SECTION 89
Sanjaya said, "Then when the blare of conchs and the peal of drums became
very loud, those two foremost of men, both owning white steeds, the
suta's son Vikartana and Arjuna, encountered each other in consequence, O
king, of your son's evil policy. Those two heroes endued with great
impetuosity, Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son, closed with each other like
two infuriated Himalayan elephants, both of full-grown tusks, fighting
with each other for the sake of a she-elephant in her season. Like a mass
of clouds encountering another mass, or a mountain encountering a
mountain, those two warriors, both pouring showers of arrows, encountered
each other, their bows loudly twanging the while, and the wheels of their
cars producing a deafening clatter, and their bow-strings and palms
emitting loud sounds. Like two mountains, both endued with tall cliffs
and abounding in trees and creepers and herbs and both teeming with the
diverse other denizens that are natural to them, moving towards each
other for an encounter, those two mighty warriors encountered each other,
each striking the other with mighty weapons.
The combat between the two heroes became furious like that between the
chief of the celestials and Virocana's son in days of yore. Incapable of
being endured by others and marked by a river whose distasteful water
consisted of blood, the limbs of those two heroes, as also their drivers
and animals, became exceedingly mangled. Like two large lakes, both
teeming with lotuses of diverse kinds and fish and tortoises, and echoing
with the voices of diverse kinds of fowl, and softly stirred by the wind,
approaching each other, those two cars graced with standards approached
each other. Both endued with prowess equal to that of the great Indra,
both resembling the great Indra himself, those two mighty car-warriors
struck each other with shafts that resembled the great Indra's thunder,
like the great Indra himself and (the asura) Vritra.
Both the armies consisting of cars and elephants and steeds and
foot-soldiers, all equipped with beautiful armour and ornaments and robes
and weapons, and those also that were in the welkin, were inspired with
fear upon beholding that encounter of wonderful aspect between Arjuna and
Karna. Others among the spectators, filled with joy and uttering leonine
shouts, raised their arms, waving their fingers or the pieces of cloth
they held, when Arjuna rushed against the son of Adhiratha, from desire
of slaughter, like one infuriated elephant rushing against another.
The Somakas then loudly shouted to Partha, saying, "Be quick, O Arjuna,
go and pierce Karna. Cut off his head without delay, and (with it) the
desire of Dhritarashtra's son for kingdom." Similarly many warriors of
ours that were there, said unto Karna, "Proceed, proceed, O Karna, and
slay Arjuna with keen shafts. Let the sons of Pritha once more go to the
woods forever."
Then Karna first pierced Partha in that encounter, with ten mighty
shafts. Arjuna pierced him in return with ten keen-pointed shafts, shot
with great vigour, in the centre of the chest. Indeed, the suta's son and
Arjuna then mangled each other with many shafts equipped with goodly
wings. Desirous of obtaining advantage of each other's lapses in that
dreadful encounter, with cheerful hearts they rushed against each other
fiercely.
Rubbing his two arms and the string also of gandiva, that fierce bowman,
Arjuna, then sped showers of cloth-yard shafts, and nalikas and arrows
equipped with heads like boar's ears and razors, and anjalikas, and
crescent-shaped arrows. Those arrows of Partha, O king, spread over the
welkin, penetrated into Karna's car like flights of birds, with heads
bent down, penetrating in the evening into a tree for roosting there in
the night. All those arrows, however, O king, that Arjuna, that victor
over all foes, with furrowed brow and angry glances, sped at Karna, all
those successive showers of shafts shot by the son of Pandu, were cut off
by the suta's son with his own arrows.
The son of Indra then sped at Karna a fiery weapon capable of slaying all
foes. Covering the earth and the welkin and the ten points of the compass
and the very course of the sun with its effulgence, it caused his own
body also to blaze up with light. The robes of all the warriors took
fire, at which they fled away. Loud sounds also arose there, like what is
heard when a forest of bamboos in a wilderness is on fire. Beholding that
fiery weapon acting on all sides, the suta's son Karna of great valour
shot in that encounter the varunastra for quenching it. That
conflagration then, in consequence of Karna's weapon, became quenched.
