SECTION 90
"Sanjaya said, 'Flying away in consequence of the falling of Arjuna's
arrows, the broken divisions of the Kauravas, staying at a distance,
continued to gaze at Arjuna's weapon swelling with energy and careering
around with the effulgence of lightning. Then Karna, with showers of
terrible shafts, baffled that weapon of Arjuna while it was still
careering in the welkin and which Arjuna had shot with great vigour in
that fierce encounter for the destruction of his foe. Indeed, that weapon
(of Partha) which, swelling with energy, had been consuming the Kurus,
the Suta's son now crushed with his shafts winged with gold. Bending then
his own loud-sounding bow of irrefragable string, Karna shot showers of
shafts. The Suta's son destroyed that burning weapon of Arjuna with his
own foe-killing weapon of great power which he had obtained from Rama,
and which resembled (in efficacy) an Atharvan rite. And he pierced Partha
also with numerous keen shafts. The encounter then, O king, that took
place between Arjuna and the son of Adhiratha, became a very dreadful
one. They continued to strike each other with arrows like two fierce
elephants striking each other with their tusks. All the points of the
compass then became shrouded with weapons and the very sun became
invisible. Indeed, Karna and Partha, with their arrowy downpours, made
the welkin one vast expanse of arrows without any space between. All the
Kauravas and the Somakas then beheld a wide-spread arrowy net. In that
dense darkness caused by arrows, they were unable to see anything else.
Those two foremost of men, both accomplished in weapons, as they
incessantly aimed and shot innumerable arrows, O king, displayed diverse
kinds of beautiful manoeuvres. While they were thus contending with each
other in battle, sometimes the Suta's son prevailed over his rival and
sometimes the diadem-decked Partha prevailed over his, in prowess and
weapons and lightness of hands. Beholding that terrible and awful
passage-at-arms between those two heroes each of whom was desirous of
availing himself of the other's lapses, all the other warriors on the
field of battle became filled with wonder. The beings in the welkin, O
king, applauded Karna and Arjuna. Indeed, many of them at a time, filled
with joy, cheerfully shouted, sometimes saying, "Excellent, O Karna!" and
sometimes saying, "Excellent, O Arjuna!" During the progress of that
fierce encounter, while the earth was being pressed deep with the weight
of cars and the tread of steeds and elephants, the snake Aswasena, who
was hostile to Arjuna, was passing his time in the nether region. Freed
from the conflagration at Khandava, O king, he had, from anger,
penetrated through the earth (for going to the subterranean region). That
brave snake, recollecting the death of his mother and the enmity he on
that account harboured against Arjuna, now rose from the lower region.
Endued with the power of ascending the skies, he soared up with great
speed upon beholding that fight between Karna and Arjuna. Thinking that
that was the time for gratifying his animosity towards, as he thought,
the wicked-souled Partha, he quickly entered into Karna's quiver, O king,
in the form of an arrow. At that time a net of arrows was seen, shedding
its bright arrows around. Karna and Partha made the welkin one dense mass
of arrows by means of their arrowy downpours. Beholding that wide-spread
expanse of arrows, all the Kauravas and the Somakas became filled with
fear. In that thick and awful darkness caused by arrows they were unable
to see anything else. Then those two tigers among men, those two foremost
of all bowmen in the world, those two heroes, fatigued with their
exertions in battle, looked at each other. Both of them were then fanned
with excellent and waving fans made of young (palm) leaves and sprinkled
with fragrant sandal-water by many Apsaras staying in the welkin. And
Sakra and Surya, using their hands, gently brushed the faces of those two
heroes. When at last Karna found that he could not prevail over Partha
and was exceedingly scorched with the shafts of the former, that hero,
his limbs very much mangled, set his heart upon that shaft of his which
lay singly within a quiver. The Suta's son then fixed on his bow-string
that foe-killing, exceedingly keen, snake-mouthed, blazing, and fierce
shaft, which had been polished according to rule, and which he had long
kept for the sake of Partha's destruction. Stretching his bow-string to
his ear, Karna fixed that shaft of fierce energy and blazing splendour,
that ever-worshipped weapon which lay within a golden quiver amid sandal
dust, and aimed it at Partha. Indeed, he aimed that blazing arrow, born
in Airavata's race, for cutting off Phalguna's head in battle. All the
points of the compass and the welkin became ablaze and terrible meteors,
and thunderbolts fell. When that snake of the form of an arrow was fixed
on the bow-string, the Regents of the world, including Sakra, set up loud
wails. The Suta's son did not know that the snake Aswasena had entered
his arrow by the aid of his Yoga powers. Beholding Vaikartana aim that
arrow, the high-souled ruler of the Madras, addressing Karna, said, "This
arrow, O Karna, will not succeed in striking off Arjuna's head. Searching
carefully, fix another arrow that may succeed in striking off your enemy's
head." Endued with great activity, the Suta's son, with eyes burning in
wrath, then said unto the ruler of the Madras, "O Shalya, Karna never
aimeth an arrow twice. Persons like us never become crooked warriors."
