07.040
Pancharatra and Core: The son of Subhadra charged into the army, cutting down horses, chariots, and elephants. He moved through all directions and quarters, vanquishing his foes.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
so'bhigarjandhanuṣpāṇirjyāṃ vikarṣanpunaḥ punaḥ। tayormahātmanostūrṇaṃ rathāntaramavāpatat ॥7-40-1॥
He, with a roar and bow in hand, repeatedly drew the bowstring and swiftly descended between the chariots of the two great warriors.
so'vidhyaddaśabhirbāṇairabhimanyuṃ durāsadam। sacchatradhvajayantāraṃ sāśvamāśu smayanniva ॥7-40-2॥
He swiftly pierced the formidable Abhimanyu with ten arrows, targeting his umbrella, banner, and horse, all while appearing to smile.
pitṛpaitāmahaṃ karma kurvāṇamatimānuṣam। dṛṣṭvārditaṃ śaraiḥ kārṣṇiṃ tvadīyā hṛṣitābhavan ॥7-40-3॥
Your people were elated to see the superhuman deeds of their ancestors being performed, especially when they saw Kārṣhṇi, a descendant of Krishna, afflicted by arrows.
tasyābhimanyurāyamya smayannekena patriṇā। śiraḥ pracyāvayāmāsa sa rathātprāpatad bhuvi ॥7-40-4॥
Abhimanyu, with a smile, stretched his bow and with a single arrow, knocked off the head of his opponent, causing him to fall from the chariot to the ground.
karṇikāramivoddhūtaṃ vātena mathitaṃ nagāt। bhrātaraṃ nihataṃ dṛṣṭvā rājankarṇo vyathāṃ yayau ॥7-40-5॥
O king, upon seeing his slain brother, Karṇa was deeply distressed, like a karṇikāra flower shaken from the tree by the wind.
vimukhīkṛtya karṇaṃ tu saubhadraḥ kaṅkapatribhiḥ। anyānapi maheṣvāsāṃstūrṇamevābhidudruve ॥7-40-6॥
Saubhadra, having diverted Karna with his arrows, swiftly charged towards the other great archers.
tatastadvitataṃ jālaṃ hastyaśvarathapattimat। jhaṣaḥ kruddha ivābhindadabhimanyurmahāyaśāḥ ॥7-40-7॥
Then, the greatly renowned Abhimanyu, like an enraged fish, broke through the spread formation of elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry.
karṇastu bahubhirbāṇairardyamāno'bhimanyunā। apāyājjavanairaśvaistato'nīkamabhidyata ॥7-40-8॥
Karna, under the attack of numerous arrows from Abhimanyu, withdrew swiftly with his horses and then broke into the army formation.
śalabhair iva cākāśe dhārābhir iva cāvṛte। abhimanyoḥ śarai rājann prājñāyata kiñcana ॥7-40-9॥
O king, just as the sky is obscured by swarms of locusts and torrents of rain, so was Abhimanyu completely hidden by arrows, making him invisible.
tāvakānāṃ tu yodhānāṃ vadhyatāṃ niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ। anyatra saindhavādrājanna sma kaścidatiṣṭhata ॥7-40-10॥
O king, none of your warriors, except Saindhava, could stand firm as they were being killed by sharp arrows.
saubhadras tu tataḥ śaṅkhaṃ pradhmāpya puruṣarṣabhaḥ। śīghram abhyapatat senāṃ bhāratīṃ bharatarṣabha ॥7-40-11॥
The son of Subhadra, after blowing his conch, swiftly moved towards the Bharata army, O best of the Bharatas.
sa kakṣe'gnirivotsṛṣṭo nirdahaṃstarasā ripūn। madhye bhāratasainyānāmārjuniḥ paryavartata ॥7-40-12॥
Arjuna's son, like a fire unleashed, swiftly burned through the enemies, maneuvering amidst the Bharata armies.
