“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Our army is equally possessed of many excellences.
It is equally regarded as superior. It is equally arrayed according to
the rules of science, and it is equally numerous, O Sanjaya![151] It is
always well-treated by us, and is always devoted to us. It is vast in
numerical strength, and presents a wonderful aspect. Its prowess had
before been tested. The soldiers are neither very old nor very young.
They are neither lean nor corpulent. Of active habits, of well-developed
and strong frames, they are free from disease. They are cased in mail and
well-equipped with arms. They are devoted to all kinds of armed
exercises. They are adepts in mounting upon and descending from the backs
of elephants, in moving forward and stepping back, in smiting
effectually, and in marching and retreating. Oftentimes have they been
tested in the management of elephants and steeds and cars. Having been
examined duly, they have been entertained on pay and not for the sake of
lineage, nor from favour, nor from relationship. They are not a rabble
come of their own accord, nor have they been admitted into my army
without pay. My army consists of well-born and respectable men, who are,
again, contented, well-fed, and submissive. They are sufficiently
rewarded. They are all famous and endued with great intelligence. They
are, again, O son, protected by many of our foremost counsellors and
others of righteous deeds, all of whom are best of men, resembling the
very Regents of the world. Innumerable rulers of earth, seeking to do
what is agreeable to us, and who have of their own well sided with us
with their forces and followers, also protect them. Indeed, our army is
like the vast ocean filled with the waters of innumerable rivers running
from all directions. It abounds in steeds and cars which, though
destitute of wings, still resemble the winged tenants of the air. It
seems also with elephants adorned whose cheeks flow with juicy
secretions. What can it, therefore, be but Destiny that even such an army
should be slain? (Ocean-like it is) vast number of combatants constitute
its interminable waters, and the steeds and other animals constitute its
terrible waves. Innumerable swords and maces and darts and arrows and
lances constitute the oars (plied on that ocean).[152] Abounding in
standards and ornaments, the pearls and gems (of the warriors) constitute
the lotuses that deck it. The rushing steeds and elephants constitute the
winds that agitate it into fury. Drona constitutes the fathomless cave of
that ocean, Kritavarman its vast vortex. Jalasandha its mighty alligator,
and Karna the rise of the moon that makes it swell with energy and pride.
When that bull amongst the Pandavas, on his single car, hath speedily
gone, piercing through that army of mine vast (though it be) like the
ocean, and when Yuyudhana also hath followed him, I do not, O Sanjaya,
see the prospect of even a remnant of my troops being left alive by
Savyasachin, and that foremost of car-warriors belonging to the Satwata
race. Beholding those two exceedingly active heroes pierce through (the
divisions placed in the van), and seeing the ruler of the Sindhus also
within reach of the shafts from Gandiva, what, indeed, was the measure
adopted by the Kaurava impelled by fate? At that time, when all were
fighting intently, what became of them? O sire, I regard the assembled
Kurus to be overtaken by Death himself. Indeed, their prowess also in
battle is no longer seen to be what it once was. Krishna and the son of
Pandu have both entered the (Kuru) host unwounded. There is none in that
host, O Sanjaya, capable of resisting them. Many combatants that are
great car-warriors were admitted by us after examination. They are all
honoured (by us) with pay as each deserves, and others with agreeable
speeches. There is none, O son, amongst my troops who is not honoured
with good offices (done to him). Each receives his assigned pay and
rations according to the character of his services. In my army, O
Sanjaya, there is none who is unskilled in battle, none who receives pay
less than what he deserves, or none who does not receive any pay. The
soldiers are adored by me, according to the best of my powers, with gifts
and honours and seats. The same conduct is followed towards them by my
sons, my kinsmen, and my friends. Yet on the very approach of
Savyasachin, have they been vanquished by him and by the grandson of
Sini. What can it be but Destiny? They who are protecting them, all
follow the same road, the protected with the protectors! Beholding Arjuna
arrived at the front of Jayadratha, what measure was adopted by my
foolish son? Beholding Satyaki also entering the host, what step did
Duryodhana think suitable to that occasion? Indeed, beholding those two
foremost of car-warriors who are beyond the touch of all weapons, enter
my host, what resolution was formed by my warriors in battle? I think,
beholding Krishna of Dasarha’s race and that bull of Sini’s race also
both engaged for Arjuna’s sake my sons are filled with grief. I think,
