संजय उवाच राजन् संग्राममाश्चर्यं शृणु कीर्तयतो मम। कुरूणां पाण्डवानां च यथा युद्धमवर्तत॥
Sanjaya said Hear from me, O king, as I relate to you, the description of the wonderful fight that then took place between the Kuru and the Pandavas.
भारद्वाजं समासाद्य व्यूहस्य प्रमुखे स्थितम्। अयोधयन् रणे पार्था द्रोणानीकं बिभित्सवः॥
Then the Parthas desirous of breaking through the Kuru array fought vigorously with Bharadvaja's son Drona, having encountered him at the head of his array.
रक्षमाणः स्वकं व्यूह द्रोणोऽपि सह सैनिकैः। अयोधयद् रणे पार्थान् प्रार्थयानो महद् यशः॥
Drona also, desirous of winning great fame, fought on with the Parthas, protecting his array and helped, in the encounter, by his own troops.
विन्दानुविन्दावावन्त्यौ विराटं दशभिः शरैः। आजघ्नतुः सुसंक्रुद्धौ तव पुत्रहितैषिणौ॥
Then the two Avanti princes Vinda and Anuvinda, those well-wishers of your son, inflamed with rage, pierced Virata with ten sharp arrows.
विराटश्च महाराज तावुभौ समरे स्थितौ। पराक्रान्तौ पराक्रम्य योधयामास सानुगौ॥
Virata mighty monarch, encountering in battle these two puissant heroes together with their followers, fought on cheerfully.
तेषां युद्धं समभवद् दारुणं शोणितोदकम्। सिंहस्य द्विपमुख्याभ्यां प्रभिन्नाभ्यां यथा वने ॥
A cruel and sanguinary combat raged between them, like that between a lion and a pair of elephants in rut, in a forest. also,
बाह्रीकं रभसं युद्धे याज्ञसेनिर्महाबलः। आजघ्ने विशिखैस्तीक्ष्णैरैर्मर्माथिभेदिभिः॥
The highly powerful son of Yajnasena pierced with force, Balhika, with dreadful and sharp arrows capable of penetrating to the very vitals and the bones.
बाह्नीको याज्ञसेनि तु हेमपुजैः शिलाशितैः। आजघान भूशं क्रुद्धो नवभिनतपर्वभिः॥
Thereupon Balhika also inflamed with rage, deeply struck Yajnasena's son with nine shafts of depressed knot, whetted on stone and furnished with golden wings.
तद् युद्धमभवद् घोरं शरशक्तिसमाकुलम्। भीरूणां त्रासजननं शूरूणां हर्षवर्धनम्॥
Then that battle raged furiously in which arrows, lances and darts were freely used and that inspired terror into the hearts of the cowards and delight into those of the heroes.
ताभ्यां तत्र शरैर्मुक्तैरन्तरिक्षं दिशस्तथा। अभवत् संवृतं सर्वे न प्राज्ञायत किंचन॥
Then with the arrows discharged by them, the welkin and the quarters became completely shrouded and nothing could be distinguished.
शैब्यो गोवासनो युद्धे काश्यपुत्रं महारथम्। ससैन्यो योधयामास गजः प्रतिगजं यथा॥
Shaivya the ruler of the Govasanas, with his troops, fought with that mighty car-warrior the son of Kasyapa, even as an elephant fights with its rival.
बाह्रीकराजः संकुद्धो द्रोपदेयान् महारथान्। मनः पञ्चेन्द्रियाणीव शुशुभे योधयन् रणे॥
Then the king of the Balhikas excited with wrath, fought with the mighty car-warriors, the sons of Draupadi; and then he shone like the soul fighting with five senses.
अयोधयस्ते सुभृशं तं शरौघैः समन्ततः। इन्द्रियार्था यथा देहं शश्वद् देहवतां वर॥
Those five princes, O foremost of embodied beings, fought with his discharging their numerous arrows, like the sense-objects ever fighting with the body.
वार्ष्णेयं सात्यकि युद्धे पुत्रो दुःशासनस्तव। आजघ्ने सायकैस्तीक्ष्णैर्नवभिनतपर्वभिः॥
Your son Dushasana struck in that battle Satyaki of the Vrishni race with nine sharp shafts of depressed knots;
सोऽतिविद्धो बलवता महेष्वासेन धन्विना। ईषन्मूर्छा जगामाशु सात्यकिः सत्यविक्रमः॥
Thereupon Satyaki of invincible prowess, being thus deeply pierced by that mighty and fierce bowman, was soon partially deprived of his senses.
