06.001
Core and Pancharatra: Facing east, gather the Pandavas and facing west, gather the Kauravas. Agree on the rules of engagement for a war.
janamejaya uvāca॥
Janamejaya spoke:
kathaṁ yuyudhire vīrāḥ kurupāṇḍavasomakāḥ। pārthivāśca mahābhāgā nānādeśasamāgatāḥ ॥6-1-1॥
How did the valiant heroes, including the Kurus, Pandavas, and Somakas, the illustrious kings from various regions, engage in battle?
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana spoke:
yathā yuyudhire vīrāḥ kurupāṇḍavasomakāḥ। kurukṣetre tapaḥkṣetre śṛṇu tatpṛthivīpate ॥6-1-2॥
Listen, O lord of the earth, to how the heroes, the Kurus, Pandavas, and Somakas, fought in the sacred land of Kurukshetra.
avatīrya kurukṣetraṃ pāṇḍavāḥ sahasomakāḥ। kauravānabhyavartanta jigīṣanto mahābalāḥ ॥6-1-3॥
The mighty Pandavas, along with the Somakas, descended onto the battlefield of Kurukshetra, advancing towards the Kauravas with the desire to win.
vedādhyayanasampannāḥ sarve yuddhābhinandinaḥ। āśaṁsanto jayaṁ yuddhe vadhaṁ vābhimukhā raṇe ॥6-1-4॥
All those who were well-versed in the study of the Vedas and delighted in battle were hoping for victory or facing death in the war.
abhiyāya ca durdharṣāṃ dhārtarāṣṭrasya vāhinīm। prāṅmukhāḥ paścime bhāge nyaviśanta sasainikāḥ ॥6-1-5॥
They approached the formidable army of Dhritarashtra and, facing east, they settled in the western part with their soldiers.
samantapañcakādbāhyaṃ śibirāṇi sahasraśaḥ। kārayāmāsa vidhivatkuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ॥6-1-6॥
Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, properly arranged for thousands of camps to be set up outside the region of Samantapanchaka.
śūnyeva pṛthivī sarvā bālavṛddhāvaśeṣitā। niraśvapuṛuṣā cāsīdrathakuñjaravarjitā ॥6-1-7॥
The earth was left desolate, inhabited only by children and the elderly, lacking horses, men, chariots, and elephants.
yāvattapati sūryo hi jambūdvīpasya maṇḍalam। tāvadeva samāvṛttaṃ balaṃ pārthivasattama ॥6-1-8॥
As long as the sun shines over the realm of Jambudvipa, the strength has returned, O noble king.
ekasthāḥ sarvavarṇāste maṇḍalaṃ bahuyojanam। paryākrāmanta deśāṃśca nadīḥ śailānvanāni ca ॥6-1-9॥
All the colors, situated together, form a vast circle spanning many leagues, traversing through regions, rivers, mountains, and forests.
teṣāṃ yudhiṣṭhiro rājā sarveṣāṃ puruṣarṣabha। ādideśa savāhānāṃ bhakṣyabhojyamanuttamam ॥6-1-10॥
King Yudhishthira, the best among men, commanded that the soldiers be provided with the finest food and drink.
sañjñāś ca vividhās tās tās teṣāṃ cakre yudhiṣṭhiraḥ। evaṃvādī veditavyaḥ pāṇḍaveyo'yam ity uta ॥6-1-11॥
Yudhishthira assigned various names to them. Thus, it is to be understood that this is the son of Pandu.
abhijñānāni sarveṣāṃ sañjñāścābharaṇāni ca। yojayāmāsa kauravyo yuddhakāla upasthite ॥6-1-12॥
The Kaurava arranged all the tokens, signals, and ornaments when the time for battle arrived.
dṛṣṭvā dhvajāgraṃ pārthānāṃ dhārtarāṣṭro mahāmanāḥ। saha sarvairmahīpālaiḥ pratyavyūhata pāṇḍavān ॥6-1-13॥
Upon seeing the top of the Pāṇḍavas' flag, the wise son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, accompanied by all the kings, strategically arranged his forces against the Pāṇḍavas.
pāṇḍureṇātapatreṇa dhriyamāṇena mūrdhani। madhye nāgasahasrasya bhrātṛbhiḥ parivāritam ॥6-1-14॥
He was surrounded by his brothers in the midst of a thousand elephants, with a white umbrella held over his head.
dṛṣṭvā duryodhanaṃ hṛṣṭāḥ sarve pāṇḍavasainikāḥ। dadhmuḥ sarve mahāśaṅkhānbherīrjaghnuḥ sahasraśaḥ ॥6-1-15॥
Upon seeing Duryodhana, all the Pandava soldiers, filled with joy, blew their great conches and beat the drums in unison, creating a sound that echoed thousands of times.
tataḥ prahṛṣṭāṃ svāṃ senām abhivīkṣyātha pāṇḍavāḥ। babhūvur hṛṣṭamanaso vāsudevaś ca vīryavān ॥6-1-16॥
Then, upon seeing their own army filled with joy, the Pandavas and the mighty Vasudeva felt a surge of happiness.
