07.140
Core and Pancharatra: Yudhishthira, setting the goal to kill Drona, leads the Pandava army from the front foot. One on one combat takes place between major warriors of both sides. Yudhishthira pierces the right arm of Kritavarma. Then Kritawarma manages to break the armour of Yudhishthira, making him retreat.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
vartamāne tathā raudre rātriyuddhe viśāṃ pate। sarvabhūtakṣayakare dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ॥7-140-1॥
In the ongoing fierce night battle, Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma and the lord of men, stands as the destroyer of all beings.
abravītpāṇḍavāṃścaiva pāñcālāṃśca sasomakān। abhyadravata gacchadhvaṃ droṇameva jighāṃsayā ॥7-140-2॥
He instructed the Pandavas, Panchalas, and Somakas to advance towards Drona with the intention of killing him.
rājñaste vacanādrājanpāñcālāḥ somakāstathā। droṇamevābhyavartanta nadanto bhairavānravān ॥7-140-3॥
Upon the king's command, O king, the Panchalas and the Somakas advanced towards Drona, making terrible roaring sounds.
tān vayaṃ pratigarjantaḥ pratyudyātās tvamarṣitāḥ। yathāśakti yathotsāhaṃ yathāsattvaṃ ca saṃyuge ॥7-140-4॥
We, undeterred and roaring back, advanced to meet them with all our strength, enthusiasm, and courage in the battle.
kṛtavarmā ca hārdikyo yudhiṣṭhiramupādravat। droṇaṃ prati jighāṃsantaṃ matto mattamiva dvipam ॥7-140-5॥
Kritavarma and the son of Hridika attacked Yudhishthira, who was moving towards Drona with the intention to kill, like an intoxicated elephant.
śaineyaṁ śaravarṣāṇi vikirantaṁ samantataḥ। abhyayātkauravo rājanbhūriḥ saṅgrāmamūrdhani ॥7-140-6॥
Bhūri, the Kaurava warrior, advanced towards Śaineya, unleashing a barrage of arrows in every direction at the head of the battle, O king.
sahadevamathāyāntaṃ droṇaprepsuṃ mahāratham। karṇo vaikartano rājanvārayāmāsa pāṇḍavam ॥7-140-7॥
Then, as Sahadeva, the great chariot-warrior, approached desiring to reach Drona, Karna, the son of Vikartana, stopped him, O king.
bhīmasenamathāyāntaṃ vyāditāsyamivāntakam। svayaṃ duryodhano yuddhe pratīpaṃ mṛtyumāvrajat ॥7-140-8॥
Then Bhimasena approached like death with his mouth wide open, and Duryodhana himself faced death in the battle.
nakulaṁ ca yudhāṁ śreṣṭhaṁ sarvayuddhaviśāradam। śakuniḥ saubalo rājanvārayāmāsa satvaraḥ ॥7-140-9॥
Shakuni, the son of Subala, quickly restrained Nakul, who was the best among warriors and an expert in all forms of warfare, O King.
śikhaṇḍinam athāyāntaṃ rathena rathināṃ varam। kṛpo śāradvato rājan vārayām āsa saṃyuge ॥7-140-10॥
Then, O king, Kripa, the son of Sharadvata, halted Shikhandin, the foremost among charioteers, as he approached in his chariot during the battle.
prativindhyamathāyāntaṃ mayūrasadṛśairhayaiḥ। duḥśāsano mahārāja yatto yattamavārayat ॥7-140-11॥
Duhshasana, O great king, attentively stopped Prativindhya, who was coming with horses that resembled peacocks.
bhaimasenimathāyāntaṃ māyāśataviśāradam। aśvatthāmā piturmānaṃ kurvāṇaḥ pratyaṣedhayat ॥7-140-12॥
Ashwatthama, in respect for his father, stopped Bhimasena, who was advancing with great skill in numerous illusions.
drupadaṁ vṛṣasenastu sasainyaṁ sapadānugam। vārayāmāsa samare droṇaprepsuṁ mahāratham ॥7-140-13॥
Vṛṣasena, along with his army and followers, intercepted Drupada, who was eager to reach Drona, in the battlefield.
virāṭaṃ drutamāyāntaṃ droṇasya nidhanaṃ prati। madrarājaḥ susaṅkruddho vārayāmāsa bhārata ॥7-140-14॥
Virata was swiftly approaching the place where Drona had fallen. The king of Madra, in great anger, stopped him, O Bharata.
