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.
उभयोः सदृशं कर्म स पितुर्मातुलस्य च । रणे बहुविधं चक्रे सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरः
In both action and valor, he resembled his father and his maternal uncle; in battle, he performed many feats, being foremost among all wielders of weapons.
ततो धनञ्जयो वीरो विनिघ्नंस्तव सैनिकान् । आससाद रणे भीष्मं पुत्रप्रेप्सुरमर्षणः
Then Dhananjaya, the heroic Arjuna, slaying your soldiers, approached Bhishma in battle, eager and longing for his son.
तथैव समरे राजन्पिता देवव्रतस्तव । आससाद रणे पार्थं स्वर्भानुरिव भास्करम्
Likewise, O king, your father Devavrata advanced upon Partha in battle, as Svarbhanu approaches the sun.
ततः सरथनागाश्वाः पुत्रास्तव जनेश्वर । परिवव्रू रणे भीष्मं जुगुपुश्च समन्ततः
Then, O lord of men, your sons with their chariots, elephants, and horses surrounded Bhishma in battle, protecting him on all sides.
तथैव पाण्डवा राजन्परिवार्य धनञ्जयम् । रणाय महते युक्ता दंशिता भरतर्षभ
In the same way, O king, the Pandavas, having encircled Dhananjaya, stood ready for the great battle, their resolve firm, O bull of the Bharatas.
शारद्वतस्ततो राजन्भीष्मस्य प्रमुखे स्थितम् । अर्जुनं पञ्चविंशत्या सायकानां समाचिनोत्
Then, O king, Kripa, son of Sharadvat, standing before Bhishma, struck Arjuna with twenty-five arrows.
प्रत्युद्गम्याथ विव्याध सात्यकिस्तं शितैः शरैः । पाण्डवप्रियकामार्थं शार्दूल इव कुञ्जरम्
Then Satyaki confronted him and pierced him with sharp arrows, seeking to please the Pandavas, like a tiger attacking an elephant.
गौतमोऽपि त्वरायुक्तो माधवं नवभिः शरैः । हृदि विव्याध संक्रुद्धः कङ्कपत्रपरिच्छदैः
Gautama, swift in action, angrily struck Madhava in the heart with nine arrows, each tipped with the feathers of a crane.
शैनेयोऽपि ततः क्रुद्धश्चापमानम्य वेगवान् । गौतमान्तकरं तूर्णं समाधत्त शिलीमुखम्
Shaineya, enraged, quickly bent his bow and aimed a deadly arrow at Gautama, intending to end him.
तमापतन्तं वेगेन शक्राशनिसमद्युतिम् । द्विधा चिच्छेद संक्रुद्धो द्रौणिः परमकोपनः
Drauni, furious and filled with wrath, cut down that speeding arrow, which shone like Indra's thunderbolt, splitting it in two.