“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Tell me, O Sanjaya, what did my warriors do after
the heroic ruler of the Sindhus had been slain, by Arjuna.’
“Sanjaya said, ‘Beholding the ruler of the Sindhus, O sire, slain in
battle by Partha, Kripa, the son of Saradwat, under the influence of
wrath, covered the son of Pandu with a dense shower of arrows. Drona’s
son also, on his car, rushed against Phalguna, the son of Pritha. Those
two foremost of car-warriors began from their cars to shower from
opposite directions upon the son of Pandu their keen arrows. That
foremost of car-warriors, viz., the mighty-armed Arjuna, afflicted by
those arrowy showers of (Kripa and Drona’s son) felt great pain. Without
desiring, however, to slay his preceptor (Kripa) as also the son of (his
other preceptor) Drona, Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti, began to act like a
preceptor in arms. Baffling with his own weapons those of both
Aswatthaman and Kripa, he sped at them, without desiring to slay them,
shafts that coursed mildly. Those shafts, however (though mildly), shot
by Jaya struck the two with great force, and in consequence of their
number, caused great pain to Kripa and his nephew. Then Saradwat’s son, O
king, thus afflicted with the arrows of Arjuna, lost all strength and
swooned away on the terrace of his car. Understanding his master
afflicted with shafts to be deprived of his senses, and believing him to
be dead, the driver of Kripa’s car bore Kripa away from the fight. And
after Kripa, the son of Saradwat, had thus been borne away from the
battle, Aswatthaman also, from fear, fled away from the son of Pandu.
Then the mighty bowman, Partha, beholding the son of Saradwat afflicted
with shafts and in a swoon, began to indulge, on his car, in piteous
lamentations. With a tearful face and in great dejection of heart, he
uttered these words: “Beholding all this (in his mental vision), Vidura of
great wisdom had, on the birth of the wretched Suyodhana, that
exterminator of his race, said unto Dhritarashtra, ‘Let this wretch of
his race be soon killed. Owing to him, a great calamity will overtake the
foremost ones of Kuru’s race.’ Alas, these words of the truth-telling
Vidura have come to be true. It is for him that I behold my preceptor
today lying on a bed of arrows. Fie on the practices of Kshatriya! Fie on
my might and prowess! Who else like me would fight with a Brahmana that
is besides his preceptor? Kripa is the son of a Rishi; he is, again, my
preceptor; he is also the dear friend of Drona. Alas, he lieth stretched
on the terrace of his car, afflicted with my arrows. Though not wishing
it, I have still been the means of crushing him with my shafts. Lying
senseless on the terrace of his car, he paineth my heart exceedingly.
Even though he afflicted me with shafts, I should still have only looked
at that warrior of dazzling splendour (without striking him in return).
Struck with numerous shafts of mine, he hath gone the way of all
creatures. By that he hath pained me more than even the slaughter of my
own son. Behold, O Krishna, to what plight he hath been reduced, thus
lying miserably and in a senseless state on his own car. Those bulls
among men that give desirable objects unto their preceptors after
obtaining knowledge from them, attain to godhead. Those lowest of mortals
on the other hand, who, after obtaining knowledge from their preceptors
strike the latter, those wicked men, go to hell. Without doubt, this act
that I have done will lead me to hell. I have deeply pierced my preceptor
on his car with showers of arrows. While studying the science of arms at
his feet, Kripa told me in those days, ‘Do not, O thou of Kuru’s race,
ever strike thy preceptor.’ That command of my righteous and high-souled
preceptor I have not obeyed, for I have struck, the very Kripa himself
with my shafts. I bow to that worshipful son of Gotama, to that
unretreating hero. Fie on me, O thou of Vrishni’s race, since I have
struck even him.” While Savyasachin was thus lamenting for Kripa, the son
of Radha, beholding the ruler of the Sindhu slain, rushed towards him.
