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Pancharatra and Core: Midday retreat of the Kaurava army after Shalya is slain by Yudhishthira. Duryodhana blocks his army from the back in an attempt to rally them. Bhima slaughters twenty-one thousand infantrymen who come after him. Duryodhana once again makes his last-ditch attempt to rally his army.
Sanjaya said:
When the invincible Madra king, a great charioteer, fell in battle, your sons and men mostly lost their courage.
The merchants, like those in a broken ship in the vast, unfathomable ocean without a boat, seek the other shore, now that the great hero has been slain.
O great king, the people, like deer distressed by lions, are frightened and wounded by arrows, helpless and seeking a protector in the king of Madra.
At midday, like bulls with broken horns and elephants with broken tusks, we retreated, having been defeated by the son of Dharma.
O king, when Śalya was slain, none of your warriors had the intelligence to unite the armies or to fight in battle.
O Bharata, when Bhishma, Drona, and Karna were slain, the grief and fear that your warriors experienced, O lord of men, that fear and our grief indeed returned again.
Despairing of victory, when Śalya, the great chariot-warrior, was killed, the heroes were defeated, scattered, and cut down by sharp arrows. With the Madra king slain, O king, the warriors fled in fear.
The great charioteers, along with others on horses, elephants, and chariots, mounted swiftly and the infantry fled in fear.
When Śalya was slain, two thousand mighty elephants, resembling mountains and skilled in striking, fled, driven by the goad and thumb of their riders.
O best of the Bharatas, your men fled from the battlefield in all directions. They were running and panting, and eventually became invisible, being afflicted by arrows.
Seeing their enemies scattered and fleeing, dispirited and defeated, the Panchalas and Pandavas, eager for victory, charged forward.
The battlefield was filled with the sounds of arrows, the mighty roar of lions, and the dreadful blare of conches blown by the heroes.
Upon witnessing the Kaurava army in fear and retreating, the Panchalas conversed among themselves along with the Pandavas.
Today, King Yudhishthira, known as Satyadhriti and the conqueror of enemies, stands victorious. Meanwhile, Duryodhana finds himself deprived of his kingly glory by the radiant splendor.
Today, upon hearing of his son's death, King Dhritarashtra, the lord of the people, fell to the ground unconscious, overwhelmed by sin.
"Today, let Arjuna, the son of Kunti, realize the prowess of all archers. Today, the foolish sinner will reproach himself. Today, let the truth of the charioteer's words be remembered by those who speak for the good."
"From today onwards, treat the sons of Pritha as servants. Let the king understand the suffering endured by the sons of Pandu."
Today, the king should recognize Krishna's greatness. He should also be aware of the fearsome sound of Arjuna's bow in the battle.
Today, the formidable strength of Bhima, the great soul, will be realized in the battle, encompassing the might of all weapons and arms.
When Duryodhana was killed in battle, like the demon Maya by Indra, what Bhimasena did in killing Duhshasana, there is no one else in the world who could have done it except Bhima, the mighty.
"Know today the valor of the eldest Pandava. The slaying of the Madra king is very unbearable, even for the gods."
Today, the mighty sons of Madri will realize the full extent of the battle as the heroic Saubala is completely slain among the Gandharas.
How could they not achieve victory when they have warriors like Dhananjaya, Satyaki, Bhimasena, and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata?
The five sons of Draupadi, along with the sons of Madri, the Pandavas, Shikhandi the great archer, and King Yudhishthira were present.
For those whose lord and protector is Krishna, Janardana, the master of the worlds, how can victory not be theirs, when righteousness is their support?
Bhishma, Drona, Karna, and the king of Madra, along with many other kings and heroes, were present in hundreds and thousands.
Who else can conquer in battle except Arjuna and Yudhishthira, whose lord is Krishna, the eternal repository of virtue and fame?
Thus, speaking joyfully, the Sṛñjayas followed your scattered men from behind, O king.
Arjuna, known for his valor, advanced towards the army. Alongside him were the sons of Madri, Shakuni, and the great warrior Satyaki.
