09.019
Core and Pancharatra: The elephant army of King Shalva attacks the Pandavas. Dhrishtadyumna kills the elephant on which the King Shaalva was riding, while Satyaki kills the falling King.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
saṁnivṛtte balaughe tu śālvo mlecchagaṇādhipaḥ। abhyavartata saṅkruddhaḥ pāṇḍūnāṁ sumahadbalam ॥9-19-1॥
After the withdrawal of the forces, Śālva, the leader of the barbarian hordes, angrily advanced towards the mighty army of the Pāṇḍavas.
āsthāya sumahānāgaṃ prabhinnaṃ parvatopamam। dṛptamairāvataprakhyamamitragaṇamardanam ॥9-19-2॥
Having mounted a massive, mountain-like elephant resembling Airavata, the destroyer of enemy forces, he appeared proud and formidable.
yo'sau mahābhadrakulaprasūtaḥ; supūjito dhārtarāṣṭreṇa nityam। sukalpitaḥ śāstraviniścayajñaiḥ; sadopavāhyaḥ samareṣu rājan ॥9-19-3॥
He, who is born in a great noble family and is always honored by Dhritarashtra, is well-prepared by those knowledgeable in scriptures and is always ready to be carried into battles, O king.
tamāsthito rājavaro babhūva; yathodayasthaḥ savitā kṣapānte। sa tena nāgapravareṇa rāja; nnabhyudyayau pāṇḍusutānsamantāt ॥ śitaiḥ pṛṣatkairvidadāra cāpi; mahendravajrapratimaiḥ sughoraiḥ ॥9-19-4॥
The excellent king stood firm, resembling the rising sun at the end of the night. With the help of the noble elephant, he advanced towards the sons of Pandu from all directions, striking them with sharp and dreadful arrows akin to Indra's thunderbolt.
tataḥ śarānvai sṛjato mahāraṇe; yodhāṃśca rājannayato yamāya। nāsyāntaraṃ dadṛśuḥ sve pare vā; yathā purā vajradharasya daityāḥ ॥9-19-5॥
Then, O king, as he released arrows in the great battle, leading the warriors to Yama, neither his own side nor the enemies could see a gap, just as the demons could not see a gap in the wielder of the thunderbolt in the past.
te pāṇḍavāḥ somakāḥ sṛñjayāśca; tameva nāgaṃ dadṛśuḥ samantāt। sahasraśo vai vicarantamekaṃ; yathā mahendrasya gajaṃ samīpe ॥9-19-6॥
The Pāṇḍavas, along with the Somakas and Sṛñjayas, saw the elephant wandering all around, resembling the elephant of Lord Indra, surrounded by thousands.
saṁdrāvyamāṇaṁ tu balaṁ pareṣāṁ; parītakalpaṁ vibabhau samantāt. naivāvatasthe samare bhṛśaṁ bhayā; dvimardamānaṁ tu parasparaṁ tadā ॥9-19-7॥
The enemies' strength was dissipating, appearing as if surrounded, shining all around. They did not stand firm in battle due to great fear; instead, they were engaged in mutual combat at that time.
tataḥ prabhagnā sahasā mahācamūḥ; sā pāṇḍavī tena narādhipena। diśaścatasraḥ sahasā pradhāvitā; gajendravegaṃ tamapārayantī ॥9-19-8॥
Then, the great army of the Pandavas was suddenly broken by that king. The four directions scattered swiftly, unable to withstand the speed of an elephant.
dṛṣṭvā ca tāṃ vegavatā prabhagnāṃ; sarve tvadīyā yudhi yodhamukhyāḥ। apūjayaṃstatra narādhipaṃ taṃ; dadhmuśca śaṅkhāñśaśisaṃnikāśān ॥9-19-9॥
Upon witnessing the swift destruction, all your chief warriors in battle honored the king there and blew their moon-like conches.
śrutvā ninādaṃ tvatha kauravāṇāṃ; harṣādvimuktaṃ saha śaṅkhaśabdaiḥ। senāpatiḥ pāṇḍavasṛñjayānāṃ; pāñcālaputro na mamarṣa roṣāt ॥9-19-10॥
Upon hearing the joyful sound of the Kauravas accompanied by conch shells, the commander of the Pandavas and Srinjayas, the son of Panchala, could not contain his anger.
tatastu taṃ vai dviradaṃ mahātmā; pratyudyayau tvaramāṇo jayāya। jambho yathā śakrasamāgame vai; nāgendramairāvaṇamindravāhyam ॥9-19-11॥
Then, the great soul hastened towards that elephant for victory, just as Jambha approached Airavata, the king of elephants and Indra's vehicle, during his meeting with Indra.
tamāpatantaṃ sahasā tu dṛṣṭvā; pāñcālarājaṃ yudhi rājasiṃhaḥ। taṃ vai dvipaṃ preṣayāmāsa tūrṇaṃ; vadhāya rājandrupadātmajasya ॥9-19-12॥
Upon suddenly seeing the approaching Panchala king in battle, the lion among kings quickly sent the elephant to kill the son of Drupada.
sa taṃ dvipaṃ sahasābhyāpatanta; mavidhyadarkapratimaiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ। karmāradhautairniśitairjvaladbhi; rnārācamukhyaistribhirugravegaiḥ ॥9-19-13॥
He swiftly approached the elephant and struck it with three sharp, shining arrows, polished by a smith, resembling the sun, and possessing fierce speed.
