KARNA PARVA: Chapter 13

The slaying of Vinda and Anuvinda

संजय उवाच ततः कर्णो महेष्वासः पाण्डवानामानीकिनीम्। जघान समरे शूरः शरैः संनतपर्वभिः॥
Sanjaya said Then the mighty bowman, the heroic Karna, killed the troops of the Pandavas in battle with the straight arrows.

तथैव पाण्डवा राजंस्तव पुत्रस्य वाहिनीम्। कर्णस्य प्रमुखे क्रुद्धा निजध्नुस्ते महारथाः॥
O king, the mighty car-warriors, namely the Pandavas, had most wrathfully smitten the soldiers of your son in the same way in the very presence of Karna.

कर्णोऽपिराजन् समरे व्यहनत् पाण्डवीं चमूम्। नाराचैरर्करशम्याभैः कर्मारपरिमार्जितैः॥
So also Karna, O monarch, began to smite the army belonging to the Pandavas in the field of battle with the arrows, that were bright like the rays of the sun and excellently polished by the black-smith.

तत्र भारत कर्णेन नाराचैस्ताडिता गजाः। नेदुः सेदुश्च मम्लुश्च बभ्रमुश्च दिशो दश॥
O descendant of the Bharata race, there (in the field of battle) the elephants highly afflicted by Karna with his straight arrows, roared most loudly, became weakened and senseless and ran away towards the ten points of the horizon.

वध्यमाने बले तस्मिन् सूतपुत्रेण मारिष। नकुलोऽभ्यद्रवत तूर्ण सूतपुत्रं महारणे॥
O father, while that immense force was being killed by the son of Suta, Nakula proceeded against that mighty car-warrior, the son of the Suta with great rapidity.

भीमसेनस्तथा द्रौणिं कुर्वाणं कर्म दुष्करम्। विन्दानुविन्दौ कैकेयौ सात्यकिः समवारयत्॥
Then Bhimasena checked the progress of Drona's son, who was achieving the most arduous tasks and Satyaki, that of the two Kaikeya princes, Vindu and Anuvindu.

श्रुतकर्माणमायान्तं चित्रसेनो महीपतिः। प्रतिविध्यस्तथा चित्रं चित्रकेतनकार्मुकम्॥
The lord of the earth, Chitrasena, rushed towards Srutakarman, who was advancing against him; so also Prativindhya towards Chitra, who carried a standard of diverse colours and a beautiful bow.

दुर्योधनस्तु राजानं धर्मपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम्। संशप्तकगणान् क्रुद्धो ह्यभ्यधावद् धनंजयः॥
Duryodhana, too, proceeded against the king Yudhishthira the son of Dhrama, while Dhananjaya rushed against the wrathful Samsaptakas.

धृष्टधुम्नः कृपेणाथ तस्मिन् वीरवरक्षये। शिखण्डी कृतवर्माणं समासादयदच्युतम्॥
While that whole host of the foretnost heroes was being thus slain, Dhrishtadyumna rushed against Kripa; and that undecayable Shikhandin proceeded against Kritavarman.

श्रुतकीर्तिस्तथा शल्यं माद्रीपुत्रः सुतं तव। दुःशासनं महाराज सहदेवः प्रतापवान्॥
O mighty monarch, so again, Shrutakirti closed with Shalya; and that son of Madri, Shahadeva of immense prowess, closed with your son, Dussashana.

कैकेयौ सात्यकिं युद्धे शरवर्षेण भास्वता। सात्यकिः केकयौ चापि च्छादयामास भारत॥
In that great battle, the two Kaikeya princes covered Satyaki with a shower of arrows. Satyaki on the other hand covered the two Kaikeya princes (with a shower of brilliant arrows, O descendant of the Bharata race).

तावेनं भ्रातरौ वीरौ जघ्नतुर्हदये भृशम्। विषाणाभ्यां यथा नागौ प्रतिनागं महावने॥
Those two heroic brothers deeply pierced this warrior (Satyaki) in the chest, even as two elephant strike another hostile elephant with their tusks in a dense forest.

