The display of the prowess of Kritavarman

Dhritarashtra said Our army is possessed of many excellencies; and it is composed of various kinds of troops; its efficiency is great. O Sanjaya, it is disposed of in order in perfect accordance to the rules of military science and it is strong in numbers.

The warriors therein are ever well-treated by us and they are attached to us very much. The army is not newly recruited and its aspect is wonderful. Its efficiency has been tested previously.

The warriors belonging to it are neither very old, nor very young; they are neither lean nor very corpulent. They are of active habits, well-built, strong-bodied and free from any disease. They are clad in cuirasses and wellequipped with offensive weapons. They are accomplished in the use of various weapons and are well practised in the exercise of all kinds of weapons.

They are experts in mountain upon and descending from vehicles, in moving forward and in falling back, in striking down effectually and in advancing and retreating.

They have before been examined in the management of steeds, elephants and cars; and after due examination, they have been employed on pay.

And no for the sake of family relationship, nor from favour, nor from kinship. They have not come uncalled for, nor are they unpaid soldicrs.

They are high-born, respectable, evercontented, well-fed and submissive. They have been duly honoured and rewarded by ourselves. They are all endued with fame and intelligence.

They again, O sire, are defended by our best warriors and other's of pious practices, all of whom are foremost men and resemble the Lokapalas themselves.

Numerous kings solicitous of our welfare, who have, out of their own accord, joined us with all their forces and followers, also defend them.

Truly our army is like the vast ocean swelling with the waters of various stream flowing into it from all sides. It teems with chariot and steeds, which though devoid of wings are still capable of moving through the air like the winged rangers of the sky.

My army abounds in elephants with the temporal juice flowing down their cheeks. Then to what else, but Destiny, can the slaughter of such an army be attributed?

(Ocean-like as our arrmy is), numerous warriors constitute its waters; and the various vehicles constitute its dreadful and surging waves. Innumerable maces, swords, darts, shafts and javelins constitute the oars plied on it.

Teeming with standards and ornaments, the combatants form the lotuses on it. The swiftmoving steeds and elephants and chargers constitute the tempest that lashes in into fury.

Drona forms its fathomless cave, Kritavarman its minghty lake and Jalasandha its dreadful alligator and Karna, the rising of the moon that makes it swell with pride and energy.

O Sanjaya, on a single car that foremost of the Pandavas viz., Arjuna has gone piercing through my ocean-like host and Yuyudhana also has followed him;

And O Sanjaya, when Savyasachin has thus penetrated into my host and also that excellent car-warrior Satyaki of the Satvata race has done so, I do not think that any one of my troops will be able to escape with his life.

Beholding those two heroes dash with speed through the vanguards of my troops and seeing the ruler of the Sindhus come within range of arrows shot from the Gandiva bow.

What course of action did the Kurus, goaded on to destruction by Fate then adopt? What became of them at that hour when the battle raged with fury?

O son, I consider the assembled Kaurava host already within the jaws of Death. Their prowess in battle is no longer seen to be what it once was.

Krishna and the son of Pandu have both entered into our troops, receiving not even the slightest wound. O Sanjaya, there is none also who can resist them.

Many mighty car-warriors and combatants have been admitted into our army after due examination. They all have been gratified by us with due remunerations and agreeable speeches.

There is none among my troops who has been maltreated. Every one receives his pay and ration, according to his abilities.

O Sanjaya, there is none who is not a good warrior, none who receives remuneration less then what he deserves or none who receives no pay.

The soldiers are honoured by me to the best of my resources, with gifts, honors and seats. My sons, relatives and my kinsmen, O son, all treat them in the same respectful manner as I do.

Even such troops, encountering Savayasachin in battle, are being vanquished by him; they are also being crushed by the grand son of Sini; what can it be but Destiny?

Those who are protecting and those who are protected, are following the same road, the dcfender and the defended!

Beholding Arjuna stand before the ruler of the Sindhus in hostile attitude, what measure did my highly foolish son adopt?

Beholding also Satyaki dash through his troops like one fearless, what measures also did Duryodhana consider to be suitable to the situation?

Beholding those two foremost of carwarriors, both beyond the reach of all weapons, thus penetrate into my host, what resolution did my troops then form

Meseems, beholding Krishna of the Dasarha race and that foremost of the Sinis, both exerting for the sake of Arjuna, my sons are giving way to grief.

Beholding him of the Satvata race and Arjuna pass through my divisions and beholding the Kurus fly in all directions, Meseems, my sons are giving way to grief.

Meseems my sons are giving way to grief, beholding the car-warriors routed and hopeless of conquering their foes and exert themselves in flying away.

Meseems my sons are giving way to grief, beholding the terraces of cars made empty by Satvata and Arjuna and also beholding the warriors slain (by thousands).

