07.066
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
duḥśāsanabalaṃ hatvā savyasācī dhanañjayaḥ। sindhurājaṃ parīpsanvai droṇānīkamupādravat ॥7-66-1॥
After defeating Duḥśāsana's forces, Arjuna, known as Savyasachi, aimed to capture the Sindhu king and launched an attack on Drona's army.
sa tu droṇaṃ samāsādya vyūhasya pramukhe sthitam। kṛtāñjaliridaṃ vākyaṃ kṛṣṇasyānumate'bravīt ॥7-66-2॥
He approached Droṇa, who was standing at the forefront of the formation, and with folded hands, he spoke this sentence with Krishna's permission.
śivena dhyāhi māṃ brahmansvasti caiva vadasva me। bhavatprasādādicchāmi praveṣṭuṃ durbhidāṃ camūm ॥7-66-3॥
O Brahman, meditate on me with Shiva's grace and speak of well-being to me. With your blessing, I wish to enter the formidable army.
bhavān pitṛsamo mahyaṃ dharmarājasamo'pi ca। tathā kṛṣṇasamaścaiva satyametad bravīmi te ॥7-66-4॥
You are as dear to me as a father, akin to Yudhishthira and Krishna. I speak this truth to you.
aśvatthāmā yathā tāta rakṣaṇīyastavānagha। tathāhamapi te rakṣyaḥ sadaiva dvijasattama ॥7-66-5॥
Just as Ashwatthama is to be protected by you, my father, so too am I always to be protected by you, O noble Brahmin.
tava prasādād icchāmi sindhurājānam āhave। nihantuṃ dvipadāṃ śreṣṭha pratijñāṃ rakṣa me vibho ॥7-66-6॥
With your blessing, I desire to defeat the king of Sindhu in battle. Please safeguard my vow, O supreme among bipeds, O Lord.
evamuktastadācāryaḥ pratyuvāca smayanniva। māmajitvā na bībhatso śakyo jetuṃ jayadrathaḥ ॥7-66-7॥
The teacher, as if smiling, replied: "Jayadratha cannot be defeated without first conquering me."
etāvad uktvā taṃ droṇaḥ śaravrātair avākirat. sarathaśvadhvajaṃ tīkṣṇaiḥ prahasan vai sasārathim ॥7-66-8॥
After speaking thus, Droṇa, smiling, showered sharp arrows upon him, covering his chariot, horses, and banner, along with his charioteer.
tato'rjunaḥ śaravrātāndroṇasyāvārya sāyakaiḥ। droṇamabhyardayadbāṇairghorarūpairmahattaraiḥ ॥7-66-9॥
Then Arjuna, skillfully deflecting Drona's volleys of arrows, launched his own fierce and mighty arrows at Drona.
vivyādha ca raṇe droṇamanumānya viśāṃ pate। kṣatradharmaṃ samāsthāya navabhiḥ sāyakaiḥ punaḥ ॥7-66-10॥
Respecting Droṇa in battle, the lord of men pierced him again with nine arrows, adhering to the warrior's duty.
tasyeṣūniṣubhiśchittvā droṇo vivyādha tāvubhau। viṣāgnijvalanaprakhyairiṣubhiḥ kṛṣṇapāṇḍavau ॥7-66-11॥
Droṇa, having intercepted his arrows with his own, struck both Krishna and Pandava with arrows that seemed like poison and fire.
iyeṣa pāṇḍavastasya bāṇaiśchettuṃ śarāsanam। tasya cintayatastvevaṃ phalgunasya mahātmanaḥ ॥ droṇaḥ śarairasambhrānto jyāṃ cicchedāśu vīryavān ॥7-66-12॥
The Pāṇḍava aimed to sever his opponent's bow with arrows. As Phalguna, the noble soul, contemplated, Droṇa, with unwavering composure, swiftly severed the bowstring with his arrows.
vivyādha ca hayānasya dhvajaṃ sārathimeva ca। arjunaṃ ca śarairvīraṃ smayamāno'bhyavākirat ॥7-66-13॥
He pierced the flag and the charioteer of the chariot, and with a smile, showered arrows on the heroic Arjuna.
etasminnantare pārthaḥ sajjaṃ kṛtvā mahaddhanuḥ। viśeṣayiṣyannācāryaṃ sarvāstraviduṣāṃ varam ॥ mumoca ṣaṭśatānbāṇāngṛhītvāikamiva drutam ॥7-66-14॥
During this interval, Arjuna prepared his great bow, aiming to surpass his teacher, the foremost among all experts in weaponry, and swiftly released six hundred arrows as if they were one.
