07.078
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
evamuktvārjunaṃ rājā tribhirmarmātigaiḥ śaraiḥ। pratyavidhyanmahāvegaiścaturbhiścaturo hayān ॥7-78-1॥
After speaking thus to Arjuna, the king swiftly shot three arrows that pierced vital parts and four arrows that struck the four horses.
vāsudevaṁ ca daśabhiḥ pratyavidhyatstanāntare। pratodaṁ cāsya bhallena chittvā bhūmāvapātayat ॥7-78-2॥
Vasudeva was pierced in the chest with ten arrows, and his goad was cut off with an arrow, causing it to fall to the ground.
taṁ caturdaśabhiḥ pārthaś citrapuṅkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ। avidhyat tūrṇam avyagras te'syābhraśyanta varmaṇaḥ ॥7-78-3॥
Arjuna swiftly and calmly shot fourteen arrows with colorful feathers, sharpened on stone, at him, causing them to fall off his armor.
teṣāṃ vaiphalyamālokya punarnava ca pañca ca। prāhiṇonniśitānbāṇāṃste cābhraśyanta varmaṇaḥ ॥7-78-4॥
Observing their failure, he dispatched fourteen sharp arrows once more, which penetrated the armor.
aṣṭāviṃśattu tānbāṇānastānviprekṣya niṣphalān। abravītparavīraghnaḥ kṛṣṇo'rjunamidaṃ vacaḥ ॥7-78-5॥
Krishna, the destroyer of enemy heroes, observed that the twenty-eight arrows discharged were fruitless and said this to Arjuna.
adṛṣṭapūrvaṃ paśyāmi śilānāmiva sarpaṇam। tvayā saṃpreṣitāḥ pārtha nārthaṃ kurvanti patriṇaḥ ॥7-78-6॥
I witness an unprecedented sight, akin to stones crawling. The arrows dispatched by you, O Arjuna, fail to achieve their intended purpose.
kaccidgāṇḍīvataḥ prāṇāstathaiva bharatarṣabha। muṣṭiśca te yathāpūrvaṃ bhujayośca balaṃ tava ॥7-78-7॥
O best of the Bharatas, is the vitality of your bow Gandiva, your grip, and the strength of your arms still the same as before?
na ced vidher ayaṃ kālaḥ prāptaḥ syād adya paścimaḥ। tava ca eva asya śatroḥ ca tat mama ācakṣva pṛcchataḥ ॥7-78-8॥
If the destined time had not arrived today, which is the last for both you and your enemy, then tell me, as I am asking.
vismayo me mahān pārtha tava dṛṣṭvā śarān imān। vyarthān nipatataḥ saṅkhye duryodhanarathaṃ prati ॥7-78-9॥
I am greatly amazed, O Arjuna, to see these arrows falling uselessly in battle towards Duryodhana's chariot.
vajrāśanisamā ghorāḥ parakāyāvabhedinaḥ। śarāḥ kurvanti te nārthaṃ pārtha kādya viḍambanā ॥7-78-10॥
O son of Pritha, these terrible arrows, like thunderbolts and lightning, pierce another's body but serve no purpose. What is this mockery?
arjuna uvāca॥
Arjuna said:
droṇenaiṣā matiḥ kṛṣṇa dhārtarāṣṭre niveśitā। ante vihitam astrāṇām etat kavacadhāraṇam ॥7-78-11॥
O Krishna, this strategy has been implanted in Dhritarashtra's son by Drona. At the end, the weapons are arranged and the armor is worn.
asminnantarhitaṁ kṛṣṇa trailokyamapi varmaṇi। eko droṇo hi vedaitadahaṁ tasmācca sattamāt ॥7-78-12॥
O Krishna, within this armor, even the three worlds are concealed. Drona alone knows this, and therefore, I, being among the best, know it too.
na śakyam etat kavacaṃ bāṇair bhettuṃ kathañcana। api vajreṇa govinda svayaṃ maghavatā yudhi ॥7-78-13॥
"O Govinda, this armor cannot be pierced by arrows in any way, even if Indra himself uses the thunderbolt in battle."
jānaṁstvamapi vai kṛṣṇa māṁ vimohayase katham। yadvṛttaṁ triṣu lokeṣu yacca keśava vartate ॥7-78-14॥
O Kṛṣṇa, even though you know everything, you still bewilder me. How is it that what has happened in the three worlds and what exists, O Keśava?
tathā bhaviṣyadyaccaiva tatsarvaṃ viditaṃ tava। na tvevaṃ veda vai kaścidyathā tvaṃ madhusūdana ॥7-78-15॥
Thus, O Madhusudana, the future and everything is known to you. However, no one knows it as you do.
