SHALYA PARVA: Chapter 13

Satyaki, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva come to Yudhishthira's rescue. Bhima strikes Shalya heavily

संजय उवाच पीडिते धर्मराजे तु मद्रराजेन मारिष। सात्यकिर्भीमसेनश्च माद्रीपुत्रौ च पाण्डवौ॥
Sanjaya said When king Yudhishthira was thus assailed by the king of the Madras, Satyaki and Bhimasena and the two sons of Madri by Pandu, encircling Shalya with their cars, began to assail him in that battle.

परिवार्य रथैः शल्यं पीडयामासुराहवे। तमेकं बहुभिर्दृष्ट्वा पीड्यमानं महारथैः॥ साधुवादो महाञ्जज्ञे सिद्धाश्चासन् प्रहर्षिताः। आश्चर्यमित्यभाषन्त मुनयश्चापि सङ्गताः॥
Beholding the helpless Shalya thus assailed by those great car-warriors loud sounds of applause were hcard and the Siddhas became filled with delight. The ascetics, assembled together, declared it wonderful.

भीमसेनो रणे शल्यं शल्यभूतं पराक्रमे। एकेन विद्ध्वा बाणेन पुनर्विव्याध सप्तभिः॥
Then Bhimasena in that battle, having cut Shalya who had become irresistible with one arrow, next struck him with seven.

सात्यकिश्च शतेनैनं धर्मपुत्रपरीप्सया। मद्रेश्वरमवाकीर्य सिंहनादमथानदत्॥
Satyaki, desirous of rescuing the son of Dharma, strucks Shalya with a hundred arrows and uttered a loud leonine roar.

नकुलः पञ्चभिश्चैनं सहदेवश्च पञ्चभिः। विद्ध्वा तं तु पुनस्तूर्णं ततो विव्याध सप्तभिः॥
Nakula struck him with five arrows and Sahadeva with seven; the latter then once more struck him with as many.

स तु शूरो रणे यत्तः पीडितस्तैर्महारथैः। विकृत्य कार्मुकं घोरं वेगनं भारसाधनम्॥ सात्यकिं पञ्चविंशत्या शल्यो विव्याध मारिष। भीमसेनं तु सप्तत्या नुकलं सप्तभिस्तथा॥
The heroic king of the Madras, struggling carefully in that battle, thus afflicted by those grcat car-warriors, drew a formidable and strong bow capable of imparting great force to the shafts shot from it and pierced Satyaki, with twenty-five arrows and Bhima with seventy-three and Nakula with seven.

ततः सविशिखं चापं सहदेवस्य धन्विनः। छित्त्वा भल्लेन समरे विव्याधैनं त्रिसप्तभिः॥
Then cutting off with a broad-headed arrow the bow, with shaft fixed on the string, of Sahadeva, he struck Sahadeva himself in that battle, with seventy-arrows.

सहदेवस्तु समरे मातुलं भूरिवर्चसम्। सज्यमन्यद् धनुः कृत्वाः पञ्चभिः समताडयत्॥
Sahadeva then, stringing another bow, pierced his maternal uncle with five arrows that resembled snakes of virulent poison or burning fire.

शरैराशीविषाकारैर्ध्वलज्वलनसंनिभैः। सारथिं चास्य समरे शरेणानतपर्वणा॥ विव्याध भृशसंक्रुद्धस्तं वै भूयस्त्रिभिः शरैः।
Worked up with great ire, he then struck his antagonist's driver with a straight shaft in that battle and then Shałya himself once more with three.

भीमसेनस्तु सप्तत्या सात्यकिर्नवभिः शरैः॥ धर्मराजस्तथा षष्ट्या गात्रे शल्यं समार्पयत्। ।
Then Bhimasena pierced the king of the Madras with seventy arrows and Satyaki pierced him with nine and king Yudhishthira with sixty.

ततः शल्यो महाराज निर्विद्धस्तैर्महारथैः॥ सुस्राव रुधिरं गात्रैगैरिकं पर्वतो यथा।
Thus pierced, O king, by those mighty carwarriors, blood began to flow from Shalya's body, like red streams running down the breast of a mountain of red chalk.

तांश्च सर्वान् महेष्वासान् पञ्चभिः पञ्चभिः शरैः॥ विव्याध तरसा राजस्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्।
Shalya, however, quickly struck in return each of those great bowmen with five arrows, O king. Exceedingly wonderful was this feat.

ततोऽपरेण भल्लेन धर्मपुत्रस्य मारिष॥ धनुश्चिच्छेद समरे सज्यं स सुमहारथः।
With another broad-headed arrow, that great car-warrio; then, O sire, cut off the stringed bow, of Dharma's son in that battle.

