09.021
Pancharatra and Core: The Pandavas, known for their great archery skills, approached the unconquered king in battle and advanced as aggressors.
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
putrastu te mahārāja rathastho rathināṃ varaḥ। durutsaho babhau yuddhe yathā rudraḥ pratāpavān ॥9-21-1॥
Your son, O great king, stood on the chariot as the best among charioteers, shining in battle with a might that was difficult to withstand, like the god Rudra.
tasya bāṇasahasraistu pracchannā hyabhavanmahī। parāṃśca siṣice bāṇairdhārābhiriva parvatān ॥9-21-2॥
The earth was covered with thousands of his arrows, and he showered the enemies with arrows as if they were streams pouring down on mountains.
na ca so'sti pumānkaścitpāṇḍavānāṃ mahāhave। hayo gajo ratho vāpi yo'sya bāṇairavikṣataḥ ॥9-21-3॥
In the great battle, there is no man among the Pāṇḍavas, whether on horse, elephant, or chariot, who remains unwounded by his arrows.
yaṃ yaṃ hi samare yodhaṃ prapaśyāmi viśāṃ pate। sa sa bāṇaiścito'bhūdvai putreṇa tava bhārata ॥9-21-4॥
O Bharata, every warrior I see in battle, O lord of men, was indeed struck down by your son with arrows.
yathā sainyena rajasā samuddhūtena vāhinī। pratyadṛśyata sañchannā tathā bāṇairmahātmanaḥ ॥9-21-5॥
The army was obscured by the dust raised by its own movement, just as it was also covered by the arrows of the great warrior.
bāṇabhūtāmapaśyāma pṛthivīṃ pṛthivīpate। duryodhanena prakṛtāṃ kṣiprahastena dhanvinā ॥9-21-6॥
We witnessed the earth transformed into a battlefield of arrows, O king, by the swift-handed Duryodhana, the archer.
teṣu yodhasahasreṣu tāvakeṣu pareṣu ca। eko duryodhano hyāsītpumāniti matirmama ॥9-21-7॥
In the midst of thousands of warriors on both sides, I believed that Duryodhana was the only true warrior.
tatrādbhutamapaśyāma tava putrasya vikramam। yadekaṃ sahitāḥ pārthā nātyavartanta bhārata ॥9-21-8॥
There, O Bharata, we witnessed the extraordinary prowess of your son, which even the united sons of Pritha could not overcome.
yudhiṣṭhiraṃ śatenājau vivyādha bharatarṣabha। bhīmasenaṃ ca saptatyā sahadevaṃ ca saptabhiḥ ॥9-21-9॥
The great warrior, known as the bull among the Bharatas, struck Yudhishthira with a hundred arrows in the battle, Bhimasena with seventy, and Sahadeva with seven.
nakulaṁ ca catuḥṣaṣṭyā dhṛṣṭadyumnaṁ ca pañcabhiḥ। saptabhirdraupadeyāṁśca tribhirvivyādha sātyakim ॥ dhanuściccheda bhallena sahadevasya māriṣa ॥9-21-10॥
Nakula shot sixty-four arrows at Sātyaki, while Dhṛṣṭadyumna attacked with five arrows. He also targeted the sons of Draupadī with seven arrows and cut down Sahadeva's bow with three arrows, O great one.
tadapāsya dhanuśchinnaṃ mādrīputraḥ pratāpavān। abhyadhāvata rājānaṃ pragṛhyānyanmahaddhanuḥ ॥ tato duryodhanaṃ saṅkhye vivyādha daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ ॥9-21-11॥
The valiant son of Mādrī, having discarded his broken bow, seized another mighty bow and charged at the king. In the ensuing battle, he struck Duryodhana with ten arrows.
nakulaśca tato vīro rājānaṃ navabhiḥ śaraiḥ। ghorarūpairmaheṣvāso vivyādha ca nanāda ca ॥9-21-12॥
Nakula, the great archer, heroically attacked the king with nine dreadful arrows and let out a fierce roar.
sātyakiścāpi rājānaṃ śareṇānataparvaṇā। draupadeyāstrisaptatyā dharmarājaśca saptabhiḥ ॥ aśītyā bhīmasenaśca śarai rājānamārdayat ॥9-21-13॥
Satyaki, along with the sons of Draupadi, Yudhishthira, and Bhimasena, attacked the king with their respective arrows, each contributing to the assault with precision and strength.
samantātkīryamāṇastu bāṇasaṅghairmahātmabhiḥ। na cacāla mahārāja sarvasainyasya paśyataḥ ॥9-21-14॥
Despite being surrounded and attacked by groups of arrows from great warriors, O great king, the entire army stood still, watching.
