Dhrishtadyumna Leaps onto Drona's Chariot and Satyaki Rescues Him

Verse 1 (7.97.1)

तथा तस्मिन्प्रवृत्ते तु सङ्ग्रामे रोमहर्षणे । कौरवेयांस्त्रिधाभूतान्पाण्डवाः समुपाद्रवन् ॥

tathā tasminpravṛtte tu saṅgrāme romaharṣaṇe | kauraveyāṃstridhābhūtānpāṇḍavāḥ samupādravan

Then, as that hair-raising battle went on, the Pandavas rushed upon the Kauravas, who had divided into three bodies.

Note on the text: Corrected सङ्ग्रमे → सङ्ग्रामे (misprint in Wikisource; सङ्ग्रम is not a word in context, the critical edition reads saṃgrāme). Line 1 reads रोम- (CE: लोम-), a valid variant.

Verse 2 (7.97.2)

जलसन्धं महाबाहुं भीमसेनोऽभ्यवर्तत । युधिष्ठिरः सहानीकः कृतवर्माणमाहवे ॥

jalasandhaṃ mahābāhuṃ bhīmaseno'bhyavartata | yudhiṣṭhiraḥ sahānīkaḥ kṛtavarmāṇamāhave

Bhimasena advanced against the mighty-armed Jalasandha, and Yudhishthira, with his army, against Kritavarma in the battle.

Verse 3 (7.97.3)

किरंस्तु शरवर्षाणि रोचमान इवांशुमान् । धृष्टद्युम्नो महाराज द्रोणमभ्यद्रवद्रणे ॥

kiraṃstu śaravarṣāṇi rocamāna ivāṃśumān | dhṛṣṭadyumno mahārāja droṇamabhyadravadraṇe

Dhrishtadyumna, O great king, showering arrows and shining like the radiant sun, charged Drona in the battle.

Verse 4 (7.97.4)

ततः प्रववृते युद्धं त्वरतां सर्वधन्विनाम् । कुरूणां पाण्डवानां च सङ्क्रुद्धानां परस्परम् ॥

tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ tvaratāṃ sarvadhanvinām | kurūṇāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ ca saṅkruddhānāṃ parasparam

Then the battle began among all the archers, who were hurrying on, between the Kurus and the Pandavas, each enraged against the other.

Verse 5 (7.97.5)

सङ्क्षये तु तथाभूते वर्तमाने महाभये । द्वन्द्वीभूतेषु सैन्येषु युध्यमानेष्वभीतवत् ॥

saṅkṣaye tu tathābhūte vartamāne mahābhaye | dvandvībhūteṣu sainyeṣu yudhyamāneṣvabhītavat

When the slaughter had taken that shape and the great terror was upon them, and the armies had paired off in duels, they fought without fear.

Note on the text: Corrected द्वन्दवीभूतेषु → द्वन्द्वीभूतेषु (misprint in Wikisource; a stray व after द्व, the critical edition reads dvaṃdvībhūteṣu).

Verse 6 (7.97.6)

द्रोणः पाञ्चालपुत्रेण बली बलवता सह । यदक्षिपत्पृषत्कौघांस्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत् ॥

droṇaḥ pāñcālaputreṇa balī balavatā saha | yadakṣipatpṛṣatkaughāṃstadadbhutamivābhavat

Drona, strong himself, and the strong son of Panchala — the volleys of arrows that Drona hurled at him were a wonder to see.

Verse 7 (7.97.7)

पुण्डरीकवनानीव विध्वस्तानि समन्ततः । चक्राते द्रोणपाञ्चाल्यौ नृणां शीर्षाण्यनेकशः ॥

puṇḍarīkavanānīva vidhvastāni samantataḥ | cakrāte droṇapāñcālyau nṛṇāṃ śīrṣāṇyanekaśaḥ

Drona and the Panchala son cut off the heads of men in their hundreds, like lotus-groves beaten down on every side.