A large mass of clouds quickly caused all the points of the compass to be
enveloped with darkness. Those clouds whose extremities presented the
aspect of mountains, surrounding every side, flooded the earth with
water. That fierce conflagration, though it was such, was still quenched
by those clouds in a trice. The entire welkin and all the directions,
cardinal and subsidiary, were shrouded by clouds. Thus shrouded by
clouds, all the points of the compass became dark and nothing could be
seen.
Then Arjuna dispelled those clouds caused by Karna, by means of the
vayavyastra. After this, Dhananjaya, incapable of being over-mastered by
foes inspired gandiva, its string, and his shafts, with mantras, and
invoked into existence another weapon that was the favourite of the chief
of the celestials and that resembled the thunder in energy and prowess.
Then razor-headed arrows, and anjalikas, and crescent-shaped shafts, and
nalikas, and cloth-yard shafts and those equipped with heads like the
boar's ear, all keen and sharp, issued from gandiva in thousands, endued
with the force and impetuosity of the thunder. Possessed of great might
and great energy, those impetuous and keen shafts equipped with vulturine
feathers piercing all the limbs, the steeds, the bow, the yoke, the
wheels, and the standard of Karna, quickly penetrated into them like
snakes frightened by Garuda penetrating into the earth. Pierced all over
with arrows and bathed in blood, (the high-souled) Karna then, with eyes
rolling in wrath, bending his bow of enduring string and producing a
twang as loud as the roar of the sea, invoked into existence the Bhargava
weapon. Cutting off Partha's showers of shafts proceeding from the mouth
of that weapon of Indra (which Arjuna had shot), Karna, having thus
baffled his antagonist's weapon with his own, destroyed cars and
elephants and foot-soldiers (of the Pandava army). Unable to endure the
feats of Arjuna in that fierce battle, the mighty car-warrior Karna did
this, through the energy of the Bhargava weapon. Filled with wrath and
possessed of great activity, the Suta's son, that foremost of men,
laughing at the two Krishnas, pierced the foremost of Pancala warriors
with well shot arrows in that battle. Then the Pancalas and the Somakas,
O king, thus afflicted by Karna with showers of shafts in that encounter,
became filled with wrath and uniting together pierced the Suta's son with
keen arrows from every side. Quickly cutting off those arrows with his
own, the Suta's son, vigorously agitating them in that battle, afflicted
with many shafts the cars, the elephants, and the steeds of the Pancalas.
Their bodies pierced with those shafts of Karna, they fell down, deprived
of life, on the earth, making loud sounds, like mighty elephants slain by
an angry lion of terrible strength. Having slain those foremost of
warriors, those heroes endued with great strength, those leaders of the
Pancala forces who had always challenged him (to battle), Karna, O king,
as he shot his arrows, looked beautiful, like a mass of clouds pouring
torrents of rain. Then your warriors, thinking that Karna had won the
victory, clapped loudly and uttered leonine roars. O chief of the Kurus,
all of them then regarded the two Krishnas as brought by Karna under his
power, seeing that valour, incapable of being borne by foes, of the
mighty car-warrior Karna. Beholding that weapon of Dhananjaya frustrated
by Karna in the midst of battle, the angry son of the Wind-god, with eyes
blazing with wrath, began to squeeze his hands. Indeed, the wrathful
Bhima, his anger being provoked, drew deep breaths and addressing Arjuna
of true aim, said, "How, O Jishnu, could this wretch fallen off from
virtue, this Suta's son, putting forth his might in battle, slay so many
foremost of Pancala warriors, in your sight? Before now you couldst not
be conquered by the very gods or the Kalakeyas. Thou receivedst the touch
of the arms of Sthanu himself. How, then, O diadem-decked Arjuna, could
the Suta's son pierce you first with ten long shafts such as are used by
car-warriors? That the Suta's son should today have succeeded in baffling
the arrows shot by you seems to me to be very amazing. Recollect the
woes of Krishna, and those disagreeable, keen, and cutting words that
this wicked-souled and fearless son of a Suta used towards us, viz.,
'Sesame seeds without kernel!' Recollecting all this, O Savyasaci,
quickly slay the wretched Karna in battle today. Why, O diadem-decked
Arjuna, dost you show such indifference (towards this act)? This is not
