Karna Parva — Battle of Vrishasena and defeat of Nakula

Sanjaya said O monarch, after the death of Dushasana your ten sons, all great car-warriors, who never showed their backs in field, greatly energetic and revengeful, covered Bhima with their arrows.

There were Nishangi, Kavachin, Pashin, Dandadhara, Dhanurgraha, Alolupa, Shala, Sanda, Vatavega and Suvarchas; an being greatly sorry on account of the death of their brother, they faced the strong armed Bhimasena and struck him with arrows.

Being hemmed in on all sides by the arrows of those mighty car warriors, Bhima, with fiery and blood-red, eyes, looked brilliant as Pluto himself.

O Bharata, Vrikodara, of the line of Pritha, then with ten gold-winged and flat edged shafts, sent those ten princes of the line of Bharata, whose wrists were adorned with gold bracelets, very quickly to the region of Pluto.

After those ten brave warriors have fallen, your troops being afraid of the Pandavas began to give way even in the presence of Karna himself.

O monarch, as human beings are afraid of death, so Karna seeing Bhima of great power became afraid of him.

The Shalya, the ornament of the battle-field, knowing from the very look of Karna what was passing in his mind, addressed that scorcher of his enemies with words befitting.

"O son of Radha, do not be depressed, it is not fit for you; ail the chiefs are dispersing themselves afraid of Bhimasena. Duryodhana is confounded owing to the woeful fate of his brothers.

When Dushasana blood has been quaffed by the brave-hearted Bhima. Kripa with others and the surviving brothers of the king, with painful hearts their rage depressed with sorrow, are all seated round Duryodhana and taking care of him.

Those brave warriors, the Pandavas who never miss their aim, are coming forward to meet you in fight.

O foremost of men, for these reasons and remembering the duties of the Kshatriyas you should put forth all your energies and march against Dhananjaya.

O you strong-armed warrior, the whole responsibility of this war has been put on you by the son of Dhritarashtra; exert yourself and bear that burden to the best of your ability.

There is great glory in victory and even in defeat Heaven is certain. O son of Radha, your son Vrisasena, beholding that you are at your wit's end, is advancing towards the Pandavas with great wrath.” to

Thus addressed by Shalya of unfathomable prowess Kara reflecting came the conclusion that there is no other alternative but to fight the battle out.

Then Vrisasena, all wrathful, with his car advanced against that son of Pandu viz. Vrikodara who was destroying your arıny and with his mace was looking like Pluto himself with his death-dealing sceptre.

As (in days of yore) the victorious Magavat joyfully ran to meet the (Asura) Jambha, so did Nakula, the bravest of warriors, with great anger rushed towards their enemy, Karna's son.

Then the mighty Nakula, with a razor-like arrow, rent asunder the gem-bedecked banner of his foe and with another flat-faced shaft broke the gold-belted bow of Karna's son.

Karna's son promptly took up another bow and distressed the son of Pandu with many powerful and celestial weapons. Vrishasena master of many powerful weapons, began to pour down celestial weapons upon Nakula.

O monarch, Karna's son with his fine shots, indeed killed the white and good looking chargers of Nakula, who were of the Vanayu breed and were adorned with fittings of gold. The son of Karna, out of rage from the hits of his enemy as also from the brilliancy and might of his own weapons, looked like the fire ablaze when helped with clarified butter.

Nakula then got down from his horseless chariot and taking up a shield that was studded with golden moons and a sky colored sword jumping now and then looked like a sprightly bird.

In the ceremony of horse-sacrifice as it is the duty of the killer to cut down many animals, so Nakula, with that sword in hand bounding in the air, struck down many brave men, horses and elephants,

Nakula, wishing to attain victory, singlehanded in no time knocked down two thousand well disciplined and well-paid warriors, collected from different countries who were of sure aim, who were always glad to fight and whose bodies were besmeared with fine sandal paste.

Then Karna's son all of a sudden, rushed against the advancing Nakula and distressed him with hosts of sharp shafts from all sides in order to put an end to him.

Nakula distressed with arrows (from Vrishasena), in return, also struck his enemy and Vrishasena being thus struck by Nakula became very angry but the noble Nakula being protected by his brother Bhimasena at that time in that hard fight performed prodigies of valour. Then the son of Karna angry at heart, with eighteen arrows, struck the brave Nakula with whom fighting was like play and who was destroying single-handed the bravest warriors, chargers and elephants.

O monarch, being greatly distressed by Vrishasena in that encounter, Pandu's son Nakula, the best of men and of great energy then rushed on for the purpose of killing Karna's son.

Vrishasena began raining hosts of sharp arrows upon the mighty Nakula as he advanced straight like a hawk pouncing upon a lump of meat with its wings spread.

After thwarting the hosts of arrowy of his foe, Nakula went on making mans beautiful evolutions in the air, but Karna's son, O monarch, in that fierce encounter, with his powerful shafts cut-off his shield studded with a thousand stars.

Then as Nakula was careering with his drawn sword, of good steel, well polished and very sharp and strong enough to bear great weight and to lop off bodies of all sorts of enemies and deadly as snake Vrisasena in a short time cut-off that sword with six razor-like shafts and also hurt his enemy in the centre of the chest with arrows well tempered and keenedged.

Having thus performed deeds according to the usage of the ancients, which would have been difficult for others to do, the nobleminded Nakula, endued with great activity, advanced, O monarch, towards the car of Bhimasena, distressed with those shafts.

The son of Madri, becoming horseless and being thus distressed by Karna's son, in the presence of Dhananjaya bounded upon the car of Bhimasena resembling a lion leaping on the summit of a mountain.

Then that noble-minded and brave warrior Vrishasena excited with rage, began to rain hosts of arrows upon those two powerful carwarriors seated on the same car with the purpose of distressing those two sons of Pandu at the same time.

When that chariot of Nakula the son of Pandu was destroyed and his sword was cut-off by arrows, other warriors on the part of Kauravas organised and started hitting them by volley of arrows.

Bhimasena and Arjuna both son of Pandu were so furiated on Vrishasena at their faces glew like fire. Both of them had shot a volley of arrows on the soldiers of Kaur.ivas stood nearby thein.

The son of the Wind-god (Bhimasena) told Phalguna (Arjuna) "see how Nakula is being distressed by the son of Karna; he has even the audacity to attack us, do you proceed against him.

When Arjuna, the holder of crown came near the chariot of Bhimasena, heard him and returned, Nakula said to Arjuna, the great warrior "Brother! Kill this Vrishasena immediately.

The fierce warrior Dhananjaya, whose head was adorned with diadem, on hearing these words, riding up to Vrikodara's car, drove straight on his great ape-bannered car with Keshava as its drive towards Vrishasena.