अर्जुन उवाच चोदयाश्वान् हृषीकेश यत्र दुर्मर्षणः स्थितः। एतद् भित्त्वा गजानीकं प्रवेक्ष्याम्यरिवाहिनीम्॥
Arjuna said Drive, O Hrishikesha, the horses to the spot where Durmarsana stands. Penetrating through this division of elephants. I shall enter into the heart of the hostile army.
संजय उवाच एवमुक्तो महाबाहुः केशवः सव्यसाचिना। अचोदयद्धयांस्तत्र यत्र दुर्मर्षणः स्थितः॥
Sanjaya said Thus spoken to by Savyasachin, the mighty-armed Keshava drove the steeds to the spot where Durmarsana was standing.
स समप्रहारस्तुमुलः सम्प्रवृत्तः सुदारुणः। एकस्य च बहूनां च रथनागनरक्षयः॥
Thereupon, there ensued a fearful and terrible encounter between the many and the one, encounter that was destructive of many cars, elephants and men.
ततः सायकवर्षेण पर्जन्य इव वृष्टिमान्। परानवाकिरत् पार्थः पर्वतानिव नीरदः॥
Then, like masses of clouds surcharged with rain drenching the mountain-breast with their contents. Pritha's son covered his enemies with his arrowy downpour.
ते चापि रथिनः सर्वे त्वरिताः कृतहस्तवत्। अवाकिरन् बाणजालैस्तत्र कृष्णधनंजयौ॥
The warriors of your army then with great lightness of hands, hastily covered Arjuna and Krishna with a net-work of arrows.
ततः क्रुद्धो महाबाहुर्वार्यमाणः परैयुधि। शिरांसि रथिनां पार्थः कायेभ्योऽपाहरच्छरैः। :॥
Then excited to the highest pitch of anger by his enemies, the mighty-armed Partha endued with great prowess, began to rob, with his arrows, the heads of car-warriors, from their trunks.
उद्भान्तनयनैर्वक्त्रैः संदष्टौष्ठपुटैः शुभैः। सकुण्डलशिरस्त्राणैर्वसुधा समकीर्यत॥
The Earth became overspread with handsome heads graced with ear-rings and head-gears, the lower lips bit by the upper ones and the faces adorned with eyes inflamed with rage.
पुण्डरीकवनानीव विध्यस्तानि समन्ततः। विनिकर्णानि योधानां वदनानि चकाशिरे॥
The countenance of the warriors scattered here and there, looked charming like an assemblage of plucked off lotuses lying crushed and strewn about the field.
तपनीयतनुत्राणाः संसिक्ता रुधिरेण च। संसक्ता इव दृश्यन्ते मेघसंघाः सविद्युतः॥
Armours of gold bespattered with blood and lying thick over the field, appeared like masses of clouds fringed with flashes of lightning.
शिरसां पततां राजशब्दोऽभूद् वसुधातले। कालेन परिपक्वानां तालानां पततामिव॥
The sound then created by the falling of heads on the earth, resembled that produced by the falling of ripe palm fruit.
ततः कबन्धं किंचित् तु धनुरालम्ब्य तिष्ठति। किंचित् खङ्गं विनिष्कृष्य भुजेनोद्यम्य तिष्ठति॥
Some headless tiunk were seen standing there, with their bows in grasp. Some again stood, with their drawn swords raised on air (for striking).
पतितानि न जानन्ति शिरांसि पुरुषर्षभाः। अमृष्यमाणाः संग्रामे कौन्तेयं जयगृद्धिनः॥
The (surviving) foremost of warriors, all resenting those feats of Arjuna, the son of Kunti and desirous of conquering him in battle, did not pay any regard to the fallen heads (of their brother warriors).
हयानामुत्तमाङ्गैश्च हस्तिहस्तैश्च मेदिनी। बाहुभिश्च शिरोभिश्च वीराणां समकीर्यत॥
The Earth became strewn over with the heads of horses, the trunks of elephants and the heads and arms of heroic warriors.
अयं पार्थः कुत पार्थ एष पार्थ इति प्रभो। तव सैन्येषु योधानां पार्थभूतमिवाभवत्॥
'This is Arjuna' 'Where is Partha' 'Here is Pritha's son'-0 master, even thus were the troops of your army then filled with the thought of Partha.
अन्योन्यमपि चाजघ्नुरात्मानमपि चापरे। पार्थभूतममन्यन्त जगत कालेन मोहिताः॥
They then began to strike one another and some of them again struck their ownselves. Confounded by Time, they then beheld the world to be full of battle only.
निष्टनन्तः सरुधिरा विसंज्ञा गाढवेदनाः। शयाना बहयो वीराः कीर्तयन्तः स्वबान्धवान्॥
Uttering cries of agony, steeped in blood, deprived of consciousness, suffering excruciating plain, many heroes prostrate on the field of battle, began to summon their friends and relatives, for succour.
