Chapter 96

“Sanjaya said, ‘When the sun turned in his downward course towards thesummit of the Asta hills, when the welkin was covered with dust, when theheat of the solar rays abated, the day began to fade fast. As regards thesoldiers, some rested, some fought on, some returned to the encounter,desirous of victory. And while the troops, inspired with hope of victory,were thus engaged, Arjuna and Vasudeva proceeded towards the place wherethe ruler of the Sindhus was. The son of Kunti, by means of his shafts,made (through the hostile soldiers) a way sufficiently wide for his car.And it was in this way that Janardana proceeded, (guiding the car).Thither where the car of the high-souled son of Pandu proceeded, thitherthy troops, O monarch, broke and yielded a way. And he of Dasarha’s race,endued with great energy, displayed his skill in driving car by showingdiverse kinds of circling motions. And the shafts of Arjuna, engravedwith his name, well-tempered, resembling the Yuga-fire, tied round withcatgut, of straight joints, thick, far-reaching, and mace either of(cleft) bamboo (or their branches) or wholly of iron, taking the lives ofdiverse foes, drank in that battle, with the birds (of prey assembledthere), the blood of living creatures. Standing on his car, as Arjunashot his shafts full two miles ahead, those shafts pierced and despatchedhis foes just as that car itself came up to the spot.[141] Hrishikesaproceeded, borne by those yoke-bearing steeds endued with the speed ofGaruda or the wind, with such speed that he caused the whole universe towonder at it. Indeed, O king, the car of Surya himself, or that of Rudraor that of Vaisravana, never goeth so fast. Nobody else’s car had everbefore moved with such speed in battle as Arjuna’s car, moving with thecelerity of a wish cherished in the mind. Then Kesava, O king, thatslayer of hostile heroes, having taken the car of battle quickly urgedthe steeds, O Bharata, through the (hostile) troops. Arrived in the midstof that throng of cars, those excellent steeds bore Arjuna’s car withdifficulty, suffering as they did from hunger, thirst, and toil, andmangled as they had been with the weapons of many heroes delighting inbattle. They frequently, however, described beautiful circles as theymoved, proceeding over the bodies of slain steeds and men, over brokencars, and the bodies of dead elephants, looking like hills by thousands.

“Meanwhile O king, the two heroic brothers of Avanti, (viz., Vinda andAnuvinda), at the head of their forces, beholding the steeds of Arjuna tobe tired, encountered him. Filled with joy, they pierced Arjuna with fourand sixty shafts, and Janardana with seventy, and the four steeds (ofArjuna’s car) with a hundred arrows. Then Arjuna, O king, filled withwrath, and having a knowledge of the vital parts of the body, struck themboth in the battle, with nine straight shafts, every one of which wascapable of penetrating into the very vitals. Thereupon, the two brothers,filled with rage, covered Vibhatsu and Kesava with showers of shafts anduttered leonine roars. Then Partha of white steeds, with a couple ofbroad-headed shafts, quickly cut off in that battle the beautiful bows ofthe two brothers and then their two standards, bright as gold. Vinda andAnuvinda then, O king, taking up to other bows and becoming infuriatedwith anger, began to grind the son of Pandu with their arrows. ThenDhananjaya, the son of Pandu, exceedingly enraged, once more, with acouple of shafts quickly cut off those two bows also of his foes. Andwith a few other arrows whetted on stone and equipped with wings of gold,Arjuna then slew their steeds, their charioteers, and the two combatantsthat protected their rear, with those that followed the latter. And withanother broad-headed arrow, sharp as a razor, he cut off the head of theeldest brother, who fell down on the earth, deprived of life, like a treebroken by the wind. The mighty Anuvinda then endued with great prowess,beholding Vinda slain left his steedless car, having taken up a mace.Then that foremost of car-warriors, viz., the brother of Vinda,apparently dancing as he advanced with that mace in his arms, proceededin that battle for avenging the slaughter of his elder brother. Filledwith rage, Anuvinda struck Vasudeva on the forehead with that mace. Thelatter, however, trembled not, but stood still like the mountain Mainaka.Then Arjuna with six arrows, cut off his neck and two legs and two armsand head. Thus cut off (into fragments, the limbs of) Anuvinda fell downlike so many hills. Beholding them both stain, their followers, O king,filled with rage rushed (towards Arjuna), scattering hundreds of arrows.Slaying them soon, O bull of Bharata’s race, Arjuna looked resplendentlike a fire consuming a forest on the expiry of winter. Passing overthose troops with some difficulty, Dhananjaya then shone brightly likethe risen sun, transgressing the clouds under which it was hid. Beholdinghim, the Kauravas were filled with fright. But recovering soon enough,they rejoiced once more and rushed at him from all sides. O bull ofBharata’s race! Understanding that he was tired and that the ruler of theSindhus was yet at a distance, they surrounded him, uttering leonineroars. Beholding them, tilled with wrath, Arjuna, that bull among men,smilingly, addressed him of Dasarha’s race in soft words, and said, ‘Oursteeds are afflicted with arrows and tired. The ruler of the Sindhus isstill at a distance. What do you think to be the best that should be donenow? Tell me, O Krishna, truly. Thou art always the wisest of persons.The Pandavas having thee for their eyes, will vanquish their foes inbattle. That which seems to me should be done next, truly shall I sayunto thee. Unyoking the steeds to their case, pluck off their arrows, OMadhava!’ Thus addressed by Partha, Kesava replied unto him, ‘I am, alsoO Partha, of the opinion which thou hast expressed.’

