Mahabharata Vol. 6 (Penguin Translated Texts) (43 page)

‘“Ghatotkacha’s son was handsome and was like a mass of collyrium. As Drona’s son advanced, he checked him, like a king of mountains against the wind. Anjanaparva, Bhimasena’s grandson, brought down a shower of arrows and he
⁷⁴
looked like Mount Meru, with rain from a cloud pouring down on it. Ashvatthama was like Rudra, Upendra
⁷⁵
and Indra in his valour and he was not frightened. He severed Anjanaparva’s standard with an arrow and cut down his two charioteers with two others. With three others, he severed the
trivenu
.
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He severed his bow with one and struck his four horses with four. Deprived of his chariot, he
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grasped a sword in his hand and it was decorated with golden dots. With an extremely sharp
arrow, he
⁷⁸
severed the sword into two fragments. O king! The son of Hidimba’s son quickly grasped a golden club and whirling it, hurled it. However, Drona’s son struck it with his arrows and made it fall down. At this, Anjanaparva rose up into the sky and began to roar like a dark cloud. He showered down trees from the sky. Ghatotkacha’s son was versed in maya. But Drona’s son used arrows to strike him in the sky, like the rays of the sun against clouds. He then descended and once again stationed himself on his chariot, decorated with gold. Anjanaparva was as beautiful as a lofty mountain. He was clad in iron armour. But Drona’s son killed Anjanaparva, the son of Bhima’s son, like Maheshvara against Andhaka.

‘“On seeing that his immensely strong son had been killed by Ashvatthama, he
⁷⁹
approached Drona’s son, whose armlets seemed to be blazing with anger. Without any fear, he spoke these words to Sharadvati’s son, who was then consuming the army of the Pandavas, like a fire that has arisen in the forest. ‘O Drona’s son! Stay. You will not escape from me with your life. I will kill you today, like Agni’s son destroyed Krouncha.’
⁸⁰
Ashvatthama replied, ‘O child! Go and fight with others. O one who possesses the valour of an immortal! O Hidimba’s son! It is not proper that a father should fight with a son.
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O Hidimba’s son! I have no desire to be angry with you. However, if anger is generated, one may end up killing one’s own self.’ Bhimasena’s son was overcome with sorrow on account of his son. On hearing these words, his eyes became coppery red with rage. He approached Ashvatthama and said, ‘O Drona’s son! Do you think that I am an ordinary person, who will be distressed in this battle? I have been born from Bhima, in the noble lineage of the Kurus. I am a son of the Pandavas and they never retreat from a battle. I am a lord of the rakshasas and I am Dashagriva’s
⁸²
equal in strength. O son of Drona! Wait. Wait. You will not escape from
me with your life. On the field of the battle today, I will destroy your love for fighting.’ Having spoken these words, the extremely strong rakshasa, with eyes coppery red in rage, angrily attacked Drona’s son, like a lion against a king of elephants. Ghatotkacha showered down wheels of chariots and arrows, like a cloud showering rain. These descended on Drona’s son, bull among rathas. But before that shower of arrows could reach him, Drona’s son countered them with his arrows. It seemed that a battle was raging in the sky between those two sets of arrows. Because of the friction from those weapons, sparks of flame were generated and at the commencement of the night, the sky seemed to be bright with fireflies. Drona’s son, proud in battle, pacified and destroyed that maya. Seeing that his maya had been dispelled, Ghatotkacha disappeared again. He assumed the form of a lofty mountain, with trees crowding the summit. It had large fountains, from which, spears, javelins, swords and clubs flowed like water. Drona’s son saw that mountain, which was like a mass of collyrium. Large numbers of weapons issued from it. Drona’s son smiled and invoked the vajra weapon. Struck by that weapon, that king of mountains was quickly destroyed. He
⁸³
then became a blue cloud in the firmament, decorated with Indra’s weapon.
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He brought down a shower of boulders and covered Drona’s son in that battle. Drona’s son, supreme among those who have knowledge of weapons, then affixed the
vayavya
weapon and struck the blue cloud that had arisen. Drona’s son covered all the directions with his large numbers of arrows. The supreme of men killed a hundred thousand rathas. He then saw that Ghatotkacha was again fearlessly advancing towards him on a chariot, with his bow stretched, and surrounded by many rakshasas. They were like lions and tigers and like crazy elephants in their valour. They were on elephants and chariots and astride the backs of horses. Their mouths gaped. Their heads and necks were fierce. These were the followers of Hidimba’s son. There were Poulastyas and Yatudhanas.
⁸⁵
They were extremely terrible
in their valour. Those brave ones wielded many kinds of weapons and were clad in many kinds of armour and ornaments. They were immensely strong and made a fierce noise. Their eyes were dilated with rage. Those rakshasas, invincible in battle, arrived to fight.

