The slaughter of Kratha's son

Dhritarashtra said What you are saying to me, O Suta, about the fierce and awful battle between one and the many and the victory of that high-souled one, this story of the prowess of Subhadra's son is wonderful and none the less incredible. But I do not regard it altogether impossible with respect of them whose sole refuge is virtue.

After Duryodhana had been repulsed and the hundred princes slain, what measure was adopted by my warriors against Subhadra's son.

Sanjaya said Their mouths were parched up and their eyes began to roll. They perspired and their hair stood erect. Desponding of conquering the enemy, they exerted their best to fly away.

Abandoning their slain brothers, fathers, sons, friends, relatives and kinsmen, they fled urging their elephants and steeds on.

Beholding then the troops thus broken, Drona and his son and Brihadbala, Kripa, Duryodhana, Karna, Kritavarman and Subala's son.

All these warriors excited with rage rushed against the invincible son of Subhadra. Then those warriors also, O king, were almost beat back by your grandson (Abhimanyu).

A single warrior only, viz., Lakshmana, brought up in luxury, versed in the use of arrows and weapons, endued with great energy and dauntless through pride and youth, rushed against Arjuna's son.

Preyed upon by anxiety on account of his son, his father (Duryodhana) turned back: and other mighty car-warriors also followed Duryodhana's example.

These warriors all showered arrows of him (Abhimanyu), like clouds showering in torrents rains on mountains; he, in return, though single-handed, routed them like the dry and confused wind scattering masses of clouds.

Then like one infuriate elephant meeting another in the same state, Krishna's nephew encountered your grandson Lakshmana, invincible, of great personal beauty, standing near his father with his bow ready for use, endued with heroism, brought up in all luxury and resembling the son of the God or wealth.

Encountering Lakshmana, that slayer of hostile heroes, that son of Subhadra, was pierced on the breast and the arms with exceedingly sharp shafts.

Then that mighty-armed grandson of yours (Abhimanyu), O mighty monarch, excited with rage like a snake struck with a rod, addressing

Look well on this earth, for you shall be required soon to go to another world. I will dispatch you to the abode of Death even before the very eyes of your on-looking friends.

Having thus spoken, that slayer of hostile heroes, that mighty-armed hero, viz., Subhadra's son, took out a broad-headed shaft that resembled a snake that had recently cast its slough off.

That shaft sped by the force of his arms, cut-off the beautiful head of Lakshmana, graced with ear-rings and a beautiful nose and charming locks and eye-brows.

Bcholding Lakshmana slain, people began to wail aloud saying 'Oh' and 'Alas.' Thereupon at the death of his dear-loved son, Duryodhana became inflamed with rage.

And then that foremost of the Kshatriyas commanded his other Kshatriya warriors saying 'Slay him.' Thereupon Drona, his son, Kripa, Karna and Brihadbala and.

Kritavarman the son of Hridika, these six warriors surrounded Subhadra's son. But the son of Arjuna piercing them with whetted shafts and bcating them back.

Angrily and with vehemence, fell upon the mighty division of the ruler of the Sindhus. Thereupon the Kalingas, the Nishadhas and the

puissant son of Kratha, clad in mail, covered his path with their mighty elephant division. The battle then that commenced between Abhimanyu and the other warriors was dreadful and fierce to the extreme.

Then the son of Arjuna began to crush that division of elephants, like the wind that blows in all directions destroying masses of clouds in the heaven.

Thereafter Kratha covered Arjuna's son with showers of arrows; meanwhile many other car-warriors headed by Drona, turning back to the field of battle,

Rushed at Subhadra's son, discharging numerous weapons of celestial make. Beating back all of them with arrows, Arjuna's son afflicted Kratha's son,

With innumerable groups of arrows, in all haste and inflamed with a desire for slaying his antagonist. Then the bow, the arrows, the bracelets, the arms and the head decked with a diadem, of Kratha's son,

His umbrella, standards, charioteer and horses, were all felled by Abhimanyu. When that one (Kratha's son) possessed of a high lineage and character, acquainted with the Srutis and endued with wealth of weapons and fame was thus slain, almost all the remaining heroic warriors turned away from the field of battle.