tato yodhānharṣayantau vāsudevadhanañjayau। dadhmatuḥ puruṣavyāghrau divyau śaṅkhau rathe sthitau ॥6-1-17॥
Then, Vasudeva and Dhananjaya, the great warriors, joyfully blew their divine conches from their chariot, inspiring the troops.
pāñcajanyasya nirghoṣaṃ devadattasya cobhayoḥ। śrutvā savāhanā yodhāḥ śakṛnmūtraṃ prasusruvuḥ ॥6-1-18॥
Upon hearing the sound of the conches Pāñcajanya and Devadatta, the warriors, along with their vehicles, were so terrified that they involuntarily discharged excrement and urine.
yathā siṃhasya nadataḥ svanaṃ śrutvetare mṛgāḥ। traseyustadvadevāsīddhārtarāṣṭrabalaṃ tadā ॥6-1-19॥
The army of Dhritarashtra trembled just like other animals would upon hearing the roar of a lion.
udatiṣṭhadrajo bhaumaṁ na prājñāyata kiñcana। antardhīyata cādityaḥ sainyena rajasāvṛtaḥ ॥6-1-20॥
The dust from the earth rose up, obscuring everything from view. The sun was hidden, shrouded by the dust stirred up by the army.
vavarṣa cātra parjanyo māṃsaśoṇitavṛṣṭimān। vyukṣansarvāṇyanīkāni tadadbhutamivābhavat ॥6-1-21॥
Here, the cloud rained flesh and blood, drenching all the armies, and it appeared as if something wonderful had happened.
vāyustataḥ prādurabhūnnīcaiḥ śarkarakarṣaṇaḥ। vinighnaṃstānyanīkāni vidhamamścaiva tadrajaḥ ॥6-1-22॥
Then, the wind arose, pulling down gravel, destroying the armies and scattering the dust.
ubhe sene tadā rājanyuddhāya mudite bhṛśam। kurukṣetre sthite yatte sāgarakṣubhitopame ॥6-1-23॥
O King, both armies, filled with great joy, stood ready for battle in Kurukshetra, resembling the turbulent ocean.
tayostu senayorāsīd adbhutaḥ sa samāgamaḥ। yugānte samanuprāpte dvayoḥ sāgarayoriva ॥6-1-24॥
There was a marvelous encounter between the two armies, reminiscent of the meeting of two oceans at the end of an era.
śūnyāsīt pṛthivī sarvā bāla-vṛddhāvaśeṣitā। tena senāsamūhena samānītena kauravaiḥ ॥6-1-25॥
The Kauravas, having gathered their army, left the entire earth desolate, with only the young and the elderly remaining.
tataste samayaṃ cakruḥ kurupāṇḍavasomakāḥ। dharmāṃśca sthāpayāmāsuryuddhānāṃ bharatarṣabha ॥6-1-26॥
Then the Kurus, Pandavas, and Somakas reached an agreement and set the rules for the battles, O best of the Bharatas.
nivṛtte caiva no yuddhe prītiśca syātparasparam। yathāpuraṃ yathāyogaṃ na ca syācchalanam punaḥ ॥6-1-27॥
Once the battle is over, we should have mutual affection as before, appropriately, and ensure that there is no deception again.
vācā yuddhe pravṛtte no vācaiva pratiyodhanam। niṣkrāntaḥ pṛtanāmadhyānna hantavyaḥ kathañcana ॥6-1-28॥
In the battle, we engage through words, and our counteraction is solely verbal. Once someone has left the battlefield, they should not be harmed in any manner.
rathī ca rathinā yodhyo gajena gajadhūrgataḥ। aśvenāśvī padātiśca padātenaiva bhārata ॥6-1-29॥
O Bhārata, a charioteer should engage with another charioteer, an elephant rider with another elephant rider, a horseman with another horseman, and a foot soldier with another foot soldier.
yathāyogaṃ yathāvīryaṃ yathotsāhaṃ yathāvayaḥ। samābhāṣya prahartavyaṃ na viśvaste na vihvale ॥6-1-30॥
One should act according to appropriateness, strength, enthusiasm, and age, after consultation, and should not attack in a trusting or confused manner.
pareṇa saha saṁyuktaḥ pramatto vimukhas tathā। kṣīṇaśastro vivarmā ca na hantavyaḥ kathañcana ॥6-1-31॥
One who is joined with another, careless, turned away, weaponless, and without armor should not be killed in any way.
na sūteṣu na dhuryeṣu na ca śastropanāyiṣu। na bherīśaṅkhavādeṣu prahartavyaṃ kathaṃcana ॥6-1-32॥
One should not strike in any way during births, burdens, weaponry, or the sounds of drums and conches.
evaṃ te samayaṃ kṛtvā kurupāṇḍavasomakāḥ। vismayaṃ paramaṃ jagmuḥ prekṣamāṇāḥ parasparam ॥6-1-33॥
After making the agreement, the Kurus, Pandavas, and Somakas were filled with great wonder as they looked at each other.
niviśya ca mahātmānastataste puruṣarṣabhāḥ। hṛṣṭarūpāḥ sumanaso babhūvuḥ sahasainikāḥ ॥6-1-34॥
After settling down, the great souls, who were like bulls among men, became joyful and cheerful-minded along with their soldiers.
