चुक्रुशुर्भैरवं तत्र तस्मिन्युद्ध उपस्थिते।। एवमादिनि घोराणि भौमानि च स्वगानि च
There, as the battle approached, those animals and birds cried out fearfully; such dreadful terrestrial and celestial omens appeared.
औत्पातिकान्यदृश्यन्त सङ्क्रुद्धे शार्ङ्गधन्वनि
Such portents were seen as the wielder of the Sharnga bow became enraged.
ततो विष्फारयन्राजा महच्चैदिपतिर्धनुः। अभियास्यन्हृषीकेशमुवाच मधुसूदनम्
Then the great lord of the Cedis, drawing his mighty bow, approached Hrishikesha and spoke to Madhusudana.
एकस्त्वमसि मे शत्रुस्तत्त्वां हत्वाऽद्य माधव। ततः सागरपर्यन्तां पालयिष्यामि मेदिनीम्
You alone are my enemy; having slain you today, O Madhava, I will rule the earth bounded by the ocean.
द्वैरथं काङ्क्षितं यद्वै तदिदं पर्युपस्थितम्। चिरस्य वत मे दिष्ट्या वासुदेव सह त्वया। अद्य त्वां निहनिष्यामि भीष्मं च सह पाण्डवैः
This long-desired duel has now come to pass; by good fortune, O Vasudeva, I face you today. Now I will slay you, along with Bhishma and the Pandavas.
एवमुक्त्वा स तं बाणैर्निशितैरत्ततेजनैः। विव्याध युधि तीक्ष्णाग्रैश्चेदिराड्यपुङ्गवम्?
Having spoken thus, the Cedi king, best of warriors, struck Krishna in battle with sharp, well-feathered arrows.
कङ्कपत्रच्छदा बाणाश्चेदिराजधनुश्च्युताः। विविशुस्ते तदा कृष्णं भुजङ्गा इव पर्वतम्?
The arrows released from the Cedi king’s bow, with peacock-feathered shafts, entered Krishna like serpents into a mountain.
नाददानस्य चैद्यस्य शरानत्यस्यतोपि वा। दधृशुर्विवरं केचिद्गतिं वायोरिवाम्बरे?
Even as the Cedi king loosed his arrows without pause, none could see any gap or opening, just as one cannot see the path of the wind in the sky.
चेदिराजमहामेधः शरजालाम्बुमांस्तदा। अभ्यवर्षद्धृषीकेशं पयोद इव पर्वतम्?
Then the Cedi king, like a raincloud pouring on a mountain, showered Hrishikesha with a torrent of arrows, forming a dense mass.
ततः शार्ङ्गममित्रघ्नः कृत्वा सशरमच्युतः। आबभाषे महबाहुः सुनीथं परवीरहा
Then Achyuta, the destroyer of foes, stringing the Sharnga bow with arrows, addressed Sunitha, the slayer of enemy heroes, with mighty arms.
अयं त्वं भामकस्तीक्ष्णश्चेदिराज महाशरः। भेत्तुमर्हति वेगेन महाशनिरिवाचलम्
You are fierce and sharp, O Cedi king, wielder of great arrows; you are fit to shatter by force, like a thunderbolt breaking a mountain.
एवं ब्रुवति गोविन्दे ततश्चेदिपतिः पुनः। मुमोच निशितानन्यान्कृष्णं प्रति शरान्बहून्
As Govinda spoke thus, the Cedi king again released many sharp arrows at Krishna.
अथ बाणार्दितः कृष्णः शार्ङ्गमायम्य दीप्तिमान्। मोच निशितान्बाणाञ्छतशोथ सहस्रशः
Then Krishna, struck by arrows, drew the Sharnga bow and released hundreds and thousands of sharp arrows.
ताञ्छरांस्तु स चिच्छेद शरवर्षैस्तु चेदिराट्। षड्भिश्चान्यैर्जघानाशु केशवं चेदिपुङ्गवः
The Cedi king cut down those arrows with a shower of his own, and swiftly struck Keshava with six other arrows.
ततोऽस्रं सहसा कृष्णः प्रमुमोच जगद्गुरुः। अस्त्रेण तन्महाबाहुर्वारयामास चेदिराट्
Then Krishna, the teacher of the world, swiftly released a weapon; with that weapon, the mighty-armed one checked the king of Chedi.
