Bhima Kills Five of Duryodhana's Brothers

Verse 1 (7.135.1)

दैवमेव परं मन्ये धिक्पौरुषमनर्थकम् । यत्राधिरथिरायत्तो नातरत्पाण्डवं रणे ॥

daivameva paraṃ manye dhikpauruṣamanarthakam | yatrādhirathirāyatto nātaratpāṇḍavaṃ raṇe

I think fate alone is supreme, and human effort is worthless, shame upon it, since even Adhiratha's son, straining with all his might, could not get across the Pandava in battle.

Note on the text: Corrected यत्राधिरथिरायत्तौ → यत्राधिरथिरायत्तो (misprint in Wikisource; a dual ending on a single subject; the CE has āyasto, the sense is 'Adhiratha's son, exerting himself').

Verse 2 (7.135.2)

कर्णः पार्थान्सगोविन्दाञ्जेतुमुत्सहते रणे । न च कर्णसमं लोके पश्यामि कञ्चन । इति दुर्योधनस्याहमश्रौषं जल्पतो मुहुः ॥

karṇaḥ pārthānsagovindāñjetumutsahate raṇe | na ca karṇasamaṃ loke paśyāmi kañcana | iti duryodhanasyāhamaśrauṣaṃ jalpato muhuḥ

"Karna is able to defeat the Parthas together with Govinda in battle, and I see no one in the world equal to Karna." Over and over I heard Duryodhana say this as he boasted.

Note on the text: Line 2 reads न च कर्णसमं लोके where CE 7.110.2c has na ca karṇasamaṃ yodhaṃ loke, a variant, kept.

Verse 3 (7.135.3)

कर्णो हि बलवाञ्छूरो दृढधन्वा जितक्लमः । इति मामब्रवीत्सूत मन्दो दुर्योधनः पुरा ॥

karṇo hi balavāñchūro dṛḍhadhanvā jitaklamaḥ | iti māmabravītsūta mando duryodhanaḥ purā

"Karna is strong, brave, a firm archer, and never wearies in battle" — so foolish Duryodhana told me long ago, Suta.

Verse 4 (7.135.4)

वसुषेणसहायं मां नालं देवाऽपि संयुगे । किं नु पाण्डुसुता राजन्गतसत्वा विचेतसः ॥

vasuṣeṇasahāyaṃ māṃ nālaṃ devā'pi saṃyuge | kiṃ nu pāṇḍusutā rājangatasatvā vicetasaḥ

"With Vasushena beside me, not even the gods could stand against me in battle; what then of the sons of Pandu, O king, who have lost their courage and their wits?"

Note on the text: Line 1 reads देवाऽपि (देवा + अपि with an avagraha mark) as in the base text; CE 7.110.4a has devāpi. Kept.

Verse 5 (7.135.5)

तत्र तं निर्जितं दृष्ट्वा भुजङ्गमिव निर्विषम् । युद्धात्कर्णमपक्रान्तं किंस्विद्दुर्योधनोऽब्रवीत् ॥

tatra taṃ nirjitaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhujaṅgamiva nirviṣam | yuddhātkarṇamapakrāntaṃ kiṃsvidduryodhano'bravīt

When he saw Karna there, beaten and drawn back from the fight like a snake with its venom gone, what did Duryodhana say?

Verse 6 (7.135.6)

अहो दुर्मुखमेवैकं युद्धानामविशारदम् । प्रावेशयद्धुतवहं पतङ्गमिव मोहितः ॥

aho durmukhamevaikaṃ yuddhānāmaviśāradam | prāveśayaddhutavahaṃ pataṅgamiva mohitaḥ

Alas! Deluded, he made Durmukha alone, who was unskilled in battle, enter the fire, like a moth.

Note on the text: CE has two star passages after this verse (7.110.6d*0859_01 and *0860_01) that are not in Wikisource.

Verse 7 (7.135.7)

अश्वत्थामा मद्रराजः कृपः कर्णश्च सङ्गताः । न शक्ताः प्रमुखे स्थातुं नूनं भीमस्य सञ्जय ॥

aśvatthāmā madrarājaḥ kṛpaḥ karṇaśca saṅgatāḥ | na śaktāḥ pramukhe sthātuṃ nūnaṃ bhīmasya sañjaya

Ashvatthama, the king of the Madras, Kripa and Karna, all together, surely could not stand before Bhima, Sanjaya.

Note on the text: Corrected शक्त्याः → शक्ताः (misprint in Wikisource; शक्त्याः is not a form that fits the sentence; CE 7.110.7c has śaktāḥ, agreeing with the four warriors).

