The Duels at Drona's Array

Verse 1 (7.96.1)

राजन्सङ्ग्राममाश्चर्यं शृणु कीर्तयतो मम । कुरूणां पाण्डवानां च यथा युद्धमवर्तत ॥

rājansaṅgrāmamāścaryaṃ śṛṇu kīrtayato mama | kurūṇāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ ca yathā yuddhamavartata

O king, listen as I tell of the wondrous battle, how the war went on between the Kurus and the Pandavas.

Verse 2 (7.96.2)

भारद्वाजं समासाद्य व्यूहस्य प्रमुखे स्थितम् । अयोधयन्रणे पार्था द्रोणानीकं बिभित्सवः ॥

bhāradvājaṃ samāsādya vyūhasya pramukhe sthitam | ayodhayanraṇe pārthā droṇānīkaṃ bibhitsavaḥ

The Parthas, eager to break Drona's division, approached the son of Bharadvaja, who stood at the head of the array, and fought him in battle.

Verse 3 (7.96.3)

रक्षमाणः स्वकं व्यूहं द्रोणोऽपि सह सैनिकैः । अयोधयद्रणे पार्थान्प्रार्थयानो महद्यशः ॥

rakṣamāṇaḥ svakaṃ vyūhaṃ droṇo'pi saha sainikaiḥ | ayodhayadraṇe pārthānprārthayāno mahadyaśaḥ

Drona too, guarding his own array together with his soldiers, fought the Parthas in battle, seeking great fame.

Note on the text: Corrected स्वथं → स्वकं (misprint in Wikisource; स्वथं is not a word, the critical edition reads svakaṃ). Line 1 otherwise a recension variant of CE 7.71.3ab (singular रक्षमाणः … द्रोणः, for रक्षमाणाः … द्रोणस्य … सैनिकाः).

Verse 4 (7.96.4)

विन्दानुविन्दावावन्त्यौ विराटं दशभिः शरैः । आजघ्नतुः सुसङ्क्रुद्धौ तव पुत्रहितैषिणौ ॥

vindānuvindāvāvantyau virāṭaṃ daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ | ājaghnatuḥ susaṅkruddhau tava putrahitaiṣiṇau

Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, in great anger and eager for the welfare of your sons, struck Virata with ten arrows.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (7.71.4cd): Wikisource printed here a repeat of verse 3's second line (अयोधयद्रणे पार्थान्प्रार्थयानो महद्यशः) in place of the verse's own second line, आजघ्नतुः सुसङ्क्रुद्धौ तव पुत्रहितैषिणौ. The automatic alignment found no match.

Verse 5 (7.96.5)

विराटश्च महाराज तावुभौ समरे स्थितौ । पराक्रान्तौ पराक्रम्य योधयामास सानुगौ ॥

virāṭaśca mahārāja tāvubhau samare sthitau | parākrāntau parākramya yodhayāmāsa sānugau

And Virata, O great king, stood his ground against the two of them in battle, and valiantly fought those two valiant warriors together with their followers.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (7.71.5ab): Wikisource printed here a repeat of verse 4's first line (विन्दानुविन्दावावन्त्यौ विराटं दशभिः शरैः) in place of the verse's own first line, विराटश्च महाराज तावुभौ समरे स्थितौ. The automatic alignment found no match.

Verse 6 (7.96.6)

तेषां युद्धं समभवद्दारुणं शोणितोदकम् । सिंहस्य द्विपमुख्याभ्यां प्रभिन्नाभ्यां यथा वने ॥

teṣāṃ yuddhaṃ samabhavaddāruṇaṃ śoṇitodakam | siṃhasya dvipamukhyābhyāṃ prabhinnābhyāṃ yathā vane

A dreadful fight arose between them, with blood for water, like that of a lion against two chief elephants in rut in a forest.

