warriors in their chariots, equipped with
all arms, surged in attack on the young
hero, only to be dashed back, baffled and
broken.
Asmaka rode his chariot at great speed
against Abhimanyu's. But smiling,
Abhimanyu sent his shafts and disposed
of him in no time. Karna's armor was
pierced.
Salya was badly wounded and sat, unable
to move, in his chariot. Salya's brother
came up in great wrath to avenge his
brother's disgrace but he fell and his
chariot was broken to pieces.
Thus did Abhimanyu, alone and
unsupported, oppose a host of veteran
warriors and show the skill in the use of
arms which he had learnt from his
illustrious father and from Vasudeva, his
uncle. Seeing this, the poet says,
Dronacharya's eyes were filled with tears
of affectionate admiration.
"Was there ever a fighter to equal this boy
Abhimanyu?" exclaimed Drona to Kripa,
in the hearing of Duryodhana who could
not contain his anger.
"The acharya's partiality for Arjuna
prevents him from killing Abhimanyu,"
Duryodhana said, "and he sings his praises
instead of fighting him. Indeed, if the
acharya were minded to dispose of
Abhimanyu, would it take him long to do
it!"
Often did Duryodhana suspect and
complain in this manner against Bhishma
and Drona. Having undertaken a war of
adharma, he was often led to speak in this
manner and hurt the feelings of the
acharyas who stood loyally by him, even
when they saw the wickedness of his
ways.
Duhsasana roared in anger and
exclaiming: "This obstinate lad will perish
now!" led his chariot forward to attack
Abhimanyu. The chariots of Abhimanyu
and Duhsasana made wonderful
movement against each other and the
battle raged long.
Duhsasana was struck senseless in his car,
and his charioteer just managed to drive
away from the field saving Duhsasana's
life. Karna attacked Abhimanyu with his
shafts and harassed him greatly.
But one of Abhimanyu's arrows felled
Karna's bow and the young warrior
followed up this advantage so vigorously
that he put Karna and his supporters to
flight. The Kaurava forces, when they saw
this, were completely demoralised.
The army was in confusion and men fled
in all directions, not caring for Drona's
shouts of remonstrance. And Abhimanyu
destroyed those that stood, as fire destroys
a dry jungle in summer.
80. THE DEATH OF ABHIMANYU
THE Pandavas, proceeding according to
plan, had closely followed Abhimanyu
when he broke into the Kaurava
formation. But Dhritarashtra's son-in-law
Jayadratha, the gallant king of the
Sindhus, swooped down upon the
Pandavas with all his forces and enabled
the breach in the formation to be
effectively and solidly closed up, so that
the Pandavas found it impossible to force
their way in.
Yudhishthira hurled a javelin and cut
Jayadratha's bow. But in an instant, the
Saindhava took up another bow and sent
unerring shafts at Dharmaputra.
Bhimasena's arrows made deadly work,
crashing down the canopy and flagstaff of
Jayadratha's car. But the Saindhava, was
alert and rearmed himself, each time his
equipment was broken. He killed Bhima's
chariot horses, and the latter had to go into
Satyaki's car.
In this manner, Jayadratha, with stubborn
valor, prevented the Pandavas from
entering in Abhimanyu's wake. The young
hero was thus isolated and surrounded by
the Kaurava forces.