संजय उवाच आददानस्तु शूराणामायूंष्यभवदार्जुनिः। अन्तकः सर्वभूतानां प्राणान् काल इवागते॥
Sanjaya said Then engaged in depriving the heroes of their lives, the son of Arjuna resembled the Destroyer of all creatures snatching their lives out of them, at the time of the universal annihilation.
स शक्र इव विक्रान्तः शक्रसूनोः सुतो बली। अभिमन्युस्तदानीकं लोडयन् समदृश्यत॥
Endued with prowess equal to that of Shakra, that grandson of Shakra, namely Abhimanyu of infinite might, agitating your forces, appeared highly beautiful.
प्रविश्यैव तु राजेन्द्र क्षत्रियेन्द्रान्तकोपमः। सत्यश्रवसमादत्त व्याघ्रो मृगमिवोल्वणः॥
Then, O foremost of kings, entering into the very heart of the hostile army, that slayer of those best among the Kshatriyas, fell upon Satyashravas like a fierce tiger falling upon a deer.
सत्यवसि चाक्षिसे त्वरमाणा महारथाः। प्रगृह्य विपुलं शस्त्रमभिमन्युमुपाद्रवन्॥
When Satyashravas had thus been pounced upon, the other mighty car-warriors, with haste taking up various kinds of weapons, rushed against Abhimanyu.
अहं पूर्वमहं पूर्वमिति क्षत्रियपुङ्गवाः। स्वर्धमानाः समाजग्मुर्जिघांसन्तोऽर्जुनात्मजम्॥
'I shall meet him first, I shall meet him first'-boasting in this way, those foremost Kshatriyas then encountered Arjuna's son, out of a desire for slaying him.
क्षत्रियाणामनीकानि प्रदुतान्यभिधावताम्। जग्रास तिमिरासाद्य क्षुद्रमत्स्यानिवार्णवे॥
Then beholding the divisions of those rushing Kshatriyas advance towards him, Abhimanyu met them, even like a whale meeting a shoal of small fishes in the sea.
ये केचन गतास्तस्य समीपमपलायिनः। न ते प्रतिन्यवर्तन्त समुद्रादिव सिन्धवः॥
Just as rivers never course back from the ocean they fall in, so no one among them who did not fly, returned back with his life, after having encountered Abhimanyu.
महाग्राहगृहीतेव वातवेगभयार्दिता। समकम्पत सा सेना विभ्रष्टा नौरिवार्णवे॥
Then the ariny began to reel like a boat on the ocean, overtaken by a mighty tempest and having its crew afflicted with fear through the violence of the wind.
अथ रुक्मरथो नाम मद्रेश्वरसुतो बली। त्रस्तामाश्वासयन् सेनामत्रस्तो वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥
Thereafter the mighty Rukmaratha, a son of the ruler of the Madras, dauntlessly spoke these words, with a view to inspire confidence into the hearts of the panic-struck troops.
अलं त्रासेन वः शूरा नैष कश्चिन्मयि स्थिते। महमेनं ग्रहीष्यामि जीवग्राहं न संशयः॥
O heroes, you need not fear; Abhimanyu is nothing so long as I am here. For certain, I will capture him alive (today).
एवमुक्त्वा तु सौभद्रमभिदुद्राव वीर्यवान्। सुकल्पितेनोह्यमानः स्यन्दनेन विराजता॥
Having thus spoken that highly puissant hero rushed upon Abhimanyu, borne on a resplendent chariot duly furnished with the implements of war.
सौऽभिमन्यु त्रिभिर्बाणैर्विद्ध्वा वक्षस्यथानदत्। त्रिभिश्च दक्षिणे बाहौ सव्ये च निशितैस्त्रिभिः॥
Piercing Abhimanyu on the breast with three shafts, he uttered his war-cry; and then again, he pierced him on the right and the left arms with three sharp shafts each.
स तस्तेष्वसनं छित्त्वा फाल्गुनिः सव्यदक्षिणौ। भुजौ शिरश्च स्वक्षिभू क्षितौ क्षिप्रमपातयत्॥
But the son of Phalguna cutting off his bow, his right and left arms and his head graced with beautiful eyes and eye-brows, soon felled them on the earth.
दृष्ट्वा रुक्मरथं रुग्णं पुत्रं शल्यस्य मानिनम्। जीवग्राहं जिघृक्षन्तं सौभद्रेण यशस्विना॥
Beholding Rukshmaratha the illustrious son of Shalya, who had promised to capture alive or consume Abhimanyu, slain by this latter.
संग्रामदुर्मदा राजन् राजपुत्राः प्रहारिणः। वयस्याः शल्यपुत्रस्य सुवर्णविकृतध्वजाः॥
Many princely warriors, 0 king, accomplished in smiting down and formidable in battle, all friends of Shalya's SOD (Rukshmaratha), came upon Abhimanyu, with their standards decked with gold, raised high.
