अप्यग्निं प्रविशेयुस्ते समुद्रं वा परन्तप। मदर्थं पार्थिवाः सर्वे तद्विद्धि कुरुसत्तम
All these kings, O scorcher of foes, would enter fire or the ocean for my sake; know this, O best of Kurus.
उन्मत्तमिव चापि त्वां प्रहसन्तीह दुःखितम्। विलपन्तं बहुविधं भीतं परविकत्थने
Here, they mock you as if you were mad, seeing you distressed, lamenting in many ways, and afraid, boasting of the enemy.
एषां ह्येकैकशो राज्ञां समर्थं पाण्डवान्प्रति । आत्मानं मन्यते सर्वो व्येतु ते भयमागतम्
Each one of these kings considers himself capable, alone, of overcoming the Pandavas; let your fear that has arisen depart.
जेतुं समग्रां सेनां मे वासवोऽपि न शक्नुयात्। हन्तुमक्षय्यरूपेयं ब्रह्मणोऽपि स्वयंभुवः
Even Vasava could not defeat my entire army; this force is inexhaustible, not even the self-born Brahma could destroy it.
युधिष्ठिरः पुरं हित्वा पञ्चग्रामान्स याचते। भीतो हि मामकात्सैन्यात्प्रभावाच्चैव मे विभो
Yudhishthira, abandoning his city, now begs for just five villages; he is afraid of my army and my power, O mighty one.
समर्थं मन्यसे यच्च कुन्तीपुत्रं वृकोदरम्। तन्मिथ्या न हि मे कृत्स्नं प्रभावं वेत्सि भारत
You think Kunti's son Bhima is capable, but that is false; you do not fully know my strength, O Bharata.
मत्समो हि गदायुद्धे पृथिव्यां नास्ति कश्चन। नासीत्कश्चिदतिक्रान्तो भविता न च कश्चन
There is no one on earth equal to me in mace-fighting; there never was, nor will there ever be, anyone who surpasses me.
युक्तो दुःखोषितश्चाहं विद्यापारगतस्तथा। तस्मान्न भीमान्नान्येभ्यो भयं मे विद्यते क्वचित्
I am skilled, hardened by hardship, and accomplished in knowledge; therefore, I have no fear of Bhima or any others, anywhere.
दुर्योधनसमो नास्ति गदायामिति निश्चयः। सङ्कर्षणस्य भवने यत्तदैनमुपावसम्
It is certain that there is no one equal to Duryodhana in wielding the mace; what I learned in Sankarshana's house, I have mastered.
युद्धे सङ्कर्षणसमो बलेनाभ्यधिको भुवि। गदाप्रहारं भीमो मे न जातु विषहेद्युधि
In battle, I am equal to Sankarshana and even superior in strength on earth; Bhima could never withstand my mace-blow in combat.
एकं प्रहारं यं दद्यां भीमाय रुषितो नृप। स एवैनं नयोद्धोरः क्षिप्रं वैवस्वतक्षयम्
If, enraged, I were to strike Bhima even once, that very blow would swiftly send him, with his fierce chest, to the abode of Yama.
इच्छेयं च गदाहस्तं राजन्द्रष्टुं वृकोदरम्। सुचिरं प्रार्थितो ह्येष मम नित्यं मनोरथः
O king, I wish to see Vrikodara armed with his mace; for a long time, this has always been my cherished desire.
गदया निहतो ह्याजौ मया पार्थो वृकोदरः । विशीर्णगावः पृथिवीं परासुः प्रपतिष्यति
If, in battle, I strike Vrikodara, the son of Pritha, with my mace, he will fall lifeless to the earth, his limbs shattered.
गदाप्रहाराभिहतो हिमवानपि पर्वतः। सकृन्मया विदीर्येत गिरिः शतसहस्रधा
Even the mountain Himavat, if struck once by my mace, would be shattered into a hundred thousand pieces.
स चाप्येतद्विजानाति वासुदेवार्जुनौ तथा। दुर्योधनसमो नास्ति गदायामिति निश्चयः
And he knows this, as do Vasudeva and Arjuna: there is no one equal to Duryodhana in wielding the mace—this is certain.
तत्ते वृकोदरमयं भयं व्येतु महाहवे। व्यपनेष्याम्यहं ह्येनं मा राजन्विमना भव
Therefore, let your fear of Vrikodara in this great battle be dispelled; I will remove him, so do not be troubled, O king.
