08.039
Core and Pancharatra: Combined forces of the Pandavas attack Aśvatthāmā, and Yudhisthira advises Aśvatthāmā to do his Brahminical duties instead of engaging in war.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
drauṇiryudhiṣṭhiraṃ dṛṣṭvā śaineyenābhirakṣitam। draupadeyais tathā śūrair abhyavartata hṛṣṭavat ॥8-39-1॥
Aśvatthāmā, upon seeing Yudhishthira being protected by Satyaki and the sons of Draupadi, along with other heroes, advanced with joy.
kiranniṣugaṇānghorānsvarṇapuṅkhāñśilāśitān। darśayanvividhānmārgāñśikṣārthaṃ laghuhastavat ॥8-39-2॥
He scattered terrible arrows with golden feathers and stone-sharpened tips, demonstrating various paths for learning with the skill of a light-handed master.
tataḥ khaṃ pūrayāmāsa śarairdivyāstramantritaiḥ। yudhiṣṭhiraṃ ca samare paryavārayadastravit ॥8-39-3॥
Then, the master of weapons filled the sky with arrows empowered by divine weapon spells and surrounded Yudhishthira in the battle.
drauṇāyaniśaracchannaṁ na prājñāyata kiñcana। bāṇabhūtamabhūtsarvamāyodhanaśiro hi tat ॥8-39-4॥
The battlefield was so densely covered with arrows by Drona's son that nothing could be seen; it was as if the entire battlefield had turned into arrows.
bāṇajālaṃ diviṣṭhaṃ tatsvarṇajālavibhūṣitam। śuśubhe bharataśreṣṭha vitānamiva viṣṭhitam ॥8-39-5॥
O best of the Bharatas, the network of arrows spread out in the sky, adorned with a golden network, shone like a magnificent canopy.
tena channe raṇe rājanbāṇajālena bhāsvatā। abhracchāyeva sañjajñe bāṇaruddhe nabhastale ॥8-39-6॥
O king, the battle was enveloped by a brilliant network of arrows, resembling the shadow of a cloud, and the sky was filled with arrows.
tatrāścaryamapaśyāma bāṇabhūte tathāvidhe। na sma sampatate bhūmau dṛṣṭvā drauṇeḥ parākramam ॥8-39-7॥
There we witnessed a remarkable sight: an arrow, in such a form, did not fall to the ground, as we observed the valor of Drona's son.
lāghavaṃ droṇaputrasya dṛṣṭvā tatra mahārathāḥ। vyasmayanta mahārāja na cainaṃ prativīkṣitum ॥ śekuste sarvarājānastapantamiva bhāskaram ॥8-39-8॥
Upon witnessing the agility of Droṇa's son, the great warriors were astonished, O great king, and none of the kings could bear to look back at him, as if he were the blazing sun.
sātyakiryatamānastu dharmarājaśca pāṇḍavaḥ। tathetarāṇi sainyāni na sma cakruḥ parākramam ॥8-39-9॥
Satyaki was striving, but Dharmaraja and Pandava, as well as the other armies, did not show valor.
vadhyamāne tataḥ sainye draupadeyā mahārathāḥ। sātyakir dharmarājaś ca pāñcālāś cāpi saṅgatāḥ ॥ tyaktvā mṛtyubhayaṃ ghoraṃ drauṇāyanim upādravan ॥8-39-10॥
As the army was being slaughtered, the sons of Draupadī, along with the great warriors Sātyaki, Dharmarāja, and the Pāñcālas, gathered together and, casting aside their dreadful fear of death, launched an attack on Aśvatthāmā.
sātyakiḥ pañcaviṃśatyā drauṇiṃ viddhvā śilāmukhaiḥ। punarvivyādha nārācaiḥ saptabhiḥ svarṇabhūṣitaiḥ ॥8-39-11॥
Satyaki struck Drona's son with twenty-five arrows and then again with seven arrows adorned with gold.
yudhiṣṭhirastrisaptatyā prativindhyaśca saptabhiḥ। śrutakarmā tribhirbāṇaiḥ śrutakīrtistu saptabhiḥ ॥8-39-12॥
Yudhishthira fought with seventy-three arrows, Prativindhya with seven, Shrutakarma with three arrows, but Shrutakirti with seven.
