संजय उवाच ततः संशप्तका राजन् समे देशे व्यवस्थिताः। व्यूह्यानीकं रथैरेव चन्द्राकारं मुदा युताः॥
Sanjaya said Then, O monarch, the Samsaptakas, filled with joy, stood on the level plain, having, with their chariots, formed an array figuring the moon.
ते किरीटिनमायान्तं दृष्ट्वा हर्षेण मारिष। उदक्रोशन् नरव्याघ्राः शब्देन महता तदा॥
O Sire, seeing the diadem-decked Arjuna rush at them, those foremost of men, highly delighted, gave out deafening roars.
स शब्दः प्रदिशः सर्वा दिशः खं च समावृणोत् । आवृतत्वाच्चलोकस्य नासीत् तत्र प्रतिस्वनः॥
Those roars filled the subsidiary and the cardinal quarters and also the conclave dome. There were produced no reverberations owing to the field being covered over with men.
सोऽतीव सम्प्रहृष्टांस्तानुपलभ्य धनंजयः। किंचिदभ्युत्स्मयन् कृष्णमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥
Then Dhananjaya, ascertaining them to be excessively delighted, said these words to Krishna, smiling the while.
पश्यैतान् देवकीगतर्मुमूर्पूनद्य संयुगे। भ्रातृस्त्रैगर्तकानेवं रोदितव्ये प्रहर्षितान्॥
Behold, you who have Devaki for your mother, these Trigartta brothers, who are about to fall in battle today, are transported with joy at the time when they really ought to weep.
अथवा हर्षकालोऽयं त्रैगर्तानामसंशयम्। कुनरैर्दुरवापान् हि लोकान् प्राप्स्यन्त्यनुत्तमान्॥
Or surely, this is the time for joy for the Trigarttas, as they shall, ere long, attain to those excellent regions which cannot be obtained by the cowards.
एवमुक्त्वा महाबाहुर्हषीकेशं ततोऽर्जुनः। आससाद रणे व्यूढां त्रिगर्तानाममनीकिनीम्॥
Having thus spoken to the mighty-armed Hrishikesha, Arjuna encountered in battle the ranks of the Trigartta soldiers disposed of in battle-array.
स देवदत्तमादाय शङ्ख हेमपरिष्कृतम्। दध्मौ वेगेन महता घोषेणापूरयन् दिशः॥
Thereafter taken up his conch known as Devadatta of the effulgence of gold, he blew it with great force, filling the points of the compass with the blare.
तेन शब्देन विवस्ता संशप्तकवरूथिनी। विचेष्टाऽवस्थिता संख्ये ह्यश्मसारमयी यथा।॥
Terrified at that blare, the car-host of the Samshaptakas stood motionless in the field of battle as if turned into adamant.
वाहास्तेषां विवृत्ताक्षाः स्तब्धकर्णशिरोधराः। विष्टब्धचरणा मूत्रं रुधिरं च प्रसुस्रुवुः॥
All their steeds stood with their eyes expanded and their ears, necks and lips paralysed and their legs motionless, and they discharged urine and vomited blood.
उपलभ्य ततः सामवस्थाप्य च वाहिनीम्। युगपत् पाण्डुपुत्राय चिक्षिपुः कङ्कपत्रिणः॥
However, regaining consciousness and rallying their forces, the Samsaptakas discharged simultaneously, at the son of Pandu, shafts furnished with the feathers of the Kanka bird.
तान्यर्जुनः सहस्राणि दशपञ्चभिराशुगैः। अनागतान्येव शरैश्चिच्छेदाशु पराक्रमी॥
Thereupon Arjuna, capable of manifesting with lightness his prowess in battle, severed t'hose thousand arrows before they could reach him, with fifteen swift-coursing shafts of his.
ततोऽर्जुनं शितैर्बाणैर्दशभिर्दशभिः पुनः। प्राविध्यन्त ततः पार्थस्तानविध्यत् स्त्रिभिस्त्रिभिः॥
Thereat they pierced Arjuna with ten whetted shafts separately; and the son of Pritha also pierced them separately with three shafts each.
एकैकस्तु ततः पार्थं राजन् विव्याघ पञ्चभिः। स च तान् प्रतिविव्याध द्वाभ्यां द्वाभ्यां पराक्रमी॥
Then, O monarch, each of them separately pierced the son of Pritha with five shafts; and the puissant Partha in return pierced them each with a couple of arrows.
भूय एव तु संक्रुद्धास्त्वर्जुनं सह केशवम्। आपूरयशरैस्तीक्ष्णैस्तडागमिव वृष्टिभिः॥
Wrought up with ire, they once again quickly filled Arjuna and Keshava with arrows, like the rains filling up a lake.
