SECTION LXXVII
"Vaisampayana said, 'There occurred a great battle between the
diadem-decked Arjuna and the hundreds of Saindhavas who still lived after
the slaughter of their clan (on the field of Kurukshetra). Hearing that
he of white steeds had entered their territories, those Kshatriyas came
out against him, unable to bear that foremost one of Pandu's race. Those
warriors who were as terrible as virulent poison, finding the horse
within their dominion, seized it without being inspired with any fear of
Partha who was the younger brother of Bhimasena. Advancing against
Vibhatsu who waited on foot, armed with his bow, upon the sacrificial
steed, they assailed him from a near point. Defeated in battle before,
those Kshatriyas of mighty energy, impelled by the desire of victory,
surrounded that foremost of men. Proclaiming their names and families and
their diverse feats, they showered their arrows on Partha. Pouring
showers of arrows of such fierce energy as were capable of impeding the
course of hostile elephants, those heroes surrounded the son of Kunti,
desirous of vanquishing him in battle. Themselves seated on cars, they
fought Arjuna of fierce feats who was, on foot. From every side they
began to strike that hero, that slayer of the Nivatakavachas, that
destroyer of the Samasaptakas, that killer of the king of the Sindhus.
Surrounding him on every side as within a cage by means of a thousand
cars and ten thousand horses, those brave warriors expressed their
exaltation. Recollecting the slaughter by Dhananjaya of Jayadratha in
battle, O thou of Kuru's race, they poured heavy showers of arrows on
that hero like a mass of clouds showering a heavy downpour. Over-whelmed
with that arrowy shower, Arjuna looked like the sun covered by a cloud.
That foremost son of Pandu, in the midst of that cloud of arrows,
resembled a bird in the midst of an iron cage, O Bharata. Seeing the son
of Kunti thus afflicted with shafts, cries of Oh and Alas were uttered by
the three worlds and the Sun himself became shorn of his splendour. Then,
O king, a terrible wind began to blow, and Rahu swallowed up both the Sun
and the Moon at the same time. Many meteors struck the solar disc and
then shot in different directions. The prince of mountains, viz.,
Kailasa, began to tremble. The seven (celestial) Rishis, as also the
other Rishis of Heaven, penetrated with fear, and afflicted with grief
and sorrow, breathed hot sighs. Piercing through the welkin, those
meteors fell on the lunar disc as well. All the points of the compass
became filled with smoke and assumed a strange aspect. Reddish clouds,
with flashes of lightning playing in their midst and the bow of Indra
measuring them from side to side, suddenly covered the welkin and poured
flesh and bloods on the Earth. Even such was the aspect which all nature
assumed when that hero was overwhelmed with showers of shafts. Indeed,
when Phalguna, that foremost one among the Bharatas, was thus afflicted,
those marvels were seen. Overwhelmed by that dense cloud of arrows,
Arjuna became stupefied. His bow, Gandiva, fell down from his relaxed
grip and his leathern fence also slipped down. When Dhananjaya became
stupefied, the Saindhava warriors once more shot at that senseless
warrior, without loss of time, innumerable other shafts. Understanding
that the son of Pritha was deprived of consciousness, the deities, with
hearts penetrated by fear, began to seek his welfare by uttering diverse
benedictions. Then the celestial Rishis, the seven Rishis, and the
regenerate Rishis, became engaged in silent recitations from desire of
giving victory to Pritha's son of great intelligence. When at last the
energy of Partha blazed forth through those acts of the denizens of
Heaven, that hero, who was conversant with celestial weapons of high
efficacy, stood immovable like a hill. The delighter of the Kurus then
drew his celestial bow. And as he repeatedly stretched the bowstring, the
twang that followed resembled the loud sound of some mighty machine. Like
Purandara pouring rain, the puissant Arjuna then, with that bow of his,
poured incessant showers of shafts on his foes. Pierced by those shafts
the Saindhava warriors with their chiefs became invisible like trees when
covered with locusts. They were frightened at the very sound of Gandiva,
and afflicted by fear they fled away. In grief of heart they shed tears
and uttered loud lamentations. The mighty warrior moved amidst that host
of foes with the celerity of a fiery wheel, all the time piercing those
warriors with his arrows. Like the great Indra, the wielder of the
thunder-bolt, that slayer of foes, viz., Arjuna, shot from his bow in
every direction that shower of arrows which resembled a sight produced by
magic (instead of any human agency). The Kaurava hero, piercing the
hostile host with showers of arrows, looked resplendent like the autumnal
Sun when he disperses the clouds with his powerful rays.'"
