09.024
Core and Pancharatra: Facing defeat with Drushtadyumna, Duryodhana goes to Shakuni. Duryodhana goes missing. Ashwatthama, Kripa, Kritaverma, and Shakuni leave the battlefield. Satyaki and Dhṛṣṭadyumna destroy the fleeing Kaurava army.
Sanjaya said:
Dhananjaya, with his Gandiva bow, thwarted the resolve of the valiant warriors who were relentlessly attacking and never retreating.
He is seen releasing arrows with a touch as powerful as Indra's thunderbolt, irresistible and full of great energy, like a cloud releasing a stream of rain.
O best of the Bharatas, while your son was watching, his army, being slaughtered by Arjuna, fled from the battlefield.
O lord of men, some chariots had broken yokes, some had slain charioteers, and others had broken axles, yokes, and wheels.
The arrows of some were exhausted, while others were wounded by arrows. Some, who were unharmed, fled all at once, driven by fear.
Some people, having taken their sons, lamented over their fathers, while others mourned their companions, and yet others grieved over their vehicles, most of which were destroyed.
O tiger among men, some relatives, brothers, and kinsmen fled, abandoning their positions here and there, O lord of men.
Many great warriors, severely wounded and fainting, are seen here groaning, struck by Arjuna's arrows.
After mounting them on the chariot and consoling them briefly, they rested and refreshed themselves before heading back to the battle.
"Having abandoned them, some departed, but others, eager for battle, followed your son's command, filled with battle arrogance."
Some others, O best of the Bharatas, drank water, rested, and then mounted their vehicles and armors.
After consoling some brothers and placing them in the camp, others, along with sons and fathers, agreed to resume the battle.
Some warriors, having prepared their chariots as per the chief's orders, entered the Pandava army and desired to fight again, O lord of men.
The heroes, adorned with networks of bells, shone brilliantly as they engaged in the conquest of the three worlds, resembling the mighty Daityas and Danavas.
Suddenly, some warriors arrived with chariots adorned with gold and engaged in battle with Dhrishtadyumna in the Pandavas' armies.
Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the son of Pāñcāla, along with Śikhaṇḍī, the great chariot-warrior, Nakula, and Śatānīka, engaged in battle against the army of chariots.
The son of Drupada, in great anger and surrounded by a large army, attacked your men with the intent to kill.
Then, as the battle approached, your son, the ruler, sent forth numerous volleys of arrows, O Bharata.
Then, O king, Dhṛṣṭadyumna was swiftly struck on his arms and chest by the many arrows of your son, the archer.
The great archer, deeply pierced, was like an elephant tormented by a goad. He sent his four horses to their death with arrows and severed the head of the charioteer from his body with a spear.
Then King Duryodhana mounted the horse and departed with his charioteer, not going very far, O subduer of enemies.
Upon witnessing the defeat of his valiant soldiers, your mighty son, O great king, proceeded to where Saubala was.
Then, three thousand mighty elephants surrounded the five Pandava charioteers amidst the broken chariots.
In the battle, those tiger-like warriors, surrounded by five divisions of elephants, shone brilliantly, O Bharata, like planets enveloped by clouds.
Then Arjuna, the mighty-armed, having achieved his objective, set out on his chariot driven by white horses, with Krishna as his charioteer, O great king.
He was surrounded by elephants that were like mountains, and he smashed the elephant army with sharp, pure arrows.
There, we observed the great elephants, struck down by a single arrow, lying fallen and scattered, felled by Arjuna.
Bhimasena, upon seeing the elephants, like a mad elephant himself, seized a great mace with his hand and rushed forward with great strength, quickly jumping down from the chariot like Yama, the god of death, wielding a staff.
Upon seeing the raised mace and the great chariot of the Pandavas, your soldiers were so terrified that they lost control of their bowels. The entire force was disturbed by Bhima, who stood with a mace in hand.
We saw elephants with broken tusks and blood-stained, running like mountains, struck by Bhimasena with his mace.
The elephants, after running, were struck by Bhimasena's mace and fell down, crying out in distress, like mountains with their wings broken.
Your soldiers were terrified upon seeing the many broken pots flowing here and there and falling.
Yudhishthira, along with the sons of Madri, the Pandavas, in their anger, used sharp, vulture-feathered arrows to kill the elephant warriors.
Dhṛṣṭadyumna defeated the king in battle, and as your son retreated, he took refuge on horseback.
Upon seeing all the Pandavas surrounded by elephants, Dhrishtadyumna, along with all the Prabhadrakas, the son of the king of the Panchalas, went forth with the intent to kill the elephants, O great king.
Not finding Duryodhana, the subduer of enemies, in the army, Ashwatthama, Kripa, and Kritavarma, along with Satyaki, inquired of the warriors present, "Where indeed has Duryodhana gone?"
Seeing the king amidst the ongoing destruction, the great warriors, thinking that your son was slain there, with despondent faces, asked your son.
Some people said that when Sūta was killed, Saubala left the place. However, others mentioned that the Kshatriyas were severely injured there.
Duryodhana has given you a task to see if he survives. Fight together, all of you, and see what your king will do.
The warriors, with their bodies wounded and most of their vehicles destroyed, were being oppressed by arrows and spoke as if their words were not clear.
The Pandavas, having destroyed all the elephants by whom they were surrounded, approach with their strength intact.
Upon hearing their words, the mighty Aśvatthāmā decided to leave the formidable army of the Pāñcāla king.
Kṛpa and Kṛtavarmā, along with Saubala, left the chariot army behind, as they were heroes and mighty archers.
Then, after they had departed, led by Dhrishtadyumna, the Pandavas arrived, O king, and began to slay your men.
Upon seeing the approaching elated great charioteers, the valiant heroes, who were despairing of life, your army mostly became pale-faced.
Seeing them with their weapons depleted, I found myself surrounded. O king, with a crippled body and by force, I abandoned my own life.
The fifth one, by himself, did not fight with the force of the Pāñcāla. He was stationed in that place where Śāradvata stood.
We five were engaged in battle and were afflicted by Arjuna's arrows. There, Dhṛṣṭadyumna's great army was our significant battle. Conquered by him, we all retreated from the battle thereafter.
Then I saw Satyaki, the great chariot-warrior, approaching with four hundred chariots, and the hero attacked me in the battle.
I was somehow released from Dhrishtadyumna with my weary vehicle and fell into the army of Madhava, like a sinner falling into hell. There, a terrible and very fierce battle took place for a moment.
Satyaki, the mighty-armed warrior, after defeating my retinue, took me captive while I was unconscious and lying on the ground.
Then, in what seemed like an instant, Bhimasena and Arjuna destroyed the elephant army, Bhimasena using his mace and Arjuna his arrows.
The Pandavas' movement seemed obscure, as if they were surrounded and crushed by great serpents resembling mountains.
Then, O great king, the mighty Bhimasena cleared the chariot paths by dragging away the great elephants of the Pandavas.
Ashwatthama, Kripa, Kritavarma, and Satyaki, upon seeing Duryodhana, the subduer of enemies, in the battlefield, searched for your son, the great chariot-warrior king.
Having left Panchala, where Saubala had gone, they were distressed by the king's disappearance amidst the ongoing destruction of people.
