Chapter 41

“Sanjaya said, ‘Thou askest me, O monarch, about the prowess of the rulerof the Sindhus. Listen to me as I describe in detail how he fought withthe Pandavas. Large steeds of the Sindhu breed, well-trained and fleet asthe wind, and obedient to the commands of the charioteer, bore him (onthat occasion). His car, duly equipped, looked like a vapoury edifice inthe welkin. His standard bearing the device of a large boar in silver,looked exceedingly beautiful. With his white umbrella and banners, andthe yak-tails with which he was fanned–which are regal indications–heshone like the Moon himself in the firmament. His car-fence made of ironwas decked with pearls and diamonds and gems and gold. And it lookedresplendent like the firmament bespangled with luminous bodies. Drawinghis large bow and scattering countless shafts, he once more filled upthat array in those places where openings had been made by the son ofArjuna. And he pierced Satyaki with three arrows, and Vrikodara witheight; and having pierced Dhrishtadyumna. with sixty arrows, he piercedDrupada with five sharp ones, and Sikhandin with ten. Piercing then theKaikeyas with five and twenty arrows, Jayadratha pierced each of the fivesons of Draupadi with three arrows. And piercing Yudhishthira then withseventy arrows, the ruler of the Sindhus pierced the other heroes of thePandava army with thick showers of shafts. And that feat of his seemedexceedingly wonderful. Then, O monarch, the valiant son of Dharma, aimingJayadratha’s bow, cut it off with a polished and well-tempered shaft,smiling the while. Within the twinkling, however, of the eye, the rulerof the Sindhus took up another bow and piercing Pratha (Yudhishthira)with ten arrows struck each of the others with three shafts. Marking thatlightness of hands showed by Jayadratha, Bhima then with threebroad-headed shafts, quickly felled on the earth his bow, standard andumbrella. The mighty Jayadratha then, taking up another bow, strung itand felled Bhima’s standard and bow and steeds. O sire! His bow cut off,Bhimasena then jumping down from that excellent car whose steeds had beenslain, mounted on the car of Satyaki, like a lion jumping to the top of amountain. Seeing this, thy troops were filled with joy. And they loudlyshouted, ‘Excellent! Excellent!’ And they repeatedly applauded that featof the ruler of the Sindhus. Indeed, all creatures highly applauded thatfeat of his, which consisted in his resisting, single-handed, all thePandavas together, excited with wrath. The path that the son of Subhadrahad made for the Pandavas by the slaughter of numerous warriors andelephants was then filled up by the ruler of the Sindhus. Indeed, thoseheroes, viz., the Matsyas, the Panchalas, the Kaikeyas, and the Pandavas,exerting themselves vigorously, succeeded in approaching the presence ofJayadratha, but none of them could bear him. Everyone amongst thy enemieswho endeavoured to pierce the array that had been formed by Drona, waschecked by the ruler of the Sindhus in consequence of the boon he had got(from Mahadeva).'”