06.067
Core and Pancharatra: The battlefield was strewn with lifeless bodies as Arjuna and Bhishma fought each other.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
dṛṣṭvā bhīṣmeṇa saṁsaktānbhrātṝnanyāṁśca pārthivān। tamabhyadhāvadgāṅgeyamu dyatāstro dhanañjayaḥ ॥6-67-1॥
Upon witnessing his brothers and other kings being engaged by Bhishma, Arjuna, with his weapon raised, charged towards Bhishma, the son of Ganga.
pāñcajanyasya nirghoṣaṃ dhanuṣo gāṇḍivasya ca। dhvajaṃ ca dṛṣṭvā pārthasya sarvānno bhayamāviśat ॥6-67-2॥
The sound of Pāñcajanya and the bow Gāṇḍiva, along with the sight of Arjuna's flag, instilled fear in all of us.
asajjhamānaṃ vṛkṣeṣu dhūmaketumivotthitam। bahuvarṇaṃ ca citraṃ ca divyaṃ vānaralakṣaṇam ॥ apaśyāma mahārāja dhvajaṃ gāṇḍivadhanvanaḥ ॥6-67-3॥
O great king, we saw the flag of Arjuna, hanging on the trees like a comet, multicolored, wonderful, and with a divine monkey emblem.
vidyutaṃ meghamadhyasthāṃ bhrājamānāmivāmbare। dadṛśurgāṇḍivaṃ yodhā rukmapṛṣṭhaṃ mahārathe ॥6-67-4॥
The warriors beheld the Gandiva bow, gleaming like lightning amidst the clouds in the sky, mounted on the great chariot with its golden back.
aśuśruma bhṛśaṃ cāsya śakrasyevābhigarjataḥ। sughoraṃ talayoḥ śabdaṃ nighnatastava vāhinīm ॥6-67-5॥
We heard a very loud and terrifying sound, like the roar of Indra, as the palms struck your army.
caṇḍavāto yathā meghaḥ savidyutstanayitnumān। diśaḥ samplāvayansarvāḥ śaravarṣaiḥ samantataḥ ॥6-67-6॥
The fierce wind, accompanied by lightning and thunder, inundates all directions with a rain of arrows from all sides.
abhyadhāvata gāṅgeyaṃ bhairavāstro dhanañjayaḥ। diśaṃ prācīṃ pratīcīṃ ca na jānīmo'stramohitāḥ ॥6-67-7॥
Arjuna, wielding a fierce weapon, charged at Bhishma, the son of Ganga. The weapon's power left us confused, unable to discern east from west.
kāṃdigbhūtāḥ śrāntapatrā hatāstrā hatacetasaḥ। anyonyamabhisaṃśliṣya yodhāste bharatarṣabha ॥6-67-8॥
The warriors, exhausted and trembling, with their weapons lost and consciousness fading, embraced each other, O noble Bharata.
bhīṣmamevābhilīyanta saha sarvaistavātmajaiḥ। teṣāmārtāyanamabhūdbhīṣmaḥ śantanavo raṇe ॥6-67-9॥
Bhishma, along with all your sons, was absorbed in the battle. Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, became their refuge in the battle.
samutpatanta vitrastā rathebhyo rathinastadā। sādinashcāśvapṛṣṭhebhyo bhūmau cāpi padātayaḥ ॥6-67-10॥
The charioteers, frightened, jumped from their chariots, while the horsemen dismounted from their horses, and the foot soldiers stood on the ground.
śrutvā gāṇḍīvanirghoṣaṃ visphūrjitamivāśaneḥ। sarvasainyāni bhītāni vyavalīyanta bhārata ॥6-67-11॥
Upon hearing the terrifying sound of Arjuna's Gandiva bow, which resembled the crack of thunder, all the troops were struck with fear and dispersed, O descendant of Bharata.
atha kāmbojamukhyais tu bṛhadbhiḥ śīghragāmibhiḥ। gopānāṃ bahusāhasrair balair govāsano vṛtaḥ ॥6-67-12॥
Then, he was surrounded by the great and swift-moving chiefs of the Kambojas, along with many thousands of cowherds and their forces, all wearing cowhides.
madrasauvīragāndhāraistrigartaśca viśāṃ pate। sarvakāliṅgamukhyaiśca kaliṅgādhipatirvṛtaḥ ॥6-67-13॥
O lord of the people, you are surrounded by the Madras, Sauvīras, Gandharas, Trigartas, and all the chief Kalingas, including the lord of Kalinga.
