Critical Edition
संजय उवाच विमुखीकृत्य तान्सर्वांस्तावकान्युधि राक्षसः जिघांसुर्भरतश्रेष्ठ दुर्योधनमुपाद्रवत्
AI Translation: Sanjaya said: Having repulsed all your men in battle, the demon attacked Duryodhana, desiring to kill him, best of Bharatas.
तमापतन्तं संप्रेक्ष्य राजानं प्रति वेगितम् अभ्यधावञ्जिघांसन्तस्तावका युद्धदुर्मदाः
AI Translation: Seeing the king rushing towards him, the warriors of your army, who were difficult to subdue in battle, rushed towards him with the desire to kill him.
तालमात्राणि चापानि विकर्षन्तो महाबलाः तमेकमभ्यधावन्त नदन्तः सिंहसंघवत्
AI Translation: The mighty ones, drawing their bows to the measure of a tāla, rushed at him alone, roaring like a herd of lions.
अथैनं शरवर्षेण समन्तात्पर्यवारयन् पर्वतं वारिधाराभिः शरदीव बलाहकाः
M. N. Dutt: Then they covered him with an arrow downpour, like clouds covering the mountains with a downpour of rain in the rainy season.
स गाढविद्धो व्यथितस्तोत्त्रार्दित इव द्विपः उत्पपात तदाकाशं समन्ताद्वैनतेयवत्
M. N. Dutt: Thus pierced sore, and greatly afflicted like an elephant smitten with the hook, the Rakshasa then at once rose to the sky like the son of Vainatay Garuda,
व्यनदत्सुमहानादं जीमूत इव शारदः दिशः खं प्रदिशश्चैव नादयन्भैरवस्वनः
M. N. Dutt: Then he uttered a loud roar that resembled the rumble of autumnal clouds; and that dreadful reverberated through the subsidiary and cardinal points of the compass.
राक्षसस्य तु तं शब्दं श्रुत्वा राजा युधिष्ठिरः उवाच भरतश्रेष्ठो भीमसेनमिदं वचः
M. N. Dutt: King Yudhishthira hearing those war-cries of the Rakshasa, thus spoke, O foremost of the Bharatas, to Bhimasena the subduer of foes.
युध्यते राक्षसो नूनं धार्तराष्ट्रैर्महारथैः यथास्य श्रूयते शब्दो नदतो भैरवं स्वनम् अतिभारं च पश्यामि तत्र तात समाहितम्
M. N. Dutt: "Surely the Rakshasa is fighting with mighty car-warriors of the host of Dhritarashtra's son, in as much as we can hear, (even at this distance), the noise created by his fierce cries.
पितामहश्च संक्रुद्धः पाञ्चालान्हन्तुमुद्यतः तेषां च रक्षणार्थाय युध्यते फल्गुनः परैः
AI Translation: The grandfather, angry, is ready to kill the Panchalas. And for their protection, Phalguna fights with the enemy.
एतच्छ्रुत्वा महाबाहो कार्यद्वयमुपस्थितम् गच्छ रक्षस्व हैडिम्बं संशयं परमं गतम्
AI Translation: Hearing this, O mighty-armed one, two tasks have arisen. Go and protect Hidimba, who has fallen into great doubt.
भ्रातुर्वचनमाज्ञाय त्वरमाणो वृकोदरः प्रययौ सिंहनादेन त्रासयन्सर्वपार्थिवान् वेगेन महता राजन्पर्वकाले यथोदधिः
M. N. Dutt: Proceeded to the battle, terrifying all the kings with his fierce war-cries, an, O king, with an impetuosity like that of the ocean in the days of the full moon or the new moon.
तमन्वयात्सत्यधृतिः सौचित्तिर्युद्धदुर्मदः श्रेणिमान्वसुदानश्च पुत्रः काश्यस्य चाभिभूः
M. N. Dutt: Him followed Satyadhriti and Sauchitti ever invincible in battle, and Shrenimat and Vasudhara and the puissant son of the king of the Kashis,
अभिमन्युमुखाश्चैव द्रौपदेया महारथाः क्षत्रदेवश्च विक्रान्तः क्षत्रधर्मा तथैव च
M. N. Dutt: The sons of Draupadi, all mighty carwarriors headed by Abhimanyu, and Kshatradeva, the powerful Kshatradharman,
अनूपाधिपतिश्चैव नीलः स्वबलमास्थितः महता रथवंशेन हैडिम्बं पर्यवारयन्
M. N. Dutt: And Nila the sovereign of the low countries accompanied by his own divisions. They surrounded the son of Hidimba with a mighty division of cars.
