Abhimanyu Kills Vasatiya

Verse 1 (7.44.1)

सैन्धवेन निरुद्धेषु जयगृद्धिषु पाण्डुषु । सुघोरमभवद्युद्धं त्वदीयानां परैः सह ॥

saindhavena niruddheṣu jayagṛddhiṣu pāṇḍuṣu | sughoramabhavadyuddhaṃ tvadīyānāṃ paraiḥ saha

While the Pandavas, eager for victory, were held back by Saindhava, a most dreadful battle took place between your men and the enemy.

Note on the text: Adhyaya note: checked against the raw Wikisource page (a table, one row per verse, printed 5-44-1 to 5-44-21 — the page's "5-" is a typo for 7 — with the single speaker heading सञ्जय at verse 1, ending with its colophon naming this the 44th adhyaya of the Abhimanyuvadha Parva); page and input agree on all 21 verses. The adhyaya corresponds to the critical edition 7.43.1–21 (Wikisource 44 = CE 43), verse for verse; verse 16 (7.43.16) was not matched automatically but is there. The critical edition has no star passages in this stretch. Verses 15–18 are one sentence (a series of instrumentals ending in "the earth was strewn"). Removed a stray zero-width joiner (U+200D) after ण् in पाण्डुषु (Wikisource misprint).

Verse 2 (7.44.2)

प्रविश्याथार्जुनिः सेनां सत्यसन्धो दुरासदः । व्यक्षोभयत तेजस्वी मकरः सागरं यथा ॥

praviśyāthārjuniḥ senāṃ satyasandho durāsadaḥ | vyakṣobhayata tejasvī makaraḥ sāgaraṃ yathā

Then Arjuna's son, true to his word and hard to approach, entered the army and, blazing with energy, threw it into turmoil, like a makara churning the ocean.

Verse 3 (7.44.3)

तं तथा शरवर्षेण छादयन्तमरिंदमम् । यथा प्रधानाः सौभद्रमभ्ययुः कुरुसत्तमाः ॥

taṃ tathā śaravarṣeṇa chādayantamariṃdamam | yathā pradhānāḥ saubhadramabhyayuḥ kurusattamāḥ

As that tamer of foes covered them with showers of arrows, the foremost of the Kurus, each in order of rank, advanced against Saubhadra.

Verse 4 (7.44.4)

तेषां तस्य च सम्मर्दो दारुणः समपद्यत । सृजतां शरवर्षाणि प्रसक्तममितौजसाम् ॥

teṣāṃ tasya ca sammardo dāruṇaḥ samapadyata | sṛjatāṃ śaravarṣāṇi prasaktamamitaujasām

A dreadful clash arose between them and him, as those warriors of boundless might loosed their arrows in unbroken showers.

Verse 5 (7.44.5)

रथव्रजेन संरुद्धस्तैरमित्रैस्तथाऽऽर्जुनिः । वृषसेनस्य यन्तारं हत्वा चिच्छेद कार्मुकम् ॥

rathavrajena saṃruddhastairamitraistathā''rjuniḥ | vṛṣasenasya yantāraṃ hatvā ciccheda kārmukam

Hemmed in by that host of enemy chariots, Arjuna's son killed the charioteer of Vrishasena and cut his bow.

Verse 6 (7.44.6)

तं च विव्याध बलवांस्तस्य चाश्वानजिह्मगैः । वातायमानैस्तैरश्वैर्विसंज्ञोऽपहृतो रणात् ॥

taṃ ca vivyādha balavāṃstasya cāśvānajihmagaiḥ | vātāyamānaistairaśvairvisaṃjño'pahṛto raṇāt

The mighty one also pierced him, and his horses, with straight-flying arrows; borne away by those horses, racing like the wind, he was carried unconscious out of the battle.

