Bhishma-Vadha Parva — Withdrawal of the troops at the end of the fourth day's combat

Sanjaya said Then, O monarch, inflamed with wrath he pierced Satyaki with nine arrows, like an elephant-driver piercing the animal with the iron hook.

Thereat, before the very eyes of the spectators, Satyaki of immeasurable soul shrouded with his arrows of straight-joints, him of the Kaurava host.

Thereupon king Duryodhana, encircled by his uterine brothers, surrounded (for supporting him) the son of Somadatta, who had been striving hard in the encounter.

In the same manner, the Pandavas endued with great might, speedily forming themselves in a circle round Satyaki, stood (ready) in that battle.

Then, O Bharata, Bhimasena wrought up with wrath, with his upraised mace, opposed your sons headed by Duryodnana himself.

Supported by many thousand of cars, and excited with rage and fury, your son Nandaka pierced Bhimasena of great might with keenpointed shafts whetted on stone and winged with the feathers of the Kanka bird. Then also, O monarch, Duryodhana excited with rage, in that fierce fight, struck Bhimasena on the breast with nine whetted shafts. Thereafter the mighty-armed Bhimasena endued with superior strength mounted on his own most excellent chariot and thus addressed his charioteer Vishoka. These heroic and mighty carwarriors, these sons of Dhritarashtra endued with prowess.

Excited with anger, are all striving to slay me in battle. Beholding ihose brothers of Duryodhana, I see tree of my desirous so long is now fruitful. O deprived of sorrow, where the dusts of chariots spread with shafts into all directions of the sky, Duryodhana stays for fight. Them will I undoubtedly slay today before your very eyes. Therefore, a charioteer, do you drive iny steeds carefully in this encounter.

Having thus spoken, O ruler of men, the pointed shafts ornamented with gold. He also pierced Nandaka in return, in the centre of his breast, with three arrows.

Thereat Duryodhana, having pierced in return Bhima of superior strength with sin arrows, pierced Vishoka with another three well-sharpened shafts.

In that battle, O king, as if smiling, Duryodhana with these arrows cut off the effulgent bow of Bhima near the grasp.

Then in that battle, Bhima, beholding his charioteer Vishoka afflicted with shape shafts discharged by the mighty bowman, namely your son,

And unable to brook it and inflamed with wrath, took up another bow of celestial make, in order, O mighty sovereign, O foremost of men, to encompass the death of your son.

Inflamed with wrath, he also took up an arrow with a horse-shoe head, furnished with feathery wings, and with it Bhima severed the excellent bow of the king (Duryodhana).

Thereat your son overwhelmed with fury, throwing off that severed bow, swiftly took up another bow of tougher make.

O monarch placing on his bow-string a fierce Visokha shaft that resembled in effulgence the bludgeon of Death himself, your son excited to the highest pitch of fury struck Bhimasena with it, on the centre of his breast.

There-with struck home and afflicted sore, he (Bhima) squatted on the terrace of his car; and when he was thus seated, he was overwhelmed with a swoon.

Beholding Bhima thus afflicted, the mighty car-warriors of the Pandava host headed by Abhimanyu, all of excellent parts could not brook it.

Then these warriors, without the least flurry, poured on the head of your son a mighty shower of arrows of fierce velocity.

Meanwhile Bhimasena of mighty prowess having regained consciousness, pierced Duryodhana with three shafts and again with another five.

That fierce bowman, that son of Pandava then pierced Shalya with twenty-five shafts furnished with golden wings. Thus pierced, the latter fled from the field of battle.

Thereat your fourteen sons namely, Senapati, Sushena, Jalasandha, Sulochana, Ugra, Bhimaratha, Bhima, Virabahu, Alolupa, Durmukha, Dushpradharsha, Vivitsu, Vikata and Soma, then encountered Bhima (in that battle).

With their eyes coppery in rage, and shooting myriads of shafts, they rushed against Bhimasena, piercing him simultaneously.

