दार्वातिसारा दरदाः पुण्ड्राश्चैव सहस्रशः। ते न शक्याः स्म सङ्ख्यातुं व्राताः शतसहस्रशः
The Dārvā, Tisāra, Darada, and Puṇḍra tribes, in their thousands—those countless hordes, in hundreds of thousands, could not be numbered.
अभ्यवर्षन्त ते सर्वे पाण्डवं निशितैः शरैः। अवाकिरंश्च ते म्लेच्छा नानायुद्धविशारदाः
All of them showered sharp arrows upon the Pāṇḍava, and those foreigners, skilled in many kinds of warfare, covered him.
तेषामपि ससर्जाशु शरवृष्टिं धनञ्जयः। सृष्टिस्तथाविधा ह्यासीच्छलभानामिवायतिः
Against them, Dhanañjaya swiftly released a rain of arrows, as if a cloud were pouring down a swarm of locusts.
अभ्रच्छायामिव शरैः सैन्ये कृत्वा धनञ्जयः। मुण्डार्धमुण्डाञ्जटिलानशुचीञ्जटिलाननान्। म्लेच्छानशातयत्सर्वान्समेतानस्त्रतेजसा
Dhanañjaya made a shadow like a cloud over the army with his arrows, and with the brilliance of his weapons, he destroyed all the foreigners assembled there—shaven-headed, half-shaven, matted-haired, impure, and with tangled locks.
शरैश्च शतशो विद्धास्ते सङ्घा गिरिचारिणः। प्राद्रवन्त रणे भीता गिरिगह्वरवासिनः
Struck by hundreds of arrows, those bands of mountain-dwellers, terrified, fled the battlefield—those who lived in the mountain caves.
गजाश्वसादिम्लेच्छानां पतितानां शितैः शरैः। बकाः कङ्का वृका भूमावपिबन्रुधिरं मुदा
Cranes, herons, and wolves joyfully drank the blood on the ground of the fallen elephants, horses, and foreign warriors, struck down by sharp arrows.
पत्त्यश्वरथनागैश्च प्रच्छन्नकृतसङ्क्रमाम्। शरवर्षप्लवां घोरां केशशैवलशाद्वलाम्। प्रावर्तयन्नदीमुग्रां शोणितौघतरङ्गिणीम्
With foot soldiers, horsemen, chariots, and elephants, making their way through hidden paths, they created a dreadful river, flooded by a rain of arrows, its weeds and grass made of hair, its waves surging with streams of blood.
छिन्नाङ्गुलीक्षुद्रमत्स्यां युगान्ते कालसन्निभाम्। प्राकरोद्गजसम्बाधां नदीमुत्तरशोणिताम्
That river, crowded with elephants, filled with severed fingers and small fish, resembling Time at the end of an age, flowed northward with blood.
देहेभ्यो राजपुत्राणां नागाश्वरथसादिनाम्। यथा स्थलं च निम्नं च न स्याद्वर्षति वासवे। तथाऽऽसीत्पृथिवी सर्वा शोणितेन परिप्लुता
From the bodies of princes—riders of elephants, horses, and chariots—the earth was so flooded with blood, everywhere high and low, as if Indra had poured rain.
षट्सहस्रान्हयान्वीरान्पुनर्दशशतान्वरान्। प्राहिणोन्मृत्युलोकाय क्षत्रियान्क्षत्रियर्षभः
That bull among Kṣatriyas sent six thousand heroic horsemen and again a thousand excellent warriors to the realm of death.
शरैः सहस्रशो विद्धा विधिवत्कल्पिता द्विपाः। शेरते भूमिमासाद्य शैला वज्रहता इव
Elephants, struck by thousands of arrows and properly arrayed, lay upon the ground as if mountains shattered by thunderbolts.
स वाजिरथमातङ्गान्निघ्नन्व्यचरदर्जुनः। प्रभिन्न इव मातङ्गो मृद्गन्नलवनं यथा
Arjuna moved about, slaying horses, chariots, and elephants, like a wild elephant breaking through, crushing salt in its path.
भुरिद्रुमलतागुल्मं शुष्केन्धनतृणोलपम्। निर्दहेदनलोऽरण्यं यथा वायुसमीरितः
Just as a fire, fanned by the wind, burns a forest thick with trees, creepers, bushes, dry wood, and grass, so did he.
सेनारण्यं तव तथा कृष्णानिलसमीरितः। शरार्चिरदहत्क्रुद्धः पाण्डवोऽग्निर्धनञ्जयः
Thus, O son of Kṛṣṇa, the forest of your army was burned by the angry Pāṇḍava Dhanañjaya, whose arrows blazed like fire stirred by the wind.
