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, 'Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Drona's son and Karna and
Arjuna and Janardana, those thorough masters of the science of weapons,
are regarded by thee as the foremost of car-warriors. Know, however, that
Pandya regarded himself superior to all these foremost of car-warriors in
energy. Indeed he never regarded any one amongst the kings as equal to
himself. He never admitted his equality with Karna and Bhishma. Nor did
he admit within his heart that he was inferior in any respect to Vasudeva
or Arjuna. Even such was Pandya, that foremost of kings, that first of
wielder of weapons. Filled with rage like the Destroyer himself, Pandya
at the time was slaughtering the army of Karna. That force, swelling with
cars and steeds and teeming with foremost of foot-soldiers, struck by
Pandya, began to turn round like the potter's wheel. Like the wind
dispersing a mass of congregated clouds, Pandya, with his well shot
arrows, began to disperse that force, destroying its steeds and drivers
and standards and cars and causing its weapons and elephants to fall
down. Like the splitter of mountains striking down mountains with his
thunder, Pandya overthrew elephants with their riders, having previously
cut down the standards and banners and weapons with which they were
armed, as also the foot-soldiers that protected those beasts. And he cut
down horses, and horsemen with their darts and lances and quivers.
Mangling with his shafts the Pulindas, the Khasas, the Bahlikas, the
Nishadas, the Andhakas, the Tanganas, the Southerners, and the Bhojas,
all of whom, endued with great courage, were unyielding and obstinate in
battle, and divesting them of their weapons and coats of mail, Pandya
deprived them of their lives. Beholding Pandya destroying with his shafts
in battle that host consisting of four kinds of forces, the son of Drona
fearlessly proceeded towards that fearless warrior. Fearlessly addressing
in sweet words that warrior who then seemed to dance on his car, Drona's
son, that foremost of smiters, smiling the while, summoned him and said,
"O king, O thou with eyes like the petals of the lotus, thy birth is
noble and learning great. Of celebrated might and prowess, thou
resemblest Indra himself. Stretching with thy two massive arms the bow
held by thee and whose large string is attached to thy grasp, thou
lookest beautiful like a mass of congregated clouds as thou pourest over
thy foes thick showers of impetuous shafts. I do not see anybody save
myself that can be a match for thee in battle. Alone thou crushest
numerous cars and elephants and foot-soldiers and steeds, like the
fearless lion of terrible might crushing herds of deer in the forest.
Making the welkin and the Earth resound with the loud clatter of thy
car-wheels thou lookest resplendent, O king, like a crop-destroying
autumnal cloud of loud roars. Taking out of thy quiver and shooting thy
keen shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison fight with myself only,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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