अष्टभिर्नवभिर्भीष्मः शक्तिं चिच्छेद पत्रिभिः । उत्कृष्टहेमविकृतां निकृतां निशितैः शरैः
With eight or nine sharp arrows, Bhishma cut down the spear, adorned with excellent gold, shattering it with keen shafts.
उच्चुक्रुशुस्ततः सर्वे तावका भरतर्षभ । शक्तिं विनिहतां दृष्ट्वा वैराटिः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः
Then all your men cried aloud, O bull among the Bharatas, seeing the spear destroyed; but the son of Virata was overcome with wrath.
कालोपहतचेतास्तु कर्तवक्यं नाभ्यजानत। क्रोधसंमूर्च्छितो राजन्वैराटिः प्रहसन्निव
Their minds overpowered by fate, they did not heed the words of command; possessed by furious anger, the son of Virata seemed to laugh.
गदां जग्राह संहृष्टो भीष्मस्य निधनं प्रति। क्रोधेन रक्तनयनो दण्डपाणिरिवान्तकः
Exulting, he seized a mace, intent on Bhishma’s destruction; his eyes red with rage, like Death himself bearing a staff.
भीष्मं समिदुद्राव जलौघ इव पर्वतम्। तस्य वेगमसंवार्यं मत्वा भीष्मः प्रतापवान्
He rushed at Bhishma like a torrent of water toward a mountain; perceiving his irresistible force, the mighty Bhishma—
प्रहारविप्रमोक्षार्थं सहसा धरणींगतः। श्वेतः क्रोधसमाविष्टो भ्रामयित्वा तु तां गदाम्
To release a powerful blow, Shweta, seized by wrath, suddenly leapt to the ground, whirling that mace.
रथे भीष्मस्य चिक्षेप यथा देवो धनेश्वरः । तया भीष्मनिपातिन्या स रथो भस्मसात्कृतः
He hurled it at Bhishma’s chariot, as the lord of wealth might cast a weapon; by that mace, as it struck Bhishma, the chariot was reduced to ashes.
सध्वजः सह सूतेन साश्वः सयुगबन्धुरः । विरथं रथिनां श्रेष्ठं भीष्मं दृष्ट्वा रथोत्तमकाः
With its banner, with its charioteer, with its horses and yoke, all together; seeing Bhishma, best of chariot-warriors, deprived of his chariot, the foremost charioteers—
अभ्यधावन्त सहिताः शल्यप्रभृतयो रथाः। ततोऽन्यं रथमास्थाय धनुर्विस्फार्य दुर्मनाः
The chariots led by Shalya advanced together; then, mounting another chariot and stringing his bow, Bhishma, his mind troubled—
शनकैरभ्यायाच्छ्वेतं गाङ्गेयः प्रहसन्निव। एतस्मिन्नन्तरे भीष्मः शुश्राव विपुलां गिरम्
Slowly approached Shweta, the son of Ganga, as if smiling; at that moment, Bhishma heard a mighty voice.
आकाशादीरितां दिव्यामात्मनो हितसंभवाम् । भीष्मभीष्म महाबाहो शीघ्रं यत्नं कुरुष्व वै
From the sky, a divine voice was uttered, arising for your welfare: 'O mighty-armed Bhishma, Bhishma, make haste and exert yourself!'
एष ह्यस्य जये कालो निर्दिष्टो विश्वयोनिना । एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु वचनं देवदूतेन भाषितम्
For this is the time appointed for his defeat by the source of the universe; having heard these words spoken by the divine messenger—
संप्रहृष्टमना भूत्वा वधे तस्य मनो दधे । विरथं रथिनां श्रेष्ठं श्वेतं दृष्ट्वा पदातिनम्
His mind filled with joy, he resolved upon his death, seeing Shweta, the foremost of chariot-warriors, now on foot without his chariot.
सहितास्त्वभ्यवर्तन्त परीप्सन्तो महारथाः । सात्यकिर्भीमसेनश्च धृष्टद्युम्नश्च पार्षतः
Then those great chariot-warriors—Satyaki, Bhimasena, and Dhrishtadyumna, son of Prishata—gathered together, seeking to protect him.
कैकेयो धृष्टकेतुश्च अभिमन्युश्च वीर्यवान्। एतानापततः सर्वान्द्रोणशल्यकृपैः सह
Kaikeyi, Dhrishtaketu, and the valiant Abhimanyu—all these rushed forward together, along with Drona, Shalya, and Kripa.