Verse 8 (7.135.8)

तेऽपि चास्य महाघोरं बलं नागायुतोपमम् । जानन्तो व्यवसायं च क्रूरं मारुततेजसः ॥

te'pi cāsya mahāghoraṃ balaṃ nāgāyutopamam | jānanto vyavasāyaṃ ca krūraṃ mārutatejasaḥ

They too knew his most terrible strength, equal to that of ten thousand elephants, and his cruel resolve, and that he has the force of the Wind.

Verse 9 (7.135.9)

किमर्थं क्रूरकर्माणं यमकालान्तकोपमम् । बलसंरम्भवीर्यज्ञाः कोपयिष्यन्ति संयुगे ॥

kimarthaṃ krūrakarmāṇaṃ yamakālāntakopamam | balasaṃrambhavīryajñāḥ kopayiṣyanti saṃyuge

Why would they, who knew his strength, fury and valour, provoke in battle that doer of cruel deeds, who is like Yama, Kala and Antaka?

Verse 10 (7.135.10)

कर्णस्त्वेको महाबाहुः स्वबाहुबलदर्पितम् । भीमसेनमनादृत्य रणेऽयुध्यत सूतजः ॥

karṇastveko mahābāhuḥ svabāhubaladarpitam | bhīmasenamanādṛtya raṇe'yudhyata sūtajaḥ

Only Karna, the mighty-armed son of a charioteer, proud of the strength of his own arms, disregarded Bhimasena and fought him in battle.

Note on the text: Line 1 reads स्वबाहुबलदर्पितम् where CE 7.110.10a has svabāhubalam āśritaḥ, a variant, kept.

Verse 11 (7.135.11)

योऽजयत्समरे कर्णं पुरन्दर इवासुरम् । न स पाण्डुसुतो जेतुं शक्यः केनचिदाहवे ॥

yo'jayatsamare karṇaṃ purandara ivāsuram | na sa pāṇḍusuto jetuṃ śakyaḥ kenacidāhave

The man who defeated Karna in battle, as Indra defeated an Asura, that son of Pandu cannot be conquered in a fight by anyone.

Verse 12 (7.135.12)

द्रोणं यः सम्प्रमथ्यैकः प्रविष्टो मम वाहिनीम् । भीमो धनञ्जयान्वेषी कस्तमार्च्छेज्जिजीविषुः ॥

droṇaṃ yaḥ sampramathyaikaḥ praviṣṭo mama vāhinīm | bhīmo dhanañjayānveṣī kastamārcchejjijīviṣuḥ

Bhima, who all alone crushed Drona's lines and entered my army in search of Dhananjaya — who that wished to live would meet him?

Note on the text: Corrected जिजीविषु → जिजीविषुः (misprint in Wikisource; the visarga has dropped out; CE 7.110.12c has jijīviṣuḥ).

Verse 13 (7.135.13)

को हि सञ्जय भीमस्य स्थातुमुत्सहतेऽग्रतः । उद्यताशनिहस्तस्य महेन्द्रस्येव दानवः ॥

ko hi sañjaya bhīmasya sthātumutsahate'grataḥ | udyatāśanihastasya mahendrasyeva dānavaḥ

Who, Sanjaya, can bear to stand before Bhima, as a Danava before Mahendra with the thunderbolt raised in his hand?

Note on the text: Line 2 reads उद्यताशनिहस्तस्य where CE 7.110.13c has udyatāśanivajrasya, a variant, kept.

Verse 14 (7.135.14)

प्रेतराजपुरं प्राप्य निवर्तेतापि मानवः । न भीमसेनं सम्प्राप्य निवर्तेत कदाचन ॥

pretarājapuraṃ prāpya nivartetāpi mānavaḥ | na bhīmasenaṃ samprāpya nivarteta kadācana

A man might return even after reaching the city of the King of the Dead, but one who comes up against Bhimasena never returns.

Verse 15 (7.135.15)

पतङ्गा इव वह्निं ते प्राविशन्नल्पचेतसः । ये भीमसेनं सङ्क्रुद्धमन्वधावन्विमोहिताः ॥

pataṅgā iva vahniṃ te prāviśannalpacetasaḥ | ye bhīmasenaṃ saṅkruddhamanvadhāvanvimohitāḥ

Those dull-witted, deluded men who ran after the enraged Bhimasena flew into the fire like moths.

