Jayadratha-Vadha Parva — The slaughter of Vinda and Anuvinda

Sanjaya said When the sun had turned in its downward course towards the summit of the Western hills, when the earth was scattered over the dust and when the effulgence of the solar disc had become lessencd.

And when some of the soldiers were standing aloof, some fighting on, returning to the charge and some winning victory, the day gradually began to wane.

Thus when the troops inflamed with the hopes of victory were fighting together, Arjuna and Vasudeva proceeded towards the spot where the ruler of the Sindhus were.

Vibhatsu the son of Kunti, with his sharp shafts went on creating breaches wide enough for his chariot io pass through; and through these breaches, the son of Vasudeva guided the chariot.

Wherever the car of the illustrious son of Pandu proceeded, thither O ruler of men your troops began to give way.

Then he of the Dasharha race endued with great might, displayed his superior skill in driving the car, in as much he performed, with the car, numerous kinds of circular motions.

Then, arrows having their names engraved on them, well-tempered, of the effulgence of the fire of dessolution, tied round with cat-guts, of polished joints, thick, far-reaching, made either of stiff bamboo or of iron, capable of taking the life out of the enemies, drank in that battle the life blood of numerous warriors, together with the birds of prey assembled on the field.

The arrows which Arjuna discharged standing on his car, fell two miles ahead and pierced and mangled the foe, just when that car came up to the spot.

Borne by those yoke-bearing steeds endued with the fleetness of Garuda or the wind, Hrishikeshas, advanced with such quickness that caused the whole universe to be filled with amazement.

O ruler of men, even the chariot of the sun himself or of Indra or of Rudra or of Vaishravana, can never proceed so quickly.

Indeed, no one else's chariot had before moved with such quickness in battle as Arjuna's chariot then moving with the fleetness of a glance of the mind.

Then having taken the chariot to the thick of the fight, that slayer of hostile heroes, Keshava, O Bharata, quickly drove the steeds of it into the ranks of the soldiers.

Having penetrated into the rear of the cardivision, these excellent steeds drew the car of Arjuna with great difficulty, suffering as they did from hunger, thirst and fatigue.

They were also mangled with numerous weapons by many foremost of combatants. Then they began to move in various wonderful circular motions.

Passing over many slain steeds elephants and many men and also over broken cars, like a group of locusts.

During this opportunity, O king, the two heroic brothers, the princes of Avanti supported by their troops, rushed upon of Pandu whose steeds were fatigued and tired.

Filled with delight they pierced Arjuna with sixty-four, Janardana with seventy and the horses with a hundred shafts.

Then the enraged Arjuna knowing the vital parts of the body, pierced them both, O king, with nine arrows of depressed knots, all capable of penetrating to the very vitals.

Thereat inflamed with rage, those two warriors covered Vibhatsu and Keshava with the son their arrowy downpour and uttered loud warcries.

Then that hero of white steeds with a pair of broad-headed shafts, quickly cut-off in that battle the two wonderful bows of those princes, as also their standards of golden effulgence.

Thereupon, Oking, taking another two bows and excited to the highest pitch of fury, they began to afflict sorely the son of Pandu, with their arrows.

Then again, that son of Pandu Dhananjaya, inflamed with rage, quickly cut-off their bows with another pair of arrows.

Then with other shafts, furnished with golden wings and whetted on stone, he quickly slew their steeds, charioteers, Parshni-drivers and followers.

Thereafter with a razor-headed arrow, he cut the head of the elder of the two brothers, off his trunk; thus slain, the latter fell down on the Earth like a tree broken down by the wind.

The highly puissant Anuvinda, beholding Vinda thus slain, left the car of which the steeds were slain; and that mighty hero, taking up a mace.

Rushed towards Arjuna's car for avenging the death of his brother. Then that mighty car-warrior, that foremost of all car-warriors armed with his mace, appeared to dance on the field.

Inflamed with rage then Anuvinda struck with that mace of his, the slayer of Madhu on the forehead. But he could not make him tremble who remained immovable like the Mainaka mountain.

Of him, with six shafts, Arjuna cut-off the neck, the two legs, his arms and his head; and thus cut to pieces, he fell down like fragments of rocks.

Then, O king, beholding those two heroes slain, their followers inflamed with rage, rushed against Arjuna, discharging arrows by thousands.

Quickly dispatching them with his arrows, O foremost of the Bharata, Arjuna, then appeared beautiful like the fire consuming the forest at the expiration of winter.

Then Dhananjaya, having passed with difficulty, through their (Vinda and Anuvinda's) divisions, appeared beautiful like the lustrous orb of the day emerging out of a cluster of clouds.

