Arjuna Kills Dandadhara and Danda

Verse 1 (8.54.1)

अथोत्तरेण पाण्डूनां सेनायां ध्वनिरुत्थितः । रथनागाश्वपत्तीनां दण्डधारेण वध्यताम् ॥

athottareṇa pāṇḍūnāṃ senāyāṃ dhvanirutthitaḥ | rathanāgāśvapattīnāṃ daṇḍadhāreṇa vadhyatām

Then, in the north of the Pandava army, a clamour arose from the chariots, elephants, horses and foot-soldiers being slain by Dandadhara.

Verse 2 (8.54.2)

निवर्तयित्वा तु रथं केशवोऽर्जुनमब्रवीत् । वाहयन्नेव तुरगान्गरुडानिलरंहसः ॥

nivartayitvā tu rathaṃ keśavo'rjunamabravīt | vāhayanneva turagāngaruḍānilaraṃhasaḥ

Turning the chariot about, Keshava spoke to Arjuna even as he drove the horses, which were swift as Garuda and the wind:

Verse 3 (8.54.3)

मागधोऽसावतिक्रान्तो द्विरदेन प्रमाथिना । भगदत्तादनवमः शिक्षया च बलेन च ॥

māgadho'sāvatikrānto dviradena pramāthinā | bhagadattādanavamaḥ śikṣayā ca balena ca

That Magadhan has come on with a crushing elephant, no less than Bhagadatta in skill and in strength.

Note on the text: Speaker: Krishna's direct speech (the page prints no heading); continued in the first line of the next verse.

Verse 4 (8.54.4)

एनं हत्वा निहन्ताऽसि पुनः संशप्तकानिति । वाक्यान्ते प्रापयत्पार्थं दण्डधारगजं प्रति ॥

enaṃ hatvā nihantā'si punaḥ saṃśaptakāniti | vākyānte prāpayatpārthaṃ daṇḍadhāragajaṃ prati

"Kill him, and then you will kill the Samshaptakas again." At the end of these words he brought Partha up against Dandadhara's elephant.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the end of Krishna's speech; line 2 is narration, so the verse stays with the narrator.

Verse 5 (8.54.5)

स मागधानां प्रवरो महाबलः । अशुभग्रहो योधगणैः समन्वितः । सपत्नसेनां प्रममाथ दारुणो । महीं समग्रां बलवानिव ग्रहः ॥

sa māgadhānāṃ pravaro mahābalaḥ | aśubhagraho yodhagaṇaiḥ samanvitaḥ | sapatnasenāṃ pramamātha dāruṇo | mahīṃ samagrāṃ balavāniva grahaḥ

That foremost of the Magadhas, of great strength, like an ill-omened planet, attended by bands of warriors, crushed the enemy army, fierce as a mighty planet crushing the whole earth.

Note on the text: The page splits a sandhi across the line break (महाबलोऽ-- । / शुभग्रहो); written here with the word-ends resolved (महाबलः । / अशुभग्रहो), the line division kept. Corrected भीमं समग्रां → महीं समग्रां (misprint in Wikisource; a masculine word beside the feminine समग्रां; the critical edition and the page's own footnote read महीं समग्रां). Corrected बलवानिव ग्रहम् ॥ → बलवानिव ग्रहः ॥ (misprint in Wikisource; ग्रहम् has no construction; the footnote and the critical edition read ग्रहः). Line 1 differs from the critical edition 8.13.5a (…ṅkuśagraho graheṣv asahyo vikaco yathā grahaḥ), which the page's footnote also records as a variant reading (झ. पाठ); Wikisource's reading is kept.

Verse 6 (8.54.6)

सुकल्पितं दानवनागसन्निभं । महाभ्रनिर्हादसमस्वनं रणे । समास्थितो नागवरं नरेश्वरो । रथाश्वमातङ्गनरप्रमाथिनम् ॥

sukalpitaṃ dānavanāgasannibhaṃ | mahābhranirhādasamasvanaṃ raṇe | samāsthito nāgavaraṃ nareśvaro | rathāśvamātaṅganarapramāthinam

In the battle the lord of men mounted a splendid elephant, well caparisoned, like an elephant of the Danavas, trumpeting like a great storm-cloud and crushing chariots, horses, elephants and men.