“Arjuna then said, ‘I will hold in check the whole army, O Kesava! Dothou properly perform that which should be done next.’

“Sanjaya continued, ‘Alighting then from the terrace of his car,Dhananjaya, taking up his bow, Gandiva, fearlessly stood there like animmovable hill. Beholding Dhananjaya standing on the ground, andregarding it a good opportunity, the Kshatriyas, desirous of victory anduttering loud shouts, rushed towards him. Him standing along, theysurrounded with a large throng of cars, all stretching their bows andshowering their shafts on him. Filled with wrath, they displayed diversekinds of weapons and entirely shrouded Partha with their shafts like theclouds shrouding the sun. And the great Kshatriya warriors impetuouslyrushed against that bull among Kshatriyas, that lion among men, likeinfuriated elephants rushing towards a lion. The might then that webeheld, of Partha’s arms was exceedingly great, since, filled with rage,alone, he succeeded in resisting those countless warriors. The puissantPartha, baffling with his own weapons those of the foes, quickly coveredall of them with countless shafts. In that part of the welkin, O monarch,in consequence of the clash Of those dense showers of shafts, a fire wasgenerated emitting incessant sparks. There, in consequence of hostileheroes, countless in number, all filled with wrath, and all great bowmenunited together for a common Purpose, seeking victory in battle, aided bysteeds, covered with blood and breathing hard, and by infuriated andfoe-grinding elephants, uttering loud shrieks, the atmosphere becameexceedingly hot. That uncrossable, wide, and limitless ocean of cars,incapable of being agitated, had arrows for its current, standards forits eddies, elephants for its crocodiles, foot-soldiers for its countlessfishes, the blare of conchs and the beat of drums for its roar, cars forits surging waves, head-gears of combatants for its tortoises, umbrellasand banners for its froth, and the bodies of slain elephants for its(submarine) rocks: Partha resisted with his arrows, the approach of thesea like a continent. Then, in course of that battle, the mighty-armedJanardana, fearlessly addressing that dear friend of his, that foremostof men, viz., Arjuna, said unto him. ‘There is no well here in the fieldof battle, O Arjuna, for the steeds to drink from. The steeds want waterfor drink, but not for a bath.’ Thus addressed by Vasudeva, Arjunacheerfully said, ‘Here it is!’ And so saying, he pierced the earth with aweapon and made an excellent lake from which the steeds could drink. Andthat lake abounded in swans and ducks, and was adorned with Chakravakas.And it was wide and full of transparent water, and abounded in full-blownlotuses of the finest species. And it teemed with diverse kinds of fish.And fathomless in depth, it was the resort of many a Rishi. And thecelestial Rishi, Narada, came to have a look at that lake created therein a moment. And Partha, capable of achieving wonderful works like (thecelestial artificer) Tvashtri himself, also constructed there an arrowyhall, having arrows for its beams and rafters, arrows for its pillars,and arrows for its roof. Then Govinda smiling in joy, said, ‘Excellent,Excellent,’ upon seeing the high-souled Partha create that arrowy hall.'”