धृतराष्ट्र उवाच स्वयं शिष्यो महेशस्य भृगूत्तमधनुर्धरः। शिष्यत्वं प्राप्तवान् कर्णस्तस्य तुल्योऽस्रविद्यया॥
Dhritarashtra said Beholding, O Sanjaya, him on whom the hope of victory of my sons rested, compelled to turn his face away from the field of battle, what did king Duryodhana say?
तद्विशिष्टोऽपि वा कर्णः शिष्यः शिष्यगुणैर्युतः। कुन्तीपुत्रेण भीमेन निर्जितः स तु लीलया॥ यस्मिञ्जयाशा महती पुत्राणां मम संजय। तं भीमाद् विमुखं दृष्ट्वा किं नु दुर्योधनोऽब्रवीत्॥
Or that disciple of Parasurama is equipped with the merits as expected in disciple. He is even more valorous than his preceptor yet defeated by the son of Kunti, Bhimasena in play way. O Sanjaya! What did Duryodhana express on seeing the one expected to reap victory, so departing as a result of defeated body by Bhimasena?
कथं च युयुधे भीमो वीर्यश्लाघी महाबलः। कर्णो वा समरे तात किमकार्षीत् ततः परम्। भीमसेनं रणे दृष्ट्वा ज्वलन्तमिव पावकम्॥
How did the puissant Bhima ever proud of prowess, fight then? What did then Karna do, Beholding Bhima blaze forth like a mighty fire in battle?
संजय उवाच रथमन्यं समास्थाय विधिवत् कल्पितं पुनः। अभ्ययात् पाण्डवं कर्णो वातोद्भूत इवार्णवः॥
Sanjaya said Riding on another duly furnished car, Karna then rushed at Pandu's son, like the ocean lashed into fury by the tempest.
क्रुद्धमाधिरथिं दृष्ट्वा पुत्रास्तव विशाम्पते। भीमसेनममन्यन्त वैश्वानरमुखे हुतम्॥
Then, 0 ruler of men, beholding Adhiratha's son excited with rage, your sons considered Bhimasena to be a libation poured on fire.
चापशब्दं ततः कृत्वा तलशब्दं च भैरवम्। अभ्यद्रवत राधेयो भीमसेनरथं प्रति॥
Then dreadfully slapping his palms and producing whizzes with his arrows, the sons of Radha began to shower arrows on the car of Bhimasena.
पुनरेव तयो राजन् घोर आसीत् समागमः। वैकर्तनस्य शूरस्य भीमस्य च महात्मनः॥
Once more, O king, the encounter between the heroic son of Vikartana and the high-souled Bhima, raged furiously.
संरब्धौ हि महाबाहु परस्परवधैषिणौ। अन्योन्यमीक्षांचक्राते दहन्ताविव लोचनैः॥
Filled with wrath and desirous of slaying one another, O mighty-armed one, they began to look at each other as if to burn each other down with their giances.
क्रोधरक्तक्षणौ तीव्रौ निःश्वसन्ताविवोरगौ। शूरावन्योन्यमासाद्य ततक्षतुररिंदमौ॥
Their eyes became fierce and red in rage and the breathed like two snakes. Those two slayers of enemies, those two heroes, then began to mangle each other with their arrows.
व्याघ्राविव सुसंरब्धौ श्येनाविव च शीघ्रगौ। शरभाविव संक्रुद्धौ युयुधाते परस्परम्॥
They fought on with one another like two furious tigers or two swift-flying hawks or two enraged Sarabhas,
ततो भीमः स्मरन् क्लेशानक्षद्यूते वनेऽपि च। विराटनगरे चैव दुःखं प्राप्तमरिंदमः॥
Then that subduer of foes, viz., Bhima remembering the hardships undergone by him at the game of dice, during his exile in the woods and residence in the city of Virata;
राष्ट्राणां स्फीतरत्नानां हरणं च तवात्मजैः। सततं च परिक्केशान् सपुत्रेण त्वया कृतान्॥
And recollecting the despoliation of the kingdom swelling with prosperity and gems by your sons and various other injuries inflicted upon the Pandavas, by yourself and the son of Suta;
दग्धुमैच्छच्च यः कुन्तीं सपुत्रां त्वमनागसम्। कृष्णायाश्च परिक्लेशं सभामध्ये दुरात्मभिः॥
And bearing in mind the fact that you had conspired to burn the innocent Kunti with her sons and remembering the woes of Krishna in the midst of the assembly at the hands of those wretches;
केशपक्षग्रहं चैव दुःशासनकृतं तथा। परुषाणि च वाक्यानि कर्णेनोक्तानि भारत।॥
As also the holding of her locks by Dushasana and the abusive speech uttered by Karna, O Bharata.
