07.128
Core and Pancharatra: While Duryodhana is successful in his assault initially, the Pandavas led from the front by Yudhisthira start destroying the Kaurava army, especially the great Ghatotkacha.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
tadudīrṇagajāśvaughaṃ balaṃ tava janādhipa। pāṇḍusenāmabhidrutya yodhayāmāsa sarvataḥ ॥7-128-1॥
Your mighty army, O ruler of men, with its exalted multitude of elephants and horses, attacked Pandu's forces and fought fiercely on all sides.
pāñcālāḥ kuravaścaiva yodhayantaḥ parasparam। yamarāṣṭrāya mahate paralokāya dīkṣitāḥ ॥7-128-2॥
The Panchalas and the Kurus were engaged in battle with each other, consecrated to the great kingdom of Yama, the other world.
śūrāḥ śūraiḥ samāgamya śaratomaraśaktibhiḥ। vivyadhuḥ samare tūrṇaṃ ninyuścaiva yamakṣayam ॥7-128-3॥
The heroes, having gathered with other heroes and armed with arrows, spears, and weapons, swiftly pierced their enemies in battle and sent them to the abode of Yama.
rathināṃ rathibhiḥ sārdhaṃ rudhirasrāvi dāruṇam। prāvartata mahadyuddhaṃ nighnatāmitaretaram ॥7-128-4॥
A fierce and bloody battle began among the charioteers, who fought together, killing one another.
vāraṇāśca mahārāja samāsādya parasparam। viṣāṇairdārayāmāsuḥ saṅkruddhāśca madotkaṭāḥ ॥7-128-5॥
O great king, the elephants, in their rage and intoxication, approached each other and tore apart with their tusks.
hayārohānhayārohāḥ prāsaśaktiparaśvadhaiḥ। bibhidustumule yuddhe prārthayanto mahadyaśaḥ ॥7-128-6॥
In the fierce battle, the horsemen attacked their opponents with javelins, spears, and axes, seeking great glory.
pattayaśca mahābāho śataśaḥ śastrapāṇayaḥ। anyonyamārdayanrājannityayattāḥ parākrame ॥7-128-7॥
O mighty-armed one, the warriors, in their hundreds, armed with weapons, were always ready to hurt each other in battle, O king.
gotrāṇāṃ nāmadheyānāṃ kulānāṃ caiva māriṣaḥ। śravaṇāddhi vijānīmaḥ pāñcālānkuru bhiḥ saha ॥7-128-8॥
O gentle one, we have learned about the names, lineages, and families of the Panchalas along with the Kurus through hearing.
anyonyaṃ samare yodhāḥ śaraśaktiparaśvadhaiḥ। preṣayanparalokāya vicaranto hyabhītavat ॥7-128-9॥
In the battle, the warriors fearlessly engaged with each other, sending their foes to the afterlife with arrows, spears, and axes.
śarairdasa diśo rājan teṣāṃ muktaiḥ sahasraśaḥ। na bhrājanta yathāpūrvaṃ bhāskare' staṃ gate' pi ca ॥7-128-10॥
O king, the ten directions were filled with thousands of arrows released by them. They did not shine as they used to, even after the sun had set.
tathā prayudhyamāneṣu pāṇḍaveyeṣu nirbhayaḥ। duryodhano mahārāja vyavagāhata tadbalam ॥7-128-11॥
Fearless Duryodhana, amidst the battle with the Pandavas, boldly entered the army, O great king.
saindhavasya vadhenaiva bhṛśaṃ duḥkhasamanvitaḥ। martavyamiti sañcintya prāviśattu dviṣadbalam ॥7-128-12॥
Grieving deeply over the death of Saindhava, he resolved to die and charged into the enemy's forces.
nādayan rathaghoṣeṇa kampayann iva medinīm। abhyavartata putras te pāṇḍavānām anīkinīm ॥7-128-13॥
Your son advanced towards the Pandavas' army, making a sound with the chariot's noise, as if shaking the earth.
sa saṁnipātastumulastasya teṣāṁ ca bhārata। abhavatsarvasainyānāmabhāvakaraṇo mahān ॥7-128-14॥
The tumultuous clash between his and their forces, O Bharata, became the great cause of destruction for all the armies.
madhyaṁdinagataṁ sūryaṁ pratapantaṁ gabhastibhiḥ। tathā tava sutaṁ madhye pratapantaṁ śarormibhiḥ ॥7-128-15॥
Just as the sun shines brightly at midday with its rays, so does your son shine in the midst of battle with his arrows.
na śekurbhārataṃ yuddhe pāṇḍavāḥ samavekṣitum। palāyane kṛtotsāhā nirutsāhā dviṣajjaye ॥7-128-16॥
The Pandavas could not face the Bharata in battle; they were eager to flee and lacked enthusiasm in defeating their enemies.
paryadhāvanta pāñcālā vadhyamānā mahātmanā। rukmapuṅkhaiḥ prasannāgraistava putreṇa dhanvinā ॥ ardyamānāḥ śaraistūrṇaṃ nyapatanpāṇḍusainikāḥ ॥7-128-17॥
The Panchalas, being attacked by the great soul with golden and sharp-pointed arrows by your son, the archer, ran around. The Pandava soldiers, afflicted by the arrows, quickly fell down.
