6. Mahabharata - Bhishma Parva (महाभारत - भीष्मपर्वम्)
06.087
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra said:
irāvantaṃ tu nihataṃ dṛṣṭvā pārthā mahārathāḥ । saṅgrāme kimakurvanta tanmamācakṣva sañjaya ॥6-87-1॥
Sanjaya, tell me what the great warriors, the sons of Pritha, did in the battle upon seeing Iravan slain.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
irāvantaṃ tu nihataṃ saṅgrāme vīkṣya rākṣasaḥ । vyanadatsumahānādaṃ bhaimasenirghaṭotkacaḥ ॥6-87-2॥
Upon witnessing the fall of Iravan in the battlefield, the demon Ghatotkacha, son of Bhimasena, let out a mighty roar.
nadatas tasya śabdena pṛthivī sāgarāmbarā । saparvatavanā rājaṃś cacāla subhṛśaṃ tadā ॥ antarikṣaṃ diśaś caiva sarvāś ca pradiśas tathā ॥6-87-3॥
The earth, adorned with oceans, mountains, and forests, trembled greatly at his roaring sound, O king. The sky and all directions, including the sub-directions, were also affected.
taṁ śrutvā sumahānādaṁ tava sainyasya bhārata । ūrustambhaḥ samabhavadvepathuḥ sveda eva ca ॥6-87-4॥
Upon hearing the mighty sound of your army, O Bharata, his thighs stiffened, he trembled, and sweat appeared.
sarva eva ca rājendra tāvakā dīnacetasaḥ । sarpavatsamaveṣṭanta siṃhabhītā gajā iva ॥6-87-5॥
All your men, O King, are dejected and encircle like a snake, just as elephants are afraid of a lion.
ninadatsumahānādaṃ nirghātamiva rākṣasaḥ । jvalitaṃ śūlamudyamya rūpaṃ kṛtvā vibhīṣaṇam ॥6-87-6॥
The demon, with a thunderous roar, raised his blazing spear and took on the appearance of Vibhishana.
nānāpraharaṇairghorairvṛto rākṣasapuṅgavaiḥ । ājagāma susaṅkruddhaḥ kālāntakayamopamaḥ ॥6-87-7॥
He arrived, fiercely angry, surrounded by the foremost of demons wielding various dreadful weapons, resembling the destroyer of time and death itself.
tam āpatantaṃ samprekṣya saṅkruddhaṃ bhīmadarśanam । svabalaṃ ca bhayāttasya prāyaśo vimukhīkṛtam ॥6-87-8॥
Seeing him approach with a terrifying look, filled with rage, his own forces mostly retreated in fear.
tato duryodhano rājā ghaṭotkacam upādravat । pragṛhya vipulaṃ cāpaṃ siṃhavad vinadan muhuḥ ॥6-87-9॥
Then King Duryodhana, with a mighty bow in hand, charged at Ghatotkacha, roaring like a lion again and again.
pṛṣṭhato'nuyayau cainaṃ sravadbhiḥ parvatopamaiḥ । kuñjaraiḥ daśasāhasrair vaṅgānām adhipaḥ svayam ॥6-87-10॥
The king of the Vangas personally followed him from behind with ten thousand elephants that resembled mountains, all oozing with ichor.
tamāpatantaṃ samprekṣya gajānīkena saṃvṛtam । putraṃ tava mahārāja cukopa sa niśācaraḥ ॥6-87-11॥
Upon seeing him approach, surrounded by the elephant army, your son, O great king, the demon became enraged.
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ tumulaṃ lomaharṣaṇam । rākṣasānāṃ ca rājendra duryodhanabalasya ca ॥6-87-12॥
Then a fierce and terrifying battle began between the demons and the forces of Duryodhana, O king.
gajānīkaṃ ca samprekṣya meghavṛndamivodyatam । abhyadhāvanta saṅkruddhā rākṣasāḥ śastrapāṇayaḥ ॥6-87-13॥
The angry demons, armed with weapons, charged towards the elephant army, which appeared like a rising mass of clouds.
nadanto vividhānnādānmeghā iva savidyutaḥ । śaraśaktyṛṣṭinārācairnighnanto gajayodhinaḥ ॥6-87-14॥
The warriors, roaring with various sounds like clouds accompanied by lightning, struck the elephant warriors with arrows, spears, javelins, and iron arrows.
bhiṇḍipālaistathā śūlairmudgaraiḥ saparaśvadhaiḥ । parvatāgraiśca vṛkṣaiśca nijaghnuste mahāgajān ॥6-87-15॥
They attacked the great elephants using clubs, spears, maces, axes, mountain peaks, and trees.
