वैशम्पायन उवाच दृष्ट्वा व्यूढान्यनीकानि कुरूणां कुरुनन्दन। तत्र वैराटिमामन्त्र्य पार्थो वचनमब्रवीत्॥
Vaishampayana said Seeing the Kuru army arranged in order of battle, the son of Pandu, Partha, addressing Virata's son said :
जाम्बूनदमयी वेदी ध्वजे यस्य प्रदृश्यते। तस्य दक्षिणतो याहि कृपः शारद्वतो यतः॥
Do you go where Kripa, the son of Sharadvata is, by the southern side of the car the flag of which has an emblem of a golden altar.
वैशम्पायन उवाच धनंजयवचः श्रुत्वा वैराटिस्त्वरितस्ततः। हयान् रजतसंकाशान् हेमभाण्डानचोदयत्॥
Hearing the words of Arjuna, Virata's son, without loss of time, urged his silver white steeds decked in golden armour.
आनुपूर्व्यात् तु तत् सर्वमास्थाय जवमुत्तमम्। प्राहिणोच्चन्द्रसंकाशान् कुपितानिव तान् हयान्॥
Making them one by one proceed by swifter course, he urged those those horses resembling the moon as if they were angry.
स गत्वा कुरुसेनायाः समीपं हयकोविदः। पुनरावर्तयामास तान् हयान् वातरंहसः॥
Well-versed in the management of horses, Uttara, having neared the Kuru army, turned back his horses, fleet as the wind.
प्रदक्षिणमुपावृत्य मण्डलं सव्यमेव च। कुरून् सम्मोहयामास मत्स्यो यानेन तत्त्ववित्॥
A skillful charioteer as he was the Matsya Prince, sometimes wheeling about, sometimes proceeding in circles and again turning to the left, bewildered the Kurus.
कृपस्य रथमास्थाय वैराटिरकुतोभयः। प्रदक्षिणमुपावृत्य तस्थौ तस्याग्रतो बली॥
Going round, the powerful and fearless son of Virata, approached Kripa's car and stood before him.
ततोऽर्जुनः शङ्खवरं देवदत्तं महारवम्। प्रदध्मौ बलमास्थाय नाम विश्राव्य चात्मनः॥
Then Arjuna with force blew that great conch Devadatta emitting a great sound and announced his name.
तस्य शब्दो महानासीद् धम्यमानस्य जिष्णुना। तथा वीर्यवता संख्ये पर्वतस्येव दीर्यतः॥
Blown on the battle-field by the powerful Vishnu the sound of that conch appeared like that of the clapping of a mountain.
पूजयांचक्रिरे शङ्ख कुरवः सहसैनिकाः। अर्जुनेन तथा ध्मातः शतधा यन्न दीर्यते॥
Seeing that the conch was not broken into a hundred pieces when blown by Arjuna, the Kuru warriors spoke highly of it.
दिवमावृत्य शब्दस्तु निवृत्तः शुश्रुवे पुनः। सृष्टो मघवता वज्रः प्रपतन्निव पर्वते॥
Having reached the very sky that sound came back and was heard again like that of thunderbolt when hurled by Indra against a mountain.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे वीरो बलवीर्यसमन्वितः। अर्जुनं प्रति संरब्धः कृपः परमदुर्जयः। अमृष्यमाणस्तं शब्दं कृपः शारद्वतस्तदा॥ अर्जुनं प्रति संरब्धो युद्धार्थी स महारथः। महोदधिजमादाय दध्मौ वेगेन वीर्यवान्॥
Unable to bear that sound and desirous of fighting that heroic, powerful and undaunted car-warrior, Sharadvata's son Kripa of great strength and prowess, enraged with Arjuna, took up the conch born in a great ocean and blew it with great force.
स तु शब्देन लोकांस्त्रीनावृत्य रथिनां वरः। धनुरादाय सुमहज्ज्याशब्दमकरोत् तदा॥
Covering the three worlds with the sound thereof and taking up the huge bow he twanged it.
तौ रथौ सूर्यसंकाशौ योत्स्यमानौ महाबलौ। शारदाविव जीमूतौ व्यरोचेतां व्यवस्थितौ॥
While those two highly powerful carwarriors, resembling the sun, fought with each other they appeared like two autumnal clouds.
