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.
स त्वं पश्य महाभाग योगेश्वर महारथम् । भीष्मं यः शमयेत्संख्ये दावाग्निं जलदो यथा
Therefore, O greatly fortunate one, O lord of yoga, behold who among the great chariot-warriors can restrain Bhīṣma in battle, as a raincloud quenches a forest fire.
तव प्रसादाद्गोविन्द पाण्डवा निहतद्विषः । स्वराज्यमनुसंप्राप्ता मोदिष्यन्ते सबान्धवाः
By your grace, Govinda, the Pāṇḍavas, having slain their enemies, will regain their own kingdom and rejoice with their kinsmen.
एवमुक्त्वा ततः पार्थो ध्यान्नास्ते महामनाः । चिरमन्तर्मना भूत्वा शोकोपहतचेतनः
Having spoken thus, Pārtha, of great soul, sat in meditation, his mind long absorbed, his consciousness overcome by grief.
शोकार्तं तमथो ज्ञात्वा दुःखोपहतचेतसम् । अब्रवीत्तत्र गोविन्दो हर्षयन्सर्वपाण्डवान्
Then, knowing him to be afflicted with sorrow and his mind overwhelmed by pain, Govinda spoke there, cheering all the Pāṇḍavas.
माशुचो भरतश्रेष्ट न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि । यस्य ते भ्रातरः शूराः सर्वलोकेषु धन्विनःक
Do not grieve, best of the Bharatas; you have no cause for sorrow, for your brothers are heroes, renowned archers throughout the world.
अहं च प्रियकृद्राजन्सात्यकिश्च महायशाः । विराटद्रुपदौ चेमौ धृष्टद्युम्नश्च पार्षतः
I too, O king, am devoted to you, and so is Sātyaki of great fame; these two, Virāṭa and Drupada, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna, son of Pṛṣata, as well.
तथैव सबलाश्चेमे राजानो राजसत्तम। त्वत्प्रसादं प्रतीक्षन्ते त्वद्भक्ताश्च विशांपते
Likewise, these kings with their armies, O best of kings, and your devoted followers, all await your favor, O lord of men.
एष ते पार्षतो नित्यं हितकामः प्रिये रतः । सैनापत्यमनुप्राप्तो धृष्टद्युम्नो महाबलः
Here is Dhṛṣṭadyumna, son of Pṛṣata, ever wishing your welfare and devoted to your good, who has attained the command of the army, mighty in strength.
शिखण्डी च महाबाहो भीष्मस्य निधनं किल। एतच्छ्रुत्वा ततो धर्मो धृष्टद्युम्नं महारथम् । अब्रवीत्समितौ तस्यां वासुदेवस्य श्रृण्वतः
And mighty-armed Shikhandi, it is said, was the cause of Bhishma's death. Hearing this, Dharma, in that assembly, spoke to the great charioteer Dhrishtadyumna, while Vasudeva listened.
धृष्टद्युम्न निबोधेदं यत्त्वां वक्ष्यामि मारिष। नातिक्रम्यं भवेत्तच्च वचनं मम भाषितम्
Dhrishtadyumna, listen now to what I will tell you, O Marisha; my words must not be disregarded.
भवान्सेनापतिर्मह्यं वासुदेवेन संमितः। कार्तिकेयो यथा नित्यं देवानामभवत्पुरा
You have been appointed as my commander by Vasudeva, just as Kartikeya was once always the commander of the gods.
तथा त्वमपि पाण्डूनां सेनानीः पुरुषर्षभ। स त्वं पुरुषशार्दूल विक्रम्य जहि कौरवान्
In the same way, you are the general of the Pandavas, O best of men; therefore, O tiger among men, attack and strike down the Kauravas.
अहं च तेऽनुयास्यामि भीमः कृष्णश्च मारिष । माद्रीपुत्रौ च सहितौ द्रौपदेयाश्च दंशिताः
I will follow you, as will Bhima and Krishna, O Marisha; the sons of Madri together, and the sons of Draupadi, all eager for battle.
ये चान्ये पृथिवीपालाः प्रधानाः पुरुषर्षभ । तत उद्धर्षयन्सर्वान्धृष्टद्युम्नोऽभ्यभाषत
And all the other foremost kings of the earth, O best of men—then, encouraging everyone, Dhrishtadyumna spoke.
अहं द्रोणान्तकः पार्थ विहितः शम्भुना पुरा। रणे भीष्मं कृपं द्रोणं तथा शल्यं जयद्रथम्
I, O Partha, was ordained by Shambhu long ago to be the slayer of Drona; in battle, I will face Bhishma, Kripa, Drona, Shalya, and Jayadratha.
सर्वानद्य रणे दृप्तान्प्रतियोत्स्यामि पार्थिव । अथोत्क्रुष्टं महेष्वासैः पाण्डवैर्युद्धदुर्मदैः
Today, O king, I will challenge all the proud warriors in battle; then arose a great shout from the Pandavas, intoxicated with the prospect of war.
समुद्यते पार्थिवेन्द्रे पार्षते शत्रुसूदने । तमब्रवीत्ततः पार्थः पार्षतं पृतनापतिम्
When the king of kings, the destroyer of foes, Parshata, was thus roused, then Partha spoke to Parshata, the commander of the army.
व्यूहः क्रौञ्चारुणो नाम सर्वशत्रुनिबर्हणः । यं बृहस्पतिरिन्द्राय तदा देवासुरेऽब्रवीत्
The formation named Krauncha-aruna, destroyer of all enemies, is the one which Brihaspati once described to Indra during the battle of gods and asuras.
तं यथावत्प्रतिव्यूहं परानीकविनाशनम् । अदृष्टपूर्वं राजानः पश्यन्तु कुरुभिः सह
Let the kings, together with the Kurus, see that formation, never seen before, arranged properly for the destruction of the enemy's forces.
यथोक्तः स नृदेवेन विष्णुर्वज्रभृता यथा। प्रभाते सर्वसैन्यानामग्रे चक्रे धनञ्जयम्
As described by the king, and as Vishnu did for the wielder of the thunderbolt, so at dawn Dhananjaya arranged the army at the front of all the troops.