09.009
Core and Pancharatra: While King Madra faces the Pandavas alone, the rest of the Kaurava forces retreat. Nakula kills Chitrasena, Satyasena, and Suṣeṇa, sons of Karna.
Sanjaya said:
Upon witnessing the disarray of his forces, the valiant king of Madra commanded his charioteer, "Drive the swift horses with haste."
Here stands King Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu, shining with a white umbrella held over him.
"Lead me quickly here, O charioteer, and see my strength. My sons of Pritha are not capable of standing before the enemy in battle today."
Having been thus addressed, the charioteer of the king of Madra then proceeded to the place where the truthful king, Dharmaraja Yudhishthira, was present.
Suddenly, as the great force of the Pandavas approached in battle, Shalya alone stood firm, like a shore holding back the ocean.
The Pandavas' army, upon facing Shalya, stood firm in the battle, resembling the ocean's force against a mountain.
Upon seeing the Madra king ready for battle, the Kurus retreated, accepting death as their fate.
O king, when the armies were arranged in their respective formations, a fierce and bloody battle began. Nakula, filled with the fury of battle, was challenged by Citrasena.
They both approached each other, bearing wonderful bows, like clouds rising and raining from the south and north.
In the battle, both sides showered each other with arrows, making it impossible to distinguish between the Pandavas and their opponents.
Both were skilled in weapons and strong, experts in chariotry, intent on killing each other, and eager to find weaknesses in their opponent.
Citrasena skillfully severed Nakula's bow at the grip with a sharp, yellow arrow, demonstrating his prowess in battle, O great king.
Then, unperturbed, he placed three golden-feathered, stone-sharpened arrows on his forehead, even though his bow was broken.
He shot sharp arrows at the horses, sending them to their death. Similarly, he knocked down the flag and the charioteer with three arrows each.
Nakul, adorned with three arrows on his forehead, appeared majestic like a three-peaked mountain, O king.
The hero, having his bow broken and chariot lost, took up his sword and shield and descended from the chariot like a lion from a mountain peak.
As he approached with his feet, he unleashed a shower of arrows. Nakula, swift in action, also took the lead with his shield.
The mighty-armed warrior, having gained Citraseṇa's chariot and overcome fatigue, ascended it as the entire army watched.
The Pāṇḍava beheaded Citraseṇa, whose head was adorned with earrings, a crown, a beautiful nose, and large eyes. Citraseṇa fell from the chariot, shining like the sun.
Upon witnessing the fall of Citrasena, the great warriors there erupted in praises and resounding lion-roars.
Upon witnessing their brother slain, Karna's sons, the mighty warriors Suṣena and Satyasena, began to unleash sharp arrows.
Then, O king, like two tigers in a great forest desiring to kill an elephant, they quickly ran towards the best of the charioteers, the Pāṇḍava.
The two sharp warriors rushed towards the great chariot, releasing a shower of arrows just as clouds release rain.
Pierced from all sides by arrows, he appeared delighted like a Pāṇḍava. Taking another bow and ascending the chariot, the valiant hero stood in the battlefield, resembling Death in his wrathful form.
His two brothers, O king, began to shatter the chariot with arrows having bent joints, O lord of men.
Then, with a smile, Nakula slew the four horses of Satyasena in the battle using four sharp and keen weapons.
Then the Pandava, having fixed a golden-feathered, stone-sharpened arrow, cut the bow of Satyasena, O king.
Then Satyasena and Suṣeṇa, having mounted another chariot and armed with another bow, rushed towards the Pāṇḍava.
The valiant son of Madri, unperturbed, struck those two with two arrows each at the forefront of the battle, O great king.
Suṣena, in a fit of anger, skillfully severed the great bow of the Pāṇḍava with a razor-sharp arrow during the battle, laughing as he did so.
Then Nakul, in a fit of rage, took another bow and shot five arrows at Sushena, cutting off his flag with one.
