चर्मभिश्चामरैश्चित्रैः पताकाभिश्च मारिष । छत्रैः सितैर्हेमदण्डैश्चामरैश्च समन्ततः
With shields, ornate fans, banners, white umbrellas with golden handles, and fans all around, O dear one,
विशीर्णैर्विप्रधावन्तो दृश्यन्ते स्म दिशो दश। नवमेघप्रतीकाशा जलदोपमनिःस्वनाः
they were seen fleeing in all ten directions, their standards shattered, resembling dark clouds, their noise like thunder.
तथैव दन्तिभिर्हीना गजारोहा विशांपते। प्रधावन्तोऽन्वदृश्यन्त तव तेषां च संकुले
Likewise, O lord of the people, elephant riders deprived of their elephants were seen running amidst the confusion of your side and theirs.
नानादेशसमुत्थांश्च तुरगान्हेमभीषितान् । वातायमानानद्राक्षं शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः
I saw hundreds and thousands of horses from various regions, adorned with gold, running wild.
अश्वारोहान्हतैरश्वैर्गृहीतासन्समन्ततः । द्रवमाणानपश्याम द्राव्यमाणांश्च संयुगे
We saw horsemen, whose horses had been slain, being seized on all sides, some fleeing, others being driven in the battle.
गजो गजं समासाद्य द्रवमाणं महाहवे । ययौ प्रमृद्य तरसा पादातान्वाजिनस्तथा । तथैव च रथान्राजन्प्रममर्द रणे गजः
In that great battle, an elephant attacked another fleeing elephant and crushed it with force; so too did horsemen trample foot soldiers, and elephants in turn crushed chariots in the fight, O King.
रथाश्चैव समासाद्य पतितांस्तुरगान्भुवि। व्यमृद्गन्समरे राजंस्तुरगांश्च नरान्रमे
The chariots, encountering fallen horses on the ground, crushed them in battle, O king, and likewise trampled both horses and men.
एवं ते बहुधा राजन्प्रत्यमृद्गन्परस्परम्। `दृश्यन्तेस्म महाबाहो तत्रतत्र महाबलाः
Thus, O king, they fiercely trampled each other in many ways; the mighty warriors were seen here and there, displaying their great strength.
तस्मिन्रौद्रे तथा युद्धे वर्तमाने महाभये। प्रावर्तत नदी घोरा शोमितान्त्रतरङ्गिणी
In that dreadful battle, amid great terror, a ghastly river began to flow, with waves of blood and gore.
अस्थिसङ्घातसंबाधा केशशैवलाद्वला । रथह्रदा शरावर्ता हयमीना दुरासदा
Crowded with heaps of bones, tangled with hair like water-weeds, with chariot-deep pools, whirlpools of arrows, and horses as fish, it was impossible to approach.
शीर्षोपलसमाकीर्णा हस्तिग्राहसमाकुला । कवचोष्णीषफेनौघा धनुर्वेगासिकच्छपा
Filled with severed heads as stones, teeming with elephants as crocodiles, its foam was armor and turbans, its turtles were swift bows and swords.
शङ्खनक्रौघसंकीर्णा छत्रकूर्मरथोडुपा।' पताकाध्वजवृक्षाढ्या मर्त्यकूलापहारिणी । क्रव्यादहंससंकीर्णा यमराष्ट्रविवर्धनी
Mixed with conch-shells and crocodiles, with umbrellas, shields, chariots, and stars; adorned with banners and flags as trees, its banks crowded with the dead, it carried away corpses, mingled with vultures and swans, and increased the realm of Yama.
तां नदीं क्षत्रियाः शूरा रथनागहयप्लवैः । प्रतेरुर्बहवो राजन्भयं त्यक्त्वा महारथाः
Into that river, brave Kshatriyas, using chariots, elephants, horses, and boats, crossed in great numbers, O king, the mighty warriors abandoning fear.
अपोवाह रणे भीरून्कश्मलेनाभिसंवृतान्। यथा वैतरणी प्रेतान्प्रेतराजपुरं प्रति
That river carried away the timid in battle, covered in confusion, just as the Vaitarani carries the departed toward the city of the lord of the dead.