तस्मिन्मया हते क्षिप्रमर्जुनं बहवो रथाः । तुल्यरूपा विशिष्टाश्च क्षेप्स्यन्ति भरतर्षभ
Once I have slain him, many chariot-warriors, both equal and superior, will swiftly attack Arjuna, O bull among the Bharatas.
भीष्मो द्रोणः कृपो द्रौणिः कर्णो भूरिश्रवास्तथा । प्राग्ज्योतिषाधिपः शल्यः सिन्धुराजो जयद्रथः
Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Drona’s son, Karna, Bhurishravas, the lord of Pragjyotisha, Shalya, the king of Sindhu, and Jayadratha—
एकैक एषां शक्तस्तु हन्तुं भारत पाण्डवान्। समेतास्तु क्षणेनैतान्नेष्यन्ति यमसादनम्
Each one of these is capable of slaying the Pandavas, O Bharata; united, they will send them to Yama’s abode in a moment.
समग्रा पार्थिवी सेना पार्थमेकं धनञ्जयम्। कस्मादशक्ता निर्जेतुमिति हेतुर्न विद्यते
There is no reason why the entire royal army should be unable to defeat Partha, Dhananjaya, alone.
शरव्रातैस्तु भीष्मेण शतशो निचितोऽवशः। द्रोणद्रौणिकृपैश्चैव गन्ता पार्थो यमक्षयम्
Overwhelmed by Bhishma’s countless volleys of arrows, and by Drona, Drona’s son, and Kripa, Partha will go to Yama’s realm.
पितामहोऽपि गाङ्गेयः शान्तनोरधि भारत। ब्रह्मर्पिसदृशो जज्ञे देवैरपि सुदुःसहः
Even the grandsire Bhishma, son of Shantanu, O Bharata, was born with the radiance of Brahma’s missile, and is insurmountable even for the gods.
न हन्ता विद्यते चापि राजन्भीष्मस्य कश्चन। पित्रा ह्युक्तः प्रसन्नेन नाकामस्त्वं मरिष्यसि
There is no one, O king, who can slay Bhishma; for his father, pleased, declared, 'You will not die against your will.'
ब्रह्मर्षेश्च भरद्वाजाद्द्रोणो द्रोण्यामजायत। द्रोणाज्जज्ञे महाराज द्रौणिश्च परमाश्त्रवित्
Drona was born from the sage Bharadvaja, and Drona’s son, the master of supreme weapons, was born from Drona, O great king.
कृपश्चाचार्यमुख्योयं महर्षेर्गौतमादपि । शरस्तम्बोद्भवः श्रीमानवध्य इति मे मतिः
And Kripa, foremost among teachers, was born from the great sage Gautama; sprung from a clump of arrows, he is glorious and, in my view, invincible.
अयोनिजास्त्रयो ह्येते पिता माता च मातुलः । अश्वत्थाम्नो महारात स च शूरः स्थितो मम
These three—father, mother, and maternal uncle—were not born of a woman’s womb; and Ashvatthaman, O great king, that valiant one, stands with me.
सर्व एते महाराज देवकल्पा महारथाः। शक्रस्यापि व्यथां कुर्युः संयुगे भरतर्षभ
All these, O great king, are mighty warriors, equal to the gods; even Indra would be troubled by them in battle, O bull among the Bharatas.
नैतेषामर्जुनः शक्त एकैकं प्रतिवीक्षितुम्। सहितास्तु नरव्याघ्रा हनिष्यन्ति धनञ्जयम्
Arjuna is not able to face any one of these alone; but united, these tigers among men will slay Dhananjaya.
भीष्माद्रोणकृपाणां च तुल्यः कर्णो मतो मम। अनुज्ञातश्च रामेण मत्समोऽसीति भारत
In my view, Karna is equal to Bhishma, Drona, and Kripa; and, having been permitted by Rama, he considers himself my equal, O Bharata.
कुण्डले रुचिरे चास्तां कर्णस्य सहजे शुभे । ते शच्यर्थं महेन्द्रेण याचितः स परन्तपः
Let Karna's radiant, auspicious earrings, which are his by birth, remain; those were requested by mighty Indra for the sake of Shachi, from that subduer of foes.