Verse 16 (7.135.16)

यत्तत्सभायां भीमेन मम पुत्रवधाश्रयम् । उक्तं संरम्भिणोग्रेण कुरूणां शृण्वतां तदा ॥

yattatsabhāyāṃ bhīmena mama putravadhāśrayam | uktaṃ saṃrambhiṇogreṇa kurūṇāṃ śṛṇvatāṃ tadā

What Bhima, fierce in his fury, said in the assembly-hall, in the hearing of the Kurus, about the slaying of my sons —

Note on the text: Line 2 reads उक्तं where CE 7.110.16c has śaptaṃ, a variant, kept.

Verse 17 (7.135.17)

तन्नूनमभिसञ्चिन्त्य दृष्ट्वा कर्णं च निर्जितम् । दुःशासनः सह भ्रात्रा भयाद्भीमादुपारमत् ॥

tannūnamabhisañcintya dṛṣṭvā karṇaṃ ca nirjitam | duḥśāsanaḥ saha bhrātrā bhayādbhīmādupāramat

surely it was in remembrance of that, and at the sight of Karna beaten, that Duhshasana and his brother held back from Bhima in fear.

Verse 18 (7.135.18)

यश्च सञ्जय दुर्बुद्धिरब्रवीत्समितौ मुहुः । कर्णो दुःशासनोऽहं च जेष्यामो युधि पाण्डवान् ॥

yaśca sañjaya durbuddhirabravītsamitau muhuḥ | karṇo duḥśāsano'haṃ ca jeṣyāmo yudhi pāṇḍavān

And that fool, Sanjaya, who said again and again in the assembly, "Karna, Duhshasana and I will conquer the Pandavas in battle" —

Verse 19 (7.135.19)

स नूनं विरथं दृष्ट्वा कर्णं भीमेन निर्जितम् । प्रत्याख्यानाच्च कृष्णस्य भृशं तप्यति पुत्रकः ॥

sa nūnaṃ virathaṃ dṛṣṭvā karṇaṃ bhīmena nirjitam | pratyākhyānācca kṛṣṇasya bhṛśaṃ tapyati putrakaḥ

surely, seeing Karna beaten by Bhima and left without a chariot, and because Krishna was turned away, my son burns with grief.

Note on the text: Line 2 reads तप्यति पुत्रकः where CE 7.110.19c has tapyati saṃjaya, a variant, kept.

Verse 20 (7.135.20)

दृष्ट्वा भ्रातॄन्हतान्सङ्ख्ये भीमसेनेन दंशितान् । आत्मापराधात्सम्मूढो नूनं तप्यति पुत्रकः ॥

dṛṣṭvā bhrātṝnhatānsaṅkhye bhīmasenena daṃśitān | ātmāparādhātsammūḍho nūnaṃ tapyati putrakaḥ

Seeing his armoured brothers killed in battle by Bhimasena, my son, bewildered by his own fault, surely burns with grief.

Note on the text: Line 2 reads सम्मूढो where CE 7.110.20c has sumahan, a variant, kept.

Verse 21 (7.135.21)

को हि जीवितमन्विच्छन्प्रतीपं पाण्डवं व्रजेत् । भीमं भीमायुधं क्रुद्धं साक्षात्कालमिव स्थितम् ॥

ko hi jīvitamanvicchanpratīpaṃ pāṇḍavaṃ vrajet | bhīmaṃ bhīmāyudhaṃ kruddhaṃ sākṣātkālamiva sthitam

Who that wished to live would go against the Pandava, Bhima, raging, with his terrible weapon, standing there like Time himself?

Verse 22 (7.135.22)

बडबामुखमध्यस्थो मुच्येतापि हि मानवः । न भीममुखसम्प्राप्तो मुच्येदिति मतिर्मम ॥

baḍabāmukhamadhyastho mucyetāpi hi mānavaḥ | na bhīmamukhasamprāpto mucyediti matirmama

A man might escape even from the middle of the Badava fire's mouth, but one who has fallen into Bhima's jaws would not escape — so I think.

Note on the text: Reads बडबामुख (ब for व) where the CE has vaḍavāmukha; a common spelling variant, kept.

Verse 23 (7.135.23)

न पार्था न च पञ्चाला न च केशवसात्यकी । जानते युधि संरब्धा जीवितं परिरक्षितुम् ॥

na pārthā na ca pañcālā na ca keśavasātyakī | jānate yudhi saṃrabdhā jīvitaṃ parirakṣitum

Neither the Parthas, nor the Panchalas, nor Keshava and Satyaki, once enraged in battle, think of guarding their own lives.

