06.042
Core and Pancharatra: The war begins, and it is the shout of Bhimasena that overpowers all.
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra spoke:
evaṃ vyūḍheṣvanīkeṣu māmakeṣvitareṣu ca। ke pūrvaṃ prāharaṃstatra kuravaḥ pāṇḍavāstathā ॥6-42-1॥
In the arranged formations of both my army and the others, who were the ones to attack first there, the Kurus or the Pāṇḍavas?
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
bhrātṛbhiḥ sahito rājanputro duryodhanastava। bhīṣmaṃ pramukhataḥ kṛtvā prayayau saha senayā ॥6-42-2॥
O king, your son Duryodhana, accompanied by his brothers, set forth with the army, having placed Bhishma at the forefront.
tathaiva pāṇḍavāḥ sarve bhīmasenapurogamāḥ। bhīṣmeṇa yuddhamicchantaḥ prayayurhṛṣṭamānasāḥ ॥6-42-3॥
In the same manner, all the Pandavas, led by Bhimasena, eagerly set out to battle with Bhishma, their minds filled with joy.
kṣveḍāḥ kilikilāśabdāḥ krakacā goviṣāṇikāḥ। bherīmṛdaṅgamurajā hayakuñjaranisvanāḥ ॥6-42-4॥
The air was filled with a cacophony of sounds: roars, clattering, sawing noises, cow-horn sounds, and the beating of drums, mridangas, and murajas, along with the sounds of horses and elephants.
ubhayoḥ senayo rājaṃstataste'smānsamādravan। vayaṃ pratinadantaśca tadāsīttumulaṃ mahat ॥6-42-5॥
O king, both armies then attacked us, and we shouted back, creating a great uproar.
mahānty anīkāni mahāsamucchraye; samāgame pāṇḍavadhārtarāṣṭrayoḥ। cakampire śaṅkhamṛdaṅganisvanaiḥ; prakampitānīva vanāni vāyunā ॥6-42-6॥
In the grand assembly where the Pāṇḍavas and Dhārtarāṣṭras met, the mighty armies trembled as the sounds of conches and drums echoed, reminiscent of forests swaying in the wind.
narendranāgāśvarathākulānā; mabhyāyatīnāmaśive muhūrte। babhūva ghoṣastumulaścāmūnāṃ; vātoddhutānāmiva sāgarāṇām ॥6-42-7॥
At an inauspicious moment, as the kings, elephants, horses, and chariots approached, a tumultuous sound arose from the armies, resembling the oceans agitated by the wind.
tasmin samutthite śabde tumule lomaharṣaṇe। bhīmaseno mahābāhuḥ prāṇadadgovṛṣo yathā ॥6-42-8॥
As the tumultuous and hair-raising sound arose, Bhimasena, with his mighty arms, roared like a bull.
śaṅkhadundubhinirghoṣaṃ vāraṇānāṃ ca bṛṃhitam। siṃhanādaṃ ca sainyānāṃ bhīmasenaravo'bhyabhūt ॥6-42-9॥
The battlefield echoed with the sounds of conches and drums, the trumpeting of elephants, and the roaring of lions, but all were overpowered by the mighty shout of Bhimasena.
hayānāṃ heṣamāṇānāmanīkeṣu sahasraśaḥ। sarvānabhyabhavacchabdānbhīmasenasya nisvanaḥ ॥6-42-10॥
The roar of Bhimasena was so powerful that it drowned out the sounds of thousands of neighing horses in the armies.
taṁ śrutvā ninadaṁ tasya sainyāstava vitatrasuḥ। jīmūtasyeva nadataḥ śakrāśanisamasvanam ॥6-42-11॥
Upon hearing his roar, your soldiers were struck with fear, as if it were the thunderous sound of a cloud, akin to Indra's thunderbolt.
vāhanāni ca sarvāṇi śakṛnmūtraṃ prasusruvuḥ। śabdena tasya vīrasya siṃhasyevetare mṛgāḥ ॥6-42-12॥
All the vehicles discharged excrement and urine at the sound of that hero, just like other animals do at the roar of a lion.
darśayanghoramātmānaṃ mahābhramiva nādayan। vibhīṣayaṃstava sutāṃstava senāṃ samabhyayāt ॥6-42-13॥
He approached, displaying a terrifying form, making a sound like a great delusion, and instilling fear in your sons and army.
tamāyāntaṃ maheṣvāsaṃ sodaryāḥ paryavārayan। chādayantaḥ śaravrātairmeghā iva divākaram ॥6-42-14॥
The brothers, like clouds covering the sun, surrounded the approaching great archer with volleys of arrows.
