जयद्रथ-वध पर्व — (क्रमशः) कर्ण र भीमको युद्ध — बाणहरूको वर्षा

Sanjaya said Thereafter, O mighty monarch, Karma piercing Bhima with three arrows, began to shower of of various description.

The mighty-armed son of Pandu viz., Bhimasena, though thus pierced by the son of Suta, felt no pain, like a mountain having no sensation when cleft open.

Then O sire, he pierced Karna on his car with a sharp arrows. Well-tempered and washed with oil.

That dart, O mighty monarch, cut down one of the charming golden ear-rings of great luster belonging to Karna and it dropped down like a luminary from the sky.

Then excited to the highest pitch of anger, Vrikodara with the greatest ease struck Suta's son on the breast with a broad headed arrow,

Then once more, O Bharata, the mighty armed Bhima sped at him with great quickness ten Narachas resembling snakes just first freed from the sloughs.

Shot by him, O sire, those arrows penetrating through the forehead of Suta's son entered it, like so many snakes entering their holes in the ant-hills.

With those shafts struck upon his forehead, the son of Suta, looked beautiful, as he did before while his forehead was encircled with a chaplet of blue lotuses.

Thus deeply pierced by the son of Pandu endued with great agility, Karna held the Kuvara of his car for support and then shut his eyes.

But within a moment, that afflicter of foes Karna regaining his senses, found his body steeped in blood and became furious with rage.

Inflamed with rage in consequence of his being pierced thus by the firm bowmen Bhima, Karna endued with great acitivy, dashed against the car of Bhimasena.

Then, O king, the revengeful and enraged and mighty Karna, sped at Bhima a group of hundred arrows furnished with wings of the feathers of the vultures.

Thereat Pandu's son, disregarding the display of Karna's prowess began to shower fierce arrows on him.

Then, O afflicter of foes, the enraged Karna, O monarch, struck the irate Bhima on the breast with nine shafts.

Then both those tigers among men, resembling a couple of tigers with fierce teeth, showered upon each other, in that battle, their torrents of arrows like two mighty masses of clouds.

They tried to terrify one another in that battle, with the sound of their palms and with showers of arrows of diverse descriptions.

Inflamed with rage, each endeavoured to counteract the feats of the other in battle. Then that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., Bhima of mighty arms, O Bharata, cutting off with a razor-headed arrow the bow of Karna, uttered a loud war-cry. Then leaving aside that severed bow, the son of Suta that mighty car-warrior took up a tougher and stronger bow.

He also cut off that within a moment. Then he cut off one by one upto eighteen number of arrows respectively. Thus he cut off many arrows of Karna. Then Karna took up the bow in very moment. Then beholding the slaughter of the Sindhus and Souviras and the Kurus. And marking that the Earth was covered over with armours and standards and weapons lying scattered about and seeing also the dead bodies of elephants, foot-soldiers and horsemen and car-warriors on all sides.

T'he body of Suta's son blazed up with radiance, in consequence of wrath. Thereupon stretching his terrible bow decked with gold. The son of Radha. O monarch, looked at Bhima with eyes flashing rage. Inflamed with rage the son of Suta, while discharging his shafts, looked beautiful. Like the autumnal sun of burning rays at mid-day.

The body of the son of Adhiratha covered with various shafts, which appeared like a sun with its rays. While engaged in taking up an arrows, placing it on the bow-string, stretching the string and letting it off, no one could notice any interval between those acts of his.

While Karna was shooting his arrows right and left, his bow always appeared to be drawn to a circle like a dreadful circle of fire. Arrows of sharp heads, shot from the bow of Karna and furnished with wings of gold,

Covered, () monarch, all the quarters, intercepting the very rays of the solar orb. In the skies then were seen numerous groups of shafts, furnished with golden wings and shot from the bow of Karna. The arrows discharged from Karna's bow.

Then looked beautiful like rowe of cranes ranging through the skies. All the arrows discharged by the son of Adiratha were winged with the feathers of vultures, whetted on stone, adorned with gold, endued with great impetuosity and furnished with exceedingly keen points. Thrown by the force of his bowstring, those gold-decked arrows.

