03.167
अर्जुन उवाच॥
Arjuna said.
ततो निवातकवचाः सर्वे वेगेन भारत। अभ्यद्रवन्मां सहिताः प्रगृहीतायुधा रणे ॥०३-१६७-१॥
Then, O Bhārata, all the Nivātakavacas, armed and together, rushed toward me with speed in the battle. (03-167-1)
आच्छिद्य रथपन्थानमुत्क्रोशन्तो महारथाः। आवृत्य सर्वतस्ते मां शरवर्षैरवाकिरन् ॥०३-१६७-२॥
The great warriors shouted loudly as they blocked the chariot path. Surrounding me from all sides, they covered me with showers of arrows. (03-167-2)
ततोऽपरे महावीर्याः शूलपट्टिशपाणयः। शूलानि च भुशुण्डीश्च मुमुचुर्दानवा मयि ॥०३-१६७-३॥
Then other powerful Dānavas, holding spears and pattiśas, hurled spears and slings at me. (03-167-3)
तच्छूलवर्षं सुमहद्गदाशक्तिसमाकुलम्। अनिशं सृज्यमानं तैरपतन्मद्रथोपरि ॥०३-१६७-४॥
That very great shower of spears, thick with maces and spears and ceaselessly hurled by them, fell upon my chariot. (3-167-4)
अन्ये मामभ्यधावन्त निवातकवचा युधि। शितशस्त्रायुधा रौद्राः कालरूपाः प्रहारिणः ॥०३-१६७-५॥
Others, who wore armor impervious to wind, approached me in battle—armed with sharp weapons, terrible, death-like in form, and skilled in striking. (03-167-5)
तानहं विविधैर्बाणैर्वेगवद्भिरजिह्मगैः। गाण्डीवमुक्तैरभ्यघ्नमेकैकं दशभिर्मृधे ॥ ते कृता विमुखाः सर्वे मत्प्रयुक्तैः शिलाशितैः ॥०३-१६७-६॥
I struck each of them in battle with ten different arrows, swift and unfailing, released from the Gāṇḍīva. All of them were turned away by the stone-tipped arrows discharged by me. (03-167-6)
ततो मातलिना तूर्णं हयास्ते सम्प्रचोदिताः। रथमार्गाद्बहूंस्तत्र विचेरुर्वातरंहसः ॥ सुसंयता मातलिना प्रामथ्नन्त दितेः सुतान् ॥०३-१६७-७॥
Then Mātali quickly urged on the horses, and they left the chariot path, swiftly roaming in many directions like the wind. Well-controlled by Mātali, they overpowered the sons of Diti. (03-167-7)
शतं शतास्ते हरयस्तस्मिन्युक्ता महारथे। तदा मातलिना यत्ता व्यचरन्नल्पका इव ॥०३-१६७-८॥
In that great chariot yoked with a hundred hundreds of your horses, then, with Mātali controlling them, they moved about like small ones. (03-167-8)
तेषां चरणपातेन रथनेमिस्वनेन च। मम बाणनिपातैश्च हतास्ते शतशोऽसुराः ॥०३-१६७-९॥
By the falling of their feet, the sound of chariot-wheels, and also by the impact of my arrows, those asuras were killed by the hundreds. (03-167-9)
गतासवस्तथा चान्ये प्रगृहीतशरासनाः। हतसारथयस्तत्र व्यकृष्यन्त तुरङ्गमैः ॥०३-१६७-१०॥
There, others—who still held their bows but whose life had departed, and whose charioteers were slain—were being dragged by the horses. (03-167-10)
ते दिशो विदिशः सर्वाः प्रतिरुध्य प्रहारिणः। निघ्नन्ति विविधैः शस्त्रैस्ततो मे व्यथितं मनः ॥०३-१६७-११॥
They, having blocked all the directions and intermediate directions, the attackers strike with various weapons; therefore my mind is troubled. (03-167-11)
ततोऽहं मातलेर्वीर्यमपश्यं परमाद्भुतम्। अश्वांस्तथा वेगवतो यदयत्नादधारयत् ॥०३-१६७-१२॥
Then I saw Mātali's supreme and marvelous power, as he controlled those swift horses effortlessly. (03-167-12)
ततोऽहं लघुभिश्चित्रैरस्त्रैस्तानसुरान्रणे। सायुधानच्छिनं राजञ्शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः ॥०३-१६७-१३॥
Then, O king, I destroyed those armed asuras in battle with light and varied missiles, by hundreds and thousands. (03-167-13)
एवं मे चरतस्तत्र सर्वयत्नेन शत्रुहन्। प्रीतिमानभवद्वीरो मातलिः शक्रसारथिः ॥०३-१६७-१४॥