Note on the text: Corresponds to the critical edition's 8.13.6, with variant wording.

Verse 7 (8.54.7)

स नागयन्तॄन्समरे महारथान् । सपत्तिसङ्घांस्तुरगान्ससादिनः । द्विपांश्च बाणैर्निजघान वीर्यवान् । समन्ततो घ्नन्निव कालचक्रवत् ॥

sa nāgayantṝnsamare mahārathān | sapattisaṅghāṃsturagānsasādinaḥ | dvipāṃśca bāṇairnijaghāna vīryavān | samantato ghnanniva kālacakravat

that powerful man killed in the battle the elephant-drivers, the great chariot-warriors, the throngs of foot-soldiers, the horses with their riders, and the elephants, with his arrows, on every side, like the wheel of Time.

Note on the text: The page splits a sandhi across the line break (महारथा-- । / न्सपत्ति); written here with the word-ends resolved (महारथान् । / सपत्ति), the line division kept. The page splits a sandhi across the line break (वीर्यवा-- । / न्समन्ततो); written here with the word-ends resolved (वीर्यवान् । / समन्ततो), the line division kept. The four lines are the critical edition's star passage 8.13.7d*0101_01-04.

Verse 8 (8.54.8)

नरांस्तु कांस्यायसवर्मभूषणान् । निपात्य साश्वानपि पत्तिभिः सह । व्यपोथयद्दन्तिवरेण शुष्मिणा । सशब्दवत्स्थूलनलं यथा तथा ॥

narāṃstu kāṃsyāyasavarmabhūṣaṇān | nipātya sāśvānapi pattibhiḥ saha | vyapothayaddantivareṇa śuṣmiṇā | saśabdavatsthūlanalaṃ yathā tathā

He felled men in armour and ornaments of bronze and iron, together with their horses and foot-soldiers, and with his mighty, powerful elephant crushed them as one crushes stout reeds, crackling, anyhow.

Note on the text: The page splits a sandhi across the line break (कांस्यायसवर्मभूषणा-- । / न्निपात्य); written here with the word-ends resolved (कांस्यायसवर्मभूषणान् । / निपात्य), the line division kept. Line 1 reads kāṃsyāyasa… ("bronze and iron"); the critical edition has kārṣṇāyasa… ("black iron"): kept as in Wikisource.

Verse 9 (8.54.9)

अथार्जुनो ज्यातलनेमिनिःस्वने । मृदङ्गभेरीबहुशङ्खनादिते । रथाश्वमातङ्गसहस्रनादिते । रथोत्तमेनाभ्यपतद्द्विपोत्तमम् ॥

athārjuno jyātalaneminiḥsvane | mṛdaṅgabherībahuśaṅkhanādite | rathāśvamātaṅgasahasranādite | rathottamenābhyapataddvipottamam

Then Arjuna, on his best of chariots, amid the sound of bowstrings, palms and chariot-rims, the din of drums, kettledrums and many conches, and the noise of thousands of chariots, horses and elephants, charged the best of elephants.

Verse 10 (8.54.10)

ततोऽर्जुनं द्वादशभिः शरोत्तमैः । जनार्दनं षोडशभिः समार्पयत् । स दण्डधारस्तुरगांस्त्रिभिस्त्रिभिः । ततो ननाद प्रजहास चासकृत् ॥

tato'rjunaṃ dvādaśabhiḥ śarottamaiḥ | janārdanaṃ ṣoḍaśabhiḥ samārpayat | sa daṇḍadhārasturagāṃstribhistribhiḥ | tato nanāda prajahāsa cāsakṛt

He struck Arjuna with twelve choice arrows and Janardana with sixteen, and the horses with three apiece; and then Dandadhara roared and laughed again and again.

Note on the text: Removed a stray zero-width joiner inside दण्डधार. The page splits a sandhi across the line break (शरोत्तमै-- । / र्जनार्दनं); written here with the word-ends resolved (शरोत्तमैः । / जनार्दनं), the line division kept. The page splits a sandhi across the line break (त्रिभिस्त्रिभि--- । / स्ततो); written here with the word-ends resolved (त्रिभिस्त्रिभिः । / ततो), the line division kept.

