The Afternoon Melee of the Sixth Day

Verse 1 (6.78.1)

ततो दुर्योधनो राजा मोहात्प्रत्यागतस्मृतिः । शरवर्षैः पुनर्भीमं प्रत्यवारयदच्युतम् ॥

tato duryodhano rājā mohātpratyāgatasmṛtiḥ | śaravarṣaiḥ punarbhīmaṃ pratyavārayadacyutam

Then King Duryodhana, his senses restored after the stupor, again held back the unyielding Bhima with showers of arrows.

Note on the text: Adhyaya note: checked against the raw Wikisource page (a table, one row per verse, 6-78-1 to 6-78-36, under one सञ्जय उवाच heading, ending with its colophon naming this the 78th adhyaya, on the sixth day of battle). Page and input agree on all 36 verses; together they correspond to the critical edition 6.74.1–36. This verse: corrected महोत्प्रत्यागतस्मृतिः → मोहात्प्रत्यागतस्मृतिः (misprint in Wikisource; महोत् is not a word, critical edition mohāt pratyāgataḥ).

Verse 2 (6.78.2)

एकीभूतास्ततश्चैव तव पुत्रा महारथाः । समेत्य समरे भीमं योधयामासुरुद्यताः ॥

ekībhūtāstataścaiva tava putrā mahārathāḥ | sametya samare bhīmaṃ yodhayāmāsurudyatāḥ

Then your sons, the great chariot-warriors, joined together once more and, meeting Bhima in battle, fought him with resolve.

Verse 3 (6.78.3)

भीमसेनोऽपि समरे संप्राप्य स्वरथं पुनः । समारुह्य महाबाहुर्ययौ येन तवात्मजः ॥

bhīmaseno'pi samare saṃprāpya svarathaṃ punaḥ | samāruhya mahābāhuryayau yena tavātmajaḥ

Bhimasena too reached his own chariot again in the battle, mounted it, and the mighty-armed one went to where your son was.

Verse 4 (6.78.4)

प्रगृह्य च महावेगं परासुकरणं दृढम् । सज्यं शरासनं सङ्ख्ये शरैर्विव्याध ते सुतम् ॥

pragṛhya ca mahāvegaṃ parāsukaraṇaṃ dṛḍham | sajyaṃ śarāsanaṃ saṅkhye śarairvivyādha te sutam

Taking up his strung bow, firm, of great force and death-dealing, he pierced your son with arrows in the fight.

Verse 5 (6.78.5)

ततो दुर्योधनो राजा भीमसेनं महाबलम् । नाराचेन सुतीक्ष्णेन भृशं मर्मण्यताडयत् ॥

tato duryodhano rājā bhīmasenaṃ mahābalam | nārācena sutīkṣṇena bhṛśaṃ marmaṇyatāḍayat

Then King Duryodhana struck the mighty Bhimasena hard in a vital spot with a very sharp iron arrow.

Verse 6 (6.78.6)

सोऽतिविद्धो महेष्वासस्तव पुत्रेण धन्विना । क्रोधसंरक्तनयनो वेगेनाक्षिप्य कार्मुकम् ॥

so'tividdho maheṣvāsastava putreṇa dhanvinā | krodhasaṃraktanayano vegenākṣipya kārmukam

Badly wounded by your son the bowman, the great archer, his eyes red with fury, swiftly drew his bow

Verse 7 (6.78.7)

दुर्योधनं त्रिभिर्बाणैर्बाह्वोरुरसि चार्पयत् । स तत्र शुशुभे राजा शिखरैर्गिरिराडिव ॥

duryodhanaṃ tribhirbāṇairbāhvorurasi cārpayat | sa tatra śuśubhe rājā śikharairgirirāḍiva

and struck Duryodhana with three arrows in the arms and the chest. The king, so marked, shone there like the king of mountains with its peaks.

