Karna Ravages the Pandava Host

Verse 1 (8.59.1)

ततः प्रववृते भूयः सङ्ग्रामो राजसत्तम । कर्णस्य पाण्डवानां च यमराष्ट्रविवर्धनः ॥

tataḥ pravavṛte bhūyaḥ saṅgrāmo rājasattama | karṇasya pāṇḍavānāṃ ca yamarāṣṭravivardhanaḥ

Then the battle began again, O best of kings, between Karna and the Pandavas, swelling the realm of Yama.

Verse 2 (8.59.2)

धनूंषि बाणान्परिघानसिपट्टसतोमरान् । मुसलानि भुशुण्डीश्च शक्तिरृष्टिपरश्वथान् ॥

dhanūṃṣi bāṇānparighānasipaṭṭasatomarān | musalāni bhuśuṇḍīśca śaktirṛṣṭiparaśvathān

Bows, arrows, iron clubs, swords, paṭṭasas, tomaras, pestles, bhushundis, spears, ṛṣṭi swords and battle-axes —

Note on the text: Corrected शक्तिरिष्टि → शक्तिरृष्टि (misprint in Wikisource; इ for ऋ; इष्टि "sacrifice" is not a weapon, CE śaktiṛṣṭi).

Verse 3 (8.59.3)

गदाः प्रासाञ्शितान्कुन्तान्भिंडिपालान्महाङ्कुशान् । प्रगृह्य क्षिप्रमापेतुः परस्परजिघांसया ॥

gadāḥ prāsāñśitānkuntānbhiṃḍipālānmahāṅkuśān | pragṛhya kṣipramāpetuḥ parasparajighāṃsayā

maces, darts, sharp lances, bhindipālas and great goads — seizing these, they swiftly fell upon one another, each wishing to kill.

Verse 4 (8.59.4)

बाणज्यातलशब्देन द्यां दिशः प्रदिशो वियत् । पृथिवीं नेमिघोषेण नादयन्तोऽभ्ययुः परान् ॥

bāṇajyātalaśabdena dyāṃ diśaḥ pradiśo viyat | pṛthivīṃ nemighoṣeṇa nādayanto'bhyayuḥ parān

With the twang of bowstrings and the slap of arm-guards they made heaven, the directions and intermediate quarters, and the sky resound, and with the roar of wheel-rims the earth, as they rushed upon their foes.

Verse 5 (8.59.5)

तेन शब्देन महता संहृष्टाश्चक्रुराहवम् । वीरा वीरैर्महाघोरं कलहान्तं तितीर्षवः ॥

tena śabdena mahatā saṃhṛṣṭāścakrurāhavam | vīrā vīrairmahāghoraṃ kalahāntaṃ titīrṣavaḥ

Thrilled by that great noise, they went to battle — heroes against heroes, each wishing to see the dreadful quarrel through to its end.

Note on the text: Corrected महाप्तोरकलहान्तं → महाघोरं कलहान्तं (misprint in Wikisource; garbled; CE mahāghoraṃ kalahāntaṃ).

Verse 6 (8.59.6)

ज्यातलत्रधनुःशब्दाञ्शस्त्राणां च निपात्यताम् । ताडितानां च पतताम् निनादांश्च पदातिनाम् ॥

jyātalatradhanuḥśabdāñśastrāṇāṃ ca nipātyatām | tāḍitānāṃ ca patatām ninādāṃśca padātinām

The twang of bowstrings, the slap of arm-guards and bows, the clash of falling weapons, the cries of the struck as they fell, and the shouts of the foot-soldiers —

Note on the text: Corrected पतता निनादांश्च → पतताम् निनादांश्च (misprint in Wikisource; dropped म्; पतता cannot agree with the genitive plural ताडितानाम्). Recension variant of 8.16.13 (CE: jyātalatradhanuḥśabdāḥ kuñjarāṇāṃ ca bṛṃhitam / tāḍitānāṃ ca patatāṃ ninādaḥ sumahān abhūt); on the page the sounds are objects of श्रुत्वा in the next verse.

