रथिसिंहमनाधृष्यं जिगीषन्तं परान्रणे। अभ्यधावत्तदैवोग्रो ज्यां विकर्षन्धनञ्जयः
Then Dhanañjaya, fierce as fate, drawing his bowstring, rushed at the unconquerable lion among charioteers, eager to defeat his foes in battle.
दुःशासनोऽभ्ययात्तूर्णमर्जुनं भरतर्षभः
Duḥśāsana, the bull among the Bharatas, swiftly advanced against Arjuna.
अन्येऽपि चित्राभरणा युवानो मृष्टकुण्डलाः । अभ्ययुर्भीमधन्वानो मौवी पर्यस्य बाहुभिः
Other young warriors too, adorned with brilliant ornaments and polished earrings, mighty archers from the Matsya land, came forward, flexing their arms.
दुःशासनो विकर्णश्च वृषसेनो विविशतिः। अभीता भीमधन्वानं पाण्डवं पर्यवारयन्
Duḥśāsana, Vikarṇa, Vṛṣasena, and Viviṃśati, unafraid, surrounded the mighty-armed Pāṇḍava.
तस्य दुःशासनः षष्टिं वामपार्श्वे समार्पयत्। अस्यतः प्रतिसन्धाय कुन्तीपुत्रस्य धीमतः
Duḥśāsana then aimed sixty arrows at the wise son of Kuntī, striking him on his left side as he drew his bow.
पुनश्चैव स भल्लेन विद्ध्वा वैराटिमुत्तरम् । द्वितीयेनार्जुनं वीरं प्रत्यविध्यत्स्तनान्तरे
Again, with a broad-headed arrow, he struck Uttara, the prince of Virāṭa, and with a second, pierced the heroic Arjuna in the chest.
तस्य जिष्णुरुदावृत्य क्षुरधारेण कार्मुकम्। प्राकृन्तद्गृध्रपत्रेण जातरूपपरिष्कृतम्
Jiṣṇu (Arjuna), turning aside, cut down his bow with a razor-sharp arrow, feathered with vulture wings and adorned with gold.
अथैनं पञ्चभिर्बाणैः प्रत्यविध्यत्स्तनान्तरे। सोपयातो रथोपस्थात्पार्थबाणाभिपीडितः
Then, with five arrows, he struck him in the chest; wounded by Pārtha's arrows, he withdrew from the chariot platform.
सर्वा दिशश्चाभ्यपतद्बीभत्सुरपाराजितः। तं विकर्णः शरैस्तीक्ष्णैर्गृध्रपक्षैः शिलाशितैः। विव्याध परवीरध्नमर्जुनं धृतराष्ट्रजः
Unconquered Bhīmasena advanced in all directions, but then Vikarṇa, son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, struck Arjuna, the destroyer of enemy heroes, with sharp arrows tipped like vulture feathers and whetted on stone.
ततस्तमपि कौन्तेयः शरेण नतपर्वणा । ललाटेऽभ्यहनद्गाढं स विद्धः प्राद्रवद्भयात्
Then the son of Kuntī, with a well-jointed arrow, struck him hard on the forehead; wounded, he fled in fear.
ततः पार्थमुपाद्रुत्य दुस्सहः सविविंशतिः। अवाकिरच्छरैस्तीक्ष्णैः परीप्सन्भ्रातरं रणे
After that, Dussaha and Vivimśati rushed at Pārtha, showering him with sharp arrows, seeking to aid their brother in battle.
तावुभौ गृध्रपत्राभ्यां निशिताभ्यां धनञ्जयः। विव्याध युगपद्व्यग्रस्तयोर्वाहानसूदयत्
Dhanañjaya struck both of them at once with two sharp, vulture-feathered arrows, and in his agitation, killed their horses.
तौ हताश्वौ तु विद्धाङ्गौ धृतराष्ट्रात्मजावुभौ । अभिपत्य रथैरन्यैरपनीतौ पदानुगैः
Both sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, wounded and deprived of their horses, were taken away from the field by other chariots and their attendants.
व्यद्रावयदशेषांश्च धृतराष्ट्रसुतांस्तदा । विद्राव्य च रणे पार्थो रणभूमिं व्यराजयत्
Then Pārtha routed all the remaining sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and, having scattered them in battle, shone resplendent on the field.
