Karna Parva — The defeat of Shakuni

Sanjaya said Hearing the loud rattles of chariots and the lion like roars (of warriors) in the field, Arjuna, addressing Govinda, said, “Clap spurs to the chargers."

Hearing these words of Arjuna, Govinda replied him (thus)-"Off I go towards the spot where Bhima has taken his post.”

Then, like the king of the celestials, proceeding in great wrath and with thunder in his arms, to strike down Jambha (the Asura), Jaya (Arjuna) rushed (in the field), to obtain victory, borne by horses white as snow or conchs and with housings laid with gold, pearls and gems.

Many warriors, (of the other side), representing lions in prowess all boiling with rage and followed by a large retinue him and making the Earth resound and rending the skies with the whizz of their arrows, the rattling sound of the wheels of their war-chariots and the noise of the tread of their horses' hoofs.

Then, there ensued, O sire, a mortal conflict between them (the train-bands of the Kaurava forces) and Partha, a conflict carrying death and destruction in its train to body, life and sin alike, like the great battle between the Asuras and Vishnu, the greatest of all great conquerors, for the (sovereignty of the) three worlds.

Alone and unaided, the diadem-decked and garland-necked Arjuna, rent asunder all the powerful weapons flung (against him) by them (his adversaries) and struck off their heads and arms in many and varied forms, with his razoredged and crescent shaped shafts, as also with his broad-pointed arrows.

Umbrellas, banners, horses, chariots, elephants and foot soldiers, shattered and mutilated, fell down on the Earth, like a forest uprooted by a violent wind.

Mighty elephants caparisoned with goldlaid trappings and equipped with banners of triumphs and adorned with riders (on their back), wore a majestic look and shed a lustur all round as they were encompassed with goldwinged shafts, like blazing mountains.

With excellent shafts piercing elephants, horses and war chariots and resembling thunder of Vasava, Dhananjaya winged his way to strike down Karna, like Indra, in days of yore, proceeding to rend in twain (the Asura) Bala.

Then that mightiest of men, the terror of enemies, rushed headlong into the midst of your vast array as does the Makar while plunging into the deep sea.

Seeing Pandu's sun so advance, O king, your warriors, with a long line of cars and a retinue of elephant, horse and foot soldiers, pressed upon him.

And while rushing against Partha, they raised a tumultuous cry like the roarings of the surging waves in a tempest.

Those great warriors, powerful like tigers, reckless of their life, rushed in battle to face that mighty man, careering like a tiger.

With a heavy down-pour of arrows they advanced towards him, but Arjuna dispersed them like vapours before the gushing wind.

Those mighty warriors-all good shots and of unfailing aim-in a body and with a long line of war-chariots following them, advanced against Arjuna and began to pierce him with their sharp weapons.

Arjuna, then, (rendering asunder) with his arrows, chariots, elephants and horses by thousands, dispatched (them) off to the region of Pluto.

Thus afflicted in action with shots flung from Arjuna's bow, those mighty car-warriors, terrified and panic-stricken, began gradually to melt away.

Among those great car-warriors four hundred valiantly kept the field; and Arjuna, with his keen shafts, sent them, one and all, to their last account.

(And those that held the rear) afflicted, in that battle, with keen shafts and sharp arrows of all kinds, dispersed themselves in all directions-far away from Arjuna.

The shouting noise made at the van by the retreating army was as furious as the grumbling roars of the breakers of the surging seas when dashing against rocks.

Thus, with his arrows, dispersing the panicstricken army, O sire, Arjuna, the son of Pritha, advanced against the column commanded by the son of Suta.

The great noise made by Arjuna while advancing towards his enemies, was like that of Garuda, in days of yore, while swooping down upon snakes.

The mighty Bhimasena, anxious as he was to have a look of Partha, became highly gratified with that sound.

Hearing that Partha is come, the redoubtable Bhimasena, O king, began to afflict your troops, fearless of his own life.

