Chapter 97

“Sanjaya said, ‘After the high-souled son of Kunti had created thatwater, after he had commenced to hold in cheek the hostile army, andafter he had built also that arrowy hall, Vasudeva of great splendour,alighting from the car, unyoked the steeds pierced and mangled witharrows. Beholding that sight never seen before, loud uproars of applausewere heard there, uttered by the Siddhas and the Charanas and by all thewarriors. Mighty car-warriors (assembled together) were unable to resistthe son of Kunti, even when he fought on foot. All this seemed highlywonderful. Although throngs upon throngs of cars, and myriads ofelephants and steeds, rushed towards him, yet Partha felt no fear butfought on, prevailing upon all his foes. And the (hostile) kings shotshowers of shafts at the son of Pandu. That slayer of hostile heroes,however, viz., the son of Vasava, of virtuous soul, felt no anxietywhatever. Indeed, the valiant Partha received hundreds of arrowy showersand maces and lances coming towards him as the ocean receives hundredsupon hundreds of rivers flowing towards it. With the impetuous might ofhis own weapons and strength of his arms, Partha received the foremost ofshafts shot at him by those foremost of kings. Although staying on theground, and alone, he succeeded yet in baffling all those kings on theircars, like that one fault, avarice, destroying a host of accomplishments.The Kauravas, O king, applauded the highly wonderful prowess of Partha asalso of Vasudeva, saying, ‘What more wonderful incident hath ever takenplace in this world, or will ever take place than this, viz., that Parthaand Govinda, in course of battle, have unyoked their steeds? Displayingfierce energy on the field of battle and the greatest assurance, thosebest of men have inspired us with great thoughts.’ Then Hrishikesa, ofeyes like lotus-petals, smiling with the coolest assurance, as if, OBharata, he was in the midst of an assembly of women (and not armedfoes), after Arjuna had created in the field of battle that hall, made ofarrows, led the steeds into it, in the very sight. O monarch, of all thytroops. And Krishna, who was well-skilled in grooming horses, thenremoved their fatigue, pain, froth, trembling and wounds.[142] Thenplucking out their arrows and rubbing those steeds with his own hands,and making them trot duly, he caused them to drink. Having caused them todrink, and removed their fatigue and pain, he once more carefully yokedthem to that foremost of cars. Then, that foremost one among all wieldersof weapons, viz., Sauri, of great energy, mounting on that car withArjuna, proceeded with great speed. Beholding the car of that foremost ofcar-warriors once more equipped with these steeds, whose thirst had beenslaked, the foremost ones among the Kuru army once more became cheerless.They began to sigh, O king, like snakes whose fangs had been pulled out.And they said, ‘Oh, fie, fie on us! Both Partha and Krishna have gone, inthe very sight of all the Kshatriyas, riding on the same car, and clad inmail, and slaughtering our troops with as much ease as boys sporting witha toy. Indeed, those scorchers of foes have gone away in the very sightof all the kings displaying the prowess and unimpeded by our shouting andstruggling combatants.’ Seeing them gone away, other warriors said, ‘YeKauravas, speed ye for the slaughter of Krishna and the diadem-decked(Arjuna). Yoking his steeds unto his car in the very sight of all (our)bowmen, he of Dasarha’s race is proceeding towards Jayadratha,slaughtering us in battle.’ And some lords of earth there, O king,amongst themselves, having seen that highly wonderful incident in battlenever seen before said, ‘Alas, through Duryodhana’s fault, these warriorsof king Dhritarashtra, the Kshatriyas, and the whole earth, fallen intogreat distress, are being destroyed. King Duryodhana understands it not.’Thus spoke many Kshatriyas. Others, O Bharata, said, ‘The ruler of theSindhus hath already been despatched to Yama’s abode. Of narrow sight andunacquainted with means, let Duryodhana now do what should be done forthat king.[143] Meanwhile, the son of Pandu, seeing the sun coursingtowards the Western hills, proceeded with greater speed towards the rulerof the Sindhus, on his steeds, whose thirst had been slaked. The (Kuru)warriors were unable to resist that mighty-armed hero, that foremost ofall wielders of weapons, as he proceeded like the Destroyer himself inwrath. That scorcher of foes, viz., the son of Pandu, routing thewarriors (before him), agitated that army, like a lion agitating a herdof deer, as he proceeded for getting at Jayadratha. Penetrating into thehostile army, he, of Dasarha’s race, urged the steeds with great speeds,and blew his conch, Panchajanya, which was of the hue of the clouds. Theshafts shot before by the son of Kunti began to fall behind him, soswiftly did those steeds, endued with the speed of the wind, drew thatcar. Then many kings, filled with rage, and many other Kshatriyassurrounded Dhananjaya who was desirous of slaying Jayadratha. When the(Kuru) warriors thus proceeded towards that bull, among men (viz.,Arjuna) who had stopped for a moment, Duryodhana, proceeding quickly,followed Partha in that great battle. Many warriors, beholding the carwhose rattle resembled the roar of clouds, and which was equipped withthat terrible standard bearing the ape and whose banner floated upon thewind, became exceedingly cheerless. Then when the sun was almostcompletely shrouded by the dust (raised by the combatants), the (Kuru)warriors, afflicted with shafts, became incapable of even gazing, in thatbattle, at the two Krishnas.'”