Mahabharata 6.17: saptadaśo'dhyāyaḥ

6.17.1

saṃjaya uvāca |
yathā sa bhagavānvyāsaḥ kṛṣṇadvaipāyano'bravīt |
tathaiva sahitāḥ sarve samājagmurmahīkṣitaḥ || 1 ||

Sanjaya said,--"Just as the holy Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa had said, in that very manner the kings of the Earth, mustered together, came to the encounter. On that day on which the battle commenced Soma approached the region of Pitris. The seven large planets, as they appeared in the firmament, all looked blazing like fire. The Sun, when he rose, seemed to be divided in twain. Besides, that luminary, as it appeared in the firmament, seemed to blaze forth in flames. Carnivorous jackals and crows, expecting dead bodies to feast upon, began to utter fierce cries from all directions that seemed to be ablaze. Every day the old grandsire of the Kurus, and the son of Bharadwaja, rising from bed in the morning, with concentrated mind, said,--'Victory to the sons of Pandu'--while those chastisers of foes used (at the same time) yet to fight for thy sake according to the pledge they had given. Thy father Devavrata, fully conversant with every duty, summoning all the kings, said these words (unto them). 'Ye Kshatriyas, this broad door is open to you for entering heaven. Go ye through it to the region of Sakra and Brahman. The Rishis of olden times have showed you this eternal path. Honour ye yourselves by engaging in battle with attentive minds. Nabhaga, and Yayati, and Mandhatri, and Nahusa, and Nriga, were crowned with success and obtained the highest region of bliss by feats like these. To die of disease at home is sin for a Kshatriya.

6.17.2

maghāviṣayagaḥ somastaddinaṃ pratyapadyata |
dīpyamānāśca saṃpeturdivi sapta mahāgrahāḥ || 2 ||

6.17.3

dvidhābhūta ivāditya udaye pratyadṛśyata |
jvalantyā śikhayā bhūyo bhānumānudito divi || 3 ||

6.17.4

vavāśire ca dīptāyāṃ diśi gomāyuvāyasāḥ |
lipsamānāḥ śarīrāṇi māṃsaśoṇitabhojanāḥ || 4 ||

6.17.5

ahanyahani pārthānāṃ vṛddhaḥ kurupitāmahaḥ |
bharadvājātmajaścaiva prātarutthāya saṃyatau || 5 ||

6.17.6

jayo'stu pāṇḍuputrāṇāmityūcaturariṃdamau |
yuyudhāte tavārthāya yathā sa samayaḥ kṛtaḥ || 6 ||

6.17.7

sarvadharmaviśeṣajñaḥ pitā devavratastava |
samānīya mahīpālānidaṃ vacanamabravīt || 7 ||

6.17.8

idaṃ vaḥ kṣatriyā dvāraṃ svargāyāpāvṛtaṃ mahat |
gacchadhvaṃ tena śakrasya brahmaṇaśca salokatām || 8 ||

6.17.9

eṣa vaḥ śāśvataḥ panthāḥ pūrvaiḥ pūrvatarairgataḥ |
saṃbhāvayata cātmānamavyagramanaso yudhi || 9 ||

6.17.10

nābhāgo hi yayātiśca māndhātā nahuṣo nṛgaḥ |
saṃsiddhāḥ paramaṃ sthānaṃ gatāḥ karmabhirīdṛśaiḥ || 10 ||

6.17.11

adharmaḥ kṣatriyasyaiṣa yadvyādhimaraṇaṃ gṛhe |
yadājau nidhanaṃ yāti so'sya dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ || 11 ||

The death he meets with in battle is his eternal duty.'--Thus addressed, O bull of Bharata's race, by Bhishma, the kings, looking beautiful in their excellent cars, proceeded to the heads of their respective divisions. Only Vikartana's son Karna, with his friends and relatives, O bull of Bharata's race, laid aside his weapons in battle for the sake of Bhishma. Without Karna then, thy sons and all the kings on thy side proceeded, making the ten points of the horizon resound with their leonine roars. And their divisions shone brightly, O king, with white umbrellas, banners, standards, elephants, steeds, cars, and foot-soldiers. And the Earth was agitated with the sounds of drums and tabors and cymbals, and the clatter of car-wheels. And the mighty car-warriors, decked with their bracelets and armlets of gold and with their bows (variegated with gold), looked resplendent like hills of fire. And with his large palmyra-standard decked with five stars, Bhishma, the generalissimo of the Kuru army, looked like the resplendent Sun himself. Those mighty bowmen of royal birth, O bull of Bharata's race, that were on thy side, all took up their positions, O king, as Santanu's son ordered. (King) Saivya of the country of the Govasanas, accompanied by all the monarchs, went out on a princely elephant worthy of royal use and graced with a banner on its back.

