Mahabharata 8.65: pañcaṣaṣṭitamo'dhyāyaḥ

8.65.1

saṃjaya uvāca |
tau śaṅkhabherīninade samṛddhe samīyatuḥ śvetahayau narāgryau |
vaikartanaḥ sūtaputro'rjunaśca durmantrite tava putrasya rājan || 1 ||

Sanjaya said, "Then when the blare of conchs and the peal of drums became very loud, those two foremost of men, both owning white steeds, the suta's son Vikartana and Arjuna, encountered each other in consequence, O king, of thy son's evil policy. Those two heroes endued with great impetuosity, Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son, closed with each other like two infuriated Himalayan elephants, both of full-grown tusks, fighting with each other for the sake of a she-elephant in her season. Like a mass of clouds encountering another mass, or a mountain encountering a mountain, those two warriors, both pouring showers of arrows, encountered each other, their bows loudly twanging the while, and the wheels of their cars producing a deafening clatter, and their bow-strings and palms emitting loud sounds. Like two mountains, both endued with tall cliffs and abounding in trees and creepers and herbs and both teeming with the diverse other denizens that are natural to them, moving towards each other for an encounter, those two mighty warriors encountered each other, each striking the other with mighty weapons.

8.65.2

yathā gajau haimavatau prabhinnau pragṛhya dantāviva vāśitārthe |
tathā samājagmaturugravegau dhanaṃjayaścādhirathiśca vīrau || 2 ||

8.65.3

balāhakeneva yathā balāhako yadṛcchayā vā giriṇā giriryathā |
tathā dhanurjyātalaneminisvanau samīyatustāviṣuvarṣavarṣiṇau || 3 ||

8.65.4

pravṛddhaśṛṅgadrumavīrudoṣadhī pravṛddhanānāvidhaparvataukasau |
yathācalau vā galitau mahābalau tathā mahāstrairitaretaraṃ ghnataḥ || 4 ||

8.65.5

sa saṃnipātastu tayormahānabhūtsureśavairocanayoryathā purā |
śarairvibhugnāṅganiyantṛvāhanaḥ suduḥsaho'nyaiḥ paṭuśoṇitodakaḥ || 5 ||

The combat between the two heroes became furious like that between the chief of the celestials and Virocana's son in days of yore. Incapable of being endured by others and marked by a river whose distasteful water consisted of blood, the limbs of those two heroes, as also their drivers and animals, became exceedingly mangled. Like two large lakes, both teeming with lotuses of diverse kinds and fish and tortoises, and echoing with the voices of diverse kinds of fowl, and softly stirred by the wind, approaching each other, those two cars graced with standards approached each other. Both endued with prowess equal to that of the great Indra, both resembling the great Indra himself, those two mighty car-warriors struck each other with shafts that resembled the great Indra's thunder, like the great Indra himself and (the asura) Vritra.

8.65.6

prabhūtapadmotpalamatsyakacchapau mahāhradau pakṣigaṇānunāditau |
susaṃnikṛṣṭāvaniloddhatau yathā tathā rathau tau dhvajinau samīyatuḥ || 6 ||

8.65.7

ubhau mahendrasya samānavikramāvubhau mahendrapratimau mahārathau |
mahendravajrapratimaiśca sāyakairmahendravṛtrāviva saṃprajahratuḥ || 7 ||

8.65.8

sanāgapattyaśvarathe ubhe bale vicitravarṇābharaṇāmbarasraje |
cakampatuśconnamataḥ sma vismayādviyadgatāścārjunakarṇasaṃyuge || 8 ||

Both the armies consisting of cars and elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers, all equipped with beautiful armour and ornaments and robes and weapons, and those also that were in the welkin, were inspired with fear upon beholding that encounter of wonderful aspect between Arjuna and Karna. Others among the spectators, filled with joy and uttering leonine shouts, raised their arms, waving their fingers or the pieces of cloth they held, when Arjuna rushed against the son of Adhiratha, from desire of slaughter, like one infuriated elephant rushing against another.

