Mahabharata 6.16: ṣoḍaśo'dhyāyaḥ

6.16.1

saṃjaya uvāca |
tvadyukto'yamanupraśno mahārāja yathārhasi |
na tu duryodhane doṣamimamāsaktumarhasi || 1 ||

Sanjaya said,--"Deserving as thou art, this question is, indeed, worthy of thee, O great king. It behoveth thee not, however, to impute this fault to Duryodhana. The man who incurreth evil as the consequence of his own misconduct, should not attribute that misconduct to others. O great king, the man that doth every kind of injury to other men, deserveth to be slain by all men in consequence of those censurable deeds of his. The Pandavas unacquainted with the ways of wickedness had, for a long time, with their friends and counsellors, looking up to thy face, borne the injuries (done to them) and forgiven them, dwelling in the woods.

"Of steeds and elephants and kings of immeasurable energy that which hath been seen by the aid of Yoga-power, hear, O lord of earth, and do not set thy heart on sorrow. All this was pre-destined, O king. Having bowed down to thy father, that (wise and high-souled) son of Parasara, through whose grace, (through whose boon bestowed on me,) I have obtained excellent and celestial apprehension, sight beyond the range of the visual sense, and hearing, O king, from great distance, knowledge of other people's hearts and also of the past and the future, a knowledge also of the origin of all persons transgressing the ordinances, the delightful power of coursing through the skies, and untouchableness by weapons in battles, listen to me in detail as I recite the romantic and highly wonderful battle that happened between the Bharatas, a battle that makes one's hair stand on end.

The words "high-souled" and also "through whose boon bestowed of me occur in the 9th sloka following.

Vyotthiopatti vijananam, Vyutthita is a very doubtful word.

"When the combatants were arrayed according to rule and when they were addrest for battle. Duryodhana, O king, said these words to Dussasana,--O Dussasana, let cars be speedily directed for the protection of Bhishma, and do thou speedily urge all our divisions (to advance). That hath now come to me of which I had been thinking for a series of years, viz., the meeting of the Pandavas and the Kurus at the head of their respective troops. I do not think that there is any act more important (for us) in this battle than the protecting of Bhishma. If protected he will slay the Pandavas, the Somakas, and the Srinjayas. That warrior of pure soul said,--'I will not slay Sikhandin. It is heard that he was a female before. For this reason he should be renounced by me in battle. For this, Bhishma should be particularly protected. Let all my warriors take up their positions, resolved to slay Sikhandin. Let also all the troops from the east, the west, the south, and the north, accomplished in every kind of weapon, protect the grandsire. Even the lion of mighty strength, if left unprotected may be slain by the wolf. Let us not, therefore, cause Bhishma to be slain by Sikhandin like the lion slain by the jackal. Yudhamanyu protects the left wheel, and Uttamauja protects the right wheel of Phalguni. Protected by those two, Phalguni himself protects Sikhandin. O Dussasana, act in such a way that Sikhandin who is protected by Phalguni and whom Bhishma will renounce, may not slay Ganga's son."

Sanjaya said,--"Deserving as thou art, this question is, indeed, worthy of thee, O great king. It behoveth thee not, however, to impute this fault to Duryodhana. The man who incurreth evil as the consequence of his own misconduct, should not attribute that misconduct to others. O great king, the man that doth every kind of injury to other men, deserveth to be slain by all men in consequence of those censurable deeds of his. The Pandavas unacquainted with the ways of wickedness had, for a long time, with their friends and counsellors, looking up to thy face, borne the injuries (done to them) and forgiven them, dwelling in the woods.

6.16.2

ya ātmano duścaritādaśubhaṃ prāpnuyānnaraḥ |
enasā tena nānyaṃ sa upāśaṅkitumarhati || 2 ||

6.16.3

mahārāja manuṣyeṣu nindyaṃ yaḥ sarvamācaret |
sa vadhyaḥ sarvalokasya ninditāni samācaran || 3 ||

6.16.4

nikāro nikṛtiprajñaiḥ pāṇḍavaistvatpratīkṣayā |
anubhūtaḥ sahāmātyaiḥ kṣāntaṃ ca suciraṃ vane || 4 ||

6.16.5

hayānāṃ ca gajānāṃ ca śūrāṇāṃ cāmitaujasām |
pratyakṣaṃ yanmayā dṛṣṭaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ yogabalena ca || 5 ||

