Arjuna Battles Chitrasena

Verse 1 (3.246.1)

ततो दिव्यास्त्रसंपन्ना गन्धर्वा हेममालिनः । विसृजन्तः शरान्दीप्तान्समन्तात्पर्यवारयन् ॥

tato divyāstrasaṃpannā gandharvā hemamālinaḥ | visṛjantaḥ śarāndīptānsamantātparyavārayan

Then the gandharvas, garlanded with gold and armed with celestial weapons, loosed blazing arrows and surrounded them on every side.

Verse 2 (3.246.2)

चतुरः पाण्डवान्वीरान्गन्धर्वाश्च सहस्रशः । रणे संन्यपतन्राजंस्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत् ॥

caturaḥ pāṇḍavānvīrāngandharvāśca sahasraśaḥ | raṇe saṃnyapatanrājaṃstadadbhutamivābhavat

The gandharvas in their thousands fell upon the four heroic Pandavas in battle, O king, and it was a thing of wonder.

Verse 3 (3.246.3)

यथा कर्णस्य च रथो धार्तराष्ट्रस्य चोभयोः । गन्धर्वैः शतशश्छिन्नौ तथा तेषां प्रचक्रिरे ॥

yathā karṇasya ca ratho dhārtarāṣṭrasya cobhayoḥ | gandharvaiḥ śataśaśchinnau tathā teṣāṃ pracakrire

Just as the gandharvas had shattered the chariots of both Karna and the son of Dhritarashtra with hundreds of blows, so they set about doing to the chariots of these four.

Note on the text: Corrected धार्तराष्ट्रस् → धार्तराष्ट्रस्य and प्रचक्रितरे → प्रचक्रिरे (misprints in Wikisource; critical edition dhārtarāṣṭrasya, pracakrire).

Verse 4 (3.246.4)

तान्समापततो राजन्गन्धर्वाञ्छतशो रणे । प्रत्यगृह्णन्नरव्याघ्राः शरवर्षैरनेकशः ॥

tānsamāpatato rājangandharvāñchataśo raṇe | pratyagṛhṇannaravyāghrāḥ śaravarṣairanekaśaḥ

As the gandharvas rushed at them by the hundreds in battle, O king, those tigers among men met them again and again with showers of arrows.

Note on the text: Corrected गधर्वाञ् → गन्धर्वाञ् (misprint in Wikisource; dropped न, critical edition gandharvāñ).

Verse 5 (3.246.5)

ते कीर्यमाणाः खगमाः शरवर्षैः समन्ततः । न शेकुः पाण्डुपुत्राणां समीपे परिवर्तितुम् ॥

te kīryamāṇāḥ khagamāḥ śaravarṣaiḥ samantataḥ | na śekuḥ pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ samīpe parivartitum

Pelted on every side with showers of arrows, the sky-ranging gandharvas could not come close to the sons of Pandu.

Verse 6 (3.246.6)

अभिक्रुद्धानभिक्रुद्धो गन्धर्वानर्जुनस्तदा । लक्षयित्वाऽथ दिव्यानि महास्त्राण्युपचक्रमे ॥

abhikruddhānabhikruddho gandharvānarjunastadā | lakṣayitvā'tha divyāni mahāstrāṇyupacakrame

Then Arjuna, enraged at the enraged gandharvas, took aim and began to loose his great celestial weapons.

Verse 7 (3.246.7)

सहस्राणां सहस्राणि प्राहिणोद्यमसादनम् । अजेयानर्जुनः सङ्ख्ये गन्धर्वाणां बलोत्कटः ॥

sahasrāṇāṃ sahasrāṇi prāhiṇodyamasādanam | ajeyānarjunaḥ saṅkhye gandharvāṇāṃ balotkaṭaḥ

In that battle Arjuna, mighty in strength, sent thousands upon thousands of the unconquerable gandharvas to the abode of Yama.

Verse 8 (3.246.8)

तथा भीमो महेष्वासः संयुगे बलिनां वरः । गन्धर्वाञ्शतशो राजञ्जघान निशितैः शरैः ॥

tathā bhīmo maheṣvāsaḥ saṃyuge balināṃ varaḥ | gandharvāñśataśo rājañjaghāna niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ

So too Bhima, the great archer, foremost of the strong, slew gandharvas by the hundreds in battle with sharpened arrows, O king.

Note on the text: Corrected चघान → जघान (misprint in Wikisource; critical edition jaghāna) and restored the word space in बलिनां वरः.

