SHALYA PARVA: Chapter 18

The followers of Shalya try to kill Yudhishthira, the routing of the Kuru army

संजय उवाच शल्येऽथ निहते राजन् मद्रराजपदानुगाः। रथाः सप्तशता वीरो निर्ययुर्महतो बलात्॥
Sanjaya said After the destruction of Shalya, O king, the followers of the Madra king, numbering seventeen hundred brave car-warriors, proceeded for battle with great force.

दुर्योधनस्तु द्विरदमारुद्याचलसंनिभम्। छत्रेण ध्रियमाणेन वीज्यमानश्च चामरैः॥ ते न गन्तव्यं न गन्तव्यमिति मद्रानवारयत्।
Duryodhana, riding upon a huge mountainlike elephant with an umbrella held over his head and fanned with white chowries, forbade the Madraka warriors, saying "Do not proceed, Do not proceed!”

दुर्योधनेन ते वीरा वार्यमाणाः पुनः पुनः॥ युधिष्ठिरं जिघांसन्तः पाण्डूना प्राविशन् बलम्।
Though repeatedly forbidden by Duryodhana, those heroes, desirous of killing Yudhishthira, entered into the Pandava army.

तु शूरा महाराज कृतचित्ताश्च योधने।॥ धनुःशब्दं महत् कृत्वा सहायुध्यन्त पाण्डवैः।
Those brave warriors, O king, loyal to Duryodhana, twanging their bows loudly fought with the Pandavas.

श्रुत्वा च निहतं शल्यं धर्मपुत्रं च पीडितम्॥ मद्रराजप्रिये युक्तैर्मद्रकाणां महारथैः। आजगाम ततः पार्थो गाण्डीवं विक्षिपन् धनुः॥ पूरयन् रथघोषेण दिश: सर्वा महारथः।
In the meantime hearing that Shalya had been killed and that Yudhishthira had been assailed by the mighty car-warriors of the Madrakas devoted to the well-being of the Madraka king, the great car-warrior Partha came there, stretching his bow Gandiva and filling the Earth with the rattle of his car.

ततोऽर्जुनश्च भीमश्च माद्रीपुत्रौ च पाण्डवौ॥ सात्यकिश्च नरव्याघ्रो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्वशः। धृष्टद्युम्नः शिखण्डी च पञ्चाला: सह सोमकैः॥ युधिष्ठिरं परीप्सन्तः समन्तात् पर्यवारयन्।
Then Arjuna, Bhima and the two sons of Madri by Pandu and that foremost of men, Satyaki and the (five) sons of Draupadi and Dhrishtadyumna and Sikhandin and the Panchalas and the Somakas, desirous of rescuing Yudhishthira, encircled him on all sides.

ते समन्तान् परिवृताः पाण्डवाः पुरुषर्षभाः॥ क्षोभयन्ति स्म तां सेनां मकरा: सागरं यथा। वृक्षानिव महावता: कम्पयन्ति स्म तावकान्॥
Having taken their positions round the king, the Pandavas, those foremost of men, began te) agitate the enemy's army like Makaras agitating the ocean. Indecd, they made your army tremble like a mighty tempest shaking the trees.

पुरोवातेन गड्डेव क्षोभ्यमाणाः महानदी। अक्षोभ्यत तदा राजन् पाण्डूनां ध्वजिनी ततः॥
Like the great river Ganges agitated by a hostile wind, the Pandava army, O king, once more were exceedingly agitated,

प्रस्कन्ध सेना महतीं महात्मानो महारथाः। बहवशुक्रुशुस्तत्र क स राजा युधिष्ठिरः॥
Making that powerful army tremble, the illustrious and mighty car-warriors (viz., the Madrakas), all shouted loudly, saying-"Where is that king Yudhishthira?”

भ्रातरो वास्य ते शूरा दृश्यन्ते नेह केन च। धृष्टद्युम्नोऽथ शैनेयो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्वशः॥ पाञ्चालाश्च महावीर्याः शिखण्डी च महारथः।
Why are not his valiant brothers, viz., the Pandavas, to be seen here? What has become of the highly energetic as also of the great carwarriors Sikhandin? Where are Dhrishtadyumna and the grandson of Sini and those great car-warriros, viz., the (five sons of Draupadi)!

