Mahābhārata

M. N. Dutt: Sanjaya said O great king, Arjuna, riding upon a white horse, slaughtered the force of your side, even as the wind, coming before a heap of cotton, disperses it away.

M. N. Dutt: The Trigartas, the Shibis along with the Kaurava force, the Shalyas, the army of the Samsaptakas and the force called the Narayana, all proceeded against him (Arjuna).

M. N. Dutt: Then Satyasena, Chandradeva, Mitradeva, Shrutanjaya, Sausruti, Chitrasena and Mitravarman, descendant of the Bharata race.

M. N. Dutt: And the prince of the Trigatas, who was attended on all sides in the battle by his brothers and sons, that were all very powerful bowmen and that were acquainted with the management of various kinds of weapons.

M. N. Dutt: All these scattered and shot innumerable arrows at Arjuna in the battle, even as the masses of clouds suddenly pour forth showers of rain, that approach towards the vast ocean.

M. N. Dutt: Those hundreds of thousands of warriors all met with destruction at their approaching towards Arjuna, even as the snakes are all destroyed by Garuda.

M. N. Dutt: Then, O mighty monarch, those warriors, who were being thus slaughtered in the battle, did not abandon the son of Pandu, even as the insects, being burnt by the blazing fire, do not leave it.

M. N. Dutt: In the battle, Satyasena penetrated the son of Pandu with three arrows; and Mitradeva pierced him with sixty-three; while indeed, Chandradeva pierced him with seven arrows.

M. N. Dutt: Again, Mitravarman (pierced) him (Arjuna) with seventy-three shafts; Sausruti with seven; and Satrunjaya, with twenty; and Shusharma, with nine arrows.

M. N. Dutt: He (Arjuna) been thus penetrated, in the battle by numerous heroes, pierced in return those kings-piercing Susruti with seven arrows and Satyasena, with three.

M. N. Dutt: And Satrunjaya, with twenty arrows and also Chandradeva, with eight and Mitradeva, with one hundred and Srutasena, with three. And again, pierced Mitravarman with nine and also Susharman with eight.

M. N. Dutt: Then having slaughtered king Satrunjaya there (in the battle) with arrows, that were sharpened on stone, he (Arjuna) severed the head of Sushruti, that was ornamented with head-gear, from his body. He then with great activity sent Chandradeva to the abode of Death by shooting innumerable arrows at him.

M. N. Dutt: So also, O mighty monarch, he restrained cvery one of the other car-warriors, who were engaged in the contest, by means of five arrows shot at each.

M. N. Dutt: Then Satyasena, indeed, being greatly enraged, directed his large lance, aiming at Krishna, in the battle; and sent fort a loud roar like that of a lion.

M. N. Dutt: Then that lance, that was made of iron, with a golden rod, after having penetrated through the left arm of that lofty-minded Madhava, went into the earth.

M. N. Dutt: O lord of earth, the whip and reins of Madhava, who was pierced with lance in that dreadful battle, dropped down from his hands.

M. N. Dutt: Seeing Vasudeva thus pierced, Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, collected all his fierce wrath;

M. N. Dutt: “O mighty armed lord, drive the steeds towards Satyasena that I may send this one to the abode of Death by means of sharp arrows.

M. N. Dutt: Then that highly famous one (Krishna) immediately taken up the whip as well as the reins, led those steeds (i.e. the car) towards the car of Satyasena.

M. N. Dutt: Beholding the lord of the universe thus pierced, that powerful car-warrior Dhananjaya, the son of Pritha, restrained the course of Satyasena by means of keen shafts. Thereupon, he (Dhananjaya) severed the huge head, that ornamented with ear-rings, of that monarch, who stood at the head of the army, from his body by means of whetted broadheaded arrows.

M. N. Dutt: O sire, having thus severed his (Satyasena's) head, he then hurled down (slain) Chitravarman with numerous keen arrows, as well as his charioteer with a calf-toothed sharp shafts. was on

M. N. Dutt: Thereupon that powerful one, being filled with wrath, again caused the destruction of hundreds and thousands of the force of the Samsaptakas by means of hundreds of arrows.