सभिन्दिपालाः सप्रासा: सशक्त्यृष्टिपरश्वधाः। सनियूहाः सनिस्त्रिंशाः सशरासनतोमराः॥
Holding Bhindipalas or lances or darts or swords or battle-axes or piked stakes or scimitars or bows or Tomaras.
सबाणवर्माभरणाः सगदाः साङ्गदा रणे। महाभुजगसंकाशा बाहवः परिघोपमाः॥ उद्वेष्टन्ति विचेष्टन्ति संचेष्टन्ति च सर्वशः। वेगं कुर्वन्ति संरब्धा निकृत्ताः परमेषुभिः॥
Or shaft or maces and covered with mail and adorned with Angadas and other ornaments and looking like huge snakes and resembling large bludgeons, hands cut-off with mighty weapons from the trunks, were seen to leap, jump and jerk about with great force, as if in rage.
यो यः स्म समरे पार्थे प्रतिसंचरते नरः। तस्य तस्यान्तको बाणः शरीरमुपसर्पति॥
Whoever then ventured to advance in rage against Partha, had a fatal shafts discharged by that hero, stuck deep on his body.
नृत्यतो रथमार्गेषु धनुर्व्यायच्छतस्तथा। न कश्चित् तत्र पार्थस्य ददृशोऽन्तरमण्वपि॥
Not the slightest flew was then detected in Pritha's son, as he danced in the terrace of his chariot and stretched his mighty bow.
यत्तस्य घटमानस्य क्षिप्रं विक्षिपतः शरान्। लाघवात् पाण्डुपुत्रस्य व्यस्मयन्त परे जनाः॥
The troops belonging to the party hostile to him, were then amazed by beholding the lightness of hands with which he took out his shafts, placed them on the bow-string and discharged them.
हस्तिनं हस्तियन्तारमश्वमाश्विकमेव च। अभिनत् फाल्गुनो बाणै रथिनं च ससारथिम्॥
Then Phalguna with his arrows penetrated elephants and their drivers, horses and their riders and car-warriors with their car-drivers.
आवर्तमानमावृत्तं युध्यमानं च पाण्डवः। प्रमुखे तिष्ठमानं च न किंचिन्न निहन्ति सः॥
There was none among the hostile troop, whether standing in front of him or exerting in battle or moving about or urged on, whom the arrows discharged by Arjuna did not pierce through.
यथोदयन् वै गगने सूर्यो हन्ति महत् ममः। तथार्जुनो गजानीकमवधीत् कङ्कपत्रिभिः॥
Just as the sun rising in the heavens destroys deep darkness (of night), so did Arjuna destroy elephant with his arrows furnished with wings of Kanka-feathers.
हस्तिभिः पतितैर्भिन्नैस्तव सैन्यमदृश्यत। अन्तकाले यथा भूमिळवकीर्णा महीधरैः॥
That part of the field occupied by your troops looked like the Earth at the hour of dessolution, covered with hillocks, in consequence of its being strewn over with fallen and mangled elephants.
यथा मध्यन्दिने सूर्यो दुष्प्रेक्ष्यः प्राणिभिः सदा। तथा धनंजयः क्रुद्धो दुष्प्रेक्ष्यो युधि शत्रुभिः॥
Just as the sun shining in the meredian is incapable of being looked at by beings, so then in that battle, Dhananjaya inflamed with rage, was incapable of being looked at by his enemies.
तत् तथा तव पुत्रस्य सैन्यं युधि परंतप। प्रभग्नं द्रुतमाविग्नमतीव शरपीडितम्॥
Then O scorcher of foes, the troops of your son afflicted with the arrows of Arjuna, deserted their ranks and fled from the field.
मारुतेनेव महता मेघानीकं व्यदीर्यत। प्रकाल्यमानं तत् सैन्यं नाशकत् प्रतिवीक्षितुम्॥
Like the tempest scattering and tearing a mass of cloud, Arjuna then routed your army; when he was thus afflicting the army, none could turn his eyes towards him.
प्रतोदैश्चापकोटीभिर्हङ्कारैः साधुवाहितैः। कशापाय॑भिघातैश्च वाग्भिरुग्राभिरेव च॥ चोदयन्तो हयांस्तूर्णे पलायन्ते स्म तावकाः। सादिनो रथिनश्चैव पत्तयश्चार्जुनार्दिताः॥
Afflicted by Arjuna, you troops viz., the cavalry, the infantry and the car-warriors, fled in all haste from the field of battle, urging their horses to the top of their speed by goadstrokes, by stroke of the horns of their bows, by growls, by encouraging commands, by who's by (dagger) cuts on their flanks and also by threatening speeches.
पाष्णर्यंङ्गुष्टाङ्कुशे गं चादयन्तस्तथा परे। शरैः सम्मोहिताश्चान्ये तमेवाभिमुखा ययुः। तव योधा हतोत्साहा विभ्रान्तमनसस्तदा।॥
Others (riding on elephants) fled urging their huge by pressing their sides with toes or with the stroke of the hooks; others again confounded by Parthas arrows, even fled to the direction of Partha himself. Thus then all your warriors were deprived of sense and their minds also became distracted.