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
And they grinded their teeth in
wrath and bit their lips. And those two great car-warriors covered each
other with showers of arrows, as if they were in that battle two masses
of clouds that poured torrents of arrows for rain and that gleamed with
weapons constituting their lightning. Having pierced each other's
standards and drivers in that great battle, and having also pierced each
other's steeds, they continued to strike each other. Then, O monarch,
filled with rage, they took up in that dreadful encounter, two arrows,
and each desirous of slaying the other shot quickly at his foe. Those two
blazing arrows, resistless and endued with the force of thunder, coming,
O king, to the two warriors as they stood at the head of their respective
divisions, struck them both. Each of the two mighty combatants then
deeply struck with those arrows, sank, on the terrace of their respective
car. Understanding the son of Drona to be insensible, his driver then
bore him away from the battle-field, O king, in the sight of all the
troops. Similarly, O king, Bhima's driver bore away from the battle-field
on his car, the son of Pandu, that scorcher of foes, who was repeatedly
falling into a swoon.'"
16
"Dhritarashtra said, 'Describe to me the battle of Arjuna with the
samsaptakas, and of the other kings with the Pandavas. Narrate to me
also, O Sanjaya, the battle of Arjuna with Ashvatthama, and of the other
lords of the Earth with Partha.'
"Sanjaya said, 'Listen, O king, as I speak to thee as to how occurred the
battle of the heroic warriors (on our side) with the foe--the battle
which was destructive of bodies, sins, and lives. That slayer of foes,
viz, Partha, penetrating into the Samsaptaka force that resembled the
ocean, agitated it exceedingly, like a tempest agitating the vast deep.
Cutting off with broad-headed arrows of keen edges the heads of brave
warriors that were decked with faces possessed of the splendour of the
full moon and with beautiful eyes and eyebrows and teeth, Dhananjaya
speedily caused the Earth to be strewn there as if with lotuses, plucked
of their stalks. And in that battle Arjuna with his razor-headed shafts,
cut off the arms of his foes, that were all well rounded, large and
massive, and smeared with sandal-paste and other perfumes, with weapons
in grasp, with leathern gloves casing their fingers, and looking like
five-headed snakes. And the son of Pandu repeatedly cut off with his
broad-headed shafts, steeds, riders, drivers, and flags, and bows and
arrows, and arms decked with gems. And Arjuna in that battle, O king,
with many thousands of arrows, despatched to Yama's abode, car-warriors
and elephants and horses and horsemen. Many foremost of warriors, filled
with rage and roaring like bulls mad (like them) with excitement for a
cow in season, rushed towards Arjuna, with loud cries. All of them then
began to strike Arjuna with their arrows as the latter was employed in
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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