GHOSHA YATRA PARVA: Chapter 241

Defeat of Karna

वैशम्पायन उवाच ततस्ते सहिताः सर्वे दुर्योधनमुपागमन्। अब्रुवंश्च महाराज यदूचुः कौरवं प्रति॥शा
Vaishampayana said : O great king, they then all came to Duryodhana and spoke to that Kuru prince all that they (the Gandharvas) had spoken to them.

गन्धर्वैर्वारिते सैन्ये धार्तराष्ट्रः प्रतापवान्। अमर्षपूर्णः सैन्यानि प्रत्यभाषत भारत॥
O descendant of Bharata, finding that his soldiers had been opposed by the Gandharvas, the mighty son of Dhritarashtra was filled with great anger and thus spoke to the soldiers,

शासतैनानधर्मज्ञान् मम विप्रियकारिणः। यदि प्रक्रीडते सर्वैर्देवैः सह शतक्रतुः॥
"Chastise these wicked witches who want to do what is not agreeable to me, even if he be Shatakratu (Indra) who is sporting here with all the celestials."

दुर्योधनव चः श्रुत्वा धार्तराष्ट्रा महाबलाः। सर्व एवाभिसंनद्धा योधाश्चापि सहस्रशः॥ ततः प्रमथ्य सर्वांस्तांस्तद् वनं विविशुर्बलात्। सिंहनादेन महता पूरयन्तो दिशो दश॥
Having heard the words of Duryodhana, the greatly powerful sons of Dhritarashtra, thousands of warriors armed themselves for battle. Filling ten directions with loud leonine roars and crushing all they entered by force that forest.

ततोऽपरैरवार्यन्त गन्धर्वैः कुरुसैनिकाः। ते वार्यमाणा गन्धर्वैः साम्नैव वसुधाधिप॥ ताननादृत्य गन्धर्वांस्तद् वनं विविशुर्महत्। यदा वाचा न तिष्ठन्ति धार्तराष्ट्राः सराजकाः॥ ततस्ते खेचराः सर्वे चित्रसेने न्यवेदयन्।
O ruler of earth, the Gandharvas, again forbade the Kuru soldiers to advance. Though gently forbidden by the Gandharvas, disregarding all those Gandharvas, they entered that great forest. When the son of Dhritarashtra did not stop his soldiers, then those rangers of the sky went and spoke to Chitrasena.

गन्धर्वराजस्तान् सर्वानब्रवीत् कौरवान् प्रति॥ अनार्याञ्छासतेत्येतांश्चित्रसेनोऽत्यमर्षणः।
The Gandharva king, when he heard it, was filled with anger and he thus commanded his followers "Punish and chastise these wicked wretches."

अनुज्ञाताश्च गन्धर्वाश्चित्रसेनेन भारत॥ प्रगृहीतायुधाः सर्वे धार्तराष्ट्रानभिद्रवन्।
O descendant of Bharata, thus commanded by Chitrasena, the Gandharvas, rushed towards ihe Dhritarashtra people with weapons in hand.

तान् दृष्ट्वा पततः शीघ्रान् गन्धर्वानुद्यतायुधान्॥ प्राद्रवंस्ते दिशः सर्वे धार्तराष्ट्रस्य पश्यतः।
Seeing the Gandharvas rushing towards them with great force and with uplifted weapons, the Dhritarashtra warriors fled in all directions.

तान् दृष्ट्वा द्रवतः सर्वान् धार्तराष्ट्रान् पराङ्मुखान्।११।। राधेयस्तु तदा वीरो नासीत् तत्र पराङ्मुखः।
Seeing that all the Dhritarashtra people were flying before the enemy. The heroic son of Radha (Karna) alone did not fiy.

आपतन्ती तु सम्प्रेक्ष्य गन्धर्वाणां महाचमूम्॥ महता शरवर्षेण राधेयः प्रत्यवारयत्।
Seeing that the the great army army of the Gandharvas was rushing towards him, the son of Radha stopped them with a very large shower of arrows.

क्षुरप्रैर्विशिखैभल्लैर्वत्सदन्तैस्तथाऽऽयसैः॥ गन्धर्वाञ्छतशोऽभ्य ल्लघुत्वात् सूतनन्दनः।
That son of Suta by his great lightness of hands struck hundreds of Gandharvas with Khurupas and arrows and Bhallas and various other weapons made of bones and steel.

पातयन्नुत्तमाङ्गानि गन्धर्वाणां महारथः॥ क्षणेन व्यधमत् सर्वां चित्रसेनस्य वाहिनीम्।
That great car-warrior cut off within a moment the heads of many Gandharvas and thus they made the army of Chitrasena yell in pain.

ते वध्यमाना गन्धर्वाः सूतपुत्रेण धीमता॥ भूय एवाभ्यवर्तन्त शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः। गन्धर्वभूता पृथिवी क्षणेन समपद्यत॥ आपतद्भिर्महावेगैश्चित्रसेनस्य सैनिकैः।
Although the Gandharvas were killed by the greatly intelligent son of Suta (Karna). They returned to the charge by hundreds and thousands; and in consequence of the hoards of Gandharvas rushing to battle, earth became covered over by the Gandharva army.

