srimahabharat - (Book 8 ) Karna Parva - chapters 14 to 24

The Sacred  Scripture of

 great Epic Sree Mahabharatam:

The Mahabharata

                                      Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa
                                                        translated by
                                  Sreemaan Brahmasri  Kisari Mohan Ganguli

Karna Parva

Book 8
Chapter 14

 1 [s]
      pratyāgatya punar jiṣṇur ahan saṃśaptakān bahūn
      vakrānuvakra gamanād aṅgāraka iva grahaḥ
  2 pārtha bāṇahatā rājan narāśvarathakuñjarāḥ
      vicelur babhramur neduḥ petur mamluś ca māriṣa
  3 dhuryaṃ dhuryatarān sūtān rathāṃś ca parisaṃkṣipan
      pāṇīn pāṇigataṃ śastraṃ bāhūn api śirāṃsi ca
  4 bhallaiḥ kṣurair ardhacandrair vatsadantaiś ca pāṇḍavaḥ
      cicchedāmitra vīrāṇāṃ samare pratiyudhyatām
  5 vāśitārthe yuyutsanto vṛṣabhā vṛṣabhaṃ yathā
      āpatanty arjunaṃ śūrāḥ śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ
  6 teṣāṃ tasya ca tad yuddham abhaval lomaharṣaṇam
      trailokyavijaye yādṛg daityānāṃ saha vajriṇā
  7 tam avidhyat tribhir bāṇair danda śūkair ivāhibhiḥ
      ugrāyudhas tatas tasya śiraḥ kāyād apāharat
  8 te 'rjunaṃ sarvataḥ kruddhā nānāśastrair avīvṛṣan
      marudbhiḥ preṣitā meghā himavantam ivoṣṇage
  9 astrair astrāṇi saṃvārya dviṣatāṃ sarvato 'rjunaḥ
      samyag astaiḥ śaraiḥ sarvān sahitān ahanad bahūn
  10 chinnatriveṇujaṅgheṣān nihatapārṣṇi sārathīn
     saṃchinnaraśmi yoktrākṣān vyanukarṣa yugān rathān
     vidhvastasarvasaṃnāhān bāṇaiś cakre 'rjunas tvaran
 11 te rathās tatra vidhvastāḥ parārdhyā bhānty anekaśaḥ
     dhaninām iva veśmāni hatāny agnyanilāmbubhiḥ
 12 dvipāḥ saṃbhinnamarmāṇo vajrāśanisamaiḥ śaraiḥ
     petur giryagraveśmāni vajravātāgnibhir yathā
 13 sārohās turagāḥ petur bahavo 'rjuna tāḍitāḥ
     nirjihvāntrāḥ kṣitau kṣīṇā rudhirārdrāḥ sudurdṛśaḥ
 14 narāśvanāgā nārācaiḥ saṃsyūtāḥ savyasācinā
     babhramuś caskhaluḥ petur nedur mamluś ca māriṣa
 15 aṇakaiś ca śilā dhātair vajrāśaniviṣopamaiḥ
     śarair nijaghnivān pārtho mahendra iva dānavān
 16 mahārhavarmābharaṇā nānārūpāmbarāyudhāḥ
     sa rathāḥ sa dhvajā vīrā hatāḥ pārthena śerate
 17 vijitāḥ puṇyakarmāṇo viśiṣṭābhijana śrutāḥ
     gatāḥ śarīrair vasudhām ūrjitaiḥ karmabhir divam
 18 athārjuna rathaṃ vīrās tvadīyāḥ samupādravan
     nānājanapadādhyakṣāḥ sagaṇā jātamanyavaḥ
 19 uhyamānā rathāśvais te pattayaś ca jighāṃsavaḥ
     samabhyadhāvann asyanto vividhaṃ kṣipram āyudham
 20 tadāyudha mahāvarṣaṃ kṣiptaṃ yodhamahāmbudaiḥ
     vyadhaman niśitair bāṇaiḥ kṣipram arjuna mārutaḥ
 21 sāśvapattidviparathaṃ mahāśastraugham aplavam
     sahasā saṃtitīrṣantaṃ pārthaṃ śastrāstrasetunā
 22 athābravīd vāsudevaḥ pārthaṃ kiṃ krīḍase 'nagha
     saṃśaptakān pramathyaitāṃs tataḥ karṇavadhe tvara
 23 tathety uktvārjunaḥ kṣipraṃ śiṣṭān saṃśaptakāṃs tadā
     ākṣipya śastreṇa balād daityān indra ivāvadhīt
 24 ādadhat saṃdadhan nāṣūn dṛṣṭaḥ kaiś cid raṇe 'rjunaḥ
     vimuñcan vā śarāñ śīghraṃ dṛśyate sma hi kair api
 25 āścaryam iti govindo bruvann aśvān acodayat
     haṃsāṃsa gaurās te senāṃ haṃsāḥ sara ivāviśan
 26 tataḥ saṃgrāmabhūmiṃ tāṃ vartamāne janakṣaye
     avekṣamāṇo govindaḥ savyasācinam abravīt
 27 eṣa pārtha mahāraudro vartate bharatakṣayaḥ
     pṛthivyāṃ pārthivānāṃ vai duryodhanakṛte mahān
 28 paśya bhārata cāpāni rukmapṛṣṭhāni dhanvinām
     mahatām apaviddhāni kalāpān iṣudhīs tathā
 29 jātarūpamayaiḥ puṅkhaiḥ śarāṃś ca nataparvaṇaḥ
     tailadhautāṃś ca nārācān nirmuktān iva pannagān
 30 hastidanta tsarūn khaḍgāñ jātarūpapariṣkṛtān
     ākīrṇāṃs tomarāṃś cāpāṃś citrān hemavibhūṣitān
 31 varmāṇi cāpaviddhāni rukmapṛṣṭhāni bhārata
     suvarṇavikṛtān prāsāñ śaktīḥ kanakabhūṣitāḥ
 32 jāmbūnadamayaiḥ paṭṭair baddhāś ca vipulā gadāḥ
     jātarūpamayīś carṣṭīḥ paṭṭiśān hemabhūṣitān
 33 daṇḍaiḥ kanakacitraiś ca vipraviddhān paraśvadhān
     ayaḥ kuśāntān patitān musalāni gurūṇi ca
 34 śataghnīḥ paśya citrāś ca vipulān parighāṃs tathā
     cakrāṇi cāpaviddhāni mudgarāṃś ca bahūn raṇe
 35 nānāvidhāni śastrāṇi pragṛhya jaya gṛddhinaḥ
     jīvanta iva lakṣyante gatasattvās tarasvinaḥ
 36 gadā vimathitair gātrair musalair bhinnamastakān
     gajavājirathakṣuṇṇān paśya yodhān sahasraśaḥ
 37 manuṣyagajavājīnāṃ śaraśaktyṛṣṭitomaraiḥ
     nistriṃśaiḥ paṭṭiśaiḥ prāsair nakharair laguḍair api
 38 śarīrair bahudhā bhinnaiḥ śoṇitaughapariplutaiḥ
     gatāsubhir amitraghna saṃvṛtā raṇabhūmayaḥ
 39 bāhubhiś candanādigdhaiḥ sāṅgadaiḥ śubhabhūṣaṇaiḥ
     sa talatraiḥ sa keyūrair bhāti bhārata medinī
 40 sāṅgulitrair bhujāgraiś ca vipraviddhair alaṃkṛtaiḥ
     hastihastopamaiś chinnair ūrubhiś ca tarasvinām
 41 baddhacūḍā maṇivaraiḥ śirobhiś ca sakuṇḍalaiḥ
     nikṛttair vṛṣabhākṣāṇāṃ virājati vasuṃdharā
 42 kabandhaiḥ śoṇitādigdhaiś chinnagātraśiro dharaiḥ
     bhūr bhāti bharataśreṣṭha śāntārcirbhir ivāgnibhiḥ
 43 rathān bahuvidhān bhagnān hemakiṅkiṇinaḥ śubhān
     aśvāṃś ca bahudhā paśya śoṇitena pariplutān
 44 yodhānāṃ ca mahāśaṅkhān pāṇḍurāṃś ca prakīrṇakān
     nirastajihvān mātaṅgāñ śayānān parvatopamān
 45 vaijayantī vicitrāṃś ca hatāṃś ca gajayodhinaḥ
     vāraṇānāṃ paristomān suyuktāmbara kambalān
 46 vipāṭinā vicitrāś ca rūpacitrāḥ kuthās tathā
     bhinnāś ca bahudhā ghaṇṭāḥ patadbhiś cūrṇitā gajaiḥ
 47 vaiḍūrya maṇidaṇḍāṃś ca patitān aṅkuśān bhuvi
     baddhāḥ sādidhvajāgreṣu suvarṇavikṛtāḥ kaśāḥ
 48 vicitrān maṇicitrāṃś ca jātarūpapariṣkṛtān
     aśvāstara paristomān rāṅkavānpatitān bhuvi
 49 cūḍāmaṇīn narendrāṇāṃ vicitrāḥ kāñcanasrajaḥ
     chatrāṇi cāpaviddhāni cāmāra vyajanāni ca
 50 candra nakṣatrabhāsaiś ca vadanaiś cārukuṇḍalaiḥ
     kḷpta śmaśrubhir atyarthaṃ vīrāṇāṃ samalaṃkṛtaiḥ
     vadanaiḥ paśya saṃchannāṃ mahīṃ śoṇitakardamām
 51 sa jīvāṃś ca narān paśya kūjamānān samantataḥ
     upāsyamānān bahubhir nyastaśastrair viśāṃ pate
 52 jñātibhiḥ sahitais tatra rodamānair muhur muhuḥ
     vyutkrāntān aparān yodhāṃś chādayitvā tarasvinaḥ
     punar yuddhāya gacchanti jaya gṛddhāḥ pramanyavaḥ
 53 apare tatra tatraiva paridhāvanti māninaḥ
     jñātibhiḥ patitaiḥ śūrair yācyamānās tathodakam
 54 jalārthaṃ ca gatāḥ ke cin niṣprāṇā bahavo 'rjuna
     saṃnivṛttāś ca te śūrās tān dṛṣṭvaiva vicetasaḥ
 55 jalaṃ dṛṣṭvā pradhāvanti krośamānāḥ parasparam
     jalaṃ pītvā mṛtān paśya pibato 'nyāṃś ca bhārata
 56 parityajya priyān anye bāndhavān bāndhavapriya
     vyutkrāntāḥ samadṛśyanta tatra tatra mahāraṇe
 57 paśyāparān naraśreṣṭha saṃdaṣṭauṣṭha puṭān punaḥ
     bhrukuṭī kuṭilair vaktraiḥ prekṣamāṇān samantataḥ
 58 etat tavaivānurūpaṃ karmārjuna mahāhave
     divi vā devarājasya tvayā yatkṛtam āhave
 59 evaṃ tāṃ darśayan kṛṣṇo yuddhabhūmiṃ kirīṭine
     gacchann evāśṛṇoc chabdaṃ duryodhana bale mahat
 60 śaṅkhadundubhinirghoṣān bherī paṇavamiśritān
     rathāśvagajanādāṃś ca śasttra śabdāṃś ca dāruṇān
 61 praviśya tad balaṃ kṛṣṇas turagair vātavegibhiḥ
     pāṇḍyenābhyarditāṃ senāṃ tvadīyāṃ vīkṣya dhiṣṭhitaḥ
 62 sahi nānāvidhair bāṇair iṣvāsa pravaro yudhi
     nyahanad dviṣatāṃ vrātān gatāsūn antako yathā
 63 gajavājimanuṣyāṇāṃ śarīrāṇi śitaiḥ śaraiḥ
     bhittvā praharatāṃ śreṣṭho videhāsūṃś cakāra saḥ
 64 śatrupravīrair astāni nānāśastrāṇi sāyakaiḥ
     bhittvā tān ahanat pāṇḍyaḥ śatrūñ śakra ivāsurān

14

"Sanjaya said, 'Srutakarman then, O king, filled with wrath, struck that lord of Earth, viz., Citrasena, in that battle, with fifty shafts. The ruler of the Abhisars (in return), striking Srutakarman, O king, with nine straight arrows, pierced his driver with five. Srutakarman then, filled with rage, struck Citrasena at the head of his forces, with a keen arrow in a vital part. Deeply pierced, O monarch, with that arrow by that high-souled prince the heroic Citrasena felt great pain and swooned away. During this interval, Srutakarman of great renown covered that lord of Earth, (viz., his insensible antagonist), with ninety arrows. The mighty car-warrior Citrasena then, recovering consciousness, cut off his antagonist's bow with a broad-headed arrow, and pierced his antagonist himself with seven arrows. Taking up another bow that was decked with gold, and capable of striking hard, Srutakarman then, with his waves of arrows, made Citrasena assume a wonderful appearance. Adorned with those arrows, the youthful king, wearing beautiful garlands, looked in that battle like a well-adorned youth in the midst of an assembly. Quickly piercing Srutakarman with an arrow in the centre of the chest, he said unto him, "Wait, Wait!" Srutakarman also, pierced with that arrow in the battle, began to shed blood, like a mountain shedding streams of liquid red chalk. Bathed in blood and dyed therewith, that hero shone in battle like a flowering Kinsuka. Srutakarman, then, O king, thus assailed by the foe, became filled with rage, and cut in twain the foe-resisting bow of Citrasena. The latter's bow having been cut off, Srutakarman then, O king, pierced him with three hundred arrows equipped with goodly wings, covering him completely therewith. With another broad-headed arrow, sharp-edged and keen pointed, he cut off the head, decked with head-gear of his high-souled antagonist. That blazing head of Citrasena fell down on the ground, like the moon loosened from the firmament upon the Earth at will. Beholding the king slain, the troops of Citrasena, O sire, rushed impetuously against (his slayer). That great bowman then, filled with rage, rushed, shooting his shafts, against that army, like Yama filled with fury, against all creatures at the time of the universal dissolution. Slaughtered in that battle by thy grandson armed with the bow, they quickly fled on all sides like elephants scorched by a forestconflagration. Beholding them flying away, hopeless of vanquishing the foe, Srutakarman, pursuing them with his keen arrows, looked exceedingly resplendent (on his car). Then Prativindhya, piercing Citra with five arrows, struck his driver with three and his standard with one. Him Citra pierced, striking in the arms and the chest, with nine broad-headed shafts equipped with wings of gold, having keen points, and plumed with Kanka and peacock feathers. Then Prativindhya, O Bharata, cutting off with his shafts the bow of his antagonist deeply struck the latter with five keen arrows. Then Citra, O monarch, sped at thy grandson a terrible and irresistible dart, adorned with golden bells, and resembling a flame of fire. Prativindhya, however, in that battle, cut off, with the greatest ease, into three fragments, that dart as it coursed towards him like a flashing meteor. Cut off into three fragments, with Prativindhya's shafts, that dart fell down, like the thunderbolt inspiring all creatures with fear at the end of the Yuga. Beholding that dart baffled, Citra, taking up a huge mace decked with a net-work of gold, hurled it at Prativindhya. That mace slew the latter's steeds and driver also in that great battle, and crushing, besides, his car, fell with great impetuosity on the Earth. Meanwhile, having alighted from his car, O Bharata, Prativindhya hurled at Citra a dart, well-adorned and equipped with a golden staff. Catching it as it coursed towards him, the high-souled king Citra, O Bharata, hurled the very weapon at Prativindhya. Striking the brave Prativindhya in that battle, that blazing dart, piercing through his right arm, fell down on the Earth, and falling illumined the whole region like a blast of lightning. Then Prativindhya, O king, filled with rage, and desiring to compass the destruction of Citra, sped at him a lance decked with gold. That lance penetrating through his armour and chest, entered the Earth like a mighty snake in its hole. Struck with that lance, the king fell down, stretching out his large and massive arms that resembled a couple of iron clubs. Beholding Citra slain, thy warriors, those ornaments of battle, rushed impetuously at Prativindhya from all sides. Shooting diverse kinds of shafts and Sataghnis decked with rows of bells, they soon covered Prativindhya like masses of clouds covering the Sun. The mighty-armed Prativindhya, consuming with his arrowy showers those assailants of his in that battle, routed thy army like the thunder-wielding Sakra routing the Asura host. Thus slaughtered in battle by the Pandavas, thy troops, O king, suddenly dispersed in all directions like congregated masses of clouds dispersed by the wind. While thy army, slaughtered on all sides, was thus flying away, only Drona's son singly rushed with speed against the mighty Bhimasena. All at once a fierce encounter ensued between them like to what had taken place between Vritra and Vasava in the battle between the gods and the Asuras (of old).'"

Book 8
Chapter 15

1 [dhṛ]
      proktas tvayā pūrvam eva pravīro lokaviśrutaḥ
      na tv asya karmasaṃgrāme tvayā saṃjaya kīrtitam
  2 tasya vistarato brūhi pravīrasyādya vikramam
      śikṣāṃ prabhāvaṃ vīryaṃ ca pramāṇaṃ darpam eva ca
  3 [s]
      droṇa bhīṣma kṛpa drauṇikarṇārjuna janārdanān
      samāptavidyān dhanuṣi śreṣṭhān yān manyase yudhi
  4 tulyatā karṇa bhīṣmābhyām ātmano yena dṛśyate
      vāsudevārjunābhyāṃ ca nyūnatāṃ nātmanīcchati
  5 sa pāṇḍyo nṛpatiśreṣṭhaḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ
      karṇasyānīkam avadhīt paribhūta ivāntakaḥ
  6 tad udīrṇarathāśvaṃ ca pattipravara kuñjaram
      kulāla cakravad bhrāntaṃ pāṇḍyenādhiṣṭhitaṃ balam
  7 vyaśva sūta dhvajarathān vipraviddhāyudhān ripūn
      samyag astaiḥ śaraiḥ pāṇḍyo vāyur meghān ivākṣipat
  8 dviradān prahata prothān vipatāka dhvajāyudhān
      sa pādarakṣān avadhīd vajreṇārīn ivārihā
  9 sa śaktiprāsa tūṇīrān aśvārohān hayān api
      pulinda khaśa bāhlīkān niṣādān dhraka taṅgaṇān
  10 dākṣiṇātyāṃś ca bhojāṃś ca krūrān saṃgrāmakarkaśān
     viśastra kavacān bāṇaiḥ kṛtvā pāṇḍyo 'karod vyasūn
 11 caturaṅgaṃ balaṃ bāṇair nighnantaṃ pāṇḍyam āhave
     dṛṣṭvā drauṇir asaṃbhrāntam asaṃbhrāntataro 'bhyayāt
 12 ābhāṣya cainaṃ madhuram abhi nṛtyann abhītavat
     prāha praharatāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ smitapūrvaṃ samāhvayan
 13 rājan kamalapatrākṣa pradhānāyudha vāhana
     vajrasaṃhanana prakhyapradhānabalapauruṣa
 14 muṣṭiśliṣṭāyudhābhyāṃ ca vyāyatābhyāṃ mahad dhanuḥ
     dorbhyāṃ visphārayan bhāsi mahājaladavad bhṛśam
 15 śaravarṣair mahāvegair amitrān abhivarṣataḥ
     mad anyaṃ nānupaśyāmi prativīraṃ tavāhave
 16 rathadviradapattyaśvān ekaḥ pramathase bahūn
     mṛgasaṃghān ivāraṇye vibhīr bhīmabalo hariḥ
 17 mahatā rathaghoṣeṇa divaṃ bhūmiṃ ca nādayan
     varṣānte sasyahā pītho bhābhir āpūrayann iva
 18 saṃspṛśānaḥ śarāṃs tīkṣṇāṃs tūṇād āśīviṣopamān
     mayaivaikena yudhyasva tryambakeṇāndhako yathā
 19 evam uktas tathety uktvā prahareti ca tāḍitaḥ
     karṇinā droṇa tanayaṃ vivyādha malayadhvajaḥ
 20 marmabhedibhir atyugrair bāṇair agniśikhopamaiḥ
     smayann abhyahanad drauṇiḥ pāṇḍyam ācārya sattamaḥ
 21 tato navāparāṃs tīkṣṇān nārācān kaṅkavāsasaḥ
     gatyā daśamyā saṃyuktān aśvatthāmā vyavāsṛjat
 22 teṣāṃ pañcācchinat pāṇḍyaḥ pañcabhir niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ
     catvāro 'bhyāhanan vāhān āśu te vyasavo 'bhavan
 23 atha droṇasutasyeṣūṃs tāṃś chittvā niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ
     dhanurjyāṃ vitatāṃ pāṇḍyaś cicchedāditya varcasaḥ
 24 vijyaṃ dhanur athādhijyaṃ kṛtvā drauṇir amitrahā
     tataḥ śarasahasrāṇi preṣayām āsa pāṇḍyataḥ
     iṣusaṃbādham ākāśam akarod diśa eva ca
 25 tatas tān asyataḥ sarvān drauṇer bāṇān mahātmanaḥ
     jānāno 'py akṣayān pāṇḍyo 'śātayat puruṣarṣabhaḥ
 26 prahitāṃs tān prayatnena chittvā drauṇer iṣūn ariḥ
     cakrarakṣau tatas tasya prāṇudan niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ
 27 athārer lāghavaṃ dṛṣṭvā maṇḍalīkṛtakārmukaḥ
     prāsyad droṇasuto bāṇān vṛṣṭiṃ pūṣānujo yathā
 28 aṣṭāv aṣṭa gavāny ūhuḥ śakaṭāni yad āyudham
     ahnas tad aṣṭa bhāgena drauṇiś cikṣepa māriṣa
 29 tam antakam iva kruddham antakālāntakopamam
     ye ye dādṛśire tatra visaṃjñāḥ prāyaśo 'bhavan
 30 parjanya iva gharmānte vṛṣṭyā sādridrumāṃ mahīm
     ācārya putras tāṃ senāṃ bāṇavṛṣṭyābhyavīvṛṣat
 31 drauṇiparjanyamuktāṃ tāṃ bāṇavṛṣṭiṃ suduḥsahām
     vāyavyāstreṇa sa kṣipraṃ ruddhvā pāṇḍyānilo 'nadat
 32 tasya nānadataḥ ketuṃ candanāgurubhūṣitam
     malayapratimadrauṇiś chittvāśvāṃś caturo 'hanat
 33 sūtam ekeṣuṇā hatvā mahājalada nisvanam
     dhanuś chittvārdha candreṇa vyadhamat tilaśo ratham
 34 astrair astrāṇi saṃvārya chittvā sarvāyudhāni ca
     prāptam apy ahitaṃ drauṇir na jaghāna raṇepsayā
 35 hateśvaro danti varaḥ sukalpitas; tvarābhisṛṣṭaḥ pratiśarmago balī
     tam adhyatiṣṭhan malayeśvaro mahān; yathādriśṛṅgaṃ harir unnadaṃs tathā
 36 sa tomaraṃ bhāskararaśmisaṃnibhaṃ; balāstra sargottama yatnamanyubhiḥ
     sasarja śīghraṃ pratipīḍayan gajaṃ; guroḥ sutāyādripatīśvaro nadan
 37 maṇipratānottama vajrahāṭakair; alaṃkṛtaṃ cāṃśuka mālyamauktikaiḥ
     hato 'sy asāv ity asakṛn mudā nadan; parābhinad drauṇivarāṅgabhūṣaṇam
 38 tad arkacandra grahapāvakatviṣaṃ; bhṛśābhighātāt patitaṃ vicūrṇitam
     mahendravajrābhihataṃ mahāvanaṃ; yathādriśṛṅgaṃ dharaṇītale tathā
 39 tataḥ prajajvāla pareṇa manyunā; padāhato nāgapatir yathātathā
     samādadhe cāntaka daṇḍasaṃnibhān; iṣūn amitrānta karāṃś caturdaśa
 40 dvipasya pādāgra karān sa pañcabhir; nṛpasya bāhū ca śiro 'tha ca tribhiḥ
     jaghāna ṣaḍbhiḥ ṣaḍ ṛtūttama tviṣaḥ; sa pāṇḍya rājānucarān mahārathān
 41 sudīrgha vṛttau varacandanokṣitau; suvarṇamuktā maṇivajra bhūṣitau
     bhujau dharāyāṃ patitau nṛpasya tau; viveṣṭatur tārkṣya hatāv ivoragau
 42 śiraś ca tat pūrṇaśaśiprabhānanaṃ; saroṣatāmrāyata netram unnasam
     kṣitau vibabhrāja patat sakuṇḍalaṃ; viśākhayor madhyagataḥ śaśī yathā
 43 samāptavidyaṃ tu guroḥ sutaṃ nṛpaḥ; samāptakarmāṇam upetya te sutaḥ
     suhṛdvṛto 'tyartham apūjayan mudā; jite balau viṣṇum ivāmareśvaraḥ

