सर्पा आशीविषा यद्वत्क्रुद्धास्तद्वपुषि स्थिताः । परमं कोपमापन्नः पुष्कलो भूमिपं पुनः
Just as venomous serpents, enraged, dwell within a body, so Puṣkala, seized by extreme fury, again attacked the king.
बाणानां शतकेनाशु बिभेद शितपर्वणाम् । तैर्बाणैः कवचं भिन्नं किरीटः सशिरस्त्रकः
With a hundred sharp-tipped arrows, he swiftly pierced him; by those arrows, his armor was shattered, and his crown along with its crest was broken.
रथो धनुर्महत्सज्यं छिन्नं कोपपरिप्लवात् । क्षतजेन परिप्लुष्टो बाणभिन्नकलेवरः
His great, strung bow and chariot were cut down in a surge of wrath; his body, pierced by arrows, was soaked with blood.
अन्यं स्यंदनमारुह्य जगाम भरतात्मजम् । धन्योसि वीर रामस्य चरणाब्जमधुव्रत
Mounting another chariot, he approached the son of Bharata and said: 'Fortunate are you, hero, who are devoted like a bee to the lotus feet of Rāma.'
महत्कृतं कर्म तेऽद्य यदहं विरथीकृतः । प्राणान्रक्षस्व भो वीर सांप्रतं मयि युद्ध्यति
'You have accomplished a great deed today, for I have been deprived of my chariot. Now, hero, as you fight me, protect your life.'
सुलभा न तव प्राणाः कालरूपे मयि स्थिते । इत्युक्त्वा व्यहनद्बाणैरसंख्यैः शस्त्रकोविदः
'Your life will not be easily preserved while I, in the form of Death, stand before you.' Having spoken thus, the master of weapons struck with countless arrows.
भूमौ दिशि च तद्बाणा नान्यद्दृश्येत तत्र ह । अनेके गजसाहस्रा भिन्ना अश्वाः समंततः
On the ground and in every direction, those arrows could be seen, and nothing else; countless elephants were split, and horses all around were struck down.
रथारथियुतास्तेन छिन्ना भिन्ना द्विधाकृताः । शोणितौघा सरित्तत्र प्रसुस्राव रणांगणे
Chariots and their warriors were cut down, broken, and split in two; torrents of blood flowed like rivers upon the battlefield.
यत्रोन्मदा हि मातंगा दृश्यंते शैलशृंगवत् । केशाः शैवाललक्ष्यास्ते मुहुः प्राणिशिरः स्थिताः
There, maddened elephants could be seen like mountain peaks; their manes, marked by ashes, repeatedly appeared upon the heads of living beings.
अनेके पाणयश्छिन्ना वीराणां मुद्रिकाश्रियः । दृश्यंते अहिवत्तत्र चंदनादिकरूषिताः
Many severed hands of heroes, adorned with rings, could be seen there, stained with sandalwood and other ointments, lying like serpents.
शिरांसि च भटाग्र्याणां कच्छपाभां वहंति वै । मांसानि पंका यत्रासन्वीराणां महतां ततः
The heads of foremost warriors, resembling tortoise shells, were carried away; there, the flesh of great heroes became like mud.
एवं व्यतिकरे वृत्ते योगिन्यः शतशो रणे । पपुः पात्रेण रुधिरं प्राणिनां रणपातिनाम्
As the battle raged thus, hundreds of yoginīs on the field drank the blood of fallen warriors from vessels.
मांसानि बुभुजुस्ता वै हर्षकौतुकसंयुताः । पीत्वा तु शोणितं तत्र भक्षित्वा मांसमुन्मदाः
They eagerly consumed the flesh, filled with delight and curiosity; having drunk the blood and eaten the flesh, they became intoxicated.
ननृतुर्जहसुः प्रोच्चैरुज्जगुः प्रधनांगणे । पिशाचास्तत्र समरे प्राणिनां मस्तकानि वै
They danced, laughed loudly, and sang in the midst of the battlefield; there, piśācas in the battle seized the heads of living beings.
धृत्वा कराभ्यां मत्तांगास्तालवद्वादनोद्यताः । शिवास्तत्र महामांसं पतितानां रणांगणे
Seizing them with their hands, the maddened ones raised them to beat like cymbals; there, the Śivās devoured the great flesh of those fallen on the battlefield.
