संजय उवाच क्षत्रियास्ते महाराज परस्परवधैषिणः। अन्योन्यं समरे जघ्नुः कृतवैरा: परस्परम्॥
Sanjaya said Desirous of slaying one another and cherishing hatred, the Kshatriyas, O monarch, killed one another in battle.
रथौघाश्च हयौघाश्च नरौघाश्च समन्ततः। गजौघाश्च महाराज संसक्ताश्च परस्परम्॥
Cars, horses, men and elephants, O monarch, in large numbers, encountered one another on all sides.
गदानां परिधाणां च कणपानां च क्षिप्यताम्। प्रासानां भिन्दिपालानां भुशुण्डीनां च सर्वशः॥ सम्पातं चानुपश्याम संग्रामे भृशदारुणे। शलभा इव सम्पेतुः समन्ताच्छरवृष्टयः॥
We saw the falling maces, Parighas, Kunapas, lances, and rockets discharged at one another in that terrible encounter. Dreadful showers of arrows shot through like locusts.
नागान् नागा: समासाद्य व्यधमन्त परस्परम्। हया हयांश्च समरे रथिनो रशिनस्तथा॥ पत्तयः पत्तिसंघांश्च हयसंघांश्च पत्तयः। पत्तयो रथमातङ्गान् रथा हस्त्यश्वमेव च॥ नागाश्च समरे त्र्यङ्गं ममृदुः शीघ्रगा नृप।
Elephants struck elephants, horses routed horses and the car-warriors fought with carwarriors. There fought foot-soldiers with footsoldiers and the infantry with the cars and elephants and horsemen and elephants with the three other kinds of forces. They began to crush, O inonarch and grind one another. arrows
वध्यतां तत्र शूराणां क्रोशतां च परस्परम्॥ घोरमायोधनं जज्ञे पशूनां वैशसं यथा।
On account of those combatants striking one another and shouting at the top of their voices, the battle-field became awful, resembling the slaughter ground of creatures.
रुधिरेण समास्तीर्ण भाति भारत मेदिना॥ शक्रगोपगणाकीर्णा प्रावृषीव यथा धरा।
Covered with blood, the earth looked like a vast plain in the season of rains covered with red cochineal.
यथा वा वाससी शुक्के महारञ्जनिञ्जिते॥ बिभृयाद् युवती श्यामा तद्वदासीद् वसुंधरा। मासंशोणितचित्रेव शातुकम्भमयीव च॥
The earth assumed, as it were, the form of youthful maiden of great beauty clad in white robes dyed with deep red. Variegated with flesh and blood the earth appeared as if decked with gold.
भिन्नानां चोत्तमाङ्गानां बाहूनां चोरुभिः सह। कुण्डालानां प्रवृद्धानां भूषणानां च भारत॥ निष्काणामथ शूराणां शरीराणां च धन्विनाम्। चर्मणां सपताकानां संघास्तत्रापतन् भुवि॥
Large numbers of beads, cut-off from trunks and arms and thighs and ear-rings and other ornaments stripped off the bodies of the warriors, collars, cuirasses, bodies of brave bowmen, coats of mail and banners, lay scattered on the earth.
गजा गजान् समासाद्य विषाणैरार्दयन् नृप। विषाणाभिहतास्तत्र भ्राजन्ते द्विरदास्तथा॥
O king, the elephants approaching other elephants tore one another with their tusks. Stuck with the tusks of assailing elephants they looked beautiful.
रुधिरेणावसिक्ताङ्गा गैरिकप्रस्त्रवा इव। यथा भ्राजन्ति स्यन्दन्तः पर्वता धातुमण्डिताः॥
Bathed in blood those huge creatures looked resplendent like moving hills covered with metals and streams of liquid chalk.
तोमरान् सादिभिर्मुक्तान् प्रतीपानास्थितान् बहून्। हस्तैर्विचेरुस्ते नागा बभञ्जुश्चापरे तथा॥
Many of them seized the lances hurled by horsemen whilst others broke and twisted them.
नाराचैश्छिन्नवर्माणो भ्राजन्ति स्म गजोत्तमाः। हिमागमे यथा राजन् व्यभ्रा इव महीधराः॥
Many huge elephants, with their armours cut-off with arrows, looked like mountains divested of clouds at the approach of the winter.
शरैः कनकपुडैश्च चित्रा रेजुर्गजोत्तमाः। उल्काभिः सम्प्रदीप्तायाः पर्वता इव भारत॥
Many leading elephants, struck with goldwinged arrows, looked beautiful, like mountains whose summits are lighted with torches.
केचिदभ्याहता नागैर्नागा नगनिभोपमाः। विनेशुः समरे तस्मिन् पत्रवन्त इवाद्रयः॥
Struck by their antagonists some of those creatures, huge as hills, fell down in battle like winged mountains.
अपरे प्राद्रवन् नागाः शल्यार्ता व्रणपीडिताः। प्रतिमानैश्च कुम्भैश्च पेतुरुवा॒ महाहवे॥
Others, afflicted with arrows and much pained by the wound, fell down on the earth in that dreadful encounter with their frontal globes or the parts between their tusks.
विनेदुः सिंहवचान्ये नदन्तो भैरवान् रवान्। बभ्रमुर्बहवो राजंश्चक्रुशुश्चापरे गजाः॥
Others roared like lions. And many emitting terrible sounds ran hither and thither and many, O king, uttered cries of pain.
हयाश्च निहता बाणैर्हेमभाण्डविभूषिताः। निषेदुश्चैव मम्लुश्च बभ्रमुश्च दिशो दश॥
Horses, adorned with golden trappings, kills by arrows, fell down or became weak or ran in all directions.
