Karna Parva — The conversation between Bhimasena and Vishoka

Sanjaya said In the thick of that awe-inspiring fray, Bhima, fighting single-handed, against tremendous odds, addressed his charioteer and said-"drive towards the centre of the Dhartarashtra force."

Spur your horses, O charioteer and I will hasten the departure of all these Dhartarashtras to the region occupied by the King of Death." The charioteer, being thus desired by Bhimasena, drove, at a furious speed, towards the spot against the whole hosts of your sons and from whence Bhima wished to fight them out and then, from all sides, a large retinue of Kaurava force, consisting of elephant and carwarriors and cavalry and infantry, hemmed him in.

And they all poured down their arrows on that best of chariots occupied by Bhima from every direction, whereupon the high-souled Bhima, with his own gold-feathered shafts, scattered to the winds, all those weapons hurled against him by his enemies.

And those gold-winged arrows of his enemies, thus broken into tatters of two or three fragments by the shafts of Bhima, fell upon the ground. Then, O King, there arose one long loud cry of woe from amidst the throng of those valiant chiefs of the Kshatriya race, as they, with their mounts of elephants and steeds and their chariots and body infantry, got afflicted with the arrows thrust hard by Bhima, like thunders rolling in mountains. Those pride of the Kshatriya race, being thus assailed by Bhima, and his powerful shafts smiting them hip and thigh, flew at him (Bhima) from every side of the plain, like the new-fledged family of the feathered tribes thickening around a tree. And as your troops fell back upon him, Bhima, of infinite prowess and strength, repulsed them with the full display of all his might, like the mighty King of Terrors, dealing destruction, at the end of time, with his mace, unto the creation. And your hosts, in that battle, could not repel the fearful impetuosity of Bhima, himself the personation of fire and fury, like the great Destroyer himself rushing, at the end of the cycle, with wide-open mouth for the extermination of all living beings. O Bharata, the whole troops, comprising the Bharata force, thus ruthlessly torn as under in battle, by the noble-minded Bhima, dispersed from the field in a state of panic, like a strong gust of wind scattering thick clouds in a tempest. Then the powerful Bhimasena, endowed with great sagacity, addressing his charioteer once more, said unto him in full glee. "Just know, O Suta, whether do all those chariots, which are advancing towards us, belong to our party, or to that of the enemy. As I, with this battle raging, can make no distinction between the two, see that I do not besiege my own hosts with my shafts.

I am greatly mortified, O Vishoka, to see around me these leaders of war in hostile array and also with the sight of their cars and the tops of their standards. The king lies wounded and the diadem-decked Arjuna is not yet come to take the field. All these, O Suta, are preying heavily on me.

O charioteer, that the pious king Yudhishthira should have gone away from the field, leading me alone in the midst of the enemy, is in itself hear-rending. Then again I am quite in the dark as to his fate. Nor do I know whether Vibhatsu is still alive or not. All these add to my grief.

And though dejected and disspirited, I will play the hell with all these troops inspite of their strength. And thus making the vast army in hostile array pay the penalty in the wager of battle, let me rejoice with you today.

O Suta, examine closely all the quivers of my arrows and see the numbers still left and then let me know decidedly the quantity and variety of each.”

Vishoka said Being thus addressed, Vishoka replied-"O hero, you have full sixty thousand arrows still left, while your shafts, both razor-shaped and broad-pointed, number ten thousand each. O hero, you have still two thousand cloth-yard shafts, while the Pradaras, O Partha, number three thousand.

To speak candidly, O son of Pandu, the quantity that is still left is quite unmanageable even by half-a-dozen bullocks, if placed on carts. O skillful one, throw off your weapons in no measured number, for your maces, swords and scimitars, as also your lances darts and spears and other weapons of the arms, number thousands upon thousands. So be of good cheer and pray do not be misapprehensive of your weapons running short."

Bhima said Mark, O Suta, in this day's fearful engagement the plains will present the aspect of the dismal regions, of Death, when the field will be shrouded with thick sets of my irresistible arrows, furiously let loose from off my bow, tearing into pieces the entire body of the trainbands of my enemy and making the Sun, as it were, disappear from view.

