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
The commander then, O king, of the Pandava
army, viz., the mighty car-warrior Parshata (Son of Prishata) proceeded
to that spot where Duryodhana was. Transgressing those two great
car-warriors, viz., the two brave sons of Madri, Dhrishtadyumna began to
resist thy son with his shafts. Of immeasurable soul, that bull among
men, viz., thy son, filled with the desire to retaliate, and smiling the
while, pierced the prince of Pancala with five and twenty arrows. Of
immeasurable soul and filled with the desire to retaliate, thy son once
more pierced the prince of Pancala with sixty shafts and once again with
five, and uttered a loud roar. Then the king, with a sharp razor-faced
arrow, cut off, in that battle, O sire, the bow with arrow fixed thereon
and the leathern fence of his antagonist. Casting aside that broken bow,
the prince of Pancala, that crusher of foes, quickly took up another bow
that was new and capable of bearing a great strain. Blazing with
impetuosity, and with eyes red as blood from rage, the great bowman
Dhrishtadyumna, with many wounds on his person looked resplendent on his
car. Desirous of slaying Duryodhana, O chief of the Bharatas, the Pancala
hero sped five and ten cloth-yard shafts that resembled hissing snakes.
Those shafts, whetted on stone and equipped with the feathers of Kankas
and peacocks, cutting through the armour decked with gold of the king
passed through his body and entered the Earth in consequence of the force
with which they had been shot. Deeply pierced, O monarch, thy son looked
exceedingly beautiful like a gigantic Kinsuka in the season of spring
with its flowery weight. His armour pierced with those shafts, and all
his limbs rendered exceedingly infirm with wounds, he became filled with
rage and cut off Dhrishtadyumna's bow, with a broad-headed arrow. Having
cut off his assailant's bow the king then, O monarch, with great speed,
struck him with ten shafts on the forehead between the two eyebrows.
Those shafts, polished by the hands of the smith, adorned
Dhrishtadyumna's face like a number of bees, desirous of honey, adorning
a full-blown lotus. Throwing aside that broken bow, the high-souled
Dhrishtadyumna quickly took up another, and with it, sixteen broad-headed
arrows. With five he slew the four steeds and the driver of Duryodhana,
and he cut off with another his bow decked with gold. With the remaining
ten shafts, the son of Prishata cut off the car with the upashkara, the
umbrella, the dart, the sword, the mace, and the standard of thy son.
Indeed, all the kings beheld the beautiful standard of the Kuru king,
decked with golden Angadas and bearing the device of an elephant worked
in jewels, cut off by the prince of the Pancalas. Then the uterine
brothers of Duryodhana, O bull of Bharata's race, rescued the carless
Duryodhana who had all his weapons, besides, cut off in that battle. In
the very sight of Dhrishtadyumna, Durdhara, O monarch, causing that ruler
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