विध्वंसयित्वा समरे धनुष्मान् गाण्डीवमुक्तैर्निशितैः पृषत्कैः । भीष्मं यियासुर्युधि संददर्श दुर्योधनं सैन्धवादींश्च राज्ञः
Destroying them in battle with sharp arrows released from Gandiva, he sought Bhishma on the field, and saw Duryodhana and the Sindhu kings.
गाङ्गेयमाजौ शरचापपाणिः
Bhishma, son of Ganga, stood in battle, holding bow and arrows.
भीष्मोऽपि दृष्ट्वा समरे कृतास्त्रान् स पाण्डवानां रथिनोऽभ्युदारान्। विहाय संग्राममुखे धनंजयं जवेन पार्थं पुनराजगाम
Bhishma, seeing the Pandava charioteers skilled in weapons, left Arjuna at the forefront of the battle and swiftly returned to confront him.
र्भीष्मं ययौ शान्तनवं रणाय
Arjuna advanced toward Bhishma, son of Shantanu, for battle.
तैः संप्रयुक्तैः स महारथाग्र्यै- र्गङ्गासुतः समरे चित्रयोधी। न विव्यधे शान्तनवो महात्मा समागतैः पाण्डुसुतैः समस्तैः
Engaged by those foremost great chariot-warriors, the son of Ganga fought with varied skill in battle; yet the great-souled Shantanu's son was not wounded by the assembled sons of Pandu.
अथैत्य राजा युधि सत्यसन्धो जयद्रथोऽत्युग्रबलो मनस्वी। चिच्छेद चापानि महारथानां प्रसह्य तेषां धनुषा वरेण
Then, King Jayadratha, steadfast and mighty, arrived in battle; he forcibly cut the bows of the great chariot-warriors with his excellent bow.
युधिष्ठिरं भीमसेनं यमौ च पार्थं कृष्णं युधि संजातकोपः । दुर्योदनः क्रोधविषो महात्मा जघान बाणैरनलप्रकाशैः
Duryodhana, filled with wrath, struck Yudhishthira, Bhimasena, the twins, Arjuna, and Krishna in battle with arrows blazing like fire.
कृपेण शल्येन शलेन चैव तथा विभो चित्रसेनेन चौजौ। विद्धाः शरैस्तेऽतिविवृद्धकोपै- र्देवा यथा दैत्यगणैः समेतैः
Kripa, Shalya, Shala, and the mighty Citrashena wounded them with arrows, their anger greatly increased, like the gods attacked by assembled hosts of demons.
छिन्नायुधं शान्तनवेन राजा शिखण्डिनं प्रेक्ष्य च जातकोपः। अजातशत्रुः समरे महात्मा शिखण्डिनं क्रुद्ध उवाच वाक्यम्
The king, seeing Shikhandi's weapon broken by Shantanu's son and anger rising, the great-souled Ajatashatru addressed Shikhandi with words in battle.
उक्त्वा तथा त्वं पितुरग्रतो मा- महं हनिष्यामि महाव्रतं तम्। भीष्मं शरौघैर्विमलार्कवर्णैः सत्यं वदामीति कृता प्रतिज्ञा
Having spoken thus, you, before your father, I will slay that great-vowed Bhishma with a shower of arrows shining like pure suns; I declare this promise as truth.
त्वया च नैनां सफलां करोषि देवव्रतं यन्न निहंसि युद्धे। मिथ्याप्रतिज्ञो भव मात्र वीर रक्षस्व धर्मं स्वकुलं यशश्च
And you do not make your vow fruitful, Devavrata, since you do not slay him in battle; do not become one whose promise is false, O hero—protect your dharma, your lineage, and your honor.
प्रेक्षस्व भीष्मं युधि भीमवेगं सर्वांस्तपन्तं मम सैन्यसङ्घान्। शरौघजालैरतितिग्मवेगैः कालं यथा कालकृतं क्षणेन
See Bhishma in battle, with the force of Bhima, scorching all my troops with torrents of arrows, swift and sharp as death itself, as if Time, the ender, had come in an instant.
निकृत्तचापः समरेऽनपेक्षः पराजितः शान्तनवेन चाजौ । विहाय बन्धूनथ सदरांश्च क्व यास्यसे नानुरूपं तवेदम्
With your bow cut down, heedless in battle, defeated by Shantanu’s son in combat, abandoning your kin and even your wife—where will you go? This does not befit you.
दृष्ट्वा हि भीष्मं तमनन्तवीर्यं भग्नं च सैन्यं द्रवमाणमेवम् । भीतोऽसि नूनं द्रुपदस्य पुत्र तथा हि ते मुखवर्णोऽप्रहृष्टः
Seeing Bhishma, of endless might, and the army broken and fleeing thus, you are surely afraid, son of Drupada, for your face shows no joy.
अज्ञायमाने च धनंजये तु महाहावे संप्रसक्ते नृवीरे। कथं हि भीष्मात्प्रथितः पृथिव्यां भयं त्वमद्य प्रकरोषि वीर
When Dhananjaya is not recognized in this great and fierce battle among heroes, how is it that you, famed on earth as greater than Bhishma, now cause fear, O hero?