Verse 8 (7.97.8)

विनिकीर्णानि वीराणामनीकेषु समन्ततः । वस्त्राभरणशस्त्राणि ध्वजवर्मायुधानि च ॥

vinikīrṇāni vīrāṇāmanīkeṣu samantataḥ | vastrābharaṇaśastrāṇi dhvajavarmāyudhāni ca

The clothes, ornaments, weapons, banners, armour and arms of heroes lay scattered on every side across the ranks.

Verse 9 (7.97.9)

तपनीयतनुत्राणाः संसिक्ता रुधिरेण च । कोविदारा इवाभान्ति पुष्पितास्तत्र भारत । तावकाः समरे योधाः पाण्डवेयाश्च विक्षताः ॥

tapanīyatanutrāṇāḥ saṃsiktā rudhireṇa ca | kovidārā ivābhānti puṣpitāstatra bhārata | tāvakāḥ samare yodhāḥ pāṇḍaveyāśca vikṣatāḥ

Your warriors and the Pandavas' alike, wounded in the battle, clad in golden mail and drenched in blood, shone there like flowering kovidara trees, O Bharata.

Note on the text: Wikisource has three lines here. Line 1 is a variant of CE 7.72.9a (तपनीयतनुत्राणाः for तपनीयविचित्राङ्गाः) with a different second line in the critical edition (संसक्ता इव दृश्यन्ते मेघसङ्घाः सविद्युतः); line 2 (कोविदारा इवाभान्ति …) is not in the critical edition (vulgate-only); line 3 is the critical edition's star passage 7.72.9d*0518_01. The automatic alignment found no match.

Verse 10 (7.97.10)

कुञ्जराश्वनरान्ये पातयन्ति स्म पत्रिभिः । तालमात्राणि चापानि विकर्षन्तो महारथाः ॥

kuñjarāśvanarānye pātayanti sma patribhiḥ | tālamātrāṇi cāpāni vikarṣanto mahārathāḥ

The great car-warriors, drawing bows as long as palm trees, brought down elephants, horses and men with their feathered arrows.

Verse 11 (7.97.11)

असिचर्माणि चापानि शिरांशि कवचानि च । विप्रकीर्यन्त शूराणां सम्प्रहारे महात्मनाम् ॥

asicarmāṇi cāpāni śirāṃśi kavacāni ca | viprakīryanta śūrāṇāṃ samprahāre mahātmanām

Swords, shields, bows, heads and armour of the great-souled heroes were strewn about in that clash.

Verse 12 (7.97.12)

उत्थितान्यगणेयानि कबन्धानि समन्ततः । अदृश्यन्त महाराज तस्मिन्परमसङ्कुले ॥

utthitānyagaṇeyāni kabandhāni samantataḥ | adṛśyanta mahārāja tasminparamasaṅkule

Countless headless trunks rose up on every side and were seen, O great king, in that vast confusion.

Verse 13 (7.97.13)

गृध्राः कङ्का बकाः श्येना वायसा जम्बुकास्तथा । बहुशः पिशिताशाश्च तत्रादृश्यन्त मारिष ॥

gṛdhrāḥ kaṅkā bakāḥ śyenā vāyasā jambukāstathā | bahuśaḥ piśitāśāśca tatrādṛśyanta māriṣa

Vultures, kankas, cranes, hawks, crows, jackals and many other flesh-eaters were seen there, O lord.

Verse 14 (7.97.14)

भक्षयन्तश्च मांसानि पिबन्तश्चापि शोणितम् । विलुम्पमानाः केशांश्च मज्जाश्च बहुधा नृप ॥

bhakṣayantaśca māṃsāni pibantaścāpi śoṇitam | vilumpamānāḥ keśāṃśca majjāśca bahudhā nṛpa

They fed on the flesh and drank the blood, and tore at hair and marrow in many ways, O king,

Verse 15 (7.97.15)

आकर्षन्तः शरीराणि शरीरावयवांस्तथा । नराश्वगजसङ्घानां शिरांशि च ततस्ततः ॥

ākarṣantaḥ śarīrāṇi śarīrāvayavāṃstathā | narāśvagajasaṅghānāṃ śirāṃśi ca tatastataḥ

dragging off bodies and limbs, and the heads of men, horses and elephants, here and there.

