07.035
Pancharatra and Core: Abhimanyu, in-spite of caution from his charioteer, penetrates the Kaurava military formation without a strategy.
Sanjaya said:
Upon hearing the wise words of Dharmaraja, the son of Subhadra urged his charioteer to advance towards Drona's army, O Bharata.
Urged by him, the charioteer said to Abhimanyu, "Go, go," O king, these were the words spoken.
O long-lived one, the Pandavas have placed a great responsibility on you. After careful consideration, you should prepare to fight.
The teacher Droṇa, who is indeed skilled and supreme in the use of weapons, has made great efforts. You, too, have grown extremely comfortable and are an expert in war.
Then Abhimanyu, with a smile, addressed his charioteer, asking whether it was Drona or the entire warrior class they were facing.
Mounted on Airavata, Indra along with the host of gods, I am ready to fight in the battlefield; there is no surprise in my warrior duty today. This enemy army is not worthy of even a sixteenth part of my strength.
Even with Vishnu, the conqueror of the world, as his uncle, O son of a charioteer, neither his father nor Arjuna will fear me in battle.
Then Abhimanyu, ignoring the charioteer's advice, instructed him to proceed towards Drona's army without any delay.
Then, the charioteer, though not very pleased, urged the three-year-old horses adorned with golden ornaments.
The horses dispatched by Sumitra to Drona's forces charged towards Drona with immense speed and bravery, O king.
Seeing him approach, all the warriors led by Droṇa advanced, and both the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas followed him.
He, with a flag raised high like the excellent Karṇikāra tree, wearing golden armor, superior to Arjuna, approached the great warriors like Drona and others with the intent to fight, just as a lion cub approaches elephants.
They engaged in battle formation in twenty positions, launching an attack. It was like a whirlpool in the Ganges, momentarily resembling the ocean.
O king, the fierce and terrible battle among the heroes, who were fighting and killing each other, began.
In the midst of the fierce battle, Arjuna broke through the formation under Drona's watchful eyes and entered.
As he entered the midst of the enemies, the mighty warrior was surrounded by multitudes of elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry, all with raised weapons.
The air was filled with the sounds of various musical instruments, shouts, loud roars, cries, lion's roars, and the repeated call of 'stay, stay'.
With terrible loud sounds, they repeatedly said, "Do not go, stay, come to me," and "This is I there."
With loud sounds, jingling, and laughter, accompanied by the sounds of hooves and wheels, they charged towards Arjuna, making the earth resound.
The hero swiftly and decisively attacked and killed the groups, knowing the vital points and using weapons that pierce those points effectively.
They, being struck by sharp arrows with various signs, attacked him in battle like moths drawn to a flame.
Then, he quickly spread their bodies and limbs across the earth, like kusa grass spread on an altar during a sacrifice.
They were equipped with armored gloves and protectors, carrying bows with arrows, swords, shields, goads, and were fearless, armed with spears and axes.
Armed with clubs, iron-faced spears, axes, javelins, swords, and maces, they were trembling with excellent power.
Equipped with goads, large conch-shells, spears, hooks, hammers meant for throwing, nooses, barriers, and stones.
Arjuna, adorned with armlets and bracelets, cut off thousands of your pleasingly fragrant arms.
O great king, it was as if adorned by Garuda with the severed, blood-stained, five-faced serpents, O lord.
With their beautiful noses, faces, and hair unblemished, adorned with lovely earrings, their lips bitten in anger, they were bleeding profusely.
Adorned with beautiful garlands, crowns, and turbans, shining with gems and jewels, they appeared like stemless lotuses, radiating the brilliance of the sun and moon.
Arjuna, with his virtuous and pleasant demeanor, covered the earth with the heads of his enemies, achieving this through the help of many virtuous allies in due time.
The chariots were constructed properly, resembling the city of celestial beings, with front parts adorned with three bamboos, dispersed and decorated with staffs.
There were men without thighs, hunchbacked, and eyeless; also, there were places without these men, and equipment and tools that were broken and without wheels.
In all directions, there were thousands of slain warriors with shattered equipment, being torn apart by arrows.
Once again, there were elephants, their riders, victorious goads, flags, quivers, armors, girdles, necklaces, and blankets.
He destroyed the bells, trunks, horn-tips, razor-guards, and followers of the enemies with sharp-pointed arrows.
The forest-dwellers, mountain-dwellers, Kambojas, Rattas and Bahlikas, Stiravalas, Dhikarṇākṣas, swift ones, and righteous carriers are described.
The trained warriors, mounted and armed with spears, lances, and javelins, caused the yak-tail fans and umbrellas to be scattered and dispersed.
The scene was gruesome, with bodies deprived of tongues and eyes, intestines scattered, and dense livers exposed. The riders were killed, vessels broken, and the group of carnivorous beings delighted in the chaos.
He stood out by knocking down your finest horses, which were drenched in severed armor, shields, excrement, urine, and blood.
An inconceivable being, like Viṣṇu, having performed a difficult task beforehand, thus churned your great strength into three parts. He destroyed your troops of infantry, O Bhārata.
Thus, Saubhadra, with his sharp arrows, greatly struck that army, reminiscent of how Skanda vanquished the demon army.
Your sons, observing all ten directions, have dry mouths, moving eyes, are sweating, and experiencing horripilation.
They were eager to flee, disheartened in defeating their enemies, calling out each other's clan names, and yearning for life.
After slaying their sons, fathers, friends, relatives, and kinsmen, they departed quickly, leaving behind the horses and elephants.