Corresponding verse not found in M. N. Dutt's version.

M. N. Dutt: Then, again, O monarch, that powerful carwarrior severed the head of the high-souled Mitrasena with a razor-headed arrow, that was furnished with the wings of silver.

M. N. Dutt: Afterwards he, being greatly enraged, struck Susharman his shoulder-joint. Thereupon the entire army of the Samsaptakas, that became very wrathful, having surrounded Dhananjaya on all sides, crushed him with a shower of weapons and thereby caused the ten points of the horizon echo with their roars.

M. N. Dutt: Having been thus oppressed by those weapons, that mighty car-warrior, Jishnu, who was possessed of prowess equal to that of Sakra (Indra) himself and who also had a soul immeasurable, took up his weapon, called Aindra.

M. N. Dutt: Thereupon, O ruler of earth, thousands of arrows continuously issued forth therefore. O sire, of broken standards and bows, of cars along with their banners, of quivers and yokes. Also of axles and wheels, of traces along with the chords, of bottoms of cars, of wooden fences about the cars and innumerable shafts in the field of battle. And of falling horses and of spears along with the swords, of maces and spiked clubs, of Sakti-arrows, lances and axes. And of Shataghnis furnished with wheels, as well as of the arms along with the thighs, of wreaths and Angadas, of Keyuras and of garlands and cuirasses, of of armours, of umbrellas and fans, of heads adorned with coronets, of these a tremendous roar, O ruler of carth, was heard in all the directions of the field of battle.

M. N. Dutt: Upon the field of battle, the heads (of severed warriors), that were ornamented with ear-rings and furnished with the eyes as resplendent as the full moon, were seen, even as the net-work of stars is seen in the firmament.

M. N. Dutt: The bodies of the slaughtered warriors, that were furnished with the most handsome floral wreaths and covered with the excellent garments and also that were pointed with the soft sandal, lay resplendent upon the ground.

M. N. Dutt: Then the dreadful field of battle resembled the clouded firmament filled with various vapoury forins and the earth being scattered over with the slaughtered princes and the Kshatriyas, possessed of great strength, as well as with the fallen elephants and horses, became as impassable in the battle as the ground strewn over with numerous hills.

M. N. Dutt: There was no way in the field of battle, that car-wheels of that high-souled son of Pandu could proceed, whilst he was slaughtering his antagonists and greatly smiting the elephants and horses by means of his broad-headed arrows.

M. N. Dutt: O sire, the car-wheels of that one, who was carcering in the battle, stopped, as if with terror, while they were moving in that bloody mire.

M. N. Dutt: His horses, however, that were possessed of the speed of either the mind of or the wind, had with great labour drawn these wheels, that were lagging behind.

M. N. Dutt: O descendant of the Bharata race, that army, which was thus slain by the son of Pandu, that great bowman, almost wholly ran away (from the field of battle); and in fact, none remained (to fight with the foe).

M. N. Dutt: Then Jishnu, the son of Pritha, having defeated that immense force of Samsaptakas in the field of battle, blazed forth like the burning fire without any smoke. the

M. N. Dutt: Sanjaya said O great monarch, the king Duryodhana himself received, without any fear, was Yudhishthira, who then shooting innumerable shafts (at his antagonists).

M. N. Dutt: Then Yudhishthira, the righteous, after having quickly penetrated your son, that mighty car-warrior, who was all on a sudden proceeding against him, addressed him, saying-wait, wait.

M. N. Dutt: Then he (Duryodhana), indeed, who became highly enraged, penetrated him (Yudhishthira) in return with nine whetted arrows and again, afflicted his charioteer most dreadfully by means of his broad-headed shafts.

M. N. Dutt: Thereupon king Yudhishthira shot at Duryodhana thirteen keen arrows, that were furnished with the wings made of gold, sharpened on a stone.

