An Index to the Names in the Mahabharata, with Short Explanations and a Concordance to the Bombay and Calcutta Editions and P. C. Roy's Translation c5.s7.297

c5.s7.297

Once, when Karṇa was stupefied and stood inactive, Arjuna was disinclined to slay him in such distress, but he was taught by Kṛṣṇa never to spare an enemy, however weak. At that time, when the hour of Karṇa's death had come, Kāla, approaching invisibly, in consequence of the brahman's wrath, said "the earth is swallowing up thy wheel," and the weapon that Rāma had given him escaped from his memory, and the earth engulfed his left wheel. Karṇa began to rail at righteousness as not always protecting its worshippers. Karṇa invoked the Brāhma weapon, and Arjuna the Aindra weapon, which was baffled by Karṇa; urged by Kṛṣṇa to "shoot high weapons," Arjuna shot the Brāhma weapon. Karṇa cut off, one after another, eleven bowstrings of Arjuna's, not knowing that Arjuna had one hundred strings to his bow; urged by Kṛṣṇa to strike Karṇa with "superior weapons," Arjuna then consecrated another celestial weapon with mantras, uniting the Raudra weapon with it. At that time the earth swallowed up one of Karṇa's wheels. Quickly alighting, Karṇa seized his sunken wheel with his two arms and endeavoured to lift it up; the earth rose up to the height of four fingers breadth, with her seven islands, etc.; Karṇa shed tears from wrath and asked Arjuna to wait for a moment till he had lifted his sunken wheel (VIII, 90). Kṛṣṇa taunted Karṇa for appealing to virtue and the rules of fair fight by reminding him of all the wrongs done to the Pāṇḍavas by himself and Duryodhana acting according to his counsels (ak'). Karṇa dropped his head in shame and gave no answer, and continued to fight. Kṛṣṇa urged Arjuna to pierce Karṇa with a celestial weapon; Arjuna, remembering the incidents alluded to by Kṛṣṇa, blazed up with fury; blazing flames of fire seemed to emanate from all the pores of his body, a sight that appeared exceedingly wonderful. Both Karṇa and Arjuna invoked the Brāhma weapon, and Karṇa once more made an effort to extricate his chariot. Arjuna shot an Agni weapon, quenched by Karṇa with a Vāruṇa weapon, covering all the points of the compass with darkness, which Arjuna dispelled with the Vāyavya weapon. Pierced by a shaft of Karṇa's, while the earth trembled, etc., Arjuna began to reel, the Gāṇḍīva dropped from his hand, etc. At the interval Karṇa fruitlessly endeavoured to extricate his chariot. Recovering his senses, Arjuna took up an āñjalika weapon. Urged by Kṛṣṇa to cut off the head of Karṇa, Arjuna cut off his standard, and then, with an āñjalika weapon (the R. loudly crying out "peace to the universe"), struck off Karṇa's head before Karṇa could mount his chariot. A light issued from Karṇa's body and entered the Sun. The Pāṇḍavas rejoiced (aλ') (VIII, 91). Duryodhana, etc., grieved; Bhīma, uttering loud roars, frightened the Kauravas, etc. (aμ'). Śalya informed Duryodhana of Karṇa's death (av'). Duryodhana became almost deprived of his senses (VIII, 92). Reqasted by Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Sañjaya related the state of the Kaurava army after Karṇa's fall (aξ'). Duryodhana resolved to make a final stand (ao'). Bhīmasena and Dhrṣṭadyumna (+ four kinds of forces) & Duryodhana (+ 25,000 warriors on foot, who were slain); Arjuna & the chariot force of the Kauravas; Nakula, etc. (aπ'), & Cakuni; the Kurus fled away; Cekitāna, etc. (ap'), blew their conches. Duryodhana challenged all the Pāṇḍavas and fought with them with great valour; he rallied the remnants of his troops and exhorted them to fight (aσ'); they fled away heedless of his words (VIII, 93). Śalya described to Duryodhana the carnage on the field (at'), and urged the withdrawal of the troops to their nightly quarters.