Critical Edition
संजय उवाच सोऽभिगर्जन्धनुष्पाणिर्ज्यां विकर्षन्पुनः पुनः तयोर्महात्मनोस्तूर्णं रथान्तरमवापतत्
M. N. Dutt: Sanjaya said Then that brother of Karna armed with a bow and stretching its string repeatedly, soon placed himself between those two high-souled car-warriors.
सोऽविध्यद्दशभिर्बाणैरभिमन्युं दुरासदम् सच्छत्रध्वजयन्तारं साश्वमाशु स्मयन्निव
M. N. Dutt: Then as if smiling he pierced the invincible Abhimanyu together with his umbrella, standard, charioteer and steeds with ten sharp arrows.
पितृपैतामहं कर्म कुर्वाणमतिमानुषम् दृष्ट्वार्दितं शरैः कार्ष्णिं त्वदीया हृषिताभवन्
M. N. Dutt: Then beholding Abhimanyu, who had been achieving superhuman feats after the manner of his father and grandfather, afflicted with those shafts, your warriors became enraptured.
तस्याभिमन्युरायम्य स्मयन्नेकेन पत्रिणा शिरः प्रच्यावयामास स रथात्प्रापतद्भुवि
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon Abhimanyu smiled and bending his bow shot a winged shaft that lopped off his antagonist's head and then the latter fell down from his chariot.
कर्णिकारमिवोद्धूतं वातेन मथितं नगात् भ्रातरं निहतं दृष्ट्वा राजन्कर्णो व्यथां ययौ
M. N. Dutt: The, O monarch, Karna was extremely pained on seeing his brother slain and overthrown like a blossoming Karnikara tree thrown drown by the wind from the mountain top.
Supplementary Passages:
7.40.5 After 5ab, S ins.: *294 कर्णानुजं च संप्रेक्ष्य तावका व्यथिताभवन्
विमुखीकृत्य कर्णं तु सौभद्रः कङ्कपत्रिभिः अन्यानपि महेष्वासांस्तूर्णमेवाभिदुद्रुवे
M. N. Dutt: Thereafter having compelled Karna 10 tumn back from the field with arrows furnished with Kanka feathers, Subhadra's son quickly assailed other mighty bowmen.
ततस्तद्विततं जालं हस्त्यश्वरथपत्तिमत् झषः क्रुद्ध इवाभिन्ददभिमन्युर्महायशाः
AI Translation: Then that extended net, with elephants, horses, chariots and infantry, was broken by Abhimanyu, the angry fish, the greatly famous one.
कर्णस्तु बहुभिर्बाणैरर्द्यमानोऽभिमन्युना अपायाज्जवनैरश्वैस्ततोऽनीकमभिद्यत
M. N. Dutt: Meanwhile Karna who had been afflicted by Abhimanyu with his myriads of shafts, fled away from the field of battle, being borne by fleet steeds. Your army then began to give way.
Supplementary Passages:
7.40.8 After 8, T G M3.4 ins.: *295 तिष्ठ कर्ण महेष्वास कृप दुर्योधनेति च द्रोणस्य क्रोशतो राजंस्तदनीकमभज्यत
शलभैरिव चाकाशे धाराभिरिव चावृते अभिमन्योः शरै राजन्न प्राज्ञायत किंचन
M. N. Dutt: Then when the sky was covered with the arrows of Abhimanyu, like the flights of locusts or thick showers of rain, o king, nothing could be distinguished.
तावकानां तु योधानां वध्यतां निशितैः शरैः अन्यत्र सैन्धवाद्राजन्न स्म कश्चिदतिष्ठत
M. N. Dutt: Amongst all your warriors then thus slaughtered by Abhimanyu with his sharp shafts, none stayed on the field, except the ruler of the Sindhus.
सौभद्रस्तु ततः शङ्खं प्रध्माप्य पुरुषर्षभः शीघ्रमभ्यपतत्सेनां भारतीं भरतर्षभ
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon, that foremost of princes viz., Subhadra's son, blowing his conch fell. O foremost of the Bharatas, upon the army of Bharatas.
स कक्षेऽग्निरिवोत्सृष्टो निर्दहंस्तरसा रिपून् मध्ये भारतसैन्यानामार्जुनिः पर्यवर्तत
M. N. Dutt: Then like fire set to work on a heap of dried grass, consuming the hostile ranks, Arjuna's son moved in circles amidst the Kaurava hou.
