SECTION CCLXIX
Vaisampayana said, "Meanwhile, the king of Sindhu was giving orders to
those princes, saying, 'Halt, strike, march, quick', and like. And on
seeing Bhima, Arjuna and the twin brothers with Yudhishthira, the
soldiers sent up a loud shout on the field of battle. And the warriors of
the Sivi, Sauvira and Sindhu tribes, at the sight of those powerful
heroes looking like fierce tigers, lost heart. And Bhimasena, armed with
a mace entirely of Saikya iron and embossed with gold, rushed towards the
Saindhava monarch doomed to death. But Kotikakhya, speedily surrounding
Vrikodara with an array of mighty charioteers, interposed between and
separated the combatants. And Bhima, though assailed with numberless
spears and clubs and iron arrows hurled at him by the strong arms of
hostile heroes, did not waver for one moment. On the other hand, he
killed, with his mace, an elephant with its driver and fourteen
foot-soldiers fighting in the front of Jayadratha's car. And Arjuna also,
desirous of capturing the Sauvira king, slew five hundred brave
mountaineers fighting in the van of the Sindhu army. And in that
encounter, the king himself slew in the twinkling of an eye, a hundred of
the best warriors of the Sauviras. And Nakula too, sword in hand, jumping
out of his chariot, scattered in a moment, like a tiller sowing seeds,
the heads of the combatants fighting in the rear. And Sahadeva from his
chariot began to fell with his iron shafts, many warriors fighting on
elephants, like birds dropped from the boughs of a tree. Then the king of
Trigartas, bow in hand descending from his great chariot, killed the four
steeds of the king with his mace. But Kunti's son, king Yudhishthira the
just, seeing the foe approach so near, and fighting on foot, pierced his
breast with a crescent-shaped arrow. And that hero, thus wounded in the
breast began to vomit blood, and fell down upon the ground besides
Pritha's son, like an uprooted tree. And king Yudhishthira the just,
whose steeds had been slain taking this opportunity, descended with
Indrasena from his chariot and mounted that of Sahadeva. And the two
warriors, Kshemankara and Mahamuksha, singling out Nakula, began to pour
on him from both sides a perfect shower of keen-edged arrows. The son of
Madri, however, succeeded in slaying, with a couple of long shafts, both
those warriors who had been pouring on him an arrowy shower--like clouds
in the rainy season. Suratha, the king of Trigartas, well-versed in
elephant-charges, approaching the front of Nakula's chariot, caused it to
be dragged by the elephant he rode. But Nakula, little daunted at this,
leaped out of his chariot, and securing a point of vantage, stood shield
and sword in hand, immovable as a hill. Thereupon Suratha, wishing to
slay Nakula at once, urged towards him his huge and infuriate elephant
with trunk upraised. But when the beast came near, Nakula with his sword
severed from his head both trunk and tusks. And that mail-clad elephant,
uttering a frightful roar, fell headlong upon the ground, crushing its
riders by the fall. And having achieved this daring feat, heroic son of
Madri, getting up on Bhimasena's car, obtained a little rest. And Bhima
too, seeing prince Kotikakhya rush to the encounter, cut off the head of
his charioteer with a horse-shoe arrow. That prince did not even perceive
that his driver was killed by his strong-armed adversary, and his horses,
no longer restrained by a driver, ran about on the battle-field in all
directions. And seeing that prince without a driver turn his back, that
foremost of smiters, Bhima the son of Pandu, went up to him and slew him
with a bearded dart. And Dhananjaya also cut off with his sharp
crescent-shaped arrows, the heads, as well as the bows of all the twelve
Sauvira heroes. And the great warrior killed in battle, with the arrow,
the leaders of the Ikshwakus and the hosts of Sivis and Trigartas and
Saindhavas. And a great many elephants with their colours, and chariots
with standards, were seen to fall by the hand of Arjuna. And heads
without trunks, and trunks without heads, lay covering the entire field
of battle. And dogs, and herons and ravens, and crows, and falcons, and
jackals, and vultures, feasted on the flesh and blood of warriors slain
on that field. And when Jayadratha, the king of Sindhu, saw that his
warriors were slain, he became terrified and anxious to run away leaving
Krishna behind. And in that general confusion, the wretch, setting down
Draupadi there, fled for his life, pursuing the same forest path by which
he had come. And king Yudhishthira the just, seeing Draupadi with Dhaumya
walking before, caused her to be taken up on a chariot by the heroic
Sahadeva, the son of Madri. And when Jayadratha had fled away Bhima began
to mow down with his iron-arrows such of his followers as were running
away striking each trooper down after naming him. But Arjuna perceiving
that Jayadratha had run away exhorted his brother to refrain from
slaughtering the remnant of the Saindhava host. And Arjuna said, 'I do
not find on the field of battle Jayadratha through whose fault alone we
have experienced this bitter misfortune! Seek him out first and may
success crown your effort! What is the good of your slaughtering these
troopers? Why are you bent upon this unprofitable business?'