In the battle, O great one, he forcefully cut off Satyasena's bow and quiver. Then, the people shouted in amazement.
Then, he took another swift and powerful bow and covered the son of Pandu with arrows from all sides.
Nakula, known for his prowess in battle, skillfully deflected the incoming arrows and struck down Satyasena and Suṣeṇa with two arrows each, showcasing his combat expertise.
The two warriors attacked him with precision, each arrow flying straight and true. O king, they also targeted and struck his charioteer with their sharp arrows.
Satyasena, the valiant and skillful warrior, cut the bow of Nakula's chariot with two arrows.
The great warrior stood on the chariot and touched the chariot weapon, which had a golden handle, was sharp-pointed, oil-polished, and very clean.
The lord, like a serpent maiden with great poison, raised and threw in the battle of Satyasena.
She struck his heart in the battle, shattering it into a hundred pieces, O king. He fell from the chariot to the ground, devoid of life and consciousness.
Upon witnessing his brother's death, Suṣeṇa, filled with rage, swiftly attacked the foot-soldier, the son of Pāṇḍu, with a barrage of arrows.
Upon seeing Nakul without his chariot, the powerful son of Draupadi, Sutasoma, hurried to safeguard his father on the battlefield.
Then Nakula, having ascended the chariot of Sutasoma, shone like a lion dwelling on a mountain, being the best of the Bharatas.
The two great charioteers, having approached each other with showers of arrows, made efforts to kill each other.
Suṣeṇa, in his anger, then shot three arrows at Pāṇḍava and twenty at Sutasoma, striking them in the arms and chest.
Then, the valiant Nakula, filled with anger, covered all directions with his arrows, demonstrating his prowess as a great king and destroyer of enemy heroes.
Then, he swiftly took the sharp-pointed, crescent-shaped, well-feathered arrow and hurled it at Karna's son during the battle.
By him, the head was severed from the body, O best of kings, while all the armies watched; it seemed like a marvel.
He was killed and fell, O king, by the great soul Nakula, like a great tree uprooted from the riverbank by the force of the river.
Upon witnessing the death of Karna's son and Nakula's bravery, your army retreated in fear, O esteemed Bharata.
The powerful king of Madra, a heroic general and subduer of enemies, protected that army in battle, O great king.
Vibhishana, having arranged the army, stood firm and made a terrible sound with his bow, accompanied by an intense lion's roar, O great king.
Your soldiers, O king, protected by the strong archer, fearlessly advanced against the enemies from all directions.
The great army surrounded the Madra king, a great archer, from all directions, standing ready to fight, O king.
Satyaki, Bhimasena, and the sons of Madri, the Pandavas, placed Yudhishthira, the subduer of enemies, at the forefront with modesty and restraint.
Surrounding the battlefield, the heroes roared like lions and created fierce sounds of arrows and various whistling noises.
In the same way, all your men, having easily surrounded the king of Madras, were very enraged and approved the battle once more.
Then a battle began, which increased the fear among the fearful, leading to death and retreat for both your forces and the enemies.
"Just as there was a battle between the gods and demons in the past, O lord of the people, so too is the prosperity of the fearless kings and the immortal kingdom."
Then, O king, Arjuna, the one with the monkey banner, after defeating the Trigartas in battle, charged towards the Kaurava army.
In the same manner, the remaining Pandavas, led by Dhrishtadyumna, charged at the army, shooting sharp arrows.
A state of confusion emerged among those scattered by the Pandavas. They could not recognize the troops, the directions, or the quarters.
The Kaurava army, filled with sharp arrows urged by the Pandavas, was being decimated by the sons of Pandu, the great charioteers, as slain heroes lay scattered all around.
In the same manner, O king, the Pandava army was attacked by your sons with arrows from all sides in the battle, first by hundreds and then by thousands.
The armies, greatly afflicted and killing each other, became confused like rivers during the rainy season.
Then, O King, a great and intense fear gripped both your side and the Pandavas in the midst of the great battle.
