SECTION 25
"Sanjaya said, 'Against Yuyutsu who was employed in routing the vast army
of your son, Uluka proceeded with speed saying "Wait, Wait." Then Yuyutsu,
O king, with a winged arrow of keen edge struck Uluka with great force,
like (Indra himself striking ) a mountain with the thunderbolt. Filled
with rage at this, Uluka, in that battle, cut off your son's bow with a
razor-headed arrow and struck your son himself with a barbed shaft.
Casting off that broken bow, Yuyutsu, with eyes red in wrath, took up
another formidable bow endued with greater impetus. The prince then, O
bull of Bharata's race, pierced Uluka with sixty arrows. Piercing next
the driver of Uluka, Yuyutsu struck Uluka once more. Then Uluka, filled
with rage pierced Yuyutsu with twenty shafts adorned with gold, and then
cut off his standard made of gold. That lofty and gorgeous standard made
of gold, O king, thus cut off (by Uluka), fell down in front of Yuyutsu's
car. Beholding his standard cut off, Yuyutsu, deprived of his senses by
wrath, struck Uluka with five shafts in the centre of the chest. Then
Uluka, O sire, in that battle, cut off, with a broad-headed arrow steeped
in oil, the head of his antagonist's driver, O best of the Bharatas.
Slaying next his four steeds he struck Yuyutsu himself with five arrows.
Deeply struck by the strong Uluka, Yuyutsu proceeded to another car.
Having vanquished him in battle, O king, Uluka proceeded quickly towards
the Pancalas and the Srinjayas and began to slaughter them with sharp
shafts. Thy son Srutakarman, O monarch, within half the time taken up by
a wink of the eye, fearlessly made Satanika steedless and driverless and
carless. The mighty car-warrior Satanika, however, staying on his
steedless car, O sire, hurled a mace, filled with rage, at your son. That
mace, reducing your son's car with its steeds and driver into fragments,
fell down upon the Earth with great speed, and pierced it through. Then
those two heroes, both enhancers of the glory of the Kurus, deprived of
their cars, retreated from the encounter, glaring at each other. Then thy
son, overcome with fear, mounted upon the car of Vivingsu, while Satanika
quickly got upon the car of Prativindhya. Shakuni, filled with rage,
pierced Sutasoma with many keen shafts, but failed to make the latter
tremble like a torrent of water failing to produce any impression upon a
mountain. Beholding that great enemy of his father, Sutasoma covered
Shakuni, O Bharata, with many thousands of arrows. Shakuni, however, that
warrior of sure aim and conversant with all methods of warfare, actuated
by desire of battle, quickly cut off all those shafts with his own winged
arrows. Having checked those shafts with his own keen arrows in battle,
Shakuni, filled with rage, struck Sutasoma with three arrows. Thy
brother-in-law then, O monarch, with his arrows cut off into minute
fragments the steeds, the standard, and the driver of his adversary, at
which all the spectators uttered a loud shout. Deprived of his steed and
car, and having his standard cut off, O sire, the great bowman
(Sutasoma), jumping down from his car, stood on the Earth, having taken
up a good bow. And he shot a large number of arrows equipped with golden
wings and whetted on stone, and shrouded therewith the car of thy
brother-in law in that battle. The son of Subala, however, beholding
those showers of arrows that resembled a flight of locusts, coming
towards his car, did not tremble. On the other hand, that illustrious
warrior crushed all those arrows with arrows of his own. The warriors
that were present there, as also the Siddhas in the firmament, were
highly pleased at sight of that wonderful and incredible feat of
Sutasoma, inasmuch as he contended on foot with Shakuni staying in his
car. Then Shakuni, with a number of broad-headed shafts of great
impetuosity, keen and perfectly straight, cut off, O king, the bow of
Sutasoma as also all his quivers. Bowless, and carless, Sutasoma then,
uplifting a scimitar of the hue of the blue lotus and equipped with an
ivory handle, uttered a loud shout. That scimitar of the intelligent
Sutasoma of the hue of the clear sky, as it was whirled by that hero, was
regarded by Shakuni to be as fatal as the rod of Death. Armed with that
scimitar he suddenly began to career in circles over the arena,
displaying, O monarch, the fourteen different kinds of manoeuvres, endued
as he was with skill and might. Indeed, he displayed in that battle all
those motions such as wheeling about and whirling on high, and making
side-thrusts and jumping forward and leaping on high and running above
and rushing forward and rushing upwards. The valiant son of Subala then
sped a number of arrows at his foe, but the latter quickly cut them off
with that excellent scimitar of his as they coursed towards him. Filled
with rage (at this), the son of Subala, O king, once more sped at
Sutasoma a number of shafts that resembled snakes of virulent poison.
Aided by his skill and might, Sutasoma cut off even these with his
scimitar, displaying his great activity, and possessed as he was of
prowess equal to that of Garuda himself. With a razor-headed arrow of
great sharpness, Shakuni then, O king, cut off that bright scimitar of
his adversary as the latter careered in circles before him. Thus cut off,
(half of) that large scimitar suddenly fell down on the Earth, while half
of it, O Bharata, continued in the grasp of Sutasoma. Seeing his sword
cut off, the mighty car-warrior Sutasoma retreated six steps and then
hurled that half (of the scimitar) which he had in his grasp at his foe.
The fragment decked with gold and gems, cutting off the bow, with string,
of the illustrious Shakuni, quickly fell down on the Earth. Then Sutasoma
went to the great car of Srutakirti. Subala's son also, taking up another
formidable and invincible bow, proceeded towards the Pandava army,
slaying large numbers of foes (on the way). Beholding the son of Subala
careering fearlessly in battle, a loud uproar, O king, arose among the
Pandavas in that part of the army. People witnessed those large and proud
divisions bristling with arms, routed by the illustrious son of Subala.
Even as the chief of the celestials crushed the Daitya army, the son of
Subala destroyed that army of the Pandavas.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 25 ---------------------
