Vaisampayana said, "Meanwhile, the king of Sindhu was giving orders to
those princes, saying, 'Halt, strike, march, quick,' and like. And on
seeing Bhima, Arjuna and the twin brothers with Yudhishthira, the
soldiers sent up a loud shout on the field of battle. And the warriors
of the Sivi, Sauvira and Sindhu tribes, at the sight of those powerful
heroes looking like fierce tigers, lost heart. And Bhimasena, armed with
a mace entirely of Saikya iron and embossed with gold, rushed towards
the Saindhava monarch doomed to death. But Kotikakhya, speedily
surrounding Vrikodara with an array of mighty charioteers, interposed
between and separated the combatants. And Bhima, though assailed with
numberless spears and clubs and iron arrows hurled at him by the strong
arms of hostile heroes, did not waver for one moment. On the other hand,
he killed, with his mace, an elephant with its driver and fourteen
foot-soldiers fighting in the front of Jayadratha's car. And Arjuna
also, desirous of capturing the Sauvira king, slew five hundred brave
mountaineers fighting in the van of the Sindhu army. And in that
encounter, the king himself slew in the twinkling of an eye, a hundred
of the best warriors of the Sauviras. And Nakula too, sword in hand,
jumping out of his chariot, scattered in a moment, like a tiller sowing
seeds, the heads of the combatants fighting in the rear. And Sahadeva
from his chariot began to fell with his iron shafts, many warriors
fighting on elephants, like birds dropped from the boughs of a tree.
Then the king of Trigartas, bow in hand descending from his great
chariot, killed the four steeds of the king with his mace. But Kunti's
son, king Yudhishthira the just, seeing the foe approach so near, and
fighting on foot, pierced his breast with a crescent-shaped arrow. And
that hero, thus wounded in the breast began to vomit blood, and fell
down upon the ground besides Pritha's son, like an uprooted tree. And
king Yudhishthira the just, whose steeds had been slain taking this
opportunity, descended with Indrasena from his chariot and mounted that
of Sahadeva. And the two warriors, Kshemankara and Mahamuksha, singling
out Nakula, began to pour on him from both sides a perfect shower of
keen-edged arrows. The son of Madri, however, succeeded in slaying, with
a couple of long shafts, both those warriors who had been pouring on him
an arrowy shower--like clouds in the rainy season. Suratha, the king of
Trigartas, well-versed in elephant-charges, approaching the front of
Nakula's chariot, caused it to be dragged by the elephant he rode. But
Nakula, little daunted at this, leaped out of his chariot, and securing
a point of vantage, stood shield and sword in hand, immovable as a hill.
Thereupon Suratha, wishing to slay Nakula at once, urged towards him his
huge and infuriate elephant with trunk upraised. But when the beast came
near, Nakula with his sword severed from his head both trunk and tusks.
And that mail-clad elephant, uttering a frightful roar, fell headlong
upon the ground, crushing its riders by the fall. And having achieved
this daring feat, the heroic son of Madri, getting up on Bhimasena's
car, obtained a little rest. And Bhima too, seeing prince Kotikakhya
rush to the encounter, cut off the head of his charioteer with a
horse-shoe arrow. That prince did not even perceive that his driver was
killed by his strong-armed adversary, and his horses, no longer
restrained by a driver, ran about on the battle-field in all directions.
And seeing that prince without a driver turn his back, that foremost of
smiters, Bhima the son of Pandu, went up to him and slew him with a
bearded dart. And Dhananjaya also cut off with his sharp crescent-shaped
arrows, the heads, as well as the bows of all the twelve Sauvira heroes.