"Of steeds and elephants and kings of immeasurable energy that which hath been seen by the aid of Yoga-power, hear, O lord of earth, and do not set thy heart on sorrow. All this was pre-destined, O king. Having bowed down to thy father, that (wise and high-souled) son of Parasara, through whose grace, (through whose boon bestowed on me,) I have obtained excellent and celestial apprehension, sight beyond the range of the visual sense, and hearing, O king, from great distance, knowledge of other people's hearts and also of the past and the future, a knowledge also of the origin of all persons transgressing the ordinances, the delightful power of coursing through the skies, and untouchableness by weapons in battles, listen to me in detail as I recite the romantic and highly wonderful battle that happened between the Bharatas, a battle that makes one's hair stand on end.

6.16.6

śṛṇu tatpṛthivīpāla mā ca śoke manaḥ kṛthāḥ |
diṣṭametatpurā nūnamevaṃbhāvi narādhipa || 6 ||

6.16.7

namaskṛtvā pituste'haṃ pārāśaryāya dhīmate |
yasya prasādāddivyaṃ me prāptaṃ jñānamanuttamam || 7 ||

6.16.8

dṛṣṭiścātīndriyā rājandūrācchravaṇameva ca |
paracittasya vijñānamatītānāgatasya ca || 8 ||

6.16.9

vyutthitotpattivijñānamākāśe ca gatiḥ sadā |
śastrairasaṅgo yuddheṣu varadānānmahātmanaḥ || 9 ||

6.16.10

śṛṇu me vistareṇedaṃ vicitraṃ paramādbhutam |
bhāratānāṃ mahadyuddhaṃ yathābhūllomaharṣaṇam || 10 ||

6.16.11

teṣvanīkeṣu yatteṣu vyūḍheṣu ca vidhānataḥ |
duryodhano mahārāja duḥśāsanamathābravīt || 11 ||

"When the combatants were arrayed according to rule and when they were addrest for battle. Duryodhana, O king, said these words to Dussasana,--O Dussasana, let cars be speedily directed for the protection of Bhishma, and do thou speedily urge all our divisions (to advance). That hath now come to me of which I had been thinking for a series of years, viz., the meeting of the Pandavas and the Kurus at the head of their respective troops. I do not think that there is any act more important (for us) in this battle than the protecting of Bhishma. If protected he will slay the Pandavas, the Somakas, and the Srinjayas. That warrior of pure soul said,--'I will not slay Sikhandin. It is heard that he was a female before. For this reason he should be renounced by me in battle. For this, Bhishma should be particularly protected. Let all my warriors take up their positions, resolved to slay Sikhandin. Let also all the troops from the east, the west, the south, and the north, accomplished in every kind of weapon, protect the grandsire. Even the lion of mighty strength, if left unprotected may be slain by the wolf. Let us not, therefore, cause Bhishma to be slain by Sikhandin like the lion slain by the jackal. Yudhamanyu protects the left wheel, and Uttamauja protects the right wheel of Phalguni. Protected by those two, Phalguni himself protects Sikhandin. O Dussasana, act in such a way that Sikhandin who is protected by Phalguni and whom Bhishma will renounce, may not slay Ganga's son."

6.16.12

duḥśāsana rathāstūrṇaṃ yujyantāṃ bhīṣmarakṣiṇaḥ |
anīkāni ca sarvāṇi śīghraṃ tvamanucodaya || 12 ||

6.16.13

ayaṃ mā samanuprāpto varṣapūgābhicintitaḥ |
pāṇḍavānāṃ sasainyānāṃ kurūṇāṃ ca samāgamaḥ || 13 ||

6.16.14

nātaḥ kāryatamaṃ manye raṇe bhīṣmasya rakṣaṇāt |
hanyādgupto hyasau pārthānsomakāṃśca sasṛñjayān || 14 ||

6.16.15

abravīcca viśuddhātmā nāhaṃ hanyāṃ śikhaṇḍinam |
śrūyate strī hyasau pūrvaṃ tasmādvarjyo raṇe mama || 15 ||

6.16.16

tasmādbhīṣmo rakṣitavyo viśeṣeṇeti me matiḥ |
śikhaṇḍino vadhe yattāḥ sarve tiṣṭhantu māmakāḥ || 16 ||

