The Kuninda Elephants Fall

Verse 1 (8.89.1)

सुकल्पिता हैमवता महोत्कटा । रणाभिकामैः कृतिभिः समास्थिताः । सुवर्णजालैर्वितता बभुर्गजाः । तथा यथा खे जलदाः सविद्युतः ॥

sukalpitā haimavatā mahotkaṭā | raṇābhikāmaiḥ kṛtibhiḥ samāsthitāḥ | suvarṇajālairvitatā babhurgajāḥ | tathā yathā khe jaladāḥ savidyutaḥ

Well arrayed, ridden by skilled warriors eager for battle, the huge rutting elephants of the Himalayan breed, covered with nets of gold, shone like clouds with lightning in the sky.

Note on the text: The page splits a sandhi across the line break (बभुर्गजा-- । / स्तथा); written here with the word-ends resolved (बभुर्गजाः । / तथा), the line division kept.

Verse 2 (8.89.2)

कुणिन्दपुत्रो दशभिर्महायसैः । कृपं ससूताश्वमपीडयद्भृशम् । ततः शरद्वत्सुतसायकैर्हतः । सहैव नागेन पपात भूतले ॥

kuṇindaputro daśabhirmahāyasaiḥ | kṛpaṃ sasūtāśvamapīḍayadbhṛśam | tataḥ śaradvatsutasāyakairhataḥ | sahaiva nāgena papāta bhūtale

The Kuninda king's son pierced Kripa, with his charioteer and horses, sorely with ten iron arrows; then, struck by the arrows of Sharadvat's son, he fell to the ground together with his elephant.

Verse 3 (8.89.3)

कुणिन्दपुत्रावरजस्तु तोमरैः । दिवाकरांशुप्रतिमैरयस्मयैः । जघान भोजस्य हयानथापतन् । क्षणाद्विशस्ताः कृतवर्मणा हयाः ॥

kuṇindaputrāvarajastu tomaraiḥ | divākarāṃśupratimairayasmayaiḥ | jaghāna bhojasya hayānathāpatan | kṣaṇādviśastāḥ kṛtavarmaṇā hayāḥ

The Kuninda's younger brother, with iron tomaras bright as the sun's rays, killed the horses of the Bhoja; and in an instant the horses, cut down by Kritavarman, fell.

Note on the text: Corrected कृतवर्मणे → कृतवर्मणा (misprint in Wikisource; a dative cannot go with विशस्ताः; the critical edition has kṛtavarmaṇā in the parallel line). The page splits a sandhi across the line break (तोमरै-- । / र्दिवाकरांशुप्रतिमैरयस्मयैः); written here with the word-ends resolved (तोमरैः । / दिवाकरांशुप्रतिमैरयस्मयैः), the line division kept. Lines 1–2 correspond to CE 8.62.38a (kuṇindaputrāvarajas tu tomarair; divākarāṃśupratimair ayasmayaiḥ); lines 3–4 to CE 8.62.42c (jaghāna bhojaś ca hayān athāpatan; viśastrakṛttāḥ kṛtavarmaṇā dvipāḥ), in different wording. The automatic alignment found no match.

Verse 4 (8.89.4)

अथापरे द्रौणिहता महाद्विपाः । त्रयः ससर्वायुधयोधकेतनाः । निपेतुरुर्व्यां व्यसवो विचेतनाः । तथा यथा वज्रहता महाचलाः ॥

athāpare drauṇihatā mahādvipāḥ | trayaḥ sasarvāyudhayodhaketanāḥ | nipetururvyāṃ vyasavo vicetanāḥ | tathā yathā vajrahatā mahācalāḥ

Then three other great elephants, struck by Drona's son, with all their weapons, warriors and banners, fell lifeless and senseless to the ground, like great mountains struck by a thunderbolt.

Note on the text: The page splits a sandhi across the line break (महाद्विपा-- । / स्त्रयः); written here with the word-ends resolved (महाद्विपाः । / त्रयः), the line division kept. The page splits a sandhi across the line break (विचेतना-- । / स्तथा); written here with the word-ends resolved (विचेतनाः । / तथा), the line division kept.