Verse 9 (3.246.9)

माद्रीपुत्रावपि तथा युध्यमानौ बलोत्कटौ । परिगृह्याग्रतो राजञ्जघ्नतुः शतशः परान् ॥

mādrīputrāvapi tathā yudhyamānau balotkaṭau | parigṛhyāgrato rājañjaghnatuḥ śataśaḥ parān

Likewise the two sons of Madri, mighty in strength, fighting at the forefront, O king, struck down their enemies by the hundreds.

Note on the text: Corrected युध्मानौ → युध्यमानौ (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara, critical edition yudhyamānau).

Verse 10 (3.246.10)

ते वध्यमाना गन्धर्वा दिव्यैरस्त्रैर्महारथैः । उत्पेतुः खमुपादाय धृतराष्ट्रसुतांस्ततः ॥

te vadhyamānā gandharvā divyairastrairmahārathaiḥ | utpetuḥ khamupādāya dhṛtarāṣṭrasutāṃstataḥ

Struck down by those great chariot-warriors with celestial weapons, the gandharvas rose into the sky, carrying the sons of Dhritarashtra with them.

Note on the text: Restored the word space in ते वध्यमाना (run together in Wikisource).

Verse 11 (3.246.11)

स तानुत्पतितान्दृष्ट्वा कुन्तीपुत्रो धनंजयः । महता शरजालेन समन्तात्पर्यवारयत् ॥

sa tānutpatitāndṛṣṭvā kuntīputro dhanaṃjayaḥ | mahatā śarajālena samantātparyavārayat

Seeing them fly up, Dhananjaya, son of Kunti, hemmed them in on every side with a vast net of arrows.

Note on the text: Corrected उत्पतितानदृष्ट्वा → उत्पतितान्दृष्ट्वा (misprint in Wikisource; the missing virama turned "seeing" into "not seeing") and restored the word space in स तान्.

Verse 12 (3.246.12)

ते बद्धाः शरजालेन शकुन्ता इव पञ्जरे । ववर्षुरर्जुनं क्रोधाद्गदाशक्त्यृष्टिवृष्टिभिः ॥

te baddhāḥ śarajālena śakuntā iva pañjare | vavarṣurarjunaṃ krodhādgadāśaktyṛṣṭivṛṣṭibhiḥ

Caught in the net of arrows like birds in a cage, they furiously rained maces, spears and double-edged swords upon Arjuna.

Note on the text: Corrected ब्रद्धाः → बद्धाः and ववर्पुः → ववर्षुः (misprints in Wikisource; critical edition baddhāḥ, vavarṣuḥ).

Verse 13 (3.246.13)

गदाशक्त्यृष्टिवृष्टीस्ता निहत्य परमास्त्रवित् । गात्राणि चाहनद्भल्लैर्गन्धर्वाणां धनंजयः ॥

gadāśaktyṛṣṭivṛṣṭīstā nihatya paramāstravit | gātrāṇi cāhanadbhallairgandharvāṇāṃ dhanaṃjayaḥ

Dhananjaya, master of the highest weapons, beat down those showers of maces, spears and swords, and cut at the gandharvas' limbs with broad-headed arrows.

Verse 14 (3.246.14)

शिरोभिः प्रपतद्भिश्च चरणैर्बाहुभिस्तथा । अश्मवृष्टिरिवाभाति परेषामभवद्भयम् ॥

śirobhiḥ prapatadbhiśca caraṇairbāhubhistathā | aśmavṛṣṭirivābhāti pareṣāmabhavadbhayam

With heads, feet and arms falling, it looked like a shower of stones, and terror seized the enemy.

Verse 15 (3.246.15)

ते वध्यमाना गन्धर्वाः पाण्डवेन महात्मना । भूमिष्ठमन्तरिक्षस्थाः शरवर्षैरवाकिरन् ॥

te vadhyamānā gandharvāḥ pāṇḍavena mahātmanā | bhūmiṣṭhamantarikṣasthāḥ śaravarṣairavākiran

Being slain by the great-souled Pandava, the gandharvas, from the sky, poured showers of arrows on him as he stood on the ground.

Verse 16 (3.246.16)

तेषां तु शरवर्षाणि सव्यसाची परंतपः । अस्त्रैः संवार्य तेजस्वी गन्धर्वान्प्रत्यविध्यत ॥

teṣāṃ tu śaravarṣāṇi savyasācī paraṃtapaḥ | astraiḥ saṃvārya tejasvī gandharvānpratyavidhyata

But Savyasachin, scorcher of foes, blazing with energy, warded off their showers of arrows with his weapons and pierced the gandharvas in return.

