07.017
Core and Pancharatra: Half-moon chariot formation by Trigarthas to attack Arjuna. Arjuna kills Sudhanvan, which makes them retreat. Susharman rallies Trigarthas again reminding them of the oath taken, and they attack.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
tataḥ saṃśaptakā rājansame deśe vyavasthitāḥ। vyūhyānīkaṃ rathaireva candrārdhākhyaṃ mudānvitāḥ ॥7-17-1॥
Then, O king, the warriors who had vowed to fight to the death were joyfully positioned in the same place, arranging their army in a formation known as the half-moon using only chariots.
te kirīṭinam āyāntaṃ dṛṣṭvā harṣeṇa māriṣa। udakrośann aravyāghrāḥ śabdena mahatā tadā ॥7-17-2॥
Upon seeing the crowned one approaching, the warriors, filled with joy, cried out loudly, O gentle one, like tigers among men.
sa śabdaḥ pradiśaḥ sarvā diśaḥ khaṃ ca samāvṛṇot। āvṛtatvācca lokasya nāsīttatra pratisvanaḥ ॥7-17-3॥
The sound enveloped all directions, the entire sky, and the world, leaving no room for an echo to exist.
atīva samprahṛṣṭāṃstānupalabhya dhanañjayaḥ। kiñcidabhyutsmayankṛṣṇamidaṃ vacanamabravīt ॥7-17-4॥
Seeing them extremely delighted, Arjuna, with a slight smile, spoke these words to Krishna.
paśyaitāndevakīmātarmumūrṣūnadya saṃyuge। bhrātṝṃstraigartakānevaṃ roditavye praharṣitān ॥7-17-5॥
O mother Devaki, behold these Trigarta brothers who, elated and desiring to die, stand in battle today, thus to be lamented.
atha vā harṣakālo'yaṃ traigartānām asaṃśayam। kunarair duravāpān hi lokān prāpsyanty anuttamān ॥7-17-6॥
"This is undoubtedly a time of joy for the Traigartas. The Kunaras will indeed attain the excellent worlds that are difficult to obtain."
evamuktvā mahābāhurhṛṣīkeśaṃ tato'rjunaḥ। āsasāda raṇe vyūḍhāṃ traigartānāmanīkinīm ॥7-17-7॥
After speaking thus to Hṛṣīkeśa, the mighty-armed Arjuna approached the battle formation of the Trigarta army.
sa devadattamādāya śaṅkhaṃ hemapariṣkṛtam। dadhmau vegena mahatā phalgunaḥ pūrayandiśaḥ ॥7-17-8॥
Arjuna, taking the beautifully adorned golden conch named Devadatta, blew it with great force, filling all directions with its sound.
tena śabdena vitrastā saṃśaptakavarūthinī। niśceṣṭāvasthitā saṅkye aśmasāramayī yathā ॥7-17-9॥
The sound caused the Saṃśaptaka army to become frightened and stand still in the battlefield, as if they were turned to stone.
vāhāsteṣāṃ vivṛttākṣāḥ stabdhakarṇaśirodharāḥ। viṣṭabdhacaraṇā mūtraṃ rudhiraṃ ca prasusruvuḥ ॥7-17-10॥
Their horses, with eyes turned, ears stiffened, and heads held high, stood with rigid legs as urine and blood flowed from them.
upalabhya ca te sañjñāmavasthāpya ca vāhinīm। yugapat-pāṇḍuputrāya cikṣipuḥ kaṅkapatriṇaḥ ॥7-17-11॥
Upon perceiving the signal and arranging their forces, they simultaneously launched arrows at the son of Pandu.
tānyarjunaḥ sahasrāṇi daśa pañcaiva cāśugaiḥ। anāgatānyeva śaraiścicchedāśuparākramaḥ ॥7-17-12॥
Arjuna swiftly cut down those thousands of arrows, ten and five, with his swift action, even before they arrived.
tato'rjunaṁ śitairbāṇairdaśabhirdaśabhiḥ punaḥ। pratyavidhyaṁstataḥ pārthastānavidhyattribhistribhiḥ ॥7-17-13॥
Then Arjuna, with ten sharp arrows, struck again; then Partha (Arjuna) pierced them with three arrows each.
ekaikastu tataḥ pārthaṃ rājanvivyādha pañcabhiḥ। sa ca tānprativivyādha dvābhyāṃ dvābhyāṃ parākramī ॥7-17-14॥
Each warrior then struck Arjuna with five arrows, O king. In return, the mighty Arjuna struck them back with two arrows each.
bhūya eva tu saṁrabdhās te 'rjunaṁ saha-keśavam। āpūrayañ śaraiḥ tīkṣṇaiḥ taṭākam iva vṛṣṭibhiḥ ॥7-17-15॥
Once again, they, excited, filled Arjuna and Keshava with sharp arrows, like a lake is filled with showers.
