धृतराष्ट्र उवाच सैनापत्यं तु सम्प्राप्य कर्णो वैकर्तनस्तदा। तथोक्तश्च स्वयं राज्ञा स्निग्धं भ्रातृसमं वचः॥ योगमाज्ञाप्य सेनानामादित्येऽभ्युदिते तदा। अकरोत् किं महाप्राज्ञास्तन्ममाचक्ष्व संजय॥
Dhritarashtra said Having attained the generalship of the army and been addressed by the king himself in sweet and brotherly terms and thereupon having ordered the troops to be arranged in battle-array towards the rise of the Sun, relate to me, O Sanjaya, what did the highly intellectual son of Vikartana, Karna, do at that time.
संजय उवाच कर्णस्य मतमाज्ञाय पुत्रास्ते भरतर्षभ। योगमाज्ञापयामासुर्नन्दितूर्यपुरःसरम्॥
Sanjaya said O foremost of the Bharata race, your sons, having understood the object of Karna, ordered for the arrangement of the troops, followed by a joyful music of various instruments.
महत्यपररात्रे च तव सैन्यस्य मारिष। योगो योगेति सहसा प्रादुरासीन्महास्वनः॥
Towards the close of the night, O lord of earth, a loud noise arose from amongst your soldiers, saying 'array and array.'
कल्पतां नागमुख्यानां रथानां च वरूथिनाम्। संनयतां नराणां च वाजिनां च विशाम्पते॥ क्रोशतां चैव योधानां त्वरितानां परस्परम्। बभूव तुमुलः शब्दो दिवस्पृक् सुमहांस्ततः॥
Thereupon, O lord of the world, there was a terrible uproar of the best of elephants and cars overlaid with beautiful coverlets, whilst they were being equipped and of the infantry crying out in joy, of the horses, whilst being harnessed and of the warriors, whilst moving to and fro, as as shouting to one another in mirth's. The uproar was so very great that it reached the very heavens.
ततः श्वेतपताकेन बलाकावर्णवाजिना। हेमपृष्टेन धनुषा नागकक्षेण केतुना॥ तूणीरशतपूर्णेन सगदेन वरूथिना। शतध्वीकिंकिणीशक्तिशूलतोमरधारिणा॥ कार्मुकैरूपन्नेन विमलादित्यवर्चसा। रथेनाभिपताकेन सूतपुत्रोऽभ्यदृश्यत॥
Thereupon the son of Suta appeared on the field of battle, mounted upon a car furnished with innumerable flags and white standards, drawn by horses white cranes, ornamented with a flag bearing the design of an elephant's rope, filled with one hundred quivers and again, furnished with mace and wooden fence, supplied with the Shataghnis, rows of bells, shafts, lances and spears, loaded with several excellent bows and having had the splendour of the resplendent Sun and himself wielding a bow bound with gold.
ध्मापयन् वारिजं राजन् हेमजालविभूषितम्। विधुन्वानो महचापं कार्तस्वरविभूषितम्॥
O monarch, (Karna then began) to blow his conch adorned with a net-work of gold and also to shake his terrible bow studded with gold.
दृष्ट्वा कर्णे महेष्वासं रथस्थं रथिनां वरम्। भानुमन्तमिवोद्यन्तं तमो निनन् दुरासदम्॥
Having seen Karna, that mighty bowman, that foremost of car-warriors, who was seated on his car and also was like the risen Sun destroying the thick darkness and who also was unapproachable.
न भीष्मव्यसनं केचिन्नापि द्रोणस्य मारिष। नान्येषां पुरुषव्याघ्र मेनिरे तत्र कौरवाः॥
None of the Kauravas, O sire, O foremost of persons, considered the fall of eithe, Bhishma, or Drona, or other warriors to be a loss at the time.
ततस्तु त्वरयन् योधाशङ्खशब्देन मारिष। कर्णो निष्कर्षयामास कौरवाणां महद् बलम्॥
Thereupon, O sire Karna, having ordered the warriors to make haste by the sound of his conch, led the vast army of the Kauravas.
व्यूहं व्यूह्य महेष्वासो मकरं शत्रुतापनः। प्रत्युद्ययौ तथा कर्णः पाण्डवान् विजिगीषया॥
Then Karna, that powerful bowman, that siniter of enemies, having arranged the troops in the from of a Makara, started against the Pandavas with the object of winning victory (over them).
मकरस्य तु तुण्डे वै कर्णो राजन् व्यवस्थितः। नेत्राभ्यां शकुनिः शूर उलूकश्च महारथः॥
O king, Karna placed himself in the tip of the beak of that Makara; and the heroic Shakuni and the great car-warrior Uluka were stationed in both the eyes.
