06.101
Core and Pancharatra: Duryodhana sends Duḥśāsana along with his army to give cover to Bhishma; Duryodhana also dispatches ten thousand skilled horse riders to obstruct the Pandavas; Under Yudhisthira's leadership, the Pandavas emerged victorious, tackling the horse riders; Seeing this, Duryodhana sends Shalya; Bhima, Nakula, and Sahadeva rush to support Yudhisthira.
सञ्जय उवाच॥
Sanjaya said:
दृष्ट्वा भीष्मं रणे क्रुद्धं पाण्डवैरभिसंवृतम्। यथा मेघैर्महाराज तपान्ते दिवि भास्करम् ॥६-१०१-१॥
O great king, having seen Bhishma angry and surrounded by the Pandavas in battle, it was like the sun being enveloped by clouds in the sky at the end of summer.
दुर्योधनो महाराज दुःशासनमभाषत। एष शूरो महेष्वासो भीष्मः शत्रुनिषूदनः ॥६-१०१-२॥
King Duryodhana addressed Duḥśāsana, pointing out that Bhīṣma, the valiant and mighty archer, is their formidable enemy destroyer.
छादितः पाण्डवैः शूरैः समन्ताद्भरतर्षभ। तस्य कार्यं त्वया वीर रक्षणं सुमहात्मनः ॥६-१०१-३॥
O best of the Bharatas, surrounded on all sides by the heroic Pāṇḍavas, it is your duty, O hero, to protect the great soul.
रक्ष्यमाणो हि समरे भीष्मोऽस्माकं पितामहः। निहन्यात्समरे यत्तान्पाञ्चालान्पाण्डवैः सह ॥६-१०१-४॥
Our grandfather Bhishma, being protected in battle, would indeed slay the striving Panchalas along with the Pandavas.
तत्र कार्यमहं मन्ये भीष्मस्यैवाभिरक्षणम्। गोप्ता ह्येष महेष्वासो भीष्मोऽस्माकं पितामहः ॥६-१०१-५॥
I believe that our primary duty there is to protect Bhishma, as he is our grandfather and a great archer.
स भवान्सर्वसैन्येन परिवार्य पितामहम्। समरे दुष्करं कर्म कुर्वाणं परिरक्षतु ॥६-१०१-६॥
You, along with all the army, should surround and protect the grandfather as he performs the difficult task in battle.
एवमुक्तस्तु समरे पुत्रो दुःशासनस्तव। परिवार्य स्थितो भीष्मं सैन्येन महता वृतः ॥६-१०१-७॥
Thus addressed in the battle, your son Duḥśāsana, surrounded by a great army, stood covering Bhīṣma.
ततः शतसहस्रेण हयानां सुबलात्मजः। विमलप्रासहस्तानामृष्टितोमरधारिणाम् ॥६-१०१-८॥
Then, the son of Subala, accompanied by a hundred thousand horses, all equipped with spotless spears and polished javelins, advanced.
दर्पितानां सुवेगानां बलस्थानां पताकिनाम्। शिक्षितैर्युद्धकुशलैरुपेतानां नरोत्तमैः ॥६-१०१-९॥
The arrogant and swift warriors, stationed at strongholds and bearing flags, were accompanied by the best of men, trained and skilled in warfare.
नकुलं सहदेवं च धर्मराजं च पाण्डवम्। न्यवारयन्नरश्रेष्ठं परिवार्य समन्ततः ॥६-१०१-१०॥
Nakula, Sahadeva, and Dharmaraja, the Pandava, surrounded and restrained the best of men from all sides.
ततो दुर्योधनो राजा शूराणां हयसादिनाम्। अयुतं प्रेषयामास पाण्डवानां निवारणे ॥६-१०१-११॥
Then King Duryodhana dispatched ten thousand skilled horse riders to obstruct the Pandavas.
तैः प्रविष्टैर्महावेगैर्गरुत्मद्भिरिवाहवे। खुराहता धरा राजंश्चकम्पे च ननाद च ॥६-१०१-१२॥
As they entered the battlefield with great speed, like Garuda, the earth, struck by their hooves, trembled and roared, O king.
खुरशब्दश्च सुमहान्वाजिनां शुश्रुवे तदा। महावंशवनस्येव दह्यमानस्य पर्वते ॥६-१०१-१३॥
The sound of the horses' hooves was heard then, resembling the sound of a great bamboo forest burning on the mountain.
उत्पतद्भिश्च तैस्तत्र समुद्धूतं महद्रजः। दिवाकरपथं प्राप्य छादयामास भास्करम् ॥६-१०१-१४॥
A great dust was raised by those flying there, and it covered the sun as it reached the sun's path.
वेगवद्भिर्हयैस्तैस्तु क्षोभितं पाण्डवं बलम्। निपतद्भिर्महावेगैर्हंसैरिव महत्सरः ॥ हेषतां चैव शब्देन न प्राज्ञायत किञ्चन ॥६-१०१-१५॥
The Pandava army was thrown into disarray by the swift horses, resembling swans descending rapidly onto a vast lake. The sound of neighing was so overwhelming that nothing else could be perceived.
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा माद्रीपुत्रौ च पाण्डवौ। प्रत्यघ्नंस्तरसा वेगं समरे हयसादिनाम् ॥६-१०१-१६॥
Then King Yudhishthira and the sons of Madri, the Pandavas, fiercely countered the speed of the horse riders in battle.
