Chapter 84

“Sanjaya said, ‘After the slaughter of Duhshasana, O king, ten of thysons, heroes that never retreated from battle, all of whom were greatcar-warriors, endued with mighty energy, and filled with the poison ofwrath, shrouded Bhima with their shafts. Nishangin, and Kavachin, andPasin and Dundadhara and Dhanurgraha, and Alolupa, and Saha, and Shanda,and Vatavega and Suvarchasas, these ten, afflicted at the slaughter oftheir brother, united together and checked the mighty-armed Bhimasenawith their shafts. Resisted on all sides with their shafts by those greatcar-warriors, Bhima, with eyes red as fire with fury, looked resplendentlike the Destroyer himself in rage. Partha, however, with tenbroad-headed shafts of great impetuosity, equipped with golden wings,despatched to Yama’s abode those ten Bharata princes decked with goldenbracelets. Upon the fall of those ten heroes, thy army fled away in thevery sight of the Suta’s son, overwhelmed with the fear of the Pandavas.Then, O king, great fear entered the heart of Karna at sight of Bhima’sprowess which resembled that of the Destroyer himself unto livingcreatures. Then Shalya, that ornament of assemblies, understanding thestate of Karna’s mind from a survey of his features, addressed thatchastiser of foes in words suited to the hour, “Do not be grieved, O sonof Radha! This deed does not become thee. Afflicted with the fear ofBhimasena, these kings are all flying away. Exceedingly pained by thecalamity that has befallen his brother Duhshasana in consequence of hisblood having been quaffed by the high-souled Bhima, Duryodhana isstupefied! Kripa and others, and those of the king’s brothers that arestill alive, with afflicted hearts, their rage quelled by sorrow, aretending Duryodhana, sitting around him. Those heroes, the Pandavas ofsure aim, headed by Dhananjaya, are advancing against thee for battle.For these reasons, O tiger among men, mustering all thy prowess andkeeping the duties of a Kshatriya before thy eyes, proceed againstDhananjaya. The entire burthen (of this battle) has been placed upon theeby the son of Dhritarashtra. O thou of mighty arms, bear that burthen tothe best of thy power and might. In victory there will be great fame. Indefeat, heaven is certain. There, O son of Radha, thy son, Vrishasena,filled with wrath at sight of the stupefaction that has overwhelmed thee,is rushing towards the Pandavas.” Hearing these words of Shalya ofimmeasurable energy, Karna, reflecting, concluded unalterably thatfighting had become unavoidable. Then Vrishasena, filled with wrath, andriding upon his own car, rushed towards that son of Pandu, viz.,Vrikodara, who, armed with his mace, resembled the Destroyer himself withhis fatal rod and was employed in slaughtering thy troops. That foremostof heroes, Nakula, filled with wrath, rushed at that enemy of theirs,Karna’s son, striking him with arrows, like the victorious Maghavat withjoyous heart rushing against (the Asura) Jambha. Then the brave Nakula,with a razor-headed shaft, cut off his enemy’s standard decked with gems.With a broad-headed arrow, he next cut off the bow also of Karna’s son,with a golden belt attached to it. Possessed of mighty weapons, Karna’sson then, desirous of showing his regard for Duhshasana, quickly took upanother bow, and pierced Nakula, the son of Pandu with many mightycelestial weapons. The high-souled Nakula, then, filled with rage,pierced his antagonist with shafts that resembled large blazing brands.At this Karna’s son also, accomplished in weapons, showered celestialweapon upon Nakula. From rage engendered by the strokes of his enemy’sweapon, as also from his own resplendence and the energy of his weapons,the son of Karna blazed up like a fire with libations of clarifiedbutter. Indeed, O king, Karna’s son then slew with his excellent weaponsthe beautiful steeds of the delicate Nakula, that were of the Vanayubreed, white in hue, and decked with trappings of gold. Alighting thenfrom his steedless vehicle, and taking up a bright shield decked withgolden moons, and armed also