Karna Parva — The encounter between Ashvatthaman and Arjuna

Dhritarashtra said Do you relate to me how the battle of Arjuna waged with the Samsaptakas and that of other lords of the earth with the Pandavas.

Moreover describe to me, O Sanjaya, how that battle of Arjuna took place with Ashvatthaman; and also that of other supporters of the earth with the sons of Pritha.

Sanjaya said O monarch, do you hear me, who am describing to you how that battle, which was destructive of the bodies, sins and lives of persons, waged between the heroes (on our side) and the enemies.

The son of Pritha, that slayer of enemies, having entered into the army of the Samsaptakas, that was like the great ocean, afflicted it most highly; even as the dreadful tempest agitates the vast ocean.

Dhananjaya, after having severed the heads of the heroic warriors by broad-headed and sharp-edged arrows, that (viz. the heads) had faces, as resplendent as the full moon and also very handsome eyes, eye-brows and teeth, immediately scattered the earth over with these heads, as if with lotuses severed from their stalks.

Arjuna cut-off the arms of his antagonists with keen arrows, that were like the razors, which, viz. the arms were excellently round, long and muscular and also were rubbed over with soft sandal and other perfumes and again, were furnished with weapons and fingers protected with leathern cases and resembled the five-headed snakes, in that dreadful battle.

The son of Pandu, again and again, cut-off with his broad-faced arrows the horses and horsemen, the drivers of cars and standards, bows and arrows, as well as arms, that were ornamented with valuable jewels.

O monarch, in that battle Arjuna, sent away innumerable car-warriors, elephants, horses and cavalry to the abode of Death, by striking them with several thousands of arrows.

The foremost of heroes, who became very wrathful and who roared most loudly and who, again, like bulls, were highly excited as if for a cow in season, proceeded most rapidly against him (Arjuna) with great uproars. Then those warriors began to strike him (Arjuna) with their shafts who at that time continued to slay his (Arjuna's) antagonist, even as the bulls strike another of their kind with the horns.

Thus the battle, which caused the hairs to stand on points, waged between him (Arjuna) and them (other warriors); even as there had taken place a battle of the Daityas with the wielder of the thunder-bolt (Indra) at the conquest of the three worlds.

That Arjuna, after having restrained the weapons of his antagonists, coming from all sides, by the weapons of his own and also having pierced the foes with a large number of shafts most rapidly, had taken away their lives.

That impersonation of victory (Jaya), that enhancer of the fears of his antagonists, after having broken into minute pieces, like the tempest breaking the vast masses of clouds into fragments, the cars, which had their poles, wheels and axes already shattered (by him) and which had their warriors, horses and drivers slain and which also had their weapons and quivers dislodged and which had their standards smitten down and which had their traces and reins of horses broken into pieces and which had their wooden fences already shattered into pieces (by him) and which had their arrows (deposited in them) struck down and moreover after having astonished every body, worked out deeds, like those of a thousand mighty car-warriors, fighting together, that were worth seeing.

The assemblage of the Siddhas and the divine Rishis, as well as the Charanas, began to praise them highly. The celestial kettle-drums also begun to be sounded; and showers of flowers continued to fall upon the heads of both Keshava and Arjuna. Meanwhile a voice,

Those two heroes, Keshava and Arjuna, are always said to be possessed of the splendour of the moon, the light of the fire, the strength of the wind and the brilliancy of the sun. Those two are as invincible as Brahman and Ishana. They are seated on the same car. They are the best of all creatures. They are most heroic. And the both are equal to Nara and Narayana.

Thus hearing and beholding this wonderful event, O descendant of the Bharata race, Ashvatthaman, firmly resolved upon, rushed towards the two Krishnas, viz. Arjuna and Keshava, in that battle.

Having invited to battle the son of Pandu, who was pouring forth showers of arrows, that had the power of slaying the antagonists, with his arm holding an arrow within its reach, the

'O hero, if you consider me to be your worthy guest, who am arrived here, then allow me, with your entire soul, the hospitality of battle today.'

Having been thus invited by the son of the Preceptor out of desire for battle, Arjuna considered himself to be highly respected and

The army of the Samasaptakas should be slaughtered by me; but, again, the son of Drona is inviting me to battle. O Madhava, do you order me really what should be performed first. If you consider it proper, that the work of hospitality should be given Ashvatthama first after rising.

Having been thus addressed (by Arjuna), Krishna carried, to the near presence of the son of Drona, the son of Pritha, who was invited to battle according to the prescribed maxims of triumphant challenge; even as the God of wind carries Indra to the sacrificial place.

