KARNA PARVA: Chapter 25

The encounter between Shutasome and the son of Subala

संजय उवाच युयुत्सुं तव पुत्रस्य द्रावयन्तं बलं महत्। उलूको न्यपतत्तूर्णं तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति चाब्रवीत्॥
Sanjaya said Then Uluka rushed most rapidly against Yuyutsu, who was routing the vast force belonging to your son; and uttered to him those words-'do you wait, do you wait.'

युयुत्सुश्च ततो राजशितधारेण पत्रिण। उलूकं ताडयामास वज्रेणेव महाबलम्॥
Thereupon, O monarch, Yuyutsu afflicted Uluka with a sharp-edged arrow (supplied with wings), even as a huge mountain is struck with the thunderbolt.

उलूकस्तु ततः क्रुद्धस्तव पुत्रस्य संयुगे। क्षुरप्रेण धनुश्छित्त्वा ताडयामास कर्णिना॥
Thus Uluka, too, being highly enraged and cutting off the bow of your son with a razor like shaft, struck him with a barbed arrows in the field of battle.

तदपास्य धनुश्छिन्नं युयुत्सुर्वेगवत्तरम्। अन्यदादत्त सुमहचापं संरक्तलोचनः॥
Yuyutsu, whose eyes became red with anger, after having thrown aside that severed bow, grasped another, the most dreadful one, possessed of greater impetuosity.

शाकुनिं तु ततः षष्ट्या विव्याध भरतर्षभ। सारथिं त्रिभिरानर्छनं च भूयो व्यविध्यत॥
Thereupon, O foremost of the Bharata race, he (Yuyutsu) penetrated Uluka with sixty arrows; and then struck down his driver with three; and he once more pierced him (Uluka).

उलूकस्तं तु विंशत्या विद्ध्वा स्वर्णविभूषितैः। अथास्य समरे क्रुद्धो ध्वजं चिच्छेद काञ्चनम्॥
Uluka, too, who became highly wrathful, after having pierced him (Yuyutsu) with twenty arrows, decked with gold, struck down his standards, that was made of gold, in the field of battle.

सच्छिन्नयष्टिः सुमहाशीर्यमाणो महाध्वजः। पपात प्रमुखे राजन् युयुत्सोः काञ्चनध्वजः॥
O monarch, that huge and magnificent standard, that one made of gold, being torn off and shattered into fragments, dropped down in front of Yuyutsu.

ध्वजमुन्मथितं दृष्ट्वा युयुत्सुः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः। उलूकं पञ्चभिर्बाणैराजधान स्तनान्तरे॥
Seeing his standards thus cut-off, Yuyutsu, who became senseless with rage, struck Uluka with five arrows in the chest.

उलूकस्तस्य समरे तैलधौतेन मारिष। शिरश्चिच्छेद भल्लेन यन्तुर्भरतसत्तम॥
O descendant of the Bharata race, O sire, Uluka then severed the head of his foe, with a broad-headed arrows, dipped in oil, in the field of battle.

तच्छिन्नमपतद् भूमौ युयुत्सोः सारथेस्तदा। तारारूपं यथा चित्रं निपपात महीतले॥
The cut-off head of Yuyutsu fell on ground as if any excellent star is fallen from sky on the ground.

जघान चतुरोऽश्वांश्च तं च विव्याध पञ्चभिः। सोऽतिविद्धो बलवता प्रत्यपायाद् रथान्तरम्॥
Then he (Uluka), slaughtered his four horses and pierced himself (Yuyutsu) with five shafts. He (Yuyutsu), being thus fierced by that powerful one (Uluka) went into another car.

तं निर्जित्य रणे राजन्नुलूकस्त्वरितो ययौ। पञ्चालान् सृञ्जयांश्चैव विनिघ्नन् निशितैः शरैः॥
O monarch, Uluka, after having defeated him (his antagonist) in the battle, hastened towards the Panchalas and the Srinjayas and slew them with the keen arrows.

शतानीकं महाराज श्रुतकर्मा सुतस्तव। व्यश्वसूतरथं चक्रे निमेषार्धादसम्भ्रमः॥
O mighty monarch, your son, Srutakarman, deprived, without any fear, Shatanika of his horses, charioteer and car within half the time taken up by the twinkling on an eye.

हताश्वे तु रथे तिष्ठञ्शतानीको महारथः। गदां चिक्षेप संक्रुद्धस्तव पुत्रस्य मारिष॥
O sire, that mighty car-warrior, Shatanika, waiting in a car, that was deprived of its horses and becoming very wrathful, had thrown a mace upon your son.

सा कृत्वा स्यन्दनं भस्म हयांश्चैव ससारथीन्। पपात धरणी तूर्ण दारयन्तीव भारत॥
O descendant of the Bharata race, that mace, after having reduced the car and the horses along with the riders themselves into dusts (belonging to your son), fell down upon the earth most rapidly and penetrated through it.