Having said these words, Karna, with great care, let off that shaft which
he had worshipped for many long years. Bent upon winning the victory, O
king, he quickly said unto his rival, "Thou are slain, O Phalguna!" Sped
from Karna's arms, that shaft of awful whizz, resembling fire or the sun
in splendour, as it left the bow-string, blazed up in the welkin and
seemed to divide it by a line such as is visible on the crown of a woman
dividing her tresses. Beholding that shaft blazing in the welkin, the
slayer of Kamsa, Madhava, with great speed and the greatest ease, pressed
down with his feet that excellent car, causing it to sink about a cubit
deep. At this, the steeds, white as the rays of the moon and decked in
trappings of gold, bending their knees, laid themselves down on the
ground. Indeed, seeing that snake (in the form of an arrow) aimed by
Karna, Madhava, that foremost of all persons endued with might, put forth
his strength and thus pressed down with his feet that car into the earth,
whereat the steeds, (as already said) bending down their knees, laid
themselves down upon the earth when the car itself had sank into it. Then
loud sounds arose in the welkin in applause of Vasudeva. Many celestial
voices were heard, and celestial flowers were showered upon Krishna, and
leonine shouts also were uttered. When the car had thus been pressed down
into the earth through the exertions of the slayer of Madhu, the
excellent ornament of Arjuna's head, celebrated throughout the earth, the
welkin, heaven, and the waters, the Suta's son swept off from the crown
of his rival, with that arrow, in consequence of the very nature of that
snaky weapon and the great care and wrath with which it had been shot.
That diadem, endued with the splendour of the sun or the moon or fire or
a planet, and adorned with gold and pearls and gems and diamonds, had
with great care been made by the puissant Self-born himself for
Purandara. Costly as its appearance indicated, it was inspiring terror in
the hearts of foes, contributing to the happiness of him that wore it,
and shedding a fragrance, that ornament had been given by the chief of
the celestials himself with a cheerful heart unto Partha while the latter
had proceeded to slaughter the foes of the gods. That diadem was
incapable of being crushed by Rudra and the Lord of waters and Kuvera
with Pinaka and noose and thunderbolt and the very foremost of shafts. It
could not be endured by even the foremost ones among the gods. Vrisha,
however, now broke it forcibly with his snake-inspired shaft. Endued with
great activity, that wicked-natured snake of fierce form and false vows,
falling upon that diadem-decked with gold and gems, swept it away from
Arjuna's head. That snake, O king, forcibly tore it away from Partha's
head, quickly reducing into fragments that well-made ornament set over
with many a gem and blazing with beauty, like the thunderbolt riving a
mountain summit decked with lofty and beautiful trees graced with
flowers. Crushed by that excellent weapon, possessed of splendour, and
blazing with the fire of (the snake's) poison, that beautiful and
much-liked diadem of Partha fell down on the earth like the blazing disc
of the Sun from the Asta hills. Indeed, that snake forcibly swept away
from Arjuna's head that diadem adorned with many gems, like the thunder
of Indra felling a beautiful mountain summit adorned with lofty trees
bearing budding leaves and flowers. And the earth, welkin, heaven, and
the waters, when agitated by a tempest, roar aloud, O Bharata, even such
was the roar that arose in all the worlds at that time. Hearing that
tremendous noise, people, notwithstanding their efforts to be calm,
became extremely agitated and reeled as they stood. Reft of diadem, the
dark complexioned and youthful Partha looked beautiful like a blue
mountain of lofty summit. Binding then his locks with a white cloth,
Arjuna stood perfectly unmoved. With that white gear on his head, he
looked like the Udaya hill illumined with the rays of the sun. Thus that
she-snake (whom Arjuna had killed at Khandava) of excellent mouth,
through her son in the form of an arrow, sped by Surya's son, beholding
Arjuna of exceeding energy and might standing with his head at a level
with the reins of the steeds, took away his diadem only, that well-made
ornament (formerly) owned by Aditi's son and endued with the effulgence
of Surya himself. But Arjuna also (as will appear in the sequel) did not
return from that battle without causing the snake to succumb to the power
of Yama. Sped from Karna's arms, that costly shaft resembling fire or the
sun in effulgence, viz., that mighty snake who from before had become the
deadly foe of Arjuna, thus crushing the latter's diadem, went away.
