SECTION CLXVII
"Sanjaya said, 'Against Nakula who was engaged in smiting your host,
Suvala's son (Sakuni) in wrath, rushed with great impetuosity and
addressing him, said, 'Wait! Wait!' Each enraged with the other and each
desirous of slaying the other, those two heroes struck each other with
shafts sped from their bows drawn to their fullest stretch. Suvala's son
in that encounter displayed the same measure of skill that Nakula
displayed, O king, in shooting showers of arrows. Both pierced with
arrows, O king, in that battle, they looked beautiful like a couple of
porcupines with quills erect on their bodies. The armour of each cut off
by means of shafts with straight points and golden wings, and each bathed
in blood, those two warriors looked resplendent in that dreadful battle
like two beautiful and brilliant Kalpa trees, or like two flowering
Kinsukas on the field of battle. Indeed, O king, those two heroes in that
encounter, both pierced with arrows, looked beautiful like a couple of
Salmali trees with prickly thorns on them. Casting oblique glances at
each other, with eyes expanded in rage, whose corners had become red,
they seemed to scorch each other by those glances. Then thy
brother-in-law, excited with wrath, and smiling the while, pierced
Madri's son in the chest with a barbed arrow of keen point. Deeply
pierced by that great bowman, viz., your brother-in-law, Nakula sat down
on the terrace of his car and swooned away. Beholding his proud foe, that
mortal enemy of his in that plight, Sakuni uttered a roar loud as that of
the clouds at the end of summer. Recovering consciousness, Nakula, the
son of Pandu, once more rushed against Suvala's son, like the Destroyer
himself of wide-open mouth. Inflamed with rage, O bull of Bharata's race,
he pierced Sakuni with sixty arrows, and more with a hundred long shafts
at the centre of his chest. He then cut off Sakuni's bow with arrow fixed
thereon, into two fragments, at the handle. And then cutting off in a
trice Sakuni's standard, he caused it to fall down on the earth. Piercing
next Sakuni's thigh with keen, sharp, and well-tempered shafts, Nakula,
the son of Pandu, caused him to fall down on the terrace of his car,
clasping his flag-staff, like an amorous man clasping his mistress.
Beholding that brother-in-law of yours laid low and deprived of
consciousness, O sinless one, his driver quickly bore him away from the
van of battle. The Parthas, then, and all their followers, uttered a loud
roar. Having vanquished his foes, Nakula, that scorcher of foes,
addressing his driver, said, 'Beat me to the host commanded by Drona.'
Hearing these words of Madri's son, his driver proceeded to the spot, O
king, where Drona was stationed.[226] Against mighty Sikhandin proceeding
towards Drona, Kripa resolutely advanced with great impetuosity. That
chastiser of foes, viz., Sikhandin, then, smiling the while, pierced with
nine arrows the son of Gotama thus advancing against him towards the
vicinity of Drona. Then the preceptor, Kripa, that benefactor of thy
sons, piercing Sikhandin first with five arrows, once more pierced him
with twenty. The combat that took place, O monarch, between them, was
exceedingly dreadful, like that between Samvara and the chief of the
celestials in the battle between the gods and the Asuras. Those heroic
and mighty car-warriors, both invincible in battle, covered the welkin
with their arrows, like clouds covering the welkin on the expiry or
summer. Terrible of itself, that night, O chief of the Bharatas, became
more terrible still to the heroic combatants engaged in battle. Indeed,
of terrible aspects and inspiring all sorts of fear, that night became,
as it were, death-night (of all creatures). Then Sikhandin, O king, cut
off, with a crescent-shaped arrow, the large bow of Gotama's son and shot
at the latter many whetted shafts. Inflamed with wrath, O monarch, Kripa
then sped at his antagonist a fierce dart, equipped with a golden shaft
and keen point, and polished by the hands of the smith. Sikhandin,
however, cut it off with ten shafts as it coursed towards him. That dart,
then, decked with gold (thus cut off), fell down on the earth. Then
Gautama, foremost of men, taking up another bow, O king, covered
Sikhandin with a large number of whetted shafts. Thus covered in that
battle by the illustrious son of Gotama, Sikhandin, that foremost of
car-warriors sank on the terrace of his car. Beholding him thus weakened,
Kripa in that encounter, struck him with many arrows, from desire of
slaying him, O Bharata! (Sikhandin then was borne away by his driver).
Beholding that mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of Yajnasena retreating
from battle, the Panchalas and the Somakas surrounded him on all sides
(for rescuing him). Similarly, your sons also surrounded that foremost of
Brahmans, Kripa, with a large force. Then commenced a battle once more,
between car-warriors, O king, that struck one another. The uproar that
rose became loud as the roaring of clouds, O Bharata, caused by rushing
horsemen and elephants, O monarch, smiting one another down. Then, O
king, the field of battle looked exceedingly fierce. With the tread of
rushing infantry the earth began to tremble, O monarch, like a lady
shaken with fear. Car-warriors, mounting on their cars, rushed
impetuously, attacking compeers by their thousands, O king, like crows
seizing winged insects (in the air). Similarly, mighty elephants with
winy exudation down their bodies, pursuing similar elephants, encountered
them, O Bharata, furiously. So also, horsemen, coming upon horsemen, and
foot-soldiers angrily encountered one another in that battle. At dead of
night, the sound of retreating and the rushing of troops and of those
coming again to the encounter became deafening. The blazing lamps also,
placed on cars and elephants and steeds, seemed, O king, large meteors
falling from the firmament. That night, O chief of the Bharatas,
lightened up by those lamps looked like day, O king, on the field of
battle. As the sun, encountering the thick gloom, destroys it completely,
even so the thick gloom of the battle was destroyed by those blazing
lamps. Indeed, the welkin, the earth, the cardinal and the subsidiary
points of the compass, enveloped by dust and darkness, became once more
illuminated by that light. The splendour of weapons and coats of mail,
and of the jewels of illustrious heroes, became overshadowed, by the
light of those blazing lamps. During the progress of that fierce battle
at night, none of the combatants, O Bharata, could know the warriors of
his own side. Sire, O chief of the Bharatas, slew son, and son, from
ignorance, slew sire, and friend slew friend. And relatives slew
relatives, and maternal uncles slew sisters' sons, and warriors slew
warriors of their own side, and foes slew their own men, in that battle,
O Bharata. In that dreadful nocturnal encounter, O king, all fought
furiously, ceasing to have any regard for one another.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 7 : UPA-PARVA 167 ---------------------
