06.097
Dhritarashtra spoke:
Sanjaya, how did Alambusa fight against the heroic Arjuna, the great chariot-warrior, in battle?
Please tell me how Saubhadra, the destroyer of enemy heroes, dealt with Ārśyaśṛṅga in the battle, and describe the events as they truly happened.
Sanjaya, what did Arjuna do in my armies? Is Bhima, the best among the strong, or the demon Ghatotkacha involved?
Nakula, Sahadeva, or Satyaki, the great charioteer; please tell me everything, as you are indeed knowledgeable, Sanjaya.
Sanjaya said:
Behold, I will narrate to you the thrilling battle that took place between the lord of demons and Abhimanyu, O gentle one.
Arjuna, Bhimasena, Nakula, and Sahadeva, the Pandavas, displayed great valor in the battle as they performed heroic deeds.
Similarly, all your warriors, led by Bhishma and Drona, executed amazing and diverse feats without fear.
In the battle, Alambusa, with a great roar, repeatedly threatened and charged at the great chariot-warrior Abhimanyu with speed, commanding him to 'Stop, stop'.
O King, Abhimanyu, like a lion, roared repeatedly in the battle against Arshyasringa, the great archer and the great enemy of his father.
Then the swift man and demon, both excellent charioteers, met in battle like the gods and demons. The illusionist, the best among demons, and Arjuna, the knower of divine weapons, faced each other.
Then Kārṣṇi, the warrior, skillfully struck Ārśyaśṛṅgin in the battle with three sharp arrows and then pierced him again with five more arrows.
Alambusa, in his anger, swiftly pierced Kārṣhṇi's heart with nine arrows, as one would drive a great elephant with goads.
Then, the swift night-wanderer attacked Arjuna's son in the battle with a thousand arrows, O Bharata.
Abhimanyu, in his anger, shot ninety sharp, bent-jointed arrows at the demon's broad chest.
They swiftly entered his body, piercing through the vital parts. The best of demons, with all his limbs pierced, shone like a mountain covered with blossoming kinshuka flowers, O king.
The mighty demon, holding arrows with golden plumes, appeared like a flaming mountain, standing out as the best among the demons.
Then, the mighty King Arshyashringa, in his anger, covered Krishna, who was as majestic as Mahendra, with a shower of arrows.
The arrows released by him, sharp and resembling the rod of Yama, pierced Abhimanyu and entered the ground.
In the same manner, the golden-adorned arrows released by Arjuna pierced through Alambusa and fell to the ground.
Abhimanyu, in the battle, skillfully used his arrows to disorient the demon Maya, much like Indra would in a fight.
Then, as the demon was being defeated in battle by the enemy, he turned away, and the tormentor of enemies conjured a great dark illusion.
Then, enveloped by darkness, they all were lost on the battlefield. They could not see Abhimanyu, nor their own people, nor the enemies in the battle.
Upon witnessing the dreadful and immense form, Abhimanyu, the son of Kuru, manifested a very fierce and radiant weapon.
Then, O king, the entire world was illuminated, and he destroyed the demon's wicked illusion.
The best among men, filled with great power and anger, enveloped the demon king in the battle with his arrows that had bent joints.
The demon employed many other illusions, but Arjuna, with his immeasurable soul and knowledge of all weapons, warded them off.
The demon was killed by the arrows. Terrified, they abandoned their chariot and fled from the battlefield.
Arjuna swiftly defeated the deceitful demon warrior and crushed your army in battle, just like an intoxicated wild elephant tramples a lotus pond filled with lotuses.
Upon witnessing the army in retreat, Bhīṣma, the son of Śāntanu, encircled Abhimanyu with a formidable division of chariots.
The sons of Dhritarashtra, being great warriors, surrounded the hero and many of them attacked him in battle, piercing him firmly with arrows.
He was a hero among the charioteers, possessing valor equal to his father and comparable to Vāsudeva in both prowess and strength.
He, being the best among all weapon bearers, performed actions in battle that were similar to those of both his father and his maternal uncle.
Then, O king, Arjuna, intolerant and eager for his son, cut through your soldiers and approached Bhishma in the battle.
In the battle, O king, your father Devavrata confronted Arjuna just as Swarbhanu would confront the sun.
Then, your sons, accompanied by chariots, elephants, and horses, surrounded and protected Bhishma on all sides in the battle, O lord of the people.
In the same manner, O king, the Pandavas surrounded Arjuna and were ready and eager for the great battle, O best of the Bharatas.
Then Sharadvata stood in front of Bhishma, O king, and Arjuna covered him with twenty-five arrows.
Then Satyaki approached and attacked him with sharp arrows to please the Pandavas, like a tiger attacking an elephant.
Gautama, filled with anger and haste, shot nine peacock-feathered arrows at Madhava, piercing him in the heart.
The son of Śini, despite being severely wounded and enraged, took up a dreadful arrow aimed at ending Gautama.
In his extreme anger, Aśvatthāmā, filled with rage, swiftly cut the approaching figure, who shone like Indra's thunderbolt, into two.
After leaving Gautama, the best among charioteers, the son of Śini attacked Aśvatthāmā in battle, just as Rāhu attacks the moon in the sky.
Drona's son severed his bow in two, O Bharata. Then, having rendered him weaponless, he attacked with arrows.
He, taking another bow, the mighty destroyer of enemies, placed sixty arrows on the chest of Ashwatthama, the son of Drona, O great king.
Wounded and distressed, he sat down on the chariot seat for a moment, leaning against the flagstaff, overcome with faintness.
Regaining his senses, the valiant son of Drona, in a fit of rage during the battle, struck down the son of Vrishni (Krishna) with a deadly iron arrow.
The son of Śini pierced through and entered the earth's surface, just as a strong young serpent enters its hole during the spring season.
Then, Drona's son, with another arrow, cut off the best of Mādhava's flags in the battle and roared like a lion.
Once more, O Bharata, he enveloped him with dreadful arrows, just as a cloud obscures the sun at the close of summer, O great king.
Satyaki, after destroying the multitude of arrows, swiftly attacked Ashwatthama, the son of Drona, with numerous showers of arrows, O great king.
Sātyaki, known as the destroyer of enemy heroes, tormented Aśvatthāmā in the same way the sun emerges from behind the clouds.
Satyaki, with his immense strength, covered the prepared one again with a thousand arrows and let out a mighty roar.
Seeing his son being seized like the moon by Rāhu, the mighty Bhāradvāja rushed towards Śaineya.
In the great battle, O king, he pierced with a sharp arrow, desiring to protect his own son, who was tormented by Varshneya.
Satyaki, after defeating the teacher's son, the great warrior, in battle, struck Drona with twenty iron-tipped arrows.
Then, Arjuna, the son of Kunti, with his chariot drawn by white horses, angrily rushed towards Drona in the battlefield, as a great warrior.
Then Droṇa and Pārtha encountered each other in the great battle, just as Budha and Śukra meet in the sky, O great king.
