Mahabharata Vol. 6 (Penguin Translated Texts) (8 page)

‘Sanjaya replied, “Abhimanyu, the descendant of the Pandu lineage, penetrated your soldiers. He used his sharp arrows and made all the kings retreat. At this, Drona, Kripa, Karna, Drona’s son, Brihadbala and Kritavarma, Hridika’s son—these six rathas surrounded him. O great king! On seeing that Saindhava had assumed an extremely heavy burden, your soldiers attacked Yudhishthira.
¹⁰⁰
There were those who stretched bows that were as long as palm trees. They showered down many arrows on Subhadra’s brave son. But Subhdra’s son, the destroyer of enemy heroes, used arrows in that battle to counter all those great archers, who were skilled in all forms of learning. He pierced Drona with fifty arrows and Brihadbala with twenty, Kritavarma with eighty and Kripa with sixty arrows. Arjuna’s son stretched his bow up to his ears and used ten extremely forceful and gold-tufted arrows to pierce Ashvatthama. In the midst of the enemy, Phalguna’s son used a yellow, sharp and tufted arrow to pierce Karna in his ear. He brought down Kripa’s horses and the two charioteers who guarded his flanks.
¹⁰¹
He then pierced him between the breasts with ten arrows. While your brave sons looked on, the powerful one then killed the valiant Vrindaraka, the extender of the fame of the Kuru lineage.
¹⁰²
While he was thus fearlessly slaughtering the foremost among the enemy, Drona’s son pierced him with twenty-five small arrows. O venerable one! However, while all the sons of Dhritarashtra looked on, Arjuna’s son swiftly pierced Ashvatthama back with sharp arrows. But Drona’s son pierced him with sixty extremely energetic arrows that were terrible, fierce and sharp. However, though pierced, he was like Mount Mainaka and did not tremble. The immensely energetic and powerful one pierced
Drona’s son, who had caused him injury, with seventy-three gold-tufted and straight-flying arrows. Wishing to protect his son, Drona pierced him with one hundred arrows. Desiring to protect his father in the battle, Ashvatthama pierced him with sixty arrows. Karna pierced him with twenty-two broad-headed arrows, Kritavarma with fourteen, Brihadbala with fifty and Sharadvata Kripa with ten. He pierced them back with ten arrows each. Subhadra’s son mangled all of them with sharp arrows. The lord of Kosala
¹⁰³
pierced him in the chest with a barbed arrow. But he
¹⁰⁴
brought his
¹⁰⁵
arrows, standard, bow and charioteer down on the ground. Bereft of his chariot, the king of Kosala grasped a sword and a shield and wished to sever the head, decorated with earrings, of Phalguna’s son from his body. But he pierced the lord of Kosala, Prince Brihadbala, in his heart with an arrow. With his heart shattered, he fell down. At this, ten thousand great-souled kings ran away, shouting words of abuse, though they wielded swords and bows.
¹⁰⁶
Having slain Brihadbala, Subhadra’s son roamed around in the field of battle. With a shower of arrows that were like rain, he paralysed the great archers and warriors on your side.”’

‘Sanjaya said, “Phalguna’s son once again pierced Karna in the ear with a barbed arrow. Angering him even more, he pierced him with fifty arrows. Radheya pierced the great warrior back in turn. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Covered with arrows all over his limbs, he
¹⁰⁷
looked extremely radiant. Extremely enraged,
he caused Karna to be covered in blood. Covered with arrows and streaming blood, the brave Karna was also resplendent. Both of them were beautiful with arrows on their bodies, and blood flowed from their wounds. Those great-souled ones looked like flowering
kimshuka
trees.
¹⁰⁸
Subhadra’s son destroyed six of Karna’s advisers, who were brave and wonderful in the art of fighting, together with their horses, charioteers, standards and chariots. Without showing them any honour, he pierced all the other great archers back with ten arrows each and this was extraordinary. He then slew and brought down Ashvaketu, the youthful son of the king of Magadha, with six arrows, together with his horses and his charioteer. He used a kshurapra arrow to kill Martikavata of Bhoja, who bore the sign of an elephant on his standard. Having done this, he roared and released more arrows. Duhshasana’s son then pierced his four horses with four arrows, his charioteer with one and Arjuna’s son himself with ten arrows. At this, Krishna’s son pierced Duhshasana’s son with seven swift arrows. His eyes red with rage, he loudly spoke these words. ‘Like a coward, your father has fled from the field of battle. It is your good fortune that you know how to fight. But you will not be able to escape today.’ Having spoken these words, he released an iron arrow that had been polished by an artisan. But Drona’s son sliced this down with three arrows. Arjuna’s son severed his standard and struck Shalya with three arrows. He pierced Shalya again with nine arrows that were tufted with the feathers of vultures. Arjuna’s son severed his standard and killed the two charioteers who guarded his flanks.
¹⁰⁹
He then pierced him with six iron arrows and he
¹¹⁰
climbed onto another chariot. He then killed five who were named Shatrunjaya, Chandraketu, Mahavega, Suvarcha and Suryabhasa and pierced Soubala.

