Mahabharata 6.83: tryaśītitamo'dhyāyaḥ

6.83.1

saṃjaya uvāca |
pariṇāmya niśāṃ tāṃ tu sukhasuptā janeśvarāḥ |
kuravaḥ pāṇḍavāścaiva punaryuddhāya niryayuḥ || 1 ||

Sanjaya said, "Having passed the night in sound steep, those rulers of men, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, once more proceeded to battle. And when the troops of both armies were about to proceed to the field, great was the uproar heard there, resembling the loud uproar of the ocean itself. Then king Duryodhana, and Chitrasena, and Vivinsati, and that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Bhishma and Bharadwaja's son possessed of great prowess,--those mighty car-warriors, clad in mail and uniting together, O King, formed with great care the array of the Kauravas against the Pandavas. Having formed that mighty array fierce as the ocean and having for its billows and current its steeds and elephants, thy sire Bhishma, the son of Santanu, then, O king, proceeded in the van of the whole army, supported by the Malavas, and the inhabitants of the southern countries, and the Avantis. Next to him was the valiant son of Bharadwaja, accompanied by the Pulindas, the Paradas, and the Kshudraka-Malavas. Next to Drona was the valiant Bhagadatta. O king, firmly resolved on fight, accompanied by the Magadhas, the Kalingas, and the Pisachas. Behind Bhagadatta was Vrihadvala the king of the Kosalas accompanied by the Melakas, the Tripuras, and the Chichilas. Next to Vrihadvala was the brave Trigarta, the ruler of the Prasthala, accompanied by a large number of the Kamvojas, and by Yavanas in thousands.

6.83.2

tataḥ śabdo mahānāsītsenayorubhayorapi |
nirgacchamānayoḥ saṃkhye sāgarapratimo mahān || 2 ||

6.83.3

tato duryodhano rājā citraseno viviṃśatiḥ |
bhīṣmaśca rathināṃ śreṣṭho bhāradvājaśca vai dvijaḥ || 3 ||

6.83.4

ekībhūtāḥ susaṃyattāḥ kauravāṇāṃ mahācamūḥ |
vyūhāya vidadhū rājanpāṇḍavānprati daṃśitāḥ || 4 ||

6.83.5

bhīṣmaḥ kṛtvā mahāvyūhaṃ pitā tava viśāṃ pate |
sāgarapratimaṃ ghoraṃ vāhanormitaraṅgiṇam || 5 ||

6.83.6

agrataḥ sarvasainyānāṃ bhīṣmaḥ śāṃtanavo yayau |
mālavairdākṣiṇātyaiśca āvantyaiśca samanvitaḥ || 6 ||

6.83.7

tato'nantaramevāsīdbhāradvājaḥ pratāpavān |
pulindaiḥ pāradaiścaiva tathā kṣudrakamālavaiḥ || 7 ||

6.83.8

droṇādanantaraṃ yatto bhagadattaḥ pratāpavān |
māgadhaiśca kaliṅgaiśca piśācaiśca viśāṃ pate || 8 ||

6.83.9

prāgjyotiṣādanu nṛpaḥ kausalyo'tha bṛhadbalaḥ |
mekalaistraipuraiścaiva cicchilaiśca samanvitaḥ || 9 ||

6.83.10

bṛhadbalāttataḥ śūrastrigartaḥ prasthalādhipaḥ |
kāmbojairbahubhiḥ sārdhaṃ yavanaiśca sahasraśaḥ || 10 ||

6.83.11

drauṇistu rabhasaḥ śūrastrigartādanu bhārata |
prayayau siṃhanādena nādayāno dharātalam || 11 ||

Next to the ruler of the Trigartas, O Bharata, proceeded that mighty hero, viz., the son of Drona, uttering leonine roars and filling the earth with those shouts. Next to Drona's son proceeded king Duryodhana with the whole army, surrounded by his uterine brothers. Behind Duryodhana proceeded Kripa the son of Saradwat. It was thus that that mighty array, resembling the very ocean, advanced [paragraph continues] (to battle). And standards and white umbrellas, O lord, and beautiful bracelets and costly bows shed their effulgence there. And beholding that mighty array of thy forces, that great car-warrior Yudhishthira, speedily addressed the generalissimo (of his forces), viz., Prishata's son saying, 'Behold, O great bowman, that array, already formed, resembling the ocean. Do thou also, O son of Prishata, form without delay thy counter-array. (Thus addressed), the heroic son of Prishata, O great king, formed that terrible array called Sringataka that is destructive of all hostile arrays. At the horns were Bhimasena and that mighty car-warrior, viz., Satyaki, with many thousands of cars as also of horse and infantry. Next to them was that foremost of men, (viz., Arjuna) of white steeds and having Krishna for his charioteer. In the centre were king Yudhishthira and the twin sons of Pandu by Madri. Other royal bowmen, conversant with the science of arrays, with their troops, filled up that array.

