06048001a evaM vyUDheSv anIkeSu mAmakeSv itareSu ca dhRtarASTra said, 'When mine and the hostile hosts were thus formed into battle array,
06048001c kathamM praharatAM zreSThAsH samMprahAramM pracakrire how did the foremost of smiters begin to strike?'
06048002 saJMjaya uvAca saJjaya said,
06048002a tathA vyUDheSv anIkeSu sanMnaddhA ruciradhvajAH 'When all the divisions were thus arrayed, the combatants waited, each cased in mail, and with their beautiful standards all upraised.
06048002c apAram iva sanMdRzya sAgarapratimamM balam And beholding the (kuru) host that resembled the limitless ocean,
06048003a teSAmM madhye sthito rAjA putro duryodhanas tava thy son duryodhana, O king, stationed within it,
06048003c abravIt tAvakAn sarvAn yudhyadhvam iti daMzitAH said unto all the combatants on thy side, 'Cased in mail (as ye are), begin ye the fight'.
06048004a te manaH krUram AsthAya samabhityaktajIvitAH The combatants then, entertaining cruel intentions, and abandoning their very lives,
06048004c pANDavAn abhyavartanta sarva evocchritadhvajAH all rushed against the pANDavas, with standards upraised.
06048005a tato yuddhaM samabhavat tumulaM lomaharSaNam The battle that took place then was fierce and made the hair stand on end.
06048005c tAvakAnAmM pareSAJM ca vyatiSaktarathadvipam And the cars and elephants all got mixed together.
06048006a muktAs tu rathibhir bANA rukmapuGkhAsH sutejanAH And shafts with beautiful feathers, and endued with great energy and sharp points,
06048006c sanMnipetur akuNThAgrA nAgeSu ca hayeSu ca shot by car-warriors fell upon elephants and horses.
06048007a tathA pravRtte saGMgrAme dhanur udyamya daMzitaH And when the battle began in this way,
06048007c abhipatya mahAbAhur bhISmo bhImaparAkramaH the venerable kuru grandsire, the mighty-armed bhISma of terrible prowess, cased in mail, took up his bow and
06048008a saubhadre bhImasene ca zaineye ca mahArathe approaching them, and then on the heroic son of Subhadra,
06048008c kekaye ca virATe ca dhRSTadyumne ca pArSate and the mighty car-warrior arjuna, and the ruler of the kekayas and virATa, and dhRSTadyumna of Prishata's race,
06048009a eteSu naravIreSu cedimatsyeSu cAbhitaH as also upon the Chedi and the matsya warriors,
06048009c vavarSa zaravarSANi vRddhaH kurupitAmahaH showered an arrowy downpour.
06048010a prAkampata mahAvyUhas tasmin vIrasamAgame And that mighty array (of the pANDavas) wavered at the onset of that hero.
06048010c sarveSAm eva sainyAnAm AsId vyatikaro mahAn And terrific was the encounter that took place between all the combatants.
06048011a sAditadhvajanAgAz ca hatapravaravAjinaH And horse-men and car-warriors and foremost of steeds
06048011c viprayAtarathAnIkAsH samapadyanta pANDavAH fell fast. And the car-divisions of the pANDavas began to fly away.
06048012a arjunas tu naravyAghro dRSTvA bhISmamM mahAratham Then that tiger among men, arjuna, beholding that mighty car-warrior bhISma,
06048012c vArSNeyam abravIt kruddho yAhi yatra pitAmahaH angrily said unto him of vRSNi's race. 'Proceed to the place where the grandsire is.
06048013a eSa bhISmasH susaGMkruddho vArSNeya mama vAhinIm O thou of vRSNi's race, it is evident that this bhISma,
06048013c nAzayiSyati suvyaktanM duryodhanahite rataH with wrath excited, will annihilate for duryodhana's benefit my host.
06048014a eSa droNaH kRpaH zalyo vikarNaz ca janArdana And this droNa, and kRpa and zalya and vikarNa, O janArdana,
06048014c dhArtarASTrAz ca sahitA duryodhanapurogamAH united with dhRtarASTra's sons headed by duryodhana,
06048015a pAJcAlAn nihaniSyanti rakSitA dRDhadhanvanA and protected by this firm bowman, will slaughter the pAJcalas.