tato'parānpañca śitānmahātmā; nārācamukhyānvisasarja kumbhe। sa taistu viddhaḥ paramadvipo raṇe; tadā parāvṛtya bhṛśaṃ pradudruve ॥9-19-14॥
Then the great soul released five sharp arrows at the pot. The great elephant, struck by them in battle, turned back and fled swiftly.
taṁ nāgarājaṁ sahasā praṇunnaṁ; vidrāvyamāṇaṁ ca nigṛhya śālvaḥ। tottrāṅkuśaiḥ preṣayāmāsa tūrṇaṁ; pāñcālarājasya rathaṁ pradiśya ॥9-19-15॥
Shalva quickly directed the serpent king, who was suddenly pushed and being driven away, towards the chariot of the Panchala king using goads and hooks.
dṛṣṭvāpatantaṃ sahasā tu nāgaṃ; dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ svarathācchīghrameva। gadāṃ pragṛhyāśu javena vīro; bhūmiṃ prapanno bhayavihvalāṅgaḥ ॥9-19-16॥
Upon seeing the serpent suddenly falling, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, in fear, quickly took his mace and descended swiftly from his chariot to the ground, his limbs trembling.
sa taṃ rathaṃ hemavibhūṣitāṅgaṃ; sāśvaṃ sasūtaṃ sahasā vimṛdya। utkṣipya hastena tadā mahādvipo; vipothayāmāsa vasundharātale ॥9-19-17॥
He suddenly crushed the gold-adorned chariot with its horses and charioteer, then lifted it with his hand, and the great elephant smashed it onto the ground.
pāñcālarājasya sutaṃ sa dṛṣṭvā; tadārditaṃ nāgavareṇa tena। tamabhyadhāvatsahasā javena; bhīmaḥ śikhaṇḍī ca śineśca naptā ॥9-19-18॥
Upon seeing the son of the king of Panchala being attacked by the great serpent, Bhima, Shikhandi, and the grandson of Shini quickly rushed to his aid.
śaraiśca vegaṃ sahasā nigṛhya; tasyābhito'bhyāpatato gajasya। sa saṅgṛhīto rathibhirgajo vai; cacāla tairvāryamāṇaśca saṅkhye ॥9-19-19॥
The charioteers suddenly restrained the speed of the approaching elephant with arrows. The elephant, captured by the charioteers, moved as it was being restrained by them in the battle.
tataḥ pṛṣatkānpravavarṣa rājā; sūryo yathā raśmijālaṃ samantāt. tenāśugairvadhyamānā rathaughāḥ; pradudruvustatra tatastu sarve ॥9-19-20॥
Then the king showered arrows all around like the sun spreads its rays. Struck by these swift arrows, all the chariots fled from there.
tatkarma śālvasya samīkṣya sarve; pāñcālamatsyā nṛpa sṛñjayāśca। hāhākārairnādayantaḥ sma yuddhe; dvipaṃ samantādrurudhurnarāgryāḥ ॥9-19-21॥
Seeing the actions of Śālva, all the Pāñcālas, Matsyas, kings, and Sṛñjayas, with loud cries, surrounded the elephant from all sides in the battle, resounding with the cries of excellent men.
pāñcālarājastvaritastu śūro; gadāṃ pragṛhyācalaśṛṅgakalpām. asambhramaṃ bhārata śatrughātī; javena vīro'nusasāra nāgam ॥9-19-22॥
The swift and heroic King of Panchala, holding a mace resembling a mountain peak, pursued the elephant with unwavering determination and speed, O Bharata, the destroyer of enemies.
tato'tha nāgaṃ dharaṇīdharābhaṃ; madaṃ sravantaṃ jaladaprakāśam। gadāṃ samāvidhya bhṛśaṃ jaghāna; pāñcālarājasya sutastarasvī ॥9-19-23॥
Then, the mighty son of the king of Panchala, with great strength, wielded his mace and struck the elephant, which resembled a mountain and had a cloud-like appearance with flowing intoxication.
sa bhinnakumbhaḥ sahasā vinadya; mukhātprabhūtaṃ kṣatajaṃ vimuñcan. papāta nāgo dharaṇīdharābhaḥ; kṣitiprakampāccalito yathādriḥ ॥9-19-24॥
The elephant, resembling a mountain, suddenly roared and released a great amount of blood from its mouth as it fell, shaken by the tremor of the earth, much like a mountain would.
nipātyamāne tu tadā gajendre; hāhākṛte tava putrasya sainye। sa śālvarājasya śinipravīro; jahāra bhallena śiraḥ śitena ॥9-19-25॥
As the mighty elephant was being brought down, cries of alarm echoed through your son's forces. The valiant warrior from the Śini lineage, serving under King Śālva, swiftly decapitated the enemy with a keen arrow.
hṛtottamāṅgo yudhi sāttvatena; papāta bhūmau saha nāgarājñā. yathādriśṛṅgaṃ sumahatpraṇunnaṃ; vajreṇa devādhipacoditena ॥9-19-26॥
In the battle, with his best limb seized by Sātvata, he fell to the ground along with the serpent king, just like a great mountain peak is struck down by the thunderbolt wielded by the lord of the gods.
