संजय उवाच र्गन्धर्वरक्षाऽप्सरसां च सर्वः। ब्रह्मर्षिराजर्षिसुपर्णजुष्टं बभौ वियद् विस्मयनीयरूपम्॥
Sanjaya said It was really a wonderful sight to see the skies covered with Gods, Nagas, Asuras, Yakshas and numbers of Gandharvas, Rakshashas, Apsaras, Royal and regenerate Rishis and birds of most beautiful plumage.
दिवदगीतस्तुनृत्यहासैः। सर्वेऽन्तरिक्षं ददृशुर्मनुष्याः स्वस्थाश्च तद् विस्मयनीयरूपम्॥
All the human beings looked and admired the scene in the sky which was filled with the echoes of sons, music, laughter, sacred hymns, dance and many other sorts of beautiful sounds.
ततः प्रहृष्टाः कुरुपाण्डुयोधा वादित्रशङ्खस्वनसिंहनादैः। विनादयन्तो वसुधां दिशश्च स्वनेन सर्वान द्विषतौ निजघ्नुः॥
Then the warriors on both the Kaurava and Pandava sides went on slaying each other's enemies making the world and the ten sides ring with martial music, notes of their conchs, loud houts and noise of their warfare.
नराश्वमातङ्गरथैः समाकुलं शरासिशक्तृष्टिनिपातदुःसहम्। अभीरुजुष्टं हतदेहसंकुलं रणाजिरं लोहितमाबभौ तदा॥
The field of battle became brilliantly red with blood and adorned with men, horses, elephants, cars and weapons and became difficult for the throwing of swords, maces, darts and other weapons and was filled with dead bodies.
बभूव युद्धं कुरूपाण्डवानां यथा सुराणामसुरैः सहाभवत्। तथा प्रवृत्ते तुमुले सुदारुणे धनंजयस्याधिरथेश्च सायकैः॥ दिशश्च सैन्यं च शितैरजिह्मगैः परस्परं प्रावृणुतां सुदंशितौ।
Looked like the fight that in the old days took place between the Gods and the Asuras. When Dhananjaya and Adhiratha's son had begun to defeat the warriors with their arrows, they, with keen shafts, almost covered all the sides.
ततस्त्वदीयाश्च परे च सायकैः कृतेऽन्धकारे ददृशुर्न किंचन॥ स्ततोऽभवत् त्वद्भुतमेव सर्वतः।
Darkness fell over the atmosphere, with the shafts shot at in that battle and the warriors on either side could not see anything. And being afraid they took shelter of either of the carwarriors (Karna or Arjuna) like streaks of light going towards the sun or the moon.
ततोऽस्त्रमस्त्रेण परस्परं तौ विधूय वाताविव पूर्वपश्चिमौ॥ घनान्धकारे वितते तमोनुदौ यथोदितौ तद्वदतीव रेजतुः।
The two brave warriors thwarted one another's weapons, like the East and West winds struggling with each other and looked brilliant like the sun or the moon after dispelling darkness.
न चाभिसर्तव्यमिति प्रचोदिताः परे त्वदीयाश्च तथावतस्थिरे॥ महारथौ तौ परिवार्य सर्वतः सुरासुराः शम्बरवासवाविव।
They assuring their troops with the words "don't give way” were surrounded by their troops and their inimical forces like Vasava and Shambara by the Gods and the Asuras.
मृदङ्गभेरीपणवानकस्वनैः ससिंहनादैर्नदतुर्नरोत्तमौ॥ विरेजतुस्तौ पुरुषर्षभौ तदा।
O Bharata, those two foremost of men were welcomed by the beating of drums and other instruments and uttered loud shouts and looked resplendent as the sun and the moon when surrounded by deep roaring clouds.
महाधनुर्मण्डलमध्यगावुभौ सुवर्चसौ बाणसहस्रदीधिती॥ युगान्तसूर्याविव दुःसहौ रणे।
Both of them were armed with fearful bows drawn to the fullest extent like circles which looked like coronas, shot thousands of shafts which were like rays. In war they could not be borne and looked like two powerful suns risen for destroying the universe at the end of Yuga.
बुभौ जिघांसु कृतिनौ परस्परम्॥ महेन्द्रजम्भाविव कर्णपाण्डवौ।
Both unconquerable, both destroyers of enemies and they were bent upon killing one another and showing great skill in war. Those two fighters namely Karna and the son of Pandu bravely assailed each other in that awful fight like Indra and Asura Jamba;
ततो महास्त्राणि महाधनुर्धरौ विमुञ्चमानाविषुभिर्भयानकैः॥ नराश्वनागानमितान् निजघ्नतुः परस्परं चापि महारथी नृप।
O monarch, invoking the help of most powerful weapons those two redoubtable bowmen shot fearful arrows against each other. The foremost of men however shot hosts of elephants, horses and men and also struck one another.
