The Carnage on the Field

Verse 1 (8.47.1)

क्षत्रियास्ते महाराज परस्परवधैषिणः । अन्योन्यं समरे जघ्नुः कृतवैरा महौजसः ॥

kṣatriyāste mahārāja parasparavadhaiṣiṇaḥ | anyonyaṃ samare jaghnuḥ kṛtavairā mahaujasaḥ

Those kshatriyas, O great king, bent on killing one another and fierce in their hatred, struck each other down in the battle.

Verse 2 (8.47.2)

रथौघाश्च हयौघाश्च नरौघाश्च समन्ततः । गजौघाश्च महाराज संसक्ताश्च परस्परम् ॥

rathaughāśca hayaughāśca naraughāśca samantataḥ | gajaughāśca mahārāja saṃsaktāśca parasparam

Floods of chariots, floods of horses, floods of men and floods of elephants, O great king, were locked together on every side.

Verse 3 (8.47.3)

गदानां परिघाणां च शक्तीनां च परस्परम् । प्रासानां भिण्डिपालानां मुसुण्ठीनां च सर्वशः ॥

gadānāṃ parighāṇāṃ ca śaktīnāṃ ca parasparam | prāsānāṃ bhiṇḍipālānāṃ musuṇṭhīnāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ

In that most dreadful battle we saw the onrush of maces, iron clubs, spears, lances, bhindipalas and musunthis, from every side, on one another;

Verse 4 (8.47.4)

सम्पातं चानुपश्याम सङ्ग्रामे भृशदारुणे । शलभा इव सम्पेतुः शरवृष्टयः समन्ततः ॥

sampātaṃ cānupaśyāma saṅgrāme bhṛśadāruṇe | śalabhā iva sampetuḥ śaravṛṣṭayaḥ samantataḥ

and showers of arrows fell on every side like swarms of locusts.

Note on the text: Corrected शरवृष्ट्यः → शरवृष्टयः (misprint in Wikisource; misprint for the plural of वृष्टि; the page's own footnote (8-47-4) gives वृष्टयः).

Verse 5 (8.47.5)

नागान्नागाः समासाद्य व्यधमन्त परस्परम् । हया हयांश्च समरे रथिनो रथिनस्तथा ॥

nāgānnāgāḥ samāsādya vyadhamanta parasparam | hayā hayāṃśca samare rathino rathinastathā

Elephants, meeting elephants, destroyed one another; so did horses with horses, and chariot-warriors with chariot-warriors in the battle;

Verse 6 (8.47.6)

पत्तयः पत्तिसङ्घांश्च हयसङ्घांश्च पत्तयः । पत्तयो रथमातङ्गान्रथा हस्त्यश्वमेव च । नागाश्च समरे त्र्यङ्गं ममृदुः शीघ्रगा नृप ॥

pattayaḥ pattisaṅghāṃśca hayasaṅghāṃśca pattayaḥ | pattayo rathamātaṅgānrathā hastyaśvameva ca | nāgāśca samare tryaṅgaṃ mamṛduḥ śīghragā nṛpa

foot-soldiers crushed bands of foot-soldiers and bands of horses, foot-soldiers crushed chariots and elephants, chariots crushed elephants and horses, and swift elephants trampled the three-limbed force in the battle, O king.

Note on the text: Line 1 is a variant of the critical edition's 8.36.5e (pattayaḥ pattisaṃghaiś ca hayasaṃghair hayās tathā); lines 2–3 correspond to 8.36.6a,c (the star passages 8.36.6b*0475–6d*0478 are not here).

Verse 7 (8.47.7)

वध्यतां तत्र शूराणां क्रोशतां च परस्परम् । घोरमायोधनं जज्ञे पशूनां घातने यथा ॥

vadhyatāṃ tatra śūrāṇāṃ krośatāṃ ca parasparam | ghoramāyodhanaṃ jajñe paśūnāṃ ghātane yathā

As the heroes there fell and cried out to one another, the battlefield became a dreadful place, like a slaughterhouse for beasts.