अथान्यद् धनुरादाय धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः॥ साश्वसूतध्वजरथं शल्यं प्राच्छादयच्छरैः।
Taking up another bow, that great carwarrior, viz., the son of Dharma, covered Shalya, his horses and driver and standard and car, with many arrows.

स च्छाद्यमानः समरे धर्मपुत्रस्य सायकैः॥ युधिष्ठिरमथाविध्यद् दशभिर्निशितैः शरैः।
Thus covered in that battle by the son of Dharma with his arrows Shalya struck the former with ten keen arrows.

सात्यकिस्तु ततः क्रुद्धो दर्मपुत्रे शरार्दिते॥ मद्राणामधिपं शूरं शरैविव्याध पञ्चभिः।
Then Satyaki, enraged upon beholding the son of Dharma thus assailed with arrows, obstructed the heroic king of the Madras with clouds of arrows.

स सात्यके प्रचिच्छेद क्षुरप्रेण महद् धनुः॥ भीमसेनमुखांस्तांश्च त्रिभिस्त्रिभिरताडयत्।
At this, Shalya cut off with a razor-faced arrow the terrible bow of Satyaki and cut each of the other Pandava warriors with three arrows.

तस्य क्रुद्धो महाराज सात्यकिः सत्यविक्रमः॥ तोमरं प्रेषयामास स्वर्णदण्डं महाधनम्।
Enraged, O king, the highly powerful Salyaki then discharge at Shalya a golden lance set with many jewels and gems.

भीमसेनोऽथ नाराचं ज्वलन्तमिव पन्नगम्॥ नकुलः समरे शक्तिं सहदेवो गदां शुभाम्। धर्मराजः शतघ्नीं च जिघासुः शल्यमाहवे॥
Bhimasena shot at him a cloth-yard shaft that looked like a blazing snake; Nakula discharged at him a dart, Sahadeva an excellent mace and the son of Dharina a Sataghni, all actuated by the desire of killing him.

तानापतत एवाशु पञ्चानां वै भुजच्युतान्। वारयामास समरे शस्त्रसङ्घः स मद्रराट्॥
The king of the Madras, however speedily counteracted in that battle all those weapons, shot off the arms of those five warriors at him, as these proceeded towards his car.

सात्यकिप्रहितं शल्यो भल्लैश्चिच्छेद तोमरम्। प्रहितं भीमसेनेन शरं टनकभूषणम्॥
With a number of broad-headed arrows Shalya cut off the lance shot by Satyaki. Endued with valour and great lightness of hand, he cut off into two pieces the gold decked arrows shot at him by Bhima.

द्विधा चिच्छेद समरे कृतहस्तः प्रतापवान्। नकुलप्रेषितां शक्तिं हेमदण्डां भयावहाम्॥
He then resisted with arrows the terrible gold-handled dart, that Nakula shot at hiin and the mace also that Sahadeva had hurled.

गदां च सहदेवेन शरौघैः समवारयत्। शराभ्यां च शतघ्नीं तां राज्ञश्चिच्छेद भारत॥ पश्यतां पाण्डुपुत्राणां सिंहनादं ननाद च। नामृष्यत्तत्र शैनेयः शत्रोविजयमाहवे॥
With a couple of other arrows, O Bharata, he cut off the Shataghni shot at him by the king, in the very presence of the sons of Pandu and uttered a loud leonine roar. The grandson of Shini, however, could not bear the defeat of his weapon in that battle.

अथान्यद् धनुरादाय सात्यकिः क्रोधमूर्च्छितः। द्वाभ्यां मद्रेश्वरं विद्ध्वा सारथिं च त्रिभिः शरैः॥
Beside himself with age Satyaki took up another bow and cut the king of the Madras with two arrows and his driver with three.

ततः शल्यो रणे राजन् सर्वास्तान् दशभिः शरैः। विव्याध भृशसंक्रुद्धस्तोत्रैरिव महाद्विपान्॥
At this, Shalya, O king, worked up with rage, deeply struck all of them with ten arrows, like persons piercing mighty elephants with sharp pointed lances.

ते वार्यमाणाः समरे मद्रराज्ञा महारथाः। न शेकुः सम्मुखे स्थातुं तस्य शत्रुनिषूदनाः॥
Thus thwarted in that battle by the king of the Madras, O Bharata, those slayers of foes could not stand in front of Shalya.

ततो दुर्योधनो राजा दृष्ट्वा शल्यस्य विक्रमम्। निहतान् पाण्डवान् मेने पञ्चालानथ सृञ्जयान्॥
Witnessing the prowess of Shalya, king Duryodhana considered the Pandavas, the Panchalas and the Srinjayas as already killed.

