The fierce fight

Sanjaya said Then, O mighty monarch, when the battle raged hot and furious Dhristadyumna rushed against Drona.

Wielding his strong bow and twanging its string often and often, he rushed against Drona's chariot decked with golden trappings.

And as Dhristadyumna rushed against Drona, O mighty monarch, the Panchalas together with the Pandavas surrounded him, with a view to put an end to Drona's life.

Then beholding that foremost of preceptors Drona, thus hemmed in on all sides, your sons, exerting their best, protected Drona in that battle.

Then those two sea of troops encountering each other at the dead of night resembled two dreadful sees agitated by the tempest with all the creatures within them dreadfully terrified.

Thereafter, O king, the prince of the Panchalas quickly pierced Drona on the breast with five arrows and then uttered his war-cry.

Thereupon, O Bharata, Drona piercing him with twenty-five shafts, cut-off his lustrous bow with another broad-headed shaft.

Pierced sore by Drona, Dhristadyumna, O foremost of the Bharatas, threw quickly aside the (severed) bow and bit his lips (in anger).

Then, O mighty monarch, excited to his highest pitch of fury, the puissant Dhristadyumna grasped another strong bow, desirous of accomplishing Drona's destruction.

That handsome warrior, the slayer of his foes, then drawing back the string of that bow to his cars, let go a dreadful shaft capable of achieving Drona's destruction.

In that terrible battle that shaft, shot by his strong arm, flooded the Kuru troops with its lustre like the risen sun.

Beholding that dreadful shaft, o king, the Gods, the Danavas and the Gandharvas said these words viz., “May good betide Drona."

Then as that shaft coursed towards the chariot of Drona, Oking Karna like one endued with great lightness of hands, cut it off into twelve fragments.

() king, that shaft of Dhristadyumna severed into numerous pieces, quickly fell down on the earth like, O sire, a snake without its poisonous fangs.

In that battle, cutting off arrows with his own close-knotted shafts, Karna then began to pierce Dhristadyumna with sharp arrows.

Drona's son pierced Dhristadyumna with five, Drona himself with five, Shalya with nine and Dushasana with three Vallas.

Duryodhana pierced him with twenty and Shakuni with five arrows. Thus all the mighty car-warriors (of your army) quickly pierced the Panchala prince.

Dhristadyumna was then pierced by the seven heroes who strove to protect Drona in battle. He also in his turn, pierced each of them with three shafts.

0 mighty monarch, with the greatest quickness, Dhristadyumna then pierced Drona, Karna, Drona's son and your son, in that terrible battle.

Thus pierced by that bowman, your warriors again unitedly pierced Dhristadyumna in that battle, uttering terrible war-cries.

Inflamed with fury, O king, Drumasena then pierced Dhristadyumna with an arrow and then again quickly piercing the latter with sharp shafts he said-"wait, wait."

Dhristadyumna pierced him in return with three sharp straight-flying arrows, winged with golden feathers, whetted on stone and capable of destroying life.

Next with another broad-headed shaft, he lopped off from Drumasena's trunk, his head graced with glimmering ear-rings of gold.

arrows on That head with its lips bitten, then fell on the field like a ripe palm-fruit thrown down by i a raging tempest.

Thereafter the heroic Dhristadyumna piercing his opponent warriors with wellshaprened shafts cut-off with broad-headed arrows, the bow of Radha's son versed in various modes of war-fare.

But Karna did not brook that severance of his bow even as a fierce lion does not brook the chopping off of its tail.

Taking up another bow, with eyes red in rage and breathing fiercely, he poured a shower of the highly puissant Dhristadyumna.

Then beholding Karna wrought up with rage, the other six heroic foremost car-warriors, quickly surrounded the son the Panchala king with a view to slay him in battle.

0 lord, the troops then considered Dhristadyumna to be already within the jaws of Death, as he was then confronted by the six foremost car-warriors of your army.

At this juncture, Satyaki that scion of the Dasarha race, advanced to the rescue of the puissant Dhristadyumna, shooting numerous arrows (in all directions).

Beholding that Satvata warrior indomitable in battle advance, Radha's son pierced him in battle, with ten shafts.

Him, O mighty monarch, Satyaki pierced in return with ten shafts before the eyes of all the heroes present and said-'Fly not-stay.'

0 king, that encounter between the powerful Satyaki and the high-souled Karna looked like the encounter between Bali and Vasava.

That foremost of the Kshatriyas Satyaki, then pierced the lotus-eyed Karna terrifying the Kshatriya warriors with the clatter of his car.

On the other hand, O mighty monarch the puissant son of Suta fought on with Satyaki, causing the earth to tremble with the tremendous twang on his bow.