Verse 16 (7.97.16)

कृतास्त्रा रणशिक्षाभिर्दीक्षिता रणशालिनः । रणे जयं प्रार्थयाना भृशं युयुधिरे तदा ॥

kṛtāstrā raṇaśikṣābhirdīkṣitā raṇaśālinaḥ | raṇe jayaṃ prārthayānā bhṛśaṃ yuyudhire tadā

Skilled in weapons, consecrated by their training for war, at home in battle, they fought fiercely then, seeking victory in the fight.

Verse 17 (7.97.17)

असिमार्गान्बहुविधान्विचेरुः सैनिका रणे । ऋष्टिभिः शक्तिभिः प्रासैः शूलतोमरपट्टसैः ॥

asimārgānbahuvidhānviceruḥ sainikā raṇe | ṛṣṭibhiḥ śaktibhiḥ prāsaiḥ śūlatomarapaṭṭasaiḥ

The soldiers moved in battle along many paths of the sword, and fought with lances, spears, javelins, pikes, tomaras and battle-axes.

Verse 18 (7.97.18)

गदाभिः परिघैश्चान्यैरायुधैश्च भुजैरपि । अन्योन्यं जघ्निरे क्रुद्धा युद्धरङ्गता नराः ॥

gadābhiḥ parighaiścānyairāyudhaiśca bhujairapi | anyonyaṃ jaghnire kruddhā yuddharaṅgatā narāḥ

With maces, iron clubs and other weapons, and even with their arms, the men, enraged, struck one another on that field of battle.

Verse 19 (7.97.19)

रथिनो रथिभिः सार्धमश्वारोहाश्च सादिभिः । मातङ्गा वरमातङ्गैः पदाताश्च पदातिभिः ॥

rathino rathibhiḥ sārdhamaśvārohāśca sādibhiḥ | mātaṅgā varamātaṅgaiḥ padātāśca padātibhiḥ

Chariot-warriors fought chariot-warriors, horsemen fought horsemen, mighty elephants fought the best of elephants, and foot-soldiers fought foot-soldiers.

Verse 20 (7.97.20)

क्षीबा इवान्ये चोन्मत्ता रङ्गेष्विव च वारणाः । उच्चुक्रुशुरथान्योन्यं जघ्नुरन्योन्यमेव च ॥

kṣībā ivānye conmattā raṅgeṣviva ca vāraṇāḥ | uccukruśurathānyonyaṃ jaghnuranyonyameva ca

Others, as if drunk or maddened, shouted at one another and struck one another, like elephants in an arena.

Verse 21 (7.97.21)

वर्तमाने तथा युद्धे निर्मर्यादे विशाम्पते । धृष्टद्युम्नो हयानश्वैर्द्रोणस्य व्यत्यमिश्रयत् ॥

vartamāne tathā yuddhe nirmaryāde viśāmpate | dhṛṣṭadyumno hayānaśvairdroṇasya vyatyamiśrayat

While the battle went on in this way without restraint, O lord of the people, Dhrishtadyumna mixed Drona's horses in with his own.

Note on the text: Corrected हयानश्चैः → हयानश्वैः (misprint in Wikisource; श्च for श्व, giving a non-word; the critical edition reads hayān aśvair).

Verse 22 (7.97.22)

ते हयाः साध्वशोभन्त मिश्रिता वातरंहसः । पारावतसवर्णाश्च रक्तशोणाश्च संयुगे ॥

te hayāḥ sādhvaśobhanta miśritā vātaraṃhasaḥ | pārāvatasavarṇāśca raktaśoṇāśca saṃyuge

Those mingled horses, swift as the wind, some pigeon-coloured and some red-bay, looked splendid in the battle.

Note on the text: Lines 1–2 are CE 7.72.22ab (a recension variant: मिश्रिता for विमिश्राः); CE 7.72.22 is a three-line verse whose third line falls in the next verse here. The automatic alignment found no match.

