तान्प्रत्यगृह्णादव्यग्रो द्रोणोऽपि रथिनां वरः। महारथानतिबलान्वीरान्समरयोधिनः
Droṇa too, the foremost of charioteers, calmly received them—those mighty, powerful heroes, skilled in battle.
बाह्यं मृत्युभयं कृत्वा तावकान्पाण्डवा ययुः। सादिनः सादिनोऽब्यघ्नंस्तथैव रथिनो रथान्
The Pāṇḍavas, disregarding the fear of death, advanced against your men; horsemen struck horsemen, and charioteers fought charioteers in the same way.
असिशक्त्यृष्टिसङ्घातैर्युद्धमासीत्परश्वथैः। प्रकृष्टमसियुद्धं च बभूव कटुकोदयम्
The battle was fought with swords, spears, javelins, and axes; a fierce sword-fight arose, dreadful in its ferocity.
कुञ्जराणां च सम्पाते युद्धमासीत्सुदारुणम्। अपतत्कुञ्जरादन्यो हयादन्यस्त्ववाक्शिराः
In the clash of elephants, the battle became exceedingly terrible; one fell from an elephant, another from a horse, head downward.
नरो बाणविनिर्भिन्नो रथादन्यश्च मारिष। तत्रान्यस्य च सम्पर्दे पतितस्य विवर्मणः
A man, pierced by arrows, fell from his chariot, O best of men; and there, in the confusion, another fell, his armor gone.
शिरः प्रध्वंसयामास वक्षस्याक्रम्य कुञ्जरः। अपरांश्चापरेऽमृद्रन्वारणाः पतितान्नरान्
An elephant, trampling on a man's chest, crushed his head; other elephants struck down other fallen men.
विषाणैश्चावनिं गत्वा व्यभिन्दन्रथिनो बहून्। नरान्त्रैः केचिदपरे विषाणालग्नसंश्रयैः
Some elephants, reaching the ground with their tusks, pierced many charioteers; others wandered about with human entrails caught on their tusks.
बभ्रमुः समरे नागा मृद्रन्तः शतशो नरान्। कार्ष्णायसतनुत्राणान्नराश्वरथकुञ्जरान्
Elephants roamed the battlefield, trampling hundreds of men—those clad in black iron armor, along with horses, chariots, and other elephants.
पतितान्पोथयाञ्चक्रुर्द्विपाः स्थूलनलानिव। गृध्रपत्राधिवासांसि शयनानि नारधिपाः
The elephants pounded the fallen as if they were thick reeds; the kings of elephants made beds covered with vulture feathers.
हीमन्तः कालसम्पर्कात्सुदुःस्वान्यनुशेरते। हन्ति स्मात्र पिता पुत्रं रथेनाभ्येत्य संयुगे
In that place, due to the touch of Time, the cold ones lay down to sleep in dreadful beds; here, a father killed his son, charging in his chariot during battle.
पुत्रश्च पितरं मोहान्निर्मर्यादमवर्तत। रथो भग्नो ध्वजश्छिन्नश्छत्रमुर्व्यों निपातितम्
And a son, out of delusion, attacked his father without restraint; a chariot was broken, its banner cut down, its canopy thrown to the ground.
युगार्धं च्छिन्नमादाय प्रदुद्राव तथा हयः। सासिर्बाहुर्निपतितः शिरश्छिन्नं सकुण्डलम्
A horse, taking half a yoke, fled; an arm with sword fell, a severed head with its earring.
गजेनाक्षिप्य बलिना रथः सञ्चूर्णितः क्षितौ। रथिना ताडितो नागो नाराचेनापतत्क्षितौ
A chariot was seized by a mighty elephant and crushed on the ground; an elephant, struck by a charioteer with a sharp arrow, fell to the earth.
सारोहश्चापतद्वाजी गेजेनाभ्याहतो भृशम्। निर्मर्यादं महद्युद्धमवर्तत सुदारुणम्
A horse with its rider fell, struck hard by an elephant; a great and lawless battle, exceedingly terrible, took place.
हा तात हा पुत्र सखे क्वासि तिष्ठ क्व धावसि। प्रहराहर जह्मेनं स्मितश्वेडितगर्जितैः। इत्येवमुच्चैरत्यर्थं श्रूयन्ते विविधा गिरः
"Alas, father! Alas, son! Friend, where are you? Stand still! Where are you running? Strike! Strike! Kill him!"—such loud and intense cries, mingled with laughter, sweat, and roars, were heard in many voices.
