संजय उवाच ततो व्यूढेष्वनीकेषु तावकेषु परेषु च। धनंजयो स्थानीकमवधीत् तव भारत॥ शरैरतिरथो युद्धे दारयन् रथयूथपान्। ते वध्यमानाः पार्थेन कालेनेव युगक्षय॥ धार्तराष्ट्रा रणे यत्नात् पाण्डवान् प्रत्ययोधयन्। प्रार्थयाना यशो दीप्तं मृत्युं कृत्वा निवर्तनम्॥ एकाग्रमनसो भूत्वा पाण्डवानां वरूथिनीम्। बभञ्जुर्बहुशो राजंस्ते चासज्जन्त संयुगे॥
Sanjaya said When your troops and those of the Pandavas were placed in battle array, that great car-warrior Dhananjaya made a great slaughter by cutting down with his arrows many leaders of car-warriors; your troops though thus slaughtered in the battle by the son of Pritha who resembled the destroyer himself at the end of a Yuga, yet fought with the Pandavas with perseverance. Desiring to win blazing glory and making death their final goal with minds undirected to anything else, they broke the Pandava ranks in many places, but their ranks also were in many places broken.
द्रवद्भिरथ भग्नैश्च परिवर्तद्भिरेव च। पाण्डवैः कौरवेयैश्च न प्राज्ञायत किंचन॥
Then both the Kuru and the Pandava army broke and fled away. Nothing could then be distinguished.
उदतिष्ठद् रजो भौमं छादयानं दिवाकरम्। न दिशः प्रदिशो वापि तत्र हन्युः कथं नराः॥
A thick cloud of dust rose covering the sun. No body could distinguish any of the cardinal points.
अनुमानेन संज्ञाभिर्नामगोत्रैश्च संयुगे। वर्तते च तथा युद्धं तत्र तत्र विशाम्पते॥
O king, everywhere the battle raged the combatants were guided only by the indications afforded by colours, by watchwords, by names and by tribal distinctions.
न व्यूहो भिद्यते तत्र कौरवाणां कथंचन। रक्षितः सत्यसंधेन भारद्वाजेन संयुगे॥
O sire, O king, the Vyuha protected as it was by the son of Bharadvaja (Drona) could by no means be broken.
तथैव पाण्डवानां च रक्षितः सव्यसाचिना। नाभिद्यत महाव्यूहो भीमेन च सुरक्षितः॥
So did the formidable Pandava Vyuha remain unbroken, protected as it was by Savyasachi (Arjuna), and well-guarded by Bhima.
सेनाग्रादपि निष्पत्य प्रायुध्यस्तत्र मानवाः। उभयोः सेनयो राजन् व्यतिषक्तरथद्विपाः॥
O king, the cars and the elephants of both the armies and other combatants came out of their respective arrays and engaged in the fight.
हयारोहैर्हयारोहाः पात्यन्ते स्म महाहवे। ऋष्टिभिविमलाभिश्च प्रासैरपि च संयुगे॥
In that fearful battle, horse-men cut down horsemen with sharp and polished swords and long lances.
रथी रथिनमासाद्य शरैः कनकभूषणैः। पातयामास समरे तस्मिन्नतिभयङ्करे।।१२
Car-warriors getting car-warriors within reach cut them down with their arrows decked with golden wings.
गजारोहा गजारोहान् नाराचशरतोमरैः। संसक्तान् पातयामासुस्तव तेषां च सर्वशः॥
The elephant riders in your own army and in the army of Pandavas' destroyed the elephant riders of rival party in counter by blowing sharp Naracha, arrows and tomaras from all sides (viz. mutually they killed themselves).
पत्तिसङ्घा रणे पत्तीन् भिन्दिपालपरश्वधैः। न्यपातयन्त संहृष्टाः परस्परकृतागसः॥
Innumerable foot-soldiers angrily and at the same time cheerfully cut down one another with short arrows and battle axes.
रथी च समरे राजन्नासाद्य गजयूथपम्। सगजं पातयामास गजी च रथिनां वरम्॥
O king, car-warriors, getting elephants riders within reach cut them down with the elephants. elephants riders also cut down carwarriors.
रथिनं च हयारोहः प्रासेन भरतर्षभ। पातयामास समरे रथी च हयसादिनम्॥
O best of the Bharata race, horse-men with their lances cut down car-warriors in that battle; car-warriors also cut down horse-men.
पदाती रथिनं संख्ये रथी चापि पदातिनम्। न्यपातयच्छितैः शस्त्रैः सेनयोरुभयोरपि॥
In both the armies, foot-soldiers cut down many car-warriors, many car-warriors cut down innumcrable foot-soldiers with their sharp weapons.
गजारोहा हयारोहान् पातयाञ्चक्रिरे तदा। हयारोहा गजस्थांश्च तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्॥ गजारोहवरैश्चापि तत्र तत्र पदातयः। पातिताः समदृश्यन्त तैश्चापि गजयोधिनः॥
Elephant-riders cut down horse-men and horse-men cut down warriors who were on the back of elephants; every thing appeared to be exceedingly wonderful. Foot soldiers were seen to be cut down by the foremost of elephant-riders and the elephant-riders were also to be seen cut down by the foot-soldiers.