Having burnt the gold-decked diadem of Arjuna displayed on his head, he
desired to come to Arjuna once more with great speed. Asked, however, by
Karna (who saw him but knew him not), he said these words, "Thou hadst
sped me, O Karna, without having seen me. It was for this that I could
not strike off Arjuna's head. Do you quickly shoot me once again, after
seeing me well. I shall then slay your foe and mine too." Thus addressed
in that battle by him, the Suta's son said, "Who are you possessed of
such fierce form?" The snake answered, saying, "Know me as one that has
been wronged by Partha. My enmity towards him is due to his having slain
my mother. If the wielder of the thunderbolt himself were to protect
Partha, the latter would still have to go to the domains of the king of
the pitris. Do not disregard me. Do my bidding. I will slay your foe.
Shoot me without delay." Hearing those words, Karna said, "Karna, O
snake, never desires to have victory in battle today by relying on
another's might. Even if I have to slay a hundred Arjunas, I will not, O
snake, still shoot the same shaft twice." Once more addressing him in the
midst of battle, that best of men, viz., Surya's son, Karna, said, "Aided
by the nature of my other snaky weapons, and by resolute effort and
wrath, I shall slay Partha. Be you happy and go elsewhere." Thus
addressed, in battle, by Karna, that prince of snakes, unable from rage
to bear those words, himself proceeded, O king, for the slaughter of
Partha, having assumed the form of an arrow. Of fierce form, the desire
he ardently cherished was the destruction of his enemy. Then Krishna,
addressing Partha in that encounter, said into him, "Slay that great
snake inimical to thee." Thus addressed by the slayer of Madhu, the
wielder of Gandiva, that bowman who was always fierce unto foes, enquired
of him, saying, "Who is that snake that advanceth of his own accord
against me, as if, indeed he advanceth right against the mouth of
Garuda?" Krishna replied, "Whilst thou, armed with bow, wert engaged at
Khandava in gratifying the god Agni, this snake was then in the sky, his
body ensconced within his mother's. Thinking that it was only a single
snake that was so staying in the sky, you killedest the mother.
Remembering that act of hostility done by thee, he cometh towards thee
today for your destruction. O resister of foes, behold him coming like a
blazing meteor, falling from the firmament!'"
"Sanjaya continued, 'Then Jishnu, turning his face in rage, cut off, with
six keen shafts, that snake in the welkin as the latter was coursing in a
slanting direction. His body thus cut off, he fell down on the earth.
After that snake had been cut off by Arjuna, the lord Keshava himself, O
king, of massive arms, that foremost of beings, raised up with his arms
that car from the earth. At that time, Karna, glancing obliquely at
Dhananjaya, pierced that foremost of persons, viz., Krishna, with ten
shafts whetted on stone and equipped with peacock feathers. Then
Dhananjaya, piercing Karna with a dozen well-shot and keen arrows
equipped with heads like the boar's ear, sped a cloth-yard shaft endued
with the energy of a snake of virulent poison and shot from his
bow-string stretched to his ear. That foremost of shafts, well shot by
Arjuna, penetrated through Karna's armour, and as if suspending his life
breaths, drank his blood and entered the earth, its wings also having
been drenched with gore. Endued with great activity, Vrisha, enraged at
the stroke of the shaft, like a snake beaten with stick, shot many mighty
shafts, like snakes of virulent poison vomiting venom. And he pierced
Janardana with a dozen shafts and Arjuna with nine and ninety. And once
more piercing the son of Pandu with a terrible shaft, Karna laughed and
uttered a loud roar. The son of Pandu, however, could not endure his
enemy's joy. Acquainted with all the vital parts of the human body,
Partha, possessed of prowess like that of Indra, pierced those vital
limbs with hundreds of arrows even as Indra had struck Vala with great
energy. Then Arjuna sped ninety arrows, each resembling the rod of Death
at Karna. Deeply pierced with those shafts, Karna trembled like a
mountain riven with thunder. The head-gear of Karna, adorned with costly
gems and precious diamonds and pure gold, as also his earrings, cut off
by Dhananjaya with his winged arrows, fell down on the earth. The costly
and bright armour also of the Suta's son that had been forged with great
care by many foremost of artists working for a long time, the son of
Pandu cut off within a moment in many fragments. After thus divesting him
of his armour, Partha then, in rage, pierced Karna with four whetted
shafts of great energy. Struck forcibly by his foe, Karna suffered great
pain like a diseased person afflicted by bile, phlegm, wind, and fever.
