Critical Edition
संजय उवाच व्युष्टां निशां भारत भारताना;मनीकिनीनां प्रमुखे महात्मा ययौ सपत्नान्प्रति जातकोपो; वृतः समग्रेण बलेन भीष्मः
M. N. Dutt: Sanjaya said O descendant of Bharata, when the night passed away, the illustrious Bhishma with his wrath excited followed by a very large numbers of troops, going at the head of the Kuru army charged the enemy's troops.
तं द्रोणदुर्योधनबाह्लिकाश्च; तथैव दुर्मर्षणचित्रसेनौ जयद्रथश्चातिबलो बलौघै;र्नृपास्तथान्येऽनुययुः समन्तात्
M. N. Dutt: Drona, and Duryodhana, Balhika, Durmarshans, Chitrasena, the mighty Jayadratha and other royal heroes backed by a large number of troops accompanied him.
स तैर्महद्भिश्च महारथैश्च; तेजस्विभिर्वीर्यवद्भिश्च राजन् रराज राजोत्तम राजमुख्यै;र्वृतः स देवैरिव वज्रपाणिः
M. N. Dutt: Surrounded by these great and mighty carwarriors all possessing great prowess and energy, O king, he shone in the midst of those foremost of royal heroes like the lord of the celestial in the midst of the celestial.
तस्मिन्ननीकप्रमुखे विषक्ता; दोधूयमानाश्च महापताकाः सुरक्तपीतासितपाण्डुराभा; महागजस्कन्धगता विरेजुः
M. N. Dutt: The magnificent standards on the backs of the elephants stationed in front of the various divisions of the army waved in the air and looked highly beautiful with yellow, black and brown colours.
सा वाहिनी शांतनवेन राज्ञा; महारथैर्वारणवाजिभिश्च बभौ सविद्युत्स्तनयित्नुकल्पा; जलागमे द्यौरिव जातमेघा
M. N. Dutt: That great army with the royal son of Shantanu (Bhishma) at its head and with other great car-warriors and with elephants and horses, looked as resplendent as a mass of clouds charged with lightning or as the sky with gathering clouds in the season of rains.
ततो रणायाभिमुखी प्रयाता; प्रत्यर्जुनं शांतनवाभिगुप्ता सेना महोग्रा सहसा कुरूणां; वेगो यथा भीम इवापगायाः
M. N. Dutt: Then like the fearful current of the oceangoing Ganga, that great Kuru army, protected by Shantanu's son rushed with great force towards Arjuna.
Supplementary Passages:
6.56.6 After 6, M4 ins.: *218 अतः परं व्यूहमचिन्त्यरूपं निवेशयामास महाधनुष्मान्
तं व्यालनानाविधगूढसारं; गजाश्वपादातरथौघपक्षम् व्यूहं महामेघसमं महात्मा; ददर्श दूरात्कपिराजकेतुः
M. N. Dutt: With various kinds of forces possessing great strength and also with innumerable elephants, horses and foot soldiers and carwarriors, the Vyuha invade by the apebannered hero (Arjuna) looked from the distance like a great mass of clouds.
स निर्ययौ केतुमता रथेन; नरर्षभः श्वेतहयेन वीरः वरूथिना सैन्यमुखे महात्मा; वधे धृतः सर्वसपत्नयूनाम्
M. N. Dutt: That illustrious hero, that foremost of men, standing on his car furnished with his standard and yoked with white steeds went against the enemy's army supported by a large force.
Supplementary Passages:
6.56.8 After 8, T1 G ins.: *219 नारायणेनेन्द्र इवाभिगुप्तः शशीव सूर्येण समेयिवान्यथा तथा महात्मा सह केशवेन वरूथिनीनां प्रमुखे रराज On the other hand, T2 M ins. after 8: *220 यथा महेन्द्रोऽसुरवाहिनीनां नारायणेनेन्द्र इवाभिगुप्तः शशीव सूर्येण समेयिवान्यथा तथा महात्मा सह केशवेन
सूपस्करं सोत्तरबन्धुरेषं; यत्तं यदूनामृषभेण संख्ये कपिध्वजं प्रेक्ष्य विषेदुराजौ; सहैव पुत्रैस्तव कौरवेयाः
M. N. Dutt: Seeing that ape-bannered hero accompanied by that foremost of the Yadu race, all the Kurus with your sons were filled with dismay.
