Parva 08 096

SECTION 96

"Sanjaya said, 'After Karna had thus been slain and the Kaurava troops
had fled away, he of Dasharha's race, embracing Partha from joy, said
unto him these words: "Vritra was slain by thee. Men will talk (in the
same breath) of the slaughter of Vritra and Karna in awful battle. Vritra
was slain in battle by the deity of great energy with his thunder. Karna
hath been slain by you with bow and sharp arrows. Go, O son of Kunti,
and represent, O Bharata, unto king Yudhishthira the just, this prowess
of yours that is capable of procuring you great fame and that hath
become well-known in the world. Having represented unto king Yudhishthira
the just, this slaughter of Karna in battle for compassing which thou
hadst been endeavouring for a long course of years, you wilt be freed
from the debt you owest to the king. During the progress of the battle
between thyself and Karna, the son of Dharma once came for beholding the
field. Having, however, been deeply and exceedingly pierced (with
arrows), he could not stay in battle. The king, that bull among men, then
went back to his tent." Partha answered Keshava, that bull of Yadu's
race, saying, "So be it!' The latter then cheerfully caused the car of
that foremost of car-warriors to turn back. Having said these words unto
Arjuna, Krishna addressed the soldiers, saying, "Blessed be ye, stand all
of you carefully, facing the foe!" Unto Dhrishtadyumna and Yudhamanyu and
the twin sons of Madri and Vrikodara and Yuyudhana, Govinda said, "Ye
kings, until we come back having informed the king of Karna's slaughter
by Arjuna, stand the here with care." Having received the permission of
these heroes, he then set out for the quarters of the king. With Partha
in his company, Govinda beheld Yudhishthira, that tiger among kings,
lying on an excellent bed of gold. Both of them then, with great joy,
touched the feet of the king. Beholding their joy and the extraordinary
wounds on their bodies, Yudhishthira regarded the son of Radha to be dead
and rose quickly from his bed. That chastiser of foes, the mighty-armed
monarch, having risen from his bed, repeatedly embraced Vasudeva and
Arjuna with affection. That descendant of Kuru's race then asked Vasudeva
(the particulars of Karna's death). Then the sweet-speeched Vasudeva that
descendant of the Yadu race, spoke to him of Karna's death exactly as it
had happened. Smiling then, Krishna, otherwise called Acyuta, joined his
palms and addressed king Yudhishthira whose foes had been killed saying,
"By good luck, the wielder of Gandiva, and Vrikodara, the son of Pandu,
and thyself, and the two sons of Madri, are all safe, having been freed
from this battle that has been so destructive of heroes and that made the
very hair of the body to stand on end. Do you those acts, O son of
Pandu, which should next be done. The Suta's son Karna, possessed of
great might and otherwise called Vaikartana, hath been slain. By good
luck, victory hath become thine, O king of kings. By good luck, thou
growest, O son of Pandu! The Earth drinketh today the blood of that
Suta's son, that wretch among men, who had laughed at the dice-won
Krishna. That foe of thine, O bull of Kuru's race, lieth today on the
bare ground, pierced all over with arrows. Behold that tiger among men,
pierced and mangled with shafts. O you of mighty arms, rule now, with
care, this earth that is divested of all your foes, and enjoy with us, all
kinds of enjoyable articles!'"

"Sanjaya continued, 'Having heard these words of the high-souled Keshava,
Yudhishthira, with great joy, worshipped in return that hero of
Dasharha's race. "Good luck, Good luck!" were the words, O monarch, that
he said. And he added, "It is not wonderful, O mighty-armed one, in thee,
O son of Devaki, that Partha, having obtained you for his charioteer,
should achieve feats that are even super-human." Then that chief of
Kuru's race, that righteous son of Pritha, taking hold of Keshava's right
arm adorned with Angadas, and addressing both Keshava and Arjuna, said,
"Narada told me that the two are the gods Nara and Narayana, those ancient
and best of Rishis, that are ever employed in the preservation of
righteousness. Gifted with great intelligence, the master Krishna
Dvaipayana, the highly blessed Vyasa, also hath repeatedly told me this
celestial history. Through your influence, O Krishna, this Dhananjaya the
son of Pandu, facing his foes, hath vanquished them, without ever turning
back from any of them. Victory, and not defeat, we are certain to have,
since you hast accepted the drivership of Partha in battle." Having said
these words, king Yudhishthira the just, that tiger among men, mounting
his car, adorned with gold and having steeds of ivory white and black
tails and fleet as thought harnessed unto it, and surrounded by many
Pandava troops, set out, conversing pleasantly with Krishna and Arjuna
along the way, for beholding the field of battle on which thousands of
incidents had taken place. Conversing with those two heroes, viz.,
Madhava and Phalguna, the king beheld Karna, that bull among men, lying
on the field of battle. Indeed, king Yudhishthira beheld Karna pierced
all over with arrows like a Kadamva flower with straight filaments all
around its body. Yudhishthira beheld Karna illuminated by thousands of
golden lamps filled with perfumed oil. Having beheld Karna with his son
slain and mangled with shafts sped from Gandiva, king Yudhishthira
repeatedly looked at him before he could believe his eyes. He then
applauded those tigers among men, Madhava and Phalguna, saying, "O
Govinda, today I have become king of the earth, with my brothers, in
consequence of thyself of great wisdom having become my protector and
lord. Hearing of the slaughter of that tiger among men, the proud son of
Radha, the wicked-souled son of Dhritarashtra will be filled with
despair, as regards both life and kingdom. Through your grace, O bull
among men, we have acquired our objects. By good luck, victory hath been
thine, O Govinda! By good luck, the enemy hath been slain. By good luck,
the wielder of Gandiva, the son of Pandu, hath been crowned with victory.
Thirteen years we have passed in wakefulness and great sorrow. O you of
mighty arms, through your grace, we will sleep happily this night." In
this way, O ruler of men, king Yudhishthira the just, praised Janardana
greatly as also Arjuna, O monarch!'

"Sanjaya continued, 'Beholding Karna with his son slain with Partha's
shafts, that perpetuator of Kuru's race, Yudhishthira, regarded himself
as reborn. The kings (in the Pandava army), great car-warriors--all
filled with joy, approached Kunti's son Yudhishthira and gladdened him
greatly. Nakula, and Sahadeva, and Vrikodara the son of Pandu, and
Satyaki, O king, that foremost of car-warriors among the Vrishnis, and
Dhrishtadyumna, and Shikhandi, and others among the Pandus, the Pancalas,
and the Srinjayas, worshipped the son of Kunti at the slaughter of the
Suta's son. Extolling king Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu, those
delighters in battle, those effectual smiters, those heroes possessed of
sureness of aim and longing for victory, also praised those scorchers of
foes, viz., the two Krishnas, with speeches fraught with panegyrics. Then
those great car-warriors, filled with delight, proceeded towards their
own camp. Thus occurred that great carnage, making the hair stand on end,
in consequence, O king, of your evil policy! Why dost you grieve for it
now?'"

Vaishampayana continued, "Hearing those evil tidings, the Kuru king
Dhritarashtra suddenly fell down on the ground from his excellent seat.
Similarly, the royal lady Gandhari of great foresight fell down. She
indulged in diverse lamentations, for the slaughter of Karna in battle.
Then Vidura and Sanjaya both raised the fallen monarch and began to
console him. Similarly the Kuru ladies raised Gandhari. Thinking destiny
and necessity to be all powerful, that royal ascetic, under that great
grief, seemed to lose his senses. His heart filled with anxiety and
sorrow, the king, however, did not again swoon away. Comforted by them,
he remained silent, indulging in melancholy musing. He that reads of this
great battle, which is like unto a sacrifice, between the high-souled
Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son, so also he that hears the account of this
battle read, both obtain, O Bharata, the fruit of a great sacrifice duly
performed. The learned say that the holy and the eternal Vishnu is
Sacrifice, and each of those other gods, viz., Agni, Wind, Soma, and
Surya, is so. Therefore, he that will, without malice, hear or recite
this Parvan, will be happy and capable of attaining to every region of
bliss. Filled with devotion, men always read this sacred and first of
Samhitas. They that do, rejoice, obtaining wealth, and grain, and fame. A
man must, therefore, ever hear it without malice. He that does so will
obtain all kinds of happiness. With that foremost of persons, Vishnu, and
the illustrious Self-born, and Bhava also, become pleased. A Brahmana, by
reading it, would obtain the fruit of having studied the Vedas; a
Kshatriya obtains strength and victory in battle; Vaishyas would obtain
immense wealth, and Shudras would obtain health and freedom from disease.
Then again the illustrious Vishnu is eternal. And since it is that god
who hath been glorified in this Parvan, it is for this that the man
reading or hearing it becometh happy and acquireth all the objects of his
heart. These words of the great Rishi (Vyasa) can never the untrue! The
merit that may be attained by listening to the recitation of the Karna
Parvan is equal to his who giveth away unceasingly for a whole year good
cows with calves."

The end of Karna Parv

Parva 08 095

SECTION 95

"Sanjaya said, 'Upon the fall of Karna otherwise called Vaikartana, the
Kauravas, afflicted with fear, fled away on all sides, casting their eyes
on empty space. Indeed, hearing that the heroic Karna had been slain by
the foe, all your troops, stupefied with fear, broke and fled in all
directions. Then, O king, the leaders, filled with anxiety, desirous of
withdrawing their troops, O Bharata, whose flight had been endeavoured to
be checked by your son. Understanding their wishes, your son, O bull of
Bharata's race, acting according to the advice of Shalya, withdrew the
army. Then Kritavarma, O Bharata, surrounded by your unslaughtered remnant
of your Narayana troops of your army, quickly proceeded towards the
encampment. Surrounded by a 1,000 gandharvas, Shakuni, beholding the son
of Adhiratha slain, proceeded quickly towards the encampment.
Sharadvata's son, Kripa, O king, surrounded by the large elephant force
that resembled a mass of clouds, proceeded quickly towards the
encampment. The heroic Ashvatthama, repeatedly drawing deep breaths at
the sight of the victory of the Pandavas, proceeded quickly towards the
encampment. Surrounded by the unslaughtered remnant of the samsaptakas
which was still a large force, Susharma also, O king, proceeded, casting
his eyes on those terrified soldiers. King Duryodhana, deeply afflicted
and deprived of everything, proceeded, his heart filled with grief, and a
prey to many cheerless thoughts. Shalya, that foremost of car-warriors,
proceeded towards the camp, on that car deprived of standard, casting his
eyes on all sides. The other mighty car-warriors of the Bharata army,
still numerous, fled quickly, afflicted with fear, filled with shame, and
almost deprived of their senses. Indeed seeing Karna overthrown, all the
Kauravas fled away quickly, afflicted and anxious with fear, trembling,
and with voices choked with tears. The mighty car-warriors of your army
fled away in fear, O chief of Kuru's race, some applauding Arjuna, some
applauding Karna. Amongst those thousands of warriors of your army in that
great battle, there was not a single person who had still any wish for
fight. Upon the fall of Karna, O monarch, the Kauravas became hopeless of
life, kingdom, wives, and wealth. Guiding them with care, O lord, thy
son, filled with grief and sorrow, set his heart upon resting them for
the night. Those great car-warriors also, O monarch, accepting his orders
with bent heads, retired from the field with cheerless hearts and pale
faces.'"





