09008001c sRJjayaisH saha rAjendra ghoranM devAsuropamam 'saJjaya said, 'Then commenced the battle between the kurus and the sRJjayas, O monarch, that was as fierce and awful as the battle between the gods and the asuras.
09008002a narA rathA gajaughAz ca sAdinaz ca sahasrazaH
09008002c vAjinaz ca parAkrAntAsH samAjagmuH parasparam Men and crowds of cars and elephants, and elephant-warriors and horsemen by thousands, and steeds, all possessed of great prowess, encountered one another.
09008003c azrUyata yathA kAle jaladAnAnM nabhastale The loud noise of rushing elephants of fearful forms was then heard there resembling the roars of the clouds in the welkin, in the season of rains.
09008004a nAgair abhyAhatAH ke cit sarathA rathino 'patan Some car-warriors, struck by elephants, were deprived of their cars.
09008004c vyadravanta raNe vIrA drAvyamANA madotkaTaiH Routed by those infuriate animals other brave combatants ran on the field.
09008005a hayaughAn pAdarakSAMz ca rathinas tatra zikSitAH
09008005c zaraisH samMpreSayAmAsuH paralokAya bhArata Well-trained car-warriors, O bharata, with their shafts, despatched large bodies of cavalry and the footmen that urged and protected the elephants, to the other world.
09008006a sAdinazH zikSitA rAjan parivArya mahArathAn
09008006c vicaranto raNe 'bhyaghnan prAsazaktyRSTibhis tathA Well-trained horsemen, O king, surrounding great car-warriors, careered on the field, striking and slaying the latter with spears and darts and swords.
09008007a dhanvinaH puruSAH ke cit saMnivArya mahArathAn Some combatants armed with bows, encompassing great car-warriors,
09008007c ekamM bahava AsAdya preSayeyur yamakSayam despatched them to yama's abode, the many unitedly battling against individual ones.
09008008c sottarAyudhinaJM jaghnur dravamANA mahAravam Other great car-warriors, encompassing elephants and foremost warriors of their own class, slew some mighty one amongst that fought on the field, careering all around.
09008009a tathA ca rathinaGM kruddhaM vikirantaM zarAn bahUn
09008009c nAgA jaghnur mahArAja parivArya samantataH Similarly, O king, elephants, encompassing individual car-warriors excited with wrath and scattering showers of shafts, despatched them to the other world.
09008010a nAgo nAgam abhidrutya rathI ca rathinaM raNe Elephant-warrior rushing against elephant-warrior and car-warrior against car-warrior in that battle
09008010c zaktitomaranArAcair nijaghnus tatra tatra ha slew each other with darts and lances and cloth-yard shafts, O bharata.
09008011a pAdAtAn avamRdnanto rathavAraNavAjinaH
09008011c raNamadhye vyadRzyanta kurvanto mahad Akulam Cars and elephants and horses, crushing foot-soldiers in the midst of battle, were seen to make confusion worse confounded.
09008012a hayAz ca paryadhAvanta cAmarair upazobhitAH Adorned with yak-tails, steeds rushed on all sides,
09008012c haMsA himavataH prasthe pibanta iva medinIm looking like the swans found on the plains at the foot of Himavat.
09008013a teSAnM tu vAjinAmM bhUmiH khuraiz citrA vizAM pate
09008013c azobhata yathA nArI karajakSatavikSatA They rushed with such speed that they seemed ready to devour the very Earth. The field, O monarch, indented with the hoofs of those steeds, looked beautiful like a beautiful woman bearing the marks of (her lover's) nails on her person.
09008014a vAjinAGM khurazabdena rathanemisvanena ca With the noise made by the tread of heroes, the wheels of cars,
09008014c pattInAJM cApi zabdena nAgAnAmM bRMhitena ca the shouts of foot-soldiers, the grunts of elephants,
09008015a vAditrANAJM ca ghoSeNa zaGkhAnAnM nisvanena ca the peal of drums and other musical instruments, and the blare of conchs,
09008015c abhavan nAditA bhUmir nirghAtair iva bhArata the Earth began to resound as if with deafening peals of thunder.
09008016a dhanuSAGM kUjamAnAnAnM nistriMzAnAJM ca dIpyatAm
09008016c kavacAnAmM prabhAbhiz ca na prAjJAyata kiJM cana In consequence of twanging bows and flashing sabres and the glaring armour of the combatants, all became so confused there, that nothing could be distinctly marked.
