Karna Parva — The prowess of Karna

Sanjaya said O monarch, Karna the son of Vikartana, indeed, restrained with great rage Nakula, who was destroying and dispersing the army (belonging to the Kurus) in that battle.

Thereupon, Nakula smilingly uttered these words of Karna-'I am, after a long while and through the kindness of the celestials, seen by you.

O wretched one, such as I am, you have become the object of my sight in this battle. Indeed, you are the root of all these evils, as well as of this hostility and warfare.

Through you faults the Kuru warriors, after having fought against one another had become thinned. Having slaughtered you today in the battle. I will consider myself as having performed my duties; and also I will be free from the fever (of my heart).

Being thus addressed, the son of Suta replied to Nakula in expressions worthy of the son of a king and of a bowman specialiy.

'O brave warrior, strike me; we will behold your manliness. O hero, first having achieved some deed in the battle, then it behoves you to speak.

O sire, without speaking anything (highly of themselves) in the battle, the warriors fight to the best of their might. hence, do you fight with me to the best of your power. I will surely destroy your vanity.

Having addressed him thus, the son of Suta struck the son of Pandu most rapidly and pierced him in the battle with seventy-three arrows.

Thereupon, O descendant of the Bharata race, Nakula, indeed, having been thus pierced by the son of Suta, pierced the Suta's son in return with eight shafts, that were as deadly as the snakes possessing virulent poison.

Then Karna, that most powerful bowman, after having severed his (enemy's) bow with numerous shafts, winged with gold and sharpened on stone, crushed the son of Pandu with thirty other arrows.

Those arrows, after having pierced through his armour, drank his blood in the battle; even as the snakes of virulent poison, after having penetrated the earth, drink the water.

Then he (Nakula), taking up another bow, that was most formidable and adorned with gold on the back, penetrated Karna with twenty shafts and pierced his charioteer with three others.

Thereupon, O mighty king, the highly enraged Nakula, that slayer of heroic foes, severed the bow of Karna with sharp razor-like arrows.

Thereupon that brave warrior (the son of Pandu) smilingly struck this one (Karna), the mightiest of all car-warriors, (Karma) whose bow severed with three hundred shafts.

O sire, seeing, Karna thus crushed by the son of Pandu, all the car-warriors, along with the celestials, obtained the highest condition of astonishment.

Then Karna, the son of Vikartana, grasping another bow, had shot upon Nakula five shafts in the shoulder-joint.

Thus the son of Madri blazed with those arrows sticking to that place (in his body); even as the sun, shedding lustre on the earth, looks resplendent with his own rays.

Thereupon Nakula, indeed, after having penetrated Karna with seven impetuous arrows, once more severed one of the horns of his bow, O sire.

Thereupon in the field of battle he (Karna), taking up another bow, that was possessed of greater strength, closed the different points of the compass, on every side of Nakula, with his arrows.

That mighty car-warrior (Nakula), being thus suddenly closed with the arrows, shot from Karna's bow, rapidly struck down these shafts with the arrows of his own.

Then that net-work of arrows, spread over the sky, looked like the firmament, covered over with innumerable fire-flies, that roved about it.

Then, O ruler of earth, the welkin, covered over as it was with the hundreds of arrows shot by both of them, looked even as it was covered over with the swarms of locusts,

Those arrows, that were adorned with gold, having issued forth in continuous lines, looked most handsome like the cranes flying in continuous lines (through the sky).

When the firmament was thus closed with the net-work of arrows and the sun was covered over with them, none of the rovers of the sky descended upon the earth.

While all the directions were thus closed with the shots of innumerable arrows from all sides, those two lofty-minded heroes blazed forth like two risen suns appearing at the time of universals dissolution,

O foremost of monarchs, having been highly oppressed with the pain and greatly crushed and slaughtered by these arrows shot from the bow of Karna, all the Somakas dicd.

In the same way, O king, the army on your side, thus slain by the arrows of Nakuſa, dispersed on all sides; even as the masses of clouds are dispersed by the wind.

