Abhimanyu-Vadha Parva — The defeat of Karna and Dushasana

Sanjaya said Then the highly intelligent Abhimanyu with his body mangled with arrow-wounds smilingly addressing his antagonist Dushasana stationed before him, spoke these words.

"It is by good luck that today I find before me that vain warrior of cruel deeds and lost righteousness who ever brays loudly in his own applause.

In as much as in the midst of the assembly of courtiers and at the very hearing of king Dhritarashtra, you pierced the very virtuous king Yudhishthira with harsh words and in as much depending on the unfair game at dice and on the skill of Shakuni therein, you, intoxicated with joy, addressed many wild words of Bhima.

In consequence of all these acts and in consequence of the wrath of all those illustrious heroes, the present fate has overtaken you. O wicked-minded one, to you now reap the fatal fruits of your robbery of other peoples' possessions, of your wrathful temperaments, of your hatred for peace, of your covetousness, of your ignorance, harmfullness and persecution of others, as also of depriving my sires, all fierce bowmen, of their kingdom and of your own unrighteousness, This day before the eyes of all these warriors I will chastise you with my arrows.

This day I will free myself from the burden of anger I bear against you, as also from the debt I owe to my sires and to the angry Krishna, who ever desire your death.

Today, O descendant of the Kuru race, I will in battle pay off the debt I owe to Bhima; you shall not this day escape me with life, provided you do not abandon the fight.

Having thus spoken, that mighty-armed hero, that slayer of hostile heroes, fixed on his bow-string an arrow, endued with with the effulgence of Yama, Fire or the Windgod and calculated to bring about Dushasana's death.

Flying towards Dushasana's breast, that arrow pierced his shoulder-joint up to the very bones, like a snake piercing into an ant hill.

Then again he struck Dushasana with twenty-five arrows that resembled fire in their away from touch and were shot from his bow drawn back even to his every ears (i.e. fully).

Thus deeply pierced and painted to the extreme, Dushasana squatted down on the terrace of his chariot and, O mighty monarch, he became unconscious in a swoon.

Thereupon his charioteer quickly carried the field the unconscious Dushasana who had been sorely afflicted by Abhimanyu's arrows.

The Pandavas, the sons of Draupadi and Virat and the Kekayas and the Panchalas, beholding that act of Subhadra's son sent up a loud roar like that of a lion.

Then filled with joy, the troops of the Pandavas struck up numerous musical instruments of various description and shape, from all sides.

Beholding that feat achieved by Subhadra's son, they were amazed. Then seeing their most implacable and arrogant adversary thus worsted,

The five mighty car-warriors, viz., the five sons of Draupadi bearing on their standards as device the images of Yama, Maruta, Indra and the Asuras, as also Satyaki, Chekitana, Dhrishtadyumna Sikhandin, the Kekaya brothers, Dhristaketu and the Matsyas, the Panchalas and the Srinjayas and the Pandavas, were all enraptured and then headed by Yudhishthira, they rushed to battle desirous of breaking through Drona's division.

Then there commenced a fierce battle between the the foe and your troops, all unretreating heroes, bent on achieving victory.

Thus, O king, when the awful battle raged furiously, Duryodhana addressing Radha's son said these words-

Behold the heroic Dushasana worsted by Abhimanyu he who had been ere now slaying and scorching the foe like the sun himself.

Yonder rushes the infuriate Pandavas, looking like so many mighty lions, with weapons uplifted, to the rescue of Subhadra's son.

Thereupon inflamed with wrath Karna ever bent on doing good to your son, covered the arrows.

Then as if in contempt, the valiant Karna pierced the followers of Subhadra's son in battle with sharp shafts of excellent make.

Thereupon the high-souled Abhimanyu, who was longing to meet Drona himself, quickly pierced, o king, Radha's son with seventy-three shafts all whetted on stone.

Then there was no car-warrior save and except Drona himself who could have checked that grandson of the wielder of the thunderbolt, who had then been afflicting the mighty carwarriors sorely.

Thereafter displaying many many excellent weapons, Karna, that most honoured of all bowmen, desirous of victory pierced Subhadra's son with hundreds of shafts. Then that puissant pupil of Rama, that foremost of all men learned in the use of weapons, began to afflict Abhimanyu who was incapable of being vanquished by the foe.

Though thus afflicted with showers of weapons hurled by Radha's son, yet the son of Subhadra equal to an immortal, did not flinch.

Thereafter having cut-off the bows of warriors, with broad-headed shafts of depressed knots all whetted on stone, Arjuna's son began to afflict Karna in return.

Then with arrows, shot from his bow drawn to a circle and resembling snakes of virulent poison in touch, Abhimanyu quickly cut-off Karna's umbrella, standard, horses and charioteer, smiling all the while.

Then Karna sped at him five shafts of straight-knots; but the son of Phalguna dauntlessly received all those arrows.

Then that valiant hero in a moment cutting off with a single shaft Karna's bow and standard, felled them to the ground.

Seeing Karna in such a plight his younger brother, stretching his bow with great force impetuously rushed at Subhadra's son. At this, the Parthas sent up a loud uproar; their followers beat and blew many musical instruments; and they all applauded the sons of Subhadra.