06048015c so 'hamM bhISmaGM gamiSyAmi sainyahetor janArdana Even I, therefore, shall stay bhISma for the sake of my troops, O janArdana.'
06048016a tam abravId vAsudevo yatto bhava dhanaJMjaya Unto him vAsudeva then said, 'Be careful, O dhanaJjaya,
06048016c eSa tvA prApaye vIra pitAmaharathamM prati for I will soon take thee, O hero, towards the grandsire's car.'
06048017a evam uktvA tatazH zaurI rathanM taM lokavizrutam Having said this, O king, zaurin took that car, which was celebrated over the world,
06048017c prApayAmAsa bhISmAya rathamM prati janezvara before the car of bhISma.
06048018a caJcadbahupatAkena balAkAvarNavAjinA With numerous banners all waving, steeds looking handsome like a flight of (white) cranes,
06048018c samucchritamahAbhImanadadvAnaraketunA with standard upraised on which was the ape roaring fiercely,
06048018e mahatA meghanAdena rathenAdityavarcasA upon his large car of solar effulgence and whose rattle resembled roar of the clouds,
06048019a vinighnan kauravAnIkaM zUrasenAMz ca pANDavaH slaughtering the kaurava divisions and the Surasenas also, the son of pANDu,
06048019c AyAc charAn nudaJ zIghraM suhRcchoSavinAzanaH that enhancer of the joys of friends speedily came to the encounter.
06048020a tam ApatantaM vegena prabhinnam iva vAraNam Him (thus) rushing impetuously like an infuriate elephant
06048020c trAsayAnaM raNe zUrAn pAtayantaJM ca sAyakaiH and (thus) frightening in a battle brave combatants and felling them with his shafts,
06048021a saindhavapramukhair guptaH prAcyasauvIrakekayaiH Protected by the warriors headed by Saindhava and by the combatants of the East and the Sauviras and the kekayas,
06048021c sahasA pratyudIyAya bhISmazH zAnMtanavo 'rjunam bhISma the son of zantanu encountered with great impetuosity.
06048022a ko hi gANDIvadhanvAnam Against the bearer of the gANDIva, who else
06048022b anyaH kurupitAmahAt save the kuru grandsire
06048022c droNavaikartanAbhyAM vA or droNa or vaikartana,
06048022d rathasH saMyAtum arhati is capable of advancing in battle?
06048023a tato bhISmo mahArAja kauravANAmM pitAmahaH Then, O great king, bhISma,
06048024a droNaz ca paJcaviMzatyA kRpaH paJcAzatA zaraiH and droNa (struck him) with five and twenty, and kRpa with fifty,
06048024c duryodhanaz catuSHSaSTyA zalyaz ca navabhizH zaraiH and duryodhana with four and sixty, and zalya with nine arrows;
06048025a saindhavo navabhiz cApi zakuniz cApi paJcabhiH and droNa's son, that tiger among men, with sixty, and vikarNa with three arrows; and Saindhava with nine and zakuni with five.
06048025c vikarNo dazabhir bhallai rAjan vivyAdha pANDavam
06048026a sa tair viddho maheSvAsasH samantAn nizitaizH zaraiH
06048026c na vivyathe mahAbAhur bhidyamAna ivAcalaH
06048027a sa bhISmamM paJcaviMzatyA kRpaJM ca navabhizH zaraiH
06048027c droNaM SaSTyA naravyAghro vikarNaJM ca tribhizH zaraiH
06048028a ArtAyaninM tribhir bANai rAjAnaJM cApi paJcabhiH And Artayani pierced pANDu's son with three broad-headed arrows, O king. And (though) pierced on all sides by them with sharp arrows, that great bowman, 1 that mighty-armed (warrior), wavered not like mountain that is pierced (with arrows).
06048028c pratyavidhyad ameyAtmA kirITI bharatarSabha Thereupon he, the diadem-decked, of immeasurable soul,in return pierced bhISma with five and twenty, O bull of bharata's race, and kRpa with nine arrows, and droNa with sixty, O tiger among men, and vikarNa with three arrows; and Artayani with three arrows, and the king (duryodhana) also with five.
