SECTION CLXVIII
"Sanjaya said, 'In that fierce and terrible battle, Dhrishtadyumna, O
king, proceeded against Drona. Holding his formidable bow and repeatedly
stretching his bowstring, the Panchala prince rushed towards Drona's car
decked with gold. And as Dhrishtadyumna proceeded for accomplishing the
destruction of Drona, the Panchalas and the Pandavas, O king, surrounded
him. Beholding Drona, that foremost of preceptors, thus assailed, thy
son, resolutely contending in battle, protected Drona on all sides. Then
those two oceans of troops encountered each other on that night, looked
like two terrible oceans lashed into fury by tempest, with all living
creatures within them exceedingly agitated. Then the prince of the
Panchalas, O king, quickly pierced Drona in the chest with five arrows
and uttered a leonine roar. Drona, however, O Bharata, piercing his foe
in return with five and twenty arrows in that battle, cut off, with
another broad-headed arrow, his bright bow. Forcibly pierced by Drona, O
bull of Bharata's race, Dhrishtadyumna, quickly casting aside his bow,
bit his (nether) lip in rage. Indeed, O monarch, the valiant
Dhrishtadyumna, excited with wrath, took up another formidable bow for
accomplishing the destruction of Drona. That slayer of hostile heroes,
that warrior endued with great beauty, stretching that formidable bow to
his ear, shot a terrible shaft capable of taking Drona's life. That
shaft, thus sped by the mighty prince in that fierce and dreadful battle,
illumined the whole army like the risen sun. Beholding that terrible
shaft, the gods, the Gandharvas, and the Danavas. said these words, O
king, viz., 'Prosperity to Drona!' Karna, however, O king, displaying
great lightness of hand cut off into dozen fragments that shaft as it
coursed towards the preceptor's car. Thus cut off into many fragments, O
king, that shaft of Dhrishtadyumna, O sire, quickly fell down on the
earth like a snake without poison. Having cut off with his own straight
shafts those of Dhrishtadyumna in that battle, Karna then pierced
Dhrishtadyumna himself with many sharp arrows. And Drona's son pierced
him with five, and Drona himself with five, and Salya pierced him with
nine, and Duhsasana with three. And Duryodhana pierced him with twenty
arrows and Sakuni with five. Indeed, all those mighty car-warriors
quickly pierced the prince of the Panchalas. Thus was he pierced by these
seven heroes in that battle exerting themselves for the rescue of Drona.
The prince of the Panchalas, however, pierced every one of these heroes
with three arrows. Indeed, O king, Dhrishtadyumna, in that dreadful
battle, quickly pierced Drona himself, and Karna, and Drona's son, and
thy son. Thus pierced by that bowman, those warriors, fighting together,
pierced Dhrishtadyumna again in that encounter, uttering loud roars the
while. Then Drumasena, excited with wrath, O king, pierced the Panchala
prince with a winged arrow, and once again quickly with three other
arrows. And addressing the prince, he said, 'Wait! Wait!' Dhrishtadyumna
then pierced Drumasena in return with three straight arrows, in the
encounter, which were equipped with wings of gold, steeped in oil, and
capable of taking the life of him at whom they are sped. With another
broad-headed shaft, the prince of the Panchalas then, in that battle, cut
off from Drumasena's trunk the latter's head decked with bright ear-rings
of gold. That head, with (the lower) lip bit (in rage), fell on the
ground like a ripe palmyra fruit separated from the stalk by the action
of a strong wind. Once again, piercing all those warriors with keen
shafts, that hero, with some broad-headed shafts, cut off the bow of
Radha's son, that warrior conversant with all modes of warfare. Karna
could not book that cutting off of his bow, like a fierce lion incapable
of brooking the cutting off of his tail. Taking up another bow, Karna,
with eyes red in rage, and breathing hard, covered mighty Dhrishtadyumna
with clouds of arrows. Beholding Karna excited with rage, those heroes,
viz., those six bulls among car-warriors, quickly encompassed the prince
of the Panchalas from desire of slaying him. Seeing the latter in front
of those six foremost warriors of your side, all your troops, O lord,
regarded him to be already within the jaws of the Destroyer. Meanwhile,
Satyaki, of the Dasarha race, scattering his shafts as he proceeded,
reached the spot where, the valiant Dhrishtadyumna was battling.
Beholding that invincible warrior of the Satwata race advancing, Radha's
son pierced him in that battle with ten arrows. Satyaki, then, O king,
pierced Karna with ten shafts in the very sight of all those heroes, and
addressing him, said, 'Do not fly away but stay before me.' The encounter
then, that took place between mighty Satyaki and the industrious Karna,
resembled, O king, that between Vali and Vasava (in the days of yore).
