The Pandava Army Takes the Field

Verse 1 (6.22.1)

ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा स्वां सेनां समचोदयत् । प्रतिव्यूहन्ननीकानि भीष्मस्य भरतर्षभ ॥

tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā svāṃ senāṃ samacodayat | prativyūhannanīkāni bhīṣmasya bharatarṣabha

Then King Yudhishthira set his own army in motion, O bull of the Bharatas, drawing up its divisions to counter Bhishma's array.

Verse 2 (6.22.2)

यथोद्दिष्टान्यनीकानि प्रत्यव्यूहन्त पाण्डवाः । स्वर्गं परममिच्छन्तः सुयुद्धेन कुरूद्वहाः ॥

yathoddiṣṭānyanīkāni pratyavyūhanta pāṇḍavāḥ | svargaṃ paramamicchantaḥ suyuddhena kurūdvahāḥ

The Pandavas, those scions of the Kurus, drew up their divisions as had been assigned, longing for the highest heaven through righteous battle.

Note on the text: Corrected पाण्डवाःक → पाण्डवाः (misprint in Wikisource; a stray क after the visarga; the critical edition reads pāṇḍavāḥ). परममिच्छन्तः for the critical edition's param abhīpsantaḥ kept as a variant.

Verse 3 (6.22.3)

मध्ये शिखण्डिनोऽनीकं रक्षितं सव्यसाचिना । धृष्टद्युम्नश्चरन्नग्रे भीमसेनेन पालितः ॥

madhye śikhaṇḍino'nīkaṃ rakṣitaṃ savyasācinā | dhṛṣṭadyumnaścarannagre bhīmasenena pālitaḥ

In the centre was Shikhandin's division, guarded by Savyasachin (Arjuna); Dhrishtadyumna moved in the van, protected by Bhimasena.

Note on the text: Line 2 differs from the critical edition (6.22.3cd dhṛṣṭadyumnasya ca svayaṃ bhīmena paripālitam, "and Dhrishtadyumna's own division, guarded by Bhima"); kept as a recension variant.

Verse 4 (6.22.4)

अनीकं दक्षिणं राजन्युयुधानेन पालितम् । श्रीमता सात्वताग्र्येण शक्रेणेव धनुष्मता ॥

anīkaṃ dakṣiṇaṃ rājanyuyudhānena pālitam | śrīmatā sātvatāgryeṇa śakreṇeva dhanuṣmatā

The right wing, O king, was guarded by Yuyudhana, the glorious foremost of the Satvatas, a bowman like Shakra himself.

Verse 5 (6.22.5)

महेन्द्रयानप्रतिमं रथं तु । सोपस्करं हाटकरत्नचित्रम् । युधिष्ठिरः काञ्चनभाण्डयोक्त्रं । समास्थितो नागबलस्य मध्ये ॥

mahendrayānapratimaṃ rathaṃ tu | sopaskaraṃ hāṭakaratnacitram | yudhiṣṭhiraḥ kāñcanabhāṇḍayoktraṃ | samāsthito nāgabalasya madhye

Yudhishthira, mounted on a chariot like the car of great Indra, fully equipped, bright with gold and jewels, its fittings and yoke-straps of gold, stood in the midst of the elephant force.

Note on the text: Corrected काञ्चनभाण्डयोक्रं → काञ्चनभाण्डयोक्त्रं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped त्, योक्त्र is the yoke-strap; the critical edition reads kāñcanabhāṇḍayoktraṃ). नागबलस्य for the critical edition's nāgakulasya kept as a variant.

Verse 6 (6.22.6)

समुच्छ्रितं दन्तशलाकमस्य । सुपाण्डुरं छत्रमतीव भाति । प्रदक्षिणं चैनमुपाचरन्त । महर्षयः संस्तुतिभिर्महेन्द्रम् ॥

samucchritaṃ dantaśalākamasya | supāṇḍuraṃ chatramatīva bhāti | pradakṣiṇaṃ cainamupācaranta | maharṣayaḥ saṃstutibhirmahendram

His tall, pure-white parasol with ribs of ivory shone exceedingly, and great seers walked around him keeping him on their right, praising him with hymns as they praise great Indra.

