Abhimanyu Kills Karna's Brother

Verse 1 (7.41.1)

सोऽभ्यगच्छद्धनुष्पाणिर्ज्यां विकर्षन्पुनः पुनः । तयोर्महात्मनोस्तूर्णं रथान्तरमवापतत् ॥

so'bhyagacchaddhanuṣpāṇirjyāṃ vikarṣanpunaḥ punaḥ | tayormahātmanostūrṇaṃ rathāntaramavāpatat

Bow in hand, that warrior advanced, again and again drawing the string, and swiftly came between the chariots of those two high-souled men.

Note on the text: Adhyaya note: Wikisource's adhyaya 41 is the critical edition's 7.40 (24 verses; the page's 28 include variant and interpolated lines). The critical edition's star passages 7.40.5b*0294_01 and 18f*0296_01 are on the page as variants (verses 5 and 20) and 8d*0295 as verse 9; 24d*0297_01 is verse 28 line 2. The critical edition's Appendix I No. 6 (printed after 7.40.5, lines 7.40.5d@006_0001–24, in which Abhimanyu unhorses Karna and taunts him) is not on the page. Line 1 is a variant of 7.40.1a (so 'bhigarjan dhanuṣpāṇir …; the page reads सोऽभ्यगच्छत्). Line 2 restored from the critical edition (7.40.1c): the page repeats here the second line of the next verse (सच्छत्रध्वजयन्तारं साश्वमाशु स्मयन्निव), which cannot belong to this verse; Devanagari written from the critical edition's IAST (tayor mahātmanos tūrṇaṃ rathāntaram avāpatat), its words kept exactly.

Verse 2 (7.41.2)

सोऽविध्यद्दशभिर्बाणैरभिमन्युं दुरासदम् । सच्छत्रध्वजयन्तारं साश्वमाशु स्मयन्निव ॥

so'vidhyaddaśabhirbāṇairabhimanyuṃ durāsadam | sacchatradhvajayantāraṃ sāśvamāśu smayanniva

He pierced Abhimanyu, so hard to overcome, with ten arrows, along with his umbrella, banner, charioteer and horses, swiftly and as though smiling.

Note on the text: Corrected सोऽपिध्यद् → सोऽविध्यद् (misprint in Wikisource; प for व, leaving the non-word अपिध्यत्; the critical edition reads so 'vidhyad).

Verse 3 (7.41.3)

पितृपैतामहं कर्म कुर्वाणमतिमानुषम् । दृष्ट्वार्दितं शरैः कार्ष्णिं त्वदीया हृषिताऽभवन् ॥

pitṛpaitāmahaṃ karma kurvāṇamatimānuṣam | dṛṣṭvārditaṃ śaraiḥ kārṣṇiṃ tvadīyā hṛṣitā'bhavan

Seeing Karshni, who was doing superhuman deeds like those of his father and grandfather, wounded by arrows, your men rejoiced.

Note on the text: Corrected कार्ष्मिं → कार्ष्णिं (misprint in Wikisource; म for ण, leaving the non-word कार्ष्मि; the critical edition reads kārṣṇiṃ).

Verse 4 (7.41.4)

तस्याभिमन्युरायम्य स्मयन्नेकेन पत्रिणा । शिरः प्रच्यावयामास तद्रथात्प्रापतद्भुवि ॥

tasyābhimanyurāyamya smayannekena patriṇā | śiraḥ pracyāvayāmāsa tadrathātprāpatadbhuvi

Drawing his bow, Abhimanyu smilingly struck off his head with a single arrow, and it fell from the chariot to the ground,

Verse 5 (7.41.5)

कर्णिकारमिवाधूतं वातेनापतितं नगात् । कर्णानुजं च सम्प्रेक्ष्य तावका व्यथिताऽभवन् । भ्रातरं निहतं दृष्ट्वा कर्णश्चासीत्पराङ्मुखः ॥

karṇikāramivādhūtaṃ vātenāpatitaṃ nagāt | karṇānujaṃ ca samprekṣya tāvakā vyathitā'bhavan | bhrātaraṃ nihataṃ dṛṣṭvā karṇaścāsītparāṅmukhaḥ

like a karnikara blossom shaken loose by the wind and fallen from the tree. Seeing Karna's younger brother fallen, your men were distressed; and Karna, seeing his brother slain, turned away from the fight.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki quote marks (backtick and apostrophe) that the page prints around the interpolated lines. Three lines: line 1 is the critical edition's 7.40.5a, line 2 its star passage 7.40.5b*0294_01 (the page marks it off with a backtick and a closing quote mark, its sign for an interpolated line), and line 3 is 7.40.5c (variant कर्णश्चासीत्पराङ्मुखः for rājan karṇo vyathāṃ yayau). The automatic alignment found no match.