6.16.17

tathā prācyāḥ pratīcyāśca dākṣiṇātyottarāpathāḥ |
sarvaśastrāstrakuśalāste rakṣantu pitāmaham || 17 ||

6.16.18

arakṣyamāṇaṃ hi vṛko hanyātsiṃhaṃ mahābalam |
mā siṃhaṃ jambukeneva ghātayāmaḥ śikhaṇḍinā || 18 ||

6.16.19

vāmaṃ cakraṃ yudhāmanyuruttamaujāśca dakṣiṇam |
goptārau phalgunasyaitau phalguno'pi śikhaṇḍinaḥ || 19 ||

6.16.20

saṃrakṣyamāṇaḥ pārthena bhīṣmeṇa ca vivarjitaḥ |
yathā na hanyādgāṅgeyaṃ duḥśāsana tathā kuru || 20 ||

6.16.21

tato rajanyāṃ vyuṣṭāyāṃ śabdaḥ samabhavanmahān |
krośatāṃ bhūmipālānāṃ yujyatāṃ yujyatāmiti || 21 ||

Sanjaya said,--"When the night had passed away, loud became the noise made by the kings, all exclaiming, Array! Array! 'With the blare of conches and the sound of drums that resembled leonine roars, O Bharata, with the neigh of steeds, and the clatter of car-wheels, with the noise of obstreperous elephants and the shouts, clapping of arm-pits, and cries of roaring combatants, the din caused everywhere was very great. The large armies of the Kurus and the Pandavas, O king, rising at sunrise, completed all their arrangements. Then when the Sun rose, the fierce weapons of attack and defence and the coats of mail of both thy sons and the Pandavas, and the large and splendid armies of both sides, became fully visible. There elephants and cars, adorned with gold, looked resplendent like clouds mingled with lightning. The ranks of cars, standing in profusion, looked like cities. And thy father, stationed there, shone brilliantly, like the full moon. And the warriors armed with bows and swords and scimitars and maces, javelins and lances and bright weapons of diverse kinds, took up their positions in their (respective) ranks. And resplendent standards were seen, set up by thousands, of diverse forms, belonging to both ourselves and the foe. And made of gold and decked with gems and blazing like fire, those banners in thousands endued with great effulgence, looked beautiful like heroic combatants cased in mail gazed at those standards, longing for battle. And many foremost of men, with eyes large as those of bulls endued with quivers, and with hands cased in leathern fences, stood at the heads of their divisions, with their bright weapons upraised. And Suvala's son Sakuni, and Salya, Jayadratha and the two princes of Avanti named Vinda and Anuvinda, and the Kekaya brothers, and Sudakshina the ruler of the Kamvojas and Srutayudha the ruler of the Kalingas, and king Jayatsena, and Vrihadvala the ruler of the Kosalas, and Kritavarman of Satwata's race,--these ten tigers among men, endued with great bravery and possessing arms that looked like maces,--these performers of sacrifices with plentiful gifts (to Brahmanas), stood each at the head of an Akshauhini of troops. These and many other kings and princes, mighty car-warriors conversant with policy, obedient to the commands of Duryodhana, all cased in mail, were seen stationed in their respective divisions. All of them, cased in black deer-skins, endued with great strength, accomplished in battle, and cheerfully prepared, for Duryodhana's sake, to ascend to the region of Brahma, stood there commanding ten efficient Akshauhinis. The eleventh great division of the Kauravas, consisting of the Dhartarashtra troops, stood in advance of the whole army. There in the van of that division was Santanu's son. With his white head-gear, white umbrella, and white mail, O monarch, we beheld Bhishma of unfailing prowess look like the risen moon. His standard bearing the device of a palmyra of gold himself stationed on a car made of silver, both the Kurus and the Pandavas beheld that hero looking like the moon encircled by white clouds. The great bowmen amongst the Srinjayas headed by Dhrishtadyumna, (beholding Bhishma) looked like little animals when they would behold a mighty yawning lion. Indeed, all the combatants headed by Dhrishtadyumna repeatedly trembled in fear. These, O king, were the eleven splendid divisions of thy army. So also the seven divisions belonging to the Pandavas were protected by foremost of men. Indeed, the two armies facing each other looked like two oceans at the end of the Yuga agitated by fierce Makaras, and abounding with huge crocodiles. Never before, O king, did we see or hear of two such armies encountering each other like these of the Kauravas.'

