संजय उवाच प्रियमिन्द्रस्य सततं सखायममितौजसम्। हत्वा प्राग्ज्योतिषं पार्थः प्रदक्षिणमवर्तत॥
Sanjaya said Having slain the ruler of the Pragjyotisas who was the friend and favourite of Indra and who was possessed of immeasurable prowess, the son of Pritha circumambulated him.
ततो गान्धारराजस्य सुतौ परपुरंजयौ। अर्देतामर्जुनं संख्ये भ्रातरौ वृषकाचलौ॥
Thereafter, Vrisaka and Achala, the two sons of the king of the Gandharas, both competent to subjugate hostile cities, began to afflict the son of Pandu in battle.
तौ समेत्यार्जुनं वीरौ पुरु पश्चाच्च धन्विनौ। अविध्येतां महावेगैर्निशितैराशुगै शम्॥
Those two heroic bowmen assailing Arjuna simultaneously from the rear and the van, began to pierce him with swift-flying arrows coursing with vehemence.
वृषकस्य हयान् सूतं धनुश्छत्रं रथं ध्वजम्। तिलशोव्यधमत् पार्थः सौबलस्य शितैः शरैः॥
Thereupon with whetted shafts, Pritha's son cut-off into fragments the steeds the charioteer, the bow, the standard, the umbrella and the chariot of Vrishaka the son of Subala.
ततोऽर्जुनः शरवातै नाप्रहरणैरपि। गान्धारानाकुलांश्चक्रे सौबलप्रमुखान् पुनः॥
Thereafter Arjuna with showers of arrows and various other weapons, began to afflict the Gandharas headed by Subala and others.
ततः पञ्चशतान् वीरान् गान्धारानुद्यतायुधान्। प्राहिणोन्मृत्युलोकाय क्रुद्धो बाणैर्धनंजयः॥
Then wrought up with wrath, Dhananjaya dispatched, by means of his arrows, to the regions of Death, five hundred heroic Gandhara warriors with their weapons held over their heads.
हताश्वात् तु रथात् तूर्णनवतीर्य महाभुजः। आरुरोह रथं भ्रातुरन्यच्च धनुराददे॥
Meanwhile the mighty-armed Vrishaka alighting from his chariot of which the horses were slain, ascended the car of his brother with agility and grasped another bow.
तावेकरथमारूढौ भ्रातरौ वृषकाचलौ। शरवर्षेण बीभत्सुमविध्येतां मुहुर्मुहुः॥
Then those two heroic brothers Vrishaka and Achala, both riding on the self same car, began incessantly to pierce Pritha's son with their arrowy downpour.
स्यालौ तव महात्मानौ राजानौ वृषकाचलौ। भृशं विजनतुः पार्थमिन्द्रं वृत्रबलाविव॥
Then those two kings, your brothers-in-law, viz., Vrishaka and Achala of illustrious souls, began to wound Partha sorely, like Bala or Vritra wounding Indra himself.
लब्धलक्ष्यौ तु गान्धारावहतां पाण्डवं पुनः। निदाघवार्षिकौ मासौ लोकं धर्मोशु भिर्यथा।॥
The two Gandhara kings of unerring aims, again and again pierced Pandu's son like the summer and the rainy months of the year piercing the world with heat and rain respectively.
तौ रथस्थौ नरव्याघ्रौ राजानौ वृषकाचलौ। संश्लिष्टाङ्गौ स्थितौ राजञ्जघानेकेषुणाऽर्जुनः॥
Thereat, O monarch, Arjuna with a single shaft slew those two foremost of men, those two princes, viz., Vrishaka and Achala who had been riding on the same chariot side by side.
तौ स्थात् सिंहसंकाशौ लोहिताक्षौ महाभुजौ। राजन् सम्पेततुर्वीरौ सोदर्यावेकलक्षणौ॥
Thereupon those two heroic brothers with red eyes, possessed on long arms, having similar features and looking like two lions, fell down from their car.
तयोर्भूमिं गतौ देहौ रथाद् बन्धुजनप्रियौ। यशो दश दिशः पुण्यं गमयित्वा व्यवस्थितौ॥
Then their bodies, so much tended by their friends and favourities, falling from the car, lay prostrate on the Earth, spreading sacred fame in all the ten points of the compass.
दृष्ट्वा विनिहतौ संख्ये मातुलावपलायिनौ। भृशं मुमुचुरश्रूणि पुत्रास्तव विशाम्पते॥
Thereafter, O ruler of men, your sons beholding their two unretreating and heroic maternal uncles slain, began unceasingly to discharge weapons.
