07.044
Pancharatra and Core: Abhimanyu kills Rukmaratha, son of Shalya; then takes on Duryodhana and his sons.
सञ्जय उवाच॥
Sanjaya said.
आददानस्तु शूराणामायूंष्यभवदार्जुनिः। अन्तकः सर्वभूतानां प्राणान्काल इवागते ॥७-४४-१॥
Arjuna, in the battle, took away the lives of the heroes, becoming like the end of time for all beings when he arrived.
स शक्र इव विक्रान्तः शक्रसूनोः सुतो बली। अभिमन्युस्तदानीकं लोडयन्बह्वशोभत ॥७-४४-२॥
Abhimanyu, the valiant son of Arjuna, shone brilliantly as he shook the enemy army, much like the mighty Indra.
प्रविश्यैव तु राजेन्द्र क्षत्रियेन्द्रान्तकोपमः। सत्यश्रवसमादत्त व्याघ्रो मृगमिवोल्बणम् ॥७-४४-३॥
Having entered, the truthful one, like a fierce tiger, took the deer, O king of kings, O lord of warriors, resembling the destroyer.
सत्यश्रवसि चाक्षिप्ते त्वरमाणा महारथाः। प्रगृह्य विपुलं शस्त्रमभिमन्युमुपाद्रवन् ॥७-४४-४॥
In the midst of the truthful hearing, the agitated great charioteers, in their haste, took up abundant weapons and attacked Abhimanyu.
अहं पूर्वमहं पूर्वमिति क्षत्रियपुङ्गवाः। स्पर्धमानाः समाजग्मुर्जिघांसन्तोऽर्जुनात्मजम् ॥७-४४-५॥
The warrior chiefs, each claiming 'I am first, I am first,' gathered with the intent to kill Arjuna's son.
क्षत्रियाणामनीकानि प्रद्रुतान्यभिधावताम्। जग्रास तिमिरासाद्य क्षुद्रमत्स्यानिवार्णवे ॥७-४४-६॥
The armies of the warriors, in their flight, were pursued and consumed by darkness, much like small fish are swallowed by the vast ocean.
ये केचन गतास्तस्य समीपमपलायिनः। न ते प्रतिन्यवर्तन्त समुद्रादिव सिन्धवः ॥७-४४-७॥
Those who approached him did not flee; they did not return, just as rivers do not return from the ocean.
महाग्राहगृहीतेव वातवेगभयार्दिता। समकम्पत सा सेना विभ्रष्टा नौरिवार्णवे ॥७-४४-८॥
The army trembled as if seized by a great crocodile, afflicted by the fear of the wind's speed, and was dislodged like a boat in the ocean.
अथ रुक्मरथो नाम मद्रेश्वरसुतो बली। त्रस्तामाश्वासयन्सेनामत्रस्तो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥७-४४-९॥
Then Rukmaratha, the strong son of the king of Madra, fearlessly spoke words of comfort to the frightened army.
अलं त्रासेन वः शूरा नैष कश्चिन्मयि स्थिते। अहमेनं ग्रहीष्यामि जीवग्राहं न संशयः ॥७-४४-१०॥
"Enough of your fear, heroes; as long as I stand, no one can harm you. I will capture him alive, without a doubt."
एवमुक्त्वा तु सौभद्रमभिदुद्राव वीर्यवान्। सुकल्पितेनोह्यमानः स्यन्दनेन विराजता ॥७-४४-११॥
After speaking thus, the valiant warrior charged towards Saubhadra, carried by his well-equipped and resplendent chariot.
सोऽभिमन्युं त्रिभिर्बाणैर्विद्ध्वा वक्षस्यथानदत्। त्रिभिश्च दक्षिणे बाहौ सव्ये च निशितैस्त्रिभिः ॥७-४४-१२॥
He pierced Abhimanyu in the chest with three arrows and then roared. He also pierced the right and left arms with three sharp arrows.
स तस्येष्वसनं छित्त्वा फाल्गुणिः सव्यदक्षिणौ। भुजौ शिरश्च स्वक्षिभ्रु क्षितौ क्षिप्रमपातयत् ॥७-४४-१३॥
Arjuna swiftly severed his bow and cast down his left and right arms, head, and eyebrows onto the ground.
दृष्ट्वा रुक्मरथं रुग्णं पुत्रं शल्यस्य मानिनम्। जीवग्राहं जिघृक्षन्तं सौभद्रेण यशस्विना ॥७-४४-१४॥
Upon seeing the broken golden chariot and the proud son of Śalya, the glorious Abhimanyu desired to capture him alive.
सङ्ग्रामदुर्मदा राजन्राजपुत्राः प्रहारिणः। वयस्याः शल्यपुत्रस्य सुवर्णविकृतध्वजाः ॥७-४४-१५॥
O king, the arrogant princes, who are strikers and friends of Shalya's son, have banners adorned with gold.
