Jayadratha-Vadha Parva — Continuous The fight between Karna and Bhima

Sanjaya said Then the son of Radha hearing the sound of the twanging of Bhima's bow and of the slappings of his palm, did not brook it, like an infuriate elephant not brooking the roar of its rival.

Retiring for a moment only from the presence of Bhimasena, Karna looked at your sons felled by him.

O foremost of men, beholding them he became cheerless and filled with sorrow; then breathing like a snake, he once more assailed Bhima.

With his eyes coppery in rage and breathing like a fierce snake, Karna then shooting arrows, appeared beautiful like the sun shooting his myriad rays.

Vrikodara then, O foremost of the Bharatas, was covered with those shafts shot from Karna's bow, as if with the scattering rays of the blazing sun.

Diverse kinds of arrows furnished with wings of peacock-feathers and shot from the bow of Karna, then penetrated into the body of Pritha's son, like so many birds entering their nests on the tree.

Arrows of golden wings shot from the bow of Karna appeared everywhere, like rows of swans (flying through the welkin).

The arrows of Adhiratha's son were so numerous that they seemed to come out not only from his bow, but also, from his standard, Upaskara, umbrella and the shafts, yoke and bottom of his car.

Filling the sky, the son of Adhiratha showered arrows decked with gold and furnished with vulturine feathers, that ranged variously through the entire welkin.

Then reckless of his very life, Vrikodara got the better of his foe and then pierced the latter with a shaft as he was rushing like Death incarnate at him.

Then beholding the unbearable charge of Karna and the shower of mighty arrows shot by him, Vrikodara flinched not in fear, inasmuch as he was possessed of mighty energy.

Then that son of Pandu shot net-works of arrows at the son of Adhiratha. He pierced Karna with twenty sharp arrows.

As Pritha's son himself had been covered by Suta's son, even in the same manner was the latter now covered by the former with his arrows.

Beholding then the prowess of Bhimasena in battle, 0 Bharata, even your troops applauded him and the Charanas were filled with delight.

Then Bhurisravas, Kripa, the son of Drona, the ruler of the Madras, Jayadratha, Uttamoujas, Yudhamanyu, Satyaki, Keshava and Arjuna.

These ten best of mighty car-warriors of the Kuru and the Pandava hosts, applauding Bhima with shouts of 'well-done' 'well-done' uttered their war-cries.

When that dreadful and hair-stirring sound arose, your son, king Duryodhana, thus spoke.

Addressing the kings and princes of his army and specially his brothers. "May good betide you. Hie yourselves to the rescue of Karna from Vrikodara.

Yonder, the shafts shot from Bhima's bow are piercing Karna (to the quick). O mighty bowmen, do you all now exert vigourously for protecting the son of the charioteer."

Commanded by Duryodhana, O sire, seven uterine (Kaurava) brothers, rushing with fury at Bhimnasena surrounded him on all sides.

Encountering the son of Kunti, they poured their arrowy torrents on him, like clouds pouring rain on the mountain breast during the rainy season.

Then those seven mighty car-warriors inflamed with rage, began to afflict Bhima, like the seven planets afflicting the Sun at the time of the universal annihilation, O king.

Thereupon, drawing his effulgent bow with great force and firm grasp, the son of Kunti.

Knowing that his adversaries were nothing but men, fixed seven shafts on his bowstring. And then the mighty Bhima sped those arrows radiant like the solar rays, at them.

Bhimasena then keep alive the memory of the former wrongs inflicted on them, sped those arrows as if for wrenching out the very lives out of your sons.

Those shafts furnished with golden wings and whetted on stone shot by Bhimasena, O Bharata, penetrating through the body of the Bharata princes, flew through the sky.

Those gold-decked arrows tearing their hearts, looked beautiful, O mighty monarch, like birds of beautiful plumage.

Those seven arrows of the effulgence of molten gold, steeped in blood, came out, O king after having drank the life-blood of your sons.

With their armour shattered by those arrows, your sons then fell down from their cars on the earth, like tall trees growing on the slopes of mountains, broken down by elephants.

Satrunjaya, Satrusaha, Chitra, Chitrayudha, Dridha, Chitrasena and Vikarna these seven sons of yours were then slain by Bhima.

Of all your sons thus slain, Vrikodara lamented piteously for Vikarna who was very dear to the Pandavas.

Bhima then said-"I vowed saying, You shall all be slain by me. O Vikarna, for this vow it is that you have been slain. And thus have I kept my bow inviolate.

O hero, you proceeded against me with hostile intentions, bearing in mind the duties of a Kshatriya. You were ever engaged in doing our, special the king's (Yudhishthira's) good.

It is therefore not fit that I should lament for you, O your of great effulgence.” O mighty monarch then slaying them before the very eyes of Radha's son.

That son of Pandu uttered a dreadful warcry. The shout of that hero, then O Bharata, carried to the very virtuous king Yudhishthira as if the intelligence of his victory. Hearing that loud cry of that fierce bowman Bhimasena.

The very virtuous king Yudhishthira obtained great delight in battle. Then highly delighted, that son of Pandu, O mighty monarch, received the sound of the war-cry of his brother with the beating of drums and other musical instruments. After Vrikodara had given him that intelligence by the hint agreed upon by both, that foremost of persons Yudhishthira versed in the use of all weapons, joyfully rushed against Drona in that battle. On the other hand, O monarch, seeing thirty-one of your son's slain in battle, Duryodhana recalled to mind the words of Vidura thus, "those salutary words spoken by Vidura are now being realised.

Thinking thus, king Duryodhana was unable to do what he should do. All those words that your wicked-minded and foolish son, urged on by Karna, said to that princess of the Panchala race, having brought her in the assembly shall; also all those harsh words which Karna himself addressed in the assembly hall to her before yourself and the sons of Pandu, O monarch, at your and the Kauravas' hearing words to this effect, 'O Krishna, the

sessamum Pandavas are destroyed and they have fallen into eternal hell; so do you choose a second husband'-the result of all these has now overtaken you.

Then again, O you of Kuru's race, various abusive language like kernel, without seeds were directed by your enraged sons to these illustrious ones, viz., the sons of Pandu, Bhimasena vomitting forth the fire of wrath held in check for these thirteen years, is now achieving the destruction of your sons.

Entreating you repeatedly, Khattwa failed to bend you towards peace. O foremost of the Bharatas, now do you, together with your son, suffer the consequences (of your folly).

That you old, patient and capable of foreseeing the consequences of acts as you are, would not accept the well-meaning words of your friends, is due to the influence of (adverse) fate.

O foremost of men, it therefore behoves you not to weep. Yours is the greatest fault in the matter. In my opinion your are the cause of the ruin of your sons.

O foremost of kings, Vikarna and the puissant Chitrasena, have been slain; as also numerous other mighty car-warriors and your other sons have fallen.

O mighty-armed one, other sons of yours, who became the objects of Bhima's sight, were slain by him in a moment,

It was through your fault that I had to see our army consumed in thousands by the shafts discharged by Pandu's son and by Vrisha. numerous other mighty car-warriors and your other sons have fallen.

O mighty-armed one, other sons of yours, who became the objects of Bhima's sight, were slain by him in a moment,

It was through your fault that I had to see our army consumed in thousands by the shafts discharged by Pandu's son and by Vrisha.