संजय उवाच मनीकिनीनां प्रमुखे महात्मा। ययौ सपत्नान् प्रति जातकोपो वृतः समग्रेण बलेन भीष्मः॥
Sanjaya said O descendant of Bharata, when the night passed away, the illustrious Bhishma with his wrath excited followed by a very large numbers of troops, going at the head of the Kuru army charged the enemy's troops.
तं द्रोणदुर्योधनबालिकाश्च तथैव दुर्मर्षणचित्रसेनौ। नृपास्तथाऽन्ये प्रययुः समन्तात्॥
Drona, and Duryodhana, Balhika, Durmarshans, Chitrasena, the mighty Jayadratha and other royal heroes backed by a large number of troops accompanied him.
स तैर्महद्भिश्च महारथैश्च तेजस्विभिर्वीर्यवद्धिश्च राजन्। वृतः स देवैरिव वज्रपाणिः॥
Surrounded by these great and mighty carwarriors all possessing great prowess and energy, O king, he shone in the midst of those foremost of royal heroes like the lord of the celestial in the midst of the celestial.
तस्मिन्ननीकप्रमुखे विषक्ता दोधूयमानाश्च महापताकाः। सुरक्तपीतासितपाण्डुराभा महागजस्कन्धगता विरेजुः॥
The magnificent standards on the backs of the elephants stationed in front of the various divisions of the army waved in the air and looked highly beautiful with yellow, black and brown colours.
सा वाहिनी शान्तनवेन गुप्ता महारथैर्वारणवाजिभिश्च। बभौ सविद्युत्स्तनयिलुकल्पा जलागमै द्यौरिव जातमेघा॥
That great army with the royal son of Shantanu (Bhishma) at its head and with other great car-warriors and with elephants and horses, looked as resplendent as a mass of clouds charged with lightning or as the sky with gathering clouds in the season of rains.
ततो रणायाभिमुखी प्रयाता प्रत्यर्जुनं शान्तनवाभिगुप्ता। सेना महोग्रा सहसा कुरूणां वेगो यथा भीम इवापगायाः॥
Then like the fearful current of the oceangoing Ganga, that great Kuru army, protected by Shantanu's son rushed with great force towards Arjuna.
तं व्यालनानाविधगूढसारं गजाश्वपादातरथौघपक्षम्। व्यूहं महामेघसमं महात्मा ददर्श दूरात् कपिराजकेतुः॥
With various kinds of forces possessing great strength and also with innumerable elephants, horses and foot soldiers and carwarriors, the Vyuha invade by the apebannered hero (Arjuna) looked from the distance like a great mass of clouds.
विनिर्ययौ केतुमता रथेन नरर्षभः श्वेतहयेन वीरः। वरूथिना सैन्यमुखे महात्मा वधे धृतः सर्वसपत्नयूनाम्॥
That illustrious hero, that foremost of men, standing on his car furnished with his standard and yoked with white steeds went against the enemy's army supported by a large force.
सूपस्करं सोत्तरबन्धुरेषं यत्तं यदूनामृषभेण संख्ये। कपिध्वजं प्रेक्ष्य विषेदुराजौ सहैव पुत्रैस्तव कौरवेयाः॥
Seeing that ape-bannered hero accompanied by that foremost of the Yadu race, all the Kurus with your sons were filled with dismay.
प्रकर्षता गुप्तमुदायुधेन किरीटिना लोकमहारथेन। श्चतुश्चतुळलसहस्रकर्णम्॥
Your troops saw that best of Vyuhas which was protected by that great car-warriors of the world Kiritin (Arjuna). It had thousands of weapons up-raised and on each of its concerns stood four thousand elephants.
यथा हि पूर्वेऽहनि धर्मराज्ञा व्यूहः कृतः कौरवसत्तमेन। तथा न भूतो भुवि मानुषेषु न दृष्टपूर्वो न च संश्रुतश्च॥
This Vyuha of today was like the one which was formed on the day previous by that foremost of Kurus, king Dharamraja Yudhishthira and the like of which had never been seen or heard to before by any man.
ततो यथादेशमुपेत्य तस्थुः पाञ्चालमुख्याः सह चेदिमुख्यैः। ततः समादेशसमाहतानि भेरीसहस्राणि विनेदुराजौ॥
Then thousands of drums were loudly beat on the field of battle. There rose from every quareer sounds of conchs and trumpets and lion-like shouts.
शङ्खस्वनास्तूर्यरथस्वनाश्च सर्वेष्वनीकेषु ससिंहनादाः। ततः सबाणानि महास्वनानि विस्फार्यमाणानि धनूंषि वीरैः॥
Then bows of loud twang, drawn by heroic warriors, with arrows fixed on the bow brings and the sounds of conchs rose above the uproar made by drums and cymbals.
क्षणेन भेरीपणवप्रणादानन्तर्दधुः शङ्खमहास्वनाश्च। तच्छङ्खशब्दावृतमन्तरिक्षमुद्भूतबीमाद्भुतरेणुजालम्॥
The entire sky was filled with the sounds of conchs dust filled every place with that dust the atmosphere appeared as if a canopy had been over-spread. Having seen that canopy, all the brave warriors rushed to the battle.
मालोक्य वीराः सहसाभिपेतुः। रथी रथेनाभिहतः ससूतः पपात साश्वः सरथः सकेतुः॥
Car-warriors struck with car-warriors were cut down with their charioteers, horses, car and standards. Elephants struck by elephants and foot soldiers struck by foot soldiers all fell (on the filled of battle).