ततः शारद्वतस्तूर्णं पार्थं दशभिराशुगैः। विव्याध परवीरघ्नं निशितैर्मर्मभेदिभिः॥
Then Sharadvata's son speedily wounded Partha, the slayer of hostile heroes with ten swift coursing sharpened arrows capable of piercing into the very vitals.
पार्थोऽपि विश्रुतं लोके गाण्डीवं परमायुधम्। विकृष्य चिक्षेप बहून् नाराचान् मर्मभेदिनः॥
And drawing his huge bow Gandiva wellknown in the world Partha too discharged many Narachas capable of piercing into the very vitals.
तान् प्राप्ताञ्छितैर्बाणैर्नाराचान् रक्तभोजनान्। कृपश्चिच्छेद पार्थस्य शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः॥
Then with sharpened arrows "Kripa sundered into hundreds and thousands of pieces those blood-drinking shafts before they could reach (him).
ततः पार्थस्तु संक्रुद्धश्चित्रान् मार्गान् प्रदर्शयन्। दिशः संछादयन् बाणैः प्रदिशश्च महारथः। एकच्छायमिवाकाशमकरोत् सर्वतः प्रभुः॥
Thereupon displaying various movements in anger, the great car-warrior Partha covered all sides with a downpour of arrows.
प्राच्छादयदमेयात्मा पार्थः शरशतैः कृपम्। स शरैरर्दितः क्रुद्धः शितैरग्निशिखोपमैः॥
Covering the entire sky with his arrows, that powerful warrior of exceeding energy, the son of Pritha assailed Kripa with hundreds of shafts.
तूर्णं दशसहस्रेण पार्थमप्रतिमौजसम्। अर्दयित्वा महात्मानं ननर्द समरे कृपः॥ ततः कनकपर्वाग्रैर्वीरः संनतपर्वभिः। त्वरन् गाण्डीवनिर्मुक्तैरर्जुनस्तस्य वाजिनः॥ चतुर्भिश्चतुरस्तीक्ष्णैरविध्यत् परमेषुभिः। हया निशितैर्बाणैर्व्वलद्भिरिव पन्नगैः। उत्पेतुः सहसा सर्वे कृपः स्थानादथाच्यवत्॥ च्युतं तु गौतमं स्थानात् समीक्ष्य कुरुनन्दनः।
Afflicted with those sharpened shafts resembling flame of fire and worked up with anger, Kripa, assailing soon the high-souled Partha of incomparable energy with ten thousand shafts, sent out a war cry in battle. Then the heroic Arjuna taking up his bow speedily bored through the four horses of his enemy with four dreadful straight and gold winged arrows shot from the Gandiva. Then pierced by sharpened arrows resembling flames of fire those horses all on a sudden sprang up and Kripa fell off from his place. Then seeing Gautama dislodged the son of Kunti.
ते नाविध्यत् परवीरघ्नो रक्षमाणोऽस्य गौरवम्॥ स तु लब्ध्वा पुनः स्थानं गौतमः सव्यसाचिनम्। विव्याध दशभिर्बाणैस्त्वरितः कङ्कपत्रिभिः॥ ततः पार्थो धनुस्तस्य भल्लेन निशितेन ह। चिच्छेदैकेन भूयश्च हस्तावापमथाहरत्॥ अथास्य कवचं बाणैर्निशितैर्मर्मभेदिभिः। व्यधमन्न च पार्थोऽस्य शरीरमवपीडयत्॥ तस्य निर्मुच्यमानस्य कवचात् काय आवभौ।
The slayer of hostile heroes, did not wound him for keeping his prestige. Again regaining his position Gautama speedily pierced Savyasachin with ten sharpened and Kanka feathered arrows. Then with one sharpened arrow Partha cut off his bow and gloves. Then he cut off Kripa's coat of mail with sharp arrows capable of piercing to the very vitals but he did not wound him. Then divested of the coat of mail his body appeared.
समये मुच्यमानस्य सर्पस्येव तनुर्यथा॥ छिन्ने धनुषि पार्थेन सोऽन्यदादाय कार्मुकम्।
Like a serpent casting off its coating at the proper time. On his bow being cut off by Partha, taking up another.