ततः शरसहस्राणि प्रापतन्नर्जुनं प्रति। भ्रमराणामिव वाताः फुल्लं दुमगणं वने॥
Then those thousands of arrows fell upon Arjuna like hosts of bees falling, in a forest, on trees decked with blossoms.
ततः सुबाहुस्त्रिं शद्भिरद्रिसारमयैः शरैः। अविध्यदिषुभिर्गाढं किरीटे सव्यसाचिनम्॥
Thereafter Subahu deeply stuck on the diadem of Savyasachi (Arjuna) thirty shafts made of the hardest adamant.
तैः किरीटी किरीटस्थैर्हमपुजैरजिह्मगैः। शातकुम्भमयापीडो बभौ सूर्य इवोत्थितः॥
Having those straight-going shafts furnished with wings of gold stuck on his diadem, Arjuna, as if adorned with ornaments of gold, shone like the rising Sun.
हस्तावापं सुबाहोस्तु भल्लेन युधि पाण्डवः। चिच्छेद तं चैव पुनः शरवर्षैरवाकिरत्॥
Then in that battle the son of Pandu, with a broad-headed arrow cut-off the finger-guard of Suvahu and also covered him over with arrowy showers.
ततः सुशर्मा दशभिः सुरथस्तु किरीटिनम्। सुधर्मा सुधनुश्चैव सुबाहुश्च समार्पयत्॥
Thereafter Susarman, Suratha, Sudhaman and Subahu, pierced the diadem decked Arjuna with ten arrows each.
तांस्तु सर्वान् पृथग्बाणैर्वानरप्रवरध्वजः। प्रत्यविध्यद् ध्वजांश्चैषां.भल्लैश्चिच्छेद सायकान्॥
Thereat, that one bearing the foremost of the monkeys as a device on his banner, pierced them all with several arrows in return and he cut down their golden flag-staffs with broadheadedshafts.
सुधन्वनो धनुश्छित्त्वा हयांश्चास्यावधीच्छरैः। अथास्य सशिरस्त्राणं शिरः कायादपातयत्॥
Having severed the bow of Sudhaman, Arjuna slew his horses with his shafts. Then Arjuna severed from the trunk, the head of the former furnished with a head-gear.
तस्मिन्निपतिते वीरे त्रस्तास्तस्य पदानुगा:। व्यद्रवन्त भयाद् भीता यत्र दौर्योधनं बलम्॥
At the fall of that brave warrior, his followers, were inspired with terror; and seized with panic they ran to where the army of Duryodhana was.
ततो जघान संक्रुद्धो वासविस्तां महाचमूम्। शरजालैरविच्छिन्नस्तमः सूर्य इवांशुभिः॥
Then the son of Vasava, (Arjuna) wrought up with rage, began to destroy that mighty host with his continuous network of arrows, like the rays of the sun destroying the darkness (of night).
ततो भग्ने बले तस्मिन् विप्रलीने समन्ततः। सव्यसाचिनि संक्रुद्धे त्रैगर्तान् भयमाविशत्॥
When that host was shattered and scattered in all directions and when Savyasachin was inflamed with wrath, panic seized Trigarttas.
ते वध्यमानाः पार्थेन शरैः संनतपर्वभिः। अमुास्तत्र तत्रैव त्रस्ता मृगगणा इव॥
the Then they, slaughtered with the close joined shafts of Partha, were over-whelmed with swoons, in that field, like a terrified herd of deer.
ततस्त्रिगर्तराट् क्रुद्धस्तानुवाच महारथान्। अलं द्रुतेन वः शूरा न भयं कर्तुमर्हथ॥
Thereupon, excited with rage, the sovereign of the Trigarttas addressing those mighty carwarriors said, 'Fly not, you heroes, it behoves you not to be seized with panic.
शप्त्वाथ शपथान् घोरान् सर्वसैन्यस्य पश्यतः। गत्वा दौर्योधनं सैन्यं किं वै वक्ष्यथ मुख्यशः॥
Having taken dreadful oaths before the eyes of the entire troops, what shall you say to the leaders of Duryodhana's army if now you go back to them?
नावहास्याः कथं लोके कर्मणानेन संयुगे। भवेम सहिताः सर्वे निवर्तध्वं यथाबलम्॥
Will we not be the objects of derision in this world, for this (cowardly) act of ours in battle? United together, do you again repair to your own divisions?'
एवमुक्तास्तु ते राजन्नुदक्रोशन् मुहुर्मुहुः। शङ्खांश्च दध्मिरे वीरा हर्षयन्तः परस्परम्॥
Thus being spoken to, O monarch. they uttered continuous roars and those heroes blew their conchs imparting delight to one another.
ततस्ते सन्यवर्तन्त संशप्तकगणाः पुनः। नारायणाश्च गोपाला मृत्युं कृत्या निवर्तनम्॥
Thereafter that Samshaptaka host once more rallied themselves; and with the Narayana cow-herds, they were determined even to encounter Death himself.