Verse 8 (6.78.8)

तौ दृष्ट्वा समरे क्रुद्धौ विनिघ्नन्तौ परस्परम् । दुर्योधनानुजाः सर्वे शूराः संत्यक्तजीविताः ॥

tau dṛṣṭvā samare kruddhau vinighnantau parasparam | duryodhanānujāḥ sarve śūrāḥ saṃtyaktajīvitāḥ

Seeing the two of them in fury, striking each other in battle, all Duryodhana's younger brothers, brave men who had given up all care for their lives,

Note on the text: Corrected दष्ट्वा → दृष्ट्वा (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped ृ, critical edition dṛṣṭvā).

Verse 9 (6.78.9)

संस्मृत्य मन्त्रितं पूर्वं निग्रहे भीमकर्मणः । निश्चयं परमं कृत्वा निग्रहीतुं प्रचक्रमुः ॥

saṃsmṛtya mantritaṃ pūrvaṃ nigrahe bhīmakarmaṇaḥ | niścayaṃ paramaṃ kṛtvā nigrahītuṃ pracakramuḥ

remembered their earlier plan to capture Bhima of terrible deeds, made a firm resolve and set about seizing him.

Verse 10 (6.78.10)

तानापतत एवाजौ भीमसेनो महाबलः । प्रत्युद्ययौ महाराज गजः प्रतिगजानिव ॥

tānāpatata evājau bhīmaseno mahābalaḥ | pratyudyayau mahārāja gajaḥ pratigajāniva

As they bore down on him in the fight, the mighty Bhimasena went out to meet them, great king, like an elephant going to meet rival elephants.

Verse 11 (6.78.11)

भृशं क्रुद्धश्च तेजस्वी नाराचेन समार्पयत् । चित्रसेनं महाराज तव पुत्रं महायशाः ॥

bhṛśaṃ kruddhaśca tejasvī nārācena samārpayat | citrasenaṃ mahārāja tava putraṃ mahāyaśāḥ

In a towering rage the splendid and famous warrior struck your son Chitrasena with an iron arrow, great king,

Verse 12 (6.78.12)

तथेतरांस्तव सुतांस्ताडयामास भारत । शरैर्बहुविधैः सङ्ख्ये रुक्मपुङ्खैः सुतेजनैः ॥

tathetarāṃstava sutāṃstāḍayāmāsa bhārata | śarairbahuvidhaiḥ saṅkhye rukmapuṅkhaiḥ sutejanaiḥ

and in the same way, O Bharata, he struck your other sons in the fight with arrows of many kinds, gold-feathered and keenly whetted.

Verse 13 (6.78.13)

ततः संप्रेक्ष्य पुत्रैस्ते भीमसेनं समावृतम् । अभिमन्युप्रभृतयस्ते द्वादश महारथाः ॥

tataḥ saṃprekṣya putraiste bhīmasenaṃ samāvṛtam | abhimanyuprabhṛtayaste dvādaśa mahārathāḥ

Then, seeing Bhimasena hemmed in by your sons, the twelve great chariot-warriors led by Abhimanyu,

Note on the text: Line 1 differs from the critical edition's 6.74.13ab (tataḥ saṃsthāpya samare svāny anīkāni sarvaśaḥ), which records no such line; kept as the page's reading. Line 2 is 6.74.13cd. Corrected द्वदश → द्वादश (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped ā, critical edition dvādaśa).

Verse 14 (6.78.14)

प्रेषिता धर्मराजेन भीमसेनपदानुगाः । प्रतिजग्मुर्महाराज तव पुत्रान्महाबलान् ॥

preṣitā dharmarājena bhīmasenapadānugāḥ | pratijagmurmahārāja tava putrānmahābalān

sent by the King of Dharma to follow in Bhimasena's track, went against your mighty sons, great king.

Verse 15 (6.78.15)

दृष्ट्वा रथस्थांस्ताञ्शूरान्सूर्याग्निसमतेजसः । सर्वानेव महेष्वासान्भ्राजमानाञ्श्रिया वृतान् ॥

dṛṣṭvā rathasthāṃstāñśūrānsūryāgnisamatejasaḥ | sarvāneva maheṣvāsānbhrājamānāñśriyā vṛtān

Seeing those heroes on their chariots, bright as the sun and fire, all of them great archers, shining with glory,

Verse 16 (6.78.16)

महाहवे दीप्यमानान्सुवर्णमकुटोज्ज्वलान् । तत्यजुः समरे भीमं तव पुत्रा महाबलाः ॥

mahāhave dīpyamānānsuvarṇamakuṭojjvalān | tatyajuḥ samare bhīmaṃ tava putrā mahābalāḥ

blazing in the great battle and radiant with their golden diadems, your mighty sons abandoned Bhima in the battle.

