The latter piercing Abhimanyu with three arrows, said
unto Duryodhana, ’Let us all together grind this
one, else, fighting singly with us he will slay us
all. O king, think of the means of slaying this
one, taking counsel with Drona and Kripa and others.’
The Karna, the son of Vikartana, said unto Drona, ’Abhimanyu
grindeth us all. Tell us the means by which we
may slay him.’ Thus addressed, the mighty
bowman, Drona, addressing them all, said, ’Observing
him with vigilance, have any of you been able to detect
any defeat in this youth? He is careening in
all directions. Yet have any of you been able
to detect today the least hole in him? Behold
the lightness of hand and quickness of motion of this
lion among men, this son of Arjuna. In the track
of his car, only his bow drawn to a circle can be
seen, so quickly is he aiming his shafts and so quickly
is he letting them off. Indeed, this slayer of
hostile heroes, viz., the son of Subhadra, gratifieth
me although he afflicteth my vital breath and stupefieth
me with shafts. Even the mightiest car-warriors,
filled with wrath, are unable to detect any flaw in
him. The son of Subhadra, therefore, careering
on the field of battle, gratifieth me greatly.
I do not see that in battle there is any difference
between the wielder of Gandiva himself and this one
of great lightness of hand, filling all the points
of the horizon with his mighty shafts.’
Hearing these words, Karna, afflicted with the shafts
of Arjuna’s son, once more said unto Drona,
’Exceedingly afflicted with the shafts of Abhimanyu,
I am staying in battle, only because (as a warrior)
I should stay here. Indeed, the arrows of this
south of great energy are exceedingly fierce.
Terrible as they are and possessed of the energy of
fire, these arrows are weakening my heart.’
The preceptor then, slowly and with a smile, said unto
Karna, ’Abhimanyu is young, his prowess is great.
His coat of mail is impenetrable. This one’s
father had been taught by me the method of wearing
defensive armour. This subjugator of hostile towns
assuredly knoweth the entire science (of wearing armour).
With shafts well shot, you can, however, cut off his
bow, bow-string, the reins of his steeds, the steeds
themselves, and two Parshni charioteers. O mighty
bowman, O son of Radha, if competent, do this.
Making him turn back from the fight (by this means),
strike him then. With his bow in hand he is incapable
of being vanquished by the very gods and the Asuras
together. If you wish, deprive him of his car,
and divest him of his bow.’. Hearing these
words of the preceptor, Vikartana’s son Karna
quickly cut off, by means of his shafts, the bow of
Abhimanyu, as the latter was shooting with great activity.
He, of Bhoja’s race (viz., Kritavarman) then
slew his steeds, and Kripa slew his two Parshni charioteers.
The others covered him with showers of arrows after
he had been divested of his bow. Those six great
car-warriors, with great speed, when speed was so necessary,