संजय उवाच वर्तमाने तथा युद्धे क्षत्रियाणां निमञ्जने। गाण्डीवस्य महाघोषः श्रूयते युधि मारिष॥
Sanjaya said While that war, destructive of the Kshatriyas, raged on, the dreadful twang of the Gandiva bow was heard, O Sire.
संशप्तकानां कदनमकरोद् यत्र पाण्डवः। कोसलानां तथा राजन् नारायणबलस्य च॥
O king, there the son of Pandu brought about the destruction of the Samsaptakas, the Kosalas and the army of Narayana.
संशप्तकास्तु समरे शरवृष्टीः समन्ततः। अपातयन् पार्थमूर्ध्नि जयगृद्धाः प्रमन्यवः॥
The Samsaptakas too, desirous of acquiring victory and worked up with rage, made a downpour of their arrows from all sides on the head of Partha.
ता वृष्टीः सहसा राजंस्तरसा धारयन् प्रभुः। व्यगाहत रणे पार्थो विनिनन् रथिनां वरान्॥
That shower of arrows, O king, the powerful Arjuna soon checked and plunging into battle destroyed many leading carwarriors.
विगाह्य तद् स्थानीकं कङ्कपत्रैः शिलाशितैः। आससाद ततः पार्थः सुशर्माणं वरायुधम्॥
Having assailed the car-warriors with Kanka-feathered and sharp arrows, Partha approached the mighty car-warrior, Susharma.
स तस्य शरवर्षाणि ववर्ष रथिनां वरः। तथा संशप्तकाश्चैव पार्थं बाणैः समार्पयन्॥
That foremost of car-Warriors made a downpour of arrows and the Samsaptakas too covered Partha with their shafts.
सुशर्मा तु ततः पार्थं विद्ध्वा दशभिराशुगैः। जनार्दनं त्रिभिर्बाणैरहनद् दक्षिणे भुजे॥
Thereupon, Susharma having pierced Partha with ten quick-coursing arrows struck Janardana on his right arm with three arrows.
ततोऽपरेण भल्लेन केतुं विव्याध मारिष। स वानरवरो राजन् विश्वकर्मकृतो महान्॥ ननाद सुमहानादं भीषयाणो जगर्ज च।
Then with another Bhalla he struck down his standard. That huge monkey, created by Vishvakarma, O king, being terrified emitted a tremendous roar.
कपेस्तु निनदं श्रुत्वा संत्रस्ता तव वाहिनी॥ भयं विपुलमाधाय निश्चेष्टा समपद्यत।
Hearing the roar of the monkey, your army was agitated. And possessed by terrible fear they became inactive.
तत: सा शुशुभे सेना निश्चेष्टावस्थिता नृप।॥ नानापुष्पसमाकीर्णं यथा चैत्ररथं वनम्।
Becoming inactive, O king, that army looked like the garden of Chitraratha filled with various flowers.
प्रतिलभ्यं तत: संज्ञां योधास्ते कुरुसत्तम॥ अर्जुनं सिषिचुर्बाणैः पर्वतं जलदा इव।
Then regaining their consciousness, O foremost of Kurus, your soldiers made a downpour of arrows on Arjuna like clouds on a mountain.
परिवब्रुस्ततः सर्वे पाण्डवस्य महारथम्॥ निगृह्य तं प्रचुक्रुशुर्वध्यामानां शितैः शरैः।
They, then, all surrounded the huge car of Pandava. And then assailing him with sharpened arrows they, desirous of killing him, began to emit terrific cries.
ते हयान् रथचक्रे च रथेषां चापि मारिष॥ निग्रहीतुमुपाक्रामन् क्रोधाविष्टाः समन्ततः।
O king, then assailing with with great vehemence his horses, the wheels of his car and Ishadanda.
निगृह्य तं रथं तस्य योधास्ते तु सहस्रशः॥ निगृह्य बलवत् सर्वे सिंहनादमथानदन्।
Thousand of soldiers seized his car and began to send up leonine roars.
अपरे जगृहुश्चैव केशवस्य महाभुजौ॥ पार्थमन्ये महाराज रथस्थं जगृहुर्मुदा।
O sire, Some among them seized the long arins of Kesava and others seized Arjuna who was on his car.