‘“On seeing them, your son was distressed and Drona’s son spoke to him. ‘O Duryodhana! Wait. You should not feel any fear now. With your brothers, and with the kings who are like Indra in valour, remain here. I will slay your enemies, so that you do not suffer defeat. I tell you this truthfully. Assure your army.’ Duryodhana replied, ‘Since your mind is vast, I do not think that what you have said is wonderful. O descendant of the Goutama lineage! Your devotion to us is great.’ Having spoken these words to Ashvatthama, he then spoke to Soubala. ‘Dhananjaya is surrounded by a hundred thousand rathas, who are ornaments on the field of battle. Advance against Dhananjaya with sixty thousand elephants and Karna, Vrishasena, Kripa and Nila. The ones from the north, Kritavarma, Purumitra, Shrutaparna, Duhshasana, Nikumbha, Kundabhedi, Urukrama, Puranjaya, Dridharatha, Pataki, Hemapankaja, Shalya, Aruni, Indrasena, Sanjaya, Vijaya, Jaya, Kamalaksha, Puru, Krathi, Jayavarma and Sudarshana—these will follow you with sixty thousand foot soldiers. O maternal uncle! Slay Bhima, the twins and Dharmaraja, like Indra of the gods against the asuras. My hopes of victory are established in you. They have been severely struck by the arrows of Drona’s son and have been wounded in the battle. O maternal uncle! Kill the Kounteyas, like the son of the fire
⁸⁶
against the asuras.’ O king! Having been thus addressed by your son, Soubala swiftly departed to destroy the Pandavas and delighted your son.

‘“Meanwhile, during that night, there was an extremely terrible battle between Drona’s son and the rakshasas, like that between Shakra and Prahlada. Extremely angry, Ghatotkacha struck Goutami’s son in the chest with ten arrows that were as firm as poison or the fire. He was severely struck by those arrows shot by Bhima’s son and wavered on his chariot, like a tree struck by the wind. Ghatotkacha then used an anjalika arrow that was extremely radiant to quickly
sever the bow in the hand of Drona’s son. Drona’s son grasped another bow that was large and was capable of bearing a heavy burden. He showered down sharp arrows, like rain flowing down from a cloud. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Sharadvati’s son dispatched many gold-tufted arrows that were capable of killing the enemy, towards the sky and towards the one who was ranging in the sky.
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Afflicted by the arrows of Drona’s son, those large numbers of broad-chested rakshasas looked like crazy elephants that were tormented by lions. The lord consumed those rakshasas, with their horses, charioteers and chariots, with his arrows. He was like the illustrious fire, consuming beings at the time of the destruction of a yuga. He severely consumed one akshouhini of
nairrita
s
⁸⁸
with his arrows, like the god Maheshvara burning down the city of Tripura in the sky.
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He was like the powerful god
⁹⁰
who burns all beings at the end of a yuga. Having consumed them for the sake of your welfare, Drona’s son, foremost among victorious ones, was resplendent. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! No one among the thousands of kings and the Pandavas was capable of glancing towards Drona’s son in that battle. The only exception was the brave Ghatotkacha, the immensely strong Indra among the rakshasas.

‘“O foremost among the Bharata lineage! His eyes were red with rage. He slapped his palms against each other and bit his lower lips. He angrily addressed his own charioteer. ‘Take me to the son of Drona.’ He was borne on a chariot that was terrible in form and had a victorious flag fastened to it. The destroyer of enemies again engaged in a duel with Drona’s son. The rakshasa angrily hurled an extremely terrible vajra, made by Rudra, towards Drona’s son. It possessed eight wheels. Drona’s son abandoned his chariot and bow and leapt
down. He seized it,
⁹¹
hurled it back and again ascended his chariot. Immensely radiant, it consumed his
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horses, charioteer, standard and mounts. Having done this, the extremely terrible vajra penetrated the earth. On witnessing that deed of Drona’s son, where he had leapt down and seized the extremely terrible weapon made by Shankara, all the beings worshipped him. O king! Going to Dhrishtadyumna’s chariot, Bhimasena’s son again released sharp arrows towards the broad chest of Drona’s son. Without any fear, Dhrishtadyumna also shot gold-tufted arrows that were like venomous serpents towards the chest of Drona’s son. Drona’s son shot thousands of iron arrows at them. However, those two lions among men used their own arrows, which were like flames of fire, to counter them. O bull among the Bharata lineage! That extremely fierce battle delighted all warriors. With a thousand chariots, three hundred elephants and six thousand horses, Bhima arrived at that spot.

