07.071
Core and Pancharatra: Bahlika shone brilliantly as he fought the sons of Draupadi; Duḥśāsana attacked Sātyaki; Shakuni fought with the sons of Madri; Ghatotkacha fiercely approached the heroic demon Tamala; King Yudhishthira struck the Madra king; Twenty of Dhritarashtra's sons, including Citrasena and Vikarna, engaged in battle with Bhimasena.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
rājansaṅgrāmamāścaryaṃ śṛṇu kīrtayato mama। kurūṇāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ ca yathā yuddhamavartata ॥7-71-1॥
O king, listen to my account of the extraordinary battle that unfolded between the Kurus and the Pandavas.
bhāradvājaṃ samāsādya vyūhasya pramukhe sthitam। ayodhayanraṇe pārthā droṇānīkaṃ bibhitsavaḥ ॥7-71-2॥
The sons of Pritha, eager to win, approached Bharadvaja who was standing at the forefront of the formation, and engaged in battle with Drona's army.
rakṣamāṇāḥ svakaṃ vyūhaṃ droṇasyāpi ca sainikāḥ। ayodhayanraṇe pārthānprārthayanto mahadyaśaḥ ॥7-71-3॥
The soldiers, protecting their own formation and that of Drona, fought in the battle against the sons of Pritha, seeking great glory.
vindānuvindāvāvantyau virāṭaṃ daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ। ājaghnatuḥ susaṅkruddhau tava putrahitaiṣiṇau ॥7-71-4॥
The two princes of Avanti, Vindānuvinda, in great anger, attacked Virata with ten arrows, seeking the welfare of your son.
virāṭaśca mahārāja tāvubhau samare sthitau। parākrāntau parākramya yodhayāmāsa sā nugau ॥7-71-5॥
Virata and the great king stood in battle, displaying great valor, and fought valiantly with their followers.
teṣāṃ yuddhaṃ samabhavaddāruṇaṃ śoṇitodakam। siṃhasya dvipamukhyābhyāṃ prabhinnābhyāṃ yathā vane ॥7-71-6॥
A fierce battle took place among them, resembling a bloody water scene, like that of a lion with two chief elephants, broken in the forest.
bāhlīkaṃ rabhasaṃ yuddhe yājñasenirmahābalaḥ। ājaghne viśikhaistīkṣṇairghorairmarmāsthibhedibhiḥ ॥7-71-7॥
The mighty Yajnaseni attacked the fierce Bahlika in the battle with sharp and dreadful arrows that pierced through his vital parts and bones.
bāhlīko yājñaseniṃ tu hemapuṅkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ। ājaghāna bhṛśaṃ kruddho navabhirnataparvabhiḥ ॥7-71-8॥
Bahlika, in his anger, struck Yajnaseni fiercely with nine arrows that had golden feathers and were sharpened on stone.
tadyuddhamabhavadghoraṁ śaraśaktisamākulam। bhīrūṇāṁ trāsajananaṁ śūrāṇāṁ harṣavardhanam ॥7-71-9॥
The battle was fierce and intense, filled with arrows and spears, instilling fear in the timid and boosting the morale of the brave.
tābhyāṃ tatra śarairmuktairantarikṣaṃ diśastathā। abhavatsaṃvṛtaṃ sarvaṃ na prājñāyata kiñcana ॥7-71-10॥
By the arrows released by those two, the sky and all directions became so covered that nothing at all was visible.
śaibyo govāsano yuddhe kāśyaputraṃ mahāratham। sasainyo yodhayāmāsa gajaḥ pratigajaṃ yathā ॥7-71-11॥
Shaibya, adorned in a cow-hide, led his army into battle against Kashyap's son, the great charioteer, resembling an elephant confronting another elephant.
bāhlīkarājaḥ saṁrabdho draupadeyānmahārathān। manaḥ pañcendriyāṇīva śuśubhe yodhayanraṇe ॥7-71-12॥
The enraged King of Bahlika shone brilliantly as he fought the great warriors, the sons of Draupadi, in the battle, much like the mind shines with its five senses.
ayodhayaṁste ca bhṛśaṁ taṁ śaraughaiḥ samantataḥ। indriyārthā yathā dehaṁ śaśvaddehabhṛtāṁ vara ॥7-71-13॥
They attacked him fiercely from all sides with a barrage of arrows, just as sense objects constantly assail the body of the living beings, O best of the embodied.
vārṣṇeyaṃ sātyakiṃ yuddhe putro duḥśāsanastava। ājaghne sāyakaitīkṣṇairnavabhirnataparvabhiḥ ॥7-71-14॥
In the battle, your son Duḥśāsana attacked Sātyaki, the descendant of Vṛṣṇi, with nine sharp arrows that had bent joints.
so'tividdho balavatā maheṣvāsena dhanvinā। īṣanmūrcchāṃ jagāmāśu sātyakiḥ satyavikramaḥ ॥7-71-15॥
Satyaki, of true prowess, was deeply pierced by the strong and great archer bowman and quickly went into a slight faint.
