संजय उवाच यन्मां पार्थस्य संग्रामे कर्माणि परिपृच्छसि। तच्छृणुष्व महाबाहो पार्थो यदकरोद् रणे॥
Sanjaya said As you have enquired of me of the feats of Partha in that battle, hear, O you of mighty arms, what he achieved in that battle.
रजो दृष्ट्वा समुद्भूतं श्रुत्वा च गजनिःस्वनम्। भगदत्ते विकुर्वाणे कौन्तेयः कृष्णमब्रवीत्॥
Seeing the cloud of dust and hearing the noise created by the troops when Bhagadatta was achieving feats of valour, the son of Kunti thus addressed Krishna.
यथा प्राग्ज्योतिषो राजा गजेन मधुसूदन। त्वरमाणो विनिष्क्रान्तो ध्रुवं तस्यैष नि:स्वनः॥
O slayer of Madhu, as the ruler of the Pragjyotisas has advanced with impetuosity to the battle, riding on his elephant, this loud noise may be attributed to him.
इन्द्रादनवरः संख्ये गजयानविशारदः। प्रथमो गजयोधानां पृथिव्यामिति मे मतिः॥
Well-versed in the management of his vehicle the elephant, he is in no way interior to Indra in battle; and I think, he is either the first or the second of all the elephant warriors on the face of this earth.
स चापि द्विरदश्रेष्ठः सदाऽप्रतिगजो युधि। सर्वशस्त्रातिग: संख्ये कृतकर्मा जितक्लमः॥
His elephant is also the foremost of the species, whom no rival dares encounter in battle; the animal is well accomplished in all tactics and indefatigable and beyond the reach of all weapons in battle.
सहः शस्त्रनिपातानामग्निस्पर्शस्य चानघ। स पाण्डवबलं सर्वमबैको नाशयिष्यति॥
sinless one, that elephant capable of bearing the showers of all kinds of weapon and even the tongues of fire, will alone, this day, destroy all the troops of the Pandavas.
न चावाभ्यामृतेऽनयोऽस्ति शक्तस्तं प्रतिबाधितुम्। त्वरमाणस्ततो याहि यतः प्रज्ज्योतिषाधिपः॥
Save and except us two, there is none who is capable of resisting that animal. Therefore with speed do you drive where the ruler of the Pragjyotisas is.
दृप्तं संख्ये द्विपबलाद् वयसा चापि विस्मितम्। अद्यैनं प्रेषयिष्यामि बलहन्तुः प्रियातिथिम्॥
I will, this very day, send, as a dear guest to the slayer of Bala (Indra), this my adversary who is proud of the prowess of his elephant and of his venerable age, in battle.
वचनादथ कृष्णस्तु प्रययो सव्यसाचिनः। दीर्यते भगदत्तेन यत्र पाण्डववाहिनी॥
No sooner had Arjuna uttered these words than Krishna drove to the spot where Bhagadatta had been crushing and shattering the Pandava ariny. on
तं प्रयान्तं ततः पश्चादाह्वयन्तो महारथाः। संशप्तकाः समारोहन् सहस्राणि चतुर्दश॥
As Arjuna winded his way towards Bhagadatta, the fourteen thousand mighty carwarriors, viz., the Samshaptakas summoned him delightfully from behind.
दशैव तु सहस्राणि त्रिगर्तानां महारथाः। चत्वारि च सहस्राणि वासुदेवस्य चानुगाः॥
Of these fourteen thousand, ten thousand mighty car-warriors belonged to the Trigartta clan and the remaining) four sand were the followers of the son of Vasudeva.
दीर्यमाणां चमू दृष्ट्वा भगदत्तेन मारिष। आहूयमानस्य च तैरभवद्धृदयं द्विधा॥
Beholding then the ranks of his own army broken by Bhagadatta and Osire, being summoned the other-hand by by the Samshaptakas, Arjuna was scen divided in his heart (purpose).
किं नु श्रेयस्करं कर्म भवेदद्येति चिन्तयन्। इह वा विनिवर्तेयं गच्छेयं वा युधिष्ठिरम्॥
He began to reflect-‘Which of these two acts will now be beneficial for me viz., to turn back to the Samshaptakas or to repair to Yudhishthira.'
तस्य बुद्ध्या विचार्यैवमर्जुनस्य कुरूद्वह। अभवद् भूयसी बुद्धिः संशप्तकवधे स्थिरा॥
Then, ( perpetuator of the race of the Kurus, deciding with the help of his understanding, Arjuna set his heart steadily on the destruction of the Samshaptakas.
स संनिवृत्तः सहसा कपिप्रवरकेतनः। एको रथसहस्राणि निहन्तुं वासवी रणे॥
Then that son of Vasava bearing the device of the money-chief on his standard, suddenly wheeled round with the intent of slaughtering, single handed, those thousands of car-warriors in battle.
सा हि दुर्योधनस्यासीन्मतिः कर्णस्य चोभयोः। अर्जुनस्य वधोपाये तेन द्वैधमकल्पयत्॥
Even this was what both Karna and Duryodhana had decided to be the means for bringing about the death of Arjuna; and for this they had planned the double encounter.
