संजय उवाच संनिवृत्ते जनौघे तु शाल्वो म्लेच्छगणाधिपः। अभ्यवर्तत संक्रुद्धः पाण्डवानां महद् बलम्॥ आस्थाय सुमहानागं प्रभिन्नं पर्वतोपमम्। दृप्तमरावतप्रख्यममित्रगणमर्दनम्॥
Sanjaya said After the (Kuru) army had been gathered Shalya, the king of the Mlechchhas, filled with rage, rushed against the large army of the Pandavas, riding on a gigantic clephant, with temporal juice trickling, looking like a hill, elated with pride, resembling Airavata himself and capable of crushing large numbers of foes.
योऽसौ महान्भद्रकुलप्रसूतः सुपूजिते धार्तराष्ट्रेण नित्यम्। सुकल्पितः शास्त्रविनिश्चयज्ञैः सदोपवाह्यः समरेषु राजन्॥
Shalya's animal was of a good breed, was always adored by Dhritarashtra's sons and was properly equipped and properly trained for battle, O king, by persons well conversant with the science of elephant training. Riding on that elephant, that foremost of kings looked like the morning sun at the close of summer.
तमास्थितो राजवरो बभूव यथोदयस्थः सविता क्षपान्ते। भ्युद्ययौ पाण्डुसुतान्समेतान्॥
Riding that best of elephants, O king, he went against the Pandavas and began to strike them on all sides with keen and dreadful arrows resembling Indra's thunder in force.
महेन्द्रवज्रप्रतिमैः सुघोरैः। ततः शरान् वै सृजतो महारणे योधांश्च राजन् नयतो यमालयम्॥
While he discharged his arrows in that battle and killed the hostile warriors neither the Kauravas nor the Pandavas could mark any defect in him, even as the Daityas, O king, could not notice any in Vasava, the wielder of the thunder, in the days of yore while he killed them.
नास्यान्तरं ददृशुः स्वे परे वा यथा पुरा वज्रधरस्य दैत्याः। दैत्याः पुरा वासवस्येव राजन्॥ ते पाण्डवाः सोमकाः सृञ्जयाश्च तमेकनागं ददृशुः समन्तात्। सहस्रशो वै विचरन्तमेकं यथा महेन्द्रस्य गजं समीपे॥
The Pandavas, the Somakes and the Srinjayas, saw one elephant look like a thousand elephants moving around them as the enemies of the gods had in days of yore seen the elephant of Indra in battle.
संद्राव्यमाणं तु बलं परेषां परीतकल्पं विबभौ समन्ततः। नैवावतस्थे समरे भृशं भयाद् विमृद्यमानं तु परस्परं तदा॥
The army so driven by thai elephant seemed as if trapped from all sides. It could not stay for moments in the battle-field on account of sheer fright. All soldiers started crushing in hue and cry over mutual pull and push.
ततः प्रभग्ना सहसा महाचमू: सा पाण्डवी तेन नराधिपेन। दिशश्चतस्रः सहसा विधाविता गजेन्द्रवेगं तमपारयन्ती॥
Agitated by that animal, the hostile army looked life-less. Unable to stand in battle, they then fled away in great fear, crushing one another. Then the huge army of the Pandavas, routed by king Shalya, suddenly fled on all sides unable to stand the vigor of that elephant.
दृष्ट्वा च तां वेगवतीं प्रभग्नां सर्वे त्वदीया युधि योधमुख्याः। अपूजयस्ते तु नराधिपं तं दध्मुश्च शङ्खाशशिसंनिकाशान्॥
Seeing the Pandava army routed and flying away quickly all your leading warriors worshipped king Shalya and blew their moonwhite conchs.
श्रुत्वा निनादं त्वथ कौरवाणां हर्षाद् विमुक्तं सह शङ्खशब्दैः। सेनापतिः पाण्डवसृञ्जयानां पाञ्चालपुत्रो ममृषे न कोपात्॥
Hearing the war-cries of the Kauravas uttered in joy and the blare of their conchs, the commander of the Pandava and the Srinjaya forces, viz., the Panchala prince Dhrishtadyumna could not, from wrath, bear it.
ततस्तु तं वै द्विरदं महात्मा प्रत्युद्ययौ त्वरमाणो जयाय। जम्भो यथा शक्रसमागमे वै नागेन्द्रमैरावणमिन्द्रवाह्यम्॥
The illustrious Dhrishtadyumna then quickly proceeded for defeating that elephant, as the Asura Jainbha had proceed against Airavata, the carrier of Indra, while he fought with Indra.
तमापतन्तं सहसा तु दृष्ट्वा पाञ्चालपुत्रं युधि राजसिंहः। तं वै द्विपं प्रेषयामास तूर्णं वधाय राजन् दुपदात्मजस्य॥
Beholding the king of the Pandavas proceed against him, Shalya, the foremost of kings, quickly urged his elephant, O king, for the destruction of Drupada's son.
मविध्यदग्निप्रतिमैः पृषत्कैः कर्मारधौतैर्निशितैर्व्वलद्भि ाराचमुख्यैस्त्रिभिरुपवेगैः॥
Seeing the animal approaching the latter struck it with three best arrows, polished, keen, blazing, powerful and resembling fire itself in effulgence and force.
