Karna Parva — Dreadful battle

Sanjaya said Arjuna in that great battle, after destroying the four divisions (of the army belonging to the enemy) and taking a glance of the enraged son of Suta, make a river of blood to flow there, a river that was filled with flesh, bones and marrow; elephants and horses formed the bed of that river; and human heads, like rocks and stones strewn on all sides, seemed to resound with the cries of crows and ravens, umbrellas floated like swans; and bodies of brave soldiers like so many trees drifted away by the current; necklaces were like lotuses in the stream; and head-dresses its foam, broken pieces of skulls floated about and bows and arrows were like fishes in it; armours and shields formed its eddies; chariots, with which it teemed, were like its rafts; and braver-hearted men could alone cross that bloody stream, while the fainthearted sunk within to navigate it.

Vibhatsu, the foremost of men and smiter of hostile warriors after making this bloody stream to flow, spoke the following words to Vasudeva.

Arjuna said "O Krishna, I see the banner of Suta our troops, with Bhimasena at their head are fighting with that mighty car-warrior.

O Janaradana, the Panchalas becoming afraid of Karna are melting away. Behold, king Duryodhana, along-side Karna is looking exceeding beautiful, with the white umbrella over the head, in his efforts to rout the Panchalas.

Karna is protecting Kripacharya, Kritavarman and Ashvatthama, while those great warriors are protecting the king Duryodhana in their turn; and unless we resist them they will cause a massacre among the Somakas.

O Krishna, Shalya, a thorough master in the art of driving, is looking surpassingly beautiful, as he drives the chariot of Suta's son, seated on high seat of the car.

It would be well to go over there, so lead my big chariot in that direction, I am not going to return without killing Karna in that fight. O Janaradana, the whole hosts of the Pandavas and the Srinjayas will all be destroyed before our very face, unless this son of Radha be killed.'

Thus asked Keshava led the chariot through your army towards the great archer, Karna, with a view to bring about a dual fight between him and Savyasachin.

As urged by the son of Pandu the very driving of the car by the strong-armed Vasudeva gave assurance to the Pandava troops and cheered them up.

In that fight the rattling noise of the wheels of the car of Pandu's son, sounded, O sire, like the rumbling of Vasava's thunder.

The of Pandu of unfathomable nobleness and the very personification of power, thus went on destroying your army as he proceeded onward with the loud rattling noise of his car.

Looking at the standard, the white steeds and the black driver, (Krishna) of the noble Arjuna, Shalya, the king of Madra, addressing Karna, said son

“You were inquiring about Arjuna; there comes he in that chariot drawn by white steeds and driven by the black charioteer (Krishna), destroying his enemies as he-makes his way forward.

There stands the son of Kunti with the outstretched Gandiva in his hand; save us by killing him.

O Karna! Look at this twang of Arjuna's bow and here is the flag marked with moon and stars small bells are hanging from it and these are showing like skylark.

At the top of the Arjuna's flag a dreadful monkey is seen. It is enhancing fear of Kaurava's warriors with its watch all around.

Lord Sri Krishna's discus, gada, conch and sarnga bow are being seen here. He is driving the horses of Panduputra, Arjuna.

This is twang sound coming from the stretched Gandiva of Savyasanchi (Arjuna). These arrows shot by Arjuna are very acute and killing ceaselessly the enemies.

This battle-field is being covered with the cut-off heads of the brave kings who seldom show their back to the battle-field. The eyes on those heads are huge and red and face is attractive as full moo.

These arms uplifted with arms and weapons by the chivalrous persons are continuously cutoff in the battle-field. These arms are as thick as Parigha and duly smeared with pure sandal wood.

These horses are being knocked down on the ground with several injuries inflicted by shots of arrows and their riders. Their tongues and eyes have come out owing to excessive pressure of wheels on of wheels on them. These are slumbering on the ground.

The elephants from Himachala Pradesha seemed as if these are mountain ridges collapsing the same way on the ground.

Arjuna has cut-off their trunks. These are huge chariot like Gandharva city and these beheaded kings are falling down from them, as the heaven dwellers fall from air-craft down when their account of noble deeds is squared up.

Arjuna, the crown holder has made impatient to the army of enemy as a lion becomes cause for anxiety to several thousand stags.

O Karna, he is willing to try his strength with you in battle and being restless is slaying many of our picked warriors. Advance, O son of Radha, onward to meet that descendant of Bharata race.

Slaughtered in large large numbers, the Dhritarashtra troops have become afraid of and are giving way before him.

I believe, hastily he is coming towards you avoiding other warriors, his body is swelling with wrath.

You have worsted Vrikodara and so Partha is burning with anger to meet you in battle and would not wait to fight out any other warrior save and beyond yourself.

You have badly hurt the virtuous King Yudhishthira and deprived him of his chariot, you have placed Shikhandin, Satyaki, the sons of Draupadi, Yudhamanyu, Uttamaujas and his brothers Nakula and Sahadeva in woeful plights; Partha, the smiter of his enemies, in a sullen mood and blood-shot eyes, is advancing, in hot haste and with impetuosity, to wreak his vengeance on you. Eluding the grasp of other warriors he is hastily advancing towards us.