--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 95 ---------------------

Parva 08 094

SECTION 94

"Sanjaya said, 'The ruler of the Madras then, beholding your son employed
in rallying the troops, with fear depicted on his countenance and with
heart stupefied with grief, said these words unto Duryodhana.

"'Shalya said, "Behold this awful field of battle, O hero, covered with
heaps of slain men and steeds and elephants. Some tracts are covered with
fallen elephants huge as mountains, exceedingly mangled, their vital
limbs pierced with shafts, lying helplessly, deprived of life, their
armour displaced and the weapons, the shields and the swords with which
they were equipped lying scattered about. These fallen animals resemble
huge mountains riven with thunder, with their rocks and lofty trees and
herbs loosened from them and lying all around. The bells and iron hooks
and lances and standards with which those huge creatures had been
equipped are lying on the ground. Adorned with housings of gold, their
bodies are now bathed in blood. Some tracts, again, are covered with
fallen steeds, mangled with shafts, breathing hard in pain and vomitting
blood. Some of them are sending forth soft wails of pain, some are biting
the earth with rolling eyes and some are uttering piteous neighs.
Portions of the field are covered with horsemen and elephant-warriors
fallen off from their animals, and with bands of car-warriors forcibly
thrown down from their cars. Some of them are already dead and some are
at the point of death. Covered also with the corpses of men and steeds
and elephants as also with crushed cars and other huge elephants with
their trunks and limbs cut off, the earth has become awful to look at
like the great Vaitarani (skirting the domains of Yama). Indeed, the
earth looketh even such, being strewn with other elephants, stretched on
the ground with trembling bodies and broken tusks, vomiting blood,
uttering soft cries in pain, deprived of the warriors on their backs,
divested of the armour that covered their limbs, and reft of the
foot-soldiers that protected their flank and rear, and with their quivers
and banners and standards displaced, their bodies adorned with housings
of gold struck deep with the weapons of the foe. The earth looked like
the cloud-covered welkin in consequence of being strewn with the fallen
bodies of elephant-warriors and horse-men and carwarriors, all of great
fame, and of foot-soldiers slain by foes fighting face to face, and
divested of armour and ornaments and attire and weapons. Covered with
thousands of fallen combatants mangled with arrows, fully exposed to
view, and deprived of consciousness, with some amongst them whose breaths
were returning slowly, the earth seemed as if covered with many
extinguished fires. With those foremost of heroes among both the Kurus
and the Srinjayas, pierced with arrows and deprived of life by Partha and
Karna, the earth seemed as if strewn with blazing planets fallen from the
firmament, or like the nocturnal firmament itself bespangled with blazing
planets of serene light. The shafts sped from the arms of Karna and
Arjuna, piercing through the bodies of elephants and steeds and men and
quickly stilling their lives, entered the earth like mighty snakes
entering their holes with heads bent downwards. The earth has become
impassable with heaps of slain men and steeds and elephants, and with
cars broken with the shafts of Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son and with
the numberless shafts themselves shot by them. Strewn with well-equipped
cars crushed by means of mighty shafts along with the warriors and the
weapons and the standards upon them, cars, that is, with their traces
broken, their joints separated, their axles and yokes and Trivenus
reduced to fragments, their wheels loosened, their Upaskaras destroyed,
their Anukarsanas cut in pieces, the fastenings of their quivers cut off,
and their niches (for the accommodation of drivers) broken, strewn with
those vehicles adorned with gems and gold, the earth looks like the
firmament overspread with autumnal clouds. In consequence of
well-equipped royal cars deprived of riders and dragged by fleet steeds,
as also of men and elephants and cars and horses that fled very quickly,
the army has been broken in diverse ways. Spiked maces with golden bells,
battle-axes, sharp lances, heavy clubs, mallets, bright unsheathed
swords, and maces covered with cloth of gold, have fallen on the field.
Bows decked with ornaments of gold, and shafts equipped with beautiful
wings of pure gold, and bright unsheathed rapiers of excellent temper,
and lances, and scimitars bright as gold, and umbrellas, and fans, and
conchs, and arms decked with excellent flowers and gold, and caparisons
of elephants, and standards, and car fences and diadems, and necklaces,
and brilliant crowns, and yak-tails lying about, O king, and garlands
luminous with corals and pearls, and chaplets for the head, and bracelets
for both the wrist and the upper arms, and collars for the neck with
strings of gold, and diverse kinds of costly diamonds and gems and
pearls, and bodies brought up in a great luxury, and heads beautiful as
the moon, are lying scattered about. Abandoning their bodies and
enjoyments and robes and diverse kinds of agreeable pleasures, and
acquiring great merit for the devotion they showed to the virtuous of
their order, they have speedily gone in a blaze of flame to regions of
bliss. Turn back, O Duryodhana! Let the troops retire! O king, O giver of
honours, proceed towards your camp! There, the Sun is hanging low in the
welkin, O lord! Remember, O ruler of men, that you are the cause of all
this!"

"'Having said these words unto Duryodhana, Shalya, with heart filled with
grief, stopped. Duryodhana, however, at that time, deeply afflicted and
deprived of his senses, and with eyes bathed in tears, wept for the
Suta's son, saying, "Karna! Oh Karna!" Then all the kings headed by
Drona's son, repeatedly comforting Duryodhana, proceeded towards the
camp, frequently looking back at the lofty standard of Arjuna that seemed
to be ablaze with his fame. At that terrible hour when everything around
looked so resplendent, the Kauravas, all of whom had resolved to repair
to the other world, their features incapable of recognition owing to the
blood that covered them, beholding the earth, that was drenched with the
blood flowing from the bodies of men and steeds and elephants, looking
like a courtesan attired in crimson robes and floral garlands and
ornaments of gold, were unable, O king, to stand there! Filled with grief
at the slaughter of Karna, they indulged in loud lamentations, saying,
"Alas, Karna! Alas Karna!" Beholding the Sun assume a crimson hue, all of
them speedily proceeded towards their camp. As regards Karna, though
slain and pierced with gold-winged shafts whetted on stone and equipped
with feathers and dyed in blood and sped from gandiva, yet that hero,
lying on the ground, looked resplendent like the Sun himself of bright
rays. It seemed that illustrious Surya, ever kind to his worshippers,
having touched with his rays the gore-drenched body of Karna, proceeded,
with aspect crimson in grief, to the other ocean from desire of a bath.
Thinking so, the throngs of celestials and rishis (that had come there
for witnessing the battle) left the scene for proceeding to their
respective abodes. The large crowd of other beings also, entertaining the
same thought, went away, repairing as they chose to heaven or the earth.
The foremost of Kuru heroes also, having beheld that wonderful battle
between Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son, which had inspired all living
creatures with dread, proceeded (to their nightly quarters), filled with
wonder and applauding (the encounter). Though his armour had been cut off
with arrows, and though he had been slain in course of that dreadful
fight, still that beauty of features which the son of Radha possessed did
not abandon him when dead. Indeed, everyone beheld the body of the hero
to resemble heated gold. It seemed to be endued with life and possessed
of the effulgence of fire or the sun. All the warriors, O king, were
inspired with fright at sight of the Suta's son lying dead on the field,
like other animals at sight of the lion. Indeed, though dead, that tiger
among men seemed ready to utter his commands. Nothing, in that
illustrious dead, seemed changed. Clad in beautiful attire, and possessed
of a neck that was very beautiful, the Suta's son owned a face which
resembled the full moon in splendour. Adorned with diverse ornaments and
decked with Angadas made of bright gold, Vaikartana, though slain, lay
stretched like a gigantic tree adorned with branches and twigs. Indeed,
that tiger among men lay like a heap of pure gold, or like a blazing fire
extinguished with the water of Partha's shafts. Even as a blazing
conflagration is extinguished when it comes in contact with water, the
Karna-conflagration was extinguished by the Partha-cloud in the battle.
Having shot showers of arrows and scorched the ten points of the compass,
that tiger among men, viz., Karna, along with his sons, was quieted by
Partha's energy. He left the world, taking away with him that blazing
glory of his own which he had earned on earth by fair fight. Having
scorched the Pandavas and the Pancalas with the energy of his weapons,
having poured showers of arrows and burnt the hostile divisions, having,
indeed, heated the universe like the thousand-rayed Surya of great
beauty, Karna, otherwise called Vaikartana, left the world, with his sons
and followers. Thus fell that hero who was a Kalpa tree unto those swarms
of birds represented by suitors. Solicited by suitors he always said, "I
give" but never the words "I have not!" The righteous always regarded him
as a righteous person. Even such was Vrisha who fell in single combat.
All the wealth of that high-souled person had been dedicated to the
Brahmanas. There was nothing, not even his life, that he could not give
away unto the Brahmanas. He was ever the favourite of ladies, exceedingly
liberal, and a mighty car-warrior. Burnt by the weapons of Partha, he
attained to the highest end. He, relying upon whom your son had provoked
hostilities, thus went to heaven, taking away with him the hope of
victory, the happiness, and the armour of the Kauravas. When Karna fell,
the rivers stood still. The Sun set with a pale hue. The planet Mercury,
the son of Soma, assuming the hue of fire or the Sun, appeared to course
through the firmament in a slanting direction. The firmament seemed to be
rent in twain; the earth uttered loud roars; violent and awful winds
began to blow. All the points of the horizon, covered with smoke, seemed
to be ablaze. The great oceans were agitated and uttered awful sounds.
The mountains with their forests began to tremble, and all creatures, O
sire, felt pain. The planet Jupiter, afflicting the constellation Rohini
assumed the hue of the moon or the sun. Upon the fall of Karna, the
subsidiary points also of the compass became ablaze. The sky became
enveloped in darkness. The earth trembled. Meteors of blazing splendour
fell. Rakshasas and other wanderers of the night became filled with joy.
When Arjuna, with that razor-faced shaft, struck off Karna's head adorned
with a face beautiful as the moon, then, O king, loud cries of "Oh!" and
"Alas!" were heard of creatures in heaven, in the welkin, and on the
earth. Having in battle slain his foe Karna who was worshipped by the
gods, the gandharvas, and human beings, Pritha's son Arjuna looked
resplendent in his energy like the deity of a 1,000 eyes after the
slaughter of Vritra. Then riding on that car of theirs whose rattle
resembled the roar of the clouds and whose splendour was like that of the
meridian sun of the autumnal sky, which was adorned with banners and
equipped with a standard incessantly producing an awful noise, whose
effulgence resembled that of the snow or the Moon or the conch or the
crystal, and whose steeds were like those of Indra himself, those two
foremost of men, viz., the son of Pandu and the crusher of Keshi, whose
energy resembled that of the great Indra, and who were adorned with gold
and pearls and gems and diamonds and corals, and who were like fire or
the sun in splendour, fearlessly careered over the field of battle with
great speed, like Vishnu and Vasava mounted on the same chariot. Forcibly
divesting the enemy of his splendour by means of the twang of gandiva and
the slaps of their palms, and slaying the Kurus with showers of shafts,
the Ape-bannered Arjuna, the Garuda-bannered Krishna, both of whom were
possessed of immeasurable prowess, those two foremost of men, filled with
joy, took up with their hands their loud-sounding conchs adorned with
gold and white as snow, and placing them against their lips, blew
simultaneously with those beautiful mouths of theirs, piercing the hearts
of their foes with the sound. The blare of pancajanya and that of
devadatta filled the earth, the sky, and heaven.

