Karna Parva — Search of the Yudhishthira

Sanjaya said Thereupon surrounded be a mighty carforce Drona's son appeared, all on a sudden O king, where Pritha's son was.

Like a bank containing ocean Pritha's heroic son, assisted by Shouri, all on a sudden, encountered him.

Thereupon filled with anger, O monarch, the highly powerful son of Drona covered Arjuna and Krishna with arrows.

Beholding those two Krishnas covered with arrows the mighty car-warriors of the Pandava and Kuru armies, filled with great wonder, looked at them.

Thereupon as if smiling Arjuna created a celestial weapon while, ( descendant of Bharata, the Brahmana baffled in battle.

Whatever weapon that the Pandava discharged in battle for killing the son of Drona, the great bowman made useless.

Then, O king, a great encounter of weapons took place in that great battle when we saw the son of Drona like Death himself with widening mouth.

Having filled all the quarters and directions with straight arrow he sundered Krishna's right arm with three arrows.

Thereupon killing all the horses of the highsouled one Arjuna created, in the battle-field, a dreadful stream of blood, carrying away all to the other region.

That dreadful blood river was flowing towards. The another world and swaying with its course all people there. All people present there saw all warriors holding chariots under lead of Ashvatthama beheaded with the arrows shot by Arjuna. Ashvatthama himself took notice of that scenario. He also had flown a river floating people to another world at that time under the sheer grip of anger.

In that agitating and dreadful encounter between Drona's son and Partha the warriors rushed towards one another without any consideration whatever.

O king, the horses and charioteers of cars were killed the cavalry were destroyed and the riders of elephants were slain. Thus a dreadful slaughter of animals was carried on by Partha in that battle. Then the car-warriors fell down slain by arrows shot off Partha's bow.

And the horses, with their trappings destroyed ran about hither and thither. Witnessing these feats of Partha, beautifying the battle-field the powerful son of Drona speedily encountered that foremost of the victorious, quivered his his dreadful, gold bedecked bow and struck him on all sides with innumerable sharpened arrows.

O monarch, Drouni again ruthlessly wounded Arjuna on the breast with a winged arrow.

O son of Bharata being greatly wounded in battle by that son of Drona he, with force, took up his Gandiva bow. Then the highly intelligent hero covered Drona's son with a downpour of arrows and cut-off his bowstring.

Having his bow thus snapped Drona's son took up a sword, like unto a thunderbolt and hurled it at Arjuna.

O king, as if smiling. Arjuna all on a sudden cut-off that gold-gilded sword that was about to fall on him.

Sundered by parts, arrows it fell down on earth like a mountain shattered by (Indra's) thunder-bolt.

Thereupon irate, the mighty car-warrior son of Drona, covered fully Vibhatsu with weapons glinted him by Indra.

Beholding those weapons of Indra about to fall on him Partha took up his Gandiva and speedily baffled them with an arrow created for him by Vasava.

Then cutting off that net-work of Indra's weapon Partha soon covered the car of Drona's son. Assailed by Arjuna's arrows Drouni, encountering the former and cutting through the downpour of Pandava's arrows, called to his aid a powerful weapon and all on a sudden wounded Krishna with a hundred arrows and Arjuna with three hundred small arrows.

Arjuna then pierced the sensitive organs of the son of preceptor (Ashvatthama) through expert use of his arrows and shot a volley of arrows in presence of your sons; on his horses, charioteers, bow and the string stretched on bow.

Pandava, the slayer of inimical heroes, struck down his driver from his car with a dart.

Then himself taking up the reins of horses Drona's son covered Krishna and Arjuna with arrows. He saw a wonderful power in him then. He simultaneously drove his horses and fought with Phalguna. It was spoken highly of by all the warriors in battle, O king.

Then smiling a little, Vibhatsu also named Jaya speedily cut-off the rein of Drouni's horses in battle with a razor-like shaft.

Assailed with weapons the horses ran away on all sides. There then took place a great havoc of your soldiers.

