04.054
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
taṃ pārthaḥ pratijagrāha vāyu-vegam iva uddhatam | śara-jālena mahatā varṣamāṇam iva ambudam ॥04-54-1॥
Pārtha (Arjuna) received him, who was rushing with the force of the wind, with his great network of arrows, just as one would meet a cloud pouring rain. (04-54-1)
tayor devāsurasamaḥ saṃnipāto mahān abhūt. kiratoḥ śarajālāni vṛtravāsavayor iva ॥04-54-2॥
A great clash between the two, equal to that of gods and demons, arose, and the showers of arrows from the two Kirātas resembled those exchanged by Vṛtra and Indra. (04-54-2)
na sma sūryas tadā bhāti na ca vāti samīraṇaḥ। śaragāḍhe kṛte vyomni chāyābhūte samantataḥ॥04-54-3॥
At that time, neither did the sun shine nor did the wind blow, as the sky had become completely shadowed on all sides by the mass of arrows. (04-54-3)
mahāṁś caṭacaṭāśabdo yodhayor hanyamānayoḥ। dahyatām iva veṇūnām āsīt parapurañjaya ॥04-54-4॥
O conqueror of enemy cities, there arose a great crackling sound from the two warriors being struck, as if bamboos were being burned. (04-54-4)
hayān asyārjunaḥ sarvān kṛtavān alpajīvitān। sa rājan na prajānāti diśaṃ kāñcana mohitaḥ॥04-54-5॥
Arjuna has made all his horses short-lived. He, O King, being deluded, does not know any direction. (04-54-5)
tato drauṇir mahā-vīryaḥ pārthasya vicariṣyataḥ। vivaraṃ sūkṣmam ālokya jyāṃ ciccheda kṣureṇa ha ॥ tadasyāpūjayann devāḥ karma dṛṣṭvātimānuṣam ॥04-54-6॥
Then Drona's son, the mighty hero, seeing a tiny opening as Arjuna moved, cut his bowstring with a razor-headed arrow. The gods, witnessing this superhuman feat, praised his action. (04-54-6)
tato drauṇir dhanūṃṣy aṣṭau vyapakramya nararṣabham। punar abhyāhanat pārthaṃ hṛdaye kaṅkapatribhiḥ ॥04-54-7॥
Then Drauṇi, after retreating eight bows' distance from the bull among men, again struck Pārtha in the heart with arrows with vulture-feathered shafts. (04-54-7)
tataḥ pārtho mahābāhuḥ prahasya svanavat tadā। yojayāmāsa navayā maurvyā gāṇḍīvam ojasā ॥04-54-8॥
Then Arjuna, mighty of arms, smiling, strung his Gāṇḍīva bow with a new mūrva bowstring, forcefully and making it resound. (04-54-8)
tato'rdhacandramāvṛtya tena pārthaḥ samāgamat। vāraṇeneva mattena matto vāraṇayūthapaḥ॥04-54-9॥
Then, having circled in a half-moon formation, Pārtha advanced against him, like an intoxicated elephant-king moving against another intoxicated elephant. (04-54-9)
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ pṛthivyām ekavīrayoḥ. raṇamadhye dvayor eva sumahallomaharṣaṇam ॥04-54-10॥
Then, on the earth, a battle was undertaken between the two heroes. In the midst of combat, there was indeed a very great and hair-raising fight between the two. (04-54-10)
tau vīrau kuravaḥ sarve dadṛśur vismayānvitāḥ। yudhyamānau mahātmānau yūthapāv iva saṅgatau ॥04-54-11॥
All the Kurus, filled with wonder, saw those two great-souled heroes fighting each other, like two leaders of troops who had come together. (04-54-11)
tau samājaghnatur vīrau anyonyaṃ puruṣarṣabhau. śarair āśīviṣākāraiḥ jvaladbhir iva pannagaiḥ ॥04-54-12॥
Those two heroes, the foremost among men, struck each other with blazing arrows shaped like venomous serpents, as if fighting with fiery serpents. (04-54-12)
akṣayyāviśudhī divyau pāṇḍavasya mahātmanaḥ। tena pārtho raṇe śūras tasthau girir ivācalāḥ॥04-54-13॥
With his two imperishable and pure divine (weapons), Pārtha, the great-souled hero, stood immovable in battle like a mountain. (04-54-13)
aśvatthāmnaḥ punar bāṇāḥ kṣipram abhyasyato raṇe । jagmuḥ parikṣayaṃ śīghram abhūt tenādhiko'rjunaḥ ॥04-54-14॥
Aśvatthāman's arrows, as he swiftly and repeatedly shot them in battle, were quickly exhausted; thereby, Arjuna became superior. (04-54-14)
tataḥ karṇo mahaccāpaṁ vikṛṣyābhyadhikaṁ ruṣā। avākṣipat tataḥ śabdo hāhākāro mahān abhūt ॥04-54-15॥
Then Karṇa, drawing his great bow with intense anger, let loose (an arrow). At that moment, a great outcry of alarm arose. (04-54-15)
tatra cakṣur dadhe pārtho yatra visphāryate dhanuḥ। dadarśa tatra rādheyaṃ tasya kopo'tyavīvṛdhat ॥04-54-16॥
There, Pārtha fixed his gaze where the bow was being stretched; there he saw Rādheya, and his anger increased greatly. (04-54-16)
sa roṣavaśam-āpannaḥ karṇam-eva jighāṁsayā। avaikṣata vivṛttābhyāṁ netrābhyāṁ kurupuṅgavaḥ ॥04-54-17॥
The chief of the Kurus, overcome by anger, looked at Karṇa alone with the desire to kill him, his eyes wide open. (04-54-17)
tathā tu vimukhe pārthe droṇaputrasya sāyakān। tvaritāḥ puruṣā rājann upājahruḥ sahasraśaḥ ॥04-54-18॥
But thus, when Pārtha had turned away, O king, quick men brought thousands of arrows belonging to the son of Droṇa near. (04-54-18)
utsṛjya ca mahābāhur droṇaputraṃ dhanañjayaḥ। abhidudrāva sahasā karṇam eva sapatnajit ॥04-54-19॥
And having left Droṇa’s son, the mighty-armed Dhanañjaya, the conqueror of foes, suddenly rushed towards Karṇa. (04-54-19)
tam abhidrutya kaunteyaḥ krodhasaṁrakta-locanaḥ। kāmayan dvairathe yuddham idaṁ vacanam abravīt॥04-54-20॥
Having rushed toward him, the son of Kunti, his eyes reddened by anger and desiring battle on the dueling chariot, spoke these words. (04-54-20)
