धनञ्जय कथं शक्यमस्माभिर्योद्धुमाहवे । धार्तराष्ट्रैर्महाबाहो येषां योद्धा पितामहः
"Dhananjaya, how can we possibly fight in this battle against the Dhartarashtras, whose champion is our grandsire, the mighty-armed Bhishma?"
अक्षोभ्योऽयमभेद्यश्च भीष्मेणामित्रकर्षिणा । कल्पितः शास्त्रदृष्टेन विधिना भूरिवर्चसा
"This formation, devised by Bhishma, the subduer of foes, is unshakable and impenetrable, arranged according to the science and with great skill."
ते वयं संशय्नं प्राप्ताः ससैन्याः शत्रुकर्षण । कथमस्मान्महाव्यूहादुत्थानं नो भविष्यति
"We, along with our army, have fallen into doubt, O subduer of enemies; how will we ever emerge from this great array?"
अथार्जुनोऽब्रवीत्पार्थं युधिष्ठिरममित्रहा । विषण्णमिव संप्रेक्ष्य तव राजन्ननीकिनीम्
Then Arjuna spoke to Yudhishthira, the subduer of foes, seeing him despondent as he looked upon your army, O King.
प्रज्ञयाभ्यधिकाञ्शूरान्गुणयुक्तान्बहूनपि । जयन्त्यल्पतरा येन तन्निबोध विशांपते
"O lord of the people, know this: even those who are fewer in number but endowed with wisdom and virtues can overcome many valiant warriors."
तत्र ते कारणं राजन्प्रवक्ष्याम्यनसूयवे । नारदस्तमृषिर्वेद भीष्मद्रोणौ च पाण्डव
"O King, I will tell you the reason for this, without envy; the sage Narada knows it, as do Bhishma and Drona, O Pandava."
एनमेवार्थमाश्रित्य युद्धे देवासुरेऽब्रवीत्। पितामहः किल पुरा महेन्द्रादीन्दिवौकसः
"Relying on this very principle, the grandsire once spoke to the gods, including Indra, during the battle between the gods and the asuras."
न तथा बलवीर्याभ्यां जयन्ति विजिगीषवः । यथा सत्यानृशंस्याभ्यां धर्मेणैवोद्यमेन च
"Those who seek victory do not prevail so much by strength and valor as they do by truth, compassion, righteousness, and effort."
त्वक्त्वाऽधर्मं तथा सर्वे धर्मं चोत्तममास्थिताः । युध्यध्वमतहंकारा यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः
Having abandoned unrighteousness, all have taken up the highest righteousness; fight without arrogance, for where there is righteousness, there is victory.
एवं राजन्विजानीहि ध्रुवोऽस्माकं रणे जयः। यथा तु नारदः प्राह यतः कृष्णस्ततो जयः
Thus, O King, know for certain that victory in battle is ours; just as Nārada has said: where Krishna is, there is victory.
गुणभूतो जयः कृष्णे पृष्ठतोऽभ्येति माधवम् । तद्यथा विजयश्चास्य सन्नतिश्चापरो गुणः
Victory, being a quality, follows Krishna, Madhava; just as success is his, so too is humility another of his virtues.
अनन्ततेजा गोविन्दः शत्रुपूगेषु निर्व्यथः। पुरुषः सनातनमयो यतः कृष्णस्ततो जयः
Govinda, of infinite energy, is unshaken among hosts of enemies; he is the eternal person, and where Krishna is, there is victory.
पुरा ह्येष हरिर्भूत्वा विकुण्ठोऽकुण्ठसायकः। सुरासुरानवस्फूर्जन्नब्रवीत्के जयन्त्विति
Long ago, this Hari, having become Viṣṇu, the unwearied archer, thundered among gods and demons, saying: 'Let those who follow me be victorious.'
अनु कृष्णं जयेमेति यैरुक्तं तत्र तैर्जितम् । तत्प्रसादाद्धि त्रैलोक्यं प्राप्तं शक्रादिभिः सुरैः
Those who declared, 'We shall conquer with Krishna,' they indeed were victorious there; by his grace, the gods led by Indra obtained the three worlds.
तस्य ते न व्यथां कांचिदिह पश्यामि भारत । यस्य ते यजमाशास्ते विश्वभुक् त्रिदिवेश्वरः
For you, O Bhārata, I see no cause for any anxiety here, since your priest is the lord of the three worlds, the all-consuming ruler of heaven.
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा स्वां सेनां समचोदयत् । प्रतिव्यूहन्ननीकानि भीष्मस्य भरतर्षभ
Then King Yudhishthira urged his army forward, arranging his divisions in opposition to Bhishma's, O best of the Bharatas.
यथोद्दिष्टान्यनीकानि प्रत्यव्यूहन्त पाण्डवाःक । स्वर्गं परममिच्छन्तः सुयुद्धेन कुरूद्वहाः
The Pandavas arrayed their divisions as prescribed, desiring the highest heaven through noble battle, O best of the Kurus.