At the sound of the heroic Madhava's conch as also at that of Arjuna's,
all the Kauravas, O best of kings, became filled with fright. Those
foremost of men, causing the forests, the mountains, the rivers and the
points of the compass to resound with the blare of their conchs, and
filling the army of your son with fright, gladdened Yudhishthira
therewith. As soon as the Kauravas heard the blare of those conchs that
were thus being blown, all of them left the field with great speed,
deserting the ruler of the Madras and the chief of the Bharatas, O
Bharata, viz., Duryodhana. Then diverse creatures, uniting together,
congratulated Dhananjaya, that hero shining resplendent on the field of
battle, as also Janardana, those two foremost of men who then looked like
a couple of risen suns. Pierced with Karna's arrows, those two chastisers
of foes, Acyuta and Arjuna, looked resplendent like the bright and
many-rayed moon and the sun risen after dispelling a gloom. Casting off
those arrows, those two mighty warriors, both endued with unrivalled
prowess, surrounded by well-wishers and friends, happily entered their
own encampment, like the lords Vasava and Vishnu duly invoked by
sacrificial priests. Upon the slaughter of Karna in that dreadful battle,
the gods, gandharvas, human beings, caranas, great rishis, yakshas, and
great nagas, worshipped Krishna and Arjuna with great respect and wished
them victory (in all things). Having received all their friends then,
each according to his age, and applauded by those friends in return for
their incomparable feats, the two heroes rejoiced with their friends,
like the chief of the celestials and Vishnu after the overthrow of Vali.'"





--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 94 ---------------------

Parva 08 093

SECTION 93

"Dhritarashtra said, 'What was the aspect of the Kuru and the Srinjaya
host on that awful day while it was crushed with arrows and scorched
(with weapons) in that encounter between Karna and Arjuna and while it
was flying away from the field?'

"Sanjaya said, 'Hear, O king, with attention how that awful and great
carnage of human beings and elephants and steeds occurred in battle.
When, after Karna's fall Partha uttered leonine shouts, a great fright
entered the hearts of your sons. Upon the fall of Karna no warrior of thy
army set his heart on rallying the troops or putting forth his prowess.
Their refuge having been destroyed by Arjuna, they were then like
raftless merchants, whose vessels have wrecked on the fathomless ocean,
desirous of crossing the uncrossable main. After the slaughter of the
Suta's son, O king, the Kauravas, terrified and mangled with shafts,
masterless and desirous of protection, became like a herd of elephants
afflicted by lions. Vanquished by Savyasaci on that afternoon, they fled
away like bulls with broken horns or snakes with broken fangs. Their
foremost of heroes slain, their troops thrown into confusion, themselves
mangled with keen arrows, your sons, after the fall of Karna, O king, fled
away in fear. Divested of weapons and armour, no longer able to ascertain
which point of the compass was which, and deprived of their senses, they
crushed one another in course of their flight and looked at one another,
afflicted with fear. "It is me that Vibhatsu is pursuing with speed!" "It
is me that Vrikodara is pursuing with speed!"--thought every one among
the Kauravas who became pale with fear and fell down as they fled. Some
on horses, some on cars, some on elephants, and some on foot, mighty
car-warriors, endued with great speed, fled away in fear. Cars were
broken by elephants, horsemen were crushed by great car-warriors, and
bands of foot-soldiers were trodden down by bodies of horsemen, as these
fled in fear. After the fall of the Suta's son, your warriors became like
people without protectors in a forest teeming with beasts of prey and
robbers. They were then like elephants without riders and men without
arms. Afflicted with fear, they looked upon the world as if it were full
of Partha. Beholding them fly away afflicted with the fear of Bhimasena,
indeed, and seeing his troops thus leave the field in thousands,
Duryodhana, uttering cries of "Oh!" and "Alas!" addressed his driver,
saying, "Partha will never be able to transgress me standing bow in hand.
Urge my steeds slowly behind all the troops. Without doubt, if I fight
standing in the rear of the army, the son of Kunti will never be able to
transgress me even as the vast deep is unable to transgress its
continents. Slaying Arjuna and Govinda and the proud Vrikodara and the
rest of my foes, I will free myself from the debt I owe to Karna."
Hearing these words of the Kuru king that were so worthy of a hero and
honourable man, the charioteer slowly urged his steeds adorned with
trappings of gold. Then 25,000 warriors on foot, belonging to your army,
without cars and cavalry and elephants among them, prepared for battle.
Bhimasena, filled with wrath, and Dhrishtadyumna the son of Prishata,
encompassed them with four kinds of forces and began to strike them with
their shafts. In return, those warriors fought with Bhima and Prishata's
son. Some amongst them challenged the two heroes by name. Then Bhimasena
became filled with rage. Alighting from his car, mace in hand, he fought
with those warriors arrived for battle. Observant of the rules of fair
fight, Vrikodara, the son of Kunti, came down from his car, and relying
upon the might of his arms, began to fight on foot with those foes of his
that were on foot. Taking up his massive mace adorned with gold, he began
to slaughter them all, like the Destroyer armed with his bludgeon. The
Kaurava warriors on foot, filled with rage and becoming reckless of their
lives, rushed against Bhima in that battle like insects upon a blazing
fire. Those infuriated combatants, difficult of being defeated in battle,
approaching Bhimasena, perished in a trice like living creatures upon
seeing the Destroyer. The mighty Bhima, armed with a mace, careered like
a hawk and destroyed all those 25,000 combatants. Having slain that
division of heroic warriors, Bhima, of prowess incapable of being baffled
and of great might, once more stood, with Dhrishtadyumna before him.
Possessed of great energy, Dhananjaya proceeded against the (remnant of
the) car-force (of the Kauravas). The two sons of Madri, and Satyaki,
filled with joy, rushed with speed against Shakuni and slaughtered the
troops of Subala's son. Having slain with keen shafts his cavalry and
elephants in that encounter, they rushed impetuously against Shakuni
himself, upon which a great battle took place. Meanwhile Dhananjaya, O
lord, proceeding against your car-force, twanged his bow Gandiva
celebrated over the three worlds. Beholding that car having white steeds
yoked unto it and owning Krishna for its driver, and seeing that Arjuna
was the warrior standing on it, your troops fled away in fear. 25,000
soldiers on foot, deprived of cars and mangled with shafts, had perished
(at the hands of Bhima and Dhrishtadyumna). Having slain them, that tiger
among men, that great car-warrior among the Pancalas, viz., the
high-souled Dhrishtadyumna the son of the Pancala king, soon showed
himself, with Bhimasena before him. That slayer of foes and mighty bowman
appeared exceedingly handsome. Beholding Dhrishtadyumna's car which had
steeds white as pigeons yoked unto it and whose lofty standard was made
of the trunk of a Kovidara, the Kauravas fled away in great fear. The
twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) of great fame, and Satyaki, having pursued
with great speed the king of the Gandharvas who was possessed of
lightness of hands in the use of weapons, re-appeared (amid the Pandava
ranks). Chekitana and Shikhandi and the (five) sons of Draupadi, O sire,
having slaughtered your vast army, blew their conchs. All those heroes,
although they saw your troops flying away with faces turned from the
field, still pursued them, like bulls pursuing angry bulls after
vanquishing them. Pandu's son Savyasaci of great might, O king, beholding
a remnant of your army still standing for battle, became filled with
wrath. Possessed of great energy, Dhananjaya, rushed against that
car-force, drawing his bow Gandiva celebrated over the three worlds.
Suddenly he shrouded them with showers of arrows. The dust that was
raised darkened the scene and nothing could any longer be distinguished.
When the earth was thus shrouded with dust and when darkness covered
everything, your troops, O king, fled on all sides from fear. When the
Kuru army was thus broken, the Kuru king, O monarch, viz., your son,
rushed against all his foes advancing against him. Then Duryodhana
challenged all the Pandavas to battle, O chief of Bharata's race, like
the Asura Vali in days of yore challenging the gods. At this, all the
Pandava heroes, uniting together, rushed against the advancing
Duryodhana, shooting and hurling at him diverse weapons and upbraiding
him repeatedly. Duryodhana, however, filled with rage, fearlessly
slaughtered those enemies of his in hundreds and thousands, with keen
shafts. The prowess that we then beheld of your son was exceedingly
wonderful, for alone and unsupported, he fought with all the Pandavas
united together. Duryodhana then beheld his own troops who, mangled with
arrows, had set their hearts on flight, gone not far from the field.
Rallying them then, O monarch, your son who was resolved to maintain his
honour, gladdening those warriors of his, said these words unto them: "I
do not see that spot in the earth or on the mountains, whither if the fly,
the Pandavas will not slay you! What use then in flying away? Small is
the force that the Pandavas now have. The two Krishnas also are
exceedingly mangled. If all of us stay for battle, victory will certainly
be ours. If we fly in disunion, the sinful Pandavas, pursuing us, will
certainly slay all of us. For this, it is better that we should die in
battle. Death in battle is fraught with happiness. Fight, observant of
the Kshatriya's duty. He that is dead knows no misery. On the other hand,
such a one enjoys eternal bliss hereafter. Listen, the Kshatriyas, ay, all
of you, that are assembled here! When the destroyer Yama spareth neither
the hero nor the coward, who is there so foolish of understanding,
although observant of a Kshatriya's vow like us, that would not fight.
Would the place yourselves under the power of the angry foe Bhimasena? It
behoveth you not to abandon the duty observed by your sires and
grandsires. There is no greater sin for a Kshatriya than flight from
battle. There is no more blessed path for heaven, the Kauravas, than the
duty of battle. Slain in battle, the warriors, enjoy heaven without
delay.'"

"Sanjaya continued, 'While even these words were being uttered by thy
son, the (Kaurava) warriors, exceedingly mangled, fled away on all sides,
regardless of that speech.'"





