07.018
Pancharatra: Battle between Arjuna and Trigarthas.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
dṛṣṭvā tu saṃnivṛttāṃstāṃsaṃśaptakagaṇānpunaḥ। vāsudevaṃ mahātmānamarjunaḥ samabhāṣata ॥7-18-1॥
Upon seeing the returning groups of warriors who had vowed to fight to the death, Arjuna spoke once more to the noble Vasudeva.
codayāśvānhṛṣīkeśa saṃśaptakagaṇānprati। naite hāsyanti saṅgrāmaṃ jīvanta iti me matiḥ ॥7-18-2॥
Urge the horses, O Hṛṣīkeśa, towards the troops of the Saṃśaptakas. I believe these will not leave the battle alive.
paśya me'strabalaṁ ghoraṁ bāhvor iṣvasanasya ca। adyaitān pātayiṣyāmi kruddho rudraḥ paśūn iva ॥7-18-3॥
"Behold my formidable weaponry and the might of my arms and archery. Today, in my wrath, I shall strike them down like Rudra does to beasts."
tataḥ kṛṣṇaḥ smitaṃ kṛtvā pariṇandya śivena tam। prāveśayata durdharṣo yatra yatraiṣchadarjunaḥ ॥7-18-4॥
Then Krishna, with a smile, greeted him with Shiva and allowed the invincible Arjuna to enter wherever he wished.
babhrāje sa ratho'tyarthamuhyamāno raṇe tadā। uhyamānamivākāśe vimānaṃ pāṇḍurairhayaiḥ ॥7-18-5॥
Then that chariot shone brightly in the battle, appearing as if it were an aerial car being carried through the sky by white horses.
maṇḍalāni tataścakre gatapratyāgatāni ca। yathā śakraratho rājanyuddhe devāsure purā ॥7-18-6॥
Then he formed circles that moved back and forth, just like Indra's chariot did in the ancient battle between the gods and demons, O king.
atha nārāyaṇāḥ kruddhā vividhāyudhapāṇayaḥ। chādayantaḥ śaravrātaiḥ parivavrurdhanañjayam ॥7-18-7॥
Then the Nārāyaṇas, in their anger and armed with various weapons, surrounded and attacked Dhanañjaya with a barrage of arrows.
adṛśyaṃ ca muhūrtena cakruste bharatarṣabha। kṛṣṇena sahitaṃ yuddhe kuntīputraṃ dhanañjayam ॥7-18-8॥
In the battle, they made Arjuna, the son of Kunti, disappear in an instant along with Krishna, O best of the Bharatas.
kruddhastu phalgunaḥ saṅkhye dviguṇīkṛtavikramaḥ। gāṇḍīvamupasaṃmṛjya tūrṇaṃ jagrāha saṃyuge ॥7-18-9॥
Arjuna, filled with anger and doubling his prowess, quickly cleaned and took up his bow Gandiva in the battle.
baddhvā ca bhṛkuṭīṃ vaktre krodhasya pratilakṣaṇam। devadattaṃ mahāśaṅkhaṃ pūrayāmāsa pāṇḍavaḥ ॥7-18-10॥
Pāṇḍava, with his eyebrows knitted in anger, blew the mighty conch named Devadatta.
athāstramarisaṅghaghnaṃ tvāṣṭramabhyasyadarjunaḥ। tato rūpasahasrāṇi prādurāsanpṛthakpṛthak ॥7-18-11॥
Arjuna then practiced the Tvaṣṭṛ weapon, known for destroying enemy groups, and subsequently, thousands of distinct forms appeared.
