Karna Parva — The dual battle between Karna and Arjuna

Sanjaya said When the blare of conchs and sound of bugles became very high in the battle-field, those two, Suta's son Vaikartana and Arjuna mounted on white horses, closed each other, O king, on account of the vile policy of your son.

Those two dreadful heroes Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son encountered each other like two Himalayan elephants with full-grown tusks, madly fighting for a she-elephant.

Those two warriors, with bows twanging loudly and sending forth hosts of shafts and the palms of their hands also producing great sounds when shooting them and their carwheels making rattling, encountered each other like the collision of two heavy masses of clouds or two mountains.

Those two great warriors fell upon and struck one one another with many powerful weapons resembling two mountains of towering height having many trees, herbs and creepers upon them and inhabited by various animals, rushing against each other.

The fight between those two great warriors became so terrible that it resembled the war between the king of heaven and the son of Virvahana in the days of old, it was impossible for other persons to bear up in such a fight and a river of blood flowed there, ghastly to look at; the limbs of both the warriors were badly cut in many places as also their drivers and horses.

Those two cars, fitted with broad banners, when nearing each other, looked like two large lakes full of fishes and tortoises and many kinds of lotuses floating on it waters which was gently moved by the wind and resounding with the sweet voices of diverse kinds of birds.

Both of them, mighty as the God Indra, assailed one another with weapons powerful as Indra's thunder and fought also like Indra himself and (Asura) Vritra.

Both are armies abounding in cars, horses, elephants, foot adorned with fine mail, vestments and weapons as also those that were in the skies (the gods) were all struck with terror in seeing that extraordinary fight between Karna and Arjuna.

When Arjuna precipitated himself upon the son of Adhiratha like one furious elephant rushing against another with the intention of killing him, others out of excitement and joy uttered lion-like roars and raised their cloths shaking them fingers.

The Somakas called loudly to Partha, “Go haste and slay Karna and by that put an end to the hope of Dhritarashtra's son for empire."

In the same way many of our warriors went to Karna and said "Kill Arjuna with your sharp arrows and let the sons of Pritha go again to the wilderness for good."

Then Karna struck Arjuna with the powerful arrows and Arjuna also shot sharp arrows with great force against Karna's chest in return.

Thinking to take advantage of each other's weak points with buoyant spirits they repeatedly attacked each other with great fierceness and hacked and wounded one another with may good winged arrows, in that terrible fight.

The fierce warrior Arjuna then rubbed his bow-string with his arm and sent hosts of cloth yard shafts and arrows called Nalikas i.e. shafts headed with boar's ears and razors and Angalikas i.e. half moon-shaped arrows.

As at night-fall the birds for the purpose of resting during the night enter a tree, so O monarch, Partha's arrows after entering Karna's car with bent heads spread on all sides.

But O King, all those arrows and the successive ones, shot by Arjuna, that contracted brow, were all destroyed by Karna by his own shafts.

The son of Indra (Arjuna) then sent against Karna such a brilliant and fiery weapon that it lighted up the whole world. The skies, the ten sides and also his own body and covered the very course of the sun with its brilliancy and was capable of killing all enemies.

The dresses of warriors caught fire and they fled making great noise like that which is heard when a bamboo forest catches fire.

The Suta's son, the brave Karna, seeing now that fiery weapon was burning everything, shot the Varuna weapon and extinguished the fire.

Huge masses of clouds instantly covered the sides with darkness; they resembled big mountains and poured heavy showers upon the earth.

The earth and the skies were covered by the clouds and that awful conflagration was ! extinguished in no time.

All the sides being covered by those clouds became very dark and nothing could be seen, but Arjuna with the vary weapons dispersed those clouds. Then the invisible Dhananjaya, inspiring the Gandiva, its string and the shafts with mantras, invoked a favourite weapon of the king of Heaven and powerful like his thunder.

Then many sharp arrows namely the Anjalikas, i.e. razor-headed shafts and crescent like and Nalikas and cloth-yard arrows and those adorned with the boar's ears all very powerful and sharp, came out in numbers from the Gandiva with force.