06048029a taM sAtyakir virATaz ca dhRSTadyumnaz ca pArSataH
06048029c draupadeyAbhimanyuz ca parivavrur dhanaJMjayam And then sAtyaki, and virATa and dhRSTadyumna of Prishata's race, and the sons of draupadI, and Abhimanyu, all surrounded him, (proceeding to his support).
06048030a tato droNamM maheSvAsaGM gAGgeyasya priye ratam Then towards the great bowman droNa who was engaged in seeking the welfare of gaGgA's son
06048030c abhyavarSata pAJcAlyasH saMyuktasH saha somakaiH the prince of the pAJcalas, supported by the somakas, advanced.
06048031a bhISmas tu rathinAM zreSThas tUrNaM vivyAdha pANDavam Then bhISma, that foremost of car-warriors, speedily pierced the son of pANDu
06048031c azItyA nizitair bANais tato 'krozanta tAvakAH with eighty sharp arrows, upon which the combatants on thy side were much gratified.
06048032a teSAnM tu ninadaM zrutvA prahRSTAnAmM prahRSTavat Hearing the shouts of those lions among car-warriors, dhanaJjaya, endued with great prowess, then cheerfully
06048032c praviveza tato madhyaM rathasiMhaH pratApavAn entered into the midst
06048033a teSAnM tu rathasiMhAnAmM madhyamM prApya dhanaJMjayaH of those lions among car-warriors
06048033c cikrIDa dhanuSA rAjal~ lakSyaGM kRtvA mahArathAn and sported with his bow, O king, (successively) aiming those mighty car-warriors.
06048034a tato duryodhano rAjA bhISmam Aha janezvaraH Then that ruler of men, king duryodhana, said unto bhISma,
06048034c pIDyamAnaM svakaM sainyanM dRSTvA pArthena saMyuge beholding his own troops (thus) afflicted in battle by the son of pRthA.
06048035a eSa pANDusutas tAta kRSNena sahito balI 'This mighty son of pANDu, O sire, accompanied by kRSNa,
06048035c yatatAM sarvasainyAnAmM mUlanM naH parikRntati felling all our troops, cutteth down our roots,
06048035e tvayi jIvati gAGgeye droNe ca rathinAM vare even though thou, O son of gaGgA, and that foremost of car-warriors, droNa, are alive.
06048036a tvatkRte hy eSa karNo 'pi nyastazastro mahArathaH O monarch, it is for thee only that this karNa, laying aside his weapons,
06048036c na yudhyati raNe pArthaM hitakAmasH sadA mama doth not fight with the sons of pRthA in battle (though) he is ever a well-wisher of mine,
06048037a sa tathA kuru gAGgeya yathA hanyeta phalgunaH Do, therefore, that, O son of gaGgA by which Phalguni may be slain. '
06048037c evam uktas tato rAjan pitA devavratas tava Thus addressed, O king, thy sire Devavrata, saying,
06048037e dhik kSatradharmam ity uktvA yayau pArtharathamM prati 'Fie to kSatriya usage', then proceeded towards pArtha's car.
06048038a ubhau zvetahayau rAjan saMsaktau dRzya pArthivAH And all the kings, O monarch, seeing both those warriors with white steeds yoked unto their cars stationed (for battle),
06048038c siMhanAdAn bhRzaJM cakruzH zaGkhazabdAMz ca bhArata set up loud leonine roars, and also blew their conches, O sire.
06048039a drauNir duryodhanaz caiva vikarNaz ca tavAtmajaH And droNa's son and duryodhana, and thy son vikarNa,
06048039c parivArya raNe bhISmaM sthitA yuddhAya mAriSa surrounding bhISma in that combat, stood, O sire, for battle.
06048040a tathaiva pANDavAsH sarve parivArya dhanaJMjayam And so all the pANDavas, surrounding dhanaJjaya,
06048040c sthitA yuddhAya mahate tato yuddham avartata stood for fierce conflict. And the battle then commenced.
06048041a gAGgeyas tu raNe pArtham Anarchan navabhizH zaraiH And the son of gaGgA pierced pArtha in that combat with nine shafts.