duryodhanaśca putraste durmukho duḥsahaḥ śalaḥ। duḥśāsanaścātirathastathā durmarṣaṇo nṛpa ॥6-42-15॥
Duryodhana, your son, along with Durmukha, Duhsaha, Shala, Duhshasana, and the great chariot-warrior Durmarshana, are all present, O king.
viviṃśatiścitraseno vikarṇaśca mahārathaḥ। purumitro jayo bhojaḥ saumadattiśca vīryavān ॥6-42-16॥
Twenty warriors including Citrasena, Vikarna, the great chariot-warrior, Purumitra, Jaya, Bhoja, and the valiant Saumadatti were present.
mahācāpāni dhunvanto jaladā iva vidyutaḥ। ādadānāśca nārācānnirmuktāśīviṣopamān ॥6-42-17॥
The warriors, wielding great bows, were like clouds with lightning, taking arrows that were comparable to released serpents.
atha tāndraupadīputrāḥ saubhadraśca mahārathaḥ। nakulaḥ sahadevaśca dhṛṣṭadyumnaśca pārṣataḥ ॥6-42-18॥
Then the sons of Draupadī, along with Abhimanyu, Nakula, Sahadeva, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna, prepared for battle.
dhārtarāṣṭrān pratiyayur ardayantaḥ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ। vajrair iva mahāvegaiḥ śikharāṇi dharābhṛtām ॥6-42-19॥
The sons of Dhritarashtra attacked fiercely, their sharp arrows striking like thunderbolts with great speed, as if they were targeting the peaks of mountains.
tasmin prathama-saṁmarde bhīma-jyātala-nisvane। tāvakānāṁ pareṣāṁ ca nāsīt kaścit parāṅmukhaḥ ॥6-42-20॥
In the initial clash, amidst the dreadful twang of bowstrings, neither your forces nor the enemies retreated.
lāghavaṁ droṇaśiṣyāṇāmapaśyaṁ bharatarṣabha। nimittavedhināṁ rājañśarānutsṛjatāṁ bhṛśam ॥6-42-21॥
O best of the Bharatas, I observed the agility of Drona's disciples as they intensely released arrows, guided by the omen-readers, O king.
nopaśāmyati nirghoṣo dhanuṣāṃ kūjatāṃ tathā। viniśceruḥ śarā dīptā jyotīṃṣīva nabhastalāt ॥6-42-22॥
The sound of the twanging bows continued unabated. Bright arrows shot forth like stars from the sky.
sarve tvanye mahīpālāḥ prekṣakā iva bhārata। dadṛśurdarśanīyaṃ taṃ bhīmaṃ jñātisamāgamam ॥6-42-23॥
All the other kings, like mere spectators, O Bhārata, witnessed the impressive Bhīma and the assembly of relatives.
tataste jātasaṁrambhāḥ parasparakṛtāgasaḥ। anyonyaspardhayā rājanvyāyacchanta mahārathāḥ ॥6-42-24॥
Then, O king, the great warriors, having become enraged and committed offenses against each other, engaged in combat with rivalry.
kurupāṇḍavasene te hastyaśvarathasaṅkule। śuśubhāte raṇe'tīva paṭe citragate iva ॥6-42-25॥
The Kuru and Pāṇḍava armies, filled with elephants, horses, and chariots, appeared magnificent in the battlefield, resembling a beautifully painted canvas.
tataste pārthivāḥ sarve pragṛhītaśarāsanāḥ। sahasainyāḥ samāpetuḥ putrasya tava śāsanāt ॥6-42-26॥
Then, at the command of your son, all the kings, with their armies, took up their bows and advanced.
yudhiṣṭhireṇa cādiṣṭāḥ pārthivāste sahasraśaḥ। vinadantaḥ samāpetuḥ putrasya tava vāhinīm ॥6-42-27॥
Ordered by Yudhishthira, thousands of kings, shouting, approached your son's army.
ubhayoḥ senayostīvraḥ sainyānām sa samāgamaḥ। antardhīyata cādityaḥ sainyena rajasāvṛtaḥ ॥6-42-28॥
The intense clash of the soldiers from both armies occurred. The sun was obscured by the dust raised by the army.
prayuddhānāṃ prabhagnānāṃ punarāvartatāmapi। nātra sveṣāṃ pareṣāṃ vā viśeṣaḥ samajāyata ॥6-42-29॥
There was no distinction perceived here between one's own and others, whether they fought, were broken, or returned.
tasmiṁstu tumule yuddhe vartamāne mahābhaye। ati sarvāṇyanīkāni pitā te'bhivyarocata ॥6-42-30॥
In the midst of that fierce and dangerous battle, your father stood out brilliantly among all the armies.
