09.014
Core and Pancharatra: King Yudhishthira along with Bhimasena, Satyaki, and Sahadeva launched an attack on the Madra king. Shalya performed an extraordinary feat by single-handedly taking on numerous opponents.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said.
duryodhano mahārāja dhṛṣṭadyumnaśca pārṣataḥ। cakratuḥ sumahadyuddhaṃ śaraśaktisamākulam ॥9-14-1॥
Duryodhana, the great king, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the son of Pṛṣata, engaged in a fierce battle filled with arrows and spears.
tayorāsanmahārāja śaradhārāḥ sahasraśaḥ। ambudānāṃ yathā kāle jaladhārāḥ samantataḥ ॥9-14-2॥
O great king, there were thousands of streams of arrows from them, just like the streams of water from clouds that occur all around in due time.
rājā tu pārṣataṃ viddhvā śaraiḥ pañcabhirāyasaiḥ। droṇahantāramugreṣuḥ punarvivyādha saptabhiḥ ॥9-14-3॥
The king, a fierce archer, first struck Pārṣata with five iron arrows and then again targeted Drona's slayer with seven arrows.
dhṛṣṭadyumnastu samare balavāndṛḍhavikramaḥ। saptatyā viśikhānāṃ vai duryodhanamapīḍayat ॥9-14-4॥
Dhṛṣṭadyumna, known for his strength and unwavering courage, fiercely attacked Duryodhana in the battle with seventy arrows.
pīḍitaṃ prekṣya rājānaṃ sodaryā bharatarṣabha। mahatyā senayā sārdhaṃ parivavruḥ sma pārṣatam ॥9-14-5॥
Upon seeing the king in distress, the brothers, along with a large army, surrounded Pārṣata, O best of the Bharatas.
sa taiḥ parivṛtaḥ śūraiḥ sarvato'tirathairbhṛśam। vyacaratsamare rājandarśayanhastalāghavam ॥9-14-6॥
Surrounded by valiant warriors and great charioteers on all sides, he skillfully maneuvered in the battle, O king, displaying his dexterity.
śikhaṇḍī kṛtavarmāṇaṃ gautamaṃ ca mahāratham। prabhadrakaiḥ samāyukto yodhayāmāsa dhanvinau ॥9-14-7॥
Shikhandi, along with the Prabhadrakas, fought against the two archers, Kritavarma and Gautama, who were great chariot-warriors.
tatrāpi sumahadyuddhaṃ ghorarūpaṃ viśāṃ pate। prāṇānsantyajatāṃ yuddhe prāṇadyūtābhidevane ॥9-14-8॥
There was also a fierce and great battle, O lord of men, where warriors were sacrificing their lives in the dreadful game of life and death.
śalyastu śaravarṣāṇi vimuñcansarvatodiśam। pāṇḍavānpīḍayāmāsa sasātyakivṛkodarān ॥9-14-9॥
Shalya unleashed a barrage of arrows from every direction, causing distress to the Pandavas, including Satyaki and Vrikodara (Bhima).
tathobhau ca yamau yuddhe yamatulyaparākramau। yodhayāmāsa rājendra vīryeṇa ca balena ca ॥9-14-10॥
Thus, O king, both the Yamas, equal in prowess, engaged in battle with great strength and power.
śalyasāyakanunnānāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ mahāmṛdhe। trātāraṃ nādhyagacchanta kecittatra mahārathāḥ ॥9-14-11॥
In the great battle, some of the great warriors among the Pandavas, pierced by arrows and darts, could not find a protector there.
tatastu nakulaḥ śūro dharmarāje prapīḍite। abhidudrāva vegena mātulaṃ mādrinandanaḥ ॥9-14-12॥
At that moment, Nakula, known for his bravery and being the son of Madri, swiftly approached his uncle as Dharmaraja was in distress.
sañchādya samare śalyaṃ nakulaḥ paravīrahā। vivyādha cainaṃ daśabhiḥ smayamānaḥ stanāntare ॥9-14-13॥
Nakula, the destroyer of enemy heroes, smilingly covered Śalya in battle and pierced him with ten arrows in the chest.
sarvapāraśavairbāṇaiḥ karmāraparimārjitaiḥ। svarṇapuṅkhaiḥ śilādhautairdhanuryantrapracoditaiḥ ॥9-14-14॥
The arrows, all with iron tips and polished by smiths, had golden feathers and were washed with stones, propelled by the mechanisms of bows.