Note on the text: Line 1 reads न पार्था न च पञ्चाला where CE 7.110.23a has na pāṇḍavā na pāñcālā, a variant, kept; line 2 reads जानते where the CE has jānanti, kept.

Verse 24 (7.135.24)

अहो मम सुतानां हि विपन्नं सूत जीवितम् ॥

aho mama sutānāṃ hi vipannaṃ sūta jīvitam

Alas, Suta, my sons' lives are lost!

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's main text; it is star passage 7.110.23d*0862_01 (placed after 7.110.23). Single line, as in the CE. Dhritarashtra's speech ends here; the next verse opens Sanjaya's reply.

Verse 25 (7.135.25)

यस्त्वं शोचसि कौरव्य वर्तमाने महाभये । त्वमस्य जगतो मूलं विनाशस्य न संशयः ॥

yastvaṃ śocasi kauravya vartamāne mahābhaye | tvamasya jagato mūlaṃ vināśasya na saṃśayaḥ

You grieve, descendant of Kuru, now that this great danger is upon us; but you yourself are the root of this world's destruction, there is no doubt.

Note on the text: Line 1 reads यस्त्वं शोचसि कौरव्य वर्तमाने महाभये where CE 7.110.24a,c have yat saṃśocasi kauravya vartamāne janakṣaye, a variant, kept.

Verse 26 (7.135.26)

स्वयं वैरं महत्कृत्वा पुत्राणां वचने स्थितः । उच्यमानो न गृह्णीषे मर्त्यः पथ्यमिवौषधम् ॥

svayaṃ vairaṃ mahatkṛtvā putrāṇāṃ vacane sthitaḥ | ucyamāno na gṛhṇīṣe martyaḥ pathyamivauṣadham

You made a great enmity yourself, and you stood by your sons' counsel; when told what is good for you, you do not take it, like a sick man refusing wholesome medicine.

Verse 27 (7.135.27)

स्वयं पीत्वा महाराज कालकूटं सुदुर्जरम् । तस्येदानीं फलं कृत्स्नमवाप्नुहि नरोत्तम ॥

svayaṃ pītvā mahārāja kālakūṭaṃ sudurjaram | tasyedānīṃ phalaṃ kṛtsnamavāpnuhi narottama

You yourself drank the deadly Kalakuta poison, O great king, so hard to digest; now eat the whole fruit of it, best of men.

Verse 28 (7.135.28)

यत्तु कुत्सयसे योधान्युध्यमानान्महाबलान् । तत्र ते वर्तयिष्यामि यथा युद्धमवर्तत ॥

yattu kutsayase yodhānyudhyamānānmahābalān | tatra te vartayiṣyāmi yathā yuddhamavartata

As for your blaming the mighty warriors who are fighting, I shall tell you how the battle went.

Note on the text: Line 1 reads युध्यमानान्महाबलान् where CE 7.110.27a has yudhyamānān yathābalam, a variant, kept.

Verse 29 (7.135.29)

दृष्ट्वा कर्णं तु पुत्रास्ते भीमसेनपराजितम् । नामृष्यन्त महेष्वासाः सोदर्याः पञ्च भारत ॥

dṛṣṭvā karṇaṃ tu putrāste bhīmasenaparājitam | nāmṛṣyanta maheṣvāsāḥ sodaryāḥ pañca bhārata

When your sons saw Karna beaten by Bhimasena, the five great archers, brothers born of one womb, could not bear it, O Bharata.

Verse 30 (7.135.30)

दुर्मर्षणो दुःसहश्च दुर्मदो दुर्धरो जयः । पाण्डवं चित्रसन्नाहास्तं प्रतीपमुपाद्रवन् ॥

durmarṣaṇo duḥsahaśca durmado durdharo jayaḥ | pāṇḍavaṃ citrasannāhāstaṃ pratīpamupādravan

Durmarshana, Duhsaha, Durmada, Durdhara and Jaya, in bright, decorated armour, rushed at that Pandava, who stood against them.

Verse 31 (7.135.31)

ते समन्तान्महाबाहुं परिवार्य वृकोदरम् । दिशः शरैः समावृण्वञ्शलभानामिव व्रजैः ॥

te samantānmahābāhuṃ parivārya vṛkodaram | diśaḥ śaraiḥ samāvṛṇvañśalabhānāmiva vrajaiḥ

They surrounded the mighty-armed Vrikodara on every side and covered the quarters with arrows, like swarms of locusts.

