Samshaptaka-Vadha Parva — The fierce fight

Sanjaya said O monarch, the mighty car-warrior, the son of Bharadvaja, having passed the night, thus addressed Suyodhana saying-'I am yours.' Having made arrangements for Partha's encounter with the host of the Samshaptaka, (you have done well).' When the son of Pritha son had gone out to slay the Sainshaptaka. Drona, having formed his soldiers in battle-array, charged the mighty host of the Pandavas, O foremost of the Bharatas, with the desire of capturing the very virtuous king Yudhishthira.

Beholding the son of Bharadvaja, form his forces in an array figuring the appearance of Suparna, Yudhishthira disposed his forces in counter-array in the shape of a semi-circle.

The mighty car-warrior, the of Bharadvaja himself formed the mouth of the Suparna; and king Duryodhana along with his uterine brothers and his followers formed its head.

Kritavarman and the effulgent Gautama formed its eyes, Bhutasharman, Kshemasharman, the puissant Karakasha, the Kalingas, the Singhalas, the Easterners, the Sudras, the Ahiras, the Kambojas, as also the Hansapathas. The Surasenas, the Madras, the Kekayas, the Dronas, with hundreds and thousands of elephants, steeds chariots and foot-soldiers, formed its neck.

Bhurisrava, Shalya and Somadatta as also Vahlika, these heroes surrounded by a Akshauhini of soldiers stationed themselves in the right flank.

Vinda and Anuvinda of the kingdom of Avanti and Sudakshina, the ruler of the two Kambojas, took up their positions in the left flank placing themselves in front of the division of Drona's son.

The Kalingas, the Ambasthas, the Magadhas, the Paundras, the Madrakas, the Gandharas, the Sakunas, the Easterners, the highlanders and the Vasatis were stationed in the back of that Suparna.

In the tail was stationed Karna the son of Vikartana, supported by his sons, relatives and friends and surrounded by a large force recruited from various regions.

Jayadratha, Bhimaratha, Sampati, the Rishabha, the Jaya, Bhuminjaya, Vrishakratha and the ruler of the Nishadhas of great prowess. O monarch, these, surrounded by mighty hosts, accomplished in fighting and keeping the region of Brahma before their view, stationed their selves in the bosom of that array.

That array formed by Drona and composed of foot-soldiers, horses, chariots and elephants, appeared to dance like the ocean lashed into fury by the tempest.

From the wings and flanks of that array, warriors, desirous of battle, began to rush out like clouds surcharged with thunder and lightning, rushing (in the welkin) from all direction of the compass during the season of summer.

In the heart of that array, the ruler of the Pragjyotisas, mounted on an elephant equipped according to rule, O monarch, shone like the sun at the time of its rising.

O monarch, adorned with garlands of flowers and having a white umbrella held over his head, he shone like the moon in all her digits, rising in conjunction with the constellation Krittika.

His elephant blinded with shedding ichor, appeared like a mass of black antimony and like a mighly mountain washed by the downpour of rain from thick clouds.

He was also surrounded by many war-like sovereign of mountain lands, armed with various weapons, and he resembled Shakra himself encompassed by the celestials.

Beholding that superhuman array invincible in battle by the enemies, king Yudhishthira spoke these words to the son of Prishata, “O mighty warrior, O you who own steeds white as the pigeons, do you adopt such measures so that I may not this day be subjugated by the Brahmana (Drona)."

Dhrishtadyumna said O you of chaste vows, you shall never be subjugating by Drona however much he may strive. Today I myself will resist Drona and all his followers.

O descendant of Kuru's race, it behoves you not to fell anxious so long as I am alive. Drona shall never be able to vanquish me in battle.

Sanjaya said Having thus spoken, the highly puissant son of Drupada the owner of pigeon-white steeds, scattering arrows (on all direction) himself rushed at Drona.

Beholding evil omen in the person of Dhrishtadyumna stationed before him, for a while Drona became all but cheerful.

Seeing this, your son Durmukha that grinder of foes, desirous of doing an act agreeable to Drona, set himself to oppose Dhrishtadyumna.

Then, O Bharata, ensued a terrible and dreadful battle between the war-like son of Prishata and the heroic Durmukha.

The son of Prishata, speedily covering Durmukha with his net-work of arrows, checked the career of the son of Bharadvaja with a thick shower of shafts.

Seeing Drona covered, your son quickly came to his help and confounded the son of Prishata, with a downpour of arrows of various appearance.