ततो राजन् महाबाहुर्भीमसेनः प्रतापवान्। संत्यज्य मनसा प्राणान् मद्राधिपमयोधयत्॥
Then, O king, the mighty-armed Bhimasena, determined to kill him, encountered the king of the Madras.

नकुलः सहदेवश्च सात्यकिश्च महारथः। परिवार्य तदा शल्यं समन्ताद व्यकिरशरैः॥
Nakula and Sahadeva and the powerful Satyaki, encompassing Shalya, shot their arrows at him from all sides.

स चतुर्भिर्महेष्वासैः पाण्डवानां महारथैः। वृतस्तान् योधयामास मद्राराजः प्रतापवान्॥
Though surrounded by those four great bowmen and powerful car-warriors of the Pandavas, the valiant king of the Madras still fought with them.

तस्य धर्मसुतो राजन् क्षुरप्रेण महाहवे। चक्ररक्षं जघानाशु मद्रराजस्य पार्थिवः॥
Then, O king, the son of Dharma, in that dreadful encounter, quickly cut off with a razor-headed arrow one of the guards of Shalya's car-wheels.

तस्मिंस्तु निहते शूरे चक्ररक्षे महारथे। मद्रराजोऽपि बलवान् सैनिकानावृणोच्छरैः॥
When that brave and mighty car-warrior, the protector of Shalya's car-wheel, was thus killed, Shalya enshrouded the Pandava warriors with showers of arrows.

समावृतांस्ततस्तांस्तु राजन् वीक्ष्य स्वसैनिकान्। चिन्तयामास समरे धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः॥ कथं नु समरे शक्यं तन्माधववचो महत्। न हि क्रुद्धो रणे राजा क्षपयेत बलं मम॥
Beholding his troops covered with arrows, O king, king Yudhishthira began to think Verily, how shall those weighty words of Madhava become true. I hope, the king the Madras, worked up with ire, will not destroy my army in battle.

ततः सरथनागाश्वाः पाण्डवाः पाण्डुपूर्वज। मद्रराजं समासेदुः पीडयन्तः समन्ततः॥
Then the Pandavas, elder brother of Pandu, with cars and elephants and horses approached the king of the Madras and began to assail him from all sides.

नानाशस्त्रौघबहुलां शस्त्रावृष्टिं समुद्यताम्। व्यधमत् समरे राजा महाभ्राणीव मारुतः॥
Like the wind scattering masses of clouds, the king of the Madras, in that battle, dispersed the shower of arrows and various other weapons.

ततः कनकपुङ्खां तां शल्यक्षिप्तां वियद्गताम्। शरवृष्टिमपश्याम शलभानामिवायतिम्॥
We then saw the downpour of gold-winged arrows shot by Shalya, passing through welkin like as warm of locusts.

ते शरा मद्रराजेन प्रेषिता रणमूर्धनि। समपतन्तः स्म दृश्यन्ते शलभानां व्रजा इव॥
Indeed, those arrows, discharged by the king of the Madras from the rear of the battle, were seen to fall like a flight of birds.

मद्रराजधनुर्मुक्तैः शरैः कनकभूषणैः। निरन्तरमिवाकाशं सम्बभूव जनाधिप॥
With the golden shafts shot off the bow of the Madra king, the sky, O king, was so covered that there was not an inch of empty space.

न पाण्डवानां नास्माकं तत्र किञ्चिद् व्यदृश्यत। बाणान्धकारे महति कृते तत्र महाहवे॥ मद्रराजेन बलिना लाघवाच्छरवृष्टिभिः।
Then a thick darkness was caused by the arrows shot by the powerful king of the Madras in that dreadful battle.

चाल्यमानं तु तं दृष्ट्वा पाण्डवानां बलार्णवम्॥ विस्मयं परमं जग्मुर्देवगन्धर्वदानवाः।
And when they saw the vest host of the Pandavas agitated by that hero, the gods and the Gandharvas were stricken with great wonder.

स तु तान् सर्वतो यत्ताशरैः संछाद्य मारिप॥ धर्मराजमवच्छाद्य सिंहवद् व्यनदन्मुहुः।
Assailing vigorously all the Pandava heroes with his with his arrows from every side, O sire, Shalya covered king Yudhishthira and roared repeatedly like a lion.

ते च्छन्नाः समरे तेन पाण्डवानां महारथाः॥ नाशक्नुवंस्तदा युद्धे प्रत्युद्यातुं महारथम्।
Thus covered by Shalya in that battle the great car-warriors of the Pandavas could not proceed against that great hero for fighting with him.

धर्मराजपुरोगास्तु भीमसेनमुखा रथाः। न जहुः समरे शूरं शल्यमाहवशोभिनम्॥
Those amongst thein that were led by Bhimasena and king Yudhishthira did not fly away from the brave Shalya the ornament of battle.