Sanjaya said,--"When the night had passed away, loud became the noise made by the kings, all exclaiming, Array! Array! 'With the blare of conches and the sound of drums that resembled leonine roars, O Bharata, with the neigh of steeds, and the clatter of car-wheels, with the noise of obstreperous elephants and the shouts, clapping of arm-pits, and cries of roaring combatants, the din caused everywhere was very great. The large armies of the Kurus and the Pandavas, O king, rising at sunrise, completed all their arrangements. Then when the Sun rose, the fierce weapons of attack and defence and the coats of mail of both thy sons and the Pandavas, and the large and splendid armies of both sides, became fully visible. There elephants and cars, adorned with gold, looked resplendent like clouds mingled with lightning. The ranks of cars, standing in profusion, looked like cities. And thy father, stationed there, shone brilliantly, like the full moon. And the warriors armed with bows and swords and scimitars and maces, javelins and lances and bright weapons of diverse kinds, took up their positions in their (respective) ranks. And resplendent standards were seen, set up by thousands, of diverse forms, belonging to both ourselves and the foe. And made of gold and decked with gems and blazing like fire, those banners in thousands endued with great effulgence, looked beautiful like heroic combatants cased in mail gazed at those standards, longing for battle. And many foremost of men, with eyes large as those of bulls endued with quivers, and with hands cased in leathern fences, stood at the heads of their divisions, with their bright weapons upraised. And Suvala's son Sakuni, and Salya, Jayadratha and the two princes of Avanti named Vinda and Anuvinda, and the Kekaya brothers, and Sudakshina the ruler of the Kamvojas and Srutayudha the ruler of the Kalingas, and king Jayatsena, and Vrihadvala the ruler of the Kosalas, and Kritavarman of Satwata's race,--these ten tigers among men, endued with great bravery and possessing arms that looked like maces,--these performers of sacrifices with plentiful gifts (to Brahmanas), stood each at the head of an Akshauhini of troops. These and many other kings and princes, mighty car-warriors conversant with policy, obedient to the commands of Duryodhana, all cased in mail, were seen stationed in their respective divisions. All of them, cased in black deer-skins, endued with great strength, accomplished in battle, and cheerfully prepared, for Duryodhana's sake, to ascend to the region of Brahma, stood there commanding ten efficient Akshauhinis. The eleventh great division of the Kauravas, consisting of the Dhartarashtra troops, stood in advance of the whole army. There in the van of that division was Santanu's son. With his white head-gear, white umbrella, and white mail, O monarch, we beheld Bhishma of unfailing prowess look like the risen moon. His standard bearing the device of a palmyra of gold himself stationed on a car made of silver, both the Kurus and the Pandavas beheld that hero looking like the moon encircled by white clouds. The great bowmen amongst the Srinjayas headed by Dhrishtadyumna, (beholding Bhishma) looked like little animals when they would behold a mighty yawning lion. Indeed, all the combatants headed by Dhrishtadyumna repeatedly trembled in fear. These, O king, were the eleven splendid divisions of thy army. So also the seven divisions belonging to the Pandavas were protected by foremost of men. Indeed, the two armies facing each other looked like two oceans at the end of the Yuga agitated by fierce Makaras, and abounding with huge crocodiles. Never before, O king, did we see or hear of two such armies encountering each other like these of the Kauravas.'

Literally, "in Indra's abodes," i.e. Amaravati.

A Kshatriya failing bravely in fight at once goes to the highest regions of bliss.

6.16.22

śaṅkhadundubhinirghoṣaiḥ siṃhanādaiśca bhārata |
hayaheṣitaśabdaiśca rathanemisvanaistathā || 22 ||

6.16.23

gajānāṃ bṛṃhatāṃ caiva yodhānāṃ cābhigarjatām |
kṣveḍitāsphoṭitotkruṣṭaistumulaṃ sarvato'bhavat || 23 ||

6.16.24

udatiṣṭhanmahārāja sarvaṃ yuktamaśeṣataḥ |
sūryodaye mahatsainyaṃ kurupāṇḍavasenayoḥ |
tava rājendra putrāṇāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ tathaiva ca || 24 ||

6.16.25

tatra nāgā rathāścaiva jāmbūnadapariṣkṛtāḥ |
vibhrājamānā dṛśyante meghā iva savidyutaḥ || 25 ||