15

"Sanjaya said, 'Endued with the greatest activity, Drona's son, O king, displaying the lightness of his arms, pierced Bhima with an arrow. Aiming at all his vital points--for he had a knowledge of all the vital points of the body--the quick-handed Ashvatthama again struck him with ninety shafts. Pierced all over with keen arrows by the son of Drona, Bhimasena looked resplendent in that battle like the Sun himself with his rays. The son of Pandu then, covering the son of Drona with a 1,000 well-directed shafts, uttered a leonine roar. Baffling with his own shafts the shafts of his foe in that battle, the son of Drona, O king, as if smiling, then struck the Pandava on the forehead with a cloth-yard shaft. The son of Pandu bore that arrow on his forehead even as the proud rhinoceros, O king, in the forest bears its horn. The valiant Bhima, then, in that battle as if smiling all the while, struck the struggling son of Drona on the forehead with three cloth-yard shafts. With those three arrows sticking on his forehead, that brahmana looked beautiful like a three-peaked mountain washed with water in the season of rains. The son of Drona then afflicted the Pandava with hundreds of arrows, but failed to shake him like the wind failing to shake the mountain. Similarly the son of Pandu, filled with joy, could not in that battle shake the son of Drona with his hundreds of keen shafts like torrents of rain failing to shake a mountain. Shrouding each other with showers of terrible shafts those two great car-warriors, those two heroes, endued with fierce might, shone resplendent on those two foremost of cars of theirs. Then they looked like two blazing Suns risen for the destruction of the world, and engaged themselves in scorching each other with their rays representing excellent arrows. Endeavouring with great care to counteract each other's feats in the great battle, and actually engaged in matching deed by deed with showers of arrows most fearlessly, those two foremost of men careered in that combat like a couple of tigers. Both invincible and terrible, arrows constituted their fangs and bows their mouths. They became invisible under those clouds of arrows on all sides like the Sun and the Moon in the firmament shrouded by masses of clouds. And then those two chastisers of foes soon became visible and blazed forth like Mars and Mercury freed from cloudy screens. Then at that instant during the progress of that awful battle, Drona's son placing Vrikodara to his right, poured hundreds of fierce arrows upon him like the clouds pouring torrents of rain upon a mountain. Bhima, however, could not brook that indication of his enemy's triumphs. The son of Pandu, O king, from that very station on Ashvatthama's right, began to counteract the latter's feats. Their cars continuing to wheel around in diverse ways and advance and retreat (according to the exigencies of the situation), the battle between those two lions among men became exceedingly furious. Careering in diverse paths, and (executing) circular manoeuvres, they continued to strike each other with arrows shot from their bows drawn to their fullest stretch. And each made the greatest endeavours to compass the destruction of the other. And each of them desired to make the other carless in that battle. Then that car-warrior, viz., the son of Drona, invoked many mighty weapons. The son of Pandu, however, in that battle, with his own weapons, counteracted all those weapons of his foe. Then, O monarch, there took place an awful encounter of weapons, like to the terrible encounter of planets at the time of the universal dissolution. Those shafts, O Bharata, let off by them, coming in collision, illuminated all the points of the compass and thy troops also all around. Covered with flights of arrows, the welkin assumed a terrible sight, like to what happens, O king, at the time of the universal dissolution, when it is covered with falling meteors. From the clash of shafts, O Bharata, fire was generated there with sparks and blazing flames. That fire began to consume both armies. Siddhas, moving there, O monarch, said these words, "O lord, this battle is the foremost of all battles. Any battle (fought before) does not come up to even a sixteenth part of this. A battle like this will never occur again. Both these persons, viz., this brahmana and this kshatriya, are endued with knowledge. Both are possessed of courage, and both are fierce in prowess. Dreadful is the might of Bhima, and wonderful is the skill of the other in weapons. How great is their energy and how wonderful the skill possessed by both! Both of them stand in this battle like two universe-destroying Yamas at the end of the Yuga. They are born like two Rudras or like two Suns. These two tigers among men, both endued with terrible forms, are like two Yamas in this battle." Such were the words of the Siddhas heard there every moment. And among the assembled denizens of heaven there arose a leonine roar. Beholding the amazing and inconceivable feats of the two warriors in that battle, the dense throngs of Siddhas, and Charanas were filled with wonder. And the gods, the Siddhas, and the great Rishis applauded them both saying, "Excellent, O mighty-armed son of Drona. Excellent, O Bhima." Meanwhile those two heroes, in that battle, O king, having done injuries to each other, glared at each other with eyes rolling in rage. With eyes red in rage, their lips also quivered in rage. And they grinded their teeth in wrath and bit their lips. And those two great car-warriors covered each other with showers of arrows, as if they were in that battle two masses of clouds that poured torrents of arrows for rain and that gleamed with weapons constituting their lightning. Having pierced each other's standards and drivers in that great battle, and having also pierced each other's steeds, they continued to strike each other. Then, O monarch, filled with rage, they took up in that dreadful encounter, two arrows, and each desirous of slaying the other shot quickly at his foe. Those two blazing arrows, resistless and endued with the force of thunder, coming, O king, to the two warriors as they stood at the head of their respective divisions, struck them both. Each of the two mighty combatants then deeply struck with those arrows, sank, on the terrace of their respective car. Understanding the son of Drona to be insensible, his driver then bore him away from the battle-field, O king, in the sight of all the troops. Similarly, O king, Bhima's driver bore away from the battle-field on his car, the son of Pandu, that scorcher of foes, who was repeatedly falling into a swoon.'"

Book 8
Chapter 16

1 [dhṛ]
      pāṇḍye hate kim akarod arjuno yudhi saṃjaya
      ekavīreṇa karṇena drāviteṣu pareṣu ca
  2 samāptavidyo balavān yukto vīraś ca pāṇḍavaḥ
      sarvabhūteṣv anujñātaḥ śaṃkareṇa mahātmanā
  3 tasmān mahad bhayaṃ tīvram amitraghnād dhanaṃjayāt
      sa yat tatrākarot pārthas tan mamācakṣva saṃjaya
  4 [s]
      hate pāṇḍye 'rjunaṃ kṛṣṇas tvarann āha vaco hitam
      paśyātimānyaṃ rājānam apayātāṃś ca pāṇḍavān
  5 aśvatthāmnaś ca saṃkalpād dhatāḥ karṇena sṛñjayāḥ
      tathāśvanaranāgānāṃ kṛtaṃ ca kadanaṃ mahat
      ity ācaṣṭa sudurdharṣo vāsudevaḥ kirīṭine
  6 etac chrutvā ca dṛṣṭvā ca bhrātur ghore mahad bhayam
      vāhayāśvān hṛṣīkeśa kṣipram ity āha pāṇḍavaḥ
  7 tataḥ prāyād dhṛṣīkeśo rathenāpratiyodhinā
      dāruṇaś ca punas tatra prādurāsīt samāgamaḥ
  8 tataḥ pravavṛte bhūyaḥ saṃgrāmo rājasattama
      karṇasya pāṇḍavānāṃ ca yama rāṣṭravivardhanaḥ
  9 dhanūṃṣi bāṇān parighān asi tomarapaṭṭiśān
      musalāni bhuśuṇḍīś ca śaktiṛṣṭi paraśvadhān
  10 gadāḥ prāsān asīn kuntān bhiṇḍipālān mahāṅkuśān
     pragṛhya kṣipram āpetuḥ parasparajigīṣayā
 11 bāṇajyā talaśabdena dyāṃ diśaḥ pradiśo viyat
     pṛthivīṃ nemighoṣeṇa nādayanto 'bhyayuḥ parān
 12 tena śabdena mahatā saṃhṛṣṭāś cakrur āhavam
     vīrā vīrair mahāghoraṃ kalahāntaṃ titīrṣavaḥ
 13 jyātalatra dhanuḥ śabdāḥ kuñjarāṇāṃ ca bṛṃhitam
     tāḍitānāṃ ca patatāṃ ninādaḥ sumahān abhūt
 14 bāṇaśabdāṃś ca vividhāñ śūrāṇām abhigarjatām
     śrutvā śabdaṃ bhṛśaṃ tresur jaghnur mamluś ca bhārata
 15 teṣāṃ nānadyatāṃ caiva śastravṛṣṭiṃ ca muñcatām
     bahūn ādhirathiḥ karṇaḥ pramamātha raṇeṣubhiḥ
 16 pañca pāñcāla vīrāṇāṃ rathān daśa ca pañca ca
     sāśvasūta dhvajān karṇaḥ śarair ninye yamakṣayam
 17 yodhamukhyā mahāvīryāḥ pāṇḍūnāṃ karṇam āhave
     śīghrāstrā divam āvṛtya parivavruḥ samantataḥ
 18 tataḥ karṇo dviṣat senāṃ śaravarṣair viloḍayan
     vijagāhe 'ṇḍajāpūrṇāṃ padminīm iva yūthapaḥ
 19 dviṣan madhyam avaskandya rādheyo dhanur uttamam
     vidhunvānaḥ śitair bāṇaiḥ śirāṃsy unmathya pātayat
 20 carma varmāṇi saṃchindya nirvāpam iva dehinām
     viṣehur nāsya saṃparkaṃ dvitīyasya patatriṇaḥ
 21 varma dehāsu mathanair dhanuṣaḥ pracyutaiḥ śaraiḥ
     maurvyā talatrair nyavadhīt kaśayā vājino yathā
 22 pāṇḍusṛñjaya pāñcālāñ śaragocaram ānayat
     mamarda karṇas tarasā siṃho mṛgagaṇān iva
 23 tataḥ pāñcāla putrāś ca draupadeyāś ca māriṣa
     yamau ca yuyudhānaś ca sahitāḥ karṇam abhyayuḥ
 24 vyāyacchamānāḥ subhṛśaṃ kurupāṇḍavasṛñjayāḥ
     priyān asūn raṇe tyaktvā yodhā jagmuḥ parasparam
 25 susaṃnaddhāḥ kavacinaḥ sa śiras trāṇabhūṣaṇāḥ
     gadābhir musalair cānye parighairś ca mahārathāḥ
 26 samabhyadhāvanta bhṛśaṃ devā daṇḍair ivodyataiḥ
     nadantaś cāhvayantaś ca pravalgantaś ca māriṣa
 27 tato nijaghnur anyonyaṃ petuś cāhavatāḍitāḥ
     vamanto rudhiraṃ gātrair vimastiṣkekṣaṇā yudhi
 28 dantapūrṇaiḥ sa rudhirair vaktrair dāḍima saṃnibhaiḥ
     jīvanta iva cāpy ete tasthuḥ śastropabṛṃhitāḥ
 29 parasparaṃ cāpy apare paṭṭiśair asibhis tathā
     śaktibhir bhiṇḍipālaiś ca nakharaprāsatomaraiḥ
 30 tatakṣuś cicchiduś cānye bibhiduś cikṣipus tathā
     saṃcakartuś ca jaghnuś ca kruddhā nirbibhiduś ca ha
 31 petur anyonyanihatā vyasavo rudhirokṣitāḥ
     kṣarantaḥ svarasaṃ raktaṃ prakṛtāś candanā iva
 32 rathai rathā vinihatā hastinaś cāpi hastibhiḥ
     narā naravaraiḥ petur aśvāś cāśvaiḥ sahasraśaḥ
 33 dhvajāḥ śirāṃsi cchatrāṇi dvipahastā nṛṇāṃ bhujāḥ
     kṣurair bhallārdha candraiś ca chinnāḥ śastrāṇi tatyajuḥ
 34 narāṃś ca nāgāṃś ca rathān hayān mamṛdur āhave
     aśvārohair hatāḥ śūrāś chinnahastāś ca dantinaḥ
 35 sa patākādhvajāḥ petur viśīrṇā iva parvatāḥ
     pattibhiś ca samāplutya dviradāḥ syandanās tathā
 36 prahatā hanyamānāś ca patitāś caiva sarvaśaḥ
     aśvārohāḥ samāsādya tvaritāḥpattibhir hatāḥ
     sādibhiḥ pattisaṃghāś ca nihatā yudhi śerate
 37 mṛditānīva padmāni pramlānā iva ca srajaḥ
     hatānāṃ vadanāny āsan gātrāṇi ca mahāmate
 38 rūpāṇy atyartha kāmyāni dviradāśvanṛṇāṃ nṛpa
     samunnānīva vastrāṇi prāpur durdarśatāṃ param

16

"Dhritarashtra said, 'Describe to me the battle of Arjuna with the samsaptakas, and of the other kings with the Pandavas. Narrate to me also, O Sanjaya, the battle of Arjuna with Ashvatthama, and of the other lords of the Earth with Partha.'
"Sanjaya said, 'Listen, O king, as I speak to thee as to how occurred the battle of the heroic warriors (on our side) with the foe--the battle which was destructive of bodies, sins, and lives. That slayer of foes, viz, Partha, penetrating into the Samsaptaka force that resembled the ocean, agitated it exceedingly, like a tempest agitating the vast deep. Cutting off with broad-headed arrows of keen edges the heads of brave warriors that were decked with faces possessed of the splendour of the full moon and with beautiful eyes and eyebrows and teeth, Dhananjaya speedily caused the Earth to be strewn there as if with lotuses, plucked off their stalks. And in that battle Arjuna with his razor-headed shafts, cut off the arms of his foes, that were all well rounded, large and massive, and smeared with sandal-paste and other perfumes, with weapons in grasp, with leathern gloves casing their fingers, and looking like five-headed snakes. And the son of Pandu repeatedly cut off with his broad-headed shafts, steeds, riders, drivers, and flags, and bows and arrows, and arms decked with gems. And Arjuna in that battle, O king, with many thousands of arrows, despatched to Yama's abode, car-warriors and elephants and horses and horsemen. Many foremost of warriors, filled with rage and roaring like bulls mad (like them) with excitement for a cow in season, rushed towards Arjuna, with loud cries. All of them then began to strike Arjuna with their arrows as the latter was employed in slaying them, like infuriate bulls striking one of their species with their horns. The battle that took place between him and them made the hair to stand on end, even like the battle between the Daityas and the wielder of the thunderbolt on the occasion of the conquest of the three worlds. Resisting with his own weapons the weapons of his foes on all sides. Arjuna, piercing them fast with innumerable arrows, took their lives. Like the wind destroying vast masses of clouds, Arjuna, otherwise called Jaya, that enhancer of the fears of his foes, cutting off into minute fragments large throngs of cars,--cars, that is, whose poles, wheels, and axles had previously been shattered by him, and whose warriors and steeds and drivers had been slain before, and whose weapons and quivers had been displaced, and standards crushed, and traces and reins sundered, and wooden fences and shafts broken already, and filling every body with wonder, achieved feats magnificent to behold and rivalling those of a 1,000 great car-warriors fighting together. Crowds of Siddhas and celestial Rishis and Charanas all applauded him. And celestial kettle-drums sounded, and floral showers fell upon the heads of Keshava and Arjuna. And an incorporeal voice said, "These viz., Keshava and Arjuna, are those two heroes that always possess the beauty of the moon, the splendour of fire, the force of the wind and the radiance of the sun. Stationed on the same car these two heroes are invincible even like Brahman and Isana. These two heroes the foremost of all creatures are Nara and Narayana." Hearing and beholding these wonderful things, O Bharata, Ashvatthama, with great care and resolution, rushed against Krishna and Arjuna in that battle. With his arm that held an arrow in its grasp, the son of Drona hailed the Pandava, shooting shafts equipped with foe-slaying heads, and smilingly told him these words, "If, O hero, thou regardest me a worthy guest arrived (before thee), then give me today, with the whole heart, the hospitality of battle." Thus summoned by the preceptor's son from desire of battle, Arjuna regarded himself highly honoured, and addressing Janardana said, "The samsaptakas should be slain by me, but Drona's son again is summoning me. Tell me, O Madhava, to which of these duties should I first turn? First let the services of hospitality be offered, if thou thinkest that to be proper." Thus addressed, Krishna bore Partha who had been summoned according to the rules of triumphant challenge to the vicinity of Drona's son, like Vayu bearing Indra to the sacrifice. Saluting Drona's son whose mind was fixed upon one thing, Keshava, said unto him, "O Ashvatthama, be cool, and without losing a moment strike and bear. The time has come for those that are dependent on others to repay their obligation to their masters. The disputes between brahmanas are subtle. The consequences, however, of the disputes of kshatriyas are palpable, being either victory or defeat. For obtaining those excellent rites of hospitality that from folly thou solicitest at the hands of Partha, fight coolly now with the son of Pandu." Thus addressed by Vasudeva, that foremost of regenerate ones, replied saying, "So be it!" pierced Keshava with sixty shafts and Arjuna with three. Arjuna then, filled with rage, cut off Ashvatthama's bow with three shafts. Drona's son took up another bow that was still more formidable. Stringing it within the twinkling of an eye, he pierced Arjuna and Keshava, the latter with three hundred arrows, and the former with a 1,000. And then Drona's son, with good care, stupefying Arjuna in that battle, shot thousands and tens of thousands and millions of arrows. From the quivers, the bow, the bow-string, the fingers, the arms, the hands, the chest, the face, the nose, the eyes, the ears, the heads, the limbs, the pores of the body, the armour on his person, the car, and the standard, O sire, of that utterer of Brahma, arrows began to issue. Piercing Madhava and the son of Pandu with the thick arrowy shower, Drona's son filled with joy, roared aloud like a vast mass of congregated clouds. Hearing that roar of his, the son of Pandu said unto Keshava of unfading glory these words "Behold, O Madhava, this wickedness towards me of the preceptor's son. He regardeth us to be slain, having shrouded us with his dense arrowy shower. I will presently, however, by my training and might, baffle his purpose." Cutting off every one of those arrows shot by Ashvatthama into three fragments, that foremost one of Bharata's race destroyed them all like the Sun destroying a thick fog. After this the son of Pandu once more pierced with his fierce shafts, the samsaptakas with their steeds, drivers, cars, elephants, standards and foot-soldiers. Every one of those that stood there as spectators, every one of those that were stationed there on foot or car or steed or elephant, regarded himself as shrouded by the arrows of Arjuna. Shot from Gandiva, those winged arrows of diverse forms slew in that battle elephants and steeds and men whether stationed in his immediate front or at the distance of two miles. The trunks, cut off with broad-headed shafts, of elephants, down whose cheeks and other limbs flowed the juice indicative of excitement, fell down like tall trees in the forest struck down with the axe. A little after down fell elephants, huge as hillocks, with their riders, like mountains crushed by Indra with his thunder. With his shafts cutting into minute portions well-equipped cars that looked like dissolving edifices of vapour in the evening sky and unto which were yoked well-trained steeds of great speed and which were ridden by warriors invincible in battle, the son of Pandu continued to shower his arrows on his enemies. And Dhananjaya continued to slay well-decked horsemen and foot-soldiers of the foe. Indeed, Dhananjaya, resembling the very Sun as he rises at the end of the Yuga, dried up the samsaptaka ocean incapable of being dried up easily, by means of keen arrows constituting his rays. Without losing a moment, the son of Pandu once more pierced Drona's son resembling a huge hill, with shafts of great impetuosity and the splendour of the Sun, like the wielder of the thunderbolt piercing a mountain with the thunder. Desirous of battle, the preceptor's son then, filled with rage, approached Arjuna for piercing him and his steeds and drivers by means of his swiftly coursing shafts. Arjuna, however, quickly cut off the shafts shot at him by Ashvatthama. The son of Pandu then filled with great wrath, proffered unto Ashvatthama, that desirable guest, quivers upon quivers of arrows, like a charitable person offering everything in his house unto a guest. Leaving the samsaptakas then the son of Pandu rushed towards Drona's son like a donor abandoning unworthy guests, for proceeding towards one that is worthy."