Those powerful and sharp arrows, adorned with feathers like vulture quickly piercing the body, car, horses, earth and wheels of Karna, entered into the earth even as the snakes enter when afraid of Garuda; and thus being struck on all sides and bathed in blood Karna in anger rolled his eyes.

Then bending the strong stringed bow, the twang of which resembled the deep roar of the sea, he invoked the Bhargava weapon and cutoff all the shots coming out of the mouth of the Indra weapon (shot by Arjuna). He thus cut-off the weapons of his enemy, many of the cars, elephants and foot soldiers of the Pandava army by virtue of the Bhargava weapon, himself not being able to bear the prowess of Arjuna in that battle.

That best of men, Suta's son of great energy, smiling at the two Krishnas, struck the chief men among the Panchalas with aimed arrows.

O monarch, the Panchalas and the Somakas being thus attacked by Karna, fired up with anger and conjointly began to strike Suta's son with arrows from all sides.

Then Suta's son cut-off with his own arrows the shots of the Panchalas and distressed the cars, elephants and horses of the Panchalas.

Like powerful elephants when killed by a mighty and angry lion, they fell down dead on the earth with loud noise being struck by those shafts of Karna.

Having thus slain the choicest warriors of the Panchalas, those strong and brave and proud warriors, Karna, O King, when shooting his shafts resembled a mass of clouds when pouring down showers.

Then, O Head of the Kuru race, your warriors, thinking that Karna had gained the day and brought the two Krishnas under subjection, began to clap and gave vent to lionlike roars.

They saw the power of the great hero Karna, overpower the enemies and his weapon to baffle all those of Dhananjaya in that fight. The son of Wind God, the wrathful Bhimasena, with eyes kindling with rage, pressed his own hands and drawing heavy breaths and greatly excited addressed Arjuna, of never-failing aim.

How is it that this most irreligious scoundrel could slay so many good Panchala warriors before your very face.

The very gods and Kalakeyas were not able to vanquish you before this; why, you fought with Sthanu himself hand to hand. O diademadorned Arjuna, how is it that Suta's son has been able to pierce your with ten long arrows that are used by car warriors.

I wonder how Suta's son has been able to penetrate the arrows shot by you, O Savyasachin; remember the distasteful, sharp and cutting jokes, this bold and wretched Suta's son uttered towards us and called us sesamum seeds not having anything within them and think over the sorrows of Krishna and soon put an end to the life of this scoundrel in today's battle, for you should not be any more careless about killing this Karna.

Do you remember how you hàve conquered all creatures and have satisfied the hunger of Agni in the Khandava and with that patience i.e. (resembling yourself) kill Suta's son. I will also knock him down with my mace.

Then Vasudeva seeing that Partha's shafts were being frustrated by Kama, addressed him (Arjuna)-How is this O Kiritin, that your weapons are being baffled by Karna. O brave warrior, why are you looking like one confounded. Don't you see the Kauravas, behind Karna, are all uttering loud shouts of joy.

Beholding your weapons made useless by those of Karna. This day kill Karna with the same energy that you have shown Yuga after Yuga in killing persons possessed of dark weapons and fierce Rakshasas and the boonproud Asuras in battle.

Concentrating all your might cut-off the head of your enemy with this Sudarshana of razor-like keen edge which I am giving to you, like Cakra who cut-off the head of Namuchi, his enemy with thunder.

You have even satisfied the great god Mahadeva (in battle) when he was disguised as a hunter; recovering the same patience, O hero, kill this son of Suta and his followers.

By that you will restore to this king Yudhishthira the sea-belted earth with its towns, villages and wealth and remove all his enemies from the face of the Earth and by that you will gain great fame.

Thus roused by Bhima and Janardana Partha,. of great prowess, internally remembered himself and for what he had come to the world and addressed Keshava and said-

Now I will invoke a powerful and terrible weapon for the benefit of the world and slaughter of Suta's son; let me have your permission as also of Brahma's and Bhava's as well of all persons who have acquired the Brahmajnana.