M. N. Dutt: Then that powerful car-warrior, having slaughtered his (Duryodhana's) four horses with four arrows, with the fifth severed the head of his charioteer from his body.

M. N. Dutt: Thereafter he smote down the king's standard with the sixth arrows, his bow with the seventh and his sword with the eighth, upon the ground.

M. N. Dutt: The most righteous king crushed most severely the Kuru monarch with five other arrows. At this, your son, descending from his car, that had its horses all slain, became subject to the greatest danger and stayed upon the field.

M. N. Dutt: After beholding him thus fallen into imminent danger, Karna, the son of Drona, Kripa and other heroes all on a sudden proceeded towards him with the desire of saving that ruler of men.

M. N. Dutt: Thereupon, O monarch, all other sons of Pandu, collected round Yudhishthira and rushed forth at that battle, whereupon a great encounter took place.

Corresponding verse not found in M. N. Dutt's version.

M. N. Dutt: Thereupon in that dreadful battle thousands of trumpets were beaten; and after this, O mighty lord earth, a mixed noise, consisting of numerous voices, arose there (in the battle).

M. N. Dutt: In that part of the battle, where the Panchalas encountered the Kaurava divisions, the inen came against the foremost of elephants. The car-warriors encountered the car-warriors and horsemen with horsemen.

M. N. Dutt: Thus, O great monarch, several kinds of unthought encounters took place between heroes armed with the best of weapons, which were most beautiful to look at upon the field.

M. N. Dutt: Those heroic warriors, who were possessed of great force and who also were willing to kill one another, continued to battle most excellently and with great lightness of hands and skill.

M. N. Dutt: Indeed, those heroes, strictly observed the vow of warriors and slaughtered each other in the battle; but they not at all fought from each other's back.

M. N. Dutt: But that battle looked only for a while most excellent. Thereupon, monarch, the encounter look a very mad turn, in which all became regardless of one another.

M. N. Dutt: Then the car-warrior, rushing against the elephant, pierced him with sharp arrows and led him towards the abode of Death by means of his straight shafts.

M. N. Dutt: Thereafter the elephants coming before the horses, hurled a large number of them in the battle and deeply pierced them in the different directions of the field.

M. N. Dutt: Then numerous horsemen, after having encompassed the best of horses created a very sweet noise with their palms and then fell down upon them. The horsemen, again, slaughtered those horses, that were running away from the field, as well as the mighty elephants, that also were roving in the battle, both from behind them and from the sides.

M. N. Dutt: O monarch, the most furious elephants, after having crushed large numbers of horses to run away from the field, slaughtered some of them with their tusks and crushed down others most severely.

M. N. Dutt: Thereupon some of the elephants pierced numerous horses along with their riders with great wrath; while others, again, that were possessed of extraordinary strength, seized them and dragged them down upon the ground with great force.

M. N. Dutt: The elephants, struck from all sides in the different vital parts by the foot-soldiers, uttered very dreadful cries of pain and ran away towards the ten points of the compass.

M. N. Dutt: Many of the foot-soldiers, who were all on sudden running away in that dreadful battle, leaving behind their ornaments, immediately hemmed in upon the field. Then, indeed, the most powerful elephant-warriors, having considered the indications of victory, caused their elephants to take up those handsome ornaments and penetrate the fallen warriors with their tusks.

M. N. Dutt: Then also the foot-soldiers, that were possessed of immense force and endued with extraordinary strength, after having encircled those riders of elephants, who wee engaged in the massacre there (in the battle), slaughtered them.

M. N. Dutt: In that dreadful battle, others were hurled up into the atmosphere by the elephants with their trunks; and while falling down they were were deeply pierced by those well-trained beasts with the points of their tusks.

M. N. Dutt: Other foot-soldiers were deprived of their lives with the tusks of the elephants, that had suddenly seized them and some, again, O great monarch, who had been thrown into the midst of other soldiers, were cut-off into pieces by those huge elephants, after they had rolled them over and over again upon the ground. And others also, that were tossed in the air like the fans, were slaughtered in the battle.

