Critical Edition
संजय उवाच राजन्कुरूणां प्रवरैर्बलैर्भीममभिद्रुतम् मज्जन्तमिव कौन्तेयमुज्जिहीर्षुर्धनंजयः
AI Translation: Sanjaya said: O king, when Bhima was attacked by the best of the Kuru warriors, Dhananjaya, wishing to rescue the sinking Kounteya,
विमृद्य सूतपुत्रस्य सेनां भारत सायकैः प्राहिणोन्मृत्युलोकाय परवीरान्धनंजयः
AI Translation: Having shattered the army of the son of the sun with arrows, O descendant of Bharata, Dhananjaya sent the enemy-slayers to the world of death.
ततोऽस्याम्बरमावृत्य शरजालानि भागशः अदृश्यन्त तथान्ये च निघ्नन्तस्तव वाहिनीम्
M. N. Dutt: His showers of shafts fell dividedly, some covered the skies, while other killed your army.
स पक्षिसंघाचरितमाकाशं पूरयञ्शरैः धनंजयो महाराज कुरूणामन्तकोऽभवत्
M. N. Dutt: O king, Dhananjaya, filling the sky (which is the place for birds to play) with his arrows, seemed at that time the very destroyer of Kurus.
ततो भल्लैः क्षुरप्रैश्च नाराचैर्निर्मलैरपि गात्राणि प्राक्षिणोत्पार्थः शिरांसि च चकर्त ह
M. N. Dutt: He with his long flat-pointed shafts and various other brilliant weapons and keen like razor, began to cut-off bodies and heads of enemies.
छिन्नगात्रैर्विकवचैर्विशिरस्कैः समन्ततः पतितैश्च पतद्भिश्च योधैरासीत्समावृतम्
M. N. Dutt: Warriors dead and dying, trunks without heads, lopped off portions of human bodies deprived of armour, covered the battle-field.
धनंजयशराभ्यस्तैः स्यन्दनाश्वनरद्विपैः रणभूमिरभूद्राजन्महावैतरणी यथा
AI Translation: The battlefield was like the great Vaitarani river, with horses, elephants and men being pierced by the arrows of Dhananjaya.
Supplementary Passages:
8.58.7 After 7ab, N (except D6) T2 ins.: *898 संछिन्नभिन्नविध्वस्तैर्व्यङ्गाङ्गावयवैः स्तृता सुदुर्गमा सुविषमा घोरात्यर्थं सुदुर्दृशा For 7ed, D6 T1.3 G M subst.: *899 गतसत्त्वैः ससत्त्वैश्च संवृतासीद्वसुंधरा
ईषाचक्राक्षभङ्गैश्च व्यश्वैः साश्वैश्च युध्यताम् ससूतैर्हतसूतैश्च रथैः स्तीर्णाभवन्मही
M. N. Dutt: It was also strewn with cars, some without horses and some with horses yoked on them and some with drivers and some without drivers, as also with broken axles, wheels and arrows.
Supplementary Passages:
8.58.8 For 8, D6 T1.3 G M subst.: *900 ससूतैर्हतसूतैश्च सादिहीनैश्च वाजिभिः ईषाचक्राक्षभग्नैश्च रथैः स्तीर्णा वसुंधरा
सुवर्णवर्मसंनाहैर्योधैः कनकभूषणैः आस्थिताः कृतवर्माणो भद्रा नित्यमदा द्विपाः क्रुद्धाः क्रुद्धैर्महामात्रैः प्रेषितार्जुनमभ्ययुः
AI Translation: With golden armor and ornaments, mounted on elephants, always intoxicated, and well-armed, the warriors, adorned with gold, were stationed on the elephants, always intoxicated, and well-armed. The angry ones, sent by the angry chieftains, attacked Arjuna.
चतुःशताः शरवर्षैर्हताः पेतुः किरीटिना पर्यस्तानीव शृङ्गाणि ससत्त्वानि महागिरेः
AI Translation: The four hundred were killed by the shower of arrows and fell down by the one with the crest-jewel. Like the peaks of a great mountain with its inhabitants, they were thrown down.
धनंजयशराभ्यस्तैः स्तीर्णा भूर्वरवारणैः अभिपेदेऽर्जुनरथो घनान्भिन्दन्निवांशुमान्
AI Translation: The earth was strewn with the bodies of the best of elephants, pierced by the arrows of Dhananjaya. Arjuna's chariot penetrated the clouds, as if the sun were piercing them.
Supplementary Passages:
8.58.11 After 11ab, V1 B D (except D8) ins.: *901 समन्ताज्जलदप्रख्यान्वारणान्मदवर्षिणः
हतैर्गजमनुष्याश्वैर्भग्नैश्च बहुधा रथैः विशस्त्रपत्रकवचैर्युद्धशौण्डैर्गतासुभिः अपविद्धायुधैर्मार्गः स्तीर्णोऽभूत्फल्गुनेन वै
M. N. Dutt: Phalguna made a great havoc and the path was covered with dead horses, men, elephants and with many broken chariots, as also with dead bodies of warriors divested to their coats of mail, instruments of war and other weapons and the place was also strewn over with various sorts of weapons loosened from the clutches that held them.
