Ghatotkacha-Vadha Parva — The retreat of Duryodhana

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Sanjaya said Bhuri also, 0 monarch, in (that) engagement, checked the grandson of Sini who rushing along like elephant (descending) from a gradually sloping ground.

Inflamed with wrath, Satyaki, then, pierced him in the heart with five sharpened arrows. (Thus struck) his blood began to flow.

Similarly, the descendant of Kuru (i.e. Bhurij, in (that) engagement, quickly pierced the grandson of Sini invincible in battle, in the chest, with ten darts.

(And), O great king, their eyes blood-shot in rage and drawing their bows powerfully, those two (heroes) began to mangle each other.

Inflamed with wrath and looking like Death (itself) or the sun, those two (warriors commenced (to shower upon each other) terrible downpours of shafts, 0 mighty monarch.

The battle, O great king, between those two (heroes), who, covering each other (with arrows) stood (face to face) in (that) encounter, went on equally for a moment only.

Then, O mighty monarch, the grandson of Sini, fired with rage, cut-off, as it were, with a smile, the bow of that high-souled descendant of Kuru, in (that) engagement.

Then he quickly pierced that (warrior) whose bow was cut-off, in the chest, with nine sharpened arrows and said (to him) “wait, wait."

That scorcher of foes, (thus) deeply pierced by his powerful antagonist, took up another bow and pierced Satvata in return.

O lord of the earth, having pierced Satvata with three arrows, he cut-off his bow, as it were, with a smile, by means of a very keen and broad-headed shaft.

Ogreat king, his bow being (thus) cut-off, Satyaki, insensible with wrath, hurled an impetuous dart at the broad chest of that (Kuru hero).

His body being riven by that dart, he fell down from his excellent car like the blazing Mars (dropping down) from the firmament.

The mighty car-warrior Ashvatthama witnessing the slaughter of that hero, rushed impetuously, O descendant of Bharata, against the grandson of Shini.

O lord of men, saying “wait, wait' to Satyaki, he (i.e. Ashvatthama), covered him with downpours of arrows, like the clouds covering the breast of the (mountain) Meru with (showers of) rain.

(Thereupon), the mighty car-warrior Ghatotkacha, sending forth a loud shout, said to him (i.e., Ashvatthama) who was rushing furiously towards the car of the grandson of Shini.

“Wait, wait. O son of Drona, you shall not escape alive. I will presently destroy you as the six-faced (Kartikeya) slew the (Asura) Mahisha in days of yore).

I will today put an end to your desire for fight on the field of battle.” Saying this, the Rakshasa (Ghatotkacha), the slayer of hostile warriors-with his eyes red like copper in wrath.

And inflamed with rage, rushed against the son of Drona like lion (rushing against) a lord of elephants. Ghatotkacha (then), began to shower arrows, measuring the Aksha of a car, upon.

The son of Drona, the foremost of carwarriors as the clouds (pour down) showers of rain. The son of Drona, however, in that engagement, quickly baffled that arrowy down pour by means of shafts resembling poisonous snakes. Then with a hundred keen darts, capable of piercing the vital parts and coursing rapidly.

(He) pierced the subduer of foes, that is Ghatotkacha, the lord of the Rakshasas. The Rakshasa, thus pierced with shafts by him on the field of battle.

Looked, 0 great monarch, like the porcupine with its quills standing erect. Thereupon, the puissant son of Bhimasena, excited with rage.

Lacerated the son of Drona with fierce shafts emitting loud roar like those of the thunder. (and Ghatotkacha) showered (upon Drona's son) numerous sorts of weapons, some having leads like razors, some of the form of the crescent, some long and pointed, some with faces like the frogs, some resembling the bear's ear, some barbed and some of other species. The son of Drona, (however), without his senses being in the least affected, frustrated that formidable down pour of weans emitting loud roar like those of the thunder and which were being unremittingly hurled (upon, him), by means of (his own) dreadful shafts inspired with mantras peculiar to the celestial weapons, as, O mighty monarch, the wind (chases away) mighty masses of clouds. Then it appeared that another encounter was going on in the firmament between the arrows (shot by those two rival heroes).

Which (encounter) was of terrible aspect and which, O great king, enhanced the joy of the combatants with the sparks scattering all around generated by the clash of weapons hurled by those two (warriors).

The firmament looked (as beautiful) as if adorned with glow-worms during the night. Covering all the directions with innumerable arrows, the son of Drona.

In order to do good to your sons, shrouded the Rakshasa (Ghatotkacha). Then, between the son of Drona and the Rakshas, again took place a battle.

