मध्यन्दिने यथाऽऽदित्यं तपन्तमिव तेजसा। न शेकुः पाण्डवेयस्य योधा भीष्मं निरीक्षितुम्
At midday, as the sun blazes with heat, the warriors of the Pāṇḍava side could not bear to look upon Bhīṣma's radiance.
वीक्षांचक्रुः समंतात्ते पाण्डवा भयपीडिताः । त्रातारं नाध्यगच्छन्त गावः शीतार्दिता इव
The Pāṇḍavas, afflicted by fear, looked around in all directions, but found no protector, like cows suffering from cold.
सा तु यौधिष्ठिरी सेना गाङ्गेयशरपीडिता । सिंहेनेव विनिर्भिन्ना शुक्ला गौरिव गोपतेः
That army of Yudhishthira, afflicted by Bhishma's arrows, was torn apart like a white cow of the herdsman by a lion.
हते विप्रुद्रुते सैन्ये निरुत्साहे विमर्दिते। हाहाकारो महानासीत्पाण्डुसैन्येषु भारत
When the army was slain, scattered, dispirited, and crushed, a great cry of lament arose among the Pandava forces, O Bharata.
ततो भीष्मः शान्तनवो नित्यं मण्डलकार्मुकः । मुमोच बाणान्दीप्ताग्रानहीनाशीविषानिव
Then Bhishma, son of Shantanu, ever wielding his circular bow, released arrows with blazing tips, like venomous serpents.
शरैरेकायनीकुर्वन्दिशः सर्वा यतव्रतः। जघान पाण्डवरथानादिश्यादिश्य भारत
With his arrows making all directions one, that disciplined warrior struck the Pandava chariots again and again, O Bharata.
ततः सैन्येषु भग्नेषु मथितेषु च सर्वशः । प्राप्ते चास्तं दिनकरे न प्राज्ञायत किंचन
Then, with the armies broken and thoroughly crushed, and as the sun was setting, nothing could be distinguished any longer.
भीष्मं च समुदीर्यन्तं दृष्ट्वा पार्था महाहवे । अवहारमकुर्वन्त सैन्यानां भरतर्षभ
Seeing Bhishma advancing in that great battle, the Pandavas withdrew their troops, O bull among the Bharatas.
कृतेऽवहारे सैन्यानां प्रथमे भरतर्षभ । भीष्मे च युद्धसंरब्धे हृष्टे दुर्योधने तथा
When the withdrawal of the armies was made for the first time, O bull among the Bharatas, and Bhishma was eager for battle, Duryodhana was also delighted.
धर्मराजस्ततस्तूर्णमभिगम्य जनार्दनम् । भ्रातृभिः सहितः सर्वैः सर्वैश्चैव जनेश्वरैः
Then King Yudhishthira quickly approached Janardana, together with all his brothers and all the lords of men.
शुचा परमया युक्तश्चिन्तयानः पराजयम्। वार्ष्णेयमब्रवीद्रजान्दृष्ट्वा भीष्मस्य विक्रमम्
Overcome with deep sorrow and reflecting on defeat, he spoke to Krishna, having witnessed Bhishma's valor.
कृष्ण पश्य महेष्वासं भीष्मं भीमपराक्रमम् । शरैर्दहन्तं सैन्यं मे ग्रीष्मे कक्षमिवानलम्
Krishna, look at Bhishma, the great archer, with the might of Bhima, burning my army with his arrows like fire scorches dry grass in summer.
कथमेनं महात्मानं शक्ष्यामः प्रतिवीक्षितुम् । लेलिह्यमानं सैन्यं मे हविष्मन्तमिवानलम्
How shall we withstand this great soul, who devours my army like fire consuming an offering?
एतं हि पुरुषव्याघ्रं धनुष्मन्तं महाबलम् । दृष्ट्वा विप्रद्रुर्त सैन्यं समरे मार्गणाहतम्
Seeing this tiger among men, armed with bow and of great strength, the army, struck by his arrows in battle, has been scattered and routed.
शक्यो जेतुं यमः क्रुद्धो वज्रपाणिश्च संयुगे । वरुणः पाशभृद्वापि कुबेरो वा गदाधरः
Even Yama in anger, or Indra with his thunderbolt, or Varuna with his noose, or Kubera with his mace, could be overcome in battle.
