Mahabharata Vol. 6 (Penguin Translated Texts) (19 page)

‘“Those supreme horses arrived in the midst of that mass of chariots. They were overcome with hunger, thirst and exhaustion and bore the chariot with great difficulty. The horses were wounded with many weapons released by many violent warriors. However, they
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executed diverse circular motions, as they crossed over destroyed horses, elephants, chariots and men, lying down in thousands, like mountains. O king! Meanwhile, the two brave brothers from Avanti saw that Pandava’s horses were tired and suddenly attacked him. They pierced Arjuna with sixty-four arrows, Janardana with seventy and the horses with one hundred and were delighted. O great king! In that battle, Arjuna became angry. He knew about the inner organs and used nine arrows with drooping tufts to strike them in the inner organs. At this, the two of them
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became wrathful. They enveloped Bibhatsu and Keshava with a torrent of arrows and roared like lions. In the battle, the one with the white horses then used two broad-headed arrows to sever their colourful bows and swiftly sliced down their standards, which were bright as gold. O king! In that encounter, they then grasped other bows and, extremely angry, began
to oppress Pandava with their arrows. At this, Dhananjaya, Pandu’s son, became wrathful. He used a couple of arrows to quickly sever their bows again. He then swiftly used other arrows that were gold-tufted and had been sharpened on stone. With these, he killed their horses, the two foot soldiers who guarded them and their parshni charioteers. With a kshurapra arrow, he severed the eldest one’s
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head from his body. Slain, he fell down on the ground, like a tree that has been destroyed by a storm. On seeing that Vinda had been killed, the powerful Anuvinda abandoned his chariot, with the horses having also been slain. The immensely strong one grasped a club. In the battle, remembering that his brother had been killed, he attacked. The maharatha was foremost among those who fought with the club and seemed to be dancing around with his club. The angry Anuvinda struck Madhusudana on the forehead with the club. But though he was thus struck, he did not tremble and was like Mount Mainaka. At this, Arjuna used six arrows to slice off his neck, his two legs, his two arms and his head. Thus severed, they fell down, like hills. O king! On seeing that those two had been killed, their followers were filled with rage and angrily attacked, releasing hundreds of arrows. O bull among the Bharata lineage! But Arjuna quickly killed them with his arrows. He roamed around, like a consuming forest fire at the end of winter.

‘“Dhananjaya passed over those soldiers with some difficulty. He was like a sun that has arisen, blazing through the clouds. On seeing him, the Kurus were frightened. O bull among the Bharata lineage! But they recovered and cheerfully attacked Partha from all directions. They knew that he was tired and they also knew that Saindhava was far away. They roared loudly like lions and surrounded him from all directions. On seeing that they were so enraged, Arjuna, bull among men, smiled. He softly spoke these words to Dasharha. ‘Our horses are oppressed by arrows and are exhausted. Saindhava is at a distance. What do you think is the best course of action now? What is your wish? O Krishna! Tell me exactly. You have always been the
wisest. In this battle, with you as their eyes, the Pandavas will be victorious over the enemy. Let me tell you what I think we should do next. Listen to me. O Madhava! I think it is best to unyoke the horses. Remove their stakes.’ Having been thus addressed by Partha, Keshava replied, ‘O Partha! My view is identical to what you have expressed.’ Arjuna said, ‘O Keshava! I will repulse all the soldiers. You can properly perform the task that must be undertaken next.’ Dhananjaya got down from his chariot and stood there fearlessly. He held Gandiva bow and was stationed, as immobile as a mountain. The kshatriyas desired victory. On knowing that Dhananjaya was now stationed on the ground, they thought that this was a weakness. Roaring loudly, they attacked. They surrounded the solitary one with a large number of chariots. They stretched their bows and released arrows. They angrily displayed many different kinds of weapons. They covered Partha with arrows, like clouds enveloping the sun. The kshatriyas forcefully attacked that bull among the kshatriyas. He was a lion among rathas and those warriors attacked him, like crazy elephants attacking a lion. The great strength of Partha’s arms was then seen, since he angrily resisted a large number of soldiers surrounding him from every direction. The lord repulsed all the arms and weapons of the enemy. He quickly covered all of them with many arrows. O lord of the earth! The sky was dense with arrows. As a result of the friction, a giant fire with flames was ignited. The great archers sighed deeply and were covered with blood. Horses and elephants were shattered and roared in distress in all the directions. Desiring victory in the battle, those brave ones were angry and many of them wrathfully attacked the solitary one. The arrows were like waves.
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The standards were the currents. The elephants were the crocodiles and it was impossible to traverse. The foot soldiers were the innumerable fish. There was the roar of conch shells and drums. There were many who crossed over to Yama and the dust was intolerable. The headdresses were strewn around like tortoises. The pennants were like garlands of foam. The chariots were like waves
on the ocean. The limbs of elephants were like mountains. With his arrows, Partha repulsed it, like the shoreline.
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‘“In the battle, the mighty-armed Janardana fearlessly addressed these words to his beloved Arjuna, supreme among men. ‘O Arjuna! In this battle, there is no well for the horses to drink from. They desire water to drink, not to have a bath.’ Having been thus addressed, Arjuna cheerfully replied, ‘Here.’ He struck the earth with a weapon and created a pure lake from which the horses could drink. Arrows were the bamboos there. Arrows were the pillars and it was covered with arrows. It was extraordinary. Partha created an abode made out of arrows and this extraordinary deed was like one of Tvashtra’s.
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At this, Govinda laughed and spoke words of praise. In that great battle, thus did Partha create a pavilion made out of arrows.”’