samāśvastastu vārṣṇeyastava putraṃ mahāratham। vivyādha daśabhistūrṇaṃ sāyakaiḥ kaṅkapatribhiḥ ॥7-71-16॥
Reassured, the descendant of Vṛṣṇi quickly attacked your son, the great chariot-warrior, with ten arrows adorned with heron feathers.
tāvanyonyaṃ dṛḍhaṃ viddhāvanyonyaśaravikṣatau। rejatuḥ samare rājanpuṣpitāviva kiṃśukau ॥7-71-17॥
O king, they both stood in the battlefield, having pierced each other with arrows, appearing like two blooming Butea monosperma trees.
alambusastu saṅkruddhaḥ kuntibhojaśarārditaḥ। aśobhata paraṃ lakṣmyā puṣpāḍhya iva kiṃśukaḥ ॥7-71-18॥
Alambusa, despite being angry and struck by Kuntibhoja's arrows, appeared exceedingly beautiful, like a Kimshuka tree in full bloom.
kuntibhojaṁ tato rakṣo viddhvā bahubhirāyasaiḥ। anadadbhairavaṁ nādaṁ vāhinyāḥ pramukhe tava ॥7-71-19॥
Then the demon pierced Kuntibhoja with many iron arrows and roared a terrifying sound in front of your army.
tatastau samare śūrau yodhayantau parasparam। dadṛśuḥ sarvabhūtāni śakrajambhau yathā purā ॥7-71-20॥
Then those two heroes, engaged in battle against each other, were witnessed by all beings, reminiscent of the ancient battle between Indra and Jambha.
śakuniṃ rabhasaṃ yuddhe kṛtavairaṃ ca bhārata। mādrīputrau ca saṃrabdhau śarairardayatāṃ mṛdhe ॥7-71-21॥
O Bharata, Shakuni, fierce in battle and having enmity, along with the sons of Madri, who were excited, pierced their enemies with arrows in the battle.
tanmūlaḥ sa mahārāja prāvartata janakṣayaḥ। tvayā sañjanito'tyarthaṃ karṇena ca vivardhitaḥ ॥7-71-22॥
The destruction of people, rooted in that cause, began, O great king; it was initiated by you and greatly augmented by Karna.
uddhukṣitaśca putreṇa tava krodhahutāśanaḥ। ya imāṃ pṛthivīṃ rājandaghdhuṃ sarvāṃ samudyataḥ ॥7-71-23॥
O king, inflamed by your son, the fire of anger is ready to consume the entire earth.
śakuniḥ pāṇḍuputrābhyāṃ kṛtaḥ sa vimukhaḥ śaraiḥ। nābhyajānata kartavyaṃ yudhi kiñcitparākramam ॥7-71-24॥
Shakuni, having been disheartened by the arrows of the sons of Pandu, was at a loss in battle, unable to display any valor.
vimukhaṁ cainamālokya mādrīputrau mahārathau। vavarṣatuḥ punarbāṇairyathā meghau mahāgirim ॥7-71-25॥
Seeing him turn away, the sons of Madri, who were great warriors, attacked again with arrows, like clouds pouring rain on a great mountain.
sa vadhyamāno bahubhiḥ śaraiḥ saṁnataparvabhiḥ। sampryājjavanairaśvairdroṇānīkāya saubalaḥ ॥7-71-26॥
Saubala, while being attacked by many arrows with bent joints, swiftly proceeded with his horses towards Drona's army.
ghaṭotkacastathā śūraṃ rākṣasaṃ tamālāyudham। abhyayādrabhasaṃ yuddhe vegamāsthāya madhyamam ॥7-71-27॥
Ghatotkacha then fiercely approached the heroic demon Tamala-armed in battle, assuming a moderate speed.
tayoryuddhaṃ mahārāja citrarūpamivābhavat। yādṛśaṃ hi purā vṛttaṃ rāmarāvaṇayormṛdhe ॥7-71-28॥
O great king, the battle between the two was as wonderful as the one that happened in the past between Rama and Ravana.
tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā madrarājānamāhave। viddhvā pañcāśatā bāṇaiḥ punarvivyādha saptabhiḥ ॥7-71-29॥
Then King Yudhishthira struck the Madra king in battle with fifty arrows and then pierced him again with seven more.
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ tayoratyadbhutaṃ nṛpa। yathā pūrvaṃ mahadyuddhaṃ śambarāmararājayoḥ ॥7-71-30॥
Then a very wonderful battle began between them, O king, just like the great battle of the past between Śambara and the gods.
viviṃśatiścitraseno vikarṇaśca tavātmajaḥ। ayodhayanbhīmasenaṃ mahatyā senayā vṛtāḥ ॥7-71-31॥
Twenty of your sons, including Citrasena and Vikarna, engaged in battle with Bhimasena, supported by a vast army.
