The Samshaptakas Meet Arjuna

Verse 1 (7.18.1)

ततः संशप्तका राजन्समे देशे व्यवस्थिताः । व्यूढानीकै रथैरेव चन्द्रार्धाख्यैर्मुदा युताः ॥

tataḥ saṃśaptakā rājansame deśe vyavasthitāḥ | vyūḍhānīkai rathaireva candrārdhākhyairmudā yutāḥ

Then, O king, the Samshaptakas took their stand on level ground, their chariots drawn up in the array called the Half-Moon, glad at heart.

Note on the text: व्यूढानीकै रथैरेव चन्द्रार्धाख्यैर्मुदा युताः kept as a recension variant (the critical edition reads vyūhyānīkaṃ rathair eva candrārdhākhyaṃ mudānvitāḥ; the page's own footnote records the झ reading व्युह्यानीकं रथैरेव चन्द्राकारं).

Verse 2 (7.18.2)

ते किरीटिनमायान्तं दृष्ट्वा हर्षेण मारिष । अतीव सम्प्रहृष्टास्ते ह्युपलक्ष्य धनञ्जयम् । उदक्रोशन्नरव्याघ्राः शब्देन महता तदा ॥

te kirīṭinamāyāntaṃ dṛṣṭvā harṣeṇa māriṣa | atīva samprahṛṣṭāste hyupalakṣya dhanañjayam | udakrośannaravyāghrāḥ śabdena mahatā tadā

Seeing the Diadem-wearer coming, O lord, they were filled with joy. Those tigers among men, greatly delighted on recognizing Dhananjaya, then raised a mighty shout.

Note on the text: Lines 1 and 3 are the critical edition's 7.17.2ab and cd; line 2 (अतीव सम्प्रहृष्टास्ते …) is its star passage 7.17.2b*0132_01, not in the constituted text. Removed the stray wiki quote marks (` and ') around line 2.

Verse 3 (7.18.3)

स दिशः प्रदिशः सर्वा नभश्चैव समावृणोत् । आवृतत्वाच्च लोकस्य नासीत्तत्र प्रतिस्वनः ॥

sa diśaḥ pradiśaḥ sarvā nabhaścaiva samāvṛṇot | āvṛtatvācca lokasya nāsīttatra pratisvanaḥ

That cry filled the quarters, the intermediate quarters and the sky; and since the whole world was filled with it, no echo was heard there.

Note on the text: Corrected आवृतत्वाच → आवृतत्वाच्च (misprint in Wikisource; the च्च conjunct is lost, the critical edition reads āvṛtatvāc ca). स दिशः प्रदिशः kept as a recension variant (critical edition: sa śabdaḥ pradiśaḥ … diśaḥ khaṃ ca).

Verse 4 (7.18.4)

सोऽतीव संप्रहृष्टांस्तानुपलभ्य धनञ्जयः । किञ्चिदभ्युत्स्मयन्कृष्णमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥

so'tīva saṃprahṛṣṭāṃstānupalabhya dhanañjayaḥ | kiñcidabhyutsmayankṛṣṇamidaṃ vacanamabravīt

Seeing them so exceedingly elated, Dhananjaya smiled a little and spoke these words to Krishna.

Verse 5 (7.18.5)

देवकीपुत्र पश्येमान्मुमूर्षूनद्य संयुगे । भ्रातॄंस्त्रैगर्तकानेतान्रोदितव्ये प्रहर्षितान् ॥

devakīputra paśyemānmumūrṣūnadya saṃyuge | bhrātṝṃstraigartakānetānroditavye praharṣitān

"Son of Devaki, look at these Trigarta brothers, who are to die in battle today, yet rejoice where they should weep."

Note on the text: The verse is Arjuna's speech to Krishna (no heading is printed after the introductory verse 4, so the speaker is taken from the sense). Variants kept: देवकीपुत्र पश्येमान् … एतान् (critical edition: paśyaitān devakīmātar … evaṃ).

Verse 6 (7.18.6)

अथ वा हर्षकालोऽयं त्रैगर्तानामसंशयम् । कुनरैर्दुरवापान्हि लोकान्प्राप्स्यन्त्यनुत्तमान् ॥

atha vā harṣakālo'yaṃ traigartānāmasaṃśayam | kunarairduravāpānhi lokānprāpsyantyanuttamān

"Or rather, this is surely a time of joy for the Trigartas, for they will win the highest worlds, which base men can scarcely reach."