अवारयदमेयात्मा वारिवेगानिवाचलः । स निरुद्धेषु सर्वेषु पाण्डवेषु महात्मसु
That unconquerable soul blocked them, like a mountain resisting the force of rushing waters; and when all the great-souled Pandavas were thus restrained—
श्वेतः खङ्गमथाकृष्य भीष्मस्य धनुराच्छिनात्। तदपास्य धनुश्छिन्नं त्वरमाणः पितामहः
Shweta, drawing his sword, cut down Bhishma's bow; but discarding his severed bow, the grandsire swiftly—
देवदूतवचः श्रुत्वा वधे तस्य मनो दधे । ततः प्रचरमाणस्तु पिता देवव्रतस्तव
Having heard the words of the divine messenger, fixed his mind on his destruction; then your father, Devavrata, moving about—
अन्यत्कार्मुकमादाय त्वरमाणो महारथः। क्षणेन सज्यमकरोच्छक्रचापसमप्रभम्
That great chariot-warrior, hastily taking up another bow, in a moment strung it, shining like Indra's own bow.
पिता ते भरतश्रेष्ठ श्वेतं दृष्ट्वा महारथैः । वृतं तं मनुजव्याघ्रैर्भीमसेनपुरोगमैःक
Your father, O best of the Bharatas, saw Shweta surrounded by mighty warriors, with Bhimasena at their head.
अभ्यवर्तत गाङ्गेयः श्वेतं सेनापतिं द्रुतम् । आपतन्तं ततो भीष्मो भीमसेनं प्रतापवान्
Then Ganga's son Bhishma swiftly advanced upon Shweta, the commander; and as Bhimasena charged, Bhishma, mighty in valor—
आजघ्ने विशिखैः षष्ट्या सेनान्यं स महारथः । अभिमन्युं च समरे पिता देवव्रतस्तव
That great chariot-warrior struck the general with sixty arrows in battle, and your father Devavrata struck Abhimanyu as well.
आजघ्ने भरतश्रेष्ठस्त्रिभिः सन्नतपर्वभिः । सात्यकिं च शतेनाजौ भरतानां पितामहः
O best of the Bharatas, he struck Satyaki with a hundred arrows in the fight, and your grandsire struck Dhrishtadyumna with three sharp shafts.
धृष्टद्युम्नं च विंशत्या कैकेयं चापि पञ्चभिः । तांश्च सर्वान्महेष्वासान्पिता देवव्रतस्तव
He struck Dhrishtadyumna with twenty arrows, Kaikeyi with five; and your father Devavrata checked all those great bowmen.
वारयित्वा शरैर्घोरैः श्वेतमेवाभिदुद्रुवे। ततः शरं मृत्युसमं भारसाधनमुत्तमम्
Having repelled them all with terrible arrows, he rushed straight at Shweta; then he drew an arrow, equal to death, the foremost burden-lifter.
विकृष्य बलवान्भीष्मः समाधत्त दुरासदम्। ब्रह्मास्त्रेण सुसंयुक्तं तं शरं लोमवाहिनम्
Mighty Bhishma drew it back and set that dreadful arrow, difficult to withstand, well joined with the Brahma weapon, bristling with hair.
ददृशुर्देवगन्धर्वाः पिशाचोरगराक्षसाः । स तस्य कवचं भित्वा हृदयं चामितौजसः
The gods, Gandharvas, Pisachas, Nagas, and Rakshasas beheld it; that arrow, piercing his armor and the heart of the mighty Shweta—
जगाम धरणीं बाणो महाशनिरिव ज्वलन्। अस्तं गच्छन्यथाऽऽदित्यः प्रभाप्रादाय सत्वरः
That arrow fell to the earth like a blazing thunderbolt, swiftly taking away his radiance, as the sun sets, taking away its light.
एवं जीवितमादाय श्वेतदेहाञ्जगाम ह। तं भीष्मेण नरव्याघ्रं तथा विनिहतं युधि
Thus, having taken Śveta's life, Bhīṣma struck him down in battle, O tiger among men.
प्रपतन्तमपश्याम गिरेः शृङ्गमिव च्युतम्। अशोचन्पाण्डवास्तत्र क्षत्रियाश्च महारथाः
We saw him falling, like a mountain peak collapsing; there, the Pāṇḍavas and the great chariot-warriors among the Kṣatriyas grieved.