The two armies, being thus slaughtered by both the (above) warriors with divine arrows, possessed of great impetuosity, fled beyond the WW reach of falling shafts and stood even as they were spectators (of the battle).

Thus when both the armies were dispersed by the arrows of Karna and the son of Pandu, these two high-minded warriors pierced each other with showers of shafts.

Most willing to kill each other, both the warriors showed their celestial weapons in the battle-field and closed each other all on a sudden (with showers of arrows).

The arrows that were furnished with the Kanka, the peacock feathers and garments, shot by Nakula, after having closed the son of Suta, appeared to stay on the sky.

In the same way, the arrows that were shut by the son of Suta in that fierce battle, after having closed the son of Pandu appeared to stay on the sky.

O monarch, both the warriors, having entered the chambers composed of arrows, could not be seen by any persons; even as both the sun and the moon, covered over with the masses of clouds, cannot be seen by any persons.

Thereupon Karna, who was highly enraged, after having assumed a very terrible look in the field of battle, shrouded the son of Pandu with showers of shafts shot from all sides,

O powerful monarch, the son Pandu, who was wholly shrouded by the son of Suta (with arrowy showers), did not feel any uneasiness; even as the sun (the giver of light), covered by the clouds, feels no pain.

Thereupon, O sire, the son of Adhiratha, after smiling from a time, shot forth hundreds and thousands of shafts in the field of battle.

There (upon the field of battle) all appeared to be one continuous shade by the shafts of that lofty-minded one (Karna) even as there formed a shade of clouds by the foremost of falling arrows.

Then, O powerful monarch, Karna after having severed the bow of that high-souled one (Nakula), smilingly caused the fall of his charioteer from the car-nichi.

Thereupon, O descendant of the Bharata race, he (Karna) sent away the four horses of him (Nakula) to the abode of Death most rapidly by means of four sharp-edged arrows.

Then also he with innumerable arrows, cutoff into minute fragments his (antagonist's) celestial car, his standard, the protector of his car-wheels, his mace and sword and his shield, that was furnished with hundreds of moons, as well as his all other equipment's of war, O sire.

O ruler of earth, losing his horse and being deprived of his car and shield, he (Nakula) immediately alighted from his car and taking up his spiked club, stood (in the field of battle).

O monarch, the son of Suta had struck down that dreadful mace, uplifted by him, with the keenest arrows, capable of bearing the greatest strain.

On seeing him (his antagonist) without any weapons, Karna afflicted him with numerous straight arrows; but he did not oppress him too severely.

O monarch, Nakula of agitated senses, who was struck by that most powerful warrior, well versed in the science of arms in the battle, fled away all on a sudden.

O descendant of the Bharata race, the sons of Radha, indeed laughing, again and again and pursuing him (Nakula), placed the bow, that was furnished with string, around his neck.

Thereupon, O king, that strong bow placed round his neck, blazed forth, like the moon in the firmament, when he is surrounded by a halo of light or like the mass of black clouds adorned by the bow Indra.

Then Karna addressed him thus-'whatever you speak is of no avail. Being delighted, do you utter those words once more, as you are struck over and over again. O son of Pandu, do you not fight with the mightiest of Kurus; O son, fight with those, that are your cquals. O son of Pandu, do not be ashamed of it. O son of Madri, go home, where are Krishna and Falguna.' O most powerful monarch, he then, having addressed him thus, dismissed him at that time.

Thereupon that hero (Karna), who was well-versed in the code of morality and did not slaughter him (Nakula), who was almost within the reach of Death himself. Then, O monarch, resembling the words of Kunti, he (Karna) let hiin go.

O king, the son of Pandu, being thus abandoned by that bowman, the son of Suta and feeling shame for it, went towards the car of Yudhishthira.

He then, being afflicted by the son of Suta, ascended the car (of his brother) and being oppressed with grief, sighed heavily like shake confided within a vessel.

