07.108
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra spoke:
atyadbhutamahaṁ manye bhīmasenasya vikramam। yatkarṇaṁ yodhayāmāsa samare laghuvikramam ॥7-108-1॥
I find Bhimasena's prowess to be truly remarkable, as he engaged Karna in battle with such ease and skill.
tridaśān api codyuktān sarvaśastradharān yudhi। vārayed yo raṇe karṇaḥ sayakṣāsuramānavān ॥7-108-2॥
Karṇa, with the help of Yakṣas, demons, and humans, could stop even the gods who were prepared and armed with all weapons in battle.
sa kathaṁ pāṇḍavaṁ yuddhe bhrājamānamiva śriyā। nātaratsaṁyuge tāta tanmamācakṣva sañjaya ॥7-108-3॥
O Sañjaya, tell me how the Pāṇḍava, shining with splendor, did not cross in battle, dear father.
kathaṁ ca yuddhaṁ bhūyo'bhūttayoḥ prāṇadurodare। atra manye samāyatto jayo vājaya eva vā ॥7-108-4॥
The battle between them resumed fiercely, and I believe that the outcome, whether victory or defeat, is truly uncertain.
karṇaṃ prāpya raṇe sūta mama putraḥ suyodhanaḥ। jetumutsahate pārthānsagovindānsasātvatān ॥7-108-5॥
Upon reaching Karna in the battlefield, my son Suyodhana, the charioteer, attempts to defeat the Pandavas, accompanied by Govinda and the Satvatas.
śrutvā tu nirjitaṃ karṇamasakṛdbhīmakarmaṇā। bhīmasenena samare moha āviśatīva mām ॥7-108-6॥
Upon hearing that Karṇa was repeatedly defeated by Bhīmasena in battle, it seems as if confusion overtakes me.
vinaṣṭān kauravān manye mama putrasya durnayaiḥ। na hi karṇo maheṣvāsān pārthāñ jyeṣyati sañjaya ॥7-108-7॥
I believe that the Kauravas have been ruined due to my son's misguided strategies. Karna will not be able to defeat the great archers, the Pandavas, O Sanjaya.
kṛtavānyāni yuddhāni karṇaḥ pāṇḍusutaiḥ saha। sarvatra pāṇḍavāḥ karṇamajayanta raṇājire ॥7-108-8॥
Karna engaged in battles with the sons of Pandu, but everywhere on the battlefield, the Pandavas emerged victorious over him.
ajayyāḥ pāṇḍavāstāta devairapi savāsavaiḥ। na ca tadbudhyate mandaḥ putro duryodhano mama ॥7-108-9॥
O dear, the Pāṇḍavas are invincible even by the gods along with Indra. Yet, my foolish son Duryodhana fails to understand this.
dhanaṁ dhaneśvarasyeva hṛtvā pārthasya me sutaḥ। madhu-prepsur-ivā-buddhiḥ prapātaṁ nāvabudhyate ॥7-108-10॥
My son, in his desire for honey, fails to see the precipice ahead, just as he took away the wealth of Partha like the lord of wealth.
nikṛtyā nikṛtiprajño rājyaṃ hṛtvā mahātmanām। jitānityeva manvānaḥ pāṇḍavānavamanyate ॥7-108-11॥
The deceitful one, having cunningly taken the kingdom from the noble ones, believes that he has truly defeated the Pandavas and thus disrespects them.
putrasnehābhibhūtena mayā cāpyakṛtātmanā। dharme sthitā mahātmāno nikṛtāḥ pāṇḍunandanāḥ ॥7-108-12॥
Overcome by affection for my son and my lack of self-control, the great souls who were steadfast in righteousness, the sons of Pandu, were deceived.
śamakāmaḥ sadā pārtho dīrghaprekṣī yudhiṣṭhiraḥ। aśakta iti manvānaiḥ putrairmama nirākṛtaḥ ॥7-108-13॥
Yudhishthira, the son of Pritha, who always desired peace and was farsighted, was rejected by my sons as they considered him incapable.
tāni duḥkhānyanekāni viprakārāṃśca sarvaśaḥ। hṛdi kṛtvā mahābāhurbhīmo'yudhyata sūtajam ॥7-108-14॥
Mighty-armed Bhima, having kept all those numerous sorrows and insults in his heart, fought with Karna.
