सुवर्णपुङ्खैरिषुभिः शितैः सन्नतपर्वभिः । नादयन्स दिशो भीष्मः प्रदिशश्च महाहवे
With sharp, gold-feathered arrows, curved and resounding, Bhīṣma filled all directions and quarters with noise in the great battle.
पातयन्रथिनो राजन्हयांश्च सह सादिभिः । मुण्डतालवनानीव चकार स रथव्रजान्
O King, as he struck down charioteers and horses with their riders, he made the groups of chariots resemble groves of tala and muṇḍa trees.
निर्मनुष्यान्रथान्राजन्गजानश्वांश्च संयुगे । चकार समरे भीष्मः सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरः
In battle, Bhīṣma, the foremost among all wielders of weapons, rendered chariots, elephants, and horses devoid of men, O King.
तस्य ज्यातलनिर्घोषं विस्फूर्जितमिवाशनेः । निशम्य सर्वतो राजन्समकम्पन्त सैनिकाः
Hearing the twang of his bowstring, loud as the roar of thunder, all the soldiers everywhere trembled, O King.
अघोमा न्यपतन्बाणाः पितुस्ते मनुजेश्वर । नासञ्जन्त शरीरेषु भीष्मचापच्युताः शराः
O lord of men, your father's arrows fell in dense showers; not one of the arrows shot from Bhīṣma's bow missed its mark.
निर्मनुष्यान्रथान्राजन्सुयुक्ताञ्जवनैर्हयैः । वातायमानानद्राक्षं ध्रियमाणान्विशांपते
O lord of the people, I saw chariots, well-yoked with swift horses, emptied of men and blown about, yet still held together.
चेदिकाशिकरूशानां सहस्राणि चतुर्दश । महारथाः समाख्याताः कुलपुत्रास्तनुत्यजः
Fourteen thousand Cedis, Kāśis, and Karūṣas, renowned as great chariot-warriors, sons of noble families, and givers of their lives—
अपरावर्तिनः शूराः सुवर्णविकृतध्वजाः । संग्रामे भीष्ममासाद्य सवाजिरथकुञ्जराः
Brave, unwavering, with golden banners, along with their horses, chariots, and elephants, confronted Bhīṣma in battle.
जग्मुस्ते परलोकाय व्यादितास्यमिवान्तकम्। न तत्रासीद्रणे राजन्सोमकानां महारथः
They all went to the world beyond, as if to Death with gaping mouth; not one great chariot-warrior of the Somakas remained there in battle.
यः संप्राप्य रणे भीष्मं जीविते स्म मनो दधे । तांश्च सर्वान्रणे योधान्प्रेतराजपुरं प्रति
Whoever, having faced Bhīṣma in battle, set his mind on surviving, all those warriors were sent to the city of the lord of the dead.
नीतानमन्यन्त जना दृष्ट्वा भीष्मस्य विक्रमम् । न कश्चिदेनं समरे प्रत्युद्याति महारथः
Seeing Bhīṣma's valor, people believed those warriors had been led away; no great chariot-warrior dared confront him in battle.
ऋते पाण्डुसुतं वीरं श्वेताश्वं कृष्णसारथिम् । शिखण्डिनं च समरे पाञ्चाल्यममितौजसम्
Except for the heroic son of Pāṇḍu with white horses and Kṛṣṇa as charioteer, and Śikhaṇḍin, the mighty son of Drupada, in battle.
शिखण्डी तु रणे भीष्ममासाद्य पुरुषर्षभम् । दशभिर्निशितैर्भल्लैराजघान स्तनान्तरे
But Shikhandi, in battle, approached Bhishma, the foremost of men, and struck him in the chest with ten sharp arrows.
शिखण्डिनं तु गाङ्गेयः क्रोधदीप्तेन चक्षुषा । संप्रेक्षत कटाक्षेण निर्दहन्निव भारत
Ganga's son, Bhishma, gazed at Shikhandi with eyes blazing with anger, casting a sidelong glance as if burning him, O Bharata.
स्त्रीत्वं तस्य स्मरन्राजन्सर्वलोकस्य पश्यतः। नाजघान रणे भीष्मः स च तन्नावबुद्धवान्
Remembering Shikhandi's womanhood, while all the world looked on, Bhishma did not strike him in battle, and Shikhandi was unaware of this.
