ततो भीष्मं पुरस्कृत्य तव पुत्रो महाबलः । वृतस्तु सर्वसैन्येन प्रायाच्छ्वेतरथं प्रति
Thereupon, your mighty son, surrounded by the entire army and led by Bhishma, advanced toward Shveta's chariot.
मृत्योरास्यमनुप्राप्तं मद्रराजममोचयत् । ततो युद्धं समभवत्तुमुलं रोमहर्षणम्
He rescued the king of Madra, who had come to the very mouth of death; then a fierce and hair-raising battle ensued.
तावकानां परेषां च व्यतिषक्तरथद्विपम् । सौभद्रे भीमसेन च सात्यकौ च महारथे
Chariots and elephants of your forces and the enemy's became entangled, as did the great warriors Subhadra's son, Bhimasena, and Satyaki.
कैकेये च विराटे च धृष्टद्युम्ने च पार्षते । एतेषु नरसिंहेषु चेदिमत्स्येषु चैव ह । ववर्ष शरवर्षाणि कुरुवृद्धः पितामहः
Against the lion-like warriors—the Kaikeyas, Virata, Dhrishtadyumna the son of Prishata, and the princes of Chedi and Matsya—the grandsire Bhishma rained down showers of arrows.
एवं श्वेते महेष्वासे प्राप्ते शल्यरथं प्रति। कुरवः पाण्डवेयाश्च किमकुर्वत सञ्जय
When Shveta, the great archer, reached Shalya's chariot, what did the Kurus and the Pandavas do, O Sanjaya?
भीष्मः शान्तनवः किं वा तन्ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः
Tell me, what did Bhishma, son of Shantanu, do then? I ask you this.
श्वेतं सेनापतिं शूरं पुरस्कृत्य महारथाः । राज्ञो बलं दर्शयन्तस्तव पुत्रस्य भारत
With Shveta, the valiant commander, at their head, the great chariot-warriors displayed the might of your son's army, O Bharata.
शिखण्डिनं पुरस्कृत्य त्रातुमैच्छन्महारथाः । अभ्यवर्तन्त भीष्मस्य रथं हेमपरिष्कृतम्
Desiring to protect Shikhandin, the great chariot-warriors advanced against Bhishma's chariot, which was adorned with gold.
जिघांसन्तं युधांश्रेष्ठं तदासीत्तुमुलं महत् । तत्तेऽहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि महावैशसमच्युत
Intent on slaying the foremost of warriors, a great and tumultuous battle took place; I shall now describe to you that dreadful carnage, O faultless one.
तावकानां परेषां च यथा युद्धमवर्तत । तत्राकरोद्रथोपस्थाञ्शून्याञ्शान्तनवो बहून्
I will tell you how the battle unfolded between your forces and the enemy; there, Shantanu's son made many chariot platforms empty.
तत्राद्भुतं महच्चक्रे शरैरार्च्छद्रथोत्तमान् । समावृणोच्छरैरर्कमर्कतुल्यप्रतापवान्
There, a great and wondrous sight was seen: with his arrows, that mighty one, blazing like the sun, covered the finest chariots, veiling even the sun itself with his shafts.
नुदन्समन्तात्समरे रविरुद्यन्यथा तमः । तेनाजौ प्रेषिता राजञ्शराः शतसहस्रशः
Driving back all around in battle, like the rising sun dispelling darkness, O King, he sent forth hundreds of thousands of arrows in the fight.
क्षत्रियान्तकराः सङ्ख्ये महावेगा महाबलाः । शिरांसि पातयामासुर्वीराणां शतशो रणे
Those arrows, swift and powerful, destroyers of Kshatriyas in the contest, struck down the heads of warriors by the hundreds on the battlefield.
गजान्कण्टकसन्नाहान्वज्रेणेव शिलोच्चयान् । रथा रथेषु संसक्ता व्यदृश्यन्त विशांपते
Elephants clad in armor, like rocky peaks struck by thunderbolts, and chariots entangled with other chariots, were seen, O lord of the people.
एके रथं पर्यवहंस्तुरगाः सतुरंगमम् । युवानं निहतं वीरं लम्बमानं सकार्मुकम्
Some horses drew away a chariot with all its fourfold array, bearing a young, fallen hero, his bow still hanging from him.