Book 8
Chapter 17

 1 [s]
      hastibhis tu mahāmātrās tava putreṇa coditāḥ
      dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ jighāṃsantaḥ kruddhāḥ pārṣatam abhyayuḥ
  2 prācyāś ca dākṣiṇātyāś ca pravīrā gajayodhinaḥ
      aṅgā vaṅgāś ca puṇḍrāś ca māgadhās tāmraliptakāḥ
  3 mekalāḥ kośalā madrā daśārṇā niṣadhās tathā
      gajayuddheṣu kuśalāḥ kaliṅgaiḥ saha bhārata
  4 śaratomara nārācair vṛṣṭimanta ivāmbudāḥ
      siṣicus te tataḥ sarve pāñcālācalam āhave
  5 tān saṃmimardiṣur nāgān pārṣṇyaṅguṣṭhāṅkuśair bhṛśam
      pothitān pārṣato bāṇair nārācaiś cābhyavīvṛṣat
  6 ekaikaṃ daśabhiḥ ṣaḍbhir aṣṭābhir api bhārata
      dviradān abhivivyādha kṣiptair girinibhāñ śaraiḥ
      pracchādyamāno dviradair meghair iva divākaraḥ
  7 paryāsuḥ pāṇḍupāñcālā nadanto niśitāyudhāḥ
      tān nāgān abhivarṣanto jyātantrī śaranāditaiḥ
  8 nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca draupadeyāḥ prabhadrakāḥ
      sātyakiś ca śikhaṇḍī ca cekitānaś ca vīryavān
  9 te mlecchaiḥ preṣitā nāgā narān aśvān rathān api
      hastair ākṣipya mamṛduḥ padbhiś cāpy atimanyavaḥ
  10 bibhiduś ca viṣāṇāgraiḥ samākṣipya ca vikṣipuḥ
     viṣāṇa lagnaiś cāpy anye paripetur vibhīṣaṇāḥ
 11 pramukhe vartamānaṃ tu dvipaṃ vaṅgasya sātyakiḥ
     nārācenogra vegena bhittvā marmaṇy apātayat
 12 tasyāvarjitanāgasya dviradād utpatiṣyataḥ
     nārācenābhinad vakṣaḥ so 'patad bhuvi sātyakeḥ
 13 puṇḍrasyāpatato nāgaṃ calantam iva parvatam
     sahadevaḥ prayatnāt tair nārācair vyahanat tribhiḥ
 14 vipatākaṃ viyantāraṃ vivarma dhvajajīvitam
     taṃ kṛtvā dviradaṃ bhūyaḥ sahadevo 'ṅgam abhyagāt
 15 sahadevaṃ tu nakulo vārayitvāṅgam ārdayat
     nārācair yamadaṇḍābhais tribhir nāgaṃ śatena ca
 16 divākarakaraprakhyān aṅgaś cikṣepa tomarān
     nakulāya śatāny aṣṭau tridhaikaikaṃ tu so 'cchinat
 17 tathārdha candreṇa śiras tasya ciccheda pāṇḍavaḥ
     sa papāta hato mlecchas tenaiva saha dantinā
 18 ācārya putre nihate hastiśikṣā viśārade
     aṅgāḥ kruddhā mahāmātrā nāgair nakulam abhyayuḥ
 19 calat patākaiḥ pramukhair hemakakṣyā tanuc chadaiḥ
     mimardiśantas tvaritāḥ pradīptair iva parvataiḥ
 20 mekalotkala kāliṅgā niṣādās tāmraliptakāḥ
     śaratomara varṣāṇi vimuñcanto jighāṃsavaḥ
 21 taiś chādyamānaṃ nakulaṃ divākaram ivāmbudaiḥ
     pari petuḥ susaṃrabdhāḥ pāṇḍupāñcāla somakāḥ
 22 tatas tad abhavad yuddhaṃ rathināṃ hastibhiḥ saha
     sṛjatāṃ śaravarṣāṇi tomarāṃś ca sahasraśaḥ
 23 nāgānāṃ prasphuṭuḥ kumbhā marmāṇi vividhāni ca
     dantāś caivātividdhānāṃ nārācair bhūṣaṇāni ca
 24 teṣām aṣṭau mahānāgāṃś catuḥṣaṣṭyā sutejanaiḥ
     sahadevo jaghānāśu te petuḥ saha sādibhiḥ
 25 añjo gatibhir āyamya prayatnād dhanur uttamam
     nārācair ahanan nāgān nakulaḥ kuranandana
 26 tataḥ śaineya pāñcālyau draupadeyāḥ prabhadrakāḥ
     śikhaṇḍī ca mahānāgān siṣicuḥ śaravṛṣṭibhiḥ
 27 te pāṇḍuyodhāmbudharaiḥ śatrudviradaparvatāḥ
     bāṇavarṣair hatāḥ petur vajravarṣair ivācalāḥ
 28 evaṃ hatvā tava gajāṃs te pāṇḍunarakuñjarāḥ
     drutaṃ senām avaikṣanta bhinnakūlām ivāpagām
 29 te tāṃ senām avālokya pāṇḍuputrasya sainikāḥ
     vikṣobhayitvā ca punaḥ karṇam evābhidudruvuḥ
 30 sahadevaṃ tataḥ kruddhaṃ dahantaṃ tava vāhinīm
     duḥśāsano mahārāja bhrātā bhrātaram abhyayāt
 31 tau sametau mahāyuddhe dṛṣṭvā tatra narādhipāḥ
     siṃhanāda ravāṃś cakrur vāsāṃsy ādudhuvuś ca ha
 32 tato bhārata kruddhena tava putreṇa dhanvinā
     pāṇḍuputras tribhir bāṇair vakṣasy abhihato balī
 33 sahadevas tato rājan nārācena tavātmajam
     viddhvā vivyādha saptatyā sārathiṃ ca tribhis tribhiḥ
 34 duḥśāsanas tadā rājaṃś chittvā cāpaṃ mahāhave
     sahadevaṃ trisaptatyā bāhvor urasi cārdayat
 35 sahadevas tataḥ kruddhaḥ khaḍgaṃ gṛhya mahāhave
     vyāvidhyata yudhāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ śrīmāṃs tava sutaṃ prati
 36 sa mārgaṇagaṇaṃ cāpaṃ chittvā tasya mahān asiḥ
     nipapāta tato bhūmau cyutaḥ sarpa ivāmbarāt
 37 athānyad dhanur ādāya sahadevaḥ pratāpavān
     duḥśāsanāya cikṣepa bāṇam antakaraṃ tataḥ
 38 tam āpatantaṃ viśikhaṃ yamadaṇḍopamatviṣam
     khaḍgena śitadhāreṇa dvidhā ciccheda kauravaḥ
 39 tam āpatantaṃ sahasā nistriṃśaṃ niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ
     pātayām āsa samare sahadevo hasann iva
 40 tato bāṇāṃś catuḥṣaṣṭiṃ tava putro mahāraṇe
     sahadeva rathe tūrṇaṃ pātayām āsa bhārata
 41 tāñ śarān samare rājan vegenāpatato bahūn
     ekaikaṃ pañcabhir bāṇaiḥ sahadevo nyakṛntata
 42 sa nivārya mahābāṇāṃs tava putreṇa preṣitān
     athāsmai subahūn bbāṇāṃr mādrīputraḥ samācinot
 43 tataḥ kruddho mahārāja sahadevaḥ pratāvanā
     samādhatta śaraṃ ghoraṃ mṛtyukālāntakopamam
     vikṛṣya balavac cāpaṃ tava putrāya so 'sṛjat
 44 sa taṃ nirbhidya vegena bhittvā ca kavacaṃ mahat
     prāviśad dharaṇīṃ rājan valmīkam iva pannagaḥ
     tataḥ sa mumuhe rājaṃs tava putro mahārathaḥ
 45 mūḍhaṃ cainaṃ samālakṣya sārathis tvarito ratham
     apovāha bhṛśaṃ trasto vadhyamānaṃ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ
 46 parājitya raṇe taṃ tu pāṇḍavaḥ pāṇḍupūrvaja
     duryodhana balaṃ hṛṣṭaḥ prāmathad vai samantataḥ
 47 pipīlikā puṭaṃ rājan yathāmṛdnān naro ruṣā
     tathā sā kauravī senā mṛditā tena bhārata
 48 nakulaṃ rabhasaṃ yuddhe dārayantaṃ varūthinīm
     karṇo vaikartano rājan vārayām āsa vai tadā
 49 nakulaś ca tadā karṇaṃ prahasann idam abravīt
     cirasya bata dṛṣṭo 'haṃ daivataiḥ saumya cakṣuṣā
 50 yasya me tvaṃ raṇe pāpacakṣur viṣayam āgataḥ
     tvaṃ hi mūlam anarthānāṃ vairasya kalahasya ca
 51 tvad doṣāt kuravaḥ kṣīṇāḥ samāsādya parasparam
     tvām adya samare hatvā kṛtakṛtyo 'smi vijvaraḥ
 52 evam uktaḥ pratyuvāca nakulaṃ sūtanandanaḥ
     sadṛśaṃ rājaputrasya dhanvinaś ca viśeṣataḥ
 53 praharasva raṇe bāla paśyāmas tava pauruṣam
     karmakṛtvā raṇe śūra tataḥ katthitum arhasi
 54 anuktvā samare tāta śūrā yudhyanti śaktitaḥ
     sa yudhyasva mayā śaktyā vineṣye darpam adya te
 55 ity uktvā prāharat tūrṇaṃ pāṇḍuputrāya sūtajaḥ
     vivyādha cainaṃ samare trisaptatyā śilīmukhaiḥ
 56 nakulas tu tato viddhaḥ sūtaputreṇa bhārata
     aśīty āśīviṣaprakhyaiḥ sūtaputram avidhyata
 57 tasya karṇo dhanuś chittvā svarṇapuṅkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ
     triṃśatā parameṣvāsaḥ śaraiḥ pāṇḍavam ārdayat
 58 te tasya kavacaṃ bhittvā papuḥ śoṇitam āhave
     āśīviṣā yathā nāgā bhittvā gāṃ salilaṃ papuḥ
 59 athānyad dhanur ādāya hemapṛṣṭhaṃ durāsadam
     karṇaṃ vivyādha viṃśatyā sārathiṃ ca tribhiḥ śaraiḥ
 60 tataḥ kruddho mahārāja nakulaḥ paravīrahā
     kṣurapreṇa sutīkṣṇena karṇasya dhanur acchinat
 61 athainaṃ chinnadhanvānaṃ sāyakānāṃ śatais tribhiḥ
     ājaghne prahasan vīraḥ sarvalokamahāratham
 62 karṇam abhyarditaṃ dṛṣṭvā pāṇḍuputreṇa māriṣa
     vismayaṃ paramaṃ jagmū rathinaḥ saha daivataiḥ
 63 athānyad dhanur ādāya karṇo vaikartanas tadā
     nakulaṃ pañcabhir bāṇair jatru deśe samārdayat
 64 uraḥsthair atha tair bāṇair mādrīputro vyarocata
     svaraśmibhir ivādityo bhuvane visṛjan prabhām
 65 nakukas tu tataḥ karṇaṃ viddhvā saptabhir āyasaiḥ
     athāsya dhanuṣaḥ koṭiṃ punaś ciccheda māriṣa
 66 so 'nyat kārmukam ādāya samare vegavattaram
     nakulasya tato bāṇaiḥ sarvato 'vārayad diśaḥ
 67 saṃchādyamānaḥ sahasā karṇa cāpacyutaiḥ śaraiḥ
     ciccheda sa śarāṃs tūrṇaṃ śarair eva mahārathaḥ
 68 tato bāṇamayaṃ jālaṃ vitataṃ vyomny adṛśyata
     khadyotānāṃ gaṇair evaṃ saṃpatadbhir yathā nabhaḥ
 69 tair vimuktaiḥ śaraśataiś chāditaṃ gaganaṃ tadā
     śalabhānāṃ yathā vrātais tadvad āsīt samākulam
 70 te śarā hemavikṛtāḥ saṃpatanto muhur muhuḥ
     śreṇī kṛtā abhāsanta haṃsāḥ śreṇī gatā iva
 71 bāṇajālāvṛte vyomni chādite ca divākare
     samasarpat tato bhūtaṃ kiṃ cid eva viśāṃ pate
 72 niruddhe tatra mārge tu śarasaṃghaiḥ samantataḥ
     vyarocatāṃ mahābhāgau bālasūryāv ivoditau
 73 karṇa cāpacyutair bāṇair vadhyamānās tu somakāḥ
     avālīyanta rājendra vedanārtāḥ śarārditāḥ
 74 nakulasya tathā bāṇair vadhyamānā camūs tava
     vyaśīryata diśo rājan vātanunnā ivāmbudāḥ
 75 te sene vadhyamāne tu tābhyāṃ divyair mahāśaraiḥ
     śarapātam apakramya tataḥ prekṣakavat sthite
 76 protsārite jane tasmin karṇa pāṇḍavayoḥ śaraiḥ
     vivyādhāte mahātmānāv anyonyaṃ śaravṛṣṭibhiḥ
 77 nidarśayantau tv astrāṇi divyāni raṇamūrdhani
     chādayantau ca sahasā parasparavadhaiṣiṇau
 78 nakulena śarā muktāḥ kaṅkabarṇiṇa vāsasaḥ
     te tu karṇam avacchādya vyatiṣṭhanta yathā pure
 79 śaraveśma praviṣṭau tau dadṛśāte na kaiś cana
     candrasūryau yathā rājaṃś chādyamānau jalāgame
 80 tataḥ kruddho raṇe karṇaḥ kṛtvā ghorataraṃ vapuḥ
     pāṇḍavaṃ chāddayām āsa samantāc charavṛṣṭibhiḥ
 81 sacchādyamānaḥ samare sūtaputreṇa pāṇḍavaḥ
     na cakāra vyathāṃ rājan bhāskaro jaladair yathā
 82 tataḥ prahasyādhirathiḥ śarajālāni māriṣa
     preṣayām āsa samare śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ
 83 ekac chāyam abhūt sarvaṃ tasya bāṇair mahātmanaḥ
     abhrac chāyeva saṃjajñe saṃpatadbhiḥ śarottamaiḥ
 84 tataḥ karṇo mahārāja dhanuś chittvā mahātmanaḥ
     sārathiṃ pātayām āsa rathanīḍād dhasann iva
 85 tathāśvāṃś caturaś cāsya caturbhir niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ
     yamasya sadanaṃ tūrṇaṃ preṣayām āsa bhārata
 86 athāsya taṃ rathaṃ tūrṇaṃ tilaśo vyadhamac charaiḥ
     patākāṃ cakrarakṣau ca dhvajaṃ khaḍgaṃ ca māriṣa
     śatacandraṃ tataś carma sarvopakaraṇāni ca
 87 hatāśvo virathaś caiva vivarmā ca viśāṃ pate
     avatīrya rathāt tūrṇaṃ parighaṃ gṛhya viṣṭhitaḥ
 88 tam udyataṃ mahāghoraṃ parighaṃ tasya sūtajaḥ
     vyahanat sāyakai rājañ śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ
 89 vyāyudhaṃ cainam ālakṣya śaraiḥ saṃnataparvabhiḥ
     ārdayad bahuśaḥ karṇo na cainaṃ samapīḍayat
 90 sa vadhyamānaḥ samare kṛtāstreṇa balīyasā
     prādravat sahasā rājan nakulo vyākulendriyaḥ
 91 tam abhidrutya rādheyaḥ prahasan vai punaḥ punaḥ
     sa jyam asya dhanuḥ kaṇṭhe so 'vāsṛjata bhārata
 92 tataḥ sa śuśubhe rājan kaṇṭhāsaktamahādhanuḥ
     pariveṣam anuprāpto yathā syād vyomni candramāḥ
     yathaiva ca sito meghaḥ śakracāpena śobhitaḥ
 93 tam abravīt tadā karṇo vyarthaṃ vyāhṛtavān asi
     vadedānīṃ punar hṛṣṭo vadhyaṃ māṃ tvaṃ punaḥ punaḥ
 94 mā yotsīr gurubhiḥ sārdhaṃ balavadbhiś ca pāṇḍava
     sadṛśais tāta yudhyasva vrīḍāṃ mā kuru pāṇḍava
     gṛhaṃ vā gaccha mādreya yatra vā kṛṣṇa phalgunau
 95 evam uktvā mahārāja vyasarjayata taṃ tataḥ
     vadhaprāptaṃ tu taṃ rājan nāvadhīt sūtanandanaḥ
     smṛtvā kuntyā vaco rājaṃs tata enaṃ vyasarjayat
 96 visṛṣṭaḥ pāṇḍavo rājan sūtaputreṇa dhanvinā
     vrīḍann iva jagāmātha yudhiṣṭhira rathaṃ prati
 97 āruroha rathaṃ cāpi sūtaputra pratāpinaḥ
     niḥśvasan duḥkhasaṃtaptaḥ kumbhe kṣipta ivoragaḥ
 98 taṃ visṛjya raṇe karṇaḥ pāñcālāṃs tvarito yayau
     rathenātipatākena candra varṇahayena ca
 99 tatrākrando mahān āsīt pāṇḍavānāṃ viśāṃ pate
     dṛṣṭvā senāpatiṃ yāntaṃ pāñcālānāṃ rathavrajān
 100 tatrākaron mahārāja kadanaṃ sūtanandanaḥ
    madhyaṃ gate dinakare cakravat pracaran prabhuḥ
101 bhagnacakrai rathaiḥ kec cic channadhvajapatākibhiḥ
    sasūtair hatasūtaiś ca bhagnākṣaiś caiva māriṣa
    hriyamāṇān apaśyāma pāñcālānāṃ rathavrajān
102 tatra tatra ca saṃbhrāntā viccerur mattakuñjarāḥ
    davāgninā parītāṅgā yathaiva syur mahāvane
103 bhinnakumbhā virudhirāś chinnahastāś ca vāraṇāḥ
    bhinnagātravarāś caiva chinnavālāś ca māriṣa
    chinnābbhrāṇīva saṃpetur vadhyamānā mahātmanā
104 apare trāsitā nāgā nārācaśatatomaraiḥ
    tam evābhimukhā yānti śalabhā iva pāvakam
105 apare niṣṭanantaḥ sma vyadṛśyanta mahādvipāḥ
    kṣarantaḥ śoṇitaṃ gātrair nagā iva jalaplavam
106 uraś chadair vimuktāś ca vālabandhaiś ca vājinaḥ
    rājataiś ca tathā kāṃsyaiḥ sauvarṇaiś caiva bhūṣaṇaiḥ
107 hīnā āstaraṇaiś caiva khalīnaiś ca vivarjitāḥ
    cāmaraiś ca kuthābhiś ca tūṇīraiḥ patitair api
108 nihataiḥ sādibhiś caiva śūrair āhavaśobhibhiḥ
    apaśyāma raṇe tatra bhrāmyamāṇān hayottamān
109 prāsaiḥ khaḍgaiś ca saṃsyūtān ṛṣṭibbhiś ca narādhipa
    hayayodhān apaśyāma kañcukoṣṇīṣa dhāriṇaḥ
110 rathān hemapariṣkārān suyuktāñ javanair hayaiḥ
    bhramamāṇān apaśyāma hateṣu rathiṣu drutam
111 bhagnākṣakūbarān kāṃś cic chinnacakrāṃś ca māriṣa
    vipatākādhvajāṃś cānyāñ chinneṣāyuga bandhurān
112 vihīnān rathinas tatra dhāvamānān samantataḥ
    sūryaputra śarais trastān apaśyāma viśāṃ pate
113 viśastrāṃś ca tathaivānyān saśastrāṃś ca bahūn hatān
    tāvakāñ jālasaṃchannān uro ghaṇṭā vibhūṣitān
114 nānāvarṇavicitrābhiḥ patākābhir alaṃkṛtān
    padātīn anvapaśyāma dhāvamānān samantataḥ
115 śirāṃsi bāhūn ūrūṃś ca chinnān anyāṃs tathā yudhi
    karṇa cāpa cyutair bāṇair apaśyāma vinākṛtān
116 mahān vyatikaro raudro yodhānām anvadṛśyata
    karṇa sāyakanunnānāṃ hatānāṃ niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ
117 te vadhyamānāḥ samare sūtaputreṇa sṛñjayāḥ
    tam evābhimukhā yānti pataṃgā iva pāvakam
118 taṃ dahantam anīkāni tatra tatra mahāratham
    kṣatriyā varjayām āsur yugāntāgnim ivolbaṇam
119 hataśeṣās tu ye vīrāḥ pāñcālānāṃ mahārathāḥ
    tān prabhagnān drutān karṇaḥ pṛṣṭhato vikirañ śaraiḥ
    abhyadhāvata tejasvī viśīrṇakavacadhvajān
120 tāpayām āsa tān bāṇaiḥ sūtaputro mahārathaḥ
    madhyaṃdinam anuprāpto bhūtānīva tamonudaḥ

17

"Sanjaya said, 'Then occurred that battle between Arjuna and Ashvatthama resembling the planets Shukra and Brihaspati in splendour, like the battle between Shukra and Brihaspati in the firmament for entering the same constellation. Afflicting each other with blazing shafts that constituted their rays, those terrifiers of the world stood like two planets both deviating from their orbits. Then Arjuna deeply pierced Ashvatthama with a shaft in the midst of his eyebrows. With that shaft the son of Drona looked resplendent like the Sun with upward rays. The two Krishnas (Nara and Narayana), also deeply afflicted by Ashvatthama with hundreds of arrows, looked like two Suns at the end of the Yuga, resplendent with their own rays. Then when Vasudeva seemed to be stupefied, Arjuna shot a weapon from which issued torrents of shafts on all sides. And he struck the son of Drona with innumerable shafts, each resembling the thunder or fire or the sceptre of Death. Endued with mighty energy, that achiever of fierce feats, (Ashvatthama) then pierced both Keshava and Arjuna with well-shot shafts which were inspired with great impetuosity and struck with which Death himself would feel pain. Checking the shafts of Drona's son, Arjuna covered him with twice as many arrows equipped with goodly wings, and shrouding that foremost of heroes and his steeds and driver and standard, began to strike the samsaptakas. With his well-shot shafts Partha began to cut off the bows and quivers and bowstrings and hands and arms and tightly grasped weapons and umbrellas and standards and steeds and car shafts and robes and floral garlands and ornaments and coats of mail and handsome shields and beautiful heads, in large numbers, of his unretreating foes. Well-equipped cars and steeds and elephants, ridden by heroes fighting with great care, were destroyed by the hundreds of shafts sped by Partha and fell down along with the heroes that rode on them. Cut off with broad-headed and crescent-shaped and razor-faced arrows, human heads, resembling the lotus, the Sun, or the full Moon in beauty and resplendent with diadems and necklaces and crowns, dropped ceaselessly on the earth. Then the Kalinga, the Vanga, and the Nishada heroes, riding on elephants, that resembled in splendour the elephant of the great foe of the daityas, rushed with speed against the queller of the pride of the danavas, the son of Pandu, from desire of slaying him. Partha cut off the vital limbs, the trunks, the riders, the standards, and the banners of those elephants, upon which those beasts fell down like mountain summits riven with thunder. When that elephant force was broken, the diadem-decked Arjuna shrouded the son of his preceptor with shafts endued with the splendour of the newly risen Sun, like the wind shrouding the risen Sun with masses of congregated clouds. Checking with his own shafts those of Arjuna, Drona's son shrouding both Arjuna and Vasudeva with his arrows, gave a loud roar, like a mass of clouds at the close of summer after shrouding the Sun or the Moon in the firmament. Deeply afflicted with those arrows, Arjuna, aiming his weapons at Ashvatthama and at those followers of his belonging to the army, speedily dispelled that darkness caused by Ashvatthama's arrows, and pierced all of them with shafts equipped with goodly wings. In that battle none could see when Savyasaci took up his shafts, when he aimed them, and when he let them off. All that could be seen was that elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers and car-warriors, struck with his arrows, fell down deprived of life. Then Drona's son without losing a moment, aiming ten foremost of arrows, sped them quickly as if they formed only one arrow. Shot with great force, five of these pierced Arjuna and the other five pierced Vasudeva. Struck with those arrows, those two foremost of men, like Kuvera and Indra, became bathed in blood. Thus afflicted, all the people there regarded those two heroes as slain by Ashvatthama the warrior who had completely mastered the science of arms. Then the chief of the Dasharhas addressed Arjuna and said, "Why errest thou in thus sparing Ashvatthama? Slay this warrior. If treated with indifference, even this one will be the cause of great woe, like a disease not sought to be put down by treatment." Replying unto Keshava of unfading glory with the words "So be it!" Arjuna of unclouded understanding began with good care to mangle the son of Drona with his shafts. Now the son of Pandu, filled with rage, quickly pierced the massive arms, smeared with sandal-paste, and the chest, the head, and the unrivalled thighs of his antagonist with shafts equipped with heads like goats' ears, and shot with great force from gandiva. Then cutting off the traces of Ashvatthama's steeds, Arjuna began to pierce the steeds themselves, whereat the latter bore Ashvatthama away to a great distance from the field. Thus borne away by these steeds endued with the speed of the wind, the intelligent son of Drona, deeply afflicted with the shafts of Partha, reflecting for some time, wished not to go back and renew the fight with Partha. Knowing that victory is ever with the chief of the Vrishnis and with Dhananjaya, that foremost one of Angirasa's race, endued with great activity, entered the army of Karna, deprived of hope and with shafts and weapons almost exhausted. Indeed, Drona's son, restraining his steeds, and having comforted himself a little, O sire, entered the force of Karna, teeming with cars and steeds and men. After Ashvatthama, that enemy of theirs, had been thus removed from the field by his steeds like a disease removed from the body by incantations and medicines and means, Keshava and Arjuna proceeded towards the samsaptakas, on their car whose rattle resembled the roar of the clouds and whose banner waved on the wind.'"

