07.012
Core and Pancharatra: Arjuna assures Yudhisthira he will sacrifice his own life, but will not allow Drona to capture him. By midday, Drona disperses Pandava army led by Drishtadyumna.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
tataste sainikāḥ śrutvā taṃ yudhiṣṭhiranigraham। siṃhanādaravāṃścakrurbāṇaśaṅkharavaiḥ saha ॥7-12-1॥
Upon hearing about the capture of Yudhishthira, the soldiers roared like lions and sounded their conches and arrows.
tattu sarvaṃ yathāvṛttaṃ dharmarājena bhārata। āptairāśu parijñātaṃ bhāradvājacikīrṣitam ॥7-12-2॥
O Bharata, Dharmaraja quickly learned all that had happened through his trusted ones, regarding the intention of Bharadvaja.
tataḥ sarvānsamānāyya bhrātṝnsainyāṃśca sarvaśaḥ। abravīddharmarājastu dhanañjayamidaṃ vacaḥ ॥7-12-3॥
Dharmaraja, after assembling all his brothers and the entire army, addressed Dhananjaya with these words.
śrutaṃ te puruṣavyāghra droṇasyādya cikīrṣitam। yathā tanna bhavetsatyaṃ tathā nītirvidhīyatām ॥7-12-4॥
"O tiger among men, you have heard today what Drona intends. Ensure that it does not come true by establishing the right policy."
sāntaraṃ hi pratijñātaṃ droṇenāmitrakarśana। taccāntaramamogheṣau tvayi tena samāhitam ॥7-12-5॥
O enemy-scorcher, Drona indeed promised an end. That gap was fixed in you by him with his infallible arrows.
sa tvamadya mahābāho yudhyasva madanantaram। yathā duryodhanaḥ kāmaṃ nemaṃ droṇādavāpnuyāt ॥7-12-6॥
You, O mighty-armed one, must fight today after me, so that Duryodhana does not achieve his desire from Drona.
arjuna uvāca॥
Arjuna said:
yathā me na vadhaḥ kārya ācāryasya kathañcana। tathā tava parityāgo na me rājaṃścikīrṣitaḥ ॥7-12-7॥
Just as I should not kill the teacher in any way, similarly, O king, I do not intend to abandon you.
apyevaṃ pāṇḍava prāṇānutsṛjeyamahaṃ yudhi। pratīyāṃ nāhamācāryaṃ tvāṃ na jahyāṃ kathaṃcana ॥7-12-8॥
Even in such a situation, O son of Pandu, I would sacrifice my life in battle; I would not recognize you as my teacher, nor would I ever abandon you.
tvāṃ nigṛhyāhave rājandhārtarāṣṭro yamicchati। na sa taṃ jīvaloke'sminkāmaṃ prāptaḥ kathaṃcana ॥7-12-9॥
O king, having captured you in battle, Dhritarashtra's son desires something. However, he has not achieved that desire in this world in any way.
prapateddyauḥ sanakṣatrā pṛthivī śakalībhavet। na tvāṃ droṇo nigṛhṇīyājjīvamāne mayi dhruvam ॥7-12-10॥
Even if the sky with its stars were to fall and the earth were to shatter, Drona would not capture you as long as I am alive, certainly.
yadi tasya raṇe sāhyaṃ kurute vajrabhṛtsvayam। devairvā sahito daityairna tvāṃ prāpsyatyasau mṛdhe ॥7-12-11॥
Even if Indra himself, along with gods or demons, assists him in battle, he will not be able to defeat you.
mayi jīvati rājendra na bhayaṃ kartum arhasi। droṇādastrabhr̥tāṃ śreṣṭhātsarvaśastrabhr̥tāmapi ॥7-12-12॥
O King, as long as I am alive, you need not fear anyone, even those superior to Drona, the greatest among all warriors.
na smarāmy anṛtāṃ vācaṃ na smarāmi parājayam। na smarāmi pratiśrutya kiñcid apy anapākṛtam ॥7-12-13॥
I do not recall speaking falsely, nor do I remember any defeat. I do not recall having left any promise unfulfilled.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
tataḥ śaṅkhāśca bheryaśca mṛdaṅgāścānakaiḥ saha। prāvādyanta mahārāja pāṇḍavānāṃ niveśane ॥7-12-14॥
Then, O great king, conches, drums, mridangas, and trumpets were sounded together in the residence of the Pandavas.