sutasomaśca navabhiḥ śatānīkaśca saptabhiḥ। anye ca bahavaḥ śūrā vivyadhustaṃ samantataḥ ॥8-39-13॥
Sutasoma, along with nine others, and Śatānīka, with seven, along with many other heroes, attacked him from all sides.
so'tikruddhastato rājannāśīviṣa iva śvasan। sātyakiṃ pañcaviṃśatyā prāvidhyata śilāśitaiḥ ॥8-39-14॥
He, extremely enraged, then, O king, breathing like a serpent, attacked Satyaki with twenty-five stone-tipped arrows.
śrutakīrtiṃ ca navabhiḥ sutasomaṃ ca pañcabhiḥ। aṣṭabhiḥ śrutakarmāṇaṃ prativindhyaṃ tribhiḥ śaraiḥ ॥ śatānīkaṃ ca navabhir dharmaputraṃ ca saptabhiḥ ॥8-39-15॥
Śrutakīrti was struck with nine arrows, Sutasoma with five; Śrutakarmā with eight, Prativindhya with three; Śatānīka with nine, and Dharmaputra with seven arrows.
athetarāṃstataḥ śūrāndvābhyāṃ dvābhyāmatāḍayat। śrutakīrtestatā cāpaṃ ciccheda niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ॥8-39-16॥
Then, from that place, he struck the other warriors with two arrows. He also severed Śrutakīrti's bow with sharp arrows.
athānyaddhanurādāya śrutakīrtirmahārathaḥ। drauṇāyaniṃ tribhirviddhvā vivyādhānyaiḥ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ ॥8-39-17॥
Then Śrutakīrti, the great charioteer, took another bow and pierced Drona's son with three sharp arrows, striking him with others.
tato drauṇirmahārāja śaravarṣeṇa bhārata। chādayāmāsa tatsainyaṃ samantācca śarairnṛpān ॥8-39-18॥
Then, O great king, Drona's son covered the entire army and the kings on all sides with a shower of arrows, O descendant of Bharata.
tataḥ punarameyātmā dharmarājasya kārmukam। drauṇiściccheda vihasanvivyādha ca śaraistribhiḥ ॥8-39-19॥
Then, once more, the immeasurable-souled Drona's son, with a smile, severed the bow of Dharmaraja and struck him with three arrows.
tato dharmasuto rājanpragṛhyānyanmahaddhanuḥ। drauṇiṃ vivyādha saptatyā bāhvorurasi cārdayat ॥8-39-20॥
Then, O king, the son of Dharma took up another great bow and pierced Ashwatthama, the son of Drona, with seventy arrows, causing him great pain in his arms and chest.
sātyakistu tataḥ kruddho drauṇeḥ praharato raṇe। ardhacandreṇa tīkṣṇena dhanuśchittvānadadbhr̥śam ॥8-39-21॥
Satyaki, in his anger, cut down the bow of Ashwatthama, Drona's son, who was fiercely attacking in the battle, using a sharp crescent-shaped arrow, and then roared loudly in triumph.
chinnadhanvā tato drauṇiḥ śaktyā śaktimatāṃ varaḥ। sārathiṃ pātayāmāsa śaineyasya rathāddrutam ॥8-39-22॥
Then, Drauṇi, the son of Droṇa, known for his might, swiftly caused the charioteer of Śaineya to fall from the chariot, as he wielded his power.
athānyaddhanurādāya droṇaputraḥ pratāpavān। śaineyaṃ śaravarṣeṇa chādayāmāsa bhārata ॥8-39-23॥
Then, the valiant son of Droṇa picked up another bow and showered arrows upon Satyaki, O Bharata.
tasyāśvāḥ pradrutāḥ saṅkhye patite rathasārathau। tatra tatraiva dhāvantaḥ samadṛśyanta bhārata ॥8-39-24॥
His horses, with the charioteer and chariot fallen in battle, were seen running swiftly here and there, O Bharata.
yudhiṣṭhirapurogāste drauṇiṃ śastrabhṛtāṃ varam। abhyavarṣanta vegena visṛjantaḥ śitāñśarān ॥8-39-25॥
Led by Yudhishthira, they swiftly attacked Drona's son, the best among warriors, by releasing sharp arrows.