Book 8
Chapter 18

1 [s]
      yuyutsuṃ tava putraṃ tu prādravantaṃ mahad balam
      ulūko 'bhyapatat tūrṇaṃ tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cābravīt
  2 yuyutsus tu tato rājañ śitadhāreṇa patriṇā
      ulūkaṃ tāḍayām āsa vajreṇendra ivācalam
  3 ulūkas tu tataḥ kruddhas tava putrasya saṃyuge
      kṣurapreṇa dhanuś chittvā tāḍayām āsa karṇinā
  4 tad apāsya dhanuś chinnaṃ yuyutsur vegavattaram
      anyad ādatta sumahac cāpaṃ saṃraktalocanaḥ
  5 śākuniṃ ca tataḥ ṣaṣṭyā vivyādha bharatarṣabha
      sārathiṃ tribhir ānarchat taṃ ca bhūyo vyavidhyata
  6 ulūkas taṃ tu viṃśatyā viddhvā hemavibhūṣitaiḥ
      athāsya samare kruddho dhvajaṃ ciccheda kāñcanam
  7 sacchinnayaṣṭiḥ sumahāñ śīryamāṇo mahādhvajaḥ
      papāta pramukhe rājan yuyutsoḥ kāñcanojjvalaḥ
  8 dhvajam unmathitaṃ dṛṣṭvā yuyutsuḥ krodhamūrchitaḥ
      ulūkaṃ pañcabhir bāṇair ājaghāna stanāntare
  9 ulūkas tasya bhallena tailadhautena māriṣa
      śiraś ciccheda sahasā yantur bharatasattama
  10 jaghāna caturo 'śvāṃś ca taṃ ca vivyādha pañcabhiḥ
     so 'tividdho balavatā pratyapāyād rathāntaram
 11 taṃ nirjitya raṇe rājann ulūkas tvarito yayau
     pāñcālān sṛñjayāṃś caiva vinighnan niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ
 12 śatānīkaṃ mahārāja śrutakarmā sutas tava
     vyaśva sūta rathaṃ cakre nimeṣārdhād asaṃbhramam
 13 hatāśve tu rathe tiṣṭhañ śatānīko mahābalaḥ
     gadāṃ cikṣepa saṃkruddhas tava putrasya māriṣa
 14 sā kṛtvā syandanaṃ bhasma hayāṃś caiva sasārathīn
     papāta dharaṇīṃ tūrṇaṃ dārayantīva bhārata
 15 tāv ubhau viratho vīrau kurūṇāṃ kīrtivardhanau
     apākrametāṃ yuddhārtau prekṣamāṇau parasparam
 16 putras tu tava saṃbhrānto vivitso ratham āviśat
     śatānīko 'pi tvaritaḥ prativindhya rathaṃ gataḥ
 17 suta somas tu śakuniṃ vivyādha niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ
     nākampayata saṃrabdho vāryogha iva parvatam
 18 suta somas tu taṃ dṛṣṭvā pitur atyantavairiṇam
     śarair anekasāhasraiś chādayām āsa bhārata
 19 tāñ śarāñ śakunis tūrṇaṃ cicchedānyaiḥ patatribhiḥ
     ladhv astraś citrayodhī ca jitakāśī ca saṃyuge
 20 nivārya samare cāpi śarāṃs tān niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ
     ājaghāna susaṃkruddhaḥ suta somaṃ tribhiḥ śaraiḥ
 21 tasyāśvān ketanaṃ sūtaṃ tilaśo vyadhamac charaiḥ
     syālas tava mahāvīryas tatas te cukruśur janāḥ
 22 hatāśvo virathaś caiva chinnadhanvā ca māriṣa
     dhanvī dhanurvaraṃ gṛhya rathād bhūmāv atiṣṭhata
     vyasṛjat sāyakāṃś caiva svarṇapuṅkhāñ śilāśitān
 23 chādayām āsur atha te tava syālasya taṃ ratham
     pataṃgānām iva vrātāḥ śaravrātā mahāratham
 24 rathopasthān samīkṣyāpi vivyathe naiva saubalaḥ
     pramṛdnaṃś ca śarāṃs tāṃs tāñ śaravrātair mahāyaśāḥ
 25 tatrātuṣyanta yodhāś ca siddhāś cāpi divi sthitāḥ
     suta somasya tat karma dṛṣṭvāśraddheyam adbhutam
     rathasthaṃ nṛpatiṃ taṃ tu padātiḥ sann ayodhayat
 26 tasya tīkṣṇair mahāvegair bhallaiḥ saṃnataparvabhiḥ
     vyahanat kārmukaṃ rājā tūṇīraṃ caiva sarvaśaḥ
 27 sacchinnadhanvā samare khaḍgam udyamya nānadan
     vaiḍūryotpala varṇābhaṃ hastidanta maya tsarum
 28 bhrāmyamāṇaṃ tatas taṃ tu vimalāmbbara varcasam
     kālopama tato mene suta somasya dhīmataḥ
 29 so 'carat sahasā khaḍgī maṇḍalāni sahasraśaḥ
     caturviṃśan mahārāja śikṣā balasamanvitaḥ
 30 saubalas tu tatas tasya śarāṃś cikṣepa vīryavān
     tān āpatata evāśu ciccheda paramāsinā
 31 tataḥ kruddho mahārāja saubalaḥ paravīrahā
     prāhiṇot suta somasya śarān āśīviṣopamān
 32 ciccheda tāṃś ca khaḍgena śikṣayā ca balena ca
     darśayaṁl lāghavaṃ yuddhe tārkṣya vīryasamadyutiḥ
 33 tasya saṃcarato rājan maṇḍalāvartane tadā
     kṣurapreṇa sutīkṣṇena khaḍgaṃ ciccheda suprabham
 34 sacchinnaḥ sahasā bhūmau nipapāta mahān asiḥ
     avaśasya sthitaṃ haste taṃ khaḍgaṃ satsaruṃ tadā
 35 chinnam ājñāya nistriṃśam avaplutya padāni ṣaṭ
     prāvidhyata tataḥ śeṣaṃ suta somo mahārathaḥ
 36 sac chittvā saguṇaṃ cāpaṃ raṇe tasya mahātmanaḥ
     papāta dharaṇīṃ tūrṇaṃ svarṇavajravibhūṣitaḥ
     suta somas tato 'gacchac chruta kīrter mahāratham
 37 saubalo 'pi dhanur gṛhya ghoram anyat suduḥsaham
     abhyayāt pāṇḍavānīkaṃ nighnañ śatrugaṇān bahūn
 38 tatra nādo mahān āsīt pāṇḍavānāṃ viśāṃ pate
     saubalaṃ samare dṛṣṭvā vicarantam abhītavat
 39 tāny anīkāni dṛptāni śastravanti mahānti ca
     drāvyamāṇāny adṛśyanta saubalena mahātmanā
 40 yathā daitya camūṃ rājan devarājo mamarda ha
     tathaiva pāṇḍavīṃ senāṃ saubaleyo vyanāśayat
 41 dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ kṛpo rājan vārayām āsa saṃyuge
     yathā dṛptaṃ vane nāgaṃ śarabho vārayed yudhi
 42 niruddhaḥ pārṣatas tena gautamena balīyasā
     padāt padaṃ vicalituṃ nāśaknot tatra bhārata
 43 gautamasya vapur dṛṣṭvā dhṛṣṭadyumna rathaṃ prati
     vitresuḥ sarvabhūtāni kṣayaṃ prāptaṃ ca menire
 44 tatrāvocan vimanaso rathinaḥ sādinas tathā
     droṇasya nidhane nūnaṃ saṃkruddho dvipadāṃ varaḥ
 45 śāradvato mahātejā divyāstravid udāradhīḥ
     api svasti bhaved adya dhṛṣṭadyumnasya gautamāt
 46 apīyaṃ vāhinī kṛtsnā mucyeta mahato bhayāt
     apy ayaṃ brāhmaṇaḥ sarvān na no hanyāt samāgatān
 47 yādṛśaṃ dṛśyate rūpam antakapratimaṃ bhṛśam
     gamiṣyaty adya padavīṃ bhāradvājasya saṃyuge
 48 ācāryaḥ kṣiprahastaś ca vijayī ca sadā yudhi
     astravān vīryasaṃpannaḥ krodhena ca samanvitaḥ
 49 pārṣataś ca bhṛśaṃ yuddhe vimukho 'dyāpi lakṣyate
     ity evaṃ vividhā vācas tāvakānāṃ paraiḥ saha
 50 viniḥśvasya tataḥ kruddhaḥ kṛpaḥ śāradvato nṛpa
     pārṣataṃ chādayām āsa niśceṣṭaṃ sarvamarmasu
 51 sa vadhyamānaḥ samare gautamena mahātmanā
     kartavyaṃ na prajānāti mohitaḥ paramāhave
 52 tam abravīt tato yantā kac cit kṣemaṃ nu pārṣata
     īdṛśaṃ vyasanaṃ yuddhe na te dṛṣṭaṃ kadā cana
 53 daivayogāt tu te bāṇā nātaran marmabhedinaḥ
     preṣitā dvijamukhyena marmāṇy uddiśya sarvaśaḥ
 54 vyāvartaye tatra rathaṃ nadīvegam ivārṇavāt
     avadhyaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ manye yena te vikramo hataḥ
 55 dhṛṣṭadyumnas tato rājañ śanakair abravīd vacaḥ
     muhyate me manas tāta gātre svedaś ca jāyate
 56 vepathuṃ ca śarīre me romaharṣaṃ ca paśya vai
     varjayan brāhmaṇaṃ yuddhe śanair yāhi yato 'cyutaḥ
 57 arjunaṃ bhīmasenaṃ vā samare prāpya sārathe
     kṣemam adya bhaved yantar iti me naiṣṭhikī matiḥ
 58 tataḥ prāyān mahārāja sārathis tvarayan hayān
     yato bhīmo maheṣvāso yuyudhe tava sainikaiḥ
 59 pradrutaṃ tu rathaṃ dṛṣṭvā dhṛṣṭadyumnasya māriṣa
     kirañ śaraśatāny eva gautamo 'nuyayau tadā
 60 śaṅkhaṃ ca pūrayām āsa muhur muhur ariṃdamaḥ
     pārṣataṃ prādravad yantaṃ mahendra iva śambaram
 61 śikhaṇḍinaṃ tu samare bhīṣmamṛtyuṃ durāsadam
     hārdikyo vārayām āsa smayann iva muhur muhuḥ
 62 śikhaṇḍī ca samāsādya hṛdikānāṃ mahāratham
     pañcabhir niśitair bhallair jatru deśe samārdayat
 63 kṛtavarmā tu saṃkruddho bhittvā ṣaṣṭibhir āśugaiḥ
     dhanur ekena ciccheda hasan rājan mahārathaḥ
 64 athānyad dhanur ādāya drupadasyātmajo balī
     tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti saṃkruddho hārdikyaṃ pratyabhāṣata
 65 tato 'sya navatiṃ bāṇān rukmapuṅkhān sutejanān
     preṣayām āsa rājendra te 'syābhraśyanta varmaṇaḥ
 66 vitathāṃs tān samālakṣya patitāṃś ca mahītale
     kṣurapreṇa sutīkṣṇena kārmukaṃ cicchide balī
 67 athainaṃ chinnadhanvānaṃ bhagnaśṛṅgam ivarṣabham
     aśītyā mārgaṇaiḥ kruddho bāhvor urasi cārdayat
 68 kṛtavarmā tu saṃkruddho mārgaṇaiḥ kṛtavikṣataḥ
     dhanur anyat samādāya samārgaṇa gaṇaṃ prabho
     śikhaṇḍinaṃ bāṇavaraiḥ skandhadeśe 'bhyatāḍayat
 69 skandhadeśe sthitair bāṇaiḥ śikhaṇḍī ca rarāja ha
     śākhā pratānair vimalaiḥ sumahān sa yathā drumaḥ
 70 tāv anyonyaṃ bhṛśaṃ viddhvā rudhireṇa samukṣitau
     anyonyaśṛṅgābhihatau rejatur vṛṣabhāv iva
 71 anyonyasya vadhe yatnaṃ kurvāṇau tau mahārathau
     rathābhyāṃ ceratus tatra maṇḍalāni sahasraśaḥ
 72 kṛtavarmā mahārāja pārṣataṃ niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ
     raṇe vivyādha saptatyā svarṇapuṅkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ
 73 tato 'sya samare bāṇaṃ bhojaḥ praharatāṃ varaḥ
     jīvitāntakaraṃ ghoraṃ vyasṛjat tvarayānvitaḥ
 74 sa tenābhihato rājan mūrchām āśu samāviśat
     dhvajayaṣṭiṃ ca sahasā śiśriye kaśmalāvṛtaḥ
 75 apovāha raṇāt taṃ tu sārathī rathināṃ varam
     hārdikya śarasaṃtaptaṃ niḥśvasantaṃ punaḥ punaḥ
 76 parājite tataḥ śūre drupadasya sute prabho
     prādravat pāṇḍavī senā vadhyamānā samantataḥ

18

"Sanjaya said, 'Meanwhile towards the northern part of the Pandava army, a loud uproar arose of cars and elephants and steeds and foot-soldiers as those were being massacred by Dandadhara. Turning the course of the car, but without stopping the steeds which were as fleet as Garuda or the wind, Keshava, addressing Arjuna, said, "The chief of the Magadhas, with his (foe-crushing) elephant is unrivalled in prowess. In training and might he is not inferior to Bhagadatta himself. Having slain him first, thou wilt then slay the samsaptakas." At the conclusion of his words, Keshava bore Partha to the presence of Dandadhara. The chief of the Magadhas, peerless in handling the elephant-hook even as the headless planet Ketu (is peerless) among all the planets, was destroying the hostile army like a fierce comet destroying the whole earth. Riding on his foe-slaying and well-equipped elephant which looked like the danava with elephantine face and form, and whose roar resembled that of a congregated mass of clouds, Dandadhara was destroying with his shafts thousands of cars and steeds and elephants and men. The elephants also, treading upon cars with their feet, pressed down into the Earth a large number of men with their steeds and drivers. Many were the elephants, also, which that foremost of elephants, crushed and slew with his two forefeet and trunk. Indeed, the beast moved like the wheel of Death. Slaying men adorned with steel coats of mail, along with their horses and foot-soldiers, the chief of the Magadhas caused these to be pressed down into the earth, like thick reeds pressed down with crackling sounds, by means of that mighty and foremost of elephants belonging to him. Then Arjuna, riding on that foremost of cars, rushed quickly towards that prince of elephants in the midst of that host teeming with thousands of cars and steeds and elephants, and resounding with the beat and blare of innumerable cymbals and drums and conchs and uproarious with the clatter of car-wheels, the twang of bow-strings, and the sound of palms. Even Dandadhara pierced Arjuna with a dozen foremost of shafts and Janardana with sixteen and each of the steeds with three, and then uttered a loud shout and laughed repeatedly. Then Partha, with a number of broad-headed shafts, cut off the bow of his antagonist with its string and arrow fixed thereon, as also his well-decked standard, and then the guides of his beast and the footmen that protected the animal. At this, the lord of Girivraja became filled with rage. Desirous of agitating Janardana with that tusker of his, whose temples had split from excitement, and which resembled a mass of clouds and was endued with the speed of the wind, Dandadhara struck Dhananjaya with many lances. The son of Pandu then, with three razor-headed arrows, cut off, almost at the same instant of time, the two arms each looking like the trunk of an elephant, and then the head, resembling the full Moon, of his foe. Then Arjuna struck the elephant of this antagonist with hundreds of arrows. Covered with the gold-decked arrows of Partha, that elephant equipped with golden armour looked as resplendent as a mountain in the night with its herbs and trees blazing in a conflagration. Afflicted with the pain and roaring like a mass of clouds, and exceedingly weakened, the elephant crying and wandering and running with tottering steps, fell down with the guide on its neck, like a mountain summit riven by thunder. Upon the fall of his brother in battle, Danda advanced against Indra's younger brother and Dhananjaya, desirous of slaying them, on his tusker white as snow and adorned with gold and looking like a Himalayan summit. Danda struck Janardana with three whetted lances bright as the rays of the sun, and Arjuna with five, and uttered a loud shout. The son of Pandu then uttering a loud shout cut off the two arms of Danda. Cut off by means of razor-headed shafts, those two arms, smeared with sandal-paste, adorned with angadas, and with lances in grasp, as they fell from the elephant's back at the same instant of time, looked resplendent like a couple of large snakes of great beauty falling down from a mountain summit. Cut off with a crescent-shaped arrow by the diadem-decked (Partha), the head also of Danda fell down on the Earth from the elephant's back, and covered with blood it looked resplendent as it lay like the sun dropped from the Asta mountain towards the western quarter. Then Partha pierced with many excellent arrows bright as the rays of the sun that elephant of his foe, resembling a mass of white clouds whereupon it fell down with a noise like a Himalayan summit riven with thunder. Then other huge elephants capable of winning victory and resembling the two already slain, were cut off by Savyasaci, in that battle, even as the two (belonging to Danda and Dandadhara) had been cut off. At this the vast hostile force broke. Then elephants and cars and steeds and men, in dense throngs, clashed against one another and fell down on the field. Tottering, they violently struck one another and fell down deprived of life. Then his soldiers, encompassing Arjuna like the celestials encompassing Purandara, began to say, "O hero, that foe of whom we had been frightened like creatures at the sight of Death himself, hath by good luck been slain by thee. If thou hadst not protected from that fear those people that were so deeply afflicted by mighty foes, then by this time our foes would have felt that delight which we now feel at their death, O slayer of enemies." Hearing these and other words uttered by friends and allies, Arjuna, with a cheerful heart, worshipped those men, each according to his deserts, and proceeded once more against the samsaptakas.'"

Book 8
Chapter 19

1 [s]
      śvetāśvo 'pi mahārāja vyadhamat tāvakaṃ balam
      yathā vāyuḥ samāsādya tūlā rāśiṃ samantataḥ
  2 pratyudyayus trigartās taṃ śibayaḥ kauravaiḥ saha
      śālvāḥ saṃśaptakāś caiva nārāyaṇa balaṃ ca yat
  3 satyasenaḥ satyakīrtir mitra devaḥ śrutaṃ jayaḥ
      sauśrutiś citrasenaś ca mitra varmā ca bhārata
  4 trigartarājaḥ samare bhrātṛbhiḥ parivāritaḥ
      putraiś caiva maheṣvāsair nānāśastradharair yudhi
  5 te sṛjantaḥ śaravrātān kiranto 'rjunam āhave
      abhyadravanta samare vāryoghā iva sāgaram
  6 te tv arjunaṃ samāsādya yodhāḥ śatasahasraśaḥ
      agacchan vilayaṃ sarve tārkṣyaṃ dṛṣṭveva pannagāḥ
  7 te vadhyamānāḥ samare nājahuḥ pāṇḍavaṃ tadā
      dahyamānā yathā rājañ śalabhā iva pāvakam
  8 satyasenas tribhir bāṇair vivyādha yudhi pāṇḍavam
      mitra devas triṣaṣṭyā ca candra devaś ca saptabhiḥ
  9 mitra varmā trisaptatyā sauśrutiś cāpi pañcabhiḥ
      śatruṃjayaś ca viṃśatyā suśarmā navabhiḥ śaraiḥ
  10 śatruṃjayaṃ ca rājānaṃ hatvā tatra śilāśitaiḥ
     sauśruteḥ saśirastrāṇaṃ śiraḥ kāyād apāharat
     tvaritaś candra devaṃ ca śarair ninye yamakṣayam
 11 athetarān mahārāja yatamānān mahārathān
     pañcabhiḥ pañcabhir bāṇair ekaikaṃ pratyavārayat
 12 satyasenas tu saṃkruddhas tomaraṃ vyasṛjan mahat
     samuddiśya raṇe kṛṣṇaṃ siṃhanādaṃ nanāda ca
 13 sa nirbhidya bhujaṃ savyaṃ mādhavasya mahātmanaḥ
     ayo mayo mahācaṇḍo jagāma dharaṇīṃ tadā
 14 mādhavasya tu viddhasya tomareṇa mahāraṇe
     pratodaḥ prāpatad dhastād raśmayaś ca viśāṃ pate
 15 sa pratodaṃ punar gṛhya raśmīṃś caiva mahāyaśāḥ
     vāhayām āsa tān aśvān satyasenarathaṃ prati
 16 viṣvaksenaṃ tu nirbhinnaṃ prekṣya pārtho dhanaṃjayaḥ
     satyasenaṃ śarais tīkṣṇair dārayitvā mahābalaḥ
 17 tataḥ suniśitair bāṇai rājñas tasya mahac chiraḥ
     kuṇḍalopacitaṃ kāyāc cakarta pṛtanāntare
 18 taṃ nihatya śitair bāṇair mitra varmāṇam ākṣipat
     vatsadantena tīkṣṇena sārathiṃ cāsya māriṣa
 19 tataḥ śaraśatair bhūyaḥ saṃśaptaka gaṇān vaśī
     pātayām āsa saṃkruddhaḥ śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ
 20 tato rajatapuṅkhena rājñaḥ śīrṣaṃ mahātmanaḥ
     mitra devasya ciccheda kṣurapreṇa mahāyaśāḥ
     suśarmāṇaṃ ca saṃkruddho jatru deśe samārdayat
 21 tataḥ saṃśaptakāḥ sarve parivārya dhanaṃjayam
     śastraughair mamṛduḥ kruddhā nādayanto diśo daśa
 22 abhyarditas tu tair jiṣṇuḥ śakratulyaparākramaḥ
     aindram astram ameyātmā prāduścakre mahārathaḥ
     tataḥ śarasahasrāṇi prādurāsan viśāṃ pate
 23 dhvajānāṃ chidyamānānāṃ kārmukāṇāṃ ca saṃyuge
     rathānāṃ sapatākānāṃ tūṇīrāṇāṃ śaraiḥ saha
 24 akṣāṇām atha yoktrāṇāṃ cakrāṇāṃ raśmibhiḥ saha
     kūbarāṇāṃ varūthānāṃ pṛṣatkānāṃ ca saṃyuge
 25 aśmanāṃ patatāṃ caiva prāsānām ṛṣṭibhiḥ saha
     gadānāṃ parighāṇāṃ ca śaktīnāṃ tomaraiḥ saha
 26 śataghnīnāṃ sacakrāṇāṃ bhujānām ūrubhiḥ saha
     kaṇṭhasūtrāṅgadānāṃ ca keyūrāṇāṃ ca māriṣa
 27 harāṇām atha niṣkāṇāṃ tanutrāṇāṃ ca bhārata
     chatrāṇāṃ vyajanānāṃ ca śirasāṃ mukuṭaiḥ saha
     aśrūyata mahāñ śabdas tatra tatra viśāṃ pate
 28 sakuṇḍalāni svakṣīṇi pūrṇacandra nibhāni ca
     śirāṃsy urvyām adṛśyanta tārāgaṇa ivāmbare
 29 susragvīṇi suvāsāṃsi candanenokṣitāni ca
     śarīrāṇi vyadṛśyanta hatānāṃ ca mahītale
     gandharvanagarākāraṃ ghoram āyodhanaṃ tadā
 30 nihatai rājaputraiś ca kṣatriyaiś ca mahābalaiḥ
     hastibhiḥ patitaiś caiva turagaiś cābhavan mahī
     agamyamārgā samare viśīrṇair iva parvataiḥ
 31 nāsīc cakrapathaś caiva pāṇḍavasya mahātmanaḥ
     nighnataḥ śātravān bhallair hastyaśvaṃ cāmitam mahat
 32 ā tumbād avasīdanti rathacakrāṇi māriṣa
     raṇe vicaratas tasya tasmiṁl lohitakardame
 33 sīdamānāni cakrāṇi samūhus turagā bhṛśam
     śrameṇa mahatā yuktā manomārutaraṃhasaḥ
 34 vadhyamānaṃ tu tat sainyaṃ pāṇḍuputreṇa dhanvinā
     prāyaśo vimukhaṃ sarvaṃ nāvatiṣṭhata saṃyuge
 35 tāñ jitvā samare jiṣṇuḥ saṃśaptaka gaṇān bahūn
     rarāja sa mahārāja vidhūmo 'gnir iva jvalan
 36 yudhiṣṭhiraṃ mahārāja visṛjantaṃ śarān bahūn
     svayaṃ duryodhano rājā pratyagṛhṇād abhītavat
 37 tam āpatantaṃ sahasā tava putraṃ mahābalam
     dharmarājo drutaṃ viddhvā tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cābravīt
 38 sā ca taṃ prativivyādha navabhir niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ
     sārathiṃ cāsya bhallena bhṛśaṃ kruddho 'bhyatāḍayat
 39 tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā hemapuṅkhāñ śilīmukhān
     duryodhanāya cikṣepa trayodaśa śilāśitān
 40 caturbhiś caturo vāhāṃs tasya hatvā mahārathaḥ
     pañcamena śiraḥ kāyāt sārathes tu samākṣipat
 41 ṣaṣṭhena ca dhvajaṃ rājñaḥ saptamena ca kārmukam
     aṣṭamena tathā khaḍgaṃ pātayām āsa bhūtale
     pañcabhir nṛpatiṃ cāpi dharmarājo 'rdayad bhṛśam
 42 hatāśvāt tu rathāt tasmād avaplutya sutas tava
     uttamaṃ vyasanaṃ prāpto bhūmāv eva vyatiṣṭhata
 43 taṃ tu kṛcchragataṃ dṛṣṭvā karṇa drauṇikṛpādayaḥ
     abhyavartanta sahitāḥ parīpsanto narādhipam
 44 atha pāṇḍusutāḥ sarve parivārya yudhiṣṭhiram
     abhyayuḥ samare rājaṃs tato yuddham avartata
 45 atha tūryasahasrāṇi prāvādyanta mahāmṛdhe
     kṣveḍāḥ kilalilā śabdāḥ prādurāsan mahīpate
     yad abhyagacchan samare pāñcālāḥ kauravaiḥ saha
 46 narā naraiḥ samājagmur vāraṇā varavāraṇaiḥ
     rathāś ca rathibhiḥ sārdhaṃ hayāś ca hayasādibhiḥ
 47 dvaṃdvāny āsan mahārāja prekṣaṇīyāni saṃyuge
     vismāpanāny acintyāni śastravanty uttamāni ca
 48 ayudhyanta mahāvegāḥ parasparavadhaiṣiṇaḥ
     anyonyaṃ samare jaghnur yodhavratam anuṣṭhitāḥ
     na hi te samaraṃ cakruḥ pṛṣṭhato vai kathaṃ cana
 49 muhūrtam eva tad yuddham āsīn madhuradarśanam
     tata unmattavad rājan nirmaryādam avartata
 50 rathī nāgaṃ samāsādya vicaran raṇamūrdhani
     preṣayām āsa kālāya śaraiḥ saṃnataparvabhiḥ
 51 nāgā hayān samāsādya vikṣipanto bahūn atha
     drāvayām āsur atyugrās tatra tatra tadā tadā
 52 vidrāvya ca bahūn aśvān nāgā rājan balotkaṭāḥ
     viṣāṇaiś cāpare jaghnur mamṛduś cāpare bhṛśam
 53 sāśvārohāṃś ca turagān viṣāṇair bibhidū raṇe
     aparāṃś cikṣipur vegāt pragṛhyātibalās tathā
 54 pādātair āhatā nāgā vivareṣu samantataḥ
     cakrur ārtasvaraṃ ghoraṃ vyadravanta diśo daśa
 55 padātīnāṃ tu sahasā pradrutānāṃ mahāmṛdhe
     utsṛjyābharaṇaṃ tūrṇam avaplutya raṇājire
 56 nimittaṃ manyamānās tu pariṇamya mahāgajāḥ
     jagṛhur bibhiduś caiva citrāṇy ābharaṇāni ca
 57 pratimāneṣu kumbheṣu dantaveṣṭeṣu cāpare
     nigṛhītā bhṛśaṃ nāgāḥ prāsatomara śaktibhiḥ
 58 nigṛhya ca gadāḥ ke cit pārśvasthair bhṛśadāruṇaiḥ
     rathāśvasādibhis tatra saṃbhinnā nyapatan bhuvi
 59 sarathaṃ sādinaṃ tatra apare tu mahāgajāḥ
     bhūmāv amṛdnan vegena savarmāṇaṃ patākinam
 60 rathaṃ nāgāḥ samāsādya dhuri gṛhya ca māriṣa
     vyākṣipan sahasā tatra ghorarūpe mahāmṛdhe
 61 nārācair nihataś cāpi nipapāta mahāgajaḥ
     parvatasyeva śikharaṃ vajrabhagnaṃ mahītale
 62 yodhā yodhān samāsādya muṣṭibhir vyahanan yudhi
     keśeṣv anyonyam ākṣipya cicchidur bibhiduḥ saha
 63 udyamya ca bhujāv anyo nikṣipya ca mahītale
     padā coraḥ samākramya sphurato vyahanac chiraḥ
 64 mṛtam anyo mahārāja padbhyāṃ tāḍitavāṃs tadā
     jīvataś ca tathaivānyaḥ śastraṃ kāye nyamajjayat
 65 muṣṭiyuddhaṃ mahac cāsīd yodhānāṃ tatra bhārata
     tathā keśagrahaś cogro bāhuyuddhaṃ ca kevalam
 66 samāsaktasya cānyena avijñātas tathāparaḥ
     jahāra samare prāṇān nānāśastrair anekadhā
 67 saṃsakteṣu ca yodheṣu vartamāne ca saṃkule
     kabandhāny utthitāni sma śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ
 68 lohitaiḥ sicyamānāni śastrāṇi kavacāni ca
     mahāraṅgānuraktāni vastrāṇīva cakāśire
 69 evam etan mahāyuddhaṃ dāruṇaṃ bhṛśasaṃkulam
     unmattaraṅgapratimaṃ śabdenāpūrayaj jagat
 70 naiva sve na pare rājan vijñāyante śarāturāḥ
     yoddhavyam iti yudhyante rājāno jaya gṛddhinaḥ
 71 svān sve jaghnur mahārāja parāṃś caiva samāgatān
     ubhayoḥ senayor vīrair vyākulaṃ samapadyata
 72 rathair bhagnair mahārāja vāraṇaiś ca nipātitaiḥ
     hayaiś ca patitais tatra naraiś ca vinipātitaiḥ
 73 agamyarūpā pṛthivī māṃsaśoṇitakardamā
     kṣaṇenāsīn mahārāja kṣatajaughapravartinī
 74 pāñcālān avadhīt karṇas trigartāṃś ca dhanaṃjayaḥ
     bhīmasenaḥ kurūn rājan hastyanīkaṃ ca sarvaśaḥ
 75 evam eṣa kṣayo vṛttaḥ kurupāṇḍavasenayoḥ
     aparāhṇe mahārāja kāṅkṣantyor vipulaṃ jayam