Meseems my sons are lamenting, beholding the steeds, the chariots, the elephants and thousands of heroic soldiers flying away in haste from the field of battle.

Meseems my sons are lamenting beholding the huge elephants of my army fly away smitten by the arrows of Arjuna and also beholding them fallen and falling.

Meseems my sons are lamenting seeing steeds deprived of riders and warriors deprived of chariots, by Arjuna and Satyaki.

Mescems my sons are lamenting seeing large bodies of steeds slain and routed in all directions in battle, by the son of Pritha and the descendant of Madhu's race.

Meseems my sons are lamenting, hopeless of their victory, by seeing the divisions of infantry fly with haste in all direction.

Meseems my sons are lamenting beholding those two invincible heroes pass in a moment through the division of Drona.

O son, I am indeed overwhelmed with a stupor upon hearing that Krishna and Arjuna of unfading glory together with Satyaki of the Satvata race, have entered into my divisions.

When that foremost of car-warriors among the Sinis had plunged into my host and when he had passed through the Bhoja division, what, O Sanjaya, did the Kurus do?

O Sanjaya, relate to me also how the battle raged there where Drona began to crush the Pandava host in battle.

Drona was a warrior of superior skill; he was endued with strength, accomplished in the use of weapons and indomitable in battle. How was it then possible for the Panchalas to pierce that hero in battle?

Solicitious of Dhanajaya's victory, the Panchalas were Drona's implacable foes, so also that mighty car-warrior the son of Bharadvaja was an inveterate enemy of theirs.

O Sanjaya, skilful as you are in narration, tell me all that in detail which Arjuna did for bringing about the slaughter of the Sindhu king.

Sanjaya said O foremost of the Bharatas, it behoves you not to lament like an ordinary person, when you are overtaken, O hero, by a calamity which owes its origin to your own misconduct.

Formerly, many of your well-wishers including the wise Vidura, advised you saying, "O king, do not forsake the sons of Pandu's but to those advices you paid no heed."

He that sets at nought the advices of wellwishing friends, weeps like yourself when a calamity overtakes him.

O king, the descendant of the Dasarha race entreated you for the conclusion of peace. But the highly-renowned Krishna then did not obtain that boon at your hands.

Knowing your worthlessness, your partiality for your sons, your duplicity in virtue, your animosity against the sons of Pandu and ascertaining your crooked intentions against them and listening to many of your incoherent and delirious bewailings, 0 foremost of kings.

That puissant lord of all the worlds, that one conversant with the truth of everything in the worlds, namely, the son of Vasudeva, caused the drums of war to be sounded among the Kurus.

This awful destruction has overtaken you through your own faults; O giver of honour, it behoves you not to lay all blames on the shoulders of Duryodhana.

As these incidents developed themselves, no good action was performed by you either in the beginning, in the middle or in the end, O Bharata. The defeat that can be anticipated now, is entirely owing to your fault.

Therefore, knowing as you do, the fate of this world, quietly and attentively hear how the battle that resembled that between the gods and the Asuras, took place.

When Sini's grandson of invincible prowess had entered into your troops, the troops of the Parthas headed by Bhimasena, fell upon your troops.

Then the mighty car-warrior Kritavarman, single-headed, received in that battle, the enraged Pandava troops who had been rushing to the battle with their followers.

Just as the banks resist the surging waves of the sea, so did the son of Hridika resist the Pandava troops in battle.

Then we beheld the wonderful prowess of Hridika's son inasmuch as the united divisions of the Parthas were unable to bear him down in battle.

Thereupon the mighty-armed Bhima piercing Kritavarman with three swift-coursing arrows, blew his conch-shell, imparting thereby delight unto the Pandava troops.

Then Sahadeva pierced Hridika's son with twenty, Yudhishthira the virtuous with five and Nakula with a hundred shafts.

The son of Draupadi pierced him with three and seventy, Ghatotkacha with seven and Dhristadyumna pierced Kritavarman with three arrows.

Virata, Drupada and Yajnaseni each pierced him with five shafts, Sikhandin also pierced Hridika's son with five swift flying arrows.

He then once more smilingly pierced him with twenty shafts. Thereupon, Oking, Kritavarman piercing each of these mighty carwarriors separately with five shafts, pierced Bhima with another seven shafts. Then he felled from the latter's car his standard and cutoff his bow.

Then that mighty car-warrior making haste and burning with rage, pierced Bhima whose bow had been severed, on the breast, with seventy sharp arrows.

That hero (Bhima) endued with prowess, thus deeply pierced by the excellent shafts of Hridika's son, began to tremble in the terrace of his car, like a mountain shaking during an earthquake.

Beholding Bhima thus involved in a dangerous situation, O king, the Pandava warriors headed by Yudhishthira, began to afflict Kritavarman by shooting numerous arrows.