eṣa duryodhanaḥ kṛṣṇa droṇena vihitāmimām। tiṣṭhatyabhītavatsaṅkhye bibhratkavacadhāraṇām ॥7-78-16॥
Duryodhana, arranged by Drona, stands fearlessly in the battlefield, wearing his armor, O Krishna.
yattvatra vihitaṃ kāryaṃ naiṣa tadvetti mādhava। strīvadeṣa bibhartyetāṃ yuktāṃ kavacadhāraṇām ॥7-78-17॥
Madhava does not understand the duty that is ordained here. Like a woman, he wears this armor appropriately.
paśya bāhvośca me vīryaṃ dhanuṣaśca janārdana। parājayiṣye kauravyaṃ kavacenāpi rakṣitam ॥7-78-18॥
Behold, O Janardana, the might of my arms and bow. I shall overcome the Kauravas, even if they are shielded by armor.
idamaṅgirase prādāddeveśo varma bhāsvaram। punardadau surapatirmahyaṃ varma sasaṅgraham ॥7-78-19॥
The lord of gods gave this shining armor to Angiras. Later, the lord of gods gave me the armor along with its compendium.
daivaṁ yadyasya varmaitadbrahmaṇā vā svayaṁ kṛtam। naitadgopsyati durbuddhimadya bāṇahataṁ mayā ॥7-78-20॥
The armor, whether made by fate, Brahma, or by oneself, will not protect the evil-minded one today, as he has been struck by my arrow.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
evamuktvārjuno bāṇānabhimantrya vyakarṣayat। vikṛṣyamāṇāṃstenaivaṃ dhanurmadhyagatāñśarān ॥ tānasyāstreṇa ciccheda drauṇiḥ sarvāstraghātinā ॥7-78-21॥
After speaking thus, Arjuna enchanted and drew his arrows. As they were being drawn, Drauni, the destroyer of all weapons, cut them off with his weapon.
tānnikr̥ttāniṣūndr̥ṣṭvā dūrato brahmavādinā। nyavedayatkeśavāya vismitaḥ śvetavāhanaḥ ॥7-78-22॥
Astonished by the sight of the arrows being cut down from afar by the sage, Shvetavahana reported it to Keshava.
naitadastraṁ mayā śakyaṁ dviḥ prayoktuṁ janārdana। astraṁ māmeva hanyāddhi paśya tvadya balaṁ mama ॥7-78-23॥
O Janardana, I cannot use this weapon twice. It would indeed destroy me. Behold, this is your strength and my strength.
tato duryodhanaḥ kṛṣṇau navabhirnataparvabhiḥ। avidhyata raṇe rājañśarairāśīviṣopamaiḥ ॥ bhūya evābhyavarṣacca samare kṛṣṇapāṇḍavau ॥7-78-24॥
Then Duryodhana attacked Krishna and Arjuna with nine arrows that were bent at the joints, resembling serpents, in the battle, O king. Once more, he showered arrows upon Krishna and Arjuna in the battlefield.
śaravarṣeṇa mahatā tato'bhṛṣyanta tāvakāḥ। cakrurvāditraninadānsiṃhanādaravāṃstathā ॥7-78-25॥
Your men rejoiced greatly by the shower of arrows. They made sounds of musical instruments and roared like lions.
tataḥ kruddho raṇe pārthaḥ sṛkkaṇī parisaṁlihan। nāpaśyata tato'syāṅgaṁ yan na syādvarmarakṣitam ॥7-78-26॥
Then, in the heat of battle, Arjuna, filled with rage and licking his bowstring, could not see any part of his body that was not shielded by armor.
tato'sya niśitairbāṇaiḥ sumuktairantakopamaiḥ। hayāṃścakāra nirdehānubhau ca pārṣṇisārathī ॥7-78-27॥
Then, with his sharp and deadly arrows, he struck down the horses and the charioteer, rendering them lifeless.
dhanurasyācchinacchitraṁ hastāvāpaṁ ca vīryavān। rathaṁ ca śakalīkartuṁ savyasācī pracakrame ॥7-78-28॥
The mighty Arjuna skillfully severed the bow and handgrip, and then proceeded to dismantle the chariot.
duryodhanaṁ ca bāṇābhyāṁ tīkṣṇābhyāṁ virathīkṛtam। avidhyaddhastatalayorubhayorarjunastadā ॥7-78-29॥
Duryodhana was rendered chariotless by Arjuna's sharp arrows. Then, Arjuna pierced both of Duryodhana's palms.
taṁ kṛcchrāmāpadaṁ prāptaṁ dṛṣṭvā paramadhanvinaḥ। samāpetuḥ parīpsanto dhanañjayaśarārditam ॥7-78-30॥
Upon witnessing the dire situation faced by the supreme archer, they came forward with the intent to safeguard Dhananjaya, who was besieged by arrows.
