The slaughter of Sudhaman

Sanjaya said Then, O monarch, the Samsaptakas, filled with joy, stood on the level plain, having, with their chariots, formed an array figuring the moon.

O Sire, seeing the diadem-decked Arjuna rush at them, those foremost of men, highly delighted, gave out deafening roars.

Those roars filled the subsidiary and the cardinal quarters and also the conclave dome. There were produced no reverberations owing to the field being covered over with men.

Then Dhananjaya, ascertaining them to be excessively delighted, said these words to Krishna, smiling the while.

Behold, you who have Devaki for your mother, these Trigartta brothers, who are about to fall in battle today, are transported with joy at the time when they really ought to weep.

Or surely, this is the time for joy for the Trigarttas, as they shall, ere long, attain to those excellent regions which cannot be obtained by the cowards.

Having thus spoken to the mighty-armed Hrishikesha, Arjuna encountered in battle the ranks of the Trigartta soldiers disposed of in battle-array.

Thereafter taken up his conch known as Devadatta of the effulgence of gold, he blew it with great force, filling the points of the compass with the blare.

Terrified at that blare, the car-host of the Samshaptakas stood motionless in the field of battle as if turned into adamant.

All their steeds stood with their eyes expanded and their ears, necks and lips paralysed and their legs motionless, and they discharged urine and vomited blood.

However, regaining consciousness and rallying their forces, the Samsaptakas discharged simultaneously, at the son of Pandu, shafts furnished with the feathers of the Kanka bird.

Thereupon Arjuna, capable of manifesting with lightness his prowess in battle, severed t'hose thousand arrows before they could reach him, with fifteen swift-coursing shafts of his.

Thereat they pierced Arjuna with ten whetted shafts separately; and the son of Pritha also pierced them separately with three shafts each.

Then, O monarch, each of them separately pierced the son of Pritha with five shafts; and the puissant Partha in return pierced them each with a couple of arrows.

Wrought up with ire, they once again quickly filled Arjuna and Keshava with arrows, like the rains filling up a lake.

Then those thousands of arrows fell upon Arjuna like hosts of bees falling, in a forest, on trees decked with blossoms.

Thereafter Subahu deeply stuck on the diadem of Savyasachi (Arjuna) thirty shafts made of the hardest adamant.

Having those straight-going shafts furnished with wings of gold stuck on his diadem, Arjuna, as if adorned with ornaments of gold, shone like the rising Sun.

Then in that battle the son of Pandu, with a broad-headed arrow cut-off the finger-guard of Suvahu and also covered him over with arrowy showers.

Thereafter Susarman, Suratha, Sudhaman and Subahu, pierced the diadem decked Arjuna with ten arrows each.

Thereat, that one bearing the foremost of the monkeys as a device on his banner, pierced them all with several arrows in return and he cut down their golden flag-staffs with broadheadedshafts.

Having severed the bow of Sudhaman, Arjuna slew his horses with his shafts. Then Arjuna severed from the trunk, the head of the former furnished with a head-gear.

At the fall of that brave warrior, his followers, were inspired with terror; and seized with panic they ran to where the army of Duryodhana was.

Then the son of Vasava, (Arjuna) wrought up with rage, began to destroy that mighty host with his continuous network of arrows, like the rays of the sun destroying the darkness (of night).

When that host was shattered and scattered in all directions and when Savyasachin was inflamed with wrath, panic seized Trigarttas.

the Then they, slaughtered with the close joined shafts of Partha, were over-whelmed with swoons, in that field, like a terrified herd of deer.

Thereupon, excited with rage, the sovereign of the Trigarttas addressing those mighty carwarriors said, 'Fly not, you heroes, it behoves you not to be seized with panic.

Having taken dreadful oaths before the eyes of the entire troops, what shall you say to the leaders of Duryodhana's army if now you go back to them?

Will we not be the objects of derision in this world, for this (cowardly) act of ours in battle? United together, do you again repair to your own divisions?'

Thus being spoken to, O monarch. they uttered continuous roars and those heroes blew their conchs imparting delight to one another.

Thereafter that Samshaptaka host once more rallied themselves; and with the Narayana cow-herds, they were determined even to encounter Death himself.