न तु भीष्मो महाजेताः शक्यो जेतुं महाबलः । सोऽहमेवं गते मग्नो भीष्मागाधजलेऽप्लुवे
But Bhishma, the mighty conqueror, cannot be vanquished; so, in this situation, I am sunk, unable to cross the deep waters of Bhishma.
आत्मनो बुद्धिदौर्बल्याद्भीष्ममासाद्य केशव । वनं यात्सामि वार्ष्णेय श्रेयो मे तत्र जीवितुम्
Because of my own weakness of judgment, O Keshava, having encountered Bhishma, I should go to the forest, O descendant of Vrishni; it would be better for me to live there.
न त्वेतान्पृथिवीपालान्दातुं भीष्माय मृत्यवे । क्षपयिष्यति सेनां मे कृष्ण भीष्मो महास्त्रवित्
But I cannot give these lords of the earth to Bhishma for death; Krishna, Bhishma, master of weapons, will destroy my army.
यथाऽनलं प्रज्वलितं पतङ्गाः समभिद्रुताः । विनाशायोपगच्छन्ति तथा मे सनिको जनः
Just as moths rush into blazing fire to their destruction, so too my troops, with their leaders, approach their end.
क्षयं नीतोऽस्मि वार्ष्णेय राज्यहेतोः पराक्रमी । भ्रातश्चैव मे वीराः कर्शिताः शरपीडिताः
I have been brought to ruin, O descendant of Vrishni, striving for the sake of the kingdom; and my heroic brothers have been tormented by arrows.
मत्कृते भ्रातृहार्देन राज्याद्भ्रष्टास्तथा सुखात्। जीवितं बहुमन्येऽहं जीवितं ह्यद्य दुर्लभम्
For my sake, deprived of the kingdom and happiness by the grief of a brother's death, I now consider life to be of great value—indeed, today life is hard to obtain.
जीवितस्य च शेषेण तपस्तप्स्यामि दुश्चरम् । न घातयिष्यामि रणे मित्राणीमानि केशव
With what remains of my life, I shall undertake severe austerities, O Keśava; I will not slay these friends of mine in battle.
रथान्मे बहुसाहस्रान्दिव्यैरस्त्रैर्महाबलः । घातयत्यनिशं भीष्मः प्रवराणां प्रहारिणाम्
Bhīṣma, mighty and armed with celestial weapons, destroys by night countless thousands of my chariots, the foremost of warriors.
किं नु कृत्वा हितं मे स्याद्ब्रूहि माधव माचिरम् । मध्यस्थमिव पश्यामि समरे सव्यसाचिनम्
What should I do that would be beneficial for me? Tell me without delay, Mādhava. In battle, I see Savyasācin standing as if neutral.
एको भीमः परं शक्त्या युध्यत्येव महाभुजः । केवलं बाहुवीर्येण क्षत्रधर्ममनुस्मरन्
Bhīma alone, of immense arms and supreme strength, continues to fight, relying solely on the might of his arms and remembering the duty of a kṣatriya.
गदया वीरघातिन्या यथोत्साहं महामनाः । करोत्यसुकरं कर्म रथाश्वनरपङ्क्तिषु
With his heroic, deadly mace, that great-hearted one performs difficult deeds among the lines of chariots, horses, and men, as his enthusiasm allows.
नालमेष क्षयं कर्तुं परसैन्यस्य मारिष । आर्जवेनैव युद्धेन वीर वर्षशतैरपि
Yet, O Māriṣa, he alone is not able to destroy the enemy army, even with straightforward combat, not even in a hundred years.
एकोऽस्त्रवित्सखा तेऽयं सोऽप्यस्मान्समुपेक्षते । निर्दह्यमानान्भीष्मेण द्रोणेन च महात्मना
This one, your friend, is the only master of weapons, and even he overlooks us as we are being consumed by Bhīṣma and the great-souled Droṇa.
दिव्यान्यस्त्राणि भीष्मस्य द्रोणस्य च महात्मनः । धक्ष्यन्ति क्षत्रियान्सर्वान्प्रयुक्तानि पुनः पुनः
The divine weapons of Bhīṣma and the great-souled Droṇa will burn up all the kṣatriyas, being employed again and again.
कृष्ण भीष्मः सुसंरब्धः सहितः सर्वपार्थिवैः । क्षपयिष्यति नो नूनं यादृशोऽस्य पराक्रमः
O Kṛṣṇa, Bhīṣma, greatly enraged and supported by all the kings, will surely destroy us, such is his prowess.