Mahabharata Vol. 6 (Penguin Translated Texts) (15 page)

‘Sanjaya said, “Having slaughtered Duhshasana’s force, Savyasachi Dhananjaya wished to get at the king of Sindhu and
attacked Drona’s army. He approached Drona, who was stationed at the mouth of the vyuha. Instructed by Krishna, he joined his hands in salutation and spoke these words. ‘O brahmana! Wish me well and pronounce benedictions over me. Through your favours, I wish to penetrate this impenetrable army. You are like my father. For me, you are the equal of Dharmaraja. You are the equal of Krishna. I tell you this truthfully. O father!
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O unblemished one! O supreme among brahmanas! Like Ashvatthama should be protected by you, like that, I should always be protected by you. O best of men! Through your favours, I wish to kill the king of Sindhu in this battle. O lord! Protect my pledge.’ Having been thus addressed, the preceptor smiled and replied, ‘O Bibhatsu! Without vanquishing me, you are incapable of defeating Jayadratha.’ Having said this, Drona smiled and enveloped him, his charioteer, his chariot, his horses and his standard with a storm of sharp arrows.

‘“At this, Arjuna used his own arrows to repulse Drona’s storm of arrows. He attacked Drona and released more terrible and greater arrows. O lord of the earth! Having shown reverence to Drona, he pierced him in that battle. He resorted to the dharma of kshatriyas and pierced him again with nine arrows. Drona severed these arrows and pierced both Krishna and Pandava with his own arrows, which were like poison or the flaming fire. Pandava then thought of using his arrows to sever Drona’s bow. But while the great-souled Phalguna was thus thinking, Drona acted vigorously. The valiant one used arrows to swiftly sever his
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bowstring and pierced his horses, standard and charioteer. The brave one smiled and shrouded Arjuna with arrows. At this, Partha strung a great bow. He was supreme among those who were skilled in the use of all weapons and was better than the preceptor. He quickly released six hundred arrows, as if he had grasped one alone. He again shot seven hundred arrows, and another one thousand. These were impossible to repluse. He again shot another ten thousand arrows and killed many in Drona’s army.
He was truly powerful and wonderful in fighting. Men, elephants and horses were pierced by those and fell down, bereft of their lives. They fled from the field of battle, or fell down dead, their weapons severed. There were rathas on the best of chariots and horses and they were afflicted by the arrows. They were crushed, dispersed and burnt, as if by the vajra, the wind or the fire. Elephants that were like mountain peaks, clouds and large houses fell down. Wounded by Arjuna’s arrows, thousands of horses fell down. They were like swans on the breast of the Himalayas, struck by a torrent of water. Wounded by Pandava’s arrows, chariots, horses, elephants and infantry were like large masses of water, dried up by the sun at the end of a yuga. Pandava’s net of arrows was like the rays of the sun. But Drona was like a cloud that forcefully showered down arrows, and that brave and foremost warrior among the Kurus enveloped him. This was like a cloud covering the rays of the sun. Drona then struck Dhananjaya in the chest with an iron arrow. It was released with great force and could drink up the enemy’s blood. He
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trembled in all his limbs, like a mountain during an earthquake. However, Bibhatsu resorted to fortitude and struck Drona with arrows. Drona used five arrows to strike Vasudeva, pierced Arjuna with seventy-three and pierced his standard with three. O king! The powerful Drona got the better of his disciple. In an instant, he made Arjuna disappear with his shower of arrows. As his bow was drawn in the form of a circle, we saw the arrows of Bharadvaja’s son descend continuously and it was extraordinary. O king! In the battle, the large number of arrows released by Drona was shafted with the feathers of herons. They descended on Vasudeva and Dhananjaya. The likes of the battle between Drona and Pandava had never been seen.

‘“The immensely intelligent Vasudeva started to think about what should be done. Vasudeva addressed Dhananjaya in these words. ‘O Partha! O Partha! O mighty-armed one! We should not be wasting time. Abandon Drona and let us perform the greater task.’ Partha told Krishna, ‘O Keshava! It shall be as you wish.’ The mighty-armed Bibhatsu circumambulated Drona and departed, glancing
backwards and shooting arrows. Drona spoke to him. ‘O Pandava! Where are you going? Is it not true that you do not retreat until you have vanquished the enemy in battle?’ Arjuna replied, ‘You are my preceptor. You are not my enemy. I am your disciple and am like your son. Nor is there any man in this world who can vanquish you in battle.’ Having spoken these words, the mighty-armed Bibhatsu advanced against the soldiers, wishing to slay Jayadratha. His wheels were guarded by the Panchalas, Yudhamanyu and Uttamouja. They followed the great-souled one, as he penetrated your army. O great king! Jaya, Satvata Kritavarma, the king of Kamboja
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and Shrutayu countered Dhananjaya. They had ten thousand rathas as their followers—the Abhishahas, the Shurasenas, the Shibis, the Vasatis, the Machellakas, the Lalitthyas, the Kekayas, the Madrakas, the Narayanas, the Gopalas and masses of Kambojas. They were revered as brave ones and had earlier been vanquished by Karna. With Bharadvaja’s son at the forefront, they rushed at Arjuna, ready to give up their lives. He was angry and consumed by grief on account of his son. He was like Death and the Destroyer. He was armoured and wonderful in fighting. He was ready to give up his life in that tumult. Like the leader of a herd of elephants, he was ready to devour those soldiers. He was a great archer and brave. He was a tiger among men and they sought to counter him. A tumultuous battle commenced and it made the body hair stand up. It was between the others who sought to fight and Arjuna. The bull among men advanced, wishing to kill Jayadratha. They united and countered him, like medicines against a disease that has surfaced.”’