Verse 8 (8.47.8)

रुधिरेण समास्तीर्णा बभौ भारत मेदिनी । शक्रगोपगणाकीर्णा प्रावृषीव वसुन्धरा ॥

rudhireṇa samāstīrṇā babhau bhārata medinī | śakragopagaṇākīrṇā prāvṛṣīva vasundharā

Spread with blood, O Bharata, the earth shone like the ground in the rainy season, covered with scarlet indragopa insects.

Verse 9 (8.47.9)

यथा वा वाससी शुक्ले महारजनरञ्जिते । बिभ्रती युवती श्यामा तद्वदासीद्वसुन्धरा ॥

yathā vā vāsasī śukle mahārajanarañjite | bibhratī yuvatī śyāmā tadvadāsīdvasundharā

Or as a young dark woman might wear two white garments dyed with deep red, so the earth appeared.

Verse 10 (8.47.10)

बद्धचूडामणिधरैः शिरोभिश्चारुकुण्डलैः । उज्झितैर्वृषभाक्षाणां भ्राजते स्म वसुन्धरा ॥

baddhacūḍāmaṇidharaiḥ śirobhiścārukuṇḍalaiḥ | ujjhitairvṛṣabhākṣāṇāṃ bhrājate sma vasundharā

The earth shone with the heads of the bull-eyed warriors, with their crest-jewels bound on and their beautiful earrings, cast down upon it.

Note on the text: Corrected बद्वचूडामणिधरैः → बद्धचूडामणिधरैः (misprint in Wikisource; द्व for द्ध; the critical edition reads baddhacūḍāmaṇivaraiḥ). Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); it is the star passage 8.36.9d*0479_01–02. Removed the stray wiki backtick and quote mark.

Verse 11 (8.47.11)

शशशोणितदिग्धेव शातकुम्भमयीव च । भूर्बभौ भरतश्रेष्ठ शान्तार्चिर्भिरिवानलैः ॥

śaśaśoṇitadigdheva śātakumbhamayīva ca | bhūrbabhau bharataśreṣṭha śāntārcirbhirivānalaiḥ

As if smeared with the blood of hares and as if made of gold, the earth shone, O best of the Bharatas, like fires whose flames have died down.

Note on the text: Removed the stray wiki backtick and quote mark, and a stray ।। inside line 2. Line 1 is a variant of the critical edition's 8.36.9e (māṃsaśoṇitacitreva śātakaumbhamayīva ca); line 2 is its star passage 8.36.9f*0480_01.

Verse 12 (8.47.12)

छिन्नानां चोत्तमाङ्गानां बाहूनां चोरुभिः सह । कुण्डलानां पिनद्धानां भूषणानां च भारत ॥

chinnānāṃ cottamāṅgānāṃ bāhūnāṃ corubhiḥ saha | kuṇḍalānāṃ pinaddhānāṃ bhūṣaṇānāṃ ca bhārata

Of severed heads, of arms together with thighs, of earrings and tied-on ornaments, O Bharata,

Verse 13 (8.47.13)

निष्काणां हेमसूत्राणां शरीराणां च धन्विनाम् । चर्मणां सपताकानां सङ्घास्तत्रापतन्भुवि ॥

niṣkāṇāṃ hemasūtrāṇāṃ śarīrāṇāṃ ca dhanvinām | carmaṇāṃ sapatākānāṃ saṅghāstatrāpatanbhuvi

of necklaces, of gold cords, of the bodies of archers, of shields with their banners, heaps fell there upon the ground.

Verse 14 (8.47.14)

प्रावृट्काले महाराज मेघा इव सविद्युतः ॥

prāvṛṭkāle mahārāja meghā iva savidyutaḥ

Like clouds with their lightning in the rainy season, O great king,

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension): the critical edition has no line of this wording, and its 8.36.12 and 8.36.13a have no counterpart in this recension. Removed the stray wiki backtick and quote mark and a stray zero-width non-joiner in प्रावृट्काले. The verse is a single line in Wikisource and is kept as printed.