निहतौ भ्रातरौ दृष्ट्वा मायाशतविशारदः। कृष्णौ सम्मोहयन् मायां विदधे शकुनिस्ततः॥
Then, conversant with hundred kinds of illusion, Shakuni beholding his two brothers slain spread a mighty illusion for confounding the two Krishnas.
लगुडायोगुडाश्मानः शतघ्नयश्च सशक्तयः। गदापरिघनिस्त्रिंशशूलमुद्गरपट्टिशाः॥ सकम्पनर्टिनखरा मुसलानि परश्वधाः। क्षुराः क्षुरप्रनालीका वत्सदन्तास्थिसन्धयः॥ चक्राणि विशिखाः प्रासा विविधान्यायुधानि च। प्रपेतुः शतशो दिग्भ्यः प्रदिग्भ्यश्चार्जुनं प्रति॥
Then clubs, iron-balls, Shataghnis, rocks, darts, maces, bludgeons, swords, tridents, mallets, battle-axes, kampanas scimitars, nails, Mushalas, axes, razors, horse-shoe-headed arrows, Nalikas, Vatsadantas and shafts of bony-heads, discuses, Vishikhas, lances and many other kinds of weapons began to fall upon Arjuna from all the cardinal and subsidiary points of the compass.
खरोष्ट्रमहिषा: सिंहा व्याघ्राः सृमरचित्रकाः। ऋक्षाः शालावृका गृध्राः कपयश्च सरीसृपाः॥ विविधानि च रक्षांसि क्षुधितान्यर्जुनं प्रति। संक्रुद्धान्यभ्यधावन्त विविधानि वयांसि च॥
Also asses, camels, buffalo's, tigers, lions, deer, leopards, bears, wolves, bears, wolves, vultures, monkeys and various reptiles and diverse kinds of Rakshasas and fights of birds, all burning with hunger and rage, assailed Arjuna from all sides.
ततो दिव्यास्त्रविच्छूरः कुन्तीपुत्रो धनंजयः। विसृजन्निषुजालानि सहसा तान्यताडयत्॥
Thereat that heroic son of Kunti, by name Dhananjaya, versed in the use of celestial weapons, discharging a net-work of arrows, simultaneously attacked them all.
ते हन्यमानाः शूरेण प्रवरैः सायकैलैः। विरुवन्तो महारावान् विनेशुः सर्वतो हताः॥
Attacked by that hero with excellent and strong airways, those beasts and reptiles and birds, emitting loud yells of agony, began to give the ghost up on the field of battle.
ततस्तमः प्रादुरभूदर्जुनस्य रथं प्रति। तस्माच्च तमसो वाचः क्रूराः पार्थमभर्त्सयन्॥
Thereupon Arjuna's chariot was enveloped in a pall of gloom and harsh voices were heard to reproach Arjuna from within that gloom.
भयकर्तृ महाहवे। उत्तमास्त्रेण महता ज्यौतिषेणार्जुनोऽवधीत्॥
Then in that fierce battle, Arjuna, with a mighty and lustrous weapon of the finest make
तत् तमो भैरवं घोरं
called Gotishka, dispelled that dreadful and palpable darkness capable of inspiring every one with terror.
हते तसिमञ्जलौघास्तु प्रादुरासन् भयानकाः। अम्भसस्तस्य नाशार्थमादित्यास्त्रमथार्जुनः॥ प्रायुक्ताम्भस्ततस्तेन प्रायशोऽस्त्रेण शोषितम्। एवं बहुविधा मायाः सौबलस्य कृताः कृताः॥
When that gloom had been dispelled, frightful waves of waters started into existence. Thereupon for destroying these water-waves, Arjuna discharged the Aditya weapon; that weapon then dried up almost all the waterwaves. Thus various kinds of illusions created by Subala's son.
जधानास्त्रबलेनाशु प्रहसनर्जुनस्तदा। तदा हतासु मायासु त्रस्तोऽर्जुनशराहतः॥
Arjuna smilingly nullified, by means of the virtue of his weapons. When all his illusions had been nullified, struck with the arrows of Arjuna and seized with terror.
अपाजाज्जवनैरश्वैः शकुनिः प्राकृतो यथा। ततोऽर्जुनोऽस्त्रविच्छैघ्यं दर्शयन्नात्मनोऽरिषु॥
Shakuni fled like a mean deserter being borne away by fleet coursers. Then Arjuna conversant with the use of all weapons, displaying to his foes his great lighthandedness.
