Critical Edition
संजय उवाच द्रौणिर्युधिष्ठिरं दृष्ट्वा शैनेयेनाभिरक्षितम् द्रौपदेयैस्तथा शूरैरभ्यवर्तत हृष्टवत्
AI Translation: Sanjaya said: Seeing Yudhishthira protected by Shini's descendant, and also by the heroic sons of Draupadi, Drona's son attacked them joyfully.
किरन्निषुगणान्घोरान्स्वर्णपुङ्खाञ्शिलाशितान् दर्शयन्विविधान्मार्गाञ्शिक्षार्थं लघुहस्तवत्
AI Translation: Shooting terrible arrows with gold-feathered and stone-sharpened heads, Displaying various paths, as if for the sake of training, with a light hand,
ततः खं पूरयामास शरैर्दिव्यास्त्रमन्त्रितैः युधिष्ठिरं च समरे पर्यवारयदस्त्रवित्
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon he filled the sky with arrows of the vigour of celestial weapons. That one, conversant with the use of weapons, withstood Yudhishthira in battle.
द्रौणायनिशरच्छन्नं न प्राज्ञायत किंचन बाणभूतमभूत्सर्वमायोधनशिरो हि तत्
M. N. Dutt: When the sky was covered with the arrows of Drona's son nothing could be perceived. The space before the warriors was filled with arrows.
बाणजालं दिविष्ठं तत्स्वर्णजालविभूषितम् शुशुभे भरतश्रेष्ठ वितानमिव विष्ठितम्
M. N. Dutt: The sky being covered with a net-work of golden arrows it appeared as if a canopy had been spread there.
तेन छन्ने रणे राजन्बाणजालेन भास्वता अभ्रच्छायेव संजज्ञे बाणरुद्धे नभस्तले
M. N. Dutt: O king, the sky being covered with a network of shining arrows a shadow appeared there like that of clouds.
तत्राश्चर्यमपश्याम बाणभूते तथाविधे न स्म संपतते भूमौ दृष्ट्वा द्रौणेः पराक्रमम्
M. N. Dutt: When the sky was thus converted into one sheet of arrows it was a wonderful sight to look at. No creature could range in the sky at that time.
लाघवं द्रोणपुत्रस्य दृष्ट्वा तत्र महारथाः व्यस्मयन्त महाराज न चैनं प्रतिवीक्षितुम् शेकुस्ते सर्वराजानस्तपन्तमिव भास्करम्
M. N. Dutt: Beholding the light-handness of Drona's son, all the mighty car-warriors there, O king, were filled with wonder. All the kings could not look at him, as if shedding lustre of the sun.
सात्यकिर्यतमानस्तु धर्मराजश्च पाण्डवः तथेतराणि सैन्यानि न स्म चक्रुः पराक्रमम्
AI Translation: Sātyaki and the Pāṇḍava Dharmarāja were the only ones who made any effort. The other armies did not make any effort.
वध्यमाने ततः सैन्ये द्रौपदेया महारथाः सात्यकिर्धर्मराजश्च पाञ्चालाश्चापि संगताः त्यक्त्वा मृत्युभयं घोरं द्रौणायनिमुपाद्रवन्
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon, when their soldiers were being thus slaughtered, the mighty car-warriors, the son of Draupadi, Satyaki, the pious king Yudhishthira and the Panchalas, all united, giving up the dreadful fear of death, rushed towards the son of Drona.
सात्यकिः पञ्चविंशत्या द्रौणिं विद्ध्वा शिलामुखैः पुनर्विव्याध नाराचैः सप्तभिः स्वर्णभूषितैः
M. N. Dutt: Piercing the son of Drona with twenty seven arrows he again pierced him with seven gold-plated winged arrows.
युधिष्ठिरस्त्रिसप्तत्या प्रतिविन्ध्यश्च सप्तभिः श्रुतकर्मा त्रिभिर्बाणैः श्रुतकीर्तिस्तु सप्तभिः
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira struck him with seventy three arrows and Prativinda with seven, Shrutakarma cut him with three arrows and Shrutakirti with seven. Sutasoma struck him with nine arrows and Satanika with seven. And many other warrior struck him from all sides with a number of shafts.
सुतसोमश्च नवभिः शतानीकश्च सप्तभिः अन्ये च बहवः शूरा विव्यधुस्तं समन्ततः
AI Translation: Sutasoma with nine, and Shatānīka with seven, and many other heroes pierced him from all sides.
सोऽतिक्रुद्धस्ततो राजन्नाशीविष इव श्वसन् सात्यकिं पञ्चविंशत्या प्राविध्यत शिलाशितैः
M. N. Dutt: Thereupon worked up with rage, O king, he, sighing like a deadly serpent, struck Satyaki with twenty five sharpened arrows.
