रथानां चक्ररक्षाश्च पादरक्षाश्च दन्तिनाम्। अभवन्वाहिनीमध्ये शतानामयुतानि षट्
The wheel-guards of chariots, foot-guards of elephants, were in the midst of the army, numbering six hundred thousand.
पादाताश्चाग्रतो गच्छन्धनुश्चर्मासिपाणयः । अनेकशतसाहस्रा नखरप्रासयोधिनः
Infantry advanced at the front, holding bows, shields, and swords; countless thousands fought with nails and spears.
अक्षौहिण्यो दशैका च तव पुत्रस्य भारत। अदृश्यत महाराज गङ्गेव यमुनान्तरा
Eleven divisions of your son, O Bharata, were seen, O king, like the Ganges with the Yamuna between them.
अर्क्षांहिणीं दशैकां च व्यूढां दृष्ट्वा युधिष्ठिरः। कथमल्पेन सैन्येन प्रत्यव्यूहत पाण्डवः
Seeing eleven divisions arrayed, Yudhishthira wondered how the Pandava could oppose them with his small army.
यो वेद मानुषं व्यूहं दैवं गान्धर्वमासुरम् । कथं भीष्मं स कौन्तेयः प्रत्ययूहत सञ्जय
He who knows the human, divine, Gandharva, and Asura formations—how did that son of Kunti array his forces against Bhishma, O Sanjaya?
धार्तराष्ट्राण्यनीकानि दृष्ट्वा व्यूढानि पाण्डवः। अभ्यभाषत धर्मात्मा धर्मराजो धनञ्जयम्
Seeing the divisions of the Dhartarashtras arrayed, the righteous king, Dharma-raja, addressed Dhananjaya.
महर्षेर्वचनात्तात वेदयन्ति बृहस्पतेः । संहतान्योधयेदल्पान्कामं विस्तारयेद्बहून्
O dear one, following the words of the great sage Bṛhaspati: unite your forces to attack the few, and, if you wish, spread out against the many.
सूचीमुखमनीकं स्यादल्पानां बहुभिः सह। अस्माकं च तथा सैन्यमल्पीयः सुतरां परैः
The formation for the few should be needle-pointed, facing the many; and so too should our smaller army be arranged, especially against the larger enemy.
एतद्वचनमाज्ञाय महर्षेर्व्यूह पाण्डव । एतच्छ्रुत्वा धर्मराजं प्रत्यभाषत पाण्डवः
Hearing this instruction from the great sage, O Pāṇḍava, arrange the troops; having listened, Dharmarāja spoke to the Pāṇḍava.
एष व्यूहामि ते व्यूहं राजसत्तम दुर्जयम्। अचलं नाम वज्राख्यं विहितं वज्रपाणिना
O best of kings, I will array for you this unconquerable formation, called the 'Immovable' or 'Diamond', established by the wielder of the thunderbolt.
यः स वात इवोद्भूतः समरे दुःसहः परैः। स नः पुरो योत्सयते वै भीमः प्रहरतां वरः
This formation, which rises like the wind and is unbearable for the enemy in battle, will be led at the front by Bhīma, the foremost of fighters.
तेजांसि रिपुसैन्यानां मृद्गन्पुरुषसत्तमः। अग्नेऽग्रणीर्योत्स्यति नो युद्धोपायविचक्षणः
The mighty Bhīma, crusher of enemy forces, will fight at the front for us, like Agni himself, skilled in the arts of war.
यं दृष्ट्वा कुरवः सर्वे दुर्योधनपुरोगमाः। निवर्तिष्यन्ति संत्रस्ताः सिंहं क्षुद्रमृगा यथा
Seeing him, all the Kurus, with Duryodhana at their head, will turn back in fear, just as small animals flee from a lion.
तं सर्वे संश्रयिष्यामः प्राकारमकुतोभयाः । भीमं प्रहरतां श्रेष्ठं देवाराजमिवामराः
We shall all take refuge in him, our unassailable rampart—Bhīma, best among warriors—just as the gods rely on their king.
न हि सोऽस्ति पुमाँल्लोके यः संक्रुद्धं वृकोदरम्। द्रष्टुमत्युग्रकर्माणं विषहेत नरर्षभम्
For there is no man in this world who, seeing the enraged Vṛkodara, fierce in action and a bull among men, could withstand him.