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (7.17.6ab and cd): Wikisource's page lacks this verse (its numbering jumps from 5 to 7, and 5-18-6 is empty). The critical edition's star passage 7.17.6d*0133_01 (मयाहता हि संग्रामे …) is not on the page and was not added.

Verse 7 (7.18.7)

एवमुक्त्वा महाबाहुर्हृषीकेशं ततोऽर्जुनः । आससाद रणे व्यूढां त्रिगर्तानामनीकिनीम् ॥

evamuktvā mahābāhurhṛṣīkeśaṃ tato'rjunaḥ | āsasāda raṇe vyūḍhāṃ trigartānāmanīkinīm

Having spoken thus to Hrishikesha, the mighty-armed Arjuna then rode in the battle up to the drawn-up army of the Trigartas.

Note on the text: Restored line 1 from the critical edition (7.17.7a: evam uktvā mahābāhur hṛṣīkeśaṃ tato 'rjunaḥ): Wikisource prints only the second line of this verse (5-18-7b).

Verse 8 (7.18.8)

स देवदत्तमादाय शङ्खं हेमपरिष्कृतम् । दध्मौ वेगेन महता घोषेणापूरयन्दिशः ॥

sa devadattamādāya śaṅkhaṃ hemapariṣkṛtam | dadhmau vegena mahatā ghoṣeṇāpūrayandiśaḥ

Taking up his gold-adorned conch Devadatta, he blew it with great force, filling the quarters with its sound.

Note on the text: घोषेणापूरयन्दिशः kept as a recension variant (critical edition: phalgunaḥ pūrayan diśaḥ).

Verse 9 (7.18.9)

तेन शब्देन वित्रस्ता संशप्तकवरूथिनी । विचेष्टाऽवस्थिता सङ्ख्ये ह्यश्मसारमयी यथा ॥

tena śabdena vitrastā saṃśaptakavarūthinī | viceṣṭā'vasthitā saṅkhye hyaśmasāramayī yathā

Terrified by that sound, the army of the Samshaptakas stood motionless in the fight, as if made of solid stone.

Note on the text: विचेष्टा kept as a recension variant (critical edition: niśceṣṭā).

Verse 10 (7.18.10)

सा सेना भरतश्रेष्ठ निश्चेष्टा शुशुभे तदा । चित्रे पटे यथा न्यस्ता कुशलैः शिल्पिभिर्नरैः ॥

sā senā bharataśreṣṭha niśceṣṭā śuśubhe tadā | citre paṭe yathā nyastā kuśalaiḥ śilpibhirnaraiḥ

O best of the Bharatas, that army stood motionless and shone then, like a picture set on a canvas by skilled craftsmen.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records both lines in its apparatus as the star passage 7.17.9d*0134_01–02 (चित्रे पटे where it reads citrapaṭṭe). Removed the stray wiki quote mark (`) before line 1; the quotation continues into the next verse.

Verse 11 (7.18.11)

स्वनेन तेन सैन्यानां दिवमावृण्वता तदा । सस्वना पृथिवी सर्वा तथैव च महोदधिः । स्वनेन तेन सैन्यानां कर्णास्तु बधिरीकृताः ॥

svanena tena sainyānāṃ divamāvṛṇvatā tadā | sasvanā pṛthivī sarvā tathaiva ca mahodadhiḥ | svanena tena sainyānāṃ karṇāstu badhirīkṛtāḥ

With that roar of the armies filling the sky, the whole earth resounded, and the great ocean as well; and by that roar of the armies, ears were deafened.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); lines 1–2 are its star passage 7.17.9d*0134_03–04 and line 3 is *0134_06 (स्वनेन तेन सैन्यानां where it reads svanena sarvasainyānāṃ); its *0134_05 is not on the page. Removed the stray wiki quote mark (') printed after बधिरीकृताः.

Verse 12 (7.18.12)

वाहास्तेषां विवृत्ताक्षाः स्तब्धकर्णशिरोधराः । विष्टब्धचरणा मूत्रं रुधिरं च प्रसुस्रुवुः । ततो व्युपारमच्छब्दः प्रहृष्टास्ते ततोऽभवन् ॥

vāhāsteṣāṃ vivṛttākṣāḥ stabdhakarṇaśirodharāḥ | viṣṭabdhacaraṇā mūtraṃ rudhiraṃ ca prasusruvuḥ | tato vyupāramacchabdaḥ prahṛṣṭāste tato'bhavan

Their horses, with eyes rolled back, ears and necks stiffened and legs rigid, let urine and blood flow. Then the din died away, and the men took heart again.