Verse 7 (8.59.7)

बाणशब्दांश्च विविधाञ्शूराणां चाभिगर्जताम् । श्रुत्वा गजा भृशं त्रेसुः पेतुर्मम्लुश्च सैनिकाः ॥

bāṇaśabdāṃśca vividhāñśūrāṇāṃ cābhigarjatām | śrutvā gajā bhṛśaṃ tresuḥ peturmamluśca sainikāḥ

and the many sounds of arrows and the roaring of the heroes: hearing these, the elephants trembled greatly, and soldiers fell down or lost heart.

Verse 8 (8.59.8)

तेषां निनदतां चैव शस्त्रवर्षं च मुञ्चताम् । बहूनाधिरथिर्वीरः प्रममाथेषुभिः परान् ॥

teṣāṃ ninadatāṃ caiva śastravarṣaṃ ca muñcatām | bahūnādhirathirvīraḥ pramamātheṣubhiḥ parān

As they roared and loosed showers of weapons, the heroic son of Adhiratha crushed many of them with his arrows.

Verse 9 (8.59.9)

पञ्च पाञ्चालवीराणां रथान्दश च पञ्च च । साश्वसूतध्वजान्कर्णः शरैर्निन्ये यमक्षयम् ॥

pañca pāñcālavīrāṇāṃ rathāndaśa ca pañca ca | sāśvasūtadhvajānkarṇaḥ śarairninye yamakṣayam

With his arrows Karna sent fifteen chariots of Panchala heroes, with their horses, charioteers and banners, to Yama's abode.

Note on the text: The line reads pañca … daśa ca pañca ca ("five … ten and five"); rendered as fifteen chariots, as in the CE.

Verse 10 (8.59.10)

योधमुख्या महावीर्याः पाण्डूनां कर्णमाहवे । शिक्षितास्तमभिद्रुत्य परिवव्रुः समन्ततः ॥

yodhamukhyā mahāvīryāḥ pāṇḍūnāṃ karṇamāhave | śikṣitāstamabhidrutya parivavruḥ samantataḥ

The chief warriors of the Pandavas, mighty and well trained, ran at Karna in the battle and surrounded him on every side.

Verse 11 (8.59.11)

ततः कर्णो द्विषत्सेनां शरवर्षैर्विलोडयन् । विजगाहाण्डजाकीर्णां पद्मिनीमिव यूथपः ॥

tataḥ karṇo dviṣatsenāṃ śaravarṣairviloḍayan | vijagāhāṇḍajākīrṇāṃ padminīmiva yūthapaḥ

Then Karna, churning the enemy host with showers of arrows, plunged into it as the leader of an elephant herd plunges into a lotus pond thronged with water-birds.

Verse 12 (8.59.12)

द्विषत्सैन्यमवस्कन्द्य राधेयो धनुरुत्तमम् । विधुन्वानः शितैर्बाणैः शिरांस्युन्मथ्य पातयत् ॥

dviṣatsainyamavaskandya rādheyo dhanuruttamam | vidhunvānaḥ śitairbāṇaiḥ śirāṃsyunmathya pātayat

Plunging into the enemy army, Radheya, brandishing his excellent bow, tore off heads with his sharp arrows and felled them.

Verse 13 (8.59.13)

हस्तिनः समहामात्रान्साश्वारोहान्हयानपि । रथिनोऽप्येकबाणेन भ्रमतश्चावपातयत् ॥

hastinaḥ samahāmātrānsāśvārohānhayānapi | rathino'pyekabāṇena bhramataścāvapātayat

Elephants with their mahouts, horses with their riders, and chariot-fighters too, even as they wheeled about, he brought down each with a single arrow.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (backtick/apostrophe). Star passage 8.16.19d*0121_01-02 (hastinaḥ sumahāmātrān sāśvārohān hayān api / rathino 'py ekabāṇena bhramataś cāvapātayat), in the CE's apparatus only; the page prints it in wiki quote marks.

