Dronabhisheka Parva — The prowess of Abhimanyu

Sanjaya said Then Drona creating great confusion c*! the ranks of the Pandava host, trampled : under foot, like a forest-conflagration burning down trees.

The Srinjayas began to tremble with fear, seeing that enraged hero of the golden cam (Drona), consume their division like a raging conflagration.

In that battle, they heard the twang of the constantly stretched bow of that warrior of great activity, twang that resembled the rumbling of the thunder.

Terrible shafts shot by that one of great lightness of hands, completely crushed carwarriors and cavalry and clephants horses and infantry.

At the expiration of the summer, like the rain-cloud, assisted by the strong gale, showering its contents, Drona, pouring streams of iron-tipped arrows, struck terror into the hearts of his enemies.

Then, O king, that puissant one careering through the troops of the enemy and agitating them, aggravated their fears.

Like flashes of lightning traversing dense of clouds, his bow of golden effulgence, was repeatedly seen to flash in his whirling car that resembled a mass of cloud itself.

That hero, ever devoted to truth, endued with intelligence and firm righteousness, then caused a dreadful river with swelling currents, to flow there, that appeared like the one seen at the end of a Yuga.

That had its origin in the flow of Dronas wrath; that was infested with numerous masses ever ill carnivorous animals; that was filled with waves consisting of the troops; the ate away the trees (standing on its banks) consisting of heroic warriors.

That had blood for its waters, cars, for its eddies, elephants and horses for its banks, armours for its rows of lotuses and flesh for the mire filling its bed.

That had, fat, marrow and bones, for its beaches and excellent head-gears for its froth; that had the raging encounter for the cloudy canopy over its surface and the split lances for the fishes that abounded in it.

That was inaccessible in conscquence of the corpses of large number of men, elephants and horses; that flew in strong currents constituted by the impetus of the shafts; that had the slain bodies for logs of timber floating on it; that swarmed with tortoises constituted by cars.

That had heads for pebbles scattered on its banks; that had scimitars for the fishes abounding in it; that had elephants and chariots for its lakes; that was adorned with many ornaments.

That had mighty car-warriors for its hundred little whirlpools; that was ornamented with little wavelets constituted by the dust of the earth; that was capable of being crossed over in battle by those endued with great prowess and incapable of being crossed by the cowards.

That had heaps of corpses obstructing its navigation; that was haunted by Kankas, and vultures; that carried, by thousand, mighty carwarriors to the regions of Death.

That was infested by snakes consisting of the (broken) spears; that abounded in aquatic fowls consisting of living fighters, that had torn umbrellas for its large swans and (fallen) diadems for its smaller birds.

That had wheels (or discs) for its turtles and maces for its sharks and arrows for its smaller fishes; that was resorted to by fearful swarms of crows, vultures and jackals.

And, O foremost of kings, that bore in hundreds to the regions of the ancestral manes, beings slain by the powerful Drona in that battle.

That was choked up with heaps of dead bodies; that had hair for its mosses and weeds. O monarch, such a river Drona caused to flow, that enhanced the apprehension of the cowards.

Then all those divisions having Yudhishthira at their head, assaulted on all sides that mighty car-warrior Drona who had been uttering loud shouts.

Then all your heroic troops endued with steady prowess received (unflinchingly) that rushing army on all sides, the result was horripilating

Shakuni conversant with hundred kinds of deceitful practices, encountered Sahadeva, piercing the latters charioteer, chariot and flagstaff with sharpened shafts.

Thereupon the son of Madri, wrought up with ire, cut down with his arrows, the standard, bow, charioteer and steeds of the son of Subala and then pierced the latter with sixty shafts.

Thereupon the son of Subala, grasping a mace, jumped down from his best of cars; then with the stroke of his mace, he felled, O king, the driver of Sahadeva, from his chariot.

Then, O monarch, those two heroic mighty warriors deprived of their cars, armed with their clubs, began to roam in the field of battic like two mountains adorned with peaks,

Drona, having pierced the king of the Panchalas with ten swift-going (shafts), was in return, pierced by him with many shafts; and he then again pierced the latter with a still larger number of arrows.

Bhimasena pierced Vivinsati with twenty keen-pointed shafts; but being so pierced, he did not tremble; and that was indeed marvelous.