Verse 15 (8.47.15)

स्यन्दमाना यथा भान्ति पर्वता धातुमण्डिताः । तथा रेजू रणे नागा रुधिरेण समाप्लुताः ॥

syandamānā yathā bhānti parvatā dhātumaṇḍitāḥ | tathā rejū raṇe nāgā rudhireṇa samāplutāḥ

or like mountains adorned with minerals, streaming with colored water, so the elephants shone in the battle, drenched in blood.

Note on the text: Removed the stray wiki backtick and quote mark. Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition's 8.36.13c (variant wording); line 2 is its star passage 8.36.13d*0482_01.

Verse 16 (8.47.16)

तोमरान्सादिभिर्मुक्तान्प्रतिमानस्थितान्बहून् । हस्तैरुद्धृत्य तान्नागा बभञ्जुश्चापरे रणे ॥

tomarānsādibhirmuktānpratimānasthitānbahūn | hastairuddhṛtya tānnāgā babhañjuścāpare raṇe

Many lances hurled by horsemen and lodged in the fronts of their heads were pulled out and broken in the battle by other elephants with their trunks.

Verse 17 (8.47.17)

नाराचैश्छिन्नवर्माणो भ्राजन्ते स्म गजोत्तमाः । हिमागमे यथा राजन्व्यभ्रा इव महीधराः ॥

nārācaiśchinnavarmāṇo bhrājante sma gajottamāḥ | himāgame yathā rājanvyabhrā iva mahīdharāḥ

The finest elephants, their armour torn by iron arrows, shone, O king, like cloudless mountains at the coming of winter.

Verse 18 (8.47.18)

शरैः कनकपुङ्खैश्च चिता रेजुर्गजोत्तमाः । उल्काभिः सम्प्रदीप्ताग्राः पर्वता इव भारत ॥

śaraiḥ kanakapuṅkhaiśca citā rejurgajottamāḥ | ulkābhiḥ sampradīptāgrāḥ parvatā iva bhārata

Studded with golden-feathered arrows, the finest elephants shone like mountains with blazing torches on their peaks, O Bharata.

Note on the text: Corrected रेर्जुर्गजोत्तमाः → रेजुर्गजोत्तमाः (misprint in Wikisource; extra र; the critical edition reads rejur).

Verse 19 (8.47.19)

केचिदभ्याहता नागैर्नागा नगवरोपमाः । न चेलुः समरात्तस्माच्छिन्नपक्षा इवाद्रयः ॥

kecidabhyāhatā nāgairnāgā nagavaropamāḥ | na celuḥ samarāttasmācchinnapakṣā ivādrayaḥ

Some elephants, mountain-like, struck by other elephants, did not stir from the battlefield, like mountains whose wings have been cut off.

Verse 20 (8.47.20)

अपरे प्राद्रवन्नागाः शरार्ता व्रणपीडिताः । प्रतिमानैश्च कुम्भैश्च पेतुरुर्व्यां महाहवे ॥

apare prādravannāgāḥ śarārtā vraṇapīḍitāḥ | pratimānaiśca kumbhaiśca petururvyāṃ mahāhave

Other elephants, pained by arrows and tormented by wounds, ran off, and fell to the ground in the great battle on the fronts of their heads and their frontal globes.

Verse 21 (8.47.21)

निषेदुः सिंहवच्चान्ये नदन्तो भैरवान्रवान् । वेमुश्च बहवो राजंश्चुक्रुशुश्चापरे गजाः ॥

niṣeduḥ siṃhavaccānye nadanto bhairavānravān | vemuśca bahavo rājaṃścukruśuścāpare gajāḥ

Others sat down like lions, bellowing terrible cries; many, O king, vomited, and other elephants shrieked.