Verse 11 (8.54.11)

ततोऽस्य पार्थः सगुणेषुकार्मुकं । चकर्त भल्लैर्ध्वजमप्यलङ्कृतम् । पुनर्नियन्तॄन्सहपादगोप्तृभिः । ततः स चुक्रोध गिरिव्रजेश्वरः ॥

tato'sya pārthaḥ saguṇeṣukārmukaṃ | cakarta bhallairdhvajamapyalaṅkṛtam | punarniyantṝnsahapādagoptṛbhiḥ | tataḥ sa cukrodha girivrajeśvaraḥ

Then Partha cut his bow, with its string and arrows, and his ornamented banner with broad-headed arrows, and again his drivers along with the foot-guards; and the lord of Girivraja was filled with fury.

Note on the text: The page splits a sandhi across the line break (सहपादगोप्तृभि-- । / स्ततः); written here with the word-ends resolved (सहपादगोप्तृभिः । / ततः), the line division kept.

Verse 12 (8.54.12)

ततोऽर्जुनं भिन्नकटेन दन्तिना । घनाघनेनानिलतुल्यरंहसा । अतीव चुक्रोधयिषुर्जनार्दनं । धनञ्जयं चाभिजघान तोमरैः ॥

tato'rjunaṃ bhinnakaṭena dantinā | ghanāghanenānilatulyaraṃhasā | atīva cukrodhayiṣurjanārdanaṃ | dhanañjayaṃ cābhijaghāna tomaraiḥ

Then, on an elephant whose temples had burst with rut, a cloud-like beast as swift as the wind, eager to enrage Janardana and Dhananjaya, he struck Arjuna with lances.

Note on the text: Corrected घनञ्जयं → धनञ्जयं (misprint in Wikisource; घ for ध).

Verse 13 (8.54.13)

अथास्य बाहू द्विपहस्तसन्निभौ । शिरश्च पूर्णेन्दुनिभाननं त्रिभिः । क्षुरैः प्रचिच्छेद सहैव पाण्डवः । ततो द्विपं बाणशतैः समर्पयत् ॥

athāsya bāhū dvipahastasannibhau | śiraśca pūrṇendunibhānanaṃ tribhiḥ | kṣuraiḥ praciccheda sahaiva pāṇḍavaḥ | tato dvipaṃ bāṇaśataiḥ samarpayat

Then, with three razor-edged arrows, the Pandava cut off at one stroke his two arms like elephant-trunks and his head with its face like the full moon; and he then pierced the elephant with hundreds of arrows.

Note on the text: The page splits a sandhi across the line break (पाण्डव-- । / स्ततो); written here with the word-ends resolved (पाण्डवः । / ततो), the line division kept.

Verse 14 (8.54.14)

स पार्थबाणैस्तपनीयभूषणैः । समावृतः काञ्चनवर्मभृद्द्विपः । भृशं चकाशे निशि पर्वतो यथा । दावाग्निना प्रज्वलितौषधिद्रुमः ॥

sa pārthabāṇaistapanīyabhūṣaṇaiḥ | samāvṛtaḥ kāñcanavarmabhṛddvipaḥ | bhṛśaṃ cakāśe niśi parvato yathā | dāvāgninā prajvalitauṣadhidrumaḥ

Covered with Partha's gold-adorned arrows, that elephant in golden armour shone brightly in the night like a mountain whose herbs and trees blaze in a forest fire.

Verse 15 (8.54.15)

स वेदनार्तोऽम्बुदनिस्वनो नदन् । चरन्भ्रमन्प्रस्खलितान्तरोऽद्रवत् । पपात रुग्णः सनियन्तृकस्तथा । यथा गिरिर्वज्रविदारितस्तथा ॥

sa vedanārto'mbudanisvano nadan | caranbhramanpraskhalitāntaro'dravat | papāta rugṇaḥ saniyantṛkastathā | yathā girirvajravidāritastathā

In agony, trumpeting like a cloud, it wandered, whirled, stumbled in its stride and ran; then, wounded, it fell with its driver, like a mountain split by the thunderbolt.

Note on the text: The page splits a sandhi across the line break (नदं-- । / श्चरन्); written here with the word-ends resolved (नदन् । / चरन्), the line division kept. Corrected प्रस्स्वलितान्तरोऽद्रवत् → प्रस्खलितान्तरोऽद्रवत् (misprint in Wikisource; स्स्व for स्ख; the page's footnote glosses स्खलितान्तरः and the critical edition reads praskhalito). The page prints a stray double stroke after line 3.

