07.035
Pancharatra and Core: Abhimanyu, in-spite of caution from his charioteer, penetrates the Kaurava military formation without a strategy.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
saubhadras tu vacaḥ śrutvā dharmarājasya dhīmataḥ। acodayata yantāraṃ droṇānīkāya bhārata ॥7-35-1॥
Upon hearing the wise words of Dharmaraja, the son of Subhadra urged his charioteer to advance towards Drona's army, O Bharata.
tena sañcodyamānastu yāhi yāhīti sārathiḥ। pratyuvāca tato rājannabhimanyumidaṃ vacaḥ ॥7-35-2॥
Urged by him, the charioteer said to Abhimanyu, "Go, go," O king, these were the words spoken.
atibhāro'yamāyuṣmannāhitastvayi pāṇḍavaiḥ। sampradhārya kṣamaṃ buddhyā tatastvaṃ yoddhumarhasi ॥7-35-3॥
O long-lived one, the Pandavas have placed a great responsibility on you. After careful consideration, you should prepare to fight.
ācāryo hi kṛtī droṇaḥ paramāstre kṛtaśramaḥ। atyantasukhasaṃvṛddhastvaṃ ca yuddhaviśāradaḥ ॥7-35-4॥
The teacher Droṇa, who is indeed skilled and supreme in the use of weapons, has made great efforts. You, too, have grown extremely comfortable and are an expert in war.
tato'bhimanyuḥ prahasansārathiṁ vākyamabravīt। sārathē kō nvayaṁ drōṇaḥ samagraṁ kṣatramēva vā ॥7-35-5॥
Then Abhimanyu, with a smile, addressed his charioteer, asking whether it was Drona or the entire warrior class they were facing.
airāvatagataṃ śakraṃ sahāmaragaṇairaham। yodhayeyaṃ raṇamukhe na me kṣatre'dya vismayaḥ ॥ na mamaitaddviṣatsainyaṃ kalāmarhati ṣoḍaśīm ॥7-35-6॥
Mounted on Airavata, Indra along with the host of gods, I am ready to fight in the battlefield; there is no surprise in my warrior duty today. This enemy army is not worthy of even a sixteenth part of my strength.
api viśvajitaṃ viṣṇuṃ mātulaṃ prāpya sūtaja। pitaraṃ cārjunaṃ saṅkhye na bhīrmāmupayāsyati ॥7-35-7॥
Even with Vishnu, the conqueror of the world, as his uncle, O son of a charioteer, neither his father nor Arjuna will fear me in battle.
tato'bhimanyustāṃ vācaṃ kadarthīkṛtya sāratheḥ। yāhītyevābravīdenaṃ droṇānīkāya māciram ॥7-35-8॥
Then Abhimanyu, ignoring the charioteer's advice, instructed him to proceed towards Drona's army without any delay.
tataḥ sañcodayāmāsa hayānasya trihāyanān। nātihṛṣṭamanāḥ sūto hemabhāṇḍaparicchadān ॥7-35-9॥
Then, the charioteer, though not very pleased, urged the three-year-old horses adorned with golden ornaments.
te preṣitāḥ sumitreṇa droṇānīkāya vājinaḥ। droṇamabhyadravanrājanmahāvegaparākramāḥ ॥7-35-10॥
The horses dispatched by Sumitra to Drona's forces charged towards Drona with immense speed and bravery, O king.
tamudīkṣya tathāyāntaṃ sarve droṇapurogamāḥ। abhyavartanta kauravyāḥ pāṇḍavāśca tamanvayuḥ ॥7-35-11॥
Seeing him approach, all the warriors led by Droṇa advanced, and both the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas followed him.
sa karṇikārapravarocchritadhvajaḥ; suvarṇavarmārjunirarjunādvaraḥ। yuyutsayā droṇamukhānmāhārathā; nsamāsadatsiṃhaśiśuryathā gajān ॥7-35-12॥
He, with a flag raised high like the excellent Karṇikāra tree, wearing golden armor, superior to Arjuna, approached the great warriors like Drona and others with the intent to fight, just as a lion cub approaches elephants.
te viṃśatipade yattāḥ samprahāraṃ pracakrire। āsīdgāṅga ivāvarto muhūrtamudadheriva ॥7-35-13॥
They engaged in battle formation in twenty positions, launching an attack. It was like a whirlpool in the Ganges, momentarily resembling the ocean.