Verse 17 (3.246.17)

स्थूणाकर्णेन्द्रजालं च सौरं चापि तथाऽर्जुनः । आग्नेयं चापि सौम्यं च ससर्ज कुरुनन्दनः ॥

sthūṇākarṇendrajālaṃ ca sauraṃ cāpi tathā'rjunaḥ | āgneyaṃ cāpi saumyaṃ ca sasarja kurunandanaḥ

Arjuna, joy of the Kurus, loosed the Sthunakarna, the Indrajala, the Saura, the Agneya and the Saumya weapons.

Note on the text: Corrected कुरुननदनः → कुरुनन्दनः (misprint in Wikisource; broken conjunct, critical edition kurunandanaḥ).

Verse 18 (3.246.18)

ते दह्यमाना गन्धर्वाः कुन्तीपुत्रस्य सायकैः । दैतेया इव शक्रेण विषादमगमन्परम् ॥

te dahyamānā gandharvāḥ kuntīputrasya sāyakaiḥ | daiteyā iva śakreṇa viṣādamagamanparam

Burned by the arrows of Kunti's son, the gandharvas sank into deep despair, like the Daityas before Shakra.

Verse 19 (3.246.19)

ऊर्ध्वमाक्रममाणाश्च शरजालेन वारिताः । विसर्पमाणा भल्लैश्च वार्यन्ते सव्यसाचिना ॥

ūrdhvamākramamāṇāśca śarajālena vāritāḥ | visarpamāṇā bhallaiśca vāryante savyasācinā

When they tried to climb upward they were checked by the net of arrows, and when they tried to slip away Savyasachin held them back with broad-headed arrows.

Verse 20 (3.246.20)

गन्धर्वांस्त्रासितान्दृष्ट्वा कुन्तीपुत्रेण भारत । चित्रसेनो गदां गृह्य सव्यसाचिनमाद्रवत् ॥

gandharvāṃstrāsitāndṛṣṭvā kuntīputreṇa bhārata | citraseno gadāṃ gṛhya savyasācinamādravat

Seeing the gandharvas terrified by Kunti's son, O Bharata, Chitrasena seized a mace and rushed at Savyasachin.

Note on the text: Corrected सव्यसाचिनमनाद्रवत् → सव्यसाचिनमाद्रवत् (misprint in Wikisource; a doubled न yields no verb form and an extra syllable; critical edition savyasācinam ādravat).

Verse 21 (3.246.21)

तस्याभिपततस्तूर्णं गदाहस्तस्य संयुगे । गदां सर्वायसीं पार्थः शरैश्चिच्छेद सप्तधा ॥

tasyābhipatatastūrṇaṃ gadāhastasya saṃyuge | gadāṃ sarvāyasīṃ pārthaḥ śaraiściccheda saptadhā

As he charged swiftly in battle, mace in hand, Partha cut his all-iron mace into seven pieces with his arrows.

Verse 22 (3.246.22)

स गदां बहुधा दृष्ट्वा कृत्तां बाणैस्तरस्विना । संवृत्य विद्ययाऽऽत्मानं योधयामास पाण्डवम् ॥

sa gadāṃ bahudhā dṛṣṭvā kṛttāṃ bāṇaistarasvinā | saṃvṛtya vidyayā''tmānaṃ yodhayāmāsa pāṇḍavam

Seeing his mace cut into many pieces by the arrows of the mighty Arjuna, Chitrasena hid himself by his magic lore and went on fighting the Pandava.

Note on the text: Corrected final पाण्डवं → पाण्डवम् (anusvara for final म् at the end of the verse). Matches the critical edition 3.234.22ab–cd (the automatic alignment missed it).

Verse 23 (3.246.23)

अस्त्राणि तस्य दिव्यानि संप्रयुक्तानि सर्वशः । दिव्यैरस्त्रैस्तदा वीरः पर्यवारयदर्जुनः ॥

astrāṇi tasya divyāni saṃprayuktāni sarvaśaḥ | divyairastraistadā vīraḥ paryavārayadarjunaḥ

The celestial weapons he hurled from every side the hero Arjuna then warded off with celestial weapons of his own.

Note on the text: Corrected अस्त्राणइ → अस्त्राणि (misprint in Wikisource). The first line answers to the critical edition 3.234.22e (with a different second half); the second line is not in its constituted text but appears in its apparatus as 3.234.22f*1128 line 1.

