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॥ अथ ८.८ ॥
संजय उवाच ।
८.८.१
ते सेनेऽन्योन्यमासाद्य प्रहृष्टाश्वनरद्विपे ।
बृहत्यौ संप्रजह्राते देवासुरचमूपमे ॥
M N Dutt Sanjaya said Thereupon the two vast armies, composed of horses, men and elephants, that were filled with cheer and also that had the brilliany of the celestial and Asura hosts, can. face to face and struck each other down.
८.८.२
ततो गजा रथाश्चाश्वाः पत्तयश्च महाहवे ।
संप्रहारं परं चक्रुर्देहपाप्मप्रणाशनम् ॥
M N Dutt Then the men, the cars, the horses, the elephants, as well as the infantry, all possessed of formidable strength, continued to strike most fiercely, thereby destroying the bodies and the sins as well.
८.८.३
पूर्णचन्द्रार्कपद्मानां कान्तित्विड्गन्धतः समैः ।
उत्तमाङ्गैर्नृसिंहानां नृसिंहास्तस्तरुर्महीम् ॥
M N Dutt The lion-like men, began to scatter over the earth, the heads of lion-like men, which were equal in splendour to the full-moon and the sun and also which had resembled the lotuses in fragrance.
८.८.५
व्यायतायतबाहूनां व्यायतायतबाहुभिः ।
व्यायता बाहवः पेतुश्छिन्नमुष्ट्यायुधाङ्गदाः ॥
M N Dutt The arms of men, possessed of long and stout arms, severed by men, possessed of long and stout arms, looked resplendent upon the ground, decorated as they were 'vith both weapons and bracelets.
८.८.६
तैः स्फुरद्भिर्मही भाति रक्ताङ्गुलितलैस्तदा ।
गरुडप्रहतैरुग्रैः पञ्चास्यैरिव पन्नगैः ॥
M N Dutt The earth shone most brightly with the halo of their (the warriors) red fingers and palms, even as it shines with the fierce and fiveheaded snakes upon itself slain by Garuda.
८.८.७
हयस्यन्दननागेभ्यः पेतुर्वीरा द्विषद्धताः ।
विमानेभ्यो यथा क्षीणे पुण्ये स्वर्गसदस्तथा ॥
M N Dutt Smitten by the enemies, the heroic warriors fell down from the elephants, the cars and horses, even as the dwellers of heaven fall down from the celestial balloons, when their virtues are entirely spent.
८.८.८
गदाभिरन्यैर्गुर्वीभिः परिघैर्मुसलैरपि ।
पोथिताः शतशः पेतुर्वीरा वीरतरै रणे ॥
M N Dutt While other heroic warriors, having been smitten by heroes of greater prowess with heavy maces, spiked clubs and maces, fell in the battle by hundreds.
८.८.९
रथा रथैर्विनिहता मत्ता मत्तैर्द्विपैर्द्विपाः ।
सादिनः सादिभिश्चैव तस्मिन्परमसंकुले ॥
M N Dutt In that formidable battle, the cars were smitten by cars, the infuriate elephants were crushed by infuriate elephants and the horsemen were struck down by horse-men.
८.८.१०
रथा वररथैर्नागैरश्वारोहाश्च पत्तिभिः ।
अश्वारोहैः पदाताश्च निहता युधि शेरते ॥
M N Dutt The men smitten by the cars and the cars destroyed by elephants and the horsemen slain by the foot-soldiers and the infantry slain by the cavalry, are lying dead in the field.
८.८.११
रथाश्वपत्तयो नागै रथैर्नागाश्च पत्तयः ।
रथपत्तिद्विपाश्चाश्वैर्नृभिश्चाश्वरथद्विपाः ॥
M N Dutt And again, the cars, the horses and the infantry smitten by the elephants; and the cars, steeds and elephants slain by the infantry; and the cars, the infantry and the elephant-force destroyed by the horses, and also the men and elephants struck down by the cars, are lying dead in the battle.
८.८.१२
रथाश्वेभनराणां च नराश्वेभरथैः कृतम् ।
पाणिपादैश्च शस्त्रैश्च रथैश्च कदनं महत् ॥
M N Dutt A terrible slaughter of car-warriors, horsemen, the elephant-force and men was wrought by men steeds, elephants and cars, with the help of their hands and feet, weapons and cars.
