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.
नाभिमन्युमपश्यन्त नैव स्वान्न परान्रणे । अभिमन्युश्च तदृष्ट्वा घोररूपं महत्तमः
They could not see Abhimanyu, nor their own men or the enemy in battle; and Abhimanyu, seeing that terrible, vast darkness—
प्रादुश्चक्रेऽस्त्रमत्सुग्रं भास्करं कुरुनन्दनः । ततः प्रकाशमभवज्जगत्सर्वं महीपते
The son of Kuru then released a fierce, shining weapon; immediately, O king, the whole world became illuminated.
तां चाभिजघ्निवान्मायां राक्षसस्य दुरात्मनः । संक्रुद्धश्च महावीर्यो राक्षसेन्द्रं नरोत्तमः
He struck down that illusion of the wicked demon; and, enraged, the mighty hero attacked the lord of the Rakshasas.
छादयामास समरे शरैः सन्नतपर्वभिः। बह्वीस्तथाऽन्या मायाश्च प्रयुक्तास्तेन रक्षसा
In battle, he covered him with arrows whose shafts were well-feathered; and likewise, that Rakshasa employed many other illusions.
सर्वास्त्रविदमेयात्मा वारयामास फाल्गुनिः। हतमायं ततो रक्षो वध्यमानं च सायकैः
Phalguni, knower of all weapons and master of himself, repelled them; then, with his illusions destroyed and struck by arrows, the demon—
रथं तत्रैव संत्यज्य प्राद्रवन्महतो भयात्। तस्मिन्विनिर्जिते तूर्णं कूटयोधिनि राक्षसे
Abandoning his chariot right there, fled in great fear; when that deceitful Rakshasa was swiftly defeated—
आर्जुनिः समरे सैन्यं तावकं संममर्द ह। मदान्धो वन्यनागेन्द्रः सपद्मां पद्मिनीमिव
Arjuna then crushed your army in battle, as a wild, intoxicated elephant tramples a lotus pond with its lotuses.
ततः शान्तनवो भीष्मः सैन्यं दृष्ट्वाऽभिविद्रुतम्। महता शरवर्षेण सौभद्रं पर्यवारयत्
Then Bhishma, son of Shantanu, seeing the army routed, surrounded Subhadra’s son with a great shower of arrows.
कोष्ठीकृत्य च तं वीरं धार्तराष्ट्रा महारथः । एवं सुबहवो युद्धे ततक्षुः सायकैर्दृढम्
Having encircled that hero, the mighty car-warriors of Dhritarashtra’s side struck him hard with many arrows in battle.
स तेषां रथिनां वीरः पितुस्तुल्यपराक्रमः । सदृशो वासुदेवस्य विक्रमेण बलेन च
That hero among charioteers, equal in prowess to his father, was like Vasudeva in courage and strength.