Bhishma-Vadha Parva — The single combats,

Dhritarashtra said I have heard, O Sanjaya as you have discoursed on, of the numerous and wonderful single combats fought between my warriors and those of the sons of Pandu.

But, O Sanjaya, you never speak of my soldiers being delightful (on such occasion). You always speak of the warriors of the Pandavas as cheerful and never routed.

You always speak of my warriors as depressed in mind, vanquished and shorn of energy in battle. O Suta, indubitably all this is brought about by Destiny.

Sanjaya said Your warriors strive in battle to the best of their strength and ardour, displaying, 0 foremost of the Bharatas, their manliness as much as possible.

Even as the very tasteful water of the celestial river Ganga flowing into that of the mighty main, aitains saline properties.

So also, O monarch, the mainlines of the illustrious warriors of your army opposed by that of the heroic sons of Pandu becomes baffled in battle.

It behaves you not, O foremost of the Kurus, to attribute blame to your own warriors, who exert themselves to the best of their inighty and achieve feats that are difficult of being done so.

From your own fault, and from that of your son, ruler of men, this great and dreadful destruction ( of the creature of) the earth has come to pass, adding considerably to the population of Death's kingdom.

It behooves your not. O king, to grieve for what has come to pass in consequence of your own faults. The kings do not pay any the least regard to their lives in this battle.

The rulers of men (assembled on the filed), desire to attain to the regions of those that perform pious acts. always cherishing a desire for attaining paradise, they are fighting agitating the hostile army.

That afternoon, O mighty monarch a great destruction of creatures took place. Hear of me, with singleness of attention of that battle that ras.

The two (royal) brothers from Avanti, both mighty bow-men, possessed of great might, and exceeding effulgence, and both formidable in battle, beholding Iravat, rushed at him.

Then the combat that was fought between them was dreadful and horripilating. thereupon Iravat waxing wrath, quickly pierced those two brothers of godly presence, with straight knotted shafts of exceeding sharpness. those two warriors versed in diverse odes of warfare pierced Iravat in return, in that battle,

As thcy fought on. O king, striking their best to slay their mutual foes and desirous of avenging what is done to one another, there could be found no distinction between them.

Then in that conflict, Iravat, O king's with four arrows, dispatched the four steeds of Anuvinda to the regions of Death.

Also, O sire, with a couple of keen-aged broad-headed arrows, the former cut off the standard and bow of the latter in that battle. all this, O king, seemed to be wonderful.

Thereupon Anuvinda leaving his own car, ascended that of Vinda; thereafter he grasped an excellent bow of great toughness and capable of bearing a great strain.

Then those two foremost of car-warriors endued with heroism and riding on one and the same car, both belonging to the country of Avanti, began to shower incessantly arrows on the high-souled Iravat.

Shot by them both, swift-fiying arrows decked with gold, intercepting the rays of the orb of the day, (literally) covered the sky.

Thereupon, inflamed with wrath, Iravat poured an arrow downpour on the two brothers both mighty car-warriors; and he felled their charioteer.

When deprived of life, the charioteer fell down on the earth, the chariot was dragged in all directions in consequence of its horses being unrestrained.

Obtaining victory, O monarch, over the two brothers, the son of the daughter of the king of the Nagas displaying his inanliness, began speedily to spread havoc among your soldiers.

This slaughtered in battle, the mighty army of the sons of Dhritarashtra performed various movements like a man reeling through the effects of poisoning.

Then the on of Hidimba, the foremost of the Rakshasas endued with great strength, riding on his chariot of solar has and furnished with a standard, rushed against Bhagadatta.

Thereupon the ruler of the Pragjyotishas mounted on his princes of elephants like the wielder of the thunder bolt mounting on his Airavat in the days of yore at the time of the battle caused by the insult offered by Taraka.

Then there came the celestial along with the Gandharvas and the sages. They were unable to find out any destruction between the son of Hidimba and Bhagadatta.

As the lord of the celestial (Indra) waxing worth had struck terror into the hearts of the Danavas, so did also the ruler of the Pragjyotishas, O king, in that battle frighten and crush the Pandava troops.

