Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Parva 06 118

SECTION CXVIII

Sanjaya said,--Sikhandin, O bull among men, approaching Bhishma in
battle, struck him in the centre of the chest with ten broad-headed
arrows The son of Ganga, however, O Bharata, only looked at Sikhandin
with wrath and as if consuming the Panchala prince with that look.
Remembering his femininity, O king, Bhishma, in the very sight of all,
struck him not. Sikhandin, however, understood it not. Then Arjuna, O
monarch, addressed Sikhandin, saying,--'Rush quickly and slay the
grandsire. What needst you say, O hero? Slay the mighty car-warrior
Bhishma. I do not see any other warrior in Yudhishthira's army who is
competent to fight with Bhishma in battle, save thee, O tiger among men.
I say this truly.' Thus addressed by Partha, Sikhandin, O bull of
Bharata's race, quickly covered the grandsire with diverse kinds of
weapons. Disregarding those shafts, your sire Devavrata began, with his
shafts, to check the angry Arjuna only in that battle. And that mighty
car-warrior, O sire, began also to despatch, with his shafts of keen
points, the whole army of the Pandavas to the other world. The Pandavas
also, O king, after the same manner, supported by their vast host, began
to overwhelm Bhishma like the clouds covering the maker of day. O bull of
Bharata's race, surrounded on all sides, that Bharata hero consumed many
brave warriors in that battle like a raging conflagration in the forest
(consuming numberless trees). The prowess that we then beheld there of
thy son (Dussasana) was wonderful, inasmuch as he battled with Partha and
protected the grandsire at the same time. With that feat of your son
Dussasana, that illustrious bowman, all the people there were highly
gratified. Alone he battled with all the Pandavas having Arjuna amongst
them; and he fought with such vigour that the Pandavas were unable to
resist him. Many car-warriors were in that battle deprived of their cars
by Dussasana. And many mighty bowmen on horseback and many
mighty-warriors, elephants, pierced with Dussasana's keen shafts, fell
down on the earth. And many elephants, afflicted with his shafts, ran
away in all directions. As a fire fiercely blazeth forth with bright
flames when fed with fuel, so did your son blaze forth, consuming the
Pandava host. And no car-warrior, O Bharata, of the Pandava host ventured
to vanquish or even proceed against that warrior of gigantic proportions,
save Indra's son (Arjuna) owning white steeds and having Krishna for his
charioteer. Then Arjuna also called Vijaya, vanquishing Dussasana in
battle, O king, in the very sight of all the troops, proceeded against
Bhishma. Though vanquished, your son, however, relying upon the might of
Bhishma's arms, repeatedly comforted his own side and battled with the
Pandavas with great fierceness. Arjuna, O king, fighting with his foes in
that battle, looked exceedingly resplendent.[482] Then Sikhandin, in that
battle, O king, pierced the grandsire with many arrows whose touch
resembled that of the bolts of heaven and which were as fatal as the
poison of the snake. These arrows, however, O monarch, caused your sire
little pain, for the son of Ganga received them laughingly. Indeed, as a
person afflicted with heat cheerfully receives torrents of rain, even so
did the son of Ganga received those arrows of Sikhandin. And the
Kshatriyas there, O king, beheld Bhishma in that great battle as a being
of fierce visage who was incessantly consuming the troops of the
high-souled Pandavas.

