06.087
Core and Pancharatra: Knowing brother Iravana's death, Ghatotkacha becomes uncontrollable; intense battle between Ghatotkacha and Duryodhana.
Dhritarashtra said:
Sanjaya, tell me what the great warriors, the sons of Pritha, did in the battle upon seeing Iravan slain.
Sanjaya said:
Upon witnessing the fall of Iravan in the battlefield, the demon Ghatotkacha, son of Bhimasena, let out a mighty roar.
The earth, adorned with oceans, mountains, and forests, trembled greatly at his roaring sound, O king. The sky and all directions, including the sub-directions, were also affected.
Upon hearing the mighty sound of your army, O Bharata, his thighs stiffened, he trembled, and sweat appeared.
All your men, O King, are dejected and encircle like a snake, just as elephants are afraid of a lion.
The demon, with a thunderous roar, raised his blazing spear and took on the appearance of Vibhishana.
He arrived, fiercely angry, surrounded by the foremost of demons wielding various dreadful weapons, resembling the destroyer of time and death itself.
Seeing him approach with a terrifying look, filled with rage, his own forces mostly retreated in fear.
Then King Duryodhana, with a mighty bow in hand, charged at Ghatotkacha, roaring like a lion again and again.
The king of the Vangas personally followed him from behind with ten thousand elephants that resembled mountains, all oozing with ichor.
Upon seeing him approach, surrounded by the elephant army, your son, O great king, the demon became enraged.
Then a fierce and terrifying battle began between the demons and the forces of Duryodhana, O king.
The angry demons, armed with weapons, charged towards the elephant army, which appeared like a rising mass of clouds.
The warriors, roaring with various sounds like clouds accompanied by lightning, struck the elephant warriors with arrows, spears, javelins, and iron arrows.
They attacked the great elephants using clubs, spears, maces, axes, mountain peaks, and trees.
O great king, we witnessed elephants with shattered heads and limbs, covered in blood, being slain by the demons.
In the midst of the destruction and chaos among the elephant warriors, King Duryodhana launched an attack on the demons.
Overcome by anger and disregarding his own life, the mighty warrior unleashed his sharp arrows upon the demons.
The great archer, in his fury, killed the chief demons present there. O best of the Bharatas, it was your son Duryodhana who did this.
The great charioteer, with his remarkable skill, swiftly defeated the four formidable and lightning-tongued tormentors using four arrows.
Then, the immeasurable soul once again released an irresistible shower of arrows towards the army of demons, O best of Bharatas.
Upon witnessing the great act of your son, O lord, the mighty Bhaimaseni was inflamed with anger.
He stretched his great bow, which roared like Indra's thunderbolt, and swiftly charged towards Duryodhana, the vanquisher of foes.
O great king, your son Duryodhana was not disturbed upon seeing him approach like death itself, as if created by time.
Then, with eyes red with anger, the cruel one spoke to him: "Those whom you, O wicked one, exiled for a long time, and your Pāṇḍavas were defeated in the deceitful dice game, O king."
Draupadi, also known as Krishna, was brought to the assembly in a single garment while she was in her period, and you, with your wicked mind, tormented her in many ways.
Your beloved desire, residing in the hermitage, was afflicted by the wicked soul and disregarded my ancestors by the Sindhu prince.
"O lowest of the family, if you do not abandon the battle today, I will put an end to these insults and those of others."
After speaking thus, Hidimba stretched his great bow, bit his lip with his teeth, and licked the corners of his mouth, preparing for battle.
He attacked Duryodhana with a heavy barrage of arrows, resembling how a cloud envelops a mountain with rain during the monsoon season.