siṃhanādaśca sañjajñe pāṇḍavānāṃ mahātmanām। dhanurjyātalaśabdaśca gaganaspṛksubhairavaḥ ॥7-12-15॥
The Pandavas, known for their greatness, let out a lion's roar, and the sound of their bowstrings echoed through the sky, creating a very terrifying atmosphere.
taṁ śrutvā śaṅkhanirghoṣaṁ pāṇḍavasya mahātmanaḥ। tvadīyeṣv apy anīkeṣu vāditrāṇy abhijaghnire ॥7-12-16॥
Upon hearing the sound of the conch from the noble Pandava, the musical instruments in your armies also began to play.
tato vyūḍhānyanīkāni tava teṣāṃ ca bhārata। śanairupeyuranyonyaṃ yotsyamānāni saṃyuge ॥7-12-17॥
Then, O Bharata, the arranged armies of both sides slowly approached each other, ready to engage in battle.
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ tumulaṃ lomaharṣaṇam। pāṇḍavānāṃ kurūṇāṃ ca droṇapāñcālyayorapi ॥7-12-18॥
Then a fierce and terrifying battle began between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, as well as between Drona and the Panchalas.
yatamānāḥ prayatnena droṇānīkaviśātane। na śekuḥ sṛñjayā rājaṃstad dhi droṇena pālitam ॥7-12-19॥
The Srinjayas, despite their efforts, could not penetrate Drona's army, O king, as it was well-guarded by Drona.
tathaiva tava putrasya rathodārāḥ prahāriṇaḥ। na śekuḥ pāṇḍavīṃ senāṃ pālyamānāṃ kirīṭinā ॥7-12-20॥
Similarly, the chariot warriors of your son could not withstand the Pandava army, which was being protected by Arjuna.
āstāṁ te stimite sene rakṣyamāṇe parasparam। samprasupte yathā naktaṁ vanarājyau supuṣpite ॥7-12-21॥
Let your calm army be mutually protected, completely asleep as if it were night in the fully blossomed forest kingdom.
tato rukmaratho rājannarkeṇeva virājatā। varūthinā viniṣpatya vyacaratpṛtanāntare ॥7-12-22॥
Then Rukmaratha, O king, shining like the sun, set out with his army and moved within the battle formation.
tamudyataṃ rathenaikamāśukāriṇamāhave। anekamiva santrāsānmenire pāṇḍusṛñjayāḥ ॥7-12-23॥
The Pandavas and the Srinjayas, out of fear, perceived him, who was raised with a chariot and swift in battle, as if he were many.
tena muktāḥ śarā ghorā viceruḥ sarvatodiśam। trāsayanto mahārāja pāṇḍaveyasya vāhinīm ॥7-12-24॥
The terrible arrows released by him spread in all directions, terrifying the Pandava's army, O great king.
madhyaṁ dinam anuprāpto gabhastiśatasaṁvṛtaḥ। yathādṛśyata gharmāṁśus tathā droṇo'pyadṛśyata ॥7-12-25॥
At midday, enveloped in hundreds of rays, just as the sun was visible, so too was Drona seen.
na cainaṃ pāṇḍaveyānāṃ kaściccaknoti māriṣa। vīkṣituṃ samare kruddhaṃ mahendramiva dānavāḥ ॥7-12-26॥
O honorable one, none among the Pandavas can face him when he is angry in battle, just as demons cannot face Mahendra.
mohayitvā tataḥ sainyaṃ bhāradvājaḥ pratāpavān। dhṛṣṭadyumnabalaṃ tūrṇaṃ vyadhamanniśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ॥7-12-27॥
After bewildering the army, the mighty Bhāradvāja swiftly dispersed Dhṛṣṭadyumna's troops with his sharp arrows.
sa diśaḥ sarvato ruddhvā saṁvṛtya khamajihmagaiḥ। pārṣato yatra tatraiva mamṛde pāṇḍuvāhinīm ॥7-12-28॥
He blocked all directions and surrounded the Pandava army with crooked movements, crushing them where the son of Prishata was.
