07.048
Pancharatra and Core: When the wheel was shattered, Abhimanyu took up the mighty mace. Dushasana kills Abhimanyu by hitting his head, when he had fallen unconscious.
Sanjaya said:
He, adorned with Vishnu's weapons and bringing joy, shone as a great chariot-warrior in battle, like another Janardana, the aspect of Vishnu.
The gods found it difficult to behold even the lords of the earth, seeing the form with hair ends blown by the wind and the best weapon raised against the enemy.
The wheel was shattered into many pieces by the greatly disturbed warriors. Then, the great chariot-warrior Kārṣṇi, a descendant of Krishna, took up a mighty mace.
Abhimanyu, wielding a mace, attacked Ashwatthama, as the chariot, deprived of its charioteer and wheels, was rendered ineffective by the warriors.
The bull among men, upon seeing the raised mace blazing like a thunderbolt, retreated three steps from the chariot seat.
The son of Subhadra, with his body covered in arrows, having slain the horses and both the charioteer with a mace, appeared like a dog.
Then he defeated Subala's descendant, Kālakeya, and slew his seventy-seven followers from Gandhara.
Once more, he slew ten charioteers belonging to the Brahmavasatiya. After destroying seven chariots of the Kekayas and ten elephants, Duhshasana's son crushed the chariot along with its horses using a mace.
Then, in anger, Duhshasana raised his mace and rushed towards Abhimanyu, shouting "Stop, stop."
The two valiant warriors, with maces held high, sought each other's death, clashing like the ancient foes Tryambaka (Shiva) and Antaka (Yama).
The two warriors, having struck each other with the tips of their maces, fell to the ground like Indra's banners cast down in the midst of battle, both being great warriors who scorched their foes.
Duhshasana, rising to the occasion as the enhancer of the Kuru dynasty's fame, struck the valiant Abhimanyu on the head with his mace as Abhimanyu was getting up.
The son of Subhadra, a great warrior known for defeating enemy heroes, was overwhelmed by the force of the mace and his exertion, causing him to fall unconscious to the ground. In this way, O king, he was slain alone by many in the battle.
The hero, having stirred the entire army like an elephant in a lotus pond, lay slain, resembling a forest elephant felled by hunters.
Your men surrounded the fallen hero just as a forest fire is extinguished at the end of winter.
The wind, after crushing the tree tops, returned as if the sun had set, having scorched the Bharata army.
The face, like a full moon, appeared flooded like the moon and dried up like the ocean, with eyes resembling crow's wings.
Upon seeing him fallen on the ground, your great warriors, filled with immense joy, roared repeatedly like lions.
There was immense joy among your people, O lord, while tears fell from the eyes of the other heroes.
The beings in the sky cry out, O lord of the people, upon seeing the hero fallen and displaced like the moon from the sky.
Drona, Karna, and the six great warriors, sons of Dhritarashtra, have killed this one who now lies dead. This is not considered righteousness by us.
But when the hero was slain, the earth shone greatly, just as the sky shines adorned with a multitude of stars by the full moon.
The scene was filled with arrows that had golden feathers and was drenched in streams of blood, with the shining heads of heroes adorned with earrings.
The scene was adorned with various praises, flags, and fans, covered with canopies, and scattered with excellent garments.
The chariots, horses, men, and elephants were adorned with brilliant ornaments; the sharp yellow swords were like snakes released.
The earth was resplendent, covered with bows, arrows, spears, javelins, lances, and various other weapons.
The battlefield was strewn with lifeless horses and riders, their bodies smeared with blood, all felled by Saubhadra.
The elephants, equipped with goads, accompanied by great ministers and adorned with all kinds of weapons and banners, appeared like mountains that had been destroyed and pierced by arrows.
The earth was strewn with warriors who had lost their horses and charioteers, resembling pools disturbed by slain elephants and superior chariots.
The earth, strewn with the bodies of slain foot soldiers and adorned with various weapons and ornaments, became a terrifying sight, instilling fear in the hearts of the timid.
When they saw him fallen on the ground, shining like the moon and sun, your side was filled with great joy, while the Pandavas were filled with distress.
O King, when Abhimanyu, who was still a child and had not yet reached youth, was killed, the entire army of Dharmaraja fled while he watched.
Upon witnessing the disarrayed army and the fall of Abhimanyu, Yudhishthira addressed his warriors with these words.
This brave warrior, who faced the enemy without retreating and was slain, has ascended to heaven. Stand firm, do not fear, for we shall defeat the enemies in battle.
In this way, the greatly powerful and splendid Dharmaraja, the best among warriors, consoled the distressed by removing their sorrow.
In the battle, Arjuna's son first killed many serpent-like princes and then followed afterwards.
After slaying ten thousand warriors and the great charioteer Kausalya, Kārṣṇi, who was equal to Krishna and Arjuna, certainly ascended to Indra's abode.
Having slain thousands of chariots, horses, men, and elephants, he remained unsatisfied from the battle, yet he was not to be lamented as he was a performer of virtuous deeds.
We, having slain their best, were wounded by arrows and approached the resting place in the evening, covered in blood.
Observing the battle, both we and others slowly retreated, O great king, having become weary and dispirited.
Then, at the junction of night and day, an unusual and wonderful sound occurred. The sun, resembling a lotus seat, was delaying its setting as it approached the mountain.
The sun, spreading the radiance of a multitude of arrows, spears, javelins, shields, armors, and ornaments, seems to bring together the sky and the earth as it approaches the beloved fire.
The peaks of the great cloud mountains appeared as if struck by many elephants, resembling thunderbolts. With Vijayanti, Ankusa, and Varma as drivers, they were felled, groaning like a cow lying dead.
O king, the earth appeared resplendent with the remains of great chariots, fallen lords, shattered infantry gear, slain horses and charioteers, devoid of banners and standards, resembling cities destroyed by vanquished enemies.
The earth looked horrifying and grotesque, littered with chariots, horses, and slain warriors; scattered with various weapons and ornaments; and with tongues, teeth, entrails, and eyes removed.
The warriors, who once bore excellent weapons and adorned themselves with armor and ornaments, now lie slain on the battlefield, accompanied by fallen elephants, horses, and chariots. They, who were always accustomed to luxurious beds and coverings, now lie on the ground like the helpless.
The dogs, jackals, and crows were extremely delighted, as were the vultures, eagles, wolves, and hyenas. The blood-drinking birds and troops of demons, along with the groups of goblins, were very terrible in the battle.
They pierce the skin, drink the fat and blood, eat the marrow and flesh. They tear apart the membranes, laugh, sing, and drag the corpses in various ways.
The battlefield was a gruesome sight, filled with heaps of bodies and rivers of blood. Chariots and moons, elephants and narrow mountains were scattered around. Human heads, stones, and flesh formed a muddy ground, adorned with a variety of weapons.
The river, terrifying like the mythical Vaitarani and hard to cross, was set in motion by the best warriors of the time. It flowed intensely through the heart of the battlefield, instilling fear and carrying the essence of life and death.
In that place, the unseen and various terrifying groups of demons drink and eat, delighting in frightening living beings, sharing their meals with dogs, jackals, and birds.
Thus, at nightfall, the fierce battle appeared like the kingdom of the lord of ancestors; the men, observing slowly, departed, as the Arundha clan arose and crowded the scene.
The people then saw Abhimanyu, the great chariot-warrior, fallen in battle, deprived of his disheveled, valuable ornaments, like a fire that has consumed the offerings in the assembly.
