संजय उवाच युधिष्ठिरं महाराज विसृजन्तं शरान् बहून्। स्वयं दुर्योधनो राजा प्रत्यगृह्णदभीतवत्॥
Sanjaya said O great monarch, the king Duryodhana himself received, without any fear, was Yudhishthira, who then shooting innumerable shafts (at his antagonists).
तमापतन्तं सहसां तव पुत्रं महारथम्। धर्मराजो द्रुतं विद्ध्वा तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति चाब्रवीत्॥
Then Yudhishthira, the righteous, after having quickly penetrated your son, that mighty car-warrior, who was all on a sudden proceeding against him, addressed him, saying-wait, wait.
स तु तं प्रतिविव्याध नवभिर्निशितैः शरैः। सारथिं चास्य भल्लेन भृशं क्रुद्धोऽभ्यताडयत्॥
Then he (Duryodhana), indeed, who became highly enraged, penetrated him (Yudhishthira) in return with nine whetted arrows and again, afflicted his charioteer most dreadfully by means of his broad-headed shafts.
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजन् स्वर्णपुखञ्छिलीमुखान्। दुर्योधन चिक्षेप त्रयोदश शिलाशितान्॥
Thereupon king Yudhishthira shot at Duryodhana thirteen keen arrows, that were furnished with the wings made of gold, sharpened on a stone.
चतुर्भिश्चतुरो वाहंस्तस्य हत्वा महारथः। पञ्चमेन शिरः कायात् सारथेश्च समाक्षियत्॥
Then that powerful car-warrior, having slaughtered his (Duryodhana's) four horses with four arrows, with the fifth severed the head of his charioteer from his body.
षष्ठेन तु ध्वज राज्ञः सप्तमेन त कार्मुकम्। अष्टभेन तथा खङ्गं पातयामास भूतले॥
Thereafter he smote down the king's standard with the sixth arrows, his bow with the seventh and his sword with the eighth, upon the ground.
पञ्चभिर्नृपतिं चापि धर्मराजोऽर्दयद् भृशम्। हताश्वात्तु रथात्तस्मादवप्लुत्य सुतस्तव॥ उत्तमं व्यसन प्राप्तो भूमावेवावतिष्ठत।
The most righteous king crushed most severely the Kuru monarch with five other arrows. At this, your son, descending from his car, that had its horses all slain, became subject to the greatest danger and stayed upon the field.
तं तु कृच्छ्रगतं दृष्ट्वा कर्णद्रौणिकृपादयः॥ अभ्यवर्तन्त सहसा परीप्सन्तो नराधिपम्।
After beholding him thus fallen into imminent danger, Karna, the son of Drona, Kripa and other heroes all on a sudden proceeded towards him with the desire of saving that ruler of men.
अथ पाण्डुसुताः सर्वे परिवार्य युधिष्ठिरम्॥ अन्वयुः समरे राजंस्ततो युद्धमवर्तत।
Thereupon, O monarch, all other sons of Pandu, collected round Yudhishthira and rushed forth at that battle, whereupon a great encounter took place.
ततस्तूर्यसहस्राणि प्रावाद्यन्त महामृधे॥ ततः किलाकिलाशब्दः प्रादुरासन् महीपते।
Thereupon in that dreadful battle thousands of trumpets were beaten; and after this, O mighty lord earth, a mixed noise, consisting of numerous voices, arose there (in the battle).
यत्राभ्यगतच्छन् समरे पञ्चालाः कौरवैः सहा। ११॥ नरा नरैः समजाग्मुर्वारणा वरवारणैः। रथाश्च रथिभिः सार्धं हयाश्च हयसादिभिः॥
In that part of the battle, where the Panchalas encountered the Kaurava divisions, the inen came against the foremost of elephants. The car-warriors encountered the car-warriors and horsemen with horsemen.