śūrāṇāṃ yudhyamānānāṃ nighnatāmitaretaram। saṅgrāmastumulo rājanprāvartata sudāruṇaḥ ॥7-35-14॥
O king, the fierce and terrible battle among the heroes, who were fighting and killing each other, began.
pravartamāne saṅgrāme tasminnatibhayaṅkare। droṇasya miṣato vyūhaṃ bhittvā prāviśadārjuniḥ ॥7-35-15॥
In the midst of the fierce battle, Arjuna broke through the formation under Drona's watchful eyes and entered.
taṁ praviṣṭaṁ parāṅghnantaṁ śatrumadhye mahābalam। hastyaśvarathapattyaughāḥ parivavrurudāyudhāḥ ॥7-35-16॥
As he entered the midst of the enemies, the mighty warrior was surrounded by multitudes of elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry, all with raised weapons.
nānāvāditraninadaiḥ kṣveḍitotkruṣṭagarjitaiḥ। huṅkāraiḥ siṃhanādaśca tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti nisvanaiḥ ॥7-35-17॥
The air was filled with the sounds of various musical instruments, shouts, loud roars, cries, lion's roars, and the repeated call of 'stay, stay'.
ghorair halahalāśabdair mā gās tiṣṭha ihi mām iti। asāv aham amutra iti pravadanto muhur muhuḥ ॥7-35-18॥
With terrible loud sounds, they repeatedly said, "Do not go, stay, come to me," and "This is I there."
bṛṃhitaiḥ śiñjitairhāsaiḥ khuranemisvanairapi। saṃnādayanto vasudhāmabhidudruvurārjunim ॥7-35-19॥
With loud sounds, jingling, and laughter, accompanied by the sounds of hooves and wheels, they charged towards Arjuna, making the earth resound.
teṣām āpatatāṃ vīraḥ pūrvaṃ śīghram atho dṛḍham। kṣiprāstro nyavadhīd vrātān marmajño marmabhedibhiḥ ॥7-35-20॥
The hero swiftly and decisively attacked and killed the groups, knowing the vital points and using weapons that pierce those points effectively.
te hanyamānāśca tathā nānāliṅgaiḥ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ। abhipetustamevājau śalabhā iva pāvakam ॥7-35-21॥
They, being struck by sharp arrows with various signs, attacked him in battle like moths drawn to a flame.
tatasteṣāṃ śarīraiśca śarīrāvayavaiśca saḥ। santastāra kṣitiṃ kṣipraṃ kuśairvedimivādhvare ॥7-35-22॥
Then, he quickly spread their bodies and limbs across the earth, like kusa grass spread on an altar during a sacrifice.
baddhagodhāṅgulitrāṇānsaśarāvarakārmukān। sāsicarmāṅkuśābhīśūnsatomaraparaśvadhān ॥7-35-23॥
They were equipped with armored gloves and protectors, carrying bows with arrows, swords, shields, goads, and were fearless, armed with spears and axes.
saguḍāyomukhaprāsānsarṣṭitomarapaṭṭiśān। sabhiṇḍipālaparighānsaśaktivarakampanān ॥7-35-24॥
Armed with clubs, iron-faced spears, axes, javelins, swords, and maces, they were trembling with excellent power.
sapratodamahāśaṅkhānsakuntānsakacagrahān। samudgarakṣepaṇīyānsapāśaparighopalān ॥7-35-25॥
Equipped with goads, large conch-shells, spears, hooks, hammers meant for throwing, nooses, barriers, and stones.
sakeyūrāṅgadānbāhūnhṛdyagandhānulepanān। sañcicchedārjunirvṛttāṃstvadīyānāṃ sahasraśaḥ ॥7-35-26॥
Arjuna, adorned with armlets and bracelets, cut off thousands of your pleasingly fragrant arms.
taiḥ sphuradbhiḥ mahārāja śuśubhe lohitokṣitaiḥ। pañcāsyaiḥ pannagaiś chinnair garuḍeneva māriṣa ॥7-35-27॥
O great king, it was as if adorned by Garuda with the severed, blood-stained, five-faced serpents, O lord.
sunāsānanakeśāntairavraṇaiścārukuṇḍalaiḥ। sandaṣṭauṣṭhapuṭaiḥ krodhātkṣaradbhiḥ śoṇitaṃ bahu ॥7-35-28॥
With their beautiful noses, faces, and hair unblemished, adorned with lovely earrings, their lips bitten in anger, they were bleeding profusely.
cārusraṅmukuṭoṣṇīṣairmaṇiratnavirājitaiḥ। vinālanalinākārairdivākaraśaśiprabhaiḥ ॥7-35-29॥
Adorned with beautiful garlands, crowns, and turbans, shining with gems and jewels, they appeared like stemless lotuses, radiating the brilliance of the sun and moon.