the time for showing your indifference to Karna's slaughter. That patience
with which you didst vanquish all creatures and feed Agni at Khandava,
with that patience, slay you the Suta's son. I also will crush him with
my mace." Then Vasudeva, beholding Partha's shafts baffled by Karna, said
unto the former, "What is this, O diadem-decked Arjuna, that Karna should
succeed in crushing your weapons today with this? Why dost, thou, O hero,
lose your wits? Markest you not that the Kauravas, (standing behind
Karna), are even now shouting in joy? Indeed, all of them know that thy
weapons are being baffled by Karna with his. That patience with which,
Yuga after Yuga, you had slain persons having the quality of darkness
for their weapons, as also terrible Kshatriyas, and Asuras born of pride,
in many a battle--with that patience do you slay Karna today. Putting
forth your might, strike off the head of that foe of yours with this
Sudarsana, of edge keen as a razor, that I give unto thee, like Sakra
striking off the head of his foe Namuci, with the thunderbolt. That
patience with which you didst gratified the illustrious deity Mahadeva
in the guise of a hunter, summoning that patience once again, O hero,
slay the Suta's son with all his followers. After that, bestow upon king
Yudhishthira the earth with her belt of seas, her towns and villages, and
wealth, and from off whose surface all foes will have been removed. By
that act, O Partha, do you also win unrivalled fame." Thus addressed (by
Krishna), the high-souled Partha of exceeding might set his heart upon
the slaughter of the Suta's son. Indeed, urged by Bhima and Janardana,
and recollecting (his woes), and taking an internal survey of himself,
and calling to mind the object for which he had come to this world, he
addressed Keshava, saying, "I will now invoke into existence a mighty and
fierce weapon for the good of the world and the destruction of the Suta's
son. Let me have your permission, as also Brahman's and Bhava's, and of
all those that are conversant with Brahma." Having said these words unto
the holy Keshava, Savyasaci of immeasurable soul bowed unto Brahman and
invoked into existence that excellent irresistible weapon called
brahmastra which could be applied by the mind alone. Baffling that
weapon, however, Karna looked beautiful as he continued, like a cloud
pouring torrents of rain, to shoot his shafts. Beholding that weapon of
the diadem-decked Arjuna baffled in the midst of battle by Karna, the
wrathful and mighty Bhima, blazing up with rage, addressed Arjuna of sure
aim and said, "People say that you are a master of the high brahmastra,
that mighty means (for achieving the destruction of foes). Do you then,
O Savyasaci, use another weapon of the same kind." Thus addressed by his
brother, Savyasaci used a second weapon of the kind. With that, Partha of
abundant energy shrouded all the points of the compass, cardinal and
subsidiary, with arrows sped from gandiva that resembled fierce snakes
and were like the blazing rays of the sun. Created by that bull of
Bharata's race, those arrows of golden wings, in hundreds upon hundreds,
endued with the effulgence of the yuga fire or the sun, in a moment
shrouded the car of Karna. Thence also issued long darts and battle-axes
and discs and cloth-yard shafts in hundreds, all of awful forms, at which
hostile warriors all around began to be deprived of life. The head of
some hostile warrior, severed from his trunk, fell down on the field of
battle. Another, beholding his fallen comrade, fell down dead on the
earth, through fear. The (right) arm of a third, large and massive as the
trunk of an elephant, cut off (by Partha), fell down with the sword in
grasp. The left arm of a fourth, cut off with a razor-headed arrow, fell
down with the shield in it. Even thus, Partha, decked with diadem and
garlands, wounded and slew all the foremost warriors of Duryodhana's army
with his terrible and death-dealing shafts. Vaikartana also, in the midst
of that battle, shot thousands of arrows. These, with a loud whizz, fell
upon the son of Pandu like torrents of rain poured from the clouds. Then
piercing Bhimasena and Janardana and the diadem-decked Arjuna of
superhuman feats, each with three arrows Karna of terrible might uttered
a loud awful roar. Struck with Karna's shafts, the diadem-decked Arjuna,
beholding Bhima and Janardana, became unable to endure (the feats of his
antagonist). Once more, therefore, Partha shot eight and ten arrows.