--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 93 ---------------------

Parva 08 092

SECTION 92

"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the troops crushed with arrows in that
encounter between Karna and Arjuna, Shalya proceeded, filled with wrath,
on that car divested of equipment. Beholding his army deprived of the
Suta's son and its cars and steeds and elephants destroyed, Duryodhana,
with eyes bathed in tears, repeatedly sighed the very picture of woe.
Desirous of beholding the heroic Karna, pierced with arrows and bathed in
blood, and stretched on the earth like the sun dropped from the skies at
will, the warriors came there and stood surrounding the fallen hero.
Amongst those belonging to the enemy and your army that thus stood there,
some showed signs of joy, some of fear, some of sorrow, some of wonder,
and some gave themselves up to great grief, according to their respective
natures. Others amongst the Kauravas, hearing that Karna of mighty energy
had been slain by Dhananjaya, his armour, ornaments, robes, and weapons
having all been displaced, fled in fear like a herd of kine afflicted
with exceeding fear at losing its bull. Bhima then, uttering loud roars
and causing the welkin to tremble with those awful and tremendous shouts,
began to slap his armpits, jump, and dance, frightening the
Dhartarashtras by those movements. The Somakas and the Srinjayas also
loudly blew their conchs. All the Kshatriyas embraced one another in joy,
upon beholding the Suta's son slain at that juncture. Having fought a
dreadful battle, Karna was slain by Arjuna like an elephant by a lion.
That bull among men, Arjuna, thus accomplished his vow. Indeed even thus,
Partha reached the end of his hostility (towards Karna). The ruler of the
Madras, with stupefied heart, quickly proceeding, O king, to the side of
Duryodhana, on that car divested of standard said in sorrow these words,
"The elephants, the steeds, and the foremost of car-warriors of your army
have been slain. In consequence of those mighty warriors, and steeds, and
elephants huge as hills, having been slain after coming into contact with
one another, your host looks like the domains of Yama. Never before, O
Bharata, has a battle been fought like that between Karna and Arjuna
today. Karna had powerfully assailed the two Krishnas today and all
others who are your foes. Destiny, however, has certainly flowed,
controlled by Partha. It is for this that Destiny is protecting the
Pandavas and weakening us. Many are the heroes who, resolved to
accomplish your objects have been forcibly slain by the enemy. Brave
kings, who in energy, courage, and might, were equal to Kuvera or Yama or
Vasava or the Lord of the waters, who were possessed of every merit, who
were almost unslayable, and who were desirous of achieving your object,
have in battle been slain by the Pandavas. Do not, O Bharata, grieve for
this. This is Destiny. Comfort thyself. Success cannot be always
attained." Hearing these words of the ruler of the Madras and reflecting
on his own evil doings. Duryodhana, with a cheerless heart, became almost
deprived of his senses and sighed repeatedly the very picture of woe.'"





--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 92 ---------------------

Parva 08 091

SECTION 91

"Sanjaya said, 'Then Vasudeva, stationed on the car, addressed Karna,
saying, "By good luck it is, O son of Radha, that you rememberest
virtue! It is generally seen that they that are mean, when they sink into
distress, rail at Providence but never at their own misdeeds. Thyself and
Suyodhana and Duhshasana and Shakuni, the son of Subala, had caused
Draupadi, clad in a single piece of raiment, to be brought into the midst
of the assembly. On that occasion, O Karna, this virtue of yours did not
manifest itself. When at the assembly Shakuni, an adept in dice,
vanquished Kunti's son Yudhishthira who was unacquainted with it, whither
had this virtue of yours gone? When the Kuru king (Duryodhana), acting
under your counsels, treated Bhimasena in that way with the aid of snakes
and poisoned food, whither had this virtue of yours then gone? When the
period of exile into the woods was over as also the thirteenth year, thou
didst not make over to the Pandavas their kingdom. Whither had this
virtue of yours then gone? Thou didst set fire to the house of lac at
Varanavata for burning to death the sleeping Pandavas. Whither then, O
son of Radha, had this virtue of yours gone? Thou laughedest at Krishna
while she stood in the midst of the assembly, scantily dressed because in
her season and obedient to Duhshasana's will, whither, then, O Karna, had
this virtue of yours gone? When from the apartment reserved for the
females innocent Krishna was dragged, you didst not interfere. Whither,
O son of Radha, had this virtue of yours gone? Thyself addressing the
princess Draupadi, that lady whose tread is as dignified as that of the
elephant, in these words, viz., 'The Pandavas, O Krishna, are lost. They
have sunk into eternal hell. Do you choose another husband!' thou
lookedest on the scene with delight. Whither then, O Karna, had this
virtue of yours gone? Covetous of kingdom and relying on the ruler of the
Gandharvas, you summonedest the Pandavas (to a match of dice). Whither
then had this virtue of yours gone? When many mighty car-warriors,
encompassing the boy Abhimanyu in battle, slew him, whither had this
virtue of yours then gone? If this virtue that you now invokest was
nowhere on those occasions, what is the use then of parching your palate
now, by uttering that word? Thou are now for the practice of virtue, O
Suta, but you shalt not escape with life. Like Nala who was defeated by
Pushkara with the aid of dice but who regained his kingdom by prowess,
the Pandavas, who are free from cupidity, will recover their kingdom by
the prowess of their arms, aided with all their friends. Having slain in
battle their powerful foes, they, with the Somakas, will recover their
kingdom. The Dhartarashtras will meet with destruction at the hands of
those lions among men (viz., the sons of Pandu), that are always
protected by virtue!'"

"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed, O Bharata, by Vasudeva, Karna hung
down his head in shame and gave no answer. With lips quivering in rage,
he raised his bow, O Bharata, and, being endued with great energy and
prowess, he continued to fight with Partha. Then Vasudeva, addressing
Phalguna, that bull among men, said, "O you of great might, piercing
Karna with a celestial weapon, throw him down." Thus addressed by the
holy one, Arjuna became filled with rage. Indeed, remembering the
incidents alluded to by Krishna, Dhananjaya blazed up with fury. Then, O
king, blazing flames of fire seemed to emanate from all the pores of the
angry Partha's body. The sight seemed to be exceedingly wonderful.
Beholding it, Karna, invoking the brahmastra, showered his shafts upon
Dhananjaya, and once more made an effort to extricate his car. Partha
also, by the aid of the brahmastra, poured arrowy downpours upon Karna.
Baffling with his own weapon the weapon of his foe, the son of Pandu
continued to strike him. The son of Kunti then, aiming at Karna sped
another favourite weapon of his that was inspired with the energy of
Agni. Sped by Arjuna, that weapon blazed up with its own energy. Karna,
however, quenched that conflagration with the Varuna weapon. The Suta's
son also, by the clouds he created, caused all the points of the compass
to be shrouded with a darkness such as may be seen on a rainy day. The
son of Pandu, endued with great energy, fearlessly dispelled those clouds
by means of the Vayavya weapon in the very sight of Karna. The Suta's son
then, for slaying the son of Pandu, took up a terrible arrow blazing like
fire. When that adored shaft was fixed on the bow-string, the earth, O
king, trembled with her mountains and waters and forests. Violent winds
began to blow, bearing hard pebbles. All the points of the compass became
enveloped with dust. Wails of grief, O Bharata, arose among the gods in
the welkin. Beholding that shaft aimed by the Suta's son, O sire, the
Pandavas, with cheerless hearts, gave themselves up to great sorrow. That
shaft of keen point and endued with the effulgence of Sakra's thunder,
sped from Karna's arms, fell upon Dhananjaya's chest and penetrated it
like a mighty snake penetrating an ant-hill. That grinder of foes, viz.,
the high-souled Vibhatsu, thus deeply pierced in that encounter, began to
reel. His grasp became loosened, at which his bow Gandiva dropped from
his hand. He trembled like the prince of mountains in an earthquake.
Availing himself of that opportunity, the mighty car-warrior Vrisha,
desirous of extricating his car-wheel that had been swallowed up by the
earth, jumped down from his vehicle. Seizing the wheel with his two arms
he endeavoured to drag it up, but though possessed of great strength, he
failed in his efforts, as destiny would have it. Meanwhile the
diadem-decked and high-souled Arjuna, recovering his senses, took up a
shaft, fatal as the rod of Death, and called anjalika. Then Vasudeva,
addressing Partha, said, "Cut off with your arrow the head of this enemy
of thine, viz., Vrisha, before he succeeds in getting upon his car."
Applauding those words of the lord Vasudeva, and while the wheel of his
enemy was still sunk, the mighty car-warrior Arjuna took up a
razor-headed arrow of blazing effulgence and struck the standard (of
Karna) bearing the elephant's rope and bright as the spotless sun. That
standard bearing the device of the costly elephant's rope, was adorned
with gold and pearls and gems and diamonds, and forged with care by
foremost of artists excelling in knowledge, and possessed of great
beauty, and variegated with pure gold. That standard always used to fill
thy troops with high courage and the enemy with fear. Its form commanded
applause. Celebrated over the whole world, it resembled the sun in
splendour. Indeed, its effulgence was like that of fire or the sun or the
moon. The diadem-decked Arjuna, with that razor-headed shaft, exceedingly
sharp, equipped with wings of gold, possessed of the splendour of fire
when fed with libations of clarified butter, and blazing with beauty, cut
off that standard of Adhiratha's son, that great car-warrior. With that
standard, as it fell, the fame, pride, hope of victory, and everything
dear, as also the hearts of the Kurus, fell, and loud wails of "Oh!" and
"Alas!" arose (from the Kuru army). Beholding that standard cut off and
thrown down by that hero of Kuru's race possessed of great lightness of
hand, your troops, O Bharata, were no longer hopeful of Karna's victory.
Hastening then for Karna's destruction, Partha took out from his quiver
an excellent Anjalika weapon that resembled the thunder of Indra or the
rod of fire and that was possessed of the effulgence of the
thousand-rayed Sun. Capable of penetrating the very vitals, besmeared
with blood and flesh, resembling fire or the sun, made of costly
materials, destructive of men, steeds, and elephants, of straight course
and fierce impetuosity, it measured three cubits and six feet. Endued
with the force of the thousand-eyed Indra's thunder, irresistible as
Rakshasas in the night, resembling Pinaka or Narayana's discus, it was
exceedingly terrible and destructive of all living creatures. Partha
cheerfully took up that great weapon, in the shape of an arrow, which
could not be resisted by the very gods, that high-souled being which was
always adored by the son of Pandu, and which was capable of vanquishing
the very gods and the Asuras. Beholding that shaft grasped by Partha in
that battle, the entire universe shook with its mobile and immobile
creatures. Indeed, seeing that weapon raised (for being sped) in that
dreadful battle, the Rishis loudly cried out, "Peace be to the universe!"
The wielder of Gandiva then fixed on his bow that unrivalled arrow,
uniting it with a high and mighty weapon. Drawing his bow Gandiva, he
quickly said, "Let this shaft of mine be like a mighty weapon capable of
quickly destroying the body and heart of my enemy, if I have ever
practised ascetic austerities, gratified my superiors, and listened to
the counsels of well-wishers. Let this shaft, worshipped by me and
possessed of great sharpness, slay my enemy Karna by that Truth." Having
said these words Dhananjaya let off that terrible shaft for the
destruction of Karna, that arrow fierce and efficacious as a rite
prescribed in the Atharvan of Angiras, blazing with effulgence, and
incapable of being endured by Death himself in battle. And the
diadem-decked Partha, desirous of slaying Karna, with great cheerfulness,
said, "Let this shaft conduce to my victory. Shot by me, let this arrow
possessed of the splendour of fire or the sun take Karna to the presence
of Yama." Saying these words, Arjuna, decked with diadem and garlands,
cherishing feelings of hostility towards Karna and desirous of slaying
him, cheerfully struck his foe with that foremost of shafts which was
possessed of the splendour of the sun or the moon and capable of
bestowing victory. Thus sped by that mighty warrior, that shaft endued
with the energy of the sun caused all the points of the compass to blaze
up with light. With that weapon Arjuna struck off his enemy's head like
Indra striking off the head of Vritra with his thunder. Indeed, O king,
with that excellent Anjalika weapon inspired with mantras into a mighty
weapon, the son of Indra cut off the head of Vaikartana in the afternoon.
Thus cut off with that Anjalika, the trunk of Karna fell down on the
earth. The head also of that commander of the (Kaurava) army, endued with
splendour equal to that of the risen sun and resembling the meridian sun
of autumn, fell down on the earth like the sun of bloody disc dropped
down from the Asta hills. Indeed, that head abandoned with great
unwillingness the body, exceedingly beautiful and always nursed in
luxury, of Karna of noble deeds, like an owner abandoning with great
unwillingness his commodious mansion filled with great wealth. Cut off
with Arjuna's arrow, and deprived of life, the tall trunk of Karna endued
with great splendour, with blood issuing from every wound, fell down like
the thunder-riven summit of a mountain of red chalk with crimson streams
running down its sides after a shower. Then from that body of the fallen
Karna a light passing through the welkin penetrated the sun. This
wonderful sight, O king, was beheld by the human warriors after the fall
of Karna. Then the Pandavas, beholding Karna slain by Phalguna, loudly
blew their conchs. Similarly, Krishna and Dhananjaya also, filled with
delight, and losing no time, blew their conchs. The Somakas beholding
Karna slain and lying on the field, were filled with joy and uttered loud
shouts with the other troops (of the Pandava army). In great delight they
blew their trumpets and waved their arms and garments. All the warriors,
O king, approaching Partha, began to applaud him joyfully. Others,
possessed of might, danced, embracing each other, and uttering loud
shouts, said, "By good luck, Karna hath been stretched on the earth and
mangled with arrows." Indeed, the severed head of Karna looked beautiful
like a mountain summit loosened by a tempest, or a quenched fire after
the sacrifice is over, or the image of the sun after it has reached the
Asta hills. The Karna-sun, with arrows for its rays, after having
scorched the hostile army, was at last caused to be set by the mighty
Arjuna-time. As the Sun, while proceeding towards the Asta hills, retires
taking away with him all his rays, even so that shaft (of Arjuna) passed
out, taking with it Karna's life breaths. The death hour of the Suta's
son, O sire, was the afternoon of that day. Cut off with the Anjalika
weapon in that battle, the head of Karna fell down along with his body.
Indeed, that arrow of Arjuna, in the very sight of the Kaurava troops,
quickly took away the head and the body of Karna. Beholding the heroic
Karna thrown down stretched on the earth, pierced with arrows and bathed
in blood, the king of the Madras, went away on that car deprived of its
standard. After the fall of Karna, the Kauravas, deeply pierced with
shafts in that battle, and afflicted with fear, fled away from the field,
frequently casting their eyes on that lofty standard of Arjuna that
blazed with splendour. The beautiful head, graced with a face that
resembled a lotus of a 1,000 petals, of Karna whose feats were like those
of the thousand-eyed Indra, fell down on the earth like the
thousand-rayed sun as he looks at the close of day.'"





