The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3: Books 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12
General
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 3: Books 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12
Epic literature, Sanskrit
"Sanjaya continued, 'Thus addressed by Yudhishthira the just, Dhananjaya
saying, "So be it," ordered his troops (to do the needful) and himself
proceeded to the head of the army. That car for which the Leader of the
universe, viz., Agni, who derives his effulgence from Brahman, became the
steeds, that car which was known amongst the gods as belonging to Brahman
because it sprang first from Brahman himself, that car which in days of
old had successively borne Brahman and Ishana and Indra and Varuna one
after another, riding on that primeval car, Keshava and Arjuna now
proceeded to battle. Beholding that advancing car of wonderful aspect,
Shalya once more said unto Adhiratha's son, that warrior of great energy
in battle, these words "Yonder comes that car having white steeds yoked
unto it and owning Krishna for its driver, that vehicle incapable of
being resisted by all the troops, like the inevitable fruit of work.
There comes the son of Kunti, slaughtering his foes along the way,--he,
that is, about whom thou hadst been enquiring. Since tremendous is the
uproar that is being heard, deep as the roar of the clouds, it is,
without doubt, those high-souled ones, viz., Vasudeva and Dhananjaya.
Yonder ascends a cloud of dust that overspreads the welkin like a canopy.
The whole Earth, O Karna, seems to tremble, cut deep by the circumference
of Arjuna's wheels. These violent winds are blowing on both sides of thy
army. These carnivorous creatures are yelling aloud and these animals are
uttering fearful cries. Behold, O Karna, the terrible and portentous Ketu
of vapoury form, making the hair to stand on end, hath appeared, covering
the Sun. Behold, diverse kinds of animals, all around in large packs, and
many mighty wolves and tigers are looking at the Sun. Behold those
terrible Kankas and those vultures, assembled together in thousands,
sitting with faces towards one another, in seeming discourse. Those
coloured yak-tails attached to thy great car are waving unquietly. Thy
standard also is trembling. Behold these thy beautiful steeds, of huge
limbs and great speed resembling that of soaring birds, are also
quivering. From these portents, it is certain that kings, in hundreds and
thousands, O Karna, deprived of life, will lie down on the ground for
eternal sleep. The loud uproar of conchs, making the hair to stand on
end, is being heard. The sound also of drums and cymbals, O son of Radha,
is being heard on all sides, as also the whizz of diverse kinds of
arrows, and the din made by cars and steeds and men. Listen also, O
Karna, to the loud twang produced by the bow-strings of high-souled
warriors. Behold, O Karna, those banners of Arjuna, that are equipped
with rows of bells, and decked with golden moons and stars. Made by
skilful artists out of cloths embroidered with gold and of diverse hues,
they are blazing with resplendence on Arjuna's car as they are shaken by
the wind, like flashes of lightning in a mass of clouds. Behold those
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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