07.014
Core and Pancharatra: Bhima restrains Abhimanu, and takes on Shalya himself. Shalya is defeated by Bhima and is carried away by Kritavarma. Pandavas gain upper hand.
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra spoke:
bahūni suvicitrāṇi dvandvayuddhāni sañjaya। tvayoktāni niśamyāhaṃ spṛhayāmi sacakṣuṣām ॥7-14-1॥
O Sanjaya, having heard from you about the many very wonderful duel battles, I long for the vision of the seers.
āścaryabhūtaṃ lokeṣu kathayiṣyanti mānavāḥ। kurūṇāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ ca yuddhaṃ devāsuropamam ॥7-14-2॥
People will speak of the astonishing battle between the Kurus and the Pandavas, comparing it to the legendary conflicts between gods and demons.
na hi me tṛptirastīha śṛṇvato yuddhamuttamam। tasmādārtāyāneryuddhaṃ saubhadrasya ca śaṃsa me ॥7-14-3॥
I am not satisfied here by hearing about the excellent battle. Therefore, please describe to me the battle of Arjuna and Abhimanyu.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
sāditaṃ prekṣya yantāraṃ śalyaḥ sarvāyaṣīṃ gadām। samutkṣipya nadankruddhaḥ pracaskanda rathottamāt ॥7-14-4॥
Upon witnessing his charioteer being struck, Śalya, in a fit of rage, lifted his all-iron mace and leaped from his magnificent chariot, roaring with anger.
taṃ dīptam iva kālāgniṃ daṇḍahastam ivāntakam। javenābhyapatad bhīmaḥ pragṛhya mahatīṃ gadām ॥7-14-5॥
Bhima, wielding his mighty mace, charged at him with the swiftness of a blazing fire, resembling the very embodiment of death with a staff in hand.
saubhadro'py aśaniprakhyāṃ pragṛhya mahatīṃ gadām। ehyehīty abravīcchalyaṃ yatnād bhīmena vāritaḥ ॥7-14-6॥
The son of Subhadra, holding his mighty mace that resembled a thunderbolt, called out to Shalya, 'Come, come,' but was restrained by Bhima with great effort.
vārayitvā tu saubhadraṃ bhīmasenaḥ pratāpavān। śalyamāsādya samare tasthau giririvācalaḥ ॥7-14-7॥
After restraining Saubhadra, the valiant Bhimasena confronted Shalya in the battlefield, standing firm like an unshakable mountain.
tathaiva madrarājo'pi bhīmaṃ dṛṣṭvā mahābalam। sasārābhimukhastūrṇaṃ śārdūla iva kuñjaram ॥7-14-8॥
Similarly, the king of Madra, upon seeing the mighty Bhima, advanced swiftly towards him as a tiger would towards an elephant.
tatastūryaninādaśca śaṅkhānāṃ ca sahasraśaḥ। siṃhanādaśca sañjajñurbherīṇāṃ ca mahāsvanāḥ ॥7-14-9॥
Then there arose the sounds of musical instruments, thousands of conches, lion roars, and the great sounds of drums.
paśyatāṃ śataśo hy āsīd anyonya-samacetasām। pāṇḍavānāṃ kurūṇāṃ ca sādhu sādhv iti nisvanaḥ ॥7-14-10॥
Amidst the hundreds of onlookers, both the Pandavas and the Kauravas, who shared a mutual understanding, there arose a sound of appreciation, 'well done, well done.'
na hi madrādhipādanyaḥ sarvarājasu bhārata। soḍhumutsahate vegaṃ bhīmasenasya saṃyuge ॥7-14-11॥
O Bharata, none of the kings, except the king of Madra, is capable of withstanding Bhimasena's force in battle.
tathā madrādhipasyāpi gadāvegaṃ mahātmanaḥ। soḍhumutsahate loke ko'nyo yudhi vṛkodarāt ॥7-14-12॥
Thus, who else in the world can withstand the mighty force of the mace wielded by the great king of Madra in battle, other than Vrikodara?
paṭṭairjāmbūnadairbaddhā babhūva janaharṣiṇī। prajajvāla tathāviddhā bhīmena mahatī gadā ॥7-14-13॥
The great mace, adorned with golden straps, became a source of joy for the people. When struck by Bhima, it shone brilliantly.
tathaiva carato mārgānmaṇḍalāni ca bhāgaśaḥ। mahāvidyutpratīkāśā śalyasya śuśubhe gadā ॥7-14-14॥
In the same manner, as Śalya moved through the paths and circles in parts, his mace shone brightly, resembling a great lightning bolt.
tau vṛṣāv iva nardantau maṇḍalāni viceratuḥ। āvarjita-gadā-śṛṅgāv ubhau śalya-vṛkodarau ॥7-14-15॥
Śalya and Vṛkodara, like two roaring bulls, circled around, wielding their mace and horn.
maṇḍalāvartamārgeṣu gadāviharaṇeṣu ca। nirviśeṣamabhūdyuddhaṃ tayoḥ puruṣasiṃhayoḥ ॥7-14-16॥
In the circular paths and the wielding of maces, the battle between those two lion-like warriors was without distinction.
tāḍitā bhīmasenena śalyasya mahatī gadā। sāgnijvālā mahāraudrā gadācūrṇamaśīryata ॥7-14-17॥
The mighty mace of Śalya, when struck by Bhīmasena, was shattered into pieces, appearing as if engulfed in fierce flames.
tathaiva bhīmasenasya dviṣatābhihatā gadā। varṣāpradoṣe khadyotairvṛto vṛkṣa ivābabhau ॥7-14-18॥
In the same way, Bhimasena's mace, struck by the enemy, shone like a tree surrounded by fireflies during a rainy evening.