स तु दोलायमानोऽभूद् द्वैधीभावेन पाण्डवः। वधेन तु नराग्र्याणामकरोत् तां मृषा तदा॥
Then the son of Pandu wavered between his two purposes (of slaying the Samslaptakas and of meeting Bhagadatta). But he baffled the purposes of his enemies by slaying then the foremost among the Samshaptakas.
ततः शतसहस्राणि शराणां नतपर्वणाम्। असृजन्नर्जुने राजन् संशप्तकमहारथाः॥
Thereat, O monarch, the mighty carwarriors, of the Samshaptaka host showered upon Arjuna hundreds and thousands of straight-jointed shafts.
नैव कुन्तीसुतः पार्थो नैव कृष्णो जनार्दनः। न हया न रथो राजन् दृश्यन्ते स्म शरैश्चिताः॥
Covered with those shafts, neither the son of Kunti, namely Partha, nor Krishna the assuager of the grief of men, nor horses nor chariots, O monarch, could be seen.
तदा मोहमनुप्राप्तः सिष्विदे हि जनार्दनः। ततस्तान् प्रायशः पार्थो ब्रह्मास्त्रेण निजघ्निवान्॥
Then when Janardana was overwhelmed with a swoon and was covered with drops of perspiration, the son of Pritha tell to slaughter them in large numbers with his Brahma weapon.
शतशः पाणयश्छिन्नाः सेषुज्यातलकार्मुकाः। केतवो वाजिनः सूता रथिनश्चापतन् क्षितौ॥
Hundreds of arms with arrows, bow-strings and bows in their grasps, being severed and also, standards, horses, charioteers and carwarriors, all fell down on the earth.
द्रुमाचलाग्राम्बुधरैः समकायाः सुकल्पिता:। हतारोहाः क्षितौ पेतुर्द्विपाः पार्थशराहताः॥
Elephants, resembling in stature huge hills covered with trees or masses of rain clouds and furnished with trappings, having their riders slain, fell down on the ground being struck with the arrows of Partha.
॥ विप्रविद्धकुथा नागाश्छिन्नभाण्डाः परासवः। सारोहास्तु रणे पेतुर्मथिता मार्गणैर्भृशम्॥
Greatly afflicted with the shafts of Partha, steeds with riders on their backs, fell down dead on the ground, with their caparisons and reins severed and their Bandha rent.
सर्टिप्रासासिनखराः समुद्गरपरश्वधाः। विच्छिन्ना बाहवः पेतुर्नृणां भल्लैः किरीटिना॥
Severed by Kiritin with his board-headed arrows, the arms of men, having swords, lances and rapiers for their nail and grasping bludgeons, mallets and battle-axes, fell down.
बालादित्याम्बुजेन्दूनां तुल्यरूपाणि मारिष। संच्छिन्नान्यर्जुनशरैः शिरांस्युा प्रपेदिरे॥
Heads, O sire, resembling the rising sun or the lotus or the moon, being severed by the arrows of Arjuna, fell down on the earth.
जज्वालालंकृता सेना पत्रिभिः प्राणिभोजनैः। नानारूपैस्तदामित्रान् क्रुद्धे निम्नति फाल्गुने॥
When the enraged Phalguna had been thus slaying his foes, the forces seemed to be on fire, being struck with beautiful but deadly shafts of various appearances.
क्षोभयन्तं तदा सेनां द्विरदं नलिनीमिव। धनंजयं भूतगणाः साधु साध्वित्यपूजयन्॥
Then all beings honoured Dhananjaya, who had been agitating the forces like an elephant crushing the lotus-stalks, by saying 'Well done,' 'Well-done.
दृष्ट्वा तत् कर्म पार्थस्य वासवस्येव माधवः। विस्मयं परमं गत्वा प्राञ्जलिस्तमुवाच ह॥
Beholding that feat of the son of Pritha, which was equal to the one achieved by Vasava himself, Madhava, highly amazed thus spoke to the former, with his hands folded.
कर्मैतत् पार्थ शक्रेण यमेन धनदेन च। दुष्करं समरे यत् ते कृमद्येति मे मतिः॥
'I think, O Partha, the feat you have today achieved in battle is difficult of being performed even by Indra or Yama or Kubera himself.
युगपच्चैव संग्रामे शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः। पतिता एव मे दृष्टाः संशप्तकमहारथाः॥
I have seen today slay simultaneously in battle, hundreds and thousands of mighty carwarriors of the Samshaptaka host.'
संशप्तकांस्ततो हत्वा भूयिष्ठा ये व्यवस्थिताः। भगदत्ताय याहीति कृष्णं पार्थोऽभ्यनोदयत्॥
Then completely slaying those Samshaptakas who stayed in battle, Partha said to Krishna, ‘Now hasten towards Bhagadatta.'
युगपच्चैव संग्रामे शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः। पतिता एव मे दृष्टाः संशप्तकमहारथाः॥
I have seen today slay simultaneously in battle, hundreds and thousands of mighty carwarriors of the Samshaptaka host.'
संशप्तकांस्ततो हत्वा भूयिष्ठा ये व्यवस्थिताः। भगदत्ताय याहीति कृष्णं पार्थोऽभ्यनोदयत्॥
Then completely slaying those Samshaptakas who stayed in battle, Partha said to Krishna, ‘Now hasten towards Bhagadatta.'