śalyastu pīḍitastena svasrīyeṇa mahātmanā। nakulaṃ pīḍayāmāsa patribhirnataparvabhiḥ ॥9-14-15॥
Shalya, though afflicted by his noble brother-in-law, attacked Nakula with arrows that had bent joints.
tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā bhīmaseno'tha sātyakiḥ। sahadevaśca mādreyo madrarājamupādravan ॥9-14-16॥
Then King Yudhishthira, Bhimasena, Satyaki, and Sahadeva, the son of Madri, launched an attack on the Madra king.
tānāpatata evāśu pūrayānānrathasvanaiḥ। diśaśca pradiśaścaiva kampayānāṃśca medinīm ॥ pratijagrāha samare senāpatiramitrajit ॥9-14-17॥
As they approached swiftly, the sounds of chariots filled the air, shaking the directions, sub-directions, and the earth. The general Amitrajit received them in battle.
yudhiṣṭhiraṃ tribhirviddhvā bhīmasenaṃ ca saptabhiḥ। sātyakiṃ ca śatenājau sahadevaṃ tribhiḥ śaraiḥ ॥9-14-18॥
In the battle, Yudhishthira was pierced with three arrows, Bhimasena with seven, Satyaki with a hundred, and Sahadeva with three arrows.
tatastu saśaraṃ cāpaṃ nakulasya mahātmanaḥ। madreśvaraḥ kṣurapreṇa tadā ciccheda māriṣa ॥ tadaśīryata vicchinnaṃ dhanuḥ śalyasya sāyakaiḥ ॥9-14-19॥
Then, the king of Madra, using a razor-sharp arrow, cut off the bow of the great-souled Nakula, O lord. The bow of Shalya was shattered and broken by arrows.
athānyaddhanurādāya mādrīputro mahārathaḥ। madrarājarathaṃ tūrṇaṃ pūrayāmāsa patribhiḥ ॥9-14-20॥
Then, the great warrior, the son of Mādrī, swiftly took another bow and filled the chariot of the Madra king with arrows.
yudhiṣṭhirastu madreśaṃ sahadevaśca māriṣa। daśabhirdaśabhirbāṇairurasyenamavidhyatām ॥9-14-21॥
Yudhishthira and Sahadeva, O lord, both attacked the Madra king with ten arrows each, striking him on the chest.
bhīmasenastataḥ ṣaṣṭyā sātyakirnavabhiḥ śaraiḥ। madrarājamabhidrutya jaghnatuḥ kaṅkapatribhiḥ ॥9-14-22॥
Then Bhimasena, with sixty arrows, and Satyaki, with nine arrows, attacked and killed the king of Madra with feathered arrows.
madrarājastataḥ kruddhaḥ sātyakiṃ navabhiḥ śaraiḥ। vivyādha bhūyaḥ saptatyā śarāṇāṃ nataparvaṇām ॥9-14-23॥
The king of Madra, in his anger, attacked Satyaki with nine arrows, and then followed up with seventy more bent-jointed arrows.
athāsya saśaraṃ cāpaṃ muṣṭau ciccheda māriṣaḥ। hayāṃśca caturaḥ saṅkhye preṣayāmāsa mṛtyave ॥9-14-24॥
Then, O dear, he severed his bow along with the arrows in his hand and dispatched the four horses to their death in the battle.
virathaṃ sātyakiṃ kṛtvā madrarājo mahābalaḥ। viśikhānāṃ śatenainamājaghāna samantataḥ ॥9-14-25॥
The mighty king of Madra, having deprived Satyaki of his chariot, struck him from all sides with a hundred arrows.
mādrīputrau tu saṁrabdhau bhīmasenaṁ ca pāṇḍavam। yudhiṣṭhiraṁ ca kauravya vivyādha daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ ॥9-14-26॥
The sons of Madri, in their excitement, attacked Bhimasena, Pandava, and Yudhishthira with ten arrows, O Kaurava.
tatrādbhutamapaśyāma madrarājasya pauruṣam। yadenaṃ sahitāḥ pārthā nābhyavartanta saṃyuge ॥9-14-27॥
There we witnessed the extraordinary valor of the king of Madra, which was so formidable that even the sons of Pritha, united, could not challenge him in battle.
athānyaṃ ratham āsthāya sātyakiḥ satyavikramaḥ। pīḍitān pāṇḍavān dṛṣṭvā madrarājavaśaṃ gatān ॥ abhidudrāva vegena madrāṇām adhipaṃ balī ॥9-14-28॥
Then, Satyaki, known for his true prowess, mounted another chariot and, seeing the Pāṇḍavas afflicted and under the control of the Madra king, swiftly rushed towards the strong lord of the Madras.