तावुभौ विरथौ वीरौ कुरुणां कीर्तिवर्धनौ। व्यपाक्रमेतां युद्धात्तु प्रेक्षमाणौ परस्परम्॥
Then those two brave warriors, who were divested of their cars and who also had contributed to the increase of the glory of the Kurus, really fled away from the battle, looking each other in the face.

पुत्रस्तु तव सम्भ्रान्तो विविंशो रथामारुहत्। शतानीकोऽपि त्वरितः प्रतिविन्ध्यरथं गतः॥
Thereupon your son, who became highly terrified, ascended the ascended the car of Vivingsa. Shatanika, too, with rapidity, mounted upon the car of Prativindhya.

सुतसोमं तु शकुनिर्विद्ध्वा तु निशितैः शरैः। नाकम्पयत संक्रुद्धो वार्योघ इव पर्वतम्॥
Shakuni, who became very angry after having pierced Sutasoma with excellently sharpened arrows, could not cause him to tremble (with fear); even as a torrent of rain cannot shake a mountain.

सुतसोमस्तु तं दृष्ट्वा पितुरत्यन्तवैरिणम्। शरैरनेकसाहस्त्रैश्छादयामास भारत॥
O descendant of the Bharata race, Sutasoma, too, after having seen the bitterest enemy of his father, closed him with several thousands of arrows.

ताशराशकुनिस्तूर्णं चिच्छेदान्यैः पतित्रिभिः। लघ्वस्त्रश्चित्रयोधी च जितकाशी च संयुगे॥ निवार्य समरे चापि शरांस्तान् निशितैः शरैः। आजघान सुसंक्रुद्धः सुतसोमं त्रिभिः शरैः॥
Shakuni, too, on the other hand, who was of light arms and who was acquainted with all sorts of warfare and who, again, was most desirous of winning victory, severed all those shafts with other winged arrows of his own. Then he (Shakuni), who was greatly enraged, after having restrained these arrows with the keen arrows of his own in the field of battle, struck down Sutasoma with three other shafts.

तस्याश्वान् केतनं सूतं तिलशो व्यधमच्छरैः। स्यालस्तव महाराज तत उच्चुक्रुशुर्जनाः॥
Thereupon, O great king, your brother-inlaw cut of his (antagonist's) horses, standard and charioteer into minute pieces by numerous arrows. At this, the people sent forth a loud roar.

हताश्वो विरथश्चैव छिन्नकेतुश्च मारिष। धन्वी धनुर्वरं गृह्य रथाद् भूमावतिष्ठत॥
O sire, after taken up another excellent bow, that great bowman who was now steedless and carless and whose standard and charioteer into minute pieces by numerous arrows. At this, the people sent forth a loud roar.

व्यसृजत सायकांश्चैव स्वर्णपुङ्खशिलाशितान्। छादयामास समरे तव स्यालस्य त रथम्॥
He (Sutasoma) then directed the shafts, that were furnished with the golden wings and also that were whetted on stone; and afterwards severed the car of your brother-in-law (with those shafts) in the field of battle.

शलभानामिव वाताशरवातान् महारथः। रथोपगान् समीक्ष्यैवं विव्यथे नैव सौबलः॥ प्रममाथ शरांस्तस्य शरवातैर्महायशाः।
That mighty car-warrior, the son of Subala did not at all feel pain to behold the fights of arrows, that were like the throngs of locusts, approaching towards his car. Rather that highly glorious one really restrained those arrows with numcrous arrows of his own.

तत्रातुष्यन्त योधाश्च सिद्धाश्चापि दिवि स्थिताः॥ सुतसोमस्य तत् कर्म दृष्ट्वा श्रद्धेयमद्भुतम्। रथस्यं शकुनि यस्तु पदाति: समयोधयत्॥
There (in the field of battle) the warriors, as well as the Siddhas resting in the firmament, became highly gratificd to witness that extraordinary and incredible deed of Sutasoma. For he (Sutasoma) was fighting on foot with Shakuni, who rested upon his car.

तस्य तीक्ष्णैर्महावेगैर्भल्लैः संनतपर्वभिः व्यहनत् कार्मुकं राजंस्तूणीरांश्चैव सर्वशः॥
O king, he (Shakuni) severed the bow, as well as all the quivers of him (Sutasoma) by means of his broad-headed arrows, that were excellently whetted and also that were endued with great impetuosity and again, that were very straight. was

स च्छिन्नधन्वा विरथः खङ्गमुद्यम्य चानदत्। वैदूर्योत्पलवर्णाभं दन्तिदन्तमयत्सरुम्॥
Then he (Sutasoma), who thus deprived of his car and bow, raised a loud roar, after raising his sword that had the splendour of a blue lotus-color and also that had a handle made of ivory.

