Samshaptakas

On the 12th day of war

The Samshaptakas take a vow to kill Arjuna

The troops of both the armies, having proceeded to their tents, duly took up their quarters according to the divisions and the sub-divisions to which they belonged. Having withdrawn the troops, Drona, in great cheerlessness of mind, beholding Duryodhana, said these words in shame:

“I told you before that when Dhananjaya is by Yudhishthira, he is incapable of being seized in battle by the very gods. Although all of you fell upon him in battle, yet Partha frustrated all your attempts. Do not doubt what I say, Krishna and Pandu's son (Arjuna) are invincible. If, however, Arjuna of white steeds can, by any means, be withdrawn (from Yudhishthira's side), then Yudhishthira, O king, shall soon come under your control. Let some one challenging him (Arjuna) in battle draw him away to some other part of the field. The son of Kunti will not return without vanquishing him. Meanwhile, when Arjuna will not be by, O monarch, I will seize king Yudhishthira the just, penetrating through the Pandava host in the very sight of Dhrishtadyumna. Thus, O monarch, I will, without doubt, bring Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, along with his followers, under control. If that son of Pandu stays even for a moment before me in battle, I will bring him a captive from the field. That feat will be more advantageous than victory (over the Pandava army).”

Hearing those words of Drona, the ruler of the Trigartas, with his brothers, said these words:

“We, O king, are always humiliated by the wielder of Gandiva! O bull of Bharata's race, although we have done him no injury, yet he has always injured us. Remembering all those diverse instances of humiliation, we burn in wrath and are never able to sleep at night. By good luck, that Arjuna, armed with weapons, will stand before us. That therefore, which is in our heart and which we strive to accomplish, we are resolved to achieve now, that viz., which will be agreeable to you, and which will bring us renown. Taking him out of the field will slay him. Let the earth today be without Arjuna or let it be without the Trigartas. We truly swear this before you. This our vow will never be false.”

Satyaratha and Satyavarman and Satyavrata and Satyeshu and Satyakarman also, having spoken similarly, those five brothers together, with ten thousand cars, came (before Duryodhana), having taken that oath on the field of battle. The Malavas, and the Tundikeras with thousand cars, and the tiger among men, Susharman, the ruler of Prasthala, with the Mavellakas, the Lalithas, and the Madrakas, accompanied by ten thousand cars and his brothers, and with another ten thousand cars from diverse realms came forward for taking the oath. Then bringing fire, and each making preparations for igniting one for himself, they took up ropes of Kusha grass and beautiful coats of mail. Equipped in mail, bathed in clarified butter, clad in robes of Kusha grass, and with their bow-strings serving as girdles, those heroes, who had given away hundreds and thousands as presents to Brahmanas, who had performed many sacrifices, had been blessed with children, and were deserving of blessed regions hereafter, who had nothing more to do in this world, who were deserving of blessed regions hereafter, who were prepared to lay down their lives in battle, and who devoted their souls to the attainment of fame and victory, who were desirous of soon repairing by fair fight to those regions (hereafter) that are attainable by means only of sacrifices, with abundant presents to Brahmanas, and by means also of the rites, the chief amongst which are Brahmacharya and study of the Vedas, those heroes, having each gratified Brahmanas by giving them gold, and kine, and robes, and having addressed one another in loving discourse, ignited those fires and took that vow in battle. In the presence of those fires, firmly resolved, they took that vow. Having made that vow for the slaughter of Dhananjaya, they, in the hearing of creatures, very loudly said,

“Those regions that are for persons who have never adopted any vows, are for one who drinks wine, those that are for him who has adulterous connection with his preceptor's wife, those that are for him who robs the property of a Brahmana, or for him who enjoys the king's grant without satisfying the condition of that grant or for him who abandons one asking for shelter, or for him who slays a candidate for his favour, those that are for persons that set fire to houses and for those that slay kine, those regions that are for those that injure others, those that are for persons harbouring malice against Brahmanas, those that are for him who from folly do not seek the companionship of his wife in her season, those also that are for those that seek the companionship of women on the day they have to perform the Shraddha of their ancestors, those that are for persons that injure their own selves, or for those that misappropriate what is deposited with them from confidence or for those that destroy learning, or for those who battle with eunuchs, or for those that follow persons that are mean those regions that are for atheists, or for those that abandon their (sacred) fires and mothers, and those regions also that are for the sinful, those shall be ours, if without slaying Dhananjaya we return from the field, or if, ground by him on the field, we turn back from fear. If, again, we succeed in achieving in battle feats the most difficult of accomplishment in the world, we shall then, without doubt, obtain the most desirable regions."

