पाञ्चजन्यं हृषीकेशो देवदत्तं धनंजयः। पौण्ड्रं दध्मौ महाशङ्खं भीमकर्मा वृकोदरः
Hrishikesha blew the Panchajanya, Dhananjaya blew the Devadatta, and Bhimasena, performer of mighty deeds, blew the great conch Paundra.
अन्तविजयं राजा कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः। नकुलः सहदेवश्च सुघोषमणिपुष्पकौ
King Yudhishthira, son of Kunti, blew the Anantavijaya; Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosha and Manipushpaka.
काशिराजश्च शैब्यश्च शिखण्डी च महारथः । धृष्टद्युम्नो विराटश्च सात्यकिश्च महारथः
The king of Kashi, Shaibya, and Shikhandi, the great chariot-warrior, Dhrishtadyumna, Virata, and Satyaki, the mighty car-warrior,
पाञ्चाल्याश्च महेष्वासा द्रौपद्याः पञ्च चात्मजाः । सर्वे दध्युर्महाशङ्खान्सिंहनादांश्च नेदिरे
And the five sons of Draupadi, great archers, all of them, together sounded their mighty conches and roared like lions.
स घोषः सुमहांस्तत्र वीरैस्तैः समुदीरितः। नभश्च पृथिवीं चैव तुमुलो व्यनुनादयन्
That tremendous sound, raised there by those heroes, reverberated tumultuously, filling both the sky and the earth.
एवमेते महाराज प्रहृष्टाः कुरुपाण्डवाः। पुनर्युद्धाय संजग्मुस्तापयानाः परस्परम्
Thus, O King, the Kurus and Pandavas, elated, once again advanced to battle, challenging each other.
एवं व्यूढेष्वनीकेषु मामकेष्वितरेषु च । कथं प्रहरतां श्रेष्ठाः संप्रहारं प्रचक्रिरे
With the armies of both sides thus arrayed, tell me, how did the foremost among warriors engage in combat?
तथा व्यूढेष्वनीकेषु सन्नद्धरुचिरध्वजाः। `तावकाः पाण्डवैः सार्धं यथाऽयुध्यन्त तच्छृणु।' अपारमिव संदृश्य सागरप्रतिमं बलम्
When the armies were thus drawn up, adorned with shining armor and banners, listen to how your men fought with the Pandavas, seeing the force vast as the boundless ocean.
तेषां मध्ये स्थितो राजन्पुत्रो दुर्योधनस्तव । अब्रवीत्तावकान्सर्वान्युद्ध्यध्वमिति दंशिताः
Amidst them, O King, your son Duryodhana stood and addressed all your men, commanding them fiercely to fight.
ते मनः क्रूरमाधाय समभित्यक्तजीविताः । पाण्डवानभ्यवर्तन्त सर्व एवोच्छ्रितध्वजाः
With ruthless resolve, having cast aside concern for their lives, all your warriors, with banners raised high, advanced against the Pandavas.
ततो युद्धं समभवत्तुमुलं रोमहर्षणम्। तावकानां परेषां च व्यतिषक्तरथद्विपम्
Then there arose a tumultuous and hair-raising battle between your forces and the enemy, with chariots and elephants intermingled.
मुक्तास्तु रथिभिर्बाणा रुक्मपुङ्खाः सुतेजिताःक । सन्निपेतुरकुण्ठाग्रा नागेषु च हयेषु च
Arrows, released by chariot-warriors, their golden-feathered shafts well-aimed, fell with unblunted points upon elephants and horses.
तथा प्रवृत्ते संग्रामे धनुरुद्यम्य दंशितः । अभिपत्य महाबाहुर्भीष्मो भीमपराक्रमः
As the battle raged, Bhishma, mighty-armed and fierce in intent, raised his bow and charged forward.
सौभद्रे भीमसेने च सात्यकौ च महारथे । कैकेये च विराटे च धृष्टद्युम्ने च पार्षते
Against Subhadra's son, Bhimasena, Satyaki the great chariot-warrior, the Kaikeyas, Virata, and Dhrishtadyumna the son of Prishata,
एतेषु नरवीरेषु चेदिमत्स्येषु चाभिभूः । ववर्ष शरवर्षाणि वृद्धः कुरुपितामहः
Upon these heroic men, among the Chedis and Matsyas, the aged grandsire of the Kurus poured down showers of arrows.