Once more Arjuna, with great speed, mangled Karna, piercing his very
vitals, with numerous excellent shafts, of great keenness, and sped from
his circling bow with much force and speed and care. Deeply struck by
Partha with those diverse arrows of keen points and fierce energy, Karna
(covered with blood) looked resplendent like a mountain of red chalk with
streams of red water running adown its breast. Once more Arjuna pierced
Karna in the centre of the chest with many straight-coursing and strong
shafts made entirely of iron and equipped with wings of gold and each
resembling the fiery rod of the Destroyer, like the son of Agni piercing
the Krauncha mountains. Then the Suta's son, casting aside his bow that
resembled the very bow of Sakra, as also his quiver, felt great pain, and
stood inactive, stupefied, and reeling, his grasp loosened and himself in
great anguish. The virtuous Arjuna, observant of the duty of manliness,
wished not to slay his enemy while fallen into such distress. The younger
brother of Indra then, with great excitement, addressed him, saying,
"Why, O son of Pandu, dost you become so forgetful? They that are truly
wise never spare their foes, however weak, even for a moment. He that is
learned earneth both merit and fame by slaying foes fallen into distress.
Lose no time in precipitately crushing Karna who is always inimical to
thee and who is the first of heroes. The Suta's son, when able, will once
more advance against you as before. Slay him, therefore, like Indra
slaying the Asura Namuci." Saying, "So be it, O Krishna!" and worshipping
Janardana, Arjuna, that foremost of all persons in Kuru's race once more
quickly pierced Karna with many excellent arrows like the ruler of
heaven, piercing the Asura, Samvara. The diadem-decked Partha, O Bharata,
covered Karna and his car and steeds with many calf-toothed arrows, and
putting forth all his vigour he shrouded all the points of the compass
with shafts equipped with wings of gold. Pierced with those arrows
equipped with heads like the calf's tooth, Adhiratha's son of broad chest
looked resplendent like an Asoka or Palasa or Salmali decked with its
flowery load or a mountain overgrown with a forest of sandal trees.
Indeed, with those numerous arrows sticking to his body, Karna, O
monarch, in that battle, looked resplendent like the prince of mountains
with its top and glens overgrown with trees or decked with flowering
Karnikaras. Karna also shooting repeated showers of arrows, looked, with
those arrows constituting his rays, like the sun coursing towards the
Asta hills, with disc bright with crimson rays. Shafts, however, of keen
points, sped from Arjuna's arms, encountering in the welkin the blazing
arrows, resembling mighty snakes, sped from the arms of Adhiratha's son,
destroyed them all. Recovering his coolness, and shooting many shafts
that resembled angry snakes, Karna then pierced Partha with ten shafts
and Krishna with half a dozen, each of which looked like an angry snake.
Then Dhananjaya desired to shoot a mighty and terrible arrow, made wholly
of iron, resembling the poison of snake or fire in energy, and whose
whizz resembling the peal of Indra's thunder, and which was inspired with
the force of a high (celestial) weapon. At that time, when the hour of
Karna's death had come, Kala, approaching invisibly, and alluding to the
Brahmana's curse, and desirous of informing Karna that his death was
near, told him, "The Earth is devouring your wheel!" Indeed, O foremost of
men, when the hour of Karna's death came, the high brahmastra that the
illustrious Bhargava had imparted unto him, escaped from his memory. And
the earth also began to devour the left wheel of his car. Then in
consequence of the curse of that foremost of Brahmanas, Karna's car began
to reel, having sunk deep into the earth and having been transfixed at
that spot like a sacred tree with its load of flowers standing upon an
elevated platform. When his car began to reel from the curse of the
Brahmana, and when the high weapon he had obtained from Rama no longer
shone in him through inward light, and when his terrible snake-mouthed
shaft also had been cut off by Partha, Karna became filled with
melancholy. Unable to endure all those calamities, he waved his arms and
began to rail at righteousness saying, "They that are conversant with
righteousness always say that righteousness protects those that are
righteous. As regards ourselves, we always endeavour, to the best of our
ability and knowledge to practise righteousness. That righteousness,
however, is destroying us now instead of protecting us that are devoted
to it. I, therefore, think that righteousness does not always protect its
worshippers." While saying these words, he became exceedingly agitated by
the strokes of Arjuna's arrows. His steeds and his driver also were
displaced from their usual position. His very vitals having been struck,
he became indifferent as to what he did, and repeatedly railed at
righteousness in that battle. He then pierced Krishna in the arm with
three terrible arrows, and Partha, too, with seven. Then Arjuna sped
seven and ten terrible arrows, perfectly straight and of fierce
impetuosity, resembling fire in splendour and like unto Indra's thunder
in force. Endued with awful impetuosity, those arrows pierced Karna and
passing out of his body fell upon the surface of the earth. Trembling at
the shock, Karna then displayed his activity to the utmost of his power.