Coursed in continuous lines towards the chariot of Bhima; those gold-decked arrows hurled by Karna, while ranging through the skies in large numbers, looked beautiful like continuous fights of locusts. The shaAs shot from the bow of the son of Adhiratha, as they flew through the heavens, appeared like one long arrows poised in the sky. Like a cloud covering the mountain breast with torrents of rain.

Karna, excited to the highest pitch of fury, poured on Bhima his arrowy showers; then 0 Bharata, your sons and their soldiers all beheld the mighty energy, prowess and perseverance of Bhima inasmuch as the latter, unmindful of that shower of arrows resembling the furious ocean, dashed with wrath against Karna. O monarch, Bhima then wielded a bow that was formidable and the back of which was adorned with gold.

In consequence of his repeated stretching, the bow looked like a circle and it resembled the bow of Indra himself. From it then were shot shafts that filled the entire welkin.

Then with his gold-winged arrows of depressed knots, Bhima constructed a festoon in the welkin that looked like a veritable garland of gold.

Then the net-work of arrows spread in the skies by Kamna, began to be shattered and torn, being struck with the winged arrows of Bhimasena.

Shot both by Bhima and Karna, myriads of arrows of the touch of fire-sparks and straightcoursing.

And furnished with golden wings, entirely covered the welkin over. The sun then did not shine, nor did the wind blow.

The welkin being shrouded in that net-work of arrows, nothing could be then distinguished. Then the son of Suta covering Bhima with arrows of various descriptions.

And totally unmindful of the latter's prowess, strove to prevail over him. O sire, those myriads of arrows, discharged by both those warriors.

Appeared to clash against one another like two contrary currents of wind. Consequent on that clash of arrowy showers shot by those two foremost of men.

A fire, O foremost of the Bharatas, was engendered in the welkin. Desirous of slaying Bhima, Karna then, sped at the former numerous arrows, furnished with golden wings and cleansed by the forger himself. Bhima, however, with his own shafts, cut every one of Karna's arrows into three fragments.

And then obtaining some advantage over the son of Suta, he cried out saying wait, wait, then the irate and powerful son of Pandu, like an all-destroying fire once more shot excitedly showers of arrows. Then a loud sound was produced there, in consequence of the leathern gloves of the combatants striking against their bow-strings.

Then tremendous became the sound of their slapping palms, dreadful the sound of their war-cries and fierce the clash of their war-cries and fierce the clash of their cars and the twang of their bows.

Then o king, desirous of beholding the prowess of Karna and that son of Pandu who were striving to slay each other, the other combatants giving up fighting became spectators.

The celestial sages, the Siddhas and the Gandharvas, applauded them both saying 'Excellent, Excellent'; and hosts of Vidyadharas then showered flowers on those two heroes.

Thereafter, the mighty-armed and wrathful Bhima of resolute prowess, repulsing the weapons of Karna by his own, began to pierce that son of Suta.

Karna also, that mighty hero, baffling Bhima's darts, wounded Bhima with nine Narachas resembling snakes of virulent venom.

With as many winged shafts, Bhima then cut-off those Narachas sped by Suta's sons when they were coursing through the sky and said wait, wait.

Then the mighty armed Bhima possessed of great valour, shot at Adhiratha's son a shaft looking like the enraged god of Death and resembling a mace second to that wielded by Yama.

The son of Radha, however, O king, smilingly cut-off that dart of Pandu's son as it flew through the sky with three shafts of his Own.

The son of Pandu then once more shot showers of dreadful arrows; and Karna also dauntlessly received all those weapons of his.

Inflamed with wrath, Karna, the son of Suta by virtue of the illusion of his weapons, cut-off in that combat, with his straight arrows the pairs of quivers and the bow-string and the traces of the steeds of the fighting Bhima. Thereafter slaying his antagonist's steeds, Karna pierced the latter's charioteer with five shafts.

Thereupon the charioteer running in haste, ascended the car of Yudhamyu. Burning with Wrath, Radha's son, whose effulgence then equaled the effulgence of the Yuga-fire, cut-off the standard of Bhima and felled his banner, smiling the while. Deprived of the use of his bow, Bhima then grasped a fearful lance.

