Chapter 104

“Sanjaya said, ‘Kshemadhurti, O monarch, pierced the advancingVrihatkshatra of great valour, that prince of the Kaikeyas, with manyarrows in the chest. King Vrihatkshatra then, O monarch, desirous ofpiercing through Drona’s division, quickly struck his antagonist withninety straight shafts. Kshemadhurti, however, filled with rage, cut off,with a sharp well-tempered, and broad-headed shaft, the bow of thathigh-souled prince of the Kaikeyas. Having cut off his bow, Kshemadhurtithen, with a keen and straight shaft, quickly pierced in that encounterthat foremost of all bowmen. Then Vrihatkshatra, taking up another bowand smiling (at his foe), soon made the mighty car-warrior Kshemadhurtisteedless and driverless and carless. And with another broad-headed shaftthat was well-tempered and sharp, he cut off, from the trunk of his royalantagonist his head blazing with (a pair of) ear-rings. That head, gracedwith only locks and a diadem, suddenly cut off, fell down on the earthand looked resplendent like a luminary fallen from the firmament. Havingslain his foe, the mighty car-warrior Vrihatkshatra became filled withjoy and fell with great force upon thy troops for the sake of theParthas. The great bowman Viradhanwan, O Bharata, endued with greatprowess, resisted Dhrishtaketu who was advancing against Drona.Encountering each other, those two heroes having arrows for their fangs,and both endued with great activity, struck each other with manythousands of arrows. Indeed, those two tigers among men fought with eachother, like two leaders of elephantine herds in the deep woods with fury.Both endued with great energy, they fought, each desirous of slaying theother, like two enraged tigers in a mountain-cave. That combat, Omonarch, became exceedingly fierce. Deserving to be witnessed, it becamehighly wonderful. The very Siddhas and the Charanas, in large numbers,witnessed it with wonder-waiting eyes. Then Viradhanwan, O Bharata, witha laugh, cut off in rage Dhrishtaketu’s bow in twain by means ofbroad-headed arrows. Abandoning that broken bow, the ruler of the Chedis,that mighty car-warrior took up a fierce dart made of iron and equippedwith a golden staff. Bending with his hands, O Bharata, that dart offierce energy towards the car of Viradhanwan, Dhrishtaketu hurled itcarefully and with great force. Struck with great force by thathero-slaying dart, and his heart pierced by it through, Viradhanwan,quickly fell down on the earth from his car. Upon the fall of that hero,that mighty car-warrior among the Trigartas, thy army, O lord, was brokenby the Pandavas. (Thy son) Durmukha sped sixty shafts at Sahadeva, anduttered a loud shout in that battle, challenging that son of Pandu. Theson of Madri, then., filled with rage, pierced Durmukha with many keenarrows, smiling the while, the brother striking the brother. Be. holdingthe mighty Durmukha fighting furiously, Sahadeva, then, O Bharata, oncemore struck him with nine shafts. Endued with great strength, Sahadevathen cut off Durmukha’s standard with a broad-headed arrow and struckdown his four steeds with four other arrows. And then with another broad.headed arrow, well-tempered and sharp, he cut off, from his trunk, thehead of Durmukha’s charioteer that shone with a pair of ear-rings. Andcutting off Durmukha’s large bow with a razor-faced arrow, Sahadevapierced Durmukha himself in that battle with five arrows. Durmukhafearlessly jumping down from that steedless car, mounted the car, OBharata, of Niramitra. Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz.,Sahadeva, filled with rage slew in that great battle Niramitra in themidst of his division with a broad-headed arrow. Thereupon, princeNiramitra, the son of the ruler of the Trigartas, fell down from his car,afflicting thy army with great grief. Slaying him, the mighty-armedSahadeva looked resplendent like Rama, the son of Dasaratha, afterslaying the mighty (Rakshasa) Khara. Beholding that mighty car-warrior,viz., prince Niramitra slain, loud cries of Oh and Alas arose, O monarch,among the Trigarta warriors. Nakula, O king, in a moment vanquished thyson Vikarna of large eyes. This seemed highly wonderful. Vyaghradatta, bymeans of his straight shafts, made Satyaki invisible with his steeds anddriver and standard in the midst of his division. The brave grandson ofSini, baffling those shafts with great lightness of hand, felledVyaghradatta by means of his arrows, with his steeds and driver andstandard. Upon the fall, O lord, of that prince of the Magadhas, thelatter, struggling vigorously, rushed against Yuyudhana from all sides.Scattering their shafts and lances by thousands, and sharp arrows andspears and mallets and thick clubs, those brave warriors fought in thatbattle with that invincible hero of the Satwata race. Endued with greatmight, invincible Satyaki, that bull among men, with the greatest easeand laughing the while, vanquished them all. The Magadhas were nearlyexterminated. A small remnant flew from the field. Beholding this, thyarmy, already afflicted with the arrows of Yuyudhana, broke, O lord! Thenthat foremost one of Madhu’s race, having slaughtered ill battle thytroops, that illustrious hero, looked resplendent as he shook his bow.The army, O king, was thus routed by that high-souled one of the Satwatarace. Indeed, frightened by that hero of long arms, none approached himfor fight. Then Drona filled with rage and rolling his eyes, himselfrushed impetuously towards Satyaki, of feats incapable of being baffled.'”