09.008
Core and Pancharatra: The fierce river, filled with Kurus and Sṛñjayas, began to flow, bringing joy to the heroes and increasing fear among the fearful. As the army of the Kauravas was being slaughtered, they fled in all directions. Great cries of distress arose among the Kaurava warriors.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ kurūṇāṃ bhayavardhanam। sṛñjayaiḥ saha rājendra ghoraṃ devāsuropamam ॥9-8-1॥
Then a fearsome battle began between the Kurus and the Sṛñjayas, O king, resembling the battles of gods and demons.
narā rathā gajaughāśca sādināśca sahasraśaḥ। vājināśca parākrāntāḥ samājagmuḥ parasparam ॥9-8-2॥
Thousands of men, chariots, elephant troops, horsemen, and valiant horses gathered together.
nāgānāṃ bhīmarūpāṇāṃ dravatāṃ nisvano mahān। aśrūyata yathā kāle jaladānāṃ nabhastale ॥9-8-3॥
The terrifying sound of the serpents with dreadful forms melting away was heard, similar to the sound of clouds in the sky during the rainy season.
nāgairabhyāhatāḥ kecitsarathā rathino'patan। vyadravanta raṇe vīrā drāvyamāṇā madotkaṭaiḥ ॥9-8-4॥
Struck by elephants, some charioteers fell along with their chariots. The heroes, overwhelmed by the intoxicated elephants, fled from the battlefield.
hayaughānpādarakṣāṃśca rathinastatra śikṣitāḥ। śaraiḥ saṃpreṣayāmāsuḥ paralokāya bhārata ॥9-8-5॥
The skilled warriors, using their arrows, sent the horses and foot soldiers to the afterlife, O Bharata.
sādinaḥ śikṣitā rājanparivārya mahārathān। vicaranto raṇe'bhyaghnanprāsaśaktyṛṣṭibhistathā ॥9-8-6॥
The trained horsemen, O king, surrounded the great charioteers and moved through the battlefield, striking with spears, power, and arrows.
dhanvinaḥ puruṣāḥ kecitsaṃnivārya mahārathān। ekaṃ bahava āsādya preṣayeyuryamakṣayam ॥9-8-7॥
Some archers, having obstructed the great charioteers, would gather in numbers to send one to the abode of Yama.
nāgaṁ rathavarāṁścānye parivārya mahārathāḥ। sottarāyudhinaṁ jaghnurdravamāṇā mahāravam ॥9-8-8॥
The great warriors surrounded the elephant and the best of chariots, and in the ensuing chaos, they killed Uttarāyudhinam amidst a great uproar.
tathā ca rathinaṃ kruddhaṃ vikirantaṃ śarānbahūn। nāgā jaghnurmahārāja parivārya samantataḥ ॥9-8-9॥
Thus, O great king, the elephants surrounded and killed the angry charioteer who was scattering many arrows from all sides.
nāgo nāgamabhidrutya rathī ca rathinaṃ raṇe। śaktitomaranārācairnijaghnustatra tatra ha ॥9-8-10॥
In the battle, the elephant charged at the elephant, and the charioteer at the charioteer, striking down with spears, javelins, and arrows at various places.
pādātānavamṛdnanto rathavāraṇavājinaḥ। raṇamadhye vyadṛśyanta kurvanto mahadākulam ॥9-8-11॥
In the midst of the battle, foot soldiers were seen crushing chariots, elephants, and horses, creating great confusion.
hayāśca paryadhāvanta cāmarairupaśobhitāḥ। haṃsā himavataḥ prasthe pibanta iva medinīm ॥9-8-12॥
The horses, adorned with fans, ran around. The swans on the Himalayan plateau appeared to be drinking the earth.
teṣāṃ tu vājināṃ bhūmiḥ khuraiścitrā viśāṃ pate। aśobhata yathā nārī karajakṣatavikṣatā ॥9-8-13॥
The ground, marked by the hooves of their horses, appeared to the lord of men like a woman who has been scratched and wounded by nails.
vājināṃ khuraśabdena rathanemisvanena ca। pattīnāṃ cāpi śabdena nāgānāṃ bṛṃhitena ca ॥9-8-14॥
The battlefield resounded with the sound of horses' hooves, chariot wheels, foot soldiers, and trumpeting elephants.
vāditrāṇāṃ ca ghoṣeṇa śaṅkhānāṃ nisvanena ca। abhavannāditā bhūmirnirghātairiva bhārata ॥9-8-15॥
The earth echoed with the sounds of musical instruments and conches, resembling the rumbling of explosions, O Bharata.
dhanuṣāṃ kūjamānānāṃ nistriṃśānāṃ ca dīpyatām। kavacānāṃ prabhābhiśca na prājñāyata kiñcana ॥9-8-16॥
The sound of the bows, the gleam of the swords, and the glow of the armors obscured everything from sight.
bahavo bāhavaśchinnā nāgarājakaropamāḥ। udveṣṭante viveṣṭante vegaṃ kurvanti dāruṇam ॥9-8-17॥
Many severed arms, resembling the hands of the king of serpents, uncoil and writhe, creating a terrifying speed.
