SECTION 28
"Sanjaya said, 'During the progress of that battle which was so
destructive of men and steeds and elephants, Subala's son, Shakuni, O
king, rushed against Sahadeva. The valiant Sahadeva, as Shakuni rushed
quickly towards him, sped showers of swift arrows at that warrior as
numerous as a flight of insects. At that time, Uluka also encountered
Bhima and pierced him with ten arrows, Shakuni, meanwhile, O monarch,
having pierced Bhima with three arrows, covered Sahadeva with ninety.
Indeed, those heroes, O king, encountering one another in that battle,
pierced one another with many keen arrows equipped with Kanka and peacock
feathers, winged with gold, whetted on stone, and sped from bow-strings
drawn to their ears. Those showers of arrows sped from their bows and
arms, O monarch, shrouded all the points of the compass like a thick
shower of rain poured from the clouds. Then Bhima, filled with rage, and
Sahadeva of great valour, both endued with great might, careered in that
battle, making an immense carnage. That army, O Bharata, was covered with
hundreds of arrows by those two warriors. In consequence thereof, the
welkin on many parts of the field became shrouded with darkness. In
consequence, O monarch, of steeds, covered with arrows, dragging after
them, as they ran, a large number of slain combatants, the tracks on many
parts of the field became entirely blocked up. Covered with steeds slain
with their riders, with broken shields and lances, O monarch, and with
swords and darts and spears all around, the Earth looked variegated as if
strewn with flowers. The combatants, O king, encountering one another,
careered in battle, filled with wrath and taking one another's life. Soon
the field became strewn with heads, beautiful as the filaments of the
lotus, adorned with earrings and graced with faces set with eyes upturned
in wrath and lips bit in rage. Covered also, O monarch, with the severed
arms of warriors that resembled the trunks of huge elephants, that were
adorned with Angadas and cased in leathern fences, and that still held
swords and lances and battle-axes, and with headless bodies risen on
their feet and bleeding and dancing on the field, and swarming with
carnivorous creatures of diverse kinds, the Earth, O lord, presented a
frightful aspect! After the Bharata army had been reduced to a small
remnant, the Pandavas, filled with delight in that dreadful battle began
to despatch the Kauravas to Yama's abode. Meanwhile, the heroic and
valiant son of Subala's son very forcibly struck Sahadeva on the head
with a lance. Exceedingly agitated, O monarch, in consequence of the
blow, Sahadeva sat down on the terrace of his car. Beholding Sahadeva in
that plight, the valiant Bhima, filled with rage, O Bharata, held the
whole Kuru army in check. With his cloth-yard shaft he pierced hundreds
and thousands of hostile warriors, and having pierced them so, that
chastier of foes uttered a leonine roar. Frightened at that roar, all the
followers of Shakuni, with their steeds and elephants, precipitately fled
away in fear. Beholding them broken, king Duryodhana said unto them,
"Stop, the Kshatriyas, unacquainted with morality! Fight! What is the use
of flight? That hero, who, without showing his back casteth away his life
breath in battle, achieveth fame here and enjoyeth regions of bliss
hereafter!" Thus exhorted by the king, the followers of Subala's son once
more advanced against the Pandavas, making death their goal. Awful, O
monarch, was the noise made by those rushing warriors, resembling that of
the agitated ocean. At this, the field of battle became agitated all
around. Beholding those followers of Subala's son thus advancing in
battle, the victorious Pandavas, O monarch, proceeded against them.
Comforted a little, the invincible Sahadeva, O monarch, pierced Shakuni
with ten arrows and his steeds with three. With the greatest ease he then
cut off the bow of Subala's son with a number of other arrows. Invincible
in battle, Shakuni, however, took up another bow and pierced Nakula with
sixty arrows and then Bhimasena with seven. Uluka also, O king, desirous
of rescuing his sire in that engagement, pierced Bhima with seven arrows
and Sahadeva with seventy. Bhimasena in that encounter pierced Uluka with
many keen arrows and Shakuni with four and sixty, and each of the other
warriors who fought around them, with three arrows. Struck by Bhimasena
with shafts steeped in oil, the Kauravas, filled with rage in that
battle, covered Sahadeva with showers of arrows like lightning-charged
clouds pouring rain on a mountain-breast. The heroic and valiant Sahadeva
then, O monarch, cut off, with a broad-headed arrow, the head of Uluka as
the latter advanced against him. Slain by Sahadeva, Uluka, gladdening the
Pandavas in that battle, fell down on the earth from his car, all his
limbs bathed in blood. Beholding his son slain, Shakuni, O Bharata, with
voice choked with tears and drawing deep breaths, recollected the words
of Vidura. Having reflected for a moment with tearful eyes, Shakuni,
breathing heavily, approached Sahadeva and pierced him with three arrows.