06048041c tam arjunaH pratyavidhyad dazabhir marmavedhibhiH And arjuna pierced him in return with ten shafts penetrating into the very vitals.
06048042c arjunasH samarazlAghI bhISmasyAvArayad dizaH Then, with a thousand arrows, well shot, pANDu's son arjuna, famed for his skill in battle, shrouded bhISma on all sides.
06048043a zarajAlanM tatas tat tu zarajAlena kaurava
06048043c vArayAmAsa pArthasya bhISmazH zAnMtanavas tathA That arrowy net, however, of pArtha, O king, bhISma the son of zantanu baffled with an arrowy net (of his own).
06048044a ubhau paramasaMhRSTAv ubhau yuddhAbhinandinau And both well-pleased, and both delighting in battle,
06048044c nirvizeSam ayudhyetAGM kRtapratikRtaiSiNau fought with each other without each gaining any advantage over the other, and each desirous of counteracting the other's feats.
06048045a bhISmacApavimuktAni zarajAlAni saGMghazaH And the successive flights of arrows shot from bhISma's bow
06048046a tathaivArjunamuktAni zarajAlAni bhAgazaH were seen to be dispersed by the shafts of arjuna.
06048046c gAGgeyazaranunnAni nyapatanta mahItale And so the flights of arrows shot by arjuna, cut off by the arrows of gaGgA's son, all fell down on the ground.
06048047a arjunaH paJcaviMzatyA bhISmam Arcchac chitaiH zaraiH And arjuna pierced bhISma with five and twenty arrows of sharp points.
06048047c bhISmo 'pi samare pArthaM vivyAdha triMzatA zaraiH And bhISma, too, in that combat, pierced pArtha in return with nine arrows.
note: or with thirty.
06048048a anyonyasya hayAn viddhvA dhvajau ca sumahAbalau
06048048c ratheSAM rathacakre ca cikrIDatur arinMdamau And those two mighty warriors, those chastisers of foes, piercing each other's steeds, and also the shafts and the wheels of each other's cars, began to sport.
06048049c vAsudevanM tribhir bANair AjaghAna stanAntare Then, O king, bhISma, that foremost of smiters, struck vAsudeva between his two breasts with three arrows.
06048050a bhISmacApacyutair bANair nirviddho madhusUdanaH And the slayer of madhu, struck with those shafts shot from bhISma's bow,
06048050c virarAja raNe rAjan sapuSpa iva kiMzukaH shone in that battle, O king, like a flowering Kinsuka.
06048051a tato 'rjuno bhRzaGM kruddho nirviddhamM prekSya mAdhavam Then arjuna, indignant at seeing Madhava, pierced
06048051c gAGgeyasArathiM saGMkhye nirbibheda tribhizH zaraiH in that combat the charioteer of gaGgA's son with three arrows.
06048052a yatamAnau tu tau vIrAv anyonyasya vadhamM prati And both heroes, striving with each other against each other's car,
note: ratham prati ?
06048052c nAzaknutAnM tadAnyonyam abhisanMdhAtum Ahave succeeded not in taking aim at each other in the combat.
06048053a maNDalAni vicitrANi gatapratyAgatAni ca
06048053c adarzayetAmM bahudhA sUtasAmarthyalAghavAt And in consequence of the ability and dexterity of the charioteers of both those warriors, both displayed, O king, beautiful circles and advancings and retreatings in respect of their moving cars.
06048054a antaraJM ca prahAreSu tarkayantau mahArathau And, O monarch, seeing the opportunity to strike,
06048054c rAjann antaramArgasthau sthitAv AstAmM muhur muhuH they frequently changed positions, O king, for obtaining what they sought.
06048055a ubhau siMharavonmizraM zaGkhazabdamM pracakratuH And both the heroes blew their conches, mingling that blare with their leonine roars.
06048055c tathaiva cApanirghoSaJM cakratus tau mahArathau And those mighty car-warriors twang their bows, both in the same manner.
06048056a tayozH zaGkhapraNAdena rathanemisvanena ca And with the blare of their conches and the rattle of their car-wheels,
06048056c dAritA sahasA bhUmiz cakampa ca nanAda ca the very Earth was suddenly rent. And it began to tremble and produce subterranean noises.
