BHISHMAVADHA PARVA: Chapter 51

Making Kuru Vyuha

संजय उवाच क्रौञ्चं दृष्ट्वा ततो व्यूहमभेद्यं तनयस्तव। रक्ष्यमाणं महाघोरं पार्थेनामिततेजसा।।शा आचार्यमुपसंगम्य कृपं शल्यं च पार्थिव। सौमदत्तिं विकर्णं च सोऽश्वत्थामानमेव च॥ दुःशासनादीन् भ्रातृ॑श्च सर्वानेव च भारत। अन्यांश्च सुबहूशूरान् युद्धाय समुपागतान्॥ प्राहेदं वचनं काले हर्षयंस्तनयस्तव। नानाशस्त्रप्रहरणाः सर्वै युद्धविशारदाः॥ एकैकशः समर्था हि यूयं सर्वे महारथाः।
Sanjaya said O Sire, O descendant of Bharata, seeing that great and fearful Vyuha, formed by the immeasurably powerful Pandava, your son (Duryodhana) came to the preceptor, Kripa, Shalya, Somadatta's son, Vikarna, Ashvathama and all his brothers headed by Dushasana, and also all other mighty heroes, assembled there for battle, spoke these words giving great pleasures to all, “You are armed with various kinds of weapons, you are learned in the Shastras. O great car-warriors, each of you singly is capable of destroying the Pandavas with all their troops.

पाण्डुपुत्रान् रणे हन्तुं ससैन्यान् किमु संहताः॥ अपर्याप्तं तदस्माकं बलं भीष्माभिरक्षितम्। पर्याप्तमिदमेतेषां बलं भीमाभिरक्षितम्॥
How easy it is for you then (to destroy them) when you are united. Our army protected by Bhishma is unlimited and their army protected by Bhima is limited.

संस्थानाः शूरसेनाश्च वेत्रिकाः कुकुरास्तथा। आरोचकास्त्रिगर्ताश्च मद्रका यवनास्तथा॥ शत्रुजयेन सहितास्तथा दुःशासनेन च। विकर्णेन च वीरेण तथा नन्दोपनन्दकैः॥ चित्रसेनेन सहिताः सहिताः पारिभद्रकैः। भीष्ममेवाभिरक्षन्तु सहसैन्यपुरस्कृताः॥
Let the Samsthanas, the Shurasenas, the Vetarikas, the Kukuras, the Rechakas, the Trigartas, the Madrakas, the Yavanas, with Shatrunjaya and Dushasana, and with also that great hero Vikarna, Nanda, Upananda, and Chitrasena, with the Paribhadrakas protect Bhishma with their respective troops”.

ततो भीष्मश्च द्रोणश्च तव पुत्राश्च मारिष अव्यूहन्त महाव्यूहं पाण्डूनां प्रतिबाधकम्॥
O Sire, then Bhishma, Drona and your sons formed a great Vyuha to resist that of the sons of Pritha.

भीष्मः सैन्येन महता समन्तात् परिवारितः। ययौ प्रकर्षन् महतीं वाहिनीं सुरराडिव॥
Then, like the lord of the celestial (Indra), Bhishma surrounded by innumerable troops, advanced at the head of a mighty army,

तमन्वयान्महेष्वासो भारद्वाजः प्रतापवान्। कुन्तलैश्च दशार्ङ्गश्च मागधैश्च विशाम्पते॥ विदर्भमैकलैश्चैव कर्णप्रावरणैरपि। सहिताः सर्वसैन्येन भीष्ममाहवशोभिनम्॥ गान्धाराः सिन्धुसौवीराः शिवयोऽथवसातयः। शकुनिश्च स्वसैन्येन भारद्वाजमपालयत्॥
O king, that great bowman, that greatly powerful son of Bharadvaja (Drona) followed him with the Kuntalas, the Dasharnas, the Magadhas, the Vidarbhas, the Mekalas, the Karnas, and the Paravarnas, the Gandharvas, the Sindhusauviras, the Shibis, and the Vasati with their all combatants, Shakuni with all his troops protected the son of Bharadvaja.

ततो दुर्योधनो राजा सहितः सर्वसोदरैः। अश्वातकैविकर्णैश्च तथा चाम्बष्ठकोसलैः॥ दरदैश्च शकैश्चैव तथा क्षुद्रकमालवैः। अभ्यरक्षत संहष्टः सौबलेयस्य वाहिनीम्॥
Then king Duryodhana with all his brothers accompanied by the Ashvatakas, the Vikarnas, the Ambashta, the Kosalas, the Daradas, the Shaka, the Kshudrakas and the Malavas, Cheerfully advanced against the Pandava army.