अभिद्यत ततो व्यूहस्तस्मिन्वीरसमागमे। सर्वेषामेव सैन्यानामासीद्व्यतिकरो महान्
Then, as those heroes met in battle, the formations were broken, and among all the armies there was great confusion.
सादिनो ध्वजिनश्चैव हतप्रवरवाजिनः । विप्रद्रुतरथानीकाः समपद्यन्त पाण्डवाः
Mounted warriors and those with banners, their best horses slain, and chariot divisions scattered, thus became the Pandavas.
अर्जुनस्तु नरव्याघ्रो दृष्ट्वा भीष्मं महारथम् । वार्ष्णेयमब्रवीत्क्रुद्धो याहि यत्र पितामहः
But Arjuna, tiger among men, seeing Bhishma the great chariot-warrior, angrily said to the Vrishni, 'Drive to where the grandsire is.'
एष भीष्मः सुसंक्रुद्धो वार्ष्णेय मम वाहिनीम् । नाशयिष्यति सुव्यक्तं दुर्योधनहिते रतः
'This Bhishma, greatly enraged, O Vrishni, will surely destroy my army, devoted as he is to Duryodhana's cause.'
एष द्रोणः कृपः शल्यो विकर्णश्च जनार्दन । धार्तराष्ट्राश्च सहिता दुर्योधनपुरोगमाः
'There are Drona, Kripa, Shalya, and Vikarna, O Janardana, and the sons of Dhritarashtra together, led by Duryodhana.'
पाञ्चालान्निहनिष्यन्ति रक्षिता दृढधन्वना । सोऽहं भीष्मं वधिष्यामि सैन्यहेतोर्जनार्दन
The Panchalas will be slain, protected though they are by the wielder of the firm bow; therefore, O Janardana, I shall kill Bhishma for the sake of the army.
तमब्रवीद्वासुदेवो यत्तो भव धनंजय। एष त्वां प्रापयिष्यामि पितामहरथं प्रति
Vasudeva said to him: 'Be ready, Dhananjaya; I shall bring you to the chariot of the grandsire.'
एवमुक्त्वा ततः शौरी रथं तं लोकविश्रुतम् । प्रापयामास भीष्मस्य रथं प्रति जनेश्वर
Having spoken thus, Shauri then drove that renowned chariot towards the chariot of Bhishma, O lord of the people.
चलद्बहुपातकेन बलाकावर्णवाजिना । समुच्छ्रितमहाभीमनदद्वानरकेतुना
With its many moving bells, drawn by steeds of the color of cranes, and bearing the great, lofty, and fearsome banner of the monkey,
महता मेघनादेन रथेनामिततेजसा । विनिघ्नन्कौरवानीकं शूरसेनांश्च पाण्डवः
With a great, thunderous roar, that chariot of immeasurable energy advanced, as the Pandava struck down the Kaurava ranks and the warriors of the Shurasenas.
प्रायाच्छरणदः शीघ्रं सुहृदां हर्षवर्धनः । तमापतन्तं वेगेन प्रभिन्नमिव वारणम्
He, the giver of refuge, swift and a bringer of joy to his friends, advanced rapidly, like a charging, maddened elephant.
त्रसयनतं रणे शूरान्मर्दयन्तं च सायकैः । सैन्धवप्रमुखैर्गुप्तः प्राच्यसौवीरकेकयैः । सहसा प्रत्युदीयाय भीष्मः शान्तनवोऽर्जुनम्
Terrifying the heroes in battle and crushing them with his arrows, protected by the Sindhu king and the Pracya, Sauvira, and Kekaya warriors, Bhishma, son of Shantanu, suddenly advanced to meet Arjuna.
को हि गाण्डीवधन्वानमन्यः कुरुपितामहात्। द्रोणवैकर्तनाभ्यां वा रथी संयातुमर्हति
For who else but the wielder of Gandiva, or perhaps the chariot-warrior among Kurus' grandsires, or Drona and Kripa's son, is fit to face him in battle?
ततो भीष्मो महाराज सर्वलोकमहारथः । अर्जुनं सप्ततसप्तत्या नाराचानां समाचिनोत्
Then Bhishma, the great chariot-warrior of all the worlds, O King, covered Arjuna with seventy-seven iron arrows.
द्रोणश्च पञ्चविंशत्या कृपः पञ्चाशता शरैः। दुर्योधनश्रतुःषष्ट्या शल्यश्च नवभिः शरैः
Drona struck him with twenty-five arrows, Kripa with fifty, Duryodhana with sixty-six, and Shalya with nine arrows.