SECTION 19
"Sanjaya said, 'Upon the fall of that great king and mighty car-warrior,
that invincible hero (Shalya) in battle, your troops as also your sons
almost all turned away from the fight. Indeed, upon the slaughter of that
hero by the illustrious Yudhishthira, your troops were like ship-wrecked
merchants on the vast deep without a raft to cross it. After the fall of
the Madra king, O monarch, your troops, struck with fear and mangled with
arrows, were like masterless men desirous of a protector or a herd of
deer afflicted by a lion. Like bulls deprived of their horns or elephants
whose tusks have been broken, your troops, defeated by Ajatasatru, fled
away at midday. After the fall of Shalya, O king, none amongst your troops
set his heart on either rallying the army or displaying his prowess. That
fear, O king, and that grief, which had been ours upon the fall of
Bhishma, of Drona, and of the Suta's son, O Bharata, now became ours once
more, O monarch. Despairing of success upon the fall of the mighty
car-warrior Shalya, the Kuru army, with its heroes slain and exceedingly
confused, began to be cut down with keen shafts. Upon the slaughter of
the Madra king, O monarch, your warriors all fled away in fear. Some on
horse-back, some on elephants, some on cars, great car-warriors with
great speed, and foot-soldiers also fled away in fear. 2,000 elephants,
looking like hills, and accomplished in smiting fled away, after Shalya's
fall, urged on with hooks and toes. Indeed, O chief of the Bharatas, thy
soldiers fled on all sides. Afflicted with arrows, they were seen to run,
breathing hard. Beholding them defeated and broken and flying away in
dejection, the Pancalas and the Pandavas, inspired with desire of
victory, pursued then hotly. The whiz of arrows and other noises, the
loud leonine roars, and the blare of conchs of heroic warriors, became
tremendous. Beholding the Kaurava host agitated with fear and flying
away, the Pancalas and the Pandavas addressed one another, saying, "Today
king Yudhishthira, firm in truth, hath vanquished his enemies. Today
Duryodhana hath been divested of his splendour and kingly prosperity.
Today, hearing of his sons' death, let Dhritarashtra, that king of men,
stupefied and prostrate on the Earth, feel the most poignant anguish. Let
him know today that the son of Kunti is possessed of great might among
all bowmen. Today that sinful and wicked-hearted king will censure his
own self. Let him recollect today the time and beneficial words of
Vidura. Let him from this day wait upon the Parthas as their slave. Let
that king today experience the grief that had been felt by the sons of
Pandu. Let that king know today the greatness of Krishna. Let him hear
today the terrible twang of Arjuna's bow in battle, as also the strength
of all his weapons, and the might of his arms in fight. Today he will
know the awful might of the high-souled Bhima when Duryodhana will be
slain in battle even as the Asura Vali was slain by Indra. Save Bhima of
mighty strength, there is none else in this world that can achieve that
which was achieved by Bhima himself at the slaughter of Duhshasana.
Hearing of the slaughter of the ruler of the Madras who was incapable of
defeat by the very gods, that king will know the prowess of the eldest
son of Pandu. After the slaughter of the heroic son of Subala and all the
Gandharas he will know the strength, in battle, of the two sons of Madri
by Pandu. Why will not victory be theirs that have Dhananjaya for their
warrior, as also Satyaki, and Bhimasena, and Dhrishtadyumna the son of
Prishata, and the five sons of Draupadi, and the two sons of Madri, and
the mighty bowman Shikhandi, and king Yudhishthira? Why will not victory
be theirs that have for their protector Krishna, otherwise called
Janardana, that protector of the universe? Why will not victory be theirs
that have righteousness for their refuge? Who else than Yudhishthira the
son of Pritha, who hath Hrishikesa, the refuge of righteousness and fame,
for his protector, is competent to vanquish in battle Bhishma and Drona
and Karna and the ruler of the Madras and the other kings by hundreds and
thousands?" Saying these words and filled with joy, the Srinjayas pursued
thy troops in that battle who had been exceedingly mangled with shafts.
