06.068
Core and Pancharatra: An encounter takes place between Bhishma and Bhima, where Bhima's bow is cut off by Bhishma.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
śikhaṇḍī saha matsyena virāṭena viśāṃ pate। bhīṣmamāśu maheṣvāsamāsasāda sudurjayam ॥6-68-1॥
Shikhandi, along with Matsya and Virata, quickly approached the formidable Bhishma, the great archer, O lord of men.
droṇaṁ kṛpaṁ vikarṇaṁ ca maheṣvāsānmahābalān। rājñaścānyānraṇe śūrānbahūnārchaddhanañjayaḥ ॥6-68-2॥
Dhananjaya worshipped many heroes in battle, including Drona, Kripa, Vikarna, and other mighty kings and great archers.
saindhavaṁ ca maheṣvāsaṁ sāmātyaṁ saha bandhubhiḥ। prācyāṁśca dākṣiṇātyāṁśca bhūmipānbhūmiparṣabha ॥6-68-3॥
The Sindhu king, known for his archery skills, accompanied by his ministers and relatives, as well as the kings from the eastern and southern regions, O bull among kings.
putraṁ ca te maheṣvāsaṁ duryodhanamamarṣaṇam। duḥsahaṁ caiva samare bhīmaseno'bhyavartata ॥6-68-4॥
Your son, Duryodhana, the great archer, who is impatient and hard to withstand, was indeed confronted by Bhimasena in the battle.
sahadevastu śakunimulūkaṃ ca mahāratham। pitāputrau maheṣvāsāvabhyavartata durjayau ॥6-68-5॥
Sahadeva, however, confronted Śakuni and Uluka, the formidable chariot-warriors, who were father and son, and known as great archers, in a battle that was hard to win.
yudhiṣṭhiro mahārāja gajānīkaṃ mahārathaḥ। samavartata saṅgrāme putreṇa nikṛtastava ॥6-68-6॥
Yudhishthira, the noble king and mighty charioteer, was caught in the battle, deceived by your son.
mādrīputrastu nakulaḥ śūraḥ saṅkrandano yudhi। trigartānāṃ rathodāraiḥ samasajjata pāṇḍavaḥ ॥6-68-7॥
Nakula, the son of Mādrī, bravely engaged in battle against the formidable chariots of the Trigartas.
abhyavartanta durdharṣāḥ samare śālvakekayān। sātyakiścekitānaśca saubhadraśca mahārathaḥ ॥6-68-8॥
The invincible warriors, including Sātyaki, Cekitāna, and Saubhadra, advanced in battle against the Śālvas and Kekayas, demonstrating their prowess as great chariot-warriors.
dhṛṣṭaketuśca samare rākṣasaśca ghaṭotkacaḥ। putrāṇāṃ te rathānīkaṃ pratyudyātāḥ sudurjayāḥ ॥6-68-9॥
Dhritaketu and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha advanced in battle with the chariot army of the sons, who were very difficult to conquer.
senāpatirameyātmā dhṛṣṭadyumno mahābalaḥ। droṇena samare rājansamiyāyendrakarmaṇā ॥6-68-10॥
Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the commander with immense strength and an immeasurable soul, confronted Droṇa in the battlefield, O king, performing deeds akin to those of Indra.
evam ete maheṣvāsās tāvakāḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ saha। sametya samare śūrāḥ sampradhāraṃ pracakrire ॥6-68-11॥
Thus, these great archers, your warriors, along with the Pandavas, gathered in the battlefield and bravely initiated the attack.
madhyaṁdinagate sūrye nabhasyākulatāṁ gate। kuravaḥ pāṇḍaveyāśca nijaghnuritaretaram ॥6-68-12॥
At midday, as the sun set and the sky turned tumultuous, the Kurus and the Pandavas engaged in mutual destruction.
dhvajino hemacitrāṅgā vicaranto raṇājire। sapatākā rathā rejurvaiyāghraparivāraṇāḥ ॥6-68-13॥
The flag-bearers, adorned with gold and colorful bodies, moved around the battlefield. The chariots, decorated with flags, shone brightly with tiger-like coverings.
samētānāṁ ca samare jigīṣūṇāṁ parasparam। babhūva tumulaḥ śabdaḥ siṁhānāmiva nardatām ॥6-68-14॥
In the battlefield, those assembled who desired victory created a tumultuous sound, akin to the roaring of lions.
tatrādbhutamapaśyāma samprahāraṃ sudāruṇam। yamakurvanraṇe vīrāḥ sṛñjayāḥ kurubhiḥ saha ॥6-68-15॥
There we witnessed a remarkable and extremely fierce battle, where the brave warriors, the Sṛñjayas, fought alongside the Kurus.
naiva khaṃ na diśo rājanna sūryaṃ śatrutāpana। vidiśo vāpyapaśyāma śarairmuktaiḥ samantataḥ ॥6-68-16॥
O king, we could not see the sky, the directions, or the sun, which scorches enemies, nor the intermediate directions, as arrows were released all around.