भ्राम्यमाणं ततस्तं तु विमलाम्बरवर्चसम्। कालदण्डोपमं मेने सुतसोमस्य धीमतः॥
That sword of highly intellectual Sutasoma, whirled round by him, he (Shakuni) considered to be as resplendent as the clear sky, like the very rod of Death himself.

सोऽचरत् सहसा खड्गी मण्डलानि सहस्रशः। चतुर्दश महाराज शिक्षाबलसमन्वितः॥
O powerful monarch, that holder of sword, who was endued with great lore and prowess, suddenly roved about creating fourteen different kinds of circle (Manoeuvres) on all sides (of the battle).

भ्रान्तमुद्धान्तमाविद्धमाप्लुतं विप्लुतं सृतम्। सम्पातसमुदीर्णे च दर्शयामास संयुगे।॥
He then exhibited in the field of battle the different kinds of dexterities of motion, namely, wheeling and whirling at certain height and making side-thrusts, rushing forward and jumping on high and moving about rapidly and advancing upwards and forwards.

सौबलस्तु ततस्तस्य शरांश्चिक्षेप वीर्यवान्। तानापतत एवाशु चिच्छेद परमासिना॥
Thereupon the son of Subala, who was possessed of immense prowess, shot innumerable arrows at him (his antagonist), who, again, immediately severed them by means of his sword, that were directed against him.

ततः क्रुद्धो महाराज सौबलः परवीरहा। प्राहिणेत् सुतसोमाय शरानिशीविषोपमान्॥
Thereupon, O mighty monarch, the son of Subala, who became very angry at this once more shot numerous arrows at Sutasoma, that resembled snakes of virulent poison.

चिच्छेद तांस्तु खड्ड्रेन शिक्षया च बलेन च। दर्शयँल्लाघवं युद्धे तार्क्ष्यतुल्यपराक्रमः॥
That warrior (Sutasoma), who resembled Garuda in strength, after having exhibited the lightness of his arms in the battle, severed those arrows by his sword with the assistance of both his learning and strength.

तस्य संचरतो राजन् मण्डलावर्तने तदा। क्षुरप्रेण सुतीक्ष्णेन खङ्गं चिच्छेद सुप्रभम्॥
O monarch, he (Shakuni) severed the sword, that was most excellent, of his foe, who then was careering in circles in the field, by means of his sharp razor-headed arrows.

स च्छिन्नः सहसा भूमौ निपपात महानसिः। अर्धपस्य स्थितं हस्ते सुत्सरोस्तत्र भारत॥
That strong sword, being thus cut-off, dropped down upon the ground all on a sudden. But, O descendant of the Bharata race, the other half of the sword still rested in the hand of that Sutasoma.

छिन्नमाज्ञाय निस्त्रिंशमवप्लुत्य पदानि षट्। प्राविध्यत ततः शेषं सुतसोमो महारथः॥
Knowing that his sword was thus severed, then that powerful car-warrior, Sutasoma, after having retreated six steps back, struck his antagonist with that half (he still held in his hand).

तच्छित्त्वा सगुणं चापं रणे तस्य महात्मनः। पपात धरणी तूर्णे स्वर्णवज्रविभूषितम्॥
That half (of the sword), after having severed the bow, that was ornamented with gold and gems, along with the string, of that high souled one (Shakuni), immediately dropped down upon the ground.

सुतसोमस्ततोऽगच्छुतकीर्तेर्महारथम् । सौबलोऽपि धनुर्गृह्य घोरमन्यत् सुदुर्जयम्॥ अभ्ययात् पाण्डवानीकं निघ्नशत्रुगणान् बहून्।
Thereupon Sutasoma proceeded to that strong car of Shrutakirti. The son of Subala, too after having grasped another bow, that was most dreadful and invincible, rushed against the army of the Pandavas, slaughtering innumerable enemies on the way.

तत्र नादो महानासीत् पाण्डवानां विशाम्पते॥ सौबलं समरे दृष्ट्वा विचरन्तमभीतवत्।
On the very sight of the son of Subala, who was wandering about of in the field of battle most fearlessly, there had taken place, O ruler of earth, great roar amongst the Pandava host.

तान्यनीकानि दृप्तानि शस्त्रवन्ति महान्ति च॥ द्राव्यमाणान्यदृश्यन्त सौबलेन महात्मना।
Then it was seen that those divisions of the army, that were very proud, furnished with the weapons and very vast, were routed by that high-souled son of Subala.

यथा दैत्यचमं राजन देवराजो ममर्द ह। तथैव पाण्डवीं सेनां सौबलेया व्यनाशयत्॥
O king, the son of Subala continued to slaughter the soldiers of the Pandavas force; even as the king, of the celestials crushed the army of the Daityas.