The defeat of Duryodhana

Sanjaya said Having thus spoken, the king pierced Arjuna with three shafts capable of penetrating to the very vitals; and then with another four arrows of great velocity, he pierced the latter's four steeds.

He also pierced the son of Vasudeva with ten arrows between his breasts. The cutting off the whip of the latter, he felled it on the ground.

Thereupon with perfect coolness, Pritha's son quickly sped at him four shafts of variegated wings and whetted on stone; but all these shafts were baffled by Duryodhana's armour.

Beholding those shafts repelled, Partha once more struck Duryodhana with another nine and seven arrows of exceeding sharpness; but these also became baffled by Duryodhana's armour,

Then seeing those twenty shafts of Arjuna repelled, that slayer of hostile warriors Krishna,

O Partha, now I see a sight never before seen by me, which is as wonderful as the moving about of hills. Winged shafts shot by yourself, are becoming abortive!

Is everything right with the toughness of the Gandiva, O foremost of the Bharatas? Are your grasp and the prowess of arms, as firm and strong as before?

Is not this to be the last time that you shall meet with Duryodhana your foe? Tell me all this; O son of Pritha, for I ask you.

Seeing all these shafts of yours falling upon Duryodhana's chariots without producing the least effect, o Partha, I have been filled with great surprise.

O son of Pritha what misfortune is this that your arrows, dreadful like the bolt of Heaven and capable of piercing through the body of the enemy, produce no effect today?

। Arjuna said I think, O Krishna, that Drona has donned this armour on Duryodhana. This armour, tied as it has been, in invulnerable by my weapons.

O Krishna, this armour contains in it the mighty of the three worlds. Drona only knows the mode of donning it and from that foremost of men, I also have learnt it.

This armour cannot be penetrated by arrows. Even, O Govinda, Maghavat himself cannot penetrate it in battle with his thunderbolt.

Knowing all this, O Krishna, why do you confound me. That which happened in the three world, that which now happens.

And that which will happen in the future, are all known to yourself. Indeed O slayer of Madhu, no one knows this better than yourself.

This Duryodhana, O Krishna, accoutered in this armour by Drona, is standing dauntlessly in battle, cased in this coat of mail.

But he knows not what is to be done with this armour, O Madhava, but wears this coat of mail even like a woman.

Behold, O Janardana, the prowess of my arms and the strength of my bow, in as much as I will vanquish the Kuru king, protected though he is with this coat of mail.

The lord of the celestials gave this effulgent armour to Angiras; from him Brihaspati obtained it; and from him again Purandara got it.

The lord of the celestials once more presented it to me with mantras to be uttered in donning it. Even if this armour were of celestial make or were forged by Brahma himself, yet it will not protect this wickedminded wretch from the stroke of my arrows.

Sanjaya said Having thus spoken, Arjuna inspired some shafts with mantras and then began to draw them on the bow-string.

But while he was thus drawing those arrows placed on the centre of his bow-string, the son of Drona cut them off with a weapon capable of baffling all other weapons.

Beholding those shafts severed from a distance by that reciter of the Vedas (Ashvatthaman) the owner of the creamcoloured steeds (Arjuna), filled with surprise, addressing Keshava thus spoke

0 Janardana! these arrows I cannot use twice; then they will slay me and my own troops.

O king, thereafter king Duryodhana, pierced the two Krishnas, each with none shafts. Resembling snakes of virulent poison.

Once more he poured upon Krishna and the son of Pandu in that battle a mighty shower of arrows; upon this all your troops became filled with joy and they struck up musical instruments and uttered their war-cries.

Thereat filled with fury, Pritha's son began to lick the corners of his mouth. He could then find no part of Duryodhana's body that was not covered by that armour.

Then with sharp arrows, resembling Death and duly discharged, Arjuna cut to pieces Duryodhana's horses and his two Parshni. drivers.

Then that highly powerful hero cut-off the latter's bow and the leathern gloves quickly. Savyasachin then began to cut his car into fragments.

Thereafter Arjuna pierced with two sharp arrows, the two palms of Duryodhana who had been deprived of the use of his car.

Then your warriors, beholding Duryodhana that foremost of bowmen, involved in great danger and afflicted with the arrows of Dhananjaya, rushed to his rescue.

Then they surrounded Dhananjaya with thousands of duly equipped chariots and elephants and horses and numerous divisions of infantry, all inspired with wrath.

Thereupon, neither Govinda nor Arjuna nor their car could be seen; for they were then covered with thick showers of weapons and surrounded with large bodies of troops.

Arjuna, Sri Krishna and their chariot all had become invisible due to a dense cover from all sides of arrows and the crowd of soldiers.

Then with the force of his weapons, Arjuna began to slaughter that host of your carwarriors and elephants, by hundreds. With their limbs cut-off, they began to fall fast on the field of battle.

Slain or in the act of being stain, they succeeded not in reaching that excellent car of Arjuna, which stood immovable full two miles away from the besieging troops on all sides.

Thereafter, the Vrishni Vrishni hero quickly addressed Arjuna saying "Do you tremendously stretch your bow for I will blow this conch of mine.

Then stretching his toughest bow Gandiva, Arjuna went on slaughtering his foes, shooting arrowy showers and producing loud din with his palm-strokes.

Then the mighty Keshava loudly blew his conch Panchajanya, with his eye lashes covered with dust and countenance shedding drops of perspiration.

In consequence of that twang of the Gandiva and the blast of that conch, all the Kuru-people, strong or weak, fell down on the Earth.

The chariot of Arjuna, thus freed from that press, looked like a cloud driven a head by the wind. Then the protectors of Jayadratha and their followers, beholding Arjuna became filled rage.

Then suddenly seeing Partha before them, those guards of Jayadratha the Sindnu-king, all mighty bowmen, uttered a fierce shout, causing the earth to tremble therewith.

The fierce whizz of arrows became mingled with the blast of conchs and other loud noises; the illustrious soldiers your army then also uttered their war-cries resembling leonine roars.

Hearing that dreadful din raised by your troops, Dhananjaya and the son of Vasudeva blew their two best of conchs.

Then, O ruler of men, with that loud sound, the earth seemed to be filled, with its mountains, seas, islands and the subterranean regions.

Indeed, O foremost of the Bharatas, that sound filling the ten points of the compass, reverberated through the armies of the Kuru and the Pandavas.

Warriors of your host then, beholding Krishna and Dhananjaya, were very much terrified. Soon however those mighty carwarriors recovered and put forth their activity and prowess.

Then your warriors beholding the two Krishnas cased in mair became excited with rage; and they rushed upon them both. All this looked wonderful.