gadā kṣiptā tu samare madrarājena bhārata। vyoma sandīpayānā sā sasṛje pāvakaṃ bahu ॥7-14-19॥
O Bharata, the mace thrown by the king of Madra in battle illuminated the sky and produced a great fire.
tathaiva bhīmasenena dviṣate preṣitā gadā। tāpayāmāsa tatsainyaṃ maholkā patatī yathā ॥7-14-20॥
In the same manner, the mace hurled by Bhimasena struck the enemy forces with the impact of a falling meteor.
te caivobhe gade śreṣṭhe samāsādya parasparam। śvasantyau nāgakanyeva sasṛjāte vibhāvasum ॥7-14-21॥
Both of them, wielding the best maces, approached each other and, breathing heavily like serpent maidens, emitted fire.
nakhairiva mahāvyāghrau dantairiva mahāgajau। tau viceraturāsādya gadābhyāṃ ca parasparam ॥7-14-22॥
The two warriors, resembling great tigers with claws and great elephants with tusks, approached each other wielding maces.
tato gadāgrābhihatau kṣaṇena rudhirokṣitau। dadṛśāte mahātmānau puṣpitāviva kiṃśukau ॥7-14-23॥
Then, in an instant, the great souls, struck by the tip of the mace and smeared with blood, appeared like blossomed Butea monosperma trees.
śuśruve dikṣu sarvāsu tayoḥ puruṣasiṃhayoḥ। gadābhighātasaṃhrādaḥ śakrāśanirivopamaḥ ॥7-14-24॥
The clash of the maces of those two mighty warriors echoed in all directions, resembling the thunderbolt of Indra.
gadayā madrarājena savyadakṣiṇamāhataḥ। nākampata tadā bhīmo bhidyamāna ivācalaḥ ॥7-14-25॥
Bhima, struck on both sides by the king of Madra's mace, stood firm like an unshakable mountain.
tathā bhīmagadāvegāstāḍyamāno mahābalaḥ। dhairyānmadhrādhipastasthau vajrairigirivāhataḥ ॥7-14-26॥
Thus, despite being struck by the powerful blows of Bhima's mace, the mighty king of Madra stood firm with courage, like a mountain enduring the strikes of thunderbolts.
āpetaturmahāvegau samucchritamahāgadau। punarantaramārgasthau maṇḍalāni viceratuḥ ॥7-14-27॥
The two warriors, with great speed and holding their mighty maces aloft, approached. Once more, they stood on the path and circled around.
athāplutya padānyaṣṭau saṃnipatya gajāviva। sahasā lohadaṇḍābhyāmanyonyamabhijaghnatuḥ ॥7-14-28॥
Then, like two elephants coming together, they suddenly jumped eight steps and struck each other with iron rods.
tau parasparavegācca gadābhyāṃ ca bhṛśāhatau। yugapatpetaturvīrau kṣitāvindradhvajāviva ॥7-14-29॥
The two heroes, struck severely by each other's force and maces, fell simultaneously to the ground, resembling the flags of Indra.
tato vihvalamānaṃ taṃ niḥśvasantaṃ punaḥ punaḥ। śalyamabhyapatattūrṇaṃ kṛtavarmā mahārathaḥ ॥7-14-30॥
Then, in his distress, Śalya, who was sighing repeatedly, was swiftly attacked by the great warrior Kritavarma.
dṛṣṭvā cainaṃ mahārāja gadayābhinipīḍitam। viceṣṭantaṃ yathā nāgaṃ mūrchayābhipariplutam ॥7-14-31॥
Upon seeing him, O great king, struck by the mace and struggling like an elephant overwhelmed by faintness.
tataḥ sagadamāropya madrāṇāmadhipaṃ ratham। apovāha raṇāttūrṇaṃ kṛtavarmā mahārathaḥ ॥7-14-32॥
Then Kritavarma, the great charioteer, swiftly carried away the king of the Madras from the battlefield after placing him on the chariot.
kṣībavadvihvalo vīro nimeṣātpunarutthitaḥ। bhīmo'pi sumahābāhurgadāpāṇiradṛśyata ॥7-14-33॥
The hero, appearing as if intoxicated and confused, rose again in an instant. Bhima, with his mighty arms, was also seen holding a mace.
tato madrādhipaṃ dṛṣṭvā tava putrāḥ parāṅmukham। sanāgarathapattyaśvāḥ samakampanta māriṣa ॥7-14-34॥
Upon seeing the Madra king, your sons turned away in fear. The entire army, including elephants, chariots, infantry, and horses, trembled, O lord.
te pāṇḍavairardyamānāstāvakā jitakāśibhiḥ। bhītā diśo'nvapadyanta vātanunnā ghanā iva ॥7-14-35॥
Oppressed by the Pāṇḍavas, your warriors, who had conquered Kāśi, fled in fear in all directions like clouds driven by the wind.
nirjitya dhārtarāṣṭrāṃstu pāṇḍaveyā mahārathāḥ। vyarocanta raṇe rājandīpyamānā yaśasvinaḥ ॥7-14-36॥
After defeating the sons of Dhritarashtra, the illustrious sons of Pandu, the great warriors, shone brilliantly in the battlefield, O king.
siṃhanādānbhṛśaṃ cakruḥ śaṅkhāndadhmuśca harṣitāḥ। bherīśca vādayāmāsurmṛdaṅgāṃścānakaiḥ saha ॥7-14-37॥
The warriors, filled with joy, roared like lions, blew their conches, and played drums and mridangas along with trumpets.
