Chapter 64

“Sanjaya said, ‘Meanwhile Drona’s son, surrounded by a large car-force, Oking, suddenly proceeded to that spot where Partha was. Like thecontinent withstanding the surging ocean, the heroic Partha having Saurin(Krishna) for his help-mate withstood the impetuously rushingAshvatthama. Then, O monarch, the valiant son of Drona, filled with rage,covered both Arjuna and Vasudeva with his shafts. Beholding the twoKrishnas shrouded with arrows, the great car-warriors (of the Pandavaarmy), as also the Kurus that witnessed it, wondered exceedingly. ThenArjuna, as if smiling, invoked into existence a celestial weapon. Thebrahmana Ashvatthama, however, O Bharata, baffled that weapon in thatbattle. Indeed, all those weapons that Arjuna sped from desire of slayingthe son of Drona were baffled by the latter, that great bowman, in thatencounter. During the progress of that awful encounter of weapons, Oking, we beheld the son of Drona to resemble the Destroyer himself, withgaping mouth. Having covered all the points of the compass, cardinal andsubsidiary, with straight arrows, he pierced Vasudeva with three arrowsin the right arm. Then Arjuna, slaying all the steeds of his high-souledassailant, caused the Earth in that battle to be covered with a river ofblood that was exceedingly awful that led towards the other world, andthat had diverse kinds of creatures floating on it. All the spectatorsbeheld a large number of car-warriors along with their cars, belonging tothe division of Ashvatthama, slain and destroyed by means of the arrowssped from Partha’s bow. Ashvatthama also, slaying his enemies, caused aterrible river of blood to flow there that led to Yama’s domains. Duringthe progress of that fierce and awful battle between Drona’s son andPartha, the combatants fought without showing any regard for one another,and rushed hither and thither. In consequence of cars having their steedsand drivers slain, and steeds having their riders slain, and elephantshaving their riders and guides slain, an awful carnage, O king, was madeby Partha in that battle! Car-warriors, deprived of life with shafts spedfrom Partha’s bow, fell down. Steeds freed from their trappings ranhither and thither. Beholding those feats of Partha, that ornament ofbattle, that valiant son of Drona quickly approached the former, thatforemost of victorious men, shook his formidable bow decked with gold,and then pierced him from every side with many sharp arrows. Once morebending the bow, O king, the son of Drona cruelly struck Arjuna, aimingat the chest, with a winged arrow. Deeply pierced by Drona’s son, OBharata, in that encounter, the wielder of gandiva, that hero of greatintelligence forcibly covered the son of Drona with showers of arrows,and then cut off his bow. His bow cut off Drona’s son then, taking up aspiked mace whose touch resembled that of thunder’s, hurled it, in thatencounter, at the diadem-decked Arjuna. The son of Pandu, however, Oking, as if smiling the while, suddenly cut off that spiked mace deckedwith gold, as it advanced towards him. Thus cut off with Partha’s shafts,it fell down on the Earth, like a mountain, O king, broken into pieces,struck with the thunderbolt. Filled with rage at this, Drona’s son, thatgreat car-warrior, began to cover Vibhatsu, aided by the energy of theaindra weapon. Beholding that shower of arrows spread over the welkinthrough the aindra weapon, Partha, endued with great activity, O king,taking up his bow gandiva, and fixing on his bowstring a mighty weaponcreated by Indra, destroyed that aindra-shower of arrows. Having baffledthat arrowy shower caused by the aindra weapon, Partha soon covered thecar of Drona’s son (with his own arrows). The son of Drona, however,overwhelmed with Partha’s shafts, penetrated through that shower ofarrows shot by the son of Pandu, and approaching the latter, invoked amighty weapon and suddenly pierced Krishna with hundred shafts and Arjunawith three hundred small arrows. Then Arjuna pierced the son of hispreceptor with a hundred arrows in all his vital limbs. And then hepoured many arrows on the steeds and driver and the bowstring of Drona’sson in the very sight of thy warriors. Having pierced Drona’s son inevery vital part, Pandu’s son, that slayer of hostile heroes, then felledhis adversary’s driver from the car-niche with a broad-headed arrow.Drona’s son, however, himself, taking up the reins, covered Krishna withmany arrows. The activity of prowess that we then beheld in Drona’s sonwas exceedingly wonderful, since he guided his steeds while he foughtwith Phalguni. That feat of his in battle, O king, was applauded by allthe warriors. Then Vibhatsu, otherwise called Jaya, smiling the while,quickly cut off the traces of Ashvatthama’s steeds in that battle, with arazor-faced arrow. Already afflicted by the energy of Arjuna’s shafts,the steeds of Drona’s son thereupon ran away. Then a loud noise arosefrom thy troops, O Bharata! Meanwhile the Pandavas, having obtained thevictory, and desiring to improve it, rushed against thy troops, shootingfrom all sides sharp arrows at them. The vast Dhartarashtra