‘Sanjaya said, “The great-souled Kounteya created the water. Having repulsed the enemy soldiers, he then created a pavilion made out of arrows. The immensely radiant Vasudeva quickly descended from the chariot. He freed the horses and removed the arrows tufted with the feathers of herons. On seeing a sight that had never been seen before, a giant roar, like that of lions, arose from the masses of siddhas and charanas and all the soldiers. Though Kounteya fought on foot, the bulls among men who fought against him could not counter him and it was wonderful. Large numbers of chariots and many elephants and horses descended on him. But Partha did not exhibit the slightest bit of fear towards these men. The kings released large numbers of arrows towards Pandava. But these did not afflict Vasava’s son. He had dharma in his soul and
was the destroyer of enemy heroes. The valiant Partha received those nets of arrows, clubs and lances, like the ocean receiving rivers. With the great force of his weapons and the strength of his arms, Partha countered the supreme arrows shot by all those Indras among kings. O great king! The Kouravas worshipped the supremely wonderful valour of Partha and Vasudeva. ‘Has there ever been anything more wonderful in this world, or will there ever be, than the way in which Partha and Govinda freed their horses in this battle? Those supreme among men displayed great energy and great assurance in the forefront of the battle. They generated great fear in us.’
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O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Hrishikesha began to smile, as if he was amidst women,
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after Arjuna had crated a pavilion made out of arrows in that field of battle. O lord of the earth! While all the soldiers on your side looked on, the lotus-eyed one led the horses inside. Krishna was skilled in all acts connected with horses. He removed all their exhaustion, pain, trembling, nausea and wounds. He removed the stakes with his hands and rubbed the horses down. Having comforted them in due fashion, he made them drink the water. Having obtained water and having bathed, they were free of pain and exhaustion. He again cheerfully yoked them to that supreme of chariots. Shouri, supreme among those who wield all weapons, then mounted the chariot, together with the immensely energetic Arjuna, and they departed swiftly.

‘“On seeing that the supreme of chariots had been yoked to horses that had obtained water, the best among the Kuru army again became distressed. O king! They sighed, like snakes that had been defanged. They separately said, ‘Shame! Shame on us! While all the kshatriyas looked on, the armoured Partha and Krishna have passed us, on a single chariot. They have shattered our forces, like children playing with a toy. All the kings displayed their own valour. They shouted and made their best endeavours. But those scorchers of enemies have passed us, while we looked
on.’ On seeing that they had departed, other soldiers again said, ‘O Kouravas! Let all of us make haste, so that we can kill Krishna and Kiriti. Dasharha has yoked his chariot while all the archers have looked on. Repulsing us in the battle, he is proceeding towards Jayadratha.’ O king! There were some other lords of the earth who had seen a sight that had never before been seen in battle. On beholding that extraordinary wonder, they spoke to each other. ‘All these soldiers of King Dhritarashtra, the kshatriyas and the entire earth are in distress because of Duryodhana’s crime. They are confronting destruction. But the king
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does not understand this.’ O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Thus did the kshatriyas speak there. Others said, ‘The king of Sindhu has gone to Yama’s abode. Let Dhritarashtra’s weak-sighted son decide on what should be done now.’ Meanwhile, the one with the sharp rays was on a downward course and Pandava headed towards Saindhava with greater speed. The horses were cheerful, now that they had drunk water. As the mighty-armed one, supreme among the wielders of all weapons, proceeded angrily, like Death, none of the warriors were capable of resisting him. Pandava, the scorcher of enemies, drove away those soldiers, like a lion agitating a mass of deer, for the sake of Saindhava. Dasharha goaded the horses and swiftly penetrated the array. He blew on Panchajanya, which possessed the complexion of cranes. The arrows shot earlier by Kounteya began to fall behind him, so fast did those horses, with the speed of the wind, proceed. The chariot roared like the clouds and the standard fluttered in the wind. On seeing that terrible standard, with the monkey on it, the rathas were distressed. The sun was covered everywhere with dust. The warriors were severely afflicted with arrows in that battle and no one was capable of glancing at the two Krishnas.
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Dhananjaya wished to kill Jayadratha. Many enraged kings and many other kshatriyas surrounded him. In that great battle, when Partha, bull among men, stopped to remove the arrows, Duryodhana swiftly followed him.”’

