08.020
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca॥
Dhritarashtra said:
atitīvrāṇi duḥkhāni duḥsahāni bahūni ca। tavāhaṃ sañjayāśrauṣaṃ putrāṇāṃ mama saṅkṣayam ॥8-20-1॥
I, Sanjaya, heard of the very intense and unbearable sorrows, and the destruction of my many sons.
tathā tu me kathayase yathā yuddhaṃ tu vartate। na santi sūta kauravyā iti me naiṣṭhikī matiḥ ॥8-20-2॥
Thus, you tell me that the war is ongoing. However, O charioteer, I firmly believe that the Kauravas are not present.
duryodhanastu virathaḥ kṛtastatra mahāraṇe। dharmaputraḥ kathaṃ cakre tasminvā nṛpatiḥ katham ॥8-20-3॥
Duryodhana was left without a chariot in the great battle. How did Dharmaputra or the king manage in that situation?
aparāhṇe kathaṃ yuddham abhavat lomaharṣaṇam। tan mamācakṣva tattvena kuśalo hy asi sañjaya ॥8-20-4॥
In the afternoon, how did the battle become so intense and thrilling? Please tell me the truth about it, as you are knowledgeable, Sanjaya.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
saṁsakteṣu ca sainyeṣu yudhyamāneṣu bhāgaśaḥ। rathamanyaṁ samāsthāya putrastava viśāṁ pate ॥8-20-5॥
Your son, O lord of the people, engaged in the armies and fighting in parts, ascended another chariot.
krodhena mahatāviṣṭaḥ saviṣo bhujago yathā। duryodhanastu dṛṣṭvā vai dharmarājaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram ॥ uvāca sūta tvaritaṃ yāhi yāhīti bhārata ॥8-20-6॥
Duryodhana, filled with great anger like a venomous serpent, upon seeing Dharmaraja Yudhishthira, instructed his charioteer to quickly proceed, saying, "Go, go," O Bharata.
atra māṁ prāpaya kṣipraṁ sārthe yatra pāṇḍavaḥ। dhriyamāṇena chatreṇa rājā rājati daṁśitaḥ ॥8-20-7॥
"Take me quickly to where the Pāṇḍava is, O charioteer, where the king, adorned and holding an umbrella, shines."
sa sūtaścodito rājñā rājñaḥ syandanamuttamam। yudhiṣṭhirasyaabhimukhaṃ preṣayāmāsa saṃyuge ॥8-20-8॥
The charioteer, upon the king's command, directed the finest chariot towards Yudhishthira amidst the battle.
tato yudhiṣṭhiraḥ kruddhaḥ pramatta iva sadgavaḥ। sārathiṃ codayāmāsa yāhi yatra suyodhanaḥ ॥8-20-9॥
Then Yudhishthira, in a state of anger and agitation like a fierce bull, commanded his charioteer to proceed to where Suyodhana was.
tau samājagmatūrvīrau bhrātarau rathasattamau। sametya ca mahāvīryau saṃnaddhau yuddhadurmadau ॥ tatakṣaturmaheṣvāsau śarairanyonyamāhave ॥8-20-10॥
The two heroic brothers, who were excellent charioteers, met and, being of great valor and prepared for battle, eagerly engaged each other with arrows in the fight.
tato duryodhano rājā dharmaśīlasya māriṣa। śilāśitena bhallena dhanuściccheda saṃyuge ॥ taṃ nāmṛṣyata saṅkruddho vyavasāyaṃ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ॥8-20-11॥
Then King Duryodhana, O sir, severed the bow of the virtuous in battle with a stone-sharpened arrow. Enraged by this, Yudhishthira could not tolerate the act and prepared to retaliate.
apavidhya dhanuśchinnaṃ krodhasaṃraktalocanaḥ। anyatkārmukamādāya dharmaputraścamoomukhe ॥8-20-12॥
The son of Dharma, with eyes inflamed by anger, discarded his broken bow and took up another one, standing at the forefront of the army.
duryodhanasya ciccheda dhvajaṁ kārmukameva ca। athānyaddhanurādāya pratyavidhyata pāṇḍavam ॥8-20-13॥
Duryodhana's flag and bow were severed. Then, seizing another bow, he retaliated against the Pandava.
tāvanyonyaṃ susaṃrabdhau śaravarṣāṇyamuñcatām। siṃhāviva susaṅkruddhau parasparajigīṣayā ॥8-20-14॥
They, like two enraged lions, released showers of arrows at each other, driven by the desire to defeat one another.
anyonyaṁ jaghnatuścaiva nardamānau vṛṣāviva। anyonyaṁ prekṣamāṇau ca ceratustau mahārathau ॥8-20-15॥
The two great charioteers, roaring like bulls, struck each other and moved while looking at each other.
tataḥ pūrṇāyatosṛṣṭairanyonyaṃ sukṛtavraṇau। virejaturmahārāja puṣpitāviva kiṃśukau ॥8-20-16॥
Then, O great king, they shone at each other with well-made wounds, as if they were blooming Butea trees, having fully drawn and released their weapons.
tato rājanpratibhayānsiṃhanādānmuhurmuhuḥ। talayośca tathā śabdāndhanuṣośca mahāhave ॥8-20-17॥
Then, O king, there were terrifying lion roars repeatedly, along with the sounds of clapping and the bowstring in the great battle.