There is not doubt that they have attacked on us in precipitation galloping over the whole army all escaped. Hence, O Karna! March forward to face them because no other archer than you is able to tackle this assignment.

As a continent resists the fury of the surging sea, so you are the only archer in all the world who can resist Dhananjaya's rage.

He is advancing all alone, there is none to guard him in the front or in the rear and well may you now count upon success following you.

You are the only man who can cope with the Krishnas in battle, so make your march, O son of Radha; you alone are capable of it.

You stand in the same footing with Bhishma, Drona, Drauni and Kripa; in prowess, so put a stop to the advance of Savyasachin in this great battle.

Dhananjaya is looking like a snake protruding his quivering tongue, or like a bull bellowing loudly in rage, or indeed, like a tiger of a forest; O Karna, put an end to him.

Not at all caring for the safety of others those chiefs, the principal warriors of Dhritarasthra army, are melting away, being afraid to face Arjuna.

O mighty warrior, O Suta's son, you are the only man in this field who can bring relief and assurance into the hearts of flying chiefs.

As in a tempest the drowning sailor look forward anxiously for an island for their protection, so the whole Kaurava army is looking up to you, O foremost of men, as their saviour.

O son of Radha, you have worsted in battle the unconquerable Vaidehas, Abvasthas, Kambojas, Nagnajits and the Gandharas, now with the same energy and putting forth your best exertion and prowess, O mighty armed one, like a man, do you proceed onward and attack the son of Pandu, as also against Vasudeva, the descendant of Vrishni and who is always adorned by the crowned Arjuna.

Karna said O strong-armed Shalya, you are no longer afraid of Dhananjaya and seen to be in good humour and as such you are agreeable to men.

You will witness today the tuition I have received in the tactics and stratagems of war also the strength of my arms, truly you can well count upon the extermination of this vast Pandava troops by me alone, as well upon the destruction of those two foremost of men, the two Krishnas. I am determined not to return from the battle-field without putting an end to those two mighty warriors.

Or I would be done to death by them. There are chances in warfare and victory is always uncertain, however, whether I kill them or they kill me, I will stand true to my purpose.

Shalya said O Karna, this (Arjuna) the best of warriors even when alone, is considered to be unconquerable by all the warriors and now when he is protected by Krishna it is really a venture to try to face and defeat him.

Karna said “Yes, it is told that he (Arjuna), is the foremost of all the car-warriors that was ever born in this earth, now witness my prowess, for I will fight this Partha out who is so mighty.

Perhaps this son of the Kuru king (Arjuna), who is being borne by white steeds will send me this day to my last account, but there will be an end of all these with my fall.

This prince is possessed of strong powerful arms that are never exhausted and do neither sweat nor shake and are marked with cicatrices, he is light-handed and well-skilled in the use of weapons and in truth, the son of Pandu is the foremost of all warriors.

At a time he can take a number of shafts and can shoot them like one and quickly placing on the bow-string he can even send them to the distance of two miles, always hitting his mark; and who is there to match him in all the world.

That energetic and great warrior Savyasachin, the son of Pandu, with Krishna to back him, after satisfying the deity Agni in Khandava, received as a person his bow Gandiva and the noble Krishna, his discus.

That strong-armed man with never-failing prowess, on the same occasion received from the god of fire his formidable car with those white steeds yoked on them and which rolls on with great rattle, as also his two fine celestial and inexhaustible quivers and many other celestial weapons.

He, after destroying numberless Daityas and the Kalakeyas in the dominion of Indra, received the Devdatta conch; there is no mightier man than he in all world.

High-spirited as he is, after satisfying Mahadeva in battle he received the most terrible weapon Pashuput, powerful enough to annihilate the three worlds.

When he-that first among men, exterminated all the Kalakhanja Asuras, he received from the different regents of the world many weapons of unfathomable power with which he slew them.

Then in the chief city of King Virata he, all alone on a single chariot, discomfited all of us and forcibly took away the wealth of kine and the garments of all the great warriors before their very face.

O Shalya, I must be the most courageous man in all the world to challenge in battle that foremost of men of the royal race, that hero who possesses such might and qualities and more so, as he is seconded by him of the Vrishni's race (Krishna).

Besides that, the noble and unrivaled Vasudeva, who is always victorious, who is the Narayana himself, who is the Vishnu decked with conch, discus and mace and whose qualities cannot well be sung by all the worlds even in numberless years, is protecting him (Arjuna).

Beholding the two Krishnas in one chariot. I am at once led by misgivings and courage. Partha is the best of all archers and Narayana with his discus is invincible, even it may be possible for one to shake off the mountain Himalaya from its place, but never can this son of Pandu and Vasudeva be shaken.

Who but myself, O Shalya, would dare face this Phalguna and Vasudeva in battle, for both of them are athletic, firm-handed, skillful in war and mighty car-warriors.