पतिमन्यं परीप्सख न सन्ति पतयस्तव। पतिता नरके पार्थाः सर्वे षण्ढतिलोपमाः॥
To this effect="Take you another husband, for, all your husbands are dead; the sons of Pritha have merged into hell and are like sesamum seed without kernel."
समक्षं तव कौरव्य रव्य यदूचुः कौरवास्तदा। दासीभावेन कृष्णां च भोक्तुकामाः सुतास्तव॥
Remembering also those words, O descendant of the Kuru race, that were uttered by the Kauravas in your presence and the fact that your son had been desirous of enjoying Krishna as a slave.
यचापि तान् प्रव्रजतः कृष्णाजिननिवासिनः। परुषाण्युक्तवान् कर्णः सभायां संनिधौ तव॥
Recollecting also those words, harsh and cruel, uttered by Karna, when the sons of Pandu were about to go to the forest, clad in deerskins;
तृणीकृत्य यथा पार्थास्तव पुत्रो ववल्ग हा विषमस्थान् समस्थो हि संरब्धो गतचेतनः॥
And keeping alive in his remmory the brag your vindictive and foolish son, then in prosperity, indulged in holding the woe stricken sons of Pritha in the light of mere
बाल्यात् प्रभृति चारिजः स्वानि दुःखानि चिन्तयन्। निरविद्यत धर्मात्मा जीवितेन वृकोदरः॥
Indeed the virtuous-souled Bhima that slayer of opponents recollecting all these hardships and those he had undergone since his childhood, became disregardful of his very life.
ततो विस्फार्य सुमहद्धेमपृष्ठं दुरासदम्। चापं भरतशार्दूलस्त्यक्तात्मा कर्णमभ्ययात्॥
Them, o foremost of the Bharatas, stretching his invincible and gold-decked bow, Bhima rushed at Krishna, reckless of his very life.
स सायकमयैर्जालैभीमः कर्णरथं प्रति। भानुमद्धि शिलाधौतैर्भानोः प्राच्छादयत् प्रभाम्॥
Then with a net-work woven with arrows whetted on stone, lustrous like the rays of the sun spread around the car of Karna, Bhima intercepted the rays of the sun.
ततः प्रहस्याधिरथिस्तूर्णमस्य शिलाशितैः। व्यधमद् भीमसेनस्य शरजालानि पत्रिभिः॥
Thereupon Adhiratha's son, smiling (in contempt) tore away Bhima's net-work of arrows, by means of his own winged shafts whetted on stone.
महारथो महाबाहुर्महाबाणैर्महाबलः। विव्याधाधिरथिर्भीमं नवभिर्निशितैस्तदा॥
Then the mighty car-warrior of mighty arms and great strength, viz., that son of Adhiratha, pierced with nine whetted and mighty shafts that mighty warrior Bhima.
स तोत्रैरिव मातङ्गो वार्यमाणः पतत्रिभिः। अभ्यधावदसम्भ्रान्तः सूतपुत्रं वृकोदरः॥
Assailed with those winged shaft, like an elephant assailed with the hook, Vrikodara then dauntlessly rushed against Suta's son.
तमापतन्तं वेगेन रभसं पाण्डवर्षभम्। कर्णः प्रत्युद्ययौ युद्धे मत्तो मत्तमिव द्विपम्॥
Then as that foremost of the Pandavas was rushing with fury at him, Karna, excited with wrath, rushed at him like an infuriate elephant rushing at another.
ततः प्रध्यमाष्य जलजं भेरीशतसमखनम्। अक्षुभ्यत बलं हर्षादूर्भूत इव सागरः॥
Then blowing his conch whose blast resembled the sound of a hundred Bheris, he agitated the hostile array that resembled the surging sea.
तदुद्भूतं बलं दृष्ट्वा नागाश्वरथपत्तिमत्। भीमः कर्णे समासाद्य च्छादयामास सायकैः॥
Beholding his army teeming with elephants, horses, cars and infantry then agitated, Bhima approaching Karna began to cover him with arrows.
अश्वानृक्षसवर्णोच हंसवर्णैर्हयोत्तमैः। व्यामिश्रयद् रणे कर्णः पाण्डवं छादयञ्छरैः॥
Karna thereupon caused his own horses of the hue of swans to the mingled with those of Bhimasena of the hue of bears and covered in his turn the son of Pandu, with his shafts.