8.65.9

bhujāḥ savajrāṅgulayaḥ samucchritāḥ sasiṃhanādā hṛṣitairdidṛkṣubhiḥ |
yadārjunaṃ mattamiva dvipo dvipaṃ samabhyayādādhirathirjighāṃsayā || 9 ||

8.65.10

abhyakrośansomakāstatra pārthaṃ tvarasva yāhyarjuna vidhya karṇam |
chindhyasya mūrdhānamalaṃ cireṇa śraddhāṃ ca rājyāddhṛtarāṣṭrasūnoḥ || 10 ||

The Somakas then loudly shouted to Partha, saying, "Be quick, O Arjuna, go and pierce Karna. Cut off his head without delay, and (with it) the desire of Dhritarashtra's son for kingdom." Similarly many warriors of ours that were there, said unto Karna, "Proceed, proceed, O Karna, and slay Arjuna with keen shafts. Let the sons of Pritha once more go to the woods forever."

8.65.11

tathāsmākaṃ bahavastatra yodhāḥ karṇaṃ tadā yāhi yāhītyavocan |
jahyarjunaṃ karṇa tataḥ sacīrāḥ punarvanaṃ yāntu cirāya pārthāḥ || 11 ||

8.65.12

tataḥ karṇaḥ prathamaṃ tatra pārthaṃ maheṣubhirdaśabhiḥ paryavidhyat |
tamarjunaḥ pratyavidhyacchitāgraiḥ kakṣāntare daśabhiratīva kruddhaḥ || 12 ||

Then Karna first pierced Partha in that encounter, with ten mighty shafts. Arjuna pierced him in return with ten keen-pointed shafts, shot with great vigour, in the centre of the chest. Indeed, the suta's son and Arjuna then mangled each other with many shafts equipped with goodly wings. Desirous of obtaining advantage of each other's lapses in that dreadful encounter, with cheerful hearts they rushed against each other fiercely.

8.65.13

parasparaṃ tau viśikhaiḥ sutīkṣṇaistatakṣatuḥ sūtaputro'rjunaśca |
parasparasyāntarepsū vimarde subhīmamabhyāyayatuḥ prahṛṣṭau || 13 ||

8.65.14

amṛṣyamāṇaśca mahāvimarde tatrākrudhyadbhīmaseno mahātmā |
athābravītpāṇinā pāṇimāghnansaṃdaṣṭauṣṭho nṛtyati vādayanniva |
kathaṃ nu tvāṃ sūtaputraḥ kirīṭinmaheṣubhirdaśabhiravidhyadagre || 14 ||

Beholding that weapon of Dhananjaya frustrated by Karna in the midst of battle, the angry son of the Wind-god, with eyes blazing with wrath, began to squeeze his hands. Indeed, the wrathful Bhima, his anger being provoked, drew deep breaths and addressing Arjuna of true aim, said, "How, O Jishnu, could this wretch fallen off from virtue, this Suta's son, putting forth his might in battle, slay so many foremost of Pancala warriors, in thy sight? Before now thou couldst not be conquered by the very gods or the Kalakeyas. Thou receivedst the touch of the arms of Sthanu himself. How, then, O diadem-decked Arjuna, could the Suta's son pierce thee first with ten long shafts such as are used by car-warriors? That the Suta's son should today have succeeded in baffling the arrows shot by thee seems to me to be very amazing. Recollect the woes of Krishna, and those disagreeable, keen, and cutting words that this wicked-souled and fearless son of a Suta used towards us, viz., 'Sesame seeds without kernel!' Recollecting all this, O Savyasaci, quickly slay the wretched Karna in battle today. Why, O diadem-decked Arjuna, dost thou show such indifference (towards this act)? This is not the time for showing thy indifference to Karna's slaughter. That patience with which thou didst vanquish all creatures and feed Agni at Khandava, with that patience, slay thou the Suta's son.

8.65.15

yayā dhṛtyā sarvabhūtānyajaiṣīrgrāsaṃ dadadvahnaye khāṇḍave tvam |
tayā dhṛtyā sūtaputraṃ jahi tvamahaṃ vainaṃ gadayā pothayiṣye || 15 ||

8.65.16

athābravīdvāsudevo'pi pārthaṃ dṛṣṭvā ratheṣūnpratihanyamānān |
amīmṛdatsarvathā te'dya karṇo hyastrairastrāṇi kimidaṃ kirīṭin || 16 ||