tasmān me sañjaya brūhi karṇabhīmau yathā raṇe। ayudhyetāṃ yudhi śreṣṭhau parasparavadhaiṣiṇau ॥7-108-15॥
Therefore, Sanjaya, please narrate to me how Karna and Bhima, the greatest warriors, fought fiercely in the battle, each intent on killing the other.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
śṛṇu rājanyathā vṛttaḥ saṅgrāmaḥ karṇabhīmayoḥ। parasparavadhaprepsvorvane kuñjarayoriva ॥7-108-16॥
Listen, O king, to how the battle unfolded between Karna and Bhima, both eager to kill each other, like two elephants fighting in the forest.
rājanvaikartano bhīmaṃ kruddhaḥ kruddhamariṃdamam। parākrāntaṃ parākramya vivyādha triṃśatā śaraiḥ ॥7-108-17॥
O king, the son of Vikartana, in his anger, pierced the valiant and angry Bhima, the subduer of enemies, with thirty arrows after showing great valor.
mahāvegaiḥ prasannāgraiḥ śātakumbhapariṣkṛtaiḥ। āhanadbharataśreṣṭha bhīmaṃ vaikartanaḥ śaraiḥ ॥7-108-18॥
Karna, with arrows of great speed and clear tips adorned with gold, struck Bhima, O best of the Bharatas.
tasyāsyato dhanurbhīmaścakarta niśitaistribhiḥ। rathanīḍācca yantāraṃ bhallenāpātayatkṣitau ॥7-108-19॥
As he aimed, Bhima severed his bow with three sharp arrows and struck down the charioteer from the chariot seat to the ground with an arrow.
sa kāṅkṣan bhīmasenasya vadhaṃ vaikartano vṛṣaḥ। śaktiṃ kanakavaiḍūryacitradaṇḍāṃ parāmṛśat ॥7-108-20॥
Karna, eager to kill Bhimasena, grasped the spear with a handle decorated with gold and cat's eye gems.
pragṛhya ca mahāśaktiṃ kālaśaktimivāparām। samutkṣipya ca rādheyaḥ sandhāya ca mahābalaḥ ॥ cikṣepa bhīmasenāya jīvitāntakarīmiva ॥7-108-21॥
Radheya, with great strength, seized and lifted a formidable weapon, akin to the weapon of death, and aimed it at Bhimasena, intending to end his life.
śaktiṃ visṛjya rādheyaḥ puraṃdara ivāśanim। nanāda sumahānādaṃ balavānsūtanandanaḥ ॥ taṃ ca nādaṃ tataḥ śrutvā putrāste hṛṣitābhavan ॥7-108-22॥
Radheya, releasing his power, roared like the god Purandara wielding a thunderbolt. The mighty son of Suta produced a tremendous sound, and upon hearing it, the sons were filled with joy.
tāṃ karṇabhujanirmuktām arkavaiśvānaraprabhām। śaktiṃ viyati ciccheda bhīmaḥ saptabhirāśugaiḥ ॥7-108-23॥
Bhima severed the weapon, which shone like the sun and fire and was released from Karna's arm, with seven swift arrows in the sky.
chittvā śaktiṃ tato bhīmo nirmuktoragasaṃnibhām। mārgamāṇa iva prāṇānsūtaputrasya māriṣa ॥7-108-24॥
After cutting off the weapon, Bhima, like a snake released, sought the life of the charioteer's son, O lord.
prāhiṇonava saṁrabdhaḥ śarānbarhiṇavāsasaḥ। svarṇapuṅkhāñśilādhau tānyamadaṇḍopamānmṛdhe ॥7-108-25॥
In the battle, he excitedly sent forth new arrows adorned with peacock feathers, golden tips, and polished like stone, resembling the staff of Yama.
karṇo'pyanyaddhanurgṛhya hemapṛṣṭhaṃ durāsadam। vikṛṣya ca mahātejā vyasṛjatsāyakānnava ॥7-108-26॥
Karna, the great warrior, took another formidable gold-backed bow and released nine arrows.
tān pāṇḍu-putraś ciccheda navabhir nata-parvabhiḥ। vasuṣeṇena nirmuktān nava rājan mahā-śarān ॥ chittvā bhīmo mahārāja nādaṃ siṃha ivānadat ॥7-108-27॥
The son of Pandu, using nine bent-jointed arrows released by Vasuṣena, cut them down, O king. After cutting them, Bhima roared like a lion, O great king.