पत्तिसङ्घा हयारोहैः सादिसङ्घाश्च पत्तिभिः। पात्यमाना व्यदृश्यन्त शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः॥
It has been seen there that innumerable foot-soldiers were cut down by horse-riders and horse-riders cut down foot-soldiers,
ध्वजैस्तत्रापविद्धैश्च कार्मुकैस्तोमरैस्तथा। प्रासैस्तथा गदाभिश्च परिघैः कम्पनैस्तथा॥ शक्तिभिः कवचैश्चित्रैः कणपैरङ्कुशैरपि। निस्त्रीशैविमलैश्चापि स्वर्णपुङ्खैः शरैस्तथा।॥ परिस्तोमैः कुथाभिश्च कम्बलैश्च महाधनैः। भूति भरतश्रेष्ठ स्रग्दामैरिव चित्रिता॥
O best of the Bharata race! the battle field, strewn with broken standards bow, lances, housings of elephants, costly blankets, bearded darts, maces, clubs with iron spikes, Kampanas, various sorts of armours, arrows with golden wings, looked as if it were covered with garlands of flowers.
नराश्वकायैः पतितैर्दन्तिभिश्च महाहवे। अगम्यरूपा पृथिवी मांसशोणितकर्दमा॥
The ground becoming muddy with flesh and blood, became impassable with the bodies of men, horses and elephants, that were killed in that fearful battle.
प्रशशाम रजो भौमं व्युक्षितं रणशोणितैः। दिशश्च विमलाः सर्वाः सम्बभूवुर्जनेश्वर॥
O majesty! The dust on the upper surface of earth was stuck to layer on being soaked in blood flown in that battle-field. On being this, all directions became clearly visible.
उस्थितान्यगणेयानि कबधानि समन्ततः। चिह्नभूतानि जगतो विनाशार्थाय भारत॥
O descendant of Bharata, innumerable headless bodies were seen rising from the ground, an omen to indicate that the destruction of the world is near.
तस्मिन् युद्धे महारौद्रे वतमाने सुदारुणे। प्रत्यदृश्यन्त रथिनो धावमानाः समन्ततः॥ ततो भीष्मश्च द्रोणश्च सैन्धवश्च जयद्रथः। पुरुमित्रो जयो भोजः शल्यश्चापि ससौबलः॥ एते समरदुर्धर्षाः सिंहतुल्यपराक्रमाः। पाण्डवानामनीकानि बभञ्जुः स्म पुनः पुनः॥
In that fearful and terrible battle, car warriors were to run away in all directions; then Bhishma, Drona, Jayadratha seen the king of the Sindhus, Purumitra, Vikarna, the son of Subala Shakuni, these invincible and lion-like heroes broke the Pandava rank.
तथैव भीमसेनोऽपि राक्षसश्च घटोत्कचः। सात्यकिश्चेकितानश्च द्रौपदेयाश्च भारत।॥ तावकांस्तव पुत्रांश्च सहितान् सर्वराजभिः। द्रावयामासुराजौ ते त्रिदशा दानवानिव॥
O descendant of Bharata, Bhimasena, the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha, Satyaki, Chekitana, the sons of Draupadi, backed by all the kings, chastised your troops and your sons, as the celestials did the Danavas.
तथा ते समरेऽन्योन्यं निघ्नन्तः क्षत्रियर्षभाः। रक्तोक्षिता घोररूपा विरेजुर्दानवा इव॥
Those foremost of Kshatriya struck one another in battle. They became terrible to look at. covered with blood, they shone like the Kinshuka flowers.
विनिर्जित्य रिपून् वीराः सेनयोरुभयोरपि। व्यदृश्यन्त महामात्रा ग्रहा इव नभस्तले॥
O king, vanquishing their adversaries, those foremost of warriors of both the armies looked like the brilliant stars in the sky.
ततो रथसहस्रेण पुत्रो दुर्योधनस्तव। अभ्ययात् पाण्डवं युद्धे राक्षसं च घटोत्कचम्॥
Then your son Duryodhana supported by one thousand car-warriors rushed to battle with the sons of Pandu and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha.
तथैव पाण्डवाः सर्वे महत्या सेनया सह। द्रोणभीष्मौ रणे यत्तौ प्रत्युद्ययुररिंदमौ॥
The Pandava also with many thousand troops rushed in battle against those chastiser of foes, the heroic Bhishma and Drona.
किरीटी च ययौ क्रुद्धः समन्तात् पार्थिवोत्तमान्। आर्जुनिः सात्यकिश्चैव ययतुः सौबलं बलम्॥
The diadem-decked hero (Arjuna) also rushed in anger against those foremost of kings. then the son of Arjuna, Abhimanyu and Satyaki both rushed against the forces of the son of Subala, Shakuni.
ततः प्रववृते भूयः संग्रामो लोमहर्षणः। तावकानां परेषां च समरे विजयैषिणाम्॥
Then again commenced a fearful and hairstring battle between the troops and both the sides, both parties being eager to defeat one other.