Note on the text: Lines 1–2 are the critical edition's 7.17.10; line 3 (ततो व्युपारमच्छब्दः …) is its star passage 7.17.10d*0135_01, not in the constituted text. Removed the stray wiki quote marks (` and ') around line 3.

Verse 13 (7.18.13)

उपलभ्य ततः संज्ञामवस्थाप्य च वाहिनीम् । युगपत्पाण्डुपुत्राय चिक्षिपुः कङ्कपत्रिणः ॥

upalabhya tataḥ saṃjñāmavasthāpya ca vāhinīm | yugapatpāṇḍuputrāya cikṣipuḥ kaṅkapatriṇaḥ

Recovering their senses and steadying their ranks, they all at once hurled their heron-feathered arrows at the son of Pandu.

Verse 14 (7.18.14)

तानर्जुनः सहस्राणि दशपञ्चभिराशुगैः । अनागतानेव शरैश्चिच्छेदाशु पराक्रमी ॥

tānarjunaḥ sahasrāṇi daśapañcabhirāśugaiḥ | anāgatāneva śaraiścicchedāśu parākramī

Swift in valour, Arjuna cut down those thousands of arrows with his own swift shafts, ten and five, before they could reach him.

Verse 15 (7.18.15)

ततोऽर्जुनं शितैर्बाणैर्दशभिर्दशभिः पुनः । प्राविध्यन्त ततः पार्थस्तानविध्यत्त्रिभिस्त्रिभिः ॥

tato'rjunaṃ śitairbāṇairdaśabhirdaśabhiḥ punaḥ | prāvidhyanta tataḥ pārthastānavidhyattribhistribhiḥ

Then again, with ten sharp arrows each, they pierced Arjuna; and Partha pierced each of them with three.

Note on the text: Removed a stray question mark in ततो?ऽर्जुनं (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads tato 'rjunaṃ). प्राविध्यन्त kept as a recension variant (critical edition: pratyavidhyan).

Verse 16 (7.18.16)

एकैकस्तु ततः पार्थं राजन्विव्याध पञ्चभिः । स च तान्प्रतिविव्याध द्वाभ्यां द्वाभ्यां पराक्रमी ॥

ekaikastu tataḥ pārthaṃ rājanvivyādha pañcabhiḥ | sa ca tānprativivyādha dvābhyāṃ dvābhyāṃ parākramī

Then each of them, O king, pierced Partha with five arrows; and that mighty warrior pierced each of them in return with two.

Verse 17 (7.18.17)

भूय एव तु सङ्क्रुद्धास्त्वर्जुनं सहकेशवम् । आपूरयञ्शरैस्तीक्ष्णैस्तटाकमिव वृष्टिभिः ॥

bhūya eva tu saṅkruddhāstvarjunaṃ sahakeśavam | āpūrayañśaraistīkṣṇaistaṭākamiva vṛṣṭibhiḥ

Once more, in fury, they filled Arjuna together with Keshava with sharp arrows, as showers fill a pond.

Note on the text: भूय एव तु सङ्क्रुद्धाः kept as a recension variant (critical edition: saṃrabdhās te 'rjunaṃ).

Verse 18 (7.18.18)

ततः शरसहस्राणि प्रापतन्नर्जुनं प्रति । भ्रमराणामिव व्राताः फुल्लं द्रुमगणं वने ॥

tataḥ śarasahasrāṇi prāpatannarjunaṃ prati | bhramarāṇāmiva vrātāḥ phullaṃ drumagaṇaṃ vane

Then thousands of arrows fell upon Arjuna, like swarms of bees on a flowering grove of trees in the forest.

Verse 19 (7.18.19)

ततः सुबाहुस्त्रिंशद्भिरद्रिसारमयैः शरैः । अविध्यदिषुभिर्गाढं किरीटे सव्यसाचिनम् ॥

tataḥ subāhustriṃśadbhiradrisāramayaiḥ śaraiḥ | avidhyadiṣubhirgāḍhaṃ kirīṭe savyasācinam

Then Subahu, with thirty arrows made of iron, struck Savyasachin hard on the diadem.

Verse 20 (7.18.20)

तैः किरीटि किरीटस्थैर्हेमपुङ्खैरजिह्मगैः । शातकुम्भमयापीडो बभौ यूप इवोच्छ्रितः ॥

taiḥ kirīṭi kirīṭasthairhemapuṅkhairajihmagaiḥ | śātakumbhamayāpīḍo babhau yūpa ivocchritaḥ

With those gold-feathered, straight-flying arrows fixed in his diadem, the Diademed one, crowned with gold, shone like a raised sacrificial post.

