SECTION XLIV
Dhritarashtra said, 'When the divisions of both my side and the foe were
thus arrayed, who struck first, the Kurus or the Pandavas?'
Sanjaya said, "Hearing those words of his (elder) brother, your son
Dussasana advanced with his troops, with Bhishma at their head, and the
Pandavas also advanced with cheerful hearts, desiring battle with
Bhishma, having Bhimasena at their head. Then leonine, shouts, and
clamorous uproars and the noise of Krakachas, the blare of cow-horns, and
the sound of drums and cymbals and tabors, arose in both armies. And the
warriors of the foe rushed against us, and we also (rushed) against them
with loud shouts. And the uproar (caused by this rush) was
deafening.[317] The vast hosts of the Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras, in
that awfully murderous encounter shook in consequence of that uproar of
conches and cymbals, like forests shaken by the wind.[318] And the din
made by those hosts teeming with kings, elephants, and steeds, rushing
against one another in that evil hour, was as loud as that of oceans
agitated by the tempest. And when that din, loud and causing the hair to
stand on end, arose, the mighty-armed Bhimasena began to roar like a
bull. And those roars of Bhimasena rose above the clamour of conches and
drums, the grunts of elephants, and the leonine shouts of the combatants.
Indeed, the shouts of Bhimasena transcended the noise made by the
thousands of chargers neighing in (both) the armies. And hearing those
shouts of Bhimasena who was roaring like the clouds, shouts that
resembled the report of Sakra's thunder, your warriors were filled with
fear. And at those roars of the hero, the steeds and elephants all
ejected urine and excreta like other animals at the roar of the lion. And
roaring like a deep mass of clouds, and assuming an awful form, that hero
frightened your sons and fell upon them.[319] Thereupon the brothers,
viz., your sons Duryodhana, and Durmukha and Dussaha, and that mighty
car-warrior Dussasana, and Durmarshana, O king, and Vivingsati, and
Chitrasena, and the great car-warrior Vikarna and also Purumitra, and
Jaya, and Bhoja, and the valorous son of Somadatta, shaking their
splendid bows like masses of clouds exhibiting the lightning's flashes,
and taking out (of their quivers) long arrows resembling snakes that have
just cast off their sloughs, surrounded that mighty bowman rushing
(towards them) covering him with flights of arrows like the clouds
shrouding the sun. And the (five) sons of Draupadi, and the mighty
car-warrior Saubhadra,[320] and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna
of Prishata's race, rushed against (those) Dhartarashtras, tearing them
with whetted shafts like summits of mountains with the impetuous bolts of
heaven. And in that first encounter characterised by the awful twang of
bow-strings and their flapping against the leathern fences (of the
warriors)[321] no combatant, either on your side or that of the foe,
turned back. And, O bull of Bharata's race, I beheld the lightness of
hand of the disciples of Drona (in particular), who, shooting innumerable
arrows, O king, always succeeded in hitting the mark.[322] And the twang
of sounding bowstrings ceased not for a moment, and the blazing arrows
shot through (the air) like meteors (falling) from the firmament. And all
the other kings, O Bharata, stood like (silent) spectators witnessing
that interesting and awful encounter of kinsmen. And then those mighty
car-warriors, with wrath excited and remembering the injuries sustained
at one another's hands, strove in battle, O king, challenging one
another. And the two armies of the Kurus and the Pandavas, teeming with
elephants, steeds and cars, looked exceedingly beautiful on the field of
battle like painted figures on a canvas. And then the (other) kings all
took up their bows. And the Sun himself was shrouded by the dust raised
by the combatants. And they fell upon one another, at the heads of their
(respective) troops, at the command of your son. And the loud uproar made
by the elephants and the chargers of those kings rushing to the combat,
mingled with the leonine shouts of the combatants and the din made by the
blare of conches and the sounds of drums. And the uproar of that ocean
having arrows for its crocodiles, bows for its snakes, swords for its
tortoises, and the forward leaps of the warriors for its tempest,
resembled the din made by the (actual) ocean when agitated. And kings in
thousands, commanded by Yudhishthira, with their (respective) troops fell
upon the ranks of your son. And the encounter between the combatants of
the two hosts was fierce in the extreme. And no difference could be
perceived between the combatants of our side or that of the foe, while
battling, or retreating in broken array or rallying again to the fight.
In that terrific and awful battle, your father (Bhishma) shone,
transcending that countless host.
--------------------END OF PARVA 6 : UPA-PARVA 44 ---------------------
