Bhishma-Vadha Parva — Display of illusion by Hidimba's son

Sanjaya said There upon king Duryodhana, seeing his own troops slain inflamed with wrath, rushed against that subduer of foes namely Bhimasena.

Grasping a huge bow effulgent like the thunder bolt of Indra himself, he covered the son of Pandu with a thick shower of arrows.

Fixing on his bow string a crescent shaped and exceedingly sharp arrow furnished with wings of down, and inflamed with rage, he burst asunder the bow of Bhimasena.

At this opportunity, that mighty car-warrior Duryodhana without the least delay placed on his bow string another sharp arrow capable of penetrating even through the very mountains.

Then that mighty armed hero, with that arrow struck Bhimasena on the breast. The latter thus pierced deeply, smarting with pain, and licking the corners of his mouth,

Caught hold of the staff of his standard decked with gold (for support). Thereupon Ghatotkacha seeing Bhimasena thus depressed.

Blazed up with rage, like a conflagration capable of consuming everything. The mighty car-warriors of the Pandava host headed by Abhimanyu,

Now rushed impetuously at the king uttering their fierce war-cries. Beholding those enraged warriors rush with impetuosity.

The son of Bharadvaja spoke these words to the mighty car-warriors of your army "Good betide you all die yourselves and strive to rescue the king.

Who is now involved in a great predicament and is being sunk into the sea of danger. These irate car-warriors of the Pandava army, these fierce bow-men,

Placing Bhimasena at their head, are rushing at Duryodhana, hurling diverse kinds of weapons, determined to secure success,

Roaring out their fierce war-cries and frightening thereby the rulers rulers of earth belonging to our party.” Hearing these words of the preceptor, your warriors headed by Somadatta,

Rushed against the ranks of the Pandavas, Kripa, Bhurishravas, Shalya, the son of Drona, Vivingshati,

Chitrasena, Vikarna, the ruler of the Sindhus, Brihadbala and the two Avanti princes, both great bow-men, all in a body surrounded the Kuru ruler (for the aiding him).

Proceeding only twenty steps, the Pandavas and the Dhritarashtra's began to strike one another, out of a desire for slaying one another.

The mighty-armed son of Bharadvaja also, having spoken the above words, stretched his mighty bow and afflicted Bhima with twenty ! six shafts.

Then again that hero of mighty-arms speedily covered him with a shower of arrows, like clouds covering the mountains with rains in the rainy season.

But the highly puissant Bhimasena, that fierce bow-man, without the least delay, pierced Drona in return in his left side with ten shafts of great sharpness.

Thus deeply pierced and overwhelmed with pain, the preceptor worn out as he was with age, squatted down on the terrace of his chariot being deprived of his consciousness.

Beholding him (Drona) highly pained, king Duryodhana himself and the irate son of na.

Seeing them both rush against himself like the Destroyer him at the end of a Yuga, the mighty-armed Bhimasena speedily took up a mace;

And jumping down from his car he stood fixed like the immovable hills, uplifting his heavy mace that resembled the bludgeon of Death himself.

Beholding him stand with his uplifted mace like the crested Kailasa mountain, the Kuru king and the son of Drona, united together, rushed against him.

Thereupon the highly puissant Bhimasena also rushed with impetuosity against those two foremost of powerful heroes who were rushing united against himself.

Beholding the engaged Bhima of terrible expression thus fall upon them, the mighty carwarriors of the Kaurava host proceeded to meet him without delay.

Headed by the son of Bharadvaja, those heroes, out of a desire for slaying Bhimasena, hurled at the latter's breast weapons of diverse descriptions.

Thus united together, they sorely pressed that son of Pandu (Bhima) on all sides. Beholding that mighty car-warrior thus involved in a predicament and thus afflicted,

The mighty car-warriors of the Pandava host, such as Abhimanyu and others, rushed, forward desirous of rescuing him, setting their own dear lives at naught.

The heroic ruler of the low countries, that dear-loved friend of Bhima, by name Nila, of complexion blue like the clouds, excited with wrath, rushed at the son of Drona.

That fierce bowmen (Nila) ever longed for an encounter with the son of Drona. Now stretching his mighty bow he pierced with many a winged shaft the son of Drona,

Just as, O mighty monarch, in the days of yore, Shakra pierced the Danava Viprachitti, invincible in battle and the terror of the celestial,

Who, possessed by rage, struck terror into the three worlds by the display of his energy. Thus pierced by Nila with well-directed shafts,

Drona's son, shedding blood profusely became possessed with wrath; then drawing his wonderful bow whose twang resembled Indra's thunder,

That foremost of intelligent heroes resolved to slay Nila in battle. Thereafter fixing on the bowstring broaded-headed shafts, resplendent and variegated by the forger himself,

He (Drona's son) slew with these the four horses of Nila and cut down his standard too. With the seventh arrow, he pierced Nila himself on the chest.

Thus deeply pierced and sorely pained, Nila squatted down on the terrace of his car. Beholding king Nila, of appearance like a mass of blue clouds, thus confounded,

Ghatotkacha excited with wrath and surrounded by his kinsmen, impetuously rushed against Drona's son that ornament of battle.

Other inferior Rakshasas invincible in battle also rushed to the fight. Seeing that Rakshasa of dreadful aspect make towards himself,

The highly puissant son of Bharadvaja, without the least delay rushed against the former and excited with wrath he slew many Rakshasas of dreadful visage,

Who were stationed in the front of in Ghatotkacha; beholding his own troops turn faces away from the field of battle, in consequence of the shafts shot from the bow of Drona,

The huge-bodied Ghatotkacha, the son of Bhimasena became wrought up with rage, and brought into existence an awful and terrible illusion.

Then therewith that ruler of the Rakshasas of potent illusive powers, confounded in battle Drona's son. Then all your warriors were repulsed through the illusion of the Rakshasa.

They (your warriors) saw one another mangled and lying on the surface of the battle field, writhing in convulsions, distressed and weltering their own blood.

Drona, Duryodhana, Shalya Ashvathama, and other foremost bowmen of the Kaurava host were seen to fly away from the field of battle.

All the car-warriors appeared to be smashed, the kings fells, the horses and cavalry hacked to pieces by thousands.

Beholding this (illusive) your warriors, 0 king, ran towards the encampments, although myself and Devavrata cried at the top of our voice saying, O king,

scene "Go on fighting, fly not, this illusion has been set forth by Ghatotkacha?" But confounded as they were, they did not stop;

They also did not believe the words we uttered, as they were inspired with terror. Beholding them fly, the Pandavas winning victory.

Began to shout their war-cries, being joined by Ghatotkacha himself. They uttered continued yells of triumph, which became mixed with the blare of conchs and sound of drums.

Thus it was that your whole army was broken and routed in all directions by the wicked-souled son of Hidimba at the time when the sun set.