Verse 22 (8.47.22)

हयाश्च निहता बाणैर्हेमभाण्डविभूषिताः । निषेदुश्चैव मम्लुश्च बभ्रमुश्च दिशो दश ॥

hayāśca nihatā bāṇairhemabhāṇḍavibhūṣitāḥ | niṣeduścaiva mamluśca babhramuśca diśo daśa

Horses, too, slain by arrows, adorned with golden trappings, sank down, drooped, and wandered in the ten directions.

Verse 23 (8.47.23)

अपरे क्लिश्यमानाश्च व्यवेष्टन्त महीतले । भावान्बहुविधांश्चक्रुस्ताडिताः शरतोमरैः ॥

apare kliśyamānāśca vyaveṣṭanta mahītale | bhāvānbahuvidhāṃścakrustāḍitāḥ śaratomaraiḥ

Others, in torment, writhed on the ground, and, struck by arrows and lances, made all manner of motions.

Verse 24 (8.47.24)

नरास्तु निहता भूमौ कूजन्तस्तत्र मारिष । दृष्ट्वा च बान्धवानन्ये पितॄनन्ये पितामहान् ॥

narāstu nihatā bhūmau kūjantastatra māriṣa | dṛṣṭvā ca bāndhavānanye pitṝnanye pitāmahān

Men, too, fallen on the ground, cried out there, O sire; some seeing their kinsmen, some their fathers, some their grandfathers,

Note on the text: Corrected मारिप → मारिष (misprint in Wikisource; misprint for मारिष; the critical edition reads māriṣa).

Verse 25 (8.47.25)

धावमानान्परांश्चान्ये दृष्ट्वान्ये तत्र भारत । ख्यातानि गोत्रनामानि शशंसुरितरेतरम् ॥

dhāvamānānparāṃścānye dṛṣṭvānye tatra bhārata | khyātāni gotranāmāni śaśaṃsuritaretaram

and others, seeing other men running about, O Bharata, called out to one another their famed clan names.

Verse 26 (8.47.26)

तेषां छिन्ना महाराज भुजाः कनकभूषणाः । उद्वेष्टन्ते विवेष्टन्ते भ्रमन्ति ह्युत्पतन्ति च ॥

teṣāṃ chinnā mahārāja bhujāḥ kanakabhūṣaṇāḥ | udveṣṭante viveṣṭante bhramanti hyutpatanti ca

Their severed arms, O great king, adorned with gold, twisted and writhed, rolled about and leapt up.

Verse 27 (8.47.27)

निपतन्ति तथैवान्ये स्फुरन्ति च सहस्रशः । वेगांश्चान्ये रणे चक्रुः पञ्चास्या इव पन्नगाः ॥

nipatanti tathaivānye sphuranti ca sahasraśaḥ | vegāṃścānye raṇe cakruḥ pañcāsyā iva pannagāḥ

Others fell to the ground and quivered by the thousand; others lunged in the battle like five-hooded snakes.

Note on the text: Corrected रमे → रणे (misprint in Wikisource; म for ण; the critical edition reads raṇe). Line 2 reads pañcāsyā iva pannagāḥ where the critical edition has sphuranta iva pannagāḥ: a recension variant, kept.

Verse 28 (8.47.28)

ते भुजा भोगिभोगाभाश्चन्दनाक्ता विशाम्पते । लोहितार्द्रा भृशं रेजुस्तपनीयध्वजा इव ॥

te bhujā bhogibhogābhāścandanāktā viśāmpate | lohitārdrā bhṛśaṃ rejustapanīyadhvajā iva

Those arms, like the coils of serpents, smeared with sandal and wet with blood, shone brightly, O lord of the people, like golden banners.

