The Kaurava Host Stands Ready

Verse 1 (6.18.1)

ततो मुहूर्तात्तुमुलः शब्दो हृदयकम्पनः । अश्रूयत महाराज योधानां प्रयुयुत्सताम् ॥

tato muhūrtāttumulaḥ śabdo hṛdayakampanaḥ | aśrūyata mahārāja yodhānāṃ prayuyutsatām

Then, after a moment, O great king, a tumultuous, heart-shaking sound was heard from the warriors eager for battle.

Verse 2 (6.18.2)

शङ्खदुन्दुभिघोषैश्च वारणानां च बृंहितैः । नेमिघोषै रथानां च दीर्यतीव वसुन्धरा ॥

śaṅkhadundubhighoṣaiśca vāraṇānāṃ ca bṛṃhitaiḥ | nemighoṣai rathānāṃ ca dīryatīva vasundharā

With the blare of conches and kettledrums, the trumpeting of elephants and the rumble of chariot wheels, the earth seemed to split apart.

Note on the text: Corrected नोमिघोषै → नेमिघोषै (misprint in Wikisource; ओ for ए, "the rumble of chariot rims", the critical edition reads nemighoṣaiḥ).

Verse 3 (6.18.3)

हयानां हेषमाणानां योधानां चैव गर्जताम् । क्षणेनैव नभो भूमिः शब्देनापूरितं तदा ॥

hayānāṃ heṣamāṇānāṃ yodhānāṃ caiva garjatām | kṣaṇenaiva nabho bhūmiḥ śabdenāpūritaṃ tadā

With the neighing of horses and the roaring of warriors, sky and earth were filled with sound in an instant.

Verse 4 (6.18.4)

पुत्राणां तव दुर्धर्ष पाण्डवानां तथैव च । समकम्पन्त सैन्यानि परस्परसमागमे ॥

putrāṇāṃ tava durdharṣa pāṇḍavānāṃ tathaiva ca | samakampanta sainyāni parasparasamāgame

O unassailable one, the armies of your sons and of the Pandavas trembled as they came face to face.

Verse 5 (6.18.5)

तत्र नागा रथाश्चैव जाम्बूनदविभूषिताः । भ्राजमाना व्यदृश्यन्त मेघा इव सविद्युतः ॥

tatra nāgā rathāścaiva jāmbūnadavibhūṣitāḥ | bhrājamānā vyadṛśyanta meghā iva savidyutaḥ

There elephants and chariots adorned with Jambunada gold were seen gleaming like clouds lit with lightning.

Verse 6 (6.18.6)

ध्वजा बहुविधाकारास्तावकानां नराधिप । काञ्चनाङ्गदिनो रेजुर्ज्वलिता इव पावकाः ॥

dhvajā bahuvidhākārāstāvakānāṃ narādhipa | kāñcanāṅgadino rejurjvalitā iva pāvakāḥ

The standards of your men, O lord of men, of many shapes and decked with golden bands, shone like blazing fires.

Verse 7 (6.18.7)

स्वेषां चैव परेषां च समदृश्यन्त भारत । महेन्द्रकेतवः शुभ्रा महेन्द्रसदनेष्विव ॥

sveṣāṃ caiva pareṣāṃ ca samadṛśyanta bhārata | mahendraketavaḥ śubhrā mahendrasadaneṣviva

On both sides, ours and the enemy's, O Bharata, bright standards were seen, like the banners of great Indra in Indra's own halls.

Verse 8 (6.18.8)

काञ्चनैः कवचैर्वीरा ज्वलनार्कसमप्रभैः । सन्नद्धाः समदृश्यन्त ज्वलनार्कसमप्रभाः ॥

kāñcanaiḥ kavacairvīrā jvalanārkasamaprabhaiḥ | sannaddhāḥ samadṛśyanta jvalanārkasamaprabhāḥ

In golden armour bright as fire and the sun, the heroes, girt for battle, appeared as radiant as fire and the sun themselves.

Note on the text: The second line repeats the epithet of the first (ज्वलनार्कसमप्रभैः … ज्वलनार्कसमप्रभाः) where the critical edition reads saṃnaddhāḥ pratyadṛśyanta grahāḥ prajvalitā iva; the Wikisource reading is grammatical and is kept.

Verse 9 (6.18.9)

कुरुयोधवरा राजन्विचित्रायुधकार्मुकाः । उद्यतैरायुधैश्चित्रैस्तलबद्धाः पताकिनः ॥

kuruyodhavarā rājanvicitrāyudhakārmukāḥ | udyatairāyudhaiścitraistalabaddhāḥ patākinaḥ

The finest warriors of the Kurus, O king, with wonderful weapons and bows, with gleaming weapons raised, wearing leather finger-guards and carrying banners,

Note on the text: Corrected उद्यतैरायुथैः → उद्यतैरायुधैः (misprint in Wikisource; थ for ध, the critical edition reads āyudhaiḥ). The first line is not in the critical edition's constituted text (vulgate): it is star passage *0070, printed after 6.18.8; the second line = 6.18.9ab. From here Wikisource divides verses 9–10 half a verse out of step with the critical edition.