Verse 6 (7.41.6)

विमुखीकृत्य कर्णं तु सौभद्रः कङ्कपत्रिभिः । अन्यानपि महेष्वासांस्तूर्णमेवाभिदुद्रुवे ॥

vimukhīkṛtya karṇaṃ tu saubhadraḥ kaṅkapatribhiḥ | anyānapi maheṣvāsāṃstūrṇamevābhidudruve

Having turned Karna away, Subhadra's son swiftly attacked other great archers as well with his heron-feathered arrows.

Verse 7 (7.41.7)

ततस्तद्विततं सैन्यं हस्त्यश्वरथपत्तिमत् । क्रुद्धोऽभिमन्युरभिनत्तिग्मतेजा महारथः ॥

tatastadvitataṃ sainyaṃ hastyaśvarathapattimat | kruddho'bhimanyurabhinattigmatejā mahārathaḥ

Then Abhimanyu, mighty chariot-warrior of fierce energy, enraged, broke that spread-out host of elephants, horses, chariots and foot-soldiers.

Note on the text: Corrected सेन्यं → सैन्यं (misprint in Wikisource; e for ai, leaving the non-word सेन्य). Corrected क्रद्धोऽभिमन्यु → क्रुद्धोऽभिमन्यु (misprint in Wikisource; the u-sign is dropped, leaving the non-word क्रद्ध). Line 1 is a variant of the critical edition's 7.40.7a (tatas tad vitataṃ jālam …, here सैन्यम् for jālam); line 2 differs from its 7.40.7c (jhaṣaḥ kruddha ivābhindad abhimanyur mahāyaśāḥ). The automatic alignment found no match.

Verse 8 (7.41.8)

कर्णस्तु बहुभिर्बाणैरर्द्यमानोऽभिमन्युना । अपायाज्जवनैरश्वैस्ततोऽनीकमभिद्रवत् ॥

karṇastu bahubhirbāṇairardyamāno'bhimanyunā | apāyājjavanairaśvaistato'nīkamabhidravat

But Karna, tormented by Abhimanyu's many arrows, retreated on his swift horses and ran back to the army.

Verse 9 (7.41.9)

तिष्ठ कर्ण महेष्वास कृप दुर्योधनेति च । द्रोणस्य क्रोशतो राजंस्तदनीकमभज्यत ॥

tiṣṭha karṇa maheṣvāsa kṛpa duryodhaneti ca | droṇasya krośato rājaṃstadanīkamabhajyata

“Stand, Karna, great archer! Kripa! Duryodhana!” So Drona cried, O king, but that host broke.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki quote marks (backtick and apostrophe) that the page prints around the interpolated lines. Corrected तिंष्ठ → तिष्ठ (misprint in Wikisource; a stray anusvara; the critical edition's star passage reads tiṣṭha). Not in the critical edition's constituted text; it appears there as the star passage 7.40.8d*0295_01–02 (after 7.40.8). The automatic alignment found no match. The shout is Drona's, quoted within Sanjaya's narration.

Verse 10 (7.41.10)

शलभैरिव चाकाशं धाराभिरिव पर्वतः । अभिमन्योः शरैश्छन्नं न प्राज्ञायत किञ्चन ॥

śalabhairiva cākāśaṃ dhārābhiriva parvataḥ | abhimanyoḥ śaraiśchannaṃ na prājñāyata kiñcana

As the sky is covered by locusts, and a mountain by torrents, so all was covered by Abhimanyu's arrows, and nothing could be made out.

