महाभारतम् — ८.४०

संजय उवाच ।

भीमसेनं सपाञ्चाल्यं चेदिकेकयसंवृतम् ।
वैकर्तनः स्वयं रुद्ध्वा वारयामास सायकैः ॥

M N Dutt Sanjaya said After this Vaikartana, himself resisting Bhimasena aided by the king of Panchala, Chedi and Kaikeya, showered numberless arrows upon him.

८.४०.२

ततस्तु चेदिकारूषान्सृञ्जयांश्च महारथान् ।
कर्णो जघान संक्रुद्धो भीमसेनस्य पश्यतः ॥

M N Dutt Karna killed in the battle many strong carwarriors of the Chedis, Karushas and Srinjayas in the very presence of Bhimasena.

८.४०.३

भीमसेनस्ततः कर्णं विहाय रथसत्तमम् ।
प्रययौ कौरवं सैन्यं कक्षमग्निरिव ज्वलन् ॥

M N Dutt Then Bhimasena leaving Karna, the most powerful car-warrior, rushed towards the Kaurava force like a blazing forest fire.

८.४०.४

सूतपुत्रोऽपि समरे पाञ्चालान्केकयांस्तथा ।
सृञ्जयांश्च महेष्वासान्निजघान सहस्रशः ॥

M N Dutt The Suta's son too began to slay by thousands the mighty bowmen of the Panchalas, the Kaikeyas and the Srinjayas.

८.४०.५

संशप्तकेषु पार्थश्च कौरवेषु वृकोदरः ।
पाञ्चालेषु तथा कर्णः क्षयं चक्रूर्महारथाः ॥

M N Dutt Indeed, the mighty car-warriors Karna, Partha and Vrikodera began to annihilate the Panchalas, Samasaptakas and Kauravas respectively.

८.४०.६

ते क्षत्रिया दह्यमानास्त्रिभिस्तैः पावकोपमैः ।
जग्मुर्विनाशं समरे राजन्दुर्मन्त्रिते तव ॥

M N Dutt For your bad policy, O king, all these Kshatriyas, burnt down, as it were, by those three heroes resembling three burning flames, got exterminated.

८.४०.७

ततो दुर्योधनः क्रुद्धो नकुलं नवभिः शरैः ।
विव्याध भरतश्रेष्ठ चतुरश्चास्य वाजिनः ॥

M N Dutt Thereupon, O foremost of the Bharatas, Duryodhana, being enraged, pierced Nakula and the four holes of his car with nine arrows.

८.४०.८

ततः पुनरमेयात्मा तव पुत्रो जनाधिपः ।
क्षुरेण सहदेवस्य ध्वजं चिच्छेद काञ्चनम् ॥

M N Dutt Then again, O lord of men, your highly energetic son cut down the golden standard of Shahadeva with a razor.

८.४०.९

नकुलस्तु ततः क्रुद्धस्तव पुत्रं त्रिसप्तभिः ।
जघान समरे राजन्सहदेवश्च पञ्चभिः ॥

M N Dutt Nakula then, O king, being greatly enraged, struck you son with seventy three arrows and Sahadeva with five. Filled with anger he struck.

८.४०.१०

तावुभौ भरतश्रेष्ठौ श्रेष्ठौ सर्वधनुष्मताम् ।
विव्याधोरसि संक्रुद्धः पञ्चभिः पञ्चभिः शरैः ॥

M N Dutt Then both of those great warriors of the Bharata race and the foremost of bowmen, on the breast with five arrows each.

८.४०.११

ततोऽपराभ्यां भल्लाभ्यां धनुषी समकृन्तत ।
यमयोः प्रहसन्राजन्विव्याधैव च सप्तभिः ॥

M N Dutt Then he cut-off the bows of both of those two warriors with two of his broad-pointed arrows and suddenly, O king he pierced both of them with twenty-one arrows.

८.४०.१२

तावन्ये धनुषी श्रेष्ठे शक्रचापनिभे शुभे ।
प्रगृह्य रेजतुः शूरौ देवपुत्रसमौ युधि ॥

M N Dutt Each of them, taking up two beautiful bows resembling those of Indra's looked very graceful like two celestial youths in the battlefield.

