03.234
Vaiśampāyana said.
Then the Gandharvas, adorned with golden garlands and equipped with divine weapons, surrounded (the enemy) from all sides, releasing blazing arrows. (03-234-1)
O king, four heroic Pāṇḍavas and thousands of Gandharvas fell together in battle; it was as if something marvellous had taken place. (03-234-2)
Just as the chariots of Karṇa and Dhārtarāṣṭra were shattered in hundreds by the Gandharvas, in the same way they dealt with theirs. (03-234-3)
O king, as the Gandharvas by the hundreds approached in battle, the tiger-like men repeatedly received them with showers of arrows. (03-234-4)
The birds, being scattered in every direction by showers of arrows, were unable to move near the sons of Pāṇḍu. (03-234-5)
Then Arjuna, having observed the enraged Gandharvas, discerned this and began to use the divine great weapons. (03-234-6)
Arjuna, mighty among the Gandharvas in battle, with the Agneya weapon, dispatched a thousand out of thousands for advancing attack. (03-234-7)
Thus Bhīma, the great archer and foremost among the strong, killed hundreds of Gandharvas with sharp arrows, O king. (03-234-8)
O king, the two mighty sons of Mādrī also, fighting at the front, struck down hundreds of enemies.
The Gandharvas, being struck down by the great-souled warriors with divine weapons, quickly rose into the sky, carrying the sons of Dhritarashtra away from that place. (03-234-10)
But Dhanañjaya, the son of Kuntī, perceiving those (enemies) about to leap forth, surrounded them on all sides with a great array of arrows. (03-234-11)
Bound by a net of arrows like birds in a cage, they angrily showered Arjuna with a rain of maces, lances, and spears. (03-234-12)
Dhananjaya, the knower of great weapons, having destroyed those showers of maces, spears, and swords, then struck the bodies of the Gandharvas with arrows. (03-234-13)
The sight of heads, arms, and feet falling and scattered everywhere, appearing like a shower of stones, caused fear among the others. (03-234-14)
Those Gandharvas, being struck by the great-souled son of Pandu, covered both those on the ground and those in the air with showers of arrows. (03-234-15)
But Savyasāci, the energetic scorcher of enemies, warded off the showers of arrows of those (Gandharvas) with weapons and struck back at the Gandharvas. (03-234-16)
And Arjuna, O delight of the Kurus, then created the pillar-magical net, as well as solar, fire, and moon-related (weapons or illusions). (03-234-17)
Those Gandharvas, scorched by the arrows of Kuntī's son, fell into great despair, just like the Daityas did when defeated by Śakra (Indra). (03-234-18)
Those ascending upwards are stopped by a shower of arrows, and those spreading out are checked by Arjuna's broad-headed shafts. (03-234-19)
When Citraseṇa saw the Gandharvas being frightened by the wise son of Kuntī, he took up his mace and rushed toward Savyasācin (Arjuna). (03-234-20)
As he rapidly advanced in battle, mace in hand, Pārtha (Arjuna) cut the iron mace into seven pieces with his arrows. (03-234-21)
He saw his mace cut to pieces in many ways by the energetic one's arrows. Enveloping himself with knowledge, he engaged in battle with the Pāṇḍava. Standing in the sky, he fought with his divine weapons. (03-234-22)
Then the powerful Gandharva king, having become invisible by his illusion, as Arjuna saw the invisible one attacking, struck him with chariot warriors using divine weapons that had been invoked with mantras. (03-234-23)
Then, angry Arjuna, also called Dhanañjaya of many forms, committed the slaying of one who had disappeared, resorting to aiming at the target by sound. (03-234-24)
While he was being struck by those weapons by Arjuna, the great soul, then his dear friend showed him his true self. (03-234-25)
Then, seeing Citraseṇa's friend weakened in battle, the foremost of the Pāṇḍavas destroyed the missile that had been launched. (03-234-26)
But when all the Pāṇḍavas saw Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) who had withdrawn his weapons, they rejoined their fleeing horses and their bows with the swiftness of arrows. (03-234-27)
Citrasena, Bhīma, Savyasācī (Arjuna), and the twin sons of Yama (Nakula and Sahadeva) also, after asking each other's welfare, took their places right on their chariots. (03-234-28)