‘“Drona’s son, the performer of unblemished deeds and with dharma in his soul, fought with the rakshasa who was Bhima’s son and Dhrishtadyumna and his followers. Drona’s son displayed his extraordinary valour. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! We think that no other being is capable of such deeds. While Bhimasena, Hidimba’s son, Parshata, the twin warriors, Dharma’s son, Vijaya and Achyuta looked on, within an instant, he used sharp arrows to destroy one akshouhini of rakshasas, with their horses, charioteers, chariots and elephants. Severely struck and afflicted by iron arrows, elephants sank and fell down on the ground, like mountains with two peaks.
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The trunks of elephants were severed. Immobile elephants were strewn around on the ground. Others writhed, like serpents. O king! The earth was beautiful, with golden rods that were flung away and umbrellas. It looked like the firmament, at the time of the destruction of a yuga, studded with many moons, suns and planets. Standards were strewn around like frogs and drums were
scattered like tortoises. The umbrellas were like arrays of swans. The garlands and whisks were like foam. Herons and vultures were giant crocodiles. The many weapons were the fish. Chariots that were hurled away were like giant banks. The beautiful flags were the trees. The extremely terrible arrows were the smaller fish. The lances and spears were the fierce lizards. The marrow and flesh constituted the large mire. Headless torsos were the rafts. The hair was the moss and it increased terror among those who were cowards. The horse riders were giant serpents and there was an inexhaustible flow of bodies. There was an immensely forceful river of blood that was created by Drona’s son. Warriors lamented in loud tones. The wounds
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were the waves. That extremely terrible river flowed towards the ocean that was Yama’s eternal abode.

‘“Having killed the rakshasas, Drona’s son struck Hidimba’s son with his arrows. Drona’s immensely strong son was extremely angry. He again struck Vrikodara, the Parshatas and the other Parthas with large numbers of iron arrows. The lord killed Suratha, Drupada’s son. In that battle, he again killed Shrutanjaya, Suratha’s younger brother. O Indra among kings! Drona’s son slew Balanika, Jayanika, Jaya and Shrutaharya
⁹⁵
and sent them to Yama’s abode. With three other sharp arrows that were well tufted and garlanded with gold, he killed the powerful Shatrunjaya and sent him to Shakra’s world. He killed Prishaghna and the insolent Chandradeva. He killed ten of Kuntibhoja’s sons with ten arrows. Ashvatthama was extremely angry. He affixed a supreme arrow and drawing his bow back all the way up to his ear, released that supreme arrow, which was terrible and like Yama’s staff. He quickly shot it towards Ghatotkacha. O lord of the earth! That great and well-tufted arrow pierced the rakshasa’s heart and swiftly penetrated the earth. On seeing him fall, maharatha Dhrishtadyumna thought that he had been killed. O Indra among kings! He removed him from the presence of Drona’s son and placed him on another chariot. O king! At this, Yudhishthira’s chariots and
soldiers retreated. They were defeated in that battle and Drona’s brave son roared. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! He was worshipped by all the beings and by your sons. Bodies of rakshasas
⁹⁶
were strewn around everywhere. Their bodies were mangled by hundreds of arrows and they were killed and brought down. Having been killed, they fell down on the ground, which seemed to be strewn with mountain peaks and was terrible and impassable. The siddhas, the gandharvas, masses of pishachas, serpents, birds, ancestors, winged animals,
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large numbers of rakshasas, innumerable beings, apsaras and gods worshipped Drona’s son.”’

‘Sanjaya said, “On seeing that Drupada’s sons, Kuntibhoja’s sons and thousands of rakshasas had been killed by Drona’s son, Yudhishthira, Bhimasena, Parshata Dhrishtadyumna and Yuyudhana united and made up their minds to fight. On beholding Satyaki in that battle, Somadatta again became angry and enveloped him in every direction with a great shower of arrows. There was an extremely terrible battle between those on your side and the enemy and it increased fear. It was fierce and was fought by those who desired victory. For the sake of Satvata, Bhima pierced Kourava Somadatta with ten arrows and the brave one pierced him back with one hundred. The aged one
⁹⁸
possessed all the qualities, like Yayati, the son of Nahusha. On account of his son, he was overcome with grief. Satvata angrily pierced him with ten sharp arrows that possessed the force of the vajra. Having struck him with great power, he again pierced him with seven arrows. For Satvata’s sake, Bhimasena hurled a new, firm and terrible club towards Somadatta’s head. In that battle,
Satyaki angrily shot a supreme arrow towards Somadatta’s chest. It was like the fire to the touch and was well tufted. The terrible club and the arrow simultaneously descended on the body of the ratha and maharatha Somadatta fell down. On seeing that his son
⁹⁹
was unconscious, Bahlika attacked and released a shower of arrows, like a cloud that pours at the right time. For the sake of Satvata, in the forefront of that battle, Bhima afflicted and pierced the great-souled Bahlika with nine arrows. Pratipa’s son was enraged. The mighty-armed one struck Bhima on the chest with a lance, like Purandara hurling the vajra. Having been struck by it, Bhima trembled and lost his senses. Having recovered his senses, the powerful one hurled an iron club. Thus struck by Pandava, Bahlika’s head was severed. He was killed and fell down on the ground, like a king of mountains shattered by thunder.