Chapter 67

“Sanjaya said, ‘Hearing these words of the righteous king who had beenfilled with anger, that high-souled atiratha, Jishnu of infinite energy,replied unto the invincible Yudhishthira of great might, saying, “Whilebattling with the samsaptakas today, Drona’s son who always proceedeth atthe head of the Kuru troops, O king, suddenly came before me, shootingshafts that resembled snakes of virulent poison. Beholding my car, ofrattle deep as the roar of clouds, all the troops began to encompass it.Slaying full five hundred of those, I then, O foremost of kings,proceeded against Drona’s son. Approaching me, O king, that hero withgreat resolution rushed against me like a prince of elephants against alion, and desired to rescue, O monarch, the Kaurava car-warriors thatwere being slaughtered by me. Then, in that battle, O Bharata, thepreceptor’s son, that foremost of heroes among the Kurus, incapable ofbeing made to tremble, began to afflict me and Janardana with whettedshafts resembling poison or fire. While engaged in battle with me, eightcarts, each drawn by eight bullocks, carried his hundreds of arrows. Heshot them all at me, but like a wind destroying the clouds I destroyedwith my shafts that arrowy shower of his. He then shot at me, with skilland force and resolution, thousands of other arrows, all sped from hisbow-string stretched to his very ear, even like a black cloud in theseason of rains pouring in torrents the water with which it is charged.So quickly did Drona’s son career in that battle that we could notdiscern from which side, the left or the right, he shot his arrows, norcould we notice when he took up his arrows and when he let them off.Indeed, the bow of Drona’s son was seen by us to be incessantly drawn toa circle. At last, the son of Drona pierced me with five whetted arrowsand Vasudeva also with five whetted arrows. Within the twinkling of aneye, however, I afflicted him with the force of thunderbolts. Exceedinglyafflicted with those shafts sped by me, he soon assumed the form of aporcupine. All his limbs became bathed in blood. Beholding his troops,those foremost of warriors all covered with blood and overwhelmed by me,he then entered the car-division of the Suta’s son. Seeing the troopsoverwhelmed by me in battle, and struck with fear, and beholding theelephants and steeds flying away, that grinder (of hostile hosts), viz.,Karna approached me quickly with fifty great carwarriors. Slaying themall and avoiding Karna, I have quickly come hither for seeing thee. Allthe Pancalas are afflicted with fear at sight of Karna like kine at thescent of a lion. The Prabhadrakas also, O king, having approached Karna,are like persons that have entered the wide open jaws of Death. Karna hasalready despatched to Yama’s abode full seventeen hundred of thosedistressed car-warriors. Indeed, O king, the Suta’s son did not becomecheerless till he had a sight of us. Thou hadst first been engaged withAshvatthama and exceedingly mangled by him. I heard that after that thouwert seen by Karna. O thou of inconceivable feats, I thought that thoumust have, O king, been enjoying rest (in the camp), having come awayfrom the cruel Karna. I have seen, O son of Pandu, the great andwonderful (Bhargava) weapon of Karna displayed in the van of battle.There is now no other warrior among the Srinjayas that is able to resistthe mighty car-warrior Karna. Let Sini’s grandson Satyaki andDhrishtadyumna, O king, be the protectors of my car-wheels. Let theheroic princes Yudhamanyu and Uttamauja protect my rear. O thou of greatglory, encountering that heroic and invincible car-warrior, viz., theSuta’s son, staying in the hostile army, like Sakra encountering Vritra,O foremost of kings, I will, O Bharata, fight with the Suta’s son if hecan be found in this battle today. Come and behold me and the Suta’s soncontending with each other in battle for victory. There, the Prabhadrakasare rushing towards the face of a mighty bull. There, O Bharata, 6,000princes are sacrificing themselves in battle today, for the sake ofheaven. If, putting forth my strength, I do not, O king, slay Karna todaywith all his relatives while engaged in battle with him, then that endwill be mine, O lion among kings, which is his that does not accomplish avow taken by him. I beg of thee, bless me, saying that victory will bemine in battle. Yonder, the Dhartarashtras are about to devour Bhima. Iwill, O lion among kings, slay the Suta’s son and his troops and all ourfoes!”‘”