SECTION CLIV
"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the sons of Drupada, as also those of
Kuntibhoja, and Rakshasas too in thousands, slain by the son of Drona,
Yudhishthira and Bhimasena, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, and
Yuyudhana, uniting together, set their hearts firmly on battle. Then
Somadatta, once more filled with rage upon beholding Satyaki in that
battle, covered the latter, O Bharata, with a dense shower of arrows.
Then took place a battle, fierce and exceedingly wonderful to behold,
between your warriors and those of the foe, both parties being solicitous
of victory. Fighting on behalf of Satyaki, Bhima pierced the Katirava.
hero with ten shafts. Somadatta, however, in return, pierced that hero
with a hundred arrows. Then Satwata, filled with rage, pierced with ten
keen shafts, endued with the force of the thunder, that old warrior
afflicted with grief on account of the death of his son, and who was,
besides, endued with every estimable virtue like Yayati, the son of
Nahusha. Having pierced him with great force, he struck him once more
with seven arrows. Then, fighting for the sake of Satyaki, Bhimasena
hurled at the head of Somadatta a new, hard and terrible Parigha. Satyaki
also filled with rage, shot at Somadatta's chest, in that battle, an
excellent shaft, keen and equipped with goodly wings and resembling fire
itself in splendour. The Parigha and the shaft, both terrible, fell
simultaneously upon the body of the heroic Somadatta. That mighty
car-warrior, thereupon, fell down. Beholding his son (Somadatta) thus
fallen into a swoon, Valhika rushed at Satyaki scattering showers of
arrows like a cloud in season. Then Bhima, for Satyaki's sake, afflicted
the illustrious Valhika with nine shafts and pierced him therewith at the
van of battle. Then the mighty-armed son of Pratipa, Valhika, filled with
great fury, hurled a dart at the chest of Bhima, like Purandara himself
hurling the thunder. Struck therewith, Bhima trembled (on his car) and
swooned away. The mighty warrior then, recovering his senses, hurled a
mace at his opponent. Hurled by the son of Pandu, that mace snatched away
the head of Valhika, who, thereupon, fell down lifeless on the earth,
like a tree struck down by lightning. Upon the slaughter of that bull
among men, viz., the heroic Valhika, ten of your sons, each of whom was
equal unto Rama, the son of Dasaratha, in prowess, began to afflict
Bhima. They were Nagadatta, and Dridharatha, and Viravahu, and Ayobhuja,
and Dridha, and Suhasta, and Viragas and Pramatha, and Ugrayayin.
Beholding them Bhimasena became filled with rage. He then took up a
number of arrows, each capable of bearing a great strain. Aiming at each
of them one after another, he sped those arrows at them, striking each in
his vital part. Pierced therewith, they fell down from their cars,
deprived of energy and life, like tall trees from mountain cliffs broken
by a tempest. Having with those ten shafts slain those ten sons of thine,
Bhima shrouded the favourite son of Karna with showers of arrows. Then
the celebrated Vrikaratha, brother of Karna, pierced Bhima with many
arrows. The mighty Pandava, however, soon disposed of him effectually.
Slaying next, O Bharata, seven car-warriors among your brother-in-law,
with his shafts, the heroic Bhima pressed Satachandra down into the
earth. Unable to bear the slaughter of the mighty car-warrior
Satachandra, Sakuni's brothers, viz., the heroic Gavaksha and Sarabha and
Bibhu, and Subhaga, and Bhanudatta, those five mighty car-warriors,
rushing towards Bhimasena, attacked him with their keen shafts. Thus
attacked with those shafts, like a mountain with torrents of rain.'[208]
Bhima slew those five mighty kings with five shafts of his. Beholding
those heroes slain many great kings began to waver.
"Then Yudhishthira, filled with wrath, began to destroy your ranks, in the
sight, O sinless one, of the Pot-born (Drona) and of your sons. Indeed,
with his shafts, Yudhishthira began to despatch to the regions of Yama
the Amvashthas, the Malavas, the brave Trigartas and the Sivis. And
cutting off the Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Valhikas, and the Vasatis,
he caused the earth to be miry with flesh and blood. And he also
despatched within a trice, by means of many shafts, to Yama's domains,
the Yaudheyas, the Malavas, and large numbers, O king, of the Madrakas.
Then a loud uproar arose in the vicinity of Yudhishthira's car, amid
which was heard, 'Slay', Seize', 'Capture', Pierce', Cut into pieces'!
Beholding him thus slaying and routing your troops, Drona, urged on by thy
son, shrouded Yudhishthira with showers of shafts. Drona filled with
great wrath, struck Yudhishthira with the Vayavya weapon. The son of
Pandu, however, baffled that celestial weapon with a similar weapon of
his own. Seeing his weapon baffled, the son of Bharadwaja, filled with
great wrath and desirous of slaying the son of Pandu, sped at
Yudhishthira diverse celestial weapons such as the Varuna, the Yamya, the
Agneya, the Tvashtra, and the Savitra. The mighty-armed Pandava, however,
conversant with morality, fearlessly baffled all those weapons of the
Pot-born that were hurled or in course of being hurled at him. Then the
Pot-born, striving to accomplish his vow and desirous also for your son's
good, to slay the son of Dharma, invoked into existence, O Bharata, the
Aindra and the Prajapatya weapons. Then that foremost one of Kuru's race,
Yudhishthira, of the gait of the elephant or the lion, of broad chest and
large and red eyes, and endued with energy scarcely inferior (to that of
Drona) invoked into existence the Mahendra weapon. With that he baffled
the weapon of Drona. Seeing all his weapons baffled, Drona, filled with
wrath and desirous of accomplishing the destruction of Yudhishthira,
invoked into existence the Brahma weapon. Enveloped as we then were by a
thick gloom, we could not observe what passed. All creatures also, O
monarch, were filled with great fright. Beholding the Brahma weapon
uplifted, Kunti's son, Yudhishthira, O king, baffled it with a Brahma
weapon of his own. Then, all the foremost warriors applauded those two
bulls among men, viz., Drona and Yudhishthira, those great bowmen
acquainted with every mode of warfare. Abandoning Yudhishthira, Drona
then, with eyes red as copper in rage, began to consume the division of
Drupada with the Vayavya weapon. Oppressed by Drona, the Panchalas fled
away from fear, in the very sight of Bhimasena and of the illustrious
Partha. Then the diadem-decked (Arjuna) and Bhimasena, checking that
flight of their troops, suddenly encountered that hostile force with two
large throngs of cars. Vibhatsu, attacking the right and Vrikodara the
left, Bharadwaja's son was encountered, with two mighty showers of
shafts. Then the Kaikeyas, the Srinjayas, and the Panchalas of great
energy followed the two brothers, O king, accompanied by the Matsyas and
the Satwatas. Then the Bharata host, slaughtered by the diadem-decked
(Arjuna) and overcome with sleep and darkness, began to break. Drona, and
thy son himself, endeavoured to rally them. The combatants, however, O
king, were incapable of being then checked in their flight.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 7 : UPA-PARVA 154 ---------------------