‘Sanjaya said, “Partha, the immensely strong and valiant one, was checked by them. Drona, supreme among rathas, also
quickly attacked him from the rear. But he showered rays of a large number of sharp arrows, like the rays of the sun. He tormented your soldiers, like a large number of diseases assailing the body. Horses were pierced. Standards were severed. Elephants and their riders were brought down. Umbrellas and bows were pierced. Chariots were deprived of their wheels. The soldiers were afflicted by arrows and were routed in every direction. This was the terrible battle and nothing could be distinguished. O king! In that battle, they fought each other with arrows and Arjuna made the standard-bearers tremble with his sharp arrows. He was always devoted to the truth. He was always truthful to his pledge. The one borne on white horses attacked the best of warriors, who was borne on red horses.
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Drona, the preceptor, struck his disciple, the great archer, with twenty-five arrows that pierced the inner organs. Bibhatsu, supreme among those who wielded all weapons, quickly attacked him with arrows that could repluse the most forceful of arrows. The one whose soul was immeasurable
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invoked the brahmastra.
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He used broad-headed arrows to counter the straight-tufted and broad-headed arrows used by his opponent. We beheld the extraordinary fighting skills of Drona, the preceptor. Even though he was young and exerted himself, Arjuna could not pierce him back. The cloud that was Drona was like a mighty cloud that poured down thousands of torrents of rain in the form of a shower of arrows on the mountain that was Partha. O venerable one! Arjuna used the brahmastra to counter the shower of arrows. The spirited one countered all those arrows with his own arrows. Drona then struck the one on white horses with twenty-five arrows and struck Vasudeva on the chest and the arms with seventy swift arrows. The intelligent Partha laughed at this mass of arrows released by the preceptor. He released sharp arrows and countered him in battle. Those two,
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supreme among rathas, were thus wounded by Drona. The unassailable one was like a sun that
has arisen at the end of a yuga and they avoided him. They avoided the sharp arrows that were released from Drona’s bow.

‘“Kiriti Arjuna attacked the army of the Bhojas and stationed himself between Kritavarma and Sudakshina of Kamboja. He avoided the invincible Drona, who was like Mount Mainaka. The supreme among the Kuru lineage was unassailable and a tiger among men.
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But quickly and forcefully, Bhoja
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struck him with ten arrows that were tufted with the feathers of herons. O king! Arjuna pierced him with sharp arrows and confounded Satvata
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by striking him again with three arrows. But Bhoja laughed and pierced Partha and Madhava Vasudeva with twenty-five arrows each. At this, Arjuna severed his bow and pierced him with seventy-three arrows that were like crests of fire or like angry and venomous serpents. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Maharatha Kritavarma took up another bow and swiftly struck him in the chest with five arrows. He again pierced Partha with five sharp arrows. Partha struck him between the breasts with nine arrows. On seeing that Kounteya was obstructed by the ratha Kritavarma, Varshneya thought that they should not waste time. At this, Krishna spoke to Partha. ‘Do not show mercy towards Kritavarma. Forget the relationship with him and crush and kill him.’
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Thereafter, Arjuna confounded Kritavarma with his arrows. He advanced on his swift horses against the army of the Kambojas. Hardikya
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became angry at seeing that the one on white horses was thus penetrating. He picked up his bow and arrows and attacked the two Panchalas who were following Arjuna and guarding his chariot wheels. Kritavarma used his arrows to counter the two rathas. Bhoja used three arrows completely made out of iron to pierce Yudhamanyu and four for Uttamouja. They pierced him back with ten arrows each. They severed his standard
and his bow. Hardikya became senseless with anger and picked up another bow. He enveloped the two brave ones with arrows and deprived them of their bows. They grasped and readied other bows and struck Bhoja. Meanwhile, Bibhatsu penetrated the enemy’s army. But those two bulls among men endeavoured, they could not penetrate the formation of Dhritarashtra’s son, since the entry was barred by Kritavarma.