Verse 7 (7.96.7)

बाह्लीकं रभसं युद्धे याज्ञसेनिर्महाबलः । आजघ्ने विशिखैस्तीक्ष्णैर्घोरैर्मर्मास्थिभेदिभिः ॥

bāhlīkaṃ rabhasaṃ yuddhe yājñasenirmahābalaḥ | ājaghne viśikhaistīkṣṇairghorairmarmāsthibhedibhiḥ

Yajnaseni's mighty son struck the impetuous Bahlika in battle with sharp, dreadful arrows that pierce the vital parts and the bones.

Verse 8 (7.96.8)

बाह्लीको याज्ञसेनिं तु हेमपुङ्खैः शिलाशितैः । आजघान भृशं क्रुद्धो नवभिर्नतपर्वभिः ॥

bāhlīko yājñaseniṃ tu hemapuṅkhaiḥ śilāśitaiḥ | ājaghāna bhṛśaṃ kruddho navabhirnataparvabhiḥ

Bahlika, in great fury, struck Yajnaseni's son hard with nine gold-feathered, stone-whetted arrows with bent joints.

Verse 9 (7.96.9)

तद्युद्धमभवद्धोरं शरशक्तिसमाकुलम् । भीरूणां त्रासजननं शूराणां हर्षवर्धनम् ॥

tadyuddhamabhavaddhoraṃ śaraśaktisamākulam | bhīrūṇāṃ trāsajananaṃ śūrāṇāṃ harṣavardhanam

That fight became dreadful, crowded with arrows and spears, striking terror into the timid and gladdening the brave.

Verse 10 (7.96.10)

ताभ्यां तत्र शरैर्मुक्तैरन्तरिक्षं दिशस्तथा । अभवत्संवृतं सर्वं न प्राज्ञायत किञ्चन ॥

tābhyāṃ tatra śarairmuktairantarikṣaṃ diśastathā | abhavatsaṃvṛtaṃ sarvaṃ na prājñāyata kiñcana

With the arrows loosed by the two of them, the sky and the quarters were all covered over, and nothing could be made out.

Verse 11 (7.96.11)

शैब्यो गोवासनो युद्धे काश्यपुत्रं महारथम् । ससैन्यो योधयामास गजः प्रतिगजं यथा ॥

śaibyo govāsano yuddhe kāśyaputraṃ mahāratham | sasainyo yodhayāmāsa gajaḥ pratigajaṃ yathā

Shaibya Govasana, with his troops, fought the great car-warrior, the son of Kashya, in battle, like one elephant against another.

Verse 12 (7.96.12)

बाह्लीकराजः सङ्क्रुद्धो द्रौपदेयान्महारथान् । मनः पञ्चेन्द्रियाणीव शुशुभे योधयन्रणे ॥

bāhlīkarājaḥ saṅkruddho draupadeyānmahārathān | manaḥ pañcendriyāṇīva śuśubhe yodhayanraṇe

The king of the Bahlikas, furious, fighting the great car-warriors, the sons of Draupadi, shone in the battle like the mind among the five senses.

Verse 13 (7.96.13)

अयोधयंस्ते सुभृशं तं शरौघैः समन्ततः । इन्द्रियाणि यथा देहं शश्वद्देहवतां वर ॥

ayodhayaṃste subhṛśaṃ taṃ śaraughaiḥ samantataḥ | indriyāṇi yathā dehaṃ śaśvaddehavatāṃ vara

They assailed him hard on every side with floods of arrows, as the senses ever assail the body, O best of embodied beings.

Verse 14 (7.96.14)

वार्ष्णेयं सात्यकिं युद्धे पुत्रो दुःशासनस्तव । आजघ्ने सायकैस्तीक्ष्णैर्नवभिर्नतपर्वभिः ॥

vārṣṇeyaṃ sātyakiṃ yuddhe putro duḥśāsanastava | ājaghne sāyakaistīkṣṇairnavabhirnataparvabhiḥ

Your son Duhshasana struck the Vrishni Satyaki in battle with nine sharp arrows with bent joints.

Verse 15 (7.96.15)

सोऽतिविद्धो बलवता महेष्वासेन धन्विना । ईषन्मूर्च्छां जगामाशु सात्यकिः सत्यविक्रमः ॥

so'tividdho balavatā maheṣvāsena dhanvinā | īṣanmūrcchāṃ jagāmāśu sātyakiḥ satyavikramaḥ

Deeply pierced by that mighty archer, the strong Satyaki, true in valour, swooned for a moment.