śirasāṃ ca mahārāja patatāṃ vasudhātale। cyutānāmiva tālebhyaḥ phalānāṃ śrūyate svanaḥ ॥9-8-18॥
O great king, the sound of heads falling to the ground is like the sound of fruits dropping from palm trees.
śirobhiḥ patitairbhāti rudhirārdrairvasundharā। tapanīyanibhaiḥ kāle nalinairiva bhārata ॥9-8-19॥
O Bharata, the earth appears as if adorned with fallen heads moistened with blood, resembling golden lotuses in due course.
udvṛttanayanais taistu gatasattvaiḥ suvikṣataiḥ। vyabhrājata mahārāja puṇḍarīkair ivāvṛtā ॥9-8-20॥
The scene appeared, O great king, as if adorned with lotuses, with eyes protruding and souls departed, all well-wounded.
bāhubhiś candanādigdhaiḥ sakeyūrair mahādhanaiḥ। patitair bhāti rājendra mahī śakradhvajair iva ॥9-8-21॥
The earth, adorned with fallen arms smeared with sandalwood and bracelets of great wealth, shines like the banners of Indra, O king.
ūrubhiśca narendrāṇāṃ vinikṛttairmahāhave। hastihastopamairanyaiḥ saṃvṛtaṃ tadraṇāṅgaṇam ॥9-8-22॥
The battlefield was covered with the severed thighs of kings, resembling the trunks of elephants, by others in the great battle.
kabandhaśatasaṅkīrṇaṃ chatracāmaraśobhitam। senāvanaṃ tacchuśubhe vanaṃ puṣpācitaṃ yathā ॥9-8-23॥
The army's camp, filled with numerous headless trunks and decorated with umbrellas and fly-whisks, appeared as splendid as a forest in full bloom.
tatra yodhā mahārāja vicaranto hyabhītavat। dṛśyante rudhirāktāṅgāḥ puṣpitā iva kiṃśukāḥ ॥9-8-24॥
In that place, O great king, the warriors roam fearlessly, appearing as if their blood-smeared bodies are in full bloom like the Butea monosperma trees.
mātaṅgāś cāpy adṛśyanta śaratomarapīḍitāḥ। patantas tatra tatraiva chinnābhrasadṛśā raṇe ॥9-8-25॥
Elephants, afflicted by arrows and lances, were seen falling here and there in the battle, resembling torn clouds.
gajānīkaṃ mahārāja vadhyamānaṃ mahātmabhiḥ। vyadīryata diśaḥ sarvā vātanunnā ghanā iva ॥9-8-26॥
O great king, the elephant-army was scattered in all directions by the great souls, like clouds driven by the wind.
te gajā ghanasaṅkāśāḥ petururvyāṃ samantataḥ। vajrarugṇā iva babhuḥ parvatā yugasaṅkṣaye ॥9-8-27॥
The elephants, resembling clouds, fell all around the ground. They appeared like mountains shattered by a thunderbolt at the end of an era.
hayānāṃ sādibhiḥ sārdhaṃ patitānāṃ mahītale। rāśayaḥ sampradṛśyante girimātrāstatas tataḥ ॥9-8-28॥
Heaps of fallen horses with their riders are seen scattered across the ground, appearing as large as mountains.
sañjajñe raṇabhūmau tu paralokavahā nadī। śoṇitodā rathāvartā dhvajavṛkṣāsthiśarkarā ॥9-8-29॥
A river emerged on the battlefield, leading souls to the afterlife, its waters red with blood, chariots swirling like whirlpools, flags standing like trees, and bones scattered like pebbles.
bhujanakrā dhanuḥsrotā hastiśailā hayopalā। medomajjākardaminī chatrahaṃsā gadoḍupā ॥9-8-30॥
The arm-eaters, bow-streams, elephant-mountains, horse-stones, fat-marrow-mud, umbrella-swans, and mace-moons are described in this verse.
kavacoṣṇīṣasañchannā patākāruciradrumā। cakracakrāvalījuṣṭā triveṇūdaṇḍakāvṛtā ॥9-8-31॥
The place was fortified with armor and turbans, decorated with beautiful flags and trees, and encircled by a series of discs and three bamboo staffs.