host, then, Oking, was repeatedly broken by the heroic Pandavas inspired with desireof victory, in the very sight, O monarch, of thy sons, conversant withall modes of warfare, and of, Shakuni the son of Subala, and of Karna, Oking! Though sought to be stopped, O king, by thy sons, that great army,afflicted on all sides, stayed not on the field. Indeed, a confusion setin among the vast terrified host of thy son in consequence of manywarriors flying away on all sides. The Suta’s son loudly cried out,saying “Stay, Stay!” but thy army, slaughtered by many high-souledwarriors, did not stay on the field. Loud shouts were uttered then, Omonarch, by the Pandavas, inspired with this desire of victory, onbeholding the Dhartarashtra host flying away on all sides. ThenDuryodhana addressing Karna from affection, “Behold, O Karna, how ourarmy, exceedingly afflicted by the Pandavas, though thou art here, isflying away from battle! Knowing this, O thou of mighty arms, do thatwhich is suited to the hour, O chastiser of foes! Thousands of (our)warriors, routed by the Pandavas, are O hero, calling after thee only, Obest of men!” Hearing these grave words of Duryodhana, the son of Radha,as if smiling, said these words unto the ruler of the Madras, “Behold theprowess of my arms and the energy of my weapons, O ruler of men! Today Iwill slay all the Pancalas and the Pandavas in battle! Cause the steedsto proceed with my car, O tiger among men! Without doubt, everything willbe as I have said!” Having said these words, the Suta’s son of greatvalour, that hero, taking up his ancient and foremost of bows calledVijaya, stringed it and rubbed the string repeatedly. Bidding the troopsstay on the field after having assured them upon his truth and by anoath, the mighty Karna of immeasurable soul fixed on his bow-string theweapon known by the name of Bhargava. From that weapon flowed, O king,millions and millions of keen arrows in that great battle. Entirelyshrouded with those blazing and terrible arrows winged with feathers ofKankas and peacocks, the Pandava army could not see anything. Loud wailsof woe arose from among the Pancalas, O king, afflicted, in that battle,with the mighty Bhargava weapon. In consequence then of elephants, Oking, and steeds, by thousands, and cars, O monarch, and men, falling onall sides, deprived of life, the Earth began to tremble. The vast forceof the Pandavas became agitated from one extremity to another. MeanwhileKarna, that scorcher of foes, that foremost of warriors, that tiger amongmen, while consuming his foes, looked resplendent like a smokeless fire.Thus slaughtered by Karna, the Pancalas and the Cedis began to lose theirsenses all over the field like elephants during the conflagration in aforest. Those foremost of men, O tiger among men, uttered loud roars likethose of the tiger. Loud became the wails of woe, like those of livingcreatures at the universal dissolution that were uttered by those cryingcombatants struck with panic and running wildly on all sides, O king, ofthe field of battle and trembling with fear. Beholding them thusslaughtered, O sire, by the Suta’s son, all creatures, even beasts andbirds, were filled with fear. The Srinjayas then, thus slaughtered inbattle by the Suta’s son, repeatedly called upon Arjuna and Vasudeva likethe spirits of the dead within Yama’s dominions calling upon Yama torescue them. Hearing those wails of the troops slaughtered with Karna’sshafts, and beholding the terrible bhargava weapon invoked into existenceKunti’s son Dhananjaya said unto Vasudeva these words, “Behold, O Krishnaof mighty arms, the prowess of the bhargava weapon! It cannot, by anymeans, be baffled! Behold the Suta’s son also, O Krishna, filled withrage in this great battle and resembling the Destroyer himself, inprowess and employed in achieving such a fierce feat! Urging his steedsincessantly, he is repeatedly casting angry glances upon me! I will neverbe able to fly away from Karna in battle! The person that is living, may,in battle, meet with either victory or defeat. To the man, however, thatis dead, O Hrishikesha, even death is victory. How can defeat be his thatis dead?” Thus addressed by Partha, Krishna replied unto that foremost ofintelligent men and chastiser of foes, these words that were suitable tothe occasion, “The royal son of Kunti hath been deeply wounded andmangled by Karna. Having seen him first and comforted him, thou wiltthen, O Partha, slay Karna?” Then Keshava proceeded, desirous ofbeholding Yudhishthira, thinking that Karna meanwhile, O monarch, wouldbe overwhelmed with fatigue! Then Dhananjaya, himself desirous ofbeholding the king afflicted with arrows, quickly proceeded on that car,avoiding the battle, at Keshava’s command. While the son of Kunti wasthus proceeding from desire of seeing king Yudhishthira the just, he casthis eyes on every part of the army but failed to find his eldest brotheranywhere on the field. The son of Kunti proceeded, O Bharata, havingfought with the son of his preceptor Drona, and having vanquished thathero incapable of being resisted by the wielder of the thunderbolthimself.'”