निर्वेदं परमं गत्वा विनिन्द्य परवश्यताम् । दीर्घं दध्यौ शान्तनवो योद्धुकामोऽर्जुनं रणे
Having reached the utmost dejection, condemning his own helplessness, Shantanu's son pondered deeply, desiring to fight Arjuna in battle.
इङ्गितेन तु तज्ज्ञात्वा गाङ्गेयेन विचिन्तितम् । दुर्योधनो महाराज दुःशासनमचोदयत्
Perceiving by his gestures what Ganga's son was thinking, King Duryodhana urged Duhshasana.
दुःशासन रथास्तूर्णं युज्यन्तां भीष्मरक्षिणः । द्वाविंशतिमनीकानि सर्वाण्येवाभिचोदय
Duḥśāsana, quickly harness the chariots for Bhīṣma’s protection; mobilize all twenty-two divisions at once.
अयं हि समनुप्राप्तो वर्षपूगाभिचिन्तितः । पाण्डवानां ससैन्यानां वधो राज्यस्य चागमः
For now has arrived the moment long anticipated over many years: the destruction of the Pāṇḍavas and their army, and the acquisition of the kingdom.
तत्र कार्यमहं मन्ये भीष्मस्यैवाभिरक्षणम्। स नो गुप्तः सहायः स्याद्धन्यात्पार्थांश्च संयुगे
Therefore, I believe our foremost task is to protect Bhīṣma; if he is safeguarded, he will be our ally and defeat the Pāṇḍavas in battle.
अब्रवीद्धि विशुद्धात्मा नाहं हन्यां शिखण्डिनम् । स्त्रीपूर्वको ह्यसौ राजंस्तस्माद्वर्ज्यो मया रणे
He spoke, pure in heart: 'I will not kill Śikhaṇḍin, for he was formerly a woman, O King; thus, I must avoid him in battle.'
लोकस्तद्वेद यदहं पितुः प्रियचिकीर्षया । राज्यं स्फीतं महाबाहो स्त्रियश्च त्यक्तवान्पुरा
The world knows that, out of desire to please my father, I once renounced a prosperous kingdom and women, O mighty-armed one.
नैव चाहं स्त्रियं जातु न स्त्रीपूर्वं कथंचन । हन्यां युधि नरश्रेष्ठ सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीमि ते
Never would I kill a woman, nor anyone who was formerly a woman, in battle, O best among men; this is the truth I declare to you.
अयं स्त्रीपूर्वको राजञ्छिखण्डी यदि ते श्रुतः। उद्योगे कथितं सर्वं यथा जाता शिखण्डिनी
This Śikhaṇḍī, O King, was formerly a woman, as you have heard; in the preparations, everything was told about how Śikhaṇḍinī was born.
कन्या भूत्वा पुमाञ्जातः स च योत्स्यति भारत । तस्याहं प्रमुखे बाणान्न मुञ्चेयं कथंचन
Having been born a girl, he became a man, and he will fight, O descendant of Bharata; yet I will never release arrows at him, not under any circumstance.
युद्धे हि क्षत्रियांस्तात पाण्डवानां जयैषिणः । सर्वानन्यान्हनिष्यामि संप्राप्तान्रणमूर्धनि
In battle, O father, I will slay all the Kṣatriyas among the Pāṇḍavas who seek victory, except for him, when they come to the forefront of war.
एवं मां भरतश्रेष्ठ गाङ्गेयः प्राह शास्त्रवित् । तत्र सर्वात्मना मन्ये गाङ्गेयस्यैव पालनम्
Thus, O best of the Bharatas, Gāṅgeya, learned in scripture, spoke to me; therefore, I believe with all my heart that Gāṅgeya must be protected.
अरक्ष्यमाणं हि वृको हन्यात्सिंहं महाहवे । मा वृकेणेव गाङ्गेयं घातयेम शिखण्डिना
For if left unguarded, a wolf can kill a lion in a great battle; let us not allow Gāṅgeya to be slain by Śikhaṇḍin, as by a wolf.
मातुलः शकुनिः शल्यः कृपो द्रोणो विविंशतिः। यत्ता रक्षन्तु गाङ्गेयं तस्मिन्गुप्ते ध्रुवो जयः
Let Śakuni, Śalya, Kṛpa, Droṇa, and Viviṃśati, my maternal uncle and others, stand ready to protect Gāṅgeya; with him guarded, victory is certain.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु ते सर्वे दुर्योधनवचस्तदा । सर्वतो रथवंशेन गाङ्गेयं पर्यवारयन्
Upon hearing these words of Duryodhana, all of them then surrounded Gāṅgeya from every side with lines of chariots.