Having said these words, those heroes then marched to battle, summoning Arjuna towards the southern part of the field.

Arjuna fights the Samshaptakas

The Samshaptakas, then, filled with joy, took their stand on a level field, having, with their cars, formed an array in the shape of the half-moon. Those tigers among men, beholding the diadem-decked (Arjuna) come towards them, were filled with delight and uttered loud shouts. That noise filled the sky and all the points of the compass, cardinal and subsidiary. Because it was an open plain covered only with men, it produced no echoes. Ascertaining them to be exceedingly delighted, Dhananjaya, with a little smile, said these words unto Krishna:

“Behold, O you that have Devaki for your mother, those Trigarta brothers, who are about to perish in battle, are filled with delight at a time when they should weep. Or, this is, without doubt, the hour of delight (with them) since they will obtain those excellent regions that are unattainable by cowards.”

Having said these words unto the mighty-armed Hrishikesha, Arjuna came upon the arrayed ranks of the Trigartas in battle, taking up then his conch called Devadatta decked with gold, he blew it with great force, filling all the points of the compass with its blare. Terrified by that blare, that car-host of the Samshaptakas stood motionless in battle, as if it was petrified. All their animals stood with eyes wide open, ears and necks and lips paralysed, and legs motionless. They passed urine and vomited blood. Regaining consciousness then, and placing their ranks in proper order, they shot their arrows all at once at the son of Pandu. Capable of displaying his prowess with great speed, Arjuna, with five and ten arrows cut off those thousands of arrows before they could reach him. They then pierced Arjuna, each with ten arrows. Partha pierced them with three arrows. Then each of them pierced Partha with five arrows. Endued with great prowess, he pierced each of them in return with two arrows. Once again, excited with wrath, they quickly poured upon Arjuna and Keshava countless arrows like the clouds pouring upon a lake their incessant showers. Then those thousands of arrows fell upon Arjuna, like swarms of bees upon a flowering cluster of trees in the forest. Then deeply pierced Arjuna's diadem with thirty shafts, endued with the strength of adamant with those shafts equipped with wings of gold fixed on his diadem, Arjuna, as if decked with ornaments of gold, shone like the (newly) risen sun. The son of Pandu then, in that battle, with a broad-headed arrow, cut off the leathern fence of Subahu, and covered Sudharman and Sudhanwan, and Subahu pierced Partha with ten arrows. Partha, having the excellent ape-device on his banner, pierced all of them in return with many arrows, and also cut off, with some broad-headed shafts, their standards made of gold. Cutting off the bow of Sudhanwan, he slew with his arrows the latter's steeds. Tthen he cut off from his trunk the latter's head graced with turban.

Upon the fall of that hero, his followers were terrified. Stricken with panic, they all fled away to where Duryodhana's forces were. Then Vasava's son, filled with wrath, smote that mighty host with incessant showers of arrows, like the sun destroying darkness by means of his incessant rays. Then when that host broke and melted away on all sides, and Arjuna was filled with wrath, the Trigartas were struck with fear. While being slaughtered by Partha with his straight shafts, they remained where they stood, deprived of their senses, like a terrified, herd of deer. Then the king of the Trigartas, filled with rage, addressed those mighty car-warrior, saying,

“Do not fly, you heroes! It befits you not to be frightened. Having, in the sight of all the troops, taken those terrible steps, repairing there, what shall you say unto the leaders of Duryodhana's host? Do we not incur ridicule in the world by such a (cowardly) act in battle? Therefore, stop you all, and fight according to your strength.”

Thus addressed, those heroes, repeatedly uttering loud shouts, blew their conchs, gladdening one another. Then those Samshaptakas once more returned to the field, with the Narayana cow-herds, resolved to fade Death himself.