Inflamed with rage, he balanced it in his hands and then hurled it vehemently at the chariot of Karna. Adhiratha's son then with ten shafts, cut-off that glad-decked dart hurled by Bhima, as it was flying swiftly towards him like a blazing meteor; that lance then fell down, severed into fragments by those sharp arrows of Suta's son Karna, that warrior versed in all modes of warfare, then engaged in the fight for the sake of friends. Then the son of Kunti grasped a buckler adorned with gold.

And a resplendent sword, desirous of reaping either victory or death. But O Bharata, Karna again smilingly cut-off that effulgent buckler of Bhima with numerous dreadful arrows. Bhima then deprived of the use of his car and his shield, became infuriate in wrath.

Then with great vehemence he hurled at Karna's chariot that sword; that mighty sword then cutting off the stringed bow of Suta's son.

Dropped down on the earth like O king, an angry snake from the heavens. Then the son of Adhiratha, inflamed with rage in that battle, smilingly grasped another bow destructive of foes, having a tougher string and stronger than the one that had been cut-off. Desirous of slaying the son of Kunti, O king, Karna, then began to discharge by thousands, arrows furnished with golden wings and endued with great impetuously. Wounded with those shafts shot from Karna's bow, the puissant Bhima.

Bounded up into the air, thereby filling Karna's mind with great pain. Beholding that conduct of the victory-desiring Bhima, Karna.

The son of Radha deceived Bhimasena by hiding himself inside his chariot. Beholding Karna hide himself in the terrace of his car with a frightened heart.

Bhima, catching hold of the former's flagstaff, remained on the ground. Then all the Kurus and the Charanas applauded that feat of his, viz.,

His attempt to snatch away Karna from his car, like Garuda snatching away a serpent (from its hole). Then Bhima, with his bow burst open and car useless but still observant of his duties.

Remained on the field, keeping his car behind him and firmly resolved to continue that battle. In that combat, the son of Radha once more rushed.

In rage, against that son of Pandu who stood before him in the attitude of fighting. O mighty monarch, those two highly puissant heroes, looking at their respective feats and encountering each other.

Began to roar at each other like two rain clouds at the end of the summer season. The combat between those two foremost of men who were excited to the highest pitch of fury.

And who would not brook each other's feat, looked like that between the gods and the Danavas. His stock of weapons exhausted, Kunti's son (Bhima) was assailed by Karna.

Then deprived as he was of his weapons, beholding the huge mountain-like elephant slain by Arjuna lying on the field, he entered into their midst for impeding the progress of the car of Karna.

Entering into that host of elephants, that was inaccessible to a chariot, the son of Pandu desirous of saving his life, did no longer strike the son of Radha.

Then searching eagerly for protection, that subjugator of hostile cities, that son of Pritha, uplifting an elephant slain by the arrows of Arjuna, stayed on the field of battle.

Looking like Hanumat holding the (Gandhamadana) mountain over-grown with Oshadhis. But Karna, then cut that elephant, to pieces with his sharp arrows.

Then the son of Pandu began to throw at Barna, limbs of slain elephants and horses and car-wheels and everything he saw lying on the field.

The son of Pandu then inflamed with rage, threw at Karna, everything that then came within his reach. But all those things hurled at him, Karna cut-off with sharp arrows.

Bhima also raising his clenched fists endued with the force of thunder and terrible desired to kill Suta's son. But he then came to recollect the vow of Arjuna (for slaying Karna).

Thus the son of Pandu, though competent, did not slay Karna, desirous of keeping inviolate the vow that Arjuna had made.

But the son of Suta then repeatedly caused the already afflicted Bhima, to lose his senses by striking him with his sharp arrows.

Recollecting the words of Kunti, Karna then did not slay Bhima who was then weaponless but with the handle of his bow he poked and pierced him.

Soon as he was struck with the end of Karna's bow, Bhima was inflamed with rage and breathing like a snake and snatching away Karna's bow, he began to strike him on the head.

Stuck by Bhimasena, the son of Radha with his eyes red in rage smilingly spoke these words to the former.

Over and over again, Beardless eunuch, ignorant fool, glutton, without any skill in the use of weapons, do you never again venture to fight (with any one)? You are but a boy, a laggard in battle!