अर्जुनस्तु महाराज शिखण्डिनमभाषत । अभित्वरस्वास्य वधे शिखण्डिन्रथसत्तम
But Arjuna, O great king, spoke to Shikhandi: 'Hasten to slay him, O best of charioteers!'
किं ते विवक्षया वीर जहि भीष्मं महारथम् । न ह्यन्यमनुपश्यामि कंचिद्यौधिष्ठिरे बले
'Why do you hesitate, hero? Strike down Bhishma, the great chariot-warrior! For I see no one else in Yudhishthira's army capable of this.'
यः शक्तः समरे भीष्मं योधयेत पितामहम् । ऋते त्वां पुरुषव्याघ्र सत्यमेतद्ब्रवीमि ते
'Except for you, tiger among men, there is no one who can fight Bhishma, the grandsire, in battle. I speak the truth to you.'
एवमुक्तस्तु पार्थेन शिखण्डी भरतर्षभ । शरैर्नानाविधैस्तूर्णं पितामहमुपाद्रवत्
Thus addressed by Partha, Shikhandi, bull among the Bharatas, swiftly advanced upon the grandsire with arrows of many kinds.
अचिन्तयित्वा तान्बाणान्पिता देवव्रतस्तव । अर्जुनं समरे क्रुद्धं वारयामास सायकैः
Disregarding those arrows, your father Devavrata, in anger, checked Arjuna in battle with his shafts.
तथैव च चमूं सर्वां पाण्डवानां महारथः । अप्रैषीत्स शरैस्तीक्ष्णैः परलोकाय मारिष
Likewise, the great chariot-warrior sent the entire Pandava army to the next world with his sharp arrows, O Marisha.
तथैव पाण्डवा राजन्सैन्येन महता वृताः । भीष्मं संछादयामासुर्मेघा इव दिवाकरम्
In the same way, O king, the Pandavas, surrounded by their great army, covered Bhishma as clouds cover the sun.
स समन्तात्परिवृतो भीष्मो हि भरतर्षभ । निर्ददाह रणे शूरान्वने वह्निरिव ज्वलन्
Surrounded on all sides, Bhishma, bull among the Bharatas, blazed in battle, burning heroes like a fire in a forest.
तत्राद्भुतमपश्याम तव पुत्रस्य पौरुषम् । अयोधयच्च यत्पार्थं जुगोप च पितामहम्
There we saw something wondrous: your son's valor, for he fought Arjuna and protected the grandsire.
कर्मणा तेन समरे तव पुत्रस्य धन्विनः । दुःशासनस्य तुतुषुः सर्वे लोका महात्मनः
Because of that deed in battle by your son, the bowman Duhshasana, all people praised the great-souled one.
यदेकः समरे पार्थान्सानुगान्समयोधयत् । न चैनं पाण्डवा युद्धे वारयामासुरुल्बणम्
For alone in battle he fought the sons of Pritha and their followers, and the Pandavas could not check him in that fierce fight.
दुःशासनेन समरे रथिनो विरथीकृताः । सादिनश्च महेष्वासा हस्तिनश्च महाबलाः
By Duhshasana in battle, chariot-warriors were made chariotless, great archers on horseback and mighty elephants as well.
विनिर्भिन्नाः शरैस्तीक्ष्णैर्निपेतुर्वसुधातले । शरातुरास्तथैवान्ये दन्तिनो विद्रुता दिशः
Pierced by sharp arrows, they fell to the earth; others, wounded by arrows, fled in all directions, their elephants in panic.
यथाग्निरिन्धनं प्राप्य ज्वलेद्दीप्तार्चिरुल्बणम् । तथा जज्वाल पुत्रस्ते पाण्डुसेनां विनिर्दहन्
Just as fire, finding fuel, blazes up with fierce flames, so did your son burn the Pandava army.
तं भारतमहामात्रं पाण्डवानां महारथः । जेतुं नोत्सहते कश्चिन्नाभ्युद्यातुं कथंचन
No one among the great chariot-warriors of the Pandavas was able to conquer or even approach that mighty elephant of the Bharatas.