Piercing the beautiful standard of Karna with one of those arrows, he
pierced Shalya with four and Karna himself with three. With ten other
well-shot shafts he then struck the Kaurava warrior Sabhapati, clad in
golden mail. Thereupon that prince, deprived of head and arms and steeds
and driver and bow and standard, fell down, wounded and dead, from his
foremost of cars, like a Sala tree cut down with an axe. Once more
piercing Karna with three, eight, twelve, four, and ten arrows, Partha
slew 400 elephants equipped with many weapons, and 8000 car-warriors, and
1,000 steeds with riders, and 8,000 brave foot-soldiers. And soon Partha
made Karna with his driver and car and steeds and standard invisible with
straightly coursing shafts. Then the Kauravas, thus slaughtered by
Dhananjaya, loudly addressed Adhitratha's son, saying, "Shoot your arrows
and slay the son of Pandu. Already, he has begun to exterminate the Kurus
with his shafts!" Thus urged, Karna, with his best endeavours,
incessantly shot many arrows. Capable of cutting the very vitals, those
blood-drinking shafts, well sped by Karna, slew large numbers of the
Pandavas and the Pancalas. Thus those two foremost of all bowmen, those
two warriors of great strength that were capable of bearing all foes,
those two heroes acquainted with weapons, struck the warriors opposed to
them, as also each other, with mighty weapons. Then Yudhishthira, clad in
golden mail, his arrows having been extracted and himself made sound with
mantras and drugs by foremost of surgeons well-disposed towards him,
quickly came to that spot for witnessing (the encounter between Arjuna
and Karna). Beholding king Yudhishthira the just arrived there like the
resplendent full Moon freed from the jaws of Rahu and risen in the
firmament, all creatures became filled with delight. Beholding those two
foremost of warriors, those two first of heroes and slayers of foes,
viz., Karna and Partha, engaged in fight, the spectators, both celestial
and terrestrial, restraining the animals they rode or that were yoked
unto their vehicles, stood motionless. As the two heroes, O king, struck
each other with many foremost of arrows, O king, the sounds caused by the
bows, bow-strings, and palms, of both Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son,
became tremendous and their well-sped arrows also caused a deafening
whizz. Then the bow-string of the son of Pandu, stretched with force,
broke with a loud noise. During the interval thus offered, the Suta's son
pierced Partha with a hundred small arrows, keen and steeped in oil,
winged with the feathers of birds, and resembling snakes freed from their
sloughs. He then quickly pierced Vasudeva with sixty shafts, and then
Phalguna again with eight. Surya's son then pierced Bhima with thousands
upon thousands of mighty arrows. Having pierced Krishna and Partha's
standard, Karna felled many amongst the Somakas that followed Partha.