ātmanaḥ pratirūpaistairnānārūpairvimohitāḥ। anyonyamarjunaṃ matvā svamātmānaṃ ca jaghnire ॥7-18-12॥
Deluded by the various forms of themselves, they mistook each other for Arjuna and killed their own selves.
ayam arjuno'yaṁ govinda imau yādavapāṇḍavau। iti bruvāṇāḥ saṁmūḍhā jaghnuranyonyamāhave ॥7-18-13॥
Confused and saying, "This is Arjuna, this is Govinda, these are the Yadavas and Pandavas," they ended up killing each other in the battle.
mohitāḥ paramāstreṇa kṣayaṃ jagmuḥ parasparam। aśobhanta raṇe yodhāḥ puṣpitā iva kiṃśukāḥ ॥7-18-14॥
Bewildered by the supreme weapon, the warriors turned against each other and met their end, shining in the battle like blooming Butea monosperma flowers.
tataḥ śarasahasrāṇi tairvimuktāni bhasmasāt। kṛtvā tadastraṃ tānvīrānanayadyamasādanam ॥7-18-15॥
Then, they released thousands of arrows, turning them to ashes, and led those heroes to the abode of Yama.
atha prahasya bībhatsurlalitthānmālavānapi। mācellakāṃstrigartāṃśca yaudheyāṃścārdayaccharaiḥ ॥7-18-16॥
Then, with a laugh, Bibhatsu shot arrows at the Lalithas, Malavas, Macellakas, Trigartas, and Yaudheyas, piercing them.
te vadhyamānā vīreṇa kṣatriyāḥ kālacoditāḥ। vyasṛjañśaravarṣāṇi pārthe nānāvidhāni ca ॥7-18-17॥
The warriors, driven by time and facing their end, released various kinds of showers of arrows at Arjuna, even as they were being slain by the hero.
tato naivārjunastatra na ratho na ca keśavaḥ। pratyadṛśyata ghoreṇa śaravarṣeṇa saṁvṛtaḥ ॥7-18-18॥
At that moment, neither Arjuna, nor his chariot, nor Keshava was visible, as they were enveloped by a dreadful shower of arrows.
tataste labdhalakṣyatvādanyonyamabhicukruśuḥ। hatau kṛṣṇāviti prītā vāsāṃsyādudhuvustadā ॥7-18-19॥
Then, having achieved their aim, they shouted to each other in joy, "Krishna and Arjuna are slain!" In their delight, they waved their garments in celebration.
bherīmṛdaṅgaśaṅkhāṃśca dadhmurvīrāḥ sahasraśaḥ। siṃhanādaravāṃścogrāṃścakrire tatra māriṣa ॥7-18-20॥
The warriors blew thousands of drums, mridangas, and conches, creating fierce lion-roar sounds there, O prince.
tataḥ prasiṣvide kṛṣṇaḥ khinnaścārjunamabravīt। kvāsi pārtha na paśye tvāṃ kaccijjīvasi śatruhan ॥7-18-21॥
Then, Krishna, sweating and distressed, said to Arjuna: "Where are you, O son of Pritha? I cannot see you. Are you still alive, O slayer of enemies?"
tasya taṁ mānuṣaṁ bhāvaṁ bhāvajño''jñāya pāṇḍavaḥ। vāyavyāstreṇa tairastāṁ śaravṛṣṭimapāharat ॥7-18-22॥
Recognizing his human nature, the insightful Pāṇḍava used the Vāyavya weapon to dispel the shower of arrows.
tataḥ saṃśaptakavratānsāśvadviparathāyudhān। uvāha bhagavānvāyuḥ śuṣkaparṇacayāniva ॥7-18-23॥
Then, the divine wind god Vāyu swept away the Saṃśaptakas, along with their horses, elephants, chariots, and weapons, as if they were mere heaps of dry leaves.
uhyamānāstu te rājanbahvaśobhanta vāyunā। praḍīnāḥ pakṣiṇaḥ kāle vṛkṣebhya iva māriṣa ॥7-18-24॥
O King, they were carried away by the wind and shone brightly, like birds that have fallen from the trees in due time, O gentle one.
tāṁstathā vyākulīkṛtya tvaramāṇo dhanañjayaḥ। jaghāna niśitairbāṇaiḥ sahasrāṇi śatāni ca ॥7-18-25॥
Arjuna, in his haste, agitated them and killed thousands and hundreds with his sharp arrows.