O son of Pandu where there are various kinds of food and drink and edibles, that is really the place fit for you and not the field of battle, O wicked-souled one!

Devouring esculent roots, fruits fruits and flowers, it is proper that you should engage yourself in the observance of vows and rites, in the woods. O Bhima, you know not how to fight!

Vast is the difference, O Vrikodara, between fighting and the occupation of a hermit. So, do you repair to the forest O master; you are not capable of fighting and have an inclination for dwelling in the wood.

Urging cooks and servants and orderlies to make haste in making your dinner ready, O Vrikodara, you are capable of striking and reproving them.

Becoming a hermit, O Bhima, do you began eating fruits, O wicked-minded wretch. O son of Kunti, betake to the forest, for you are incapable of fighting.

You are fit, O Vrikodara, for eating large quantities of esculent roots and for receiving and welcoming guests, O Vrikodara, I do not consider you fit for wielding weapons.”

O monarch, he was also reminded by Karna in harsh language, of all the wrongs done to him in his days of childhood.

And once more as Bhima greatly weakened stood there, Vrishasena poked him with horn of his bow and smilingly addressed these words to him.

O child, you should fight with others and not with men like myself. Those who fight with men like myself, have to undergo this and many things else.

Hie yourself to the spot where the Krishnas are and they will then protect you in battle. Or, O son of Kunti, return to your home, O child what is the good of fighting?"

Then hearing those very harsh words of Karna, Bhima smilingly spoke these words to him at the presence of every body.

"O wicked fool! Your have been repeatedly defeated by me, how then can you indulge in this vain brag? The ancients have seen the victory and defeat of the mighty Indra himself!

O scion of a mean family, come and wrestle with me. Then even as I have slain the mighty and luxurious Kichaka.

I will slay you before the very eyes of all the kings. “But knowing Bhima's intention, that foremost of intelligent beings Karna.

Refrained from that fight before they very eyes of the bowmen present. Thus o king, making Bhima carless, Karna reproved him in such harsh language.

In the presence of that best of the Vrishnis and the son of Pritha. Then O king, the apebannered Arjuna, being urged on by Keshava, sped a the son of Suta numerous arrows whetted on stone. Then those gold-decked arrows hurled by the force Partha's arm.

And issuing out of the Gandiva, penetrated into Karna's body like so many cranes entering into the Krouncha mountains. Wounding Karna with those arrows shot from the Gandiva, that entered his body like so many snakes.

Dhananjaya, drove away the son of Suta from the vicinity of Bhimasena. Then with his bow burst open by Bhima and pierced sore with the arrows of Dhananjaya.

Karna fled away from Bhima being borne hastily on his swift-coursing car. Bhima also, O foremost of men, ascending Satyaki's Vehicle.

Followed his brother Savyasachin the son of Pandu in battle. Then Dhananjaya with his eyes red in rage and with great celerity sped at Karna a Naracha like the Destroyer urging death forward. Then like. Garuda ranging through the welkin in quest of a mighty snake.

That Naracha shot form the Gandiva, flew through the sky towards Karna in all quickness. Then the son of Drona cut-off that Naracha as it coursed through the sky, with a singed arrows.

Desirous as he was of freeing Karna from his fear of Dhananjaya. Thereupon Arjuna inflamed with rage, pierced Drona's son with sixty-four arrows.

Whetted on stone and O monarch addressed the latter saying 'Fly not'. But afflicted with the arrows of Dhananjaya, Drona's son quickly entered into the army teeming with infuriated elephants and numerous chariots. Then the puissant son of Kunti drowned the sound of the other twangs of bows decked with gold, with the tremendous twang of his own bow Gandiva. Then the mighty Dhananjaya pursued Drona's son from behind who was thus flying and who had not then proceeded to a long way, frightening him all the way with his shafts. Tearing open the body of men, elephants and steeds with his Narachas.

Furnished with wings made of the feathers of the peacock and the Kanka, Arjuna began to agitate that army of yours. O foremost of the Bharatas, Partha, the son of Pakasasani (Indra) then began to carnage that host of yours, consisting of horses elephants and men.