८.४०.१३

ततस्तौ रभसौ युद्धे भ्रातरौ भ्रातरं नृप ।
शरैर्ववर्षतुर्घोरैर्महामेघौ यथाचलम् ॥

M N Dutt Then, O king, those two brothers, greatly active in battle, began to throw terrible shafts in ceaseless torrents upon their cousins like two great masses of thick clouds pouring their contents on the hills.

८.४०.१४

ततः क्रुद्धो महाराज तव पुत्रो महारथः ।
पाण्डुपुत्रौ महेष्वासौ वारयामास पत्रिभिः ॥

M N Dutt Thereupon, O king, your son, the great carwarrior, being greatly enraged resisted those the rays twin sons of Pandu, the great bowmen, with numberless arrows.

८.४०.१५

धनुर्मण्डलमेवास्य दृश्यते युधि भारत ।
सायकाश्चैव दृश्यन्ते निश्चरन्तः समन्ततः ॥

M N Dutt The bow of your son, O Bharata, was repeatedly drawn to a circle and the arrows were ceaselessly issued from it towards all directions covered with Duryodhana's arrows those sons of Pandu ceased to shine brightly as the sun and the moon lose their splendour when enveloped with a mass of dark clouds. Indeed, O king, those gold-winged arrows, sharpened on stone, covered all the sides like of the sun.

८.४०.१६

तस्य सायकसंछन्नौ चकाशेतां च पाण्डवौ ।
मेघच्छन्नौ यथा व्योम्नि चन्द्रसूर्यौ हतप्रभौ ॥

८.४०.१७

ते तु बाणा महाराज हेमपुङ्खाः शिलाशिताः ।
आच्छादयन्दिशः सर्वाः सूर्यस्येवांशवस्तदा ॥

८.४०.१८

बाणभूते ततस्तस्मिन्संछन्ने च नभस्तले ।
यमाभ्यां ददृशे रूपं कालान्तकयमोपमम् ॥

M N Dutt When the firinament was thus covered and the whole sky looked like a sheet of arrows the twin brothers appeared like the destroyer himself.

८.४०.१९

पराक्रमं तु तं दृष्ट्वा तव सूनोर्महारथाः ।
मृत्योरुपान्तिकं प्राप्तौ माद्रीपुत्रौ स्म मेनिरे ॥

M N Dutt But, on the other hand, beholding the valour of your son all the car-warriors took the twin sons of Madri to be at the point of death.

८.४०.२०

ततः सेनापती राजन्पाण्डवस्य महात्मनः ।
पार्षतः प्रययौ तत्र यत्र राजा सुयोधनः ॥

M N Dutt Then, O king, the mighty car-warrior Parsata, the commander of the Pandava army, went towards the direction of Suyodhana (Duryodhana).

८.४०.२१

माद्रीपुत्रौ ततः शूरौ व्यतिक्रम्य महारथौ ।
धृष्टद्युम्नस्तव सुतं ताडयामास सायकैः ॥

M N Dutt Violating the regimental order of those two great car-warriors, the two brave sons of Madri, Dhristadyumna began to oppose your son with his arrows.

८.४०.२२

तमविध्यदमेयात्मा तव पुत्रोऽत्यमर्षणः ।
पाञ्चाल्यं पञ्चविंशत्या प्रहस्य पुरुषर्षभ ॥

M N Dutt Then that highly energetic hero, your son, the foremost of men, full of revengeful spirit and smiling scoffingły, struck the prince of the Panchalas with twenty-five arrows.

८.४०.२३

ततः पुनरमेयात्मा पुत्रस्ते पृथिवीपते ।
विद्ध्वा ननाद पाञ्चाल्यं षष्ट्या पञ्चभिरेव च ॥

M N Dutt Again the most energetic son of yours, actuated by the eager desire of taking revenge, struck the Panchala prince once with sixty arrows and again with five and roared aloud.

८.४०.२४

अथास्य सशरं चापं हस्तावापं च मारिष ।
क्षुरप्रेण सुतीक्ष्णेन राजा चिच्छेद संयुगे ॥

M N Dutt Then the king, O sire, cut-off, in the fight, with his razor-shaped arrow his enemy's bow and the leathern fence with the arrows fixed thereon.