प्राक्रोशन्क्षत्रियास्तत्र दृष्ट्वा तद्वैशसं महत्। दुर्योधनापराधेन गच्छन्ति क्षत्रियाः क्षयम्
There, the Kshatriyas cried out, seeing that great calamity: 'Because of Duryodhana's offense, the Kshatriyas are perishing.'
गुणवत्सु कथं द्वेषं धृतराष्ट्रो जनेश्वरः । कृतवान्पाण्डुपुत्रेषु पापात्मा लोभमोहितः
How could Dhritarashtra, lord of men, bear hatred toward the virtuous, having committed evil against the sons of Pandu, blinded by greed?
एवं बहुविधा वाचः श्रूयन्ते स्म परस्परम् । पाण्डवस्तवसंयुक्ताः पुत्राणां ते सुदारुणाः
Thus, many kinds of words were heard exchanged among them, harshly condemning your sons, joined with the Pandavas.
ता निशम्य ततो वाचः सर्वयोधैरुदाहृताः। आगस्कृत्सर्वलोकस्य पुत्रो दुर्योधनस्तव
Hearing those words spoken by all the warriors, your son Duryodhana became the cause of offense for the whole world.
भीष्मं द्रोणं कृपं चैव शल्यं चोवाच भारत। युध्यध्वमनहंकराः किं चिरं कुरुथेति च
He addressed Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, and Shalya, saying, 'Fight without pride! Why do you delay?'
इति दुर्योधनोत्सृष्टाः सर्वे युयुधिरे नृपाः' ततः प्रववृते युद्धं कुरूणां पाण्डवैः सह। अक्षद्यूतकृतं राजन्सुघोरं वैशसं तदा
Thus, at Duryodhana's command, all the kings fought; then the battle between the Kurus and Pandavas commenced, fierce and calamitous, caused by the fatal game of dice, O king.
यत्पुरा न निगृह्णासि वार्यमाणो महात्मभिः । वैचित्रवीर्य तस्येदं फलं पश्य सुदारुणम्
What you did not restrain before, though urged by the great-hearted, O Vaicitravirya, see now its terrible result.
न हि पाण्डुसुता राजन्ससैन्याः सपदानुगाः । रक्षन्ति समरे प्राणान्कौरवा वापि संयुगे
Neither the sons of Pandu nor the Kauravas, with their armies and followers, protect their lives in battle, O king.
एतस्मात्कारणाद्धोरो वर्तते स्वजनक्षयः । दैवाद्वा पुरुषव्याघ्र तव चापनयान्नृप
For this reason, a dreadful destruction of kin occurs, O tiger among men, whether by fate or by your misdeeds, O king.
अर्जुनस्तान्नरव्याघ्रः सुशर्मानुचरान्नृपान् । अनयत्प्रेतराजस्य सदनं सायकैः शितैः
Arjuna, tiger among men, sent the kings who followed Suśarman to the abode of the lord of the dead with sharp arrows.
सुशर्मापि ततो बाणैः पार्थं विव्याध संयुगे। वासुदेवं च सप्तत्या पार्थं च नवभिः पुनः
Then Suśarman struck Partha with arrows in battle; he struck Vāsudeva with seventy, and Partha again with nine.
तं निवार्य शरौघेण सक्रुसूनुर्महारथः । सुशर्मणो रणे योधान्प्राहिणोद्यमसादनम्
The mighty son of Kuntī, warding him off with a shower of arrows, sent Suśarman’s warriors to defeat in battle.
ते वध्यमानाः पार्थेन कालेनेव युगक्षये। व्यद्रवन्त रणे राजन्भये जाते महारथाः
Those great warriors, being slain by Partha as if by Time at the end of an age, fled in fear upon the battlefield, O King.
उत्सृज्य तुरगान्केचिद्रथान्केचिच्च मारिष। गजानन्ये समुत्सृज्य प्राद्रवन्त दिशो दश
Some abandoned their horses, some their chariots, O Māriṣa; others left their elephants and fled in all ten directions.
अपरे तु तदादाय वाजिनागरथान्रणे । त्वरया परया युक्ताः प्राद्रवन्त विशांपते
Others, taking their horses, elephants, and chariots in battle, fled swiftly, O lord of the people.
पादाताश्चापि शस्त्राणि समुत्सृज्य महारणे । निरपेक्षा व्यधावन्त तेनतेन स्म भारत
Even the foot soldiers, casting aside their weapons in the great battle, ran without concern, here and there, O Bhārata.