09.054
Pancharatra and Core: Instructed by Balarama, Bhima and Duryodhana arrive at Samantapanchaka and prepare for the battle.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaishampayana spoke:
evaṃ tadabhavadyuddhaṃ tumulaṃ janamejaya। yatra duḥkhānvito rājā dhṛtarāṣṭro'bravīd idam ॥9-54-1॥
Thus, O Janamejaya, the fierce battle took place where the sorrowful King Dhritarashtra spoke these words.
rāmaṃ saṃnihitaṃ dṛṣṭvā gadāyuddha upasthite। mama putraḥ kathaṃ bhīmaṃ pratyayudhyata sañjaya ॥9-54-2॥
Sanjaya, seeing Rama present as the mace fight approached, how did my son fight against Bhima?
sañjaya uvāca॥
Sanjaya said:
rāmasānnidhyamāsādya putro duryodhanastava। yuddhakāmo mahābāhuḥ samahṛṣyata vīryavān ॥9-54-3॥
Upon reaching the presence of Rama, your son Duryodhana, eager for battle and mighty-armed, felt a surge of joy due to his strength.
dṛṣṭvā lāṅgalinaṃ rājā pratyutthāya ca bhārata। prītyā paramayā yukto yudhiṣṭhiramathābravīt ॥9-54-4॥
Upon seeing the plough-bearer, the king stood up and, with great affection, addressed Yudhishthira, O Bharata.
samantapañcakaṁ kṣipramito yāma viśāṁ pate। prathitottaravedī sā devaloke prajāpateḥ ॥9-54-5॥
O lord of the people, let us swiftly proceed from here to the renowned northern altar in the realm of the gods, belonging to the lord of creatures.
tasminmahāpuṇyatame trailokyasya sanātane। saṅgrāme nidhanaṃ prāpya dhruvaṃ svargo bhaviṣyati ॥9-54-6॥
In that most sacred and eternal battle of the three worlds, attaining death will certainly lead to heaven.
tathety uktvā mahārāja kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ। samantapañcakaṃ vīraḥ prāyād abhimukhaḥ prabhuḥ ॥9-54-7॥
After speaking thus, O great king, Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti and a hero, proceeded towards the sacred place of Samantapanchaka.
tato duryodhano rājā pragṛhya mahatīṃ gadām। padbhyāmamarṣāddyutimānagacchatpāṇḍavaiḥ saha ॥9-54-8॥
Then King Duryodhana, filled with anger and radiance, took up his mighty mace and advanced on foot to confront the Pandavas.
tathā yāntaṃ gadāhastaṃ varmaṇā cāpi daṃśitam। antarikṣagatā devāḥ sādhu sādhvityapūjayan ॥ vātikāśca narā ye'tra dṛṣṭvā te harṣamāgatāḥ ॥9-54-9॥
As he proceeded with a mace in hand and adorned with armor, the gods in the sky praised him saying 'Well done, well done'. The spectators and men present there, upon witnessing this, were filled with joy.
sa pāṇḍavaiḥ parivṛtaḥ kururājastavātmajaḥ। mattasyeva gajendrasya gatimāsthāya so'vrajat ॥9-54-10॥
Your son, the king of the Kurus, surrounded by the Pandavas, moved forward with the gait of an intoxicated elephant king.
tataḥ śaṅkhaninādena bherīṇāṃ ca mahāsvanaiḥ। siṃhanādaśca śūrāṇāṃ diśaḥ sarvāḥ prapūritāḥ ॥9-54-11॥
Then, the sound of conches, drums, and the mighty roars of lions and heroes filled all the directions.
pratīcyabhimukhaṁ deśaṁ yathoddiṣṭaṁ sutena te। gatvā ca taiḥ parikṣiptaṁ samantātsarvatodiśam ॥9-54-12॥
Facing westward, as instructed by your son, go to the region and surround it completely in all directions.
dakṣiṇena sarasvatyāḥ svayanaṃ tīrthamuttamam। tasmindeśe tvaniriṇe tatra yuddhamarocayan ॥9-54-13॥
To the south of the Sarasvati River lies the best pilgrimage site known as Swayam. In that peaceful region, a battle was arranged.
tato bhīmo mahākoṭiṃ gadāṃ gṛhyātha varmabhṛt। bibhradrūpaṃ mahārāja sadṛśaṃ hi garutmataḥ ॥9-54-14॥
Then Bhima, the mighty warrior, took up his great mace and stood like Garuda, the king of birds, ready for battle, O great king.