Then Dhananjaya of great valour proceeded against the car-division of the
foe. The two sons of Madri and the mighty carwarrior Satyaki proceeded
against Shakuni. Beholding them all flying with speed in fear of
Bhimasena, Duryodhana as if smiling the while, addressed his driver,
saying, "Partha, stationed there with his bow, is transgressing me. Take
my steeds to the rear of the whole army. Like the ocean that cannot
transgress its continents, Kunti's son Dhananjaya will never venture to
transgress me, if I take up my stand in the rear. Behold, O driver, this
vast host that is pursued by the Pandavas. Behold this cloud of dust that
has arisen on all sides in consequence of the motion of the troops. Hear
those diverse leonine roars that are so awful and loud! Therefore, O
driver, proceed slowly and take up your position in the rear. If I stay in
battle and fight the Pandavas, my army, O driver, will rally and come
back with vigour to battle." Hearing these words of your son that were
just those of a hero and man of honour, the driver slowly urged those
steeds in trappings of gold. 21,000 foot-soldiers, deprived of elephants
and steeds and car-warriors, and who were ready to lay down their lives,
still stood for battle. Born in diverse countries and hailing from
diverse towns, those warriors maintained their ground, desirous of
winning great fame. The clash of those rushing warriors filled with joy
became loud and exceedingly terrible. Then Bhimasena, O king, and
Dhrishtadyumna the son of Prishata resisted them with four kinds of
forces. Other foot-soldiers proceeded against Bhima, uttering loud shouts
and slapping their armpits, all actuated by the desire of going to
heaven. Those Dhartarashtra combatants, filled with rage and invincible
in battle, having approached Bhimasena, uttered furious shouts. They then
spoke not to one another. Encompassing Bhima in that battle, they began
to strike him from all sides. Surrounded by that large body of warriors
on foot and struck by them in that battle, Bhima did not stir from where
he stood fixed like Mainaka mountain. His assailants, meanwhile, filled
with rage, O monarch, endeavoured to afflict that mighty car-warrior of
the Pandavas and checked other combatants (that tried to rescue him).
Encountered by those warriors, Bhima became filled with fury. Quickly
alighting from his car, he proceeded on foot against them. Taking up his
massive mace adorned with gold, he began to slay your troops like the
Destroyer himself armed with his club. The mighty Bhima, with his mace,
crushed those 21,000 foot-soldiers who were without cars and steeds and
elephants. Having slain that strong division, Bhima, of prowess incapable
of being baffled, showed himself with Dhrishtadyumna in his front. The
Dhartarashtra foot-soldiers, thus slain, lay down on the ground, bathed
in blood, like Karnikaras with their flowery burthens laid low by a
tempest. Adorned with garlands made of diverse kinds of flowers, and
decked with diverse kinds of earrings, those combatants of diverse races,
who had hailed from diverse realms, lay down on the field, deprived of
life. Covered with banners and standards, that large host of
foot-soldiers, thus cut down, looked fierce and terrible and awful as
they lay down on the field. The mighty car-warriors, with their
followers, that fought under Yudhishthira's lead, all pursued thy
illustrious son Duryodhana. Those great bowmen, beholding your troops turn
away from the battle, proceeded against Duryodhana, but they could not
transgress him even as the ocean cannot transgress its continents. The
prowess that we then beheld of your son was exceedingly wonderful, since
all the Parthas, united together, could not transgress his single self.
Then Duryodhana, addressing his own army which had not fled far but
which, mangled with arrows, had set its heart on flight, said these
words, "I do not see the spot on plain or mountain, whither, if the fly,
the Pandavas will not pursue and slay ye! What is the use then of flight?
The army of the Pandavas hath been reduced in numbers. The two Krishnas
are exceedingly mangled. If all of us make a stand, victory will be
certainly ours! If you fly away, losing all order, the sinful Pandavas,
pursuing you will slay you all! If, on the other hand, we make a stand,
good will result to us! Listen, all you Kshatriyas that are assailed
here! When the Destroyer always slays heroes and cowards, what man is
there so stupid that, calling himself a Kshatriya, will not fight? Good
will result to us if we stay in the front of the angry Bhimasena! Death
in battle, while struggling according to Kshatriya practices, is fraught
with happiness! Winning victory, one obtains happiness here. If slain,
one obtains great fruits in the other world! You Kauravas, there is no
better path to heaven than that offered by battle! Slain in battle, you
may, without delay, obtain all those regions of blessedness." Hearing
these words of his, and applauding them highly, the (Kuru) kings once
more rushed against the Pandavas for battling with them. Seeing them
advancing with speed, the Parthas, arrayed in order of battle, skilled in
smiting, excited with rage, and inspired with desire of victory, rushed
against them. The valiant Dhananjaya, stretching his bow Gandiva
celebrated over the three worlds, proceeded on his car against the foe.
The two sons of Madri, and Satyaki, rushed against Shakuni, and the other
(Pandava) heroes, smiling, rushed impetuously against your forces.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 9 : UPA-PARVA 19 ---------------------
