गच्छ रक्षस्व हैडिम्बं शंशयं परमं गतम् । भ्रातुर्वचनमाज्ञाय त्वरमाणो वृकोदरः
Go and protect Hidimba's son, who is in utmost peril—hearing his brother's command, Vrikodara hastened forth.
प्रययौ सिंहनादेन त्रासयन्सर्वपार्थिवान् । वेगेन महता राजन्पर्वकाले यथोदधिःक
He set out with a lion's roar, terrifying all the kings, O King, with great speed, like the ocean at the time of the tides.
तमन्वगात्सत्यधृतिः सौचित्तिर्युद्धदुर्मदः । श्रेणिमान्वसुदानश्च पुत्रः काश्यस्य चाभिभूः
Satyadhriti followed him, as did Saucitti, fierce in battle, Shreniman, Vasudana, and Abhibhu, the son of Kashi.
अभिमन्युमुखाश्चैव द्रौपदेया महारथाः । क्षत्रदेवश्च विक्रन्तः क्षत्रधर्मा तथैव च
And the sons of Draupadi, great chariot-warriors led by Abhimanyu, as well as the valiant Kshatradeva and Kshatradharma, followed too.
अनूपाधिपतिश्चैव नीलः स्वबलमास्थितः । महता रथवंशेन हैडिम्बं पर्यवारयन्
And Neela, lord of the marshlands, with his own forces, surrounded Hidimba's son with a great array of chariots.
कुञ्चरैश्च सदा मत्तैः षट्सहस्रैः प्रहारिभिःक । अभ्यरक्षन्त सहिता राक्षसेन्द्रं घटोत्कचम्
With always-intoxicated elephants, six thousand in number and fierce in assault, they together protected Ghatotkacha, the lord of Rakshasas.
सिंहनादेन महता नेमिघोषेण चैव ह। खुरशब्दनिपातैश्च कम्पयन्तो वसुंधराम्
With mighty lion-roars, the sound of wheels, and the pounding of hooves, they shook the earth.
तेषामापततां श्रुत्वा शब्दं तं तावकं बलम् । भीमसेनभयोद्विग्नं विवर्णवदनं तथा
Hearing that sound of your army as it advanced, Bhimasena's forces were seized with fear, their faces drained of color.
परिवृत्य महाराज परित्यज्य घटोत्कचम् । ततः प्रववृते युद्धंक तत्र तेषां महात्मनाम्
Turning back, O great king, abandoning Ghatotkacha, then a battle began there among those great souls.
तावकानां परेषां च संग्रामेष्वनिवर्तिनाम् । नानारूपाणि शस्त्राणि विसृजन्तो महारथाः
Among your men and the enemy, who would not turn back in battle, the great chariot-warriors unleashed weapons of many kinds.
अन्योन्यमभिधावन्तः संप्रहारं प्रचक्रिरे । व्यतिष्यक्तं महारौद्रं युद्धं भीरुभयावहम्
Rushing at each other, they engaged in fierce combat—a dreadful, chaotic battle, terrifying to the timid.
हया हयैः समाजग्मुः पादाताश्च पदातिभिः । `रथा रथैः समागच्छन्नागा नागैश्च संयुगे' अन्योन्यं समरे राजन्प्रार्थयानाः समभ्ययुः
Horses met horses, foot-soldiers met foot-soldiers, chariots clashed with chariots, and elephants with elephants in the fight; seeking each other out, they advanced in the battle, O King.
सहसा चाभवत्तीव्रं सन्निपातन्महद्रजः। गजाश्वरथपत्तीनां पादनेमिसमुद्धतम्
Suddenly there arose a thick, intense cloud of dust from the feet and wheels of elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry.
धूम्रारुणं रजस्तीव्रं रणभूमिं समावृणोत्। नैव स्वे न परे राजन्समजानन्परस्परम्
That thick, smoky-red dust covered the battlefield, so that neither friend nor foe, O King, could recognize one another.
पिता पुत्रं न जानीते पुत्रो वा पितरं तथा । निर्मर्यादे तथाभूते वैशसे रोमहर्षणे
Father could not recognize son, nor son his father; in that lawless, dreadful slaughter, all order was lost.