āpatan taṃ rathaṃ tasya śalyaḥ samitiśobhanaḥ। pratyudyayau rathenaiva matto mattamiva dvipam ॥9-14-29॥
Shalya, renowned for his prowess in battle, drove his chariot forward to meet the oncoming chariot, resembling an intoxicated elephant in his approach.
sa saṁnipātastumulo babhūvādbhutadarśanaḥ। sātyakeścaiva śūrasya madrāṇāmadhipasya ca ॥ yādṛśo vai purā vṛttaḥ śambarāmararājayoḥ ॥9-14-30॥
The tumultuous battle was a wondrous sight, involving Satyaki, the hero, and the ruler of the Madras, reminiscent of the ancient conflict between Shambara and the divine kings.
sātyakiḥ prekṣya samare madrarājaṃ vyavasthitam। vivyādha daśabhirbāṇaistiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cābravīt ॥9-14-31॥
Satyaki, upon seeing the Madra king ready in battle, shot ten arrows at him and commanded, "Stay, stay."
madrarājastu subhṛśaṃ viddhastena mahātmanā। sātyakiṃ prativivyādha citrapuṅkhaiḥ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ ॥9-14-32॥
The King of Madra, though severely wounded by the noble warrior, retaliated by piercing Satyaki with sharp, variegated-feathered arrows.
tataḥ pārthā maheṣvāsāḥ sātvatābhisṛtaṃ nṛpam। abhyadravanrathaistūrṇaṃ mātulaṃ vadhakāmyayā ॥9-14-33॥
Then the sons of Pṛthā, who were great archers, swiftly approached the king, accompanied by the Sātvatas, with their chariots, intending to kill their maternal uncle.
tata āsīt parāmardas tumulaḥ śoṇitodakaḥ। śūrāṇāṃ yudhyamānānāṃ siṃhānām iva nardatām ॥9-14-34॥
Then there was a tumultuous and great slaughter, with rivers of blood flowing, as the heroes fought fiercely, roaring like lions.
teṣām āsīn mahārāja vyatikṣepaḥ parasparam। siṃhānām āmiṣepsūnāṃ kūjatām iva saṃyuge ॥9-14-35॥
O great king, among them there was a mutual conflict, resembling lions roaring in battle, eager for prey.
teṣāṃ bāṇasahasraughairākīrṇā vasudhābhavat। antarikṣaṃ ca sahasā bāṇabhūtamabhūttadā ॥9-14-36॥
Their earth was covered by thousands of arrows, and suddenly the sky was filled with arrows at that time.
śarāndhakāraṃ bahudhā kṛtaṃ tatra samantataḥ। abhracchāyeva sañjajñe śarairmuktairmahātmabhiḥ ॥9-14-37॥
The great souls released arrows that created a pervasive darkness, resembling the shadow of a cloud.
tatra rājanśarairmuktairnirmuktairiva pannagaiḥ। svarṇapuṅkhaiḥ prakāśadbhirvyarocanta diśastathā ॥9-14-38॥
There, O king, the directions shone with arrows that appeared like freed serpents, their golden shafts gleaming.
tatrādbhutaṃ paraṃ cakre śalyaḥ śatrunibarhaṇaḥ। yadekaḥ samare śūro yodhayāmāsa vai bahūn ॥9-14-39॥
In that place, Shalya, known for his prowess in defeating enemies, performed an extraordinary feat by single-handedly taking on numerous opponents in the battle.
madrarājabhujotsṛṣṭaiḥ kaṅkabarhiṇavājitaiḥ। sampatadbhiḥ śarairghorairavākīryata medinī ॥9-14-40॥
The earth was covered with terrible arrows that fell, adorned with vultures and peacocks, released by the arms of the king of Madra.
tatra śalyarathaṃ rājanvicarantaṃ mahāhave। apaśyāma yathā pūrvaṃ śakrasyāsurasaṅkṣaye ॥9-14-41॥
There, O king, we observed Śalya's chariot maneuvering through the great battle, reminiscent of the past when Indra destroyed the demons.
