Mahabharata Vol. 6 (Penguin Translated Texts) (5 page)

‘“On seeing him attack, all the Kouravas, with Drona at the forefront, advanced to meet him and all the Pandavas followed him. His supreme standard bore the marks of a
karnikara
.
³⁵
He was clad in golden armour. Arjuna’s son was superior to Arjuna himself. He
wished to fight with the maharathas, with Drona at the forefront. He was like a young lion attacking a herd of elephants. He sought to attack them and advanced twenty steps. In an instant, there was a melee, like when the whirl of the Ganga meets the ocean. The brave ones fought and killed each other. O king! An extremely tumultuous and terrible battle commenced. While that fearful battle raged, in Drona’s sight, Arjuna’s son shattered and penetrated the vyuha. The immensely strong one penetrated into the midst of the enemy and began to slaughter the foes. Warriors on elephants, horses and chariots, armed with weapons, descended on him and surrounded him. There was the sound of musical instruments. There were sounds of the slapping of arms and roars. There were roars like lions and shouts of ‘Stay! Stay!’ There were terrible and repeated exclamations of ‘Do not go! Wait! Come to me! I am here! That is the enemy!’ This mingled with the trumpeting of elephants, the tinkling of bells and ornaments, sounds of laughter and the sounds of hooves and chariot wheels. The earth resounded with these noises.

‘“Those on your side descended before Arjuna’s son. But the brave one was swift and firm. He was quick in using weapons that penetrated the inner organs and knew about the inner organs. He killed them. They were slaughtered by many different kinds of sharp arrows. They were like helpless insects descending into a fire. He swiftly covered the earth with their bodies and limbs severed from their bodies, like a priest covering an altar with
kusha
grass. There were arms with armguards and finger-guards, holding bows and arrows, swords and shields, goads, reins, lances and battleaxes, balls with iron spikes, spears, scimitars, spikes, javelins, catapults, clubs, the best of darts,
kampana
s,
³⁶
whips, giant conch shells, spears,
³⁷
kachagraha
s,
³⁸
maces, slings, nooses, heavy maces and stones. Those arms were decorated with armlets and bracelets and smeared with fragrances and unguents. Arjuna’s son severed the arms of those on your side in thousands.
O great king! Covered with blood, they were strewn around on the ground and looked radiant. O venerable one! It was as if five-headed serpents had been slain by Garuda. There were many heads with beautiful noses, faces and hair, without the marks of wounds and adorned with beautiful earrings. Copious quantities of blood flowed from these and the teeth gnashed the lips in anger. They were adorned with beautiful garlands and headdresses, embellished with gems and jewels. They were like lotuses severed from the stalks and possessed the radiance of the sun or the moon. Once upon a time, they could speak many beneficial and pleasant words and were smeared with sacred fragrances. Phalguna’s son covered the earth with the heads of the enemy. There were many excellent chariots, with forms like the cities of the gandharvas. They possessed shafts in the front and curved staffs made out of bamboo poles. Their shafts, yokes and wheels were shattered. They were bereft of their axles and pins. They lost their wheels, standards and seats. The implements of war were scattered. The expensive cushions were also scattered and thousands of riders slain. Everything that could be seen was mangled with his arrows. He used sharp arrows, honed at the tip, to slice down the enemy riders on elephants, with their flags, goads and pennants, quivers, armour, seats, reins and blankets, the bells on the trunks and the tusks, and also those who guarded their steps from the rear. There were horses from Vanayu, Kamboja, Bahlika and the mountainous regions. They were well trained and swift and could keep their tails, ears and eyes immobile. The warriors who rode on them were accomplished and wielded spears, swords and lances. They were strewn around, deprived of cushions and whisks. Their tongues lolled out. The eyes were detached and the entrails and livers were plucked out. Their harnesses were torn and their riders were killed. This delighted large numbers of flesh-eaters. The mail and armour was sliced away and they were covered in urine and excrement. Thus bringing down the best of your horses, he was resplendent. He accomplished these difficult deeds alone, like the unfathomable Vishnu in earlier times. He crushed your giant army with the three kinds of forces.
³⁹
O descendant of the
Bharata lineage! He also killed your foot soldiers. Using sharp arrows, Subhadra’s son was seen to single-handedly destroy your soldiers, like Skanda
⁴⁰
against the asura army. Those on your side and your sons glanced in the ten directions. Their mouths were dry. Their eyes were restless. They were covered with sweat and their body hair stood up. They lost all interest in vanquishing the enemy and made up their minds to flee. Wishing to remain alive, they cried and called out to each other by name and lineage. They abandoned wounded sons, fathers, well-wishers, relatives and kin. They urged their horses and elephants, so that they could run away quickly.”’

