SECTION 46
"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding then that unrivalled array of the Parthas made
by Dhrishtadyumna which was capable of resisting all hostile armies,
Karna proceeded, uttering leonine shouts and causing his car to produce a
loud rattle. And he made the Earth to tremble with the loud din of
musical instruments. And that chastiser of foes, that hero in battle,
seemed to tremble in rage. Duly disposing his own troops in
counter-array, O bull of Bharata's race, that hero of great energy made a
great slaughter of the Pandava forces like Maghavat slaughtering the
Asura host. Striking Yudhishthira then with many arrows, he placed the
eldest son of Pandu to his right.'
"Dhritarashtra said, 'How, O Sanjaya, did the son of Radha dispose his
forces in counter array to all the Pandavas headed by Dhristadyumna and
protected by Bhimasena, viz., all those great bowmen invincible by the
very gods? Who, O Sanjaya, stood in the wings and the further wings of
our army? Dividing themselves properly, how were the warriors stationed?
How also did the sons of Pandu dispose their army in counter-array to
mine? How also did that great and awful battle commence? Where was
Vibhatsu when Karna proceeded against Yudhishthira? Who could succeed in
assailing Yudhishthira in the presence of Arjuna? That Arjuna who had
vanquished, single-handed in former days, all creatures at Khandava, who
else that is desirous of life, save the son of Radha, would fight with
him?'
"Sanjaya said, 'Hear now of the formation of the arrays, the manner in
which Arjuna came and how the battle was fought by both sides surrounding
their respective kings. Sharadvata's son Kripa, O king, and the Magadhas
endued with great activity, and Kritavarma of Satwata race, took up their
position in the right wing. Shakuni, and the mighty car-warrior Uluka,
standing on the right of these, and accompanied by many fearless Gandhara
horsemen armed with bright lances, and many mountaineers difficult to
defeat, numerous as flights of locusts, and grimlooking as Pishacas,
protected the (Kaurava) army. 34,000 unreturning cars of the samsaptakas,
mad with desire of battle, with your sons in their midst, and all desirous
of slaying Krishna and Arjuna, protected the left side (of the Kaurava
army). On their left, the Kambojas, the Sakas, and the Yavanas, with cars
and horse and foot, at the command of the Suta's son, stood, challenging
Arjuna and the mighty Keshava. In the centre, at the head of that host,
stood Karna, clad in armour with beautiful coat of mail and adorned with
Angadas and garlands, for protecting that point. Supported by his own
angry sons, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, that hero, shone
resplendent at the head of the army as he drew his bow repeatedly. The
mighty-armed Duhshasana, possessed of the effulgence of the sun or fire
with tawny eyes and handsome features, riding on the neck of a huge
elephant, surrounded by many troops, and stationed at the rear of the
army gradually approached for fight. Behind him came Duryodhana himself,
O monarch, protected by his uterine brothers riding on beautiful steeds
and cased in beautiful mail. Protected by the united Madrakas and the
Kekayas of exceeding energy, the king, O monarch, looked resplendent like
Indra of a hundred sacrifices when surrounded by the celestials.
Ashvatthama and the other foremost of mighty car-warriors, and many
ever-infuriate elephants shedding temporal secretions like the very
clouds and ridden by brave Mlecchas, followed behind that car-force.
Decked with triumphal standards and blazing weapons, those huge
creatures, ridden by warriors skilled in fighting from their backs,
looked beautiful like hills overgrown with trees. Many thousands of brave
and unreturning warriors, armed with axes and swords, became the
footguards of those elephants. Gorgeously decked with horsemen and
car-warriors and elephants, that foremost of arrays looked exceedingly
beautiful like the array of the celestials or of the Asuras. That great
array, formed according to the scheme of Brihaspati by its commander,
well-versed in ways of battle, seemed to dance (as it advanced) and
struck terror into the hearts of foes. Like ever-appearing clouds in the
season of rains, foot-soldiers and horsemen and car-warriors and
elephants, longing for battle began to issue from the wings and further
wings of that array. Then king Yudhishthira, beholding Karna at the head
of the (hostile) army, addressed Dhananjaya, that slayer of foes, that
one hero in the world, and said these words, "Behold, O Arjuna, the
mighty array formed by Karna in battle. The hostile force looks
resplendent with its wings and further wings. At sight of this vast
hostile force, let such measures be adopted that it may not vanquish us.'
