07.144
Core and Pancharatra: Intense battle between Shakuni and Nakula where finally unconscious Shakuni is taken away. Shikandin fights Kripa and faces defeat. In the night, their own people and others killed each other without any limits. The battle was terrible and frightening.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
nakulaṁ rabhasaṁ yuddhe nighnantaṁ vāhinīṁ tava। abhyayātsaubalaḥ kruddhastiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cābravīt ॥7-144-1॥
Nakula was fiercely attacking your army in the battle. Saubala, in anger, approached him and said, "Stop, stop."
kṛtavairau tu tau vīrāv anyonyavadhakāṅkṣiṇau। śaraiḥ pūrṇāyatotsṛṣṭair anyonyam abhijaghnatuḥ ॥7-144-2॥
The two heroes, having enmity and desiring to kill each other, attacked each other with arrows that were fully drawn and released.
yathaiva saubalaḥ kṣipraṃ śaravarṣāṇi muñcati। tathaiva nakulo rājañśikṣāṃ saṃdarśayanyudhi ॥7-144-3॥
Just as Saubala swiftly releases volleys of arrows, Nakula, O king, shows his skill in battle.
tāvubhau samare śūrau śarakaṇṭakinau tadā। vyarājetāṃ mahārāja kaṇṭakairiva śālmalī ॥7-144-4॥
Those two heroes, in the midst of battle, appeared resplendent, O great king, like a silk-cotton tree adorned with thorns of arrows.
sujihmaṃ prekṣamāṇau ca rājanvivṛtalocanau। krodhasaṃraktanayanau nirdahantau parasparam ॥7-144-5॥
O king, they looked at each other with wide-open, bloodshot eyes, filled with anger, as if they were burning each other.
syālastu tava saṅkruddho mādrīputraṃ hasanniva। karṇinaikena vivyādha hṛdaye niśitena ha ॥7-144-6॥
But your brother-in-law, in anger, seemed to smile as he pierced Mādri's son in the heart with a single sharp arrow.
nakulastu bhṛśaṃ viddhaḥ syālena tava dhanvinā। niṣasāda rathopasthe kaśmalaṃ cainamāviśat ॥7-144-7॥
Nakul, severely injured by your brother-in-law, the archer, sat down on the chariot seat, and was overtaken by faintness.
atyantavairiṇaṃ dṛptaṃ dṛṣṭvā śatruṃ tathāgatam। nanāda śakunī rājaṃstapānte jalado yathā ॥7-144-8॥
Upon seeing the arrogant and extreme enemy thus arrived, the bird roared, O king, just like a cloud does at the end of summer.
pratilabhya tataḥ sañjñāṃ nakulaḥ pāṇḍunandanaḥ। abhyayātsaubalaṃ bhūyo vyāttānana ivāntakaḥ ॥7-144-9॥
Nakula, the son of Pandu, having regained his senses, approached Saubala once more, resembling death with his mouth wide open.
saṅkruddhaḥ śakuniṃ ṣaṣṭyā vivyādha bharatarṣabhaḥ। punaścaiva śatenaiva nārācānāṃ stanāntare ॥7-144-10॥
The enraged bull of the Bharatas struck Shakuni with sixty arrows, and then once more with a hundred arrows in the chest.
tato'sya saśaraṃ cāpaṃ muṣṭideśe sa cicchide। dhvajaṃ ca tvaritaṃ chittvā rathādbhūmāvapātayat ॥7-144-11॥
Then he swiftly cut off his bowstring with an arrow at the grip, and quickly severed the flag, causing it to fall from the chariot to the ground.
so'tividdho mahārāja rathopastha upāviśat। taṃ visañjñaṃ nipatitaṃ dṛṣṭvā syālaṃ tavānagha ॥ apovāha rathenāśu sārathirdhvajinīmukhāt ॥7-144-12॥
Pierced deeply, the great king sat on the chariot seat. Observing the unconscious and fallen brother-in-law, the charioteer swiftly carried him away from the army's front.
tataḥ sañcukruśuḥ pārthā ye ca teṣāṃ padānugāḥ। nirjitya ca raṇe śatrūnnakulaḥ śatrutāpanaḥ ॥ abravītsārathiṃ kruddho droṇānīkāya māṃ vaha ॥7-144-13॥
Then the sons of Pritha and their followers shouted in triumph. After defeating the enemies in battle, Nakul, known for tormenting his foes, angrily instructed his charioteer, "Take me to Drona's army."
tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā mādrīputrasya dhīmataḥ। prāyāttena raṇe rājanyena droṇo'nvayudhyata ॥7-144-14॥
Upon hearing the words of the wise son of Mādrī, Droṇa, the warrior, departed to engage in battle.
