06.020
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra spoke:
sūryodaye sañjaya ke nu pūrvaṃ; yuyutsavo hṛṣyamāṇā ivāsan। māmakā vā bhīṣmanetrāḥ samīke; pāṇḍavā vā bhīmanetrāstadānīm ॥6-20-1॥
At sunrise, Sanjaya, who was eager to fight and rejoicing, appeared first? Was it my side under Bhishma's gaze or the Pandavas under Bhima's gaze at that time?
keṣāṃ jaghanyau somasūryau savāyū; keṣāṃ senāṃ śvāpadā vyābhaṣanta. keṣāṃ yūnāṃ mukhavarṇāḥ prasannāḥ; sarvaṃ hyetadbrūhi tattvaṃ yathāvat ॥6-20-2॥
Tell me truthfully, whose moon and sun are inferior with the wind? Whose army is spoken of by wild animals? Whose youths have clear facial colors? Please tell me all this truthfully as it is.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
ubhe sene tulyamivopayāte; ubhe vyūhe hṛṣṭarūpe narendra। ubhe citre vanarājiprakāśe; tathaivobhe nāgarathāśvapūrṇe ॥6-20-3॥
Both armies approached each other equally, like two formations in joyful forms, O king. Both were vivid, shining with lines of forests; thus indeed both were filled with elephants, chariots, and horses.
ubhe sene bṛhatī bhīmarūpe; tathaivobhe bhārata durviṣahye। tathaivobhe svargajayāya sṛṣṭe; tathā hyubhe satpuruṣāryagupte ॥6-20-4॥
Both armies are vast and formidable, O Bharata, and equally challenging to face. They are both destined for the conquest of heaven and are safeguarded by noble Aryans.
paścānmukhāḥ kuravo dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ; sthitāḥ pārthāḥ prāṅmukhā yotsyamānāḥ। daityendrasedeva ca kauravāṇāṃ; devendrasedeva ca pāṇḍavānām ॥6-20-5॥
The sons of Dhritarashtra, the Kurus, stood facing backwards, while the sons of Pritha, the Pandavas, stood facing forward, ready for battle. The Kauravas were like the army of the demon king, and the Pandavas were like the army of the king of gods.
śukro vāyuḥ pṛṣṭhataḥ pāṇḍavānāṃ; dhārtarāṣṭrāñśvāpadā vyābhaṣanta. gajendrāṇāṃ madagandhāṃśca tīvrā; nna sehire tava putrasya nāgāḥ ॥6-20-6॥
Venus and the wind were positioned behind the Pandavas, while wild beasts howled at the Dhartarashtras. The elephants belonging to your son could not withstand the intense scent of rut emanating from the elephant lords.
duryodhano hastinaṁ padmavarṇaṁ; suvarṇakakṣyaṁ jātibalaṁ prabhinnam। samāsthito madhyagataḥ kurūṇāṁ; sanstūyamāno bandibhirmāgadhaiśca ॥6-20-7॥
Duryodhana, adorned with a golden girdle, stood on a lotus-colored elephant, distinguished and of noble strength, amidst the Kurus, while being praised by bards and Magadhas.
candraprabhaṁ śvetam asyātapatraṁ; sauvarṇī srag-bhrājate cottamāṅge। taṁ sarvataḥ śakuniḥ pārvatīyaiḥ; sārdhaṁ gāndhāraiḥ pāti gāndhārarājaḥ ॥6-20-8॥
The king of Gandhara, Shakuni, with his moonlight-like white umbrella and golden garland shining on his head, is protected from all sides by the people of Parvata and the Gandharas.
bhīṣmo'grataḥ sarvasainyasya vṛddhaḥ; śvetacchatraḥ śvetadhanuḥ saśaṅkhaḥ। śvetoṣṇīṣaḥ pāṇḍureṇa dhvajena; śvetairaśvaiḥ śvetaśailaprakāśaḥ ॥6-20-9॥
Bhishma, the elder, stood at the forefront of the entire army, adorned with a white umbrella, bow, and conch. His appearance was further enhanced by a white turban, flag, and horses, making him shine like a majestic white mountain.
tasya sainyaṁ dhārtarāṣṭrāśca sarve; bāhlīkānāmekadeśaḥ śalaśca। ye cāmbaṣṭhāḥ kṣatriyā ye ca sindhau; tathā sauvīrāḥ pañcanadāśca śūrāḥ ॥6-20-10॥
His army consisted of all the sons of Dhritarashtra, a part of the Bahlika region, and Shala. It also included the Ambashthas who are Kshatriyas, those in Sindhu, as well as the Sauviras, Panchanadas, and other heroes.
