Abhimanyu Cuts Down Shalya's Younger Brother

Verse 1 (7.38.1)

तथा प्रमथमानं तं महेष्वासानजिह्मगैः । आर्जुनिं मामकाः सङ्ख्ये के त्वेनं समवारयन् ॥

tathā pramathamānaṃ taṃ maheṣvāsānajihmagaiḥ | ārjuniṃ māmakāḥ saṅkhye ke tvenaṃ samavārayan

As Arjuna's son was thus crushing our great archers in the battle with his straight-flying arrows, which of my warriors stood against him?

Note on the text: Adhyaya note: Wikisource's adhyaya 38 is the critical edition's 7.37 (23 verses); the page divides the critical edition's three-line verses 7.37.6 and 7.37.7 into couplets (verses 6–8 here), which is why it has 24. The critical edition's star passage 7.37.22d*0276_01 (one line, a variant of 7.37.13ab) is not on the page. Line 1 reads महेष्वासान् (plural, the archers crushed) where the critical edition has maheṣvāsam (singular, agreeing with ārjuniṃ); kept as a recension variant.

Verse 2 (7.38.2)

शृणु राजन्कुमारस्य रणे विक्रीडितं महत् । बिभित्सतो रथानीकं भारद्वाजेन रक्षितम् ॥

śṛṇu rājankumārasya raṇe vikrīḍitaṃ mahat | bibhitsato rathānīkaṃ bhāradvājena rakṣitam

Listen, O king, to the great sport of the young prince in battle, as he sought to break through the array of chariots guarded by Bharadvaja's son.

Verse 3 (7.38.3)

मद्रेशं सादितं दृष्ट्वा सौभद्रेणाशुगै रणे । शल्यादवरजः क्रुद्धः किरन्बाणान्समभ्ययात् ॥

madreśaṃ sāditaṃ dṛṣṭvā saubhadreṇāśugai raṇe | śalyādavarajaḥ kruddhaḥ kiranbāṇānsamabhyayāt

Seeing the lord of the Madras laid low in the battle by the swift arrows of Subhadra's son, Shalya's younger brother, enraged, charged at him, pouring out arrows.

Note on the text: Corrected क्रुद्ध क्रिन्बाणान् → क्रुद्धः किरन्बाणान् (misprint in Wikisource; visarga dropped and किरन् garbled; the critical edition reads kruddhaḥ kiran bāṇān).

Verse 4 (7.38.4)

स विद्ध्वा दशभिर्बाणैः साश्वयन्तारमार्जुनिम् । उदक्रोशन्महाशब्दं तिष्ठतिष्ठेति चाब्रवीत् ॥

sa viddhvā daśabhirbāṇaiḥ sāśvayantāramārjunim | udakrośanmahāśabdaṃ tiṣṭhatiṣṭheti cābravīt

He pierced Arjuna's son, with his horses and charioteer, with ten arrows, then let out a great roar and cried, “Stand! Stand!”

Verse 5 (7.38.5)

तस्यार्जुनिः शिरोग्रीवं पाणिपादं धनुर्हयान् । छत्रं ध्वजं नियन्तारं त्रिवेणुं चाप्युपस्करम् ॥

tasyārjuniḥ śirogrīvaṃ pāṇipādaṃ dhanurhayān | chatraṃ dhvajaṃ niyantāraṃ triveṇuṃ cāpyupaskaram

Of that man, his head and neck, his hands and feet, his bow and horses, his umbrella, banner, charioteer, the triple chariot-pole and his fittings,

Verse 6 (7.38.6)

चक्रं युगं च तूणीरं ह्यनुकर्षं सायकैः । पताकां चक्रगोप्तारौ सर्वोपकरणानि च ॥

cakraṃ yugaṃ ca tūṇīraṃ hyanukarṣaṃ sāyakaiḥ | patākāṃ cakragoptārau sarvopakaraṇāni ca

his wheel, yoke, quiver and axle-frame, with his arrows, his pennon, the two guards of his wheels, and all the rest of his gear,

Note on the text: The automatic alignment found no match. The two lines correspond to the critical edition's 7.37.6ac (cakre yugeṣāṃ tūṇīrān anukarṣaṃ ca sāyakaiḥ / patākāṃ cakragoptārau sarvopakaraṇāni ca); line 1 reads चक्रं युगं च तूणीरं ह्यनुकर्षं for it, kept as a recension variant. Wikisource divides the critical edition's three-line verse 7.37.6 as 6ac | 6e+7a.

Verse 7 (7.38.7)

लघुहस्तः प्रचिच्छेद ददृशे तं न कश्चन । स पपात क्षितौ क्षीणः प्रविद्धाभरणाम्बरः ॥

laghuhastaḥ praciccheda dadṛśe taṃ na kaścana | sa papāta kṣitau kṣīṇaḥ praviddhābharaṇāmbaraḥ

all this Arjuna's son, nimble of hand, cut away, and no one saw him do it. Then, spent, he fell to the ground, his ornaments and garments flung off,

Note on the text: Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition's 7.37.6e (vyadhamal lāghavāt tac ca dadṛśe nāsya kaś cana), kept as a recension variant; line 2 is 7.37.7a. The automatic alignment found no match.