M. N. Dutt: O ruler of earth, those (of the foot-soldiers), who stood in front of other elephants, had their bodies deeply penetrated (by the elephants) on all sides of the field of battle.

M. N. Dutt: Many other elephants were very severely struck in their cheeks, the frontal globs and the parts between their tusks with spears, lances and shafts, called Shakti.

M. N. Dutt: Moreover some other elephants, that were fearfully wounded by the most formidable warriors, posted on their sides, as well as by the car-warriors and horse-men, being cut-off by them, fell down upon the ground.

M. N. Dutt: There in that dreadful battle, nur.erous horsemen had all on a sudden struck down with great violence upon the field the foot-soldiers, that had their arrows on, by means of their lances.

M. N. Dutt: So also, O ruler of earth, O sire, the mighty elephants, having advanced before some of the car-warriors, that had their armours on and also having seized them well dragged them down most suddenly on all sides of that dreadful field of battle, that presented a very awful aspect. Many mightiest clephants, that were slaughtered with the shafts, fell down upon the ground even as the summits of a mountain drop down upon the surface of the earth, when broken down by thunder.

M. N. Dutt: In that battle, the warriors, battling with their combatants, struck them with their fists; and having dragged cach other with their hairs, hurled down and cut-off each other.

M. N. Dutt: Some other combatants, having stretched their arms, hurled down their antagonists upon the ground, placed their feet upon their breasts and with great pleasure severed their heads.

Corresponding verse not found in M. N. Dutt's version.

M. N. Dutt: Some one of the combatants, O great king, smote down with his feet the dead antagonist; while some other, O monarch, severed the head of a falling enemy by means of his scimitar; and while some other combatant, again, directed his weapon at the body of another, who was still living.

M. N. Dutt: Thus, O descendant of the Bharata race, the inost dreadful encounters between heroes took place there, some striking one another with their fists, and some also fiercely seizing one another with their hairs; and some, again, wrestling with another with their arms most fearfully.

M. N. Dutt: Under various circumstances, some one of the combatants deprived the lives of many in the battle, who were engaged with others and were quite unconscious of the slaughter by means of several sorts of weapons.

M. N. Dutt: In that general encounter, while the warriors were engaged in the battle and continued to be mangled, hundreds and thousands of headless bodies of the fallen warriors) stood upon the field.

M. N. Dutt: Diverse kinds of weapons and armours, that were drenched in blood, blazed forth like pieces of cloth, that are dyed with deep red.

M. N. Dutt: Thus this most dreadful and extraordinary battle, that was characterised by a confused din of diverse kinds of weapons, filled the entire universe with a noise even as the furious Ganges fills the earth with the roar of her currents.

M. N. Dutt: O monarch, the combatants, being highly oppressed the shafts, could not make out their friends from the antagonists and the assembled princes, who were all very desirous of victory, continued to battle, considering (the fact), that they should fight.

M. N. Dutt: O great monarch, the warriors began to slaughter both the friends and foes, who had assembled in that dreadful battle; and the warriors, belonging to both the forces, were rendered restless by the heroes, who engaged them.

M. N. Dutt: Within a very short time, the earth, that was covered with a mire consisting of flesh and blood and also by which the currents of blood flowed continuously, became, O lord of earth, impassable with the shattered cars and with the fallen elephants and the horses lying there about and also with men slaughtered (in the battle), O great monarch.

Corresponding verse not found in M. N. Dutt's version.

M. N. Dutt: So Karna slaughtered the Panchala warriors and Dhananjaya slew the Kuru troops along with all their elephant forces.

M. N. Dutt: So Karna slaughtered the Panchala warriors and Dhananjaya slew the Kuru troops along with all their elephant forces. Thus the great destruction had taken place of all the forces of both the Kuru and Pandavas. Both the parties were most desirous of gaining fame, when the sun had passed the other side of meridian.