अविध्येतां शरैस्तीक्ष्णैस्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्। ततः शल्यो महाराज स्वस्त्रीयौ रथिनां वरौ
They struck him with sharp arrows, and it seemed wondrous; then, O great king, Śalya, the foremost of chariot-warriors,
शरैर्बहुभिरानर्च्छत्कृतप्रतिकृतैषिणौ । छाद्यमानौ ततस्तौ कतु माद्रीपुत्रौ न चेलतुः
Honored them with many arrows, seeking to repay their blows; yet, though being covered, those two sons of Mādrī did not waver.
अथ दुर्योधनं दृष्ट्वा भीमसेनो महाबलः । विधित्सुः कलहस्यान्तं गदां जग्राह पाण्डवः
Then Bhimasena, mighty in strength, seeing Duryodhana, took up his mace, intending to bring the conflict to an end.
तमुद्यतगदं दृष्ट्वा कैलासमिव श्रृङ्गिणम्। भीमसेनं महाबाहुं पुत्रास्ते प्राद्रवन्भयात्
Seeing Bhimasena, with his mace raised like a peak of Mount Kailasa, your sons fled in fear from the long-armed warrior.
दुर्योधनस्तु संक्रुद्धो मागधं समचोदयत्। अनीकं दशसाहस्रं कुञ्जराणां तरस्विनाम्
But Duryodhana, enraged, urged the king of Magadha forward, along with a division of ten thousand swift elephants.
गजानीकेन सहितस्तेन राजा सुयोधनाः । मागधं पुरतः कृत्वा भीमसेनं समभ्ययात्
Accompanied by the elephant division, King Suyodhana advanced, placing the Magadha king at the front, toward Bhimasena.
आपतन्तं च तं दृष्ट्वा गजानीकं वृकोदरः । गदापाणिरवारोहद्रथांत्सिंह इवोन्नदन्
Seeing the elephant division charging, Vrikodara, mace in hand, leapt down from his chariot, roaring like a lion.
अद्रिसारमयीं गुर्वीं प्रगृह्य महतीं गदाम्। अभ्यधावद्गजानीकं व्यादितास्य इवान्तकः
Grasping his great, mountain-forged, heavy mace, he rushed at the elephant division, like Death with jaws agape.
स गजान्गदया निघ्नन्व्यचरत्समरे बली। भीमसेनो महाबाहुः सवज्र इव वासवः
Bhimasena, mighty-armed, moved through the battle, striking elephants with his mace, like Indra wielding the thunderbolt.
तस्य नादेन महता मनोहृदयकम्पिना । व्यत्यचेष्टन्त संहत्य गजा भिमस्य गर्जतः
At the sound of Bhima's mighty, heart-shaking roar, the elephants, gathered together, became agitated.
ततस्तु द्रौपदीपुत्राः सौभद्रश्च महारथः। नकुलः सहदेवश्च धृष्टद्युम्नश्च पार्षतः
Then the sons of Draupadi, the great chariot-warrior Abhimanyu, Nakula, Sahadeva, and Dhrishtadyumna, son of Prishata,
पृष्ठं भीमस्य रक्षन्तः शरवर्षेण वारणान्। अभ्यवर्षन्त धावन्तो मेघा इव गिरिव्रजान्
Protecting Bhima's rear, they showered arrows upon the charging elephants, like clouds pouring rain on mountain slopes.
नाकुलिस्तु शतानीकः समरे शत्रुपूगहा । क्षुरैः क्षुरप्रैर्भल्लैश्च पीतैश्चाञ्जलिकैः शितैः। न्यहनच्चोत्तमाङ्गानि पाण्डवो गजयोधिनाम्
Nakula, destroyer of enemy hosts, cut down the heads of elephant-warriors in battle with razors, broad-headed arrows, barbed shafts, and sharp, yellow-tipped darts.
शिरोभिः प्रपतद्भिश्च बाहुभिश्च विभूषितैः । अश्मवृष्टिरिवाभाति पाणिभिश्च सहाङ्कुशैः
With heads and ornamented arms falling, and hands still clutching goads, it appeared like a shower of stones.
हृतोत्तमाङ्गाः स्कन्धेषु गजानां गजयोधिनः। अदृश्यन्ताचलाग्रेकषु द्रुमा भग्नशिखा इव
The elephant-warriors, deprived of their heads, were seen on the elephants' shoulders, like trees on mountain peaks with their tops broken off.