Verse 29 (8.47.29)

वर्तमाने तथा घोरे सङ्कुले सर्वतो दिशम् । अविज्ञाताः स्म युध्यन्ते विनिघ्नन्तः परस्परम् ॥

vartamāne tathā ghore saṅkule sarvato diśam | avijñātāḥ sma yudhyante vinighnantaḥ parasparam

As that terrible, crowded battle went on in every direction, they fought unrecognised, slaying one another.

Verse 30 (8.47.30)

भौमेन रजसाकीर्णे शस्त्रसम्पातसङ्कुले । नैव स्वे न परे राजन्व्यज्ञायन्त तमोवृताः ॥

bhaumena rajasākīrṇe śastrasampātasaṅkule | naiva sve na pare rājanvyajñāyanta tamovṛtāḥ

Filled with the dust of the earth and thronged with falling weapons, the field was so wrapped in darkness, O king, that neither friend nor foe could be known.

Verse 31 (8.47.31)

तथा तदभवद्युद्धं घोररूपं भयानकम् । लोहितोदा महानद्यः प्रसस्रुस्तत्र चासकृत् ॥

tathā tadabhavadyuddhaṃ ghorarūpaṃ bhayānakam | lohitodā mahānadyaḥ prasasrustatra cāsakṛt

So that battle became terrible and dreadful; and rivers of blood flowed there again and again.

Verse 32 (8.47.32)

शीर्षपाषाणसञ्छन्नाः केशशैवलशाद्वलाः । अस्थिमीनसमाकीर्णा धनुःशरगदोडुपाः ॥

śīrṣapāṣāṇasañchannāḥ keśaśaivalaśādvalāḥ | asthimīnasamākīrṇā dhanuḥśaragadoḍupāḥ

They were covered with skulls for stones, with hair for moss and grass, strewn with bones for fish, with bows, arrows and maces for rafts,

Verse 33 (8.47.33)

मांसशोणितपङ्किन्यो घोररूपाः सुदारुणाः । नदीः प्रवर्तयामासुः शोणितौघविवर्धिनीः ॥

māṃsaśoṇitapaṅkinyo ghorarūpāḥ sudāruṇāḥ | nadīḥ pravartayāmāsuḥ śoṇitaughavivardhinīḥ

with flesh and blood for mud, terrible and dreadful; they made rivers flow, swollen by floods of blood.

Note on the text: Corrected सोणितौघ → शोणितौघ (misprint in Wikisource; स for श; the critical edition reads śoṇitaughāḥ).

Verse 34 (8.47.34)

भीरुवित्रासकारिण्यः शूराणां हर्षवर्धनाः । ता नद्यो घोररूपास्तु नयन्त्यो यमसादनम् ॥

bhīruvitrāsakāriṇyaḥ śūrāṇāṃ harṣavardhanāḥ | tā nadyo ghorarūpāstu nayantyo yamasādanam

Frightening to the timid and gladdening to the brave, those terrible rivers, leading to the abode of Yama,

Note on the text: Line 1 is the critical edition's star passage 8.36.31d*0483_01; line 2 is a variant of 8.36.32a.

Verse 35 (8.47.35)

अवगाढान्मज्जयन्त्यः क्षत्रस्याजनयन्भयम् । क्रव्यादानां नरव्याघ्र नर्दतां तत्रतत्र ह ॥

avagāḍhānmajjayantyaḥ kṣatrasyājanayanbhayam | kravyādānāṃ naravyāghra nardatāṃ tatratatra ha

dragged down those who entered them and struck fear into the kshatriyas, while flesh-eaters, O tiger among men, roared here and there.

Note on the text: Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition's 8.36.32c; line 2 to 8.36.33a.

Verse 36 (8.47.36)

घोरमायोधनं जज्ञे प्रेतराजपुरोपमम् । उत्थितान्यगणेयानि कबन्धानि समन्ततः ॥

ghoramāyodhanaṃ jajñe pretarājapuropamam | utthitānyagaṇeyāni kabandhāni samantataḥ

The battlefield became terrible, like the city of the king of the dead; countless headless trunks rose up on every side.

