Mahabharata Vol. 6 (Penguin Translated Texts) (52 page)

‘“Bhimasena’s son, gigantic in form, rose up into the sky. He roared like a dark cloud. He brought down a shower of trees from the sky, using his powers of maya. Karna pierced him with his arrows, like the rays of the sun passing through a mass of clouds. Karna killed all his horses and shattered his chariot into a hundred fragments. He showered down arrows, like a cloud pouring down rain. There wasn’t
a stretch of two fingers on his
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body that was not pierced. In a short while, he seemed to be like a porcupine with its quills erect. In that encounter, he was enveloped with a storm of arrows and we could not see his horses, his chariot, his standard, or even Ghatotkacha. He then used his own weapons to destroy Karna’s divine weapon. The one who knew about maya resorted to fighting with maya in the battle with the son of the suta. Showing his dexterity, he used maya to fight with Karna. Invisible in the sky, he brought down a net of arrows. O supreme among the Kuru lineage! Bhimasena’s son was great in the use of maya and resorted to maya. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Using his great maya, he caused confusion. Using maya, he assumed many inauspicious faces with distorted mouths and these devoured the divine weapons of the son of the suta. In that battle, the one with the gigantic form again seemed to be shattered into a hundred fragments. He was seen to lie down, deprived of his life and deprived of his endeavour. On thinking that he had been slain, the bulls among the Kurus roared in delight. However, he was then seen in all the directions, assuming new bodies. He again assumed a giant form, with one hundred heads and one hundred stomachs. The mighty-armed one looked like Mount Mainaka. However, the rakshasa again assumed a form that was as small as a finger. He rose up, like the waves of the ocean. He executed diagonal motions. He seemed to shatter the earth and immerse himself in the waters. He became invisible and was then seen in a different place. He descended from his chariot, decorated in gold, and again ascended it. Covered in maya, the armoured one was seen on earth, in the sky and in all the directions.

‘“O lord of the earth! He fearlessly approached Karna’s chariot, earrings adorning his face and waving around, and spoke these words to the son of the suta. ‘O son of a suta! Wait. With your life, you will not be able to go away from me. On this field of battle today, I will destroy all the affection that you have for fighting.’ Having spoken these words, the rakshasa, whose eyes were coppery red with anger and whose valour was cruel, rose up into the sky and laughed
loudly. He struck Karna, like a lion striking a king of elephants. He showered down arrows on Karna, bull among rathas, like a cloud pouring down rain. These arrows were as long as a chariot’s axle, and Ghatotkacha showered them down. But Karna destroyed this from a distance. O bull among the Bharata lineage! On seeing that his maya had been destroyed by Karna, Ghatotkacha used his maya and disappeared again. He became a lofty mountain with many peaks full of trees. From that, a large stream of lances, spears, swords and clubs issued forth like water. On seeing that mountain, which was like a mass of collyrium and from which many kinds of fierce weapons showered down, Karna was not agitated. He seemed to smile as he invoked a divine weapon. Because of that weapon, that large mountain was flung away and destroyed. He
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became a blue cloud in the sky, with Indra’s weapon
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in it. He showered down fierce stones on the son of a suta. However, Karna Vaikartana Vrisha,
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supreme among those who have knowledge of all weapons, affixed a vayavya weapon and destroyed that dark cloud. Using a large number of arrows, Karna scattered it in all the directions. O great king! He destroyed the weapon that had been used by Ghatotkacha. In that battle, Bhimasena’s immensely strong son laughed. He used his great maya against maharatha Karna. Ghatotkacha, supreme among rathas, again advanced towards him on a chariot. He was not frightened and was surrounded by many rakshasas. They were like lions and tigers and like crazy elephants in their valour. Some were astride elephants, others were astride chariots. And there were others who were on the backs of horses. They wielded many kinds of terrible weapons. They were adorned with diverse armour and ornaments. Those cruel ones surrounded Ghatotkacha, like the Maruts around Vasava.