एवं तान् वादिनः शूरान् द्रौपदेया महारथाः॥ अभ्यघ्नन् युयुधानश्च मद्रराजपदानुगान्। चक्रैर्विमथितैः केचित् केचिच्छिन्नैर्महाध्वजैः॥ ते दृश्यन्तेऽपि समरे तावका निहताः परैः।
Thereat those great car-warriors, viz., the sons of Draupadi, began to kill the followers of the Madra king who were uttering those words i and fighting vigorously. In that battle, some, amongst your troops, where crushed by carwheels and some slain by huge standards.

आलोक्य पाण्डवान् युद्धे योधा राजन् समन्ततः॥ वार्यमाणा ययुर्वेगात् पुत्रेण तव भारत।
Beholding, however, the heroic Pandavas, the brave warriors of your army, O Bharata, though forbidden by your son, still proceeded against them.

दुर्योधनश्च तान् वीरान् वारयामास सान्त्वयन्॥ न चास्य शासनं केचित्तत्र चक्रुर्महारथाः।
Speaking mildly Duryodhana tried to prevent those warriors from fighting with the foe. No great car-warrior, however, amongst them carried out his order.

ततो गान्धारराजस्य पुत्रः शकुनिरब्रवीत्॥ दुर्योधनं महाराज वचनं वचनक्षमः। किं न सम्प्रेक्षमाणानां मद्राणां हन्यते बलम्। न युक्तमेतत् समरे त्वयि तिष्ठति भारत।
Then Sakuni, the eloquent son of the Gandhara king, O king, said to Duryodhana these words:-How is this that we are standing here, while the Madraka army is being killed before our eyes? O Bharata,when you are here, it does not look well!

सहितैश्चापि योद्धव्यमित्येष समयः कृतः॥ अथ कस्मात् परानेव नतो मर्षयसे नृप।
The contract was that all of us should fight in a body. Why then, O king, do you suffer our foes to kill thus our soldiers?

दुर्योधन उवाच वार्यमाणा मया पूर्वं नैते चक्रुर्वचो मम॥ एते विनिहताः सर्वे प्रस्कन्नाः पाण्डुवाहिनीम्।
Duryodhana said Though prevented by me before, they did not carry our my order. These men, in a body, have entered into the Pandava army.

शकुनिरुवाच न भर्तुः शासनं वीरा रणे कुर्वन्त्यमर्षिताः॥ अलं क्रोधुमथैतेषां नायं काल उपेक्षितम्।
Sakuni said When worked up with rage in battle, brave warriors do not obcy the bchests of their leaders. You should not be angry with those men. This is not the time to act indifferently.

यामः सर्वे च सम्भूय सवाजिरथकुञ्जराः॥ परित्रातुं महेष्वासान् मद्रराजपदानुगान्।
We shall, therefore, all of us, in a body with our cars and horses and elephants, proceed, for rescuing those great bowmen, viz., the followers of the Madra king.

संजय उवाच अन्योयं परिरक्षामो यत्नेन महता नृप।॥ एवं सर्वेऽनुसंचिन्त्य प्रययुर्यत्र सैनिकाः।
O king, we shall protect one another very carefully. Accepting Shakuani's view all the Kauravas then proceeded where the Madras were.

एवमुक्तस्तदा राजा बलेन महता वृतः॥ प्रययौ सिंहनादेन कम्पयन्निव मेदिनीम्।
Also encircled by a large force Duryodhana proceeded against the foe, uttering leonine shouts and causing the Earth to resound with that noise.

हत विद्ध्यत गृह्णीत प्रहरध्वं निकृन्तत॥ इत्यासीत् तुमुल: शब्दस्तव सैन्यस्य भारत।
Slay, cut, seize, strike, cut off-these were the words that were heard then, O king, among those troops.

