Critical Edition
संजय उवाच अथात्मजं तव पुनर्गाङ्गेयो ध्यानमास्थितम् अब्रवीद्भरतश्रेष्ठः संप्रहर्षकरं वचः
M. N. Dutt: Sanjaya said Then, O foremost of the Bharatas, the son of Ganga, seeing your son plunged in thought, once more addressed these delightful words to him.
अहं द्रोणश्च शल्यश्च कृतवर्मा च सात्वतः अश्वत्थामा विकर्णश्च सोमदत्तोऽथ सैन्धवः
M. N. Dutt: “Myself, Drona, Shalya, Kritavarma, of the Satvata race, Ashvathama, Vikarna, Somadatta with Shindhus.
विन्दानुविन्दावावन्त्यौ बाह्लिकः सह बाह्लिकैः त्रिगर्तराजश्च बली मागधश्च सुदुर्जयः
M. N. Dutt: And Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, and Balhika with the Balhikas, and the mighty king of the Trigartas and the formidable sovereign of the Magadhas,
बृहद्बलश्च कौसल्यश्चित्रसेनो विविंशतिः रथाश्च बहुसाहस्राः शोभमाना महाध्वजाः
M. N. Dutt: Brihadabala the ruler of the Kosalas Chitrasena, Vivingshati, with many thousand of car-warriors, decorated with tall standards,
Supplementary Passages:
6.77.4 After 4ab, S ins.: *322 कृपश्च सह सोदर्यैस्तव राजन्पदानुगैः
देशजाश्च हया राजन्स्वारूढा हयसादिभिः गजेन्द्राश्च मदोद्वृत्ताः प्रभिन्नकरटामुखाः
M. N. Dutt: And a large number of country-born steeds, O king, mounted with excellent horse soldiers and innumerable huge elephants infuriate with shedding temporal juice from their temples and mouth.
पदाताश्च तथा शूरा नानाप्रहरणायुधाः नानादेशसमुत्पन्नास्त्वदर्थे योद्धुमुद्यताः
M. N. Dutt: And many heroic foot-soldiers accomplished in the use of various kinds of weapons, and born in various countries, are all prepared to fight for your sake.
एते चान्ये च बहवस्त्वदर्थे त्यक्तजीविताः देवानपि रणे जेतुं समर्था इति मे मतिः
M. N. Dutt: These and many others, prepared to lay down their very lives for your sake, are I consider, capable of obtaining victory even over the gods in battle.
अवश्यं तु मया राजंस्तव वाच्यं हितं सदा अशक्याः पाण्डवा जेतुं देवैरपि सवासवैः वासुदेवसहायाश्च महेन्द्रसमविक्रमाः
M. N. Dutt: It is my bounded duty, O king, to tell always what will be for your good. The Pandavas are incapable of being vanquished even by the very gods led by Vasava himself.
सर्वथाहं तु राजेन्द्र करिष्ये वचनं तव पाण्डवान्वा रणे जेष्ये मां वा जेष्यन्ति पाण्डवाः
AI Translation: O king, I shall do as you say. I shall either defeat the Pandavas in battle or the Pandavas will defeat me.
एवमुक्त्वा ददौ चास्मै विशल्यकरणीं शुभाम् ओषधीं वीर्यसंपन्नां विशल्यश्चाभवत्तदा
AI Translation: Having said this, he gave him the auspicious Vishalya-karani herb, which was full of power, and he became free from the arrow.
ततः प्रभाते विमले स्वेनानीकेन वीर्यवान् अव्यूहत स्वयं व्यूहं भीष्मो व्यूहविशारदः
AI Translation: Then, at dawn, the valiant Bhishma, skilled in battle formations, arrayed his own army in a formation.
मण्डलं मनुजश्रेष्ठ नानाशस्त्रसमाकुलम् संपूर्णं योधमुख्यैश्च तथा दन्तिपदातिभिः
AI Translation: The circle was filled with various weapons, and with the best of warriors, as well as elephants and foot soldiers.
रथैरनेकसाहस्रैः समन्तात्परिवारितम् अश्ववृन्दैर्महद्भिश्च ऋष्टितोमरधारिभिः
AI Translation: Surrounded on all sides by thousands of chariots, And by great herds of horses carrying spears and javelins,
नागे नागे रथाः सप्त सप्त चाश्वा रथे रथे अन्वश्वं दश धानुष्का धानुष्के सप्त चर्मिणः
AI Translation: Seven chariots for each elephant, seven horses for each chariot, Ten archers for each horse, seven armored men for each archer,
एवंव्यूहं महाराज तव सैन्यं महारथैः स्थितं रणाय महते भीष्मेण युधि पालितम्
AI Translation: Thus arrayed, O great king, your army with its great chariots, is stationed for the great battle, protected by Bhishma in battle.
