Abhimanyu Slays a Hundred Princes

Verse 1 (7.45.1)

आददानस्तु शूराणामायुंष्यभवदार्जुनिः । अन्तकः सर्वभूतानां प्राणान्काल इवागते ॥

ādadānastu śūrāṇāmāyuṃṣyabhavadārjuniḥ | antakaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ prāṇānkāla ivāgate

Taking the lives of heroes, Arjuna's son became like Antaka, the ender of all beings, like Time when the hour has come.

Note on the text: Adhyaya note: checked against the raw Wikisource page (a table, one row per verse, printed 5-45-1 to 5-45-30 — 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 45th adhyaya of the Abhimanyuvadha Parva); page and input agree on all 30 verses. The adhyaya corresponds to the critical edition 7.44.1–30 (Wikisource 45 = CE 44), verse for verse. Star passages of the critical edition not on the page: 7.44.8d*0305_01, 12d*0306_01 and 24d*0307_01–02. Verse 10 is Rukmaratha's speech (no heading on the page), so it is given to him.

Verse 2 (7.45.2)

स शक्र इव विक्रान्तः शक्रसूनोः सुतो बली । अभिमन्युस्तदानीकं लोडयन्समदृश्यत ॥

sa śakra iva vikrāntaḥ śakrasūnoḥ suto balī | abhimanyustadānīkaṃ loḍayansamadṛśyata

That mighty one, valiant as Shakra, son of Shakra's son, was seen churning that army.

Verse 3 (7.45.3)

प्रविश्यैव तु राजेन्द्र क्षत्रियेन्द्रान्तकोपमः । सत्यश्रवसमादत्त व्याघ्रो मृगमिवोल्बणः ॥

praviśyaiva tu rājendra kṣatriyendrāntakopamaḥ | satyaśravasamādatta vyāghro mṛgamivolbaṇaḥ

Plunging in, O king of kings, like the ender of the lords of Kshatriyas himself, he seized Satyashravas, as a fierce tiger seizes a deer.

Verse 4 (7.45.4)

सत्यश्रवसि चाक्षिप्ते त्वरमाणा महारथाः । प्रगृह्य विपुलं शस्त्रमभिमन्युमुपाद्रवन् ॥

satyaśravasi cākṣipte tvaramāṇā mahārathāḥ | pragṛhya vipulaṃ śastramabhimanyumupādravan

When Satyashravas was struck down, the great warriors, hurrying, raised their mighty weapons and rushed at Abhimanyu.

Verse 5 (7.45.5)

अहंपूर्वमहंपूर्वमिति क्षत्रियपुङ्गवाः । स्पर्धमानाः समाजग्मुर्जिघांसन्तोऽर्जुनात्मजम् ॥

ahaṃpūrvamahaṃpūrvamiti kṣatriyapuṅgavāḥ | spardhamānāḥ samājagmurjighāṃsanto'rjunātmajam

"I first! I first!" — so the foremost of the Kshatriyas, vying with one another, converged, wishing to kill Arjuna's son.

Verse 6 (7.45.6)

क्षत्रियाणामनीकानि प्रद्रुतान्यभिधावताम् । जग्राह तिमिरासाद्य क्षुद्रमत्स्यानिवार्णिवे ॥

kṣatriyāṇāmanīkāni pradrutānyabhidhāvatām | jagrāha timirāsādya kṣudramatsyānivārṇive

Falling on the Kshatriya troops as they rushed at him, he seized them as a timi whale seizes small fish in the ocean.

Verse 7 (7.45.7)

ये केचन गतास्तस्य समीपमपलायिनः । न ते प्रतिन्यवर्तन्त समुद्रादिव सिन्धवः ॥

ye kecana gatāstasya samīpamapalāyinaḥ | na te pratinyavartanta samudrādiva sindhavaḥ

Those who went near him without fleeing never came back, like rivers that have flowed into the sea.

Verse 8 (7.45.8)

महाग्रहगृहीतेव वातवेगभयार्दिता । समकम्पत सा सेना विभ्रष्टा नौरिवार्णवे ॥

mahāgrahagṛhīteva vātavegabhayārditā | samakampata sā senā vibhraṣṭā naurivārṇave

Like a ship seized by a great sea-monster and tormented by fear of the force of the wind, that broken army trembled like a ship on the ocean.