ततो विसस्त्रः पुनपर्दिता नरा नरोत्तमाभ्यां कुरुपाण्डवाश्रयः॥ सनागपत्तयश्वरथा दिशो दश तथा यथा सिंहहता वनौकसः।
And like the smaller animals when attacked by a lion the Kurus and Pandus together with their horses, elephants and car warriors fled on all directions being assailed by those two best of men.
ततस्तु दुर्योधनभोजसौबलाः कृपेण शारद्वतसूनुना सह॥ महारथाः पञ्च धनंजयाच्युतौ शरैः शरीरार्तिकरैरताडयन्।
Then the five great car warriors viz. Duryodhana, the king of Bhojas, Subala's son Kripa and the son of Sharadvata attacked Dhananjaya and Keshava with deadly arrows.
धनूषि तेषामिषुधीनध्वजान् हयान् रथांश्च सूतांश्च धनंजयः शरै॥ समं प्रमथ्याशु परान् समन्ततः शरोत्तमैदशभिश्च सूतजम्। अथाभ्यधावंस्त्वरिताः शतं रथाः शतं गजाश्चर्जुनमाततायिनः॥ शकास्तुषारा यवनाश्च सादिनः सहैष काम्बोजवरैर्जिघांसवः। वरायुधान् पाणिगतैः शरैः सह क्षुरैर्यकृन्तत् प्रपतन् शिरांसि च॥ हयांश्च नागांश्च रतांश्च युध्यतो धनंजयः शत्रुगणान् क्षितौ क्षिणोत्।
Dhananjaya with arrows cut-off at once elephants, horses, the bows and quivers, the cars with their drivers of those fighters and struck every one of them with good arrows and Suta's son with twelve shafts. Then one hundred chariots, one hundred elephants and Shaka, Tushara and Yavana cavalry together with some best of Kamboja warriors precipitated themselves upon Arjuna in order to slay him but he (Arjuna) very soon not only cut-off with razor-headed shafts all those weapons of his enemies but also their heads, their elephants, cars and horses. Dhananjaya locked down his enemies in battle.
ततोऽन्तरिक्षे सुरतूर्यनिःस्वनाः ससाधुवादा हृषितैः समीरिताः॥ निपेतुरप्युमपुष्पवृष्टयः सुगन्धिगन्धाः पवनेरिताः शुभाः।
Then the good Gods sounded their heavenly drums in praise of Arjuna. Then heaps of sweet scented flowers fell upon Arjuna.
तदद्भुतं देवमनुष्यसाक्षिकं समीक्ष्य भूतानि विसिस्मियुस्तदा॥ तवात्मजः सूतसुतश्च न व्यथां न विस्मयं जग्मतुरे कनिश्चयौ।
O monarch, the Gods, men and all the creatures were struck with wonder at seeing this. Only your son and Suta's son, who were sorry in their minds, felt neither any joy nor admired the deed.
अथाब्ररीद् द्रोणसुतस्तवात्मजं करं करेण प्रतिपीडय सान्त्वयन्॥ रलं विरोधेन धिगस्तु विग्रहम्। हतो गुरुर्ब्रह्यसमो महास्त्रवित् तथैव भीष्मप्रमुखा महारथाः॥
Then Drona's son taking Duryodhana by the hands entreatingly said to him O Duryodhana, be pacified; you need not prolong this quarrel; make peace with Pandavas; war is detestable. The preceptor (Drona) who was like Brahma and was master of most powerful weapons he and other foremost of men with Bhishma have been killed in this war.
अहं त्ववध्यो म चापि मातुलः प्रशाधि राज्यं सह पाण्डवैश्चिरम्। धनंजयः शाम्यति वारितो मया जनार्दनो नैव विरोधमिच्छति॥
I and my maternal uncle cannot be killed; and if I request Dhananjaya he is averse to this quarrel. Reign as a joint monarch with the sons of Pandu over this kingdom far long.