शरसम्भिन्नवर्माणौ तावुभौ भ्रातरौ रणे। सात्यकिं सत्यकर्माणं राजन् विव्यधतुः शरैः॥
O monarch, these two heroic brothers whose vital parts were deeply struck with the arrows, pierced Satyaki, who always performed appropriate deeds with their shafts,

तौ सात्यकिर्महाराज प्रहसन् सर्वतोदिशः। छादयञ्छरवर्षेण वारयामास भारत॥
O powerful monarch, Satyaki on the other hand, having smiled and shrouded all the points of the horizon with a shower of arrows, closed with the two brothers, O descendant of the Bharata race.

वार्यमाणौ ततस्तौ हि शैनेयशरवृष्टिभिः। शैनेयस्य रथं तूर्णं छादयामासतुः शरैः॥
Thereupon those two brothers, whose progress was checked by the shower of arrows of Sini's grandson, indeed, covered the car of Sini's grandson with lots of shafts.

तयोस्तु धनुषी चित्रे छित्त्वा शौरिर्महायशाः। अथ तौ सायकैस्तीक्ष्णैर्वारयामास संयुगे॥
Having severed the most beautiful bows of those two brothers, then the highly celebrated Shauri restrained the progress of them both in the battle with a shower of sharp arrows.

अथान्ये धनुषी चित्रे प्रगृह्य च महाशरान्। सात्यकिं छादयन्तौ तौ चेरतुर्लघु सुष्ठु च॥
Then having grasped two other beautiful bows and most effective shafts, they two, too, shrounded Satyaki (with the arrows) and roved about in the field with immense activity and expertness.

ताभ्यां मुक्ता महाबाणाः कङ्कबर्हिणवाससः। द्योतयन्तो दिशः सर्वाः सम्पेतुः स्वर्णभूषणाः॥
Those mighty arrows, shot by the two brothers, adorned with the feathers of the Kanka and the peacock and ornamented with gold, fell down (upon the foes), after having illumined all the points of the horizon.

बाणान्धकारमभवत् तयो राजन् महामृधे। अन्योन्यस्य धनुश्चैव चिच्छिदुस्ते महारथाः॥
O monarch, there was a gloom in that formidable battle owing to the shower of arrows shot by both the parties. Then those great car-warriors severed each other's bows.

ततः क्रुद्धो महाराज सात्वतो युद्धदुर्मदः। धनुरन्त्यत् समादाय सज्यं कृत्वा च संयुगे।॥ क्षुरप्रेण सुतीक्ष्णेन अनुविन्दशिरोऽहरत्।
Thereupon, O mighty monarch, wrathful Satvata, most invincible in the field, having taken up another bow and stretched its string properly, severed the head of Anuvinda with an arrow, sharp like the razor.

अपतत् तच्छिरो राजन् कुण्डलोपचितं महत्॥ शम्बरस्य शिरो यद्वनिहतस्य महारणे। शोचयन् केकयान् सर्वाञ्जगामाशु वसुन्धराम्॥
O monarch, that mighty head, adorned with ear-rings, fell like the head of Shambara, slain in that dreadful battle (of old). This, having fallen upon the earth most rapidly, greatly aggrieved all the Kaikayas.

तं दृष्ट्वा निहतं शूरं भ्राता तस्य महारथः। सज्यमन्यद् धनुः कृत्वा शैनेयः पर्यवारयत्॥
Having seen that hero slain, his brother, that mighty car-warrior (Vinda), after having stretched out the string of another bow, restrained the course of Shini's grandson.

स षष्ट्या सात्यकिं विद्धा स्वर्णपु? शिलाशितैः। ननाद बलवन्नादं तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति चाब्रवीत्॥
Having pierced Satyaki with sixty shafts, all sharpened on stone and adorned with the feathers of gold, he roared most loudly and said-wait, wait.

सात्यकिं च ततस्तूर्णं केकयानां महारथः। शरैरनेकसाहस्त्रैर्बाह्वोरुरसि चार्पयत्॥
The mighty car-warrior of the Kaikeya troops then pierced Satyaki in his arms and chest most rapidly with several thousands of arrows.