Verse 23 (7.97.23)

पारावतसवर्णास्ते रक्तशोणविमिश्रिताः । हयाः शुशुभिरे राजन्मेघा इव सविद्युतः ॥

pārāvatasavarṇāste raktaśoṇavimiśritāḥ | hayāḥ śuśubhire rājanmeghā iva savidyutaḥ

Those pigeon-coloured horses, mingled with the red-bay ones, shone, O king, like clouds with lightning in them.

Note on the text: Line 1 is a variant of CE 7.72.22b (पारावतसवर्णास्ते रक्तशोणविमिश्रिताः); line 2 is CE 7.72.22c (हयाः शुशुभिरे राजन्मेघा इव सविद्युतः). The automatic alignment found no match.

Verse 24 (7.97.24)

धृष्टद्युम्नस्तु सम्प्रेक्ष्य द्रोणमभ्याशमागतम् । असिचर्माददे वीरो धनुरुत्सृज्य भारत ॥

dhṛṣṭadyumnastu samprekṣya droṇamabhyāśamāgatam | asicarmādade vīro dhanurutsṛjya bhārata

Seeing Drona come near, the hero Dhrishtadyumna, O Bharata, laid down his bow and took up sword and shield.

Verse 25 (7.97.25)

चिकीर्षुर्दुष्करं कर्म पार्षतः परवीरहा । ईषायाः समतिक्रम्य द्रोणस्य रथमाविशत् ॥

cikīrṣurduṣkaraṃ karma pārṣataḥ paravīrahā | īṣāyāḥ samatikramya droṇasya rathamāviśat

Wishing to do a deed that was hard to do, Parshata, slayer of enemy heroes, stepped across the pole and entered Drona's chariot.

Verse 26 (7.97.26)

अतिष्ठद्युगमध्ये स युगसन्नहनेषु च । जघनार्धेषु चाश्वानां तत्सैन्यान्यभ्यपूजयन् ॥

atiṣṭhadyugamadhye sa yugasannahaneṣu ca | jaghanārdheṣu cāśvānāṃ tatsainyānyabhyapūjayan

He stood on the middle of the yoke, on the yoke-fastenings, and on the hindquarters of the horses, and his troops cheered him.

Verse 27 (7.97.27)

खड्गेन चरतस्तस्य शोणाश्वानधितिष्ठतः । न ददर्शान्तरं द्रोणस्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत् ॥

khaḍgena caratastasya śoṇāśvānadhitiṣṭhataḥ | na dadarśāntaraṃ droṇastadadbhutamivābhavat

As he moved about with the sword, standing on the red-bay horses, Drona could not find an opening; it seemed a wonder.

Note on the text: Corrected खङ्गेन → खड्गेन and ददार्शान्तरं → ददर्शान्तरम् (misprints in Wikisource; खङ्ग for खड्ग, and a long आ in the verb; the critical edition reads khaḍgena … dadarśāntaraṃ).

Verse 28 (7.97.28)

यथा श्येनस्य पतनं वनेष्वामिषगृद्धिनः । तथैवासीदभीसारस्तस्य द्रोणं जिघांसतः ॥

yathā śyenasya patanaṃ vaneṣvāmiṣagṛddhinaḥ | tathaivāsīdabhīsārastasya droṇaṃ jighāṃsataḥ

His onset, as he wished to slay Drona, was like the swoop of a hawk in the forests, greedy for flesh.

Verse 29 (7.97.29)

ततः शरशतेनास्य शतचन्द्रं समाक्षिपत् । द्रोणो द्रुपदपुत्रस्य खड्गं च दशभिः शरैः ॥

tataḥ śaraśatenāsya śatacandraṃ samākṣipat | droṇo drupadaputrasya khaḍgaṃ ca daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ

Then Drona struck down the shield of a hundred moons with a hundred arrows, and the sword of Drupada's son with ten arrows.

Note on the text: Corrected द्रुपद पुत्रस्य → द्रुपदपुत्रस्य (stray space inside the compound) and खङ्गं → खड्गम् (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition reads drupadaputrasya khaḍgaṃ).