‘“Soubala pierced him back with three arrows and spoke to Duryodhana. ‘Let us unite and grind him down. Otherwise, he will kill all of us single-handed.’ Vrisha Vaikartana Karna then spoke to
Drona.
¹¹¹
‘Before he destroys all of us, tell us how we can swiftly kill him.’ Drona, the great archer, told all of them, ‘Have you been able to detect any weakness in this young one? He is roaming around in all the directions. You had better search out your forefathers now. Behold this son of Pandava. He is quick and is a lion among men. The path followed by his chariot and the circle of his bow can be seen. He affixes and releases arrows extremely swiftly. His arrows confound me and afflict my breath of life. But I am delighted with Subhadra’s son, the destroyer of enemy heroes. When Subhadra’s son roams around on the field of battle, I am extremely gratified. The angry maharathas cannot detect a weakness in him. He is dexterous in the use of his hands and releases great arrows in all the directions. In the battle, I do not see any difference between him and the wielder of Gandiva.
¹¹²
At this, oppressed by the arrows of Arjuna’s son, Karna again spoke to Drona. ‘I am oppressed by the extremely terrible and energetic arrows of the young Abhimanyu. Nevertheless, I remain stationed here. His arrows are terrible and possess the energy of the fire. They are sapping my heart now.’ The preceptor smiled and spoke gently to Karna. ‘His armour is impenetrable. He is young, swift and valiant. His father has been instructed by me on the art of donning armour. It is certain that this destroyer of enemy cities knows everything about that.
¹¹³
But with well-aimed arrows, you are capable of slicing down his bow, his bowstring, the reins of his horses and the two charioteers who guard his flanks.
¹¹⁴
O great archer! O Radheya! If you are capable, do this. Make him retreat and strike him subsequently. If he wields the bow, the gods and the asuras are incapable of vanquishing him. If you so wish, deprive him of his chariot and his bow.’ Having heard the preceptor’s words, Vaikartana Karna used his arrows to swiftly slice down the bow of the light-handed one. Bhoja
¹¹⁵
killed his horses and Goutama
¹¹⁶
the
charioteers who guarded his flanks. Once his bow had been severed, the others enveloped him with a shower of arrows.

‘“At that time, when he was bereft of his chariot, the six maharathas
¹¹⁷
quickly and ruthlessly showered him with arrows, while the child fought single-handed. His bow had been severed and he was without a chariot. However, he was engaged in following his own dharma. The handsome one grasped a sword and a shield and leapt up into the sky. Arjuna’s son displayed his dexterity and strength and roamed around in the sky, like a terrible king of the birds. He showed
kaishika
and other motions.
¹¹⁸
The great archers pierced him in the battle, searching for a weakness, glancing upwards and wondering, ‘He might descend on me with the sword in his hand.’ Drona severed the sword, decorated with a bejewelled handle, from his hand. Radheya used sharp arrows to cut down his supreme shield. Deprived of his sword and shield, but still whole in his limbs, he again descended from the sky onto the ground. He picked up a chariot wheel and angrily rushed at Drona. His limbs blazed because of the dust raised by the wheels. He was radiant, with the chariot wheel raised high in his arms. In that battle, for a short while, Abhimanyu looked beautiful and seemed to replicate the deeds of Vasudeva.
¹¹⁹
Blood flowed from his body. His face was red. His eyebrows were wrinkled and he roared like a lion. In the midst of the best of kings, he looked exceedingly fierce.”’

‘Sanjaya said, “He was the one who brought delight to Vishnu’s sister.
¹²⁰
He was adorned with Vishnu’s weapon.
¹²¹
In the
battle, the atiratha
¹²²
looked as beautiful as Janardana. The tips of his hair waved around in the wind. His supreme weapons were upraised. The lords of the earth looked at his body, though even the gods found it difficult to glance at it. They were extremely anxious because of the chariot wheel he held and sliced it down into many fragments. Krishna’s maharatha son then grasped a gigantic club. His enemies had deprived him of his bow and chariot, his sword and the chariot wheel. But with the club in his hand, Abhimanyu rushed against Ashvatthama. The upraised club was like a blazing thunderbolt. On beholding it, that bull among men
¹²³
alighted from his chariot and took three steps backwards. Subhadra’s son used the club to slay his horses and the two charioteers who guarded his flanks.
¹²⁴
With arrows on all his limbs, he looked like a porcupine. He
¹²⁵
then brought down Kalakeya, Subala’s son, and killed seventy-seven of his followers from the land of Gandhara. He again killed ten rathas from the Brahma-Vasatiyas, seven rathas from the Kekayas and ten elephants.

