महाभारतम् — ८.३७

संजय उवाच ।

वर्तमाने तदा युद्धे क्षत्रियाणां निमज्जने ।
गाण्डीवस्य महान्घोषः शुश्रुवे युधि मारिष ॥

M N Dutt Sanjaya said While that war, destructive of the Kshatriyas, raged on, the dreadful twang of the Gandiva bow was heard, O Sire.

८.३७.२

संशप्तकानां कदनमकरोद्यत्र पाण्डवः ।
कोसलानां तथा राजन्नारायणबलस्य च ॥

M N Dutt O king, there the son of Pandu brought about the destruction of the Samsaptakas, the Kosalas and the army of Narayana.

८.३७.३

संशप्तकास्तु समरे शरवृष्टिं समन्ततः ।
अपातयन्पार्थमूर्ध्नि जयगृद्धाः प्रमन्यवः ॥

M N Dutt The Samsaptakas too, desirous of acquiring victory and worked up with rage, made a downpour of their arrows from all sides on the head of Partha.

८.३७.४

तां वृष्टिं सहसा राजंस्तरसा धारयन्प्रभुः ।
व्यगाहत रणे पार्थो विनिघ्नन्रथिनां वरः ॥

M N Dutt That shower of arrows, O king, the powerful Arjuna soon checked and plunging into battle destroyed many leading carwarriors.

८.३७.५

निगृह्य तु रथानीकं कङ्कपत्रैः शिलाशितैः ।
आससाद रणे पार्थः सुशर्माणं महारथम् ॥

M N Dutt Having assailed the car-warriors with Kanka-feathered and sharp arrows, Partha approached the mighty car-warrior, Susharma.

८.३७.६

स तस्य शरवर्षाणि ववर्ष रथिनां वरः ।
तथा संशप्तकाश्चैव पार्थस्य समरे स्थिताः ॥

M N Dutt That foremost of car-Warriors made a downpour of arrows and the Samsaptakas too covered Partha with their shafts.

८.३७.७

सुशर्मा तु ततः पार्थं विद्ध्वा नवभिराशुगैः ।
जनार्दनं त्रिभिर्बाणैरभ्यहन्दक्षिणे भुजे ।
ततोऽपरेण भल्लेन केतुं विव्याध मारिष ॥

M N Dutt Thereupon, Susharma having pierced Partha with ten quick-coursing arrows struck Janardana on his right arm with three arrows.

८.३७.८

स वानरवरो राजन्विश्वकर्मकृतो महान् ।
ननाद सुमहन्नादं भीषयन्वै ननर्द च ॥

M N Dutt Then with another Bhalla he struck down his standard. That huge monkey, created by Vishvakarma, O king, being terrified emitted a tremendous roar.

८.३७.९

कपेस्तु निनदं श्रुत्वा संत्रस्ता तव वाहिनी ।
भयं विपुलमादाय निश्चेष्टा समपद्यत ॥

M N Dutt Hearing the roar of the monkey, your army was agitated. And possessed by terrible fear they became inactive.

८.३७.१०

ततः सा शुशुभे सेना निश्चेष्टावस्थिता नृप ।
नानापुष्पसमाकीर्णं यथा चैत्ररथं वनम् ॥

M N Dutt Becoming inactive, O king, that army looked like the garden of Chitraratha filled with various flowers.

८.३७.११

प्रतिलभ्य ततः संज्ञां योधास्ते कुरुसत्तम ।
अर्जुनं सिषिचुर्बाणैः पर्वतं जलदा इव ।
परिवव्रुस्तदा सर्वे पाण्डवस्य महारथम् ॥

M N Dutt Then regaining their consciousness, O foremost of Kurus, your soldiers made a downpour of arrows on Arjuna like clouds on a mountain.

८.३७.१२

ते हयान्रथचक्रे च रथेषाश्चापि भारत ।
निगृह्य बलवत्तूर्णं सिंहनादमथानदन् ॥

८.३७.१३

अपरे जगृहुश्चैव केशवस्य महाभुजौ ।
पार्थमन्ये महाराज रथस्थं जगृहुर्मुदा ॥

M N Dutt O sire, Some among them seized the long arins of Kesava and others seized Arjuna who was on his car.