śūrāṇāṃ harṣajananī bhīrūṇāṃ bhayavardhinī। prāvartata nadī raudrā kurusṛñjayasakulā ॥9-8-32॥
The fierce river, filled with Kurus and Sṛñjayas, began to flow, bringing joy to the heroes and increasing fear among the fearful.
tāṁ nadīṁ pitṛlokāya vahantīmatibhairavām। terurvāhananaubhis te śūrāḥ parighabāhavaḥ ॥9-8-33॥
The heroes, with arms as strong as iron bars, crossed the very terrifying river that carried souls to the world of ancestors, using their vehicles and boats.
vartamāne tathā yuddhe nirmaryāde viśāṃ pate। caturaṅgakṣaye ghore pūrvaṃ devāsuropame ॥9-8-34॥
In the current battle, O lord of men, which is without rules and as terrible as the battle between gods and demons, the fourfold army faces destruction.
akrośan bāndhavān anye tatra tatra parantapa। krośadbhiḥ bāndhavaiś ca anye bhayārtā na nivartire ॥9-8-35॥
In the midst of the battlefield, others called out to their kin in various places, O Arjuna. Some, overwhelmed by fear, did not turn back with their weeping relatives.
nirmaryāde tathā yuddhe vartamāne bhayānake। arjuno bhīmasenaśca mohayāṃ cakratuḥ parān ॥9-8-36॥
In the terrifying and boundless battle that was ongoing, Arjuna and Bhimasena caused confusion among their enemies.
sā vadhyamānā mahatī senā tava janādhipa। amuhyattatra tatraiva yoṣinmadavaśādiva ॥9-8-37॥
As your great army was being slaughtered, O ruler of people, it became bewildered right there, as if under the influence of intoxication.
mohayitvā ca tāṃ senāṃ bhīmasenadhanañjayau। dadhmaturvārijau tatra siṃhanādaṃ ca nedatuḥ ॥9-8-38॥
After confusing the enemy forces, Bhimasena and Dhananjaya blew their conches and roared like lions, asserting their dominance on the battlefield.
śrutvaiva tu mahāśabdaṃ dhṛṣṭadyumnaśikhaṇḍinau। dharmarājaṃ puraskṛtya madrarājamabhidrutau ॥9-8-39॥
Upon hearing the great noise, Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Śikhaṇḍin, with Dharmaraja leading, charged at the Madra king.
tatrāścaryamapaśyāma ghorarūpaṃ viśāṃ pate। śalyena saṅgatāḥ śūrā yadayudhyanta bhāgaśaḥ ॥9-8-40॥
There, O lord of men, we witnessed a wondrous and terrible sight. The heroes, aligned with Śalya, engaged in battle in separate divisions.
mādrīputrau sarabhasau kṛtāstrau yuddhadurmadau। abhyayātāṃ tvarāyuktau jigīṣantau balaṃ tava ॥9-8-41॥
The impetuous sons of Madri, skilled in weaponry and arrogant in battle, swiftly approached your army with the desire to conquer.
tato nyavartata balaṁ tāvakaṁ bharatarṣabhaḥ। śaraiḥ praṇunnaṁ bahudhā pāṇḍavairjitakāśibhiḥ ॥9-8-42॥
Then, O best of the Bharatas, your army retreated, being struck in various ways by the arrows of the Pandavas who had conquered Kāśi.
vadhyamānā camūḥ sā tu putrāṇāṃ prekṣatāṃ tava। bheje diśo mahārāja praṇunnā dṛḍhadhanvibhiḥ ॥ hāhākāro mahāñjajñe yodhānāṃ tava bhārata ॥9-8-43॥
As the army of your sons was being slaughtered, they fled in all directions while being watched, O great king, driven by the strong archers. Great cries of distress arose among your warriors, O Bharata.
tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti vāgāsīddrāvitānāṃ mahātmanām। kṣatriyāṇāṃ tadānyonyaṃ saṃyuge jayamicchatām ॥ ādravanneva bhagnāste pāṇḍavaistava sainikāḥ ॥9-8-44॥
The routed great warriors, desiring victory, were telling each other to "stay, stay" in the battle. However, your soldiers, broken by the Pandavas, fled.
tyaktvā yuddhe priyānputrānbhrātṝnatha pitāmahān। mātulānbhāgineyāṃśca tathā sambandhibāndhavān ॥9-8-45॥
In the battle, having forsaken dear sons, brothers, grandfathers, uncles, nephews, and other relatives and kinsmen.
hayāndvipāṃstvarayanto yodhā jagmuḥ samantataḥ। ātmatrāṇakṛtotsāhāstāvakā bharatarṣabha ॥9-8-46॥
The warriors, urging the horses and elephants, moved all around with enthusiasm for self-protection, O best of the Bharatas.
