06.089
Core and Pancharatra: Yudhisthira sends Bhima to support Ghatotkacha, causing Duryodhana to retreat; what followed was a great destruction where the great army of Dhritarashtra's sons was mostly dispirited.
Sanjaya said:
The demon, after turning away all your warriors in the battle, sought to kill and attacked Duryodhana, O best of the Bharatas.
Seeing the king approaching swiftly, your battle-arrogant men rushed towards him with the intent to kill.
The mighty warriors, with bows as large as palm trees, charged at him, roaring like a pride of lions.
Then they surrounded him with a barrage of arrows from all directions, just as clouds cover a mountain with rain streams during the autumn season.
He, deeply wounded and tormented like an elephant by a goad, leapt into the sky in all directions like Garuda.
He roared with a tremendous sound like that of an autumn cloud, causing the directions, sky, and intermediate directions to reverberate with a terrifying noise.
Upon hearing the demon's sound, King Yudhishthira, the noble Bharata, addressed Bhimasena with these words.
The demon is indeed fighting with the sons of Dhritarashtra, who are great warriors. The terrible sound of his roar can be heard, and I perceive a great burden concentrated there, father.
The grandfather, enraged, was ready to destroy the Panchalas, while Arjuna fought with others to protect them.
Upon hearing this, O mighty-armed one, two tasks have come up. Go and protect Hidimba, as a great doubt has emerged.
Upon understanding his brother's command, Vrikodara quickly set out, roaring like a lion and terrifying all the kings with his great speed, much like the ocean during a festival, O king.
Satyadhriti, Saucitti, Yuddhadurmada, Shreniman, Vasudana, and Abhibhu, the son of Kashi, followed him.
The great warriors, led by Abhimanyu and including the sons of Draupadi, Kshatradeva, and the valiant Kshatradharma, were present.
The ruler of Anupa, Nila, along with his army, surrounded Hidimba with a large division of chariots.
Six thousand intoxicated elephants, always striking, together protected the demon king Ghatotkacha.
The great roar of a lion, the sound of the wheels, and the hoofbeats shook the earth.
Upon hearing the sound of your approaching army, Bhimasena, struck with fear and with a pale face, turned away, O great king, leaving Ghatotkacha behind.
Then, the battle began at various places among the great souls, involving your people and the enemies, all of whom were relentless in battle.
The great charioteers released various forms of weapons and attacked each other, engaging in a fierce and interlocked battle that was terrifying to the timid.
Horses and elephants arrived along with the infantry and charioteers. O king, they confronted each other in battle, all desiring great fame.
Suddenly, a great cloud of dust arose intensely from the collision, stirred up by the feet and wheels of chariots, horses, elephants, and foot soldiers.
The battlefield was enveloped in a thick, smoke-colored and red dust, making it impossible for anyone, whether friend or foe, to recognize one another, O king.
In a state where boundaries are lost, neither father knows son nor son knows father; it is a terrifying and chaotic situation.
O best of the Bharatas, there arose a great sound of weapons and men roaring, resembling the crackling of burning bamboos.
There began a river flowing with the blood and intestines of elephants, horses, and humans, appearing wave-like, with hair, water-weeds, and grass as its features.
A very loud sound was heard in the battle, as if the heads of men were falling from their bodies like stones.
The battlefield was strewn with the headless bodies of humans, severed limbs, elephants, and horses with torn bodies, covering the earth.
The great charioteers launched various weapons and charged at each other, engaging fiercely in battle.
The horses, sent by horsemen, approached and struck each other in battle, falling down lifeless.
The men, with eyes reddened by anger, fiercely approached each other and struck each other's chests in a tight embrace.
The elephants, dispatched by the great ministers, attack the enemy elephants with their tusks during the battle.
They appeared like clouds with lightning, adorned with flags and stained with fresh blood.
Some of them, pierced by the tips of horns and with their heads broken by spears, ran towards the enemy, shouting and roaring like clouds.
In the tumultuous battle, some warriors with their hands severed and others with their limbs cut, fell like mountains with their wings clipped.
The excellent elephants, wounded on their sides by other elephants, bled profusely, resembling mountains releasing their minerals.
Others, struck by arrows and pierced by spears, appeared like mountains without peaks, with their riders slain.
Some warriors, overwhelmed by anger and blinded by pride, acted without restraint and crushed hundreds of chariots, horses, and foot soldiers in the battle.
The horsemen struck the horses with spears and lances, causing them to turn back and create confusion in all directions.
The charioteers, along with the noble sons who sacrificed their lives, took on great power and performed their duties without fear.
O king, like a self-choice ceremony in the midst of battle, the warriors fought each other, seeking either fame or a place in heaven.
In the ongoing intense battle, the great army of Dhritarashtra's sons was mostly dispirited.