दशाश्वानां सहस्राणि दन्तिनां च तथैव च रथानामयुतं चापि पुत्राश्च तव दंशिताः चित्रसेनादयः शूरा अभ्यरक्षन्पितामहम्
M. N. Dutt: And ten thousand chariots, along with your heroic sons, all accounted in mail, headed by Chitrasena, supported the grandsire.
रक्ष्यमाणश्च तैः शूरैर्गोप्यमानाश्च तेन ते संनद्धाः समदृश्यन्त राजानश्च महाबलाः
M. N. Dutt: It was seen that as Bhishma was supported by those heroic warriors themselves endued with great strength and clad in mail they were in their turn protect by the grandsire.
दुर्योधनस्तु समरे दंशितो रथमास्थितः व्यभ्राजत श्रिया जुष्टो यथा शक्रस्त्रिविष्टपे
M. N. Dutt: Duryodhana also that battlefield, occupying his car and clad in mail, and endued with all grace, looked beautiful like Indra himself in paradise.
ततः शब्दो महानासीत्पुत्राणां तव भारत रथघोषश्च तुमुलो वादित्राणां च निस्वनः
M. N. Dutt: Then, O Bharata, loud were the war cries uttered by your sons, and defending was clatter of chariots and the sound of the musical instruments.
भीष्मेण धार्तराष्ट्राणां व्यूढः प्रत्यङ्मुखो युधि मण्डलः सुमहाव्यूहो दुर्भेद्योऽमित्रघातिनाम् सर्वतः शुशुभे राजन्रणेऽरीणां दुरासदः
M. N. Dutt: Then that mighty and impenetrable Mandala, array of those slayers of enemies viz., the sons of Dhritarashtra, formed by Bhishma himself, began to march forward facing the west.
मण्डलं तु समालोक्य व्यूहं परमदारुणम् स्वयं युधिष्ठिरो राजा व्यूहं वज्रमथाकरोत्
AI Translation: Having seen the array, extremely terrible, King Yudhishthira himself made the Vajra array.
तथा व्यूढेष्वनीकेषु यथास्थानमवस्थिताः रथिनः सादिनश्चैव सिंहनादमथानदन्
AI Translation: And the soldiers, standing in their places in the arrayed armies, The charioteers and horsemen then roared like lions.
बिभित्सवस्ततो व्यूहं निर्ययुर्युद्धकाङ्क्षिणः इतरेतरतः शूराः सहसैन्याः प्रहारिणः
AI Translation: Then, desiring to fight, they went out, forming an array. The heroes, with their armies, were eager to strike each other.
भारद्वाजो ययौ मत्स्यं द्रौणिश्चापि शिखण्डिनम् स्वयं दुर्योधनो राजा पार्षतं समुपाद्रवत्
AI Translation: Bharadvaja went to Matsya, and Drona's son to Shikhándin, and King Duryódhana himself attacked Parshata.
नकुलः सहदेवश्च राजन्मद्रेशमीयतुः विन्दानुविन्दावावन्त्याविरावन्तमभिद्रुतौ
AI Translation: Nakula and Sahadeva, O king, attacked the Madra country. Vind and Anuvind attacked the Avanti country.
सर्वे नृपास्तु समरे धनंजयमयोधयन् भीमसेनो रणे यत्तो हार्दिक्यं समवारयत्
AI Translation: All the kings fought with Dhananjaya in the battle. Bhimasena, in the battle, restrained Hardikya.
चित्रसेनं विकर्णं च तथा दुर्मर्षणं विभो आर्जुनिः समरे राजंस्तव पुत्रानयोधयत्
AI Translation: O lord, in that battle, Ārjuni fought with your sons, Citrasena, Vikārna and Durmarshana.
प्राग्ज्योतिषं महेष्वासं हैडिम्बो राक्षसोत्तमः अभिदुद्राव वेगेन मत्तो मत्तमिव द्विपम्
AI Translation: The best of the demons, Hāidimba, attacked the great archer Prajyotisha with great speed, like a mad elephant attacking another mad elephant.
अलम्बुसस्ततो राजन्सात्यकिं युद्धदुर्मदम् ससैन्यं समरे क्रुद्धो राक्षसः समभिद्रवत्
AI Translation: Then, O king, the demon Alāmbusa, enraged, attacked in battle Sātyaki, who was difficult to conquer in battle, along with his army.
भूरिश्रवा रणे यत्तो धृष्टकेतुमयोधयत् श्रुतायुषं तु राजानं धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः
AI Translation: Bhuri shravas, in the battle, fought with Dhrishta ketu. Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, fought with King Shrutayu.
