Mahabharata Vol. 6 (Penguin Translated Texts) (7 page)

‘Sanjaya said, “O Indra among kings! You have asked me about the valour of the king of Sindhu. I will tell you everything, in detail, about how he fought with the sons of Pandu. Listen. There were well-trained horses from the Sindhu region, controlled by the charioteer. They were large and as fleet as the wind. These bore him. His chariot, constructed in the appropriate way, was like a city of the gandharvas. It was radiant with a standard that bore the mark of a large and silver-coloured boar. There was a white umbrella and pennants, with fans and whisks. These were the marks of a king. And he was as resplendent as the lord of the stars
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in the firmament. The bumper on his chariot was made out of iron and
was decorated with pearls, diamonds, gems and gold. It was as dazzling as luminous bodies in the sky. He extended his great bow and released many arrows, filling up those parts that Arjuna’s son shattered.
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He pierced Satyaki with three arrows and Vrikodara with eight, Dhrishtadyumna with sixty and Virata with ten arrows, Drupada with five sharp arrows and Shikhandi with ten, the Kekayas with twenty-five and Droupadi’s sons with three arrows each. He pierced Yudhishthira with seventy and mangled all others with a great net of arrows. It was extraordinary.

‘“The powerful king, Dharma’s son, smiled. He fixed a sharp and yellow broad-headed arrow and used this to slice down his bow.
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But he took up another bow in the twinkling of an eye and pierced Partha
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with ten arrows, piercing the others with three each. On realizing his dexterity, Bhima again used three broad-headed arrows and severed his bow, standard and umbrella, so that they were swiftly brought down on the ground. O venerable one! The powerful one strung another bow and brought down Bhima’s standard, bow and horses. With his horses slain and his bow severed, he descended from his chariot and climbed onto Satyaki’s chariot, like a lion jumping onto the summit of a mountain. On witnessing this honourable and supreme deed on the part of the king of Sindhu, those on your side were delighted and shouted repeatedly in appreciation. All the beings honoured this deed, whereby he countered the enraged Pandavas alone, through the energy of his weapons. Subhadra’s son had created a route earlier, by slaughtering many warriors and elephants. But Saindhava restrained the armoured Pandus from that path. The brave Matsyas, Panchalas and Kekayas made every endeavour. So did the Pandavas. But they could not withstand Saindhava. Everyone who tried to penetrate Drona’s array was checked by Saindhava, as a consequence of the boon that he had obtained from the god.”’

‘Sanjaya said, “Desiring success, Saindhava checked the Pandus. There commenced an extremely terrible battle between those on your side and the enemy. Arjuna’s son, invincible and unwavering in his aim, penetrated the soldiers and agitated them, like a makara in the ocean. The foremost among them, supreme among the Kurus, advanced duly against Subhadra’s son, the scorcher of enemies who was causing the agitation with his shower of arrows. That clash between him and them was extremely terrible and the infinitely energetic ones created showers of arrows. Arjuna’s son was obstructed in every direction by chariots of the enemy and killed Vrishasena’s charioteer and severed his bow. The powerful one then pierced his horses with arrows and those horses, which were as swift as the wind, bore his
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chariot away from the field of battle. Using that opportunity, Abhimanyu’s charioteer freed his chariot from that melee. On seeing the chariot emerge, there was delight and roars of applause. He
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was like a lion and enraged, mangling the enemy with his arrows. Without any fear, Vasatiya swiftly advanced and attacked him. He restrained Abhimanyu with sixty gold-tufted arrows and said, ‘As long as I am alive, you will not escape from this battle with your life.’ He was clad in iron armour. But Subhadra’s son used a swift arrow to pierce him in the heart. Losing his life, he fell down on the ground. On seeing that Vasatiya had been killed, the bulls among the kshatriyas were enraged. O king! They surrounded your grandson, wishing to kill him. They stretched their many different kinds of bows in many different kinds of ways. A terrible battle raged between Subhadra’s son and the enemy. Phalguna’s son was wrathful. He sliced down their arrows and bows and the heads from the bodies, decorated with earrings and garlands. Severed arms were seen, decorated with golden ornaments. They held swords and finger guards, lances and battleaxes. Garlands, ornaments, garments and
giant standards fell down. There were armour and shields, necklaces, crowns, umbrellas and whisks. It became impassable because of decorations, seats and poles. There were shattered and fragmented axles, wheels and yokes in thousands. There were
anukarsha
s.
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And flags, charioteers, horses, broken chariots and slain elephants, strewn all over the ground. Many brave kshatriyas, the lords of many countries, who had surrounded him with a desire for victory, were killed. They were strewn on the ground and it looked terrible. The angry Abhimanyu was in the field of battle, roaming in all the directions and sub-directions, and his form could not be seen. His golden armour and ornaments could alone be seen and also his bow and arrows. No one was capable of glancing at him with his eyes. He killed the warriors with his arrows and was stationed like the sun in their midst.”’