‘Sanjaya said, “On seeing that the army was routed by Subhadra’s infinitely energetic son, Duryodhana was angered and himself advanced against Subhadra’s son. On seeing that the king had returned and was advancing in the battle against Subhadra’s son, Drona spoke to all the warriors. ‘Protect the king. While we look on, the valiant Abhimanyu is killing everything that he is targeting. Do not be afraid. Swiftly attack and protect Kourava.’
⁴¹
He
⁴²
possessed powerful and grateful well-wishers, desiring victory. Though they were terrified, those brave ones surrounded your son—Drona, Drona’s son, Kripa, Karna, Kritavarma, Soubala,
⁴³
Brihadbala, the king of Madra, Bhuri, Bhurishrava, Shala, Pourava and Vrishasena.
⁴⁴
They released sharp arrows and countered Subhadra’s son with that great shower of arrows. They confounded him and freed Duryodhana. But Arjuna’s son could not tolerate that something he
had grasped should be taken away. With a great shower of arrows, he enveloped the horses and the charioteers of those maharathas. Having repulsed them, Subhadra’s son roared like a lion. On hearing his roar, which was like that of a lion in search of flesh, the rathas, with Drona at the forefront, were extremely enraged. They could not tolerate it. O venerable one! They encircled him from all sides with a mass of chariots. They released a mass of many different kinds of arrows at him. But your grandson used sharp arrows to sever them in the sky and then pierced them back in turn. It was extraordinary. They were enraged by those arrows, which were like the virulent poison of snakes. Wishing to kill him, they surrounded Subhadra’s son, who refused to run away. That ocean of your soldiers was like a sea. But Abhimanyu held it back, like the shoreline against the abode of
makara
s.
⁴⁵
Those brave ones fought, wishing to kill each other. There was Abhimanyu on one side and the enemy on the other and no one wished to retreat. A terrible and fearful combat raged.

‘“Duhsaha pierced Abhimanyu with nine arrows, Duhshasana with twelve, Sharadvata Kripa with three and Drona with seventeen arrows, each of which was like a venomous serpent. Vivimshati pierced him with twenty, Kritavarma with seven, Brihadbala with eight, Ashvatthama with seven, Bhurishrava with three arrows and the king of Madra with six arrows. Shakuni pierced him with two arrows and King Duryodhana with three. In turn, he pierced each of them back with three arrows. O great king! With the bow in his hand, the powerful Abhimanyu seemed to dance around. He was enraged because he was oppressed by your sons. He exhibited the great strength he had acquired through learning and practice. He was borne on well-trained horses, with speeds like those of Garuda or the wind. They bore him swiftly and he countered the heir of Ashmaka.
⁴⁶
Asking him to wait, Abhimanyu used ten arrows to
cut down his charioteer, his horses, his standard, his arms, his bow and his head. Having brought these down, he smiled. When the brave lord of Ashmaka was thus slain by Subhadra’s son, all his soldiers wavered and began to run away. Karna, Kripa, Drona, Drona’s son, the king of Gandhara, Shala, Shalya, Bhurishrava, Kratha, Somadatta, Vivimshati, Vrishasena, Sushena, Kundabhedi, Pratardana, Vrindaraka, Lalittha, Prabahu, Dirghalochana and the enraged Duryodhana showered down arrows on him. Those great archers pierced him with their arrows and Abhimanyu became angry. He shot arrows at Karna that were capable of penetrating the body. O king! They pierced his armour and his body and penetrated the earth, like a snake entering a termite hill. Having been thus wounded by him, Karna was pained and swooned. In that battle, he was like a mountain trembling because of an earthquake. With three other sharp arrows, the angry and powerful one slew Sushena, Dirghalochana and Kundabhedi. Having recovered, Karna pierced him with twenty-five iron arrows, Ashvatthama with twenty and Kritavarma with seven. With arrows piercing all his limbs, the son of Shakra’s son
⁴⁷
was seen to angrily roam around amidst the soldiers, like Yama with a noose in his hand. Shalya was near him and he repulsed him with a shower of arrows. The mighty-armed one roared and terrified your soldiers. O king! Pierced in his inner organs by the one who was skilled in the use of weapons, Shalya lost his senses and sat down on the floor of his chariot. While Bharadvaja’s son looked on, on seeing that he had been thus pierced by Subhadra’s illustrious son, all the soldiers began to run away. They saw that the mighty-armed one
⁴⁸
was covered with gold-tufted arrows. Those on your side began to flee, like deer oppressed by a lion. He
⁴⁹
was thus praised for his fighting and his fame by the ancestors, the gods, the
charana
s,
⁵⁰
the
siddha
s
⁵¹
and the masses of yakshas and also by the large number
of beings who were on earth. He was as resplendent as a fire into which oblations had been poured.”’

