Bhishma-Vadha Parva — The encounter between Drona and Arjuna

Dhritarashtra said How, O descendant of the Bharata race, did Alambusha fight with the heroic son of Arjuna who had been slaying mighty car-warriors in battle?

How did also the son of Subhadra that slayer of hostile heroes, fight with the son of Rishyashringa? Describe all this in detail to me as it actually happened in the battle.

What did also Bhima, that foremost of carwarriors and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha and Nakula and Sahadeva and the car-warriors Satyaki and Dhananjaya do to my troops in that battle? Tell me all this truly, O Sanjaya, for you are well acquainted with the incident of the battle.

Sanjaya said I shall describe to you, O sire in detail, the hair-string battle that was fought between the prince of the Rakshasas an the son of Subhadra;

As also the prowess that Arjuna and Bhimasena the son of Pandu, and Nakula and Sahadeva did display in battle;

As also how your warriors, headed by Bhishma and Drona, fearlessly achieved many wonderful feats in battle.

In that battle uttering fierce roars Abhimanyu the mighty car-warrior, Alambusha, repeatedly challenging the former,

Rushed at him saying “Stop, Stop." Abhimanyu also, incessantly roaring like a lion,

Rushed at that mighty bowman, the son of Rishyashringa, that implacable enemy of his father. Thereupon these two foremost of carwarriors, man and Rakshasa, impetuously met one another on their respective cars, like a deity and a Danava. The foremost of the Rakshasas was possessed of illusive powers while Phalguna's son was accomplished in the use of celestial weapons. at

Thereafter, O mighty monarch, Krishna's nephew, piercing the son of Rishyashringa with three shafts of exceeding sharpness, again pierced him with five,

Thereupon Alambusha, inflamed with rage, pierced Krishna's nephew on the breast with nine swift-coursing shafts, like a guide piercing a huge elephant with the hook.

Then that ranger of the night, endued with great lightness, afflicted Arjuna's son in battle, OBharata, with thousands of arrows.

Thereat Abhimanyu, waxing worth, with nine straight-knotted and whetted shafts, pierced that foremost of the Rakshasas on his broad chest.

Those shafts, then piercing through his body, penetrated into his very vitals. His body mangled with those shafts, the foremost of the Rakshasas appeared beautiful,

Like mountain overgrown with blossoming Kinshuka trees. Struck with those arrows furnished with golden wings, that highly powerful,

And foremost Rakshasa, appeared beautiful like a mountain on fire. Thereupon, O monarch, the vindictive son of Rishyashringa, waxing worth, a

Paired, with winged shafts, that nephew of Krishna, who resembled the great Indra himself. Those sharp arrows, resembling the rod of Death, discharged by the Rakshasa,

Piercing through Abhimanyu, penetrated the surface of the earth. So also, gold-decked arrows shot by the son of Arjuna,

Piercing Alambusha entered the earth. Then the son of Subhadra with his straight shafts,

Compelled the Rakshasa to turn his face away from the field, like Shakra repulsing Maya in the great battle between the celestials and the Asuras. Thus repulsed and afflicted by the foe in battle, the Rakshasas,

That afflicter of enemies, created a veil of impenetrable darkness through his illusive prowess. Then O ruler of men, every body was covered by the gloom;

And none was able to discern Abhimanyu, or his friends or enemies. Then, beholding that palpable darkness of great fearfulness, Abhimanyu,

That delighter of the Kuru race, invoked into existence the solar weapon of great effulgence. Then, O monarch, the world was again disclosed to the sight.

And with that weapon Abhimanyu destroyed the illusion of that wicked-souled Rakshasa. Then waxing worth, that foremost of men, endued with great prowess, covered the prince of the Rakshasas in that battle with a net-work of straight-knotted shaft. Various other kinds of illusion was created by that Rakshasas;

But Phalguna's son, of immeasurable should, and versed in the use of all weapons, destroyed them all. Then the Rakshasas, his illusions all neutralised, and himself afflicted with shafts,

Fled out fear, forsaking his chariot even where he was. When that Rakshasas, ever fighting unfairly, had been thus speedily vanquished,

Then son of Arjuna began to crush your troops in battle like an infuriated excellent elephant agitating a lake having lotuses blooming in its waters.

