Samshaptaka-Vadha Parva — The fighting of Bhagadatta

Dhritarashtra said When the Pandavas returned and when division clashed against divisions, how did the warriors of my army and those belonging to the sons of Pritha, endued with activity, fight?

What also did Arjuna do to the car-warriors of the Samshaptaka host and what, O Sanjaya, did the Samshaptakas do to Arjuna in return?

Sanjaya said When the Pandavas did return to the charge and when divisions clashed against divisions, your son (Duryodhana) himself at the head of the elephant division, rushed at Bhimasena. son

Like an elephant challenged by another or like a bovine bull summoned by a rival, Bhimasena, challenged by the king himself, rushed against that elephant division.

And, O sire, that of Pritha, accomplished in battle and endued with strength of arms, soon shattered that host of elephants.

Those elephants, prodigious like mountains and with ichor exuding from all parts of their bodies, were crushed and compelled to turn back by the Narachas of Bhimasena.

Indeed as a raging tempest tears away a network of clouds, so did the son of the Wind (Bhima) shatter that host (of elephants).

Scattering arrows on that herd of elephants, Bhima appeared beautiful, like the sun scattering his shining rays on all objects of the world.

Afflicted with the shafts of Bhima and bespattered with biood, those elephants looked beautiful like various masses of clouds in the heavens streaked with the rays of the sun.

Thereupon Duryodhana excited with wrath, approached and pierced with whetted shafts the son of the Wind who was afflicting his (Duryodhana's) own division of elephants.

Thereat, with blood-red eyes, Bhima within a while, desirous of dragging the king to destruction, began to pierce the latter with winged shafts.

Then Duryodhana, covered with arrows on all parts of his body and wrought up with rage, began to pierce the son of Pandu, viz., Bhimasena, with Narachas of the effulgence of the rays of the sun, laughing all the while.

Duryodhana had an (artificial) elephant embossed with gems and jewels as the device gracing his banner; this elephant together with the former's blow, the son of Pandu severed with two Bhallas in all haste.

Beholding Duryodhana afflicted by Bhima, O sire, the sovereign of the Angas, riding on an elephant, came with a view to afflict Bhima,

Secing that best of elephants make towards himself with a roar resembling the rumble of the clouds, Bhima struck it sore with a Naracha between its two frontal globes.

That Naracha, penetrating through the body of the elephant at last struck on the ground. Then that elcphant fell like a mountain struck with the thunder-bolt.

The Mlechha king who could not extricate himself from the dropping elephant was also falling with it; with an admirable lightness of hand, Vrikodara cut-off the head of that monarch.

At the fall of the heroic ruler of the Angas, his division fled in all directions. Horses, elephants and car-warrior, seized with panic, began to crush the foot-soldiers in their fight.

When that host had been thus broken and rouled in all directions, the sovereign of the Pragjyotisas rushed at Bhima, riding on his elephant.

Bhagadatta attacked on Bhimasena by riding on the elephant of Airavata breed using which as vehicle, Indra had defeated the demons and monsters.

With its two forelegs and its trunk contracted and with its eyes rolling and inflamed with fury, the elephant seemed to consume the son of Pandu. It then shattered to pieces the car of Vrikodara together with the steeds harnessed thereto. Thereat running on his legs Bhima hid himself underneath body of the elephant.

The son of Pandu did not really fly, for he was acquainted with the science called Anjalikavedha. Getting underneath the elephant's body, that elephant that was intent on slaying him; he began to strike it with his bare arms repeatedly.

He began to afflict that elephant that was intent on slaying him; Whereupon the elephant began to whirl round like a potter's wheel in rapid motion. Possessed of the might of ten thousand elephants, the glorious Vrikodara, having struck the elephant. Came out from underneath its body and stood stood before Supratika.

Holding down Bhima with its trunk, Supratika then struck him with its knees. And winding its trunk round the neck of Bhima, it really tried to kill him. Whirling round Bhimasena freed himself from the twine of the elephant's trunk.

Then once more Vrikodara got under the body of that elephant. Then when he saw a rival elephant of his own army make towards the one (underneath which he was standing).

Bhima issuing out from under the body of the elephant, ran away with speed. Thereupon cry in whole army.

'Alas, Bhima is slain by the elephant' was set up by all the troops, O sire. Frightened by that elephant, the Pandava army suddenly fled, O king, there where Vrikodara was standing.

Thereupon, considering Vrikodara to be slain, king Yudhishthira assisted by the Panchalas, environed Bhagadatta on all sides. a loud

That foremost of car-warriors Yudhishthira, having surrounded Bhagadatta with cars on all sides, covered the latter with keen-pointed shafts by hundreds and thousands.

Baffling those myriad shafts with his iron hook, the Mountain-king, (Bhagadatta) agitated with his elephant the host of the Pandavas and the Panchalas.

Then, O ruler of men, we did indeed behold a wonderful feat achieved in that battle by the old Bhagadatta, through the instrumentality of his elephant.