Verse 7 (7.44.7)

तेनान्तरेणाभिमन्योर्यन्तापासारयद्रथम् । रथव्रजास्ततो हृष्टाः साधुसाध्विति चुक्रुशुः ॥

tenāntareṇābhimanyoryantāpāsārayadratham | rathavrajāstato hṛṣṭāḥ sādhusādhviti cukruśuḥ

In the meantime Abhimanyu's charioteer drew his chariot away, and the hosts of chariots, delighted, cried "Well done, well done!"

Verse 8 (7.44.8)

तं सिंहमिव सङ्क्रुद्धं प्रमथ्नन्तं शरैररीन् । आरादायान्तमभ्येत्य वसातीयोऽभ्ययाद्द्रुतम् ॥

taṃ siṃhamiva saṅkruddhaṃ pramathnantaṃ śarairarīn | ārādāyāntamabhyetya vasātīyo'bhyayāddrutam

As he, enraged like a lion, was crushing his foes with arrows, Vasatiya came up close to him and swiftly charged.

Verse 9 (7.44.9)

सोऽभिमन्युं शरैः षष्ट्या रुक्मपुङ्कैरवाकिरत् । अब्रवीच्च न मे जीवञ्जीवतो युधि मोक्ष्यसे ॥

so'bhimanyuṃ śaraiḥ ṣaṣṭyā rukmapuṅkairavākirat | abravīcca na me jīvañjīvato yudhi mokṣyase

He showered Abhimanyu with sixty gold-feathered arrows and said, "While I live, you will not escape from me alive in this battle."

Verse 10 (7.44.10)

तमयस्मयवर्माणमिषुणा दूरपातिना । विव्याध हृदि सौभद्रः स पपात व्यसुः क्षितौ ॥

tamayasmayavarmāṇamiṣuṇā dūrapātinā | vivyādha hṛdi saubhadraḥ sa papāta vyasuḥ kṣitau

Saubhadra pierced him, clad in iron armour, in the heart with a far-flying arrow, and he fell lifeless to the ground.

Verse 11 (7.44.11)

वसातीयं हतं दृष्ट्वा क्रुद्धाः क्षत्रियपुङ्गवाः । परिवव्रुस्तदा राजंस्तव पौत्रं जिघांसवः ॥

vasātīyaṃ hataṃ dṛṣṭvā kruddhāḥ kṣatriyapuṅgavāḥ | parivavrustadā rājaṃstava pautraṃ jighāṃsavaḥ

Seeing Vasatiya slain, the enraged foremost Kshatriyas then surrounded your grandson, O king, wishing to kill him.

Verse 12 (7.44.12)

विष्फारयन्तश्चापानि नानारूपाण्यनेकशः । तद्युद्धमभवद्रौद्रं सौभद्रस्यारिभिः सह ॥

viṣphārayantaścāpāni nānārūpāṇyanekaśaḥ | tadyuddhamabhavadraudraṃ saubhadrasyāribhiḥ saha

Stretching bows of many shapes again and again, they fought a dreadful battle with Saubhadra.

Verse 13 (7.44.13)

तेषां शरान्सेष्वसनाञ्शरीराणि शिरांसि च । सकुण्डलानि स्रग्वीणि क्रुद्धश्चिच्छेद फाल्गुनिः ॥

teṣāṃ śarānseṣvasanāñśarīrāṇi śirāṃsi ca | sakuṇḍalāni sragvīṇi kruddhaściccheda phālguniḥ

Enraged, Phalguni's son cut down their arrows together with their bows, and their bodies and heads, with earrings and garlands.

Verse 14 (7.44.14)

सखड्गाः साङ्गुलित्राणाः सपट्टसपरश्वथाः । अदृश्यन्त भुजाश्छिन्ना हेमाभरणभूषिताः ॥

sakhaḍgāḥ sāṅgulitrāṇāḥ sapaṭṭasaparaśvathāḥ | adṛśyanta bhujāśchinnā hemābharaṇabhūṣitāḥ

Severed arms, adorned with golden ornaments, were seen still holding swords, finger-guards, spears and axes.