Then impaling Kritavarman within a circle of chariots, the Pandava warriors, O sire, filled with delight, began to wound him with their arrows, out of a desire for rescuing the son of Maruta.

Thereafter the highly puissant Bhimasena regaining his senses, grasped, in that battle, a dreadful lance of golden staff and iron head.

Then he huried from his own car that lance at the car of Kritavarman, with great force. That lance hurled by the arm of Bhima and resembling a snake that had recently cast off its slough.

began to burn dreadfully as it coursed towards Kritavarman. Then as that lance, effulgent like the fire that appears at the end of a Yugu, was coursing swiftly towards.

The son of Hridika, he cut it in twain with a couple of arrows. That dart decked with golden ornaments, thus severed, fell down on the earth.

And, O king, it there began to illumine the points of the compass like a mighty meteor dropping from the heavens. Thereat Bhima beholding his lance baffled, became excited to the highest pitch of fury.

Thereafter, taking up another bow of great toughness and emitting loud twang, the enraged Bhimasena in that battle began to resist the son of Hridika.

Then, Oking, Bhima of awful prowess, pierced Kritavarman, on the centre of his breast, with five arrows. All this is the result of your wicked policy.

Then, O sire, the ruler of the Bhojas wounded on all parts of his body, appeared on the field of battle like a red Ashoka tree covered with blossoms.

Thereafter Kritavarman inflamed with rage, smilingly striking Bhimasena with three arrows, began, in return, to pierce the other warriors (with his arrows).

That mighty bowman then pierced those car-warriors exerting their best in battle, each with three shafts. They then also pierced him in return, each with seven shafts.

Then that mighty car-warrior of the Satvata race, inflamed with rage, smilingly cut-off the bow of Sikhandin with a razor-headed arrow.

Thereupon on the severance of his bow, Sikhandin burning with rage and hastening as much as possible, took up a sword and a buckler decked with hundreds of moons.

Whirling that mighty sword decked with gold, Sikhandin hurled it at the chariot of Kritavarman.

O king, then that mighty sword, cutting off his bow with arrows placed on its string, dropped, O king, on the ground like a luminous body falling down from the skies.

Meanwhile many mighty car-warriors, making haste began to pierce Kritavarman deeply and quickly with their arrows.

Then, O foremost of the Bharatas, taking up a fresh bow and leaving the one cut-off, that slayer of hostile heroes, namely Hridika's son.

Pierced the Pandavas in battle, each with three straight-flying arrows. He then pierced Sikhandin at first with three and then with five arrows.

Then the highly renowned Sikhandin also, taking up another bow, covered the son of Hridika with swift-flying arrows. Furnished with heads resembling the mouth of tortoises.

Then, O king, the son of Hridika, excited with wrath, in that battle, quickly rushed upon that mighty car-warrior that son of Yajnasena.

Who had been, Oking, the cause of death of the illustrious Bhima. Then the heroic Kritavarman displaying his prowess fell upon Sikhandin like a tiger falling upon an elephant.

Then those to subduers of foes, resembling two elephants guarding the points of the compass and looking like two blazing fires, attacked each other with their showers of arrows.

They stretched their two excellent bows and placed many arrows on their bow-strings. Like two suns shooting numerous rays, they also shot myriad arrows.

Those two mighty car-warriors afflicting one another with their sharp-arrows, appeared beautiful like two suns that rise at the end of a Yuga.

In that battle then, Kritavarman pierced that mighty car-warrior the son of Yajanasena at first with seventy three and then again with seven arrowS.

Thus deeply pierced and extremely pained, the latter squatted down on the terrace of his car; and he lost hold of his arrows and bow and was overwhelmed with a swoon.

Then your troops, O foremost of men, beholding Sikhandin cheerless in battle, began to applaud Hridika's son and they waived their garments in the air.

Then knowing Sikhandin to be afflicted sore with the arrows of the son of Hridika, his driver, in all haste, carried that mighty carwarrior away from the field of battle.

Beholding Sikhandin overthrown on the terrace of his car, the Parthas in that battle quickly surrounded Kritavarman with their chariots.

Then the mighty car-warrior Kritavarman filled his enemies with wonder, in asmuch as the alone succeeded in resisting the sons of Pritha and their followers in battle.

Conquering the Parthas, the mighty carwarrior Kritavarman vanquished the Chedis, the Panchaias, the Srinjayas and the valourous Kekayas.

Thus slaughtered by Hridika's son in battle, the Pandavas began to run hither and thither and they could not then fight steadily.

Conquering the son of Pandu viz., Bhimasena in battle, Hridika's son then remained on the field, like a blazing fire free from even a single curl of smoke.

Those mighty car-warriors routed by the son of Hridika, were compelled to turn their faces leack, afflicted as they were with incessant showers of arrows.