Verse 14 (8.59.14)

वर्म वा चर्म वाऽश्रित्य निपातमपि देहिनः । विषेहुर्नास्य संस्पर्शं द्वितीयस्य पतत्त्रिणः ॥

varma vā carma vā'śritya nipātamapi dehinaḥ | viṣehurnāsya saṃsparśaṃ dvitīyasya patattriṇaḥ

Whether relying on mail or on shield, living beings could not withstand the fall of his arrows, nor the touch of even a second shaft of his.

Note on the text: Line 1 is a variant of 8.16.20ab (CE: carmavarmāṇi saṃchindya nirvāpam iva dehinām); line 2 is 8.16.20cd (saṃparkaṃ for saṃsparśaṃ).

Verse 15 (8.59.15)

वर्मयुक्तेषु देहेषु धनुषोऽस्यञ्शिताञ्शरान् । मौर्व्या तलत्रे न्यहनत्कशया वाजिनो यथा ॥

varmayukteṣu deheṣu dhanuṣo'syañśitāñśarān | maurvyā talatre nyahanatkaśayā vājino yathā

At bodies in armour he shot sharp arrows from his bow, and with the string against his arm-guard he lashed them as a whip lashes horses.

Note on the text: Recension variant of 8.16.21 (CE: varmadehāsumathanair dhanuṣaḥ pracyutaiḥ śaraiḥ / maurvyā talatrair nyavadhīt kaśayā vājino yathā).

Verse 16 (8.59.16)

पाण्डुसृञ्जयपाञ्चालाञ्शरगोचरमागतान् । ममर्द तरसा कर्णः सिंहो मृगगणानिव ॥

pāṇḍusṛñjayapāñcālāñśaragocaramāgatān | mamarda tarasā karṇaḥ siṃho mṛgagaṇāniva

Karna swiftly ground down the Pandavas, Srinjayas and Panchalas who came within range of his arrows, as a lion crushes herds of deer.

Verse 17 (8.59.17)

ततः पाञ्चालपुत्रश्च द्रौपदेयाश्च मारिष । यमौ च युयुधानश्च त्वरिताः कर्णमभ्ययुः ॥

tataḥ pāñcālaputraśca draupadeyāśca māriṣa | yamau ca yuyudhānaśca tvaritāḥ karṇamabhyayuḥ

Then the Panchala prince, the sons of Draupadi, the twins and Yuyudhana, O sire, hurried together at Karna.

Verse 18 (8.59.18)

तेषु व्यायच्छमानेषु कुरुपाञ्चालपाण्डुषु । प्रियानसून्रणे त्यक्त्वा योधा जघ्नुः परस्परम् ॥

teṣu vyāyacchamāneṣu kurupāñcālapāṇḍuṣu | priyānasūnraṇe tyaktvā yodhā jaghnuḥ parasparam

While the Kurus, Panchalas and Pandavas were thus straining hard, the warriors gave up their dear lives in the battle and killed one another.

Verse 19 (8.59.19)

सुसन्नद्धाः कवचिनः सशिरस्त्राणभूषणाः । गदाभिर्मुसलैश्चान्ये परिघैश्च महाबलाः ॥

susannaddhāḥ kavacinaḥ saśirastrāṇabhūṣaṇāḥ | gadābhirmusalaiścānye parighaiśca mahābalāḥ

Well armoured, in mail, with helmets and ornaments, some with maces and clubs, others with iron bars, those mighty warriors

Note on the text: Corrected महाबालाः → महाबलाः (misprint in Wikisource; long ा for short; महाबाल "great children" does not fit, CE mahārathāḥ).

Verse 20 (8.59.20)

समभ्यधावन्त भृशं कालदण्डैरिवोद्यतैः । नर्दन्तश्चाह्वयन्तश्च प्रवल्गन्तश्च मारिष ॥

samabhyadhāvanta bhṛśaṃ kāladaṇḍairivodyataiḥ | nardantaścāhvayantaśca pravalgantaśca māriṣa

rushed fiercely at one another as if with raised rods of Death, roaring, challenging and strutting about, O sire.