श्रुतकीर्तिं च नवभिः सुतसोमं च पञ्चभिः अष्टभिः श्रुतकर्माणं प्रतिविन्ध्यं त्रिभिः शरैः शतानीकं च नवभिर्धर्मपुत्रं च सप्तभिः
AI Translation: And Śrutakīrti with nine, and Suta Soma with five, Śrutakarma with eight, and Prativīndhya with three arrows, Śatānīka with nine, and Dharmaputra with seven,
अथेतरांस्ततः शूरान्द्वाभ्यां द्वाभ्यामताडयत् श्रुतकीर्तेस्तथा चापं चिच्छेद निशितैः शरैः
AI Translation: Then he struck the other heroes with two arrows each. And he cut through the bow of Śrutakīrti with sharp arrows.
अथान्यद्धनुरादाय श्रुतकीर्तिर्महारथः द्रौणायनिं त्रिभिर्विद्ध्वा विव्याधान्यैः शितैः शरैः
M. N. Dutt: After this Shrutakirti took up another fresh bow and at once struck Drona's son with three a arrows and began to shower on him numerous sharp-pointed arrows.
ततो द्रौणिर्महाराज शरवर्षेण भारत छादयामास तत्सैन्यं समन्ताच्च शरैर्नृपान्
M. N. Dutt: Then, O monarch, O great sire of the Bharata race, the son of Drona covered the Pandava army with showers of arrows.
ततः पुनरमेयात्मा धर्मराजस्य कार्मुकम् द्रौणिश्चिच्छेद विहसन्विव्याध च शरैस्त्रिभिः
M. N. Dutt: Just after this the highly spirited son of Drona, casting smiling look upon Yudhishthira, simultaneously cut-off his bow and struck him with three arrows.
ततो धर्मसुतो राजन्प्रगृह्यान्यन्महद्धनुः द्रौणिं विव्याध सप्तत्या बाह्वोरुरसि चार्दयत्
M. N. Dutt: Upon that, О king, the son of Dharma took up a very big bow and darted, one after another, seventy shafts, piercing the arms and breast of the son of Drona.
सात्यकिस्तु ततः क्रुद्धो द्रौणेः प्रहरतो रणे अर्धचन्द्रेण तीक्ष्णेन धनुश्छित्त्वानदद्भृशम्
M. N. Dutt: Then Satyaki, filled with anger, roared aloud and broke down in that very battle the bow of that terrible afflicter, Drona's son, with the same-circular and sharp arrow of his own.
छिन्नधन्वा ततो द्रौणिः शक्त्या शक्तिमतां वरः सारथिं पातयामास शैनेयस्य रथाद्द्रुतम्
M. N. Dutt: When his bow was thus cut-off that hero of heroes, Drona's son, with a dart quickly struck the driver of Satyaki's car down and unseated him from his chariot.
अथान्यद्धनुरादाय द्रोणपुत्रः प्रतापवान् शैनेयं शरवर्षेण छादयामास भारत
M. N. Dutt: Then, O Bharata, the mighty son of Drona, taking up another bow, covered the son of Sini with quite a shower of arrows.
तस्याश्वाः प्रद्रुताः संख्ये पतिते रथसारथौ तत्र तत्रैव धावन्तः समदृश्यन्त भारत
M. N. Dutt: Thus, O Bharata, the driver was killed Satyaki's horses were seen to run riot in the battle-field.
युधिष्ठिरपुरोगास्ते द्रौणिं शस्त्रभृतां वरम् अभ्यवर्षन्त वेगेन विसृजन्तः शिताञ्शरान्
M. N. Dutt: Then the Pandava army commanded by Raja Yudhishthira, rushed furiously towards Drona's son, the foremost of all the wielders of weapons and began to shower sharp shafts upon him.
आगच्छमानांस्तान्दृष्ट्वा रौद्ररूपान्परंतपः प्रहसन्प्रतिजग्राह द्रोणपुत्रो महारणे
M. N. Dutt: Seeing them thus coming upon him as so many incarnations of anger the great terror of foes, Drona's son, received them all in the terrible battle with a spiteful smile.
ततः शरशतज्वालः सेनाकक्षं महारथः द्रौणिर्ददाह समरे कक्षमग्निर्यथा वने
M. N. Dutt: Then the great car-warrior, Drona's son, burnt down, as it were, the Pandava troops in the battle with the flames of his arrows, just as the forest fire burns the dry hays and straws.