Addressing these words of Keshava Savyaschain, of unfathomable soul, bowing to Brahma, then brought forth into action that unbearable and choice weapon called, Brahma which could only be used after great : concentration of the mind.

But thwarting that weapon Karna looked handsome like the raining clouds and went on sending showers of shafts. In that fight seeing that weapon of Kiritin waisted by Karna the powerful and wrathful Bhimasena, firing up with anger, thus addressed Arjuna of never failing aimननु त्वाहुर्वेदितारं महास्त्रं

"O Savyasachin, you are master of the noble Brahma weapon, the great means of destroying enemies. Do you, O Savyasachin, shoot the same sort of weapon again and again.” And thus being asked by his brother, The arrows, coming out of the Savyasachin Gandiva, resembled terrible snakes or the sun's rays shoot another like the one he used before and by that the energetic Partha covered all the cardinal and subsidiary points of ten compass.

O Bharata race, they were brilliant as the Yuga fire or the sun's rays ten thousand arrows in not time covered Karna's car.

From that celestial weapons came forth hundreds of long darts, battle-axes and cloth yard shafts of fearful shape and killed many warriors.

In that battle-field of the opposite party by cutting off their heads. One fell to the ground out of fear seeing another fall; the third's arm, powerful and large as an elephant trunk, was cut down with the sword still held in clasp.

The left arm, of a fourth with the shield grasped being severed by razor-headed shaft, fell to the ground and thus Partha, who was adorned with crown and garlands, killed and wounded all the best warriors of Duryodhana's army by his awful and dreadful arrows; Vaikartana (Karna) also sped in return thousands of arrows in that fight.

Those arrows came down upon the son of Pandu with hissing noise like a downpour of rain from the clouds. Then Karna of great prowess having struck Bhimsena, Janardana and Arjuna of crowned head, with three shafts which gave vent to loud and fearful roars.

Then the diadem-adorned (Arjuna) beholding Bhimsena and Janardana thus struck and himself being also pierced lost all patience and again shot eighteen shafts.

Piercing Susena with one, Shalya with four and Karna with three, he with the other ten slew Sabhapati (a Kanrada prince) who was cased in a golden armour.

That prince fell down dead from the front of his car, bereft of his head, arms, his steeds and banner like a Shala tree hewed down with the axe.

Again striking Karna with three, eight, twelve, four and ten shafts he put four hundred armed elephants and eight hundred carwarriors to death.

He also killed one thousand horses with their riders and eight thousand powerful infantry with his fleet arrows. So covered Karna, his car, horses, driver and standard that they all became invisible.

Then the Kauravas being thus distressed by Dananjay began to call loudly the son of Adhiratha from all sides and said-"Do you display your weapons and slay this son of Pandu or he will with his shafts put on end to the whole Kuru army."

Thus requested, Karna began to try his utmost and sent hosts of blood thirsty arrows that were capable of piercing the very core of the heart and thereby killed many of the Pandavas and Panchalas.

In this way those two choicest of archers, the two most powerful warriors who could face and bear against all enemies and who were masters of all sorts of weapons, fearful to look at, went on striking each other and others that were fighting against them with their mighty weapons.

After the broken blades have been drawn out of his body and his wounds healed by mantras and herbs prescribed by best surgeons who were friendly to him King Yudhisthira, cased in armour of gold, came to the spot to see the fight between Karna and Arjuna.

Like the brilliant full moon coming out of Rahu's grasp all the creatures were greatly delighted to see the virtuous king Yudhishthira in the battle-field.

All the gods in heaven and persons of the earth, checking the animals they were riding upon, waited calmly to see the issue of the fight between those great heroes, Karna and Partha, who were the choicest of warriors and scorchers of enemies.

O monarch, both Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son went on striking each other with well-aimed shafts which made a great whizzing noise; and also the sounds made by the bows, bowstrings and the palms of the hands of those two brave warriors rose very loud.

At last that string of the bow of the son of Pandu being drawn with great might suddenly snapped with a great noise; in the meantime the son of Suta struck Partha with hundred small arrows adorned with feathers.

