महाभारतम् — ८.७

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच ।

सेनापत्यं तु संप्राप्य कर्णो वैकर्तनस्तदा ।
तथोक्तश्च स्वयं राज्ञा स्निग्धं भ्रातृसमं वचः ॥

M N Dutt Dhritarashtra said Having attained the generalship of the army and been addressed by the king himself in sweet and brotherly terms and thereupon having ordered the troops to be arranged in battle-array towards the rise of the Sun, relate to me, O Sanjaya, what did the highly intellectual son of Vikartana, Karna, do at that time.

८.७.२

योगमाज्ञाप्य सेनाया आदित्येऽभ्युदिते तदा ।
अकरोत्किं महाप्राज्ञस्तन्ममाचक्ष्व संजय ॥

संजय उवाच ।

८.७.३

कर्णस्य मतमाज्ञाय पुत्रस्ते भरतर्षभ ।
योगमाज्ञापयामास नान्दीतूर्यपुरःसरम् ॥

M N Dutt Sanjaya said O foremost of the Bharata race, your sons, having understood the object of Karna, ordered for the arrangement of the troops, followed by a joyful music of various instruments.

८.७.४

महत्यपररात्रे तु तव पुत्रस्य मारिष ।
योगो योगेति सहसा प्रादुरासीन्महास्वनः ॥

M N Dutt Towards the close of the night, O lord of earth, a loud noise arose from amongst your soldiers, saying 'array and array.'

८.७.५

नागानां कल्पमानानां रथानां च वरूथिनाम् ।
संनह्यतां पदातीनां वाजिनां च विशां पते ॥

८.७.६

क्रोशतां चापि योधानां त्वरितानां परस्परम् ।
बभूव तुमुलः शब्दो दिवस्पृक्सुमहांस्तदा ॥

M N Dutt Thereupon, O lord of the world, there was a terrible uproar of the best of elephants and cars overlaid with beautiful coverlets, whilst they were being equipped and of the infantry crying out in joy, of the horses, whilst being harnessed and of the warriors, whilst moving to and fro, as as shouting to one another in mirth's. The uproar was so very great that it reached the very heavens.

८.७.७

ततः श्वेतपताकेन बालार्काकारवाजिना ।
हेमपृष्ठेन धनुषा हस्तिकक्ष्येण केतुना ॥

८.७.८

तूणेन शरपूर्णेन साङ्गदेन वरूथिना ।
शतघ्नीकिङ्किणीशक्तिशूलतोमरधारिणा ॥

८.७.९

कार्मुकेणोपपन्नेन विमलादित्यवर्चसा ।
रथेनातिपताकेन सूतपुत्रो व्यदृश्यत ॥

८.७.१०

धमन्तं वारिजं तात हेमजालविभूषितम् ।
विधुन्वानं महच्चापं कार्तस्वरविभूषितम् ॥

M N Dutt O monarch, (Karna then began) to blow his conch adorned with a net-work of gold and also to shake his terrible bow studded with gold.

८.७.११

दृष्ट्वा कर्णं महेष्वासं रथस्थं रथिनां वरम् ।
भानुमन्तमिवोद्यन्तं तमो घ्नन्तं सहस्रशः ॥

M N Dutt Having seen Karna, that mighty bowman, that foremost of car-warriors, who was seated on his car and also was like the risen Sun destroying the thick darkness and who also was unapproachable.

८.७.१२

न भीष्मव्यसनं केचिन्नापि द्रोणस्य मारिष ।
नान्येषां पुरुषव्याघ्र मेनिरे तत्र कौरवाः ॥

M N Dutt None of the Kauravas, O sire, O foremost of persons, considered the fall of eithe, Bhishma, or Drona, or other warriors to be a loss at the time.

८.७.१३

ततस्तु त्वरयन्योधाञ्शङ्खशब्देन मारिष ।
कर्णो निष्कासयामास कौरवाणां वरूथिनीम् ॥

M N Dutt Thereupon, O sire Karna, having ordered the warriors to make haste by the sound of his conch, led the vast army of the Kauravas.

८.७.१४

व्यूहं व्यूह्य महेष्वासो माकरं शत्रुतापनः ।
प्रत्युद्ययौ तदा कर्णः पाण्डवान्विजिगीषया ॥

M N Dutt Then Karna, that powerful bowman, that siniter of enemies, having arranged the troops in the from of a Makara, started against the Pandavas with the object of winning victory (over them).

८.७.१५

मकरस्य तु तुण्डे वै कर्णो राजन्व्यवस्थितः ।
नेत्राभ्यां शकुनिः शूर उलूकश्च महारथः ॥

M N Dutt O king, Karna placed himself in the tip of the beak of that Makara; and the heroic Shakuni and the great car-warrior Uluka were stationed in both the eyes.

