Chapter 166

“Sanjaya said, ‘Thy son, Chitrasena, O Bharata, resisted (Nakula’s son)Satanika who was engaged in scorching thy host with his keen shafts.Nakula’s son pierced Chitrasena with five arrows. The letter then piercedthe former in return with ten whetted shafts. And once more Chitrasena, Omonarch, in that battle, pierced Satanika in the chest with nine keenshafts. Then the son of Nakula with many straight shafts cut Chitrasena’sarmour from off his body. This feat of his seemed exceedingly wonderful.Divested of his armour, thy son, O king, looked exceedingly beautiful,like a snake, O monarch, having cast off his slough at the proper season.Then Nakula’s son, with many keen shafts, cut off the strugglingChitrasena’s standard, and then his bow, O monarch, in that encounter.His bow cut off in that combat, and deprived also of his armour, thatmighty car-warrior, then, O king, took up another bow capable of piercingevery foe. Then Chitrasena, that mighty car-warrior amongst theBharata’s, quickly pierced the son of Nakula with many straight arrows.Then mighty Satanika, excited with rage, O Bharata, slew the four steedsof Chitrasena and then his driver. The illustrious Chitrasena, enduedwith great strength, jumping down from that car, afflicted the son ofNakula with five and twenty arrows. Then Nakula’s son with acrescent-shaped arrow, cut off in that combat the gold-decked bow ofChitrasena while the latter was engaged in thus striking him. Bowless andcarless and steedless and driverless, Chitrasena then quickly ascendedthe car of the illustrious son Hridika.

“Vrishasena, O king, rushed with great speed, scattering shafts inhundreds, against the mighty car-warrior Drupada, advancing at the headof his troops against Drona.[224] Yajnasena, in that encounter piercedthat mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Karna in the arms and thechest, O lord, with sixty arrows. Vrishasena, then, excited with rage,quickly pierced Yajnasena, standing on his car, with many shafts in thecentre of the chest. Those two warriors mangled by arrows, and withshafts sticking to their bodies, looked beautiful like a couple ofporcupines with their quills erect. Bathed in blood in consequence of thewounds caused by those straight arrows of keen points and golden wings,they looked exceedingly beautiful in that dreadful encounter. Indeed, thespectacle they presented was that of a couple of beautiful and radiantKalpa trees or of a couple of Kinsukas rich with their flowery burthens.Then Vrishasena, O king, having pierced Drupada with nine arrows, oncemore pierced him with seventy, and then again with three other arrows.Then shooting thousands of arrows, Karna’s son, O monarch, lookedbeautiful in that battle, like a cloud pouring torrents of rain. ThenDrupada, inflamed with wrath, cut off Vrishasena’s bow into twofragments, with a broad-headed arrow, sharp and well-tempered. Taking,then, another gold-decked bow that was new and strong, and drawing out ofhis quiver a strong, whetted, well-tempered, sharp and broad-headedarrow, and fixing it on his string, and carefully aiming it-at Drupada,he let it off with great force, inspiring all the Somakas with fear. Thatarrow, piercing through the breast of Drupada, fell on the surface of theearth. The king (of the Panchalas), then, thus pierced through withVrishasena’s arrow, swooned away. His driver, then, recollecting his ownduty, bore him away from the field. After the retreat, O monarch, of thatmighty car-warrior of the Panchalas, the (Kaurava) army, on that terriblenight, rushed furiously against Drupada’s troops whose coats of mail hadbeen cut off by means of the arrows of the foe. In consequence of theblazing lamps dropped by the combatants all around, the earth, O king,looked beautiful like the cloudless firmament bespangled with planets andstars. With the fallen Angadas of the combatants, the earth lookedresplendent, O king, like a mass of clouds in the rainy season withflashes of lightning. Afflicted with the fear of Karna’s son, thePanchalas fled away on all sides, like the Danavas from fear of Indra inthe great battle of yore between the gods and the Asuras. Thus afflictedin battle by Vrishasena, the Panchalas and the Somakas, O monarch,illumined by lamps, looked exceedingly beautiful.[225] Having vanquishedthem in battle, Karna’s son looked beautiful like the son, O Bharata,when he reaches the meridian. Amongst all those thousands of kings of thyside and their the valiant Vrishasena then seemed to be the onlyresplendent luminary. Having defeated in battle many heroes and all themighty car-warriors among the Somakas, he quickly proceeded, O king, tothe spot where king Yudhishthira was stationed.

“Thy son Duhsasana proceeded against that mighty car-warrior, viz.,Prativindhya, who was advancing (against Drona), scorching his foes inbattle. The encounter that took place between them, O king, lookedbeautiful, like that of Mercury and Venus in the cloudless firmament.Duhsasana pierced Prativindhya, who was accomplishing fierce feats inbattle, with three arrows on the forehead. Deeply pierced by that mightybowman, thy son, Prativindhya, O monarch, looked beautiful like a crestedhill. The mighty car-warrior Prativindhya, then, piercing Duhsasana withthree arrows, once more pierced him with seven, Thy son, then, O Bharata,achieved there an exceedingly difficult feat, for he felledPrativindhya’s steeds with many arrows. With another broad-headed arrowhe also felled the latter’s driver, and then his standard. And then hecut off, O king, into a thousand fragments the car of Prativindhya, armedwith the bow. Excited with rage, O lord, thy son also cut off, with hisstraight shafts, into numberless fragments the banner, the quivers, thestrings, and the traces (of his antagonist’s car). Deprived of his car,the virtuous Prativindhya stood, bow in hand, and contended with thy sonscattering numberless arrows. Then Duhsasana, displaying great lightnessof hand, cut off Prativindhya’s bow. And then he afflicted his bowlessantagonist with ten shafts. Beholding their brother, (Prativindhya) inthat plight, his brothers, all mighty car-warriors, rushed impetuously tothat spot with a large force. He then ascended the resplendent ofSutasoma. Taking up another bow, he continued, O king, to pierce thy son.Then many warriors on thy side, accompanied by a large force, rushedimpetuously and surrounded thy son (for rescuing him). Then commenced afierce battle between thy troops and theirs, O Bharata, at that dreadfulhour of midnight, increasing the population of Yama’s kingdom.'”