Karna Parva — Fight between Dushasana and Bhimasena

Sanjaya said O monarch, after the Kurus had been routed (by Arjuna) on whose car were attached white horses, Karna-the son of Suta, like the high wind dispersing the clouds, went on slaughtering the Panchalas.

With Anjalika weapons he brought down the driver of Janamejaya from the car and broke down the bows of Satanikas Sutasoma covered them with broad-headed arrows.

Then he, striking Dhristadyumna with six arrows, almost instantly knocked down his and Satyaki's horses and then in quick succession killed Vishoka-the Kaikeya prince.

Then the Kaikeya General Ugrakarman, seeing the Kaikeyas prince thus killed rushed on towards Karna and moving forward his bow repeatedly began to distress Karna's son Prasena with many powerful shafts.

Then Karna, with three crescent-like shafts, severed his head and arms from the body and like a Sala tree cut down by an axe he (Ugrakarman) fell down lifeless from his car.

Then Prasena, if dancing with excitement, assailed the steedless grandson of Shini (Satyaki) with many straight arrows, by was in return killed by the grandson of Shini.

Karna, filled with vengeance at the death of his son and wishing to slay that foremost of Shinis addressed him, “consider yourself a dead man" and struck him with a deadly arrow.

as But Shikhandin severed that arrow with three shafts and with three other distressed Karna; then the wrathful son of Suta with two razor-like shafts struck off the bows, arrows and banners of Shikhandi.

With six other powerful arrows hit Shikhandi himself and killed Dhristadyumna's son; and the noble son of Adhiratha also struck Sutasoma with a very sharp arrows.

O most powerful of monarchs, in that terrible fight loud lamentations were heard as the son of Dhristadumnya fell down and Krishna, hearing that, addressed Partha and said, “Partha go and kill Karna for he is destroying the whole Panchala race."

Then in order to save the Panchalas from the fear of that great car-warrior, Karna, he (Arjuna) advanced on his car towards the chariot of the son of Adhiratha with a smile in his lips.

Then rubbing his palm on the bow-string with a very loud twang he stretched out the Gandiva and suddenly made the Earth look dark by covering the sun with showers of arrows and also killed hosts of men, horses and elephants and destroyed many banners.

At that fearful moment, when Kiritin (the diadem-decked Arjuna) greatly excited, with the Gandiva in his hands, bent almost to a circle, assailed his enemies the loud twang of his bow resounded through the skies and the birds being afraid took refuge in caves and mountains.

The redoubtable Bhimasena followed Arjuna on his car guarding the rear and both the princes fighting their way on their respective cars advanced fast towards Karna.

In the meantime the son of Suta had been fighting terribly-he repeatedly thrashed the Somakas and and killed killed large numbers of elephants, horses and car-warriors; in fact he covered the atmosphere with his shafts.

Then Uttamaujas, Janamejaya, the wrathful Yudhamanyu, Shikhandin and Prishatha's son Dhristadumnya all in a body fiercely attacked Karna with many weapons and with loud roars.

As the objects of senses cannot extract the purity out of a holy man, so those five best Panchala warriors, though they tried their utmost, could not shake Vaikartana (Karna) from off his car.

Karna, with his arrows very soon rending asunder their bows, arrows, drivers and banners and striking each of them with five arrows, gave vent to a loud shout that resembled the roar of a lion.

When Karna was thus distressing his enemies with his bow and arrows in hand the whole world, with its mountains and trees, seemed to spilt into pieces by the loud twang of his bow and people became afraid.

The son of Adhiratha, with his large bow like that of Shakra fully drawn, went on throwing his arrows; indeed in that fight he looked brilliant like the sun with his firing rays in the midst of his corona.

Suta's son then struck Shikhandin with twelve keen shafts, Uttamaujas with six and Yudhamanyu, Janmeyaya and Dhristadyumna with three each.

O respected king, as the objects of senses are conquered by a holy man of abstinence, so those five great warriors, overpowered by Suta's son in that dreadful fight, became confounded and inactive to the great delight of their enemy.

As ship-wrecked merchants are saved from drowning in a deep sea by means of other ships, so did the sons of Draupadi, with the help of their cars, save their maternal uncles from sinking under the pressure of Karna's weapons who resembled the sea.

Then the most powerful of the Shinis (Satyaki) cut-off all the sharp arrows of Karna and struck him with many sharp arrows purely made of iron and your eldest son, Duryodhana, with eight.

Then Kripa, the Bhoja king, your son and Karna himself assaulted Satyaki in return with many sharp arrows, but that best of Yadu's race fought with those four great warriors as did the king of Daityas with the regents of the four quarters.

As in autumn the Sun shines brilliantly in the sky, so with his outstretched bow, which was sounding loudly and sending forth arrows unrestrainedly, Satyaki became hard to face.

As the Maruts helped Shakra (Indra) when he distressed his enemies, so the great Panchala car-warriors-the distressers of their enemies-all clothed in coats of mail, collected together, getting back upon their cars and protected that greatest man of the line of Shini.

Many elephants, horses and men were then killed in that fight that took place between your enemies and your troops and it caged as hot and fierce as was the great battle which ensued between the Gods and the Asuras, in days of yore.

All the infantry, car-warriors, elephants and steeds distressed with various weapons and struck by each other they began to move about sending forth dolorous cries of woe; some tumbled while other dropped down dead as they moved.

At that time your son Dushasana, the younger brother of the king, boldly going up to Bhimasena, shot hosts of shafts against him and Vrikodara like a lion taking his leap upon a big Ruru (deer) swiftly made a rush towards him.

As in days of yore Shakra and Shamvara fight with each other, so did those two brave warriors, both panting for revenge, fight with each other making their very lives the wager of the fight.

As two lustful elephants fight for a sheelephant with fatty secretions streaming down their bodies, so did they strike each other with powerful and piercing shafts.

Then Vrikodara with two razor-like shafts struck off the banner and the bow and the arrows of your son and with another winged arrow he hurt him on the forehead and with a fourth, he severed the head his charioteer.

Prince Dushasana, taking up another bow, hit Bhima with twelve arrows and taking hold of the reins of his horses rained upon Bhima hosts of shafts.

Then Dushasana sent against Bhima an arrow worked with gold, diamond and other valuable gems and brilliant as the sun's rays, deadly and powerful as Indra's thunder.

Vrikodara being struck by that weapon with outstretched arms fell down on his car like one dead and powerless, but again regaining his senses he began to roar like a lion.