Verse 10 (6.18.10)

ऋषभाक्षा महेष्वासाश्चमूमुखगता बभुः । पृष्ठगोपास्तु भीष्मस्य पुत्रास्तव नराधिप । दुःशासनो दुर्विषहो दुर्मुखो दुःसहस्तथा ॥

ṛṣabhākṣā maheṣvāsāścamūmukhagatā babhuḥ | pṛṣṭhagopāstu bhīṣmasya putrāstava narādhipa | duḥśāsano durviṣaho durmukho duḥsahastathā

bull-eyed great archers, shone at the head of the army. Your sons, O lord of men, guarded Bhishma's rear: Duhshasana, Durvishaha, Durmukha and Duhsaha,

Note on the text: This three-line verse = 6.18.9cd + 10abcd (Wikisource's division is half a verse out of step with the critical edition's here).

Verse 11 (6.18.11)

विविंशतिश्चित्रसेनो विकर्णश्च महारथः । सत्यव्रतः पुरुमित्रो जयो भूरिश्रवाः शलः ॥

viviṃśatiścitraseno vikarṇaśca mahārathaḥ | satyavrataḥ purumitro jayo bhūriśravāḥ śalaḥ

Vivimshati, Chitrasena, the great chariot-warrior Vikarna, Satyavrata, Purumitra, Jaya, Bhurishravas and Shala.

Verse 12 (6.18.12)

रथा विंशतिसाहस्रास्तथैषामनुयायिनः । अभीषाहाः शूरसेनाः शिबयोऽथ वसातयः ॥

rathā viṃśatisāhasrāstathaiṣāmanuyāyinaḥ | abhīṣāhāḥ śūrasenāḥ śibayo'tha vasātayaḥ

Twenty thousand chariots followed them. The Abhishahas, the Shurasenas, the Shibis and the Vasatis,

Verse 13 (6.18.13)

शाल्वा मत्स्यास्तथाम्बष्ठास्त्रैगर्ताः केकयास्तथा । सौवीराः कैतवाः प्राच्याः प्रतीच्योदीच्यवासिनः ॥

śālvā matsyāstathāmbaṣṭhāstraigartāḥ kekayāstathā | sauvīrāḥ kaitavāḥ prācyāḥ pratīcyodīcyavāsinaḥ

the Shalvas, the Matsyas, the Ambashthas, the Trigartas and the Kekayas, the Sauviras, the Kaitavas, the easterners, and the dwellers of the west and north —

Note on the text: Corrected प्रतीच्येदीच्यवासिनः → प्रतीच्योदीच्यवासिनः (misprint in Wikisource; ए for ओ in the sandhi प्रतीच्य + उदीच्य, the critical edition reads pratīcyodīcya-).

Verse 14 (6.18.14)

द्वादशैते जनपदाः सर्वे शूरास्तनुत्यजः । महता रथवंशेन ते ररक्षुः पितामहम् ॥

dvādaśaite janapadāḥ sarve śūrāstanutyajaḥ | mahatā rathavaṃśena te rarakṣuḥ pitāmaham

these twelve peoples, all of them heroes ready to give up their lives, guarded the grandsire with a great mass of chariots.

Verse 15 (6.18.15)

अनीकं दशसाहस्रं कुञ्जराणां तरस्विनाम् । मागधो यत्र नृपतिस्तद्रथानीकमन्वयात् ॥

anīkaṃ daśasāhasraṃ kuñjarāṇāṃ tarasvinām | māgadho yatra nṛpatistadrathānīkamanvayāt

A division of ten thousand swift elephants, in which rode the king of Magadha, followed that chariot division.

Verse 16 (6.18.16)

रथानां चक्ररक्षाश्च पादरक्षाश्च दन्तिनाम् । अभवन्वाहिनीमध्ये शतानामयुतानि षट् ॥

rathānāṃ cakrarakṣāśca pādarakṣāśca dantinām | abhavanvāhinīmadhye śatānāmayutāni ṣaṭ

The guards of the chariot wheels and the guards of the elephants' feet in the midst of the host numbered six ten-thousands of hundreds.

Verse 17 (6.18.17)

पादाताश्चाग्रतोऽगच्छन्धनुश्चर्मासिपाणयः । अनेकशतसाहस्रा नखरप्रासयोधिनः ॥

pādātāścāgrato'gacchandhanuścarmāsipāṇayaḥ | anekaśatasāhasrā nakharaprāsayodhinaḥ

Foot-soldiers went in front, bows, shields and swords in hand, many hundreds of thousands, fighting with claw-knives and darts.

Note on the text: Corrected पादाताश्चाग्रतो गच्छन् → पादाताश्चाग्रतोऽगच्छन् (misprint in Wikisource; the avagraha of the verb अगच्छन् "went" was lost, leaving a participle with no verb; the critical edition reads agrato 'gacchan).

Verse 18 (6.18.18)

अक्षौहिण्यो दशैका च तव पुत्रस्य भारत । अदृश्यन्त महाराज गङ्गेव यमुनान्तरा ॥

akṣauhiṇyo daśaikā ca tava putrasya bhārata | adṛśyanta mahārāja gaṅgeva yamunāntarā

The eleven akshauhinis of your son, O Bharata, O great king, looked like the Ganga with the Yamuna flowing in its midst.

Note on the text: Corrected अदृश्यत → अदृश्यन्त (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped akshara leaves a singular verb with the plural subject अक्षौहिण्यः, the critical edition reads adṛśyanta).