The slaughter of Somadatta at the nocturnal fight

Sanjaya said Seeing Somadatta angrily shake his great bow, Satyaki said to his charioteer “Bear me towards Somadatta.

O charioteer, I will not return from battle today without killing my enemy-the vilest of the Kurus, the son of Valhika. These my words are true.

Thereupon, (his) charioteer drove to the battle those horses oi' Sindhu breed endowed with great fleetness, having the colour of the conch and capable of bearing all the weapons.

Those (steeds), fleet as the mind or the wind, carried Yuyudhana (to the field of battle) as the horses of Indra, O king, had, in days of yore, born him who was preparing to slay the Asuras.

Beholding Sattyata quickly proceed against him to battle, Somadatta, O mighty monarch, confronted him undauntedly.

Discharging a shower of arrows as the clouds (pour down) torrents of rain, he (i.e., Somadatta) covered the grandson of Sini like the clouds (covering the sun)

0 best of the Bharatas, the dauntless Satyaki also completely covered that most exalted the Kurus with arrowy showers in that battle.

Somadatta also pierced the descendant of Madhu in the chest with sixty arrows. Satyaki, too, O king, pierced him with keen darts.

Pierced by each other with each other's arrows, they looked like two blossoming Kinsuka trees in the following season.

With their bodies covered all over with blood, those two renowned descendants of Kuru and Vrishni eyed at each other as it (desirous of) consuming each other with their glances.

Those two dreadful-looking grinder of foes ranging on their cars coursing in circles, looked like two clouds pouring (torrents of) rain.

With their bodies pierced, mangled and wounded with shafts, they looked, O king of kings, like two hedge hogs.

Pierced with shafts endued with golden wings, those two (heroes), O monarch, looked as (beautiful) two lords of the forest covered with glow-worms during the rainy season.

Their bodies looking resplendent with arrows (they were pierced with) those two great car-warriors appeared in that battle, like two furious elephants with their bodies covered all over with (blazing) meteors.

Then, O great monarch, in that encounter, the mighty car-warrior Somadatta cut-off with cresent-shaped arrows the great bow of the descendant of Madhu.

(He) then pierced him with twenty five darts and at that time when speed was (urgently) necessary, he again speedily pierced him with ten (more) arrows.

Thereupon Satyaki, taking up a very strong bow, speedily pierced Somadatta with five arrows.

Then again, Oking, Satyaki, as if with a smile in that battle, cut down with another broad-headed shafts the golden standard of the son of Balhika.

Seeing his standard cut down Somadatta fearlessly pierced the grandson of Sini with twenty-five arrows.

Filled with wrath, Satyaki also, in that engagement, cut-off with a keen and razorfaced shaft, the bow of the (great) bowman Somadatta.

He then, O great king, pierced him (i.e. Somadatta), who then looked like a snake with its fangs broken, with one hundred straightcoursing arrows furnished with golden wings.

Thereupon the greatly puissant Somadatta, the great car-warrior, taking up another bow, covered Satyaki with downpours of shafts.

Satyaki also, getting greatly excited with wrath, pierced Somadatta in that battle. Somadatta, on his part, afflicted Satyaki with showers of arrows.

Bhima also, for the sake of Sattvata, struck the son of Valhika with ten arrows. And the dauntless Somadatta also pierced Bhima with sharpened arrows.

Thereupon Satyaki, excited with wrath, discharged at the chest of Somadaita. a new, strong and formidable Parigha furnished with a golden handle.

(But the descendant of Kuru), as if with a smile, cut-off into two parts, in that engagement, that dreadful-looking Parigha so it was advancing against him.

Thus severed into two parts, that great Parigha of iron, fell down (on the ground) like the great peak of a mountain riven by thunder.

Then, in the engagement, o king, Satyaki cut-off the bow of Somadatta with one broadheaded arrows and with another five the leathern case that sheathed his fingers.

Then with four darts he speedily sent before the lord of the departed spirit the four excellent horses (of Somadatta).

And, O Bharata, that foremost of carwarriors, as if with a smile, cut-off, with a broad-headed and straight-coursing arrow, the head of his charioteer from the trunk.

He then discharged (at Somadatta himself) a highly dreadful arrow, blazing like the fire, furnished with golden wings, bathed in oil and sharpened on stone.

Shot with great force by the grandson of Sini that excellent and formidable shaft, darted like a falcon, at the chest of Somadatta.

The great car-warrior Somadatta, deeply pierced by the puissant Satvata, fell down (from his car) and died, O great king.

Seeing Somadatta slain there, your soldiers proceeded against Yuyudhana with a large number of cars. arrowS

The Pandavas also, O mighty monarch, accompanied by all the Prabhadrakas and by a large army, made a rush upon Drona's division.

Then, Yudhishthira, filled with rage, began to crush the troops of the son of Bharadvaja with in the the very presence of Bharadvaja's son.

Seeing his troops troops put to rout by Yudhishthira, Drona, with eyes, blood-shot in wrath, furiously rushed against him.

Then, (Drona) pierced the son of Pritha with seven sharpened darts. Yudhishthira also, inflamed with rage, pierced him in return with five (arrows).

That mighty bowman, being (thus) deeply pierced, for a moment licked the corners of his mouth and (then) cut-off the standard and also the bow of Yudhishthira.

Deprived of his bows, that excellent king took up another tough and strong bow, with great speed when speed was highly necessary.

Then with a thousand shafts, the son of Pandu pierced Drona together with his horses, charioteer, standard and car and this (feat on the part of Yudhishthira) seemed marvellous.

In consequence of the strokes of those darts, Drona, the foremost of the Brahmanas, being (greatly) pained, sank unconsciously for a moment on the terrace of his car.

Then regaining his consciousness, heaving sighs like a snake and excited with a terrible wrath, he brought into existence the weapon presided over by Vayu.

But the dauntless and puissant son of Pritha, in that fight taking up his bow, checked the career of that weapon with one of his own.

And the son of Pandu also cut-off the large bow of that Brahamana. Drona, the grinder of the Kshatriyas then, having taken up another bow.

The best of the Kurus cut-off that also with keen and broad-headed shaft, Then Vasudeva, addressed Yudhishthira, the son of

"O mighty armed Yudhishthira, hear wihat I tell you. O foremost of the Bharatas, do not fight with Drona.

Drona has been all along trying to capture you in battle. I do not think it proper for you to fight with him.

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He, that has been created created for his destruction, will slay him. Leaving your preceptor go (to the spot) were king Suyodhana is (fighting).

Kings ought to fight with kings (only); and they should not desire to fight with those that are not kings. O son of Kunti, surrounded by elephants, horses and cars, go to that spot.

Where Dhananjaya and that most valiant of men, Bhima, with myself only to help them are fighting with (all) the Kauravas.

Hearing these words of Vasudeva, the virtuous king Yudhishthira reflected for a moment and then proceeded towards the spot where the battle was raging hot and furious and where, Bhima, the slayer of his foes, taking up his station, was destroying your warriors like the (grim) Destroyer with gaping mouth.

Ringing the surface of the earth with the thundering rattle of his car like the roar of the clouds at the end of summer, that king of kings, Yudhishthira.

The son of Pandu, took up his station at the flank of Bhima who was destroying the foes. Drona also began, at that nigiit, to destroy his enemies, the Panchalas.