Verse 32 (7.135.32)

आगच्छतस्तान्सहसा कुमारान्देवरूपिणः । प्रतिजग्राह समरे भीमसेनो हसन्निव ॥

āgacchatastānsahasā kumārāndevarūpiṇaḥ | pratijagrāha samare bhīmaseno hasanniva

As those godlike young princes came rushing at him, Bhimasena met them in battle, as if smiling.

Verse 33 (7.135.33)

तव दृष्ट्वा तु तनयान्दुर्मर्षणपुरोगमान् । अभ्यवर्तत राधेयो भीमसेनं महाबलम् ॥

tava dṛṣṭvā tu tanayāndurmarṣaṇapurogamān | abhyavartata rādheyo bhīmasenaṃ mahābalam

Seeing your sons with Durmarshana at their head, Radheya turned to face the mighty Bhimasena.

Note on the text: Line 1 reads दुर्मर्षणपुरोगमान् where CE 7.110.32a has bhīmasenasamīpagān, a variant, kept.

Verse 34 (7.135.34)

विसृजन्विशिखांस्तीक्ष्णान्स्वर्णपुङ्खांञ्छिलाशितान् । तं तु भीमोऽभ्ययात्तूर्णं वार्यमाणः सुतैस्तव ॥

visṛjanviśikhāṃstīkṣṇānsvarṇapuṅkhāṃñchilāśitān | taṃ tu bhīmo'bhyayāttūrṇaṃ vāryamāṇaḥ sutaistava

Loosing sharp, gold-feathered arrows whetted on stone, he came on; but Bhima, though held back by your sons, swiftly advanced against him.

Verse 35 (7.135.35)

कुरवस्तु ततः कर्णं परिवार्य समन्ततः । अवाकिरन्भीमसेनं शरैः सन्नतपर्वभिः ॥

kuravastu tataḥ karṇaṃ parivārya samantataḥ | avākiranbhīmasenaṃ śaraiḥ sannataparvabhiḥ

Then the Kurus surrounded Karna on every side and showered Bhimasena with arrows with straight joints.

Verse 36 (7.135.36)

तान्बाणैः पञ्चविंशत्या साश्वान्राजन्नरर्षभान् । ससूतान्भीमधनुषो भीमो निन्ये यमक्षयम् ॥

tānbāṇaiḥ pañcaviṃśatyā sāśvānrājannararṣabhān | sasūtānbhīmadhanuṣo bhīmo ninye yamakṣayam

With twenty-five arrows, O king, fearsome-bowed Bhima sent those bulls among men, with their horses and charioteers, to Yama's abode.

Verse 37 (7.135.37)

प्रापतन्स्यन्दनेभ्यस्ते सार्धं सूतैर्गतासवः । चित्रपुष्पधरा भग्ना वातेनेव महाद्रुमाः ॥

prāpatansyandanebhyaste sārdhaṃ sūtairgatāsavaḥ | citrapuṣpadharā bhagnā vāteneva mahādrumāḥ

Lifeless, they fell from their chariots together with their charioteers, like great trees in bright blossom broken by the wind.

Verse 38 (7.135.38)

तत्राद्भुतमपश्याम भीमसेनस्य विक्रमम् । संवार्याधिरथिं बाणैर्यज्जघान तवात्मजान् ॥

tatrādbhutamapaśyāma bhīmasenasya vikramam | saṃvāryādhirathiṃ bāṇairyajjaghāna tavātmajān

There we saw a marvel of Bhimasena's prowess: he held off Adhiratha's son with arrows and killed your sons.

Verse 39 (7.135.39)

स वार्यमाणो भीमेन शितैर्बाणैः समन्ततः । सूतपुत्रो महाराज भीमसेनमवैक्षत ॥

sa vāryamāṇo bhīmena śitairbāṇaiḥ samantataḥ | sūtaputro mahārāja bhīmasenamavaikṣata

Held back on all sides by Bhima's sharp arrows, the charioteer's son, O great king, looked at Bhimasena.

Verse 40 (7.135.40)

तं भीमसेनः संरम्भात्क्रोधसंरक्तलोचनः । विष्फार्य सुमहच्चापं मुहुः कर्णमवैक्षत ॥

taṃ bhīmasenaḥ saṃrambhātkrodhasaṃraktalocanaḥ | viṣphārya sumahaccāpaṃ muhuḥ karṇamavaikṣata

Bhimasena, his eyes red with fury, stretched his enormous bow and looked at Karna again and again.

Note on the text: Corrected भीससेनः → भीमसेनः (misprint in Wikisource; the letter म has been mistyped as स; CE 7.110.39a has bhīmasenaḥ).