seeing both Satwata and Arjuna pass through my army and the Kurus flying
away, my sons are filled with grief. I think, seeing their car-warriors
retreat in despair of subjugating the foe and set their hearts upon
flying away from the field, my sons are filled with grief. Their steeds
and elephants and cars and heroic combatants by thousands flying away
from the field in anxiety, my sons are filled with grief. I think, seeing
many huge elephants fly away, afflicted with the shafts of Arjuna, and
others fallen and falling, my sons are filled with grief. I think, seeing
steeds deprived of riders and warriors deprived of cars by Satyaki and
Partha, my sons are filled with grief. I think, large bodies of steeds
slain or routed by Madhava and Partha, my sons are filled with grief. I
think, seeing large bodies of foot-soldiers flying away in all
directions, my sons, despairing of success, are filled with grief. I
think, seeing those two heroes pass through Drona’s division unvanquished
within a moment, my sons are filled with grief. Stupefied am I, O son,
upon hearing that Krishna and Dhananjaya, those two heroes of unfading
glory, have both, with Satwata, penetrated into my host. After that
foremost of car-warriors among the Sinis, had entered my host, and after
he had passed through the division of the Bhojas, what did the Kauravas
do? Tell me also, O Sanjaya, how did the battle take place there where
Drona afflicted the Pandavas on the field? Drona is endued with great
might, is the foremost of all persons, is accomplished in weapons, and is
incapable of being defeated in battle. How could the Panchalas pierce
that great bowman in the fight? Desirous of Dhananjaya’s victory, the
Panchalas are inveterate foes of Drona. The mighty car-warrior Drona also
is an inveterate foe of theirs. Thou art skilled in a narration, O
Sanjaya! Tell me, therefore, everything about what Arjuna did for
compassing the slaughter of the ruler of the Sindhus.’
“Sanjaya said, ‘O bull of Bharata’s race, overtaken by a calamity that is
the direct result of thy own fault, thou shouldst not, O hero, indulge in
such lamentations like an ordinary person. Formerly, many of thy wise
well-wishers, numbering Vidura amongst them, had told thee, “Do not, O
king, abandon the sons of Pandu.” Thou didst not then heed those words.
The man that heedeth not the counsels of well-wishing friends, weepeth,
falling into great distress, like thyself. He of Dasarha’s race, O king,
had formerly begged thee for peace. For all that, Krishna of world-wide
fame, obtained not his prayer. Ascertaining thy worthlessness, and thy
jealousy towards the Pandavas, and understanding also thy crooked
intentions towards the sons of Pandu, and hearing thy delirious
lamentations, O best of kings, that puissant Lord of all the worlds, that
Being, acquainted with the truth of everything in all the worlds, viz.,
Vasudeva, then caused the flame of war to blaze forth among the Kurus.
This great and wholesale destruction hath come upon thee, brought about
by thy own fault. O giver of honours, it behoveth thee not to impute the
fault to Duryodhana. In the development of these incidents no merit of
thine is to be seen in the beginning, in the middle, or at the end. This
defeat is entirely owing to thee. Therefore, knowing as thou dost the
truth about this world, be quiet and hear how this fierce battle,
resembling that between the gods and the Asuras, took place. After the
grandson of Sini, that warrior of prowess incapable of being baffled, had
entered into thy host, the Parthas headed by Bhimasena also rushed
against thy troops. The mighty car-warrior Kritavarman, however, alone,
resisted, in that battle the Pandavas thus rushing in fury and wrath with
their followers against thy host. As the continent resists the surgings,
even so did the son of Hridika resist the troops of the Pandavas in that
battle. The prowess that we then beheld of the son of Hridika was
wonderful, inasmuch as the united Parthas succeeded not in transgressing
his single self. Then the mighty-armed Bhima, piercing Kritavarman with
three shafts, blew his conch, gladdening all the Pandavas. Then Sahadeva
pierced the son of Hridika with twenty shafts, and Yudhishthira the just
pierced him with five and Nakula pierced him with a hundred. And the sons
of Draupadi pierced him with three and seventy shafts, Ghatotkacha
pierced him with seven. And Virata and Drupada and Drupada’s son
(Dhrishtadyumna) each pierced him with five shafts, and Sikhandin, having
once pierced him with five, again pierced him smilingly with five and
twenty shafts. Then Kritavarman, O king, pierced every one of those great
car-warriors with five shafts, and Bhima again with seven. And the son of
Hridika felled both the bow and the standard of Bhima from the latter’s
car. Then that mighty car-warrior, with great speed, wrathfully struck
Bhima, whose bow had been cut off with seventy keen shafts in the chest.
Then mighty Bhima, deeply pierced with those excellent shafts of
Hridika’s son, trembled on his car like a mountain during an earthquake.
