Karna Parva — The retreating of Yudhishthira from the battle-field

Sanjaya said Beholding Yudhishthira protected by Sini's son as well as by the war-like sons of Draupadi, the son of Drona, as if delighted, proceeded against him, scattering goldfeathered arrows, showing various ways of his light-handedness.

Thereupon he filled the sky with arrows of the vigour of celestial weapons. That one, conversant with the use of weapons, withstood Yudhishthira in battle.

When the sky was covered with the arrows of Drona's son nothing could be perceived. The space before the warriors was filled with arrows.

The sky being covered with a net-work of golden arrows it appeared as if a canopy had been spread there.

O king, the sky being covered with a network of shining arrows a shadow appeared there like that of clouds.

When the sky was thus converted into one sheet of arrows it was a wonderful sight to look at. No creature could range in the sky at that time.

Satyaki, although trying his very best, the pious son of Pandu and other warriors, could not display their prowess.

Beholding the light-handness of Drona's son, all the mighty car-warriors there, O king, were filled with wonder. All the kings could not look at him, as if shedding lustre of the sun.

Thereupon, when their soldiers were being thus slaughtered, the mighty car-warriors, the son of Draupadi, Satyaki, the pious king Yudhishthira and the Panchalas, all united, giving up the dreadful fear of death, rushed towards the son of Drona.

Piercing the son of Drona with twenty seven arrows he again pierced him with seven gold-plated winged arrows.

Yudhishthira struck him with seventy three arrows and Prativinda with seven, Shrutakarma cut him with three arrows and Shrutakirti with seven. Sutasoma struck him with nine arrows and Satanika with seven. And many other warrior struck him from all sides with a number of shafts.

Thereupon worked up with rage, O king, he, sighing like a deadly serpent, struck Satyaki with twenty five sharpened arrows.

And he struck Srutakirti with nine arrows and Sutasoma with five; and Prativindhya with three arrows and Srutakarma with eight. And he. struck Raja Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, with five arrows and Satanika with nine. And then he struck other warriors with two shafts each and cut into pieces the bow of Srutakirti with very sharp pointed arrows.

After this Shrutakirti took up another fresh bow and at once struck Drona's son with three a arrows and began to shower on him numerous sharp-pointed arrows.

Then, O monarch, O great sire of the Bharata race, the son of Drona covered the Pandava army with showers of arrows.

Just after this the highly spirited son of Drona, casting smiling look upon Yudhishthira, simultaneously cut-off his bow and struck him with three arrows.

Upon that, О king, the son of Dharma took up a very big bow and darted, one after another, seventy shafts, piercing the arms and breast of the son of Drona.

Then Satyaki, filled with anger, roared aloud and broke down in that very battle the bow of that terrible afflicter, Drona's son, with the same-circular and sharp arrow of his own.

When his bow was thus cut-off that hero of heroes, Drona's son, with a dart quickly struck the driver of Satyaki's car down and unseated him from his chariot.

Then, O Bharata, the mighty son of Drona, taking up another bow, covered the son of Sini with quite a shower of arrows.

Thus, O Bharata, the driver was killed Satyaki's horses were seen to run riot in the battle-field.

Then the Pandava army commanded by Raja Yudhishthira, rushed furiously towards Drona's son, the foremost of all the wielders of weapons and began to shower sharp shafts upon him.

Seeing them thus coming upon him as so many incarnations of anger the great terror of foes, Drona's son, received them all in the terrible battle with a spiteful smile.

Then the great car-warrior, Drona's son, burnt down, as it were, the Pandava troops in the battle with the flames of his arrows, just as the forest fire burns the dry hays and straws.

O foremost of Bharata's race, the Pandava army, thus provoked by the son of Drona, became exceedingly agitated as the water of a river is troubled by a whale.

O Maharaj, seeing the bravery of Drona's son made the people think, as if the Pandava army already were killed.

Then the great car-warrior Yudhishthira being enraged and filled with revengeful spirit thus addressed the son of Drona in a

O mightiest of men, neither have you any feeling nor do you cherish any sense of gratitude when today you are ready even to slay me.

To study and to practise asceticism and charities and the duties of a Brahman and the Kshatriyas only are authorised to use the bow. So it seems that you are a Brahmin in name only.

However, O you of mighty arms, I am determined upon killing the Kaurava army in the battle just before your eyes. Do your best. I call you a scum of the Brahman race.

Thus addressed, O monarch, the son of Drona smiled bashfully and pondering over what was proper and meet could not give any reply.

Getting thus terribly annoyed the son of Drona kept quiet for a while and then began to shower arrows upon the Pandavas like unto the Destroyer himself when bent upon destroying the entire creation.

Thus covered, as it were, by the arrows of the son of Drona Pritha's son fled away from the field leaving his large army.

After Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, had thus fled from the field, O king, the highminded son of Drona also left the spot.

Yudhishthira then, O king, thus avoiding the son of Drona in the great battle, marched against your army being determined to wage a ruthless slaughter.