संजय उवाच ततः शान्तनवो भीष्मो निर्ययौ सह सेनया। व्यूहं चाव्यूहत महत् सर्वतोभद्रमात्मनः॥शा
Sanjaya said Thereafter, Bhishma the son of Shantanu advanced with his troops, and he formed his own troops in the array known as Saravatobhadra.
कृपश्च कृतवर्मा च शैब्यश्चैव महारथः। शकुनिः सैन्धवश्चैव काम्बोजश्च सुदक्षिणः॥
Kripa, Kritavarma, the mighty car-warrior Shaivya, Shakuni, the ruler of the Sindhus, and Sudakshina, the ruler of the Kambojas,
भीष्मेण सहिताः सर्वे पुत्रैश्च तव भारत। अग्रतः सर्वसैन्यानां व्यूहस्य प्रमुखे स्थिताः॥
All these, O Bharata, accompanied by Bhishma, and along with your sons stationed themselves in the van of all the troops, and in the very head of the Kaurava array.
द्रोणो भूरिश्रवाः शल्यो भगदत्तश्च मारिष। दक्षिणं पक्षमाश्रित्य स्थिता व्यूहस्य दंशिताः॥
Drona, Bhurishravas, Shalya and Bhagadatta. O sire, clad in mail, stood defending the right wing of that array.
अश्वत्थामा सोमदत्तश्चावत्यौ च महारथौ। महत्या सेनया युक्ता वामं पक्षमपालयन्॥
Ashvathama, Somadatta, and the two princes of Avanti, both mighty car-warriors, supported by a large division, defended the left wing.
दुर्योधनो महाराज त्रिगर्तेः सर्वतो वृतः। व्यूहमध्ये स्थितो राजन् पाण्डवान् प्रति भारत॥
King Duryodhana, surrounded by the Trigaretas on all sides, stood, O monarch, O Bharata, in the centre of the array facing the Pandavas.
अलम्बुषो रथश्रेष्ठः श्रुतायुश्च महारथः। पृष्ठतः सर्वसैन्यानां स्थितो व्यूहस्य दंशितौ॥
That foremost of car-warriors Alambusha, and the mighty car-warrior Shrutayu, cased in Armour, stood in the rear of the array behind all the troops.
एवं च तं तदा व्यूहं कृत्वा भारत तावकाः। संनद्धाः समदृश्यन्त प्रतपन्त इवाग्नयः॥
Thus, O Bharata, your warriors, having formed this mighty array and cased in Armour, appeared as if leaping forward.
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा भीमसेनश्च पाण्डवः। नकुलः सहदेवश्च माद्रीपुत्रावुभावपि॥
Then king Yudhishthira and that son of Pandu, Bhimasena, and Nakula and Sahadeva the two sons of Madri,
अग्रतः सर्वसैन्यानां स्थिता व्यूहस्य दंशिताः। धृष्टद्युम्नो विराटश्च सात्यकिश्च महारथः॥
All cased in mail, stood in the van of their array at the front of all the troops. Dhrishtadyumna, Virata, the mighty carwarrior Satyaki.
स्थिताः सैन्येन महता परानीकविनाशनाः। शिखण्डी विजयश्चैव राक्षसश्च घटोत्कचः॥
All these warriors stood prepared for battle, with their mighty divisions desirous of destroying the ranks of the enemy. Shikhandin, Arjuna, the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha,
चेकितानो महाबाहुः कुन्तिभोजश्च वीर्यवान्। स्थिता रणे महाराज महत्या सेनया वृताः॥
The mighty-armed Chekitana, the highly puissant Kuntibhoja, all these, o mighty monarch, stood ready for fight, surrounded by their large divisions.
अभिमन्युर्महेष्वासो द्रुपदश्च महाबलः। युयुधानो महेष्वासो युधामन्युश्च वीर्यवान्॥
That fierce bow-man Abhimanyu, the highly powerful Draupada, and the Kaikeya brothers, cased in Armour, stood ready for combat.
केकया भ्रातरश्चैव स्थिता युद्धाय दंशिताः। एवं तेऽपि महाव्यूहं प्रतिव्यूह्य सुदुर्जयम्॥
Thus the heroic Pandavas forming this mighty and invincible contrary, stood, cased in mail, prepared for the ensuing struggle.
पाण्डवाः समरे शूराः स्थिता दशिताः। तावकास्तु रणे यत्ताः सहसेना नराधिपाः॥
Your warriors, o king, supported by large divisions and placing Bhishma at their head, charged, putting forth all their energies, the sons of Pritha on the field.