bhinnakumbhānvirudhirānbhinnagātrāṃśca vāraṇān । apaśyāma mahārāja vadhyamānānniśācaraiḥ ॥6-87-16॥
O great king, we witnessed elephants with shattered heads and limbs, covered in blood, being slain by the demons.
teṣu prakṣīyamāṇeṣu bhagneṣu gajayodhiṣu । duryodhano mahārāja rākṣasānsamupādravat ॥6-87-17॥
In the midst of the destruction and chaos among the elephant warriors, King Duryodhana launched an attack on the demons.
amarṣavaśamāpannastyaktvā jīvitamātmanaḥ । mumoca niśitānbāṇānrākṣaseṣu mahābalaḥ ॥6-87-18॥
Overcome by anger and disregarding his own life, the mighty warrior unleashed his sharp arrows upon the demons.
jaghāna ca maheṣvāsaḥ pradhānāṃstatra rākṣasān । saṅkruddho bharataśreṣṭha putro duryodhanastava ॥6-87-19॥
The great archer, in his fury, killed the chief demons present there. O best of the Bharatas, it was your son Duryodhana who did this.
vegavantaṃ mahāraudraṃ vidyujjihvaṃ pramāthinām । śaraiś caturbhiś caturo nijaghāna mahārathaḥ ॥6-87-20॥
The great charioteer, with his remarkable skill, swiftly defeated the four formidable and lightning-tongued tormentors using four arrows.
tataḥ punarameyātmā śaravarṣaṃ durāsadam । mumoca bharataśreṣṭha niśācarabalaṃ prati ॥6-87-21॥
Then, the immeasurable soul once again released an irresistible shower of arrows towards the army of demons, O best of Bharatas.
tattu dṛṣṭvā mahatkarma putrasya tava māriṣa । krodhenābhiprajajvāla bhaimasenirmahābalaḥ ॥6-87-22॥
Upon witnessing the great act of your son, O lord, the mighty Bhaimaseni was inflamed with anger.
visphārya ca mahaccāpamindrāśanisamasvanam । abhidudrāva vegena duryodhanamariṃdamam ॥6-87-23॥
He stretched his great bow, which roared like Indra's thunderbolt, and swiftly charged towards Duryodhana, the vanquisher of foes.
tamāpatantamudvīkṣya kālasṛṣṭamivāntakam । na vivyathe mahārāja putro duryodhanastava ॥6-87-24॥
O great king, your son Duryodhana was not disturbed upon seeing him approach like death itself, as if created by time.
athainamabravītkruddhaḥ krūraḥ saṁraktalocanaḥ । ye tvayā sunṛśaṁsena dīrghakālaṁ pravāsitāḥ ॥ yacca te pāṇḍavā rājaṁśchaladyūte parājitāḥ ॥6-87-25॥
Then, with eyes red with anger, the cruel one spoke to him: "Those whom you, O wicked one, exiled for a long time, and your Pāṇḍavas were defeated in the deceitful dice game, O king."
yaccaiva draupadī kṛṣṇā ekavastrā rajasvalā । sabhāmānīya durbuddhe bahudhā kleśitā tvayā ॥6-87-26॥
Draupadi, also known as Krishna, was brought to the assembly in a single garment while she was in her period, and you, with your wicked mind, tormented her in many ways.
tava ca priyakāmena āśramasthā durātmanā । saindhavena parikliṣṭā paribhūya pitṝnmama ॥6-87-27॥
Your beloved desire, residing in the hermitage, was afflicted by the wicked soul and disregarded my ancestors by the Sindhu prince.
eteṣāmavamānānāmanyeṣāṃ ca kulādhama । antamadya gamiṣyāmi yadi notsṛjase raṇam ॥6-87-28॥
"O lowest of the family, if you do not abandon the battle today, I will put an end to these insults and those of others."
evamuktvā tu haiḍimbo mahadvisphārya kārmukam । saṃdaśya daśanair oṣṭhaṃ sṛkkiṇī parisaṃlihan ॥6-87-29॥
After speaking thus, Hidimba stretched his great bow, bit his lip with his teeth, and licked the corners of his mouth, preparing for battle.
śaravarṣeṇa mahatā duryodhanamavākirat । parvataṃ vāridhārābhiḥ prāvṛṣīva balāhakaḥ ॥6-87-30॥
He attacked Duryodhana with a heavy barrage of arrows, resembling how a cloud envelops a mountain with rain during the monsoon season.

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ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय। तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय। मृत्योर्माऽमृतं गमय। ॐ शान्ति: शान्ति: शान्ति: ॥ - बृहदारण्यकोपनिषद् 1.3.28
"Ōm! Lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, and from death to immortality. Let there be peace, peace, and peace. Ōm!" - Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28

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