‘“On seeing this, Karna, the great archer, began to fight with the rakshasa. Ghatotkacha pierced Karna with five swift arrows. He roared loudly and terrified all the kings. Ghatotkacha again used an
anjalika arrow and quickly severed the bow in Karna’s hand, with many large arrows still affixed to it. Karna picked up another firm and large bow, capable of bearing a burden. It was as large as Indra’s weapon
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and he drew it back powerfully. O great king! Karna shot gold-tufted arrows that were capable of killing the enemy towards the rakshasas who were in the sky. The rakshasas were broad in the chest and those arrows shattered their herd. It was as if a herd of wild elephants were being oppressed by a lion. The rakshasas were destroyed by those arrows of the lord, together with their horses, charioteers and elephants. The illustrious one consumed them, like the fire consumes all beings at the time of the destruction of a yuga. Having killed the rakshasa soldiers, the son of a suta was resplendent. It was like the city of Tripura, being burnt in earlier times in the sky, by the god Maheshvara.

‘“O venerable one! O king! Among the thousands of kings on the side of the Pandaveyas, there was not a single one who was capable of glancing at him. O king! The sole exception was the immensely strong Ghatotkacha, Indra among the rakshasas. He possessed terrible valour and strength. Enraged, he looked like Vaivasvata.
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Fire was generated from his angry eyes. O king! They were like flaming drops of oil in giant torches. He struck one palm with another palm. He gnashed his lower lips. He ascended his chariot, generated again through maya. It was yoked to mounts that were actually asses. But they looked like elephants and had the faces of pishachas. He angrily instructed his charioteer, ‘Take me to the son of a suta.’ The supreme of rathas advanced on a chariot that was terrible in form. O lord of the earth! There was again a duel with the son of a suta. The rakshasa was again enraged. He hurled a vajra towards the son of a suta. That vajra was extremely terrible and possessed eight wheels. It had been constructed by Rudra. As it descended, Karna placed his bow on his chariot and seized it. He hurled it back. But he
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descended from
his chariot. That immensely radiant weapon reduced his
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chariot to ashes, with his horses, charioteer and standard. It then shattered the earth and entered, astounding the gods who were there. Karna had descended and had seized the great vajra, which had been created by a god. All the beings and gods applauded this. Having performed this deed in the battle, Karna again ascended his chariot. The son of a suta, the scorcher of enemies, released iron arrows. O granter of honours! I do not think that there is anyone among all the beings who can perform the terrible deed accomplished by Karna in the battle there. He
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was struck by those iron arrows, which were like rain pouring down on a mountain. He possessed the form of a city of the gandharvas and disappeared again. He was a scorcher of enemies and was great in the use of maya. Using his maya and his dexterity, he destroyed all those divine weapons. The weapons were destroyed by the maya of the rakshasa. However, without any fear, Karna continued to fight with the rakshasa.

‘“O great king! Bhimasena’s immensely strong son became angry. He divided himself into many different forms and frightened the kings. Lions, tigers and hyenas arrived on the field of battle. There were snakes with fire in their tongues. There were birds with iron beaks. He
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was himself struck with the sharp arrows released by Karna. As large as a king of mountains, he disappeared from the spot. The rakshasas, pishachas, yatudhanas, leopards and wolves advanced from all the directions, wishing to devour Karna. They uttered fierce howls, so as to terrify him. They wielded many terrible weapons. Karna pierced each of them with swift arrows that drank up their blood. He used a divine weapon to destroy the maya of the rakshasa. He killed his horses with straight-tufted arrows. While the rakshasa looked on, they were shattered and their limbs were mangled. Their backs were broken by the arrows and they fell down on the ground. When the maya was destroyed, Hidimba’s son told
Karna Vaikartana, ‘I will bring about your death soon.’ Having said this, he disappeared.”’