6.17.12

evamuktā mahīpālā bhīṣmeṇa bharatarṣabha |
niryayuḥ svānyanīkāni śobhayanto rathottamaiḥ || 12 ||

6.17.13

sa tu vaikartanaḥ karṇaḥ sāmātyaḥ saha bandhubhiḥ |
nyāsitaḥ samare śastraṃ bhīṣmeṇa bharatarṣabha || 13 ||

6.17.14

apetakarṇāḥ putrāste rājānaścaiva tāvakāḥ |
niryayuḥ siṃhanādena nādayanto diśo daśa || 14 ||

6.17.15

śvetaiśchatraiḥ patākābhirdhvajavāraṇavājibhiḥ |
tānyanīkānyaśobhanta rathairatha padātibhiḥ || 15 ||

6.17.16

bherīpaṇavaśabdaiśca paṭahānāṃ ca nisvanaiḥ |
rathanemininādaiśca babhūvākulitā mahī || 16 ||

6.17.17

kāñcanāṅgadakeyūraiḥ kārmukaiśca mahārathāḥ |
bhrājamānā vyadṛśyanta jaṅgamāḥ parvatā iva || 17 ||

6.17.18

tālena mahatā bhīṣmaḥ pañcatāreṇa ketunā |
vimalādityasaṃkāśastasthau kurucamūpatiḥ || 18 ||

6.17.19

ye tvadīyā maheṣvāsā rājāno bharatarṣabha |
avartanta yathādeśaṃ rājañśāṃtanavasya te || 19 ||

6.17.20

sa tu govāsanaḥ śaibyaḥ sahitaḥ sarvarājabhiḥ |
yayau mātaṅgarājena rājārheṇa patākinā |
padmavarṇastvanīkānāṃ sarveṣāmagrataḥ sthitaḥ || 20 ||

And Aswatthaman, of the complexion of the lotus, went out ready for every emergency, stationing himself at the very head of all the divisions, with his standard bearing the device of the lion's tail. And Srutayudha and Chitrasena and Purumitra and Vivinsati, and Salya and Bhurisravas, and that mighty car-warrior Vikarna,--these seven mighty bowmen on their carts and cased in excellent mail, followed Drona's son behind but in advance of Bhishma. The tall standards of these warriors, made of gold, beautifully set up for adorning their excellent cars, looked highly resplendent. The standard of Drona, the foremost of preceptors, bore the device of a golden altar decked with a water-pot and the figure of a bow. The standard of Duryodhana guiding many hundreds and thousands of divisions bore the device of an elephant worked in gems. Paurava and the ruler of the Kalingas, and Salya, these Rathas took up their position in Duryodhana's van. On a costly car with his standard bearing the device of a bull, and guiding the very van (of his division), the ruler of the Magadhas marched against the foe. That large force of the Easterners looking like the fleecy clouds of autumn was (besides) protected by the chief of the Angas (Karna's son Vrishaketu) and Kripa endued with great energy. Stationing himself in the van of his division with his beautiful standard of silver bearing the device of the boar, the famous Jayadratha looked highly resplendent.

6.17.21

aśvatthāmā yayau yattaḥ siṃhalāṅgūlaketanaḥ |
śrutāyuścitrasenaśca purumitro viviṃśatiḥ || 21 ||

6.17.22

śalyo bhūriśravāścaiva vikarṇaśca mahārathaḥ |
ete sapta maheṣvāsā droṇaputrapurogamāḥ |
syandanairvaravarṇābhairbhīṣmasyāsanpuraḥsarāḥ || 22 ||

6.17.23

teṣāmapi mahotsedhāḥ śobhayanto rathottamān |
bhrājamānā vyadṛśyanta jāmbūnadamayā dhvajāḥ || 23 ||

