Karna Parva — Description of battle-field

Sanjaya said Seeing your son busy about rallying your soldiers the king of Madras, beside himself with grief, said-

Shalya said Look at this dreadful scene of action, O hero, covered with numberless killed men, horses and elephants. Some places are covered with of huge mountain-like elephants, maimed and their vital parts wounded with shafts. the armours, weapons, shields and swords of the lifeless warriors, shields and swords of the lifeless warriors are lying on all sides. They resemble huge mountains clapped with thunder, with trees, rocks and herbs dropping drown from them on all sides. The bells, hooks, lances and standards with which these huge animals, were equipped have been scattered on the ground. The bodies, which were adorned with golden trappings, are now covered with blood. Some places are covered with the carcasses of killed horses, mangled with arrows, breathing hard in agony carcasses and vomiting blood. Some of them are crying in agony, some of them are biting the earth with rolling eyes and some are neighing pitecusly. A part of the battle-field is covered with elephant warriors and horsemen thrown off their animals and car-warriors forcibly knocked down from their cars. Some of them are already and others are on the points of death. Covered with the dead bodies of men, horses and elephants their trunks and limbs and broken cars, the Earth looks awful like the great Vaitarini.

The Earth looks awful covered with elephants with shattered tusks, vomiting blood, crying piteously in anguish in the battle-field, deprived of their armourless drivers and the infantry that protected them, with their quivers, banners and standards broken down and having their bodies that were adorned with nets of gold, wounded deep with the arrows of the enemy.

Covered with the dead bodies of elephants warriors, horsemen and car-warriors of great repute and of foot soldiers killed while combating with one another, divested of armours, ornaments and weapons the Earth looked like the sky covered with clouds.

Strewn with the heads the bodies of thousands of heroes wounded with arrows, all deprived of consciousness but some drawing vitality slowing, the Earth appeared to have covered with extinguished fires.

Covered with the dead bodies of Kuru and Srinjaya warriors wounded with arrows and killed by Karna and Arjuna the Earth appeared as if covered with shining planets dropped from the sky or looked like the sky bespangled with stars in the night.

Cutting through the bodies of elephants, horses and men and putting out their vitality the arrows discharged by Karna and Arjuna entered into the earth like serpents entering into their holes with bent heads.

The entire field was blackened with carcasses, corpses, broken cars and arrows shot by Partha and Karna.

Well equipt cars were crushed by their arrows along with the warriors, weapons and standards. Their wheels, joints, axles, yokes, Trivenus, Upaskaras, Amikarsanas, the seats of the drivers and the fixtures of quivers were all broken into pieces. Covered with all these the Earth looked like the sky covered with autumnal clouds.

Riderless cars were dragged by quickcoursing horses, men, elephants and horses fled away in no time. And the army was thus completely routed.

The battle-field was strewn with maces, battle-axes, lances, clubs, mallets, unsheathed swords and maces covered with cloth of gold.

It was covered with gold decked bows, gold-winged arrows, bright and unsheathed swords of good metal, lances, scimitars shining like gold, umbrellas, fans conchs, armours, painted with beautiful flowers of gold, trappings of elephants, standards, car-fences, crowns, necklaces, yalk tails, garlands of corals and pearls, chaplets, ornaments for the wrist and upper arms, golden collars for the neck, various precious diamonds, jems and pearls, beautiful moon-like heads and bodies brought up in luxury. Leaving behind their mortal coils, luxurious pleasures and dresses, acquiring glory by proving faithful to the duties of their caste they have gone with giory to the region of bliss.

"Retreat Duryodhana. Let your troops retire. O king, run on to your camp. The sun is going down. Remember O king, that you are the root of all this.”

Addressing these words to Duryodhana, Shalya, with an aggrieved heart, stopped. Duryodhana too, greatly moved and beside himself with sorrow, with tears running down his eyes, wept for the charioteer's son crying "O Karna, O Karna!"

Consoling Duryodhana again and again all the kings headed by Drona's son returned to their camp looking repeatedly on Arjuna's standard that was resplendent with his glory.

Beholding the earth that was saturated with blood coming out of the bodies of men, elephants and horses as if she were a courtezan clad in sable garments and golden ornaments, the Kauravas, who were bent upon going to the other world and who could not be recognized on account of their faces being covered with blood, could not stand therein that critical moment.

Worked up with sorrow on account of Karna's destruction they all bewailed crying "Alas!" Then seeing the sun assume crimson colour they all returned to their camps.

Although killed and wounded with goldwinged arrows, whetted on stone and adorned with blood-dyed feathers, shot off the Gandiva, the heroic Karna lying on earth looked like the sun of bright rays.

Having touched with his rays Karna's body bathed in blood and assumed a crimson appearance on account of grief sun, ever kind to his votaries, proceeded to the other ocean for bathing.

Thinking thus the host of gods and Rishis left the scene of action for their respective habitations. Other creatures also wended their way, as they liked, either for the celestial region or for the earth.

