Critical Edition
अर्जुन उवाच ततो निवातकवचाः सर्वे वेगेन भारत अभ्यद्रवन्मां सहिताः प्रगृहीतायुधा रणे
M. N. Dutt: Arjuna said: Then, O Bharata, furnished with arms, all the Nivatakavacha flew in a body towards me furiously in battle,
आच्छिद्य रथपन्थानमुत्क्रोशन्तो महारथाः आवृत्य सर्वतस्ते मां शरवर्षैरवाकिरन्
M. N. Dutt: Those mighty car-warriors obstructing the course of the car and uttering loud yells and surrounding me on all sides, enveloped me with downpours of arrows.
ततोऽपरे महावीर्याः शूलपट्टिशपाणयः शूलानि च भुशुण्डीश्च मुमुचुर्दानवा मयि
M. N. Dutt: Then other demons, of great strength armed with spears and Pattishas, hurled at me spears and Bhushundis.
तच्छूलवर्षं सुमहद्गदाशक्तिसमाकुलम् अनिशं सृज्यमानं तैरपतन्मद्रथोपरि
M. N. Dutt: That continuous discharge of spears together with maces and clubs fell upon my car.
अन्ये मामभ्यधावन्त निवातकवचा युधि शितशस्त्रायुधा रौद्राः कालरूपाः प्रहारिणः
M. N. Dutt: Other dreadful and terrible-looking Nivatakavachas, dexterous in hurling (weapons) and armed with sharpened weapons and bows, rushed at me in fight.
तानहं विविधैर्बाणैर्वेगवद्भिरजिह्मगैः गाण्डीवमुक्तैरभ्यघ्नमेकैकं दशभिर्मृधे ते कृता विमुखाः सर्वे मत्प्रयुक्तैः शिलाशितैः
M. N. Dutt: I (on my part) in the encounter, discharging several fleet arrows coursing straight, from the Gandiva, pierced each of them with ten (shafts).
ततो मातलिना तूर्णं हयास्ते संप्रचोदिताः रथमार्गाद्बहूंस्तत्र विचेरुर्वातरंहसः सुसंयता मातलिना प्रामथ्नन्त दितेः सुतान्
M. N. Dutt: Careered through several courses with the spread of the wind and being dexterously guided by Matali, trampled upon the sons of Diti.
शतं शतास्ते हरयस्तस्मिन्युक्ता महारथे तदा मातलिना यत्ता व्यचरन्नल्पका इव
M. N. Dutt: (And) Though that mighty car was yoked with hundreds of horses, yet being skillfully driven by Matali, as they began to move, it seemed as if they were a few only.
तेषां चरणपातेन रथनेमिस्वनेन च मम बाणनिपातैश्च हतास्ते शतशोऽसुराः
M. N. Dutt: By the press of their hoofs and by the thundering noise of the car-wheels and by the discharge of my arrows hundreds of demons fell dead.
गतासवस्तथा चान्ये प्रगृहीतशरासनाः हतसारथयस्तत्र व्यकृष्यन्त तुरंगमैः
M. N. Dutt: Others, holding their bows in their hands, even when deprived of life and their charioteers being slain, were carried (hither and thither) by the horses.
ते दिशो विदिशः सर्वाः प्रतिरुध्य प्रहारिणः निघ्नन्ति विविधैः शस्त्रैस्ततो मे व्यथितं मनः
M. N. Dutt: (And) all those dexterous in striking, obstructing all sides and directions, became engaged in the fight with various weapons, at which my mind was distressed.
ततोऽहं मातलेर्वीर्यमपश्यं परमाद्भुतम् अश्वांस्तथा वेगवतो यदयत्नादधारयत्
M. N. Dutt: Then the prowess of Matali appeared highly wonderful to me in that he guided the swift steeds with ease.
ततोऽहं लघुभिश्चित्रैरस्त्रैस्तानसुरान्रणे सायुधानच्छिनं राजञ्शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः
M. N. Dutt: O king, then, in the fight, I cut off the Danavas by hundreds and thousands who were furnished with arms, by various swift weapons.
एवं मे चरतस्तत्र सर्वयत्नेन शत्रुहन् प्रीतिमानभवद्वीरो मातलिः शक्रसारथिः
M. N. Dutt: O destroyer of foes, the heroic charioteer of Shakra, Matali, seeing me thus course there (on the field of battle) exerting my utmost, became well pleased (with me).