śirāṃsi bhallairaharadbāhūnapi ca sāyudhān। hastihastopamāṃścorūñśarairurvyāmapātayat ॥7-18-26॥
He severed the heads with arrows, and also the arms that held weapons, causing the thighs, resembling elephant trunks, to fall to the ground with his arrows.
pṛṣṭhacchinnān vicarṇān vimastiṣkekṣaṇāṅgulīn। nānāṅgāvayavairhīnāṃścakārārīndhanñjayaḥ ॥7-18-27॥
Dhananjaya rendered the enemies incapacitated, breaking their backs, leaving them wandering without brains, eyes, and fingers, and deprived of various limbs.
gandharvanagarākārānvidhivatkalpitānrathān। śarairviśakalīkurvaṃścakre vyaśvarathadvipān ॥7-18-28॥
He destroyed the chariots, which were constructed like celestial cities, using arrows, leaving them without horses, chariots, and elephants.
muṇḍatālavanānīva tatra tatra cakāśire। chinnadhvajarathavrātāḥ kecitkecitkvacitkvacit ॥7-18-29॥
The scene resembled forests of shaved palm trees shining here and there. Some groups of chariots with cut flags were scattered around.
sottarāyudhino nāgāḥ sapatākāṅkuśāyudhāḥ। petuḥ śakrāśanihatā drumavanta ivācalāḥ ॥7-18-30॥
The elephants, equipped with superior weapons, banners, hooks, and arms, fell as if struck by Indra's thunderbolt, resembling mountains covered with trees.
cāmarāpīḍakavacāḥ srastāntranayanāsavaḥ। sārohāsturagāḥ petuḥ pārthabāṇahatāḥ kṣitau ॥7-18-31॥
The armored warriors, adorned with yak-tail fans, fell to the ground with their riders and horses, struck down by Arjuna's arrows, their intestines and eyes fallen, and liquor spilled.
vipraviddhāsinakharāśchinnavarmarṣṭiśaktayaḥ। pattayaśchinnavarmāṇaḥ kṛpaṇaṃ śerate hatāḥ ॥7-18-32॥
The battlefield is strewn with scattered swords and nails, and the armors, spears, and powers are cut down. The foot soldiers, with their armors cut, lie miserably slain.
tair hatair hanyamānaiś ca patadbhiḥ patitair api। bhramadbhir niṣṭanadbhiś ca ghoram āyodhanaṃ babhau ॥7-18-33॥
The terrible battle appeared with those who were killed, being struck, falling, fallen, wandering, and groaning.
rajaśca mahadudbhūtaṃ śāntaṃ rudhiravṛṣṭibhiḥ। mahī cāpyabhavaddurgā kabandhaśatasaṅkulā ॥7-18-34॥
A great dust storm arose, calm yet accompanied by showers of blood. The earth became difficult to traverse, crowded with hundreds of headless trunks.
tad babhau raudra-bībhatsaṃ bībhatsor yānam āhave। ākrīḍa iva rudrasya ghnataḥ kālātyaye paśūn ॥7-18-35॥
The fierce and dreadful chariot of the terrifying one shone in the battle, resembling Rudra's play of destroying creatures at the end of time.
te vadhyamānāḥ pārthena vyākulāśvarathadvipāḥ। tamevābhimukhāḥ kṣīṇāḥ śakrasyātithitāṃ gatāḥ ॥7-18-36॥
They were being slaughtered by Arjuna, their horses, chariots, and elephants in disarray, and in their weakened state, they approached Indra for refuge.
sā bhūmirbharataśreṣṭha nihataistairmahārathaiḥ। āstīrṇā sambabhau sarvā pretībhūtaiḥ samantataḥ ॥7-18-37॥
O best of the Bharatas, the earth was entirely covered by the slain great warriors and shone with the dead all around.
etasminnantare caiva pramatte savyasācini। vyūḍhānīkastato droṇo yudhiṣṭhiramupādravat ॥7-18-38॥
During this time, while Arjuna was off guard, Drona organized his forces and advanced towards Yudhishthira.
taṃ pratyagṛhṇaṃstvaritā vyūḍhānīkāḥ prahāriṇaḥ। yudhiṣṭhiraṃ parīpsantastadāsīttumulaṃ mahat ॥7-18-39॥
The warriors, quickly arrayed in ranks and ready to strike, received him with the intent to protect Yudhishthira; it was a great tumult.