Note on the text: Corrected दीष्यमानान् → दीप्यमानान् (misprint in Wikisource; ष for प, critical edition dīpyamānān) and सुवर्णमकुटोञ्ज्वलान् → सुवर्णमकुटोज्ज्वलान् (misprint; ञ्ज for ज्ज in -उज्ज्वल). मकुट (CE kavaca) kept as a variant.

Verse 17 (6.78.17)

तान्नामृष्यत कौन्तेयो जीवमाना गता इति । अन्वीय च पुनः सर्वांस्तव पुत्रानपीडयत् ॥

tānnāmṛṣyata kaunteyo jīvamānā gatā iti | anvīya ca punaḥ sarvāṃstava putrānapīḍayat

The son of Kunti would not bear that they should get away alive; he went after them all again and harried your sons.

Verse 18 (6.78.18)

अथाभिमन्युः समरे भीमसेनेन संगतः । पार्षतेन च ते सर्वे कैकया द्रौपदीसुताः ॥

athābhimanyuḥ samare bhīmasenena saṃgataḥ | pārṣatena ca te sarve kaikayā draupadīsutāḥ

Then Abhimanyu joined Bhimasena in the battle, and Parshata too, and with them all the Kaikayas and the sons of Draupadi.

Note on the text: Corresponds to the critical edition's 6.74.18 with its star passage 6.74.18c*0311 (line 1, kekayā draupadīsutāḥ): the page reads the first line in the nominative (अथाभिमन्युः … संगतः for athābhimanyuṃ … saṃgatam) and ends the second with ते सर्वे कैकया द्रौपदीसुताः; kept as printed.

Verse 19 (6.78.19)

तान्दृष्ट्वा समरे क्रुद्धांस्तव सैन्ये महारथाः । दुर्योधनप्रभृतयः प्रगृहीतशरासनाः । भृशमश्वैः प्रजवितैः प्रययुर्यत्र ते रथाः ॥

tāndṛṣṭvā samare kruddhāṃstava sainye mahārathāḥ | duryodhanaprabhṛtayaḥ pragṛhītaśarāsanāḥ | bhṛśamaśvaiḥ prajavitaiḥ prayayuryatra te rathāḥ

Seeing them enraged in the battle, the great chariot-warriors of your army, led by Duryodhana, took up their bows and, with horses driven at full speed, went to where those chariots were.

Note on the text: Line 1 joins the critical edition's star passage 6.74.18c*0311 (line 2, tān dṛṣṭvā samare kruddhās) to the end of 6.74.18cd (tava sainye mahārathāḥ); lines 2–3 are 6.74.19. Corrected तादृष्ट्वा → तान्दृष्ट्वा (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped न्, apparatus tān dṛṣṭvā) and भृशमर्श्वैः → भृशमश्वैः (misprint; a stray र्, critical edition bhṛśam aśvaiḥ).

Verse 20 (6.78.20)

अपराह्णे महाराज प्रावर्तत महारणः । तावकानां च बलिनां परेषां चैव भारत ॥

aparāhṇe mahārāja prāvartata mahāraṇaḥ | tāvakānāṃ ca balināṃ pareṣāṃ caiva bhārata

In the afternoon, great king, a great battle broke out between your mighty men and the enemy, O Bharata.

Verse 21 (6.78.21)

अभिमन्युर्विकर्णस्य हयान्हत्वा महाहवे । अथैनं पञ्चविंशत्या क्षुद्रकाणां समार्पयत् ॥

abhimanyurvikarṇasya hayānhatvā mahāhave | athainaṃ pañcaviṃśatyā kṣudrakāṇāṃ samārpayat

In that great fight Abhimanyu killed Vikarna's horses and then struck him with twenty-five small arrows.