स शरैः क्षतसर्वाङ्गः सात्यकिः सत्यविक्रमः। रराज समरे राजन् सपुष्प इव किंशुकः॥
O king, Satyaki, of true prowess, being thus wounded with the arrows in all his limbs, shone in the field of battle like a Kinshuka with flowers.

सात्यकिः समे विद्धः कैकेयेन महात्मना। कैकेयं पञ्चविंशत्या विव्याध प्रहसत्रिव॥
In the battle, Satyaki, having been pierced by the lofty-minded Kaikeya, smilingly pierced back the Kaikeya chief with twenty-five shafts.

तावन्योन्यस्य समरे संछिद्य धनुषी शुभे। हत्वा च सारथी तूर्णं हयाश्च रथिनां वरौ॥
Thereupon those two best of car-warriors, having broken down each other's beautiful bows and also slain each other's drivers and horses.

विरथावसियुद्धाया समाजग्मतुराहवे। शतचन्द्रचिते गृह्य चर्मणी सुभुजौ तथा॥
Both of them, having taken up shields, as if adorned with hundred moons and grasped the best of swords and possessed as they were with the handsome arms, looked resplendent in that great field of battie.

व्यरोचेतां महारङ्गे निस्त्रिंशवरधारिणौ। यथा देवासुरे युद्धे जम्भशक्रौ महाबलौ॥ मण्डलानि ततस्तौ तु विचरन्तौ महारणे। अन्योन्यमभितस्तूर्णं समाजग्मतुराहवे॥
Like the most powerful ones, Jambha and Shakra, in the battle between the celestials and the Asuras. Thereupon both the warriors roved about in that dreadful field of battle in circles and speedily approached each other, engaged in combating, in the battle.

अन्योयन्यस्य वधे चैव चक्रतुर्यनमुत्तमम्। कैकेयस्य द्विधा चर्म ततश्चिच्छेद सात्वतः॥ सात्यकेस्तु तथैवासौ चर्म चिच्छेद पार्थिवः।
Thus the two, again, made the best of their efforts in slaying each other. Then Satvata severed the shield of the Kaikeya chief into two pieces. So also this Vinda severed the shield of Satyaki into two pieces.

चर्म च्छित्त्वा तु कैकेयस्तारागणशतैर्वृतम्॥ चचार मण्डलान्येव गतप्रत्यागतानि च।
The Kaikeya chief, indeed, having thus broken into pieces the shield, that was decked with hundred of stars, roved in circles in the field, sometimes advancing and sometimes receding back.

तं चरन्तं महारङ्गे निस्त्रिंशवरधारिणम्॥ अपहस्तेन चिच्छेद शैनेयस्त्वरयान्वितः।
Thereupon the grandson of Shini who was possessed with greatest activity severed him (his head) who having grasped the best of swords, careered in the broad field of battle, by a side-stroke.

सवर्मा केकयो राजन् द्विधा छिन्नो महारणे॥ निपपात महेष्वासो वजाहत् इवाचलः।
O monarch, the Kaikeya prince, that mighty bowman, who was adorned with the shield, being thus cut-off into pieces in that dreadful battle, fell down like a hill broken down by a thunderbolt.

तं निहत्य रणे शूरः शैनेयो रथसत्तमः॥ युधामन्युरथं तूर्णमासरोह परंतपः।
That war-like grandson of Shini, that best of car-warriors, that scorcher of enemies, after having slain him (the Kaikeya chief) in battle, immediately ascended the car of Yudhamanyu.

ततोऽन्यं रथमास्थाय विधिवत्कल्पितं पुनः। केकयानां महत् सैन्यं व्यधमत् सात्यकिः शरैः॥
Thereupon, again, having ascended another car, that furnished with its its due equipment's, Satyaki began to destroy the immense army of the Kaikeyas with his was arrows.

सा वध्यामाना समरे केकयानां महाचमूः। तमुत्सृज्य रणे शत्रु प्रदुद्राव दिशो दश॥
That vast force of the Kaikeyas, being slaughtered in battle, left that enemy in the field and ran away in the ten different directions of the horizon.