SECTION LXXX
Sanjaya said, "Then when the sun assumed a red hue, king Duryodhana,
desirous of battle, rushed towards Bhima from desire of slaying him.
Beholding that heroic warrior cherishing deep animosity (thus) coming
towards him, Bhimasena, excited with great wrath, said these
words,--'That hour hath come which I have desired for so many years. I
will slay you to-day if you dost not abandon the battle. Slaying you I
shall today dispel the sorrows of Kunti as also of Draupadi and the woes
that were ours during our exile in the woods. Filled with pride, thou
hadst formerly humiliated the sons of Pandu. Behold, O son of Gandhari,
the dire fruit of that sinful behaviour. Following the counsels of Karna
as also of Suvala's son, and recking the Pandavas little, you hadst
formerly behaved towards them as you had hinted. Thou had also
disregarded Krishna who begged you (for peace). With a joyous heart
didst you despatch Uluka (to us) with your messages. For all these, I
shall slay you to-day with all your kinsmen, and thus avenge all those
offences of yours of former days.' Having said these words, Bhima bending
his bow and stretching it repeatedly, and taking up a number of terrible
shafts whose effulgence resembled that of the lightning itself, and
filled with wrath, quickly sped six and thirty of them at Duryodhana. And
those shafts resembled the flames of a blazing fire, and coursed straight
with the force of the thunder-bolt. And then he pierced Duryodhana's bow
with two shafts, and his charioteer with two. And with four shafts he
despatched Duryodhana's (four) steeds to the regions of Yama. And that
grinder of foes then, with two shafts shot with great force, cut off in
that battle the king's umbrella from his excellent car. And with three
other shafts he cut off his handsome and blazing standard. And having cut
it off, he uttered a loud shout in the very sight of your son. And that
beautiful standard of the latter, decked with diverse gems, suddenly fell
down on the earth from his car like a flash of lightning from the clouds.
And all the kings beheld that beautiful standard of the Kuru king,
bearing the device of an elephant, decked with gems, and blazing like the
sun, fell down cut off (by Bhimasena). And that mighty car-warrior, viz.,
Bhima, then pierced Duryodhana in that battle, smiling the while, with
ten shafts like a guide piercing a mighty elephant with the hook. Then
that foremost of car-warriors, viz., the mighty king of the Sindhus,
supported by many brave warriors, placed himself on the flank of
Duryodhana. And then that great car-warrior, viz., Kripa, O king, caused
the vindictive Duryodhana, that son of Kuru's race, of immeasurable
energy, to mount on his own car. Then king Duryodhana, deeply pierced by
Bhimasena and feeling great pain, sat down on the terrace of that car.
Then Jayadratha, desirous of slaying Bhima, surrounded him on all sides
with several thousands of cars. Then, O king, Dhrishtaketu and Abhimanyu
of great energy, and the Kekayas, and the sons of Draupadi, all
encountered your sons. And the high-souled Abhimanyu smote them all,
piercing each with five straight shafts, resembling the bolts of heaven
or Death's selves, shot from his excellent bow. Thereupon, all of them,
unable to bear it (coolly), showered on that foremost of car-warriors,
viz., the son of Subhadra, a perfect down-pour of sharp shafts like
rain-charged clouds pouring rain on the breast of the mountains of Meru.
But Abhimanyu, that invisible warrior accomplished in arms, thus
afflicted by them in battle, caused all your sons, O king, to tremble like
the wielder of the thunder-bolt causing the mighty Asuras to tremble in
the battle between the celestials and the latter. Then that foremost of
car-warriors, O Bharata, shot fourteen broad-headed shafts, fierce and
looking like snakes of virulent poison, at Vikarna. Endued with great
prowess and as if dancing in that battle, he felled with those shafts the
standard of Vikarna from his car and slew also his charioteer and steeds.
Then that mighty car-warrior, the son of Subhadra, again sped at Vikarna
many other arrows that were well-tempered, straight-going, and capable of
penetrating every armour. And those arrows furnished with feathers of the
kanka bird, coming at Vikarna and passing through his body, entered the
earth, like hissing snakes. And those arrows, with wings and points
decked with gold, bathed in Vikarna's blood, seemed to vomit blood on the
earth. Beholding Vikarna thus pierced, his other uterine brothers rushed,
in that battle, against those car-warriors headed by Subhadra's son. And
when these invincible warriors upon their (own) cars came upon those
combatants (of the Pandava army) resplendent like so many suns and
staying on their cars both began to pierce one another.. And Durmukha,
having pierced Srutakarman with five shafts, cut off the latter's
standard with a single shaft and then pierced his charioteer with seven.
