KARNA PARVA: Chapter 8O

Dreadful battle

संजय उवाच राजन् कुरूणां प्रवरैबलैर्भीममभिद्रुतम्। मजन्तमिव कौन्तेयमुजिहीर्घर्धनंजयः॥ विसृज्य सूतपुत्रस्य सेनां भारत सायकैः। प्राहिणोन्मृत्यलोकास्य परवीरान् धनंजयः॥
Sanjaya said O monarch, Dhananjaya, seeing, Bhima almost sinking under the pressure of the attack of many of great Kaurava warriors, left aside the son of Suta and his division, O Bharata and went to the rescue of his brother and sent many warriors of the hostile army to Pluto's region.

ततोऽस्याम्बरमाश्रित्य शरजालानि भागशः। अदृश्यन्त तथान्ये च निघ्नन्तस्तव वाहिनीम्॥
His showers of shafts fell dividedly, some covered the skies, while other killed your army.

स पक्षिसंघाचरितामाकाशं पूरयशरैः। धनंजयो महाबाहुः कुरूणामन्तकोऽभवत्॥
O king, Dhananjaya, filling the sky (which is the place for birds to play) with his arrows, seemed at that time the very destroyer of Kurus.

ततो भल्लैः क्षुरप्रैश्च नाराचैर्विमलैरपि। गात्राणि प्राच्छिन्त् पार्थः शिरांसि च चकर्त ह॥
He with his long flat-pointed shafts and various other brilliant weapons and keen like razor, began to cut-off bodies and heads of enemies.

छिन्नगात्रैर्विकवचैर्विशिरस्कैः समन्ततः। पातितैश्च पतद्धिश्च योधैरासीत् समावृता॥
Warriors dead and dying, trunks without heads, lopped off portions of human bodies deprived of armour, covered the battle-field.

धनंजयशराभ्यस्तैः स्यन्दनाश्वरथद्विपैः। संछिन्नभिन्नविध्वस्तैर्व्यङ्गङ्गावयवैः स्तृता॥ सुदुर्गमा सुविषमा घोरात्यर्थ सुदुर्दशा। रणभूमिरभूद राजन् महावैतरणी यथा।॥
O monarch, heaps of unshapely and mangled bodies of elephants and horses, cutoff by Dhananjaya with his weapons in different ways and broken cars made the field look ghastly and awful and the way uneven and impassable, resembling the great river Vaitarani.

ईषाचक्राक्षभग्नैश्च व्यश्वैः साश्चैश्च युध्यताम्। ससूतैर्हतसूतैश्च रथैस्तीर्णाभवन्मही॥
It was also strewn with cars, some without horses and some with horses yoked on them and some with drivers and some without drivers, as also with broken axles, wheels and arrows.

सुवर्णवर्णसंनाहैर्योधैः कनकभूषणैः। आस्थिता: क्लृप्तवर्माणो भद्रा नित्यमदा द्विपाः॥ क्रुद्धाः क्रूरैर्महामात्रैः पाष्णार्यष्ठप्रचोदिताः। चतुःशताः शरवरैर्हता: पेतुः किरीटिना॥ पर्यस्तानीव श्रृङ्गाणि ससत्त्वानि महागिरेः। धनंजयशराभ्यस्तैः स्तीर्णा भूर्वरवारणैः॥
Four hundred fearful and highly trained elephants ridden by wrathful warriors enveloped in golden coloured armors and decked with golden ornaments, urged by the pressure of the heels and toes of their guides, who were also powerful, filled with rage and cruel, came forward and was struck down by the chosen weapons of Kiritin or the diademdecked Arjuna and fell down resembling great mountain tops inhabited by living beings when loosened. Dhananjaya covered the earth by killing many great and choice elephants by his shafts.

समन्ताज्जालदप्रख्यान् वारणान् मदवर्षिणः। अभिपेदेऽर्जुनरथो धनान् भिन्दनिवांशुमान्॥
Heaps of carcasses of elephants with greasy matter oozing out of them looked like clouds and as the sun stands out in relief dispersing the clouds, so Dhananjaya's car passed through these masses of dead elephants.

हतैर्गजमनुष्याश्चैर्भित्रश्च बहुधा रथैः। विशस्त्रयन्त्रकवचैर्युद्धशौण्डैर्गतासुभिः॥ अपविद्धायुधैर्मागङ: स्तीर्णोभूत फाल्गुनेन वै।
Phalguna made a great havoc and the path was covered with dead horses, men, elephants and with many broken chariots, as also with dead bodies of warriors divested to their coats of mail, instruments of war and other weapons and the place was also strewn over with various sorts of weapons loosened from the clutches that held them.

व्यस्फारयद् वै गाण्डीव सुमहद् भैरवारवम्॥ घोरवज्रविनिष्पेषं स्तनयित्नुरिवाम्बरे।
The awful sound made by his out-stretched Gandiva was like the clash of thunder amidst the gloomy clouds.