अथ दुर्योधनो राजा शकुनिश्चापि सौबलः॥ दुःशासनो विकर्णश्च ये चान्ये धृतराष्ट्रजाः। न्यहनस्तत् तदा सैन्यं स्थैर्गरुडनिःस्वनैः॥
Then king Duryodhana and also the son of Subala (Shakuni), Duhshasana and Vikarna and the sons of Dhritarashtra, riding on cars, the clatter of the wheels of which resembled the roars of Garuda, followed the lead of Karna and returned to the charge and began to kill the (Gandharva) army.

भूयश्च योधयामासुः कृत्वा कर्णमथाचतः। महता रथसङ्ग्रेन रथचारेण चाप्युत॥ वैकर्तनं परीप्सन्तो गन्धर्वान् समवाकिरन्।
With the desire of supporting Karna, the (Kuru) princes attacked the Gandharva army. With a very large number of cars and horses, the whole of the Gandharva army began to fight.

ततः संन्यपतन् सर्वे गन्धर्वाः कौरवैः सह॥ तदा सुतुमुलं युद्धमभवल्लोमहर्षणम्। ततस्ते मृदवोऽभूवन् गन्धर्वाः शरपीडिताः॥ उच्चुक्रुशुश्च कौरव्या गन्धर्वान् प्रेक्ष्य पीडितान्।
The battle that took place was fearful and hair-stirring. Then the Gandharvas, afflicted with thc arrows of the Kurus army, seemed to be exhausted. Having seen the Gandharvas afflicted, the Kurus sent up a loud roar.

गन्धर्वास्त्रासितान् दृष्ट्वा चित्रसेनो ह्यमर्षणः॥ उत्पपातासनात् क्रुद्धो वधे तेषां समाहितः।
Seeing the Gandharva army afflicted with fear, Chitrasena jumped up in great anger from his seat and resolved to exterminate the Kuru army.

ततो मायास्त्रमास्थाय युयुधे चित्रमार्गवित्। तयामुह्यन्त कौरव्याचित्रसेनस्य मायया।॥
That hero, learned in the various modes of warfare, fought with his weapons of illusion. The Kuru heroes were all deprived of their senses by the illusion of Chitrasena.

एकैको हि तदा योधो धार्तराष्ट्रस्य भारत। पर्यवर्तत गन्धर्वैर्दशभिर्दशभिः सह।॥
Then, O descendant of Bharata, it appeared that every Kuru warrior was attacked and surrounded by the Gandharvas.

ततः सम्पीड्यमानास्ते बलेन महता तदा। प्राद्रवन्त रणे भीता ये च राजञ्जिगीषवः॥
Being thus attacked with great force the Kuru army was afflicted and it was with panic, O king, those that desired to live fled from the field (of battle).

भज्यमानेष्वनीकेषु धार्तराष्ट्रेषु सर्वशः। कर्णो वैकर्तनो राजंस्तस्थौ गिरिरिवाचलः॥
O king, when the whole of the Kuru army broke and fled, the son of Surya (Karna) alone stood there as immoveable as a hill.

दुर्योधनश्च कर्णश्च शकुनिश्चापि सौबलः। गन्धर्वान् योधयामासुः समरे भृशविक्षताः॥
Duryodhana, Karna and Shakuni, the son of Subala, all fought with the Gandharvas though they were all severely wounded.

सर्व एव तु गन्धर्वाः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः। जिघांसमानाः सहिताः कर्णमभ्यद्रवन् रणे॥
All the Gandharvas then with the desire of killing Karna rushed upon him in battle in hundreds and thousands.

असिभिः पट्टिशैः शूलैर्गदाभिश्च महाबलाः। सूतपुत्रं जिघांसन्तः समन्तात् पर्यवाकिरन्।॥
Those greatly powerful heroes, with the desire of killing that Suta's son, surrounded him on all sides with swords, battle axes and spears.

अन्येऽस्य युगमच्छिन्दन् ध्वजमन्ये न्यपातयन्। ईषामन्ये हयानन्ये सूतमन्ये न्यपातयन्॥
Some cut down the yoke of his car, some its flag-staff, some its shafts, some its horses and some its charioteer.

अन्ये छत्रं वरूथं च बन्धुरं च तथापरे। गन्धर्वा बहुसाहस्रास्तिलशो व्यधमन् रथम्॥ ततो रथादवप्लुत्य सूतपुत्रोऽसिचर्मभृत्। विकर्णरथमास्थाय मोक्षायाश्वानचोदयत्॥
Some cut down his umbrella, some the wooden fender round his car and some its joints. It was thus many thousands of Gandharvas attacked his car and broke it into many pieces. When his car was thus attacked, Karna leaped from it with sword and shield in his hands. He then jumped upon the car of Vikarna and whipped the horses (to leave the field and) save himself.