Critical Edition
भीष्म उवाच आत्मनस्तु ततः सूतो हयानां च विशां पते मम चापनयामास शल्यान्कुशलसंमतः
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said Then did the charioteer, o lord of the universe, who was regarded as being skillful in such matters, draw forth the arrows from his own body and those of the horses as well as that of myself.
स्नातोपवृत्तैस्तुरगैर्लब्धतोयैरविह्वलैः प्रभात उदिते सूर्ये ततो युद्धमवर्तत
M. N. Dutt: In the morning, the sun having risen the fight commenced again, the horses (of both parties) having been bathed and allowed to roll on the ground, and given water and thereby refreshed,
दृष्ट्वा मां तूर्णमायान्तं दंशितं स्यन्दने स्थितम् अकरोद्रथमत्यर्थं रामः सज्जं प्रतापवान्
M. N. Dutt: Seeing me coming quickly with my coat of mail on and seated on my chariot Rama, of great luster, got ready his car very carefully.
ततोऽहं राममायान्तं दृष्ट्वा समरकाङ्क्षिणम् धनुःश्रेष्ठं समुत्सृज्य सहसावतरं रथात्
M. N. Dutt: I too, seeing Rama, who was desirous of fight, approaching, keeping aside that best of bows, at once dismounted from my chariot.
अभिवाद्य तथैवाहं रथमारुह्य भारत युयुत्सुर्जामदग्न्यस्य प्रमुखे वीतभीः स्थितः
M. N. Dutt: Having bowed down to him I got on it again and desirous of fight stood before Jamadgna, past the reach of fear.
ततो मां शरवर्षेण महता समवाकिरत् अहं च शरवर्षेण वर्षन्तं समवाकिरम्
M. N. Dutt: Then did I, all on a sudden, cover him with a great shower of arrows: and he too covered me with shower of arrows.
संक्रुद्धो जामदग्न्यस्तु पुनरेव पतत्रिणः प्रेषयामास मे राजन्दीप्तास्यानुरगानिव
M. N. Dutt: The son of Jamadagni worked up with wrath, again shot forth on me fearful and sharp arrows having months blazing like those of serpents.
तानहं निशितैर्भल्लैः शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः अच्छिदं सहसा राजन्नन्तरिक्षे पुनः पुनः
M. N. Dutt: Then did I at once again and again cut them asunder, O king, by my hundred and thousands of arrows, when they were still in the air.
ततस्त्वस्त्राणि दिव्यानि जामदग्न्यः प्रतापवान् मयि प्रचोदयामास तान्यहं प्रत्यषेधयम्
M. N. Dutt: Then did the illustrious son of Jamadagni shoot at me celestial weapons but I thwarted them off, O you of long arms.
अस्त्रैरेव महाबाहो चिकीर्षन्नधिकां क्रियाम् ततो दिवि महान्नादः प्रादुरासीत्समन्ततः
M. N. Dutt: In fact, O you of long arms, I performed mightier tasks by my weapons on which there was a loud commotion all about, oking.
ततोऽहमस्त्रं वायव्यं जामदग्न्ये प्रयुक्तवान् प्रत्याजघ्ने च तद्रामो गुह्यकास्त्रेण भारत
M. N. Dutt: Then did I shoot at the son of Jamadagni the weapons called Vayavya but Rama, O Bharata, warded if off by the weapon called Guhyaka.
ततोऽस्त्रमहमाग्नेयमनुमन्त्र्य प्रयुक्तवान् वारुणेनैव रामस्तद्वारयामास मे विभुः
M. N. Dutt: Then did I after repeating suitable incantations shoot the weapon called Agneya ine was but Rama thwarted that weapon called Agneya but Rama thwarted that weapon of mine by one called Varuna, O lord.
एवमस्त्राणि दिव्यानि रामस्याहमवारयम् रामश्च मम तेजस्वी दिव्यास्त्रविदरिंदमः
M. N. Dutt: In this way did I ward off the heavenly weapons of Rama and the energetic Rama too, that chastiser of enemies, conversant with celestial weapons, thwarted off the weapons of mine.
ततो मां सव्यतो राजन्रामः कुर्वन्द्विजोत्तमः उरस्यविध्यत्संक्रुद्धो जामदग्न्यो महाबलः
M. N. Dutt: There did that best among the twice-born, Rama, the son of Jamadagni, suddenly turning to the right, pierce me in my breast.
ततोऽहं भरतश्रेष्ठ संन्यषीदं रथोत्तमे अथ मां कश्मलाविष्टं सूतस्तूर्णमपावहत् गोरुतं भरतश्रेष्ठ रामबाणप्रपीडितम्
M. N. Dutt: Then did I foremost among the Bharatas, faint on that best of cars. My charioteer quickly removed who deprived of consciousness.
ततो मामपयातं वै भृशं विद्धमचेतसम् रामस्यानुचरा हृष्टाः सर्वे दृष्ट्वा प्रचुक्रुशुः अकृतव्रणप्रभृतयः काशिकन्या च भारत
M. N. Dutt: All the followers of Rama, Akri avrana and others and the daughter of the king of the Kashis all set up a loud shout.
ततस्तु लब्धसंज्ञोऽहं ज्ञात्वा सूतमथाब्रुवम् याहि सूत यतो रामः सज्जोऽहं गतवेदनः
M. N. Dutt: My consciousness (after a time) having come back I said to my charioteer "O charioteer go where Rama is, I am prepared (for battle) for I have now no pains.”
ततो मामवहत्सूतो हयैः परमशोभितैः नृत्यद्भिरिव कौरव्य मारुतप्रतिमैर्गतौ
M. N. Dutt: Then did the charioteer bear me by means of exceedingly beautiful horses which went on dancing as it were, O scion of the Kuru race, and which were of the speed similar of that of the wind.