Verse 5 (8.89.5)

कुणिन्दराजावरजादनन्तरः । स्तनान्तरे पत्रिवरैरताडयत् । तवात्मजं तस्य तवात्मजः शरैः । शितैः शरीरं व्यहनद्द्विपं च तम् ॥

kuṇindarājāvarajādanantaraḥ | stanāntare patrivarairatāḍayat | tavātmajaṃ tasya tavātmajaḥ śaraiḥ | śitaiḥ śarīraṃ vyahanaddvipaṃ ca tam

The one next after the Kuninda king's younger brother struck your son in the chest with fine arrows; and your son, with sharp arrows, shattered that man's body and his elephant as well.

Verse 6 (8.89.6)

स नागराजः सह राजसूनुना । पपात रक्तं बहु सर्वतः क्षरन् । महेन्द्रवज्रप्रहतोऽम्बुदागमे । यथा जलं गेरिकपर्वतस्तथा ॥

sa nāgarājaḥ saha rājasūnunā | papāta raktaṃ bahu sarvataḥ kṣaran | mahendravajraprahato'mbudāgame | yathā jalaṃ gerikaparvatastathā

That king of elephants fell with the prince, streaming blood on every side, like a red-ochre mountain struck by Mahendra's thunderbolt at the coming of the rains, pouring out water.

Verse 7 (8.89.7)

कुणिन्दपुत्रप्रहितोऽपरो द्विपः । क्राथं ससूताश्वरथं व्यपोथयत् । ततोऽपतत्क्राथसराभिघातितः । सहेश्वरो वज्रहतो यथा गिरिः ॥

kuṇindaputraprahito'paro dvipaḥ | krāthaṃ sasūtāśvarathaṃ vyapothayat | tato'patatkrāthasarābhighātitaḥ | saheśvaro vajrahato yathā giriḥ

Another elephant, driven on by a Kuninda's son, crushed Kratha together with his charioteer, horses and chariot. Then it fell, struck by Kratha's arrows, together with its master, like a mountain struck by lightning.

Verse 8 (8.89.8)

रथी द्विपस्थेन हतोऽपतच्छरैः । क्राथाधिपः पर्वतजेन दुर्जयः । सवाजिसूतेष्वसनध्वजस्तथा । यथा महावातहतो महाद्रुमः ॥

rathī dvipasthena hato'pataccharaiḥ | krāthādhipaḥ parvatajena durjayaḥ | savājisūteṣvasanadhvajastathā | yathā mahāvātahato mahādrumaḥ

The chariot-warrior, the hard-to-conquer lord of the Krathas, struck by arrows from one who rode an elephant, a mountain-born man, fell with his horses, charioteer, bow and banner, like a great tree struck down by a mighty gale.

Verse 9 (8.89.9)

वृको द्विपस्थं गिरिराजवासिनं । भृशं शरैर्द्वादशभिः पराभिनत् । ततो वृकं साश्वरथं महाद्विपो । द्रुतं चतुर्भिश्चरणैर्व्यपोथयत् ॥

vṛko dvipasthaṃ girirājavāsinaṃ | bhṛśaṃ śarairdvādaśabhiḥ parābhinat | tato vṛkaṃ sāśvarathaṃ mahādvipo | drutaṃ caturbhiścaraṇairvyapothayat

Vrika fiercely struck with twelve arrows the mountain-dweller who rode the elephant; then the great elephant swiftly crushed Vrika, with his chariot and horses, with its four feet.

Note on the text: Corrected चतुर्भिरणैर् → चतुर्भिश्चरणैर् (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped श्च and च; the critical edition has caturbhiś caraṇe, "with its four feet").

Verse 10 (8.89.10)

स पोथितो नागवरेण वीर्यवान् । पराभिनद्द्वादशभिः शिलीमुखैः । वृकेण बाणाभिहतोऽपतत्क्षितौ । सवारणो बभ्रुसुतेन सार्धम् ॥

sa pothito nāgavareṇa vīryavān | parābhinaddvādaśabhiḥ śilīmukhaiḥ | vṛkeṇa bāṇābhihato'patatkṣitau | savāraṇo babhrusutena sārdham

Crushed by that best of elephants, the valiant Vrika pierced it with twelve arrows; struck by Vrika's arrows, the elephant fell to the ground together with Babhru's son.

Note on the text: Corrected नागरवेण → नागवरेण (misprint in Wikisource; a transposition; "crushed by the elephant's roar" gives no sense; the critical edition reads nāgavareṇa, "by the best of elephants"). The page splits a sandhi across the line break (वीर्यवा-- । / न्पराभिनद्); written here with the word-ends resolved (वीर्यवान् । / पराभिनद्), the line division kept. Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it as the star passage 8.62.49b*0967_01–04.