धृष्टद्युम्नहतानन्यानपश्याम महागजान्। पततः पात्यमानांश्च पार्षतेन महात्मना
We saw other great elephants struck down by Dhrishtadyumna, the high-souled son of Prishata, falling and being felled.
मागधोऽथ महीपालो गजमैरावणोपमम्। प्रेषयामास समरे सौभद्रस्य रथं प्रति
Then the Magadha king, ruler of the land, sent forth an elephant like Airavata against the chariot of Subhadra's son.
तमापतन्तं संप्रेक्ष्य मागधस्य महागजम् । जघानैकेषुणा वीरःत सौभद्रः परवीरहा
Seeing that great elephant of the Magadha king charging, the heroic Abhimanyu, slayer of enemy heroes, struck it down with a single arrow.
तस्यावर्जितनागस्य कार्ष्णिः परपुरंजयः। राज्ञो रजतपुङ्खेन भल्लेनापाहरच्छिरः
As the elephant bowed down, Kārṣṇi, conqueror of enemy cities, cut off the king's head with a silver-feathered broad arrow.
विगाह्य तद्गजानीकं भीमसेनोऽपि पाण्डवः। व्यचरत्समरे मृद्गन्गजानिन्द्रो गिरीनिव
Bhimasena, the Pandava, plunged into that elephant division and moved about the battlefield like the lord of elephants among mountains.
एकप्रहारनिहतान्भीमसेनेन दन्तिनः। अपश्याम रणे तस्मिन्गिरीन्वज्रहतानिव
We saw elephants, struck down in a single blow by Bhimasena, lying on the battlefield like mountains shattered by a thunderbolt.
भग्नदन्तान्भग्नकरान्भग्नसक्थीश्च वारणान्। भग्नपृष्ठत्रिकानन्यान्निहतान्पर्वतोपमान्
We saw elephants with broken tusks, broken limbs, shattered thighs, others with broken backs and hips, all lying dead, massive as mountains.
नदतः सीदतश्चान्यान्विमुखान्समरे गतान्। विद्रुतान्भयसंविग्नांस्तथा विशकृतोऽपरान्
Some were bellowing, some collapsing, others fleeing the battle in panic, and yet others, disfigured, ran away in terror.
भीमसेनस्य मार्गेषु पतितान्पर्वतोपमान् । अपश्यं निहतान्नागान्राजन्निष्ठीवतोपरान्
O King, I saw elephants, slain and fallen along Bhimasena’s path, huge as mountains, lying with their trunks outstretched.
वमन्तो रुधिरं चान्ये भिन्नकुम्भा महागजाः । विह्नलन्तो गता भूमिं शैला इव धरातले
Other great elephants, their foreheads split open, vomited blood and, weakened, fell to the ground like mountains collapsing onto the earth.
मेदोरुधिरदिग्धाङ्गो वसामज्जासमुक्षितः । व्यचरत्समरे भीमो दण्डपाणिरिवान्तकः
Bhima moved about the battlefield, his body smeared with fat and blood, soaked with marrow, like Death himself wielding a staff.
गजानां रुधिरक्लिन्नां गदां बिभ्रद्वृकोदरः । घोरः प्रतिभयश्चासीत्पिनाकीव पिनाकभृत्
Vrikodara, holding his mace drenched in the blood of elephants, appeared terrifying and dreadful, like Shiva bearing the Pinaka bow.
संमथ्यमानाः क्रुद्धेन भीमसेनेन दन्तिनः । सहसा प्राद्रवन्क्लिष्ठा मृद्गन्तस्तव वाहिनीम्
The elephants, crushed by the enraged Bhimasena, suddenly fled in distress, trampling your army as they ran.
तं हि वीरं महेष्वासं सौभद्रप्रमुखा रथाः । पर्यरक्षन्त युध्यन्तं वज्रायुधमिवामराः
Then, O hero, chariots led by Subhadra’s son surrounded and protected Bhimasena as he fought, just as the gods guard Indra armed with the thunderbolt.
शोणिताक्तां गदां बिभ्रदुक्षितां गजशोणितैः । कृतान्त इव रोद्रात्मा भीमसेनो व्यदृश्यत
Bhimasena, his dreadful spirit manifest, appeared like Death himself, bearing a mace stained and dripping with the blood of elephants.