avabaddhaśirastrāṇaḥ saṅkhye kāñcanavarmabhṛt। rarāja rājanputraste kāñcanaḥ śailarāḍiva ॥9-54-15॥
Your prince, adorned with a helmet and clad in golden armor, shone brilliantly like a majestic golden mountain.
varmabhyāṃ saṃvṛtau vīrau bhīmaduryodhanāvubhau। saṃyuge ca prakāśete saṃrabdhāviva kuñjarau ॥9-54-16॥
Both Bhima and Duryodhana, the heroes, appear in the battlefield covered in armor, eager and fierce like elephants ready for combat.
raṇamaṇḍalamadhyasthau bhrātarau tau nararṣabhau। aśobhetāṃ mahārāja candrasūryāvivauditau ॥9-54-17॥
In the midst of the battlefield, those two brothers, the best among men, shone brilliantly, O great king, like the rising moon and sun.
tāvanyonyaṃ nirīkṣetāṃ kruddhāviva mahādvipau। dahantau locanai rājanparasparavadhaiṣiṇau ॥9-54-18॥
They glared at each other like two enraged elephants, their eyes burning with the desire to kill each other, O king.
samprahṛṣṭamanā rājangadāmādāya kauravaḥ। sṛkkiṇī saṁlihanrājankrodharaktekṣaṇaḥ śvasan ॥9-54-19॥
The Kaurava, filled with delight, took up his mace. His eyes were red with anger as he licked his cheeks and breathed heavily, O king.
tato duryodhano rājā gadāmādāya vīryavān। bhīmasenamabhiprekṣya gajo gajamivāhvayat ॥9-54-20॥
Then, the valiant King Duryodhana, with his mace in hand, gazed at Bhimasena and challenged him as one elephant challenges another.
adrisāramayīṃ bhīmastathaivādāya vīryavān। āhvayāmāsa nṛpatiṃ siṃhaḥ siṃhaṃ yathā vane ॥9-54-21॥
Bhima, with the strength of the mountain, challenged the king, just as one lion challenges another in the forest.
tāv udyatagadāpāṇī duryodhanavṛkodarau। saṃyuge sma prakāśete girī saśikharāv iva ॥9-54-22॥
Duryodhana and Vrikodara, with their maces raised, stand out in the battle like towering mountains with peaks.
tāvubhāvabhisaṅkruddhāvubhau bhīmaparākramau। ubhau śiṣyau gadāyuddhe rauhiṇeyasya dhīmataḥ ॥9-54-23॥
Both of them, filled with rage and possessing mighty valor, were disciples in the mace fight under the wise son of Rohini.
ubhau sadṛśakarmāṇau yamavāsavayoriva। tathā sadṛśakarmāṇau varuṇasya mahābalau ॥9-54-24॥
Both are mighty and perform similar actions like Yama and Indra, and similarly, the mighty ones of Varuna.
vāsudevasya rāmasya tathā vaiśravaṇasya ca। sadṛśau tau mahārāja madhukaiṭabhayoryudhi ॥9-54-25॥
O great king, those two were similar to Vasudeva, Rama, and Vaishravana in the battle against Madhu and Kaitabha.
ubhau sadṛśakarmāṇau raṇe sundopasundayoḥ। tathaiva kālasya samau mṛtyoścaiva parantapau ॥9-54-26॥
Both Sunda and Upasunda, who had similar deeds in battle, were equal in terms of time and death, O subduer of enemies.
anyonyamabhidhāvantau mattāviva mahādvipau। vāśitāsaṅgame dṛptau śaradīva madotkaṭau ॥9-54-27॥
The two warriors, proud and intoxicated like great elephants, charged towards each other in the battlefield, as if in the arrogance of autumn.
mattāviva jigīṣantau mātaṅgau bharatarṣabhau। ubhau krodhaviṣaṃ dīptaṃ vamantāvuragāviva ॥9-54-28॥
The two mighty warriors of the Bharata race, like intoxicated elephants eager to conquer, were both spewing forth the blazing venom of their anger like serpents.
anyonyamabhisaṁrabdhau prekṣamāṇāvariṁdamau। ubhau bharataśārdūlau vikrameṇa samanvitau ॥9-54-29॥
Both warriors, the subduers of enemies and tigers among the Bharatas, stood facing each other, ready for combat, each endowed with great prowess.
