Critical Edition
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच एवं व्यूढेष्वनीकेषु मामकेष्वितरेषु च के पूर्वं प्राहरंस्तत्र कुरवः पाण्डवास्तथा
M. N. Dutt: Dhritarashtra said When the troops of my side and those of the foe were thus placed in battle-army, who struck first, the Kurus or the Pandavas?
Supplementary Passages:
6.42.1 Before 6.42.1, T1 G4 ins. (= 85*): *134 भगवानुवाच (sic) कृष्णं कमलपत्राक्षं पुण्यश्रवणकीर्तनम् वासुदेवं जगद्योनिं नौमि नारायणं हरिम्
संजय उवाच भ्रातृभिः सहितो राजन्पुत्रो दुर्योधनस्तव भीष्मं प्रमुखतः कृत्वा प्रययौ सह सेनया
M. N. Dutt: Sanjaya said Having heard the word of his brother, your son Dushasana advanced with his force with Bhishma at their head.
तथैव पाण्डवाः सर्वे भीमसेनपुरोगमाः भीष्मेण युद्धमिच्छन्तः प्रययुर्हृष्टमानसाः
M. N. Dutt: Desiring to fight with Bhishma, the Pandavas cheerfully advanced with Bhimasena at their head.
क्ष्वेडाः किलकिलाशब्दाः क्रकचा गोविषाणिकाः भेरीमृदङ्गमुरजा हयकुञ्जरनिस्वनाः
AI Translation: The sounds of "kṣveḍa" and "kilakilā", the sounds of "krakaca" and "goviṣāṇika", The sounds of drums, mṛdaṅga, and mūrja, the sounds of horses and elephants,
उभयोः सेनयो राजंस्ततस्तेऽस्मान्समाद्रवन् वयं प्रतिनदन्तश्च तदासीत्तुमुलं महत्
AI Translation: O king, then both the armies rushed towards us. And there was a great tumult when we replied.
महान्त्यनीकानि महासमुच्छ्रये; समागमे पाण्डवधार्तराष्ट्रयोः चकम्पिरे शङ्खमृदङ्गनिस्वनैः; प्रकम्पितानीव वनानि वायुना
M. N. Dutt: The vast arinies of the Kurus and the Pandavas shook in that fearful and body battle by the sounds of conchs and cymbals, as a forest is shaken by the wind.
नरेन्द्रनागाश्वरथाकुलाना;मभ्यायतीनामशिवे मुहूर्ते बभूव घोषस्तुमुलश्चमूनां; वातोद्धुतानामिव सागराणाम्
M. N. Dutt: The great nose, made by those troops consisting of kings, elephants and horses, rushing upon one another in an evil hour, was like that of the ocean in a tempest.
तस्मिन्समुत्थिते शब्दे तुमुले लोमहर्षणे भीमसेनो महाबाहुः प्राणदद्गोवृषो यथा
M. N. Dutt: When that loud and hair-stirring noise rose, the mighty Bhimasena roared like a bull.
शङ्खदुन्दुभिनिर्घोषं वारणानां च बृंहितम् सिंहनादं च सैन्यानां भीमसेनरवोऽभ्यभूत्
M. N. Dutt: Bhimasena's roars rose above the sounds of conchs, and drums, the roaring of elephants and the lion-like shouts of the warriors.
हयानां हेषमाणानामनीकेषु सहस्रशः सर्वानभ्यभवच्छब्दान्भीमसेनस्य निस्वनः
M. N. Dutt: The shouts of Bhimasena drowned the neighing of thousands of horses in both the armies.
तं श्रुत्वा निनदं तस्य सैन्यास्तव वितत्रसुः जीमूतस्येव नदतः शक्राशनिसमस्वनम्
M. N. Dutt: Hearing those shouts of Bhimnasena whose roaring resembled that of the clouds and the report of the thunder, your soldiers were filled with fear.
वाहनानि च सर्वाणि शकृन्मूत्रं प्रसुस्रुवुः शब्देन तस्य वीरस्य सिंहस्येवेतरे मृगाः
M. N. Dutt: Hearing those roars of that hero (Bhima), the horses and the elephants (of both the armies) ejected urine and excrete, as other animals do at the roars of the lion.
दर्शयन्घोरमात्मानं महाभ्रमिव नादयन् विभीषयंस्तव सुतांस्तव सेनां समभ्ययात्
M. N. Dutt: Roaring like a deep mass of clouds and assuming a fearful appearance, that hero filled your sons with great alarm and then rushed upon them. Sons
तमायान्तं महेष्वासं सोदर्याः पर्यवारयन् छादयन्तः शरव्रातैर्मेघा इव दिवाकरम्
AI Translation: His brothers surrounded him as he came, the great archer, covering him with showers of arrows like clouds covering the sun.