Beholding Bhimasena in that condition, the Parthas headed by king
Yudhishthira the just afflicted Kritavarman, O king, shooting at him many
shafts. Encompassing that warrior there with throngs of cars, O sire,
they cheerfully began to pierce him with their shafts, desiring to
protect the Wind-god’s son in that battle. Then mighty Bhimasena
recovering consciousness, took up in that battle a dart made of steel and
equipped with a golden staff, and hurled it with great speed from his own
car at the car of Kritavarman. That dart resembling a snake freed from
its slough, hurled from Bhima’s hands, fierce-looking, blazed forth as it
proceeded towards Kritavarman. Beholding that dart endued with the
splendour of the Yuga-fire coursing towards him, the son of Hridika cut
it in twain with two shafts. Thereupon, that dart decked with gold, thus
cut off, fell down on the earth, illumining the ten points of the
compass, O king, like a large meteor falling from the firmament. Seeing
his dart baffled, Bhima blazed forth in wrath. Then taking up another
bow which was tougher and whose twang was louder, Bhimasena, filled with
wrath, attacked the son of Hridika in that battle. Then O king, Bhima, of
terrible might, struck Kritavarman, in the centre of the chest with five
shafts, in consequence of thy evil policy, O monarch! The ruler of the
Bhoja then, mangled in every limb, O sire, by Bhimasena, shone
resplendent in the field like a red Asoka covered with flowers. Then that
mighty bowman, viz., Kritavarman, filled with rage, smilingly struck
Bhimasena with three shafts, and having struck him forcibly, pierced in
return every one of those great car-warriors struggling vigorously in
battle, with three shafts. Each of the latter then pierced him in return
with seven shafts. Then that mighty car-warrior of the Satwata race,
filled with rage, cut off, smiling in that battle, with a razor-faced
shaft the bow of Sikhandin. Sikhandin then, seeing his bow cut off,
quickly took up a sword and a bright shield decked with a hundred moons.
Whirling his large shield, decked with gold, Sikhandin sent that sword
towards the car of Kritavarman. That large sword, cutting off, O king,
Kritavarman’s bow with arrow fixed thereon, fell down on the earth, like,
O monarch, a bright luminary loosened from the firmament. Meanwhile,
those mighty car-warriors quickly and deeply pierced Kritavarman with
their shafts in that battle. Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz.,
the son of Hridika, casting off that broken bow, and taking up another,
pierced each of the Pandavas with three straight shafts. And he pierced
Sikhandin at first with three, and then with five shafts. Then the
illustrious Sikhandin, taking up another bow, checked the son of Hridika
with many swift-flying shafts, furnished with heads like tortoise nails.
Then, O king, the son of Hridika, inflamed with rage in that battle,
rushed impetuously at that mighty car-warrior, viz., the son of
Yajnasena, that warrior, O monarch, who was the cause of the illustrious
Bhishma’s fall in battle. Indeed, the heroic Kritavarman rushed at
Sikhandin, displaying his might, like a tiger at an elephant. Then those
two chastisers of foes, who resembled a couple of huge elephants or two
blazing fires, encountered each other with clouds of shafts. And they
took their best of bows and aimed their arrows, and shot them in hundreds
like a couple of suns shedding their rays. And those two mighty
car-warriors scorched each other with their keen shafts, and shone
resplendent like two Suns appearing at the end of the Yuga. And
Kritavarman in that battle pierced that mighty car-warrior viz.,
Yajnasena’s son, with three and seventy shafts and once more with seven.
Deeply pierced therewith, Sikhandin sat down in pain on the terrace of
his car, throwing aside his bow and arrows, and was overtaken by a swoon.
Beholding that hero in a swoon, thy troops, O bull among men, worshipped
the son of Hridika, and waved their garments in the air. Seeing Sikhandin
thus afflicted with the shafts of Hridika’s son his charioteer quickly
bore that mighty car-warrior away from the battle. The Parthas, beholding
Sikhandin lying senseless on the terrace of his car, soon encompassed
Kritavarman in that battle with crowds of cars. The mighty car-warrior,
Kritavarman, then achieved a most wonderful feat there, inasmuch as,
alone, he held in check all the Parthas with their followers. Having thus
vanquished the Parthas, that mighty car-warrior then vanquished the
Chedis, the Panchalas, the Srinjayas, and the Kekayas, all of whom are
endued with great prowess. The forces of the Pandavas then, thus
slaughtered by the son of Hridika began to run in all directions, unable
to stay coolly in battle. Having vanquished the sons of Pandu headed by
Bhimasena himself, the son of Hridika stayed in battle like a blazing
fire. Those mighty car-warriors, afflicted with torrents of shafts and
routed by Hridika’s son in battle, ventured not to face him.’”