Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच निर्याय नगराच्छूरा व्यूढानीकाः प्रहारिणः त्रिगर्तानस्पृशन्मत्स्याः सूर्ये परिणते सति
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said Issuing out from the city, those heroic repressors, the Matsya's, arranged in battle array, met the Trigartas when the sun had passed the meridian.
Supplementary Passages:
4.31.1 After 1, M2 ins.: *569 त्रिगर्ता अस्पृशन्मात्स्यान्पूर्वमेव महारथाः
ते त्रिगर्ताश्च मत्स्याश्च संरब्धा युद्धदुर्मदाः अन्योन्यमभिगर्जन्तो गोषु गृद्धा महाबलाः
M. N. Dutt: The mighty and powerful Trigartas and Matsya's, both worked up with ire and irrepressible in battle, desirous of possessing kine, sent up a loud war-cry.
भीमाश्च मत्तमातङ्गास्तोमराङ्कुशचोदिताः ग्रामणीयैः समारूढाः कुशलैर्हस्तिसादिभिः
M. N. Dutt: Terrible and infuriated elephants, mounted by skillful heroes of both sides, were urged on with spikes and hooks.
तेषां समागमो घोरस्तुमुलो लोमहर्षणः देवासुरसमो राजन्नासीत्सूर्ये विलम्बति
AI Translation: Their meeting was terrible, tumultuous, hair-raising, O king, like that of the gods and demons, when the sun was delayed.
Supplementary Passages:
4.31.4 After 4ab, N ins.: *570 घ्नतां परस्परं घोरो यमराष्ट्रविवर्धनः After 4, N M5 (om. line 1) ins.: *571 पदातिरथनागेन्द्रहयारोहबलौघवान् अन्योन्यमभ्यापततां निघ्नतां चेतरेतरम्
उदतिष्ठद्रजो भौमं न प्रज्ञायत किंचन पक्षिणश्चापतन्भूमौ सैन्येन रजसावृताः
AI Translation: The dust rose up from the ground, and nothing could be seen. The birds fell to the ground, covered by the dust of the army.
इषुभिर्व्यतिसंयद्भिरादित्योऽन्तरधीयत खद्योतैरिव संयुक्तमन्तरिक्षं व्यराजत
AI Translation: The sun was obscured by the arrows that were shot. The sky shone like it was covered with fireflies.
Supplementary Passages:
4.31.6 After 6, D4.8 ins.: *572 रुक्मपुङ्खैः सुतीक्ष्णाग्रैर्वज्राग्निसदृशप्रभैः
रुक्मपृष्ठानि चापानि व्यतिषक्तानि धन्विनाम् पततां लोकवीराणां सव्यदक्षिणमस्यताम्
AI Translation: The bows of the archers were adorned with gold and were intertwined. The bows of the heroes of the world were falling, being drawn to the left and right.
रथा रथैः समाजग्मुः पादातैश्च पदातयः सादिभिः सादिनश्चैव गजैश्चापि महागजाः
AI Translation: Chariots with chariots, foot-soldiers with foot-soldiers, horsemen with horsemen, and great elephants with elephants,
Supplementary Passages:
4.31.8 After 8, T1 ins.: *573 रथिनः सादिनश्चात्र संप्रहारमकुर्वत
असिभिः पट्टिशैः प्रासैः शक्तिभिस्तोमरैरपि संरब्धाः समरे राजन्निजघ्नुरितरेतरम्
AI Translation: With swords, lances, javelins, spears, and tridents, they attacked each other in battle, O king.
Supplementary Passages:
4.31.9 After 9, D4 ins. (cf. line 2 of 577*): *574 अन्तरिक्षे गतिर्येषां ददृशुश्चापि वध्यताम्
निघ्नन्तः समरेऽन्योन्यं शूराः परिघबाहवः न शेकुरभिसंरब्धाः शूरान्कर्तुं पराङ्मुखान्
AI Translation: The heroes, with arms like clubs, struck each other in battle, and, though enraged, could not make the heroes turn away.
कॢप्तोत्तरोष्ठं सुनसं कॢप्तकेशमलंकृतम् अदृश्यत शिरश्छिन्नं रजोध्वस्तं सकुण्डलम्
AI Translation: With the upper lip cut off, with the nose cut off, with the hair cut off, adorned, The head was seen cut off, covered with dust, with earrings.
अदृश्यंस्तत्र गात्राणि शरैश्छिन्नानि भागशः शालस्कन्धनिकाशानि क्षत्रियाणां महामृधे
AI Translation: Their bodies were cut into pieces by arrows and became invisible. In the great battle, the bodies of the Kshatriyas looked like the trunks of palm trees.
नागभोगनिकाशैश्च बाहुभिश्चन्दनोक्षितैः आकीर्णा वसुधा तत्र शिरोभिश्च सकुण्डलैः
AI Translation: With arms smeared with sandalwood paste, resembling the hoods of serpents, The earth was strewn there with heads adorned with earrings.
Supplementary Passages:
4.31.13 After 13, N (D3 om.) ins.: *575 रथिनां रथिभिश्चात्र संप्रहारोऽभ्यवर्तत सादिभिः सादिनां चात्र पादातानां पदातिभिः On the other hand, S ins. after 13: *576 यथा वा वाससी श्लक्ष्णे महारजतरञ्जिते बिभ्रती युवती श्यामा भाति तद्वद्वसुंधरा
उपशाम्यद्रजो भौमं रुधिरेण प्रसर्पता कश्मलं प्राविशद्घोरं निर्मर्यादमवर्तत
AI Translation: As the dust settled, the blood began to flow, and the terrible confusion set in, with no bounds to be observed.