Verse 8 (7.38.8)

वायुनेव महाचैत्यः समूलं चित्रवेदिकः । अनुगास्तस्य वित्रस्ताः प्राद्रवन्सर्वतो दिशः ॥

vāyuneva mahācaityaḥ samūlaṃ citravedikaḥ | anugāstasya vitrastāḥ prādravansarvato diśaḥ

like a great sacred tree with its painted platform, torn up by the wind with its roots. His followers, terrified, fled in every direction.

Note on the text: Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition's 7.37.7c and line 2 to 7.37.7e (both with recension variants: समूलं चित्रवेदिकः for saṃbhagno 'mitatejasā; प्राद्रवन्सर्वतो दिशः for prādravan sarvatodiśam). The automatic alignment found no match.

Verse 9 (7.38.9)

आर्जुनेः कर्म तद्दृष्ट्वा सम्प्रणेदुः समन्ततः । नादेन सर्वभूतानि साधुसाध्विति भारत ॥

ārjuneḥ karma taddṛṣṭvā sampraṇeduḥ samantataḥ | nādena sarvabhūtāni sādhusādhviti bhārata

Seeing that deed of Arjuna's son, all beings cried out on every side with shouts of “Well done! Well done!”, O Bharata.

Verse 10 (7.38.10)

शल्यभ्रातर्यथारुग्णे बहुशस्तस्य सैनिकाः । कुलाधिवासनामानि श्रावयन्तोऽर्जुनात्मजम् ॥

śalyabhrātaryathārugṇe bahuśastasya sainikāḥ | kulādhivāsanāmāni śrāvayanto'rjunātmajam

When Shalya's brother had thus been broken, many of his soldiers, calling out to Arjuna's son their families, their homelands and their names,

Verse 11 (7.38.11)

अभ्यधावन्त सङ्क्रुद्धा विविधायुधपाणयः । रथैरश्वैर्गजैश्चान्ये पद्भिश्चान्ये बलोत्कटाः ॥

abhyadhāvanta saṅkruddhā vividhāyudhapāṇayaḥ | rathairaśvairgajaiścānye padbhiścānye balotkaṭāḥ

rushed at him in rage, with weapons of many kinds in their hands, some in chariots, some on horses, some on elephants, and others on foot, all proud in their strength,

Verse 12 (7.38.12)

बाणशब्देन महता रथनेमिस्वनेन च । हुंकारैः क्ष्वेडितोत्कृष्टैः सिंहनादैः सगर्जितैः ॥

bāṇaśabdena mahatā rathanemisvanena ca | huṃkāraiḥ kṣveḍitotkṛṣṭaiḥ siṃhanādaiḥ sagarjitaiḥ

amid the great whirr of arrows and the rumble of chariot-wheels, with cries of “hum”, hoots and shouts, lion-roars and bellowing,

Verse 13 (7.38.13)

ज्यातलत्रस्वनैरन्ये गर्जन्तोऽर्जुननन्दनम् । ब्रुवन्तश्च न नो जीवन्मोक्ष्यसे जीवितादिति ॥

jyātalatrasvanairanye garjanto'rjunanandanam | bruvantaśca na no jīvanmokṣyase jīvitāditi

while others roared with the twang of bowstrings and the slap of palms and cried to Arjuna's son, “You will not escape us with your life!”

Verse 14 (7.38.14)

तांस्तथा ब्रुवतो दृष्ट्वा सौभद्रः प्रहसन्निव । यो योऽस्मै प्राहरत्पूर्वं तं तं विव्याध पत्रिभिः ॥

tāṃstathā bruvato dṛṣṭvā saubhadraḥ prahasanniva | yo yo'smai prāharatpūrvaṃ taṃ taṃ vivyādha patribhiḥ

Seeing them speak so, Subhadra's son, smiling as it were, pierced with his arrows each one who had attacked him first.

Note on the text: Corrected यो योस्मै → यो योऽस्मै (misprint in Wikisource; the avagraha is missing, leaving the non-word योस्मै).

Verse 15 (7.38.15)

सन्दर्शयिष्यन्नस्त्राणि विचित्राणि लघूनि च । आर्जुनिः समरे शूरो मृदुपूर्वमयुध्यत ॥

sandarśayiṣyannastrāṇi vicitrāṇi laghūni ca | ārjuniḥ samare śūro mṛdupūrvamayudhyata

Wishing to show his weapons, varied and swift, the hero, Arjuna's son, fought in the battle gently at first.