Verse 21 (7.18.21)

हस्तावापं सुबाहोस्तु भल्लेन युधि पाण्डवः । चिच्छेद तं चैव पुनः शरवर्षैरवाकिरत् ॥

hastāvāpaṃ subāhostu bhallena yudhi pāṇḍavaḥ | ciccheda taṃ caiva punaḥ śaravarṣairavākirat

In the fight the son of Pandu cut off Subahu's hand-guard with a broad-headed arrow, and again covered him with showers of arrows.

Verse 22 (7.18.22)

ततः सुशर्मा दशभिः सुरथस्तु किरीटिनम् । सुधर्मा सुधनुश्चैव सुबाहुश्च समार्पयन् ॥

tataḥ suśarmā daśabhiḥ surathastu kirīṭinam | sudharmā sudhanuścaiva subāhuśca samārpayan

Then Susharman with ten arrows, and Suratha, Sudharma, Sudhanus and Subahu as well, all struck the Diademed one.

Note on the text: Corrected समार्पयत् → समार्पयन् (misprint in Wikisource; five subjects need the plural verb, the critical edition reads samarpayan).

Verse 23 (7.18.23)

तांस्तु सर्वान्पृथग्बाणैर्वानरप्रवरध्वजः । प्रत्यविध्यद्ध्वजांश्चैषां भल्लैश्चिच्छेद सायकान् ॥

tāṃstu sarvānpṛthagbāṇairvānarapravaradhvajaḥ | pratyavidhyaddhvajāṃścaiṣāṃ bhallaiściccheda sāyakān

The one whose banner bears the best of monkeys pierced them all, each with separate arrows, and with broad-headed arrows cut down their banners and their shafts.

Note on the text: भल्लैश्चिच्छेद सायकान् kept as a recension variant (critical edition: bhallaiś ciccheda kāñcanān).

Verse 24 (7.18.24)

सुधन्वनो धनुश्छित्त्वा हयांश्चास्यावधीच्छरैः । अथास्य सशिरस्त्राणं शिरः कायादपातयत् ॥

sudhanvano dhanuśchittvā hayāṃścāsyāvadhīccharaiḥ | athāsya saśirastrāṇaṃ śiraḥ kāyādapātayat

He cut Sudhanvan's bow, killed his horses with arrows, and then struck the head, helmet and all, from his body.

Note on the text: Variants kept: हयांश्चास्यावधीच्छरैः and शिरः कायादपातयत् (critical edition: hayān vai nyavadhīc charaiḥ; … apāharat).

Verse 25 (7.18.25)

जहार पार्थः सैन्येषु सहस्रे द्वे च योधिनाम् । तस्मिन्निपतिते वीरे त्रस्तास्तस्य पदानुगाः ॥

jahāra pārthaḥ sainyeṣu sahasre dve ca yodhinām | tasminnipatite vīre trastāstasya padānugāḥ

Partha carried off two thousand fighters from the troops. When that hero fell, his followers were struck with terror,

Note on the text: Line 1 (जहार पार्थः …) is the critical edition's star passage 7.17.22d*0136_01, not in the constituted text; line 2 is 7.17.23a. Removed the stray wiki quote marks (` and ') around line 1.

Verse 26 (7.18.26)

भूयिष्ठं प्रतिरुद्धा ये हतैर्योधैर्यशस्विनः । व्यद्रवन्त भयाद्भीता यत्र दौर्योधनं बलम् ॥

bhūyiṣṭhaṃ pratiruddhā ye hatairyodhairyaśasvinaḥ | vyadravanta bhayādbhītā yatra dauryodhanaṃ balam

and those renowned men, hemmed in for the most part by their slain warriors, fled in terror toward the place where Duryodhana's army stood.

Note on the text: Line 1 (भूयिष्ठं प्रतिरुद्धा ये …) is the critical edition's star passage 7.17.23b*0137_01 (प्रतिरुद्धा ये where it reads pratiruddhās te), not in the constituted text; line 2 is 7.17.23c (यत्र for yena). Removed the stray wiki quote marks (` and ') around line 1.

Verse 27 (7.18.27)

ततो जघान सङ्क्रुद्धो वासविस्तां महाचमूम् । शरजालैरविच्छिन्नैस्तमः सूर्य इवांशुभिः ॥

tato jaghāna saṅkruddho vāsavistāṃ mahācamūm | śarajālairavicchinnaistamaḥ sūrya ivāṃśubhiḥ

Then the son of Vasava, enraged, destroyed that great host with unbroken nets of arrows, as the sun dispels darkness with its rays.