But O mighty sovereign, Vivinsati suddenly deprived Bhimasena of his horses, standard and bow; and then the troops highly applauded him.

But the latter did not tolerate that act of prowess achieved by his adversary in battle; and then with his mace he felled the excellently trajned horses of Vivinsati.

Then like an infuriated clephant rushing at an infuriated rival, the puissant Vivinsati, grasping a buckler, jumped down from his car the steeds of which had been slain and assaulted Bhimasena.

The heroic Shalya, pierced, smilingly, his own dear nephew Nakula, as if in dalliance, with arrows, in order to excite the latter's Wrath.

But the mighty Nakula, cutting dowii, in the battle, Shalya's steeds, umbrella, standard, charioteer and bow, blew his conch.

Dhristaketu having sundered in twain various shafts shot by Kripa, pierced the latter with seventy arrows; and then with three more cut-off the device on Kripa's standard.

Thereupon Kripa encompassed him with a unighty shower of arrows; thus holding Dhristaketu in check, the Vipra fought on with him, in battle.

Satyaki pierced Kritavarman in the middle of his breast with a Naracha; then again piercing him with seventy arrows, he dove many more inside the latter's body laughing all the while.

The warrior of the Bhoja race, then pierced Satyaki with seven and seventy keen pointed arrows; but he failed to move the latter like the fleet wind failing to move the mountain.

Senapati sorely pierced Susarman to the very quick. The latter also struck the former on the shoulder-joint with a Tomara (or lance).

King Virata, with the highly puissant Matsyas, opposed in battle the of Vikartana. And there raged a wonderful combat.

Then a great feat was achieved by the son of the charioteer, when he held the whole force (of Virata) in check with (a shower ot) his shafts of close-joints.

King Drupada himself was engaged with Bhagadatta. O mighty monarch, the combat between them was indeed marvellous.

Bhagadatta, the foremost of men, pierced with close-jointed shafts, king Drupada, his charioteer, flag-staffs and chariot.

Thereupon, wrought up with ire, king Drupada, swiftly struck the mighty car-warrior Bhagadatta on the chest with a close-jointed Shafi.

Those two foremost of warriors on carth, both conversant with the use of weapons, namely, Sikhandin and the son of Somadatta, fought with one another in a combat that inspired terror into the hearts of all creatures.

Bhurisrava endued with great prowess, O king, covered in battle with a great stream of arrows, the mighty car-warrior, the son of Yajnasena.

O ruler of men, Sikhandin, filled with rage, picrced the son of Somadatta with ninety shafts and, O Bharata, caused hinm to tremble.

The two Rakshasas of fierce deeds, viz., Hidimba and Alambusha, desirous of vanquishing cach other, were engaged in a terrible combat.

Capable of creating a hundred illusions, inflamed with arrogance and each desirous of vanquishing the other, they fought a wonderful battle assailing one another with their power of iilusions.

The dreadful Chekitana fought with Anuvindha; they careered through the field of battle, disappearing at times and exciting great wonder.

Lakshmana was engaged in a terrible combat with Kshatradeva, as, O monarch, Vishnu was, in days of yore, engaged with the Daitya Hiranyakashipu.

Then, O king, Paurava, uitering a loud roar and mounting on a car, to which were yoked fleet steeds and which was properly furnished, rushed at the son of Subhadra,

Then desirous of battle, Paurava possessed of great might assaulted Abliimanyu. Then that grinder of focs (Abhimanyu) battled fiercely with his antagonist.

Then the son of Puru covered the son of Subhadra with a thick shower of arrows. Then the son of Arjuna cut down on earth the standard, umbrella and steeds of the former.

Then the son of Subhadra having pierced Paurava with seven swiftly-flying arrows, pierced with five shafts his charioteer and horses.

Thus imparting delight to his own troops and repeatedly uttering leonine roars, Arjuna's son quickly took in his hand a shaft that was sure to cause Paurava's death.

The son of Hridika seeing that shaft of dreadful sight fixed on the bow-string (of Subinadra's son) cut it down, along with the bow, with two arrows.

Thereupon throwing aside that severed bow, the son of Subhadra, that slayer of inimical heroes, grasping a sharp sword and a buckler jumped down (from his car).

