Critical Edition
संजय उवाच भीमसेनं ततो द्रौणी राजन्विव्याध पत्रिणा त्वरया परया युक्तो दर्शयन्नस्त्रलाघवम्
M. N. Dutt: Sanjaya said Thereupon, O king, the son of Drona, who was possessed of great alacrity and who showed easiness in the management of weapons, pierced Bhimasena with an arrow.
अथैनं पुनराजघ्ने नवत्या निशितैः शरैः सर्वमर्माणि संप्रेक्ष्य मर्मज्ञो लघुहस्तवत्
M. N. Dutt: In the same way, he (the son of Drona), who was well acquainted with the different vital parts of the body and who, again, was very smart in the management of his arms, after having seen all the vital parts of his body, had struck him with ninety sharp-headed shafts.
भीमसेनः समाकीर्णो द्रौणिना निशितैः शरैः रराज समरे राजन्रश्मिवानिव भास्करः
M. N. Dutt: O monarch. Bhimasenc, having been closed with a shower of keen arrows by the son of Drona, shone in the field of battle like the sun with all his rays.
ततः शरसहस्रेण सुप्रयुक्तेन पाण्डवः द्रोणपुत्रमवच्छाद्य सिंहनादममुञ्चत
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon the Pandava, after having covered the son of Drona with one thousand arrows, well-aimed, sent forth a leonine roar.
शरैः शरांस्ततो द्रौणिः संवार्य युधि पाण्डवम् ललाटेऽभ्यहनद्राजन्नाराचेन स्मयन्निव
M. N. Dutt: Then, O monarch, the son of Drona, having checked the course of his (antagonist's) shafts by his own arrows in the field of battle, smilingly struck the son of Pandu in the forehead with a dart.
ललाटस्थं ततो बाणं धारयामास पाण्डवः यथा शृङ्गं वने दृप्तः खड्गो धारयते नृप
M. N. Dutt: Thereafter, O king, the son of (Pandu), carried the shafts, that was struck in his forehead; even as the proud rhinoceros in the forest bears his horn.
ततो द्रौणिं रणे भीमो यतमानं पराक्रमी त्रिभिर्विव्याध नाराचैर्ललाटे विस्मयन्निव
M. N. Dutt: Then Bhima of immense prowess smilingly pierced the son of Drona, who attempted very hard in the battle, in the forehead with three shafts.
ललाटस्थैस्ततो बाणैर्ब्राह्मणः स व्यरोचत प्रावृषीव यथा सिक्तस्त्रिशृङ्गः पर्वतोत्तमः
M. N. Dutt: Then this twice-born person looked most resplendent with the arrows struck in his forehead; even as the best of mountains, being washed (with water) during the rainy season, looks resplendent with its three peaks.
ततः शरशतैर्द्रौणिमर्दयामास पाण्डवः न चैनं कम्पयामास मातरिश्वेव पर्वतम्
M. N. Dutt: Thus the son of Drona afflicted the son of Pandu with hundreds of arrows, but he could not shake him; even as the wind cannot shake the mountain.
तथैव पाण्डवं युद्धे द्रौणिः शरशतैः शितैः नाकम्पयत संहृष्टो वार्योघ इव पर्वतम्
M. N. Dutt: In the same way, the son of Pandu, highly gratified, could not shake the son of Drona, in the field of battle, with hundreds of his sharphanded arrows; even as the torrents of rain cannot shake the mountain.
तावन्योन्यं शरैर्घोरैश्छादयानौ महारथौ रथचर्यागतौ शूरौ शुशुभाते रणोत्कटौ
M. N. Dutt: Those two mighty car-warriors, the two heroic warriors of terrible prowess, having covered each other with their dreadful shafts, looked very handsome, sitting upon their cars.
आदित्याविव संदीप्तौ लोकक्षयकरावुभौ स्वरश्मिभिरिवान्योन्यं तापयन्तौ शरोत्तमैः
M. N. Dutt: Both (the heroes) looked resplendent like two suns and were destructive of men on each other's side. Moreover both of them burnt each other by their own excellent arrows, that resembled their own rays.
कृतप्रतिकृते यत्नं कुर्वाणौ च महारणे कृतप्रतिकृते यत्नं चक्राते तावभीतवत्
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon, in that dreadful battle, those two heroic warriors made their best attempts in counteracting each other's deeds; and with the torrents of shafts they most fearlessly made efforts in challenging each other.
व्याघ्राविव च संग्रामे चेरतुस्तौ महारथौ शरदंष्ट्रौ दुराधर्षौ चापव्यात्तौ भयानकौ
M. N. Dutt: Those two foremost of persons, those invincible and fierce heroes, whose teeth were constituted by the shafts and whose mouths were formed by the bows, roved about in the field of battle like two terrible tigers.