Karna then pierced that scion of Sini's race with Vipatkarnis, Narachas, Vatsadantas, Kshuras and hundreds of other kings of arrows.

So also Yuyudhana that foremost of the Vrishni warriors, covered Karna with his shower of arrows. The combat was an equal one (in all respects).

Placing Karna in front of them, your sons then, O ruler of men, began to pierce Satyaki simultaneously with sharp arrows.

Baffing their as well as Karna's weapons with those of his own, O lord, Satyaki quickly pierced Vrishasena on the centre of his chest.

Pierced with the shaft of Satyaki, the highly effulgent and puissant Vrishasena fell down on his car, losing hold of his bow.

Thereupon Karna taking Vrishasena the mighty car-warrior to be slain, was afflicted with grief on account of his son's death and began to afflict Satyaki.

The mighty car-warrior Yuyudhana then afflicted sore by Karna, forcibly pierced Karna with numerous shafts over and over again.

Piercing Karna with ten and Vrishasena with five shafts, the Satvata hero then cut-off their bow as well as their gloves.

Thereupon they both having strung another pair of bows dreadful to the foe, began simultaneously to pierce Yuyudhana with sharp arrows.

When that dreadful destruction of heroes was progressing, O king, the terrible twang of the Gandiva bow was heard, arising above the din of battle.

Having heard the sound of the Gandiva and the clatter of (Arjuna's) car, Oking Suta's son addressing Duryodhana said these wordsपार्थो विजयते तत्र गाण्डीवनिनदो महान्।

This is the tremendous twang of the Gandiva bow, emitted by Arjuna, as he has slain our entire army, many foremost of men and numerous warriors of the Kurus.

The clatter of his chariot is also heard, like the rumble of roaring clouds. Evidently the son of Pandu is achieving feats worthy of himself.

O mighty monarch, this son of Pritha will completely crush our mighty host. Many troops are already scattered and none stays on the field.

Our host is being shattered like risen masses of clouds by the raging tempest; encountering Savyasachin in battle, it is being split like a bark on a (rough) șea.

Hark, O king, the terrible wails of foremost warriors as they fly or fall in battle in consequence of shafts shot from the Gandiva bow.

Hark, O foremost of monarchs, the roar of drums near Arjuna's chariot, resembling the rumble of clouds at the dead of night.

Hear also, numerous sounds, cries of woe and alas and loud war-cries, near the chariot of Arjuna.

But here in our middle stays Satyaki the foremost of the Satvatas; if this object o our aim could be smitten down, we might obtain victory over our foes.

There the Panchala Prince surrounded on all sides by heroic and foremost of carwarriors, has engaged himself with Drona.

If we can slay Satyaki and Prisata's son Dhristadyumna, then, O mighty monarch, undoubtedly victory will be ours.

Impaling these two heroic and mighty carwarriors, the descendants of the Vrishni and the Prishata race respectively, like the son of Subhadra, we will, O king strive to slay them.

But yonder comes Savyasachin, O Bharata, towards this division of Drona knowing that Satyaki is here encountered by many foremost warriors of the Kurus.

Let now a detachment of mighty and foremost car-warriors intercept Pritha's son, so that he may not advance to the rescue of Satyaki now surrounded by many.

Let those mighty heroes be quick in shooting their arrows, so that this scion of Madhu's race may be dispatch to the next world. a

Knowing this to be the opinion O, Karna, your son addressed Subala's son even as the highly illustrious Indra addressed Vishnu, on the field of battle.

"Supported by a host of ten thousand unretreating elephants and also by detachment of ten thousand car-warriors, do you proceed against Dhananjaya.

Dushasana Durvishaha, Subahu and Durshpradharshana these supported by numerous of infantry will follow you.

O my uncle, slay me those fierce bowmen, the two Krishnas the very virtuous king Yudhishthira and Nakula and Sahadeva and Pandu's son Bhimasena.

My hopes of victory rest on you as those of the gods rest on their lord Indra. O uncle, slay the sons of Kunti, even as Pabaka's son slew the Asuras."

Thus addressed and urged on by your son, he (Subala's son) covered in mail, proceeded against the sons of Pritha, being himself supported by your sons and a large army.

In order to please your son he proceeded to battle, desirous of consuming the sons of Pandu. Then commenced a terrible battle between your warriors and the foe.

When, O king, Subala's son had going against the (main) army of the Pandavas, the son of Suta supported by a mighty force, quickly rushed upon the Satvata hero in battle, shooting many hundreds of shafts. Your troops then gathering together encompassed Satyaki.

The son of Bharadvaja also advancing against Dhristadyumna's car commenced at that night, O foremost of Bharatas, a most terrible and wonderful battle with the heroic Dhristadyumna and the Panchalas.