During that pitchy-dark night, like that (which had taken place) between Shakra and Prahada (in days of yore). Then, in that engagement, Ghatotkacha, inflamed with wrath, struck the son of Drona in the chest with ten arrows resembling the Yuga fire. The son of Drona, endued with great strength (thus) deeply pierced in that encounter by the Rakshasa, became (greatly) afflicted and trembled like a tree shaken by the wind. Leaning against his flag-staff (for support), he fell into a swoon.

Thereupon all your forces, O lord of men, set up a loud wail. (And) all your partisans, O lord of the earth, thought him to be dead.

Seeing Ashvatthama in that state, the Panchalas as well as the Srinjayas, in that encounter, sent forth roars like lions.

Regaining his consciousness, that grinder of foes, the mighty car-warriors Ashvatthama, drawing powerfully his bow with the left hand.

Shot quickly from his bow, the string of which was) stretched up to the very ear, an excellent arrow, formidable as the rod of Yama, which was aimed at Ghatotkacha.

Riving the heart of the Rakshasa that excellent and formidable arrows, adorned with graceful wings, penetrated, o king, into the earth.

O great monarch, the puissant lord of the Rakshasas, pierced home by the son of Drona, proud of (his feats in) battle, sat down on the terrace of his car.

Seeing that the son of Hidimva had lost his consciousness, his charioteer, struck with fear, hastily removed him from the field of battle and from the presence of the son of Drona.

Having, in that engagement, thus pierced Ghatotkacha, the lord of the Rakshasas, that great car-warrior, the son of Drona sent forth a highly dreadful roar.

O Bharata, adored by your sons and all the warriors, his body shone brilliantly like the noon-day sun.

King Duryodhana himself pierced with keen arrows Bhimasena who was fighting his way, through your army, towards the car of the son of Bharadvaja.

O Bharata, Bhimasena pierced him in return with nine darts. Duryodhana also pierced him with twenty arrows.

Those two (horses), shrouded with arrows on the field of battle, looked like the sun and the moon covered with masses of clouds in the firmament.

Then king Duryodhana pierced Bhima, O foremost of the descendants of Bharata, with five arrows and said (to him) “Wait, wait.”

But Bhima, cutting off his bow and his standard with sharpened arrows, pierced the lord of the Kauravas with nine straight darts.

Thereupon, O best of the Bharatas, excited with rage, Duryodhana took up another bow of a battle quality and began to afflict Bhimasena (stationed) at the front (rank) of that battle with keen darts, in the very sight of all bowman. Bhima, (however) destroying those arrows shot from Duryodhana's bow.

Oppressed him with five and twenty short arrows. Duryodhana also, O worshipfui sire, inflamed with ire, cut-off his bow with razorshaped dart and then pierced him in return with ten (darts). Thereupon, the highly-powerful Bhimasena, taking up another bow.

Pierced quickly the king with seven sharpened arrows. But he (i.e. Duryodhana), displaying great nimbleness of hand, quickly cut-off that bow also.

Similarly, O mighty monarch, he cut-off the second, the third, the fourth and the fifty bows taken up by Bhima. And O great king, your son, desirous of success and swelling with pride, cut-off another bow as soon as it was taken up by Bhima. His bows being thus again and again cut-off (by Duryodhana) he i.e. Bhima.

In that engagement, hurled a formidable dart, made wholly of iron (at the Kaurava king).-The king of the Kurus, (however), cut into three fragments that dart, before it could reach him, that dart blazing like a flame of fire, looking (terrible) like the sister of Death herself and dividing the firmament with its fire like splendour into two parts like the trees of a woman parting the hair of her head.

In the very presence of all the world and before (the very eyes) of Bhima himself. Thereupon, O great king, Bhima, flourishing his heavy and blazing mace, hurled it with great impetuosity at the car of Duryodhana. Then, in that engagement that heavy mace, all on a sudden, crushed the charioteer, the horses and the car (of the king). O lord of kings, your son, then afraid of Bhima, took to flight.

Mounted on another car belonging to the high-souled Naduka. Then Bhima, thinking Suyodhana to be dead amid (the darkness of) that night.

Roared furiously like a lion challenging the Kauravas. Your partisans and soldiers also thought that the king was slain.

And all of them set up a loud wail all around. Hearing the lamentation of all the coinbatants struck with terror.

And hearing also the yells of the highsouled Bhima, O monarch, king Yudhishthira, also, considered Suyodhana to have been slain.

And hastened with all speed to the place where Vrikodara, the son of Pritha was. Then, the Panchalas, the Srinjayas, the Matsyas as well as the Keykeyas.

Desirous of slaying Drona, rushed with all their mighty (against him). There also took place a highly dreadful encounter between Drona and his enemies. And the combatants, (of both sides) buried in pitchy darkness, began to slaughter one another.