अभूतां तावदृश्यौ च शरजालैः समन्ततः मेघजालैरिव च्छन्नौ गगने चन्द्रभास्करौ
M. N. Dutt: Both of them became invisible on account of the torrents of shafts in all sides; even as both the sun and the moon in the firmament become invisible, when they are covered over by the net-work of clouds.
प्रकाशौ च मुहूर्तेन तत्रैवास्तामरिंदमौ विमुक्तौ मेघजालेन शशिसूर्यौ यथा दिवि
AI Translation: In a moment they became visible, those two destroyers of enemies, like the moon and sun freed from the mass of clouds in the sky.
Supplementary Passages:
8.11.16 After 16, K4 V1 Da1 D1-7 ins.: *88 अथ तत्रैव संग्रामे वर्तमाने सुदारुणे
अपसव्यं ततश्चक्रे द्रौणिस्तत्र वृकोदरम् किरञ्शरशतैरुग्रैर्धाराभिरिव पर्वतम्
AI Translation: Then Drona's son turned to the left and struck Vrikódara with hundreds of sharp arrows, like a mountain with streams.
न तु तन्ममृषे भीमः शत्रोर्विजयलक्षणम् प्रतिचक्रे च तं राजन्पाण्डवोऽप्यपसव्यतः
AI Translation: But Bhimasena did not approve of the sign of victory of the enemy. And the Pandava also countered him, O king, by turning to the left.
मण्डलानां विभागेषु गतप्रत्यागतेषु च बभूव तुमुलं युद्धं तयोस्तत्र महामृधे
AI Translation: In the divisions of the circles, in going and returning, There was a tumultuous battle between them in that great battle.
चरित्वा विविधान्मार्गान्मण्डलं स्थानमेव च शरैः पूर्णायतोत्सृष्टैरन्योन्यमभिजघ्नतुः
AI Translation: Having traversed various paths, the arena, and the circle, They struck each other with fully drawn arrows released.
अन्योन्यस्य वधे यत्नं चक्रतुस्तौ महारथौ ईषतुर्विरथं चैव कर्तुमन्योन्यमाहवे
AI Translation: Those two great warriors made an effort to kill each other, and they tried to make each other chariot-less in the battle.
ततो द्रौणिर्महास्त्राणि प्रादुश्चक्रे महारथः तान्यस्त्रैरेव समरे प्रतिजघ्नेऽस्य पाण्डवः
M. N. Dutt: Again, each of them wished to make the other carless in the field. Thereupon the son of Drona, that mighty car-warrior, imparted strength to the most powerful weapons, which, indeed the son of Pandu frustrated by the weapons of his own, in the battle.
ततो घोरं महाराज अस्त्रयुद्धमवर्तत ग्रहयुद्धं यथा घोरं प्रजासंहरणे अभूत्
M. N. Dutt: Then, O mighty king, there ensued a very dreadful battle of weapons, even as there had taken place a very terrible battle of the planets, during the time of destruction of creatures of the universe.
ते बाणाः समसज्जन्त क्षिप्तास्ताभ्यां तु भारत द्योतयन्तो दिशः सर्वास्तच्च सैन्यं समन्ततः
M. N. Dutt: O descendant of the Bharata race, those arrows, shot by both of them, struck one another, and thus illumined all the points of the i horizon, as well as the troops on your side, from all directions. even
बाणसंघावृतं घोरमाकाशं समपद्यत उक्लापातकृतं यद्वत्प्रजानां संक्षये नृप
M. N. Dutt: O king, the firmament looked very fearful as it was wholly covered by the showers of arrows, it appears during the destruction of the creatures of the universe, when it is entirely shrouded by the fall of the meteors.
बाणाभिघातात्संजज्ञे तत्र भारत पावकः सविस्फुलिङ्गो दीप्तार्चिः सोऽदहद्वाहिनीद्वयम्
M. N. Dutt: O descendant of the Bharata race, there (in the field of battle) was produced a great fire by the counteraction of shafts from both the parties, which, viz. the fire was attended with sparks and blazing flames. It continued to burn both the hosts.
तत्र सिद्धा महाराज संपतन्तोऽब्रुवन्वचः अति युद्धानि सर्वाणि युद्धमेतत्ततोऽधिकम्
AI Translation: There, the Siddhas, O great king, having descended, spoke these words: "All the battles are very great, but this battle is greater than that.
सर्वयुद्धानि चैतस्य कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम् नैतादृशं पुनर्युद्धं न भूतं न भविष्यति
AI Translation: All the battles of this one are not worth a sixteenth part. There has never been such a battle, nor will there ever be.
अहो ज्ञानेन संयुक्तावुभौ चोग्रपराक्रमौ अहो भीमे बलं भीममेतयोश्च कृतास्त्रता
M. N. Dutt: O! both of them are endowed with heroism; and also they are of terrible prowess. 'O! Bhima is of fierce strength. O! what a great skill is possessed by the other.
