07.006
Core and Pancharatra: Drona arranged the Kaurava army in a cart formation, while Dharmaraja arranged the Pandava army in the Krauncha formation.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
senāpatyaṃ tu samprāpya bhāradvājo mahārathaḥ।yuyutsurvyūhya sainyāni prāyāttava sutaiḥ saha ॥7-6-1॥
Bharadvaja, the great chariot-warrior, having assumed command, organized the troops and set out to battle alongside your sons.
saindhavaśca kaliṅgaśca vikarṇaśca tavātmajaḥ।dakṣiṇaṃ pārśvamāsthāya samatiṣṭhanta daṃśitāḥ ॥7-6-2॥
The Sindhu king, the Kalinga king, Vikarna, and your son took their positions on the right side, ready for battle.
prapakṣaḥ śakunistēṣāṃ pravarairhayasādibhiḥ।yayau gāndhārakaiḥ sārdhaṃ vimalaprāsayodhibhiḥ ॥7-6-3॥
Shakuni, the supporter, accompanied by the finest horses and warriors, proceeded with the Gandharans and their impeccable spear fighters.
kṛpaśca kṛtavarmā ca citraseno viviṃśatiḥ।duḥśāsanamukhā yattāḥ savyaṃ pārśvamapālayan ॥7-6-4॥
Kṛpa, Kṛtavarmā, Citrasena, and Viviṃśati, led by Duḥśāsana, were vigilantly guarding the left flank.
teṣāṃ prapakṣāḥ kāmbojāḥ sudakṣiṇapuraḥsarāḥ। yayuraśvairmahāvegaiḥ śakāśca yavanaiḥ saha ॥7-6-5॥
Their allies, the Kambojas, led by Sudakshina, advanced swiftly with horses, accompanied by the Shakas and Yavanas.
madrāstrigartāḥ sāmbasṭhāḥ pratīcyodīcyavāsinaḥ।śibayaḥ śūrasenāśca śūdrāśca maladaiḥ saha ॥7-6-6॥
The Madras, Trigartas, Sambasthas, and the inhabitants of the western and northern regions, along with the Shibis, Shurasenas, and Shudras, were together with the Maladas.
sauvīrāḥ kitavāḥ prācyā dākṣiṇātyāśca sarvaśaḥ।tavātmajaṃ puraskṛtya sūtaputrasya pṛṣṭhataḥ ॥7-6-7॥
The people of Sauvira, gamblers, easterners, and southerners, all have placed your son in front and are positioned behind the charioteer's son.
harṣayansarvasainyāni baleṣu balamādadhat।yayau vaikartanaḥ karṇaḥ pramukhe sarvadhanvinām ॥7-6-8॥
Karna, the son of Vikartana, encouraged all the armies and took his position at the forefront of all the archers.
tasya dīpto mahākāyaḥ svānyanīkāni harṣayan।hastikakṣyāmahāketurbabhau sūryasamadyutiḥ ॥7-6-9॥
His radiant and massive form inspired joy among his own troops; in the elephant division, the one with the great banner shone with the brilliance of the sun.
na bhīṣmavyasanaṃ kaścid dṛṣṭvā karṇam amanyata। viśokāś cābhavan sarve rājānaḥ kurubhiḥ saha ॥7-6-10॥
After witnessing Bhishma's distress, no one considered Karna. All the kings, along with the Kauravas, became free from sorrow.
hṛṣṭāśca bahavo yodhāstatrājalpanta saṅgatāḥ।na hi karṇaṃ raṇe dṛṣṭvā yudhi sthāsyanti pāṇḍavāḥ ॥7-6-11॥
Joyful and many warriors gathered there spoke: Indeed, having seen Karna in battle, the Pandavas will not stand in the fight.
karṇo hi samare śakto jetuṃ devānsavāsavān।kimu pāṇḍusutānyuddhe hīnavīryaparākramān ॥7-6-12॥
Karna is indeed capable of defeating the gods along with Indra in battle; what then of the sons of Pandu, who are devoid of valor and prowess in battle?
bhīṣmeṇa tu raṇe pārthāḥ pālitā bāhuśālinā। tāṃstu karṇaḥ śaraistīkṣṇairnāśayiṣyatyasaṃśayam ॥7-6-13॥
The sons of Pritha were protected by the strong-armed Bhishma in battle. However, Karna will undoubtedly destroy them with his sharp arrows.
evaṃ bruvantaste'nyonyaṃ hṛṣṭarūpā viśāṃ pate।rādheyaṃ pūjayantaśca praśaṃsantaśca niryayuḥ ॥7-6-14॥
Thus, speaking joyfully to each other, they worshipped and praised Karna, O lord of the people, and then departed.