09008017a bahavo bAhavaz chinnA nAgarAjakaropamAH Innumerable arms, lopped off from human bodies, and looking like the tusks of elephants,
09008017c udveSTante viveSTante vegaGM kurvanti dAruNam jumped up and writhed and moved furiously about.
09008018a zirasAJM ca mahArAja patatAM vasudhAtale
09008018c cyutAnAm iva tAlebhyaH phalAnAM zrUyate svanaH The sound made, O monarch, by heads falling on the field of battle, resembled that made by the falling fruits of palmyra trees.
09008019a zirobhiH patitair bhAti rudhirArdrair vasuMdharA Strewn with those fallen heads that were crimson with blood, the Earth looked resplendent
09008019c tapanIyanibhaiH kAle nalinair iva bhArata as if adorned with gold-coloured lotuses in their season.
09008020a udvRttanayanais tais tu gatasattvaisH suvikSataiH Indeed, with those lifeless heads with upturned eyes, that were exceedingly mangled (with shafts and other weapons),
09008020c vyabhrAjata mahArAja puNDarIkair ivAvRtA the field of battle, O king, looked resplendent as if strewn with full blown lotuses.
09008021a bAhubhiz candanAdigdhaisH sakeyUrair mahAdhanaiH With the fallen arms of the combatants, smeared with sandal and adorned with costly Keyuras,
09008021c patitair bhAti rAjendra mahI zakradhvajair iva the earth looked bright as if strewn with the gorgeous poles set up in indra's honour.
09008022a Urubhiz ca narendrANAM vinikRttair mahAhave The field of battle became covered with the thighs of kings, cut off in that battle
09008022c hastihastopamair anyaisH saMvRtanM tad raNAGgaNam and looking like the tapering trunks of elephants.
09008023a kabandhazatasaGMkIrNaJM chatracAmarazobhitam Teeming with hundreds of headless trunk and strewn with umbrellas and yak-tails,
09008023c senAvananM tac chuzubhe vanamM puSpAcitaM yathA that vast army looked beautiful like a flowering forest.
09008024a tatra yodhA mahArAja vicaranto hy abhItavat
09008024c dRzyante rudhirAktAGgAH puSpitA iva kiMzukAH Then, on the field of battle, O monarch, warriors careered fearlessly, their limbs bathed in blood and therefore looking like flowering Kinsukas.
09008025c patantas tatra tatraiva chinnAbhrasadRzA raNe Elephants also, afflicted with arrows and lances, fell down here and there like broken clouds dropped from the skies.
09008026a gajAnIkamM mahArAja vadhyamAnamM mahAtmabhiH Elephant divisions, O monarch, slaughtered by high-souled warriors,
09008026c vyadIryata dizasH sarvA vAtanunnA ghanA iva dispersed in all directions like wind-tossed clouds.
09008027a te gajA ghanasaGMkAzAH petur urvyAM samantataH Those elephants, looking like clouds, fell down on the Earth,
09008027c vajrarugNA iva babhuH parvatA yugasaMkSaye like mountains riven with thunder, O lord, on the occasion of the dissolution of the world at the end of the Yuga.
09008028c rAzayasH samMpradRzyante girimAtrAs tatas tataH Heaps upon heaps, looking like mountains, were seen, lying on the ground, of fallen steeds with their riders.
09008029a saJMjajJe raNabhUmau tu paralokavahA nadI A river appeared on the field of battle, flowing towards the other world.
09008029c zoNitodA rathAvartA dhvajavRkSAsthizarkarA Blood formed its waters and cars its eddies. Standards formed its trees, and bones its pebbles.
09008030a bhujanakrA dhanusHsrotA hastizailA hayopalA The arms (of combatants) were its alligators, bows its current, elephants its large rocks, and steeds its smaller ones.
09008030c medomajjAkardaminI chatrahaMsA gadoDupA Fat and marrow formed its mire, umbrellas its swans, and maces its rafts.
09008031a kavacoSNISasaJMchannA patAkAruciradrumA Abounding with armour and head-gears, banners constituted its beautiful trees.
09008031c cakracakrAvalIjuSTA triveNUdaNDakAvRtA Teeming with wheels that formed its swarms of Chakravakas, it was covered with Trivenus and Dandas.
note: triveNu- is a certain part of a chariot
09008032a zUrANAM harSajananI bhIrUNAmM bhayavardhinI Inspiring the brave with delight and enhancing the fears of the timid,
09008032c prAvartata nadI raudrA kurusRJjayasaGMkulA that fierce river set in, whose shores abounded with kurus and sRJjayas.