द्रोणपुत्रस्तु शिरसि ग्रीवायां सर्वसोदरा। मध्ये दुर्योधनो राजा बलेन महता वृतः॥
The son of Drona was stationed in the head; and all the uterine brothers were in the neck. King Duryodhana was stationed in the middle, surrounded by a large force.
वामपादे तु राजेन्द्र कृतवर्मा व्यवस्थितः। नारायणबलैर्युक्तो गोपालैर्युद्धदुर्मदैः॥
O lord of kings, Kritavarman was placed in the left foot, who was attended by the Narayana-army, namely the Gopalas, most difficult to be vanquished in battle.
पादे तु दक्षिणे राजन् गौतमः सत्यविक्रमः। त्रिगतैः सुमहेष्वासैर्दाक्षिणात्यैश्च संवृतः॥
O king, the son of Gautama, possessed of the unbaffled prowess, was stationed in right foot, encompassed by the most powerful bowmen, the Trigartas and the troops from the south.
अनुपादे तु यो वामस्तत्र शल्यो व्यवस्थितः। महत्या सेनया सार्धं मद्रदेशसमुत्थया॥
There Shalya was placed in left hind-foot accompanied by a vast army recruited from the country of the Madras.
दक्षिणे तु महाराज सुषेणः सत्यसंगरः। वृतो रथसहस्रेण दन्तिनां च त्रिभिः शतै॥
O great king, Sushena of certain resolution was stationed in the right hind-foot, encompassed by a force of one thousand cars and three hundred elephants.
पुच्छे ह्यास्तां महावीर्यो भ्रातरौ पार्थिवौ तदा। चित्रश्च चित्रसेनश्च महत्या सेनया वृतौ॥
Thereupon the two royal brothers, Chitra and Chitrasena, of iminense prowess having been accompanied by a vast army, stood in the tail (of the Makara).
तथा प्रयाते राजेन्द्र कर्णे नरवरोत्तमे। धनंजयमभिप्रेक्ष्य धर्मराजोऽब्रवीदिदम्॥
O lord of kings, when Karna, that best of person had started for battle, the king of righteousness (Yudhishthira) beheld Dhananjaya and addressed him sayingपश्य
पार्थ यथा सेना धार्तराष्ट्रीह संयुगे। कर्णेन विहिता वीर गुप्ता वीरैर्महारथैः॥
"O heroic son of Pritha, behold grow the army of Dhritarashtra was arranged in battlearray by Karna and encompassed by the most heroic car-warriors.
हतवीरतमा ह्येषा धार्तराष्ट्री महाचमूः। फल्गुशेषा महाबाहो तृणैस्तुल्या मता मम॥
Indeed, the best of the heroes amongst the vast army of Dhritarashtra were all slain before, O mighty armed one, only the feeble ones are alive, who are in my opinion as worthless as the straw. But in the whole force one mighty bowman, namely, the son of Suta, is shining brilliantly.
एको ह्यत्र महेष्वासः सूतपुत्रो विराजते। सदेवासुरगन्धर्वैः सकिन्नरमहोरगैः॥ चराचरैस्त्रिभिलेकिर्योऽजय्यो रथिनां वरः। तं हत्वाद्य महाबाहो विजयस्तव फाल्गुन॥ उद्धृतश्च भवेच्छल्यो मम द्वादशवार्षिकः। एवं ज्ञात्वा महाबाहो व्यूहं व्यूह यथेच्छसि।॥
That foremost of car-warriors is incapable of being defeated by the three worlds, both mobile and immobile, along with the Gods, Asuras, the Gandharvas, the Kinnaras and the Nagas. O mighty-armed Phalguna, having slain to your him today, you will surely win victory and great thorn, pierced in my heart for twelve years, will now also be rooted out. Understanding this, O mighty armed one, do you arrange the troops in battle-array according desire.
भ्रातुरेतद् वचः श्रुत्वा पाण्डवः श्वेतवाहनः। अर्धचन्द्रेण व्यूहेन प्रत्यव्यूहत तां चमूम्॥
Having heard the word of his brother, the Pandava (the third brother), conveyed by white horses, arranged his army in the form of the half moon against the face of the enemies' force.
वामपार्वे तु तस्याथ भीमसेनो व्यवस्थितः। दक्षिणे च महेष्वासो धृष्टद्युम्नो व्यवस्थितः॥ मध्ये व्यूहस्य राजा तु पाण्डवश्च धनंजयः। नकुलः सहदेवश्च धर्मराजस्य पृष्ठतः॥
Thereupon Bhimasena was stationed in the left side of that (half-moon); and the mighty bowman, Dhristadyumna, was placed in the right. In the middle (of that half-moon arrangement) both the monarch and the Pandava Dhananjaya were stationed. But Nakula and Shahadeva were placed in the rear of the king of righteousness (Yudhishthira.)
