SECTION 78
"Dhritarashtra said, 'When our troops were broken in battle by Bhimasena,
what, O Sanjaya, did Duryodhana and Subala's son say? Or, what did Karna,
that foremost of victors, or the warriors of my army in that battle, or
Kripa, or Kritavarma, or Drona's son Duhshasana, say? Exceedingly
wonderful, I think, is the prowess of Pandu's son, since, single-handed,
he fought in battle with all the warriors of my army. Did the son of
Radha act towards the (hostile) troops according to his vow? That slayer
of foes, Karna, O Sanjaya, is the prosperity, the armour, the fame, and
the very hope of life, of the Kurus. Beholding the army broken by Kunti's
son of immeasurable energy, what did Karna, the son of Adhiratha and
Radha, do in that battle? What also did my sons, difficult of defeat in
battle, do, or the other kings and mighty car-warriors of our army? Tell
me all this, O Sanjaya, for you are skilled in narration!'
"Sanjaya said, 'In that afternoon, O monarch, the Suta's son of great
valour began to smite all the Somakas in the very sight of Bhimasena.
Bhima also of great strength began to destroy the Dhartarashtra troops.
Then Karna, addressing (his driver) Shalya, said unto him, "Bear me to
the Pancalas." Indeed, beholding his army in course of being routed by
Bhimasena of great intelligence, Karna once more addressed his driver,
saying, 'Bear me to the Pancalas only.' Thus urged, Shalya, the ruler of
the Madras, endued with great might, urged those white steeds that were
fleet as thought, towards the Cedis, the Pancalas and the Karushas.
Penetrating then into that mighty host, Shalya, that grinder of hostile
troops, cheerfully conducted those steeds into every spot that Karna,
that foremost of warriors, desired to go to. Beholding that car cased in
tiger skins and looking like a cloud, the Pandus and the Pancalas, O
monarch, became terrified. The rattle then of that car, like unto the
peal of thunder or the sound of a mountain splitting into fragments,
became audible in that dreadful battle. With hundreds upon hundreds of
keen arrows sped from the bow-string drawn to his ear, Karna then smote
hundreds and thousands of warriors belonging to the Pandava army. While
the unvanquished Karna was employed in achieving those feats, many mighty
bowmen and great car-warriors among the Pandavas encompassed him on all
sides. Indeed, Shikhandi, and Bhima, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of
Prishata, and Nakula, and Sahadeva, and the (five) sons of Draupadi, and
Satyaki, surrounded the son of Radha, pouring showers of arrows upon him,
from desire of despatching him to the other world. The heroic Satyaki,
that best of men, struck Karna in that engagement with twenty keen shafts
in the shoulder-joint. Shikhandi struck him with five and twenty shafts,
and Dhrishtadyumna struck him with seven, and the sons of Draupadi with
four and sixty, and Sahadeva with seven, and Nakula with a hundred, in
that battle. The mighty Bhimasena, in that encounter, filled with rage,
struck the son of Radha in the shoulder-joint with ninety straight
shafts. The son of Adhiratha, then, of great might laughing in scorn, and
drawing his excellent bow let off many keen shafts, afflicting his foes.
The son of Radha pierced each of them in return with five arrows. Cutting
off the bow of Satyaki, as also his standard, O bull of Bharata's race,
Karna pierced Satyaki himself with nine shafts in the centre of the
chest. Filled with wrath, he then pierced Bhimasena with thirty shafts.
With a broad-headed arrow, O sire, he next cut off the standard of
Sahadeva, and with three other arrows, that chastiser of foes afflicted
Sahadeva's driver. Within the twinkling of an eye he then deprived the
(five) sons of Draupadi of their cars, O bull of Bharata's race, which
seemed exceedingly wonderful. Indeed, with his straight shafts casting
those heroes to turn back from the fight, the heroic Karna began to slay
the Pancalas and many mighty car-warriors among the Cedis. Thus struck in
that battle. O monarch, the Cedis and the Matsyas, rushing against Karna
alone, poured upon him showers of shafts. The Suta's son, however, that
mighty car-warrior, began to smite them with his keen shafts. I beheld
this exceedingly wonderful feat. O Bharata, viz., that the Suta's son of
great prowess, alone and unsupported in that battle, fought with all
those bowmen who contended with him to the utmost of their prowess, and
checked all those Pandava warriors, O monarch, with his shafts. With the
lightness of hand, O Bharata, of the high-souled Karna on that occasion,
all the gods as also the Siddhas and the Charanas were gratified. All the
great bowmen among the Dhartarashtras also, O best of men, applauded
Karna, that foremost of great car-warriors, that first of all bowmen.