--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 91 ---------------------

Parva 08 090

SECTION 90

"Sanjaya said, 'Flying away in consequence of the falling of Arjuna's
arrows, the broken divisions of the Kauravas, staying at a distance,
continued to gaze at Arjuna's weapon swelling with energy and careering
around with the effulgence of lightning. Then Karna, with showers of
terrible shafts, baffled that weapon of Arjuna while it was still
careering in the welkin and which Arjuna had shot with great vigour in
that fierce encounter for the destruction of his foe. Indeed, that weapon
(of Partha) which, swelling with energy, had been consuming the Kurus,
the Suta's son now crushed with his shafts winged with gold. Bending then
his own loud-sounding bow of irrefragable string, Karna shot showers of
shafts. The Suta's son destroyed that burning weapon of Arjuna with his
own foe-killing weapon of great power which he had obtained from Rama,
and which resembled (in efficacy) an Atharvan rite. And he pierced Partha
also with numerous keen shafts. The encounter then, O king, that took
place between Arjuna and the son of Adhiratha, became a very dreadful
one. They continued to strike each other with arrows like two fierce
elephants striking each other with their tusks. All the points of the
compass then became shrouded with weapons and the very sun became
invisible. Indeed, Karna and Partha, with their arrowy downpours, made
the welkin one vast expanse of arrows without any space between. All the
Kauravas and the Somakas then beheld a wide-spread arrowy net. In that
dense darkness caused by arrows, they were unable to see anything else.
Those two foremost of men, both accomplished in weapons, as they
incessantly aimed and shot innumerable arrows, O king, displayed diverse
kinds of beautiful manoeuvres. While they were thus contending with each
other in battle, sometimes the Suta's son prevailed over his rival and
sometimes the diadem-decked Partha prevailed over his, in prowess and
weapons and lightness of hands. Beholding that terrible and awful
passage-at-arms between those two heroes each of whom was desirous of
availing himself of the other's lapses, all the other warriors on the
field of battle became filled with wonder. The beings in the welkin, O
king, applauded Karna and Arjuna. Indeed, many of them at a time, filled
with joy, cheerfully shouted, sometimes saying, "Excellent, O Karna!" and
sometimes saying, "Excellent, O Arjuna!" During the progress of that
fierce encounter, while the earth was being pressed deep with the weight
of cars and the tread of steeds and elephants, the snake Aswasena, who
was hostile to Arjuna, was passing his time in the nether region. Freed
from the conflagration at Khandava, O king, he had, from anger,
penetrated through the earth (for going to the subterranean region). That
brave snake, recollecting the death of his mother and the enmity he on
that account harboured against Arjuna, now rose from the lower region.
Endued with the power of ascending the skies, he soared up with great
speed upon beholding that fight between Karna and Arjuna. Thinking that
that was the time for gratifying his animosity towards, as he thought,
the wicked-souled Partha, he quickly entered into Karna's quiver, O king,
in the form of an arrow. At that time a net of arrows was seen, shedding
its bright arrows around. Karna and Partha made the welkin one dense mass
of arrows by means of their arrowy downpours. Beholding that wide-spread
expanse of arrows, all the Kauravas and the Somakas became filled with
fear. In that thick and awful darkness caused by arrows they were unable
to see anything else. Then those two tigers among men, those two foremost
of all bowmen in the world, those two heroes, fatigued with their
exertions in battle, looked at each other. Both of them were then fanned
with excellent and waving fans made of young (palm) leaves and sprinkled
with fragrant sandal-water by many Apsaras staying in the welkin. And
Sakra and Surya, using their hands, gently brushed the faces of those two
heroes. When at last Karna found that he could not prevail over Partha
and was exceedingly scorched with the shafts of the former, that hero,
his limbs very much mangled, set his heart upon that shaft of his which
lay singly within a quiver. The Suta's son then fixed on his bow-string
that foe-killing, exceedingly keen, snake-mouthed, blazing, and fierce
shaft, which had been polished according to rule, and which he had long
kept for the sake of Partha's destruction. Stretching his bow-string to
his ear, Karna fixed that shaft of fierce energy and blazing splendour,
that ever-worshipped weapon which lay within a golden quiver amid sandal
dust, and aimed it at Partha. Indeed, he aimed that blazing arrow, born
in Airavata's race, for cutting off Phalguna's head in battle. All the
points of the compass and the welkin became ablaze and terrible meteors,
and thunderbolts fell. When that snake of the form of an arrow was fixed
on the bow-string, the Regents of the world, including Sakra, set up loud
wails. The Suta's son did not know that the snake Aswasena had entered
his arrow by the aid of his Yoga powers. Beholding Vaikartana aim that
arrow, the high-souled ruler of the Madras, addressing Karna, said, "This
arrow, O Karna, will not succeed in striking off Arjuna's head. Searching
carefully, fix another arrow that may succeed in striking off your enemy's
head." Endued with great activity, the Suta's son, with eyes burning in
wrath, then said unto the ruler of the Madras, "O Shalya, Karna never
aimeth an arrow twice. Persons like us never become crooked warriors."
Having said these words, Karna, with great care, let off that shaft which
he had worshipped for many long years. Bent upon winning the victory, O
king, he quickly said unto his rival, "Thou are slain, O Phalguna!" Sped
from Karna's arms, that shaft of awful whizz, resembling fire or the sun
in splendour, as it left the bow-string, blazed up in the welkin and
seemed to divide it by a line such as is visible on the crown of a woman
dividing her tresses. Beholding that shaft blazing in the welkin, the
slayer of Kamsa, Madhava, with great speed and the greatest ease, pressed
down with his feet that excellent car, causing it to sink about a cubit
deep. At this, the steeds, white as the rays of the moon and decked in
trappings of gold, bending their knees, laid themselves down on the
ground. Indeed, seeing that snake (in the form of an arrow) aimed by
Karna, Madhava, that foremost of all persons endued with might, put forth
his strength and thus pressed down with his feet that car into the earth,
whereat the steeds, (as already said) bending down their knees, laid
themselves down upon the earth when the car itself had sank into it. Then
loud sounds arose in the welkin in applause of Vasudeva. Many celestial
voices were heard, and celestial flowers were showered upon Krishna, and
leonine shouts also were uttered. When the car had thus been pressed down
into the earth through the exertions of the slayer of Madhu, the
excellent ornament of Arjuna's head, celebrated throughout the earth, the
welkin, heaven, and the waters, the Suta's son swept off from the crown
of his rival, with that arrow, in consequence of the very nature of that
snaky weapon and the great care and wrath with which it had been shot.
That diadem, endued with the splendour of the sun or the moon or fire or
a planet, and adorned with gold and pearls and gems and diamonds, had
with great care been made by the puissant Self-born himself for
Purandara. Costly as its appearance indicated, it was inspiring terror in
the hearts of foes, contributing to the happiness of him that wore it,
and shedding a fragrance, that ornament had been given by the chief of
the celestials himself with a cheerful heart unto Partha while the latter
had proceeded to slaughter the foes of the gods. That diadem was
incapable of being crushed by Rudra and the Lord of waters and Kuvera
with Pinaka and noose and thunderbolt and the very foremost of shafts. It
could not be endured by even the foremost ones among the gods. Vrisha,
however, now broke it forcibly with his snake-inspired shaft. Endued with
great activity, that wicked-natured snake of fierce form and false vows,
falling upon that diadem-decked with gold and gems, swept it away from
Arjuna's head. That snake, O king, forcibly tore it away from Partha's
head, quickly reducing into fragments that well-made ornament set over
with many a gem and blazing with beauty, like the thunderbolt riving a
mountain summit decked with lofty and beautiful trees graced with
flowers. Crushed by that excellent weapon, possessed of splendour, and
blazing with the fire of (the snake's) poison, that beautiful and
much-liked diadem of Partha fell down on the earth like the blazing disc
of the Sun from the Asta hills. Indeed, that snake forcibly swept away
from Arjuna's head that diadem adorned with many gems, like the thunder
of Indra felling a beautiful mountain summit adorned with lofty trees
bearing budding leaves and flowers. And the earth, welkin, heaven, and
the waters, when agitated by a tempest, roar aloud, O Bharata, even such
was the roar that arose in all the worlds at that time. Hearing that
tremendous noise, people, notwithstanding their efforts to be calm,
became extremely agitated and reeled as they stood. Reft of diadem, the
dark complexioned and youthful Partha looked beautiful like a blue
mountain of lofty summit. Binding then his locks with a white cloth,
Arjuna stood perfectly unmoved. With that white gear on his head, he
looked like the Udaya hill illumined with the rays of the sun. Thus that
she-snake (whom Arjuna had killed at Khandava) of excellent mouth,
through her son in the form of an arrow, sped by Surya's son, beholding
Arjuna of exceeding energy and might standing with his head at a level
with the reins of the steeds, took away his diadem only, that well-made
ornament (formerly) owned by Aditi's son and endued with the effulgence
of Surya himself. But Arjuna also (as will appear in the sequel) did not
return from that battle without causing the snake to succumb to the power
of Yama. Sped from Karna's arms, that costly shaft resembling fire or the
sun in effulgence, viz., that mighty snake who from before had become the
deadly foe of Arjuna, thus crushing the latter's diadem, went away.
Having burnt the gold-decked diadem of Arjuna displayed on his head, he
desired to come to Arjuna once more with great speed. Asked, however, by
Karna (who saw him but knew him not), he said these words, "Thou hadst
sped me, O Karna, without having seen me. It was for this that I could
not strike off Arjuna's head. Do you quickly shoot me once again, after
seeing me well. I shall then slay your foe and mine too." Thus addressed
in that battle by him, the Suta's son said, "Who are you possessed of
such fierce form?" The snake answered, saying, "Know me as one that has
been wronged by Partha. My enmity towards him is due to his having slain
my mother. If the wielder of the thunderbolt himself were to protect
Partha, the latter would still have to go to the domains of the king of
the pitris. Do not disregard me. Do my bidding. I will slay your foe.
Shoot me without delay." Hearing those words, Karna said, "Karna, O
snake, never desires to have victory in battle today by relying on
another's might. Even if I have to slay a hundred Arjunas, I will not, O
snake, still shoot the same shaft twice." Once more addressing him in the
midst of battle, that best of men, viz., Surya's son, Karna, said, "Aided
by the nature of my other snaky weapons, and by resolute effort and
wrath, I shall slay Partha. Be you happy and go elsewhere." Thus
addressed, in battle, by Karna, that prince of snakes, unable from rage
to bear those words, himself proceeded, O king, for the slaughter of
Partha, having assumed the form of an arrow. Of fierce form, the desire
he ardently cherished was the destruction of his enemy. Then Krishna,
addressing Partha in that encounter, said into him, "Slay that great
snake inimical to thee." Thus addressed by the slayer of Madhu, the
wielder of Gandiva, that bowman who was always fierce unto foes, enquired
of him, saying, "Who is that snake that advanceth of his own accord
against me, as if, indeed he advanceth right against the mouth of
Garuda?" Krishna replied, "Whilst thou, armed with bow, wert engaged at
Khandava in gratifying the god Agni, this snake was then in the sky, his
body ensconced within his mother's. Thinking that it was only a single
snake that was so staying in the sky, you killedest the mother.
Remembering that act of hostility done by thee, he cometh towards thee
today for your destruction. O resister of foes, behold him coming like a
blazing meteor, falling from the firmament!'"

