तथैव भगदत्तश्च श्रतायुश्च महाबलः। गजानीकेन भीमस्य ताववारयतां दिशः
Likewise, Bhagadatta and the mighty Shatayu, with their elephant divisions, barred Bhima’s path.
भूरिश्रवाः शलश्चैव सौबलश्च विशांपते । शरौघैर्विमलैस्तीक्ष्णैर्माद्रीपुत्राववारयन्
Bhurishrava, Shala, and the son of Subala, O lord of men, with sharp and gleaming showers of arrows, blocked the sons of Madri.
भीष्मस्तु संहतः सङ्ख्ये धार्तराष्ट्रैः ससैनिकैः । युधिष्ठिरं समासाद्य सर्वतः पर्यवारयत्
But Bhishma, joined in battle by the Dhartarashtras and their troops, surrounded Yudhishthira on all sides.
आपतन्तं गजानीकं दृष्ट्वा पार्थो वृकोदरः। लोलिहन्सृक्किणी वीरो मृगराडिव कानने
Seeing Gajanika charging, Partha and Vrikodara, those heroes, licked their lips like lions in the forest.
भीमस्तु रथिनां श्रेष्ठो गदां गृह्य महाहवे । अवप्लुत्य रथात्तूर्णं तव सैन्यान्यभीषयत्
Bhima, best among charioteers, seizing his mace in the great battle, swiftly leapt from his chariot and struck terror into your troops.
तमुद्वीक्ष्य गदाहस्तं ततस्ते गजसादिनः । परिवव्रू रणे यत्ता भीमसेनं समन्ततः
Seeing him with mace in hand, the elephant-riders, determined, surrounded Bhimasena on all sides in battle.
गजमध्यमनुप्राप्तः पाण्डवः स व्यराजत। मेघजालस्य महतो यथा मध्यगतो रविः
The Pandava, entering the midst of the elephants, shone like the sun in the center of a great mass of clouds.
व्यधमत्स गजानीकं गदया पाण्डवर्षभः । महाभ्रजालमतुलं मातरिश्वेव सन्ततम्
That bull among the Pandavas struck down the elephant division with his mace, like the wind dispersing a vast, unbroken bank of clouds.
ते वध्यमाना बलिना भीमसेनेन दन्तिनः । आर्तनादं रणे चक्रुर्गर्जन्तो जलदा इव
Those elephants, being slain by the mighty Bhimasena, cried out in distress on the battlefield, roaring like thunderclouds.
बहुधा दारितश्चैव विषाणैस्तत्र दन्तिभिः । फुल्लाशोकनिभः पार्थः शुशुभे रणमूर्धनि
There, pierced in many ways by the tusks of those elephants, Partha shone on the battlefield like a blossoming Ashoka tree.
सादिनां शस्त्रवृष्टिं च व्यधमद्गदया ततः।' वायुवेगसमायुक्तो व्यचरत्पाण्डवो युधि
Then, with his mace, the Pandava scattered the rain of weapons from the warriors, moving in battle with the speed of the wind.
विषाणोल्लिखितैर्गात्रौर्विषाणाभिहतो भृशम्। विषाणे दन्तिनं गृह्य निर्विषाणमथाकरोत्
Struck repeatedly by the tusks, his body marked by their gouges, he seized the elephant by its tusk and made it tuskless.
विषाणेन च तेनैव कुम्भोऽभ्याहत्य दन्तिनम् । पातयामास समरे दण्डहस्त इवान्तकः
With that very tusk, he struck the elephant on its head, and brought it down in battle, like Death with a staff in hand.
शोणिताक्तां गदां बिभ्रन्मेदोभञ्जाकृतच्छविः । कृताभ्यङ्गः शोणितेन रुद्रवत्प्रत्यदृश्यत
Holding a mace stained with blood, its appearance marred by crushed fat, his body anointed with blood, he looked like Rudra himself.
एवं के वध्यमानाश्च हतशेषा महागजाः । प्राद्रवन्त दिशो राजन्विमृद्गन्तः स्वकं बलम्
Thus, as the great elephants were being slain, those who survived fled in all directions, O King, trampling their own forces.
द्रवद्भिस्तैर्महानागैः समन्ताद्भरतर्षभ। दुर्योधनबलं सर्वं पुनरासीत्पराङ्भुखम्
With those great elephants fleeing all around, O bull of the Bharatas, Duryodhana's entire army once again turned its back.