asmākaṃ śakaṭavyūho droṇena vihito'bhavat।pareṣāṃ krauñca evāsīdvyūho rājanmahātmanām ॥ prīyamāṇena vihito dharmarājena bhārata ॥7-6-15॥
Our forces were arranged in a cart formation by Droṇa, while the others, O king, had the Krauncha formation arranged by Dharmaraja, who was pleased, O Bharata.
vyūhapramukhasteṣāṃ tasthatuḥ puruṣarṣabhau।vānaradhvajamucchritya viṣvaksenadhanañjayau ॥7-6-16॥
At the forefront of their formation, the best among men, Viṣvaksena and Dhanañjaya, stood raising the monkey-bannered flag.
kakudaṃ sarvasainyānāṃ lakṣma sarvadhanuṣmatām।ādityapathagaḥ ketuḥ pārthasyāmitatejasaḥ ॥7-6-17॥
The leader of all armies and the mark of all archers, the comet that travels the sun's path, is Arjuna of immeasurable energy.
dīpayāmāsa tatsainyaṃ pāṇḍavasya mahātmanaḥ। yathā prajvalitaḥ sūryo yugānte vai vasundharām ॥7-6-18॥
The great-souled Pāṇḍava's army was illuminated, just as the blazing sun illuminates the earth at the end of an age.
asyatāmarjunaḥ śreṣṭho gāṇḍīvaṃ dhanuṣāṃ varam।vāsudevaśca bhūtānāṃ cakrāṇāṃ ca sudarśanam ॥7-6-19॥
Let Arjuna, the foremost, wield the Gandiva, the supreme among bows; and let Vasudeva, the Sudarshana, the supreme among discs, of all beings.
catvāryetāni tejāṃsi vahañśvetahayo rathaḥ।pareṣāmagratas tasthau kālacakram ivodyatam ॥7-6-20॥
The chariot drawn by four white horses, embodying these powers, stood ahead of others like the formidable wheel of time poised for action.
evametau mahātmānau balasenāgragāvubhau।tāvakānāṃ mukhaṃ karṇaḥ pareṣāṃ ca dhanañjayaḥ ॥7-6-21॥
Thus, these two great souls, Karna and Dhananjaya (Arjuna), are the leaders of the army's strength, representing your side and the enemies' side respectively.
tato jātābhisaṁrambhau parasparavadha iṣinau। avekṣetāṁ tadānyonyaṁ samare karṇapāṇḍavau ॥7-6-22॥
Then, filled with intense excitement and the desire to kill each other, Karna and the Pandava faced each other in battle.
tataḥ prayāte sahasā bhāradvāje mahārathe। antarnādena ghoreṇa vasudhā samakampata ॥7-6-23॥
As Bhāradvāja, the great chariot-warrior, suddenly left, the earth shook with a dreadful internal sound.
tatastumulamākāśamāvṛṇotsadivākaraṁ।vātoddhūtaṁ rajastīvraṁ kauśeyanikaropamam ॥7-6-24॥
Then the tumultuous sky covered the sun, as the wind-blown dust, intense like a mass of silk, spread across.
anabhre pravavarṣa dyaurmāṁsāsthirudhirāṇyuta।gṛdhrāḥ śyenā baḍāḥ kaṅkā vāyasāśca sahasraśaḥ ॥ uparyupari senāṁ te tadā paryapatannṛpa ॥7-6-25॥
In a cloudless sky, flesh, bones, and blood rained down. Vultures, hawks, herons, cranes, and crows in thousands circled above your army, O king, at that time.
gomāyavaśca prākrośanbhayadāndāruṇānravān।akārṣurapasavyaṃ ca bahuśaḥ pṛtanāṃ tava ॥ cikhādiṣanto māṃsāni pipāsantaśca śoṇitam ॥7-6-26॥
The jackals howled with terrifying sounds, moving anticlockwise around your army repeatedly, eager to devour flesh and thirsty for blood.
apataddīpyamānā ca sanirghātā sakampanā। ulkā jvalantī saṅgrāme pucchenāvṛtya sarvaśaḥ ॥7-6-27॥
A bright, fiery meteor fell into the battlefield, shaking and thundering, its tail covering everything completely.
pariveṣo mahāṃścāpi savidyutstanayitnumān।bhāskarasyābhavadrājanprayāte vāhinīpatau ॥7-6-28॥
O king, when the army leader departed, the great surrounding became like the sun, with lightning and thunder.
ete cānye ca bahavaḥ prādurāsansudāruṇāḥ।utpātā yudhi vīrāṇāṃ jīvitakṣayakārakāḥ ॥7-6-29॥
These and many other very terrible omens appeared in the battle, foretelling the destruction of the lives of heroes.