Thus addressed by the king, Arjuna replied with joined hands, 'Everything
will be done as you sayest. Nothing will be otherwise. I will, O
Bharata, do that by which the destruction of the enemy may be compassed.
By slaying their foremost of warriors, I will achieve their destruction."
"'Yudhishthira said, "With that view, do you proceed against the son of
Radha, and let Bhimasena proceed against Suyodhana, Nakula against
Virshasena, Sahadeva against the son of Subala, Satanika against
Duhshasana, that bull amongst the Sinis, viz., Satyaki, against the son
of Hridika, and Pandya against the son of Drona. I myself will fight with
Kripa. Let the sons of Draupadi with Shikhandi amongst them, proceed
against the rest of the Dhartarashtras. Let the other warriors of our
army encounter our other foes.'"
"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed by Yudhishthira the just, Dhananjaya
saying, "So be it," ordered his troops (to do the needful) and himself
proceeded to the head of the army. That car for which the Leader of the
universe, viz., Agni, who derives his effulgence from Brahman, became the
steeds, that car which was known amongst the gods as belonging to Brahman
because it sprang first from Brahman himself, that car which in days of
old had successively borne Brahman and Ishana and Indra and Varuna one
after another, riding on that primeval car, Keshava and Arjuna now
proceeded to battle. Beholding that advancing car of wonderful aspect,
Shalya once more said unto Adhiratha's son, that warrior of great energy
in battle, these words "Yonder comes that car having white steeds yoked
unto it and owning Krishna for its driver, that vehicle incapable of
being resisted by all the troops, like the inevitable fruit of work.
There comes the son of Kunti, slaughtering his foes along the way,--he,
that is, about whom you had been enquiring. Since tremendous is the
uproar that is being heard, deep as the roar of the clouds, it is,
without doubt, those high-souled ones, viz., Vasudeva and Dhananjaya.
Yonder ascends a cloud of dust that overspreads the welkin like a canopy.
The whole Earth, O Karna, seems to tremble, cut deep by the circumference
of Arjuna's wheels. These violent winds are blowing on both sides of thy
army. These carnivorous creatures are yelling aloud and these animals are
uttering fearful cries. Behold, O Karna, the terrible and portentous Ketu
of vapoury form, making the hair to stand on end, hath appeared, covering
the Sun. Behold, diverse kinds of animals, all around in large packs, and
many mighty wolves and tigers are looking at the Sun. Behold those
terrible Kankas and those vultures, assembled together in thousands,
sitting with faces towards one another, in seeming discourse. Those
coloured yak-tails attached to your great car are waving unquietly. Thy
standard also is trembling. Behold these your beautiful steeds, of huge
limbs and great speed resembling that of soaring birds, are also
quivering. From these portents, it is certain that kings, in hundreds and
thousands, O Karna, deprived of life, will lie down on the ground for
eternal sleep. The loud uproar of conchs, making the hair to stand on
end, is being heard. The sound also of drums and cymbals, O son of Radha,
is being heard on all sides, as also the whizz of diverse kinds of
arrows, and the din made by cars and steeds and men. Listen also, O
Karna, to the loud twang produced by the bow-strings of high-souled
warriors. Behold, O Karna, those banners of Arjuna, that are equipped
with rows of bells, and decked with golden moons and stars. Made by
skilful artists out of cloths embroidered with gold and of diverse hues,
they are blazing with resplendence on Arjuna's car as they are shaken by
the wind, like flashes of lightning in a mass of clouds. Behold those
(other) banners producing sharp sounds as they wave in the air. Those
car-warriors of the high-souled Pancalas, with flag-decked standards on
their vehicles, are looking resplendent, O Karna, like the very gods on
their celestial cars. Behold the heroic son of Kunti, the unvanquished
Vibhatsu (Arjuna) with that foremost of apes on his standard, advancing
for the destruction of the foe. There, on the top of Partha's standard,
is to be seen that terrible ape, that enhancer of the fears of foes,
attracting the gaze (of warriors) from every side. The discus, the mace,
the bow called Saranga and the conch (called Panchajanya) of the
intelligent Krishna, as also his gem Kaustubha, look exceedingly