ततोऽहं राममासाद्य बाणजालेन कौरव अवाकिरं सुसंरब्धः संरब्धं विजिगीषया
M. N. Dutt: Having then come near Rama and being wrathful I shot forth a shower of arrows, O Kaurava, with the desire of gaining victory over that wrathful one.
तानापतत एवासौ रामो बाणानजिह्मगान् बाणैरेवाच्छिनत्तूर्णमेकैकं त्रिभिराहवे
M. N. Dutt: But that Rama cut asunder those arrows which went along in straight lines, when they were in still in the air, by shooting three arrows for each of mine.
ततस्ते मृदिताः सर्वे मम बाणाः सुसंशिताः रामबाणैर्द्विधा छिन्नाः शतशोऽथ महाहवे
M. N. Dutt: Then were all of them (Rama's followers) rejoiced at seeing my well furnished arrows cut asunder in two by hundreds and thousands.
ततः पुनः शरं दीप्तं सुप्रभं कालसंमितम् असृजं जामदग्न्याय रामायाहं जिघांसया
M. N. Dutt: Then did I shoot at Rama, the son of Jamadgna with the desire of killing him, blazing arrows of good appearance, guided by death itself.
तेन त्वभिहतो गाढं बाणच्छेदवशं गतः मुमोह सहसा रामो भूमौ च निपपात ह
M. N. Dutt: Struck with its force and owing to its impetus, Rama fainted in the field and fell on the ground.
ततो हाहाकृतं सर्वं रामे भूतलमाश्रिते जगद्भारत संविग्नं यथार्कपतनेऽभवत्
M. N. Dutt: Rama falling on the ground all began to cry out Alas, Alas, as might be the case, O Bharata, if the sun were to fall on the earth.
तत एनं सुसंविग्नाः सर्व एवाभिदुद्रुवुः तपोधनास्ते सहसा काश्या च भृगुनन्दनम्
M. N. Dutt: Then did all those ascetics and the princess of Kashi,Odelighter of the race of Kuru, being filled with anxiety, began to comfort him,
त एनं संपरिष्वज्य शनैराश्वासयंस्तदा पाणिभिर्जलशीतैश्च जयाशीर्भिश्च कौरव
M. N. Dutt: By embracing him and slowly passing over the palms of their hands rendered cold by water and by blessings of victory, OKaurava.
ततः स विह्वलो वाक्यं राम उत्थाय माब्रवीत् तिष्ठ भीष्म हतोऽसीति बाणं संधाय कार्मुके
M. N. Dutt: Then did Rama, rising up, give vent to these wrathful words:-"Stay, O Bhishma, you are already killed" fixing an arrow to his bow.
स मुक्तो न्यपतत्तूर्णं पार्श्वे सव्ये महाहवे येनाहं भृशसंविग्नो व्याघूर्णित इव द्रुमः
M. N. Dutt: In that great battle that arrow, shot by him, quickly fell on my right side owing to which I was as much agitated as a tree is shaken by a gale.
हत्वा हयांस्ततो राजञ्शीघ्रास्त्रेण महाहवे अवाकिरन्मां विश्रब्धो बाणैस्तैर्लोमवाहिभिः
M. N. Dutt: Then did Rama, after killing my horses in that great battle, cover me up with clusters of arrows shot with lightness of hand and with such precision that each could carry away with it a single hair of my body,
ततोऽहमपि शीघ्रास्त्रं समरेऽप्रतिवारणम् अवासृजं महाबाहो तेऽन्तराधिष्ठिताः शराः रामस्य मम चैवाशु व्योमावृत्य समन्ततः
M. N. Dutt: Then did I too shoot my weapons with lightness of hand so as toward off his arrows, O you of long arms, and those arrows (of mine and of Rama) stayed in the air (without falling down.)
न स्म सूर्यः प्रतपति शरजालसमावृतः मातरिश्वान्तरे तस्मिन्मेघरुद्ध इवानदत्
AI Translation: The sun was not shining, covered by a net of arrows. In the midst of that, like a cloud-covered one, he roared.
ततो वायोः प्रकम्पाच्च सूर्यस्य च मरीचिभिः अभितापात्स्वभावाच्च पावकः समजायत
AI Translation: Then from the agitation of the wind and the rays of the sun, and from the heat of the sun, fire was produced.
ते शराः स्वसमुत्थेन प्रदीप्ताश्चित्रभानुना भूमौ सर्वे तदा राजन्भस्मभूताः प्रपेदिरे
AI Translation: Those arrows, ignited by the blazing sun, all fell to the ground as ashes, O king.
तदा शतसहस्राणि प्रयुतान्यर्बुदानि च अयुतान्यथ खर्वाणि निखर्वाणि च कौरव रामः शराणां संक्रुद्धो मयि तूर्णमपातयत्
M. N. Dutt: And millions and hundreds of millions of Rama's arrows were shot by that wrathful one, all in quick succession.
ततोऽहं तानपि रणे शरैराशीविषोपमैः संछिद्य भूमौ नृपतेऽपातयं पन्नगानिव
M. N. Dutt: In that battle, I too, by my arrows resembling poisonous snakes, cutting asunder those arrows, made them fill up the earth like snakes cut up in fragments, O ruler of men.
एवं तदभवद्युद्धं तदा भरतसत्तम संध्याकाले व्यतीते तु व्यपायात्स च मे गुरुः
M. N. Dutt: Such was the wonderful fight that took place at the time, O best among the Bharatas. Evening having passed away my preceptor also retired.