Karna Parva — Fight of both armies

Dhritarashtra said When Dhananjaya, the infinite dread of my valiant chieftains, rejoined the Pandava and Srinjaya forces, O Sire, how fared the battle?

Sanjaya said All the assembled troops marshaled in array, sounding their bugles and blowing this horns, like thick volumes of clouds at the end of summer, roared thunders.

That grim visaged war, which followed the sanguinary contest of the Kshatriyas, all up in arins, for the extermination of their race and in which blood streamed forth in rushing currents, like the untimely falling off of a shower of evil, became the cause of destruction of all livingbeings. Huge elephants forming the cluster of wheels, clapping of hands constituting its thunder-bolts and weapons, trimmed with gold, making its lightning; and swords and arrows and cloth-yard shafts and other weapons of great velocity, becoming its drops.

Many car-warriors, assembled together, assailing an opponent dispatched him off to the King of Terrors; while a supreme car-warrior, fighting the good fight with a single adversary, hastened his departure to the other world or another, assailing many in close contest, launched them all into eternity.

Then again some car-warrior in exchanging shots with his enemy made him die a violent death, together with steeds and charioteer, while another warrior riding on his elephant put to death many car-warriors and horsemen.

Partha thus inflicting the enemy with a heavy downpour of shafts rent them asunder with all their cavalry and elephant soldiers, as also the rides and riders of their war-chariots.

Kripacharya met Sikhandin in the field, while Satyaki encountered Duryodhana; and Srutasravas challenged Drona's son, while Yudhamauna took Chitrasena for his assailant.

And like a hungry lion hotly pursuing a stout bull, Uttamauja, the great car-warrior of Srinjayas, pounced upon Susena, the son of Karna,; while Sahadeva launched out against Shakuni, the King of the Gandharas.

Young Satanika, the son of Nakula, rushing headlong afflicted young Vrishasena with a showering torrent of his shafts and (he, too), the heroic son of Karna returned the charges of the son of the princess of Panchala in no stinted measure.

Madri's son Nakula, the skillful adept of war tactics and the wonderful warrior of unique fame, assailed Kritavarman, while Yajnasena's son the king of the Panchalas rushed against general Karna with all his hosts.

O Bharata, Dushasana, with the swelling hosts of the Samsaptakas and all the troops comprising the Bharata force, rode full tile against Bhima, the inflictor of woes in battle to all wielders of arms and the foremost of all warriors.

There the powerful Uttamaujas, putting forth all his mighty, struck down the son of Karna and his dissevered head fell down on the ground with a terrible shriek, which made the Earth and the sky resound its roars.

Overwhelmed with grief at the (ghastly) sight of the severed head of Sushena thus rolling on the ground. Karna remained stupefied (for a while), but, his avenging spirit soon taking the better of him, he, soon, with sharp-pointed arrows cut to pieces the steeds, chariot and the standard of his son's adversary.

Uttamaujas, in the interval, trucking home, with his keen shafts and the sharp edge of his steed, the steed and the side-guards of Kripa, quickly leapt into the chariot of Shikhandin.

Shikhandin, observing from his own chariot, (the sad predicament of) Kripa thus deprived of his conveyance, did not like to pursue him with his shafts; the son of Drona, in the meanwhile, covering the car of Kripa with that of his own, like a bull fallen in a ditch, rescued him.

Here, the son of the Wind-god, Bhima, covered with armor of gold, afflicting with his keen shafts, like the burning mid-day Sun of summer, scorched the while body of troops of your sons. Here, the son of the Wind-god, Bhima, covered with armor of gold, afflicting with his keen shafts, like the burning mid-day Sun of summer, scorched the while body of troops of your sons.