‘“He then advanced against the chariot of Duhshasana’s son and used the club to slay his horses. O venerable one! At this, Duhshasana’s son was enraged and raised his club. Asking Subhadra’s son to wait, he attacked him. Those two brave brothers wished to kill each other and raised their clubs against each other. They struck, like the destroyer Tryambaka
¹²⁶
in earlier times. Having struck each other with the ends of their clubs, they both fell down on the ground. In the midst of that battle, those two scorchers of enemies were like Indra’s standards that had been uprooted. The ratha who was Duhshasana’s son, the extender of the deeds of the Kuru lineage, arose first and struck Subhadra’s son on the head with the club, as he was about to get up. Because of exhaustion and because of the great force of the club, Subhadra’s son, the destroyer of enemy heroes, lost his senses and fell down on the ground, unconscious.

‘“O king! Thus, in that battle, a single one was slain by many. He had agitated all the soldiers, like an elephant among lotuses. The brave one was as resplendent as a wild elephant killed by hunters. The brave one fell down and was surrounded by all those on your side. He looked like a fire during the summer, pacified by the onset of winter, or like a storm that has subsided after destroying the tops of trees. After scorching the army of the Bharatas, he was like a sun that has set, like the eclipsed moon, or the ocean with all its water dried up. His face was like the full moon. His eyelashes were as dark as the wings of crows. On seeing him lying down on the ground, all the maharathas on your side were supremely delighted. They roared repeatedly, like lions. O lord of the earth! Those on your side were overcome with great delight. But tears flowed down from the eyes of those on the other side. O lord of the earth! On seeing the brave one fallen down, like the moon dislodged from the firmament, beings were heard to speak in the firmament. ‘With Drona and Karna at the forefront, this single one has been slain by six maharathas from the side of the sons of Dhritarashtra. It is our view that this is not dharma.’ When that brave one was killed, the earth looked extremely beautiful, like the full moon in the sky, with a garland of
nakshatra
s.
¹²⁷
It was strewn with gold-tufted arrows and covered with blood. There were the beautiful heads of brave ones, adorned with earrings. It was strewn with cushions, flags, whisks, carpets, expensive and excellent garments, extremely dazzling ornaments on chariots, horses, men and elephants, sharp and yellow swords that looked like serpents, bows, shattered arrows, lances, scimitars, javelins, kampanas and many other kinds of weapons. Strewn with these, it looked extremely beautiful. There were dead and dying horses and their riders, covered with blood. They had been brought down by Subhadra’s son and the earth was impassable. There were goads and the drivers of elephants, with armour, weapons and standards. The elephants had been mangled and pierced by arrows and looked like mountains. The earth was covered with these and
horses, without their charioteers and warriors. Crushed by slain elephants, the best of chariots looked like lakes. There were large numbers of slain infantry, adorned with weapons and ornaments. The earth assumed a terrible form and generated terror among cowards. He was as resplendent as the sun and the moon. On seeing him fallen down on the ground, those on your side were supremely delighted. The Pandus were distressed. O king! Abhimanyu was still a child and had not yet attained youth. But he was killed.

‘“While Dharmaraja looked on, all the soldiers fled.
¹²⁸
When Subhadra’s son was brought down, Ajatashatru saw that his army had been shattered and spoke these words to the brave ones on his side. ‘The brave one did not retreat and has gone to heaven. Do not be frightened and remain here. We will yet vanquish the enemy in battle.’ In distress, the extremely energetic and extremely radiant one spoke these words. Dharmaraja was the foremost among warriors and spoke thus, to alleviate their misery. ‘He killed many enemy princes in this battle, those who were like venomous serpents. It was only after killing them in battle first that Arjuna’s son gave up his life. He killed ten thousand and the maharatha from Kosala.
¹²⁹
Krishna’s son was like Krishna and Arjuna and has certainly gone to Shakra’s abode. He killed thousands of rathas, horses, men and elephants. But he was still not content with what he had accomplished in battle. He is the performer of auspicious deeds. We should not grieve.’