lāghavaṁ sauṣṭhavaṁ cāpi vīryaṁ caiva mahātmanaḥ। ati sarvāṇi bhūtāni dadṛśuḥ sarvamānavāḥ ॥9-21-15॥
All humans saw the great soul's lightness, dexterity, and strength, surpassing all beings.
dhārtarāṣṭrāstu rājendra yātvā tu svalpamantaram। apaśyamānā rājānaṃ paryavartanta daṃśitāḥ ॥9-21-16॥
The sons of Dhritarashtra, O King, after proceeding a little distance, returned without seeing the king, feeling distressed.
teṣām āpatatāṃ ghoras tumulaḥ samajāyata। kṣubdhasya hi samudrasya prāvṛṭkāle yathā niśi ॥9-21-17॥
A terrible tumult arose among the attackers, just like the ocean is agitated during the rainy season at night.
samāsādya raṇe te tu rājānamaparājitam। pratyudyayurmaheṣvāsāḥ pāṇḍavānātatāyinaḥ ॥9-21-18॥
The Pandavas, known for their great archery skills, approached the unconquered king in battle and advanced as aggressors.
bhīmasenaṃ raṇe kruddhaṃ droṇaputro nyavārayat। tato bāṇairmahārāja pramuktaiḥ sarvatodiśam ॥ nājñāyanta raṇe vīrā na diśaḥ pradiśastathā ॥9-21-19॥
Drona's son halted the furious Bhimasena in the battle. Then, O great king, as arrows were released in every direction, the warriors in the battle could not discern the directions or the sub-directions.
tāvubhau krūrakarmāṇāvubhau bhārata duḥsahau। ghorarūpamayudhyetāṃ kṛtapratikṛtaiṣiṇau ॥ trāsayantau jagatsarvaṃ jyākṣepavihatatvacau ॥9-21-20॥
Both of them, O Bharata, were unbearable and engaged in cruel deeds. They fought in a terrible form, each desiring revenge, terrifying the entire world with their skin pierced by bowstrings.
śakunistu raṇe vīro yudhiṣṭhiramapīḍayat। tasyāśvāṃścaturo hatvā subalasya suto vibhuḥ ॥ nādaṃ cakāra balavānsarvasainyāni kampayan ॥9-21-21॥
Shakuni, the valiant warrior, attacked Yudhishthira in battle. After slaying his four horses, the powerful son of Subala let out a roar, causing all the armies to tremble.
etasminnantare vīraṃ rājānamaparājitam। apovāha rathenājau sahadevaḥ pratāpavān ॥9-21-22॥
During this time, the valiant Sahadeva, with his chariot, took away the undefeated king, the hero, from the battlefield.
athānyaṃ ratham āsthāya dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ। śakuniṃ navabhir viddhvā punar vivyādha pañcabhiḥ ॥ nanāda ca mahānādaṃ pravaraḥ sarvadhanvinām ॥9-21-23॥
Then, Dharmaraja Yudhishthira, having mounted another chariot, pierced Shakuni with nine arrows and then again with five, and roared a great roar as the foremost of all archers.
tadyuddhamabhavaccitraṃ ghorarūpaṃ ca māriṣa। īkṣitṛprītijananaṃ siddhacāraṇasevitam ॥9-21-24॥
The battle was both wonderful and terrifying, O gentle one, delighting the spectators and attended by celestial beings and sages.
ulūkastu maheṣvāsaṃ nakulaṃ yuddhadurmadam। abhyadravadameyātmā śaravarṣaiḥ samantataḥ ॥9-21-25॥
Uluka, with his immeasurable soul, attacked the great archer Nakul, who was proud in battle, with showers of arrows from all sides.
tathaiva nakulaḥ śūraḥ saubalasya sutaṃ raṇe। śaravarṣeṇa mahatā samantātparyavārayat ॥9-21-26॥
Similarly, Nakula, the valiant son of Saubala, encircled his opponent in the battle with a formidable barrage of arrows from every direction.
tau tatra samare vīrau kulaputrau mahārathau। yodhayantāvapaśyetāṃ parasparakṛtāgasau ॥9-21-27॥
The two heroes, noble sons and great warriors, were observed in battle, fighting each other, having committed offenses.
tathaiva kṛtavarmā tu śaineyaṃ śatrutāpanam। yodhayañśuśubhe rājanbalaṃ śakra ivāhave ॥9-21-28॥
In the same way, Kritavarma shone while fighting Satyaki, the enemy tormentor, like Indra shines in battle, O king.
duryodhano dhanuśchittvā dhṛṣṭadyumnasya saṃyuge। athainaṃ chinnadhanvānaṃ vivyādha niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ॥9-21-29॥
Duryodhana, after cutting the bow of Dhrishtadyumna in the battle, then pierced him with sharp arrows, leaving him disarmed.
