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, "Thus summoned to battle by the illustrious hero,
Dhritarashtra's son turned back stung by those censures, like an
infuriate and mighty elephant pricked by a hook. And stung by those
reproaches and unable to bear them, that mighty and brave car-warrior
endued with great swiftness, turned back on his car, like a snake that
is trampled under foot. And beholding Duryodhana turn back with his
wounds, Karna, that hero among men, decked with a golden necklace,
stopped the king on the way and soothing him, himself proceeded along
the north of Duryodhana's car to meet Partha in battle. And the
mighty-armed Bhishma also, the son of Santanu, turning back his steeds
decked with gold, enormous in size, and of tawny hue, rushed bow in
hand, for protecting Duryodhana from Partha's hand. And Drona and Kripa
and Vivingsati and Duhsasana and others also, quickly turning back,
rushed forward with speed with drawn bows and arrows fixed on the
bow-strings, for protecting Duryodhana. And beholding those divisions
advance towards him like the swelling surges of the ocean, Dhananjaya,
the son of Pritha, quickly rushed at them like a crane rushing at a
descending cloud. And with celestial weapons in their hands, they
completely surrounded the son of Pritha and rained on him from all sides
a perfect shower of shafts, like clouds showering on the mountain breast
a heavy downpour of rain. And warding off with weapons, all the weapons
of those bulls among the Kurus, the wielder of the _Gandiva_ who was
capable of enduring all foes, evolved another irresistible weapon
obtained from Indra, called _Sanmohana_. And entirely covering the
cardinal and other directions with sharp and keen-edged arrows furnished
with beautiful feathers, that mighty hero stupefied their senses with
the twang of the _Gandiva_. And once more, taking up with both his hands
that large conch of loud blare, Partha, that slayer of foes, blew it
with force and filled the cardinal and other points, the whole earth,
and sky, with that noise. And those foremost of the Kuru heroes were all
deprived of their senses by the sound of that conch blown by Partha. And
all of them stood still, their bows, from which they were never
separated, dropping down from their hands. And when the Kuru army became
insensible, Partha calling to mind the words of Uttara, addressed the
son of the Matsya king, saying, 'O best of men, go thou among the Kurus,
so long as they remain insensible, and bring away the white garments of
Drona and Kripa, and the yellow and handsome ones of Karna, as also the
blue ones of the king and Drona's son. Methinks, Bhishma is not
stupefied, for he knoweth how to counteract this weapon of mine. So,
pass thou on, keeping his steeds to thy left; for those that are
sensible should thus be avoided.' Hearing these words, the illustrious
son of Matsya, giving up the reins of the steeds, jumped down from the
car and taking off the garments of the warriors, came back to his place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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