śatānīkam athāyāntaṃ nākuliṃ rabhasaṃ raṇe। citraseno rurodhāśu śarair droṇavadhepsayā ॥7-140-15॥
Then Shatanika, the fierce son of Nakula, approached the battlefield, but Citrasena quickly blocked him with arrows, aiming to kill Drona.
arjunaṁ ca yudhāṁ śreṣṭhaṁ prādravantaṁ mahāratham। alambuso mahārāja rākṣasendro nyavārayat ॥7-140-16॥
Arjuna, the best among warriors and a great chariot warrior, was fleeing. However, Alambusa, the king of demons, stopped him, O great king.
tathā droṇaṃ maheṣvāsaṃ nighnantaṃ śātravānraṇe। dhṛṣṭadyumno'tha pāñcālyo hṛṣṭarūpamavārayat ॥7-140-17॥
In the battle, as Droṇa, the great archer, was slaying his enemies, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the prince of the Pāñcālas, joyfully intervened and stopped him.
tathānyān pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ samāyātān mahārathān। tāvakā rathino rājanvārayāmāsurojasā ॥7-140-18॥
Thus, O king, your charioteers restrained the other great warriors of the Pandavas who had assembled, with their strength.
gajārohā gajaistūrṇaṃ saṃnipatya mahāmṛdhe। yodhayantaḥ sma dṛśyante śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ ॥7-140-19॥
The elephant-riders, having quickly assembled with their elephants in the great battle, were seen fighting in hundreds and thousands.
niśīthe turagā rājannādravantaḥ parasparam। samadṛśyanta vegena pakṣavanta ivādrayaḥ ॥7-140-20॥
At midnight, O king, the horses ran towards each other with such speed that they seemed like winged mountains.
sādinaḥ sādibhiḥ sārdhaṃ prāsaśaktyṛṣṭipāṇayaḥ। samāgacchanmahārāja vinadantaḥ pṛthakpṛthak ॥7-140-21॥
The horsemen, along with their riders, approached with javelins, spears, and lances in hand, shouting individually, O great king.
narāstu bahavastatra samājagmuḥ parasparam। gadābhirmusalaiścaiva nānāśastraiśca saṅghaśaḥ ॥7-140-22॥
Many men gathered there, confronting each other with maces, pestles, and various weapons in groups.
kṛtavarmā tu hārdikyo dharmaputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram। vārayāmāsa saṅkruddho velevodvṛttamarṇavam ॥7-140-23॥
Kritavarma, the son of Hridika, angrily stopped Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, just as the shore holds back the overflowing ocean.
yudhiṣṭhirastu hārdikyaṃ viddhvā pañcabhirāśugaiḥ। punarvivyādha viṃśatyā tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cābravīt ॥7-140-24॥
Yudhishthira, after striking Hardikya with five swift arrows, struck him again with twenty more and commanded him to "Stay, stay."
kṛtavarmā tu saṅkruddho dharmaputrasya māriṣa। dhanuściccheda bhallena taṃ ca vivyādha saptabhiḥ ॥7-140-25॥
Kritavarma, in his anger towards the son of Dharma, O lord, severed his bow with an arrow and struck him with seven arrows.
athānyaddhanurādāya dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ। hārdikyaṃ daśabhirbāṇairbāhvorurasi cārpayat ॥7-140-26॥
Then Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, took another bow and shot ten arrows into the arms and chest of Hardikya.
mādhavastu raṇe viddho dharmaputreṇa māriṣaḥ। prākampata ca roṣeṇa saptabhiścārdayaccharaiḥ ॥7-140-27॥
Madhava, though struck in battle by Yudhishthira, trembled with rage and retaliated with seven arrows.
tasya pārtho dhanuśchittvā hastāvāpaṃ nikṛtya ca। prāhiṇonniśitānbāṇānpanca rājanśilāśitān ॥7-140-28॥
Arjuna cut off his bow and removed the quiver, then sent five sharp arrows that were stone-sharpened, O king.