09008033c terur vAhananaubhis te zUrAH parighabAhavaH Those brave warriors, with arms resembling spiked bludgeons, by the aid of their vehicles and animals serving the purposes of rafts and boats, crossed that awful river which ran towards the region of the dead.
09008034a vartamAne tathA yuddhe nirmaryAde vizAmM pate During the progress of that battle, O monarch, in which no consideration was shown by anybody for anyone,
09008034c caturaGgakSaye ghore pUrvanM devAsuropame and which, fraught with awful destruction of the four kinds of forces, therefore, resembled the battle between the gods and the asuras in days of old,
09008035a akrozan bAndhavAn anye tatra tatra paranMtapa Some among the combatants, O scorcher of foes, loudly called upon their kinsmen and friends.
09008035c krozadbhir bAndhavaiz cAnye bhayArtA na nivartire Some, called upon by crying kinsmen, returned, afflicted with fear.
09008036c arjuno bhImasenaz ca mohayAJMcakratuH parAn During the progress of that fierce and awful battle, arjuna and bhImasena stupefied their foes.
09008037a sA vadhyamAnA mahatI senA tava janAdhipa
09008037c amuhyat tatra tatraiva yoSin madavazAd iva That vast host of thine, O ruler of men, thus slaughtered, swooned away on the field, like a woman under the influence of liquor.
09008038a mohayitvA ca tAM senAmM bhImasenadhanaJMjayau Having stupefied that army, bhImasena and dhanaJjaya
09008038c dadhmatur vArijau tatra siMhanAdaJM ca nedatuH blew their conchs and uttered leonine roars.
09008039a zrutvaiva tu mahAzabdanM dhRSTadyumnazikhaNDinau As soon as they heard that loud peal, dhRSTadyumna and Shikhandi,
09008039c dharmarAjamM puraskRtya madrarAjam abhidrutau placing king yudhiSThira at their head, rushed against the ruler of the madras. Exceedingly wonderful and terrible, O monarch, was the manner in which those heroes, unitedly and as separate bodies, then fought with zalya.
09008040c zalyena saGMgatAzH zUrA yad ayudhyanta bhAgazaH
09008041a mAdrIputrau sarabhasau kRtAstrau yuddhadurmadau The two sons of madrI, endued with great activity, accomplished in weapons, and invincible in battle,
09008041c abhyayAtAnM tvarAyuktau jigISantau balanM tava proceeded with great speed against thy host, inspired with desire of victory.
09008042a tato nyavartata balanM tAvakamM bharatarSabha Then thy army, O bull of bharata's race,
09008042c zaraiH praNunnaM bahudhA pANDavair jitakAzibhiH mangled in diverse ways with shafts by the pANDavas eager for victory, began to fly away from the field.
09008043a vadhyamAnA camUsH sA tu putrANAmM prekSatAnM tava
09008043c bheje dizo mahArAja praNunnA dRDhadhanvibhiH That host, thus struck and broken by firm bowmen, O monarch, fled away on all sides in the very sight of thy sons.
09008043e hAhAkAro mahAJ jajJe yodhAnAnM tava bhArata Loud cries of 'Oh!' and 'Alas!' O bharata, arose from among thy warriors,
09008044c kSatriyANAnM tadAnyonyaM saMyuge jayam icchatAm while some illustrious kSatriyas among the routed combatants, desirous of victory, cried out saying, 'Stop, stop!'
09008044e Adravann eva bhagnAs te pANDavais tava sainikAH For all that, those troops of thine, broken by the pANDavas, fled away,
09008045a tyaktvA yuddhe priyAn putrAn bhrAtRRn atha pitAmahAn deserting on the field their dear sons and brothers
09008045c mAtulAn bhAgineyAMz ca tathA samMbandhibAndhavAn and maternal, uncles and sister's sons and relatives by marriage and other kinsmen.
09008046a hayAn dvipAMs tvarayanto yodhA jagmusH samantataH Urging their steeds and elephants to greater speed, thousands of warriors fled away,
09008046c AtmatrANakRtotsAhAs tAvakA bharatarSabha O bull of bharata's race, bent only upon their own safety.''
