The slaughter of the Samshaptakas

Sanjaya said As you have enquired of me of the feats of Partha in that battle, hear, O you of mighty arms, what he achieved in that battle.

Seeing the cloud of dust and hearing the noise created by the troops when Bhagadatta was achieving feats of valour, the son of Kunti thus addressed Krishna.

O slayer of Madhu, as the ruler of the Pragjyotisas has advanced with impetuosity to the battle, riding on his elephant, this loud noise may be attributed to him.

Well-versed in the management of his vehicle the elephant, he is in no way interior to Indra in battle; and I think, he is either the first or the second of all the elephant warriors on the face of this earth.

His elephant is also the foremost of the species, whom no rival dares encounter in battle; the animal is well accomplished in all tactics and indefatigable and beyond the reach of all weapons in battle.

sinless one, that elephant capable of bearing the showers of all kinds of weapon and even the tongues of fire, will alone, this day, destroy all the troops of the Pandavas.

Save and except us two, there is none who is capable of resisting that animal. Therefore with speed do you drive where the ruler of the Pragjyotisas is.

I will, this very day, send, as a dear guest to the slayer of Bala (Indra), this my adversary who is proud of the prowess of his elephant and of his venerable age, in battle.

No sooner had Arjuna uttered these words than Krishna drove to the spot where Bhagadatta had been crushing and shattering the Pandava ariny. on

As Arjuna winded his way towards Bhagadatta, the fourteen thousand mighty carwarriors, viz., the Samshaptakas summoned him delightfully from behind.

Of these fourteen thousand, ten thousand mighty car-warriors belonged to the Trigartta clan and the remaining) four sand were the followers of the son of Vasudeva.

Beholding then the ranks of his own army broken by Bhagadatta and Osire, being summoned the other-hand by by the Samshaptakas, Arjuna was scen divided in his heart (purpose).

He began to reflect-‘Which of these two acts will now be beneficial for me viz., to turn back to the Samshaptakas or to repair to Yudhishthira.'

Then, ( perpetuator of the race of the Kurus, deciding with the help of his understanding, Arjuna set his heart steadily on the destruction of the Samshaptakas.

Then that son of Vasava bearing the device of the money-chief on his standard, suddenly wheeled round with the intent of slaughtering, single handed, those thousands of car-warriors in battle.

Even this was what both Karna and Duryodhana had decided to be the means for bringing about the death of Arjuna; and for this they had planned the double encounter.

Then the son of Pandu wavered between his two purposes (of slaying the Samslaptakas and of meeting Bhagadatta). But he baffled the purposes of his enemies by slaying then the foremost among the Samshaptakas.

Thereat, O monarch, the mighty carwarriors, of the Samshaptaka host showered upon Arjuna hundreds and thousands of straight-jointed shafts.

Covered with those shafts, neither the son of Kunti, namely Partha, nor Krishna the assuager of the grief of men, nor horses nor chariots, O monarch, could be seen.

Then when Janardana was overwhelmed with a swoon and was covered with drops of perspiration, the son of Pritha tell to slaughter them in large numbers with his Brahma weapon.

Hundreds of arms with arrows, bow-strings and bows in their grasps, being severed and also, standards, horses, charioteers and carwarriors, all fell down on the earth.

Elephants, resembling in stature huge hills covered with trees or masses of rain clouds and furnished with trappings, having their riders slain, fell down on the ground being struck with the arrows of Partha.

Greatly afflicted with the shafts of Partha, steeds with riders on their backs, fell down dead on the ground, with their caparisons and reins severed and their Bandha rent.

Severed by Kiritin with his board-headed arrows, the arms of men, having swords, lances and rapiers for their nail and grasping bludgeons, mallets and battle-axes, fell down.

Heads, O sire, resembling the rising sun or the lotus or the moon, being severed by the arrows of Arjuna, fell down on the earth.

When the enraged Phalguna had been thus slaying his foes, the forces seemed to be on fire, being struck with beautiful but deadly shafts of various appearances.

Then all beings honoured Dhananjaya, who had been agitating the forces like an elephant crushing the lotus-stalks, by saying 'Well done,' 'Well-done.

Beholding that feat of the son of Pritha, which was equal to the one achieved by Vasava himself, Madhava, highly amazed thus spoke to the former, with his hands folded.

'I think, O Partha, the feat you have today achieved in battle is difficult of being performed even by Indra or Yama or Kubera himself.

I have seen today slay simultaneously in battle, hundreds and thousands of mighty carwarriors of the Samshaptaka host.'

Then completely slaying those Samshaptakas who stayed in battle, Partha said to Krishna, ‘Now hasten towards Bhagadatta.'

I have seen today slay simultaneously in battle, hundreds and thousands of mighty carwarriors of the Samshaptaka host.'

Then completely slaying those Samshaptakas who stayed in battle, Partha said to Krishna, ‘Now hasten towards Bhagadatta.'