Keshava, after having invited (to battle) him, who had his whole heart directed upon one thing, addressed the son of Drona, saying-'O Ashvatthaman, having been still (in the field), do you begin to strike without hesitation, as also do you bear (patiently).'

This, indeed, is the fit occasion for those, who support their lives with the food of their masters, to repay obligation to their supporters. The struggle between the Brahmanas is most insignificant; but the war between two Kshatriyas is a grand and decisive one, resulting either in victory or defeat.

You, who are most willing to receive, out of foolishness, those celestial rites of hospitality at the hands of the son of Pritha, after having becalmed yourself this day, continue to fight with the son of Pandu.

Having been thus addressed by Vasudeva, the best of the twice-born persons said-"So be it." He also pierced Keshava with sixty arrows and penetrated Arjuna with three other shafts.

Having been highly wrathful, Arjuna broke asunder his (antagonist's) bow with three powerful arrows. The son of Drona, on the other hand, took up another bow, more dreadful than the first.

Having stretched his bow within so short a time as the twinkling of the eye, he (the son of . Drona) pierced both Arjuna and Keshava-Vashudeva with three hundred shafts and the son of Pandu with one thousand arrows.

Thereupon, the son of Drona, after having rendered Arjuna wholly stupid with the greatest care in the field of battle, shot thousands and tens of thousands and millions of shafts.

Innumerable shafts continued to be poured forth from the quiver, the bow, the bow-string, the fingers, the arms, the two hands, the breast, the face, the rose, the two eyes, the two cars, the head, the different limbs and pores of the body, the car and its standards, of the professor of Brahmana, O sirc.

The son of Drona, after having pierced Madhava and the son of Pandu with a heavy shower of shafts, became highly gratified and sent forth a great up-roar like the loud roar of a vast congregated mass of clouds.

Having heard this great uproar of him (the son of Drona), the son of Pandu, addressed that Eternal One, saying-O Madhava, observe this great oppression of the son of the preceptor towards me.

This warrior considers us to be slaughtered, who have entered into the house of thick arrows (i.e. the arrowy shower). But we will surely frustrate his aim by means of our learning and energy.

The most excellent of the Bharata race, after having severed every one of the shafts of Ashvatthaman into three pieces, destroyed the power of those arrows even as the sun does away with the mist.

Thereupon the son of Pandu pierced with dreadful arrows the army of the Samsaptakas, with their horses, drivers, cars and elephants and with their standards, infantry and carwarriors repeatedly.

Then these persons, who having posted there in any way they liked, witnessed the battle, considered themselves to be wholly covered over with the showers of arrows, as if closing themselves by themselves.

Those arrows of innumerable forms furnished with the wings, having been shot from the Gandiva bow, had slaughtered the elephants, horses and men, either stationed there or at the distance of two miles, in that (dreadful) battle.

The trunks of the elephants, that had been pouring forth their juice (as the mark of their excitement) having been thus cut-off by the broad-headed arrows, began to fall down; even as the pretty-well gigantic trees, having been hewn down by axes in the forest, fall down upon the earth.

After a short while, the elephants that resembled hill, along with those riding upon them, tumbled down upon the ground even as the large mountains broken down by the thunder-bolt fall upon the ground.

Having severed into minute fragments the cars that appcared like the dissolving columns of vapour in the evening sky and also that were well-furnished with all its equipment's and that were yoked to well-trained horses and again, that were occupied by the warriors, invincible in battle, by powerful arrows, (he the son of Pandu) began to pour forth shower of shafts upon the enemies. Moreover Dhananjaya slew both the horsemen and the infantry, welladorned with the ornaments.

Dhananjaya, like the sun appearing at the end of the Yuga, had soaked away the vast deep of the Samsaptaka army, that was most difficult to be dried up, by means of his sharpheaded arrows, that constituted his rays.

Then again he (Dhananjaya) without hesitation perfectly penetrated the son of Drona, who was like a huge mountain with straight arrows, that had great force and also that were as resplendent as the sun; even as the wielder of the thunder-bolt pierces a mountain (by thunder).

The most wrathful son of the Preceptor, desiring to fight, proceeded against him (Arjuna) with a view to pierce hiin along with his horses and drivers with swift arrows. The son of Pritha, on the other hand, sundered those arrows shot at him.

Thereupon he (the son of Pandu), having been highly wrathful, continued to shower forth quivers of the arrows upon the person of Ashvatihaman; even as one serves a guest with things upon things in his house.

Then the son of Pandu, after having forsaken the army of the Samsaptakas ran towards the son of Drona; even as the doner, after having abandoned the unworthy quests, rushes towards the worthy one with his gifts.