“Sanjaya said, ‘Then Drona, causing a great confusion in the Pandava
host, careered through it, like a conflagration consuming (a forest of)
trees. Beholding that angry warrior, owning a golden car, consume their
divisions like a raging conflagration, the Srinjayas trembled (in fear).
The twang, in that battle, of the constantly stretched bow of that
warrior of great activity was heard to resemble the roar of the
thunder.[24] Fierce shafts shot by Drona, endued with great lightness of
hand, began to crush car-warriors and horsemen and elephant-warriors and
foot soldiers along with elephants and steeds. Showering his arrows as
the roaring clouds at the close of summer, assisted by the wind, pour
hail-stones, he inspired fear in the hearts of the foe. Coursing (through
the hostile ranks), O king, and agitating the troops, the mighty Drona
enhanced the unnatural fear entertained by the enemy. The gold-decked
bow, on his quickly-moving car, was repeatedly seen to resemble the
lightning’s flash amid a mass of dark clouds. That hero, firm in truth,
endued with wisdom, and always devoted, besides, to righteousness, caused
an awful river of angry current, such as may be seen at the end of the
Yuga, to flow there. And that river had its source in the impetuosity of
Drona’s wrath, and it was haunted by crowds of carnivorous creatures. And
the combatants constituted the waves that filled its entire surface. And
heroic warriors constituted the trees on its banks whose roots were
constantly eaten away by its current. And its waters were constituted by
the blood that was shed in that battle, and cars constituted its eddies,
and elephants and steeds formed its banks. And costs of mail constituted
its lilies, and the flesh of creatures the mire on its bed. And the fat,
marrow, and bones (of fallen animals and men) formed the sands on its
beach, and (fallen) head-gears its froth. And the battle itself that was
fought there constituted the canopy above its surface. And lances
constituted the fish with which it abounded. And it was inaccessible in
consequence of the large number of (slain) men, elephants, and steeds
(that fell in it). And the impetus of the shaft shot constituted its
current. And the slain bodies themselves constituted the timber floating
on it. And cars constituted its tortoises. And heads constituted the
stones scattered on its banks and bed, and scimitars, its fish in
profusion. And cars and elephants formed its lakes. And it was decked
with many adornments. And mighty car-warriors constituted its hundreds of
little whirlpools. And the dust of the earth constituted its wavelets.
And capable of being easily crossed by those possessed of exceeding
energy, it was incapable of being crossed by the timid. And heaps of dead
bodies constituted the sand-banks obstructing its navigation. And it was
the haunt of Kankas and vultures and other birds of prey. And it carried
away thousands of mighty-car-warriors to the abode of Yama. And long
spears constituted the snakes that infested it in profusion. And the
living combatants constituted the fowls sporting on its waters.[25] Torn
umbrellas constituted its large swans. Diadems formed the (smaller) birds
that adorned it. Wheels constituted its turtles, and maces its
alligators, and arrows its smaller fish. And it was the resort of
frightful swarms of crows and vultures and jackals. And that river, O
best of kings, bore away in hundreds, to the region of the Pitris, the
creatures that were slain by Drona in battle. Obstructed by hundreds of
bodies (floating on it), the hair (of slain warriors and animals)
constituted its moss and weeds. Even such was the river, enhancing the
fears of the timid, that Drona caused to flow there.[26]
“‘And when Drona was thus grinding the hostile army hither and thither,
the Pandava warriors headed by Yudhishthira rushed at that mighty
car-warrior from all sides. Then seeing them thus rushing (towards
Drona), brave combatants of thy army, possessed of unyielding prowess,
rushed from every side. And the battle that thereupon ensued made the
hair stand on end. Sakuni, full of a hundred kinds of deceit, rushed
towards Sahadeva, and pierced the latter’s charioteer, and standard, and
car, with many keen-pointed shafts. Sahadeva, however, without being much
excited, cutting off Sauvala’s standard and bow and car-driver and car,
with sharp arrows, pierced Sauvala himself with sixty shafts. Thereupon,
Suvala’s son, taking up mace, jumped down from his excellent car, and
with that mace, O king, he felled Sahadeva’s driver from the latter’s
car. Then these two heroic and mighty warriors, O monarch, both deprived
of car, and both armed with mace, sported in battle like two crests of
hills. Drona, having pierced the ruler of the Panchalas with ten shafts,
was, in return, pierced by the latter with many shafts. And the latter
was again pierced by Drona with a larger number of shafts. Bhimasena
pierced Vivinsati with sharp arrows. The latter, however, thus pierced,
trembled not, which seemed to be highly wonderful. Vivinsati then, O
monarch, suddenly deprived Bhimasena of his steeds and standard and bow.