‘Dhritarashtra asked, “When Arjuna’s son, the great archer, caused a rout with his straight-flying arrows, who were the ones on my side who sought to counter him?”

‘Sanjaya replied, “O king! Listen to how that young one sported around in that great battle, when he shattered the array of chariots protected by Bharadvaja’s son. On seeing that the lord of Madra was crushed in that battle by the arrows of Subhadra’s son, Shalya’s younger brother angrily advanced and covered him with a shower of arrows. He pierced Arjuna’s son, his horses and his charioteer, with ten arrows and roared loudly, asking him
⁵²
to wait. However, Arjuna’s son severed his head from his neck, his arms, his feet, his bow, his horses, his umbrella, his standard, his charioteer, the three poles on the chariot, his seat, his wheels, his yoke, his quiver, the floor of the chariot, his bows, his flag, those who protected his wheels and all his other implements. He was so swift in piercing them that no one could see him. That infinitely energetic one lost his life and fell down on the ground, pierced through his ornaments and garments, like a giant tree
⁵³
shattered by the wind. His followers were terrified and fled in all the directions. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! On witnessing the deeds of Arjuna’s son, all the beings roared in applause in every direction. After Shalya’s brother had been killed, many of his soldiers advanced against Arjuna’s son, loudly proclaiming their lineages, their residences and their names. They angrily attacked him, with many different kinds of weapons in their hands. Intoxicated in
their strength, they were on chariots, horses and elephants. There were others on foot. The great sound of arrows mingled with the sounds of hooves. There were roars and loud exclamations, sounds like that of roaring lions. Some slapped their palms and twanged their bowstrings, trying to scare Arjuna’s son. They said, ‘As long as we are alive, you will not escape with your life today.’ On hearing and seeing them, Subhadra’s son laughed. Having smiled, he used arrows to pierce those who had struck him first. He exhibited many wonderful weapons and his dexterity. In that encounter, Arjuna’s brave son fought gently with them.
⁵⁴
He had obtained weapons from Vasudeva and Dhananjaya. Krishna’s son displayed them, just like the two Krishnas.
⁵⁵
He strove again and again, flinging away the heavy burden that he had taken on. No gap could be seen between his taking up and shooting an arrow. The blazing circle of his outstretched bow could be seen in all the directions, like the flaming circle of the sun destroying all darkness. The twanging of his bowstring and the terrible slapping of his palms could be heard. It was like the roaring of the clouds when a great thunderclap is disgorged. Though he was intolerant, Subhadra’s son was modest. The handsome one showed due reverence. Showing respect to the heroes, he fought with arrows and other weapons. O great king! He started gently and became fierce later, like the illustrious sun during the autumn, after the monsoon is over. His great shower of arrows was colourful. The arrows were gold-tufted and sharpened on stone. He angrily released hundreds of them, like the rays of the sun in the sky. While Bharadvaja’s son looked on, the immensely illustrious one shot
kshurapra
s,
vatsadanta
s,
vipatha
s,
naracha
s, half-narachas,
bhalla
s and
anjalika
s
⁵⁶
and covered that array of chariots. Oppressed by those arrows, those soldiers retreated.”’

‘Dhritarashtra said, “O Sanjaya! My mind is divided into two kinds of feelings, satisfaction and shame, on learning that Subhadra’s son routed the soldiers of my son.
⁵⁷
O son of Gavalgana! Tell me everything again in detail, about how the young one sported, like Skanda against the asuras.”