08.047
Core and Pancharatra: Arjuna gives the excuse of how he was engaged with Ashwatthama and then promises to kill Karna the very day.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
taddharmaśīlasya vaco niśamya; rājñaḥ kruddhasyādhirathau mahātmā। uvāca durdharṣamadīnasattvaṃ; yudhiṣṭhiraṃ jiṣṇuranantavīryaḥ ॥8- 47-1॥
Upon hearing the words of the righteous, the great-souled Adhiratha, who was the angry king, addressed Yudhishthira, the invincible and undaunted spirit, and Arjuna, who possesses boundless energy.
saṃśaptakairyudhyamānasya me'dya; senāgrayāyī kurusainyasya rājan। āśīviṣābhānkhamagānpramuñca; ndrauṇiḥ purastātsahasā vyatiṣṭhat ॥8- 47-2॥
Today, as I engage in battle with the Trigartas, O king, Aśvatthāmā, leading the Kuru forces, suddenly appeared before me, unleashing serpent-like birds.
dṛṣṭvā rathaṃ meghanibhaṃ mamema; mambaṣṭhasenā maraṇe vyatiṣṭhat. teṣāmahaṃ pañca śatāni hatvā; tato drauṇimagamaṃ pārthivāgrya ॥8-47-3॥
Upon seeing the chariot resembling a cloud, my Mambaṣṭha's army stood ready to face death. After slaying five hundred of them, I then approached Drauni, the foremost among kings.
tato'parānbāṇasaṅghānanekā; nākarṇapūrṇāyatavipramuktān। sasarja śikṣāstrabalaprayatnai; stathā yathā prāvṛṣi kālameghaḥ ॥8- 47-4॥
Then he released many groups of arrows, fully drawn to the ear, with skill and weapon strength, just like dark clouds in the rainy season.
naivādadānaṃ na ca saṃdadhānaṃ; jānīmahe katareṇāsyatīti। vāmena vā yadi vā dakṣiṇena; sa droṇaputraḥ samare paryavartat ॥8- 47-5॥
"We do not know whether it will fall by the left or the right, as neither giving nor joining is certain." Drona's son turned around in the battle.
avidyanmāṁ pañcabhirdroṇaputraḥ; śitaiḥ śaraiḥ pañcabhirvāsudevam। ahaṁ tu taṁ triṁśatā vajrakalpaiḥ; samārdayaṁ nimiṣasyāntareṇa ॥8- 47-6॥
Drona's son attacked me with five sharp arrows, but I retaliated by crushing him with thirty thunderbolt-like arrows in an instant.
sa vikṣaranrudhiraṃ sarvagātrai; rathānīkaṃ sūtasūnorviveśa। mayābhibhūtaḥ sainikānāṃ prabarhā; nasāvapaśyanrudhireṇa pradigdhān ॥8- 47-7॥
He, bleeding from all his limbs, entered the chariot army of the charioteer's son. Overpowered by me, the best among the soldiers could not see him as he was smeared with blood.
tato'bhibhūtaṃ yudhi vīkṣya sainyaṃ; vidhvastayodhaṃ drutavājināgam। pañcāśatā rathamukhyaiḥ sametaḥ; karṇastvaranmāmupāyātpramāthī ॥8- 47-8॥
Then Karna, the destroyer, seeing the army overcome in battle with shattered warriors and swift horses and elephants, accompanied by fifty chief chariots, hastened towards me.
tānsūdayitvāhamapāsya karṇaṁ; draṣṭuṁ bhavantaṁ tvarayābhiyātaḥ। sarve pāñcālā hyudvijante sma karṇā; dgandhādgāvaḥ kesariṇo yathaiva ॥8- 47-9॥
"Having slain them and abandoned Karṇa, I have hastened to see you. All the Pāñcālas were indeed terrified of Karṇa, just as cows are of the scent of a lion."
mahājaṣasyeva mukhaṃ prapannāḥ; prabhadrakāḥ karṇamabhi dravanti. mṛtyorāsyaṃ vyāttamivānvapadya; nprabhadrakāḥ karṇamāsādya rājan ॥8- 47-10॥
The Prabhadrakas, like entering the mouth of a great fish, run towards the ear. They entered the mouth of death, as if it was opened, and reached the ear, O king.
āyāhi paśyādya yuyutsamānaṁ; māṁ sūtaputraṁ ca vṛtau jayāya। ṣaṭsāhasrā bhārata rājasutrāḥ; svargāya lokāya rathā nimagnāḥ ॥8-47-11॥
"Come and see today the battle; I and the son of a charioteer are engaged in the fight for victory. Six thousand princes of the Bharata dynasty are immersed in their chariots, destined for heaven and the world."
sametyāhaṃ sūtaputreṇa saṅkhye; vṛtreṇa vajrīva narendramukhya। yotsye bhṛśaṃ bhārata sūtaputra; masminsaṅgrāme yadi vai dṛśyate'dya ॥8- 47-12॥
Having met the son of a charioteer in battle, like Indra with Vritra, O chief of kings, I will fight fiercely, O Bharata, with the son of a charioteer in this battle, if indeed he is seen today.
karṇaṁ na cedadya nihanmi rāja; nsabāndhavaṁ yudhyamānaṁ prasahya। pratiśrutyākurvatāṁ vai gatiryā; kaṣṭāṁ gaccheyaṁ tāmahaṁ rājasiṁha ॥8- 47-13॥
If I do not kill Karna today, O king, while he is fighting with his relatives, I would face the difficult fate of those who do not keep their promises, O lion among kings.
āmantraye tvāṃ brūhi jayaṃ raṇe me; purā bhīmaṃ dhārtarāṣṭrā grasante. sautiṃ haniṣyāmi narendrasiṃha; sainyaṃ tathā śatrugaṇāṃśca sarvān ॥8- 47-14॥
I request you to declare my victory in battle before Bhima is devoured by the sons of Dhritarashtra. O lion among kings, I will kill Sauti and the entire army along with all enemy groups.