And the great warrior killed in battle, with the arrow, the leaders of
the Ikshwakus and the hosts of Sivis and Trigartas and Saindhavas. And a
great many elephants with their colours, and chariots with standards,
were seen to fall by the hand of Arjuna. And heads without trunks, and
trunks without heads, lay covering the entire field of battle. And dogs,
and herons and ravens, and crows, and falcons, and jackals, and
vultures, feasted on the flesh and blood of warriors slain on that
field. And when Jayadratha, the king of Sindhu, saw that his warriors
were slain, he became terrified and anxious to run away leaving Krishna
behind. And in that general confusion, the wretch, setting down Draupadi
there, fled for his life, pursuing the same forest path by which he had
come. And king Yudhishthira the just, seeing Draupadi with Dhaumya
walking before, caused her to be taken up on a chariot by the heroic
Sahadeva, the son of Madri. And when Jayadratha had fled away Bhima
began to mow down with his iron-arrows such of his followers as were
running away striking each trooper down after naming him. But Arjuna
perceiving that Jayadratha had run away exhorted his brother to refrain
from slaughtering the remnant of the Saindhava host. And Arjuna said, 'I
do not find on the field of battle Jayadratha through whose fault alone
we have experienced this bitter misfortune! Seek him out first and may
success crown thy effort! What is the good of thy slaughtering these
troopers? Why art thou bent upon this unprofitable business?'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Bhimasena, thus exhorted by Arjuna of great
wisdom, turning to Yudhishthira, replied, saying, 'As a great many of
the enemy's warriors have been slain and as they are flying in all
directions, do thou, O king, now return home, taking with thee Draupadi
and the twin brothers and high-souled Dhaumya, and console the princess
after getting back to our asylum! That foolish king of Sindhu I shall
not let alone as long as he lives, even if he find a shelter in the
infernal regions or is backed by Indra himself!' And Yudhishthira
replied, saying, 'O thou of mighty arms remembering (our sister) Dussala
and the celebrated Gandhari, thou shouldst not slay the king of Sindhu
even though he is so wicked!'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Hearing these words, Draupadi was greatly
excited. And that highly intelligent lady in her excitement said to her
two husbands, Bhima and Arjuna with indignation mixed with modesty, 'If
you care to do what is agreeable to me, you must slay that mean and
despicable wretch, that sinful, foolish, infamous and contemptible chief
of the Saindhava clan! That foe who forcibly carries away a wife, and he
that wrests a kingdom, should never be forgiven on the battle-field,
even though he should supplicate for mercy!' Thus admonished, those two
valiant warriors went in search of the Saindhava chief. And the king
taking Krishna with him returned home, accompanied by his spiritual
adviser. And on entering the hermitage, he found it was laid over with
seats for the ascetics and crowded with their disciples and graced with
the presence of Markandeya and other Brahmanas. And while those
Brahmanas were gravely bewailing the lot of Draupadi, Yudhishthira
endued with great wisdom joined their company, with his brothers. And
beholding the king thus come back after having defeated the Saindhava
and the Sauvira host and recovered Draupadi, they were all elated with
joy! And the king took his seat in their midst. And the excellent
princess Krishna entered the hermitage with the two brothers.
"Meanwhile Bhima and Arjuna, learning the enemy was full two miles ahead
of them urged their horses to greater speed in pursuit of him. And the
mighty Arjuna performed a wonderful deed, killing the horse of
Jayadratha although they were full two miles ahead of them. Armed with
celestial weapons undaunted by difficulties he achieved this difficult
feat with arrows inspired with _Mantras_. And then the two warriors,
Bhima and Arjuna, rushed towards the terrified king of Sindhu whose
horses had been slain and who was alone and perplexed in mind. And the
latter was greatly grieved on seeing his steeds slain. And beholding
Dhananjaya do such a daring deed, and intent on running away, he
followed the same forest track by which he had come. And Phalguna,
seeing the Saindhava chief so active in his fright, overtook him and
addressed him saying, 'Possessed of so little manliness, how couldst
thou dare to take away a lady by force? Turn round, O prince; it is not
meet that thou shouldst run away! How canst thou act so, leaving thy
followers in the midst of thy foes?' Although addressed by the sons of
Pritha thus, the monarch of Sindhu did not even once turn round. And
then bidding him to what he chose the mighty Bhima overtook him in an
instant, but the kind Arjuna entreated him not to kill that wretch."