tataḥ śarasahasrāṇi prāpatannarjunaṃ prati। bhramarāṇāmiva vrātāḥ phulladrumagaṇe vane ॥7-17-16॥
Then, thousands of arrows descended upon Arjuna, resembling swarms of bees amidst the blooming trees in the forest.
tataḥ subāhustriṁśadbhiradrisāramayairdṛḍhaiḥ। avidhyadiśubhirgāḍhaṁ kirīṭe savyasācinam ॥7-17-17॥
Then Subahu shot thirty strong arrows made from the essence of mountains, deeply piercing Arjuna's crown.
taiḥ kirīṭī kirīṭasthairhemapuṅkhairajihmagaiḥ। śātakumbhamayāpīḍo babhau yūpa ivochritaḥ ॥7-17-18॥
The crowned one, adorned with golden feathers and a golden crest, stood tall and radiant like a sacrificial post.
hastāvāpaṃ subāhostu bhallena yudhi pāṇḍavaḥ। ciccheda taṃ caiva punaḥ śaravarṣairavākirat ॥7-17-19॥
In the battle, the Pāṇḍava cut off Subāhu's bow with an arrow and then showered him again with arrows.
tataḥ suśarmā daśabhiḥ surathaśca kirīṭinam। sudharmā sudhanuścaiva subāhuśca samarpayan ॥7-17-20॥
Then Suśarmā, accompanied by ten others including Suratha and the crowned one, along with Sudharmā, Sudhanu, and Subāhu, made an offering.
tāṃstu sarvānpṛthagbāṇairvānarapravaradhvajaḥ। pratyavidhyaddhvajāṃścaiṣāṃ bhallaściccheda kāñcanān ॥7-17-21॥
Dhvaja, the leader of the monkeys, skillfully shot arrows at each of them, severing their golden flags.
sudhanvano dhanuśchittvā hayānvai nyavadhīccharaiḥ। athāsya saśirastṛāṇaṃ śiraḥ kāyādapāharat ॥7-17-22॥
After cutting off Sudhanvan's bow, he killed the horses with arrows and then removed his head along with the helmet from his body.
tasmiṁstu patite vīre trastāstasya padānugāḥ। vyadravanta bhayādbhītā yena dauryodhanaṁ balam ॥7-17-23॥
When the hero fell, his terrified followers, frightened by the one who caused Duryodhana's army to flee, ran away in fear.
tato jaghāna saṅkruddho vāsavistāṃ mahācamūm। śarajālairavicchinnaistamaḥ sūrya ivāṃśubhiḥ ॥7-17-24॥
In his fury, Indra attacked the vast army with a relentless barrage of arrows, much like the sun dispels darkness with its rays.
tato bhagne bale tasminviprayāte samantataḥ। savyasācini saṅkruddhe traigartānbhayamāviśat ॥7-17-25॥
Then, as the army was shattered and dispersed, fear gripped the Trigartas when Arjuna, the ambidextrous archer, became enraged.
te vadhyamānāḥ pārthena śaraiḥ saṁnataparvabhiḥ। amuhyaṁstatra tatraiva trastā mṛgagaṇā iva ॥7-17-26॥
They were struck by Arjuna's arrows, which had bent joints, and became confused right there, frightened like herds of deer.
tatas trigartarāṭ kruddhas tān uvāca mahārathān। alaṁ drutena vaḥ śūrā na bhayaṁ kartum arhatha ॥7-17-27॥
Then the king of Trigarta, in anger, addressed the great charioteers: "Brave ones, there is no need to hurry; you should not be afraid."
śaptvā tu śapathānghorānsarvasainyasya paśyataḥ। gatvā dauryodhanaṃ sainyaṃ kiṃ vai vakṣyatha mukhyagāḥ ॥7-17-28॥
The chiefs, having sworn terrible oaths in front of the entire army, went to Duryodhana's forces. What will they say?
nāvahāsyāḥ kathaṃ loke karmaṇānena saṃyuge। bhavema sahitāḥ sarve nivartadhvaṃ yathābalam ॥7-17-29॥
"How can we, by this action in battle, become united and return with all our strength, without being ridiculed in the world?"
evamuktāstu te rājannudakrośanmuhurmuhuḥ। śaṅkhāṃśca dadhmire vīrā harṣayantaḥ parasparam ॥7-17-30॥
Having been thus addressed, O king, they repeatedly cried out. The heroes blew their conches, rejoicing among themselves.
tataste saṃnyavartanta saṃśaptakagaṇāḥ punaḥ। nārāyaṇāśca gopālāḥ kṛtvā mṛtyuṃ nivartanam ॥7-17-31॥
Then the group of warriors sworn to die turned back again, along with the Narayana warriors and cowherds, having made death retreat.