८.३७.१४

केशवस्तु तदा बाहू विधुन्वन्रणमूर्धनि ।
पातयामास तान्सर्वान्दुष्टहस्तीव हस्तिनः ॥

M N Dutt Then shaking his arms on the field of battle Keshava struck down all of them like an elephant assailing other leading elephants.

८.३७.१५

ततः क्रुद्धो रणे पार्थः संवृतस्तैर्महारथैः ।
निगृहीतं रथं दृष्ट्वा केशवं चाप्यभिद्रुतम् ।
रथारूढांश्च सुबहून्पदातींश्चाप्यपातयत् ॥

M N Dutt Surrounded by those mighty car-warriors and beholding his car assailed and thus Keshava attacked, Partha, boiling with rage, overthrew a large number of car-warriors and foot-soldiers.

८.३७.१६

आसन्नांश्च ततो योधाञ्शरैरासन्नयोधिभिः ।
च्यावयामास समरे केशवं चेदमब्रवीत् ॥

M N Dutt He pushed down a number of infantry soldiers rode on his chariot while fighting, covered all Samsaptaka warriors stood nearby through volley of arrows useful for proxy war and said with vigour to lord Krishna in the battle-field.

८.३७.१७

पश्य कृष्ण महाबाहो संशप्तकगणान्मया ।
कुर्वाणान्दारुणं कर्म वध्यमानान्सहस्रशः ॥

M N Dutt “Behold, O Krishna, O you of long arms, those numberless Samsaptakas, bent upon a dreadful feat, are killed by thousands.

८.३७.१८

रथबन्धमिमं घोरं पृथिव्यां नास्ति कश्चन ।
यः सहेत पुमाल्लोके मदन्यो यदुपुंगव ॥

M N Dutt O foremost of Yadus, there is none on earth, save myself who is capable of bearing such a close attack on his car."

८.३७.१९

इत्येवमुक्त्वा बीभत्सुर्देवदत्तमथाधमत् ।
पाञ्चजन्यं च कृष्णोऽपि पूरयन्निव रोदसी ॥

M N Dutt Having said this Vibhatsu blew his Devadatta conch and Krishna his Panchajanya filling the earth and sky with the blare.

८.३७.२०

तं तु शङ्खस्वनं श्रुत्वा संशप्तकवरूथिनी ।
संचचाल महाराज वित्रस्ता चाभवद्भृशम् ॥

M N Dutt Hearing that sound the army of the Samsaptakas began to tremble and were filled with fear.

८.३७.२१

पदबन्धं ततश्चक्रे पाण्डवः परवीरहा ।
नागमस्त्रं महाराज संप्रोदीर्य मुहुर्मुहुः ॥

M N Dutt O monarch, then repeatedly invoking the Naga weapon, Paridava, the slayers of hostile horses, tied down their legs.

८.३७.२२

यानुद्दिश्य रणे पार्थः पदबन्धं चकार ह ।
ते बद्धाः पदबन्धेन पाण्डवेन महात्मना ।
निश्चेष्टा अभवन्राजन्नश्मसारमया इव ॥

M N Dutt When they were thus bound down by the high-souled son of Pandu, O king, they became inactive like horses and dogs.

८.३७.२३

निश्चेष्टांस्तु ततो योधानवधीत्पाण्डुनन्दनः ।
यथेन्द्रः समरे दैत्यांस्तारकस्य वधे पुरा ॥

M N Dutt Then the son of Pandu began to slay all those inactive warriors as Indra killed the Asuras in the days of yore in his encounter with Taraka.

८.३७.२४

ते वध्यमानाः समरे मुमुचुस्तं रथोत्तमम् ।
आयुधानि च सर्वाणि विस्रष्टुमुपचक्रमुः ॥

M N Dutt They, thus being slaughtered in battle, began to leave the best of cars and throw off all their weapons.

८.३७.२५

ततः सुशर्मा राजेन्द्र गृहीतां वीक्ष्य वाहिनीम् ।
सौपर्णमस्त्रं त्वरितः प्रादुश्चक्रे महारथः ॥

M N Dutt Then beholding his army thus bound down, O king, the might car-warrior Susharma speedily invoked his Sauparna weapon.