na tādṛśaṃ raṇe karma kṛtavantastu tāvakāḥ। yādṛśaṃ kṛtavānrājā putrastava viśāṃ pate ॥7-128-18॥
Your men have not accomplished in battle what your son, the king, has achieved, O lord of the people.
putreṇa tava sā senā pāṇḍavī mathitā raṇe। nalinī dviradeneva samantātphullapaṅkajā ॥7-128-19॥
Your son's actions in battle caused the Pandava army to be shaken, much like a blooming lotus is disturbed by an elephant.
kṣīṇatoyānilārkābhyāṃ hatatviḍiva padminī। babhūva pāṇḍavī senā tava putrasya tejasā ॥7-128-20॥
The brilliance of your son caused the Pandava army to wither like a lotus pond deprived of water, wind, and sunlight.
pāṇḍusenāṃ hatāṃ dṛṣṭvā tava putreṇa bhārata। bhīmasenapurogāstu pāñcālāḥ samupādravan ॥7-128-21॥
Upon witnessing the destruction of the Pandava army by your son, O Bharata, the Panchalas, led by Bhimasena, launched an attack.
sa bhīmasenaṁ daśabhirmādrīputrau tribhistribhiḥ। virāṭadrupadau ṣaḍbhiḥ śatena ca śikhaṇḍinam ॥7-128-22॥
He attacked Bhimasena with ten arrows, Madri's sons with three each, Virata and Drupada with six, and Shikhandi with a hundred.
dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ ca saptatyā dharmaputraṃ ca saptabhiḥ। kekayāṃścaiva cedīṃśca bahubhirniśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ॥7-128-23॥
Dhṛṣṭadyumna, accompanied by seventy warriors, and Dharmaputra, with seven, along with the Kekayas and the Cedis, attacked with numerous sharp arrows.
sātvataṃ pañcabhirviddhvā draupadeyāṃstribhistribhiḥ। ghaṭotkacaṃ ca samare viddhvā siṃha ivānadat ॥7-128-24॥
After striking Satyaki with five arrows, the sons of Draupadi with three arrows each, and Ghatotkacha in the battle, he roared like a lion, showcasing his might and valor.
śataśaścāparānyodhānsadvipāśvarathānraṇe। śarairavacakartograiḥ kruddho'ntaka iva prajāḥ ॥7-128-25॥
In the battle, he, like the god of death, angrily cut down hundreds of other warriors along with their elephants, horses, and chariots using fierce arrows.
tasya tānnighnataḥ śatrūnrukmapṛṣṭhaṃ mahaddhanuḥ। bhallābhyāṃ pāṇḍavo jyeṣṭhastridhā ciccheda māriṣa ॥7-128-26॥
The eldest Pāṇḍava, with his great gold-backed bow, struck down his enemies, cutting it into three with two arrows, O lord.
vivyādha cainaṃ daśabhiḥ samyagastaiḥ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ। marmāṇi bhittvā te sarve sambhagnāḥ kṣitimāviśan ॥7-128-27॥
He pierced him with ten sharp arrows, and having shattered his vital parts, they all fell to the ground.
tataḥ pramuditā yodhāḥ parivavruryudhiṣṭhiram। vṛtrahatyaiva yathā devāḥ parivavruḥ puraṃdaram ॥7-128-28॥
Then the joyful warriors gathered around Yudhishthira, just as the gods once gathered around Indra after the slaying of Vritra.
tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā tava putrasya māriṣa। śaraṃ paramadurvāraṃ preṣayāmāsa saṃyuge ॥ sa tena bhṛśasaṃviddho niṣasāda rathottame ॥7-128-29॥
Then King Yudhishthira, O venerable one, sent a powerful arrow towards your son in the battle, causing him to sit down heavily on his magnificent chariot after being struck.
tataḥ pāñcālasainyānāṃ bhṛśam āsīdravo mahān। hato rājeti rājendra muditānāṃ samantataḥ ॥7-128-30॥
Then, O King, there arose a great clamor from the Pāñcāla armies, as the rejoicing ones all around exclaimed, "The king is slain!"
bāṇaśabdaravaścograḥ śuśruve tatra māriṣa। atha droṇo drutaṃ tatra pratyadṛśyata saṃyuge ॥7-128-31॥
The fierce sound of arrows echoed through the battlefield, O gentle one. Then, Droṇa swiftly appeared on the scene of the battle.
hṛṣṭo duryodhanaścāpi dṛḍhamādāya kārmukam। tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti rājānaṃ bruvanpāṇḍavamabhyayāt ॥7-128-32॥
Joyful Duryodhana, firmly holding his bow, approached the Pāṇḍava king, challenging him to stand and fight.
pratyudyayustaṃ tvaritāḥ pāñcālā rājagṛddhinaḥ। tāndroṇaḥ pratijagrāha parīpsankurusattamam ॥ caṇḍavātoddhatānmeghān nighnanraśmimuco yathā ॥7-128-33॥
The Panchalas, eager for power, swiftly approached. Drona, intent on safeguarding the Kurus' best, met them like the sun disperses storm-driven clouds.
tato rājanmahānāsītsaṅgrāmo bhūrivardhanaḥ। tāvakānāṃ pareṣāṃ ca sametānāṃ yuyutsayā ॥7-128-34॥
Then, O king, a great and glorious battle ensued between your forces and the enemies, both eager for combat.
