सा वध्यमाना समरे पाण्डुसेना महात्मभिः । त्रातारं नाध्यगच्छद्वै मञ्जमानेव नौर्जंले
That Pandava army, slaughtered in battle by the great-souled ones, found no protector, like a boat drifting in the sea.
यथा हि शैशिरः कालो गवां मर्माणि कृन्तति। तथा पाण्डुसुतानां वै भीष्मो मर्माणि कृन्तति
Just as the winter season cuts the vital parts of cows, so Bhishma cut the vital parts of the sons of Pandu.
तथैव तव सैन्यस्य पार्थेन च महात्मना। नवमेघप्रतीकाशाः पातिता बहुधा गजाः
Likewise, by the great-souled Arjuna, many elephants resembling new clouds were struck down in your army.
मृद्यमानाश्च दृश्यन्ते पार्थेन नरयूथपाः । इषुभिस्ताड्यमानाश्च नाराचैश्च सहस्रशः
The leaders of men were seen being crushed by Arjuna, struck by arrows and shafts by the thousands.
पेतुरार्तस्वरं घोरं कृत्वा तत्र महागजाः । आनद्धाभरणैः कायैर्निहतानां महात्मनाम्
There, the great elephants fell, making a dreadful cry, their bodies adorned with armor, belonging to the slain great-souled ones.
छन्नमायोधनं रेजे शिरोभिश्च सकुण्डलैः । तस्मिन्नेव महाराज महावीरवरक्षये
The battlefield shone, covered with weapons and with heads adorned with earrings, amid the slaughter of great heroes, O king.
भीष्मे च युधि विक्रान्ते पाण्डवे च धनञ्जये । ते पराक्रान्तमालोक्य राजन्युधि पितामहम्
When Bhishma fought valiantly and Dhananjaya among the Pandavas, the kings, seeing the prowess of the grandsire in battle,
अभ्यवर्तन्त ते पुत्राः सर्वे सैन्यपुरस्कृताः । इच्छन्तो निधनं युद्धे स्वर्गं कृत्वा परायणम्
All your sons advanced, led by their armies, desiring death in battle, making heaven their ultimate goal.
पाण्डवानभ्यवर्तन्त तस्मिन्वीरवरक्षये । पाण्डवापि महाराज स्मरन्तो विविधान्बहून्
They advanced against the Pandavas in that slaughter of great heroes; and the Pandavas, O king, recalling many various hardships,
क्लेशान्कृतान्सपुत्रेण त्वया पूर्वं नराधिप । भयं त्यक्त्वा रणे शूरा ब्रह्मलोकाय तत्पराः
The hardships caused earlier by you and your son, O ruler of men, the heroes, abandoning fear in battle, were intent upon the world of Brahma.
तावकांस्तव पुत्रांश्च योधयन्ति प्रहृष्टवत्। सेनापतिस्तु समरे प्राह सेनां महारथः
Your warriors and your sons fought with delight; and the commander in battle spoke to the army, O great charioteer.
अभिद्रवत गाङ्गेयं सोमकाः सृञ्जयैः सह । सेनापतिवचः श्रुत्वा सोमकाः सृञ्जयाश्च ते
Charge at Ganga's son, O Somakas, together with the Srinjayas! Hearing the commander's words, the Somakas and Srinjayas
अभ्यद्रवन्त गाङ्गेयं शरवृष्ट्या समाहताः । वध्यमानस्ततो राजन्पिता शान्तनवस्तव
Struck by a shower of arrows, they rushed at the son of Ganga; then, O King, your father, Santanu's son, was being assailed.
अमर्षवशमापन्नो योधयामास सृञ्जयान्। तस्य कीर्तिमतस्तात पुरा रामेण धीमता
Overcome by wrath, he fought the Srinjayas; long ago, O father, that illustrious one had received instruction in weapons from the wise Rama.
संप्रदत्ताऽस्त्रशिक्षा वै परानीकविनाशनी । स तां विद्यामधिष्ठाय कुर्वन्तपरबलक्षयम्
He had been taught the science of arms that destroys hostile armies; relying on that knowledge, he began to annihilate the enemy forces.
