साक्रन्दबन्धुवलितमृतार्धमृतमानवम् । सर्वायुधरथाश्वेभपर्याणासञ्चरान्तरम्
The field was filled with the cries of grieving relatives, with the dead and half-dead men, and the remains of all weapons, chariots, horses, and canopies scattered about.
नृत्यत्कबन्धदोर्दण्डषण्डकाननिताम्बरम् । मदमेदोवसागन्धपिण्डाक्तघ्राणकोटरम्
Headless trunks danced, their arm-stumps raised like clubs, while nostrils were clogged with lumps reeking of blood, marrow, and fat.
उत्फालार्धमृतेभाश्वमार्यमाणाल्पजीवितम् । वहद्रक्तनदीवीचीप्रहारहतदुन्दुभि
With half-swollen, dying horses, noble men of short life, and war drums struck by the waves of rivers flowing with blood,
उह्यमानमृताश्वेभमकरासृक्सरिच्छटम् । म्रियमाणनरानीकफूत्कृतासृग्घनानिलम्
Dragged by dying horses and elephants, splashed by streams of blood, with gusts of wind thick with the cries and blood of perishing warriors,
स्वल्पजीवशरापूर्णमुखहिक्काङ्कितस्वरम् । पिण्डहार्यवसागन्धवातात्तोत्पीडलोहितम्
Filled with the hiccuping voices of those whose mouths are stained with the curse of brief life, with flesh torn and the air heavy with the stench of fat, and blood forced out by pain,
उन्नासार्धमृतेभेन्द्रकराक्रान्तकबन्धकम् । निरधिष्ठितहस्त्यश्वपातितोद्यत्कबन्धकम्
With half-broken noses, the bodies of elephants and horses seized by the hands of the dead, and the ground strewn with corpses of men and beasts fallen without support,
रुदद्बन्धुसखिभ्रष्टशवक्षुब्धासृगुद्ध्वनि । मृतभर्तृगले शस्त्रत्यक्तप्राणकुलाङ्गनम्
With the wailing of relatives and friends bereft, the tumult of blood from the corpses, and women whose husbands have died, lying with their throats cut by weapons,
शवस्थानकृतोद्ग्रीवबन्धुकायपरीक्षणम् । शवहारखराकृष्टसम्पृक्तनरव्याकुलम्
Examining the bodies of relatives at the place of corpses, agitated by the mingling of bodies dragged away by corpse-bearers and jackals,
केशशेवलवक्त्राब्जचक्रावर्तननर्तनम् । तरत्तुङ्गतरङ्गाढ्यवहद्रक्तमहानदम्
With faces like lotuses tangled in hair and sinew, whirling and dancing in the eddies, and a great river of blood flowing with high, surging waves,
प्राणान्तस्मृतपुत्रेष्टमातृदेवधनाभिधम् । हाहाहीहीतिकथितमर्मच्छेदनवेदनम्
At the end of life, remembering sons, loved ones, mothers, gods, and wealth, crying out 'Alas! Alas!' and speaking of the pain of wounds that cut to the core,
अङ्गलग्नायुधोद्धारव्यग्रार्धमृतमानवम् । विदेशमृतसाक्रन्दहूनतङ्गनताजिकम्
With limbs engaged in raising weapons, distracted by half-dead men; a foreign land resounding with cries of the dead, filled with bodies and the fallen.
म्रियमाणमिथोद्विष्टप्रारब्धरथसङ्गरम् । दन्तयुद्धासमर्थास्यस्मृतगेहेष्टदैवतम्
Dying men, disturbed by mutual enmity, with chariots set in motion by fate; teeth unable to fight, forgetful of home and cherished deities.
म्रियमाणपथलज्जशूराश्रितपलायनम् । अशङ्कितासृगावर्तनीतास्पदगमोत्सुकम्
Dying on the road, ashamed, the brave resorting to flight; unafraid of the whirl of blood, eager to reach the place of escape.
मर्मच्छेदिशरव्रातव्यथाविहितहुङ्कृति । कबन्धबन्धप्रारब्धवेतालवलनाक्रमम्
With a multitude of arrows piercing vital spots, causing pain and shouts; bodies bound together, fate tossing them like the swinging of a corpse.
उह्यमानध्वजच्छत्त्रचारुचामरपङ्कजम् । किरत्सन्ध्यारुणं दिक्षु तेजस्विरक्तपङ्कजम्
Carried away are banners, umbrellas, beautiful fans and lotuses; the horizon is tinged with crimson, radiant with blood-red lotuses.