punaḥ sapta śatānanyānsahasraṃ cānivartinām। cikṣepāyutaśaścānyāṃste'ghnandroṇasya tāṃ camūm ॥7-66-15॥
Once more, seven hundred others and a thousand warriors who would not return were sent forth, and in tens of thousands, they destroyed Drona's army.
taiḥ samyagastairbalinā kṛtinā citrayodhinā। manuṣyavājimātaṅgā viddhāḥ peturgatāsavaḥ ॥7-66-16॥
Pierced by the arrows of the strong and skillful warrior, the men, horses, and elephants fell lifeless.
vidrutāś ca raṇe petuḥ sañchinnāyudhajīvitāḥ। rathino rathamukhyebhyaḥ sahayāḥ śarapīḍitāḥ ॥7-66-17॥
The charioteers and horses, afflicted by arrows, fled and fell in battle, their lives and weapons cut off, from the chief chariots.
cūrṇitākṣiptadagdhānāṃ vajrānilahutāśanaiḥ। tulyarūpā gajāḥ peturgiryagrāmbudaveśmanām ॥7-66-18॥
Elephants, resembling each other, were crushed, thrown, and burnt by thunderbolts, wind, and fire, and they fell from the mountains, clouds, and houses.
peturaśvasahasrāṇi prahatānyarjuneṣubhiḥ। haṃsā himavataḥ pṛṣṭhe vāriviprahatā iva ॥7-66-19॥
Thousands of horses fell, hit by Arjuna's arrows, resembling swans hit by water on the slopes of the Himalayas.
rathāśvadvipapattyoghāḥ salilaughā ivādbhūtāḥ। yugāntādityaraśmyābhaiḥ pāṇḍavāstaśarairhatāḥ ॥7-66-20॥
The battlefield was filled with chariots, horses, elephants, and foot-soldiers, resembling floods of water, creating a wondrous sight. The Pāṇḍavas were slain by arrows that shone like the sun's rays at the end of an era.
taṁ pāṇḍavādityaśarāṁśujālaṁ; kurupravīrānyudhi niṣṭapantam। sa droṇameghaḥ śaravarṣavegaiḥ; prācchādayanmegha ivārkaraśmīn ॥7-66-21॥
Droṇa, like a cloud, covered the Kuru heroes in battle with a net of sun-like arrows from the Pāṇḍavas, as clouds cover the sun's rays.
athātyarthavisṛṣṭena dviṣatāmasubhojinā। ājaghne vakṣasi droṇo nārācena dhanañjayam ॥7-66-22॥
Then, Droṇa, with an iron arrow released exceedingly by the life-consuming enemies, struck Dhananjaya on the chest.
sa vihvalitasarvāṅgaḥ kṣitikampe yathācalaḥ। dhairyamālambya bībhatsurdroṇaṃ vivyādha patribhiḥ ॥7-66-23॥
In the midst of the earthquake, like a mountain, Arjuna, though agitated, gathered his courage and struck Drona with arrows.
droṇastu pañcabhirbāṇairvāsudevamatāḍayat। arjunaṃ ca trisaptyā dhvajaṃ cāsya tribhiḥ śaraiḥ ॥7-66-24॥
Drona, however, attacked Vasudeva with five arrows, Arjuna with seventy-three arrows, and also hit his flag with three arrows.
viśeṣayiṣyañśiṣyaṃ ca droṇo rājanparākramī। adṛśyamarjunaṃ cakre nimeṣāccharavṛṣṭibhiḥ ॥7-66-25॥
Droṇa, the valiant teacher, intending to showcase his disciple's prowess, made Arjuna disappear in an instant under a barrage of arrows, O king.
prasaktān patato 'drākṣma bhāradvājasya sāyakān। maṇḍalīkṛtam evāsya dhanuś cādṛśyatādbhutam ॥7-66-26॥
We observed the arrows of Bharadvaja falling in a circular formation, and his bow appeared truly marvelous.
te'bhyayuḥ samare rājanvāsudevadhanañjayau। droṇasṛṣṭāḥ subahavaḥ kaṅkapatraparicchadāḥ ॥7-66-27॥
O king, many warriors created by Drona, adorned with peacock feathers, approached Vasudeva and Dhananjaya in the battle.
taddṛṣṭvā tādṛśaṃ yuddhaṃ droṇapāṇḍavayostadā। vāsudevo mahābuddhiḥ kāryavattāmacintayat ॥7-66-28॥
Upon witnessing the intense battle between Drona and the Pandavas, Vasudeva, known for his great wisdom, contemplated his responsibilities.