Then Karna, after having defeated him (Nakula), rushed most rapidly against the Panchalas, riding upon a car, that was furnished with innumerable standards and having the colour of the moon.

On seeing the commander of the (Kaurava) army rushing against the car-warriors of the Panchala force, there arose a dreadful uproar against the Pandavas, O ruler of earth.

O most powerful monarch, that lord the son of Suta, circling round the field of battle, like a wheel, perpetuated an immense slaughter there at the time when the sun attained the meridian.

O sire, we saw numerous car-warriors of the Panchala army, who were carried away (from the field of battle) upon cars, some of which had their, wheels broken down and some of which had their banners and standards torn into pieces and some also had their horses and drivers slaughtered (in the battle) and some, again, were without their wheels,

Innumerable elephants, also wandered and run about in the different directions of the field of battle, some of which had their bodies wholly burnt by the forest-fire.

Innumerable elephants had their frontal globes severed and the bodies besmeared with blood and the trunks cut-off into fragments. Moreover, O sire, some other elephants, being slaughtered by that high souled one (Karna) fell down with their armour cut-off, or their tails curtailed, like the masses of clouds dispersed by the wind.

Again, other elephants, that were terrified by the shots of arrows and lances of sons of Radha, rushed with their faces towards him (the son of Radha); even as the insects rush towards the blazing fire.

Other mighty elephants were looked to strike against one another. They also shed blood from their limbs, even as the mountains let flow streams of water from their summits.

There is the field of battle, we saw numerous best heroes roving about in all directions-the heroes that were deprived of their breast-plates and several kinds of ornaments, made of silver, brass and gold and also that were diverged of their trappings, bridle-bits yak-tails and saddle-cloths and again, that had their quivers, falling off (from their bodies) and whose brave riders, who formed the beauty of battle were all slain.

O descendant of the Bharata race, we saw numerous horsemen, furnished with armou and coronets, who, being penetrated by the swords, scimitars, lances and clubs, were either slain, or in course of being slaughtered or were trembling with terror and who, again were deprived of their various limbs, on all sides of the field of battle.

We behold the cars, that were adorned with gold and to which were yoked the heroes of greatest speed, dragged in the different directions of the field with great rapidity; while their riders were all slaughtered.

O descendant of the Bharata race, some of these cars had their axes and poles shattered into fragments; and some others had their wheels broken; and others, again had their banners and standards torn into pieces; and several others were deprived of their arrows.

O ruler of earth, there is the field of battle we saw numerous car-warriors rushing in all directions who were deprived of their cars and who also were afflicted by the arrows of the son of Suta and some of whom, again, were divested of their weapons, and innumerable Other car-warriors were seen slaughtered there still with their weapons on.

We saw numerous elephants running in all directions of the field of battle, that were adorned with innumerable stars and that were furnished with the most handsome bells and also that were ornamented with banners variegated with various colours.

Moreover, we behold on all side of the field of battle, numerous heads, arms, chests and other parts of the body, that were severed by the arrows shot from the bow of Karna.

The most dreadful and distressing calamity had fallen upon all the warriors while they were fighting with the keen arrows and cut-off with the shafts of Karna.

The Srinjayas were slaughtered by the son of Suta in the field of battle and they rushed towards the force of Karna, even as the insects rash towards the fire.

All the Kshatriyas (the warriors) abandoned that mighty car-warrior who was slaughtering the forces (belonging to the Pandavas) on all sides of the battle, even as they abandon the blazing fire, that appears at the universal dissolution.

That hero of immense prowess (Karna) pursued these powerful car-warriors belonging to the Panchala divisions, shooting dreadful arrows at them from behind, while they (these car-warriors), as they survived the slaughter, were broken and running away from the field and deprived of their armours and standards. The son of Suta, who was endowed with great strength, afflicted them with his arrows; even as the remover of darkness (the sun), having reached the meridian, afflicts all the creatures with his rays.