07.026
Pancharatra and Core: Arjuna is confused about whether to pursue the Samsaptakas or Bhagadatta and chooses to battle the Samsaptakas.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
yanmāṁ pārthasya saṅgrāme karmāṇi paripṛcchasi। tacchṛṇuṣva mahārāja pārtho yadakaronmṛdhe ॥7-26-1॥
O great king, listen to what actions Partha performed in the battle, which you inquire about.
rajo dṛṣṭvā samudbhūtaṃ śrutvā ca gajanisvanam। bhajyatāṃ bhagadattena kaunteyaḥ kṛṣṇamabravīt ॥7-26-2॥
Upon witnessing the rising dust and hearing the trumpeting of elephants, the son of Kunti, under attack by Bhagadatta, spoke to Krishna.
yathā prāgjyotiṣo rājā gajena madhusūdana। tvaramāṇo'bhyatikrānto dhruvaṃ tasyaaiṣa nisvanaḥ ॥7-26-3॥
Just as the king of Prāgjyotiṣa, Madhusūdana, hurried past on his elephant, this must be the sound of him.
indrādanavaraḥ saṅkhye gajayānaviśāradaḥ। prathamo vā dvitīyo vā pṛthivyāmiti me matiḥ ॥7-26-4॥
In my opinion, he is not inferior to Indra in battle and is an expert in elephant-riding; he is either the first or the second best on earth.
sa cāpi dviradaśreṣṭhaḥ sadāpratigajo yudhi। sarvaśabdātigaḥ saṅkhye kṛtakarmā jitaklamaḥ ॥7-26-5॥
He, the best among elephants, always ready to counter in battle, surpassing all sounds, accomplished in his actions, and a conqueror of fatigue.
sahaḥ śastranipātānām agnisparśasya cānagha। sa pāṇḍavabalaṃ vyaktam adyaiko nāśayiṣyati ॥7-26-6॥
O sinless one, he who is capable of withstanding weapon strikes and the touch of fire will single-handedly destroy the Pāṇḍava army today.
na cāvābhyāmṛte'nyo'sti śaktastaṃ pratibādhitum। tvaramāṇastato yāhi yataḥ prāgjyotiṣādhipaḥ ॥7-26-7॥
No one other than us two is capable of obstructing him. Therefore, hurry and go to where the lord of Prāgjyotiṣa is.
śakrasakhyāddvipabalairvayasā cāpi vismitam। adyainaṃ preṣayiṣyāmi balahantuḥ priyātithim ॥7-26-8॥
Astonished by the friendship of Indra and the strength of elephants, as well as by age, today I will send him to the dear guest of the destroyer of strength.
vacanādatha kṛṣṇastu prayayau savyasācinaḥ। dāryate bhagadattena yatra pāṇḍavavāhinī ॥7-26-9॥
Upon hearing the words, Krishna left Arjuna to go where Bhagadatta was attacking the Pandava army.
taṃ prayāntaṃ tataḥ paścādāhvayanto mahārathāḥ। saṃśaptakāḥ samārohansahasrāṇi caturdaśa ॥7-26-10॥
As he was departing, the great warriors, known as the Samsaptakas, challenged him, assembling fourteen thousand strong.
daśaiva tu sahasrāṇi trigartānāṃ narādhipa। catvāri tu sahasrāṇi vāsudevasya ye'nugāḥ ॥7-26-11॥
O king, there are ten thousand warriors of the Trigartas, but only four thousand followers of Vasudeva.
dāryamāṇāṃ camūṃ dṛṣṭvā bhagadattena māriṣa। āhūyamānasya ca tairabhavaddhṛdayaṃ dvidhā ॥7-26-12॥
O great one, upon witnessing the army being torn apart by Bhagadatta and being summoned by them, the heart was filled with indecision.
kiṁ nu śreyaskaraṁ karma bhavediti vicintayan। ito vā vinivarteyaṁ gaccheyaṁ vā yudhiṣṭhiram ॥7-26-13॥
Pondering over what would be the most auspicious action, he thought whether he should return from there or proceed to Yudhishthira.
tasya buddhyā vicāryaitadarjunasya kurūdvaha। abhavadbhūyasī buddhiḥ saṃśaptakavādhe sthirā ॥7-26-14॥
By contemplating with his wisdom, Arjuna, O descendant of Kuru, resolved with greater determination to slay the Samsaptakas.
sa saṃnivṛttaḥ sahasā kapipravaraketanaḥ। eko rathasahasrāṇi nihantuṃ vāsavī raṇe ॥7-26-15॥
He suddenly returned with the banner of the best of monkeys, ready to destroy thousands of chariots in battle with Indra's weapon.