८.८.१५
भृता वित्तेन महता पाण्ड्याश्चौड्राः सकेरलाः ।
व्यूढोरस्का दीर्घभुजाः प्रांशवः प्रियदर्शनाः ॥
M N Dutt And also the Pandavas and the Cholas along with the Keralas (advanced against us), surrounded by a formidable array of soldiers, who were all possessed of strong chests, long arms, huge statures and very large eyes;
८.८.१६
आपीडिनो रक्तदन्ता मत्तमातङ्गविक्रमाः ।
नानाविरागवसना गन्धचूर्णावचूर्णिताः ॥
M N Dutt And who, again, were adorned with various ornaments and were of red teeth and were endowed with the strength of mad elephants and were clothed in dresses of various colours and also were besmeared with scented powders;
८.८.१७
बद्धासयः पाशहस्ता वारणप्रतिवारणाः ।
समानमृत्यवो राजन्ननीकस्थाः परस्परम् ॥
M N Dutt And O monarch, as they were possessed of swords and nooscs in their hands and endued with the power of with-standing the infuriate elephants and as they were equally determined to die, they (the warriors) did not forsake one another (in the field).
८.८.१८
कलापिनश्चापहस्ता दीर्घकेशाः प्रियाहवाः ।
पत्तयः सात्यकेरन्ध्रा घोररूपपराक्रमाः ॥
M N Dutt The infantry, belonging to the Andhara race, commanded by Satyaki, were all possessed of quivers and bows in the hand, of long hairs and were very sweet in speech and endowed with fierce forms and mighty prowess.
८.८.१९
अथापरे पुनः शूराश्चेदिपाञ्चालकेकयाः ।
करूषाः कोसलाः काश्या मागधाश्चापि दुद्रुवुः ॥
M N Dutt Thereupon the other heroic leaders, namely the Chedis, the Panchalas, the Kaikeyas, the Karushas, the Kosalas, the Kanchyas and the Magadhas advanced most rapidly.
८.८.२०
तेषां रथाश्च नागाश्च प्रवराश्चापि पत्तयः ।
नानाविधरवैर्हृष्टा नृत्यन्ति च हसन्ति च ॥
M N Dutt Their car-warriors, cavalry and elephantforce, that all belonged to the superior class, as well as the terrible-looking infantry, were highly gratified to hear the harmonious sound of several instruments and began to laugh.
८.८.२१
तस्य सैन्यस्य महतो महामात्रवरैर्वृतः ।
मध्यं वृकोदरोऽभ्यागात्त्वदीयं नागधूर्गतः ॥
M N Dutt In the midst of at vast army stood Vrikodara, encompassed by the foremost elephant-force and advanced against your troops, each riding on the neck of an elephant.
८.८.२२
स नागप्रवरोऽत्युग्रो विधिवत्कल्पितो बभौ ।
उदयाद्र्यग्र्यभवनं यथाभ्युदितभास्करम् ॥
M N Dutt That terrible-looking elephant, the best of his kind, shone with all the equipments befitting him, even as the mountain-abode on the top of the Udaya (mountain) looks resplendent with the rising Sun over it.
८.८.२३
तस्यायसं वर्मवरं वररत्नविभूषितम् ।
तारोद्भासस्य नभसः शारदस्य समत्विषम् ॥
M N Dutt His best armour, made of iron and bedecked with the most precious gems, shone like the autumnal firmament besprinkled with innumerable stars.
८.८.२४
स तोमरप्रासकरश्चारुमौलिः स्वलंकृतः ।
चरन्मध्यंदिनार्काभस्तेजसा व्यदहद्रिपून् ॥
M N Dutt He (that Bhima), who had a lance in the hand stretched out and who was crowned with a handsome diadem and who was adorned with innumerable ornaments and who, again, had the brilliancy of the autumnal sun when at the meridian, began to burn the enemies by energy.
८.८.२५
तं दृष्ट्वा द्विरदं दूरात्क्षेमधूर्तिर्द्विपस्थितः ।
आह्वयानोऽभिदुद्राव प्रमनाः प्रमनस्तरम् ॥
M N Dutt Seeing that elephant from a distance, Kshemadhurti, riding on an elephant and very much gratified in the heart, invited that one, who was much more cheerful than he, to battle and rushed against him (Bhima).
८.८.२६
तयोः समभवद्युद्धं द्विपयोरुग्ररूपयोः ।
यदृच्छया द्रुमवतोर्महापर्वतयोरिव ॥
M N Dutt Then there followed an encounter between the two elephants of formidable appearances according they desired, which (the clephants) were like the two gigantic mountains with trees at their tops. as
८.८.२७
संसक्तनागौ तौ वीरौ तोमरैरितरेतरम् ।
बलवत्सूर्यरश्म्याभैर्भित्त्वा भित्त्वा विनेदतुः ॥
M N Dutt Those two heroic warriors, whose elephants had thus been engaged in the encounter, forcibly pierced each other with their lances, that were resplendent like the rays of the sun and they roared most loudly.
८.८.२८
व्यपसृत्य तु नागाभ्यां मण्डलानि विचेरतुः ।
प्रगृह्य चैव धनुषी जघ्नतुर्वै परस्परम् ॥
M N Dutt Having receded back, they (the two heroes) roved about in circles dismounting from their elephants, and also having taken up their bows, really struck each other.