Then with sixty sharp arrows that were like snakes set at liberty from sloughs and were slippery as if they were dipped in oil, he pierced Vasudeva. Then again pierced Arjuna with eight arrows.

Karna, the son of sun god attacked fiercely on sensitive parts of Bhimasena's body by a volley of ten thousand arrows he shot an Bhimasena. He simultaneously, made an effort to kill Sri Krishna, Arjuna, his brothers and Somakas with cut-off the flag fixed on their chariot.

As in the sky the sun is covered by the clouds, so they, coming forward, shrouded Karna with their shafts but the son of Suta, 'well versed in the use of weapons, worsted the approaching warriors and covered them by his own shafts.

O monarch! Suta's son thus killed all their horses, cars and elephants and distressed many of their best warriors by his own shafts.

As a whole pack of powerful dogs is destroyed by an angry lion of great prowess so those warriors fell down dead on earth with loud noise, their bodies pierced by the arrows of the mighty Karna.

During this cessation of fight between Karna and Dhananjaya, many of the strong and great Panchala warriors became deprived of their lives by the well directed shafts of Karna; and others began to fly.

Then your troops, believing that Karna has brought Krishna and Arjuna under subjection, thought the great victory to theirs and loudly clapped their hands and gave vent to roars like that of a lion.

Then Partha, though badly mangled by many arrows, became filled with rage and bending his bowstring soO11 cut-off the shafts of the son of Adhiratha and again attached the Kauravas in the battle.

Then the diadem-adorned Arjuna, pressing his bowstring with the palm or his hand, covered the world with darkness by innumerable shafts and also struck Karna, Shalya and other Kaurava warriors with them.

By those arrows of great swiftness the sky became so dark that even the birds could not take their flights, and gentle and sweet-scented wind began to blow, as if sent by the Heavenly father.

Them, smiling, Partha shot with great force ten shafts against Shalya's armour and struck Karna first with twelve and then with another seven arrows.

Karna, being thus mangled by winged shafts of great impetuosity from Partha's bow, his limbs pierced and blood streaming down his body, resembled the bloody Rudra sporting son in the midst of a crematorium at the time of destruction.

Then the of Adhiratha struck Dhananjaya, who was looking like the king of Heaven (Indra) with three arrows and shot five other burning shafts like snakes for the purpose of killing Krishna.

Those well-directed and mighty shafts, winged with gold, after piercing the armour of that noblest of human beings, entered the earth and having bathed (in the water of Bhogavati) again return towards Karna.

Dhananjaya then with ten well-aimed and flat edged shafts, cut each of them into three pieces and thus those five great snakes (friends of the Asvasena the son of Taksha) fell to the earth.

Then seeing the body of Krishna pained by those snakes in the forms of shafts from Karna's hands, Arjuna, who was adorned with crown and garland, burnt with anger like fire kindled with very grass.

He, then drawing the string to his ears, shot many burning and deadly arrows thereby striking Karna in all his vital points, but Karna of great patience, though, he felt very painful, kept his face summoning all his courage.

O monarch, Dhananjaya, becoming angry, by his arrows covered all the sides of Karna's car; even the rays of the sun became invisible and the sky looked hazy as in a frosty day.

O monarch, Savyasachin, the greatest of warriors and foremost of the Kuru race, in that fight soon destroyed two thousand great Kuru warriors who were protecting the wings and car wheels of Karna and formed his van and rear guards, with all elephants, cars and horses; they were the select portion of Duryodhana's car warriors and were fighting bravely under his orders.

Then the remnants of the Kaurava army with your sons fled on all directions leaving Karna and even the wounded father and son fled leaving each other in the field.

But the great warrior Karna, O King, seeing himself abandoned on all sides and left alone, was not at all afraid but pushed on against Arjuna with a brave heart and with energy.

But the great warrior Karna, O King, seeing himself abandoned on all sides and left alone, was not at all afraid but pushed on against Arjuna with a brave heart and with energy.