गजो गजेनाभिहतः पपात पदातिना चाभिहतः पदातिः। ?रीकृतान्यद्भुतदर्शनानि। प्रासैश्च खड्डैश्च समाहतानि सदश्ववृन्दानि सदश्ववृन्दैः॥
Impetuous horsemen struck down by impetuous horsemen fell with fearful countenances. All appeared to be exceedingly wonderful.
सुवर्णतारागणभूषितानि सूर्यप्रभाभानि शरावराणि। विदार्यमाणानि परश्वधैश्च प्रासैश्च खड्डैश्च निपेतुरुक्म्॥
Excellent shields adorned with golden stars and possessed of the effulgence of the sun, broken by battle axes, lances and swords dropped on the field of battle.
गजैविषाणैर्वरहस्तरुग्णाः केचित् ससूता रथिनः प्रपेतुः। गजर्षभाश्चापि रथर्षभेण निपातिता बाणहताः पृथिव्याम्॥
Many car-warriors, mangled and bruised by the tasks and the powerful trunks of elephants fell down with their charioteers, many foremost of car-warriors, struck by the foremost of carwarriors fell on the earth.
गजौघवेगोद्धतसादितानां श्रुत्वा विषेदुः सहसा मनुष्याः। आस्विनं सादिपदातियूनां विषाणगात्रावरताडितानाम्॥
Having heard the wails of horsemen and foot soldiers, struck with the tusks and other limbs of elephants or crushed by their huge animals fell down on the field of battle.
सम्भ्रान्तनागाश्वरथे मुहूर्ते महाक्षये सादिपदातियूनाम्। महारथैः सम्परिवार्यमाणो ददर्श भीष्मः कपिराजकेतुम्॥
Then when horsemen and foot soldiers were falling fast, and elephants, horses and cars were flying away in fear, Bhishma surrounded by many great car-warriors got a sight of the ape-mannered warrior (Arjuna).
तं पञ्चतालोच्छ्रिततालकेतुः सदश्ववेगाद्भुतवीर्ययानः। महास्त्रबाणाशनिदीप्तिमन्तं किरीटिनं शान्तनवोऽभ्यधावत्॥
The plmyra-bannered hero, the son of Shantanu, who had five palmyras on his standard, then rushed upon the diadem decked warrior (Arjuna) whose car was yoked with excellent steeds with possessed wonderful energy and which blazed like the lighting.
मिन्द्रात्मजं द्रोणमुखा विमः। कृपश्च शल्यश्च विविंशतिश्च दुर्योधनः सौमदत्तिश्च राजन्॥
O king, thus against that son of Indra who was like Indra himself rushed many warriors headed by Drona, Kripa, Shalya, Vivingshati, Duryodhana and also Somadatta's son.
ततो रथानां प्रमुखादुपेत्य सर्वास्त्रवित् काञ्चनचित्रवर्मा। स्तानर्जुनस्यात्मसुतोऽभिमन्युः॥
Then the heroic son of Arjuna Abhimanyu learned in all the weapons and clad in a handsome golden armour, rushed out of the ranks of attacked all your warriors.
मसह्यकर्मा विनिहत्य कार्ष्णिः। बभौ महामन्त्रहुतार्चिमाली भगवानिवाग्निः॥ सदोगतः सन्
That son of Arjuna baffled the weapons of all the mighty warriors. He looked effulgent as the exalted Agni on the sacrificial alter when invoked with high Mantras.
ततः स तूर्णं रुधिरोदफेनां कृत्वा नदीमाशु रणे रिपूणाम्। जगाम सौभद्रमतीत्य भीष्मो महारथं पार्थमदीनसत्त्वः॥
Then the greatly powerful Bhishma created a river in that field of battle. Its water was made by the blood of foes. But he quickly avoided the son of Subhadra and charged the great car-warrior Pareha.
ततः प्रहस्याद्भुतविक्रमेण गाण्डीवमुक्तेन शिलाशितेना विपाठजालेन महास्त्रजालं विनाशयामास किरीटमाली॥
Then Arjuna, adorned with diadem and garlands, with his wonderful Gandiva in his hand, the twang of which resembled the roars of clouds, shot showers of arrows and baffled the showers of arrows (shot by Bhishma).
सक्तकर्मा कपिराजकेतुः। भीष्मं महात्माभिववर्ष तूर्णं शरौघजालैर्विमलैश्च भल्लैः॥
That illustrious ape-bannered hero then poured upon Bhishma that foremost of all wielders of arms a shower of sharp arrows and broad-headed polished shafts.
तथैव भीष्माहतमन्तरिक्ष महास्त्रजालं कपिराजकेतोः। विशीर्यमाणं ददृशुस्त्वदीया दिवाकरेणेव तमोऽभिभूतम्॥
Your troops then saw that shower of arrow, shot by that great ape-bannered hero, opposed and dispersed by Bhishma, as the sun dispels darkness.
मदीनवत् सत्पुरुषोत्तमाभ्याम्। ददर्श लोकः कुरुसुंजयाच तद् द्वैरथं भीष्मधनंजयाभ्याम्॥
Then the Kurus, the Srinjayas, and all other people saw the single combat between those two foremost of men, Bhishma and Arjuna both distinguished by the fearful twang of their bows.