6.17.24

jāmbūnadamayī vediḥ kamaṇḍaluvibhūṣitā |
keturācāryamukhyasya droṇasya dhanuṣā saha || 24 ||

6.17.25

anekaśatasāhasramanīkamanukarṣataḥ |
mahānduryodhanasyāsīnnāgo maṇimayo dhvajaḥ || 25 ||

6.17.26

tasya pauravakāliṅgau kāmbojaśca sudakṣiṇaḥ |
kṣemadhanvā sumitraśca tasthuḥ pramukhato rathāḥ || 26 ||

6.17.27

syandanena mahārheṇa ketunā vṛṣabheṇa ca |
prakarṣanniva senāgraṃ māgadhaśca nṛpo yayau || 27 ||

6.17.28

tadaṅgapatinā guptaṃ kṛpeṇa ca mahātmanā |
śāradābhracayaprakhyaṃ prācyānāmabhavadbalam || 28 ||

6.17.29

anīkapramukhe tiṣṭhanvarāheṇa mahāyaśāḥ |
śuśubhe ketumukhyena rājatena jayadrathaḥ || 29 ||

6.17.30

śataṃ rathasahasrāṇāṃ tasyāsanvaśavartinaḥ |
aṣṭau nāgasahasrāṇi sādināmayutāni ṣaṭ || 30 ||

A hundred thousand cars, eight thousand elephants, and sixty thousand cavalry were under his command. Commanded by the royal chief of the Sindhus, that large division occupying the very van (of the army) and abounding with untold cars, elephants, and steeds, looked magnificent. With sixty thousand cars and ten thousand elephants, the ruler of the Kalingas, accompanied by Ketumat, went out. His huge elephants, looking like hills, and adorned with Yantras, lances, quivers and standards, looked exceedingly beautiful. And the ruler of the Kalingas, with his tall standard effulgent as fire, with his white umbrella, and golden curass, and Chamaras (wherewith he was fanned), shone brilliantly. And Ketumat also, riding on an elephant with a highly excellent and beautiful hook, was stationed in battle, O King, like the Sun in the midst of (black) clouds. And king Bhagadatta, blazing with energy and riding on that elephant of his, went out like the wielder of the thunder. And the two princes of Avanti named Vinda and Anuvinda, who were regarded as equal to Bhagadatta, followed Ketumat, riding on the necks of their elephants. And, O king, arrayed by Drona and the royal son of Santanu, and Drona's son, and Valhika, and Kripa, the (Kaurava) Vyuha consisting of many divisions of cars was such that the elephants formed its body; the kings, its head; and the steeds, its wings. With face towards all sides, that fierce Vyuha seemed to smile and ready to spring (upon the foe)."

6.17.31

tatsindhupatinā rājanpālitaṃ dhvajinīmukham |
anantarathanāgāśvamaśobhata mahadbalam || 31 ||

6.17.32

ṣaṣṭyā rathasahasraistu nāgānāmayutena ca |
patiḥ sarvakaliṅgānāṃ yayau ketumatā saha || 32 ||

6.17.33

tasya parvatasaṃkāśā vyarocanta mahāgajāḥ |
yantratomaratūṇīraiḥ patākābhiśca śobhitāḥ || 33 ||

6.17.34

śuśubhe ketumukhyena pādapena kaliṅgapaḥ |
śvetacchatreṇa niṣkeṇa cāmaravyajanena ca || 34 ||

6.17.35

ketumānapi mātaṅgaṃ vicitraparamāṅkuśam |
āsthitaḥ samare rājanmeghastha iva bhānumān || 35 ||

6.17.36

tejasā dīpyamānastu vāraṇottamamāsthitaḥ |
bhagadatto yayau rājā yathā vajradharastathā || 36 ||

6.17.37

gajaskandhagatāvāstāṃ bhagadattena saṃmitau |
vindānuvindāvāvantyau ketumantamanuvratau || 37 ||

6.17.38

sa rathānīkavānvyūho hastyaṅgottamaśīrṣavān |
vājipakṣaḥ patannugraḥ prāharatsarvatomukhaḥ || 38 ||

6.17.39

droṇena vihito rājanrājñā śāṃtanavena ca |
tathaivācāryaputreṇa bāhlīkena kṛpeṇa ca || 39 ||