Supplementary Passages:
8.11.29 After 29ab, N (except D8) ins.: *89 अहो शौर्येण संपन्नावुभौ ब्राह्मणपाण्डवौ
अहो वीर्यस्य सारत्वमहो सौष्ठवमेतयोः स्थितावेतौ हि समरे कालान्तकयमोपमौ
M. N. Dutt: O! what an essence of the energy of both. O! how great is their skill. Both persons are, indeed, waiting in the like two all-destroying Yamas at the end of time.
रुद्रौ द्वाविव संभूतौ यथा द्वाविव भास्करौ यमौ वा पुरुषव्याघ्रौ घोररूपाविमौ रणे
M. N. Dutt: As if both of them are born like two Rudras, or like two light-giving suns. 'Both these foremost of persons of dreadful forms are standing in the battle like two Yamas.'
श्रूयन्ते स्म तदा वाचः सिद्धानां वै मुहुर्मुहुः सिंहनादश्च संजज्ञे समेतानां दिवौकसाम् अद्भुतं चाप्यचिन्त्यं च दृष्ट्वा कर्म तयोर्मृधे
AI Translation: The voices of the Siddhas were heard again and again. And there was a lion's roar from the assembled gods. And seeing the wonderful and inconceivable deeds of those two in battle,
Supplementary Passages:
8.11.32 After 32, K4 V1 B Da1 Dn1 D1.3-5.7 ins.: *90 सिद्धचारणसंघानां विस्मयः समपद्यत प्रशंसन्ति तदा देवाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः साधु द्रौणे महाबाहो साधु भीमेति चाब्रुवन्
तौ शूरौ समरे राजन्परस्परकृतागसौ परस्परमुदैक्षेतां क्रोधादुद्वृत्य चक्षुषी
M. N. Dutt: In the field of battle, O monarch, those two heroic warriors committed injuries to each other. They also looked upon each other.
क्रोधरक्तेक्षणौ तौ तु क्रोधात्प्रस्फुरिताधरौ क्रोधात्संदष्टदशनौ संदष्टदशनच्छदौ
M. N. Dutt: Due to angry those two heroic eyes became red. They had their lips quivering with wrath. Out of wrath, again, they grinded their teeth and in the same way their lips as well.
अन्योन्यं छादयन्तौ स्म शरवृष्ट्या महारथौ शराम्बुधारौ समरे शस्त्रविद्युत्प्रकाशिनौ
M. N. Dutt: Those two mighty car-warriors shrouded each other with the torrents of shafts. In the field of battle, they were like two masses of clouds, dropping dovin showers of arrows and sending forth lightning, that was formed by their weapons.
तावन्योन्यं ध्वजौ विद्ध्वा सारथी च महारथौ अन्योन्यस्य हयान्विद्ध्वा बिभिदाते परस्परम्
M. N. Dutt: Those two warriors having penetrated each other's standards and also having pierced each other's drivers of cars and again, having pierced each other's horses, pierced each other in that dreadful battle.
ततः क्रुद्धौ महाराज बाणौ गृह्य महाहवे उभौ चिक्षिपतुस्तूर्णमन्योन्यस्य वधैषिणौ
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon, O powerful monarch, those two wrathful warriors, most desirous of slaying cach other, after having taken up two arrows, hurled at each other those shafts without any hesitation, in that dreadful encounter.
तौ सायकौ महाराज द्योतमानौ चमूमुखे आजघ्नाते समासाद्य वज्रवेगौ दुरासदौ
M. N. Dutt: O mighty monarch, these two arrows that shone most brilliantly and that had the force of thunder and also that most unapproachable, came and struck them both who stood at the head of their respective hosts.
तौ परस्परवेगाच्च शराभ्यां च भृशाहतौ निपेततुर्महावीरौ स्वरथोपस्थयोस्तदा
M. N. Dutt: The two highly-energetic warriors, deeply struck with those two arrows by their respective forces, then fell down at the back of their cars.
ततस्तु सारथिर्ज्ञात्वा द्रोणपुत्रमचेतनम् अपोवाह रणाद्राजन्सर्वक्षत्रस्य पश्यतः
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon, O king, his driver having been conscious of the insensible condition of the son of Drona, carried him away from the field of battle in the presence of all his (the son of Drona) soldiers.
तथैव पाण्डवं राजन्विह्वलन्तं मुहुर्मुहुः अपोवाह रथेनाजौ सारथिः शत्रुतापनम्
M. N. Dutt: In the same way, O monarch, the son of Pandu, that scorcher of enemies, who had fainted every moment, was carried away from the field of battle, in his car, by his driver. were