दुर्योधनश्च पुत्रस्ते दुर्मुखो दुःसहः शलः दुःशासनश्चातिरथस्तथा दुर्मर्षणो नृप
AI Translation: And your sons Duryodhana, Duḥmukha, Duḥsaha, Shala, Duḥshāsana, Atiratha, and Duḥrmarshana, O king,
विविंशतिश्चित्रसेनो विकर्णश्च महारथः पुरुमित्रो जयो भोजः सौमदत्तिश्च वीर्यवान्
AI Translation: Viviṃśati, Citrasena, Vikarṇa, the great chariot, Purumitra, Jaya, Bhoja, and the valorous Saumādatta,
महाचापानि धुन्वन्तो जलदा इव विद्युतः आददानाश्च नाराचान्निर्मुक्ताशीविषोपमान्
AI Translation: Wielding great bows, they were like clouds with lightning, And drawing iron arrows resembling released poisonous snakes,
अथ तान्द्रौपदीपुत्राः सौभद्रश्च महारथः नकुलः सहदेवश्च धृष्टद्युम्नश्च पार्षतः
AI Translation: Then Droupadi's sons, the great chariot-warrior Subhadra's son, Nākula, Sahadeva, and the Pāndava Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata,
धार्तराष्ट्रान्प्रतिययुरर्दयन्तः शितैः शरैः वज्रैरिव महावेगैः शिखराणि धराभृताम्
AI Translation: They attacked the sons of Dhritarashtra, striking them with sharp arrows, Like the great and swift vajras striking the peaks of the mountains.
तस्मिन्प्रथमसंमर्दे भीमज्यातलनिस्वने तावकानां परेषां च नासीत्कश्चित्पराङ्मुखः
M. N. Dutt: son In the first encounter that resounded with the terrible twang of the bow and flapping of the leather fences, none of your party or of that of the enemy turned them back.
लाघवं द्रोणशिष्याणामपश्यं भरतर्षभ निमित्तवेधिनां राजञ्शरानुत्सृजतां भृशम्
M. N. Dutt: 0 best of the Bharata race, O king, I saw the lightness of hands of the disciples of Drona who shot countless arrows and always succeeded in hitting the marks.
नोपशाम्यति निर्घोषो धनुषां कूजतां तथा विनिश्चेरुः शरा दीप्ता ज्योतींषीव नभस्तलात्
M. N. Dutt: The twang of the bows did not stop for a movement and the blazing arrows flashed through the air like meteor falling from the sky.
सर्वे त्वन्ये महीपालाः प्रेक्षका इव भारत ददृशुर्दर्शनीयं तं भीमं ज्ञातिसमागमम्
M. N. Dutt: O descendant of Bharata, all the kings stood like spectators and saw the interesting and awful battle between kinsmen.
ततस्ते जातसंरम्भाः परस्परकृतागसः अन्योन्यस्पर्धया राजन्व्यायच्छन्त महारथाः
M. N. Dutt: O king, then those great car-warriors remembering the great injuries they had suffered, challenged one another in anger and tried their utmost (to win victory).
कुरुपाण्डवसेने ते हस्त्यश्वरथसंकुले शुशुभाते रणेऽतीव पटे चित्रगते इव
M. N. Dutt: The two armies of the Kurus and the Pandavas, full of elephants, horses and cars, looked exceedingly beautiful on the field of battle, like painted figures on canvas. Then all the kings took up their bows. The sun was covered by the dust raised by the combatants.
ततस्ते पार्थिवाः सर्वे प्रगृहीतशरासनाः सहसैन्याः समापेतुः पुत्रस्य तव शासनात्
AI Translation: Then all those kings, taking up bows and arrows, together with their armies, approached, by the command of your son.
Supplementary Passages:
6.42.26 After 26, K4 D4.7.8 ins.: *135 तेषामाधावतां तत्र गजाश्वकलिलो महान् सिंहनादरवोन्मिश्रः शङ्खभेरीसमाकुलः स घोषवाञ्शरग्राहो धनुर्नागोऽसिकच्छपः व्यावल्गितपुरोवात आसीत्क्षुब्धाब्धिवत्स्वनः
युधिष्ठिरेण चादिष्टाः पार्थिवास्ते सहस्रशः विनदन्तः समापेतुः पुत्रस्य तव वाहिनीम्
AI Translation: And the kings, commanded by Yudhishthira, in their thousands, roaring, came to your son's army.
उभयोः सेनयोस्तीव्रः सैन्यानां स समागमः अन्तर्धीयत चादित्यः सैन्येन रजसावृतः
AI Translation: The two armies were fiercely engaged in battle. The sun was obscured by the dust raised by the armies.
प्रयुद्धानां प्रभग्नानां पुनरावर्ततामपि नात्र स्वेषां परेषां वा विशेषः समजायत
AI Translation: Those who were fighting, those who were defeated, and those who were retreating again and again There was no distinction made between one's own or the other.
तस्मिंस्तु तुमुले युद्धे वर्तमाने महाभये अति सर्वाण्यनीकानि पिता तेऽभिव्यरोचत
AI Translation: In that great battle, which was taking place in great fear, your father shone above all the armies.