बिभेद च सुसंरब्धः पुनश्चैनान्सुतांशितैः। शरैर्बहुविधाकारैः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः
Highly agitated, he again pierced them with sharp, well-feathered arrows of many kinds, by the hundreds and thousands.
विरथांश्च महेष्वासान्कृत्वा तत्र स राक्षसः । अभिदुद्राव वेगेन हन्तुकामो निशाचरः
Having rendered those mighty archers chariotless, the night-wandering Rakshasa charged at them swiftly, intent on killing.
तानर्दितान्रणे तेन राक्षसेन दुरात्मना । दृष्ट्वाऽर्जुनसुतः सङ्ख्ये राक्षसं समुपाद्रवत्
Seeing those heroes tormented in battle by that wicked Rakshasa, Arjuna's son rushed at the Rakshasa on the field.
तयोः समभवद्युद्धं वृत्रवासवयोरिव। ददृशुस्तावकाः सर्वे पाण्डवाश्च परस्परम्
Between the two, a battle arose like that of Vritra and Indra; all the Kauravas and Pandavas watched each other.
तौ समेतौ महायुद्धे क्रोधदीप्तौ परस्परम्। महाबलौ महाराज क्रोधसंरक्तलोचनौ
Those two, meeting in great battle, their eyes reddened with rage, confronted each other, O King, both mighty in strength.
परस्परमवेक्षेतां कालानलसमौ युधि। `आशीविषाविव क्रुद्धौ नेत्राभ्यामितरेतरम् ।' तयोः समागमो घोरो बभूव कटुकोदयः
They gazed at each other in battle, both like fires of destruction, like enraged serpents, their eyes fixed on one another; their encounter was fierce and bitter.
यथा देवासुरे युद्धे शक्रशम्बरयोः पुरा
Just as in the ancient war between gods and asuras, between Shakra and Shambara.
आर्जुनं समरे शूरं विनिघ्नन्तं महारथान्। अलम्बुसः कथं युद्धे प्रत्ययुध्यत सञ्जय
How did Alambusa, in battle, fight against Arjuna, the valiant one who was slaying great chariot-warriors, O Sanjaya?
आर्श्यशृङ्गिं कथं चैव सौभद्रः परवीरहा। तन्ममाचक्ष्व तत्त्वेन यथावृत्तं स्म संयुगे
And how did Saubhadra, the destroyer of enemy heroes, fight against Arshya-shringa? Tell me truly how it happened in the battle.
धनंजयश्च किं चक्रे मम सैन्येषु संयुगे । भीमो वा रथिनां श्रेष्ठो राक्षसो वा घटोत्कचः
And what did Dhananjaya do among my troops in the battle? Or Bhima, the foremost of chariot-warriors, or Ghatotkacha, the Rakshasa?
नकुलः सहदेवो वा सात्यकिर्वा महारथः । एतदाचक्ष्व मे सत्यं कुशलो ह्यसि सञ्जय
Was it Nakula, Sahadeva, or the great warrior Satyaki? Tell me this truthfully, Sanjaya, for you are skilled.
हन्ते तेऽहं प्रवक्ष्यामि संग्रामं रोमहर्षणम्। यथाऽभूद्राक्षसेन्द्रस्य सौभद्रस्य च मारिष
Indeed, I shall tell you of that hair-raising battle, O Marisha, as it happened between the king of the Rakshasas and Subhadra’s son.
अर्जुनश्च यथा सङ्ख्ये भीमसेनश्च पाण्डवः । नकुलः सहदेवश्च रणे चक्रुः पराक्रमम्
In that battle, Arjuna and Bhimasena, the sons of Pandu, as well as Nakula and Sahadeva, displayed their valor.
तथैव तावकाः सर्वे भीष्मद्रोणपुरःसराः। अद्भुतानि विचिन्राणि चक्रुः कर्माण्यभीतवत्
Likewise, all your warriors, with Bhishma and Drona at the forefront, performed wondrous and fearless deeds.
अलम्बुसस्तु समरे अभिमन्युं महारथम् । विनद्य सुमहानादं तर्जयित्वा मुहुर्मुहुः
But Alambusa, the great chariot-warrior, challenged Abhimanyu in battle, roaring loudly and threatening him again and again.