पाण्डवास्तु रणे दृष्ट्वा मद्रराजपदानुगान्॥ सहितानभ्यवर्तन्त गुल्ममास्थाय मध्यमम्।
Meanwhile beholding in that battle the followers of the Madra king assailing them unitedly the Pandavas proceeded against thein, arraying themselves in the Madhyama from.

ते मुहूर्ताद् रणे वीरा हस्ताहस्ति विशाम्पते॥ निहताः प्रत्यदृश्यन्त मद्रराजपदानुगाः।
Fighting hand to hand, O king, for a short time, those heroic warriors, viz., the followers of the Madra king, were killed.

ततो नः सम्प्रयातानां हता मद्रास्तरस्विनः॥ हृष्टाः किलकिलाशब्दमकुर्वन् सहिताः परे।
Then, whilst we were proceeding, the active Pandavas, in a body, completed the slaughter of the Madrakas and filled with delight, sent up joyous shouts.

उत्थितानि कबन्धानि समदृश्यन्त सर्वशः॥ पपात महती चोल्का मध्येनादित्यमण्डलम्। रथैर्भग्नैर्युगाक्षैश्च निहतैश्च महारथैः॥ अश्चैनिपतितैश्चैव संछन्नाभूद् वसुन्धरा।
Then headless forms were seen all around. Large meteors fell down from the solar disc. The earth was covered with cars and broken on yokes and axles and slain car-warriors and lifeless horses.

वातायमानैस्तुरगैर्युगासक्तैस्ततस्ततः॥ अदृश्यन्त महाराज योधास्तत्र रणाजिरे।
Horses, quick-coursing like the wind and still attached to yokes of cars, were seen to drag car-warriors, O king, hither and thither on the field of battie.

भग्नचक्रान् रथान् केचिदहरंस्तुरगा रणे॥ रथाधु केचिदादाय दिशो दश विबभ्रमुः।
Some horses were seen to drag cars with broken wheels, while some ran on all sides, carrying the broken cars.

तत्र तत्र व्यदृश्यन्त यौकत्रैः श्लिष्टाः स्म वाजिनः॥३४ रथिनः पतमानाश्च दृश्यन्ते स्म नरोत्तमाः। गगनात् प्रच्युता सिद्धाः पुण्यानामिव संक्षये॥
Here and there also were seen horses hampered by their traces. Car-warriors dropped down like denizens of heaven the exhaustion of their virtue.

निहतेषु च शूरेषु मद्रराजानुगेषु वै। अस्मानापततश्चापि दृष्ट्वा पार्था महारथाः॥ अभ्यवर्तन्त वेगेन जयगृद्धाः प्रहारिणः।
When the brave followers of the Madra king were killed the great car-warriors of the Parthas, beholding a body of horse advancing towards them, rushed quickly towards it with a view to win victory.

बाणशब्दरवान् कृत्वा विमिश्राशङ्खनिःस्वनैः॥ अस्मांस्तु पुनरासाद्य लब्धलक्ष्यप्रहारिणः। शरासनानि धुन्वानाः सिंहनादान् प्रचुक्रुशुः॥
Shooting their arrows and making various other kinds of noise mingled with the blare of their conchs, those warriors of sure aim, shook bows and uttered leonine shouts.

ततो हतमभिप्रेक्ष्य मद्रराजबलं महत्। मद्रराजं च समरे दृष्ट्वा शूरं निपातितम्॥ दुर्योधनबलं सर्वं पुनरासीत् पराङ्मुखम्।
Seeing then that large force of the Madra king killed as also their heroic king the entire army of Duryodhana once more fled away from the field.

वध्यमानं महाराज पाण्डवैर्जितकाशिभिः। दिशो भेजेऽथसम्भ्रान्तं भ्रामितं दृढधन्विभिः॥
Struck, O king, by those firm bowmen of the Pandavas, the Kuru army, filled with fear, fled away on all sides.

वध्यमानं महाराज पाण्डवैर्जितकाशिभिः। दिशो भेजेऽथसम्भ्रान्तं भ्रामितं दृढधन्विभिः॥
Struck, O king, by those firm bowmen of the Pandavas, the Kuru army, filled with fear, fled away on all sides.