That bull among Kshatriyas, viz., Satyaki, terrifying all the Kshatriyas
with the rattle of his car, pierced the lotus-eyed Karna in return (with
many arrows). Making the earth tremble with the twang of his bow, the
mighty son of the Suta, O monarch, contended with Satyaki. Indeed, Karna
pierced the grandson of Sini in return with hundreds of long, and barbed,
and pointed, and tall-toothed, and razor-headed arrows and diverse other
shafts. Similarly, that foremost one of Vrishni's race, Yuyudhana, in
that battle, shrouded Karna with his arrows. For a time that battle
proceeded equally. Then your son, O monarch, placing Karna at their head,
all pierced Satyaki from every side with keen arrows. Resisting with his
own weapons those of them all and of Karna also, O lord, Satyaki quickly
pierced Vrishasena in the centre of the chest. Pierced with that arrow,
the valiant Vrishasena, of great splendour, quickly fell down on his car,
casting aside his bow. Then Karna, believing that mighty car-warrior,
viz., Vrishasena, slain, became scorched with grief on account of the
death of his son and began to afflict Satyaki with great force. Thus
afflicted by Karna, the mighty car-warrior Yuyudhana, with great speed,
repeatedly pierced Karna with many shafts. Once more piercing Karna with
ten arrows, and Vrishasena with five, the Satwata hero cut off the
leathern fences and the bows of both sire and son. Then those two
warriors, stringing two other bows, capable of inspiring enemies with
terror, began to pierce Yuyudhana from every side with keen shafts.
During the progress of that fierce conflict that was so destructive of
heroes the loud twang of Gandiva, O king, was heard over every other
sound. Hearing then the rattle of Arjuna's car as also that twang of
Gandiva, the Suta's son, O king, said these words unto Duryodhana,
'Slaughtering our entire army and the foremost of heroic warriors and
many mighty bowmen among the Kauravas, Arjuna is loudly twanging his bow.
The rattle also of his car is heard, resembling the roar of the thunder.
It's evident, the son of Pandu is achieving feats worthy of his own self
This son of Pritha, O monarch, will grind our large host. Many of our
troops are already breaking. No one stays in battle. Indeed, our army is
being dispersed like a risen mass of clouds dispersed by the wind.
Encountering Arjuna, our host breaks like a boat on the ocean. The loud
wails, O king, of the foremost of warriors, O monarch, flying away from
the field, or falling down in consequence of the arrows sped from
Gandiva, are being heard. Hear, O tiger among car-warriors, the sound of
drums and cymbals near Arjuna's car at dead of night, resembling the deep
roll of thunder in the welkin. Hear also the loud wails (of afflicted
combatants) and the tremendous leonine shouts, and diverse other noises
in the vicinity of Arjuna's car. Here, however, this Satyaki, this
foremost one of the Satwata race, stayeth amid us. If this object of our
aim can be struck down, we can then vanquish all our foes. Similarly, the
son of the Panchala king is engaged with Drona. He is encompassed on all
sides by many heroic and foremost of car-warriors. If we can slay Satyaki
and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata without doubt, O king, victory
will be ours. Surrounding these two heroes, these two mighty
car-warriors, as we did the son of Subhadra we will strive, O king, to
slay them, viz., this son of Vrishni's race and this son of Prishata.
Savyasachin, O Bharata, is before us, coming towards this division of
Drona, knowing that Satyaki is engaged here with many chief among the
Kurus. Let a large number of our foremost of car-warriors proceed
thither, so that Partha may not be able to come to the rescue of Satyaki,
now encompassed by many. Let these great heroes speedily shoot clouds of
shafts with great force, so that Satyaki of Madhu's race may by speedily
despatched to Yama's abode.' Ascertaining this to be the opinion of
Karna, your son, addressing Suvala's son in the battle, like the
illustrious Indra addressing Vishnu, said these words, Surrounded by ten
thousand unretreating elephants and ten thousand cars also, proceed
against Dhananjaya! Duhsasana and Durvishaha and Suvahu and
Dushpradharshana--these will follow thee, surrounded by a large number of
foot-soldiers. O uncle, slay those great bowmen, viz., the two Krishnas,
and Yudhishtira, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Bhima, the son of Pandu My
hope of victory resteth on thee, like that of the gods on their chief
Indra. O uncle, slay the son of Kunti, like (Kartikeya) slaying the
Asuras.' Thus addressed and urged by your son, Sakuni, clad in mail,
proceeded against the Parthas, accompanied by a large force as also by
thy sons, in order to consume the sons of Pandu. Then commenced a great
battle between the warriors of your army and the foe. When Suvala's son, O
king, (thus) proceeded against the Pandavas, the Suta's son, accompanied
by a large force, quickly advanced against Satyaki, shooting many
hundreds of shafts. Indeed, your warriors, combining together, encompassed
Satyaki. Then Bharadwaja's son, proceeding against the car of
Dhrishtadyumna, fought a wonderful and fierce battle at dead of night, O
bull of Bharata's race, with the brave Dhrishtadyumna and the Panchalas.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 7 : UPA-PARVA 168 ---------------------