These, however, in return shrouded Karna with showers of straight shafts
like masses of clouds shrouding the sun in the welkin. Accomplished in
the use of weapons, the Suta's son, stupefying those advancing warriors
with his shafts and baffling all the weapons shot by them, destroyed
their cars and steeds and elephants. And the Suta's son, O king, also
afflicted with his arrows many foremost of warriors among them. Their
bodies pierced with Karna's shafts, they fell down on the ground,
deprived of life and making a loud noise as they fell. Indeed, those
mighty combatants, afflicted by Karna of terrible strength, perished like
a pack of dogs afflicted by an angry lion. And once more many foremost of
combatants among the Pancalas and many such (among the Kauravas) fell
down after this, slain by Karna and Dhananjaya. Deprived of life by the
mighty Karna with well-aimed arrows shot with great force, many fell
down, purging the contents of their stomachs. Then your troops, regarding
the victory to be already theirs, clapped furiously and uttered loud
leonine roars. Indeed, in that dreadful encounter, all of them regarded
the two Krishnas to have been brought by Karna under his power. Then
quickly bending his bow-string and baffling all those shafts of
Adhiratha's son, Partha, filled with rage in consequence of his limbs
having been mangled with Karna's arrows, assailed the Kauravas. Rubbing
his bow-string, he clapped his palms and suddenly caused a darkness there
with the showers of shafts he shot. The diadem-decked Arjuna pierced
Karna and Shalya and all the Kurus with those arrows. The welkin having
been darkened by means of that mighty weapon, the very birds were unable
to range in their element, a delicious wind then blew, bearing fragrant
odours. Laughing the while, Partha forcibly struck Shalya's armour with
ten arrows. Piercing Karna next with a dozen shafts, he struck him once
more with seven. Deeply struck with those winged arrows of fierce energy
shot with great force from Partha's bow, Karna, with mangled limbs and
body bathed in blood, looked resplendent like Rudra at the universal
destruction, sporting in the midst of crematorium at noon or eve, his
body dyed with blood. The son of Adhiratha then pierced Dhananjaya who
resembled the chief of the celestials himself (in energy and might) with
three arrows, and he caused five other blazing arrows resembling five
snakes to penetrate the body of Krishna. Shot with great force, those
arrows, decked with gold, pierced through the armour of that foremost of
beings and passing out of his body fell upon the earth. Endued with great
energy, they entered the earth with great force and having bathed (in the
waters of the Bhogavati in the nether region) coursed back towards Karna.
Those shafts were five mighty snakes that had adopted the side of
Takshaka's son (Aswasena whose mother Partha had slain at Khandava). With
ten broad-headed arrows shot with great force, Arjuna cut off each of
those five snakes into three fragments whereupon they fell down on the
earth. Beholding Krishna's limbs thus mangled with those snakes
transformed into arrows sped from Karna's arms, Arjuna, decked with
diadem and garlands, blazed up with wrath like a fire engaged in burning
a heap of dry grass. He then pierced Karna in all his vital limbs with
many blazing and fatal shafts shot from the bow-string stretched to the
very ear. (Deeply pierced), Karna trembled in pain. With the greatest
difficulty he stood, summoning all his patience. Dhananjaya having been
filled with wrath, all the points of the compass, cardinal and
subsidiary, the very splendour of the Sun, and Karna's car, O king, all
became invisible with the showers shot by him. The welkin seemed as if it
were shrouded by a thick forest. Then that slayer of foes, that bull of
Kuru's race, that foremost of heroes, viz., Savyasaci, O king, soon slew
in that battle 2,000 foremost of Kuru warriors, with their cars and
steeds and drivers, forming the protectors of Karna's car-wheels and
wings and his van-guard and rear-guard and who constituted the very pick
of Duryodhana's car-force, and who, urged by Duryodhana, had been
fighting with great energy. Then your sons and the Kauravas that were
still alive fled away, deserting Karna, and abandoning their dying and
wounded, and their wailing sons and sires. Beholding himself abandoned by
the terrified Kurus and seeing the space around him empty, Karna felt no
agitation, O Bharata, but, on the other hand, rushed at Arjuna, with a
cheerful heart.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 89 ---------------------