Note on the text: दन्तशलाकम्, उपाचरन्त and महेन्द्रम् for the critical edition's dāntaśalākam, upācaranti and narendram kept as variants.

Verse 7 (6.22.7)

पुरोहिताः शत्रुवधं वदन्तो । ब्रह्मर्षिसिद्धाः श्रुतवन्त एनम् । जप्यैश्च मन्त्रैश्च महौषधीभिः । समन्ततः स्वस्त्ययनं ब्रुवन्तः ॥

purohitāḥ śatruvadhaṃ vadanto | brahmarṣisiddhāḥ śrutavanta enam | japyaiśca mantraiśca mahauṣadhībhiḥ | samantataḥ svastyayanaṃ bruvantaḥ

Priests, and Brahmin seers and Siddhas learned in the Veda, foretold the slaughter of his enemies and pronounced blessings for him on every side with prayers, mantras and potent herbs.

Note on the text: Lines 2 and 4 differ from the critical edition (6.22.7b maharṣivṛddhāḥ śrutavanta eva, 7d samantataḥ svasty ayanaṃ pracakruḥ); kept as recension variants.

Verse 8 (6.22.8)

ततः स वस्त्राणि तथैव गाश्च । फलानि पुष्पाणि तथैव निष्कान् । कुरूत्तमो ब्राह्मणसान्महात्मा । कुर्वन्ययौ शक्र इवामरेशः ॥

tataḥ sa vastrāṇi tathaiva gāśca | phalāni puṣpāṇi tathaiva niṣkān | kurūttamo brāhmaṇasānmahātmā | kurvanyayau śakra ivāmareśaḥ

Then that great-souled best of the Kurus, giving garments, cows, fruits, flowers and gold coins to the Brahmins, went forth like Shakra, lord of the immortals.

Note on the text: इवामरेशः for the critical edition's ivāmarebhyaḥ kept as a variant.

Verse 9 (6.22.9)

सहस्रसूर्यः शतकिङ्किणीकः । परार्ध्यजाम्बूनदहेमचित्रः । रथोऽर्जुनस्याग्निरिवार्चिमाली । विभ्राजते श्वेतहयः सुचक्रः ॥

sahasrasūryaḥ śatakiṅkiṇīkaḥ | parārdhyajāmbūnadahemacitraḥ | ratho'rjunasyāgnirivārcimālī | vibhrājate śvetahayaḥ sucakraḥ

Arjuna's chariot, set with a thousand sun-bright mirrors and a hundred little bells, adorned with the finest Jambunada gold, with white horses and fine wheels, shone like a fire wreathed in flames.

Verse 10 (6.22.10)

तमास्थितः केशवसंगृहीतं । कपिध्वजो गाण्डिवबाणपाणिः । धनुर्धरो यस्य समः पृथिव्यां । न विद्यते नो भविता कदाचित् ॥

tamāsthitaḥ keśavasaṃgṛhītaṃ | kapidhvajo gāṇḍivabāṇapāṇiḥ | dhanurdharo yasya samaḥ pṛthivyāṃ | na vidyate no bhavitā kadācit

On it, with Keshava holding the reins, stood the ape-bannered one with Gandiva and arrows in hand, a bowman whose equal does not exist on earth, nor ever will.

Note on the text: कपिध्वजो गाण्डिवबाणपाणिः and नो भविता कदाचित् for the critical edition's kapidhvajaṃ gāṇḍivabāṇahastaḥ and no bhavitā vā kadā cit kept as variants.

Verse 11 (6.22.11)

उद्वर्तयिष्यंस्तव पुत्रसेना- । मतीव रौद्रं स बिभर्ति रूपम् । अनायुधो यः सुभुजो भुजाभ्यां । नराश्वनागान्युधि भस्म कुर्यात् ॥

udvartayiṣyaṃstava putrasenā- | matīva raudraṃ sa bibharti rūpam | anāyudho yaḥ subhujo bhujābhyāṃ | narāśvanāgānyudhi bhasma kuryāt

Bent on overturning your son's army, he bears an exceedingly fierce form — the strong-armed one who even without weapons could reduce men, horses and elephants to ashes in battle with his two arms:

Note on the text: Corrected उद्धर्तयिष्यंस् → उद्वर्तयिष्यंस् (misprint in Wikisource; द्ध for द्व, उद्धर्तयिष्यन् is no form; उद्वर्तयिष्यन् "about to overturn", as the critical edition reads udvartayiṣyaṃs).