ऋक्षवर्णान् हयान् कर्मिश्रान् मारुतरहंसः। निरीक्षय तव पुत्राणां हाहाकृतमभूद् बलम्॥
Beholding those steeds of the hue of bears and fleet as the wind, mingled with those of Karna of the hue of swans, cries Oh and Alas, rose among the army of your son.
ते हया बह्वशोभन्त मिश्रिता वारंहसः। सितासिता महारात यथा व्योम्नि बलाहकाः॥
Those horses, fleet as the winds, thus mingled together looked exceedingly beautiful like white and black clouds, O king, mingled together in the firmament.
संरब्धौ क्रोधताम्राक्षौ प्रेक्ष्य कर्णवृकोदरौ। संत्रस्ताः समकम्पन्त त्वदीयानां महारथाः॥
Beholding Karna and Vrikodara burning with rage with, their eyes coppery therewith, your mighty car-warriors began tremble with fear.
यमराष्ट्रोपमं घोरमासीदायोधनं तयोः। दुर्दर्श भरतश्रेष्ठ प्रेतराजपुरं यथा॥
The field of battle where they fought, soon became dreadful like the abode of Yama; and O foremost of the Bharatas, it became as repulsive to the sight as the domain of the king of departed spirits.
समाजमिव तचित्रं प्रेक्षमाणा महारथाः। नालक्षयञ्जय व्यक्तमेकस्यैव महारणे॥
Your warriors, who were then looking upon that battle as upon a sport in an arena could not find any of them get any advantage over other.
तयोः प्रेक्षन्त सम्मर्द संनिकृष्टं महास्रयोः। तव दुर्मन्त्रिते राजन् सपुत्रस्य विशाम्पते॥
They only then saw the clash and the mingling of the mighty weapons shot by those warriors, as the consequence brought about by the wicked policy of you and your sons, O ruler of men.
छादयन्तौ हि शत्रुनावन्योन्यं सायकैः शितैः। शरजालावृतं व्योम चक्रातेऽद्भुतविक्रमौ॥
Those two heroes of wonderful prowess, those two slayers of their foes, then-covering each other with their arrows covered next the welkin with the net-work of their arrows.
तावन्योन्यं जिघांसन्तौ शरैस्तीक्ष्णैर्महारथौ। प्रेक्षणीयतरावास्तां वृष्टिमन्ताविवाम्बुदौ॥
Desirous of slaying each other, those two mighty car-warriors shooting sharp arrows at each other became worthy of being looked at like two clouds surcharged with rain.
॥ सुवर्णविकृतान् बाणान् विमुञ्चान्तावरिंदमौ। भाखरं व्योम चक्राते महोल्काभिरिव प्रभौ॥
O Lord, those two subduers of foes shooting arrows decked with gold, 'illumined the welkin like meteors illumining the skies.
ताभ्यां मुक्ताः शरा राजन् गार्धपत्राश्चकाशिरे। श्रेण्यः शरदि मत्तानां सारसानामिवाम्बरे॥
O king, the arrows, furnished with vulterince wings and discharged by Bhima, appeared beautiful like rows of maddened swans ranging through the welkin.
संसक्तं सूतपुत्रेण दृष्ट्वा भीममरिंदमम्। अतिभारममन्येतां भीमे कृष्णधनंजयौ॥४
Then beholding Bhima that subduer of foes engaged with the son of Suta, Krishna and Dhananjaya considered a heavy burden to be placed on the former.
तत्राधिरथिभीमाभ्यां शरैर्मुक्तैर्दढे हताः। इषुपातमतिक्रम्य पेतुरश्चनरद्विपाः॥
As Karna and Bhima, desirous of baffling each other shot numerous arrows, many elephants, horses and men, wounded therewith, fell down dead;
पतद्भिः पतितैश्चान्यैर्गतासुभिरनेकशः। कृतो राजन् महाराज पुत्राणां ते जनक्षयः॥
And in consequence of those falling and fallen creatures, deprived of life and shouting by thousands, great was the damage that then spread in the ranks of your army.
मनुष्याश्वगजानां च शरीरैर्गतजीवितैः। क्षणेन भूमिः संजज्ञे संवृता भरतर्षभ॥
O foremost of the Bharatas, the field became soon covered over with the corpses and carcarsses of slain men, horses and elephants.