SECTION 77
"Sanjaya said, 'Hearing the roars of cars and the leonine shouts (of the
warriors) in battle, Arjuna addressed Govinda, saying, "Urge the steeds
to greater speed." Hearing these words of Arjuna, Govinda said unto him,
"I am proceeding with great speed to the spot where Bhima is stationed."
Then many lions among men (belonging to the Kaurava army), excited with
wrath and accompanied by a large force of cars and horse and elephants
and foot-soldiers and making the earth resound with the whizz of their
arrows, the rattle of their car wheels, and the tread of their horses'
hoofs, advanced against Jaya (Arjuna) as the latter proceeded for
victory, borne by his steeds white as snow or conchs and decked in
trappings of gold and pearls and gems like the chief of the celestials in
great wrath proceeding, armed with the thunder, against (the asura)
Jambha for slaying him. Between them and Partha, O sire, occurred a great
battle destructive of body, life, and sin, like the battle between the
asuras and the god Vishnu, that foremost of victors for the sake of the
three worlds. Alone, Partha, decked with diadem and garlands, cut off the
mighty weapons sped by them, as also their heads and arms in diverse
ways, with his razor-faced and crescent-shaped and broad-headed arrows of
great keenness. Umbrellas, and yak-tails for fanning, and standards, and
steeds, and cars, and bands of foot-soldiers, and elephants, fell down on
the earth, mutilated in diverse ways, like a forest broken down by a
tempest. Huge elephants, decked in caparisons of gold and equipped with
triumphal standards and warriors (on their backs), looked resplendent, as
they were pierced with shafts of golden wings, like mountains ablaze with
light. Piercing elephants and steeds and cars with excellent shafts
resembling Vasava's thunder, Dhananjaya proceeded quickly for the
slaughter of Karna, even as Indra in days of yore for riving (the asura)
Vala. Then that tiger among men, that mighty-armed chastiser of foes,
penetrated into your host like a makara into the ocean. Beholding the son
of Pandu, your warriors, O king, accompanied by cars and foot-soldiers and
a large number of elephants and steeds, rushed against him. Tremendous
was the din made by them as they advanced against Partha, resembling that
made by the waters of the ocean lashed into fury by the tempest. Those
mighty car-warriors, resembling tigers (in prowess) all rushed in that
battle against that tiger among men, abandoning all fear of death.
Arjuna, however, routed the troops of those leaders of the Kurus as they
advanced, shooting at him showers of weapons, like a tempest driving off
masses of congregated clouds. Those great bowmen, all skilled in smiting,
united together and proceeded against Arjuna with a large number of cars
and began to pierce him with keen shafts. Then Arjuna, with his shafts,
despatched to Yama's abode several thousands of cars and elephants and
steeds. While those great car-warriors in that battle were thus struck
with shafts sped from Arjuna's bow, they were filled with fear and seemed
to disappear one after another from their cars. In all, Arjuna, with his
sharp arrows, slew four hundred of those heroic car-warriors exerting
themselves vigorously in battle. Thus struck in that battle with sharp
shafts of diverse kinds, they fled away on all sides, avoiding Arjuna.
Tremendous was the uproar made at the van of the army by those warriors
as they broke and fled, like that made by the surging sea when it breaks
upon a rock. Having routed with his arrows that army struck with fright,
Pritha's son Arjuna then proceeded, O sire, against the division of the
Suta's son. Loud was the noise with which Arjuna faced his foes, like
that made by Garuda in days of yore when swooping down for snakes.
Hearing that sound, the mighty Bhimasena, desirous as he had been of
obtaining a sight of Partha, became filled with joy. As soon as the
valiant Bhimasena heard of Partha's arrival, he began, O monarch, to
grind your troops, reckless of his very life. Possessed of prowess equal
to that of the wind, the valiant Bhima, the son of the Wind-god, began to
career in that battle like the wind itself. Afflicted by him, O monarch,
thy army, O king, began to reel like a wrecked vessel on the bosom of the
sea. Displaying his lightness of hands, Bhima began to cut and mangle
that host with his fierce arrows and despatch large numbers to the abode
of Yama. Beholding on that occasion the superhuman might of Bhima, O
Bharata, like that of the Destroyer at the end of the Yuga, your warriors
became filled with fright. Seeing his mightiest soldiers thus afflicted
by Bhimasena, O Bharata, king Duryodhana addressed all his troops and
great bowmen, O bull of Bharata's race, commanding them to slay Bhima in
that battle, since upon Bhima's fall he would regard the Pandava troops
already exterminated. Accepting that command of your son, all the kings
shrouded Bhima with showers of shafts from every side. Innumerable
elephants, O king, and men inspired with desire of victory, and cars, and
horse, O monarch, encompassed Vrikodara. Thus encompassed by those brave
warriors on all sides, O king, that hero, that chief of Bharata's race,
looked resplendent like the Moon surrounded by the stars. Indeed, as the
Moon at full within his corona looks beautiful, even so that best of men,
exceedingly handsome, looked beautiful in that battle. All those kings,
with cruel intent and eyes red in wrath, inflicted upon Vrikodara their
arrowy downpours, moved by the desire of slaying him. Piercing that
mighty host with straight shafts, Bhima came out of the press like a fish
coming out of a net, having slain 10,000 unretreating elephants, 200,200
men, O Bharata, and 5,000 horses, and a hundred car-warriors. Having
slaughtered these, Bhima caused a river of blood to flow there. Blood
constituted its water, and cars its eddies; and elephants were the
alligators with which it teemed. Men were its fishes, and steeds its
sharks, and the hair of animals formed its woods and moss. Arms lopped
off from trunks formed its foremost of snakes. Innumerable jewels and
gems were carried along by the current. Thighs constituted its gravels,
and marrow its mire. And it was covered with heads forming its rocks. And
bows and arrows constituted the rafts by which men sought to cross that
terrible river, and maces and spiked bludgeons formed its snakes. And
umbrellas and standards formed its swans, and head-gears its foam.