19

"Sanjaya said, 'Wheeling round, like the planet Mercury in the curvature of its orbit, Jishnu (Arjuna) once more slew large number of the samsaptakas. Afflicted with the shafts of Partha, O king, men, steeds, and elephants, O Bharata, wavered and wondered and lost colour and fell down and died. Many foremost of animals tied to yokes and drivers and standards, and bows, and shafts and hands and weapons in grasp, and arms, and heads, of heroic foes fighting with him, the son of Pandu cut off in that battle, with arrows, some of which were broad-headed, some equipped with heads like razors, some crescent-shaped, and some furnished with heads like the calf's tooth. Like bulls fighting with a bull for the sake of a cow in season, brave warriors by hundreds and thousands closed upon Arjuna. The battle that took place between them and him made the hair to stand on end like the encounter between the Daityas and Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt on the occasion of the conquest of the three worlds. Then the son of Ugrayudha pierced Partha with three shafts resembling three venomous snakes. Partha, however, cut off from his enemy's trunk the latter's head. Then those warriors, filled with rage, covered Arjuna from every side with diverse kinds of weapons like the clouds urged by the Maruts shrouding Himavat at the close of summer. Checking with his own weapons those of his foes on every side, Arjuna slew a large number of his enemies with well-shot shafts. With his arrows Arjuna then cut off the Trivenus, the steeds, the drivers, and the parshni drivers of many cars, and displaced the weapons and quivers of many, and deprived many of their wheels and standards, and broke the cords, the traces and the axles of many, and destroyed the bottoms and yokes of others, and caused all the equipment of many to fall from their places. Those cars, thus smashed and injured by Arjuna in large numbers, looked like the luxurious mansions of the rich destroyed by fire, wind, and rain. Elephants, their vitals pierced with shafts resembling thunderbolts in impetuosity, fell down like mansions on mountain-tops overthrown by blasts of lightning. Large numbers of steeds with their riders, struck by Arjuna, fell down on the Earth, their tongues and entrails pressed out, themselves deprived of strength and bathed in blood, and presenting an awful sight. Men and steeds and elephants, pierced by Savyasaci (Arjuna) with his shafts, wondered and tottered and fell down and uttered cries of pain and looked pale, O sire. Like Mahendra smiting down the danavas, Partha smote down large numbers of his foes, by means of shafts whetted on stone and resembling the thunder of poison in deadliness. Brave warriors, cased in costly coats of mail and decked with ornaments and armed with diverse kinds of weapons, lay on the field, with their cars and standards, slain by Partha. Vanquished (and deprived of life) persons of righteous deeds, possessed of noble birth and great knowledge, proceeded to heaven in consequence of those glorious deeds of theirs while their bodies only lay on Earth. Then the chief, belonging to thy army, of various realms, filled with wrath and accompanied by their followers, rushed against Arjuna, that foremost of car-warriors. Warriors borne on their cars and steeds and elephants, and foot-soldiers also, all desirous of slaying (Arjuna), rushed towards him, shooting diverse weapons with great speed. Then Arjuna like wind, by means of keen shafts, destroyed that thick shower of weapons dropped by those warriors constituting a mass of congregated clouds. People then beheld Arjuna crossing that raftless ocean constituted by steeds and foot-soldiers and elephants and cars, and having mighty weapons for its waves, on a bridge constituted by his own mighty weapons of offence and defence. Then Vasudeva, addressing Partha, said, "Why, O sinless one, dost thou sport in this way? Grinding these samsaptakas, haste thyself for Karna's slaughter." Saying, "So be it" unto Krishna, Arjuna then, forcibly smiting the remnant of the samsaptakas with his weapons, began to destroy them like Indra destroying the Daityas. At that time, with even the closest attention, men could not mark when Arjuna took out his shafts, when he aimed them and when he let them off quickly. Govinda himself, O Bharata, regarded it wonderful. Like swans diving into a lake the shafts of Arjuna, white and active as swans, penetrated into the hostile force. Then Govinda, beholding the field of battle during the progress of that carnage, said these words to Savyasaci, "Here, O Partha, for the sake of Duryodhana alone, occurreth this great and terrible destruction of the Bharatas and other kings of Earth. Behold, O son of Bharata, these bows, with golden backs, of many mighty bowmen, and these girdles and quivers loosened from their bodies. Behold these straight shafts equipped with wings of gold, and these long arrows washed with oil and looking like snakes freed from their sloughs. Behold these beautiful lances decked with gold lying scattered about, and these coats of mail, O Bharata, adorned with gold and fallen off from the bodies of the warriors. Behold these spears embellished with gold, these darts adorned with the same metal, and these huge maces twined round with threads of gold, and cords of hemp. Behold these swords decked with bright gold and these axes adorned with the same, and these battle-axes equipped with gold-decked handles. Behold also these spiked clubs, these short arrows, these Bhusundis, and these Kanapas; these iron Kuntas lying around, and these heavy Mushalas. These victory-longing warriors endued with great activity and armed with diverse weapons, though dead, still seem to be quick with life. Behold those thousands of warriors, their limbs crushed with maces, and heads split with Mushalas or smashed and trod by elephants and steeds and cars. O slayer of foes, the field of battle is strewn with the bodies of men and elephants and steeds, deprived of life, dreadfully mangled with shafts and darts and swords and lances and scimitars and axes and spears and Nakharas and bludgeons, and bathed in streams of blood. Strewn with arms smeared with sandal-paste and decked with Angadas and graced with auspicious indications and cased in leathern fences and adorned with Keyuras, the Earth looks resplendent, O Bharata. Strewn also with hands having fingers cased in fences, decked with ornaments, and lopped off from arms, and with severed thighs looking like the trunks of elephants, of heroes endued with great activity and with heads adorned with earrings and headgears set with gems, (the Earth looks exceedingly beautiful). Behold those beautiful cars, decked with golden bells, broken in diverse ways. Behold those numerous steeds bathed in blood, those bottoms of cars and long quivers, and diverse kinds of standards and banners and those huge conchs, of the combatants, and those yak-tails perfectly white, and those elephants with tongues lolling out and lying on the field like hills, and those beautiful with triumphal banners, and those slain elephant-warriors, and those rich coverlets, each consisting of one piece of blanket, for the backs of those huge beasts, and those beautiful and variegated and torn blankets, and those numerous bells loosened from the bodies of elephants and broken into fragments by those falling creatures, and those hooks with handles set with stones of lapis lazuli fallen upon the Earth, and those ornamental yokes of steeds, and those armours set with diamonds for their breasts and those rich cloths, adorned with gold and tied to the ends of the standards borne by horsemen, and those variegated coverlets and housings and Ranku skins, set with brilliant gems and inlaid with gold, for the backs of steeds and fallen on the ground, and those large diamonds adorning the head-gears of kings, and those beautiful necklaces of gold, and those umbrellas displaced from their positions, and those yak-tails and fans. Behold the earth strewn with faces adorned with earrings bright as the moon or stars, and embellished with well-cut beards, and each looking like the full moon. The earth, strewn with those faces looking like lilies and lotuses, resembles a lake adorned with a dense assemblage of lilies and lotuses. Behold, the earth possessing the effulgence of the bright moon and diversified as if with myriads of stars, looks like the autumnal firmament bespangled with stellar lights. O Arjuna, these feats that have been achieved by thee in great battle today are, indeed, worthy of thee or of the chief of the celestials himself in heaven." Even thus did Krishna show the field of battle unto Arjuna. And while returning (from the field to their camp), they heard a loud noise in the army of Duryodhana. Indeed the uproar that was heard consisted of the blare of conchs and the beat of cymbals and drums and Patahas and the clatter of car wheels, the neighing of steeds, the grunt of elephants, and the fierce clash of weapons. Penetrating into that force by the aid of his steeds possessing the fleetness of the wind, Krishna became filled with wonder upon beholding the army grinded by Pandya. Like Yama himself slaying creatures whose lives have run out, Pandya, that foremost of warriors skilled in shafts and weapons, was destroying crowds of foes by means of diverse kinds of shafts. Piercing the bodies of the elephants and steeds and men with sharp shafts, that foremost of smiters overthrew and deprived them of life. Cutting off with his own shafts the diverse weapons hurled at him by many foremost of foes, Pandya slew his enemies like Sakra (Indra) destroying the Danavas.'"

Book 8
Chapter 20

1 [dhṛ]
      atitīvrāṇi duḥkhāni duḥsahāni bahūni ca
      tavāhaṃ saṃjayāśrauṣaṃ putrāṇāṃ mama saṃkṣayam
  2 tathā tu me kathayase yathā yuddhaṃ tu vartate
      na santi sūta kauravyā iti me naiṣṭhikī matiḥ
  3 duryodhanas tu virathaḥ kṛtas tatra mahāraṇe
      dharmaputraḥ kathaṃ cakre tasmin vā nṛpatiḥ katham
  4 aparāhṇe kathaṃ yuddham abhaval loma hārṣaṇam
      tan mamācakṣva tattvena kuśalo hy asi saṃjaya
  5 [s]
      saṃsakteṣu ca sainyeṣu yudhyamāneṣu bhāgaśaḥ
      ratham anyaṃ samāsthāya putras tava viśāṃ pate
  6 krodhena mahatāviṣṭaḥ saviṣo bhujago yathā
      duryodhanas tu dṛṣṭvā vai dharmarājaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram
      uvāca sūta tvaritaṃ yāhi yāhīti bhārata
  7 atra māṃ prāpaya kṣipraṃ sārathe yatra pāṇḍavaḥ
      dhriyamāṇena chatreṇa rājā rājati daṃśitaḥ
  8 sasūtaś codito rājñā rājñaḥ syandanam uttamam
      yudhiṣṭhirasyābhimukhaṃ preṣayām āsa saṃyuge
  9 tato yudhiṣṭhiraḥ kruddhaḥ pramatta iva sad gavaḥ
      sārathiṃ codayām āsa yāhi yatra suyodhanaḥ
  10 tau samājagmatur vīrau bhrātarau rathasāttamau
     sametya ca mahāvīryau saṃnaddhau yuddhadurmadau
     tatakṣatur maheṣvāsau śarair anyonyam āhave
 11 tato duryodhano rājā dharmaśīlasya māriṣa
     śilāśitena bhallena dhanuś ciccheda saṃyuge
     taṃ nāmṛṣyata saṃkruddho vyavasāyaṃ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ
 12 apavidhya dhanuś chinnaṃ krodhasaṃraktalocanaḥ
     anyat kārmukam ādāya dharmaputraś camūmukhe
 13 duryodhanasya ciccheda dhvajaṃ kārmukam eva ca
     athānyad dhanur ādāya pratyavidhyata pāṇḍavam
 14 tāv anyonyaṃ susaṃrabdhau śaravarṣāṇy amuñcatām
     siṃhāv iva susaṃkruddhau parasparajigīṣayā
 15 anyonyaṃ jaghnatuś caiva nardamānau vṛṣāv iva
     anyonyaṃ prekṣamāṇau ca ceratus tau mahārathau
 16 tataḥ pūrṇāyatotsṛṣṭair anyonyaṃ sukṛtavraṇau
     virejatur mahārāja puṣṭitāv iva kiṃśukau
 17 tato rājan pratibhayān siṃhanādān muhur muhuḥ
     talayoś ca tathā śabdān dhanuṣoś ca mahāhave
 18 śaṅkhaśabdaravāṃś caiva cakratus tau rathottamau
     anyonyaṃ ca mahārāja pīḍayāṃ cakratur bhṛśam
 19 tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā tava putraṃ tribhiḥ śaraiḥ
     ājaghānorasi kruddho vajravego durāsadaḥ
 20 prativivyādha taṃ tūrṇaṃ tava putro mahīpatim
     pañcabhir niśitair bāṇair hemapuṅkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ
 21 tato duryodhano rājā śaktiṃ cikṣepa bhārata
     sarvapāraśavīṃ tīkṣṇāṃ maholkā pratimāṃ tadā
 22 tām āpatantīṃ sahasā dharmarājaḥ śilāśitaiḥ
     tribhiś ciccheda sahasā taṃ ca vivyādha saptabhiḥ
 23 nipapāta tataḥ sātha hemadaṇḍā mahāghanā
     nipatantī maholkeva vyarājac chikhi saṃnibhā
 24 śaktiṃ vinihatāṃ dṛṣṭvā putras tava viśāṃ pate
     navabhir niśitair bhallair nijaghāna yudhiṣṭhiram
 25 so 'tividdho balavatām agraṇīḥ śatrutāpanaḥ
     duryodhanaṃ samuddiśya bāṇaṃ jagrāha satvaraḥ
 26 samādhatta ca taṃ bāṇaṃ dhanuṣy ugraṃ mahābalaḥ
     cikṣepa ca tato rājā rājñaḥ kruddhaḥ parākramī
 27 sa tu bāṇaḥ samāsādya tava putraṃ mahāratham
     vyamohayata rājānaṃ dharaṇīṃ ca jagāma ha
 28 tato duryodhanaḥ kruddho gadām udyamya vegitaḥ
     vidhitsuḥ kalahasyāntam abhidudrāva pāṇḍavam
 29 tam ālakṣyodyata gadaṃ daṇḍahastam ivāntakam
     dharmarājo mahāśaktiṃ prāhiṇot tava sūnave
     dīpyamānāṃ mahāvegāṃ maholkāṃ jvalitām iva
 30 rathasthaḥ sa tayā viddho varma bhittvā mahāhave
     bhṛśaṃ saṃvignahṛdayaḥ papāta ca mumoha ca
 31 tatas tvaritam āgatya kṛtavarmā tavātmajam
     pratyapadyata rājānaṃ magnaṃ vai vyasanārṇave
 32 bhīmo 'pi mahatīṃ gṛhya gadāṃ hemapariṣkṛtām
     abhidudrāva vegena kṛtavarmāṇam āhave
     evaṃ tad abhavad yuddhaṃ tvadīyānāṃ paraiḥ saha

20

"Dhritarashtra said, 'Thou didst mention to me before the name of Pandya, that hero of world-wide celebrity, but his feats, O Sanjaya, in battle have never been narrated by thee. Tell me today in detail of the prowess of that great hero, his skill, spirit, and energy, the measure of his might, and his pride.'
"Sanjaya said, 'Bhishma and Drona and Kripa and Drona's son and Karna and Arjuna and Janardana, those thorough masters of the science of weapons, are regarded by thee as the foremost of car-warriors. Know, however, that Pandya regarded himself superior to all these foremost of car-warriors in energy. Indeed he never regarded any one amongst the kings as equal to himself. He never admitted his equality with Karna and Bhishma. Nor did he admit within his heart that he was inferior in any respect to Vasudeva or Arjuna. Even such was Pandya, that foremost of kings, that first of wielder of weapons. Filled with rage like the Destroyer himself, Pandya at the time was slaughtering the army of Karna. That force, swelling with cars and steeds and teeming with foremost of foot-soldiers, struck by Pandya, began to turn round like the potter's wheel. Like the wind dispersing a mass of congregated clouds, Pandya, with his well shot arrows, began to disperse that force, destroying its steeds and drivers and standards and cars and causing its weapons and elephants to fall down. Like the splitter of mountains striking down mountains with his thunder, Pandya overthrew elephants with their riders, having previously cut down the standards and banners and weapons with which they were armed, as also the foot-soldiers that protected those beasts. And he cut down horses, and horsemen with their darts and lances and quivers. Mangling with his shafts the Pulindas, the Khasas, the Bahlikas, the Nishadas, the Andhakas, the Tanganas, the Southerners, and the Bhojas, all of whom, endued with great courage, were unyielding and obstinate in battle, and divesting them of their weapons and coats of mail, Pandya deprived them of their lives. Beholding Pandya destroying with his shafts in battle that host consisting of four kinds of forces, the son of Drona fearlessly proceeded towards that fearless warrior. Fearlessly addressing in sweet words that warrior who then seemed to dance on his car, Drona's son, that foremost of smiters, smiling the while, summoned him and said, "O king, O thou with eyes like the petals of the lotus, thy birth is noble and learning great. Of celebrated might and prowess, thou resemblest Indra himself. Stretching with thy two massive arms the bow held by thee and whose large string is attached to thy grasp, thou lookest beautiful like a mass of congregated clouds as thou pourest over thy foes thick showers of impetuous shafts. I do not see anybody save myself that can be a match for thee in battle. Alone thou crushest numerous cars and elephants and foot-soldiers and steeds, like the fearless lion of terrible might crushing herds of deer in the forest. Making the welkin and the Earth resound with the loud clatter of thy car-wheels thou lookest resplendent, O king, like a crop-destroying autumnal cloud of loud roars. Taking out of thy quiver and shooting thy keen shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison fight with myself only, like (the asura) Andhaka fighting with the three-eyed deity." Thus addressed, Pandya answered, "So be it." Then Drona's son, telling him "Strike," assailed him with vigour. In return, Malayadhwaja pierced the son of Drona with a barbed arrow. Then Drona's son, that best of preceptors, smiling the while, struck Pandya with some fierce arrows, capable of penetrating into the very vitals and resembling flames of fire. Then Ashvatthama once more sped at his foe some other large arrows equipped with keen points and capable of piercing the very vitals, causing them to course through the welkin with the ten different kinds of motion. Pandya, however, with nine shafts of his cut off all those arrows of his antagonist. With four other shafts he afflicted the four steeds of his foe, at which they speedily expired. Having then, with his sharp shafts, cut off the arrows of Drona's son, Pandya then cut off the stretched bow-string of Ashvatthama, endued with the splendour of the sun. Then Drona's son, that slayer of foes, stringing his unstringed bow, and seeing that his men had meanwhile speedily yoked other excellent steeds unto his car, sped thousands of arrows (at his foe). By this, that regenerate one filled the entire welkin and the ten points of the compass with his arrows. Although knowing that those shafts of the high-souled son of Drona employed in shooting were really inexhaustible, yet Pandya, that bull among men, cut them all into pieces. The antagonist of Ashvatthama, carefully cutting off all those shafts shot by the latter, then slew with his own keen shafts the two protectors of the latter's car wheels in that encounter. Beholding the lightness of hand displayed by his foe, Drona's son, drawing his bow to a circle, began to shoot his arrows like a mass of clouds pouring torrents of rain. During that space of time, O sire, which consisted only of the eighth part of a day, the son of Drona shot as many arrows as were carried on eight carts each drawn by eight bullocks. Almost all those men that then beheld Ashvatthama, who at the time looked like the Destroyer himself filled with rage, or rather the Destroyer of the Destroyer, lost their senses. Like a mass of clouds at the close of summer drenching with torrents of rain, the Earth with her mountains and trees, the preceptor's son poured on that hostile force his arrowy shower. Baffling with the Vayavya weapon that unbearable shower of arrows shot by the Ashvatthama-cloud, the Pandya-wind, filled with joy, uttered loud roars. Then Drona's son cutting off the standard, smeared with sandal-paste and other perfumed unguents and bearing the device of the Malaya mountain on it, of the roaring Pandya, slew the four steeds of the latter. Slaying then his foe's driver with a single shaft, and cutting off with a crescent-shaped arrow the bow also of that warrior whose twang resembled the roar of the clouds, Ashvatthama cut off his enemy's car into minute fragments. Checking with the weapons those of his enemy, and cutting off all the weapons of the latter, Drona's son, although he obtained the opportunity to do his enemy the crowning evil, still slew him not, from desire of battling with him for some time more. Meanwhile Karna rushed against the large elephant force of the Pandavas and began to rout and destroy it. Depriving car-warriors of their cars, he struck elephants and steeds and human warriors, O Bharata, with innumerable straight shafts. That mighty bowman, the son of Drona, although he had made Pandya, that slayer of foes and foremost of car-warriors, carless, yet he did not slay him from desire of fight. At that time a huge riderless elephant with large tusks, well-equipped with all utensils of war, treading with speed, endued with great might, quick to proceed against any enemy, struck with Ashvatthama's shafts, advanced towards the direction of Pandya with great impetuosity, roaring against a hostile compeer. Beholding that prince of elephants, looking like a cloven mountain summit, Pandya, who was well acquainted with the method of fighting from the neck of an elephant, quickly ascended that beast like a lion springing with a loud roar to the top of a mountain summit. Then that lord of the prince of mountains, striking the elephant with the hook, and inspired with rage, and with that cool care for which he was distinguished in hurling weapons with great force, quickly sped a lance, bright as Surya's rays, at the preceptor's son and uttered a loud shout. Repeatedly shouting in joy, "Thou art slain, Thou art slain!" Pandya (with that lance) crushed to pieces the diadem of Drona's son adorned with foremost of jewels and diamonds of the first water and the very best kind of gold and excellent cloth and strings of pearls. That diadem possessed of the splendour of the Sun, the Moon, the planets, or the fire, in consequence of the violence of the stroke, fell down, split into fragments, like a mountain summit riven by Indra's thunder, falling down on the Earth with great noise. At this, Ashvatthama blazed up with exceeding rage like a prince of snakes struck with the foot, and took up four and ten shafts capable of inflicting great pain upon foes and each resembling the Destroyer's rod. With five of those shafts he cut off the four feet and the trunk of his adversary's elephant, and with three the two arms and the head of the king, and with six he slew the six mighty car-warriors, endued with great effulgence, that followed king Pandya. Those long and well-rounded arms of the king, smeared with excellent sandal-paste, and adorned with gold and pearls and gems and diamonds falling upon the Earth, began to writhe like a couple of snakes slain by Garuda. That head also, graced with a face bright as the full Moon, having a prominent nose and a pair of large eyes, red as copper with rage, adorned with earrings, falling on the ground, looked resplendent like the Moon himself between two bright constellations. The elephant, thus cut off by that skilful warrior into six pieces with those five shafts and the king into four pieces with those three shafts lay divided in all into ten pieces that looked like the sacrificial butter distributed into ten portions intended for the ten deities. Having cut off numerous steeds and men and elephants into pieces and offered them as food into the Rakshasas, king Pandya was thus quieted by Drona's son with his shafts like a blazing fire in a crematorium, extinguished with water after it has received a libation in the shape of a lifeless body. Then like the chief of the celestials joyfully worshipping Vishnu after the subjugation of the Asura Vali, thy son, the king, accompanied by his brothers approaching the preceptor's son worshipped with great respect that warrior who is a complete master of the science of arms, after indeed, he had completed the task he had undertaken."

