SECTION XXVI
"Sanjaya said, 'At Partha's desire, Krishna then urged his white steeds,
fleet as the mind and covered in golden armour, towards Drona's
divisions. While that foremost one of the Kurus was thus proceeding
towards his brothers who were exceedingly afflicted by Drona, Susarman
with his brothers, followed him behind, desirous of battle. The
ever-victorious Arjuna then addressed Krishna, saying, 'O you of
unfading glory, this Susarman here, with his brothers, challengeth me to
battle! O slayer of foes, our host, again, is broken (by Drona) towards
the north. In consequence of these Samsaptakas, my heart wavers today as
to whether I should do this or that. Shall I slay the Samsaptakas now, or
protect from harm my own troops already afflicted by the foe? Know this
to be what I am thinking of, viz., 'Which of these would be better for
me?' Thus addressed by him, he of Dasarha's race, turned back the car,
and took the son of Pandu to where the ruler of the Trigartas was. Then
Arjuna pierced Susarman with seven shafts, and cut off both his bow and
standard with a couple of sharp arrows. He then, with six arrows, quickly
despatched the brothers of Trigarta king to Yama's abode.[56] Then
Susarman, aiming Arjuna, hurled at him a dart made wholly of iron and
looking like a snake, and aiming Vasudeva, hurled a lance at him. Cutting
off that dart with three arrows and that lance also with three other
arrows, Arjuna, by means of his arrowy showers, deprived Susarman of his
senses on his car. Then advancing fiercely (towards your division),
scattering showers of arrows, like Vasava pouring rain, none among thy
troops, O king, ventured to oppose. Like a fire consuming heaps of straw
as it advances, Dhananjaya advanced, scorching all the mighty
car-warriors among the Kauravas by means of his arrows. Like a living
creature incapable of bearing the touch of fire, your troops could not
bear the irresistible impetuosity of that intelligent son of Kunti.
Indeed, the son of Pandu, overwhelming the hostile host by means of his
arrows, came upon the king of the Pragjyotishas, O monarch, like Garuda
swooping down (upon his prey). He then held in his hands that Gandiva
which in battle was beneficial to the innocent Pandavas and baneful to
all foes, for the destruction of Kshatriyas brought about, O king, by the
fault of your son who had recourse to deceitful dice for accomplishing his
end. Agitated by Partha thus, your host then, O king, broke like a boat
when it strikes against a rock. Then ten thousand bowmen, brave and
fierce, firmly resolved to conquer, advanced (to encounter Arjuna). With
dauntless hearts, those mighty car-warriors all surrounded him. Capable
of bearing any burden, howsoever heavy in battle, Partha took up that
heavy burden. As an angry elephant of sixty years, with rent temples,
crushes an assemblage of lotus stalks, even so did Partha crush that
division of your army. And when that division was being thus crushed, king
Bhagadatta, on that same elephant of his, impetuously rushed towards
Arjuna. Thereupon, Dhananjaya, that tiger among men, staying on his car,
received Bhagadatta. That encounter between Arjuna's car and Bhagadatta's
elephant was fierce in the extreme. Those two heroes, viz., Bhagadatta
and Dhananjaya, then coursed on the field, the one on his car and the
other on his elephant, both of which were equipped according to the rules
of science. Then Bhagadatta, like the lord Indra, from his elephant
looking like a mass of clouds, poured on Dhananjaya showers of arrows.
The valiant son of Vasava, however, with his arrows, cut off those arrowy
showers of Bhagadatta before they could reach him. The king of the
Pragjyotishas, then, baffling that arrowy shower of Arjuna, struck both
Partha and Krishna, O king, with many shafts and overwhelming both of
them with a thick shower of shafts, Bhagadatta then urged his elephant
for the destruction of Krishna and Partha. Beholding that angry elephant
advancing like Death himself, Janardana quickly moved his car in such a
way as to keep the elephant on his left. Dhananjaya, although he thus got
the opportunity of slaying that huge elephant with its rider from the
back, wished not yet to avail himself of it, remembering the rules of
fair fight. The elephant, however, coming upon other elephants and cars
and steeds, O king, despatched them all to Yama's abode. Beholding this,
Dhananjaya was filled with rage.
--------------------END OF PARVA 7 : UPA-PARVA 26 ---------------------
