14.074
Defeat of Vajradatta
Vaiśampāyana said.
Then, having reached Prāgjyotiṣa, the excellent horse roamed; there, the son of Bhagadatta, fierce in battle, came forth. (14-74-1)
O best of the Bharatas, that king Vajradatta fought with him who had come to the boundary of the territory of the son of Pandu. (14-74-2)
Having departed from the city, the king, son of Bhagadatta, overcame the approaching horse and went toward the city. (14-74-3)
Then, the great-armed chief of the Kurus, having seen him, suddenly and swiftly advanced, brandishing his Gāṇḍīva bow. (14-74-4)
Then, bewildered by the arrows released from Gāṇḍīva, the king—abandoning his horse—then attacked Pārtha (Arjuna). (14-74-5)
Having been bitten, that best of kings again entered the city, then, mounting the prime elephant, he set out eager for battle. (14-74-6)
The great chariot-warrior was shaded by a white parasol held over his head and fanned with a white chowrie. (14-74-7)
Then, after approaching Pārtha, the great chariot-warrior among the Pāṇḍavas challenged the Kaurava to battle due to childishness and delusion. (14-74-8)
Then, in his anger, he sent the mountain-like elephant with a broken temporal region towards the white horse. (14-74-9)
Like a cloud flowing, the enemy-defending elephant—arranged according to scripture, possessed of triple might and full of battle-arrogance—in the battle. (14-74-10)
That very strong elephant, being impelled by the king with that goad, seemed as if about to leap up into the sky. (14-74-11)
Seeing him advancing, Dhanañjaya, angered, O king, standing on the ground, began to fight with the one mounted on the elephant, O Bhārata. (14-74-12)
But Vajradatta, enraged, quickly hurled at Dhanañjaya spears blazing like fire, as swiftly as moths. (14-74-13)
Arjuna then cut those who had approached with arrows shot from his Gāṇḍīva bow into two and three pieces in the very sky itself with his swift-flying arrows. (14-74-14)
Seeing his javelins thus broken, the son of Bhagadatta quickly shot fresh arrows at the Pāṇḍava. (14-74-15)
Then Arjuna, greatly enraged, swiftly shot golden-feathered, straight-flying arrows at the son of Bhagadatta. (14-74-16)
Vajradatta, endowed with great energy, pierced by them and severely wounded in the great battle, fell to the ground; but even then consciousness did not leave him. (14-74-17)
Then he, once more mounting the foremost elephant in battle, undaunted, pressed forward seeking victory. (14-74-18)
Then, to him, the victorious one—greatly enraged—sent forth arrows like released serpents, blazing as if they were fires. (14-74-19)
Pierced by them, the great elephant appeared, with blood flowing, just like the Himalaya, the king of mountains, pouring forth many streams at that time. (14-74-20)