Then the sovereign of the Dasarnas advanced against the ruler of the Pragjyotisas, mounted on a swift-coursing elephant exuding the temporal juice and moving in a tortuous inotion.

Then the encounter that ensued between those two elephants of prodigious appearance, resembled the fight, in the days of yore, between winged mountains covered with trees.

Thereafter the elephant of the ruler of the Pragjyotisas, turning and wheeling round, slew the elephant of the king of the Dasarnas, by ripping open its flanks.

King Bhagadatta also, with seven Tomaras of the effulgence of the sur's rays, slew his adversary riding on an elephant just when the latter was about to slip down from his seat.

Thereupon Yudhishthira lacerating king Bhagadatta (with many shafts), surrounding him on all sides with a numerous host of carwarriors.

Mounted on his elephant and surrounded on all sides by the car-warriors, he (Bhagadatta) appeared beautiful like fire illumining a mountain surrounded by forests.

Then mounted on his elephant, he remained inside that compact circle of fierce bow-men riding on chariots and pouring showers of arrows. a

Thereafter the king of the Pragjyotisas, poking his prodigious elephant, urged it towards the chariot of Yuyudhana.

Thereat the mighty elephant twining with its trunks the car of Sini's grandson, threw it violently to distance; but Yuyudhana escaped.

His charioteer jumping upon the car, urged the mighty steeds of the Shindhu breed yoked thereto and stopped reaching the spot where Satyaki was sianding.

Then that elephani, availing itself of that breach in the circle of cars, came speedily out of it and began to overthrow all the rulers of the carth.

Those foremost of men being frightened by that swift-coursing elephant, regarded that single one to be multiplied into hundred elephants, in that battle.

The Pandavas crushed by Bhagadatta mounted on his elephant, appeared like the Danavas crushed by Indra mounted on his clephant, appeared like the Danavas crushed by Indra mounted on the Airavata.

When the Panchalas were flying on all sides, a defending and dreadful din was created by their elephants and steeds.

Thus when the Pandavas were being afflicted by Bhagadatta in that battle, Bhima wrought up with wrath once more rushed against the ruler of the Pragjyotisas.

Then that elephant drenching with the water spouting from its trunk the horses of the advancing Bhima, frightened them and they carried away Bhima from the field.

Thereafter Ruchiparvan the son of Akriti spcedily rushed at him, mounted on his chariot and pouring showers of arrows like Death himself.

Then that ruler of the mountain tracts possessed of shapely limbs, dispatched, with a straight shaft, Ruchiparvan to the regions of the son of Vivasvan (Death).

On the fall of that hero (Ruchiparvan), the son of Subhadra, the sons of Draupadi, Chekitana, Dhristaketu and Yuyutsu, began to afflict that elephant. Desirous of slaying it; and uttering dreadful roars, they began to pour on it their arrows like showers of rain.

Then that elephant urged with heels toes and the hook, by its skillful rider, rushed (at them) with speed, with its trunk stretched and eyes and ear fixed trampling upon the steeds of Yuyutsu, the animal crushed his charioteer.

O monarch, Yuyutsu fled, forsaking his car, in ail haste. Then the warriors of the Pandava host out of a desire for slaying that foremost of elephants, speedily drenched it with the shower of their arrows, uttering loud shouts all the while.

At this juncture, your son with speed rushed, against the car or Subhadra's son. King Bhagadatta riding on his elephant and discharging arrows at the foc appeared resplendent like the sun scattering his rays on the earth.

Then the son of Arjuna pierced him with twelve shafts and Yuyutsu with ten. The sons of Draupadi and Dhrishtaketu also pierced him with ten shafts.

With those arrows shot with great care stuck on its body, the elephant appeared beautiful. Like a mighty rain-cloud struck with the rays of the sun.

Urged on by the skill and vigour of its rider and smitten with the shafts of the enemy. That clephant began to throw down right and left, the warriors of the hostile host.

Like a cow-hcard belabouring with his cudgel the herd in the forest. Bhagadatta began to smite the hostile troops repeatedly.

Like the cawing of the crows pounced upon by the hawks. A confused noise was heard among the Pandava hosts, as they fled with speed.

O monarch, then that foremost of elephants being struck with the hook resembled with winged mountains of yore. It struck panic into the hearts of the enemy, like to what the merchants (on board) experience when the (tempest-tossed) sea rushes against them.

O monarch, then in that battle, a loud din, was raised by the elephants, car-warriors steeds and kings, as they fled in fear; and that din filled the earth, the welkin, the cardinal and subsidiary directions of the compass.

That monarch (Bhagadatta) with that foremost elephant of his, thoroughly agitated the host of the enemy, like Virochana agitating in battle the celestial host well-protected by the immortals in the days of yore.

The friend of fire (tempest) then began to blow violently. A cloud of dust in a moment covered the firmament and the forces. People began to regard that single elephant at multiplied into many and careering in all directions.