siṃhāviva durādharṣau gadāyuddhe parantapau। nakhadaṃṣṭrāyudhau vīrau vyāghrāviva durutsahau ॥9-54-30॥
They were like lions, invincible in mace battles, scorching their foes. With claws and teeth as weapons, they were heroes like tigers, formidable in their might.
prajāsaṁharaṇe kṣubdhau samudrāviva dustarau। lohitāṅgāviva kruddhau pratapantau mahārathau ॥9-54-31॥
The two great warriors, agitated like the vast, impassable oceans during the destruction of people, and red-bodied like angry, shining figures, stood formidable.
raśmimantau mahātmānau dīptimantau mahābalau। dadṛśāte kuruśreṣṭhau kālasūryāvivotitau ॥9-54-32॥
The best of the Kurus saw them, who were like the rising sun and time, possessing rays, great souls, resplendence, and great strength.
vyāghrāviva susaṁrabdhau garjantāviva toyadau। jahṛṣāte mahābāhū siṁhau kesariṇāviva ॥9-54-33॥
The mighty-armed ones rejoiced, eager like tigers and roaring like clouds, resembling lions with manes.
gajāviva susaṁrabdhau jvalitāviva pāvakau। dadṛśustau mahātmānau saśṛṅgāviva parvatau ॥9-54-34॥
The two great souls appeared like two enraged elephants, like blazing fires, and like mountains with peaks.
roṣātprasphuramāṇoṣṭhau nirīkṣantau parasparam। tau sametau mahātmānau gadāhastau narottamau ॥9-54-35॥
The two great warriors, their lips trembling with anger, stood facing each other, maces in hand, as the best among men.
ubhau paramasaṁhṛṣṭāvubhau paramasaṁmatau। sadaśvāviva heṣantau bṛṁhantāviva kuñjarau ॥9-54-36॥
Both were extremely delighted and esteemed, neighing like fine horses and roaring like mighty elephants.
vṛṣabhāviva garjantau duryodhanavṛkodarau। daityāviva balonmattau rejatustau narottamau ॥9-54-37॥
Duryodhana and Vrikodara, roaring like bulls and intoxicated with strength like demons, shone as the best among men.
tato duryodhano rājannidamāha yudhiṣṭhiram। sṛñjayaiḥ saha tiṣṭhantaṃ tapantamiva bhāskaram ॥9-54-38॥
Then King Duryodhana addressed Yudhishthira, who was standing with the Srinjayas, shining like the sun.
idaṁ vyavasitaṁ yuddhaṁ mama bhīmasya cobhayoḥ। upopaviṣṭāḥ paśyadhvaṁ vimardaṁ nṛpasattamāḥ ॥9-54-39॥
This battle has been decided between my Bhima and both of them; seated, observe the conflict, O best of kings.
tataḥ samupaviṣṭaṃ tatsumahadrājamaṇḍalam। virājamānaṃ dadṛśe divīvādityamaṇḍalam ॥9-54-40॥
Then, the great royal assembly, seated majestically, appeared resplendent like the sun in the sky.
teṣāṃ madhye mahābāhuḥ śrīmānkeśavapūrvajaḥ। upaviṣṭo mahārāja pūjyamānaḥ samantataḥ ॥9-54-41॥
In the midst of them, the mighty-armed and glorious elder brother of Keshava, the great king, was seated and worshipped from all sides.
śuśubhe rājamadhyastho nīlavāsāḥ sitaprabhaḥ। nakṣatrairiva sampūrṇo vṛto niśi niśākaraḥ ॥9-54-42॥
He stood out among the kings, dressed in blue with a radiant white glow, resembling the full moon surrounded by stars in the night sky.
tau tathā tu mahārāja gadāhastau durāsadau। anyonyaṃ vāgbhirugrābhistakṣamāṇau vyavasthitau ॥9-54-43॥
O great king, they stood there with maces in hand, formidable and chastising each other with harsh words.
apriyāṇi tato'nyonyamuktvā tau kurupuṅgavau। udīkṣantau sthitau vīrau vṛtraśakrāvivāhave ॥9-54-44॥
After exchanging harsh words, the two foremost Kurus stood facing each other like the heroes Vritra and Indra in battle.