"Sanjaya continued, 'Then Jishnu, turning his face in rage, cut off, with
six keen shafts, that snake in the welkin as the latter was coursing in a
slanting direction. His body thus cut off, he fell down on the earth.
After that snake had been cut off by Arjuna, the lord Keshava himself, O
king, of massive arms, that foremost of beings, raised up with his arms
that car from the earth. At that time, Karna, glancing obliquely at
Dhananjaya, pierced that foremost of persons, viz., Krishna, with ten
shafts whetted on stone and equipped with peacock feathers. Then
Dhananjaya, piercing Karna with a dozen well-shot and keen arrows
equipped with heads like the boar's ear, sped a cloth-yard shaft endued
with the energy of a snake of virulent poison and shot from his
bow-string stretched to his ear. That foremost of shafts, well shot by
Arjuna, penetrated through Karna's armour, and as if suspending his life
breaths, drank his blood and entered the earth, its wings also having
been drenched with gore. Endued with great activity, Vrisha, enraged at
the stroke of the shaft, like a snake beaten with stick, shot many mighty
shafts, like snakes of virulent poison vomiting venom. And he pierced
Janardana with a dozen shafts and Arjuna with nine and ninety. And once
more piercing the son of Pandu with a terrible shaft, Karna laughed and
uttered a loud roar. The son of Pandu, however, could not endure his
enemy's joy. Acquainted with all the vital parts of the human body,
Partha, possessed of prowess like that of Indra, pierced those vital
limbs with hundreds of arrows even as Indra had struck Vala with great
energy. Then Arjuna sped ninety arrows, each resembling the rod of Death
at Karna. Deeply pierced with those shafts, Karna trembled like a
mountain riven with thunder. The head-gear of Karna, adorned with costly
gems and precious diamonds and pure gold, as also his earrings, cut off
by Dhananjaya with his winged arrows, fell down on the earth. The costly
and bright armour also of the Suta's son that had been forged with great
care by many foremost of artists working for a long time, the son of
Pandu cut off within a moment in many fragments. After thus divesting him
of his armour, Partha then, in rage, pierced Karna with four whetted
shafts of great energy. Struck forcibly by his foe, Karna suffered great
pain like a diseased person afflicted by bile, phlegm, wind, and fever.
Once more Arjuna, with great speed, mangled Karna, piercing his very
vitals, with numerous excellent shafts, of great keenness, and sped from
his circling bow with much force and speed and care. Deeply struck by
Partha with those diverse arrows of keen points and fierce energy, Karna
(covered with blood) looked resplendent like a mountain of red chalk with
streams of red water running adown its breast. Once more Arjuna pierced
Karna in the centre of the chest with many straight-coursing and strong
shafts made entirely of iron and equipped with wings of gold and each
resembling the fiery rod of the Destroyer, like the son of Agni piercing
the Krauncha mountains. Then the Suta's son, casting aside his bow that
resembled the very bow of Sakra, as also his quiver, felt great pain, and
stood inactive, stupefied, and reeling, his grasp loosened and himself in
great anguish. The virtuous Arjuna, observant of the duty of manliness,
wished not to slay his enemy while fallen into such distress. The younger
brother of Indra then, with great excitement, addressed him, saying,
"Why, O son of Pandu, dost you become so forgetful? They that are truly
wise never spare their foes, however weak, even for a moment. He that is
learned earneth both merit and fame by slaying foes fallen into distress.
Lose no time in precipitately crushing Karna who is always inimical to
thee and who is the first of heroes. The Suta's son, when able, will once
more advance against you as before. Slay him, therefore, like Indra
slaying the Asura Namuci." Saying, "So be it, O Krishna!" and worshipping
Janardana, Arjuna, that foremost of all persons in Kuru's race once more
quickly pierced Karna with many excellent arrows like the ruler of
heaven, piercing the Asura, Samvara. The diadem-decked Partha, O Bharata,
covered Karna and his car and steeds with many calf-toothed arrows, and
putting forth all his vigour he shrouded all the points of the compass
with shafts equipped with wings of gold. Pierced with those arrows
equipped with heads like the calf's tooth, Adhiratha's son of broad chest
looked resplendent like an Asoka or Palasa or Salmali decked with its
flowery load or a mountain overgrown with a forest of sandal trees.
Indeed, with those numerous arrows sticking to his body, Karna, O
monarch, in that battle, looked resplendent like the prince of mountains
with its top and glens overgrown with trees or decked with flowering
Karnikaras. Karna also shooting repeated showers of arrows, looked, with
those arrows constituting his rays, like the sun coursing towards the
Asta hills, with disc bright with crimson rays. Shafts, however, of keen
points, sped from Arjuna's arms, encountering in the welkin the blazing
arrows, resembling mighty snakes, sped from the arms of Adhiratha's son,
destroyed them all. Recovering his coolness, and shooting many shafts
that resembled angry snakes, Karna then pierced Partha with ten shafts
and Krishna with half a dozen, each of which looked like an angry snake.
Then Dhananjaya desired to shoot a mighty and terrible arrow, made wholly
of iron, resembling the poison of snake or fire in energy, and whose
whizz resembling the peal of Indra's thunder, and which was inspired with
the force of a high (celestial) weapon. At that time, when the hour of
Karna's death had come, Kala, approaching invisibly, and alluding to the
Brahmana's curse, and desirous of informing Karna that his death was
near, told him, "The Earth is devouring your wheel!" Indeed, O foremost of
men, when the hour of Karna's death came, the high brahmastra that the
illustrious Bhargava had imparted unto him, escaped from his memory. And
the earth also began to devour the left wheel of his car. Then in
consequence of the curse of that foremost of Brahmanas, Karna's car began
to reel, having sunk deep into the earth and having been transfixed at
that spot like a sacred tree with its load of flowers standing upon an
elevated platform. When his car began to reel from the curse of the
Brahmana, and when the high weapon he had obtained from Rama no longer
shone in him through inward light, and when his terrible snake-mouthed
shaft also had been cut off by Partha, Karna became filled with
melancholy. Unable to endure all those calamities, he waved his arms and
began to rail at righteousness saying, "They that are conversant with
righteousness always say that righteousness protects those that are
righteous. As regards ourselves, we always endeavour, to the best of our
ability and knowledge to practise righteousness. That righteousness,
however, is destroying us now instead of protecting us that are devoted
to it. I, therefore, think that righteousness does not always protect its
worshippers." While saying these words, he became exceedingly agitated by
the strokes of Arjuna's arrows. His steeds and his driver also were
displaced from their usual position. His very vitals having been struck,
he became indifferent as to what he did, and repeatedly railed at
righteousness in that battle. He then pierced Krishna in the arm with
three terrible arrows, and Partha, too, with seven. Then Arjuna sped
seven and ten terrible arrows, perfectly straight and of fierce
impetuosity, resembling fire in splendour and like unto Indra's thunder
in force. Endued with awful impetuosity, those arrows pierced Karna and
passing out of his body fell upon the surface of the earth. Trembling at
the shock, Karna then displayed his activity to the utmost of his power.
Steadying himself by a powerful effort he invoked the brahmastra.
Beholding the brahmastra, Arjuna invoked the Aindra weapon with proper
mantras. Inspiring gandiva, its string, and his shafts also, with
mantras, that scorcher of foes poured showers like Purandara pouring rain
in torrents. Those arrows endued with great energy and power, issuing out
of Partha's car, were seen to be displayed in the vicinity of Karna's
vehicle. The mighty car-warrior Karna baffled all those shafts displayed
in his front. Seeing that weapon thus destroyed, the Vrishni hero,
addressing Arjuna, said, "Shoot high weapons, O Partha! The son of Radha
baffles your shafts." With proper mantras, Arjuna then fixed the
brahmastra on his string, and shrouding all the points of the compass
with arrows, Partha struck Karna (with many) arrows. Then Karna, with a
number of whetted shafts endued with great energy, cut off the string of
Arjuna's bow. Similarly he cut off the second string, and then the third,
and then the fourth, and then the fifth. The sixth also was cut off by
Vrisha, and then the seventh, then the eighth, then the ninth, then the
tenth, and then at last the eleventh. Capable of shooting hundreds upon
hundreds of arrows, Karna knew not that Partha had a hundred strings to
his bow. Tying another string to his bow and shooting many arrows, the
son of Pandu covered Karna with shafts that resembled snakes of blazing
mouths. So quickly did Arjuna replace each broken string that Karna could
not mark when it was broken and when replaced. The feat seemed to him to
be exceedingly wonderful. The son of Radha baffled with his own weapons
those of Savyasaci. Displaying also his own prowess, he seemed to get the
better of Dhananjaya at that time. Then Krishna, beholding Arjuna
afflicted with the weapons of Karna, said these words unto Partha:
"Approaching Karna, strike him with superior weapons." Then Dhananjaya,
filled with rage, inspiring with mantras another celestial weapons that
looked like fire and that resembled the poison of the snake and that was
as hard as the essence of adamant, and uniting the Raudra weapon with it,
became desirous of shooting it at his foe. At that time, O king, the
earth swallowed up one of wheels of Karna's car. Quickly alighting then
from his vehicle, he seized his sunken wheel with his two arms and
endeavoured to lift it up with a great effort. Drawn up with force by
Karna, the earth, which had swallowed up his wheel, rose up to a height
of four fingers' breadth, with her seven islands and her hills and waters
and forests. Seeing his wheel swallowed, the son of Radha shed tears from
wrath, and beholding Arjuna, filled with rage he said these words, "O
Partha, O Partha, wait for a moment, that is, till I lift this sunken
wheel. Beholding, O Partha, the left wheel of my car swallowed through
accident by the earth, abandon (instead of cherishing) this purpose (of
striking and slaying me) that is capable of being harboured by only a
coward. Brave warriors that are observant of the practices of the
righteous, never shoot their weapons at persons with dishevelled hair, or
at those that have turned their faces from battle, or at a Brahmana, or
at him who joins his palms, or at him who yields himself up or beggeth
for quarter or at one who has put up his weapon, or at one whose arrows
are exhausted, or at one whose armour is displaced, or at one whose
weapon has fallen off or been broken! Thou are the bravest of men in the
world. Thou are also of righteous behaviour, O son of Pandu! Thou art
well-acquainted with the rules of battle. For these reasons, excuse me
for a moment, that is, till I extricate my wheel, O Dhananjaya, from the
earth. Thyself staying on your car and myself standing weak and languid on
the earth, it behoveth you not to slay me now. Neither Vasudeva, nor
thou, O son of Pandu, inspirest me with the slightest fear. Thou are born
in the Kshatriya order. Thou are the perpetuator of a high race.
Recollecting the teachings of righteousness, excuse me for a moment, O
son of Pandu!"'"