te rathairbahusāhasraiḥ kalpitaiḥ kuñjarairhayaiḥ। padātyoghaiśca saṁrabdhaiḥ parivavrurdhanañjayam ॥7-78-31॥
They surrounded Arjuna with numerous chariots, elephants, horses, and eager waves of infantry.
atha nārjunagovindau ratho vāpi vyadṛśyata। astravarṣeṇa mahatā janaughaiścāpi saṃvṛtau ॥7-78-32॥
Then Arjuna and Govinda, or their chariot, appeared to be enveloped by a great shower of weapons and masses of people.
tato'rjuno'stravīryeṇa nijaghne tāṃ varūthinīm। tatra vyaṅgīkṛtāḥ petuḥ śataśo'tha rathadvipāḥ ॥7-78-33॥
Then Arjuna used the power of his weapon to destroy the army, causing hundreds of chariots and elephants to fall wounded.
te hatā hanyamānāśca nyagṛhṇamstaṃ rathottamam। sa rathastambhitastasthau krośamātraṃ samantataḥ ॥7-78-34॥
They, being killed and killing, seized that excellent chariot. The chariot, having been stopped, stood at a distance of a cry all around.
tato'rjunaṃ vṛṣṇivīrastvarito vākyamabravīt। dhanurvisphārayātyarthamahaṃ dhmāsyāmi cāmbujam ॥7-78-35॥
Then the Vṛṣṇi hero quickly said to Arjuna, 'I will stretch the bow and blow the conch with great force.'
tato visphārya balavadgāṇḍīvaṃ jaghnivānripūn। mahatā śaravarṣeṇa talaśabdena cārjunaḥ ॥7-78-36॥
Then Arjuna, stretching his mighty Gandiva bow, defeated his enemies with a powerful volley of arrows, accompanied by the resonant sound of the bowstring.
pāñcajanyaṃ ca balavaddadhmau tāreṇa keśavaḥ। rajasā dhvastapakṣmāntaḥ prasvinnavadano bhṛśam ॥7-78-37॥
Keshava, with great force, blew the Panchajanya conch, his face covered in sweat and his eyelashes disordered by the dust.
tasya śaṅkhasya nādena dhanuṣo nisvanena ca। niḥsattvāśca sasattvāśca kṣitau petustadā janāḥ ॥7-78-38॥
At that time, the sound of his conch and the twang of the bow caused both the living and the lifeless to fall to the ground.
tairvimukto ratho reje vāyvīrita ivāmbudaḥ। jayadrathasya goptārastataḥ kṣubdhāḥ sahānugāḥ ॥7-78-39॥
The chariot, released by them, shone like a cloud driven by the wind. Then, the protectors of Jayadratha, along with their followers, became agitated.
te dṛṣṭvā sahasā pārthaṃ goptāraḥ saindhavasya tu। cakrurnādānbahuvidhānkampayanto vasundharām ॥7-78-40॥
Upon suddenly seeing Arjuna, the protectors of Jayadratha created a variety of sounds that shook the earth.
bāṇaśabdaravāṃścogrānvimishrāñśaṅkhanisvanaiḥ। prāduścakrurmahātmānaḥ siṃhanādaravānapi ॥7-78-41॥
The great souls created a tumultuous soundscape with the fierce noise of arrows, the blaring of conches, and the roaring of lions.
taṁ śrutvā ninadaṁ ghoraṁ tāvakānāṁ samutthitam। pradadhmatus tadā śaṅkhau vāsudevadhanañjayau ॥7-78-42॥
Upon hearing the dreadful sound from your people, Vasudeva and Dhananjaya blew their conches in response.
tena śabdena mahatā pūriteyaṃ vasundharā। saśailā sārṇavadvīpā sapātālā viśāṃ pate ॥7-78-43॥
The great sound filled the entire earth, including its mountains, oceans, islands, and netherworlds, O lord of men.
sa śabdo bharataśreṣṭha vyāpya sarvā diśo daśa। pratisasvāna tatraiva kurupāṇḍavayor bale ॥7-78-44॥
The sound, O best of the Bharatas, echoed through all ten directions, reverberating in the army of the Kurus and Pandavas.
tāvakā rathinastatra dṛṣṭvā kṛṣṇadhanañjayau। saṁrambhaṁ paramaṁ prāptāstvaramāṇā mahārathāḥ ॥7-78-45॥
Your charioteers, upon seeing Krishna and Dhananjaya, became extremely excited and hastened forward, being great warriors.
atha kṛṣṇau mahābhāgau tāvakā dṛśya daṃśitau। abhyadravanta saṅkruddhāstadadbhutamivābhavat ॥7-78-46॥
Then the two greatly fortunate Krishnas, upon seeing themselves bitten, rushed towards your angry ones; it seemed as if something extraordinary occurred.