Verse 9 (7.45.9)

अथ रुक्मरथो नाम मद्रेश्वरसुतो बली । त्रस्तामाश्वासयन्सेनामत्रस्तो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥

atha rukmaratho nāma madreśvarasuto balī | trastāmāśvāsayansenāmatrasto vākyamabravīt

Then Rukmaratha, the mighty son of the king of Madra, reassuring the frightened army, spoke fearlessly.

Verse 10 (7.45.10)

अलं त्रासेन वः शूरा नैष कश्चिन्मयि स्थिते । अहमेनं ग्रहीष्यामि जीवग्राहं न संशयः ॥

alaṃ trāsena vaḥ śūrā naiṣa kaścinmayi sthite | ahamenaṃ grahīṣyāmi jīvagrāhaṃ na saṃśayaḥ

"Enough of your fear, heroes! While I stand here, this man is nothing. I shall seize him alive — there is no doubt."

Note on the text: Corrected ग्रीहष्यामि → ग्रहीष्यामि (misprint in Wikisource; a garbled future form of ग्रह्; critical edition 7.44.10c ग्रहीष्यामि). Speaker: the verse is Rukmaratha's speech (introduced in verse 9); the page prints no heading, so it is given to him.

Verse 11 (7.45.11)

एवमुक्त्वा तु सौभद्रमभिदुद्राव वीर्यवान् । सुकल्पितेनोह्यमानः स्यन्दनेन विराजता ॥

evamuktvā tu saubhadramabhidudrāva vīryavān | sukalpitenohyamānaḥ syandanena virājatā

Having said this, the powerful one rushed at Saubhadra, borne by a splendid, well-appointed chariot.

Verse 12 (7.45.12)

सोऽभिमन्युं त्रिभिर्बाणैर्विद्ध्वा वक्षस्यथानदत् । त्रिभिश्च दक्षिणे बाहौ सव्ये च निशितैस्त्रिभिः ॥

so'bhimanyuṃ tribhirbāṇairviddhvā vakṣasyathānadat | tribhiśca dakṣiṇe bāhau savye ca niśitaistribhiḥ

He pierced Abhimanyu in the chest with three arrows and roared; then he struck him with three sharp ones in the right arm and three in the left.

Verse 13 (7.45.13)

स तस्येष्वसनं छित्त्वा फाल्गुनिः सव्यदक्षिणौ । भुजौ शिरश्च स्वक्षिभ्रु क्षितौ क्षिप्रमपातयत् ॥

sa tasyeṣvasanaṃ chittvā phālguniḥ savyadakṣiṇau | bhujau śiraśca svakṣibhru kṣitau kṣipramapātayat

Phalguni's son cut his bow, and swiftly felled to the ground both his arms, right and left, and his head with its fine eyes and brows.

Verse 14 (7.45.14)

दृष्ट्वा रुक्मरथं रुग्णं पुत्रं शल्यस्य मानिनम् । जीवग्राहं जिघृक्षन्तं सौभद्रेण यशस्विना ॥

dṛṣṭvā rukmarathaṃ rugṇaṃ putraṃ śalyasya māninam | jīvagrāhaṃ jighṛkṣantaṃ saubhadreṇa yaśasvinā

Seeing Rukmaratha, the proud son of Shalya, cut down — he who had wished to take the glorious Saubhadra alive —

Verse 15 (7.45.15)

सङ्ग्रामदुर्मदा राजन्राजपुत्राः प्रहारिणः । वयस्याः शल्यपुत्रस्य सुवर्णविकृतध्वजाः ॥

saṅgrāmadurmadā rājanrājaputrāḥ prahāriṇaḥ | vayasyāḥ śalyaputrasya suvarṇavikṛtadhvajāḥ

the princes, O king, intoxicated with battle, hard strikers, friends of Shalya's son, with banners fashioned of gold,

Verse 16 (7.45.16)

तालमात्राणि चापानि विकर्षन्तो महाबलाः । आर्जुनिं शरवर्षेण समन्तात्पर्यवारयन् ॥

tālamātrāṇi cāpāni vikarṣanto mahābalāḥ | ārjuniṃ śaravarṣeṇa samantātparyavārayan

those mighty warriors, drawing bows as long as palm trees, surrounded Arjuna's son on every side with a rain of arrows.