८.३७.२६

ततः सुपर्णाः संपेतुर्भक्षयन्तो भुजंगमान् ।
ते वै विदुद्रुवुर्नागा दृष्ट्वा तान्खचरान्नृप ॥

M N Dutt Then numerous vultures began to come down and devour snakes. Then, O king, beholding those birds the serpents began to fly away.

८.३७.२७

बभौ बलं तद्विमुक्तं पदबन्धाद्विशां पते ।
मेघवृन्दाद्यथा मुक्तो भास्करस्तापयन्प्रजाः ॥

M N Dutt Freed from that foot-trapping weapon the Samsaptakas, O monarch, looked like the sun giving rays unto all creatures when freed from clouds.

८.३७.२८

विप्रमुक्तास्तु ते योधाः फल्गुनस्य रथं प्रति ।
ससृजुर्बाणसंघांश्च शस्त्रसंघांश्च मारिष ॥

M N Dutt Thus freed, the warriors once more discharged their arrows and weapons at Arjuna's car. And all of them pierced Partha with numerous weapons

८.३७.२९

तां महास्त्रमयीं वृष्टिं संछिद्य शरवृष्टिभिः ।
व्यवातिष्ठत्ततो योधान्वासविः परवीरहा ॥

M N Dutt Cutting off with his own arrows the brightly weapons showered on him, Vasava's son, the slayer of hostile heroes, began to kill those warriors.

८.३७.३०

सुशर्मा तु ततो राजन्बाणेनानतपर्वणा ।
अर्जुनं हृदये विद्ध्वा विव्याधान्यैस्त्रिभिः शरैः ।
स गाढविद्धो व्यथितो रथोपस्थ उपाविशत् ॥

M N Dutt Thereupon Susharma, O king, struck Arjuna to his very vitals with arrows and three weapons.

८.३७.३१

प्रतिलभ्य ततः संज्ञां श्वेताश्वः कृष्णसारथिः ।
ऐन्द्रमस्त्रममेयात्मा प्रादुश्चक्रे त्वरान्वितः ।
ततो बाणसहस्राणि समुत्पन्नानि मारिष ॥

M N Dutt Then regaining his consciousness the highly energetic Arjuna of white steeds and with Krishna for his charioteer, quickly discharged the Aindra weapon.

८.३७.३२

सर्वदिक्षु व्यदृश्यन्त सूदयन्तो नृप द्विपान् ।
हयान्रथांश्च समरे शस्त्रैः शतसहस्रशः ॥

८.३७.३३

वध्यमाने ततः सैन्ये विपुला भीः समाविशत् ।
संशप्तकगणानां च गोपालानां च भारत ।
न हि कश्चित्पुमांस्तत्र योऽर्जुनं प्रत्ययुध्यत ॥

८.३७.३४

पश्यतां तत्र वीराणामहन्यत महद्बलम् ।
हन्यमानमपश्यंश्च निश्चेष्टाः स्म पराक्रमे ॥

८.३७.३५

अयुतं तत्र योधानां हत्वा पाण्डुसुतो रणे ।
व्यभ्राजत रणे राजन्विधूमोऽग्निरिव ज्वलन् ॥

M N Dutt Beholding that slaughter all of them were petrified and could not display their prowess. Having killed ten thousand warriors in that battle the son of Pandu shone like the blazing fire without smoke.

८.३७.३६

चतुर्दश सहस्राणि यानि शिष्टानि भारत ।
रथानामयुतं चैव त्रिसाहस्राश्च दन्तिनः ॥

M N Dutt O Bharata! there remained living as much as fourteen thousand infantry soldiers, ten thousand chariot riders and three thousand elephants with Samsaptakas (Kauravas) till then.

८.३७.३७

ततः संशप्तका भूयः परिवव्रुर्धनंजयम् ।
मर्तव्यमिति निश्चित्य जयं वापि निवर्तनम् ॥

M N Dutt Then the Samsaptakas surrounded Dhananjaya determined upon either gaining victory or meeting with death.

८.३७.३८

तत्र युद्धं महद्ध्यासीत्तावकानां विशां पते ।
शूरेण बलिना सार्धं पाण्डवेन किरीटिना ॥

M N Dutt Then there took place a dreadful encounter between your army, O king and the heroic, diadem-decked son of Pandu.