Thus, as I moved there with all my effort, the hero Mātali, charioteer of Śakra and destroyer of enemies, became pleased. (03-167-14)
वध्यमानास्ततस्ते तु हयैस्तेन रथेन च। अगमन्प्रक्षयं केचिन्न्यवर्तन्त तथापरे ॥०३-१६७-१५॥
Then, while being slain by that chariot and its horses, some of them went towards destruction, while others likewise turned back. (03-167-15)
स्पर्धमाना इवास्माभिर्निवातकवचा रणे। शरवर्षैर्महद्भिर्मां समन्तात्प्रत्यवारयन् ॥०३-१६७-१६॥
As if competing with us, the Nivātakavacas in battle repulsed me from all sides with great showers of arrows. (03-167-16)
ततोऽहं लघुभिश्चित्रैर्ब्रह्मास्त्रपरिमन्त्रितैः। व्यधमं सायकैराशु शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः ॥०३-१६७-१७॥
Then I swiftly discharged hundreds and then thousands of light, varied arrows, all empowered by the brahmāstra formulas. (03-167-17)
ततः सम्पीड्यमानास्ते क्रोधाविष्टा महासुराः। अपीडयन्मां सहिताः शरशूलासिवृष्टिभिः ॥०३-१६७-१८॥
Then those great asuras, overpowered by anger as they were beset, all together attacked me with a rain of arrows, spears, and swords. (03-167-18)
ततोऽहमस्त्रमातिष्ठं परमं तिग्मतेजसम्। दयितं देवराजस्य माधवं नाम भारत ॥०३-१६७-१९॥
Then, O Bhārata, I took up the supreme weapon of fierce energy called 'Madhava,' which is beloved of the king of the gods. (03-167-19)
ततः खड्गांस्त्रिशूलांश्च तोमरांश्च सहस्रशः। अस्त्रवीर्येण शतधा तैर्मुक्तानहमच्छिनम् ॥०३-१६७-२०॥
Then I cut apart, by the power of weapons, thousands of swords, tridents and javelins released at me, shattering them into a hundred pieces. (03-167-20)
छित्त्वा प्रहरणान्येषां ततस्तानपि सर्वशः। प्रत्यविध्यमहं रोषाद्दशभिर्दशभिः शरैः ॥०३-१६७-२१॥
Having cut the weapons of these, then I also pierced all of them entirely with ten arrows each, out of anger. (03-167-21)
गाण्डीवाद्धि तदा सङ्ख्ये यथा भ्रमरपङ्क्तयः। निष्पतन्ति तथा बाणास्तन्मातलिरपूजयत् ॥०३-१६७-२२॥
Then, from Gāṇḍīva in battle, arrows emerged just like rows of bees, and then Mātali honoured that.
तेषामपि तु बाणास्ते बहुत्वाच्छलभा इव। अवाकिरन्मां बलवत्तानहं व्यधमं शरैः ॥०३-१६७-२३॥
Even so, their arrows, in great numbers, like locusts, showered upon me; but I repelled those strong ones with my arrows. (03-167-23)
वध्यमानास्ततस्ते तु निवातकवचाः पुनः। शरवर्षैर्महद्भिर्मां समन्तात्पर्यवारयन् ॥०३-१६७-२४॥
Then, being struck, the Nivātakavacas again surrounded me on all sides with great showers of arrows. (03-167-24)
शरवेगान्निहत्याहमस्त्रैः शरविघातिभिः। ज्वलद्भिः परमैः शीघ्रैस्तानविध्यं सहस्रशः ॥०३-१६७-२५॥
Having struck down the forces moving at arrow-speed, I pierced them by thousands with supreme, burning, swift missiles that strike like arrows. (03-167-25)
तेषां छिन्नानि गात्राणि विसृजन्ति स्म शोणितम्। प्रावृषीवातिवृष्टानि शृङ्गाणीव धराभृताम् ॥०३-१६७-२६॥
Their severed limbs were shedding blood, just like the horns of mountains in the rainy season after heavy rain. (03-167-26)
इन्द्राशनिसमस्पर्शैर्वेगवद्भिरजिह्मगैः। मद्बाणैर्वध्यमानास्ते समुद्विग्नाः स्म दानवाः ॥०३-१६७-२७॥
Those Dānavas, being struck by my arrows that were swift, direct, and had the impact of Indra's thunderbolt, were greatly agitated. (03-167-27)
शतधा भिन्नदेहान्त्राः क्षीणप्रहरणौजसः। ततो निवातकवचा मामयुध्यन्त मायया ॥०३-१६७-२८॥
Though their bodies and entrails were torn into a hundred pieces and their strength of weapons was diminished, the Nivātakavacas then fought me by means of illusion. (03-167-28)