चेकितानस्तु समरे कृपमेवान्वयोधयत् शेषाः प्रतिययुर्यत्ता भीममेव महारथम्
AI Translation: Chekitāna fought with Kripa in the battle. The others went to the great chariot of Bhima.
ततो राजसहस्राणि परिवव्रुर्धनंजयम् शक्तितोमरनाराचगदापरिघपाणयः
AI Translation: Then thousands of kings surrounded Dhananjaya, Holding spears, javelins, iron arrows, clubs and maces.
अर्जुनोऽथ भृशं क्रुद्धो वार्ष्णेयमिदमब्रवीत् पश्य माधव सैन्यानि धार्तराष्ट्रस्य संयुगे व्यूढानि व्यूहविदुषा गाङ्गेयेन महात्मना
M. N. Dutt: "Behold, O Madhava, the troops of the sons of Dhritarashtra formed in battle array by the high-souled son of Ganga, who is versed in all the modes of forming soldiers in battle array,
युद्धाभिकामाञ्शूरांश्च पश्य माधव दंशितान् त्रिगर्तराजं सहितं भ्रातृभिः पश्य केशव
M. N. Dutt: Behold also, O Madhava, innumerable heroes all ardently longing for battle. Behold also, O Keshava, the king of the Trigartas supported by his brothers.
अद्यैतान्पातयिष्यामि पश्यतस्ते जनार्दन य इमे मां यदुश्रेष्ठ योद्धुकामा रणाजिरे
M. N. Dutt: Today, before your very eyes, I will O Janardana, slay all these, O foremost of the Yadus, who are desirous of fighting with me in the battle".
एवमुक्त्वा तु कौन्तेयो धनुर्ज्यामवमृज्य च ववर्ष शरवर्षाणि नराधिपगणान्प्रति
M. N. Dutt: Having thus spoken, the on of Kunti, rubbing his bow-string poured an arrow downpour on those hosts of kings.
तेऽपि तं परमेष्वासाः शरवर्षैरपूरयन् तडागमिव धाराभिर्यथा प्रावृषि तोयदाः
M. N. Dutt: Those fierce bowmen also covered him in return with showers of shafts, just as clouds, in the season of rain, fill the tanks with showers of rain.
हाहाकारो महानासीत्तव सैन्ये विशां पते छाद्यमानौ भृशं कृष्णौ शरैर्दृष्ट्वा महारणे
M. N. Dutt: Then, O ruler of men, when in that great battle the two Krishna's were seen to be covered with fast-falling arrows, loud shouts of "Oh!” “Oh!” were heard in your troops.
देवा देवर्षयश्चैव गन्धर्वाश्च महोरगाः विस्मयं परमं जग्मुर्दृष्ट्वा कृष्णौ तथागतौ
M. N. Dutt: The celestial, the divine divine sages, the Gandharvas, and the mighty reptiles, were all overwhelmed with amazement beholding Krishna and Arjuna thus situated.
ततः क्रुद्धोऽर्जुनो राजन्नैन्द्रमस्त्रमुदीरयत् तत्राद्भुतमपश्याम विजयस्य पराक्रमम्
M. N. Dutt: Thereafter waxing worth, Arjuna invoked, O king, the weapon called Indra: then wonderful was the prowess that we beheld of Vijaya.
शस्त्रवृष्टिं परैर्मुक्तां शरौघैर्यदवारयत् न च तत्राप्यनिर्भिन्नः कश्चिदासीद्विशां पते
M. N. Dutt: In as much as he baffled the thick shower of arrows discharged by his enemies with myriad of shafts shot by himself. There was none, O ruler of men, that was not wounded.
तेषां राजसहस्राणां हयानां दन्तिनां तथा द्वाभ्यां त्रिभिः शरैश्चान्यान्पार्थो विव्याध मारिष
M. N. Dutt: Among those thousands of kings, steeds and tuskers. The rest, O sire, the son Pritha pierced, each with two or three shafts.
ते हन्यमानाः पार्थेन भीष्मं शांतनवं ययुः अगाधे मज्जमानानां भीष्मस्त्राताभवत्तदा
M. N. Dutt: While being thus slaughtered by the son of Pritha, they sought protection from the son of Shantanu, and then Bhishma became the rescuer of those warriors who resembled men sinking in the fathomless deep.
आपतद्भिस्तु तैस्तत्र प्रभग्नं तावकं बलम् संचुक्षुभे महाराज वातैरिव महार्णवः
M. N. Dutt: Then those flying and broken ranks of your arniy, moving and falling back upon the division of Bhima, created a great confusion in the latter ranks, like the raging tempest agitating the mighty main.