Verse 11 (8.89.11)

कुणिन्दराजस्य सुतोऽपरस्तदा । स चापि शूरः सहसा समर्पितः । पपात बाणैः सुबलस्य सूनुना । विषाणपुच्छापरगात्रपातिना ॥

kuṇindarājasya suto'parastadā | sa cāpi śūraḥ sahasā samarpitaḥ | papāta bāṇaiḥ subalasya sūnunā | viṣāṇapucchāparagātrapātinā

Then another son of the Kuninda king, that brave man too, suddenly thrown into the fight, fell to the arrows of Subala's son, who struck at the tusks, tail and hind limbs.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the star passage 8.62.49b*0968_01; lines 2–4 correspond loosely to CE 8.62.49c and 8.62.50a (viṣāṇapotrāparagātraghātinā) in different wording (the CE names the fallen man as Devavridha's son, brought down by Sahadeva's son; the page has Subala's son, Shakuni). Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 12 (8.89.12)

गजेन वाहाञ्शकुनेः कुणिन्दजो । निनाय वैवस्वतमन्दिरं रणे । रथं च संक्षुभ्य ननाद नर्दतः । ततोऽस्य गान्धारपतिः शिरोऽहरत् ॥

gajena vāhāñśakuneḥ kuṇindajo | nināya vaivasvatamandiraṃ raṇe | rathaṃ ca saṃkṣubhya nanāda nardataḥ | tato'sya gāndhārapatiḥ śiro'harat

The Kuninda, on his elephant, sent Shakuni's horses to Vaivasvata's abode in the battle, and bellowed after wrecking his chariot; then the lord of Gandhara cut off his head as he roared.

Note on the text: The page splits a sandhi across the line break (नर्दत-- । / स्ततोऽस्य); written here with the word-ends resolved (नर्दतः । / ततोऽस्य), the line division kept. Line 1 corresponds to CE 8.62.50a (gajena hantuṃ śakuneḥ kuṇindajaḥ), line 2 to the star passage 8.62.50b*0969_01 (nināya vaivasvatamandiraṃ raṇe); line 3 is CE 8.62.38c (rathaṃ ca vikṣobhya nanāda nardatas) and line 4 CE 8.62.50c / 38d (tato 'sya gāndhārapatiḥ śiro 'harat).

Verse 13 (8.89.13)

ततः कुणिन्देषु गतेषु तेषु । प्रहृष्टरूपास्तव ते महारथाः । भृशं प्रदध्मुर्लवणाम्बुसम्भवान् । वरांश्च बाणासनपाणयोऽभ्ययुः ॥

tataḥ kuṇindeṣu gateṣu teṣu | prahṛṣṭarūpāstava te mahārathāḥ | bhṛśaṃ pradadhmurlavaṇāmbusambhavān | varāṃśca bāṇāsanapāṇayo'bhyayuḥ

Then, when those Kuninda warriors had fallen, your great car-warriors, joyful, blew loudly their conches born of the salt sea, and, bows in hand, advanced against the enemy's best.

Note on the text: Corrected प्रदरध्मुर् → प्रदध्मुर् (misprint in Wikisource; a stray र; the critical edition reads pradadhmur, "blew"). The page splits a sandhi across the line break (लवणाम्बुसम्भवा-- । / न्वरांश्च); written here with the word-ends resolved (लवणाम्बुसम्भवान् । / वरांश्च), the line division kept.

Verse 14 (8.89.14)

तथाऽभवद्युद्धमतीव दारुणं । पुनः कुरूणां सह पाण्डुसृञ्जयैः । शरासिशक्त्यृष्टिगदापरश्वथैः । नराश्वनागासुहरं भृशाकुलम् ॥

tathā'bhavadyuddhamatīva dāruṇaṃ | punaḥ kurūṇāṃ saha pāṇḍusṛñjayaiḥ | śarāsiśaktyṛṣṭigadāparaśvathaiḥ | narāśvanāgāsuharaṃ bhṛśākulam

Again a most dreadful battle arose between the Kurus and the Pandavas with the Srinjayas, with arrows, swords, spears, lances, maces and axes, taking the lives of men, horses and elephants, and thick with confusion.

Note on the text: The page splits a sandhi across the line break (परश्वथै-- । / र्नराश्व); written here with the word-ends resolved (परश्वथैः । / नराश्व), the line division kept.