‘“In the battle, the one on the white horses spiritedly fought against the soldiers of the opposition. Though the slayer of enemies was within reach of Kritavarma, he did not kill him. On seeing that he was advancing, the brave King Shrutayudha angrily attacked him, brandishing a giant bow. He pierced Partha with three arrows and Janardana with seventy. He struck Partha’s standard with an extremely sharp kshurapra arrow. At this, Arjuna was extremely enraged. He used ninety arrows with drooping tufts to strike him, like a giant elephant being struck with a goad. O king! But he could not tolerate Pandaveya’s valour and struck him with seventy-seven iron arrows. At this, Arjuna severed his bow and deprived him of his quiver. He angrily struck him on the chest with seven arrows with drooping tufts. The king was senseless with rage and picked up another bow. He struck Vasava’s son
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in the arms and the chest with nine arrows. But Arjuna, the destroyer of enemies, smiled at Shrutayudha. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! He afflicted him with thousands of arrows. The maharatha swiftly killed his horses and his charioteer. The immensely strong one then pierced him with seventy iron arrows. With his horses slain, King Shrutayudha abandoned that chariot. The brave King Shrutayudha was the son of Varuna. His mother was the great river Parnasha,
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with cool waters. In the battle, the brave one raised his club and rushed against Partha. For the sake of her son, his mother had spoken these words to Varuna. ‘In this world, let my son be unslayable by enemies.’ Pleased with her, Varuna had said, ‘For the sake of his welfare, I will grant him this boon. Because of this divine weapon, it won’t be possible
for your son to be killed. But it is impossible for any human to be immortal. O supreme among rivers! Everyone who has been born must certainly be mortal. Because of the power of this weapon, the enemies will always find him to be unassailable in battle. Dispel this fever from your mind.’ Having spoken these words, Varuna gave him the club, with the relevant mantras. Having obtained this, Shrutayudha became invincible in all the worlds. But the illustrious lord of the ocean again spoke these words. ‘This should never be released on someone who is not fighting. If that is done, it will descend on you.’ He used that slayer of enemies to strike Janardana.
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The valiant Krishna received it on his broad shoulders. Shouri did not tremble, like Mount Vindhya against the wind. This was like a badly performed act of magic that backfires. It returned and killed the brave and intolerant Shrutayudha, who was stationed there. Having slain the brave Shrutayudha, it fell down on the ground. Great sounds of lamentation arose among the assembled soldiers, when they saw that Shrutayudha, the scorcher of enemies, had been slain by his own weapon. O lord of men! This was because Keshava was a non-combatant and Shrutayudha had hurled the club at him. He was thus slain and destroyed, just as Varuna had said. All the archers saw him fall down on the ground. Thus was Parnasha’s beloved son brought down. He was as resplendent as a tree with many branches, shattered by a storm. On seeing that Shrutayudha, the scorcher of enemies, had been slain, all the soldiers and all the chiefs among the soldiers began to flee.

‘“At this, the brave Sudakshina, the son of the king of Kamboja, attacked Phalguna, the destroyer of enemies, on swift horses. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Partha shot seven arrows at him. These penetrated through the brave one’s body and entered the ground. In the battle, pierced by sharp arrows released from Gandiva, he pierced Arjuna back with ten arrows shafted with the feathers of herons. He again pierced Vasudeva with three and Partha with five. O venerable one! At this, Partha severed his bow and standard.
Pandava pierced him with two extremely sharp broad-headed arrows. However, he pierced Partha with three and roared like a lion. The brave Sudakshina angrily hurled a javelin that was completely made out of iron at the wielder of Gandiva. This was terrible and was adorned with bells. It flamed like a giant meteor, emitting sparks, and descended on the maharatha. It pierced him and fell down on the surface of the ground. However, Partha’s valour was unthinkable. He used fourteen arrows shafted with heron feathers to pierce him, his horses, his standard, his bow and his charioteer. He used many other arrows to shatter his chariot. Though Sudakshina of Kamboja was valiant, his resolution had been rendered unsuccessful. With a broad and sharp arrow, Pandava pierced his heart. With his armour shattered, he trembled in his limbs. His crown and his armlets were dislodged. The brave one fell downwards, like a standard released from an implement. He was like a handsome and well-established karnikara tree on a mountain peak in the spring in the Himalayas, shattered by the force of the wind. The handsome Sudakshina of Kamboja was slain and lay down on the ground, though he deserved an expensive bed. His eyes were coppery red and his ears were adorned. The son of the king of Kamboja was brought down by Partha. All the soldiers in your son’s army ran away, on seeing that Shrutayudha and Sudakshina of Kamboja had been slain.”’