śaṅkhaśabdaravāṃścaiva cakratustau rathottamau। anyonyaṃ ca mahārāja pīḍayāṃ cakraturbhṛśam ॥8-20-18॥
The two excellent chariots made the sound of conch roars and fiercely pressed against each other, O great king.
tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā tava putraṃ tribhiḥ śaraiḥ। ājaghānorasi kruddho vajravego durāsadaḥ ॥8-20-19॥
Then, in his wrath, King Yudhishthira, with the speed and force of a thunderbolt, struck your son on the chest with three arrows, making a formidable impact.
prativivyādha taṃ tūrṇaṃ tava putro mahīpatim। pañcabhirniśitairbāṇairhemapuṅkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ ॥8-20-20॥
Your son swiftly struck the king with five sharp arrows adorned with golden feathers and sharpened on stone.
tato duryodhano rājā śaktiṃ cikṣepa bhārata। sarvapāraśavīṃ tīkṣṇāṃ maholkāpratimāṃ tadā ॥8-20-21॥
Then King Duryodhana hurled a powerful weapon, O Bharata, which was all-pervading and sharp, resembling a great meteor.
tām āpatantīṃ sahasā dharmarājaḥ śilāśitaiḥ। tribhiś ciccheda sahasā taṃ ca vivyādha saptabhiḥ ॥8-20-22॥
Dharmaraja swiftly intercepted her approach with three stone-sharpened arrows and then pierced him with seven arrows.
nipapāta tataḥ sātha hemadaṇḍā mahāghanā। nipatantī maholkeva vyarājacchikhisaṃnibhā ॥8-20-23॥
Then, a great cloud, along with the golden staff, fell down, shining like a great meteor and resembling a flame.
śaktiṃ vinihatāṃ dṛṣṭvā putrastava viśāṃ pate। navabhirniśitairbhallairnijaghāna yudhiṣṭhiram ॥8-20-24॥
Seeing the power destroyed, your son, O lord of the people, attacked Yudhishthira with nine sharp arrows.
so'tividdho balavatāmagraṇīḥ śatrutāpanaḥ। duryodhanaṃ samuddiśya bāṇaṃ jagrāha satvaraḥ ॥8-20-25॥
He, deeply wounded and a leader among the strong, who torments his enemies, quickly took an arrow aiming at Duryodhana.
samādatta ca taṃ bāṇaṃ dhanuṣyugraṃ mahābalaḥ। cikṣepa ca tato rājā rājñaḥ kruddhaḥ parākramī ॥8-20-26॥
The mighty king, filled with anger, took the fierce bow and arrow and shot it with great valor.
sa tu bāṇaḥ samāsādya tava putraṃ mahāratham। vyamohayat rājānaṃ dharaṇīṃ ca jagāma ha ॥8-20-27॥
The arrow struck your son, the great warrior, causing him to be bewildered, and then it fell to the ground.
tato duryodhanaḥ kruddho gadāmudyamya vegitaḥ। vidhitsuḥ kalahasyāntamabhidudrāva pāṇḍavam ॥8-20-28॥
Then, in his anger, Duryodhana swiftly raised his mace and charged towards the Pāṇḍava, intending to bring an end to the conflict.
tamālakṣyodyatagadaṃ daṇḍahastamivāntakam। dharmarājo mahāśaktiṃ prāhiṇottava sūnave ॥ dīpyamānāṃ mahāvegāṃ maholkāṃ jvalitāmiva ॥8-20-29॥
Dharmaraja sent a mighty weapon to your son, appearing like a dark-blue mace raised in hand, resembling death itself; it shone with great speed, like a blazing meteor.
rathasthaḥ sa tayā viddho varma bhittvā mahāhave। bhṛśaṃ saṃvignahṛdayaḥ papāta ca mumoha ca ॥8-20-30॥
Standing on the chariot, he was struck by her arrow, which penetrated his armor in the great battle; deeply disturbed, he fell and lost consciousness.
tatastvaritamāgatya kṛtavarmā tavātmajam। pratyapadyata rājānaṃ magnaṃ vai vyasanārṇave ॥8-20-31॥
Then Kritavarma quickly came and approached your son, the king, who was deeply immersed in sorrow.
bhīmo'pi mahatīṃ gṛhya gadāṃ hemapariṣkṛtām। abhidudrāva vegena kṛtavarmāṇamāhave ॥ evaṃ tadabhavadyuddhaṃ tvadīyānāṃ paraiḥ saha ॥8-20-32॥
Bhima, wielding a grand mace embellished with gold, charged swiftly at Kritavarma in the battle. Thus, the battle ensued between your forces and the enemies.