भूरिश्रवाः शलः शल्यो भगदत्तश्च मारिषः। विन्दानुविन्दावावन्त्यौ वामं पार्श्वमपालयन्॥
O sire, Bhurishrava, Shala and Shalya, Bhagadatta, Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti protected the left wing.

सौमदत्तिः सुशर्मा च काम्बोजश्च सुदक्षिणः। श्रुतायुश्चाच्युतायुश्च दक्षिणं पक्षमास्थिताः॥
Somadatta, Susharma, the ruler of Kambojas, Sudakshina, Shrutayus and Achyutayu protected the right wing.

अश्वत्थामा कृपश्चैव कृतवर्मा च सात्वतः। महत्या सेनया साधु सेनापृष्ठे व्यवस्थिताः॥
Ashvathama, Kripa, the Satvata hero Kritvarma, with large number of troops protected the rear.

पृष्ठगोपास्तु तस्यासन् नानादेश्या जनेश्वराः। केतुमान् वसुदानश्च पुत्रः काश्यस्य चाभिभूः॥
Behind them stood many chiefs, Ketumata, Vasudana and the powerful prince of Kashi.

ततस्ते तावकाः सर्वे हृष्टा युद्धाय भारत। दध्मुः शङ्खान् मुदा युक्ताः सिंहनादांस्तथोन्नदन्॥
O descendant of Bharata, then all your troops, when they were cheerfully waiting for like roars.

तेषां श्रुत्वा तु हृष्टानां वृद्धः कुरुपितामहः। सिंहनादं विनद्योच्चैः शङ्ख दध्मौ प्रतापवान्॥
Hearing these shouts, the greatly powerful and the venerable Kuru grandsire uttered a lion-like roar and then blew his conch in great delight.

ततः शङ्खाश्च भेर्यश्च पेश्यश्च विविधाः परे। आनकाश्चाभ्यहन्यन्त स शब्दस्तुमुलोऽभवत्॥
Their conchs, drums, Peshis and cymbals were sounded by all, which created a fearful din all over the field of battle.

ततः श्वेतैर्हयैर्युक्ते महति स्यन्दने स्थितौ। प्रदध्मतुः शङ्खवरौ हेमरत्नपरिष्कृतौ॥
Krishna and Arjuna riding on the same car yoked with (four) white horses, blew their excellent conchs adorned with gold and jewel.

पाञ्चजन्यं हृषीकेशो देवदत्तं धनंजयः। पौण्ड्रं दध्मौ महाशङ्ख भीमकर्मा वृकोदरः॥
Hrishikesha (Krishna) blew the conch called Panchajanya and Dhananjaya Devadatta. That doer of fearful deeds, Vrikodara (Bhima) blew his huge conch, called Paundra.

अनन्तविजयं राजा कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः। नकुलः सहदेवश्च सुघोषमणिपुष्पकौ॥
The son of Kunti, Yudhishthira, blew the conch called Anantavijaya, Nakula and Sahadeva blew Sughosha and Manipushpaka.

काशिराजश्च शैब्यश्च शिखण्डी च महारथः। धृष्टद्युम्नो विराटश्च सात्यकिश्च महारथः॥ पाञ्चाल्याश्च महेष्वासा द्रौपद्याः पञ्च चात्मजाः। सर्वे दध्मुर्महाशङ्खान् सिंहनादांश्च नेदिरे॥
The king of Kashi, and Shaivya and Shikhandin, the great car-warrior Dhrishtadyumna and Virata and the great carwarrior Satyaki and the great bowman the Panchala king, and also the five sons of Draupadi, all blew their large conches and sent forth lion-like roars.

स घोषः सुमहांस्तत्र वीरैस्तैः समुदीरितः। नभश्च पृथिवीं चैव तुमुलो व्यनुनादयत्॥ एवमेते महाराज प्रहृष्टाः कुरुपाण्डवाः। पुनयुद्धाय संजग्मुस्तापयानाः परस्परम्॥
That great uproar, thus uttered by those heroes resounded through the sky. O great king, thus again the Kurus and the Pandavas advanced against each other with the intention of fighting a great battle. hinTrn-0