ततः प्रादीर्यत चमूर्धनंजयशराहता॥ महावातमसाविद्धा महानौरिव सागरे।
As in a hurricane a great vessel is wrecked to pieces by the tossing of the sea, so your army was broken and it suffered badly from Dhananjaya's shots.

नानारूपाः प्राणाहरा: शरा गाण्डीवचोदिताः॥ अलातौल्काशनिप्रख्यास्तव सैन्यं विनिर्दहन्।
Lots of deadly, burning and meteor-like shots, coming like thunder-bolts out of the Gandiva, began to burn down your troops.

महागिरौ वेणुवनं निशि प्रज्वलितं यथा।॥ तथा तव महासैन्यं प्रास्फुरच्छरपीडितम्।
As on a night, a blazing forest of bamboos burns on a great mountain, so your great army looked ablaze under fire from (Arjuna's) shots.

संपिष्टदग्धविध्वस्तं तव सैन्यं किरीटिना॥ कृतं प्रविहतं बाणैः सर्वतः प्रद्रुतं दिशः।
Your troops, being thus hard pressed, burnt and distressed and killed by Kiritin's (Arjuna's), arrows began to fly in all directions.

महावने मृगगणा दावाग्नित्रासिता यथा।॥ कुरवः पर्यवर्तन्त निर्दग्धाः सव्यसाचिना।
As in a great forest, herds of deer being afraid fly wildly in all directions when it catches fire, verily such became the fate of the Kauravas when they were burnt to death by Savyasachin.

उत्सृज्य च महाबाहुं भीमसेन तथा रणे॥ बलं कुरूणामुद्धिग्नं सर्वमासीत् पराङ्मुखम्।
Leaving the strong-armed Bhimasena the distressed Kaurava troops retreated from the filed.

ततः कुरुषु भग्नेषु बीभत्सुरपराजितः॥ भीमसेन समासाद्य मुहूर्तं सोऽभ्यवर्तत।
Thus breaking down the Kuru army the unconquerable Vibhatsu then approached Bhimasena and resied there for a while.

समागम्य च भीमेन मन्त्रयित्वा च फाल्गुनः॥ विशल्यमरुजं चास्मै कथायित्वा युधिष्ठिरम्।
Phalguna then receiving Bhima's caress and consulting him for a while, informed him that the arrows with which Yudhishthira was afflicted have been drawn out of his body and that he is keeping well.

भीमसेनाभ्यनुज्ञातस्ततः प्रायाद् धनंजयः॥ नादयन् रथघोषेण पृथिवीं यां च भारत।
O Bharata, then taking Bhima's permission, Dhananjaya again advanced towards his enemies, making the earth and sky ring back with the rattling noise of his car-wheels.

ततः परिवृतो वीरैर्दशभिर्योधपुङ्गवैः॥ दुःशासनादवरजैस्तव पुत्रैधनंजयः।
Then your ten sons, who were born after Dushasana, all good warriors and brave hearted, surrounded Dhananjaya.

ते तमभ्यर्दयन् बाणैरूल्काभिरिव कुञ्जरम्॥ अततेष्वसनाः शूरा नृत्यन्त इव भारत।
O Bharata, they with drawn bows distressed Arjuna with fiery arrows even as do the hunters an elephant and seemed to dance in the battlefield (With excitement).

अपसव्यांस्तु तांश्चक्रे रथेन मधुसूदनः॥ न युक्तान् हि स तान् मेने यमायाशु किरीटिना।
And the destroyer of (Asura) Madhu, quite confident that Kiritin will soon send them to the region of Pluto, urged on the car, brought them all to the right side.

तथान्ये प्राद्रवन मूढाः पराङ्मुखरथेऽर्जुन॥ तेषामापततां केतूनश्वांश्चापानि सायकान्। नाराचैरर्धचन्दैश्च क्षिप्रं पार्थो न्यपातयत्॥
Then seeing that Arjuna with his car was getting from them, they made a rush towards him. Then Partha soon struck off their banners, bows and horses and they fell down on the earth; then with some crescent-shaped arrows.

अथान्यैर्बहुभिर्भल्लैः शिरांस्येषामपातयत्। रोषसंरक्तंनेत्राणि संदष्टौष्ठानि भूतले॥ तानि वक्त्राणि विवभुः कमलानीव भूरिशः।
And with ten other shafts cut-off their heads. Those heads with lips and eyes red with rage looked fair like a collection of lotuses.

तांस्तु भल्लैर्महावेगैर्दशभिर्दश भारत॥ रुक्माङ्गदान रुक्मपुर्हत्वा प्रायादमित्रहा॥
The destroyer of his enemies (Arjuna) thus sending ten gold mailed Kauravas to the other world with ten broad-headed, gold-winged and swift arrows proceeded onward.