Seeing the son of Radha thus rushing towards Arjuna the two Panchala
princes and Satyaki suddenly rushed towards him. The mighty car-warrior,
Partha, beholding the son of Radha advancing, smilingly addressed the son
of Devaki and said, “Yonder cometh the son of Adhiratha against the car
of Satyaki. Without doubt, he is unable to bear the slaughter of
Bhurisravas in battle. Urge my steeds, O Janardana, towards the spot
whither Karna cometh. Let not Vrisha (Karna) cause the Satwata hero to
follow in the wake of Bhurisravas.” Thus addressed by Savyasachin, the
mighty-armed Kesava, endued with great energy, replied in these opportune
words, “The mighty-armed Satyaki is singly a match for Karna, O son of
Pandu! How much superior then will this bull among the Satwatas be when
he is united with the two sons of Drupada! For the present, O Partha, it
is not proper for thee to fight with Karna. The latter hath with him the
blazing dart, like a fierce meteor, that Vasava gave him. O slayer of
hostile heroes, he hath kept it for thy sake, worshipping it with
reverence. Let Karna then freely proceed against the Satwata hero. I
know, O son of Kunti, this wicked wight’s hour, when, indeed, thou wilt,
with keen shafts, throw him down from his car.”’
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Tell me, O Sanjaya, how the battle took place
between the heroic Karna and Satyaki of the Vrishni race, after the fall
of Bhurisravas and of the ruler of the Sindhus. Satyaki had been carless,
upon what car then was he mounted? And how also did the two protectors of
the wheels (of Arjuna’s car), viz., the two Panchala princes, fight?’
“Sanjaya said, ‘I will describe to thee all that happened in that
dreadful battle. Listen patiently to (the consequences of) thy own evil
conduct. Before even the encounter, Krishna knew it in his heart that the
heroic Satyaki would be vanquished by the stake-bannered (Bhurisravas).
Janardana, O king, knoweth both the past and the future. For this,
summoning his charioteer, Daruka, he had commanded him, saying, “Let my
car be kept equipped tomorrow.” Even this had been the command of that
mighty one. Neither the gods, nor the Gandharvas, nor the Yakshas, nor
the Uragas, nor the Rakshasas, nor human beings, are capable of
conquering the two Krishnas. The gods with the Grandsire at their head,
as also the Siddhas, know the incomparable prowess of those two. Listen,
however, now to the battle as it happened. Beholding Satyaki carless and
Karna ready for battle Madhava blew his conch of loud blare in the
Rishabha note.[176] Daruka, hearing the blare of (Kesava’s) conch,
understood the meaning, and soon took that car, equipped with a lofty
standard of gold, to where Kesava was. With Kesava’s permission, upon
that car guided by Daruka, and which resembled the blazing fire or the
sun in effulgence, ascended the grandson of Sini. Ascending upon the car
which resembled a celestial vehicle and unto which were yoked those
foremost of steeds, capable of going everywhere at will, viz., Saivya and
Sugriva and Meghapushya and Valahaka, and which were adorned with
trappings of gold, Satyaki rushed against the son of Radha, scattering
countless shafts. The two protectors of (Arjuna’s) car-wheels, viz.,
Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, abandoning Dhananjaya’s car, proceeded against
the son of Radha. Radha’s son also, O king, shooting showers of shafts,
angrily rushed, in that battle, against the invincible grandson of Sini.
The battle that took place between them was such that its like had never
been heard to have taken place on earth or in heaven between gods,
Gandharvas, Asuras, Uragas, or Rakshasas. The entire host consisting of
cars, steeds, men, and elephants, abstained from the fight, beholding, O
monarch, the stunning feats of two warriors. All became silent spectators
of that superhuman battle between those two human heroes, O king, and of
the skill of Daruka in guiding the car. Indeed, beholding the skill of
the charioteer Daruka standing on the car, as he guided the vehicle
forwards, backwards, sidelong, now wheeling in circles and now stopping
outright, all were amazed. The gods, the Gandharvas, and the Danavas, in
the welkin, intently watched that battle between Karna and the grandson
of Sini. Both of them endued with great might, each challenging the
other, those two warriors put forth their prowess for the sake of their
friends. Karna who looked like a celestial, and Yuyudhana, O king, rained
upon each other showers of shafts. Indeed, Karna ground the grandson of
Sini with his arrowy downpours, unable to put up with the slaughter (by
Satyaki) of the Kuru hero, Jalasandha. Filled with grief and sighing like