वध्यमानास्ततस्ते तु हयैस्तेन रथेन च अगमन्प्रक्षयं केचिन्न्यवर्तन्त तथापरे
AI Translation: Those who were being killed by the horses and the chariot, some of them perished, while others retreated.
स्पर्धमाना इवास्माभिर्निवातकवचा रणे शरवर्षैर्महद्भिर्मां समन्तात्प्रत्यवारयन्
M. N. Dutt: Being struck, those Nivatakavachas again completely surrounded me with a mighty discharge of arrows.
Supplementary Passages:
3.167.16 After 16, S ins.: *850 शरवेगैर्निहत्याहमस्त्रैः शरविघातिभिः ज्वलद्भिः परमैः शीघ्रैस्तानविध्यं सहस्रशः
ततोऽहं लघुभिश्चित्रैर्ब्रह्मास्त्रपरिमन्त्रितैः व्यधमं सायकैराशु शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः
AI Translation: Then with my light and variegated arrows, consecrated with the Brahma missile, I quickly cut down hundreds and thousands of them.
ततः संपीड्यमानास्ते क्रोधाविष्टा महासुराः अपीडयन्मां सहिताः शरशूलासिवृष्टिभिः
AI Translation: Then, being pressed, those great demons, possessed by anger, pressed me together with arrows, spears, and showers of swords.
ततोऽहमस्त्रमातिष्ठं परमं तिग्मतेजसम् दयितं देवराजस्य माधवं नाम भारत
AI Translation: Then I took up the weapon, the most powerful and sharp-rayed, beloved of the king of the gods, named Mādhava, O descendant of Bharata.
ततः खड्गांस्त्रिशूलांश्च तोमरांश्च सहस्रशः अस्त्रवीर्येण शतधा तैर्मुक्तानहमच्छिनम्
AI Translation: Then thousands of swords, tridents, and javelins, released by the power of weapons, I cut them into a hundred pieces.
छित्त्वा प्रहरणान्येषां ततस्तानपि सर्वशः प्रत्यविध्यमहं रोषाद्दशभिर्दशभिः शरैः
AI Translation: Having cut off their weapons, I then completely with ten arrows each, in anger.
गाण्डीवाद्धि तदा संख्ये यथा भ्रमरपङ्क्तयः निष्पतन्ति तथा बाणास्तन्मातलिरपूजयत्
AI Translation: Just as swarms of bees emerge from a beehive, so did arrows emerge from his bow in that battle. Mātali honored him.
तेषामपि तु बाणास्ते बहुत्वाच्छलभा इव अवाकिरन्मां बलवत्तानहं व्यधमं शरैः
AI Translation: But those arrows of theirs, being many, were like locusts. They covered me, but I cut them down with my arrows.
वध्यमानास्ततस्ते तु निवातकवचाः पुनः शरवर्षैर्महद्भिर्मां समन्तात्पर्यवारयन्
M. N. Dutt: Being struck, those Nivatakavachas again completely surrounded me with a mighty discharge of arrows.
शरवेगान्निहत्याहमस्त्रैः शरविघातिभिः ज्वलद्भिः परमैः शीघ्रैस्तानविध्यं सहस्रशः
M. N. Dutt: Having arrested the career of their shafts by excellent, fleet and blazing weapons inspired with mantras, capable of destroying (other) weapons, I pierced them by thousands.
तेषां छिन्नानि गात्राणि विसृजन्ति स्म शोणितम् प्रावृषीवातिवृष्टानि शृङ्गाणीव धराभृताम्
M. N. Dutt: Like waters running down from the summit of mountains, in the rainy season, blood began to flow from their mangled bodies.
इन्द्राशनिसमस्पर्शैर्वेगवद्भिरजिह्मगैः मद्बाणैर्वध्यमानास्ते समुद्विग्नाः स्म दानवाः
M. N. Dutt: Smitten by mighty, fleet and straightcoursing arrows having the touch of the thunderbolt hurled by Indra, those Danavas became greatly agitated.
शतधा भिन्नदेहान्त्राः क्षीणप्रहरणौजसः ततो निवातकवचा मामयुध्यन्त मायया
M. N. Dutt: Their bodies were cut to a hundred pieces and their weapons lost their energy. Then those Nivatakavachas began fighting with me by the help of illusion.