८.४०.२५

तदपास्य धनुश्छिन्नं पाञ्चाल्यः शत्रुकर्शनः ।
अन्यदादत्त वेगेन धनुर्भारसहं नवम् ॥

M N Dutt Throwing away that broken bow, that oppressor of foes, the prince of Panchala, quickly took up a new and more elastic one.

८.४०.२६

प्रज्वलन्निव वेगेन संरम्भाद्रुधिरेक्षणः ।
अशोभत महेष्वासो धृष्टद्युम्नः कृतव्रणः ॥

M N Dutt Then that great bowman, Dhristadyumna, with blood-shot eyes, shone on his car like a burning flame.

८.४०.२७

स पञ्चदश नाराचाञ्श्वसतः पन्नगानिव ।
जिघांसुर्भरतश्रेष्ठं धृष्टद्युम्नो व्यवासृजत् ॥

M N Dutt Then, O chief of Bharatas, the hero Dhristadyumna, bent bent upon killing him, discharged fifteen sharp shafts, called Narachas, which looked like hissing serpents.

८.४०.२८

ते वर्म हेमविकृतं भित्त्वा राज्ञः शिलाशिताः ।
विविशुर्वसुधां वेगात्कङ्कबर्हिणवाससः ॥

M N Dutt These shafts, set with the feathers of Kanka's (peacocks') and sharpened on stone, were discharged with such a force that cutting through the gold bedecked armour of the king, they ran through his body and entered into the earth.

८.४०.२९

सोऽतिविद्धो महाराज पुत्रस्तेऽतिव्यराजत ।
वसन्ते पुष्पशबलः सपुष्प इव किंशुकः ॥

M N Dutt Being deeply wounded, O king, your son looked exceedingly grand like a Kinshuka tree full of flowers in the spring.

८.४०.३०

स छिन्नवर्मा नाराचैः प्रहारैर्जर्जरच्छविः ।
धृष्टद्युम्नस्य भल्लेन क्रुद्धश्चिच्छेद कार्मुकम् ॥

M N Dutt His armour being thus cut through and himself being fatigued with the wounds and his feelings being awfully excited he cut-off Dhristadyumna's bow with a broad pointed arrow.

८.४०.३१

अथैनं छिन्नधन्वानं त्वरमाणो महीपतिः ।
सायकैर्दशभी राजन्भ्रुवोर्मध्ये समार्दयत् ॥

M N Dutt Then, O lord of the earth, the king penetrated ten arrows into the forehead of his assailant whose bow had already been cut-off by him.

८.४०.३२

तस्य तेऽशोभयन्वक्त्रं कर्मारपरिमार्जिताः ।
प्रफुल्लं चम्पकं यद्वद्भ्रमरा मधुलिप्सवः ॥

M N Dutt These shafts, polished by the black-smith, looked on the face of Dhristadyumna like so many black bees on a full blown lily desirous of sucking the sweet honey.

८.४०.३३

तदपास्य धनुश्छिन्नं धृष्टद्युम्नो महामनाः ।
अन्यदादत्त वेगेन धनुर्भल्लांश्च षोडश ॥

M N Dutt Throwing away that broken bow, that oppressor of foes, the prince of Panchala, quickly took up a new and more elastic one.

८.४०.३४

ततो दुर्योधनस्याश्वान्हत्वा सूतं च पञ्चभिः ।
धनुश्चिच्छेद भल्लेन जातरूपपरिष्कृतम् ॥

M N Dutt Then with five of these arrows he slew Duryodhana's four horses and his Suta charioteer and with another he cut-off his gilded bow.

८.४०.३५

रथं सोपस्करं छत्रं शक्तिं खड्गं गदां ध्वजम् ।
भल्लैश्चिच्छेद नवभिः पुत्रस्य तव पार्षतः ॥

M N Dutt And with remaining ten shafts the son of Prishata cut-off the royal umbrella, the spear, the sword, the mace, the car with Upaskara and the flag of your son.

८.४०.३६

तपनीयाङ्गदं चित्रं नागं मणिमयं शुभम् ।
ध्वजं कुरुपतेश्छिन्नं ददृशुः सर्वपार्थिवाः ॥

M N Dutt Alas, all the chiefs saw the beautiful standard of the Kuru king, adorned with golden Angada and bearing the likeness of an elephant set with jewels, cut-off by Dhristadyumna.