Verse 16 (8.54.16)

हिमावदानेन सुवर्णमालिना । हिमाद्रिकूटप्रतिमेन दन्तिना । हते रणे भ्रातरि दण्ड आव्रजत् । जिघांसुरिन्द्रावरजं धनञ्जयम् ॥

himāvadānena suvarṇamālinā | himādrikūṭapratimena dantinā | hate raṇe bhrātari daṇḍa āvrajat | jighāṃsurindrāvarajaṃ dhanañjayam

When his brother had been slain in the battle, Danda came on, mounted on a white elephant adorned with a golden garland, like a peak of the Himalaya, wishing to kill Indra's younger brother and Dhananjaya.

Note on the text: The page splits a sandhi across the line break (आव्रज-- । / ज्जिघांसु); written here with the word-ends resolved (आव्रजत् । / जिघांसु), the line division kept.

Verse 17 (8.54.17)

सतोमरैरर्करप्रभैस्त्रिभिः । जनार्दनं पञ्चभिरर्जुनं शितैः । समर्पयित्वा विननाद चार्दयन् । ततोऽस्य बाहू निचकर्त पाण्डवः ॥

satomarairarkaraprabhaistribhiḥ | janārdanaṃ pañcabhirarjunaṃ śitaiḥ | samarpayitvā vinanāda cārdayan | tato'sya bāhū nicakarta pāṇḍavaḥ

He struck Janardana with three lances shining like the sun's rays and Arjuna with five sharp ones, and roared as he tormented them; then the Pandava cut off his arms.

Note on the text: The page splits a sandhi across the line break (त्रिभि-- । / र्जनार्दनं); written here with the word-ends resolved (त्रिभिः । / जनार्दनं), the line division kept. The page splits a sandhi across the line break (चार्दयं-- । / स्ततोऽस्य); written here with the word-ends resolved (चार्दयन् । / ततोऽस्य), the line division kept.

Verse 18 (8.54.18)

क्षुरप्रकृत्तौ विपुलौ सतोमरौ । शुभाङ्गदौ चन्दनरूषितौ भुजौ । गजात्पतन्तौ युगपद्विरेजतुः । यथोरगौ पर्वतशृङ्गवन्महीम् ॥

kṣuraprakṛttau vipulau satomarau | śubhāṅgadau candanarūṣitau bhujau | gajātpatantau yugapadvirejatuḥ | yathoragau parvataśṛṅgavanmahīm

His two broad arms, smeared with sandal paste, wearing fine armlets and still holding their lances, cut away by razor-edged arrows, shone as they fell together from the elephant, like two serpents, like mountain peaks, falling to the earth.

Note on the text: The page splits a sandhi across the line break (विरेजतु-- । / र्यथोरगौ); written here with the word-ends resolved (विरेजतुः । / यथोरगौ), the line division kept. Lines 3-4 differ from the critical edition 8.13.18c (… yathādriśṛṅgāt patitau mahoragau): a recension variant, kept as in Wikisource.

Verse 19 (8.54.19)

अथाऽर्धचन्द्रेण हतं किरीटिना । पपात दण्डस्य शिरः क्षितिं द्विपात् । स शोणितार्द्रो निपतन्विरेजे । दिवाकरोऽस्तादिव पश्चिमां दिशम् ॥

athā'rdhacandreṇa hataṃ kirīṭinā | papāta daṇḍasya śiraḥ kṣitiṃ dvipāt | sa śoṇitārdro nipatanvireje | divākaro'stādiva paścimāṃ diśam

Then Danda's head, struck down by the diademed Arjuna with a crescent-headed arrow, fell from the elephant to the ground, and, drenched in blood as it fell, it shone like the sun sinking from the setting mountain into the western quarter.

Verse 20 (8.54.20)

अथ द्विपं श्वेतनगाग्रसन्निभं । दिवाकरांशुप्रतिमैः शरोत्तमैः । बिभेद पार्थः स पपात नादयन् । हिमाद्रिकूटं कुलिशाहतं यथा ॥

atha dvipaṃ śvetanagāgrasannibhaṃ | divākarāṃśupratimaiḥ śarottamaiḥ | bibheda pārthaḥ sa papāta nādayan | himādrikūṭaṃ kuliśāhataṃ yathā

Then Partha pierced the elephant, like a white mountain peak, with choice arrows like the rays of the sun; and it fell, trumpeting, like a peak of the Himalaya struck by the thunderbolt.