I also will crush him with my mace." Then Vasudeva, beholding Partha's shafts baffled by Karna, said unto the former, "What is this, O diadem-decked Arjuna, that Karna should succeed in crushing thy weapons today with this? Why dost, thou, O hero, lose thy wits? Markest thou not that the Kauravas, (standing behind Karna), are even now shouting in joy? Indeed, all of them know that thy weapons are being baffled by Karna with his. That patience with which, Yuga after Yuga, thou hadst slain persons having the quality of darkness for their weapons, as also terrible Kshatriyas, and Asuras born of pride, in many a battle--with that patience do thou slay Karna today. Putting forth thy might, strike off the head of that foe of thine with this Sudarsana, of edge keen as a razor, that I give unto thee, like Sakra striking off the head of his foe Namuci, with the thunderbolt. That patience with which thou didst gratified the illustrious deity Mahadeva in the guise of a hunter, summoning that patience once again, O hero, slay the Suta's son with all his followers. After that, bestow upon king Yudhishthira the earth with her belt of seas, her towns and villages, and wealth, and from off whose surface all foes will have been removed. By that act, O Partha, do thou also win unrivalled fame." Thus addressed (by Krishna), the high-souled Partha of exceeding might set his heart upon the slaughter of the Suta's son.

8.65.17

sa vīra kiṃ muhyasi nāvadhīyase nadantyete kuravaḥ saṃprahṛṣṭāḥ |
karṇaṃ puraskṛtya vidurhi sarve tvadastramastrairvinipātyamānam || 17 ||

8.65.18

yayā dhṛtyā nihataṃ tāmasāstraṃ yuge yuge rākṣasāścāpi ghorāḥ |
dambhodbhavāścāsurāścāhaveṣu tayā dhṛtyā tvaṃ jahi sūtaputram || 18 ||

8.65.19

anena vāsya kṣuraneminādya saṃchinddhi mūrdhānamareḥ prasahya |
mayā nisṛṣṭena sudarśanena vajreṇa śakro namucerivāreḥ || 19 ||

8.65.20

kirātarūpī bhagavānyayā ca tvayā mahatyā paritoṣito'bhūt |
tāṃ tvaṃ dhṛtiṃ vīra punargṛhītvā sahānubandhaṃ jahi sūtaputram || 20 ||

8.65.21

tato mahīṃ sāgaramekhalāṃ tvaṃ sapattanāṃ grāmavatīṃ samṛddhām |
prayaccha rājñe nihatārisaṃghāṃ yaśaśca pārthātulamāpnuhi tvam || 21 ||

8.65.22

saṃcodito bhīmajanārdanābhyāṃ smṛtvā tadātmānamavekṣya sattvam |
mahātmanaścāgamane viditvā prayojanaṃ keśavamityuvāca || 22 ||

Indeed, urged by Bhima and Janardana, and recollecting (his woes), and taking an internal survey of himself, and calling to mind the object for which he had come to this world, he addressed Keshava, saying, "I will now invoke into existence a mighty and fierce weapon for the good of the world and the destruction of the Suta's son. Let me have thy permission, as also Brahman's and Bhava's, and of all those that are conversant with Brahma." Having said these words unto the holy Keshava, Savyasaci of immeasurable soul bowed unto Brahman and invoked into existence that excellent irresistible weapon called brahmastra which could be applied by the mind alone. Baffling that weapon, however, Karna looked beautiful as he continued, like a cloud pouring torrents of rain, to shoot his shafts. Beholding that weapon of the diadem-decked Arjuna baffled in the midst of battle by Karna, the wrathful and mighty Bhima, blazing up with rage, addressed Arjuna of sure aim and said, "People say that thou art a master of the high brahmastra, that mighty means (for achieving the destruction of foes). Do thou then, O Savyasaci, use another weapon of the same kind." Thus addressed by his brother, Savyasaci used a second weapon of the kind. With that, Partha of abundant energy shrouded all the points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary, with arrows sped from gandiva that resembled fierce snakes and were like the blazing rays of the sun.

