06.058
Core and Pancharatra: Encounter between Dhristadyumna and Shalya; urged by Duryodhana Magadha elephant army attacks Bhima; Bhima single handed annihilates the entire army.
Dhritarashtra spoke:
Sanjaya, I believe that fate is ultimately more powerful than human effort, as evidenced by my son's army being defeated by the Pandavas.
Dear, you always speak of my people as if they are already defeated, while you describe the Pandavas as always untroubled and happy.
Sanjaya, today you report that my people, devoid of effort, have fallen, are being struck down, and are indeed killed.
The Pandavas, fighting with all their strength and striving for victory, are indeed victorious, while my people are defeated.
I, your son, have constantly heard of the many intense and unbearable sorrows caused by Duryodhana, dear father.
O Sanjaya, I do not see any means by which the Pandavas could be defeated by others, nor how my people could achieve victory in battle.
Sanjaya said:
O King, listen with a steady mind to the great destruction that befalls human bodies, elephants, horses, and chariots. This is your own significant downfall.
Dhṛṣṭadyumna, though afflicted by Śalya with nine arrows, in his anger retaliated against the king of Madras using iron arrows.
There, we witnessed the remarkable bravery of the son of Prishata as he swiftly halted the illustrious Shalya in the battle.
For a moment, it seemed as if there was no gap between the two fiercely fighting in battle; their combat appeared evenly matched.
Then, O great king, Śalya cut off Dhṛṣṭadyumna's bow in the battle with a sharp and keen arrow.
Then, O descendant of Bharata, he enveloped him in a barrage of arrows, much like clouds envelop a mountain when the rains begin.
Abhimanyu, seeing Dhṛṣṭadyumna in distress, became enraged and swiftly charged towards the chariot of the Madra king.
Then Kārṣṇi, in great anger, reached the chariot of the Madra king and pierced Ārtāyani, who possessed an immeasurable soul, with three arrows.
Then, O king, your men, eager to protect Arjuna in the battle, swiftly surrounded the chariot of the Madra king and stood their ground.
Duryodhana, Vikarna, Duhshasana, Vivimshati, Durmarshana, Duhsaha, Citrasena, and Durmukha are present.
Satyavrata and Purumitra, O Bharata, are standing in battle protecting the chariot of the Madra king.
Bhimasena, filled with anger, along with Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, the sons of Draupadi, Abhimanyu, and the sons of Madri, the Pandavas, confronted them.
O lord of men, they joyfully advanced, releasing various weapons, eager to kill each other. They gathered in battle, O king, due to your poor counsel.
In the ongoing and fearful battle of the son of Dasharatha, both your people and the enemies became mere observers, watching from their chariots.
The great charioteers released various forms of weapons and, shouting at each other, engaged in battle.
The warriors, filled with rage and ready for battle, all sought to kill each other, unleashing powerful weapons as they approached with intolerance.
Duryodhana, in his anger, swiftly and fiercely struck Dhrishtadyumna with four sharp arrows during the great battle.
Durmarshana attacked with twenty arrows, Chitrasena with five; Durmukha with nine arrows, Duhsaha with seven; Vivimshati with five, and Duhshasana with three.
O King, the son of Prishata, who torments his enemies, skillfully pierced each of them with twenty-five arrows, demonstrating his dexterity.
In the battle, O Bharata, Abhimanyu pierced Satyavrata and Purumitra with ten arrows each.
In the battle, the sons of Madri, who were the delight of their mother, covered their maternal uncle with showers of arrows, creating a scene that seemed almost miraculous.
Then, O great king, Śalya attacked the best of charioteers, the brothers, with many arrows in a desire to repay. Despite being covered, the sons of Mādrī did not move.
Then, upon seeing Duryodhana, the mighty Bhimasena, with the intention to end the conflict, took up his mace.
Upon seeing Bhimasena, who stood like the towering Kailasa with his raised mace, the sons, overwhelmed with fear, fled from the mighty warrior.
Duryodhana, in his anger, urged the king of Magadha to lead an army of ten thousand mighty elephants. With the king of Magadha at the forefront, he advanced towards Bhimasena.
Upon seeing the advancing elephant army, Vrikodara, wielding his mace, leapt from his chariot, roaring fiercely like a lion.
He seized the massive, weighty mace crafted from the essence of mountains and charged at the elephant army, resembling death with an open mouth.
Bhimasena, the mighty-armed, moved through the battlefield striking down elephants with his mace, resembling Indra wielding a thunderbolt.
The elephants, startled by the great and terrifying sound of Bhima's roar, moved about in confusion.
Then, the sons of Draupadī, along with Abhimanyu, the great warrior, Nakula, Sahadeva, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the son of Pṛṣata, were present.
The Pandavas, using razors, sharp arrows, broad-headed arrows, and handfuls of yellow weapons, caused the heads of the elephant warriors to fall.
The scene appears as if a rain of stones is falling, with heads and arms adorned, accompanied by hands and goads.
The warriors, with their heads severed, appeared on the elephants' shoulders, resembling trees with their tops broken on the mountain peaks.
We observe the great elephants, slain by Dhṛṣṭadyumna, lying fallen and being struck down by the noble son of Pṛṣata.
Then the king of Magadha sent an elephant resembling Airavata towards the chariot of Abhimanyu in the battle.
Upon seeing the best elephant of the Magadha approaching, Abhimanyu, the valiant son of Subhadra, who was a destroyer of enemy heroes, struck it down with a single arrow.
Kārṣhṇi, known for conquering enemy cities, decapitated the king using a silver-finned arrow while mounted on his bent elephant.
Bhimasena, the son of Pandu, entered the elephant army and moved through the battlefield, crushing elephants as Indra would crush mountains.
In that battle, we witnessed the elephants being struck down by Bhimasena with a single blow, resembling mountains hit by a thunderbolt.
The elephants, resembling mountains, were seen with broken tusks, hips, thighs, backs, and domes, and were killed.
In the battle, some elephants were roaring and sinking, others turned away, some were urinating, broken and frightened, and others were excreting.
On the paths traversed by Bhimasena, we witnessed the bodies of elephants, as large as mountains, lying lifeless. Some were groaning, while others lay still.
The great elephants, with their heads broken and vomiting blood, fell to the ground in agitation, resembling mountains collapsing on the earth.
Bhima, his body smeared with fat and blood and covered with marrow and flesh, roamed the battlefield like Death itself, wielding a club.
Vrikodara, with his blood-smeared mace, appeared as terrifying and fearsome as Lord Shiva, the wielder of the Pinaka bow.
The elephants, unable to withstand the fury of the enraged Bhimasena, suddenly fled, leaving the remaining ones to trample your forces.
The great warriors, led by Saubhadra, surrounded and protected the hero as he fought valiantly, resembling the gods armed with thunderbolts.
Bhimasena, fierce-souled and bearing a mace smeared with the blood of elephants, appeared like death itself.
O descendant of Bharata, we saw him wielding a mace and dancing in all directions, resembling Lord Shankara.
O great king, we saw a heavy and destructive mace, resembling the staff of Yama and sounding like Indra's thunderbolt.
The weapon, mixed with hair and marrow and smeared with blood, resembled the bow of Rudra as it struck down animals in anger.
Bhima, like a herdsman with a stick, drove the elephant army around with his mace, just as one would drive a herd of animals.
Your elephants, being struck with maces and arrows from all sides, fled in panic, trampling their own troops.
He stood among the elephants in the tumult like a great wind scattering clouds, resembling Bhima in a cremation ground with a spear.