Vaisampayana continued, "Bhimasena, thus exhorted by Arjuna of great
wisdom, turning to Yudhishthira, replied, saying, 'As a great many of the
enemy's warriors have been slain and as they are flying in all
directions, do thou, O king, now return home, taking with you Draupadi
and the twin brothers and high-souled Dhaumya, and console the princess
after getting back to our asylum! That foolish king of Sindhu I shall not
let alone as long as he lives, even if he find a shelter in the internal
regions or is backed by Indra himself! And Yudhishthira replied, saying,
'O you of mighty arms remembering (our sister) Dussala and the
celebrated Gandhari, you shouldst not slay the king of Sindhu even
though he is so wicked!'
Vaisampayana continued, "Hearing these words, Draupadi was greatly
excited. And that highly intelligent lady in her excitement said to her
two husbands, Bhima and Arjuna with indignation mixed with modesty, 'If
you care to do what is agreeable to me, you must slay that mean and
despicable wretch, that sinful, foolish, infamous and contemptible chief
of the Saindhava clan! That foe who forcibly carries away a wife, and he
that wrests a kingdom, should never be forgiven on the battle-field, even
though he should supplicate for mercy!' Thus admonished, those two
valiant warriors went in search of the Saindhava chief. And the king
taking Krishna with him returned home, accompanied by his spiritual
adviser. And on entering the hermitage, he found it was laid over with
seats for the ascetics and crowded with their disciples and graced with
the presence of Markandeya and other Brahmanas. And while those Brahmanas
were gravely bewailing the lot of Draupadi, Yudhishthira endued with
great wisdom joined their company, with his brothers. And beholding the
king thus come back after having defeated the Saindhava and the Sauvira
host and recovered Draupadi, they were all elated with joy! And the king
took his seat in their midst. And the excellent princess Krishna entered
the hermitage with the two brothers.
"Meanwhile Bhima and Arjuna, learning the enemy was full two miles ahead
of them urged their horses to greater speed in pursuit of him. And the
mighty Arjuna performed a wonderful deed, killing the horse of Jayadratha
although they were full two miles ahead of them. Armed with celestial
weapons undaunted by difficulties he achieved this difficult feat with
arrows inspired with Mantras. And then the two warriors, Bhima and
Arjuna, rushed towards the terrified king of Sindhu whose horses had been
slain and who was alone and perplexed in mind. And the latter was greatly
grieved on seeing his steeds slain. And beholding Dhananjaya do such a
daring deed, and intent on running away, he followed the same forest
track by which he had come. And Falguna, seeing the Saindhava chief so
active in his fright, overtook him and addressed him saying, 'Possessed
of so little manliness, how couldst you dare to take away a lady by
force? Turn round, O prince; it is not meet that you shouldst run away!
How canst you act so, leaving your followers in the midst of your foes?'
Although addressed by the sons of Pritha thus, the monarch of Sindhu did
not even once turn round. And then bidding him to what he chose the
mighty Bhima overtook him in an instant, but the kind Arjuna entreated
him not to kill that wretch."
--------------------END OF PARVA 3 : UPA-PARVA 269 ---------------------
