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
Each slain with a single arrow, and combatants of the
Kamboja, the Yavana, and the Saka races, fell down bathed in blood, upon
which the whole field of battle became one expanse of red, O monarch. In
consequence of car-warriors deprived of steeds and drivers, and steeds
deprived of riders, and elephants deprived of riders, and riders deprived
of elephants, battling with one another, O king, a great carnage took
place. When the wing and the further wing of the samsaptakas had thus
been exterminated by Savyasaci, the son of Drona quickly proceeded
against Arjuna, that foremost of victorious warriors. Indeed, Drona's son
rushed, shaking his formidable bow, and taking with him many terrible
arrows like the Sun himself appearing with his own rays. With mouth wide
open from rage and with the desire to retaliate, and with red eyes, the
mighty Ashvatthama looked formidable like death himself, armed with his
mace and filled with wrath as at the end of the Yuga. He then shot
showers of fierce shafts. With those shafts sped by him, he began to rout
the Pandava army. As soon as he beheld him of Dasharha's race (Keshava)
on the car, O king, he once more sped at him, and repeated showers of
fierce shafts. With those falling shafts, O monarch, sped by Drona's son,
both Krishna and Dhananjaya were completely shrouded on the car. Then the
valiant Ashvatthama, with hundreds of keen arrows, stupefied both Madhava
and the son of Pandu in that battle. Beholding those two protectors of
all mobile and immobile creatures thus covered with arrows, the universe
of mobile and immobile beings uttered cries of "Oh!" and "Alas!" Crowds
of Siddhas and Charanas began to repair to that spot from every side,
mentally uttering this prayer, viz., "Let good be to all the worlds."
Never before, O king, did I see prowess like that of Drona's son in that
battle while he was engaged in shrouding the two Krishnas with shafts.
The sound of Ashvatthama's bow, inspiring foes with terror, was
repeatedly heard by us in that battle, O king, to resemble that of a
roaring lion. While careering in that battle and striking right and left
the string of his bow looked beautiful like flashes of lightning in the
midst of a mass of clouds. Though endued with great firmness and
lightness of hand the son of Pandu, for all that, beholding the son of
Drona then, became greatly stupefied. Indeed, Arjuna then regarded his
own prowess to be destroyed by his high-souled assailant. The form of
Ashvatthama became such in that battle that men could with difficulty
gaze at it. During the progress of that dreadful battle between Drona's
son and the Pandava, during that time when the mighty son of Drona, O
monarch, thus prevailed over his antagonist and the son of Kunti lost his
energy, Krishna became filled with rage. Inspired with wrath he drew deep
breaths, O king, and seemed to burn with his eyes both Ashvatthama and
Phalguna as he looked at them repeatedly. Filled with rage, Krishna
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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