अभिदुद्राव वेगेन तिष्ठतिष्ठेति चाब्रवीत् । अभिमन्युश्च वेगेन सिंहवद्विनदन्मुहुः
He rushed at him with speed, shouting, 'Stand, stand!' And Abhimanyu, too, roared like a lion as he advanced swiftly.
आर्श्यशृङ्गिं महेष्वासि पितुरत्यन्तवैरिणम् । ततः समीपतुः सङ्ख्ये त्वरितौ नरराक्षसौ
The mighty archer, son of Arjuna, who was the sworn enemy of his father’s foe, then hastened toward the Rakshasa in battle.
रथाभ्यां रथिनौ श्रेष्ठौ यथा वै देवदानवौ । मायावा राक्षसश्रेष्ठो दिव्यास्त्रश्चैव फाल्गुनिः
Both were foremost among chariot-warriors, advancing in their chariots like gods and demons; the Rakshasa was a master of illusion, and Arjuna’s son wielded celestial weapons.
ततः कर्ष्णिर्महाराज निशितैः सायकैस्त्रिभिः। आर्श्यशृङ्गिं रणे विद्ध्वा पुनर्विव्याव पञ्चभिः
Then Krishna’s son, O King, struck Arshyaśṛṅgi in battle with three sharp arrows, and again wounded him with five more.
अलम्बुरोऽपि संक्रुद्धः कार्ष्णि नवभिराशुगैः । हृदि विव्याध वेगेन तोत्रैरिव महाद्विपम्
But Alambusa, enraged, pierced Krishna’s son swiftly in the heart with nine keen arrows, as an elephant is struck by goads.
ततः शरसहस्रेण क्षिप्रकारी निशाचरः । अर्जुनास सुतं सङ्ख्ये पीडयामास भारत
Then the swift-working night-wanderer assailed Arjuna’s son in battle with a thousand arrows.
अभिमन्युस्ततः क्रुद्धो नवभिर्नतपर्वभिः । बिभेद निशिसैर्बाणै राक्षसेन्द्रं महोरसि
Abhimanyu, then enraged, pierced the king of the Rakshasas in the great chest with nine sharp, well-feathered arrows.
ते तस्य विविशुस्तूर्णं कायं निर्भिद्य मर्मसु। स तैर्विभिन्नसर्वाङ्गः शुशुभे राक्षसोत्तमः
Those arrows swiftly entered his body, piercing his vital points; thus, with all his limbs wounded, the foremost Rakshasa shone.
पुष्पितैः किंशुकै राजन्संस्तीर्ण इव पर्वतः । स संदधानश्च शरान्हेमपुङ्खान्महाबलः
He gleamed like a mountain covered with blossoming kimshuka flowers, as he readied his golden-feathered arrows, mighty in strength.
विबभौ राक्षसश्रेष्ठः सज्वाल इव पर्वतः । ततः क्रुद्धो महाराज आर्श्यशृङ्गिरमर्षणः
The chief of the Rakshasas blazed like a flaming mountain; then, O King, the wrathful Arshyaśṛṅgi, filled with anger—
महेन्द्रप्रतिमं कार्ष्णि छादयामास पत्रिभिः । तेन ते विशिखा मुक्ता यमदण्डोपमाः शिताः
—showered Krishna’s son, who was like Indra, with arrows; those sharp shafts, released by him, were like the rods of Yama.
अभिमन्युं विनिर्भिद्य प्राविशन्त धरातलम् । तथैवार्जुनिना मुक्ताः शराः कनकभूषणाः
Piercing Abhimanyu, those arrows entered the earth; likewise, the golden-adorned arrows released by Arjuna’s son—
अलम्बुसं विनिर्भिद्य प्राविशन्त धरातलम् । सौभद्रस्तु रणे रक्षः शरैः सन्नतपर्वभिः
—pierced Alambusa and entered the ground; but Subhadra’s son, in battle, pressed the Rakshasa with well-feathered arrows.
चक्रे विमुखमासाद्य बलं शक्र इवाहवे । विमुखं च रणे रक्षो वध्यमानं रणेऽरिणा
Having turned the army away, like Indra in battle, the demon, being struck in combat by the enemy, also turned his face from the fight.
प्रादुश्चक्रे महामायां तामसीमरिघातिनीम् । ततस्ते तमसा सर्वे वृताश्चासन्महीपते
He manifested a great illusion, dark and destructive to foes; then, O king, all were enveloped by that darkness.