed towardsit, weapons in hand, and uttering diverse roars like clouds charged withlightning. With arrows and darts and swords and long shafts, as also withspears and mallets and battle-axes and short arrows, they began to smitedown that elephant host. And they slew huge elephants withmountain-summits and large trees. While the Rakshasas slew thoseelephants, O king, we saw that some of them had their frontal globessmashed, some were bathed in blood, and some had their limbs broken orcut through. At last when that elephant host was broken and thinned,Duryodhana, O king, rushed upon the Rakshasas, under the influence ofrage and becoming reckless of his very life. And that mighty warrior spedclouds of sharp shafts at the Rakshasas. And that great bowman slew manyof their foremost warriors. Inflamed with rage, O chief of the Bharatas,that mighty car-warrior, viz., thy son Duryodhana, then slew with fourshafts four of the principal Rakshasas, viz., Vegavat, Maharudra,Vidyujihva, and Pramathin. And once again, O chief of the Bharatas, thatwarrior of immeasurable soul, sped at the Rakshasa host showers of arrowsthat could with difficulty be resisted. Beholding that great feat of thyson, O sire, the mighty son of Bhimasena blazed up with wrath. Drawinghis large bow effulgent as the lightning, he rushed impetuously at thewrathful Duryodhana. Beholding him (thus) rushing like Death himselfcommissioned by the Destroyer, thy son Duryodhana, O king, shook not atall. With eyes red in anger, and excited with rage, Ghatotkacha, then,addressing thy son, said, ‘I shall today be freed from the debt I owe tomy sires, as also to my mother, they that had so long been exiled by thycruel self. The sons of Pandu, O king, were vanquished by thee in thatmatch at dice. Drupada’s daughter Krishna also, while ill and, therefore,clad in a single raiment, was brought into the assembly and great troublewas given by thee in diverse ways, O thou most wicked, unto her. Whiledwelling also in her sylvan retreat, thy well-wisher, that wicked wight,viz., the ruler of the Sindhus, persecuted her further, disregarding mysires. For these and other wrongs, O wretch of thy race, I shall todaytake vengeance if thou dost not quit the field.’ Having said these words,Hidimva’s son, drawing his gigantic bow, biting his (nether) lip with histeeth, and licking the corners of his mouth, covered Duryodhana with aprofuse shower, like a mass of clouds covering the mountain-breast withtorrents of rain in the rainy season.”