“Sanjaya said, ‘Beholding those Samsaptakas once more return to the
field, Arjuna addressed the high-souled Vasudeva, saying, “Urge the
steeds, O Hrishikesa, towards the Samsaptakas. They will not give up the
battle alive. This is what I think. Today thou shalt witness the terrible
might of my arms as also of my bow. Today I shall slay all these, like
Rudra slaying creatures (at the end of the Yuga).” Hearing these words,
the invincible Krishna smiled, and gladdening him with auspicious
speeches, conveyed Arjuna to those places whither the latter desired to
go. While borne in battle by those white steeds, that car looked
exceedingly resplendent like a celestial car borne along the firmament.
And like Sakra’s car, O king, in the battle between the gods and the
Asuras in days of old, it displayed circular, forward, backward, and
diverse other kinds of motion. Then the Narayanas, excited with wrath and
armed with diverse weapons, surrounded Dhananjaya, covering him with
showers of arrows. And, O bull of Bharata’s race, they soon made Kunti’s
son, Dhananjaya, together with Krishna, entirely invisible in that
battle. Then Phalguni, excited with wrath, doubled his energy, and
quickly rubbing its string, grasped Gandiva (firmly) in the battle.
Causing wrinkles to form themselves on his brow, sure indications of
wrath, the son of Pandu blew his prodigious conch, called Devadatta, and
then he shot the weapon called Tvashtra that is capable of slaying large
bodies of foes together. Thereupon, thousands of separate forms started
into existence there (of Arjuna himself and of Vasudeva). Confounded by
those diverse images after the form of Arjuna, the troops began to strike
each other, each regarding the other as Arjuna’s self. “This is Arjuna!”
“This is Govinda!” “They are Pandu’s son and he is of Yadu’s race!”
Uttering such exclamations, and deprived of their senses, they slew one
another in that battle. Deprived of their senses by that mighty weapon,
they slew one another. Indeed, those warriors (while striking one
another) looked beautiful like blossoming Kinsukas. Consuming those
thousands of arrows shot by them, that (mighty) weapon despatched those
heroes to Yama’s abode. Then Vibhatsu, laughing, crushed with his arrows
the Lalithya, the Malava, the Mavellaka, and the Trigarta warriors. While
those Kshatriyas, urged by fate, were thus slaughtered by that hero, they
shot at Partha showers of diverse kinds of arrows. Overwhelmed with those
terrible showers of arrows, neither Arjuna, nor his car, nor Kesava,
could any longer be seen. Seeing their arrows strike the aim, they
uttered joyous shouts. And regarding the two Krishnas as already slain,
they joyously waved their garments in the air. And those heroes also blew
their conchs and beat their drums and cymbals by thousands, and uttered
many leonine shouts, O sire! Then Krishna, covered with sweat, and much
weakened, addressed Arjuna, saying, “Where art thou, O Partha! I do not
see thee. Art thou alive, O slayer of foes?” Hearing those words of his,
Dhananjaya with great speed dispelled, by means of the Vayavya weapon,
that arrowy downpour shot by his foes. Then the illustrious Vayu (the
presiding deity of that mighty weapon) bore away crowds of Samsaptakas
with steeds and elephants and cars and weapons, as if these were dry
leaves of trees. Borne away by the wind, O king, they looked highly
beautiful, like flights of birds, O monarch, flying away from trees. Then
Dhananjaya, having afflicted them thus, with great speed struck hundreds
and thousands of them with sharp shafts. And he cut off their heads and
also hands with weapons in their grasp, by means of his broad-headed
arrows. And he felled on the ground, with his shafts, their thighs,
resembling the trunks of elephants. And some were wounded on their backs,
arms and eyes. And thus Dhananjaya deprived his foes of diverse limbs,
and cars decked and equipped according to rule, and looking like the
vapour edifices in the welkin, he cut off into fragments, by means of his
arrows, their riders and steeds and elephants. And in many places crowds
of cars, whose standards had been cut off, looked like forests of
headless palmyras. And elephants with excellent weapons, banners, hooks,
and standards fell down like wooded mountains, split with Sakra’s
thunder. Graced with tails, looking like those of the yak, and covered
with coats of mail, and with their entrails and eyes dragged out, steeds
along with their riders, rolled on the ground, slain by means of Partha’s
shafts. No longer holding in their grasp the swords that had served for
their nails, with their coats of mail torn, and the joints of their bones
broken, foot-soldiers with their vital limbs cut open, helplessly laid
themselves down on the field, slain by means of Arjuna’s arrows. And the
field of battle assumed an awful aspect in consequence of those warriors
slain, or in the course of being slaughtered, falling and fallen,
standing or in course of being whirled along. And the air was purified of
the dust that had arisen, by means of the showers of blood (caused by
Arjuna’s arrows). And the earth, strewn with hundreds of headless trunks,
became impassable. And the car of Vibhatsu in that battle shone fiercely
like the car of Rudra himself, while engaged at the end of the Yuga in
destroying all creatures. While slaughtered by Partha thus, those
warriors, with their steeds and cars and elephants in great distress,
ceased not to rush against him; though, deprived of life one after
another, they had to become the guests of Sakra. Then the field of
battle, O chief of the Bharatas, strewn with mighty car-warriors deprived
of life, looked dreadful like Yama’s domains, abounding with the spirits
of the departed creatures. Meanwhile, when Arjuna was furiously engaged
(with the Samsaptakas), Drona, at the head of his forces arrayed for
battle, rushed against Yudhishthira, and many warriors, accomplished in
smiting and properly arrayed, followed him, actuated by the desire of
seizing Yudhishthira. The battle then that ensued became exceedingly
fierce.’”