08.062
Pancharatra and Core: Bhima kills the other brothers as well, while Karna watches on as a meek spectator fearing Bhima. Arjuna kills Vṛṣasena.
Sanjaya said:
When Duhshasana was killed, your sons, the mighty charioteers, filled with immense rage, bravely stood their ground in battle. O king, ten of them, possessing great valor, surrounded Bhima with a barrage of arrows.
He is armored, bearing a sword, noose, staff, and bow. He is not greedy, holds a spear, and is jointed, swift as the wind and radiant.
Gathered together and distressed by their brother's plight, they restrained the mighty-armed Bhimasena with arrows.
Bhima, obstructed by arrows from all directions by the great charioteers, appeared with eyes red in anger, enraged, resembling death itself.
Rukmangada, with his swift and sharp arrows, dispatched them to the realm of Yama.
As those brave warriors were killed, your forces retreated in fear, observed by Karna, who was troubled by the fear of the Pandavas.
Then, O great king, Karṇa entered the fierce battle, witnessing Bhīma's heroism, akin to the destroyer among the people.
Śalya, who was aware of the nature of forms and splendid in the assembly, addressed Karna, the subduer of enemies, saying, "Do not be distressed, son of Radha, this is not appropriate for you."
"These kings, struck by the fear of Bhimasena, are fleeing. Duryodhana, too, is confused and grieved by his brother's misfortune."
As the great soul drank the blood of Duḥśāsana, his mind was disturbed, and he was overcome by grief and anger.
Kripa, Karna, and the remaining brothers gather around and worship Duryodhana, encircling him completely.
The Pandavas, having achieved their objectives and led by Arjuna, stand ready to face you in battle, with the heroes assembled.
You, O tiger among men, stand firm in your great valor and confront Dhananjaya, keeping the duty of a warrior foremost in your mind.
The entire responsibility has been entrusted to you by Dhritarashtra's son. Carry it out, O mighty-armed one, to the best of your ability and strength. Victory will bring great fame, while defeat will ensure a place in heaven.
Vṛṣasena, the son of Radha, in a fit of anger and delusion, rushes towards the Pandavas as you remain bewildered.
Upon hearing the words of Śalya, who possessed immeasurable energy, he resolved firmly in his heart to engage in battle.
Then, in his anger, Vṛṣasena charged towards the steadfast Bhima, who stood on his chariot like the embodiment of death, wielding a mace and crushing the enemy forces.
Nakula, the valiant hero, charged at the enemy in a fit of rage, shooting arrows. Meanwhile, Arjuna, eager to slay, was filled with joy in the battle, akin to Indra confronting the demon Jambha.
Then the hero Nakula, with a razor, cut the crystal-painted conch flag and the wonderful bow of Karna's son, which was bound with a golden band, using an arrow.
Then, Karna's son swiftly took another bow and attacked the Pandava with divine great weapons. Nakul, wielding a great weapon, sought revenge for Duhshasana.
Then, the great-souled Nakul, in his anger, pierced him with arrows resembling great meteors. In response, Karna's son, who was skilled in divine weapons, also struck Nakul.
The son of Karna, who was the king of Nakula, used excellent weapons to destroy all the horses. These were the swift, white horses born in the forest, adorned with gold, belonging to the tender one.
Then, after descending from the slain horse and the vehicle, he gave a beautiful armor adorned with eight moons. Taking a sword that resembled the sky, he moved as if floating like a bird.
Then in the sky, the best of men cut off the paths of horses and elephants, wandering in various ways. They fell to the earth, slaughtered by the sword, just like animals are slaughtered by the butcher in the horse sacrifice.
Two thousand renowned warriors from various regions, who were well-maintained and truthful, were swiftly cut down by Nakula, as if they were excellent sandalwood trees being felled by a skilled carpenter.
He attacked Nakul as he approached, piercing him with arrows from all directions. Tormented by the arrows, Nakul retaliated by piercing the hero and became furious when wounded.
Karna's son, seeing the hero scattering men, horses, elephants, and charioteers, shot him with eighteen arrows, causing the hero to become angry when wounded.
Then, the heroic son of Pandu, intent on killing, rushed into battle towards Karna's son. In the great battle, Karna's son pierced his shield, which was adorned with a thousand stars, with arrows.
His iron sword, sharp and keen-edged, unsheathed and heavy, capable of bearing weight, was like a fierce serpent in the hands of the wielder, capable of destroying the enemy's body.
Amitrasaha quickly cut the sword with six sharp and excellent arrows. Then, with yellow and sharp arrows, he deeply pierced the chest again.
The son of Madri, whose horses of Bhimasena's chariot were killed and who was tormented by Karna's son, leapt like a lion to the mountain peak while watching Dhananjaya.
Then, realizing Nakula's plight, with his bow and sword destroyed, left without a chariot and tormented by enemy arrows, Karna's son, with flags fluttering in the wind, and horses roaring and prancing, those chariots, guided by excellent warriors, swiftly moved forward.
The foremost among the sons of Drupada, along with the sixth son of Śaineya, and the sons of Drupada's daughter, all valiant warriors, are destroying your elephants, chariots, men, and horses with their serpent-like arrows, having taken up arms.