द्वन्द्वान्यासन् महाराज प्रेक्षणीयानि संयुगे। विविधान्यप्यचिन्त्यानि शस्त्रवन्त्युत्तमानि त॥
Thus, O great monarch, several kinds of unthought encounters took place between heroes armed with the best of weapons, which were most beautiful to look at upon the field.
ते शराः समरे सर्वे चित्रं लघु च सुष्टु च। अयुध्यन्त महावेगाः परस्परवधैषिणः॥
Those heroic warriors, who were possessed of great force and who also were willing to kill one another, continued to battle most excellently and with great lightness of hands and skill.
अन्योन्यं समरे जघ्नुर्योधव्रतमनुष्ठिताः। न हि ते समरं चक्रः पृष्ठतो वै कथञ्चन॥
Indeed, those heroes, strictly observed the vow of warriors and slaughtered each other in the battle; but they not at all fought from each other's back.
मुहूर्तमेव तद् युद्धमासीन्मधुरदर्शनम्। तत उन्मत्तवद राजन् निर्मर्यादमवर्तत॥
But that battle looked only for a while most excellent. Thereupon, monarch, the encounter look a very mad turn, in which all became regardless of one another.
रथी नागं समासाद्य दारयन् निशितैः शरैः। प्रेषयामास कालाय शरैः संनतपर्वभिः॥
Then the car-warrior, rushing against the elephant, pierced him with sharp arrows and led him towards the abode of Death by means of his straight shafts.
नागा हयान् समासाद्य विक्षिपन्तो बहून् रणे। दारयामासुरत्युग्रं तत्र तत्र तदा तदा॥
Thereafter the elephants coming before the horses, hurled a large number of them in the battle and deeply pierced them in the different directions of the field.
हयारोहाश्च बहवः परिवार्य हयोत्तमान्। तलशब्दरवांश्चक्रुः सम्पतन्तस्ततस्ततः॥ धावमानांस्ततस्तांस्तु द्रवमाणान् महागजान्। पार्श्वतः पृष्ठतश्चैव निजघ्नुर्हयसादिनः॥
Then numerous horsemen, after having encompassed the best of horses created a very sweet noise with their palms and then fell down upon them. The horsemen, again, slaughtered those horses, that were running away from the field, as well as the mighty elephants, that also were roving in the battle, both from behind them and from the sides.
विद्राव्य च बहूनश्वान् नागा राजन् मदोत्कटाः। विषाणैश्चापरे जघ्नुर्ममृदुश्चापरे भृशम्॥
O monarch, the most furious elephants, after having crushed large numbers of horses to run away from the field, slaughtered some of them with their tusks and crushed down others most severely.
साश्वारोहांश्च तुरगान् विषाणैविव्यधू रुषा। अपरे चिक्षिपुर्वेगात् प्रगृह्यातिबलास्तदा॥
Thereupon some of the elephants pierced numerous horses along with their riders with great wrath; while others, again, that were possessed of extraordinary strength, seized them and dragged them down upon the ground with great force.
पादतैराहता नागा विवरेषु समन्ततः। चक्रुरार्तस्वरं घोरं दुदुवुश्च दिशो दश॥
The elephants, struck from all sides in the different vital parts by the foot-soldiers, uttered very dreadful cries of pain and ran away towards the ten points of the compass.
पदातीनां तु सहसा प्रदुतानां महाहवे। उत्सृज्याभरणं तूर्णमवप्लुत्य रणाजिरे॥ निमित्तं मन्यमानास्तु परिणाम्य महागजाः। जगृहुर्बिभिदुश्चैर चित्राण्याभरणानि॥
Many of the foot-soldiers, who were all on sudden running away in that dreadful battle, leaving behind their ornaments, immediately hemmed in upon the field. Then, indeed, the most powerful elephant-warriors, having considered the indications of victory, caused their elephants to take up those handsome ornaments and penetrate the fallen warriors with their tusks.
