The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Virata Parva
Religion
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Virata Parva
Epic literature, Sanskrit
Vaisampayana said, "Having disorganised the hostile host by force and
having recovered the kine, that foremost of bowmen, desirous of fighting
again, proceeded towards Duryodhana. And beholding the kine running wild
towards the city of the Matsyas, the foremost warriors of the Kurus
regarded Kiritin to have already achieved success. And all of a sudden
they fell upon Arjuna who was advancing towards Duryodhana. And
beholding their countless divisions firmly arrayed in order of battle
with countless banners waving over them, that slayer of foes, addressing
the son of the king of the Matsyas, said, 'Urge on, to the best of their
speed by this road, these white steeds decked with golden bridles.
Strive thou well, for I would approach this crowd of Kuru lions. Like an
elephant desiring an encounter with another, the _Suta's_ son of wicked
soul eagerly desireth a battle with me. Take me, O prince, to him who
hath grown so proud under the patronage of Duryodhana.' Thus addressed,
the son of Virata by means of those large steeds endued with the speed
of the wind and furnished with golden armour, broke that array of cars
and took the Pandava into the midst of the battle-field. And seeing this
those mighty car-warriors, Chitrasena and Sangramajit and Satrusaha and
Jaya, desirous of aiding Karna, rushed with arrows and long shafts,
towards the advancing hero of Bharata's race. Then that foremost of men,
inflamed with wrath, began to consume by means of fiery arrows shot from
his bow, that array of cars belonging to those bulls among the Kurus,
like a tremendous conflagration consuming a forest. Then, when the
battle began to rage furiously, the Kuru hero, Vikarna, mounted on his
car, approached that foremost of car-warriors, Partha, the younger
brother of Bhima,--showering upon him terrible shafts thick and long.
Then cutting Vikarna's bow furnished with a tough string and horns
overlaid with gold, Arjuna cut off his flagstaff. And Vikarna, beholding
his flagstaff cut off, speedily took to flight. And after Vikarna's
flight, Satruntapa, unable to repress his ire, began to afflict Partha,
that obstructer of foes and achiever of super-human feats, by means of a
perfect shower of arrows. And drowned, as it were, in the midst of the
Kuru-array, Arjuna, pierced by that mighty car-warrior,--king
Satruntapa--pierced the latter in return with five and then slew his
car-driver with ten shafts, and pierced by that bull of the Bharata race
with an arrow capable of cleaving the thickest coat of mail, Satruntapa
fell dead on the field of battle, like a tree from a mountain-top torn
up by the wind. And those brave bulls among men, mangled in battle by
that braver bull among men, began to waver and tremble like mighty
forests shaken by the violence of the wind that blows at the time of the
universal dissolution. And struck in battle by Partha, the son of
Vasava, those well-dressed heroes among men--those givers of wealth
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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