09.020
Core and Pancharatra: King Kshemadruti is killed by Satyaki; in the intense battle between two Shatvatas, Satyaki and Kritavarma, Kritavarma is defeated; Kripa who attacks following Kritavarma's defeat, is taken away; the Kaurava army flees, leaving behind Duryodhana.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
tasmiṁstu nihate śūre śālve samitiśobhane। tavābhajyad balaṁ vegādvāteneiva mahādrumaḥ ॥9-20-1॥
In that glorious battle, when the hero Śālva was slain, your army was shattered with the force of the wind, like a great tree.
tatprabhagnaṁ balaṁ dṛṣṭvā kṛtavarmā mahārathaḥ। dadhāra samare śūraḥ śatrusainyaṁ mahābalaḥ ॥9-20-2॥
Upon witnessing the shattered forces, the valiant Kritavarma, a great charioteer, stood firm against the mighty enemy army in the battle.
saṁnivṛttāstu te śūrā dṛṣṭvā sātvatamāhave। śailopamaṁ sthitaṁ rājankīryamāṇaṁ śarairyudhi ॥9-20-3॥
The heroes, having returned, saw Sātvata standing like a mountain in the battle, O king, being showered with arrows.
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ kurūṇāṃ pāṇḍavaiḥ saha। nivṛttānāṃ mahārāja mṛtyuṃ kṛtvā nivartanam ॥9-20-4॥
Then the battle began between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, O great king, marking the return after causing the death of those who had retired.
tatrāścaryam abhūd yuddhaṃ sātvatasya paraiḥ saha। yad eko vārayām āsa pāṇḍusenāṃ durāsadām ॥9-20-5॥
There was a remarkable battle involving Sātvata and others, where a single warrior managed to hold back the formidable Pāṇḍava army.
teṣām anyonya-suhṛdāṃ kṛte karmaṇi duṣkare। siṃha-nādaḥ prahṛṣṭānāṃ divaḥ-spṛk-sumahān abhūt ॥9-20-6॥
For the sake of their mutual friendship, in the challenging task, the delighted ones let out a lion's roar that reached the sky and was very great.
tena śabdena vitrastānpāñcālānbharatarṣabha। śinernaptā mahābāhuranvapadyata sātyakiḥ ॥9-20-7॥
Hearing that sound, the frightened Panchalas were pursued by the mighty-armed Satyaki, the grandson of Shini, O best of the Bharatas.
sa samāsādya rājānaṃ kṣemadhūrtiṃ mahābalam। saptabhirniśitairbāṇairanayadyamasādanam ॥9-20-8॥
He approached the mighty King Kṣemadhūrti and killed him with seven sharp arrows, sending him to the abode of Yama.
tamāyāntaṃ mahābāhuṃ pravapantaṃ śitāñśarān। javenābhyapataddhīmānhārdikyaḥ śinipuṅgavam ॥9-20-9॥
The mighty-armed warrior, approaching with a shower of sharp arrows, swiftly attacked the wise Hārdikya, the foremost of the Shinis.
tau siṃhāviva nardantau dhanvinau rathināṃ varau। anyonyamabhyadhāvetāṃ śastrapravaradhāriṇau ॥9-20-10॥
The two warriors, resembling roaring lions and being the best among charioteers, charged at each other with their excellent weapons.
pāṇḍavāḥ saha pāñcālairyodhāścānye nṛpottamāḥ। prekṣakāḥ samapadyanta tayoḥ puruṣasiṃhayoḥ ॥9-20-11॥
The Pandavas, along with the Panchalas and other great kings, watched the two lion-like warriors.
nārācair vatsadantaiś ca vṛṣṇyandhakamahārathau। abhijaghnatur anyonyaṃ prahṛṣṭāv iva kuñjarau ॥9-20-12॥
The great charioteers from the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas joyfully attacked each other with iron and calf-teeth arrows, resembling elephants in their enthusiasm.
carantau vividhānmārgānhārdikyaśinipuṅgavau। muhurantardadhāte tau bāṇavṛṣṭyā parasparam ॥9-20-13॥
Hārdikya and the best of the Śinis wandered through various paths, repeatedly vanishing under a shower of arrows aimed at each other.
cāpavegabaloddhūtānmārgaṇānvṛṣṇisiṃhayoḥ। ākāśe samapaśyāma pataṅgāniva śīghragān ॥9-20-14॥
We observed the arrows, propelled by the powerful force of the Vṛṣṇi warriors' bows, soaring through the sky like swift birds.
tam ekaṁ satyakarmāṇam āsādya hṛdikātmajaḥ। avidhyann niśitair bāṇaiś caturbhiś caturo hayān ॥9-20-15॥
The son of Hṛdika, having approached the one who is truthful in deeds, pierced the four horses with four sharp arrows.
sa dīrghabāhuḥ saṅkruddhastotrārdita iva dvipaḥ। aṣṭābhiḥ kṛtavarmāṇamavidhyatparameṣubhiḥ ॥9-20-16॥
The long-armed warrior, in his anger, attacked Kritavarma with eight powerful arrows, much like an elephant struck by arrows.
tataḥ pūrṇāyatotsṛṣṭaiḥ kṛtavarmā śilāśitaiḥ। sātyakiṃ tribhirāhatya dhanurekena cicchide ॥9-20-17॥
Then, Kritavarma released fully drawn stone-sharpened arrows, striking Satyaki with three and cutting off his bow with one.
nikṛttaṃ taddhanuḥśreṣṭhamapāsya śinipuṅgavaḥ। anyadādatta vegena śaineyaḥ saśaraṃ dhanuḥ ॥9-20-18॥
After cutting off that best bow and discarding it, the best of the Shinis, the son of Sini, swiftly took another bow with arrows.