अपरे कृष्यमाणाश्च विचेष्टन्तो महीतले। भावान् बहुविधांश्चक्रुस्ताडिताः शरतोमरैः॥
Others, wounded with arrows or dragged, fell down on the earth making diverse kinds of motion in agony.
नरास्तु निहता भूमौ कूजन्तस्तत्र मारिष। दृष्ट्वा च बान्धवानन्ये पितॄनन्ये पितामहान्॥ धावमानान् परांश्चान्यान् दृष्टाऽन्ये तत्र भारत। गोत्रनामानि ख्यातानि शशंसुरितरेतरम्॥
Men also slain fell down on the earth uttering many cries. Many beholding their relatives, fathers, grand-fathers, while others, seeing their retreating enemies called one another by their own and their family names.
तेषां छिन्ना महाराज भुजाः कनकभीषणाः। उद्वेष्टन्ते विचेष्टन्तेपतन्त चोत्पतन्ति च॥
Cut-off by enemies, the arms of many warriors adorned with golden ornaments fell down on the earth and writhed in agony.
निपतन्ति तथैवान्ये स्फुरन्ति च सहस्रशः। वेगांश्चान्ये रणे चक्रुः पञ्चास्या इव पन्नगाः॥
Thousands of such arms fell down on the earth and sprang up and many seemed to dart forward like five-headed snakes.
ते भुजा भोगिभोगाभाश्चन्दनाक्ता विशाम्पते। लोहितार्दा भृशं रेजुस्तपनयध्वजा इव॥
O king, those arms, resembling the bodies of serpents, pasted with gold and besmeared with blood, appeared like little mountains.
वर्तमाने तथा घोरं संकुले सर्वतोदिशम्। अविज्ञाताः स्म युध्यन्ते विनिघ्नन्तः परस्परम्॥
When such a dreadful battle raged on all sides, people not know themselves killed one another.
भौमेन रजसाऽऽकीर्णे शस्त्रसम्पातसंकुले। नैव स्वे न परे राजन् व्यज्ञायन्त तमोवृताः॥
When everything was covered with dust raised by the weapons, they, O king, could not recognise who were their own and who were their enemies.
तथा तद्भवद् युद्धं घोररूपं भयानकम्। लोहितोदा महानद्यः प्रसस्रुस्तत्र चासकृत्॥
Then there took place a dreadful encounter and there flew a river of blood striking terror unto all.
शीर्षपाषाणसंछन्नाः केशशैवलशाद्वलाः। अस्तिमीनसमाकीर्णा धनुःशरगदोडुपाः॥
It was filled with heads forming the rocks. The hairs of the warriors formed the floating weeds and mosses. Bones formed the fishes; and bows, arrows and maces formed the rafts by which to cross them.
मांसशोणितपकिन्यो घोररूपाः सुदारुणाः। नदी:प्रवर्तयामत्सुः शोणितौघविवर्धिनीः॥
Flesh and blood formed their mire. Thus dreadful and terrible rivers, with currents swelled by blood, were formed there.
भीरुवित्रासकारिण्यः शूराणां हर्षवर्धनाः। ता नद्यो घोररूपास्तु नयन्त्यो यमसादनम्॥
They struck terror unto the timid and increased the joy of the brave. Those awful rivers led to the abode of Yama.
अवगाढान् मजयन्त्यः क्षत्रस्याजनयन् भयम्। क्रव्यादानां नरव्याघ्र नर्दतां तत्र तत्र ह॥ घोरमायोधनं जज्ञे प्रेतराजपुरोपमम्।
And many plunged into those rivers striking terror unto the Kshatriyas and dies. O best of men, on account of many carnivorous animals emitting yells on all sides the battle-field became terrible, like the territory of the Regent of the Dead.
उत्थितान्यगणेयानि कबन्धानि समन्ततः॥ नृत्यन्ति वै भूतगणाः सुतृप्ता मांसशोणितैः। पीत्वा च शौणितं तत्र वसां पीत्वा च भारत॥
And innumerable, headless trunks rose on all sides. And many terrible creatures eating flesh and drinking blood and fat began to dance around.
मेदोमजावसामत्तास्तृप्त मांसस्य चैव ह। धावमानाः स्म दृश्यन्ते काकगृघ्रबकास्तथा॥
And gratified with fat, marrow and flesh crows, vultures and cranes were seen to move about in delight.
शूरास्तु समरे राजन् भयं त्यक्त्वा सुदुस्त्यजम्। योघव्रतसमाख्याताश्चक्रुः कर्माण्यभीतवत्॥
The heroes, however, O king, shaking off fear and observing the warrior's warrior's vow, fearlessly did their duty.
शरशक्तिसमाकीर्णे क्रव्यादगणसंकुले। व्यचरन्त रणे शूराः ख्यापयन्तः स्वपौरुषम्॥
On that field where innumerable arrows and darts passed through the air and where various carnivorous animals in large number and the brave warriors armed moved about displaying their powers.
अन्योन्यं श्रावयन्ति स्म नामगोत्राणि भारत। पितृनामानि च रणे गोत्रनामानि वा विभो॥ श्रावयाणाश्च बहवस्तत्र योद्धा विशाम्पते। अन्योन्यमवमृद्नन्तः शक्तितोमरपट्टिशैः॥
They called out one another by their own and family names. And many taking the names of their fathers and families began to assail one another with darts, lances and battle axes.
वर्तमाने तथा युद्धे घोररूपे सुदारुणे। व्यषीदत् कौरवी सेना भिन्ना नौरिव सागरे॥
In that-onset the Kuru army became divested of its strength and unable to stand any longer like a ship foundered on the bosom of the ocean.