8.65.23

prāduṣkaromyeṣa mahāstramugraṃ śivāya lokasya vadhāya sauteḥ |
tanme'nujānātu bhavānsurāśca brahmā bhavo brahmavidaśca sarve || 23 ||

8.65.24

ityūcivānbrāhmamasahyamastraṃ prāduścakre manasā saṃvidheyam |
tato diśaśca pradiśaśca sarvāḥ samāvṛṇotsāyakairbhūritejāḥ |
sasarja bāṇānbharatarṣabho'pi śataṃśatānekavadāśuvegān || 24 ||

Created by that bull of Bharata's race, those arrows of golden wings, in hundreds upon hundreds, endued with the effulgence of the yuga fire or the sun, in a moment shrouded the car of Karna. Thence also issued long darts and battle-axes and discs and cloth-yard shafts in hundreds, all of awful forms, at which hostile warriors all around began to be deprived of life. The head of some hostile warrior, severed from his trunk, fell down on the field of battle. Another, beholding his fallen comrade, fell down dead on the earth, through fear. The (right) arm of a third, large and massive as the trunk of an elephant, cut off (by Partha), fell down with the sword in grasp. The left arm of a fourth, cut off with a razor-headed arrow, fell down with the shield in it. Even thus, Partha, decked with diadem and garlands, wounded and slew all the foremost warriors of Duryodhana's army with his terrible and death-dealing shafts. Vaikartana also, in the midst of that battle, shot thousands of arrows. These, with a loud whizz, fell upon the son of Pandu like torrents of rain poured from the clouds. Then piercing Bhimasena and Janardana and the diadem-decked Arjuna of superhuman feats, each with three arrows Karna of terrible might uttered a loud awful roar. Struck with Karna's shafts, the diadem-decked Arjuna, beholding Bhima and Janardana, became unable to endure (the feats of his antagonist). Once more, therefore, Partha shot eight and ten arrows.

8.65.25

vaikartanenāpi tathājimadhye sahasraśo bāṇagaṇā visṛṣṭāḥ |
te ghoṣiṇaḥ pāṇḍavamabhyupeyuḥ parjanyamuktā iva vāridhārāḥ || 25 ||

8.65.26

sa bhīmasenaṃ ca janārdanaṃ ca kirīṭinaṃ cāpyamanuṣyakarmā |
tribhistribhirbhīmabalo nihatya nanāda ghoraṃ mahatā svareṇa || 26 ||

8.65.27

sa karṇabāṇābhihataḥ kirīṭī bhīmaṃ tathā prekṣya janārdanaṃ ca |
amṛṣyamāṇaḥ punareva pārthaḥ śarāndaśāṣṭau ca samudbabarha || 27 ||

8.65.28

suṣeṇamekena śareṇa viddhvā śalyaṃ caturbhistribhireva karṇam |
tataḥ sumuktairdaśabhirjaghāna sabhāpatiṃ kāñcanavarmanaddham || 28 ||

Piercing the beautiful standard of Karna with one of those arrows, he pierced Shalya with four and Karna himself with three. With ten other well-shot shafts he then struck the Kaurava warrior Sabhapati, clad in golden mail. Thereupon that prince, deprived of head and arms and steeds and driver and bow and standard, fell down, wounded and dead, from his foremost of cars, like a Sala tree cut down with an axe. Once more piercing Karna with three, eight, twelve, four, and ten arrows, Partha slew 400 elephants equipped with many weapons, and 8000 car-warriors, and 1,000 steeds with riders, and 8,000 brave foot-soldiers. And soon Partha made Karna with his driver and car and steeds and standard invisible with straightly coursing shafts. Then the Kauravas, thus slaughtered by Dhananjaya, loudly addressed Adhitratha's son, saying, "Shoot thy arrows and slay the son of Pandu. Already, he has begun to exterminate the Kurus with his shafts!" Thus urged, Karna, with his best endeavours, incessantly shot many arrows. Capable of cutting the very vitals, those blood-drinking shafts, well sped by Karna, slew large numbers of the Pandavas and the Pancalas. Thus those two foremost of all bowmen, those two warriors of great strength that were capable of bearing all foes, those two heroes acquainted with weapons, struck the warriors opposed to them, as also each other, with mighty weapons.