प्रकर्षता गुप्तमुदायुधेन; किरीटिना लोकमहारथेन तं व्यूहराजं ददृशुस्त्वदीया;श्चतुश्चतुर्व्यालसहस्रकीर्णम्
M. N. Dutt: Your troops saw that best of Vyuhas which was protected by that great car-warriors of the world Kiritin (Arjuna). It had thousands of weapons up-raised and on each of its concerns stood four thousand elephants.
यथा हि पूर्वेऽहनि धर्मराज्ञा; व्यूहः कृतः कौरवनन्दनेन तथा तथोद्देशमुपेत्य तस्थुः; पाञ्चालमुख्यैः सह चेदिमुख्याः
AI Translation: As the army had been arranged by Dharmaraja on the previous day, the son of the Kaurava king stood in the same way, having gone to the designated place, together with the
Supplementary Passages:
6.56.11 K4 D1 ins. after 11cd: B Da Dn D4.5.7.8 S subst. for 11cd: *221 तथा न भूतो भुवि मानुषेषु न दृष्टपूर्वो न च संश्रुतश्च
ततो महावेगसमाहतानि; भेरीसहस्राणि विनेदुराजौ शङ्खस्वना दुन्दुभिनिस्वनाश्च; सर्वेष्वनीकेषु ससिंहनादाः
AI Translation: Then, struck by the great force, thousands of drums resounded in the king's palace. The sounds of conch shells, the sounds of kettledrums, and the roars of lions in all the armies.
ततः सबाणानि महास्वनानि; विस्फार्यमाणानि धनूंषि वीरैः क्षणेन भेरीपणवप्रणादा;नन्तर्दधुः शङ्खमहास्वनाश्च
AI Translation: Then the bows of the heroes, when drawn, made a great noise with their arrows, And in a moment the sound of the drums and cymbals was drowned by the great sound of the conches.
तच्छङ्खशब्दावृतमन्तरिक्ष;मुद्धूतभौमद्रुतरेणुजालम् महावितानावततप्रकाश;मालोक्य वीराः सहसाभिपेतुः
AI Translation: The sky was filled with the sound of conches, and the dust on the ground was quickly blown away. Seeing the great canopy spread out with light, the heroes suddenly rushed forward.
रथी रथेनाभिहतः ससूतः; पपात साश्वः सरथः सकेतुः गजो गजेनाभिहतः पपात; पदातिना चाभिहतः पदातिः
AI Translation: A charioteer struck by a chariot fell down with his chariot, horses, and standard. An elephant struck by an elephant fell down, and a foot soldier struck by a foot soldier fell down.
आवर्तमानान्यभिवर्तमानै;र्बाणैः क्षतान्यद्भुतदर्शनानि प्रासैश्च खड्गैश्च समाहतानि; सदश्ववृन्दानि सदश्ववृन्दैः
AI Translation: The horses, wounded by arrows, were seen to be running about, and struck by lances and swords, were seen to be running about. The groups of good horses were struck by groups of good horses,
सुवर्णतारागणभूषितानि; शरावराणि प्रहितानि वीरैः विदार्यमाणानि परश्वधैश्च; प्रासैश्च खड्गैश्च निपेतुरुर्व्याम्
M. N. Dutt: Excellent shields adorned with golden stars and possessed of the effulgence of the sun, broken by battle axes, lances and swords dropped on the field of battle.
गजैर्विषाणैर्वरहस्तरुग्णाः; केचित्ससूता रथिनः प्रपेतुः गजर्षभाश्चापि रथर्षभेण; निपेतिरे बाणहताः पृथिव्याम्
M. N. Dutt: Many car-warriors, mangled and bruised by the tasks and the powerful trunks of elephants fell down with their charioteers, many foremost of car-warriors, struck by the foremost of carwarriors fell on the earth.
गजौघवेगोद्धतसादितानां; श्रुत्वा निषेदुर्वसुधां मनुष्याः आर्तस्वरं सादिपदातियूनां; विषाणगात्रावरताडितानाम्
M. N. Dutt: Having heard the wails of horsemen and foot soldiers, struck with the tusks and other limbs of elephants or crushed by their huge animals fell down on the field of battle.