Verse 15 (8.89.15)

रथाश्वमातङ्गपदातयस्ततः । परस्परं विप्रहताः क्षितौ पतन् । यथा सविद्युत्तटितो जलप्रदाः । समुत्थितैर्दिग्भ्य इवोग्रमारुतैः ॥

rathāśvamātaṅgapadātayastataḥ | parasparaṃ viprahatāḥ kṣitau patan | yathā savidyuttaṭito jalapradāḥ | samutthitairdigbhya ivogramārutaiḥ

Then chariots, horses, elephants and foot-soldiers, struck down by one another, fell to the ground, like rain-clouds with lightning, driven together from every quarter by fierce winds.

Note on the text: Corrected इवोग्रमारुतेः → इवोग्रमारुतैः (misprint in Wikisource; the genitive does not fit; the critical edition reads ivogramārutaiḥ, "by fierce winds", agreeing with समुत्थितैः). The reading सविद्युत्तटितः (critical edition: savidyutstanitā, "with lightning and thunder") is obscure but is not clearly a misprint; kept, and rendered "with lightning".

Verse 16 (8.89.16)

ततः शतानीकहता महागजा । हया रथाः पत्तिगणाश्च तावकाः । सुपर्णवातप्रहता यथोरगाः । तथा गता गां विवशा विचूर्णिताः ॥

tataḥ śatānīkahatā mahāgajā | hayā rathāḥ pattigaṇāśca tāvakāḥ | suparṇavātaprahatā yathoragāḥ | tathā gatā gāṃ vivaśā vicūrṇitāḥ

Then your great elephants, horses, chariots and foot-soldiers, struck down by Shatanika, fell to the earth helpless and crushed, like serpents struck by the wind from Garuda's wings.

Note on the text: The page splits a sandhi across the line break (यथोरगा-- । / स्तथा); written here with the word-ends resolved (यथोरगाः । / तथा), the line division kept.

Verse 17 (8.89.17)

ततोऽभ्यविद्ध्यद्बहुभिः शितैः शरैः । स विन्दपुत्रो नकुलात्मजं स्मयन् । ततोऽस्य कोपाद्विचकर्त नाकुलिः । शिरः क्षुरेणाम्बुजसन्निभाननम् ॥

tato'bhyaviddhyadbahubhiḥ śitaiḥ śaraiḥ | sa vindaputro nakulātmajaṃ smayan | tato'sya kopādvicakarta nākuliḥ | śiraḥ kṣureṇāmbujasannibhānanam

Then Vinda's son, smiling, pierced Nakula's son with many sharp arrows; and in anger Nakula's son cut off his head, lotus-faced, with a razor-headed arrow.

Verse 18 (8.89.18)

ततः शतानीकमविध्यदायसैः । त्रिभिः शरैः कर्णसुतोऽर्जुनं त्रिभिः । त्रिभिश्च भीमं नकुलं च सप्तभिः । जनार्दनं द्वादशभिश्च सायकैः ॥

tataḥ śatānīkamavidhyadāyasaiḥ | tribhiḥ śaraiḥ karṇasuto'rjunaṃ tribhiḥ | tribhiśca bhīmaṃ nakulaṃ ca saptabhiḥ | janārdanaṃ dvādaśabhiśca sāyakaiḥ

Then Karna's son pierced Shatanika with three iron arrows, Arjuna with three, Bhima with three, Nakula with seven, and Janardana with twelve shafts.

Note on the text: The page splits a sandhi across the line break (विध्यदायसै-- । / स्त्रिभिः); written here with the word-ends resolved (विध्यदायसैः । / त्रिभिः), the line division kept. The page splits a sandhi across the line break (सप्तभि-- । / र्जनार्दनं); written here with the word-ends resolved (सप्तभिः । / जनार्दनं), the line division kept.

Verse 19 (8.89.19)

तदस्य कर्मातिमनुष्यकर्मणः । समीक्ष्य हृष्टाः कुरवोऽभ्यपूजयन् । पराक्रमज्ञास्तु धनञ्जयस्य ये । हुतोऽयमग्नाविति ते तु मेनिरे ॥

tadasya karmātimanuṣyakarmaṇaḥ | samīkṣya hṛṣṭāḥ kuravo'bhyapūjayan | parākramajñāstu dhanañjayasya ye | huto'yamagnāviti te tu menire

Seeing that superhuman deed of his, the Kurus, delighted, praised him; but those who knew Dhananjaya's prowess thought, "He has been offered into the fire."