कुञ्जरैश्च सदा मत्तैः षट्सहस्रैः प्रहारिभिः अभ्यरक्षन्त सहिता राक्षसेन्द्रं घटोत्कचम्
M. N. Dutt: With six thousand highly infuriated elephants, all potent smiters, those heroes began to protect Ghatotkacha that foremost of the Rakshasas.
सिंहनादेन महता नेमिघोषेण चैव हि खुरशब्दनिनादैश्च कम्पयन्तो वसुंधराम्
M. N. Dutt: These warriors made the very earth quake with their fierce war-cries, the clatter of their car-wheels, the sound produced by the hoofs of their galloping horses.
तेषामापततां श्रुत्वा शब्दं तं तावकं बलम् भीमसेनभयोद्विग्नं विवर्णवदनं तथा परिवृत्तं महाराज परित्यज्य घटोत्कचम्
M. N. Dutt: Hearing that noise of the assaulting army, the warriors of the army of your sons, wore a pallid countenance being agitated with the fear of Bhimasena;
ततः प्रववृते युद्धं तत्र तत्र महात्मनाम् तावकानां परेषां च संग्रामेष्वनिवर्तिनाम्
AI Translation: Then the battle began here and there between the great souls, of those on your side and those on the enemy's side, who were not averse to battle.
नानारूपाणि शस्त्राणि विसृजन्तो महारथाः अन्योन्यमभिधावन्तः संप्रहारं प्रचक्रिरे व्यतिषक्तं महारौद्रं युद्धं भीरुभयावहम्
M. N. Dutt: Rushed at one another and then smote down one another. Thus raged the most dreadful combat capable of inspiring terror into the hearts of the cowards.
हया गजैः समाजग्मुः पादाता रथिभिः सह अन्योन्यं समरे राजन्प्रार्थयाना महद्यशः
M. N. Dutt: Horse-soldiers encountered elephant-riders and foot-soldiers fought with the car-warriors; challenging one another in battle they rushed against one another, O king.
Supplementary Passages:
6.89.20 After 20ab, S ins.: *352 रथा रथैः समागच्छन्नागा नागैश्च संयुगे
सहसा चाभवत्तीव्रं संनिपातान्महद्रजः रथाश्वगजपत्तीनां पदनेमिसमुद्धतम्
M. N. Dutt: In consequence of this on sleight of cars, horses, elephants, and infantry, a thick and impenetrable cloud of dust appeared being raised by the car-wheels and tread of the footsoldier.
धूम्रारुणं रजस्तीव्रं रणभूमिं समावृणोत् नैव स्वे न परे राजन्समजानन्परस्परम्
M. N. Dutt: Then the field of battle, O king, was shrouded by a thick cloud of dust of the reddish hue of smoke; and none was able to distinguish between his friend and his foe.
पिता पुत्रं न जानीते पुत्रो वा पितरं तथा निर्मर्यादे तथा भूते वैशसे लोमहर्षणे
M. N. Dutt: Father could not distinguish his son nor the son his father, in that horripilating, carnage where no consideration was of any evil.
शस्त्राणां भरतश्रेष्ठ मनुष्याणां च गर्जताम् सुमहानभवच्छब्दो वंशानामिव दह्यताम्
M. N. Dutt: The clashing of weapons and the yells of men, O foremost of the Bharatas, created a fierce din, that resembled the roar of demons themselves.
गजवाजिमनुष्याणां शोणितान्त्रतरङ्गिणी प्रावर्तत नदी तत्र केशशैवलशाद्वला
M. N. Dutt: On the field of battle a river started up into existence, of which the currents, were constituted by the gore of elephants, horses, and men, and the weeds and moss by the hair (of the warriors).
नराणां चैव कायेभ्यः शिरसां पततां रणे शुश्रुवे सुमहाञ्शब्दः पततामश्मनामिव
M. N. Dutt: A defending noise, like that produced by a shower of stones, was heard there, as the heads of the combatants fell on the field severed from their trunks.
विशिरस्कैर्मनुष्यैश्च छिन्नगात्रैश्च वारणैः अश्वैः संभिन्नदेहैश्च संकीर्णाभूद्वसुंधरा
M. N. Dutt: The earth was covered with headless trucks with mutilated elephants and with horses with limbs mangled and hacked to pieces.
