SECTION LV
Sanjaya said, "When the forenoon of that day had passed away, O Bharata,
and when the destruction of cars, elephants, steeds, foot-soldiers and
horse-soldiers, proceeded on, the prince of Panchala engaged himself in
battle with these three mighty car-warriors, viz., Drona's son, Salya,
and the high-souled Kripa. And the mighty heir of Panchala's king with
many sharp shafts, slew the steeds of Drona's son that were celebrated
over all the world. Deprived then of his animals, Drona's son quickly
getting up on Salya's car, showered his shafts on the hair of the
Panchala king. And beholding Dhrishtadyumna engaged in battle with
Drona's son, the son of Subhadra, O Bharata, quickly came up scattering
his sharp arrows. And, O bull of Bharata's race, he pierced Salya with
five and twenty, and Kripa with nine arrows, and Aswatthaman with eight.
Drona's son, however, quickly pierced Arjuna's son with many winged
arrows, and Salya pierced him with twelve, and Kripa with three sharp
arrows. Thy grandson Lakshmana then, beholding Subhadra's son engaged in
battle, rushed at him, excited with rage. And the battle commenced
between them. And the son of Duryodhana, excited with rage, pierced
Subhadra's son with sharp shafts in that combat. And that (feat), O king,
seemed highly wonderful. The light-handed Abhimanyu then, O bull of
Bharata's race, excited with rage, quickly pierced his cousin with five
hundred arrows. Lakshmana also, with his shafts, then cut off his
(cousin's) bow-staff at the middle, at which, O monarch, all the people
sent forth a loud shout. Then that slayer of hostile heroes, the son of
Subhadra, leaving aside that broken bow, took up another that was
beautiful and tougher.[367] And thereupon those two bulls among men, thus
engaged in combat and desirous of counteracting each other's feats,
pierced each other with sharp shafts. King Duryodhana then, O monarch,
beholding his mighty son thus afflicted by your grandson (Abhimanyu),
proceeded to that spot. And when your son turned (towards that spot), all
the kings surrounded the son of Arjuna on every side with crowds of cars.
Incapable of being defeated in battle and equal in prowess unto Krishna
himself, that hero, O king, thus surrounded by those heroes, was not
agitated in the least. Then Dhananjaya, beholding Subhadra's son engaged
in battle, rushed to that spot, excited with wrath, desirous of rescuing
his own son. Thereupon the kings (on the Kuru side), headed by Bhishma
and Drona and with cars, elephants and steeds, rushed impetuously at
Savyasachin. Then a thick earthly dust, suddenly raised by foot-soldiers
and steeds and cars and cavalry troopers, covering the sky appeared on
the view. And those thousands of elephants and hundreds of kings, when
they came within reach of Arjuna's arrows, were all unable to make any
further advance. And all creatures there set up loud wails, and the
points of the compass became dark. And then the transgression of the
Kurus assumed a fierce and dreadful aspect as regards its consequences.
Neither the welkin, nor the cardinal points of the compass nor the earth,
nor the sun, could be distinguished, O best of men, in consequence of the
arrows shot by Kiritin.[368] And many were the elephants there deprived
of the standards (on their backs), and many car-warriors also, deprived
of their steeds. And some leaders of car divisions were seen wandering,
having abandoned their cars. And other car-warriors, deprived of their
cars, were seen to wander hither and thither, weapon in hand and their
arms graced with Angadas. And riders of steeds abandoning their steeds
and of elephants abandoning their elephants from fear of Arjuna, O king,
fled away in all directions. And kings were seen felled or falling from
cars and elephants and steeds in consequence of Arjuna's shafts. And
Arjuna, assuming a fierce countenance, cut off with his terrible shafts,
the upraised arms of warriors, mace in grasp, and arms bearing swords, O
king, or darts, or quivers, or shafts, or bows, or hooks, or standards,
all over the field. And spiked maces broken in fragments, and mallets, O
sire, and bearded darts, and short arrows, and swords also, in that
battle, and sharp-edged battle-axes, and lances, O Bharata, and shields
broken into pieces, and coats of mail also, O king,[369] and standards,
and weapons of all kinds thrown away and umbrellas furnished with golden
staves, and iron hooks also, O Bharata, and goads and whips, and traces
also, O sire, were seen strewn over the field of battle in heaps. There
was no man in your army, O sire, who could advance against the heroic
Arjuna in battle. Whoever, O king, advanced against Pritha's son in
battle, pierced by sharp shafts was despatched to the other world. When
all these combatants of yours broke had fled away, Arjuna and Vasudeva
blew their excellent conches. Thy sire Devavrata then, beholding the
(Kuru) host routed, smilingly addressed the heroic son of Bharadwaja in
the battle and said, "This mighty and heroic son of Pandu, viz.,
Dhananjaya, accompanied by Krishna, is dealing with (our) troops as he
alone is competent to deal with them. He is incapable of being vanquished
in battle today by any means, judging by his form that we see now so like
unto that of the Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga. This vast host
again (of ours) is incapable of being rallied. Behold, looking at one
another, our troops are flying away. Yon Sun, robbing in every way the
vision of the whole world, is about to reach that best of mountains
called Asta.[370] For this, O bull among men, I think that the hour is
come for the withdrawal (of the army). The warriors, who have all been
tired and struck with panic, will never fight. Having said this unto
Drona that best of preceptors, Bhishma, that mighty car-warrior, caused
thy army to be withdrawn. And then when the sun set, the withdrawal of
both your army and theirs took place, O sire, and twilight set in."
--------------------END OF PARVA 6 : UPA-PARVA 55 ---------------------