6.83.12

tathā sarveṇa sainyena rājā duryodhanastadā |
drauṇeranantaraṃ prāyātsodaryaiḥ parivāritaḥ || 12 ||

6.83.13

duryodhanādanu kṛpastataḥ śāradvato yayau |
evameṣa mahāvyūhaḥ prayayau sāgaropamaḥ || 13 ||

6.83.14

rejustatra patākāśca śvetacchatrāṇi cābhibho |
aṅgadānyatha citrāṇi mahārhāṇi dhanūṃṣi ca || 14 ||

6.83.15

taṃ tu dṛṣṭvā mahāvyūhaṃ tāvakānāṃ mahārathaḥ |
yudhiṣṭhiro'bravīttūrṇaṃ pārṣataṃ pṛtanāpatim || 15 ||

6.83.16

paśya vyūhaṃ maheṣvāsa nirmitaṃ sāgaropamam |
prativyūhaṃ tvamapi hi kuru pārṣata māciram || 16 ||

6.83.17

tataḥ sa pārṣataḥ śūro vyūhaṃ cakre sudāruṇam |
śṛṅgāṭakaṃ mahārāja paravyūhavināśanam || 17 ||

6.83.18

śṛṅgebhyo bhīmasenaśca sātyakiśca mahārathaḥ |
rathairanekasāhasraistathā hayapadātibhiḥ || 18 ||

6.83.19

nābhyāmabhūnnaraśreṣṭhaḥ śvetāśvo vānaradhvajaḥ |
madhye yudhiṣṭhiro rājā mādrīputrau ca pāṇḍavau || 19 ||

6.83.20

athetare maheṣvāsāḥ sahasainyā narādhipāḥ |
vyūhaṃ taṃ pūrayāmāsurvyūhaśāstraviśāradāḥ || 20 ||

6.83.21

abhimanyustataḥ paścādvirāṭaśca mahārathaḥ |
draupadeyāśca saṃhṛṣṭā rākṣasaśca ghaṭotkacaḥ || 21 ||

In the rear were ordered Abhimanyu, and that mighty car-warrior, Virata, and the sons of Draupadi and the Rakshasa Ghatotkacha. Thus, O Bharata, having formed their mighty array, the heroic Pandavas waited on the field, longing for battle and desirous of victory. And the loud noise of drums mingling with the blare of conches and leonine roars and shouts (of the combatants) and the slapping of their armpits, became terrible and filled all the points of the compass. Then those brave warriors, approaching one another for battle, looked at one another, O king, with winkless eyes. Then O ruler of men, the warriors, first challenging each other by name, engaged with each other. Then commenced a fierce and terrible battle between thy troops and those of the foe striking one another. And in that battle, O Bharata, whetted shafts fell in showers like terrible snakes with mouths wide open. And polished darts of impetuous force, washed with oil, O king, shone like the effulgent flashes of lightning from the clouds. And maces decked with gold and attached to bright slings were seen to fall all over the field, resembling beautiful crests of hills. And sabres of the colour of the clear (blue) sky, O Bharata, and shields of bull's hides and decked with a hundred moons, as they fell everywhere over the field, O king, looked beautiful.