संभ्रान्तनागाश्वरथे प्रसूते; महाभये सादिपदातियूनाम् महारथैः संपरिवार्यमाणं; ददर्श भीष्मः कपिराजकेतुम्
M. N. Dutt: Then when horsemen and foot soldiers were falling fast, and elephants, horses and cars were flying away in fear, Bhishma surrounded by many great car-warriors got a sight of the ape-mannered warrior (Arjuna).
तं पञ्चतालोच्छ्रिततालकेतुः; सदश्ववेगोद्धतवीर्ययातः महास्त्रबाणाशनिदीप्तमार्गं; किरीटिनं शांतनवोऽभ्यधावत्
M. N. Dutt: The plmyra-bannered hero, the son of Shantanu, who had five palmyras on his standard, then rushed upon the diadem decked warrior (Arjuna) whose car was yoked with excellent steeds with possessed wonderful energy and which blazed like the lighting.
तथैव शक्रप्रतिमानकल्प;मिन्द्रात्मजं द्रोणमुखाभिसस्रुः कृपश्च शल्यश्च विविंशतिश्च; दुर्योधनः सौमदत्तिश्च राजन्
M. N. Dutt: O king, thus against that son of Indra who was like Indra himself rushed many warriors headed by Drona, Kripa, Shalya, Vivingshati, Duryodhana and also Somadatta's son.
ततो रथानीकमुखादुपेत्य; सर्वास्त्रवित्काञ्चनचित्रवर्मा जवेन शूरोऽभिससार सर्वां;स्तथार्जुनस्यात्र सुतोऽभिमन्युः
M. N. Dutt: Then the heroic son of Arjuna Abhimanyu learned in all the weapons and clad in a handsome golden armour, rushed out of the ranks of attacked all your warriors.
तेषां महास्त्राणि महारथाना;मसक्तकर्मा विनिहत्य कार्ष्णिः बभौ महामन्त्रहुतार्चिमाली; सदोगतः सन्भगवानिवाग्निः
M. N. Dutt: That son of Arjuna baffled the weapons of all the mighty warriors. He looked effulgent as the exalted Agni on the sacrificial alter when invoked with high Mantras.
ततः स तूर्णं रुधिरोदफेनां; कृत्वा नदीं वैशसने रिपूणाम् जगाम सौभद्रमतीत्य भीष्मो; महारथं पार्थमदीनसत्त्वः
M. N. Dutt: Then the greatly powerful Bhishma created a river in that field of battle. Its water was made by the blood of foes. But he quickly avoided the son of Subhadra and charged the great car-warrior Pareha.
ततः प्रहस्याद्भुतदर्शनेन; गाण्डीवनिर्ह्रादमहास्वनेन विपाठजालेन महास्त्रजालं; विनाशयामास किरीटमाली
M. N. Dutt: Then Arjuna, adorned with diadem and garlands, with his wonderful Gandiva in his hand, the twang of which resembled the roars of clouds, shot showers of arrows and baffled the showers of arrows (shot by Bhishma).
तमुत्तमं सर्वधनुर्धराणा;मसक्तकर्मा कपिराजकेतुः भीष्मं महात्माभिववर्ष तूर्णं; शरौघजालैर्विमलैश्च भल्लैः
M. N. Dutt: That illustrious ape-bannered hero then poured upon Bhishma that foremost of all wielders of arms a shower of sharp arrows and broad-headed polished shafts.
Supplementary Passages:
6.56.27 After 27, K B Da Dn D1.3-8 ins.: *222 तथैव भीष्माहतमन्तरिक्षे महास्त्रजालं कपिराजकेतोः विशीर्यमाणं ददृशुस्त्वदीया दिवाकरेणेव तमोभिभूतम्
एवंविधं कार्मुकभीमनाद;मदीनवत्सत्पुरुषोत्तमाभ्याम् ददर्श लोकः कुरुसृञ्जयाश्च; तद्द्वैरथं भीष्मधनंजयाभ्याम्
M. N. Dutt: Then the Kurus, the Srinjayas, and all other people saw the single combat between those two foremost of men, Bhishma and Arjuna both distinguished by the fearful twang of their bows.