SECTION CXII
Sanjaya said, "The mighty bowman (Alamvusha) the son of Rishyasringa, in
that battle, resisted Satyaki clad in mail and proceeding towards
Bhishma. He of Madhu's race, however, O king, excited with wrath, pierced
the Rakshasa with nine arrows, smiling the while, O Bharata. And so the
Rakshasa also, O king, excited with wrath, afflicted him of Madhu's race,
viz., that bull of Sini's line, with nine arrows. Then Sini's grandson,
that slayer of hostile heroes, of Madhu's race, excited with rage, sped
in that battle a profusion of arrows at the Rakshasa. Then that
mighty-aimed Rakshasa pierced Satyaki, of prowess incapable of being
baffled, with many sharp arrows, and uttered a loud shout. Then he of
Madhu's race, endued with great energy, though deeply pierced by the
Rakshasa in that battle, still, relying upon his prowess, laughed (at his
wounds) and uttered loud roars. Then Bhagadatta, excited with rage,
afflicted him of Madhu's race in that battle with many sharp arrows like
a guide piercing a huge elephant with the hook. Then that foremost of
car-warriors, viz., the grandson of Sini, abandoning the Rakshasa in
battle, sped many straight shafts at the ruler of the Pragjyotishas. The
ruler of the Pragjyotishas then, with a broad-headed arrow of great
sharpness, displaying great lightness of hand, cut off, the large bow of
Satyaki. Then that slayer of hostile heroes, excited with rage and taking
up another bow of greater impetus, pierced Bhagadatta in that battle with
many sharp arrows. That mighty bowman, viz., Bhagadatta, then deeply
pierced, began to lick the corners of his mouth. And he then hurled at
his foe, in that dreadful battle, a tough dart, made wholly of iron,
decked with gold and stones of lapis lazuli, and fierce as the rod of
Yama himself. Sped with the might of Bhagadatta's arm and coursing
towards him impetuously, Satyaki, O king, cut that dart in twain by means
of his shafts. Thereupon that dart fell down suddenly, like a great
meteor shorn of its splendour. Beholding the dart baffled, your son
(Duryodhana), O monarch, surrounded him of Madhu's race with a large
number of cars. And seeing that mighty car-warrior among the Vrishnis
thus surrounded, Duryodhana, angrily addressing all his brothers, said,
'Take such steps, the Kauravas, that Satyaki may not, in this battle,
escape you and this large division of cars, with life. If he be slain,
the vast host of the Pandavas may be regarded as slain also.' Accepting
Duryodhana's words with the answer--So be it,--those mighty car-warriors
fought with Sini's grandson in the view of Bhishma. The mighty ruler of
the Kamvojas, in that battle, resisted Abhimanyu who was proceeding
against Bhishma. The son of Arjuna, having pierced the king with many
straight shafts,[477] once more pierced that monarch, O monarch, with
four and sixty shafts. Sudakshina, however, desirous of Bhishma's life,
pierced Abhimanyu in that battle with five arrows and his charioteer with
nine. And the battle that took place there, in consequence of the meeting
of those two warriors, was fierce in the extreme. That grinder of foes
Sikhandin, then rushed at the of Ganga. Old Virata and Drupada, those
mighty car-warriors, both excited with rage, rushed to battle with
Bhishma, resisting the large host of the Kauravas as they went. That best
of car-warriors, viz., Aswatthaman, excited with rage, encountered both
those warriors. Then commenced a battle, O Bharata, between him and them.
