धृतराष्ट्र उवाच द्वारदेशे ततो द्रौणिमवस्थितमवेक्ष्य तौ। अकुर्वातां भोजकृपौ किं संजय वदस्व मे॥
Dhritarashtra Said “Seeing Drona's son stop at the gate of the camp, what, O Sanjaya, did those two great car-warriors, viz., Kripa and Kritavarman, do? Tell me this."
संजय उवाच कृतवर्माणमामन्त्र्य कृपं च स महारथः। द्रौणिर्मन्युपरीतात्मा शिविरद्वारमागमत्॥
Sanjaya said "Inviting Kritavarman as also the great carwarrior Kripa, Drona's son, worked up with rage, approached the gate of the camp.
तत्र भूतं महाकायं चन्द्रार्कसदृशद्युतिम्। सोऽपश्यद् द्वारमाश्रित्य तिष्ठन्तं लोमहर्षणम्॥
He there saw a being of huge frame capable of making the very hair erect and endued with the effulgence of the Sun or the Moon, guarding the entrance.
वसानं चर्म वैयाघ्रं महारुधिरविस्रवम्। कृष्णाजिनोत्तरासङ्गं नागयज्ञोपवीतिनम्॥
round his loins was a tiger-skin covered with blood, and he had a black deer for his upper garment. He had for his sacred thread a large snake.
बाहुभिः स्वायतैः पीनैर्नानाप्रहरणोद्यतैः। बद्धाङ्गदमाहासर्प ज्वालामालाकुलाननम्॥
His arms were long and massive, and held many sorts of uplifted weapons. He had for his armlet a huge snake wound round his upper arin. His mouth was ablaze with flames of fire.
दंष्ट्राकरलवदनं व्यादितास्यं भयानकम्। नयनानां सहस्त्रैश्च विचित्रैरभिभूषितम्॥
His teeth made his face terrible to look at. His mouth was open and dreadful. His face had a thousand of beautiful eyes.
नैव तस्य वपुः शक्यं प्रवक्तुं वेष एव च। सर्वथा तु तदालक्ष्य स्फुटेयुरपि पर्वताः॥
His body and his dress were beyond description. Upon seeing him the very mountains would split into a thousand pieces.
तस्यास्यान्नासिकाभ्यां च श्रवणाभ्यां च. सर्वशः। तेभ्यश्चाक्षिसहस्रेभ्यः प्रादुरासन महार्चिषः॥
From those blazing flames of fire came out of his mouth and nose and ears and all those thousand of eyes.
तथा तेजोमरीचिभ्यः शङ्खचक्रगदाधराः। प्रादुरासन हषीकेशा: शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः॥
From those blazing flames hundreds and thousands of Hrishikeshas came out armed with conchs and discs and maces.
तदत्यद्भुतमालोक्य भूतं लोकभयंकरम्। द्रौणिरव्यथितो दिव्यैरस्त्रवर्षेरवाकिरत्॥
Seeing that extraordinary being capable of striking terror to the entire world, Drona's son, without any fear covered him with showers of celestial weapons. That being, however, devoured all those arrows discharged by Drona's son.
द्रौणिमुक्ताञ्छरांस्तांस्तु तद् भूतं महदग्रसत्। उदधेरिव वार्यघान् पावको वडवामुखः॥
Like the Vadava fire devouring the waters of the ocean, that being devoured the arrows discharged by the son of Drona.
अग्रसत् तांस्तथाभूतं द्रौणिना प्रहिताशरान्। अश्वत्थामा तु सम्प्रेक्ष्य शरौघांस्तान् निरर्थकान्॥
Seeing his arrowy showers prove fruitless, Ashvathaman discharged at him a long dart burning like fire.
रथशक्तिं मुमोचासौ दीप्तामग्निशिखामिव। सा तमाहत्य दीप्ताग्रा रथशक्तिदीर्यत॥
That blazing dart striking against that being, broke into pieces like a huge meteor at the end of a cycle breaking and falling down from the sky after striking against.
युगान्ते सूर्याहत्य महोल्केव दिवश्च्युता। अथ हेमत्सरं दिव्यं खड्गमाकाशवर्चसम्॥
Without losing a moment Ashvatthaman drew from its sheath an excellent sky-coloured scimitar having a golden hilt. The scimitar came out like a snake from its whole.
कोशात् समुद्बबर्दाशु बिलाद् दीप्तमिबोरगम्। ततः खड्गवरं धीमान् भूताय प्राहिणोत् तदा॥
The intelligent son of Drona then threw that excellent scimitar at that being. approaching that being the weapon disappeared within his body like a mungoose disappearing in its hole.
स तदासाद्य भूतं वै बिलं नुकलवद् ययौ। ततः स कुपितो द्रौणिरिन्द्रकेतुनिभां गदाम्॥
Worked up with anger the son of Drona then hurled a blazing mace huge as a pole set up in honor of Indra. That being devoured that mace also.
ज्वलन्तीं प्राहिणोत् तस्मै भूतं तामपि चाग्रसत्। ततः सर्वायुधाभावे वीक्षमाणस्ततस्ततः॥
At last, when all his weapons were exhausted, Ashvatthaman, looking around, saw the entire sky densely crowded with images of Janarddana.