अभ्यवर्षच्छरौघेण कौरवाणामनीकिनीम्। सा हन्यमाना पार्थेन तव पुत्रस्य वाहिनी॥
Poured showers of arrows on the host of the Kauravas. Then that army of your son, thus smashed by Pritha's son.
द्वैधीभूता महाराज गङ्गेवासाद्य पर्वतम्। द्रोणमेवान्वपद्यन्त केचित् तत्र नरर्षभाः॥
Became split up in twain, like a current of Ganges water dividing into two streams when it is obstructed by a hillock. Some among those foremost of men, then sought shelter from Drona.
केचिद् दुर्योधनं राजन्नद्यमानाः किरीटिना। नापश्याम ततस्त्वेनं सैन्ये वै रजसावृते॥
And others, O king, being afflicted sore by the diadem-decked Arjuna, flew towards Duryodhana's division. Then we could not see Arjuna, as the army was enveloped in a cloud of dust.
गाण्डीवस्य च निर्घोषः श्रुतो दक्षिणतो मया। शङ्खदुन्दुभिनिर्घोषं वादित्राणां च निःस्वनम्॥
I could then only hear the twang of the Gandiva-bow on my right side, as also the sound and blare of conch-shells and drums and the din of many other musical instruments.
गाण्डीवस्य तु निर्घोषोव्यतिक्रम्यास्पृशद् दिवम्। ततः पुनर्दक्षिणतः संग्रामश्चित्रयोधिनाम्॥
But rising above all those noise and din, the twang of the Gandiva reached the very heavens. Then on the Southern part of the field, again raged a fight between numerous warriors on the one side.
सुयुद्धं चार्जुनस्यासीदहं तु द्रोणमन्वियाम्। यौधिष्ठिराभ्यनीकानि प्रहरन्ति ततस्ततः॥
And Arjuna on the other. I, however, followed Drona's division. Then the diverse divisions of Yudhishthira's army began to strike down the eneiny's host on the field.
नानाविधान्यनीकानि पुत्राणां तव भारत। अर्जुनो व्यधमत् काले दिवीवाभ्राणि मारुतः॥
Then, O Bharata, like wind scattering masses of clouds in the heavens, Arjuna began to scatter the various divisions composing the army of your son.
तु वासवमिवायान्तं भूरिवर्षं शरौघिणम्। महेष्वासा नरव्याघ्रा नोग्रं केचिदवारयन्॥
None could then resist that fierce bowmen, that excellent of all male beings, as he advanced, like Indra, pouring incessantly showers of arrows.
ते हन्यमानाः पार्थेन त्वदीया व्यथिता भृशम्। स्वानेव बहवो जघ्नुर्विद्रवन्तस्ततस्ततः॥
Then all those troops of yours, thus slaughtered by Partha and overwhelmed with intense pain, began to fly and in flying crushed many of their own number.
तेऽर्जुनेन शरा मुक्ताः कङ्कपत्रास्तनुच्छिदः। शलभा इव सम्पेतुः संवृण्वाना दिशो दश॥
The arrows, sped by Arjuna, furnished with wings of Kanka feather and capable of piercing into every body, began to fall even like flights of locusts covering all the ten points of the compass.
तुरंग रथिनं नागं पदातिमपि मारिष। विनिर्भिद्य क्षिति जग्मुर्वल्मीकमिव पन्नगाः॥
Those arrows, O sire, penetrating through horses, car-warriors, elephants and footsoldiers, entered the earth, like snakes entering their holes in ant-hills.
न च द्वितीयं व्यसृजत् कुञ्जराश्वनरेषु सः। पृथगेकशरा रुग्णा निपेतुस्ते गतासवः॥
Arjuna did not shoot more than one arrow at any elephant, man or horse. Each of these, afflicted by one shaft only, began to fall down and give up the ghost on the field.
हतैर्मनुष्यैर्द्विरदैश्च सर्वतः शराभिसृष्टैश्च हयैर्निपातितः। तदा श्वगोमायुबलाभिनादितं विचित्रमायोधशिरोबभूव तत्॥
Over-strewn with slain men and elephants and horses mangled with arrows and filled with the yells of dogs and jackals, the field of battle assumed an awful appearance.
पिता सुतं त्यजति सुहृद्वरं सुहृत् तथैव पुत्रः पितरं शरातुरः। स्त्यजन्ति वाहानपि पार्थपीडिताः॥
Afflicted with arrows, then father deserted his son, friend forsook his friend and son abandoned his father. Then with their hearts intent on saying themselves, men even forsook their very vehicles, being pained by the arrows of Partha.