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
joyous heart rushing against (the Asura) Jambha. Then the brave Nakula,
with a razor-headed shaft, cut off his enemy's standard decked with gems.
With a broad-headed arrow, he next cut off the bow also of Karna's son,
with a golden belt attached to it. Possessed of mighty weapons, Karna's
son then, desirous of showing his regard for Duhshasana, quickly took up
another bow, and pierced Nakula, the son of Pandu with many mighty
celestial weapons. The high-souled Nakula, then, filled with rage,
pierced his antagonist with shafts that resembled large blazing brands.
At this Karna's son also, accomplished in weapons, showered celestial
weapon upon Nakula. From rage engendered by the strokes of his enemy's
weapon, as also from his own resplendence and the energy of his weapons,
the son of Karna blazed up like a fire with libations of clarified
butter. Indeed, O king, Karna's son then slew with his excellent weapons
the beautiful steeds of the delicate Nakula, that were of the Vanayu
breed, white in hue, and decked with trappings of gold. Alighting then
from his steedless vehicle, and taking up a bright shield decked with
golden moons, and armed also with a sword that was blue as the sky,
Nakula, frequently jumping up, careered there like a bird. Performing
diverse beautiful evolutions in the air, the son of Pandu cut off many
foremost of men and steeds and elephants. Cut off with that sword, they
fell down on the earth like animals cut off in a horse-sacrifice by the
person appointed to that duty. 2,000 well-trained heroes, delighting in
battle, hailing from diverse realms, well-paid, of sure aim, and their
limbs smeared with excellent sandal-paste, were quickly cut off by the
single-handed Nakula inspired with desire of victory. Then Karna's son,
suddenly advancing with great speed against the rushing Nakula in that
battle pierced him from every side with many keen arrows from desire of
slaying him. Thus struck with shafts (by Vrishasena), Nakula struck his
brave antagonist in return. Pierced by the son of Pandu, Vrishasena
became filled with wrath. Protected, however, in that dreadful battle, by
his brother Bhima, the high-souled Nakula achieved such terrible feats on
that occasion. Filled with rage, the son of Karna then pierced with
eighteen shafts the heroic Nakula who seemed to sport in that battle,
while employed, unaided, in destroying the foremost of men and steeds and
elephants. Deeply pierced by Vrishasena in that battle, O king, Pandu's
son Nakula, that foremost of men, endued with great activity, became
filled with rage and rushed in that encounter against the son of Karna
from desire of slaying him. Then Vrishasena poured showers of keen shafts
upon Nakula of great energy as the latter precipitately advanced against
him in that battle like a hawk with outstretched wings from desire of
meat. Baffling, however, his antagonist's showers of shafts, Nakula
careered in diverse beautiful motions. Then Karna's son, O king, in that
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