rathanāgāśvamanujānardayanniśitaiḥ śaraiḥ। sa praviśyākarodbhūmiṃ kabandhagaṇasaṅkulām ॥7-40-13॥
He pierced through chariots, elephants, horses, and men with his sharp arrows, and upon entering, he turned the ground into a field filled with countless headless trunks.
saubhadra-cāpa-prabhavaiḥ nikṛttāḥ parameṣubhiḥ। svān evābhimukhān ghnantaḥ prādravan jīvitārthinaḥ ॥7-40-14॥
Cut down by the power of Saubhadra's bow and excellent arrows, they fled in panic, killing even their own comrades who were facing them, in a desperate bid to save their lives.
te ghorā raudrakarmāṇo vipāṭhāḥ pṛthavaḥ śitāḥ। nighnanto rathanāgāśvāñjagmurāśu vasundharām ॥7-40-15॥
They, fierce and skilled in terrible deeds, broad and sharp, swiftly went to the earth, destroying chariots, elephants, and horses.
sāyudhāḥ sāṅgulitrāṇāḥ sakhaḍgāḥ sāṅgadā raṇe। dṛśyante bāhavaśchinnā hemābharaṇabhūṣitāḥ ॥7-40-16॥
In the battle, arms equipped with weapons, finger-guards, swords, and armors are seen severed, adorned with golden ornaments.
śarāścāpāni khaḍgāśca śarīrāṇi śirāṃsi ca। sakuṇḍalāni sragvīṇi bhūmāvāsansahasraśaḥ ॥7-40-17॥
Thousands of arrows, bows, swords, bodies, and heads, adorned with earrings and garlands, lay scattered on the ground.
apaskarairadhiṣṭhānairīṣādaṇḍakabandhuraiḥ। akṣairvimathitaiścakrairbhagnaiśca bahudhā rathaiḥ ॥ śakticāpāyudhaiścāpi patitaiśca mahādhvajaiḥ ॥7-40-18॥
The battlefield was strewn with broken parts, bases, axles, poles, shattered wheels, and chariots in many ways, along with spears, bows, weapons, and fallen great banners.
nihataiḥ kṣatriyairaśvairvāraṇaiśca viśāṃ pate। agamya kalpā pṛthivī kṣaṇenāsītsudāruṇā ॥7-40-19॥
O lord of men, the earth became impassable and terrifying in an instant, filled with the bodies of slain warriors, horses, and elephants.
vadhyatāṃ rājaputrāṇāṃ krandatāmitaretaram। prādurāsīnmahāśabdo bhīrūṇāṃ bhayavardhanaḥ ॥ sa śabdo bharataśreṣṭha diśaḥ sarvā vyanādayat ॥7-40-20॥
The command was given to kill the princes, who cried out to one another. A terrifying sound arose, heightening the fear among the fearful. That sound echoed throughout all directions, O best of the Bharatas.
saubhadraścādravatsenāṃ nighnannaśvarathadvipān। vyacaratsa diśaḥ sarvāḥ pradiśaścāhitānrujan ॥7-40-21॥
The son of Subhadra charged into the army, cutting down horses, chariots, and elephants. He moved through all directions and quarters, vanquishing his foes.
taṃ tadā nānupaśyāma sainyena rajasāvṛtam। ādadānaṃ gajāśvānāṃ nṛṇāṃ cāyūṃṣi bhārata ॥7-40-22॥
At that time, O Bharata, we could not see anything as the army was covered with dust, taking away the lives of elephants, horses, and men.
kṣaṇena bhūyo'paśyāma sūryaṃ madhyaṃdine yathā। abhimanyuṃ mahārāja pratapantaṃ dviṣadgaṇān ॥7-40-23॥
In a moment, we saw Abhimanyu again, O great king, shining like the sun at midday on the host of enemies.
sa vāsavasamaḥ saṅkhye vāsavasyātmajātmajaḥ। abhimanyurmahārāja sainyamadhye vyarocata ॥7-40-24॥
Abhimanyu, who was like Indra in battle and the grandson of Indra, shone brightly in the midst of the army, O great king.