‘Sanjaya said, “O king! On seeing that Vasudeva and Dhananjaya had penetrated, the kings on your side were immersed in fear. All of those great-souled ones were both angry and ashamed and were immobile. But having been urged by their spirits, they proceeded towards Dhananjaya. However, those who were driven by anger and intolerance and went to fight with Pandava did not return, like rivers heading towards the ocean. Those who were not virtuous fled, like atheists turning away from the Vedas. They committed sins and served the cause of hell. Those two bulls among men crossed over and freed themselves from that array of chariots and could be seen, like the sun and the moon freed from Rahu’s mouth.
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They were like fish that had broken through a large net and were now devoid of fever. Thus did the two Krishnas look, after having broken through that net of soldiers. They freed themselves from Drona’s extremely impenetrable array, obstructed by weapons. Those great-souled ones were seen, like suns that had arisen at the end of a yuga. They were liberated from that obstruction of weapons and freed from that danger of weapons. Those great-souled ones could now be seen, creating obstructions for the enemy. It was as if they had been freed from the touch of a fire, or like fish freed from the mouth of a makara. Instead, those two agitated the soldiers, like a couple of makaras in the ocean. When they were stationed inside Drona’s array, those on your side and your sons had held the view that they would not be able to cross beyond Drona. O great king! On seeing that those two immensely radiant ones had passed beyond Drona’s array, they were no longer assured about the king of Sindhu remaining alive. O king! O lord! Earlier, your sons had possessed the strong hope that the two Krishnas would not be able to free themselves from Drona and Hardikya. O great king! But negating those hopes, those two scorchers of enemies passed beyond Drona’s array and Bhoja’s
impenetrable array. Having crossed, they were seen to be like blazing fires. Everyone was driven to despair and was certain that the king of Sindhu would no longer remain alive.

‘“Krishna and Dhananjaya began to fearlessly converse among themselves about Jayadratha’s slaying, thus increasing the terror of the enemy. ‘He has been placed in the midst of six maharathas from the side of Dhritarashtra. But once he is seen, Saindhava will not escape us. Even if he is protected in the battle by Shakra and the masses of gods, I will still kill him.’ This is what he
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told Krishna. Thus did the two mighty-armed Krishnas converse with each other, while looking for the king of Sindhu. Your sons heard this. They were like two thirsty elephants that had passed through a desert and were now assured after having drunk water. Those two scorchers of enemies seemed to have crossed over mountains infested by tigers, lions and elephants. Those mighty-armed ones seemed to have overcome death and disease. On seeing that those two had been freed, all those on your side shrieked and thought that the complexion on their faces
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was terrible. They had been freed from Drona, who was like a virulent serpent, or as if from a blazing fire, and also from the other kings. They were as radiant as two suns. Those two scorchers of enemies had been freed from Drona’s array, which was like an ocean. They were seen to be extremely delighted, like those who had crossed a sea. They had been freed from a great shower of weapons, protected by Drona and Hardikya. They were seen to be blazing in that battle, like Indra or Agni. Because of the sharp arrows of Bharadvaja’s son, there was blood on the two Krishnas and they were as beautiful as mountains with karnikara trees. They had crossed over a lake in which Drona was the crocodile, lances were virulent serpents, iron arrows were makaras and kshatriyas were the deep water. They had been freed from the cloud that was Drona’s weapons, where thunder was the twang of bowstrings and the slapping of palms and clubs and swords were the lightning. They were
like the sun and the moon, freed of darkness. With their arms, they had swum across the six rivers that head to the ocean,
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at the end of the summer, when the waters are overflowing and are also infested with giant crocodiles. The two Krishnas were great archers and their renown was famous in the world. But all the beings were astounded at their having withstood the strength of Drona’s weapons.