tau vṛṣāv iva nardantau balinau vāśitāntare। śārdūlāv iva cānyonyam atyarthaṃ ca hy agarjatām ॥7-108-28॥
They both, like powerful bulls, roared in the midst of the army; like tigers, they roared fiercely at each other.
anyonyaṃ prajihīrṣantāv anyonyasyāntaraiṣiṇau। anyonyam abhivīkṣantau goṣṭheṣv iva maharṣabhau ॥7-108-29॥
They were like two great bulls in an assembly, each trying to outdo the other, seeking differences and constantly watching each other.
mahāgajāv ivāsādya viṣāṇāgraiḥ parasparam। śaraiḥ pūrṇāyatotsṛṣṭair anyonyam abhijaghnatuḥ ॥7-108-30॥
The warriors, resembling great elephants, approached each other and struck one another with arrows that were fully drawn and released, just like the tips of tusks in a fierce battle.
nirdahantau mahārāja śaravṛṣṭyā parasparam। anyonyamabhivīkṣantau kopādvivṛtalocanau ॥7-108-31॥
O great king, they were fiercely attacking each other with a rain of arrows, glaring at each other with eyes wide open in anger.
prahasantau tathānyonyaṃ bhartsayantau muhurmuhuḥ। śaṅkhaśabdaṃ ca kurvāṇau yuyudhāte parasparam ॥7-108-32॥
Smiling at each other and rebuking repeatedly, they made conch sounds and fought with each other.
tasya bhīmaḥ punaścāpaṃ muṣṭau ciccheda māriṣa। śaṅkhavarṇāśca tānaśvānbāṇairninye yamakṣayam ॥7-108-33॥
Bhima, with great strength, once again severed the bow held in the enemy's fist, O lord. Then, with his arrows, he sent the conch-colored horses to the realm of Yama, the god of death.
tathā kṛcchragataṃ dṛṣṭvā karṇaṃ duryodhano nṛpaḥ। vepamāna iva krodhādvyādideśātha durjayam ॥7-108-34॥
Seeing Karna in such difficulty, King Duryodhana, appearing to tremble with anger, commanded Durjaya.
gaccha durjaya rādheyaṃ purā grasati pāṇḍavaḥ। jahi tūbarakaṃ kṣipraṃ karṇasya balamādadhat ॥7-108-35॥
Go, invincible son of Radha, before the Pandava devours. Quickly conquer the enemy, enhancing Karna's strength.
evamuktasthetyuktvā tava putrastavātmajam। abhyadravdbhīmasenaṃ vyāsaktaṃ vikirañśarān ॥7-108-36॥
Having been addressed in this manner, your son then attacked Bhimasena, who was engaged in battle, scattering arrows.
sa bhīmaṃ navabhirbāṇairaśvānaṣṭabhirardayat। ṣaḍbhiḥ sūtaṃ tribhiḥ ketuṃ punastaṃ cāpi saptabhiḥ ॥7-108-37॥
He attacked Bhima with nine arrows, struck the horses with eight, the charioteer with six, the flag with three, and then hit him again with seven.
bhīmaseno'pi saṅkruddhaḥ sāśvayantāramāśugaiḥ। durjayaṃ bhinnamarmāṇamanayadyamasādanam ॥7-108-38॥
Bhimasena, in his anger, swiftly took Durjaya, whose vital parts were pierced, to the abode of Yama, along with his charioteer.
svalaṅkṛtaṃ kṣitau kṣuṇṇaṃ ceṣṭamānaṃ yathoragam। rudannārtastava sutaṃ karṇaścakre pradakṣiṇam ॥7-108-39॥
Your son Karṇa, well-adorned and crushed on the ground, moved like a distressed serpent, crying, as he made a circumambulation.
sa tu taṃ virathaṃ kṛtvā smayannatyantavairiṇam। samācinodbāṇagaṇaiḥ śataghṇīmiva śaṅkubhiḥ ॥7-108-40॥
He smiled as he made his great enemy chariotless and covered him with a multitude of arrows, like a weapon that could slay hundreds with its spikes.
tathāpy atirathaḥ karṇo bhidyamānaḥ sma sāyakaiḥ। na jahau samare bhīmaṃ kruddharūpaṃ parantapaḥ ॥7-108-41॥
Despite being severely wounded by arrows, the mighty warrior Karna did not abandon the fierce Bhima in the battlefield.