At first beholding him the Kurus were struck with panic! But in the next moment they were filled with delight; and then, O foremost of the Bharatas, they rushed upon Pritha's son from all sides.

Beholding them fatigued and knowing the ruler of the Sindhus to be stationed afar, they surrounded Arjuna with a loud roar.

Beholding them highly excited, that foremost of men Arjuna smilingly addressed these words to that descendant of the Dasharha

"Our steeds are afflicted with arrowwounds; they are exhausted; the ruler of the Sindhus is still far off. What in your opinion is the best course to be adopted now?

Speak, O Krishna, truly on this point? You are ever the foremost of the wise. The sons of Pandu, having yourself only for their eyes, can hope to vanquish their enemies in battle.

Hear what seems to me to be our duty next. Unyoking the steeds, leave them to their ease and O Madhava, draw out the arrows from their body."

Thus spoken to by Pritha's son, Keshava replied to him saying-"O Partha, I am also of the same opinion that you have expressed."

Arjuna said O Keshava, I shall hold the whole army in check. Do you duly perform whatever should be done now.

Sanjaya said Thereupon descending from the terrace of his car, Dhananjaya, with the Gandiva bow in his grasp, stood on the field of battle like an immovable hill.

Beholding Dhananjaya on the ground and taking this to be a meet opportunity, the Kshatriyas, desirous of obtaining victory and uttering load roars, rushed upon the former.

Then with a mighty host of cars, they surrounded that single-handed hero, stretching their bows and discharging their arrows right and left.

Inflamed with rage, they then displayed numerous wonderful weapons; and like the clouds covering the solar disc, they covered Pritha's son with their arrows.

Then those Kshatriyas, illustrious carwarriors all, rushed with impetuously upon that foremost of Kshatriyas and that best of men, Arjuna, like infuriate elephant rushing upon a lion.

Then we beheld the wonderful might of Partha's arms inasmuch as inflamed with wrath, he held in check, the numerous army of the Kauravas.

Resisting with his own weapons those hurled by the foe, that highly puissant hero quickly covered all his adversaries with his myriad shafts.

The, O ruler of men, generated by the clash of those thick showers of arrows, a mighty fire of blazing flames, burnt on that part of the welkin.

There, in consequence of countless heroes, all inflamed with wrath and united together for a common cause seeking to obtain victory in battle, supported by steeds bespattered with blood and breathing heavily and by maddened and foe-crushing elephants emitting fierce yells, the weather became excessively hot.

Then with his arrows Pritha's son held in check that uncrossable, wide, fathomless ocean of cars-incapable of being, agitated, having arrows for its waves, flags for its whirl-pools, elephants for its sharks fcot-soldiers for its countless fishes, the blare of conches and the sound of drums for its roar, chariots for its swelling current, turbans of warriors for its tortoises, umbrellas and banners for its foam and the carcasses of elephants for its submarine rocks, which then was appearing like a vast continent.

Dhritarashtra said Dhritarashtra asked-Why did my soldiers killed the son of Kunti when Arjuna descended on earth and god Krishna started giving treatment to the horses because it was the good opportunity.

Sanjaya said Sanjaya said Partha in the meantime resisted all kings seated on chariots suddenly, the same way as the sentence contrary to Vedas is declared unacceptable. This valour he exhibited when merely stood on the earth.

As the greed suppresses all qualities, Arjuna resisted all kings seated on their chariots even when his feet were touching the ground and chariot was wrecked.

Then as the battle progressed, the mighty armed and dauntless Janardana addressing his dear friend, that foremost of men (Arjuna), thus spokeउदपानमिहाश्वानां नालमस्ति रणेऽर्जुन।

O Arjuna, there is no water here on the field of battle for the forces to drink from. They want water for drinking and not for a bath.

Thereupon saying “Here is it" Arjuna fearlessly struck the Earth with a weapon and thus created a beautiful lake there from which the teeds could quench their thirsts.

That watery expanse abounded in swans and ducks and was beautified with hosts of Chakravakas. Its water was translucent and abounded with full-blown lotuses of the best order.

It swarmed with tortoises and fishes and was fathomless and frequented by numerous seas. Then there came the sage Narada to have a look at that lake created there in a moment's time.

Then Partha that performer of wonderful works like Krishna himself, created there an arrowy hall having arrows for its beams and rafts, arrows for its pillars and arrows for its roof.

Thereupon Govinda, seeing the illustrious son of Pritha construct that hall there, laughing applauded him saying "Well-done, welldone."