८.४०.३७

दुर्योधनं तु विरथं छिन्नसर्वायुधं रणे ।
भ्रातरः पर्यरक्षन्त सोदर्या भरतर्षभ ॥

M N Dutt Then, O foremost of the Bharata's race, Duryodhana, thus deprived of all his weapons in the battle, was protected by his brothers.

८.४०.३८

तमारोप्य रथे राजन्दण्डधारो जनाधिपम् ।
अपोवाह च संभ्रान्तो धृष्टद्युम्नस्य पश्यतः ॥

M N Dutt In the very sight of Dhristadyumna. Dandadhara, taking the king upon his own car, quickly carried him away from the field.

८.४०.३९

कर्णस्तु सात्यकिं जित्वा राजगृद्धी महाबलः ।
द्रोणहन्तारमुग्रेषुं ससाराभिमुखं रणे ॥

M N Dutt In the meantime, the greatly powerful Karna, having killed Satyaki, proceeded straight on towards the slayer of Drona for the rescue of the Kuru king.

८.४०.४०

तं पृष्ठतोऽभ्ययात्तूर्णं शैनेयो वितुदञ्शरैः ।
वारणं जघनोपान्ते विषाणाभ्यामिव द्विपः ॥

M N Dutt And the son of Sini speedily pursued him striking him with arrows as an elephant pursues his rival piercing him with his tusks on the rear.

८.४०.४१

स भारत महानासीद्योधानां सुमहात्मनाम् ।
कर्णपार्षतयोर्मध्ये त्वदीयानां महारणः ॥

M N Dutt Thus, O king, the battle raged furiously amongst these sturdy heroes of both the armies and the spot, lying between Karna and the son of Prishata, grew simply terrifying.

८.४०.४२

न पाण्डवानां नास्माकं योधः कश्चित्पराङ्मुखः ।
प्रत्यदृश्यत यत्कर्णः पाञ्चालांस्त्वरितो ययौ ॥

M N Dutt Not a single combatant, of either party, turned his face from the field. Karna then rushed towards the Panchala with great speed.

८.४०.४३

तस्मिन्क्षणे नरश्रेष्ठ गजवाजिनरक्षयः ।
प्रादुरासीदुभयतो राजन्मध्यंगतेऽहनि ॥

M N Dutt Then, O best of men, countless men, horses and elephant of both parties fell just when the sun ascended the meridian.

८.४०.४४

पाञ्चालास्तु महाराज त्वरिता विजिगीषवः ।
सर्वतोऽभ्यद्रवन्कर्णं पतत्रिण इव द्रुमम् ॥

M N Dutt The Panchalas, O king, desirous of victory, rushed towards Karna as birds flock towards their nest.

८.४०.४५

तेषामाधिरथिः क्रुद्धो यतमानान्मनस्विनः ।
विचिन्वन्नेव बाणाग्रैः समासादयदग्रतः ॥

८.४०.४६

व्याघ्रकेतुं सुशर्माणं शङ्कुं चोग्रं धनंजयम् ।
शुक्लं च रोचमानं च सिंहसेनं च दुर्जयम् ॥

८.४०.४७

ते वीरा रथवेगेन परिवव्रुर्नरोत्तमम् ।
सृजन्तं सायकान्क्रुद्धं कर्णमाहवशोभिनम् ॥

M N Dutt All those heroes, quickly driving their cars towards Karna-the glory of the battle field, encompassed him and began to shower their sharp shafts upon that infuriated hero, the foremost of men.

८.४०.४८

युध्यमानांस्तु ताञ्शूरान्मनुजेन्द्रः प्रतापवान् ।
अष्टाभिरष्टौ राधेयो न्यहनन्निशितैः शरैः ॥

M N Dutt But all those eight heroes who had proceeded to combat that brave hero, the son of Radha, were sorely afflicted by him each with eight piercing arrows.

८.४०.४९

अथापरान्महाराज सूतपुत्रः प्रतापवान् ।
जघान बहुसाहस्रान्योधान्युद्धविशारदः ॥

M N Dutt Thereupon, O king, the powerful son of charioteer killed thousands of other heroes-all skillful in the manoeuvre of war.

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