चकार गौतमः सज्यं तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्॥ स तदप्यस्य कौन्तेयश्चिच्छेद नतपर्वणा।
Gautama made it ready. And it appeared wonderful. The son of Kunti cut off that too with arrows having depressed knots.
एवमन्यानि चापानि बहूनि कृतहस्तवत्। शारद्वतस्य चिच्छेद पाण्डवः परवीरहा॥
In this way that slayer of hostile heroes, the son of Pandu, cut off other bows as soon as they were taken up, one after the other, by the son of Sharadvata.
सच्छिन्नधनुरादाय रथशक्तिं प्रतापवान्। प्राहिणोत् पाण्डुपुत्राय प्रदीप्तामशनीमिव।॥
Having all his bows thus sundered that highly powerful hero took up a javelin from his car resembling a lightning and hurled it at the son of Pandu.
तामर्जुनस्तदाऽऽयान्तीं शक्तिं हेमविभूषिताम्। वियद्गतां महोल्काभां चिच्छेद दशभिः शरैः॥
While that golden javelin came coursing through the sky, burning like a huge fire-brand Arjuna cut it off with ten arrows.
सापतद् शतधा छिन्ना भूमौ पार्थेन धीमता॥ युगपच्चैव भल्लैस्तु ततः सज्यधनुः कृपः।
As soon as that fell on the ground sundered into a hundred pieces by the intelligent Partha, Kripa took up another ready bow.
तमाशु निशितैः पार्थं बिभेद दशभिः शरैः॥ ततः पार्थो महातेजा विशिखानग्नितेजसः। चिक्षेप समरे क्रुद्धस्त्रयोदश शिलाशितान्॥ अथास्य युगमेकेन चतुर्भिश्चतुरो हयान्। षष्ठेन च शिरः कायाच्छरेण रथसारथेः॥ त्रिभिस्त्रिवेणुं समरे द्वाभ्यामक्षं महारथः।
And immediately struck Partha with ten sharp arrows. Then the highly energetic Partha, worked up with rage, discharged thirteen sharp and fiery arrow3; with one he cut off the yoke, with four the four horses and with the sixth he cut off the head of the charioteer with three, the great car-warrior, pierced in battle, the three bamboo poles, and with two his two wheels.
द्वादशेन तु भल्लेन चकर्तास्य ध्वजं तदा॥ ततो वज्रनिकाशेन फाल्गुनः प्रहसन्निव। त्रयोदशेनेन्द्रसमः कृपं वक्षस्यविध्यत॥ सच्छिन्नधन्वा विरथो हताश्वो हतसारथिः। गदापाणिरवप्लुत्य तूर्णं चिक्षेप तां गदाम्॥ सा च मुक्ता गदा गुर्वी कृपेण सुपरिष्कृता। अर्जुनेन शरैर्नुन्ना प्रतिमार्गमथागमत्॥ तं तु योधाः परीप्सन्तः शारद्वतममर्षणम्। सर्वतः समरे पार्थं शरवर्षेरवाकिरन्॥ ततो विराटस्य सुतः सव्यमावृत्य वाजिनः। यमकं मण्डलं कृत्वा तान् योधान् प्रत्यवारयत्॥ ततः कृपमुपादाय विरथं ते नरर्षभाः। अपजहुर्महावेगा कुन्तीपुत्राद् धनंजयात्॥
With the twelfth arrow he cut off his most excellent standard, and with the thirteenth resembling the thunder-bolt, Phalguni the equal of Indra, as if smiling, struck Kripa on the breast. Then with his bow cut off, dislodged from his car, his horses and charioteer slain, leaping down and taking up a mace, he soon hurled it at Arjuna. That shining and greatly polished mace hurled by him, came back baffled by Arjuna's shafts. Then to rescue the revengeful son of Sharadvata, all the soldiers covered Partha in battle on all sides with a downpour of shafts. Then turning the horses to the left and making the circle called Yamaka, Virata's son withstood all those warriors. Then taking Kripa with them, who had been dislodged from his car, all those leading warriors led him away from Dhananjaya, the son of Kunti. f