SECTION XCII
Dhritarashtra said, "Tell me, O Sanjaya, all that the mighty Partha did
in battle when they heard that Iravat had been slain."
Sanjaya said, "Beholding Iravat slain in battle, the Rakshasa
Ghatotkacha, the son of Bhimasena, uttered loud shouts. And in
consequence of the loudness of those roars, the earth having the ocean
for her robes, along with her mountains and forests, began to tremble
violently. And the welkin also and the quarters both cardinal and
subsidiary, all trembled. And hearing those loud roars of his, O Bharata,
the thighs and other limbs of the troops began to tremble, and sweat also
appeared on their persons. And all your combatants, O king, became
cheerless of heart. And all over the field the warriors stood still, like
an elephant afraid of the lion. And the Rakshasa, uttering those loud
roars resembling the rattle of thunder, assuming a terrible form, and
with a blazing spear upraised in hand, and surrounded by many bulls among
Rakshasas of fierce forms armed with diverse weapons, advanced, excited
with rage and resembling the Destroyer himself at the end of the Yuga.
Beholding him advance in wrath and with a terrible countenance, and
seeing also his own troops almost all running away from fear of that
Rakshasa, king Duryodhana rushed against Ghatotkacha, taking up his bow
with arrow fixed on the string, and repeatedly roaring like a lion.
Behind him proceeded the ruler of the Vangas, with ten thousand
elephants, huge as hills, and each with juice trickling down. Beholding
thy son, O king, (thus) advancing surrounded by that elephant division,
that ranger of the night (viz., Ghatotkacha) was highly inflamed with
rage. Then commenced a battle with utmost vehemences that made the hair
stand on end, between the formidable Rakshasa and the troops of
Duryodhana. And beholding also that elephant division risen (on the
horizon) like a cloud, the Rakshasas, inflamed with rage, rushed towards
it, weapons in hand, and uttering diverse roars like clouds charged with
lightning. With arrows and darts and swords and long shafts, as also with
spears and mallets and battle-axes and short arrows, they began to smite
down that elephant host. And they slew huge elephants with
mountain-summits and large trees. While the Rakshasas slew those
elephants, O king, we saw that some of them had their frontal globes
smashed, some were bathed in blood, and some had their limbs broken or
cut through. At last when that elephant host was broken and thinned,
Duryodhana, O king, rushed upon the Rakshasas, under the influence of
rage and becoming reckless of his very life. And that mighty warrior sped
clouds of sharp shafts at the Rakshasas. And that great bowman slew many
of their foremost warriors. Inflamed with rage, O chief of the Bharatas,
that mighty car-warrior, viz., your son Duryodhana, then slew with four
shafts four of the principal Rakshasas, viz., Vegavat, Maharudra,
Vidyujihva, and Pramathin. And once again, O chief of the Bharatas, that
warrior of immeasurable soul, sped at the Rakshasa host showers of arrows
that could with difficulty be resisted. Beholding that great feat of thy
son, O sire, the mighty son of Bhimasena blazed up with wrath. Drawing
his large bow effulgent as the lightning, he rushed impetuously at the
wrathful Duryodhana. Beholding him (thus) rushing like Death himself
commissioned by the Destroyer, your son Duryodhana, O king, shook not at
all. With eyes red in anger, and excited with rage, Ghatotkacha, then,
addressing your son, said, 'I shall today be freed from the debt I owe to
my sires, as also to my mother, they that had so long been exiled by thy
cruel self. The sons of Pandu, O king, were vanquished by you in that
match at dice. Drupada's daughter Krishna also, while ill and, therefore,
clad in a single raiment, was brought into the assembly and great trouble
was given by you in diverse ways, O you most wicked, unto her. While
dwelling also in her sylvan retreat, your well-wisher, that wicked wight,
viz., the ruler of the Sindhus, persecuted her further, disregarding my
sires. For these and other wrongs, O wretch of your race, I shall today
take vengeance if you dost not quit the field.' Having said these words,
Hidimva's son, drawing his gigantic bow, biting his (nether) lip with his
teeth, and licking the corners of his mouth, covered Duryodhana with a
profuse shower, like a mass of clouds covering the mountain-breast with
torrents of rain in the rainy season."
--------------------END OF PARVA 6 : UPA-PARVA 92 ---------------------