Verse 22 (6.78.22)

हताश्वं रथमुत्सृज्य विकर्णस्तु महारथः । आरुरोह रथं राजंश्चित्रसेनस्य भारत । योधयामास समरे तदद्भुतमिवाभवत् ॥

hatāśvaṃ rathamutsṛjya vikarṇastu mahārathaḥ | āruroha rathaṃ rājaṃścitrasenasya bhārata | yodhayāmāsa samare tadadbhutamivābhavat

Leaving his chariot, whose horses lay dead, the great chariot-warrior Vikarna climbed onto Chitrasena's chariot, O king, O Bharata, and fought on in the battle; it was a marvel to see.

Note on the text: Lines 1–2 are the critical edition's 6.74.22 (भारत for bhāsvaram); line 3 is not in the critical edition, which records nothing like it here (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 23 (6.78.23)

स्थितावेकरथे तौ तु भ्रातरौ कुलवर्धनौ । आर्जुनिः शरजालेन च्छादयामास भारत ॥

sthitāvekarathe tau tu bhrātarau kulavardhanau | ārjuniḥ śarajālena cchādayāmāsa bhārata

As the two brothers, upholders of their line, stood on one chariot, Arjuna's son covered them with a net of arrows, O Bharata.

Note on the text: Corrected आर्जिनिः → आर्जुनिः (misprint in Wikisource; i for u, critical edition ārjuniḥ).

Verse 24 (6.78.24)

चित्रसेनो विकर्णश्च कार्ष्णिं पञ्चभिरायसैः । विव्यधाते न चाकम्पत्कार्ष्णिर्मेरुरिव स्थितः ॥

citraseno vikarṇaśca kārṣṇiṃ pañcabhirāyasaiḥ | vivyadhāte na cākampatkārṣṇirmeruriva sthitaḥ

Chitrasena and Vikarna pierced Karshni (Abhimanyu) with five iron arrows, but Karshni did not tremble; he stood firm like Mount Meru.

Verse 25 (6.78.25)

दुःशासनस्तु समरे केकयान्पञ्च मारिष । योधयामास राजेन्द्र तदद्भुतमिवाभवत् ॥

duḥśāsanastu samare kekayānpañca māriṣa | yodhayāmāsa rājendra tadadbhutamivābhavat

Duhshasana, sir, fought the five Kekaya brothers in the battle, O lord of kings; it was a marvel to see.

Note on the text: Corrected मारिप → मारिष (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष, critical edition māriṣa).

Verse 26 (6.78.26)

द्रौपदेया रणे क्रुद्धा दुर्योधनमवारयन् । शरैराशीविषाकारैः पुत्रं तव विशांपते ॥

draupadeyā raṇe kruddhā duryodhanamavārayan | śarairāśīviṣākāraiḥ putraṃ tava viśāṃpate

The sons of Draupadi, enraged in the battle, held Duryodhana back, O lord of the people, with arrows like venomous serpents.

Verse 27 (6.78.27)

पुत्रोऽपि तव दुर्धर्षो द्रौपद्यास्तनयान्रणे । सायकैर्निशितै राजन्नाजघान पृथक्पृथक् ॥

putro'pi tava durdharṣo draupadyāstanayānraṇe | sāyakairniśitai rājannājaghāna pṛthakpṛthak

Your irresistible son in turn struck each of Draupadi's sons separately with sharp arrows, O king.

Verse 28 (6.78.28)

तैश्चापि विद्धः शुशुभे रुधिरेण समुक्षितः । गिरिः प्रस्रवणैर्यद्वद्गैरिकादिविमिश्रितैः ॥

taiścāpi viddhaḥ śuśubhe rudhireṇa samukṣitaḥ | giriḥ prasravaṇairyadvadgairikādivimiśritaiḥ

Pierced by them as well and drenched in blood, he shone like a mountain with its streams mixed with red ochre and other minerals.