केशवस्तु ततो बाहू विधुन्वन् रणमूर्धनि॥ पातयामास तान् सर्वान् दुष्टहस्तीव हस्तिपान्।
Then shaking his arms on the field of battle Keshava struck down all of them like an elephant assailing other leading elephants.
ततः क्रुद्धो रणे पार्थः संवृतस्तैर्महारथैः॥ निगृहीतं रथं दृष्ट्वा केशवं चाप्यभिद्रुतम्।
Surrounded by those mighty car-warriors and beholding his car assailed and thus Keshava attacked, Partha, boiling with rage, overthrew a large number of car-warriors and foot-soldiers.
रथारूढांस्तु सुबहून् पदातींश्चाप्यपातयत्॥ आसन्नांश्च तथा योधान् शरैरासन्नयोधिभिः। छादयामास समरे केशवं चेदमब्रवीत्॥
He pushed down a number of infantry soldiers rode on his chariot while fighting, covered all Samsaptaka warriors stood nearby through volley of arrows useful for proxy war and said with vigour to lord Krishna in the battle-field.
पश्य कृष्ण महाबाहो संशप्तकगणान् बहून्। कुर्वाणान् दारुणं कर्म वध्यमानान् सहस्रशः॥
“Behold, O Krishna, O you of long arms, those numberless Samsaptakas, bent upon a dreadful feat, are killed by thousands.
रथबन्धमिमं घोरं पृथिव्यां नास्ति कश्चन। यः सहेत पुमाँल्लोके मदन्यो यदुपुङ्गव॥
O foremost of Yadus, there is none on earth, save myself who is capable of bearing such a close attack on his car."
इत्येवमुक्त्वा बीभत्सुर्देवदत्तमथाधमत्। पाञ्चजन्यं च कृष्णोऽपि पूरयन्निव रोदसी॥
Having said this Vibhatsu blew his Devadatta conch and Krishna his Panchajanya filling the earth and sky with the blare.
तं तु शङ्खस्वनं श्रुत्वा संशप्तकवरूथिनी। संचचाल महाराज वित्रस्ता चादवद् भृशम्॥
Hearing that sound the army of the Samsaptakas began to tremble and were filled with fear.
पादबन्धं ततश्चक्रे पाण्डवः परवीरहा। नागमस्त्रं महाराज सम्प्रकीर्य मुहुर्मुहुः॥
O monarch, then repeatedly invoking the Naga weapon, Paridava, the slayers of hostile horses, tied down their legs.
ते बद्धाः पादबन्धेन पाण्डवेन महात्मना। निश्चेष्टाश्चाभवन् राजन्नश्मसारमया इव॥
When they were thus bound down by the high-souled son of Pandu, O king, they became inactive like horses and dogs.
निश्चेष्टास्तुं ततो योधानबधीत् पाण्डुनन्दनः। यथेन्द्रः समरे दैत्यांस्तारकस्य वधे पुरा॥
Then the son of Pandu began to slay all those inactive warriors as Indra killed the Asuras in the days of yore in his encounter with Taraka.
ते वध्यमानाः समरे मुमुचुस्तं रथोत्तमम्। आयुधानि च सर्वाणि विस्त्रष्टुमुपचक्रमुः॥
They, thus being slaughtered in battle, began to leave the best of cars and throw off all their weapons.
ते बद्धाःपादबधेन न शेकुश्चेष्टितुं नृप। ततस्तानवधीत् पार्थः शरैः संनतपर्वभिः॥
Having their legs bound down they could make no effort, O king. Then Partha slew them all with his straight arrows.
सर्वयोधा हि समरे भुजगैर्वेष्टिताभवन्। यानुद्दिश्य रणे पार्थः पादबन्धं चकार ह॥
All those warriors, against whom Partha discharged his weapon of tying legs, were encircled by serpents in battle.
ततः सुशर्मा राजेन्द्र गृहीतां वीक्ष्य वाहिनीम्। सौपर्णमस्त्रं त्वरित: प्रादुश्चके महारथः॥
Then beholding his army thus bound down, O king, the might car-warrior Susharma speedily invoked his Sauparna weapon.
तत: सुपर्णाः सम्पेतुर्भक्षयन्तो भुजङ्गमान्। ते वै विदुद्रुवुर्नागा दृष्ट्वा तान् खचरानृप॥
Then numerous vultures began to come down and devour snakes. Then, O king, beholding those birds the serpents began to fly away.
