Goharana Parva — The battle between Arjuna and Dushasana

Vaishampayana said Thereupon having vanquished Vaikartanas son (Karna), Arjuna said to Virata's son (Uttara). "Take me to that army where is seen the emblem of golden palmyra.

There our grand-father, Bhishma the son of Shantanu looking like an immortal, wait on his car, desirous of an encounter with me.

Then beholding the huge army consisting of cars, elephants and iorses, and being wounded greatly with arrows Uttara said to Partha.

"O hero, I am incapable of restraining here your excellent horses. My vital breaths are being exhausted and my mind is bewildered.

The ten quarters appear as if melting away on account of the effulgence of the celestials weapon used by you as well as by the Kurus.

I am beside myself with the smell of flesh, blood and fat. Beholding your feat, my mind has been divided in twain.

I had never seen before in battle such an assemblage of heroes. By the great sound of the clashing of maces, the blare of conchs

By the war-cries of the heroes, the roars of elephants, by the twang of the Gandiva resembling the sound of lightning.

I have been so stupified, O hero, that I have been deprived of the power hearing and recollecting. Beholding you making, a circle in battle while drawing your Gandiva bow my vision is growing dilated, O hero, and my heart is rending asunder.

Beholding your dreadful figure in battle resembling that of the holder of Pinaka when worked up with anger and as well as the terrible arrows discharged by you, I am filled with fear.

I am at a loss to find out when you take up your fine arrows, set them on your bowstring and shoot them. Deprived of my consciousness, I do not see you, although before my eyes.

My vitality is sinking and the earth seems moving before me. I have no power to hold the reins of these horses.

Arjuna said Do not fear; cheer yourself up. You too, O foremost of men, performed many wonderful deeds in the battle-field.

May you fare well. You are a prince born, in the well-known race of Matsya, for vanquishing your enemies. You should not therefore be dispirited.

Stationed on my car, call up your great energy, O prince. Restrain my horses in battle, O slayer of enemies.

Vaishampayana said Having thus addressed the son of Virata, the foremost of men Arjuna the best of carwarriors again said to Uttara.

Take me again before Bhishma's army. I shall cut off his bowstring in battle.

You will see today the divine weapons, aglow with beauty, shot by me, flashing like lightning in the midst of clouds in the sky.

The Kurus shall see my Gandiva with back made of gold. The enemies assembled together shall discuss by saying "By which hand of his, right or left, does he discharge arrows." I shall make a terrible river to flow today towards the other world, with blood for its water, the cars for the eddies and the elephants for the sharks. I shall, with arrows of depressed knots, cut off the Kuru forest having hands feet, heads, backs and arms for the branches of the trees. And vanquishing alone the Kuru army with a bow in hand, there will be a hundred roads to me as to fire in the forest. Struck by me, you will see, the army whirling only like a wheel.

I shall show you today my most accomplished training in archery and the use of weapons. Stand firmly on my car, whether the ground be even or uneven. I can pierce with my winged arrows even the Sumeru mountain that rises up to the sky.

Formerly at Indra's command I killed hundreds and thousands of Paulomas and Kalakhajs in battle. I have obtained the firmness of grasp from Indra and successful aim from Brahma.

I have learnt from Prajapati the diverse kinds of fierce warfare. On the other side of the ocean, I defeated sixty thousand car-warriors all dreadful archers living in Hiranyapura. Behold me, today striking down the vast number of Kurus like a high wind scattering a heap of cotton. By the power of my arrows I shall set fire to the Kuru forest having standards for the trees, the infantry for the shrubs and the car-warriors for the beasts of prey. Like the holder of thunder routing the demons alone shall I today with my straight arrows strike down from the nests of their cars the Kurus fighting to the best of their power in battle.

I have obtained from Rudra, the Rudra, from Varuna the Varuna from Agni, the Agneya, from Vayu, the Vayavya, and from Indra the thunderbolt and other weapons.

I shall forsooth eradicate the dreadful Dhritarashtra forest although protected by many powerful heroes. Therefore remove your fear, O son of Virata."

Thus consoled by Savyasachin the son of Virata entered into that dreadful array of cars protected by Bhishma.

The patient Bhishma (the son of river) withstood the mighty armed Arjuna advancing with a view to vanquish the Kurus in battle.

Then approaching him and drawing out a sharp arrow, Vishnu cut off with it the root of his banner. Struck down it fell on the ground.

At this the four powerful heroes Dushasana, Vikarana, Dussaha and Vivinshati, skilled in the use of weapons, gifted with great energy and adorned with beautiful garlands and ornaments, approaching, withstood that dreadful bowman Bibhatsu.

Having pierced Virata's son Uttara with a dart, the heroic Dushasana struck Arjuna on the breast with a second one.

Confronting him, Vishnu with a greatly sharpened arrow with the wings of a vulture, cut off his bow made of burnished gold.

He then wounded him on his breast with five arrows. Assailed by the arrows of Partha, he left the battle-field.

Then with sharp and straight arrows having the wings of vultures, Dhritarashtra's son Vikarana sounded Arjuna, the slayer of hostile heroes.

Immediately also the son of Kunti wounded him on his forehead with straight arrows. Thus wounded, he fell down from his chariot.

With a view to rescue his brother in battle, Dussaha, accompanied by Vivinshati, approached Partha and covered him with sharp arrows.

Not the least excited Dhananjaya simultaneously struck both of them with a pair of sharp arrows and destroyed the horses of the both.

Having their horses slain and persons wounded, both the sons of Dhritarashtra were taken away by their followers who came there with other chariots.

Bibhatsu, never defeated in battle-the highly powerful son of Kunti, adorned with a diadem and having sure aim, covered all the quarters with his arrows.