SECTION CII
Dhritarashtra said, "How, O Sanjaya, did Alamvusha resist in combat the
heroic son of Arjuna smiting many of our mighty car-warriors in battle?
And how also did that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of
Subhadra, fight with Rishyasringa's son? Tell me all this in detail,
exactly as it happened in that fight. What also did Bhima, that foremost
of car-warriors, and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, and Nakula, and Sahadeva
and the mighty car-warrior Satyaki, and Dhananjaya, do with my troops in
battle? Tell me all this truly, O Sanjaya, for you are skilled (in
narration)."
Sanjaya said, "I will presently describe to thee, O sire, the awful
battle that took place between that foremost of the Rakshasas and the son
of Subhadra. I will also describe to you the prowess that Arjuna put
forth in battle, and Bhimasena the son of Pandu and Nakula, and Sahadeva,
as also the warriors of your army headed by Bhishma and Drona, all of whom
fearlessly achieved wonderful feats of diverse kinds, Alamvusha, uttering
loud shouts and repeatedly roaring at Abhimanyu, rushed impetuously
against that mighty car-warrior in battle, saying, 'Wait,
Wait'--Abhimanyu also, repeatedly roaring like a lion, rushed with at
great force at that mighty bowman, viz., the son of Rishyasringa, who was
an implacable foe of the former's sire. Soon then those two foremost of
car-warriors, man and Rakshasa, on their cars, encountered each other,
like a god and Danava. That best of Rakshasa were endued with powers of
illusion, while Phalguni's son was acquainted with celestial weapons.
Then Abhimanyu, O king, pierced Rishyasringa's son in that battle with
three sharp shafts and once more with five. Alamvusha, also, excited with
wrath, speedily pierced Abhimanyu in the chest with nine shafts like a
guide piercing an elephant with hooks. Then, O Bharata, that wanderer of
the night, endued with great activity, afflicted Arjuna's son in that
combat with a thousand arrows. Then Abhimanyu excited with rage, pierced
that prince of the Rakshasas in his wide chest with nine straight shafts
of great sharpness. Piercing through his body these penetrated into his
very vitals. And that best of Rakshasas, his limbs mangled by them,
looked beautiful like a mountain overgrown with flowering Kinsukas.
Bearing those shafts of golden wings on his body, that mighty prince of
Rakshasas looked radiant like a mountain on fire. Then the vindictive son
of Rishyasringa, inflamed with wrath, covered Abhimanyu, who was equal
unto Mahendra himself, with clouds of winged arrows. Those sharp shafts
resembling the rods of Yama himself, shot by him, pierced Abhimanyu
through and entered the earth. And similarly the gold-decked arrows shot
by Arjuna's son, piercing Alamvusha through, entered the earth. The son
of Subhadra then, in that battle, with his straight shafts, obliged the
Rakshasa to turn his back upon the field, like Sakra repulsing Maya in
days of old. That scorcher of foes, the Rakshasa, then, thus repulsed and
struck repeatedly by his adversary, exhibited his great powers of
illusion by causing a thick darkness to set in. Then all the combatants
there, O king, were covered by that darkness. Neither could Abhimanyu be
seen, nor could friends be distinguished from foes in that battle.