Note on the text: Corrected सखङ्गाः → सखड्गाः (misprint in Wikisource; misprint for the conjunct ड्ग in खड्ग "sword"; critical edition 7.43.14a सखड्गाः).

Verse 15 (7.44.15)

स्रग्भिराभरणैर्वस्त्रैः पतितैर्विविधैर्ध्वजैः । वर्मभिश्चर्मभिर्हारैर्मुकुटैश्छत्रचामरैः ॥

sragbhirābharaṇairvastraiḥ patitairvividhairdhvajaiḥ | varmabhiścarmabhirhārairmukuṭaiśchatracāmaraiḥ

With fallen garlands, ornaments and garments, with banners of many kinds, with armour, shields, necklaces, diadems, umbrellas and yak-tail fans,

Verse 16 (7.44.16)

उपस्करैरधिष्ठानैरीषादण्डकबन्धुरैः । अक्षैर्विमथितैश्चक्रैर्भग्नैश्च बहुधा युगैः ॥

upaskarairadhiṣṭhānairīṣādaṇḍakabandhuraiḥ | akṣairvimathitaiścakrairbhagnaiśca bahudhā yugaiḥ

with chariot-fittings and seats, with poles handsome in their shafts, with axles shattered and wheels and yokes broken in many ways,

Note on the text: Not matched by the automatic alignment; it is the critical edition's 7.43.16 (apaskarair adhiṣṭhānair, with the variant उपस्करैः).

Verse 17 (7.44.17)

अनुकर्षैः पताकाभिस्तथा सारथिवाजिभिः । रथैश्च भग्नैर्नागैश्च हतैः कीर्णाभवन्मही ॥

anukarṣaiḥ patākābhistathā sārathivājibhiḥ | rathaiśca bhagnairnāgaiśca hataiḥ kīrṇābhavanmahī

with axle-beams, flags, charioteers and horses, with broken chariots and slain elephants, the earth lay strewn.

Verse 18 (7.44.18)

निहतैः क्षत्रियैः शूरैर्नानाजनपदेश्वरैः । जयगृद्धैर्वृता भूमिर्दारुणा समपद्यत ॥

nihataiḥ kṣatriyaiḥ śūrairnānājanapadeśvaraiḥ | jayagṛddhairvṛtā bhūmirdāruṇā samapadyata

Covered with slain heroic Kshatriyas, lords of many countries, who had been eager for victory, the ground became dreadful.

Verse 19 (7.44.19)

दिशो विचरतस्तस्य सर्वाश्च प्रदिशस्तथा । रणेऽभिमन्योः क्रुद्धस्य रूपमन्तरधीयत ॥

diśo vicaratastasya sarvāśca pradiśastathā | raṇe'bhimanyoḥ kruddhasya rūpamantaradhīyata

As the enraged Abhimanyu ranged in all directions and in every intermediate quarter, his own form vanished from sight in the battle.

Verse 20 (7.44.20)

काञ्चनं यद्यदस्यासीद्वर्म चाभरणानि च । धनुषश्च शराणां च तदपश्याम केवलम् ॥

kāñcanaṃ yadyadasyāsīdvarma cābharaṇāni ca | dhanuṣaśca śarāṇāṃ ca tadapaśyāma kevalam

All that we could see was the gold of his armour and ornaments, and of his bow and arrows — nothing more.

Verse 21 (7.44.21)

तं तदा नाशकत्कश्चिच्चक्षुर्भ्यामभिवीक्षितुम् । आददानं शरैर्योधान्मध्ये सूर्यमिव स्थितम् ॥

taṃ tadā nāśakatkaściccakṣurbhyāmabhivīkṣitum | ādadānaṃ śarairyodhānmadhye sūryamiva sthitam

No one could then look at him with his eyes, as he took the lives of warriors with his arrows, standing in the midst like the sun.