Then your chief charioteers, including the son of Hṛdika, Kṛpa, Aśvatthāmā, and Duryodhana, along with Śakuni, Śuka, Vṛka, Krātha, Deva, and Vṛdha, approached hastily, accompanied by the sounds of elephants, clouds, chariots, and bows.
Your best warriors, those eleven heroes, besieged the enemy without striking with their excellent foremost arrows. The Kuṇindas, resembling mountain peaks, advanced with terrible speed on elephants colored like nine clouds.
The intoxicated elephants from the Himalayas, eager for battle and well-positioned by the skilled ones, appeared as if they were clouds adorned with lightning, covered in golden nets.
The son of Kuṇinda, using ten mighty arrows, fiercely attacked Kṛpa along with his charioteer and horses. Then, the son of Śaradvat, struck down by arrows, fell to the ground with his elephant.
The younger brother of the son of the Kuṇinda, armed with spears that shone like the sun's rays, shook the chariot and roared fiercely. Then, the lord of Gandhara beheaded him.
Then, after the Kunindas were slain, your great warriors, joyful in appearance, blew their conches intensely, which were born of the salty sea, and approached the others with bows and arrows in hand.
Then, once again, a fierce and terrible battle ensued between the Kurus and the Pandavas along with the Srinjayas. The battlefield was filled with arrows, swords, spears, javelins, maces, and axes, causing great chaos among the warriors, horses, and elephants.
Then, chariots, horses, elephants, and foot-soldiers clashed with each other and fell to the ground, like clouds with lightning and thunder, gathered from all directions by fierce winds.
Then, the great elephants killed by Śatānīka, along with your chariots and infantry groups, were slain by Bhoja. The horses fell, cut down by Kṛtavarman's weapons, as did the elephants.
Then, three elephants, struck by the arrows of Drona's son, along with all their weapons, warriors, and banners, fell lifeless to the ground, just like great mountains struck down by a thunderbolt.
Immediately following, the younger brother of the King of the Kunindas attacked your son with excellent arrows in the chest; in return, your son pierced both his body and the elephant with sharp arrows.
The king of serpents, accompanied by the prince, fell with blood flowing all around, just as water flows from a red mountain when struck by Indra's thunderbolt during the arrival of clouds.
Another elephant, sent by the son of Kuninda, attacked Shuka, destroying his chariot, horses, and charioteer. Then, pierced by Kratha's arrow, he fell with his master, like a mountain struck by lightning.
The charioteer was struck by the elephant-rider's arrows and fell. The invincible lord of Kratha, defeated by the son of Parvata, fell along with his horses, charioteer, and banner, just like a great tree felled by a mighty wind.
The wolf fiercely attacked the elephant-mounted mountain king dweller with twelve arrows. Then, in a swift move, he crushed the wolf along with the horse and chariot using his four feet.
The king of serpents, along with his charioteer, was struck down by Babhru's arrows and fell. Similarly, Devavṛdha's son, being wounded, was struck down by Sahadeva's son and fell.
Kuṇinda's son, a descendant of the horn, rushed with great speed and distress to kill Śakuni using the elephant; then the king of Gandhara severed his head.
Then, struck by Śatānīka, your great elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry were shattered and fell to the ground, like trees struck by Garuda's wind.
The son of Kuninda, smiling, attacked the son of Nakula with many sharp arrows. In response, the son of Nakula severed his head, which had a face resembling a lotus, using a razor.
Then, Karna's son shot three sharp arrows at Śatānīka, three at Arjuna, seven at Bhima and Nakula, and twelve at Janardana.
Having observed that his actions were beyond human deeds, the delighted Kauravas honored him. However, those who understood valor thought that Dhananjaya was as if offered into the fire.
Then, Arjuna, the crowned hero and slayer of enemy warriors, upon seeing the valiant warrior with his horses slain, charged towards Vṛṣasena in the battle, who was positioned in front of Karna's son.
The fierce hero among men, bearing thousands of arrows, approached in the great battle; the great chariot warrior, son of Karna, attacked just as Namuchi did to Indra in ancient times.
Then, the son of Karna, a great hero, pierced Arjuna with a hundred wonderful arrows and roared loudly, reminiscent of Namuchi who once pierced Indra in ancient times.
Vṛṣasena attacked Arjuna again with fierce arrows, hitting him at the base of the arm. Similarly, he struck Krishna with nine arrows and once more targeted Arjuna with ten sharp-pointed arrows.
Then Arjuna, filled with anger, furrowed his brow into a three-pronged frown on his forehead and unleashed sharp arrows, aiming to kill the son of Suta in the battle, O king.
Arjuna, with great skill and force, struck his opponent with ten arrows, deeply embedding them. He then swiftly severed his opponent's bow, arms, and even his head with four sharp razors.
Struck by Arjuna's arrow, he fell from the chariot, headless and with arms outstretched, onto the ground, resembling a fully blossomed śāla tree with leaves, blown by the wind from a mountain peak.
Upon seeing his son struck by arrows and falling from the chariot, the quick-thinking charioteer, overwhelmed by the grief of the crowned one's son's death, swiftly maneuvered his chariot with great speed.