Note on the text: Corrected अभिमन्यो शरैश्छन्नं → अभिमन्योः शरैश्छन्नं (misprint in Wikisource; the visarga of the genitive is dropped (the vocative would make no sense); the critical edition reads abhimanyoḥ śarai).

Verse 11 (7.41.11)

तावकानां तु योधानां वध्यतां निशितैः शरैः । अन्यत्र सैन्धवाद्राजन्न स्म कश्चिदतिष्ठत ॥

tāvakānāṃ tu yodhānāṃ vadhyatāṃ niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | anyatra saindhavādrājanna sma kaścidatiṣṭhata

Of your warriors, as they were struck down by his sharp arrows, none, O king, held his ground except the king of Sindhu.

Verse 12 (7.41.12)

सौभद्रस्तु ततः शङ्खं प्रध्माय पुरुषर्षभः । शीघ्रमभ्यपतत्सेनां भारतीं भरतर्षभ ॥

saubhadrastu tataḥ śaṅkhaṃ pradhmāya puruṣarṣabhaḥ | śīghramabhyapatatsenāṃ bhāratīṃ bharatarṣabha

Then Subhadra's son, best of men, blew his conch and swiftly fell upon the Bharata army, O best of the Bharatas.

Verse 13 (7.41.13)

स कक्षेऽग्निरिवोत्सृष्टो निर्दहंस्तरसा रिपून् । मध्ये भारतसैन्यानामार्जुनिः पर्यवर्तत ॥

sa kakṣe'gnirivotsṛṣṭo nirdahaṃstarasā ripūn | madhye bhāratasainyānāmārjuniḥ paryavartata

Like a fire let loose on dry grass, burning his enemies with force, Arjuna's son ranged in the midst of the Bharata armies.

Verse 14 (7.41.14)

रथनागाश्वमनुजानर्दयन्निशितैः शरैः । सम्प्रविश्याकरोद्भूमिं कबन्धगणसङ्कुलाम् ॥

rathanāgāśvamanujānardayanniśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | sampraviśyākarodbhūmiṃ kabandhagaṇasaṅkulām

Tormenting chariots, elephants, horses and men with his sharp arrows, he entered the host and made the ground thick with headless trunks.

Verse 15 (7.41.15)

सौभद्रचापप्रभवैर्निकृत्ताः परमेषुभिः । स्वानेवाभिमुखान्ध्नन्तः प्राद्रवञ्जीवितार्थिनः ॥

saubhadracāpaprabhavairnikṛttāḥ parameṣubhiḥ | svānevābhimukhāndhnantaḥ prādravañjīvitārthinaḥ

Cut down by the supreme arrows shot from the bow of Subhadra's son, they fled, fearing for their lives, striking even their own men who stood in front of them.

Verse 16 (7.41.16)

ते घोरा रौद्रकर्माणो विपाठा बहवः शिताः । निघ्नन्तो रथनागाश्वाञ्जग्मुराशु वसुन्धराम् ॥

te ghorā raudrakarmāṇo vipāṭhā bahavaḥ śitāḥ | nighnanto rathanāgāśvāñjagmurāśu vasundharām

Those fearful, savage vipathas, many and sharp, killing chariots, elephants and horses, swiftly went down to the earth.

Note on the text: Corrected निघ्न्तो → निघ्नन्तो (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped न, leaving the non-word निघ्न्त; the critical edition reads nighnanto).

Verse 17 (7.41.17)

सायुधाः साङ्गुलित्राणाः सगदाः साङ्गदा रणे । दृश्यन्ते बाहवश्चिन्ना हेमाभरणभूषिताः ॥

sāyudhāḥ sāṅgulitrāṇāḥ sagadāḥ sāṅgadā raṇe | dṛśyante bāhavaścinnā hemābharaṇabhūṣitāḥ

Severed arms were seen on the field, still with their weapons, finger-guards, maces and armlets, adorned with golden ornaments.

Note on the text: Corrected हेमाभारणभूषिताः → हेमाभरणभूषिताः (misprint in Wikisource; a stray long ā, leaving the non-word आभारण; the critical edition reads hemābharaṇabhūṣitāḥ).

