एवं प्रयुध्यमानौ तौ बाहुयुद्धं गतौ पुनः । पादे पादं करे पाणिं हृदि हृद्वदने मुखम्
Thus, as they fought, they again engaged in hand-to-hand combat—foot against foot, hand against hand, chest against chest, and face against face.
एवं परस्परं श्लिष्टौ परस्परवधैषिणौ । उभावपि पराक्रांतावुभावपि मुमूर्च्छतुः
Thus, locked together, each intent on the other’s destruction, both mighty warriors fell unconscious.
तद्दृष्ट्वा विस्मयं प्राप्ताः प्रशशंसुः सहस्रशः । धन्यो लक्ष्मीनिधिर्भूपो धन्यो राजानुजो बली
Seeing this, thousands were amazed and praised them: 'Blessed is King Lakshminidhi, blessed is the powerful younger brother of the king.'
शेष उवाच। चित्रांगः क्रौंचकंठस्थो रथस्थो वीरशोभितः । गाहयामास तत्सैन्यं वाराह इव वारिधिम्
Shesha said: Chitranga, standing on his chariot, his voice resounding like a curlew, shone as a hero and drove his army forward like the Boar uplifting the ocean.
धनुर्विस्फार्य सुदृढं मेघनादनिनादितम् । मुमोच बाणान्निशितान्वैरिकोटिविदाहकान्
Drawing his sturdy bow, which thundered like clouds, he released sharp arrows that burned through the ranks of his enemies.
तद्बाणभिन्नसर्वांगाः शेरते सुभटा भृशम् । सकिरीटतनुत्राणाः सन्दष्टदशनच्छदाः
Pierced all over by those arrows, the brave warriors lay fallen, their crowns and armor still on, their teeth clenched tightly.
एवं प्रवृत्ते संग्रामे ययौ योद्धुं स पुष्कलः । मणिचित्रितमादाय चापं वैरिप्रतापनम्
As the battle raged on, Pushkala advanced to fight, taking up a jewel-adorned bow that tormented his foes.
तयोः संगतयोरूपं दृश्यतेऽतिमनोहरम् । पुरा तारकसंग्रामे स्कंदतारकयोर्यथा
The meeting of the two was exceedingly beautiful to behold, like that of Skanda and Taraka in their ancient battle.
विस्फारयन्धनुः शीघ्रं सव्यसाची तु पुष्कलः । ताडयामास तं क्षिप्रं शरैः सन्नतपर्वभिः
Pushkala, swift-handed, quickly drew his bow and struck him at once with arrows whose joints were well-bent.
चित्रांगोऽपि रुषाक्रांतः शरासन इषूञ्छितान् । दधद्व्यमुंचद्बहुशो रणमंडलमूर्धनि
Chitranga too, seized by wrath, grasped his bow and repeatedly released sharp arrows at the center of the battlefield.
नादानं न च संधानं न मोचनमथापि वा । दृष्टं तावेव संदृष्टौ कुंडलीकृतचापिनौ
No sound of string, no nocking, nor the release of arrows could be seen—only those two, bows curved, confronting each other.
तदासौ पुष्कलः क्रुद्धः शराणां शतकेन तम् । विव्याध वक्षःस्थलके महायोद्धारमुद्भटम्
Then Pushkala, enraged, pierced that great and formidable warrior in the chest with a hundred arrows.
चित्रांगस्ताञ्शरान्सर्वांश्चिच्छेद तिलशः क्षणात् । ताडयामास चांगेषु पुष्कलं शितसायकैः
Citrāṅga instantly cut all those arrows into tiny pieces, and struck Puṣkala forcefully on his limbs with sharp shafts.
पुष्कलस्तद्रथं दिव्यं भ्रामकास्त्रेण शोभिना । नभसि भ्रामयामास तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्
Puṣkala, with a resplendent whirling weapon, spun that divine chariot in the sky; it appeared truly wondrous.
भ्रांत्वा मुहूर्तमात्रं तु सरथो हयसंयुतः । स्थितिर्लेभेतिकष्टेन संधृतो रणमंडले
After spinning for just a moment, the chariot, yoked with horses, barely managed to regain its position, held steady in the midst of battle.