And advancing closer, he slew with half a dozen shafts his foe's steeds,
fleet as the wind and cased in golden armour, and then felled his
charioteer. Srutakarman, however, staying on that car of his, the steeds
of which had been slain, hurled in great wrath a dart blazing like a
fierce meteor. That dart, blazing with effulgence, passing through the
renowned Durmukha's hard coat of mail, penetrated into the earth.
Meanwhile the mighty Sutasoma beholding Srutakarman deprived of his car,
caused him to mount upon his own car in the very sight of all the troops.
The heroic Srutakirti rushed against your son Jayatsena in that battle,
desirous, O king, of slaying that renowned warrior. Then your son
Jayatsena, O king, with a sharp arrow having a horse-shoe head, smiling
the while, cut off the bow of the high-souled Srutakirti as the latter
came along stretching it in his hands. Then Satanika, beholding his
uterine brother's bow cut off, endued as he was with great valour,
quickly came at that spot repeatedly roaring like a lion. And Satanika,
drawing his bow in that battle with great force, speedily pierced
Jayatsena with ten shafts, and uttered a loud shout like an infuriate
elephant. And with another arrow of sharp point and capable of
penetrating every armour, Satanika deeply pierced Jayatsena in the chest.
Just at that time, Dushkarna who was near his brother. (Jayatsena)
infuriate with anger, cut off Satanika's bow and arrow. Then the mighty
Satanika taking up another excellent bow capable of bearing a great
strain, aimed many sharp shafts. And addressing Dushkarna in the presence
of his brother (Jayatsena), saying--'Wait', 'Wait',--he sped at him those
sharp and blazing shafts resembling so many snakes. And then he speedily
cut off Dushkarna's bow with one arrow, and slew his charioteer, O sire,
with two, and then pierced Dushkarna himself with seven arrows. And that
spotless warrior then with a dozen sharp shafts slew all the steeds of
Dushkarna that were fleet as the mind and of variegated hue. And then
with another broad-headed arrow, well-aimed and capable of coursing
swiftly, Satanika, excited with great wrath deeply pierced Dushkarna in
the chest. And thereupon the latter fell down on the earth like a tree
struck with lightning. Beholding Dushkarna slain, five mighty
car-warriors, O king, surrounded Satanika on all sides, from desire of
slaying him. And they struck the renowned Satanika with showers of
arrows. Then the five Kekaya brothers, excited with wrath, approached
(Satanika for rescuing him). Beholding the latter coming upon them, thy
sons--those mighty car-warriors,--rushed towards them like elephants
rushing against mighty elephants. (These amongst your sons, viz.,)
Durmukha and Durjaya and the youthful Durmarshana and Satranjaya and
Satrusha, all renowned warriors, excited with rage, proceeded, O king,
against the (five) Kekaya brothers. On their cars that resembled
(fortified) towns, unto which were yoked steeds decked with ornaments,
and which were graced with beautiful standards of variegated hue, those
heroes wielding excellent bows and cased in beautiful coats of mail and
owning excellent standards, entered the hostile army like lions entering
one forest from another. Smiting one another, fierce and terrific was the
battle that ensued between them and the foe, in which cars and elephants
got entangled with one another. Cherishing feelings of hostility towards
one another, the terrible battle in which they took part lasted for a
short space of time about sunset, increasing the population of Yama's
kingdom. And car-warriors and horsemen by thousands were strewn over the
field. And Bhishma the son of Santanu excited with wrath, began to
slaughter the troops of the high-souled Pandavas with his straight
shafts. And with his arrows he began to despatch the combatants of the
Panchalas to the domains of Yama. And the grandsire, having thus broken
the ranks of the Pandavas at last withdrew his troops and retired, O
king, to his encampment. And king Yudhishthira also, beholding both
Dhrishtadyumna and Vrikodara, smelt their heads, and filled with joy,
retired to his tents."
--------------------END OF PARVA 6 : UPA-PARVA 80 ---------------------
