06001001a kathaM yuyudhire vIrAH kurupANDavasomakAH 'How did those heroes, the kurus, the pANDavas, and the somakas,
06001001c pArthivAz ca mahAbhAgA nAnAdezasamAgatAH and the high-souled kings assembled together from various countries, fight?'
06001002 vaizamMpAyana uvAca vaizaMpAyana said,--
06001002a yathA yuyudhire vIrAH kurupANDavasomakAH Hear how those heroes --the kurus, the pANDavas, and the somakas,-- fought
06001002c kurukSetre tapaHkSetre zRNu tat pRthivIpate on the sacred plain of the kurukSetra, O lord of the earth.
06001003a avatIrya kurukSetramM pANDavAsH sahasomakAH Entering kurukSetra, the pANDavas endued with great might, along with the somakas,
06001003c kauravAn abhyavartanta jigISanto mahAbalAH advanced, desirous of victory, against the kauravas.
06001004a vedAdhyayanasamMpannAsH sarve yuddhAbhinandinaH Accomplished in the study of the Vedas, all (of them) took great delight in battle.
06001004c AzaMsanto jayaM yuddhe vadhaM vAbhimukhA raNe Expectant of success in battle, with their troops (they) faced the fight.
06001005a abhiyAya ca durdharSAnM dhArtarASTrasya vAhinIm Approaching the army of dhRtarASTra's son, those (warriors) invincible in battle
06001005c prAGmukhAH pazcime bhAge nyavizanta sasainikAH stationed themselves with their troops on the western part (of the plain), their faces turned towards the east.
06001006a samantapaJcakAd bAhyaM zibirANi sahasrazaH Beyond the region called samantapaJcaka, tents by thousands
06001006c kArayAmAsa vidhivat kuntIputro yudhiSThiraH the son of kuntI caused to be set up according to the rules.
06001007a zUnyeva pRthivI sarvA bAlavRddhAvazeSitA The whole earth seemed then to be empty, with only the children and the old left (at home)
06001007c nirazvapuruSA cAsId rathakuJjaravarjitA divested of horses and men, destitute of cars and elephants.
06001008a yAvat tapati sUryo hi jambUdvIpasya maNDalam From the whole area of Jamvudwipa over which the sun sheds his rays,
06001008c tAvad eva samAvRttamM balamM pArthivasattama was collected that force, O best of kings.
06001009a ekasthAsH sarvavarNAs te maNDalamM bahuyojanam Men of all races, assembled together, occupied an area extending for many leagues
06001009c paryAkrAmanta dezAMz ca nadIzH zailAn vanAni ca over districts, rivers, hills, and woods.
06001010a teSAM yudhiSThiro rAjA sarveSAmM puruSarSabha
06001010c Adideza savAhAnAmM bhakSyabhojyam anuttamam O bull among men! king yudhiSThira ordered excellent food and other articles of enjoyment for all of them and their animals.
06001011a saJMjJAz ca vividhAs tAs tAs teSAJM cakre yudhiSThiraH And yudhiSThira made diverse watch-words for them;
06001011c evaMvAdI veditavyaH pANDaveyo 'yam ity uta so that one saying this should be recognised 'this one is a pANDava'.
06001012a abhijJAnAni sarveSAM saJMjJAz cAbharaNAni ca And that descendant of kuru set names and badges for all of them for recognition during time of battle.
06001012c yojayAmAsa kauravyo yuddhakAla upasthite when the battle was inminent.
06001013a dRSTvA dhvajAgramM pArthAnAnM dhArtarASTro mahAmanAH 'Beholding the standard-top of pRthA's sons, the high-souled son of dhRtarASTra,
06001013c saha sarvair mahIpAlaiH pratyavyUhata pANDavAn began with all the kings (on his side) to array his troops against the sons of pANDu.
06001014a pANDureNAtapatreNa dhriyamANena mUrdhani With a white umbrella held over his head,
06001014c madhye nAgasahasrasya bhrAtRbhiH parivAritam in the midst of a thousand elephants, and surrounded by his century of brothers
06001015a dRSTvA duryodhanaM hRSTAsH sarve pANDavasainikAH seeing duryodhana, all the pANDava soldiers, were filled with joy
06001015c dadhmusH sarve mahAzaGkhAn bherIr jaghnusH sahasrazaH and blew their great conches and played cymbals by the thousands.
06001016a tataH prahRSTAM svAM senAm abhivIkSyAtha pANDavAH Beholding those troops so delighted, pANDu's sons
06001016c babhUvur hRSTamanaso vAsudevaz ca vIryavAn and vAsudeva of great energy had their hearts filled with joy.
06001017a tato yodhAn harSayantau vAsudevadhanaJMjayau Then encouraging the soldiers, vAsudeva and dhanaJjaya,
06001017c dadhmatuH puruSavyAghrau divyau zaGkhau rathe sthitau tigers among men, blew their celestial conches, standing on their chariot.