6.16.26

rathānīkānyadṛśyanta nagarāṇīva bhūriśaḥ |
atīva śuśubhe tatra pitā te pūrṇacandravat || 26 ||

6.16.27

dhanurbhirṛṣṭibhiḥ khaḍgairgadābhiḥ śaktitomaraiḥ |
yodhāḥ praharaṇaiḥ śubhraiḥ sveṣvanīkeṣvavasthitāḥ || 27 ||

6.16.28

gajā rathāḥ padātāśca turagāśca viśāṃ pate |
vyatiṣṭhanvāgurākārāḥ śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ || 28 ||

6.16.29

dhvajā bahuvidhākārā vyadṛśyanta samucchritāḥ |
sveṣāṃ caiva pareṣāṃ ca dyutimantaḥ sahasraśaḥ || 29 ||

6.16.30

kāñcanā maṇicitrāṅgā jvalanta iva pāvakāḥ |
arciṣmanto vyarocanta dhvajā rājñāṃ sahasraśaḥ || 30 ||

6.16.31

mahendraketavaḥ śubhrā mahendrasadaneṣviva |
saṃnaddhāsteṣu te vīrā dadṛśuryuddhakāṅkṣiṇaḥ || 31 ||

6.16.32

udyatairāyudhaiścitrāstalabaddhāḥ kalāpinaḥ |
ṛṣabhākṣā manuṣyendrāścamūmukhagatā babhuḥ || 32 ||

6.16.33

śakuniḥ saubalaḥ śalyaḥ saindhavo'tha jayadrathaḥ |
vindānuvindāvāvantyau kāmbojaśca sudakṣiṇaḥ || 33 ||

6.16.34

śrutāyudhaśca kāliṅgo jayatsenaśca pārthivaḥ |
bṛhadbalaśca kauśalyaḥ kṛtavarmā ca sātvataḥ || 34 ||

6.16.35

daśaite puruṣavyāghrāḥ śūrāḥ parighabāhavaḥ |
akṣauhiṇīnāṃ patayo yajvāno bhūridakṣiṇāḥ || 35 ||

6.16.36

ete cānye ca bahavo duryodhanavaśānugāḥ |
rājāno rājaputrāśca nītimanto mahābalāḥ || 36 ||

6.16.37

saṃnaddhāḥ samadṛśyanta sveṣvanīkeṣvavasthitāḥ |
baddhakṛṣṇājināḥ sarve dhvajino muñjamālinaḥ || 37 ||

6.16.38

sṛṣṭā duryodhanasyārthe brahmalokāya dīkṣitāḥ |
samṛddhā daśa vāhinyaḥ parigṛhya vyavasthitāḥ || 38 ||

6.16.39

ekādaśī dhārtarāṣṭrī kauravāṇāṃ mahācamūḥ |
agrataḥ sarvasainyānāṃ yatra śāṃtanavo'graṇīḥ || 39 ||

6.16.40

śvetoṣṇīṣaṃ śvetahayaṃ śvetavarmāṇamacyutam |
apaśyāma mahārāja bhīṣmaṃ candramivoditam || 40 ||

6.16.41

hematāladhvajaṃ bhīṣmaṃ rājate syandane sthitam |
śvetābhra iva tīkṣṇāṃśuṃ dadṛśuḥ kurupāṇḍavāḥ || 41 ||

6.16.42

dṛṣṭvā camūmukhe bhīṣmaṃ samakampanta pāṇḍavāḥ |
sṛñjayāśca maheṣvāsā dhṛṣṭadyumnapurogamāḥ || 42 ||

6.16.43

jṛmbhamāṇaṃ mahāsiṃhaṃ dṛṣṭvā kṣudramṛgā yathā |
dhṛṣṭadyumnamukhāḥ sarve samudvivijire muhuḥ || 43 ||

6.16.44

ekādaśaitāḥ śrījuṣṭā vāhinyastava bhārata |
pāṇḍavānāṃ tathā sapta mahāpuruṣapālitāḥ || 44 ||

6.16.45

unmattamakarāvartau mahāgrāhasamākulau |
yugānte samupetau dvau dṛśyete sāgarāviva || 45 ||

6.16.46

naiva nastādṛśo rājandṛṣṭapūrvo na ca śrutaḥ |
anīkānāṃ sametānāṃ samavāyastathāvidhaḥ || 46 ||