The Mahabharata

Karna Parva

Book 8
Chapter 21

 

1 [s]
      tataḥ karṇaṃ puraskṛtya tvadīyā yuddhadurmadāḥ
      punar āvṛtya saṃgrāmaṃ cakrur devāsuropamam
  2 dviradarathanarāśvaśaṅkhaśabdaiḥ; parihṛṣitā vividhaiś ca śastrapātaiḥ
      dviradarathapadātisārthavāhāḥ; paripatitābhimukhāḥ prajahrire te
  3 śaraparaśu varāsi paṭṭiśair; iṣubhir anekavidhaiś ca sāditāḥ
      dviradarathahayā mahāhave; varapuruṣaiḥ puruṣāś ca vāhanaiḥ
  4 kamaladinakarendu saṃnibhaiḥ; sitadaśanaiḥ sumukhākṣi nāsikaiḥ
      ruciramukuṭa kuṇḍalair mahī; puruṣaśirobhir avastṛtā babhau
  5 parighamusala śaktitomarair; nakharabhuśuṇḍi gadā śatair drutāḥ
      dviradanarahayāḥ sahasraśo; rudhiranadī pravahās tadābbhavan
  6 prahata nararathāśvakuñjaraṃ; pratibhaya darśanam ulbaṇaṃ tadā
      tad ahitanihataṃ babhau balaṃ; pitṛparirāṣṭram iva prajā kṣaye
  7 atha tava naradeva sainikās; tava ca sutāḥ surasūnu saṃnibhāḥ
      amitabalapuraḥsarā raṇe; kuru vṛṣabhāḥ śiniputram abhyayuḥ
  8 tad atirucira bhīmam ābabhau; puruṣavarāśvarathadvipākulam
      lavaṇajalasamuddhata svanaṃ; balam amarāsurasainyasaṃnibham
  9 surapatisamavikramas tatas; tridaśavarāvarajopamaṃ yudhi
      dinakarakiraṇa prabhaiḥ pṛṣatkair; avitanayo 'bhyahanac chini pravīram
  10 tam api saratha vājisārathiṃ; śinivṛṣabho vividhaiḥ śarais tvaran
     bhujaga viṣasamaprabhai raṇe; puruṣavaraṃ samavāstṛṇot tadā
 11 śinivṛṣabha śaraprapīḍittaṃ; tava suhṛdo vasuṣeṇam abhyayuḥ
     tvaritam atirathā ratharṣabhaṃ; dviradarathāśvapadātibhiḥ saha
 12 tam udadhi nibham ādravad balī; tvaritataraiḥ samabhidrutaṃ paraiḥ
     drupada suta sakhas tadākarot; puruṣarathāśvagajakṣayaṃ mahat
 13 atha puruṣavarau kṛtāhnikau; bhavam abhipūjya yathāvidhi prabhum
     arivadha kṛtaniścayau drutaṃ; tava balam arjuna keśavau sṛtau
 14 jaladaninadanisvanaṃ rathaṃ; pavanavidhūtapatāka ketanam
     sitahayam upayāntam antikaṃ; hṛtamanaso dadṛśus tadārayaḥ
 15 atha visphārya gāṇḍīvaṃ raṇe nṛtyann ivārjunaḥ
     śarasaṃbādham akarot khaṃ diśaḥ pradiśas tathā
 16 rathān vimānapratimān sajjayantrāyudha dhvajān
     sasārathīṃs tadā bāṇair abhrāṇīvānilo 'vadhīt
 17 gajān gajaprayantṝṃś ca vaijayanty ayudha dhvajān
     sādino 'śvāṃś ca pattīṃś ca śarair ninye yamakṣayam
 18 tam antakam iva kruddham anivāryaṃ mahāratham
     duryodhano 'bhyayād eko nighnan bāṇaiḥ pṛthagvidhaiḥ
 19 tasyārjuno dhanuḥ sūtaṃ ketum aśvāṃś ca sāyakaiḥ
     hatvā saptabhir ekaikaṃ chatraṃ ciccheda patriṇā
 20 navamaṃ ca samāsādya vyajṛjat pratighātinam
     duryodhanāyeṣu varaṃ taṃ drauṇiḥ saptadhācchinat
 21 tato drauṇer dhanuś chittvā hatvā cāśvavarāñ śaraiḥ
     kṛpasyāpi tathātyugraṃ dhanuś ciccheda pāṇḍavaḥ
 22 hārdikyasya dhanuś chittvā dhvajaṃ cāśvaṃ tathāvadhīt
     duḥśāsanasyeṣu varaṃ chittvā rādheyam abhyayāt
 23 atha sātyakim utsṛjya tvaran karṇo 'rjunaṃ tribhiḥ
     viddhvā vivyādha viṃśatyā kṛṣṇaṃ pārthaṃ punas tribhiḥ
 24 atha sātyakir āgatya karṇaṃ viddhvā śitaiḥ śaraiḥ
     navatyā navabhiś cograiḥ śatena punar ārdayat
 25 tataḥ pravīrāḥ pāṇḍūnāṃ sarve karṇam apīḍayan
     yudhāmanyuḥ śikhaṇḍī ca draupadeyāḥ prabhadrakāḥ
 26 uttamaujā yuyutsuś ca yamau pārṣata eva ca
     cedikārūṣa matsyānāṃ kekayānāṃ ca yad balam
     cekitānaś ca balavān dharmarājaś ca suvrataḥ
 27 ete rathāśvadviradaiḥ pattibhiś cogravikramaiḥ
     parivārya raṇe karṇaṃ nānāśastrair avākiran
     bhāṣanto vāgbhir ugrābhiḥ sarve karṇavadhe vṛtāḥ
 28 tāṃ śastravṛṣṭiṃ bahudhā chittvā karṇaḥ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ
     apovāha sma tān sarvān drumān bhaṅktveva mārutaḥ
 29 rathinaḥ samahā mātrān gajān aśvān sasādinaḥ
     śaravrātāṃś ca saṃkruddho nighnan karṇo vyadṛśyata
 30 tad vadhyamānaṃ pāṇḍūnāṃ balaṃ karṇāstra tejasā
     viśastra kṣatadehaṃ ca prāya āsīt parāṅmukham
 31 atha karṇāstram astreṇa pratihatyārjunaḥ svayam
     diśaḥ khaṃ caiva bhūmiṃ ca prāvṛṇoc charavṛṣṭibhiḥ
 32 musalānīva niṣpetuḥ parighā iva ceṣavaḥ
     śataghnya iva cāpy anye vajrāṇy ugrāṇi vāpare
 33 tair vadhyamānaṃ tat sainyaṃ sapattyaśvarathadvipam
     nimīlitākṣam atyartham udabhrāmyat samantataḥ
 34 niṣkaivalyaṃ tadā yuddhaṃ prāpur aśvanaradvipāḥ
     vadhyamānāḥ śarair anye tadā bhītāḥ pradudruvuḥ
 35 evaṃ teṣāṃ tadā yuddhe saṃsaktānāṃ jayaiṣiṇām
     girimastaṃ samāsādya pratyapadyata bhānumān
 36 tamasā ca mahārāja rajasā ca viśeṣataḥ
     na kiṃ cit pratyapaśyāma śubhaṃ vā yadi vāśubham
 37 te trasanto maheṣvāsā rātriyuddhasya bhārata
     apayānaṃ tataś cakruḥ sahitāḥ sarvavājibhiḥ
 38 kauraveṣu ca yāteṣu tadā rājan dinakṣaye
     jayaṃ sumanasaḥ prāpya pārthāḥ svaśibiraṃ yayuḥ
 39 vāditraśabdair vividhaiḥ siṃhanādaiś ca nartitaiḥ
     parān avahasantaś ca stuvantaś cācyutārjunau
 40 kṛte 'vahāre tair vīraiḥ sainikāḥ sarva eva te
     āśiṣaḥ pāṇḍaveyeṣu prāyujyanta nareśvarāḥ
 41 tataḥ kṛte 'vahāre ca prahṛṣṭāḥ kurupāṇḍavāḥ
     niśāyāṃ śibiraṃ gatvā nyaviśanta nareśvarāḥ
 42 yakṣarakṣaḥpiśācāś ca śvāpadāni ca saṃghaśaḥ
     jagmur āyodhanaṃ ghoraṃ rudrasyānartanopamam

 

21

"Dhritarashtra said, 'When Pandya had been slain and when that foremost of heroes, viz., Karna was employed in routing and destroying the foe, what, O Sanjaya, did Arjuna do in battle? That son of Pandu is a hero, endued with great might, attentive to his duties, and a complete master of the science of arms. The high-souled Sankara himself hath made him invincible among all creatures. My greatest fears proceed from that Dhananjaya, that slayer of foes. Tell me, O Sanjaya, all that Partha achieved there on that occasion.'
"Sanjaya said, 'After Pandya's fall, Krishna quickly said unto Arjuna these beneficial words, "I do not behold the King. The other Pandavas also have retreated. If the Parthas had returned, the vast force of the enemy would have been broken. In fulfilment of purposes entertained by Ashvatthama, Karna is slaying the Srinjayas. A great carnage is being made (by that warrior) of steeds and car-warriors and elephants." Thus the heroic Vasudeva represented everything unto the diadem-decked (Arjuna). Hearing of and beholding that great danger of his brother (Yudhishthira), Partha quickly addressed Krishna, saying, "Urge the steeds, O Hrishikesha." Then Hrishikesha proceeded on that irresistible car. The encounter then that once more took place became exceedingly fierce. The Kurus and the Pandavas once more fearlessly closed with each other, that is, the Parthas headed by Bhimasena and ourselves headed by the Suta's son. Then, O best of kings, there once more commenced a battle between Karna and the Pandavas that swelled the population of Yama's kingdom. With bows and arrows and spiked clubs and swords and lances and axes and short clubs and Bhushundis and darts and rapiers and battle-axes and maces and spears and polished Kuntas, and short shafts and hooks, the combatants quickly fell upon one another, desirous of taking one another's life. Filling the welkin, the cardinal points of the compass, the subsidiary ones, the firmament, and the Earth, with the whizz of arrows, the twang of bow-strings, the sound of palms, and the clatter of car-wheels, foes rushed upon foes. Gladdened by that loud noise, heroes, fought with heroes desirous of reaching the end of the hostilities. Loud became the noise caused by the sound of bow-strings and fences and bows, the grunt of elephants, and the shouts of foot-soldiers and falling men. Hearing the terrible whizz of arrows and the diverse shouts of brave warriors, the troops took fright, became pale, and fell down. Large numbers of those foes thus employed in shouting and shooting weapons, the heroic son of Adhiratha crushed with his arrows. With his shafts Karna then despatched to Yama's abode twenty car-warriors among the brave Pancala heroes, with their steeds, drivers, and standards. Then many foremost of warriors of the Pandava army, endued with great energy and quick in the use of weapons, speedily wheeling round, encompassed Karna on all sides. Karna agitated that hostile force with showers of weapons like the leader of an elephantine herd plunging into a lake adorned with lotuses and covered with swans. Penetrating into the midst of his foes, the son of Radha, shaking his best of bows, began to strike off and fell their heads with his sharp shafts. The shield and coats of mail of the warriors, cut off, fell down on the Earth. There was none amongst them that needed the touch of a second arrow of Karna's. Like a driver striking the steeds with the whip, Karna, with his shafts capable of crushing coats of mail and bodies and the life that quickened them, struck the fences (of his foes) perceivable only by their bow-strings. Like a lion grinding herds of deer, Karna speedily grinded all those Pandus and Srinjayas and Pancalas that came within range of his arrows. Then the chief of the Pancalas, and the sons of Draupadi, O sire, and the twins, and Yuyudhana, uniting together, proceeded against Karna. When those Kurus, and Pancalas and Pandus were thus engaged in battle, the other warriors, reckless of their very lives, began to strike at one another. Well-cased in armour and coats of mail and adorned with head-gears, combatants endued with great strength rushed at their foes, with maces and short clubs and spiked bludgeons looking like uplifted rods of the Destroyer, and jumping, O sire, and challenging one another, uttered loud shouts. They struck one another, and fell down, assailed by one another with blood rising from their limbs and deprived of brains and eyes and weapons. Covered with weapons, some, as they lay there with faces beautiful as pomegranates, having teeth-adorned mouths filled with blood, seemed to be alive. Others, in that vast ocean of battle, filled with rage mangled or cut or pierced or overthrew or lopped off or slew one another with battle-axes and short arrows and hooks and spears and lances. Slain by one another they fell down, covered with blood and deprived of life like sandal trees cut down with the axe falling down and shedding as they fall their cool blood-red juice. Cars destroyed by cars, elephants by elephants, men by men, and steeds by steeds, fell down in thousands. Standards, and heads, and umbrellas, and elephants, trunks, and human arms, cut off with razor-faced or broad-headed or crescent-shaped arrows, fell down on the Earth. Large numbers also of men, and elephants, and cars with steed yoked thereto, were crushed in that battle. Many brave warriors, slain by horsemen, fell down, and many tuskers, with their trunks cut off, and banners and standards (on their bodies), fell down like fallen mountains. Assailed by foot-soldiers, many elephants and cars, destroyed or in course of destruction, fell down on all sides. Horsemen, encountering foot-soldiers with activity, were slain by the latter. Similarly crowds of foot-soldiers, slain by horsemen, laid themselves down on the field. The faces and the limbs of those slain in that dreadful battle looked like crushed lotuses and faded floral wreaths. The beautiful forms of elephants and steeds and human beings, O king, then resembled cloths foul with dirt, and became exceedingly repulsive to look at.'"

 

 

 

Book 8
Chapter 22

 

 

1 [dhṛ]
      svenac chandena naḥ sarvān nāvadhīd vyaktam arjunaḥ
      na hy asyā samare mucyetāntako 'py ātatāyinaḥ
  2 pārtho hy eko 'harad bhadrām ekaś cāgnim atarpayat
      ekaś cemāṃ mahīṃ jitvā cakre balibhṛto nṛpān
  3 eko nivātakavacān avadhīd divyakārmukaḥ
      ekaḥ kirāta rūpeṇa sthitaṃ śarvam ayodhayat
  4 eko 'bhyarakṣad bharatān eko bhavam atoṣayat
      tenaikena jitāḥ sarve madīyā ugratejasaḥ
      te na nindyāḥ praśasyāś ca yat te cakrur bravīhi tat
  5 [s]
      hataprahata vidhvastā vivarmāyudha vāhanāḥ
      dīnasvarā dūyamānā māninaḥ śatrubhir jitāḥ
  6 śibirasthāḥ punar mantraṃ mantrayanti sma kauravāḥ
      bhagnadaṃṣṭrā hataviṣāḥ padākrāntā ivoragāḥ
  7 tān abravīt tataḥ karṇaḥ kruddhaḥ sarpa iva śvasan
      karaṃ kareṇābhipīḍya prekṣamāṇas tavātmajam
  8 yatto dṛḍhaś ca dakṣaś ca dhṛtimān arjunaḥ sadā
      sa bodhayati cāpy enaṃ prāptakālam adhokṣajaḥ
  9 sahasrāstra visargeṇa vayaṃ tenādya vañjitāḥ
      śvas tv ahaṃ tasya saṃkalpaṃ sarvaṃ hantā mahīpate
  10 evam uktas tathety uktvā so 'nujajñe nṛpottamān
     sukhoṣitās te rajanīṃ hṛṣṭā yuddhāya niryayuḥ
 11 te 'paśyan vihitaṃ vyūhaṃ dharmarājena durjayam
     prayatnāt kurumukhyena bṛhaspatyuśano matāt
 12 atha pratīpa kartāraṃ satataṃ vijitātmanām
     sasmāra vṛṣabhaskandhaṃ karṇaṃ duryodhanas tadā
 13 puraṃdarasamaṃ yuddhe marudgaṇasamaṃ bale
     kārtavīrya samaṃ vīrye karṇaṃ rājño 'gaman manaḥ
     sūtaputraṃ maheṣvāsaṃ bandhum ātyayikeṣv iva
 14 [dhṛ]
     yad vo 'gaman mano mandāḥ karṇaṃ vaikartanaṃ tadā
     apy adrākṣata taṃ yūyaṃ śītārtā iva bhāskaram
 15 kṛte 'vahāre sainyānāṃ pravṛtte ca raṇe punaḥ
     kathaṃ vaikartanaḥ karṇas tatrāyudhyata saṃjaya
     kathaṃ ca pāṇḍavāḥ sarve yuyudhus tatra sūtajam
 16 karṇo hy eko mahābāhur hanyāt pārthān sasomakān
     karṇasya bhujayor vīryaṃ śakra viṣṇusamaṃ matam
     tathāstrāṇi sughorāṇi vikramaś ca mahātmanaḥ
 17 duryodhanaṃ tadā dṛṣṭvā pāṇḍavena bhṛśārditam
     parākrāntān pāṇḍusutān dṛṣṭvā cāpi mahāhave
 18 karṇam āśritya saṃgrāme darpo duryodhane punaḥ
     jetum utsahate pārthān saputrān saha keśavān
 19 aho bata mahad duḥkhaṃ yatra pāṇḍusutān raṇe
     nātarad rabhasaḥ karṇo daivaṃ nūnaṃ parāyaṇam
     aho dyūtasya niṣṭheyaṃ ghorā saṃprati vartate
 20 aho duḥkhāni tīvrāṇi duryodhanakṛtāny aham
     sahiṣyāmi sughorāṇi śalya bhūtāni saṃjaya
 21 saubalaṃ ca tathā tāta nītimān iti manyate
 22 yuddheṣu nāma divyeṣu vartamāneṣu saṃjaya
     aśrauṣaṃ nihatān putrān nityam eva ca nirjitān
 23 na pāṇḍavānāṃ samare kaś cid asti nivārakaḥ
     strīmadhyam iva gāhanti daivaṃ hi balavattaram
 24 [s]
     atikrāntaṃ hi yat kāryaṃ paścāc cintayatīti ca
     tac cāsya na bhavet kāryaṃ cintayā ca vinaśyati
 25 tad idaṃ tava kāryaṃ tu dūraprāptaṃ vijānatā
     na kṛtaṃ yat tvayā pūrvaṃ prāptāprāpta vicāraṇe
 26 ukto 'si bahudhā rājan mā yudhyasveti pāṇḍavaiḥ
     gṛhṇīṣe na ca tan mohāt pāṇḍaveṣu viśāṃ pate
 27 tvayā pāpāni ghorāṇi samācīrṇāni pāṇḍuṣu
     tvatkṛte vartate ghoraḥ pārthivānāṃ janakṣayaḥ
 28 tat tv idānīm atikramya mā śuco bharatarṣabha
     śṛṇu sarvaṃ yathāvṛttaṃ ghoraṃ vaiśasam acyuta
 29 prabhātāyāṃ rajanyāṃ tu karṇo rājānam abhyayāt
     sametya ca mahābāhur duryodhanam abhāṣata
 30 adya rājan sameṣyāmi pāṇḍavena yaśasvinā
     haniṣyāmi ca taṃ vīraṃ sa vā māṃ nihaniṣyati
 31 bahutvān mama kāryāṇāṃ tathā pārthasya pārthiva
     nābhūt samāgamo rājan mama caivārjunasya ca
 32 idaṃ tu me yathā prajñaṃ śṛṇu vākyaṃ viśāṃ pate
     anihatya raṇe pārthaṃ nāham eṣyāmi bhārata
 33 hatapravīre sainye 'smin mayi caiva sthite yudhi
     abhiyāsyati māṃ pārthaḥ śakra śaktyā vinākṛtam
 34 tataḥ śreyaḥ karaṃ yat te tan nibodha janeśvara
     āyudhānāṃ ca yad vīryaṃ dravyāṇām arjunasya ca
 35 kāyasya mahato bhede lāghave dūrapātane
     sauṣṭhave cāstrayoge ca savyasācī na matsamaḥ
 36 sarvāyudhamahāmātraṃ vijayaṃ nāma tad dhanuḥ
     indrārtham abhikāmena nirmitaṃ viśvakarmaṇā
 37 yena daitya gaṇān rājañ jitavān vai śatakratuḥ
     yasya ghoṣeṇa daityānāṃ vimuhyanti diśo daśa
     tad bhārgavāya prāyacchac chakraḥ paramasaṃmatam
 38 tad divyaṃ bhārgavo mahyam adadād dhanur uttamam
     yena yotsye mahābāhum arjunaṃ jayatāṃ varam
     yathendraḥ samare sarvān daiteyān vai samāgatān
 39 dhanur ghoraṃ rāmadattaṃ gāṇḍīvāt tad viśiṣyate
     triḥ saptakṛtvaḥ pṛthivī dhanuṣā tena nirjitā
 40 dhanuṣo yasya karmāṇi divyāni prāha bhārgavaḥ
     tad rāmo hy adadān mahyaṃ yena yotsyāmi pāṇḍavam
 41 adya duryodhanāhaṃ tvāṃ nandayiṣye sabāndhavam
     nihatya samare vīram arjunaṃ jayatāṃ varam
 42 saparvatavanadvīpā hatadviḍbhiḥ sasāgarā
     putrapautra pratiṣṭhā te bhaviṣyaty adya pārthiva
 43 nāsādhyaṃ vidyate me 'dya tvatpriyārthaṃ viśeṣataḥ
     samyag dharmānuraktasya siddhir ātmavato yathā
 44 na hi māṃ samare soḍhuṃ sa śakto 'gniṃ tarur yathā
     avaśyaṃ tu mayā vācyaṃ yena hīno 'smi phalgunāt
 45 jyā tasya dhanuṣo divyā tathākṣayyau maheṣudhī
     tasya divyaṃ dhanuḥśreṣṭhaṃ gāṇḍīvam ajaraṃ yudhi
 46 vijayaṃ ca mahad divyaṃ mamāpi dhanur uttamam
     tatrāham adhikaḥ pārthād dhanuṣā tena pārthiva
 47 mayā cābhyadhiko vīraḥ pāṇḍavas tan nibodha me
     raśmigrāhaś ca dāśārhaḥ sarvalokanamaskṛtaḥ
 48 agnidattaś ca vai divyo rathaḥ kāñcanabhūṣaṇaḥ
     acchedyaḥ sarvato vīra vājinaś ca manojavāḥ
     dhvajaś ca divyo dyutimān vānaro vismayaṃ karaḥ
 49 kṛṣṇaś ca sraṣṭā jagato rathaṃ tam abhirakṣati
     ebhir dravyair ahaṃ hīno yoddhum icchāmi pāṇḍavam
 50 ayaṃ tu sadṛśo vīraḥ śalyaḥ samitiśobhanaḥ
     sārathyaṃ yadi me kuryād dhruvas te vijayo bhavet
 51 tasya me sārathiḥ śalyo bhavatv asu karaḥ paraiḥ
     nārācān gārdhrapatrāṃś ca śakaṭāni vahantu me
 52 rathāś ca mukhyā rājendra yuktā vājibhir uttamaiḥ
     āyāntu paścāt satataṃ mām eva bharatarṣabha
 53 evam abhyadhikaḥ pārthād bhaviṣyāmi guṇair aham
     śalyo hy abhyadhikaḥ kṛṣṇād arjunād adhiko hy aham
 54 yathāśvahṛdayaṃ veda dāśārhaḥ paravīrahā
     tathā śalyo 'pi jānīte hayānāṃ vai mahārathaḥ
 55 bāhuvīrye samo nāsti madrarājasya kaś cana
     tathāstrair matsamo nāsti kaś cid eva dhanurdharaḥ
 56 tathā śalya samo nāsti hayayāne ha kaś cana
     so 'yam abhyadhikaḥ pārthād bhaviṣyati ratho mama
 57 etat kṛtaṃ mahārāja tvayecchāmi paraṃtapa
     evaṃ kṛte kṛtaṃ mahyaṃ sarvakāmair bhaviṣyati
 58 tato draṣṭāsi samare yat kariṣyāmi bhārata
     sarvathā pāṇḍavān sarvāñ jeṣyāmy adya samāgatān
 59 [dur]
     sarvam etat kariṣyāmi yathā tvaṃ karṇa manyase
     sopāsaṅgā rathāḥ sāśvā anuyāsyanti sūtaja
 60 nārācān gārdhrapakṣāṃś ca śakaṭāni vahantu te
     anuyāsyāma karṇa tvāṃ vayaṃ sarve ca pārthivāḥ
 61 [s]
     evam uktvā mahārāja tava putrāḥ pratāpavān
     abhigamyābravīd rājā madrarājam idaṃ vacaḥ

 

 

22

"Sanjaya said, 'Many elephant-warriors riding on their beasts, urged by thy son, proceeded against Dhrishtadyumna, filled with rage and desirous of compassing his destruction. Many foremost of combatants skilled in elephant-fight, belonging to the Easterners, the Southerners, the Angas, the Vangas, the Pundras, the Magadhas, the Tamraliptakas, the Mekalas, the Koshalas, the Madras, the Dasharnas, the Nishadas uniting with the Kalingas, O Bharata, and showering shafts and lances and arrows like pouring clouds, drenched the Pancala force therewith in that battle. Prishata's son covered with his arrows and shafts those (foe-crushing) elephants urged forward by their riders with heels and toes and hooks. Each of those beasts that were huge as hills, the Pancala hero pierced with ten, eight, or six whetted shafts, O Bharata. Beholding the prince of the Pancalas shrouded by those elephants like the Sun by the clouds, the Pandus and the Pancalas proceeded towards him (for his rescue) uttering loud roars and armed with sharp weapons. Pouring their weapons upon those elephants, those warriors began to dance the dance of heroes, aided by the music of their bow-strings and the sound of their palms, and urged by heroes beating the time. Then Nakula and Sahadeva, and the sons of Draupadi, and the Prabhadrakas, and Satyaki, and Shikhandi, and Chekitana endued with great energy,--all those heroes--drenched those elephants from every side with their weapons, like the clouds drenching the hills with their showers. Those furious elephants, urged on by mleccha warriors dragging down with their trunks men and steeds and cars, crushed them with their feet. And some they pierced with the points of their tusks, and some they raised aloft and dashed down on the ground; others taken aloft on the tusks of those huge beasts, fell down inspiring spectators with fear. Then Satyaki, piercing the vitals of the elephant belonging to the king of the Vangas staying before him, with a long shaft endued with great impetuosity, caused it to fall down on the field of battle. Then Satyaki pierced with another long shaft the chest of the rider whom he could not hitherto touch, just as the latter was about to jump from the back of his beast. Thus struck by Satwata, he fell down on the Earth.
"'Meanwhile Sahadeva, with three shafts shot with great care, struck the elephant of Pundra, as it advanced against him like a moving mountain, depriving it of its standard and driver and armour and life. Having thus cut off that elephant, Sahadeva proceeded against the chief of the Angas.
"'Nakula, however, causing Sahadeva to desist, himself afflicted the ruler of the Angas with three long shafts, each resembling the rod of Yama, and his foe's elephant with a hundred arrows. Then the ruler of the Angas hurled at Nakula eight hundred lances bright as the rays of the Sun. Each of these Nakula cut off into three fragments. The son of Pandu then cut off the head of his antagonist with a crescent-shaped arrow. At this that mleccha king, deprived of life, fell down with the animal he rode. Upon the fall of the prince of the Angas who was well-skilled in elephant-lore, the elephant-men of the Angas, filled with rage, proceeded with speed against Nakula, on their elephants decked with banners that waved in the air, possessing excellent mouths, adorned with housings of gold, and looking like blazing mountains, from desire of crushing him to pieces. And many Mekalas and Utkalas, and Kalingas, and Nishadas, and Tamraliptakas, also advanced against Nakula, showering their shafts and lances, desirous of slaying him. Then the Pandus, the Pancalas, and the Somakas, filled with rage, rushed with speed for the rescue of Nakula shrouded by those warriors like the Sun by the clouds. Then occurred a fierce battle between those car-warriors and elephant-men, the former showering their arrows and shafts the latter their lances by thousands. The frontal globes and other limbs and the tusks and adornments of the elephants, exceedingly pierced with shafts, were split and mangled. Then Sahadeva, with four and sixty impetuous arrows, quickly slew eight of those huge elephants which fell down with their riders. And Nakula also, that delighter of his race, bending his excellent bow with great vigour, with many straight shafts, slew many elephants. Then the Pancala prince, and the grandson of Sini (Satyaki) and the sons of Draupadi and the Prabhadrakas, and Shikhandi, drenched those huge elephants with showers of shafts. Then in consequence of those rain-charged clouds constituted by the Pandava warriors, those hills constituted by the elephants of the foe, fell, struck down by torrents of rain formed by their numerous shafts, like real mountains struck down with a thunder-storm. Those leaders of the Pandava car-warriors then, thus slaying those elephants of thine cast their eyes on the hostile army, which, as it fled away at that time resembled a river whose continents had been washed away. Those warriors of Pandu's son, having thus agitated that army of thine, agitated it once more, and then rushed against Karna.'"