06001018a pAJcajanyasya nirghoSanM devadattasya cobhayoH And hearing the blare of their Gigantea and Theodotes,
06001018c zrutvA savAhanA yodhAzH zakRnmUtramM prasusruvuH the combatants ejected urine and excreta.
06001019a yathA siMhasya nadatasH svanaM zrutvetare mRgAH As other animals, on hearing the voice of the roaring lion
06001019c traseyus tadvad evAsId dhArtarASTrabalanM tadA are filled with fear, even so became duryodhana's force upon hearing those blasts.
06001020a udatiSThad rajo bhaumanM na prAjJAyata kiJM cana A frightful dust arose and nothing could be seen,
06001020c antardhIyata cAdityasH sainyena rajasAvRtaH for the sun himself, suddenly enveloped by it, seemed to have set.
06001021a vavarSa cAtra parjanyo mAMsazoNitavRSTimAn A black cloud poured a shower of flesh and blood
06001021c vyukSan sarvANy anIkAni tad adbhutam ivAbhavat over the troops all around. All this seemed extraordinary.
06001022a vAyus tataH prAdur abhUn nIcaiH zarkarakarSaNaH A wind rose there, bearing along the earth myriads of stony nodules,
06001022c vinighnaMs tAny anIkAni vidhamaMz caiva tad rajaH and afflicting therewith the combatants by hundreds and thousands.
06001023a ubhe sene tadA rAjan yuddhAya mudite bhRzam (For all that), O monarch, both armies, filled with joy, stood addrest for battle,
06001023c kurukSetre sthite yatte sAgarakSubhitopame on kurukSetra like two agitated oceans.
06001024a tayos tu senayor AsId adbhutasH sa samAgamaH Indeed, that encounter of the two armies was highly wonderful,
06001024c yugAnte samanuprApte dvayosH sAgarayor iva like that of two oceans when the end of the Yuga is arrived.
06001025a zUnyAsIt pRthivI sarvA bAlavRddhAvazeSitA The whole earth was empty, having only the children and the old left (at home),
06001025c tena senAsamUhena samAnItena kauravaiH in consequence of that large army mustered by the kauravas.
06001026a tatas te samayaJM cakruH kurupANDavasomakAH Then the kurus, the pANDavas, and the somakas made certain covenants,
06001026c dharmAMz ca sthApayAmAsur yuddhAnAmM bharatarSabha and settled the rules, O bull of bharata's race, regarding the different kinds of combat.
06001027a nivRtte caiva no yuddhe prItiz ca syAt parasparam
06001027c yathApuraM yathAyoganM na ca syAc chalanamM punaH Persons equally circumstanced must encounter each other, fighting fairly. And if having fought fairly the combatants withdraw (without fear of molestation), even that would be gratifying to us.
06001028a vAcA yuddhe pravRtte no vAcaiva pratiyodhanam Those who engaged in contests of words should be fought against only with words.
06001028c niSkrAntaH pRtanAmadhyAn na hantavyaH kathaM cana Those that left the ranks should never be slain.
06001029a rathI ca rathinA yodhyo gajena gajadhUrgataH A car-warrior should have a car-warrior for his antagonist; he on the neck of an elephant should have a similar combatant for his foe;
06001029c azvenAzvI padAtiz ca padAtenaiva bhArata a horse should be met by a horse, and a foot-soldier, O bharata; should be met by a foot-soldier.
06001030a yathAyogaM yathAvIryaM yathotsAhaM yathAvayaH Guided by considerations of fitness, willingness, daring and might,
06001030c samAbhASya prahartavyanM na vizvaste na vihvale one should strike another, giving notice. No one should strike another that is unprepared or panic-struck.
06001031a pareNa saha saMyuktaH pramatto vimukhas tathA One engaged with another, one seeking quarter, one retreating,
06001031c kSINazastro vivarmA ca na hantavyaH kathaM cana one whose weapon is rendered unfit, or lost his armor, should never be struck.
06001032a na sUteSu na dhuryeSu na ca zastropanAyiSu Car-drivers, animals (yoked to cars or carrying weapons) men engaged in the transport of weapons,
06001032c na bherIzaGkhavAdeSu prahartavyaGM kathaJM cana players on drums and blowers of conches should never be struck.
06001033a evanM te samayaGM kRtvA kurupANDavasomakAH Having made these covenants, the kurus, and the pANDavas, and the somakas
06001033c vismayamM paramaJM jagmuH prekSamANAH parasparam wondered much, gazing at each other.
06001034a nivizya ca mahAtmAnas tatas te puruSarSabhAH And having stationed (their forces thus), those bulls among men, those high-souled ones,
06001034c hRSTarUpAsH sumanaso babhUvusH sahasainikAH with their troops, became glad at heart, their joy being reflected on their countenances.'