śikhaṇḍinaṃ tu samare droṇaprepsuṃ viśāṃ pate। kṛpaḥ śāradvato yattaḥ pratyudgacchatsuvegitaḥ ॥7-144-15॥
In the battle, Kripa, the son of Sharadvata, swiftly moved against Shikhandin, who was eager to confront Drona, O lord of men.
gautamaṁ drutamāyāntaṁ droṇāntikamariṁdamam। vivyādha navabhirbhallaiḥ śikhaṇḍī prahasanniva ॥7-144-16॥
Śikhaṇḍī, with a smile, swiftly shot nine arrows at Gautama, who was approaching near Droṇa, the subduer of enemies.
tamācāryo mahārāja viddhvā pañcabhirāśugaiḥ। punarvivyādha viṃśatyā putrāṇāṃ priyakṛttava ॥7-144-17॥
The teacher, O great king, first struck him with five swift arrows and then again targeted the beloved sons with twenty arrows.
mahadyuddhaṃ tayorāsīdgʰorarūpaṃ viśāṃ pate। yathā devāsure yuddhe śambarāmararājayoḥ ॥7-144-18॥
A fierce and great battle occurred between the two, reminiscent of the legendary battles between gods and demons, specifically between Śambara and the king of the gods.
śarajālāvṛtaṃ vyoma cakratustau mahārathau। prakṛtyā ghorarūpaṃ tadāsīdghorataraṃ punaḥ ॥7-144-19॥
The two great charioteers created a sky covered with a net of arrows. By nature, it was a terrifying sight, and it became even more dreadful.
rātriśca bharataśreṣṭha yodhānāṃ yuddhaśālinām। kālarātrinibhā hyāsīdghorarūpā bhayāvahā ॥7-144-20॥
The night, O best of the Bharatas, was terrifying and dreadful, resembling the night of destruction, as it enveloped the warriors engaged in battle.
śikhaṇḍī tu mahārāja gautamasya mahaddhanuḥ। ardhacandreṇa ciccheda sajyaṃ saviśikhaṃ tadā ॥7-144-21॥
Shikhandi, O great king, using a crescent-shaped arrow, cut off the great bow of Gautama, which was strung and equipped with an arrow, at that moment.
tasya kruddhaḥ kṛpo rājañśaktiṃ cikṣepa dāruṇām। svarṇadaṇḍāmakuṇṭhāgrāṃ karmāraparimārjitām ॥7-144-22॥
In his anger, Kṛpa, O king, hurled a dreadful spear with a golden shaft, sharp-pointed and polished by a smith.
tām āpatantīṃ ciccheda śikhaṇḍī bahubhiḥ śaraiḥ। sā patan medinīṃ dīptā bhāsayantī mahāprabhā ॥7-144-23॥
As Shikhandi attacked with numerous arrows, she fell to the ground, her brilliance illuminating the earth with a great light.
athānyaddhanurādāya gautamo rathināṃ varaḥ। prācchādayacchitairbāṇairmahārāja śikhaṇḍinam ॥7-144-24॥
Then Gautama, the foremost among charioteers, took another bow and showered Shikhandi with sharp arrows, O great king.
sa chādyamānaḥ samare gautamena yaśasvinā। vyaṣīdata rathopasthe śikhaṇḍī rathināṃ varaḥ ॥7-144-25॥
Śikhaṇḍī, the best of charioteers, was overwhelmed in battle by the illustrious Gautama and became despondent on his chariot seat.
sīdantaṃ cainamālokya kṛpaḥ śāradvato yudhi। ājaghne bahubhirbāṇairjighāṃsanniva bhārata ॥7-144-26॥
Seeing him collapsing in battle, Kṛpa, the son of Śaradvat, attacked with many arrows, as if intending to kill, O Bhārata.