 

 

Book 8
Chapter 23

 

 

 

 1 [s]
      putras tava mahārāja madrarājam idaṃ vacaḥ
      vinayenopasaṃgamya praṇayād vākyam abravīt
  2 satyavrata mahābhāga dviṣatām aghavardhana
      madreśvara raṇe śūra parasainyabhayaṃkara
  3 śrutavān asi karṇasya bruvato vadatāṃ vara
      yathā nṛpatisiṃhānāṃ madhye tvāṃ varayaty ayam
  4 tasmāt pārtha vināśārthaṃ hitārthaṃ mama caiva hi
      sārathyaṃ rathināṃ śreṣṭha sumanāḥ kartum arhasi
  5 asyābhīśu graho loke nānyo 'sti bhavatā samaḥ
      sa pātu sarvataḥ karṇaṃ bhavān brahmeva śaṃkaram
  6 pārthasya sacivaḥ kṛṣṇo yathābhīśu graho varaḥ
      tathā tvam api rādheyaṃ sarvataḥ paripālaya
  7 bhīṣmo droṇaḥ kṛpaḥ karṇo bhavān bhojaś ca vīryavān
      śakuniḥ saubalo drauṇir aham eva ca no balam
      eṣām eva kṛto bhāgo navadhā pṛtanā pate
  8 naiva bhāgo 'tra bhīṣmasya droṇasya ca mahātmanaḥ
      tābhyām atītya tau bhāgau nihatā mama śatravaḥ
  9 vṛddhau hi tau naravyāghrau chalena nihatau ca tau
      kṛtvā nasukaraṃ karma gatau svargam ito 'nagha
  10 tathānye puruṣavyāghrāḥ parair vinihatā yudhi
     asmadīyāś ca bahavaḥ svargāyopagatā raṇe
     tyaktvā prāṇān yathāśakti ceṣṭāḥ kṛtvā ca puṣkalāḥ
 11 karṇo hy eko mahābāhur asmatpriyahite rataḥ
     bhavāṃś ca puruṣavyāghra sarvalokamahārathaḥ
     tasmiñ jayāśā vipulā mama madrajanādhipa
 12 pārthasya samare kṛṣṇo yathābhīśu varagrahaḥ
     tena yukto raṇe pārtho rakṣyamāṇaś ca pārthiva
     yāni karmāṇi kurute pratyakṣāṇi tathaiva te
 13 pūrvaṃ na samare hy evam avadhīd arjuno ripūn
     ahany ahani madreśa drāvayan dṛśyate yudhi
 14 bhāgo 'vaśiṣṭaḥ karṇasya tava caiva mahādyute
     taṃ bhāgaṃ saha karṇena yugapan nāśayāhave
 15 sūryāruṇau yathādṛṣṭvā tamo naśyati māriṣa
     tathā naśyantu kaunteyāḥ sapāñcālāḥ sasṛñjayāḥ
 16 rathānāṃ pravaraḥ karṇo yantṝṇāṃ pravaro bhavān
     saṃnipātaḥ samo loke bhavator nāsti kaś cana
 17 yathā sarvāsv avasthāsu vārṣṇeyaḥ pāti pāṇḍavam
     tathā bhavān paritrātu karṇaṃ vaikartanaṃ raṇe
 18 tvayā sārathinā hy eṣa apradhṛṣyo bhaviṣyati
     devatānām api raṇe saśakrāṇāṃ mahīpate
     kiṃ punaḥ pāṇḍaveyānāṃ mātiśaṅkīr vaco mama
 19 duryodhana vacaḥ śrutvā śalyaḥ krodhasamanvitaḥ
     triśikhāṃ bhrukuṭīṃ kṛtvā dhunvan hastau punaḥ punaḥ
 20 krodharakte mahānetre parivartya mahābhujaḥ
     kulaiśvaryaśrutibalair dṛptaḥ śalyo 'bravīd idam
 21 avamanyase māṃ gāndhāre dhruvaṃ māṃ pariśaṅkase
     yan māṃ bravīṣi visrabdhaṃ sārathyaṃ kriyatām iti
 22 asmatto 'bhyadhikaṃ karṇaṃ manyamānaḥ praśaṃsasi
     na cāhaṃ yudhi rādheyaṃ gaṇaye tulyam ātmanā
 23 ādiśyatām abhyadhiko mamāṃśaḥ pṛthivīpate
     tam ahaṃ samare hatvā gamiṣyāmi yathāgatam
 24 atha vāpy eka evāhaṃ yotsyāmi kurunandana
     paśya vīryaṃ mamādya tvaṃ saṃgrāme dahato ripūn
 25 na cābhikāmān kauravya vidhāya hṛdaye pumān
     asmadvidhaḥ pravarteta mā mā tvam atiśaṅkithāḥ
 26 yudhi cāpy avamāno me na kartavyaḥ kathaṃ cana
     paśya hīmau mama bhujau vajrasaṃhananopamau
 27 dhanuḥ paśya ca me citraṃ śarāṃś cāśīviṣopamān
     rathaṃ paśya ca me kḷptaṃ sadaśvair vātavegitaiḥ
     gadāṃ ca paśya gāndhāre hemapaṭṭa vibhūṣitām
 28 dārayeyaṃ mahīṃ kruddho vikireyaṃ ca parvatān
     śoṣayeyaṃ samudrāṃś ca tejasā svena pārthiva
 29 tan mām evaṃvidhaṃ jānan samartham arinigrahe
     kasmād yunakṣi sārathye nyūnasyādhirather nṛpa
 30 na nāma dhuri rājendra prayoktuṃ tvam ihārhasi
     na hi pāpīyasaḥ śreyān bhūtvā preṣyatvam utsahe
 31 yo hy abhyupagataṃ prītyā garīyāṃsaṃ vaśe sthitam
     vaśe pāpīyaso dhatte tat pāpam adharottaram
 32 brāhmaṇā brahmaṇā sṛṣṭā mukhāt kṣatram athorasaḥ
     ūrubhyām asṛjad vaiśyāñ śūdrān padbhyām iti śrutiḥ
     tebhyo varṇaviśeṣāś ca pratilomānulomajāḥ
 33 athānyonyasya saṃyogāc cāturvarṇyasya bhārata
     goptāraḥ saṃgrahītārau dātāraḥ kṣatriyāḥ smṛtāḥ
 34 yājanādhyāpanair viprā viśuddhaiś ca pratigrahaiḥ
     lokasyānugrahārthāya sthāpitā brahmaṇā bhuvi
 35 kṛṣiś ca pāśupālyaṃ ca viśāṃ dānaṃ ca sarvaśaḥ
     brahmakṣatraviśāṃ śūdrā vihitāḥ paricārakāḥ
 36 brahmakṣatrasya vihitaḥ sūtā vai paricārakāḥ
     na viṭ śūdrasya tatraiva śṛṇu vākyaṃ mamānagha
 37 so 'haṃ mūrdhāvasiktaḥ san rājarṣikulasaṃbhavaḥ
     mahārathaḥ samākhyātaḥ sevyaḥ stavyaś ca bandinām
 38 so 'ham etādṛśo bhūtvā nehāri kulamardana
     sūtaputrasya saṃgrāme sārathyaṃ kartum utsahe
 39 avamānam ahaṃ prāpya na yotsyāmi kathaṃ cana
     āpṛcchya tvādya gāndhāre gamiṣyāmi yathāgatam
 40 evam uktvā naravyāghraḥ śalyaḥ samitiśobhanaḥ
     utthāya prayayau tūrṇaṃ rājamadhyād amarṣitaḥ
 41 praṇayād bahumānāc ca taṃ nigṛhya sutas tava
     abravīn madhuraṃ vākyaṃ sāma sarvārthasādhakam
 42 yathā śalya tvam ātthedam evam etad asaṃśayam
     abhiprāyas tu me kaś cit taṃ nibodha janeśvara
 43 na karṇo 'bhyadhikas tvattaḥ śaṅke naiva kathaṃ cana
     na hi madreśvaro rājā kuryād yad anṛtaṃ bhavet
 44 ṛtam eva hi pūrvās te vahanti puruṣottamāḥ
     tasmād ārtāyaniḥ prokto bhavān iti matir mama
 45 śalya bhūtaś ca śatrūṇāṃ yasmāt tvaṃ bhuvi mānada
     tasmāc chalyeti te nāma kathyate pṛthivīpate
 46 yad eva vyāhṛtaṃ pūrvaṃ bhavatā bhūridakṣiṇa
     tad eva kuru dharmajña madarthaṃ yad yad ucyase
 47 na ca tvatto hi rādheyo na cāham api vīryavān
     vṛṇīmas tvāṃ hayāgryāṇāṃ yantāram iti saṃyuge
 48 yathā hy abhyadhikaṃ karṇaṃ guṇais tāta dhanaṃjayāt
     vāsudevād api tvāṃ ca loko 'yam iti manyate
 49 karṇo hy abhyadhikaḥ pārthād astrair eva nararṣabha
     bhavān apy adhikaḥ kṛṣṇād aśvayāne bale tathā
 50 yathāśvahṛdayaṃ veda vāsudevo mahāmanāḥ
     dviguṇaṃ tvaṃ tathā vettha madrarāja na saṃśayaḥ
 51 [ṣ]
     yan mā bravīṣi gāndhāre madhye sainyasya kaurava
     viśiṣṭaṃ devakīputrāt prītimān asmy ahaṃ tvayi
 52 eṣa sārathyam ātiṣṭhe rādheyasya yaśasvinaḥ
     yudhyataḥ pāṇḍavāgryeṇa yathā tvaṃ vīra manyase
 53 samayaś ca hi me vīra kaś cid vaikartanaṃ prati
     utsṛjeyaṃ yathāśraddham ahaṃ vāco 'sya saṃnidhau
 54 [s]
     tatheti rājan putras te saha karṇena bhārata
     abravīn madrarājasya sutaṃ bharatasattama

 

 

23

"Sanjaya said, 'While Sahadeva, filled with rage, was thus blasting thy host, Duhshasana, O great king, proceeded against him, the brother against the brother. Beholding those two engaged in dreadful combat, all the great car-warriors uttered leonine shouts and waved their garments. Then, O Bharata, the mighty son of Pandu was struck in the chest with three arrows by thy angry son armed with bow. Then Sahadeva, O king, having first pierced thy son with an arrow, pierced him again with seventy arrows, and then his driver with three. Then Duhshasana, O monarch, having cut off Sahadeva's bow in that great battle, pierced Sahadeva himself with three and seventy arrows in the arms and the chest. Then Sahadeva filled with rage, took up a sword, in that dreadful conflict, and whirling, hurled it quickly towards the car of thy son. Cutting off Duhshasana's bow with string and arrow fixed on it, that large sword fell down on the Earth like a snake from the firmament. Then the valiant Sahadeva taking up another bow, shot a deadly shaft at Duhshasana. The Kuru warrior, however, with his keen-edged sword, cut off into two fragments that shaft, bright as the rod of Death, as it coursed towards him. Then whirling that sharp sword, Duhshasana quickly hurled it in that battle as his foe. Meanwhile that valiant warrior took up another bow with a shaft. Sahadeva, however, with the greatest ease, cut off, with his keen shafts, that sword as it coursed towards him, and caused it to fall down in that battle. Then, O Bharata, thy son, in that dreadful battle, quickly sped four and sixty shafts at the car of Sahadeva. Sahadeva, however, O king, cut off every one of those numerous arrows as they coursed with great impetuosity towards him, with five shafts of his. Checking then those mighty shafts sped by thy son, Sahadeva, in that battle, sped a large number of arrows at his foe. Cutting off each of those shafts with three shafts of his, thy son uttered a loud shout, making the whole Earth resound with it. Then Duhshasana, O king, having pierced Sahadeva in that battle, struck the latter's driver with nine arrows. The valiant Sahadeva then, O monarch, filled with rage, fixed on his bow-string a terrible shaft resembling the Destroyer himself and forcibly drawing the bow, he sped that shaft at thy son. Piercing with great speed through his strong armour and body, that shaft entered the Earth, O king, like a snake penetrating into an ant-hill. Then thy son, that great car-warrior, swooned away, O king. Beholding him deprived of his senses, his driver quickly took away the car, himself forcibly struck all the while with keen arrows. Having vanquished the Kuru warrior thus, the son of Pandu, beholding Duryodhana's division, began to crush it on all sides. Indeed, O king, as a man excited with wrath crushes swarm of ants, even so, O Bharata did that son of Pandu begin to crush the Kaurava host.'"

 

 

Book 8
Chapter 24

 

 

 

 

