Chapter 94

Sanjaya said, “Having in that battle made all those warriors (of thyarmy) turn their faces from the field, the Rakshasa then, O chief of theBharatas, rushed at Duryodhana, desirous of slaying him. Beholding himrushing with great impetuosity towards the king, many warriors of thyarmy, incapable of defeat in battle, rushed towards him (in return) fromdesire of slaying him. Those mighty car-warriors, drawing their bows thatmeasured full six cubits long, and uttering loud roars like a herd oflions, all rushed together against that single warrior. And surroundinghim on all sides, they covered him with their arrowy showers like theclouds covering the mountain-breast with torrents of rain in autumn.Deeply pierced with those arrows and much pained, he resembled then anelephant pierced with the hook. Quickly then he soared up into thefirmament like Garuda. And (while there) he uttered many loud roars likethe autumnal clouds, making the welkin and all the points of the compass,cardinal and subsidiary, resounded with those fierce cries. Hearing thoseroars of the Rakshasa, O chief of the Bharatas, king Yudhishthira then,addressing Bhima, said unto that chastiser of foes these words, ‘Thenoise that we hear uttered by the fiercely-roaring Rakshasa, withoutdoubt, indicates that he is battling with the mighty car-warriors of theDhartarashtra army. I see also that the burden has proved heavier thanwhat that bull among Rakshasas is able to bear. The grandsire, too,excited with rage, is ready to slaughter the Panchalas. For protectingthem Phalguni is battling with the foe. O thou of mighty arms hearing nowof these two tasks, both of which demand prompt attention, go and givesuccour to Hidimva’s son who is placed in a position of very greatdanger.’ Listening to these words of his brother, Vrikodara, with greatspeed, proceeded, frightening all the kings with his leonine roars, withgreat impetuosity, O king, like the ocean itself during the period of thenew full moon. Him followed Satyadhriti and Sauchiti difficult of beingvanquished in battle, and Srenimat, and Vasudana and the powerful son ofthe ruler of Kasi, and many car-warriors headed by Abhimanyu, as alsothose mighty car-warriors, viz., the sons of Draupadi, and the valiantKshatradeva, and Kshatradharman, and Nila, the ruler of the lowcountries, at the head of his own forces. And these surrounded the son ofHidimva with a large division of cars (for aiding him).[446] And theyadvanced to the rescue of Ghatotkacha, that prince of the Rakshasas, withthe six thousand elephants, always infuriate and accomplished in smiting.And with their loud leonine roars, and the clatter of their car-wheels,and with the tread of their horse’s hoofs, they made the very earth totremble. Hearing the din of those advancing warriors the faces of thytroops who were filled with anxiety in consequence of their fear ofBhimasena became pale. Leaving Ghatotkacha then they all fled away. Thencommenced in that part of the field a dreadful battle between thosehigh-souled warriors and thine, both of whom were unretreating. Mightycar-warriors, hurling diverse kinds of the weapons, chased and smote oneanother. That fierce battle striking terror into the hearts of the timid,was such that the different classes of combatants became entangled withone another. Horses engaged with elephants and foot-soldiers withcar-warriors. And challenging one another, O king, they engaged in thefight.[447] And in consequence of that clash of cars, steeds, elephants,and foot-soldiers, a thick dust appeared, raised by the car-wheels andthe tread (of those combatants and animals). And that dust, thick and ofthe colour of reddish smoke, shrouded the field of battle. And thecombatants were unable to distinguish their own from the foe. Sirerecognised not the son, and son recognised not the sire, in that dreadfulengagement which made the hair stand on end and in which no considerationwas shown (by any one for any body). And the noise made by the hissingweapons and the shouting combatants resembled, O chief of Bharata’s race,that made by departed spirits (in the infernal regions). And there floweda river whose current consisted of the blood of elephants and steeds andmen. And the hair (of the combatants) formed its weeds and moss. And inthat battle heads falling from the trunks of men made a loud noise likethat of a falling shower of stones. And the earth was strewn with theheadless trunks of human beings, with mangled bodies of elephants andwith the hacked limbs of steeds. And mighty car-warriors chased oneanother for smiting one another down, and hurled diverse kinds ofweapons. Steeds, urged by their riders and falling upon steeds, dashedagainst one another and fell down deprived of life. And men, with eyesred in wrath, rushing against men and striking one another with theirchests, smote one another down. And elephants, urged by their guidesagainst hostile elephants, slew their compeers in that battle, with thepoints of their tusks. Covered with blood in consequence of their woundsand decked with standards (on their backs), elephants were entangled withelephants and looked like masses of clouds charged with lightning. Andsome amongst them mounted (by others) with the points of their tusks, andsome with their frontal globes split with lances, ran hither and thitherwith loud shrieks like masses of roaring clouds. And some amongst themwith their trunks lopped off,[448] and others with mangled limbs, droppeddown in that dreadful battle like mountains shorn of their wings.[449]Other huge elephants, copiously shedding blood from their flanks, rippedopen by compeers, looked like mountains with (liquified) red chalkrunning down their sides (after a shower).[450] Others, slain with shaftsor pierced with lances and deprived of their riders, looked likemountains deprived of their crests.[451]Some amongst them, possessed bywrath and blinded (with fury) in consequence of the juice (trickling downtheir temples and cheeks).[452] and no longer restrained with the hook,crushed cars and steeds and foot-soldiers in that battle by hundreds. Andso steeds, attacked by horsemen with bearded darts and lances, rushedagainst their assailants, as if agitating the points of the compass.Car-warriors of noble parentage and prepared to lay down their lives,encountering car-warriors, fought fearlessly, relying upon their utmostmight. The combatants, O king, seeking glory or heaven, struck oneanother in that awful press, as if in a marriage by self-choice. Duringhowever, that dreadful battle making the hair stand on end, theDhartarashtra troops generally were made to run their backs on the field.”