भेरीमृदङ्गपणवान्नादयन्तश्च पुष्करान्। पाण्डवा अभ्यवर्तन्त नदन्तो भैरवान्रवान्
They made drums, mridangas, panavas, and cymbals resound; the Pandavas advanced, roaring with terrifying cries.
भेरीमृद्गशङ्खानां दुन्दुभीनां च निःस्वनैः । उत्कृष्टसिंहनादैश्च वल्गितैश्च पृथग्विधैः
With the sounds of drums, mridangas, conches, and dundubhis, with loud lion-roars and various leaps, the tumult was great.
वयं प्रतिनदन्तस्तानगच्छाम त्वरान्विताः । सहसैवाभिसंक्रद्धास्तदासीत्तुमुलं महत्
We, too, responded to their cries and advanced swiftly; suddenly, both sides rushed together, and a great tumult arose.
ततोऽन्योन्यं प्रधावन्तः संप्रहारं प्रचक्रिरे । ततः शब्देन महता प्रचकम्पे वसुंधरा
Then, rushing toward each other, they engaged in combat; with the tremendous noise, the earth itself trembled.
पक्षिणश्च महाघोरं व्याहरन्तो विबभ्रमुः । सप्रभश्चोदितः सूर्यो निष्प्रभः समपद्यत
Birds uttered dreadful cries and flew about; the sun, though shining brightly, became devoid of radiance.
ववुश्च वातास्तुमुलाः शंसन्तः सुमहद्भयम् । घोराश्च घोरनिर्ह्रादाः शिवास्तत्र ववाशिरे
Violent winds blew, foretelling immense fear; fierce and ominous jackals howled there.
वेदयन्त्यो महाराज महद्वैशसमागतम्। दिशः प्रज्वलिता राजन्पांसुवर्षं पपात च
Sensing a great calamity, O King, the directions blazed, and a shower of dust fell.
रुधिरेण समुन्मिश्रमस्थिवर्षं पपात च । रुदतां वाहनानां च नेत्रेभ्यः प्रापतञ्जलम्
A rain of bones mixed with blood fell; tears flowed from the eyes of the weeping animals.
सुस्रुवुश्च शकृन्मूत्रं प्रध्यायन्तो विशांपते । अन्तर्हिता महानादाः श्रूयन्ते भरतर्षभ
They released excrement and urine, brooding, O lord of men; mysterious loud sounds were heard, O bull among the Bharatas.
रक्षसां पुरुषादानां नदतां भैरवान्रवान् । संपतन्तश्च दृश्यन्ते गोमायबलवायसाः
Rakshasas and man-eaters roared with terrifying cries; jackals and vultures were seen rushing about.
श्वानश्च विविधैर्नादैर्भषन्तस्तत्र मारिष । ज्वलिताश्च महोल्का वै समाहत्य दिवाकरम् । निपेतुः सहसा भूमौ वेदयन्त्यो महद्भयम्
Dogs barked with various sounds, O Marisha; blazing meteors struck the sun and suddenly fell to earth, foretelling great fear.
महान्त्यनीकानि महासमुच्छ्रये ततस्तयोः पाण्डवधार्तराष्ट्रयोः। चकम्पिरे शङ्खमृदङ्गनिःस्वनैः प्रकम्पितानीव वनानि वायुना
The great armies, vast in size, of both the Pandavas and Dhartarashtras, trembled with the sounds of conches and mridangas, as forests shake in the wind.
नरेन्द्रनागाश्वसमाकुलाना- मभ्यायतीनामशिवे मुहूर्ते। बभूव घोषस्तुमुलश्चमूनां वातोद्धुतानामिव सागराणाम्
As the troops, filled with kings, elephants, and horses, advanced at an inauspicious hour, the tumult of the armies became immense, like the roar of wind-tossed oceans.
अभिमन्यू रथोदारः पिशङ्गैस्तुरगोत्तमैः। अभिदुद्राव तेजस्वी दुर्योधनबलं महत्
Abhimanyu, with a splendid chariot drawn by tawny, excellent horses, charged fiercely against the great force of Duryodhana.
विकिरञ्शरवर्षाणि वारिधारा इवाम्बुदः। न शेकुः समरे क्रुद्धं सौभद्रमरिसूदनम्
He poured showers of arrows like rain from clouds; the warriors could not withstand the enraged Saubhadra, the slayer of foes, in battle.