Beholding those Samshaptakas once more return to the field, Arjuna addressed the high-souled Vasudeva, saying,

“Urge the steeds, O Hrishikesha, towards the Samshaptakas. They will not give up the battle alive. This is what I think. Today you shall witness the terrible might of my arms as also of my bow. Today I shall slay all these, like Rudra slaying creatures (at the end of the Yuga).”

Hearing these words, the invincible Krishna smiled, and gladdening him with auspicious speeches, conveyed Arjuna to those places whither the latter desired to go. While borne in battle by those white steeds, that car looked exceedingly resplendent like a celestial car borne along the firmament. Like Shakra’s car in the battle between the gods and the Asuras in days of old, it displayed circular, forward, backward, and diverse other kinds of motion. Then the Narayanas, excited with wrath and armed with diverse weapons, surrounded Dhananjaya, covering him with showers of arrows. They soon made Kunti's son, Dhananjaya, together with Krishna, entirely invisible in that battle. Then Phalguni, excited with wrath, doubled his energy, and quickly rubbing its string, grasped Gandiva, (firmly) in the battle. Causing wrinkles to form themselves on his brow, sure indications of wrath, the son of Pandu blew his prodigious conch, called Devadatta, and then he shot the weapon called Tvashtra that is capable of slaying large bodies of foes together.

Thereupon, thousands of separate forms started into existence there (of Arjuna himself and of Vasudeva). Confounded by those diverse images after the form of Arjuna, the troops began to strike each other, each regarding the other as Arjuna's self. “This is Arjuna!” “This is Govinda!” “They are Pandu's son and he is of Yadu's race!” Uttering such exclamations, and deprived of their senses, they slew one another in that battle. Deprived of their senses by that mighty weapon, they slew one another. Indeed, those warriors (while striking one another) looked beautiful like blossoming Kinsukas. Consuming those thousands of arrows shot by them, that (mighty) weapon despatched those heroes to Yama's abode.

Then Bibhatsu, laughing, crushed with his arrows the Lalithya, the Malava, the Mavellaka, and the Trigarta warriors. While those Kshatriyas, urged by fate, were thus slaughtered by that hero, they shot at Partha showers of diverse kinds of arrows. Overwhelmed with those terrible showers of arrows, neither Arjuna, nor his car, nor Keshava, could any longer be seen. Seeing their arrows strike the aim, they uttered joyous shouts. Regarding the two Krishnas as already slain, they joyously waved their garments in the air. Those heroes also blew their conchs and beat their drums and cymbals by thousands, and uttered many leonine shouts. Then Krishna, covered with sweat, and much weakened, addressed Arjuna, saying,

“Where are you, O Partha! I do not see you. Are you alive, O slayer of foes?”

Hearing those words of his, Dhananjaya with great speed dispelled, by means of the Vayavya weapon, that arrowy downpour shot by his foes. Then the illustrious Vayu (the presiding deity of that mighty weapon) bore away crowds of Samshaptakas with steeds and elephants and cars and weapons, as if these were dry leaves of trees. Borne away by the wind, they looked highly beautiful, like flights of birds flying away from trees. Then Dhananjaya, having afflicted them thus, with great speed struck hundreds and thousands of them with sharp shafts. He cut off their heads and also hands with weapons in their grasp, by means of his broad-headed arrows. He felled on the ground, with his shafts, their thighs, resembling the trunks of elephants. Some were wounded on their backs, arms and eyes. Thus Dhananjaya deprived his foes of diverse limbs, and cars decked and equipped according to rule, and looking like the vapour edifices in the welkin, he cut off into fragments, by means of his arrows, their riders and steeds and elephants. In many places crowds of cars, whose standards had been cut off, looked like forests of headless palmyras. Elephants with excellent weapons, banners, hooks, and standards fell down like wooded mountains, split with Shakra’s thunder. Graced with tails, looking like those of the yak, and covered with coats of mail, and with their entrails and eyes dragged out, steeds along with their riders, rolled on the ground, slain by means of Partha's shafts. No longer holding in their grasp the swords that had served for their nails, with their coats of mail tom, and the joints of their bones broken, foot-soldiers with their vital limbs cut open, helplessly laid themselves down on the field, slain by means of Arjuna's arrows. The field of battle assumed an awful aspect in consequence of those warriors slain, or in the course of being slaughtered, falling and fallen, standing or in course of being whirled along.