ततोऽपरान् पञ्चशतान् महात्मा नाराचमुख्यान् विससर्ज कुम्भे। स तैस्तु विद्धः परमद्विपो रणे तदा परावृत्य भृशं प्रदुद्रुवे॥
Then that illustrious hero struck the animal on the trunk with five other whetted and best arrows. Struck therewith, that prince of elephants, turning away from the battle, ran quickly away.
तं नागराजं सहसा प्रणुन्नं विद्राव्यमाणं विनिवर्त्य शाल्वः। तोत्राङ्कुशैः प्रेषयामास तूर्णं पाञ्चालराजस्य रथं प्रदिश्य॥
Suddenly checking that foremost of elephants which had been greatly wounded and compelled to retreat Shalya, however, caused it to turn back and with hooks and keen lances urged it forward against the car of the Panchala king, pointing it out to the infuriate animal.
दृष्ट्वाऽऽपतन्तं सहसा तु नागं धृष्टद्युम्नः स्वरथाच्छ्रीघ्रमेव। गदां प्रगृह्योग्रजवेन वीरो भूमिं प्रपन्नो भयविह्वलाङ्गः॥
Beholding the animal rushing forcibly at him, the heroic Dhrishtadyumna, taking up a mace, quickly leaped down on the Earth from his car, his limbs benumbed with fear.
स तं रथं हेमविभूषिताङ्गं साश्वं ससूतं सहसा विमृद्या उत्क्षिप्य हस्तेन नदन् महाद्विपो विपोथयामास वसुन्धरातले॥
That huge elephant, meanwhile, suddenly crushing that gold-decked car with its horses and driver, raised it up in the air with his trunk and then dashed it down on the Earth.
पाञ्चालराजस्य सुतं च दृष्ट्वा तदार्दितं नागवरेण तेना तमभ्यधावत् सहसा जवेन भीमः शिखण्डी च शिनेश्च नप्ता॥
Beholding the driver of Panchala king thus crushed by that best of elephants. Bhima and Shikhandin and the grandson of Shini rushed with great force against that animal.
शरैश्च वेगं सहसा निगृह्य तस्याभितो व्यापततो गजस्य। स संगृहीतो रथिभिर्गजो वै चचाल तैर्वार्यमाणाश्च संख्ये॥
With their arrows they quickly restrained that animal. Thus restrained by them in battle, the elephant began to tremble.
ततः पृषत्कान् प्रववर्ष राजा सूर्यो यथा रश्मिजालं समन्तात्। तैराशुगैर्वध्यमाना रथौधाः प्रदुद्रुवुः सहितास्तत्र तत्र॥
Meanwhile king Shalya began to discharge arrows like the Sun shedding his rays on all sides. Struck with those arrows, the (Pandava) car-warriors began to fly away.
तत् कर्म शाल्वस्य समीक्ष्य सर्वे पाञ्चालपुत्रा नृप सृञ्जयाश्च। हाहाकारैर्नादयन्ति स्म युद्धे द्विपं समन्ताद् रुरुधुनराग्र्याः॥
Beholding that feat of Shalya, the Panchalas, the Srinjayas and the Matsyas. O king, bewailed aloud in that battle. All those foremost of men however, surrounded the animal entirely.
पाञ्चालपुत्रस्त्वरितस्तु शूरो गदां प्रगृह्याचलशृङ्गकल्पाम्। ससम्भ्रमं भारत शत्रुघाती जवेन वीरोऽनुससार नागम्॥
Then, taking up his mace resembling the crest of a mountain, the brave Panchalas appeared there. Fearlessly, O king, that hero, that striker of foes, rushed quickly against the clephant.
ततस्तु नागं धरणीधराभं मदं स्रवन्तं जलदप्रकाशम्। गदां समाविद्ध्य भृशं जघान पाञ्चालराजस्य सुतस्तरस्वी॥ तु तदा गजेन्द्रे
The active prince of the Panchala, approaching, began to strike with his mace that animal which was huge as a hill and which shed temporal juice like a mass of pouring clouds.
स भिन्नकुम्भः सहसा विनद्य मुखात् प्रभूतं क्षतजं विमुञ्चन्। पपात नागो धरणीधराभः क्षितिप्रकम्पाञ्चलितो यथाऽद्भिः॥
Its trunk cut open, the animal cried aloud; and vomiting enough blood, the animal, huge as a hill, suddenly dropped down as a mountain falling down during an earthquake.
निपात्यमाने हाहाकृते तव पुत्रस्य सैन्ये। स शाल्वराजस्य शिनिप्रवीरो जहार भल्लेन शिरः शितेन॥
While that best of elephants was falling down and while your son's ariny were bewailing at the spectacle, that best of warriors among the Shinis cut off the head of king Shalya with a sharp and broad-headed arrow.
हृतोत्तमाङ्गो युधि सात्वतेन पपात भूमौ सह नागराज्ञा। यथाद्रिशृङ्गं सुमहत् प्रणुन्नं वज्रेण देवाधिपचोदितेन॥
His head having been sundered by the Satwata hero, Shalya dropped down on the Earth along with his best of elephants, like a mountain summit suddenly clapped by the thunder-bolt discharged by the best of the celestials.