Verse 21 (8.54.21)

ततोऽपरं तत्प्रतिमा गजोत्तमा । जिगीषवः संयति सव्यसाचिना । तथा कृतास्तेऽपि यथैव तौ द्विपौ । ततः प्रभग्नं सुमहद्रिपोर्बलम् ॥

tato'paraṃ tatpratimā gajottamā | jigīṣavaḥ saṃyati savyasācinā | tathā kṛtāste'pi yathaiva tau dvipau | tataḥ prabhagnaṃ sumahadriporbalam

Afterwards the other best of elephants, like those two and eager to win, were dealt with by Savyasachin in the battle just as those two elephants had been; and so the enemy's very great army broke.

Note on the text: Line 1 reads ततोऽपरं ("afterwards"); the critical edition has tato 'pare ("then others"): kept as in Wikisource, a valid reading.

Verse 22 (8.54.22)

गजा रथाश्वाः पुरुषाश्च सङ्घशः । परस्परघ्नाः परिपेतुराहवे । परस्परं प्रस्खलिताः समाहता । भृशं च तत्तद्बहुभाषिणो हताः ॥

gajā rathāśvāḥ puruṣāśca saṅghaśaḥ | parasparaghnāḥ paripeturāhave | parasparaṃ praskhalitāḥ samāhatā | bhṛśaṃ ca tattadbahubhāṣiṇo hatāḥ

Elephants, chariots, horses and men fell in crowds in the battle, killing one another, stumbling over one another, struck down, crying out many things, slain.

Verse 23 (8.54.23)

अथार्जुनं स्वे परिवार्य सैनिकाः । पुरन्दरं देवगणा इवाब्रुवन् । अभैष्म यस्मान्मरणादिव प्रजाः । स वीर दिष्ट्या निहतस्त्वया रिपुः ॥

athārjunaṃ sve parivārya sainikāḥ | purandaraṃ devagaṇā ivābruvan | abhaiṣma yasmānmaraṇādiva prajāḥ | sa vīra diṣṭyā nihatastvayā ripuḥ

Then his own soldiers surrounded Arjuna and spoke to him as the hosts of the gods speak to Purandara: "We feared him as people fear death; that enemy has been slain by you, hero, by good fortune.

Note on the text: The first two lines are narration; the last two are the soldiers' speech, which continues in the next verse. The verse stays with the narrator.

Verse 24 (8.54.24)

न चेत्परित्रास्यदिमाञ्जनान्भयात् । द्विषद्भिरेवं बलिभिः प्रपीडितान् । तथाऽभविष्यद्द्विषतां प्रमोदनं । यथा हतेष्वेष्विह नोऽरिसूदन ॥

na cetparitrāsyadimāñjanānbhayāt | dviṣadbhirevaṃ balibhiḥ prapīḍitān | tathā'bhaviṣyaddviṣatāṃ pramodanaṃ | yathā hateṣveṣviha no'risūdana

If you had not rescued these people from fear, hard pressed by such powerful enemies, the enemy's delight would have been as great as ours now that these men are slain here, slayer of foes."

Note on the text: The page splits a sandhi across the line break (भया-- । / द्द्विषद्भिरेवं); written here with the word-ends resolved (भयात् । / द्विषद्भिरेवं), the line division kept. Speaker: the soldiers' direct speech continued from the previous verse (the page prints no heading).

Verse 25 (8.54.25)

इतीव भूयश्च सुहृद्भिरीडिता । निशम्य वाचः सुमनास्तदाऽर्जुनः । यथाऽनुरूपं प्रतिपूज्य तं जनं । जगाम संशप्तकसङ्घहा पुनः ॥

itīva bhūyaśca suhṛdbhirīḍitā | niśamya vācaḥ sumanāstadā'rjunaḥ | yathā'nurūpaṃ pratipūjya taṃ janaṃ | jagāma saṃśaptakasaṅghahā punaḥ

Hearing such words, and more, of praise from his friends, Arjuna was glad at heart; he honoured those people as was fitting, and went again, slayer of the Samshaptaka host, toward the Samshaptakas.