मध्ये शिखण्डिनोऽनीकं रक्षितं सव्यसाचिना । धृष्टद्युम्नश्चरन्नग्रे भीमसेनेन पालितः
In the center was Shikhandin's division, protected by Savyasācin; Dhṛṣṭadyumna moved at the front, guarded by Bhīmasena.
अनीकं दक्षिणं राजन्युयुधानेन पालितम् । श्रीमता सात्वताग्र्येण शक्रेणेव धनुष्मता
The right wing was guarded by the royal Yuyudhāna, foremost among the Sātvatas, resplendent like Indra, the wielder of the bow.
महेन्द्रयानप्रतिमं रथं तु सोपस्करं हाटकरत्नचित्रम्। युधिष्ठिरः काञ्चनभाण्डयोक्रं समास्थितो नागबलस्य मध्ये
Yudhishthira, seated in the midst of the elephant division, mounted a chariot adorned with gold and gems, equipped with all weapons, shining like the car of Mahendra and furnished with golden fittings.
समुच्छ्रितं दन्तशलाकमस्य सुपाण्डुरं छत्रमतीव भाति। प्रदक्षिणं चैनमुपाचरन्त महर्षयः संस्तुतिभिर्महेन्द्रम्
His pure white, lofty umbrella with ivory handle shone brilliantly; great sages, praising him with hymns, circumambulated him as they would Indra.
पुरोहिताः शत्रुवधं वदन्तो ब्रह्मर्षिसिद्धाः श्रुतवन्त एनम् । जप्यैश्च मन्त्रैश्च महौषधीभिः समन्ततः स्वस्त्ययनं ब्रुवन्तः
Priests, proclaiming the destruction of enemies, and learned Brahmarshi-siddhas surrounded him, uttering blessings for victory with chants, mantras, and potent herbs.
ततः स वस्त्राणि तथैव गाश्च फलानि पुष्पाणि तथैव निष्कान् । कुरूत्तमो ब्राह्मणसान्महात्मा कुर्वन्ययौ शक्र इवामरेशः
Then that great-souled best of Kurus, like Indra among the immortals, distributed garments, cows, fruits, flowers, and gold to the Brahmanas.
सहस्रसूर्यः शतकिङ्किणीकः परार्ध्यजाम्बूनदहेमचित्रः। रथोऽर्जुनस्याग्निरिवार्चिमाली विभ्राजते श्वेतहयः सुचक्रः
Arjuna's chariot, adorned with a thousand golden bells and costly Jambunada gold, radiant as fire with white horses and perfect wheels, shone brilliantly.
तमास्थितः केशवसंगृहीतं कपिध्वजो गाण्डिवबाणपाणिः। धनुर्धरो यस्य समः पृथिव्यां न विद्यते नो भविता कदाचित्
Upon that chariot, held by Keshava, stood the monkey-bannered Arjuna, Gandiva and arrows in hand; on earth, there is none equal to him in archery, nor will there ever be.
उद्धर्तयिष्यंस्तव पुत्रसेना- मतीव रौद्रं स बिभर्ति रूपम् । अनायुधो यः सुभुजो भुजाभ्यां नराश्वनागान्युधि भस्म कुर्यात्
He, bearing a most terrible form, is about to destroy your son's army; though unarmed, with his mighty arms alone, he could turn men, horses, and elephants to ashes in battle.
स भीमसेनः सहितो यमाभ्यां वृकोदरो वीररथस्य गोप्ता । तं तत्र सिंहर्षभमत्तखेलं लोके महेन्द्रप्रतिमानकल्पम्
Bhimasena, together with the sons of Yama, the wolf-bellied one, stood as the protector of the heroic chariot; there, like a lion or a proud bull in playful motion, he appeared in the world, resembling mighty Indra himself.
समीक्ष्य सेनाग्रगतं दुरासदं संविव्यथुः पङ्कगता यथा द्विपाः । वृकोदरं वारणाजदर्पं योधास्त्वदीया भयविग्नसत्त्वाः
Seeing Vrikodara, who was stationed at the front of the army and difficult to approach, your warriors, their courage shaken by fear, were like elephants mired in mud before a lion, for he shattered the pride of the elephant-like warriors.
अनीकमध्ये तिष्ठन्तं राजपुत्रं दुरासदम् । अब्रवीद्भरतश्रेष्ठं गुडाकेशं जनार्दनः
In the midst of the army stood the prince, formidable and hard to face; Janardana spoke to Gudakesha, the best of the Bharatas.
य एष रोषात्प्रतपन्बलस्थो यो नः सेनां सिंह इवेक्षते च। स एष भीष्मः कुरुवंशकेतु- र्येनाहृतास्त्रिशतं वाजिमेधाः
That one, blazing with wrath and standing firm in his strength, who looks upon our army like a lion, is Bhishma, the banner of the Kuru lineage, by whom three hundred horse sacrifices have been performed.