युधिष्ठरो भूतहिते रतः सदा वृकोदरपस्तद्वशगस्तथा यमौ। त्वया तु पाथैश्च कृते च संविदे प्रजाः शिवं प्राप्नुयुरिच्छया तव॥ व्रजन्तु शेषाः स्वपुराणि बान्धवा निवृत्तयुद्धाश्च भवन्तु सैनिकाः। न चेद् वचः श्रोष्यसि मे नराधिप ध्रुवं प्रतप्तासि हतोऽरिभियुधि॥
Yudhishthira always seeks the welfare of all creatures. Vrikodara and the twins (Nakul and Sahadeva) are always under Yudhishthira's order; and if you make peace it would appear that you make it only for the welfare of all parties. All the kings then will return to their respective homes and the troops will no longer fight with each other; if you do not hear my advice you will have to repent hereafter when you will be crushed by your enemies.
इदं च दृष्टं जगता सहं त्वया कृतं यदेकेन किरीटमालिना। यथा न कुर्याद् बलभिन्न चान्तको न चापि धाता भगवान् न यक्षराट्॥
It will be hard for the slayer of Bala (Indra) or Yama or Prachetas or the famous king of Yakshas to perform the heroic feats that have been done by crown-headed Arjuna single handed. You yourself and the whole world have seen that.
अतोऽपि भूयान् स्वगुणैर्धनंजयो न चातिवर्तिष्यति मे वचोऽखिलम्। तवानुयात्रां च सदा करिष्यति प्रसीद राजेन्द्र शमं त्वमाप्नुहि॥
Dhananjaya is possessed of immense qualities and will never disobey my words. He will be your ally i.e. respect you. O monarch, for the good of the world, be pacified.
ममापि मानः परमः सदा त्वयि ब्रवीम्यतस्त्वां परमाच सौह्रदात्। निवारयिष्यामि च कर्णमप्यहं यदा भवान् सप्रणयो भविष्यति॥
I am your sincere friend and you always respect me and it is for that reason that I am speaking these words to you; and if you make up your mind for peace, I shall dissuade Karna.
स्तथैव साम्ना च धनेन चार्दितम्। प्रतापतश्चोपनतं चतुर्विधं तदस्ति सर्वं तव पाण्डवेषु॥
The sages have said there are four kinds of friends, namely, those who are born friends, those that are made friends by good behaviour, those that are made so by wealth and those that are made friends by power and you have all these advantages and connections with the Pandavas.
नसर्गतस्ते तव वीर बान्धवाः पुनश्च साम्ना समवाप्नुहि प्रभो। तवयि प्रसन्ने यदि मित्रतां गते हितं कृतं स्याज्जगतस्त्वयातुलम्॥
O you most powerful, the Pandavas are your friends by nature and make them your permanent friends by making peace. O king of kings, you both agree and make peace.
स एवमुक्तः सुहृदा वचो हितं विचिन्त्य निःश्वस्य च दुमनाब्रवीत। न्ममापि विज्ञापयतो वचः शृणु॥
Duryodhana thought for a while when those words were spoken to him by his friends and with sorrowful heart heaving a deep sigh, said-"O friend, you have said your say, now hear what I have got to speak to that.
निहत्य दुःशासनमुक्तवान् वचः प्रसह्य शार्दूलवदेष दुर्मतिः। वृकोदरस्तद्धृदये मम स्थितं न तत् परोक्षं भवतः कुतः शमः॥
The declaration made by this wicked Bhimasena just after he killed Duhshasana in tome like lion roar, is not concealed by you. It is still inflicting pain to my heart. Tell then, how an alliance can be made in such circumstance.
न चापि कर्ण प्रसहेद् रणेऽर्जुनो महागिरि मेरुमिवोगमारुतः। न चाश्वसिष्यन्ति पृथात्मजा मयि प्रसह्य वैरं बहुशो विचिन्त्य॥
As the mighty of the storm is checked by the mountain of Meru so Arjuna won't be able to cope with Karna in battle and the sons of Partha cannot possibly have any confidence in me for the many acts of willful enmity I have done to them.
दुपारमेत्यर्हसि वक्तुमच्युता स्तमेष कर्णः प्रसभं हनिष्यति॥
O you glorious man, O preceptor's son, it is not meet for you to dissuade Karna from fighting, for Phalguna is greatly tired today and Karna will kill him in no time.
तमेवमुक्तवाप्यनुनीय चासकृत् तवात्मजः स्वाननुशास्ति सैनिकान्। विनिघ्नदाभिद्रवताहितान् मम स बाण हस्ताः किमु जोषमासत॥
Saying these words humbly again and again to Drona's son, your son commanded his army, saying-"Armed with shafts proceed against the enemies and kill them; why are you standing inactive?"