Verse 21 (8.59.21)

ततो निजघ्नुरन्योन्यं पेतुश्चान्योन्यताडिताः । वमन्तो रुधिरं गात्रैर्विमस्तिष्केक्षणा युधि ॥

tato nijaghnuranyonyaṃ petuścānyonyatāḍitāḥ | vamanto rudhiraṃ gātrairvimastiṣkekṣaṇā yudhi

Then they struck one another down, and fell, struck down in turn, vomiting blood from their bodies, their brains and eyes dashed out in the battle.

Note on the text: Corrected विमस्तिष्केक्षमायुधाः → विमस्तिष्केक्षणा युधि (misprint in Wikisource; garbled; CE vimastiṣkekṣaṇā yudhi).

Verse 22 (8.59.22)

दन्तपूर्णैः सरुधिरैर्वक्त्रैर्दाडिमसन्निभैः । जीवन्त इव चाप्येके तस्थुः शस्त्रौघबृंहिताः ॥

dantapūrṇaiḥ sarudhirairvaktrairdāḍimasannibhaiḥ | jīvanta iva cāpyeke tasthuḥ śastraughabṛṃhitāḥ

With mouths full of teeth and blood, red as pomegranates, some seemed alive as they stood, bristling with a mass of weapons.

Note on the text: Corrected वक्रैर् → वक्त्रैर् (misprint in Wikisource; dropped त्; वक्र "crooked" does not fit, CE vaktrair, "mouths").

Verse 23 (8.59.23)

परश्वथैश्चाप्यपरे पट्टसैरसिभिस्तथा । शक्तिभिर्भिण्डिपालैश्च नखरप्रासतोमरैः ॥

paraśvathaiścāpyapare paṭṭasairasibhistathā | śaktibhirbhiṇḍipālaiśca nakharaprāsatomaraiḥ

Others, with battle-axes, paṭṭasas, swords, spears, bhindipālas, claw-weapons, darts and lances,

Verse 24 (8.59.24)

ततक्षुश्चिच्छिदुश्चान्ये बिभिदुश्चिक्षिपुस्तथा । सञ्चकर्तुश्च जघ्नुश्च राजन्योधा महारणे ॥

tatakṣuścicchiduścānye bibhiduścikṣipustathā | sañcakartuśca jaghnuśca rājanyodhā mahāraṇe

cut, hacked, split, hurled, hewed to pieces and slew, the warriors, O king, in that great battle.

Verse 25 (8.59.25)

पेतुरन्योन्यनिहता व्यसवो रुधिरोक्षिताः । क्षरन्तः स्वरसं रक्तं प्रकृत्ताश्चन्दना इव ॥

peturanyonyanihatā vyasavo rudhirokṣitāḥ | kṣarantaḥ svarasaṃ raktaṃ prakṛttāścandanā iva

Lifeless, soaked in blood, they fell, slain by one another, streaming their lifeblood like hacked sandal-trees oozing red sap.

Verse 26 (8.59.26)

रथै रथा विनिहता हस्तिभिश्चापि हस्तिनः । नरैर्नरा हताः पेतुरश्वाश्चाश्वैः सहस्रशः ॥

rathai rathā vinihatā hastibhiścāpi hastinaḥ | narairnarā hatāḥ peturaśvāścāśvaiḥ sahasraśaḥ

Chariots fell, struck by chariots, and elephants by elephants; men fell, struck down by men, and horses by horses, in their thousands.

Verse 27 (8.59.27)

ध्वजाः शिरांसि च्छिन्नाः पेतुर्महीतले । वध्यतां दारुणाः शब्दाः पततां स्तनतामपि ॥

dhvajāḥ śirāṃsi cchinnāḥ peturmahītale | vadhyatāṃ dāruṇāḥ śabdāḥ patatāṃ stanatāmapi

Banners and heads fell to the ground, cut off. Fearful were the cries of those being slain, of those falling and groaning.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (backtick/apostrophe). Line 1 is a variant of 8.16.33a; line 2 is star passage 8.16.33d*0122_01 (vadhyatāṃ dāruṇaḥ śabdaḥ patatāṃ stanatām api), in the CE's apparatus only. Removed the stray opening backtick (wiki mark).