ततः शतसहस्रेण शराणां नतपर्वणाम्। सर्वतः समवाकीर्य शौरिं दामोदरं तदा
Then, with a hundred thousand arrows, all with curved tips, he covered Shauri, Damodara, from every side.
ननाद बलवान्क्रुद्धः शिशुपालः प्रतापवान्। इदं चोवाच संरब्धः केशवं परवीरहा
The powerful and valiant Shishupala, enraged, roared loudly; and, incensed, he spoke these words to Kesava, the slayer of enemy heroes.
अद्याङ्गं मामका बाणा भेत्स्यन्ति तव संयुगे। हत्वा त्वां समुतामात्यं पाण्डवांश्च तरस्विनः
Today, my arrows will pierce your body in battle; after killing you, I will destroy the mighty Pandavas as well.
अनृण्यमद्यय यास्यामि जरासन्धस्य धीमतः। कंसस्य केशिनश्चैव नरकस्य तथैव ह
Today, I will depart free of debt to the wise Jarasandha, to Kamsa, to Keshi, and likewise to Naraka.
इत्युक्त्वा क्रोधताम्राक्षः शिशुपालो जनार्दनम्। अदृश्यं शरवर्षेण सर्वतः स चकार ह
Having spoken thus, Shishupala, his eyes reddened with anger, made Janardana invisible from all sides with a shower of arrows.
ततोऽस्त्रेणैव चान्योन्यं निकृत्य च शरान्बहून्। शरवर्षैस्तदा चैद्यमन्तर्धातुं प्रचक्रमे
Then, with weapons, both struck down many arrows of each other; and with showers of arrows, Chedi began to vanish from sight.
अन्तर्धानगतौ वीरौ शुशुभाते महारथौ। तौ दृष्ट्वा सर्वभूतानि साधुसाध्वित्यपूजयन्
The two mighty warriors, masters of chariots, shone as they moved in and out of visibility; seeing them, all beings praised them, saying 'Excellent, excellent!'
न दृष्टपूर्वमस्माभिर्युद्धमीदृशकं पुरा। ततः कृष्णं जघानाशु शुशुपालस्त्रिभिः शरैः
Never before have we seen such a battle as this; then Shishupala swiftly struck Krishna with three arrows.
कृष्णोऽपि बाणैर्विव्याध सुनीथं पञ्चभिर्युधि। ततः सुनीथं सप्तत्या नाराचैर्दयद्बली
Krishna, in turn, struck Sunitha with five arrows in battle; then the powerful one wounded Sunitha with seventy iron arrows.
ततोऽतिविद्धः कृष्णेन सुनीथः क्रोधमूर्छितः। विव्याध निशितैर्बाणैर्वासुदेवं स्तनान्तरे
Then, pierced excessively by Krishna, Sunitha, overwhelmed by anger, struck Vasudeva in the chest with sharp arrows.
पुनः कृष्णं त्रिभिर्विद्ध्वा ननादावसरे नृपः। तोऽतिदारुणं युद्धं सहसा चक्रतुस्तदा
Again, after wounding Krishna with three arrows, the king roared at the right moment; then, suddenly, they engaged in a most fierce battle.
नौ नखैरिव शार्दूलौ दन्तैरिव महागजौ। दंष्ट्राभिरिव पञ्चास्यौ चरणैरिव कुक्कुटौ
Like two tigers with claws, like two great elephants with tusks, like two five-mouthed serpents with fangs, like two roosters with feet—
दारयेतां शरैस्तीक्ष्णैरन्योन्यं युधि तावुभौ। ततो मुमुचतुः क्रुद्धौ शरवर्षमनुत्तमम्
The two of them tore at each other in battle with sharp arrows; then, enraged, they released an unparalleled shower of arrows.
शरैरेव शराञ्छित्वा तावुभौ पुरुषर्षभौ। चक्रातेऽस्त्रमयं युद्धं घोरं तदतिमानुषम्
Both, best among men, struck down arrows with arrows; they created a dreadful, superhuman battle made entirely of weapons.
आग्नेयमस्त्रं मुमुचे शिशुपालः प्रतापवान्। वारुणास्त्रेण तच्छ्रीघ्रं नाशयामास केशवः
Shishupala, the valiant, released the fire weapon; swiftly, Kesava destroyed it with the water weapon.