SECTION 67
"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing these words of the righteous king who had been
filled with anger, that high-souled atiratha, Jishnu of infinite energy,
replied unto the invincible Yudhishthira of great might, saying, "While
battling with the samsaptakas today, Drona's son who always proceedeth at
the head of the Kuru troops, O king, suddenly came before me, shooting
shafts that resembled snakes of virulent poison. Beholding my car, of
rattle deep as the roar of clouds, all the troops began to encompass it.
Slaying full five hundred of those, I then, O foremost of kings,
proceeded against Drona's son. Approaching me, O king, that hero with
great resolution rushed against me like a prince of elephants against a
lion, and desired to rescue, O monarch, the Kaurava car-warriors that
were being slaughtered by me. Then, in that battle, O Bharata, the
preceptor's son, that foremost of heroes among the Kurus, incapable of
being made to tremble, began to afflict me and Janardana with whetted
shafts resembling poison or fire. While engaged in battle with me, eight
carts, each drawn by eight bullocks, carried his hundreds of arrows. He
shot them all at me, but like a wind destroying the clouds I destroyed
with my shafts that arrowy shower of his. He then shot at me, with skill
and force and resolution, thousands of other arrows, all sped from his
bow-string stretched to his very ear, even like a black cloud in the
season of rains pouring in torrents the water with which it is charged.
So quickly did Drona's son career in that battle that we could not
discern from which side, the left or the right, he shot his arrows, nor
could we notice when he took up his arrows and when he let them off.
Indeed, the bow of Drona's son was seen by us to be incessantly drawn to
a circle. At last, the son of Drona pierced me with five whetted arrows
and Vasudeva also with five whetted arrows. Within the twinkling of an
eye, however, I afflicted him with the force of thunderbolts. Exceedingly
afflicted with those shafts sped by me, he soon assumed the form of a
porcupine. All his limbs became bathed in blood. Beholding his troops,
those foremost of warriors all covered with blood and overwhelmed by me,
he then entered the car-division of the Suta's son. Seeing the troops
overwhelmed by me in battle, and struck with fear, and beholding the
elephants and steeds flying away, that grinder (of hostile hosts), viz.,
Karna approached me quickly with fifty great carwarriors. Slaying them
all and avoiding Karna, I have quickly come hither for seeing thee. All
the Pancalas are afflicted with fear at sight of Karna like kine at the
scent of a lion. The Prabhadrakas also, O king, having approached Karna,
are like persons that have entered the wide open jaws of Death. Karna has
already despatched to Yama's abode full seventeen hundred of those
distressed car-warriors. Indeed, O king, the Suta's son did not become
cheerless till he had a sight of us. Thou had first been engaged with
Ashvatthama and exceedingly mangled by him. I heard that after that thou
wert seen by Karna. O you of inconceivable feats, I thought that thou
must have, O king, been enjoying rest (in the camp), having come away
from the cruel Karna. I have seen, O son of Pandu, the great and
wonderful (Bhargava) weapon of Karna displayed in the van of battle.
There is now no other warrior among the Srinjayas that is able to resist
the mighty car-warrior Karna. Let Sini's grandson Satyaki and
Dhrishtadyumna, O king, be the protectors of my car-wheels. Let the
heroic princes Yudhamanyu and Uttamauja protect my rear. O you of great
glory, encountering that heroic and invincible car-warrior, viz., the
Suta's son, staying in the hostile army, like Sakra encountering Vritra,
O foremost of kings, I will, O Bharata, fight with the Suta's son if he
can be found in this battle today. Come and behold me and the Suta's son
contending with each other in battle for victory. There, the Prabhadrakas
are rushing towards the face of a mighty bull. There, O Bharata, 6,000
princes are sacrificing themselves in battle today, for the sake of
heaven. If, putting forth my strength, I do not, O king, slay Karna today
with all his relatives while engaged in battle with him, then that end
will be mine, O lion among kings, which is his that does not accomplish a
vow taken by him. I beg of thee, bless me, saying that victory will be
mine in battle. Yonder, the Dhartarashtras are about to devour Bhima. I
will, O lion among kings, slay the Suta's son and his troops and all our
foes!"'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 67 ---------------------
