ततस्ते दानवास्तत्रयोधवातान्यनेकशः। विकृतस्वररूपाणि भृशं सर्वाण्यचोदयन्
Then the Dānavas there, in countless numbers, unleashed fierce winds of battle, changing their voices and forms in terrifying ways.
तेन शब्देन सहसा समुद्रे पर्वतोपमाः। आप्लवन्त गतैः सत्वैर्मत्स्याः शतसहस्रशः
At that sudden sound, fish by the hundred thousand, as large as mountains, leapt in the sea, fleeing in terror.
ततो निवातकवचाः सर्वेवेगेन भारत। अभ्यद्रवन्मां सहिताः प्रगृहीतायुधा रणे
Then all the Nivātakavacas, O Bhārata, rushed at me together in battle, weapons in hand, with great speed.
आच्छाद्य रथपन्थानमुत्क्रोशन्तो महारथाः। अवृत्य सर्वतस्ते मां शरवर्षैरवाकिरन्
Covering the path of my chariot, those mighty warriors shouted aloud, and from all sides showered me with volleys of arrows.
ततोऽपरे महावीर्याः शूलपट्टसपाणयः। शूलानि च भुशुण्डीश्च मुमुचुर्दानवा मयि
Then others of great valor, holding pikes and sabres, hurled pikes and maces at me, those Dānavas.
सुमहत्तुमुलं वर्षं गदाशक्तिसमाकुलम्। अनिशं सृज्यमानं तैरपतन्मद्रथोपरि
A great and tumultuous rain of maces and spears, ceaselessly cast by them, fell upon my chariot.
अन्ये मामभ्यधावन्त निवातकवचा सुधि। शितशस्त्रायुधा रौद्राः कालरूपाः प्रहारिणः
Other wise Nivātakavacas, fierce and dreadful, armed with sharp weapons, resembling Death itself, charged at me.
तानहं विविधैर्बाणैर्वेगवद्भिरजिह्मगैः। गाण्डीवमुक्तैरभ्यघ्नमेकैकं दशभिर्मृधे
I struck each of them in battle with ten swift, straight-flying arrows, released from the Gāṇḍīva.
ते कृता विमुखाः सर्वे मत्प्रयुक्तैः शिलाशितैः। ततो मातलिना तूर्णं हयास्ते संप्रयोदिताः
All of them were turned back by the stone-tipped arrows I shot; then, Mātali swiftly urged the horses onward.
अथ मार्गान्बहूस्तत्र विचेरुर्वातरंहसः। सुसंयता मातलिना प्रामथ्नन्त दितेःसुतान्
Then, in that place, the well-controlled horses, driven by Mātali, roamed many paths with the speed of the wind, crushing the sons of Diti.
शतं शतास्ते हरयस्तस्मिन्युक्ता महारथे। तदा मातलिना यथ्ता व्यचरन्नल्पका इव
The hundred horses yoked to that great chariot, guided by Mātali, moved about as if they were but a few.
तेषां चरणपातेन रथनेमिस्वनेन च। मम बाणनिपातैश्च हतास्ते शतशोऽसुराः
By the trampling of their hooves, the noise of the chariot wheels, and the fall of my arrows, hundreds of Asuras were slain.
गतासवस्तथैवान्ये दानवाः पाण्डवर्षभ। हतसारथयस्तत्र व्यकृष्यन्त तुरंगमैः
Other Dānavas, O bull of the Pāṇḍavas, their life-breath gone, with their charioteers slain, were dragged away by their horses.
ते दिशो विदिशः सर्वे प्रतिरुध्य प्रहारिणः। अभ्यघ्नन्विविधैः शस्त्रैस्ततो मे व्यथितं मनः
Blocking all the directions and quarters, those assailants attacked me with various weapons; then my mind was troubled.
ततोऽहं मातलेर्वीर्यमद्भुतं समदर्शयम्। अश्वांस्तथा वेगवतो यदयत्नादधारयत्
Then I showed Mātali my own wondrous strength, restraining those swift horses with no effort at all.