Thus routed by hiin on all directions, the Pandava troops, O Bharata, did not find, in their whole host, an one competent to save them.

We then only beheld the son of Bhimasena (Ghatotkacha), O Bharata riding on his car the rest of the car-warriors, with minds distracted (with fear) had fled (in all directions.

Then, O Bharata, when the Pandava forces rallied, a dreadful and fierce roar was sent up by your troops in that battle.

Thereupon, O mighty monarch, in the fierce engagement that commenced Ghatotkacha covered Bhagadatta with a shower of arrows, like a rain cloud covering the Meru mountain with a downpour of rain.

Then king Bhagadatta, severing those arrows shot from the bow of the Rakshasas, in that combat quickly pierced the son of Bhimasena in all his vital parts.

Wounded with innumerable this straight jointed shafts, that foremost of the Rakshusas did not fight, (but stood firm) like a mountain though cleft open.

The ruler of the Pragjyotishas inflamed with rage, in that battle sped fourteen Tomaras against the Rakshasas, who (easily) cut them off.

Then that Rakshasa of mighty arms cutting off those Tomaras, pierced Bhagadatta with seventy shafts of exceeding sharpness, all resembling the thunderbolt of Heaven.

Thereupon the king of the Pragjyotishas, in that combat, as if smiling, dispatched, O Bharata, to death the four horses of the Rakshasas.

Standing on his car of which the steeds were slain, that foremost of the Rakshasas endued with prowess hurled at the elephants of Bhagadatta, s Shakti, with great force.

Then the ruler of the Pragjyotishas cut off that Shakti falling with great veheinence and furnished with a golden staff, into three splinters and the Shakti fell shattered on the ground.

seeing his Shakti splintered into pieces, the son of Hidimba fled out of fear like Namuchi the foremost of the Daityas flying, in the days of yore, from the fight with Indra.

Obtaining victory, O king, in battle over that heroic and highly powerful Rakshasa of illustrious renown who is incapable of being vanquished evü by the god of Death and Varuna themselves.

Bhagadatta riding on his elephants crushed in that battle, the troops of the Pandavas, even like a wild elephants, that roves, O king, trampling lotus stems (underneath its huge feet).

The ruler of the Madra encountered in battle the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva. He covered his two nephews, both sons of Pandu, with an arrow down pour.

Sahadeva finding himself encountered by his uncle in battle, shrouded him with a network of arrows, like clouds shrouding the solar orb.

Shrouded by that net-work of shafts the Madra king wore an appearance indicative of joy the twins also were greatly delighted for the sake of their mother.

Thereafter in that combat, that mighty carwarriors the Madra king, O king, with four excellent arrows dispatched smilingly Nakula's four steeds to the monsoon of Death. Then that mighty car-warrior Nakula jumping down from his car of which the horses were slain.

Ascended the vehicle of his illustrious brother. Then in that battle the heroic, mounted on the same car, stretching their touch bows,

Waxing irascible and becoming formidable in battle, covered the king of the Madras (with shafts). Covered with innumerable straightjointed arrows.

Shot by his nephews, that foremost of men (the Madra king) moved not, but stood still even like a mountain; then as if smiling, he baffled that shower of arrows.

Thereupon the highly powerful Sahadeva, inflamed with wrath, grasping a dare, rushed at the ruler of Madras and then hurled it at him, O Bharata.

That dare shot by him and coursing swiftly like the Garuda himself, penetrating through the body of the Madra king, fell down on earth.

Thus deeply pierced, and smarting with pain, that mighty car-warrior squatted down on the terrace of his car, and O mighty monarch he was overwhelmed with a swoon.

In that battle, seeing him (the Madra king) i senseless and fallen on the car and afflicted by the twins, his charioteer drove him on his vehicle away from the field of battle.

The sons of Dhritarashtra beholding the car of the ruler of the Madras turn away from the field, were all depressed in mind and thought that he was no longer alive.

Obtaining victory in battle, over their uncle, the sons of Madri, greatly delighted blew their conchs and roared out their war cries.

Thereafter filled with delight, they rushed against your host, O ruler of men, like the immortals Indra and Upendra, O king, rushing against the host of the Daityas.