नानाविधानि शस्त्राणि विसृजन्तो महारथाः अन्योन्यमभिधावन्तः संप्रहारं प्रचक्रिरे
M. N. Dutt: Mighty car-warriors, putting forth all their energies rushed to smite down one another, hurling at the same time weapons of various kinds.
हया हयान्समासाद्य प्रेषिता हयसादिभिः समाहत्य रणेऽन्योन्यं निपेतुर्गतजीविताः
M. N. Dutt: Urged on by their riders, encountering one another, horses dashed against one another, and fell down on the field deprived of life.
नरा नरान्समासाद्य क्रोधरक्तेक्षणा भृशम् उरांस्युरोभिरन्योन्यं समाश्लिष्य निजघ्निरे
M. N. Dutt: Combatants, with eyes crimsoned in rage, meeting one another, struck one another with their breasts, and thus killed one another.
प्रेषिताश्च महामात्रैर्वारणाः परवारणाः अभिघ्नन्ति विषाणाग्रैर्वारणानेव संयुगे
M. N. Dutt: Goaded on by their riders, elephants slew their hostile compeers with the ends of their tusks, in that battle.
ते जातरुधिरापीडाः पताकाभिरलंकृताः संसक्ताः प्रत्यदृश्यन्त मेघा इव सविद्युतः
M. N. Dutt: These elephants decked with fluttering pennons and shedding blood in copious quantities and bespattered with it, appeared like clouds adorned by forks of lightening.
केचिद्भिन्ना विषाणाग्रैर्भिन्नकुम्भाश्च तोमरैः विनदन्तोऽभ्यधावन्त गर्जन्तो जलदा इव
M. N. Dutt: Some of these with bodies mangled with tusk wounds, others with their temples rent by broad-headed shafts, careered all over the field roaring like roaring clouds.
केचिद्धस्तैर्द्विधा छिन्नैश्छिन्नगात्रास्तथापरे निपेतुस्तुमुले तस्मिंश्छिन्नपक्षा इवाद्रयः
M. N. Dutt: Some with their trunks cut in twin, others with their bodies mutilated, fell down in that sanguinary battle, like mountains having their wings cut off.
पार्श्वैस्तु दारितैरन्ये वारणैर्वरवारणाः मुमुचुः शोणितं भूरि धातूनिव महीधराः
M. N. Dutt: Other huge elephants having their sides opened by their hostile compeers, copiously shed blood like mountains discharging liquefied red chalk.
नाराचाभिहतास्त्वन्ये तथा विद्धाश्च तोमरैः हतारोहा व्यदृश्यन्त विशृङ्गा इव पर्वताः
M. N. Dutt: Others, slain with lances and pierced with Tomaras, with their riders killed, looked like mountains deprived of their crests.
केचित्क्रोधसमाविष्टा मदान्धा निरवग्रहाः रथान्हयान्पदातांश्च ममृदुः शतशो रणे
M. N. Dutt: Others, possessed with fury, and inflamed with shedding the temporal juice, and having none to restrain them, began to crush in that battle, horses and cars and soldiers by hundreds.
तथा हया हयारोहैस्ताडिताः प्रासतोमरैः तेन तेनाभ्यवर्तन्त कुर्वन्तो व्याकुला दिशः
M. N. Dutt: So also horses pierced with lances and dares by cavalry-soldiers, dashed against their assailants, as if agitating all the points of the compass.
रथिनो रथिभिः सार्धं कुलपुत्रास्तनुत्यजः परां शक्तिं समास्थाय चक्रुः कर्माण्यभीतवत्
M. N. Dutt: Car-warriors born in noble families, and reckless of their lives, meeting their hostile compeers, fought on dauntlessly depending on their own excellent strength.
स्वयंवर इवामर्दे प्रजह्रुरितरेतरम् प्रार्थयाना यशो राजन्स्वर्गं वा युद्धशालिनः
M. N. Dutt: Those horses accomplished in battle, O king, desirous of securing either fame or paradise, smote down one another in that fierce carnage, as if in a Svayamvara.
तस्मिंस्तथा वर्तमाने संग्रामे लोमहर्षणे धार्तराष्ट्रं महत्सैन्यं प्रायशो विमुखीकृतम्
M. N. Dutt: When that hair-string comb was thus raging, the troops belonging to Dhritarashtra's army were generally made to turn back their faces from the field of battle.