ततोऽहं लघुभिश्चित्रैरस्त्रैस्तानसुरान्रणे। चिच्छेद सायुधान्राजञ्छतशोऽथ सहस्रशः
Then, O King, with light and varied weapons, I cut down those armed asuras in battle by the hundreds and thousands.
एवं मे चरतस्तत्र सर्वयत्नेन शत्रुहन्। प्रीतिमानभवद्वीरो मातलिः शक्रसारथिः
Thus, as I moved there with all my might, slaying the enemies, the heroic charioteer Mātali, Indra’s driver, became pleased.
वध्यमानास्ततस्तैस्तु हयैस्तेन रथेन च। अगमन्प्रक्षयं केचिन्न्यवर्तन्त तथाऽपरे
Then, struck down by those horses and that chariot, some of them perished, while others turned back.
स्पर्धमाना इवास्माभिर्निवातकवचा रणे। शरवर्षैः शरार्तं मां महद्भिः प्रत्यवारयन्
The Nivātakavacas, as if competing with us in battle, blocked me, who was afflicted by their great showers of arrows, with torrents of shafts.
शरवेगैर्निहत्याहमस्त्रैः शरविघातिभिः। ज्वलद्भिः परमैः शीघ्रैस्तानविध्यं सहस्रशः
With arrows that countered their missiles, blazing, supreme, and swift, I struck down thousands of them, destroying their arrow attacks.
ततः संपीड्यमानास्ते क्रोधाविष्टा महासुराः। अपीडयन्मां सहिताः शक्तिशूलासिवृष्टिभिः
Then those mighty asuras, overwhelmed and seized by wrath, together assailed me with showers of spears, lances, and swords.
ततोऽहमस्त्रं प्रायुञ्जं गान्धर्वं नाम भारत। दयितं देवराजस् माधवं नाम भारत
Then, O Bhārata, I employed the weapon called Gāndharva, beloved of the king of the gods, O descendant of Bharata.
ततः खङ्गांस्त्रिशूलांश्च तोमरांशच् सहस्रशः। अस्त्रवीर्येण शतधा तैर्मुक्तानहमच्छिदम्
Then, by the power of that weapon, I shattered into hundreds the swords, tridents, and spears released by them in thousands.
छित्त्वा प्रहरणान्येषां ततस्तानपि सर्वशः। प्रत्यविध्यमहं रोषाद्दशभिर्दशभिः शरैः
Having cut down their weapons, I then, in anger, pierced all of them with ten arrows each.
गाण्डीवाद्धि तदा सङ्ख्ये यथा भ्रमरपङ्क्तयः। निष्पतन्ति महाबाणास्तन्मातलिरपूजयत्
From the Gāṇḍīva in that battle, great arrows flew forth like swarms of bees, and Mātali honored them.
तेषामपि तु बाणास्ते बहुत्वाच्छलभा इव। अवाकिरन्मां बलवत्तानहं व्यधमं शरैः
But their arrows, being so many, covered me powerfully like locusts, and I struck them down with my own shafts.
वध्यमानास्ततस्ते तु निवातकवचाः पुनः। शरवर्षैर्महद्भिर्मां समन्तात्पर्यवारयन्
Again, those Nivātakavacas, though being struck down, surrounded me on all sides with great showers of arrows.
शरवेगान्निहत्याहमस्त्रैरस्त्रविघातिभिः। ज्वलद्भिः परमैः शीघ्रैस्तानविध्यं सहस्रशः
With blazing, supreme, and swift arrows that countered their missiles, I struck down thousands of them, destroying their arrow attacks.
तेषां छिन्नानि गात्राणि विसृजन्तिस्म शोणितम्। प्रावृषीवाभिवृष्टानि शृङ्गाण्यथ धराभृताम्
Their bodies, cut apart, poured forth blood, just as the mountain peaks are drenched during the rains.
इन्द्राशनिसमस्पर्शैर्वेगवद्भिरजिह्मगैः। मद्वाणैर्वध्यमानास्ते समुद्विग्राः स्म दानवाः
Struck by my arrows, which were swift, straight, and sharp as Indra’s thunderbolt, the Dānavas became agitated.