व्यस्फूर्जयच्च गाण्डीवं सुमहद्भैरवस्वनम् घोरो वज्रविनिष्पेषः स्तनयित्नोरिवाम्बरे
M. N. Dutt: The awful sound made by his out-stretched Gandiva was like the clash of thunder amidst the gloomy clouds.
ततः प्रादीर्यत चमूर्धनंजयशराहता महावातसमाविद्धा महानौरिव सागरे
M. N. Dutt: As in a hurricane a great vessel is wrecked to pieces by the tossing of the sea, so your army was broken and it suffered badly from Dhananjaya's shots.
नानारूपाः प्रहरणाः शरा गाण्डीवचोदिताः अलातोल्काशनिप्रख्यास्तव सैन्यं विनिर्दहन्
M. N. Dutt: Lots of deadly, burning and meteor-like shots, coming like thunder-bolts out of the Gandiva, began to burn down your troops.
महागिरौ वेणुवनं निशि प्रज्वलितं यथा तथा तव महत्सैन्यं प्रास्फुरच्छरपीडितम्
M. N. Dutt: As on a night, a blazing forest of bamboos burns on a great mountain, so your great army looked ablaze under fire from (Arjuna's) shots.
संपिष्टदग्धविध्वस्तं तव सैन्यं किरीटिना हतं प्रविहतं बाणैः सर्वतः प्रद्रुतं दिशः
M. N. Dutt: Your troops, being thus hard pressed, burnt and distressed and killed by Kiritin's (Arjuna's), arrows began to fly in all directions.
महावने मृगगणा दावाग्निग्रसिता यथा कुरवः पर्यवर्तन्त निर्दग्धाः सव्यसाचिना
M. N. Dutt: As in a great forest, herds of deer being afraid fly wildly in all directions when it catches fire, verily such became the fate of the Kauravas when they were burnt to death by Savyasachin.
उत्सृज्य हि महाबाहुं भीमसेनं तदा रणे बलं कुरूणामुद्विग्नं सर्वमासीत्पराङ्मुखम्
M. N. Dutt: Leaving the strong-armed Bhimasena the distressed Kaurava troops retreated from the filed.
ततः कुरुषु भग्नेषु बीभत्सुरपराजितः भीमसेनं समासाद्य मुहूर्तं सोऽभ्यवर्तत
M. N. Dutt: Thus breaking down the Kuru army the unconquerable Vibhatsu then approached Bhimasena and resied there for a while.
समागम्य स भीमेन मन्त्रयित्वा च फल्गुनः विशल्यमरुजं चास्मै कथयित्वा युधिष्ठिरम्
M. N. Dutt: Phalguna then receiving Bhima's caress and consulting him for a while, informed him that the arrows with which Yudhishthira was afflicted have been drawn out of his body and that he is keeping well.
भीमसेनाभ्यनुज्ञातस्ततः प्रायाद्धनंजयः नादयन्रथघोषेण पृथिवीं द्यां च भारत
M. N. Dutt: O Bharata, then taking Bhima's permission, Dhananjaya again advanced towards his enemies, making the earth and sky ring back with the rattling noise of his car-wheels.
ततः परिवृतो भीमैर्दशभिः शत्रुपुंगवैः दुःशासनादवरजैस्तव पुत्रैर्धनंजयः
M. N. Dutt: Then your ten sons, who were born after Dushasana, all good warriors and brave hearted, surrounded Dhananjaya.
ते तमभ्यर्दयन्बाणैरुल्काभिरिव कुञ्जरम् आततेष्वसनाः क्रूरा नृत्यन्त इव भारत
M. N. Dutt: O Bharata, they with drawn bows distressed Arjuna with fiery arrows even as do the hunters an elephant and seemed to dance in the battlefield (With excitement).
अपसव्यांस्तु तांश्चक्रे रथेन मधुसूदनः ततस्ते प्राद्रवञ्शूराः पराङ्मुखरथेऽर्जुने
AI Translation: Madhusudana then turned his chariot away from them. Then those heroes fled, with Arjuna's chariot turned away.
Supplementary Passages:
8.58.25 After 25ab, N (D6 marg. sec. m.) T1 ins.: *902 नियुक्तान्हि स तान्मेने यमायाशु किरीटिना
तेषामापततां केतून्रथांश्चापानि सायकान् नाराचैरर्धचन्द्रैश्च क्षिप्रं पार्थो न्यपातयत्
M. N. Dutt: Then seeing that Arjuna with his car was getting from them, they made a rush towards him. Then Partha soon struck off their banners, bows and horses and they fell down on the earth; then with some crescent-shaped arrows.
अथान्यैर्दशभिर्भल्लैः शिरांस्येषां न्यपातयत् रोषसंरक्तनेत्राणि संदष्टौष्ठानि भूतले तानि वक्त्राणि विबभुर्व्योम्नि तारागणा इव
M. N. Dutt: And with ten other shafts cut-off their heads. Those heads with lips and eyes red with rage looked fair like a collection of lotuses.
तांस्तु भल्लैर्महावेगैर्दशभिर्दश कौरवान् रुक्माङ्गदान्रुक्मपुङ्खैर्विद्ध्वा प्रायादमित्रहा
M. N. Dutt: The destroyer of his enemies (Arjuna) thus sending ten gold mailed Kauravas to the other world with ten broad-headed, gold-winged and swift arrows proceeded onward.