अपश्यत् कृतमाकाशमनाकाशं जनार्दनैः। तदद्भुततमं दृष्ट्वा द्रोणपुत्रो निरायुधः॥ अब्रवीदतिसंतप्तः कृपवाक्यमनुस्मरन्। ब्रुवतामप्रियं पथ्यं सुहृदां न शृणोति यः॥
Seeing that wonderful spectacle Drona's son, divested of weapons, recollected the words of Kripa, and burning with grief, said,-"He who hears not the beneficial words of friends, repents being overwhelmed with calamity, as does my foolish self for having disregarded by two well-wishers.
स शोचत्पादं प्राप्य यथाहमतिवर्त्य तौ। शास्त्रदृष्टानविद्वान् यः समतीत्य जिघांसति॥
That fool who, disregarding the way laid down by the scriptures, tries to kill his enemies, falls off from the path of righteousness and is lost in sin.
स पथः प्रच्युतो धर्मात् कुपथे प्रतिहन्यते। गोब्राह्मणनृपस्त्रीषु सख्युर्मातुर्गुरोस्तथा॥ हीनप्राणजडान्धेषु सुप्तभीतोस्थितेषु च। मत्तोन्मत्तप्रमत्तेषु न शस्त्राणि च पातयेत्॥
One should not use weapons against kine, Brahmanas, kings, women, friends, one's own mother, one's own preceptor, a weak man, an idiot, a blind man, a sleeping man, a terrified man, one just got up from sleep, an intoxicated person, a lunatic, and one that is careless. The ancient preceptors always preached this truth to men.
इत्येवं गुरुभिः पूर्वमुपदिष्टं नृणां सदा। सोऽहमुत्क्रम्य पन्थानं शास्त्रदिष्टं सनातनम्॥
By neglecting the eternal way pointed out by the scriptures and by trying to follow a wrong path I have, however, fallen into a dreadful distress.
अमार्गेणैवमारभ्य घोरामापदमागतः। तां चापदं घोरतरां प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः॥
It is described by the wise as a terrible calamily when one through fear, cannot achieve a great feat after having tried to do the same.
यदुद्यम्य महत् कृत्यं भयादपि निवर्तते। अशक्तश्चैव तत् कर्तु कर्म शक्तिबलादिह॥
By using my skill and power, I am unable to achieve that which I have promised? Human exertion is never more powerful than destiny.
न हि दैवाद् गरीयो वै मानुषं कर्म कथ्यते। मानुष्यं कुर्वतः कर्म यदि दैवान्न सिध्यति॥ स पथः प्रच्युतो धर्माद् विपदं प्रतिपद्यते।
If any action of a man that is undertaken becomes unsuccessful through destiny, the actor becomes like one who deviating from the path of virtue is lost in the wilderness of sin.
प्रतिज्ञानं ह्यविज्ञानं प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः॥ यदारभ्य क्रियां काञ्चिद् भयादिह निवर्तते।
The wise describe defeat as foolishness when one having undertaken a task abandons it from fear.
तदिदं दुष्प्रणीतेन भयं मां समुपस्थितम्॥ न हि द्रोणसुतः संख्ये निवर्तेत कथंचन।
For the wickedness of my attempt, this great calamity has befallen me, otherwise Drona's son would never had been compelled to hold back from battle.
इदं स समुहद् भूतं दैवदण्डमिवोद्यतम्॥ न चैतदभिजानामि चिन्तयन्नपि सर्वथा।
Again this being, who is before me, is most wonderful. He stands there like the uplifted rod of divine punishment. Thinking much even, I Cannot recognise this being.
ध्रुवं येयमधर्मे में प्रवृत्ता कलुषा मतिः॥ तस्याः फलमिदं घोरं प्रतिघाताय कल्पते।
Forsooth, that being is the dreadful outcome of this my sinful determination which I had attempted to achieve by unfair means, He stands there for baffling my resolution.
तदिदं दैवविहितं मम संख्ये निवर्तनम्॥ नान्यत्र दैवादुद्यन्तुमिह शक्यं कथंचना
It seems, therefore, that my casing from fight had been ordained by destiny. It is useless for me to try to accomplish my resolution unless density becomes favorable.
सोऽहमद्य महादेवं प्रपद्ये शरणं विभुम्॥ दैवदण्डमिमं घोरं स हि मे नाशयिष्यति।
I shall, therefore, at this hour, seek the protection of the powerful Mahadeva. He will remove this dreadful rod of divine punishment uplifted before me.
कपर्दिनं देवदेवमुमापतिमनामयम्॥ कपालमालिनं रुद्रं भगनेत्रहरं हरम्।
I will seek refuge with that god, that source of all good, viz., the lord of Uma, otherwise called Kaparddin, adorned with a garland of human skulls, that plucker of Bhaga's eyes, called also Rudra and Hara.
स हि देवोऽत्यगाद् देवांस्तपसा विक्रमेण चा तस्माच्छरणमभ्येमि गिरिशं शूलपाणिनम्॥
In ascetic practices and power, he far! excells all the gods. I shall, therefore, seek refuge with Girisha armed with trident.'