बभौ बलं तद्विमुक्तं पादबन्धाद् विशाम्पते। मेघवृन्दाद् यथा मुक्तो भास्करस्तापयन् प्रजाः॥
Freed from that foot-trapping weapon the Samsaptakas, O monarch, looked like the sun giving rays unto all creatures when freed from clouds.
विप्रमुक्तास्तु ते योधाः फाल्गुनस्य रथं प्रति। ससृजुर्बाण संघाश्च शस्त्रसंघांश्च मारिष॥ विविधानि च शस्त्राणि प्रत्यविध्यन्त सर्वशः।
Thus freed, the warriors once more discharged their arrows and weapons at Arjuna's car. And all of them pierced Partha with numerous weapons
तां महास्त्रमयीं वृष्टिं संछिद्य शरवृष्टिभिः॥ न्यवधीच ततो योधान् वासविः परवीरहा।
Cutting off with his own arrows the brightly weapons showered on him, Vasava's son, the slayer of hostile heroes, began to kill those warriors.
सुशर्मा तु ततो राजन् बाणेनानतपर्वणा॥ अर्जुनं हृदये विद्ध्वा विव्याधान्यैस्त्रिभिः शरैः।
Thereupon Susharma, O king, struck Arjuna to his very vitals with arrows and three weapons.
स गाढविद्धो व्यथितो रथोपस्थ उपाविशत्॥ तत उचुक्रुशुः सर्वे हतः पार्थ इति स्म हो ततः शङ्खनिनादाश्च भेरीशब्दाश्च पुष्कलाः॥ नानावादिनानिनदाः सिंहनादाश्च जज्ञिरे।
Deeply wounded and felling great pain Arjuna sunk down on the terrace of his car. Then all the soldiers cried aloud Partha is killed. Then there arose the blare of conch, the profuse sound of bugles and many other musical instruments and the leonine roars of the warriors.
प्रतिलभ्य ततः संज्ञां श्वेतचाश्वः कृष्णसारथिः॥ ऐन्द्रमस्त्रममेयात्मा प्रादुश्चक्ते त्वरान्वितः।
Then regaining his consciousness the highly energetic Arjuna of white steeds and with Krishna for his charioteer, quickly discharged the Aindra weapon.
ततो बाणसहस्राणि समुत्पन्नानि मारिष॥ सर्वदिक्षु व्यदृश्यन्त निघ्नन्ति तव वाहिनीम्।
Thereupon, thousands of arrows were seen on all sides which killed the kings and elephants.
हयान् रथांश्च समरे शस्त्रैः शतसहस्रशः॥ वध्यमाने ततः सैन्ये भयं सुमहदाविशत्। संशप्तकगणानां च गोपालानां च भारत॥
Thousands of horses and cars were also destroyed by those weapons. The army being thus slaughtered they were possessed by terrible fear. O descendant of Bharata, there was no man amongst the Samsaptakas and Gopalas who could withstand Arjuna.
न हि तत्र पुमान् कश्चिद योऽर्जुनं प्रत्यविध्यत। पश्यतां तत्र वीराणामहन्यत बलं तव॥
There in the very presence of all the heroes Arjuna began to destroy your army.
हन्यमानमपश्यंश्च निश्चेष्टं स्म पराक्रमे। अयुतं तत्र योधानां हत्वा पाण्डुसुतो रणे॥ व्यभ्राजत महाराज विधूमोऽग्निरिव ज्वलन्।
Beholding that slaughter all of them were petrified and could not display their prowess. Having killed ten thousand warriors in that battle the son of Pandu shone like the blazing fire without smoke.
चतुर्दश सहस्राणि यानि शिष्टानि भारत॥ रथानामयुतं चैव त्रिसाहस्त्राश्च दन्तिनः।
O Bharata! there remained living as much as fourteen thousand infantry soldiers, ten thousand chariot riders and three thousand elephants with Samsaptakas (Kauravas) till then.
तत: संशप्तका भूयः परिवर्धनंजयम्॥ मर्तव्यमिति निश्चित्य जयं वाप्यनिवर्तनम्।
Then the Samsaptakas surrounded Dhananjaya determined upon either gaining victory or meeting with death.
तत्र युद्धं महवासीत् तावकानां विशाम्पते। शूरेण बलिना सार्धं पाण्डवेन किरीटिना॥
Then there took place a dreadful encounter between your army, O king and the heroic, diadem-decked son of Pandu.