None: Chapter 168

Fight of Sahadeva

संजय उवाच विराटं सहसेनं तु द्रोणं वै द्रुतमागतम्। मद्रराजः शरौघेण च्छादयामास धन्विनम्॥
Sanjaya said The king of Madra, with a down-pours of arrow, covered on all sides Virata, who, accompanied by his division, was proceeding quickly for (the slaughter ot) Drona.

तयोः समभवद् युद्धं समरे दृढधन्विनोः। यादृशं ह्यभवद् राजञ्जम्भवासवयोः पुरा॥
(And) between those two strong bowmen ensued a battle, Oking, like that which had taken place between Bali and Vasava in days of yore.

मद्रराजो महाराज विराटं वाहिनीपतिम्। आजने त्वरितस्तूर्णं शतेन नतपर्वणाम्॥
The king of Madra, O great monarch, displaying great alacrity, quickly wounded Virata, the chief of a great force, with straight arrows.

प्रतिविव्याध तं राजन् नवभिर्निशितैः शरैः। पुनश्चैनं त्रिसप्तत्या भूयश्चैव शतेन तु॥
King (Virata also) pierced him in returm with nine sharpened arrows, again with seventy-three and once more with a hundred.

तस्य मद्राधिपो हत्वा चतुरो स्थवाजिनः। सूतं ध्वजं च समरे शराभ्यां संन्यपातयत्॥
The king of Madra, (also) destroying the four horses of his car, cut down with two shafts, in that engagement, the umbrella and the standard (of Virata).

हताश्वात् तु रथात् तूर्णमवप्लुत्य महारथः। तस्थौ विस्फारयंश्चापं विमुञ्चश्च शिताञ्छरान्॥
That lord of the earth (i.e., Virata) jumping down from his car, the steeds of which were destroyed, stood, drawing his bow and shooting keen darts.

शतानीकस्ततो दृष्ट्वा भ्रातरं हतवाहनम्। रथेनाभ्यपतत् तूर्णं सर्वलोकस्य पश्यतः॥
Witnessing the destruction of his brother's steeds, Shatanika quickly came up (there), in the very sight of all the troops.

शतानीकमथायान्तं मद्रराजो महामृधे। विशिखैर्बहुभिर्विद्ध्वा ततो निन्ये यमक्षयम्॥
That lord of the earth, that is, the king of Madra, having with numerous shafts pierced Shatanika who was advancing (against him), sent him to the abode of Yama.

तस्मिस्तु निहते वीरे विराटो रथसत्तमः। ततो विस्फार्य नयने क्रोधाद् द्विगुणविक्रमः। मद्रराजरथं तूर्णं छादयामास पत्रिभिः॥
The heroic (Shatanika) being slain, Virata, the chief of a great force, (abandoning his steed-less car, ascended to that (of his brother). Then, his eyes rolling (in ire) and his strength doubled with indignation, (he) quickly covered the car of the king of Madra with arrows.

ततो मद्राधिपः क्रुद्धः शरेणानतपर्वणा। आजधानोरसि दृढं विराटं वाहिनीपतिम्॥
Therefore the king of Madra, inflamed with wrath, struck Virata, the chief of a large force, furiously in the chest with a hundred straight arrows.

सोऽतिविद्धो महाराज रथोपस्थ उपाविशत्। कश्मलं चाविशत् तीव्र विराटो भरतर्षभ॥
The mighty car-warrior Virata thus pierced home by the puissant (Shalya) sat down on the terrace of his car and soon fainted away.

सारथिस्तमपोवाह समरे शरविक्षतम्। ततः सा महती सेना प्राद्रवन्निशि भारत॥
His charioteer then bore him (i.e. Virata) away who was mangled with arrows in battle. Then, O Bharata, during that night, that large army (of Virata) began to take to flight.

वध्यमाना शरशतैः शल्येनाहवशोभिना। तां दृष्ट्वा विद्रुतां सेनां वासुदेवधनंजयौ॥
Slaughtered with hundreds of arrows by Shalya, that ornament of battle, witnessing the flight of that army, Vasudeva and Dhananjaya.

