Jayadratha-Vadha Parva — Continuous The lopping of Bhurisrava's arm

Sanjaya said Beholding that warrior indomitable in battle, that scion of the Sini race rush furiously to battle, o king, Bhurisravas, inflamed with wrath, assailed him.

Then, O mighty monarch, that foremost of the Kurus (Bhurisravas) addressing Sini's grandson thus spoke-"By good luck it is that you have today come within the range of my sight;

Today, I shall realise in battle my longcherish I hope; you shall not escape me alive if indeed you do not fly away from the battle.

O scion of the Dasarha race, today slaying you who ever boast of your prowess, I shall afford delight to Suyodhana, the king of the Kurus.

Today the heroes, Keshava and Arjuna, will both behold you prostrate on the field of battle, consumed with the fire of my barrows.

Today Dharma's son king Yudhishthira hearing you slain by me, would be covered with shame, for it was he who dispatched you on this mission.

Today Pritha's son Dhananjaya will come to know of my prowess when he will see you slain by me and lie weltering in your blood.

This encounter with you has long been desired by me, like that desired by Shakra with Bali, in the battle between the Gods and the Asuras in days gone by.

Today, O descendant of the Satvata race, I shall fight a terrible fight with you, whence you shall know my great mighty and manliness.

Slain by me in battle, you shall today go to the domains of the Samyamni, like the son of Ravana slain by the younger brother of Rama (Lakshmana.)

Today Krishna, Partha and the virtuous king Yudhishthira, O Madhava, will abandon fighting and became despondent, consequence of your slaughter.

O Madhava, today, slaying you with my sharp arrows, I shall afford delight to the wives of those who have been slain by you. in

Just as a small deer coming within the range of a lion's sight cannot escape, SO O descendant of Madhu's race, you shall not escape me alive, having come within the range of my sight."

Thereupon, O king, Yuyudhana smilingly replied to him saying,"O illustrious descendant of the Kuru race, I have no fear in fight.

I am not to be terrified by empty words. He will slay me in battle who will be competent to deprive me of my weapons.

He that will slay me in battle will ever be victorious. What is the use of vain boasts. Achieve in deeds what you say in words.

Like the rumbled of autumnal clouds, your roars are barren. So hearing your empty roars nothing beast my laughter is being excited.

O Kaurava, let the encounter which you looked so eargrly for, today take place; O sire, my heart that longs for the combat with you, cannot tolerate any more delay.

O wretch, I shall not abstain from the fight today without having slain you in battle.” Thus those two foremost of men, stirring each other with their biting words.

And waxing wroth and desirous of slaying each other in battle began to smite each other. Then those two mighty bow-men both boastful of their prowess and both challenging each other.

Appeared like two infuriate elephants encounter each other, with a desire to consort with a she-elephant. Then those two subduers of foes, Bhurisravas and Satyaki began to pour.

On each other, dreadful showers of arrows like two mighty-clouds. Covering Sini's grandson with swift-coursing arrows, Somadatta's son.

O foremost of the Bharatas, desirous of slaying the former, pierced him with sharp arrows. Having pierced Satyaki then with ten arrows, Somadatta's son.

Out of a desire for slaying that illustrious scion of the Sini race, sped other sharp shafts at him. Then, O ruler of men, Satyaki with the illusion of his weapons devoured up all those up all those arrows, O lord, when they were ranging through the skies and before they had even reached him (Satyaki). Then those two heroes began to pour upon one another their showers of weapons.

Those two heroes, of noble extraction both enhancers of the fame of the Kurus and the Vrishnis respectively, began to fight with each other like two tigers fighting with claws or two elephants fighting with their tusks.

With lances and with darts and javelins they inflicted wounds on each other. They mangled their bodies and shed blood profusely.

Then those two heroes checked each other in that battle which was like a gambling match in which their lives were the stakes. Thus those two enhancers of the glory of the Kuru and the Vrishni races (respectively).

Fought on with each other like two huge elephants, the leaders of two herds. Those two warriors, both desirous of attaining the highest of regions both longing to attain to the region of Brahma, thus roared at each other. Indeed Satyaki and Somadatta's son continued to cover each with their arrowy downpour in the sight of the delighted Dharatarastras. The people then witnessed that encounter between those two foremost of warriors.

Who were fighting like two leaders of elephant herds for the sake of consorting with a she-elephant in her season. Then each slaying the other's steeds and cutting off the other's bow.

And thus deprived of the use of their cars, encountered each other for sword fighting. Taking up two large and beautiful and variegated shields made of bull's hide.

And drawing out their swords out of their scabbards, they appeared beautiful on the field of battle. They moved in various motions and described in their montions, various circles.

Those two subduers of foes incessantly then began to strike one another out of rage. With their swords and covered in variegated coats of mail and adorned with Nikas and Angadas.

Those two renowned warriors displayed various kinds of motions. They wheeled about and jumped on high, made side thirsts, leapt forward whirled on high, ran and dashed forward and advanced upwards.

Those two subduer of foes began to smite each other with their swords and each was on the alert for finding the weakness of other. Both of those two heroes jumped up superbly.

And both displayed their training agility and skill. Those foremost of warriors in that battle, made many skillful thirst at each other.