Verse 18 (7.41.18)

शराश्चापानि खड्गाश्च शरीराणि शिरांसि च । सकुण्डलानि स्रग्वीणि भूमावासन्सहस्रशः ॥

śarāścāpāni khaḍgāśca śarīrāṇi śirāṃsi ca | sakuṇḍalāni sragvīṇi bhūmāvāsansahasraśaḥ

Arrows, bows, swords, bodies and heads, with earrings and garlands, lay on the ground by the thousand.

Note on the text: Corrected खङ्गाश्च → खड्गाश्च (misprint in Wikisource; ङ्ग for ड्ग; the critical edition reads khaḍgāś ca).

Verse 19 (7.41.19)

सोपस्करैरधिष्ठानैरीषादण्डकबन्धुरैः । अक्षैर्विमथितैश्चक्रैर्बहुधा पतितैर्युगैः ॥

sopaskarairadhiṣṭhānairīṣādaṇḍakabandhuraiḥ | akṣairvimathitaiścakrairbahudhā patitairyugaiḥ

The field was strewn with chariot-platforms and their fittings, with poles standing broken, with axles smashed, and with wheels and yokes fallen in many pieces,

Note on the text: The input's alignment (7.43.16) is wrong; these two lines are variants of the critical edition's 7.40.18ac (apaskarair adhiṣṭhānair īṣādaṇḍakabandhuraiḥ / akṣair vimathitaiś cakrair bhagnaiś ca bahudhā rathaiḥ). Lines 1–2 here and verse 20 run on in one sentence with verse 21.

Verse 20 (7.41.20)

शक्तिचापासिभिश्चैव पतितैश्च महाध्वजैः । चर्मचापशरैश्चैव व्यवकीर्णैः समन्ततः ॥

śakticāpāsibhiścaiva patitaiśca mahādhvajaiḥ | carmacāpaśaraiścaiva vyavakīrṇaiḥ samantataḥ

with spears, bows and swords fallen, with great banners down, and with shields, bows and arrows scattered all around,

Note on the text: Corrected समन्तततः → समन्ततः (misprint in Wikisource; a doubled त; the critical edition reads samantataḥ). Line 1 is a variant of the critical edition's 7.40.18e (śakticāpāyudhaiś cāpi patitaiś ca mahādhvajaiḥ); line 2 is a variant of its star passage 7.40.18f*0296_01 (carmacāpadharaiś cāpi vyavakīrṇaiḥ samantataḥ). The automatic alignment found no match.

Verse 21 (7.41.21)

निहतैः क्षत्रियैरश्वैर्वारणैश्च विशाम्पते । अगम्यरूपा पृथिवी क्षणेनासीत्सुदारुणा ॥

nihataiḥ kṣatriyairaśvairvāraṇaiśca viśāmpate | agamyarūpā pṛthivī kṣaṇenāsītsudāruṇā

with slain warriors, horses and elephants, O lord of the people; in an instant the earth became impassable and most dreadful.

Note on the text: Line 2 reads अगम्यरूपा where the critical edition has agamyakalpā (recension variant).

Verse 22 (7.41.22)

वध्यतां राजपुत्राणां क्रन्दतामितरेतरम् । प्रादुरासीन्महाशब्दो भीरूणां भयवर्धनः ॥

vadhyatāṃ rājaputrāṇāṃ krandatāmitaretaram | prādurāsīnmahāśabdo bhīrūṇāṃ bhayavardhanaḥ

As the princes were slain and cried out to one another, a great clamour arose that heightened the fear of the fearful.

Verse 23 (7.41.23)

स शब्दो भरतश्रेष्ठ दिशः सर्वा व्यनादयत् । सौभद्रश्चाद्रवत्सेनां घ्नन्वराश्वरथद्विपान् ॥

sa śabdo bharataśreṣṭha diśaḥ sarvā vyanādayat | saubhadraścādravatsenāṃ ghnanvarāśvarathadvipān

That clamour, best of the Bharatas, made all the quarters ring; and Subhadra's son charged at the army, striking down fine horses, chariots and elephants.

Note on the text: Corrected भरतश्चेष्ठ → भरतश्रेष्ठ (misprint in Wikisource; श्चे for श्रे, leaving the non-word श्चेष्ठ; the critical edition reads bharataśreṣṭha). Line 1 is the critical edition's 7.40.20e; line 2 is a variant of its 21a (saubhadraś cādravat senāṃ nighnann aśvarathadvipān; the page has घ्नन्वराश्वरथद्विपान्). The automatic alignment found no match.