Note on the text: Corrected रुधिरेम → रुधिरेण (misprint in Wikisource; म for ण, critical edition rudhireṇa).

Verse 29 (6.78.29)

भीष्मोऽपि समरे राजन्पाण्डवानामनीकिनीम् । कालयामास बलवान्पालः पशुगणानिव ॥

bhīṣmo'pi samare rājanpāṇḍavānāmanīkinīm | kālayāmāsa balavānpālaḥ paśugaṇāniva

Bhishma too, O king, the mighty one, drove the Pandava host before him in the battle, as a herdsman drives his flocks.

Verse 30 (6.78.30)

ततो गाण्डीवनिर्घोषः प्रादुरासीद्विशांपते । दक्षिणेन वरूथिन्याः पार्थस्यारीन्विनिघ्नतः ॥

tato gāṇḍīvanirghoṣaḥ prādurāsīdviśāṃpate | dakṣiṇena varūthinyāḥ pārthasyārīnvinighnataḥ

Then, O lord of the people, the roar of the Gandiva rang out on the right flank of the army as Partha slew his foes.

Note on the text: Corrected पार्थस्यरीन् → पार्थस्यारीन् (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped ā, critical edition pārthasyārīn).

Verse 31 (6.78.31)

उत्तस्थुः समरे तत्र कबन्धानि समन्ततः । कुरूणां चैव सैन्येषु पाण्डवानां च भारत ॥

uttasthuḥ samare tatra kabandhāni samantataḥ | kurūṇāṃ caiva sainyeṣu pāṇḍavānāṃ ca bhārata

There in the battle headless trunks rose up on every side, among the forces of the Kurus and of the Pandavas alike, O Bharata.

Verse 32 (6.78.32)

शोणितोदं शरावर्तं गजद्वीपं हयोर्मिणम् । रथनौभिर्नरव्याघ्राः प्रतेरुः सैन्यसागरम् ॥

śoṇitodaṃ śarāvartaṃ gajadvīpaṃ hayormiṇam | rathanaubhirnaravyāghrāḥ prateruḥ sainyasāgaram

Tigers among men crossed in boats that were their chariots the ocean of armies, whose water was blood, whose whirlpools were arrows, whose islands were elephants and whose waves were horses.

Verse 33 (6.78.33)

छिन्नहस्ता विकवचा विदेहाश्च नरोत्तमाः । दृश्यन्ते पतितास्तत्र शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः ॥

chinnahastā vikavacā videhāśca narottamāḥ | dṛśyante patitāstatra śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ

Excellent warriors could be seen fallen there in hundreds and thousands, their hands cut off, their armour stripped, their bodies hacked apart.

Verse 34 (6.78.34)

निहतैर्मत्तमातङ्गैः शोणितौघपरिप्लुतैः । भूर्भाति भरतश्रेष्ठ पर्वतैराचिता यथा ॥

nihatairmattamātaṅgaiḥ śoṇitaughapariplutaiḥ | bhūrbhāti bharataśreṣṭha parvatairācitā yathā

With the slain rutting elephants drenched in streams of blood, the earth looked, O best of the Bharatas, as if strewn with hills.

Verse 35 (6.78.35)

तत्राद्भुतमपश्याम तव तेषां च भारत । न तत्रासीत्पुमान्कश्चिद्यो युद्धं नाभिकाङ्क्षति ॥

tatrādbhutamapaśyāma tava teṣāṃ ca bhārata | na tatrāsītpumānkaścidyo yuddhaṃ nābhikāṅkṣati

There we saw a marvel, O Bharata, on your side and on theirs: there was not a man there who did not long to fight.

Verse 36 (6.78.36)

एवं युयुधिरे वीराः प्रार्थयाना महद्यशः । तावकाः पाण्डवैः सार्धमाकाङ्क्षन्तो जयं युधि ॥

evaṃ yuyudhire vīrāḥ prārthayānā mahadyaśaḥ | tāvakāḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ sārdhamākāṅkṣanto jayaṃ yudhi

So the heroes fought, seeking great glory, your men against the Pandavas, each side eager for victory in battle.