धृतराष्ट्र उवाच महानपनयः सूत ममैवात्र विशेषतः। स इदानीमनुप्राप्तो मन्ये संजय शोचतः॥
Dhritarashtra said I see, O son of a charioteer, that mine has been the greatest fault in this matter; O Sanjaya, the consequences have now overtaken me, grieve though I may!
यद् गतं तद् गतमिति ममासीन्मनसि स्थितम्। इदानीमत्र किं कार्य प्रकरिष्यामि संजय॥
Hitherto I thought that what is gone for good. But, O Sanjaya, what measures is gone should now be adopted.
यथा ह्येष क्षयो वृत्तो ममापनयसम्भवः। वीराणां तन्ममाचक्ष्व स्थिरीभूतोऽस्मि संजय॥
I have now become calm, O Sanjaya; relate to me how this slaughter of heroes is went onslaughter that owes its origin to my evil policy.
संजय उवाच कर्णभीमौ महाराज पराक्रान्तौ महाबलौ। बाणवर्षाण्यसृजतां वृष्टिमन्ताविवाम्बुदौ॥
Sanjaya said O mighty monarch, then the two powerful heroes Karna and Bhima began to pour showers of arrows, like two rain clouds pouring their contents.
भीमनामाङ्किता बाणा: स्वर्णपुलाः शिलाशिताः। विविशुः कर्णमासाद्य च्छिन्दन्त इव जीवितम्॥
Then gold-winged arrows, whetted on stone and engraved with the name of Bhima, reaching Karna, penetrated thought him cutting him to the very quick.
तथैव कर्णनिर्मुक्ता:शरा बर्हिणवाससः। छादयाञ्चकिरे वीरं शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः॥
Similarly Bhima was pierced hundreds and thousands of times by the arrows shot by Karna, that resembled snakes of virulent poison.
तयोः शरैर्महाराज सम्पतद्भिः समन्ततः। बभूव तत्र सैन्यानां संक्षोभः सागरोत्तरः॥
An agitation like that produced in the ocean, was then produced in your troops by the arrows of them both, falling on all sides.
भीमचापच्युतैर्बाणैस्तव सैन्यमरिंदम। अवध्यत चमूमध्ये घोरैराशीविषोपमैः॥
O subduer of foes, shot from Bhima's bow, shafts resembling dreadful snakes, began to slay your troops amidst your own army.
वारणैः पतितै राजन् वाजिभिश्च नरैः सह। अदृश्यत मही कार्णा वातभग्नैरिव दुमैः॥
With fallen elephants, horses and men, the Earth became covered and looked as if covered with trees broken by the force of the wind.
ते वध्यमानाः समरे भीमचापच्युतैः शरैः। प्राद्रवंस्तावका योधाः किमेतदिति चाब्रुवन्॥
Wounded with the arrows shot from Bhima's bow, your troops then began to fly away from the field saying what is it?
ततो व्युदस्तं तत सैन्यंसिन्धुसौवीरकौरवम्। प्रोत्सारितं महावेगैः कर्णपाण्ड्योः शरैः॥
That host composed of the Sindhus, the Souviras and the Kauravas, afflicted and wounded with the terrible shafts of Bhima and
ते
Karna, was then driven back to a great distance.
शूरा हतभूयिष्ठा हताश्वरथवारणाः। उत्सृज्य भीमकर्णौ च सर्वतो व्यद्रवन् दिशः॥
Then those heroes, with their ranks thinned and their horses and elephants slain, fled in all directions, leaving Bhima and Karna on the field.
नूनं पार्थार्थमेवास्मान् मोहयन्ति दिवौकसः। यत् कर्णभीमप्रभवैर्वध्यते नो बलं शरैः॥
'Indeed for the sake of the Parthas even the gods are robbing us of our senses, inasmuch as those arrows shot both by Bhima and Karna and slaying us.'
एवं ब्रुवाणा योधास्ते तावका भयपीडिताः। शरपातं समुत्सृज्य स्थिता युद्धदिदृक्षवः॥
Speaking such words, your warriors, struck with panic as they were, stood at a distance out of the range of arrows, for witnessing the combat.
