SECTION CIV
Sanjaya said, "At mid-day, O king, happened a fierce battle, fraught with
great carnage, between Bhishma and the Somakas. That foremost of
car-warriors, viz., Ganga's son began to consume the ranks of the
Pandavas with keen shafts by hundreds and thousands. Thy sire Devavrata
began to grind those troops like a herd of bulls grinding (with their
tread) a heap of paddy sheaves. Then Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin and
Virata and Drupada, falling upon Bhishma in that battle, struck that
mighty car-warrior with numerous arrows. Bhishma then, having pierced
Dhrishtadyumna and Virata each with three arrows, sped a long shaft, O
Bharata, at Drupada. Thus pierced in battle by Bhishma, that grinder of
foes, those great bowmen became filled with wrath O king, like snakes
trod upon (by human feet). Then Sikhandin pierced the grandsire of the
Bharatas (with many shafts). Of unfading glory, Bhishma, however,
regarding his foe as a female struck him not. Dhrishtadyumna then, in
that battle, blazing up with wrath like fire, struck the grandsire with
three shafts in his arms and chest. And Drupada pierced Bhishma with five
and twenty shafts, and Virata pierced him with ten, and Sikhandin with
five and twenty. Deeply pierced (with those shafts) he became covered
with blood, and looked beautiful like a red Asoka variegated with
flowers. Then the son of Ganga pierced, in return, each of them with
three straight shafts. And then, O sire, he cut off Drupada's bow with a
broad-headed arrow. The latter then, taking up another bow, pierced
Bhishma with five shafts. And he pierced Bhishma's charioteer also with
three sharp shafts on the field of battle. Then the five sons of
Draupadi, and the five Kaikeya brothers and Satyaki also of the Satwata
race, headed by Yudhishthira, all rushed towards Ganga's son, desirous of
protecting the Panchalas headed by Dhrishtadyumna. And so all the
warriors of your army also, O king, prepared to protect Bhishma, rushed at
the head of their troops against the Pandava host. And then happened
there a fierce general engagement between your army of men and steeds and
theirs, that increased the population of Yama's kingdom. And car-warriors
falling upon car-warriors despatched one another to Yama's abode. And so
men and elephant-riders and horse-riders, falling upon others (of their
class), despatched them to the other world with straight shafts And here
and there on the field, O monarch, cars, deprived of riders and
charioteers by means of diverse kinds of fierce shafts, were in that
battle dragged on all sides over the field. And those cars, O king,
crushing large numbers of men and steeds in battle, were seen to resemble
the wind itself (in speed) and vapoury edifices in the firmament (for
their picturesque forms). And many car-warriors cased in mail and endued
with great energy, decked with ear-rings and head-gears and adorned with
garlands and bracelets, resembling the children of the celestials, equal
to Sakra himself for prowess in battle, surpassing Vaisravana in wealth
and Vrishaspati in intelligence, ruling over extensive territories, and
possessed of great heroism, O monarch, deprived of their cars, were seen
to run hither and thither like ordinary men. Huge tuskers also, O chief
of men, deprived of their skilled riders, ran, crushing friendly ranks,
and fell down with loud shrieks. Prodigious elephants looking like
newly-risen clouds and roaring also like the clouds, were seen to run in
all directions, deprived of their coats of mail. And, O sire, their
Chamaras and variegated standards, their umbrellas with golden staves,
and the bright lances (of their riders), lay scattered about.[468] And
elephant-riders, O king, deprived of their elephants, belonging both of
thy army and theirs, were seen to run (on foot) amid that awful press.
And steeds from diverse countries, decked with ornaments of gold, were
seen, by hundreds and thousands, to run with the speed of the wind. And
horse-riders, deprived of their horses, and armed with swords were in
that battle seen to run, or made to run (by others assailing them).
Elephant, meeting with a flying elephant in that dreadful battle,
proceeded, quickly crushing foot-soldiers and steeds. And, similarly, O
king those prodigious creatures crushed many cars in that battle, and
cars also, coming upon fallen steeds crushed them (in their course). And
steeds too, in the press of battle, crushed many foot-soldiers, O king
(with their hoofs). And thus, O monarch, they crushed one another in
diverse ways.[469] And in that fierce and awful battle there flowed a
terrible river of bloody current. And heaps of bows obstructed its
straight course, and the hair (of slain warriors) formed its moss. And
(broken) cars formed its lakes, and arrows its eddies. And steeds formed
its fishes. And heads (severed from trunks) formed its blocks of stone.
And it abounded with elephants that formed its crocodiles. And coats of
mail and head-gears formed its froth. And bows (in the hands of the
warriors) constituted the speed of its current, and swords its tortoises.
And banners and standards in profusion formed the trees on its banks. And
mortals constituted its banks which that river continually ate away. And
it abounded with cannibals that formed its swans. And that stream
(instead of swelling the ocean with its discharge) swelled the population
of Yama's kingdom. And brave Kshatriyas,--mighty car-warriors,--casting
off all fear, O king, sought to cross that river with the aid of cars,
elephants, and steeds that played the part of rafts and boats. And as the
river Vaitarani beareth all departed spirits towards the domains of the
King of the Dead, so that river of bloody current bore away all timid men
deprived of their senses in a swoon. And the Kshatriyas, beholding that
awful carnage, all exclaimed, saying, 'Alas, through Duryodhana's fault
the Kshatriyas are being exterminated. Why, Oh, Dhritarashtra of sinful
soul, deluded by avarice, harboured envy for the sons of Pandu, who are
graced with numerous virtues.' Diverse exclamations of this kind were
heard there, made by one another, fraught with the praises of the
Pandavas and censure of your sons. Hearing then these words uttered by all
the combatants, your son Duryodhana, that offender against all, addressed
Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Salya, O Bharata, saying, 'Fight ye
without boastfulness. Why tarry the at all?' Then the battle was resumed
between the Kurus and the Pandavas, that fierce battle, O king, caused by
the match at dice and marked by an awful slaughter. Thou beholdest now, O
son of Vichitravirya, the dreadful fruit of that rejection by you (of
the counsels of your friends) though warned against it by many illustrious
persons. Neither the sons of Pandu, O king, nor their troops, nor they
that follow them, nor the Kauravas, show the least regard for their lives
in battle. For this reason, O tiger among men, a dreadful destruction of
kinsmen is taking place, caused either by Destiny or by your evil policy,
O king."
--------------------END OF PARVA 6 : UPA-PARVA 104 ---------------------