‘Sanjaya said, “Arjuna’s son robbed the brave ones of their lives and was like Death robbing all beings of their lives, when the time arrives. The powerful one was the son of Shakra’s son and was Shakra’s equal in valour. Agitating your army, Abhimanyu was seen to be extremely resplendent. O Indra among kings! That killer of the best of kshatriyas was like Death when he penetrated. He descended on Satyashrava, like a tiger descending on deer. When Satyashrava had been thus attacked, the other maharathas quickly grasped a large number of different weapons and rushed against Abhimanyu. ‘I will be the first. I will station myself in the forefront.’ Those bulls among kshatriyas rivalled each other and spoke thus. They attacked Arjuna’s son together, wishing to kill him. On seeing that army of kshatriyas advance against him, he received them, like a whale grasping small
fish in the ocean. Like rivers do not return once they head towards the ocean, not a single one who approached wished to run away. That army was like a boat in the ocean, when it has been grasped by a mighty storm and is tossed around by the force of the wind. It was oppressed by fear, trembled and was destroyed.

‘“The powerful Rukmaratha was the son of the lord of Madra.
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He wished to assure the frightened soldiers and fearlessly spoke these words. ‘O brave ones! You should not be terrified. As long as I am stationed here, he is nothing. There is no doubt that I will capture him alive.’ Having spoken thus, the valiant one advanced against Subhadra’s son. He was borne on a dazzling chariot that was constructed well and was well-stocked.
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He pierced Abhimanyu in the chest with three arrows and roared. He pierced him in the right arm with three and in the left with three sharp arrows. However, Phalguna’s son severed his bow, and his left arm and his right. He swiftly severed his head, with beautiful eyes and eyebrows, and made it fall down on the ground. Rukmaratha was Shalya’s revered son. He had desired to capture alive, or destroy, Subhadra’s illustrious son. O king! On seeing him killed, the friends of Shalya’s son, armed princes who were unassailable in battle and had standards decorated in gold, surrounded Arjuna’s son from every direction. The maharathas stretched bows that were as long as palm trees and showered down arrows on him. Subhadra’s unvanquished son was brave and alone. In that battle, he was surrounded by these brave ones, who were skilled, powerful, youthful and extremely intolerant. They enveloped him with their storm of arrows. On seeing this, Duryodhana was delighted and thought that he would go to Vaivasvata’s abode.
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Those sons of kings used excellent gold-tufted arrows that were of many different kinds and forms and Arjuna’s son disappeared in the twinkling of an eye. O venerable one! He, his charioteer, his horses, his standard and his chariot were seen by us to be covered with arrows, like locusts. He was severely pierced and wounded and became as angry as a goaded
elephant. He affixed the gandharva weapon and its powers of maya. After tormenting himself with austerities, Arjuna had obtained it from gandharvas, Tumburu being the foremost. He
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confounded them with this. O king! He was sometimes seen as one, or hundreds, or thousands. He was like a circle of fire in that battle, exhibiting the swiftness of his weapons. The scorcher of enemies confounded them with the skill with which his chariot was driven and with the maya of his weapons. O king! He pierced the bodies of the kings in a hundred places. O king! In that battle, his sharp arrows took out the breath of life away from living bodies and they attained the other world, their bodies falling down on the ground. Phalguna’s son used his sharp and broad-headed arrows to sever their bows, horses, charioteers, standards, arms decorated with bracelets and heads. They were like five-year-old mango trees that were destroyed, though they were ready for yielding fruit. One hundred princes were killed by Subhadra’s son. They were delicate and deserved happiness, but were slain by him alone, with angry and virulent serpents.
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On seeing this, Duryodhana was terrified. Duryodhana saw that his chariots, elephants, horses and infantry were shattered and quickly rushed at him, in intolerance. The battle that commenced lasted only for a short instant. Your son was oppressed by hundreds of arrows and retreated.”’