6.83.22

evametaṃ mahāvyūhaṃ vyūhya bhārata pāṇḍavāḥ |
atiṣṭhansamare śūrā yoddhukāmā jayaiṣiṇaḥ || 22 ||

6.83.23

bherīśabdāśca tumulā vimiśrāḥ śaṅkhanisvanaiḥ |
kṣveḍitāsphoṭitotkruṣṭaiḥ subhīmāḥ sarvatodiśam || 23 ||

6.83.24

tataḥ śūrāḥ samāsādya samare te parasparam |
netrairanimiṣai rājannavaikṣanta prakopitāḥ || 24 ||

6.83.25

manobhiste manuṣyendra pūrvaṃ yodhāḥ parasparam |
yuddhāya samavartanta samāhūyetaretaram || 25 ||

6.83.26

tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ ghorarūpaṃ bhayāvaham |
tāvakānāṃ pareṣāṃ ca nighnatāmitaretaram || 26 ||

6.83.27

nārācā niśitāḥ saṃkhye saṃpatanti sma bhārata |
vyāttānanā bhayakarā uragā iva saṃghaśaḥ || 27 ||

6.83.28

niṣpeturvimalāḥ śaktyastailadhautāḥ sutejanāḥ |
ambudebhyo yathā rājanbhrājamānāḥ śatahradāḥ || 28 ||

6.83.29

gadāśca vimalaiḥ paṭṭaiḥ pinaddhāḥ svarṇabhūṣitāḥ |
patantyastatra dṛśyante giriśṛṅgopamāḥ śubhāḥ |
nistriṃśāśca vyarājanta vimalāmbarasaṃnibhāḥ || 29 ||

6.83.30

ārṣabhāṇi ca carmāṇi śatacandrāṇi bhārata |
aśobhanta raṇe rājanpatamānāni sarvaśaḥ || 30 ||

6.83.31

te'nyonyaṃ samare sene yudhyamāne narādhipa |
aśobhetāṃ yathā daityadevasene samudyate |
abhyadravanta samare te'nyonyaṃ vai samantataḥ || 31 ||

And as the two armies, O king, were engaged in battle with each other, they looked resplendent like the celestial and the demoniac hosts battling with each other. All around they rushed against one another in battle. Foremost of royal car-warriors, impetuously dashing against car-warriors in that dreadful battle, fought on, with the yokes of their cars entangled with those of their adversaries. And, O bull of Bharata's race, all over the field flashes of fire mixed with smoke were generated, in consequence of friction, in the tusks of battling elephants. And combatants on the backs of elephants, struck with lances, were seen all around to fall down like blocks (loosened)

6.83.32

rathāstu rathibhistūrṇaṃ preṣitāḥ paramāhave |
yugairyugāni saṃśliṣya yuyudhuḥ pārthivarṣabhāḥ || 32 ||

6.83.33

dantināṃ yudhyamānānāṃ saṃgharṣātpāvako'bhavat |
danteṣu bharataśreṣṭha sadhūmaḥ sarvatodiśam || 33 ||

6.83.34

prāsairabhihatāḥ kecidgajayodhāḥ samantataḥ |
patamānāḥ sma dṛśyante giriśṛṅgānnagā iva || 34 ||

from crests of hills. And brave foot-soldiers, battling with their bare arms or with lances, and striking one another, looked exceedingly beautiful. And the warriors of the Kaurava and the Pandava hosts, coming upon one another in that conflict, despatched one another with diverse kinds of shafts to the abode of Yama. Then Bhishma, the son of Santanu, filling (the air) with the rattle of his car, and depriving the foe of his senses by the twang of his bow, rushed against the Pandavas in battle. The car-warriors of the Pandavas, too, headed by Dhrishtadyumna, uttering fierce shouts, rushed at him, firmly resolved on fight. Then commenced, O Bharata, a battle between the infantry, car-warriors, and elephants, of theirs and thine, in which the combatants became all entangled with one another."

6.83.35

pādātāścāpyadṛśyanta nighnanto hi parasparam |
citrarūpadharāḥ śūrā nakharaprāsayodhinaḥ || 35 ||

6.83.36

anyonyaṃ te samāsādya kurupāṇḍavasainikāḥ |
śastrairnānāvidhairghorai raṇe ninyuryamakṣayam || 36 ||

6.83.37

tataḥ śāṃtanavo bhīṣmo rathaghoṣeṇa nādayan |
abhyāgamadraṇe pāṇḍūndhanuḥśabdena mohayan || 37 ||

6.83.38

pāṇḍavānāṃ rathāścāpi nadanto bhairavasvanam |
abhyadravanta saṃyattā dhṛṣṭadyumnapurogamāḥ || 38 ||

6.83.39

tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ tava teṣāṃ ca bhārata |
narāśvarathanāgānāṃ vyatiṣaktaṃ parasparam || 39 ||