“Dhritarashtra said, ‘While the youthful and invincible son of Subhadra,
never retreating from battle, was, after penetrating into our array,
engaged in achieving feats worthy of his lineage, borne by his three-year
old steeds of great might and of the best breed, and apparently trotting
in the welkin, what heroes of my army encompassed him?’
“Sanjaya said, ‘Having penetrated into our array, Abhimanyu of Pandu’s
race, by means of his sharp shafts, made all the kings turn away from the
fight. Then Drona, and Kripa, and Karna, and Drona’s son, and Vrihadvala
and Kritavarman, the son of Hridika,--these six
car-warriors,--encompassed him. As regards the other combatants of thy
army, beholding that Jayadratha had taken upon himself the heavy duty (of
keeping off the Pandavas), they supported him, O king, by rushing against
Yudhishthira.[76] Many amongst them, endued with great strength, drawing
their bows full six cubits long, showered on the heroic son of Subhadra
arrowy downpours like torrents of rain. Subhadra’s son, however, that
slayer of hostile heroes, paralysed by his shafts all those great bowmen,
conversant with every branch of learning. And he pierced Drona with fifty
arrows and Vrihadvala with twenty. And piercing Kritavarman with eighty
shafts, he pierced Kripa with sixty. And the son of Arjuna pierced
Aswatthaman with ten arrows equipped with golden wings, endued with great
speed and shot from his bow drawn to its fullest stretch. And the son of
Phalguni pierced Karna, in the midst of his foes, in one of his cars,
with a bright, well-tempered, and bearded arrow of great force. Felling
the steeds yoked to Kripa’s car, as also both his Parshni charioteers,
Abhimanyu pierced Kripa himself in the centre of the chest with ten
arrows. The mighty Abhimanyu, then, in the very sight of thy heroic sons,
slew the brave Vrindaraka, that enhancer of the fame of the Kurus. While
Abhimanyu was thus engaged in fearlessly slaying one after another the
foremost warriors among his enemies, Drona’s son Aswatthaman pierced him
with five and twenty small arrows. The son of Arjuna, however, in the
very sight of all the Dhartarashtras quickly pierced Aswatthaman in
return, O sire, with many whetted shafts. Drona’s son, however, in
return, piercing Abhimanyu with sixty fierce arrows of great impetuosity
and keen sharpness, failed to make him tremble, for the latter, pierced
by Aswatthaman, stood immovable like the Mainaka mountain. Endued with
great energy, the mighty Abhimanyu then pierced his antagonist with three
and seventy straight arrows, equipped with wings of gold. Drona then,
desirous of rescuing his son, pierced Abhimanyu with a hundred arrows.
And Aswatthaman pierced him with sixty arrows, desirous of rescuing his
father. And Karna struck him with two and twenty broad-headed arrows and
Kritavarman struck him with four and ten. And Vrihadvala pierced him with
fifty such shafts, and Saradwata’s son, Kripa, with ten. Abhimanyu,
however, pierced each of these in return with ten shafts. The ruler of
the Kosala struck Abhimanyu in the chest with a barbed arrow. Abhimanyu,
however, quickly felled on the earth his antagonist’s steeds and standard
and bow and charioteer. The ruler of the Kosalas, then, thus deprived of
his car, took up a sword and wished to sever from Abhimanyu’s trunk his
beautiful head, decked with ear-rings. Abhimanyu then pierced king
Vrihadvala, the ruler of the Kosalas, in the chest, with a strong arrow.
The latter then, with riven heart, fell down. Beholding this, ten
thousand illustrious kings broke and fled. Those kings, armed with swords
and bows, fled away, uttering words inimical (to king Duryodhana’s
interest). Having slain[77] Vrihadvala thus, the son of Subhadra careered
in battle, paralysing thy warriors,--those great bowmen,--by means of
arrowy downpours, thick as rain.’”[78]