प्रयातौ तत्र राजेन्द्र यत्र शल्यो व्यवस्थितः। तौ तु प्रत्युद्ययौ राजन् राक्षसेन्द्रो ह्यलम्बुषः॥
Came to that spot, O king of kings, where Shalya was. Against them both, O king, advanced Alambusha, the lord of the Rakshasas. wide open

अष्टचक्रसमायुक्तमास्थाय प्रवरं रथम्। तुरङ्गममुखैर्युक्तं पिशाचै?रदर्शनैः॥
Riding on an excellent eight-wheeled car drawn by terrible-looking Pishachas having faced like those of cows.

लोहितार्द्रपताकं तं रक्तमाल्यविभूषितम्। कार्णायसमयं घोरमृक्षचर्मसमावृतम्॥
That terrible car was furnished with bloodred banners, adorned with garlands made of black iron and covered with bear skins.

रौद्रेण चित्रपक्षण विवृताक्षेण कूजता। ध्वजेनोच्छ्रितदण्डेन गृध्रराजेन राजता॥
And it was furnished with a tall standard on which sat a fierce vulture of spotted wings, having eyes wide open and shrieking incessantly.

स बभौ राक्षसो राजन् भिन्नाञ्जनचयोपमः। रुरोधार्जुनमायान्त प्रभञ्जनमिवाद्रिराट्॥
That Rakshasa, who, O monarch, looked like a loose heap of antimony, checked the Aadvancing Arjuna as the mountain Meru (resists) a hurricane.

किरन् बाणगणान् राजशतशोऽर्जुनमूर्धनि। अतितीवं महद् युद्धं नरराक्षसयोस्तदा॥
By incessant discharges of arrows, O king, on the head of Arjuna. The battle that commenced between the man (i.e. Arjuna) and the Rakshasa was exceedingly hot and furious.

द्रष्ट्णां प्रीतिजननं सर्वेषां तत्र भारता मृध्रकाकबलोलूककङ्कगोमायुहर्षणम्॥
Causing delight to all the lookers on there, O Bharata and filling the vultures and the crows and the ravens and the owls and the Kankas and the jackals with joy.

तमर्जुनः शतेनैव पत्रिणां समताडयत्। नवभिश्च शितैर्बाणैर्ध्वजं चिच्छेद भारत।॥
Arjuna, (then), struck Alamvusa with his arrows and with ten keen darts cut down his standard.

सारथिं च त्रिभिर्बाणैसिभिरेव त्रिवेणुकम्। धनुरेकेन चिच्छेद चतुर्भिश्चतुरो हयान्॥
(And) with three darts he cut-off his charioteer, with three more his Trivenu, with one his bow and with four his horses.

पुनः सज्यं कृतं चापं तदप्यस्य द्विधाच्छिनत्। विरथस्योद्यतं खङ्गं शरेणास्य द्विधाकरोत्॥ अथैनं निशितैर्बाणैश्चतुर्भिर्भरतर्षभ।
(The Rakshasa) took up another stringed bow again but (Arjuna) cut it off in two fragments. Then O foremost of the Bharatas, with four sharpened arrows.

पार्थोऽविध्यद् राक्षसेन्द्रं स विद्धः प्राद्रवद् भयात्।।२४ तं विजित्यार्जुनस्तूर्णं द्रोणान्तिकमुपाययौ।
The son of Pritha pierced the lord of the Rakshasas, who, thus pierced, took to flight in terror. Having defeated him, Arjuna quickly advanced towards Drona.

किरशरगणान् राजन् नरवारणवाजिषु॥ वध्यमाना महाराज पाण्डवेन यशस्विना।
Discharging numerous arrows, O king, at men, elephants and horses. O mighty monarch, slaughtered by that renowned Pandava.

सैनिका न्यपतन्नुर्व्या वातुनुन्ना इव दुमाः॥ तेषु तूत्साद्यमानेषु फाल्गुनेन महात्मना। सम्प्राद्रवद् बलं सर्वं पुत्राणां ते विशाम्पते॥
The soldiers fell down like trees levelled (on the ground) by a storm. Thus slaughtered by that renowned Pandava all the soldiers (of your son) ran away like a terror-stricken herd of deer.