Having thus accomplished victory the Pandavas, desirous of achieving (further) success, pursued your soldiers, on all sides, making a discharge of arrows.

Your great army was again and again routed by the Pandava warriors desirous of victory.

Thereupon in the very presence of your sons, O king, conversant with diverse modes of war-fare, of Subala's son Shakuni and Karna.

Although prevented, O king, by your sons that great army assailed on all sides did not stop in the battle-field.

The warriors taking to their heels on all sides in numbers a great confusion took place in the vast terror-stricken army of your son.

Karna then exclaimed-"Wait wait". But your army, slain by many great warriors, did not wait in the battle-field.

Beholding the army of Duryodhana, thus routed on all sides, the Pandavas, filled with the desire of victory, sent up loud war-cries.

Duryodhana then lovingly said Karna-"See, O Karna, how our army, greatly assailed by the Pandava, is flying on all sides, although you are present here. O repressor of foes, do what you think proper now.

Routed by the Pandavas, thousands of our soldiers are calling after you only.

Hearing those weighty words of Duryodhana, Karna, as if smiling, said to the Madra king.

Behold, O king, the strength of my arms and weapons. I will kill today in battle all the Panchalas and Pandavas. Drive my car, O best of men and every thing will be as I have said.”

Having said this, O monarch, the charioteer's son, highly powerful as he was, took up his old victorious bow Vijaya the best of its kind and rubbing again and again its string set it on the bow. Thereupon having assured his army and commanded them to wait in the battle-field, the powerful and highly energetic Karna set Bhargava weapons to his bow-string.

There came out in a stream, O king, millions of sharp arrows in that mighty encounter.

Covered fully with those shining and dreadful Kanka and peacock-feathered arrows the Pandava soldiers could see nothing in the battle-field.

Assailed by the powerful Bhargava weapon in that battle, O king, Panchalas set up loud lamentations.

And O king, thousands of elephants, horses, cars and men falling on all sides, the earth began to shake. The great army of the Pandavas quivered from one end to the other.

In the meantime while killing his enemies, that foremost of men the great warrior Karna, even destroying his foes, shone like smokeless fire.

Massacred then by Karna, the Panchalas and Chedis lost their consciousness in the battle-field like elephants when a forest fire rages on.

The leading warriors sent up war-cries roaring like tigers. Like animals at the hour of universal dissolution the soldiers, terrorstricken and running wildly about in the battlefield,set-up loud cries of lamentation.

Seeing them thus slaughtered by the charioteer's son, all creatures, beasts and birds, were terrorised.

As the spirits call upon the Regent of Death to save them, so the Srinjayas, massacred by Karna, repeatedly prayed to Arjuna and Vasudeva's son to save them.

Beholding there the discharge of the dreadful Bhargava weapon and hearing the cries of his men slaughtered by Karna, with arrows Kunti's son Dhananjaya said to Krishna. can

Beholding there the discharge of the dreadful Bhargava weapon. No one withstand it in battle.

Behold again in this great encounter O Krishna, the great son of a charioteer, resembling Death himself in power and performing a dreadful feat.

Repeatedly urging on his horses he is looking at me. I will not be able to tear me away from Karna in battle.

If a man survives he either meets with success or defeat in battle. To one dead, O Hrishikesh, death itself is a victory.

Thus addressed by Partha, Krishna, the subduer of his enemies, said to Dhananjaya, the foremost of the wise, the following suitable to the occasion.

The royal son of Kunti has been greatly wounded by Karna. Seeing him first you will afterwards kill Karna.

Then Janardana proceeded to Yudhishthira, thinking, O king, that Karna, in the meantime, would be worn our with fatigue in battle.

see Himself too being desirous of seeing the king thus wounded with arrows, Dhananjaya, at the bidding of Keshava, left the battle and went on his car.

O Bharata! Arjuna, the son of Kunti subsequent to the bitter defeat he gave to the son of preceptor, (Ashvatthama) tough to face for Indra, the holder of thunderbolt, threw a cursory eye on the whole army while he was leaving from there to see Dharmaraja. However, he could not see his elder brother there.