Note on the text: Corrected जघानं → जघान (misprint in Wikisource; stray anusvara, the critical edition reads jaghāna).

Verse 28 (7.18.28)

ततो भग्ने बले तस्मिन्विप्रलीने समन्ततः । सव्यसाचिनि सङ्क्रुद्धे त्रैगर्तान्भयमाविशत् ॥

tato bhagne bale tasminvipralīne samantataḥ | savyasācini saṅkruddhe traigartānbhayamāviśat

When that army was broken and scattered on every side, and Savyasachin was enraged, fear entered the Trigartas.

Note on the text: Corrected सङ्क्रुद्वे → सङ्क्रुद्धे (misprint in Wikisource; व for ध, the critical edition reads saṃkruddhe). विप्रलीने kept as a recension variant (critical edition: viprayāte).

Verse 29 (7.18.29)

ते वध्यमानाः पार्थेन शरैः सन्नतपर्वभिः । अमुह्यंस्तत्रतत्रैव त्रस्ता मृगगणा इव ॥

te vadhyamānāḥ pārthena śaraiḥ sannataparvabhiḥ | amuhyaṃstatratatraiva trastā mṛgagaṇā iva

Struck by Partha's arrows with their smooth joints, they stood bewildered right where they were, terrified like herds of deer.

Verse 30 (7.18.30)

ततस्त्रिगर्तराट् क्रुद्धस्तानुवाच महारथान् । अलं द्रुतेन वः शूरा न भयं कर्तुमर्हथ ॥

tatastrigartarāṭ kruddhastānuvāca mahārathān | alaṃ drutena vaḥ śūrā na bhayaṃ kartumarhatha

Then the king of the Trigartas, enraged, said to those great warriors: "Enough of running, heroes; you ought not to give way to fear."

Note on the text: Line 1 is narration (Sanjaya); the king's speech begins in line 2 and runs through the next two verses, which are given to him.

Verse 31 (7.18.31)

शप्त्वाऽथ शपथान्घोरान्सर्वसैन्यस्य पश्यतः । गत्वा दौर्योधनं सैन्यं किं वै वक्ष्यथ मुख्यशः ॥

śaptvā'tha śapathānghorānsarvasainyasya paśyataḥ | gatvā dauryodhanaṃ sainyaṃ kiṃ vai vakṣyatha mukhyaśaḥ

"After swearing dreadful oaths in the sight of the whole army, what will you say, you chiefs, when you go back to Duryodhana's army?"

Note on the text: Speaker: the Trigarta king's speech, which has no printed heading on the page; named Susharman from verse 22. मुख्यशः kept as a recension variant (critical edition: mukhyagāḥ).

Verse 32 (7.18.32)

नावहास्याः कथं लोके कर्मणाऽनेन संयुगे । भवेम सहिताः सर्वे निवर्तध्वं यथाबलम् ॥

nāvahāsyāḥ kathaṃ loke karmaṇā'nena saṃyuge | bhavema sahitāḥ sarve nivartadhvaṃ yathābalam

"By this conduct in battle, how shall we, all of us together, escape ridicule in the world? Turn back, each according to his strength."

Note on the text: Speaker: the Trigarta king (see verse 31).

Verse 33 (7.18.33)

एवमुक्तास्तु ते राजन्नुदक्रोशन्मुहुर्मुहुः । शङ्खांश्च दध्मिरे वीरा हर्षयन्तः परस्परम् ॥

evamuktāstu te rājannudakrośanmuhurmuhuḥ | śaṅkhāṃśca dadhmire vīrā harṣayantaḥ parasparam

So addressed, O king, those heroes shouted again and again and blew their conches, cheering one another.

Verse 34 (7.18.34)

ततस्ते सन्न्यवर्तन्त संशप्तकगणाः पुनः । नारायणाश्च गोपाला मृत्युं कृत्वाऽनिवर्तनम् ॥

tataste sannyavartanta saṃśaptakagaṇāḥ punaḥ | nārāyaṇāśca gopālā mṛtyuṃ kṛtvā'nivartanam

Then the bands of Samshaptakas turned back again, together with the Narayanas and the Gopalas, who had resolved on death rather than retreat.

Note on the text: Corrected सन्न्यवर्तन्तं → सन्न्यवर्तन्त (misprint in Wikisource; stray anusvara, the critical edition reads saṃnyavartanta). मृत्युं कृत्वाऽनिवर्तनम् kept as a recension variant (critical edition: kṛtvā mṛtyuṃ nivartanam).