८.७.१६

द्रोणपुत्रस्तु शिरसि ग्रीवायां सर्वसोदराः ।
मध्ये दुर्योधनो राजा बलेन महता वृतः ॥

M N Dutt The son of Drona was stationed in the head; and all the uterine brothers were in the neck. King Duryodhana was stationed in the middle, surrounded by a large force.

८.७.१७

वामे पादे तु राजेन्द्र कृतवर्मा व्यवस्थितः ।
नारायणबलैर्युक्तो गोपालैर्युद्धदुर्मदः ॥

M N Dutt O lord of kings, Kritavarman was placed in the left foot, who was attended by the Narayana-army, namely the Gopalas, most difficult to be vanquished in battle.

८.७.१८

पादे तु दक्षिणे राजन्गौतमः सत्यविक्रमः ।
त्रिगर्तैश्च महेष्वासैर्दाक्षिणात्यैश्च संवृतः ॥

M N Dutt O king, the son of Gautama, possessed of the unbaffled prowess, was stationed in right foot, encompassed by the most powerful bowmen, the Trigartas and the troops from the south.

८.७.१९

अनुपादस्तु यो वामस्तत्र शल्यो व्यवस्थितः ।
महत्या सेनया सार्धं मद्रदेशसमुत्थया ॥

M N Dutt There Shalya was placed in left hind-foot accompanied by a vast army recruited from the country of the Madras.

८.७.२०

दक्षिणे तु महाराज सुषेणः सत्यसंगरः ।
वृतो रथसहस्रैश्च दन्तिनां च शतैस्तथा ॥

M N Dutt O great king, Sushena of certain resolution was stationed in the right hind-foot, encompassed by a force of one thousand cars and three hundred elephants.

८.७.२१

पुच्छे आस्तां महावीरौ भ्रातरौ पार्थिवौ तदा ।
चित्रसेनश्च चित्रश्च महत्या सेनया वृतौ ॥

M N Dutt Thereupon the two royal brothers, Chitra and Chitrasena, of iminense prowess having been accompanied by a vast army, stood in the tail (of the Makara).

८.७.२२

ततः प्रयाते राजेन्द्र कर्णे नरवरोत्तमे ।
धनंजयमभिप्रेक्ष्य धर्मराजोऽब्रवीदिदम् ॥

M N Dutt O lord of kings, when Karna, that best of person had started for battle, the king of righteousness (Yudhishthira) beheld Dhananjaya and addressed him sayingपश्य

८.७.२३

पश्य पार्थ महासेनां धार्तराष्ट्रस्य संयुगे ।
कर्णेन निर्मितां वीर गुप्तां वीरैर्महारथैः ॥

M N Dutt "O heroic son of Pritha, behold grow the army of Dhritarashtra was arranged in battlearray by Karna and encompassed by the most heroic car-warriors.

८.७.२४

हतवीरतमा ह्येषा धार्तराष्ट्री महाचमूः ।
फल्गुशेषा महाबाहो तृणैस्तुल्या मता मम ॥

M N Dutt Indeed, the best of the heroes amongst the vast army of Dhritarashtra were all slain before, O mighty armed one, only the feeble ones are alive, who are in my opinion as worthless as the straw. But in the whole force one mighty bowman, namely, the son of Suta, is shining brilliantly.

८.७.२५

एको ह्यत्र महेष्वासः सूतपुत्रो व्यवस्थितः ।
सदेवासुरगन्धर्वैः सकिंनरमहोरगैः ।
चराचरैस्त्रिभिर्लोकैर्योऽजय्यो रथिनां वरः ॥

८.७.२६

तं हत्वाद्य महाबाहो विजयस्तव फल्गुन ।
उद्धृतश्च भवेच्छल्यो मम द्वादशवार्षिकः ।
एवं ज्ञात्वा महाबाहो व्यूहं व्यूह यथेच्छसि ॥

८.७.२७

भ्रातुस्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा पाण्डवः श्वेतवाहनः ।
अर्धचन्द्रेण व्यूहेन प्रत्यव्यूहत तां चमूम् ॥

M N Dutt Having heard the word of his brother, the Pandava (the third brother), conveyed by white horses, arranged his army in the form of the half moon against the face of the enemies' force.

८.७.२८

वामपार्श्वेऽभवद्राजन्भीमसेनो व्यवस्थितः ।
दक्षिणे च महेष्वासो धृष्टद्युम्नो महाबलः ॥

८.७.२९

मध्ये व्यूहस्य साक्षात्तु पाण्डवः कृष्णसारथिः ।
नकुलः सहदेवश्च धर्मराजश्च पृष्ठतः ॥

८.७.३०

चक्ररक्षौ तु पाञ्चाल्यौ युधामन्यूत्तमौजसौ ।
नार्जुनं जहतुर्युद्धे पाल्यमानौ किरीटिना ॥

M N Dutt The two Panchala chiefs, Yudhamanyu and Uttamanjas, who were the guards of the wheels of the car (of Arjuna), did not forsake him in battle, as they were supported by the diademdecked one (Arjuna.)