Necklaces constituted its lotuses, and the earthy dust that arose formed
its waves. Those endued with noble qualities could cross it with ease,
while those that were timid and affrighted found it exceedingly difficult
to cross. Warriors constituting its crocodiles and alligators, it ran
towards the region of Yama. Very soon, indeed, did that tiger among men
cause that river to flow. Even as the terrible Vaitarani is difficult of
being crossed by persons of unrefined souls, that bloody river, terrible
and enhancing the fears of the timid, was difficult to cross. Thither
where that best of car-warriors, the son of Pandu, penetrated, thither he
felled hostile warriors in hundreds and thousands. Seeing those feats
achieved in battle by Bhimasena, Duryodhana, O monarch, addressing
Shakuni, said, "Vanquish, O uncle, the mighty Bhimasena in battle. Upon
his defeat the mighty host of the Pandavas may be regarded as defeated."
Thus addressed, O monarch, the valiant son of Subala, competent to wage
dreadful battle, proceeded, surrounded by his brothers. Approaching in
that battle Bhima of terrible prowess, the heroic Shakuni checked him
like the continent resisting the ocean. Though resisted with keen shafts,
Bhima, disregarding them all, proceeded against the sons of Subala. Then
Shakuni, O monarch, sped a number of cloth-yard shafts equipped with
wings of gold and whetted on stone, at the left side of Bhima's chest.
Piercing through the armour of the high-souled son of Pandu, those fierce
shafts, O monarch, equipped with feathers of Kankas and peacocks, sunk
deep into his body. Deeply pierced in that battle, Bhima, O Bharata,
suddenly shot at Subala's son a shaft decked with gold. The mighty
Shakuni however, that scorcher of foes, O king, endued with great
lightness of hands, cut off into seven fragments that terrible arrow as
it coursed towards him. When his shaft fell down on the earth, Bhima, O
king, became highly enraged, and cut off with a broad-headed arrow the
bow of Subala's son with the greatest ease. The valiant son of Subala
then, casting aside that broken bow, quickly took up another and six and
ten broad-headed arrows. With two of those straight and broad-headed
arrows, O monarch, he struck Bhima himself, with one he cut off Bhima's
standard, and with two, his umbrella. With the remaining four, the son of
Subala pierced the four steeds of his antagonist. Filled with rage at
this, the valiant Bhima, O monarch, hurled in that battle a dart made of
iron, with its staff adorned with gold. That dart, restless as the tongue
of a snake, hurled from Bhima's arms, speedily fell upon the car of the
high-souled son of Subala. The latter then, filled with wrath, O monarch,
took up that same gold-decked dart and hurled it back at Bhimasena.
Piercing through the left arm of the high-souled son of Pandu, it fell
down on the earth like lightning flashed down from the sky. At this, the
Dhartarashtras, O monarch, set up a loud roar all around. Bhima, however,
could not bear that leonine roar of his foes endued with great activity.
The mighty son of Pandu then, quickly taking up another stringed bow, in
a moment, O monarch, covered with shafts the soldiers of Subala's son in
that battle, who were fighting reckless of their very lives. Having slain
his four steeds, and then his driver, O king, Bhima of great prowess next
cut off his antagonist's standard with a broad-headed arrow without
losing a moment. Abandoning with speed that steedless car, Shakuni, that
foremost of men, stood on the ground, with his bow ready drawn in his
hands, his eyes red like blood in rage, and himself breathing heavily. He
then, O king, struck Bhima from every side with innumerable arrows. The
valiant Bhima, baffling those shafts, cut off Shakuni's bow in rage and
pierced Shakuni himself, with many keen arrows. Deeply pierced by his
powerful antagonist, that scorcher of foes, O king, fell down on the
earth almost lifeless. Then your son, O monarch, seeing him stupefied,
bore him away from battle on his car in the very sight of Bhimasena. When
that tiger among men, Shakuni was thus taken up on Duryodhana's car, the
Dhartarashtra troops, turning their faces from battle, fled away on all
sides inspired with fear on that occasion of great terror due to
Bhimasena. Upon the defeat of Subala's son, O king, by that great bowman,
Bhimasena, your son Duryodhana, filled with great fright, retreated, borne
away by his fleet steeds, from regard for his maternal uncle's life.
Beholding the king himself turn away from the battle, the troops, O
Bharata, fled away, from the encounters in which each of them had been
engaged. Seeing all the Dhartarashtra troops turn away from battle and
fly in all directions, Bhima rushing impetuously, fell upon them,
shooting many hundreds of shafts. Slaughtered by Bhima, the retreating
Dhartarashtras, O king, approaching the spot where Karna was, once more
stood for battle, surrounding him. Endued with great might and great
energy, Karna then became their refuge. Finding Karna, O bull of
Bharata's race, your troops became comforted and stood cheerfully, relying
upon one another, like shipwrecked mariners, O tiger of men, in their
distressful plight, when at last they reach an island. They then, once
more, making death itself their goal, proceeded against their foes for
battle.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 77 ---------------------
