SECTION 75
"Dhritarashtra said, 'In that awful and fathomless encounter of the
Pandavas and the Srinjayas with the warriors of my army, when Dhananjaya,
O sire, proceeded for battle, how, indeed, did the fight occur?'
"Sanjaya said, 'The innumerable divisions of the Pandava army, decked
with lofty standards and swelling (with pride and energy) and united
together in battle, began to roar aloud, drums and other instruments
constituting their mouth, like masses of clouds at the close of summer
uttering deep roars. The battle that ensued resembled a baneful shower
out of season, cruel and destructive of living creatures. Huge elephants
were its clouds; weapons were the water they were to pour; the peal of
musical instruments, the rattle of car-wheels, and the noise of palms,
constituted their roar; diverse weapons decked with gold formed their
flashes of lightning; and arrows and swords and cloth-yard shafts and
mighty weapons constituted their torrents of rain. Marked by impetuous
onsets blood flowed in streams in that encounter. Rendered awful by
incessant strokes of the sword, it was fraught with a great carnage of
Kshatriyas. Many car-warriors, united together, encompassed one
car-warrior and despatched him to Yama's presence. Or, one foremost of
car-warriors despatched a single adversary, or one despatched many
adversaries united together. Again, some one car-warrior despatched to
Yama's abode some one adversary along with his driver and steeds. Some
one rider, with a single elephant, despatched many car-warriors and
horsemen. Similarly, Partha, with clouds of shafts, despatched large
number of cars with drivers and steeds, of elephants and horses with
their riders, and of foot-soldiers, belonging to the enemy. Kripa and
Shikhandi encountered each other in that battle, while Satyaki proceeded
against Duryodhana. And Srutasravas was engaged with Drona's son, and
Yudhamanyu with Citrasena. The great Srinjaya car-warrior Uttamauja was
engaged with Karna's son Sushena, while Sahadeva rushed against Shakuni,
the king of the Gandharas, like a hungry lion against a mighty bull. The
youthful Satanika, the son of Nakula, rushed against the youthful
Vrishasena, the son of Karna, shooting showers of shafts. The heroic son
of Karna struck that son of the princess of Pancala with many arrows.
Conversant with all modes of warfare, Madri's son Nakula, that bull among
car-warriors, assailed Kritavarma. The king of the Pancalas,
Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Yajnasena, attacked Karna, the commander of
the Kaurava army, with all his forces. Duhshasana, O Bharata, with the
swelling host of the samsaptakas forming a portion of the Bharata army,
fiercely attacked in that battle Bhima, that foremost of warriors of
irresistible impetuosity. The heroic Uttamauja, putting forth his
strength struck the son of Karna and cut off his head which fell down on
the earth, filling the earth and the welkin with a loud noise. Beholding
the head of Sushena lying on the ground, Karna became filled with grief.
Soon, however, in rage he cut off the steeds, the car, and the standard,
of his son's slayer with many keen shafts. Meanwhile Uttamauja, piercing
with his keen shafts and cutting off with his bright sword the steeds of
Kripa and those warriors also that protected Kripa's sides, quickly
ascended the car of Shikhandi. Beholding Kripa deprived of his car,
Shikhandi who was on his vehicle, wished not to strike him with his
shafts. The son of Drona then, covering with his own the car of Kripa,
rescued the latter like a bull sunk in a mire. Meanwhile Bhima, the son
of the Wind-god clad in golden mail, began to scorch with his keen arrows
the troops of your sons like the mid-day sun scorching everything in the
summer season.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 75 ---------------------