And thereupon all the troops worshipped him for that feat. The heroic
Bhimasena, however, brooked not that exhibition of prowess by his enemy
in battle. With his mace, therefore, he slew the well-trained steeds of
Vivinsati. Then the mighty Vivinsati, taking up a shield (and sword)
jumped down from that car whose steeds had been slain, and rushed against
Bhimasena like an infuriated elephant rushing against an infuriated
compeer. The heroic Salya, laughing the while, pierced, as if in
dalliance, his own dear nephew, Nakula, with many shafts for angering
him. The valiant Nakula, however, cutting off his uncle’s steeds and
umbrella and standard and charioteer and bow in that battle, blew his
conch. Dhrishtaketu, engaged with Kripa, cut off diverse kinds of arrows
shot at him by the latter, and then pierced Kripa, with seventy arrows.
And then he cut off the device of Kripa’s standard with three arrows.
Kripa, however, began to oppose him with a thick shower of arrows. And
resisting him in this way, the Brahmana fought on with Dhrishtaketu.
Satyaki, laughing the while, pierced Kritavarman in the centre of the
chest with a long arrow. And piercing him then with seventy arrows, he
once more pierced him with many others. The Bhoja warrior, however, in
return, pierced Satyaki with seventy arrows of keen points. Like the
swiftly-coursing winds failing to move a mountain, Kritavarman was unable
to move Satyaki or make him tremble. Senapati deeply struck Susarman in
his vitals. Susarman also struck his antagonist with a lance on the
shoulder-joint. Virata, aided by his Matsya warriors of great energy,
resisted Vikartana’s son in that battle. And that feat (of the Matsya
king) seemed highly wonderful. Even this was regarded as an act of great
valour on the part of the Suta’s son, in that, he singly resisted that
whole force by means of his straight shafts. King Drupada was engaged
with Bhagadatta. And the battle between those two warriors became
beautiful to behold. That bull among men, viz., Bhagadatta, pierced king
Drupada and his driver and standard and car with many straight shafts.
Then Drupada, excited with wrath, quickly pierced that mighty car-warrior
in the chest with a straight shaft. Those two foremost of warriors on
earth, viz., Somadatta’s son and Sikhandin, both conversant with every
weapon, encountered each other in fierce battle that made all creatures
tremble with fear. The valiant Bhurisravas, O king, covered that mighty
car-warrior, Yajnasena’s son Sikhandin, with a thick shower of arrows.
Sikhandin, then O monarch, excited with wrath, pierced Somadatta’s son
with ninety shafts, and caused him, O Bharata, to tremble. Those
Rakshasas of fierce deeds, viz., Hidimba’s son and Alamvusha, each
desirous of vanquishing the other, battled most wonderfully. Both capable
of creating a hundred illusions, both swelling with pride, battled with
each other most wonderfully, relying on their powers of illusion, and
each desirous of vanquishing the other. The fierce Chekitana battled with
Anuvinda. They coursed on the field, disappearing at times, and causing
great wonder. Lakshmana fought fiercely with Kshatradeva, even as Vishnu,
O monarch, in days of old, with the (Asura) Hiranyaksha. With his fleet
steeds and upon his car duly equipped, Paurava, O king, roared at
Abhimanyu. Endued with great might, Paurava then rushed at Abhimanyu,
desirous of battle. Then that chastiser of foes, viz., Abhimanyu fought
fiercely with that foe. Paurava covered Subhadra’s son with a thick
shower of arrows. Thereupon, Arjuna’s son felled his antagonist’s
standard and umbrella and bow on earth.[27] Then piercing Paurava with
seven arrows, Subhadra’s son pierced the latter’s driver and steeds with
five arrows. Gladdening his troops thus, he then repeatedly roared like a
lion. Then Arjuna’s son quickly fixed an arrow on his bow-string that was
certain to take away Paurava’s life. Beholding however, that arrow of
frightful mien fixed on Abhimanyu’s bow-string, Hridika’s son, with two
shafts, cut off that bow and arrow. Then that slayer of hostile heroes,
viz., Subhadra’s son, throwing aside that broken bow, took up a bright
sword and a shield. Whirling with great speed that shield decked with
many stars, and whirling that sword also, he coursed on the field,
exhibiting his prowess. Whirling them before him, and whirling them on
high, now shaking them and now jumping up himself, from the manner of his
handling those weapons, it seemed that (with him) there is no difference
between that offensive and that defensive weapons. Jumping suddenly then
upon the shafts of Paurava’s car, he roared aloud. Mounting next upon his
car, he seized Paurava by the hair, and slaying meanwhile with a kick,
the latter’s driver, he felled his standard with a stroke of his sword.
