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.
ततस्तस्मिन्क्षणे राजंश्चोदितो वानरध्वजः । सध्वजं सरथं साश्वं भीष्ममन्तर्दधे शरैः
Then, O King, at that very moment, urged on, the monkey-bannered one concealed Bhishma—along with his banner, chariot, and horses—with his arrows.
स चापि कुरुमुख्यानामृषभः पाण्डवेरितान्। सरव्रतैः शरव्रातान्बहुधा विदुधाव तान्
And that bull among the Kurus, the foe of the Pandavas, scattered the showers of arrows sent at him by the foremost of the Kurus in many ways.
ततः पाञ्चालराजश्च धृष्टकेतुश्च वीर्यवान् । पाण्डवो भीमसेनश्च धृष्टद्युम्नश्च पार्षतः
Then the king of the Panchalas, the mighty Dhrishtaketu, Pandava Bhimasena, and Dhrishtadyumna, son of Prishata,
यमौ च चेकितानश्च केकयाः पञ्च चैव ह । सात्यकिश्च महाबाहुः सौभद्रोऽथ घटोत्कचः
The twins, Chekitana, the five Kekaya brothers, mighty-armed Satyaki, Subhadra's son, and Ghatotkacha,
द्रौपदेयाः शिखण्डी च कुन्तिभोजश्च वीर्यवान् । विराटश्च महाराज पाण्डवेया महाबलाः
The sons of Draupadi, Shikhandi, the valiant Kuntibhoja, and King Virata—these powerful sons of Pandu,
एते चान्ये च बहवः पीडिता भीष्मसायकैः । समुद्धृताः फल्गुनेन निमग्नाः शोकसागरे
And many others, afflicted by Bhishma's arrows, were rescued by Arjuna, though they had sunk into an ocean of sorrow.
ततः शिखण्डी वेगेन प्रगृह्य परमायुधम्। भीष्ममेवाभिदुद्राव रक्ष्यमाणः किरीटिना
Then Shikhandi, with speed, seizing his supreme weapon, charged straight at Bhishma, protected by the diademed one.
ततोऽस्यानुचरान्हत्वा सर्वान्रणविभागवित् । भीष्ममेवाभिदुद्राव बीभत्सुरपराजितः
Then, having slain all of Bhishma's attendants, knowing well the divisions of battle, the undefeated Bhimasena rushed at Bhishma himself.
सात्यकिश्चेकितानश्च धृष्टद्युम्नश्च पार्षतः । विराटो द्रुपदश्चैव माद्रीपुत्रौ च पाण्डवौ
Satyaki, Chekitana, Dhrishtadyumna son of Prishata, Virata, Drupada, and the two sons of Madri,
दुद्रुवुर्भीष्ममेवाजौ रक्षिता दृढधन्वना । अभिमन्युश्च समरे द्रौपद्याः पञ्च चात्मजाः
All rushed at Bhishma in battle, protected by the steadfast archer; Abhimanyu too, and the five sons of Draupadi, in the fight.