Then Karna, O monarch, burnt the hostile army like a mighty and blazing
conflagration consuming a heap of dry grass in the summer season. Thus
slaughtered by Karna, the Pandava troops, struck with fear, fled in all
directions, at the very sight of Karna. Loud wails arose there among the
Pancalas in that great battle, while they were thus struck with the keen
shafts sped from Karna's bow. Struck with fear at the noise, the vast
host of the Pandavas, those enemies of Karna, regarded him as the one
warrior in that battle. Then that crusher of foes, viz., the son of
Radha, once more achieved an exceedingly wonderful feat, inasmuch as all
the Pandavas, united together, were unable to even gaze at him. Like a
swelling mass of water breaking when it comes in contact with a mountain,
the Pandava army broke when it came in contact with Karna. Indeed, O
king, the mighty-armed Karna in that battle, burning the vast host of the
Pandavas, stood there like a blazing fire without smoke. With great
activity that hero, with his shafts, cut off the arms and the heads of
his brave foes, O king, and their ears decked with earrings. Swords with
hilts of ivory, and standards, and darts, and steeds, and elephants, and
cars of diverse kind, O king, and banners, and axles, and yokes, and
wheels of many kinds, were cut off in various ways by Karna, observant of
a warrior's vow. There, O Bharata, with elephants and steeds slain by
Karna, the earth became impassable and miry with flesh and blood. The
uneven and even spots also of the field, in consequence of slain horse
and foot and broken cars and dead elephants, could no longer be
distinguished. The combatants could not distinguish friends from foes in
that thick darkness caused by shafts when Karna's (celestial) weapon was
displayed. The mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, O monarch, were
completely shrouded with shafts, decked with gold, that were sped from
Karna's bow. Those mighty car-warriors of the Pandavas, O king, in that
battle, though struggling vigorously, were repeatedly broken by the son
of Radha, even as a herd of deer in the forest is routed by an angry
lion. Routing the foremost of Pancala car-warriors and (other) foes,
Karna of great fame, in that battle, slew the Pandava warriors like a
wolf slaying smaller animals. Beholding the Pandava army turn away from
battle, the Dhartarashtra bowmen of great might rushed against the
retreating host uttering terrible shouts. Then Duryodhana, O monarch,
filled with great delight, caused diverse musical instruments to be
beaten and blown in all parts of the army. The great bowmen amongst the
Pancalas, those foremost of men, though broken, returned heroically to
the fight, making death their goal. The son of Radha, however, that bull
among men and scorcher of foes, O monarch, in that battle, broke those
returned heroes in diverse ways. There, O Bharata twenty car-warriors
among the Pancalas and more than a hundred Cedi warriors were slain by
Karna with his shafts. Making the terraces of cars and the backs of
steeds empty, O Bharata, and slaying the combatants that fought from the
necks of elephants, and routing the foot-soldiers, that scorcher of foes,
the Suta's son of great bravery, became incapable of being gazed at like
the mid-day sun and looked resplendent like the Destroyer himself at the
end of the Yuga. Thus, O monarch, that slayer of foes, that mighty
bowmen, Karna, having slain foot, horse, car-warriors, and elephants,
stood there on his car. Indeed, like the Destroyer himself of great might
standing after slaying all creatures, the mighty car-warrior Karna stood
alone, having slain the Somakas. The prowess that we then beheld of the
Pancalas seemed to be exceedingly wonderful, for, though thus struck by
Karna, they refused to fly away from that hero at the head of battle. At
that time, the king (Duryodhana), and Duhshasana, and Kripa, the son of
Sharadvata, and Ashvatthama, and Kritavarma, and Shakuni also of great
might, slaughtered the Pandava warriors in hundreds and thousands. The
two sons also of Karna, O monarch, those two brothers of prowess
incapable of being baffled, filled with rage, slaughtered the Pandava
army in several parts of the field. The battle at that place was dreadful
and cruel and the carnage that occurred was very great. Similarly the
Pandava heroes, Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi and the (five) sons of
Draupadi, filled with rage, slaughtered your host. Even thus a great
destruction took place among the Pandavas everywhere on the field, and
even thus your army also suffered great loss at the hands of the mighty
Bhima.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 78 ---------------------