te tasya kavacaṃ bhittvā hemacitraṃ mahādhanam। prāviśandharaṇīmugrā valmīkamiva pannagāḥ ॥7-140-29॥
They fiercely pierced his golden-adorned armor and entered the earth, like serpents entering an anthill.
akṣṇornimeṣamātreṇa so'nyadādāya kārmukam। vivyādha pāṇḍavaṃ ṣaṣṭyā sūtaṃ ca navabhiḥ śaraiḥ ॥7-140-30॥
In the blink of an eye, he swiftly grabbed another bow and shot sixty arrows at the Pāṇḍava and nine arrows at the charioteer.
tasya śaktimam eyātmā pāṇḍavo bhujagopamām। cikṣepa bharataśreṣṭha rathe nyasya mahaddhanuḥ ॥7-140-31॥
The son of Pandu, with an immeasurable soul, hurled his spear, which was like a serpent, onto the chariot, O best of the Bharatas, after placing his great bow.
sā hemacitramahatī pāṇḍavena praveritā। nirbhidya dakṣiṇaṃ bāhuṃ prāviśaddharaṇītalam ॥7-140-32॥
The great golden-colored arrow, launched by Pandava, pierced through the right arm and entered the earth's surface.
etasmínneva kāle tu gṛhya pārthaḥ punardhanuḥ। hārdikyaṃ chādayāmāsa śaraiḥ saṃnataparvabhiḥ ॥7-140-33॥
At that moment, Arjuna picked up his bow once more and showered Kritavarma with a barrage of curved arrows.
tatastu samare śūro vṛṣṇīnāṃ pravaro rathī। vyaśvasūtarathaṃ cakre nimeṣārdhādyudhiṣṭhiram ॥7-140-34॥
Then, in the battle, the valiant hero, the foremost of the Vṛṣṇis, transformed Yudhiṣṭhira's chariot, making it devoid of horses and charioteer in the blink of an eye.
tatastu pāṇḍavo jyeṣṭhaḥ khaḍgacarma samādade। tadasya niśitairbāṇairvyadhamanmādhavo raṇe ॥7-140-35॥
Then the eldest of the Pāṇḍavas took up his sword and shield, but Mādhava pierced it with sharp arrows in the battle.
tomaraṁ tu tato gṛhya svarṇadaṇḍaṁ durāsadam। preṣayatsamare tūrṇaṁ hārdikyasya yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ॥7-140-36॥
Yudhishthira, taking the formidable spear with a golden shaft, swiftly hurled it in the battle towards Hārdikya.
tamāpatantaṃ sahasā dharmarājabhujacyutam। dvidhā ciccheda hārdikyaḥ kṛtahastaḥ smayanniva ॥7-140-37॥
Hardikya, with a ready hand and a smile, suddenly cut the approaching figure, who had fallen from Dharmaraja's arm, into two.
tataḥ śaraśatenājau dharmaputramavākirat। kavacaṃ cāsya saṅkruddhaḥ śaraistīkṣṇairadārayat ॥7-140-38॥
Then, in the battle, he showered hundreds of arrows on Dharmaputra. In his anger, he pierced his armor with sharp arrows.
hārdikyaśarasañchinnaṃ kavacaṃ tanmahātmanaḥ। vyaśīryata raṇe rājaṃstārājālamivāmbarāt ॥7-140-39॥
The armor of the great soul was shattered in battle by Hardikya's arrow, resembling a net of stars falling from the sky, O king.
sa chinnadhanvā virathaḥ śīrṇavarmā śarārditaḥ। apāyāsīdraṇāttūrṇaṃ dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ॥7-140-40॥
Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, with his bow broken, chariot lost, armor shattered, and pierced by arrows, quickly retreated from the battlefield.
kṛtavarmā tu nirjitya dharmaputraṃ yudhiṣṭhiram। punardroṇasya jugupē cakramēva mahābalaḥ ॥7-140-41॥
Kritavarma, after defeating Dharmaputra Yudhishthira, once again protected Drona's wheel, showcasing his great strength.