अभ्युद्ययू रणे पार्थान् भीष्मं कृत्वाऽग्रतो नृप। तथैव पाण्डवा राजन् भीमसेनपुरोगमा:॥
So also, O king, the Pandavas headed by Bhimasena himself, and desirous of wining victory, rushed to battle with a view to cncounter Bhishma.
भीष्मं योद्धृममीप्सन्तः संग्रामे विजयैषिणः। क्ष्वेडाः किलकिलाः शङ्खान् क्रकचान् गोविषाणिकाः।।
With their war-cries and confused uproars and the blarc of Krakachas and sound of drums, cymbals, cow-horns, and panavas, and the roars of their elephants.
भेरीमृदङ्गपणवान् नादयन्तश्च पुष्करान्। पाण्डवा अभ्यवर्तन्त नदन्तो भैरवान् स्वान्॥
And with fierce yells, the Pandavas rushed to battle. With the sound of our drums, cyrnbals conchs, Dundubhis,
भैरीमृदङ्गशङ्खानां दुन्दुभीनां च निःस्वनः। उत्कृष्टसिंहनादैश्च वल्गितैश्च पृथग्विधैः॥
With fierce war-dries, and other kinds of shouts, hastily did we advance to meet the foe,
वयं प्रतिनदन्तस्तानगच्छाम त्वरान्विताः। सहसैवाभिसंक्रुद्धास्तदाऽऽसीत् तुमुलं महत्॥
All inflamed with rage. Thereupon ensued an awful and fierce engagement, in which the soldiers, rushing at one another, smote one another down.
ततोऽन्योन्यं प्रधावन्तः सम्प्रहारं प्रचक्रिरे। ततः शब्देन महता प्रचकम्पे वसुन्धरा॥
Then the earth began to tremble with the loud din. Birds uttering fierce shrieks hovered over our heads.
पक्षिणश्च महाघोरं व्याहरन्तो विबभ्रषुः। सप्रभचोदितः सूर्यो निष्प्रभः समपद्यत॥
The sun that had risen in all splendor, now became bedimmed in effulgence; and dreadful winds began to blow portending ominous results.
वबुश्च वातास्तुमुलाः शंसन्तः सुमहद् भयम्। घोराश्च घोरनिर्हादाः शिवास्तत्र ववाशिरे॥
Fearful jackets yelling terribly roved there, harbingering, Omighty monarch, a great carnage.
वेदयन्त्यो महाराज महद् वैशसमागतम्। दिशः प्रज्वलिता राजन् पांसुवर्ष पपात च॥
The points of the compass, 0 king, appeared to be blazing, and showers of bones mixed copiously with blood.
रुधिरेण समुन्मिश्रमस्थिवर्षं तथैव च। रुदतां वाहनानां च नेत्रेभ्यः प्रापतज्जलम्॥
Tears dropped from the eyes of the animals that were all weeping; and O ruler of men, preyed upon by anxiety, they frequently discharged urine.
सुस्रुवुश्च शकृन्मूत्रं प्रध्यायन्तो विशाम्पते। अन्तर्हिता महानादाः श्रूयन्ते भरतर्षभ॥
O foremost of the Bharatas, fierce war-cries of heroes were drowned by the terrible uproar uttered by Rakshasas and cannibals.
रक्षसां पुरुषादानां नदतां भैरवान् रवान्। सम्पतन्तश्च दृश्यन्ते गोमायुबलवायसा॥
Jackals, vultures, crows and dogs yelling various shrieks, began, O sire, to pounce and swoop down the ranks of soldiers.
श्वानश्च विविदैर्नादैर्वाशन्तस्त्र मारिष। ज्वलिताश्च महोल्का वै समाहत्य दिवाकरम्। निपेतुः सहसा भूमौ वेदयन्त्यो महद् भयम्॥
Blazing meteors, striking against the solar disc, began to drop down suddenly on earth portending mighty terrors.
महान्त्यनीकानि महासमुच्छुये ततस्तयोः पाण्डवधार्तराष्ट्रयोः। चकम्पिरे शङ्खमृदङ्गनि:स्वनैः प्रकम्पितानीव वनानि वायुना॥
Thereafter the two mighty arrays of the Pandavas and the Kauravas, during that dreadful fight, began to shake owing to the tremendous din produced by the blare of conchs and the sound of drums, like forests shaken by the tempest.
मभ्यायतीनामशिवे मुहूर्ते। बभूव घोषस्तुमुलश्चमूनां वातोद्भुतानामिव सागराणाम्॥
The din that was produced by the two armies teeming with royal warriors, and horses, which have encountered each other in an inauspicious moment, became deafening, like that made by the ocean when it is lashed into fury by the tempest.