मध्यंदिनो महाराज संग्रामः समपद्यत। लोकक्षयकरो रौद्रो भीष्मस्य सह सोमकैः
At midday, O great king, the battle became fierce, destructive to the world, dreadful, as Bhishma fought together with the Somakas.
गाङ्गेयो रथिनां श्रेष्ठः पाण्डवानामनीकिनीम् । व्यधमन्निशितैर्बाणैः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः
Bhishma, best of chariot-warriors, scattered the Pandava ranks with sharp arrows by the hundreds and thousands.
संममर्द च तत्सैन्यं पिता देवव्रतस्तव। मर्दयेच्च यथा राजन्सिंहः प्राप्य मृगव्रजम्
Your father Devavrata pressed hard upon that army, O King, crushing it as a lion scatters a herd of deer.
धृष्टद्युम्नः शिखण्डी च विराटो द्रुपदस्तथा। भीष्ममासाद्य समरे शरैर्जघ्नुर्महारथम्
Dhrishtadyumna, Shikhandi, Virata, and Drupada, encountering Bhishma in battle, struck the great chariot-warrior with arrows.
धृष्टद्युम्नं ततो विद्ध्वा विराटं च शरैस्त्रिभिः । द्रुपदस्य च नाराचं प्रेषयामास भारत
Then Bhishma struck Dhrishtadyumna and Virata with three arrows each, and sent a broad-headed shaft at Drupada, O Bharata.
तेन विद्धा महेष्वासा भीष्मेणामित्रकर्शिना । चुक्रुधुः समरे राजन्पादस्पृष्टा इवोरगाः
Wounded by Bhishma, the mighty archer and crusher of foes, they grew enraged in battle, O King, like serpents trodden underfoot.
शिखण्डी तं च विव्याध भरतानां पितामहम् । स्त्रीमयं मनसा ध्यात्वा नास्मै प्राहरदच्युतः
Shikhandi struck the grandsire of the Bharatas, but Bhishma, regarding him as female in his mind, did not return the attack, O steadfast one.
धृष्टद्युम्नस्तु समरे क्रोधेनाग्निरिव ज्वलन् । पितामहं त्रिभिर्बाणैर्बाह्वोरुरसि चार्पयत्
But Dhrishtadyumna, blazing with anger like fire, struck the grandsire in battle with three arrows on his arms and chest.
द्रुपदः पञ्चविंशत्या विराटो दशमिः शरैः। शिखण्डी पञ्चविंशत्या भीष्मं विव्याध सायकैः
Drupada struck Bhishma with twenty-five arrows, Virata with ten, and Shikhandi with twenty-five shafts.
सोऽतिविद्धो महाराज शोणितौघपरिप्लुतः। वसन्ते पुष्पशबलो रक्ताशोक इवाबभौ
Thus pierced excessively, O King, and bathed in streams of blood, he shone like a red ashoka tree in spring, covered with blossoms.
तान्प्रत्यविध्यद्गाङ्गेयस्त्रिभिस्त्रिभिरजिह्मगैः । द्रुपदस्य च भल्लेन धनुश्चिच्छेद मारिष
Bhishma, son of Ganga, struck them back with three straight arrows each, and with a broad-headed shaft, O Marisha, he cut Drupada's bow.
सोऽन्यत्कार्मुकमादाय भीष्मं विव्याध पञ्चभिः । सारथिं च त्रिभिर्बाणैः सुशितै रणमूर्धनि
Taking up another bow, Drupada struck Bhishma with five arrows and his charioteer with three sharp shafts in the midst of battle.
तथा भीमो महाराज द्रौपद्याः पञ्च चात्मजाः । केकया भ्रातरः पञ्च सात्यकिश्चैव सात्वतः
Likewise, O King, Bhima, the five sons of Draupadi, the five brothers from Kekaya, and Satyaki of the Satvata clan,
अभ्यद्रवन्त गाङ्गेयं युधिष्ठिरसमाज्ञया । प्रति रक्षणकार्यार्थं धृष्टद्युम्नमुखान्रणे
rushed against Bhishma, son of Ganga, at Yudhishthira’s command, to protect Dhrishtadyumna and his foremost warriors in battle.