āgacchamānāṃstāndṛṣṭvā raudrarūpānparantapaḥ। prahasannpratijagrāha droṇaputro mahāraṇe ॥8-39-26॥
Upon seeing them approach in their terrifying forms, the son of Droṇa, known as the scorcher of foes, smiled and accepted the challenge in the great battle.
tataḥ śaraśatajvālaḥ senākakṣaṃ mahārathaḥ। drauṇirdadāha samare kakṣamagniryathā vane ॥8-39-27॥
Then, Drona's son, the great chariot warrior, burned the army's region in battle with hundreds of flaming arrows, just as fire would in a forest.
tad-balaṁ pāṇḍu-putrasya droṇa-putra-pratāpitam। cukṣubhe bharata-śreṣṭha timin-eva nadī-mukham ॥8-39-28॥
The strength of the Pandava, inflamed by Ashwatthama, was disturbed, O best of the Bharatas, like a river's mouth is agitated by a shark.
dṛṣṭvā te ca mahārāja droṇaputraparākramam। nihatānmenire sarvānpāṇḍūndroṇasutena vai ॥8-39-29॥
Upon witnessing the might of Droṇa's son, O great king, they believed that all the Pāṇḍavas had indeed been slain by him.
yudhiṣṭhirastu tvarito drauṇiṃ śliṣya mahāratham। abravīddroṇaputraṃ tu roṣāmarṣasamanvitaḥ ॥8-39-30॥
Yudhishthira, in a hurry, embraced Ashwatthama, the great warrior, and spoke to him with anger and impatience.
naiva nāma tava prītirnaiva nāma kṛtajñatā। yatastvaṃ puruṣavyāghra māmevādya jighāṃsasi ॥8-39-31॥
There is neither affection nor gratitude in you, as you, O tiger among men, intend to kill me today.
brāhmaṇena tapaḥ kāryaṃ dānamadhyayanaṃ tathā। kṣatriyeṇa dhanurnāmyaṃ sa bhavānbrāhmaṇabruvaḥ ॥8-39-32॥
A Brahmin should engage in austerity, duty, charity, and study, while a Kshatriya should focus on archery. You are referred to as a Brahmin.
miṣatas te mahābāho jeṣyāmi yudhi kauravān। kuruṣva samare karma brahmabandhur asi dhruvam ॥8-39-33॥
While you watch, O mighty-armed one, I shall defeat the Kauravas in battle. Engage in your duty in the war, for you are indeed a relative of a Brahmana.
evamukto mahārāja droṇaputraḥ smayanniva। yuktatvaṃ tacca sañcintya nottaraṃ kiñcidabravīt ॥8-39-34॥
Having been addressed in this way, O great king, the son of Droṇa, as if smiling, pondered over the appropriateness and did not say anything in response.
Anuktvā ca tataḥ kiñcit śaravarṣeṇa pāṇḍavam। chādayāmāsa samare kruddho'ntaka iva prajāḥ ॥8-39-35॥
Without uttering a word, he then showered arrows upon Pāṇḍava in the battle, like the furious god of death, Antaka, envelops all beings.
sañchādyamānastu tadā droṇaputreṇa māriṣa। pārtho'payātaḥ śīghraṃ vai vihāya mahatīṃ chamūm ॥8-39-36॥
At that time, O great one, Arjuna, being overwhelmed by Drona's son, quickly retreated, leaving the vast army behind.
apayāte tatastasmindharmaputre yudhiṣṭhire। droṇaputraḥ sthito rājanpratyādeśānmahātmanaḥ ॥8-39-37॥
After Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, had departed, the son of Drona stood there, O king, following the command of the great soul.
tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā tyaktvā drauṇiṃ mahāhave। prayayau tāvakaṃ sainyaṃ yuktaḥ krūrāya karmaṇe ॥8-39-38॥
Then King Yudhishthira, leaving Drona's son behind in the great battle, advanced towards your army with the intent of performing a cruel act.