रथचक्रवनावर्तं रक्तार्णवम् इवाष्टमम् । पताकाफेनपुञ्जाढ्यं चारुचामरबुद्बुदम्
The chariot wheels whirl like eddies, resembling a blood-red ocean; adorned with clusters of flag foam and beautiful fan bubbles.
विपर्यस्तरथं भूमिकम्पभग्नपुरोपमम् । उत्पातवातनिर्धूतद्रुमं वनम् इवाततम्
Chariots overturned, resembling cities shattered by trembling earth; a forest spread out, trees swept away by a storm of disaster.
कल्पदग्धजगत्प्रख्यं मुनिपीतार्णवोपमम् । अतिवृष्टिहतो देश इव प्रोच्छिन्नमानवम्
Appearing like a world burned at the end of an age, like an ocean drunk dry by sages; a land devastated by excessive rain, its people utterly destroyed.
कालायःकुन्तवलितं भुसुण्डीमण्डलाकुलम् । मत्तनागशवाकारं सन्नतोमरमुद्गरम्
It was crowded with circles of vultures, their crests bent low, filled with flocks of crows; resembling the corpses of intoxicated elephants, and strewn with spears and maces.
शिलाशिखरसञ्जाततालजालम् इवाततम् । पतद्रक्तनदीतीरजातकुन्तोन्नतद्रुमम्
Spread out like a grove of palm trees growing from rocky peaks, with trees on the riverbank raised up by the corpses, as if forming a forest.
नागागस्यूतहेत्योघवृक्षांशुकुसुमाकुलम् । कङ्ककृष्टान्त्ररशनावृन्दजालकिताम्बरम्
Thick with the flowers and cloths torn from the bodies of slain warriors, and adorned with garlands made from the entrails dragged by jackals.
असृक्सरोवरध्वस्तपताकानलिनीगणम् । रक्तकर्दमनिर्मग्ननराहूतसुहृज्जनम्
The lotus clusters of the blood-lake, its banners destroyed, were submerged in red mud, and the friends of the fallen were called out by the cries of men sinking within.
करीन्द्रकुणपागारनिर्यद्भीतजनेक्षितम् । हेतिलूनलतैर् वृक्षैस् सन्दिग्धोग्रकबन्धकम्
The lair of elephant corpses, watched by fearful people, was tangled with trees whose creepers had been cut by weapons, and was blocked by dense, fierce barricades.
असृङ्नदीवहद्धस्तिकटकर्परनौगणम् । रक्तस्रोतस्स्फुरच्छुक्लवस्त्रदिण्डीरपिण्डकम्
The river of blood carried clusters of severed elephant trunks and arms, and floating on its red current were white garments and round shields.
सञ्चरन्निपतत्क्षिप्रमृत्युविच्छिन्नमानवम् । इतश् चेतश् च निपतत्कबन्धनवदानवम्
Men, their lives cut short by death, wandered and fell swiftly; here and there, headless demons dropped down.
ऊर्ध्वस्थालक्ष्यचक्रौघछिन्नसैन्यद्रवज्जनम् । रक्तनिस्स्रावभाङ्कारहिक्कारार्धमृतारवम्
People fled from the army, broken by a rain of arrows from above, their voices half-dead, gasping with hiccups, and the sound of blood gushing forth.
सिरामुखोल्लसद्रक्तधाराधौतव्रजत्खगम् । सुतालोत्तालवेतालतालताण्डवसङ्कटम्
The sword, washed by streams of blood gushing from the mouths of veins, moved onward through the dreadful tumult of the tāla, ottāla, vetāla, and tāla drums' dance.
पर्यस्तरथदार्वन्तर्वनान्तरितसद्भटम् । अन्तस्स्थसज्जीवभटस्यन्दिस्यन्दनभीतिदम्
Within the broken chariots and scattered logs, warriors hid in the depths of the forest; inside, the presence of living soldiers inspired fear in the charioteers and their steeds.
रक्तकर्दमपूर्णास्यकिञ्चिज्जीवक्वणच्छवम् । किञ्चिज्जीवनरोद्ग्रीवकष्टदृष्टश्ववायसम्
Some corpses, their mouths filled with muddy blood, made faint rattling sounds of life; some, with their necks barely raised, were seen by jackals and crows.
एकामिषोग्रक्रव्यादयुद्धकोलाहलाकुलम् । एकामिषार्थयुद्धेहामृतक्रव्यादसङ्कुलम्
The battlefield was filled with the uproar of fierce carnivores fighting over a single piece of flesh; in the struggle for that one morsel, the place swarmed with death-hungry beasts.