अहन्यहनि पार्थानां वृद्धः कुरुपितामहः । भीष्मो दशसहस्राणि जघान परवीरहा
Day after day, the aged grandsire of the Kurus, Bhishma, the slayer of hostile heroes, struck down ten thousand of the Pandavas.
तस्मिंस्तु दशमे प्राप्ते दिवसे भरतर्षभ । एको भीष्मो हि मत्स्येषु पाञ्चालेषु च संयुगे
But on the tenth day, O bull among the Bharatas, Bhishma alone, in battle against the Matsyas and Panchalas—
गजाश्वममितं हत्वा हत्वा सप्त महारथान् । हत्वा पञ्चसहस्राणि रथानां प्रतिपामहः
Having slain countless elephants and horses, and seven great chariot-warriors, he, the grandsire, killed five thousand chariots.
नराणां च महायुद्धे सहस्राणि चतुर्दश । दन्तिनां च सहस्राणि हयानामयुतं पुनः
And in that great battle, he struck down fourteen thousand men, a thousand elephants, and again, ten thousand horses.
शिक्षबलेन न्यहनत्पिता तव विशांपते । ततः सर्वमहीपानां क्षपयित्वा वरूथिनीम्
With the power of his training, your father, O lord of the people, struck them down; then, having destroyed the best divisions of all the kings—
विराटस्य प्रियो भ्राता शतानीको निपातितः। शतानीकं च समरे हत्वा भीष्मः प्रतापवान्
The beloved brother of Virata, Shatanika, was felled; and having slain Shatanika in battle, the mighty Bhishma—
सहस्राणि महाराज राज्ञां भल्लैरपातयत्। उद्विग्नाः समरे योधा विक्रोशन्ति धनञ्जयम्
O great king, with arrows he brought down thousands of kings; the warriors, distressed in battle, cried out for Dhananjaya.
ये च केचन पार्थानामभियाता धनञ्जयम् । राजानो भीष्ममासाद्य गतास्ते यमसादनम्
And whoever among the Pandavas advanced toward Dhananjaya, those kings, upon encountering Bhishma, reached the abode of Yama.
किरन्दश दिशो भीष्मः शरजालैः समन्ततः । अतीत्य सेनां पार्थानामवतस्थे चमूमुखे
Bhishma covered the ten directions with a net of arrows on all sides; passing through the Pandava army, he stood at the front of the formation.
स कृत्वा सुमहत्कर्म तस्मिन्वै दशमेऽहनि। सेनयोरन्तरे तिष्ठन्प्रगृहीतशरासनः
Having performed a great feat on that tenth day, he stood between the two armies, with bow and arrows in hand.
न चैनं पार्थिवाः केचिच्छक्ता राजन्निरीक्षितुम् । मध्यं प्राप्तं यथा ग्रीष्मे तपन्तं भास्करं दिवि
And, O King, none of the rulers could bear to look upon him, as he stood in the midst, like the blazing sun in the sky at summer's height.
यथा दैत्यचमूं शक्रस्तापयामास संयुगे । तथा भीष्मः पाण्डवेयांस्तापयामास भारत
Just as Indra scorched the army of the Daityas in battle, so Bhishma tormented the Pandava forces, O Bharata.
तथा चैनं पराक्रान्तमालोक्य मधुसूदनः। उवाच देवकीपुत्रः प्रीयमाणो धनञ्जयम्
Seeing him thus advancing with might, Madhusudana, the son of Devaki, spoke to Dhananjaya with delight.
एष शान्तनवो भीष्मः सेनयोरन्तरे स्थितः । सन्निहत्य बलादेनं विजयस्ते भविष्यति
This is Bhishma, son of Shantanu, standing between the two armies; by defeating him with force, your victory will be assured.
बलात्संस्तम्भयस्वैनं यत्रैषा भिद्यते चमूः । न हि भीष्मशरानन्यः सोढुमुत्सहते विभो
Restrain him with force where this formation is breaking; for, O mighty one, no one else is able to withstand Bhishma's arrows.