संप्राप्य मध्यं सैन्यस्य न भीः पाण्डवमाविशत्। यथा देवासुरे युद्धे महेन्द्रं प्राप्य दानवान्
Having reached the center of the army, no fear entered the Pandava, just as the Danavas, upon reaching Mahendra in the gods-and-demons war, felt no fear.
ततः शतसहस्राणि रथिनां सर्वशः प्रभो । उद्यतानि शरैस्तीव्रैस्तमेकं परिवव्रिरे
Then, O lord, hundreds of thousands of chariot-warriors, all raising their sharp arrows, surrounded him alone.
स तेषां प्रवरान्योधान्हस्त्यश्वरथसादिनः । जघान समरे शूरो धार्तराष्ट्रानचिन्तयन्
That hero, not considering them, struck down the foremost warriors among the Dhartarashtras—those fighting on elephants, horses, and chariots—in battle.
तेषां व्यवसितं ज्ञात्वा भीमसेनो जिघृक्षताम्। समस्तानां वधे राजन्मतिं चक्रे महामनाः
Knowing their intention, O king, that they all wished to seize him, Bhimasena, of great resolve, made up his mind to slay them all.
ततो रथं समुत्सृज्य गदामादाय पाण्डवः । उवाच सारथिं भीमं स्थीयतामिति भारत
Then, leaving his chariot and taking up his mace, the Pandava said to his charioteer, 'Hold the chariot here,' O Bharata.
यावदेतान्हनिष्यामि धार्तराष्ट्रान्सहानुगान् । इत्युक्त्वा भीमसेनस्तु प्रविश्य महतीं चमूम् । जघान धार्तराष्ट्राणां तद्बलौघमहार्णवम्
'Until I slay these sons of Dhritarashtra along with their followers.' Having said this, Bhimasena entered the great army and struck down that vast ocean of Dhritarashtra's forces.
गदया भिमसेनेन ताडिता वारणोत्तमाः । भिन्नकुम्भा महाकाया भिन्नपृष्ठास्तथैवच
Struck by Bhimasena with his mace, the finest elephants, with their great bodies and broken heads and backs, fell.
भिन्नगात्राः सहारोहैः शेरते पर्वता इव। रथाश्च भग्नास्तिलशः सयोधाः शतशो रणे
With their limbs shattered, along with their riders, they lay like mountains; and hundreds of chariots with their warriors were smashed to pieces in the battle.
अश्वाश्च सादिनश्चैव पादातैः सह भारत । तत्राद्भुतमपश्याम भीमसेनस्य विक्रमम्
Horses and their riders, together with foot soldiers, O Bharata, were there; we beheld the wondrous valor of Bhimasena.
यदेकः समरे राजन्बहुभिः समयोधयत् । अन्तकाले प्रजाः सर्वा दण्डपाणिरिवान्तकः
How, O king, he alone fought many in battle, like Death himself wielding the rod at the end of time, destroying all creatures.
भीमसेने प्रविष्टे तु धृष्टद्युम्नोऽपि पार्षतः । द्रोणमुत्सृज्य तरसा ययौ यत्र वृकोदरः
When Bhimasena had entered, Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, leaving Drona, swiftly went to where Vrikodara was.
विदार्य महतीं सेनां तावकानां नरर्षभः । आससाद रथं शून्यं भीमसेनस्य संयुगे
Tearing through your great army, O bull among men, he reached the empty chariot of Bhimasena on the battlefield.
दृष्ट्वा विशोकं समरे भीमसेनस्य सारथिम् । धृष्टद्युम्नो महाराज दुर्मना गतचेतनः
Seeing Vishoka, Bhimasena's charioteer, untroubled in the battle, King Dhrishtadyumna became despondent and lost in thought.
अपृच्छद्बाष्पसंरुद्धो निःश्वसन्वाचमीरयन् । मम प्राणैः प्रियतमः क्व भीम इति दुःखितः
Choked with tears, sighing and barely able to speak, he sorrowfully asked, 'Where is Bhima, dearest to me as my own life?'
विशोकस्तमुवाचेदं धृष्टद्युम्नं कृताञ्जलिः । संस्थाप्य मामिह बली पाण्डवेयः पराक्रमी
Vishoka, with joined palms, said to Dhrishtadyumna: 'The mighty and valiant son of Pandu stationed me here.'