Then the heroic Bhimasena of superior might, beholding your sons, began to lick the corners of his mouth like a wolf in the midst of inferior beasts.

Then that mighty-armed son of Pandu, swooping down with great violence like Garuda himself, cut off with a horse shoe headed shaft the head of Senapati.

Then with a cheerful soul, laughing all the while, that one of strong arms, piercing Jarasandha with three shafts, transported him to the abode of Death.

Then slaying Sushena also, he dispatched him to Death. With a broad headed arrow he felled on the ground the head of Ugra furnished with a helmet and graced with a couple of Kundalas, and loO king like the (charming) moon itself. Thereafter Bhima the son of Pandu, piercing in that battle Virabahu, along with his steeds, standards and charioteer with seventy arrows, dispatched him to the other world. Then as if smiling, Bhimasena, O monarch, conveyed to the abodes of Death the two brothers Bhima and Bhimaratha. Then in that fierce contest, with an arrow furnished with a horse-shoe head, Bhima, dispatched Sulochana to the regions of Death, before the eyes of all the soldiers.

Then the rest of your sons who were there, beholding in the field the prowess of Bhimasena, and while being thus struck by that high-souled warrior, all ran away from the filed of battle afraid of Bhima.

Thereupon the son of Shantanu thus addressed the mighty car-warriors of his army, This fierce bowman, Bhima, inflamed with wrath, is slaughtering in battle the mighty sons of Dhritarashtra, accomplished in weapons, heroic, courageous and united though they are. Do you all receive that son of Pandu in battle”.

Thus spoken to, all the warriors belonging to the army of Dhritarashtra's son, furious in at Bhimasena endued with superhuman strength.

Suddenly, O ruler of men, Bhagadatta, mounted on an elephants with rent temples, rushed towards the spot where Bhima was stationed.

rage, rushed Rushing to the encounter, he, in that battle, intercepted Bhimasena from the view, (covering him) with shafts whetted on stone like clouds intercepting the sun from the view.

Then the mighty car-warriors headed by Abhimanyu, who all relied on the strength of their arms, could not brook this interception of Bhima.

So, all those heroes opposed Bhagadatta on all sides with a showier of arrows, and they also began to pierce the elephants from all sides with an arrow down pour.

That elephants of the ruler of the Pragjyotishas, O king, being struck by all those mighty warriors, with sharers of weapons of diverse description.

And with blood spattered on its body became, in that battle, woryour of being looked at, like masses of rain-clouds tinged with the rays of the sun. That elephant, shedding temporal juice, being goaded by Bhagadatta, rushed against all those (heroes), like Death incarnate urged on by the Destroyer himself.

It doubled its speed and shook the earth under death its tread. Then all those mighty car-warriors, seeing that dreadful aspect of the animal,

And considering it irresistible, lost their heart. Then that king the foremost of men, excited with wrath, struck Bhimasena on the centre of his chest, with a straight shaft. That mighty car-warrior and bowman, being pierced by that monarch, with his limbs stiffened in consequence of a swoon, caught hold of his flat staff. Beholding them terrified, and seeing Bhima overwhelmed with a swoon.

The powerful Bhagadatta endued with great prowess uttered a loud roar. Then O monarch, the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha of dreadful appearance seeing Bhima ir that plight became inflamed with fury, and even there disappeared from the sight. And spreading a terrible illusion capable of enhancing the apprehension of the cowards, hc reappeared with a moment assuming a dreadful form, and riding on an Airavata the creation of his own illusive powers.

Other elephants guarding the points of the compass, namely, Anjana, Vamana Mahapadma, followed it, all effulgence.

All these three mighty elephants ridden by Rakshsasa were possessed of prodigious bodies with the temporal juice profusely exuding from their temples. of pure

And they were endued with prowess strength and might and great fleetness and courage. Then Ghatotkacha goaded his own elephants in battle,

Being desirous, O afflicter of your foes, of slaying Bhagadatta along with his elephants. Goaded by the Rakshasas, of great strength, the other elephants.