Then, O foremost of men, striking each other, they took respite only for a moment before the presence of all the troop.

Having, with their respective swords cut-off the variegated buckler of each other decked with hundred moons, those foremost of men engaged in a wrestling encounter, O ruler of men.

Possessed of expanded chests, long arms and both versed in wrestling, they fought on with each other with their arms that resembling iron-piked bludgeons.

They struck and seized each other with their arms and each seized the others neck with his arms. The skill that hey had acquired by practice, afforded great delight to other warriors who then were turned into mere spectators.

The, O king, as those two foremost of men fought on with each other, the sound that then arose, was the like that caused by the striking of thunder against a mountain.

Like two elephants fighting with each other with the ends of their tusks, of like two bulls with their horns, those two high-souled and foremost warriors of the Kuru and the Satvata races, fought with each other, sometimes twining each other with their arms, sometimes striking each other with their heads, sometimes binding each other with their legs, sometimes slaping their arm-pits, sometimes scraching each other with their nails, sometimes embracing each other tightly, sometimes twining their legs round each others loins, sometimes rolling on the ground, sometimes going forward and sometime falling back, sometimes challenging each other, sometimes throwing each other down, sometimes rising up and sometimes jumping on high.

Then those two puissant combatant's displayed in that encounter all the thirty kinds of manoeuvres and acts that are the principal feathers of these kinds of encounters.

When during that encounter, the lock of Satwata's weapons was exhausted, Vasudeva's son addressing Arjuna said-" Behold this carless hero, viz., Satyaki, this foremost of all wielder of bow, engaged in fight.

O son of Pandu, he has followed you having penetrated into the Bharata host. O Bharata, he has fought with many mighty warriors of the Bharata host.

Bhurisravas who has made great sacrificial presents, rushing upon that foremost of warriors viz., Satyaki exhausted with fatigue, has no encountered him. This is indeed very unfair."

Then the indomitable Bhurisravas inflamed with rage, uplifting his sword struck Satyaki like a mad elephant striking another in the same state.

Those two foremost of car-warriors, both riding in their cars and both rushing with rage fought on with each other, Arjuna and Krishna being their witness.

Thereupon the mighty-armed Krishna addressing Arjuna, said. “Behold the foremost of the Vrishni and Andhaka races, viz., Satyaki succumb to the son of Somadatta.

Having achieved many difficult feats he now laid low on the field in consequence of his great exhaustion. O Arjuna protect the heroic Satyaki, your (renowned) pupil.

O foremost of men, O Arjuna, do you soon take that measure by which Satyaki many not succumb to Bhurisravas the performer of numerous sacrifices, O lord.”

Then Dhananjaya, with cheerful heart addressing Vasudeva's son said-"Behold that foremost among the Kurus and that best hero among the Vrishni's, sport with each other.

Like a huge and infuriate elephant sporting in the woods with mighty lion.” While Pandu's son Dhananjaya was thus speaking.

Loud cried of Oh and Alas arose among the troops, foremost of the Bharatas, as the mighty-armed (Bhurisravas) striking vigorously had brought Satyaki down on the earth.

Then like a lion dragging an elephant, that foremost of the Kuru race, namely Bhurisravas, that destroyer of darkness, looked beautiful in that battle as he dragged that foremost one of the Satwatas.

Then drawing his sword out of the scabbard and holding Satyaki by the hair, Bhurisravas struck the former on the breast with his legs.

Bhurisravas was then about to sever from Satyaki's trunk his head graced with earrings. For sometimes, that hero of the Satvata race rapidly whirling round with the rod.

Together with the arm of Bhurisravas that held it by the hair, like a potters wheel whirling round with the rod.

Beholding the Satvata hero thus dragged by Bhurisravas, Vasudeva once more addressing Arjuna said-

Behold O mighty-armed one, that foremost hero among the Vrishnis and Andhakas, that disciple of yours who is not inferior to you in bowmanship, succumb to the son of Somadatta.

Behold, O son of Partha, the weak Bhurisravas obtain advantage over the Vrishni hero Satyaki of prowess incapable of being baffled.

The mighty-armed son of Pandu thus spoken to by Vasudeva (Krishna), worshipped Bhurisravas in his minds.

(He then said to himself). 'Dragging this foremost of the Satvata race as if in sport, the enhancer of the glory of the (Bhurisravas) is filling me with delight.

Without slaying that foremost of the Vrishni heroes viz., Satyaki he is only dragging the former like the king of the beasts dragging a mighty elephant in the woods.'

Having thus mentally applauded that foremost of the Kauravas, Pritha's son, O king, the mighty Arjuna thus replied to Vasudeva

“O Madhava, my eyes being fixed on the ruler of the Sindhus, I cannot see Bhurisravas; but for the sake of that descendant of Yadu's, race, I shall perform a very difficult feat.”

Having thus spoken and desirous of carrying out the words of Vasudeva, the son of Pandu placed a sharp razor-headed arrows on the bowstring.

That arrow shot by the force of Partha's arms and looking like a meteor dropping from the skies, cut-off the arm of that one devoted to the performance of sacrifice arm that was decked with Angadas and had a sword in its grasp.