Supplementary Passages:
4.31.14 After 14, N (D3 om.; for D4 see below) ins.: *577 उपाक्रोशंस्तदान्योन्यं शरैर्गाढं प्रवेजिताः अन्तरिक्षे गतिर्येषां दर्शनं चाप्यरुध्यत D4, which om. 577*, ins. after 14 (cf. 19cd): *578 उपानिघ्नंत सुभृशं गोषु गोवृषभा इव On the other hand, S ins. after 14: *579 युधिष्ठिरोऽपि धर्मात्मा भ्रातृभिः सहितस्तदा व्यूहं कृत्वा विराटस्य अन्वयुध्यत पाण्डवः आत्मानं श्येनवत्कृत्वा तुण्डमासीद्युधिष्ठिरः पक्षौ यमौ च भवतः पुच्छमासीद्वृकोदरः सहस्रं न्यहनत्तत्र कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः भीमसेनः सुसंक्रुद्धः सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरः द्विसाहस्रं रथान्वीरः परलोकं प्रवेशयत् नकुलस्त्रिशतं जघ्ने सहदेवश्चतुःशतम्
शतानीकः शतं हत्वा विशालाक्षश्चतुःशतम् प्रविष्टौ महतीं सेनां त्रिगर्तानां महारथौ आर्च्छेतां बहुसंरब्धौ केशाकेशि नखानखि
AI Translation: Shatānīka killed a hundred, and Viśālākṣa four hundred, and entered the great army of the Trigarta warriors, those great chariot-warriors, and attacked each other with great anger, hair to hair, nail to nail.
Supplementary Passages:
4.31.15 After 15cd, N G3 ins.: *580 तौ प्रविश्य महासेनां बलवन्तौ यशस्विनौ
लक्षयित्वा त्रिगर्तानां तौ प्रविष्टौ रथव्रजम् जग्मतुः सूर्यदत्तश्च मदिराश्वश्च पृष्ठतः
M. N. Dutt: (Heroes) (began an encounter) hand-tohand, hair to hair and car to car. And marking they entered into the collection of cars belonging to the Trigartas.
Supplementary Passages:
4.31.16 After 16, S (G1 om.) ins.: *581 शङ्खो विराटपुत्रस्तु महेष्वासो महाबलः विनिघ्नन्समरे शत्रून्प्रविवेश महाचमूम्
विराटस्तत्र संग्रामे हत्वा पञ्चशतान्रथान् हयानां च शतान्यत्र हत्वा पञ्च महारथान्
M. N. Dutt: Destroying five hundred cars in that encounter with Suryadatta before and Madiraksha after him,
चरन्स विविधान्मार्गान्रथेषु रथयूथपः त्रिगर्तानां सुशर्माणमार्च्छद्रुक्मरथं रणे
M. N. Dutt: And slaying eight hundred horses, five mighty car-warriors, that foremost of charioteers began to display many manuvaeres in that field of battle.
तौ व्यावहरतां तत्र महात्मानौ महाबलौ अन्योन्यमभिगर्जन्तौ गोष्ठे गोवृषभाविव
M. N. Dutt: He then came upon Susharma, the king of Trigartas mounted on a golden chariot; there those two high-souled and highly powerful (heroes) struck (each other)
Supplementary Passages:
4.31.19 N ins. after 19 (B2, which om. 18-19, after 17: D4, after 578*): *582 ततो राजा त्रिगर्तानां सुशर्मा युद्धदुर्मदः मत्स्यं समीयाद्यत्ताश्वं द्वैरथेन नरर्षभः D5 ins. after 582*: *583 त्रिगर्तानां च मुख्योऽसौ मत्स्यानां च महाबलः अभीयतुरथान्योन्यं द्वैरथेन नरर्षभ Finally, S ins. after 19: *584 राजसिंहौ सुसंरब्धौ विरेजतुरमर्षणौ
ततो रथाभ्यां रथिनौ व्यतियाय समन्ततः शरान्व्यसृजतां शीघ्रं तोयधारा घनाविव
M. N. Dutt: That foremost of men invited the king of Matsya to a single combat on the chariot. Thereupon those two car-warriors, worked up with fury, rushed upon each other in their cars.
अन्योन्यं चातिसंरब्धौ विचेरतुरमर्षणौ कृतास्त्रौ निशितैर्बाणैरसिशक्तिगदाभृतौ
M. N. Dutt: They discharged arrows quickly like clouds pouring torrents of rain. Enraged with each other the (two) wrathful (heroes) moved about,
ततो राजा सुशर्माणं विव्याध दशभिः शरैः पञ्चभिः पञ्चभिश्चास्य विव्याध चतुरो हयान्
M. N. Dutt: Skilled in weapons, and armed with sharpened arrows, swords, shaktis and maces. Then the king pierced Susharman with ten arrows,
Supplementary Passages:
4.31.22 After 22, S (except M3) ins.: *585 द्वाभ्यां सूतं तु विव्याध केतुं च त्रिभिराशुगैः
तथैव मत्स्यराजानं सुशर्मा युद्धदुर्मदः पञ्चाशता शितैर्बाणैर्विव्याध परमास्त्रवित्
AI Translation: Similarly, Sushārman, skilled in the use of supreme missiles, pierced the king of Matsya with fifty sharp arrows.
ततः सैन्यं समावृत्य मत्स्यराजसुशर्मणोः नाभ्यजानंस्तदान्योन्यं प्रदोषे रजसावृते
AI Translation: Then, surrounding the army of the king of Matsya and Susharma, they did not recognize each other in the evening, covered by dust.