चक्ररक्षौ तु पाञ्चाल्यौ युधामन्युत्तमौजसौ। नार्जुनं जहतुयुद्धे पाल्यमानौ किरीटिना।३१॥
The two Panchala chiefs, Yudhamanyu and Uttamanjas, who were the guards of the wheels of the car (of Arjuna), did not forsake him in battle, as they were supported by the diademdecked one (Arjuna.)
शेषा नृपतयो वीराः स्थिता व्यूहस्य दंशिताः। यथाभागं यथोत्साहं यथायत्नं च भारतः॥
O descendant of the Bharata race, the rest of the heroic princes, who were all clad in armour, stationed in the different positions of the array allotted to them according to their respective zeal earnestness.
एवमेतन्महाव्यूहं व्यूह्य भारत पाण्डवाः। तावकाश्च महेष्वासा युद्धोयैव मनो दधुः॥
were i O descendant of the Bharata race, the Pandavas, as well as the mighty bowmen in। your side, having arranged their troops in the array of battle in the above manner, directed their mind towards the battle.
दृष्ट्वा व्यूढां तव चमूं सूतपुत्रेण संयुगे। निहतान् पाण्डवान् मेनेधार्तराष्ट्रः सबान्धवः॥
Having witnessed your army arranged in battle by the son of Suta, the son of Dhritarashtra (Duryodhana), with all his kinsmen, considered the Pandavas to be slain.
तथैव पाण्डवी सेनां व्यूढां दृष्ट्वा युधिष्ठिरः। धार्तराष्ट्रान् हतान् मेने सकर्णान् वै जनाधिपः॥
O lord of men, in the similar way, Yudhishthira, having observed the troops in the side of the Pandavas arranged in battle-array, considered the army of Dhritarashtra to be surely slain along with Karna himself.
ततः शङ्खाश्च भेर्यश्च पणवानकदुन्दुभिः। डिण्डिमाश्चाप्यहन्यन्त झर्झराश्च समन्ततः॥ सेनायोरुभयो राजन् प्रावाद्यन्त महास्वनाः। सिंहनादश्च संजज्ञे शूराणां जयगृद्धिनाम्॥
Thereupon conches, kettle-drums, tabours and drums of large size and cymbals and other instruments, such as Dindimas and Jharjharas were begun to be blown and struck on every side. O monarch, there was a loud sound of musical instruments amongst the soldiers on both the sides. There were terrible lion-roars of the heroes, who were most desirous of victory.
हयहेषितशब्दाश्च वारणानां च बृंहताम्। रथनेमिस्वनाचोग्रा: सम्बभूवर्जुनाधिप॥
O lord of men, there arose the sound of snorting of the horses and the grunting of elephants. And also there was the terrible noise of the car-wheels.
न द्रोणव्यसनं कश्चिजीनीते तत्र भारत। दृष्ट्वा कर्णं महेष्वासं मुखे व्यूहस्य दंशितम्॥
O descendant of the Bharata race, beholding that mighty bowinan, Karna, stationed at the front of the battle-array, none in the field amongst the Kaurava troops considered the death of Drona to be a loss.
उभे सैन्ये महाराज प्रहृष्टनरसंकुले। योद्भुकामे स्थिते राजन् हन्तुमन्योन्यमोजसा॥
O mighty monarch, in both the armies there were men filled with chcerfulness, who were all desirous of battle. O king, they waited in the field with the object of slaying one another without delay.
तत्र यत्तौ सुसंरब्धौ दृष्ट्वान्योन्यं व्यवस्थितौ। अनीकमध्ये राजेन्द्र चेरतुः कर्णपाण्डवौ॥
O foremost of kings, there in the field these two namely, Karna and the son of Pandu, who beholding each other were filled with firm resolution rushed to and fro in the midst of their armies.
नृत्यमाने च ते सेने समेयातां परस्परम्। तेषां पक्षैः प्रपक्षेभ्यो निर्जग्मुस्ते युयुत्सवः॥
The two armies came face to face, meeting cach other, as if dancing (in great cheer). The heroes on both the sides, who were most desirous of battle, came forth accompanied by their respective divisions.
ततः प्रववृते युद्धं नरवारणवाजिनाम्। रथानां च महाराज अन्योन्यमभिनिघ्नताम्॥
'O nighty monarch, thus commenced the battle of men, elephants, horses and cars, who were all engaged in slaying one another.