तालमात्राणि चापानि विकर्षन्तो महाबलाः। आर्जुनि शरवर्षेण समन्तात् पर्यवारयन्॥
Then those mighty car-warriors stretching their bows huge like palmyra trees, covered the son of Arjuna on all sides with showers of arrows.
शूरैः शिक्षाबलोपेतैस्तरुणैरत्यमर्षणैः। दृष्टिकं समरे शूरं सौभद्रमपराजितम्॥ छाद्यमानं शरव्रातैइष्टो दुर्योधनोऽभवत्। वैवस्वतस्य भवनं गतं ह्येनममन्यत॥
Beholding Subhadra's heroic and invincible son encountered, single-handed as he was, by many brave, youthful, irate princes endued with skill acquired through practices and teaching and also beholding him covered with a shower of arrows (shot by his adversaries), Duryodhana became highly gratified; and thought Abhimanyu already a visitor of the mansion of Vivasvata's son (Death).
सुवर्णपुङरिषुभिर्नानालिङ्गैः सुतेजनैः। अदृश्यमार्जुनिं चक्रुर्निमेषात् ते नृपात्मजाः॥
Within a wink's time, all those youthful princes, each shooting sharp shafts of various shapes and furnished with golden wings, intercepted the son of Arjuna from the view.
सूताश्वध्वजं तस्य स्यन्दनं तं च मारिष। आचितं समपश्याम श्वाविधं शललैरिव॥
Then, O sire, we beheld Abhimanyu;s car and driver and his standard, covered with arrows, as if by flights of locusts.
स गाढविद्धः क्रुद्धश्च तोत्रैर्गज इवादितः। गान्धर्वमस्त्रमायच्छद् रथमायां च भारत॥
Thereupon like an elephant pierced deeply, the son of Arjuna, deeply pierced with those arzows, became inflamed with rage; and he then invoked into existence, the Gandharva weapon and its consequent illusions, 0 Bharata.
अर्जुनेन तपस्तप्त्वा गन्धर्वेभ्यो यदाहृतम्। तुम्बुरुप्रमुखेभ्यो वै तेनामोहयताहितान्॥
This weapon was secured by Arjuna from the Gandharvas Tamburu and others, through bis ascetic austerities. Now Abhimanyu confounded his foes with that weapon.
एकदा शतधा राजन् दृश्यते स्म सहस्रधा। अलातचक्रवत् संख्ये क्षिप्रमस्त्राणि दर्शयन्॥
He was then seen, O King, sometimes as a single individual, sometimes as a hundred and sometimes as a thousand. He then moved over the field, displaying his weapons, like a circle of fire.
रथचर्यास्त्रमायाभिर्मोहयित्वा परंतपः। विभेद शतधा राजशरीराणि महीक्षिताम्॥
Then, O king, confounding the kings hostile to him with the illusions caused by his car, his coat of mail and his weapons, he mangled, O king, their bodies in hundred pieces.
प्राणाः प्राणभृतां संख्ये प्रेषितानि शितैः शरैः। राजन् प्रापुरमुं लोकं शरीराण्यवनिं ययुः॥
The vital breaths of living creatures were then snatched out of them by his arrows; and, O king, they reached the other world when their bodies fell down on earth.
धनूंष्यश्वान् नियन्तुंश्च ध्वजान् बाहूंच साङ्गदान्। शिरांसि च शितैर्बाणैस्तेषां चिच्छेद फाल्गुनिः॥
The son of Phalguna with sharp broadheaded shafts, cut-off their bows, their steeds, their charioteers, their standards and arms with bracelets and also their graceful heads.
चूतारामो यथा भग्नः पञ्चवर्षः फलोपगः। राजपुत्रशतं तद्वत् सौभद्रेण निपातितम्॥
Like a grove of mango trees, five years old and on the point of bearing fruit, laid low by the tempest those hundred princes were slain and felled by the son of Subhadra.
क्रुद्धाशीविषसंकाशान् सुकुमारान् सुखोचितान्। एकेन निहतान् दृष्ट्वा भीतो दुर्योधनोऽभवत्॥
Beholding those young and delicate heroes reared up with all possible care and resembling furious snakes of virulent poison, slain by the single-headed son of Subhadra, Duryodhana became filled with fear.
रथिनः कुञ्जरानश्वान् पदातींश्चापि मज्जतः। दृष्ट्वा दुर्योधनः क्षिप्रमुपायात् तममर्षितः॥
Then beholding his car-warriors, his elephants, his steeds and foot-soldiers, smashed, the enraged Duryodhana quickly rushed at Abhimanyu.
तयोः क्षणमिवापूर्णः संग्रामः समपद्यता अथाभवत् ते विमुखः पुत्रः शरशताहतः॥
For a moment only a fierce battle raged between them, which virtually remained unfinished when your son, afflicted with arrows turned away from the field of battle.