Today, O Suta, it will be known to all the Kshatriyas, even unto the last generation, that either Bhimasena has given himself up in battle, or, singly, he has got the better of all the Kurus.

Today, either let the Kauravas fall in battle, or, let all the world sound my death knell. Alone, encountering them all, I will either overmatch them, or, let them, all combined, put an extinguisher upon Bhimasena.

May the guardian angels, who further the course of all righteous action, shower down their blessing on me; and let Arjuna, the victor of enemies, come here speedily (to my relief), like the invoked Sakra appearing in the sacrificial ground.

Look there and see the disbanded Bharata force! Why are all these chiefs taking to their flight. Surely it seems to me inevitable that Savyasachin, that best of human beings has been shrouding that force with a heavy downpour of his arrows.

Look there, O Vishoka, (and see how) the mounted soldiers riding on their steeds or elephants and standard-bearers and footsoldiers and beating their retreat. Look, also, at these war-chariots, (and see how) they with their warriors on, are getting scattered by the darts, shafts and arrows, O Suta.

Charged with the gold-winged and peacock-feathered arrows of Dhananjaya and bursting like the bolts from the blue, those Kaurava forces, falling fast in numbers, as often swell the ranks of their file.

Those steed yoked on war-chariots and elephants trampling down the vast array of foot-soldiers are fleeting away. In sooth, the whole host of the Kauravas, seized with consternation, are beating a hasty retreat, as do the terrified elephants in the midst of a flaming forest. The elephants are roaring furiously in the field and their savage cries, O Vishoka, make, one and all, utter cries of woe and alas!'

Vishoka said Can't you, O Bhima, hear the awful sound of the Gandiva? (or), have those ears of yours lost their sensibility from the effects of the thunder produced by Partha, while out stretching it with fire and fury?

All your wishes, O son of Pandu, have been gratified, yonder is seen the standard of Ape (of Arjuna) wafting aloft. Look there the bowstring (of Gandiva) is emitting incessantly rays of light, like the flashes of lightning from amidst the blue regions of ethereal space.

That Ape wafting aloft from the standard of Dhananjaya, is seen to strike terror, all along the line of the enemy, (and to speak freely) even I myself am stricken with awe at that (august) sight.

There, the resplendent beauty of Dhananjaya's diadem is shedding its effulgence brightly and the bright luster of the gem-studded on it. Sparkling with the radiancy of the Sun, is looking much more resplendent.

Alongside him, behold, there, his conch Devadatta to thundering blare and resembling a white sheet of cloud. Behold there, Janaradana, reins in hand, making his way into the centre of the hostile divisions.

Behold, there, O hero, by the side of Janardana his discus, radiant like the Sun, nave like thunder and sharp like razor-that discus which enhances the fame of Keshava and which is always worshipped by the Yadus. son

There, large trunks of huge elephants, resembling the lofty yew trees, dissevered by Kiritin are falling fast. There, also, huge elephants and their riders, pierced with shafts all through, are falling down like mountains riven with thunder.

Behold, there, O of Kunti, the Panchajanya (conch) of Krishna, resplendent like the moon, the Kaustabha, (pearl) dazzling on his breasts and his garland of victory.

There cannot be any mistake in the fact that Partha, the glory of car-warriors-the best and foremost of them, carried by those precious steeds of his, the best of their kind, and in color as white as the white clouds of the sky, with Krishna as their driver, is rushing in the field, routing the enemy all through.

Behold there, your younger, resembling in energy the deity of the celestials, is piercing with his shafts those cars, steeds and bands of foot-soldiers and they are falling down as if a forest over-thrown by the tempest caused by the wings of Garuda.

Behold, Kiritin, with his powerful shafts, to outstrip in battle four hundred car-warriors with their steeds and drivers and seven hundred elephants, as also numberless infantry and cavalry.

Shedding his effulgence like the constellation of Chirta, the all-powered Arjuna, after having massacred the Kuru forces, is speeding towards you. All your wishes have been gratified-your enemies, thrown overboard. May your prowess and the span of your life continue to increase for ever and ever.

Bhima said For this welcome news, O charioteer, with unfeigned pleasure I grant you fourteen choice villages; and O Vishoka, as you bring me the tidings of Arjuna, I also present you a hundred female slaves and twenty chariots.