८.८.२९
क्ष्वेडितास्फोटितरवैर्बाणशब्दैश्च सर्वशः ।
तौ जनान्हर्षयित्वा च सिंहनादान्प्रचक्रतुः ॥
M N Dutt They cheered the hearts of the people by their roaring sounds and the slaps of their armpits, as well as by the whistling sound of their arrows on all sides; and then they shouted aloud like lions.
८.८.३०
समुद्यतकराभ्यां तौ द्विपाभ्यां कृतिनावुभौ ।
वातोद्धूतपताकाभ्यां युयुधाते महाबलौ ॥
M N Dutt Again mounting upon their elephants, that had their trunks raised up in the air and that were adorned with banners floating on the wind, both the heroes, perfectly accomplished and possessed of immense strength, went on combating.
८.८.३१
तावन्योन्यस्य धनुषी छित्त्वान्योन्यं विनेदतुः ।
शक्तितोमरवर्षेण प्रावृण्मेघाविवाम्बुभिः ॥
M N Dutt Thereupon both of them, having cut-off each other's bow, roared and poured forth showers of arrows and lances upon each other, even as the two masses of clouds during the rainy season drop down rains.
८.८.३३
स भीमसेनः शुशुभे तोमरैरङ्गमाश्रितैः ।
क्रोधदीप्तवपुर्मेघैः सप्तसप्तिरिवांशुमान् ॥
M N Dutt That Bhimasena, whose form looked bright with rage, shone with those lances adhering to his body like the resplendent Sun with the masses of clouds about him.
८.८.३४
ततो भास्करवर्णाभमञ्जोगतिमयस्मयम् ।
ससर्ज तोमरं भीमः प्रत्यमित्राय यत्नवान् ॥
M N Dutt Thereupon, Bhima thrust at his enemy most carefully the lance, made of iron, that had the splendour of the colour of the solar rays and had a speed, direct and straight.
८.८.३५
ततः कुलूताधिपतिश्चापमायम्य सायकैः ।
दशभिस्तोमरं छित्त्वा शक्त्या विव्याध पाण्डवम् ॥
M N Dutt Thereupon having stretched out his bow, the lord of the Kulatas severed the lance by means of ten arrows and pierced the son of Pandu (Bhima) by sixty other shafts.
८.८.३६
अथ कार्मुकमादाय महाजलदनिस्वनम् ।
रिपोरभ्यर्दयन्नागमुन्मदः पाण्डवः शरैः ॥
M N Dutt Then having taken up his bow having the twang like the roar of clouds, Bhima the son of Pandu, oppressed his enemy's elephant by arrows and uttered terrible shouts.
८.८.३७
स शरौघार्दितो नागो भीमसेनेन संयुगे ।
निगृह्यमाणो नातिष्ठद्वातध्वस्त इवाम्बुदः ॥
M N Dutt That elephant, being thus oppressed by the arrows of Bhimasena, did not stay in the field of battle, although repeatedly restrained, even as the cloud dispersed by the wind (run away from their positions).
८.८.३८
तामभ्यधावद्द्विरदं भीमसेनस्य नागराट् ।
महावातेरितं मेघं वातोद्धूत इवाम्बुदः ॥
M N Dutt The most formidable and royal elephant of Bhima rapidly followed that elephant of (Kshemadhurti), even as the wind-blown cloud pursues the cloud dispersed by the tempest.
८.८.४०
ततः साधुविसृष्टेन क्षुरेण पुरुषर्षभः ।
छित्त्वा शरासनं शत्रोर्नागमामित्रमार्दयत् ॥
M N Dutt Thereupon, he (Kshemadhurti), having cutoff his enemy's bow by means of an arrow well-shot, razor-like and straight, highly oppressed that elephant belonging to his foe.
८.८.४३
तस्मात्प्रमथितान्नागात्क्षेमधूर्तिमवद्रुतम् ।
उद्यतासिमुपायान्तं गदयाहन्वृकोदरः ॥
M N Dutt Then he, too, struck down the elephant of his enemy by means of his mace. Then Vrikodara killed Kshemadhurti with his mace, who then had descended from his crushed elephant and had advanced against him with uplifted weapons. Having been thus killed, he, with a sword in the hand, fell down dead by the side of his elephant.
८.८.४५
निहतं नृपतिं दृष्ट्वा कुलूतानां यशस्करम् ।
प्राद्रवद्व्यथिता सेना त्वदीया भरतर्षभ ॥
M N Dutt O foremost of the Bharata race, even as a lion killed by thunder falls dead by the side of a hill broken down by thunder. having seen the most famous lord of the Kulatas killed, your troops, highly distressed, ran away from ihe field.
॥ इति ८.८ ॥

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