06048057a na tayor antaraGM kaz cid dadRze bharatarSabha And nobody, O bull of bharata's race, could detect any latches in either of them.
06048057c balinau samare zUrAv anyonyasadRzAv ubhau Both of them was possessed of great might and great courage in battle, each was other's match.
06048058a cihnamAtreNa bhISmanM tu prajajJus tatra kauravAH
06048058c tathA pANDusutAH pArthaM cihnamAtreNa jajJire And by (the sight of) his standard alone, the kauravas could approach him (for aid). And so the pANDavas approached pRthA's son (for aid), guided by his standard only.
06048059a tayor nRvarayo rAjan dRzya tAdRk parAkramam And beholding, O king, prowess thus displayed by those two foremost of men,
06048059c vismayaM sarvabhUtAni jagmur bhArata saMyuge O bharata, all creatures (present) in that battle were filled with wonder.
06048060a na tayor vivaraGM kaz cid raNe pazyati bhArata And none, O bharata, observed any difference between the two,
06048060c dharme sthitasya hi yathA na kaz cid vRjinaGM kva cit just as none finds any transgression in a person observant of morality.
06048061a ubhau hi zarajAlena tAv adRzyau babhUvatuH And both of them (at times) became perfectly invisible in consequence of clouds of arrows.
06048061c prakAzau ca punas tUrNamM babhUvatur ubhau raNe And soon enough both of them in that battle became visible.
06048062a tatra devAsH sagandharvAz cAraNAz ca saha rSibhiH And the gods with gandharvas and the Charanas, and the great RSis
06048062c anyonyamM pratyabhASanta tayor dRSTvA parAkramam beholding their prowess, said unto one another --
06048063a na zakyau yudhi saMrabdhau jetum etau mahArathau These mighty car-warriors when excited with rage, are incapable of ever being vanquished in battle
06048063c sadevAsuragandharvair lokair api kathaJM cana by all the worlds with the gods, the asuras and the gandharvas.
06048064a AzcaryabhUtaM lokeSu yuddham etan mahAdbhutam This highly wonderful battle would be wonderful in all the worlds.
06048064c naitAdRzAni yuddhAni bhaviSyanti kathaJM cana Indeed, a battle such as this will never take place again.
06048065a nApi zakyo raNe jetumM bhISmaH pArthena dhImatA bhISma is incapable of being conquered in combat by pRthA's son of great intelligence,
06048065c sadhanuz ca rathasthaz ca pravapan sAyakAn raNe showering his arrows in battle, with bow and car and steeds.
06048066a tathaiva pANDavaM yuddhe devair api durAsadam So also that great bowman, the son of pANDu, incapable of being vanquished in battle by the very gods,
06048066c na vijetuM raNe bhISma utsaheta dhanurdharam bhISma is not competent to conquer in combat. As long as the world itself will last, so long will this battle continue equally.
06048067a iti sma vAcazH zrUyante proccarantyas tatas tataH We heard these words,
06048067c gAGgeyArjunayosH saGMkhye stavayuktA vizAmM pate fraught with the praise of gaGgA's son and arjuna in battle bruited about there, O king.
06048068a tvadIyAs tu tato yodhAH pANDaveyAz ca bhArata And while those two were engaged in displaying their prowess, other warriors of thy side and of the pANDavas, O bharata,
06048068c anyonyaM samare jaghnus tayos tatra parAkrame slew one another in battle,
06048069a zitadhArais tathA khaDgair vimalaiz ca parazvadhaiH with sharp-edged scimitars, and polished battle-axes,
06048069c zarair anyaiz ca bahubhizH zastrair nAnAvidhair yudhi and innumerable arrows, and diverse kinds of weapons.
06048069e ubhayosH senayor vIrA nyakRntanta parasparam And the brave combatants of both armies cut one another down,
06048070a vartamAne tathA ghore tasmin yuddhe sudAruNe while that terrible and murderous conflict lasted.
06048070c droNapAJcAlyayo rAjan mahAn AsIt samAgamaH And the encounter also, O king, that took place between droNa and the prince of the pAJcalas, was awful.'