hitapriyaṁvadaiḥ kāle bahubhiḥ puṇyagandhibhiḥ। dviṣacchirobhiḥ pṛthivīmavatastāra phālguṇiḥ ॥7-35-30॥
Arjuna, with his virtuous and pleasant demeanor, covered the earth with the heads of his enemies, achieving this through the help of many virtuous allies in due time.
gandharvanagarākārānvidhivatkalpitānrathān। vīṣāmukhānvitriveṇūnvyastadaṇḍakabandhurān ॥7-35-31॥
The chariots were constructed properly, resembling the city of celestial beings, with front parts adorned with three bamboos, dispersed and decorated with staffs.
vijaṅghakūbarākṣāṃśca vinemīnanarānapi। vicakropaskaropasthānbhagnopakaraṇānapi ॥7-35-32॥
There were men without thighs, hunchbacked, and eyeless; also, there were places without these men, and equipment and tools that were broken and without wheels.
praśātitopakaraṇānhatayodhānsahasraśaḥ। śarairviśakalīkurvandikṣu sarvāsvadṛśyata ॥7-35-33॥
In all directions, there were thousands of slain warriors with shattered equipment, being torn apart by arrows.
punardvipāndvipārohānvaijayantyaṅkuśadhvajān। tūṇānvarmāṇyatho kakṣyā graiveyānatha kambalān ॥7-35-34॥
Once again, there were elephants, their riders, victorious goads, flags, quivers, armors, girdles, necklaces, and blankets.
ghaṇṭāḥ śuṇḍānviṣāṇāgrānkṣurapālānpadānugān। śarairniśitadhārāgraiḥ śātravānamaśātayat ॥7-35-35॥
He destroyed the bells, trunks, horn-tips, razor-guards, and followers of the enemies with sharp-pointed arrows.
vanāyujānpārvatīyānkāmbojāraṭṭabāhlikān। sthiravāladhikarṇākṣāñjavanānsādhuvāhinaḥ ॥7-35-36॥
The forest-dwellers, mountain-dwellers, Kambojas, Rattas and Bahlikas, Stiravalas, Dhikarṇākṣas, swift ones, and righteous carriers are described.
svārūḍhāñśikṣitairyodhaiḥ śaktyṛṣṭiprāsayodhibhiḥ। vidhvastacāmarakuthānviprakīrṇaprakīrṇakān ॥7-35-37॥
The trained warriors, mounted and armed with spears, lances, and javelins, caused the yak-tail fans and umbrellas to be scattered and dispersed.
nirastajihvānayanānniṣkīrṇāntrayakṛdghanān। hatārohānbhinnabhāṇḍānkravyādagaṇamodanān ॥7-35-38॥
The scene was gruesome, with bodies deprived of tongues and eyes, intestines scattered, and dense livers exposed. The riders were killed, vessels broken, and the group of carnivorous beings delighted in the chaos.
nikṛttavarmakavacāñśakṛnmūtrāsṛgāplutān। nipātayannaśvavarāṃstāvakānso'bhyarocata ॥7-35-39॥
He stood out by knocking down your finest horses, which were drenched in severed armor, shields, excrement, urine, and blood.
eko viṣṇurivācintyaḥ kṛtvā prākkarma duṣkaram। tathā vimathitaṃ tena tryaṅgaṃ tava balaṃ mahat ॥ vyahanats padātyoghāṃstvadīyāneva bhārata ॥7-35-40॥
An inconceivable being, like Viṣṇu, having performed a difficult task beforehand, thus churned your great strength into three parts. He destroyed your troops of infantry, O Bhārata.
evamekena tāṃ senāṃ saubhadreṇa śitaiḥ śaraiḥ। bhṛśaṃ viprahatāṃ dṛṣṭvā skandenevāsurīṃ camūm ॥7-35-41॥
Thus, Saubhadra, with his sharp arrows, greatly struck that army, reminiscent of how Skanda vanquished the demon army.
tvadīyāstava putrāśca vīkṣamāṇā diśo daśa। saṃśuṣkāsyāścalannetrāḥ prasvinnā lomaharṣaṇāḥ ॥7-35-42॥
Your sons, observing all ten directions, have dry mouths, moving eyes, are sweating, and experiencing horripilation.
palāyanakṛtotsāhā nirutsāhā dviṣajjaye। gotranāmabhiranyonyaṃ krandanto jīvitaiṣiṇaḥ ॥7-35-43॥
They were eager to flee, disheartened in defeating their enemies, calling out each other's clan names, and yearning for life.
hatānputrāṃstathā pitṝnsuhṛtsambandhibāndhavān। prātiṣṭhanta samutsṛjya tvarayanto hayadvipān ॥7-35-44॥
After slaying their sons, fathers, friends, relatives, and kinsmen, they departed quickly, leaving behind the horses and elephants.
