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 said, 'Meanwhile ninety Kaurava car-warriors rushed for battle
against the ape-bannered Arjuna who was advancing, borne by his steeds of
exceeding fleetness. Those tigers among men, having sworn a terrible oath
about the other world, encompassed that tiger among men, Arjuna. Krishna,
however, (without minding those warriors), urged the white steeds of
Arjuna, endued with great speed and adorned with ornaments of gold and
covered with networks of pearls, towards Karna's car. Those ninety
Samsaptaka cars pursued Dhananjaya, that slayer of foes, pouring upon him
showers of shafts, as he proceeded towards Karna's car. Then Arjuna, with
his keen shafts, cut off those ninety assailants endued with great
activity, along with their drivers and bows and standards. Slain by the
diadem-decked Arjuna with diverse kinds of shafts, they fell down like
Siddhas falling down, with their cars, from heaven upon the exhaustion of
their merits. After this, many Kauravas, with cars and elephants and
steeds, fearlessly advanced against that foremost one of Kuru's race,
that chief of the Bharatas, Phalguna. That large force of thy sons,
teeming with struggling men and steeds, and swelling with foremost of
elephants, then encompassed Dhananjaya, checking his further progress.
The mighty Kaurava bowmen shrouded that descendant of Kuru's race with
darts and swords and lances and spears and maces and scimitars and
arrows. Like the Sun destroying the darkness with his rays, the son of
Pandu destroyed with his own shafts that shower of weapons over-spread in
the welkin. Then a force of Mlecchas riding thirteen hundred
ever-infuriated elephants, at the command of thy son, assailed Partha in
the flank. With barbed arrows and Nalikas and cloth-yard shafts and
lances and spears and darts and Kampanas and short arrows, they afflicted
Partha on his car. That matchless shower of weapons, some of which were
hurled by the elephants with their tusks, Phalguna cut off with his
broad-headed shafts and crescent-shaped arrows of great keenness. With
excellent arrows of diverse kinds, he struck all those elephants and
their standards and banners and riders, like Indra striking mountains
with thunderbolts. Afflicted with gold-winged shafts, those huge
elephants decked with necklaces of gold fell down deprived of life, like
mountains ablaze with volcanic fires. Amid that roaring and shouting and
wailing army of men and elephants and steeds, the twang of Gandiva, O
monarch, rose high. Elephants, O king, struck (with shafts), fled away on
all sides. Steeds also, their riders slain, wandered in all directions.
Cars, O monarch, looking like the changeful forms of vapour in the sky,
deprived of riders and steeds, were seen in thousands. Horsemen, O
monarch, wandering hither and thither, were seen to fall down deprived of
life by the shafts of Partha. At that time the might of Arjuna's arms was
seen. (So great was that might) that alone, in that battle, he vanquished
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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