Thereupon Bhishma the son of Shantanu beholding the troops thus routed by the son of Subhadra, choked the latter with a mighty shower of arrows.

Then the mighty car-warrior of the Dhritarashtra's host encircling that single hero, began to pierce him forcibly with many arrows.

Thereat that hero (Abhimanyu) equal in prowess to his father and to the son of Vasudeva in strength and powers,

That foremost of all wielders of weapon, performed in battle many a wonderful feat worthy of his father and his maternal uncle.

Thereupon that heroic Dhananjaya, highly enraged, desirous of rescuing his son, rushed to the spot where the latter was, slaying your troops as he came.

So also, O monarch your sire Devavrata encountered the son of Pritha in battle, like Rahu meeting the lustrous orb.

Thereupon, O ruler of men, your sons with cars, steeds, and and elephants, surrounded Bhishma in battle and began to protect him.

So also, O king, the Pandavas, clad in mail, surrounding Dhananjaya, O foremost of the Bharatas, began to put forth all their energies in battle.

Then, O king, The son of Sharadvata, who was stationed in front of Bhishma, pierced Arjuna with a number of twenty five arrows.

Rushing against him like a tiger rushing against an elephant, Satyaki pierced him with whetted shafts, desirous of doing good to the Pandavas.

The son of Gautami also great celerity and waxing worth, pierced the descendant of Madhu's race on the breast with nine shafts decked with golden wings.

Thereat the grandson of Shini also highly inflamed with rage, bending his bow quickly fixed on the bow-string a shaft capable of doing away with the son of Gautami.

Then the irate son of Drona seeing the effulgent dare course swiftly like the thunderbolt of Indra, speedily cut it in twain.

Thereupon that foremost of car-warriors the grandson of Shini, forsaking Gautama's son in battle, rushed towards Drona's son, like Rahu in the firmament rushing towards the moon.

The son of Drona cut of the bow of Satyaki in twain. O Bharata; then he pierced him whose bow had been cut with numerous shafts.

Then taking up another capable of slaying the foe and of bearing great stream, Satyaki pierced the son of Drona on the breast and on the arms with a group of sixty shafts, O king.

Thus pierced and pained, the latter became unconscious and he sat down on the terrace of his and supported himself by holding the flagstaff.

Then Drona's son possessed of great prowess regaining consciousness and waxing worth, pierced the descendant of the Vrishni race with a Naracha.

That Naracha penetrating Shini's grandson, entered the surface of the earth like a powerful young snake entering its hold in the spring.

Then with another broad-headed arrow Drona's down the excellent standard of him of Madhu's race; and then uttered a fierce warcry.

One more he covered Satyaki with a dreadful group of arrows, O monarch, like clouds covering the sun at the expiration of the summer season.

Satyki also, O mighty monarch, destroying that net-work of arrows, speedily scattered on Drona's a large number of arrows.

Then that grandson of Shini, freed from that net-work of arrows, like the sun emerging out of the clouds, began to scorch the son of Drona (with his arrows).

Inflamed with ire, the highly puissant Satyaki once again covered Drona's son with a thousand shafts; and then uttered his war-cry.

Then beholding his son in that plight, like the moon devoured by Rahu, the highly powerful son of Bharadvaja rushed against the grandson of Shini.

Then in that great battle, he pierced him of the Vrishni race with arrows of excceding sharpness, desirous of rescuing his own son so afflicted by the latter (Satyaki).

Then abandoning that mighty car-warrior that son of the preceptor Drona, Satyaki, picrced Drona with twenty shafts of sharpness like that battle axe.

At this crisis, that afflicter of foes that mighty car-warrior the son of Kunti, (Arjuna) waxing worth, rushed against Drona.

Then Drona and Arjuna met in that fierce battle, like, O mighty monarch, Venus and Jupiter meeting one another on the heavens.