८.७.३१

शेषा नृपतयो वीराः स्थिता व्यूहस्य दंशिताः ।
यथाभावं यथोत्साहं यथासत्त्वं च भारत ॥

M N Dutt O descendant of the Bharata race, the rest of the heroic princes, who were all clad in armour, stationed in the different positions of the array allotted to them according to their respective zeal earnestness.

८.७.३२

एवमेतन्महाव्यूहं व्यूह्य भारत पाण्डवाः ।
तावकाश्च महेष्वासा युद्धायैव मनो दधुः ॥

M N Dutt were i O descendant of the Bharata race, the Pandavas, as well as the mighty bowmen in। your side, having arranged their troops in the array of battle in the above manner, directed their mind towards the battle.

८.७.३३

दृष्ट्वा व्यूढां तव चमूं सूतपुत्रेण संयुगे ।
निहतान्पाण्डवान्मेने तव पुत्रः सहान्वयः ॥

M N Dutt Having witnessed your army arranged in battle by the son of Suta, the son of Dhritarashtra (Duryodhana), with all his kinsmen, considered the Pandavas to be slain.

८.७.३४

तथैव पाण्डवीं सेनां व्यूढां दृष्ट्वा युधिष्ठिरः ।
धार्तराष्ट्रान्हतान्मेने सकर्णान्वै जनाधिप ॥

M N Dutt O lord of men, in the similar way, Yudhishthira, having observed the troops in the side of the Pandavas arranged in battle-array, considered the army of Dhritarashtra to be surely slain along with Karna himself.

८.७.३५

ततः शङ्खाश्च भेर्यश्च पणवानकगोमुखाः ।
सहसैवाभ्यहन्यन्त सशब्दाश्च समन्ततः ॥

८.७.३६

सेनयोरुभयो राजन्प्रावाद्यन्त महास्वनाः ।
सिंहनादश्च संजज्ञे शूराणां जयगृद्धिनाम् ॥

M N Dutt Thereupon conches, kettle-drums, tabours and drums of large size and cymbals and other instruments, such as Dindimas and Jharjharas were begun to be blown and struck on every side. O monarch, there was a loud sound of musical instruments amongst the soldiers on both the sides. There were terrible lion-roars of the heroes, who were most desirous of victory.

८.७.३७

हयहेषितशब्दाश्च वारणानां च बृंहितम् ।
रथनेमिस्वनाश्चोग्राः संबभूवुर्जनाधिप ॥

M N Dutt O lord of men, there arose the sound of snorting of the horses and the grunting of elephants. And also there was the terrible noise of the car-wheels.

८.७.३८

न द्रोणव्यसनं कश्चिज्जानीते भरतर्षभ ।
दृष्ट्वा कर्णं महेष्वासं मुखे व्यूहस्य दंशितम् ॥

M N Dutt O descendant of the Bharata race, beholding that mighty bowinan, Karna, stationed at the front of the battle-array, none in the field amongst the Kaurava troops considered the death of Drona to be a loss.

८.७.३९

उभे सेने महासत्त्वे प्रहृष्टनरकुञ्जरे ।
योद्धुकामे स्थिते राजन्हन्तुमन्योन्यमञ्जसा ॥

M N Dutt O mighty monarch, in both the armies there were men filled with chcerfulness, who were all desirous of battle. O king, they waited in the field with the object of slaying one another without delay.

८.७.४०

तत्र यत्तौ सुसंरब्धौ दृष्ट्वान्योन्यं व्यवस्थितौ ।
अनीकमध्ये राजेन्द्र रेजतुः कर्णपाण्डवौ ॥

M N Dutt O foremost of kings, there in the field these two namely, Karna and the son of Pandu, who beholding each other were filled with firm resolution rushed to and fro in the midst of their armies.

८.७.४१

नृत्यमाने तु ते सेने समेयातां परस्परम् ।
तयोः पक्षैः प्रपक्षैश्च निर्जग्मुर्वै युयुत्सवः ॥

M N Dutt The two armies came face to face, meeting cach other, as if dancing (in great cheer). The heroes on both the sides, who were most desirous of battle, came forth accompanied by their respective divisions.

८.७.४२

ततः प्रववृते युद्धं नरवारणवाजिनाम् ।
रथिनां च महाराज अन्योन्यं निघ्नतां दृढम् ॥

M N Dutt 'O nighty monarch, thus commenced the battle of men, elephants, horses and cars, who were all engaged in slaying one another.

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