śaktīnāṃ vimalāgrāṇāṃ tomarāṇāṃ tathāsyatām। nistriṃśānāṃ ca pītānāṃ nīlotpalanibhāḥ prabhāḥ ॥6-68-17॥
The glows of the weapons, including spears with pure tips, javelins, and swords, appeared yellow like blue lotuses as they were being hurled.
kavacānāṃ vicitrāṇāṃ bhūṣaṇānāṃ prabhāstathā। khaṃ diśaḥ pradiśaścaiva bhāsayāmāsurojasā ॥ virarāja tadā rājanstatra tatra raṇāṅgaṇam ॥6-68-18॥
The battlefield was illuminated by the brilliance of the various armors and ornaments, lighting up the sky and all directions with their energy. It was a magnificent sight, O king, as the battlefield shone brilliantly.
rathasiṃhāsanavyāghrāḥ samāyāntaśca saṃyuge। virejuḥ samare rājangrahā iva nabhastale ॥6-68-19॥
The warriors, fierce as tigers on their chariot thrones, approached the battlefield and shone like planets in the sky, O king.
bhīṣmastu rathināṃ śreṣṭho bhīmasenaṃ mahābalam। avārayata saṅkruddhaḥ sarvasainyasya paśyataḥ ॥6-68-20॥
Bhishma, known as the best among charioteers, angrily halted the powerful Bhimasena in full view of the entire army.
tato bhīṣmavinirmuktā rukmapuṅkhāḥ śilāśitāḥ। abhyaghnansamare bhīmaṃ tailadhautāḥ sutejanāḥ ॥6-68-21॥
Then, the well-crafted arrows with golden feathers, sharpened on stone and released by Bhishma, struck Bhima in the battle, having been washed in oil.
tasya śaktiṃ mahāvegāṃ bhīmaseno mahābalaḥ। kruddhāśīviṣasaṅkāśāṃ preṣayāmāsa bhārata ॥6-68-22॥
In his fury, the mighty Bhimasena hurled his swift spear, resembling an enraged serpent, towards the enemy, O Bharata.
tām āpatantīṃ sahasā rukmadaṇḍāṃ durāsadām। ciccheda samare bhīṣmaḥ śaraiḥ saṃnataparvabhiḥ ॥6-68-23॥
In the battle, Bhishma swiftly intercepted her approach, who was formidable and armed with a golden staff, using his well-jointed arrows.
tato'pareṇa bhallena pītena niśitena ca। kārmukaṃ bhīmasenasya dvidhā ciccheda bhārata ॥6-68-24॥
Then, another sharp yellow arrow cut Bhimasena's bow into two, O Bharata.
sātyakistu tatastūrṇaṃ bhīṣmamāsādya saṃyuge। śarairbahubhirānarchatpitaraṃ te janeśvara ॥6-68-25॥
Satyaki swiftly approached Bhishma in the battle and honored your father with numerous arrows, O king.
tataḥ sandhāya vai tīkṣṇaṃ śaraṃ paramadāruṇam। vārṣṇeyasya rathādbhīṣmaḥ pātayāmāsa sārathim ॥6-68-26॥
Then Bhishma, having aimed a sharp and deadly arrow, struck down the charioteer of Krishna's chariot.
tasyāśvāḥ pradrutā rājannihate rathasārathau। tena tenaiva dhāvanti manomārutaraṃhasaḥ ॥6-68-27॥
O king, his horses, with the charioteer slain, ran swiftly, driven by the very force of mind and wind.
tataḥ sarvasya sainyasya nisvanastumulo'bhavat। hāhākāraśca sañjajñe pāṇḍavānāṃ mahātmanām ॥6-68-28॥
Then a tumultuous sound arose from the entire army, and cries of distress were heard from the noble Pandavas.
abhidravat gṛhṇīta hayānyacchata dhāvata। ityāsīt tumulaḥ śabdo yuyudhānarathaṃ prati ॥6-68-29॥
There was a loud and tumultuous sound as the command was given to charge, seize the horses, restrain them, and run towards Yuyudhana's chariot.
etasmínneva kāle tu bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavaḥ punaḥ। vyahanatpāṇḍavīṃ senāmāsurīmiva vṛtrahā ॥6-68-30॥
At that moment, Bhishma, son of Shantanu, once more attacked the Pandava army with the ferocity of the god Indra defeating the demon Vritra.
te vadhyamānā bhīṣmeṇa pāñcālāḥ somakaiḥ saha। āryāṃ yuddhe matiṃ kṛtvā bhīṣmamevābhidudruvuḥ ॥6-68-31॥
The Panchalas and the Somakas, though being slain by Bhishma, resolved nobly in battle and rushed towards Bhishma alone.
dhṛṣṭadyumnamukhāś cāpi pārthāḥ śāntanavaṃ raṇe। abhyadhāvañ jigīṣantas tava putrasya vāhinīm ॥6-68-32॥
Led by Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the sons of Pṛthā, including Arjuna, charged at Bhīṣma, the son of Śāntanu, in the battle, eager to defeat your son's forces.
tathaiva tāvakā rājanbhīṣmadroṇamukhāḥ parān। abhyadhāvanta vegena tato yuddhamavartata ॥6-68-33॥
In the same manner, your warriors, led by Bhishma and Drona, swiftly charged at the enemies, and thus the battle began.
