“Sanjaya said, ‘After the son of Pandu had crossed that car-force, the
preceptor Drona, smiling the while, covered him with showers of arrows,
desirous of checking his course. Stupefying thy force then with his
powers of illusion, and drinking, as it were, those shafts shot from the
bow of Drona, Bhimasena rushed against those brothers (viz., thy sons).
Then many kings, that were all great bowmen, urged by thy sons, rushing
impetuously, began to surround him. Encompassed by them, O Bharata, Bhima
smiling the while and uttering a leonine roar, took up and hurled at them
with great force a fierce mace destructive of hostile ranks. That mace of
adamantine strength, hurled like Indra’s thunder by Indra himself,
crushed, O king, thy soldiers in battle. And it seemed to fill, O king,
the whole earth with loud noise. And blazing forth in splendour, that
fierce mace inspired thy sons with fear. Beholding that mace of impetuous
course and endued with lightning flashes, coursing towards them, thy
warriors fled away, uttering frightful cries. And at the unbearable
sound, O sire, of that fierce mace, many men fell down where they stood,
and many car-warriors also fell down from their cars. Slaughtered by
Bhimasena armed with the mace, thy warriors fled away in fear from
battle, like the deer attacked by a tiger. The son of Kunti, routing in
battle those valorous foes of his, impetuously crossed that force like
Garuda of beautiful feathers.
“‘While Bhimasena, that leader of leaders of car-divisions, was engaged in
such carnage, Bharadwaja’s son, O king, rushed at him. And Drona,
checking Bhima by means of his arrowy showers, suddenly uttered a leonine
roar that inspired the Pandavas with fear. The battle that took place
between Drona and the high-souled Bhima was, O king, furious and terrible
and resembled the encounter between the gods and the Asuras of old.
Heroic warriors by hundreds and thousands in that battle slain by the
keen shafts shot from the bow of Drona. The son of Pandu then, jumping
down from his car shut his eyes, O king, and rushed on foot with great
speed towards the car of Drona. Indeed, as a bovine bull easily bears a
heavy shower of rain, even so that tiger among men, viz., Bhima, bore
that arrowy downpour from Drona’s bow. Struck in that battle, O sire, by
Drona, the mighty Bhima, seizing Drona’s car by the shaft, threw it down
with great force. Thus thrown down in battle, O king, Drona, however,
quickly mounting another car, proceeded towards the gate of the array,
his driver urging his steeds at that time with great speed. That feat, O
thou of Kuru’s race, achieved by Bhimasena, seemed exceedingly wonderful.
The mighty Bhima, then, mounting upon his own car, rushed impetuously
towards the army of thy son. And he crushed the Kshatriyas in battle,
like a tempest crushing rows of trees. Indeed, Bhima proceeded, resisting
the hostile warriors like the mountain resisting the surging sea. Coming
then upon the Bhoja-troops that were protected by the son of Hridika,
Bhimasena, O king, ground it greatly, and passed through it. Frightening
the hostile soldiers with the sound of his palms, O sire, Bhima
vanquished them all like a tiger vanquishing a herd of bovine bulls.
Passing through the Bhoja division and that of the Kamvojas also, and
countless tribes of Mlecchas too, who were all accomplished in fight, and
beholding that mighty car-warrior, Satyaki, engaged in fight, Bhimasena,
the son of Kunti, O monarch proceeded resolutely and with great speed,
desirous of having a sight of Dhananjaya. Transgressing all thy warriors
in that battle, the son of Pandu then sighted the mighty car-warrior
Arjuna engaged in the fight. The valiant Bhima, that tiger among men,
beholding Arjuna putting forth his prowess for the slaughter of the ruler
of the Sindhus, uttered a loud shout, like, O monarch, the clouds roaring
in the season of rains. Those terrible shouts of the roaring Bhimasena
were, O thou of Kuru’s race, heard by both Arjuna and Vasudeva in the
midst of the battle. Both those heroes, simultaneously hearing that shout
of the mighty Bhima, repeatedly shouted from desire of beholding
Vrikodara. Then Arjuna uttering loud roar, and Madhava also doing the
same, careered in battle like a couple of roaring bulls. Hearing then
that roar of Bhimasena, as also that of Phalguna armed with the bow,
Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, O king, became highly gratified. And
king Yudhishthira, hearing those sounds of Bhima and Arjuna, had his
grief dispelled. And the lord Yudhishthira repeatedly wished success to
Dhananjaya in battle.
“‘While the fierce Bhima was thus roaring, the mighty-armed Yudhishthira,
the son of Dharma, that foremost of virtuous men, smilingly reflected a
while and thus worded the thoughts that inspired his heart, “O Bhima,
thou hast truly sent me the message. Thou hast truly obeyed the commands
of thy superior. They, O son of Pandu, can never have victory that have
thee for their foe. By good luck it is that Dhananjaya, capable of
shooting the bow with (even) his left hand, still liveth. By good luck,
the heroic Satyaki also, of prowess incapable of being baffled, is safe
and sound. By good luck, it is that I hear both Vasudeva and Dhananjaya
uttering these roars. He who having vanquished Sakra himself in battle,
had gratified the bearer of sacrificial libations, that slayer of foes,
viz., Phalguna, by good luck, still liveth in this battle. He, relying
upon the might of whose arms all of us are alive, that slayer of hostile
armies, Phalguna, by good luck, liveth still. He by whom with the aid of
a single bow the Nivatakavachas were vanquished, those Danavas, that is,
that were incapable of being defeated by the very gods, he, viz., Partha,
by good luck, liveth still. He who had vanquished in Matsya’s city all
the Kauravas assembled together for seizing Virata’s kine, that Partha,
by good luck, liveth still. He who, by the might of his arms, slew
fourteen thousands of Kalakeyas, that Partha, by good luck, liveth still.
He who, for Duryodhana’s sake, had vanquished, by the energy of his
weapons, the mighty king of the Gandharvas, that Partha, by good luck,
liveth still. Decked with diadem and garlands (of gold), endued with
great strength, having white steeds (yoked to his car) and Krishna
himself for his charioteer, that Phalguna, always dear to me, by good
luck, liveth still. Burning with grief on account of the death of his
son, endeavouring to achieve a most difficult feat, and even now seeking
to slaughter Jayadratha, alas, he that hath made that vow, viz.,
Dhananjaya, will he succeed in slaying the ruler of the Sindhus in
battle? After he, protected by Vasudeva, will have accomplished that vow
of his, shall I behold that Arjuna again, before the sun sets? Shall the
ruler of the Sindhus who is devoted to Duryodhana’s welfare, slain by
Phalguna, gladden his foes? Shall king Duryodhana, beholding the ruler of
the Sindhus slain in battle make peace with us? Beholding his brother
slain in battle by Bhimasena shall the wicked Duryodhana make peace with
us? Beholding other great warriors lying prostrate on the surface of the
earth, shall wicked Duryodhana give way to remorse? Shall not our
hostilities cease with the single sacrifice of Bhishma? Shall that
Suyodhana, make peace with us for saving the remnant (of what is still
left to him and us)?” Diverse reflections of this kind passed through the
mind of king Yudhishthira who was overwhelmed with compassion. Meanwhile,
the battle (between the Pandavas and the Kauravas) raged furiously.’”