उदीर्णाश्च हया राजन्वहनक्तस्तत्रतत्र ह। बद्धस्वङ्गनिषङ्गाश्च विध्वस्तशिरसो हताः
And, O King, horses surged up here and there, carrying their harness and quivers, their heads shattered, slain in the tumult.
शतशः पतिता भूमौ वीरशय्यासु शेरते । परस्पेरण धावन्तः पतिताः पुनरुत्थिताः
Hundreds lay fallen on the ground, resting on beds of heroes; some, running at one another, fell and then rose again.
उत्थाय च प्रधावन्तो द्वन्द्वयुद्धमवाप्नुवन् । पीडिताः पुनरन्योन्यं लुठन्तो रणमूर्धनि
Rising up, they rushed again and engaged in single combat, once more grappling with each other, writhing on the battlefield.
सचापाः सनिषङ्गाश्च जातरूपपरिष्कृताः । विस्रब्धहतवीराश्च शतशः परिपीडिताः
With bows and quivers adorned with gold, hundreds of fearless, slain warriors were pressed down all around.
तेनतेनाभ्यधावन्त विसृजन्तश्च भारत । मत्तो गजः पर्यवर्तद्धयांश्च हतसादिनः
Here and there, they charged at one another, O Bharata, releasing their weapons; a maddened elephant turned about, and horses lost their riders.
सरथा रथिनश्चापि विमृद्गन्तः समन्ततः । स्यान्दनादपतत्कश्चिन्निहतोऽन्येन सायकैः
Charioteers and warriors, with their chariots, were crushed on every side; some fell from their vehicles, struck down by others' arrows.
हतसारथिरप्युच्चैः पपात काष्ठवद्रथः । युध्यमानस्य संग्रामे व्यूढे रजसि चोत्थिते
Even a chariot with its charioteer slain fell loudly like a block of wood, as its warrior fought on in the thick of battle and the dust rose high.
धनुःकूजितविज्ञानं तत्रासीत्प्रतियुद्ध्यतः। गात्रस्पर्शेन योधानां व्यज्ञास्त परिपन्थिनम्
There, the twang of bows revealed those who fought back; by the touch of their bodies, the warriors recognized their foes.
युद्ध्यमानं शरै राजन्सिञ्जिनीध्वजिनीरवात्। अन्योन्यं वीरसंशब्दो नाश्रूयत भटैः कृतः
O King, as they fought with arrows, the sound of bowstrings and banners flapping in the wind drowned out the war cries; the shouts of the warriors could not be heard.
शब्दायमाने संग्रामे पटहे कर्णदारिणि। युध्यमानस्य संग्रामे कुर्वतः पौरुषं स्वकम्
As the battle roared and the war drum split the ears, each fought on, displaying his own valor in the midst of the struggle.
नाश्रौषं नामगोत्राणि कीर्तनं च परस्परम् । भीष्मचापच्युतैर्बाणैरार्तानां युध्यतां मृधे
I could not hear names, lineages, or mutual praise among them, as the arrows loosed from Bhishma's bow tormented those fighting in the fray.
परस्परेषां वीराणां मनांसि समकम्पयन् । तस्मिन्नत्याकुले युद्धे दारुणे रोमहर्षणे
The hearts of those heroes trembled at one another in that exceedingly tumultuous, dreadful, and hair-raising battle.
पिता पुत्रं च समरे नाभिजानाति कश्चन । चक्रे भग्ने युगे च्छिन्ने एकधुर्ये हये हतः
In that chaos, with wheels broken, yokes shattered, and single horses slain, no one in battle could recognize father or son.
आक्षिप्तः स्यन्दनाद्वीरः समारथिरजिह्मगैः। एवं च समरे सर्वे वीराश्च विरथीकृताः
The hero, thrown from his chariot, along with his charioteer and swift horses, and thus, in the battle, all the warriors were made chariotless.
तेन तेन स्म दृश्यन्ते धावमानाः समंततः । गजो हतः शिरश्छिन्नं मर्म भिन्नं हयो हतः
Here and there, they were seen running in all directions: an elephant slain, a horse killed with its head severed or vital parts pierced.