पुत्राश्च तव गाङ्गेयं परिवार्य ययुर्मुदा । कम्पयन्तो भुवं द्यां च क्षोभयन्तश्च पाण्डवान्
Your sons, too, joyfully encircled Gāṅgeya, shaking the earth and sky, and disturbing the Pāṇḍavas.
ते रथैः सुप्रसंयुक्तैर्दन्तिभिश्च महारथाः । परिवार्य रणे भीष्मं दंशिताः समवस्थिताः
Those great warriors, with well-equipped chariots and elephants, surrounded Bhīṣma in battle, standing ready and vigilant.
यथा देवासुरे युद्धे त्रिदशा वज्रधारिणम्। सर्वे ते स्म व्यतिष्ठन्त रक्षन्तस्तं महारथम्
Just as in the battle between gods and demons, the immortals protected the wielder of the thunderbolt, so all of them stood guarding that great chariot-warrior.
ततो दुर्योधनो राजा पुनर्भ्रातरमब्रवीत् । सव्यं चक्रं युधामन्युरुत्तमौजाश्च दक्षिणम्। गोप्तारावर्जुनस्यैतावर्जुनोऽपि शिखण्डिनः
Then King Duryodhana again spoke to his brother: 'Let Yudhāmanyu guard the left wheel, Uttamaujas the right; these are Arjuna’s protectors, and Arjuna himself guards Śikhaṇḍin.'
रक्ष्यमाणः स पार्थेन तथास्माभिर्विवर्जितः । यथा भीष्मं न नो हन्याद्दुःशासन तथा कुरु
Guarded by Arjuna, and avoided by us, let us ensure, Duḥśāsana, that Bhīṣma does not kill him.
भ्रातुस्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा पुत्रो दुःशासनस्तव। भीष्मं प्रमुखतः कृत्वा प्रययौ सह सेनया
Hearing those words of his brother, your son Duḥśāsana set out, placing Bhīṣma at the forefront, together with the army.
भीष्मं तु रथवंशेन दृष्ट्वा समभिसंवृतम्। अर्जुनो रथिनां श्रेष्ठो धृष्टद्युम्नमुवाच ह
But seeing Bhīṣma surrounded by the line of chariots, Arjuna, the foremost of charioteers, spoke to Dhṛṣṭadyumna.
शिखण्डिनं नरव्याघ्रं भीष्मस्य प्रमुखे नृप। स्थापयस्वाद्य पाञ्चाल्य तस्य गोप्ताऽहमित्युत
O king, today place Śikhaṇḍin, the tiger among men, in front of Bhīṣma, O son of Pāñcālī; I will be his protector.
ततः शान्तनवो भीष्मो निर्ययौ सह सेनया। व्यूहं चाव्यूहत महत्सर्वतोभद्रमात्मनः
Then Bhīṣma, son of Śāntanu, set out with his army, and arrayed his great formation, the all-protecting Sarvatobhadra, for himself.
कृपश्च कृतवर्मा च शैब्यश्चैव महारथः । शकुनिः सैन्धवश्चैव काम्भोजश्च सुदक्षिणः
Kṛpa, Kṛtavarmā, the mighty car-warrior Śaibya, Śakuni, the Sindhu king, and Sudakṣiṇa the Kāmbhoja also joined.
भीष्मेण सहिताः सर्वे पुत्रैश्च तव भारत । अग्रतः सर्वसैन्यानां व्यूहस्य प्रमुखे स्थिताः
All these, together with Bhīṣma and your sons, O Bhārata, stood at the front of all the troops, at the head of the formation.
द्रोणो भूरिश्रवाः शल्यो भगदत्तश्च मारिष । दक्षिणं पक्षमाश्रित्य स्थिता व्यूहस्य दंशिताः
Droṇa, Bhūriśravā, Śalya, and Bhagadatta, O great one, took up their positions, arrayed on the right wing of the formation.
अश्वत्थामा सोमदत्तश्चावन्त्यौ च महारथौ । महत्या सेनया युक्ता वामं पक्षमपालयन्
Aśvatthāman, Somadatta, and the two mighty car-warriors from Avanti, with a great force, guarded the left wing.
दुर्योधनो महाराज त्रिगर्तैः सर्वतो वृतः । व्यूहमध्ये स्थितो राजन्पाण्डवान्प्रति भारत
King Duryodhana, surrounded on all sides by the Trigartas, stood in the center of the formation, facing the Pāṇḍavas, O Bhārata.
अलम्बुसो रथश्रेष्ठः श्रुतायुश्च महारथः । पृष्ठतः सर्वसैन्यानां स्थितौ व्यूहस्य दंशितौ
Alambusa, the foremost of charioteers, and the mighty car-warrior Śrutāyu, stood at the rear of all the troops, arrayed in formation.