नरस्याश्वस्य नाग्स्य समसञ्जत शोणितम्। उपाशाम्यद्रजो भौमं भीरून्कश्मलमाविशत्
The blood of men, horses, and elephants mingled together; the dust on the ground settled, and terror seized the faint-hearted.
चक्रेण चक्रमासाद्य वीरो वीरस्य संयुगे। अतीतेषुपथे काले जहार गदया सिरः
In battle, a hero, meeting another hero's wheel with his own, struck off his opponent's head with a mace when the path of arrows was blocked.
असीत्केशपरामर्शो मुष्टियुद्धं च दारुणम्। नखैर्दन्तैश्च सूराणामद्वीपे द्वीपमिच्छताम्
There was fierce hand-to-hand combat, with warriors grasping each other's dark hair, fighting with fists, nails, and teeth, like islanders striving for an island.
तत्राच्छिद्यत शूरस्य सखङ्गो बाहुरुद्यतः। सधुनश्चापरस्यापि सशरः साङ्कुशस्तथा
There, the raised arm of a warrior, still holding his weapon, was severed; and another's, with bow and goad, was likewise cut off.
आक्रोशदन्यमन्योऽत्र तथाऽन्यो विमुखोऽद्रवत्। अन्यः प्राप्तस्य चान्यस्य शिरः कायादपाहरत्
Here, one shouted at another; there, another turned and fled; yet another struck off the head of an enemy who had come within reach.
सशब्दमद्रवच्चान्यः शब्दादन्योऽत्रसद्भृशम्। स्वानन्योऽथ परानन्यो जघान निशितैः शरैः
One fled with a shout, another was struck down by that shout; one attacked his own men, another attacked the enemy with sharp arrows.
गिरिशृङ्गोपमश्चात्र नाराचेन निपातितः। मातङ्गो न्यपतद्भूमौ नदीरोध इवोष्णगे
There, an elephant, massive as a mountain peak, was felled by a broad-headed arrow, collapsing to the ground like a dam in a river during the hot season.
तथैव रथिनं नागः क्षरन्गिरिरिवारुजन्। अभ्यतिष्ठत्पदा भूमौ सहाश्वं सहसारथिम्
Likewise, an elephant, like a moving mountain, trampled a chariot on the ground, along with its horses and charioteer.
शूरान्प्रहरतो दृष्ट्वा कृताश्स्त्रान्रुधिरोक्षितान्। बहूनप्याविशन्मोहो भीरून्हृदयदुर्बलान्
Seeing brave warriors attacking, skilled in weapons and drenched in blood, many faint-hearted men were overcome by confusion.
सर्वमाविग्नमभवन्न प्राज्ञायत किञ्चन। सैन्येन रजसा ध्वस्तं निर्मर्यादमवर्तत
Everything became chaotic; nothing could be discerned. The army, covered in dust, moved without order or boundary.
ततः सेनापतिः शीघ्रमयं क्राल इति ब्रुवन्। नित्याभित्वरितानेव त्वरयामास पाण्डवान्
Then the commander quickly called out, "Advance! Advance!" and urged the Pandavas, who were always eager for battle, to move forward.
कुर्वन्तः शासनं तस्य पाण्डवा बाहुशालिनः। सरो हंसा इवापेतुर्घ्नन्तो द्रोणरथं प्रति
Obeying his command, the strong-armed Pandavas rushed forward like swans in a lake, attacking toward Drona's chariot.
गृह्णीताद्रवतान्योन्यं विभीता विनिकृन्तत। इत्यासीत्तुमुलः शब्दो दुर्धर्षस्य रथं प्रति
"Seize! Strike!"—such tumultuous cries arose as the fearful warriors rushed at one another, cutting down those who approached Durdharsha's chariot.
ततो द्रोणः कृपः कर्णो द्रौणी राजा जयद्रथः। विन्दानुविन्दावावन्त्यौ शल्यश्चैतान्न्यवारयन्
Then Drona, Kripa, Karna, Drona's son, King Jayadratha, Vindya and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Shalya blocked their advance.
ते त्वार्यधर्मसंरब्धा दुर्निवारा दुरासदाः। शरार्ता न जहुर्द्रोणं पाञ्चालाः पाण्डवै सह
But the Panchalas, together with the Pandavas, driven by noble duty and hard to withstand, wounded by arrows, did not abandon Drona.