Verse 30 (7.97.30)

हयांश्चैव चतुःषष्ट्या शराणां जघ्निवान्बली । ध्वजं छत्रं च भल्लाभ्यां तथा तौ पार्ष्णिसारथी ॥

hayāṃścaiva catuḥṣaṣṭyā śarāṇāṃ jaghnivānbalī | dhvajaṃ chatraṃ ca bhallābhyāṃ tathā tau pārṣṇisārathī

The strong Drona also killed his horses with sixty-four arrows, his banner and umbrella with two broad-headed arrows, and likewise the two who guarded his rear.

Verse 31 (7.97.31)

अथास्मै त्वरितो बाणमपरं जीवितान्तकम् । धृष्टद्युम्नाय चिक्षेप वज्रं वज्रधरो यथा ॥

athāsmai tvarito bāṇamaparaṃ jīvitāntakam | dhṛṣṭadyumnāya cikṣepa vajraṃ vajradharo yathā

Then, in haste, he hurled another arrow, a life-ender, at Dhrishtadyumna, as the wielder of the thunderbolt hurls his bolt.

Note on the text: Line 2 is a variant of CE 7.72.30cd (ending वज्रं वज्रधरो यथा), reading धृष्टद्युम्नाय चिक्षेप where the CE has आकर्णपूर्णं चिक्षेप; compare the CE star passage 7.72.30d*0519_01 (धृष्टद्युम्नाय चिक्षेप शचीपतिरिवाशनिम्).

Verse 32 (7.97.32)

तं चतुर्दशभिस्तीक्ष्णैर्बाणैश्चिच्छेद सात्यकिः । ग्रस्तमाचार्यमुख्येन धृष्टद्युम्नं व्यमोचयत् ॥

taṃ caturdaśabhistīkṣṇairbāṇaiściccheda sātyakiḥ | grastamācāryamukhyena dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ vyamocayat

Satyaki cut that arrow down with fourteen sharp arrows, and freed Dhrishtadyumna, who had been seized by the foremost of teachers.

Verse 33 (7.97.33)

सिंहेनेव मृगं ग्रस्तं नरसिंहेन मारिष । द्रोणाद्वै मोचयामास पाञ्चाल्यं शिनिपुङ्गवः ॥

siṃheneva mṛgaṃ grastaṃ narasiṃhena māriṣa | droṇādvai mocayāmāsa pāñcālyaṃ śinipuṅgavaḥ

That bull of the Shinis rescued the Panchala from Drona, as one might rescue a deer seized by a lion — for Drona was a lion among men, O sire.

Verse 34 (7.97.34)

सात्यकिं प्रेक्ष्य गोप्तारं पाञ्चाल्यं च महाहवे । शराणां त्वरितो द्रोणः षड्विंशत्या समार्पयत् ॥

sātyakiṃ prekṣya goptāraṃ pāñcālyaṃ ca mahāhave | śarāṇāṃ tvarito droṇaḥ ṣaḍviṃśatyā samārpayat

Seeing Satyaki as the Panchala's protector in that great battle, Drona quickly aimed twenty-six arrows at him.

Verse 35 (7.97.35)

ततो द्रोणं शिनेः पौत्रो ग्रसन्तमपि सृञ्जयान् । प्रत्यविध्यच्छितैर्बाणैः षड्विंशत्या स्तनान्तरे ॥

tato droṇaṃ śineḥ pautro grasantamapi sṛñjayān | pratyavidhyacchitairbāṇaiḥ ṣaḍviṃśatyā stanāntare

Then the grandson of Shini, as Drona went on devouring the Srinjayas, struck him back with twenty-six sharp arrows in the middle of the chest.

Verse 36 (7.97.36)

ततः सर्वे रथास्तूर्णं पाञ्चाल्या जयगृद्धिनः । सात्वताभिसृते द्रोणे धृष्टद्युम्नमवाक्षिपन् ॥

tataḥ sarve rathāstūrṇaṃ pāñcālyā jayagṛddhinaḥ | sātvatābhisṛte droṇe dhṛṣṭadyumnamavākṣipan

Then, as Satyaki bore down on Drona, all the Panchala chariot-warriors, eager for victory, quickly drew Dhrishtadyumna away.