“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Beholding the grandson of Sini proceeding towards
Arjuna, grinding as he went that large force, what, indeed, O Sanjaya,
did those shameless sons of mine do? When Yuyudhana who is equal to
Savyasachin himself was before them, how, indeed, could those wretches,
that were at the point of death, set their hearts upon battle? What also
did all those Kshatriyas, vanquished in battle, then, do? How, indeed,
could Satyaki of world-wide renown pass through them in battle? How also,
O Sanjaya, when my sons were alive, could the grandson of Sini go to
battle? Tell me all this. This is exceedingly wonderful, O sire, that I
have heard from thee, viz., this encounter between one and the many, the
latter, again, being all mighty car-warriors. O Suta, I think, Destiny is
now unpropitious to my sons, since so many mighty car-warriors have been
slain by that one warrior of the Satwata race. Alas, O Sanjaya, my army
is no match for even one warrior, viz., Yuyudhana inflamed with wrath.
Let all the Pandavas hang up these weapons. Vanquishing in battle Drona
himself who skilled in weapons and conversant with all modes of warfare,
Satyaki will slay my sons, like a lion slaying smaller animals. Numerous
heroes, of whom Kritavarman is the first, contending vigorously in
battle, could not slay Yuyudhana. The latter, without doubt, will slay my
sons. Phalguna himself fought not in the manner in which the renowned
grandson of Sini has fought.’
“Sanjaya said, ‘All this, O king, has been brought about by thy evil
counsels and the acts of Duryodhana. Listen attentively to what, O
Bharata, I say unto thee. At the command of thy son, the Samsaptakas,
rallying, all resolved upon fighting fiercely. Three thousand bowmen
headed by Duryodhana, with a number of Sakas and Kamvojas and Valhikas
and Yavanas and Paradas, and Kalingas and Tanganas and Amvashtas and
Pisachas and Barbaras and mountaineers, O monarch, inflamed with rage and
armed with stone, all rushed against the grandson of Sini like insects
against a blazing fire. Five hundred other warriors, O king, similarly
rushed against Satyaki. And another mighty body consisting of a thousand
cars, a hundred great car-warriors, a thousand elephants, two thousand
heroes, and countless foot-soldiers, also rushed against the grandson of
Sini. Duhsasana, O Bharata, urging all those warriors, saying, “Slay him,”
surrounded Satyaki therewith. Grand and wonderful was the conduct that we
then beheld of Sini’s grandson, inasmuch as alone he fought fearlessly
with those innumerable foes. And he slew that entire body of car-warriors
and that elephant force, and all those horsemen and that entire body of
robbers. Like the autumnal firmament bespangled with stars, the field of
battle there became strewn with car-wheels broken and crushed by means of
his mighty weapons with innumerable Akshas and beautiful cart-shafts
reduced to fragments, with crushed elephants and fallen standards, with
coats of mail and shields scattered all about, with garlands and
ornaments and robes and Anuskarshas, O sire! Many foremost of elephants,
huge as hills, and born of the race of Anjana or Vamana, O Bharata, or of
other races, many foremost of tuskers, O king, lay there on the ground,
deprived of life. And Satyaki slew, O monarch, many foremost of steeds of
the Vanayu, the mountain, the Kamvoja and the Valhika breeds. And the
grandson of Sini also slew foot-soldiers there, in hundreds and
thousands, born in various realms and belonging to various nations.
Whilst those soldiers were being thus slaughtered, Duhsasana, addressing
the robbers said, “Ye warriors unacquainted with morality, fight! Why do
you retreat?” Beholding them run away without paying any heed to his
words, thy son Duhsasana urged on the brave mountaineers, skilled in
fighting with stones, saying, “Ye are accomplished in battling with
stones. Satyaki is ignorant of this mode of warfare. Stay ye, therefore,
that warrior who, though desirous of battle, is ignorant of your mode of
fight. The Kauravas also are all unacquainted with this mode of battle.
Rush ye at Satyaki. Do not fear. Satyaki will not be able to approach
you.” Thus urged, those Kshatriyas dwelling on the mountains, all
acquainted with the method of fighting with stones, rushed towards the
grandson of Sini like ministers towards a king. Those denizens of the
mountain then, with stones huge as elephants’ heads uplifted in their
hands, stood before Yuyudhana in that battle. Others, urged by thy son,
and desirous of slaying Satwata, encompassed the latter on all sides,
armed with missiles. Then, Satyaki, aiming at those warriors rushing at
him from desire of fighting with stones, sped at them showers of keen
shafts. That bull amongst the Sinis, with those shafts looking like
snakes, cut into fragments that dense shower of stones thrown by the
mountaineers. The fragments of those stones, looking like a swarm of
blazing fire-flies, slew many combatants there, whereupon, O sire, cries
of oh and alas arose on the field. Then, again, five hundred brave
warriors with huge stones uplifted in their hands, fell down, O king, on
the ground, their arms cut off. And once more a full thousand, and again
a hundred thousand, amongst others, fell down without being able to
approach Satyaki, their arms with stones still in grasp cut off by him.
Indeed, Satyaki slew many thousands of those warriors fighting with
stones. All this seemed exceedingly wonderful. Then many of them,
returning to the fight, hurled at Satyaki showers of stones. And armed
with swords and lances many Daradas and Tanganas and Khasas and Lampakas
and Pulindas, hurled their weapons at him. Satyaki however,
well-conversant with the application of weapons, cut off those stones and
weapons by means of his shafts. Those stones while being pierced, broken
in the welkin by Satyaki’s whetted shafts, produced a fierce noise, at
which many car-warriors and steeds and elephants fled away from battle.
And struck with the fragments of those stones, men and elephants and
steeds, became incapable of staying in battle, for they felt as if they
were bit by wasps. The small remnant of the elephants (that had attacked
Satyaki), covered with blood, their heads, and frontal globes split open,
then fled away from Yuyudhana’s car. Then there arose among thy troops,
O sire, while they were being thus ground by Madhava a noise like that of
the ocean at full tide. Hearing that great uproar, Drona, addressing his
charioteer, said, “O Suta, that great car-warrior of the Satwata race,
excited with wrath, is tearing our army into diverse fragments, and
careering in battle like the Destroyer himself. Take thou the car to that
spot whence this furious uproar is coming. Without doubt, Yuyudhana is
engaged with the mountaineers who battle with stones. Our car-warriors
are seen also to be borne away by their wildly running steeds. Many
amongst them, weaponless and armourless and wounded, are falling down.
The charioteers are unable to check their steeds as these are rushing
wildly.” Hearing these words of Bharadwaja’s son, the charioteer said
unto Drona, that foremost of wielders of weapons, “Thou blest with length
of days, the Kaurava troops are flying away. Behold, our warriors,
routed (by the foe), are flying in all directions. There, again, those
heroes, viz., the Panchalas, and the Pandavas, united together, are
rushing from all sides from desire of slaughtering thee. O chastiser of
foes, do thou determine which of these tasks should first demand
attention. Should we stay here (to meet the advancing Pandava), or should
we proceed (towards Satyaki)? As regards Satyaki, he is now far ahead of
us.” While the charioteer, O sire, was speaking thus unto Bharadwaja’s
son, the grandson of Sini suddenly appeared to the view, engaged in
slaughtering a large number of car-warriors. Those troops of thine, while
being thus slaughtered by Yuyudhana in battle, fled away from
Yuyudhana’s car towards where Drona’s division was. Those (other)
car-warriors also with whom Duhsasana had proceeded, all struck with
panic, similarly rushed to the spot where Drona’s car was seen.’”