14.059
Vasudeva said.
O Vārṣṇeya, I have always heard about the most marvelous battle among men, O son, as recounted in story prologues. (14-59-1)
But you are a direct witness and knower of the facts, O mighty-armed one. Therefore, O sinless one, tell me about the battle exactly as it occurred. (14-59-2)
Just as that unsurpassed battle involving the great Pāṇḍavas took place, fought by Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Kṛpa, Droṇa, Śalya and others. (14-59-3)
And of other kṣatriyas, many of whom were skilled in weapons, possessing various appearances and forms, inhabitants from various regions. (14-59-4)
Thus addressed, Puṇḍarīkākṣa (Kṛṣṇa), by his father beside his mother, reported how the Kuru heroes were destroyed in battle. (14-59-5)
Vasudeva said.
The most wondrous deeds of the great-souled kṣatriyas, because of their abundance, cannot be enumerated even in hundreds of years. (14-59-6)
But listen to me as I relate, giving precedence, the actions of the lords of the earth briefly and as they should be, O radiant among immortals. (14-59-7)
Bhishma, as commander of the army, became the lord of eleven divisions; among the Kauravas, the descendant of Kuru was like Indra among the gods. (14-59-8)
Śikhaṇḍī, leader of the sons of Pāṇḍu and lord of seven divisions, became (so), protected by the wise Savyasācin (Arjuna). (14-59-9)
That battle between the great-souled Kurus and Pāṇḍavas lasted for ten days and was very great and hair-raising. (14-59-10)
Then Śikhaṇḍī, along with the wielder of Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna), struck Bhīṣma, the son of Gaṅgā, who was fighting in the great battle, with many arrows. (14-59-11)
Then, when the northern solstice arrived and the southern course had ended, the sage who lay on a bed of grass fulfilled his destined time. (14-59-12)
Then Droṇa, the best among experts in weaponry, became the commander of the Kaurava king’s army, a mighty hero resembling Kāvya (Śukra) for the lord of the daityas. (14-59-13)
The foremost of the twice-born, surrounded by the nine remaining divisions of army, taking pride in battle, was protected by Kripa, Vṛṣa, and others. (14-59-14)
But Dhṛṣṭadyumna became the leader of the Pāṇḍavas, knower of mighty weapons, protected by Bhīma and possessing brilliance, just as Varuṇa is protected by Mitra. (14-59-15)
Surrounded by five armies and intent on Droṇa, the noble-minded one, remembering the insults to his father, performed a great deed in battle. (14-59-16)
There, most of those earth's kings and heroes who had come from many directions to the battle of Droṇa and Pārṣata met their death. (14-59-17)
For five days that battle was supremely terrible. Then Droṇa, exhausted, came under the control of Dhṛṣṭadyumna. (14-59-18)
Then, Karṇa became the commander of Duryodhana's army, surrounded in battle by the five remaining akṣauhiṇīs. (14-59-19)
But three armies of the sons of Pāṇḍu, protected by Bhībhatsu (Arjuna), mostly stripped of their heroes, still remained in position. (14-59-20)
Then, after approaching Pārtha, Sauti, like a moth to fire, met his death on that terrible second day. (14-59-21)
When Karṇa was killed, the Kauravas, discouraged and weakened, surrounded the king of Madra with three army divisions. (14-59-22)
But the Pāṇḍavas, with most of their chariots destroyed, dispirited and with only the remnant of their army, surrounded Yudhiṣṭhira. (14-59-23)
Yudhishthira, the king of the Kurus, slew the king of Madra, having thus performed a very difficult deed in half a day. (14-59-24)
But when Śalya was slain, Sahadeva, the great-minded and of immeasurable valor, killed Śakuni, the instigator of his strife. (14-59-25)
When Śakuni was slain, the king, son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, deeply dejected, departed with mace in hand, with most of his soldiers slain. (14-59-26)
The powerful and very angry Bhīmasena ran after him, and in the Dvaipāyana lake, also saw him standing in the water. (14-59-27)
Then, the five Pāṇḍavas, joyful, sat down nearby the one who was in the lake, having had the remnant army surround him on all sides. (14-59-28)
Having plunged into the water but quickly, and being greatly wounded by words as sharp as arrows, he rose, with mace in hand, and stood ready for battle. (14-59-29)
Then, the king, son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, was slain in the great battle by Bhīmasena, after attacking, in the sight of all the kings of the earth. (14-59-30)
Then, because he could not bear his father's killing, Droṇa's son slew the sleeping Pāṇḍava army in their camp at night. (14-59-31)
The Pāṇḍavas, whose sons, strength, and friends were slain, remained five in number, together with me and accompanied by Yuyudhāna as the second. (14-59-32)
The son of Droṇa, along with Kṛpa and Kṛtavarman, was released from battle. Yuyutsu, the Kaurava, was also spared because he took refuge with the Pāṇḍavas. (14-59-33)
When the Kaurava king Suyodhana, along with his relatives, was slain, Vidura and Sanjaya came to King Yudhishthira. (14-59-34)
Thus, O lord, that great battle took place for eighteen (days), where those kings of the earth, having been slain, entered heaven. (14-59-35)
Vaiśampāyana said.
But as they listened, O great king, to that hair-raising story, then sorrows and joys befell the Vṛṣṇis. (14-59-36)