8.65.29

sa rājaputro viśirā vibāhurvivājisūto vidhanurviketuḥ |
tato rathāgrādapatatprabhagnaḥ paraśvadhaiḥ śāla ivābhikṛttaḥ || 29 ||

8.65.30

punaśca karṇaṃ tribhiraṣṭabhiśca dvābhyāṃ caturbhirdaśabhiśca viddhvā |
catuḥśatāndviradānsāyudhīyānhatvā rathānaṣṭaśataṃ jaghāna |
sahasramaśvāṃśca punaśca sādīnaṣṭau sahasrāṇi ca pattivīrān || 30 ||

8.65.31

dṛṣṭvājimukhyāvatha yudhyamānau didṛkṣavaḥ śūravarāvarighnau |
karṇaṃ ca pārthaṃ ca niyamya vāhānkhasthā mahīsthāśca janāvatasthuḥ || 31 ||

Then Yudhishthira, clad in golden mail, his arrows having been extracted and himself made sound with mantras and drugs by foremost of surgeons well-disposed towards him, quickly came to that spot for witnessing (the encounter between Arjuna and Karna). Beholding king Yudhishthira the just arrived there like the resplendent full Moon freed from the jaws of Rahu and risen in the firmament, all creatures became filled with delight. Beholding those two foremost of warriors, those two first of heroes and slayers of foes, viz., Karna and Partha, engaged in fight, the spectators, both celestial and terrestrial, restraining the animals they rode or that were yoked unto their vehicles, stood motionless. As the two heroes, O king, struck each other with many foremost of arrows, O king, the sounds caused by the bows, bow-strings, and palms, of both Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son, became tremendous and their well-sped arrows also caused a deafening whizz. Then the bow-string of the son of Pandu, stretched with force, broke with a loud noise. During the interval thus offered, the Suta's son pierced Partha with a hundred small arrows, keen and steeped in oil, winged with the feathers of birds, and resembling snakes freed from their sloughs. He then quickly pierced Vasudeva with sixty shafts, and then Phalguna again with eight. Surya's son then pierced Bhima with thousands upon thousands of mighty arrows.

8.65.32

tato dhanurjyā sahasātikṛṣṭā sughoṣamācchidyata pāṇḍavasya |
tasminkṣaṇe sūtaputrastu pārthaṃ samācinotkṣudrakāṇāṃ śatena || 32 ||

8.65.33

nirmuktasarpapratimaiśca tīkṣṇaistailapradhautaiḥ khagapatravājaiḥ |
ṣaṣṭyā nārācairvāsudevaṃ bibheda tadantaraṃ somakāḥ prādravanta || 33 ||

8.65.34

tato dhanurjyāmavadhamya śīghraṃ śarānastānādhirathervidhamya |
susaṃrabdhaḥ karṇaśarakṣatāṅgo raṇe pārthaḥ somakānpratyagṛhṇāt |
na pakṣiṇaḥ saṃpatantyantarikṣe kṣepīyasāstreṇa kṛte'ndhakāre || 34 ||

Then quickly bending his bow-string and baffling all those shafts of Adhiratha's son, Partha, filled with rage in consequence of his limbs having been mangled with Karna's arrows, assailed the Kauravas. Rubbing his bow-string, he clapped his palms and suddenly caused a darkness there with the showers of shafts he shot. The diadem-decked Arjuna pierced Karna and Shalya and all the Kurus with those arrows. The welkin having been darkened by means of that mighty weapon, the very birds were unable to range in their element, a delicious wind then blew, bearing fragrant odours. Laughing the while, Partha forcibly struck Shalya's armour with ten arrows. Piercing Karna next with a dozen shafts, he struck him once more with seven. Deeply struck with those winged arrows of fierce energy shot with great force from Partha's bow, Karna, with mangled limbs and body bathed in blood, looked resplendent like Rudra at the universal destruction, sporting in the midst of crematorium at noon or eve, his body dyed with blood. The son of Adhiratha then pierced Dhananjaya who resembled the chief of the celestials himself (in energy and might) with three arrows, and he caused five other blazing arrows resembling five snakes to penetrate the body of Krishna. Shot with great force, those arrows, decked with gold, pierced through the armour of that foremost of beings and passing out of his body fell upon the earth.

