SECTION 23
"Sanjaya said, 'While Sahadeva, filled with rage, was thus blasting thy
host, Duhshasana, O great king, proceeded against him, the brother
against the brother. Beholding those two engaged in dreadful combat, all
the great car-warriors uttered leonine shouts and waved their garments.
Then, O Bharata, the mighty son of Pandu was struck in the chest with
three arrows by your angry son armed with bow. Then Sahadeva, O king,
having first pierced your son with an arrow, pierced him again with
seventy arrows, and then his driver with three. Then Duhshasana, O
monarch, having cut off Sahadeva's bow in that great battle, pierced
Sahadeva himself with three and seventy arrows in the arms and the chest.
Then Sahadeva filled with rage, took up a sword, in that dreadful
conflict, and whirling, hurled it quickly towards the car of your son.
Cutting off Duhshasana's bow with string and arrow fixed on it, that
large sword fell down on the Earth like a snake from the firmament. Then
the valiant Sahadeva taking up another bow, shot a deadly shaft at
Duhshasana. The Kuru warrior, however, with his keen-edged sword, cut off
into two fragments that shaft, bright as the rod of Death, as it coursed
towards him. Then whirling that sharp sword, Duhshasana quickly hurled it
in that battle as his foe. Meanwhile that valiant warrior took up another
bow with a shaft. Sahadeva, however, with the greatest ease, cut off,
with his keen shafts, that sword as it coursed towards him, and caused it
to fall down in that battle. Then, O Bharata, your son, in that dreadful
battle, quickly sped four and sixty shafts at the car of Sahadeva.
Sahadeva, however, O king, cut off every one of those numerous arrows as
they coursed with great impetuosity towards him, with five shafts of his.
Checking then those mighty shafts sped by your son, Sahadeva, in that
battle, sped a large number of arrows at his foe. Cutting off each of
those shafts with three shafts of his, your son uttered a loud shout,
making the whole Earth resound with it. Then Duhshasana, O king, having
pierced Sahadeva in that battle, struck the latter's driver with nine
arrows. The valiant Sahadeva then, O monarch, filled with rage, fixed on
his bow-string a terrible shaft resembling the Destroyer himself and
forcibly drawing the bow, he sped that shaft at your son. Piercing with
great speed through his strong armour and body, that shaft entered the
Earth, O king, like a snake penetrating into an ant-hill. Then your son,
that great car-warrior, swooned away, O king. Beholding him deprived of
his senses, his driver quickly took away the car, himself forcibly struck
all the while with keen arrows. Having vanquished the Kuru warrior thus,
the son of Pandu, beholding Duryodhana's division, began to crush it on
all sides. Indeed, O king, as a man excited with wrath crushes swarm of
ants, even so, O Bharata did that son of Pandu begin to crush the Kaurava
host.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 23 ---------------------