When the prince of the Panchalas and the foremost of the Kurus were thus engaged in battle, Drona crushed, with his arrows, diverse divisions of Yudhishthira's army.

Just as masses of clouds are torn into pieces by the vehemence of the wind, so the army belonging to the son of Pritha was shattered at many places.

For a short while only, O monarch, that engagement was agreeable to look at; after which it became like the battle of demented persons in which no consideration was made in favour of any one.

The combatants were no longer able to distinguish between their own men and their enemies; and the battle raged, the warr.ors being guided by conjecture and watch-words.

On the gems embosscd on their head-gears, on their necklaces ornaments and armours, rays of light, like the rays of the sun, were seen to be reflected.

Then in that battle, the car, the elephants and the horses, adorned with fluttering pennons looked like masses of cloud having rows of cranes ranging beneath them.

Men slew men and mettled steeds slew other steeds and car-warriors slew car-warriors and mighty elephants slew other elephant.

And in a moment a dreadful battle raged between elephants bearing raised standards and their powerful rivals rushing at them.

And in consequence of those prodigious creatures rushing against one another and tearing another with their tusks, fire and smoke were engendered there by such friction of bodies and clashing of tusks.

Deprived of the flag-staffs on their backs, those elephants, owing to the fire enkindled by the friction of their tusks, appeared like masses of clouds charged with lighting covering the skies.

The earth, over-spread with dragging (their rivals) and falling and roaring elephants, appeared like the autumnal clouds.

There arose a roar, emitted by those elephants when they were being slaughtered by showers of shafts and spears, that resembled the rumbling of clouds during a cyclone.

Some of those huge elephants being struck with arrows and some with lances, were inspired with panic and others began to roar aloud.

Some elephants being struck by others with their tusks gave out fierce roars of distress that resembled the rumbling of all-destructive clouds (at the end of a Yuga).

Some elephants turned back by powerful rivals, being urged on by the strokes of the hooks, again returned to the charge, crushing the hostile ranks (in their march).

Elephant-drivers assaulted other elephantdrivers with shafts and lances; and they fell down on the ground from their respective elephants and lost hold of their weapons and hooks.

Many elephants, deprived of the riders on their backs, coursed wildly hither and thither resembling clouds torn from prodigious masses and they fell down, encountering one another.

Bearing on their backs slains and fallen warriors or those whose weapons had fallen off their grasps, huge elephant roamed in all direction as if deprived of their mates.

Then in that carnage, elephants fell down uttering distressful roars, being pierced or in the act of being pierced with lances, swords and battle axes.

Struck with the falling carcasses of elephants huge like large mountains, the earth suddenly quaked and emitted loud sound.

The ground, strewn with mangled elephants and their drivers and with broken standards appeared as if it were covered over with hills.

In that battle elephant-drivers riding on their respective beasts and their beasts torn with broad-headed shafts by car-warriors of might, fell scattering their lances and hooks on all sides.

Other elephants, smitten with long-shafts, gave forth crane-like cries and ran on all sides, crushing friends and foes alike.

Strewn with carcasses and corpses of elephants, horses, car-warriors and heroes, the field, O monarch, became miry with flesh and blood. Huge cars with wheels and without wheels ard having their riders on, were thrown up by elephants, being smashed with the point of their tusks.

A number of elephants threw the chariots of huge size either with or without wheels with charioteers and warriors rode on them by lifting upon the tusk and tossed through the trunk. All those were thus, splitted into pieces.

Cars without riders, steeds deprived of their riders and elephants having their drivers slain, ran in all directions being over-whelmed with panic.

In that battle, father slew his son and son slew his father, thus raged the fierce fight in which nothing could be distinguished. a

In that gory mire men sank ankle-deep; and they looked like mighty trees the lower portion of which were enveloped in forest conflagration

Their garments and coats of mail and umbrellas and standards being steeped in blood, everything in that battle appeared to be crimson.

Large bodies of fallen steeds and carwarriors and men were again hacked into pieces by rolling car-wheels.

That sea of troops appeared vested with a terrible beauty, having elephants for its strong currents, slain warriors for its (floating) moss and (shattered) cars for its fearful eddies.

Warriors desirous of the wealth of victory launching into that sea on board the vessels consisting of their respective vehicles, produced stupefaction in their enemies instead of themselves sinking down to the bottom.

When all the warriors having proper individual devices (of heraldry) where covered over with showers of arrows, none among them lost heart, though every body was deprived of his particular badge.

When that fierce and panic inspiring battle was thus raging, Drona confounding the senses of his enemies, at last rushed at Yudhishthira.