Each possessed of four tusks, fell from all sides, with fury, upon the elephants of Bhagadatta, striking the latter at the same time with their tusks.

Wounded with arrows, and afflicted by those elephants, and smearing with pain, the elephants, of Bhagadatta set up a mighty roar that resembled the rumble of the thunderbolt of Indra.

Hearing those deep and dreadful cries the roaring elephants, Bhishma thus spoke to Drona and king Suyodhana,

“This mighty bowman Bhagadatta fighting in his battle with the wicked souled son of Hidimba, is involved in a great peril.

This Rakshasa is of prodigious stature, and king Bhagadatta also is very wrathful. Surely encountering each other in the fight they both will prove like the Death and the Destroyer.

Even now do we hear the mighty uproar of the enraptured Pandavas, as also the distressful and loud cries of the frightened elephants (of Bhagadatta).

Good betide you, we shall now proceed to protect the king; unprotected, in battle, he will soon be deprived of his life.

Therefore, warriors of extraordinary prowess, make havee; O sinless ones, do not delay. This hair stirring and ruthless combat is deepening more and more.

This leader of a division is devoted to us, is the son of an illustrious dynasty and is endued with bravery. O you of unfading renown, it is proper that his rescue should be effected by us."

Listening to those words of Bhishma all the monarchs forming in serried files and headed by the son Bharadvaja, with a desire for rescuing Bhagadatta.

Proceeded in all have to the spot where the later was. Beholding them advance, the Panchalas together with the Pandavas headed by Yudhishthira himself pursued the enemy from behind. Beholding that mighty host, the foremost of the Rakshasa endued with prowess.

Uttered a deafening roar, that resembled the roar of thunder. Hearing his roar and seeing those fighting elephants.

The son of Shantanu, namely, Bhishma again addressed the son of Bharadvaja saying:I do not like to fight with the wicked-souled son of Hidimba.

At present he is surcharged with strength and prowess and is well supported. He is now incapable of being defeated even by the wielder of the thunderbolt himself.

He is sure in his aims and can strike home; our vehicles are all fatigued and we have been wounded and lacerated in our fight with the Pandavas and the Panchalas.

Therefore we do not like to fight any longer with the Pandavas. Proclaim there fore, the withdraw of our divisions for this day. Tomorrow shall we again battle with the enemy".

Hearing these words of the grandsire, and afflicted as they were with the fear of Ghatotkacha, they (the Kauravas) delightedly did what the former said availing themselves of the pretest advent of night.

Upon the withdrawal of the Kurus, the victorious Pandavas sent up their war cries accompanied with the blare of conchs and cornets.

Thus, O foremost of the Bharata race, did the battle rage that day, between the Kurus and the Pandavas headed by Ghatotkacha.

Thereafter, the Kauravas, at night fall haveily repaired to their own encampments, being ashamed and being vanquished by the Pandavas.

Those mighty car-warriors, the sons of Pandu, with their bodies mangled with shafts in battle. O king retired to their camps with heares over flowing with joy.

And, O mighty monarch, they proceeded placing Bhimasena and Ghatotkacha at their van, and 0 mighty sovereign, worshipping them out of great delight.

They uttered diverse cries that became mingled with sounds of the tabors, and they uttered also their war-cries which again were mingled with the blare of their conchs.

Those high-souled warriors, uttering leonine roars and shaking the earth with their tread, O sire, agitated the heares of your sons.

Then those repressors of their foes retired to their camps at the advent of night. King Duryodhana, on the other hand, distressed in consequence of the slaughter of his brothers. some

Reflected for moments, whelmed with tears and grief. Then making all the necessary arrangements for his camp according to the rules of military sciences he began to mediate, afflicted (as he was with) the death of his brother and overcome with poignant grief on their account.