‘Sanjaya said, “When that battle between Karna and the rakshasa was going on, the valiant Alayudha, Indra among the rakshasas, advanced. With a large army, he approached Suyodhana. He was surrounded by thousands of rakshasas with distorted forms. They had many different forms. The brave one remembered his earlier enmity. Baka, his valiant relative who ate brahmanas, had been killed. So had the immensely energetic Kirmira, and his friend, Hidimba. He had waited for a long time, remembering this earlier enmity. Knowing that a fight was raging in the night, he wished to kill Bhima.
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He was as crazy as an elephant and as angry as a serpent. Desiring to fight, he spoke these words to Duryodhana. ‘O great king! Know that the rakshasas Hidimba, Baka and Kirmira were killed by Bhima. They were my relatives. He touched the maiden Hidimba in earlier times, disregarding us and all the other rakshasas. O king! I am here to kill him and his followers, with the horses, chariots and elephants. I have arrived so that I can myself kill Hidimba’s son and all his advisers. I will kill all the sons of Kunti, with Vasudeva at the forefront, and devour them, with all their followers. Restrain all your soldiers. We will fight with the Pandavas.’ On hearing his words, Duryodhana was delighted. Surrounded by his brothers, he showed him honours and spoke these words. ‘We will fight with the enemy, with you and your followers at the forefront. With the enmity in their minds, my soldiers cannot remain neutral.’ The bull among the rakshasas told the king that this was acceptable.

‘“With those eaters of human flesh, he advanced against Bhima. His body blazed and he was on a chariot that was as radiant as the sun. O Indra among kings! It was like that of Ghatotkacha.
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It possessed a roar that was its equal and it was decorated with many gates. That giant chariot was as broad as a nalva and it was covered with bear skins. The horses were as swift as his.
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They had the forms of elephants and the voices of asses. Their sizes were gigantic and one hundred of them were yoked. They fed on flesh and blood. The roar of the chariot was like his
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and it was like the rumbling of a giant cloud. The giant bow was like his. It was firm and more powerful. The arrows were like his, as long as axles. They were gold-tufted and sharpened on stone. The mighty-armed one was just as brave as Ghatotkacha. The blazing standard was like his, like the fire and the sun, and was protected by jackals and wild crows. In form, he was more handsome than Ghatotkacha and his anxious face was brilliant. His armlets blazed. His crown and garlands also blazed. He had a headdress and had girded his sword. He had clubs, catapults, maces, ploughs and bows and arrows. His skin was like that of an elephant. The chariot was as radiant as the fire, as he drove away the army of the Pandavas. He was resplendent in that battle and whirled around, like a cloud tinged with lightning in the sky. There were the foremost of kings, brave warriors among the Pandavas. They were immensely strong and possessed armour and shields. O king! When he arrived, they cheerfully fought with him in every direction.”’

‘Sanjaya said, “On seeing that the performer of terrible deeds had arrived to fight, all the Kurus were filled with delight. Your
sons, with Duryodhana at the forefront, were like those who did not have rafts and desired to cross the ocean, but had now obtained rafts. The kings thought that they had been born again. They welcomed and worshipped Alayudha, Indra among the rakshasas. While the battle between humans raged on, there was a fearful battle between Karna and the rakshasa.
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It was terrible to watch. The Panchalas and the kings smiled as they watched it. O king! In that fashion, those on your side wandered around here and there. On witnessing the feats of Hidimba’s son in the field of battle, they were frightened. Drona, Drona’s son, Kripa and the others uttered wails of lamentation. All of them were routed and everyone there became senseless. O great king! Your soldiers gave up all hope of Karna remaining alive. On seeing that Karna was confronting the ultimate calamity, Duryodhana summoned Alayudha, Indra among the rakshasas, and spoke these words to him. ‘Vaikartana Karna is engaged with Hidimba’s son. He is performing great deeds in the battle, deserving of someone like him. But behold. Those brave kings are being killed by Bhimasena’s son. They are being struck by many weapons and are like trees struck by a tusker. In the midst of the kings, let this be your share in the battle.
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O brave one! You have my permission to exhibit your valour and destroy him. O destroyer of enemies! Earlier, this wicked Ghatotkacha used his powers of maya and afflicted Vaikartana Karna.’ Having been thus addressed by the king, the rakshasa, whose valour was fierce, agreed and attacked the mighty-armed Ghatotkacha.

‘“O lord! Bhimasena’s son abandoned Karna. As his enemy
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advanced, he crushed him with arrows. There was a battle between those two enraged Indras among the rakshasas. They were like two crazy elephants fighting in the forest, desiring the same she-elephant. Having been freed from the rakshasa, Karna, supreme among rathas, attacked Bhimasena on a chariot that was as radiant as the sun. On seeing that Ghatotkacha was being consumed in
the battle with Alayudha, like the leader of a herd of cattle when engaged with a lion, Bhima, supreme among strikers, disregarded the advancing one.
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