तांस्तु तत्र प्रसक्तान् वै परिवार्य पदातयः। हस्तोरोहान् निजघ्नुस्ते महावेगा बलोत्कटाः॥
Then also the foot-soldiers, that were possessed of immense force and endued with extraordinary strength, after having encircled those riders of elephants, who wee engaged in the massacre there (in the battle), slaughtered them.
अपरे हस्तिभिहैस्तैः खं विक्षिप्ता महाहवे। निपतन्तो विषाणौ शं विद्धाः सुशिक्षितैः॥
In that dreadful battle, others were hurled up into the atmosphere by the elephants with their trunks; and while falling down they were were deeply pierced by those well-trained beasts with the points of their tusks.
अपरे सहसा गृह्य विषाणैरेव सूदिताः। सेनान्तरं समासाद्य केचित् तत्र महागजैः॥ क्षुण्णगात्रा महाराज विक्षिप्य च पुनः पुनः। अपरे व्यजनानीव विभ्राम्य निहता मृधे॥
Other foot-soldiers were deprived of their lives with the tusks of the elephants, that had suddenly seized them and some, again, O great monarch, who had been thrown into the midst of other soldiers, were cut-off into pieces by those huge elephants, after they had rolled them over and over again upon the ground. And others also, that were tossed in the air like the fans, were slaughtered in the battle.
पुरःसराश्च नागानामपरेषां विशाम्पते। शरीराण्यतिविद्धानि तत्र तत्र रणाजिरे॥
O ruler of earth, those (of the foot-soldiers), who stood in front of other elephants, had their bodies deeply penetrated (by the elephants) on all sides of the field of battle.
प्रतिमानेषु कुम्भेषु दन्तवेष्टेषु चापरे। निगृहीतां भृशं नागाः प्रासतोमरशक्तिभिः॥
Many other elephants were very severely struck in their cheeks, the frontal globs and the parts between their tusks with spears, lances and shafts, called Shakti.
निगृह्य च गजाः केचित् पार्श्वस्थैर्भृशदारुणैः। रथाश्वसादिभिस्तत्र सम्भिन्ना न्यपतन् भुवि॥
Moreover some other elephants, that were fearfully wounded by the most formidable warriors, posted on their sides, as well as by the car-warriors and horse-men, being cut-off by them, fell down upon the ground.
सहयाः सादिनस्तत्र तोमरेण महामृधे। भूमावमृद्गन वेगेन सचर्माणं पदातिनम्॥
There in that dreadful battle, nur.erous horsemen had all on a sudden struck down with great violence upon the field the foot-soldiers, that had their arrows on, by means of their lances.
तथा सावरणान् कांश्चित्तत्र तत्र विशाम्पते। रथान् नागाः समासाद्य परिगृह्य च मारिष॥ व्याक्षिपन् सहसा तत्र घोररूपे भयानके। नाराचैर्निहताश्चापि गजाः पेतुर्महाबलाः॥ पर्वतस्येव शिखरं वज्ररुग्णं महीतले।
So also, O ruler of earth, O sire, the mighty elephants, having advanced before some of the car-warriors, that had their armours on and also having seized them well dragged them down most suddenly on all sides of that dreadful field of battle, that presented a very awful aspect. Many mightiest clephants, that were slaughtered with the shafts, fell down upon the ground even as the summits of a mountain drop down upon the surface of the earth, when broken down by thunder.
योधा योधान् समासाद्य मुष्टिभिर्व्यहनन् युधि॥ केशेष्वन्योन्यमाक्षिप्य चिक्षिपुर्बिभिदुश्च ह।
In that battle, the warriors, battling with their combatants, struck them with their fists; and having dragged cach other with their hairs, hurled down and cut-off each other.
उद्यम्य त भुजानन्ये निक्षिप्य च महीतले॥ पदा चोरः समाक्रम्य स्फुरतोऽपाहरच्छिरः।
Some other combatants, having stretched their arms, hurled down their antagonists upon the ground, placed their feet upon their breasts and with great pleasure severed their heads.