Duryodhana, observing everyone fleeing in fear of Bhimasena, spoke to his charioteer with a smile, as if mocking.
Arjuna, standing with his bow in hand, does not transgress. Bring my horses to the rear of all the armies.
Arjuna, the son of Kunti, struck me in battle, and like the great ocean cannot surpass its shore, he cannot surpass me.
"Behold, O charioteer, the great army attacked by the Pandavas, and see the dust of the army rising all around."
"Hear the terrifying and frightening lion roars many times. Therefore, charioteer, proceed slowly and protect the rear."
As I stand firm in the battle and the Pandavas are obstructed, my army swiftly regroups with vigor.
Upon hearing the words of your son, which were befitting a great hero, the charioteer gently urged the horses adorned with gold.
The foot soldiers, numbering twenty-one thousand, stood ready for battle, having been deprived of elephants, horses, and charioteers, and having abandoned their own selves.
Various warriors from different regions, adorned in colorful garments, stood there seeking great fame.
As they attacked each other with excitement, a massive and terrifying collision occurred there.
At that time, O king, Bhimasena and Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, halted the forces with a diverse fourfold army.
In the battle, only Bhima was directly confronted, while the other infantrymen, shouting and clapping in high spirits, were eager to reach the heroic realm.
The sons of Dhritarashtra, filled with excitement and arrogance in battle, approached Bhimasena. They shouted and spoke of nothing else. Encircling Bhima in the battle, they attacked him from all directions.
He stood firm on the chariot seat, unmoved by the attack in battle, surrounded by foot soldiers, just like the mountain Mainaka.
The angry warriors, O great king, attempted to capture the great chariot of the Pandava and blocked other warriors.
In the battle, Bhima, surrounded by his enemies, became angry. He quickly descended from his chariot and stood firm on the ground.
Holding a great mace adorned with gold, he struck down your warriors as Yama, the god of death, would with his staff.
In the battle, the mighty Bhima, wielding his mace, annihilated twenty-one thousand infantrymen who were left without chariots, horses, or elephants.
After slaying the army of those men, the valiant Bhima, with Dhrishtadyumna at the forefront, was soon visible.
The slain foot soldiers lay on the ground, smeared with blood, like fully blossomed arnica trees broken by the wind.
They were adorned with various flower garlands and wore different earrings. They were killed there, belonging to various births and assembled from different regions.
The battlefield was covered with flags and banners, and the great army of foot soldiers lay cut down, presenting a terrible and frightening scene.
Yudhishthira was leading, but all the great warriors of the army rushed towards your son, the noble Duryodhana.
They all, upon seeing your great archers turn away, did not approach your son, just as the shore does not approach the ocean.
We witnessed the extraordinary valor of your son, which even the combined efforts of the sons of Pritha could not overcome.
Duryodhana, having decided to flee and not retreating too far, addressed his own army, which was severely wounded.
I do not see any place on earth or in the mountains where you could go and not be killed by the Pāṇḍavas. What is the use of running away?
The strength of these is little, and Krishna is severely wounded. If we all stand here, our victory is assured.
The departed ones, but your broken Pāṇḍavas, having committed sins, will pursue and kill. It is better for us to be situated in battle.
"Listen, all you warriors who are gathered here. When death kills both the brave and the cowardly alike, who would be so foolish as not to fight, claiming to be a warrior?"
It is better for us to have the angry Bhimasena standing in front. For those who fight by the duty of a warrior, happiness lies in death in battle. If victorious here, one gains happiness; if slain, one receives a great reward after death.
O Kauravas, there is indeed no path to heaven better than the duty of war. One who is slain in battle soon attains the worlds he has conquered.
Upon hearing his words, the kings paid their respects and once again followed the Pandavas, who were the aggressors.
As they attacked swiftly, the arrayed troops of strikers advanced, and then the sons of Pritha, eager for victory, also moved forward.
Arjuna, the mighty warrior, advanced into the battle on his chariot, renowned across the three worlds for wielding the Gandiva bow.
The sons of Madri, along with Shakuni and the mighty Satyaki, joyfully rushed swiftly towards your army.
