07.027
Pancharatra and Core: Arjuna returns to fight Shusharman of Trigarts; then he deals with Bhagadatta.
Sanjaya said:
Then Krishna, eager for battle, sent Arjuna's swift and golden-adorned horses towards Drona's army.
As the best of the Kurus was departing to protect his own men afflicted by Drona, Susharma, along with his brothers, followed him from behind, eager for battle.
Then the white-horsed Arjuna said to Krishna, "O unconquered one, victory is ours! Susharma, along with his brothers, is challenging me, O infallible one."
O enemy-slayer, our army is expanding towards the north, and today my mind has been divided by the Saṃśaptakas.
What should I do? Should I kill the Saṁśaptakas or protect my own people who are afflicted by enemies? You know my opinion on this matter, what would be the right thing to do?
Upon hearing these words, the descendant of the Daśārhas turned his chariot back, responding to the challenge posed by the lord of the Trigartas to the son of Pandu.
Then Arjuna shot seven swift arrows at Suśarman, cutting off his flag and bow with two razor-sharp arrows.
Arjuna swiftly dispatched the brother of the Trigarta king, along with his horse and charioteer, to an endless death using six iron arrows.
Then Susharma, resembling a serpent, hurled the iron spear at Arjuna, directing it towards Vasudeva.
Arjuna skillfully cut through the power and spear with his arrows, bewildered Suśarman, and then turned back from the battlefield.
No one could stop him, who was approaching like Indra, with a flood of arrows as abundant as rain, O king, not even your fierce armies.
Then Arjuna, with his arrows, approached and began to slay the great warriors, burning the Kauravas like a fire consuming the earth.
The people could not endure the unbearable speed of the wise son of Kunti, just as they cannot endure the touch of fire.
The Pandava, enveloping the troops with a shower of arrows, approached Pragjyotisha like the swoop of Garuda, O King.
The bow, known as the victorious sacrifice of the Bharatas, brings auspiciousness in battle and increases the tears of the departing enemies.
O king, it was indeed for the destruction of the kshatriyas that your son, the gambler of the evil dice game, caused Arjuna to take up the bow.
O great king, your army was shattered by Arjuna as if a ship had struck a mountain.
Then, ten thousand bowmen, having resolved in their minds, turned back in the battle, as angry heroes contemplating victory and defeat.
Freed from the fear in his heart, the chariot transcended the duty in calamity. Arjuna, capable of bearing all burdens, approached the heavy burden in battle.
In the same way that an angry old man of sixty years might crush a forest of reeds, the weary Arjuna devastated your forces.
In the midst of the shattered army, King Bhagadatta, riding his elephant, suddenly charged at Arjuna.
The fearless warrior, like a tiger among men, received him with his chariot. The encounter between the chariots and elephants became tumultuous.
Bhagadatta and Dhananjaya, the two heroes, moved into the battle with their chariot and elephant, as per the scriptures.
Then Bhagadatta, like Indra overpowering from the clouds, showered Arjuna with a multitude of arrows.
The mighty son of Vāsava intercepted and cut off Bhagadatta's arrow shower with his own, before it could reach him.
Then the king of Prāgjyotiṣa, after warding off the shower of arrows, attacked the mighty-armed Arjuna and Krishna with his arrows, O Bharata.
Then he covered those two with a great shower of arrows and urged the elephant to kill Acyuta and Partha.
Janardana, seeing the elephant charging towards him as if it were death itself in anger, swiftly maneuvered his chariot to the left.
Arjuna, recalling his duty, refrained from killing the great elephant and its rider, even though they had approached.
The serpent, after destroying the elephants, chariots, and horses, sent them to the world of death, which made Arjuna angry.