And as regards Paurava himself, Abhimanyu raised him up, like the Garuda
raising a snake from the bottom of the sea agitating the waters.
Thereupon, all the kings beheld Paurava (standing helpless) with
dishevelled hair, and looking like an ox deprived of its senses while on
the point of being slain by a lion. Beholding Paurava thus prostrated,
placed under the control of Arjuna’s son, and dragged helplessly,
Jayadratha was unable to brook it. Taking up a sword as also a shield
that bore the device of a peacock and was decked with a hundred bells of
small size suspended in rows, Jayadratha jumped down from his car with a
loud roar. Then Subhadra’s son (Abhimanyu), beholding the ruler of the
Sindhus, let Paurava alone, and leaping up like a hawk from the latter’s
car, quickly alighted on the earth. The lances and aves and scimitars
hurled by his foes, Arjuna’s son cut off by means of his sword or warded
off by his shield. Thus showing unto all the warriors the strength of his
own arms the mighty [and heroic] Abhimanyu, once more upraising his large
and heavy sword as also his shield,[28] proceeded towards
Vriddhakshatra’s son who was a sworn foe of his (Abhimanyu’s) father,
like a tiger proceeding against an elephant. Approaching they cheerfully
attacked each other with their swords like a tiger and a lion with their
claws and teeth. And none could notice any difference between those two
lions among men as regards the whirl-strokes, and descent of their swords
and shields.[29] And as regards the descent and the whiz of their swords,
and the warding off of each other’s blows, it seemed there was no
distinction between the two. Coursing beautifully in outward and inward
tracks, those two illustrious warriors seemed to be like two winged
mountains. Then Jayadratha struck on the shield of the renowned Abhimanyu
when the latter stretched his sword for making a pass at him. Then, O
Bharata, Jayadratha’s large sword sticking into Abhimanyu’s shield
covered with golden plate, broke, as the ruler of the Sindhus attempted
to draw it off forcibly. Seeing his sword broken, Jayadratha hastily
retreated six steps and was seen within a twinkle of the eye to be
mounted on his own car. Then Arjuna’s son also, that combat with the
sword being over, ascended his own excellent car. Many kings, then, of
the Kuru army, uniting together, surrounded him on all sides. The mighty
son of Arjuna, however, eyeing Jayadratha, whirled his sword and shield,
and uttered a loud shout. Having vanquished the ruler of the Sindhus,
Subhadra’s son, that slayer of hostile heroes, then began to scorch that
division of the Kaurava army like Sun scorching the world. Then in that
battle Salya hurled at him a fierce dart made wholly of iron, decked with
gold, and resembling a blazing flame of fire. Thereupon, Arjuna’s son,
jumping up, caught hold of that dart, like Garuda catching a mighty snake
falling from above. And having seized it thus, Abhimanyu unsheathed his
sword. Witnessing the great activity and might of that warrior of
immeasurable energy, all the kings together uttered a leonine shout. Then
that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., the son of Subhadra, hurled with the
might of his arms at Salya himself that very dart of great effulgence,
decked with stones of lapis lazuli. Resembling a snake that has recently
cast off its slough, that dart, reaching Salya’s car slew the latter’s
driver and felled him from his niche of the vehicle. Then Virata and
Drupada, and Dhrishtaketu, and Yudhishthira, and Satyaki, and Kekaya, and
Bhima, and Dhrishtadyumna, and Sikhandin, and the twins (Nakula and
Sahadeva), and the five sons of Draupadi, all exclaimed, “Excellent!
Excellent!” And diverse kinds of sounds due to the shooting of arrows,
and many leonine shouts, arose there, gladdening the unretreating son of
Arjuna. Thy sons, however, could not brook those indications of the
victory of their foe. Then all of them suddenly surrounded Subhadra’s son
and covered him, O king, with showers of arrows like the clouds pouring
rain on the mountain-breast. Then that slayer of foes, viz., Artayani
(Salya), wishing good of thy sons, and remembering the overthrow of his
own driver, rushed in rage against Subhadra’s son.’”