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.
वार्यमाणाः सुबहुशस्त्रैगर्तेन सुशर्मणा । तथान्यैः पार्थिवश्रेष्ठैर्न व्यतिष्ठन्त संयुगे
Though restrained by Suśarman in the pit with many weapons, and by other foremost kings, they did not stand firm in battle.
तद्बलं प्रद्रुतं दृष्ट्वा पुत्रो दुर्योधनस्तव। पुरस्कृत्य रणे भीष्मं सर्वसैन्यपुरस्कृतः
Seeing that force routed, your son Duryodhana, placing Bhīṣma at the front in battle, led all the troops.
सर्वोद्योगेन महता धनञ्जयमुपाद्रवत् । त्रिगर्ताधिपतेरर्थे जीवितस्य विशांपते
With great effort, he advanced upon Dhanañjaya for the sake of the Trigarta chief’s life, O lord of the people.
स एकः समरे तस्थौ किरन्बहुविधाञ्शरान्। भ्रातृभिः सहितः सर्वैः शेषा हि प्रद्रुता नराः
He alone stood in battle, scattering many kinds of arrows, together with all his brothers, for the rest of the men had fled.
तथैव पाण्डवा राजन्सर्वोद्योगेन दंशिताः। प्रययुः फल्गुनार्थाय यत्र भीष्मो व्यतिष्ठत
Likewise, O King, the Pāṇḍavas, eager and with all their might, went for the sake of Phalguna, where Bhīṣma stood.
ज्ञायमाना रणे वीर्यं घोरं गाण्डीवधन्वनः। हाहाकारकृतोत्साहा भीष्मं जग्मुः समन्ततः
Recognizing the fierce valor of the wielder of Gāṇḍīva in battle, they raised cries of ‘ha-ha!’ and surrounded Bhīṣma on all sides.
ततस्तालध्वजः शूरः पाण्डवानां वरूथिनीम्। छादयामास समरे शरैः सन्नतपर्वभिः
Then the hero with the palm-banner covered the array of the Pāṇḍavas in battle with arrows whose shafts were well-fashioned.
एकीभूतास्ततः सर्वे कुरवः सह पाण्डवैः । अयुध्यन्त महाराज मध्यं प्राप्ते दिवाकरे
Then all the Kurus, united with the Pāṇḍavas, fought, O King, when the sun had reached its zenith.
सात्यकिः कृतवर्माणं विद्ध्वा पञ्चभिराशुगैः । अतिष्ठदाहवे शूरः किरन्बाणान्सहस्रशः
Sātyaki struck Kṛtavarman with five swift arrows, and stood in the fight as a hero, scattering thousands of arrows.
तथैव द्रुपदो राजा द्रोणं विद्ध्वा शितैः शरैः । पुनर्विव्याध सप्तत्या सारथिं चास्य पञ्चभिः
Likewise King Drupada struck Droṇa with sharp arrows, then struck him again with seventy, and his charioteer with five.