तद्बलं पाण्डुपुत्रस्य द्रोणपुत्रप्रतापितम् चुक्षुभे भरतश्रेष्ठ तिमिनेव नदीमुखम्
M. N. Dutt: O foremost of Bharata's race, the Pandava army, thus provoked by the son of Drona, became exceedingly agitated as the water of a river is troubled by a whale.
Supplementary Passages:
8.39.28 After 28c, T2.3 G ins.: *505 तस्मिन्नेव चमूमुखे तद्बलं पाण्डवेयस्य द्रोणपुत्रशरार्चिषा तापयन्भरतश्रेष्ठ गभस्तिभिरिवांशुमान् तत्ताप्यमानं तीक्ष्णाग्रैर्ब्राह्मणस्य च सायकैः क्षुभ्यते पाण्डवं सैन्यं After line 3, G2 ins.: *506 तद्भज्यमानं मर्षेण ब्राह्मणस्य शराहतम्
दृष्ट्वा ते च महाराज द्रोणपुत्रपराक्रमम् निहतान्मेनिरे सर्वान्पाण्डून्द्रोणसुतेन वै
M. N. Dutt: O Maharaj, seeing the bravery of Drona's son made the people think, as if the Pandava army already were killed.
युधिष्ठिरस्तु त्वरितो द्रौणिं श्लिष्य महारथम् अब्रवीद्द्रोणपुत्रं तु रोषामर्षसमन्वितः
M. N. Dutt: Then the great car-warrior Yudhishthira being enraged and filled with revengeful spirit thus addressed the son of Drona in a
Supplementary Passages:
8.39.30 After 30, T G ins.: *507 जानामि त्वां युधि श्रेष्ठं वीर्यवन्तं बलान्वितम् कृतास्त्रं कृतिनं चैव तथा लघुपराक्रमम् बलमेतद्भवान्सर्वं पार्षते यदि दर्शयेत् ततस्त्वां बलवन्तं च कृतवीर्यं च विद्महे स हि वै पार्षतं दृष्ट्वा समरे शत्रुसूदनम् भवेत्तव बलं किंचिद्ब्रवीमि त्वां न तु द्विज
नैव नाम तव प्रीतिर्नैव नाम कृतज्ञता यतस्त्वं पुरुषव्याघ्र मामेवाद्य जिघांससि
M. N. Dutt: O mightiest of men, neither have you any feeling nor do you cherish any sense of gratitude when today you are ready even to slay me.
ब्राह्मणेन तपः कार्यं दानमध्ययनं तथा क्षत्रियेण धनुर्नाम्यं स भवान्ब्राह्मणब्रुवः
M. N. Dutt: To study and to practise asceticism and charities and the duties of a Brahman and the Kshatriyas only are authorised to use the bow. So it seems that you are a Brahmin in name only.
मिषतस्ते महाबाहो जेष्यामि युधि कौरवान् कुरुष्व समरे कर्म ब्रह्मबन्धुरसि ध्रुवम्
M. N. Dutt: However, O you of mighty arms, I am determined upon killing the Kaurava army in the battle just before your eyes. Do your best. I call you a scum of the Brahman race.
एवमुक्तो महाराज द्रोणपुत्रः स्मयन्निव युक्तत्वं तच्च संचिन्त्य नोत्तरं किंचिदब्रवीत्
M. N. Dutt: Thus addressed, O monarch, the son of Drona smiled bashfully and pondering over what was proper and meet could not give any reply.
अनुक्त्वा च ततः किंचिच्छरवर्षेण पाण्डवम् छादयामास समरे क्रुद्धोऽन्तक इव प्रजाः
M. N. Dutt: Getting thus terribly annoyed the son of Drona kept quiet for a while and then began to shower arrows upon the Pandavas like unto the Destroyer himself when bent upon destroying the entire creation.
संछाद्यमानस्तु तदा द्रोणपुत्रेण मारिष पार्थोऽपयातः शीघ्रं वै विहाय महतीं चमूम्
M. N. Dutt: Thus covered, as it were, by the arrows of the son of Drona Pritha's son fled away from the field leaving his large army.
अपयाते ततस्तस्मिन्धर्मपुत्रे युधिष्ठिरे द्रोणपुत्रः स्थितो राजन्प्रत्यादेशान्महात्मनः
M. N. Dutt: After Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, had thus fled from the field, O king, the highminded son of Drona also left the spot.
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा त्यक्त्वा द्रौणिं महाहवे प्रययौ तावकं सैन्यं युक्तः क्रूराय कर्मणे
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira then, O king, thus avoiding the son of Drona in the great battle, marched against your army being determined to wage a ruthless slaughter.