beautiful in him. The wielder of Saranga and the mace, viz., Vasudeva, of
great energy, cometh, urging those white steeds endued with the fleetness
of the wind. Yonder twangs Gandiva, drawn by Savyasaci. Those whetted
shafts, sped by that strong-armed hero, are destroying his enemies. The
Earth is strewn with the heads of unretreating kings, with faces
beautiful as the moon at full, and decked with large and expansive eyes
of coppery hue. There the arms, looking like spiked maces, with weapons
in grasp, and smeared with excellent perfumes, of warriors delighting in
battle and contending with uplifted weapons, are falling. Steeds with
eyes, tongues, and entrails drawn out along with their riders, are
falling and fallen and deprived of life lie prostrate on the Earth. Those
lifeless elephants huge as mountain summits, torn, mangled, and pierced
by Partha, are falling down like veritable hills. Those cars, looking
like the changeful forms of vapour in the sky, with their royal riders
slain, are falling down like the celestial cars of the denizens of heaven
upon the exhaustion of the latter's merits. Behold, the army is
exceedingly agitated by the diadem-decked Arjuna, like herds of countless
cattle by a maned lion. There the Pandava heroes, advancing for the
attack, are slaying kings and large numbers of elephants and steeds and
car-warriors and foot-soldiers of your army engaged in battle. There
Partha, shrouded (by friends and foes and weapons and dust) is not to be
seen, like the Sun shrouded by clouds. Only the top of his standard may
be seen and the twang of his bow-string may be heard. Thou are sure, O
Karna, to behold today that hero of white steed with Krishna for his
driver, engaged in slaughtering his foes in battle. Thou are sure of
beholding him about whom you had been enquiring. Today, O Karna, thou
art sure to behold those two tigers among men, both of red eyes, both
chastisers of foes, viz., Vasudeva and Arjuna, stationed on the same car.
If, O son of Radha, you succeedest in slaying him that hath Keshava for
his driver and Gandiva for his bow, then you shalt be our king.
Challenged by the samsaptakas, Partha now proceedeth against them. That
mighty warrior is engaged in making a great slaughter of his foes in
battle." Unto the ruler of the Madras who was saying so, Karna, in rage,
said, "Behold, Partha is assailed on all sides by the angry samsaptakas.
Like the Sun shrouded by the clouds, Partha is no longer visible.
Plunged, into that ocean of warriors, O Shalya, Arjuna is sure to perish."
"'Shalya said, "Who is there that would slay Varuna with water, or quench
fire with fuel? Who is there that would seize the wind, or drink off the
ocean? I regard your act of afflicting Partha to be even such. Arjuna is
incapable of being vanquished in battle by the very gods and the Asuras
united together and having Indra himself at their head. Or, suffer
thyself to be gratified, and be of easy mind, having said those words
(about your capacity to slay Partha) Partha cannot be conquered in battle.
Accomplish some other purpose you mayst have in your mind. He that would
uplift this Earth on his two arms, or burn all creatures in wrath, or
hurl the gods from heaven, may vanquish Arjuna in battle. Behold that
other heroic son of Kunti, viz., Bhima, who is never fatigued with
exertion, blazing with resplendence, mighty-armed, and standing like
another Meru. With wrath ever kindled and longing for revenge, Bhima of
great energy stands there desirous of victory in battle, and remembering
all his injuries. There that foremost of virtuous men, viz., king
Yudhishthira the just, that subjugator of hostile towns, stands difficult
of being resisted by foes in battle. There stand those two tigers among
men, the twin Ashvinis, the two uterine brothers Nakula and Sahadeva,
both invincible in battle. Yonder may be seen the five sons of Krishna,
that have the features of Pancala princes. All of them, equal to Arjuna
in battle, are standing, desirous of fight. There the sons of Drupada,
headed by Dhristadyumna, swelling with pride and energy,--heroes endued
with great energy,--have taken up their stand. There, that foremost one
among the Satwatas, viz., Satyaki, irresistible like Indra, advanceth
against us, from desire of fight, like the destroyer himself in wrath
before our eyes." While those two lions among men were thus addressing
each other, the two armies mingled fiercely in battle, like the currents
of the Ganga and Yamuna.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 46 ---------------------
