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.
तं दृष्ट्वा क्षत्रियाः शुराः प्रतपन्तं तरस्विनम् । द्विफल्गुनमिमं लोकं मेनिरे तस्य कर्मभिः
Seeing that valiant and fiery warrior blazing forth, the brave Kshatriyas thought him to be a second Arjuna by his deeds.
तेनार्दिता महाराज भारती सा महाचमूः । व्यभ्रमत्तत्रतत्रैव योषिन्मदवशादिव
By him, O King, the great Bharata host was struck and scattered here and there, like a woman maddened by passion.
द्रावयित्वा महासैन्यं कम्पयित्वा महारथान् । नन्दयामास सुहृदो मयं जित्वेव वासवः
Having routed the great army and shaken the mighty chariot-warriors, he delighted his friends as Indra does after victory.
तेन निद्राव्यमाणानि तव सैन्यानि संयुगे। चक्रुरार्तस्वनं घोरं पर्जन्यनिनदोपमम्
By him, as your troops were driven back in battle, they uttered a terrible cry of distress, like the roar of thunderclouds.
तं श्रुत्वा निनदं घोरं तव सैन्यस्य भारत। मारुतोद्धूतवेगस्य सागरस्येव पर्वणि
Hearing that terrible roar of your army, O Bhārata, which surged like the ocean whipped up by the wind at the time of the full moon,
दुर्योधनस्तदा राजन्नार्श्यशृङ्गिमभाषत। एष कार्ष्णिर्महाबाहो द्वितीय इव फल्गुनः
Then, O King, Duryodhana spoke to Rākṣasa Śṛṅgi: 'Here is Kārṣṇi, mighty-armed, like a second Phālguna.'
चमूं द्रावयते क्रोधाद्वृत्रो देवचमूमिव । तस्य चान्यत्र पश्यामि संयुगे भेषजं महत्
In his wrath, he is routing the army, as Vṛtra did the army of the gods; and I see no great remedy for him in battle except elsewhere.
ऋते त्वां राक्षसश्रेष्ठं सर्वविद्यासु पारगम् । स गत्वा त्वरितं वीरं जहि सौभद्रमाहवे
Except for you, best of Rākṣasas, master of all sciences, go swiftly and slay the heroic Saubhadra in battle.
वयं पार्थं हनिष्यामो भीष्मद्रोणपुरोगमाः । स एवमुक्तो बलवान्राक्षसेन्द्रः प्रतापवान्
We, with Bhīṣma and Droṇa at the forefront, will slay Pārtha; thus addressed, the powerful and valiant lord of the Rākṣasas,
प्रययौ समरे तूर्णं तव पुत्रस्य शासनात्। नर्दमानो महानादं प्रावृषीव बलाहकः
At your son's command, quickly advanced into battle, roaring a great sound like a thundercloud in the rainy season.