03.234
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
tato divyāstra-sampannā gandharvā hemamālinaḥ। visṛjantaḥ śarān dīptān samantāt paryavārayan ॥03-234-1॥
Then the Gandharvas, adorned with golden garlands and equipped with divine weapons, surrounded (the enemy) from all sides, releasing blazing arrows. (03-234-1)
catvāraḥ pāṇḍavā vīrā gandharvāś ca sahasraśaḥ। raṇe samnyapatan rājan tad adbhutam ivābhavat॥03-234-2॥
O king, four heroic Pāṇḍavas and thousands of Gandharvas fell together in battle; it was as if something marvellous had taken place. (03-234-2)
yathā karṇasya ca ratho dhārtarāṣṭrasya ca ubhayoḥ। gandharvaiḥ śataśaś chinnau tathā teṣāṃ pracakrire॥03-234-3॥
Just as the chariots of Karṇa and Dhārtarāṣṭra were shattered in hundreds by the Gandharvas, in the same way they dealt with theirs. (03-234-3)
tān samāpatato rājan gandharvān śataśo raṇe। pratyagṛhṇan naravyāghrāḥ śara-varṣaiḥ anekaśaḥ ॥03-234-4॥
O king, as the Gandharvas by the hundreds approached in battle, the tiger-like men repeatedly received them with showers of arrows. (03-234-4)
avakīryamāṇāḥ khagamāḥ śara-varṣaiḥ samantataḥ। na śekuḥ pāṇḍu-putrāṇāṃ samīpe parivartitum ॥03-234-5॥
The birds, being scattered in every direction by showers of arrows, were unable to move near the sons of Pāṇḍu. (03-234-5)
abhikruddhān abhiprekṣya gandharvān arjunaḥ tadā। lakṣayitvā atha divyāni mahāstrāṇi upacakrame ॥03-234-6॥
Then Arjuna, having observed the enraged Gandharvas, discerned this and began to use the divine great weapons. (03-234-6)
sahasrāṇāṃ sahasraṃ sa prāhiṇodyamasādanam। āgneyenārjunaḥ saṅkhye gandharvāṇāṃ balotkaṭaḥ ॥03-234-7॥
Arjuna, mighty among the Gandharvas in battle, with the Agneya weapon, dispatched a thousand out of thousands for advancing attack. (03-234-7)
tathā bhīmo maheṣvāsaḥ saṃyuge balināṃ varaḥ। gandharvāñśataśo rājañjaghāna niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ॥03-234-8॥
Thus Bhīma, the great archer and foremost among the strong, killed hundreds of Gandharvas with sharp arrows, O king. (03-234-8)
mādrīputrāv api tathā yudhyamānau balotkaṭau। parigṛhyāgrato rājan jaghnatuḥ śataśaḥ parān ॥03-234-9॥
O king, the two mighty sons of Mādrī also, fighting at the front, struck down hundreds of enemies.
te vadhyamānā gandharvā divyairastrairmahātmabhiḥ. utpetuḥ kham-upādāya dhṛtarāṣṭra-sutām-stataḥ ॥03-234-10॥
The Gandharvas, being struck down by the great-souled warriors with divine weapons, quickly rose into the sky, carrying the sons of Dhritarashtra away from that place. (03-234-10)
tān utpatiṣṇūn buddhvā tu kuntī-putro dhanañjayaḥ। mahatā śara-jālena samantāt paryavārayat॥03-234-11॥
But Dhanañjaya, the son of Kuntī, perceiving those (enemies) about to leap forth, surrounded them on all sides with a great array of arrows. (03-234-11)
te baddhāḥ śarajālena śakuntā iva pañjare। vavarṣur arjunaṃ krodhād gadāśakty ṛṣṭivṛṣṭibhiḥ॥03-234-12॥
Bound by a net of arrows like birds in a cage, they angrily showered Arjuna with a rain of maces, lances, and spears. (03-234-12)
gadā-śakty-asi-vṛṣṭīḥ tā nihatya sa mahāstravit। gātrāṇi ca ahanat bhallaiḥ gandharvāṇāṃ dhanañjayaḥ ॥03-234-13॥
Dhananjaya, the knower of great weapons, having destroyed those showers of maces, spears, and swords, then struck the bodies of the Gandharvas with arrows. (03-234-13)
śirobhiḥ prapatadbhiśca caraṇairbāhubhistathā। aśmavṛṣṭirivābhāti pareṣāmabhavadbhayam ॥03-234-14॥
The sight of heads, arms, and feet falling and scattered everywhere, appearing like a shower of stones, caused fear among the others. (03-234-14)
te vadhyamānā gandharvāḥ pāṇḍavena mahātmanā। bhūmiṣṭham antarikṣasthāḥ śaravarṣair avākiran ॥03-234-15॥