Verse 12 (6.22.12)

स भीमसेनः सहितो यमाभ्यां । वृकोदरो वीररथस्य गोप्ता । तं तत्र सिंहर्षभमत्तखेलं । लोके महेन्द्रप्रतिमानकल्पम् ॥

sa bhīmasenaḥ sahito yamābhyāṃ | vṛkodaro vīrarathasya goptā | taṃ tatra siṃharṣabhamattakhelaṃ | loke mahendrapratimānakalpam

that Bhimasena, Vrikodara, with the twins beside him, the guardian of the heroic chariot — him there, moving with the swagger of a lion or a rutting bull, the very likeness of great Indra in the world,

Note on the text: Line 3 differs from the critical edition (6.22.12c taṃ prekṣya mattarṣabhasiṃhakhelaṃ); kept as a recension variant. The sentence runs on into the next verse.

Verse 13 (6.22.13)

समीक्ष्य सेनाग्रगतं दुरासदं । संविव्यथुः पङ्कगता यथा द्विपाः । वृकोदरं वारणराजदर्पं । योधास्त्वदीया भयविग्नसत्त्वाः ॥

samīkṣya senāgragataṃ durāsadaṃ | saṃvivyathuḥ paṅkagatā yathā dvipāḥ | vṛkodaraṃ vāraṇarājadarpaṃ | yodhāstvadīyā bhayavignasattvāḥ

seeing Vrikodara at the head of the army, unassailable, with the pride of a lordly elephant, your warriors, their spirits shaken by fear, trembled like elephants sunk in mud.

Note on the text: Corrected वारणाजदर्पं → वारणराजदर्पं (misprint in Wikisource; dropped र, the line is a syllable short; the critical edition reads vāraṇarājadarpaṃ). संविव्यथुः पङ्कगता यथा द्विपाः for the critical edition's pravivyathuḥ paṅkagatā ivoṣṭrāḥ kept as a variant.

Verse 14 (6.22.14)

अनीकमध्ये तिष्ठन्तं राजपुत्रं दुरासदम् । अब्रवीद्भरतश्रेष्ठं गुडाकेशं जनार्दनः ॥

anīkamadhye tiṣṭhantaṃ rājaputraṃ durāsadam | abravīdbharataśreṣṭhaṃ guḍākeśaṃ janārdanaḥ

To the unassailable prince Gudakesha, the best of the Bharatas, standing in the midst of the army, Janardana said:

Verse 15 (6.22.15)

य एष रोषात्प्रतपन्बलस्थो । यो नः सेनां सिंह इवेक्षते च । स एष भीष्मः कुरुवंशकेतु- । र्येनाहृतास्त्रिशतं वाजिमेधाः ॥

ya eṣa roṣātpratapanbalastho | yo naḥ senāṃ siṃha ivekṣate ca | sa eṣa bhīṣmaḥ kuruvaṃśaketu- | ryenāhṛtāstriśataṃ vājimedhāḥ

"He who stands in the midst of his forces blazing with wrath, who eyes our army like a lion — that is Bhishma, the banner of the Kuru line, who has performed three hundred horse sacrifices.

Note on the text: रोषात् and त्रिशतं for the critical edition's goptā and triṃśato ("thirty") kept as variants.

Verse 16 (6.22.16)

एतान्यनीकानि महानुभावं । गूहन्ति मेघा इव रश्मिमन्तम् । एतानि हत्वा पुरुषप्रवीर । काङ्क्षस्व युद्धं भरतर्षभेण ॥

etānyanīkāni mahānubhāvaṃ | gūhanti meghā iva raśmimantam | etāni hatvā puruṣapravīra | kāṅkṣasva yuddhaṃ bharatarṣabheṇa

These divisions hide that mighty one as clouds hide the radiant sun. Slay them, O foremost of heroes, and then seek battle with the bull of the Bharatas."

Note on the text: Matches the critical edition's 6.22.16 (रश्मिमन्तम् for its gharmaraśmim kept as a variant); the automatic alignment missed it because the critical edition prints Appendix I No. 1 directly after this verse.