O king of Madras, today my earnest desire is to fight out this son of Pandu and that will be achieved soon and that most beautiful extraordinary fight, the like of which has never been seen before, will occur very shortly. Today they will either put an end to me life or I will send them to their last account."

Speaking the aforesaid words to Shalya, Karna, the smiter of his enemies, in that battle gave utterance to loud roars resembling those of the clouds and advanced towards your son (Duryodhana), the first of the Kurus, who respectfully saluted him and spoke the following words to him and to the strongarmed Kripa and to Bhoja Chief Kritavarman, to preceptor Drona's son and his younger brother and to the king of Gandhara and his son and to all elephant-riders, horsemen and infantry-“O kings, do you please push on towards Krishna and Arjuna and shut them up from all sides, when they feel tired and exhausted from fighting with you I shall be able to dispatch them off quite easily.

“Let it be so," said they and accordingly those mighty warriors, determined to put an end to Arjuna's life all rushed towards Dhananjaya and attacked him with numberless shafts.

As the rivers and streams course mighty onward, but loose their forces and melt in the bosom of the unfathomable deep, so all those warriors were received by the great Arjuna. Such was the lightness of Arjuna's hands that it was impossible for his enemies to mark how he was putting his shafts on the string and how he was shooting thein out, only horses, men and elephants went down all the time in heaps, struck dead with Arjuna's shots.

As persons with sore eyes cannot look up towards the sun so Jaya (Arjuna) whose arrows were brilliant like the rays of the all-burning sun at the end of Yuga and whose bow Gandiva formed his circular disk, could not be looked at by the Kauravas.

Smiling and stretching his bow Gandiva to the fullest extent he sent out numberless arrows from it, destroying all the powerful weapons sent against him by the great car-warriors and hitting them at the same time.

O lord of the universe, Arjuna, thwarting the weapons of his enemies sped numberless arrows which destroyed many of your army like the powerful sun during the months of Jaistha and Asharh drawing up great quantities of water (from the earth).

As the clouds pour down heavy showers upon mountain, so did your son, Kripa, the king of the Bhojas and that powerful son of Drona rushed on and began to pour down arrows upon him like rains.

Thus attacked, the son of Pandu very quickly cut-off, all the weapons sent against him by all those skillful and mighty carwarriors and struck three arrows at the breast of each of them.

As the sun, in the months of Jyaistha and Ashada, shines brilliantly in the midst of his corona, so Arjuna, scorching his enemies, shone out in great relief, the full drawn Gandiva forming his corona and his shafts forming his rays.

Drona's son (Ashvatthama) coming forward shot ten choicest arrows against Dhananjaya, three against Krishna, four against the four horses and many other good arrows against the great ape in charge of his standard.

In spite of these, Dhananjaya made Drona's son carless by cutting off the out-stretched bow of his foe with three shafts, killing his driver with a razor like shaft and making away with his banner with three and his four horses with four other shafts.

He (Ashvatthama), being greatly angry, took up a splendid bow ornamented with gold, diamonds and other precious stones, which looked like the body of the snake Takshaka or a great mountainous snake.

He then throwing down other weapons on the earth and putting string to the bow from an adjacent place began to distress and strike those two best of men, who unconquerable, with various arrows.

Your son Duryodhana, Kripa and the Bhoj King and other great warriors, who were leading the field, attacked that mightiest of the Pandavas shooting showers of shafts against him and he looked like the sun (who drives away darkness) surrounded by clouds on all sides.

As in days of yore Indra with his thunder destroyed the horses and car of Baliraj (Asura), so Partha, powerful as the thousand-armed were (Kartavirya) with various shafts distressed Kripa's driver and his horses and cut-off his bow and arrows as also his banner of his chariot.

As Kiritin had distressed Ganga's son Bhima before, so Kripa was now distressed in that great fight with innumerable shots after striking off his standard and weapons.

Then the banner and bow of your brave an roaring son was struck off by mighty Partha, who next cut-off the standard and steeds of Kritavarman.

As a mighty river washes, away an embankinent, so the ranks of your great army was broken to hundred different portions by him (Partha), who destroyed in no time many elephants, steeds, cars, drivers and weapons of his enemies' army.

Then Keshava, leaving the distressed enemies on he right side, drove the chariot onward and Dhananjaya when going quickly like Satamanyu (Indra) at the time of killing Vritra was followed by other great warriors with lofty banners and excellent chariots all desirous of gaining a name in battle.

Then the great car-warriors Shikhandin, Satyaki and the twin brothers, with fearful roars advanced towards Dhananjaya and obstructed the hostile troops, striking them with sharp shafts.

Like the Devas (celestials) and the Asuras in the old days, the Kuru warriors and the Srinjayas, coming wrathfully in contact with each other, went on killing one another with powerful and straight shafts.

Then all anxious to gain victory or to go to heaven by dying in the battle-field, the elephant riders, car-warriors and horsemen with leonine-roars struck each other with wellarmed blows.

In fact, those brave and picked warriors sent out such hosts of shots against one another that the light of the sun became almost indistinct and the very atmosphere was filled with darkness.