Baffling those arrows sped by Subala's son with showers of shafts, the
valiant Sahadeva, O monarch, cut off his antagonist's bow in that battle.
Seeing his bow cut off, O king, Shakuni, the son of Subala, took up a
formidable scimitar and hurled it at Sahadeva. The latter, however, with
the greatest ease, O monarch, cut off in twain that terrible scimitar of
Subala's son as it coursed towards him in that encounter. Beholding his
sword cut in twain, Shakuni took up a formidable mace and hurled it at
Sahadeva. That mace also, unable to achieve its object, fell down on the
Earth. After this, Subala's son, filled with rage, hurled at the son of
Pandu an awful dart that resembled an impending death night. With the
greatest ease Sahadeva, in that encounter, cut off, with his gold-decked
shafts, into three fragments, that dart as it coursed swiftly towards
him. Cut off into fragments, that dart adorned with gold fell down on the
earth like a blazing thunderbolt from the firmament, diverging into many
flashes. Beholding that dart baffled and Subala's son afflicted with
fear, all your troops fled away in fright. Subala's son himself joined
them. The Pandavas then, eager for victory, uttered loud shouts. As
regards the Dhartarashtras, almost all of them turned away from the
fight. Seeing them so cheerless, the valiant son of Madri, with many
1,000 shafts, checked them in that battle. Then Sahadeva came upon
Subala's son as the latter, who was still expectant of victory, was
flying away, protected by the excellent cavalry of the Gandharas.
Recollecting, O king, that Shakuni, who had fallen to his share, was
still alive, Sahadeva, on his car adorned with gold, pursued that
warrior. Stringing his formidable bow and drawing it with great force,
Sahadeva, filled with rage, pursued the son of Subala and vigorously
struck him with many shafts equipped with vulturine feathers and whetted
on stone, even like a person striking a mighty elephant with pointed
lances. Endued with great energy of mind, Sahadeva, having afflicted his
foe thus, addressed him, as if for calling back to mind (his past
misdeeds), in these words, 'Adhering to the duties of a Kshatriya, fight
(with me) and be a man! Thou hadst, O fool, rejoiced greatly in the midst
of the assembly, while gambling with dice! Receive now, O you of wicked
understanding, the fruit of that act! All those wicked-souled ones that
had ridiculed us then have perished! Only that wretch of his race,
Duryodhana, is still alive, and thyself, his maternal uncle! Today I
shall slay thee, striking off your head with a razor-headed arrow like a
person plucking a fruit from a tree with a stick!" Saying these words, O
monarch, Sahadeva of great strength, that tiger among men, filled with
rage, rushed impetuously against Shakuni. Approaching his enemy, the
invincible Sahadeva, that foremost of warriors, forcibly drawing his bow
and as if burning his foe with wrath, pierced Shakuni with ten arrows and
his steeds with four. Then cutting off his umbrella and standard and bow,
he roared like a lion. His standard and bow and umbrella thus cut off by
Sahadeva, Subala's son was pierced with many arrows in all his vital
limbs. Once again, O monarch, the valiant Sahadeva sped at Shakuni an
irresistible shower of arrows. Filled with rage, the son of Subala then,
single-handed, rushed with speed against Sahadeva in that encounter,
desirous of slaying the latter with a lance adorned with gold. The son of
Madri, however, with three broad-headed arrows, simultaneously cut off,
without losing a moment, that uplifted lance as also the two well-rounded
arms of his enemy at the van of battle, and then uttered a loud roar.
Endued with great activity, the heroic Sahadeva then, with a broad-headed
arrow, made of hard iron, equipped with wings of gold, capable of
penetrating every armour, and sped with great force and care, cut off
from his trunk his enemy's head. Deprived of his head by the son of Pandu
with that gold-decked arrow of great sharpness and splendour like the
sun's, Subala's son fell down on the earth in that battle. Indeed, the
son of Pandu, filled with rage, struck off that head which was the root
of the evil policy of the Kurus, with that impetuous shaft winged with
gold and whetted on stone. Beholding Shakuni lying headless on the ground
and all his limbs drenched with gore, your warriors, rendered powerless
with fear, fled away on all sides with weapons in their hands. At that
time, your sons, with cars, elephants, horse and foot entirely broken,
heard the twang of Gandiva and fled away with colourless faces, afflicted
with fear and deprived of their senses. Having thrown down Shakuni from
his car, the Pandavas, O Bharata, became filled with delight. Rejoicing
with Keshava among them, they blew their conchs in that battle,
gladdening their troops. All of them, with glad hearts, worshipped
Sahadeva, and said, "By good luck, O hero, Shakuni of wicked soul, that
man of evil course, hath, with his son, been slain by thee!'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 9 : UPA-PARVA 28 ---------------------