tato'bravīdvāsudevo dhanañjayamidaṃ vacaḥ। pārtha pārtha mahābāho na naḥ kālātyayo bhavet ॥7-66-29॥
Then Vasudeva spoke to Arjuna, saying: "O son of Pritha, O mighty-armed one, there will be no delay for us."
droṇam utsṛjya gacchāmaḥ kṛtyam etan mahattaram। pārthaś cāpy abravīt kṛṣṇaṃ yatheṣṭam iti keśava ॥7-66-30॥
Leaving Drona behind, we must attend to this greater duty. Arjuna also told Krishna, "Do as you wish, O Keshava."
tataḥ pradakṣiṇaṃ kṛtvā droṇaṃ prāyānmahābhujaḥ। parivṛttaśca bībhatsuragacchadvisṛjañśarān ॥7-66-31॥
Then, the mighty-armed warrior, having circumambulated Droṇa, turned back and Bībhatsu proceeded, releasing arrows.
tato'bravītsmayandroṇaḥ kvedaṃ pāṇḍava gamyate। nanu nāma raṇe śatrumajitvā na nivartase ॥7-66-32॥
Then, with a smile, Droṇa asked, "Where are you heading, Pāṇḍava? Surely, you do not intend to return without defeating your enemy in the battle?"
arjuna uvāca॥
Arjuna said:
gururbhavānna me śatruḥ śiṣyaḥ putrasamo'smi te। na cāsti sa pumāṁlloke yastvāṁ yudhi parājayet ॥7-66-33॥
You are my teacher, not my enemy. I am your disciple, like a son. There is no man in the world who can defeat you in battle.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
evaṃ bruvāṇo bībhatsurjayadrathavadhotsukaḥ। tvarāyukto mahābāhustatsainyaṃ samupādravat ॥7-66-34॥
Arjuna, speaking thus and eager to kill Jayadratha, swiftly attacked the army with his mighty arms.
taṁ cakrarakṣau pāñcālyau yudhāmanyuttamaujasau। anvayātāṁ mahātmānau viśantaṁ tāvakaṁ balam ॥7-66-35॥
Yudhāmanyu and Uttamaujas, the valiant sons of Panchala, followed and entered your army as protectors of the chariots.
tato jayo mahārāja kṛtavarmā ca sāttvataḥ। kāmbojaśca śrutāyuśca dhanañjayamavārayan ॥7-66-36॥
Then, O great king, Kritavarma, Sattvata, Kamboja, and Shrutayu blocked Dhananjaya.
teṣāṃ daśasahasrāṇi rathānāmanuyāyinām। abhīṣāhāḥ śūrasenāḥ śibayo'tha vasātayaḥ ॥7-66-37॥
Among them were ten thousand chariots of followers, including the Abhishahas, Shurasenas, Shibis, and Vasatis.
mācellakā lalitthāśca kekayā madrakāstathā। nārāyaṇāśca gopālāḥ kāmbojānāṃ ca ye gaṇāḥ ॥7-66-38॥
The Mācellakas, Lalitthas, Kekayas, Madrakas, Nārāyaṇas, and Gopalas, along with the tribes of the Kambojas, are mentioned here.
karṇena vijitāḥ pūrvaṃ saṅgrāme śūrasaṃmatāḥ। bhāradvājaṃ puraskṛtya tyaktātmāno'rjunaṃ prati ॥7-66-39॥
Previously conquered by Karna and approved by heroes in battle, they placed Bharadvaja in front and, having renounced their lives, moved towards Arjuna.
putraśokābhisantaptaṃ kruddhaṃ mṛtyumivāntakam। tyajantaṃ tumule prāṇānsaṃnaddhaṃ citrayodhinam ॥7-66-40॥
Tormented by the grief of his son and filled with anger like death itself, he was abandoning his life amidst the tumult, prepared as a skilled warrior.
gāhamānam anīkāni mātaṅgam iva yūthapam। maheṣvāsaṃ parākrāntaṃ naravyāghram avārayan ॥7-66-41॥
The great archer, valiant like a leader elephant entering the troops, was stopped as a tiger among men.
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ tumulaṃ lomaharṣaṇam। anyonyaṃ vai prārthayatāṃ yodhānāmarjunasya ca ॥7-66-42॥
Then a fierce and hair-raising battle commenced between the warriors and Arjuna, each desiring the other.
jayadrathavadha-prepsuṁ āyāntaṁ puruṣarṣabham। nyavārayanta sahitāḥ kriyā vyādhimivotthitam ॥7-66-43॥
The warriors, desiring to kill Jayadratha, approached like a bull among men. Together, they halted the actions as one would stop an arising disease.