स चास्य विक्रमं दृष्ट्वा चित्रांगः कुपितो भृशम् । उवाच पुष्कलं धीमान्सर्वास्त्रेषु विशारदः
Seeing his valor, Citrāṅga became greatly enraged and spoke to Puṣkala, wise and skilled in all weapons.
चित्रांग उवाच। त्वया साधुकृतं कर्म सुभटैर्युधिसंमतम् । मद्रथो वाजिसंयुक्तो भ्रामितो नभसि क्षणम्
Citrāṅga said: 'You have performed a worthy deed, praised by warriors in battle; my chariot, yoked with horses, was spun in the sky for a moment.'
पराक्रमं समीक्षस्व ममापि सुभटेरितम् । आकाशचारी तु भवान्भवत्वमरपूजितः
'Now witness my own valor, accomplished by a true warrior; you, who move through the sky, may you be honored like a god.'
इत्युक्त्वा स मुमोचास्त्रं रणे परमदारुणम् । धनुषा परमास्त्रज्ञः सर्वधर्मविदुत्तमः
Having spoken thus, he released a most dreadful weapon in battle, being a supreme knower of weapons and foremost among those who know all duties.
तेन बाणेन संविद्धः खे बभ्राम पतंगवत् । सरथः सहयः संख्ये सध्वजश्च ससारथिः
Struck by that arrow, he spun in the sky like a moth—chariot, horses, banner, and charioteer all together in the fray.
भ्रांत्वा सरथवर्यस्तु नभसि त्वरयान्वितः । यावत्स्थितिं न लभते तावन्मुक्तोऽपरः शरः
After spinning rapidly in the sky with his excellent chariot, before he could regain his position, another arrow was released.
पुनश्च परिबभ्राम रथः सूतसमन्वितः । तत्कर्मवीक्ष्य पुत्रस्य राज्ञो विस्मयमाप सः
Again, the chariot, along with its charioteer, spun around; seeing this feat of his son, the king was astonished.
कथंचित्स्थितिमप्याप पुष्कलः परवीरहा । रथं जघान बाणैश्च ससूतहयमस्य च
Somehow regaining his composure, Puṣkala, destroyer of enemy heroes, struck his opponent’s chariot, along with its charioteer and horses, with arrows.
सभग्नस्यंदनो वीरः पुनरन्यं समाश्रितः । सोऽपि भग्नः शरैराशु पुष्कलेन रणांगणे
The valiant one, with his chariot broken, took refuge in another; but that too was swiftly shattered by Puṣkala’s arrows on the battlefield.
पुनरन्यं समास्थाय यावदायाति संमुखम् । तावद्बभंज निशितैः सायकैस्तद्रथं पुनः
Again mounting another chariot and advancing to face him, that too was broken by sharp arrows.
एवं दश रथा भग्ना नृपतेरात्मजस्य हि । पुष्कलेन तु वीरेण महासंयुगशालिना
Thus, ten chariots of the king’s son were destroyed by Puṣkala, the heroic one, master of great battles.
तदा चित्रांगकः संख्ये रथे स्थित्वा विचित्रिते । आजगाम ह वेगेन पुष्कलं प्रति योधितुम्
Then Citrāṅgaka, standing on a splendid chariot in the battle, rushed swiftly toward Puṣkala to fight.
पुष्कलं पंचभिर्बाणैस्ताडयामास संयुगे । तैर्बाणैर्निहतोऽत्यतं विव्यथे भरतात्मजः
He struck Puṣkala with five arrows in the fight; wounded by those arrows, the son of Bharata was greatly tormented.
सक्रुद्धश्चापमुद्यम्य बाणान्दश शितान्महान् । मुमोच हृदये तस्य स्वर्णपुंखसुशोभितान्
Enraged, the mighty one raised his bow and released ten sharp arrows, adorned with golden feathers, at his heart.
ते बाणाः पपुरेतस्य रुधिरं बहुदारुणाः । पीत्वा पेतुः क्षितौ कूटसाक्षिणः पूर्वजा इव
Those arrows, fierce and dreadful, drank his blood and fell to the earth, as if bearing witness like the ancestors of old.