किरीटमाली कौन्तेयो लब्धलक्षः प्रतापवान् । पातयन्नुत्तमाङ्गानि बाहूश्च परिघोपमान्
The son of Kuntī, crowned and garlanded, of sure aim and great prowess, struck down noble heads and arms strong as iron clubs.
अशेरत महावीराः शतशो रुक्ममालिनः
Hundreds of mighty warriors, adorned with golden garlands, fought on.
कमलदिनकरेन्दुसन्निभैः सितदशनैः सुमुखाक्षिनासिकैः। रुचिरमकरकुण्डलैर्मही पुरुषशिरोभिरथास्तृता बभौ
The earth was strewn with human heads—fair-faced, with white teeth, lovely eyes and noses, resembling lotuses, the sun, or the moon, and adorned with shining earrings shaped like makaras—making the field radiant.
सुनसं चारुदीप्ताश्चं क्लृप्तश्मश्रु स्वलंकृतम् । अदृश्यत शिरश्छिन्नमनेकं हेमकुण्डलम्
Many severed heads were seen, with fine noses, beautiful and radiant, bearded and well-adorned, wearing golden earrings.
एवं तत्प्रहतं सैन्यं समन्तात्प्रद्रुतं भयात्
Thus, the army was struck and fled in all directions out of fear.
अथ दुर्योधनः कर्णः सौबलः शकुनिस्तदा। द्रोणश्च द्रोणपुत्रश्च कृपश्चातिरथो रणे
Then Duryodhana, Karṇa, Saubala Śakuni, Droṇa, Droṇa's son, and Kṛpa, the mighty chariot-warrior, gathered together.
सहिता विजयं तत्र योधयन्तो महारथाः। विष्फारयन्तश्चापानि बलवन्ति महाबलाः
These great chariot-warriors, united, fought for victory, drawing their powerful bows with great strength.
ततः कीर्णपताकेन रथेनादित्यवर्चसा। पुनरावृत्य मार्गस्थं ददृशुर्वानरध्वजम्
Then, with a chariot adorned with streaming banners and shining like the sun, they saw Arjuna, whose banner bore the monkey, standing in their path.
ते महास्त्रैर्महेष्वासाः परिवार्य धनञ्जयम्। अभ्यवर्षन्सुसंक्रुद्धा महामेघा इवाचलम्
Those great archers, masters of celestial weapons, surrounded Dhanañjaya and, furious, showered him with arrows like great clouds pouring on a mountain.
शरौघान्सम्यगस्यन्तो जीमूता इव शारदाः । युद्धे तस्थुर्महावीर्याः प्रतपन्तः किरीटिनम्
Unleashing torrents of arrows like autumn clouds, those mighty heroes stood firm in battle, pressing hard upon the crowned Arjuna.
इषुभिर्बहुभिस्तूर्णं निशितैर्लोमवापिभिः । अदूरात्प्रत्यवस्थाय पाण्डवं समयोधयन्
Approaching closely, they fought the Pāṇḍava with many swift, sharp, flesh-piercing arrows.
ततः प्रहस्य बीभत्सुस्तमैन्द्रं पञ्चवार्षिकम् । अस्त्रमादित्यसंकाशं गाण्डीवे समयोजयत्
Then, smiling, Bhīmasena fitted to his Gāṇḍīva bow the five-year-old Indra weapon, blazing like the sun.
नाक्षणां न च चक्राणां न रथानां न वाजिनाम् । अङ्गुलाद्दव्यङ्गुलाद्वापि विवृतं प्रत्यदृश्यत
No marks of dice, no wheels, no chariots, nor horses—nothing even the width of a finger or two—could be seen uncovered.
यथा रश्मिभिरादित्यो वृणुते सर्वतो दिशम्। एवं किरीटिना मुक्तं सर्वं प्राच्छादयञ्जगत्
Just as the sun veils all directions with its rays, so too did the diademed one’s arrows cover the entire world.
यथा बलाहके विद्युत्पावको वा शिलोच्चये। तथा गाण्डीवमभवच्चक्राभुधमिवाततम्
As lightning in a cloud or fire on a mountain peak, so did the Gandiva appear, stretched out like a whirling discus.
यथा वर्षति पर्जन्यो विद्युत्पतति पर्वते। विस्फूर्जिता दिशः सर्वा ज्वलद्गाण्डीवमावृणोत्
As when the rain pours from a cloud and lightning strikes a mountain, so did the blazing Gandiva’s crackling fill all directions.