Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/71

Rh that of Danda; then imminent risk in single combat with Karna in the presence of all the warriors; then the wrath of  and Arjuna to each other; then Krishna's pacification of Arjuna. In this Parva, Bhima in fulfilment of his vow, having ripped open Dushshasana's breast in battle drank his heart's blood. Then Arjuna slew the great Karna in single combat. Readers of the Bharata call this the eighth Parva. The number of sections in this is sixty nine and the number of slokas is four thousand nine hundred and sixty four.

"Then hath been recited the wonderful Parva called Salya. After all the great warriors had been slain, the king of Madra became the leader of the (Kaurava) army. The encounters, one after another, of charioteers have been here described. Then comes the fall of the great Salya at the hands of the just. Here also is the death of Sakuni in battle at the hands of Sahadeva. Upon only a small remnant of the troops remaining alive after the immense slaughter, Duryodhana went to the lake and creating for himself room within its waters lay stretched there for some time. Then is narrated the receipt of this intelligence by Bhima from the fowlers; then is narrated how, moved by the insulting speeches of  Duryodhana ever unable to bear affronts came out of the waters. Then comes the encounter with clubs between Duryodhana and Bhima; then the arrival, at the time of such encounter, of Balarama; then is described the sacredness of the Swaraswati; then the progress of the encounter with clubs; then the fracture of Duryodhana's thighs in battle by Bhima with a terrific hurl of his mace. These all have been described in the wonderful ninth Parva. In this the number of sections is fifty nine and the number of slokas composed by the great VysaVyasa [sic]—the spreader of the fame of the Kauravas—is three thousand two hundred and twenty.

"Then shall I described the Parva called Sauptika of frightful incidents. On the Pandavas having gone away, the mighty charioteers, Kritavarma, Kripa, and the son of Drona, came to the field of battle in the evening and there saw king Duryodhana lying on the ground, his thighs broken, and himself