03.255
Vaiśampāyana said.
“Stand firm! Strike! Quickly, run around!” Thus indeed the king of Sindhu urged those kings. (03-255-1)
Then an even more terrible sound arose in the battle at that time when the armies saw Bhīma, Arjuna, Yama, and those accompanying Yudhiṣṭhira. (03-255-2)
Distress also arose among the Śibis, Sindhus, and Trigartas, when they saw those men who were like tigers in might, as if they were tigers themselves. (03-255-3)
Bhīma, taking up his mace entirely made of iron with golden-ornamented prominence, rushed at the Sindhu prince, impelled by Time. (03-255-4)
Then, Koṭikāśya turned and, having surrounded Vṛkodara with a great chariot division, brought him close. (03-255-5)
Though Bhīma was showered by many lances, iron javelins and arrows, hurled by the arms of heroes, he did not tremble. (03-255-6)
Bhīma struck down the elephant with its rider and fourteen foot-soldiers with his mace at the forefront of the Sindhu army. (03-255-7)
Arjuna, desiring to capture, slew the Sauvīra who was at the head of the army, along with five hundred heroic great chariot-warriors from the mountain region. (03-255-8)
Then, the king himself slew a hundred of the best and most valiant attackers in battle in the space of a single wink. (03-255-9)
There, Nakula was seen leaping down from his chariot, sword in hand, scattering the heads of the foot-soldiers again and again like seeds. (03-255-10)
But Sahadeva, having approached with his chariot, struck down the elephant-warriors with iron arrows, like peacocks falling from trees. (03-255-11)
Then Trigarta, armed with a bow, descended from his great chariot and with his mace slew four horses of that king at that moment. (03-255-12)
Kuntinandana, the king of dharma, pierced the approaching foot-soldier in the chest with an ardhachandra arrow. (03-255-13)
With his heart pierced, the valiant hero vomited blood from his mouth and fell facing Arjuna, like a tree whose root has been severed. (03-255-14)
But the king of righteousness, whose horses had been slain and whose charioteer was Indrasena, leapt down from his own chariot and mounted the great chariot of Sahadeva. (03-255-15)
However, after targeting Nakula, both Kṣemaṅkara and Mahāmukha attacked simultaneously from both sides, raining down sharp showers of arrows upon him. (03-255-16)
Those two, showering arrows like clouds in the rainy season, each struck the son of Mādravatī with a shot. (03-255-17)
Suratha, the king of Trigarta, then approached his chariot-yoke and, with his elephant and accompanied by the elephant-vehicle, caused the chariot to be tossed. (03-255-18)
But Nakula, fearless, descended from the chariot with sword and shield in hand, and stood firm in an agitated spot, like an immovable mountain. (03-255-19)
Then Suratha, with anger, sent that excellent elephant with uplifted trunk to kill Nakula. (03-255-20)
Nakula cut off at the root, with his sword, the arm with the tusk of the elephant standing nearby. (03-255-21)
The elephant, adorned with bracelets and bellowing loudly, as he fell to the ground with fresh ichor streaming, struck down the elephant-riders. (03-255-22)
The hero, the son of Mādravatī, having performed that great deed, reached Bhīmasena’s chariot; the great chariot-warrior found peace. (03-255-23)
But Bhīma, when the king Koṭikāśya rushed into battle, cut off the head of his charioteer, who was driving the horses, with a razor-edged arrow. (03-255-24)
He, the king, did not perceive that his charioteer had been slain by the one with strong arms. His horses, their charioteer having been slain, ran away here and there on the battlefield. (03-255-25)
Bhīma, the best among warriors, approached and killed him, whose charioteer had been slain and who had turned away, with a hafted lance. (03-255-26)
Dhanañjaya, with sharp arrows, cut off the bows and heads of all twelve among the Souvīras. (03-255-27)
The mighty chariot-warrior slew in battle the Śibis, the principal Ikṣvākus, the Trigartas, and the Saindhavas—those who came within range of his arrows. (03-255-28)
Many were seen struck down by Savyasācin (Arjuna), as well as elephants with banners and great chariot-warriors with standards. (03-255-29)
Having covered the earth, all the bodies stood facing the battlefield—headless, lifeless bodies, and (severed) heads as well. (03-255-30)
Dogs, vultures, herons, crows, falcons, jackals, and crows could not be sated there even by the flesh and blood of the slain heroes. (03-255-31)
As those heroes were being slain, the king of Sindhu, Jayadratha, released Kṛṣṇā and, frightened, became intent on escape. (03-255-32)
He, in that confused army, after causing Draupadī to dismount, indeed, desiring to save his life, ran into the forest—the basest of men. (03-255-33)
At that time, Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira), seeing Draupadī who was led by Dhaumya, had the heroic son of Mādrī lift her onto the chariot. (03-255-34)
Then, as Jayadratha was retreating and the army was fleeing, Vṛkodara (Bhīma) repeatedly aimed and struck with iron arrows. (03-255-35)
Savyasachi (Arjuna), seeing Jayadratha fleeing, restrained Bhima, who was striking down the Sindhu warriors. (03-255-36)
Arjuna said;
I do not see Jayadratha here on the battlefield, the one by whose offence this great and unsurmountable distress has come upon us. (03-255-37)
Seek only him; welfare to you; what do you have to do with the warriors who have been slain? This action is not for flesh; how do you understand it? (03-255-38)
Vaiśampāyana said.
