Chapter 42

“Sanjaya said, ‘When the ruler of the Sindhus checked the Pandavas,desirous of success, the battle that took place then between thy troopsand the enemy became awful. The invincible son of Arjuna, of sure aim andmighty energy, having penetrated in the (Kaurava) array agitated it likea Makara agitating the ocean. Against that chastiser of foes then, viz.,the son of Subhadra, who was thus agitating the hostile host with hisarrowy showers, the principal warriors of the Kaurava army rushed, eachaccording to his rank and precedence. The clash between them ofimmeasurable energy, scattering their arrowy showers with great force, onthe one side and Abhimanyu alone on the other, became awful. The son, ofArjuna, encompassed on all sides by those enemies with crowds of cars,slew the charioteer of Vrishasena and also cut off his bow. And themighty Abhimanyu then pierced Vrishasena’s steeds with his straightshafts, upon which those coursers, with the speed of the wind, boreVrishasena away from the battle. Utilizing that opportunity, Abhimanyu’scharioteer freed his car from that press by taking it away to anotherpart of the field. Those numerous car-warriors then, (beholding thisfeat) were filled with joy and exclaimed, ‘Excellent! Excellent!’ Seeingthe lion-like Abhimanyu angrily slaying the foe with his shafts andadvancing from a distance. Vasatiya, proceeding towards him quickly fellupon him with great force. The latter pierced Abhimanyu with sixty shaftsof golden wings and addressing him, said, ‘As long as I am alive, thoushalt not escape with life.’ Cased though he was in an iron coat of mail,the son of Subhadra pierced him in the chest with a far-reaching shaft.Thereupon Vasatiya fell down on the earth, deprived of life. BeholdingVasatiya slain, many bulls among Kshatriyas became filled with wrath, andsurrounded thy grandson, O king, from a desire of slaying him. Theyapproached him, stretching their countless bows of diverse kinds, and thebattle then that took place between the son of Subhadra and his foes wasexceedingly fierce. Then the son of Phalguni, filled with wrath, cut offtheir arrows and bows, and diverse limbs of their bodies, and their headsdecked with ear-rings and floral garlands. And arms were seen lopped off,that were adorned with various ornaments of gold, and that Still heldscimitars and spiked maces and battle-axes and the fingers of which werestill cased in leathern gloves. [And the earth became strewn][71] withfloral wreaths and ornaments and cloths, with fallen standards, withcoats of mail and shields and golden chains and diadems and umbrellas andyak-tails; with Upashkaras and Adhishthanas, and Dandakas, and Vandhuraswith crushed Akshas, broken wheels, and yokes, numbering thousands,[72]with Anukarashas, and banners, and charioteers, and steeds; as also withbroken cars, and elephants, and steeds. The field of battle, strewn withslain Kshatriyas endued (while living) with great heroism,–rulers ofdiverse realms, inspired with desire of victory,–presented a fearfulsight. When Abhimanyu angrily careered over the field of battle in alldirections, his very form became invisible. Only his coat of mail, deckedwith gold, his ornaments, and bow and shafts, could be seen. Indeed,while he slew the hostile warriors by means of his shafts, staying intheir midst like the sun himself in his blazing effulgence, none couldgaze at him with his eyes.'”