रथनागाश्वमनुजानर्दयन्निशितैः शरैः स प्रविश्याकरोद्भूमिं कबन्धगणसंकुलाम्
M. N. Dutt: Breaking through the hostije array, he began to afflict car-warriors, elephant-riders, horse-men and infantry with his great arrows; and thus made the earth impassable with headless trunks.
सौभद्रचापप्रभवैर्निकृत्ताः परमेषुभिः स्वानेवाभिमुखान्घ्नन्तः प्राद्रवञ्जीवितार्थिनः
M. N. Dutt: Mangled with the shafts of excellent make, shot from the bow of Subhadra's son, the Kauravas fled in fear of their lives, slaying, as they ran, their own partisans that happened to meet them.
ते घोरा रौद्रकर्माणो विपाठाः पृथवः शिताः निघ्नन्तो रथनागाश्वाञ्जग्मुराशु वसुंधराम्
M. N. Dutt: Those dreadful shafts of terrible effects and touch, penetrating penetrating through car-warriors, elephants and horses, struck on the earth's surface.
सायुधाः साङ्गुलित्राणाः सखड्गाः साङ्गदा रणे दृश्यन्ते बाहवश्छिन्ना हेमाभरणभूषिताः
M. N. Dutt: With weapons in grasp, with fingerpreservers, with maces in clutch and with Angadas and decked with golden ornaments, arms were seen to be strewn on the ground.
शराश्चापानि खड्गाश्च शरीराणि शिरांसि च सकुण्डलानि स्रग्वीणि भूमावासन्सहस्रशः
M. N. Dutt: Arrows and bows and swords and corpses and heads with ear-rings and garlands were seen on the ground by hundreds.
अपस्करैरधिष्ठानैरीषादण्डकबन्धुरैः अक्षैर्विमथितैश्चक्रैर्भग्नैश्च बहुधा रथैः शक्तिचापायुधैश्चापि पतितैश्च महाध्वजैः
AI Translation: With chariots, with their wheels broken, with their axles broken, with their yokes broken, with their poles broken, with their wheels broken, with their wheels broken, with their wheels broken, with their wheels broken, with their wheels broken, with their wheels broken, with their wheels broken, with
Supplementary Passages:
7.40.18 After 18, N (Ś2 missing) ins.: *296 चर्मचापधरैश्चापि व्यवकीर्णैः समन्ततः
निहतैः क्षत्रियैरश्वैर्वारणैश्च विशां पते अगम्यकल्पा पृथिवी क्षणेनासीत्सुदारुणा
AI Translation: O lord of the people, the earth became impassable and terrible in an instant, with the slain kshatriyas, horses and elephants.
वध्यतां राजपुत्राणां क्रन्दतामितरेतरम् प्रादुरासीन्महाशब्दो भीरूणां भयवर्धनः स शब्दो भरतश्रेष्ठ दिशः सर्वा व्यनादयत्
M. N. Dutt: Then as the princes were being slaughtered by Abhimanyu, they created a loud noise enhancing the apprehension of the cowards by calling one another by their names.
सौभद्रश्चाद्रवत्सेनां निघ्नन्नश्वरथद्विपान् व्यचरत्स दिशः सर्वाः प्रदिशश्चाहितान्रुजन्
AI Translation: And Subhādra, killing horses, chariots and elephants, rushed against the army. He roamed in all directions and intermediate directions, striking the enemy.
तं तदा नानुपश्याम सैन्येन रजसावृतम् आददानं गजाश्वानां नृणां चायूंषि भारत
AI Translation: We did not see him then, covered by the dust of the army, taking away the lives of elephants, horses and men, O descendant of Bharata.
क्षणेन भूयोऽपश्याम सूर्यं मध्यंदिने यथा अभिमन्युं महाराज प्रतपन्तं द्विषद्गणान्
AI Translation: We saw him again in a moment, like the sun at midday. O great king, Abhimanyu was shining, burning the mass of enemies.
स वासवसमः संख्ये वासवस्यात्मजात्मजः अभिमन्युर्महाराज सैन्यमध्ये व्यरोचत
M. N. Dutt: We then beheld, O mighty monarch, Abhimanyu afflict his foes. In that battle that grandson of Vasava viz., Abhimanyu equal to Vasava himself in prowess, shone, O mighty monarch, in the very centre of your troops.
Supplementary Passages:
7.40.24 After 24, S ins.: *297 यथा पुरा वह्निसुतः सुरसैन्येषु वीर्यवान्