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.
रथिनो रथिभिः सार्धं कुलपुत्रास्तनुत्यजः। परां शक्तिं समास्थाय चक्रुः कर्माण्यभीतवत्
Chariot-warriors, together with other charioteers, noble sons who had given up their lives, performed fearless deeds, taking up their utmost strength.
स्वयंवर इवामर्दे प्रजह्रुरितरेतरम् । प्रार्थयाना यशो राजन्स्वर्गं वा युद्धशालिनः
In that deadly contest, like a self-choice ceremony, they challenged one another, seeking either glory, O King, or the warrior's heaven.
तस्मिंस्तथा वर्तमाने संग्रामे रोमहर्षणे। धार्तराष्ट्रं महत्सैन्यं प्रययौ विमुखीकृतम्
As that hair-raising battle raged on, the great army of the Dhartarashtras turned and fled.
स्वसैन्यं निहतं दृष्ट्वा राजा दुर्योधनः स्वयम्। अभ्यधावत्सुसंक्रुद्धो भीमसेनमरिन्दमम्
Seeing his own army slain, King Duryodhana himself, greatly enraged, rushed against Bhimasena, the subduer of foes.
प्रगृह्य सुमहच्चापमिन्द्राशनिसमस्वनम् । महता शरवर्षेण पाण्डवं समवाकिरत्
Seizing his great bow, which roared like Indra's thunderbolt, he covered the Pandava with a mighty shower of arrows.
अर्धचन्द्रं च संधाय सुतीक्ष्णं लोमवापिनम् । भीमसेनस्य चिच्छेद चापं क्रोधसमन्वितः
Fitting a razor-sharp crescent arrow, with a shaft covered in hair, he, filled with wrath, cut Bhimasena's bow.
तदन्तरं च संप्रेक्ष्य त्वरमामो महारथः । प्रसंदधे शितं बाणं गिरीणामपि दारणम्
Seeing that opening, the swift-moving great warrior fitted a keen arrow, capable of rending even mountains.
तेनोरसि महाराज भीमसेनमताडयत् । स गाढविद्धो व्यथितः सृक्विणी परिसंलिहन्
With that arrow, O King, he struck Bhimasena in the chest; deeply wounded, Bhimasena, in pain, licked his sides.
समाललम्बे तेजस्वी ध्वजं हेमपरिष्कृतम्। तथा विमनसं दृष्ट्वा भीमसेनं घटोत्कचः
The valiant Bhimasena grasped his gold-adorned banner for support; seeing him thus dispirited, Ghatotkacha—
क्रोधेनाभिप्रजज्वाल दिधक्षन्निव पावकः। अभिमन्युमुखाश्चापि पाण्डवानां महारथाः
Blazed with anger, as if he wished to burn like fire; and the great warriors among the Pandavas, led by Abhimanyu—