greatly afflicted and struck with panic. O king,
all of them that liked to live, fled from the field.
But while the entire Dhritarashtra host broke and
fled, Karna, that offspring of the Sun, stood there,
O king, immovable as a hill. Indeed, Duryodhana
and Karna and Sakuni, the son of Suvala, all fought
with the
Gandharvas, although every one of
them was much wounded and mangled in the encounter.
All the
Gandharvas then, desirous of slaying
Karna, rushed together by hundreds and thousands towards
Karna. And those mighty warriors, desirous of
slaying the
Suta’s son, surrounded him
on all sides, with swords and battle-axes and spears.
And some cut down the yoke of his car, and some his
flagstaff, and some the shaft of his car, and some
his horses, and some his charioteer. And some
cut down his umbrella and some the wooden fender round
his car and some the joints of his car. It was
thus that many thousands of Gandharvas, together attacking
his car, broke it into minute fragments. And while
his car was thus attacked, Karna leaped therefrom
with sword and shield in hand, and mounting on Vikarna’s
car, urged the steeds for saving himself.”
Vaisampayana said, “After that great warrior
Karna had been routed by the Gandharvas, the
whole of the Kuru army, O monarch, fled from the field
in the very sight of Dhritarashtra’s son.
And beholding all his troops flying from the field
of battle with their back to the foe, king Duryodhana
refused to fly. Seeing the mighty host of the
Gandharvas rushing towards him, that represser
of foes poured down upon them a thick shower of arrows.
The Gandharvas, however, without regarding
that arrowy shower, and desirous also of slaying him,
surrounded that car of his. And by means of their
arrows, they cut off into fragments the yoke, the
shaft, the fenders, the flagstaff, the three-fold bamboo
poles, and the principal turret of his car. And
they also slew his charioteer and horses, hacking
them to pieces. And when Duryodhana, deprived
of his car, fell on the ground, the strong-armed Chitrasena
rushed towards him and seized him in such a way that
it seemed his life itself was taken. And after
the Kuru king had been seized, the Gandharvas,
surrounding Dussasana, who was seated on his car, also
took him prisoner. And some Gandharvas
seized Vivinsati and Chitrasena, and some Vinda and
Anuvinda, while others seized all the ladies of royal
household. And the warriors of Duryodhana, who
were routed by the Gandharvas, joining those
who had fled first, approached the Pandavas (who were
living in the vicinity). And after Duryodhana
had been made captive, the vehicles, the shops, the
pavilions, the carriages, and the draught animals,
all were made over to the Pandavas for protection.
And those soldiers said, ’The mighty-armed son
of Dhritarashtra, possessed of great strength and
handsome mien, is being taken away captive by the
Gandharvas! Ye sons of Pritha, follow them!
Dussasana, Durvishasa, Durmukha, and Durjaya, are all
being led away as captives in chains by the Gandharvas,
as also all the ladies of the royal household!’
Print
Word
PDF