Having witnessed that wondrous encounter between Karna and Arjuna which struck terror unto all living creatures also the leading Kuru heroes stricken with wonder and speaking highly (of the feat) proceeded (to their quarters).

Although his coat of mail had been shattered with arrows, although he had been killed in that dreadful fight the beauty of his countenance did not forsake Radha's son even when dead.

Every one saw that the body of the heroes resembled burning gold. It appeared to have been instinct with life and looked effulgent like the sun or fire.

Seeing the charioteer's son lying dead on the field of battle all the warriors were stricken with fear like other animals at the sight of a lion.

Although dead that best of men seemed ready to issue commands. Nothing was changed in that great heroes dead.

Wearing a beautiful apparel and possessing a charining neck Karna's face looked resplendent like the full moon.

Bedecked with various ornaments and golden Angadas, Vaikartana, albeit slain, lay on earth like a huge tree embellished with branches and twigs.

There lay that best of men like a mass of pure gold or blazing fire extinguished with the water of Arjuna's arrows.

As a blazing fire is quenched by water so Karna fire was extinguished by the Partha-like cloud in that battle.

Having made a downpour of arrows and burnt the ten cardinal points that best of men with his sons was destroyed by Partha. He left the world but took away with him his fame which he had won on earth by fair fight.

Having scorched the Pandavas with the fire of his weapons, having made a down-pour of arrows and consumed the hostile armies and heated the world like the thousand rayed sun Vaikartana left the world with his sons and followers. Thus perished the hero who was an all-giving tree unto the bird-like suitors.

Begged by them he always said “I give" and never “I have not." The virtuous always knew him to be pious. Such was Vrisha who died in a dual combat.

His wealth was always given to the Brahmanas. There was nothing not even his life which he could not make over to the Brahmanas. He was a darling of women, generous and a great car-warrior. Such a highminded man met with death,

Thus repaired to the celestial region the hero depending upon whom your son made enemies taking with him the hope of success and joy of the Kauravas.

The rivers were calın when Karna fell. The sun set with pale colour. Burning like fire or the sun, Soma's son Mercury moved askance through the sky

The sky was cut into two pieces. The earth roared loudly. All the points of compass, covered with smoke, were as if set on fire. The oceans were agitated and roared terribly.

There shook the mountains with their forests and all the creatures were pained. Assailing the constellation Rohini the planet Jupiter looked like the moon or the sun.

At Karna's death all the minor points of compass were ablaze. The sky was enshrouded with darkness. The Earth shook. Burning meteors dropped. The Rakshasas and other night rangers were filled with joy.

When with his razor-shaped arrows Arjuna cut-off Karna's head having a moon-like countenance all the denizens of heaven, sky and earth sent forth cries of Oh and Alas!

Having killed his enemy Karna, adored of the celestials, men and Gandharvas Arjuna shone in his energy like the thousand-eyed deity after the destruction of Vritra.

Then mounting their chariot the rattle of which was like the muttering of clouds, whose bright colour was like the mid-day sun of autumn, which was decorated with flags and standards, which was white in colour like the snow, the moon, the conch or crystal, whose horses were like those of Indra, those two foremost of men Krishna and Arjuna, who were energetic like great Indra himself who were embellished with gold, pearls, gems, diamonds and corals and who were effulgent like fire or the sun, moved on the battle-field with great force like Vishnu and Indra seated on the same car.

Divesting perforce the enemy of his splendour by the twang of the Gandiva bow and the striking of palms and destroying the Kurus with arrows the ape-bannered Arjuna and Garuda-bannered Krishna, gifted with measureless prowess, those two best of men joyfully took up, with their hands, their snow white conchs sending forth loud peals, adorned with gold and blew them simultaneously striking terror unto the hearts of their enemies.

The sounds of Panchajanya and Devadatta filled the earth, the sky and heaven.

At the blare of Madhava's conch as well as that of Arjuna's all the Kauravas, O king, were stricken with fear.

Resounding the woods, mountains, rivers and cardinal points with the blare of their conchs and filling up your soldiers with terror those two foremost of men gladdened Yudhishthira.

No sooner the Kauravas heard the blare of the conchs then they speedily left the battlefield leaving behind them the king of Madras and the Bharata chief Duryodhana.

Then all the creatures in a body congratulated Dhananjaya who was shining in the battle-field and Janardana, those two foremost of men who were like two risen suns.

Pierced with Karna's arrows those two repressors of foes shone like the bright moon of many rays and the sun after dispelling darkness.

Then leaving off those arrows those two great heroes of incomparable prowess, encircled by their well-wishers and friends, returned to their camp like the Lords Indra and Vishnu.

After Karna had been killed in that dreadful encounter, the celestials, Gandharvas, men, Charanas, Rishis, Yakshas and Nagas respectfully offered adorations of Krishna and Arjuna and wished them success.

Having received all their friends with due honor and been praised by them for their heroic deeds those heroes enjoyed in the company of their friends like the king of gods and Vishnu after the destruction of Bali.