पततश्चापरो राजन् विजहारासिना शिरः॥ जीवतश्च तथैवान्यः शस्त्रं काये न्यमज्जयत्।
Some one of the combatants, O great king, smote down with his feet the dead antagonist; while some other, O monarch, severed the head of a falling enemy by means of his scimitar; and while some other combatant, again, directed his weapon at the body of another, who was still living.
मुष्टियुद्धं महचासीद् योधानां तत्र भारत॥ तथा केशग्रहश्चोगो बाहुयुद्धं च भैरवम्।
Thus, O descendant of the Bharata race, the inost dreadful encounters between heroes took place there, some striking one another with their fists, and some also fiercely seizing one another with their hairs; and some, again, wrestling with another with their arms most fearfully.
समासक्तस्य चान्येन अविज्ञातस्तथाऽपरः॥ जहार समरे प्राणान् नानाशस्त्रैर नेकधा।
Under various circumstances, some one of the combatants deprived the lives of many in the battle, who were engaged with others and were quite unconscious of the slaughter by means of several sorts of weapons.
संसक्तेषु च योधेषु वर्तमारे च संकुले॥ कबन्धान्युत्थितानि स्युःशतशोऽथ सहस्रशः।
In that general encounter, while the warriors were engaged in the battle and continued to be mangled, hundreds and thousands of headless bodies of the fallen warriors) stood upon the field.
शोणितैः सिच्यमानानि शस्त्राणि कवचानि च।॥ महारागनुरक्तानि वस्त्राणीव चकाशिरे।
Diverse kinds of weapons and armours, that were drenched in blood, blazed forth like pieces of cloth, that are dyed with deep red.
एवमेतन्मद् युद्धं दारुणे शस्त्रसंकुलम्॥ उन्मत्तगङ्गाप्रतिमं शब्देनापूरयजगत्।
Thus this most dreadful and extraordinary battle, that was characterised by a confused din of diverse kinds of weapons, filled the entire universe with a noise even as the furious Ganges fills the earth with the roar of her currents.
नैव स्वे न परे राजन् विज्ञायन्ते शरातुराः॥ योद्धव्यमिति युध्यन्ते रानानो जयगृद्धिनः।
O monarch, the combatants, being highly oppressed the shafts, could not make out their friends from the antagonists and the assembled princes, who were all very desirous of victory, continued to battle, considering (the fact), that they should fight.
स्वान् स्वे जनुर्महाराज परांश्चैव समागतान्॥ उभयोः सेनयोर्वीरैर्व्याकुलं समपद्यत।
O great monarch, the warriors began to slaughter both the friends and foes, who had assembled in that dreadful battle; and the warriors, belonging to both the forces, were rendered restless by the heroes, who engaged them.
रथैर्भग्नैर्महाराज वारणैश्च निपातितैः॥ हयैश्च पतितस्तत्र नरैश्च विनिपातितः। अगम्यरूपा पृथिवी क्षणेन समपद्यत॥
Within a very short time, the earth, that was covered with a mire consisting of flesh and blood and also by which the currents of blood flowed continuously, became, O lord of earth, impassable with the shattered cars and with the fallen elephants and the horses lying there about and also with men slaughtered (in the battle), O great monarch.
क्षणेनासीन्महीपाल क्षतजौघप्रवर्तिनी। पञ्चालानहनत् कर्णस्त्रिगर्ताश्च धनंजयः॥
So Karna slaughtered the Panchala warriors and Dhananjaya slew the Kuru troops along with all their elephant forces.
भीमसेनः कुरून् राजन् हस्त्यनीकं च सर्वशः। एवमेष क्षयो वृत्तः कुरुपाण्डवसेनयोः। अपराह्ने गते सूर्ये कासतां विपुलं यश॥
Thus the great destruction had taken place of all the forces of both the Kuru and Pandavas. Both the parties were most desirous of gaining fame, when the sun had passed the other side of meridian.