Virata then, O chastiser of foes, struck, with broad-headed shafts, that
mighty bowman and ornament of battle, viz., Drona's son, as the latter
advanced against them. And Drupada also pierced him with three sharp
shafts. Then the preceptor's soil, Aswatthaman, coming upon those mighty
warriors thus striking him, viz., the brave Virata and Drupada both
proceeding towards Bhishma, pierced them both with many shafts. Wonderful
was the conduct that we then beheld of those two old warriors, inasmuch
as they checked all those fierce shafts shot by Drona's son. Like an
infuriate elephant in the forest rushing against an infuriate compeer,
Kripa, the son of Saradwat, proceeded against Sahadeva who was advancing
upon Bhishma. And Kripa, brave in battle, quickly struck that mighty
car-warrior, viz., the son of Madri, with seventy shafts decked with
gold. The son of Madri, however, cut Kripa's bow in twain by means of his
shafts. And cutting off his bow, Sahadeva then pierced Kripa with nine
arrows. Taking up then, in that battle, another bow capable of bearing a
great strain Kripa, excited with rage and desirous of Bhishma's life,
cheerfully struck Madri's son in that battle with ten shafts. And so the
son of Pandu, in return, desirous of Bhishma's death, excited with rage,
struck the wrathful Kripa in the chest (with many shafts). And then
occurred there a terrible and fierce battle. That scorcher of foes, viz.,
Vikarna, desirous of saving the grandsire Bhishma, excited with rage in
that battle, pierced Nakula with sixty arrows. Nakula also, deeply
pierced by your intelligent son, pierced Vikarna in return with seven and
seventy shafts. There those two tigers among men, those two chastisers of
foes, those two heroes, struck each other for the sake of Bhishma, like
two bovine bulls in a fold. Thy son Durmukha, endued with great prowess,
proceeded, for the sake of Bhishma, against Ghatotkacha advancing to
battle and slaughtering your army as he came. Hidimva's son, however, O
king, excited with rage, struck Durmukha, that chastiser of foes, in the
chest a straight shaft. The heroic Durmukha then, shouting cheerfully,
pierced Bhimasena's son on the field of battle with sixty shafts of keen
points. That mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Hridika resisted
Dhrishtadyumna, that foremost of car-warriors, who was advancing to
battle from desire of Bhishma's slaughter. The son of Prishata, however,
having pierced Kritavarman with five shafts made wholly of iron, once
more, struck him quickly in the centre of the chest fifty shafts. And
similarly, O king, Prishata's son struck Kritavarman with nine sharp and
blazing shaft, winged with the feathers of the Kanka bird. Encountering
each other with great vigour, the battle that took place between them for
Bhishma's sake was as fierce as that between Vritra and Vasava. Against
Bhimasena who was advancing upon the mighty Bhishma, proceeded
Bhurisravas with great speed, saying,--Wait, Wait,--And the son of
Somadatta struck Bhima in the centre of the chest with an arrow of
exceeding sharpness and golden wings in that battle. And the valiant
Bhimasena, with that arrow on his chest, looked beautiful, O best of
kings, like the Krauncha mountain in days of old with the dart of Skanda.
And those two bulls among men, enraged in battle, shot at each other
shafts brightly polished by their forgers and endued with effulgence of
the Sun. Bhima, longing for Bhishma's death, fought with the mighty son
of Somadatta, and the latter, desirous of Bhishma's victory, fought with
the former, each carefully seeking to counteract the other's feats.
Bharadwaja's son resisted Yudhishthira the son of Kunti, who, accompanied
by a large force, was coming towards Bhishma. Hearing the rattle of
Drona's car, O king, that resembled the roar of the clouds, the
Prabhadrakas, O sire, began to tremble. That large force, of Pandu's son,
resisted by Drona in battle, could not, exerting vigorously, advance even
one step. Thy son Chitrasena, O king, resisted Chekitana of wrathful
visage who was exerting vigorously for coming upon Bhishma. Possessed of
great prowess and great dexterity of hand, that mighty car-warrior for
the sake of Bhishma, battled with Chekitana, O Bharata, according to the
utmost of his power. And Chekitana also fought with Chitrasena to the
utmost of his power. And the battle that took place there in consequence
of the meeting of those two warriors, was exceedingly fierce. As regards
Arjuna, although he was resisted by all means, O Bharata, he still
compelled your son to turn back and then crushed your troops. Dussasana
however, to the utmost stretch of his power, began to resist Partha,
wishing, O Bharata, to protect Bhishma. The army of your son, O Bharata,
undergoing such slaughter, began to be agitated here and there by many
foremost car-warriors (of the Pandava)."
--------------------END OF PARVA 6 : UPA-PARVA 112 ---------------------