--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 90 ---------------------

Parva 08 089

SECTION 89

Sanjaya said, "Then when the blare of conchs and the peal of drums became
very loud, those two foremost of men, both owning white steeds, the
suta's son Vikartana and Arjuna, encountered each other in consequence, O
king, of your son's evil policy. Those two heroes endued with great
impetuosity, Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son, closed with each other like
two infuriated Himalayan elephants, both of full-grown tusks, fighting
with each other for the sake of a she-elephant in her season. Like a mass
of clouds encountering another mass, or a mountain encountering a
mountain, those two warriors, both pouring showers of arrows, encountered
each other, their bows loudly twanging the while, and the wheels of their
cars producing a deafening clatter, and their bow-strings and palms
emitting loud sounds. Like two mountains, both endued with tall cliffs
and abounding in trees and creepers and herbs and both teeming with the
diverse other denizens that are natural to them, moving towards each
other for an encounter, those two mighty warriors encountered each other,
each striking the other with mighty weapons.

The combat between the two heroes became furious like that between the
chief of the celestials and Virocana's son in days of yore. Incapable of
being endured by others and marked by a river whose distasteful water
consisted of blood, the limbs of those two heroes, as also their drivers
and animals, became exceedingly mangled. Like two large lakes, both
teeming with lotuses of diverse kinds and fish and tortoises, and echoing
with the voices of diverse kinds of fowl, and softly stirred by the wind,
approaching each other, those two cars graced with standards approached
each other. Both endued with prowess equal to that of the great Indra,
both resembling the great Indra himself, those two mighty car-warriors
struck each other with shafts that resembled the great Indra's thunder,
like the great Indra himself and (the asura) Vritra.

Both the armies consisting of cars and elephants and steeds and
foot-soldiers, all equipped with beautiful armour and ornaments and robes
and weapons, and those also that were in the welkin, were inspired with
fear upon beholding that encounter of wonderful aspect between Arjuna and
Karna. Others among the spectators, filled with joy and uttering leonine
shouts, raised their arms, waving their fingers or the pieces of cloth
they held, when Arjuna rushed against the son of Adhiratha, from desire
of slaughter, like one infuriated elephant rushing against another.

The Somakas then loudly shouted to Partha, saying, "Be quick, O Arjuna,
go and pierce Karna. Cut off his head without delay, and (with it) the
desire of Dhritarashtra's son for kingdom." Similarly many warriors of
ours that were there, said unto Karna, "Proceed, proceed, O Karna, and
slay Arjuna with keen shafts. Let the sons of Pritha once more go to the
woods forever."

Then Karna first pierced Partha in that encounter, with ten mighty
shafts. Arjuna pierced him in return with ten keen-pointed shafts, shot
with great vigour, in the centre of the chest. Indeed, the suta's son and
Arjuna then mangled each other with many shafts equipped with goodly
wings. Desirous of obtaining advantage of each other's lapses in that
dreadful encounter, with cheerful hearts they rushed against each other
fiercely.

Rubbing his two arms and the string also of gandiva, that fierce bowman,
Arjuna, then sped showers of cloth-yard shafts, and nalikas and arrows
equipped with heads like boar's ears and razors, and anjalikas, and
crescent-shaped arrows. Those arrows of Partha, O king, spread over the
welkin, penetrated into Karna's car like flights of birds, with heads
bent down, penetrating in the evening into a tree for roosting there in
the night. All those arrows, however, O king, that Arjuna, that victor
over all foes, with furrowed brow and angry glances, sped at Karna, all
those successive showers of shafts shot by the son of Pandu, were cut off
by the suta's son with his own arrows.

The son of Indra then sped at Karna a fiery weapon capable of slaying all
foes. Covering the earth and the welkin and the ten points of the compass
and the very course of the sun with its effulgence, it caused his own
body also to blaze up with light. The robes of all the warriors took
fire, at which they fled away. Loud sounds also arose there, like what is
heard when a forest of bamboos in a wilderness is on fire. Beholding that
fiery weapon acting on all sides, the suta's son Karna of great valour
shot in that encounter the varunastra for quenching it. That
conflagration then, in consequence of Karna's weapon, became quenched.

A large mass of clouds quickly caused all the points of the compass to be
enveloped with darkness. Those clouds whose extremities presented the
aspect of mountains, surrounding every side, flooded the earth with
water. That fierce conflagration, though it was such, was still quenched
by those clouds in a trice. The entire welkin and all the directions,
cardinal and subsidiary, were shrouded by clouds. Thus shrouded by
clouds, all the points of the compass became dark and nothing could be
seen.

