SECTION CVI
"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding Bhishma excited with wrath in battle,
surrounded on all sides by the Pandavas like the Sun in the firmament. O
king, by the clouds at the end of summer, Duryodhana, O monarch,
addressed Dussasana, saying, 'This heroic and great bowman Bhishma, this
slayer of heroes, hath, O bull of Bharata's race, been surrounded on all
sides by the brave Pandavas. It is your duty, O hero, to protect that
illustrious one. Protected by us in battle, our grandsire Bhishma will
slay all the Panchalas along with the Pandavas. The protection of
Bhishma. therefore, I think, is our highest duty, for this great bowman
of his vows, viz., Bhishma, is our protector in return. Therefore,
surrounding the grandsire with all our troops, do you protect him, who
always achieveth the most difficult feats in battle. Thus addressed by
Duryodhana, your son Dussasana, surrounding Bhishma with a large force on
all sides took up his position. Then Suvala's son Sakuni, with hundreds
and thousands of horsemen having bright spears and swords and lances in
hand, and who formed a proud, well-dressed, and strong body bearing
standards, and who were mingled with excellent foot-soldiers that were
all well-trained and skilled in battle began to cheek Nakula, and
Sahadeva, and Yudhishthira the son of Pandu, surrounding those foremost
of men on all sides. Then king Duryodhana despatched ten thousand (other)
brave horsemen for resisting the Pandavas. When these rushed like so many
Garudas towards the enemy with great impetuosity, the earth, O king,
struck with their horse-hoofs, trembled and uttered a loud noise. And the
loud clatter of their hoofs was heard resembling the noise made by a
large forest of bamboos, in conflagration on a mountain. And as these
dashed over the field, there rose a cloud of dust, which rising to the
welkin shrouded the very Sun. And in consequence of those impetuous
steeds, the Pandava army was agitated like a large lake with a flight of
swans suddenly alighting on its bosom. And in consequence of their
neighing, nothing else could be heard there. Then king Yudhishthira, and
the two sons of Pandu by Madri, quickly checked the charge of those
horsemen in battle, like the continent, O king, bearing the force, at
full tide, of the surging sea swollen with the waters of the rainy
season. Then those (three) car-warriors, O monarch, with their straight
shafts, cut off the heads of those horse-riders. Slain by those strong
bowmen, they fell down, O king, (on the earth), like mighty elephants
tumbling into mountain caves, slain by huge compeers. Indeed, coursing
all over the field, those warriors (of the Pandavas army) cut off the
heads of those cavalry soldiers with sharp-bearded darts and straight
shafts. Struck with swords, those horsemen, O bull of Bharata's race,
suffered their heads to drop like tall trees, dropping their fruits. All
over the field, O king, steeds along with their riders were seen fallen
or falling, deprived of life. And while being (thus) slaughtered, the
steeds, affected with panic, fled away like smaller animals desirous of
saving their lives at sight of the lion. And the Pandavas, O king, having
vanquished their foes in that great battle, blew their conches and beat
their drums. Then Duryodhana, filled with grief on seeing his troops
vanquished, addressed the ruler of the Madras, O chief of the Bharatas,
and said, 'There, the eldest son of Pandu, accompanied by the twins in
battle, in your very sight, O you of mighty arms, routeth our troops, O
lord. O mighty-armed one, resist him like the continent resisting the
ocean. Thou are exceedingly well-known as possessed of might and prowess
that are irresistible.' Hearing these words of your son, the valiant Salya
proceeded with a large body of cars to the spot where Yudhishthira was.
Thereupon, the son of Pandu began to resist in battle that large host of
Salya rushing impetuously towards him with the force of a mighty wave.
And that mighty car-warrior, viz., king Yudhishthira the just, in that
battle quickly pierced the ruler of the Madras in the centre of the chest
with ten shafts. And Nakula and Sahadeva struck him with seven straight
shafts. The ruler of the Madras then struck each of them with three
arrows. And once more he pierced Yudhishthira with sixty sharp-pointed
arrows. And excited with wrath he struck each of the sons of Madri also
with two shafts. Then that vanquisher of foes, the mighty-armed Bhima,
beholding the king, in that great battle, staying within reach of Salya's
car as if within the very jaws of Death, quickly proceeded to
Yudhishthira's side. Then when the Sun, having passed the meridian, was
sinking, there commenced a fierce and terrible battle (on that part of
the field).
--------------------END OF PARVA 6 : UPA-PARVA 106 ---------------------