शून्यान्कुर्वन्रथोपस्थान्मानवैः संस्तरन्महीम्। प्रानृत्यदिव सम्बाधे चापहस्तो धनञ्जयः। वज्रकल्पैः शरैर्भूमिं कुर्वन्नुत्तरशोणिताम्
Making the chariot seats empty, covering the earth with men, Dhanañjaya danced amid the throng, bow in hand, turning the ground red with arrows like thunderbolts.
ततः प्रावर्तत नदी शोणितौघतरङ्गिणी। नराश्वद्विपकायेभ्यः पर्वतेभ्य इवापगा
Then a river began to flow, its waves formed of streams of blood, from the bodies of men, horses, elephants, as rivers from mountains.
अस्थिशर्करसम्बाधा ध्वजवृक्षा रथहदा। सञ्छिन्नशीर्षपाणाणा हस्तिहस्तमहाग्रहा
Crowded with bones and gravel, with banners as trees and broken chariots as logs, with severed heads and hands, and elephant trunks as great crocodiles.
मांसमज्जास्थिपङ्काढ्यां हताश्वमकराकुला। उष्णीषफेनसञ्छन्ना शरघोरझषाकुला
Filled with mud of flesh, marrow, and bone, teeming with slain horses as makaras, covered with turbans as foam, and arrows as fierce fish.
रुद्रस्याक्रीडसदृशीं भूमिं कुर्वन्विभीषणाम्'। प्राविशद्भारतीं सेनां सङ्क्रुद्धो वै धनञ्जयः
Making the earth terrifying, like the playground of Rudra, the enraged Dhanañjaya entered the Bhārata army.
तं श्रुतायुस्तथाम्बष्ठो व्रजमानं न्यवारयत्
Śrutāyus, the Ambaṣṭha, stopped him as he advanced.
तस्यार्जुनः शरैस्तीक्ष्णैः कङ्कपत्रपरिच्छदैः। न्यपातयद्धयाञ्शीघ्रं यतमानस्य मारिष। धनुश्चास्यापरैश्छित्त्वा शरैः पार्थो विचक्रमे
Arjuna, with sharp arrows tipped like vulture feathers, swiftly struck down his horses as he tried, O Māriṣa, and, cutting his bow with other arrows, advanced.
अम्बष्ठस्तु गदां गृह्य क्रोधपर्याकुलेक्षणः। आससाद रणे पार्थं केशवं च महारथम्
The Ambaṣṭha, seizing his mace, his eyes wild with anger, approached Pārtha and Keśava, the great charioteer, in battle.
ततः सम्प्रहरन्वीरो गदामुद्यम्य भारत। रथमावार्य गदया केशवं समताडयत्
Then the hero, raising his mace, struck, blocking the chariot, and with the mace struck Keśava, O Bhārata.
गदया ताडितं दृष्ट्वा केशवं परवीरहा। अर्जुनोऽथ भृशं क्रुद्धः सोऽम्बष्ठं प्रति भारत
Seeing Keśava struck by the mace, the destroyer of enemy heroes, Arjuna, became greatly enraged against the Ambaṣṭha, O Bhārata.
ततः शरैर्हेमपुङ्खैः सगदं रथिनां वरम्। छादयामास समरे मेघः सूर्यमिवोदितम्
Then, with arrows tipped with gold, he covered the best of charioteers, who held the mace, in battle, as a cloud covers the risen sun.
अथापरैः शरैश्चापि गदां तस्य महात्मनः। अचूर्णयत्तदा पार्थस्तिदद्भुतमिवाभवत्
Then, with other arrows, Pārtha shattered the mace of that great-souled one, and it was as if something wondrous had occurred.
अथ तां पतितां दृष्ट्वा गृह्यान्यां च महागदाम्। अर्जुनं वासुदेवं च पुनः पुनरताडयत्
Seeing that mace fallen, he seized another great mace and repeatedly struck Arjuna and Vāsudeva.
तस्यार्जुनः क्षुरप्राभ्यां सगदावुद्यतौ भुजौ। चिच्छेदेन्द्रध्वजाकारौ शिरश्चान्येन पत्रिणा
Arjuna, with razor-edged arrows, cut off his two arms raised with the mace, which resembled Indra's banners, and with another feathered arrow, his head.
स पपात हतो राजन्वसुधामनुनादयन्। इन्द्रध्वज इवोत्सृष्टो यन्त्रनिर्मुक्तबन्धनः
He fell, slain, O King, resounding upon the earth, like Indra's banner released, freed from its mechanical bindings.
अम्बष्ठे तु तदा भग्ने तव सैन्यमभज्यत
Then, when the Ambaṣṭha was defeated, your army was broken apart.