nāgā naragaṇaughāśca duḥśāsanapuraḥsarāḥ। jayadrathaśca nṛpatiḥ sahitaḥ sarvarājabhiḥ ॥6-67-14॥
The serpents and multitudes of men, led by Duḥśāsana, along with Jayadratha and the king, were accompanied by all the kings.
hayārohavaraścaiva tava putreṇa coditāḥ। caturdaśa sahasrāṇi saubalaṃ paryavārayan ॥6-67-15॥
Fourteen thousand excellent horsemen, urged by your son, surrounded Saubala.
tataste sahitāḥ sarve vibhaktarathavāhanāḥ। pāṇḍavānsamare jagmustāvakā bharatarṣabha ॥6-67-16॥
Then, O best of the Bharatas, your forces, all together with their divided chariots and vehicles, advanced towards the Pandavas in battle.
rathibhirvāraṇairaśvaiḥ padātaiśca samīritam। ghoramāyodhanaṃ jajñe mahābhrasadṛśaṃ rajaḥ ॥6-67-17॥
The dust raised by the charioteers, elephants, horses, and foot soldiers created a scene resembling a great cloud, marking the onset of a fierce battle.
tomaraprāsanārācagajāśvarathayodhinām। balena mahatā bhīṣmaḥ samasajjatkirīṭinā ॥6-67-18॥
Bhishma, with his great army of warriors armed with spears, javelins, and arrows, along with elephants, horses, and chariots, engaged in battle with Arjuna.
āvantyaḥ kāśirājena bhīmasenena saindhavaḥ। ajātaśatrurmadraṇāmṛṣabheṇa yaśasvinā ॥ sahaputraḥ sahāmātyaḥ śalyena samasajjata ॥6-67-19॥
The forces of Avanti, led by the king of Kashi, Bhimasena, and Sindhu, along with Ajatashatru of the Madras, Rishabha, and the illustrious Shalya, engaged in battle with their sons and ministers.
vikarṇaḥ sahadevena citrasenaḥ śikhaṇḍinā। matsyā duryodhanaṃ jagmuḥ śakuniṃ ca viśāṃ pate ॥6-67-20॥
Vikarna, along with Sahadeva, Citrasena, and Shikhandi, the Matsyas approached Duryodhana and Shakuni, O lord of the people.
drupadaścekitānaśca sātyakiśca mahārathaḥ। droṇena samasajjanta saputreṇa mahātmanā ॥ kṛpaśca kṛtavarmā ca dhṛṣṭaketumabhidrutau ॥6-67-21॥
Drupada, Cekitana, and Satyaki, the great chariot-warrior, were aligned in battle by the noble Drona along with his son. Meanwhile, Kripa and Kritavarma launched an attack on Dhrishtaketu.
evaṃ prajavitāśvāni bhrāntanāgarathāni ca। sainyāni samasajjanta prayuddhāni samantataḥ ॥6-67-22॥
Thus, the swift horses and whirling chariots were assembled, and the armies were prepared for battle on all sides.
nirabhre vidyutastīvrā diśaśca rajasāvṛtāḥ। prādurāsanmaholkāśca sanirghātā viśāṃ pate ॥6-67-23॥
O lord of the people, intense lightnings flashed in the cloudless sky, and the directions were covered with dust. Great meteors accompanied by thunder appeared.
pravavau ca mahāvātaḥ pāṃsuvarṣaṃ papāta ca। nabhasyantardadhe sūryaḥ sainyena rajasāvṛtaḥ ॥6-67-24॥
A great wind blew, and a shower of dust fell. The sun was obscured in the sky, shrouded by the dust stirred up by the army.
pramohaḥ sarvasattvānāmatīva samapadyata। rajasā cābhibhūtānāmastrajālaiśca tudyatām ॥6-67-25॥
An intense delusion overcame all beings, as they were overwhelmed by passion and struck by a barrage of weapons.
vīrabāhuvisṛṣṭānāṃ sarvāvaraṇabhedinām। saṅghātaḥ śarajālānāṃ tumulaḥ samapadyata ॥6-67-26॥
A tumultuous mass of arrows, released by the arms of heroes and piercing through all defenses, ensued.
prakāśaṃ cakrurākāśamudyatāni bhujottamaiḥ। nakṣatravimalābhāni śastrāṇi bharatarṣabha ॥6-67-27॥
The warriors, with their mighty arms, raised their weapons, illuminating the sky like the pure stars, O noble Bharata.