8.65.35

śalyaṃ ca pārtho daśabhiḥ pṛṣatkairbhṛśaṃ tanutre prahasannavidhyat |
tataḥ karṇaṃ dvādaśabhiḥ sumuktairviddhvā punaḥ saptabhirabhyavidhyat || 35 ||

8.65.36

sa pārthabāṇāsanaveganunnairdṛḍhāhataḥ patribhirugravegaiḥ |
vibhinnagātraḥ kṣatajokṣitāṅgaḥ karṇo babhau rudra ivātateṣuḥ || 36 ||

8.65.37

tatastribhiśca tridaśādhipopamaṃ śarairbibhedādhirathirdhanaṃjayam |
śarāṃstu pañca jvalitānivoragānpravīrayāmāsa jighāṃsuracyute || 37 ||

8.65.38

te varma bhittvā puruṣottamasya suvarṇacitraṃ nyapatansumuktāḥ |
vegena gāmāviviśuḥ suvegāḥ snātvā ca karṇābhimukhāḥ pratīyuḥ || 38 ||

Endued with great energy, they entered the earth with great force and having bathed (in the waters of the Bhogavati in the nether region) coursed back towards Karna. Those shafts were five mighty snakes that had adopted the side of Takshaka's son (Aswasena whose mother Partha had slain at Khandava). With ten broad-headed arrows shot with great force, Arjuna cut off each of those five snakes into three fragments whereupon they fell down on the earth. Beholding Krishna's limbs thus mangled with those snakes transformed into arrows sped from Karna's arms, Arjuna, decked with diadem and garlands, blazed up with wrath like a fire engaged in burning a heap of dry grass. He then pierced Karna in all his vital limbs with many blazing and fatal shafts shot from the bow-string stretched to the very ear. (Deeply pierced), Karna trembled in pain. With the greatest difficulty he stood, summoning all his patience. Dhananjaya having been filled with wrath, all the points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary, the very splendour of the Sun, and Karna's car, O king, all became invisible with the showers shot by him. The welkin seemed as if it were shrouded by a thick forest.

8.65.39

tānpañcabhallaistvaritaiḥ sumuktaistridhā tridhaikaikamathoccakarta |
dhanaṃjayaste nyapatanpṛthivyāṃ mahāhayastakṣakaputrapakṣāḥ || 39 ||

8.65.40

tataḥ prajajvāla kirīṭamālī krodhena kakṣaṃ pradahannivāgniḥ |
sa karṇamākarṇavikṛṣṭasṛṣṭaiḥ śaraiḥ śarīrāntakarairjvaladbhiḥ |
marmasvavidhyatsa cacāla duḥkhāddhairyāttu tasthāvatimātradhairyaḥ || 40 ||

8.65.41

tataḥ śaraughaiḥ pradiśo diśaśca raviprabhā karṇarathaśca rājan |
adṛśya āsītkupite dhanaṃjaye tuṣāranīhāravṛtaṃ yathā nabhaḥ || 41 ||

8.65.42

sa cakrarakṣānatha pādarakṣānpuraḥsarānpṛṣṭhagopāṃśca sarvān |
duryodhanenānumatānarighnānsamuccitānsurathānsārabhūtān || 42 ||

Then that slayer of foes, that bull of Kuru's race, that foremost of heroes, viz., Savyasaci, O king, soon slew in that battle 2,000 foremost of Kuru warriors, with their cars and steeds and drivers, forming the protectors of Karna's car-wheels and wings and his van-guard and rear-guard and who constituted the very pick of Duryodhana's car-force, and who, urged by Duryodhana, had been fighting with great energy. Then thy sons and the Kauravas that were still alive fled away, deserting Karna, and abandoning their dying and wounded, and their wailing sons and sires. Beholding himself abandoned by the terrified Kurus and seeing the space around him empty, Karna felt no agitation, O Bharata, but, on the other hand, rushed at Arjuna, with a cheerful heart.'"

8.65.43

dvisāhasrānsamare savyasācī kurupravīrānṛṣabhaḥ kurūṇām |
kṣaṇena sarvānsarathāśvasūtānnināya rājankṣayamekavīraḥ || 43 ||

8.65.44

athāpalāyanta vihāya karṇaṃ tavātmajāḥ kuravaścāvaśiṣṭāḥ |
hatānavākīrya śarakṣatāṃśca lālapyamānāṃstanayānpitṝṃśca || 44 ||

8.65.45

sa sarvataḥ prekṣya diśo viśūnyā bhayāvadīrṇaiḥ kurubhirvihīnaḥ |
na vivyathe bhārata tatra karṇaḥ pratīpamevārjunamabhyadhāvat || 45 ||