ततः प्रावर्तत नदी घोररूपा रणाजिरे। शूराणां हर्षजननी भीरूणां भयवर्धिनी॥
Then on the field of battle a terrible river started up into existence and began to flow there adding to the joy of heroes and to the feat of the cowards.
वारणाश्वमनुष्याणां रुधिरौघसमुद्भवा। संवृता गतसत्त्वैश्च मनुष्यगजवाजिभिः॥
It caused by the blood of elephants, horses and men. Covered with the lifeless bodies of men, elephants and horses;
सानुकर्षपताकैश्च द्विपाश्वरथभूषणैः। स्यन्दनैरपविद्धैश्च भग्नचक्राक्षकूबरैः॥
With flag-staffs and car-bottoms; with ornaments of cars, elephants and steeds; with shattered chariots, wheels, axels and Kuvaras;
जातरूपपरिष्कारैर्धनुर्भिः सुमहाखनैः। सुवर्णपु?रिषुभिर्नाराचैश्च सहस्रशः॥
With gold-decked bows of fierce twang and with thousands of arrows and darts furnished with wings of gold.
कर्णपाण्डवनिर्मुक्तैर्निर्मुक्तैरिव पन्नगैः। प्रासतोमरसंघातैः खङ्गैश्च सपरश्वधैः॥
Shot by Bhima and Karna and resembling snakes just freed from their sloughs; with numerous lances, javelins, swords and battle axes.
सुवर्णविकृतैश्चापि गदामुसलपट्टिशैः। ध्वजैश्च विविधाकारैः शक्तिभिः परिधैरपि॥
With maces and clubs and axes all adorned with gold; with standards of various descriptions and darts and piked bludgeons;
शतघ्नीभिश्च चित्राभिर्बभौ भारत मेदिनी। कनकाङ्गदहारैश्च कुण्डलैर्मुकुटैस्तथा॥ वलयैरपविद्धैश्च तत्रैवाङ्गुलिवेष्टकैः। चूडामणिभिरुष्णीषैः स्वर्णसूत्रैश्च मारिष॥ तनुत्रैः सतलत्रैश्च हारैर्निष्कैश्च भारत। वस्त्रैश्छत्रैश्च विध्वस्तैश्चामरव्यजनैरपि॥ गजाश्वमनुजैभिन्नैः शोणिताक्तैश्च पत्रिभिः। तैस्तैश्च विविधौर्भिन्नस्तत्र तत्र वसुंधरा॥ पतितैरपविद्धैश्च विबभौ द्यौरिव ग्रहैः। अचिन्त्यमद्भुतं चैव तयोः कर्मातिमानुषम्॥ दृष्ट्वा चारणसिद्धानां विस्मयः समजायत। अग्नेर्वायुसहायस्य गतिः कक्ष इवाहवे॥ आसीद् भीमसहायस्य रौद्रमाधिरथर्गतम्। निपातितध्वजरथं हतवाजिनरद्विपम्॥ गजाभ्यां सम्प्रयुक्ताभ्यामासीन्नलवनं यथा। मेघजालनिभं सैन्यमासीत् तव नराधिप॥ विमर्दः कर्णभीमाभ्यामासीच परमो रणे।
And with beautiful Sataghnis, the earth looked, O Bharata beautiful, Strewn all over with ear-rings and neck-laces of gold and fallen-off bracelets and rings and precious gems worn on diadems and crowns and turbans and golden ornaments of diverse kinds and armours and leathern fences and elephantgirths and umbrellas dropped from their place and chamaras and fans; with the mangled bodies of elephants steeds and men; with arrows bathed in blood and with various other objects lying scattered about loosened from their places, the field of battle appeared beautiful like the sky bespangled with the planets. Beholding their inconceivable, wonderful and super-human feats, the Siddha and the Charanas were filled with surprise. The son of Adhiratha engaged with Bhima coursed on the field in the same way as fire helped on by the wind courses through an extended heap of fuel; both of them cut down numerous standards and chariots and slew countless horses, men and elephants. They fought on like a pair of elephants crushing forests of reeds, when engaged with each other. O ruler of men, then your host looked like a mass of clouds and the carnage caused by Karna and Bhima in that battle was terrible to the extreme.