with a sword that was blue as the sky,Nakula, frequently jumping up, careered there like a bird. Performingdiverse beautiful evolutions in the air, the son of Pandu cut off manyforemost of men and steeds and elephants. Cut off with that sword, theyfell down on the earth like animals cut off in a horse-sacrifice by theperson appointed to that duty. 2,000 well-trained heroes, delighting inbattle, hailing from diverse realms, well-paid, of sure aim, and theirlimbs smeared with excellent sandal-paste, were quickly cut off by thesingle-handed Nakula inspired with desire of victory. Then Karna’s son,suddenly advancing with great speed against the rushing Nakula in thatbattle pierced him from every side with many keen arrows from desire ofslaying him. Thus struck with shafts (by Vrishasena), Nakula struck hisbrave antagonist in return. Pierced by the son of Pandu, Vrishasenabecame filled with wrath. Protected, however, in that dreadful battle, byhis brother Bhima, the high-souled Nakula achieved such terrible feats onthat occasion. Filled with rage, the son of Karna then pierced witheighteen shafts the heroic Nakula who seemed to sport in that battle,while employed, unaided, in destroying the foremost of men and steeds andelephants. Deeply pierced by Vrishasena in that battle, O king, Pandu’sson Nakula, that foremost of men, endued with great activity, becamefilled with rage and rushed in that encounter against the son of Karnafrom desire of slaying him. Then Vrishasena poured showers of keen shaftsupon Nakula of great energy as the latter precipitately advanced againsthim in that battle like a hawk with outstretched wings from desire ofmeat. Baffling, however, his antagonist’s showers of shafts, Nakulacareered in diverse beautiful motions. Then Karna’s son, O king, in thatdreadful battle, cut off, with his mighty shafts, the shield, decked witha 1,000 stars, of Nakula, while he was careering with great activity inthose beautiful motions. Without losing a moment, that resister of foes,(Vrishasena), with half a dozen sharp razor-headed shafts, then cut offthat naked sword of Nakula, polished and keen-edged, made of steel,capable of bearing a great strain and of destroying the bodies of allfoes, and terrible and fierce as the poison of the snake, while he waswhirling it rapidly. After this, Vrishasena deeply pierced his antagonistin the centre of his chest with some well-tempered and keen shafts.Having achieved those feats in battle that were applauded by all noblepersons and that could not be achieved by other men, the high-souledNakula of great activity, afflicted with those shafts, proceeded to thecar, O king, of Bhimasena. The steedless son of Madri, thus afflicted byKarna’s son, sprang upon Bhima’s car like a lion springing upon amountain summit, in the sight of Dhananjaya. The high-souled and heroicVrishasena then, filled with wrath, poured his arrowy showers upon thosetwo mighty car-warriors for piercing those two sons of Pandu. After thedestruction of that car belonging to the son of Pandu (Nakula), and afterhis sword also had been speedily cut off with (Vrishasena’s) shafts; manyother foremost of Kuru heroes, uniting together, approached the Pandavabrothers, and began to strike them with showers of shafts. Then those twosons of Pandu, Bhima and Arjuna, filled with wrath, and resembling twofires fed with libations of clarified butter, poured terrible showers ofarrows upon Vrishasena and the other assembled warriors around him. Theson of the Wind-god then, addressing Phalguna, said, “Behold, Nakula hereis being afflicted. The son of Karna is resisting us. Proceed, therefore,against Karna’s son.” Hearing these words, the diadem-decked (Arjuna)approached the car of his brother Vrikodara. Beholding that hero arrivednear, Nakula addressed him, saying, “Do thou speedily slay this one.”Thus addressed in that battle by his brother, Nakula, standing beforehim, the diadem-decked Arjuna, that formidable hero, precipitately causedhis ape-bannered vehicle, guided by Keshava himself, to be driven towardsVrishasena.'”