विप्रकीर्णपताकास्ते विषाणजनिताग्नयः। बभूवुः खं समासाद्य सविद्युत इवाम्बुदाः
Those scattered banners and fires produced by tusks reached the sky, like clouds with lightning.
विक्षिपद्भिर्नदद्भिश्च निपतद्भिश्च वारणैः। सम्बभूव मही कीर्णा मेघैर्द्यौरिव वार्षिकी
With elephants tossing, roaring, and falling, the earth became covered, like the sky with rain clouds.
तेषामाहन्यमानानां बाणतोमरऋष्टिभिः। वारणानां रवो जज्ञे मेघानामिव सम्पुवे
As the elephants were struck by arrows, spears, and lances, their cries arose like the rumbling of clouds.
तोमराभिहताः केचिद्बाणैश्च परमद्विपाः। वित्रेसुः सर्वनागानां शब्दमेवापरेऽसृजन्
Some mighty elephants, struck by spears and arrows, fled, while others produced the sound of all the elephants.
विषाणाभिहताश्चापि केचित्तत्र गजा गजैः। चक्रुरार्तस्वनं घोरमुत्पातजलदा इव
Some elephants, struck by tusks of other elephants, made terrible cries of distress, like storm clouds.
प्रतीपाः क्रियमाणाश्च वारणा वरवारणैः। उन्मथ्य पुनराजग्मुः प्रेरिताः परमाङ्कुशैः
Elephants, made to retreat by noble elephants, after being pushed back, returned again, driven by excellent goads.
महामात्रैर्महामात्रास्ताडिताः शरतोमरैः। गजेभ्यः पृथिवीं जग्मुर्मुक्तप्रहरणाङ्कुशाः
The chief elephant drivers, struck by arrows and spears, left their weapons and goads, and descended from the elephants to the earth.
निर्मनुष्याश्च मातङ्गा विनदन्तस्ततस्ततः। छिन्नाभ्राणीव सम्पेतुः सम्प्रविश्य परस्परम्
The elephants, now without riders, roared here and there, crashing into each other like scattered clouds.
हतान्परिवहन्तश्च पतितान्पतितायुधान्। दिशो जग्मुर्महानागाः केचिदेकचरा इव
Some great elephants, carrying the slain and those who had dropped their weapons, wandered in all directions, like solitary wanderers.
ताडितास्ताड्यमानाश्च तोमरर्ष्टिपरश्वथैः। पेतुरार्तस्वनं कृत्वा तदा विशसने गजाः
Struck and being struck by javelins, spears, and axes, the elephants fell down with cries of pain in that slaughter.
तेषां शैलोपमैः कायैर्निपतद्भिः समन्ततः। आहता सहसा भूमिश्चकम्पे च ननाद च
As their bodies, massive as mountains, fell all around, the earth was struck suddenly, shook, and roared.
सादितैः सगजारोहैः सपताकैः समन्ततः। मातङ्गैः शुशुभे भूमिर्विकीर्णैरिव पर्वतैः
The earth shone, strewn on all sides with elephants—together with their riders and banners—like mountains scattered about.
गजस्थाश्च महामात्रा निर्भिन्नहृदया रणे। रथिभिः पातिता भल्लैर्विकीर्णाङ्कुशतोमराः
Great elephant-trainers, mounted on elephants, their hearts pierced in battle by warriors with arrows, lay fallen, their goads and javelins scattered.
क्रौञ्चवद्विनदन्तोऽन्ये नाराचाभिहता गजाः। परान्स्वांश्चापि मृद्गन्तः परिपेतुर्दिशो दश
Other elephants, struck by iron arrows, cried out like curlews, trampling both friend and foe, ran off in all ten directions.
गजाश्वरथयोधानां शरीरौघसमावृता। बभूव पृथिवी राजन्मांसशोणितकर्दमा
O King, the earth became covered with heaps of the bodies of elephants, horses, chariots, and warriors, muddy with flesh and blood.
प्रमथ्य च विषाणाग्रैः समुत्क्षिप्ताश्च वारणैः। सचक्राश्च विचक्राश्च रथैरेव महारथाः
Crushed by the tips of tusks and tossed by elephants, the great chariot-warriors, along with their chariots—some with wheels, some without—were scattered.