sā hi duryodhanasyāsīn matiḥ karṇasya cobhayoḥ। arjunasya vadho pāye tena dvaidham akalpayat ॥7-26-16॥
Indeed, it was the intention of both Duryodhana and Karna to create doubt in the plan to kill Arjuna.
sa tu saṁvartayāmāsa dvaidhībhāvena pāṇḍavaḥ। rathena tu rathāgryāṇāmakarottāṁ mṛṣā tadā ॥7-26-17॥
The son of Pandu, however, maneuvered in two ways. At that time, he deceitfully made it appear as if it was done by the foremost chariots.
tataḥ śatasahasrāṇi śarāṇāṃ nataparvaṇām। vyasṛjannarjune rājansaṃśaptakamahārathāḥ ॥7-26-18॥
Then, O king, the mighty warriors of the Saṃśaptakas launched countless bent-jointed arrows at Arjuna.
naiva kuntīsutaḥ pārtho naiva kṛṣṇo janārdanaḥ। na hayā na ratho rājandṛśyante sma śaraiścitāḥ ॥7-26-19॥
Neither Arjuna, the son of Kunti, nor Krishna, nor their horses or chariot were visible, O King, as they were completely covered with arrows.
yadā mohamanuprāptaḥ sasvedaśca janārdanaḥ। tatastānprāyaśaḥ pārtho vajrāstreṇa nijaghnivān ॥7-26-20॥
When Janardana was overcome with confusion and began to sweat, Partha then mostly destroyed them using the thunderbolt weapon.
śataśaḥ pāṇayaśchinnāḥ seṣujyātalakārmukāḥ। ketavo vājinaḥ sūtā rathinaścāpatankṣitau ॥7-26-21॥
In the battle, hundreds of hands were severed along with arrows, bowstrings, and bows. Banners, horses, charioteers, and warriors fell to the ground, depicting the chaos and destruction of the war.
drumācalāgrāmbudharaiḥ samarūpāḥ sukalpitāḥ। hatārohāḥ kṣitau peturdvipāḥ pārthaśarāhatāḥ ॥7-26-22॥
The elephants, hit by Arjuna's arrows, fell to the ground along with their riders, resembling well-arranged clouds on the peaks of mountains and trees.
vipraviddhakuthāvalgāśchinnabhāṇḍāḥ parāsavaḥ। sārohāsturagāḥ peturmathitāḥ pārthamārgaṇaiḥ ॥7-26-23॥
The battlefield was chaotic with scattered blankets and saddles, broken vessels, and intoxicated horses with riders falling, struck by Arjuna's arrows.
sarṣṭicarmāsinakharāḥ samudgaraparaśvadhāḥ। sañchinnā bāhavaḥ peturnṛṇāṃ bhallaiḥ kirīṭinā ॥7-26-24॥
The crowned warrior's arrows caused the severed arms of men, equipped with shields, armor, swords, nails, maces, and axes, to fall.
bālādityāmbujendūnāṃ tulyarūpāṇi māriṣa। sañchinnānyarjunaśaraiḥ śirāṃsyurvīṃ prapedire ॥7-26-25॥
O respectable one, the severed heads, resembling young suns, lotuses, and moons, were brought down to the earth by Arjuna's arrows.
jajvālālaṅkṛtaiḥ senā patribhiḥ prāṇabhojanaiḥ। nānāliṅgaistadāmitrānkruddhe nighnati phalgune ॥7-26-26॥
In the anger of Phalguna, the army, adorned with blazing arrows and life-consuming weapons, then kills the friends with various signs.
kṣobhayantaṃ tadā senāṃ dviradaṃ nalinīmiva। dhanañjayaṃ bhūtagaṇāḥ sādhu sādhvityapūjayan ॥7-26-27॥
At that time, the beings praised Arjuna, who was agitating the army like an elephant in a lotus pond, saying 'well done, well done'.
dṛṣṭvā tatkarma pārthasya vāsavasyeva mādhavaḥ। vismayaṃ paramaṃ gatvā talamāhatya pūjayat ॥7-26-28॥
Upon witnessing Arjuna's deed, which was akin to that of Indra, Krishna was filled with immense wonder, struck the ground, and offered his reverence.
tataḥ saṃśaptakānhatvā bhūyiṣṭhaṃ ye vyavasthitāḥ। bhagadattāya yāhīti pārthaḥ kṛṣṇamacodayat ॥7-26-29॥
After defeating many of the Saṃśaptakas, Arjuna instructed Krishna to proceed towards Bhagadatta.