Bhima, the son of the Wind-god and himself possessing the prowess and impetuousity of the wind, that valiant Bhima began to career in that battle like that of the wind itself.

Your army, O king, being thus hard pressed by him, O ruler of the universe, began to roll and tumble like a shattered vessel in the high seas.

Bhima then, with his deadly weapons and with great dexterity of hands, waging a ruthless slaughter amongst that body of troops, dispatched them to the region of Pluto.

Your warriors, O Bharata, seeing the wonderful exploits of Bhima in that battle, careering like the King of Terrors at the end of time, became greatly agitated.

King Duryodhana, seeing his best soldiers, O Bharata, thus worsted by Bhimasena, gave vent to the following expression, addressing his whole hosts, generals and other great warriors, O best of the Bharata race, "All of you in a body engaged Bhima in action and fell him down (inasmuch as on him hinges the fate of the Pandavas).

When he (Bhimasena) is felled, well may I count upon the Pandu forces as if already slain. Following the behest of your son, all the vassal chiefs (hitting) from all sides, covered Bhima with a thick shower of arrows.

Hosts of elephants, O monarch and men, eager for victory, as also war-chariots and horses, O King of Kings, thickened around Vrikodara.

That chef of the Bharata race, endued with heroic qualities, being thus hemmed in by those brave bands of heroes, looked resplendent like the radiant Moon shedding its effulgence amidst myriads of glowing stars.

O monarch, that foremost of men, was looking, during that fight, so beautiful, like the full Moon in the midst of his corona. He look like Arjuna. There is no difference between him and Arjuna.

All those kings with eyes flamed with wrath and bent upon slaying Vrikodara, began to shower down their weapons upon him.

As the fish frees itself from the net, so did Bhima cutting their shafts straight free himself from the pressure of the battle.

O Bharata slaying ten thousand elephants that faced him, two lakhs two hundred men, hundred car-warriors and five thousand horses Bhima actually made a river of blood to flow there.

In that carnage blood flowed like water and the war-cars forming its eddies, elephants, its alligators, horses and men, its sharks and fishes and the hair of animals, its herbs and moss, were all floating on it. Arms severed from bodies floated like snakes and precious stones were abundant in the bloody current; thighs and marrows formed its gavials and mud and human heads, its mountain. Iron bound bludgeous and maces were also floating there like snakes, and bows and arrows formed its rafts by means of which persons tried to cross that fearful and bloody stream, banners and umbrellas drifted on it like swans and costly head-dresses its foam. The dust rising from the earth were like the waves of the stream and jeweled necklaces were looking like so many lotuses; the brave could alone cross that stream while the faint hearted sunk within to navigate it. That gushing current, with hands of sturdy soldiers forming its alligators and crocodiles, streamed its course towards the realm of Death. (and) and that man with tiger-like ferocity made its course flew on. (And) as the Vaitarani is unnavigable by persons of fifth and inequity, even so was that awful stream of blood to men wanting in valour and intrepidity, making their heart quail with shudder.

(And) there that son of Pandu, the best of car-warriors, rushed in, slaying hundred thousands of enemy.

Duryodhana seeing Bhimasena thus career in battle, ( king said unto Shakuni the following words-

Overpower in the battle, O uncle, the allpowerful Bhimasena. The victory over the vast array of the Pandava forces hinges on his final overthrow.

Being thus desired, O king, the powerful son of Subala, the peer of great warriors marshaled in array, marched on-his brothers surrounding him. That hero, affronting the fiercely powerful Bhima in that battle, checked his intrepidity, as if a continent resisting the tides of an ocean.

And despite he resistance of the keen shafts, (which the powerful son of Subala hurled against him,) Bhima approached him (in formidable array). Whereupon Shakuni, O king of kings, flung a number of cloth-yard shafts, bedecked with wings of gold and sharpened on stone and assailed Bhima at the seat of his heart.