Verse 16 (7.96.16)

समाश्वस्तस्तु वार्ष्णेयस्तव पुत्रं महारथम् । विव्याध दशभिस्तूर्णं सायकैः कङ्कपत्रिभिः ॥

samāśvastastu vārṣṇeyastava putraṃ mahāratham | vivyādha daśabhistūrṇaṃ sāyakaiḥ kaṅkapatribhiḥ

Recovering, the Vrishni quickly pierced your great-car-warrior son with ten kanka-feathered arrows.

Verse 17 (7.96.17)

तावन्योन्यं दृढं विद्धावन्योन्यशरपीडितौ । रजेतुः समरे राजन्पुष्पिताविव किंशुकौ ॥

tāvanyonyaṃ dṛḍhaṃ viddhāvanyonyaśarapīḍitau | rajetuḥ samare rājanpuṣpitāviva kiṃśukau

Each deeply pierced and tormented by the other's arrows, the two shone in the battle, O king, like two kimshuka trees in bloom.

Verse 18 (7.96.18)

अलम्बुसस्तु सङ्क्रुद्धः कृन्तिभोजशरार्दितः । अशोभत भृशं लक्ष्म्या पुष्पाढ्य इव किंशुकः ॥

alambusastu saṅkruddhaḥ kṛntibhojaśarārditaḥ | aśobhata bhṛśaṃ lakṣmyā puṣpāḍhya iva kiṃśukaḥ

Alambusa, enraged and wounded by Kuntibhoja's arrows, shone greatly, like a kimshuka tree rich in blossoms.

Verse 19 (7.96.19)

कुन्तिभोजं ततो रक्षो विद्ध्वा बहुभिरायसैः । अनदद्भैरवं नादं वाहिन्याः प्रमुखे तव ॥

kuntibhojaṃ tato rakṣo viddhvā bahubhirāyasaiḥ | anadadbhairavaṃ nādaṃ vāhinyāḥ pramukhe tava

Then the rakshasa pierced Kuntibhoja with many iron arrows and gave a terrible roar at the head of your army.

Verse 20 (7.96.20)

ततस्तौ समरे शूरौ योधयन्तौ परस्परम् । ददृशुः सर्वसैन्यानि शक्रजम्भौ यथा पुरा ॥

tatastau samare śūrau yodhayantau parasparam | dadṛśuḥ sarvasainyāni śakrajambhau yathā purā

As those two heroes fought each other in the battle, all the armies watched them, as of old they had watched Shakra and Jambha.

Verse 21 (7.96.21)

शकुनिं रभसं युद्धे कृतवैरं च भारत । माद्रीपुत्रौ च संरब्धौ शरैश्चार्दयतां भृशम् ॥

śakuniṃ rabhasaṃ yuddhe kṛtavairaṃ ca bhārata | mādrīputrau ca saṃrabdhau śaraiścārdayatāṃ bhṛśam

The two sons of Madri, enraged, tormented Shakuni greatly with arrows — Shakuni, impetuous in battle and long their enemy, O Bharata.

Verse 22 (7.96.22)

तुमुलः स महान्राजन्प्रावर्तत जनक्षयः । त्वया सञ्जनितोऽत्यर्थं कर्णेन च विवर्धितः ॥

tumulaḥ sa mahānrājanprāvartata janakṣayaḥ | tvayā sañjanito'tyarthaṃ karṇena ca vivardhitaḥ

A great, tumultuous slaughter of men began, O king — one that you brought about and Karna swelled.

Verse 23 (7.96.23)

रक्षितस्तव पुत्रैश्च क्रोधमूलो हुताशनः । य इमां पृथिवीं राजन्दग्धुं सर्वां समुद्यतः ॥

rakṣitastava putraiśca krodhamūlo hutāśanaḥ | ya imāṃ pṛthivīṃ rājandagdhuṃ sarvāṃ samudyataḥ

It was kept alive by your sons — that fire rooted in anger, which has risen to burn up this entire earth, O king.