Steadying himself by a powerful effort he invoked the brahmastra.
Beholding the brahmastra, Arjuna invoked the Aindra weapon with proper
mantras. Inspiring gandiva, its string, and his shafts also, with
mantras, that scorcher of foes poured showers like Purandara pouring rain
in torrents. Those arrows endued with great energy and power, issuing out
of Partha's car, were seen to be displayed in the vicinity of Karna's
vehicle. The mighty car-warrior Karna baffled all those shafts displayed
in his front. Seeing that weapon thus destroyed, the Vrishni hero,
addressing Arjuna, said, "Shoot high weapons, O Partha! The son of Radha
baffles your shafts." With proper mantras, Arjuna then fixed the
brahmastra on his string, and shrouding all the points of the compass
with arrows, Partha struck Karna (with many) arrows. Then Karna, with a
number of whetted shafts endued with great energy, cut off the string of
Arjuna's bow. Similarly he cut off the second string, and then the third,
and then the fourth, and then the fifth. The sixth also was cut off by
Vrisha, and then the seventh, then the eighth, then the ninth, then the
tenth, and then at last the eleventh. Capable of shooting hundreds upon
hundreds of arrows, Karna knew not that Partha had a hundred strings to
his bow. Tying another string to his bow and shooting many arrows, the
son of Pandu covered Karna with shafts that resembled snakes of blazing
mouths. So quickly did Arjuna replace each broken string that Karna could
not mark when it was broken and when replaced. The feat seemed to him to
be exceedingly wonderful. The son of Radha baffled with his own weapons
those of Savyasaci. Displaying also his own prowess, he seemed to get the
better of Dhananjaya at that time. Then Krishna, beholding Arjuna
afflicted with the weapons of Karna, said these words unto Partha:
"Approaching Karna, strike him with superior weapons." Then Dhananjaya,
filled with rage, inspiring with mantras another celestial weapons that
looked like fire and that resembled the poison of the snake and that was
as hard as the essence of adamant, and uniting the Raudra weapon with it,
became desirous of shooting it at his foe. At that time, O king, the
earth swallowed up one of wheels of Karna's car. Quickly alighting then
from his vehicle, he seized his sunken wheel with his two arms and
endeavoured to lift it up with a great effort. Drawn up with force by
Karna, the earth, which had swallowed up his wheel, rose up to a height
of four fingers' breadth, with her seven islands and her hills and waters
and forests. Seeing his wheel swallowed, the son of Radha shed tears from
wrath, and beholding Arjuna, filled with rage he said these words, "O
Partha, O Partha, wait for a moment, that is, till I lift this sunken
wheel. Beholding, O Partha, the left wheel of my car swallowed through
accident by the earth, abandon (instead of cherishing) this purpose (of
striking and slaying me) that is capable of being harboured by only a
coward. Brave warriors that are observant of the practices of the
righteous, never shoot their weapons at persons with dishevelled hair, or
at those that have turned their faces from battle, or at a Brahmana, or
at him who joins his palms, or at him who yields himself up or beggeth
for quarter or at one who has put up his weapon, or at one whose arrows
are exhausted, or at one whose armour is displaced, or at one whose
weapon has fallen off or been broken! Thou are the bravest of men in the
world. Thou are also of righteous behaviour, O son of Pandu! Thou art
well-acquainted with the rules of battle. For these reasons, excuse me
for a moment, that is, till I extricate my wheel, O Dhananjaya, from the
earth. Thyself staying on your car and myself standing weak and languid on
the earth, it behoveth you not to slay me now. Neither Vasudeva, nor
thou, O son of Pandu, inspirest me with the slightest fear. Thou are born
in the Kshatriya order. Thou are the perpetuator of a high race.
Recollecting the teachings of righteousness, excuse me for a moment, O
son of Pandu!"'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 8 : UPA-PARVA 90 ---------------------