भक्षित्वा व्यनदन्मत्ताः कातराणां भयप्रदाः । कातरास्त्राः समापन्ना गताः कुंजरकोटरे
Having eaten, the intoxicated ones howled, terrifying the fearful; those struck by fear fled into the hollows of elephants.
भक्षिता योगिनीभिस्ते पापिनां क्वापि न स्थितिः । एतत्कदनमालक्ष्य स्वसैन्यस्य रथाग्रणीः
Those sinners who were devoured by the yoginīs found no refuge anywhere; seeing this carnage, the chariot-chief of his own army—
पुष्कलोऽपि चकारात्र कदनं रणमंडले । भिद्यंते गजशीर्षाणि पतंति मौक्तिकानि तु
Even Puṣkala wrought slaughter there in the midst of battle; the heads of elephants were split open, and pearls fell out.
दृश्यते लोमभिः पूर्णा ताम्रपर्णीव तन्नदी । पुष्कलप्रहिता बाणा नृणामंगेषु संगताः । कुर्वंति प्राणविच्छेदं वीराणामपि सर्वतः
That river, filled with arrows like hairs, appears like the Tāmraparṇī; the arrows, shot in abundance, gather upon the bodies of men, severing life even from the bravest on every side.
सर्वे रुधिरसिक्तांगाः सर्वे च्छिन्ननिजांगकाः । दृश्यंते किंशुका यद्वत्सुभटाः प्रधनांगणे
All are seen with bodies drenched in blood, all with their own limbs cut; the valiant warriors on the battlefield appear like kimśuka trees.
एतस्मिन्समये क्रुद्धः समाभाष्य महीपतिम् । जघान बहुबाणैस्तं रोषपूरपरिप्लुतः
At that moment, enraged, he addressed the king and, overwhelmed by a flood of wrath, struck him with many arrows.
तद्बाणवेधभिन्नांगो विशीर्णकवचो नृपः । महाबलं तं मन्वानः प्राहरच्छरकोटिभिः
The king, his body pierced by those arrows and his armor shattered, considering his opponent to possess great strength, struck back with volleys of arrows.
तैर्बाणैः कवचान्मुक्तं सुस्राव बहुशोणितम् । वपुर्बभूव रुचिरं शरपंजरगोचरम्
By those arrows, his armor was pierced and much blood flowed; his body became a striking sight, enclosed within a cage of arrows.
शरपंजरमध्यस्थो विह्वलीकृतमानसः । शरान्नेतुं च संधातुं न क्षमः स च भारतिः
Standing within the cage of arrows, his mind bewildered, that Bhārata was unable either to draw or to fit arrows.
रामं स्मृत्वा धनुर्धृत्वा करे सज्जं महद्दृढम् । मुमोच बाणान्निशितान्वैरिवृंदनिवारणान्
Remembering Rāma, he took up his great, sturdy bow, readied it in his hand, and released sharp arrows to drive back the hosts of enemies.
तैर्बाणैः शरजालं तद्विधूय मुनिपुंगव । शंखं प्रध्माय समरे जगाद गतभीर्नृपम्
With those arrows, the best of sages scattered that net of arrows, then sounded his conch in battle and, fearless, addressed the king.
पुष्कल उवाच। त्वया कृतं महत्कर्म यन्मां बाणस्य पंजरे । गोचरं कृतवान्वीर वीरतापनमुद्भटम्
Puṣkala said: 'You have accomplished a great feat, O hero, by making me, within this cage of arrows, a target—an extraordinary display of valor.'
वृद्धत्वान्मम मान्योसि सांप्रतं रणमंडले । पश्यमेऽद्य पराक्रांतं राजन्वीरमणे महत्
'Because of your age, you are to be honored by me, but now, on the field of battle, O king, behold today my supreme valor and heroism.'
बाणत्रयेण भो वीर मूर्च्छितं करवै नहि । तर्हि प्रतिज्ञां शृणु वै सर्ववीरविमोहिनीम्
'O hero, I am not rendered unconscious by three arrows; therefore, hear now my vow, which bewilders all warriors.'
गंगां प्राप्यापि यो वै तां निंदित्वा पापहारिणीम् । न मज्जति महापापो महामूढविचेष्टितः
'Even if a great sinner, acting in utter delusion, reaches the Ganges and scorns her, the remover of sin, he does not sink.'