tadādāya dhanuḥśreṣṭhaṃ variṣṭhaḥ sarvadhanvinām। āropya ca mahāvīryo mahābuddhirmahābalaḥ ॥9-20-19॥
Having taken the best bow, the most excellent among all archers, he mounted it, possessing great heroism, intellect, and strength.
amṛṣyamāṇo dhanuṣaśchedanaṃ kṛtavarmaṇā। kupito'tirathaḥ śīghraṃ kṛtavarmāṇamabhyayāt ॥9-20-20॥
The great warrior, intolerant of his bow being cut by Kṛtavarmā, angrily and swiftly approached him.
tataḥ suniśitairbāṇairdaśabhiḥ śinipuṅgavaḥ। jaghāna sūtamaśvāṃśca dhvajaṃ ca kṛtavarmaṇaḥ ॥9-20-21॥
Then, the best warrior of the Shini clan used ten sharp arrows to kill Kṛtavarman's charioteer, horses, and knock down his flag.
tato rājanmaheṣvāsaḥ kṛtavarmā mahārathaḥ। hatāśvasūtaṃ samprekṣya rathaṃ hemapariṣkṛtam ॥9-20-22॥
Then, O king, the great archer Kritavarma, a mighty chariot-warrior, saw the chariot, adorned with gold, with its horses and charioteer slain.
roṣeṇa mahatāviṣṭaḥ śūlamudyamya māriṣaḥ। cikṣepa bhujavegena jighāṃsuḥ śinipuṅgavam ॥9-20-23॥
In great anger and agitation, raising his spear, O dear one, he hurled it with all his might, aiming to kill the foremost of the Shinis.
tacchūlaṃ sātvato hyājau nirbhidya niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ। cūrṇitaṃ pātayāmāsa mohayanniva mādhavam ॥ tato'pareṇa bhallena hṛdyenaṃ samatāḍayat ॥9-20-24॥
Sātvata, in the battle, pierced the spear with sharp arrows, shattering it and causing it to fall, as if bewildering Mādhava. Then, he struck him in the heart with another arrow.
sa yuddhe yuyudhānena hatāśvo hatasārathiḥ। kṛtavarmā kṛtāstreṇa dharaṇīmanvapadyata ॥9-20-25॥
In the battle, Kritavarma, with his horses and charioteer slain by Yuyudhana, fell to the ground, defeated by the skilled archer.
tasminsātyakinā vīre dvairathe virathīkṛte। samapadyata sarveṣāṃ sainyānāṃ sumahadbhayam ॥9-20-26॥
In that duel, the hero Satyaki, having deprived his opponent of his chariot, caused great fear among all the armies.
putrasya tava cātyarthaṃ viṣādaḥ samapadyata। hatasūte hatāśve ca virathe kṛtavarmaṇi ॥9-20-27॥
Your son was overwhelmed with grief as his charioteer and horses were slain, and his chariot was disabled in the battle involving Kritavarma.
hatāśvaṃ ca samālakṣya hatasūtamariṃdamam। abhyadhāvatkṛpo rājañjighāṃsuḥ śinipuṅgavam ॥9-20-28॥
Upon seeing the horse and charioteer slain, Kṛpa, the subduer of enemies, charged towards the foremost of the Śinis with the intent to kill, O king.
tamāropya rathopasthe miṣatāṃ sarvadhanvinām। apovāha mahābāhustūrṇamāyodhanādapi ॥9-20-29॥
The mighty-armed hero swiftly carried him away from the battlefield, placing him on the chariot seat, even as all the archers watched.
śaineye'dhiṣṭhite rājanvirathe kṛtavarmaṇi। duryodhanabalaṃ sarvaṃ punarāsītparāṅmukham ॥9-20-30॥
O King, when Śaineya was stationed and Kṛtavarman was left without a chariot, all of Duryodhana's forces turned away once more.
tatpare nāvabudhyanta sainyena rajasāvṛte। tāvakāḥ pradrutā rājanduryodhanamṛte nṛpam ॥9-20-31॥
Then, unable to comprehend due to the dust raised by the army, your soldiers fled, O King, leaving only King Duryodhana behind.
duryodhanastu samprekṣya bhagnaṃ svabalamantikāt। javenābhyapatattūrṇaṃ sarvāṃścaiko nyavārayat ॥9-20-32॥
Duryodhana, upon seeing his own army broken nearby, swiftly approached and single-handedly stopped everyone.
pāṇḍūṁśca sarvānsankruddho dhṛṣṭadyumnaṁ ca pārṣatam। śikhaṇḍinaṁ draupadeyānpāñcālānāṁ ca ye gaṇāḥ ॥9-20-33॥
In his anger, he targeted all the Pandavas, Dhrishtadyumna, the son of Prishata, Shikhandi, the sons of Draupadi, and the troops of the Panchalas.
kekayānsomakāṃścaiva pāñcālāṃścaiva māriṣa। asambhramaṃ durādharṣaḥ śitairastrairavārayat ॥9-20-34॥
O great one, the invincible warrior, without any confusion, repelled the Kekayas, Somakas, and the Panchalas with his sharp weapons.
atiṣṭhadāhave yattaḥ putrastava mahābalaḥ। yathā yajñe mahānagnirmantrapūtaḥ prakāśayan ॥9-20-35॥
Your mighty son stood ready in battle, just as a great fire, purified by mantras, shines brightly in a sacrifice.
taṁ pare nābhyavartanta martyā mṛtyumivāhave। athānyaṁ rathamāsthāya hārdikyaḥ samapadyata ॥9-20-36॥
The others did not dare to approach him, as mortals would not approach death in battle. Then, Hārdikya, having mounted another chariot, engaged in the fight.