Verse 17 (7.45.17)

शूरैः शिक्षाबलोपेतैस्तरुणैरत्यमर्षणैः । दृष्ट्वैकं समरे शूरं सौभद्रमपराजितम् ॥

śūraiḥ śikṣābalopetaistaruṇairatyamarṣaṇaiḥ | dṛṣṭvaikaṃ samare śūraṃ saubhadramaparājitam

By heroes strong in training, young and exceedingly wrathful — seeing the lone hero Saubhadra, unconquered, in the battle,

Note on the text: Corrected निक्षाबलोपेतै → शिक्षाबलोपेतै (misprint in Wikisource; a wrong first akshara; "strong in training" — critical edition 7.44.17a शिक्षाबलोपेतैः).

Verse 18 (7.45.18)

छाद्यमानं शरव्रातैर्हृष्टो दुर्योधनोऽभवत् । वैवस्वतस्य भवनं गतं ह्येनममन्यत ॥

chādyamānaṃ śaravrātairhṛṣṭo duryodhano'bhavat | vaivasvatasya bhavanaṃ gataṃ hyenamamanyata

as he was covered by volleys of arrows, Duryodhana was delighted; he thought him gone to the house of Vaivasvata.

Note on the text: Corrected ह्येममन्यत → ह्येनममन्यत (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped न; "he thought him gone" — critical edition 7.44.18c एनम् अमन्यत).

Verse 19 (7.45.19)

सुवर्णपुङ्खैरिषुभिर्नानालिङ्गैः सुतेजनैः । अदृश्यमार्जुनिं चक्रुर्निमेषात्ते नृपात्मजाः ॥

suvarṇapuṅkhairiṣubhirnānāliṅgaiḥ sutejanaiḥ | adṛśyamārjuniṃ cakrurnimeṣātte nṛpātmajāḥ

In a moment those princes, with sharp, gold-feathered arrows bearing many marks, made Arjuna's son invisible.

Verse 20 (7.45.20)

ससूताश्वध्वजं तस्य स्यन्दनं तं च मारिष । आचितं समपश्याम श्वाविधं शललैरिव ॥

sasūtāśvadhvajaṃ tasya syandanaṃ taṃ ca māriṣa | ācitaṃ samapaśyāma śvāvidhaṃ śalalairiva

We saw his chariot, O sir, with its charioteer, horses and banner, bristling with arrows like a porcupine with its quills.

Verse 21 (7.45.21)

स गाढविद्धः क्रुद्धश्च तोत्रैर्गज इवार्दितः । गान्धर्वमस्त्रमायच्छद्रथमायां च भारत ॥

sa gāḍhaviddhaḥ kruddhaśca totrairgaja ivārditaḥ | gāndharvamastramāyacchadrathamāyāṃ ca bhārata

Deeply pierced and enraged, tormented like an elephant by goads, he called on the Gandharva weapon and the illusion of the chariot, O Bharata.

Verse 22 (7.45.22)

अर्जुनेन तपस्तप्त्वा गन्धर्वेभ्यो यदाहृतम् । तुम्बुरुप्रमुखेभ्यो वै तेनामोहयताहितान् ॥

arjunena tapastaptvā gandharvebhyo yadāhṛtam | tumburupramukhebhyo vai tenāmohayatāhitān

That weapon which Arjuna had won from the Gandharvas, Tumburu and the rest, after practising austerity — with it he bewildered his foes.

Note on the text: Corrected अर्जुनो तपस्तप्त्वा → अर्जुनेन तपस्तप्त्वा (misprint in Wikisource; the instrumental अर्जुनेन is needed with आहृतम् ("obtained by Arjuna"); critical edition 7.44.22a अर्जुनेन तपस् तप्त्वा).

