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.
प्रहृष्टाश्च सुतास्तुभ्यं कुरवश्चापि सर्वशः । ततो दुःशासनो राजञ्श्वेतं दृष्ट्वा निपातितम्
But your sons and all the Kurus rejoiced greatly; then, O King, Duḥśāsana, seeing Śveta struck down—
वादित्रनिनदैर्घोरैर्नृत्यति स्म समंततः । तस्मिन्हते महेष्वासे भीष्मेणाहवशोभिना
—began to dance everywhere to the dreadful sound of musical instruments, when that great archer, Bhīṣma, the glory of battle, had slain him.
प्रावेपन्त महेष्वासाः शिखण्डिप्रमुखा रथाः । ततो धनंजयो राजन्वार्ष्णेयश्चापि सर्वशः
The great archers, with Śikhaṇḍin at their head, trembled; then, O King, Dhanañjaya and all the Vṛṣṇis slowly withdrew.
अवहारं शनैश्चक्रुर्निहते वाहिनीपतौ। ततोऽवहारः सैन्यानां तव तेषां च भारत
With the commander of the army slain, they began to withdraw slowly; then, O Bhārata, both your troops and theirs retreated.
तावकानां परेषां च नर्दतां च मुहुर्मुहुः । पार्था विमनसो भूत्वा न्यवर्तन्त महारथाः । चिन्तयन्तो वधं घोरं द्वैरथेन परंतपाः
Both your men and the enemy, roaring again and again, withdrew; the mighty chariot-warriors, their minds disturbed, turned back, pondering that terrible slaughter in single combat, O subduer of foes.
( श्वेते सेनापतौ तात संग्रमे निहते परैः। किमकुर्वन्महेष्वासाः पाञ्चालाः पाण्डवैः सह
When Śveta, the commander, was slain in battle by the enemy, O father, what did the great archers, the Pāñcālas together with the Pāṇḍavas, do?
सेनापतिं समाकर्ण्य श्वेतं युधि निपातितम् । तदर्थं यततां चापि परेषां प्रपलायिनाम्
Hearing that their commander Śveta had been struck down in battle, and seeing the enemy striving for that purpose and fleeing away—
मनः प्रीणाति मे वाक्यं जयं संजय श्रृण्वतः। प्रत्युपायं चिन्तयन्तः सञ्जनाः प्रस्रवन्ति मे
My mind is pleased, Sañjaya, as I listen to your words of victory; as I hear of their efforts and the enemy's retreat, I consider the countermeasures.
स हि वीरोऽनुरक्तश्च वृद्धः कुरुपतिस्तदा । कृतं वैरं सदा तेन पितुः पुत्रेण धीमता
For that hero, devoted and aged, the lord of the Kurus, always bore enmity because of the wise son of his father.
तस्योद्वेगभयाच्चापि संश्रितः पाण्डवान्पुरा । सर्वं बलं परित्यज्य दुर्गं संश्रित्य तिष्ठति
Out of fear and anxiety from him, he once sought refuge with the Pāṇḍavas, abandoning all his forces and taking shelter in a fortress.