a mighty snake, Karna, casting angry glances on the grandson of Sini in
that battle, and as if burning him therewith, rushed at him furiously
again and again, O chastiser of foes! Beholding him filled with rage,
Satyaki pierced him in return, shooting dense showers of arrows, like an
elephant piercing (with his tusks) a rival elephant. Those two tigers
among men, endued with the activity of tigers and possessed of
incomparable prowess, mangled each other furiously in that battle. The
grandson of Sini, then, with shafts made entirely of iron, repeatedly
pierced Karna, that chastiser of foes, in all his limbs. And he also
felled, with a broad-headed arrow, the charioteer of Karna from his niche
in the car. And with his keen shafts, he slew the four steeds, white in
hue, of Adhiratha’s son. And then cutting into a hundred fragments the
standard of Karna with a hundred arrows, that bull among men made Karna
carless in the very sight of thy son. Then all thy warriors, O king,
became cheerless. Then Vrishasena, the son of Karna, and Salya, the ruler
of the Madras, and Drona’s son, encompassed the grandson of Sini from all
sides. Then a confusion set in, and nothing could be seen. Indeed, when
the heroic Karna was made carless by Satyaki, cries of Oh and Alas arose,
among all thy troops. Karna also, O king, pierced by Satwata with his
arrows and exceedingly weakened ascended the car of Duryodhana, sighing
deeply, remembering his friendship for thy son from his childhood and
having striven to realise the promise he had made about the bestowal of
sovereignty on Duryodhana. After Karna hath been made carless, thy brave
sons, headed by Duhsasana, O king, were not slain by the self-restrained
Satyaki because the latter wished not to falsify the vow made by
Bhimasena. Desirous also of not falsifying the vow formerly made by
Partha (about the slaughter of Karna), Satyaki simply made those warriors
carless and weakened them exceedingly, but did not deprive them of life.
It is Bhima that hath vowed the slaughter of thy sons, and it is Partha
that, at the time of the second match at dice, vowed the slaughter of
Karna. Although all those warriors headed by Karna made strong efforts
for slaying Satyaki, yet those foremost of car-warriors, failed to slay
him. Drona’s son and Kritavarman and other mighty car-warriors, as also
hundreds of foremost Kshatriyas, were all vanquished by Satyaki with only
one bow. That hero fought, desirous of benefiting king Yudhishthira the
Just, and of attaining to heaven. Indeed, Satyaki, that crusher of foes,
is equal to either of the two Krishnas in energy. Smiling the while, he
vanquished all thy troops, O best of men! In this world, there are only
three mighty bowmen, viz., Krishna, Partha, and Satyaki. There is no
fourth to be seen.’
“Dhritarashtra said, ‘Ascending on the invincible car of Vasudeva that
had Daruka for its driver, Satyaki, proud of the might of his arms and
equal in battle unto Vasudeva himself, made Karna carless. Did Satyaki
ride any other car (after his encounter with Karna was over)? I am
desirous of hearing this, O Sanjaya! Thou art skilled in narration. I
regard Satyaki to be endued with unbearable prowess. Tell me all, O
Sanjaya!’
“Sanjaya said, ‘Hear, O king, how it had happened. The intelligent
younger brother of Daruka soon brought unto Satyaki another car, duly
equipped with all necessaries. With shafts attached to it by chains of
iron and gold and bands of silk, decked with a thousand stars, decked
with banners and with the figure of a lion on his standard, with horses,
fleet as the wind and adorned with trappings of gold, yoked unto it, and
with rattle deep as the roar of the clouds, that car was brought unto
him. Ascending upon it, the grandson of Sini rushed against thy troops.
Daruka, meanwhile, went as he listed to Kesava’s side. A new car was
brought for Karna also, O king, unto which were yoked four steeds of the
best breed that were decked in trappings of gold and white as conchs or
milk. Its kaksha and standard were made of gold. Furnished with banners
and machines, that foremost of cars had an excellent driver. And it was
furnished with a profusion of weapons of every kind. Mounting on that
car, Karna also rushed against his foes. I have now told thee all that
thou hadst asked me. Once more, however, O king, learn the (extent of
the) destruction caused by thy evil policy. Thirty one of thy sons have
been slain by Bhimasena. Having Durmukha for their foremost, they were
conversant with all modes of warfare. Satyaki and Arjuna also have slain
hundreds of heroes with Bhimasena as their foremost, and Bhagadatta also,
O sire! Even thus, O king, hath the destruction commenced, caused by thy
evil counsels.’”