dhṛṣṭadyumno'pi samare pragṛhya paramāyudham। rājānaṃ yodhayāmāsa paśyatāṃ sarvadhanvinām ॥9-21-30॥
Dhṛṣṭadyumna, having taken up his supreme weapon in battle, engaged in combat with the king, witnessed by all the archers.
tayoryuddhaṁ mahaccāsītsaṅgrāme bharatarṣabha। prabhinnayoryathā saktaṁ mattayorvarahastinoḥ ॥9-21-31॥
A great battle ensued between the two in the battlefield, O best of the Bharatas, resembling a clash between two mighty, intoxicated elephants.
gautamastu raṇe kruddho draupadeyānmahābalān। vivyādha bahubhiḥ śūraḥ śaraiḥ saṃnataparvabhiḥ ॥9-21-32॥
Gautama, in his anger during the battle, struck the mighty sons of Draupadi with numerous heroic arrows that had curved joints.
tasya tairabhavadyuddhamindriyairiva dehinaḥ। ghorarūpamaṃsāṃvāryaṃ nirmaryādamatīva ca ॥9-21-33॥
His battle with them was as fierce and uncontrollable as the struggle of the senses with the soul, terrifying and boundless.
te ca taṁ pīḍayāmāsurindriyāṇīva bāliśam। sa ca tānpratisaṁrabdhaḥ pratyayodhayadāhave ॥9-21-34॥
They tormented him as senses torment a fool, and he, in anger, fought them back in the battle.
evaṁ citram abhūd yuddhaṁ tasya taiḥ saha bhārata। utthāyotthāya hi yathā dehinām indriyaiḥ vibho ॥9-21-35॥
Thus, O Bharata, the battle was astonishing with them together; rising repeatedly, just as the senses do for the embodied, O lord.
narāścaiva naraiḥ sārdhaṃ dantino dantibhistathā। hayā hayaḥ samāsaktā rathino rathibhistathā ॥ saṅkulaṃ cābhavadbhūyo ghorarūpaṃ viśāṃ pate ॥9-21-36॥
Men and elephants, horses and charioteers were all mixed together, creating a terrifying scene, O lord of men.
idaṁ citramidaṁ ghoramidaṁ raudramiti prabho। yuddhānyāsanmahārāja ghorāṇi ca bahūni ca ॥9-21-37॥
O great king, the battles were numerous and terrifying, as described by the lord.
te samāsādya samare parasparamariṃdamāḥ। vivyadhuścaiva jaghnuśca samāsādya mahāhave ॥9-21-38॥
The subduers of enemies, having approached each other in battle, engaged fiercely, piercing and killing in the great battle.
teṣāṃ śastrasamudbhūtaṃ rajastīvramadṛśyata। pravātenoddhataṃ rājandhāvadbhiścāśvasādibhiḥ ॥9-21-39॥
O king, the intense dust raised by their weapons was visible, stirred up by the wind and the galloping horses and others.
rathanemisaṃudbhūtaṃ niḥśvāsaścāpi dantinām। rajaḥ sandhyābhra kapilaṃ divākarapathaṃ yayau ॥9-21-40॥
The dust raised by the chariot wheels and the breaths of the elephants, resembling the color of evening clouds, ascended to the sun's path.
rajasā tena sampṛkte bhāskare niṣprabhīkṛte। sañchāditābhavadbhūmiste ca śūrā mahārathāḥ ॥9-21-41॥
The sun was obscured by the dust, losing its brightness, and the earth along with the valiant great charioteers became enveloped.
muhūrtādiva saṁvṛttaṁ nīrajaskaṁ samantataḥ। vīraśoṇitasiktāyāṁ bhūmau bharatasattama ॥ upāśāmyattatastīvraṁ tadrajo ghoradarśanam ॥9-21-42॥
In a moment, it seemed as if everything became clear and dustless all around. On the battlefield soaked with the blood of heroes, O best of the Bharatas, the intense and terrible dust then subsided.
tato'paśyaṁ mahārāja dvaṁdvayuddhāni bhārata। yathāprāgryaṁ yathājyeṣṭhaṁ madhyāhne vai sudāruṇe ॥ varmaṇāṁ tatra rājendra vyadṛśyantojjvalāḥ prabhāḥ ॥9-21-43॥
Then, O great king, I witnessed duel battles, O descendant of Bharata, which were as excellent as the eldest and very terrible at midday. There, O king of kings, the bright lights of armors were visible.
śabdaḥ sutumulaḥ saṅkhye śarāṇāṃ patatām abhūt। mahāveṇuvanasyeva dahyamānasya sarvataḥ ॥9-21-44॥
The sound of the falling arrows in the battle was as loud as a great bamboo forest burning all around.