Verse 24 (7.96.24)

शकुनिः पाण्डुपुत्राभ्यां कृतः स विमुखः शरैः । न स्म जानाति कर्तव्यं युद्धे किञ्चित्पराक्रमम् ॥

śakuniḥ pāṇḍuputrābhyāṃ kṛtaḥ sa vimukhaḥ śaraiḥ | na sma jānāti kartavyaṃ yuddhe kiñcitparākramam

Shakuni, turned from the fight by the two sons of Pandu with their arrows, no longer knew what to do in the battle or what feat of valour to attempt.

Verse 25 (7.96.25)

विमुखं चैनमालोक्य माद्रीपुत्रौ महारथौ । ववर्षतुः पुनर्बाणैर्यथा मेघौ महागिरिम् ॥

vimukhaṃ cainamālokya mādrīputrau mahārathau | vavarṣatuḥ punarbāṇairyathā meghau mahāgirim

Seeing him turned away, the two great car-warriors, the sons of Madri, rained arrows on him again, like two clouds on a great mountain.

Verse 26 (7.96.26)

स वध्यमानो बहुभिः शरैः सन्नतपर्वभिः । सम्प्रायाज्जवनैरश्वैर्द्रोणानीकाय सौबलः ॥

sa vadhyamāno bahubhiḥ śaraiḥ sannataparvabhiḥ | samprāyājjavanairaśvairdroṇānīkāya saubalaḥ

Struck by many arrows with bent joints, the son of Subala fled on his swift horses to Drona's division.

Verse 27 (7.96.27)

घटोत्कचस्तथा शूरं राक्षसं तमलायुधम् । अभ्ययाद्रभसं युद्धे वेगमास्थाय मध्यमम् ॥

ghaṭotkacastathā śūraṃ rākṣasaṃ tamalāyudham | abhyayādrabhasaṃ yuddhe vegamāsthāya madhyamam

Ghatotkacha, taking a moderate speed, charged the brave rakshasa Alayudha, who was impetuous in battle.

Note on the text: Corrected तमलामुधम् → तमलायुधम् (misprint in Wikisource; लामुध is not a word, the critical edition reads alāyudham — the rakshasa Alayudha).

Verse 28 (7.96.28)

तयोर्युद्धं महाराज चित्ररूपमिवाभवत् । यादृशं हि पुरावृत्तं रामरावणयोर्मृधे ॥

tayoryuddhaṃ mahārāja citrarūpamivābhavat | yādṛśaṃ hi purāvṛttaṃ rāmarāvaṇayormṛdhe

Their fight, O great king, was as wondrous to see as the fight of Rama and Ravana in the old days.

Verse 29 (7.96.29)

ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा मद्रराजानमाहवे । विद्ध्वा पञ्चाशता बाणैः पुनर्विव्याध सप्तभिः ॥

tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā madrarājānamāhave | viddhvā pañcāśatā bāṇaiḥ punarvivyādha saptabhiḥ

Then King Yudhishthira, having pierced the king of Madra in battle with fifty arrows, pierced him again with seven.

Verse 30 (7.96.30)

ततः प्रववृते युद्धं तयोरत्यद्भुतं नृप । यथा पूर्वं महद्युद्धं शम्बरामरराजयोः ॥

tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ tayoratyadbhutaṃ nṛpa | yathā pūrvaṃ mahadyuddhaṃ śambarāmararājayoḥ

Then a most wondrous fight began between them, O king, like the great fight of old between Shambara and the king of the gods.

Verse 31 (7.96.31)

विविंशतिश्चित्रसेनो विकर्णश्च तवात्मजः । अयोधयन्भीमसेनं महत्या सेनया वृताः ॥

viviṃśatiścitraseno vikarṇaśca tavātmajaḥ | ayodhayanbhīmasenaṃ mahatyā senayā vṛtāḥ

Vivimshati, Chitrasena and your son Vikarna, surrounded by a great army, fought Bhimasena.