Then Arjuna dispelled those clouds caused by Karna, by means of the
vayavyastra. After this, Dhananjaya, incapable of being over-mastered by
foes inspired gandiva, its string, and his shafts, with mantras, and
invoked into existence another weapon that was the favourite of the chief
of the celestials and that resembled the thunder in energy and prowess.
Then razor-headed arrows, and anjalikas, and crescent-shaped shafts, and
nalikas, and cloth-yard shafts and those equipped with heads like the
boar's ear, all keen and sharp, issued from gandiva in thousands, endued
with the force and impetuosity of the thunder. Possessed of great might
and great energy, those impetuous and keen shafts equipped with vulturine
feathers piercing all the limbs, the steeds, the bow, the yoke, the
wheels, and the standard of Karna, quickly penetrated into them like
snakes frightened by Garuda penetrating into the earth. Pierced all over
with arrows and bathed in blood, (the high-souled) Karna then, with eyes
rolling in wrath, bending his bow of enduring string and producing a
twang as loud as the roar of the sea, invoked into existence the Bhargava
weapon. Cutting off Partha's showers of shafts proceeding from the mouth
of that weapon of Indra (which Arjuna had shot), Karna, having thus
baffled his antagonist's weapon with his own, destroyed cars and
elephants and foot-soldiers (of the Pandava army). Unable to endure the
feats of Arjuna in that fierce battle, the mighty car-warrior Karna did
this, through the energy of the Bhargava weapon. Filled with wrath and
possessed of great activity, the Suta's son, that foremost of men,
laughing at the two Krishnas, pierced the foremost of Pancala warriors
with well shot arrows in that battle. Then the Pancalas and the Somakas,
O king, thus afflicted by Karna with showers of shafts in that encounter,
became filled with wrath and uniting together pierced the Suta's son with
keen arrows from every side. Quickly cutting off those arrows with his
own, the Suta's son, vigorously agitating them in that battle, afflicted
with many shafts the cars, the elephants, and the steeds of the Pancalas.
Their bodies pierced with those shafts of Karna, they fell down, deprived
of life, on the earth, making loud sounds, like mighty elephants slain by
an angry lion of terrible strength. Having slain those foremost of
warriors, those heroes endued with great strength, those leaders of the
Pancala forces who had always challenged him (to battle), Karna, O king,
as he shot his arrows, looked beautiful, like a mass of clouds pouring
torrents of rain. Then your warriors, thinking that Karna had won the
victory, clapped loudly and uttered leonine roars. O chief of the Kurus,
all of them then regarded the two Krishnas as brought by Karna under his
power, seeing that valour, incapable of being borne by foes, of the
mighty car-warrior Karna. Beholding that weapon of Dhananjaya frustrated
by Karna in the midst of battle, the angry son of the Wind-god, with eyes
blazing with wrath, began to squeeze his hands. Indeed, the wrathful
Bhima, his anger being provoked, drew deep breaths and addressing Arjuna
of true aim, said, "How, O Jishnu, could this wretch fallen off from
virtue, this Suta's son, putting forth his might in battle, slay so many
foremost of Pancala warriors, in your sight? Before now you couldst not
be conquered by the very gods or the Kalakeyas. Thou receivedst the touch
of the arms of Sthanu himself. How, then, O diadem-decked Arjuna, could
the Suta's son pierce you first with ten long shafts such as are used by
car-warriors? That the Suta's son should today have succeeded in baffling
the arrows shot by you seems to me to be very amazing. Recollect the
woes of Krishna, and those disagreeable, keen, and cutting words that
this wicked-souled and fearless son of a Suta used towards us, viz.,
'Sesame seeds without kernel!' Recollecting all this, O Savyasaci,
quickly slay the wretched Karna in battle today. Why, O diadem-decked
Arjuna, dost you show such indifference (towards this act)? This is not
the time for showing your indifference to Karna's slaughter. That patience
with which you didst vanquish all creatures and feed Agni at Khandava,
with that patience, slay you the Suta's son. I also will crush him with
my mace." Then Vasudeva, beholding Partha's shafts baffled by Karna, said
unto the former, "What is this, O diadem-decked Arjuna, that Karna should
succeed in crushing your weapons today with this? Why dost, thou, O hero,
lose your wits? Markest you not that the Kauravas, (standing behind
Karna), are even now shouting in joy? Indeed, all of them know that thy
weapons are being baffled by Karna with his. That patience with which,
Yuga after Yuga, you had slain persons having the quality of darkness
for their weapons, as also terrible Kshatriyas, and Asuras born of pride,
in many a battle--with that patience do you slay Karna today. Putting
forth your might, strike off the head of that foe of yours with this
Sudarsana, of edge keen as a razor, that I give unto thee, like Sakra
striking off the head of his foe Namuci, with the thunderbolt. That
patience with which you didst gratified the illustrious deity Mahadeva
in the guise of a hunter, summoning that patience once again, O hero,
slay the Suta's son with all his followers. After that, bestow upon king
Yudhishthira the earth with her belt of seas, her towns and villages, and
wealth, and from off whose surface all foes will have been removed. By
that act, O Partha, do you also win unrivalled fame." Thus addressed (by
Krishna), the high-souled Partha of exceeding might set his heart upon
the slaughter of the Suta's son. Indeed, urged by Bhima and Janardana,
and recollecting (his woes), and taking an internal survey of himself,
and calling to mind the object for which he had come to this world, he
addressed Keshava, saying, "I will now invoke into existence a mighty and
fierce weapon for the good of the world and the destruction of the Suta's
son. Let me have your permission, as also Brahman's and Bhava's, and of
all those that are conversant with Brahma." Having said these words unto
the holy Keshava, Savyasaci of immeasurable soul bowed unto Brahman and
invoked into existence that excellent irresistible weapon called
brahmastra which could be applied by the mind alone. Baffling that
weapon, however, Karna looked beautiful as he continued, like a cloud
pouring torrents of rain, to shoot his shafts. Beholding that weapon of
the diadem-decked Arjuna baffled in the midst of battle by Karna, the
wrathful and mighty Bhima, blazing up with rage, addressed Arjuna of sure
aim and said, "People say that you are a master of the high brahmastra,
that mighty means (for achieving the destruction of foes). Do you then,
O Savyasaci, use another weapon of the same kind." Thus addressed by his
brother, Savyasaci used a second weapon of the kind. With that, Partha of
abundant energy shrouded all the points of the compass, cardinal and
subsidiary, with arrows sped from gandiva that resembled fierce snakes
and were like the blazing rays of the sun. Created by that bull of
Bharata's race, those arrows of golden wings, in hundreds upon hundreds,
endued with the effulgence of the yuga fire or the sun, in a moment
shrouded the car of Karna. Thence also issued long darts and battle-axes
and discs and cloth-yard shafts in hundreds, all of awful forms, at which
hostile warriors all around began to be deprived of life. The head of
some hostile warrior, severed from his trunk, fell down on the field of
battle. Another, beholding his fallen comrade, fell down dead on the
earth, through fear. The (right) arm of a third, large and massive as the
trunk of an elephant, cut off (by Partha), fell down with the sword in
grasp. The left arm of a fourth, cut off with a razor-headed arrow, fell
down with the shield in it. Even thus, Partha, decked with diadem and
garlands, wounded and slew all the foremost warriors of Duryodhana's army
with his terrible and death-dealing shafts. Vaikartana also, in the midst
of that battle, shot thousands of arrows. These, with a loud whizz, fell
upon the son of Pandu like torrents of rain poured from the clouds. Then
piercing Bhimasena and Janardana and the diadem-decked Arjuna of
superhuman feats, each with three arrows Karna of terrible might uttered
a loud awful roar. Struck with Karna's shafts, the diadem-decked Arjuna,
beholding Bhima and Janardana, became unable to endure (the feats of his
antagonist). Once more, therefore, Partha shot eight and ten arrows.
Piercing the beautiful standard of Karna with one of those arrows, he
pierced Shalya with four and Karna himself with three. With ten other
well-shot shafts he then struck the Kaurava warrior Sabhapati, clad in
golden mail. Thereupon that prince, deprived of head and arms and steeds
and driver and bow and standard, fell down, wounded and dead, from his
foremost of cars, like a Sala tree cut down with an axe. Once more
piercing Karna with three, eight, twelve, four, and ten arrows, Partha
slew 400 elephants equipped with many weapons, and 8000 car-warriors, and
1,000 steeds with riders, and 8,000 brave foot-soldiers. And soon Partha
made Karna with his driver and car and steeds and standard invisible with
straightly coursing shafts. Then the Kauravas, thus slaughtered by
Dhananjaya, loudly addressed Adhitratha's son, saying, "Shoot your arrows
and slay the son of Pandu. Already, he has begun to exterminate the Kurus
with his shafts!" Thus urged, Karna, with his best endeavours,
incessantly shot many arrows. Capable of cutting the very vitals, those
blood-drinking shafts, well sped by Karna, slew large numbers of the
Pandavas and the Pancalas. Thus those two foremost of all bowmen, those
two warriors of great strength that were capable of bearing all foes,
those two heroes acquainted with weapons, struck the warriors opposed to
them, as also each other, with mighty weapons. Then Yudhishthira, clad in
golden mail, his arrows having been extracted and himself made sound with
mantras and drugs by foremost of surgeons well-disposed towards him,
quickly came to that spot for witnessing (the encounter between Arjuna
and Karna). Beholding king Yudhishthira the just arrived there like the
resplendent full Moon freed from the jaws of Rahu and risen in the
firmament, all creatures became filled with delight. Beholding those two
foremost of warriors, those two first of heroes and slayers of foes,
viz., Karna and Partha, engaged in fight, the spectators, both celestial
and terrestrial, restraining the animals they rode or that were yoked
unto their vehicles, stood motionless. As the two heroes, O king, struck
each other with many foremost of arrows, O king, the sounds caused by the
bows, bow-strings, and palms, of both Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son,
became tremendous and their well-sped arrows also caused a deafening
whizz. Then the bow-string of the son of Pandu, stretched with force,
broke with a loud noise. During the interval thus offered, the Suta's son
pierced Partha with a hundred small arrows, keen and steeped in oil,
winged with the feathers of birds, and resembling snakes freed from their
sloughs. He then quickly pierced Vasudeva with sixty shafts, and then
Phalguna again with eight. Surya's son then pierced Bhima with thousands
upon thousands of mighty arrows. Having pierced Krishna and Partha's
standard, Karna felled many amongst the Somakas that followed Partha.
These, however, in return shrouded Karna with showers of straight shafts
like masses of clouds shrouding the sun in the welkin. Accomplished in
the use of weapons, the Suta's son, stupefying those advancing warriors
with his shafts and baffling all the weapons shot by them, destroyed
their cars and steeds and elephants. And the Suta's son, O king, also
afflicted with his arrows many foremost of warriors among them. Their
bodies pierced with Karna's shafts, they fell down on the ground,
deprived of life and making a loud noise as they fell. Indeed, those
mighty combatants, afflicted by Karna of terrible strength, perished like
a pack of dogs afflicted by an angry lion. And once more many foremost of
combatants among the Pancalas and many such (among the Kauravas) fell
down after this, slain by Karna and Dhananjaya. Deprived of life by the
mighty Karna with well-aimed arrows shot with great force, many fell
down, purging the contents of their stomachs. Then your troops, regarding
the victory to be already theirs, clapped furiously and uttered loud
leonine roars. Indeed, in that dreadful encounter, all of them regarded
the two Krishnas to have been brought by Karna under his power. Then
quickly bending his bow-string and baffling all those shafts of
Adhiratha's son, Partha, filled with rage in consequence of his limbs
having been mangled with Karna's arrows, assailed the Kauravas. Rubbing
his bow-string, he clapped his palms and suddenly caused a darkness there
with the showers of shafts he shot. The diadem-decked Arjuna pierced
Karna and Shalya and all the Kurus with those arrows. The welkin having
been darkened by means of that mighty weapon, the very birds were unable
to range in their element, a delicious wind then blew, bearing fragrant
odours. Laughing the while, Partha forcibly struck Shalya's armour with
ten arrows. Piercing Karna next with a dozen shafts, he struck him once
more with seven. Deeply struck with those winged arrows of fierce energy
shot with great force from Partha's bow, Karna, with mangled limbs and
body bathed in blood, looked resplendent like Rudra at the universal
destruction, sporting in the midst of crematorium at noon or eve, his
body dyed with blood. The son of Adhiratha then pierced Dhananjaya who
resembled the chief of the celestials himself (in energy and might) with
three arrows, and he caused five other blazing arrows resembling five
snakes to penetrate the body of Krishna. Shot with great force, those
arrows, decked with gold, pierced through the armour of that foremost of
beings and passing out of his body fell upon the earth. Endued with great
energy, they entered the earth with great force and having bathed (in the
waters of the Bhogavati in the nether region) coursed back towards Karna.
Those shafts were five mighty snakes that had adopted the side of
Takshaka's son (Aswasena whose mother Partha had slain at Khandava). With
ten broad-headed arrows shot with great force, Arjuna cut off each of
those five snakes into three fragments whereupon they fell down on the
earth. Beholding Krishna's limbs thus mangled with those snakes
transformed into arrows sped from Karna's arms, Arjuna, decked with
diadem and garlands, blazed up with wrath like a fire engaged in burning
a heap of dry grass. He then pierced Karna in all his vital limbs with
many blazing and fatal shafts shot from the bow-string stretched to the
very ear. (Deeply pierced), Karna trembled in pain. With the greatest
difficulty he stood, summoning all his patience. Dhananjaya having been
filled with wrath, all the points of the compass, cardinal and
subsidiary, the very splendour of the Sun, and Karna's car, O king, all
became invisible with the showers shot by him. The welkin seemed as if it
were shrouded by a thick forest. Then that slayer of foes, that bull of
Kuru's race, that foremost of heroes, viz., Savyasaci, O king, soon slew
in that battle 2,000 foremost of Kuru warriors, with their cars and
steeds and drivers, forming the protectors of Karna's car-wheels and
wings and his van-guard and rear-guard and who constituted the very pick
of Duryodhana's car-force, and who, urged by Duryodhana, had been
fighting with great energy. Then your sons and the Kauravas that were
still alive fled away, deserting Karna, and abandoning their dying and
wounded, and their wailing sons and sires. Beholding himself abandoned by
the terrified Kurus and seeing the space around him empty, Karna felt no
agitation, O Bharata, but, on the other hand, rushed at Arjuna, with a
cheerful heart.'"





--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 89 ---------------------