Verse 28 (8.59.28)

क्षुरैर्भल्लार्धचन्द्रैश्च च्छिन्नाः पेतुर्महीतले । नराश्वेभरथानां हि नराश्वेभरथैस्तथा ॥

kṣurairbhallārdhacandraiśca cchinnāḥ peturmahītale | narāśvebharathānāṃ hi narāśvebharathaistathā

Cut down by razor-edged arrows, bhallas and crescent-headed arrows, they fell to the ground; so too men, horses, elephants and chariots were destroyed by men, horses, elephants and chariots.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (backtick/apostrophe). Corrected हिनराश्वेभरथैस्तथा → हि नराश्वेभरथैस्तथा (misprint in Wikisource; missing word-space; हिनर… is not a word). Line 1 is a variant of 8.16.33c; line 2 is star passage 8.16.33d*0122_02 (narāśvebharathānāṃ hi narāśvebharathais tadā). Removed the stray closing apostrophe (wiki mark).

Verse 29 (8.59.29)

नरांश्च नागांश्च रथान्हयान्ममृदुराहवे ॥

narāṃśca nāgāṃśca rathānhayānmamṛdurāhave

They crushed men and elephants, chariots and horses in the battle.

Note on the text: Single line (printed as one line); 8.16.34a of the CE. Not restored.

Verse 30 (8.59.30)

अश्वारोहैर्हताः शूराश्छिन्नहस्ताश्च दन्तिनः । सपताकाध्वजाः पेतुर्विशीर्णा इव पर्वताः ॥

aśvārohairhatāḥ śūrāśchinnahastāśca dantinaḥ | sapatākādhvajāḥ peturviśīrṇā iva parvatāḥ

Heroes slain by horsemen, and tusked elephants with severed trunks, fell with their pennants and banners like shattered mountains.

Note on the text: Lines are 8.16.34c and 8.16.35a.

Verse 31 (8.59.31)

पत्तिभिश्च समाप्लुत्य द्विरदाः स्यन्दनास्तथा । हताश्च हन्यमानाश्च पतिताश्चैव सर्वशः ॥

pattibhiśca samāplutya dviradāḥ syandanāstathā | hatāśca hanyamānāśca patitāścaiva sarvaśaḥ

Elephants and chariots, assailed by foot-soldiers, killed and being killed, lay fallen on every side.

Note on the text: Lines are 8.16.35c and 8.16.36a.

Verse 32 (8.59.32)

अश्वारोहाः समासाद्य त्वरिताः पत्तिभिर्हताः । सादिभिः पत्तिसङ्घाश्च निहता युधि शेरते ॥

aśvārohāḥ samāsādya tvaritāḥ pattibhirhatāḥ | sādibhiḥ pattisaṅghāśca nihatā yudhi śerate

Horsemen who closed in were quickly slain by foot-soldiers, and bands of foot-soldiers slain by horsemen lay in the battle.

Note on the text: Lines are 8.16.36c and 8.16.36e.

Verse 33 (8.59.33)

मृदितानीव पद्मानि प्रम्लाना इव च स्रजः । हतानां वदनान्यासन्गात्राणि च महाहवे ॥

mṛditānīva padmāni pramlānā iva ca srajaḥ | hatānāṃ vadanānyāsangātrāṇi ca mahāhave

In that great battle the faces of the slain were like crushed lotuses, and their bodies like withered garlands.

Verse 34 (8.59.34)

रूपाण्यत्यर्थकान्तानि द्विरदाश्वनृणां नृप । समुन्नानीव वस्त्राणि ययुर्दुर्दर्शतां पराम् ॥

rūpāṇyatyarthakāntāni dviradāśvanṛṇāṃ nṛpa | samunnānīva vastrāṇi yayurdurdarśatāṃ parām

The forms of elephants, horses and men, once so lovely, O king, became terrible to look upon, like soiled clothes.

Note on the text: Corrected ययुर्दुर्दुर्शतां → ययुर्दुर्दर्शतां (misprint in Wikisource; misprint; CE durdarśatāṃ).