Abhimanyu, however, beholding that thick and awful gloom, invoked into
existence. O son of Kuru's race, the blazing solar weapon. Thereupon, O
king, the universe once more became visible. And thus he neutralised the
illusion of that wicked Rakshasa. Then that prince of men, excited with
wrath and endued with great energy, covered that foremost of Rakshasa in
that battle with many straight shafts. Diverse other kinds of illusion
were conjured up there by that Rakshasa. Conversant with all weapons, the
son of Phalguni however, neutralised them all. The Rakshasa then, his
illusions all destroyed, and himself struck with shafts, abandoned his
car even there, and fled away in great fear. After that Rakshasa addicted
to unfair fight had been thus vanquished, the son of Arjuna began to
grind your troops in battle, like a juice-blind prince of wild elephants
agitating a lake overgrown with lotus.[465] Then Bhishma the son of
Santanu, beholding his troops routed, covered Subhadra's son with a thick
shower of arrows. Then many mighty car-warriors of the Dhartarashtra
army, standing in a ring round that single hero, began to strike him
forcibly with their shafts. That hero then, who resembled his sire in
prowess and who was equal to Vasudeva in valour and might,--that foremost
of all wielders of weapons,--achieved diverse feats in that battle that
were worthy of both his sire and maternal uncle. Then the heroic
Dhananjaya, excited with wrath and desirous of rescuing his son, arrived
at the spot where the latter was slaughtering your troops as he came
along. And similarly, O king, your sire Devavrata in that battle
approached Partha like Rahu approaching the sun.[466] Then your sons, O
monarch, supported by cars, elephants, and steeds, surrounded Bhishma in
that battle and protected him from every side. And so also the Pandavas,
O king, clad in mail and surrounding Dhananjaya, engaged in fierce
battle, O bull of Bharata's race. Then Saradwat's son (Kripa), O king,
pierced Arjuna who was staying in front of Bhishma, with five and twenty
shafts. Thereupon, like a tiger attacking an elephant, Satyaki,
approaching Kripa, pierced him with many whetted shafts from desire of
doing what was agreeable to the Pandavas. Gautama in return, excited with
wrath, quickly pierced him of Madhu's race in the chest with nine arrows
winged with the feathers of the Kanka bird. Sini's grandson also, excited
with wrath, and forcibly drawing his bow, quickly sped at him an arrow
capable of taking his life. The fiery son of Drona, however, excited with
wrath, cut in twain that arrow as it coursed impetuously towards Kripa,
resembling Indra's bolt in effulgence. Thereupon that foremost of
car-warriors, viz., Sini's grandson, abandoning Gautama, rushed in battle
towards Drona's son like Rahu in the firmament against the Moon. Drona's
son, however, O Bharata, cut Satyaki's bow in twain. After his bow had
thus been cut off, the former began to strike the latter with his shafts.
Satyaki then, taking up another bow capable of bearing a great strain and
slaughtering the foe, struck Drona's son, O king, in the chest and arms
with six shafts. Pierced therewith and feeling great pain, for a moment
he was deprived of his senses, and he sat down on the terrace of his car,
catching hold of his flag-staff. Regaining his consciousness then, the
valiant son of Drona, excited with rage afflicted him of Vrishni's race
in that battle, with one long shaft. That shaft, piercing Sini's grandson
through, entered the earth like a vigorous young snake entering its hole
in the season of spring. And with another broad-headed arrow, Drona's son
in that battle cut off the excellent standard of Satyaki. And having
achieved this feat he uttered a leonine roar. And once more, O Bharata,
he covered his adversary with a shower of fierce shafts like the clouds,
O king covering the Sun after summer is past, Satyaki also, O monarch,
baffling that arrowy shower, soon covered the son of Drona with diverse
showers of arrows That slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the grandson of
Sini, freed from that arrowy shower like the Sun from the clouds, began
to scorch the son of Drona (with his energy). Swelling with rage the
mighty Satyaki once more covered his foe with a thousand arrows and
uttered a loud shout. Beholding his son then thus afflicted like the Moon
by Rahu, the valiant son of Bharadwaja rushed towards the grandson of
Sini. Desirous, O king, of rescuing, his son who was afflicted by the
Vrishni hero, Drona, in that great battle, pierced the latter with a
shaft of exceeding sharpness. Satyaki then, abandoning the mighty
car-warrior Aswatthaman, pierced Drona himself in that battle with twenty
arrows of exceeding sharpness. Soon after, that scorcher of foes and
mighty car-warrior, viz., Kunti's son of immeasurable soul, excited with
wrath, rushed in that battle against Drona. Then Drona and Partha
encountered each other in fierce combat like the planets Budha and Sukra,
O king, in the firmament.[467]
--------------------END OF PARVA 6 : UPA-PARVA 102 ---------------------