शस्त्रौघिणं गाहमानं सेनासागरमक्षयम्। निवारयितुमप्याजौ त्वदीयाः कुरुनन्दन
Immersed in a sea of armies, bristling with weapons, your forces, O joy of the Kurus, could not restrain him even in combat.
तेन मुक्ता रणे राजञ्शराः शत्रुनिबर्हणाः। क्षत्रियाननयञ्शूरान्प्रेतराजनिवेशनम्
By him, O King, enemy-destroying arrows were released in battle, and he sent brave Kshatriyas to the abode of the lord of the dead.
यमदण्डोपमान्घोराञ्ज्वलिताशीविषोपमान् । सौभद्रः समरे क्रुद्धः प्रेषयामास सायकान्
In his wrath, Saubhadra sent forth terrifying arrows in battle, resembling the rod of Yama and blazing serpents.
सरथान्रथिनस्तूर्णं हयांश्चैव ससादिनः । गजारोहांश्च सगजान्दारयामास फाल्गुनिः
Phalguni swiftly struck down chariot-warriors with their chariots, horsemen with their horses, and elephant-riders with their elephants.
तस्य तत्कुर्वतः कर्म महत्सङ्ख्ये महीभृतः। पूजयांचक्रिरे हृष्टाः प्रशशंसुश्च फाल्गुनिम्
As that mighty king performed such great deeds in battle, the delighted rulers honored and praised Phalguni.
तान्यनीकानि सौभद्रो द्रावयामास भारत। तूलराशीनिवाकाशे मारुतः सर्वतो दिशम्
Saubhadra routed those divisions, O Bharata, as the wind scatters heaps of cotton in the sky in every direction.
तेन विद्राव्यमाणानि तव सैन्यानि भारत । त्रतारं नाध्यगच्छन्त पङ्क्ते मग्ना इव द्वीपाः
Driven back by him, your troops, O Bharata, found no protector, like islands submerged in a line.
विद्राव्य सर्वसैन्यानि तावकानि नरोत्तम । अभिमन्युः स्थितो राजन्विधूमोऽग्निरिव ज्वलन्
Having routed all your armies, O best of men, Abhimanyu stood like a smokeless blazing fire.
न चैनं तावका राजन्विषेहुररिघातिनम् । प्रदीप्तं पावकं यद्वत्पतङ्गाः कालचोदिताः
Nor could your men, O King, withstand the slayer of foes, just as moths, impelled by fate, cannot withstand blazing fire.
प्रहरन्सर्वशत्रुभ्यः पाण्डवानां महारथः । अदृश्यत महेष्वासः सवज्र इव वासवः
Striking all his enemies, the great-armed Pandava hero appeared like Indra himself, wielding the thunderbolt.
हेमपृष्ठं धनुश्चास्य ददृशे विचरद्दिशः । तोयदेषु यथा राजन्राजमाना शतह्रदा
His bow, with a golden back, was seen moving in all directions, like a resplendent, hundred-rayed cloud in the sky, O King.
शराश्च निशिताः पीता निश्चरन्ति स्म संयुगे । वनात्फुल्लद्रुमाद्राजन्भ्रमराणामिव व्रजाः
And sharp, yellow arrows flew forth in battle, O King, like swarms of bees from blossoming trees in the forest.
तथैव चरतस्तस्य सौभद्रस्य महात्मनः । रथेन काञ्चनाङ्गेन ददृशुर्नान्तरं जनाः
As the great-souled Saubhadra moved about in his chariot adorned with gold, people saw no gap in his movements.
मोहयित्वा कृपं द्रोणं द्रौणिं च सबृहद्बलम्। सैन्धवं च महेष्वासो व्यचरल्लघु सुष्ठु च
Having bewildered Kripa, Drona, Drona's son, Brihadbala, and the Sindhu king, the great archer moved lightly and skillfully.
मण्डलीकृतमेवास्य धनुः पश्याम भारत। सूर्यमण्डलसंकाशं दहतस्तव वाहिनीम्
We saw his bow, O Bharata, shaped in a circle and blazing like the sun's disk as he scorched your army.