śoṇairhayai rukmaratho mahātmā; droṇo mahābāhuradīnasattvaḥ। āste guruḥ prayaśāḥ sarvarājñāṃ; paścāccamūmindra ivābhirakṣan ॥6-20-11॥
Droṇa, the great-souled and mighty-armed teacher, renowned among all kings, sits with red horses and a golden chariot, protecting the army from behind like Indra.
vārddhakṣatriḥ sarvasainyasya madhye; bhūriśravāḥ purumitro jayaśca। śālvā matsyāḥ kekayāścāpi sarve; gajānīkairbhrātaro yotsyamānāḥ ॥6-20-12॥
In the midst of the entire army were Vardhakshatri, Bhurishrava, Purumitra, and Jaya. The Shalvas, Matsyas, and all the Kekayas, along with their brothers, were ready to fight with their elephant divisions.
śāradvataścottaradhūrmahātmā; maheṣvāso gautamaścitrayodhī। śakaiḥ kirātairyavanaḥ pahlavaiśca; sārdhaṃ camūmuttarato'bhipāti ॥6-20-13॥
Sharadvata and Uttaradhur, the great souls, along with the great archer Gautama, who is a skilled warrior, attack from the north with the Shakas, Kiratas, Yavanas, and Pahlavas, leading their army.
mahārathairaṃdhakavṛṣṇibhojaiḥ; saurāṣṭrakairnairṛtairāttaśastraiḥ। bṛhadbalaḥ kṛtavarmābhigupto; balaṃ tvadīyaṃ dakṣiṇato'bhipāti ॥6-20-14॥
Brihadbala, supported by Kritavarma and accompanied by great charioteers, Andhakas, Vrishnis, Bhojas, and the people of Saurashtra and Nairritas with weapons raised, launches an attack on your forces from the south.
saṃśaptakānāmayutaṃ rathānāṃ; mṛtyurjayo vārjunasyeti sṛṣṭāḥ। yenārjunastena rājankṛtāstrāḥ; prayātā vai te trigartāśca śūrāḥ ॥6-20-15॥
Ten thousand chariots of the Saṃśaptakas have been created for either the death or victory of Arjuna. O king, those Trigartas, equipped with weapons by Arjuna, have indeed gone forth as heroes.
sāgraṃ śatasahasraṃ tu nāgānāṃ tava bhārata। nāge nāge rathaśataṃ śataṃ cāśvā rathe rathe ॥6-20-16॥
O Bharata, there are more than a hundred thousand elephants, each carrying a hundred chariots, and each chariot is drawn by a hundred horses.
aśve'śve daśa dhāṇuṣkā dhāṇuṣke daśa carmiṇaḥ। evaṃ vyūḍhānyanīkāni bhīṣmeṇa tava bhārata ॥6-20-17॥
O Bharata, Bhishma arrayed your armies such that there were ten archers for each horse and ten shield-bearers for each archer.
avyūhan mānuṣaṃ vyūhaṃ daivaṃ gāndharvam āsuram। divase divase prāpte bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavo'graṇīḥ ॥6-20-18॥
Day by day, as the battles progressed, Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, led the formations of human, divine, celestial, and demonic nature.
mahārathaughavipulaḥ samudra iva parvaṇi। bhīṣmeṇa dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṃ vyūhaḥ pratyaṅmukho yudhi ॥6-20-19॥
The formation of the Kauravas, led by Bhishma, appeared like a vast ocean of mighty warriors ready for battle.
anantarūpā dhvajinī tvadīyā; narendra bhīmā na tu pāṇḍavānām। tāṃ tveva manye bṛhatīṃ duṣpradhṛṣyāṃ; yasyā netārau keśavaścārjunaśca ॥6-20-20॥
O king, your army, though vast and formidable, is not as invincible as that of the Pandavas, which is led by the great Krishna and Arjuna.
