Chapter 18

“Sanjaya said, ‘The Samsaptakas,[32] then, filled with joy, took theirstand on a level field, having, with their cars, formed an array in theshape of the half-moon. And those tigers among men, beholding thediadem-decked (Arjuna) come towards them, were, O sire, filled withdelight and uttered loud shouts. That noise filled the sky and all thepoints of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary. And because it was anopen plain covered only with men, it produced no echoes. Ascertainingthem to be exceedingly delighted, Dhananjaya, with a little smile, saidthese words unto Krishna: ‘Behold, O thou that hast Devaki for thymother, those Trigarta brothers, who are about to perish in battle, arefilled with delight at a time when they should weep. Or, this is, withoutdoubt, the hour of delight (with them) since they will obtain thoseexcellent regions that are unattainable by cowards.’ Having said thesewords unto the mighty-armed Hrishikesa, Arjuna came upon the arrayedranks of the Trigartas in battle, taking up then his conch calledDevadatta decked with gold, he blew it with great force, filling all thepoints of the compass with its blare. Terrified by that blare, thatcar-host of the Samsaptakas stood motionless in battle, as if it waspetrified. And all their animals stood with eyes wide open, ears andnecks and lips paralysed, and legs motionless. And they passed urine andvomited blood. Regaining consciousness then, and placing their ranks inproper order, they shot their arrows all at once at the son of Pandu.Capable of displaying his prowess with great speed, Arjuna, with five andten arrows cut off those thousands of arrows before they could reach him.They then pierced Arjuna, each with ten arrows. Partha pierced them withthree arrows. Then each of them, O king, pierced Partha with five arrows.Endued with great prowess, he pierced each of them in return with twoarrows. And, once again, excited with wrath, they quickly poured uponArjuna and Kesava countless arrows like the clouds pouring upon a laketheir incessant showers. Then those thousands of arrows fell upon Arjuna,like swarms of bees upon a flowering cluster of trees in the forest. Thendeeply pierced Arjuna’s diadem with thirty shafts, endued with thestrength of adamant with those shafts equipped with wings of gold fixedon his diadem, Arjuna, as if decked with ornaments of gold, shone likethe (newly) risen sun. The son of Pandu then, in that battle, with abroad-headed arrow, cut off the leathern fence of Suvahu, and coveredSudharman and Sudhanwan, and Suvahu pierced Partha with ten arrows.Partha, having the excellent ape-device on his banner, pierced all ofthem in return with many arrows, and also cut off, with some broad-headedshafts, their standards made of gold. And cutting off the bow ofSudhanwan, he slew with his arrows the latter’s steeds. And then he cutoff from his trunk the latter’s head graced with turban. Upon the fall ofthat hero, his followers were terrified. And stricken with panic, theyall fled away to where Duryodhana’s forces were. Then Vasava’s son,filled with wrath, smote that mighty host with incessant showers ofarrows, like the sun destroying darkness by means of his incessant rays.Then when that host broke and melted away on all sides, and Arjuna wasfilled with wrath, the Trigartas were struck with fear. While beingslaughtered by Partha with his straight shafts, they remained where theystood, deprived of their senses, like a terrified, herd of deer. Then theking of the Trigartas, filled with rage, addressed those mightycar-warrior, saying, ‘Do not fly, ye heroes! It behoveth ye not to befrightened. Having, in the sight of all the troops, taken those terriblesteps, repairing thither, what shall ye say unto the leaders ofDuryodhana’s host? Do we not incur ridicule in the world by such a(cowardly) act in battle? Therefore, stop ye all, and fight according toyour strength.’ Thus addressed, O king, those heroes, repeatedly utteringloud shouts, blew their conchs, gladdening one another. Then thoseSamsaptakas once more returned to the field, with the Narayana cow-herds,resolved to fade Death himself.'”