रथाश्च रथिभिर्हीना निर्मनुष्याश्च वाजिनः। हतारोहाश्च मातङ्गा दिशो जग्मुर्भयातुराः
Chariots abandoned by their warriors, riderless horses, and elephants whose drivers had been killed, fled in all directions, terrified.
जघानात्र पिता पुत्रं पुत्रश्च पितरं तथा। इत्यासीत्तुमुलं युद्धं न प्राज्ञायत किञ्चन
Here, a father struck down his son, and a son likewise his father; such was the tumultuous battle that nothing could be recognized.
आगुल्फेभ्योऽवसीदन्ते नरा लोहितकर्दमैः। दीप्यमानैः परिक्षिप्ता दावैरिव महाद्रुमाः
Men sank up to their ankles in the bloody mire, surrounded by blazing fires like great trees encircled by a forest blaze.
शोणितैः सिच्यमानानि वस्त्राणि कवचानि च। छत्राणि च पताकाश्च सर्वं रक्तमदृश्यत
Clothes, armor, umbrellas, and banners, drenched with blood, all appeared red.
हयौघाश्च रथौघाश्च नरौघाश्च निपातिताः। संक्षुण्णाः पुनरावृत्य बहुधा रथनेमिभिः
Masses of horses, chariots, and men, struck down, were crushed again and again in many ways by the wheels of chariots.
सगजौघमहावेगः परासुनरशैवलः। रथौघतुमुलावर्तः प्रबभौ सैन्यसागरः
That ocean of armies, with its surging waves of elephants, its foam of slain men, and its tumultuous whirlpools of chariots, appeared wondrous.
तं वाहनमहानौभिर्योधा जयधनैषिणः। अवगाह्याथ मज्जन्तो नैव मोहं प्रचक्रिरे
The warriors, seeking victory and wealth, plunged into that sea of vehicles and mounts, and though submerged, did not lose their resolve.
शरवर्षाभिवृष्टेषु योधेष्वञ्चितलक्ष्मसु। न तेष्वचित्ततां लेभे कश्चिदाहतलक्षणः
Even as showers of arrows rained down on the warriors, whose marks were bent and twisted, none who bore the marks of wounds lost their composure.
वर्तमाने तथा युद्धे घोररूपे भयङ्करे। मोहयित्वा परान्द्रोणो युधिष्ठिरमुपाद्रवत्
As that dreadful and terrifying battle raged on, Drona, having bewildered the enemy, advanced upon Yudhishthira.
पाञ्चालाः केकया मात्स्याश्चेदिकारूशकोसलाः। युधिष्ठिरमभीप्सन्तो दृष्ट्वा द्रोणमुपाद्रवन्
The Panchalas, Kekayas, Matsyas, Cedis, Karushas, and Kosalas, desiring to protect Yudhishthira, seeing Drona, rushed forward.
ततो युधिष्ठिरं प्रेप्सुराचार्यः शत्रुपूगहा। व्यधमत्तान्यनीकानि तूलराशिमिवानलः
Then, the preceptor, destroyer of hosts of enemies, desiring to reach Yudhishthira, scattered the opposing ranks like fire consuming heaps of cotton.
निर्दहन्तमनीकानि तानि तानि पुनःपुनः। द्रोणं मत्स्यादवरजः शतानीकोऽभ्यवर्तत
Burning through those divisions again and again, Drona was approached by the Matsya prince, Shatanika.
सूर्यरश्मिप्रतीकाशैः कर्मारपरिमार्जितैः। षड्भिः ससूतं सहयं द्रोणं विद्ध्वाऽनदद्भृशम्
With six arrows, bright as sunbeams and polished by the smith, he struck Drona, along with his charioteer and horses, and roared fiercely.
क्रूराय कर्मणे युक्तश्चिकीर्षुः कर्म दुष्करम्। अवाकिरच्छरशतैर्भारद्वाजं महारथम्
Intent on a cruel deed, wishing to perform a difficult act, he showered hundreds of arrows upon the great chariot-warrior, Bharadvaja's son.