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ parasparavadha iṣiṇām। kurupāṇḍavasainyānāṃ śabdenānādayajjagat ॥7-6-30॥
Then the battle began between the Kuru and Pandava armies, eager for mutual destruction, and the sound echoed throughout the world.
te tvanyonyaṃ susaṃrabdhāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ kauravaiḥ saha।pratyaghnanniśitairbāṇairjayagṛddhāḥ prahāriṇaḥ ॥7-6-31॥
The Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas, filled with intense rage, engaged in fierce combat against each other, launching sharp arrows in their quest for victory.
sa pāṇḍavānāṃ mahatīṃ maheṣvāso mahādyutiḥ।vegenābhyadravatsenāṃ kirañśaraśataiḥ śitaiḥ ॥7-6-32॥
The greatly radiant and skilled archer of the Pandavas swiftly attacked the army, showering it with hundreds of sharp arrows.
droṇam abhyudyataṃ dṛṣṭvā pāṇḍavāḥ saha sṛñjayaiḥ।pratyagṛhṇanta tadā rājañ śaravarṣaiḥ pṛthakpṛthak ॥7-6-33॥
Upon seeing Drona rise, the Pandavas, along with the Srinjayas, responded separately with showers of arrows, O king.
saṅkṣobhyamāṇā droṇena bhidyamānā mahācamūḥ। vyaśīryata sapāñcālā vāteneva balāhakāḥ ॥7-6-34॥
The great army, disturbed and broken by Drona, scattered along with the Panchalas like clouds driven by the wind.
bahūnīha vikurvāṇo divyānyastrāṇi saṃyuge।apīḍayatkṣaṇenaiva droṇaḥ pāṇḍavasṛñjayān ॥7-6-35॥
Droṇa, by employing numerous divine weapons in the battle, swiftly tormented the Pāṇḍavas and Sṛñjayas.
te vadhyamānā droṇena vāsaveneva dānavāḥ।pāñcālāḥ samakampanta dhṛṣṭadyumnapurogamāḥ ॥7-6-36॥
The Pāñcālas, led by Dhṛṣṭadyumna, trembled as they were being slaughtered by Droṇa, just as demons are by Vāsava.
tato divyāstravicchūro yājñasenirmahārathaḥ।abhinaccharavarṣeṇa droṇānīkamānekadhā ॥7-6-37॥
Then the heroic Yajnaseni, skilled in divine weapons and a great chariot-warrior, attacked Drona's army from multiple directions with a barrage of arrows.
droṇasya śaravarṣaistu śaravarṣāṇi bhāgaśaḥ। saṃnivārya tataḥ senāṃ kurūnapyavadhīdbalī ॥7-6-38॥
The strong one, having warded off the showers of arrows from Drona, then killed the army of the Kurus in parts.
saṁhṛtya tu tato droṇaḥ samavasthāpya cāhave।svamanīkaṁ mahābāhuḥ pārṣataṁ samupādravat ॥7-6-39॥
After gathering his forces, Drona, the mighty-armed, arranged his army in battle and attacked Parshata.
sa bāṇavarṣaṃ sumahadasṛjatpārṣataṃ prati।maghavānsamabhikruddhaḥ sahasā dānaveṣviva ॥7-6-40॥
He unleashed a massive volley of arrows at Pārṣata, akin to how Indra, in his wrath, would suddenly attack the Dānavas.
te kampyamānā droṇena bāṇaiḥ pāṇḍavasṛñjayāḥ।punaḥ punarabhajyanta siṃhenevetare mṛgāḥ ॥7-6-41॥
The Pāṇḍavas and Sṛñjayas, trembling under the assault of Droṇa's arrows, were repeatedly shattered like other animals by a lion.
atha paryapataddroṇaḥ pāṇḍavānāṃ balaṃ balī।alātacakravadrājaṃstadadbhutamivābhavat ॥7-6-42॥
Then Droṇa, the mighty warrior, charged towards the Pāṇḍava army with the speed and ferocity of a wheel of fire, creating a scene that appeared almost miraculous, O king.
khacaranagarakalpaṁ kalpitaṁ śāstradṛṣṭyā; caladanilapatākaṁ hrādinaṁ valgitāśvam।sphaṭikavimalaketuṁ tāpanaṁ śātravāṇāṁ; rathavaramadhirūḍhaḥ sañjahārārisenām ॥7-6-43॥
The chariot, imagined like a city moving in the sky according to the scriptures, with fluttering flags, resounding and with prancing horses, adorned with a pure crystal flag, tormented the enemies. Mounted on this best chariot, he destroyed the army of enemies.