The air was purified of the dust that had arisen, by means of the showers of blood (caused by Arjuna's arrows). The earth, strewn with hundreds of headless trunks, became impassable. The car of Bibhatsu in that battle shone fiercely like the car of Rudra himself, while engaged at the end of the Yuga in destroying all creatures. While slaughtered by Partha thus, those warriors, with their steeds and cars and elephants in great distress, ceased not to rush against him; though, deprived of life one after another, they had to become the guests of Shakra. Then the field of battle strewn with mighty car-warriors deprived of life, looked dreadful like Yama's domains, abounding with the spirits of the departed creatures. Meanwhile, when Arjuna was furiously engaged (with the Samshaptakas), Drona, at the head of his forces arrayed for battle, rushed against Yudhishthira, and many warriors, accomplished in smiting and properly arrayed, followed him, actuated by the desire of seizing Yudhishthira. The battle then that ensued became exceedingly fierce.

While Arjuna was proceeding towards Bhagadatta, the mighty Samshaptaka car-warriors, numbering fourteen thousand, made up of ten thousand Gopalas or Narayanas who used to follow Vasudeva, returning to the field, summoned him to battle. Beholding the Pandava host broken by Bhagadatta, and summoned on the other hand by the Samshaptakas, Arjuna's heart was divided in twain. He began to think,

“Which of these two act will be better for me to do today, to return from this spot for battling with Samshaptakas or to repair to Yudhishthira?”

Reflecting with the aid of his understanding, Arjuna's heart, at last, was firmly fixed on the slaughter of the Samshaptakas. Desirous of alone slaughtering in battle thousands of car-warriors, Indra's son (Arjuna) having the foremost of apes on banner, suddenly turned back. Even this was what both Duryodhana and Karna had thought of for achieving the slaughter of Arjuna. It was for this that they had made arrangements for the double encounter. The son of Pandu allowed his heart to waver this side and that, but, at last, resolving to slay those foremost of warriors, viz., the Samshaptakas, he baffled the purpose of his enemies. Then mighty Samshaptaka car-warriors shot at Arjuna thousands of straight arrows. Covered with those arrows, neither Kunti's son Partha, nor Krishna, otherwise called Janardana, nor the steeds, nor the car, could be seen. Then Janardana became deprived of his senses and perspired greatly. Thereupon, Partha shot the Brahma weapon and nearly exterminated them all.

Hundreds upon hundreds of arms with bows and arrows and bowstrings in grasp, cut off from trunks, and hundreds upon hundreds of standards and steeds and charioteers and car-warriors, fell down on the ground. Huge elephants, well-equipped and resembling foremost hills over-grown with woods or masses of clouds, afflicted with Partha's shafts and deprived of riders, fell down on the earth. Many elephants again, with riders on their backs, crushed by means of Arjuna's shafts, fell down, deprived of life, shorn of the embroidered cloths on their backs, and with their housings torn. Cut off by Kiritin with his broad-headed arrows, countless arms having swords and lances and rapiers for their nails or having clubs and battle-axes in grasp, fell down on the earth. Heads also, beautiful, as the morning sun or the lotus or the moon, cut off by Arjuna with his arrows, dropped down on the ground. While Phalguni in rage was thus engaged in slaying the foe with diverse kinds of well-adorned and fatal shafts, that host seemed to be ablaze. Beholding Dhanunjaya crushing that host like an elephant crushing lotus-stalks, all creatures applauded him, saying, “Excellent, Excellent!” Seeing that feat of Partha resembling that of Vasava himself, Madhava wondered much and, addressing him with joined hands, said,

“Verily, O Partha, I think that this feat which you have achieved, could not be performed by Shakra, or Yama, or the Lord of treasures himself. I see that you have today felled in battle hundreds and thousands of mighty Samshaptaka warriors an together.”

Having slain the Samshaptakas then, that is, who were engaged in battle, Partha addressed Krishna, saying, “Go towards Bhagadatta.”