Verse 23 (7.45.23)

एकधा शतधा राजन्दृश्यते स्म सहस्रधा । अलातचक्रवत्सङ्ख्ये क्षिप्रमस्त्राणि दर्शयन् ॥

ekadhā śatadhā rājandṛśyate sma sahasradhā | alātacakravatsaṅkhye kṣipramastrāṇi darśayan

O king, he was seen as one, as a hundred, as a thousand, swiftly displaying his weapons in the battle like a whirling firebrand.

Verse 24 (7.45.24)

रथचर्यास्त्रमायाभिर्मोहयित्वा परन्तपः । बिभेद शतधा राजञ्शरीराणि महीक्षिताम् ॥

rathacaryāstramāyābhirmohayitvā parantapaḥ | bibheda śatadhā rājañśarīrāṇi mahīkṣitām

Having bewildered them with chariot-manoeuvres, weapons and illusions, the tormentor of foes split asunder, a hundredfold, the bodies of kings, O king.

Verse 25 (7.45.25)

प्राणाः प्राणभृतां सङ्ख्ये प्रेषिता निशितैः शरैः । राजन्प्रापुरमुं लोकं शरीराण्यवनिं ययुः ॥

prāṇāḥ prāṇabhṛtāṃ saṅkhye preṣitā niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | rājanprāpuramuṃ lokaṃ śarīrāṇyavaniṃ yayuḥ

The lives of living beings, sent forth by his sharp arrows in the battle, went to the other world, O king; their bodies fell to the earth.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रापुरसुं → प्रापुरमुं (misprint in Wikisource; असुं is not the word needed; "reached the other world" — critical edition 7.44.25c प्रापुर अमुं लोकं).

Verse 26 (7.45.26)

धनूंष्यश्वान्नियन्तॄंश्च ध्वजान्बाहूंश्च साङ्गदान् । शिरांसि च शितैर्बाणैस्तेषां चिच्छेद फाल्गुनिः ॥

dhanūṃṣyaśvānniyantṝṃśca dhvajānbāhūṃśca sāṅgadān | śirāṃsi ca śitairbāṇaisteṣāṃ ciccheda phālguniḥ

Phalguni's son cut off their bows, horses, charioteers, banners, armlet-adorned arms and heads with sharp arrows.

Note on the text: Corrected सिरांसि → शिरांसि (misprint in Wikisource; a wrong first akshara; "heads" — critical edition 7.44.26c शिरांसि).

Verse 27 (7.45.27)

चूतारामो यथा भग्नः पञ्चवर्षः फलोपगः । राजपुत्रशतं तद्वत्सौभद्रेण निपातितम् ॥

cūtārāmo yathā bhagnaḥ pañcavarṣaḥ phalopagaḥ | rājaputraśataṃ tadvatsaubhadreṇa nipātitam

As a mango grove, five years old and bearing fruit, is broken down, so a hundred princes were felled by Saubhadra.

Verse 28 (7.45.28)

क्रुद्धाशीविषसङ्काशान्सुकुमारान्सुखोचितान् । एकेन निहतान्दृष्ट्वा भीतो दुर्योधनोऽभवत् ॥

kruddhāśīviṣasaṅkāśānsukumārānsukhocitān | ekena nihatāndṛṣṭvā bhīto duryodhano'bhavat

Seeing those tender youths, accustomed to ease and like enraged venomous snakes, killed by a single man, Duryodhana grew afraid.

Verse 29 (7.45.29)

रथिनः कुञ्जरानश्वान्पदातींश्चावमर्दितान् । दृष्ट्वा दुर्योधनः क्षिप्रमुपायात्तममर्षितः ॥

rathinaḥ kuñjarānaśvānpadātīṃścāvamarditān | dṛṣṭvā duryodhanaḥ kṣipramupāyāttamamarṣitaḥ

Seeing chariot-warriors, elephants, horses and foot-soldiers crushed, Duryodhana, resentful, quickly went up to him.

Verse 30 (7.45.30)

तयोः क्षणमिवापूर्वः सङ्ग्रामः समपद्यत । अथाभवत्ते विमुखः पुत्रः शरशताहतः ॥

tayoḥ kṣaṇamivāpūrvaḥ saṅgrāmaḥ samapadyata | athābhavatte vimukhaḥ putraḥ śaraśatāhataḥ

For a moment a battle such as had never been seen before took place between the two; then your son, struck by a hundred arrows, turned away.