Then whirling that buckler bearing the devices of many stars which seemed to be identified with his hands as also the sword, he careered through the field of battle displaying his prowess.

O king, whirling the weapons by his sides and whirling them on high and shaking them and himself jumping up he made the distinction between the sword and shield to to be imperceptible.

Then with a loud shout he suddenly leapt upon the shaft of Paurava's car; then ascending the car he dragged Paurava by the hair.

Then with a kick of his leg he killed the latter's charioteer and with his sword cut down the standard; then he threw off Paurava, like the son of Tarkhya throwing aside a snake that he had seized having agitated the waters of the ocean.

Then all the rulers of earth saw Paurava with disheveled hair resembling an ox deprived of his senses, while on the point of being felled by a lion.

Then beholding Paurava at the mercy of the son of Arjuna and dragged like one helpless and fallen on the ground, Jayadratha did not tolerate it.

Grasping a sword and a shield decorated with the emblem of a peacock and furnished with a row of hundred small tinklers and uttering a loud roar, he jumped down from his chariot.

Thereupon the nephew of of Krishna beholding the prince of the Sindhus, left Paurava alone and like a hawk suddenly jumped down from the latter's car.

The nephew of Krishna, severed down with his sword or warded off with his shield, the Prasas (lances) Pattishas (axes) and scimitars directed to him by his enemies.

Then displaying to the troops the might of his own arms, that puissant hero again uplifting his heavy sword and his shield, advanced towards the son of Vriddhakshatra, the eternal enemy of his father, like a tiger rushing at an elephant.

Then having encountered each other as if out of delight, they began to strike each other with their swords, like a tiger and a lion attacking each other with teeth and claws.

Between those two foremost of men no person could notice any distinctiun regarding the whirl, the strokes and the descent of their swords and shields.

There seemed no distinction between them as regards the descent and the whirl of their swords and the warding off of each other's blows.

Then those two high-souled ones, careering inward and outward, in most excellent tracks, appeared like two mountains furnished with wings.

Then when the high-famed son of Subhadra was on the point of bringing down his sword on the head of Jayadratha, the latter struck him on his shield.

Then that mighty sword, struck into the gold plate of Abhimanyu's buckler, O Bharata, broke (in twain) as the king of the Sindhus tried to take it off with force.

Beholding his own sword break, Jayadratha receded six steps and within an wink of the eye, was seen to be mounted on his own car.

Then all the kings in a body encompassed on all sides the nephew of Krishna, who had been then disengaged from the combat and had been sitting on his excellent chariot.

Then the highly puissant son of Arjuna looking at Jayadratha, whirled his sword and buckler.

Subhadra's son, the slayer of hostile heroes, having vanquished the king of the Sindhus, consumed the troops led by the latter like the Sun scorching the world.

Thereupon, at him (Abhimanyu) Shalya hurled, in battle, his dreadful dart made of all iron, decked with gold and resembling a flashing flame of fire.

Then like the son of Vinata catching hold of a mighty falling snake, the nephew of Krishna, leaping up caught hold of the dart; and having caught it, he drew his sword out of its sheathe.

Thereupon all the monarchs in a chorus uttered a shout resembling the roar of a lion, having seen the lightness and prowess of that one of immeasurable energy (Abhimanyu).

There after the son of Subhadra, that slayer of hostile heroes, let go, charging with the might of his arms, the self same dart of Shalya of great resplendence and decked with lapises.

Then that dart, the resembled a snake that had recently cast off its slough, reaching Shalya's chariot, slew its driver and felled him down from the car.

Thereupon Virata, Drupada, Dhristaketu and Yudhishthira, Satyaki, Kaikaya, Bhima, Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin, the twins Nakula and Sahadeva and the sons of

Draupadi, all exclaimed “Well-done" “Welldone." Whizzing sounds produced by the discharge of various arrows and ample leonine roars.

Arose there, imparting delight to the unreceding son of Subhadra. But your sons could not tolerate these indications of victory of their adversaries;

And so, suddenly there covered him from all sides, with showers of sharpened shafts, O monarch, like the clouds pouring their contents on the mountain.

Then Artayani, the slayer of foes, desirous of doing good to your sons and remembering the overthrow of his charioteer, rushed in rage at the son of Subhadra.