उद्वृत्तस्य महाराज प्रावृट्कालेन पूर्यतः। पौर्णमास्यामम्बुवेगं यथा वेला महोदधेः ॥६-१०१-१७॥
O great king, during the rainy season, the shore of the great ocean is filled by the force of water, especially on the full moon day.
ततस्ते रथिनो राजञ्शरैः संनतपर्वभिः। न्यकृन्तन्नुत्तमाङ्गानि कायेभ्यो हयसादिनाम् ॥६-१०१-१८॥
Then, O king, the charioteers used their arrows to skillfully decapitate the horsemen.
ते निपेतुर्महाराज निहता दृढधन्विभिः। नागैरिव महानागा यथा स्युर्गिरिगह्वरे ॥६-१०१-१९॥
O great king, they fell, struck down by the strong archers, just as great elephants might fall in a mountain cave.
तेऽपि प्रासैः सुनिशितैः शरैः संनतपर्वभिः। न्यकृन्तन्नुत्तमाङ्गानि विचरन्तो दिशो दश ॥६-१०१-२०॥
They too moved around in all ten directions, cutting off heads with their well-sharpened spears and arrows with bent joints.
अत्यासन्ना हयारोहा ऋष्टिभिर्भरतर्षभ। अच्छिनन्नुत्तमाङ्गानि फलानीव महाद्रुमात् ॥६-१०१-२१॥
The horse riders, being very close, O esteemed Bharata, cut off the heads with their spears as if they were plucking fruits from a great tree.
ससादिनो हया राजंस्तत्र तत्र निषूदिताः। पतिताः पात्यमानाश्च शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः ॥६-१०१-२२॥
O king, horses with riders were slain everywhere, falling and being struck down in hundreds and thousands.
वध्यमाना हयास्ते तु प्राद्रवन्त भयार्दिताः। यथा सिंहान्समासाद्य मृगाः प्राणपरायणाः ॥६-१०१-२३॥
The horses, being attacked, fled in fear, just like deer who, upon encountering lions, are solely focused on preserving their lives.
पाण्डवास्तु महाराज जित्वा शत्रून्महाहवे। दध्मुः शङ्खांश्च भेरीश्च ताडयामासुराहवे ॥६-१०१-२४॥
The Pandavas, having emerged victorious in the great battle, celebrated by blowing conches and beating drums, O great king.
ततो दुर्योधनो दृष्ट्वा दीनं सैन्यमवस्थितम्। अब्रवीद्भरतश्रेष्ठ मद्रराजमिदं वचः ॥६-१०१-२५॥
Then Duryodhana, observing the distressed state of the army, addressed the king of Madra with these words, O esteemed descendant of Bharata.
एष पाण्डुसुतो ज्येष्ठो जित्वा मातुल मामकान्। पश्यतां नो महाबाहो सेनां द्रावयते बली ॥६-१०१-२६॥
The eldest son of Pandu, having defeated my maternal uncle and my people, is now driving away our army in full view, O mighty-armed one.
तं वारय महाबाहो वेलेव मकरालयम्। त्वं हि संश्रूयसेऽत्यर्थमसह्यबलविक्रमः ॥६-१०१-२७॥
O mighty-armed one, restrain him like the shore restrains the abode of crocodiles. You are renowned for your immense and unparalleled strength and valor.
पुत्रस्य तव तद्वाक्यं श्रुत्वा शल्यः प्रतापवान्। प्रययौ रथवंशेन यत्र राजा युधिष्ठिरः ॥६-१०१-२८॥
Upon hearing the words of your son, the mighty Shalya set off with his chariot entourage to the place where King Yudhishthira was.
तदापतद्वै सहसा शल्यस्य सुमहद्बलम्। महौघवेगं समरे वारयामास पाण्डवः ॥६-१०१-२९॥
Suddenly, the mighty force of Śalya attacked, but the Pāṇḍava managed to check it in the battle, like holding back a great flood.
मद्रराजं च समरे धर्मराजो महारथः। दशभिः सायकैस्तूर्णमाजघान स्तनान्तरे ॥ नकुलः सहदेवश्च त्रिभिस्त्रिभिरजिह्मगैः ॥६-१०१-३०॥
In the battle, Dharmaraja, the great chariot warrior, swiftly struck the Madra king in the chest with ten arrows. Nakula and Sahadeva also attacked with three straight-shooting arrows each.
मद्रराजोऽपि तान्सर्वानाजघान त्रिभिस्त्रिभिः। युधिष्ठिरं पुनः षष्ट्या विव्याध निशितैः शरैः ॥ माद्रीपुत्रौ च संरब्धौ द्वाभ्यां द्वाभ्यामताडयत् ॥६-१०१-३१॥
The king of Madra attacked all of them with three arrows each. He then targeted Yudhishthira with sixty sharp arrows. Additionally, he struck the eager sons of Madri with two arrows each.
ततो भीमो महाबाहुर्दृष्ट्वा राजानमाहवे। मद्रराजवशं प्राप्तं मृत्योरास्यगतं यथा ॥ अभ्यद्रवत सङ्ग्रामे युधिष्ठिरममित्रजित् ॥६-१०१-३२॥
Then Bhima, the mighty-armed, saw the king in battle, who was under the control of the king of Madra and seemed as if he was in the jaws of death, and rushed towards Yudhishthira, the conqueror of foes, in the battle.
ततो युद्धं महाघोरं प्रावर्तत सुदारुणम्। अपरां दिशमास्थाय द्योतमाने दिवाकरे ॥६-१०१-३३॥
Then, a very terrible and extremely fierce battle began in another direction as the sun was shining.
