Then the illustrious Vayu (the presiding deity of that mighty weapon) bore away crowds of Samsaptakas with steeds and elephants and cars and weapons, as if these were dry leaves of trees. Borne away by the wind, O king, they looked highly beautiful, like flights of birds, O monarch, flying away from trees. Then Dhananjaya, having afflicted them thus, with great speed struck hundreds and thousands of them with sharp shafts.
And he cut off their heads and also hands with weapons in their grasp, by means of his broad-headed arrows. And he felled on the ground, with his shafts, their thighs, resembling the trunks of elephants. And some were wounded on their backs, arms and eyes. And thus Dhananjaya deprived his foes of diverse limbs, and cars decked and equipped according to rule, and looking like the vapour edifices in the welkin, he cut off into fragments, by means of his arrows, their riders and steeds and elephants.
And in many places crowds of cars, whose standards had been cut off, looked like forests of headless palmyras. And elephants with excellent weapons, banners, hooks, and standards fell down like wooded mountains, split with Sakra’s thunder. Graced with tails, looking like those of the yak, and covered with coats of mail, and with their entrails and eyes dragged out, steeds along with their riders, rolled on the ground, slain by means of Partha’s shafts.
No longer holding in their grasp the swords that had served for their nails, with their coats of mail tom, and the joints of their bones broken, foot-soldiers with their vital limbs cut open, helplessly laid themselves down on the field, slain by means of Arjuna’s arrows. And the field of battle assumed an awful aspect in consequence of those warriors slain, or in the course of being slaughtered, falling and fallen, standing or in course of being whirled along. And the air was purified of the dust that had arisen, by means of the showers of blood (caused by Arjuna’s arrows).
And the earth, strewn with hundreds of headless trunks, became impassable. And the car of Vibhatsu in that battle shone fiercely like the car of Rudra himself, while engaged at the end of the Yuga in destroying all creatures. While slaughtered by Partha thus, those warriors, with their steeds and cars and elephants in great distress, ceased not to rush against him; though, deprived of life one after another, they had to become the guests of Sakra.
Then the field of battle, O chief of the Bharatas, strewn with mighty car-warriors deprived of life, looked dreadful like Yama’s domains, abounding with the spirits of the departed creatures. Meanwhile, when Arjuna was furiously engaged (with the Samsaptakas), Drona, at the head of his forces arrayed for battle, rushed against Yudhishthira, and many warriors, accomplished in smiting and properly arrayed, followed him, actuated by the desire of seizing Yudhishthira. The battle then that ensued became exceedingly fierce.'”
SECTION XX
“Sanjaya said, ‘Having passed the night, that mighty car-warrior viz., Bharadwaja’s son, addressed Suyodhana, O monarch, saying, ‘I am thine![33] I have made arrangements for Partha’s encounter with the Samsaptaka.'[34] After Partha went out for slaying the Samsaptakas, Drona then, at the head of his troops arrayed for battle, proceeded, O chief of the Bharatas, for seizing king Yudhishthira the just. Seeing that Drona had arrayed his forces in the form of a Garuda, Yudhishthira disposed his troops in counter array in the form of a semi-circle. In the mouth of that Garuda was the mighty car-warrior Drona himself. And its head was formed by king Duryodhana, surrounded by his uterine brothers.
And Kritavarman and the illustrious Kripa formed the two eyes of that Garuda. And Bhutasarman, and Kshemasarman, and the valiant Karakaksha, and the Kalingas, the Singhalas, the Easterners, the Sudras, the Abhiras, the Daserakas, the Sakas, the Yavanas, the Kamvojas, the Hangsapadas, the Surasenas, the Daradas, the Madras, and the Kalikeyas, with hundreds and thousands of elephants, steeds, cars, and foot-soldiers were stationed at its neck. And Bhurisravah. and Salya, and Somadatta, and Valhika, these heroes, surrounded by a full Akshauhini, took up their position in the right wing.
And Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Sudakshina, the ruler of the Kamvojas, stationed themselves in the left wing at the head, however, of Drona’s son Aswatthaman. In the back (of that Garuda) were the Kalingas, the Amvashthas, the Magadhas, the Paundras, the Madrakas, the Gandharas, the Sakunas, the Easterners, the Mountaineers, and the Vasatis.
In the tail stood Vikartana’s son Karna, with his sons, kinsmen and friends, and surrounded by a large force raised from diverse realms, Jayadratha, and Bhimaratha, and Sampati, and the Jays, and the Bhojas, and Bhuminjaya, and Vrisha, and Kratha, and the mighty ruler of the Nishadhas, all accomplished in battle, surrounded by a large host and keeping the region of Brahma before their eyes, stood, O king, in the heart of that array. That array, formed by Drona, in consequence of its foot-soldiers, steeds, cars and elephants, seemed to surge like the tempest-tossed ocean (as it advanced to battle). Warriors, desirous of battle, began to start out from the wings and sides of that array, like roaring clouds charged with lightning rushing from all sides (in the welkin) at summer.
And in the midst of that army, the ruler of the Pragjyotishas, mounted on his duly equipped elephant, looked resplendent, O king, like the rising sun. Decked, O monarch, in garlands of flower, and with a white umbrella held over his head, he looked like the full moon when in conjunction with the constellation Krittika. And blind with the wine-like exudation, the elephant, looking like a mass of black antimony, shone like a huge mountain washed by mighty clouds (with their showers).
And the ruler of the Pragjyotishas was surrounded by many heroic kings of the hilly countries, armed with diverse weapons, like Sakra himself surrounded by the celestials. Then Yudhishthira, beholding that superhuman array incapable of being vanquished by foes in battle, addressed Prishata’s son, saying, ‘O lord, O thou that ownest steeds white as pigeons, let such measures be adopted that I may not be taken a prisoner by the Brahmana.’
“Dhrishtadyumna said, ‘O thou of excellent vows, never shalt thou be placed under the power of Drona, however much may he strive. Even I shall check Drona today with all his followers. As long as I am alive, O thou of Kuru’s race, it behoveth thee not to feel any anxiety. Under no circumstances will Drona be able to vanquish me in battle.’
“Sanjaya continued, ‘Having said these words, the mighty son of Drupada owning steeds of the hue of pigeons, scattering his shafts, rushed himself at Drona. Beholding that (to him) evil omen in the form of Dhrishtadyumna stationed before him, Drona soon became exceedingly cheerless. Beholding this, that crusher of foes, viz., thy son Durmukha, desirous of doing what was agreeable to Drona, began to resist Dhrishtadyumna. Then a terrible and a fierce battle took place, O Bharata, between the brave son of Prishata and thy son, Durmukha.
Then Prishata’s son, quickly covering Durmukha, with a shower of arrows, checked Bharadwaja’s son also with a thick arrowy downpour. Beholding Drona checked, thy son Durmukha quickly rushed at Prishata’s son and confounded him with clouds of arrows of diverse kinds. And while the prince of the Panchalas and that foremost one of Kuru’s race were thus engaged in battle, Drona consumed many sections of Yudhishthira’s host.
As a mass of clouds is dispersed in different directions by the wind, even so was Yudhisthira’s host, in many parts of the field, scattered by Drona. For only a short while did that battle look like an ordinary combat. And then, O king, it became an encounter of infuriated persons in which no consideration was shown for anybody.
And the combatants could no longer distinguish their own men from the foe. And the battle raged on, the warriors being guided by inferences and watch-words. Upon the gems on their headgears, upon their necklaces and other ornaments, and upon their coats of mail, rays of light like those of the Sun seemed to fall and play. And cars and elephants and steeds, decked with streaming banners, seemed in that battle to resemble masses of clouds with flocks of cranes under them.