Verse 24 (7.41.24)

कक्षमग्निरिवोत्सृष्टो निर्दहंस्तरसा रिपून् । मध्ये भारतसैन्यानामार्जुनिः प्रत्यदृश्यत ॥

kakṣamagnirivotsṛṣṭo nirdahaṃstarasā ripūn | madhye bhāratasainyānāmārjuniḥ pratyadṛśyata

Like a fire let loose on dry grass, burning his enemies with force, Arjuna's son was seen in the midst of the Bharata armies.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension). It repeats verse 13 with small variants (कक्षम् for kakṣe; प्रत्यदृश्यत for पर्यवर्तत).

Verse 25 (7.41.25)

विचरन्तं दिशः सर्वाः प्रदिशश्चापि भारत । तं तदा नानुपश्यामः सैन्ये च रजसाऽऽवृते ॥

vicarantaṃ diśaḥ sarvāḥ pradiśaścāpi bhārata | taṃ tadā nānupaśyāmaḥ sainye ca rajasā''vṛte

Ranging through all the quarters and the intermediate ones, O Bharata, we did not then see him, as the army was wrapped in dust,

Note on the text: Line 1 is a variant of the critical edition's 7.40.21c (vyacarat sa diśaḥ sarvāḥ pradiśaś cāhitān rujan); line 2 is a variant of 7.40.22a. The automatic alignment found no match.

Verse 26 (7.41.26)

आददानं गजाश्वानां नृणां चायूंषि भारत । क्षणेन भूयः पश्यामः सूर्यं मध्यंदिने यथा ॥

ādadānaṃ gajāśvānāṃ nṛṇāṃ cāyūṃṣi bhārata | kṣaṇena bhūyaḥ paśyāmaḥ sūryaṃ madhyaṃdine yathā

as he took the lives of elephants, horses and men; and in an instant we saw him again, like the sun at midday,

Note on the text: Corrected गजाश्वानां णां चायुंषि → गजाश्वानां नृणां चायूंषि (misprint in Wikisource; नृ dropped, leaving a stray णां, and the short u of आयुंषि; the critical edition reads gajāśvānāṃ nṛṇāṃ cāyūṃṣi). Corrected क्षमेन → क्षणेन (misprint in Wikisource; म for ण, leaving क्षमेन, which gives no sense here; the critical edition reads kṣaṇena). Line 1 is the critical edition's 7.40.22c; line 2 is a variant of 7.40.23a (kṣaṇena bhūyo 'paśyāma sūryaṃ madhyaṃdine yathā; the page has पश्यामः). The automatic alignment found no match.

Verse 27 (7.41.27)

अभिमन्युं महाराज प्रतपन्तं द्विषद्गणान् । स वासवसमः सङ्ख्ये वासवस्यात्मजात्मजः ॥

abhimanyuṃ mahārāja pratapantaṃ dviṣadgaṇān | sa vāsavasamaḥ saṅkhye vāsavasyātmajātmajaḥ

Abhimanyu, great king, burning his hordes of foes: in the battle he was like Vasava himself, the son's son of Vasava.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's 7.40.23c; line 2 is its 7.40.24a. The automatic alignment found no match.

Verse 28 (7.41.28)

अभिमन्युर्महाराज सैन्यमध्ये व्यरोचत । यथा पुरा वह्निसुतः सुरसैन्येषु वीर्यवान् ॥

abhimanyurmahārāja sainyamadhye vyarocata | yathā purā vahnisutaḥ surasainyeṣu vīryavān

Abhimanyu, great king, shone in the midst of the army, like the valiant son of Fire among the divine hosts in ancient days.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki quote marks (backtick and apostrophe) that the page prints around the interpolated lines. Line 1 is the critical edition's 7.40.24c; line 2 is its star passage 7.40.24d*0297_01 (the page marks it off with a backtick and a closing quote mark, its sign for an interpolated line). The automatic alignment found no match. The adhyaya ends here, as in the critical edition.