"Then your son (Duryodhana), addressing all his warriors, said unto them,
'Rush the against Phalguni from all sides. Bhishma, acquainted with the
duties of a commander, will protect you'. Thus addressed, the Kaurava
troops casting off all fear, fought with the Pandavas. (And once more,
Duryodhana said unto them). 'With his tall standard bearing the device of
the golden palmyra, Bhishma stayeth, protecting the honour and the armour
of all the Dhartarashtra warriors. The very gods, striving vigorously,
cannot vanquish the illustrious and mighty Bhishma. What need be said,
therefore, of the Parthas who are mortals? Therefore, the warriors, fly
not away from the field, getting Phalguni for a foe. I myself, striving
vigorously, will today fight with the Pandavas.. uniting with all of you,
ye lords of earth, exerting yourselves actively.' Hearing these words, O
monarch, of your son with bow in hand, many mighty combatants, excited
with rage, belonging to the Videhas, the Kalingas, and the diverse tribes
of the Daserkas, fell upon Phalguni. And many combatants also, belonging
to the Nishadas, the Sauviras, the Valhikas, the Daradas, the Westerners,
the Northerners, the Malavas, the Abhighatas, the Surasenas, the Sivis,
the Vasatis, the Salwas, the Sakas, the Trigartas, the Amvashthas, and
the Kekayas, similarly fell upon Partha, like flights of insects upon a
fire. The mighty Dhananjaya, otherwise called Vibhatsu, then, O monarch,
calling to mind diverse celestial weapons and aiming them at those great
car-warriors at the heads of their respective divisions,[483] quickly
consumed them all, by means of those weapons of great force, like fire
consuming a flight of insects. And while that firm bowman was (by means
of his celestial weapons) creating thousands upon thousands of arrows,
his Gandiva looked highly resplendent in the welkin. Then those
Kshatriyas, O monarch, afflicted with those arrows with their tall
standards torn and overthrown, could not even together, approach the
ape-bannered (Partha). Car-warriors fell down with their standards, and
horsemen with their horses, and elephant-riders with their elephants,
attacked by Kiritin with his shafts. And the earth was soon covered all
on all sides with the retreating troops of those kings, routed in
consequence of the shafts shot from Arjuna's arms. Partha then, O
monarch, having routed the Kaurava army, sped many arrows at Dussasana.
Those arrows with iron heads, piercing your son Dussasana through, all
entered the earth like snakes through ant-hills. Arjuna then slew
Dussasana's steeds and then felled his charioteer. And the lord Arjuna,
with twenty shafts, deprived Vivingsati of his car, and struck him five
straight shafts. And piercing Kripa and Vikarna and Salya with many
arrows made wholly of iron, Kunti's son owning white steeds deprived all
of them of their cars. Thus deprived of their cars and vanquished in
battle by Savyasachin, Kripa and Salya, O sire, and Dussasana, and
Vikarna and Vivingsati, all fled away. Having vanquished those mighty
car-warriors, O chief of the Bharatas, in the forenoon, Partha blazed up
in that battle like a smokeless conflagration. Scattering his shafts all
around like the Sun shedding rays of light, Partha felled many other
kings, O monarch. Making those mighty car-warriors turn their backs upon
the field by means of his arrowy showers, Arjuna caused a large river of
bloody current to flow in that battle between the hosts of the Kurus and
the Pandavas, O Bharata. Large numbers of elephants and steeds and
car-warriors were slain by car-warriors. And many were the car-warriors
slain by elephants, and many also were the steeds slain by foot-soldiers.
And the bodies of many elephant-riders and horsemen and car-warriors, cut
off in the middle, as also their heads, fell down on every part of the
field. And the field of battle, O king, was strewn with (slain)
princes,--mighty car-warriors,--falling or fallen, decked with ear-rings
and bracelets. And it was also strewn with the bodies of many warriors
cut off by car-wheels, or trodden down by elephants. And foot-soldiers
ran away, and horsemen also with their horses. And many elephants and
car-warriors fell down on all sides. And many cars, with wheels and yokes
and standards broken, lay scattered all about on the field. And the field
of battle, dyed with the gore of large numbers of elephants, steeds, and
car-warriors, looked beautiful like a red cloud, in the autumnal sky.
Dogs, and crows, and vultures, and wolves, and jackals, and many other
frightful beasts and birds, set up loud howls, at the sight of the food
that lay before them. Diverse kinds of winds blew along all directions.
And Rakshasas and evil spirits were seen there, uttering loud roars. And
strings, embroidered with gold, and costly banners, were seen to wave,
moved by the wind. And thousands of umbrellas and great cars with
standards attached to them, were seen lying scattered about on the field.
Then Bhishma, O king, invoking a celestial weapon, rushed at the son of
Kunti, in the very sight of all the bowmen. Thereupon Sikhandin, clad in
mail, rushed at Bhishma who was dashing towards Arjuna. At this, Bhishma
withdrew that weapon resembling fire (in effulgence and energy).
Meanwhile Kunti's son owning white steeds slaughtered your troops,
confounding the grandsire.[484]"





--------------------END OF PARVA 6 : UPA-PARVA 118 ---------------------