07.025
Core and Pancharatra: Battle between Bhima and Duryodhana; Bhima and Pragjyotisha; Yudhishthira and Bhagadatta. Bhagadatta along with his elephant gains the upper hand on the Pandava army.
Dhritarashtra spoke:
In this way, when they had returned and advanced in parts, how did the sons of Pṛthā and my mighty warriors engage in battle?
O Sañjaya, what actions did Arjuna take against the Saṃśaptaka forces? Or what did the Saṃśaptakas do to Arjuna?
Sanjaya said:
Thus, after they had returned and advanced in parts, your son personally attacked Bhima with an elephant army.
He, like a serpent confronting another serpent, like a bull confronting another bull, was personally invited by the king and attacked the army of elephants.
Arjuna, skilled in battle and endowed with great strength, swiftly destroyed the elephant army, O lord.
The mighty elephants, resembling mountains and oozing ichor, were rendered disoriented and deprived of their ichor by Bhimasena's arrows.
Just as the wind scatters the clouds in all directions, the son of the wind scattered the armies in the same way.
Bhima, releasing arrows, shone among the elephants like the sun risen among all the worlds.
They were pierced by Bhima's arrows in hundreds and dispersed like various clouds in the sky by the rays of the sun.
Duryodhana, in anger, approached the son of the wind who was causing the slaughter of elephants and pierced him with sharp arrows.
Then, in an instant, Bhima, with bloodshot eyes, aimed to destroy, struck the king with sharp arrows.
He, with his entire body pierced by arrows, angrily attacked the Pāṇḍava, Bhīmasena, with iron arrows that shone like sun rays, as if he were smiling.
The Pandava swiftly severed the jewel-adorned serpent on the banner with two arrows.
O great one, seeing Duryodhana being oppressed by Bhima, Anga approached, desiring to stir things up, mounted on an elephant.
Bhimasena fiercely struck the oncoming elephant, whose roar was like thunder, with an arrow between its temples.
His body pierced through and sank into the ground. Then the elephant fell like a mountain struck by a thunderbolt.
Vrikodara, with swift action, severed the head of the barbarian whose elephant was bending and falling, using an arrow.
When the hero fell, the army fled in panic, trampling over the terrified horses, elephants, chariots, and foot soldiers.
As all the armies were fleeing in every direction, Pragjyotisha then attacked Bhima with an elephant.
The serpent by whom Indra conquered the demons and Danavas, that chief of serpents suddenly attacked Bhima.
Then, with ears and feet, with joined hands and averted eyes, he appeared angry, as if burning the Pāṇḍava.
Then a great cry arose from the entire army: "Alas, alas, Bhima has been killed by the elephant, O lord."
The sound caused the Pandava army to panic and suddenly attack, O king, where Bhima (Vrikodara) was standing.
Then King Yudhishthira, believing that Vrikodara had been slain, surrounded Bhagadatta with the Panchalas from every direction.
The best of the charioteers surrounded him on all sides with their chariots and showered him with sharp arrows by the hundreds and thousands.
He, using a goad, destroyed the arrows and attacked the Pāṇḍavas and the Pāñcālas with his elephant, the lord of mountains.
In the battle, we witnessed the remarkable feat of Bhagadatta; likewise, the actions of the elder with the elephant, O lord of men.
Then the king of the Daśārṇas launched an attack on Prāgjyotiṣa using an intoxicated serpent that moved swiftly and horizontally.
A fierce battle took place between the two serpents of terrifying appearance, reminiscent of the ancient times when winged mountains with trees clashed.
The serpent belonging to the lord of Prāgjyotiṣa gathered and turned away, and beside the lord of Daśārṇa, it pierced and caused the elephant to fall.
Bhagadatta, with his seven sunbeam-like spears, struck the enemy who was seated on a moving elephant.
Yudhishthira, with his great chariot army, approached and surrounded King Bhagadatta from all sides.
He, seated on an elephant, appeared resplendent surrounded by charioteers on all sides, like a blazing fire in the heart of the forest on the mountain.
The serpent turned around in a circle, closely packed from all sides by charioteers and fierce bowmen, who were showering arrows.
Then the king of Prāgjyotiṣa quickly sent the elephant warriors towards Yuyudhāna's chariot after surrounding them.
The great elephant seized the chariot of Shini's grandson and hurled it with great speed, but Yuyudhana managed to retreat.
The charioteer, after raising the mighty Sindhu horses, stood once more on the drenched chariot upon reaching Satyaki.
Nāga, seizing the moment, swiftly emerged from the chariot circle and dispersed all the kings.
The kings, frightened by his swift movement, regarded him, the lone elephant in the battle, as equivalent to hundreds.
The Pandavas are being tormented by Bhagadatta, who is mounted on an elephant, just as the demons are tormented by the king of gods, Indra, who is mounted on Airavata.
As Bhima and the Panchalas fled in various directions, a tremendous noise created by elephants and horses filled the air.
As Bhagadatta harassed the Pandavas in battle, Bhima, filled with anger, once again approached Pragjyotisha.
The serpent used water released from its hand to sprinkle on the vehicles of the charging Arjuna, causing them to be frightened, and then took Arjuna away.
Then, the son of Ruciparva swiftly approached him, unleashing a torrent of arrows while standing on his chariot, appearing like death itself.
Then, the lord of the mountains was brought to Yama's abode with a beautifully-feathered, well-jointed arrow with bent joints.
When the hero fell, the son of Subhadra, along with the sons of Draupadi, Cekitana, Dhrishtaketu, and Yuyutsu, attacked the elephant.
They attacked him with a barrage of arrows, like clouds pouring rain, accompanied by terrifying sounds, with the intent to kill.
Then, the skilled mahout urged the elephant with his heel, goad, and thumb, and the elephant swiftly moved forward with its trunk extended and its ears and eyes fixed.
He mounted on foot and attacked the charioteer of the one eager to fight. However, your son, in confusion, leapt onto Saubhadra's chariot.
The king, seated on his elephant, released arrows at his enemies and shone like the sun spreading its rays across the worlds.
Arjuna struck him with twelve arrows, Yuyutsu with ten, the sons of Draupadi with three each, and Dhrishtaketu also hit him.
He appeared majestic, like a great cloud interwoven with the sun's rays, covered with arrows shot by the enemy's efforts.
The serpent, afflicted by enemy arrows and sent by the charioteer through skill and effort, threw the enemies around to the left and right.
Bhagadatta, like a cowherd with a stick, repeatedly encircled the army as one would do with herds of cattle in the forest.
The sound of the fleeing Pandavas quickly became intense, like the cries of crows attacked by hawks.
The king of serpents, once struck by the excellent goad, was like the best of mountains with wings, causing great fear among enemies and agitating the merchant groups like the ocean.
Then, O king, in the battle, the terrifying sound produced by the fleeing elephants, chariots, horses, and kings out of fear enveloped the earth, sky, heaven, and all directions.
The king, with the help of the excellent elephant, fiercely attacked the enemy's army, reminiscent of how Virocana once challenged the well-guarded army of the gods in battle.
The wind, a friend of fire, blew intensely, spreading the dust of the sky and repeatedly covering the soldiers. The people thought that the lone elephant was like groups of elephants all around, moving quickly.