Those fearful shafts, feathered with the plumes of Kankas and peacocks, O monarch, piercing the coat of mail of the high-souled son of Pandu, sunk deep into his vital parts.

Being thus smitten in battle, O Bharata, Bhima, then flung, all of a sudden, a shaft laid with gold upon the son of Subala.

And the powerful Shakuni, the inflictor of woes on his enemies and O king, skillful in the manipulation of hands, rent that fearful weapon in seven fragments as it was coursing its way towards him.

His weapon thus falling adrift on the ground, O king, Bhima, inflamed with rage, without any strain rent in twain with a broadpointed arrow the bow of the son of Subala.

Whereupon the mighty son of Subala, throwing away that bow, rendered useless, with the greatest alacrity seized a new one, as also sixteen broad-edged shafts.

And the son of Subala, O king, hit the chariot-driver with two and Bhima with seven; struck off the banner with one and the umbrella with two; and pierced, O lord of the universe, the four chargers with the remaining four chargers with the remaining four of those broad-headed shafts.

Enraged at this, O king, the powerful Bhima, in that battle, threw down a weapon made of iron and the staff of which was decked with gold.

That weapon, resembling in activity the tongue of a snake, being thus cast from the arms of Bhima came speedily down upon the chariot of the noble son of Subala.

(And) he (the son of Subala) seized that weapon, adorned with gold and O lord of the universe, hurled it back against Bhimasena with a fierce countenance,

That weapon, piercing through the left arm of the noble son of Pandu, fell down like flashes of lightning coursing on the ground.

Then the Dhartarashtras began to rent the air from all sides with their loud out-crics, but, O king, Bhima could not brook the lion-like roars of the enemy, all of great intrepidity.

That extraordinarily powerful man (Bhima) taking hold of another bow fitted with string, almost in no time, O best of kings, covered the mighty son of Subala and his forces, who were fighting valiantly without caring the least for their lives, with showers of arrows.

That mighty man (Bhimasena) with utmost intrepidity stricking off his (Shakuni's) four horses and then sending his charioteer to his eternal rest, O ruler of the universe, rent asunder his adversary's banner with a broadedged arrow.

Speedily bounding out of that steedless chariot, Shakuni, the best of men, with eyes flaming with wrath and stretched bow, took his stand on the ground, breathing all the while heavy breaths.

And then, O king, he covered Bhima with numberless arrows from all sides. Then the mighty Bhima rending asunder Shakuni's arrows with great wrath hit him with a host of sharp arrows.

Being thus afflicted by his powerful assailant, that destroyer of enemies, O king, dropped down on the Earth almost dead.

Seeing him (Shakuni) in such a woeful plight, your son, O supreme ruler of the universe, putting him in his own chariot carried him off from the scene of action before the very face of Bhimasena.

Seeing that foremost of men, Shakuni, thus knocked down and borne away on Duryodhana's chariot, the Imperial hosts began to beat a hasty retreat from the field and flew in all directions from the very fear of Bhimasena.

When the son of Subala was thus discomfited and defeated, O monarch, by that excellent archer (Bhimasena) your son Duryodhana, left the field in a state of trepidation and out of his concern for the life of his uncle Shakuni, urged his fiery chargers to a furious speed.

Seeing the king thus flee away from the battle, all his troops, O foremost of the line of Bharata, who were each engaged in fierce struggle with a hand-to-hand fight, began to disperse themselves in all directions.

Observing the whole hosts of the Dhritarasthra force thus dispersing themselves in every direction, Bhima, with great impetuosity rushed against them and attacked them with innumerable arrows.

Thus afflicted by Bhima, O monarch, the retreating bands of Dhritarashtra's army (all in a body moved towards Karna's flank).

And coming thither and with them (General Karna) in their centre, they once more held there ground. As the ship-wrecked mariners become comforted in reaching in island, so your distressed army stood cheerfully on finding that mighty Karna. O foremost of the Bharata race, O inightiest of men, O lord of the universe, they then proceeded having death for their ultimate end.