स धर्मराजस्य वचो निशम्य रूक्षाक्षरं विप्रलापानुबद्धम् । प्रत्यादेशं मन्यमानो महात्मा प्रतत्वरे भीष्मवधाय राजन्
Hearing these harsh and reproachful words of the king of dharma, the great-souled one, taking them as a command, hastened, O king, to slay Bhishma.
तमापतन्तं महता जवेन शिखण्डिनं भीष्ममभिद्रवन्तम्। निवारयामास हि शल्य एन- मस्त्रेण घोरेण सुदुर्जयेन
As Shikhandi rushed at Bhishma with great speed, Bhishma blocked him—Shalya stopped him with a terrible, nearly invincible weapon.
शरैस्तदस्त्रं प्रतिबाधमानः
But Shikhandi countered that weapon with arrows.
अथाददे वारुणमन्यदस्त्रं शिखण्ड्यथोऽग्रं प्रतिघातमस्य। तदस्त्रमस्त्रेण विदार्यमाणं खस्थाः सुरा ददृशुः पार्थिवाश्च
Then Shikhandi took up another Varuna weapon to break through the front; as that weapon was torn apart by another, the gods in the sky and the kings beheld it.
भीष्मस्तु राजन्समरे महात्मा धनुश्च चित्रं ध्वजमेव चापि। छित्त्वाऽनदत्पाण्डुसुतस्य वीरो युधिष्ठिरस्याजमीढस्य राज्ञः
But Bhishma, O king, the great-souled hero, cut down the bow and the splendid banner of Yudhishthira, the son of Pandu, the king, and roared in battle.
ततः समुत्सृज्य धनुः सबाणं युधिष्ठिरं वीक्ष्य भयाभिभूतम्। गदां प्रगृह्याभिपपात सङ्ख्ये जयद्रथं भीमसेनः पदातिः
Then, casting aside his bow and arrows, seeing Yudhishthira overwhelmed by fear, Bhimasena, on foot, seized his mace and rushed at Jayadratha in the battle.
तमापतन्तं सहसा जवेन जयद्रथः सगदं भीमसेनम्। विव्याध घोरैर्यमदण्डकल्पैः शितैः शरैः पञ्चशरैः समन्तात्
As Bhimasena charged suddenly and swiftly with his mace, Jayadratha struck him from all sides with five sharp arrows, dreadful as the rod of Yama.
अचिन्तयित्वा स शरांस्तरस्वी वृकोदरः क्रोधपरीतचेताः । जघान वाहान्समरे समन्तात् सुसंमतान्सिन्धुराजस्य सङ्ख्ये
Unheeding those arrows, the swift Vrikodara, his mind seized by anger, struck down all the well-trained horses of the Sindhu king in battle.
ततोऽभिवीक्ष्याप्रतिमप्रभाव- स्तवात्मजस्त्वरमाणो रथेन अभ्यायौ भीमसेनं निहन्तुं समुद्यतास्त्रः सुरराजकल्पः
Then, seeing your son, of incomparable power, hastening in his chariot, ready with weapons like a lord of the gods, he advanced to slay Bhimasena.
जयद्रथो भग्रवाहं रथं त त्यक्त्वा ययौ यत्र राजा कुरूणाम् । भयेन भीमस्य समूढचेताः ससौबलस्तत्र युद्धस्य भीतः
Jayadratha, abandoning his chariot with its broken horses, went to where the king of the Kurus was, his mind confused by fear of Bhima, together with Saubala, both afraid of the battle.
भीमोऽप्यथैनं सहसा विनद्य प्रत्युद्ययौ गदया तर्जयानः। समुद्यतां तां यमदण्डकल्पां दृष्ट्वा गदां ते कुरवः समन्तात्
Then Bhima, roaring suddenly, rushed at him, brandishing his mace; seeing that mace, raised and like the rod of Yama, the Kauravas all around—
पातं गदायाः परिहर्तुकामाः। अपक्रान्तास्तुमुले संप्रमर्दे सुदूरुणे भारत मोहनीये
Desiring to avoid the fall of the mace, they fled from the root of the tree in that terrible, bewildering, and crushing conflict, O Bharata.
ज्जगामान्यं भ्रमप भूमिदेशम्
He went, wandering, to another place on the field.
गदापि सा प्राप्य रथं सुचित्रं साश्व ससूतं विनिहत्य सङ्ख्ये। जगाम भूमिं ज्वलिता महोल्क भ्रष्टाऽम्बराद्गामिव संपतन्ती
That mace, having struck the splendid chariot with its horses and charioteer, and destroyed it in battle, fell to the earth blazing like a great meteor, as if descending from the sky.
आश्चर्यभूतं सुमहत्त्वदीया दृष्ट्वैव तद्भारत संप्रहृष्टाः। सर्वे विनेदुः सहिताः समन्ता- त्पुपूजिरे तव पुत्रस्य शौर्यम्
Beholding that wondrous and immense feat of yours, O Bhārata, all those present were delighted; together they shouted in joy and honored the valor of your son.