Chapter 29

“Dhritarashtra said, ‘I have heard from thee, O Sanjaya, of many poignantand unbearable griefs as also of the losses sustained by my sons. Fromwhat thou hast said unto me, from the manner in which the battle has beenfought, it is my certain conviction, O Suta, that the Kauravas are nomore. Duryodhana was made carless in that dreadful battle. How didDharma’s son (then) fight, and how did the royal Duryodhana also fight inreturn? How also occurred that battle which was fought in the afternoon?Tell me all this in detail, for thou art skilled in narration, O Sanjaya.’

“Sanjaya said, ‘When the troops of both armies were engaged in battle,according to their respective divisions, thy son Duryodhana, O king,riding on another car and filled with rage like a snake of virulentpoison, beholding king Yudhishthira the just, quickly addressed his owndriver, O Bharata, saying, “Proceed, proceed, quickly take me there, Odriver, where the royal son of Pandu, clad in mail shineth under yonumbrella held over his head.” Thus urged by the king, the driver, in thatbattle, quickly urged his royal master’s goodly car towards the face ofYudhishthira. At this, Yudhishthira also, filled with rage and lookinglike an infuriate elephant, urged his own driver saying, “Proceed towhere Suyodhana is.” Then those two heroes and brothers and foremost ofcar-warriors encountered each other. Both endued with great energy, bothfilled with wrath, both difficult of defeat in battle, approaching eachother, those two great bowmen began to mangle each other with theirarrows in that battle. Then king Duryodhana, in that encounter, O sire,with a broad-headed arrow whetted on stone, cut in twain the bow of thevirtuous monarch. Filled with rage, Yudhishthira could not brook thatinsult. Casting aside his broken bow, with eyes red in wrath, Dharma’sson took up another bow at the head of his forces, and then cut offDuryodhana’s standard and bow. Duryodhana then, taking up another bow,pierced the son of Pandu. Filled with rage, they continued to shootshowers of shafts at each other. Desirous of vanquishing each other, theyresembled a pair of angry lions. They struck each other in that battlelike a couple of roaring bulls. Those mighty car-warriors continued tocareer, expecting to find each other’s lapses. Then wounded with shaftssped from bows drawn to their fullest stretch the two warriors, O king,looked resplendent like flowering Kinsukas. They then, O king, repeatedlyuttered leonine roars. Those two rulers of men, in that dreadful battle,also made loud sounds with their palms and caused their bows to twangloudly. And they blew their conchs too with great force. And theyafflicted each other very much. Then king Yudhishthira, filled with rage,struck thy son in the chest with three irresistible shafts endued withforce of thunder. Him, however, thy royal son quickly pierced, in return,with five keen shafts winged with gold and whetted on stone. Then kingDuryodhana, O Bharata, hurled a dart capable of slaying everybody,exceedingly keen, and resembling a large blazing brand. As it advanced,king Yudhishthira the just, with sharp shafts, speedily cut it off intothree fragments, and then pierced Duryodhana also with five arrows.Equipped with golden staff, and producing a loud whizz, that dart thenfell down, and while falling, looked resplendent like a large brand withblazing flames. Beholding the dart baffled, thy son, O monarch, struckYudhishthira with nine sharp and keen-pointed arrows. Pierced deeply byhis mighty foe, that scorcher of foes quickly took up an arrow for aimingit at Duryodhana. The mighty Yudhishthira then placed that arrow on hisbow-string. Filled with rage and possessed of great valour, the son ofPandu then shot it at his foe. That arrow, striking thy son, that mightycar-warrior, stupefied him and then (passing through his body) enteredthe Earth. Then Duryodhana, filled with wrath, uplifting a mace of greatimpetuosity, rushed at king Yudhishthira the just, for ending thehostilities (that raged between the Kurus and the Pandus). Beholding himarmed with that uplifted mace and resembling Yama himself with hisbludgeon, king Yudhishthira the just hurled at thy son a mighty dartblazing with splendour, endued with great impetuosity, and looking like alarge blazing brand. Deeply pierced in the chest by that dart as he stoodon his car, the Kuru prince, deeply pained, fell down and swooned away.Then Bhima, recollecting his own vow, addressed Yudhishthira, saying,”This one should not be slain by thee, O king.” At this Yudhishthiraabstained from giving his foe the finishing blow. At that timeKritavarma, quickly advancing, came upon thy royal son then sunk in anocean of calamity. Bhima then, taking up a mace adorned with gold andflaxen chords, rushed impetuously towards Kritavarma in that battle. Thusoccurred the battle between thy troops and the foe on that afternoon, Omonarch, every one of the combatants being inspired with the desire ofvictory.'”