Note on the text: Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition's 8.36.33c; line 2 to 8.36.34a.

Verse 37 (8.47.37)

नृत्यन्ति वै भूतगणाः सुतृप्ता मांसशोणितैः । पीत्वा च शोणितं तत्र वसां भुक्त्वा च भारत ॥

nṛtyanti vai bhūtagaṇāḥ sutṛptā māṃsaśoṇitaiḥ | pītvā ca śoṇitaṃ tatra vasāṃ bhuktvā ca bhārata

Hosts of spirits, well sated with flesh and blood, danced there, having drunk the blood and eaten the fat, O Bharata,

Note on the text: Line 1 corresponds to the critical edition's 8.36.34c; line 2 is a variant of 8.36.35a (pītvā ca śoṇitaṃ tatra vasāṃ pītvā ca bhārata).

Verse 38 (8.47.38)

मेदोमज्जावसामत्तास्तृप्ता मांसस्य चैव ह । धावमानाः स्म दृश्यन्ते काकगृघ्रबकास्तथा ॥

medomajjāvasāmattāstṛptā māṃsasya caiva ha | dhāvamānāḥ sma dṛśyante kākagṛghrabakāstathā

intoxicated with fat, marrow and lard and sated with flesh, crows, vultures and herons were seen running about.

Note on the text: Corresponds to the critical edition's 8.36.35c,e, with variant wording (kākagṛdhrabakās for -balās).

Verse 39 (8.47.39)

शूरास्तु समरे राजन्भयं त्यक्त्वा सुदुस्त्यजम् । योधव्रतसमाख्याताश्चक्रुः कर्माण्यभीतवत् ॥

śūrāstu samare rājanbhayaṃ tyaktvā sudustyajam | yodhavratasamākhyātāścakruḥ karmāṇyabhītavat

But the heroes in the battle, O king, casting off the fear that is so hard to cast off, true to their warriors' vows, did deeds fearlessly.

Verse 40 (8.47.40)

शरशक्तिसमाकीर्णे क्रव्यादगणसङ्कुले । व्यचरन्त रणे शूराः ख्यापयन्तः स्वपौरुषम् ॥

śaraśaktisamākīrṇe kravyādagaṇasaṅkule | vyacaranta raṇe śūrāḥ khyāpayantaḥ svapauruṣam

In that field strewn with arrows and spears and thronged with troops of flesh-eaters, the heroes moved about proclaiming their own manliness.

Verse 41 (8.47.41)

अन्योन्यं श्रावयन्ति स्म नामगोत्राणि भारत । पितृनामानि च रणे गोत्रनामानि वा विभो ॥

anyonyaṃ śrāvayanti sma nāmagotrāṇi bhārata | pitṛnāmāni ca raṇe gotranāmāni vā vibho

They proclaimed to one another their names and clans, O Bharata, the names of their fathers and the names of their clans, O lord.

Verse 42 (8.47.42)

श्रावयाणाश्च बहवस्तत्र योधा विशाम्पते । अन्योन्यमवमृद्नन्तः शक्तितोमरपट्टसैः ॥

śrāvayāṇāśca bahavastatra yodhā viśāmpate | anyonyamavamṛdnantaḥ śaktitomarapaṭṭasaiḥ

And many warriors there, O lord of the people, proclaiming this, crushed one another with spears, lances and battle-axes.

Note on the text: Corrected वमृद्रन्तः → वमृद्नन्तः (misprint in Wikisource; र for न; the critical edition reads avamṛdnantaḥ).

Verse 43 (8.47.43)

वर्तमाने तथा युद्धे घोररूपे सुदारुणे । व्यषीदत्कौरवी सेना भिन्ना नौरिव सागरे ॥

vartamāne tathā yuddhe ghorarūpe sudāruṇe | vyaṣīdatkauravī senā bhinnā nauriva sāgare

As that terrible, most dreadful battle went on, the Kaurava army sank, like a broken ship in the sea.