Verse 24 (3.246.24)

स वार्यमाणस्तैरस्त्रैरर्जुनेन महात्मना । गन्धर्वराजो बलवान्माययाऽन्तर्हितस्तदा ॥

sa vāryamāṇastairastrairarjunena mahātmanā | gandharvarājo balavānmāyayā'ntarhitastadā

Held back by those weapons of the great-souled Arjuna, the mighty king of the gandharvas then vanished by his power of illusion.

Note on the text: The first line is not in the critical edition's constituted text (its apparatus has it as 3.234.22f*1128 line 2); the second line matches CE 3.234.23ab.

Verse 25 (3.246.25)

अन्तर्हितं तमालक्ष्य प्रहरन्तमथार्जुनः । ताडयामास खचरैर्दिव्यास्त्रप्रतिमन्त्रितैः ॥

antarhitaṃ tamālakṣya praharantamathārjunaḥ | tāḍayāmāsa khacarairdivyāstrapratimantritaiḥ

Seeing that he had vanished and was still striking at him, Arjuna struck him with sky-ranging shafts charged with the spells of celestial weapons.

Note on the text: Matches the critical edition 3.234.23cd–ef (the automatic alignment missed it).

Verse 26 (3.246.26)

अन्तर्धानवधं चास्य चक्रे क्रुद्धोऽर्जुनस्तदा । शब्दवेधं समाश्रित्य बहुरूपो धनंजयः ॥

antardhānavadhaṃ cāsya cakre kruddho'rjunastadā | śabdavedhaṃ samāśritya bahurūpo dhanaṃjayaḥ

Then the enraged Arjuna, Dhananjaya of many forms, resorting to the art of striking by sound, set about slaying him even while he was invisible.

Note on the text: Corrected शब्दवेषं → शब्दवेधं (misprint in Wikisource; "striking by sound", critical edition śabdavedhyam).

Verse 27 (3.246.27)

स वध्यमानस्तैरस्त्रैरर्जुनेन महात्मना । ततोऽस्य दर्शयामास तदाऽऽत्मानं प्रियः सखा ॥

sa vadhyamānastairastrairarjunena mahātmanā | tato'sya darśayāmāsa tadā''tmānaṃ priyaḥ sakhā

Being struck by those weapons of the great-souled Arjuna, his dear friend then showed himself to him.

Note on the text: Corrected रस → स (stray र in Wikisource; critical edition sa vadhyamānas).

Verse 28 (3.246.28)

चित्रसेनस्तथोवाच सखायं युधि विद्धि माम् । चित्रसेनमथालक्ष्य सखायमिति विस्मितः ॥

citrasenastathovāca sakhāyaṃ yudhi viddhi mām | citrasenamathālakṣya sakhāyamiti vismitaḥ

Chitrasena said, "Know that it is I, your friend, here in battle." Seeing that it was Chitrasena, his friend, the astonished bull among the Pandavas

Note on the text: The first line is not in the critical edition's constituted text (its apparatus has it as 3.234.25d*1129); the second line is a variant of CE 3.234.26ab ("sakhāyaṃ yudhi durbalam" there). The sentence runs on into the next verse.

Verse 29 (3.246.29)

संजहारास्त्रमथ तत्प्रसृष्टं पाण्डवर्षभः ॥

saṃjahārāstramatha tatprasṛṣṭaṃ pāṇḍavarṣabhaḥ

withdrew the weapon he had loosed.

Note on the text: Corrected संजहारास्त्रमथं → संजहारास्त्रमथ (stray anusvara in Wikisource; critical edition astram atha). Wikisource prints only this one line (3-246-29a); it is the second half of CE 3.234.26, whose first half ends the previous verse, so no text is missing.

Verse 30 (3.246.30)

दृष्ट्वा तु पाण्डवाः सर्वे संहृतास्त्रं धनंजयम् । संजह्रुः प्रद्रुतानश्वाञ्शरवेगान्धनूंषि च ॥

dṛṣṭvā tu pāṇḍavāḥ sarve saṃhṛtāstraṃ dhanaṃjayam | saṃjahruḥ pradrutānaśvāñśaravegāndhanūṃṣi ca

Seeing Dhananjaya withdraw his weapon, all the Pandavas reined in their galloping horses and held back the speed of their arrows and their bows.

Verse 31 (3.246.31)

चित्रसेनश्च भीमश्च सव्यसाची यमावपि । पृष्ट्वा कौशलमन्योन्यं रथेष्वेवावतस्थिरे ॥

citrasenaśca bhīmaśca savyasācī yamāvapi | pṛṣṭvā kauśalamanyonyaṃ ratheṣvevāvatasthire

Chitrasena, Bhima, Savyasachin and the twins asked after one another's welfare and stayed where they were, in their chariots.