KARNA PARVA: Chapter 75

Fight of both armies

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच समागमे पाण्डवसुंजयानां महाभये मामकानामगाधे। धनंजये तात रणाय याते कर्णेन तद् युद्धमथोऽत्र कीदृक्॥
Dhritarashtra said When Dhananjaya, the infinite dread of my valiant chieftains, rejoined the Pandava and Srinjaya forces, O Sire, how fared the battle?

संजय उवाच तेषामनीकानि बृहद्ध्वजानि रणे समृद्धानि समागतानि। गर्जन्ति भेरीनिनदोन्मुखानि नादैर्यथा मेघगणास्तपान्ते॥
Sanjaya said All the assembled troops marshaled in array, sounding their bugles and blowing this horns, like thick volumes of clouds at the end of summer, roared thunders.

महागजाभ्राकुलमस्त्रतोयं वादित्रनेमीतलशब्दवच। हिरण्यचित्रायुधाविद्युतं च शरासिनाराचमहास्त्रधारम्॥ तद् भीमवेग रुधिरौघवाहि खड्गाकुलं क्षत्रियजीवघाति। अनार्तवं क्रूरमनिष्टवर्षं बभूव तत् संहरण प्रजानाम्॥
That grim visaged war, which followed the sanguinary contest of the Kshatriyas, all up in arins, for the extermination of their race and in which blood streamed forth in rushing currents, like the untimely falling off of a shower of evil, became the cause of destruction of all livingbeings. Huge elephants forming the cluster of wheels, clapping of hands constituting its thunder-bolts and weapons, trimmed with gold, making its lightning; and swords and arrows and cloth-yard shafts and other weapons of great velocity, becoming its drops.

एकं रथं सम्परिवार्य मृत्यु नयन्त्यनेके च रथाः समेताः। स्तथा रथश्चापि रथाननेकान्॥
Many car-warriors, assembled together, assailing an opponent dispatched him off to the King of Terrors; while a supreme car-warrior, fighting the good fight with a single adversary, hastened his departure to the other world or another, assailing many in close contest, launched them all into eternity.

रथं ससूतं सहयं च कञ्चित् कश्चिद्रथी मृत्युवशं निनाय। निनाय चाप्येकगजेन कश्चिद् रथान् बहून् मृत्युवशे तथाश्वान्॥
Then again some car-warrior in exchanging shots with his enemy made him die a violent death, together with steeds and charioteer, while another warrior riding on his elephant put to death many car-warriors and horsemen.

रथान् ससूतान् सहयान् गजांश्च सर्वानरीन् मृत्युवशं शरौघैः। निन्ये हयांश्चैव तथा ससादीन् पदातिसङ्घांश्च तथैव पार्थः॥
Partha thus inflicting the enemy with a heavy downpour of shafts rent them asunder with all their cavalry and elephant soldiers, as also the rides and riders of their war-chariots.

कृपः शिखण्डी च रणे समेतौ दुर्योधन सात्यकिरभ्यगच्छत्। श्रुतस्तथा द्रोणपुत्रेण सार्धं युधामन्युश्चित्रसेनेन सार्धम्॥
Kripacharya met Sikhandin in the field, while Satyaki encountered Duryodhana; and Srutasravas challenged Drona's son, while Yudhamauna took Chitrasena for his assailant.

कर्णस्य पुत्रं तु रथी सुषेणं समागतं संजयश्चोत्तमौजाः। गान्धारराजं सहदेवः क्षुधार्ता महर्षभं सिंह इवाभ्यधावत्॥
And like a hungry lion hotly pursuing a stout bull, Uttamauja, the great car-warrior of Srinjayas, pounced upon Susena, the son of Karna,; while Sahadeva launched out against Shakuni, the King of the Gandharas.

शतानीको नाकुलिः कर्णपुत्रं युवा युवानं वृषसेन शरौघैः। समार्पयत् कर्णपुत्रश्च शूरः पाञ्चालेयं शरवर्षैरनेकैः॥
Young Satanika, the son of Nakula, rushing headlong afflicted young Vrishasena with a showering torrent of his shafts and (he, too), the heroic son of Karna returned the charges of the son of the princess of Panchala in no stinted measure.

न्माद्रीपुत्रो नकुलचित्रयोधी। पञ्चलानामधिपो याज्ञसेनिः सेनापतिः कर्णमार्छत् ससैन्यम्॥
Madri's son Nakula, the skillful adept of war tactics and the wonderful warrior of unique fame, assailed Kritavarman, while Yajnasena's son the king of the Panchalas rushed against general Karna with all his hosts.

दुःशासनो भारत भारती च संशप्तकानां पृतना समृद्धा। भीमं रणे शस्त्रभृतां वरिष्ठं भीमं समार्छत्तमसह्यवेगम्१२॥
O Bharata, Dushasana, with the swelling hosts of the Samsaptakas and all the troops comprising the Bharata force, rode full tile against Bhima, the inflictor of woes in battle to all wielders of arms and the foremost of all warriors.

कर्णात्मजं तत्र जघान वीरस्तथाच्छिनचोत्तमौजाः प्रसह्य। तस्योत्तमाङ्गं निपपात भूमौ निनादयद् गां निनदेन खं च॥
There the powerful Uttamaujas, putting forth all his mighty, struck down the son of Karna and his dissevered head fell down on the ground with a terrible shriek, which made the Earth and the sky resound its roars.

सुषेणशीर्षं पतितं पृथिव्यां विलोक्य कर्णोऽथ तदार्तरूपः। क्रोधाद्धयांस्तस्य रथं ध्वजं च बाणैः सुधारैर्निशितैरकृन्तत्॥
Overwhelmed with grief at the (ghastly) sight of the severed head of Sushena thus rolling on the ground. Karna remained stupefied (for a while), but, his avenging spirit soon taking the better of him, he, soon, with sharp-pointed arrows cut to pieces the steeds, chariot and the standard of his son's adversary.

स तूत्तमौजा निशितैः पृषत्कैविव्याध खङ्गेन च भास्वरेण। पाणि हयांश्चैव कृपस्य हत्वा शिखण्डिवाहं स ततोऽध्यरोहत्॥
Uttamaujas, in the interval, trucking home, with his keen shafts and the sharp edge of his steed, the steed and the side-guards of Kripa, quickly leapt into the chariot of Shikhandin.

कृपं तु दृष्ट्वा विरथं रथस्थो नैच्छच्छरैस्ताडयितुं शिखण्डी। तं द्रौणिरावार्य रथं कृपस्य समुजहे पङ्कगतां यथा गाम्॥
Shikhandin, observing from his own chariot, (the sad predicament of) Kripa thus deprived of his conveyance, did not like to pursue him with his shafts; the son of Drona, in the meanwhile, covering the car of Kripa with that of his own, like a bull fallen in a ditch, rescued him.

हिरण्यवर्मा निशितैः प्रुषत्केस्तवात्मजानामनिलात्मजो वै। अतापयत् सैन्यमतीव भीमः काले शुचौ मध्यगतो यथार्कः॥
Here, the son of the Wind-god, Bhima, covered with armor of gold, afflicting with his keen shafts, like the burning mid-day Sun of summer, scorched the while body of troops of your sons. Here, the son of the Wind-god, Bhima, covered with armor of gold, afflicting with his keen shafts, like the burning mid-day Sun of summer, scorched the while body of troops of your sons.