तालमात्राणि चापानि विकर्षन्तो महारथाः। आर्जुनिं शरवर्षेण समन्तात्पर्यवारयन् ॥७-४४-१६॥
The great warriors, timing their bow draws, encircled Arjuna with a barrage of arrows from every direction.
शूरैः शिक्षाबलोपेतैस्तरुणैरत्यमर्षणैः। दृष्ट्वैकं समरे शूरं सौभद्रमपराजितम् ॥७-४४-१७॥
The heroes, endowed with education and strength, and the young men, who were excessively intolerant, saw the heroic and undefeated son of Subhadra in battle.
छाद्यमानं शरव्रातैर्हृष्टो दुर्योधनोऽभवत्। वैवस्वतस्य भवनं गतमेनममन्यत ॥७-४४-१८॥
Duryodhana, delighted by the showers of arrows covering him, believed that he had reached the abode of Vaivasvata.
सुवर्णपुङ्खैरिषुभिर्नानालिङ्गैस्त्रिभिस्त्रिभिः। अदृश्यमार्जुनिं चक्रुर्निमेषात्ते नृपात्मजाः ॥७-४४-१९॥
The princes, using golden-feathered arrows with various marks, made Arjuna invisible in an instant.
ससूताश्वध्वजं तस्य स्यन्दनं तं च मारिष। आचितं समपश्याम श्वाविधं शललैरिव ॥७-४४-२०॥
O gentle one, we saw his chariot adorned with a charioteer, horse, and banner, covered with arrows like a jackal.
स गाढविद्धः क्रुद्धश्च तोत्त्रैर्गज इवार्दितः। गान्धर्वमस्त्रमायच्छद्रथमायां च योजयत् ॥७-४४-२१॥
Deeply wounded and enraged, he took up the Gandharva weapon and prepared his chariot, like an elephant tormented by goads.
अर्जुनेन तपस्तप्त्वा गन्धर्वेभ्यो यदाहृतम्। तुम्बुरुप्रमुखेभ्यो वै तेनामोहयताहितान् ॥७-४४-२२॥
Arjuna, after performing penance, brought something from the Gandharvas, and with it, he deluded those present, including Tumburu.
एकः स शतधा राजन्दृश्यते स्म सहस्रधा। अलातचक्रवत्सङ्ख्ये क्षिप्रमस्त्राणि दर्शयन् ॥७-४४-२३॥
O king, he appeared as one, yet seemed to multiply into hundreds and thousands, swiftly displaying his weapons like a rotating firebrand in the battle.
रथचर्यास्त्रमायाभिर्मोहयित्वा परन्तपः। बिभेद शतधा राजञ्शरीराणि महीक्षिताम् ॥७-४४-२४॥
The mighty warrior, using deceptive chariot maneuvers and weapons, confused the enemy and shattered the bodies of the earth's rulers into a hundred pieces, O king.
प्राणाः प्राणभृतां सङ्ख्ये प्रेषिता निशितैः शरैः। राजन्प्रापुरमुं लोकं शरीराण्यवनिं ययुः ॥७-४४-२५॥
O king, the life forces of the warriors, struck by sharp arrows in the battle, departed to the other world, while their bodies fell to the earth.
धनूंष्यश्वान्नियन्तॄंश्च ध्वजान्बाहूंश्च साङ्गदान्। शिरांसि च शितैर्भल्लैस्तेषां चिच्छेद फाल्गुनिः ॥७-४४-२६॥
Arjuna skillfully severed the bows, horses, charioteers, flags, arms adorned with ornaments, and heads of his enemies using sharp arrows.
चूतारामो यथा भग्नः पञ्चवर्षफलोपगः। राजपुत्रशतं तद्वत्सौभद्रेणापतद्धतम् ॥७-४४-२७॥
Just as a mango grove, once broken, takes five years to bear fruit, similarly, a hundred princes were struck down by Abhimanyu.
क्रुद्धाशीविषसङ्काशान्सुकुमारान्सुखोचितान्। एकेन निहतान्दृष्ट्वा भीतो दुर्योधनोऽभवत् ॥७-४४-२८॥
Duryodhana was terrified when he saw the delicate ones, who were accustomed to comfort and resembled angry serpents, being killed by one.
रथिनः कुञ्जरानश्वान्पदातींश्चावमर्दितान्। दृष्ट्वा दुर्योधनः क्षिप्रमुपायात्तममर्षितः ॥७-४४-२९॥
Duryodhana, upon seeing the crushed charioteers, elephants, horses, and foot-soldiers, quickly approached him in anger.
तयोः क्षणमिवापूर्णः सङ्ग्रामः समपद्यत। अथाभवत्ते विमुखः पुत्रः शरशतार्दितः ॥७-४४-३०॥
The battle between them seemed to last only for a moment. Then, their son, struck by hundreds of arrows, became disheartened.