ārṣabhāṇi vicitrāṇi rukmajālāvṛtāni ca। sampeturdikṣu sarvāsu carmāṇi bharatarṣabha ॥6-67-28॥
O bull among the Bharatas, the variegated skins, covered with golden nets, flew everywhere in all directions.
sūryavarṇaiśca nistriṁśaiḥ pātyamānāni sarvaśaḥ। dikṣu sarvāsvadṛśyanta śarīrāṇi śirāṁsi ca ॥6-67-29॥
Bodies and heads, shining like the sun and being thrown by swords, were visible in every direction.
bhagnacakrākṣanīḍāśca nipātitamahādhvajāḥ। hatāśvāḥ pṛthivīṃ jagmustatra tatra mahārathāḥ ॥6-67-30॥
The great charioteers, with their broken wheels, axles, and nests, and their great banners felled, along with their horses killed, fell to the earth here and there.
paripetur hayāś cātra kecic chastra-kṛta-vraṇāḥ। rathān viparikarṣanto hateṣu ratha-yodhiṣu ॥6-67-31॥
The horses, wounded by weapons, ran around the battlefield, dragging the chariots as the chariot warriors lay slain.
śarāhatā bhinnadehā baddhayoktrā hayottamāḥ। yugāni paryakarṣanta tatra tatra sma bhārata ॥6-67-32॥
The excellent horses, struck by arrows and with broken bodies, were dragging their yokes here and there, O Bharata, as they struggled in the battle.
adṛśyanta sasūtāśca sāśvāḥ sarathayodhinaḥ। ekena balinā rājanvāraṇena hatā rathāḥ ॥6-67-33॥
O king, the chariots along with their charioteers, horses, and warriors were seen destroyed by a powerful elephant.
gandhahastimadasrāvamāghrāya bahavo raṇe। saṃnipāte balaughānāṃ vītamādadire gajāḥ ॥6-67-34॥
In the battle, many elephants, having smelled the fragrance of the intoxicating exudation of other elephants, joined the assembly of the multitude of forces.
satomaramahāmātrairnipatadbhirgatasubhiḥ। babhūvāyodhanaṃ channaṃ nārācābhihatairgajaiḥ ॥6-67-35॥
The battlefield was strewn with lifeless bodies of great ministers and spears, and was covered with arrows that were struck by elephants.
saṁnipāte balaughānāṁ preṣitairvaravāraṇaiḥ। nipeturyudhi sambhagnāḥ sayodhāḥ sadhvajā rathāḥ ॥6-67-36॥
In the assembly of the multitude of forces, the chariots, sent by excellent elephants, fell down shattered in battle, along with their warriors and flags.
nāgarājopamair hastair nāgair ākṣipya saṃyuge। vyadṛśyanta mahārāja sambhagnā rathakūbarāḥ ॥6-67-37॥
O great king, the chariot poles, broken and scattered, were seen in the battle, thrown by hands as powerful as the king of serpents.
viśīrṇarathajālāśca keśeṣvākṣipya dantibhiḥ। drumaśākhā ivāvidhya niṣpiṣṭā rathino raṇe ॥6-67-38॥
In the battle, the charioteers were crushed as the shattered nets of chariots were thrown into their hair by elephants, resembling branches of trees being struck.
ratheṣu ca rathānyuddhe saṁsaktānvaravāraṇāḥ। vikarṣanto diśaḥ sarvāḥ sampetuḥ sarvaśabdagāḥ ॥6-67-39॥
In the battle, the excellent elephants, engaged with the chariots, dragged them in all directions, creating a cacophony of sounds.
teṣāṃ tathā karṣatāṃ ca gajānāṃ rūpam ābabhau। saraḥsu nalinījālaṃ viṣaktam iva karṣatām ॥6-67-40॥
The scene of the elephants pulling was as captivating as a network of lotuses entangled in the lakes.
evaṃ sañchāditaṃ tatra babhūvāyodhanaṃ mahat। sādibhiśca padātaiśca sadhvajaiśca mahārathaiḥ ॥6-67-41॥
Thus, the great battlefield there was covered with riders, foot soldiers, banners, and great chariots.