vimukhaṁ taṁ raṇe dṛṣṭvā yājñaseniṁ mahāratham। pāñcālāḥ somakāścaiva parivavruḥ samantataḥ ॥7-144-27॥
Upon seeing Yajnaseni, the great chariot-warrior, turn away in battle, the Panchalas and the Somakas surrounded him from all directions.
tathaiva tava putrāśca parivavrurdvijottamam। mahatyā senayā sārdhaṃ tato yuddhamabhūt punaḥ ॥7-144-28॥
In the same manner, your sons, along with a great army, surrounded the best of the twice-born, and then the battle resumed.
rathānāṃ ca raṇe rājannanyonyamabhidhāvatām। babhūva tumulaḥ śabdo meghānāṃ nadatāmiva ॥7-144-29॥
O king, in the battle, as the chariots rushed towards each other, there arose a tumultuous sound akin to the roaring of clouds.
dravatāṃ sādināṃ caiva gajānāṃ ca viśāṃ pate। anyonyamabhito rājankrūramāyodhanaṃ babhau ॥7-144-30॥
O lord of the people, the fierce battle between the charging horsemen and elephants unfolded all around, O king.
pattīnāṃ dravatāṃ caiva padaśabdena medinī। akampata mahārāja bhayatrasteva cāṅganā ॥7-144-31॥
The earth shook with the sound of footsteps as if the leaves were flowing, O great king, like a frightened woman.
rathā rathānsamāsādya pradrutā vegavattaram। nyagṛhṇanbahavo rājañśalabhānvāyasā iva ॥7-144-32॥
The chariots, having approached the other chariots, rushed with great speed; many restrained them, O king, like crows restrain grasshoppers.
tathā gajānprabhinnāṃśca suprabhinnā mahāgajāḥ। tasminneva pade yattā nigṛhṇanti sma bhārata ॥7-144-33॥
In that place, O Bhārata, the great elephants, both broken and well-broken, were restrained with effort.
sādī sādinam āsādya padātī ca padātinam। samāsādya raṇe'nyonyaṃ saṃrabdhā nāticakramuḥ ॥7-144-34॥
The attackers and foot-soldiers, having approached each other in battle, did not overstep their bounds, being excited.
dhāvatāṃ dravatāṃ caiva punarāvartatāmapi। babhūva tatra sainyānāṃ śabdaḥ sutumulo niśi ॥7-144-35॥
At night, there was a very loud noise from the armies, made by those who were running, fleeing, and returning again.
dīpyamānāḥ pradīpāśca rathavāraṇavājiṣu। adṛśyanta mahārāja maholkā iva khāccyutāḥ ॥7-144-36॥
The shining lamps on the chariots, elephants, and horses appeared, O great king, like meteors falling from the sky.
sā niśā bharataśreṣṭha pradīpairavabhāsitā। divasapratimā rājanbabhūva raṇamūrdhani ॥7-144-37॥
The night was so brightly lit with lamps that it appeared like day on the battlefield, O best of Bharatas, O king.
ādityena yathā vyāptaṃ tamo loke praṇaśyati। tathā naṣṭaṃ tamo ghoraṃ dīpairdīptairalaṅkṛtam ॥7-144-38॥
Just as the darkness in the world is dispelled by the sun, so too is the terrible darkness dispelled by bright and adorned lamps.
śastrāṇāṃ kavacānāṃ ca maṇīnāṃ ca mahātmanām। antardadhuḥ prabhāḥ sarvā dīpaistairavabhāsitāḥ ॥7-144-39॥
The brilliance of the weapons, armors, and jewels of the great souls vanished, as they were illuminated by the lamps.
tasmin kolāhale yuddhe vartamāne niśāmukhe। avadhīt samare putraṃ pitā bharatasattama ॥7-144-40॥
During the tumultuous battle at nightfall, a father killed his son in the battlefield, O noble Bharata.
putraśca pitaraṃ mohātsakhāyaṃ ca sakhā tathā। sambandhinaṃ ca sambandhī svasrīyaṃ cāpi mātulaḥ ॥7-144-41॥
Due to delusion, a son considers his father as a friend, a relative as another relative, and a sister's son as a maternal uncle.
sve svān pare parāṁś cāpi nijaghnur itaretaram। nirmaryādam abhūd yuddhaṁ rātrau ghoraṁ bhayāvaham ॥7-144-42॥
In the night, their own people and others killed each other without any limits. The battle was terrible and frightening.
