“Sanjaya said, ‘Beholding his army routed by Subhadra’s son of
immeasurable energy, Duryodhana, filled with rage, himself proceeded
against the former. Seeing the king turn back towards Subhadra’s son in
battle, Drona, addressing all the (Kaurava) warriors, said, “Rescue the
king.[65] Before us, in our very sight, the valiant Abhimanyu is slaying
all he aims at. Rush ye, therefore, speedily against him, without fear
and protect the Kuru king.” Then many grateful and mighty warriors,
having Duryodhana’s good at heart, and always graced with victory,
inspired with fear, surrounded thy son. And Drona, and Drona’s son, and
Kripa and Karna and Kritavarman and Suvala’s son, Vrihadvala, and the
ruler of the Madras, and Bhuri, and Bhurisravas, and Sala, and Paurava
and Vrishasena, shooting sharp shafts, checked Subhadra’s son by means of
those arrowy showers. Confounding him with those showers of shafts, they
rescued Duryodhana. The son of Arjuna, however, brooked not that act of
snatching a morsel from his mouth. Covering those mighty car-warriors,
their charioteers, and steeds with thick showers of arrows and causing
them to turn back, the son of Subhadra uttered a leonine roar. Hearing
that roar of his, resembling that of a lion hungering after prey, these
angry car-warriors, headed by Drona, brooked it not. Encompassing him on
all sides, O sire, with a large body of cars they shot at him showers of
diverse kinds of arrows. The grandson, however, cut them off in the
welkin (before any of them could reach him) by means of sharp shafts, and
then pierced all of them with his shafts. That feat of his seemed
exceedingly wonderful. Provoked by him thus by means of those shafts of
his that resembled snakes of virulent poison, they surrounded that
unretreating son of Subhadra, desirous of slaying him. That sea of
(Kaurava) troops, however, O bull of Bharata’s race, the son of Arjuna
singly held in check by means of his shafts, like the continent resisting
the surging ocean. And among those heroes thus fighting with and striking
one another, viz., Abhimanyu and his man on one side and all those
warriors together on the other, none turned back from the field. In that
dreadful and fierce battle, Duhsaha pierced Abhimanyu with nine shafts.
And Duhsasana pierced him with a dozen; and Saradwata’s son Kripa, with
three. And Drona pierced him with seventeen shafts, each resembling a
snake of virulent poison. And Vivinsati pierced him with seventy shafts,
and Kritavarman with seven. And Vrihadvala pierced him with eight, and
Aswatthaman with seven shafts. And Bhurisrava pierced him with three
shafts and the ruler of the Madras with six. And Sakuni pierced him with
two, and king Duryodhana with three shafts. The valiant Abhimanyu,
however, O king, seemingly dancing on his car, pierced each of those
warriors in return with three shafts. Then Abhimanyu, filled with rage in
consequence of thy sons’ endeavouring to frighten him thus, displayed the
wonderful strength he had acquired from culture and practice. Borne by
his well-broken steeds, endued with the speed of Garuda or the Wind, and
thoroughly obedient to the behests of him who held their reins, he
quickly checked the heir of Asmaka. Staying before him, the handsome son
of Asmaka, endued with great might, pierced him with ten shafts and
addressing him, said, “Wait, Wait.” Abhimanyu then, with ten shafts, cut
off the former’s steeds and charioteer and standard and two arms and bow
and head, and caused them to fall down on the earth, smiling the while.
After the heroic ruler of the Asmakas had thus been slain by the son of
Subhadra, the whole of his force wavered and began to fly away from the
field. Then Karna and Kripa, and Drona and Drona’s son, and the ruler of
the Gandharas, and Sala and Salya, and Bhurisravas and Kratha, and
Somadatta, and Vivinsati, and Vrishasena, and Sushena, and Kundavedhin,
and Pratardana, and Vrindaraka and Lalithya, and Pravahu, and
Drighalochana, and angry Duryodhana, showered their arrows upon him. Then
Abhimanyu, excessively pierced by those great bowmen with their straight
shafts, shot shafts at Karna which was capable of piercing through every
armour and body. That shaft, piercing through Karna’s coat of mail and
then his body, entered the earth like a snake piercing through an
anthill. Deeply pierced, Karna felt great pain and became perfectly
helpless. Indeed, Karna began to tremble in that battle like a hill
during an earthquake. Then with three other shafts of great sharpness,
the mighty son of Arjuna, excited with rage, slew those three warriors,
viz., Sushena, Drighalochana, and Kundavedhin. Meanwhile, Karna
(recovering from the shock) pierced Abhimanyu with five and twenty
shafts. And Aswatthaman struck him with twenty, and Kritavarman with
seven. Covered all over with arrows, that son of Sakra’s son, filled with
rage, careered over the field. And he was regarded by all the troops as
Yama’s self armed with the noose. He then scattered over Salya, who
happened to be near him thick showers of arrows. That mighty-armed
warrior then uttered loud shouts, frightening thy troops therewith.
Meanwhile, Salya, pierced by Abhimanyu accomplished in weapons, with
straight shafts penetrating into his very vitals, sat down on the terrace
of his car and fainted away. Beholding Salya thus pierced by the
celebrated son of Subhadra, all the troops fled away in the very sight of
Bharadwaja’s son. Seeing that mighty-armed warrior, viz., Salya, thus
covered with shafts of golden wings, thy army fled away like a herd of
deer attacked by a lion. And Abhimanyu glorified by the Pitris, the gods,
and Charanas, and Siddhas, as also by diverse classes of creatures on the
earth, with praises about (his heroism and skill in) battle, looked
resplendent like a sacrificial fire fed with clarified butter.’”