1 [dur]
      bhūya eva tu madreśa yat te vakṣyāmi tac chṛṇu
      yathā purāvṛttam idaṃ yuddhe devāsure vibho
  2 yad uktavān pitur mahyaṃ mārkaṇḍeyo mahān ṛṣiḥ
      tad aśeṣeṇa bruvato mama rājarṣisattama
      tvaṃ nibodha na cāpy atra kartavyā te vicāraṇā
  3 devānām asurāṇāṃ ca mahān āsīt samāgamaḥ
      babhūva prathamo rājan saṃgrāmas tārakā mayaḥ
      nirjitāś ca tadā daityā daivatair iti naḥ śrutam
  4 nirjiteṣu ca daityeṣu tārakasya sutās trayaḥ
      tārākṣaḥ kamalākṣaś ca vidyunmālī ca pārthiva
  5 tapa ugraṃ samāsthāya niyame parame sthitāḥ
      tapasā karśayām āsur dehān svāñ śatrutāpana
  6 damena tapasā caiva niyamena ca pārthiva
      teṣāṃ pitāmahaḥ prīto varadaḥ pradadau varān
  7 avadhyatvaṃ ca te rājan sarvabhūteṣu sarvadā
      sahitā varayām āsuḥ sarvalokapitāmaham
  8 tāna bravīt tadā devo lokānāṃ prabhur īśvaraḥ
      nāsti sarvāmaratvaṃ hi nivartadhvam ato 'surāḥ
      varam anyaṃ vṛṇīdhvaṃ vai yādṛśaṃ saṃprarocate
  9 tatas te sahitā rājan saṃpradhāryāsakṛd bahu
      sarvalokeśvaraṃ vākyaṃ praṇamyainam athābruvan
  10 asmākaṃ tvaṃ varaṃ deva prayacchemaṃ pitāmaha
     vayaṃ purāṇi trīṇy eva samāsthāya mahīm imām
     vicariṣyāma loke 'smiṃs tvatprasāda puraskṛtāḥ
 11 tato varṣasahasre tu sameṣyāmaḥ parasparam
     ekībhāvaṃ gamiṣyanti purāṇy etāni cānagha
 12 samāgatāni caitāni yo hanyād bhagavaṃs tadā
     ekeṣuṇā devavaraḥ sa no mṛtyur bhaviṣyati
     evam astv iti tān devaḥ pratyuktvā prāviśad divam
 13 te tu labdhavarāḥ prītāḥ saṃpradhārya parasparam
     puratraya visṛṣṭy arthaṃ mayaṃ vavrur mahāsuram
     viśvakarmāṇam ajaraṃ daityadānava pūjitam
 14 tato mayaḥ svatapasā cakre dhīmān purāṇi ha
     trīṇi kāñcanam ekaṃ tu raupyaṃ kārṣṇāyasaṃ tathā
 15 kāñcanaṃ divi tatrāsīd antarikṣe ca rājatam
     āyasaṃ cābhavad bhūmau cakrasthaṃ pṛthivīpate
 16 ekaikaṃ yojanaśataṃ vistārāyāma saṃmitam
     gṛhāṭṭāṭṭālaka yutaṃ bṛhat prākāratoraṇam
 17 guṇaprasava saṃbādham asaṃbādham anāmayam
     prāsādair vividhaiś caiva dvāraiś cāpy upaśobhitam
 18 pureṣu cābhavan rājan rājāno vai pṛthak pṛthak
     kāñcanaṃ tārakākṣasya citram āsīn mahātmanaḥ
     rājataṃ kamalākṣasya vidyunmālina āyasam
 19 trayas te daitya rājānas trīṁl lokān āśu tejasā
     ākramya tasthur varṣāṇāṃ pūgān nāma prajāpatiḥ
 20 teṣāṃ dānavamukhyānāṃ prayutāny arbudāni ca
     koṭyaś cāprativīrāṇāṃ samājagmus tatas tataḥ
     mahad aiśvaryam icchantas tripuraṃ durgam āśritāḥ
 21 sarveṣāṃ ca punas teṣāṃ sarvayogavaho mayaḥ
     tam āśritya hi te sarve avartantākuto bhayāḥ
 22 yo hi yaṃ manasā kāmaṃ dadhyau tripurasaṃśrayaḥ
     tasmai kāmaṃ mayas taṃ taṃ vidadhe māyayā tadā
 23 tārakākṣa sutaś cāsīd dharir nāma mahābalaḥ
     tapas tepe paramakaṃ yenātuṣyat pitāmahaḥ
 24 sa tuṣṭam avṛṇod devaṃ vāpī bhavatu naḥ pure
     śastrair vinihatā yatra kṣiptāḥ syur balavattarāḥ
 25 sa tu labdhvā varaṃ vīras tārakākṣa suto hariḥ
     sasṛje tatra vāpīṃ tāṃ mṛtānāṃ jīvanīṃ prabho
 26 yena rūpeṇa daityas tu yena veṣeṇa caiva ha
     mṛtas tasyāṃ parikṣiptas tādṛśenaiva jajñivān
 27 tāṃ prāpya traipurasthās tu sarvāṁl lokān babādhire
     mahatā tapasā siddhāḥ surāṇāṃ bhayavardhanāḥ
     na teṣām abhavad rājan kṣayo yuddhe kathaṃ cana
 28 tatas te lobhamohābhyām abhibhūtā vicetasaḥ
     nirhrīkāḥ saṃsthitiṃ sarve sthāpitāṃ samalūlupan
 29 vidrāvya sagaṇān devāṃs tatra tatra tadā tadā
     viceruḥ svena kāmena varadānena darpitāḥ
 30 devāraṇyāni sarvāṇi priyāṇi ca divaukasām
     ṛṣīṇām āśramānpuṇyān yūpāñjana padāṃs tathā
     vyanāśayanta maryādā dānavā duṣṭacāriṇaḥ
 31 te devāḥ sahitāḥ sarve pitāmaham ariṃdama
     abhijagmus tadākhyātuṃ vipra kāraṃ suretaraiḥ
 32 te tattvaṃ sarvam ākhyāya śirasābhipraṇamya ca
     vadhopāyamapṛcchanta bhagavantaṃ pitāmaham
 33 śrutvā tad bhagavān devo devān idam uvāca ha
     asurāś ca durātmānas te cāpi vibhudha dviṣaḥ
     aparādhyanti satataṃ ye yuṣmān pīḍayanty uta
 34 ahaṃ hi tulyaḥ sarveṣāṃ bhūtānāṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ
     adhārmikās tu hantavyā ity ahaṃ prabravīmi vaḥ
 35 te yūyaṃ sthāṇum īśānaṃ jiṣṇum akliṣṭakāriṇam
     yoddhāraṃ vṛṇutādityāḥ sa tān hantā suretarān
 36 iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā devāḥ śakrapurogamāḥ
     brahmāṇam agrataḥ kṛtvā vṛṣāṅkaṃ śaraṇaṃ yayuḥ
 37 tapaḥ paraṃ samātasthur gṛṇanto brahma śāśvatam
     ṛṣibhiḥ sahadharmajñā bhavaṃ sarvātmanā gatāḥ
 38 tuṣṭuvur vāgbhir arthyābhir bhayeṣv abhayakṛttamam
     sarvātmānaṃ mahātmānaṃ yenāptaṃ sarvam ātmanā
 39 tapo viśeṣair bahubhir yogaṃ yo veda cātmanaḥ
     yaḥ sāṃkhyam ātmano veda yasya cātmā vaśe sadā
 40 te taṃ dadṛśur īśānaṃ tejorāśim umāpatim
     ananyasadṛśaṃ loke vratavantam akalmaṣam
 41 ekaṃ ca bhagavantaṃ te nānārūpam akalpayan
     ātmanaḥ pratirūpāṇi rūpāṇy atha mahātmani
     parasparasya cāpaśyan sarve paramavismitāḥ
 42 sarvabhūtamayaṃ ceśaṃ tam ajaṃ jagataḥ patim
     devā brahmarṣayaś caiva śirobhir dharaṇīṃ gatāḥ
 43 tān svasti vākyenābhyarcya samutthāpya ca śaṃkaraḥ
     brūta brūteti bhagavān smayamāno 'bhyabhāṣata
 44 tryambakeṇābhyanujñātās tatas te 'svasthacetasaḥ
     namo namas te 'stu vibho tata ity abruvan bhavam
 45 namo devātidevāya dhanvine cātimanyave
     prajāpatimakhaghnāya prajāpatibhir īḍyase
 46 namaḥ stutāya stutyāya stūyamānāya mṛtyave
     vilohitāya rudrāya nīlagrīvāya śūline
 47 amoghāya mṛgākṣāya pravarāyudha yodhine
     durvāraṇāya śukrāya brahmaṇe brahmacāriṇe
 48 īśānāyāprameyāya niyantre carma vāsase
     taponityāya piṅgāya vratine kṛtti vāsase
 49 kumāra pitre tryakṣāya pravarāyudha dhāriṇe
     prapannārti vināśāya brahma dviṭ saṃghaghātine
 50 vanaspatīnāṃ pataye narāṇāṃ pataye namaḥ
     gavāṃ ca pataye nityaṃ yajñānāṃ pataye namaḥ
 51 namo 'stu te sasainyāya tryambakāyogra tejase
     manovāk karmabhir deva tvāṃ prapannān bhajasva naḥ
 52 tataḥ prasanno bhagavān svāgatenābhinandya tān
     provāca vyetu vastrāso brūta kiṃ karavāṇi vaḥ
 53 pitṛdevarṣisaṃghebhyo vare datte mahātmanā
     satkṛtya śaṃkaraṃ prāha brahmā lokahitaṃ vacaḥ
 54 tavātisargād deveśa prājāpatyam idaṃ padam
     mayādhitiṣṭhatā datto dānavebhyo mahān varaḥ
 55 tān atikrānta maryādān nānyaḥ saṃhartum arhati
     tvām ṛte bhūtabhavyeśa tvaṃ hy eṣāṃ praty arir vadhe
 56 sa tvaṃ deva prapannānāṃ yācatāṃ ca divaukasām
     kuru prasādaṃ deveśa dānavāñ jahi śūlabhṛt
 57 [bhag]
     hantavyāḥ śatravaḥ sarve yuṣmākam iti me matiḥ
     na tv eko 'haṃ vadhe teṣāṃ samartho vai suradviṣām
 58 te yūyaṃ sahitāḥ sarve madīyenāstra tejasā
     jayadhvaṃ yudhi tāñ śatrūn saṃghāto hi mahābalaḥ
 59 [devāh]
     asmat tejobalaṃ yāvat tāvad dviguṇam eva ca
     teṣām iti ha manyāmo dṛṣṭatejobalā hi te
 60 [bhag]
     vadhyās te sarvataḥ pāpā ye yuṣmāsv aparādhinaḥ
     mama tejobalārdhena sarvāṃs tān ghnata śātravān
 61 [devāh]
     bibhartuṃ tejaso 'rdhaṃ te na śakṣyāmo maheśvara
     sarveṣāṃ no balārdhena tvam eva jahi śātravān
 62 [dur]
     tatas tatheti deveśas tair ukto rājasattama
     ardham ādāya sarvebhyas tejasābhyadhiko 'bhavat
 63 sa tu devo balenāsīt sarvebhyo balavattaraḥ
     mahādeva iti khyātas tadā prabhṛti śaṃkaraḥ
 64 tato 'bravīn mahādevo dhanur bāṇadharas tv aham
     haniṣyāmi rathenājau tān ripūn vai divaukasaḥ
 65 te yūyaṃ me rathaṃ caiva dhanur bāṇaṃ tathaiva ca
     paśyadhvaṃ yāvad adyaitān pātayāmi mahītale
 66 [devāh]
     mūrti sarvasvam ādāya trailokyasya tatas tataḥ
     rathaṃ te kalpayiṣyāma deveśvara mahaujasam
 67 tathaiva buddhyā vihitaṃ viśvakarma kṛtaṃ śubham
     tato vibudhaśārdūlās taṃ rathaṃ samakalpayan
 68 vandhuraṃ pṛthivīṃ devīṃ viśālapuramālinīm
     saparvatavanadvīpāṃ cakrūr bhūtadharāṃ tadā
 69 mandaraṃ parvataṃ cākṣaṃ jaṅghās tasya mahānadīḥ
     diśaś ca pradiśaś caiva parivāraṃ rathasya hi
 70 anukarṣān grahān dīptān varūthaṃ cāpi tārakāḥ
     dharmārthakāmasaṃyuktaṃ triveṇuṃ cāpi bandhuram
     oṣadhīr vividhās tatra nānāpuṣpaphalodgamāḥ
 71 sūryā candramasau kṛtvā cakre rathavarottame
     pakṣau pūrvāparau tatra kṛte rātryahanī śubhe
 72 daśanāgapatīnīṣām dhṛtarāṣṭra mukhān dṛḍhām
     dyāṃ yugaṃ yugacarmāṇi saṃvartaka balāhakān
 73 śamyāṃ dhṛtiṃ ca meghāṃ ca sthitiṃ saṃnatim eva ca
     grahanakṣatratārābhiś carma citraṃ nabhastalam
 74 surāmbupretavittānāṃ patīṁl lokeśvarān hayān
     sinīvālīm anumatiṃ kuhūṃ rākāṃ ca suvratām
     yoktrāṇi cakrur vāhānāṃ rohakāṃś cāpi kaṇṭhakam
 75 karma satyaṃ tapo 'rthaś ca vihitās tatra raśmayaḥ
     adhiṣṭhānaṃ manas tv āsīt parirathyaṃ sarasvatī
 76 nānāvarṇāś ca citrāś ca patākāḥ pavaneritāḥ
     vidyud indra dhanur naddhaṃ rathaṃ dīptaṃ vyadīpayat
 77 evaṃ tasmin mahārāja kalpite rathasattame
     devair manujaśārdūla dviṣatām abhimardane
 78 svāny āyudhāni mukhyāni nyadadhāc chaṃkaro rathe
     rathayaṣṭiṃ viyat kṛṣṭāṃ sthāpayām āsa govṛṣam
 79 brahmadaṇḍaḥ kāladaṇḍo rudra daṇḍas tathā jvaraḥ
     pariskandā rathasyāsya sarvatodiśam udyatāḥ
 80 atharvāṅgirasāv āstāṃ cakrarakṣau mahātmanaḥ
     ṛgvedaḥ sāmavedaś ca purāṇaṃ ca puraḥsarāḥ
 81 itihāsa yajurvedau pṛṣṭharakṣau babhūvatuḥ
     divyā vācaś ca vidyāś ca paripārśva carāḥ kṛtāḥ
 82 tottrādayaś ca rājendra vaṣaṭkāras tathaiva ca
     oṃkāraś ca mukhe rājann atiśobhā karo 'bhavat
 83 vicitram ṛtubhiḥ ṣaḍbhiḥ kṛtvā saṃvatsaraṃ dhanuḥ
     tasmān nṝṇāṃ kālarātrir jyā kṛtā dhanuṣo 'jarā
 84 iṣuś cāpy abhavad viṣṇur jvalanaḥ soma eva ca
     agnī ṣomau jagat kṛtsnaṃ vaiṣṇavaṃ cocyate jagat
 85 viṣṇuś cātmā bhagavato bhavasyāmita tejasaḥ
     tasmād dhanurjyā saṃsparśaṃ na viṣehur harasya te
 86 tasmiñ śare tigmamanyur mumocāviṣahaṃ prabhuḥ
     bhṛgvaṅgiro manyubhavaṃ krodhāgnim atiduḥsaham
 87 sa nīlalohito dhūmraḥ kṛttivāsā bhayaṃkaraḥ
     ādityāyuta saṃkāśas tejo jvālāvṛto jvalan
 88 duścyāvaś cyāvano jetā hantā brahma dviṣāṃ haraḥ
     nityaṃ trātā ca hantā ca dharmādharmāśritāñ janān
 89 pramāthibhir ghorarūpair bhīmodagrair gaṇair vṛtaḥ
     vibhāti bhagavān sthāṇus tair evātma guṇair vṛtaḥ
 90 tasyāṅgāni samāśritya sthitaṃ viśvam idaṃ jagat
     jaṅgamājaṅgamaṃ rājañ śuśubhe 'dbhutadarśanam
 91 dṛṣṭvā tu taṃ rathaṃ divyaṃ kavacī sa śarāsanī
     bāṇam ādatta taṃ divyaṃ somaviṣṇv agnisaṃbhavam
 92 tasya vājāṃs tato devāḥ kalpayāṃ cakrire vibhoḥ
     puṇyagandhavahaṃ rājañ śvasanaṃ rājasattama
 93 tam āsthāya mahādevas trāsayan daivatāny api
     āruroha tadā yattaḥ kampayann iva rodasī
 94 sa śobhamāno varadaḥ khaḍgī bāṇī śarāsanī
     hasann ivāravīd devo sārathiḥ ko bhaviṣyati
 95 tam abruvan devagaṇā yaṃ bhavān saṃniyokṣyate
     sa bhaviṣyati deveśa sārathis te na saṃśayaḥ
 96 tān abravīt punar devo mattaḥ śreṣṭhataro hi yaḥ
     taṃ sārathiṃ kurudhvaṃ me svayaṃ saṃcintya māciram
 97 etac chrutvā tato devā vākyam uktaṃ mahātmanā
     gatvā pitāmahaṃ devaṃ prasādyaivaṃ vaco 'bruvan
 98 deva tvayedaṃ kathitaṃ tridaśārinibarhaṇam
     tathā ca kṛtam asmābhiḥ prasanno vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ
 99 rathaś ca vihito 'smābhir vicitrāyudha saṃvṛtaḥ
     sārathiṃ tu na jānīmaḥ kaḥ syāt tasmin rathottame
 100 tasmād vidhīyatāṃ kaś cit sārathir deva sattama
    saphalāṃ tāṃ giraṃ devakartum arhasi no vibho
101 evam asmāsu hi purā bhagavann uktavān asi
    hitaṃkartāsmi bhavatām iti tat kartum arhasi
102 sa deva yukto rathasattamo no; durāvaro drāvaṇaḥ śātravāṇām
    pināka pāṇir vihito 'tra yoddhā; vibhīṣayan dānavān udyato 'sau
103 tathaiva vedāś caturo hayāgryā; dharā saśailā ca ratho mahātman
    nakṣatravaṃśo 'nugato varūthe; yasmin yoddhā sārathinābhirakṣyaḥ
104 tatra sārathir eṣṭavyaḥ sarvair etair viśeṣavān
    tat pratiṣṭho ratho deva hayā yoddhā tathaiva ca
    kavacāni ca śastrāṇi kārmukaṃ ca pitāmaha
105 tvām ṛte sārathiṃ tatra nānyaṃ paśyāmahe vayam
    tvaṃ hi sarvair guṇair yukto devatābhyo 'dhikaḥ prabho
    sārathye tūrṇam āroha saṃyaccha paramān hayān
106 iti te śirasā natvā trilokeśaṃ pitāmaham
    devāḥ prasādayām āsuḥ sārathyāyeti naḥ śrutam
107 [brahmā]
    nātra kiṃ cin mṛṣā vākyaṃ yad uktaṃ vo divaukasaḥ
    saṃyacchāmi hayān eṣa yudhyato vai kapardinaḥ
108 tataḥ sa bhagavān devo lokasraṣṭā pitāmahaḥ
    sārathye kalpito devair īśānasya mahātmanaḥ
109 tasminn ārohati kṣipraṃ syandanaṃ lokapūjite
    śirobhir agamaṃs tūrṇaṃ te hayā vātaraṃhasaḥ
110 maheśvare tvāruhati jānubhyām agaman mahīm
111 abhīśūn hi trilokeśaḥ saṃgṛhya prapitāmahaḥ
    tān aśvāṃś codayām āsa manomārutaraṃhasaḥ
112 tato 'dhirūḍhe varade prayāte cāsurān prati
    sādhu sādhv iti viśveśaḥ smayamāno 'bhyabhāṣata
113 yāhi deva yato daityāś codayāśvān atandritaḥ
    paśya bāhvor balaṃ me 'dya nighnataḥ śātravān raṇe
114 tatas tāṃś codayām āsa vāyuvegasamāñjave
    yena tantripuraṃ rājan daityadānavarakṣitam
115 athādhijyaṃ dhanuḥ kṛtvā śarvaḥ saṃdhāya taṃ śaram
    yuktvā pāśupatāstreṇa tripuraṃ samacintayat
116 tasmin sthite tadā rājan kruddhe vidhṛta kārmuke
    purāṇi tāni kālena jagmur ekatvatāṃ tadā
117 ekībhāvaṃ gate caiva tripure samupāgate
    babhūva tumulo harṣo daivatānāṃ mahātmanām
118 tato devagaṇāḥ sarve siddhāś ca paramarṣayaḥ
    jayeti vāco mumucuḥ saṃstuvanto mudānvitāḥ
119 tato 'grato prādurabhūt tripuraṃ jaghnuṣo 'surān
    anirdeśyogra vapuṣo devasyāsahya tejasaḥ
120 sa tad vikṛṣya bhagavān divyaṃ lokeśvaro dhanuḥ
    trailokyasāraṃ tam iṣuṃ mumoca tripuraṃ prati
    tat sāsuragaṇaṃ dagdhvā prākṣipat paścimārṇave
121 evaṃ tat tripuraṃ dagdhaṃ dānavāś cāpy aśeṣataḥ
    maheśvareṇa kruddhena trailokyasya hitaiṣiṇā
122 sa cātmakrodhajo vahnir hāhety uktvā nivāritaḥ
    mā kārṣīr bhasmasāl lokān iti tryakṣo 'bravīc ca tam
123 tataḥ prakṛtim āpannā devā lokās tatharṣayaḥ
    tuṣṭuvur vāgbhir arthyābhiḥ sthāṇum apratimaujasam
124 te 'nujñātā bhagavatā jagmuḥ sarve yathāgatam
    kṛtakāmāḥ prasannena prajāpatimukhāḥ surāḥ
125 yathaiva bhagavān brahmā lokadhātā pitā mahaḥ
    saṃyaccha tvaṃ hayān asya rādheyasya mahātmanaḥ
126 tvaṃ hi kṛṣṇāc ca karṇāc ca phalgunāc ca viśeṣataḥ
    viśiṣṭo rājaśārdūla nāsti tatra vicāraṇā
127 yuddhe hy ayaṃ rudra kalpas tvaṃ ca brahma samo 'nagha
    tasmāc chaktau yuvāṃ jetuṃ macchatrūṃs tāv ivāsurān
128 yathā śalyādya karṇo 'yaṃ śvetāśvaṃ kṛṣṇasārathim
    pramathya hanyāt kaunteyaṃ tathā śīghraṃ vidhīyatām
    tvayi karṇaś ca rājyaṃ ca vayaṃ caiva pratiṣṭhitāḥ
129 iṃmaṃ cāpy aparaṃ bhūya itihāsaṃ nibodha me
    pitur mama sakāśe yaṃ brāhmaṇaḥ prāha dharmavit
130 śrutvā caitad vacaś citraṃ hetukāryārtha saṃhitam
    kuru śalya viniścitya mā bhūd atra vicāraṇā
131 bhārgavāṇāṃ kule jāto jamad agnir mahātapāḥ
    tasya rāmeti vikhyātaḥ putras tejo guṇānvitaḥ
132 sa tīvraṃ tapa āsthāya prasādayitavān bhavam
    astrahetoḥ prasannātmā niyataḥ saṃyatendriyaḥ
133 tasya tuṣṭo mahādevo bhaktyā ca praśamena ca
    hṛdgataṃ cāsya vijñāya darśayām āsa śaṃkaraḥ
134 [iṣvara]
    rāma tuṣṭo 'smi bhadraṃ te viditaṃ me tavepsitam
    kuruṣva pūtam ātmānaṃ sarvam etad avāpsyasi
135 dāsyāmi te tadāstrāṇi yadā pūto bhaviṣyasi
    apātram asamarthaṃ ca dahanty astrāṇi bhārgava
136 ity ukto jāmadagnyas tu devadevena śūlinā
    pratyuvāca mahātmānaṃ śirasāvanataḥ prabhum
137 yadā jānāsi deveśa pātraṃ mām astradhāraṇe
    tadā śuśrūṣate 'strāṇi bhavān me dātum arhati
138 [dur]
    tataḥ sa tapasā caiva damena niyamena ca
    pūjopahāra balibhir homamantrapuraskṛtaiḥ
139 ārādhayitavāñ śarvaṃ bahūn varṣagaṇāṃs tadā
    prasannaś ca mahādevo bhārgavasya mahātmanaḥ
140 abravīt tasya bahuśo guṇān devyāḥ samīpataḥ
    bhaktimān eṣa satataṃ mayi rāmo dṛḍhavrataḥ
141 evaṃ tasya guṇān prīto bahuśo 'kathayat prabhuḥ
    devatānāṃ pitṝṇāṃ ca samakṣam arisūdanaḥ
142 etasminn eva kāle tu daityā āsan mahābalāḥ
    tais tadā darpamohāndhair abādhyanta divaukasaḥ
143 tataḥ saṃbhūya vibudhās tān hantuṃ kṛtaniścayāḥ
    cakruḥ śatruvadhe yatnaṃ na śekur jetum eva te
144 abhigamya tato devā maheśvaram athābruvan
    prasādayantas taṃ bhaktyā jahi śatrugaṇān iti
145 pratijñāya tato devo devatānāṃ ripukṣayam
    rāmaṃ bhārgavam āhūya so 'bhyabhāṣata śaṃkaraḥ
146 ripūn bhārgava devānāṃ jahi sarvān samāgatān
    lokānāṃ hitakāmārthaṃ matprītyarthaṃ tathaiva ca
147 [rāma]
    akṛtāstrasya deveśa kā śaktir me maheśvara
    nihantuṃ dānavān sarvān kṛtāstrān yuddhadurmadān
148 [iṣvara]
    gaccha tvaṃ mad anudhyānān nihaniṣyasi dānavān
    vijitya ca ripūn sarvān guṇān prāpsyasi puṣkalān
149 [dur]
    etac chrutvā ca vacanaṃ pratigṛhya ca sarvaśaḥ
    rāmaḥ kṛtasvastyayanaḥ prayayau dānavān prati
150 avadhīd devaśatrūṃs tān madadarpa balānvitān
    vajrāśanisamasparśaiḥ prahārair eva bhārgavaḥ
151 sa dānavaiḥ kṣatatanur jāmad agnyo dvijottamaḥ
    saṃspṛṣṭaḥ sthāṇunā sadyo nirvraṇaḥ samajāyata
152 prītaś ca bhagavān devaḥ karmaṇā tena tasya vai
    varān prādād brahma vide bhārgavāya mahātmane
153 uktaś ca devadevena prītiyuktena śūlinā
    nipātāt tava śastrāṇāṃ śarīre yābhavad rujā
154 tayā te mānuṣaṃ karma vyapoḍhaṃ bhṛgunandana
    gṛhāṇāstrāṇi divyāni matsakāśād yathepsitam
155 tato 'strāṇi samastāni varāṃś ca manasepsitān
    labdhvā bahuvidhān rāmaḥ praṇamyā śirasā śivam
156 anujñāṃ prāpya deveśāñ jagāma sa mahātapāḥ
    evam etat purāvṛttaṃ tadā kathitavān ṛṣiḥ
157 bhārgavo 'py adadāt sarvaṃ dhanurvedaṃ mahātmane
    karṇāya puruṣavyāghra suprītenāntarātmanā
158 vṛjinaṃ hi bhavet kiṃ cid yadi karṇasya pārthiva
    nāsmai hy astrāṇi divyāni prādāsyad bhṛgunandanaḥ
159 nāpi sūta kule jātma karṇaṃ manye kathaṃ cana
    devaputram ahaṃ manye kṣatriyāṇāṃ kulodbhavam
160 sakuṇḍalaṃ sakavacaṃ dīrghabāhuṃ mahāratham
    katham ādityasadṛśaṃ mṛgī vyāghraṃ janiṣyati
161 paśya hy asya bhujau pīnau nāgarājakaropamau
    vakṣaḥ paśya viśālaṃ ca sarvaśatrunibarhaṇam

 

24

"Sanjaya said, 'While Nakula was employed in destroying and routing the Kaurava divisions in battle with great force, Vikartana's son Karna, filled with rage, checked him, O king. Then Nakula smiling the while, addressed Karna, and said, "After a long time, through the favour of the gods, I am seen by thee, and thou also, O wretch, dost become the object of my sight. Thou art the root of all these evils, this hostility, this quarrel. It is through thy faults that the Kauravas are being thinned, encountering one another. Slaying thee in battle today, I will regard myself as one that has achieved his object, and the fever of my heart will be dispelled." Thus addressed by Nakula, the Suta's son said unto him the following words befitting a prince and a bowman in particular, "Strike me, O hero. We desire to witness thy manliness. Having achieved some feats in battle, O brave warrior, thou shouldst then boast. O sire, they that are heroes fight in battle to the best of their powers, without indulging in brag. Fight now with me to the best of thy might. I will quell thy pride." Having said these words the Suta's son quickly struck the son of Pandu and pierced him, in that encounter, with three and seventy shafts. Then Nakula, O Bharata, thus pierced by the Suta's son, pierced the latter in return with eighty shafts resembling snakes of virulent poison. Then Karna, that great bowman, cutting off his antagonist's bow with a number of arrows winged with gold and whetted on stone, afflicted him with thirty arrows. Those arrows, piercing through his armour drank his blood in that battle, like the Nagas of virulent poison drinking water after having pierced through the Earth. Then Nakula, taking up another formidable bow whose back was decked with gold, pierced Karna with twenty arrows and his driver with three. Then, O monarch, that slayer of hostile heroes, viz., Nakula, filled with rage, cut off Karna's bow with a razor-headed shaft of great keenness. Smiling the while, the heroic son of Pandu then struck the bowless Karna, that foremost of car-warriors, with three hundred arrows. Beholding Karna thus afflicted, O sire, by the son of Pandu, all the carwarriors there, with the gods (in the welkin), were filled with great wonder. Then Vikartana's son Karna taking up another bow, struck Nakula with five arrows in the shoulder-joint. With those arrows sticking to him here, the son of Madri looked resplendent like the Sun with his own rays while shedding his light on the Earth. Then Nakula piercing Karna with seven shafts, once more, O sire, cut off one of the horns of Karna's bow. Then Karna, taking up in that battle a tougher bow, filled the welkin on every side of Nakula with his arrows. The mighty car-warrior, Nakula, however, thus suddenly shrouded with the arrows shot from Karna's bow quickly cut off all those shafts with shafts of his own. Then was seen overspread in the welkin a vast number of arrows like to the spectacle presented by the sky when it is filled with myriads of roving fireflies. Indeed, the sky shrouded with those hundreds of arrows shot (by both the warriors) looked, O monarch, as if it was covered with flights of locusts. Those arrows, decked with gold, issuing repeatedly in continuous lines, looked beautiful like rows of cranes while flying through the welkin. When the sky was thus covered with showers of arrows and the sun himself hid from the view, no creature ranging the air could descend on the Earth. When all sides were thus covered with showers of arrows, those two high-souled warriors looked resplendent like two Suns risen at the end of the Yuga. Slaughtered with the shafts issuing from Karna's bow the Somakas, O monarch, greatly afflicted and feeling much pain, began to breathe their last. Similarly, thy warriors, struck with the shafts of Nakula, dispersed on all sides, O king, like clouds tossed by the wind. The two armies thus slaughtered by those two warriors with their mighty celestial shafts, retreated from the range of those arrows and stood as spectators of the encounter. When both the armies were driven off by means of the shafts of Karna and Nakula, those two high-souled warriors began to pierce each other with showers of shafts. Displaying their celestial weapons on the field of battle, they quickly shrouded each other, each desirous of compassing the destruction of the other. The shafts shot by Nakula, dressed with Kanka and peacock feathers, shrouding the Suta's son, seemed to stay in the welkin. Similarly, the shafts sped by the Suta's son in that dreadful battle, shrouding the son of Pandu, seemed to stay in the welkin. Shrouded within arrowy chambers, both the warriors became invisible, like the Sun and the Moon, O king, hidden by the clouds. Then Karna, filled with rage and assuming a terrible aspect in the battle, covered the son of Pandu with showers of arrows from every side. Completely covered, O monarch, by the Suta's son, the son of Pandu felt no pain like the Maker of day when covered by the clouds. The son of Adhiratha then, smiling the while, sped arrowy lines, O sire, in hundreds and thousands, in that battle. With those shafts of the high-souled Karna, an extensive shade seemed to rest on the field of battle. Indeed, with those excellent shafts constantly issuing out (of his bow), a shade was caused there like that formed by the clouds. Then Karna, O monarch, cutting off the bow of the high-souled Nakula, felled the latter's driver from the car-niche with the greatest ease. With four keen shafts, next, he quickly despatched the four steeds of Nakula, O Bharata, to the abode of Yama. With his shafts, he also cut off into minute fragments that excellent car of his antagonist as also his standard and the protectors of his car-wheels, and mace, and sword, and shield decked with a hundred moons, and other utensils and equipments of battle. Then Nakula, steedless and carless and armourless, O monarch, quickly alighting from his car, stood, armed with a spiked bludgeon. Even that terrible bludgeon, so uplifted by the son of Pandu, the Suta's son, O king, cut off with many keen arrows capable of bearing a great strain. Beholding his adversary weaponless. Karna began to strike him with many straight shafts, but took care not to afflict him greatly. Thus struck in that battle by that mighty warrior accomplished in weapons, Nakula, O king, fled away precipitately in great affliction. Laughing repeatedly, the son of Radha pursued him and placed his stringed bow, O Bharata, around the neck of the retreating Nakula. With the large bow around his neck, O king, the son of Pandu looked resplendent like Moon in the firmament when within a circular halo of light, or a white cloud girdled round by Indra's bow. Then Karna, addressing him, said, "The words thou hadst uttered were futile. Canst thou utter them now once more in joy, repeatedly struck as thou art by me? Do not, O son of Pandu, fight again with those amongst the Kurus that are possessed of greater might. O child, fight with them that are thy equals. Do not, O son of Pandu, feel any shame for it. Return home, O son of Madri, or go thither where Krishna and Phalguna are." Having addressed him thus he abandoned him then. Acquainted with morality as the brave Karna was, he did not then slay Nakula who was already within the jaws of death. Recollecting the words of Kunti, O king, Karna let Nakula go. The son of Pandu, thus let off, O king, by that bowman, Suta's son, proceeded towards Yudhishthira's car in great shame. Scorched by the Suta's son, he then ascended his brother's car, and burning with grief he continued to sigh like a snake kept within a jar. Meanwhile Karna, having vanquished Nakula, quickly proceeded against the Pancalas, riding on that car of his which bore many gorgeous pennons and whose steeds were as white as the Moon. There, O monarch, a great uproar arose among the Pandavas when they saw the leader of the Kaurava army proceeding towards the Pancala car-throngs. The Suta's son, O monarch, made a great massacre there at that hour when the Sun had reached the meridian, that puissant warrior careering all the while with the activity of a wheel. We beheld many Pancala car-warriors borne away from the battle on their steedless and driverless cars with broken wheels and broken axles and with standards and pennons also that were broken and torn, O sire. And many elephants were seen to wander there in all directions (with limbs scorched by arrows) like individuals of their species in the wide forest with limbs scorched and burned in a forest conflagration. Others with their frontal globes split open, or bathed in blood, or with trunks lopped off, or with their armour cut down, or their tails lopped off, fell down, struck by the high-souled Karna, like straggling clouds. Other elephants, frightened by the shafts and lances of Radha's son proceeded against Radha's son himself like insects towards a blazing fire. Other huge elephants were seen striking against one another and shedding blood from various limbs like mountains with rillets running down their breasts. Steeds of the foremost breed, divested of breast-plates and their ornaments of silver and brass and gold, destitute of trappings and bridle-bits and yak-tails and saddle-cloths, with quivers fallen off from their backs, and with their heroic riders,--ornaments of battle,--slain, were seen wandering here and there on the field. Pierced and cut with lances and scimitars and swords, O Bharata, we beheld many a horseman adorned with armour and head-gear, slain or in course of being slain or trembling with fear, and deprived, O Bharata, of diverse limbs. Cars also, decked with gold, and unto which were yoked steeds of great fleetness, were seen by us dragged with exceeding speed hither and thither, their riders having been slain. Some of these had their axles and poles broken, and some, O Bharata, had their wheels broken; and some were without banners and standards, and some were divested of their shafts. Many car-warriors also were seen there, by us, O monarch, wandering all around, deprived of their cars and scorched with the shafts of the Suta's son. And some destitute of weapons and some with weapons still in their arms were seen lying lifeless on the field in large numbers. And many elephants also were seen by us, wandering in all directions, studded with clusters of stars, adorned with rows of beautiful bells, and decked with variegated banners of diverse hues. Heads and arms and chests and other limbs, cut off with shafts sped from Karna's bow, were beheld by us lying around. A great and fierce calamity overtook the warriors (of the Pandava army) as they fought with whetted arrows, and mangled as they were with the shafts of Karna. The Srinjayas, slaughtered in that battle by the Suta's son, blindly proceeded against the latter's self like insects rushing upon a blazing fire. Indeed, as that mighty car-warrior was engaged in scorching the Pandava divisions, the kshatriyas avoided him, regarding him to be the blazing Yuga fire. Those heroic and mighty car-warriors of the Pancala that survived the slaughter fled away. The brave Karna, however, pursued those broken and retreating warriors from behind, shooting his shafts at them. Endued with great energy, he pursued those combatants divested of armour and destitute of standards. Indeed, the Suta's son, possessed of great might, continued to scorch them with his shafts, like the dispeller of darkness scorching all creatures when he attains to the meridian.'"

 

 

 

(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Sreeman Brahmasri K M Ganguliji for the collection )