प्रविष्टो धार्तराष्ट्राणामेतद्बलमहार्णवम् । मामुक्त्वा पुरुषव्याघ्रः प्रीतियुक्तमिदं वचः
'He entered this vast ocean of Dhritarashtra's army, O tiger among men, after saying these affectionate words to me.'
प्रतिपालय मां सूत नियम्याश्वान्मुहूर्तकम्। यावदेवान्निहन्म्यद्य य इमे मद्वधोद्यताः । अभ्यधावद्गदापाणिस्तद्बलं स महाबलः
'Wait for me, charioteer, restrain the horses for a moment, until I slay those who today are intent on killing me.' Then that mighty one, mace in hand, charged at that army.
ततो दृष्ट्वा प्रधावन्तं गदाहस्तं महाबलम् । सर्वेषामेव सैन्यानां संहर्षः समजायत
Then, seeing the powerful mace-wielder rushing forward, joy arose among all the troops.
तस्मिन्सुतुमुले युद्धे वर्तमाने भयानके । भित्त्वा राजन्महाव्यूहं प्रविवेश सखा तव
In that fierce and dreadful battle, O King, your friend broke through the great formation and entered within.
विशोकस्य वचः श्रुत्वा धृष्टद्युम्नोऽथ पार्षतः । प्रत्युवाच ततः सूतं रणमध्ये महाबलः
Hearing Vishoka's words, Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, then addressed the charioteer in the midst of battle, full of might.
न हि मे जीवितेनापि विद्यतेऽद्य प्रयोजनम् । भीमसेनं रणे हित्वा स्नेहमुत्सृज्य पाण्डवैः
'For me, even life itself holds no purpose today, having abandoned Bhimasena in battle and set aside affection for the Pandavas.'
यदि यामि विना भीमं किं मां क्षत्रं वदिष्यति। एकायनगते भीमे मयि चावस्थिते युधि
'If I go on without Bhima, what will the kshatriyas say of me, when Bhima has gone one way and I remain in the fight?'
तस्य न स्वस्ति कुर्वन्ति देवाः शक्रपुरोगमाः । यः सहायान्परित्यज्य स्वस्तिमानाव्रजेद्गृहम्
'The gods, led by Indra, do not bless the one who, abandoning his companions, returns home safely.'
रौरवे नरके मञ्जेदप्लवे दुस्तरे नृभिः ।' मम भीमः सखा चैव संबन्धी च महाबलः । भक्तोऽस्मान्भक्तिमांश्चाहं तमप्यरिनिषूदनम्
'He sinks into the hell called Raurava, impassable and dreadful for men. Bhima is my friend, my kinsman, mighty in strength; he is devoted to us, and I am devoted to him, that slayer of enemies.'
सोऽहं तत्र गमिष्यामि यत्र यातो वृकोदरः । निघ्नन्तं मां रिपून्पश्य दानवानिव वासवम्
'Therefore, I will go where Vrikodara has gone. See me slay the enemies there, as Indra does the Danavas.'
एवमुक्त्वा ततो वीरो ययौ मध्येन वाहिनीम् । भीमसेनस्य मार्गेषु गदाप्रमथितैर्गजैः
Having spoken thus, the hero advanced through the midst of the army, along the paths where Bhimasena had crushed the elephants with his mace.
स ददर्श तदा भीमं दहन्तं रिपुवाहिनीम्। वातो वृक्षानिव बलात्प्रभञ्जन्तं रणे रिपून्
There he saw Bhima scorching the enemy forces, breaking the foes in battle with the force of the wind uprooting trees.
ते वध्यमानाः समरे रथिनः सादिनस्तथा । पादाता दन्तिनश्चैव चक्रुरात्स्वरं महत्
Those being slain in battle—chariot-warriors, horsemen, foot-soldiers, and elephant-riders—raised a great outcry.
हाहाकारश्च संजज्ञे तव सैन्यस्य मारिष । वध्यतो भीमसेनेन कृतिना चित्रयोधिना
A tumult of lament arose in your army, O best of men, as Bhimasena, the skilled and brilliant warrior, slaughtered them.
ततः कृतास्त्रास्ते सर्वे परिवार्य वृकोदरम् । अभीताः समवर्तन्त शस्त्रवृष्ट्या परंतप
Then, all those who had mastered weapons surrounded Vrikodara, fearless, and confronted him with a shower of weapons, O scorcher of foes.