Thus, being addressed by the intelligent Guḍākeśa, Bhīmasena, looking at Yudhiṣṭhira, eloquently spoke these words. (03-255-39)
O king, with their heroes slain, the enemies have mostly scattered in all directions. Take Draupadī and return from here, Your Highness. (03-255-40)
O king, accompanied by the two Yamas (Nakula and Sahadeva) and the great-souled Dhaumya, having arrived at the hermitage, comfort Draupadī. (03-255-41)
Indeed, the living deluded Sindhu king will not be released by me, even if he dwells in the depths of Pātāla and if Śakra himself is his charioteer. (03-255-42)
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
O mighty-armed, that Sindhu prince, even though wicked-minded, ought not to be killed, especially remembering Duḥśalā and the illustrious Gāndhārī. (03-255-43)
Vaiśampāyana said.
Having heard that, Draupadī, her senses agitated, angry, modest, and wise, spoke to both her husbands, Bhīma and Arjuna. (03-255-44)
If a man considers duty to be something pleasing to me, then he is fit to be killed—he is the lowest of men, an outcast among the Sindhus, wicked, of evil mind, and a disgrace to his family. (03-255-45)
A man who violates another's wife, or an enemy who seizes the kingdom even with no personal hostility—even if he begs for mercy in battle—he does not deserve to live. (03-255-46)
After these words, the two heroes went to the place where the Prince of Sindhu was. The king, along with the priest, returned with Kṛṣṇā. (03-255-47)
He entered the hermitage, where mats and waterpots were scattered about, and saw it teeming with brahmins such as Markandeya. (03-255-48)
The great wise one, along with his wife and surrounded by his brothers, approached Draupadī where the lamenting brāhmaṇas had assembled. (03-255-49)
They, seeing him—having returned again, gladdened—after conquering the Sindhu and Sauvīra peoples and bringing back Draupadī, rejoiced. (03-255-50)
The king, surrounded by them, sat down right there. The radiant lady Kṛṣṇā (Draupadī), together with the two sons of Yama (the Pāṇḍava twins), entered the hermitage. (03-255-51)
Bhīma and Arjuna, too, when they heard that the enemy was only a shout's distance away, quickly urged their horses forward themselves and rushed toward him. (03-255-52)
Here, Arjuna did this most wonderful thing: he killed Saindhava's horses even though they had gone a krośa away. (03-255-53)
He, truly possessed of divine weapons, remained unagitated even in difficult times and performed the difficult deed with arrows consecrated by weapon-mantras. (03-255-54)
Then both Bhīma and Dhananjaya, the heroes, rushed toward the Sindhu prince, who was left alone, afraid, distressed in mind, and whose horses had been killed. (03-255-55)
But Jayadratha, on seeing his own slain horses and deeply distressed, observing Arjuna performing acts of valor, was seized by the urge to flee and indeed escaped by that path to the forest. (03-255-56)
Phalguna (Arjuna), the mighty-armed, noticing that the Sindhu prince had advanced in flight, followed him and spoke.
With such strength, how can you seek a woman by force? O prince, turn back; flight is not proper for you. And how do you flee in the midst of enemies, abandoning your companions? (03-255-58)
Thus, even as Pārtha called to him, Saindhava did not turn back. Bhīma, the strong, suddenly rushed at him, crying, "Stop! Stop!" But Pārtha, moved by compassion, said to him, "Do not kill (him)." (03-255-59)
