Mahabharata Karna parva Chapter 13

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Mahabharata Karna parva Chapter 13

"Sanjaya said, 'Then the mighty and heroic bowman Karna began to smite the Pandava army in that battle, with his straight shafts. Similarly, those great car-warriors, viz., the Pandavas, O king, filled with wrath, began to smite the army of thy son in the very sight of Karna. Karna also, O king, in that battle slew the Pandava army with his cloth-yard shafts bright as the rays of the Sun and polished by the hands of the smith. There, O Bharata, the elephants, struck by Karna with his shafts, uttered loud cries, lost strength, became faint, and wandered on all sides. While the army was being thus destroyed by the Suta's son, Nakula rushed with speed against that mighty car-warrior. And Bhimasena rushed against Drona's son who was engaged in the accomplishment of the most difficult feats. Satyaki checked the Kaikaya princes Vinda and Anuvinda. King Citrasena rushed against the advancing Srutakarman; and Prativindhya against Citra owning a beautiful standard and a beautiful bow. Duryodhana rushed against king Yudhishthira the son of Dharma; while Dhananjaya rushed against the angry throngs of the samsaptakas. In that slaughter of great heroes, Dhrishtadyumna proceeded against Kripa. The invincible Shikhandi closed with Kritavarma. Srutakirti encountered Shalya, and Madri's son, the valiant Sahadeva, O king, encountered thy son Duhshasana. The two Kaikaya princes, in that battle, shrouded Satyaki with a shower of blazing arrows, and the latter also, O Bharata, shrouded the two Kaikaya brothers. Those two heroic brothers deeply struck Satyaki in the chest like two elephants striking with their tusks a hostile compeer in the forest. Indeed, O king, those two brothers, in that battle, their own vitals pierced with shafts, pierced Satyaki of true deeds with their shafts. Satyaki, however, O great king, covering all the points of the compass with a shower of arrows and smiling the while, checked the two brothers, O Bharata. Checked by those showers of arrows shot by the grandson of Sini, the two brothers speedily shrouded the car of Sini's grandson with their shafts. Cutting off their beautiful bows, Saurin of great fame checked them both with his keen arrows in that battle. Taking up two other beautiful bows, and a number of powerful shafts, the two began to cover Satyaki and career with great activity and skill. Shot by the two brothers, those mighty shafts equipped with the feathers of the Kanka and the peacock and decked with gold, began to fall, illumining all the points of the compass. In that dreadful battle between them, O king, the arrows they shot caused a darkness there. Those mighty car-warriors then cut off each other's bows. Then the invincible Satwata, O king, filled with rage, took up another bow in that battle, and stringing it, cut off Anuvinda's head with a keen razor-headed shaft. Decked with earrings, that large head, O king, fell like the head of Samvara slain in the great battle (of old). And it reached the Earth in no time, filling all the Kaikayas with grief.

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