Chapter 62

“Sanjaya said, ‘The handsome Arjuna then, on that foremost car of his,unto which were yoked white steeds, and which was urged by Narayanahimself, appeared on the scene. Like the tempest agitating the ocean,Vijaya, O foremost of kings, in that battle, agitated that host of thineteeming with horsemen. When the white-steeded Arjuna was otherwiseengaged, thy son Duryodhana, filled with rage and surrounded by half histroops, approached suddenly, and encompassed the advancing Yudhishthirainspired with the desire of revenge. The Kuru king then pierced the sonof Pandu with three and seventy razor-headed arrows. At this,Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, became inflamed with ire, and quicklystruck thy son with thirty broad-headed arrows. The Kaurava troops thenrushed impetuously for seizing Yudhishthira. Understanding the wickedintentions of the enemy, the great car-warriors of the Pandava army,uniting together, rushed towards Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, forrescuing him. Indeed, Nakula and Sahadeva and Dhrishtadyumna, the son ofPrishata, surrounded by a full Akshauhini of troops, thus proceededtowards Yudhishthira. Bhimasena also, in that battle, crushing the greatcar-warriors of thy army, proceeded towards the king surrounded by foes.Karna, otherwise called Vaikartana, O king, shooting dense showers ofarrows, checked, single-handed, all those mighty bowmen thus advancing(to the rescue). Though they shot dense showers of arrows and hurledinnumerable lances, fighting with determination, yet they were unableeven to look at the son of Radha. Indeed, the son of Radha, that masterof all weapons offensive and defensive, by shooting dense showers ofshafts checked all those great bowmen. The high-souled Sahadeva, however,quickly approaching (the spot where Duryodhana was), and invoking withoutloss of time a (celestial) weapon, pierced Duryodhana with twenty arrows.Thus pierced by Sahadeva, the Kuru king, covered with blood, lookedbeautiful, like a huge elephant of split temples. Beholding thy sondeeply pierced with many arrows of great energy, that foremost ofcar-warriors, viz., the son of Radha, filled with rage, rushed to thatspot. Seeing Duryodhana reduced to that plight, Karna, invoking hisweapons quickly, began to slaughter the troops of Yudhishthira andPrishata’s son. Thus slaughtered by the high-souled Karna, Yudhishthira’stroops, O king, afflicted with the arrows of the Suta’s son, soon fledaway. Showers of shafts fell together. Indeed, those sped subsequentlyfrom the bow of the Suta’s son touched with their heads the wings ofthose sped before. In consequence of those falling showers, of shafts, Omonarch, colliding with one another, a conflagration seemed to blazeforth in the welkin. Soon Karna shrouded the ten points of the compass, Oking, with arrows capable of piercing the bodies of foes, as if withadvancing flights of locusts. Displaying the highest weapons, Karna beganto wave with great force his two arms smeared with red sandal-paste andadorned with jewels and gold. Then stupefying all sides, O king, with hisshafts, Karna deeply afflicted Yudhishthira the just. Filled with rage atthis, Dharma’s son Yudhishthira struck Karna with fifty keen shafts. Inconsequence then of the darkness caused by those showers of arrows, thebattle became awful to look at. Loud cries of woe arose from among thytroops, O monarch, whilst they were being slaughtered by Dharma’s son, Osire, with diverse kinds of keen shafts equipped with Kanka feathers andwhetted on stone, with numerous broad-headed arrows, and with diversekinds of darts and swords and clubs. Thither where Pandu’s son ofvirtuous soul cast his eyes with the desire of producing evil, thitherthy army broke, O bull of Bharata’s race. Inflamed with great rage, Karnaalso, of immeasurable soul, inspired with the desire of retaliating, hisface flushed in anger, rushed in that battle against Pandu’s son, kingYudhishthira the just, shooting cloth-yard shafts and crescent-shapedarrows and those equipped with heads like the calf’s tooth. Yudhishthiraalso pierced him with many whetted arrows equipped with wings of gold. Asif smiling the while, Karna pierced the royal son of Pandu in the chestwith three broad-headed arrows, whetted on stone, and equipped with Kankafeathers. Deeply afflicted therewith, king Yudhishthira the just, sittingdown on the terrace of his car, ordered his driver to retreat. Thereuponall the Dhartarashtras, with their king, set up a loud shout, saying,”Seize! Seize!” and all of them then pursued the (Pandava) king. Thenseventeen hundred Kekaya troops, skilled in smiting, united with a bodyof the Pancala troops, O king, checked the Dhartarashtras. During theprogress of that fierce and terrible battle, Duryodhana and Bhima, thosetwo warriors endued with great might, encountered each other.'”