भीमसेनो गदां बिभ्रद्वज्रसारमयीं दृढाम् । चरन्वेगेन महता समुद्रमपि शोषयेत्
Bhīmasena, wielding his mighty, adamantine mace, could, with his great speed, even dry up the ocean.
भीमसेनं तदा राजन्दर्शयस्व महाबलम् । केकया धृष्टकेतुश्च चेकितानश्च वीर्यवान्
O King, display mighty Bhīmasena there; let Kekaya, Dhṛṣṭaketu, and the valiant Cekitāna be shown as well.
एते गच्छन्तु सामात्याः प्रकर्षन्तो जनाधिप । धृतराष्ट्रस्य दायादानिति बीभत्सुरब्रवीत्
Let these kings, with their ministers, advance, drawing forth the heirs of Dhṛtarāṣṭra—so spoke Bhīmasena.
ब्रुवाणं तु तथा पार्थं सर्वसैन्यानि भारत । अपूजयंस्तदा वाग्भिरनुकूलाभिराहवे
As Pārtha spoke thus, O Bhārata, all the armies honored him with words of praise suited to the battlefield.
एवमुक्त्वा महाबाहुस्तथा चक्रे धनञ्जयः। व्यूह्य तानि बलान्याशु प्रययौ फल्गुनस्तथा
Having spoken thus, the mighty-armed Dhanañjaya arranged the forces accordingly and swiftly set out, as did Phalguna.
संप्रयातान्कुरून्दृष्ट्वा पाण्डंवानां महाचमूः। गङ्गेव पूर्णा स्तिमिता स्पन्दमाना व्यदृश्यत
Seeing the Kuru forces advancing, the great army of the Pāṇḍavas appeared like the full, still, yet surging Ganges.
भीमसेनोऽग्रणीस्तेषां धृष्टद्युम्नश्च वीर्यवान् । नकुलः सहदेवश्च धृष्टकेतुश्च पार्थिवः
Bhīmasena led them, along with the valiant Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Nakula, Sahadeva, and King Dhṛṣṭaketu.
विराटश्च ततः पश्चाद्राजाथाक्षौहिणीवृतः । भ्रातृभिः सह पुत्रैश्च सोऽभ्यरक्षत पृष्ठतः
Then King Virāṭa, surrounded by his division, protected the rear, together with his brothers and sons.
चक्ररक्षौ तु भीमस्य माद्रीपुत्रौ महाद्युती। द्रौपदेयाः ससौभद्राः पृष्ठगोपास्तरस्विनः
The sons of Mādrī, resplendent, guarded Bhīma's flanks; the sons of Draupadī, with Saubhadra, swiftly protected the rear.
धृष्टद्युम्नश्च पाञ्चाल्यस्तेषां गोप्ता महारथः । सहितः पृतनाशूरैः रथमुख्यैः प्रभद्रकैः
Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the son of Drupada, that great chariot-warrior, was the protector of those troops, accompanied by valiant warriors, foremost among charioteers, and the distinguished Prabhadrakas.
शिखण्डी तु ततः पश्चादर्जुनेनाभिरक्षितः। यत्तो भीष्मविनाशाय प्रययौ भरतर्षभ
Then Śikhaṇḍin, protected by Arjuna, advanced with determination, O bull among the Bharatas, intent on the destruction of Bhīṣma.
पृष्ठतोऽप्यर्जुनस्यासीद्युयुधानो महाबलः । चक्ररक्षौ तु पाञ्चाल्यौ युधामन्यूत्तमोजसौ
Behind Arjuna stood Yuyudhāna of great strength; and the two Pāñcālas, Yudhāmanyu and Uttamaujas, guarded the wheels of his chariot.
राजा तु मध्यमानीके कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः । बृहद्भीः कुञ्जरैर्मत्तैश्चलद्भिरचलैरिव
In the center of the formation was King Yudhiṣṭhira, son of Kuntī, surrounded by mighty elephants, moving and roaring like mountains.
अक्षौहिण्याथ पाञ्चाल्यो यज्ञसेनो महामनाः । विराटमन्वयात्पश्चात्पाण्डवार्थं पराक्रमी
Then the noble-minded Pāñcāla, Yajñasena, with his division, followed the valiant Virāṭa from behind, striving for the cause of the Pāṇḍavas.
तेषामादित्यचन्द्राभाः कनकोत्तमभूषणाः । नानाचिह्नधरा राजन्रथेष्वासन्महाध्वजाः
Among them, O King, were great banners on the chariots, shining like the sun and moon, adorned with the finest gold and bearing various emblems.