भीष्म-वध पर्व — भीम का पराक्रम

Dhritarashtra said How did those two foremost of men, those two fierce bowmen, namely Drona and Dhananjaya the son of Pandu encountering each other with each other to the best of their abilities?

Then son of Pandu is very to the highly intelligent son of Bharadvaja; so also, O Sanjaya, the preceptor always dear to Pritha in battle.

Those two foremost of car-warriors ever delighting in battle, namely Dhananjaya and the son of Bharadvaja, how did those two heroes, like two fierce lions encountering one another, fight one another putting forth their energies?

Sanjaya said In battle neither Drona regarded the son of Pritha as dear to him, nor does the son of Pritha, keeping in view the duty of Kshatriyas, regard the preceptor as dear to him.

Kshatriyas, O king never shun any one in battle; they fight with their fathers for them.

Then, O Bharata, Drona was pierced in battle with there. shafts by the son of Pritha; but the former regarded not those arrows shot from Arjuna's bow.

Once more did the son of Pritha cover him in that battle with a shower of shafts; and Drona, then blazed then blazed up with anger like raging forest conflagration,

Within a short while straight jointed shafts, covered Arjuna in that battle, O foremost of kings, O Bharata.

Thereafter king Duryodhana commanded king Susharına to protect in battle the flanks of Drona.

Thereupon the ruler of the Trigatas waxing wroth, and stitching his bow full, covered the son of Pritha, O foremost of king, with many shafts tipped with iron.

Those arrows, O king discharged by Drona and Susharma, shone, O mighty monarch, in the heavens like a row of crane in the firmament in Autumn.

Those arrows, reaching, the son of Kunti, entered into him, like, O lord, a flight of birds entering a tree bending with the burden of its tasteful fruits.

Thereupon Arjuna, that foremost of carwarriors, uttering his war-cry in battle pierced the ruler of the Trigaretas and his son with myriad's of shafts.

Thus pierced by Partha who then looked like the Destroyer himself at the end of a Yuga, they rushed even towards Partha himself resolved die in battle.

They also poured a shower of arrows towards the chariot of Pandu's son. Then the we son. latter received that shower of arrows, O foremost of kings, with another shower discharged by himself, like a mountain receiving a shower of rain. Then in that battle beheld the wonderful lightness of Vibhatsu's hands.

In as much as, single-handed, he baffled the indefeasible shower of arrows poured by many, like the wind scattering masses of clouds.

The celestial and the Danavas all become pleased with that feat of Pritha's Thereafter Arjuna waxing worth on the Trigaretas, O Bharata,

Discharged, O monarch, the Vayavya weapon at the head of the hostile ranks. Thereupon raged a tempest agitation the whole welkin,

And felling rows of trees, and killing hosts of troops. Thereat Drona beholding that fierce Vayavya weapon,

Discharged, O mighty monarch, a terrible weapon named Shail. When, O ruler of men, that weapon was shot by Drona in battle,

The wind subsided, and points of the compass shone brightly. Thereafter that heroic son of Pandu, made the car-division of the Trigaretas despondent and destitute of prowess, and compelled them to turn their faces away a from the field of battle. Thereat Duryodhana, and Kripa that foremost of car-warriors,

Ashvathama, Shalya, Sudakshina the ruler of the Kambojas, the two Avanti princes Vinda and Anuvinda, and Balhika with the Balhikas,

These warriors, along with a mighty division of cars, surrounded Pritha's son on all directions. Also Bhagadatta and Shrutayusha, endued with great strength,

With mighty elephant division, surrounded Bhima on all directions. Also, O ruler of men, Bhurishravas, Sala and Subala's son,

With a shower of resplendent shafts of exceeding sharpness, resisted the two sons of Pandu. In that battle Bhishma, supported by Dhritarashtra's sons along with their divisions,

Reaching near Yudhishthira, surrounded him on all sides. Then Vrikodara the son of Pritha, beholding the elephant division advance towards himself,

Licked the corners of his mouth, like the king of beasts in the forest. Thereafter that foremost of car-warriors, grasping his mace, in that fierce battle,

Speedily jumped down from his car and struck terror into the hearts of your troops. Then those elephant-warriors, beholding him stand with mace in hand,

Surrounded him on all sides with great carefulness. Then that son of Pandu, standing in the midst of that elephant division, appeared beautiful,

Like the sun shining in the midst of a mass of clouds. Then that foremost of the Pandavas, began to agitate that division of elephants,

Like the tempest scattering away a mighty network of clouds. The those tuskers, slaughtered by the highly powerful Bhimasena in battle,

Began to utter distressful shrieks like masses of roaring clouds. Mangled with the tusks of those elephant in many parts of his body,

The son of Pritha appeared beautiful like a blossoming Ashoka tree. Catching the tuskers by their tusks, he rooted the tusks out,

And with those tusks wondering the elephants on their frontal globes felled them in battle, like the Destroyer himself wielding his mace.

Wielding his mace bathed in blood, with his person be spattered with fat and marrow, and smeared with gore Bhima appeared beautiful like the Rudra himself.

Thus slaughtered, the surviving remnant of that huge elephant division ran away in all directions, O king, crushing their own ranks.

Then, O foremost of the Bharatas, owing to those huge elephants running away in all directions, the army of Duryodhana was once more compelled to turn their faces away from the field of battle.