Verse 16 (7.38.16)

वासुदेवादुपात्तं यदस्त्रं यच्च धनञ्जयात् । अदर्शयत तत्कार्ष्णिः कृष्णाभ्यामविशेषवत् ॥

vāsudevādupāttaṃ yadastraṃ yacca dhanañjayāt | adarśayata tatkārṣṇiḥ kṛṣṇābhyāmaviśeṣavat

The weapon he had received from Vasudeva and the one he had from Dhananjaya, Karshni displayed, no different from the two Krishnas themselves.

Verse 17 (7.38.17)

दूरमस्य गुरुं भारं साध्वसं च पुनः पुनः । सन्दधद्विसृजंश्चेषून्निर्विशेषमदृश्यत ॥

dūramasya guruṃ bhāraṃ sādhvasaṃ ca punaḥ punaḥ | sandadhadvisṛjaṃśceṣūnnirviśeṣamadṛśyata

Throwing far from him the heavy burden and all dread, again and again, he fitted and loosed his arrows so that the two acts seemed one and the same.

Verse 18 (7.38.18)

चापमण्डलमेवास्य विस्फुरद्दिक्ष्वदृश्यत । सुदीप्तस्य शरत्काले सवितुर्मण्डलं यथा ॥

cāpamaṇḍalamevāsya visphuraddikṣvadṛśyata | sudīptasya śaratkāle saviturmaṇḍalaṃ yathā

Only the circle of his bow was seen, flashing in every direction, like the disc of the sun blazing brightly in the autumn.

Verse 19 (7.38.19)

ज्याशब्दः शुश्रुवे तस्य तलशब्दश्च दारुणः । महाशनिमुचः काले पयोदस्येव निःस्वनः ॥

jyāśabdaḥ śuśruve tasya talaśabdaśca dāruṇaḥ | mahāśanimucaḥ kāle payodasyeva niḥsvanaḥ

The twang of his bowstring was heard, and the dreadful slap of his palm, like the roar of a cloud that hurls great thunderbolts in its season.

Verse 20 (7.38.20)

ह्रीमानमर्षी सौभद्रो मानकृत्प्रियदर्शनः । सम्मिमानयिषुर्वीरानिष्वस्त्रैश्चाप्ययुध्यत ॥

hrīmānamarṣī saubhadro mānakṛtpriyadarśanaḥ | sammimānayiṣurvīrāniṣvastraiścāpyayudhyata

Modest yet quick to take offence, handsome and generous with honour, Subhadra's son, wishing to honour the heroes, fought them with arrows and with missiles as well.

Note on the text: Corrected हीमानमर्षी → ह्रीमानमर्षी (misprint in Wikisource; the conjunct ह्र is dropped, leaving the non-word हीमान्; the critical edition reads hrīmān amarṣī).

Verse 21 (7.38.21)

मृदुर्भूत्वा महाराज दारुणः समपद्यत । वर्षाभ्यतीतो भगवाञ्शरदीव दिवाकरः ॥

mṛdurbhūtvā mahārāja dāruṇaḥ samapadyata | varṣābhyatīto bhagavāñśaradīva divākaraḥ

Having been gentle, great king, he became fierce, like the glorious sun, which grows fierce in autumn when the rains are past.

Verse 22 (7.38.22)

शरान्विचित्रान्सुबहून्रुक्मपुङ्खाञ्शिलाशितान् । मुमोच शतशः क्रुद्धो गभस्तीनिव भास्करः ॥

śarānvicitrānsubahūnrukmapuṅkhāñśilāśitān | mumoca śataśaḥ kruddho gabhastīniva bhāskaraḥ

In his anger he loosed hundreds of arrows, many and of every kind, gold-feathered and whetted on stone, as the sun sends out its rays.

Verse 23 (7.38.23)

क्षुरप्रैर्वत्सदन्तैश्च विपाठैश्च महायशाः । नाराचैरर्धचन्द्राभैर्भल्लैरञ्जलिकैरपि ॥

kṣuraprairvatsadantaiśca vipāṭhaiśca mahāyaśāḥ | nārācairardhacandrābhairbhallairañjalikairapi

With razor-headed arrows, calf-tooth arrows and vipathas, that man of great fame, and with iron nārācas, crescent-headed arrows, bhallas and añjalikas as well,

Note on the text: Corrected विपाठेश्च → विपाठैश्च (misprint in Wikisource; e for ai; the instrumental plural is required, the critical edition reads vipāṭhaiś ca).

Verse 24 (7.38.24)

अवाकिरद्रथानीकं भारद्वाजस्य पश्यतः । ततस्तत्सैन्यमभवद्विमुखं शरपीडितम् ॥

avākiradrathānīkaṃ bhāradvājasya paśyataḥ | tatastatsainyamabhavadvimukhaṃ śarapīḍitam

covered the chariot-host of Bharadvaja's son even as he looked on. Then that army, tormented by arrows, turned away its face.