06.079
Core and Pancharatra: Dhritarashtra asks why the Pandavas always seem to have the upper hand. Sanjaya says it is because of his defects. Encounter between Iravan and the two brothers of Avanti, Anuvinda and Vinda; between Haiḍimba and Bhagadatta; between Nakula, Sahadeva and Shalya;
Dhritarashtra spoke:
Sanjaya, I have heard from you about the many and various duels that took place here between the Pandavas and my people.
Sanjaya, you never speak of any of my warriors as bold. You always describe the sons of Pandu as joyful and undefeated.
O charioteer, you mention that my people are being defeated, dispirited, and drained of energy in the battle; this is surely their fate.
Sanjaya said:
Your men, O best of men, are striving in battle with all their might and enthusiasm, demonstrating great strength and valor.
The sweet waters of the sacred river Ganga become salty due to their contact with the ocean's properties.
Thus, O king, the valor of your great warriors becomes futile when faced with the heroic sons of Pandu in battle.
O best of the Kurus, you should strive to perform difficult actions to the best of your ability, without fault, and approach the Kauravas.
Because of your mistake, O lord of the people, there will be a great and terrible destruction of the earth along with your son, which will increase the domain of Yama.
O king, you should not grieve for what has arisen from your own fault. Indeed, kings do not protect all wealth, nor even life.
In battle, the kings of the earth, desiring the realms of the virtuous, engage in combat, always striving for heaven.
In the morning, O great king, the destruction of people began. Listen attentively to my story, which is like the tales of gods and demons.
The two mighty princes of Avanti, known for their great archery skills and strength, upon seeing Iravan, fiercely engaged in battle. Their fight was tumultuous and terrifying, sending chills down the spine.
Iravan, in his anger, swiftly attacked the two divine-looking brothers with sharp, bent arrows. In return, the skillful warriors struck him back in the battle.
O king, there was no visible difference among the warriors who were fighting and striving to destroy their enemies, each eager to counteract the other's moves.
Iravan, however, then, O king, with the arrows of Anuvinda, sent four horses to the abode of Yama.
O King, with two sharp and very sharp arrows, the bow and banner were cut off in battle, appearing as if it was a wonderful feat.
Anuvinda, after leaving his own chariot, climbed onto Vinda's chariot and took up a new, excellent bow designed for bearing burdens.
The two heroic warriors from Avanti, the best among charioteers, stood together in battle and swiftly released their arrows at the noble Iravati.
The arrows, released by them with great speed and adorned with gold, reached the path of the sun and covered the sky.
Iravan, in his anger, attacked the two great charioteer brothers with a barrage of arrows and brought down their charioteer.
When the charioteer fell lifeless on the ground, the chariot, with its horses agitated, ran away in all directions from there.
After conquering, the son of the serpent king's daughter quickly demonstrated his prowess by scattering your army, O great king.
She, under attack in the battle, organized the diverse forces of Dhritarashtra's great army, as if a man had consumed poison.
Haiḍimba, the mighty king of demons, charged at Bhagadatta with his sun-colored chariot adorned with a banner.
Then the king of Prāgjyotiṣa stood against Nāgārāja, just as Vajradhara did in the past during the battle against Tāraka.
There, the gods, along with the Gandharvas and sages, gathered. They were particularly unaware of the matters concerning Hidimba and Bhagadatta.
Just as Indra, the lord of the gods, instilled fear in the demons, similarly, O king, he instilled fear in the Pāṇḍavas during the battle.
The Pandavas, being scattered by him, searched in all directions but could not find a protector among their own ranks, O Bharata.
O Bharata, we saw the son of Bhimasena standing on the chariot there. The remaining great warriors, disheartened, fled from the battlefield.
After the withdrawal of the Pāṇḍavas' forces, a dreadful uproar arose in your troops during the battle, O Bhārata.
Then Ghatotkacha, O king, showered arrows upon Bhagadatta in the great battle, resembling a cloud enveloping Mount Meru.
The king, having neutralized the arrows shot by the demon, swiftly attacked Bhimasena's son at all the vital points during the battle.
The lord of demons, though being struck by many arrows with bent joints, stood unshaken like a mountain being pierced.
In his anger, Prāgjyotiṣa sent fourteen spears in the battle, and the demon cut them down.
The mighty-armed warrior, after cutting through the spears with his sharp arrows, struck Bhagadatta with seventy feathered arrows.
Then, O King, as if smiling, the descendant of Bharata struck down the four horses of the King of Prāgjyotiṣa in battle with his arrows.
The powerful lord of demons, standing on his chariot with its horses slain, swiftly hurled his spear at the elephant of Pragjyotisha.
The king swiftly cut the approaching golden staff into three pieces, and it scattered across the ground.
Upon witnessing the defeat of power, Hidimba ran away in fear, much like Namuci, the esteemed demon, had once retreated from Indra's battlefield.
Varuna, with his prowess, conquered the heroic and valiant prince, known for his valor, who was invincible in battle.
The Pandava army was crushed in battle by elephants, just as a forest elephant tramples through a lotus pond, O king.
The lord of Madra engaged in battle with the sons of Yama and covered the Pandava brothers with a barrage of arrows.
In the battle, Sahadeva saw his uncle engaged and restrained him with a flood of arrows, just as a cloud covers the sun.
As he was covered by a multitude of arrows, his appearance became more delighted. The affection between the two was also incomparable due to their mother's influence.
Then, with a smile on his face during the battle, Nakula's great chariot-warrior sent four horses to the abode of Yama using four excellent arrows, O king.
The great warrior, having quickly jumped down from the destroyed chariot, then ascended the vehicle of his illustrious brother.
The two heroes, standing together in the battle, firmly drew their bows and angrily covered the Madra king's chariot in an instant.
The warrior, covered by numerous arrows with bent joints from his own brothers, stood firm like a mountain, unshaken. Smiling, he countered the rain of arrows.
Sahadeva, filled with anger and heroism, raised his arrow and aimed it at the king of Madras, O Bharata.
The swift arrow, sent by him like Garuda, pierced the Madra king and fell to the ground.
The great warrior, deeply wounded and distressed, sat down on the chariot seat and fell into a faint, O great king.
The charioteer saw him unconscious and fallen in the battle and carried him away in the chariot, as he was oppressed by Yama's messengers on the battlefield.
Upon seeing the chariot of the king of Madra, the sons of Dhritarashtra turned away in dismay. All of them, feeling disheartened, thought to themselves, "This cannot be happening."
After defeating their maternal uncle in the battle, the sons of Madri, who were great warriors, joyfully blew their conches, and the sound echoed like a lion's roar.
Indra and Upendra, filled with joy, charged at your army, O lord of men, just as they would at the demon army, O king.