‘Dhritarashtra said, “O suta! You have told me about the battle between the one and the many. It was extremely terrible and the great-souled one triumphed. The valour of Subhadra’s son was extraordinary and impossible to believe. But this wonderful deed is possible for those who resort to dharma. When the one hundred princes were slain, Duryodhana retreated. What did those on my side do to counter the influence of Subhadra’s son?”

‘Sanjaya replied, “Their faces were dry and their eyes lolled out. They perspired and their body hair stood up. They were interested in running away. They were no longer interested in defeating the enemy. They abandoned their slain brothers, fathers, well-wishers, relatives and those with whom they had matrimonial alliances. They swiftly urged their horses and elephants and fled. On beholding that they were shattered, Drona, Drona’s son, Brihadbala, Kripa, Duryodhana, Karna, Kritavarma and Soubala angrily attacked Subhadra’s unvanquished son. O king! Most of them were beaten back by your grandson. There was only one who had been reared in happiness. He was a child, but proud and fearless. Lakshmana
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was extremely energetic and used his arrows and weapons to attack Arjuna’s son. Out of anxiety and affection for the son, the father returned. Other maharathas also returned and followed Duryodhana. They drenched him with a cloud of arrows, like clouds pouring down rain on a mountain. But he countered them single-handed, like a dry wind driving away the clouds. Your grandson Lakshmana was invincible and handsome. The brave one was stationed near his father, the outstretched bow in his hand. He had been reared in great happiness and was like a son of the lord of riches.
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Krishna’s son encountered him in battle, like a crazy elephant clashing against another crazy elephant. Subhadra’s son, the destroyer of enemy heroes, approached Lakshmana and was pierced on his arms and his chest by extremely sharp arrows that were released from the bow.
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The mighty-armed one was enraged, like a serpent that has been struck with a staff. O great king! Your grandson spoke to your grandson.
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‘Glance well at this world. You will soon go to the other world. In the sight of your relatives, I will convey you to Yama’s abode.’ Saying this, Subhadra’s mighty-armed son, the destroyer of enemy heroes, used a broad-headed arrow. It looked like a snake that had just cast off its skin. It was released from his arms and severed
Lakshmana’s beautiful head, with an excellent nose, eyebrows and beautiful hair, and adorned with earrings. On seeing that Lakshmana had been slain, the people let out sounds of woe and lamentation. When his beloved son was brought down, Duryodhana was enraged. The bull among the kshatriyas loudly urged the kshatriyas to kill him. Six rathas surrounded him—Drona, Kripa, Karna, Drona’s son, Brihadbala and Kritavarma, Hridika’s son. But Arjuna’s son pierced them with sharp arrows and drove them back. Angrily and forcefully, he then descended on Saindhava’s large army. The armoured Kalingas, Nishadas, and Kratha’s valiant son obstructed his path with an array of elephants. O lord of the earth! The engagement between them was extremely fierce. Arjuna’s son crushed that army of elephants, like a wind courses in every direction in the sky and drives away hundreds of clouds. Kratha’s son enveloped Arjuna’s son with a storm of arrows. In addition, other rathas, with Drona at the forefront, also returned. They attacked Subhadra’s son, using supreme and other weapons. Arjuna’s son repulsed them with his arrows and swiftly afflicted Kratha’s son with a continuous flood of arrows, wishing to kill him. He brought down his bow, arrows, armlets, arms, diademed head, umbrella, standard, charioteer and horses. He
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was born in a noble lineage and possessed the strength of learning. He was the performer of deeds and possessed the strength of weapons. When such a brave one was killed, most of the others fled from the field of battle.”’

‘Dhritarashtra said, “Subhadra’s unvanquished son was young. He performed deeds that befitted his lineage. He never fled from the field of battle. He was borne on three-year-old horses that were extremely strong and born from good lineages. They seemed
to glide along the sky. When he penetrated there, which brave ones countered him?”