समाश्वस्तस्तु वार्ष्णेयस्तव पुत्रं महारथम्। विव्याध दशभिस्तूर्णं सायकैः कङ्कपत्रिभिः॥
Then regaining his composure, he of the Vrishni race, pierced that mighty car-warrior viz., your son, with ten shafts furnished with wings of the Kanka feathers.
तावन्योन्यं दृढं विद्धावन्योन्यशरपीडितौ। रेजतुः समरे राजन् पुष्पिताविव किंशुकौ॥
Then those heroes piercing each other deeply and each afflicted with the shafts of the other, shone, Oking, like two blossoming Kinshuka trees.
अलम्बुषस्तु संक्रुद्धः कुन्तिभोजशरार्दितः। अशोभत भृशं लक्ष्म्या पुष्पाढ्य इव किंशुकः॥
Afflicting with the arrows of Kuntibhoja, Alambusha inflamed with wrath, appeared beautiful like a Kinshuka tree rich with the wealth of its flowers.
कुन्तिभोजं ततो रक्षो विद्ध्वा बहुभिरायसैः। अनदद् भैरवं नादं वाहिन्याः प्रमुखे तव॥
Then that Rakshasa having pierce Kuntibhoja, with numerous swift, coursing arrows, uttered a terrible war-cry, standing in the van of your troops.
ततस्तौ समरे शूरौ योधयन्तौ परस्परम्। ददृशुः सर्वसैन्यानि शक्रजम्भौ यथा पुरा॥
Then all the troops beheld these heroes each fighting with the other, appear like Shakra and Jambha fighting in the days of yore.
शकुनि रभसं युद्धे कृतवैरं च भारत। माद्रीपुत्रौ च संरब्धौ शरैश्चार्दयतां भृशम्॥
The twin sons of Madri, Nakula and Sahadeva, inflamed with rage, O Bharata, mangled Shakuni with their shafts, in as much as the latter was their implacable enemy.
तुमुलः स महान् राजन् प्रावर्तत जनक्षयः। त्वया संजनितोऽत्यर्थं कर्णेन च विवर्धितः॥
O mighty monarch, the carnage that then spread there was dreadful. Kindled by you, fanned into flames by Karna.
रक्षितस्तव पुत्रैश्च क्रोधमूलो हुताशनः। य इमां पृथिवीं राजन् दग्धुं सर्वां समुद्यतः॥
And kept up by your sons, the fire of wrath of the Pandavas, O king, was then in full blaze in order to consume the whole world.
शकुनिः पाण्डुपुत्राभ्यां कृतः सविमुखः शरैः। न स्म जानाति कर्तव्यं युद्धे किंचित् पराक्रमम्॥
Shakuni was then compelled to turn his face away from the field, by the arrows shot by the sons of Pandu; and unable to fight any longer, he knew not what to do.
विमुखं चैनमालोक्य माद्रीपुत्रौ महारथौ। ववर्षतुः पुनर्बाणैर्यथा मेघौ महागिरिम्॥
Seeing him turn away from the field, those two mighty car-warriors, the sons of Madri, again poured on him their arrowy showers, like two clouds drenching a mighty hill with showers of rain.
स वध्यमानो बहुभिः शरैः संनतपर्वभिः। सम्प्रायाज्जवनैरश्वैोणानीकाय सौबलः॥
The son of Subala, struck with numerous arrows of close knots, flew towards the division of Drona, being borne away by fleetest steeds.
घटोत्कचस्तथा शूरं राक्षसं तमलायुधम्। अभ्यवाद् रभसं युद्धे वेगमास्थाय मध्यमम्॥
Then with medium impetuosity ihat hero, Ghatotkacha rushed upon the Rakshasa Alayudha, in that battle.
तयोर्युद्धं महाराज चित्ररूपमिवाभवत्। यादृशं हि पुरा वृत्तं रामरावणयोमृधे॥
The battle battle between between them was very wonderful, like that which took place between Rama and Ravana in the days of yore.
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा मद्रराजानमाहवे। विद्ध्वा पञ्चाशताबाणैः पुनर्विव्याध सप्तभिः॥
King Yudhishthira having at first pierced the king of the Madras with five hundred arrows, again pierced him with seven.
ततः प्रववृते युद्धं तयोरत्यद्भुतं नृप। यथा पूर्वे महद् युद्धं शम्बरामरराजयोः॥
O king, the battle that was then fought between them, was indeed marvellous and it resembled that fought between Shambara and the chief of the immortals in the days of yore.
विविंशतिश्चित्रसेनो विकर्णश्च तवात्मजः। अयोधयन् भीमसेनं महत्या सेनया वृताः॥
Your Vikarna, Vivinshati and Chitrasena, surrounded by their divisions, fought on with Bhimasena. son