शस्त्राणां भरतश्रेष्ठ मनुष्याणां च र्जताम् । सुमहानभवच्छब्दः प्रेतानामिव भारत
Amid the clash of weapons and the cries of men, a tremendous sound arose, O best of Bharatas, like that of the dead.
गजवाजिमनुष्याणां शोणितान्रतरङ्गिणी । प्राववर्तत नदी तत्र केशशैवलशाद्वला
There, a river with waves of blood from elephants, horses, and men began to flow, its weeds and grass made of hair.
नराणां चैव कायेभ्यः शिरसां पततां रणे। शुश्रुवे सुमहाञ्छब्दः पततामश्मनामिव
And from the bodies of men, as their heads fell in battle, a tremendous sound was heard, like that of stones tumbling down.
विशिरस्कैर्मनुष्यैश्च छिन्नगात्रैश्च वारणैः । अश्वैः संभिन्नदेहैश्च संकीर्णाऽभूद्वसुंधरा
The earth became strewn with headless men, elephants with severed limbs, and horses with broken bodies.
नानाविधानि शस्त्राणि विसृजन्तो महारथाः । अन्योन्यमभिधावन्तः संप्रहारार्थमुद्यताः
Great warriors, unleashing various weapons, rushed at one another, eager for close combat.
हया हयान्समासाद्य प्रेषिता हयसादिभिः । समाहत्य रणेऽन्योन्यं निपेतुर्गतजीविताः
Horses, driven by horsemen, charged against other horses, and, striking each other in battle, fell lifeless.
नरा नरान्समासाद्य क्रोधरक्तेक्षणा भृशम् । उरांस्युरोभिरन्योन्यं समाश्लिष्य निजघ्निरे
Men, their eyes red with anger, fiercely confronted other men, striking each other's chests with their own chests.
प्रेषिताश्च महामात्रैर्वारणाः परवारणैः । अभ्यघ्नन्त विषणाग्रैर्वारणानेव संयुगे
Elephants, urged on by their mighty drivers, attacked rival elephants in battle, striking with their tusks.
ते जातरुधिरोत्पीडाः पताकाभिरलङ्कृताः । संसक्ताः प्रत्यदृश्यन्त मेघा इव सविद्युतः
Those, wounded and bleeding, adorned with banners, were seen entangled together like clouds with lightning.
केचिद्भिन्ना विषाणाग्रैर्भिन्नकुम्भाश्च तोमरैः । विनदन्तोऽभ्यधावन्त गर्जमाना धना इव
Some, with tusks broken by other tusks and heads shattered by spears, charged forward, bellowing like thunderous clouds.
केचिद्धस्तैर्द्विधाच्छिन्नैश्छिन्नगात्रास्तथाऽपरे । निपेतुस्तुमुले तस्मिंश्छिन्नपक्षा इवाद्रयः
Some, with trunks severed and limbs cut off, fell in that tumultuous place like mountains with their wings cleft.
पार्श्वैस्तु दारितैरन्ये वारणैर्वरवारणाः । मुमुचुः शोणितं भूरि धातूनिव महीधराः
Others, their sides torn by rival elephants, poured forth much blood, like mountains releasing their ores.
नाराचनिहतास्त्वन्ये तथा विद्धाश्च तोमरैः । विनदन्तोऽभ्यधावन्त विशृङ्गा इव पर्वताः
Others, struck down by arrows and pierced by spears, roared as they charged, like hornless mountains.
केचित्क्रोधसमाविष्टा मदान्धा निरवग्रहाः । रथान्हयान्पदातींश्च ममृदुः शतशो रणे
Some, possessed by rage and blinded by intoxication, without restraint, crushed chariots, horses, and foot soldiers by the hundreds in battle.
तथा हया हयारोहैस्ताडिताः प्रासतोमरैः । तेन तेनाभ्यवर्तन्त कुर्वन्तो व्याकुला दिशः
Likewise, horses struck by horsemen with lances and spears ran in all directions, causing confusion.