SECTION 50
"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the Pandava heroes rushing impetuously towards
thy host, Duryodhana, O monarch, endeavoured to check the warriors of his
army on all sides, O bull of Bharata race. Although, however, your son
cried at the top of his voice, his flying troops, O king, still refused
to stop. Then one of the wings of the army and its further wing, and
Shakuni, the son of Subala, and the Kauravas well-armed turned against
Bhimasena in that battle. Karna also, beholding the Dhartarashtra force
with all its kings flying away, addressed the ruler of the Madras,
saying, "Proceed towards the car of Bhima." Thus addressed by Karna, the
ruler of the Madras began to urge those foremost of steeds, of the hue of
swans, towards the spot where Vrikodara was. Thus urged by Shalya, that
ornament of battle, those steeds approaching the car of Bhimasena,
mingled in battle. Meanwhile, Bhima, beholding Karna approach, became
filled with rage, and set his heart on the destruction of Karna, O bull
of Bharata's race. Addressing the heroic Satyaki and Dhrishtadyumna, the
son of Prishata, he said, "Go you to protect king Yudhishthira of
virtuous soul. With difficulty he escaped from a situation of great peril
before my very eyes. In my sight have the armour and robes of the king
been cut off and torn, for Duryodhana's gratification, by Radha's son of
wicked soul. I shall today reach the end of that woe, O son of Prishata.
Today, either I shall slay Karna in battle, or he will slay me in
dreadful battle. I tell you truly. Today I make over the king to you as
sacred pledge. With cheerful hearts exert the today for protecting the
king." Having said these words, the mighty-armed Bhima proceeded towards
Adhiratha's son, making all the points of the compass resound with a loud
leonine shout. Beholding Bhima, that delighter in battle, advancing
quickly, the puissant king of the Madras addressed the Suta's son in the
following words:
"'Shalya said, "Behold, O Karna, the mighty-armed son of Pandu, who is
filled with rage. Without doubt, he is desirous of vomiting upon thee
that wrath which he has cherished for many years. Never before did I see
him assume such a form, not even when Abhimanyu was slain and the
Rakshasa Ghatotkaca. Filled with wrath, the form he hath now assumed,
endued with the splendour of the all-destroying fire at the end of the
Yuga, is such that it seems he is capable of resisting the three worlds
united together.'"
"Sanjaya continued, 'While the ruler of the Madras was saying these words
unto the son of Radha, Vrikodara, excited with rage, came upon Karna.
Beholding Bhima, that delighter in battle, approaching him in that way,
the son of Radha laughingly said unto Shalya these words, "The words that
thou, O ruler of the Madras, hast today spoken to me regarding Bhima, O
lord, are without doubt all true. This Vrikodara is brave and is a hero
full of wrath. He is reckless in protecting his body, and in strength of
limbs he is superior to all. While leading a life of concealment in the
city of Virata, relying then on the might of his bare arms, for doing
what was agreeable to Draupadi, he secretly slew Kichaka with all his
relatives. Even he stands today at the head of battle clad in mail and
insensate with wrath. He is ready to engage in battle with the Destroyer
armed with uplifted mace. This desire, however, hath been cherished
through all my days, viz., that either I shall slay Arjuna or Arjuna will
slay me. That desire of mine may be fulfilled today in consequence of my
encounter with Bhima. If I slay Bhima or make him carless, Partha may
come against me. That will be well for me. Settle that without delay
which you thinkest to be suitable to the hour." Hearing these words of
Radha's son of immeasurable energy Shalya replied, saying, "O you of
mighty arms, proceed against Bhimasena of great might. Having checked
Bhimasena, you mayst then obtain Phalguna. That which is your purpose,
that desire which for many long years you hast cherished in your heart,
will be accomplished, O Karna. I tell the truth." Thus addressed, Karna
once more said unto Shalya, "Either I shall slay Arjuna in battle, or he
will slay me. Setting your heart on battle proceed to the spot where
Vrikodara is.'"
"Sanjaya continued, 'Then, O king, Shalya speedily proceeded on that car
to the spot where that great bowman, viz., Bhima, was engaged in routing
thy army. There rose then the blare of trumpets and the peal of drums, O
monarch, when Bhima and Karna met. The mighty Bhimasena, filled with
rage, began to scatter your troops difficult of defeat, with his sharp and
polished shafts, to all sides. That collision in battle, O monarch,
between Karna and the son of Pandu became, O king, fierce and awful, and
the noise that arose was tremendous. Beholding Bhima coming towards him,
Karna, otherwise called Vaikartana or Vrisha, filled with rage, struck
him with shafts in the centre of the chest. And once more, Karna of
immeasurable soul, covered him with a shower of arrows. Thus pierced by
the Suta's son, Bhima covered the former with winged arrows. And he once
more pierced Karna with nine straight and keen shafts. Then Karna, with a
number of arrows, cut in twain Bhima's bow at the handle. And after
cutting off his bow, he pierced him once again in the centre of the chest
with a shaft of great keenness and capable of penetrating every kind of
armour. Then Vrikodara, taking up another bow, O king, and knowing full
well what the vital parts of the body are, pierced the Suta's son with
many keen arrows. Then Karna pierced him with five and twenty arrows,
like a hunter striking a proud and infuriate elephant in the forest with
a number of blazing brands. His limbs mangled with those shafts, his eyes
red with rage and the desire of revenge, the son of Pandu, insensate with
wrath, and impelled by the desire of slaying the Suta's son, fixed on his
bow an excellent shaft of great impetuosity, capable of bearing a great
strain, and competent to pierce the very mountains. Forcibly drawing the
bow-string to his very ear, the son of the Wind-god, that great bowman,
filled with wrath and desirous of making an end of Karna, sped that
shaft. Thus sped by the mighty Bhima, that shaft, making a noise loud as
that of the thunder, pierced through thunderbolt Karna in that battle,
like the thunderbolt itself piercing through a mountain. Struck by
Bhimasena, O perpetuator of Kuru's race, the Suta's son, that commander
(of your forces), sat down senseless on the terrace of his car. The ruler
of the Madras then, beholding the Suta's son deprived of his senses, bore
that ornament of battle away on his car, from that fight. Then after
Karna's defeat, Bhimasena began to rout the vast Dhartarashtra host like
Indra routing the danavas.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 50 ---------------------