Those Gandharvas, being struck by the great-souled son of Pandu, covered both those on the ground and those in the air with showers of arrows. (03-234-15)
teṣāṃ tu śaravarṣāṇi savyasācī parantapaḥ। astraiḥ saṃvārya tejasvī gandharvān pratyavidhyata ॥03-234-16॥
But Savyasāci, the energetic scorcher of enemies, warded off the showers of arrows of those (Gandharvas) with weapons and struck back at the Gandharvas. (03-234-16)
sthūṇā-karṇendrajālaṃ ca sauraṃ cāpi tathārjunaḥ। āgneyaṃ cāpi saumyaṃ ca sasarja kurunandanaḥ॥03-234-17॥
And Arjuna, O delight of the Kurus, then created the pillar-magical net, as well as solar, fire, and moon-related (weapons or illusions). (03-234-17)
te dahyamānā gandharvāḥ kuntīputrasya sāyakaiḥ। daiteyā iva śakreṇa viṣādamagaman param ॥03-234-18॥
Those Gandharvas, scorched by the arrows of Kuntī's son, fell into great despair, just like the Daityas did when defeated by Śakra (Indra). (03-234-18)
ūrdhvamākramamāṇāś ca śarajālena vāritāḥ। visarpamāṇā bhallaiś ca vāryante savyasācinā॥03-234-19॥
Those ascending upwards are stopped by a shower of arrows, and those spreading out are checked by Arjuna's broad-headed shafts. (03-234-19)
gandharvāṁstrāsitāndṛṣṭvā kuntīputreṇa dhīmatā। citraseno gadāṁ gṛhya savyasācinamādravat ॥03-234-20॥
When Citraseṇa saw the Gandharvas being frightened by the wise son of Kuntī, he took up his mace and rushed toward Savyasācin (Arjuna). (03-234-20)
tasyābhipatatastūrṇaṃ gadāhastasya saṃyuge. gadāṃ sarvāyasīṃ pārthaḥ śaraiś ciccheda saptadhā ॥03-234-21॥
As he rapidly advanced in battle, mace in hand, Pārtha (Arjuna) cut the iron mace into seven pieces with his arrows. (03-234-21)
sa gadāṃ bahudhā dṛṣṭvā kṛttāṃ bāṇais tarasvinā। saṃvṛtya vidyayātmānaṃ yodhayām āsa pāṇḍavam॥ astrāṇi tasya divyāni yodhayām āsa khe sthitaḥ॥03-234-22॥
He saw his mace cut to pieces in many ways by the energetic one's arrows. Enveloping himself with knowledge, he engaged in battle with the Pāṇḍava. Standing in the sky, he fought with his divine weapons. (03-234-22)
gandharvarājo balavān māyayā antarhitas tadā। antarhitaṃ samālakṣya praharantam athārjunaḥ ॥ tāḍayāmāsa khacarair divyāstrapratimantritaiḥ ॥03-234-23॥
Then the powerful Gandharva king, having become invisible by his illusion, as Arjuna saw the invisible one attacking, struck him with chariot warriors using divine weapons that had been invoked with mantras. (03-234-23)
antardhānavadhaṃ cāsya cakre kruddho'rjunastadā। śabdavedhyamupāśritya bahurūpo dhanañjayaḥ ॥03-234-24॥
Then, angry Arjuna, also called Dhanañjaya of many forms, committed the slaying of one who had disappeared, resorting to aiming at the target by sound. (03-234-24)
sa vadhyamānas tair astrair arjunena mahātmanā। athāsya darśayāmāsa tad ātmānaṃ priyaḥ sakhā ॥03-234-25॥
While he was being struck by those weapons by Arjuna, the great soul, then his dear friend showed him his true self. (03-234-25)
citrasenam athālakṣya sakhāyaṃ yudhi durbalam। sañjahāra astram atha tatprasṛṣṭaṃ pāṇḍavaṛṣabhaḥ ॥03-234-26॥
Then, seeing Citraseṇa's friend weakened in battle, the foremost of the Pāṇḍavas destroyed the missile that had been launched. (03-234-26)
dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavāḥ sarve saṁhṛtāstraṁ dhanañjayam। sañjahruḥ pradrutānaśvāñ śaravegān dhanūṁṣi ca ॥03-234-27॥
But when all the Pāṇḍavas saw Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) who had withdrawn his weapons, they rejoined their fleeing horses and their bows with the swiftness of arrows. (03-234-27)
citrasenaś ca bhīmaś ca savyasācī yamāv api। pṛṣṭvā kauśalam anyonyaṃ ratheṣv evāvatasthire ॥03-234-28॥
Citrasena, Bhīma, Savyasācī (Arjuna), and the twin sons of Yama (Nakula and Sahadeva) also, after asking each other's welfare, took their places right on their chariots. (03-234-28)
